Latest news with #SSDA
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Scotsman
27-05-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Center Parcs coming to the Scottish Borders is like a 'blue whale arriving in a medium-sized pond'
Center Parcs want to build its first site in Scotland near Hawick in the Scottish Borders. Sign up to our Scotsman Rural News - A weekly of the Hay's Way tour of Scotland emailed direct to you. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A tourism chief has compared the interest of Center Parcs in the Scottish Borders to a 'blue whale arriving in a medium-sized pond'. The hugely-successful holiday park company wants to build a £400 million site near Hawick, with a potential opening date of early 2029 proposed. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad An impression of some of the lodges planned for the proposed Centre Parcs site near Hawick in the Scottish Borders. Picture: Centre Parcs. | An impression of some of the lodges planned for the proposed Centre Parcs site near Hawick in the Scottish Borders. PIC: Centre Parcs. Center Parcs has signed an option for the land with the Duke of Buccleuch. The company's commitment to the area comes as major work advances in the Scottish Borders and Dumfries and Galloway to boost tourism revenue by £1 billion by 2034. David Hope-Jones, chief executive of the South of Scotland Destination Alliance (SSDA), said the investment of Center Parcs and the associated visitor numbers could be 'transformative' for the area. David Hope-Jones, chief executive of the South of Scotland Destination Alliance. | Contributed Mr Hope-Jones said: 'Essentially, it is the equivalent of a medium-sized pond and suddenly a blue whale arrives. It is the largest single investment that there has ever been - £400m. It is larger than the entire cost of the Borders Railway. 'It is going to create 1,200 year-round permanent jobs and that is probably where the biggest impact will be. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'When you take 1,200 jobs, even if they were at minimum wage, which they won't be, that is a total salary of £30m to £40m a year. That is going into pockets where it wasn't before. 'You look at Hawick, Jedburgh , Selkirk - these are towns that lost their mills between the 1970s and 1990s. Hawick High Street can feel like a depressing place at times. This is the equivalent of re-opening several of those old mills, but in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way.' Centre Parcs has proposed to build a new site on Duke of Buccleuch land just north of Hawick in the Scottish Borders. PIC: SSDA. | Centre Parcs has proposed to build a new site on Duke of Buccleuch land just north of Hawick in the Scottish Borders. PIC: SSDA. Center Parcs wants to build 700 lodges and accompanying tourist facilities on a site to the north of the town. If approved, it will be the company's first site in Scotland and its seventh in the UK and Ireland. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A series of public consultations has been held, with the most recent one last week at Hawick Rugby Club attended by Center Parcs' chief executive Colin McKinlay and Rajbinder Singh-Dehal, the chief corporate officer. Some concerns have been voiced about the loss of usable farmland and also that visitors might not venture into the surrounding area, according to accounts. Mr Hope-Jones said his own research found the 'overwhelming majority' of businesses locally were 'strongly supportive' of the development. He said: 'I would say there hasn't been a single item of news that has had such consistent positivity in places such as Hawick in decades and decades. I did a survey of businesses after one week and after six months and the overwhelming majority are strongly supportive.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Mr Hope-Jones said it was expected the SSDA would sign a formal partnership with Center Parcs by the time a planning application was submitted, which is due to happen in July. The partnership would look to encourage Center Parcs guests - with 35,000 a year expected to stay at the Hawick site - to explore the surrounding area. 'Even if we are only talking 10 per cent of guests bolting on a three or four-night stay afterwards, that would be transformative,' Mr Hope-Jones said. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad He added: 'The extraordinary thing about Center Parcs is not just the price point they command, the brand loyalty they command, but also their occupancy rates. They are phenomenal. READ MORE: 10 unique events taking place across Scotland this summer 'The most recent Center Parcs was built in Longford in the middle of Ireland, the bit that no one really knew about. Within five years - and it included Covid - they have got an occupancy rate of 98.8 per cent. 'It has taken one of the poorest areas of Ireland into one of the most economically active areas of Ireland in terms of job creation and taxation. The growth is unprecedented. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
Scotsman
27-05-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Center Parcs coming to the Scottish Borders is like a 'blue whale arriving in a medium-sized pond'
