The scheme was developed by the Richmond Swale
Valley Community Initiative and Richmondshire District
Council and is supported by Yorkshire Forward (through the
Renaissance Town’s Programme), English Heritage, and North
Yorkshire County Council.
A Richmond Town Centre Design Guide was
produced, which will eventually be adopted as supplementary
planning guidance.
This project was originally identified by a
comprehensive study into the regeneration of Richmond called the
‘Richmond Swale Valley Initiative’ published in 2003. The study was
an innovative heritage led strategic framework and, amongst its 47
projects, it highlighted the need to address the long term under
use of buildings and upper floors in Richmond Town Centre, and also
the need to arrest the cycle of decay and decline of buildings
within the mainly commercial core zone.
This project seeks to respond to current market
failure by improving the supply of high quality office and
commercial premises in these buildings, and bringing them back into
economic use by implementing a programme of restoration and
renovation. The project will also contribute to diversifying and
strengthening the economy of Richmond Town Centre.
This project is identified as a key project within
the Renaissance Market Towns Business Plan for Richmond Town and
Catterick Garrison.
It is considered to be an extremely important
project due to the impending development of Catterick Garrison to
‘Super Garrison’ status. Richmond Town will increasingly need to
compete with and compliment the developments at the garrison by
providing a higher end of the market product.
Aims:
1. To
re-develop empty spaces in Richmond town centre into high-quality
office accommodation or commercial premises.
2. To
progress a pilot programme that will target a minimum of three
buildings containing under used space suitable for redevelopment
and to undertake some feasibility work that could advise on future
reclamation of empty space within the commercial corezone.
3.
Maintaining and improving the fabric of individual buildings and
the local environment and revitalizing dilapidated properties by
grant aiding repairs and restoration.
4. enhancing
social and economic vitality and vibrancy by bringing back
into economic use redundant and under used buildings
5. Enhance the
visual quality and vitality of the area by grant aiding the
re-instatement of shop fascias to original designs, or designs
appropriate to the conservation area.
6. Promoting
private sector investment in rural areas through public sector
funding initiatives.
Objectives:
1. To reduce
the amount of under-used space in Richmond town centre and create
useable office space above retail units.
2. To produce
a design guide, which will eventually form supplementary planning
guidance to inform owners and lease holders of buildings about
appropriate conversions and restorations in the Richmond Town
historic corezone.
3. To
contribute to the diversification of the town’s economy through the
provision of an enhanced commercial premises offering which should
help to attract and retain businesses to the area and support other
elements of the towns.
4. To provide
environmental enhancements to Richmond town centre through
improvements to unused or under-used buildings and their
surroundings.
5. To identify
best practice guidance for similar schemes to be delivered in other
towns.
Funding
Yorkshire
Forward
£250,000
English
Heritage
£100,000
Richmondshire
DC
£30,000
NYCC
£20,000
Private Sector
match £500,000
(minimum)
TPC
£900,000 +
This is a two year project, but English
Heritage have already promised to provide a further year’s funding,
and we will be applying to YF for match funding for this.
The project is jointly managed by RDC and
RSVCI.