New Catterick Garrison town centre plans take step forward

Plans to create a new Catterick Garrison town centre will be examined as part of two new studies.

Two six-month studies will start next month looking to create a mix of community, recreation and leisure facilities as well as retail, medical and residential accommodation, all brought together with sustainable transport links.

Richmondshire District Council is working with the Ministry of Defence on the schemes which will be centred around Shute Road and Richmond Road, close to the new Princes Gate retail park.

They are also looking at a public partnership to include the NHS which owns the Harewood Clinic on the site.

“Whilst the Princes Gate scheme has been a success it does not provide a ‘sense of place’ and there is a desire to build a community focal point to underpin the wider Garrison growth predicted within our local plan,” said Council Leader, Councillor Angie Dale.

“Next month two separate feasibility studies will begin to look at how we can take forward our aspirations for a town centre.

“They will take into account future MoD proposals to bring an additional 2700 service personnel and their families to the Garrison between 2021 and 2031 – as well as the ongoing growth within the Richmondshire district.”

The studies – which have been jointly funded by the district council, MOD and the York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership – will cover the following:

• The first study will aim to create a framework for planned development and town centre management to deliver a “stronger modern centre” focused around Shute Road and Richmond Road offering a range of services and facilities.
• The second seeks to improve sustainable transport routes throughout the Garrison area. It will “establish opportunities to provide a coherent network of walking and cycling routes integrating the older parts of the town centre with the new retail destinations”.

“We have a real opportunity to reinvigorate the Garrison through connecting and developing travel routes bringing areas which are currently under-utilised back into use to create sustainable mixed use development,” added Councillor Dale.

“These projects will bring benefits for those living and working in Catterick and also add value for the wider community in Richmondshire.”

Major General David Southall CBE, director basing and infrastructure, added: “Joint working between the MoD, the Local Enterprise Partnership and Richmondshire District Council will underpin the successful re-development of Catterick Garrison.

“We are working closely with our partners to provide the whole community with a distinctive and vibrant town centre, accessible via a network of new and improved sustainable transport links.

“We all recognise forthcoming works at Catterick will have far-reaching benefits for those who live and work in the town, as well as the wider Richmondshire community.”

David. A. Kerfoot MBE DL, Chair of the York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership said: “The linking of Catterick Town Centre to the growing Garrison base is an exciting opportunity which will bring much to the area in terms of both economic growth and community facilities.

“The mix of residential, leisure, retail and medical services which are well connected will help create a true sense of ‘place’, an important and a key part of our LEP strategy. The feasibility studies are the first steps in creating an ambitious town centre which will bring huge benefits to not only Catterick but the wider community of Richmondshire.”