News: New units at Phoenix Riverside

Two new hybrid industrial units are planned for a riverside site at Templeborough in Rotherham.

A planning application has been submitted on behalf of the Coalfields Regeneration Trust (CRT) for land off Sheffield Road in the regenerated area that is now a popular business location.

The plans would seem to end any remaining interest in a hotel being built on the site.

The application, drawn up by The Harris Partnership, shows two, two-storey units, both of around 6,000 sq ft, on land behind the existing units near to the Riverside pub.

Hybrid buildings for B1, B2 and B8 uses, the ground floor space is envisaged as industrial and warehouse space and the first floor space is proposed as complimentary supporting office space.

Occupiers are not yet known.

The plans state: "The proposed development when complete will bring a currently vacant and serviced plot into use, providing new facilities of industrial hybrid use to meet the latest market demands. The proposals are sympathetic to the existing environment, working well with the existing site constraints and surrounding uses."

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In 2012 Rotherham Council's planning board agreed that Whitbread's plans for a 80-bed Premier Inn hotel and restaurant at the site should be refused, with planners considering a number of sites are preferable sites for a hotel in planning terms. A 69 bed hotel is key to the recently approved plans for Forge island in Rotherham town centre.

Rothbiz reported in 2018 that CRT Property Investments Ltd, the wholly owned subsidiary of the Coalfields Regeneration Trust (CRT), had purchased Phoenix Riverside for £1.5m. It was initially developed by local brownfield specialist, St Paul's Developments.

Tenants include General Dynamics, In-Tend Limited and The Royal Mencap Society.

At the time of the deal, the trust shared plans for a £40m Coalfield Investment Proposition which would see government provide £30m and the organisation contribute £10m of its own resources. The fund would be used to develop new industrial space to support SME growth in former mining areas and on completion bring an estimated 1,000 jobs to the coalfields over the next five years.

The fund would generate a sustainable income which will be used to support social impact projects creating a wellbeing value of over £500m in the communities and a lasting legacy for the next generation.

Images: Google Maps

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News: Final land sale at Rotherham colliery site

All 35 acres of remaining developable land at the former Dinnington colliery site in Rotherham have been sold.

St Paul's Developments plc and The Homes and Communities Agency (now Homes England) completed a development agreement in 2014 to bring the second phase of the former Dinnington Colliery site forward for development after the success of Phase 1 which was developed and sold off in the mid to late 2000's by the then regional development agency, Yorkshire Forward.

In the last 12 months, all 35 acres of development land have been sold in a series of land sales as a result of high demand for strategically located development land in the South Yorkshire region.

19 acres of land was sold in two separate transactions in May and November of 2018 to E V Waddington to speculatively build create small to medium industrial units. In July 2018, a further nine acres was sold to United Caps for construction of a purpose built multi-million pound manufacturing facility for which planning consent has been granted, initially for a 54,000 sq ft unit with an option to expand to some 215,000 sq ft over further phases.

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The most recent land sale was to Trebor Developments who took the remaining 5.5 acres for a 78,450 sq ft speculative warehouse development, completing the scheme.

Joint agents were CBRE and CPP.

When fully developed the 31 East site will accommodate a mix of over 450,000 sq ft of manufacturing, industrial and warehouse space. The vast majority will be constructed speculatively and represents a huge private sector investment in the area.

David Newton, managing director of St Paul's Developments, said: "To have concluded the regeneration of this significant former colliery site is a fantastic achievement and demonstrates the demand for immediately available industrial development land in South Yorkshire.

"As part of our development agreement we could have developed out the land or sold it in parcels and due to the levels of demand we received, the land sales were the natural route. Having played a role in the long-term regeneration of many key sites in South Yorkshire, we are delighted to have facilitated more employment space and job creation within the region."

Mike Baugh, senior director of industrial agency at CBRE, added: "The 31 East scheme has been a huge success and the sale of all 35 acres of land within a 12 month period is testament to the site's key positioning and infrastructure as well as the benefits of its EZ status. Good quality accessible land is currently in short supply within South Yorkshire, so we are seeing an increase in demand for sites of this nature by occupiers seeking to develop out their own facilities."

The sinking of Dinnington Colliery began in 1902 and coal started to be raised in 1905. By 1911 the colliery was providing employment for 2,000 people. It closed in 1992 resulting in 1,000 job losses. The HCA estimated that a regenerated site could create 2,400 new jobs.

St Paul's website

Images: CBRE

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News: Dinnington deal done as momentum builds

The regeneration of the former Dinnington colliery is ramping up again with Trebor Developments, working in conjunction with its strategic partner Hillwood, acquiring a speculative development site at the Rotherham site.

The partnership has purchased a five acre site for an undisclosed sum at the prominent 31 East site located less than 2.5 miles from Junction 31, of the M1, near Rotherham.

A single, speculative, 83,000 sq ft industrial unit will be developed and will be available in first half of 2019 and promoted as "Atomic" 31 East.

Bob Tattrie, managing partner of Trebor Developments said: "We are delighted to secure this further site and will bring the speculative development forward on our fast track basis. A planning application has been submitted. The unit will be available to lease or purchase and can meet local or regional occupier needs in a size range not readily available in the location."

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The acquisition represents the second between the partners following the announcement in March at MIPIM that Trebor had entered into a long term strategic partnership with Hillwood to undertake industrial and logistics developments across the UK.

Trebor Developments LLP was formed in 2008 by Bob Tattrie, formerly managing director of Alfred McAlpine Developments. It has been one of the most active speculative developers of industrial and logistics real estate across the United Kingdom, carrying out a range of schemes with a focus on those that range between 30,000 and 300,000 square feet.

Hillwood is a leading American based commercial real estate investor and developer with offices in the United States, Germany, and Poland. Active in Europe since 2013, the Perot company anticipates investing £400m in industrial and logistics across the United Kingdom over the next two years.

Trebor/Hillwood are advised by agents at CBRE (Leeds), CPP (Sheffield) and Knight Frank (Sheffield).

Rothbiz reported earlier this month that a planning application had been submitted for a commercial development on part of the 31 East site.

