Work starts on Streets toyshop redevelopment (From Salisbury Journal)
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Work starts on Streets toyshop redevelopment
10:00am Friday 8th February 2013 in Headlines By Karen Bate
Alan Andrews of Streets.
WORK is starting this week to redevelop one of the oldest shops in Ringwood into office space and housing.
Property developer Indigo5 has bought the former Streets Toy Shop in Christchurch Road, as well as two adjacent Victorian cottages, which it plans to turn into four cottages, one flat and office and retail space.
This week contractors are due to build fences around the parts of the site before warehousing at the back of the former toy shop is demolished.
A spokesman for Indigo5 Ltd said: “We are delighted to report that the planning application was granted and we are set to commence work on site over the next few weeks.
“The first step will be to make the site safe and secure.
“Starting on February 11 we will commence the process of demolishing the warehousing at the back of Streets. We expect this to take about two weeks and will endeavour to keep any disruption to local residents to an absolute minimum.
“All things being well we anticipate starting the build of the cottages alongside Woodstock Lane after the refurbishment of the shop, flat and fronting onto Christchurch Road, in May or June.
“The development work should then take us into autumn.”
The plan includes renovating the Christchurch Road frontage, retaining its historic use as a mix of retail and office space and keeping with the existing concept of a flat above the ground floor premises.
To the rear of the property the garage and warehousing will be replaced with a small terrace of four cottages.
Streets Toy Shop was one of the oldest family-owned shops in the town and closed its doors in 2010 after more than 90 years of trading. Charles Street opened the shop in 1915, providing an ambulance service, coal deliveries, motor garage and a petrol and cycle shop.
On his death in 1957, it passed to his youngest daughter Dorothy, who ran it with her sister May. Dorothy worked there for more than 70 years.
When Dorothy retired, May’s son Alan Andrews took over the operation, going on to build the store into one of the largest traditional toy shops in the area.
In 2010, at the age of 70, Mr Andrews retired and eventually sold the shop.
