£30 million Morpeth redevelopment underway

£30 million Morpeth redevelopment underway

15 August 2007

 Leader of Castle Morpeth Borough Council, Councillor Peter Jackson and Wansbeck MP Denis Murphy officially launched the £30 million redevelopment of Morpeth town centre in Northumberland this week, cutting the first soil on this major town centre regeneration scheme.

The redevelopment will transform the town's run down Sanderson Arcade into an Edwardian style shopping mall with the adjacent Back Riggs centre opened up into  an elegant courtyard.   It will also deliver a replacement transport interchange, a replacement short stay shopper’s car park, a new long stay car park and an extension to the Morrisons supermarket, with new petrol filling station.

Cllr Jackson and Mr Murphy joined contractors working on the construction of the new 115 space long stay car park, which is being created in the first phase of the development to provide alternative parking provision for when existing car parks are affected by later works. This first phase will also deliver highway improvements on Dark Lane and the petrol filling station for Morrisons.

The car park and highway works will be completed by mid November, ensuring the town's Christmas trading period is unaffected.  The petrol station will be complete in February 2008.  Work will begin on the main scheme in the New Year.

Independent retail analysts have forecast that when the scheme is complete, comparison (non-food) expenditure in the town will increase form £36 million to £66 million, providing a massive boost to Morpeth's economy.

Some of the UK's leading retailers are queuing up to take space in the redeveloped Sanderson Arcade, and these will be announced very shortly.  Locally, The Jewellers Guild, Healthy Choice, Ladbrokes and Morpeth Disability Association have all committed to taking new accommodation in the scheme.  Along with the Comrades Club, which is set to undergo internal and external refurbishment, these tenants will continue to trade throughout the construction period.

The redevelopment is being undertaken by a joint venture partnership of Dransfield Properties and Ethel Austin Properties.

Peter Taylor, Director of Construction at Dransfield Properties said: “We've had overwhelming local support for the development and are delighted to be on site to begin work on this very important scheme.  The design of the new Sanderson Arcade is of the highest quality and when complete, will give Morpeth a central shopping area which the town will be proud of, and one which complements its historic market town surroundings.”

Local contractors Lumsden and Caroll are undertaking the highway works and long stay car park construction, with another local contractor, Turtons, constructing the petrol filling station on behalf of Morrisons. Lumsden and Caroll will also be undertaking works to install a new sewage main for Northumbrian Water at the same time in order to minimise disruption.

For further information, contact:

Public Relations Department, Dransfield Properties Ltd
Tel: 01226 360644
Email: pr@dransfield.co.uk