Property round-up: Discovery Park; Cowley Hill; Green Shield Group; Inscape Interiors; Redrow; Broadfield Slopes
Refurbishment work has completed on Unit 1 Discovery Park, Lillyhall, Workington, Cumbria providing a 153,904 sq ft high bay industrial/warehouse unit available for immediate occupation.
The former Alcan Pechiney site was built in the 1940s and manufactured parts for the aerospace industry including Concorde and the Space Shuttle.
At its peak the site employed around 3,000 people working on aircraft during WW2, though this reduced to 1,000 post-war.
This first phase of works on this major new development was carried out by Industrial Space Solutions (ISS) on behalf of developer James Industrial (JIL) & Trentmore.
PGC carried out demolition and groundworks with STW general contractors.
Purchased in 2020 the developer is transforming the 42-acre site aiming to create a sustainable business park with initiatives including green energy – options for substantial PV panels and air source heat pumps) – EV charging points and extensive wildflower planting.
With the scheme providing extensive yards, power up to 1.5MGW, with more available, and suiting a variety of uses including storage/distribution, engineering, stock holding and manufacturing.
Prominently fronting the Distington Bypass, Discovery Park can provide units from 160,000 down to 10,000 sq ft plus extensive offices. Agents for the scheme are Littler & Associates.
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The Cowley site
BXB Cowley Hill, the joint venture between Liverpool-based brownfield land specialist BXB and Promenade Estates, has submitted a planning application to St Helens Council for an internal spine road to service the huge housing site.
The move coincides with remediation starting on the first of four plots being brought to market in the coming years on the 104-acre site, which has consent for 1,100 homes.
Work has now begun to prepare the site and provide end users with a development platform that will facilitate the delivery of new homes on Plot 1, a 12.7-acre site with consent for 220 homes, a children’s play area and an acre of public amenity space.
The developer announced in December that it would be undertaking the delivery of the site preparation works and the construction of the internal spine road itself rather than factoring it into the plot prices for developers. The move is to take advantage of the technical work already completed and the in-house expertise within the joint venture partners.
The application for the site’s key internal road will provide the required infrastructure to service all four plots, said Gary Goodman of BXB.
“The delivery of the road unlocks the whole site as this application confirms the finished development platform level for the entire plot, drainage and other infrastructure, entrances and the site-wide landscaping and boundary treatments. It will coincide with the development platforms being completed on Plot 1 and provide an oven-ready solution for house-builders.
“This is the biggest brownfield housing allocation in the Liverpool City Region and the phasing is geared towards the market’s run rate in a popular suburb such as Cowley.”
The road runs through the entire site, connecting with the existing highway network at College Street and creating a new vehicle access at Washway Lane.
Mr Goodman added: “It is only when this entrance is created that the local population will understand the scale of the development. The physical and economic impact of bringing this brownfield site back into productive use cannot be underestimated and it will have a massive positive impact on the town of St Helens. As a developer who pride themselves on delivery we are pleased to see this challenging brownfield site being brought forward against the backdrop of a difficult financial climate.”
BXB and Promenade secured planning consent for up to 1,100 new homes, a hotel and commercial space off College Street, north of St Helens town centre, in March 2022. Cowley Hill Works is the largest brownfield land allocation within St Helens’ local plan, which was adopted by the council in July 2021.
The redevelopment of the site is expected to generate capital expenditure of £200m, with a further £15m expected to be spent on goods and services each year by the new residents and £1.5m of annual council tax receipts generated on full occupation.
The joint venture intends to retain the commercial element of the consent, which will be delivered once the housing sites have been sold.
Curtins is the highways engineer for the project, with Nexus the planning consultant.
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AMRC North West hub
Lancashire-based Green Shield Group has completed a state-of-the-art solar installation at the AMRC North West hub in Blackburn.
Three variations of solar technology were installed including traditional roof-mounted solar, south-facing wall-mounted solar and two state-of-the-art Smartflower solar flowers installed alongside Green Mole, each connected to the main office building providing 44,000 kWh of free green energy annually and reducing AMRC’s carbon footprint by more than 11,000 tonnes of CO2.
Chris Ridehalgh, of Green Shield Group, said: “We are proud to be working with AMRC North West to deliver a sustainable solution that has not only saved the business money, it has also drastically cut CO2 emissions.”
The installation is part of AMRC North West’s low carbon smart factory demonstrator, working to help manufacturers decarbonise their operations.
