| Issue 15 5 July 2005 Work starts on Cattle Market Work starts next week on the first phase of the Cattle Market development with archaeological investigations and soil samples being taken. The work, taking place from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, involves closing sections of the Cattle Market car park in turn with between six and 100 parking spaces being affected. Signs will be put up around the car park showing the dates and areas where work will take place so drivers know in advance when they may need to find alternative parking. The signs will also remind drivers that they can park in the Parkway multi-deck, around 400 metres away, for just 80p a day. Drilling, carried out by WSP Environmental Ltd, starts on Monday afternoon (11 July) and the investigative work is scheduled to last for six weeks. The first section will see 75 spaces closed off St Andrews Street South, behind Boots. This includes some of the disabled spaces but alternative disabled spaces will be made available near the public conveniences. The first site investigations will include archaeological trenches, with members of Suffolk County Council's Archaeological Service. The trenches are part of an initial stage of investigation to evaluate the extent and preservation of any archaeological deposits on the site. The findings will be used to decide what further archaeological work will be needed before construction starts. The site is outside the medieval town, which was enclosed behind a ditch and wall that ran along the line of St Andrew’s Street. Although properties developed along Risbygate and Westgate Streets from the 13th century and a ‘common way’ linking the two existed from at least 1403, this area is thought to have been largely pastoral during the medieval period. The town defences were levelled soon after the dissolution of the Abbey in 1539 to allow the town to expand, and by the time the | earliest known map of the town is drawn in 1741, St Andrews Street was well established. Evidence of lime-kilns, chalk workings and wool combing suggest that the lands to the west of St Andrews Street, from the 16th century, became the site of industry. The livestock market was moved to the site from the town centre in 1828. Along with the archaeological investigations samples will also be taken from trial pits and boreholes to assess soil conditions. The data will be used to draw up detailed designs for the development's foundations. Information is available on the Cattle Market project website, www.burysteds.org.uk or by email info@burysteds.org.uk or through the Cattle Market hotline 01242 256805. ************************************ Formal planning consent issued Planning consent has formally been issued to Centros Miller for the Cattle Market development. St Edmundsbury's Development Control Committee granted planning permission in February 2005 and work has been going on since then to finalise the details. This included work on the legal agreement covering issues such as funding for extra buses, affordable housing and Variable Message Signing. Construction work is scheduled to start on site in autumn 2006, with completion autumn 2008. *********************************** Newsletter: This newsletter is from St Edmundsbury Borough Council, owner of the Cattle Market redevelopment site. Please forward it to anyone you think may be interested in the topic or contact me if you wish to be taken off the distribution list: marianne.hulland@stedsbc.gov.uk |
