Yorkshire and Lincolnshire-based construction firm Hobson & Porter has completed the £12 million construction of the Aura Innovation Centre at the Bridgehead Business Park in Hessle, East Yorkshire. The centre will deliver ground-breaking low-carbon projects and accelerate new ideas by bringing together experts at the University of Hull with businesses
Everton Football Club will submit its planning application for a state-of-the-art, 52-000-seater stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, within Peel L&P’s Liverpool Waters development, on Monday, December 23, the Club has revealed. In a blog post today (December 13) updating fans on progress with the People’s Project, Stadium Development Director Colin Chong
HomeServe Founder and GMI Property Join Forces To Launch Urban Life Developments Leeds-based GMI Property and York-based Capital Property Partners have joined forces to launch Urban Life Developments, a new joint venture development company focussing on the revival of Northern towns and cities through the delivery of urban mixed-use regeneration
A development project has been launched at the former Strand Union Workhouse in Fitzrovia, a site said to have inspired Charles Dicken’s classic novel Oliver Twist. Morgan Sindall Construction has signed a Pre-Contract Services Agreement (PCSA) which will see the company work on the first phase of development, overseeing and
The ongoing transformation of Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter has been boosted with approval for a new £125 million neighbourhood. Developers Galliard Homes and Apsley House Capital are working to redevelop the four-acre AE Harris industrial site into St Paul’s Quarter, creating over 500 jobs in the process. St Paul’s Quarter will
Rhatigan Group development to comprise grade A offices, 175-bed hotel and apartments Developer Padraic Rhatigan has commenced construction on the long-awaited Crown Square mixed-use scheme in Galway city. Located on a site of 5.2 hectares (13 acres), the development which will be ready for occupation in 2021, will include 39,483sq
Plans have been put forward to redevelop a temporary surface car park into a new flagship hotel in Leeds cultural quarter. Hammerson is proposing to build a new 205-bed hotel adjacent to its iconic retail and leisure destination, Victoria Gate. The Victoria Gate Hotel is part of Hammerson’s City Quarters
Two leading firms in London have joined forces to drive forward an £8 billion development at Thamesmead Waterfront. Property group Peabody and construction firm Lendlease have formed a 50:50 joint venture partnership to work on the scheme. The companies will deliver a minimum of 11,500 homes and make a significant
Interserve has been chosen by Oldham Council to develop a £13 million centre for culture, arts, history and entertainment. The OMA centre will integrate the town’s existing Victorian Grade 2-listed former library and its current arts centre, and will substantially enhance the town’s cultural offering. OMA will showcase the story
Printworks Manchester continues its strong performance in 2019 as DTZ Investors announce new lettings that diversify its offer and further cement its position as the destination for entertainment in Manchester. Having welcomed Treetop Adventure Golf and Escape Reality in 2018, the introduction of a 12-lane Tenpin bowling venue completes an
Yorkshire and Lincolnshire-based construction firm Hobson & Porter has completed the £12 million construction of the Aura Innovation Centre at the Bridgehead Business Park in Hessle, East Yorkshire. The centre will deliver ground-breaking low-carbon projects and accelerate new ideas by bringing together experts at the University of Hull with businesses in the Humber region and beyond. The aim is to provide a ‘front door’ for the university, giving businesses easy access to advanced facilities, specialist funded support and a space to innovate and collaborate with academic and industry experts. Despite not being officially launched until early next year, the university’s Programme Manager Sarah Clark says there’s been a lot of interest in the building. She said: “As the global economy shifts towards a low-carbon future, the green energy transition opens up a myriad of challenges and opportunities for businesses of all shapes and sizes. “More than 200 dynamic, high growth businesses have already engaged with the Aura Innovation Centre to find out how the University of Hull and Aura can help them accelerate their sustainable innovation projects. “13 funded projects are currently live and are being delivered with colleagues across the University of Hull, with over 26 more in the pipeline before the centre has even opened.” From the very outset of the project, Hobson & Porter and University of Hull set out to create a sustainable building, which exceeds environmentally-friendly standards. The centre has already been recognised for its excellence in sustainability. It is positioned within the top 10% of sustainable UK new non-domestic buildings, thanks to its clever design, and construction, sustainable materials sourced and local supply chain used where possible – achieving an ‘excellent’ standard in BREEAM, the world’s leading sustainability assessment for buildings. The AIC was also awarded an A-rated Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) of 18, considerably higher than most new buildings of a similar scale (which would expect to achieve a rating of 31). The ten-month project is the latest in Hobson & Porter’s growing portfolio in the renewables sector. In the last five years the firm has seen a total revenue from the sector totalling more than £22 million. This also includes: New onshore