Property round-up: Pugh; ECF; Wain Homes; Ascend; Plaza; 21D Clinical; Fettlers; City Studios; YHG; Great Places; MediaCity
A landmark gothic-style Victorian mansion in Liverpool, Mossley House, which became part of Mossley Hill Hospital, is to be auctioned later this month, with a guide price of £650,000.
The 16,000 sq ft, three-storey building, set in more than an acre of grounds, was designed by renowned architect Alfred Waterhouse, known for iconic buildings such as the Natural History Museum, Manchester Town Hall and Strangeways Prison.
Grade-II-listed Mossley House is due to go under the hammer on April 30, in the next online auction to be held by property auctioneer Pugh, part of Eddisons.
Pugh director, Ed Feather, said: “This is a rare opportunity to acquire not only a piece of Liverpool’s history but also a really impressive building with a host of stand out original features and more than an acre of land.
“Mossley House is in a sought after neighbourhood and close to the wonderful Sefton Park. Obviously the necessary planning consent would have to be secured by any prospective buyer, but redevelopment, perhaps to return the house to its original purpose as residential accommodation, would certainly be a possibility and it would be fantastic to see this magnificent property brought back to life in the hands of an imaginative new owner.”
Completed in 1870, Mossley House was designed by Waterhouse for wealthy Liverpool broker, Lloyd Rayner. It was requisitioned as a Ministry of Pensions hospital during the First World War, before being incorporated into the new NHS in 1948, since when it has been part of Mossley Hill Hospital.
Now, the building is surplus to requirements with the construction of the new Mossley Hill Hospital on an adjacent site, due for completion this year. The property is being auctioned by Pugh on behalf of Mersey Care NHS Trust. Bidding in the online sale opens on April 29, and closes the following day.
::
CGI of Gamble Square and interchange
Proposals for a greener, accessible and more comfortable transport interchange in the heart of St Helens town centre have been submitted to St Helens Borough Council for planning approval.
Being delivered with funding from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and from the Government’s Towns Fund, the new interchange will vastly improve the experience and safety of those travelling by bus, cycle and pedestrians. It will create a welcoming and green arrival point and be a gateway to the revitalised St Helens town centre.
The St Helens Interchange is being brought forward by St Helens Borough Council and ECF, a partnership formed of Homes England, Legal & General and Muse, with financial support from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority via the CRSTS (City Region Transport Settlement), a £710m fund dedicated to delivering major transport projects in the region. The main contractor on the scheme is VINCI Building.
The application follows a public consultation held at the end of 2024 where respondents overwhelmingly supported the proposals for the new interchange and the Gamble Square. The interchange itself will feature two fully enclosed concourses offering warm, spacious and sheltered bus waiting areas, a new travel centre and accessible toilets, including a Changing Places facility.
Cllr Anthony Burns, leader of St Helens Borough Council, said: “These plans are one of the key parts of our vision for transforming St Helens town centre. Equipping St Helens borough with a well connected, integrated, and accessible public transport system is a key aim of the town centre regeneration programme.”
The project is set for completion in 2026, coinciding with the introduction of the first franchised bus services in St Helens.
The interchange is just one element of the first phase of the £100m regeneration of St Helens. The wider plans will transform 24-acres of the town centre with a new Market Hall, flanked by a mixed-use area set around a 120-bedroom Hampton by Hilton hotel, 64 new homes, a 75,000 sq ft office and 11,000 sq ft of modern retail space, along with extensive high quality public spaces.
::
Pinfold Manor
Warrington-based housebuilder, Wain Homes, has acquired land to build 70 new homes in Clayton-le-Woods near Chorley.
The 6.5 acre former equestrian site off Wigan Road already has planning permission for a range of two-, three-, four- and five-bedroom homes and will see Wain Homes return to the Chorley area for the first time since completing its Richmond Park development in nearby Whittle-le-Woods in 2019.
