Progress to The Branch

It’s fantastic to see progress being made to 16 Market Place, also known as The Branch, in Chipping Norton. The project is set to become a community hub within the thriving Cotswold Market Town. The hub will provide support for mental health, loneliness, those that have been victims of domestic abuse and the young. As well as being a go-to venue for locals to simply meet up and interact. The Branch’s website describes the venture as ‘an innovative local response, providing a valued space at the heart of our market town where we partner in unlocking potential and building brighter futures.’

The Branch, Chipping Norton

The building itself has had a varied past, initially constructed as a house, it became a drapery and then a bank. Records suggest the building was constructed in 1750, with elements of potentially earlier structures incorporated into the building. Over the years the building has been extended and remodelled, most recently in the 1980's when NatWest bank made significant changes. This evolution of the building has led to it having a disjointed and fragmented internal configuration that was no longer fit for purpose. The new design, by Acanthus Clews, will reconfigure the space to create a more natural flow, with easy access for all.

Construction Progress

To date, the interior of the building has been carefully stripped of the NatWest fabric, such as the bank vault, and the reconfiguration of the floors has begun. The groundworks are also well underway, with the ground improvement complete and the piling for the new community hall to the rear nearing completion. So far, nearly 480 tonnes of soil have been removed from the site to create the new basement space. The next stage of the build will include the construction of the steel frame of the community hall.

SOLID are proud to be a part of this exciting venture, working alongside Acanthus Clews Architects, Savvy Group, SKP3 Ltd and The Branch Trust team. We look forward to updating you further over the coming months.

If you have your own inspirational community project on the cards, why not contact our SOLID team to see how we can help your dream come to fruition.