operations base and warehouses for Ørsted to service its Westermost Rough Wind Farm. The creation of the East Coast Hub – the UK’s largest offshore wind operations and maintenance facility. Richard Hunter, managing director for Hobson & Porter, said: “We’re delighted to have completed the construction of the Aura Innovation Centre, which will play a huge role in strengthening the region’s reputation as a leader in offshore wind innovation, bringing together the major players in the industry. “The construction has gone very well, with our team completing the project on time, on budget and to an extremely high standard. “It’s been a real team effort and down to the hard work of everyone involved – from the onsite team, planners, the consultants and the supply chain partners who supported the project. This building will have a really positive impact, not just on this area, but nationally, so we are proud to have played our part in it.” Whilst carrying out the construction work, Hobson & Porter also made time to engage with local school children. Pupils from All Saints’ CE Federation in Hessle were taken around the site, with students also designing posters which were put up around the Aura. Staff also went into schools to teach them about the work and the construction industry. Mr Hunter said: “We’ve really enjoyed engaging with local school children. They are our future and it hasn’t just taught them about the construction industry, but also about the renewables’ sector.”
Everton Football Club will submit its planning application for a state-of-the-art, 52-000-seater stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, within Peel L&P’s Liverpool Waters development, on Monday, December 23, the Club has revealed. In a blog post today (December 13) updating fans on progress with the People’s Project, Stadium Development Director Colin Chong thanks the public for their contribution to the consultation process and confirms the date on which its detailed application will be formally lodged with Liverpool City Council. Combined with Everton’s plans for a community-led legacy project at Goodison Park, the transformational proposals have the potential to deliver a £1bn boost to the city’s economy, create up to 15,000 new jobs and deliver £237m of additional societal value. The stadium plans will be followed by a separate outline planning application for Goodison Park, with the intention for both applications to be determined by Liverpool City Council at the same time. The planning milestone follows more than two years of consultation with the general public, city stakeholders and fans, which has revealed widespread support for the proposals. Writing in the blog post, Colin Chong, Stadium Development Director at Everton Football Club, said: “I’m pleased to confirm that our detailed planning application for a new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock will be submitted on Monday 23 December. “Working alongside our design consultants, we have analysed the feedback to enhance the concepts we’ve already shared for the look, feel and layout of a stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, including our plans to not only preserve but to also celebrate the site’s heritage. “It is a case of evolution rather than any major changes to the design presented during the second stage consultation. The results of that consultation made it clear Dan Meis’ design was incredibly well received. The elements that the feedback told us people really loved about the design – the use of brick, the steepness of the stands, the respect to the area’s heritage and nod to Archibald Leitch’s architecture in the brickwork as well as the blending of new and old – will all be present within our final proposals.” The blog also provides more details of the technical assessments which have gone into the final proposals. These have included using fluid dynamics software to map how fans, staff and visitors will move around the stadium, Fan Plaza and public areas, and detailed studies of the acoustics at Goodison Park, which have been used to help create a “sense of intimacy in a larger space” and to “maximise the atmosphere” within new stadium. The Club has confirmed it will be releasing new images of the final designs, as well as updating its app and flythrough video, on evertonfc.com and peoples-project.co.uk from the afternoon of Monday, December 23. In November, the Club revealed the results of its record-breaking public consultation for the People’s Project, which generated more than 63,000 responses across two stages of public engagement. Analysis of the data revealed that 96 per cent of the 43,039 respondents to the second stage of consultation wanted The People’s Project to continue, and that eight out of 10 non-Evertonians also support the progression of the plans. In what is believed to be the largest commercial public consultation in Liverpool’s history, the results showed near universal support (98 per cent) for Dan Meis’ design of the Club’s 52,000-seater stadium, which will form part of Peel L&P’s £5.5bn Liverpool Waters development, and 92 per cent support for Everton’s outline design for the redevelopment of Goodison Park. The Club’s first stage public consultation, carried out in November and December 2018, was also met with overwhelming support with 94 per cent of the 20,168 respondents backing the principle of a new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock and 95 per cent supporting Everton’s plans for a community-led regeneration at Goodison Park. To be kept up to date with activity on the project, please visit the campaign website www.peoples-project.co.uk or follow The People’s Project social media channels.
