Guisborough town centre public realm works

BAKEHOUSE SQUARE FAQs;

Funding from Government was specifically provided for Bakehouse Square to complement works undertaken to the Town Hall and to address a number of accessibility concerns raised from the previous layout, including cars parking illegally and commercial bins being stored in the square.

The majority of cobbles have been re-laid in the alleyway however any that were surplus have been stored securely for use in future works around Guisborough.

There were complaints that cars parked in the area, and commercial bins were left out regularly. As the land was “unadopted and unregistered land” the council had no enforcement powers to help prevent this.

The ward councillors, supported by town councillors, requested that the council adopt the land as part of the wider Bakehouse Square work in order to introduce enforcement powers.

For the council to adopt it, the original cobbles would need to meet road safety standards. The close-set cobble laid loosely on clay and were bound with gravel, lime and horsehair (assumed), and could only take the loading it was intended for (cart horse). There was a need to bring this area up to standard for modern vehicles requiring a concrete raft/bed.

Before photos:

After photos:

Signage erected at the entrance of the square and enforcement of the area through ticketing is taking place. In addition to this a removable bollard is on order for the access road into the square. Keys will be provided only to those that have a right of access into or through the square or for deliveries / collections.

Following the remedial works undertaken through the autumn, the cobbled alleyway now meets the specification required for adoption by the Local Highway Authority. We accept that this differs from the original aesthetic and have reviewed cobble specifications and working methods for future work.

The alleyway work is now complete.

When the works started, the cobbles were not in situ on the former sloped access to the water. It is assumed they have dislodged into the beck over time as a number of cobbles have been retrieved from the water. The cobbles have been reset at this location with Yorkstone kerb installed to reduce the severity of the slope to avoid slips and falls into the watercourse.

The council doesn’t operate a standing list of approved contractors. Local Government and other public sector organisations are subject to a procurement process whenever we buy goods or services. Public sector contracts can be competed and bid for by businesses under a legal framework and value for money is fundamental to this process.

A contract was originally awarded and has since been revised to £485,000 owing to the need for additional works and variations to the original scope of works.

Examples of such works include upgrading materials to natural stone to ensure longevity and improve the aesthetic of the finished product, new bollards to prevent vehicular access, additional drainage works and upgraded recessed BT covers.

None of the remedial works resulting from the defective works are being paid for through this budget. The contractor is correcting at their own cost. 

At this stage due to the contract not being completed and associated commercial sensitivities we are unable to disclose what the anticipated final account figure will be, but this will become available once the project is completed.

The contract for the project at Bakehouse Square has faced legitimate extensions due to, in part, shortages of materials, which has affected the construction industry nationally.

There have also been variations in designs as work has progressed and additional work has been required, such as upgrading materials to natural stone, additional drainage works and upgraded recessed BT covers. This can be common with projects like this, where a change in specification is required.

None of the variations or additional spend is associated with any remedial works resulting from bad performance, which the contractor is correcting at their own cost.

Whilst every effort is made to use local contractors and suppliers where possible, the council is bound by procurement legislation. The future main contractor will inevitably use numerous sub-contractors. We cannot stipulate who they use, but we plan to put measures in place to incentivise the use of local suppliers within their tender bid.

Whilst the cobbled alleyway is now complete, the project as a whole is not yet fully finished. The contractor has removed their compound but continue to attend site when materials and resources allow them to complete the outstanding works.

This will continue into the new year on works such as:

Buff Resin laid to the entrance to the road into the square was selected to make it clear that the road becomes a pedestrian zone within Bakehouse Square. However, this has not been laid satisfactorily and has therefore been flagged as defective. This will be addressed by the contractor shortly. Given the feedback received from the public, we will take this opportunity to replace the defective resin with a tarmacadam surface (this is a material made by combining tar and macadam which is crushed stone and sand).

Yes.

The contractor paid for a permit.

Sufficient budget is secured to cover all other identified projects with the Guisborough Regeneration programme.

Following requests from ward councillors in response to feedback from the community, the council will look to remove it or replace it.

Please speak to your local ward councillors if you require any further information beyond that contained here or received via the Q&A feature. Their contact details can be found here: Your councillors | Redcar and Cleveland

WESTGATE AND CHALONER STREET FAQs

A full audit was carried out by an accessibility expert as part of the design process to ensure that all proposed plans were inclusive.

There is no net loss of parking spaces resulting from the proposed works.

No.

The work will be carried out in stages. Once a contractor is appointed, engagement will begin with local businesses to understand how the phases can be planned to cause minimum disruption. Engagement will continue throughout the work.

The contractor will put measures in place to ensure the markets will continue to run throughout the works. Whilst some disturbance is to be expected which will require a temporary relocation of the markets, disruption will be kept to a minimum as far as practically possible.

The council approached Historic England for feedback in the spring as designs were pulled together. This feedback was fed into the revised designs, and Historic England will continue to be a stakeholder we liaise with as works continue.

There will be a number of cycle hoops located around Westgate for bikes to be locked to. We also intend to install bike storage, which will be a secure shelter within Fountain Street Car Park, with a lockable door.

The cobbles on Westgate are a key part of the town’s character. The vision is to retain as many of the existing cobbles on Westgate as possible. However, it is proposed that a limited amount of cobbles are lifted, where necessary to enable improved accessibility on disabled bays and to widen footpaths. Any cobbles that are lifted, we plan to reuse within the scheme (such as on Chaloner Street).

All seating will be of traditional style to match the current seats.

Yorkstone is the primary heritage conservation material laid in many historic town centres nationally. It is in keeping with the architecture in Guisborough.

No.

Regulatory Committee, where all planning decisions are made for projects across the borough, are held the Civic Centre in Redcar. Members of the public can attend and observe.

Renewing the CCTV system throughout the town centre is part of the funding provided by Government. This will provide clearer, higher resolution images moving forward. We work closely with Cleveland Police in our joint efforts to tackle anti-social behaviour across the borough.

We envisage the works starting Summer 2025 following business engagement.

We have not yet appointed a contractor but will work closely with them and local businesses to minimise disruption as best as we can. We will instruct that the works will be undertaken in phases to try to mitigate the impact on businesses, residents and visitors.