Property round-up: Dean Property Group; No.1 Dovecote; Heywood Civic Centre; Blackburn College; Atelier MB

Acting on behalf of Dean Property Group, Legat Owen has signed up Pulse Fulfilment to an 18,500 sq ft unit at Ocean Trade and Logistics Park on the Wirral.

Following a period of successful growth, global fulfilment provider Pulse has acquired the recently refurbished warehouse and offices on the Wirral as part of its expansion plan.

Ocean Park is located in a prominent position fronting onto Dock Road, Wallasey, at the mouth of the East Float Dock and the River Mersey.

The area has excellent road and rail communications, being approximately two miles from the M53 motorway, and has direct rail links to Liverpool city centre, in addition to the regular Mersey Ferry service and Mersey Tunnels.

Rupert Chadwick-Dunbar, surveyor at Legat Owen, said: “Pulse have signed a long term lease demonstrating their commitment to the site. It is testament to the landlord for undertaking a speculative refurbishment of the unit in order to achieve the letting.”

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No.1 Dovecote

Cushman and Wakefield has secured a new letting at No.1 Dovecote in Sale.

SpaMedica, a provider of NHS eye health services, has taken 9,771 sq ft on the ground floor of the building on a 10-year lease.

SpaMedica has completed an extensive fit-out of the space, which has recently launched as an outpatient clinic providing Ophthalmology services, including NHS cataract surgery.

The new eye hospital is equipped with the latest in diagnostic and treatment technology.

Real estate services firm, Cushman and Wakefield, acted for asset managers, Corum Butler, throughout the deal, which has owned the building since 2019.

Emma Shaw, SpaMedica’s Head of Property, said: “We were thrilled to open our brand new eye hospital in Sale, which will help to reduce waiting times for NHS cataract surgery and YAG laser capsulotomy in the region.

“Dovecote House is ideally situated for local residents, with all of the facilities we’ll need to deliver excellent care and fantastic outcomes for our patients.”

Harry Skinner, Associate in Cushman and Wakefield’s Offices team in Manchester, said: “The building is extremely well located, with the popular suburb of Sale town centre within walking distance, and excellent public transport links to Manchester city centre and Greater Manchester districts and boroughs.”

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CGI of Heywood Civic Centre

The transformation of Heywood Civic Centre is set to get under way before Christmas, with Lancashire firm Conlon Construction now formally appointed to deliver the project.

The scheme will deliver major improvements, including the extension and modernisation of the venue, which has delivered events in the heart of Heywood for decades.

A new glazed frontage onto Peine Square will be created to modernise the building’s appearance and increase the size of the foyer, while a new café and bar area will be created at the front of the building, alongside upgrades to the performance space to boost lighting and sound.

Other improvements set to take place include the installation of new retractable seating in the auditorium to allow flexible use of the space, more lifts and accessible toilets, including a changing places facility, and other measures to reduce the building’s environmental impact and make it more sustainable.

The announcement follows the formal appointment of Preston-based Conlon Construction, which has delivered multiple projects across the country, including at major North West venues such as the National Football Museum, Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall, Lancaster University and Manchester Metropolitan University.

As part of its social value responsibility, the firm has committed to the creation of a joinery apprenticeship for the duration of the project, alongside a number of apprenticeship weeks. Conlon has also committed to employing a number of local operatives to work on the project part time, while offering 20 weeks’ training opportunities for local T Level students.

Cllr Danny Meredith, cabinet member for housing and regeneration at Rochdale Borough Council, said: “It’s great to see substantial investment going into Heywood on a project which will truly change the face of the whole area.”

Delivered by RDA on behalf of the council and Your Trust with K2 Architects, the project will deliver huge cultural benefits for the community.
Darren Lee, commercial director at Conlon Construction, said: “This renovation is about more than modernising the building; it’s about creating a vibrant, inclusive space for performances, exhibitions, and social connection.”

The project to transform the Heywood Civic Centre is being funded by Rochdale Borough Council, Arts Council England and Your Trust, which operates the facility. The construction project is expected to complete in autumn next year.

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Blackburn College has unveiled a new library interior following a fit-out by workplace consultancy Blueprint Interiors.

As part of the college’s enhancement works to its campus on Feilden Street in the town, the University Centre library has been overhauled to create a more engaging and contemporary space for students to work and relax in.

Midlands-based Blueprint Interiors was given the brief to fully reinvent and refurbish the space, and to bring to life the college’s vision to make the University Centre library a vibrant hub and a key element of the campus.

Chloe Sproston, Creative Director at Blueprint Interiors, said: “We worked collaboratively with the college to understand what the students wanted from the library and how it can better provide a creative learning space for them.”

Steve Nunwick, Director of Facilities and Estates at Blackburn College, said: “Our goal was to create a library that truly stands out – something that students would choose to spend time in, not just pass through. Thanks to Blueprint Interiors, we now have a space that inspires learning, collaboration, and creativity. It’s been a game-changer for our campus.”

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CGI of Gorton scheme

Atelier MB has submitted a planning application to Manchester City Council to transform the site of the former Band Stand pub on Hyde Road at Lower Gorton Reservoir into 50 new homes.

Submitted on behalf of RS 786 Ltd, the proposals will create a new apartment building featuring 28 two-bedroom and 13 one-bedroom apartments together with nine new townhouses, one of which is five bedrooms while the others have three bedrooms.

The site overlooks Lower Gorton Reservoir and is next to the Holiday Inn Express. There’s plenty of walking and cycling options close by including the Fallowfield Loop.

The Band Stand was destroyed by fire in 2018 and since then, the land has been vacant.

The site’s industrial heritage has informed the design. Both a canal and railway line once transported heavy goods via steam train and canal barges past the site. Equally, Gorton has a strong association with brick and so it became the natural choice of material while the design focuses on creating an industrial and solid aesthetic, incorporating sleek lines reflecting the site’s past.

Photovoltaic panels, the equivalent to 20% of the ground floor area, will be located on the roof of both the apartment building and houses. Together with high levels of insulation, a heat recovery system and air source heat pumps, these interventions will save more than 35% in carbon emissions on the development.

Heloise Wood, Design Director, Atelier MB, said: “The site at the former Band Stand pub has provided us with the opportunity to design modern waterside homes which respect and draw from Gorton’s industrial heritage.

“As with the designs for all our projects, whether they are new build or retrofit, we have taken steps to reduce the impact on the environment without compromising design quality.”