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Work to start on Newcastle city centre housing scheme in key regeneration area

2025-04-19 08:41:22 By

CGI of the One Founders Place building as well as other redevelopments taking place.

Work to create a new multimillion-pound housing scheme in a key Newcastle city centre regeneration site has taken a major leap forward.

The Stephenson Quarter scheme, close to Newcastle central station, has been under development for more than 10 years, starting with the creation of the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Rocket office scheme and an adjoining car park. Recent years, however, have seen work to unlock housing and office projects stall, as the economic impacts of the pandemic were compounded by developers changing and main contractors falling into administration.

Now, however, developers have secured planning permission which will pave the way for enabling works to start at the site – also called Founders Place – which will lead to the creation of a 70-home housing scheme called Orchard Yard. The move comes five months after the 10-acre scheme became one of two in Newcastle to receive a share of £2.4m from the Government’s Brownfield Land Release Fund, securing £1.65m to bring forward housing on Founders Place.

Developers igloo Regeneration and Thriving Investments were given the green light for the clearance and remediation work at a planning meeting today, March 7. The South Street site was home to the birth of the world’s first steam train 200 years ago, with by world-famous locomotive designer Robert Stephenson’s Engineering Manufactory, but over the decades it has fallen into disrepair after the last tenant, Doves Building Merchant, left in 2004.

The Machine Shop and Smith’s Shop derelict shells are now deemed dangerous and inaccessible. Work on the site will involve clearing out asbestos, removal of unsafe structures – largely added in the 20th Century and said to have little or no historical value – and put in new retaining structures.

The Machine Shop will be regenerated with proposals looking to retain and restore the fabric of the earliest industrial structures and bring the South Street area back to life by building family homes and apartments, business space, a public park and a courtyard.

Insiyah Khushnood from igloo Regeneration, said: “The enabling works are the first essential step to breathe new life into the derelict site of the former Stephenson Works which will ultimately become the Orchard Yard residential scheme. Without these works the site would remain abandoned and inaccessible.

“We have been working since 2020, in collaboration with Newcastle City Council and other partners, to bring forward the former Stephenson Works sites, and have successfully restored The Pattern Shop building, which was completed last year. The Machine Shop and Smith’s Shop continue to be challenging due to a number of constraints. Despite this, funding was secured to open up and make the site safe, that will then lead on to the full regeneration of an unused and forgotten part of the city.”

Sarah Dyer, heritage consultant to igloo Regeneration said: “During my research, it was evident that George and Robert Stephenson were at the forefront of technological innovation in the 19th century; comparable to the pioneers of mobile phone or electric vehicle design today.

“The Machine Shop and Smith’s Shop reflect the evolving demands of locomotive and marine engine production that took place there, expanding and adapting over time to meet the needs of new technology and innovation.

“Now, with the next phase, the current Machine Shop and Smith’s Shop will have the opportunity to be revitalised as spaces for living, making and innovation. With the new access we will be able to gather more information about the building, peeling back the layers to reveal more of the original building.”

