The Council has now published responses to questions tabled at the last Council meeting. One disappointment came when the Council Leader revealed that he currently knows of no regeneration projects that the Council could help to fund and which would assist the Acomb Front Street area.

Front Street litter

Question: “What proportion of retail and office space is currently empty in each of the City’s sub-urban wards and how does this compare to the City Centre? How much of the “Innovation & Delivery Fund” and the “Economic Infrastructure Fund” does the Cabinet Leader intend to allocate to regeneration initiatives in sub-urban employment centres such as Acomb Front Street?”

Leaders answer: “Whilst this data is not held at ward level, we know that 5.56% of retail units, and 25.26% of office units, by number, are vacant in areas outside the city centre, in comparison to 5.20% and 28.00% respectively for the city centre. I would welcome any financially justifiable ideas which contribute to economic growth from all areas of the city”.

The same meeting also turned down a request for formal Council support for the “Acomb Alive” project