Birmingham-based Urban Village Group’s proposed conversion of a Buckinghamshire office block into a Build to Rent development has been given detailed planning consent by Milton Keynes Council. The real estate developer, investor and asset management group submitted plans for the new scheme earlier this year.
Located on the former AGF House at Avebury Boulevard, Westminster House will deliver 237 new apartments over six floors. Amenities include a gym, cinema, communal entertainment facility and workspaces. The scheme also includes the provision of residents’ secure parking and CCTV security. Construction is expected to start in the first half of 2023.
“This is great news. We are looking forward to creating a fantastic new development of high-quality homes right in the very heart of Milton Keynes’ city centre.”
Graham Haydon-White, Developments Director, Urban Village Group
Westminster House is located in the heart of Milton Keynes, close to the Central Shopping Centre with all of its retail, leisure and restaurant offer just a short walk away. Milton Keynes Central overground train station is an eight-minute walk from the site which provides residents with direct services to London Euston within 33 minutes.
“We are grateful to Milton Keynes Council for its support and excited at the prospect of delivering this exceptional development. Demand for homes in the private rented sector continues to grow and our Westminster House development will help to address the increasing requirement in the Milton Keynes region. We are transforming an empty and unloved office building into a place people will really enjoy coming home to, with all the shopping and leisure facilities right on their doorstep.
“Currently, there are 4.5 million households in England now renting, representing 20% of the market, which has increased from 10% in 2001. In the next 15 to 20 years, more people are expected to rent rather than own their own homes. As the national housing shortage continues, with an average 200,000 homes built each year against a Government target of 300,000, there is significant scope for major growth in the Build to Rent sector.”
Nick Sellman, Chief Executive Officer, Urban Village Group
Birmingham-based Urban Village Group is an investment and development business with a portfolio of developments across the UK. Its mission is to deliver quality residential developments that enhance the lives of its residents.
