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Making Yorkshire the staycation destination of choice

While foreign travel continues to face disruption and holiday makers face uncertainty, our project teams spent the summer holidays supporting facilities to help people enjoy staycation holidays in the region as a fun-filled alternative.

We have delivered multiple projects at popular recreation and leisure facilities situated across the Yorkshire region.

We performed works at Skidby Mill, the home of the Museum of East Riding Rural Life, performing repairs to the Grade II listed building’s roof, windows and tower.

We are also currently building the UK’s first Tree Health Centre, the Yorkshire Arboretum, located near Castle Howard in North Yorkshire.

When complete, the Yorkshire Arboretum will be the UK’s first purpose-built facility created to expand public awareness about the threats posed to trees by pests and diseases, and ways to keep them as healthy. The new visitor centre has now been constructed and is currently being fitted out.

A refurbishment of Hull’s Beverley Road Baths and a redevelopment and extension of East Riding Leisure Hornsea will provide refurbished swimming baths, squash courts and fitness studios. Beverley Road Baths is scheduled for completion next Spring while East Riding Leisure Hornsea was completed in autumn.

Also at Hornsea, a new boat compound has been delivered, with visitors benefitting from the creation of a new pay and display car park and picnic area, with improved access to the boathouse and the rest of the promenade.

Following the reopening of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and its heritage train services, we are making good progress on the construction of a new stabling and maintenance facility that will house trains close to Pickering Station.

We have also completed a refurbished Driffield Methodist Church in the coming weeks, with building works complete and new fencing being erected.

Earlier in 2020, we completed a roofing upgrade at Beningbrough Hall, a historic country house with evolving gardens and art exhibitions. The project team performed a careful removal and replacement of the original Westmorland slate roof on a number of Grade II listed outbuildings at the National Trust’s estate based near York.

Hobson & Porter’s director Jon Craven says the firm’s works are taking place at a time when demand for recreation and leisure facilities in the region is increasing and the importance of tourism for the region’s economy is growing:

“With foreign travel currently facing uncertain restrictions due to the impact of COVID-19, many people are abandoning plans to holiday overseas and are choosing a staycation in the UK instead.

“The recreation and leisure projects we are currently involved in show the variety of excellent facilities we have here in Yorkshire and we’re really proud to be delivering work at sites that will provide great fun and interesting activities for tourists and residents in the region and hopefully kickstart our economy after a challenging period.

“It’s important for our region to see a continued investment in leisure and recreation facilities at this difficult time, as we look to stimulate the UK economy through attracting tourism. It’s great for the construction sector to play our part in this.”

Jon added: “With the majority of the UK spending the summer holidays at home this year, Hobson & Porter is proud to be flying the flag for the region and showing that you can holiday in our home county and discover countless activities, facilities and great things to do here.”