Planning News and Deals
Former Gainsborough Steel site, Gainsborough Gainsborough The Greater Lincoln Partnership has welcomed planning consent which will see a disused industrial site in Gainsborough converted into an £18.5m mixed-use development. The 1 ha site, previously owned by Gainsborough Steel, adjoins the Marshalls Yard retail and office development, which opened in Gainsborough earlier this year. Dransfield Properties, who were also responsible for the development of the Marshalls Yard complex, are already working on the site which will retain many of the original Gainsborough Steel features, in a move to ensure the development supports the history and heritage of the town. As with the first phase of development at Marshalls Yard, the site has been subject to stringent planning requirements at this latest development incorporates a grade II listed Pattern Store. This is being converted to flexible units aimed at start-up businesses, as part of a county-wide strategy aimed at supporting entrepreneurship, and is due for completion in February 2008. Developer Standard Homes will start work on building 111 residential dwellings in January 2008. Birmingham Quintain, advised by Savills, has been granted outline planning permission for its Birmingham City Gate regeneration scheme following completion of the S111 and S106 legal agreements. City Park Gate is a mixed-use development totalling approx 93,700 sq m (1 million sq ft) which forms part of Birmingam’s Eastside		regeneration scheme. Designed by architects MAKE, it will include 844 apartments 27,900 sq m (300,332 sq ft) offices, 9,200 sq m (99,031 sq ft) retail and an 14,000 sq m (150,699 sq ft) hotel. The landmark development incorporates buildings as tall as 84m high, circa 23 stories. The planning application was managed by Savills, who led negotiations with Birmingham City Council. Birmingham Irish developer The Naus Group has been given the green light to commence a £150m development in Digbeth, Birmingham. City planners gave the mixed use scheme, called Connaught Square, approval in early December. The multi-million scheme will occupy a 1.839 ha (4.544 acre) site fronting High Street Deritend and is set to transform the city’s run-down Irish Quarter. Connaught Square will comprise 658 new apartments, a 180-bed hotel incorporating 36 serviced apartments, shops, offices, bars, restaurants, more than 1,000 underground car parking spaces, two new public squares and public amenity space. Around 800 jobs are expected to be created. The Birmingham office of Savills has been appointed to market the new apartments and offices; Cardiff firm EJ Hales will handle the retail/leisure space. Newark Work has started on a £13m high specification new office development adjacent the A1 at Fernwood, near Newark. The two phases of the scheme, by Cheshire based Gladman Developments, will be known as Millgate Court and Abbott Court and will form part of the £50m 15.4 ha (38 acre) Fernwood Business Park, a development by Strawsons Property. The first phase, Millgate Court is under construction now. It comprises eight buildings ranging in size from 1,000 sq ft to 10,000 sq ft, which will be offered for sale or to let. Millgate Court will total some 43,000 sq ft representing a very substantial investment in the Newark area. This second phase, Abbott Court, is expected to follow on shortly thereafter and will take the development up to 90,000 sq ft in total. Hodgson Elkington are handling the scheme as joint agents with Innes England.