CCTV of the moment where a man threatened a shop worker before grabbing cash from a till has been released by police. Cambridgeshire Constabulary said Henry Evans, of Monkswell in Trumpington, Cambridge, pointed a device which resembled a Taser at a shop assistant, before he stole about £150. The robbery took place at Tesco Express on Chesterton High Street in May. Weeks before, Evans had also stolen alcohol from supermarkets across Cambridge and caused damage to a vehicle barrier. The 53-year-old was jailed for three years and two months at Peterborough Crown Court after admitting robbery, three counts of theft from a shop, and criminal damage.Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, external, Instagram, external and X, external.
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Watch: Cambridge shop robber who threatened staff jailed
Leeds United eye move for impressive Julian Brandt alternative: View
Leeds United have been linked with an ambitious move to sign Julian Brandt this summer.
The German is available on a free transfer after leaving Borussia Dortmund. The attacker has a wealth of international and Champions League experience under his belt.
Obviously, there will be a host of clubs queuing up to sign the 30-year-old, so there is no guarantee that Brandt ends up in West Yorkshire this summer. Although the Whites have made him an offer, according to Alex Crook.
But according to other reports, Leeds have been linked with another player, who on paper would be a good alternative should Brandt not end up signing for one reason or another.
Leeds United linked with a move for Harvey Elliott
According to The Yorkshire Post, Liverpool playmaker Harvey Elliott is said to be a player United like.
It would seem like the Englishman would be a good alternative for Brandt. The 23-year-old also possesses the ability to play as a number ten or out wide, like Brandt.
A potential transfer fee is not mentioned, but according to Transfermarkt, Elliott is valued at just over £17million.
So whilst, undoubtedly, Brandt would be a better signing, we could do a lot worse than to sign Elliott as an alternative.
The report also states that Elliott himself has been the subject of a lot of interest from other Premier League clubs. So if the Whites did want Elliott, it would not be an easy deal to pull off.
I heavily doubt that if we do sign Brandt, we look to bring Elliott in as well. I think it would be a case of one or the other, not both signing.
Signing Harvey Elliott would come with a risk
The 49ers have previously proven they are willing to take risks on players who, at one point, have showcased promising ability in their career. Even if they’re not at their best when Leeds do sign them.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin and James Justin are examples of this strategy working well and their careers being rejuvenated.
Elliott would also seem to fall into this category of player. The Englishman featured relatively regularly under Jurgen Klopp, but was not fancied at all by Arne Slot, starting just two games in Liverpool’s title-winning campaign under the Dutchman.
An underwhelming loan move to Aston Villa followed, where he only managed to start one Premier League game last season.
In total, Elliott has played just 516 Premier League minutes across the last two seasons. (Sofascore)
So if we did sign Elliott, it would be on Daniel Farke to get the best out of the playmaker. Getting him back to playing regularly would be a logical first step in his career rehabilitation.
We all know he’s a player with a high ceiling, who has already proved he can contribute in the Premier League.
For this reason, I think he could be a very solid addition if we miss out on Brandt this summer.
