The Pipeworks

Rokeby, in joint venture with Peveril Securities, purchased Hepworth’s former production plant in Swadlincote town centre in 2010 to develop The Pipeworks, a £15million mixed use retail, cinema, restaurant and housing scheme to rejuvenate the town centre.

Rokeby subsequently received planning consent for:

• 70,000 sq ft of Open A1 Retail Warehousing
• 5 Screen Cinema
• 12,000 sq ft of A3 Restaurant/Food Accommodation
• 39 new homes

The cinema was let to Odeon Cinemas and terms were agreed with a number of retailers including Jysk, Argos, Home Bargains, Iceland, Aldi, Brantano and Poundworld. Costa, Prezzo and Greene King provided the food offer. Work was completed in August 2011.

This was a challenging project for Rokeby, seeking to integrate modern retail warehousing into a setting which is sympathetic to both the adjacent conservation area and a new 74,000 sq ft Wm Morrisons foodstore. Considerable work and consultation was carried out with South Derbyshire District Council to achieve a movement masterplan to secure new links to the High Street and foodstore to maximise the linked trips and regenerative benefits between existing and new accommodation.

It was also one of the largest retail warehouse developments to be constructed within 2011.

The development has been a huge success and the car park is often at full capacity helping to bring life and vibrancy back to the town centre.