Wavensmere Homes Secures Prime City Regeneration Site Close to Nottingham Railway Station

Station and tram stop. The prime residential development opportunity has been promoted through the planning process by Rainier Developments and Strategic Land, with full consent granted by the City Council last year.

The 0.25 Ha island site is bordered by Waterway Street to the south, Newthorpe Street to the east, Crocus Street to the north, and with an area of public realm and the tram line to the west.

The existing site comprises Waterway House – a vacant 1970s two-storey office building with around 750sqm of floorspace – and cleared hardstanding areas. Previously owned by Nottingham City Council, the site has lain largely vacant and unoccupied since 2021. 

James Dickens, managing director of Wavensmere Homes, said: “Nottingham has been a key target for us for several years, but the site needed to be right. Our Nightingale Quarter development is moments away from Derby Train Station, while Canalside South is next to Wolverhampton Transport Interchange. Given its sustainable city centre location – by the train station and tram stops – we are very excited about the potential for the Waterway House site, which is a genuine gateway into Nottingham’s city core. It’s the opportunity we’ve been waiting for and we’re delighted to be selected by Rainier to take this site forward.”

Situated within the mixed-use Canalside Quarter of the city, there is an established residential estate to the south of Waterway House, while the area immediately surrounding the railway station has been historically more commercial in character. A plethora of amenities are close by, including Queens Walk play park and recreation ground. Also within walking distance of the site is the point where Nottingham Canal connects to the River Trent.

The nearest bus stops are only 200m from Waterway House, with 21 routes providing services into the city core and out into the suburbs of Nottingham.

Wavensmere has appointed architects Corstorphine and Wright to work up new plans for a residential scheme to be delivered by the Birmingham-headquartered regeneration specialist. Public consultation on the new design proposals is expected to take place before the end of this year, prior to a planning application being submitted.

Richard Mees, chief executive of Rainier Developments and Strategic Land, said: “Wavensmere’s reputation for delivering complex city centre regeneration schemes shone through when we were undergoing our developer selection process. The scale and setting of the Waterway House site has the potential to make a much needed contribution to Nottingham’s housing shortfall, while also transforming the street scene and driving investment into this quarter of the city centre.

Attracting a Midlands-based housebuilder who has accrued such a stellar national reputation is good news for Nottingham’s residential market. We very much look forward to seeing Wavensmere’s plans evolve over the coming months.”

Headquartered in Edgbaston, Birmingham, Wavensmere Homes has 3,500 homes on site, or currently in planning. The 10-year-old company is in the final phase of the £175m redevelopment of the former Derbyshire Royal Infirmary – Nightingale Quarter has brought 925 energy-efficient houses, apartments, and commercial space to the previously vacant 18.5-acre site in Derby city centre.

The multi-award winning residential developer is constructing six additional major brownfield regeneration schemes, located in central Birmingham, Cheltenham, Derbyshire, Ipswich and Wolverhampton, and has further projects in the immediate pipeline.