Property round-up: Circle Square; Fairhaven; MediaCity; Stockport Council; Bisley; NetZero Collective; Wirral Waters; LUC
Vita Group has signed a deal with HIT to bring a new leisure and restaurant concept to Circle Square. A speciality ping pong bar, HIT also promises to make a name for itself by serving up top quality drinks and pizza alongside its games offering.
Expected to open at the end of summer, HIT takes a large 4,500 sq ft space at Circle Square situated under Vita Living’s East tower. The venue aims to take advantage of Circle Square’s vibrant community, attracting young professionals, students and corporate parties from around the neighbourhood.
Taking a 10-year lease, HIT is expected to create 10 jobs in a mix of full-time and part-time roles.
Juan Pascumal, HIT spokesperson, said: “It’s fantastic to close the deal with Vita Group and start work on our new concept HIT. Circle Square offers an incredible platform to launch the brand – thousands of students and young professionals are living on site, it’s surrounded by fantastic offices welcoming a large workforce and adjoins one of highest footfall roads in the city – Oxford Road. We can’t wait to serve up this brilliant new concept to the city, and share more of our ideas closer to opening.”
Chief operating officer of Vita Group, Max Bielby, said: “Circle Square has become a thriving hub for retail and leisure in the heart of Manchester. Signing HIT will build on this fantastic community as they join the already emensly popular businesses North Bar, Hello Oriental and Canvas.”
Acting agent for Vita Group’s retail and leisure offering is Lyons Thompson Letts Property Consultants.
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Fairhaven Preston opening
Retirement housing provider, Fairhaven, has completed its Penwortham development outside Preston and was officially opened by South Ribble MP Katherine Fletcher.
The £1.8m scheme saw eight energy-efficient bungalows built on its existing Crownlee location in Penwortham, a suburb of Preston.
The development was a joint venture with Lancashire-based construction partner Barnfield Group, and it was designed by Preston-based town planners and architects Cassidy + Ashton, which was also behind the original 40-unit scheme. With the additional new properties, Crownlee now offers 48 high quality, independent retirement homes.
The new two-bedroomed high specification properties include air source heat pumps, underfloor heating and solar panels to maximise energy efficiency.
Andrew Atkinson, managing director of Fairhaven, said: “We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved here at Crownlee, and we’re aiming to repeat the model elsewhere in Lancashire. Demand has been strong for the new properties at Crownlee, which is down to a wider independent living service offering that’s not just about bricks and mortar.”
Fairhaven, including its Crownlee development, owns and operates seven sites across Lancashire, managing 200 properties.
Barnfield Construction was appointed as Crownlee’s construction partner. Nelson-based RWL completed the mechanical and engineering works for the project.
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As transformation works continue at the future £3.5m Central Bay site, MediaCity has announced a major update to its offering – a new bar and microbrewery to be launched by established Salford entrepreneurs and brewers SEVEN BRO7HERS BREWING CO.
Named ‘11 Central’ in honour of the seven brewing brothers joining forces with their siblings, SISTERS DISTILLERY to create the largest family of alcohol makers and operators in the industry, the new site will have an internal square footage of 7,000 sq ft and a substantial terrace of 2,000 sq ft overlooking key Salford landmarks.
With capacity for 600 visitors on its striking waterfront terraces alone, Central Bay will be a major boost to Salford’s local economy.
Part of MediaCity’s strategic vision for the future of the area – Salford Quays: A New Vision 2030 – Central Bay will be one of the biggest independent food and drink operations in the North and a first for Salford – it will house four new independent restaurants, 20 kitchens, shipping container food pop-ups, family events, indie markets, live music performances and recreation space for children.
Within the scheme, 11 Central will also offer visitors a mix of drink, food, live music, bar games and waterside views from the terrace. Staying true to the siblings’ ethos and inspired by their father’s home brewing, 11 Central by SEVEN BRO7HERS will serve authentic artisan beer, expertly brewed just a few miles away in Salford, while SISTERS DISTILLERY will take care of the spirit selection on offer, as well as hosting gin-crafting sessions available from launch.
Keith McAvoy, CEO of SEVEN BRO7HERS BREWING CO, said: “This is such an exciting project for us and a huge addition to our portfolio, adding a new dimension to the SEVEN BRO7HERS BREWING CO offering while still staying true to our roots.”
Ben Hey, portfolio manager across Quayside MediaCIty, said: “The delivery of Central Bay will mark the first milestone in the transformation of Quayside MediaCity in line with our shared vision with Salford Council to create a vibrant town centre offering for the community. Supporting local independents is a key part of the strategy and for SEVEN BRO7HERS BREWING CO to make further commitment to MediaCity by launching its micro brewery here is fantastic.
“Combined with the opening of the new University Campus of Football Business (UCFB) and the Global Institute for Sport (GIS) campus in Quay Plaza, in September, this southern stretch of waterfront is set to be enlivened, boosting the local economy and creating opportunity.”
