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
Construction work is underway on a new mixed-use scheme at Tottenham Court Road Crossrail Station in London. Built by Laing O’Rourke, the Soho Place development will include a 10-storey building with retail and office space, coupled with a nine storey building split into three office floors above a 600 seat theatre. Contracts of
Housing associations and tenants are due to build stronger relationships between each other with the help of a new programme. The National Housing Federation (NHF) is to introduce the project called Together with Tenants, which will set out a plan of action to ensure boards are always properly connected and
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
SiteSales Property Group and One Housing Group have launched six new luxury one-bedroom apartments at the Parker Tower development in Covent Garden, Central London. The apartments, which are priced from £930,000, are available to buy under shared ownership, from a minimum 25% share and 1.5% rent on the remaining property.
Swansea Council has selected Buckingham Group Contracting as the principal contractor to help deliver the £120 million Swansea Central Phase One transformation under a pre-construction services agreement (PCSA). The contract was awarded after a competitive tender process. The transformation will bring a 3,500-capacity digital indoor arena, a coastal park, digital plaza, landmark
Plans for a new £20 million leisure centre in Nottinghamshire have been submitted and, if approved, construction work may start in Summer 2020. The concept to build a leisure centre in Bingham has already been approved by Rushcliffe Borough Council. In October 2018, the investigations into the feasibility of a
The owners of a custom-built property on a prestigious Tees Valley development have been handed the keys to their exclusive new home. Developments by Joseph Homes is now set to start work on its fourth custom-built and bespoke property at Wynyard Park in just over 12 months, with housing experts
The Preferred Bidder to develop 11,500 homes at Thamesmead Waterfront in London is Lendlease. The firm was selected by housing charity Peabody and it is subject to contracts being finalised. Lendlease will work alongside Peabody in a corporate joint venture to masterplan and deliver the mammoth scheme over the next
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.
Construction work is underway on a new mixed-use scheme at Tottenham Court Road Crossrail Station in London. Built by Laing O’Rourke, the Soho Place development will include a 10-storey building with retail and office space, coupled with a nine storey building split into three office floors above a 600 seat theatre. Contracts of £195 million have been exchanged between Derwent London and Laing O’Rourke for the development. “We look forward to delivering Soho Place, further strengthening our partnership with Derwent London. This will be a landmark project, sitting at 1 Oxford Street, and interconnected with the Crossrail upgrades to Tottenham Court Road, which we are also delivering,” said Liam Cummins, Head of UK Building for Laing O’Rourke. “Laing O’Rourke has the ability to drive certainty into the delivery programme through our in-house capabilities along with a fully integrated supply chain and advanced digital engineering and offsite manufacturing. The project is in total alignment with our 2025 mission to be the recognised leader of innovation and excellence in the construction industry,” he added. The construction team will concentrate on some challenging piling above and around the web of services and tube lines that sit below the site, with the who;e project due for completion in November 2021. “We are very excited about the prospects for Soho Place, which will be a great building in one of the best locations in London. We are also very pleased to be working with Laing O’Rourke, who we believe have the capabilities to deal with the complexity of the site,” commented Richard Baldwin, Head of Development of Derwent London.
Housing associations and tenants are due to build stronger relationships between each other with the help of a new programme. The National Housing Federation (NHF) is to introduce the project called Together with Tenants, which will set out a plan of action to ensure boards are always properly connected and accountable to the people they house, whilst also giving tenants and residents a strong role in scrutiny. At the heart of the proposal are the housing association residents are firmly at the heart of the proposal, with the NHF asking tenants and residents from across the country to share their thoughts on it. Tenants and residents are being asked to join a new independent Tenant Advisory Panel and complete a questionnaire on the plan. The programme proposes four actions: • A new requirement in the National Housing Federation Code of Governance for boards to be accountable to their tenants and residents. • A new ‘Together with Tenants’ Charter setting out what tenants and residents can expect from their housing association landlord. • Tenant and resident oversight and scrutiny of the Charter with a report on how their landlord is doing against the Charter commitments. •A closer link with regulation. In total, 43 housing associations have already signed up to be early adopters of the proposals. “I am proud to launch Together with Tenants today. It is a demonstration of the fact that as a sector we are addressing one of the most pressing challenges facing the country. How we rebuild trust between people and institutions. This is a challenge that is of course particularly pertinent for our sector, after the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower exposed feelings of powerlessness, distrust and disconnection,” said Kate Henderson, Chief Executive of the NHF. “This plan builds on good practice in the sector, and must also be the first steps towards meaningful change. I am delighted that as of today 43 housing associations have already signed up to test the commitments and I hope that many more will follow suit. We know that for this plan to work we need to design it with tenants and residents. This is why we’ve been working closely with them throughout the process, and are now urging tenants to share their thoughts on these proposals,” she concluded.
