The development has delivered 167 high quality and sustainable homes, comprised of one and two bedroom apartments and townhouses, as well as new public realm, ground-floor commercial units, and communal outdoor spaces. It is Placefirst’s most sustainable development to-date, built with energy-efficient technologies including rooftop solar panels, heat pumps and enhanced insulation to help lower residents’ energy bills while contributing to a greener future for Bolton.

The completion of Deansgate Gardens underlines Placefirst’s continued commitment to delivering high-quality rental homes across the UK. It also represents the delivery of a key part of Bolton Council’s £1bn masterplan to regenerate the town centre, which will deliver modern housing, new workplaces, revitalised retail and leisure opportunities, green spaces, and improved connectivity.

Placefirst has worked closely with the council to deliver the scheme, ensuring that it aligns with local priorities and meets the demand for long-term, professionally managed and centrally located rental properties in the town.
 

Caddick acted as the main contractor for Deansgate Gardens, delivering the project in close collaboration with Placefirst and a team of expert consultants. Levitt Bernstein designed the scheme, alongside Walker Sime, CW Studio, Alan Johnston Partnership and Mackie Project Consultants.

Deansgate Gardens was built on a former commercial and retail site, which dates back to the Victorian era. The new development references the sites heritage, by retaining the name, and the ‘ginnel’ route linking Deansgate to the site of the former Chapel Alley. 

The scheme was funded by Placefirst, along with a £22.6m loan contribution from the Greater Manchester Pension Fund (GMPF).

Commenting on the completion, Phil Jones, Development Director of Placefirst, said: “The completion of Deansgate gardens marks not only an exciting step for our delivery of quality homes across the UK, but also an important milestone in the regeneration of Bolton. This development is a prime example of how we work collaboratively with our partners and local authorities to meet the growing demand for quality, long term rental homes, whilst contributing to local priorities.

“Working closely with Bolton Council on Deansgate Gardens has enabled us to deliver a scheme that aligns with Bolton’s wider ambitions, creates homes for local people, and that demonstrates the important role purpose-built rental communities can play in supporting wider urban renewal.”

Dave Saville, Regional Managing Director of Caddick Construction in North West comments: “Deansgate Gardens marks the second scheme built by Caddick and delivered for Placefirst, with the handover of 122 new homes at the Bolt Works scheme in Halifax earlier in the summer. Both Bolt Works and the newly completed Deansgate Gardens have proven what’s possible when underutilised brownfield sites are reimagined with the community at the heart. It has been a pleasure to work with Placefirst, who share our ambition to create only the highest quality homes for local people. Sustainability and collaboration were embedded from the outset and have ensured a robust design and build process and we’re pleased to have now officially handed over Deansgate Gardens to Placefirst and to have welcomed the first residents.

Cllr Nick Peel, Leader of Bolton Council, added: “Deansgate Gardens is central to the ongoing regeneration of Bolton as we reimagine our town centre and transform our local economy.

“As consumers move away from physical retail, vibrant urban developments like this are the basis of a new model providing the right mix of leisure, hospitality and employment space, alongside traditional shopping.

“As we shape our local plan, this development offers the perfect example of how we can meet our housing targets by delivering quality homes on brownfield land.

“As employers across the borough look to attract new talent to Bolton, Deansgate Gardens will be an important ‘pull factor’, offering quality facilities, town centre living, and excellent transport links.”

The post Placefirst completes £35m Deansgate Gardens build-to-rent scheme in Bolton town centre appeared first on Placefirst Latest News.

New homes are available at Deansgate Gardens, Placefirst’s new £35m development of high-quality, energy-efficient homes at the heart of Bolton town centre, where the first residents have already moved in.[KJ1]

Located just opposite the former Beales department store and within walking distance of Bolton Town Hall, Deansgate Gardens is a stunning new residential neighbourhood of 167 homes, designed to meet the demands of modern renters. The development offers a range of one and two-bedroom apartments and townhouses, [KJ2] [MH3] each carefully designed with spacious layouts, energy-efficient features and contemporary finishes.

Deansgate Gardens is Placefirst’s most sustainable development to-date, built with a focus on reducing environmental impact while keeping costs low for residents. The development features energy-efficient technologies including rooftop solar panels, heat pumps and enhanced insulation, which help lower energy bills while contributing to a greener future. Residents can enjoy a comfortable, eco-friendly lifestyle while keeping their monthly costs down.

