Property round-up: Breck; Bellway; Solomon Commercials; Property Sense; Searchability; John K Philips Group; Miller Homes; FCHO
North West property developer Breck has begun construction of 102 homes at a site in Preston and completed the purchase of another for 13 homes in West Lancashire.
The company has started development of 102 one- to four-bedroom affordable homes at Sidgreaves Lane in Cottam, Preston, after signing an agreement with Progress Housing Group which will become the owner of the properties on completion. The site gained planning approval last month.
In addition, Breck has completed the unconditional purchase of land at Ormskirk Road in Upholland, West Lancashire, which has planning permission for 13 homes and will be developed for open market sale. Breck is set to start development later in 2024 following minor tweaks to the current plans.
The company was formed in 2020 and is based in Walton Summit in Preston. It specialises in developing affordable houses between 25 and 250 units for registered affordable housing providers as well as homes for open market sale on sites between 10 and 50 units.
Breck currently has a development pipeline of more than 1,200 residential properties across the North West.
Andy Garnett, Breck director, said: “The development of high quality housing is a vital part of regenerating communities across the North West for the coming generations and the demand for all types of residential property is continuing to grow.”
The affordable homes development at Sidgreaves Lane will include homes for affordable rent and shared ownership. It is expected to be completed by summer 2026.
The development has been part funded by Homes England and Breck is working with Preston City Council to maximise the use of local labour and skills.
Rebecca Field, head of development and sales, Progress Housing Group, said: “When complete, Sidgreaves Lane will be one of our largest new build developments to date and will provide much needed affordable housing in Cottam.
“Market values in this area are currently out of reach of many and this scheme will provide individuals, couples and families with a new home they simply would not have been able to afford. It is one of two sites we have partnered with Breck on in the North West and we’re looking forward to continuing this relationship over the coming years.”
Ormskirk Road, Upholland, was purchased from residential property development and investment firm, Kingscrown Group, by Breck using the company’s cash reserves. Eddisons acted as sales agents.
Robert Diggle, director at Eddisons’ Liverpool office, said: “After receiving instruction to market Ormskirk Road, we experienced interest from a range of residential developers which is reflective of the demand for quality residential development opportunities across the North West.”
Dan Russell, development manager, Kingscrown Group, said: “We hope to continue to work with the company over the coming years.”
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Typical Bellway street scene
Bellway has received planning permission for a new residential development of 90 homes in Croft, Warrington.
Building on the success of previous developments in the area, the housebuilder will transform the 8.5 acre site off Deacons Close with an attractive mix of two-, three- and four-bedroom detached and semi-detached homes, including 27 affordable properties.
Known as Heathfield Stud, the site has been used for a number of years as an equestrian centre, stables and stud farm for horses.
Surrounded by open fields on three sides and with a local store, pubs and schools within walking distance the location boasts a desirable semi-rural village feel that will be retained and enhanced by Bellway’s superb mix of homes with modern internal and external specifications, private gardens, allocated car parking spaces or garages and electric vehicle charging points.
The development will also provide an element of public open space with green areas dedicated to enhance biodiversity and offer play areas for children and walking/exercise options, linking in to public footpaths adjacent to the site.
Sales Director at Bellway Manchester, Grace Yarlett, said: “Following a number of successful developments in Warrington, we are pleased to bring forward more new homes in the area.
“The site benefits from a great semi-rural location, surrounded by fields and close to open green space, yet just five miles from Warrington’s thriving town centre and within easy reach of the motorway network for venturing around the wider North West area. We’re excited to bring this development forward and expect a really positive response.”
It is anticipated that work will start on site later this month, with the first homes released for sale early next year and the first homes ready for occupancy by Autumn 2025.
Within the planning agreement, Bellway will make a series of Section 106 contributions totalling around £1.3m towards schools, highways and sports pitches.
The development was designed by architects APD with Gateley advising on legals.
