Plans to create an artisan craft yard in Northallerton town centre have been put on hold after the district council received less Government money that it had hoped for.
Hambleton District Council has confirmed it is abandoning proposals to buy land and buildings in the town to create the £3.75m facility.
Instead, the authority will focus more funding to the other major element of the scheme, the redevelopment of the former prison site.
The council has been successful in securing over six million pounds of government money to improve Northallerton.
The Future High Street Funding (FHSH) worth £6,085,013 will be combined with other funding to make a total of £14.1m.
Officials say the process to secure this funding was an extremely competitive one, with 101 towns across the UK selected to submit business cases after an initial bidding process, which saw many towns discounted.
On Boxing Day, the Government announced that 72 of the 101 towns were to receive the funding.
The successful 72 were selected on the strength of their business case which was measured against strict criteria.
As part of the business case process, the council says it was required to outline their aspirations and the level of funding needed to deliver those plans.
Fifteen towns received the full amount of funding they asked for in their business case, and 57 towns, including Northallerton, received 69 per cent of the funding they had requested.
A further 29 of the original 101 towns received no funding at all.
The district council said that receiving less FHSF than requested meant development plans have had to be changed to make sure the most achievable projects which offer the most transformation and improvement could still happen.
A report to councillors also revealed that the Treadmills scheme was facing “increased costs associated with progressing the development due to market changes since the original business case was submitted”.
The council said after a meeting on Tuesday that it had decided not to put forward the ‘Artizan Yard’ project for now but would continue to work on securing funding for the development of this project.
The FHSF cash will now go towards phase two of the Treadmills development, which will bring a more significant transformation to Northallerton, the development of the town hall square and the town centre living project.
Councillor Mark Robson, leader of Hambleton District Council, said: “This is simply fantastic news for Northallerton and our district on a whole. Now more than ever, our high streets and town centres need support in the recovery from the Covid-19 crisis, and this cash will help to do just that.
“I’m extremely proud we’ve managed to secure over £6 million pounds from the FHSF as the application process was very tough and we faced stiff competition from other towns across the UK.
“Its been no mean feat to secure the amount we have, and I’m very much looking forward to seeing the difference this cash will make to our county town over the coming months and years.
“My hope is this funding helps keep Northallerton firmly on the map as a destination of choice for shopping, leisure, culture and heritage in North Yorkshire for many years to come.”
For more information on the agreed projects please visit https://www.hambleton.gov.uk/news/article/102/-6-million-to-transform-northallerton
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