Construction work on the new development, to be called Farriers Chase, is expected to get under way in late spring 2025 with the first homes for sale due to be released in autumn 2025. Affordable homes will make up nearly one third of the development.
A Wain Homes spokesperson said: “Returning to this part of Lancashire sees Wain Homes creating another sustainable new community in its heartland, having built its first ever property in nearby Standish more than 50 years ago.
“Wain Homes is well known and trusted for building high quality new homes in this part of the county and we are expecting high demand for our energy efficient homes in Clayton-le-Woods. It is a sustainable location and within close proximity to existing transport infrastructure, providing access to local and regional employment opportunities for new residents.”
Wain Homes is currently building 13 new homes developments across the North West, including Rectory Woods in Standish and Pinfold Manor in Broughton.
::
The Beaulieu development
Ascend, the Manchester-based third-party operator of single-family rental (SFR) homes, has secured a mandate from Invesco Real Estate, the $85bn global real estate investment business of Invesco, to manage its first SFR scheme in the UK.
The instruction covers 99 homes acquired by Invesco Real Estate in Essex, which will be operated by Ascend under the firm’s new resident-facing Ascend Living brand.
Invesco Real Estate acquired the properties, which are located at the Beaulieu development in Chelmsford, from Hopkins Homes in January, and consists of two- and three-bedroom houses and two low-rise apartment blocks.
Rob Johnston, managing director – head of investment, UK & Nordics at Invesco Real Estate, said: “The underlying fundamentals behind the growth of the UK SFR market remain highly attractive and are creating a strongly positive investment case for institutional investors. It’s important to emphasise that tenants sit at the centre of the market so creating attractive homes that people want to live in is key. As such, it’s vital to work with best in class partners such as Ascend.”
Alongside other recent appointments and schemes onboarded, this new mandate brings the number of SFR homes managed by Ascend to more than 9,000, around two thirds of the entire asset class.
Lee Hill, commercial director at Ascend, said: “Invesco Real Estate is one of the leading names in investment management, and its choice of Ascend for its first UK SFR scheme highlights the strengths of our end-to-end management service and in particular our proprietary tech platform and territory manager model, allowing us to operate in any location in the UK with all aspects managed in-house.”
::
Leigh Day team in the Plaza
Law firm Leigh Day is moving its growing Liverpool team into bigger offices with room to expand even further.
It is moving to the Plaza, just a five-minute walk from its current location at Horton House. The Plaza, in Old Hall Street, was built in the 1960s and was the old Littlewoods Catalogues HQ. It has since been refurbished into a high quality serviced office building.
The move will accommodate the growing team, with soon to be 11 Leigh Day employees based in the new office.
Leigh Day partner, Kevin Johnson, said: “The move represents a step change in terms of the amenities and work environment on offer to our colleagues.”
Fellow partner, Joanne Candlish, said: “This move allows our team to continue to provide specialist legal support in the heart of Liverpool and marks an exciting period of growth in our team and the help that we will be able to offer.”
The law firm also has offices in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Cardiff, Bristol, Plymouth and Newcastle. It employs 797 people in total, with 221 of those staff working out of the Manchester office in Central Park, Northampton Road, Manchester.
::
Birchwood One
Healthcare and technology company, 21D Clinical, has further expanded its presence in Birchwood, securing a 10-year lease at 602 Birchwood One Business Park, Warrington.
BE Group, now part of OBI, represented Seddon Developments in the letting, which saw 21D Clinical, take occupancy of the 3,338 sq ft office in January.
Birchwood One Business Park, developed by Seddon Developments, offers a prime business location with modern, self-contained offices, excellent transport links, and proximity to Birchwood Railway Station and Birchwood Shopping Centre.
Greg O’Hara, letting agent at BE Group, said: “We are thrilled to support 21D Clinical’s continued growth in Birchwood. After assisting with their initial lease at The Links in 2023, this expansion highlights their strong trajectory.
“The out-of-town office market is embracing alternative uses, particularly in medical and dental sectors, and locations like Birchwood provide the ideal environment for businesses to thrive.”
