Plans for improvements to Barnstaple town centre are one step further forward, as North Devon Council has put a team in place to deliver a multi-million pound transformation project.
As a result of its successful bid to the national Future High Streets Fund (FHSF), Barnstaple will soon be embarking on a series of projects to renew and reshape the town centre. The FHSF, led by the Ministry for Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), was allocated to towns across the country for transformational schemes to improve experience, drive growth and ensure future sustainability.
North Devon Council, which led Barnstaple’s bid to MHCLG, has now completed the appointment of the consultants who will be responsible for delivering the £10.9m project in the town by 2024.
Managing the project is Myles Clough, Director at Currie & Brown‘s Exeter Office. Mr. Clough has previously managed the delivery of the Barnstaple Museum extension and is also project managing the new Barnstalple Leisure Centre. He will work closely with the internal project team at North Devon Council.
The design team will be led by Alistair Jackson, a partner at Oxford Architects with a development interest in historic buildings, having worked with a number of Grade I and Grade II listed buildings. Mr. Jackson will be supported by project architect, Viki Kameonva, who has been involved in a variety of residential projects and those involving public buildings, demonstrating a special sensitivity towards historical and cultural heritage.
Oxford Architects are joined by Clarkebond (Structural Engineering) and Method Consulting (Mechanical & Electrical Engineering), fronted by Max Thurgood and Nick Sendell. Much like Oxford Architects, both companies have a vast array of experience in working with cultural assets, including SS Great Britain, Jamaica Inn and the Roman Baths & Pump Room.
Gates are the projects’ quantity surveyors and will advise on all aspects of project costs. The company’s head office is based metres from the heart of the project. Recent heritage projects include St Aubyn’s Church and the Plymouth Museum and Art Gallery. Lead for this project will be Managing Director, Kevin Binmore.
Barnstaple-based Boom Boom Media are the project’s branding consultants. They are working alongside council officers to develop a brand for the project. This has involved consultation with internal and external stakeholders, including the local business community, town council, residents, the local cultural sector and local ward members.
Lead Member for Economic Development and Regeneration at North Devon Council, Councillor Malcolm Prowse says: “We are so pleased to have a team in place to deliver this incredibly exciting once-in-a-lifetime project for Barnstaple. It’s a great milestone in the process as it means we are ready to get the work underway. I’m particularly pleased to be working with some brilliant firms who already have a solid understanding of Barnstaple, not to mention hugely impressive previous experience in delivering some big projects in the south west and elsewhere.”
The FHSF project in Barnstaple focusses on the ‘Markets Quarter’ with four distinct strands:
- Pannier Market, Guildhall – this strand involves the repurposing and diversification of the market into a flexible space for a more diverse and ambitious programme of markets, events and community gatherings
- Boutport Street development – this involves the development of workspace and town centre living: acquisition, restoration and rebuild of the properties into an exemplar mixed-use development and creating a vital pedestrian gateway to the town
- Queen Street access – this project involves the delineation and upgrade of an access into the Queen Street car park from the main arterial route and the redesigned layout of the car park to improve legibility to the town
- Butchers Row and Cross Street – this strand involves the permanent daytime pedestrianisation of the most distinctive street in our town leading to increased footfall, allowing traders to spill onto the street and connecting the historic core to our river front
Read more about Barnstaple’s Future High Street Fund’s journey on the council’s website: www.northdevon.gov.uk/FHSF-Barnstaple.