Kellen picks up 390-home East Manchester scheme

The housebuilder has acquired Riverpark Trading Estate from Realty Estates.

Kellen Homes is now progressing plans to redevelop the 20-acre site, which is located close to Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium and north of Phillips Park, into around 390 homes alongside Great Places Housing Group.

Kellen, headed up by Renaker’s Daren Whitaker and former Countryside chief executive Ian Kelley, has secured a £3.5m loan from Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s brownfield housing fund, according to a report published earlier this year.

“Kellen Homes has, in conjunction with Great Places Housing Group, secured the land at Riverpark in Manchester to bring forward a mixed-tenure development as part of a continued and highly successful partnership,” a spokesperson from the housebuilder said. “We will now be working closely with Manchester City Council’s planning and development team to develop a masterplan to help us deliver quality homes for local people.”

Riverpark Trading Estate has been the subject of residential redevelopment proposals previously.

In 2015, Realty secured consent for a 340-home Hodder + Partners-designed scheme featuring 228 houses and 112 apartments. Those plans can be viewed by searching for application reference number 106592/OO/2014/N1 on Manchester City Council’s planning portal.

The Riverpark project is Kellen’s third in East Manchester. The developer is currently delivering around 300 homes each on sites in Gorton and Ardwick.

Edwards Property advised Realty on the sale. Kellen represented itself.

Reflecting on the deal, Edwards’ director Dan Crossley said: “We have advised on the site for many years and it is rare to have an opportunity that appeals to such a wide range of sectors. Last-mile logistics, dark stores serving the city centre, and traditional residential development – the location suited many end uses.

“Kellen had always maintained an interest in the location which culminated in an unconditional proposal within an attractive time frame that they managed to successfully honour,” he continued.

“It has been an interesting journey that was punctuated by a significant cooling of the property market that was undoubtedly affected by the interest rate rises. However, the deal demonstrates the underlying demand for core locations across both commercial and residential sectors.”