BEARDWELL Construction, based in the town, has been selected by Thurrock Council to carry out refurbishment work to transform the former Magistrates’ Court building at the northern end of the High Street and work begins this month.
It involves a 40-week programme that should ensure the new business centre – The Old Courthouse – will be operational in the spring of next year.
Beardwell will remodel the internal layout of the building to produce 39 small business units – each with modern IT and telephone facilities.
The work also includes an extension to the Registrar’s House, providing additional business units and the addition of mezzanine floor above both former courtrooms creates additional office space.
The remodelled building will also include everything a modern business needs – high-quality accommodation, meeting rooms, and other facilities as well as external landscaping.
Thurrock Council Leader, Cllr John Kent, welcomed Duncan Clark, Beardwell’s managing director and chairman Paul Beardwell to the site on Monday (11 August) and said: “Once completed this refurbishment will bring another 200 jobs to the town centre which, combined with the new college at the southern end of the High Street, should mean we start to see a new and exciting Grays town centre as hundreds of people come here to work and study.”
After congratulating the company on their success, Cllr Kent said: “We know the Thurrock Centre for Business in the former [post office building has a waiting list for people wanting to be based in the town and soon there will be new opportunities at The Old Courthouse.
“I know that our council teams are working hard on other projects around Grays and I’m sure we’ll have more good news in the not too distant future.”
The aim of the refurbishment is to transform the building internally while retaining its iconic external façade.
The new centre will be operated by NWES (Norfolk and Waveney Enterprise Services Ltd) a not for profit organisation which also runs the former Post Office site in nearby George Street.
Any organisation seeking access to funding and business premises should contact NWES Services 0845 4374465 or drop into Thurrock Centre for Business.
