Developer hunts for Midlands brownfield sites to build 1,000 homes a year
Wavensmere Homes, based in Birmingham, is looking for brownfield sites over three acres in Midlands city centres and towns.
With 3,500 plots in the works, the firm aims to build 1,000 homes per year to double its turnover to around £250m.
Founded in 2015, Wavensmere delivered 522 homes in 2023 and is expected to reach £115m in turnover in 2024. Construction on five new developments, worth nearly £350m, is set to begin this year.
James Dickens, managing director of Wavensmere Homes, said: “The area we have intrinsic knowledge of is the East and West Midlands. It’s where our executive and management team live, where the majority of our core supply chain partners are based, and where we have an existing track record and established working relationships with local authorities. We would love to do more in Wolverhampton and across the Black Country, as we firmly believe the Birmingham ripple effect should be accelerating the regeneration of well-connected locations, such as Smethwick, Walsall and Dudley.
Late last year, Wavensmere Homes got approval from Amber Valley Borough Council for a £22m redevelopment of Milford Mills in north Derbyshire. The project will deliver 69 new homes within the Derwent Valley Mills UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In April 2024, their £75m Friar Gate Goods Yard redevelopment in Derby city centre received approval. The project includes 276 houses and apartments, ready by 2026, featuring EV charging ports, air source heat pumps, and solar panels.
Wavensmere Homes has plans to redevelop one of the last vacant plots in Derby’s Cathedral Quarter, currently under review by Derby City Council. The proposal includes 195 studio, one-, and two-bedroom apartments in a redesigned nine-story red brick building on Full Street.
Earlier this year, Wavensmere Homes and BBS Capital submitted a planning application to Cheltenham Borough Council to redevelop the North Place car park in the Central Conservation Area. The plan proposes 153 houses and apartments for Arkle Court, enhancing the street scene near the Grade II* listed St Margaret’s Terrace.
In May, Wavensmere Homes revealed detailed plans for Wolverhampton’s Canalside South, a former industrial site along the Wyrley & Essington Canal and the Wolverhampton Branch of the Birmingham Main Line Canal. The 17.5-acre site will feature over 500 eco-friendly homes and various commercial amenities, making it one of the largest city-centre residential development opportunities in the Midlands.
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