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INDUSTRY UPDATES Each month PSBJ rounds up the latest public sector construction updates, from new contracts to industry awards.
Godwin Developments submits revised proposals for major regeneration scheme
AHTO to invest £1bn in new affordable housing in England and Wales
UK residential and commercial property developer Godwin Developments, working in partnership with Lowesmoor Regeneration, has submitted updated plans for its waterside mixed-used scheme Lowesmoor Wharf in Worcester, as a direct response to feedback received from local stakeholders and residents. The development is an ambitious regeneration scheme of eight buildings and public spaces, designed by award-winning architecture firm Apt. When built, it will completely transform the currently industrialised canalside location in central Worcester into a vibrant, well-considered destination of exceptional quality. Created to meet the city’s aspirations to bring more residents into the city centre, Lowesmoor Wharf will provide 238 modern spacious one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments with balconies. Occupants will have access to private indoor and outdoor spaces – such as rooftop terraces and community areas – across the six residential buildings. The scheme will also help bring more businesses and jobs into Worcester through the provision of office, retail and food and beverage spaces, all set within generouslysized, fully-landscaped public areas.
AHTO Group Ltd (AHTO) ‘Affordable Homes to Own’ has announced plans to help those finding it difficult to buy their own home, by investing £1bn over the next five years in Intermediate Rent-to-Buy homes. These will be acquired from shared ownership or privatesale housebuilders in cities and towns across the UK. AHTO will then lease acquired properties to a partner, with customers able to buy their home at a discount to open market value at the end of their tenure. AHTO is a privately-owned business with a social purpose driven by outcomes that benefit local communities. Fully funded and supported by a network of investors, AHTO was established in 2020, with a head office in London. AHTO provides an affordable Intermediate Rent-to-Buy (IRTB) product that supports Government and local councils’ efforts to help thousands more people onto the housing ladder. AHTO’s IRTB product allows customers to transition to full homeownership at a demonstrably lower cost than shared ownership, and is a product that is compliant with the National Planning Policy Framework.
AEW’s outline application for redevelopment of Hengrove Leisure Park approved AEW UK Core Property Fund (AEW) has announced that its outline application for the proposed redevelopment of Hengrove Leisure Park has been approved by Bristol City Council. AEW’s outline application includes the development of up to 350 new homes, including one- and two-bedroom apartments and a combination of two-, three- and four-bedroom townhouses. 30% of the proposed development will be allocated to affordable housing for rent or sale, ensuring that members of the local community can remain living in the area and the much-needed housing can be used for people on the council’s housing register. AEW’s proposals offer an opportunity for a modern, sustainable urban lifestyle, with the plans being formed around a central pedestrian and cycle link, a green spine. This will connect the new neighbourhood at Hengrove Leisure Park with Hengrove Way, the local bus network, surrounding play, retail and leisure facilities, and adjacent green space. In addition to the development offering car-free zones, green connections and trees, the proposed new homes will use air source heat pumps and other sustainable energy solutions.
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JCA-designed smart single-family rental homes submitted for planning Sustainable single-family homes, designed by the award-winning Jo Cowen Architects (JCA), have been submitted for planning approval as part of the University of Cambridge’s development at Eddington. JCA has designed cutting-edge rental homes as part of a new £160m GDV neighbourhood that will promote healthy and sustainable living within the University of Cambridge’s 150-hectare Eddington masterplan. As well as designing the housing at Present Made at Eddington, which will be developed, owned and operated for the long term by Apache Capital’s Present Made single-family housing platform, JCA designed the wider masterplan for the Present Made neighbourhood. The masterplan seeks to create a cohesive neighbourhood proposal that integrates into its surroundings, whilst creating a new context for future phases of the development. Present Made, which is wholly owned and fully funded by Apache Capital, is targeting a net-zero carbon operational model, with JCA’s designs for both the homes and wider neighbourhood having sustainability at their very core. The homes at Eddington will be highly energy efficient thanks to a combination of smart technology and modern methods of construction, with the houses precision-engineered in a factory environment in a process that is less wasteful, disruptive and time consuming compared to traditional construction techniques.
