Construction work on Aldershot's Union Yard regeneration project has started.

The £40 million project is set to transform the heart of Aldershot town centre, providing flexible modern retail, commercial and community space alongside 100 new homes for local people and 128 student units.

A key focus on the new development, which will sit between Union Street and the High Street, will be a Makers Yard, featuring a new public square and creative space for small and independent businesses.

The scheme is being brought forward by Rushmoor Borough Council, with Hill Group as delivery partners. It follows the demolition and clearance of the site, which was completed in early November.

The initial work will be piling for the load-bearing columns that, along with drainage work and the laying of a ground floor slab, will form the substructure of the new development. In early 2022, the construction of the concrete frame will begin, with work on the exterior of the buildings due to start next summer. The overall scheme is due to be completed by spring 2024.

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Councillor David Clifford, Leader of Rushmoor Borough Council, visited the site this week, along with Cabinet colleagues Councillor Martin Tennant, Cabinet member for Major Projects and Property, and Councillor Maurice Sheehan, Cabinet member for Operational Services.

Councillor Clifford said: "We promised that we would deliver a transformed town centre and that's just what we're doing. We have completed the demolition phase and without pausing for breath, we are now cracking on with construction. I can't wait to see the development taking shape next year - these are exciting times for Aldershot!"

Councillor Tennant added: "Not only will Union Yard create a new, vibrant space in Aldershot town centre for generations to come, but it will do so in ways that supports the council's commitment to tackling climate change. The energy performance of the development will be 45% higher than the government's requirements, with photovoltaic panels, fabric-efficient buildings and a combined heat and power plant to generate heating and electricity to the relevant parts of the scheme all built in. All round this is a scheme that supports the future of our town and its residents and I'm delighted to see it coming to life."