The new partnership between Wates Residential and Orbit will bring a further 42 new homes to the London Borough of Bexley. Already creating more than 700 homes in Bexley, the partnership will further contribute to the redevelopments of a site on West Street in Erith. “We are delighted to be
A key milestone has been reached by a Manchester apartment scheme ahead of its opening next month. Contractor McGoff marked the completion of Phase Two’s concrete frame with a topping out ceremony at Downtown on Woden Street. When complete, Downtown will provide 374 apartments with high end facilities and hotel-style
Galliford Try Partnerships has been named to deliver the first 725 homes at Enfield Council’s £6 billion Meridian Water scheme. After a robust evaluation of four very strong bids, Enfield Council’s Cabinet decided that developer Galliford Try Partnerships is best placed to deliver on value, quality, design and financial robustness.
Willmott Dixon has won a £34 million council house building contract to deliver 266 new homes on a site in Wolverhampton. The company will be completing the project for WV Living on the site for the Wednesfield High School on Lakefield Road, Wednesfield. The new development, named ‘The Marches’, will
A contract to build Powys County Council’s first affordable housing development for social rent in over 40 years has been awarded to a Welsh building company. Port Talbot-based Jistcourt has been appointed as lead contractor to build a three-storey building containing 26 one-bedroomed flats in Newtown. The company, who are
A £102 million contract has been sealed by Balfour Beatty for the delivery of 302 Zero Carbon Homes near the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The firm will build phase one of the East Wick and Sweetwater development, which involves four mixed use buildings, including 302 apartments, townhouses and duplex residencies
In an attempt to boost house building, south east housing association L&Q is in talks to take over the North West’s Trafford Housing Trust. The acquisition, which is expected to be completed this June, will unlock a further £4 billion of investment in the North West by combining the capabilities
Essex is due to see the arrival of 5,000 new homes delivered by Grosvenor Britain & Ireland. The property group announced plans to deliver a new distinctive community on a 1,160 acre site east of the city after securing a new partnership with landowner Hammonds Estates LLP. “This new partnership
Building work on new council homes in Manchester has been completed by Willmott Dixon. A total of 40 new council homes in north Manchester have been handed over to tenants, while a further 20 new shared ownership homes were bought by the City Council to help residents on to the
Following on from the inaugural exhibition in October 2018, the Bristol Housing Festival’s (BHF) first two projects are now underway. Demonstrating innovation in technology, community building and land use, these projects are being made possible by the multiple partner collaborations on each scheme. Jez Sweetland, Project Director of BHF “I
The new partnership between Wates Residential and Orbit will bring a further 42 new homes to the London Borough of Bexley. Already creating more than 700 homes in Bexley, the partnership will further contribute to the redevelopments of a site on West Street in Erith. “We are delighted to be able to continue our award-winning work with Orbit, which has already led to more than 700 new homes in Bexley either being built or in the pipeline. We look forward to getting started on the West Street project, which will not only deliver more crucial housing for the area but will also lead to increased employment and training opportunities for local residents,” said Paul Nicholls, Managing Director of Wates Residential. The £9.4 million scheme will see vacant buildings including a former car parts warehouse replaced with a contemporary low-rise design including seven homes for London Affordable Rent, 14 homes for London Living Rent and 21 homes for Shared Ownership sale. The plans also include a car park with electric charging points and large community garden. The development of the site forms part of Orbit’s long-term strategy for delivering high quality new homes in Erith and the wider region, and will contribute towards improvements to the quality of the streetscape and the overall appearance of the local area. “We are pleased to once again be partnering with Wates to deliver much needed affordable housing to local people in Bexley. Wates understands our aim of ‘building thriving communities’ and we look forward to delivering more high quality homes for local families who need them,” added Shina Olalekan, Head of Development at Orbit. As part of the West Street project, Wates Residential and Orbit have also pledged to provide employment and training opportunities for local residents. It follows Orbit and Wates Residential’s successful regeneration of Larner Road into the award-winning Erith Park in Bexley. The contractor has also been appointed to help deliver Orbit’s proposed £95 million regeneration of the Arthur Street housing estate in Bexley, featuring 280 new homes.
