Property round-up: Churchill Retirement Living; Design Fire Consultants; Alcedo Care Group; HMG

Churchill Retirement Living has submitted plans for a new independent retirement living development in Penketh, Warrington, to regenerate a disused pub and bring much needed new homes and economic benefits to the town.

The proposal seeks to redevelop the former Sportsman’s Arms pub on Warrington Road, which closed down in 2017. It will create 53 high quality retirement apartments for local over-60s who want to carry on living independently as they get older but with the safety, support and social life that comes with living in a retirement living community.

Apartment owners will have the benefits of safety, security and peace of mind, with a lodge manager, a 24 hour careline, owners’ lounge and guest suite, all in landscaped grounds.

The company said the development would bring more than £405,000 per year of extra spending to the local high street. It would also help to generate in excess of £237,000 of savings each year for local health and social care services by enabling older people to enjoy a healthier, safer and more independent lifestyle.

A Churchill Retirement Living spokesperson said: “Retirement housing is the most effective form of residential development for generating local economic growth, local jobs, and increasing high street spend as it brings regular shoppers closer to the town centre.

“Our proposed development would help improve the health and wellbeing of those who live there and give many older people in and around Warrington the option to downsize. Our plans to develop this brownfield site will also help to reduce the need for greenfield development to meet the urgent demand for new homes in the local area.”

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DFCs new facilities

Fire engineering consultants, Design Fire Consultants (DFC) has chosen Manchester’s Knowledge Quarter gateway to the Oxford Road Corridor as its new home.

The area is home to Circle Square, one of Manchester’s newest neighbourhoods where DFC served as fire engineer on numerous buildings and the nearby schemes.

To support the ongoing business growth and expansion, DFC has chosen Bruntwood Works’ 127 Portland Street as its new city centre home, securing a suite at the gateway to the Manchester Oxford Road Corridor facing Portland Street. The new Manchester office is located in a prime location, within walking distance to Manchester’s two major railway stations and Metrolink stops, along with many independent eateries.

In recent months, DFC has also opened a new office in Sheffield to grow a team that can service both the growing Sheffield development market as well as strengthen its involvement in wider areas such as Derby and Nottingham.

DFC’s top floor suite provides high ceiling heights, exposed timber rafters and a great sense of space. It features private soundproof meeting pods for teams meetings and phone calls, as well as a private kitchen and soft seating areas that have been carefully thought out to encourage collaborative working.

Technology features heavily, with fibre mesh WiFi throughout the suite allowing strong connectivity externally, a must-have in today’s working environment considering the rapid growth of online collaboration in the post-COVID era. Both private meeting rooms have large screen web meeting facilities for content sharing and group meetings.

DFC director, Adam Monaghan, said: “Our team feels at home at 127 Portland Street. The space is just so great for collaboration. The location is marvellous, within easy walking distance of anywhere in the city, be it sites, client offices, transport hubs or many great eateries for lunch and places for afterwork social activities.”

Office fit-out was delivered by DFC and CubicWorks while Sixteen Real Estate acted as the agent.

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Andy Boardman

North west-based Alcedo Care Group, the independently-owned and family-run home care provider, continues its expansion plans, opening a second office in Liverpool, located on De Havilland Drive in Speke.

Creating approximately 25 jobs, the new office will deliver Alcedo Care’s portfolio of award-winning home care services including personal care, nursing, nurse-led complex care and support and companionship to those wishing to remain independent in their own homes. The company will also offer live-in care, a service which has seen a huge increase in demand.

Representing a £225,000 investment for the fast growing home care provider, the new office in Speke will allow Alcedo Care to support an additional 100 clients in the region offering a further 3,000 hours of care per week.

Managing director, Andy Boardman, said: “We opened our first office in Kirkdale and since its launch it has gone from strength to strength with the team continually caring for more and more people. As a result, we decided to invest further in the region and strategically selected Speke for the second office, enabling the new team to focus on the south of Liverpool.”

The opening of the second office in Liverpool South brings the total number of Alcedo Care offices in the North West to 16 and complements the company’s existing bases in Blackburn & Darwen, Blackpool & Fylde, Bury, Chester, Fulwood, Holywell, Kendal, Lancaster & Wyre, Liverpool (Kirkdale), Preston, Southport, Speke, St Helens, Wigan and Wirral.

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Flint Trade Zone

Property development and investment company, Hollins Murray Group (HMG) has is to repurpose part of Flintshire Retail Park from retail space to create a new trade counter scheme to meet demand from the sector.

HMG is continuing its investment in Flint to create three new units comprising 4,636 sq ft, 4,910 sq ft and 5,225 sq ft in Phase 1. The units can be combined.

Flint Trade Zone is prominently located in the heart of Flint. HMG also owns the adjacent Flintshire Retail Park, which is home to occupiers including Asda, Sainsburys, B&M, Peacocks, and a new development for Home Bargains and The Food Warehouse.

The park sits off the A548 Holywell Road, the area’s main coastal road. It is also close to the traditional high street, along with other facilities such as the Jade Jones Pavilion Leisure Centre.

Units will be ready in March 2023, for occupation.

Josh Moores, of HMG, said: “Having enjoyed some success with Flintshire Retail Park, which is a valuable asset for the area, we’re looking to change the use of some of the space to meet the occupier requirements we are seeing in the market. We’re a long term landlord and have continually invested in the site to ensure it maintains a competitive edge over other locations.”

Legat Owen is instructed as sole agent. Mark Diaper, director in industrial agency, said that the demand is clear: “These units will appeal to businesses looking for location which is well connected in an already established business and retail destination.”

Quoting rental is from £10 per sq ft.