Urban Splash’s vision for Yorkshire

REGENERATION company Urban Splash has been instrumental in transforming the landscapes of many of the UK's major cities.

The company is renowned for re-invigorating worn-out areas, constructing schemes in partnership with architects and the public sector through renovations or new builds.

Urban Splash has a number of projects in the pipeline. Commercial and residential schemes are planned or ongoing in locations including Warrington, Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester and Liverpool.

Simon Gawthorpe, chief executive of Urban Splash in Yorkshire, is excited about the future for the company in the region. Mr Gawthorpe told TheBusinessDesk.com that Urban Splash was keen to embark on further developments and had a number of sites in mind.

But he said getting its ongoing projects right was key to success and outlined progress on the four schemes being headed from its Bradford office:

LISTER MILLS, BRADFORD

By the middle of the 19th century, Bradford was a world leader in the wool industry and the production of worsted was a local speciality.

Samuel Lister founded the original Lister Mills in 1838 but it was destroyed by fire and was rebuilt in 1871. The replacement was once the biggest textile building in the north of England.

But as the textile industry waned so did the mill and by the late 20th century it had been derelict for several years and become a target for vandals.

Urban Splash bought the Victorian complex in 2002 from the receivers and started work on site in 2004 following initial funding from Yorkshire Forward, Bradford Council and English Heritage.

“Tom (Bloxham, group chairman) had driven past some of the buildings and had thought it was wonderful,” said Mr Gawthorpe, who admitted the purchase had been a risk in an area of the city hit previously by riots and social problems.

Mr Gawthorpe said the purchase marked the launch of Manchester-based Urban Splash's Yorkshire office.

The team initially completed 131 apartments at the complex's Silk Warehouse and has now embarked on the next phase of work at Velvet Mill, which will see 196 apartments created and the first residents ready to move in in April. The designs, by David Morley Architects, will feature futuristic curved penthouse apartments on the roof.

There is the potential for 600 apartments at Lister Mills and around 150,000 sq ft of commercial space will be available.

Mr Gawthorpe said the rejuvenation of the mill was “a catalyst” for the Manningham area of Bradford.

SAXTON, LEEDS

The project will see flats in two former Leeds Council buildings, built in 1957, transformed into modern apartments.

The Parade and Drive buildings will come complete with more than 20 working allotments and what are thought to be the largest landscaped gardens of any UK city centre development.

“We've always liked a challenge and the Council said they were going to take them down but they asked us if we thought we could give them a useful life,” said Mr Gawthorpe, who added 25 members of the same family still lived on the estate.

Saxton, Urban Splash's first development in Leeds, will see 410 apartments developed with the first residents set to move in in 2009. The site will also feature more than 20 working allotments.

PARK HILL, SHEFFIELD

There's a piece of graffiti on one of the bridges at the sprawling Park Hill flats that has become a slogan used by the Arctic Monkeys on one of their US tours.

The phrase 'I love you – will you marry me?' has been used by the Sheffield band on a tour T-shirt. It will also feature as the name of a bar at Park Hill when the grade two-listed complex is regenerated.

The flats were built following the second world war in the late 1950s and early 1960s to clear slums and were branded as a “home for heroes”.

But the buildings, designed by Ivor Smith and Jack Lynn, slid from a bright hope to deprivation and an area known for crime and drug problems.

The listing stopped Park Hill being bulldozed and allowed developers like Urban Splash to take it over and reveal plans to transform it into a complex for the 21st century.

Mr Gawthorpe, who said the redesigns had had to be passed by the original architects, said the regeneration plans would try to maintain the “community spirit” which the 1m sq ft complex had at its peak, with residents able to wander from block to block through a series of inter-connecting passages.

It will feature around 1,000 apartments made up of owner-occupied, shared ownership and rented flats which are set to be occupied from 2010.

There will also be railway links, bars, restaurants, gardens and community facilities.

“Park Hill has the potential of being one of the exemplar developments in the country,” added Mr Gawthorpe.

NORTHSHORE, TEESSIDE

A joint venture between Muse Developments and Urban Splash, the aim of the project is regenerate the 56 acre site which is formed by 1km of waterfront on Stockton riverside.

The former heavy industrial and ship building site is to be transformed into a mixed-use development including apartments, houses, office, retail, leisure space and a hotel.

Mr Gawthorpe said the scheme would also include a beach and a rowing facilitiy for Durham University but is not set to be completed until 2020.