Focused Construction News’ Post

𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝘁 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘀: 𝟮𝟵𝟱 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 Watkin Jones Group is proud to partner with Torus to deliver 295 new homes as part of a regeneration scheme in St Helens, Merseyside. 140 properties will be delivered, including shared ownership, social rent, and rent-to-buy options including 2, 3, and 4-bedroom homes, mews properties, and apartments. This project revitalises a brownfield site and addresses the critical need for affordable housing, delivering high-quality, sustainable homes for the community. Delivering sustainable designed homes with fossil-fuel-free heating, the development will be a short walk to St Helens town centre and excellent transport links. Click here to read the full press release and hear from George Dyer, Group Investment Director - https://lnkd.in/eGCc5uVX cc: Alex Pease #WatkinJonesGroup #Torus #Housing #Regeneration #Sustainability #Partnerships #StHelens #UKPropertyDeveloper #UKRealEstate

Watkin Jones Group is proud to partner with Torus to deliver 295 new homes as part of a regeneration scheme in St Helens, Merseyside. 140 properties will be delivered, including shared ownership, social rent, and rent-to-buy options including 2, 3, and 4-bedroom homes, mews properties, and apartments. This project revitalises a brownfield site and addresses the critical need for affordable housing, delivering high-quality, sustainable homes for the community. Delivering sustainable designed homes with fossil-fuel-free heating, the development will be a short walk to St Helens town centre and excellent transport links.

Turning a forgotten industrial site into an innovative business hub: the Riverside regeneration project. 🏗️ Many neglected rural areas can be overlooked when developers are seeking regeneration opportunities. The lack of reliable transport networks, inadequate infrastructure, limited connectivity and planning permission difficulties can be off-putting, but not at the Riverside project. Discover how Litton Properties, in the heart of the Peak District, has embarked on a pathway to innovation by transforming an industrial site into a hub that supports local businesses and the community: https://lnkd.in/eFVGRw7J #regeneration

£200m Partnership Fuels Sustainable Housing Growth in Yorkshire The Urban Splash Residential Fund (USRF), advised by Sure Capital Partners, has announced a significant new partnership with sustainable developer Citu, formalised through a £200 million Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This five-year agreement grants USRF priority access to Citu’s pioneering properties, which include single-family homes across Yorkshire, marking a major milestone in the fund’s expansion strategy. This alliance – the second for USRF after a similar agreement with Urban Splash – encompasses 600 homes with potential for future growth. As part of the initial investment, USRF will acquire 52 Citu homes located in the Climate Innovation District in Leeds and Kelham Central, Sheffield. Both developments reflect Citu's principles of placemaking, building resilient, green, mixed-use neighbourhoods with energy-efficient homes that prioritise community and environmental responsibility. Adding Citu’s homes diversifies USRF’s portfolio, expanding its range of sustainable, single-family residences across the UK. Akeel Malik, Partner at SURE Capital Partners, commented, “This partnership aligns capital with regeneration, empowering us to support the creation of vibrant new neighbourhoods. https://lnkd.in/eVi4HSi7

Consultation begins on major regeneration plan for Holt Town The Council has begun gathering feedback around the transformational proposals being developed for Holt Town, east Manchester as consultation opens today.   Holt Town presents an opportunity to create a new town within the city, developing 74acres (30ha) of underused, brownfield land that has the potential to deliver thousands of new homes – including significant affordable housing – alongside an exciting new cultural offer, new high quality green and play space, and new commercial space.   Bound by the city centre one side and Sport City and the Etihad Campus the other, major investment in this area will finally create a link between these two key economic drivers for Manchester and continue the long-term regeneration of Ancoats and New Islington into east Manchester.   Holt Town transformation in numbers:  - Around 4,500 new homes – including affordable housing, alongside a range of tenures and housing types to diversify the city’s housing offer  - 15 acres of new and enhanced public green space – including enhanced and regrown woodland  - 1km play link for young people to enjoy safe outdoor space all year round  - New commercial space that could support 1,500 new jobs in the area – as well as new cultural and community spaces  - A range of low-car principles, including safe walking and cycling routes and new mobility hub.  The https://lnkd.in/ew-7EbD6

👏 GRAHAM selected to £630m Belfast regeneration programme 👏 GRAHAM Group has been selected by Belfast City Council as its long-term private sector partner to deliver £630 million residential-led, mixed-use, sustainable developments across multiple sites. By Miles Rebeiro https://lnkd.in/eUAJgX27

