Hinckley Hub
| Hinckley Hub | |
|---|---|
 Hinckley Hub in 2017 | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Location | Rugby Road, Hinckley, Leicestershire |
| Coordinates | 52°32′08″N 1°22′33″W / 52.535637°N 1.375855°W |
| Inaugurated | June 2013 |
| Owner | Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | MRP |
| Main contractor | Stepnell |
The Hinckley Hub is a municipal building on Rugby Road in the town of Hinckley, Leicestershire, England. The building is the headquarters of Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council.
History[edit]
Former Council Offices (1904–2014)[edit]
Hinckley Urban District Council was established in 1894.[1] The first council offices, in Station Road, were designed in the Gothic Revival style, built in red brick and were completed in April 1904.[2] As the responsibilities of the council grew new offices were required. From 1968, the council was headquartered in newly built council offices in the Argents Mead park — a green space which they were gifted in 1948 by Miss Margery Payne.[3] In 2011, it was confirmed the building would be demolished. The council then approached developers, asking them to put forward their designs for a new civic office to be built elsewhere in the town.[4][5] Demolition works commenced on 3 March 2014.[6] A leisure centre now sits on the site and was opened in May 2016.[7]
Construction and opening (2012–2013)[edit]
Construction works for the Hinckley Hub officially commenced on 9 January 2012.[8] It was built on the site of the former Flude factory, though part of its original structure was retained.[9] In late 2012, Oadby-based building contractors Hallam Contracts, who were leading the construction of the new Hub building went into liquidation.[10] As a result, Rugby-based contractor Stepnell were appointed by the council's development partners MRP and landlord Aviva to complete the construction works.[11]
On 17 June 2013, the Hub publicly opened. While mainly operating as the civic offices of Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council, staff from partner agencies, including Leicestershire County Council and Jobcentre Plus also work there. All council meetings are held inside, and visitors are able to enquire about any council queries. At the rear is a short-stay car park with space for cars, bicycles, and motorcycles.[12]
References[edit]
- ^ "Hinckly". Vision of Britain. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
- ^ "Hinckley Council Offices". Hinckley Historian Magazine. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
- ^ "1968 Council Offices". Hinckley District Past and Present. Archived from the original on 30 October 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
- ^ Hinckley Times (26 August 2011). "Battle lines drawn over future use of Hinckley's Argents Mead". Hinckley Times. Archived from the original on 22 June 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
- ^ Hinckley Times (21 October 2011). "Hinckley council gets the ball rolling on new offices". Hinckley Times. Archived from the original on 6 May 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
- ^ Ashe, Isaac (3 March 2014). "Video: Argents Mead council offices demolition gets underway this week". Hinckley Times. Archived from the original on 1 January 2024. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
- ^ Hambridge, Karen (13 April 2016). "New Hinckley Leisure Centre opening date is revealed". Hinckley Times. Archived from the original on 16 April 2016. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
- ^ "Hinckley Hub - Update on Progress and Governance Report of Deputy Chief Executive (Corporate Direction)" (PDF). Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council. 5 December 2012. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 January 2024. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
- ^ Hallam, Katy (30 September 2012). "Former Flude factory undergoing major transformation into Hinckley Hub". Hinckley Times. Archived from the original on 4 April 2016. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
- ^ Ray, Emma (13 December 2012). "Builders step in to take over Hinckley Hub project". Hinckley Times. Archived from the original on 22 January 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
- ^ Waddington, Jenny (6 January 2014). "Rugby firm Stepnell's 'challenging' year". Coventry Telegraph. Archived from the original on 24 September 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
- ^ Eccleston, Ben (13 June 2013). "Hinckley Hub opens its doors to the public". Hinckley Times. Archived from the original on 19 September 2020. Retrieved 5 January 2024.