David Davis meets with the Prime Minister to discuss flood defences
As published in The Hull Daily Mail
£10m fund to rebuild city’s neighbourhoods
A £10M investment in Hull house building will help regenerate neighbourhoods across the city.
The cash, which is part of a £104m Humber package from the Government’s Local Growth Fund, will speed up work at several housing estates.
It is being used to help construct 1,500 new homes and renovate 4,500 more.
Money will be spent on new builds in Hawthorn Avenue, off Anlaby Road, west Hull, and the Ings Estate, off Holderness Road, east Hull.
Hull City Council’s infrastructure portfolio holder John Black said: “This funding is excellent news and builds on the good work already under way across the city.
“This funding highlights the council’s commitment to delivering high-quality and environmentally friendly homes and neighbourhoods, creating apprenticeships and job opportunities for local people and local businesses.”
The Hawthorn Avenue project lost £30m of Government funding after the coalition came to power.
It has since survived on other grants and private investment.
The extra money is likely to speed-up work and make regeneration more secure.
Houses off the road are being built by developer Keepmoat, which was given permission to put up 700 properties there in 2012.
David Carmichael, the firm’s partnerships and land director, said: “Housing-led regeneration is fundamental to the aims of the Humber region and, as a long-term partner, Keepmoat are therefore pleased and encouraged at the securing of the funding for housing.”
Refurbishment work will focus on run-down Victorian terraces in Holland Street, off Holderness Road, and Boulevard, off Anlaby Road.
The money was revealed as part of national funding announcement on Monday.
It was won by the Humber Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) along with cash for a host of other projects, including £48m for flood defences, £4m for a new footbridge over Castle Street in Hull and £7.5m for rail electrification between the city and Selby.
A further £1m is being given to Goole College for an engineering and renewable energy workshop.
Haltemprice and Howden MP David Davis welcomed the news.
He said: “It looks like good news and, in many ways, it reflects the fact the region has been particularly affected by recent events.”
On the back of recent announcements such as the Siemens deal for a huge wind turbine factory, it “feeds into the impetus for growth-building in the region”, he said.
“It’s all pushing in the same direction.”
On flood spending, he said: “The allocation for flood defences is very good in as much as it deals with many of the immediate risks.”
Mr Davis, who has secured a meeting with the Prime Minister to discuss strengthening the Humber’s flood defences today, believes more needs to be done to protect homes and businesses.
He said: “Of course, in the longer-term, massively more money will be needed to provide the Humber and places like my constituency and Hull protection from flooding, but it’s certainly a step in the right direction.”
Along with other MPs from the north and south bank, he is calling for an investment worth £888m, over ten years, to protect the region from future floods.