Build-To-Rent (BTR) provider Placefirst is set to invest in the delivery of 220 homes in Sunderland. Placefirst has been appointed as Preferred Development Partner by Sunderland City Council to deliver 140 new homes at Farringdon Row, the second residential neighbourhood within the transformative Riverside Sunderland masterplan. The sustainable new community
ilke Homes will deliver up to 449 highly energy-efficient homes in Kent, in partnership with housing association The Riverside Group. Subject to Reserved Matters planning approval from Thanet District Council, ilke Homes plans to deliver a mix of houses and apartments ranging from one to four bedrooms across a mix
McGoff Construction has started work on site at the its latest residential development in Manchester. The site, located on Rochdale Road, which was previously Rochdale Road Gas Works and home to other industrious businesses, has been derelict for some time. In recent months extensive investigations has been carried out with
Work is underway on the last phase of Radbrook Village – a luxury housing scheme on the site of a former college in Shrewsbury. Floreat Homes and building contractor S J Roberts Construction will be releasing just 27 homes in the final phase of development, with the first properties becoming
A new collection of high-quality family homes in the sought-after village of Felsted have come to market with award-winning property group, Beresfords. Scholars Green is located on a private turning, Watch House Green, and includes three and four-bedroom homes – with prices starting at £560,000. The properties are framed beautifully
The regeneration of Perry Barr in Birmingham took another step forwards today as it was confirmed that construction is now complete on the first phase of the Perry Barr Residential Scheme. Almost 1,000 much-needed new homes are now available for rent or sale on a former university campus in the
Construction work on first phase of the Perry Barr Residential Scheme in Birmingham is now complete. Almost 1,000 new homes are now available for rent or sale on a former university campus in the north of the city. Completion of the new homes was announced at the same time that
Cruden Homes, part of the Cruden Group, has started working to deliver more than 120 homes in the heart of East Calder in West Lothian. The new development forms part of a wider masterplan at Raw Holdings which will see a total of 300 new homes created. The development, named Wellwater Grove, is
Countryside Partnerships has secured planning approval for the first phase of Haddon Cross, a new development forming part of the Great Haddon sustainable urban extension to the southwest of Peterborough. The first phase will deliver 157 new homes, of which 78 will be for sale on the open market under
Leading and award winning build-to-rent provider Placefirst has submitted a full planning application for its exciting 146 home BTR scheme in Newcastle. Named Benwell Dene, plans for the site, located two miles west of Newcastle city centre, would deliver a variety of two, three and four-bedroom homes available for long
Build-To-Rent (BTR) provider Placefirst is set to invest in the delivery of 220 homes in Sunderland. Placefirst has been appointed as Preferred Development Partner by Sunderland City Council to deliver 140 new homes at Farringdon Row, the second residential neighbourhood within the transformative Riverside Sunderland masterplan. The sustainable new community will benefit from views across the Wear and the regenerated Riverside Park and support the diversification of the housing offer and repopulation of the city centre. Placefirst will deliver an exemplar BTR neighbourhood of high-quality energy efficient homes specially designed for long term rent. It will also feature a network of communal and public open spaces that will enhance connectivity throughout the new Riverside Sunderland community. The project team will include locally based architects IDP, development consultants Identity Consult and landscape architects Southern Green. A planning application is anticipated later in the year, with development planned to start in spring 2024. “We are excited to be working in partnership with Sunderland City Council on these projects and building on our existing track record of creating high-quality neighbourhoods in this region. The Riverside Sunderland masterplan is one of the most ambitious residential regeneration projects in the UK and Farringdon Row and Nile Villiers will play a big part in setting the standard for BTR developments throughout the North East. We look forward to progressing with the plans and bringing both these schemes to life, bringing much needed quality new rental homes to the area,” said David Mawson, chief executive officer at Placefirst. Placefirst manage every aspect of their neighbourhoods, from the first rental enquiry through to fully maintaining each home with an on-site presence once complete. Residents at Farringdon Row would benefit from skilled, friendly in-house teams, and dedicated resident services managers. Placefirst will also support Sunderland City Council and its partners in the funding and delivery of up to 80 homes at Nile and Villiers in Sunniside, which Placefirst will then own and manage. The scheme forms part of the Council’s City Centre Housing Ecosystem which received support from Round 1 of the Levelling Up Fund. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
