ST MODWEN: LEADING THE WAY IN REGENERATION ACROSS THE REGION

The UK’s leading regeneration specialist, St. Modwen, is the force behind an extensive portfolio of major mixed-use projects across the UK.

Of St. Modwen’s 5,000 acre UK land bank, over 1,500 acres is situated in the Midlands, including the £1 billion regeneration of the former MG Rover works at Longbridge. With the Longbridge Area Action Plan approved by a government planning inspector in early 2009, the new £66 million Bournville College is currently under construction. The college forms the first phase of a new town centre for Longbridge, with this 15 acre mixed-use scheme likely to comprise a food store, retail units, hotel, car park, and the four acre Austin Park. The vision for the 468- acre Longbridge site also includes the Longbridge Technology Park, industrial/ warehouse space and 1,980 new homes, together with quality open spaces and infrastructure improvements.

St. Modwen’s Midlands region also extends to include the £50million redevelopment of Hednesford town centre in Cannock. This 10-acre retail led scheme includes an 80,000sq ft foodstore, for which St. Modwen secured an operator in 2009, together with 35,000sq ft of additional retail and community facilities. St. Modwen’s investment in Hednesford will also boost the provision of quality facilities in the town, helping to breathe new life into its existing offering.

At Long Marston in Stratford on Avon, St. Modwen is progressing with its vision for the Long Marston Masterplan after recently being granted planning permission by Stratford on Avon District Council. Spanning a 478 acre former MOD site in Warwickshire, the Long Marston Masterplan is a £100 million leisure-led mixed use development.

The landmark scheme will feature 150 self catering lodges and 150 holiday homes. It also secures 800,000 sq m of existing employment space on site, safeguarding hundreds of jobs; and 500 new homes will boost the provision of residential property in the District. An outdoor activity centre and caravan park also form part of the Long Marston Masterplan, together with football and cricket pitches and a rail heritage centre.

In Stafford, St. Modwen has planning permission for the £55 million redevelopment of AREVA T & D. The comprehensive redevelopment of the 57 acre site will provide over 335,000 sq ft of offices, research labs, design centres and test facilities. The existing Sports and Social Club, which is the largest of its type in Stafford will be retained and refurbished with the balance of the site, extending to around 20 acres, brought forward for a sustainable residential development.

John Dodds, regional director for St. Modwen in the Midlands, said: “With expertise in town centre regeneration, partnering with industry, brownfield land renewal, Innovation Centres and education projects, St. Modwen is well placed to deliver complex redevelopment schemes. We continue to work closely with Local Authorities and development partners, including Regional Development Agencies, which appreciate the fundamental importance of regeneration and have an understanding of the drivers of the property development industry.

The neighbouring North Staffordshire region is also a key area for St. Modwen. Based in Stoke-on-Trent, the North Staffordshire office was established 21 years ago and since its inception the North Staffordshire team has provided over £650 million of value for the region via commercial and residential development and in turn has created developments providing over 11,000 jobs.

Major projects in the region range from the popular tourist attraction the Trentham Estate to leading business park locations including Festival Park, Etruria Valley and Trentham Lakes which together with its other projects in the region, have collectively provided over 3.7 million sq ft of retail and business accommodation.

At its Etruria Valley scheme in Stoke-on-Trent, St. Modwen completed the largest purpose built office building it has ever created in North Staffordshire in 2009, for occupier Vodafone UK. In the region St. Modwen has a reputation for delivering office and industrial/ distribution buildings, bespoke to requirements, in strategic locations.

Mike Herbert, regional director for St. Modwen in North Staffordshire, said: “Long term, St. Modwen has a sound business model which secures rental income from over 1,600 tenants across a diverse UK portfolio. The business operates a ‘hopper’ system, which has proven successful in ensuring there is a consistent land bank to draw upon, in turn securing a development pipeline for the future mixed use projects.”