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Lucas Herbert makes LIV Golf history with masterclass in Staffordshire
The Australian followed his Open heroics with a sensational JCB showing. Less than a week after etching his name into major championship history, Lucas Herbert stole the show on day one of LIV Golf UK.Just six days – a little over 144 hours – after matching the lowest-ever round in Open Championship history at Royal Birkdale, Herbert was back rewriting the record books at the JCB Golf & Country Club in Staffordshire.Lucas Herbert carded an incredible 11 under par in round one at LIV Golf UK | APThe Australian produced a sensational 11-under-par 61 to storm to the top of the leaderboard, delivering a breathtaking display featuring nine birdies and an eagle on the par-five 10th hole.His remarkable round set a new LIV Golf UK record at JCB and a new course record, despite the layout being extended to a par 72 this week compared with the par 71 setup used in previous editions.A packed grandstand on the par three 14th hole at LIV Golf UK. (Photo by Matthew Harris/LIV Golf) | APFrom tee to green, with his distinctive visor and glasses catching the eye, Herbert looked completely locked in. The thousands who descended on the pristine course near Uttoxeter were treated to a clinic in ball striking and putting as the Australian appeared incapable of making a mistake.Grouped alongside home favourite and Ryder Cup legend Ian Poulter and two-time major champion Jon Rahm, Herbert was already drawing crowds several rows deep from the moment he stepped onto the course. As the afternoon progressed, those numbers continued to swell as the Australian maintained his charge and laid down an early marker.Dustin Johnson tees off during round one of LIV Golf UK in Staffordshire. (Photo by Matthew Harris/LIV Golf) | APBefore Herbert’s brilliance, last year’s champion Joaquin Niemann and Rahm – who lifted the trophy the year before – shared the lowest LIV Golf UK rounds at JCB. Both carded eight-under-par 63s when the course played as a par 71, with both going on to win the tournament in those respective years – perhaps a positive omen for Herbert.The Australian’s opening-round brilliance leaves him in pole position heading into the remaining three days and already marks him out as a serious contender to lift the trophy on Sunday.Lee Westwood tees off on the first hole at JCB Golf & Country Club in Staffordshire on Thursday. (Photo by Chris Trotman/LIV Golf) | APAway from the action, another major talking point followed the tournament throughout day one – whether LIV Golf will return to British soil next year.With uncertainty surrounding the future of the breakaway Saudi-backed circuit, fans gathered around tee boxes and greens were left wondering whether this could be their final opportunity to watch some of the biggest names in world golf compete at JCB.LIV Golf is seeking around £260 million of fresh investment to keep going after Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) announced it would step back from funding at the end of the year. The fund has invested almost £4 billion into the league since its launch in 2021.Home crowd favourite Lee Westwood at LIV Golf UK (Photo by Chris Trotman/LIV Golf) | APRegardless of opinions surrounding the breakaway tour, its backers and the politics behind it, those who witnessed Thursday’s thrilling opening day will hope the event remains on the calendar for years to come.At JCB, day one delivered champagne golf from start to finish, with a host of players finishing well under par.While Herbert leads the way, he has a familiar threat chasing him down, with American crowd favourite Bryson DeChambeau breathing down his neck.Bryson DeChambeau during the first round of LIV Golf United Kingdom at JCB Golf & Country Club (Photo by Chris Trotman/LIV Golf) | APLess than a week after being handed a two-shot penalty at the Open Championship after officials ruled he had improved the lie around his ball in thick rough, DeChambeau showed his accuracy off the tee by repeatedly finding the fairway.“Where’s your lawnmower?” one fan jokingly shouted to Bryson before he launched another monster drive down the 10th fairway.DeChambeau carded a brilliant eight-under-par 64 to sit three shots behind Herbert heading into Friday’s second round.Tyrrell Hatton of Legion XIII hits his shot from the 10th tee during LIV Golf United Kingdom in association with Bahri Pro-Am at JCB Golf & Country Club on Wednesday, July 22, 2026 in Rocester, England. (Photo by Matthew Harris/LIV Golf) | APHome favourite Tyrrell Hatton was also in fine form, sitting five shots off the lead after signing for a six-under-par 66.But defending champion Rahm, who could wrap up the individual LIV championship this week, endured a frustrating opening day, carding a one-over-par 73.Continue Reading
What’s the future for West Ham’s stadium: month of away games and more concerts?
