by Site_Admin | Feb 28, 2019 | Press Release
A vision to establish a new Creative Quarter in Leamington Spa will be under the spotlight at the world’s largest property and investment show.
A new 10-year masterplan for the area is being finalised by regeneration experts Complex Development Projects (CDP) after nearly two years of work on the project.
CDP is the development partner of Warwick District Council in the scheme which focuses on restoring several key buildings and making improvements to the public realm to further strengthen the town’s opportunities for the creative sectors, and could bring around 300 new jobs to the town centre.
The vision for the area includes plans to improve the routes and environment from the railway station to the town centre and will see proposed restoration of Spencer Yard, the United Reformed Church and potential regeneration and new uses of space in other buildings including The Town Hall and Royal Pump Rooms.
A consultation exercise, which involved liaising with over 600 businesses and local people in a series of public forums and surveys, has now finished and CDP is evaluating responses before presenting the final masterplan to Warwick District Council next month.
CDP is part of the Coventry and Warwickshire MIPIM Partnership which represents the area at the world’s largest commercial investment and development show next month, and will be taking its plans to the four day event.
Joanne Truslove, of CDP, said discussing the masterplan at MIPIM would enable CDP to highlight the initiative to a world-wide audience.
“The Creative Quarter aims to further enhance the town’s key strength as a centre of creative industries and its UK Silicon Spa reputation.
“Showcasing our vision for the new creative quarter in Old Town at MIPIM is an ideal opportunity to promote our future plans for Leamington Spa to potential investors which can only be good news for the town and the region to make the most of its cultural and commercial potential and boost its economy.
“While MIPIM is primarly about property it is also about places and it is the ideal showcase for the regeneration work being undertaken across Coventry and Warwickshire to an international audience and this will be a very strong message which will sit well alongside other major development plans across the county and the city.
“We were pleased with the response to our consultation from the public and businesses many of which were constructive and were supportive of our plans to help the creative industries in Leamington Spa to expand in an area of the town which is mainly under-developed.
“We are now working with Warwick District Council on adding as many of the suggested changes as possible but we are pleased that generally the masterplan has been warmly received.”
The Coventry and Warwickshire MIPIM Partnership – made up of companies and organisations in a range of property-related sectors – is attending MIPIM as part of the UK Midlands presence and will be hosting a range of key stakeholder and investment events.
Caption: Spencer Yard
NOTES TO EDITORS
Regeneration specialist Complex Development Projects (CDP), which developed FarGo Village and Electric Wharf in Coventry, has been selected by Warwick District Council to work up and deliver a long-term masterplan for Leamington Spa’s renaissance.
The regeneration programme will include the restoration of several key buildings and public realm including the improvement of links from the railway station to the town centre.
The project will further enhance the town’s strengths as a centre of creative industries and gaming.
CDP are currently developing the former Coventry Telegraph site, which will include a high quality boutique hotel. This will also be showcased at MIPIM.
by Site_Admin | Feb 18, 2019 | Press Release
The former Coventry Telegraph building is set to write a new chapter in its history after exciting plans to transform it into a 1950-style boutique hotel have been given the green light.
Award-winning Complex Development Projects (CDP) will start construction work in 2019 to create a themed hotel which will mark the city’s famous Mid-Century architecture at the building in Corporation Street in Coventry city centre.
Around 100 bedrooms, a ground floor restaurant and bar, meeting rooms, penthouse suites and a rooftop bar have been approved by Coventry City Council planning department.
The hotel plans also involve a banqueting or conference room to seat up to 300, as well as the Lord Iliffe Suite – the restored top floor apartment of the former owner of the newspaper.
About 130 jobs will also be created when the hotel is open which is planned to be ahead of Coventry being UK City of Culture in 2021.
Ian Harrabin, of CDP, said this would be a totally different hotel to the current offering in the region.
“We are really excited to have been given approval to create a hotel which will be a platform to celebrate Coventry’s post-war regeneration,” he said.
“The building is located in a prime spot in the city centre and this is a great opportunity to save an iconic piece of 1950s architecture because we will be preserving many of its original features and artefacts.
“Many notable events in the city’s history have been told from the Coventry Telegraph’s offices and there will be individually themed bedrooms which will replicate significant stories from its newspapers.
“We are confident this innovative hotel will boost the city’s economy and attract visitors not only during the year-long City of Culture celebrations but long-term because the kind of hotel we have designed will attract visitors who want to stay in a boutique hotel during a leisure break.
