City Centre

Leicester Office Development Approaches Completion

A new office development in Leicester city centre, located next to two newly constructed hotels and public realm areas, is set for early completion in July 2019. “No.1 Great Central Square is such a key development for Leicester; the site exceeds occupiers demands in terms of office accommodation in a modern

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Birmingham Residential Scheme Approved

Construction work on a major residential scheme in Digbeth, Birmingham is expected to begin this summer, as plans get green light. SevenCapital’s Connaught Scheme will include 70 spacious new apartments, including a 27-storey landmark tower, circa 42,000 sq ft of commercial space, a community gymnasium and boxing academy. “Connaught Square

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Coventry Transformation Plans Approved

An ambitious £93.8 million transformation plan is set for Coventry city centre and Coventry Station. Coventry City Council’s planning committee gave its permission for the £11.8 million scheme to improve the Upper Precinct and the £82 million Coventry Station Masterplan. The plans submitted by Shearer Property Group include a framed

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Leeds Council Approves City Centre Regeneration Plan

Leeds Council has signed off a city centre planning agreement on a £350 million mixed-use development on the six acre site in the heart of the South Bank. Work is set to begin next month and it involves demolishing the former warehouse on Water Lane and preparing the site for

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Latest Issue
Issue 325 : Feb 2025

City Centre

Leicester Office Development Approaches Completion

A new office development in Leicester city centre, located next to two newly constructed hotels and public realm areas, is set for early completion in July 2019. “No.1 Great Central Square is such a key development for Leicester; the site exceeds occupiers demands in terms of office accommodation in a modern thriving city centre. Construction is ahead of schedule and the completion date has moved forward. This is great news given the overwhelmingly positive response and strong interest from potential occupiers received to date. Interested parties are reacting to the clear advantages this location offers, not to mention the fantastic facilities and working environment offered,” said Reg Pollock from property consultants APB Leicester LLP. “Great Central Square is a significant regeneration scheme so it’s no surprise that people are keen to be a part of it. Its completion will create a gateway between the city and the waterside, tenants will benefit from the nearby Highcross shopping centre and fantastic transport links to the rail station, motorway network, and nearby airports,” Reg Pollock added. As well as offering up to 33,000 sq ft of Grade A offices, the Great Central Square mixed-use development will also see the listed Great Central Railway Station brought back to its former glory and converted into retail/leisure space. “It’s great to see speculative development within Leicester City Centre reflecting the confidence our clients Charles Street Buildings have in the market. No.1 Great Central raises the bar in terms of specification and design of offices delivered in Leicester to date and, when combined with the high-profile city centre location, really does offer office occupiers looking for space within the Leicester market something quite special,” commented James Keeton of joint agents JLL.

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Birmingham Residential Scheme Approved

Construction work on a major residential scheme in Digbeth, Birmingham is expected to begin this summer, as plans get green light. SevenCapital’s Connaught Scheme will include 70 spacious new apartments, including a 27-storey landmark tower, circa 42,000 sq ft of commercial space, a community gymnasium and boxing academy. “Connaught Square is already one of the most significant and talked about regeneration projects to date in Birmingham, as it bridges the gap between the main city centre and the growing creative quarter. So throughout the entire design process it has been imperative that what we create and deliver is the right fit for the area, the city and importantly right for the community that will form as a result of Connaught Square,” said Damien Siviter, director at SevenCapital. Part of the city’s wider plans to regenerate Digbeth, the development will further cement the area’s position as Birmingham’s Creative Quarter. The 5,000 m² Connaught Square will be constructed in two phases, incorporating a new riverside walkway and terrace alongside the River Rea, which runs through the middle of the development and will be opened up as a feature to the public. During the construction period a number of jobs will be created, with the project also set to support apprentices at the nearby South and City College. “Digbeth has recently been listed as one of the coolest places to live by The Times, but through Connaught Square and the wider future regeneration works currently in planning or construction within the area, we want to make sure that it goes beyond cool, to become one of the best places in the UK,” said Damien. “We’ve been working tirelessly over the past few years to design a scheme that will enhance the city and create a new destination where people will want to live, work and spend their leisure time, and what we have now, we believe will deliver that,” he added. The date for the completion of the first phase of the development is expected to be March 2022, followed by the whole site in August 2023.

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Work starts on new £6.8 million residential development in Coventry City Centre

