Town Deal or No Deal?

The Kidsgrove Town Deal, funded by the UK government’s Towns Fund, has been significantly scaled back.

Kidsgrove was selected as one of 100 towns across the UK to benefit from the government’s £3.6 billion Towns Fund, aimed at boosting local economies and improving infrastructure, with Kidsgrove securing £16.9 million.

Following consultations the main projects were decided to be a railway station upgrade with new car park, and a shared services hub with some town centre public realm improvements. But now due to funding limitations and project viability issues the Kidsgrove Town Deal is undergoing significant adjustments. 

The railway station overhaul has been downgraded to a refurbishment, the shared services hub has been abandoned, and funds are being redirected to alternative town improvement projects. 

Initially, £3.69 million was allocated for a major overhaul of Kidsgrove Railway Station, including transport interchange and 200-space car park. Now the project has been scaled back to a refurbishment due to insufficient funds for ground remediation work related to historic mining subsidence, which could cost an additional £2 million.

A £6.5 million plan for a shared services hub on Meadows Road, intended to provide a modern “one-stop shop” for public services, has been scrapped after partner organizations withdrew from the project, rendering it “untenable.”

The Town Deal Board is now exploring additional projects to utilize the reallocated funds, such as road and canal towpath upgrade.