Top 10 homebuilder Keepmoat has announced it has become the latest strategic partner of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), with a commitment to build 4,000 additional new homes in the West Midlands. Keepmoat has also committed to aim to achieve net zero carbon emissions when building on brownfield sites
Top 10 homebuilder Keepmoat has today announced it has become the latest strategic partner of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), with a commitment to build 4,000 additional new homes in the West Midlands. Keepmoat has also committed to aim to achieve net zero carbon emissions when building on brownfield
The creation of a new landscape-led garden village on the Durham Coast is underway as three housing developers lay the foundations for the development of a new thriving community. Existing infrastructure works are underway on the new Seaham Garden Village development, which will see 1,500 new homes built over the
A north Coventry housing development from top 10 housebuilder Keepmoat has been named the Residential Regeneration Project of the Year at a prestigious award ceremony. The Spirit Quarters development, which will breathe new life into a ‘derelict’ 1950s housing estate, was crowned the winner at the Midlands Residential Property Awards
A planning application has been submitted this week by X1 Developments and Peel L&P to create 208 “open market” new homes as part of the latest phase of residential development at Peel L&P’s Trafford Waters site in TraffordCity. The proposals being considered will include a mix of one, two and
Mitsui Fudosan and Stanhope, as development manager, announce that they have confirmed the appointment of Multiplex as the construction manager for two residential blocks of 345 apartments as part of the second phase of the redevelopment of Television Centre. This announcement demonstrates both the success of the first phase of
Groundwork is underway with the first spades in the ground at a development set to bring 275 new homes to the Whitehouse area of Milton Keynes. Ashberry Homes is planning to build the homes at Ashberry at Whitehouse Park, on land south of Watling Street and east of Calverton Lane.
Bellway South London is investing more than £4,000,000 in local infrastructure in West Sussex, as the company builds new homes at three developments in the county. The developer is delivering a total of 348 homes across sites in Chichester, Crawley and Thakeham, as well as providing new public open space
Previously dubbed the most “luxurious cinema in Nottingham”, the Grade II-listed Picture House building in Long Row will be given a new lease of life after receiving planning permission for its conversion into nine, one and two-bedroom flats at the heart of the city – with the help of heritage
Construction work on all homes at seven Bellway developments across the North East is due to be completed this year, delivering more than 1,100 new homes for people in the area. Building work is nearing the final stages at Arcot Manor in Cramlington, Moorfields in Killingworth, Burdon Rise in Ryhope,
Top 10 homebuilder Keepmoat has announced it has become the latest strategic partner of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), with a commitment to build 4,000 additional new homes in the West Midlands. Keepmoat has also committed to aim to achieve net zero carbon emissions when building on brownfield sites and to increase their housebuilding by 50% across the West Midlands. As a strategic partner, Keepmoat will build a range of homes across different tenure types in the West Midlands, creating hundreds of new jobs for local people and generating at least 250 new apprenticeships. At least 70% of the workforce needed to deliver the homes will be employed from within a 30-mile radius, while building supplies and materials will be purchased from West Midlands-based businesses wherever possible. The memorandum of understanding between Keepmoat and WMCA also supports the Combined Authority’s wider aim of creating a fairer, greener and more prosperous West Midlands. In March, a ground-breaking Deeper Devolution Deal was secured between WMCA and Central Government, giving WMCA wide-ranging new powers and additional funding in excess of £1.5bn to level up the West Midlands. Charlotte Goode, Divisional Chair for Keepmoat West Midlands & East Midlands, commented: “We are delighted that we have been named as a strategic partner of the WMCA and that our work in the region continues to go from strength to strength. As part of our development work with WMCA, we’re already building a minimum of 1,000 new homes at price points that are accessible to people including first-time buyers. “Building sustainable communities is also a core value at Keepmoat. Working as a strategic partner of WMCA, we are actively pursuing net zero carbon developments, with schemes incorporating climate adaptation measures that respond to the short and long-term impact of climate change. These zero carbon standards go above and beyond the 2025 Future Homes Standards and help contribute to WM2041.” Keepmoat’s £360m Spirit Quarters development has so far delivered 979 new homes, with 275 of these allocated for first-time buyers. Supported by WMCA’s £1 million investment of devolved funding, this scheme continues