An immersive ‘play experience’ is coming to York after it secured funding.
The Tempest Play Area is a plan by the York BID (Business Improvement District).
“The Tempest is a brand-new, semi-permanent children’s play area, combining play features with local heritage to create an immersive and unique family-friendly experience,” the details say.
The project has received funding from the third and final phase of the Vibrant and Sustainable High Street Fund from the Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, David Skaith.
A total of 26 projects have been awarded a share of £2.38m to “drive long term regeneration and strengthen the resilience of local high streets for years to come”.
The Tempest play area received £96,901.
A spokesperson for the York BID said: “We’re so excited to be able to bring a pop-up play experience to the city centre soon, with huge thanks to funding from David Skaith, Mayor of York & North Yorkshire and York & North Yorkshire Combined Authority.
“In January we asked for local people to give us their ideas and feedback about what would bring them and their young families into the city centre more.
“Their engagement meant we’ve been able to put together these plans and we’re now so excited to make them a reality.
“We’re keeping the location and more details under wraps for now, but keep an eye out for a big reveal soon – because you’re all invited!”
Fulford Road destination
Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, David Skaith, said: “High streets are constantly changing, but they have, and always will be, hubs for our communities.
“The final phase of the High Street Fund has backed 26 creative projects from the people who know their community best.
“When we work together, we will transform our high streets into vibrant destinations that residents and visitors will want to return to again and again.”
Successful projects include Putting the Heart into Sherburn High Street, which will introduce a new marketplace to support local retail and create a space for community events, and The Fulford High Street Art Journey, an initiative designed to transform Fulford Road into a more connected and vibrant high street destination.
Here are all the other projects to receive funding from the Vibrant and Sustainable High Street Fund.
| Lead Applicant Name | Project Name | Project Description | Grant Awarded (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ripon BID | Creative Streets: Celebrating Ripon’s Heritage on the High Street | A programme of heritage murals, Hornblower civic sculpture and Ripon high-street heritage trail to boost footfall, dwell time and pride in Ripon’s city centre. | £86,205 |
| ORBTA | Making Richmond Shine | This project raises the profile of Richmond as a tourist destination by implementing a strategy of promotion of events, promoting new activities and developing capacity. | £150,000 |
| University of York | Heritage connections: building the heritage tourism offer across the historic High Streets of Malton and Norton | Heritage Connections will create a diverse programme of heritage exhibitions, activities and experiences, boosting regenerative tourism across the historic High Streets of Malton and Norton. | £87,725 |
| The Nidderdale Plus Partnership | Nidderdale Annual Events and Business Association Project | The project will deliver an annual programme of new events and activities, uniquely branded to Nidderdale, and set up a new Nidderdale Business Association. | £80,115 |
| Harrogate Fairtrade | A collaborative ethical shop for Harrogate | A collaborative ethical shop with refill centre, pop-up space, workshops, charity awareness-raising, and supported training places for people with learning difficulties and autism. | £149,633 |
| Door 84 | The Groves Community Improvement Drive | A comprehensive, resident and business-led partnership designed to rejuvenate the local high street, enhance public safety, and foster economic resilience. | £54,015 |
| Howardian Hills National Landscape Partnership | Heart of Helmsley | Heart of Helmsley will deliver a vibrant market town where all feel welcome; visitors, residents, young or old, and particularly those with additional accessibility needs. | £149,150 |
| York BID | The Tempest Play Area | The Tempest is a brand-new, semi-permanent children’s play area, combining play features with local heritage to create an immersive and unique family-friendly experience. | £96,901 |
| Northallerton Town Council and Northallerton BID Events Partnership | Vibrant Northallerton | The project brings together four key new events, the Christmas Food Market, Ice & Fire Trail, Beach Event and Green & Active Living Festival, each designed to increase footfall, support local businesses and enhance the vibrancy of the high street. | £85,000 |
| Up for Yorkshire | Shop for the Future | Building on funding in phases 1 and 2, we will draw together business, civic and third sectors to develop an identity for Selby promoting growth and impact. | £149,837 |
| Circular Malton & Norton CIC | Even More WOW across Malton | Even More WOW – enriching all of Malton with a vibrant retail incubator, circular community events, and expanded loyalty passport, creating a differentiating town legacy | £149,953 |
| Blackhat Creative Limited | The Fulford High Street Art Journey | A cultural economic pilot using events, public art, and digital infrastructure to transform Fulford Road from a transit corridor into a connected High Street destination. | £89,950 |
| Harrogate International Festivals | Harrogate Unlocked | A targeted programme of high-impact, outdoor, cultural activity delivering additional footfall, economic impact and long-term resilience for Harrogate’s High Street. | £148,488 |
| Eastborough Traders | Destination Eastborough: Regenerating Local Retail and Hospitality in the Historic Old Town of Scarborough | Destination Eastborough is a place-making project using vibrant art, strategic interventions, rebranding and coordinated marketing to reinvigorate the area, support local businesses, and inspire visitors. | £90,000 |
| City of York Council | York Riverside Lighting Improvement Project | The project involves installing permanent, sustainable lighting to creatively illuminate Ouse Bridge and to improve the vibrancy and accessibility of York’s Riverside Quarter. | £84,900 |
| Harrogate Heritage & Community Development Project | The Harrogate Story: Explore & Discover | A town centre hub offering visitor information, showcasing the heritage of the spa town through interactive displays and providing community event and exhibition space. | £119,215 |
| Sherburn in Elmet Town Council | Putting the heart into Sherburn High Street | Developing a marketplace in Sherburn in Elmet to deliver an enhanced retail offering, and exciting community events at the heart of our High Street. | £41,976 |
| Shopmobility York | Shopmobility York at York Station | Shopmobility York will install mobility scooter lockers at York Station, enabling immediate access on arrival and improving accessibility, independence, and inclusion across York’s high street. | £49,981 |
| Crescent Arts | Crescent Arts on Tour | Crescent Arts on Tour is a creative partnership that will transform a vacant Falsgrave shop into a creative hub that will drive local footfall. | £71,263 |
| The Settle Slow Living Project | The Settle Slow Living Project: A Business-Led High Street Activation | Establishing a ‘Slow Living’ brand for Settle through professional PR and marketing, led by a business partnership to increase visitor dwell time and economic resilience. | £50,000 |
| Heart of Skipton | Vibrant Skipton | To improve the quality and attractiveness of the town for residents, visitors and businesses and improve economic growth. | £62,015 |
| Little Vikings | York Family-Friendly City Centre Programme | A partnership programme that promotes independent businesses through city-centre mapping and QR-led discovery, family-friendly spaces, markets and events, encouraging families to choose York city centre. | £49,900 |
| York Food Festival | Events Equipment Sharing Scheme – York | Creating a pool of ‘free to use’ equipment for events and community activities on the York high street, reducing costs, transport needs, and environmental impact. | £46,300 |
| Psst! Marketing Ltd | Whitby Winter Event Expansion – Baxtergate & Beyond | Bringing local pride in the high street back to Whitby town centre and expanding the positive impact of Whitby Christmas Festivals into the winter season. | £89,353 |
| English Heritage | Welcome Where You Arrive: York’s Hybrid Visitor Information Pilot | Pilot hybrid visitor information hub at Clifford’s Tower, co-delivered by English Heritage and Visit York, improving visitor dispersal, dwell time, spend and high street resilience. | £40,490 |
| Rural Arts | Bookmarked: Thirsk | Bookmarked: Thirsk is a vibrant year-long cultural programme transforming the High Street with creative events, community collaboration and inclusive placemaking, driving pride, wellbeing and regeneration. | £115,149 |
