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
A Halifax-based building, built in the 1900’s, welcomed the mayor and mayoress of Calderdale to open its newly renovated roof-top garden on 12th March 2019. Business partners, Vicky and Brian Nolan began the £1m refurbishment of Croft Myl in 2015 and have since provided 40 local businesses with vibrant office
HLM, a leading design and architecture practice with studios in Glasgow, has won the tender for the £45 million Sheffield Heart of the City II Block A project, staving off competition from 37 other architecture practices. The scheme will provide ground floor retail space, office accommodation, a lifestyle hotel and
Kier Property has acquired part of a major regeneration scheme in Birmingham, which allows the project to finally move forward. The development division of Kier Group purchased Arena Central from Miller Developments in a deal that will see three further phases of the site’s existing masterplan to be delivered. “We
One of Scotland’s most imaginative and innovative engineering design specialists has taken on a crucial role in the regeneration of Eyemouth boat yard, one of the last remaining repair facilities for the East Coast fishing fleet and the RNLI. Planning permission has just been granted for a state-of-the-art repair and
Contractor Morgan Sindall has achieved a number of key construction milestones at a £50 million regeneration scheme in Leicester. Project Medius is a mixed-use development in Leicester city centre featuring two new hotels, 35,000 sq ft of space in a new five-storey office, a new public realm area called Great
A £2 million cash investment has boosted work on new designs for a transformation project at Harrow’s historic Elliot Hall. The project will involve redeveloping the run-down buildings surrounding Elliot Hall, which will add extra space for classrooms, affordable studios and an improved outdoor area. The new investment in the
The development of the multi-million Chester Northgate regeneration scheme has reached a significant milestone with the appointment of architect AHR, selected to progress the scheme to detailed design. Specialist advisors from Cheshire West and Chester Council have also been appointment. Together, they will bring forward the £60 million initial phase
A new Build to Rent site has been acquired by Legal & General in Chelmsford City Centre. Contracts were exchanged for the site, which was purchased on behalf of the company’s UK Property Fund (‘The Fund’). The Built to Rent site is also known as Chelmer Waterside, forming part of
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
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.
A Halifax-based building, built in the 1900’s, welcomed the mayor and mayoress of Calderdale to open its newly renovated roof-top garden on 12th March 2019. Business partners, Vicky and Brian Nolan began the £1m refurbishment of Croft Myl in 2015 and have since provided 40 local businesses with vibrant office space. The Mayor, Marcus Thompson and Mayoress, Nicky Chance-Thompson cut the red ribbon to officially mark the regeneration of what was once an unusable and derelict building. The roof-top garden and penthouse suite, which has taken 12-months to build, features glass pods and a unique slide, offering tenants an alternative way to reach the penthouses offices below. Vicky and Brian Nolan designed the award-winning office space with local SME’s in mind; having struggled to find a suitable headquarters for their electrical and fire safety business, Circuit Compliance. The first of its kind, Croft Myl provides ‘no-ties’ contracts for its residents Current tenants include Andys Man Club, Wright Angle Marketing, Kip Mcgrath, Zenith Wealth Management, Woodhall Mortgages, Snowflake Media and many others. Commenting on the opening of the roof-top garden, Vicky Nolan said: “What a fantastic way to start the year. We’re absolutely thrilled to have welcomed our valued tenants and other local professionals to the opening of our roof-top garden. We hope this fantastic space will be enjoyed many this summer. “Having the mayor and mayoress there to celebrate the opening was brilliant and we were very pleased to give them a little push down the roof-top slide! “It’s been a very busy start to the year for us but we will continue to put our occupants and local SMEs at the heart of what we do.”
HLM, a leading design and architecture practice with studios in Glasgow, has won the tender for the £45 million Sheffield Heart of the City II Block A project, staving off competition from 37 other architecture practices. The scheme will provide ground floor retail space, office accommodation, a lifestyle hotel and residential accommodation. It forms part of the wider Heart of the City II masterplan, one of Sheffield’s key economic projects backed by Sheffield City Council alongside its strategic delivery partner Queensberry. Designed to create a dynamic mixed-use district in the heart of the city centre, it will offer Grade A office space, two hotels, residential developments, restaurants and cafés, leisure destinations, parking and stunning public realm. Block A is the city block on Pinstone Street and is the gateway to the Heart of the City II district from the east. It sits within the City Centre Conservation Area and neighbours several historically significant buildings and public spaces, including Barker’s Pool, City Hall, the Town Hall and Laycock House. It also has a commanding presence over the adjacent Peace Gardens. HLM’s winning design draws on the romance and heritage of the site as well as the independent retail culture of the city centre and the vibrancy associated with Sheffield City of Makers. Described as calm, confident and contemporary, it stitches together different uses to create a vibrant destination within the city centre. Philip Watson, Director and Head of Design at HLM, said: “As a major UK practice which had its first base in Sheffield, being part of its regeneration is a great honour. It’s a unique project with a significance that is affirmed by the 35+ practices who wanted to be considered as part of the competition. Our successful design reflects our own understanding of this great UK city as well a quality of architecture that marries the respect of the old and the potential of the new.” Nalin Seneviratne, Director of City Centre Development at Sheffield City Council, added: “Block A is one of the most prominent blocks within the Heart of the City II masterplan. It was critical for us to bring in an architect with the vision and creativity to help us to realise the true potential of this site. With HLM Architects we are confident we have found this, as they combine international experience and expertise with a detailed local knowledge and respect for Sheffield’s heritage.” HLM offers expertise across five disciplines including Architecture, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture, Environmental and Masterplanning. It has studios in Glasgow, London, Sheffield, Belfast, Cardiff and Manchester, as well as Dubai and Abu Dhabi. For more information on HLM visit: www.hlmarchitects.com or follow @HLMArchitects on Twitter.
