A landmark transaction in Bramcote, Nottingham, has paved the way for the construction of a new, modern, purpose-built secondary school nearby and the delivery of hundreds of new homes.
The deal, which completed last week, has seen the sale of a 40-acre site at Coventry Lane, Bramcote, to housebuilders Miller Homes, who will split the site with their newly acquired sister company, St. Modwen Homes. The scheme will deliver 470 new homes via two outlets, marking the first scheme under the new Miller Homes and St. Modwen partnership.
The land, owned by Nottinghamshire County Council, was underutilised former playing field land, which Broxtowe Borough Council allocated for housing delivery.
This strategic sale was made possible through the collaboration of Nottinghamshire County Council and The White Hills Park Trust, which released the freehold to facilitate the transaction to Miller Homes, with the full sale proceeds used to deliver the much-needed new secondary school on the adjacent Bramcote College site.
The Trust secured Sport England and Secretary of State approval, as well as full planning permission for a flagship new school, which will provide 950 places (750 secondary school places and 200 places for sixth form), with this exciting project commencing this summer.
James Macdonald, Chief Operating Officer of the White Hills Park Trust, who led the transaction for the Trust, said: “I am incredibly proud that we have completed the sale of the land to Miller Homes. It has been many years of hard work, and I would like to thank all the colleagues and advisers involved in what is a truly unique and remarkable outcome. In particular, I would like to thank Tim Prince at NCC, Ann Taylor and Olivia Haslam at Savills, along with our legal team led by Lucy Carter at Austin Moore & Partners, for their support throughout the process. The sale of the land gives certainty to the new school build for Bramcote College, which will have facilities to benefit students, staff and the wider community.”
Savills has been acting on behalf of The White Hills Park Trust to sell the land since 2022; the delivery team are delighted to finally see this school and new homes project become a reality.
Ann Taylor, Development Director at Savills Nottingham, comments: “This milestone deal, which has been a long time in the making, required extensive collaboration from numerous parties and stakeholders; the result is fantastic news for the local area and economy.
“Bramcote is an affluent and sought-after village, which will now benefit from a new and significantly improved secondary school, creating substantially improved education and sports facilities, whilst unlocking a large parcel of development land for much-needed new homes. Miller Homes and St. Modwen Homes are the perfect buyers to provide a wide range of traditional and modern new homes to complement the existing village offering.”
Olivia Haslam, Development Director and co-lead of Savills Education, adds: “This is a fantastic and significant example of making efficient and positive use of underutilised public sector land to generate investment in the school estate, whilst delivering new housing and wider community benefits. It is also a great demonstration of what can be achieved via public and private sector collaboration.”
Commenting on the council’s land deal, Wayne Bexton, the County Council’s Director of Economy, Environment and Assets, said: “This is fantastic news, especially for future generations. This deal will help the Trust fund a new purpose-built school and will also pave the way for exciting regeneration opportunities.”
Following full planning being secured, Miller Homes will deliver a range of market-facing new homes, comprising 329 private new homes and 141 affordable new homes, including some additional keyworker rental accommodation.
Aaron Grainger, Land Director, led the project with Tom Roberts, Operations Director of Miller Homes, who commented: “This land purchase in Bramcote is set to unlock the full potential of the area to create new housing, alongside associated infrastructure, for new and existing residents to enjoy for generations to come.
“We are proud to have been the developer of choice for the proposed development, backed by our decades of experience in delivering sites of this size and stature across the East Midlands.
“Miller Homes will provide further information on this project, alongside stakeholders involved with the proposed scheme, in the near future.”
Legal representation for the transaction included Lucy Carter of Austin Moore, Paul Hilsdon of Geldards, and Dan Leather and Jenny Tully of Gowlings.
