Eutopia Homes lands deal for Gloucester £70m resi scheme

Brownfield developer Eutopia Homes has acquired an 8-acre brownfield site in central Gloucester for a £70m residential-led regeneration project.

Eutopia Homes is planning on bringing forward proposals early next year for up to 300 homes in a mix of single-family homes for rent, alongside city centre flats adjacent to Gloucester City train station.

The deal is the third Eutopia Homes has made with Network Rail, following previous transactions for Exmouth Junction in Exeter.

Scott Hammond, founder and CEO at Eutopia Homes, said:“We are excited to bring forward this complicated brownfield site for a new balanced community of homes for sale and rent.

“Recent investment by the University of Gloucester for the acquisition of the old Debenhams store for a new campus, along with the City Council’s recent investment in driving a new cyber hub for the UK in close proximity to Gloucester Council’s HQ, will bring more employment to the City, which in turn will drive up the demand for high-quality housing.”

Chenavari Investment Managers funded the land deal, which is the fifth for Eutopia Homes.

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Hill gets nod for 420-home East Cambridge phase 2

Hill Group and joint venture partner Marshall have secured planning for the 420-home second phase of the Marleigh development in East Cambridge.

This new phase will run in conjunction with the current phase to deliver 550 homes, a primary school, market square and community centre over the next five years.

Construction will start on site to build the homes in early 2022, when a mix of private and affordable apartments and homes will be delivered as part of the long term masterplan.

Every new home will feature a range of energy-saving and carbon reduction features, including fabric first designs, air-source heat pumps and photovoltaics.

Andy Hill of Hill Marshall JV said: “We are delighted to have secured planning for the delivery of more homes and community facilities in this exciting new neighbourhood in East Cambridge, which has attracted a broad mix of buyers already.

“We have an unwavering commitment to supporting the wider Cambridge local economy, and it has been excellent to see our efforts supported through this latest approval.”

Phase 2 has been underpinned by the vision and essential placemaking principles set out in the Design Code, created for the wider master plan.

As a result, the material palette has been carefully chosen to comply with the Design Code and features a diverse range of high-quality brickwork in a range of colours and textures. These materials establish an exciting street scene and integrate with the emerging character that has been developed in Phase 1.

Extensive cycle parking provisions have been incorporated for all residents, including the apartment buildings, each with a dedicated secure bike store close to the entrance.

The project team for Marleigh phase 2 includes Terence O’Rourke, JTP LLP, Bradley Murphy Design and WSP.

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Keltbray raids Skanska Cementation for piling boss

Keltbray has lured Skanska Cementations’s Paul Wiltcher to take up the role of operations director at its piling division.

Wiltcher spent nearly five years as Skanska Cementation operations director and brings over 25 years experience in the piling and foundations industry.

During that time he has worked on many complex major projects, most notably, Amsterdam NoordZuid Lijn, NLE Battersea Station Box, the New US Embassy in London, 21 Moorfields and London City Airport.

Stuart Norman, managing director, Piling, said: “We are delighted to welcome Paul to the team. Paul joins us with a wealth of experience having worked for some of the best specialist piling and foundations companies in the UK and abroad.

“We are delighted to have him join us where he will have a senior role to play in delivering our core mission statement and values.”