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The 44 acre site on Todwick Road, adjacent to the existing 45 acre Dinnington Business Park, already has outline planning consent. Local specialist developer, St Paul's Developments agreed in 2015 with the Homes and Communities Agency (now called Homes England) to create a 750,000 sq ft logistics hub and the site was granted Enterprise Zone status.

The latest plans are from another local specialist developer, E V Waddington Ltd, and include creating a speculative development on around 12 acres of land off Todwick Road.

Rothbiz has also reported on the £18m investment from United Caps who are progressing plans for an initial facility at 31 East that will be 54,000 sq ft, with an option to expand to 215,000 sq ft as business growth demands.

Trebor Developments website
Hillwood website

Images: Trebor Developments

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News: Regeneration at Dinnington colliery continues

The next stage in the regeneration of the former Dinnington Colliery in Rotherham is coming forward as speculative development which could create hundreds of jobs.

31 East was revealed by Rothbiz in 2014 and now a planning application has been submitted for a commercial development on part of the site.

The 44 acre site on Todwick Road, adjacent to the existing 45 acre Dinnington Business Park, already has outline planning consent for industrial usage with plans determining that the site can accommodate a total 750,000 sq ft of logistics/warehousing space with the capacity to develop a single stand-alone building of 450,000 sq ft.

In 2015, local specialist developer, St Paul's Developments agreed with the Homes and Communities Agency (now called Homes England) to create a 750,000 sq ft logistics hub.

The site was granted Enterprise Zone status and has made it onto a longlist of 65 "Logistic Hub" locations – off-site centres for construction and manufacturing which will help Heathrow Airport deliver its expansion plan.

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Another local specialist developer, E V Waddington Ltd, has now submitted proposals for creating a speculative development on around 12 acres of land off Todwick Road.

The plans, drawn up by Eastwood & partners, state that: "The proposed use for the buildings is warehouse/light industrial. Seven buildings will be constructed to allow future sub-division internally into up to 27 terraced units. As the development is speculative, with tenants to be sought, the actual number and size of units is not known."

On the Western plot, three buildings are proposed occupying 76,000 sq ft. On the Eastern plot, four buildings are proposed occupying 122,000 sq ft. The amount of floor area is estimated to be around 191,000 sq ft.

Served by an unnamed adopted road, car parking with 342 spaces is to be provided within the service yards and within separate dedicated parking areas. Landscaping is also proposed.

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Based around the reclaimed Dinnington colliery, the area in the south of the borough is a proven business location, home to the likes of Macalloy, Johnston Press and Quartzelec. Rothbiz reported last month that United Caps, an international manufacturer of caps and closures, has announced that it will invest some €20m in a new production facility in Dinnington.

Rotherham-based Waddington provides the region with industrial, commercial and office accommodation to let. It operates its own construction company and other local developments include Aldwarke Wharf and Vantage Park. The company's first development in the 1950's was for KP Nuts, a canal side development for taking delivery of peanuts at Eastwood.

EV Waddington website

Images: St Paul's

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News: £1.5m deal for Rotherham office complex

CRT Property Investments Ltd, the wholly owned subsidiary of the Coalfields Regeneration Trust (CRT), has announced the £1.5m purchase of Phoenix Riverside in Rotherham.

Based in Barnsley, CRT is an independent regeneration organisation that was established in 1999 to improve the quality of life in Britain's coalfield communities. Responding to the challenge from Government to become self-financing, the trust launched property companies to provide a return that will continue to allow it to create programmes that meet with the diverse and complex needs of the communities throughout the UK.

The latest deal was supported by Blue Marble Asset Management, and comprises the freehold investment at the Templeborough development.

Regeneration specialist St Paul's Developments identified the six acre site as prime for commercial development some years ago due to its prominent frontage on to Sheffield Road and proximity to both Rotherham town centre and Junction 34 of the M1.

The local developer created 26,000 sq ft of office space and this deal is for 18,856 sq ft of space - two detached office buildings, one of which is split into two semi detached units, and an additional development site of approximately 0.6 acres.

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Tenants include General Dynamics Information Technology Limited, providing technologies, products and services in support of various programmes for a range of military, civilian, government and commercial customers; In-Tend Limited, a University of Sheffield subsidiary specialising in e-procurement and The Royal Mencap Society, the UK's leading learning disability charity.

Shaun O'Brien, property investment and development director for CRT Property Investments Ltd, said: "This purchase will further strengthen our growing portfolio of commercial developments as we make it clear that we can bring infrastructure, opportunity and stability to coalfield communities.

"With the addition of the 0.6 acre development plot this investment was very attractive and we can also consider how we are going to develop the land to create further benefits to the Rotherham region.

"We would like to thank Blue Marble for their continued support as we look for further commercial investments up and down the country that provide us with viable investment propositions that allow us to continue our work in former mining regions."

Tim Matthews, chief executive at Blue Marble, added: "This is an excellent income producing investment with the possibility of further development which we sourced in an off-market deal. We will manage the acquisition actively to optimise our client's investment."

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While Blue Marble acted on behalf of CRT Property Investment Ltd for the purchase of the site, the vendor, St Pauls Developments, was supported by Knight Frank based in Sheffield.

The Coalfields Regeneration Trust has shared plans for a £40m Coalfield Investment Proposition which would see government provide £30m and the organisation contribute £10m of its own resources. The fund would be used to develop new industrial space to support SME growth in former mining areas and on completion bring an estimated 1,000 jobs to the coalfields over the next five years.

CRT website
Blue Marble website
St Paul's website

Images: St Paul's

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News: Heathrow delegation lands in SCR

A delegation from Heathrow Airport is visiting the Sheffield City Region (SCR) as part of a nationwide tour of potential construction centres to support the airport's expansion.

Rothbiz reported in 2017 that two former colliery sites in Rotherham have made it onto a longlist of 65 "Logistic Hub" locations – off-site centres for construction and manufacturing which will help Heathrow Airport deliver its expansion plan.

Eight sites in the SCR have made the longlist of 65 including 31 East, the remaining land on the reclaimed Dinnington colliery, and the site of the former Maltby Colliery that was mothballed in 2013.

During each visit, the prospective Logistics Hub will have the opportunity to demonstrate the strengths of their proposal. The delegation will visit all longlisted locations in the first half of 2018, assessing their suitability before putting successful bids through to the next round.

