News: Eye secure more regeneration contracts

Eye, the Rotherham-based development and asset management firm, has been appointed to work on further complex regeneration and housing projects.


Based in RiDO's Moorgate Crofts business centre, Eye was established after Jon Sawyer, a development consultant, and Joanne Sawyer, then Rotherham Council's head of implementation, worked successfully together on the award-winning All Saints' Quarter project in Rotherham town centre.

Eye has been involved in realising a number of difficult schemes in regeneration and social housing with schemes still underway despite the difficulties posed by the recession. A particular factor in this is devising clever financial solutions to make otherwise unviable developments happen.

Eye has been appointed to help Newcastle City Council and Places for People review the business plan for Walker Riverside, a 15-year long regeneration project to transform the Walker district of Newcastle. Eye worked on the original plans in 2009 and will now help to ensure that the plan remains fit for purpose in light of current market and funding conditions.

Following initial work on outline feasibility in 2010, Eye has been asked to undertake detailed feasibility work for the Mansfield Brewery site. This important six acre site on the edge of the town centre offers the potential for new housing and jobs and bringing the site out of administration is an important aim for the Eye team.

Eye has also been appointed to help stock transfer registered provider, Shoreline, to put in place a new build development programme in Grimsby. This is a first foray into the development market for the North-East Lincolnshire-based provider. Jon Sawyer, managing director at Eye, said: "Helping registered providers develop in difficult conditions is an exciting new area of our business."

Funding specialists, Igloo Regeneration Ltd, took a "significant equity stake" in Eye in 2010.

Eye website

Images: thisiseye.com