Nov 2 2005
National regeneration agency English Partnerships is submitting an outline planning application to build around 150 new homes in Glebe Road, Peterborough – and at the same time open up public access routes into the proposed South Bank development.
The houses and flats, built around a central green area, will be constructed on the site currently occupied by the Elliott Group factory. The company, which manufactures and rents factory-engineered buildings, is to move to new premises in Fengate on the east of the city.
English Partnerships has bought the Glebe Road site and sold to the company 19 acres (8 ha) of land at Fengate to allow the factory move to take place.
The relocation of the Elliott Group is another significant step in plans for a multi-million transformation of the River Nene South Bank in Peterborough city centre. During August planning applications were submitted for the B&Q and Matalan stores to relocate from East Station Road to the city's Boulevard retail park at Maskew Avenue. Moving the stores will free two important South Bank sites for development while the Elliott Group factory move will allow the creation of new transport links onto the South Bank. Taken together, the moves will permit the marketing of the South Bank scheme to a 'hot list' of developers early next year. Detailed plans are expected to be ready by the end of 2006.
At the same time, the new homes in Glebe Road will help to tackle Peterborough’s housing shortage. English Partnerships is looking for developers to use modern methods of construction to build ‘high sustainability’ houses and flats which will be highly energy efficient. It is planned that 10 per cent of the new homes will be sold to first-time buyers under a new government scheme aimed at allowing key workers and other first time buyers to get a foot on the property ladder.
Richard Harrington, English Partnerships area director for the East of England, said, “This development offers a triple win for Peterborough – helping a major local employer develop its business, opening up the South Bank and creating high quality new homes close to the city centre. It is an example of the way English Partnerships can assist in regeneration through the purchase and reuse of brownfield land.”
English Partnerships worked with East of England Development Agency to help with the purchase of the Glebe Road site.
Paul Smeeth, managing director of the Elliott Group, said, “The move to a larger site at Fengate will permit us to make our operations more efficient. The growth of the business was being restricted by the size and layout of our factory and offices in Glebe Road.”
The company employs 1,300 people around the UK and 217 at Glebe Road who will be transferring to the new site at Fengate.
Lord Mawhinney, chairman of the Peterborough Urban Regeneration Company, said, “The South Bank scheme is a major element in our plans for redevelopment of the city centre. The Elliott Group’s purchase of the Fengate site from English Partnerships, and its offer of the Glebe Road site, has enabled us to make real progress with providing housing for first time buyers and public access to the South Bank.”