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

December 29, 2021

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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

December 29, 2021

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.”

Berkeley starts picking team for Plumstead regen scheme

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The first raft of specialists has been lined-up for Berkeley’s latest major regeneration project in south east London to transform the former historic home of Arsenal FC.

Main construction work is set to begin early next year on the 1,750-home Lombard Square development in Plumstead being delivered with Peabody.

And Berkeley has agreed the first set of deals on site preparation work with JB Riney & Co set to work on highways works, McCauliffe Site Services on temporary electrics and Tagg Construction on site hoardings

The scheme is located on the vacant site near Plumstead Station in the Thamesmead and Abbey Wood Opportunity Area. It is centred around a new biodiverse park and play space which will almost equal the size of two Wembley Stadium football pitches, and create new natural habitats with green corridors.

Karl Whiteman, Divisional Managing Director for Berkeley East Thames, said: “It will be a real driver of change for Plumstead and Thamesmead.

“We’re taking unused and long vacant land and delivering homes, employment, retail and leisure opportunities alongside a stunning new biodiverse park which can be enjoyed by the whole community – something we hope everyone will be proud of and benefit from.

“Berkeley has had the privilege of working in The Royal Borough of Greenwich for over two decades and we remain committed to taking derelict, unloved land and turning it into exceptional spaces which improve the lives of those who live and work on and near to it.”

The Lombard Square site was once home to Arsenal Football Club, with the Manor Ground hosting Arsenal’s first ever Football League match in 1893. It was the club’s home ground for 20 years before they moved to Highbury in Islington.

The site has been in industrial use for several decades and has been vacant and unused since 2016.

£200m London Holborn Viaduct offices approved

Royal London Asset Management has got the planning green light for a £200m office scheme next to Holborn Viaduct in the City of London.

The 36,000 sq m offices designed by PLP Architecture will see the demolition of three buildings with the foundation retained to reduce the scheme’s carbon footprint.

City of London planners yesterday backed the scheme which will stand 10 floors tall on Holborn Viaduct and 12 floors on Farringdon Street.

It is the eighth major office scheme to gain planning in the City so far this year, underlying growing momentum for a new wave of major building projects post-pandemic.

The Royal London Asset Management scheme is targeting BREEAM Outstanding and will reuse existing building materials from demolition while seeking to replace around a third of cement-based materials with low carbon alternatives during construction.

A new publicly accessible step-free lift will move pedestrians from the lower Farringdon Street up to Holborn Viaduct.

Royal London Asset Management building will incorporate the existing Holborn Viaduct Gatehouse building and also provide public step free access with a new lift

During the three-year construction programme the project will support an average of around 450 jobs annually.

The development supports sustainable travel with an additional 499 long-stay and 34 short-stay cycle parking places.

Aerial view of proposed building from Farringdon Street (lelt) and view from Holborn Viaduct elevation

Head of Development at Royal London Asset Management, Philip Sutton, said: “We are thrilled that planning permission has been approved.

“This is an exciting opportunity to regenerate this corner of Holborn Viaduct, delivering a BREEAM Outstanding building which makes a significant contribution to the wider public realm.

“The development will strengthen London’s reputation as a global business centre, providing quality commercial space that prioritises wellness and future ways of working, whilst also strengthening our market leading sustainability standards.”

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Housing giants face council fury over delays to promised school

A council is considering legal action against three of the country’s biggest house builders to take control of a delayed school building project forming part of a major mixed-use scheme in Barry.

The Vale of Glamorgan Council said it will consider legal action to take charge of building Barry Waterfront School if developer the Waterfront Consortium refuses to hand over control voluntarily.

The council said the Waterfront Consortium – of Persimmon, Taylor Wimpey and Barratt Homes – has repeatedly delayed work on the school and has still not given assurances over a construction start date.