Center Parcs want to build its first site in Scotland near Hawick in the Scottish Borders. Sign up to our Scotsman Rural News - A weekly of the Hay's Way tour of Scotland emailed direct to you. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A tourism chief has compared the interest of Center Parcs in the Scottish Borders to a 'blue whale arriving in a medium-sized pond'. The hugely-successful holiday park company wants to build a £400 million site near Hawick, with a potential opening date of early 2029 proposed. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad An impression of some of the lodges planned for the proposed Centre Parcs site near Hawick in the Scottish Borders. Picture: Centre Parcs. | An impression of some of the lodges planned for the proposed Centre Parcs site near Hawick in the Scottish Borders. PIC: Centre Parcs. Center Parcs has signed an option for the land with the Duke of Buccleuch. The company's commitment to the area comes as major work advances in the Scottish Borders and Dumfries and Galloway to boost tourism revenue by £1 billion by 2034. David Hope-Jones, chief executive of the South of Scotland Destination Alliance (SSDA), said the investment of Center Parcs and the associated visitor numbers could be 'transformative' for the area. David Hope-Jones, chief executive of the South of Scotland Destination Alliance. | Contributed Mr Hope-Jones said: 'Essentially, it is the equivalent of a medium-sized pond and suddenly a blue whale arrives. It is the largest single investment that there has ever been - £400m. It is larger than the entire cost of the Borders Railway. 'It is going to create 1,200 year-round permanent jobs and that is probably where the biggest impact will be. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'When you take 1,200 jobs, even if they were at minimum wage, which they won't be, that is a total salary of £30m to £40m a year. That is going into pockets where it wasn't before. 'You look at Hawick, Jedburgh , Selkirk - these are towns that lost their mills between the 1970s and 1990s. Hawick High Street can feel like a depressing place at times. This is the equivalent of re-opening several of those old mills, but in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way.' Centre Parcs has proposed to build a new site on Duke of Buccleuch land just north of Hawick in the Scottish Borders. PIC: SSDA. | Centre Parcs has proposed to build a new site on Duke of Buccleuch land just north of Hawick in the Scottish Borders. PIC: SSDA. Center Parcs wants to build 700 lodges and accompanying tourist facilities on a site to the north of the town. If approved, it will be the company's first site in Scotland and its seventh in the UK and Ireland. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A series of public consultations has been held, with the most recent one last week at Hawick Rugby Club attended by Center Parcs' chief executive Colin McKinlay and Rajbinder Singh-Dehal, the chief corporate officer. Some concerns have been voiced about the loss of usable farmland and also that visitors might not venture into the surrounding area, according to accounts. Mr Hope-Jones said his own research found the 'overwhelming majority' of businesses locally were 'strongly supportive' of the development. He said: 'I would say there hasn't been a single item of news that has had such consistent positivity in places such as Hawick in decades and decades. I did a survey of businesses after one week and after six months and the overwhelming majority are strongly supportive.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Mr Hope-Jones said it was expected the SSDA would sign a formal partnership with Center Parcs by the time a planning application was submitted, which is due to happen in July. The partnership would look to encourage Center Parcs guests - with 35,000 a year expected to stay at the Hawick site - to explore the surrounding area. 'Even if we are only talking 10 per cent of guests bolting on a three or four-night stay afterwards, that would be transformative,' Mr Hope-Jones said. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad He added: 'The extraordinary thing about Center Parcs is not just the price point they command, the brand loyalty they command, but also their occupancy rates. They are phenomenal. READ MORE: 10 unique events taking place across Scotland this summer 'The most recent Center Parcs was built in Longford in the middle of Ireland, the bit that no one really knew about. Within five years - and it included Covid - they have got an occupancy rate of 98.8 per cent. 'It has taken one of the poorest areas of Ireland into one of the most economically active areas of Ireland in terms of job creation and taxation. The growth is unprecedented. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
Scotsman
27-05-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Centre Parcs coming to the Scottish Borders is like a 'blue whale arriving in a medium-sized pond'
Centre Parcs want to build its first site in Scotland near Hawick in the Scottish Borders. Sign up to our Scotsman Rural News - A weekly of the Hay's Way tour of Scotland emailed direct to you. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A tourism chief has compared the interest of Centre Parcs in the Scottish Borders to a 'blue whale arriving in a medium-sized pond'. The hugely-successful holiday park company wants to build a £400 million site near Hawick, with a potential opening date of early 2029 proposed. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad An impression of some of the lodges planned for the proposed Centre Parcs site near Hawick in the Scottish Borders. Picture: Centre Parcs. | An impression of some of the lodges planned for the proposed Centre Parcs site near Hawick in the Scottish Borders. PIC: Centre Parcs. Centre Parcs has signed an option for the land with the Duke of Buccleuch. The company's commitment to the area comes as major work advances in the Scottish Borders and Dumfries and Galloway to boost tourism revenue by £1 billion by 2034. David Hope-Jones, chief executive of the South of Scotland Destination Alliance (SSDA), said the investment of Centre Parcs and the associated visitor numbers could be 'transformative' for the area. David Hope-Jones, chief executive of the South of Scotland Destination Alliance. | Contributed Mr Hope-Jones said: 'Essentially, it is the equivalent of a medium-sized pond and suddenly a blue whale arrives. It is the largest single investment that there has ever been - £400m. It is larger than the entire cost of the Borders Railway. 