THE ISLAND Quarter could eventually be home to more than 1,000 students following the submission of proposals for a second phase of purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) on site. Plans submitted to Nottingham City Council today (16 February) will see a further 383-space student block built on the Manvers Road side
A GROUND-BREAKING new bioscience facility has been announced as the next phase of Nottingham’s The Island Quarter development. Plans submitted to Nottingham City Council today, 2 December 2022, feature more than 245,000 sq ft of high quality, flexible research and laboratory space, further enhancing the city’s reputation as the bioscience
NOTTINGHAM’S city within a city, The Island Quarter development, has strengthened its project delivery team with the appointment of Steve Thornton as project manager. Bringing more than 35 years’ experience in the construction industry with him, Steve is set to add impetus to the development team, ensuring each phase is
THE ISLAND Quarter, Nottingham’s largest redevelopment project, has announced its latest project partners, which will help take the high-profile site forwards. The Conygar Investment Company PLC – the developer behind the scheme – has chosen a mixture of local and national contractors, designers and consultants to partner with, who are
A WORLD-leading urban scientist has thrown his support behind The Island Quarter in Nottingham during a recent webisode. Professor Carlos Moreno, who created the concept of a 15-minute city where inhabitants have access to all the services they need within their immediate vicinity, told the audience at the latest CC
NOTTINGHAM’S biggest regeneration scheme for decades will begin in earnest in the coming weeks following the granting of planning approval for the first phase of The Island Quarter. The plans for Canal Turn today (23 September) received planning consent from Nottingham City Council, with work scheduled to start on site
BDC 319 : Aug 2024
THE ISLAND Quarter could eventually be home to more than 1,000 students following the submission of proposals for a second phase of purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) on site. Plans submitted to Nottingham City Council today (16 February) will see a further 383-space student block built on the Manvers Road side of the 36-acre site. Combined with the 693 beds at the adjacent Winfield Court – which will open to students for the 2024/25 academic year – The Island Quarter will boast a significant student population once both phases are complete. The proposals – designed by DAY Architectural – cover a range of accommodation types including cluster accommodation, studios and premium options, along with student community amenity facilities such as a gym, laundry room, various lounges and informal breakout areas. Following a similar material palette to Winfield Court, the designs include a combination of grey, buff and red bricks on the building’s facade alongside ribbed metal cladding. Christopher Ware, property director at Conygar, said: “The demand for student housing has never been greater, and PBSA plays a vital role in ensuring that students have access to high-quality accommodation without the need to restrict housing supply that is better suited for Nottingham residents.” The new student block is the latest planning submission by developer The Conygar Investment Company, following last May’s approval for a new 250,000 sq ft biosciences campus on the northern side of the site. Ware said: “Intergenerational living has been a core principle for our plans for The Island Quarter, and a healthy population of students is a crucial part of this mix. In a competitive marketplace, these well-designed plans put student experience at their heart, and we’re looking forward to seeing this phase move forward. “This latest proposal is one of a series of planning submissions that are currently in the pipeline, building on the success of the first phases of the development at 1 The Island Quarter and Winfield Court.” The scheme has been designed by DAY Architectural with planning, transport and environmental advice being provided by Axis. David Jones, technical director at Axis, said: “As part of the evolving masterplan for The Island Quarter, this next phase of accommodation has been designed so that the proposed build can complement Winfield Court in design and function while diversifying the student living environments on offer.” For more information about the plans for The Island Quarter, including the overall masterplan, visit theislandquarter.com. