Willmott Dixon advances with £15m Catterick regen
The contractor is ready to start on the redevelopment of the town centre, following the completion of preparatory works carried out by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation.
The project is a partnership between North Yorkshire Council and the DIO, a branch of the Ministry of Defence, supported by council-owned property consultancy Align Property Partners and landscape architect Barton Howe Associates.
The garrison town is in line for a new 20,000 sq ft town square on Shute Road, a community hub, and landscaping improvements including upgrades to Coronation Park, such as better play areas and a skate park, as well as improvements to footpaths and cycleways.
The mixed-use community hub will be a 13,500 sq ft, three storey building with rentable office space on the second floor, community spaces on the first floor, and F&B kiosks and seating on the ground floor.
This 3,000 sq ft ground floor space will have a double height glass pavilion, and outside there will be a 6,500 sq ft outdoor seating and retail area.
The improvement of Catterick Garrison town centre was allocated £19m from the previous Conservative government’s Levelling Up Fund, with the facilities for the use of both the military and local residents.
Now work can get underway, the town’s makeover is expected to complete towards the end of next year.
The regeneration project received unanimous approval in November last year. North Yorkshire Council had already awarded the contract to Willmott Dixon via the YORbuild2 framework following the government’s £19m grant in 2022, with the remaining match-funding coming from the DIO.
Nick Corrigan, director at Willmott Dixon, said: “As a company with deep roots in the North East, we understand the importance of this development for the military community at Britain’s largest garrison and the thousands of local residents who will benefit from these fantastic new facilities.
“We’ll be working closely with local suppliers throughout the construction phase, ensuring that as much as possible of the investment stays within the local economy, creating jobs and supporting regional businesses.
“Creating opportunities for the local community will be at the heart of this project. Willmott Dixon, alongside its supply chain partners, are set to create 10 new employment opportunities for local people, more than 200
apprenticeship weeks, and 17 work experience placements.”
The leader of North Yorkshire Council, cllr Carl Les, said: “I am delighted that this scheme is now underway. This will be a transformative development which will not only provide new facilities for the town, but create jobs for local people.
“It is a fine example of partnership working and will help improve the lives of a great many people in the area, both those serving in the military and their families and also residents of Catterick and the surrounding area.”