'It is going to create 1,200 year-round permanent jobs and that is probably where the biggest impact will be. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'When you take 1,200 jobs, even if they were at minimum wage, which they won't be, that is a total salary of £30m to £40m a year. That is going into pockets where it wasn't before. 'You look at Hawick, Jedburgh , Selkirk - these are towns that lost their mills between the 1970s and 1990s. Hawick High Street can feel like a depressing place at times. This is the equivalent of re-opening several of those old mills, but in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way.' Centre Parcs has proposed to build a new site on Duke of Buccleuch land just north of Hawick in the Scottish Borders. PIC: SSDA. | Centre Parcs has proposed to build a new site on Duke of Buccleuch land just north of Hawick in the Scottish Borders. PIC: SSDA. Center Parcs wants to build 700 lodges and accompanying tourist facilities on a site to the north of the town. If approved, it will be the company's first site in Scotland and its seventh in the UK and Ireland. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A series of public consultations has been held, with the most recent one last week at Hawick Rugby Club attended by Centre Parcs' chief executive Colin McKinlay and Rajbinder Singh-Dehal, the chief corporate officer. Some concerns have been voiced about the loss of usable farmland and also that visitors might not venture into the surrounding area, according to accounts. Mr Hope-Jones said his own research found the 'overwhelming majority' of businesses locally were 'strongly supportive' of the development. He said: 'I would say there hasn't been a single item of news that has had such consistent positivity in places such as Hawick in decades and decades. I did a survey of businesses after one week and after six months and the overwhelming majority are strongly supportive.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Mr Hope-Jones said it was expected the SSDA would sign a formal partnership with Centre Parcs by the time a planning application was submitted, which is due to happen in July. The partnership would look to encourage Centre Parcs guests - with 35,000 a year expected to stay at the Hawick site - to explore the surrounding area. 'Even if we are only talking 10 per cent of guests bolting on a three or four-night stay afterwards, that would be transformative,' Mr Hope-Jones said. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad He added: 'The extraordinary thing about Centre Parcs is not just the price point they command, the brand loyalty they command, but also their occupancy rates. They are phenomenal. READ MORE: 10 unique events taking place across Scotland this summer 'The most recent Centre Parcs was built in Longford in the middle of Ireland, the bit that no one really knew about. Within five years - and it included Covid - they have got an occupancy rate of 98.8 per cent. 'It has taken one of the poorest areas of Ireland into one of the most economically active areas of Ireland in terms of job creation and taxation. The growth is unprecedented. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
The Advertiser
26-05-2025
- Business
- The Advertiser
Revamped 40-storey Wickham apartments to tower over city
The former Bowline apartment project in Wickham will grow to 40 storeys and become the tallest building in Newcastle, under an ambitious plan revealed by the site's new owners. The proposed building, renamed 'Wickham', would dwarf the 17-storey design, which was originally intended to be built on the site. The revised project would include 300 apartments, up from 118, as part of a mixed-use development. It will include ground floor retail activation, a podium-level hotel, specialist NDIS apartments and a three-level basement carpark. Significantly, 15 per cent of the apartments will be classified as affordable housing. The sites immediately surrounding Wickham are zoned for buildings up to 90 metres (about 30 storeys) and are eligible for an additional 30 per cent height with the inclusion of 15 per cent affordable housing based on state government planning incentives. This permits buildings up to 40 storeys, which the Wickham proposal seeks to align with. The state government's recently formed Housing Delivery Authority has recommended that the project be classified as a state-significant development. Once the Minister for Planning officially declares the project a state significant development, Urban will prepare and submit a formal SSDA later this year. At an estimated 130 metres tall, Wickham will be easily Newcastle's tallest building. The 76-metre southern tower of the One Apartments on National Park Street is presently the city's tallest building. The tallest building that's approved or under construction is the east tower of the Store development at 106 meters. The tallest of two towers (31-storeys) that a consortium has just applied to build on the Spotlight site in Hunter Street would be about the same height as the Store building. KPMG took control of the former Bowline site in November 2024 after Multipart Property's development vehicle, Dangar St Wickham Pty Ltd, filed for receivership. Sydney-based Urban Property Group acquired the project in March for an