Crown Estate appoints firms for three sustainable housing demonstration projects: GS8, Igloo Regeneration and Town will test out new approaches to eco-friendly housebuilding, building 200 homes in total #ukhousing #housing

Today is the day. 12.5 acres of brownfield in Frome, could be agreed to be sold to Mayday Saxonvale - making it the largest community-led development in the UK! The officer recommendation is for approval, and we're all optimistic it will happen. It's been a long journey, and one I only joined on the last stretch, with a particularly rollercoaster 48 hours last summer which you can read about here: https://lnkd.in/dm_Z3rMj The question I've been asked a lot the last few days is "what will this decision mean for the people of Frome?" and to me it is the sense of confidence, agency, and possibility it will give us that is so exciting. We have all fought so hard for this, and so many people have made their voices heard - whether through the planning system, getting up at the crack of dawn on May Day to hold hands around the site, or offering their ideas and energy to the development. There is a lot of discussion at the moment about our planning system, and for me the main issue is that it forces people to act defensively, rather than proactively, and as residents rather than citizens. This is what creates so much resistance in the system, and why so many developments get stuck. Most developments start with the needs of shareholders, with the needs of the community tagged on at the end, through tiny concessions or S106s. Community-led developments, like Mayday Saxonvale, start with the needs and wants and vision of the community for the site, and then look at how to make it financially viable. That is the key difference. I think its a really exciting model, and one that I hope we will see more of over the next few years - hopefully inspired by Frome, just as we have been inspired by other community-led developments around the UK, such as Hastings Commons. I spoke at the meeting last summer, and I ended by saying this. Fingers crossed Somerset Council do just this today: "So I’m asking you this afternoon to trust in the people of Frome. Trust that we know what is best for our town. Trust our commitment, our enthusiasm, our energy, and bet on the people here today to deliver not just another development, but a better, more hopeful future for Frome. And please, please, sell this land to Mayday Saxonvale." #communityleddevelopment #localdemocracy

👑 It’s Fit for a King: Prince’s Quarter Proves Social Housing Can Thrive! 🏡 The Prince’s Quarter in Glebe, Sydney, is set to become a landmark project—combining innovative design with sustainable practices. Supported by King Charles III Charitable Fund Trust, this development will be the country’s largest social housing project constructed from cross-laminated timber. 🔎 What You Need to Know: 1️⃣ A Transformative Initiative: The project will provide 75 new apartments and terraces, primarily made from cross-laminated and glue-laminated timber. Designed by JOHNSON PILTON WALKER PTY LTD and constructed by Kane Constructions Pty Ltd it aims to provide affordable housing while showcasing the benefits of sustainable building materials. 2️⃣ Sustainable Practices: This project will utilise over 2,500 cubic meters of timber sourced from locally grown XLam pine, sequestering approximately 1,860 tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere—equivalent to removing 934 cars from the road. The project team's commitment to sustainability reflects its vision of supporting carbon-neutral construction. 3️⃣ Community Impact: The Prince’s Quarter will accommodate around 130 tenants, featuring a mix of studio and one to three-bedroom apartments. The development not only focuses on housing but also includes green roofs, extensive landscaping, and footpath upgrades, enhancing the community's livability. 💡 The Prince’s Quarter is a testament to how social housing can be both sustainable and innovative. Other regions must take inspiration from this project and recognize that sustainable building practices can lead to thriving communities and a healthier environment. 🔗 To learn more about the Prince’s Quarter and its significance for social housing in Australia, read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gnMJpG6a 🗣️ #questionforgroup: How can the principles demonstrated in the Prince’s Quarter be applied to other social housing projects worldwide? What role does sustainable design play in addressing housing shortages? #socialhousing #sustainabledevelopment #crosslaminatedtimber #community #woodcentral #woodcentralau1 #wood #timber #woodsolutions #kingstrust #australia #sydney #glebe #king #affordablehousing #socialhousing #housing

UKREiiF… It’s all over now… but is it? At this year’s event our very own Tammy Harrison-Round and Catherine Palmer created and led an expert panel that discussed real, practical steps for creating sustainable towns and cities. And here’s the scoop: regeneration is about more than buildings. It’s about creating communities and liveable spaces that are sustainable and inclusive. It’s about developing spaces that make people happier and healthier. But how do you do it? Here are our 10 takeaways from our panel discussion with some of the best in the industry. Phil Marsden, Amy Butterworth, Angela Barnicle and Paul Richards. https://lnkd.in/gCtB4etW #UKREiiF24 #healthierplaces #regeneration #Leeds #buildings #infrastructure #quantitysurveying #buildingcities #sustainableliving #greencities