to transform the former Wood End estate in Coventry, putting regeneration and place-making at the heart of a local community. The homebuilder’s investment into the West Midlands will support the West Midlands target of delivering 215,000 new homes by 2031. In December last year, WMCA announced that the number of new homes being built in the region had surpassed pre-Covid levels, with 16,730 new additional homes delivered in the 12 months to March 2022 – 203 more than in the year up to March 2020. The latest Strategic Partner MoU also bolsters the West Midlands’ Plan for Growth – a roadmap to develop eight specific industrial clusters where the region already has a competitive advantage. Manufacturing of future housing is one of the West Midlands clusters, reflecting the expertise arising from millions of pounds of public investment in brownfield regeneration across the region, which is also home to the National Brownfield Institute in Wolverhampton. Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands and chair of the West Midlands Combined Authority, said: “The West Midlands has been incredibly successful in recent years at regenerating old brownfield sites to build new, affordable homes – so much so that we are currently on track to meet our ambitious 2031 housing target. “However now is the time to double down on our success – not ease off – and so I am delighted we have been able to sign this deal with Keepmoat that will see even more homes, jobs, and investment come to the region. “Working together with Keepmoat we will breathe life into derelict brownfield sites, helping to protect our precious greenbelt while providing affordable, energy efficient, good quality homes and jobs for local people.” Cllr Ian Courts, WMCA portfolio lead for housing and land and leader of Solihull Council, added: “Keepmoat is the latest Strategic Partner who we have signed an MoU with – progressive developers and investors who share our vision of a more sustainable West Midlands where people have the opportunity of a decent job and a good quality, affordable home. “The commitment to use derelict industrial sites for eco-friendly, energy efficient housing is exactly the sort of future-looking approach our region needs. Not only does this help protect our precious greenbelt while creating high quality and sustainable communities, it also boosts the local economy and supports the wellbeing of residents.” WMCA was founded in 2016 and is made up of 17 local councils to deliver an ambitious plan to drive inclusive economic growth across the West Midlands. Keepmoat is a top 10 UK partnership homebuilder with a track record of delivering quality new homes across the UK at prices people can afford. To date, almost 70% of its current developments are on brownfield sites and over 70% of its customers are first-time buyers. In the last survey year, Keepmoat achieved HBF five star builder status, receiving a rating of at least 90% in the National New Homes Customer Satisfaction Survey. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Top 10 homebuilder Keepmoat has today announced it has become the latest strategic partner of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), with a commitment to build 4,000 additional new homes in the West Midlands. Keepmoat has also committed to aim to achieve net zero carbon emissions when building on brownfield sites and to increase their housebuilding by 50% across the West Midlands. As a strategic partner, Keepmoat will build a range of homes across different tenure types in the West Midlands, creating hundreds of new jobs for local people and generating at least 250 new apprenticeships. At least 70% of the workforce needed to deliver the homes will be employed from within a 30-mile radius, while building supplies and materials will be purchased from West Midlands-based businesses wherever possible. The memorandum of understanding between Keepmoat and WMCA also supports the Combined Authority’s wider aim of creating a fairer, greener and more prosperous West Midlands. In March, a ground-breaking Deeper Devolution Deal was secured between WMCA and Central Government, giving WMCA wide-ranging new powers and additional funding in excess of £1.5bn to level up the West Midlands. Charlotte Goode, Divisional Chair for Keepmoat West Midlands & East Midlands, commented: “We are delighted that we have been named as a strategic partner of the WMCA and that our work in the region continues to go from strength to strength. As part of our development work with WMCA, we’re already building a minimum of 1,000 new homes at price points that are accessible to people including first-time buyers. “Building sustainable communities is also a core value at Keepmoat. Working as a strategic partner of WMCA, we are actively pursuing net zero carbon developments, with schemes incorporating climate adaptation measures that respond to the short and long-term impact of climate change. These zero carbon standards go above and beyond the 2025 Future Homes Standards and help contribute to WM2041.” Keepmoat’s £360m Spirit Quarters development has so far delivered 979 new homes, with 275 of these allocated for first-time buyers. Supported by WMCA’s £1 million investment of devolved funding, this scheme continues to transform the former Wood End