Mace and Channel 4 help regenerate Castleford in the "Big Town Plan"
Media
13/08/2008
Back in 2003 Mace was approached by Talkback Thames who were interested in using our respected project management skills on a makeover series with a difference. In a television first, the programme makers were planning a series which would document the effects of an actual regeneration project on a real town and its people.
Following a vigorous selection process, the small ex-mining town of Castleford in West Yorkshire, England, was the chosen candidate where the regeneration process would be filmed and eventually broadcast on TV. The time for the broadcast has finally arrived and Kevin McCloud's "Big Town Plan" will be screened in the UK on Channel 4, Monday 11th August at 9pm BST, and then for the subsequent three Mondays.
The programmes concentrate on the design elements of the project, giving the limelight to the ‘high profile' designers. The first programme in the series focuses on the river Aire bridge crossing which was completed last month and featured on the front cover of a recent copy of Architects Journal. The following programmes will centre on the development of new green spaces, improvements to the town centre and the hopes and anxieties of local people involved with the projects as they move from concept to completion.
Mace was involved with the community engagement and project definition stage, which lead to the identification of the schemes to be delivered, securing funding and establishing a client body that would be responsible for the delivery and on-going maintenance of the projects. We worked closely with Wakefield MDC staff and local community leaders, helping to provide them with the necessary project management skills required to deliver their schemes, ultimately allowing Mace to step away from the day-to-day delivery. Although instrumental, Mace's role was very much behind-the-scenes, ensuring that ownership of the projects remained with local community, council and funders.
For more information, including clips from the show and stills of the various project elements, visit the Channel 4 website:
http://www.channel4.com/4homes/on-tv/kevin-s-big-town-plan/
More about the show on Times Online:
