Property round-up: Signaller’s Croft; Exchange Quay; Baltic Creative CIC; FCHO; Plus Dane Housing; Bellway
A residential scheme on the outskirts of Crewe is back under way through a new partnership signed between Lovell and Onward Homes.
Housing association Onward first broke ground at Signaller’s Croft (Basford East) in 2021, but the scheme stalled in 2023 when the original contractor entered administration.
Now Lovell, the residential homes developer within the Morgan Sindall Group, has been chosen to deliver the first 139 new homes at Signaller’s Croft, following a careful appraisal process led by Onward.
A mix of affordable tenures will be provided over the next two-and-a-half years, including rent-to-buy and shared ownership for people taking their first step onto the local property ladder.
Tahreen Shad, regional partnerships director for Lovell in the North West, said: “This new collaboration marks the exciting restart of a major development that will bring quality affordable homes to the Basford area of Crewe.
“The area is familiar to Lovell, having successfully delivered 99 homes in 2023 just over a mile away at Weston Woods. We understand the importance of building at scale and pace to meet local housing needs and will be using innovative timber frame construction to accelerate delivery.”
Onward remains committed to delivering its long term vision for up to 449 homes at Signaller’s Croft over the coming years, including homes for open market sale. This new partnership builds on an existing relationship between Lovell and Onward, which is currently delivering 66 new, affordable homes at the former Foxfield school site in Wirral.
Funding for this first phase at Signaller’s Croft is being delivered through Onward’s partnership with Homes England, which is supporting the housing association to build 5,000 new homes by 2030.
Sandy Livingstone, executive director of property at Onward, said: “We are very pleased to re-start activity at Signaller’s Croft with our partner Lovell, a national builder of quality homes.
“Our commitment to deliver hundreds of affordable homes for people in the Crewe area has never wavered. We look forward to creating a vibrant place filled with modern homes that are both affordable for local people to rent or buy, and affordable to run in the long term.”
::
EMQN team
EMQN, a global business that provides quality assurance tools and service for laboratories that perform genetic testing and molecular diagnostics, has agreed a deal to take more than 5,000 sq ft on the third floor of Exchange Quay’s ICE building.
The deal will see the company’s 26-strong workforce relocating from Manchester’s Science Park on a 10-year lease to 5,212 sq ft at Exchange Quay. The recently refurbished building provides a number of collaborative work areas including dedicated social, meeting and bar space, as well as hireable meeting rooms and co-working zones and specifically designed wellbeing spaces to relax.
EMQN was spun out of the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) in June 2021 with nine people and has since grown to a team of 26.
The initial driver for the move to Exchange Quay was around capacity, having outgrown its space at Manchester Science Park after four years based there. The amenity offer on campus was also a consideration to move, as well as the quality fit-out of the space. The relocation will support the company’s growth plans to expand its capabilities further.
Les Lang, director at Exchange Quay asset manager, Till AM, said: “We are thrilled to welcome EMQN and It is testament to the high quality amenity offer we have at Exchange Quay, that has attracted such a market leading organisation to our growing business community.”
Simon Patton, CEO of EMQN, said: “As we embark on this exciting new chapter at EMQN we are proud to reflect on our growth and reaffirm our unwavering commitment to supporting laboratories in delivering the highest standards in molecular pathology and genetic testing.
“Our new space in Exchange Quay will significantly enhance our capacity to provide innovative solutions, ensuring the utmost accuracy and reliability in clinical diagnostics on a global scale.”
James Dickinson, director at Exchange Quay joint agent Canning O’Neill, said: “Exchange Quay offers occupiers a prestigious, progressive office campus that not only provides a great location, with excellent road and public transport connections, it also provides further benefits in restaurant facilities, an on-site nursery, a post office, convenience store and gym. It is an exciting place to work which promotes a perfect work life balance through its high-quality office space and wellbeing provision.”
Agents on Exchange Quay are Canning O’Neill and Colliers. EMQN was represented by Stephen Woodall of Taylor Rose Solicitors.
::
Baltic Creative (Pete Carr)
Liverpool’s creative and digital business hub, Baltic Creative CIC, is celebrating a successful 12-month period having welcomed 11 new tenants to its spaces and facilitated the expansion of existing tenants across its extensive portfolio in the Baltic Triangle.
The continued growth of Baltic Creative means the community interest company now sustains more than 95 businesses across its 120,000 sq ft estate, the majority of which are SMEs or microbusinesses in the creative and digital sectors.
Baltic Creative has welcomed three new businesses since January following a further eight new tenants arriving in the previous year. Newcomers include Alfie’s Squad, a charity supporting young people bereaved by suicide; Little Vintage Photography; Docklands Speed Shop; Hand On Art Studio; Kanaval Consultancy; and MMA Design and Project Management.
The creative hub at Northern Lights has also seen positive growth, with the arrival of new artists, Ben Youdan, a mixed media artist, and Simon Hyde, a photographer.
Alongside these new arrivals, Baltic Creative has seen 14 lease renewals securing 16,081 sq ft of space. Two of Baltic Creative’s existing tenants, artist Hazel Barrett and live events website, Skiddle, were both able to move within the portfolio, resulting in them expanding into units more than double the size of their previous space to support their continued business growth.
For the past 15 years, Baltic Creative has supported local and global businesses to thrive in Liverpool, transforming the Baltic Triangle area into a vital hub for the North West’s creative and digital sector.
