The 2019 Planning Permission for the Wheat Quarter and South Side allows the development of 643 homes for Metropolitan and Thames Valley. Arranged over 3 phases, 19 buildings and 6 distinct blocks, South Side will provide a diverse range of housing types and tenures tailored to meet local needs.

ColladoCollins have since completed the delivery of phase 1 novated to Higgins Construction PLC who handed the southern most 2 blocks consisting of 6 buildings and 208 affordable apartments to the client in autumn 2022.

The site wider plans encompass the sensitive refurbishment and conversion of the former Shredded Wheat factory buildings, positioned at the heart of the masterplan, incorporating a 62,900 sq. ft production hall which will be transformed to provide high-quality office space, and retained silos, historically used for storing grain, that will become the setting for an art hub and museum.

A new civic building providing community and healthcare facilities, office and retail space sits to the south and has been designed by Louis de Soissons – the architects who designed the original factory back in 1926.

The housing has been inspired by the industrial heritage of the eastern side of Welwyn Garden City, over 30% of which will be affordable. Apartment blocks are aligned to the east and western edges of the masterplan, leaving space in the centre for a new public park connecting the southeast tip of the site to a new public square, creating a significant centerpiece. A community sensory garden is also proposed.

Phase 1 works are almost complete The scheme is one which aims to enrich the town - bringing Ebenezer Howard's garden city vision into the 21st Century.

Composition

208

homes

100%

affordable