AFTER ten years in the pipeline, work has finally started on Norbury’s Yard Development.

On Monday December 9, Hillcrest Homes a 70-week construction period commenced which will see the site, off King Street, transformed into ‘Riverside Place’, a new town centre residential development.

Riverside Place will offer a choice of four bedroom townhouses plus an individual three-bedroom cottage set within a hard and soft landscaped street scene and will also provide a new pedestrian access route from King Street through to the Moor.

The first stage of construction will be demolition, making way for a secure underground car park that will provide parking for both the development and owners of adjacent properties on King Street.
Hillcrest worked with Altrincham-based architects Calderpeel FGP to design the scheme.

Leading the development is Project Architect Andrew Lightfoot, who grew up in Knutsford and whose family still lives in town.

“This is an important site. It sits at the gateway to the town centre and is visible to train travellers who will form an opinion on Knutsford, its businesses and residents based upon what they see,” Andrew said.

“The new development will make a much more positive first impression. It communicates the unique charm and character of ‘old world Knutsford’ by embracing architectural styling and materials found in its finest buildings, but employs crisp modern design detailing to avoid pastiche.”

The development has taken over ten years to come to fruition with Hillcrest’s initial proposals for apartments halted due to a moratorium. Planning for Hillcrest’s current scheme of thirteen homes was presented in 2009 and approved in 2011.

The new proposals were the result of extensive consultation with planning officers, conservation officers, English Heritage, estate agents and homebuyers and were felt to better suit the requirements of post-recession Knutsford.

Some of the plots have already been snapped up and the remainder of the properties will be sold through Princess Street based estate agents, Stuart Rushton.

To register interest contact Stuart Rushton on 01565 757000 or call Stewart Chance at Hillcrest Homes on 01925 269912.