Pictured above: Stephen Knowles, Project Director for Crest Nicholson at Park Central

Crest Nicholson has reached a milestone at its Park Central development in Birmingham city centre, where construction is now under way on a £15 million phase of new apartments and innovative family homes.

The ground is currently being cleared to prepare the 2.6 acre site for the 'Lower Parkside' phase at Park Central, following a £3.2 million boost from the Homes and Communities agency in the form of Kickstart funding.  

Bordered by Lee Bank Middleway, Lower Parkside will comprise a total of 80 contemporary apartments in four individual buildings, together with 27 freehold townhouses - a unique proposition in the city centre marketplace. Each apartment and townhouse will have at least one car parking space, a bonus for the city centre where parking provision is at a premium. The first homes in the new phase are set to be released to the market by Crest Nicholson by the end of the 2010, boosting the choice of high quality properties currently available for today's homebuyers.

Stephen Knowles, Project Director for Crest Nicholson at Park Central, explained the significance of this latest phase. He said: "The economic climate has halted many new residential developments across the UK; however at Park Central we are bucking this trend with the delivery of a collection of new homes. The success of the current phases of parkside apartments at Park Central has put us in a strong position and, with Kickstart funding as a catalyst, we are now boosting the provision of quality new apartments and townhouses in Birmingham city centre so we can continue to tap into the demand that clearly exists in the regional marketplace.   

"Crest Nicholson is one of only a handful of developers with active new homes sites in the heart of Birmingham city centre and having a considerable construction presence now on site is a landmark for the scheme. In delivering on our plans for Lower Parkside, we are taking a massive step towards creating and supporting an exciting new community at Park Central; and we are also hopeful our progress will also help to position Birmingham city centre as a thriving destination for today's homebuyers."   

Properties in the new phase at Park Central have been designed to meet high national design standards, meaning homeowners benefit from living in a low maintenance property that is significantly more environmentally friendly and energy efficient than the vast majority of second hand homes on the market.  

Pictured above: Typical Townhouse interior at Park Central

Each new home will also come complete with individually-designed kitchens featuring a stainless steel oven, hob and extractor, and integrated appliances. Contemporary bathrooms will feature Hansgrohe mixer taps and stylish Porcelanosa tiling, along with Kaldewai enamelled steel baths and chrome towel rails. This quality, hand-picked specification has proven popular with purchasers on previous phases at Park Central, as it means homeowners can move straight in without the hassle of undertaking any costly DIY projects.

Jo Parker, sales manager at Park Central, believes the new homes will have a wide appeal. Jo said: "Crest takes very seriously its commitment to building a range of properties to support a diverse and sustainable city centre community; hence the Lower Parkside apartments have been designed to appeal to a range of purchasers, from first time buyers and young professionals, to families and investors. At Park Central we consistently achieve a relatively high level of sales and this due to the scope of properties available, competitive prices, and government assistance schemes which we offer to help eligible purchasers move on and up the property ladder, even in a challenging economic climate."

A selection of contemporary one bedroom apartments is currently available in the Upper Parkside phase at Park Central, with prices starting from just £90,000, or £63,000 using HomeBuy Direct. Two bedroom apartments are available from £146,500 or £102,550 with HomeBuy Direct.

Eligible purchasers with a household income of less than £60,000 can take advantage of HomeBuy Direct. The initiative sees the government and housebuilder cover up to 15 per cent each or 30 per cent in total of the property price with a loan. This then leaves the buyer with a more affordable mortgage for the remaining 70 per cent. A major benefit of HomeBuy Direct is that the buyer retains 100 per cent ownership of their property.  

Bordered by Bath Row and Lee Bank Middleway, Park Central offers buyers the very best in city living, located only minutes away from The Mailbox. With eight acres of landscaped public parkland at the heart of the scheme, Park Central is a unique proposition for city living in Birmingham.