The London Borough of Sutton (the Council), advised by Montagu Evans, is seeking a development partner for a major new regeneration project: Sutton Civic and Town Centre Regeneration.

The opportunity coming to market this week comprises four key town centre sites: St Nicholas Shopping Centre, Sutton Civic Centre, Gibson Road Car Park and the vacant Secombe Theatre. Together they will create 10 acres of opportunity with capacity for around 1,000 homes, 180,000 sq ft of commercial space as well as a new Civic Hub.

St Nicholas Centre was acquired by the Council in August 2021, giving them control of a key strategic asset within the town centre to enable development in line with its regeneration ambitions which have already seen the delivery of co-working hub Oru Sutton. Proposals for a comprehensive mixed-use scheme on this land, which will include a new and fit-for-purpose Civic Hub, will allow the release of the current Civic Centre site.

Councillor Ruth Dombey, Leader of Sutton Council, said: “This is a major opportunity to implement the Council’s plans for creating a vibrant, sustainable town centre, making the most of our town’s transport connections, links to London and status of the world-leading cancer research campus.

“We are ambitious for our borough and our residents. Sutton is an exciting place to invest in and create the sustainable jobs, workspaces and homes that our residents and businesses deserve and want. There is a real buzz about the exciting changes we are starting to see in Sutton town centre, and we want to build on that positivity and momentum.

John Percy, Partner at Montagu Evans, said: “LBS is seeking a partner that will help create a distinctive identity for the town, bring forward a diverse range of uses and increase accessibility. This is a significant opportunity to deliver a new Civic Hub together with new housing, retail, leisure and community space, enhancing the existing centre and its public realm and supporting economic resilience.

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West London NHS Trust (the “Trust”), advised by planning and development consultancy Montagu Evans, is bringing to market the old Broadmoor Hospital site in Crowthorne, Berkshire, presenting a significant development opportunity to create a thriving ‘new working village’ amongst the leafy Berkshire countryside.

The development opportunity, which will be residential-led, comprises circa 60 acres within the former secure perimeter wall, including approximately 100,000 sq. ft. of Grade II listed buildings, which include a chapel, kitchen garden and expansive terraces. The site boasts exceptional three-county views across Berkshire, Hampshire and Surrey.

This site has been adopted into the local plan, underpinned by a masterplan created by BDP in 2011 that included 210 new build homes, 60 apartments for later/supported living, a 60-bed care home and 4,200 sq. m. for an R&D facility.

In addition to this, there are also circa 32 acres outside of the secure perimeter to be allocated for Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspaces (SANGs) – one of the Thames Valley’s Special Protection Areas to mitigate against the development of the surplus former hospital site.

Award-winning architecture practice LDA Design has prepared a revised residential-led masterplan for the site, which includes between 251-332 new build homes, 33 later-living apartments, 56 converted apartments within the Grade II listed building, a 60-bed care home and flexible workspace. Owing to shifting market conditions and requirements, the R&D facility is no longer deemed a priority by the Trust.

The historic Victorian facility, which dates back 160 years, was replaced by a modern building and grounds on a secured, screened, adjacent site, with the new hospital opening in December 2019.

Vanessa Lee, Head of Property & Major Transactions at West London NHS Trust, comments: “The old Broadmoor Hospital site represents a rare and significant opportunity to deliver a thriving new working village that is respectful of the site’s heritage, yet fit for the needs of modern life. We envisage a healthy new and diverse community with homes to suit differing needs from first-time buyers to retirees and amenities that allow the village to be largely self-sustaining.

“The combination of restored Victorian buildings with exceptional countryside views, gardens and contemporary housing, all with easy access to nature, makes for a highly compelling proposition.

Howard Williams, Partner at Montagu Evans, adds: “This is a rare opportunity to bring forward a major Thames Valley site for high-quality residential redevelopment. The launch represents the culmination of years of hard work between the Trust and the wider project team, and we look forward to exploring meaningful opportunities with interested parties who can appreciate this new vision and future direction.

For further information regarding the commercial opportunity, please contact Howard Williams at Montagu Evans: howard.williams@montagu-evans.co.uk  or 07825 114 879.

Planning and development consultancy Montagu Evans has this week welcomed its 2023 early careers cohort.

15 new graduates have joined the partnership to work across the business’s key areas, from planning and historic environments to advisory and agency roles.