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Dan Jarvis, mayor of the Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield Combined Authority, said: "It's great news that we as a city region have more shortlisted sites than any other region in the UK. This is testament to our super-connected location and our excellence in advanced engineering, manufacturing and logistics.

"During these visits, we will be demonstrating all the reasons why we think our sites would be an ideal location for one of Heathrow's Logistics Hubs. Not only do we already have the infrastructure in place, but our city region is home to a skilled workforce with a strong heritage of manufacturing and industry. Key to this is the AMRC training centre, widely regarded as a centre of excellence in producing apprentices ready to enter careers in engineering and manufacturing.

"This is a great opportunity for us as a city region to be part of one the UK's most significant infrastructure projects. We welcome the potential boost in jobs and economic growth that a Logistics Hub could bring and look forward to showcasing our sites to the delegation."

The London airport, the largest in the UK and one of the biggest in the world, received Government support for expansion so that the need for additional capacity in the south-east of England will be met by a new north-west runway at Heathrow.

As part of the expansion, which has an estimated cost of £17.6bn, four logistic hubs will be located across the country as the airport pledges to shake-up the UK construction industry by using expansion to revolutionise the way Britain builds major infrastructure.

Aiming to build as much of the project off-site as possible, the hubs will work by pre-assembling components off-site before transporting them in consolidated loads to Heathrow just as they are needed.

During the visit, the Heathrow delegation will also visit the University of Sheffield's Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing, and meet with representatives from the SCR and the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).

The SCR submitted bids because we believe we are a site of national logistics and engineering excellence and have the knowledge, infrastructure and quality to deliver.

Site options put forward include locations with rail connectivity to London and other regional logistics hubs, while there are also six world-class universities and research capabilities within a one-hour drive. These include the AMRC, which is the leading engineering research and training facility in the UK.

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Rachel Clark, director of trade and investment at SCR, said: "Working in partnership with the public and private sector, SCR is already achieving transformational change and building a thriving, successful, economy.

"Our vision is focused on rebalancing the North- South divide and spreading the benefit of major UK infrastructure projects to regenerate our region. I know the quality exists here to make a success of significant investments such as this, and am hopeful that we will be selected as one of the final four locations.

"We are looking forward to working closely with Heathrow on this exciting project which could give a massive boost to our local economy on the back of our recent inward investment successes."

SCR website

Images: Hargreaves

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News: Rotherham hoping to land Heathrow supply chain boost

Two former colliery sites in Rotherham have made it onto a longlist of sixty-five "Logistic Hub" locations – off-site centres for construction and manufacturing which will help Heathrow Airport deliver its expansion plan.

The London airport, the largest in the UK and one of the biggest in the world, received Government support for expansion so that the need for additional capacity in the south-east of England will be met by a new north-west runway at Heathrow.

As part of the expansion, which has an estimated cost of £17.6bn, four logistic hubs will be located across the country as the airport pledges to shake-up the UK construction industry by using expansion to revolutionise the way Britain builds major infrastructure.

Eight sites in the Sheffield city region have made the longlist of 65 including 31 East, the remaining land on the reclaimed Dinnington colliery, and the site of the former Maltby Colliery that was mothballed in 2013.

Aiming to build as much of the project off-site as possible, the hubs will work by pre-assembling components off-site before transporting them in consolidated loads to Heathrow just as they are needed. This method is expected to boost the project's efficiency and cut emissions by transporting components to site in fewer lorries.

121 sites from across Britain applied for the chance to host a hub and "upskill their communities with a world-class construction legacy for decades to come."

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Lord Deighton, chairman of Heathrow, said: "As the UK leaves the EU, Heathrow is an essential infrastructure project that will ensure Britain remains an open trading nation.

"As part of that, Heathrow's third runway will rely on talent from all over Britain helping to create a national asset for generations to come. This means new procurement opportunities for businesses in every region, helping drive growth and investment into local communities in all corners of this country. Our aim, to harness the skills we need through long-term projects such as the Logistics Hubs and Business Summits, will drive jobs and investment leaving a legacy of increased productivity for the construction sector.

"The third runway is not a London centric project – it is one we are opening up to the whole of the UK, asking for its skills and expertise to help build an asset this country so desperately needs to safeguard its future prosperity."

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31 East (pictured, top) is being brought forward by experts at St Paul's Developments. With Enterprise Zone status, the 43 acre site on Todwick Road, adjacent to the existing 45 acre Dinnington Business Park, was outlined for a 750,000 sq ft logistics hub.

Updated restoration plans have been approved for Maltby with owners, Hargreaves having the potential for a pocket of development, which includes the pit yard, associated buildings and access, which includes access to rail heads previously used by the colliery.

Sir Nigel Knowles, chairman of the Sheffield City Region LEP, said: "The fact that we have more sites longlisted than any other LEP area in the UK is testament to the excellence we have here in logistics and our reputation for being the home of UK advanced engineering, manufacturing and construction, with an enviable network of local companies built on rich legacy of innovation.

"We are a super-connected city region, at the centre of the national rail and motorway network. Working in partnership with the public and private sector, we are achieving transformational change and building a thriving, successful, economy.

"Our vision is focused on rebalancing the North- South divide and spreading the benefit of major UK infrastructure projects to regenerate our local area. I know the quality exists here to make a success of significant investments such as this, and am hopeful that we will be selected as one of the final four locations."

Heathrow website

Images: St Paul's Developments / Hargreaves Services

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News: General Dynamics sets sights on new Rotherham premises

General Dynamics, a multinational company operating in the defence and security industry, is planning to take on new office space in Rotherham for its UK-based IT business.

General Dynamics IT provides clients in central government, local government, healthcare and the private sector with business process services, system and application development, data and information management, cyber security, human resources and enterprise IT solutions.

Part of the global aerospace and defence company based in Virginia, USA that employs approximately 95,000 people worldwide, the company is a market leader in business aviation; land and expeditionary combat systems, armaments and munitions; shipbuilding and marine systems; and information systems and technologies.

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General Dynamics UK has 11 world-class facilities across the UK and internationally with over 1,600 highly skilled members of the team.

With its UK head office at Canary Wharf in London, the IT business has been using premises at Hellaby in Rotherham for its Northern office. Now a planning application has been submitted that would see the leading name take space at the Phoenix Riverside development across the borough at Templeborough.

