Progress on the redevelopment of the Priory Centre will pick up pace this month as preparations to demolish part of the shopping centre begin.
Visitors to Worksop Town Centre will start to see these changes from Monday 9th February as the Council’s main contractor G. F. Tomlinson begin to set up safety hoardings around part of the building and in the main car park.
This is an important safety element of the development that will protect the public, businesses and motorists from work connected to the demolition and building of the new sections of the Priory Centre.
The demolition phase will begin with internal sections of the building being stripped from the middle of February, before the structure of a section of the building is safely removed from 2nd March. This includes the units that are located to the right as you enter the Priory Centre from Bridge Place, from the former Café Neo unit to the former Select unit.
Once this part of the project has been completed, construction is expected to start in May 2026.
Stores that are currently part of the Priory Centre will be open as normal throughout the development and pedestrians will still be able to walk through the shopping centre, connecting the car park with Bridge Place and Ryton Street.
Cllr Steve Scotthorne, Cabinet Member for Identity, Planning and Place, said: “Visitors to Worksop Town Centre will really start to see the progress that is being made on the Priory Centre. Everyone connected with this project has been working extremely hard behind the scenes and we are now approaching the most visible part of this exciting project.”
“Once it is completed, this will be a very positive addition to our town centre. However, we understand that there will be some disruption along the way and that this may be an unsettling time for all businesses located in the Priory Centre and on the high street.
“We would like to reassure visitors that shops will remain open as normal and encourage people to continue to use the town centre. We will also be offering free support to town centre businesses over the coming months so that we can help them through this transition.”
Preparations for this part of the development have been in progress for a number of months with the bases for new electricity sub stations recently being built in a section at the rear of the car park.
This is in addition to preparation work that other services such as National Grid, Cadent, BT and Severn Trent Water have been making.
Andy Boam Senior Contracts Manager for GF Tomlinson Building Ltd said: “It is a great privilege to be involved in the redevelopment of the Priory Centre. We have been working closely with the council for over a year to prepare for this exciting project, and we look forward to transforming this area of Worksop.
“We recognise that construction can cause some temporary disruption and inconveniences, and we want to reassure local residents and neighbouring businesses that we are committed to working considerately, listening to concerns, and offering support wherever possible throughout the project.”
The safety hoardings will section off a large area of the car park between the entrance road and the service ramp, to create a site compound, as well as parts of the Priory Centre that are due to be demolished.
This phase of the development is expected to have an impact on parking, with a large section of the car park unavailable for the duration of the development.
However, more than 100 spaces will be available in the multi-story car park, including disabled bays, in addition to the council’s car park close by on Central Avenue. Parking is also available in other town centre car parks, close to the Priory Centre, including Queen Street, Gateford Road, and Memorial Avenue.
Regular updates on the progress of the redevelopment will be available by visiting Priory Centre webpage.