ilke Homes will deliver up to 449 highly energy-efficient homes in Kent, in partnership with housing association The Riverside Group. Subject to Reserved Matters planning approval from Thanet District Council, ilke Homes plans to deliver a mix of houses and apartments ranging from one to four bedrooms across a mix of tenures – including social rent, shared ownership and build-to-rent. ilke Homes and The Riverside group are collaborating to finalise the proposals and will be submitting for Reserved Matters planning in the next month. Subject to planning, a start on site is anticipated in early in 2024. Being delivered on a 21-acre site owned by The Riverside Group, most of the homes will be manufactured offsite at ilke Homes’ 250,000 sq ft factory in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, where ilke Homes deploys precision-engineering techniques along production lines to deliver high-quality, energy-efficient homes. Selected via a procurement exercise managed by EN Procure Ltd, ilke Homes were chosen because of the company’s ability to deliver value for money, and a quality product whilst unlocking an accelerated delivery programme. ilke Homes will deliver the site under its ‘design and build’ offering, by which it gains planning permission, manufactures the homes and develops the site. This vertically integrated approach will help control build costs and speed up construction programmes. Precision-engineering techniques mean that ilke Homes will be able to deliver the 449 homes in half the time of traditional methods, thanks to most of the construction stage taking place offsite. By manufacturing offsite, the homes delivered will be of the highest quality, as ilke Homes is able to benchmark standards at numerous stages of the build cycle. By harnessing artificial intelligence, robotics, and digital design, the modular housing company is capable of creating homes that are incredibly well insulated, meaning less heat escapes, consequently reducing bills. This will help reduce household bills for tenants, who are the most likely to be affected by the cost-of-living crisis, while minimising operating costs for The Riverside Group. ilke Homes will be submitting a Reserved Matters planning application to Thanet District Council at the end April and subject to planning, anticipate starting work on site in early 2024. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
McGoff Construction has started work on site at the its latest residential development in Manchester. The site, located on Rochdale Road, which was previously Rochdale Road Gas Works and home to other industrious businesses, has been derelict for some time. In recent months extensive investigations has been carried out with McGoff Construction preparing the land for build. The archaeological test pits are complete, and the demolition of all smaller buildings will now take place. Part of Manchester City Council’s Victoria North Strategic Regeneration Framework, the new £50m development, which will be part of the Group’s ‘Downtown’ brand, will comprise 237 homes, including a range of one, two and three bedroom apartments. In addition, there will duplex apartments with some of these properties benefiting from garages and storage areas, including a private drive. Known as Downtown Victoria North, it will be a true Build to Rent development, with Downtown Asset Management maintaining ownership and managing rental lettings. Creating a superb new community in the city centre, the development will offer a spacious communal lobby with 24hr concierge, a stylish resident lounge, meeting area and gym facilities, as well as secure underground parking for 29 cars and a cycle store. There will also be landscaped grounds and courtyards within the development for resident-only use. With construction now underway and the Manchester project scheduled to take approximately 145 weeks to complete, Brendan Caloe, Head of Special Projects Division within McGoff Construction, commented: “It’s great to be back building in the city centre and the plans for Downtown Victoria North are excellent, with a choice of one, two and three bedroom apartments set within a stunning development.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Work is underway on the last phase of Radbrook Village – a luxury housing scheme on the site of a former college in Shrewsbury. Floreat Homes and building contractor S J Roberts Construction will be releasing just 27 homes in the final phase of development, with the first properties becoming available later this year. The homes will be a mix of three, four and five-bedroom houses. Twenty-three of the homes will be made available for sale on the open market and four for shared ownership – a first for the development. Walker House, a large double-fronted property in use when the site was a college, will be transformed into two large semi-detached homes, offering period styling with modern features. It follows in the footsteps of Radbrook Hall, a large Victorian schoolhouse, which was sensitively refurbished in an earlier phase of building work, creating a centrepiece for the luxury scheme. Sharon Rivers, development manager at Floreat Homes, said: “This is such an exciting phase of the development and a fitting way to complete work on the site. “As well as showcasing contemporary design in our new build homes we’re eager to keep as much of the original architecture of Walker House as possible. The history of the site allows us to offer these unique places to live, and we can’t wait to release these homes to the market. “We anticipate there to be considerable demand for these high quality, high specification homes with buyers already requesting to be on our early bird list.” Mike Sambrook, Managing Director at S J Roberts Construction, said: “S J Roberts Construction has worked closely with Floreat Homes for over five years delivering fantastic homes on Radbrook Village and we are delighted to have been selected to construct the final phase of this prestigious development.