Regeneration specialist St Paul's Developments identified the six acre site as prime for commercial development some years ago due to its prominent frontage on to Sheffield Road and proximity to both Rotherham town centre and Junction 34 of the M1. The local developer created 26,000 sq ft of offices which are now let to In-Tend Ltd, the Royal Mencap Society and Niche Care Ltd.

St Paul's themselves have been using the 8,500 sq ft two-storey Unit 2 where new plans for general Dynamics show prominent external signage and indicative layouts for a call centre operation with space for over 50 staff.

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Niche Care Ltd took space at the completed development, which also includes a Hungry Horse pub, earlier this year. The provider of care to those that choose to live in their own homes took over Unit 1 from BT.

With offices on the ground floor, planning permission was approved for a change of use of the first floor to be converted into a day hub for the elderly and disabled. The new premises enables the company to increase FTE staff numbers from 50 to 78.

General Dynamics IT wesbite
St Paul's Development's website

Images: St Paul's

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News: St Paul's powers ahead with Wakefield regen scheme

Rotherham-based regeneration specialist St Paul's Developments is powering ahead with a scheme to transform a 110-acre former chemical works site in Knottingley, Wakefield.

Over the last decade St Paul's has transformed in excess of 300 acres of brownfield land into flagship, job-creating schemes - most notably at Brookfield's Park in Manvers. It is based on its own development at Templeborough.

The former Oxiris chemical works site has been fully decommissioned by St. Pauls and Rotherham-based QDS Remediation has been appointed to undertake a multi-million pound programme of works which will prepare the site for the power station, to be built by Knottingley Power Ltd.

With offices at Manvers, QDS works on contaminated land remediation projects throughout UK. The earthworks and environmental contract has started on site at Knottingley and will conclude by the end of the year.

The site has been designated as a Special Policy Site by Wakefield Council which enabled St Paul's Developments to masterplan the site. In addition to the plans to develop a modern and efficient 1,500 Megawatt Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) power station, long-term plans for the extensive site include proposals to develop over 300 new homes as a natural urban extension to Knottingley. Separating the energy and residential schemes will be newly created wetland areas and new employment space targeted at occupiers that may benefit from heat re-use from the power station.

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David Newton, managing director of St Paul's Developments, said: "After many years of complex proposals, planning applications and working with stakeholders, The Environment Agency and Wakefield Council, we are delighted to be fully committed on site undertaking the reclamation and remediation works for this major regeneration project.

"The Special Policy designation on the site allows us to create a sustainable development to make a significant contribution to the long-term regeneration of the Leeds City Region. The support of the public bodies and the Growing Places Fund has been pivotal in getting us to the start on site stage for the power station, which represents a major investment into the region.

"We appointed Hydrock Group subsidiary QDS Remediation due to their extensive experience in delivering complex and environmentally challenging remediation projects, and look forward to seeing the works progress."

Recommended Reading: Why Comfort Is One of the Most Important Features of Modern Homes

In 2014, St Paul's was awarded £2.45m of funding from the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to undertake major remediation and infrastructure works.

Cllr Peter Box, leader of Wakefield Council, said: "It is positive news for the local community, district and wider region that St Paul's Developments is moving this project forward.

"This is a good example of how Wakefield Council and the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership are working together to attract and support private sector investment, which will deliver major regeneration, economic growth and new jobs."

St Paul's Developments website

Images: Knottingley Power Ltd

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News: No new provider at Rotherham walk in centre

1,700 patients will have to find another GP after no new provider has been found to replace Care UK when it ends its provision early at the £9.9m Rotherham Community Health Centre.

The centre on Greasborough Road in the town centre was developed by St Paul's Developments and built by Morgan Sindall. It opened in 2009 and provides GP and walk-in services and also provides modern and accessible facilities for most of the primary care services that were based at Doncaster Gate Hospital.

A £12.2m Urgent Care Centre is under construction at Rotherham Hospital which involves the closure of the Town Centre Walk in Centre and transfer of the GP out of hours service to the hospital site.

Care UK's announced last year that its service is due to end on September 30 2015. A private company owned by private equity group, Bridgeport Capital, Care UK is a leading provider of health and social care services, working with local authorities and the NHS. It provides a range of NHS GP services including clinics, walk in centres and out of hours support.

It was previously thought that a town centre GP surgery would remain on the site. The initial proposal was to provide a purpose-built Urgent Care Centre at the A&E department at Rotherham Hospital and move all but the GP Registered services from the Chantry Bridge site to the new site in 2015. However, delays to this project now means that this move won't take place until the Spring of 2017.

Now, when the move takes place, all of the other NHS and community services are expected to remain on site, including family planning/sexual health services and clinics. Some other non‐acute provision could be relocated to the town centre.

The current contract with Care UK for the Walk in Centre and GP Out of Hours provision was due to expire in May 2016 and tenders were being invited for the provision of a new Alternative Provider Medical Services (APMS) contract for the delivery of GP services at the Community Health Centre, set to start in November. No providers have been appointed.

The Rotherham Clinical Commissioning Group has now written to registered patients, telling them that they will need to register with a new practice.

Chris Edwards, chief officer at the Rotherham Clinical Commissioning Group, said: "Rotherham CCG has been working with NHS England for several months to find a new service provider. Unfortunately this has not been successful an therefore there is no provider for the Chantry Bridge practice after 31st October 2015."

An options appraisal carried out by NHS England on the end of the contract, stated: "Care UK has provided this service since 2009 and the expected growth to 6,000 registered patients has not materialised leading us to assume that patients are happy with their existing registered practices. The Practice currently has a list size of 1,778, compared with a Rotherham average of 7,182, making it the 4th smallest out of 36.

"The fact there is only a list of approximately 1,780 patients may not prove financially viable for potential new contractors."

The Rotherham Community Health Centre was acquired in a £14.1m deal in 2012 by a wholly owned subsidiary of Primary Health Properties, an AIM-listed company that specialises in the ownership of freehold or long leasehold interests in modern purpose-built healthcare facilities.

The 4,636 sq m property is wholly let to Rotherham Primary Care Trust (now called the The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust) and had 16 years remaining on the lease when the deal was secured.