undisclosed sum through a competitive sale process managed by the receivers and managers. "This (Wickham) proposal signals our long-term commitment to Newcastle's growth," Urban Property Group head of planning Chris Ferreira said. "It's about more than just delivering housing, it's about shaping a vibrant, inclusive community that reflects the city's future. This development will become a defining feature of Wickham's transformation and a catalyst for broader renewal across the region." Mr Ferreira said community engagement would be a key element of preparing the SSDA. "There is an opportunity for us to deliver more homes, more places for businesses to thrive, more jobs, and more spaces for the community to come together - and having local input into how that happens is essential," he said. Urban has completed a range of large residential projects across Sydney and the Central Coast in recent years, including the Central Coast Quarter in Gosford. Architecture firm SJB, led by Adam Haddow, president-elect of the Australian Institute of Architects, has been appointed to reimagine the Wickham project. Twenty-two Hunter projects have been submitted to the HDA in the first six months of operation. Of those, 12 have been assessed and four have been declared a State Significant Development, which, if approved, would create more than 400 dwellings in total. In addition to the Bowline, a 12-storey, 140-apartment complex has been proposed for the old Channel 10 building on Darby Street, while the Ibis Hotel at 700 Hunter Street could be demolished to make way for 165 units. Once declared state significant, projects must begin the planning process within nine months. Once approved, construction must start within two years. The Bowline project faced ongoing delays since the development application was approved in 2019. They included a water leak in the excavated basement that took six months to fix and three changes in builders in three years. In June 2024, Multipart claimed to be owed $8.5 million by the project's previous builder, Eastern Pacific, after it lost its building licence and went into administration in March. Construction on the project ceased in March 2024. The former Bowline apartment project in Wickham will grow to 40 storeys and become the tallest building in Newcastle, under an ambitious plan revealed by the site's new owners. The proposed building, renamed 'Wickham', would dwarf the 17-storey design, which was originally intended to be built on the site. The revised project would include 300 apartments, up from 118, as part of a mixed-use development. It will include ground floor retail activation, a podium-level hotel, specialist NDIS apartments and a three-level basement carpark. Significantly, 15 per cent of the apartments will be classified as affordable housing. The sites immediately surrounding Wickham are zoned for buildings up to 90 metres (about 30 storeys) and are eligible for an additional 30 per cent height with the inclusion of 15 per cent affordable housing based on state government planning incentives. This permits buildings up to 40 storeys, which the Wickham proposal seeks to align with. The state government's recently formed Housing Delivery Authority has recommended that the project be classified as a state-significant development. Once the Minister for Planning officially declares the project a state significant development, Urban will prepare and submit a formal SSDA later this year. At an estimated 130 metres tall, Wickham will be easily Newcastle's tallest building. The 76-metre southern tower of the One Apartments on National Park Street is presently the city's tallest building. The tallest building that's approved or under construction is the east tower of the Store development at 106 meters. The tallest of two towers (31-storeys) that a consortium has just applied to build on the Spotlight site in Hunter Street would be about the same height as the Store building. KPMG took control of the former Bowline site in November 2024 after Multipart Property's development vehicle, Dangar St Wickham Pty Ltd, filed for receivership. Sydney-based Urban Property Group acquired the project in March for an undisclosed sum through a competitive sale process managed by the receivers and managers. "This (Wickham) proposal signals our long-term commitment to Newcastle's growth," Urban Property Group head of planning Chris Ferreira said. "It's about more than just delivering housing, it's about shaping a vibrant, inclusive community that reflects the city's future. This development will become a defining feature of Wickham's transformation and a catalyst for broader renewal across the region." Mr Ferreira said community engagement would be a key element of preparing the SSDA. "There is an opportunity for us to deliver more homes, more places for businesses to thrive, more jobs, and more spaces for the community to come together - and having local input into how that happens is essential," he said. Urban has completed a range of large residential projects across Sydney and the Central Coast in recent years, including the Central Coast Quarter in Gosford. Architecture firm SJB, led by Adam Haddow, president-elect of the Australian Institute of Architects, has been appointed to reimagine the Wickham project. Twenty-two Hunter projects have been submitted to the HDA in the first six months of operation. Of those, 12 have been assessed and four have been declared a State Significant Development, which, if approved, would create more than 400 dwellings in total. In addition to the Bowline, a 12-storey, 140-apartment complex has been proposed for the old Channel 10 building on Darby Street, while the Ibis Hotel at 700 Hunter Street could be