A GROUND-breaking ceremony marked the start of work on the 37.8-acre Rivers Edge housing development at Warrington.
The 500-home mixed-tenure scheme is being carried out by Countryside, working with Sigma Capital Group – a leading provider of build-to-rent housing and Torus, the largest pro vider of affordable housing in the North West.
All three organisations were joined at the ceremony in Centre Park by representatives of Warrington Borough Council.
The project is set to transform the brownfield site adjoining the River Mersey and the wider area.
Jo Jamieson, chief executive, Partnership North, Countryside, said “I was delighted to welcome Warrington Borough Council to the site and showcase what is a flagship development for the Merseyside and Cheshire West team. It is fantastic to be working with such great partners in Torus and Sigma on this project, to ensure we are delivering homes that cater for everybody’s needs.
“This development is yet another example of Countryside regenerating underused land and transforming it into a community where people will love to live. The fact that the homes are built in our Warrington factory not far from the site, utilising the local workforce, makes the development even more special.”
Warrington Borough Council’s cabinet member for housing, Cllr Hitesh Patel, said: “It’s great news that work on the
River’s Edge development is now under way. This scheme will provide local people with much-needed homes for sale and rent, with a great mix of affordability, accessibility and sustainability.
“Just as importantly, River’s Edge will bring new investment into the area, delivering wider benefits to the local community and the environment. We want to ensure all of our residents have access to a good choice of quality housing – within strong communities – which fully meets their needs. This fantastic scheme supports these aims.”
Countryside will be delivering more than 500 homes on the site, 258 of which will be for open sale, 150 for rent, managed by Sigma Capital, and 105 affordable homes, which will be managed by Torus. All the homes will be closed panel homes built off-site in Countryside’s modular factory in Warrington.
The company will also be investing £400,000 into the local community. As well as investing in local health and education provision, this will be used to further improve the local transport network – Slutchers Lane, being part of the Centre Park Link scheme .
Steve Coffey, chief executive, Torus, said: “Every new scheme Torus develops is designed to provide quality housing solutions – homes that cater for current and emerging demand, and support stronger communities.
“We are delighted to be a part of this multi-tenure partnership scheme. Our £15 million investment will create 105 family homes in Warrington, a Torus heartland, and ensure local residents have access to excellent affordable homes close to the town centre.”
Jason Berry, regional managing director, Sigma Capital Group, said: “After 15 years of collaborating with Countryside, we are thrilled to be working on this new mixed-tenure site to deliver a range of homes to Warrington.
“With a strong background in urban regeneration, we have a lasting commitment to make a real difference within the UK by bringing well-managed and high-quality homes to individuals and families within local communities. By providing the opportunity for a good lifestyle for our residents, as well as benefiting the wider neighbourhood, our homes are all pet friendly and built within close range to schools, shopping centres and good travel routes.
“We have witnessed a growing demand for quality rental homes in the North West region so we look forward to launching our Rivers Edge houses and apartments later this year.”
