Contractor appointed to first phase of £17m scheme

A contractor has been appointed to begin work on the £17m Treadmills scheme at the former Northallerton Prison site in North Yorkshire.

Central Northallerton Development Company Ltd (CNDCL), which is driving forward the redevelopment, has appointed Castlehouse Construction.

The construction contract is for the first phase of the £17m scheme, which will focus on new retail units and car parking.

Yorkshire-based Castlehouse Construction will begin on site at the end of September, with the construction project expected to last for eight months.

Fast-growing UK supermarket group Lidl and Iceland, the UK’s leading specialist frozen food retailer, have committed to the scheme and will open their stores after fit-out following completion of construction.

Lidl is the retail anchor for Treadmills and will take a 21,000 sq ft unit, while Iceland will occupy a unit with 6,000 sq ft on the ground floor and a further 2,300 sq ft mezzanine level.

A further general retail unit of 1,330 sq ft is also available to complete the southern part of the development, which will also feature parking for around 130 vehicles.

Five Grade II listed former prison buildings will be restored and brought back to life as part of the mixed-use Treadmills development. Later phases will feature a four-screen cinema, to be operated by prestige cinema group Everyman, as well as restaurants, offices and residential.

CNDCL is a joint venture formed between Hambleton District Council and leading Yorkshire property developer Wykeland Group to deliver Treadmills.

Jonathan Stubbs, Development Director of Wykeland and a CNDCL Board member, said: “We’re delighted to award the construction contract for the first phase of Treadmills to a company with an excellent track record of delivery of projects of this kind.

“It means work will begin within weeks on the exciting transformation of this landmark site.”

Castlehouse Construction has worked with Lidl UK for seven years and has delivered over 20 store projects, including both new builds and refurbishment schemes.

Frank Kofler, Managing Director of Castlehouse Construction, said: “We are pleased to have been awarded this prestigious contract by Central Northallerton Development Company Ltd and look forward to working with the team to deliver the first phase of the scheme successfully.”