Jamie Seddon, of Seddon Developments, said: “Birchwood One combines modern office space with excellent amenities and transport links. We’re pleased to welcome 21D Clinical to our portfolio and support their continued success in Warrington.”
BE Group acted as sole letting agents. BE Group property agency is now a part of OBI.
21D Clinical is a specialist in full-mouth dental implants.
::
Warren Taylor, COO Cityheart; Cllr David Molyneux, Aidan Thatcher, Wigan Council
The former Wigan Galleries site, which Cityheart is transforming for Wigan Council into a new town centre destination, has been renamed ‘Fettlers’ in celebration of the unique history and heritage of Wigan.
Wigan Council announced the new name, brand and vision at a community launch.
Fettlers is one of Greater Manchester’s most ambitious regeneration projects, delivering more than 400 new homes, a 144-bedroom Hampton by Hilton hotel, leisure and retail facilities as well as a modern New Market Hall incorporating bars and foodhall.
Cllr David Molyneux, leader of Wigan Council, said: “A Fettler was someone who worked with metal and pottery, industries with a strong history here in our area. ‘Fettlers’ harks back to our heritage, evoking Wigan’s history, celebrating our unique identity and looking towards its bright future.
“In Wiganese, our proud local dialect, fettlin’ means to make, fix and mend or you can be ‘in fine fettle.’ We have worked really closely with our local community to find a name that really meant something to the people of Wigan.
“This name and brand celebrates our history, our values and looks towards our bright future of crafting, grafting, dreaming, fettlin’ and making things happen.”
Town centre regeneration specialist, Cityheart, is the council’s development partner for the scheme. Development director, Darren Jones, said the new brand not only tells of the history of the town but of the creative and hard working people that make Wigan so unique: “We are looking forward to delivering the new market hall with our construction partners Galliford Try and seeing Fettlers start to emerge.”
::
City Studios
The Nurtur Group is set to open serviced apartments, City Studios, in Preston this month.
Located in the centre of the city on North Road, the serviced apartments will have 133 studios and one bedroom suites across five floors, incorporating the historic Unicorn pub site.
Studios include an ensuite bathroom and double bed, fully functional kitchen with oven and induction hobs, dining space with a refrigerator, and a lounge area complete with a smart TV.
Guests will enjoy a blend of short to medium-term stays in fully-furnished and serviced studios.
Other amenities include self-service laundry facilities, conference meeting rooms with a barista coffee machine, an external courtyard, and break out spaces to unwind.
It will mark the first serviced apartments property in the north of England for The Nurtur Group.
Managing director, Mark Robinson, said: “We are incredibly excited for the opening of City Studios in Preston following the unprecedented construction obstacles.
“This city is thriving, and our new serviced apartments will plug the gap for business and leisure guests alike looking for a fusion of quality hotel and spacious apartment living.”
::
Partington properties
Your Housing Group (YHG), one of the North West’s largest social housing providers, has completed on the purchase of 112 affordable homes in Partington, Greater Manchester, from fellow registered provider, L&Q.
YHG, which already owns and manages c.1,300 socially rented properties across the neighbourhood, has a strong and established presence in the town. As part of its long term portfolio strategy, the landlord is focusing on homes for ‘general need’ social rent, across its core geographical areas, and this acquisition further delivers on this commitment, benefiting both existing and new residents.
Aaron Hammersley, YHG’s director of housing, said, “Our aim is to offer a place where residents can live well and feel secure and connected to both their community and Your Housing Group. It’s a great opportunity for us to grow in Partington, as we already have an established community-led service in the area, with colleagues available twice a week, in-person, at our office, which reflects the size and scale of our presence in the area.”
The newly purchased homes are a combination of general needs properties, for both social and affordable rent, as well as socially rented homes for people 55 and over.
Your Housing Group and L&Q together, conducted a successful month-long consultation with the residents of the homes that would be transferring to Your Housing Group and completion of the sale swiftly followed last month.
