Eastfield gets £1.2m towards regeneration, including a new park, job opportunities, and sport and arts projects

Scarborough Borough Council’s cabinet has today approved the investment of £1.2 million in five areas of work as part of the wider Eastfield regeneration programme.

More than £3 million has been set aside for investment in Eastfield with the money coming from the sale of council-owned land at Middle Deepdale for housing.

Eastfield ward councillor and cabinet member Cllr Tony Randseson praised the hard work that had gone into the scheme for more than seven years.

He said: “It is fantastic news for Eastfield and fantastic news for the south of Scarborough.

“The residents are really looking forward to this scheme. Over the years there has been a touch of negativity that we would never see this scheme brought to fruition and I have kept saying ‘yes it will'.

“It is unfortunate, very unfortunate, that we are now in a situation now with this horrible pandemic. If it wasn’t for that I would have seen that spade dug in the ground to start this scheme off to show the people of Eastfield that we are actually going ahead with it.

“If it wasn’t for the pandemic I think we would have seen the spade in the ground already.”

The package of support agreed today includes:

£200,000 worth of improvements to Eastfield High Street and a new Halfway Park for use by local families for recreational use.

£150,000 to improve health and wellbeing with a focus on vulnerable members of the community and those who find themselves social excluded.

£212,000 to promote employment, voluntary activity and business opportunities in Eastfield and the wider area. It is hoped match-funding of another £212,000 will boost the investment in this area of work to more than £400,000.

£150,000 in grants to encourage local community groups and organisations to come up with innovative regeneration ideas.

£240,000 to support young people and families to help realise their potential with a focus on health and wellbeing through pre and post-school clubs, healthy eating, sport and performing arts.

The package of support has been developed jointly by the council and the Eastfield regeneration partnership, PACT, and a range of partner organisations.

The PACT wanted the council’s regeneration effort to focus on people and place and that has helped shape the support package to be considered by cabinet.

The Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) in September 2019 listed Eastfield as Scarborough’s most deprived postcode.

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