Wavensmere picked for Waterway House resi
A prime site close to Nottingham railway station will be taken forward by the regeneration specialist, following its selection by land promoter Rainer Developments & Strategic Land.
The island site is accessed off Crocus Street, just south of Nottingham railway station and tram stop, in an area undergoing rapid change.
Rainier took the site through the planning process last year, establishing full consent to demolish the vacant two-storey office block and replace it with a 191-apartment residential development. BDP drew up designs, with Turley working on planning. BWB and LBD also advised.
Birmingham-headquartered Wavensmere Homes has now appointed architect Corstorphine & Wright to design a scheme for a fresh application.
The site is bordered by Waterway Street to the south, Newthorpe Street to the east, and Crocus Street to the north, ith an area of public realm and the tram line to the west.
Previously owned by Nottingham City Council, the site has lain largely vacant and unoccupied since 2021.
James Dickens, managing director of Wavensmere Homes, said the site fits within the firm’s MO: “Nottingham has been a key target for us for several years, but the site needed to be right. Our Nightingale Quarter development is moments away from Derby Train Station, while Canalside South is next to Wolverhampton Transport Interchange.
“Given its sustainable city centre location – by the train station and tram stops – we are very excited about the potential for the Waterway House site, which is a genuine gateway into Nottingham’s city core. It’s the opportunity we’ve been waiting for and we’re delighted to be selected by Rainier to take this site forward.”
Situated within the mixed-use Canalside Quarter of the city, there is an established residential estate to the south. Amenities close by include Queens Walk play park and recreation ground.
Public consultation on the new design proposals is expected to take place before the end of this year, prior to plans being submitted.
Richard Mees, chief executive of Rainier Developments & Strategic Land, said: “Wavensmere’s reputation for delivering complex city centre regeneration schemes shone through when we were undergoing our developer selection process.
“The scale and setting of the Waterway House site has the potential to make a much needed contribution to Nottingham’s housing shortfall, while also transforming the street scene and driving investment into this quarter of the city centre.
“Attracting a Midlands-based housebuilder who has accrued such a stellar national reputation is good news for Nottingham’s residential market. We very much look forward to seeing Wavensmere’s plans evolve over the coming months.”
Headquartered in Edgbaston, Wavensmere now has 3,500 homes on site, or currently in planning. The 10-year-old company is in the final phase of the £175m redevelopment of the former Derbyshire Royal Infirmary as the Nightingale Quarter, and has six further major brownfield regeneration schemes in the works.
Rainier’s consent establishing the principle of development can be viewed on Nottingham City Council’s planning portal, with the reference 23/01897/PFUL3. That scheme amounted to 122 one-bedroom and 69 two-bed apartments.
