Demolition of the former Southport Theatre and Convention Centre is progressing well. Contractors, DSM, remain hard at work throughout the summer months to demolish the former theatre safely and considerately to make way for the £73 million Marine Lake Events Centre (MLEC). Residents and local businesses have been kept regularly
Stephen George + Partners (SGP) in conjunction with AHR has submitted plans for the £20 million redevelopment of Huddersfield’s bus station, fronted by a sweeping 120-metre-long glulam, green roof and Solar PV canopy. The bus station transformation is a partnership between Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority
Last July after public reports of defects in the Otley Bridge walkway, Leeds City Council urgently investigated whether further repairs were necessary. After the specialist contractors inspected the underside of the current footway it found further hidden defects, leading to understand that these problems were more widespread and the decision
A new Family Resilience and High Needs Centre in North Birkbeck, London, has been completed by leading offsite manufacturer McAvoy, to meet London Borough of Waltham Forest’s needs to support vulnerable children. McAvoy delivered The Birkbeck Centre in just 20 weeks from installation of the first module, using offsite manufacturing
Manchester City Council and the Government Property Agency (GPA) have opened a joint consultation around emerging plans for the former retail site. Open from Tuesday 27 August the consultation will gather feedback from local residents, businesses and other stakeholders that will help guide proposals to create a new government digital
North of England contractor to facilitate future housing development for Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council Esh Construction has commenced public realm improvement works which will support further riverside development in Rotherham town centre. Procured through YORhub’s YORcivil2 framework on behalf of Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, the North of England contractor will
The planning submission for Phase Two of the re-development of the Tustin Estate in south-east London has been submitted. Planned in four phases, the whole scheme includes 250 replacement council homes and shared equity properties for returning leaseholders, 220 additional council homes for social rent and keyworker homes, along with
Demolition of the former Riverside shopping centre and medical practice is underway, kickstarting the transformation of the Smithfield Riverside area in Shrewsbury town centre. To mark this significant milestone, Shropshire Council is asking for the public’s help in compiling a history of the area over the last 50 years. Named
The Council has begun gathering feedback around the transformational proposals being developed for Holt Town, east Manchester as consultation opens today. Holt Town presents an opportunity to create a new town within the city, developing 74acres (30ha) of underused, brownfield land that has the potential to deliver thousands of new
Work is well underway on the £36 million redevelopment of Rotherham Markets as Henry Boot Construction begins fabrication works in the outdoor market and underground carpark. Rotherham Council’s Cabinet Member for Jobs and the Local Economy, Cllr Robert Taylor, joined Henry Boot Construction’s Managing Director, Tony Shaw, and Head of
Demolition of the former Southport Theatre and Convention Centre is progressing well. Contractors, DSM, remain hard at work throughout the summer months to demolish the former theatre safely and considerately to make way for the £73 million Marine Lake Events Centre (MLEC). Residents and local businesses have been kept regularly updated on the works and Sefton Council continues to hold face-to-face sessions for people nearby to ask questions and raise any concerns. Prior to the demolition, a number of historical heritage items were removed from the former theatre. They are now being held in safe storage and will be incorporated into the future MLEC site for public viewing. While most of the work so far has taken place inside the building, an annexe building on site has now been demolished. Away from site, Sefton Council and its partners remain fully committed to an impressive social value project which gives back to the community in a number of ways. Recently the MLEC team, which consists of the Local Authority and partners including architects AFL and contractor DSM, donated 45 ‘back to school’ kits to local charity Compassion Acts. The kits will help struggling families keep down costs for essential items pupils need when they return to school in September. Councillor Paulette Lappin, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Economy and Skills, said:“It’s great to see lots of work happening on site and the MLEC project is progressing very well. “With huge economic and tourism projects like the Marine Lake Events Centre, there are lots of things which need to happen behind the scenes that most will never be aware of so for people to be able to see physical demolition work taking place is great. “Our social value