Maggie Mullan, principal at MMA Design, said: “I was drawn to the Baltic Triangle for its strong sense of community, and the shopfront space was the perfect fit for MMA Architects and Design.”
Maria Popezuk, asset manager at Baltic Creative CIC, said: “This year has been one of significant growth and exciting momentum for Baltic Creative CIC. We’ve welcomed an inspiring range of businesses, strengthening our community and enhancing the diversity of talent within the Baltic Triangle area.
“We’ve also worked closely with our long standing tenants, supporting their transitions into new spaces that better fit their evolving business needs. Our commitment remains in providing supportive flexibility and stability for businesses at every stage of their journey.”
::
Damson Green site
A £1.3m development of five affordable family homes in Rochdale by First Choice Homes Oldham (FCHO) is due to be completed this summer, the housing association has confirmed.
The mix of three- and four-bedroom properties – all at Damson Green in Middleton – are now watertight and are scheduled to be completed by contractor, J Walker Homes, by the end of July.
FCHO executive director of homes, Steve Agger, said: “FCHO continues to do its level best to build the family homes that are needed in places like Rochdale and Oldham and these new properties are helping us meet that key shortage.
“Our priority is to also build top quality homes to help residents cut their energy consumption and at the same time reduce carbon emissions. These new homes, built on a brownfield site in the heart of the community, will deliver exactly that.”
All the high specification timber framed homes – available at affordable rents – have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of B.
Air source heat pumps, low water usage fittings, low energy fans, biodiversity measures and the recycling of materials from the former car park at the site will keep bills down and help the environment, FCHO said.
Jon Walker, director at J Walker Homes, said: “In alignment with First Choice Homes Oldham’s social values, we’ve made a conscious effort to source labour and materials locally wherever possible, supporting local supply chains and investing in the regional economy. We’re confident that these new homes will make a valuable addition to the already thriving Damson Green community.”
::
L-R: Max Steinberg (Plus Dane), Maria Eagle, Ian Reed, Cllr Nick Small, Siobhan Moore (PlusDane)
Liverpool-based Plus Dane Housing, Liverpool Garston Labour MP Maria Eagle, and local Liverpool City Councillors have viewed the completed Lime Tree Court development on the corner of Menlove Avenue and Vale Road in Woolton Village, Liverpool.
The new apartment building, situated in the heart of Woolton, replaced a former car sales showroom and provides affordable homes for the neighbourhood.
The development consists of 32, one- and two-bedroom apartments, for affordable rent, for the over-55’s and residents moved into their new homes recently.
Maria Eagle said: “We have far too many people either unable to get a home or living in homes that are not suitable for their needs. Lime Tree Court provides outstanding accommodation for over-55s with everything that Woolton Village has to offer on the doorstep.”
Plus Dane Housing CEO, Ian Reed, said: “I am proud of what we have achieved at Lime Tree Court. We know homes to rent, specifically for the over-55’s, in this area are in short supply so it is great that as a housing association we have had the opportunity to build social housing and provide an affordable option to living in Woolton.”
The development is situated along the road from Beatles tourism sites John Lennon’s childhood home where he lived with his Aunt Mimi and less than a mile from Strawberry Field, both of which had an influence on the shortlist of names in a naming competition for the building back in January 2023.
However, the names with Beatles connections were all beaten by the connection to a much loved tree at the heart of the site.
The building is a nod to the protected Lime tree which dominates one side of the site and also influenced the shape of the development.
::
Matthew McAdam at The Future Hub
Bellway has launched a new learning hub to give a behind-the-scenes insight into how its homes will work in the future.
The Future Hub at Barton Quarter in Horwich, near Bolton, is a collection of four houses, each showcasing different low carbon technologies.
The all-electric homes demonstrate how heating, power, energy conservation, ventilation and the building materials themselves are expected to perform when the Government’s Future Homes Standard is introduced.
They are built in the style of Bellway’s House to Home plots, with elements left uncovered to show the workings of the different systems.
The Future Hub will serve as a training centre for teams from Bellway, its subcontractors and the wider industry.
The innovations on show include air source heat pumps, solar PV panels, enhanced insulation and mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, in addition to wider doorways and lower windows which are required to meet accessibility standards.
The project is part of the Better with Bellway strategy, which was created by the housebuilder to put people and the planet at the centre of all its operations. Reductions in carbon emissions and employee diversity schemes are among the initiatives that have been driven forward since the strategy was launched two years ago.
Bellway will host an open day for small to medium housebuilders and subcontractors in June to showcase The Future Hub and share knowledge gained during the project.
Mathew McAdam, managing director for Bellway’s Manchester division, said: “The Future Hub is an industry-leading training tool, which has already been recognised with a national award.
“These four homes not only show the different technologies at work, but also provide an insight into how they can be installed and maintained – and how each of the systems interacts with the rest of the home.
“From first-fix through to a finished showhome, The Future Hub gives a practical introduction to how we will build all-electric accessible homes that will meet the needs of our customers and their families.”
Another key Better with Bellway project is The Future Home @ Energy House 2.0. Bellway has partnered with The University of Salford to build a home to future standards within a climate-controlled chamber at the university’s Frederick Road campus. Early test results have indicated that air source heat pumps can be used to heat a home for less than £2 per day.
Jamie Bursnell, head of technical and innovation for Bellway, said: “Through projects like The Future Hub and Energy House 2.0, Bellway has made huge leaps forward in understanding the requirements of homes for the future. Comparing the theory with the practical application of each of the new technologies has been an invaluable learning curve.”
