We purchased 36 and 37 Boutport Street to rebuild and refurbish the buildings for community and business use. 36 Boutport Street will become a cultural hub for North Devon, while 37 will be a new build incorporating housing and employment units around a central arcade walk-way from the Queen Street car park to the town centre.

The contract for the refurbishment of 36 Boutport Street and regeneration of Boutport Street was awarded to Pearce Construction in February 2024.

Pre-construction works commenced in February 2024 to include the erection of scaffolding around the entirety of 36 Boutport Street. The refurbishment and rebuild works are now well underway.

Works to date have focused on 36 Boutport Street and the contractors have made significant progress. All roofing works are now all but complete; to include the lower, middle and mansard roof.

As works have been uncovered, there have been a number of challenges. When the slates were removed from the Mansard roof, it was clear that some of the timbers were not in good condition. We had to work very closely with the structural engineers and a specialist timber company to find the most pragmatic solution for this listed building. In addition, the lintels to the main façade were also found to be in poor condition.

The first solution identified required the propping of the entire façade internally within 36 Boutport Street, which would have proved particularly challenging. The contractor has now found an alternative solution, which will be easier to implement and includes permanent ties to the main structure.