City Hall has heard a five-point plan for helping turn around the fortunes of the London Stadium. The Greater London Authority (GLA) picks up the bill for operating West Ham’s ground – and its costs have escalated by about £2 million this year now the club has been relegated to the Championship.Lyn Garner, chair of the London Stadium LLP which owns and runs the ground, has warned “the financial situation remains challenging” as she accused the football club of frustrating cash-raising efforts. She admitted the relationship between the club and the stadium owners had “historically been quite tense” but they were hopeful a recent change of management could mean more cooperation.Karim Virani replaced Karren Brady who stepped down as vice-chair after 16 years in April. At a meeting of the GLA’s Economy, Culture and Skills Committee this week, Ms Garner laid out five things the London Stadium LLP are in discussions with West Ham about to help improve the ground, and ease the burden on taxpayers. PAThe London Stadium LLP wants to hold more concerts at the arena in a bid to raise cash. This is because it holds athletics meets over the summer and only has a licence to host 10 concerts. The London Stadium LLP is in talks with Newham Council about extending this. Discussions are also being had with West Ham about playing more away matches in September so gigs could be held at the ground during the football season. Ms Garner said: “Tottenham signed a 10-year contract with NFL, American Football. In October and around the autumn they put NFL on, and they ask the Premier League whether they can play away in that window. “Our club could do the same if we wanted to make use of the September window for concerts. That’s what Tottenham do.”Making the stadium less ‘sterile’Colouring the white seats claret has been discussed as a way of making the London Stadium feel more like West Ham’s groundAFP/GettyWest Ham’s decision to leave Upton Park for the London Stadium ten years ago was controversial. Fans have complained about the lack of atmosphere at the new ground, which feels more at home hosting athletics than football. Ms Garner said the board was working to address the complaints. One idea is to change the white seats to the team’s signature claret and sky blue colours. “There could be some improvements for how the place looks and feels for West Ham fans,” Ms Garner told City Hall. “I think probably it feels a bit sterile. It doesn’t feel like the home… One of the things we’ve considered inside the bowl is turning all the seats claret. “It’s an easy thing for us to do… but it’s very costly, and it would take a long time to do that. But it would feel more intimate and more West Ham-like if the seats were claret as opposed to white.”The London Stadium LLP and West Ham are set to have discussions about hosting women’s football at the ground. A women’s match has not been held at the stadium since 2019 because of cost concerns. Ms Garner said: “We would really desperately like to see women’s football played at London Stadium. It’s not played at the moment because there’s a dispute about how it interacts with the contract and the cost of it. “We’d like West Ham to pick up the cost of the women’s games. They’d like us to run the games on the same basis as the men’s games. “I think we’d all love it if we could get a bit of women’s football into London Stadium. And I think that’s going to be something that will come out of our discussions.”West Ham United players await other results after the final whistle in the Premier League match at the London StadiumPAOne of the biggest revenue raisers for the stadium would be selling the naming rights and this will be a crucial discussion over the coming months. West Ham has been accused of frustrating attempts to do sign off a deal in the past. Three naming rights contracts for the stadium have previously fallen through, including a potential £20 million sponsorship with in Vodafone 2017. A contract with a “major sponsor” also collapsed in 2024 because the club refused to sign it off. “We had a major sponsor at the table,” Ms Garner said. “At the end, we could not get the club over the line to sign that deal. Part of it was to do with the amount of money changing hands for the IP of the club, but it would have been a fantastic partner for us. “It was the closest we’ve ever come.”She added: “It’s probably not the right time to sell the naming rights when we’re in the Championship. We need to get back into the Premier League. “But there are lots of preparatory things that we can do to present a united front in terms of putting the naming rights to the market. “Because one of the reasons the deal didn’t work in 2024 was because we were not a united front, and any partner coming to the table wants a clean, easy deal where they have a single point of contact and they can get on with their commercial opportunity.”Food and drink offerings outside the stadium are set to be expanded. “We want to do that in partnership with the club,” Ms Garner said. “We get some return from food and beverage, and they get hospitality returns. So it’s a partnership that is an easy one to pull off.”
