Castree Design to turn Wirral arts village vision into reality

Castree Design & Relocation has been appointed to transform the interior of Hoylake’s Victorian former town hall, which is to become the Beacon Arts Village. The development incorporates a restaurant, a bar, an atrium café and a two-screen cinema.

Castree is a multi-disciplinary team and founded by design director Sue Evans 20 years ago. The firm is well known for its interior designs for a range of clients across workplace, hospitality and residential.

The Beacon Arts Village development started on site in October 2019, following a grant of £3.64m from the government’s Coastal Communities Fund, which is designed to help seaside places flourish and strengthen their appeal as places to live, work and visit.

‘I have always loved this particular building and it’s wonderful that it is being turned into something that will be open to everyone and can be appreciated on many different levels,’ Sue said. ‘I think it will be a stimulating environment and very different from what already exists in this area and a place where people will want to visit and return to time and again.’

Dave Burke of Hylgar Properties, the site’s owner and developer said: ‘For us it’s also extremely important that [the design team chosen] are local and have a passion for the area and a vested interest in delivering the best quality to a place which they too will enjoy in the years to come.’

According to Dave works on the 1898 building are progressing well. ‘It has been a challenging year, but despite the pandemic it’s all coming together, and excitement is growing. The restaurant and bar, a new build kitchen and a newly formed covered courtyard with kitchen space are taking shape on the ground floor, while the two-screen cinema on the first floor is looking good.’

The project is creating more than 140 jobs during design, construction and operation.

Since 2012, the Coastal Communities Fund has invested £228 million into 395 projects UK-wide.