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Commercial Property

Plans unveiled for new £100m Digbeth scheme

2025-04-19 08:41:22

A former ironworks site in Birmingham city centre could be transformed into a new £100 million mixed-use development. Hartwell, the automotive and property development company, has unveiled its proposals for the old Phoenix ironworks off Digbeth High Street which will be led by 240 new residential units. Called Phoenix Yard, the designs also include 260,000 sq ft of media and educational space, commercial floorspace, retail units, public realm and landscaping. The brownfield plot, which covers 2.8 acres and sits next to the new Eastside tram extension connected to the HS2 station, is bordered by Coventry Street, Oxford Street and Meriden Street. Email newsletters BusinessLive is your home for business news from across the West Midlands including Birmingham, the Black Country, Solihull, Coventry and Staffordshire. Click through here to sign up for our email newsletter and also view the broad range of other bulletins we offer including weekly sector-specific updates. We will also send out 'Breaking News' emails for any stories which must be seen right away. LinkedIn For all the latest stories, views and polls, follow our BusinessLive West Midlands LinkedIn page here. Hartwell said Phoenix Yard could create around 200 construction jobs and has the potential to deliver more than 500 full-time equivalent jobs. Architecture practice Allford Hall Monaghan Morris has designed the scheme which Hartwell said paid homage to the land’s industrial history as Phoenix ironworks. The application site is now occupied by a children’s nursery and was home to South & City College and more recently Birmingham City University’s STEAMhouse innovation facility before it moved to a new development in Belmont Row. Hartwell, which owns the land, was founded in 1919 and also previously ran a garage there. A public consultation has now been opened into the proposals which runs until the end of March ahead of a planning application being submitted to Birmingham City Council. The project would join a long list of new developments currently in the pipeline for the Digbeth area including the Beorma Quarter opposite Selfridges and the neighbouring Stone Yard and Tower Leaf schemes, also off High Street. Elsewhere in the district, the BBC is revamping the former Typhoo factory to create a new home for its West Midlands teams currently based in the Mailbox and the Smithfield project will revamp the old Wholesale Markets site near the Bullring. Joanne Churchill, group property manager of Hartwell, said: "We are delighted to unveil our vision to transform an under-utilised brownfield site to deliver Phoenix Yard. "Through unlocking the potential of this site, our plans promise to positively contribute to the area’s ongoing transformation into a thriving and vibrant part of Birmingham, delivering an exciting range of new opportunities and living space for the future. "In recent years, Digbeth has benefitted from significant investment and is recognised by Birmingham City Council as a key growth area. This scheme has been designed with this investment and the wider ambitions for Birmingham in mind. "The potential delivery of media and educational space will support the continuing growth of BBC Midlands HQ and its ecosystem following its multimillion-pound investment into the area. "Similarly, new homes will complement the site’s location in Digbeth’s creative centre. "This will be supported by excellent connectivity, which is enhanced by nearby major transport investments including HS2’s Curzon Street Station and the Metro Eastside Extension. "We look forward to receiving comments on the proposals from local residents and businesses, with feedback set to help inform our final planning application."

Commercial Property

Wheelchair manufacturer opens new HQ in Cornwall

2025-04-19 08:41:22

A Cornwall-based wheelchair and walker manufacturer has opened a new head office in Hayle. Rehasense UK has moved into a 2,500 sq metre space after outgrowing its previous, smaller premises. The business, which employs 15 staff, had originally planned to move offices in 2026, but said it changed its plans after experiencing "rapid growth". According to the firm, the relocation will allow it to increase its stock levels and fulfil orders more quickly. Rehasense was founded in Hong Kong in 2010 and the UK business was established in 2018. The company sells through a network of UK dealers. “One of the issues we faced in 2024 was the longer than expected shipping times which meant it has not always been easy to get the right balance," said Lee French, regional director of Europe for Rehasense. "Some days the warehouse could be 100% full and then the next day it could be empty, which would have an adverse effect on our delivery timescales to our dealers, which we have always prided ourselves on since our first day in business back in 2018. That is why we have made this significant investment earlier than planned." The new HQ includes warehouse space and a training and development centre for staff, dealers and healthcare professionals working with the company's products. To support the opening of the site, the company has hired seven new members of staff in a range of roles covering the office, warehouse and sales departments. The appointments include three new members of the customer services team: Zoe Phillips, Claire Baker and Stacey Eaton.