Major agreement guarantees The Open will return to one of Golf’s most famous regions – DailyClubGolf
The 154th Open attracted a record crowd at Royal Birkdale, and the fans are eager for the season-ending major to return to the Sefton Coast. It looks like they’ve already got what they wished for.The 154th Open became the most-attended Open Championship in the event’s history, and every bit of credit goes to the people of Liverpool City Region. Their Mayor had some good news for them on Tuesday.“Last week’s Open Championship saw hundreds of thousands of visitors flock to the Liverpool City Region and injected around £200m the local economy. On the back of that success, we’ve signed an MoU to host at least three more championships in the region before 2050,” Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, wrote on X. 13th July 2026 Royal Birkdale Golf Club, Southport, Merseyside, England The Open Championship Practice Day Two the 154th Open Championship logo on a grandstand at the 18th hole DavidxBlunsden13th July 2026 Royal Birkdale Golf Club, Southport, Merseyside, England The Open Championship Practice Day Two the 154th Open Championship logo on a grandstand at the 18th hole DavidxBlunsdenAs Rotheram’s X post states, the new deal between Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and the R&A makes sure the Open returns to the region at least three times before 2050.Royal Liverpool, another prestigious course on the Open rota, is part of this deal as Sefton Council and Wirral Council have tagged in as well. “Every time we host The Open, we have an incredible opportunity to showcase Liverpool City Region to millions of people around the world. While the immediate economic impact is hugely important, the real value lies in the lasting profile and international recognition an event of this scale brings,” said Natalie Wyatt, Liverpool City Region destination partnership managing director.Since 2006, the Open has been held in the region for an impressive six times. Royal Birkdale and Royal Liverpool have had an even share in that.The local economy has benefited immensely and this year’s Open generated £200m, which is at an all-time high.“Securing future championships gives us a fantastic platform to attract more visitors, encourage investment and support long-term growth across our tourism and hospitality sectors for years to come,” added Wyatt. As the major season came to an end, Royal Birkdale gave the perfect send-off. Royal Birkdale attracts record crowdIt was a week for the history books at Royal Birkdale. Three players matched the championship record score, 39-year-old Ryan Fox dramatically clinched his first major title as crowd favorite Tommy Fleetwood missed out on his Open dream.306,000 people were in attendance, the R&A announced Sunday, and it was the highest the major has ever witnessed, as per Sports Business Journal.It broke the record of the 2022 Open Championship held at St. Andrews, which attracted 290,000 fans. On top of that, it was 70,000 fans more than what Royal Birkdale had witnessed in 2017.However, The Open returns to St. Andrews next year, and it is very likely to beat Royal Birkdale’s record. What are your thoughts on the Open returning to the Sefton Coast? Share them in the comments.Read more at Club Golf!
Hawes shines in strong showing from Norfolk Under-16s
Royal Norwich golfer Hawes played with patience and skill in the Skevington Salver, comprising 32 boys from Norfolk, Suffolk, Bedfordshire and the host county.
After the morning play, staged over nine holes, Hawes signed for a two-over-par tally. During the 18-hole afternoon action, he battled hard to shoot 76.
That left him at eight-over for the 27-hole tournament and tied for third place, five strokes back from the outright winner.
Fellow Norfolk golfer Toby Lewin posted a very creditable top-five finish and Liam Caffyn took ninth place.
Essex dominated the eight-man team tournament to win the Bob Bagshaw Trophy on a total of 673 – 24 shots clear of second-placed Norfolk.
Royal Norwich golfer Anthony Coppola enjoyed a memorable moment when he eagled the 312-yard par-4 seventh hole.
Coppola unleashed a mighty drive to find the front of the green and then stepped up to roll home a 30-foot-plus putt for his two.
Norfolk Under-16s manager Greg Caffyn said: “We came to try and win the tournament, but finishing second to a very good Essex side is still a decent result. Especially so, when you consider the course offered a tough test and the fast greens, alongside some tricky pin positions, proved challenging.
“Louis Hawes’ top-three finish in the individuals’ competition was a strong performance, while Toby Lewin and Liam Caffyn can be pleased with their top-10 efforts.
“There were plenty of other positives and the experience will really help the development of two or three of the younger players.”
Wolverhampton Wanderers Claim Narrow Victory Against Maidenhead United
Wolverhampton Wanderers secured a hard-fought 1-0 win over Maidenhead United in a competitive pre-season clash that tested the squad’s depth and resilience.
