Willmott Dixon lands latest Rochdale regeneration scheme

Willmott Dixon has been appointed by Rochdale Borough Council for another large regeneration that will see the company deliver 242 apartments and a Hampton by Hilton hotel in the town centre.Work on the £60m scheme, known as Upperbanks, will start next month with Willmott Dixon aiming to ensure 40 per cent of its local spend is within a 20 mile radius of the site, while 75 per cent spent within 40 miles.Upperbanks has already generated over £20m of external funding, attracting over £17m from the government’s Future High Streets Fund and more than £3m from the Greater Manchester’s Combined Authority’s Brownfield Development Fund.The Upperbanks site is next to the new Rochdale retail and leisure development that Willmott Dixon completed last year and is now over 90 per cent let. The scheme boasts a number of major retail names, including H&M, M&S and River Island, alongside leisure operators, including Nandos, Loaded Burgers and Reel Cinema.Upperbanks is a Rochdale Borough Council scheme being delivered by Rochdale Development Agency, with Willmott Dixon as the contractors. It is set for completion in early 2024.