Property round-up: Great Places Housing; Northstone; Wain Group; Total People; IPG; Sandyford Properties; Poundland
Innovation Chain North’s (ICN) pan-Northern construction framework, valued at £1.5bn, is now open for bids from consultant and contractor suppliers interested in delivering mixed-use housing and associated social infrastructure across the North of England.
The latest procurement framework from ICN will run for four years (2024-2028) and suppliers will be able to secure contracts from ICN clients once accepted onto the framework.
Founded in 2012 and led by Manchester-based Great Places Housing Group, the framework tender will include the following consultant lots: Employers Agent, Structural Engineer, Building Surveying, Architectural Services, Principal Designer, Clerk of Works, Purchasers Agent, Health and Safety Advisor, Planning Consultancy, Site Investigation Services, Mechanical and Electrical (M&E) Engineering and Retrofit Consultants.
The building contractor lots will include high value and low value bands, apartment specialists and construction services providing a wraparound to Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) technologies.
Nick Gornall, director of development at Great Places Housing Group, said: “Great Places alone has ambitions to deliver over 5,000 new homes by 2028, and we can only achieve this with the support of a range of contractors and consultancy practices. We’ve designed this framework in collaboration with our existing client members and by listening to feedback from our current suppliers to ensure the new framework will deliver for everyone.”
The closing date for applications is December 15, 2023. For further information contact ICN@greatplaces.org.uk.
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CGI of Cynefin
Homebuilder Northstone has kick-started work to deliver a mix of new, energy efficient homes in Horwich, Bolton.
Enabling work has begun at the former Horwich Golf Club site to deliver phase one of the community, which will see 177 homes delivered at the site to be known as ‘Cynefin’.
The first phase will include a wide housing mix responding to local demand, including one-bed apartments, two-bed bungalows, two-five-bed family homes and two-four-bed townhouses. Of those, 34% will be affordable and made available at both affordable rent and discount market rent.
Earthworks have started to enable delivery of the key infrastructure, with construction of the roads and sewers set to start this month and the main access point off Victoria Road set to be created before Christmas. It’s expected the first homes will be available as early as autumn 2024, with reservations being taken from spring 2024.
Homes at Horwich will come with a long list of features as standard, from AI lighting and heating controls, all flooring and luxury kitchens, to integrated appliances, built-in wardrobes and sheds.
Chris Okey, head of pre-construction at Northstone, said: “We’ve already made great progress on the earthworks and installation of retaining walls that form the development areas where the homes will be built. We’ll be on-site creating the access point come Christmas and people will see the energy-efficient homes take shape by next spring – with the first plots being those next to Bond Close.”
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Rainbow Hub site
North West-based Wain Group is donating £5m to fund the construction and fit-out of a pioneering school in Lancashire for children with special educational needs.
The donation to Rainbow Hub marks the launch of the Wain Foundation, through which the family-owned company will distribute a percentage of its profits each year to benefit the communities in which the group operates.
The new charitable Foundation celebrates the company’s 50th year in business and Wain Group founder, Bill Ainscough, who will chair the Foundation, said: “We wanted to make a powerful statement of the Foundation’s intent by supporting a charity that does incredible work and makes a significant difference to the quality of life for many families.”
The Foundation’s first beneficiary is a charity close to Bill’s heart being located near to where the Wain Group first began. Based at Mawdesley, near Chorley, Rainbow Hub currently offers six places to children aged 5-11 years who have physical needs but can follow an academic curriculum. The donation will allow the provision to be significantyly extended offering places to approximately 21 children aged 5-16 years.
There will be several therapy rooms, a ground level Rebound Therapy trampoline and an accessible life skills room. Designed by Seven Architects and being built by TMT Construction, the new building is scheduled for completion in June 2024, ready for opening in September 2024.
Rainbow Hub chief executive, Lyndsay Fahey, said: “This is such a significant moment for us and we never expected to have the new school funded in its entirety by one single, generous, donation from the Wain Foundation.”
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Brickfield Business Centre
One of the largest providers of apprenticeships and work-based learning in the North West is set to launch its head office at a Northwich business centre after a lease was secured.