Designed with a strong sense of community in mind, Deansgate Gardens offers a range of high-quality amenities including green spaces, rooftop terraces and pedestrian-friendly streets. The development’s central square and communal courtyards provide spaces for residents to relax and socialise, creating a welcoming, connected neighbourhood.
 

The development is also well-served by excellent transport links, with the train station and bus interchange just a short walk away, making it easy for residents to commute to work, explore the surrounding areas, or enjoy a day out in nearby parks like Queen’s Park and along the River Croal.

Deansgate Gardens is a key part of Bolton Council’s £1bn regeneration masterplan, which is transforming the town centre into a vibrant place to live, with high quality buildings and well considered outdoor and communal spaces that benefit the whole community. [KJ4] The development complements the ongoing improvements to local infrastructure and public realm, adding to the town’s appeal and supporting its growing economy.

Placefirst’s dedicated Resident Services Manager and 24/7 maintenance team will ensure that residents enjoy hassle-free living with a fully maintained home, designed for long-term rental. [KJ5]

David Mawson, CEO at Placefirst, commented: “Handing the keys to our first residents at Deansgate Gardens marks a significant step in our contribution to the transformation of Bolton’s town centre. This development reflects our ongoing commitment to creating sustainable, high-quality rental homes in the North-West. Deansgate Gardens is more than just a collection of new homes. Through high quality houses, sustainable design, professional service and attractive publicspaces, it’s a neighbourhood designed to enrich the lives of its residents [KJ6] and complement the wider regeneration of the town. It’s the perfect location for anyone looking to be part of Bolton’s exciting future and, as the first residents move in, we look forward to seeing the neighbourhood thrive.”

Cllr Nick Peel, Leader of Bolton Council, added: “We are delighted to welcome residents to their new home at Deansgate Gardens, they join a growing number of people choosing to move to Bolton town centre.

“They will enjoy easy access to Queens Park which recently won another Green Flag Award, as well as Market Place, Bolton Central Library and Museum, the Octagon Theatre, Bolton Market and Food Hall and everything else our town centre has to offer.

“Bringing more people into the centre is a key part of our ongoing regeneration, creating a more vibrant atmosphere, boosting the local economy, attracting more businesses investment and creating jobs.”

The post New high-quality rental homes available at Placefirst’s £35m Deansgate Gardens development in Bolton town centre appeared first on Placefirst Latest News.

Greater Manchester Pension Fund (GMPF) has provided a loan of £31.3mn to developer Placefirst, an award-winning single-family rental and build-to-rent developer-operator with an established portfolio across the North of England, to support the delivery of much-needed housing in the North West. CBRE’s Lending team advised the Fund.

The loan will be split between two Build to Rent (BTR) schemes in Bolton and Halifax town centres.

The Bolton project has received £22.6mn for the delivery of 167 one and two-bedroom units. Previously a brownfield site, the 1.1-hectare site will also offer around 5,000 sq ft of commercial space on the ground floor, communal green areas and a new public square within the scheme.

The transformation of a former multi-storey car park in Halifax into 122 one and two-bedroom units, has received £8.75mn to enable the development of high-quality sustainable homes, alongside a communal recreation space for residents.

Both developments will provide new high-quality affordable rental housing in priority regeneration areas, catalysing investment in their respective town centres.

Each development is all-electric, partly supported by PV panels and air source heat pumps and will offer cycle and EV parking spaces. Furthermore, all units will have a minimum of EPC B.

Cllr Gerald Cooney, Chair of GMPF said: “As a leader of a Council as well as a chair of a pension fund I know the depth of the housing crisis in which we find ourselves as a nation. We see it as we place record numbers of homeless children in temporary accommodation; as we grapple with waiting lists for social housing getting longer and longer; and younger residents are priced out of home ownership. That’s why we are proud to make this investment with Placefirst and support the Government’s plan to provide much needed affordable homes for hardworking families whilst delivering strong low risk returns to pay the pensions of our hardworking members.”