HomeServe Founder and GMI Property Join Forces To Launch Urban Life Developments Leeds-based GMI Property and York-based Capital Property Partners have joined forces to launch Urban Life Developments, a new joint venture development company focussing on the revival of Northern towns and cities through the delivery of urban mixed-use regeneration schemes. GMI Property, part of the GMI Holdings Group, has a long track record of bringing forward complex regeneration projects in partnership with both public and private sector organisations. The Directors have successfully delivered some of the region’s most high-profile developments including the 200-acre award-winning Thorpe Park and the iconic Bridgewater Place in Leeds. They also have extensive knowledge of working with local authorities on complex regeneration schemes, including the redevelopment of Clay Cross town centre in Derbyshire. Capital Property Partners is a property investment business backed by one of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs, Richard Harpin, founder and CEO of FTSE 250 company HomeServe plc, which has a market capitalisation of circa £4 billion. In Yorkshire, Capital Property Partners has been investing in the redevelopment of Hull City Centre. Its most recent scheme, The GlassHouse at Queens Gardens in Hull, is delivering the transformation of a former Police Station in the heart of the Old Town to create 94 apartments together with gym and cinema which is due for completion in early 2020. Urban Life Developments will be operated by GMI Property Managing Director Chis Gilman alongside Capital Property Partners Managing Director Gerard Downes, who has 24 years investment experience, with Richard Harpin acting as a strategic advisor and principal investor. The new development company will combine its extensive experience and expertise with entrepreneurial spirit and financial strength to deliver strategic mixed-use developments in towns and cities across Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire and the North East. The focus of the business is to regenerate and rejuvenate urban sites through the creation of outstanding spaces for ‘life’ to flourish, incorporating residential, retail, leisure and co-working elements. Chris Gilman said; “We have established Urban Life Developments to address the very real need for towns and cities across the North to redefine themselves to ensure long-term survival. The high street is not just about retail, in fact those centres where retail occupies most of the floorspace are the ones that are struggling. Successful centres have strong employment opportunities, a significant residential offer and attractive cultural and civic spaces. We want to partner with local authorities to help develop places where people will want to live, work, shop and spend leisure time. This ‘Next Generation Regeneration’ can help breathe new life into our towns and cities.” Richard Harpin continued; “I am a keen supporter of entrepreneurs and enjoy investing in opportunities that make a real difference to people and places. Being born in Huddersfield and raised in Northumblerland, I have a vested interest in the long term success of our Northern towns and cities and believe that Urban Life Developments can make great strides in revitalising these areas and enabling them to become prosperous centres. A key part of effecting change will be to establish public private sector partnerships as there are very few places where market forces alone will solve the problem. Identifying ways to work with the public sector is a fundamental part of Urban Life Developments’ strategy and we are currently in discussions with a number of parties over our first projects.”