James Valentine, technical engagement manager, smart building, at AMRC North West, said: “As a Low Carbon Smart Building Demonstrator, the adoption of renewable energies was a priority.
“The ability to source our installation locally through Green Shield allowed us to impact the local economy and business, as well as our carbon footprint as a demonstrator. The energy generated from the solar installation works in tandem with our recycled EV battery energy storage and allows the building to operate more sustainably.”
AMRC North West is part of the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) innovation cluster, which is a model for collaborative research involving universities, academics and industry worldwide.
Based in a £20m applied research centre on the Samlesbury Enterprise Zone in Preston, funded by the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership (LEP), AMRC North West is managed by the University of Sheffield and is a member of the High Value Manufacturing (HVM) Catapult, a consortium of manufacturing and process research centres backed by Innovate UK.
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CGI of Deyes High School plans
Commercial washrooms specialist, Inscape Interiors, has won a host of new projects spanning sectors including education, healthcare, industrial and logistics.
The Lancashire-based manufacturer has been appointed by Kier Northern to complete the washrooms and changing facilities within the new £36m net zero carbon Deyes High School in Maghull, Liverpool.
It has also been selected by Clegg Construction to work on the refurbishment of the former Maltby Grammar School Building in Rotherham, a project that will rescue the historic building and create a new community resource for Maltby Academy.
Inscape has also secured two new projects in the logistics sector. It will provide washroom manufacture and fit-out services for a development of new Grade A industrial units and office space on the Gateway 36 logistics park in Barnsley on behalf of Glencar Construction, as well as for a new DPD delivery depot in Carlisle on behalf of Caddick Construction.
Meanwhile, Integrated Health Projects has appointed Inscape to work on the washroom facilities for a new £6m oncology and urology unit it is delivering at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary on behalf of University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay Trust.
Paul Partington, business development director at Inscape, said: “All of these projects will make a huge difference to communities in their own way, whether it’s helping to shape the lives of young people, helping people to recover from illness, or providing jobs, growth and investment.”
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Redrow Heritage Collection homes
A second wave of homes has been launched at Redrow’s development in Daresbury.
Featuring 80 new homes, Keckwick Park is the latest phase at Daresbury Garden Village, which will eventually include 800 properties across 120 acres of land, with open spaces, green corridors and areas for play.
Located off Delph Lane, the development is close to junction 11 of the M56, has great road access to the new Mersey Gateway Bridge and is within easy reach of all the amenities of Stockton Heath, Warrington and Runcorn.
The properties on this second phase are from Redrow’s hugely popular Arts and Crafts inspired Heritage Collection with both three- and four-bedroom homes.
Anna Evans-Kerr, sales director at Redrow NW, said: “Daresbury Garden Village is a flagship development for us in the North West.
“Our first phase is proving to be incredibly popular amongst buyers, with 36 homes already sold, so we are pleased to be launching our second phase here, offering further choices for those looking for a new home.”
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Illustration of how The Slopes could look
The restoration of the historic Broadfield Slopes behind Rochdale Town Hall has moved a step closer after The National Lottery Heritage Fund approved an initial funding bid to develop plans to restore the area.
The council and RDA are looking to regenerate the site by restoring and developing existing and new pathways to make it more accessible and installing new lighting to create a safe, welcoming environment in what is an incredibly significant site within the Rochdale town centre conservation area.
Proposals also include the restoration of the Grade II-listed Georgian Packer Spout fountain, which will be brought back into use as a water feature. New landscaping will also be part of the scheme.
The National Lottery Heritage Fund has approved the first stage of a £1m bid to fund the work. The council and RDA have £180,000 to work up their plans in more detail before submitting a round 2 bid later in the year, with a view to securing the rest of the funding.
The application for funding followed a public consultation with local residents, schools and other stakeholders which showed that people value the space, but feel that work needs to be done to make it feel more safe and accessible for people who are less mobile.
The Broadfield Slopes are an historically highly significant part of Rochdale town centre, with research suggesting that the town’s medieval origins centre on the historic spring. Early industry emerged here because of the natural water spring which forms the Packer Spout Fountain. It is believed that a cotton mill which once sat at the bottom of the slope was partly powered by the natural water source in the area.
The round 2 bid to redevelop the slopes will be submitted to The National Lottery Heritage Fund in November this year. The decision is expected in March 2024 and, if successful, work should start later in 2024.