With dedicated support in the form of managers, mentors and ongoing training, all are continuing a qualification pathway, and the firm has a robust and market-leading programme in place to help them in their ongoing development and growth as young professionals.

This year’s new recruits are: Luke Audis, Harry Beveridge, Zahra Bhojani, Paloma Calvert, Ed Elliman, Matthew Fitzgerald, Tobias Johnston, Harry Lloyd Jones, Sophie Kenworthy, Oliver Moir, Alex Nesti, Tom Pitts, Tami Raji, Xanthe Sloane and Nathan Wilson.

Victoria Thompson, HR Director at Montagu Evans, said: “We are very pleased to welcome this talented group of young professionals to the partnership. Throughout the application process, they have impressed us with their attitude, capability and potential, and we have recruited from a wider range of higher education institutions and courses than ever before.�?

In addition to these graduate appointments, Montagu Evans offered 13 intern places this year – its largest intake to date – including three students from the 10,000 Black Interns programme and two from 10,000 Able Interns, as well as others applying through its website. For the first time, the planning and development pathway was offered to provide interns with a wide grounding in the partnership’s specialist areas.

Click here for more information on our Early Careers programmes.

 

Planning and development consultancy Montagu Evans has appointed Jon Neale as Head of Research & Strategic Insight.

From 4 September this year, Neale will take on a firm-wide role providing market analysis, social and economic insight and strategic advice to support the full spectrum of the partnership’s clients, including Aviva Investors, U+I, Network Rail and Homes England, in making decisions around future opportunities, risks and impacts.

He joins after 12 years at JLL, including a decade as head of UK research and strategy. His previous roles included Head of Market Intelligence at the then Homes and Communities Agency (now Homes England).

The appointment also follows Oli Pye joining Montagu Evans as Head of Sustainability in February. Both are newly-created roles within the firm’s Strategic Advisory team designed to build further on its strategic consulting, economic development and social value capability and support wider client activity, from retrofitting and repurposing assets in a way that optimises value to unlocking regeneration in brownfield sites across regional cities.

Jenny Rydon, Partner at Montagu Evans and head of its Strategic Advisory team, said: “Current market conditions mean most of our clients are facing significant planning and development challenges, and we want to find ways to simplify, make it easier, and help solve problems quickly.

“Our recent appointment to support the GLA at the Royal Albert Docks and work with CTI at London Stansted Airport demonstrate that clients value our ability to bring together experts from across the partnership, who understand the broader economic landscape, to combine strategic advice with practical support to unlock these challenges.

“Jon is an important hire, at the top of his field, who fills a gap in the market for independent, thought-provoking planning and development insight as we help public and private sector organisations navigate changing landscapes.?

Jon Neale added: “More than ever before, real estate decision-makers need to incorporate a huge range of social, economic and environmental factors in their thinking, with a clear fix on future risks and impacts as well as emerging opportunities.

“This new role will involve applying these insights to areas that I am particularly passionate about, from reinventing town centres amid rapid structural change or repurposing and upgrading our building stock through to Britain’s chronic housing crisis. I can combine this with a clear focus on supporting businesses engaged with and open to these challenges – there is enormous potential here, and I’m looking forward to getting started.

 

London Square, advised by Montagu Evans, has been given the go ahead by LB Wandsworth for the final residential phase of the outline planning permission at Springfield University Hospital.

This phase will deliver 253 new homes in a range of sizes and tenures (including 43% affordable) set within hard and soft landscaping.

London Square Earlsfield, as it will now be known, has been designed by Assael Architecture for London Square, with high-quality new homes using brick and other materials designed to complement the Grade II listed Springfield Hospital building and the new public park, with a series of park-facing detached and semi-detached houses and apartments. New public squares, courtyard gardens and new streets will provide a green and attractive setting.

The wider Springfield Hospital outline planning permission will deliver a new state-of-the-art mental healthcare facility, with over 800 new homes in total (262 within the Grade II listed Main Building) and the creation of a 33 ha publicly-accessible park.

Adam Lawrence, Chief Executive, London Square, said: “The Springfield Village masterplan is transforming the Springfield University Hospital site. We are delighted to receive approval to build new homes of exceptional quality, responding to a range of housing needs, from affordable, supported living to private for-sale homes to first-time buyers and families. We look forward to continuing to work with the London Borough of Wandsworth and South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust on the delivery of this final stage in the evolution of Springfield Village.