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A new collection of high-quality family homes in the sought-after village of Felsted have come to market with award-winning property group, Beresfords. Scholars Green is located on a private turning, Watch House Green, and includes three and four-bedroom homes – with prices starting at £560,000. The properties are framed beautifully in the exquisite village where Felsted’s beautifully maintained 16th-century buildings and historic independent school founded in 1564 resounds to the knock of willow on leather, and on the other by open fields and ancient farmland. The development’s name acknowledges the heritage of the school and the verdant area. Scholars Green has a broad sense of open space and mature trees and planting, which characterises this collection’s countryside setting. The contemporary design of the family homes nod to a traditional style and across the collection, subtle variations in design and tone feature to give each its own distinctive character, with a much of the design influenced by modern living and working practices adopted in very recent years, including dedicated spaces to accommodate remote working, an open orchard space and local variety fruit trees in each garden. The properties of course have high-spec fittings throughout including bespoke well-designed kitchens fitted with boiling taps, downlighters, high grade appliances and premium granite surfaces. Rated outstanding by Ofsted, Felsted Primary is just a short walk away from the development or Felsted School Prep for the gateway to Felsted public school. Great Leighs Primary and Ford Church of England Primary are just four miles away from the site. A short drive from the A120, M11 and just 13 miles from Stansted Airport, Scholars’ Green is well positioned for commuting further afield. “Scholars’ Green brings a unique opportunity for families to find their dream home, in a peaceful setting next to open farmland, but within a vibrant village location. The exclusive development truly emerges itself within the area’s impressive heritage and the surrounding countryside and I’m sure these homes will attract great interest,” said Aaron Breakwell, director of new homes and land at Beresfords. A Coronation Orchard Planting ceremony will also be taking place at the development, on Thursday 20 April at 3pm, where the developers, the development’s financers, key stakeholders involved, and current residents of Scholars Close are invited to see trees planted at the site. “We’re delighted to be welcoming everyone to the official tree planting ceremony, ahead of King Charles’ Coronation. The ceremony will mark the official completion of Scholars Green and an opportunity to say thank you to those who have helped to get this development on the map! We look forward to seeing you all there,” concluded Alex Woodfield, managing director of Welland Partners Development. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The regeneration of Perry Barr in Birmingham took another step forwards today as it was confirmed that construction is now complete on the first phase of the Perry Barr Residential Scheme. Almost 1,000 much-needed new homes are now available for rent or sale on a former university campus in the north of the city. Completion of the new homes was announced at the same time that Lendlease, the principal contractor for the scheme on behalf of Birmingham City Council, revealed the project has beaten a number of targets it was set in order to help support the local economy and bring wider community benefits. More than 650 new jobs have been created for local people throughout the construction, including almost 100 apprenticeships, and more than 1,350 people have been upskilled on the site. Highlights included a Women in Construction course, which promotes opportunities for women in the construction industry across the UK, funded through the Home Builders Federation. Participants received advice and guidance, as well as training in various areas of construction, and two weeks’ work experience. Lendlease also worked with Solihull College to deliver English for Construction courses for people who have English as a second language, a key tool for increasing safety through better communication on a site which at its peak had 26 different nationalities of workers on the project. Participants who completed the course were rewarded with a Level 1 Health and Safety in Construction qualification. Over the course of the £326m contract, £267m has been spent by Lendlease with local businesses, and workers have devoted 2,679 hours to volunteering in the local area – the equivalent of four months of continuous work, and nearly three times the target they were set. This included working with Eden Boys School and Welford Primary School to build and maintain outdoor learning areas, as well as collecting for local food banks. Designs created by students from Birmingham Metropolitan College were exhibited on site hoardings visible near the site to raise awareness of Single Use Plastics (SUP). This was inspired by the SUP Ambassadors programme, a project developed with students from Eden Boys’ School, that aimed to raise awareness of SUP and its impact on the environment, people and wildlife. Lendlease, together with construction partners, also sponsored the production of a new book aimed at educating primary school children on avoiding single use plastics, which was launched at Calshot Primary School, and was distributed to primary schools across Birmingham. The new homes at Perry Barr consist of a mix of homes for rent and sale, surrounded by accessible green space. The tallest building on the scheme tops out at fifteen storeys and the first residents are expected to move in later this year. The scheme is part of a wider £700million-plus regeneration of Perry Barr in the north-west of the city, including improved leisure and community facilities along with upgraded transport infrastructure, all of which is underpinned by the Perry Barr 2040 Masterplan, developed by the Council in partnership with local residents and stakeholders. Lendlease are the Management Contractor for this first phase of the Perry Barr Residential Scheme, working with Kier, Willmott Dixon, PJ Careys and Vinci UK to deliver the project. Quote attributable to Anna Evans, Project director