NCHA Case Study:

The Fabric Building, Leicester

 

A disused hosiery factory in the heart of Leicester’s vibrant city centre, is to take on a new lease of life when it is converted into 40 smart ‘city living’ style apartments together with a ground floor retail unit.

The £4.5million scheme, on the corner of Yeoman Street and Yeoman Lane is surrounded by some of the city’s most fashionable bars and restaurants, and is a partnership project between Loughborough-based builder and developer, William Davis Ltd, Nottingham Community Housing Association and LETS Select Ltd, NCHA’s new commercial subsidiary. The redevelopment is being partially funded by the Housing Corporation.

The Fabric building, Leicester,

before development work started

 

The former Victorian factory will become one and two bedroom apartments – one to wheelchair standard – 14 of which will be available for shared ownership, 10 for market rent and 16 for sale. A retail unit will be made available on the ground floor level and the bottom storey of the building will provide parking for the apartments. Yeoman Street is within the Leicester Regeneration area and the building will retain its external façade and distinctive roofline in sympathy with existing buildings in the locale.

To celebrate the launch of the scheme which is LETS Select’s first development and NCHA’s first shared-ownership scheme in Leicester, the partners met for a traditional ‘Builder’s Breakfast’ of bacon butties and sausage baps with plenty of tomato ketchup and brown sauce, all expertly barbecued on site.

Commenting on behalf of NCHA, Assistant Development Director Gary Turner said
“NCHA are pleased to be working in the St. Georges Regeneration area alongside Leicester Regeneration Company, Leicester City Council, The Housing Corporation and William Davis Ltd. Our combined efforts will bring back into use a significant and prominent Victorian building and provide high quality homes to meet a range of housing needs in this area of the city.”

Chinking mugs of tea with the various guests, Guy Higgins, managing director, William Davis Ltd said: “We are delighted to be involved in this scheme, which is NCHA’s first shared ownership development in Leicester - we hope this is the first of many with LETS Select. I could certainly cope with having this delicious breakfast more often, though sadly my waistline probably couldn’t!”

 

 

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