Archive for the ‘Regeneration’ Category
Developer Wharfside grasps Suffolk university lifeline
Plans for a university quarter in Ipswich have saved a London-based developer whose hotel and homes scheme fell foul of the market.
Wharfside Regeneration, along with John Lyall Architects, has forlorn plans for a hotel and 52 homes in favour of 375 student rooms, at a cost of £16m. The development, which will be part of the new University Campus Suffolk, was recommended for approval by Ipswich council’s planning committee this week. The scheme will be built on two sites, for which the developer originally secured planning permission for 52 unexpensive housing units and an 81-room hotel.
Learning curves
The first building of the new University Campus Suffolk has been completed by Willmott Dixon on the Ipswich waterfront.
The £20m, seven-storey building was designed by RMJM and structural and environmental engineer Faber Maunsell. With a curved front overlooking the water and a green roof sloping down at the back, the building is planned to be the hub of the campus. It contains 10,500m2 of lecture theatres, exhibition areas, a learning resource centre, faculty offices and commercial space. The next phase of the scheme will be a 15,000m2 building nearby, also designed by RMJM.
Eco-town champion admits programme is likely to fail
David Lock rounds on ‘plotters’ and ‘government screw-up’ for imminent demise of schemes
One of the cheerleaders of Gordon Brown’s eco-towns programme has admitted that it is likely to fail because the government had “made such a screw-up it will disappear”.
Major housing project applications down by 22%
Planning applications for major housing projects have fallen by more than a fifth in the past year, a study has revealed.
Applications for large projects in England and Wales fell from 4,413 in October 2007 to 3,444 last month, a drop of 22%, while applications for home improvements dropped even more dramatically, by 29% in the past 12 months, from 33,384 to 23,777.
Urgent bank talks over social landlord rescues
New sector regulator worried stricter lending will prevent troubled housing associations being saved
The chief executive of the newly formed Tenant Services Agency has requested urgent talks with banks amid concerns that lending practices strength prevent the bailout of struggling housing associations.
High riser
John Laing has finally signed a deal with Croydon council to set up a £450m regeneration company to redevelop four large sites in the borough over 25 years
The urban regeneration vehicle, a 50:50 joint venture using council land and capital from John Laing, will see two 40-storey towers and a total of 1,250 homes and flats built. A new 240,000ft2 head office for Croydon council will also be created. King Sturge advised the council, while EPR Architects, property consultant Knight Frank, engineer Faber Maunsell, planning consultant Indigo and cost consultant AYH worked alongside John Laing.
St Paul’s tower may ‘grind to halt’ after council veto
Sheffield planning committee rejects changes proposed by architect on £40m scheme
The future of a half-built tower in Sheffield is “on a knife-edge” after the city council turned down proposed design changes.
The 30-storey St Paul’s scheme by City Lofts (Sheffield), for which 300 workers are already on site, is central to the regeneration of the city. However, design changes proposed by the architect to remedy construction problems have been vetoed for a second time by the council.
Mayors plan
London mayor Boris Johnson was due to launch the first draft of his revised housing strategy yesterday.
It is believed it will include plans to increase the number of cheap home ownership units.
Source: www.building.co.uk
Urban Splash job cuts
Mancunian regeneration developer Urban Splash has confirmed it is to lose 60 of its 280 staff in the redundancy consultation it started in September.
It says it won’t close any offices.
Source: www.building.co.uk
HCA chief will review Thames Gateway delivery bodies
A review of the bodies in charge of delivering the planned £9bn regeneration of the Thames Gateway is to be instigated by Eamonn Boylan, deputy chief executive designate for the Homes and Communities Agency.
He said: “There has to be a structural review – I think we’ve to be clear we’ve done the thinking round what are complex structures. we’ve to be sure they’re not impeding delivery.”
1,000 new homes join £1bn RSL backlog each month
Housing associations fear low sales could seriously impair aptitude to build homes for unexpensive rent
Housing associations are still completing more than 1,000 shared-ownership homes every month, even though at least £1bn of them are lying empty or unsold.
Pukka apartments
Planning permission has been granted for the conversion of Danbury Palace, a grade II-listed manor house near Chelmsford, into a luxury apartment block.
Architect BPTW will work with developer Inner Circle Group and designer Andrew Martin Associates on the £7.5m scheme to create 49 private and shared ownership apartments, of which 34 will be set in the gardens of Danbury Park. The new building is set to replace a seventies extension but will retain the original detailing of the house built in the gothic revival style in 1832.
Gate nudged open
Site preparation work has begun on the £140m Merchant Gate regeneration project in Wakefield, West Yorkshire.
The mixed-use scheme, designed by Carey Jones Architects, will include 270 homes, 50,000ft2 of retail and leisure space, 300,000ft2 of offices and a hotel. Construction by contractors Norwest Holst and Clegg Construction is set to start in January. The scheme is being delivered by English Cities Fund, a partnership between Muse Developments, Legal and General and English Partnerships. The QS is Gleeds.
Anger as banks fail to pass on 1.5% rate cut
Housebuilders have hit out at the failure of banks to pass on last week’s shock 1.5% cut in interest rates to potential customers.
By the time Building went to press more than three-quarters of banks had temporarily withdrawn their tracker mortgage offers without replacing them and only regional bank Mansfield had come forward with a new fixed-rate offer.
Developers welcome change to infrastructure tax
Government climbs down on ‘unenforceable’ levy to ensure safe passage of planning bill
Housebuilders and developers have welcomed a government climb-down over plans for a levy to be charged on development sites.
The government has proposed a series of amendments to the tax – known as the community infrastructure levy (CIL) – to ensure the safe passage of the planning bill through the House of Lords.
Recovery predicted
Expectations of a housing market recovery have risen, says the RICS.
Sales by agencies have fallen to an average of 10.9 per month, but 20% of surveyors predict an upturn in next quarter.
Source: www.building.co.uk
A year of decline
A further contraction of the commercial property sector in October marks a year of decline, says Savills.
Round 55% of developers’ activity dropped last month, while only 6% rose.
Source: www.building.co.uk