work is a real credit to the kindness and generosity of our project partners and contractors and I would like to thank them again for their incredible kindness in supporting the community in and around Southport.” Updates about the Marine Lake Events Centre project are available via www.sefton.gov.uk/MLEC Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Stephen George + Partners (SGP) in conjunction with AHR has submitted plans for the £20 million redevelopment of Huddersfield’s bus station, fronted by a sweeping 120-metre-long glulam, green roof and Solar PV canopy. The bus station transformation is a partnership between Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority to create an innovative gateway to the revitalised town centre along with enhanced passenger facilities. Explains Alistair Branch, Partner at SGP: “Huddersfield is the largest bus station in West Yorkshire and its redevelopment is a core component in an ambitious series of town centre interventions led by the Council to create a cultural heart for the town centre. The unique canopy structure has a contemporary design, reminiscent of the rolling Yorkshire landscape, elevating the importance of this key transport hub and gathering point within the town centre. “SGP has been involved in the project for several years, developing the canopy from initial concept, through business case approval to the design now submitted for planning approval.” SGP’s design for the canopy and the public realm beneath it was developed through extensive discussions with clients, the local authority and other stakeholders. The proposed canopy design is a simple sinusoidal timber lattice structure supporting a green roof that undulates along the length of the bus station, emphasising key entrances and drawing the eye down from the imposing multistorey car park’s long concrete façade. Office and retail units in the station’s frontages will also be revitalised, delivering a harmonious continuity with surrounding businesses. Continues Matt Beaumont, Associate at SGP: “The canopy uses a glulam lattice to support a mix of sedum roof and solar panel glass to create a light and inviting transition space from the public realm to the bus station itself. The integrated roof lights not only let natural light flow into the area but produce their own green energy, whilst the sedum promotes biodiversity, reducing rainwater runoff and helping improve local air quality. The solar glazing ensures energy generation is visible to users below for educational purposes whilst additionally diffusing direct sunlight.” Beneath the canopy, enhanced public realm extends north towards the taxi ranks and Grade I listed Railway station. A secure, glazed cycle hub for green transport supports the Local Authorities’ commitment to modal shift, linking towns and villages across West Yorkshire and beyond as well as cycle and walking routes to the retail, civic and employment areas within Huddersfield town centre. Concludes Alistair: “As Matt and I are Huddersfield residents, we are immensely proud of our design for Huddersfield Bus Station Canopy. We believe it has balanced sustainability with quality materials and created the landmark gateway to this strategic transport hub that the council and locals want and deserve.” If planning is granted, work is expected to start on site in the summer of 2025. Design Team Client: Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council / West Yorkshire Combined Authority Architects: Stephen George + Partners and AHR Engineering and environmental design consultants : BWB Consulting Landscape: Pick Everard Cost Consultants: Rider Hunt Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Last July after public reports of defects in the Otley Bridge walkway, Leeds City Council urgently investigated whether further repairs were necessary. After the specialist contractors inspected the underside of the current footway it found further hidden defects, leading to understand that these problems were more widespread and the decision to replace the footway. The council plan to install a temporary footbridge to allow residents with easy access to both sides of the river, whilst construction of a new footbridge takes place on the main bridge. This temporary bridge will be found a short distance to the east of Otley Bridge and link to Tittybottle Park. Otley Bridge is an ancient seven span stone bridge and Scheduled Ancient Monument, which is almost 800 years old and carries the B6451 over the River Wharfe, which links two halves of Otley town. In the 1950s a cantilevered pedestrian concrete walkway was added to improve safety, as traffic use grew. It is this walkway which is falling into disrepair with holes in the footway being covered by deck boards and rolling programme of inspections ahead of its replacement. Specialist contractor Balfour Beatty were appointed to look at solutions for bridge replacement and traffic management of the works. Initial work looked at all the options which saw pedestrians being diverted into the carriageway and single lane with temporary traffic lights for vehicular traffic. It was felt that any traffic restrictions in