estate in Coventry, putting regeneration and place-making at the heart of a local community. The homebuilder’s investment into the West Midlands will support the West Midlands target of delivering 215,000 new homes by 2031. In December last year, WMCA announced that the number of new homes being built in the region had surpassed pre-Covid levels, with 16,730 new additional homes delivered in the 12 months to March 2022 – 203 more than in the year up to March 2020. The latest Strategic Partner MoU also bolsters the West Midlands’ Plan for Growth – a roadmap to develop eight specific industrial clusters where the region already has a competitive advantage. Manufacturing of future housing is one of the West Midlands clusters, reflecting the expertise arising from millions of pounds of public investment in brownfield regeneration across the region, which is also home to the National Brownfield Institute in Wolverhampton. Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands and chair of the West Midlands Combined Authority, said: “The West Midlands has been incredibly successful in recent years at regenerating old brownfield sites to build new, affordable homes – so much so that we are currently on track to meet our ambitious 2031 housing target. “However now is the time to double down on our success – not ease off – and so I am delighted we have been able to sign this deal with Keepmoat that will see even more homes, jobs, and investment come to the region. “Working together with Keepmoat we will breathe life into derelict brownfield sites, helping to protect our precious greenbelt while providing affordable, energy efficient, good quality homes and jobs for local people.” Cllr Ian Courts, WMCA portfolio lead for housing and land and leader of Solihull Council, added: “Keepmoat is the latest Strategic Partner who we have signed an MoU with – progressive developers and investors who share our vision of a more sustainable West Midlands where people have the opportunity of a decent job and a good quality, affordable home. “The commitment to use derelict industrial sites for eco-friendly, energy efficient housing is exactly the sort of future-looking approach our region needs. Not only does this help protect our precious greenbelt while creating high quality and sustainable communities, it also boosts the local economy and supports the wellbeing of residents.” WMCA was founded in 2016 and is made up of 17 local councils to deliver an ambitious plan to drive inclusive economic growth across the West Midlands. Keepmoat is a top 10 UK partnership homebuilder with a track record of delivering quality new homes across the UK at prices people can afford. To date, almost 70% of its current developments are on brownfield sites and over 70% of its customers are first-time buyers. In the last survey year, Keepmoat achieved HBF five star builder status, receiving a rating of at least 90% in the National New Homes Customer Satisfaction Survey. For more information, please visit www.keepmoat.com. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The creation of a new landscape-led garden village on the Durham Coast is underway as three housing developers lay the foundations for the development of a new thriving community. Existing infrastructure works are underway on the new Seaham Garden Village development, which will see 1,500 new homes built over the next ten years. There will be a range of homes available, with 750 of the homes being developed for private sale by Taylor Wimpey and Miller Homes and the remaining 750 homes, being developed by Karbon Homes, will be available for a mix of both affordable rent and affordable home ownership options through shared ownership and rent to buy. Sarah Robson, Director of Development and Regeneration at Karbon Homes said: “It’s great to see work getting underway at Seaham Garden Village. There’s been lots of work to get to this point and starting on site is testament to the hard work of multiple parties, including the developers, Durham County Council and Homes England. “Working with Taylor Wimpey and Miller Homes is a great opportunity and between us we are focused on delivering a great place to live with different tenure options and various types of homes. This partnership will ensure Seaham Garden Village offers something for everyone and with the large scale of the site, we hope it will provide a great home for many people.” The 78-hectare garden village, located on the A182 going into Seaham town centre, has sustainability and community spirit at its heart. In addition to the planned housing, to take advantage of the beautiful location and views out to sea, around 50% of the garden village will be dedicated to managed green space and a range of landscapes and spaces for residents to use. Residents will also benefit from over 3 miles of landscaped paths and cycle routes. Steve McCann, Technical Director at Miller Homes, said: “Seaham Garden Village is an outstanding opportunity to create an attractive and sustainable new community in a highly accessible location. The commencement of work on site is the culmination of several years of design development and we are delighted to be working alongside Karbon Homes and Taylor Wimpey to deliver this high-quality scheme.” To help build a thriving community, the