Culture projects across parts of the region are to benefit from a share of £30m in cash funding, it is confirmed today, securing hopes for a "jewel" of Yorkshire's crown.

Calls were raised just last week to secure plans for York's National Railway Museum (NRM), at the centre of a city regeneration scheme, and now £15m is finally agreed.

Elsewhere in the region, £5m is secured for the National Poetry Centre in Leeds, and £10m towards the revamp of Temple Works as a new home for British Library North.

The aim, the Government has said, is to help fuel a "decade of national" renewal under a Plan for Change, driving growth in jobs, tourism and regional regeneration.

Temple Works, Marshall Street, Holbeck, Leeds.

placeholder image — Temple Works, Marshall Street, Holbeck, Leeds.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said: “Every corner of the UK has something unique to offer, and our rich creative capital must not be underestimated."

These are projects which are "igniting" growth in their communities, she said.

"Through investing in these critical cultural projects we can empower both local leaders and people to really tap into their potential and celebrate everything their home town has to offer. This means more tourism, more growth and more money in people’s pockets.” 

The three projects in Yorkshire are among six nationwide to see over £47m in funding, with others to include £10m agreed for Liverpool's Slavery and Maritime Museums.

They were announced at last year's Spring Budget but were unfunded under the previous Government’s Levelling Up bid. After Labour came to power, promised spend was slashed in the Autumn budget, but Yorkshire's three bids are among those to escape the cut, it is now confirmed.

Last week, North Yorkshire Mayor David Skaith with the leader of York Council, Coun Claire Douglas, were among those to call for a commitment over NRM funds.

The project, with the creation of a public square as part of a wider regeneration scheme for the city, was "essential" they said, helping to deliver thousands of homes and new jobs.

Construction is set to begin for the Main Hall this year, to be completed by 2027 with a new museum entrance, gallery, cafe, and event space.

It is thought the wider project, transforming underused railway land into a new city quarter, could add £1.6bn in economic value to the region.

A Leeds outpost for the British Library, transforming a derelict former mill known as Temple Works, has also secured £10m despite fears it would be cut from the list. Following the last Budget, the Treasury is understood to have been "minded to withdraw funding", but it did promise consultation.

And the National Poetry Centre in Leeds, with £5m to renovate a redundant building and to create a new national headquarters, could now form a hub for culture and creativity.

Projects were chosen to drive growth, the Government outlined.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: "Everyone across the country should be able to access arts and culture in the place they call home.

"This support will empower our cultural organisations to continue playing an essential role in developing skills, talent and high-quality careers in every corner of the UK.”