Following a competitive tender process, Ashbourne Methodist Church have awarded a contract for the construction of Ashbourne’s new community hub The Link Centre, to Messenger, a building contractor specialising in the conservation and repair of historic buildings.
The UK Government funded project, led by Ashbourne Methodist Church, will transform the existing church buildings on the corner of Church Street and Station Road to provide a range of new services to residents, businesses and visitors across Ashbourne. The church, which is a registered charity, has committed to raising significant match funding towards the redevelopment, and church partners have also contributed expertise to support and deliver the proposals.
When complete, The Link Centre will be a huge asset to the town. The project will create a new foyer to link three current buildings into one accessible suite with new and refurbished rooms of various sizes for use by community groups. A large events space will attract performances to Ashbourne as well as supporting local performing arts groups, and the community hub will also offer ensuite visitor accommodation, bringing extra footfall and visitor spend to the local economy. A co-located mobility hub will provide a range of sustainable travel options and connect directly into the Peak District.
The project is part of a £15.9m programme that aims to bring back vibrancy, vitality and economic prosperity to Ashbourne town centre, with £13.4m UK government funding and the rest raised locally by project partners. While construction works will be carried out by Messenger, Greenwood Projects are providing Project Management and Cost Management Services on behalf of Ashbourne Methodist Church.
At the end of last year, preparatory works were carried out at the site, meaning that main works were able to commence immediately on contract award. Good progress has already been made, revealing previously boxed-in decorative columns and ornamentation which will be retained and restored as part of the new event space.
While the church buildings are being developed, the congregation are meeting for weekly morning worship at Hilltop Primary Academy. Work on the worship and performance spaces is expected to finish by Christmas 2025, with an opening date planned later in the spring for the ensuite visitor accommodation at Gateway Lodge.
Tony Walker, leader of the Link Development Team of Ashbourne Methodist Church, said:
“It is fantastic to see Messenger on site and making good progress. The Link team are looking forward to seeing these wonderful but aging buildings brought to life in a way that preserves our history, while creating exciting new spaces for residents, businesses and visitors to Ashbourne to use.”
Ian Bird, Regional Director at Messenger BCR, said:
“Messenger is proud to be part of this exciting project to transform these historic buildings into a vibrant community hub. Our team is dedicated to preserving their character while creating modern, accessible spaces that will benefit Ashbourne for years to come.”
The Ashbourne Reborn programme is led by Derbyshire Dales District Council working with Derbyshire County Council and Ashbourne Methodist Church as key delivery partners, in collaboration with Ashbourne Town Team, Ashbourne Town Council and AshCom who brought forward project ideas, identified opportunities and raised match funding for the bid.
A second project, led by the County Council, will transform a series of public spaces. Changes to the highways and public spaces will celebrate the town’s heritage while enabling a wide variety of future events to bring new life to the centre of town. Works to the road network will help transform the pedestrian experience in Ashbourne, making people feel safer and reducing the dominance of traffic and its impact on the town.
To receive email updates, sign up for the newsletter at the District Council website www.derbyshiredales.gov.uk/enewsreg (tick the box for Ashbourne Reborn), or visit the Ashbourne Reborn website www.ashbournereborn.co.uk for the latest news, FAQs and detailed information about the project.