village will also include associated community facilities including a primary school, a local shopping facility, an innovation centre and a health and wellbeing hub. All homes will also be built to the very latest energy standards. David Abercrombie, Technical Director at Taylor Wimpey North East said: “This is an exciting development and is a great example of collaboratively working with our consortium partner Miller Homes, and also Karbon Homes, a fundamental partner to the development. This Garden Village project will deliver all the aspects of a thriving community set in a high-quality landscape.” Both Taylor Wimpey and Miller Homes have begun work on their private sale properties, with first homes expected to become available from Autumn 2023. Karbon Homes is currently in the process of appointing a new contractor and hope to be on site with homes being built later in the year. The delivery of the 750 affordable homes by Karbon is supported by funding from Homes England, through Karbon’s Strategic Partnership with the government’s housing delivery agency. The strategic partnership has provided Karbon with funding to deliver 2,200 new affordable homes across the North East and Yorkshire over the next few years. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A north Coventry housing development from top 10 housebuilder Keepmoat has been named the Residential Regeneration Project of the Year at a prestigious award ceremony. The Spirit Quarters development, which will breathe new life into a ‘derelict’ 1950s housing estate, was crowned the winner at the Midlands Residential Property Awards 2023 in Birmingham last night. Now in its fifth phase, the development is set to provide Coventry with a thousand new homes and transform the formerly deprived quarter into an appealing destination, whilst generating jobs and reintroducing nature. The development also features modern methods of construction, including the use of timber frames and a prefabricated cassette roof system. This approach will improve insulation and energy efficiency, minimise disruption to local traffic and reduce site waste and its overall environmental impact. To achieve the ambitious goals of this landmark project, the housebuilder partnered with Citizen, Moat House Community Trust, Coventry City Council and West Midlands Combined Authority in the most recent phase. Amanda Bishop, Regional MD of the West Midlands, said: “We’re extremely proud and humbled to have won the Regeneration Project of the Year for our inspirational Spirit Quarters development. At Keepmoat we want to help develop communities and what better example than the former housing estates of Wood End, Henley Green and Manor Farm that had long since fallen into disrepair. “Now, the site boasts a thousand new homes, of which almost a third is affordable housing, attracting more than 900 new homeowners – replacing “no-go” zone with a lively new, urban neighbourhood. The influx of new families has also attracted new shops and amenities, creating a welcoming buzz, new jobs and cementing north Coventry’s status as an up-and-coming area.” Director of Regeneration at Citizen Housing Kevin Roach added: “Citizen are thrilled to be part of an award winning project that will deliver much needed housing in Coventry. Working with Keepmoat has been fundamental to the success of this project.” For more information about Keepmoat and its developments across the Midlands please visit www.keepmoat.com Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A planning application has been submitted this week by X1 Developments and Peel L&P to create 208 “open market” new homes as part of the latest phase of residential development at Peel L&P’s Trafford Waters site in TraffordCity. The proposals being considered will include a mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartments across two buildings, which will also include a first-floor residents roof garden. A range of public greenspaces, including a new waterside park are being created by Peel L&P as part of the wider Trafford Waters development and these new proposed homes will embrace the natural and sustainable surroundings as well as featuring their own large residential roof terrace garden overlooking the wider TraffordCity. The submission by X1 Developments and Peel L&P follows a flurry of good news for Trafford Waters, with planning being recently approved for Montpelier Estates’ innovatively designed homes for elderly living with on-site specialist facilities and amenities for people in need of dementia care; in addition to planning approval for L&Q’s (formerly Trafford Housing Trust) affordable homes scheme which received the go-ahead to create 83 one and two-bedroom homes, which has now started on site. The new residential proposals represent the first wave of homes being brought forward as part of Peel L&P’s wider Trafford Waters development, a scheme that will create 3,000 new homes, over 100,000 sq ft of amenity space and 850,000 sq ft of offices in the area. The development is estimated to create over 5,000 jobs and will include a new primary school plus 20 acres of open spaces for residents, employees and visitors to live, work and enjoy. James Whittaker, Executive Director of Development at Peel L&P said: “Trafford Waters is all about creating