A multi-million pound regeneration project that is nearing completion in the heart of North Yorkshire’s county town looks set to help drive forward the county’s economy.
The last phase of the £20m Treadmills development in Northallerton will see Everyman open next week (Friday, 19 May) on the site of the town’s former prison – which has been turned into a retail, leisure, education and business destination in the centre of the market town.
The 276-seat, four-screen cinema and three adjoining restaurant units has been part funded with £4.75m from the Government’s Future High Street Fund (FHSF) awarded to Northallerton two years ago. The funding was part of a wider £7m investment of Future High Street Fund in the town.
The Treadmills scheme has been delivered by the Central Northallerton Development Company Ltd (CNDCL), a joint venture between North Yorkshire Council and a leading Yorkshire developer Wykeland Group.
Council leader, Cllr Carl Les, said: “This development is a prime example of how regeneration projects can help to build momentum for wider economic benefits and more investment across North Yorkshire. The Treadmills project has turned dark buildings surrounded by a huge wall into a vibrant centre in our county town.”
Central Northallerton Development Company Ltd board member and North Yorkshire Councillor Cllr Peter Wilkinson added: “It’s very exciting that the innovative regeneration project, Treadmills, is almost complete. The cinema will be a huge asset to the town and bring with it new visitors who we hope will also enjoy spending some time there, shopping and dining.
“I have had a sneak preview and Everyman brings a new experience to the usual cinema trip – with comfortable sofas, food and drink.
“Treadmills is a thriving centre with restaurants, shops, an education campus and business growth hub and sees this council joining forces with a range of partners to bring high-quality services to the county town.”
Dehenna Davison MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Levelling Up), added: “I am delighted that Government investment of over £7m is supporting the exciting Treadmills development in Northallerton. The project is delivering retail, education and business support to the historic market town, and the opening of the Everyman Cinema this month will be a great asset for the town, its residents, and the wider region.”
Olivia Gold, Head of Marketing at Everyman, added: “We are delighted to be opening our 39th venue as part of the final phase of the exciting new Treadmills destination. At Everyman we promised a redefined cinema experience, and the new Northallerton venue is no exception. We can’t wait to open our doors next week for customers to enjoy the full offering of this beautiful new cinema.”
Treadmills also features the digital innovation centre, C4DI (Centre for Digital Innovation); Lidl and Iceland stores; a pilates studio; kitchen showroom; restaurants and bistro; and the educational facility, Campus@Northallerton (C@N). The development has also been supported by the York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership, which secured investment of £1.8m from the Government’s Local Growth Fund for the redevelopment and fit-out of Centre for Digital Innovation and a further £725,000 from the Government’s Getting Building Fund for Campus@Northallerton – the first further and higher education facility in the area with two education providers, the University of Sunderland and York College.
The project was a former Hambleton District Council initiative, which has passed to the new North Yorkshire Council as part of local government reorganisation. That saw all the district and borough councils and the county council of North Yorkshire combine into one unitary authority.