Chantry Bridge website

Images: Primary Health Properties

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News: Phoenix Riverside completes

The opening of the new Hungry Horse pub has signalled the completion of St Paul's Developments' Phoenix Riverside business park in Templeborough, Rotherham.

Regeneration specialist St Paul's Developments identified the six acre site as prime for commercial development some years ago due to its prominent frontage on to Sheffield Road and proximity to both Rotherham town centre and Junction 34 of the M1. The local developer created 26,000 sq ft of offices which are now let to Rotherham Council, the Royal Mencap Society, In-Tend Ltd and St Paul's themselves.

Called "The Riverside," the recently opened pub is operated by Greene King, the country's leading pub retailer and brewer, and has created in the region of 60 jobs.

Having purchased a 1.5 acre plot adjacent to the office development, a 9,000 sq ft single unit for use as a 200-cover family restaurant / public house was constructed in a matter of months. The Hungry Horse brand was established in 1995 and now has 240 sites nationally where the focus is on providing a family friendly restaurant and public house where the majority of customers will dine rather than visit solely for a drink.

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David Newton, managing director of St Paul's Developments, said: "Phoenix Riverside has been an interesting scheme given that the office units were speculatively developed with the support of Objective One funding prior to the downturn. We always firmly believed that this strategic site could play an important part in the overall regeneration of the Rotherham area and our initial vision has now been realised.

"There has been a significant amount of investment into the Sheffield Road area in recent years and as a result, this major arterial route has become home to some major new occupiers bringing with them positive contributions to the local economy and new jobs for the people of Rotherham. Developers have had to show a lot of grit and tenacity to bring schemes to fruition and we are incredibly proud to have signalled the completion of Phoenix Riverside as a job creating mixed-use development."

Over the last decade the developer has transformed in excess of 300 acres of brownfield land into flagship, job-creating schemes. One development alone, Brookfields Park, secured some 1,800 jobs for South Yorkshire. Working often in partnership with local authorities and land owners, St Paul's Developments utilises its unrivalled regeneration development expertise to bring redundant sites to life.

The next scheme for St Paul's is the latest phase of development at the site of the former Dinnington Colliery. 31 East has seen the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and St Paul's Developments complete an agreement to create a 750,000 sq ft logistics hub that could lead to hundreds of jobs.

St Paul's Developments website

Images: Hungry Horse / St Paul's

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News: Pub plans provide boost

Leading brownfield developer, St Paul's Developments has welcomed the news that work has started on a new Hungry Horse pub restaurant at its Phoenix Riverside scheme at Templeborough in Rotherham.

Rothbiz reported first that Greene King, the country's leading pub retailer and brewer, was planning a new pub restaurant on the site where plans for a hotel and restaurant have previously been refused.

The Rotherham application gained planning permission last month for the erection of a 9,000 sq ft single unit for use as a 200-cover family restaurant / public house. The plans, drawn up by Walsingham Planning and JDA Architects, also include car parking and landscaping works and a children's play area. In addition, a manager's flat and assistant manager's flat is proposed on the first floor of the development.

Plans state that the proposed restaurant / public house will create 60 new jobs (20 full-time and 40 part-time positions). Greene King has a strong partnership with Jobcentre Plus and in association with them, looks to recruit staff to the premises from the local area around the site with a particular focus on the long term unemployed.

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Greene King has purchased 1.5 acres of land with prime frontage on to Sheffield Road from St Paul's Developments at its six acre, 26,000 sq ft Phoenix Riverside business park which is close to Rotherham town centre and Junction 34 of the M1. Existing occupiers at Phoenix Riverside include St Paul's themselves plus the Royal Mencap Society, Rotherham Council and In-Tend Ltd, leaving just Unit 2 available with office suites from 4,250 sq ft to 8,500 sq ft.

In 2013, Rotherham Council's planning board agreed that Whitbread's plans for a 80-bed Premier Inn hotel and restaurant at the same Templeborough site should be refused, with planners considering a number of sites, including a site currently used for car parking at New York Stadium, are preferable sites for a hotel in planning terms.

Recruitment is underway and work has now started on site, with the opening of the new Hungry Horse pub set for summer 2015. The brand was established in 1995 and now has 220 sites nationally where the focus is on providing a family friendly restaurant and public house where the majority of customers will dine rather than visit solely for a drink.

David Newton, managing director of St Paul's Developments, said; "We are delighted to welcome the Hungry Horse pub to our headquarter site at Phoenix Riverside. The creation of 60 new jobs by a leading national chain will provide a welcome boost to the local Rotherham economy and provide a really valuable amenity for businesses and residents in the area."

Marc McGuigan, business unit director for Hungry Horse, added: "It is always exciting when we build a new pub, and we are particularly looking forward to being an integral part of this new development, an ideal location for our family-friendly pub. Hungry Horse pubs are known for serving a wide choice of food and drink at outstanding prices, in modern and comfortable surroundings.

"It is good news all round for Rotherham with the creation of 60 full and part time local jobs at the pub."

Greene King website
St Paul's Developments website

Images: Greene King

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News: Templeborough pub plans passed

Plans have been approved for a Hungry Horse pub restaurant at Templeborough in Rotherham which is set to serve up 60 new jobs on a site where plans for a hotel and restaurant have previously been refused.

Operators Greene King established the Hungry Horse brand in 1995 and now has 220 sites nationally where the focus is on providing a family friendly restaurant and public house where the majority of customers will dine rather than visit solely for a drink.

The Rotherham application, approved by the council's planning board last month, is for the erection of a 9,000 sq ft single unit for use as a 200-cover family restaurant / public house. The plans, drawn up by Walsingham Planning and JDA Architects, also include car parking and landscaping works and a children's play area. In addition, a manager's flat and assistant manager's flat is proposed on the first floor of the development.

Plans state that the proposed restaurant / public house will create 60 new jobs (20 full-time and 40 part-time positions). Greene King has a strong partnership with Jobcentre Plus and in association with them, looks to recruit staff to the premises from the local area around the site with a particular focus on the long term unemployed.