A development project has been launched at the former Strand Union Workhouse in Fitzrovia, a site said to have inspired Charles Dicken’s classic novel Oliver Twist. Morgan Sindall Construction has signed a Pre-Contract Services Agreement (PCSA) which will see the company work on the first phase of development, overseeing and enabling the safe excavation and removal of over 2,000 burials at the site. The scheme will see 40 per cent of the existing buildings retained, including the imposing Grade II listed workhouse. New public space and communal gardens, designed to reveal and enhance the historic character of the listed building, will be created within the heart of Fitzrovia. The contractor will also deliver a new mixed-use development consisting of commercial, healthcare and residential space behind the workhouse. The eight storey building will house 34 residential units in the heart of Fitzrovia, approximately 70 per cent of which will be affordable for social rent and for key workers. The building will provide circa 5,000 square feet of commercial space and healthcare facilities including a new MRI Imaging Suite with six new MRI machines at basement level. Under the first phase of work on the development, Morgan Sindall Construction is delivering the enabling works at the site. The multifaceted works package will see the company support and enable archaeologists to safely excavate and remove thousands of bodies buried at the site, linked to its historic use as a local cemetery and workhouse. During these works, three other buildings at the front of the site will be refurbished by another contractor, making collaboration and effective coordination fundamental to the success of both projects. Richard Dobson, area director for Morgan Sindall Construction’s London office, said: “This is a fascinating project in an area of London that has huge cultural resonance on a global scale and it’s our privilege to be working alongside the expert archaeological team to enable the safe excavation and removal of these precious remains. “This is a delicate and complex operation that will be delivered while works on a number of live projects around the site continue at pace. This requires expert coordination, cross-party collaboration and the experience of working effectively with minimum disruption on major schemes on logistically challenging, tight, urban sites. “This is a challenge our team has the experience and expertise to deliver upon and we look forward to enabling our colleagues to safely secure the historic legacy of the site, while work on the development continues to schedule.” The project for Middlesex Annexe LLP, a subsidiary of the University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Charity, is part of The Bedford Passage Development, which falls within the Charlotte Street Conservation Area, and is part of the Fitzrovia Area Action Plan. The excavation works are due to start in January 2020. Once the enabling works are completed, works to the main building will commence in 2021.
The ongoing transformation of Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter has been boosted with approval for a new £125 million neighbourhood. Developers Galliard Homes and Apsley House Capital are working to redevelop the four-acre AE Harris industrial site into St Paul’s Quarter, creating over 500 jobs in the process. St Paul’s Quarter will comprise 305 apartments – including lofts and duplexes – and circa 100,000 sq ft of commercial space, including affordable business and retail space, across 20 buildings, as well as new public realm. It will be bounded by Newhall Street, Graham Street, Brook Street, James Street and Northwood Street. As part of the work, a new pedestrian street will stretch from Newhall Street into the heart of the Jewellery Quarter, improving access from the city centre. Northwood Street, currently partially closed to the public, will also be opened to pedestrians for the first time in more than 20 years. A new public square will be incorporated, in the centre of the scheme, surrounded by commercial and leisure space at ground level. The scheme will also see two Grade II listed buildings restored to their former glory – 109 Northwood Street and 199 Newhall Street. A further two derelict buildings, 123 and 128 Northwood Street, will also be salvaged and transformed into new homes. Stephen Conway, executive chairman of Galliard Homes, said: “The Jewellery Quarter’s historic buildings give the area its special character. Galliard has a track record of restoring listed buildings across London and we are looking forward to bringing this experience to Birmingham. 123 and 128 Northwood Street have a familiar typology to the Jewellery Quarter, with street frontages concealing rear factory wings. These two buildings reinforce the grain of the area, running north-south. It’s therefore right that we respect their heritage and preserve them, despite their lack of listed status.” Robin Norstrom, a director at Apsley House Capital, added: “This development will be the largest within the Jewellery Quarter Conservation Area. We have invested more than two years in bringing this highly anticipated scheme forward, working with the local community and with the city’s planning officers to create a new gateway to the Jewellery Quarter and an animated hub – not only a place to live and work but also a destination in itself. The scheme will introduce more than a kilometre of street frontages to explore, with the majority of the public spaces being car free. As well as new homes, the scheme’s ground floor commercial space will provide opportunities for up-and-coming independent businesses, whether that’s local heroes or brands new to the city. We are also keen to support jewellers and artists by providing affordable retail and business space.” St Paul’s Quarter is expected to take four years to complete.
