Property Portfolio
Wellingborough GSS Architecture achieves Investors development set in People Gold accreditation to create huge opportunity G Leading architects celebrate golden start to new year which is testament to the hard work from teams who continue to build on the firm’s success
A major new mixed-use industrial development which is part of a £1billion plan to transform the landscape near Wellingborough is set to attract vast interest.
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tation Island is part of the ambitious Stanton Cross scheme which will create more than 3,000 new jobs, open up over 1.5 million sq ft of commercial space and see the building of 3,750 new homes and new community facilities. The Station Island scheme will also include a new platform for the town’s railway station, making it a regionallysignificant transport hub. Bromwich Hardy, based in Coventry, are marketing the site jointly with Drake Commercial for Vistry Homes. Bromwich Hardy partner Michelle Mills said: “Station Island would be a flagship development offering parcels of land from 0.84 acres to 8.31 acres, with potential to combine plots. “Outline planning permission has already been obtained for a wide variety of commercial and residential uses at Station Island, which will undoubtedly be the premier development of its kind in the region,” Michelle said. “The location, transport links and infrastructure will all be first class – St Pancras is less than an hour away on the train - and the development will create an unrivalled business environment which will be a beacon of excellence. “The development will see the creation of a vibrant station commercial hub with the opportunity to convert the existing Round House, a former engine workshop, into a truly stunning office or leisure facility. “Station Island provides the key link between Wellingborough town centre
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and Stanton Cross and provides a range of exciting development opportunities for both retail and employment uses. “An incredible amount of work has already gone into getting these plans to this stage and the potential of the site is truly enormous. We are delighted to finally be able to offer the site to market and expect a huge interest.” The site is split into four areas – the Station District, Mill Lane Quarter, Northern Neighbourhood and Employment Village, with each having its own identity. Station District will be a diverse development with a rich mix of complementary uses concentrated around Wellingborough Station and its new facilities and parking, whilst the Mill Lane Quarter will be an inspiring mixeduse area drawing upon the rich cultural heritage of Mill Lane and distinctive character of the Round House Building. The Northern Neighbourhood will be a flourishing community of starter, family, and later living homes, with opportunities for serviced offices and co-working hubs, local commercial services and leisure facilities to be integrated within the fabric of the development. Meanwhile the Employment Village will be a thriving place to work, conveniently situated close to bus and rail links, within walking distance of Wellingborough and Stanton Cross, and benefitting from the country park on its doorstep. Outline planning permission has been granted for a range of uses. For further details see www.bromwichhardy.com
February 2021
SS first gained recognition in 1997, being one of the first architectural practices in the UK to be awarded this accolade. The practice has been re-assessed every three years to prove ongoing compliance with the standard. The detailed assessment involved individual interviews with the team, as well as members of senior management and a number of partners. GSSArchitecture achieved 100% participation from their team for the online survey assessments, which is above the national average (the national average being between 75%-77%). William Assheton, Partner at GSS, said: “The Investors in People standard helps to link people development and skills acquisition to the specific aims and objectives of a business. By assessing and improving the performance of employees, Investors in People provides a framework to help businesses manage change and enhance success. “We typically find that clients regard our Investors in People status as a very important indicator that we run our business in the most effective and efficient way, and that we really support the development and wellbeing of everyone at GSS. “We are delighted with the outstanding
Mary Lally, practice administrator and William Assheton, partner at GSSArchitecture
level of participation from our team, which shows a real willingness from everyone to help the Practice perform at its best.” As recognised Investors in People, GSS are continuing to offer educational and training opportunities to all staff. A total of nine members of staff are currently undertaking student year-out placements, studying part-time to become fully qualified or on apprenticeship schemes or work experience, working within Architecture, Architectural Technology, Quantity Surveying, Project Management,
Milestone for logistics hub with promise of 7,500 jobs After extensive work to prepare the site, the developers of a hub next to the M1 have been able to get construction work underway.
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key milestone has been reached with construction works beginning at SEGRO Logistics Park Northampton Gateway. Since summer 2020, SEGRO has been conducting enabling works, which include ecology, archaeology and ground investigations to prepare the site - which is strategically located next to junction 15 on the M1 motorway - ahead of construction. Once developed, the 450-acre site will become a multi-modal logistics hub in the UK Midlands, with five million square feet of modern, highly sustainable warehousing and logistics facilities, including a dedicated 35 acre Strategic Rail Freight Interchange that will have the capacity for up to 16 trains a day.
SEGRO is investing £190 million into infrastructures works, including new rail connections and significant improvements to the strategic road network, incorporating major upgrades to Junctions 15 and 15a on the M1, a new bridge over the West Coast Mainline, and building a bypass around Roade, and safer junctions along the A508. This work will be delivered in partnership with Highways England, Network Rail and local authorities. In addition to delivering road and rail improvements for the region, the scheme will create around 7500 direct jobs, with around 120 created during the infrastructure construction phase. Working alongside the local council and community partners, SEGRO is set to deliver an employment
Graphics Design, ICT and Business Administration. The practice has a very long history of providing opportunities, training and support in the profession, and has recently celebrated several successes, including three members of the team who, supported by GSS, have recently completed their Part III qualification, making them fully qualified Chartered Architects. To keep up to date with the latest news stories from GSSArchitecture, or to see their extensive portfolio of work, please visit www.gssarchitecture.com
skills programme that will provide training for members of the community, enabling them to become active members of the workforces created by the scheme. The scheme will include more than 80 acres of parkland and amenity grassland, with 18km of foot paths, 20km of hedgerows and the planting of 60,000 new trees. The first plots are expected to be available for buildings in late 2021, with the completion of the infrastructure works anticipated by the end of 2023. Andrew Pilsworth, SEGRO’s Managing Director, National Logistics, said:“The start of construction at SEGRO Logistics Park Northampton Gateway is an exciting and positive milestone. “Now more than ever are we witnessing the vital role logistics is playing in supporting the UK economy and it’s clear that businesses are relying on well located, sustainable facilities from which they can meet their customers’ demands. “SEGRO Park Northampton Gateway is excellently located with easy access to key road networks and with the new rail links and Strategic Rail Freight Interchange, will present great opportunities for businesses to flourish.”
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