Total People has signed a lease for 2,000 sq ft of space at Brickfield Business Centre, in Manchester Road, which will become its new head office. Property consultancy, Fisher German, acted on behalf of landlord Moorland Property Solutions to agree on the deal.
Fisher German was initially appointed by the landlord to market 16,000 sq ft of new high-spec office space at Brickfield Business Centre alongside joint agents Williams Sillitoe and Roberts Vain Wilshaw. A total of 87% of accommodation is now let, with just 2,000 sq ft still available.
Melanie Nicholson, managing director at Total People, said: “Located between Northwich and Lostock Gralam train stations, it’s ideally situated for easy access and enables us to provide our portfolio of study programmes to the local area.”
Oliver Moorhouse, director at Moorland Property Solutions, said: “We are very proud of Brickfield Business Centre and we are equally proud to attract a company of the calibre of Total People Limited.”
Steve Brittle, partner at Fisher German, said: “Brickfield Business Centre provides the business with the modern, high-spec office accommodation it requires for its administrative and training function in a prominent location which benefits from strong transport links.”
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Mitchell Walsh
Liverpool-based Integritas Property Group (IPG) and local businesses Curlett Jones Estates have announced a partnership to provide a professional service on both lettings and property management to the investors on IPG’s Copper Box development.
The partnership will focus on maintenance excellence, seamless communication, and professional marketing and promotion.
IPG and Curlett Jones Estates will work to market the Copper Box development to both potential tenants and investors. Financial aspects will be managed by collecting service charges from investors and rent from tenants while also overseeing deposit management and dispute resolution through inventory maintenance.
IPG CEO, Mitchell Walsh, said: “We’re excited to embark on this journey with the team at Curlett Jones Estates, and we’re all committed to delivering the highest level of property management services to our clients.”
Alan Jones, managing director at Curlett Jones Estates, said: “We know that IPG shares our ethos in delivering outstanding customer service along with supporting clients with all of their property needs. The team and I look forward to building a long lasting partnership that will benefit our clients for the future.”
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David Carter
Sandyford Properties, the Staffordshire-based multi-let industrial property company, has secured a new £20m revolving credit facility with Barclays.
The facility, which is for a term of up to five years, provides Sandyford with the ability to move quickly to secure new acquisitions and supports its aim to more than double its multi-let industrial portfolio over the next five years. It is seeking to acquire single multi-let industrial assets or portfolios in lot sizes of £2-20m in the Midlands and North West.
Sandyford’s portfolio currently comprises 1.5 million sq ft of predominantly multi-let industrial space in Staffordshire and Cheshire. It was advised by Hill Dickinson on the debt facility.
Paul Brindley, managing director of Sandyford Properties, said: “This new facility significantly strengthens our firepower and will enable us to double the size of our portfolio in the next five years. It reflects the appetite from the banking sector for multi-let industrial as an asset class.”
David Carter, chairman of Sandyford Properties, said: “This facility forms one of the central planks of our expansion plan and was secured after a keen bidding process. The ability to demonstrate a consistent track record in the sector and a clear business focus enabled us to secure very competitive terms from the selected lender, Barclays.”
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Poundland Stafford opening this Saturday
Poundland has confirmed nine locations of another tranche of former Wilko stores that would begin their Poundland journey this coming weekend, including two in the North West.
The local locations are 13-17 George Street, 1 Stamford Quarter, Altrincham, and 1 Town Square, Six Acre Shopping Centre, Sale.
Poundland’s retail director, Darren Kay, said: “We’re proud that to date, we’re the only retailer that’s delivered on its promise to re-open Wilko stores and offer roles to their people.
“In four short weeks we’ll have opened 37 Wilko stores – an amazing achievement by hundreds of colleagues right across our Poundland business. The team that’s making this happen are part of something very special – protecting jobs, keeping high streets alive and serving many new communities.
“While more extensive refits will be scheduled for the new year, we look forward to welcoming customers old and new to their new stores this weekend.”
This coming Saturday, Poundland will also open a brand new store at Queens Retail Park in Stafford. The new large destination store will feature Poundland’s widest ranges and create 15 jobs.