Kier Property has acquired part of a major regeneration scheme in Birmingham, which allows the project to finally move forward. The development division of Kier Group purchased Arena Central from Miller Developments in a deal that will see three further phases of the site’s existing masterplan to be delivered. “We are delighted to announce the purchase of this significant 9.2 acre development opportunity at Arena Central. This acquisition will substantially increase our activities in the West Midlands and will enable Kier to continue the development of the area as a place where people will want to work, shop and socialise in Birmingham,” commented Tom Gilman, managing director for Kier Property North. Kier Property will be in charge of delivering 3 Arena Central, as well as the development of three office buildings, totalling 526,009 sq ft. The 5 Centenary Square, 4 Arena Central and 5 Arena Central buildings will be phased over the next five-seven years. “Having been involved in the project for a number of years, Arena Central is now firmly established as one of Birmingham’s prime office locations, and we’re delighted to hand the baton to an organisation of Kier Property’s calibre for delivery of the remaining phases,” added Andrew Sutherland, Miller Developments. This scheme is part of a major redevelopment of 10 buildings consisting of offices, shops, bars, cafes, restaurants and a hotel through to Q4 2026.
One of Scotland’s most imaginative and innovative engineering design specialists has taken on a crucial role in the regeneration of Eyemouth boat yard, one of the last remaining repair facilities for the East Coast fishing fleet and the RNLI. Planning permission has just been granted for a state-of-the-art repair and maintenance facility at the Borders port as part of an ambitious £2 million investment. The designs and planning were prepared for the Edinburgh-based Applied Engineering Design (AED). The plans envisage the removal of existing sheds and their replacement with modern buildings which will accommodate bigger boats as well as facilitating year-round working. The vision for the project also encompasses slipways and offices, education and hospitality facilities. It is the latest high profile project for AED, which has also been commissioned for work on the multi-billion pound Battersea Power Station development in London – dubbed the toughest project in the world – while last year AED successfully took on the restoration of the iconic but troubled Ross Fountain in Edinburgh’s Princes Street Gardens. Tim Hetherington, Director of AED, said: “The connection of the Eyemouth boat yard with the sea is unshakeable and it is a key employer in the town, providing work for up to 20 people. Without it, boats would have to go to Arbroath or Whitby for out-of-water repairs. “The plans we prepared employ the latest civil and structural engineering techniques for work in the inter-tidal zone, the multiple sheds which will increase the range of boats the yard can handle and the educational facilities, including a viewing gallery. “When the transformation is complete Eyemouth boat yard will be embraced as a focal point in the community which will provide valuable training and apprenticeship opportunities as well as skilled jobs.” The yard was taken over last year by Patrick Flockhart, who intends to turn around its fortunes with investment in plant and people. Trading as Eyemouth Marine, it intends to become a “garage for the sea”, but also to serve “sea, wind and shore”, using marine skills to serve onshore industry as well as offshore wind arrays. It is anticipated that, with the necessary permissions, work will begin on the Eyemouth yard in the middle of 2019. AED was founded in 2008 and now has offices in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Bath. It has a turnover of £650,000 and employs 10 people. Unusually, AED still undertakes most detailed design and coordination work in house. The company serves individuals and businesses in sectors including industry and commerce, sport and education, infrastructure and property maintenance.
