The Lookout - A New Culture and Leisure Attraction

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.

Planning permission approved for Redcar seafront family attraction and town centre improvements

Redcar's Town Deal has taken another step forward today (Thursday 2 February) as two major projects have been granted planning permission.

Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council’s Regulatory Committee approved plans for a new family attraction to be built, which will be known as the Culture and Leisure Anchor Attraction. This will transform Redcar’s High Street and Esplanade and create a new outdoor events space.

This means the former M&S building and Goodwins will be demolished this spring, and construction of the attraction will begin in the summer.

More indoor cultural and leisure activities/events will be on offer which will help Redcar become a year‐round destination, creating a more vibrant and attractive Esplanade, and enhancing the town's leisure offer for both locals and tourists. New indoor immersive and interactive attractions including bowling and Virtual Reality Games could be provided, subject to the preferred operator.

A new relocated library will also help to create a new community focus, providing a modern, exciting and welcoming space for all, with access to digital technology, information, services and learning. It will include a children's library with a storytelling area and will be flexible for a range of events and activities.

The cultural hub will replace the existing library provision based at Redcar and Cleveland House and place the library at the heart of the town centre, supported by a regular programme of events.

The colour and type of cladding on the exterior of the building will be subject to further engagement at the detailed design stage.

Also approved at the Council’s Regulatory Committee was the public realm improvements to Redcar’s high street. This means residents and tourists will see improvements to the area such as the introduction of new street furniture, more landscaping with plants and trees, improved lighting, and more.

The improvements will help create a vibrant town centre which attracts more visitors and residents, supporting local independent businesses, jobs and attracting further investment

The project will include:

• improving the appearance of the high street by creating an uncluttered environment and developing spaces for events and activities. Queen Street will be pedestrianised to create a gateway to the high street from Station Road, provide lighting features, create locations for seating and public artwork;
• improving the appearance of the southern section of the esplanade by resurfacing and widening pavements, improving road crossings, introduce seating and lighting. Dundas and Bath Street will accommodate some parking re-located from the Esplanade;
• improving Station Road by improving pavements, road crossing and street furniture.

The board for the Redcar Town Deal fund is led by a group of industry experts, business leaders, and community representatives, who have volunteered to support the regeneration of Redcar. Alongside Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council, they have helped develop large-scale regeneration plans on how to make Redcar a vibrant, sustainable town.

Darren Winter, Chair of Redcar Town Board, said:

“We are delighted the plans for the Culture and Leisure Anchor Attraction have been approved as well as the public realm improvements; these projects will support the wider regeneration of Redcar’s High Street that we know residents, businesses, and visitors want now and in the future.

Cllr Chris Gallacher, Cabinet Member for Economic Development at the council, said:

“We’re really pleased the planning application for these key Redcar Town Deal projects have been approved today. The projects will transform the heart of Redcar town centre with a fresh offering of new and dynamic attractions and entertainment for locals and visitors throughout the year, and in all seasons.

“It will also support our growing number of independent retailers and businesses and enhance people’s experience when visiting the town centre with a much-improved environment.”