YHG CEO, Jacque Allen, said: “Partington is a community we’re proud to provide homes in. We love working with and supporting residents, partners, and the wider community already, so to be able to expand, and build on our already substantial local offer for more people, is something we are pleased to be able to do.
“We’ve recently invested over £9.9m in building safety across many of our homes, and in Partington alone, we’ve also made over £3.8m of improvements including new kitchens, bathrooms and windows, as we want to ensure everyone can have a safe place to call home.”
::
CGI of Grey Mare Lane scheme
Great Places Housing Group has submitted its proposals for the first planned scheme to be delivered as part of the recently approved masterplan for the Grey Mare Lane estate in east Manchester.
The affordable housing scheme of 82 apartments for social rent will be on a vacant site on the corner of Grey Mare Lane and Ashton New Road. The former brownfield site was previously occupied by the Manchester Bar pub, which was demolished in 2020.
The development will deliver a mix of one- and two-bed apartments. The proposals include private garden spaces for a number of ground floor apartments, a communal garden, balconies for the majority of apartments above ground floor level and high quality landscaping. A planned new pedestrian link will also improve the connectivity to Grey Mare Lane and Ashton New Road from Newcombe Close.
The scheme has been developed working in close partnership with Manchester City Council, One Manchester, and This City as part of the wider proposals for the Grey Mare Lane estate masterplan.
The masterplan, which was approved in September, will deliver 1,000 new homes, including a significant number of affordable homes, and new green spaces.
The development is the first of two proposed developments in the area to be delivered by Great Places, with details for a second affordable homes development on a site on Sunny Lowry Road expected to be submitted next year.
Helen Spencer, executive director of growth at Great Places, said: “This project represents a significant step forward in our commitment to providing high quality, affordable homes for the community in East Manchester.”
Cllr Gavin White, executive member for housing and development at Manchester City Council, said: “The Grey Mare Lane estate is a key regeneration programme for us and this planning application represents the first site of a transformational programme of housing and estate investment in the coming years that will see at least 1,000 new homes, including a large number of social, council and affordable homes and new green spaces.
“Sites will come online quickly in the next few months, and we will begin to realise the potential of the neighbourhood.”
The new housing investment within the Grey Mare Lane estate is part of the council’s commitment to delivering at least 36,000 new homes through to 2032 as part of the city’s ambitious housing strategy. This will include 10,000 new affordable homes, and 3,000 of these will be in the city centre.
::
From left: Steve Moyler, Bradley Harris, Matt McHugh
Building on the momentum of MediaCity’s successful Content Studio launch earlier this year, three trailblazing creative companies, ThunderHawk, Krygon Studios, and ImmersivEye, have taken residency in the modern facility.
Founded by Salford University graduate, Matt McHugh, ThunderHawk is a cutting-edge animation studio that thrives at the intersection of motion design, 3D, VFX and AI. With clients such as Manchester United, Hasbro and JD Sports, ThunderHawk has firmly established itself as one of the North West’s premier motion studios.
Bringing 15 years of industry experience, Bradley Harris leads Krygon Studios, a Manchester-based digital art and animation company specialising in high end character animation and 3D art production.
The studio delivers work across a diverse range of sectors including AAA games, TV, film and virtual production, contributing to globally recognised projects and franchises such as Disney, UFC, the MSG Sphere and Ghost Town Games.
Helmed by award-winning director and creative technologist, Steve Moyler, ImmersivEye is a cutting-edge studio specialising in AI-driven filmmaking, virtual production, motion graphics, and immersive storytelling. With a passion for blending artistry with technology, Moyler’s vision for ImmersivEye at MediaCity includes pioneering new forms of digital storytelling and collaborating with fellow creatives to shape the future of immersive media.
Naomi McCardle, content studio manager said: “It’s fantastic we have three incredible creatives embedded in this space – this move further cements MediaCity’s goal to be a vibrant destination for innovation, where world class talent is nurtured, and groundbreaking creative projects take flight.”