a community for everyone. “With L&Q’s affordable homes scheme commencing on site and Montpelier Estates recently receiving planning permission for their elderly living scheme; X1 Developments’ plans will complement our approved schemes whilst creating another offering for our community, making Trafford Waters even more inclusive. “We have a strong and trusted partnership with X1 Developments and we hope that Trafford Council will see how much benefit these plans will bring to the area by not only creating much needed housing but also supporting local job creation, apprenticeships and delivering a vibrant, sustainable, mixed tenure community in TraffordCity.” Nick Sweeney, Founder of X1 Developments added: “X1 are delighted to be partnering with Peel L&P to submit this planning application to bring new ‘open market’ housing to Trafford Waters. “Having successfully worked with Peel L&P on other waterside developments and X1’s track record for delivery, our proposed high-quality residential offering will complement the other homes being developed on site within the emerging Trafford Waters neighbourhood.” Trafford Waters is one of Peel L&P’s seven waterfront regeneration schemes across England and Scotland within the Peel Waters portfolio which will create 30,000 homes, 10 million sq. ft of commercial space and circa 160 acres of public realm over the next 20 to 25 years. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Mitsui Fudosan and Stanhope, as development manager, announce that they have confirmed the appointment of Multiplex as the construction manager for two residential blocks of 345 apartments as part of the second phase of the redevelopment of Television Centre. This announcement demonstrates both the success of the first phase of Television Centre and the developers’ continued confidence in White City and the London market. Enabling works and site preparation will commence in Q3 2023 for 345 luxury apartments in two separate plots designed by Stirling prize-winning architectural practices dRMM and AHMM, following the masterplan established by lead architects AHMM. Main construction is due to commence in 2024. The start of these works anticipates the completion of the masterplan and will further open up the site to local residents, visitors and workers by the creation of a second entrance on Wood Lane and pedestrian connection through to Hammersmith Park via interlinking urban streets. These new buildings are designed to be distinctive and have a character of their own, complementing each other and the buildings established across the wider estate. Jonathan Trout, Property & Commercial Director at Stanhope, said: “We are delighted to be working with Multiplex for the development of 345 new homes on this iconic site which we expect to complete by 2026. The start of phase 2 demonstrates the commitment of Stanhope and Mitsui Fudosan to the delivery of much needed new housing, including affordable, in Hammersmith & Fulham and our long-term commitment to the area.” Tomoo Nakamura, Chief Executive, Mitsui Fudosan, UK said: “We are delighted to announce our appointment of Multiplex and we look forward to working with them to bring forward the procurement of phase 2. As the sole owners of phase 2 we are also delighted to be able to continue to collaborate with Stanhope as development manager for the delivery of 345 new apartments. We have already completed over half a million square feet of office space as well as more than 430 homes on the Television Centre site. We remain focused on ensuring that this development continues to be delivered to the highest standards while we continue to explore other investment opportunities in London.” Topping out has recently been completed on 142 new affordable homes for Peabody in two new buildings called Macfarlane Place at Television Centre, with delivery expected in early 2024. Designed by Maccreanor Lavington Architects, the new buildings will replace the now demolished former BBC multi-storey car park on Wood Lane, W12, opposite Westfield. 1 Wood Crescent has recently completed and is let to PVH with Calvin Klein, Van Heusen and TOMMY HILFIGER undertaking fit out works. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Groundwork is underway with the first spades in the ground at a development set to bring 275 new homes to the Whitehouse area of Milton Keynes. Ashberry Homes is planning to build the homes at Ashberry at Whitehouse Park, on land south of Watling Street and east of Calverton Lane. It’s part of the wider Whitehouse neighbourhood which has outline planning permission for more than 4,000 new homes. Detailed planning permission for this latest collection of 275 homes was granted by Milton Keynes Council earlier this year. Ashberry at Whitehouse Park will feature a selection of one and two-bedroom apartments, and two, three and four-bedroom houses. Lindsey Davenport, Senior Sales Manager for Ashberry Homes, said: “An exciting project lies ahead with this high-quality contribution to Whitehouse. “With groundworks now underway, we are looking forward to starting construction of the new homes at Ashberry at Whitehouse Park and providing homebuyers with a varied choice of quality new-build properties. “This development will help consolidate Ashberry Homes as a reliable and