A key milestone has been reached by a Manchester apartment scheme ahead of its opening next month. Contractor McGoff marked the completion of Phase Two’s concrete frame with a topping out ceremony at Downtown on Woden Street. When complete, Downtown will provide 374 apartments with high end facilities and hotel-style services including lobby with 24 hour concierge, gymnasium, spa, media room, postal room, dry and chilled storage, private dining, business centre as well as landscaped grounds and roof terraces. The first residents are due to arrive at the new development in May 2019. “The collaboration between McGoff Construction, Heyrod Construction, Alliance Investments, our legal team, architect and Wellesley has been incredible. Developing this bespoke partnership has enabled us to take advantage of Downtown impressive sales success and start build of Phase II two much earlier than planned,” said Chris McGoff, director at the McGoff Group. “As we near the end of construction at Downtown, and reflect on its success, we can safely say that our collaboration was a truly unique and refreshing way to work in the construction industry. With all apartments selling quickly off-plan, the McGoff Construction team was agile with regards to the build programme, fully supported by Heyrod Construction, which not only saved money but also allowed us to accelerate the build of Phase II without the need to negotiate based on better than envisaged sales. With such a solid partnership in place, and the results to prove it, Wellesley was happy to adapt and release funds for Phase II early. It really has been a success story with regards to both sales and construction on site,” he added.
Galliford Try Partnerships has been named to deliver the first 725 homes at Enfield Council’s £6 billion Meridian Water scheme. After a robust evaluation of four very strong bids, Enfield Council’s Cabinet decided that developer Galliford Try Partnerships is best placed to deliver on value, quality, design and financial robustness. “This is the start of a bright new era for Meridian Water and we welcome Galliford Try Partnerships to the team. We are extremely excited to be working with Galliford Try as they have demonstrated that they will be able to deliver quality, well-designed homes in a timely manner and social infrastructure that reflects the Meridian Water vision,” said Enfield Council’s Leader, Cllr Nesil Caliskan. The first homes will be built by 2022 and will include a significant number of affordable units, as well as new public squares, shops and leisure facilities. The new homes will be delivered around the new Meridian Water train station, which is due to open next month and serve up to four million rail passengers a year. Outline planning permission is already in place for the new homes, with construction enabling work having started in January 2017. The first phase forms part of the £6 billion Meridian Water development, which will deliver 10,000 homes and 6,000 jobs, alongside world-class public spaces, community facilities and road and rail networks. “We are delighted to have been selected to work in close partnership with Enfield Council and the local communities on the delivery of Meridian One as a new vibrant mixed-use, mixed-tenure neighbourhood. We will create an environment for local people to thrive – providing quality affordable homes, opportunities for local start-up businesses to flourish, great public spaces and a design which celebrates the parkland character of the Lea Valley. It is a great opportunity to demonstrate responsible and accountable regeneration through a responsible, accountable partnership,” commented Stephen Teagle, Chief Executive of Galliford Try Partnerships. In addition, the search for a new developer for Meridian Two, at Leeside Road has also started. The scheme will deliver circa 250 affordable homes with workspace on the lower floors, earmarked to bring makers and creators to the area. The appointment of Galliford Try Partnerships as the Master Developer for Meridian One is subject to call in, the statutory stand-still period and is also subject to contract.
Willmott Dixon has won a £34 million council house building contract to deliver 266 new homes on a site in Wolverhampton. The company will be completing the project for WV Living on the site for the Wednesfield High School on Lakefield Road, Wednesfield. The new development, named ‘The Marches’, will include 67 affordable homes and comprise of one, two, three and four bedroom homes for sale. “This is fantastic news for WV Living and for the city, The Marches will provide much needed quality homes to rent and high quality homes to buy. WV Living is continuing to support the overall house building programme in the City of Wolverhampton and in appointing Willmott Dixon we will also see real, long-lasting benefits for the local community,” said Kate Martin, Director for Housing, City of Wolverhampton Council. “Willmott Dixon’s business commitment to social value and sustainable futures is a real strength and we are confident this development will also boost local business and skills, and add further pace to housing growth across the city,” added Kate Martin. Willmorr Dixon is working with BM3 Architecture on this project and the first homes are scheduled to be ready for tenants by the end of the year. 67 homes out of the total of 266 will be affordable. “We are delighted to be working with WV Living to develop and build over 260 new houses and apartments, creating new housing stock for the people of Wolverhampton. At Willmott Dixon, we also believe we have a purpose beyond profit and that includes leaving a lasting positive legacy in the areas where we work,” commented Simon Liversage, Director for Willmott Dixon in the Midlands. The development is part of WV Living’s plans to deliver more than 1,000 new homes across the city over four years. WV Living is also developing three further sites as part of its phase one developments, with 52 houses on the site of the former Danesmore Park Primary School in Ashmore Park, 25 at the former Ettingshall Primary School site, and 40 at the former Prouds Lane leisure centre site.
