Work has begun on a substantial housing development in Carterton in Oxfordshire that will see 200 homes provided for people to live in the area. Platform Housing Group have begun work at the site at Milestone Road which has been provided by West Oxfordshire District Council and will be developed
Willmott Dixon, the UK’s leading independent construction and property services company, has been selected for the construction of 55 affordable homes and two community centres by the London Borough of Brent. With a value of over £30 million, the work will be delivered under two contracts. “We are looking forward
A Lancashire not-for-profit housing association has invested £24.8m to provide affordable homes as part of its ongoing work to tackle the current social housing crisis. With a commitment to support the local community, Progress Housing Group has pledged to provide 1,000 affordable new homes by 2024, with 226 homes built
Kirklees Council has approved a £2.38 million grant to refurbish Fieldhouse into Station Apartments. Fieldhouse is a four-storey building which stands opposite Dewsbury Railway Station, in the area around Daisy Hill and Bond Street. The council plans to create a new neighbourhood around Daisy Hill, made up of homes which
The Leader & Deputy Leader of Barnet, Cllr Barry Rawlings & Cllr Ross Houston, and Cllr Claire Farrier joined Pocket Living’s Chief Commercial Officer, Nick Cuff, to lay the first ceremonial brick at the innovative housing developer’s first scheme in the borough. The visit represents a significant milestone in the
CROSS KEYS HOMES (CKH) has signed contracts with Willmott Dixon to build their flagship Northminster development. Willmott Dixon was invited on to the development team by Peterborough Investment Partnership (PIP) earlier this year before the site was sold on to CKH, and since then have led on the demolition of
A recently launched innovative removals company has announced it is on the hunt for partners that would help it increase its services and offering across the UK. With a high demand from homeowners and renters, the experts need transport and logistics operators that want to join them on this journey
Novus Property Solutions has continued its longstanding relationship with The Riverside Group with a high-volume framework contract for works across England, at an estimated value of over £970,000. The two-year planned multi-void replacement works will see Novus carry out a variety of refurbishment works across a significant number of properties
Cruden Building has just been appointed by the Midlothian Council to deliver 72 affordable homes at Conifer Road in Mayfield, as part of a £13.96 million contract. The wider project developed in collaboration by the two will see a total of 265 new homes being built within the local community.
The Momentum Group has been awarded the property management contract for Aviation House, Estuary Business Park, Speke, Liverpool. The Grade A office accommodation close to Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport, adds 18,000 sq ft of space under management to The Momentum Group’s growing portfolio of property management instructions and fits with
Work has begun on a substantial housing development in Carterton in Oxfordshire that will see 200 homes provided for people to live in the area. Platform Housing Group have begun work at the site at Milestone Road which has been provided by West Oxfordshire District Council and will be developed by United Living. It represents the group’s largest site in the area to date and the continuation of their strong start of their strategic partnership with Homes England. Over the next four years, the new homes will be made available through Platform’s different affordable options. 105 of the homes will be available to rent, 12 as rent to buy and 83 through the increasingly popular shared ownership scheme. This allows people to purchase a share of their home and then pay a rent on the rest with the option to increase that share up to 100%. Amongst those visiting the site was MP for Witney and West Oxford Robert Courts who said, “It was a pleasure to visit the site in Carterton which will provide much needed affordable homes for local people. It was encouraging to see work getting underway and useful to learn more about how this development will benefit local people and the wider area in Carterton. I look forward to following progress closely.” Group Chief Executive of Platform Elizabeth Froude said, “It’s been fantastic to see the site today where we’ll be able to provide much needed affordable housing for the area. We look forward to offering people real opportunities to live in the area and even buy a home that is quality and affordable. With 200 different homes, we are delighted to be offering such a large site for our partners at West Oxfordshire District Council who have been fully committed to these options to help with the growth of the area. I’d also like to thank our developers United Living and Homes England for their help in delivering this development.” Carl Rylett Cabinet Member for Planning and Sustainable Development at West Oxfordshire District Council said, “It’s good to see this site come forward for development; affordable housing is greatly needed in West Oxfordshire. We identified the site through the Council’s Local Plan, and granted planning permission in 2020. We are fully committed as a council to bringing forward sites for affordable housing development, and this development will make a real difference to the community.” Neil Farmery, Construction Director, United Living New Homes, said: “We are delighted to have started building work at Milestone Road. Working collaboratively with Platform Housing Group, we look forward to delivering high-quality, affordable new homes that will provide a welcome housing boost to the local community.” The diginitaries took in a site tour as part of the visit today and got to find out how much the development will benefit people in the area from members of Platform’s communities department, who spoke about the services and support they give their customers. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Willmott Dixon, the UK’s leading independent construction and property services company, has been selected for the construction of 55 affordable homes and two community centres by the London Borough of Brent. With a value of over £30 million, the work will be delivered under two contracts. “We are looking forward to working with Willmott Dixon. Our partnership will help to deliver high quality and affordable homes for Brent residents, creating a fairer and more equal society for everyone,” commented Cllr Knight, Cabinet Member for Housing, Homelessness and Renters Security. The largest of the two projects is the £17.3 million Brent Indian Centre project, which involves the demolition of an existing building. The building would then be replaced with a new community facility and 29 affordable homes. The current building’s occupants, the Brent Indian Community, will move into the new development, which will include a large multi-purpose hall, commercial kitchen, offices and an IT training room. Meanwhile, the second contract is the £13.6 million Learie Constantine Community Centre project, which will also see a building demolished to make way for the Learie Constantine Centre’s new home, along with 26 new homes made up of one, two and three-bedroom apartments. “We’re delighted to be extending our track-record of building homes in London through our work on both the Brent Indian and Learie Constantine Community Centres for the London Borough of Brent. We’re looking forward to being a part of the community during our time in the borough and once completed, the new centres and homes will provide fantastic facilities for local residents,” said Chris Tredget, Managing Director at Willmott Dixon’s London and East business. Willmott Dixon was procured on both contracts via the SCAPE Construction framework and these schemes are the latest the company is working on in London. Willmott is currently on site at Frank Towell Court, providing 102 new homes in Feltham on behalf of Hounslow Council, while also delivering 112 homes for Westminster City Council at 300 Harrow Road. In east London, Willmott Dixon is building over 500 homes for Be First in Barking and Dagenham. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Home of Construction and Property News
A Lancashire not-for-profit housing association has invested £24.8m to provide affordable homes as part of its ongoing work to tackle the current social housing crisis. With a commitment to support the local community, Progress Housing Group has pledged to provide 1,000 affordable new homes by 2024, with 226 homes built last financial year. Recognising the necessity for a variety of affordable housing to reflect the needs of its tenants, 122 of these homes were for affordable rent, 69 for shared ownership, and 35 were supported living properties for people living with learning disabilities and mental health needs. Jacqui De-Rose, Chief Executive of Progress Housing Group, said: “We are on course and hope to meet our target. This financial year we invested £24.8 million into the development of new homes, with £4.4 million coming from government grants. “We have been working in partnership with Onward Homes to secure Strategic Partnership Grant funding from Homes England to support the delivery of 600 affordable homes by March 2026″.” Building homes is not the Group’s only focus, as it pledges to create a positive impact on its residents and the neighbourhoods where they live. Through this work, the Group has been named Corporate Fundraiser of the Year at the North West Employee Experience Group Awards. Mrs De-Rose added: “We believe housing associations have a wider role in society. We are committed to creating opportunities for people through access to personal and career development, and we have supported 304 people into training or employment through our Project Futures scheme. “We have also continued to work closely with communities across the country. “We invested £73,197 in supporting local groups and projects and activities at a number of our RWP supported living schemes. Projects have included a sensory garden, a pop-up Caribbean Carnival, digital engagement, youth activities, support for young carers, and activities for older people”. The Group has also carried out social value work, enabling its contractors and other suppliers to make a real difference. This has included community clean-up days, supporting a food bank, and sponsoring the Typhoon’s inclusive rugby club. With the cost of living crisis unfolding, Progress Housing Group remains steadfast in providing help for tenants who are struggling to manage their money or pay their rent. During the last financial year, the Group’s Financial Inclusion Team has helped 136 people increase their income by a total of £282,705. The Group has also created opportunities for 2,892 people to become more independent through its charity Key Unlocking Futures. Mrs De-Rose added: “We recognise that to make our communities great places to live, we need to help people achieve their aspirations and improve their prospects. Our Key Unlocking Futures team has been an integral force in achieving this. As well as securing accommodation, they have also been providing people at risk of losing their homes with vital advice on finding employment; and have provided family mediation sessions and budgeting support.” Progress Housing Group’s full annual report can be found on its website: https://www.progressgroup.org.uk/about-us/how-we-are-performing/annual-reports/corporate-annual-reports/
