State of the ART

MULTI-MILLION pound plans to transform Heywood Civic Centre into a first-class arts and performance venue have moved a step closer, with a planning application now submitted by the scheme’s architects, K2.

Under the ambitious proposals, the much-loved venue, which has been at the heart of Heywood life since it opened in the 1960s, will undergo a major revamp to create a modern and flexible space which is accessible to all the community.

The improvements include:

• Creation of a brand new glazed frontage onto Peine Square to modernise the building’s appearance and open up the new foyer.

• Increasing the size of the foyer, with a brand new café and bar area at the front of the building.

• Upgrades to the performance space, including new sound and lighting.

• Brand new retractable seating in the auditorium to allow flexible use of the space.

• More lifts and accessible toilets, including a Changing Places facility and baby changing station to make the building accessible to all.

• Reducing the building’s environmental impact.

The changes will enable the venue to build on the success of its popular events programme, with new opportunities for the community to participate in the arts, as well as the relocation of local arts organisation Cartwheel Arts, to a new base in the centre.

The plans, which have been honed following discussions with the local community, also include reconfiguration proposed of the back of house facilities, creating a larger changing room area for the performers.

This will allow for an even bigger and better variety of productions to be staged.

The plans are part of an £8.5 million investment into arts and culture in the borough over the next three years, thanks to Arts Council England and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport funding.

In addition to Heywood Civic Centre, Touchstones Rochdale is being transformed into a visual arts-led creative and cultural hub, alongside the creation of a cultural district in Rochdale town centre.

The redevelopment of the civic centre is a key part of the Heywood masterplan, a strategy which will change the face of the area.

Plans also include major improvements to the roads within the town centre, the creation of new public realm, new cycling and walking routes, and the complete refurbishment of Queen’s Park Bridge, which gets under way in January 2024.

New homes will also be delivered in the area, including 72 new properties at the former Marina Ropeworks site, which have just been approved by council planners.

Councillor Danny Meredith, cabinet member for regeneration and housing at Rochdale Borough Council, said: “I’m really pleased that this important part of the Heywood masterplan is progressing so quickly, because what matters to people is that things are changing on the ground.

“These plans will benefit the whole community. They will enable more people than ever before to access arts and culture and they will also create a vibrant food and drink offer and attractive focal point within the heart of the town centre.

“In addition, the many thriving businesses in this area will also benefit from the extra footfall this will create.”

Work to prepare the site is expected to start soon, and, if the plans are approved, construction work is expected to start in April 2024, with completion due in 2025.

Heywood Civic Centre is operated by the council’s leisure and culture partner, Your Trust, who are also partners in the project, and Rochdale Development Agency (RDA) are managing the project on the council’s behalf. North-west based Hive Projects and K2 Architects have been appointed as part of the design team.

Councillor Sue Smith, cabinet member for communities and cooperation at Rochdale Borough Council, said: “I’m pleased to see this project progressing with these exciting plans.

“The civic centre has been an important part of Heywood life for generations and is a real asset to the town. These upgrades will greatly improve the experience for both performers and audiences, helping attract a wider range of cultural events to Heywood.”

Jen Cleary, Director North, Arts Council England, said: “Our Let’s Create strategy wants everyone to have access to a remarkable range of highquality cultural experiences where they live, so it’s exciting to see the plans to transform Heywood Civic Centre progress. A modern, accessible building where the whole community can enjoy a wide variety of cultural events and activities is great news for Heywood, which is in one of our Priority Places for investment, and I’m very pleased that we have supported this project through our National Lottery funded Capital Investment Programme.”

The Capital Investment Programme supporting the redevelopment of Heywood Civic is funded by Arts Council England and Rochdale Borough Council.

●●Visuals of the proposed centre supplied by K2 Architects. On the left is the current centre.