Anna Russell-Smith

, Partner at Montagu Evans, said: “This reserved matters decision unlocks the delivery of the final phase of new homes approved under the outline planning permission. It represents an important milestone for the redevelopment programme overall, as well as continuing to provide both private and affordable housing within the area.

“The high-quality design approved by the LB Wandsworth carefully considers the site’s context, including the setting of the Grade II listed building, historic park and garden, as well as its location, in part, within the MOL.

Montagu Evans has advised on planning throughout this process as advisors to both the Trust and London Square; its Historic Environments and Townscape team supported the site’s heritage elements.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Montagu Evans has appointed Industrial and Logistics specialist Luca Nardini as a Partner, expanding its team and increasing the partnership’s capability in this sector.

Luca rejoins the business following time as Development Manager for Taurus Developments. He was previously an Associate at Montagu Evans for six years.

In his new role, Luca will focus on agency and development funding, working with colleagues from across the partnership to provide integrated sector-specific advice – from planning and development consultancy to valuation, leasing, lease review and rating.

Montagu Evans has recently advised Boreal JV on the acquisition of Thames Gateway Park in Dagenham, the largest property in a £145 million three-asset portfolio deal agreed late in 2022, as well as purchases for Mileway in Hounslow and Clipstone in Ashford. It is currently leasing assets across London and the South East for ABRDN, Boreal IM, CBRE IM, Prologis and Segro, as well as advising Bloom on occupational requirements. In January this year, its planning team supported Columbia Threadneedle in securing consent for a major logistics and business hub next to Stansted Airport.

Gerry Young, Partner at Montagu Evans, said: “Luca is already very well-connected, with the ability to provide top-quality opportunities and advice to clients. He now returns with greater exposure to the development market and additional funding experience, which will knit well with our wider team. We are very pleased to welcome him back.”

Check out Luca’s profile here.

 

Planning and development consultancy Montagu Evans has announced its 2023 Partner promotions, set to take effect from 1 April this year.

Ally Campbell (Planning) is experienced at working on large, major developments throughout Scotland, delivering high-profile planning permissions across a variety of different sectors. She has most recently advised on the repurposing of brownfield/town centre assets for alternative uses, including residential, PBSA, Build to Rent, hotel, office and other commercial opportunities.

Will Hyslop (Commercial and Agency/CAA) specialises in the Build to Rent and Purpose Built Student Accommodation sectors, providing acquisition, disposal and funding advice to developers, institutional investors, operators and lenders.

Emily Patey (Property Management) focuses on property and asset management in the retail sector, particularly town centres and shopping centres.

In addition, Matthew Boyd (Advisory), Harry Charman (Advisory), Rob Cohu (CAA), Sarah Gibbs (Advisory), Hugh Mitchell (Advisory), Tristan Paterson (CAA), Emily Pile (CAA), Nick Pond (Planning) and Mo Qamar (CAA) have all been appointed to the role of Associate.

Ben Dakin (Planning), Will Fennell (CAA),  Nick Garside (Planning), Richard Glover (Advisory), Jo Kelly (Advisory), Rachel McGall (Planning) and James Veitch (Advisory) have been promoted to Senior Surveyor.

Rob Bower, Montagu Evans’ Managing Partner, said: “Our partnership expects a lot from its people; it’s what differentiates us. We place a lot of emphases on organic talent growth and value and above all, its importance for long-term succession and generations of deep client relationships built on trust and stand-out service.

“Not only do these promotions – along with this year’s senior lateral hires – mean that we have reached the highest number of Partners in Montagu Evans’ 102-year history, they set the pathway for many other talented individuals who continue to build our partnership legacy. My warmest congratulations to all involved.”

 

8-10 IPB UK Limited, a joint venture between The Linton Group and Henika Group, has been given the go-ahead for the development of a 117,165 sq ft (10,885 sq m) co-working hub on a former warehousing and car park site at Ingate Place in Battersea. The plans were unanimously approved by LB Wandsworth.

These proposals will create a new part-6, part-8 and part-10 storey building comprising office and light industrial floorspace designed to accommodate co-working, small and medium enterprises on all floors, with two floors solely for managed workspace. Sustainability technologies, enhanced biodiversity measures, and new public realm are all incorporated within the plans.