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Solomon Commercials new factory
Solomon Commercials, the manufacturer of refrigerated vehicles, has begun work on a new facility following a fire at its preparation and fabrication facility on the Carrs Industrial Estate in Haslingden.
The fire occurred in June 2023, but following recent demolition, construction has begun on a new 20,000 sq ft facility that will be operational later this year.
Established in 1976, Solomon employs more than 450 people and designs and manufactures refrigerated vehicles working with independent businesses, PLCs, dot-com enterprises and retailers.
Solomon Commercials managing director, Anthony Clegg, said: “Without doubt, the fire caused upheaval within the business and reduced our manufacturing capacity and capability, but more importantly, we’re relieved that nobody was harmed.
“While the fire presented a challenge to our business, we also saw it as an opportunity to review our manufacturing processes. Consequently, we have been able to invest in new machinery and implement new working practices that will make us more productive.
“Once the work is complete, we’ll return to our optimum output.”
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Place 3D living/dining
Stockport-based estate and letting agent disruptor, Property Sense, has launched a new proptech sister company.
Place 3D will unveil new proptech capabilities to the UK market, allowing clients to experience high-specification 3D visuals before a single brick has been laid.
The technology also showcases live availability post-construction, allowing prospective residents to enjoy a seamless user journey during the lease-up/sales period.
By creating an end-to-end property marketing solution that can be leveraged months before a development has been built, Place 3D can support developers of any size with rapid sales and/or lease-up periods, pre-and post-construction.
Mike Haywood, CEO of Property Sense, said: “Without question, the BTR market is booming right now, with developers feeling the pressure to build more. We realised there was a gap in the market for high quality, high impact proptech, that integrates seamlessly with our already powerful CRM and robust lettings processes.
“This is a game-changing offering for developers. Not only does it allow developers to generate significant, qualified demand months before building completion, but it also allows them to benefit from rapid lease-up periods never seen before in the UK.”
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A 1,200 sq ft office on the sixth floor of Northspring | Peter Street, has been let to global recruitment firm Searchability, which has relocated from a flexible working space at Chancery Place.
Since being founded in 2012, the company has grown significantly offering a range of products and services, the company said it needed an office that provided the right quality space for its team.
William Roebuck, Director at Searchability, said: “We are thrilled to move into Northspring | Peter Street, the amenities are second to none which I’m sure the team will get plenty of use from. The convenience of moving into a fitted-out office space was also one of the main reasons for deciding on Northspring compared to other office spaces we viewed.”
Mark Garner, Director at CBRE, said: “The recent deals underscore the strong
demand from occupiers for top-tier amenities, prime locations, and exceptional transport links. It’s no wonder that only three suites remain available at Northspring | Peter Street.”
The Northspring family has seven properties across the country in Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds. Occupiers can use facilities in any of the buildings. The Manchester properties boast The Deck – a stylish roof terrace, The Park – a wellbeing space with cycle storage, fitness suite and EV charging bays and business lounge The Club.
CBRE and Sixteen Real Estate are joint agents on the building.
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From left: Maggie Mellon FD, John Philips CEO, Alan Simpson MD, Karrie Hughes, commercial director
A sustainability-focused logistics company is primed for growth after completing a move to carbon-neutral headquarters as it celebrates 50 years in business.
John K Philips Group has relocated from St Helens to a 135,000 sq ft warehouse and office building in Warrington.
The new HQ, at Europa Boulevard, is called Solar 120 and has an ‘excellent’ BREEAM rating for its environmentally-friendly features.
Fully covered by solar panels, and with LED lighting, heat pumps and new electric forklift trucks, the site enables John K Philips to provide carbon-neutral warehousing to its customers as they increasingly strive to decarbonise the distribution of their goods.
Previously a BT call centre, the building was acquired in 2022 by CBRE Investment Management and transformed into a modern warehouse which was named building of the year at the National Sustainability Awards in 2023.
John Philips founded his business in 1974 after buying a truck to deliver paint. Today the group employs 80 staff and has a fleet of 35 trucks and 32 trailers.
