Summer date for start of £13m conference centre makeover

A MULTI-million-pound revamp of Harrogate's conferencing and events industry is to get under way this summer amid claims the scheme is vital to ensure the future of the spa town's economy.

The long-awaited redevelopment of the Harrogate International Centre is now expected to start in August and is seen as key to helping the town operate effectively in the hugely competitive conferencing sector.

Harrogate Council announced yesterday that a firm of contractors, Wates Construction, had been appointed to carry out the work on the ambitious project, due for completion in the early autumn of next year.

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The revamp will see more than 35,000 sq ft of extra event space created, along with a new entrance and registration foyer in King's Road.

Council leader Mike Gardner, who is also the chairman of the Harrogate International Centre management board, stressed that the development was necessary to ensure that the spa town can compete effectively with other conferencing venues across Britain.

The scheme is also seen as a vital component in the Harrogate district's recovery from the recession, although the redevelopment has itself had to be revised in the wake of the economic downturn. The initial scheme was expected to cost in the region of 45m, although this has had to be cut back significantly to 13m.

But Coun Gardner said: "The scheme is a key element in sustaining the town's conference and exhibition business and its associated economic impact on the whole district.

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"We were delighted that Yorkshire Forward agreed and approved a 6.5m grant, and we will soon see the huge benefits of our investment."

The Harrogate International Centre is already responsible for bringing in an estimated 150m and also supports more than 5,000 jobs locally. But the events business has become intensely competitive, and the Yorkshire Post revealed in 2007 that a year-long feasibility study issued a stark warning that Harrogate cannot afford not to invest in its conferencing facilities.

The Harrogate International Centre is the third largest venue of its kind in the UK, exceeded in size only by Alexandra Palace in London and the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre in Glasgow.

The initial plans meant that the redevelopment would have been phased over five to six years to minimise disruption, with halls dating from the 1950s replaced with almost 120,000 sq ft of new exhibition space.

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However, Coun Gardner stressed that the revised scale of re-development would still ensure that the Harrogate International Centre can compete effectively.

He added: "A fiercely competitive tendering process led to the appointment of Wates.

"I am also pleased to report that, as a consequence of this rigorous tendering and evaluation process, the cost of the scheme has come in below the original 13m budget and it is expected that some material savings will be achieved at the conclusion."

Wates group's history as an independent family-owned company stretches back more than a century after Edward Wates and his three brothers set up the first firm in 1897.

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The business now has more than 2,000 employees and 12 offices across the UK and has been responsible for a series of high-profile schemes including projects in East London and the south of England.

Centre director Stuart Quin said: "On completion of the contract, we will have added capacity to allow existing events to grow, but also enable us to penetrate new markets and importantly create flexibility to allow us to run three or four events simultaneously on site."