Civic Quarter regeneration plans detailed in consultation

Plans to regenerate important historic buildings in Wakefield’s Civic Quarter have been unveiled as part of a public consultation.Property developer Rushbond is consulting on the draft plans to enhance the Civic Quarter, bringing local landmarks, such as the Crown Courthouse and Old Police Station back into use, alongside new homes and open spaces.At the centre of the proposals is the regeneration of the area’s historic buildings, with the development providing new contemporary housing with a strong focus on design, sustainability and wellbeing. A variety of homes are to be created, from new and converted apartments alongside new mews and town houses.In addition, there are plans to bring the former Crown Courthouse back into public use as a community space with multiple uses.The Old Police Station will provide some 33 one, two and three-bedroomed apartments, with nine two-storey mews homes on Gills Yard, 12 three-storey town houses along Rishworth Street with 43 one and two-bedroomed apartments in a new building off Gills Yard, to be known as Gills Place.The proposals also include the conversion of 40a Wood Street into one single town house and the transformation of the Coroners Court Building on Northgate into apartments, potentially available on a serviced basis.The project team supporting Rushbond include the architects ShedKM, landscape designers PlanIt IE and community partner and Wakefield-based The Art House.