Contractor Morgan Sindall has achieved a number of key construction milestones at a £50 million regeneration scheme in Leicester. Project Medius is a mixed-use development in Leicester city centre featuring two new hotels, 35,000 sq ft of space in a new five-storey office, a new public realm area called Great Central Square and a major highways and traffic management scheme. “We’re incredibly pleased to reach this important milestone as we move ever closer to delivering this exciting project for the people of Leicester. Project Medius is set to play a central role in revitalising this area of the city. We look forward to continuing our collaborative efforts with everyone involved over the coming months as we deliver this once in a generation scheme,” said Richard Frape, Project Director at Morgan Sindall Construction & Infrastructure. The milestones include the completion of the concrete frame on the 10-storey Novotel hotel, with work on the outside façade cladding and internal fit out of the hotel underway. Internal fit out works are also progressing on the office block. The hotel will offer 154 bedrooms when complete, including executive rooms and suites, a gym, banqueting facilities, meeting rooms and a ground floor feature bar and restaurant. In addition, the Charles Street Buildings (CSB) development will also feature the six-storey Aparthotel Adagio hotel. “The progress that has been in made in constructing two new hotels, a new office block and new public realm in Leicester City Centre is very pleasing. Our ambitious regeneration plans, along with those of Leicester City Council, in this area are now having an impact on Leicester’s sky line and street scene,” said Joseph Murphy, Director, at CSB. “Completion of superstructure works for the Novotel and Adagio marks the next phase of tangible delivery of this transformative development and starts the countdown to the arrival of exciting new hotels, along with work and leisure facilities at No1 Great Central Square and Leicester Central,” he added. The scheme aims to help create an attractive new gateway to link the city centre to the Waterside area. Construction work is expected to be complete by the end of 2019.
A £2 million cash investment has boosted work on new designs for a transformation project at Harrow’s historic Elliot Hall. The project will involve redeveloping the run-down buildings surrounding Elliot Hall, which will add extra space for classrooms, affordable studios and an improved outdoor area. The new investment in the project has been awarded by Harrow Council and the Mayor of London under the Good Growth Fund. “It wasn’t long ago that the Arts Centre faced an uncertain future – but we take great pride in saying those days are long behind us. 230,000 people visited the site last year. We want 300,000 people and more visiting the HAC in future – and this project, will make that possible,” said Cllr Keith Ferry, portfolio holder for Business, Planning and Regeneration. “But this investment doesn’t just mean fun. It means jobs and places for our small cultural industries to grow and thrive, helping them all on their journey to success – this is what the council does best. Economic development and cultural wealth go hand-in-hand at the HAC, and that’s something we can all believe in,” Cllr Ferry continued. The first new learning space will be available on site from Autumn this year, with new artist studios following in 2020. “This is a great example of a project which aims to give Londoners of all backgrounds the opportunity to be actively involved in shaping how their city develops. The Mayor and I are committed to supporting ‘good growth’ by building a city where all Londoners have access to the same opportunities and I look forward to seeing the positive impact this project has in the future,” concluded Deputy Mayor for Planning, Regeneration and Skills, Jules Pipe.
The development of the multi-million Chester Northgate regeneration scheme has reached a significant milestone with the appointment of architect AHR, selected to progress the scheme to detailed design. Specialist advisors from Cheshire West and Chester Council have also been appointment. Together, they will bring forward the £60 million initial phase of the project, which includes a new relocated dynamic and modern market, six-screen cinema, restaurants, public square and car parking. “The Chester Northgate scheme is set to deliver a fantastic boost to the city and we’re tremendously pleased to have been appointed to the project. The development will reinforce the leisure and culture offering at the heart of the transformation of the city delivering a new relocated dynamic and modern market, six-screen cinema, host of new restaurants and public square,” said Dominic Manfredi, director at AHR and a local resident of the borough. “The project will also provide vital new car parking. This will increase capacity and ensure visitors can enjoy the development and the wider city centre with ease, benefitting local businesses across the city. We’re confident that this ambitious project will help further strengthen Chester’s reputation as one of the North West’s premier destinations,” Dominic added. The Council’s preferred contractor is Vinci Construction UK, who will be formally appointed to a pre-construction agreement in autumn 2019. Meanwhile, building work for the initial phase of Chester Northgate is set to start early 2020.
A new Build to Rent site has been acquired by Legal & General in Chelmsford City Centre. Contracts were exchanged for the site, which was purchased on behalf of the company’s UK Property Fund (‘The Fund’). The Built to Rent site is also known as Chelmer Waterside, forming part of a major mixed-use development in Chelmsford. This development will provide a landmark urban regeneration scheme for the city, comprising 421 residential apartments, associated landscaping and local retail amenities. Taylor Wimpey will develop the Build to Rent homes, which will consist of 104 studio, one, two and three bedroom apartments in two adjoining Freehold blocks. This acquisition marks the first Build to Rent scheme for The Fund, and will sit alongside recent investments in hotels, healthcare and student accommodation. “This acquisition is in line with our strategy for the UK Property Fund to increase our exposure to alternative operational assets, whilst demonstrating the breadth of our wider fund management platform which has enabled us to collaborate with our well established Build to Rent team. As we continue to actively diversify our holdings into more alternative sectors, Build to Rent will remain a preferred subsector alongside operational hotels, self-storage and student accommodation, giving us real time access to occupational markets with a robust rental growth story,” said Matthew Jarvis, Senior Fund Manager, UK Property Fund, at LGIM Real Assets. “Chelmsford in particular has strong location dynamics, benefitting from a 40% increase in average prices over the last 10 years, according to the UK HPI. With excellent commuter links to London, it is also set to experience notable population growth, placing further demand on housing,” Matthew Jarvis concluded.
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.