Blend Family, the operator behind the British Street Food Awards 2022 – ‘Food Hall of the Year, Cutlery Works’, in Sheffield and The GPO in Liverpool, has been brought on board to run and develop the food hall, which will be known as Kargo, as well as the street vendor elements of Central Bay which will be branded Kargo Mkt – aligning with the area’s rich history, with Central Bay named after the original stretch of dock that was once a thriving loading bay during the industrial revolution.
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Former BHS store redevelopment
Stockport Council has announced two big retail signings as part of the town centre regeneration.
Work is starting on the redevelopment of the former BHS department store to create new, modern units for JD Sports and Poundland.
The two high street heavyweights will open in early 2024. JD Sports and Poundland will occupy the ground floor units. The remaining first floor unit is earmarked for an exciting new use for Merseyway, with more details to be announced soon.
IKEA opened a new concept store in Merseyway in March and Marks and Spencer has returned to the town centre with a 16,000 sq ft food hall at Peel Retail Park.
The redevelopment of the former BHS store will create modern retail space and will include the re-fronting of the building along Merseyway and the creation of a new ground floor entrance on Prince’s Street, as well as further improvements to the immediate public realm.
It is expected that the works will be complete and the new stores open in spring 2024.
The redevelopment of the former BHS department store is a key part of the council’s long term regeneration plans for Merseyway and the town centre. Works to improve the public realm on Merseyway will be complete later this year and a new Innovation Centre, a hub for new businesses, will be opening in August. These, alongside Stockroom and the Future High Street Fund, means there is a hive of construction activity taking place in the popular shopping centre.
In partnership with the Future High Streets Fund, work is also currently under way to repurpose eight former retail units around Adlington Walk as Stockroom, a new ‘Learning and Discovery Centre’.
Works to improve the public realm on Merseyway will be finished by the autumn and the redevelopment of the former M&S store as ‘Stok’, comprising 62,000 sq ft of workspace, is now complete and ready for occupation.
Robertson Construction has been appointed to complete the work at the former BHS store, which the council purchased in 2019, to invest in the building as part of its £1bn regeneration plans for the town centre.
James Air, head of group acquisitions at Bury-based JD Sports, said: “Stockport deserves a fantastic JD store and this prime regeneration development will deliver exactly that.”
Ben Wall, director of property portfolio at Poundland, said: “The new unit will allow us to bring the best we have to offer to the town centre. We appreciate the investment from the council in both the building and the wider public realm and we look forward to playing our part in the regeneration of Merseyway.”
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Bisley Manchester store
Bisley, the British office furniture designer and manufacturer, has opened a new UK showroom on Manchester’s Mosley Street, in the heart of the city’s thriving business district.
The new 2,900 sq ft showroom, the firm’s second in the UK and its first in the North of England, encompasses two floors of the Calico building, a recently restored former industrial warehouse.
The decision to open a new UK showroom in Manchester was taken due to the rapid growth in demand witnessed in the Northern and Scottish markets.
Bisley recruited Scott Douglas as its first Northern sales director, and his first initiative was to find and open a dedicated Bisley showroom in the North. Scott has developed a strong team around him, including A&D manager Ellie Phillip, Reece Chappell and, more recently, Niamh Kirwin.
The team will be focusing on the architectural and design market, while also displaying the Bisley Home ranges.
Scott said: “The opening of the Manchester showroom is an important step for us. Our industry as a whole can sometimes feel very London-focused, but with a rapidly growing customer base in the North, it has always been important for Bisley to be represented in all the areas of the UK where we are witnessing expansion.”
The opening of the new Manchester showroom follows a recent relaunch of Bisley’s Dutch showroom in Tilburg, and precedes the relaunch of the prestigious Dubai showroom in the autumn.
Richard Costin, Bisley CEO, said: “Opening in Manchester has been a long-held goal of ours, and what a stunning venue to showcase our products. We loved that, like Bisley, the Calico building has a prestigious and rich history, but has been remodelled and refreshed for a modern, contemporary audience.”
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Neil Waite
Liverpool-based NetZero Collective has been awarded a multi-year contract to provide retrofit services to one of the country’s leading supported housing providers, Golden Lane Housing.
Marking a new partnership for NetZero Collective, the project will see the improvement of 75 homes in both the North West and South West regions.
Commencing this summer, the £140,000 project will take place over two years and will incorporate retrofit advice, assessment and coordination and post-installation evaluation.
Manchester-based Golden Lane is a provider of supported housing for people with a learning disability or autistic people. NetZero Collective is working in close partnership with the organisation’s communications team to ensure tenants are fully informed about the plans, including via materials in accessible formats.
The team is expert in decarbonising buildings and is known for its work supporting social landlords to make their homes net zero. Their surveys use cutting-edge technologies and industry best practices to identify ways to reduce emissions and make buildings more energy efficient.