The Phoenix Riverside site is owned by successful brownfield developer, St Paul's Developments and in 2013 Rotherham Council's planning board agreed that Whitbread's plans for a 80-bed Premier Inn hotel and restaurant at the same Templeborough site should be refused, with planners considering a number of sites, including a site currently used for car parking at New York Stadium, are preferable sites for a hotel in planning terms.

The planning officer's report for this pub with no hotel concluded that the plans should be approved as: there would be no adverse effect on the character of the area which is commercial in nature; 60 jobs would be created; there are no alternative sites available for the proposed development; there will be no significant impact on the vitality and viability of the town centre or any planned or committed investment within the Borough; and that it would not generate any adverse transportation impacts.

The loss of employment land is also considered acceptable as the applicants demonstrated that there is an over supply of offices in the borough.

No name has been announced yet but plans for signage at the proposed development have recently been submitted.

Greene King website

Images: Greene King

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News: 31 East granted EZ status

31 East, the next phase of employment land at the site of the former colliery at Dinnington, Rotherham, has secured Enterprise Zone status after the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and St Paul's Developments completed an agreement to create a 750,000 sq ft logistics hub that could lead to hundreds of jobs.

Rothbiz reported on the planned development in September and the 44 acre site on Todwick Road, adjacent to the existing 45 acre Dinnington Business Park, already has outline planning consent for industrial usage with plans determining that the site can accommodate a total 750,000 sq ft of logistics/warehousing space with the capacity to develop a single stand-alone building of 450,000 sq ft.

St Pauls Developments is a leading brownfield regeneration specialist and was formed in 1987 as the vehicle to acquire and reclaim the 72 hectare disused Cortonwood Colliery site in the Dearne Valley. It is now based in offices at one of its own developments in Templeborough.

The HCA, advised by CBRE, has appointed St Paul's Developments as development partner to deliver the major industrial and warehousing scheme, known as 31 East, which will be a welcome addition to the South Yorkshire property market where available stock is in extremely short supply. Commercial Property Partners (CPP) advised St Paul's Developments.

David Newton, managing director of St Paul's Developments, said: "We are delighted to have been selected by the HCA as development partner for this strategic site. St Paul's has a long and successful history of developing in Rotherham and also working with the HCA. With supply of stock in severely short supply across South Yorkshire, and a limited number of available sites able to accommodate occupiers seeking units in excess of 300,000 sq ft, 31 East is coming to the market at the best possible time."

Simon Herring, sales manager at the HCA, added: "St Paul's Developments has a strong track record for the delivery of large-scale regeneration projects across the region and we are looking forward to working in partnership to bring this exciting scheme to life. The site's access, capabilities and EZ benefits make it one of South Yorkshire's most exciting industrial opportunities."

The site already has an access road and utilities and will benefit from the recently completed £14.7m improvement programme on the dual carriageway at the A57 between the development and junction 31 of the M1. EZ status means that it can offer significant tax benefits to occupiers.

Appointed agents, CBRE and Commercial Property Partners (CPP) are now actively marketing the site.

Dave Cato, associate director at CBRE, said; "The well-documented shortage of supply within South Yorkshire is contrasted by increasingly strong demand as the market gains momentum and activity levels gather pace, particularly among industries such as manufacturing. We anticipate very strong demand for this site and are looking forward to opening discussions with potential occupiers."

St Paul's Developments website

Images: St Paul's Developments

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News: New Templeborough pub plan

Greene King, the country's leading pub retailer and brewer, is planning a new Hungry Horse pub restaurant at Templeborough in Rotherham which would serve up 60 new jobs on a site where plans for a hotel and restaurant have previously been refused.


The Bury St. Edmunds group operates a range of pubs, restaurants and hotels, including the Hungry Horse and Old English Inns brands. Its brewing company produces Abbot Ale and Greene King IPA.

The Hungry Horse brand was established in 1995 and has 220 sites nationally with a focus on providing a family friendly restaurant and public house where the majority of customers will dine rather than visit solely for a drink.

Greene King posted record sales and profits in the year to May 2014. Revenue was up 8.9% to £1.3 billion and operating profit before exceptional items was up 7.0% to £265.6m. Today it reported interim revenues up 3.3% to £614.9m for the 24 weeks to October 19 2014. The group operates 1,904 pubs, restaurants and hotels across England, Wales and Scotland, of which 1,040 are retail pubs, restaurants and hotels, and 864 are tenanted, leased and franchised pubs. It has a healthy pipeline of new sites and expects 1,070 retail sites by July 2015 as part of a five year plan to reach 1,100.

The Rotherham application seeks planning permission for the erection of a 9,000 sq ft single unit for use as a 200-cover family restaurant / public house. The plans, drawn up by Walsingham Planning and JDA Architects, also include car parking and landscaping works and a children's play area. In addition, a manager's flat and assistant manager's flat is proposed on the first floor of the development.

Plans state that the proposed restaurant / public house will create 60 new jobs (20 full-time and 40 part-time positions). Greene King has a strong partnership with Jobcentre Plus and in association with them, looks to recruit staff to the premises from the local area around the site with a particular focus on the long term unemployed.

Agents Knight Frank believe that, given the current office market, office development is "not viable nor will it be for the foreseeable future on the site" and so other development possibilities have come forward. Templeborough is a regenerated business location at the site of the former steelworks which fits Greene King's business model. Rotherham's Ring O Bells became a Hungry Horse in 2012 and a new venue is due to open at Broadfields Business Park in Sheffield next month.

The Phoenix Riverside site is owned by successful brownfield developer, St Paul's Developments and in 2013 Rotherham Council's planning board agreed that Whitbread's plans for a 80-bed Premier Inn hotel and restaurant at the same Templeborough site should be refused, with planners considering a number of sites, including a site currently used for car parking at New York Stadium, are preferable sites for a hotel in planning terms.

Sequential tests ensure that development is located in the most sustainable location first (usually in town centres), before other, less sustainable locations are chosen. In this case the applicants state that there are no sequentially preferable sites for a Hungry Horse pub restaurant and discount sites such as the Guest & Chrimes building, the former Liquid nightclub, Drummond Street car park and the former abattoir site in the town centre.

The applicants also state that the development would "not have an unacceptable adverse impact on existing, committed and planning investment in restaurants and public houses in the catchment of the development nor will it have an adverse impact on the vitality and viability of Rotherham town centre."

