Leeds-based contractor Castlehouse Construction has completed Phase 1 of the Treadmills regeneration development at the former Northallerton Prison site.
The company has handed over three retail units, one of which will be occupied by supermarket group Lidl – the retail anchor for the £17m scheme. The second unit will be occupied by frozen food specialist Iceland and the third 1,300 sq ft unit is available for occupation. A car park on the south side of the site has also been delivered.
Driven forward by the Central Northallerton Development Company Ltd (CNDCL), a joint venture between Hambleton District Council and leading Yorkshire developer Wykeland Group, the scheme will cement a new future for the old Grade II listed prison buildings by transforming the major landmark into an exciting, new mixed-use destination incorporating retail, leisure and office space.
Despite a challenging climate with the pandemic, Castlehouse carried out all construction work on site with extensive and stringent safety measures in place, complying fully with Government and construction industry guidelines introduced in response to Covid-19.
Castlehouse is currently on site fitting out the Lidl store, closely followed by Iceland, with both stores earmarked to open their doors to the public this autumn.
The northern part of the site, including five Grade II listed Victorian former prison blocks, forms part of the second phase of the development which is well underway by a local contractor and involves external restoration and extensive internal redevelopment of four of the five buildings. The final building, the tenement block, will be converted at a later stage.
The former main cell block and the female wing will house the 7,000 sq ft Centre for Digital Innovation (C4DI) Northallerton, a new community of tech specialists, building on the Hull-based C4DI digital hub’s success.
Richard Lumley, Chairman of Castlehouse Construction said:
“We are delighted to hand over Phase 1 of this exciting regeneration development in spite of a challenging backdrop. We are extremely proud of the team who worked diligently to deliver a key part of the scheme, providing the Hambleton and wider community with some great retail names as part of the development’s strategic vision.”
Leader of Hambleton District Council, Councillor Mark Robson said: “This handover marks the first step in Hambleton’s ambitious plans to regenerate the former prison site – having Lidl and Iceland opening up before Christmas will be a huge economic boost for Northallerton’s High Street and contribute to our vision to make our market town’s vibrant.
“In 2021 we will see C4Di open in one of the listed buildings on the site and that will bring in businesses to the town. It is a very exciting time for Northallerton and Hambleton district.”
Jonathan Stubbs, Wykeland Development Director and a CNDCL Board member, said: “The completion of construction on phase one of Treadmills is a major milestone in the delivery of this exciting regeneration project and we’re now looking forward to the opening of the Lidl and Iceland stores.
“This is one of many developments we are moving forward across the region to deliver new investment and jobs that are vital to the post-Covid economic recovery.”
