Odeon redevelopment plans get the green light
Published on 23rd June 2011
Nottingham’s Development Control Committee gave its unanimous support to Mortar Developments’ plans to redevelop the former Odeon Cinema site and resolved to grant planning consent for the scheme at the Planning Committee meeting held on 22 June 2011. The Committee were particularly impressed with the quality of the design and positive impact it will have on the Maid Marian Way street scene.
The £30 million redevelopment will regenerate this key city centre site, which has remained derelict for over 10 years – the scheme will create 450 student beds and 18,750 sq ft of high quality retail and restaurant space.
The student accommodation will be taken by Kaplan, the US education specialist working in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, and will be occupied by overseas students undertaking further studies in Nottingham. The purpose built accommodation will help to ease the shortage of family housing around the city and bring potential foreign investment into Nottingham.
Located between Nottingham’s Angel Row and Maid Marian Way, the redevelopment will be an important gateway site and will also include the complete regeneration of Bromley Place and the creation of a vibrant street scene and new public open area. The scheme will adopt a low carbon and energy efficient design incorporating green wall and roof systems and will achieve a ‘Very Good’ BREEAM rating.
During the two year construction period up to 200 jobs will be created on site, with completion of the development creating over 100 permanent employment positions.
Project completion is expected during Summer 2014.
Mortar Developments in joint venture with UCL
Published on 22nd December 2010
Mortar Developments and leading university, UCL, currently ranked 4th in the world, have come together in a £41m joint venture to provide state of the art student accommodation in Islington for UCL.
The development will comprise 350 student beds in both cluster and studio formats together with 4000 sq ft of retail to be occupied by a Sainsbury’s Local. A further 2000 sq ft of retail space remains available, together with 6000 sq ft of office space.
The scheme complies fully with the new London Plan for future development within London as a whole and the London Borough of Islington. Moreover, the quality build will meet London’s promise to reduce carbon emissions by 20% through the use of renewable energy. The scheme will have a BREEAM ‘excellent’ rating and will incorporate a green roof and photo voltaic solar panels.
Situated on Caledonian Road adjacent to the Piccadilly Line tube station, the accommodation is ideally suited to UCL’s students being just 15 minutes from the University’s Bloomsbury Campus.
The Mortar team has worked closely alongside UCL on the project since the original application for planning was submitted by Mortar in 2009. Following recommendation for approval by the planning department, Islington’s planning committee subsequently refused planning in March 2010. Mortar and UCL immediately went forward to appeal the decision and a public planning inquiry concluded in October 2010. The Secretary of State granted planning consent on 24 November 2010.
UCL’s Chief Estates Surveyor, Colin Plank, stated “We believe the facilities that will be created by this new development will significantly benefit the welfare of our student population and contribute to the regeneration of the area”.
The existing site at Caledonian Road currently provides employment for just 10 people, who are to relocate to more suitable space immediately. During the 2 year construction period up to 200 people will be employed on site, with completion of the development creating over 60 permanent employment positions.
The scheme will augment the 3500 student bedrooms that UCL currently manage.
For further information please contact Mortar Developments T: 0115 9473100
E: info@mortardevelopments.co.uk
Student Tower Plans On Caledonian Road
Published on 2 June 2009 by Skyscrapernews.com
High-rise residential redevelopment could finally be starting to spread up London's Caledonian Road if plans by Mortar Developments get approved by Islington Council.
Set on the site of Mallet and Porter House adjacent to Caledonian Road's underground station, the scheme will have the retention of the eastern elevation of 465 Caledonian Road with the rest of the broadly triangular site demolished.
In the place of the existing buildings will be a new part 14, part 8 and part 6 building aimed at providing accommodation for students with 129 apartments translating into 398 bedrooms. Along the ground floor the developer intends to build a mix of 598 square metres of commercial space whilst the scheme also includes 590 square metres of office space with a separate entrance.
Designed by Steven George and Partners, the proposals have been penned to include a modest frontage along Caledonian Road rather than a gateway impact by having them stand six floors tall with the seventh floor set back from the frontage. It's only towards the back of the site around the south west that the building actually rises to its peak.
The architect has employed a surprisingly modern array of materials for the buildings facades with the stretch along Caledonian Road given three different looks creating the appearance of individual buildings with the retained façade of 465 Caledonian Road sited slap-bang in the middle surrounded by glass curtain walling.
On the walls of the tower there are particularly distinct vertical elements accentuating its height with the facades split into strips of glazing, white render and irregular patterns that work their way up sections of the building.
As one would expect from a project so close to an underground station, the development will be entirely car-free although this is bound to raise the ire of supporters of the disabled. Instead one cycling space will be provided for every two students with the rest presumably expected to use the public transport that serves the area well.
Growing numbers of overseas students continue to strengthen London's economy
19 March 2009 
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has today praised London’s universities and higher education colleges for defying the current economic downturn and increasing the number of international students studying in London by nearly 3,000.