“This is another part of the jigsaw in the regeneration of Corporation Street and work will start soon on removing the internal elements of the building before the major work starts next year.”
Cllr Jim O’Boyle, Coventry City Council Cabinet Member for Jobs and Regeneration said transforming the former Coventry Telegraph building into a hotel would provide much-needed accommodation in the city – with a stylish twist.
He said: “CDP has a great track record of giving a new lease of life to much-loved buildings in the city and this will be a project that will be carried out with plenty of care to preserve important pieces of the city’s 1950s architecture.
“There will be a massive upsurge in visitors when we are UK City of Culture in 2021 and this hotel will mean they will be staying at a memorable place which will hopefully encourage them to return to the city time and time again.”
by Site_Admin | Feb 12, 2019 | Press Release
Captions: A image of the Coventry Telegraph building which is to be transformed into a hotel and the terrace, exterior and a bedroom all at Hotel Gotham, Manchester.
The UK’s largest independent hotel group has reached an agreement to operate a 1950s-style boutique hotel at the former Coventry Telegraph offices.
Bespoke Hotels was founded in 2000 and manages over 9,500 hotel rooms in 21 countries from Australia to America and has 8,000 employees as well as £815 million of assets.
The group manages 96 hotels in the UK including the chic Bermondsey Square Hotel in the heart of London’s creative district, art deco themed Hotel Gotham in Manchester, the Billesley Manor Hotel in Stratford and the Carnoustie Golf Hotel where guests can play the 2018 Open Championship Golf Course.
Developers Complex Development Projects (CDP) has appointed Bespoke Hotels to manage the themed hotel which will celebrate Coventry’s famous Mid-Century architecture at the former Coventry Telegraph building in Corporation Street.
Construction is planned to start at the end of the year on creating 100 bedrooms, a ground floor restaurant and bar, meeting rooms, penthouse suites and a rooftop bar after planning approval was granted by Coventry City Council on July 16. Final approval from the Council is awaited for long lease extensions necessary to deliver the project.
The original features of the building which include the panelled Board Room and Lord Iliffe’s apartment will be retained as unique features of the building’s former life.
Around 130 jobs will be created when the hotel opens which is scheduled to be ahead of Coventry being UK City of Culture in 2021.
Chairman of Bespoke Hotels, Robin Sheppard, who founded the business with Haydn Fentum, said: “This is an iconic building charged with much recent history of the City of Coventry with a really strong tone of voice from which we hope to deliver a rich narrative with nods to the 1950s heyday of the building and a cool contemporary twist.
This will be a destination hotel with tons of character and a cheeky smile.”
Ian Harrabin, Managing Director of CDP, said the securing of Bespoke Hotels underlined the national appeal of the project.
“The project is unique and we needed an operator that embraced our vision for something that will be truly Coventry,” he said. We took advice from national hotel experts and Bespoke was our first choice of partner. We have been working with them for the past six months on the detail of the project and are happy that they share our enthusiasm for Coventry and recognise the opportunity of this unique building.
“We want to create a style of hotel that is not offered anywhere else in the area – a style that is truly bespoke. Their experienced team bring out the heart and soul of hotels with their professionalism, experience, flair and individuality.”
A perfect example of this is Hotel Gotham which is a five-star hotel that was named World’s Best New Hotel and Coolest Boutique Hotel following its opening in 2015 because of its attention to detail ranging from its art deco design to providing a luxury chauffeur service.
Partnered with CDP’s track record of delivering creative developments that break the conventional mould such as FarGo Village and Electric Wharf, the new Telegraph Hotel will also be unlike any other.
Harrabin continued: “We want to give the city an hotel that Coventry can be proud of and provide a focus for the City of Culture status that has been bestowed for 2021. We have been delighted to have received such strong support from all local stakeholders, not least within the council and are determined to create something special with our chosen award-winning hotel operators.”
The project is supported by West Midlands Combined Authority through the Collective Investment Fund managed by Finance Birmingham.
About Bespoke Hotels:
www.bespokehotels.com
Formed in 2000, Bespoke Hotels has grown to represent over 200 properties worldwide, and now stands as the UK’s Largest Independent Hotel Group. Ranging from specialist golfing hotels, to award-winning spa resorts and chic city centre properties, the group prides itself on a diverse roster and a unique, individualised management style. Its Chairman and Co-Founder, Robin Sheppard, was also recently appointed Chairman of the Institute of Hospitality.
