Work begins on next phase of PlaceFirst’s Morecambe resi

Specialist build-to-rent developer PlaceFirst is starting work on the £5m second phase of a project which brings long-term empty properties in the West End of Morecambe back into use.

West End Two will be a collection of townhouses, duplexes and apartments created through the refurbishment and remodeling of 23 former guesthouses. The scheme follows on from West End One, which PlaceFirst completed in October 2016.

West End Two totals 51 homes for rent, from two-bedroom apartments to five-bedroom townhouses.

Residents can style their own homes, with colour schemes, kitchen and flooring included if they reserve a property prior to the works being completed.

Placefirst anticipates the first homes will be ready to welcome new residents from summer 2018. The refurbishment works will be carried out by Placefirst Construction, the company’s in-house contracting company.

David Smith-Milne, managing director of Placefirst, said: “West End One has demonstrated the need for high quality, professionally managed rental properties in Morecambe. The development is fully let and we continue to receive enquiries for the homes. West End Two will build on that success, offering the same high standards of accommodation within the historic envelope of grand Victorian properties.”

West End Two includes Kenilcoate, a large house on Chatsworth Road built in 1891 and designed by William Woodhouse, a Morecambe artist known for his landscape and animal paintings. Kenilcoate will be restored into a large five-bedroom house.

• Place North West is hosting a half-day conference with Placefirst on 23 November, giving a close look at PRS: Housing the Forgotten Majority. Click here to book