Cllr Lis Burnett, Vale of Glamorgan Council Cabinet Member for Education and Regeneration, said: “Enough is enough. It is regrettable that we have reached this point, but the consortium has proven it has no interest in building the primary school it promised as part of the Waterfront Development.

“I, along with other Council representatives, have held numerous meetings with them in an effort to address this matter but have been unable to make any real progress.

“At every turn we have been met with excuses, yet the developers’ house building operation does not seem to be suffering from the same problems, which is frankly astonishing.

“I can only conclude that while happy to build houses for commercial gain, the Waterfront Consortium has no interest in fulfilling its obligation to build a community.

“It is not only in breach of its legal commitments, but also local and national government polices around placemaking.

“The consortium has broken promises to residents of the Vale of Glamorgan and that is something we are not prepared to accept.

“This situation has been tolerated for long enough. We have formally written to the Waterfront Consortium asking that it sign over the school site to us. If the developers do not agree, we will explore what legal action is available to allow us to take control.”

The Council has previously taken enforcement action against developers at Barry Waterfront after they began building residential properties without appropriate planning permission.

A Temporary Stop Notice was also previously issued preventing the building and selling of new homes on the waterfront until significant progress had been made on delivering a complex of commercial space, including bars and restaurants, known as the District Centre.

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Government pumps cash into £93m Aston Expressway repairs

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The Government has agreed to fund the £93m strengthening and repair programme to a key viaduct on northern section of the Aston Expressway between the city centre and the M6 motorway.

The Tame Valley Viaduct, which carried about 80,000 vehicles a day, was starting to show signs of deterioration.

Without government funding, the viaduct would need weight and width restrictions within a few years and, over time, the link could potentially face full closure.

The Government is putting £72m into the project which is expected to cost £93.5m with the remaining funding coming from Birmingham City Council and the Local Growth Fund.

Work is due to start on an extensive strengthening programme next year with structure remaining open to traffic throughout. The vast project is expected to take nearly five years to complete.

Proposals involve major strengthening and refurbishment works on the viaduct, ensuring it can continue to carry heavy vehicles. It will remain open to traffic throughout the duration of works.

There are also plans to apply a protective anti-corrosion paint system to the structure alongside other general refurbishments, preserving the longevity of the viaduct and minimising the need for future work.

Peel sets out vast Chatham Docks regen plan

December 27, 2021

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Developer Peel L&P has set out its plans for further major investment in the redevelopment of Chatham Docks Industrial Estate in Kent.

A masterplan released by the developer outlines its new ambition to build 3,600 homes and a 1m sq ft new employment zone at the 90-acre riverside site.

Peel L&P masterplan vision for Chatham Docks. Key: Green – public open space; Green arrows – connectivity; Red and Orange – residential; Blue – employment space

Overall, the scheme has the potential to deliver 1.9m sq ft of floorspace which is similar to the scale of Peel L&P’s MediaCityUK development in Salford Quays.

Peel L&P has been investing in Medway for over a decade at its Chatham Waters development.

Since 2011, Peel L&P has pumped £125m into the redevelopment of the brownfield site, creating around 400 new homes, with a further 550 to be built over the next four years including 237 affordable homes and a new care home.

Waterfront UTC, and Mast & Rigging pub and restaurant. There is a further £500m to be invested over the next four years in Chatham Waters specifically on green community areas and an events zone.

James Whittaker, Executive Director of Development at Peel L&P said: “The vision is for a mixed-use sustainable community with a large employment area focusing on the digital, creative and health sectors along with a mix of homes including affordable homes, family housing, build to rent, open market and elderly living.

“The waterfront is a beautiful place, we have the chance to maximise this and create a community benefit that means all can enjoy the health and wellbeing advantages associated with this.”

Map depicting Chatham Waters and future redevelopment at Chatham Docks Industrial Estate

Completed residential, education and public realm at Peel L&P’s Chatham Waters

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Keltbray wins two more tunnel HS2 shafts

December 27, 2021