The result gives Wolves’ coaching staff plenty of encouragement as they continue preparations ahead of the upcoming competitive season.Pre-season matches like this one serve a crucial purpose, allowing managers to assess squad options and give fringe players valuable minutes on the pitch.
Maidenhead United, competing at a lower level of English football, showed commendable spirit throughout the match and made life difficult for their opponents.
Wolves were made to work hard for the three points, with Maidenhead refusing to simply roll over against the higher-division opposition.
A single goal ultimately separated the two sides, with Wanderers edging a contest that was closer than the scoreline might suggest to some observers.Pre-season fixtures of this nature are rarely about the result itself but rather about fitness levels, tactical organisation, and building cohesion among the playing group.
Wolves will take confidence from keeping a clean sheet, a foundation that any ambitious side looking to compete at the top level will want to build upon.
The match also gave supporters an early glimpse of what the squad could look like when the season gets properly underway in the coming weeks.
Wanderers will now look ahead to their remaining pre-season fixtures as they sharpen preparations and fine-tune their approach before competitive action begins.The club’s coaching staff will study the footage carefully, identifying areas of improvement while also taking positives from a professional performance against willing opponents.
With the new campaign fast approaching, every minute of pre-season action carries genuine significance for players fighting to secure their place in the starting lineup.Corby Cub presented with top Scouting honour and donation for Bemorefab charity
A Corby Cub has been presented with a top Scouting honour as well as a donation for a charity close to his heart.Leo from the 10th Corby Scout Group recently took centre stage to receive his District Commissioner Award.It is local recognition given out at the discretion of the district commissioner to recognise outstanding local support or achievements.And it’s no surprise that Leo received this honour after climbing three mountains in 12 months for a fundraiser inspired by his second cousin Florence Bark.Leo receiving his award (left) and pictures from his Three Peaks Challenge with dad Adam GoodesLeo took on the Three Peaks challenge with dad Adam Goodes, scaling Snowdon, Scafell Pike and Ben Nevis during the past year.And his fundraising has been further boosted with a cheque for £100 presented to Leo on behalf of his Scout group when he received his award.Read MoreCorby boy climbs three mountains in 12 months for Be More Fab fundraiserLeo has been inspired to do all this fundraising in support of Florrie, who was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) in May 2022.Florrie underwent treatment and while she has been cancer free since October 2022, complications from her stem cell transplant meant she needed a double lung transplant.But Florrie, who was named the Pride of Britain Child of Courage 2025, is now recovering well after having a successful lung transplant.Leo is a member of the 10th Corby Scout Group on the Beanfield estate.Continue Reading
£5 million of ‘surfacing work’ could be coming to major Cambridgeshire roads
The huge investment, to prepare the county’s roads for the winter, will be considered by Cambridgeshire County Council’s extra-ordinary Highways and Transport Committee on July 28.
The planned work will include road patching, sealing and surfacing work.
Last winter, extended cold snaps and heavy rainfall led to a sharp rise in potholes and road defects across Cambridgeshire’s roads.
The planned programme will deliver an extra 30km of preventative highway maintenance across the county, ahead of the colder, wetter weather expected this winter.
The proposed works include additional maintenance to the A1307 Hills Road Cambridge, the A1301 Cambridge Road in Great Shelford, the A142 Ely Road in Soham the A1123 Hill Row Causeway in Haddenham, the A605 in Elton and the B1099 Upwell Road in March.
The council plans to use techniques including large-scale mastic screed repairs, and structural patching as well as crack sealing to protect roads before defects form.
If approved, the programme will run from August 2026 to March 2027.
Councillor Robin Wyatt, Vice-Chair of the Highways and Transport Committee, said: “Residents have been clear that improving the condition of our roads is priority and we hope this proposal for further investment shows we are listening to people’s concerns and learning from previous years.
“By acting now—before winter hits—we can protect our roads and make journeys better for everyone.
