An iconic footwear and leather shop which served Bishop Auckland for nearly 150 years is to get a new lease of life as a digital training and enterprise hub after a £1.3m investment.
The Grade II listed McIntyre’s building on Newgate Street is to be transformed with the creation of a café and restaurant, with a training kitchen, exhibition and retail space, open access digital suite, job matching service, and workspaces for emerging S M E s.
Work is well underway on the refurbishment after Bishop Auckland College secured a ten-year lease on the well-known premises. The new facility will create seven full-time jobs and will offer work placement opportunities for the college’s catering and digital students, including adults looking to upskill.
The main grant for Springboard to Employment was secured from the Stronger Towns Fund. This was submitted by the Stronger Towns Board (STB) as part of the Town Investment Plan. Additional funding from the Conservation Area Grant Scheme will be spent on restoring the historic shop frontage.
David Land, chair of the S T B, said: “It’s pleasing to see the money that was awarded through the Stronger Towns Fund is now being used across a range of projects. The STB were keen to ensure some of the funding was used to help develop and train students in a range of subjects and activities. The planned growth through increased visitor numbers must be matched by high standards of service and support and the board are confident that the college will deliver against that agenda.”
Natalie Davison-Terranova, principal and chief executive of Bishop Auckland College and skills lead on the S T B, said: “McIntyre’s is a brand synonymous with Bishop Auckland. It is very fitting that this iconic premises, which has been at the heart of the community for more than 150 years, is to get a new lease of life developing the digital and visitor economy skills the local economy needs and supporting entrepreneurs to set up new businesses.”
A historic building report commissioned by Historic England has revealed a fascinating history behind the doors of 25 Newgate Street. Believed to have been built in the early 19th century, the building’s first known resident was Robert Longstaff, a boot and shoemaker. Leather merchants and shoemakers James McIntyre and Son followed sometime between 1891 and 1894, giving the shop its iconic name and shopfront.
The transformation of McIntyre’s forms part of the Bishop Auckland Heritage Action Zone, a five-year partnership programme between Historic England and Durham County Council, aimed at revitalising the historic market town.
Jules Brown, Historic England’s historic places adviser for the North East and Yorkshire, said: “We are delighted to be able to support Bishop Auckland College and partners in the reuse of this beautiful former shoe shop with such an exciting new facility for the town. It’s a great step forward in revitalising Newgate Street, introducing new uses to the high street, transforming a cherished listed building and bringing new people to the town centre.”
Cllr Elizabeth Scott, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for economy and partnerships, added: “We are thrilled that work is underway to develop the new business workspace and prepare for the launch of the Springboard to Employment scheme. The project will support local people to access fantastic job opportunities in the town and create a space that can be enjoyed for years to come.
If you have any memories or photographs of this building throughout the decades, please submit them to the Historic England website historicengland.org.uk by searching for 25 Newgate Street.