for the Perry Barr Residential Scheme, Lendlease: “I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved at the end of this project. Despite the challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic, the team responded quickly to adapt to new ways of working and tirelessly devoted themselves to completing the project. Not only that, everybody went above and beyond to truly create a lasting legacy for Perry Barr, with new jobs, skills and sustainability initiatives. I want to thank everybody involved for their hard work and I look forward to seeing the first residents moving in and enjoying this vibrant new neighbourhood.” Quote attributable to Cllr Ian Ward, Leader of Birmingham City Council: “Perry Barr is being transformed and the completion of these much-needed homes is another major milestone in the ongoing regeneration of an area that has long been deserving of investment. “We’re determined that neighbourhoods across the city will reap the rewards of this golden decade of opportunity, and with major improvements to transport infrastructure, the redevelopment of the Alexander Stadium into a world-class sporting facility and the Perry Barr 2040 Masterplan, it’s clear that north west Birmingham is already benefitting. “Success for Birmingham must mean success for the people and communities of Birmingham, so it is especially pleasing that we have partnered with contractors who have a clear commitment to ensuring that existing residents and communities benefit from their work.” Find out more about the Perry Parr regeneration scheme at https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/info/50253/perry_barr_regeneration Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Construction work on first phase of the Perry Barr Residential Scheme in Birmingham is now complete. Almost 1,000 new homes are now available for rent or sale on a former university campus in the north of the city. Completion of the new homes was announced at the same time that Lendlease, the principal contractor for the scheme on behalf of Birmingham City Council, revealed the project has beaten a number of targets it was set in order to help support the local economy and bring wider community benefits. More than 650 new jobs have been created for local people throughout the construction, including almost 100 apprenticeships, and more than 1,350 people have been upskilled on the site. Highlights included a Women in Construction course, which promotes opportunities for women in the construction industry across the UK, funded through the Home Builders Federation. Participants received advice and guidance, as well as training in various areas of construction, and two weeks’ work experience. Lendlease also worked with Solihull College to deliver English for Construction courses for people who have English as a second language, a key tool for increasing safety through better communication on a site which at its peak had 26 different nationalities of workers on the project. Participants who completed the course were rewarded with a Level 1 Health and Safety in Construction qualification. Over the course of the £326m contract, £267m has been spent by Lendlease with local businesses, and workers have devoted 2,679 hours to volunteering in the local area – the equivalent of four months of continuous work, and nearly three times the target they were set. This included working with Eden Boys School and Welford Primary School to build and maintain outdoor learning areas, as well as collecting for local food banks. Designs created by students from Birmingham Metropolitan College were exhibited on site hoardings visible near the site to raise awareness of Single Use Plastics (SUP). This was inspired by the SUP Ambassadors programme, a project developed with students from Eden Boys’ School, that aimed to raise awareness of SUP and its impact on the environment, people and wildlife. Lendlease, together with construction partners, also sponsored the production of a new book aimed at educating primary school children on avoiding single use plastics, which was launched at Calshot Primary School, and was distributed to primary schools across Birmingham. The new homes at Perry Barr consist of a mix of homes for rent and sale, surrounded by accessible green space. The tallest building on the scheme tops out at fifteen storeys and the first residents are expected to move in later this year. The scheme is part of a wider £700million-plus regeneration of Perry Barr in the north-west of the city, including improved leisure and community facilities along with upgraded transport infrastructure, all of which is underpinned by the Perry Barr 2040 Masterplan, developed by the Council in partnership with local residents and stakeholders. Lendlease are the Management Contractor for this first phase of the Perry Barr Residential Scheme, working with Kier, Willmott Dixon, PJ Careys and Vinci UK to deliver the project. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Cruden Homes, part of the Cruden Group, has started working to deliver more than 120 homes in the heart of East Calder in West Lothian. The new development forms part of a wider masterplan at Raw Holdings which will see a total of 300 new homes created. The development, named Wellwater Grove, is positioned near East Calder Main Street and in close proximity to local schools, leisure facilities, shops, Almondell & Calderwood Country Park and the award-winning contemporary garden, Jupiter Artland. Situated just two miles east of Livingston, the development benefits from excellent commuter links with Edinburgh, which is less than a 30-minute drive away, with Glasgow just a 40-minute drive away. Cruden Homes is building 45 new homes for private sale and a further 75 affordable homes on behalf of Link Housing – incorporating 42 homes for social rent and 33 for mid-market rent. Designed by EMA Architects, the development will feature a variety of