‘Balamory’ style makeover for Yorkshire seaside terraced housing bites the dust as ‘tough decisions’ made

Redcar and Cleveland Council said the “colourful facelift” intended for terraced houses in Newcomen Terrace would not proceed as not all the owners had agreed for their buildings to be painted, meaning the effect would only be piecemeal.

Last month the Local Democracy Reporting Service revealed that a contract issued by the council for the scheme, which included repairs to rendering and pipework, amounted to £253,951 with a £30,000 contingency on top to cover unforeseen costs.

The aim had been to create an “attractive, vibrant and welcoming streetscape” at the beginning of a key approach into the town centre.

The money allocated will now support improvements being made to Redcar High Street and the surrounding area with new paving, planters and trees, and lighting upgrades, as well as the building of a new cultural and leisure attraction offering entertainment for families, including tenpin bowling, mini golf, laser tag and climbing walls, and housing a new library.

Meanwhile, similar ‘public realm’ improvements planned in Station Road, which runs from the train station to the Regent cinema on the seafront, including resurfacing footpaths, new tree planting and lighting have fallen foul of inflation, which has made materials and labour more expensive, and will be dropped.

In 2022 it emerged that plans to redevelop dilapidated terraced properties in Station Road, providing new apartments and commercial space, which were to be funded by the Town Deal had been shelved because of inflationary pressures, meaning they could not be delivered within an allocated budget.

A council spokeswoman said: “To keep within budget, the Redcar Town Deal board has been forced to make some tough decisions to reduce costs.”

A proposed illuminated feature light along the centre of the High Street, which was to recognise Redcar’s link with the Plimsoll line used by ships all over the world, also won’t now proceed.

Catherine Clennettt, who chairs the Town Deal board, said: “Unfortunately, we have not been immune to the steeply rising costs associated with major projects and we have had to take some decisions we would not have wished to.”