Rebuild charity to convert 34,800 sq ft shed into HQ

The social enterprise reuses surplus materials from construction sites to create value from waste and wants to set up a 20,000 sq ft showroom and 1,200 sq ft training centre in Carlisle.

Cumberland Council will decide whether to approve Rebuild’s change of use application concerning the vacant 34,800 sq ft Unit A at Kingmoor Park Heathlands.

Rebuild is an enterprise rooted in sustainability that sells discarded materials to a range of recipients, predominantly to community groups and charities to help with their building, gardening, creative, and repair projects.

Surplus materials are also sold to trades and members of the public at discount prices.

The showroom would display the building materials, all new and unused, but that would have otherwise been disposed of or downcycled.

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This retail element would address “a niche not served by traditional retailers”, according to a planning statement submitted on Rebuild’s behalf by Solomons Europe.

Rebuild would also operate a 1,200 sq ft training and community facility, offering workshops, volunteering, and a tool lending library to improve local skills and social inclusion.

The remainder of the floorspace would be used for storage, processing, and distribution.

Story Contracting would take care of the shed’s conversion.

Rebuild’s arrival would “help Carlisle advance towards a circular economy” and help mitigate the effects of climate change, according to Solomons Europe.

To view the application, use the planning reference number 25/0419 on Cumberland Council’s planning portal.