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”
SiteSales Property Group and One Housing Group have launched six new luxury one-bedroom apartments at the Parker Tower development in Covent Garden, Central London. The apartments, which are priced from £930,000, are available to buy under shared ownership, from a minimum 25% share and 1.5% rent on the remaining property. Priority is given to those that live or work in the London borough of Camden. The contemporarily designed hexagonal Parker Tower building is located in the heart of historic Covent Garden, a hub of fashion, design and technology. The six apartments are tastefully decorated to a high specification and offer a 24-hour concierge service. Within walking distance of both Holborn and Covent Garden Station London Underground stops, and a host of iconic, high-end restaurants and bars, museums, West End theatres and celebrated shopping and open spaces, Parker Tower offers prospective buyers true access to the London lifestyle. Also, for those who like to take a break from the hustle and bustle of big city life, King’s Cross International station is only 20 minutes away, with the UK’s largest airport, Heathrow within 40 minutes travel. Parker Tower development – CGI image of exterior building. Copyright © One Housing Group. Craig Osborne, Assistant Director of SiteSales Property Group, said: “We’ve been involved with the Parker Tower development from the initial stages and it’s fantastic to see it nearing completion. These exclusive apartments provide everything one could want from modern urban life; top class entertainment, high-end eating, culture, history and excellent transport routes.” Toyin Folade, Sales & Marketing Director at One Housing Group, said: “One Housing Group is delighted to partner with BNP Paribas to transform a former office block constructed in the 1950s to build 59 homes in the heart of London. 13 of these homes will be available for shared ownership and general needs. London is a great city and One Housing Group will continue to deliver affordable homes across London and the South East, perfectly located for customers.” For further information about the development and to register your interest, please visit: https://site-sales.co.uk/development/parker-tower-shared-ownership/
Swansea Council has selected Buckingham Group Contracting as the principal contractor to help deliver the £120 million Swansea Central Phase One transformation under a pre-construction services agreement (PCSA). The contract was awarded after a competitive tender process. The transformation will bring a 3,500-capacity digital indoor arena, a coastal park, digital plaza, landmark pedestrian bridge, new car parking and new homes and premises for retail, food and drink. Buckingham Group will undertake pre-construction services including detailed design, costings and essential preparatory work on the expansive city centre site over six months period. “Buckingham Group Contracting have an outstanding record in successfully delivering major high-profile schemes. Having a company of this calibre working in collaboration with us is another statement of intent; this will be a world-class transformational scheme that will be a catalyst to making Swansea a great 21st century city,” said Rob Stewart, leader of Swansea Council. “Swansea Central Phase One will bring a bright new modern focus to our city; it will mean new opportunities for local people, businesses and major investors. Other regeneration will follow. We have developed a strategy with Buckingham to offer packages of work to sub contractors and trades, many of whom we hop will be local so the benefits of this significant investment will stay within the local economy,” Rob added. The early work will prepare the project and site for the main build phase due to start in late summer this year, with the transformation due to be completed in 2021.
Plans for a new £20 million leisure centre in Nottinghamshire have been submitted and, if approved, construction work may start in Summer 2020. The concept to build a leisure centre in Bingham has already been approved by Rushcliffe Borough Council. In October 2018, the investigations into the feasibility of a centre at Chapel Lane, Bingham have started when Gleeds was initially appointed to produce a study into the business case for a mixed leisure and commercial development at the site. The council, after a review of the company’s findings, has opted to go ahead with the reports proposals as part of the delivery of its wider masterplan for the Town. The initial proposal was submitted by CPMG, the architect responsible for the Rushcliffe Arena development in West Bridgford, as part of the study. In addition to the leisure centre, which includes both swimming and fitness space, outline proposals illustrate much-needed community space, 10,000 ft 2 of commercial office and plans to bring an adjacent industrial unit back into use. “Rushcliffe Borough Council is set to deliver a high specification leisure and community facility for residents of Bingham and at Gleeds we are delighted that it has accepted our recommendation to proceed. The planned new facilities perfectly dovetail with the council’s overarching masterplan for the area, which seeks to support healthy lifestyles and complement the continued growth of the town and the local economy,” said Michael Davies, Director of Gleeds in Nottingham.