Kirklees Council has approved a £2.38 million grant to refurbish Fieldhouse into Station Apartments. Fieldhouse is a four-storey building which stands opposite Dewsbury Railway Station, in the area around Daisy Hill and Bond Street. The council plans to create a new neighbourhood around Daisy Hill, made up of homes which are both excellent quality and affordable to rent or buy. Once completed, the neighbourhood will feature both new buildings and converted ones. The plans will give Fieldhouse – and other buildings – a new purpose and lease of life, and will future-proof some of Dewsbury’s beautiful historic architecture for future generations. Fieldhouse itself will be the flagship of the development, transformed into 23 spacious apartments and commercial space. Once finished, the building will be known as Station Apartments. “There’s a growing need for quality, affordable housing, not just in Kirklees but nationally. To address this, we don’t just want to keep building new homes – we want to make the most of the beautiful structures we already have,” said Councillor Eric Firth, Cabinet Member for Transport and Dewsbury Ward Councillor. “This project, like others across Kirklees, isn’t just about tackling our housing shortage. It’s also about future-proofing our great historic buildings, giving them a new lease of life, and maintaining that personality in our town centres. Fieldhouse is the flagship of our development at Daisy Hill, which will be a turning point for Dewsbury as a living town and a major milestone in our Dewsbury Blueprint.” The aim of the neighbourhood is to create a type of residential development that doesn’t currently exist in Dewsbury. The plans will drive more spending in the town centre, supporting local retailers and boosting Dewsbury’s economy. Fieldhouse is perfectly situated – central, and just opposite the train station. It’s a particularly fantastic location to make the most of Dewsbury’s excellent transport connections, which make it a great commuter town. Fieldhouse is also a Grade II* Listed building, part of the Dewsbury Town Centre Conservation Area and the Dewsbury Heritage Action Zone (HAZ). The area was awarded HAZ status in 2017. The developer plans to start construction work in November this year. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Home of Construction and Property News
The Leader & Deputy Leader of Barnet, Cllr Barry Rawlings & Cllr Ross Houston, and Cllr Claire Farrier joined Pocket Living’s Chief Commercial Officer, Nick Cuff, to lay the first ceremonial brick at the innovative housing developer’s first scheme in the borough. The visit represents a significant milestone in the delivery of this 100% affordable housing scheme, which is expected to complete by summer 2023. All 86 one-bedroom homes at Woodside Park will be sold to Barnet’s first-time buyers at a 20% discount to the local market, pricing those who either live or work in the area into home ownership. The forward-thinking scheme will be car-free, contributing to the Council’s wider sustainability ambitions to be Carbon Net Zero by 2030, with everyone living at Woodside Park also benefitting from access to two rooftop gardens with lush planting, allotment beds and dedicated wellness space. Pocket Living’s database already has registered approximately 1,000 local people who live or work in the Borough who are interested in buying a home at Woodside Park, with a third of those registered working in the public sector. This includes roles within the Metropolitan Police, Barnet General Hospital, local primary schools, Middlesex University Business School and Barnet Council. With building starts in London expected to be at a 10-year low and in light of the growing challenge of rising build costs, with cost inflation, according to the Office for National Statistics, increasing by 22% since 2021, Pocket still remains committed to delivering affordable homes. This year will represent the most productive year in Pocket’s history, with 480 homes starting on site across four London boroughs: Barnet, Waltham Forest, Harrow and Greenwich. Pocket Living is also expected to go to planning committee in late October for their Dolman Close application in West Finchley, which could deliver a further 60 homes to local people in the Borough. Nick Cuff, Chief Commercial Officer at Pocket Living, comments: “As the cost of living continues to rise, the need to deliver affordable homes in the capital has never been greater. It is clear from the significant number of people who have already registered their interest for this scheme that there is significant demand for high-quality but affordable homes in this area of Barnet and we are delighted that Barnet Council is proactively working with us to deliver schemes such as Woodside Park”. Cllr Barry Rawlings, Leader of Barnet Council, added: “This is an exciting and innovative new development which will help us deliver on our commitment to build more genuinely affordable homes in Barnet and contribute to our sustainability goals. We’re delighted to welcome Pocket Living to the borough and look forward to working with them on other schemes in the future.”