For Bespoke Hotels media enquiries, please contact Grifco PR via bespoke@grifcopr.com
For CDP media enquiries, please contact Adam Dent or Michelle Wilson at Advent Communications at adent@advent-communications.co.uk or mwilson@advent-communications.co.uk or telephone 02476 633636.
by Site_Admin | Feb 2, 2019 | Press Release
A new apartment scheme in the heart of the Jewellery Quarter has been given the green light by planners.
Award-winning developers Complex Development Projects (CDP) – which has been responsible for many cutting-edge projects across the West Midlands – has been granted consent to create 30 apartments in Carver Street.
The £7.8 million scheme, designed by D5 Architects of Birmingham, will feature a range of one, two and three bed apartments.
Ian Harrabin, a director of CDP, said he hoped work would start early next year and would take approximately 12 months.
He said: “We see this as a very valuable addition to the Jewellery Quarter, and offering something different.
“This part of the Quarter is currently undergoing substantial regeneration with several schemes underway, but there are not many offering the size of accommodation we are creating and it is important to have a mix in the area.
“The market is strong with a high level of local interest but there is also considerable activity from buyers and investors from outside the area who see the unique character of the Jewellery Quarter along with the potential, part of which is being fired by the arrival of HS2.”
CDP, which is based in Coventry and London, is the firm behind the FarGo Village creative quarter and the Electric Wharf live-work development in Coventry.
It also regenerated the historic Stuart Crystal Works in Stourbridge and is currently undertaking a £30 million development in Bristol.
Joel Kempsey Fagg, a partner at D5 and the project architect on Carver Street, said: “We are delighted with the approval and the complementary comments made by the councillors.
“The site is unusually complicated, with a number of issues to be overcome in design and construction, and we have – working in consultation with the City Planning and Heritage team – developed a scheme which will bring considerable aesthetic benefits and bring back to life a site which has been derelict for over a decade.”
by Site_Admin | Jan 25, 2019 | Press Release
Caption: Cllr Andrew Mobbs from Warwick District Council (left) with Brian Harrabin from Complex Development Projects
Ambitious plans to regenerate the Old Town of Leamington Spa as a new Creative Quarter focused on the booming creative/digital sector have taken a step forwards with the appointment of a development partner by Warwick District Council.
Regeneration specialist Complex Development Projects (CDP), which developed FarGo Village and Electric Wharf in Coventry, has been selected by the Council to work up and deliver a long-term masterplan for the area’s renaissance. The regeneration programme will include the restoration of several key buildings and public realm including the improvement of links from the railway station to the town centre.
The project will further enhance the town’s strengths as a centre of creative industries and its national ‘Silicon Spa’ reputation.
CDP, which has been appointed after an open procurement process, will work with the Council to develop a masterplan for the 10 year initiative, identifying how best to grow the diverse range of vibrant creative industries in the town largely around the under-developed riverside and Old Town area.
The Leader of Warwick District Council Councillor Andrew Mobbs said: “We are delighted with the appointment of CDP and are looking forward to working with them to develop this new hub for creative industries in Royal Leamington Spa.
“Warwick District is already home to a wide range of successful enterprises and we hope this new initiative offers an exciting proposition for even more vibrant and interesting businesses wanting to set up in the area.”
A recent report by the innovation foundation Nesta and Creative England identified Leamington as one of 47 “creative clusters” in the UK, and the only one in the West Midlands.
There are over 1,500 creative businesses in Leamington employing over 7,000 people with software and digital companies accounting for half of the total.
The games development industry is worth £1.7bn to the UK economy and the town has a range of games developers with many based in and around the vicinity of the new Creative Quarter.
Warwick District Council is hoping the regeneration programme will see the restoration of several key buildings – potentially The Royal Pump Rooms which are home to the Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum, Leamington Public Library and the Regency Assembly Rooms.
The Council hopes to secure Government funding to support the regeneration of the area but acknowledged that attracting the right regeneration partner with experience of complex projects is the major first step in securing the success of the scheme.
Brian Harrabin, a director of CDP, said there is already a thriving creative and digital sector in Leamington but there remains considerable scope to build on its national and international reputation.
“The Old Town area needs major regeneration and the focus on creative industries will help to unlock the cultural and commercial potential of this area which is very much under-developed,” he said.
“The first thing we will be doing is talking to local businesses and the community to gain an in-depth understanding of what’s happening at the moment and what people’s aspirations are for the future. Creative areas are organic and are ultimately made by people, not buildings. But you need the right environment to allow them to thrive. Each place is unique and we will be doing a lot of listening before we come up with any proposals.
