TREADMILLS, NORTHALLERTON

Development Consulting, Financial Viability, Delivery Vehicle, Procurement

Hambleton Council purchased the former prison in Northallerton from the Ministry of Justice, with the ambition to regenerate it for the benefit of the town to create a mixed-use location, adjacent to the core of the town centre.

The Treadmills project opened in 2023 and retains several listed buildings that have been brought back into economic use. It is anchored by Lidl and Everyman and includes a Centre for Digital Innovation (C4DI).

Urban Delivery was appointed to advise the Council on the delivery mechanism and procurement of a developer/investor partner. The commission involved close working with the Chief Executive, Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Finance. Urban Delivery also liaised in detail with the Council’s legal advisers, Trowers & Hamlins.

Initial advice focused on testing and confirming the type of delivery vehicle. This was a single site joint venture company that was set up at the outset by the Council with the intention for the appointed developer/investor partner to be granted shares in the company once formally appointed. 

The procurement was based on Competitive Dialogue and involved significant preparation in advance of the process commencing, and culminated in the appointment of Wykeland as the Council’s developer/investor partner. 

Advice included:

Commercial market input

Procurement stages and analysis of bid

Competitive dialogue

Financial viability and sensitivity testing

Commercial input to legal documents