The London Borough of Redbridge has selected Bellway Homes as development partner to bring forward a flagship scheme as part of the regeneration of Ilford town centre, known as ‘Unity Square’.
Commercial property consultants Drivers Jonas had advised the Borough.
The £100 million project will provide a new cultural focus for Ilford town centre, based on a strikingly designed public square with retail and leisure facilities. The scheme will also create over 500 new homes for keyworker and private occupiers on an area of underused land.
As an integral part of the project, Ilford’s Kenneth More Theatre is to be replaced by a modern theatre auditorium and additional space for the performing arts. The 300-seat theatre will include new build facilities; carefully integrated with the concert hall in the Grade II listed Town Hall – the buildings will be combined technically and historically to provide an invigorating new space at the heart of Ilford.
The highly glazed theatre will be open during the day offering a public thoroughfare from the existing Town Hall and the town centre plus a lower foyer event space and café.
Vicky Trietline, partner at Drivers Jonas, said: “This is an exciting joint venture that will add considerable value to the wider community of Ilford and Redbridge. The provision of modern theatre facilities in the town centre and the additional retail and leisure space will boost Ilford’s competitiveness in the region. The high-quality residential housing scheme of both private and shared ownership units will further contribute to the regeneration of Ilford’s Metropolitan Town Centre.”
Mark Lucas, Head of Regeneration at London Borough of Redbridge, commented: “An important milestone has been reached in the selection of Bellway Homes following a rigorous OJEU tender process, in which ‘Drivers Jonas’ professional advice has been invaluable.”
Bellway Homes, in partnership with Metropolitan Housing Partnership and Coplan Estates, are appointed developers and Levitt Bernstein as lead designers and Whitelaw Turkington as landscape consultants.
The project will be completed in 2010.
(JM/SP)
Construction News
17/08/2007
£100m Regeneration Of Unity Square

01/07/2025
Construction firm GRAHAM is making strong progress on the University of Manchester's flagship Fallowfield Campus redevelopment, working as part of the Viridis Consortium alongside partners Equitix and Derwent FM.
Following the demolition of the iconic Owens Park Tower, the project has now entered i

01/07/2025
Kirklees Council has announced that the West Yorkshire Archive Service (WYAS) will be moving into a new, purpose-built home within Huddersfield's flagship library hub, part of the Our Cultural Heart regeneration scheme.
The move marks a major milestone in the preservation and accessibility of the b

01/07/2025
Dalkia UK has officially assumed responsibility for the facilities management services at eight nuclear power stations operated by EDF Nuclear Operations.
The newly secured contract includes a wide range of essential services, including mechanical and electrical maintenance, building and grounds up

01/07/2025
Ofgem has provisionally approved a landmark £24 billion investment package to upgrade Britain's energy infrastructure, strengthen energy security, and accelerate the transition to clean power.
The initial funding, announced on July 1, is part of a wider £80 billion programme that represents the mo

01/07/2025
Engineering specialist MARCH has been appointed to United Utilities' Monitoring and Control Systems Integration framework, further strengthening its role in supporting vital water infrastructure projects across the North West.
The framework, which will initially run for five years with the potentia

01/07/2025
THE GUARDTECH GROUP are gearing up for a golden second half of year with THREE awards showpieces on the calendar.
First up, the cleanroom construction experts are finalists for the Large Business of the Year gong at the prestigious Suffolk Business Awards.
That event takes place on Thursday 10 Jul

01/07/2025
Leeds College of Building (LCB) has launched a refreshed brand identity and a new website as it celebrates 65 years of delivering specialist education and training in the construction industry.
The rebrand follows an 18-month collaboration with branding agency Born Communication, aiming to better r

01/07/2025
Three major projects delivered by Farrans have been named among the UK and Ireland’s best in the shortlist for the 2025 British Construction and Infrastructure Awards.
The Gull Wing Bridge in Suffolk, constructed by Farrans on behalf of Suffolk County Council, has been shortlisted in the Best Trans

01/07/2025
Persimmon Homes Wessex and Selwood Housing have formalised a new agreement to deliver additional affordable homes at the Backbridge Farm development in Malmesbury.
The two organisations have exchanged contracts on six high-quality homes, which Persimmon will complete and hand over to Selwood Housin

01/07/2025
More than 200 pupils from 14 Manchester schools came together to celebrate their achievements in sustainability and environmental action, as part of the city’s Eco-Schools programme.
Teachers and community leaders joined the pupils in Heaton Park to officially recognise the schools that have led t