As part of Housing Week, Employment Minister, Esther McVey, joined Scarborough Group International, the UK and international real estate investor and developer, for a tour of the “Hat Box” construction site, its new residential development in New Islington, Manchester.

Construction of the new homes began on site at the beginning of the month and will bring around 500 new jobs and apprenticeships to the area.  As part of the tour the Minister visited the construction site of the “Hat Box” and was also shown around Scarborough’s completed residential site at Milliners Wharf, which has sold 21 apartments out of 261 through the Help to Buy scheme.  Esther McVey met a recently married young couple who had purchased a home at Milliners Wharf under the help to buy scheme and also an apprentice who has started on site to help with construction works at the “Hat Box”.

The “Hat Box”, which has a gross development value of £30 million, is being developed by FairBriar International, a joint venture between Scarborough, Top Spring International Holdings Limited, a Hong Kong-listed real estate developer in the People’s Republic of China, and Metro Holdings Limited, a Singapore-listed property development and investment group.

The “Hat Box” is the second phase of Milliners Wharf in New Islington and will, on completion, provide 144, one, two, duplex and three-bedroom apartments across two contemporary new buildings adjacent to Milliners Wharf. Completion of the first apartments is anticipated to be early in 2016 when the first residents will take up occupancy of their new homes. 

The apartments will be light, airy, spacious, completed to a high specification and most will have a balcony or private terrace. The “Hat Box” will have excellent facilities, including a sky garden, secure parking and bicycle stores, and is ideally located close to the Metrolink and within walking distance of the centre of Manchester. New Islington offers good amenities for residents, such as schools, a nursery, a gym, shops, bars and a health care centre.

Nicola Wallis, Sales & Marketing Director at Scarborough, said:

The Hat Box will provide 144 fantastic new homes in the popular residential area of New Islington, creating around 500 jobs for the local area. We are delighted to have had the opportunity to show the Minister around the site and to see the first phases of construction underway.

As part of the site visit Scarborough also discussed its development at Middlewood Locks, another major residential development with mixed uses. The scheme is located at the western gateway to Manchester city centre and centred around the former Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal. Middlewood Locks, which has a gross development value of £575 million, will provide a vibrant new neighbourhood with up to 2,000 homes along with commercial facilities, including offices, shops, delis, restaurants, a convenience store, a nursery and a gym.

Scarborough’s new Manchester office is now registering customers’ interest for the new homes at the “Hat Box” at www.headtohatbox.co.uk