Across town, a licence application has been submitted by Mitchells and Butlers for its planned Toby Carvery on the vacant one hectare site in Eastwood that was previously home to a D.C. Cook car dealership but has been empty since 2008 following demolition.

Greene King website

Images: Hungry Horse / Facebook

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News: Rotherham's Brookfields Park full

Rotherham development company, St Paul's Developments, has sold the last remaining unit at Brookfields Park to the British Red Cross, signalling the completion of the important Manvers regeneration scheme.

St Paul's and funding partner Tritax Assets Ltd purchased the 85 acre former colliery and coking plant site from Rotherham Council in 2005 and since then, brownfield regeneration specialist St Paul's Developments has completed around 1.7 m sq ft of industrial and warehouse space, bringing over 1,800 jobs to Rotherham.

Nearby Cortonwood colliery is where the 1984 miners strike began and was also the first colliery to be closed after the miners strike ended. In the Dearne Valley, historic job losses in the coal industry added to substantial pre-existing unemployment problems. It is estimated that 10,000 jobs were lost in the area alone. With regeneration schemes such as land reclamation and the Enterprise Zone, private sector job growth to 2008 offset the job losses and helped the Rotherham economy become more resilient. The old Wath ward alone experienced an increase of 10,000 jobs since 1998.

As part of the regeneration, a retail park was developed with over 500,000 sq ft of retail space including occupiers like Morrisons Supermarket, Asda Living, Next, B&Q and Boots. A residential quarter was also created with around 600 houses built around a landscaped lakeside setting. Work is due to start in 2015 to create fully serviced platforms for a final phase of 153 houses, and 80 apartments.

Brookfields Park has been responsible for attracting major inward investment through some of the region's largest industrial lettings and is home to Next Group plc's two warehouse units which total 1.1m sq ft, Maplin's 196,000 sq ft HQ and warehouse, Garnett Dickinson's 125,000 sq ft printing facility, a 105,000 sq ft state of the art warehouse pre-let to Pegler Yorkshire Group and Thetford's 83,000 sq ft manufacturing facility. Other occupiers nearby include Capita, Glassolutions and the S2S Group.

In 2013, Next also purchased the final five acre plot for future expansion. Properties on Brookfield's Park have also been considered good investments with recent deals including a new UK commercial property joint venture formed by Oxenwood Real Estate and Catalina Holdings purchasing Maplin's HQ for £15m, Aviva acquiring one Capita call centre for £30.5m and Tritax sealing a deal worth £87m with Legal & General Property for the two Next units.

The British Red Cross has taken a 5,000 sq ft unit in the Brookfield's Light development with Commercial Property Partners, Knight Frank and Chris Rowlands and Co acting for St Paul's Developments whilst the British Red Cross was unrepresented.

David Newton, managing director of St Paul's Developments, said; "We are incredibly proud of all we have achieved at Brookfields Park. Our ambitious vision of transforming the extensive former colliery site has been realised over the years and the park is now home to a strong mix of recognisable big brand names and also many home-grown local businesses.

"To have delivered so many jobs to the region is an excellent result and we are delighted to welcome the British Red Cross to conclude this ground breaking scheme."

Rotherham Council is planning to sell off development plots at Century Business Park nearby and a recent scrutiny review by borough councillors into how the council can support the local economy identified that land supply is a key issue, challenging a task force to identify "the next Dearne Valley."

St Paul's Developments website

Images: St Paul's Developments

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News: 31 East - the next phase of Dinnington's regeneration

Leading brownfield regeneration specialists, St Pauls Developments, is bringing forward the next phase of employment land at the site of the former colliery at Dinnington, Rotherham, which is being transformed into a thriving business location.

The company was formed in 1987 as the vehicle to acquire and reclaim the 72 hectare disused Cortonwood Colliery site in the Dearne Valley and is now based in offices at one of its own developments in Templeborough.

The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), the national housing and regeneration agency for England, which owned the Dinnington site, put the remaining land up for sale with CBRE in 2012 for commercial use under their property and regeneration programme.

St Pauls has now released the first details of a 17 hectare site, previously known as Phase 2 development land and located off Todwick Road. It has been given the name "31 East" given its location close to junction 31 of the M1.

Outline planning consent was granted in 2005 for B1 (excluding offices), B2 and B8 industrial uses and St Paul's believes that the site can accommodate a total 750,000 sq ft of logistics/warehousing space, with the capacity to develop a single stand-alone building of 450,000 sq ft.

The site already has an access road and utilities and will benefit from the recently completed £14.7m improvement programme on the dual carriageway at the A57 between the development and the motorway.

Earlier this year, sites in Dinnington were added to the expanded Sheffield City Region Enterprise Zone (EZ) that offers significant tax benefits to occupiers.

The sinking of Dinnington Colliery began in 1902 and coal started to be raised in 1905. By 1911 the colliery was providing employment for 2,000 people. It closed in 1992 resulting in 1,000 job losses.

Work began in 2000 on a £14m reclamation project from regional development agency, Yorkshire Forward with funds from the HCA's National Coalfields Programme. The 85 hectare site was eventually developed to provide areas for industrial, business and mixed use and large areas of Urban Green Space. The site reclamation won prestigious national environment awards for the way bioremediation was used to clean 30,000 cubic metres of contaminated soil.

The Dinnington Business Park is home to Johnston Press, who invested £60m in a state of the art printing facility, alongside Macalloy, Assured Fire and Security and innovative security company, Connexion2.

Local speculative developer EV Waddington also acquired a smaller parcel of land at Dinnington from the HCA and is bringing forward industrial units.

The HCA estimated in 2012 that 620 jobs had been created so far and expected 2,408 jobs to be created as the scheme progresses.

St Pauls Developments website

Images: St Pauls

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News: St Paul's in pole position

Rotherham-based regeneration specialist, St Paul's, is looking to attract large occupiers seeking design and build opportunities to the region and is in pole position to meet demand.

Specialising in developing brownfield sites, the company was formed in 1987 as the vehicle to acquire and reclaim the 180 acre disused Cortonwood Colliery site in the Dearne Valley and is now based in offices at one of its own developments in Templeborough.