A contract to build Powys County Council’s first affordable housing development for social rent in over 40 years has been awarded to a Welsh building company. Port Talbot-based Jistcourt has been appointed as lead contractor to build a three-storey building containing 26 one-bedroomed flats in Newtown. The company, who are committed to using local sub-contractors, is a major player in the building and civil engineering industry and have worked with a number of councils and housing associations in Wales. The £3.5m development, which is being built on land adjacent to Newtown Bowling Club at Back Lane, will provide low-carbon accommodation available at an affordable rent. Home grown timber will be used as part of its construction with timber being used for both the primary structure and external materials, including windows and doors, which supports the council’s Wood Encouragement Policy. The Welsh Government has granted almost £2.2m in funding through its Innovative Housing Programme towards the development of the flats. Cllr James Evans, Cabinet Member for Housing, said: “I’m delighted that Jistcourt (South Wales) Ltd have been appointed as the lead contractor for this exciting and innovative social housing development project. “This development, which will meet the needs of the local community, is just the first of many housing developments that we are planning across the county. It will also help meet our Vision 2025 – to build a minimum of 250 affordable homes across the county by 2023. “We are looking forward to working with Jistcourt for the duration of this construction project.” Rob Norman, Chairman of Jistcourt, said: “We are looking forward to working with Powys County Council on this exciting new development to provide 26 new affordable housing units in Newtown.”
A £102 million contract has been sealed by Balfour Beatty for the delivery of 302 Zero Carbon Homes near the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The firm will build phase one of the East Wick and Sweetwater development, which involves four mixed use buildings, including 302 apartments, townhouses and duplex residencies and a number of associated commercial facilities including retail and leisure amenities. The new homes will contribute to the transformation of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, providing a new, diverse and vibrant part of East London, as well as 1,500 new homes for the community. Around 500 people are expected to be employed at construction peak, with 7% of the workforce made of up apprentices. “This contract award builds on Balfour Beatty’s strong relationship with the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and the London Legacy Development Corporation, having constructed the London 2012 Aquatics Centre and delivered transformative engineering works to the London Olympic Stadium. We look forward to providing East London with a lasting legacy by creating a range of employment opportunities for local people and businesses through the development of this new and exciting neighborhood,” said Graham Hill, Balfour Beatty’s Managing Director for its London Regional construction business. This work is the first of seven construction phases for the development and is being supported by equity from Balfour Beatty Investments in joint venture with Places for People and borrowed funding provided by Homes England. Ground preparation works commenced in early 2019 with completion expected in spring 2021.
In an attempt to boost house building, south east housing association L&Q is in talks to take over the North West’s Trafford Housing Trust. The acquisition, which is expected to be completed this June, will unlock a further £4 billion of investment in the North West by combining the capabilities and resources of the two housing associations to create 20,000 new homes over the next 10 years. “L&Q has an ambitious plan to build 100,000 quality new homes over the next 10 years to tackle the national housing crisis. We see THT as a gateway to the North West, an area of outstanding growth that needs more high quality, affordable homes. We are excited by the opportunity to invest in the North West with a partner that shares our social purpose, values and ambition, has excellent local knowledge and a strong reputation for innovation and delivery,” said L&Q group chief executive David Montague. L&Q’s acquisition focuses on long-term investment and growth that include savings by removing duplication and increasing efficiencies. The company has also pledged to spend £2 million each year improving the standard of THT’s existing homes, as they come up for re-let. “This is a unique creation that will be built on true partnership and the strength of our vision, and the people who will deliver it. As part of L&Q, we’ll create significant social impact in the North West at scale and pace and strive to find solutions to the national housing crisis. We will deliver an extensive programme of new development and regeneration projects, as well as improving homes and services for our existing customers,” added Larry Gold, Acting Chief Executive of THT. AT the moment, THT is involved in joint venture partnerships with Galliford Try, Wates and Wilmott Dixon to build homes for rent and sale across Greater Manchester and the North West of England. L&Q is one of the UK’s leading housing associations and developers, managing more than 90,000 homes across London and the South East.
Essex is due to see the arrival of 5,000 new homes delivered by Grosvenor Britain & Ireland. The property group announced plans to deliver a new distinctive community on a 1,160 acre site east of the city after securing a new partnership with landowner Hammonds Estates LLP. “This new partnership exemplifies our target model for our Strategic Land business. Working with Hammonds Estates LLP – as with our existing partners on our other schemes – we will focus both on delivering new homes at pace, and creating exceptional communities that create a positive legacy for residents and landowners alike,” commented Alex Robinson, Director of Development, Strategic Land, Grosvenor Britain & Ireland. “This requires a considered approach and a long-term view. It means deploying capital patiently to unlock development through up-front investment in infrastructure and placemaking, as well as maintaining careful stewardship over the design and management of new communities as they grow,” he added. The scheme will feature a mix of residential tenures set within a high-quality environment supported by amenities and community facilities such as education, leisure and health spaces. The masterplan seeks to enable social mobility and better life outcomes through high quality design, placemaking innovations and long-term stewardship. “Our vision is to establish a different model for development. Working with Grosvenor, we want to challenge and innovate – shaping a sustainable and inclusive new community which goes beyond just delivering new homes, but which offers inspiration and opportunities not available elsewhere for all sections of the community that live and work there,” said Matthew Lynwood, Development Manager at Hammonds Estates LLP.
