The transformation of the City of Wakefield’s old Civic Quarter into a new residential neighbourhood with 63 distinctive homes and public spaces has moved forward with the start of construction work on the Wood Street Collection.
The Wood Street Collection is a mix new builds and heritage restorations designed by architect ShedKM and being delivered by Fallowdale Homes, the housebuilding arm of Harrogate-based property investor Rushbond, in partnership with Wakefield Council.
Fallowdale Homes has appointed Keepsake Construction and Mulberry Construction Group as lead contractors on the scheme which encompasses a series of distinct elements.
Mulberry Construction Group is leading on the restoration of the old police station, converting it into flats for rent, alongside new three-bed townhouses to be built on the council’s old Gill’s Yard car park. Mulberry is scheduled to complete by summer 2025.
Later this month Keepsake Construction will break ground on Gills Mews, which is a development of new-build townhouses on the old Rishworth Street car park site. These are expected to be completed from the end of 2025.
Rushbond also owns Wakefield’s old crown court building adjoining the town hall and the former coroners court nearby, both of which are also planned for redevelopment.
Rushbond surveyor James Dinsley said: “The heritage of the buildings and spaces in-between are imbued with civic stories from Wakefield’s past and the whole team is inspired by the history of the area. Many European cities’ most attractive neighbourhoods are a mix of historic and modern buildings and that’s our ambition for the transformed Civic Quarter.
“What the Wood Street Collection will offer is a range of individual, original homes and public spaces for all to enjoy, building a new chapter for the neighbourhood and the city centre”.
Cllr Michael Graham, Wakefield Council’s cabinet member for regeneration and economic growth, said: “It’s great to see the redevelopment work getting underway at Wood Street in the first stage of creating new homes in an historic part of our city where people can live, work and socialise. The transformation is part of our ambitious regeneration plans to breathe new life into this part of the city centre and to ensure its stunning historic buildings are restored for future generations.”
Earlier this year, Rushbond announced that its Bretton Hall development in the grounds of the Yorkshire Sculpture Park in Wakefield will become the Groucho Bretton private members’ club through a partnership between Artfarm and the Groucho Club in London. It will be the Groucho’s first permanent location outside the capital.
Rushbond chairman Jonathan Maud said: “Yorkshire Sculpture Park set the benchmark for excellence and beauty when it opened nearly 50 years ago and Hepworth Wakefield has built on those hallmarks. Wood Street Collection is our first city centre residential neighbourhood in the city and we hope to create the quality environment that many have come to associate with wonderful Wakefield. For a balanced lifestyle Wakefield is fast becoming hard to beat in West Yorkshire, with the proximity of urban to rural a major part of its appeal, accessible by excellent rail connections and the new Free City Bus. Wakefield is ripe for a new community in the heritage heart of the city.”