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A GROUND-BREAKING new bioscience facility has been announced as the next phase of Nottingham’s The Island Quarter development. Plans submitted to Nottingham City Council today, 2 December 2022, feature more than 245,000 sq ft of high quality, flexible research and laboratory space, further enhancing the city’s reputation as the bioscience capital of the UK. With more than 200 bioscience businesses in the city already, the proposed facility will act as an incubator for new and growing companies, in what is a strategically important sector within Nottingham. The plans comprise of two buildings, a five storey east building and a seven storey west building. The two buildings will be connected by a glazed link at upper levels and provide a mixture of laboratory, office and meeting spaces. Featuring rainwater gardens and medicinal planting, the building’s external landscaping is designed to echo the vision for the overall site, with an ecology-focussed street that links the latest phase with the rest of The Island Quarter. This includes raised planters made with natural stone paving blocks in the style of those found in the heritage buildings – connecting the site’s history with its future. The surroundings are designed to respond to the emerging wider masterplan, which is being developed in collaboration with the planning authority and is the subject of ongoing community engagement. These latest proposals will continue the development of the northern edge of the 36-acre development, which also features a 693-bed student accommodation block, due for completion in summer 2024. Christopher Ware, property director at Conygar, said: “Nottingham has a world-renowned reputation as a leading city for innovation, and that is never more the case than in the field of biosciences. Bringing forward this phase of the development will create vital research space for some of the city’s most innovative businesses, and further grow its standing in the bioscience sector.” Richard Watson of The Island Quarter project delivery team said: “This latest phase is another significant step forward for the regeneration of The Island Quarter, bringing the potential for hundreds of new jobs and increasing the footfall across the wider site. With 1 The Island Quarter now fully open for business and the student accommodation set to be ready for the 2024/25 intake, it’s a truly exciting time not just for the project, but for the city as a whole.” To find out more about The Island Quarter, please visit: theislandquarter.com Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
NOTTINGHAM’S city within a city, The Island Quarter development, has strengthened its project delivery team with the appointment of Steve Thornton as project manager. Bringing more than 35 years’ experience in the construction industry with him, Steve is set to add impetus to the development team, ensuring each phase is completed on schedule. Steve stepped into the role in October 2021 and is responsible for assisting the wider team with the planning for each phase of the development. Having worked in the industry since 1987, he has been brought on to The Island Quarter due to his extensive build experience and additional involvement in civils projects. Steve said: “I’m delighted to be a part of the team delivering The Island Quarter to Nottingham. Developments of this scale and significance don’t come along very often so it’s a once in a career opportunity. For me, it is particularly remarkable to play a role in bringing it to fruition as I’ve lived in Nottingham for almost 30 years, it’s the place I call home, and I’m excited to create a space the city will benefit from for generations to come.” Prior to this role, Steve worked on a range of developments across the country, from the Canary Wharf Project in London to his recent work on the local Lace Market Point. Steve pairs his strong built environment knowledge with his further experience in civils, which lends itself to the demands of the The Island Quarter site, where a mixture of both is required. Robert Ware, chief executive of the Conygar Investment Company, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Steve’s expertise to The Island Quarter. He’s already making an impact on the efficient running of the site, having hit the ground running earlier this year. As work on site is rapidly progressing, and phase 1A is set to open in Spring 2022, Steve will play a pivotal role in pushing the plans forward, on time, working with the relevant parties to do so. “We are continuing to develop our plans for the later stages of the site, at the same time as delivering the initial ones. Steve’s role will ensure the pre-construction procedures are in place and that progress is monitored once work begins, a position that will be vital as we advance through to completion at each phase.” The Island Quarter will open its doors to Canal Turn, the first phase, in spring 2022. Meanwhile, planning approval is expected within the next few weeks for phase 1B, which includes a hotel, 247 apartments and extensive food and beverage outlets. To find out more about The Island Quarter and Canal Turn, please visit: theislandquarter.com
THE ISLAND Quarter, Nottingham’s largest redevelopment project, has announced its latest project partners, which will help take the high-profile site forwards. The Conygar Investment Company PLC – the developer behind the scheme – has chosen a mixture of local and national contractors, designers and consultants to partner with, who are all working together to transform the southside area of the city. Engineering consultancy Couch Perry Wilkes is the latest Nottingham-based company to join the list of project partners – which already includes other local businesses such as CPMG Architects, Leonard Design and Macaulay Sinclair – having been appointed to provide mechanical and engineering services for phase two of the development. Also announced are Quartz Project Services as quantity surveyors for phase 1A, Canal Turn, and