Regeneration scheme takes major step forward
PLANS for a key element of Doncaster’s £300m Civic and Cultural Quarter (CCQ) have been given the green light.
Doncaster’s new civic offices will be located in the heart of the CCQ and become central to plans to transform the Waterdale area of town.
The five-storey, 157,500 sq ft offices will house most of the council’s town centre services on one central site and become home to about 1,400 council staff.
The building also includes a council chamber that will overlook the new civic square and a purpose-built customer service centre on the ground floor.
The new building will also have strong ‘green’ credentials featuring the latest environmentally friendly technologies.
Mayor of Doncaster, Peter Davies, said: “In bringing all town centre council services into one modern office complex, residents will no longer have to wander between different locations to make inquiries or complete applications.
“Virtually everything residents want to know or do will be under one roof and this will enable the council to deliver the first class service they deserve.”
Coun Jonathan Wood, Cabinet Member for Business and Regeneration, said: “Planning consent for the new civic offices is tremendous news. The new offices will play an important role in the success of Doncaster’s Civic and Cultural Quarter by drawing people into the area.
“The CCQ is a major regeneration project for the town. As well as delivering new buildings and facilities, the scheme will improve Doncaster’s image, create jobs and attract new business and investment.”
Dan Needham, development director of the scheme’s developer Muse Developments, said: “The granting of planning consent is another major step forward for the scheme.
“This will be a high quality, energy efficient building which will transform this part of Doncaster town centre and the construction phase will create a significant number of welcome jobs.
Peter Cartwright, director of the scheme’s architects, Cartwright Pickard Architects, said: “We are extremely proud to be contributing to the creation of Doncaster’s Civic and Cultural Quarter.
“Our team has designed a building with a strong aesthetic that we hope will become an iconic and integral part of the town. Combined with its technical innovation, we believe the new offices and council chamber will have an incredibly positive impact on the wider Doncaster community.”
The new civic offices form part of the first phase of the CCQ project which will also deliver a new public square and new performance venue.
A detailed planning application for Doncaster’s new venue should be submitted for consideration in the coming months.
Construction of the new civic offices is expected to start by the end of the year and should take two years to complete. The developments in the first phase should be open for business in early 2013.
The CCQ project is supported financially by both Central Government and the European Union, as part of the European Regional Development Fund’s support for the region’s economic development through the Yorkshire and Humber ERDF Programme.