Otley town centre would be too disruptive, so a further contingency was developed to provide a separate temporary pedestrian crossing to enable the current traffic layout to be kept. If the council does not address the footbridge problems the deterioration will continue, with current mitigation finally becoming inadequate. This will eventually need a full closure of the walkway to pedestrians on safety grounds, and a lengthy pedestrian diversion or disruptive traffic lights to facilitate pedestrians on the road bridge. Initial activity is subjected to constraints of the site along a residential street and the geography. This will include some tree and vegetation clearance on the southern side of the river to create a temporary working area and launch site for initial piling works and to position a crane that will lift the bridge sections into place. In the park on the northern side minor works will also need to be carried out for creating a temporary abutment for the footbridge and to divert utility services. After the scheme, the council will plant several semi-mature trees for any tree which can’t be replaced like for like. The council will write to residents who live nearest the work site to further explain the works, and provide regular progress updates over the duration of the scheme. Residents and businesses will also be able to speak to the project team at the Otley Community Hub on Nelson Street, starting in September on the following day/times: Tuesday 10 – 11am and Friday 1pm – 3pm. Subject to the weather, the scheme is anticipated to be completed during autumn 2025. Councillor Jonathan Pryor, Leeds City Council’s deputy leader and executive member for economy, transport and sustainable development, said: “Otley Bridge is an ancient crossing in the centre of the town. For pedestrian safety we now urgently need to demolish and replace the footway to modern standards, after coming to the end of its useful life. The new temporary footbridge will allow these works to Otley footbridge to be carried out safely, with less disruption to vehicle flow across the town and which will continue to enable people to cross the river safely. “The council considered a range of options which needed to factor for disruption, cost and timing of the works limited by planning, ecology and by the Environment Agency. By starting the construction of the temporary bridge now, means that the process of replacing the existing footbridge can start in spring next year. Unfortunately, there will be the need for some short-term disruption for access and noise, as we prepare the site for construction, especially to allow crane access to the site. “Vital work like this always involves disruption and best efforts are being done to minimise any as much as possible. However, I know that it will still be inconvenient for people, and I would like to thank everyone for their understanding and patience whilst we do this urgent work. The urgency requires some short-term inconvenience to construct the temporary bridge to continue to allow this vital crossing in the town. “We will keep residents regularly updated as the works progress and have set up a website (https://otleybridge.commonplace.is/) with information about the project, along with plans and timescales. The council will work closely with our contractor to make good progress over the months ahead, working towards an expected completion of the temporary bridge in spring 2025 and access to the new Otley footbridge in late summer 2025.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A new Family Resilience and High Needs Centre in North Birkbeck, London, has been completed by leading offsite manufacturer McAvoy, to meet London Borough of Waltham Forest’s needs to support vulnerable children. McAvoy delivered The Birkbeck Centre in just 20 weeks from installation of the first module, using offsite manufacturing methods. The new 1,588 m2 centre will serve as a valuable resource for the Youth Offending Service. The centre will also provide family therapy and restorative justice programmes. The two-storey building features a sports hall constructed using a steel frame, café, kitchen, general teaching spaces, break out spaces, construction skills workshop, medical room, art rooms, and a music suite. The exterior of the centre also includes carefully planned landscaping and ample parking spaces. Students will receive counselling and therapy alongside essential subjects like Maths and English. Wider training and skills will also be offered in construction, catering, computer technology, music recording and production. Cahal Cunning, Senior Contracts Manager at McAvoy, said: “Delivering essential buildings quickly to support the council’s broader plan for youth offending rehabilitation and educational facilities is key to supporting those in need in the area. By choosing high quality offsite manufacturing, combined with our team who are specialists in the design and build of community and education facilities, we have enabled the quick turnaround of projects for Waltham Forest. This approach meets the urgent demand for safe and nurturing environments for vulnerable young people, fostering positive growth and development. “This is our second project with Waltham Forest London Borough Council within the last year and is testament to the increasing confidence in offsite manufacturing and its ability to deliver high quality, sustainable buildings that are fit for the future.” Earlier this year, McAvoy completed an extension of Kelmscott Primary School in Walthamstow, East London. The design and build included a main two-storey school building alongside a separate special educational needs building with a green roof and solar PV, addressing the critical need for 900 school places in the area. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Manchester City Council and the Government Property Agency (GPA) have opened a joint consultation around emerging plans for the former retail site. Open from Tuesday 27 August the consultation will gather feedback from local residents, businesses and other stakeholders that will help guide proposals to create a new government digital campus – delivered by the GPA – and a new city centre park space, delivered by the council. The council agreed an updated Strategic Regeneration Framework (SRF) for the land in March 2023 that set out the high-level development principles for the site: to create low carbon commercial office space and high-quality, accessible green space to support continued economic growth in this part of Manchester’s city centre. New Manchester Digital Campus The Government Property Agency (GPA) exchanged contracts to acquire five acres of the former Central Retail Park in Ancoats from the city council in May this year with a view to constructing a state-of-the-art government digital campus. This new office complex in the city will bring together a number of Civil Service departments with a focus around digital skills. Once complete, the campus will be home to around 7,000 civil servants, creating significant opportunities for employment and wider economic development. New City Centre Park The new park space is being designed in collaboration with landscape architects Planit-IE and will help meet the need for quality, attractive green space in the city centre – which will also open up access to the existing Cotton Field Park and Ancoats Marina. The site will accommodate new walking routes, helping to link to other city centre active travel investment in Ancoats, Northern Quarter and out towards the Etihad Campus. Detailed design work will continue following consultation to deliver a park space comparable in size to Ancoats Green, which is also currently undergoing redevelopment works. To note – Development across the rest of the site will be brought forward as a later development phase. More information will be made available in due course. Take part in the public consultation – Tuesday, September 10 Local people and businesses can provide feedback online or at two in-person public consultation events at Halle St Peter’s, 40 Blossom Street, Ancoats, M4 6BF. Find out more about the proposals and feedback online: www.fcrp-manchester.co.uk Session One: 12pm to 2.30pm Session Two: 5pm to 7pm Anyone with accessibility needs – or no access to the internet – can call 0808 175 3408 The consultation will end on September 23, 2024, following which the proposals will be finalised and separate planning applications submitted later this year. Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, said: “We are beginning to see the potential of this site unlocked and the plans being developed by the council and the GPA meet the ambitions we have for this important site – including a new city centre park and digital campus that will be home to 7,000 civil servant jobs. “The new park will help meet demand for high-quality green space in the city centre and will complement other green investment – including Ancoats Green – in this neighbourhood. “As ever, consultation is the opportunity for our residents to give us feedback on the emerging proposals and help guide this investment that will benefit Mancunians for years to come.” Mark Bourgeois, Interim CEO at the GPA, said: “We are pleased to be working collaboratively with Manchester City Council on these plans to regenerate this important area of Manchester and we look forward to the input from city residents and businesses to help us deliver the optimum proposal. “The GPA is also proud to be creating fantastic and sustainable workplaces to support the transformation of the Civil Service, and we are committed to growing its presence in Manchester, drawing on and helping to grow the city’s pool of talent. “This proposed development, builds on the work the Council and the GPA undertook last year in putting in place an updated Strategic Regeneration Framework, and the shared ambition to regenerate the Ancoats former retail site, creating employment and wider business opportunities, supported by the digital campus.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