Linton founder Gary Linton said: “We are delighted that planning permission has been secured for this exciting project, that will hopefully be a founding anchor within Wandsworth Council’s new Battersea Design and Technology Quarter, alongside the recent consent achieved by Nuveen at 220 Queenstown Road opposite. This scheme hopes to provide a dynamic and exciting workspace for tech companies that can align themselves with the new arrival of the Apple HQ in Battersea Power Station.’’

Chris Reid, founder of Henika Group, added: “In the new post-pandemic era, where companies and employees have redefined the relationship with the office, occupiers deem it is more important than ever to take up space in best-in-class offices with high-quality amenities, design and sustainability. We are very pleased the proposed development will achieve a BREEAM Excellent rating.

Montagu Evans provided planning, heritage and townscape advice, including the Tall Building Impact Assessment to support the application.

Guy Bransby, Partner at Montagu Evans and head of its Central London Planning team, said:  “These proposals optimise this brownfield site in a highly sustainable location and will transform an underused industrial area into new sustainable workspace able to accommodate over 500 new jobs. Design quality and sustainability have been central to our plans from inception and will set the tone for future development in the area.

Ingate Place is situated close to Queenstown Road and Battersea Park railway stations and the new Northern Line extension at Battersea Power Station. It has been identified in the GLA’s London Plan as a Strategic Industrial Location (SIL) and forms part of the Vauxhall, Nine Elms, Battersea Opportunity Area.

The scheme has been designed by Jo Cowen Architects.

More coverage from EG, React News and BeNews.

 

Planning and development consultancy Montagu Evans has recruited residential land specialist Richard Thomas as part of its increasing focus on the housing sector.

Formerly a Partner at Cushman & Wakefield, leading its London and South East land team with responsibility for Residential, Student and Co-Living land transactions, Thomas originally started his career on Montagu Evans’ graduate training programme and has also worked with BNP Paribas/Strutt & Parker.

In this new role, he will lead the partnership’s land team, working closely with investment, planning and advisory colleagues, as well as Montagu Evans’ landowner clients, to help unlock value and deliver development opportunities across all areas of the housing lifecycle.

His appointment follows Andrew Ludiman joining Montagu Evans in January to spearhead its residential markets activity. The partnership is increasing its focus on providing a fully integrated offer to public and private sector landowners to tackle complex requirements in the housing arena, as well as developing strategies to provide institutional capital flows to unlock housing-led regeneration.

Adrian Owen, Partner at Montagu Evans, said: “Underlying the significant opportunities that the housing sector currently presents is the need for broader thinking about land and site supply. The ability to put in place new transactional and funding structures to deliver high-quality development is essential. Richard’s wide-ranging experience on behalf of some of the largest London and regional developers, his recent focus on sectors such as student housing and co-living, and his deep technical and legal knowledge will be an advantage to clients exploring new approaches in this area.

 

West Silvertown Place Ltd, advised by planning and development consultancy Montagu Evans, has been given the go ahead for a new residential development along North Woolwich Road in Silvertown.

The development will use and optimise a previously developed brownfield site to provide 81 high-quality new homes, across a mix of housing types, including 28% family sized dwellings.  35% of the housing units will be affordable, of which a significant proportion will be affordable family homes.

Alongside the new housing, the development will provide:

• a car-free scheme, promoting greener modes of travel
• cycle parking that exceeds required standards
• significant landscaping improvements and new tree planting
• generous on-site amenities in the form of two private residential communal courtyards and associated play space
• public realm improvements to the North Woolwich Road
• increased urban greening and biodiversity net gain
• air source heat pumps, and
• a sustainable urban drainage strategy.

The scheme will comprise three new buildings ranging between two to nine storeys, with the proposed heights designed to form a positive relationship between the existing low-rise terrace housing to the north and east and the emerging taller contemporary developments of Royal Wharf and Silvertown Quays to the south.

Simon Marks, partner at planning and development consultancy Montagu Evans said:  “This successful outcome shows how an imaginative repurposing of underused brownfield sites can unlock land for much-needed residential development.  Key to the success of these plans was continued consultation between the council and development team to deliver a high quality, financially viable scheme that provides for the greatest housing needs in the borough, including affordable homes.”

West Silvertown Place Ltd was advised by Montagu Evans (land agency, planning and financial viability advice), Stephen Davy Peter Smith Architects and Ardent Consulting.

Photo credit – Stephen Davy Peter Smith Architects Ltd.