Redcar Town Centre Transformation

Today was a big day for poet, author and playwright Carmen Marcus.

Her poem ‘The Line’ has now been engraved into brickwork, with installation beginning today.

Carmen, who is from Redcar and is a fisherman’s daughter, was joined by her friends and son to witness the special moment the first brick was laid.

Commissioned by Redcar Town Deal as part of wider improvement works to the high street, the piece will stand as a lasting tribute to Redcar’s rich fishing heritage - celebrating the voices and stories that shaped the town.

To listen to Carmen reciting the poem, please visit: https://youtube.com/shorts/ocqMrMY9TUM

'The Line' by Carmen Marcus

Stop, take this line, a line as long

as this old town, a gift from me,

the Sea, to you. When you turn

your back I take first loves, last

breaths, your petalled griefs, let me

return a treasury of ghosts -

old Doggerland’s trees, the Gare’s selkies

Longships ghosted in coble hulls,

the creaking of coffin ships that

sail beyond the Brave Boys’ song, who

for all their strength can’t come along

a drownded ship.

I took 3,000 souls each year

who had to sail or risk the jail

until your Mr Plimsoll drew his line -

a load mark painted at bow and stern

between going off and coming home

and the line runs on

between

your stones, my skim

your skin, my salt

your flares go off

when I get rough

your first kiss tastes

of my spindrift

and the line won’t stop,

till you get down the Prom and breathe

to me and I’ll return a wave.

Further areas of the High Street will reopen to the public this week to allow the market to continue as the works gradually move eastwards towards the blue clock end.

The new lighting columns will be fitted with lamps over the next month, with temporary lighting remaining in place until the new lighting is fully commissioned.

Please note that the areas being reopened are not fully finished, with some temporary surfaces to allow for the inclusion of a poem engraved into blocks. The first phase of works is scheduled for completion by the end of October, weather dependent. Once the area is completed, the paving will be deep cleaned.

As with all projects, several minor defects have been identified, and these will be addressed in the coming weeks, including:

• Tidying up small patches of grout.
• Replacement of some blocks.
• Installing new uplighters around the King Edward VII clock tower.
• Repairs to the bus shelter.

Thanks again for your ongoing patience and flexibility during this time. If you have any questions or have any issues you would like to raise, please visit Rediscover Redcar at 12 West Terrace, Redcar TS10 1DS or telephone 01642 444073.

The layout of the Friday Market and hoarding lines continues to shift slightly week-by-week for the next month or so. As of Friday 3rd October, the Market will once again be located across the High Street - please see the attached plan which shows the different locations. All your favourite stalls will be trading, they just might be in a different location!

We'll keep you updated as things change.

We’re moving into Phase 2 of the improvement works on Redcar High Street, which means you’ll start to see some changes to the hoardings over the coming days. Some areas will reopen to the public, and the layout of the market and hoarding lines will shift slightly week by week for the next month or so.

Please note, surfaces are not fully cleaned. They are being released to allow the market to continue, and they will be deep cleaned in due course.

Benches will remain close to the High Street, so you’ll still have places to sit while shopping or visiting.

All businesses are open as usual, and we’re incredibly grateful to everyone who continues to support the Friday Market.

We want to say a huge thank you to our market traders for their patience and flexibility during this time.

We’ll keep you posted with updates as things progress - thank you for bearing with us.

As the nights begin to draw in, temporary lighting will be installed on Redcar High Street this week to improve visibility during the evenings as regeneration works continue.

This is a short-term measure while we prepare to install new and improved permanent lighting, which will form part of a wider transformation of the area, including new street furniture, enhanced landscaping, and more greenery.

Thank you for your patience while works continue.

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.

We have been getting a lot of enquiries about the location of benches, which we know are very important to a great many residents and visitors alike. The most frequent question at the moment is:

Why are benches being removed from the areas not being worked on?

The benches on the eastern side of the High Street have already been relocated and can now be found on Bath Street and outside of Boyes store (see plan in the Photos section for the location of all temporary benches across the High Street). The early relocation was necessary for several reasons:

• Works are already taking place on the eastern side of the High Street, outside the former Marks and Spencer and Goodwins site. By mid-September, these works will progress across towards Bath Street.
• The relocation across the entire eastern side of the High Street was necessary in preparation for a smaller area for the Friday market, with these benches being in the way of being able to continue with the full market away from the construction areas, which is essential to the long-term sustainability of the market itself, and, of course, the retail businesses for which market day is the busiest by far.
• As works progress across the eastern side, completed areas of the western side are being gradually released towards Dundas Street, providing additional areas for the market and pedestrians.

Did you know that these pages contain a long list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) which strive to answer the majority of questions we get asked regularly.

You may have noticed a temporary tarmac surface in the area close to the construction site of the new culture and family entertainment venue on Redcar High Street.

It has been laid to complete utility works to serve both the new venue and High Street itself. The temporary surface will be replaced later in the programme to tie in with the construction of the new events space.

The temporary surface has been laid for the following reasons:

It allows safe access for heavy construction vehicles; It supports vital underground utility works for both projects; It saves costs and keeps project timelines on track; It protects future paving and design features from damage.

Thanks for your patience and understanding as work continues in the town centre.

Work on Redcar High Street is progressing well, with many of you already seeing the newly paved areas. Over the next couple of weeks, some hoardings will start to come down as the contractor moves further along the street, giving you access to completed sections. Within two months, the stretch between West Terrace and Regents Walk will be fully open to the public.

You will also see new areas being worked upon, starting around the former Marks and Spencer and Goodwins site. Gradually pockets of repaving works will then move down towards Bath Street; and finally, towards the Blue Clock.

Bins and benches will remain on the High Street, though they do sometimes have to be relocated due to the works. Currently we have benches on Bath Street and outside Boyes stores.

Officers based at Rediscover Redcar (the premises on West Terrace) will be consulting businesses to ensure the works are delivered as smoothly as possible.

The Friday market will continue, and all High Street businesses will remain fully open. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the residents of Redcar and beyond for continuing to support the businesses and market since the works started.

If you would like any further information on how these works may affect you – please visit Rediscover Redcar at 12 West Terrace or call 01642 444073.

A huge well done to Jessica from Zetland Primary School, who has designed an award-winning poster!

Her amazing artwork, which highlights the importance of recognising hazards and wearing PPE, will soon be proudly displayed on the site hoardings along Redcar High Street - bringing some colour to the construction area.

We’re proud to support young talent like Jessica’s as part of our work with @RCVDA and @C. R. Reynolds.