South Yorkshire: Civic and cultural quarter funding hit after site cleared for builders

Blueprints have already been drawn up for the so-called civic and cultural quarter (CCQ), and the site, former home to the town's further education college, has been cleared.

Yesterday Doncaster Council, which is behind the project in partnership with developer Muse, said news that funding would be deferred would "not affect" the scheme's progress.

Yorkshire Forward was due to contribute 370,000 towards a new performance venue for the CCQ, which was supposed to "stimulate enterprise and the creative industries".

Another 550,000 had been allocated for "CCQ enabling works" which are designed to provide infrastructure for the project which also includes new council offices.

The site in the town's Waterdale area has been boarded off awaiting work to start.

In Barnsley, council chiefs face a problem after 1,214,120 was pulled from a project for "economic infrastructure works" which were supposed to improve connections in the town centre.

The "advanced public realm" project was proposed to "improve the appearance and connectivity between Barnsley town centre and the Gateway Plaza flats and shops scheme.

Another project will also face postponement in Rotherham after it was announced that 938,000 earmarked to create a public park at Weirside on the River Don would be deferred.

Sheffield's Manor and Castle Development Trust, which works with deprived communities on the city's council estates, will also see 700,000 cut from its budgets.