WORK begins next month on a £5.1m building which will provide a showcase and retail outlet for regional produce on the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate.
The development will see the creation of a suite of offices, a cafe and shop. The Yorkshire Agricultural Society is the first organisation of its type in the UK to develop such an initiative.
Houseman and Falshaw Ltd of Harrogate has been chosen a
s the contractor and will begin work in June on a site off Railway Road within the showground.
The society's deputy chief executive, Heather Parry, said: "We are absolutely delighted to announce Houseman and Falshaw as our appointed contractors as their tender showed a real commitment to create a top-quality building which is architecturally innovative and environmentally cutting edge."
The company's managing director, Stuart Falshaw, said: "We have a long working relationship with The Yorkshire Agricultural Society.
"We are extremely pleased to have been chosen for this fascinating and complex development which will include a variety of special features to make it sustainable and to minimise impact on the environment. It will be a state-of-the-art project for the organisation that leads the way in agriculture in Yorkshire."
Once the building is completed, the society's office staff will relocate into it along with other not-for-profit rural organisations. The society, a registered charity, is best known as the organiser of the Great Yorkshire Show and Countryside Live. Construction should take 11 months. No events at the showground will be affected.
Over the past decade the society has spent more than £12m upgrading the 250-acre site, the venue for a range of events from the Yorkshire International Business Convention to weddings.
Miss Parry said: "The shop will promote locally sourced food as a priority, providing an extra outlet for local farmers and producers as well as additional choice of good quality local fare for consumers."
The cafe design will enable cookery demonstrations and food launches to be staged, further highlighting the important role played in food production by farmers. It is expected about 35 jobs will be created by the society. The building has been designed by P+HS Architects, which has offices in Leeds and Stokesley.
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