“This extra investment combined with our refreshed, prevention-focussed approach to asset management is a way we can deliver better value for money and help create a fairer and more sustainable Cambridgeshire for everyone.
“Highways across our area have been underfunded for decades.
“This is why we’re making record levels of investment in our road network and tackling the issue of Cambridgeshire’s aging roads through innovative solutions and preventative works.”
The Council will also run a pothole innovation trial in October, which will test new equipment and materials to identify the most effective approaches for future highway maintenance.
The Council has said they will be creating a dedicated webpage which will provide regular updates on the scheme.
‘We’ve only got this one chance’: how Newcastle-under-Lyme seized the regeneration opportunity
When one thinks of regeneration projects it is tempting to look solely at the biggest cities, combined mayoral authorities and metro mayors. After all, there are schemes involving tens of thousands of homes, swathes of land and seriously huge levels of investment and collaboration shaping the future of our regions.
If however the United Kingdom is to seize the regeneration opportunity, it is vital that imaginative regeneration happens at a smaller scale also.Regeneration can also be used by smaller borough or district councils to revitalise town centres and reshape places, creating economic and social value.
One town that is showing just what regeneration can do is Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire, which has embarked on an £85m strategy to revitalise its town centre with Capital & Centric, the Manchester-based developer known for taking disused buildings and regenerating them.
The plans involve the re-use of three inter-linked town centre sites: redevelopment of a shopping centre, a multi-storey car park being turned into housing and an old civic centre being demolished for a new car park and homes.
As part of our Regen Connect series, Building spoke to Simon McEneny, deputy chief executive of Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, while at UKREiiF to find out more about the plans.
Builidng finds McEneny on the local authority’s UKREiiF stand, surrounded by pictures and diagrams of projects and pipeline opportunities in his borough. There is an ambitious message for such a small local authority with small urban centre – the population of Newcastle-under-Lyme itself would almost fit into Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadium.
McEneny starts by reflecting on multiple grant funding awards made to the authority in a short space of time back in 2020 and 2021, which he saw as an unprecedented opportunity for the borough. The council received £11.4m in from the Future High Streets Fund in 2020 and then followed this up by securing £43m from the Town Deals Fund (since consolidated into the Local Regeneration Fund) along with £4m of revenue funding through the Shared Prosperity Fund. Last year it secured a further £18.9m for land remediation through Homes England.
An unprecedented funding opportunity
“Newcastle-under-Lyme has never had any real government grant funding in its history, since 1974 [when it was founded],” says McEneny.
“We realised we needed to do something to change the nature and feel of the high street because it is just dead, we’ve got very few national brands. We’ve got a few little artisan shops but it was sort of dying.
“How do we create something which is really quite exciting with the money we’ve got? Because we’ve only got this one chance, we’re probably not going to get this money again.”
The approach taken by the council and McEneny shows how multiple sites can be used together as part of a cohesive regeneration plan for a town centre, with each site’s usage impacting others.The Ryecroft site: hotel, car parking and new homes
McEneny says he realised the town needed a hotel as it was missing out on attracting visitors. “We don’t have a decent three-star offer in the area, even though we’re about an hour away from Alton Towers, which is one of Staffordshire’s biggest tourist attractions.”
But McEneny says he could not get a hotel brand interested unless there was sufficient car parking space. Therefore the council purchased the vacant Ryecroft site and demolished some 1960s municipal offices. It is now working with Capital & Centric to build a new 455-space multi-storey car park and the hotel, along with 130 flats in three blocks, with later living units built by McCarthy & Stone and affordable housing managed by housing association Aspire Housing.
McEneny says that the provision of a brand new car park left the council with a disused Brutalist Midway multi-storey car park built in the 1960s.
McEneny says: “The frame is still strong, it’s concrete and I didn’t want to knock it down because it will cost a fortune and will only have to rebuild the site with something else.”
