Full steam ahead in Doncaster

While many cities and towns in Yorkshire cut back on regeneration, Doncaster appears determined to maintain its effort for improvement. It has started building the new civic and cultural centre with a ground breaking ceremony where the mayor, Peter Davies, said: “This has the potential to be a catalyst or stimulating growth in our economy. The intention is to create a destination that complements our quality shopping and market areas and encourages more visitors and businesses to Doncaster.” Michael Broadhead of Muse Developments, which is undertaking the scheme with the council, said: “The ivic Quarter will really set the standard for further new buildings in the town and region.”

The scheme is being partly financed by the European Union and later this year construction will commence on a performance centre, civic square and housing (bringing it back into the centre of Doncaster). In later hases there will be a library, swimming pool and leisure facility, further town centre housing, commercial offices and additional parking. Such is Doncaster’s confidence in the scheme that it has released a video to promote the town and its new facilities to a wide audience throughout the UK. Meanwhile, Doncaster will become part of the new local enterprise partnerships which replace the regional development authorities. In this case, in the Sheffield City Region which includes Sheffield, Rotherham, Barnsley, Bassetlaw, Bolsover, Chesterfield, Derbyshire Dales and North-East Derbyshire.

This region has witnessed a considerable amount of new development and regeneration and has done particularly well in terms of distribution and warehouse schemes. In turn this has attracted new investment, such as HSBC buying the final phase of Valad and Shepherd Developments’ West Moor Park scheme in Doncaster for a £9.1 million, a yield of 7.3%. The 14,864 sq.metres (160,000 sq.ft.) Quattro warehouse is let to Scotts Miracle-Gro.Richard Squire of Shepherd said: “West Moor Park is now well established and a prime location in the Doncaster area and, indeed, in the whole of Yorkshire and Humber region and epitomises the renaissance of South Yorkshire to the past decade.”