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 WILL ACCELERATE INVESTMENT IN CITY, SAYS DEVELOPER THE Island Quarter will create a “new city within a city” and represents an opportunity unlike any other in the UK, according to the developer behind the major scheme. Robert Ware, chief executive of The Conygar Investment Company, says that work on the 36-acre site is progressing at pace, with the first phase of the development
NEW images of the proposals for The Island Quarter have been released as part of an event to mark the progress of works on Canal Turn, the opening phase of the development. Nottingham South MP Lilian Greenwood, Nottingham City Council leader David Mellen, chief executive Mel Barrett, and other guests were shown
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 WILL ACCELERATE INVESTMENT IN CITY, SAYS DEVELOPER THE Island Quarter will create a “new city within a city” and represents an opportunity unlike any other in the UK, according to the developer behind the major scheme. Robert Ware, chief executive of The Conygar Investment Company, says that work on the 36-acre site is progressing at pace, with the first phase of the development set to open to the public in early next summer. The developer also confirmed that the scheme has been included in Nottingham City Council’s bid for the Levelling Up Fund, which could potentially provide significant funding for some of the infrastructure works required to unlock areas of the site. Ware said: “We’re very pleased with the progress of work on the site’s first phase, Canal Turn. There are very few cleared central sites in major European cities with this potential to create and curate an entire community and, when you combine that with the fact that Nottingham has one of the youngest demographics in the UK, you can see why we are so excited by the scale of the opportunity and what it can bring to the city.” Once complete, Canal Turn will bring a new three-storey restaurant, bar and exhibition space to the city’s waterfront, as well as a canalside plaza and outdoor stage for events. Planning applications have been submitted for a striking cohesive-use building incorporating hotels, rental apartments and office space, which will sit adjacent to Canal Turn and also a purpose-built 702-bed student accommodation project, situated on the Manvers Street side of the vast site. With designs developing for other projects on site, the overall plan for the entire site are proceeding apace. Ware said: “The Island Quarter is a massive opportunity for Nottingham – the city has an ambitious regeneration strategy and our site will bring 4,500 jobs to support that, as well as millions of pounds of inward investment into the city. “The student accommodation aspect of the scheme is particularly important. The city council has recently highlighted the potential 7,000 shortfall in student beds over the coming years, which illustrates both the draw of Nottingham and the scale of the need for purpose-built student spaces, allowing existing student accommodation to revert to family housing. To help accelerate the development’s progress, The Island Quarter has been included in the city council’s Levelling Up Fund bid, which is designed support ‘shovel-ready’ infrastructure projects that will boost local economies. Ware said: “While we already have investment in place to support the development of the various phases that make up the site, the Levelling Up Fund allows us to accelerate work on-site so that Nottingham can make the most of the economic benefits of The Island Quarter as quickly as possible. “There are major infrastructure works that need to take place on-site to enable this, and grant funding will mean that this can take place immediately and, crucially, speed up delivery. “We are in a prime position for the grant funding because we are already on-site and can guarantee we will use the funds immediately to show real results” The site will also help support the city’s ambitious climate targets, bringing high-performing, environmentally friendly buildings and improved green-blue infrastructure with a focus on sustainable and recycled building materials. Ware said: “It’s also important to make clear that this won’t be a concrete jungle. We want to introduce beautiful, open green spaces for people to relax and enjoy, as well as reimagining the waterfront overlooking the canal and bringing to life a neglected part of Nottingham. “The Island Quarter will be a new city within a city, complementing the best Nottingham already has to offer with its own unique proposition.” For more information and to add support to the campaign, visit: theislandquarter.com
NEW images of the proposals for The Island Quarter have been released as part of an event to mark the progress of works on Canal Turn, the opening phase of the development. Nottingham South MP Lilian Greenwood, Nottingham City Council leader David Mellen, chief executive Mel Barrett, and other guests were shown around the 36-acre site by Robert Ware, chief executive of The Conygar Investment Company PLC. The dignitaries were joined by children from Sneinton C of E Primary, who planted a time capsule as part of the ongoing work on Canal Turn, which is due for completion in early 2022. The images released at the event included an updated masterplan for the site, showing increased amounts of green space and the positioning of the currently active phases in the wider context of the site. The event was the first chance to welcome guests onto the site since work started in November 2020, with lockdown restrictions limiting outdoor social gatherings. Robert Ware, chief executive at Conygar, said: “We’re thrilled to have been able to welcome people down to The Island Quarter to see both the progress that is being made at Canal Turn and the wider plans for the site. “Canal Turn will be a true entertainment spot for the city, with event spaces, restaurants and panoramic views across the waterfront. When completed, it will open up the canal basin area, enhancing one of the city’s most under-utilised assets.” Plans for the opening phase also feature a bandstand and a substantial area of new, attractive public space, which will link with a network of public realm and access routes for pedestrians and cyclists. The Island Quarter masterplan, which received outline planning approval in April 2019, has been designed with a full lifecycle of uses – including hotels and hospitality, office space and community living – and green spaces at the heart of the plans. Ware said: “The Island Quarter is one of the biggest projects of its kind in the UK and is a huge part of the regeneration of Nottingham’s Southside. The masterplan images released today reiterate the scale of what we are trying to achieve with the development, as we look to create something that will make the city stand out on a national and international stage.” As part of the development of the site, Conygar has applied for Homes England funding and is in the process of exploring the Levelling Up Fund, which is designed to support investment in places where it can make the biggest difference to everyday life. Cllr David Mellen, leader of Nottingham City Council, said: “It was great to see progress on The Island Quarter site and to get a sense of the scale and potential for the area. Conygar has some really exciting ideas for what is a huge site, which will become a significant new destination as it develops. “The mixture of proposed developments for The Island Quarter will really complement what’s going on elsewhere in the Southside area, reanimating this part of the city as a place to live, work and play. It’s transformative developments like these that put Nottingham in a strong position to bounce back from the pandemic and forge a bright future.” Julie Doyle, partnership and enrichment lead at Sneinton C of E Primary School, said: “We have been very appreciative of the support that Conygar has given to our school over the past 12 months. “The children were very excited to be involved in this special event today and have enjoyed deciding what should go into the time capsule. We are delighted to have an ongoing partnership with Conygar and look forward to the opportunities that this will bring to our children in the future.”