demolished to make way for 165 units. Once declared state significant, projects must begin the planning process within nine months. Once approved, construction must start within two years. The Bowline project faced ongoing delays since the development application was approved in 2019. They included a water leak in the excavated basement that took six months to fix and three changes in builders in three years. In June 2024, Multipart claimed to be owed $8.5 million by the project's previous builder, Eastern Pacific, after it lost its building licence and went into administration in March. Construction on the project ceased in March 2024. The former Bowline apartment project in Wickham will grow to 40 storeys and become the tallest building in Newcastle, under an ambitious plan revealed by the site's new owners. The proposed building, renamed 'Wickham', would dwarf the 17-storey design, which was originally intended to be built on the site. The revised project would include 300 apartments, up from 118, as part of a mixed-use development. It will include ground floor retail activation, a podium-level hotel, specialist NDIS apartments and a three-level basement carpark. Significantly, 15 per cent of the apartments will be classified as affordable housing. The sites immediately surrounding Wickham are zoned for buildings up to 90 metres (about 30 storeys) and are eligible for an additional 30 per cent height with the inclusion of 15 per cent affordable housing based on state government planning incentives. This permits buildings up to 40 storeys, which the Wickham proposal seeks to align with. The state government's recently formed Housing Delivery Authority has recommended that the project be classified as a state-significant development. Once the Minister for Planning officially declares the project a state significant development, Urban will prepare and submit a formal SSDA later this year. At an estimated 130 metres tall, Wickham will be easily Newcastle's tallest building. The 76-metre southern tower of the One Apartments on National Park Street is presently the city's tallest building. The tallest building that's approved or under construction is the east tower of the Store development at 106 meters. The tallest of two towers (31-storeys) that a consortium has just applied to build on the Spotlight site in Hunter Street would be about the same height as the Store building. KPMG took control of the former Bowline site in November 2024 after Multipart Property's development vehicle, Dangar St Wickham Pty Ltd, filed for receivership. Sydney-based Urban Property Group acquired the project in March for an undisclosed sum through a competitive sale process managed by the receivers and managers. "This (Wickham) proposal signals our long-term commitment to Newcastle's growth," Urban Property Group head of planning Chris Ferreira said. "It's about more than just delivering housing, it's about shaping a vibrant, inclusive community that reflects the city's future. This development will become a defining feature of Wickham's transformation and a catalyst for broader renewal across the region." Mr Ferreira said community engagement would be a key element of preparing the SSDA. "There is an opportunity for us to deliver more homes, more places for businesses to thrive, more jobs, and more spaces for the community to come together - and having local input into how that happens is essential," he said. Urban has completed a range of large residential projects across Sydney and the Central Coast in recent years, including the Central Coast Quarter in Gosford. Architecture firm SJB, led by Adam Haddow, president-elect of the Australian Institute of Architects, has been appointed to reimagine the Wickham project. Twenty-two Hunter projects have been submitted to the HDA in the first six months of operation. Of those, 12 have been assessed and four have been declared a State Significant Development, which, if approved, would create more than 400 dwellings in total. In addition to the Bowline, a 12-storey, 140-apartment complex has been proposed for the old Channel 10 building on Darby Street, while the Ibis Hotel at 700 Hunter Street could be demolished to make way for 165 units. Once declared state significant, projects must begin the planning process within nine months. Once approved, construction must start within two years. The Bowline project faced ongoing delays since the development application was approved in 2019. They included a water leak in the excavated basement that took six months to fix and three changes in builders in three years. In June 2024, Multipart claimed to be owed $8.5 million by the project's previous builder, Eastern Pacific, after it lost its building licence and went into administration in March. Construction on the project ceased in March 2024. The former Bowline apartment project in Wickham will grow to 40 storeys and become the tallest building in Newcastle, under an ambitious plan revealed by the site's new owners. The proposed building, renamed 'Wickham', would dwarf the 17-storey design, which was originally intended to be built on the site. The revised project would include 300 apartments, up from 118, as part of a mixed-use development. It will include ground floor retail activation, a podium-level hotel, specialist NDIS apartments and a three-level basement carpark. Significantly, 15 per cent of the apartments will be classified as affordable housing. The sites immediately surrounding Wickham are zoned for buildings up to 90 metres (about 30 storeys) and are eligible for an additional 30 per cent height with the inclusion of 15 per cent affordable housing based on state government planning incentives. This permits buildings up to 