Regeneration scheme crashes after Euro funding bid fails

It was announced in February this year that building work would be restarting at Church View, a former Doncaster College building, where a regeneration scheme had been drawn up to create a new centre with 50,000 sq ft of space for 58 new studios, offices and workspaces.

The project would have developed new workspace for creative, digital, arts and social enterprise businesses, all set around a landscaped courtyard. It was originally set to have been completed by last month.

However, it was revealed yesterday that the original project has “had to be abandoned” and the Doncaster Central Development Trust, which is behind the project, has been forced to come up with a “change in direction.”

In a statement released yesterday, the not-for-profit organisation, which was established to take over some of the work from Doncaster New Deal for Communities when it came to an end in March, said it had acknowledged that “funding to complete the project has been lost.”

John Giddins, chairman of the Trust, said: “The Church View project is very much still alive, but the development will occur over a longer timeframe as we work to complete the building in stages.

“It is regrettable that we have not been able to resolve the funding issues with Yorkshire Forward but it is time to move on.

“We have been in discussions around our European funding bid for £3m for nine months without achieving a result.

“Ultimately, we are another victim of these challenging economic circumstances, as we have been unable to satisfy our funders that we can deliver this project without risk.”

Church View was originally built in 1913 and forms part of Doncaster’s Minster Conservation Area.

It was an arts centre for Doncaster College for many years, but closed in 2006 after the college’s new campus at The Hub opened and was purchased by Doncaster Central Development Trust three years later. The trust now owns Church View freehold.

Mr Giddins added: “We own the building, on behalf of the community, and we aren’t going anywhere.

“In fact, the first Church View development, ‘The View Business Zone’, is almost complete and soon will be offering a flexible workspace to freelancers, start-ups and businesses. It is also available for hire for meetings and events.

“However, this development is only about five per cent of the site and we want to hear from people about what they would like to do here. If people have a great idea, we certainly have the space.”

Doncaster Central Development Trust says it now plans to host a series of open events in The View Business Zone over the coming weeks, in order to consider new uses for the building.

“Clearly we have developed The View Business Zone to a high, contemporary standard”, Mr Giddins said.

“However, we recognise that some activities such as keep fit, yoga, art classes and music rehearsal rooms don’t need high-end interior design.

“If people can live with functional but basic accommodation then we can offer attractive rental terms in other parts of this fantastic building.”

Work on the Church View project stopped in September last year, raising concerns that the project had folded altogether.

But, back in February, Mr Giddins said he was “delighted” that work had restarted, and said that the Trust was “committed to the vision of transforming Church View from a much-loved, but decaying, building into a real asset for the town.”

Since then, however, funding for the project has failed to materialise. Details of events at The View Business Zone are due to be revealed over the coming weeks.