North of England contractor to facilitate future housing development for Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council Esh Construction has commenced public realm improvement works which will support further riverside development in Rotherham town centre. Procured through YORhub’s YORcivil2 framework on behalf of Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, the North of England contractor will deliver upgrades on land just off Westgate, while highway upgrades will be actioned on Water Lane. A new carriageway will be constructed at Water Lane to improve existing vehicular access and provide a link to a new riverside footpath which will reconnect Water Lane to Rotherham town centre. Cut and fill operations, deep drainage works, Japanese knotweed remediation, pavement construction and new fencing is required, while gabion baskets will be used to create a retaining wall feature along the new pathway. Michael Sherrard, Construction Manager at Esh Construction, said: “We look forward to bringing our expertise to this project which will play an important role in improving and facilitating the connectivity of Rotherham Riverside for the future development of the town. “Esh has vast experience in delivering public realm projects and we are thrilled to continue our working relationship with Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council.” Esh’s civil engineering division will also carry out repairs and remedial works to the existing river walls, with 180m long sheet piles up to 18m in depth being installed to strengthen the river wall. A capping beam will also be added on top to secure the wall structurally and support a guard rail, while cosmetic repairs will be carried out to the existing masonry river wall by rope access trained personnel. The project builds on the success of Esh’s recently completed active travel schemes for Rotherham Council, which include Wellgate and Broom Road, as well as Sheffield Road Cycleways and Maltby Bus Corridor. Having acquired the land in December 2022 the project forms part of the Council’s continued investment into the town centre, bringing new homes, leisure uses and improved public realm. Rotherham Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport, Jobs and the Local Economy, Cllr Robert Taylor said: “The access road and creation of a new walkway into the town centre will really complement the new housing developments and leisure scheme at Forge Island. The route will support us to continue to breathe new life into this side of the town by helping facilitate new housing developments in the future.” To find out more about Esh Group, visit www.eshgroup.co.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The planning submission for Phase Two of the re-development of the Tustin Estate in south-east London has been submitted. Planned in four phases, the whole scheme includes 250 replacement council homes and shared equity properties for returning leaseholders, 220 additional council homes for social rent and keyworker homes, along with 220 homes for sale. In addition, it will feature a central park, refurbishment of existing council homes, at least 1,800 sqm of commercial floorspace and a replacement primary school. This latest phase delivers 295 homes at the east of the Estate. A mixture of maisonettes, and one, two and three-bedroom flats across four buildings provide 151 affordable homes and 144 private tenure homes. Taking inspiration from the history of the estate two of the buildings, flanking the Tustin Common park area, are proposed in green and light grey brick. For the others, a combination of red and pink brick referencing the industrial past of the area and defining the Ilderton Road character area. The team has continued to work closely with residents of the estate, to ensure the project remains resident-led and reflects the requirements set out within the Tustin Residents Manifesto. Following on from Phase One, it will continue renewing and upgrading the estate’s public spaces. The core objective for Phase Two is to produce a quality building design to complement Phase One and continue the creation of a vibrant community focused redevelopment, whilst ensuring an efficient buildable design. Since planning permission for the outline masterplan and Phase One was granted, Bouygues UK been appointed as Development Partners with Southwark Council and will be both contractor and developer for all phases. The dRMM-led design team, which includes architectural collaborators McCloy + Muchemwa, Landscape Architects Exterior Architecture, Structural Engineers Shockledge, and Sustainability Consultants XC02 have worked in close collaboration with the local community. The resultant vision for the estate retains and reinforces the existing green oasis and community spirit as part of the masterplan of 690 homes. Phillippa Prongué, Bouygues UK‘s Managing Director of London and the South East said, “The planning submission for Phase Two is a significant milestone in the redevelopment of the Tustin Estate, and we are excited to continue our close collaboration with Southwark Council and the local community to bring this ambitious scheme to life.” Victoria Hale, Senior Associate at dRMM said, “We’re delighted to have the opportunity to progress our work with Southwark, and the residents of the Tustin Estate, in developing the next phase of the masterplan. Phase 2 continues the transformation of the estate, delivering and managing good quality homes for all their residents.” The 167 homes which make up Phase One are currently on site, with completion expected next year, and the whole project is planned to complete in 2030. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Demolition of the former Riverside shopping centre and medical practice is underway, kickstarting the transformation of the Smithfield Riverside area in Shrewsbury town centre. To mark this significant milestone, Shropshire Council is asking for the public’s help in compiling a history of the area over the last 50 years. Named ‘Riverside Remembered,’ the social history initiative will see Shropshire Council and the Shropshire Archives work together to curate a collection of memories from the area between the years of 1974 and 2024. Members of the public are encouraged to submit their photos online at smithfieldriverside.com for inclusion in the project. For those with physical photographs, videotapes or even mementos, a drop-in event will be held at Shropshire Local in the Darwin Centre on 5th September from 9am – 3pm. On 1st October, an event will be held at Shropshire Archives on Castle Gates, Shrewsbury, which will include a display of images submitted, and screening of a film about the historical development of Raven Meadows. The demolition marks the first visible sign of change as part of the wider Smithfield Riverside regeneration scheme – an ambitious plan led by the Council and its development manager, RivingtonHark, to revitalise the area between the River Severn, The Darwin centre, Roushill and Raven Meadows in Shrewsbury town centre. Funded by £19 million from the UK Government, the demolition – carried out by specialist demolition contractor Cawarden – is expected to take around three months. Once the site has been cleared, work can begin on the first phase of the Smithfield Riverside project – the creation of a landmark park adjacent to Roushill. This attractive green space has been designed to help breathe new life and vibrancy into the area, as well as improve biodiversity and flood resilience in the town centre. It will feature play equipment, accessible facilities for visitors of all ages, and a dedicated events and performance area. Mark Barrow, Shropshire Council’s Executive Director of Place, said: “This is a significant moment for Shrewsbury. The start of demolition at the Riverside site is the first step in an exciting period of change for this area of our town centre – one that will ultimately help us attract new visitors, residents, businesses and jobs. We’ve been working hard with the project team towards this moment for many months, so it’s truly fantastic to see the project now officially moving forward. “The Riverside area has a rich history going back centuries, and for many people in Shrewsbury and across Shropshire the old nightclubs and shops in this area held a wealth of happy memories. Riverside Remembered is the perfect way to celebrate those memories and mark the beginning of a new chapter for this part of the town centre” Spencer Winter, Project Director at RivingtonHark, added: “Seeing work start on site is naturally an exciting moment for ourselves, having been involved in the project since 2022, but it is truly a testament to the hard work of Shropshire Council and the entire project team over the last 12 months. “This is the beginning of a transformational journey for Shrewsbury town centre. Phase One of the project is taking full advantage of the Levelling Up funding by delivering a high-quality public space that reflects the town’s character, but also creating the right conditions and environment to drive forward further regeneration as part of the Smithfield Riverside masterplan.” The next planning application for Smithfield Riverside will be submitted later this year, introducing ‘outline’ plans to the develop three plots located between Smithfield Road, Raven Meadows and the new park. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The Council has begun gathering feedback around the transformational proposals being developed for Holt Town, east Manchester as consultation opens today. Holt Town presents an opportunity to create a new town within the city, developing 74acres (30ha) of underused, brownfield land that has the potential to deliver thousands of new homes – including significant affordable housing – alongside an exciting new cultural offer, new high quality green and play space, and new commercial space. Bound by the city centre one side and Sport City and the Etihad Campus the other, major investment in this area will finally create a link between these two key economic drivers for Manchester and continue the long-term regeneration of Ancoats and New Islington into east Manchester. Holt Town transformation in numbers: The Council is also exploring how digital technologies can be embedded into the fabric of urban regeneration projects to modernise the way residents can access public services – from traffic management, waste collection and neighbourhood management to health and social care. The Neighbourhood