Eston Precinct

Dear Marie,

Thank you for getting touch.

Please note that the Eston Precinct regeneration project is not cancelled, with demolition due to commence in May 2025. Businesses within the redevelopment area - including the gym - will be relocating to make way for the new development. Thank you.

Best regards,
Eston Levelling Up Project Team

Dear Dawn,

We did respond to your previous message via a direct response - please let us know if you did not receive this by contacting us at Eston.levellingup@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk, and we will be happy to respond.

In the meantime, we can confirm that the Council are still committed to the Eston Precinct project and currently in negotiations with various landowners to acquire the site to facilitate development.

Further updates will be provided as soon as the Council is in a position to confirm them.

Thank you.

Best wishes,
Eston Levelling Up Project Team

Dear Nadia,

Thank you for getting touch.

Although the nature of our negotiations remain confidential, we can state that positive progress is being made in the acquisition of remaining properties for Eston Precinct. While we appreciate frustration at the lack of public updates on this, please rest assured that we are doing everything possible to move the process along as quickly as possible. Thank you.

Best wishes,
Eston Levelling Up Project Team

Dear Gillian,

Thank you for getting in touch.

We’re currently negotiating with each of the Eston Precinct business owners so we can agree to acquire all the freehold interests in one go. Unfortunately, this takes time as there are various parties we need to agree a deal with, but we anticipate this should be concluded in May/June. Alongside this we’re designing the new retail shopping unit which we’ll need to secure Planning Permission for ahead of any demolition of the old Precinct and build of the new units.

We know this is a frustrating time for businesses and local people and are trying out utmost to agree acquisition as quickly as possible.

Please check back on the website for future updates on Eston Precinct. Thank you.

Best wishes,
Greater Eston Levelling Up Project Team

Thank you for your further enquiries on the Eston Precinct project we have broken your various questions down and respond as follows:

Whist the announcements for Levelling Up Funding (LUF) Round 2 were in January 2023, the Eston funding did not form part of that announcement. The Eston funding came separately as an additional batch of schemes under an additional fund called Capital Regeneration Projects, this was announced in the spring budget in March 2023. The council were not permitted to commence any works or expend any of the funding until a Memorandum of Understanding had been received and an inception meeting held and approved by the Department for Levelling Up Communities and Housing (DLUCH). This didn’t happen until August 2023. This was out of the Council’s control.

Once the Council was given the go ahead, we commenced with the procurement of the project and design teams. The initial team was appointed after a tender process and the remainder of the team appointed in the months after. Tendering takes place over a period of months to enable the tenderers are given sufficient time to submit best value tenders. This was followed by evaluations, authorisation and appointments; again, these all take time to undertake.

The design process follows RIBA Plan of Work guidance with initial stages commencing in November 2023. We are currently in RIBA stage 2 - concept design. At the end of detailed design - stage 3, we will commence the planning process and, as we described in our earlier e-mail, this is programmed for June this year. We will share designs once these are fixed and progressed sufficiently and approved internally, via a consultation process.

Surveys are ongoing and include several different types including topographical surveys, 3D laser surveys, ground investigations, utility searches, drainage surveys, ecology surveys, highways investigations and others. Again, these take time to procure, appoint, undertake the surveys and provide reports. Only then can the designs consider the investigations.

Negotiations are in advanced talks with all the freeholders, these discussions are progressing and are not holding up the overall programme.

The team report into an Eston Regeneration Group with reports submitted monthly and with quarterly meetings. All projects are also reported into the Council’s Scrutiny Committee and approvals gained via the Council’s Cabinet process.

Thank you.

Best Wishes,
Eston Levelling Up Project Team

Thank you for your enquiry.

The council and the appointed design team, who successfully tendered for the project, are working up design proposals for the redevelopment of the precinct and are progressing to programme. There is a lot to do before we are ready to undertake planning consultation and submit the required documentation for a planning application. This includes site surveys and investigations, outline designs progressing to detailed design, and all the necessary detailed reports required for planning. We have put a life cycle on the website and anticipate pre-planning consultation in June. Plus, we need to negotiate with all of the freeholders to try to acquire their interests. We will continue to update the website with updates as we proceed.

Best wishes,
Eston Levelling Up Project Team

Dear Gillian,

The council is negotiating with the landlords of the properties in open market conditions and we need to secure agreement of acquisition terms and complete options with all the property owners, to allow the proposed redevelopment to progress. In the absence of Compulsory Powers, that inevitably means that some negotiations are more protracted than others, as securing best value and ensuring budget affordability remain uppermost in our minds in all the negotiations.

The council is employing an independent property agent from Avison Young to assess the value and undertake the negotiations. These will then be reviewed and agreed by the council after due process. The buildings will be demolished and the precinct redeveloped. It is not intended to redevelop the existing buildings.

Thanks.

Best wishes,
Eston Levelling Up Project Team

Dear Brian

The council will lease the new Eston Precinct units to suitable retail / commercial or leisure operators. It is not the intention for the council to sell the new development.

Best wishes,
Eston Levelling Up Project Team

Hi Joanne,

Thank you for your question. The council are currently negotiating with property owners at Eston Precinct and hope we can agree to acquire their properties later this year.  With the exception of RW Design & Sales and Michael Poole, which will remain in situ, we would look to demolish all other properties and build a new precinct.  Given we are at early stages in this process, we do not know which shops will potentially remain at Eston or perhaps re-located elsewhere.

Regards

Greater Eston Levelling Up Team

Hi Gillian,

Thank you for your questions. The Levelling Up funding allocated for the regeneration of Eston Precinct is £7,976,000 plus an allocation of £2m from the Tees Valley Combined Authority. Expenditure against all spend is managed by the Council and remains commercially confidential, this includes expenditure against the acquisitions of the existing Eston precinct properties. The Council has sought external and independent support in undertaking valuations.

Regards

Greater Eston Levelling Up Team