Will Church, Executive Director, CBRE said: “We deploy significant amounts of debt from our pool of capital into the North West, as recently demonstrated by these two whole loans to Placefirst. This is the second loan we have made on behalf of GMPF since securing our mandate and the first housing-led loan. This loan will contribute to the essential housing needed in the region, while adding real socio-economic benefits to Bolton and Halifax town centres. We remain interested in supporting further development across all main asset classes with loans that have appropriate risk adjusted characteristics and, crucially, which bring regeneration to the region.”

David Mawson, chief executive for Placefirst, said: “We’ve long been committed to addressing housing shortages by delivering much-needed high-quality rental homes in prime locations. Through these brownfield developments, Placefirst will revitalise neighbourhoods that have been bursting with potential, leaving behind well-connected homes that offer communities a new standard for rental living.

“As developers and operators, we are long-term partners with our residents and the communities we build in which is why we’re people-focused from design to operation. This GMPF loan is a testament to the social and economic benefits our developments have been proven to deliver for local communities. From encouraging wider investment into the area to helping communities connect, our developments offer long-standing value.”

Both schemes are under construction, with each expected to reach practical completion in 2025. Once complete Placefirst will remain on site and be responsible for managing every aspect of the neighbourhood through the appointment of dedicated resident services managers.

The post Greater Manchester Property Fund Provides £31.3mn Loan to Support Housing Delivery in North West appeared first on Placefirst Latest News.

● Award-winning build-to-rent specialist Placefirst releases new images of Deansgate Gardens

● Project will deliver 167 high-quality, sustainable new homes for long-term private rental

● Development forms part of Bolton Council’s £1bn masterplan to transform the town centre

● The scheme demonstrates Placefirst’s continued commitment to the North West
 

Newly released images have revealed how a multi-million-pound development will “completely transform” Bolton town centre.

The computer-generated images have been unveiled by award-winning build-to-rent (BTR) developer Placefirst and depict its new £35m scheme, which has today been officially named as Deansgate Gardens.

The development, located opposite the former Beales department store and a stone’s throw from Bolton’s Town Hall, will deliver 167 new high-quality, sustainable homes for long-term private rent, as well as extensive public realm and commercial space.

The name Deansgate Gardens takes inspiration from the area’s vibrant heritage and reputation as a major commercial, retail and social hub during the 19^th century. Placefirst also consulted with not only Bolton Council, but also members of the public to receive input into the name, during the summer’s hugely successful Bolton Food and Drink Festival.

David Mawson, CEO at Placefirst, commented: “These stunning new images of Deansgate Gardens offer a new look into our first contribution towards a bright and brilliant future for Bolton town centre.

“We are immensely proud to be delivering such a transformative scheme, one which will deliver a community of much-needed new quality rental homes right in the heart of Bolton town centre.

“As placemaking specialists, our goal is always to create sustainable new neighbourhoods that people benefit from and take pride in – and we will achieve just that with Deansgate Gardens.”

The Deputy Leader of Bolton City Council, Cllr Akhtar Zaman, said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Placefirst on this transformative scheme. Attracting more people to live in the town centre is a key part of our regeneration strategy, and building quality long-term rental properties like Deansgate Gardens will help us achieve this goal.

“The new name reflects the important heritage of this particular site, which will once again become a bustling and vibrant neighbourhood in the town centre.

“The latest images show how impressive the finished development will be, complementing the many other projects which are transforming Bolton into and even better place to live, work and visit.”

Placefirst worked with award-winning architect Levitt Bernstein and landscape architect CW Studio to design the 1.1-hectare scheme.

Construction began in March this year at the site, which was previously home to a car park and several disused buildings.

Building works are now well underway to transform the brownfield site into a vibrant new neighbourhood with rooftop terraces, resident gardens and courtyards.

Designed with the local community in mind, the neighbourhood will also include ground-floor commercial spaces, a spacious central square, communal green areas and pedestrian-led spaces.

Deansgate Gardens is projected for completion in summer 2025, with Placefirst remaining on-site to oversee the management and maintenance of the neighbourhood with professional in-house teams.
 

The scheme forms a central component to Bolton Council's £1bn masterplan to transform the town centre by blending high-quality buildings and carefully designed public spaces.

The post New Images and Official Name Unveiled for Multi-Million Pound Neighbourhood in Bolton Town Centre appeared first on Placefirst Latest News.