Neil Waite, NetZero Collective managing director, said; “It’s a pleasure to be able to support Golden Lane Housing and their communities in their journey to net zero. We are proud to be at the forefront of sustainable solutions and it’s positive to be embarking on a new partnership.”
Keith Henderson, head of assets at Golden Lane Housing, who is leading on the project, said: “With the impact of rising energy prices on UK households, Golden Lane Housing is committed to supporting our tenants through the cost-of-living crisis. One of the ways we’re doing this is through improving the environmental performance of our tenants’ homes to make them more fuel efficient and, in turn, help tenants with saving money on their energy bills.”
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Dr Abrahams, Richard Mawdsley, Neil Maxwell (Changing Streams)
An internationally significant research project has begun at Peel L&P’s Wirral Waters to drive out plastics in the construction industry and lead the development of sustainable plastic-free alternatives.
Sustainability and innovation in Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) are central to the development of Wirral Waters – one of the UK’s largest regeneration projects with a consented Masterplan of 20 million sq ft.
In 2021, Peel L&P became a member of Changing Streams CIC and signed up to its Charter, which sets out a clear mission and ambition for reducing plastic in the construction industry.
A ground-breaking partnership was then formed bringing together Peel L&P and its construction partners with Changing Streams and researchers from the University of Liverpool to identify where sustainable plastic-free alternatives can be used in the building sector.
This new partnership is now working to identify the amount of plastic used in construction, to develop innovative tools to design out plastic, and to establish new R&D opportunities to produce the plastic-free materials of the future.
Miller’s Quay, Peel L&P’s cornerstone residential scheme at Wirral Waters which celebrated its topping out ceremony last month, will be a key part of the research project. Over the next three or four months, the £130m residential development will become a hot-bed of research and analysis, with academics assessing the potential for the construction industry to reduce the volume of plastics being used.
Changing Streams CIC was established in 2019 to tackle plastic pollution in the industry. The construction sector was chosen as the first because, after packaging, this industry is the largest user of plastics – generating more than 50,000 tonnes of plastic packaging waste each year in the UK.
Working with The University of Liverpool, Changing Streams acts as the bridge between academia and industry to drive and effect change and reduce the plastic footprint. The Charter includes a commitment from members to significantly reduce plastics in the construction industry, whether in design of the building, materials or packaging.
Dr Gareth Abrahams, co-founder and head of building design research at Changing Streams CIC, said: “We are seeing a shift in the way that we design and construct the buildings that surround us and the buildings that we call ‘home’. As part of this shift, many of us are asking some very important questions about the way they perform – how much energy do they need to keep us warm or cool. But so far, there has been far less attention on the things we need to build these homes. This is not just about embodied carbon but also about embodied plastic.
“This partnership between Peel L&P, Changing Streams CIC and the University of Liverpool is the first dedicated attempt to tackle this issue on a large, landmark scheme like Miller’s Quay. Our first project together will be an initial step in a long term plan that will help position the Liverpool City Region as a thought leader and driver of change in the construction industry.”
Richard Mawdsley, director of development for Peel L&P’s Wirral Waters, said: “Miller’s Quay was designed to be at the forefront of sustainable regeneration and so it is fitting that it should also serve as a pilot for this new partnership. Over the last 12 months, the team have already worked together to identify the ‘hidden’ plastics within the specification and detailed design of the building and have established new tools that can help remove them on future projects.
“We want to make Wirral Waters one of the most sustainable regeneration projects in the UK, and we cannot achieve this without tackling the issue of plastics in the construction process. Whilst this research is beginning at Miller’s Quay, Changing Streams is likely to be involved in other Wirral Waters developments, such as the Maritime Knowledge Hub.”
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Fourways House
International real estate advisor Savills, on behalf of XLB & Pictet Alternative Advisors, has agreed a new letting at Fourways in Manchester to LUC (Land Use Consultants).
LUC, an environmental consultancy firm, has acquired 2,241 sq ft of office space on the fourth floor for a 10-year term at £31 psf. It joins a strong line up of tenants across tech, built environment, fashion and creative agency sectors.
Located on Hilton Street in the sought after Northern Quarter area of Manchester city centre, Fourways is a converted Grade II-listed brick building constructed in 1906 with a BREEAM In Use rating of Very Good.
The property now provides characterful office accommodation over ground and five upper floors totalling 59,000 sq ft following completion of a substantial refurbishment of the atrium and communal space.
Daniel Barnes, director in the office agency team at Savills, said: “There is generally strong demand for character in the Northern Quarter and it’s no surprise we have completed yet another lease at Fourways.
“The building in its entirety is nearly fully let, this lease further underpins the demand for such space. With only one suite remaining we look forward to announcing more positive news soon.”
CBRE is joint letting agent.
