Council urged to bring more businesses into town with £45m plan
Council urged to bring more businesses into town with £45m plan
Steve JonesTue, August 18, 2026 at 5:08 AM UTC
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Julie Harriman says Castleford is "a bit dead-and-alive"
Home to about 40,000 people, Castleford is part of a new council vision to transform the riverside market town into a "vibrant, sustainable and distinctive" destination.
It is well known for rugby league and its place as a major manufacturing hub for brands like Burberry and Haribo.
Now, almost £45m in government funding is backing a Wakefield Council-led plan to attract more investment - so what do locals want to see for the town's next chapter?
Julie Harriman is waiting for her husband in the town centre and is clear in her assessment as she scans the high street.
"It needs something doing with it. It's a bit dead and alive at the minute," says the 55-year-old.
"It needs some better shops to draw people in."
It is a Friday morning and although there are plenty of people about, no fewer than 12 shops inside the Carlton Lanes Shopping Centre - about a third of the total - have shut down.
The adjoining indoor market, refurbished in 2023 and made up of traditional stalls, looks to be faring better.
"It looks like it's busy but I don't think there's an awful lot of people buying because there's no shops here, there's nothing to do as such," says Julie.
"More than anything it just wants a good clean up."
Julie is not alone in her assessment of the town centre in its current state.
Janet Towler, from Cutskye, stops to chat and agrees more shops are needed, adding: "There's nothing really in Castleford at the moment."
Janet Towler also wants to see more shops in her hometown
The 68-year-old has lived here all her life, but believes the town needs a boost.
"You have only got to look at it, it's just run down," she says.
Carl Jones, who is in town to do some shopping for his elderly mother, is not happy with the quality and quantity of stores currently on offer.
"It's terrible," says the 52-year-old.
"There are hardly any shops that are open and when they are, within a few months they are closing."
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Carl, from Ferry Fryston, says he believes there is also a problem with homelessness, street-drinking and drug-taking.
He says he wants the council to make the town "look a bit smarter".
Carl Jones says he wants to see Castleford cleaned up
Mark Casci, head of policy and representation at the West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, says towns and cities across Britain have been hit with a "perfect storm of consumers having less money [and] it being more expensive to operate a business".
He says this has combined with consumer habits shifting towards online and out-of-town shopping.
Independent shops and cafes could help to improve Castleford town centre's fortunes, he believes.
"People are really, really favouring independent retail these days," says Casci.
"Every month we see an announcement about a big behemoth of a chain that's got stores in every high street in Britain closing.
"People are a bit more inclined to spend their money with local businesses, they have more of a personal touch."
He points to Sunny Bank Mills in Farsley and Dean Clough in Halifax, where 4,000 people now work, as good examples to follow.
Dean Clough in Halifax has been turned into a space for commercial and cultural use
"People from Cas, they are really proud of where they are from, they will welcome really innovative businesses with good customer service, great products and services," he says.
Casci adds that Castleford could also benefit from its close proximity to large cities like Leeds, Wakefield and Bradford and attract people with its cheaper prices for businesses and properties.
'Bigger and better'
Matthew Pinder, Wakefield Council's cabinet member for district regeneration and regional growth, says the authority is "determined to deliver the change that Castleford residents and businesses have been waiting for".
"We want to be ambitious – our aim is not just to improve what we already have, but to attract new investment that will unlock bigger and better opportunities.
"That's how we will bring lasting benefits to the community and build a town everyone can be proud of."
Pinder says local residents and businesses would have the chance to share their ideas for future regeneration projects.
He adds: "Feedback will help the council and [its regeneration partner] Muse shape exciting new proposals that will deliver for everyone who lives, works in or visits the town."
Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
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Source: “AOL Money”