One of its current projects is Smithy Wood, Chapeltown, where 20 acres of the extensive 50 acre site has already been transformed by St Paul's in a joint venture partnership with The Norfolk Estate. With over 165,000 sq ft of developed space in Phases 1 & 2, the third 29 acre phase is able to accommodate 500,000 sq ft of bespoke opportunities.

Knight Frank's recent H1 2014 logistics report cited that occupier demand was upbeat in the first half of the year resulting in take-up being double that of the same period last year. This, combined with an increasing number of enquiries from manufacturers as the economy improves indicates that demand is greatly outstripping supply in the South Yorkshire area.

David Newton, managing director of St Paul's Developments, said: "The recent half-year logistics reports have confirmed that the logistics market is changing for occupiers and that the days of big incentives on built stock are a thing of the past. The drastic shortage of stock in South Yorkshire paves the way for a concerted return to design and build and we are confident that the 29 acres of "oven ready" land we have with EZ status at Smithy Wood, is in prime position to accommodate the large occupiers."

Close to Junction 35 of the M1, Smithy Wood has helped expanding Rotherham companies like EMSc Ltd and Cutting & Wear move into larger premises.

Newton added: "Occupiers are now considering bespoke design and build opportunities and will be trading a pick of existing buildings for the advantages of purpose built accommodation. Quality along with deliverability become key priorities. We have witnessed an upsurge in interest from occupiers who are considering this route, have seen the success of the earlier phases at Smithy Wood and know that this high quality can be replicated on the next phase which can accommodate a broad spectrum of operations from data centres to offices or large warehousing/industrial units."

Rebecca Schofield, partner at the Sheffield office of Knight Frank - joint agent on Smithy Wood with Fowler Sandford. Rebecca said: "The market is certainly moving into a landlord's favour as a result of strengthening demand and falling supply. We are now seeing occupiers starting to seriously consider build to suit options and Smithy Wood, as strategically one of the best developments in the region, is well placed to capitalise on this. St Paul's Developments' track record in delivery for large occupiers and the added benefit of EZ status definitely makes the scheme one to watch."

The report also highlighted the resurgance of speculative development and picked out the Re-evolution development on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham where the two 22,000 and 30,000 sq ft units "are likely to be taken-up rapidly as occupier interest in this scheme remains strong."

St Paul's Developments website

Images: St Paul's Developments

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News: TK Maxx planning new Rotherham store

TK Maxx, the fashion, brand and value specialist retailer, is planning to open another store in Rotherham - at the Cortonwood Retail Park.

The off-price retailer specialises in apparel and home fashions, buying opportunistically from thousands of vendors, meaning that it can sell brand name merchandise at up to 60% less than prices at traditional department or high street retailers.

A planning application has been submitted for new signage at Unit 2 of the popular Dearne Valley retail park. Part of St Paul's Developments' fourth expansion phase in 2012, the 10,000 sq ft store was previously occupied by bed retailer, Dreams, before the branch closed as it was not part of the deal to buy the chain out of administration.

On average, a TK Maxx store has about 50,000 items and typically 10,000 new items arrive every week. With a modern and stylish, but no frills store environment, further savings can be passed on to customers.

Part of the American, $27.4 billion group, The TJX Companies, Inc, TK Maxx launched in 1994 introducing off-price retailing to the UK and Ireland. Today, with additional operations in Germany and Poland, it operates around 375 stores. It currently has a Rotherham store at Parkgate Shopping.

Adjacent to the current retail park on the former colliery site, details are being finalised for another £30m development. The Cortonwood Shopping Park is set to see a current distribution warehouse demolished to make way for eight new out-of-town retail stores, totalling around 85,000 sq ft.

TK Maxx website

Images: TK Maxx

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News: Mencap makes Rotherham move

The Royal Mencap Society, the UK's leading learning disabilities charity, is merging two South Yorkshire offices into a new facility at the Phoenix Riverside development in Rotherham.

For over 60 years, Mencap has been developing personal and unique services for people with a learning disability, their families and carers. All with the aim of supporting people to live life as they choose.

Until now, the charity's South Yorkshire staff have been working from two separate bases in Rotherham and Sheffield. These have now been consolidated into the new building at Phoenix Riverside so that all 22 staff are in one building.

Developed speculatively by local firm, St Paul's Developments, Phoenix Riverside at Templeborough is a six acre office, 26,000 sq ft office park. Mencap has leased a 5,000 sq ft office building leaving just Unit 2 available with suites from 4,250 sq ft to 8,500 sq ft. Other occupiers include St Paul's themselves, Rotherham Council and procurement experts, In-Tend Ltd.

The Sheffield office of Knight Frank acted for St Paul's Developments and Royal Mencap Society was unrepresented.

Gary Shipley, operations director at Royal Mencap Society, said: "We took the decision to relocate our South Yorkshire staff into one office to enable us to work more efficiently in a fit-for-purpose, modern base. The new building at Phoenix Riverside is ideally located for our staff base, with plenty of parking and open plan internal office accommodation to facilitate a more fluid and sustainable way of working."

David Newton, managing director of St Paul's Developments, added: "The size and layout of our own headquarters at Phoenix Riverside was perfectly suited to Royal Mencap Society, so we decided to relocate into the neighbouring unit to facilitate their move. This is actually the second time we have moved our HQ for an occupier having sold our former base upon request which demonstrates our flexibility as a developer and landlord. We are delighted to welcome Royal Mencap Society to Phoenix Riverside and look forward to securing a tenant for the final Unit 2."

Peter Whiteley, partner at the Sheffield office of Knight Frank, added: "With only one out of the original four offices now available, Phoenix Riverside has proven to be an attractive office destination for occupiers. The remaining building offers grade A accommodation from 4,250 - 8,500 sq ft to let or for sale in this popular location, close to J34 M1 and with good access to both Rotherham and Sheffield. We are also handling interest in the adjacent two acre roadside plot which could suit a number of potential uses as it benefits from main arterial road frontage with significant traffic flow and could deliver an exciting opportunity for either commercial, leisure or amenity uses."

A planning application for a 80-bed hotel and restaurant on the adjacent site was refused by Rotherham Council in 2012 in a bid to protect Rotherham town centre.

Mencap website
St Paul's Developments website

Images: St Paul's

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