Regeneration group to anchor Nuneaton town centre development
Nuneaton and Bedworth Council, alongside strategic partner Queensberry, has appointed regeneration specialists Really Local Group to anchor its mixed-use town centre development Grayson Place.
The group – which is behind the Catford Mews, Ealing Project, Peckham Levels, Reading Biscuit Factory, and Sidcup Storyteller developments – will open a 14,000 sq ft leisure and culture space at the Nuneaton scheme.
The space is set to feature a five-screen cinema, a live performance area, a café, a bar, and community hub. It will be Really Local Group first major project outside London and the South East.
In total, Grayson Place will comprise 29,000 sq ft of leisure space as well as a 10,000 sq ft food hall and 8,000 sq ft of other retail and food and beverage spaces. New public realm will also be created, designed for markets, pop-ups, and cultural uses.
Preston Benson, founder of Really Local Group, said: “It is our mission to create cultural and community venues that reflect the heart of local high streets, with and for the local community. Nuneaton is brimming with character, and our ethos aligns closely with the council’s transformation vision for the town centre, one that will bring a diverse programme of culture and uses that are driven by the local community. So, Nuneaton was the clear and obvious choice for our first major project outside London and the South East.
“Our venue will be a place for people to watch, eat, relax, work, drink and experience; bringing creativity and people back to the centre of town. We hope this new space will act as a positive catalyst for further transformation in the area and is a vital step in creating a new destination for Nuneaton and wider Warwickshire community.”
The venue will form the second phase of development, which is already underway and set to be completed in the end of 2024, with an opening inked for early 2025. As well as the cinema, a new public square and town centre campus for North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College will be created.
The first phase of development comprises a 145-room Hampton by Hilton hotel, and is set to open in early 2024.
Grayson Place marks the first landmark project in the Transforming Nuneaton programme, which is being undertaken by the Borough Council and Warwickshire County Council.
Councillor Kris Wilson, leader of the Nuneaton and Bedworth Council, added: “The regeneration of Grayson Place delivers on the council’s vision of breathing life into the town centre and creating a vibrant new destination where people want to go for multiple different reasons throughout the day. With Really Local Group on board to operate a major new cinema and event space, that vision is being realised – paving the way for a wealth of business opportunities and additional housing development and infrastructure.”