Culture and Leisure Anchor Attraction

Thursday 11th September 2pm - 6.30pm

Rediscover Redcar, 12 West Terrace, Redcar TS10 1DS

An opportunity for members of the public to look at the latest plans and talk to Council officers and the High Street contractor about the Redcar Town Deal projects including:

• the High Street refurbishment and the timetable for completion of sections of work;
• progress towards construction of the new Culture and Leisure Anchor Attraction;
• the future opportunities for small and large events on the High Street and the new Public Square;
• the future locations of the market as works progress.

The new Culture & Leisure Anchor Attraction will include an internal street linking the Esplanade to the new Public Square, itself open to the High Street. The Public Square will be able to support small-scale events, including pop-up stalls, workshops and small outdoor performances.

Here is a preview of the latest images of the new Public Square! Other images can be found in the Photos section...

Over the past few months Town Deal Board Member, Jenny Archer and Redcar and Cleveland Voluntary Development Agency (RCVDA) have engaged with pupils from five Redcar Primary Schools:

• Newcomen Primary School
• St. Benedict's Catholic Primary School
• Lakes Primary School
• John E. Batty Primary School
• Zetland Primary School

Pupils were given the activity of suggesting names for the brand-new Culture & Leisure Anchor Attraction currently under construction i Redcar Town Centre.

We have created a 'Whatshallwecallit?' banner featuring all the entries, which can now be seen on the Esplanade opposite the works site.

The choice of name will be inspired by the entries and unveiled later this year!

Robertson Construction have undergone several weeks of enabling works and will look to progress on the new build stage in early Autumn, starting with Piling in September. Then continuing to groundworks and erection of the steel frame towards the end of 2025.

Construction traffic will access the site from The Esplanade throughout the early and mid-stages of the project. Robertson have amended their hoarding to allow for a smooth vehicle transition for accessing and egressing the site to minimise disruption to normal traffic flow.

Construction works to build an exciting new family culture and entertainment venue and library in Redcar are set to restart Tuesday 6 May.

The new indoor attraction will enhance the esplanade and high street and will provide an additional outdoor space for people to meet, relax and have fun at local events.

The High Street and sea front location will attract more people into the High Street, supporting local businesses, and it will also create local jobs.

After the demolition of the former M&S and Goodwins buildings, works were paused as further surveys and design work were needed to inform party wall and legal agreements with adjoining property owners.

The surveys could only take place in full after demolition as there were large areas of the structure that were either inaccessible or not visible until demolition was complete. The surveys identified that a significant amount of additional work was required to bring the walls up to standard.

Engagement with neighbouring property owners has been ongoing since the beginning of the project and now works can recommence.

It is expected that work will be completed by late 2026.

Chair of the Redcar Town Deal Catherine Clennett said:

“We are very excited to see works recommence and are looking forward to seeing the site take shape. The aim is to provide an indoor family entertainment venue and an outdoor event space leading people from the beachfront and esplanade through to the high street to help regeneration of the town centre. This represents a great investment in the town to enhance both resident and visitor experience.”

Neil Kennedy, Regional Managing Director for Robertson Construction North East said:

“As main contractor, we look forward to continuing our strong relationship with Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council, with Robertson leading the delivery of this landmark project. This vibrant development represents a significant regeneration opportunity for boosting the local economy, creating jobs and providing a welcoming space for the community.”

Works are anticipated to start towards the end of spring for the exciting new family culture and entertainment venue and library in Redcar. Once complete, the venue will give families and friends more things to do, no matter the weather, and will bring more visitors to the high street which will support existing local businesses.

Following the demolition on the site of the former Marks and Spencer and Goodwins buildings, the walls of the neighbouring properties have been surveyed to inform party wall and legal agreements with adjoining property owners.

These surveys could only take place in full after demolition as there were large areas of the structure that were either inaccessible or not visible until demolition was complete. The surveys identified that a significant amount of additional work was required to bring the walls up to standard.

Engagement with neighbouring property owners has been ongoing since the beginning of the project, and most of the neighbouring property owners have now consented to the party wall notices. We are currently finalising agreements with the remaining owners, which we hope to complete over the next few weeks before works can commence.

Construction will begin following the necessary works to the walls.

With the first phase of demolition now complete at the M&S and Goodwins site, we have been able undertake additional site investigations on the condition of the surrounding walls, structures and ground conditions. It has been identified that further works are needed, and could not be identified before the demolition of both buildings. Work continues in the background, with additional design work, licenses and Party Wall agreements being required. We aim to complete this work over the next couple of months.

We’d just like to remind residents that the main demolition work on the former Marks and Spencer and Goodwins buildings in Redcar town centre starts next week.

This is to make way for an exciting new venue for family-friendly entertainment.

To allow the work on the external frontages of both buildings to be carried out safely, a temporary closure of one lane of the Esplanade will be in place between Monday 20 May and Friday 24 May.

Once the demolition of the frontages is complete, the temporary lane closure will be removed and the demolition of the remainder of the buildings will then continue. The footpath on the Esplanade alongside the frontage of the buildings will remain closed while this is completed.

This work has been scheduled to take place ahead of the school half-term holiday and the Redcar Kite Festival on Redcar seafront.

Local businesses have been briefed on the works. All businesses on the Esplanade and High Street will be open as usual.

Demolition work on the former Marks and Spencer and Goodwins buildings in Redcar town centre will begin later this month.

The work will start on Monday, May 20 and will be followed by the construction of an exciting new venue for family-friendly entertainment.

This follows several months of internal works including the safe removal of asbestos, the roof and internal demolition.

To allow the work on the external frontages of both buildings to be carried out safely, a temporary closure of one lane of the Esplanade will be in place between May 20 and May 24.

Once the demolition of the frontages is complete, the temporary lane closure will be removed and the demolition of the remainder of the buildings will then continue. The footpath on the Esplanade alongside the frontage of the buildings will remain closed while this is completed.

A detailed computer-generated film, which shows how the demolition will happen, is available to watch here: redcarcleveland.uk.engagementhq.com/culture-and-leisure-anchor-attraction/widgets/60381/videos/4774

This work has been scheduled to take place ahead of the school half-term holiday and the Redcar Kite Festival on Redcar seafront.

Local businesses have been briefed on the works and temporary signage will promote them while the demolition is taking place.

The family-friendly entertainment venue is among projects developed by the Redcar Town Deal board following consultation with the public. The board is made up of industry experts, business leaders, the local MP and Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council representatives.

Catherine Clennett, chair of the Redcar Town Deal board, said: “The new family-friendly venue will be transformational for the high street and will significantly increase the number of residents and visitors using the town centre.

“The project is central to the plans to redevelop Redcar through the Town Deal funding and a great deal of preparation work has been completed so we can now watch the development become a reality.

“There will be a managed amount of disruption during the first stage of demolition but great care has been taken to keep this to a minimum and to schedule it prior to the bank holiday weekend and school holiday.”

Our next Public Consultation will be taking place:

Wednesday 8th May
Between 12:00-18:00
At Rediscover Redcar - 12 West Terrace, TS10 1DS

Open to all and joined by our Place Development & Investment Team, we will be sharing the latest information on the next stage of demolition works to make space for the Culture and Leisure Anchor Attraction. This will include a detailed CGI film showcasing the build, as well as detailed traffic management plans linking to a temporary lane closure on the Esplanade. Your feedback is important and is always appreciated.

We're open all afternoon, so please feel free to stop by.