Mayoral Challenge Fund Aims to Revitalise North Yorkshire Coast High Streets

Boosting the resilience of the region’s high streets and attracting visitors to town centres is the goal of a major new funding programme launched today by the Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, David Skaith.

The Vibrant and Sustainable High Streets Fund is the first of four schemes to launch under the £27million Mayoral Challenge Fund, which will also see programmes to strengthen key business sectors, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and boost adult vocational skills.

Launching the High Streets Fund, today (Feb 3) Mr Skaith said the region’s town centres are ‘the heart of our communities’ but were battling the long-term impact of lockdown, online shopping and big, out-of-town retail parks.

He added:

“For phase-one of the High Streets Fund, we’re welcoming grant applications from partnerships demonstrating fresh thinking and innovative ways to create vibrant, mixed-use town centres.

“We want to hear from organisations who are working collaboratively to create events, activities and spaces which increase footfall and staying time, while boosting a sense of community.

“As a city centre business owner in York, I understand the challenges. I want to see this new fund used to increase the resilience of our high streets, leading to thriving communities whether they’re on our coast, our urban areas or rural towns and villages.”

Applications for grants from the Vibrant and Sustainable High Streets Fund will open on Monday, February 3.

The Mayoral Challenge Fund comes as a part of York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority’s devolution deal with the Government. Two other grant schemes, enabled by the Mayoral Challenge Fund, will launch on February 5.

• The Carbon Negative Challenge Fund will offer grants to projects which demonstrate innovative ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and, in-turn, accelerate the region towards its ambition of achieving carbon-negative by 2040.
• The Skills Innovation Fund will provide grants to support skills development across the region and tackle a number of challenges highlighted by stakeholders, including declining numbers of adults engaging in learning and the recruitment of tutors. The fund will help organisations to innovate in their delivery and build capacity in their workforce.
• A fourth funding stream, the Business Innovation Fund, will launch in March, aiming to boost economic opportunity across York and North Yorkshire by attracting investment and supporting businesses in being more innovative, productive and resilient.

The Vibrant and Sustainable High Streets Fund, launching today,, has been launched to rejuvenate high streets across York and North Yorkshire. The fund aims to boost the resilience of town centres and high streets, expand their offerings, and increase events and activities to attract residents and visitors. The scheme has been set up in response to the challenges that high streets across the UK have faced in recent years. These challenges include the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the growth of out-of-town retail facilities, home-working, online shopping, and the increased cost of living.

According to Mayor David Skaith, the Mayoral Investment Fund, which includes the High Streets Fund, represents "devolution in action". He explains that devolution allows regions to govern more effectively by utilising local insights and taking a collaborative approach. The fund is part of a larger £540 million Mayoral Investment Fund agreed over 30 years, designed to address major challenges and encourage growth in the region. The Mayor also stated, “I have listened, understood the concerns, and now it is time to deliver.".

The Vibrant and Sustainable High Streets Fund is designed to give those who are passionate about their communities the opportunity to access funds that will benefit their areas. The fund aims to support communities, businesses, and create a greater sense of place.

Phase One of the Vibrant and Sustainable High Streets Fund is now open for applications. Local partnerships can apply for grants ranging from £5,000 to £40,000. The fund is open to local partnerships, which can be existing or new, formal or informal. These partnerships must include business representation from the High Street. Eligible lead applicants include representatives of business clusters, town councils, community interest companies, or individual businesses, all acting on behalf of a local partnership. A lead applicant must be identified to manage the application, funding agreement, and correspondence with the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority.

Projects should support the growth and resilience of town centres and high streets, and build leadership, partnership, and networking opportunities for stakeholders. The fund offers both revenue and capital opportunities, and projects must be delivered between May 2025 and December 2025. The fund will support activities aimed at reducing vacant units and increasing footfall. It also aims to improve perceptions of high streets within local communities and for visitors.

The fund aims to support town centres and high streets to improve their resilience and expand their local offer. This may involve trialling new ideas and innovative solutions to tackle local issues. Projects may also aim to create mixed-use high streets that offer events, activities, and spaces to increase footfall and enhance vibrancy. Furthermore, the scheme seeks to improve the attractiveness and perceptions of high streets among businesses, residents, and visitors. The fund aims to achieve long-term sustainability in activities, ensuring continuation after the funding period ends.

The fund has identified several deliverable and measurable outputs and outcomes, including:

• An increase in the number of businesses increasing their turnover or introducing new goods and services.
• An increase in the number of workshops and training sessions providing tailored support and advice.
• An increase in the number of new events and activities attracting residents and visitors to high streets.
• An increase in the number of new networking events bringing high street stakeholders together.
• A reduction in the number of vacant units or an increase in the number of community groups delivering activities in High Street locations.
• Increased levels of footfall and dwell time.
• An improved perception of the High Street reported by people via qualitative survey data. While projects are not expected to deliver against all outputs, applicants should focus on a selection of these and understand their current baseline level of activity.

Applications for Phase One are open from 31st January until 21st March 2025. Applicants must read the prospectus and guidance information. They must also complete and submit the application form and any additional documents or supporting information before the deadline. The York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority will appraise applications and make decisions in April 2025. Successful applicants will receive a grant offer letter, and the contracting process will begin.

Phase Two of the fund is expected to launch by the summer of 2025. The expectation is that this will be a larger fund worth around £4 million, offering larger grants. Phase Two is intended for projects to be delivered from Autumn 2025 to Autumn 2027. The phased approach will allow the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority to review the proposals coming forward in Phase One and use these to inform the criteria for Phase Two. The same partnership can apply to both Phase One to deliver early activity and Phase Two to expand or further progress this activity.

Those interested in the fund can stay up-to-date with the latest information by subscribing to the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority newsletter. Further information is available on the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority website at https://yorknorthyorks-ca.gov.uk/project/vibrant-and-sustainable-high-streets-fund/