Contractor named for £26.75m historic Stockton theatre restoration

A contractor that will undertake the restoration of an iconic theatre in Stockton-on-Tees to generate millions of additional spend in the town has been named.

The £26.75m project at the Grade II listed Globe Theatre was procured through Major Works England and Northern Ireland, a part of the Scape National Construction framework.

Willmott Dixon has been appointed by Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council to undertake the restoration, funded by a £4.5m grant received from the National Lottery Heritage Fund’s Heritage Enterprise Scheme. It will also renovate neighbouring properties into a box office and café bar facilities.

Once complete, the theatre will provide a 3,000 plus capacity live music and comedy venue and is expected to generate £18m a year in visitor spend for the town. It be operated by the Ambassador Theatre Group for 25 years following completion.

Councillor Nigel Cooke, Stockton Council Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Housing, said: “The Globe will be the biggest live entertainment venue between Newcastle and Leeds and will pull an estimated £18million into the local economy every single year.

“We’re ambitious for the borough. If you want to achieve big things you’ve got to deliver big projects. There’s so much public love for the Globe and this is a once in a generation project to bring it back.”

Anthony Dillon, managing director of Willmott Dixon in the North commented: “It is fantastic to be working on the restoration of the Globe Theatre, breathing new life into a really iconic building for the community. We look forward to seeing it become a cultural hub once again for future generations to enjoy.”

Mark Robinson, Scape Group chief executive, added: “Willmott Dixon have a wealth of experience in restoring heritage buildings and importantly, through our framework, the local population will benefit in a variety of ways.”

Willmott Dixon delivered a refurbishment of nearby Darlington’s Hippodrome in 2017 and recently transformed Alexandra Palace’s East Wing. It has also worked on refurbishment projects at Bolton Albert Halls and the Commonwealth Institute in Kensington.

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