CROSS KEYS HOMES (CKH) has signed contracts with Willmott Dixon to build their flagship Northminster development. Willmott Dixon was invited on to the development team by Peterborough Investment Partnership (PIP) earlier this year before the site was sold on to CKH, and since then have led on the demolition of the existing buildings and groundworks on the site. Now it has signed a main works development contract which will see Willmott Dixon leading on all aspects of the build of this exciting £70 million development project. CKH’s Chief Executive, Claire Higgins, said: “We are delighted to have signed contracts with Willmott Dixon to deliver this flagship scheme for the city, which will provide 315 new affordable homes. “Willmott Dixon’s purpose is to deliver brilliant buildings, transform lives, strengthen communities and enhance the environment, which goes hand-in-hand with our core objectives and makes them the ideal partner for this exciting development.” David McCallion, director at Willmott Dixon, said: “We’re pleased to have now signed contracts with Cross Keys Homes for this fantastic ten-storey flagship development. “This is a hugely significant regeneration project, and we will be using innovative construction methods to build better, greener and smarter. Offsite elements will include a lightgauge steel frame, brick slips and the use of bathroom pods, which will help to ensure quality, programme certainty and come with environmental benefits.” Due to be finished in October 2024, the Northminster development, which is in part, being funded by a £12.5 million grant from Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, will provide much needed high-quality affordable housing in the city centre. CKH are being advised on this project by construction consultants AA Projects, and working alongside Willmott Dixon are a project team which consists of architects Corstorphine & Wright, planning consultants ELG, structural engineers SBK, and mechanical and electrical engineers Briggs & Forrester. Willmott Dixon will be prioritising locally sourced labour, providing training opportunities and investing in local businesses throughout the build period, which is anticipated to take around two years with the first completed homes expected by summer 2024. The bespoke social value commitment planned will generate a social return on investment in the region of £3.2 million.
A recently launched innovative removals company has announced it is on the hunt for partners that would help it increase its services and offering across the UK. With a high demand from homeowners and renters, the experts need transport and logistics operators that want to join them on this journey by offering local storage and removal services as part of their partnership. “Convenience and transparency is what makes our service stand out ahead of the competition. Homeowners and renters are time poor which is why we’ve taken the admin and pricing online. Upfront pricing means the customer knows exactly how much they’ll be spending on removals, and being online rather than lengthy phone calls means this can be booked out of hours, when busy urban dwellers are more likely to have time to spare,” commented Will Edwards, CEO at Lovespace, the removals company. “We aim to keep costs low. If a customer is moving from a studio apartment, they’d expect to pay from around £259 and from a two bed property, they’d be looking at prices from £359.” Faced with a high demand from urban dwellers, including renters, young professionals, and families, Lovespace launched its removals services earlier this year to make life easier and has since seen a monthly increase of both customers looking for removal services and partners keen to get on board. One of the biggest advantages when using their services is the online booking process that comes with an upfront price instantly. “Competitive pricing and flexibility is vital for our customer and also for our partners. For those that want to work alongside us, we can be flexible on when they can carry out removals, pay promptly and rates will be agreed ahead of any removals jobs,” added Will. “Being transparent with both customers and partners is important to us as a business. Money is tight for most people at the moment so being clear in pricing and payments to partners is essential in building trust and a good working relationship.” Lovespace offers a UK-wide removals service with convenient online booking and an upfront price, on top of its storage with collection and delivery service, which can help renters and homeowners make the most of their space at home. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Home of Construction and Property News
Novus Property Solutions has continued its longstanding relationship with The Riverside Group with a high-volume framework contract for works across England, at an estimated value of over £970,000. The two-year planned multi-void replacement works will see Novus carry out a variety of refurbishment works across a significant number of properties up and down the country with the aim of getting families into homes, reducing existing voids and mitigating any rental losses. Novus and The Riverside Group have a pre-existing relationship with the leading maintenance and compliance contractor previously completing a variety of works for the housing association including fitting brand new kitchens, windows, doors and bathrooms on existing properties stretching across England. The Riverside Group is one of the leading registered providers of social housing within the UK, offering affordable housing as well as support to all of its residents regardless of their situation. It aims to transform lives through affordable home ownership and great value rent whilst adding to the local community’s wellbeing – closely linking with Novus’ own people-centric ethos which includes giving back to the communities in which it works. The Stoke-headquartered contractor will be supporting and working alongside the Direct Labour organisation to bring its expert solutions to allow more families to get into the homes they deserve at a much quicker rate. Commenting on the new framework win, Sam Frame, Head of Operations at Novus said: “We’re proud to have secured another multi-void framework contract with The Riverside Group and we’re looking forward to continuing to build on our existing relationship with The Riverside Group that allows us to work as one. “This contract comes as Novus continues to build on the success of our five-year growth strategy, which includes nurturing our relationship with our valued existing clients, as well as securing new high value, long term contracts.”
