PORTFOLIO

Conygar acquired the 36 acre Island Quarter site in Nottingham City Centre in December 2016. The site was formerly the headquarters and laboratories of Boots, the chemists, and had been mostly vacant for over 25 years. An outline planning application was submitted in June 2018 and the resolution to grant planning permission for the mixed-use scheme was granted by Nottingham City Council in April 2019.

The permission for the development is for approximately three million square feet to include new homes, grade A office space, creative market, a lifestyle hotel, retail units, student accommodation and associated public realm.

In mid-September 2022, the first of many planned developments opened to the public at 1 The Island Quarter on the north-west corner of the site, to the south of Nottingham’s historic lace market. This venue, which occupies just over one acre, currently comprises an outside performance area, an indoor event space for private hire, two dining experiences and, in due course, a roof top terrace planned for opening in 2025 which will provide stunning views over the city. Furthermore, In May 2024, 1 The Island Quarter won an RIBA East Midlands award.

Binks Yard occupies the ground floor providing an all-day, dining, drinking and entertainment venue whilst Cleaver & Wake offers a modern dining experience, using the finest nationally-sourced produce. The strength of this development lies in the variety of the offer, incorporating not only the restaurants, but also the outside bandstand and plaza, to provide live music and events for at least 500 guests, and the upper floor events space available for private hire for a further 120 guests.

Practical completion of the first phase of student accommodation at The Island Quarter was achieved on 3 June 2024. As a result, the property which comprises 693 beds, in addition to extensive amenity space, is now operational and under the control of our appointed manager Fresh Property Group.

On 17 May 2023, Nottingham City Council approved the detailed application for the next phase of The Island Quarter development comprising a 23,123 sq.m. (249,000 sq.ft.) bioscience building, which includes both laboratory and office space as well as conference facilities, to be located adjacent to an existing bioscience hub. Conygar is also progressing discussions with a potential funding partner in respect of this phase of the development and with a potential local tenant looking for significant expansion.

A resolution to grant planning permission was received, from Nottingham City Council in December 2024, in connection with the second phase of student accommodation comprising a 383-bed development.

Further planning applications will be submitted in connection with subsequent phases of The Island Quarter when funding allows. As the masterplan for The Island Quarter evolves, the Board currently anticipates an increase in the size of the development of up to c.3.5 million square feet (compared with the outline consent currently granted of 2.8 million square feet).

Further details on the Island Quarter development can be found at: https://www.theislandquarter.com

The Holyhead Waterfront scheme in Anglesey has outline consent for 325 houses, a hotel and 40,000 square foot of retail space.

On 22 October 2021, a further planning application was submitted which supplements the outline consent previously granted in 2014.

The proposed development will include a 250-berth marina, 259 townhouses and apartments, marine commercial and additional A1/A3 retail units on the waterfront, together with substantial areas of improved public realm, and an amphitheatre and covered arcade for open-air events. The submission of the application follows a period of stakeholder and community engagement, carried out earlier this year, and a mandatory period of pre-application consultation, which concluded in August 2021.

The determination of these applications has been delayed by a lack of available planning officers, but the applications are now progressing and are currently expected to be considered by the planning committee in 2025.

Conygar continues to hold substantial plots of land at Parc Cybi business park and Rhosgoch on Anglesey. In September 2022 for which we have continuing interest from the renewables sector, in particular for the site at Rhosgoch. However, Conygar will continue to retain these sites and wait to see whether the UK and Welsh governments’ announcements, for their suggested support of nuclear and/or other energy forms on Anglesey, translate to a full commitment.

On 24 March 2023 we announced that the Anglesey Freeport Bid Consortium had secured Freeport status for Anglesey and that the 203 acre brownfield site at Rhosgoch will be included within the Freeport special areas. The Freeport will form special zones with simplified customs procedures, relief on customs duties, tax benefits and development flexibility.