well-established housebuilder in Milton Keynes, helping to provide the new housing the city needs.” Ashberry Homes is part of the Bellway Group, with Bellway’s Northern Home Counties division currently building 175 new homes on a neighbouring site, Bellway at Whitehouse Park, as part of the consortium project. New community facilities, such Whitehouse Primary School, Watling Academy and Whitehouse Surgery, are also open as part of the wider growing neighbourhood. The Whitehouse project is part of the Western Expansion Area of Milton Keynes which has been earmarked for a total of 6,500 new homes. Lindsey said: “There is already such a welcoming community forming within the Whitehouse consortium and the fact there are schools for both primary and secondary-age children here makes it even more appealing for families. “The development is also close to Milton Keynes, and all the city’s amenities, as well as direct train links from Milton Keynes Central into London.” The first homes are due to go on sale at Ashberry at Whitehouse Park in August this year. For more information, call the sales team on 01908 036312 or visit https://www.ashberryhomes.co.uk/new-homes/northern-home-counties/ashberry-at-whitehouse-park. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Bellway South London is investing more than £4,000,000 in local infrastructure in West Sussex, as the company builds new homes at three developments in the county. The developer is delivering a total of 348 homes across sites in Chichester, Crawley and Thakeham, as well as providing new public open space and other facilities for the benefit of local residents. As part of the planning agreement for the developments, the housebuilder is also making contributions which will help fund improvements to roads, air quality, wildlife and allotments. Daniel Williamson, Sales Director of Bellway South London, said: “Through these three developments, we are contributing a total of more than £4,000,000 to help improve a range of local facilities in Crawley, Thakeham and Chichester. “These contributions are perfect examples of how new homes can deliver wider benefits to the communities where we build. The planning agreements ensure funding is in place to support the local authority as new residents move in, thereby enabling services to be improved or to increase capacity.” Bellway South London is building 88 new homes at Indigo Park, off Shopwhyke Road in Chichester. The development will provide 77 private homes and 11 affordable properties for local people as well as a children’s play area. The housebuilder is contributing more than £230,000 towards improvements to the A27 in the area and more than £51,000 towards mitigation for the Chichester Harbour Special Protection Area. At Riverbrook Place in Crawley, the developer is delivering 185 new homes, with 111 homes for private sale and 74 affordable homes, and a kick-about space to the north of the site. Bellway is contributing over £127,000 toward outdoor sports space, more than £20,000 towards allotments and £20,000 towards the relocation and upgrade of bus stops on Steers Lane. Bellway is also building 75 new homes at Abingworth Fields, on a site off Abingworth Crescent in the village of Thakeham. The development will feature 49 properties for private sale, including eight two-bedroom houses for the over-55s, as well as 26 affordable properties for local people, plus workshops for local businesses, open space and allotments. Financial contributions here include £31,000 to help Thakeham Parish Council implement its strategy to improve air quality and £28,000 towards the running costs of the village hall. Daniel said: “As part of these planning agreements, we are delivering on a range of commitments which will bring positive benefits to the local communities. Public open spaces and children’s playgrounds will enable residents to get together in an outdoor environment while allotments will allow people to grow their own food. “In addition to this, the employment opportunities provided by Bellway to staff and contractors, who are often local people, and the extra money new residents will spend within the local economy are further evidence of the positive impact these developments will have within their communities. “Our ongoing commitment to building much-needed new homes and creating new communities in West Sussex is further supported by two new sites that we have coming soon. “Work has started to build 287 new homes at Elizabeth Square in Worthing, and a further 247 new homes at Fallow Wood View in Burgess Hill will soon start to be built, and these developments will generate further funding for local infrastructure there.” For more information about Bellway South London’s developments in West Sussex, visit https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/south-london. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Previously dubbed the most “luxurious cinema in Nottingham”, the Grade II-listed Picture House building in Long Row will be given a new lease of life after receiving planning permission for its conversion into nine, one and two-bedroom flats at the heart of the city – with the help of heritage specialists at Nottingham planning consultancy Marrons. Designed by local firm CBP architects, Market Square Developments will be funding the significant conversion of the self-contained flats, which will include subdivision of the old main auditorium, the conversion of the first, second and third floors of the front section of the building, and the conversion of the original projection room and reel store. The historic cinema opened in 1912 and was originally designed to seat 670 cinema-goers, with two cafes and a restaurant, electric lifts, 14 internal telephones and 10 electrically-driven clocks. Despite its popularity, it closed in 1930. Since then, the building has seen a variety of occupants, including an arcade, a nightclub and retailers. A betting shop currently occupies the ground floor, while the upper floors have lain empty and unused for the past decade. Adam Partington, heritage expert at Marrons who led the planning application, said: “The space has been empty for a number of years now; its side entranceway makes it a challenging spot for typical high street users but the architecture makes it a totally unique space to create beautiful homes. “The challenge was sub dividing the large internal void to create a series of apartments that all receive natural light from existing openings. The designs show that this is capable while maintaining respect for the important heritage of the building, which is located in the Old Market Square Conservation Area. We look forward to seeing these apartments come to life.” Richard and Stuart Singh, managing directors and partners at Market Square Developments, said: “We’re really excited to get this project off the ground and under construction. It’s an amazing central location for individuals and couples looking to live in the heart of the city and makes the best use of what has been a deserted space for more than a decade.” The apartments are due to commence refurbishment this month and will be bought to the market to sell in January 2024. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Construction work on all homes at seven Bellway developments across the North East is due to be completed this year, delivering more than 1,100 new homes for people in the area. Building work is nearing the final stages at Arcot Manor in Cramlington, Moorfields in Killingworth, Burdon Rise in Ryhope, Havannah Park in Hazlerigg, Ottermead at Jameson Manor and The Listed at Ottermead in Ponteland and at Northdene in North Shields. As well as providing much-needed new homes, Bellway is contributing £7.8 million to improve local facilities and infrastructure as part of the planning agreements with local authorities for these developments. Bellway North East Sales Director, Emma Chesterton, said: “The hard work of the whole Bellway North East team – from our construction and sales teams on site to everyone at our headquarters in Gateshead – has helped us get to the point where we are nearing completion of seven developments across the region. “With our roots in the region, we are committed to significant investment in housing and infrastructure across Newcastle and the wider North East.” By the end of the year Bellway will have delivered 226 homes at Arcot Manor in Cramlington, as well as investing £1.9 million in local infrastructure, while at Havannah Park in nearby Hazlerigg, 224 homes will have been built, with funding from Bellway of £2.2 million towards local services including education, healthcare, roads and wildlife. At Moorfields in Killingworth, 336 homes have been provided by Bellway, with Ashberry Homes, part of Bellway Group, continuing work on a further 91 homes at Moorfields View to complete the wider 427-home neighbourhood – which has generated investment of more than £900,000 for schools, roads, healthcare and parks. Meanwhile, in Ponteland, two developments are nearing completion on the former Northumbria Police HQ site off North Road. Ottermead at Jameson Park consists of 184 new homes, while The Listed at Ottermead comprises 22 Grade II-listed Arts and Crafts-style properties which have been carefully restored into apartments and houses. The redevelopment of the site has also seen £1.5 million provided for local facilities. At Northdene in North Shields, a further 75 new homes have transformed a disused former reservoir site, as well as bringing more than £460,000 in contributions for primary schools, parks, play areas, sports facilities, playing pitches, allotments, wildlife and employment and training. And at Burdon Rise in Ryhope, Bellway has built 109 new four and five-bedroom houses, as well as investing £1.5 million in the local area, with funding for affordable housing, primary schools, play equipment, ecology and habitats, and roads. Emma continues: “We are not just building houses, we are creating a real sense of place and a sense of community at our developments. Bellway’s funding will not only benefit the new residents at these developments, but also people living in the wider community. “Looking back, it’s important to take stock of everything the team has achieved, and it’s particularly rewarding to see all these completed developments coming through, with residents and communities growing by the week.” For more information about Bellway developments in the North East, visit https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/north-east. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