Studio Egret West, which will be responsible for placemaking and the public realm. Work is now well underway on the first phase, 1A, of the development, which will regenerate the canal basin area on the southwest corner of the site – with two restaurants, an event space and rooftop terrace, as well as a bandstand and public spaces. Planning for the second phase, 1B, was submitted in January for a UK first ‘cohesive use’ scheme, featuring a combination of hotels, co-working space, apartments, green public realm and leisure facilities. Christopher Ware, property director at Conygar, said: “The Island Quarter is one of the biggest city centre regeneration schemes in the UK, and for that reason it’s vital that we have a team on the site that has both the skills and local knowledge to make it a success. That’s why we want to partner with local companies, like Couch Perry Wilkes, because they’re as passionate about the area as we are. “It’s an incredibly exciting time for the city, especially now that spades are in the ground and progress is being made every day. We want to make sure The Island Quarter is a community the people of Nottingham can be proud of, and to do that it’s crucial to work with a wide variety of partners that will each bring unique and exciting ideas to the table.” Ashley Cowdrey, director at Couch Perry Wilkes, said: “We’re thrilled to have been appointed to work on such a prominent scheme. The whole development is really exciting, not just because of its scale but the fact it’s brimming with potential to widen the city centre as an attraction. “This area has sat derelict for years, so it’s great to see Conygar breathing new life into it with aspirations that pull so many elements of Nottingham’s character together – hospitality, residential, business, public realm and more – it feels like a concentrated snapshot of the city and, as a local business, we can’t wait to see it move forward.” The Island Quarter masterplan, which received outline planning approval in April 2019, has been designed with a full lifecycle of uses, ranging from student housing, office space and community living. It will introduce a network of public realm and access routes for pedestrians and cyclists, with green spaces at the heart of the plans. Daniel Gillespie, director at Quartz Project Services, said: “We are extremely excited to be part of a project that encapsulates the city’s reputation of foresight, individuality and creativity so perfectly. We’ve already made several visits to the site to conduct a number of valuations and are monitoring the development’s progress closely. Being involved in a scheme like this will be extremely rewarding for us and we look forward to being part of a project that’s going to bring so much to the city of Nottingham.” David West, founding director at Studio Egret West, said: “This is a unique opportunity to work on a project that’s going to have such a massive impact on the city as a whole, by evolving a distinctive, pioneering and landscape led neighbourhood. We’re entering a new era of placemaking and that’s why a collaborative approach is going to be so important for The Island Quarter to ensure it meets the post-pandemic needs of our cities. We want to bring as many people as possible on this journey with us and help create a destination the people of Nottingham will enjoy for generations to come.” The landmark development will create hundreds of jobs, strengthen the local economy and help to elevate Nottingham as one of the UK’s key regional cities for investors and employers. Project managers WES Consultancy and investors Lavignac Securities are also both leading on the delivery of the project on behalf of Conygar Investment Company.
A WORLD-leading urban scientist has thrown his support behind The Island Quarter in Nottingham during a recent webisode. Professor Carlos Moreno, who created the concept of a 15-minute city where inhabitants have access to all the services they need within their immediate vicinity, told the audience at the latest CC Live webisode that the Nottingham development has all the characteristics to transform the way people in the city live, work and spend time. Speaking during a live Q&A with audience members, Professor Moreno said: “I’m very happy that The Island Quarter and Nottingham is exploring the 15-minute city concept. The main attribute for cities looking to change in this way is a desire to transform their current model of urban life. “By having that, the city of Nottingham has the chance to develop a polycentric model, with The Island Quarter being one of the sectors. There is the potential for totality of services and urban social functions within a happy proximity, which is the 15-minute city in a nutshell.” Appearing alongside Professor Moreno was Christopher Ware, property director at The Island Quarter’s developer Conygar, who told the audience about the company’s reasons for investing in the city. Ware said: “Our intentions for The Island Quarter site have always been for it to be truly mixed-use – we wanted to avoid the creation of an office district that shuts down at 6pm on a Friday and becomes somewhere you don’t want to walk through. “This is where our plans pair quite nicely with the 15-minute city concept, as we want the site to reflect the full lifecycle, from student