affordable house types, including one- and two-bedroom cottage flats, two bedroom bungalows, two and three bedroom terraced houses and three bedroom semi-detached houses. The new private homes will comprise three bedroom semi-detached and four-bedroom detached houses. The detached homes all have ensuites and integrated garages. The show home for the development is expected to launch this summer and the first phase of homes will be completed in autumn this year. Fraser Lynes, Managing Director of Cruden Homes said: “Wellwater Grove is an exciting addition to the area, bringing 120 much needed mixed tenure high quality and energy-efficient new homes to East Calder. The development is ideally positioned with excellent commuter links and a host of amenities on the doorstep. The masterplan will also create significant areas of open space, improved cycle routes and improved connections to the wider area.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Countryside Partnerships has secured planning approval for the first phase of Haddon Cross, a new development forming part of the Great Haddon sustainable urban extension to the southwest of Peterborough. The first phase will deliver 157 new homes, of which 78 will be for sale on the open market under the Countryside Homes brand, and the remaining 79 will be affordable homes that will be owned and managed by Platform Housing Group following a recently signed agreement. 25 affordable homes were required under the planning agreement, with the additional 54 being provided over and above this requirement. Alongside future phases, the scheme will deliver a total of up to 1,499 homes and will include 7.5 hectares of amenity open space, 8.4 hectares of accessible natural green space, three play facilities for children and young people, a 4.5-hectare playing field, a 1-hectare allotment and new water features. This is Countryside’s second scheme within the wider Great Haddon masterplan. It is currently selling homes at Fletton Folly, a development of 347 two-, three- and four-bedroom houses. The wider Great Haddon site has outline planning permission for up to 5,350 new homes, a district centre and two neighbourhood centres comprising retail, community and health, leisure, residential and commercial uses. The planning consent also includes provision for education facilities, sport and recreational facilities, strategic open space, landscaping, associated infrastructure and servicing. Infrastructure works are already underway on the site and construction work on the new homes will start in the coming weeks. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Leading and award winning build-to-rent provider Placefirst has submitted a full planning application for its exciting 146 home BTR scheme in Newcastle. Named Benwell Dene, plans for the site, located two miles west of Newcastle city centre, would deliver a variety of two, three and four-bedroom homes available for long term rent. The proposed scheme will redevelop the 2.75ha brownfield site which has been vacant for over a decade. Benwell Dene has been designed in partnership with JM Architects and Southern Green. The design integrates a network of sustainable urban drainage systems and Placefirst’s well renowned communal green spaces, as well as public open space and an area dedicated to habitat creation and biodiversity net gain. The plans also respond to the historic layout of the site, working with the existing levels to create a modern and sustainable interpretation of the traditional terrace street pattern, with unique communal spaces which maximise views across the Tyne Valley. Placefirst has worked collaboratively with Newcastle City Council and earlier this year held a public consultation to present the proposed scheme and engage with local residents for their input. Other key members of the project team include civil and structural engineers, Curtins, project managers and planning consultants, Identity Consult, and MEP consultants, TACE. All homes have been designed to a high specification and with a focus on sustainability and energy efficiency, with a fabric first approach to maximise thermal efficiency and renewable technologies including photovoltaic panels and air source heat pumps. The neighbourhood will also accommodate electric vehicle charging and a resident car club. 37 homes have been designed as Part M4(2) accessible and adaptable homes. Placefirst has an impressive portfolio of single-family rental homes in the North East which continues to grow. Neighbourhoods include ‘The Green’ in Hartlepool, ‘Scholars View’ in Hetton-le-Hole, a thriving community of 116 new build homes, and ‘The Oaks’ at Esh Winning in Durham, where work started in September 2022 to build the largest delivery of bungalows in a generation in the area. Placefirst manages every aspect of each neighbourhood with specialist teams, from the first rental enquiry through to maintaining each home with an on site presence once complete. Residents at Benwell Dene would benefit from skilled, friendly in-house teams, and dedicated resident services managers. If approved, work is expected to start later this year. James Litherland, head of planning at Placefirst commented: “Our plans for Benwell Dene seek to provide quality and choice in the single-family BTR sector which is currently underserved in Newcastle. We have designed a stand out neighbourhood which integrates sustainable features such as an innovative urban drainage network, communal open space and areas dedicated to resident well-being and habitat creation.” “We are excited about the opportunity to transform this prominent brownfield site in the heart of the West End into an exceptional neighbourhood of 146 new homes. It has been designed specifically for long term rent and residents would benefit from well-maintained, energy efficient homes, with a strong sense of community.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