Building work on new council homes in Manchester has been completed by Willmott Dixon. A total of 40 new council homes in north Manchester have been handed over to tenants, while a further 20 new shared ownership homes were bought by the City Council to help residents on to the property ladder. Northwards Housing, the council’s housing management organisation, will be managing the 40, two-bed homes located across six sites in north Manchester. Developed by Willmott Dixon with support from Homes England of a £1.4 million grant funding, the rental properties will all be affordable. “The positivity and community spirit surrounding the delivery of these highly-anticipated homes is inspiring. This project represents a truly positive legacy far beyond just bricks and mortar. Throughout this project we have been focused on helping to raise the aspirations and opportunities available to the north Manchester community, providing a range of jobs and training on our sites, and we are delighted to be able to see the fantastic reactions of those moving into their new homes,” said Anthony Dillon, Managing Director of Willmott Dixon in the North. The City Council has also purchased 20 new, high-quality family homes in partnership with Taylor Wimpey at Booth Hall in Charlestown, north Manchester, that will be re-purposed to support its people onto the property ladder through affordable shared-ownership. The next phase of the North Manchester new homes project is due to be announced later this year and it will include a further 150 new homes. The affordable homes projects represent the first phase of an ambitious affordable housing investment programme that will see 6,400 genuinely affordable homes built up to 2025.
Following on from the inaugural exhibition in October 2018, the Bristol Housing Festival’s (BHF) first two projects are now underway. Demonstrating innovation in technology, community building and land use, these projects are being made possible by the multiple partner collaborations on each scheme. Jez Sweetland, Project Director of BHF “I am delighted that these first two projects of the Bristol Housing Festival demonstrate our commitment to innovation, collaboration and learning together. These projects show how we can create prototypes that we believe will help us learn how we build healthy communities and contribute solutions that may help start to tackle the challenges of our housing crisis.” ZEDPods in St. George This ZEDPods development proposes 11 homes over the Chalks Road carpark, adjacent to St George Park. It pioneers a way to create an 100% affordable and low carbon housing development over an existing land use, a car park in this case. A ZEDPod is a new concept in high-quality, rapid build, modular low energy homes that can use air rights above existing land within city centres, such as car parks. The ZEDPod apartments can be raised above existing car parking spaces, which continue to be available for public parking. The homes have been optimised for energy efficiency and the lowest possible running costs, with solar panels to generate renewable electricity in the day, quiet running heat pumps for low energy heating, controlled ventilation which recovers usable heat from inside the building whilst bringing in fresh air, triple glazing, LED lighting and energy efficient appliances. This environmental and socially focused development will deliver much needed affordable housing in the area for young professionals and others at risk of housing crisis. By creating a mixture of tenures, a new community model will be created to ensure that the support networks are in place for the tenants. The scheme will offer something truly innovative, a first for the city and of its kind in the UK. The development rethinks existing land use, often in central locations, demonstrating a new possibility in helping solve the housing crisis, whilst at the same time providing beautiful, low carbon housing. This project is a collaboration between Bristol Housing Festival, ZED Pods Ltd, a Bristol based Housing Association, the YMCA, Bristol and Bath Regional Capital and Bristol City Council. A public consultation for the scheme will be held on the 1st March 2019 at the Beehive Centre, BS5 7AW between 3pm – 8pm. There will be a chance to meet members of the project team and learn more about the proposals. Dr Rehan Khodabuccus, Operations Director of ZED Pods Ltd. “We are excited to have started the planning process and hope to be working with Bristol City Council to deliver 11 Pods to help key workers, and young people with affordable new homes” Bill Dunster OBE, Design Director at ZED Pods Ltd said “I’m very pleased that after designing these new homes we can, if planning is agreed, make a real difference to people in this community, with no loss of car parking space” LaunchPad The LaunchPad development is an innovative modular accommodation solution for young independent adults, ready for a new start in life and will be located on the car park at the bottom of Alexandra Park, Fishponds BS16. The Project will be for young people moving on from supported housing as well as students from Bristol University. Together, they will be making use of their shared skills to self-manage the scheme. The 31 new homes will create a mixed community which supports the young residents’ journey to independent living. It will also bring students together with other young people to create a better sense of community amongst those who are passionate about connecting with others and proactively building a new community. LaunchPad has been made possible through collaboration between 1625 Independent People, University of Bristol Students Union, The University of Bristol and United Communities. Oona Goldsworthy from United Communities says; “By investing in LaunchPad, United Communities and our partners are saying, ‘there is a different way to provide homes’, quickly, on land that otherwise wouldn’t be used. These modular homes will create a brand-new mixed community, which after 10 years can be moved to another location”