The owners of a custom-built property on a prestigious Tees Valley development have been handed the keys to their exclusive new home. Developments by Joseph Homes is now set to start work on its fourth custom-built and bespoke property at Wynyard Park in just over 12 months, with housing experts predicting the rise to prominence of custom-built homes this year. Lloyds Banking Group head of housing development, Douglas Cochrane, recently predicted the Government will heavily advocate custom-build housing as a way of increasing the UK housing supply in 2019. Joseph Musgrave, director of Developments by Joseph Homes, believes more and more people are seeing the benefits of choosing to have their homes custom-built and being able to have such an input into the build of their new homes. He said: “We are thrilled we were able to give these clients the home of their dreams at Wynyard Park and hope they enjoy their new home Meadow Cottage. “Custom-build properties – in which we specialise – are increasingly popular with house buyers as it gives them the benefits of a self-build property whilst freeing those with busy lives of everything from planning and surveys, through to design and project management. “We work through every stage of the house build with the owners, giving them the different options to customise their homes and inject creativity, then we look after the whole process. “Meadow Cottage is a testament to the kind of property we can custom-build for house buyers. “The £1.1m home boasts stand-out features such as a tailor-made kitchen hand crafted by a local company, suspended oak beams, double sided open fire with exposed brick chimney breasts, double height glazing, dropped ceilings with recessed lighting and a range of other high end fixtures and fittings.” In some European countries 80% of homes are custom-built, compared to less than 10% in the UK – but that figure is expected to rise with Mr Cochrane pointing to an existing register of 90,000 people in the UK currently interested in such projects at a New Build and Housing Delivery seminar. Joseph added: “As well as the outstanding results custom-building can provide, the Wynyard Park location is also a big draw with stunning landscaping, round the clock security, a bourgeoning community and outstanding local schools including Wynyard Church of England Primary.” Developments by Joseph Homes offers a selection of designs for customers to choose from, or works with purchasers to produce bespoke designs to create the home of their dreams within their budget. The purchaser has the opportunity to make individual changes to match their particular requirements, while it project manages the custom-build on behalf of the customer. For more information about a custom-build project with Developments by Joseph Homes – or to view Poppy Cottage, the Developments by Joseph Homes show home – contact the Developments By Joseph Homes Sales Suite on 01740 618 888 or email info@josephhomes.life.
The Preferred Bidder to develop 11,500 homes at Thamesmead Waterfront in London is Lendlease. The firm was selected by housing charity Peabody and it is subject to contracts being finalised. Lendlease will work alongside Peabody in a corporate joint venture to masterplan and deliver the mammoth scheme over the next 30 years. The details of the new Joint Venture (JV) vehicle will be finalised by Summer 2019. “As one of London’s largest areas of opportunity to develop new housing and to support business and employment growth, Thamesmead can offer a fresh approach to living in London. Surrounded by water and outstanding wildlife, but within reach of the heart of the capital, we are excited at the opportunity to collaborate with Peabody, the local community and businesses, to bring new high-quality homes and workspaces to this exciting part of south-east London,” commented Dan Labbad, CEO at Lendlease, Europe. The 250-acre site is currently undeveloped and underpopulated, benefiting from 2.5 km of undeveloped river frontage, with an abundance of green space, open grassed and wooded areas, canals, two major lakes and an existing town centre. To transform the area, the scheme includes a new waterfront district of 11,500 new homes, focused around a proposed new DLR station in the heart of the development. Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan instructed TfL in 2017 to carry out detailed work on a DLR crossing connecting east and south-east London. “We are pleased to have selected Lendlease as a development partner for Thamesmead Waterfront. Our shared vision is to create thousands of new homes by the Thames and drive the local economy through new jobs and commercial spaces. With a new DLR river connection complementing the Elizabeth Line on the other side of town, Thamesmead would be more connected to the city than ever before. This would unlock enormous potential and could be a real game-changer for this part of London,” added Peabody Chief Executive Brendan Sarsfield.