Commercial Property

Growing affordable housebuilder Adderstone Living launches new Leeds office

2025-04-19 08:41:22

North East affordable house builder Adderstone living has opened a new Yorkshire office in moves to meet demand for regionally based social housing design and construction. The business, which was founded by Stephen McCoy and Peter Galbraith, works with key social housing providers including Karbon Homes, Gentoo and Places for People to deliver hundreds of homes across the North. Now house builder has opened an office in Carrwood Park on the outskirts of Leeds, as part of its plans to drive growth across Yorkshire and become the developer of choice for social housing providers and the supply chain. Directors say Adderstone Living is seeing strong demand from social housing providers looking to tap into its land-led solutions, which include sourcing land, designing schemes, and gaining planning permission to allow homes to be built in cities including Leeds and the wider area. Led by recently appointed regional director Rick Long, who has experience in the residential house building sector, the new office will ramp up operations in Yorkshire. The office opening comes as the Government continues to push for the delivery of new homes to meet the chronic housing shortage and bring a halt to the decline in affordability of home ownership. Mr Long said: “Adderstone has seen strong growth as demand for our services has soared. So it’s part of our business strategy to develop a permanent presence in Leeds and we saw that the time was now right for new investment to support the next phase. “We are experiencing strong growth across core markets with a healthy order book and our new office strengthens our delivery capability. It’s a really exciting time for us and our team as we will be working closely with all our stakeholders to ensure we continue to deliver for our customers.” At the end of last year the firm announced plans to establish a presence in the North West. The division’s first Yorkshire project, a 70-unit scheme in East Cowton with a gross development value (GDV) of £16m, launched last year. Within accounts for parent company Adderstone Group, financial director Michael Shipley said: “To support rapid growth and regional diversification, Adderstone Living is actively pursuing key framework agreements. It has secured a place on the Homes England Delivery Partner Panel (DPP) and is targeting inclusion in other frameworks such as Prosper.

Commercial Property

New £6.5m North Tyneside industrial scheme set for market

2025-04-19 08:41:22

Industrial space at a new £6.35m development in North Tyneside is now on the market after being completed by UK Land Estates. Regional property developer and landlord UK Land Estates broke ground on the huge L7 scheme last summer, amid moves to tap into demand for industrial space. The speculative development has created 73,000sqft of hi-spec industrial and distribution space at the North Tyneside site, and forms part of a £35m investment programme across the firm’s regional business space portfolio. Brandon Bailey, projects director at UK Land Estates, said: “With a shortage of vacant, high-quality industrial space across the UK, we do not see L7 as a risk. In fact, we are really looking forward to bringing it to market as we expect a great deal of interest. “It’s one of a number of projects under way that is strengthening our portfolio, but particularly at the Tyne Tunnel Estate, where we are investing £11m in L7, the recent completion of the refurbishment of the former JTF Discount Warehouse building, several smaller C-units and we recently started refurb of another large industrial unit on the site.” Construction of L7 has been led by STP Construction Limited, with the local supply chain including Thompsons of Prudhoe, Philadelphia Structures, CCS Cladding, Mathew Charlton, ME Electrics and Voltz power services, and design partners including Faulkner Browns, Portland Consulting Engineers and Kinetic Engineers. The development has delivered 72,898sq ft of flexible industrial and/or warehousing, including 5,955sq ft of office space, and will be marketed by Knight Frank and Savills. David Gibbs, property director at UK Land Estates, said: “This estate is in a fantastic location, close to the main arterial road network and port services. Proximity to workforce and high density housing makes the building an attractive proposition for both manufacturing or distribution. Delivering quality buildings for business on core estates remains our main focus and we have every confidence the building will be well received. “We’re confident L7 will generate plenty of interest, but it won’t be the only large-scale project on the site and we’re progressing several options to deliver further projects of this size and larger, attracting businesses and creating employment opportunities in North Tyneside.

Commercial Property

Warrington building to be transformed into digital hub

2025-04-19 08:41:22

Good progress is being made on the transformation of a building on one of Warrington's busiest roads into a digital enterprise hub. A report being presented to the council's cabinet for its Monday meeting includes an update on the project at St James Business Centre, located on Wilderspool Causeway. The quarter three review of non-treasury investments says the business centre will house Warrington's first digital enterprise hub, with work well underway to renovate and upgrade the building to suit this new economy sector. It stated: "The new roof is already in place along with restrooms and remodelled interiors. The entrance to the building will be changed to have more presence on Wilderspool Causeway, which will also benefit from a new café." The report added: "This new workspace will provide an excellent environment for digital businesses to collaborate and grow, and has already been the subject of interest from several established businesses in this sector."