accommodation, to offices where those students may then have their first job, to areas for family homes. “The whole opportunity is very exciting. Nottingham has a young population – the proportion of young people is comparable to Berlin and Amsterdam – and is seen as a bit of a fintech hub. There’s a strong underlying entrepreneurial spirit, but we feel that maybe there’s been a lack of a voice to shout about it. “We see The Island Quarter working along with other projects in the city to harness the energy that’s naturally there, because we see the demand for what the site can offer. Ware also gave an overview of the next steps for the site, which had lain derelict for many years before Conygar’s purchase of the former Boots Island in 2016. “The opening phase of the site is well underway and it’s going to really open up the canalside area, which has been such an underused part of the city for a number of years. It’s creating some really exciting public realm, which is going to bring the people of the city back to The Island Quarter site. “We’ve submitted the planning application for the next phase – which is the cohesive-use building adjacent to the opening phase – and we’ll be submitting a further application for some student accommodation in the coming months as well. “We’re also working hard in the background on a number of other elements of the site including the heritage warehouses, which we know are of great interest and a lot of people will be interested to hear our proposals when they come forward.” As well as the live Q&A, attendees heard the thoughts of BioCity’s CEO Toby Reid, The Nottingham Project’s director Lee Walker and Dr Lucelia Rodrigues from the University of Nottingham, who talked about The Island Quarter’s potential for creating a new community. To view the full webisode, visit The Island Quarter’s YouTube page. For more information on The Island Quarter, visit theislandquarter.com.
NOTTINGHAM’S biggest regeneration scheme for decades will begin in earnest in the coming weeks following the granting of planning approval for the first phase of The Island Quarter. The plans for Canal Turn today (23 September) received planning consent from Nottingham City Council, with work scheduled to start on site in November. The approved phase will include a three-storey 2,000 sqm pavilion on the waterfront, featuring two restaurants, circa 500 sqm of events space with panoramic views and a large rooftop terrace, forming the opening phase of development on the 40-acre site. The plans also feature provision for a bandstand and a substantial area of new, attractive public realm – all of which will open up the canal basin area, enhancing one of Nottingham’s most under-utilised assets. The first phase will also include extensive improvement works to the canal at the London Road end of the site, which will help form a focal point for The Island Quarter. Christopher Ware, property director of Conygar, the developer behind the scheme, said: “We are delighted that planning for Canal Turn has been granted. We’ve worked closely with Nottingham City Council to progress the application and ensure that we can get started promptly on what is a landmark site not just for the city, but the region as a whole. “Canal Turn marks the first stage of a development that will create a unique, year-round destination for the city, as well as a thriving and vibrant new community for Nottingham.” Having been granted outline planning consent for the former Boots Island site in April 2019, the team behind the development worked closely with the city’s planning and regeneration team on the Section 106 agreement, which was signed off earlier this year. Richard Watson, director of Conygar Nottingham, said: “Throughout this process, we’ve been committed to creating a development that reflects Nottingham and enhances its credentials as a first-rate city. “We’ve worked closely with the city and the design team to put together these plans for a development, which will be of huge benefit to the local economy and will create thousands of jobs during the build phase and beyond.” The overall plans for the site, which has been derelict for many years, will bring new homes, grade A office space, creative spaces, a lifestyle hotel, PRS apartments and co-working space, a ‘linear’ park and vibrant community and event space as well as student accommodation to the city. Councillor David Mellen, leader of Nottingham City Council, said: “It’s really pleasing to see not just new developments taking place in Nottingham, but major developments like The Island Quarter and on such a huge, transformative scale. “Not many places have the opportunity to create a new addition to their city like this, with 40 acres of land prime for redevelopment so close to the city centre. It will become a major asset to Nottingham, connecting nearby neighbourhoods to the city centre through an area long overdue for redevelopment. “The plans to provide a mix of places to live, work and play will perfectly complement the other redevelopments across the southside area, and hopefully this first phase is a sign of the quality of the developments to come on site. We’re pleased to be working with Conygar on creating this new space for our city and like many others, I look forward to watching it change before us.”
