North Tyneside Council has selected Willmott Dixon to deliver a sustainable transport hub and town square in North Shields.
The proposed transport hub will provide a modern and convenient, high-quality facility bringing all bus services in the town together and closer to Metro, taxis and links to cycling infrastructure – making it easier for people to choose cleaner, greener forms of travel.
The site will also feature a new open town square for events and leisure activities with new public realm creating a much-needed green space in the heart of the town centre and increasing biodiversity in an urban environment.
The square will link the town centre to the vibrant Fish Quay using a series of walkways, providing much-improved accessibility with step-free routes and steps with handrails, coupled with the opportunity for further green space.
Life Cycle Carbon Assessment
Sustainability will be at the heart of the projects, with the transport hub being targeted as the first net zero carbon building in North Tyneside.
To achieve this, the structure will incorporate an enhanced building envelope to maximise airtightness, coupled with an array of photovoltaic (PV) solar panels and a surface water management system.
The project has undertaken a Life Cycle Carbon Assessment to understand and take steps to reduce the embodied carbon footprint of the project by 40%.
Cllr Carl Johnson, Deputy Mayor of North Tyneside, said: “We are committed to transforming North Shields into somewhere people want to live, work and visit to help sustain the town for years to come.
“We’re now starting to see these ambitions coming to fruition with work getting underway on the ground. These are really exciting times for North Shields and there’s every reason to be optimistic for the future.”
Nick Corrigan, Director at Willmott Dixon, said: “We are proud to be playing our part in delivering a project that will be a catalyst for the regeneration of the town centre and create a new gateway for the people of North Shields. It really is a dynamic and sustainable design which will create a vibrant and innovative space for local people.
“Sustainability is at the heart of our business and through our 2030 ‘Now or Never’ sustainability strategy, we have pledged that by the end of 2030 all our new buildings and major refurbishments will achieve net zero operational carbon.”
The appointment follows similar recent work secured that includes Tarleton Academy in Preston that will be net-zero carbon, while in North Wiltshire, Willmott Dixon is delivering a £29m net-zero carbon school build at Silverwood School’s Rowde campus, extending the existing campus to provide a high-quality environment for 350 SEND pupils by September 2023.
Image credit: Willmott Dixon
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