Plans in Stoke-on-Trent, shortlisted for the City of Culture 2021, have been approved to build two high quality 11-storey apartment blocks at Genr8 Developments’ Smithfield mixed use development. The apartment blocks have been specifically designed as ‘build to rent’.
Genr8 is working in partnership with city council owned housing company, Fortior Homes, which will own the blocks, which will extend the city living offer in Stoke-on-Trent will quality, long-term private rental homes.
Smithfield residential will provide 277 apartments built in two phases and as such would represent the largest single apartment development in Stoke-on-Trent. Designed by XXXX, and sitting at the heart of the Smithfield development and alongside a new Hilton Hotel, this stunning apartment scheme will provide a new residential offer not previously available in Stoke-on-Trent.
As the first ‘build to rent’ development in Stoke it will set a benchmark for quality developments not only in Stoke-on-Trent or even the midlands, but in sub-regional cities across the UK. The scheme includes substantial additional amenity provision for the prospective tenants, including an entrance lobby, postal room, cycle storage, co working library, bookable function rooms with kitchen spaces, roof terrace with BBQ facilities and a private, well landscaped courtyard. Commercial units at ground floor and lower ground levels engage with the public room but could also provide additional facilities on site to the residential tenants.
There is a mix of accommodation types proposed ranging from studio apartments, to one bedroom apartments and two bedroom apartments. All are designed as accessible and are well served from central lift cores, with built in storage and kitchen specification and bathroom fit outs will be contemporary. The apartments themselves are fitted out with high quality, contemporary and robust finishes.
The scheme has been designed to meet the requirements of renters without sacrificing build quality or lifecycle performance. Energy performance and low running costs are fundamental to the scheme with high performing building fabric proposed that well surpasses minimum standards under Building Control.
The first residential block will deliver 151 apartments and consists of a mixture of one and two-bedroom units, with amenity space and communal gardens. There are also leisure, commercial units planned for the ground floor, including a gym and office space.
The first block is due to start on site in early 2018 with an anticipated completion date of the fourth quarter of 2019. The second approved building of 126 units will form part of a future phase of development.
Consultation for the development took place in July 2017 with the planning application for the two blocks being submitted to the city council in September.
Fortior Homes is a private housing company established by the council to deliver high quality homes that address identified gaps in the private sector housing market. Delivering this scheme through Fortior Homes will generate income for the council, which can be used to support wider day-to-day service provision within the city. Fortior Homes will have a programme of ongoing activity in years to come, with this proposed scheme being an exciting early example.
Richard Ingham, partner at Genr8 Developments, said: “The delivery of high quality build to rent apartments is key to the ongoing regeneration of the city centre and the wider Stoke-on-Trent economy.
“Alongside the delivery of the new Hilton Garden Inn, these are really exciting times at Smithfield and, as a result, the scheme will undergo a further transformation over the course of the next couple of years.”
Alexander Fury, Development Lead – Housing Growth at Stoke-on-Trent City Council said;
“It is fantastic news that this build to rent phase of development has been approved at Smithfield Stoke-on-Trent. We’re excited to be bringing our skills to bear in this quality private rented offer for Stoke. We hope that Smithfield will be the first of many schemes we’re considering and are confident that it will give the delivery of our future development strategy a positive kick-start.
“This will be a high quality development which sets a benchmark for similar schemes in the city and beyond, and importantly will remain affordable for people living or working in Stoke-on-Trent. It will primarily target 20 to 35-year-old single people and couples already living here, as well as those commuting here for work.”
The first phase of Smithfield Stoke-on-Trent, which includes 210,000 sq ft of office space – now known as One Smithfield and Two Smithfield – was completed in August 2015 and is occupied by the city council along with private sector companies. Further phases are in the pipeline, including a 140-bedroom Hilton Garden Inn – which received planning permission in July 2017 – and the next phase of offices.
Further information about Smithfield Stoke-on-Trent can be found at http://www.smithfieldstoke.com/
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