Willmott Dixon has commenced construction work on a £65 million landmark development in Northminster.

The project is taking place on behalf of Peterborough Investment Partnership (PIP), has officially started on site with a ground-breaking ceremony attended by city leaders.

The new Northminster development will boast 315 units consisting of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, and 37 townhouses. The two ground floor units present leisure and hospitality commercial space opportunities, and residents will also benefit from improved public space at nearby Laxton Square.

Using innovative construction methods to build better, greener and smarter, the leading contractor plans to make efficiency savings through pre-manufactured value, which it forecasts will contribute to 63 per cent of the project value. Offsite elements will include a lightgauge steel frame, brick slips and the use of bathroom pods, which will help to ensure quality, programme certainty and come with environmental benefits.

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Due to be finished in August 2024, the development, which is, in part, being funded by a £14 million grant from Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, will provide much needed high-quality and affordable housing. All homes will be let at discounted rents, set at or below 80 per cent of the normal market rate.

The Northminster development is the latest in a recent string of high-profile projects for Willmott Dixon, which includes the build of 430 apartments on the Perry Barr Residential Scheme in Birmingham and the award-winning Town House at Kingston University that received the Royal Institute of British Architects’ prestigious Stirling Prize last year.

David McCallion, director at Willmott Dixon, said: "We are proud to be delivering this fantastic ten-storey flagship Northminster development in collaboration with PIP, providing affordable housing stock and valuable commercial spaces to further attract investment into the area. This is such an important regeneration project for Northminster and we are looking forward to working alongside our delivery partners to revitalise the area for residents and the wider community."