Contractor Appointed For Works To Iconic City Building

[Hereford Voice]

Friends of Castle Green CIC is delighted to have appointed a contractor to carry out the refurbishment works to the Pavilion. 

Local building construction company Vision BD has been appointed to commence work in May, after a lengthy tender process. The company will realise Friends of Castle Green’s vision to restore and refurbish this iconic building. With Towns Fund funding of £1.5 million from #StrongerHereford, the Pavilion will become a new and much needed thriving and sustainable community hub, a defining visitor attraction in the city and a source of pride for residents.

Building Contract 1 from L to R: Bob Heath FOCG Director; Mark Hubbard FoCG Director; Oliver Steels Architect, Errand Studio; Paddy Nugent FoCG Director and Chair; Tom Cooke Vision BD Director, Charlie Wheeler Vision BD Project Director; John Crooks, John Crooks Associates Quantity Surveyor; Katie Bott FoCG Operations and Project Manager

Planning permission has been granted by Herefordshire Council to revitalise the building by providing cafe facilities and flexible community meeting space, as well as the opportunity to celebrate local arts and heritage and a revived home for the Hereford Youth Canoe Centre (HYCC). 

A Grade II listed Georgian pavilion atop medieval foundations, the building has had a variety of uses over the years, most recently as an art college and a training centre. Friends of Castle Green took over the building from Herefordshire Council in 2018 in a Community Asset Transfer and is working to restore the building to its Georgian splendour. In the meantime, it provides a public space for the local community.

Work to the building is anticipated to begin in Mid May, with completion and re-opening in Summer 2024.

According to Paddy Nugent, Chair of FoCG, “This is a major milestone for a small community group such as Friends of Castle Green. Our team has worked tirelessly over the last three years to get to this stage and we are now on the cusp of realising our ambition of a revitalised and restored building for the community, we very much look forward to working with Vision to achieve this.”

Building Contract 2, from L to R: Vision BD Director Tom Cooke and FoCG Director and Chair Paddy Nugent sign the building contract.

Managing Director of Vision BD, Tom Cooke says, ”As a well established local building and development company, we are delighted to be involved with the regeneration of this iconic City-centre building. We bring with us extensive knowledge and experience of the industry and the highest levels of professional workmanship. We are excited to bring to the community a much needed flexible community meeting space, as well as other major benefits to the City.”

#StrongerHereford is a Town Deals Board that has been awarded £22.4 million by Central Government to put towards the assigned projects outlined in their Town Investment Plan. The Pavilion is one of fifteen projects to have successfully applied for the funding.