Wynne Wins People’s Market Arts Hub Redevelopment Contract

Wynne Construction has been awarded the contract for the People’s Market Oriel Wrecsam redevelopment project following a successful tender application.

The North Wales based construction company will be working in partnership with The Arts Council of Wales, Wrexham County Borough Council and the Welsh Government’s Vibrant and Viable Places Programme.

Wrexham Council explained: “With an overall cost of £4.5m, the scheme involves the refurbishment of the building to include two Galleries, one to national standards for the display of exhibitions, a number of performance spaces that will be flexible in use, market stalls, the Oriel Wrecsam shop and learning and education space. Other features include a Shepherd’s Hut (workshop space); new furniture/seating, and signage within the building.”

Councillor Hugh Jones, Lead Member for Communities and Partnerships said: “Wrexham County Borough Council, along with its partners, are looking forward to working with Wynne Construction and taking forward the development of the project. This is a key project for Wrexham and by working together we can ensure the People’s Market Oriel Wrecsam Redevelopment is a great success.”

Chris Wynne Managing Director, Wynne Construction added: “As a reputable contractor in North Wales, we are delighted to have been awarded this contract by Wrexham Council. Our proven experience equips us to deliver the project to a high standard and during the construction process to strengthen our existing local supply chain and to support the local and North Wales economy in the redevelopment of the People’s Market.

“We will also involve the local community and key stakeholders in delivering a range of community benefits in support of the investment into the project.”

Earlier this morning Councillor Hugh Jones was asked on Radio Wales about traders who still thought they were being ‘kept in the dark’ over aspects of the project, we asked Councillor Neil Rogers about the comment, who told us “Our Officers will be keeping in regular dialogue with traders, as at the end of the day they still have to make a living. We want to support them and work with them, and ensure they are happy with the overall project.”

Speaking about the almost £5m investment in Wrexham Town Centre, Councillor Rogers said he was ‘delighted’ with the VVP money used from Welsh Government, we enquired if further tranches of funding became available would it be used to expand the Arts Hub offer, “We are lobbying all the time, if I think there is some money in Cardiff I want some of it up here!”

We asked Andy Gardner from Wynne Construction about mitigation techniques and experiences in working in ‘live’ environments, and how that can be applied to the People’s Market project. Mr Gardner told us: “Before we were ever appointed the markets team here have had a lot of dialogue with traders, we have a plan on how the traders will move around in a way that will least affect them.

“What we need to do now is to put more meat on the bone of that, and sit down with traders and get them to buy in to the way we are approaching it and to make sure they are happy. The last thing we want to do is to upset the market traders, we want to work with them.”

Speaking of previously Wynne Construction work inside operating schools, Mr Gardner added: “If we are working inside an existing building with a school still operating it is very very similar to this. It does not matter if it is a school, market hall or a hospital, its basically a case of making sure the work areas are managed correctly, screened off, health and safety is of course paramount, with for example dust suppression in place. Overall it is a case of working with the traders and having regular dialogue with them.”

(Pic: Councillor Hugh Jones with Andy Gardner from Wynne Construction, Councillor Neil Rogers, market traders Jeanette Partington from Esme’s Children’s Wear and Lynne Williams from Little B’s, Jade Parry from Wrexham Council and Graham Dickson from Wynne Construction)