It remains family-owned, although the day-to-day running of the business is led by managing director Alan Simpson, who joined in 2019. John’s daughter, Karrie Hughes, is the commercial director.
The business specialises in the storage and UK distribution of goods such as paint and specialist liquids for sectors including pharmaceuticals and healthcare. All of its drivers have ADR training to transport specialist freight.
John Philips said: “We have made a significant investment in our new headquarters and warehouse to give us additional storage capacity in line with our plans for future growth. We’ve been growing steadily year-on-year by 15%, and our aim is to continue to expand at this rate.
“Our new location is close to the motorway network and is an ideal location from which to grow our customer base.
“Solar 120 is carbon neutral, with the electricity generated from solar panels powering our warehouse, offices and new forklift trucks.”
He added: “Sustainability is a priority for our business and our relocation to Solar 120 enables us to deliver significant further progress in this area, with more investment in electric vehicles planned, providing us with the capability to decarbonise our customer supply chains.”
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Miller Homes Community Fund launch
Miller Homes has launched the return of its Community Fund with the second round of applications opening on Monday, September 16, 2024.
Building on the achievements of both 2022, 2023 and the first half of 2024, Miller Homes will offer £10,000 to charities and community groups across the North West of England including Lancashire, Cheshire, Merseyside, and Greater Manchester.
Since its inception in September 2022, the fund has supported various communities around the North West, donating more than £30,000 to schools, charities and other good causes.
Organisations such as Variety, The Children’s Charity in Manchester and Broadfield Friends Association in Burnley have all benefited from donations from the Community Fund, with the money going towards respective projects and advancements in their initiatives. Other beneficiaries have included sports clubs, community groups and local charities to name just a few.
The second round of funding for 2024 will be open for applications from September 16, to October 28, 2024, with all local community and charity groups in the North West encouraged to apply.
Successful groups will be notified starting from December onwards. Donations ranging from a minimum of £250 to a maximum of £2,000 will be awarded to the successful applicants.
Clare Noakes, Sales Director for Miller Homes in the North West said: “We are excited to launch the second round of the Miller Homes Community Fund and continue our support for the fantastic work being done by local charities and community groups.”
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Work under way on Hathershaw scheme
Work on a £4.5m scheme to build 19 affordable and energy-saving homes in Oldham is now unde rway and starting to take shape.
First Choice Homes Oldham (FCHO) is behind the development in Hathershaw as part strategy to deliver 1,100 sustainable properties in Oldham and surrounding areas between 2020-2026 to meet increasing demand across the region.
FCHO has enlisted Arca Construct as the main contractor for the development, estimated to be completed by summer, 2025.
Construction work is under way for the scheme, which includes 16 three-bedroom houses in Belgrave Road and a further three, three-bedroom homes in neighbouring Thatcher Street.
The scheme, utilising £1.07m Homes England funding and a £285,000 Brownfield Housing Fund grant via Greater Manchester Combined Authority, involves transforming a former garage site into homes for affordable rent.
As part of FCHO’s green focus and sustainability targets set in its Big Plan and Sustainability Strategy all the homes are eco-friendly.
Each property is being built to ensure the performance of materials that make up the building are maximised – known as a ‘fabric first approach’.
Each home will be highly insulated to ensure they are warm and economical for customers.
And as they are designed to be highly energy efficient, they are set to achieve Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) B, supporting FCHO customers to save money on utility bills and minimise their carbon footprint.
Joel Owen, Development Director at FCHO, said: “It is fantastic to see these energy-efficient and affordable homes starting to take shape.
“Not only do they complement our commitment to provide high quality and affordable homes to people in the communities we are based in and serve, but also our work to have sustainable and energy-efficient housing stock.”
Nigel Lonsdale, Head of Construction at Arca Construct, said: “We pride ourselves on being a trusted partner, delivering exceptional results at competitive rates. Our membership in the Considerate Constructors Scheme and CHAS Elite underscores our commitment to quality and responsible construction.”