Commercial Property

Property agency opens new Birmingham office

2025-04-19 08:41:22

A commercial building, project and sustainability consultancy has opened a Birmingham office in response to demand for its services in the region. This is the first Midlands office for Jones Hargreaves and is led by associate partners Jack Birchall and Harry McDermott who have relocated to the city from the firm's London operation. They will work with a range of investors, owners and occupiers across industrial, retail and office portfolios from their new home in Somerset House, Temple Street. Mr Birchall has extensive experience in the commercial sector including dilapidations, tenant alterations and technical due diligence, having worked at Jones Hargreaves for three years. Email newsletters BusinessLive is your home for business news from across the West Midlands including Birmingham, the Black Country, Solihull, Coventry and Staffordshire. Click through here to sign up for our email newsletter and also view the broad range of other bulletins we offer including weekly sector-specific updates. We will also send out 'Breaking News' emails for any stories which must be seen right away. LinkedIn For all the latest stories, views and polls, follow our BusinessLive West Midlands LinkedIn page here. Mr McDermott is an experienced building surveyor across all commercial property sectors, primarily focusing on technical due diligence, dilapidations, planned preventative maintenance and contract administration instructions. The new Birmingham office is opening in direct response to client demand, with ongoing instructions in the region from Indurent and Adapt Real Estate. It is also working with Gilbanks on the £2 million fitout of a new 20,000 sq ft serviced office space at Five St Phillips in the Colmore Business District. The new Birmingham base joins its portfolio of offices in Manchester, Leeds, London, Bristol, Glasgow and Cardiff and the firm now employs 40 staff. Mr Birchall said: "It's a privilege to have the opportunity to open our new Birmingham office and dive into the Midlands' thriving commercial property sector. "The city itself has seen a lot of growth in recent years and it's exciting to be part of that. "I was keen to relocate to Birmingham as it's a great city with so much to offer and this was the perfect time for me both professionally and personally. "This opportunity highlights the culture of the business and the trust in the team." Mr McDermott added: "Jack and I are very excited to be leading Jones Hargreaves' new office in the UK's second city. "We have a strong existing client base in and around Birmingham and across the Midlands and we're looking forward to building on that." Partner Matt Williams said: "This is our seventh office opening and aligns with our business expansion strategy to meet ever-increasing client demand for our commercial building consultancy and ESG services across the UK, particularly in the Midlands. "I'd like to extend my congratulations to Jack and Harry who I have no doubt will make a fantastic impression within the Midlands' burgeoning commercial property sector.

Commercial Property

Plans for 145 new homes in Old Trafford to replace warehouse and bakery

2025-04-19 08:41:22

Plans for the construction of 145 homes on the site of a former wholesale warehouse and bakery in Old Trafford are likely to be approved at Trafford's planning committee meeting on Thursday. The proposed development, which will replace buildings previously occupied by trader Valitus Ltd and the Jesse Oldfield Bakery, includes a residential-led mixed-use scheme, community space, car parking, and landscaping. The project, proposed by YC Property Group Ltd, will be situated on a three-acre brownfield site on Brixham Road and will comprise 123 apartments and 22 terraced houses, with 40% designated as affordable housing. Additional features include a corner shop at the junction of Brixham Road and Ayres Road, 'local areas of play', and a series of interconnected communal gardens. Private amenity spaces will be provided through gardens, terraces, and balconies. Vehicle access to the site will be from both Ayres Road and Brixham Road, with courtyard parking available. The apartments will be distributed across four separate blocks fronting onto Ayres Road and Brixham Road, while four rows of terraced housing are planned for the south-western part of the site. A report by Trafford planning officers, who have extensively consulted with the applicant, recommends approval of the plans. The application has encountered opposition, with 10 letters of objection submitted by local groups including the Old Trafford Amateur Gardeners' Society (OTAGS) representing Seymour Grove Allotments and Orchard 49. The objectors have raised concerns about the potential construction impacts, such as dust generation affecting plant cultivation, possible food contamination, and soil damage. Some are calling for restrictions on construction hours to avoid noise pollution at evenings and weekends and have specified that any beehive relocation should occur only in winter, with compensation provided for any property damages incurred. One objection highlighted the importance of allotments, stating: "Allotments must be protected and cherished. They are of huge value to the local community and positive for physical and mental wellbeing." The planning report advises the committee to approve the project on the condition that the developer contributes £318,562 towards off-site affordable housing, £29,926 for open space provision, £219,936 for secondary education in the area, and pays £15,000 for a traffic regulation order review. The report argues that "The delivery of 145 new homes – including 40% affordable – on a sustainable brownfield site which would contribute significantly towards the delivery of housing within the borough would be of benefit. "This is of considerable importance, given the aspiration of both the council and the Government to significantly boost housing delivery. Substantial weight is attached to this benefit."

