East Riding of Yorkshire Council has been awarded a £7.8m grant from Homes England to develop new sheltered housing schemes at Moat Hill in Anlaby and Deira Court in Driffield, with the East Riding of Yorkshire Council committing £25.7n to demolish and rebuild the accommodation, to meet modern standards and aspirations. Demolition and construction contracts have been awarded to Hull-based developers Hobson and Porter. The new sheltered schemes will feature a mixture of one-and-two-bedroom flats with generous open-plan layouts. The homes will be adaptable to meet residents’ needs as they age, thereby helping them to live independently for longer. Additionally, there will be a communal resident lounge for social activities, and each scheme will be equipped with the latest digital telecare equipment connected to the Council’s ‘Lifeline’ support service. This funding is part of the Affordable Homes Programme (2021-26), which received an additional £400m in the Autumn budget. To qualify for this funding, projects must commence by the end of the financial year, with priority given to regeneration developments and those offering social rent. Councillor Anne Handley East Riding of Yorkshire Council leader said “These grants will play a key role in ensuring that the council can continue to invest in its sheltered housing stock. It’s great to see the work in progress, and I look forward to seeing the first new residents move into the accommodation, when the project is completed. “ Shahi Islam, Homes England Director of Affordable Housing Grant said “As the Government’s housing and regeneration agency, increasing the supply of quality affordable homes remains one of our key objectives and we are committed to supporting East Riding of Yorkshire Council to achieve their ambitions. “Projects like Moat Hill and Deira Court are key examples of how the agency works collaboratively with partners through the Affordable Homes Programme to achieve our mission to build much needed new communities that people can be proud of.” Mark Smee, Director at Hobson & Porter, added: “We are delighted to be starting on site with this project in Anlaby. Our business was established back in 1971 principally to provide construction services to local authority housing projects, so its great to be working with one of our longest-served clients in this sector to deliver a flagship, local project like this. We can’t wait to see it develop.”

Work has started on site on one of the biggest single investments in Grimsby town centre’s history, the Freshney Place leisure scheme and associated new food hall and complementary market. National construction company GMI Construction Group will lead the build of the leisure scheme, having worked on similar projects in other towns and cities across the UK. Ed Weston, GMI’s Commercial Director, said: “We are proud to be part of this transformative project that will breathe new life into the town centre. Our expertise in delivering both urban regeneration projects and high-quality mixed-use developments will ensure that Freshney Place becomes a vibrant destination for residents, businesses, and visitors alike.” Amanda Austin, Centre Director, Freshney Place, said: “This is a major milestone for Freshney Place and the wider Grimsby town centre. The start of construction marks the beginning of an exciting transformation as we develop a fantastic new offering. “Freshney Place has served the community for nearly 50 years, and as work gets underway we can be confident it will remain a popular destination for the people of Grimsby into the future. “We look forward to sharing progress as the works continue, and want to reassure our customers that it will be business as usual throughout the development phase.” North East Lincolnshire Council leader Philip Jackson said: “We promised to get the main work started early in 2025, and that’s what’s happening. We’re on a hugely ambitious journey, with significant investment of public funds across our towns and borough. We’re investing in one of the largest schemes this council has ever invested in. We believe this is right for the town. “Our Freshney Place regeneration scheme is, in my firm belief, the most important regeneration project we have seen in North East Lincolnshire. It is key to the future of our town centre – underpinning the other regeneration taking place as well as securing the future of Freshney Place and the 1,700 local jobs it supports” Following initial works within Top Town Market last week as soon as it closed, the focus now is to complete an internal strip out of the building, including mechanical and electrical fittings as well as asbestos removal. This will be followed with the demolition of the market building in the summer. The external demolition of the former BHS building will start in early March. The hoardings are up to make sure that there’s a safe working environment for all those on site. Hoardings will be put up in Victoria Street, from Devonshire House to the former House of Fraser building, signalling the start of the main works. Flottergate Mall entrance to Freshney Place has also been closed off. The main entrances to Freshney Place at Riverhead Square and Brewery Street remain open as normal. Additionally, the market roof car park is due to be closed off from Monday 17 February.

Frasers Group has selected Barnsdales to undertake the property and asset management of Doncaster’s Frenchgate Shopping Centre. Barnsdales MD Jason Barnsdale said: “With its own transport hub, the Doncaster Interchange, and adjoining railway station, it’s certain that when people come to Doncaster, they come to the Frenchgate Shopping Centre. It’s an honour to be entrusted with the everyday management of the centre and to act as asset managers and joint leasing agents with Rawstron Johnson on behalf of the Frasers Group; we’re determined to help it thrive as a bustling shopping and dining destination. “I’m genuinely delighted that Barnsdales has been chosen to manage this iconic Doncaster shopping centre. Barnsdales is headquartered in the city, working nationally from offices throughout the UK. This is a significant instruction for the Barnsdales property management team.” Barnsdales, established in Doncaster almost 120 years ago and with its HQ less than two miles away from the Frenchgate centre, has offices in Sheffield, Derby, Nottingham, Bristol, Cirencester, Manchester, Lincoln, and London. Corinne Mycock, General Manager at Frenchgate, said:“The Frenchgate Shopping Centre is delighted to bring on Barnsdales as property and asset managers and joint letting agents. As they are based in the city, we feel they have a close connection to – and an innate feel for – the place, which is essential. “We’re hopeful that having professionals from a company based in and operating from Doncaster will give us a more hands-on, proactive approach.” Barnsdales’ instruction follows several high-profile wins for the company, including the recent appointment to the property and facilities management of Newton Aycliffe Town Centre, a privately owned 200,000 sq ft shopping outlet consisting of 64 retail units in County Durham.