Issue - meetings

To receive an update on the Pride in Place Programme.

Contact:        Thomas Fish, Head of Town Centre Regeneration

RESOLVED –

That the Pride in Place Update be noted.

James Blamires, Project Officer, updated the Board on the latest position of the Pride in Place programme for Dewsbury.

The Board were informed that since the last Board meeting Dewsbury’s Regeneration Plan had been submitted to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) on 27 November 2025. Receipt had been acknowledged and the plan had successfully passed the government's initial triage stage.In early January 2026, information and updates requested by MHCLG had been submitted and a final approval outcome was expected by no later than the end of March 2026.

James Blamires also informed the Board that intervention development, monitoring frameworks, and evaluation models were being drafted so that project activity could commence quickly after funding was released in April 2026.

A refreshed set of Working Groups were being established to ensure the Pride in Place programme remained community led. The 4-year Investment Plan emphasised Board led thematic working groups shaping local priorities.

The Working Groups would:

·       Lead the next phase of detailed intervention design.

·       Shape delivery plans and identify Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and success measures.

·       Ensure continued alignment with community priorities and feedback.

Each working group would be chaired by a Board member and supported by a range of key stakeholders drawn from a range of expertise, experience and community insight.

The Working Groups were focused on:

·       Safety & Security

·       Place (Redeveloping Underused Sites)

·       Creativity & Cultural Events / Creative Economy

·       Business Support

During discussion the Board requested that a list of working group members be drawn up and made available to the public. In answer to a question on which working groups most needed additional members, the Board were informed that the Business Support Working Group needed the most input. The Board were asked to consider recommending additional members for the working groups. Governance arrangements for the groups were being considered and an update would be brought to the Board.

It was proposed that details of opportunities to take part in Pride in Place network/engagement events be shared with Board members and suggested that an update be provided in respect of communications, including information on the numbers of social media posts and the level of engagement with these.

RESOLVED –

That the Pride in Place Update be noted.