Commercial Property

Bruntwood completes £4.5m office revamp

2025-04-19 08:41:22

A £4.5 million project to regenerate an office block in Birmingham city centre has been completed. Bruntwood SciTech has led the scheme to revamp its Centre City offices, in Hill Street, which forms part of a wider mission by the group to spend £52.5 million renovating its estate in the city. Among the new facilities at Centre City include a green atrium, wellness centre, fitness studios, café and active travel facilities. The 20-storey building also has a range of flexible workspaces for companies of differing sizes while common areas of the building are now powered by 100 per cent renewable energy. Email newsletters BusinessLive is your home for business news from across the West Midlands including Birmingham, the Black Country, Solihull, Coventry and Staffordshire. Click through here to sign up for our email newsletter and also view the broad range of other bulletins we offer including weekly sector-specific updates. We will also send out 'Breaking News' emails for any stories which must be seen right away. LinkedIn For all the latest stories, views and polls, follow our BusinessLive West Midlands LinkedIn page here. Current tenants in Centre City include global tech firm Hitachi and the Ministry of Justice. Other work completed recently by Bruntwood SciTech in Birmingham includes Cornerblock in Cornwall Street while construction is nearing completion on the first building on the Health Innovation Campus in Selly Oak. Its Mclaren office block near Moor Street station is also undergoing facelift work. Regional director Rob Valentine said: "Birmingham is rapidly becoming one of the UK's most exciting innovation hubs, with over 2,000 tech startups and more than 6,000 tech businesses calling the city their base. "In particular, we're developing real strength and expertise in subsectors like fintech, digital marketing, medtech and gaming and that's in no small part down to the unparalleled talent, excellent links to academia and extensive business support networks on offer in the city. "Continuing to invest in this ecosystem and the infrastructure that supports it will be crucial to keeping up momentum and unlocking future growth and innovation in the city. "Our transformation of Centre City will see it become a crucial part of this supportive innovation ecosystem, helping to drive increased interest in the city from new and growing businesses. "More and more businesses are demanding the very best from their workspace facilities and amenities and we're confident that we've created an environment that will allow ambitious businesses to create, innovate and succeed." Separately, Bruntwood SciTech, which is a joint venture between Bruntwood, Legal & General and the Greater Manchester Pension Fund, has appointed Molly Cook as associate commercial director for the West Midlands.