Development Framework (NDF) has been produced by a multi-disciplinary team led by Studio Egret West that will help guide investment in the Holt Town area over the next decade. Consultation details: The consultation will be open for six weeks from 19 August to 29 September 2024. Respondents can provide feedback via www.holttownwoodtown.com Local people can also attend two in-person drop-in events at Church of the Apostles & St Cuthbert’s, Ridgeway Street, Miles Platting, Manchester M40 7FY. Cllr Gavin White, Manchester City Council’s executive member for housing and development, said: “We have big ambitions for Holt Town and it’s not an exaggeration when we say we are creating a new town in our city, transforming an underused part of our city centre to create a new community, thousands of new homes, new commercial space and new jobs – all within a sustainable, green and safe neighbourhood. “As ever, we need the insight from local people to feed into our long-term vision. Feedback from local people is really important as it helps guide our investment in neighbourhoods, with perspective from the people who know the area well. “It’s easy to take part online – or drop-in to one of our in-person events. We look forward to seeing you.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Work is well underway on the £36 million redevelopment of Rotherham Markets as Henry Boot Construction begins fabrication works in the outdoor market and underground carpark. Rotherham Council’s Cabinet Member for Jobs and the Local Economy, Cllr Robert Taylor, joined Henry Boot Construction’s Managing Director, Tony Shaw, and Head of Operations, Ian Gresser, on the site to have a look at how the Rotherham Council delivered project is progressing. Currently, the former outdoor market space flooring has been stripped while downstairs, works have begun to strengthen the foundations of the outdoor market space. Preparation work for demolition has also begun on the former Drummond Street shops – also known as the Guardian Centre buildings. These are set to be demolished in autumn 2024 to make way for a brand-new library building. Following the demolition of the Drummond Street shops, the outdoor market canopy will be removed in stages. Covering over 3,500sqm of the market, removing the structure will be a very complex operation. A crane will be moved on site during the removal. The Indoor Market remains open throughout the redevelopment, with a range of stalls and products available from local traders. Outdoor markets, such as the Tuesday Market, have been relocated to Effingham Street while the project is under way. Henry Boot Construction, the contractor for the Rotherham Market redevelopment, was onsite when ground was broken in October 2023. Since then, they have been working with teams at Rotherham Council to progress the project. Henry Boot Construction’s Managing Director, Tony Shaw, said: “We are pleased to see the Rotherham Markets project progressing. We’re looking forward to continuing to work closely with the Council and breathing new life into this area of the town centre.” “Creating high-quality, vibrant urban spaces is part of our DNA. Having led on several of the region’s major regeneration over recent years, we have witnessed first-hand the transformative impact investments like this one can have – helping to boost community pride and identity, increase footfall and grow the local economy. “We pride ourselves on leaving a positive legacy in the places where we work. To do this we have committed to deliver significant social value outputs by utilising a local supply chain wherever possible, local site-specific employment, and delivering multiple training and educational initiatives.” Rotherham Council’s Cabinet Member for Jobs and Local Economy, Cllr Robert Taylor, added: “The Markets redevelopment is part of the Town Centre Masterplan, and to see people on site and spades in the ground shows that the plan is becoming a reality. The redevelopment of the markets is a complex project which will not only breathe new life into our community, but also provide economic opportunities for our local businesses. Working with Henry Boot Construction, the markets redevelopment will provide an accessible, enjoyable space for all which celebrates our diverse community and heritage. “Rotherham Market continues to remain open for the public with the fantastic range of outdoor markets now taking place in the town centre, so I encourage residents to continue to support our local traders until they are in their new facilities.” Once works are complete, visitors will benefit from a refurbished indoor and outdoor covered market, extensive public realm, a new modern and accessible central library and improved links to the town centre and college. Rotherham Council received funding from the government’s Future High Street Fund to pay for part of the improvements at the market with additional funding secured from the Council and the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority. Keep up-to-date with the markets redevelopment project at www.rotherhamtowncentre.co.uk. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