“We have a proven track record of working with communities to breathe new life into run-down areas of cities and towns and we will start consulting straight away with stakeholders to enable us to feed views and comments into the masterplan and identifying priority projects.
“There is definitely real potential for growth in Old Town, creating a quarter that is very different to Leamington’s current offer and bringing a positive impact to the local economy over the next decade.”
The plans form part of a wider regeneration programme for the whole of the northern part of Old Town, Spencer Yard and the Royal Pump Rooms with development focusing on the provision of facilities for the creative industries. The vision for the area also includes plans to improve the routes and environment from the railway station to the town centre.
by Site_Admin | Jan 22, 2019 | Press Release
Caption: Chris Hewitt from 2C Design Consultants (right) with Brian Harrabin from Complex Development Projects
A thriving design consultancy has moved to new offices at a creative mixed-use canalside development in Coventry and is looking to recruit more staff.
2C Design Consultants has bought an 80sqm unit at Electric Wharf in Radford which was created by award-winning developers Complex Development Projects.
Chris Hewitt launched the business, which provides the complete range of surveying and design services from concept to completion, from his garage in Radford Semele in 2004.
After building up the business for three years while working full-time, Chris took the plunge to concentrate on 2C Design Consultants full-time from an office in Puma Way, Coventry.
The decision paid-off with Chris and his team building an impressive portfolio of clients including Mitchells & Butlers, DFS, Marston’s Brewery, Hall & Woodhouse, Dwell and Hook Norton Brewery.
This significant period of growth has led to Chris re-locating his four-strong team to Electric Wharf – and he is hoping to add a senior designer, computer-aided design specialist and junior surveyor.
Chris said this was an exciting time for the business which was continuing to expand.
“When we first started, it coincided with the smoking ban and I knew pubs would want planning applications for their smoking shelters,” he said.
“We started with Young’s pub chain and Enterprise Inns and I thought we could do the whole package from planning applications to fit-outs and we have gradually grown relationships with our clients.
“We work with major clients all over the UK and our latest contract win is with The Mill Arts Centre in Banbury which is doubling their space to 400 seats in a £2 million project.
“It has taken a number of years but we have really established ourselves with companies such as Mitchells & Butlers and DFS because we can look after the whole design and surveying package including fit-outs.”
When the company wanted to move, Chris felt Electric Wharf was the ideal location for a design business.
“This is a new chapter in our history and this is the perfect opportunity to build on the success we have enjoyed in recent years,” he said.
“When I decided to buy our own premises, I wanted to stay in Coventry and I was immediately impressed with the setting of Electric Wharf and all the growth going on around here and from my point of view, it oozes creative and design flair.”
Brian Harrabin, of Complex Development Projects, said Electric Wharf continues to be a successful regeneration project in Coventry.
“We wanted to create the right environment for creative businesses as well as a place to live and work when we launched Electric Wharf,” he said.
“The scheme has won many plaudits and awards but It is always great to welcome a new businesss. 2C Design Consultants is an expanding company that fits-in with the ethos and culture of Electric Wharf and we wish them the best of luck in their new home.”
by Site_Admin | Jan 1, 2019 | Press Release
A regeneration specialist with a passion for heritage, who has brought neglected areas of the Midlands back to life, has been honoured in the New Year’s Honours list.
A regeneration specialist with a passion for heritage, who has brought neglected areas of the Midlands back to life, has been honoured in the New Year’s Honours list.
Ian Harrabin has been honoured with an MBE for services to Heritage and Regeneration in Coventry.
The 57-year-old Chartered Surveyor is managing director of Complex Development Projects (CDP), an award-winning family-owned company that specialises in urban regeneration by working in partnership with government, community groups and charities.
He is also Chairman of Historic Coventry Trust, the charity leading the revival of Coventry’s historic buildings, and a Trustee of City of Culture 2021.
Ian, a former pupil of King Henry VIII’s School, said: “The award is a recognition of efforts of the very many people from all walks of life that I have worked with over many years towards the aim of making Coventry a great place again.
“For the first time in my life, this is really within our grasp and it just shows that there are no limits to what we can achieve by working together. Everyone has their own individual talents and by combining together we have become a pretty unstoppable force for good.
“I wouldn’t have been able to achieve half of what I’ve done over the years without the never-ending support of my husband José, my assistant Kate and my family.
“We inspire and encourage each other and share the ups and downs. It is perhaps apt that the secret for Coventry’s brighter future has been for the city to pull together like a big family.”
