Hull City Council has taken a step closer to securing £22 million to regenerate Whitefriargate.

The council has been successful in the first stage of the bidding process and will now be given a funding grant to develop a full business case for capital investment from the Future High Streets Fund (FHSF).

The council made the bid to the Government’s £675million Future High Streets Fund in March after setting up a City Centre Investment Group, made up of the city’s businesses, stakeholders and partners, to help develop the application.

The Government fund was created to diversify the traditional high street retail offer and create more vibrant town and city centres.

Councillor Daren Hale, portfolio holder for economic investment and regeneration at Hull City Council, said: "We are delighted to have been successful in the first stage of the bid, which means we can now develop a full business case for capital investment from the Future High Streets Fund.

"We are excited about working together with partners and stakeholders in the city to ensure the renaissance of Whitefriargate."

Subject to the approval of the council’s proposals, which will now be developed further using the funding grant, large scale investment on Whitefriargate would transform the street which boasts 30 Grade II listed buildings and three Grade II listed buildings.

A programme of building frontage improvements would reconnect the ground floor commercial units with the striking and historically important upper-floor architecture whilst improvements to the internal layout of the buildings would attract a diverse mix of food and drink, boutique, commercial and leisure outlets.