Rhatigan Group development to comprise grade A offices, 175-bed hotel and apartments Developer Padraic Rhatigan has commenced construction on the long-awaited Crown Square mixed-use scheme in Galway city. Located on a site of 5.2 hectares (13 acres), the development which will be ready for occupation in 2021, will include 39,483sq m (425,000sq ft) of grade A office space distributed across five buildings, a 175-bed hotel, 288 residential units, along with retail, food and medical uses. Designed by architects Henry J Lyons, the development will be set around a central square with a landscaped public realm area and walking track running around its perimeter. Upon completion the scheme is expected to accommodate a total workforce of about 3,500 people between its offices, hotel and other facilities. Funding for the €200 million Crown Square scheme is being provided by US investment firm, Quadrant Real Estate Advisers. Since entering the Irish market in 2015, Quadrant has deployed close to €1 billion across a range of commercial, residential, land, hotel and retail investments. Earlier this year, the company provided about €100 million in finance to Gerry Barrett’s Edward Holdings to support the development of Galway city’s other landmark mixed-use scheme at Bonham Quay. Finance While not as large in scale as the Rhatigan Group’s Crown Square development, Bonham Quay will comprise 25,000sq m (269,098sq ft) of offices alongside 1,904sq m (20,505sq ft) of retail and 8,494sq m (91,439sq ft) of landscaped space. Commenting on Quadrant’s decision to finance the development of Crown Square, the company’s chief executive, Kurt Wright, said: “We are very proud to be involved with the Rhatigan Group in this strategic project. Quadrant view Ireland as offering excellent property fundamentals into the foreseeable future. This is particularly true in Galway which is a desired location for strong domestic and international corporate occupiers.” Sarah Ward of CBRE added: “Crown Square is the first development of its kind in Galway, designed with a large emphasis on placemaking and public realm. The scale of the office buildings will deliver much-needed modern space to the Galway market, and provide high-class amenities to the wider community.”
Plans have been put forward to redevelop a temporary surface car park into a new flagship hotel in Leeds cultural quarter. Hammerson is proposing to build a new 205-bed hotel adjacent to its iconic retail and leisure destination, Victoria Gate. The Victoria Gate Hotel is part of Hammerson’s City Quarters concept, which will create vibrant mixed-use neighbourhoods surrounding Hammerson’s existing flagship destinations. This announcement follows the recent submission of mixed-use planning applications for Martineau Galleries in Birmingham, the Goodsyard in Shoreditch and a residential development adjacent to Dundrum in Dublin. A public consultation was held last month on the Leeds proposal, in which 92% of respondents said they supported the plans and believed that the proposals would support the continued growth of the city and cultural quarter. The building is designed by ACME, the same architect that planned and delivered Victoria Gate. The facade draws design cues from Leeds’ rich textile industry heritage creating a close visual relationship with the rest of the development. Alongside 205 spacious rooms, an on-site gym and conferencing facilities; a new contemporary bar and restaurant on the ground floor will welcome both guests and visitors to the city. The hotel will support 50 full and part-time jobs on completion, whilst up to 980 jobs could also be supported during the construction period. Robin Dobson, UK Director of Development and Project Management at Hammerson said: “Hammerson has a successful track record of creating vibrant continually evolving places in and around thriving European Cities, and we are delighted to continue this journey with a prestigious hotel, restaurant and bar for this iconic destination. This is an important next step in our City Quarters concept, which will see us develop the area into a thriving cultural quarter adjacent to Victoria Leeds. “It is hugely encouraging to have received such strong support for the proposals, and I would like to thank the local community for sharing their thoughts with us ahead of submission.”
