'Golden opportunity' for Billingham as town receives £20million from the Levelling Up Fund

Billingham has been awarded £20million from the Government's Levelling Up Fund in a major boost to the Council's regeneration plans for the town centre.

The bid formed part of the ongoing town centres investment programme led by the Council, with a masterplan for Billingham currently being prepared to explore potential redevelopment opportunities in the town.

The masterplan will build on the previous findings from the 'Let's Talk About Our Towns' public consultation in 2020, assess potential opportunities for future development and how they can be delivered alongside the owners of the town centre.

The Levelling Up Fund is designed to invest in infrastructure that improves everyday life across the country, supporting town centre and high street regeneration, local transport projects, and cultural and heritage assets.

Councillor Nigel Cooke, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Housing at Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, said: "I am absolutely delighted to hear that Billingham has been awarded £20million of funding, this is exactly what we have been waiting for and is long anticipated.

"We welcome this huge investment; it is vindication for our ongoing commitment to Billingham and aligns with our ambitions to bring about redevelopment alongside the town centre's owners.

"We've got a strong track record for investment in the town and we're working on a masterplan which we committed to in the summer to guide any future investment decisions.

"This is the first step in a journey for Billingham. It is a fantastic town with huge potential and we now have a golden opportunity before us to bring about real transformational change." 

Billingham Town Centre is currently privately owned and the Council has worked in partnership with the owners over the last ten years to fund and create high-quality public facilities and spaces.

This includes the likes of the refurbishment of Billingham Forum and Theatre, a new library and improvements to public spaces and paving.