A Coventry company has started work on the final piece in its Belgrade Plaza jigsaw – 12 years on from its first development in the area. Deeley Construction has been appointed to complete a new £6.8 million development on Bond Street in Coventry City Centre. The project, which will be known as Bond’s Lodge, has broken ground and is expected to be completed by April 2020. Coventry Church (Municipal) Charities has appointed Deeley Construction to carry out the project, which has been designed by Nicol Thomas Architects. The completed scheme will see a three-storey building erected, featuring 45 self-contained apartments for the elderly. It marks the company’s first project awarded from Homes England’s DPP3 Framework. It is being funded from the Coventry Church (Municipal) Charities’ own resources, fundraising, together with a grant from Homes England and a loan from the Charity Bank. The Almshouses, now run by Coventry Church (Municipal) Charities, were founded in the early 1500s and today are both sheltered housing schemes for elderly citizens in the city. Since the Second World War, the charity has engaged in two major projects in Hill Street, the building of Bond’s Court in 1985 and the extension of Bond’s Hospital in 2004. With the completion of Bond’s Lodge, the number of residents will have risen from 22 in 1509 to more than 150 in 2020. Victor Keene MBE, Chairman of Coventry Church (Municipal) Charities, added: “We have acquired the long lease of a site opposite Bond’s Hospital Almshouse, which will see 45 apartments built for the elderly. “We have engaged Deeley Construction as the building contractor on this project and are very happy to be working with a company of Deeley’s integrity to complete it. “Work is now underway on site and we expect it to be completed, with the flats ready for occupation, in the autumn of 2020.” The project is the third development carried out by Deeley in the area, with the nearby multi-storey car park completed 12 years ago and the Belgrade Plaza development in 2008. Belgrade Plaza is now a thriving mixed-use scheme, home to restaurants, residential and fitness facilities – serving the community in Coventry city centre. Peter Deeley, Managing Director of the Deeley Group, said: “The ground-breaking at Bond Street marks an important milestone in the company’s development of the area. “The apartments created in this development will be a vital resource for elderly people who are looking to live in the city centre. “We’re looking forward to working in partnership with Coventry Church Municipal Charities to deliver this project.” Councillor John Blundell, Lord Mayor of Coventry, added: “There is a clear need for more accommodation of this type in our city centre and the development on Bond Street will help to cater for this need. “Coventry Church (Municipal) Charities have done some excellent work in regenerating properties across the city, including the Bond’s Hospital, and providing homes for the elderly. “It was fantastic to be on hand with the charity and Deeley Construction to mark the start of building this development.”

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Coventry Transformation Plans Approved

An ambitious £93.8 million transformation plan is set for Coventry city centre and Coventry Station. Coventry City Council’s planning committee gave its permission for the £11.8 million scheme to improve the Upper Precinct and the £82 million Coventry Station Masterplan. The plans submitted by Shearer Property Group include a framed courtyard in the Upper Precinct along with planting, landscaping, water features, seating areas and timber terraces. The work also involves the demolition of the existing escalator and footbridges connected to West Orchards Shopping Centre, and the creation of a 75-room student accommodation block in the district. Phase one of the council’s masterplan for Coventry Station is already underway and it aims to construct a new footbridge and canopies, as well as an access tunnel under Warwick Road. The second phase consists of the construction of a multi-storey car park for 633 vehicles, a new station concourse with access to all platforms and Warwick Road, and a new pedestrian route via an access tunnel under Warwick Road to a new bus interchange. This project is being funded by the West Midlands Combined Authority, the CWLEP, the Department for Transport and other borrowings. “It’s been a while since we had this level of investment in our city approved in a single planning committee – but now we have the green light to crack on with these two important city centre projects,” said Councillor Jim O’Boyle, Cabinet Member for Jobs and Regeneration at Coventry City Council and CWLEP board director. “Our work in the Upper Precinct will help to reinstate it back to something much closer to Donald Gibson’s original plan. We will ensure we retain the very best of the old whilst creating an environment appropriate for the way people want to enjoy their city centre today. The railway station is the fastest growing outside London with passenger numbers increasing year-on-year so we need a station that can cope with increased demand and provide the right kind of Coventry welcome,” he continued. Coventry City Council is working in partnership with Network Rail, Virgin Trains and other rail operators, Transport for West Midlands, Friargate Coventry LLP and other stakeholders to deliver the scheme.

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Leeds Council Approves City Centre Regeneration Plan

Leeds Council has signed off a city centre planning agreement on a £350 million mixed-use development on the six acre site in the heart of the South Bank. Work is set to begin next month and it involves demolishing the former warehouse on Water Lane and preparing the site for development. A programme of archaeological excavation will uncover whatever remains on the site. CEG has already invested £300,000 into securing the Grade II listed bridge which formed a historic route for the Marshall empire and will once again form a physical link over Holbeck, connecting Water Lane and Marshall Street to the new development at Globe Road. “Our proposals for South Bank bring together the birthplace of the industrial revolution in Leeds; the home of Marshall’s first two Mills, as well as the Marshalls’ last, and greatest creation, Temple Works. This is an exceptional opportunity to breathe life back into these, creating locally and nationally important iconic landmark buildings and innovative public spaces. This is not just about building on a historic legacy; it is about creating a new one,” said Jon Kenny, strategic development director at CEG. CEG’s South Bank development has received detailed planning permission for two office development with ground floor retail and leisure, totalling up to 26,100 sq m and outline planning permission for mixed-use development of up to 103,900 sq m of offices, retail, leisure, hotel, health, education and community uses, parking and up to 750 new homes, along with new public spaces and landscaping. “Many years of hard work are being realised as we launch to market an exceptional opportunity for the highest quality office developments just minutes from Leeds City Station. This, along with the retail, leisure, hotel, residential and community uses, benefitting from innovative outdoor spaces and the waterfront, will bring a strategic development of a critical mass and international standard, putting South Bank Leeds on the map as a place to live, work and enjoy,” explained David Hodgson, head of strategic development north for CEG. Overall, the wider South Bank regeneration area covers 253 hectares south of the River Aire in Leeds and it is set to double the size of Leeds City Centre, providing more than 35,000 jobs and 8,000 homes – making it one of the largest City Centre regeneration initiatives in Europe.  

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