Pictured above: (l-r) Simon Ganley, construction manager for St Modwen and Jon Hall, sales and marketing director for St Modwen Homes

Construction work has commenced on the first new homes to be built as part of St. Modwen's £1 billion regeneration of Longbridge. The scheme of 115 houses and apartments is the first housing development in the UK by St. Modwen Homes and is being delivered in partnership with the Government's Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), which is investing £3.7 million. Situated off Lickey Road, it will be launched to the public in July 2011.

700,000 bricks will be used in the £12.5 million construction process and a total of 30 specialist sub-contractors will work on the seven acre site, which is scheduled for completion in March 2012. The luxury development - which will be known as Park View - will set a new standard for residential accommodation in this part of the city and will be marketed to aspiring professional couples, families, first time buyers and downsizers looking for a low-maintenance new home. The homes will feature contemporary fitted kitchens including integrated appliances, along with luxurious bath and shower rooms.   

10 of the houses at Park View will be sold under the HCA's HomeBuy Direct initiative. The assistance scheme will see the Government and St. Modwen Homes lend up to a total of 30 per cent of the purchase price for eligible buyers with a household income of less than £60,000. The deposit required to purchase a HomeBuy Direct home is a minimum of five per cent, giving vying first time buyers who may otherwise be unable to access the housing ladder the chance to own their own property. 

Jon Hall, Sales and Marketing Director for St. Modwen Homes comments: "It is highly fitting that the first development by St. Modwen Homes is at our flagship 468 acre Longbridge development. Park View marks a new era for St. Modwen and a new era for Longbridge; we are creating high quality homes to establish a new community at the former MG Rover car plant."

Jon Hall continued: "Construction work is underway and we are on track to open the marketing suite and show homes on site in July. We have hand-selected each specialist sub-contractor company and the materials and fixtures and fittings are specified to a high standard throughout each house and apartment. As the first, ground-breaking development by St. Modwen Homes, this is a very exciting project within the wider regeneration of Longbridge, which is making such significant headway."

Park View's 115 homes will comprise two, three and four bedroom houses, including a mix of terraced, semi-detached and detached designs. There will also be 12 two bedroom apartments, housed in a two-storey apartment building. 34 of the houses being developed by St. Modwen Homes at Park View are for Waterloo Housing Association, which have been specified to the Code for Sustainable Homes Level 4 and include water and energy saving products, such as rain water harvesting and photovoltaic solar panels, which will generate electric to the homes. 

Paul Spooner, director for the HCA West Midlands said: "It is fantastic to see construction work underway at Park View, Longbridge. This development is a key priority for the local community and the city of Birmingham and we are delighted that our investment has enabled these first 115 homes to be delivered.  

"Our investment will also unlock the wider regeneration of Longbridge, helping to safeguard and create jobs, complement the commercial redevelopment and support the city's overall economic growth." 

St. Modwen has invested over £75 million at Longbridge since acquiring the 468 acre site in 2003. This investment to date has already created 660 permanent jobs at Longbridge through the development of the Technology Park and Cofton Centre. Further jobs will be created through the proposed new town centre -which is currently being considered for planning approval - and increased car production at MG Motor UK Limited, together with the 500 new jobs generated through the relocation of the £66 million state-of-the-art Bournville College in September 2011.