CDP, which Ian runs jointly with his brother Brian from offices in Coventry and London, is renowned for tackling challenging sites delivering pioneering and innovative projects which breathe new life into urban centres.
The company’s partnership with Coventry City Council has recently regenerated the historic Far Gosford St area as the city’s creative quarter centred on Fargo Village, and has been a leading partner in the City of Culture bid.
CDP’s innovative reuse of the city’s 1896 power station, which was threatened with demolition, created Electric Wharf, a live/work creative village which won Outstanding Place of the Decade in 2010.
The company is also working on major projects in Birmingham, Smethwick, Stourbridge and Bristol while work starts shortly on a long-term partnership for the regeneration of Old Town Leamington Spa as a new quarter for digital and creative industries.
Acting personally, Ian joined with the local community in 2011 to found Historic Coventry Trust to save Coventry’s Charterhouse, a former Carthusian Monastery founded by Richard II in 1385.
The Charterhouse now forms the centrepiece of plans for a new 70 acre Heritage Park – a £15m project that will provide an exceptional landscape next to the city centre. The charity has grown in aspiration to become a ‘National Trust’ for Coventry with the aim of preserving all heritage at risk for future generations and bringing buildings back into productive economic, cultural and social use.
Delivery of the vision was recently boosted by a ground-breaking deal with Coventry City Council to transfer ownership of 27 historic buildings and sites to the Trust which is the largest ever in the UK. If the funding can be secured, this will kick-start a five-year restoration and regeneration programme in excess of £30m.
Caption: Ian Harrabin, who has been awarded an MBE in the New Year’s Honours list (left) with his brother, Brian, and West Midlands Mayor Andy Street, at FarGo Village, one of his ground breaking developments.
has been honoured with an MBE for services to Heritage and Regeneration in Coventry.
The 57-year-old Chartered Surveyor is managing director of Complex Development Projects (CDP), an award-winning family-owned company that specialises in urban regeneration by working in partnership with government, community groups and charities.
He is also Chairman of Historic Coventry Trust, the charity leading the revival of Coventry’s historic buildings, and a Trustee of City of Culture 2021.
Ian, a former pupil of King Henry VIII’s School, said: “The award is a recognition of efforts of the very many people from all walks of life that I have worked with over many years towards the aim of making Coventry a great place again.
“For the first time in my life, this is really within our grasp and it just shows that there are no limits to what we can achieve by working together. Everyone has their own individual talents and by combining together we have become a pretty unstoppable force for good.
“I wouldn’t have been able to achieve half of what I’ve done over the years without the never-ending support of my husband José, my assistant Kate and my family.
“We inspire and encourage each other and share the ups and downs. It is perhaps apt that the secret for Coventry’s brighter future has been for the city to pull together like a big family.”
CDP, which Ian runs jointly with his brother Brian from offices in Coventry and London, is renowned for tackling challenging sites delivering pioneering and innovative projects which breathe new life into urban centres.
The company’s partnership with Coventry City Council has recently regenerated the historic Far Gosford St area as the city’s creative quarter centred on Fargo Village, and has been a leading partner in the City of Culture bid.
CDP’s innovative reuse of the city’s 1896 power station, which was threatened with demolition, created Electric Wharf, a live/work creative village which won Outstanding Place of the Decade in 2010.
The company is also working on major projects in Birmingham, Smethwick, Stourbridge and Bristol while work starts shortly on a long-term partnership for the regeneration of Old Town Leamington Spa as a new quarter for digital and creative industries.
Acting personally, Ian joined with the local community in 2011 to found Historic Coventry Trust to save Coventry’s Charterhouse, a former Carthusian Monastery founded by Richard II in 1385.
The Charterhouse now forms the centrepiece of plans for a new 70 acre Heritage Park – a £15m project that will provide an exceptional landscape next to the city centre. The charity has grown in aspiration to become a ‘National Trust’ for Coventry with the aim of preserving all heritage at risk for future generations and bringing buildings back into productive economic, cultural and social use.
Delivery of the vision was recently boosted by a ground-breaking deal with Coventry City Council to transfer ownership of 27 historic buildings and sites to the Trust which is the largest ever in the UK. If the funding can be secured, this will kick-start a five-year restoration and regeneration programme in excess of £30m.
Caption: Ian Harrabin, who has been awarded an MBE in the New Year’s Honours list (left) with his brother, Brian, and West Midlands Mayor Andy Street, at FarGo Village, one of his ground breaking developments.
