Full steam ahead with scheme to revive historic Engine Shed

Terry Hodgkinson, the former chair of regional development agency Yorkshire Forward, and his wife Anne, have submitted planning and listed building consent to develop the 166-year-old Engine Shed in the centre of Whitby into a half a million pound visitor attraction.

An art, sculpture and exhibition space is planned, along with an 80-cover restaurant/café within the building.

Mr Hodgkinson said that the facility will be “one of the largest private galleries in North Yorkshire” and will bring with it an extra 50 full-time and part-time jobs to the town.

The couple bought the property from building contractor David Harrison Group, which repaired its shell under a section 106 planning agreement when consent was given for some railway houses.

“The shell of the building is actually almost complete,” said Mr Hodgkinson, who has long been involved in property development, particularly in relation to listed buildings.

“It’s really mainly an interior fit-out and access to the railway station.”

Mr Hodgkinson said that an agreement has already been reached with both the owner, Network Rail, and its tenant and operator, Northern Rail, to create access via Whitby train station’s west platform.

“It’s rare to have a building of that size right in the centre of a town like Whitby, which has an enormous number of artists and scupltors in and around the town,” he said.

“It will really be a fantastic resource for the town and surrounding areas.”

The new art space, which will offer free admission for the public, will provide opportunities for visiting artists, sculptors and photographers to participate in an Artist in Residence scheme, with demonstration space for teaching purposes.

The aim is for the development to offer 12 artists and sculptors the opportunity to showcase their work, each with their own exhibition space.

Mr Hodgkinson said he hopes to attract interest from restaurant/cafe operators to serve the gallery.

“We are hoping to attract a good café/restaurant operator. We don’t want to run the café ourselves.

“What we’re aiming for is to try and get an offer that isn’t already in Whitby so it becomes an attraction in its own right.”

Mr Hodgkinson said that Whitby’s economy has fared well in recent years.

“Whitby has done reasonably well over the last few years of recession. It’s managed to keep itself reasonably fit for purpose, but like any seaside town industry is changing there.

“For example, its history in fishing – it’s still a very active port, but it’s also, in the last few years, created a marina which has generated some significant visitors and it has managed to retain its significant visitor numbers.

“My wife and I go there a lot and we’ve seen the period of visitors extending. It used to be just the holiday periods, but now it’s, perhaps with the exception of January and February, busy nearly all the time.”

The idea for the development was born out of a conversation between Mr Hodgkinson and friend and local sculptor Emma Stothard about gallery and exhibition space.

From this emerged a concept whereby the space can diversify and offer a flexible platform for exhibitions, seminars and alternative uses, with art being the backdrop.

Mr Hodgkinson said it can be seen as “lots of mini galleries within a gallery”.

He added: “I’m very excited about the proposal; we are trying to create something that is quite different, which is not just a tourist attraction but a facility that will enhance the offer and reputation of the arts sector on the North East coast of Britain.

“It’s a great opportunity to bring back to life a building that’s been derelict probably for the last 30 to 40 years, right in the centre of the vibrant seaside town of Whitby.”

Mr and Mrs Hodgkinson are hoping to open the facility in March next year.

The total cost of the project is £500,000, including the Hogkinsons’ acquisition of the property.

Mr Hodgkinson has been involved in various art projects including the Yorkshire Sculpture Park and helped bring the Hepworth Collection to Wakefield’s waterfront.

He used to chair Public Art, an organisation which puts art in public places.

Mr Hodgkinson was chair of regional development agency Yorkshire Forward from 2003 to 2010.

In accordance with government policy, all regional development agencies closed last year.

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