Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council has appointed the social impact developer to deliver a revamped York Place and two other linked schemes which together have attracted more than £35 million of investment, from the Future High Street Fund and Town Deal Fund, under the previous Government thanks to authority-led bids.

The plan at York Place is to create attractive homes, new stores and green spaces by retaining and repurposing much of the existing 1960s building. This approach has multiple benefits when compared to starting from scratch: it’s more cost effective, quicker and better for the environment through the reduced need for new building materials.

Council Leader Simon Tagg said: “The reasons why people use high streets have changed forever due to a number of trends and I’m delighted that the Council has been able to attract significant funding from the Government in recent years to renew and reshape Newcastle town centre as the heart of economic, social and community life, via three ambitious regeneration schemes which enable greater diversification while still incorporating retail.

“It’s fantastic to reach this physical milestone at York Place. Remodelling the building – which is quicker, cheaper and much better for the environment than demolition – will enable better connectivity between a redeveloped Ryecroft and the High Street Ironmarket area. It will also provide greater footfall in an underused part of town which is really good news for local businesses.

“This is a fantastic opportunity to secure the town centre’s long-term future and success and I can’t wait to see Capital & Centric’s work unfold. They’re well known for turning tired old land and buildings into brilliant new places.”

Capital&Centric is expected to submit a detailed planning application to the Council this summer following a popular consultation event held earlier in the year. It’s also developing detailed designs for the other plots, including plans to repurpose the ageing Midway car park in a similar way into new homes, contemporary amenities, green spaces and a stunning three-floor atrium. Ryecroft – the biggest of the three sites – is expected to become a mixed-use  neighbourhood with a hotel, new apartments, suburban family homes and workspaces.

John Moffat, joint managing director at Capital&Centric, added: “It doesn’t feel long since we first got involved in coming up with new, creative uses for this trio of town centre sites.

“We’ve moved at a rapid pace since then with the amazing support of Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council and work happening on site at York Place is an exciting marker of ambitions coming to fruition. Whilst work to prep the site gets underway, we’ll be putting our finishing touches to detailed plans to be submitted to the Council soon.

“We’re all about repurposing and retaining old buildings, whether Victorian mills or brutalist ‘60s concrete structures. The same goes here, where we want to use the solid bones and retain the charm of the old York Place – in turn saving loads of embodied carbon – but make it fit for the town centre’s next chapter.”