Work now seems almost completed on the impressive Victorian building on Station Road which previously housed the Judge & Jury pub (and historically the town's municipal HQ, I believe). The work has been going on for months & months - must have cost a fortune to renovate. It's good to see such a building restored, but its future use (charity-run bistro and "training" and "admin offices") just seems to highlight (to my mind at least) the sad fact that Arundales - a great, long-standing fruit & veg shop on the other side of the road - couldn't be kept open. (Two different things, I know, but...).
There was another large (4-story) Victorian building renovated into apartments recently - on Penrhyn Road, just down from the Chinese restaurant. Again, it took months & months and must have cost a fortune. I guess in both cases the funding was largely public money (ie Council grants for regenerating the town)?