Consultants aim to build future for market town
Feb 11 2009 by Graeme King, The Journal
THE architecture practice behind a blueprint for the future of Barnard Castle has been re-hired to provide specialist advice on particular development sites in the town.
The xsite LLP practice, with its base in the fast-developing Ouseburn area of Newcastle, has worked on the 2020 “visioning” programme for Barnard Castle, including a Vision information point in the town.
Now partner Tim Bailey has been invited to be a specialist adviser for the development sites, and will work on how each project should be developed in order to maximise the opportunities each provides.
He will spend four days a month over a period of up to two years, planning and working on reports and drawings for proposed schemes, getting opinions and analysing the options as each goes forward.
The two projects currently under consideration for briefing are a master plan for land at Shaw Bank, and the redevelopment and extension of existing buildings at the Witham Hall for community and commercial use. The latter project is subject to a competition for the next stage.
Mr Bailey said: “We have experience of similar types of work to this in Berwick and Hexham, which are both in a similar situation to Barnard Castle, in that they are all market towns with similar difficulties and similar opportunities.
“They have immense historical interest, yet risk being economically in decline, however, there is the opportunity and willingness to revitalise them.
“All three market towns have been identified as part of a key initiative by One North East, and we are pleased to be part of the planning process to stabilise the economies in these towns by innovative and visionary thinking, whilst recognising the emotional attachment to history that gives them their different characters.”
Barnard Castle’s visioning team had identified a number of sites and projects within the town that will be the focus for inward investment from the public and private sector, with xsite working on two of them.
Mr Bailey added: “We are harnessing the best possible resources of imagination, intelligence, wisdom, experience and wealth into the town from wherever we can find them to make the town a place to come to try out new ideas.
“Barnard Castle needs to show the world a place which is open to change, eager to experiment, respectful of its past, and ambitious for its future.”
Deborah Jenkins, independent chairperson of Barnard Castle Vision, said: “We have worked very successfully with xsite over the last year. We value the input we have received in many different areas, and look to xsite to provide a solution that is contemporary yet in-keeping with the historic environment.
“We are delighted with their ideas, and look forward to seeing more projects come to fruition in Barnard Castle.”