Cruden Building has just been appointed by the Midlothian Council to deliver 72 affordable homes at Conifer Road in Mayfield, as part of a £13.96 million contract. The wider project developed in collaboration by the two will see a total of 265 new homes being built within the local community. The neighbourhood will include family friendly facilities such as a toddler play park, a public art area with seating and bright, natural plants and greenery. Moreover, to minimise the environmental impact, a range of energy-efficient homes are being developed, including modern cottage flats and spacious two-bed, three-bed and four-bed houses. “As we continue to bridge the gap for affordable homes in Scotland, it’s exciting to be a part of this large-scale project and increase the availability of innovative living spaces for the people of Midlothian. We’re committed to ensuring that local families and individuals can enjoy new homes which don’t only fulfil, but surpass, their everyday needs. This mixed development will not only provide functionality and modern living, but it will enhance the wider community by creating an engaging space for residents to come together and enjoy,” said Allan Callaghan, Managing Director of Cruden Building. Championing Cruden Building’s commitment to building sustainable properties, each home will be fitted with an air source heat pump. The heat pumps will replace outdated energy sources such as traditional gas heating and will be fitted alongside photovoltaic panels, which convert thermal energy into electricity, to reduce carbon emissions within the development. The large-scale brownfield site on which the new development is being built was previously home to Bryans Primary School prior to its demolition. Its attractive location boasts stunning views across to the Pentland Hills and offers great accessibility to the surrounding neighbourhoods. “We have seen great progress in our local area, with the earlier phases of development for our 265 homes already well underway with Cruden Building. The addition of these 72 affordable homes will amplify the area for local residents as well as creating new jobs and business opportunities. It will be fascinating to watch this site transform over the next couple of years,” commented Councillor Stuart McKenzie, Midlothian Cabinet Member with responsibility for Housing. Work is set to begin in October 2022 and completion of the development is expected by Summer 2024.
The Momentum Group has been awarded the property management contract for Aviation House, Estuary Business Park, Speke, Liverpool. The Grade A office accommodation close to Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport, adds 18,000 sq ft of space under management to The Momentum Group’s growing portfolio of property management instructions and fits with the Group’s aspirations for continued growth. The appointment adds to the Momentum Group’s growing property management instructions including those in the city centre – 18-20 Church Street, and Princes Building and One Temple Square on Dale Street. A spokesperson for the landlord said “The Momentum Group’s credentials and commitment to continued high level service delivery is what mattered to us. Having heard about their service delivery and the difference they have made to the buildings they manage, it made perfect sense for us to award the property management contract to this growing and agile team.” “The Momentum Group truly meets our desire to manage and maintain high-quality buildings to help our tenants’ businesses thrive and we are delighted to be working with them.” Chris Bliss, Director, and Co-Founder of The Momentum Group commented “It’s a privilege to be invited to deliver the property management services for Aviation House. To be able to continue the momentum with the team, proves our commitment to high service delivery for our clients and their tenants. It is testament to our approach that treating client investment as our own to realise the property potential does make a difference.” “This adds to our growing portfolio of property management instructions and our commitment to continued growth in the region. We are now managing more than 140,000 sqft of retail, commercial, and residential space through our property management team.” The Momentum Group were appointed by Redevco earlier this year to manage the 80,000sqft Church Street site, now the home to Decathlon and Storeaway.