Instead McEneny spoke to Tim Heatley, boss of Capital & Centric who he says found the concept of converting the car park into housing “interesting.”The five-storey car park is now being transformed into 110 flats designed by architect Shedkm. The project, believed to be the first of its kind in the UK, will also see rooftop extensions, communal gardens, and a three-floor atrium with a social hub, gym, and mini-cinema.
Reimagining the town’s shopping centre
The third of the three linked projects at the heart of Newcastle-under-Lyme’s regeneration plans is the old York Place shopping centre. The 1960s building is currently being revamped, again by Capital & Centric.
The centre will retain the existing structure. It is being refurbished to include shops, bars and cafes, a new public square, 42 homes and a new music venue. McEneny says the centre will be renamed “Astley Place” after Philip Astley (the father of the modern circus) who grew up in the town.
McEneny says the former circus owner, who pioneered the circus ring, is of “cultural importance” to the town, so the three projects include circular public spaces or “rings” as a homage.“Tim [Heatley of Capital & Centric] and his crew have taken our idea of the circles and created these three developments that are interlinked, but there are urban parks or places of interest where people can populate and own the space across the town and just make it make people’s interactions with the town a lot different to just walking through,” he says. The shopping centre is due to complete by Christmas, the Midway car park by next May and the Ryecroft scheme by the end of 2027.
McEneny sounds confident about these timelines. He also sounds confident about the council’s risk level in the schemes.
De-risking the deal
Under the deal, Capital & Centric will buy the scheme back off the council upon completion for whatever the council has spent or the value of the development, which ever is higher.The three schemes
The three inter-linked projects will deliver 328 homes, 8 new bars, restaurants and cafes and a community use music venue in addition to landscaping.
Developer: Capital & Centric
Contractor: AC1 Construction, Clegg Construction and HBC Construction
Architect: ShedKM
Start on site date: December 2025
Expected completion date: The shopping centre is due to complete by Christmas, the Midway car park by next May and the Ryecroft scheme by the end of 2027.This, plus the £18.9m funding from Homes England means the council has “de-risked the investment.”
He says: “The council didn’t want the financial responsibility of it. So, we have been de-risking that, because Capital & Centric have got a tried and tested model and they own it after [completion].”
We move on to talk about other regeneration strategies. McEneny has a vision of turning Merrial Street, which runs through the middle of the three schemes, into an “independent artisan street”.“We’re not going to get big brands back on our high street […] we’ve tried, but they’ve left and they’re not coming back,” he says. Instead the council is looking at incentives, such as time-limited reductions in rent or paying for new window fronts to incentivise shopkeepers.
Local government reorganisation
Newcastle-under-Lyme council’s new Reform leadershipn is an obvious topic of interest. Reform UK locally campaigned on stopping greenbelt development.
McEneny says there is a shortage of brownfield sites to develop on, which is problematic for an administration opposed to green belt development but which nevertheless is expected to deliver homes to its local plan.
All of this, however, may well be a moot point as far as Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council is concerned.
After a long period of uncertainty and what McEneny described as “limbo”, the government last week finally confirmed Newcastle-under–Lyme will be merged with Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Moorlands to create a new unitary council covering North Staffordshire expected to be established in 2028.
Quite what this means for the town of Newcastle-under-Lyme remains to be seen. But it would seem that, as far as the borough council’s concerned, McEneny’s decision to jump at the opportunity to regenerate the town presented by the funding in 2020 and 2021 was astute.Regen Connect
Through ongoing analysis and expert commentary, Regen Connect highlights the policies, funding streams and local priorities that matter most to the construction and development sector.
This coverage will culminate in a special report to be published at our Building the Future Live Conference in London on 7 October.
How you can get involved:
Throughout the year, our team will be gathering insight from across the sector to inform editorial features, debates and events. We welcome contributions from practitioners who want to share experience or shine a light on emerging trends.
Click here for more on the campaign
Be part of the conversation – contact us to contribute or get involved by emailing our deputy editor at dave.rogers@building.co.uk and to find the campaign on social media follow #regenconnec
