Brackley Regeneration Programme

Client: Brackley Town Council
Location: Brackley, Northamptonshire
Date: 2013

Services: Economic development  | Management & implementation

We were instructed by Brackley Town Council at the start of 2013to prepare detailed feasibility studies for the restoration of Brackley Town Hall and Brackley Old Fire Station. These projects are some of the first to be progressed from the Brackley Masterplan which was adopted in January 2011 by South Northamptonshire Council. The work built on the initial feasibility studies we prepared in the latter part of 2012 which resulted in Brackley Town Council resolving to purchase the Old Fire Station and progress detailed feasibility studies for both the Old Fire Station and the Town Hall.To be kept informed about the project please sign up to the newsletter here.

The buildings represent great opportunities to provide facilities that better meet the needs of existing and future residents of Brackley.  Restoration and the introduction of new activities will bring investment into the town and will give residents and visitors more of a reason to choose to come into the town centre and support local businesses.

The Grade II* Listed Town Hall is located at the very heart of Brackley and currently provides space for a range of community activities.  However the building is showing signs of aging and is in need of investment.  The feasibility work will identify improvements and potential new uses for the building that will help put it back at the centre of life in Brackley.

After 120 years of operation, the Old Fire Station was closed in 2010 when the Fire Service vacated the property, leaving the building empty and unused.  Following negotiation with the National Trust who owns the building, the Town Council expects to finalise the purchase of the property in the next month or so.  The feasibility work will identify a mix of community and commercial uses for the building that can create more activity at this end of the High Street and provide complimentary facilities for the adjacent park.

Specific services:

• Programme management

• Designing and implementing an informal partnership between public sector bodies

• Production of a Programme Organisation Plan to guide and shape the process

• Preparation of a Communications Strategy and raising awareness of the joint approach with other key groups in the town in order to establish and activate a Consultative Group

• Preparation of financial planning / monitoring tool to manage programme funding and expenditure

• Preparation of all marketing materials and press releases and managing enquiries

• Co-ordination and chairing meetings of the Brackley Regeneration Group and relevant sub-groups such as Communications and Finance

Brackley Town Hall and Old Fire Station business cases:

• Undertaking initial consultation with statutory bodies to raise awareness of potential proposals for the buildings and creating a positive and constructive dialogue as early as possible

• Liaising with relevant non-statutory bodies and building a relationship for on-going input and joint working

• Undertaking soft market testing with prospective users, tenants and operators for appropriate end uses

• Scoping potential third party funds, engaging funders, preparing applications and securing funds

• Procurement of detailed surveys of the building to inform designs and costings

• Design and management of procurement of specialist heritage architects to prepare designs

• Meeting with community user groups of the Town Hall to understand level of usage, requirements and aspirations for the future

• Working with design team to achieve suitable and viable designs for both buildings

• Undertaking OGC and Treasury Compliant non-financial appraisal

• Undertaking OGC and Treasury Compliant financial appraisal

• Compile appraisals and designs and preparing a Detailed Business Case to take forward plans for the Town Hall and the Old Fire Station for consideration by Brackley Town Council.

Outputs:

• Programme Organisation Plan

• Communications Strategy

• Financial management tool

• Marketing materials

• Press releases and branding

• Detailed Business Case for the Town Hall

• Detailed Business Case for the Old Fire Station

Links to key sites of relevance:

• Brackley Town Council

• South Northamptonshire Council