Two leading firms in London have joined forces to drive forward an £8 billion development at Thamesmead Waterfront. Property group Peabody and construction firm Lendlease have formed a 50:50 joint venture partnership to work on the scheme. The companies will deliver a minimum of 11,500 homes and make a significant contribution to the continuing economic regeneration of east London and the Thames Estuary. They will work with the community to revitalise the existing Thamesmead town centre, creating new cultural, community and commercial space, along with many new homes. The site, which currently includes 2.5km of river frontage as well as green space and two lakes, will see its full ambition unlocked by the two firms with a new cross-river extension of the Docklands Light Railway to Thamesmead. Peabody Chief Executive Brendan Sarsfield said: “Thamesmead Waterfront represents an historic opportunity to transform an isolated and underutilised riverside location in London. A new DLR crossing from east London would allow this long-term partnership to create a new waterfront district with thousands of new affordable homes and a new leisure, cultural and commercial offer for the town, for London, and for the wider Thames Estuary. This would unlock huge benefits for existing and new communities, boosting the economy and providing huge opportunities for London and the UK. “The Waterfront, alongside Peabody’s regeneration of the wider area, can help Thameshead become a sustainable new town – offering all of the benefits of urban living with unparalleled access to green open spaces by the Thames.” Neil Martin, CEO at Lendlease, Europe, added: “The breadth of opportunity and economic potential that this scheme offers Thamesmead and London, is enormous. Thousands of new homes and jobs can be created, but key to its successful delivery is improving connections for existing and current residents and businesses. Doing so would open up this area of London to new audiences and improve the opportunities for those already living there. “Improving transport links is a vital part of the long-term regeneration of the area, as it will bring those new homes within reach of the heart of London and help us deliver one of the most exciting new places to live in the capital.”
Interserve has been chosen by Oldham Council to develop a £13 million centre for culture, arts, history and entertainment. The OMA centre will integrate the town’s existing Victorian Grade 2-listed former library and its current arts centre, and will substantially enhance the town’s cultural offering. OMA will showcase the story of Oldham’s past from its time as the cotton spinning capital of the world to the present day, with gallery spaces, archives and public research rooms. The venue will house the borough’s fulsome collection of objects and artworks and will increase public access to heritage assets. Councillor Sean Fielding, Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Economy and Enterprise, said: “This is another great step in the regeneration of our town centre and our plans to make Oldham a cultural destination. “Interserve has a strong track record in delivering similar projects to a high standard and were responsible for restoring the Corn Exchange in Manchester. I am confident that it will produce a great building which reflects our proud history and heritage, but also adds the modern touches needed to reflect the needs of society today.” Phil Shaw, Divisional Director at Interserve Construction, said: “Our team has significant experience of working on historic buildings like Oldham’s Victorian library and we will be bringing our expertise and capabilities to the project by adding a contemporary and modern addition to the building while respecting its architectural heritage.”
Printworks Manchester continues its strong performance in 2019 as DTZ Investors announce new lettings that diversify its offer and further cement its position as the destination for entertainment in Manchester. Having welcomed Treetop Adventure Golf and Escape Reality in 2018, the introduction of a 12-lane Tenpin bowling venue completes an asset management project which will transform 50,000 sq ft of unoccupied space with new day time uses. Anchored by Vue, Nuffield Health and a spectrum of popular food and beverage operators including Hard Rock Café, Nando’s, Wagamama and more, Printworks ended 2018 with a footfall of over 8.1 million, its highest footfall since 2011. The addition of Tenpin to the brand mix responds to changing leisure and customer trends by extending the Printworks offer and hopes to broaden the appeal of the venue to a wider customer base. Once viewed as a late-night destination, Printworks is becoming a round-the-clock venue for the whole family. The food and beverage offer at Printworks is also changing. On the ground floor independent restaurant, NY By Night recently opened offering wood stove pizza and craft beer. Additionally, a brand new all-day restaurant, bar and club concept inspired by the garden of Eden opened this summer replacing Tiger Tiger. Ben Haller for DTZ Investors said: “Since purchasing Printworks in 2017, DTZi has been committed to building on the existing brand offer in order to present our customers a varied mix of national and independent brands that can be enjoyed by the whole family. The introduction of brands such as Tenpin and NY By Night really works towards cementing Printworks as an all-day-round haven of entertainment in the center of Manchester.” Duncan Garood, CEO of Tenpin, said; “This is an exciting opportunity to develop our city centre proposition in the heart of Manchester’s entertainment hub. The Printworks site will open in 2020, offering visitors 12 lanes of bowling fun and a range of experiential entertainment to enjoy along with a bar and menu of easy to eat, delicious food.”
