Willmott Dixon has been awarded a £15.3m contract by North Yorkshire Council to transform Catterick town centre, creating new facilities for both the military community at Britain's largest garrison and thousands of local residents.

The redevelopment, expected to complete by winter 2026, will create a new heart for the town serving Catterick Garrison and the surrounding area. Work on the scheme has started following preparatory works carried out by the Ministry of Defence's Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO).

At the centre of the scheme is the construction of a new town square on Shute Road and a Community and Enterprise building which will house offices for small businesses as well as space for community groups and food retail.

The project also includes extensive landscaping improvements and upgrades to Coronation Park featuring improved play spaces, a skate park, and sensory and reflective areas. New accessible routes to the town centre will be created alongside improvements to existing footpaths and cycleways.

The civic square will host local events and community activities, including markets, festivals, music events and shows, strengthening ties between service personnel and residents and creating a stronger local identity for the area.

North Yorkshire Council awarded the contract to Willmott Dixon via the YORbuild2 framework following the government’s £19m Levelling Up Fund award in 2022, with the remaining match-funding coming from the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) and the local authority.

The project represents a partnership between North Yorkshire Council and the MoD's Defence Infrastructure Organisation, with design support from Align Property Partners, the council-owned property consultancy and Barton Howe Associates as landscape architects.

Nick Corrigan, director at Willmott Dixon, said: “We're delighted to be working with North Yorkshire Council and the Ministry of Defence on this transformative project for Catterick.  As a company with deep roots in the North-east, we understand the importance of this development for the military community at Britain's largest garrison and the thousands of local residents who will benefit from these fantastic new facilities.

“We'll be working closely with local suppliers throughout the construction phase, ensuring that as much as possible of the investment stays within the local economy, creating jobs and supporting regional businesses. Creating opportunities for the local community will be at the heart of this project.

“Willmott Dixon, alongside its supply chain partners, are set to create 10 new employment opportunities for local people, more than 200 apprenticeship weeks and 17 work experience placements. We’ll also deliver 350 hours of employment support to those furthest from the job market through our specialised 'Building Lives Academy' programme.”