Top national award for North Lincolnshire regeneration partnership
A £30 million regeneration scheme spearheaded by the South Humber Bank Partnership has won a prestigious national award for excellence and innovation.
The partnership stood out against 150 regeneration schemes from all over the UK to receive the 2007 British Urban Regeneration Association (BURA) Award for Best Practice in Regeneration, for a range of projects along the south bank of the Humber Estuary around Barton upon Humber.
The Partnership includes North Lincolnshire Council, the Environment Agency, Natural England, Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, English Heritage, Queen Street School Preservation Trust and the Waterside Artists’ Co-operative. It has received valuable support from Yorkshire Forward and the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Today partnership spokesperson Tim Allen, of North Lincolnshire Council, said: “This award is testament to the enthusiasm, commitment and co-operation of the partners over the past nine years.
“It has not only revitalised buildings and land, but also the hopes and expectations of the people who live and work along the south Humber bank.
“The partnership’s work continues to consolidate the area’s growing status as a centre of excellence for environmental and cultural tourism and as a vibrant place to live and work.”
The BURA awards recognise projects that demonstrate ‘best’ rather than good practice, which act as a catalyst for further regeneration in the area, have a track record of success and make a positive economic, environmental and social impact on the area. Their aim is to promote pioneering approaches and exemplary practices across the UK.
Since the late 1990s the South Humber Bank Partnership has capitalised on the environmental and cultural assets of the south Humber bank to revive an area once marred by deteriorating buildings, contaminated land, low employment and social exclusion, and threatened with sea level rise.
The BURA Award recognises its work across a range of projects, including:
- The reclamation of one of the most contaminated sites in the north of England into the Waters’ Edge country park with a visitor and business centre recognised as one of the UK’s ‘greenest’ buildings, which has recorded more than 150,000 visitors.
- Transforming the redundant Grade II Listed former ropeworks factory into a vibrant centre for the creative arts.
- Extending the Far Ings nature reserve and turning a redundant watersports building into an Education Centre.
- The South Humber Bank Wildlife and People Project, which has involved 2,500 local people to date in wildlife education and training activities.
- Restoring St Peter’s Church at Barton and creating an exhibition on burials in the community dating back to the Norman period.
- Restoring the Victorian Queen Street School.
- Improving access and creating an exhibition at the historic Thornton Abbey.
- The flood risk management and habitat creation project at Alkborough Flats.
As a result of the projects employment and skills levels have improved, business confidence and investment increased and property prices have risen above regional averages. The area, to be known as the South Humber Collection, North Lincolnshire, is now firmly on the tourism map with a dramatic increase in visitor numbers.
The BURA award will be presented to the partners on Thursday 29 November at River Park Plaza Hotel, London.
Among them will be Liz Bennet, Development Officer for the Waterside Artists’ Co-operative and a resident of Barton. Liz said: “The regeneration has produced the right environment for creativity and confidence, making the area a magnet for artists and craftspeople.”
The Waters’ Edge reclamation project was commended as “an excellent example of a very major project to restore degraded lands to community use with a high quality end result” in the 2007 Remediation Innovation Awards, Most Sustainable Remediation Project category.
The Alkborough Flats Project received a national BURA Waterways Award for innovation in 2006.
For further information please contact Tim Allen on 01727 297387 or 07717 587387 or at tim.allen@northlincs.gov.uk
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