Commercial Property

Hull firm builds unique glasshouse on eighth floor of new ‘urban living’ development

2025-04-19 08:41:22

A Humber engineering specialist has carried out the most challenging and unique project in its 70-year history – building a glasshouse on the eighth floor of a 12-storey apartment scheme. Hull based CambridgeHOK has built the new glasshouse on the roof of the new ‘urban living’ development in Swansea, to help residents connect with nature. The project has been created for Hacer Developments on its first-of-a-kind ‘Biophilic Living’ development, where the East Yorkshire firm had to install the glasshouse on floors eight to 11 of the new 12-storey complex. Three floors of the new 3,200 sqft glasshouse will be used for residents to explore hydroponic growing methods, producing their own crops and vegetables at growing stations. The top floor of the glasshouse, which offers stunning views across the city, will also provide a unique meeting room space for the building's users, surrounded by light and greenery. The glasshouse installation was completed in just eight weeks by the CambridgeHOK team, and is now ready for internal works to begin. The firm said it took a great deal of detailed pre-planning, as most glasshouses are usually single storey and built on the ground. Glazing panels, each three metres in size, had to be individually crane lifted to the eighth floor, with wind conditions taken into account. Rob Williams, structural and design team leader at CambridgeHOK, said: “There were many unique challenges in this project, from the glasshouse itself being a four-storey building, to it of course being installed at height. Due to it being multi-storey glasshouse we had to adapt our existing glazing system to ensure we balanced transparency requirements with essential structural elements. “The main challenge was to maintain the light, open feel of the space while also ensuring the framework provided adequate support, without compromising aesthetics. The elevated nature of the structure also introduced higher wind loads, requiring enhanced sealing measures beyond our standard glasshouse specifications. This ensures improved weather resistance and long-term durability, particularly at greater heights. “To further support both installation and future maintenance, the glazing system was also designed on a floor by floor basis. This modular approach allowed for flexible erection sequencing, enabling installation from either the top or bottom floor.” The Swansea complex will be home to around 120 residents, with each apartment having a balcony with pre-installed grow-boxes. Horticulture and allotment specialists will also be onsite to educate and inspire residents on how to grow their own produce. As well as having access to their own private space to grow, there will also be a rooftop community garden, giving residents the opportunity to socialise and collaborate. The building will also be home to around 350 people working in the commercial office spaces, shops, and offices. The project aims to provide a ‘radical new approach to living and working in the urban environment’ – creating ‘a building that lives and breathes’, providing its own energy through sustainable methods. Patrick Harte, joint managing director of CambridgeHOK, said: “We were thrilled to firstly be considered for this project, and then of course to be selected. As a business which is a known leader in the glasshouse field, but also as an innovator and a forward-thinking engineering specialist, this project was perfectly suited to us, as we always like to take on a new challenge. It is why we have a reputation for achieving industry firsts. “That is certainly the case with this project, and we are really proud to have been a part of.”

Commercial Property

City centre retail block sold

2025-04-19 08:41:22

A prime retail and leisure building in Birmingham city centre has been sold in a £4 million deal. Temple Buildings, a part grade II-listed property on the corner of New Street and Temple Street, has been acquired from Hortons by a private investor. The complex comprises two adjoining properties, 49-50A New Street and 19-20 Temple Street, which together total 10,055 sq ft. The ground floor units are let to clothing retailer Moss Bros, Ryman stationers, bubble tea café T4 and Everyman Barbers. Email newsletters BusinessLive is your home for business news from across the West Midlands including Birmingham, the Black Country, Solihull, Coventry and Staffordshire. Click through here to sign up for our email newsletter and also view the broad range of other bulletins we offer including weekly sector-specific updates. We will also send out 'Breaking News' emails for any stories which must be seen right away. LinkedIn For all the latest stories, views and polls, follow our BusinessLive West Midlands LinkedIn page here. The upper floors of 19-20 Temple Street are let to Vogues Holdings for residential use. Birmingham-based agency MK2 Real Estate sold the building on behalf of Hortons. Director Mark Johnson said: "Despite the economic challenges over the last few years, Birmingham's retail and leisure market has remained resilient, with positive levels of take up and tenant demand. "Temple Buildings sits on the main thoroughfare from Grand Central to the Colmore Business District and the popular bars and restaurants in the area, with high footfall and passing trade as a result." Steve Tommy, head of asset management with Hortons, added: "The disposal of Temple Buildings is part of our ongoing strategy to reinvest in both existing and new projects within the industrial sector."