40 storeys, which the Wickham proposal seeks to align with. The state government's recently formed Housing Delivery Authority has recommended that the project be classified as a state-significant development. Once the Minister for Planning officially declares the project a state significant development, Urban will prepare and submit a formal SSDA later this year. At an estimated 130 metres tall, Wickham will be easily Newcastle's tallest building. The 76-metre southern tower of the One Apartments on National Park Street is presently the city's tallest building. The tallest building that's approved or under construction is the east tower of the Store development at 106 meters. The tallest of two towers (31-storeys) that a consortium has just applied to build on the Spotlight site in Hunter Street would be about the same height as the Store building. KPMG took control of the former Bowline site in November 2024 after Multipart Property's development vehicle, Dangar St Wickham Pty Ltd, filed for receivership. Sydney-based Urban Property Group acquired the project in March for an undisclosed sum through a competitive sale process managed by the receivers and managers. "This (Wickham) proposal signals our long-term commitment to Newcastle's growth," Urban Property Group head of planning Chris Ferreira said. "It's about more than just delivering housing, it's about shaping a vibrant, inclusive community that reflects the city's future. This development will become a defining feature of Wickham's transformation and a catalyst for broader renewal across the region." Mr Ferreira said community engagement would be a key element of preparing the SSDA. "There is an opportunity for us to deliver more homes, more places for businesses to thrive, more jobs, and more spaces for the community to come together - and having local input into how that happens is essential," he said. Urban has completed a range of large residential projects across Sydney and the Central Coast in recent years, including the Central Coast Quarter in Gosford. Architecture firm SJB, led by Adam Haddow, president-elect of the Australian Institute of Architects, has been appointed to reimagine the Wickham project. Twenty-two Hunter projects have been submitted to the HDA in the first six months of operation. Of those, 12 have been assessed and four have been declared a State Significant Development, which, if approved, would create more than 400 dwellings in total. In addition to the Bowline, a 12-storey, 140-apartment complex has been proposed for the old Channel 10 building on Darby Street, while the Ibis Hotel at 700 Hunter Street could be demolished to make way for 165 units. Once declared state significant, projects must begin the planning process within nine months. Once approved, construction must start within two years. The Bowline project faced ongoing delays since the development application was approved in 2019. They included a water leak in the excavated basement that took six months to fix and three changes in builders in three years. In June 2024, Multipart claimed to be owed $8.5 million by the project's previous builder, Eastern Pacific, after it lost its building licence and went into administration in March. Construction on the project ceased in March 2024.
Daily Record
14-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Cycling in Dumfries and Galloway experiences 'transformative' 12 months
South of Scotland Cycling Partnership's review of 2024 has revealed a number of highlights, including major events in Gatehouse and Ae. The past 12 months have been described as 'nothing short of transformative' for cycling in Dumfries and Galloway. The past year saw the official launch of the Kirkpatrick C2C cycle route from Stranraer to Eyemouth as well as a range of improved cycle routes. And the region also played host to major events, with Ae Forest attracting 500 competitors for the British Enduro Championships and both the Raiders Gravel and The Gralloch being based in Gatehouse. These are among the highlights in the South of Scotland Cycling Partnership's review of 2024. The organisation is made up of a number of local and national organisations, including South of Scotland Destination Alliance, Dumfries and Galloway Council, Visit Scotland and South of Scotland Enterprise. Chief executive of SSDA, David Hope Jones, said: 'The year 2024 was nothing short of transformative for cycling in the south of Scotland. 'From hosting world-class events to launching the Kirkpatrick C2C, together we have shown the world what our region has to offer. 'These achievements are not only boosting our visitor economy, they are embedding cycling into the heart of our communities and landscape. 'The SSDA is proud to work alongside partners to ensure cycling continues to play a central role in putting the South of Scotland on the map for active and sustainable travel.' Chair of the council's education, skills and wellbeing committee, Councillor Maureen Johnstone, said: 'This review is a welcome one and shows how strong an offer we have as an area in relation to cycling. 'I would like to say thank you to all the partners who have come together to collaborate in this work to date, and long may it continue.' SOSE chairman, Professor Russel Griggs OBE, added: 'The South of Scotland Cycling Partnership Strategy annual review highlights the exceptional contribution of partners, businesses and community groups across the South who have made positive social and environmental impacts which cycling provides to our region. 'We want cycling to become the most popular choice for shorter, everyday journeys by 2032 in the South, and the review highlights the progress being made to achieving our collective goal.'
