January 2021

Godwin Developments: Industry heavyweight joins Godwin Developments Advisory Board

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UK residential and commercial property developer Godwin Developments has announced the appointment of regeneration specialist Owen Michaelson to its advisory board of leading property experts.

Prior to commencing his non-executive role with Godwin, Owen spent a decade at the helm of Harworth Group plc as the company’s CEO. Leveraging his 30-years of experience in the remediation and repurposing of brownfield land and low carbon energy development, he led the firm’s listing on the London Stock Exchange in March 2015, after it was demerged from UK Coal Group in December 2012.

Joining Godwin’s established team of advisors as Regional Chairman – London, Owen will play a key role in driving growth as the business seeks to accelerate its plans across a number of sectors nationally, including urban and suburban BTR, PRS and affordable homes, as well as commercial and industrial schemes.

Owen said: “I am delighted to be joining Godwin Developments at what is proving to be a very busy and exciting time for the business. Godwin’s aspirations of delivering market-leading growth, investor returns and community regeneration, in support of the levelling-up agenda, is just the place to be as we all try to create better places for people to live and work. I am very much looking forward to supporting the team and being part of the journey as the business continues to grow.”

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Stuart Pratt, group development director at Godwin Developments, said: “I would like to take this opportunity to welcome Owen to the advisory board. His experience and reputation across the industry are second to none, and his previous achievements speak volumes of his vision and ability to drive change that secures impressive growth and returns for investors.

“Owen’s appointment adds additional weight and value to our already highly credible in-house team and advisory board, and there’s no doubt in my mind that he will be a real asset to the business. I look forward to working closely with Owen to continue to deliver our long-term ambitions.”

In addition to his recent executive experience, Owen served as a board member for the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership and is the current chair of the British Property Federations Regional Policy Committee. He has also previously served on the boards of the Lancashire Wildlife Trust, the North West Forrest Trust and the Tall Ships Youth Trust. In his executive capacity, Owen currently serves as the President of Covanta Europe a global provider of waste management services in the USA and Europe.

This announcement follows Godwin’s appointment of the highly experienced property lead Lindsay McCombe to the position of senior development director in 2020.

Godwin Developments: Planning secured for new Costa Coffee shop in Stoke-on-Trent

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UK residential and commercial property developer, Godwin Developments has last week gained planning permission to deliver a new coffee shop in Stoke-on-Trent for the UK’s leading coffee operator Costa Coffee.

Located off the A50 Baths Road in Longton, the drive-to and drive-thru store will be built next to the busy Phoenix Retail Park, a Tesco Extra supermarket and a McDonalds fast-food restaurant. The development, which will be accessed from Baths Road, will include parking for 37 cars, with three additional disabled spaces and one waiting bay, and will serve local residents as well as the 60,000 vehicles passing the site daily.

Godwin plans to demolish the existing structure on site and build two modern retail units to replace it. The larger unit, measuring 1,800 sq. ft., has been designed to cater precisely to Costa Coffee’s specification and layout requirements. The neighbouring 1,100 sq. ft. unit, which will be constructed at the same time, will be made available to other potential occupiers.

Ketan Patel, senior development manager at Godwin Developments, said: “We are really pleased to have secured planning permission for this prominent drive-thru and drive-to scheme in Stoke-on-Trent. The outcome of this application is not only great news for us, but also for our client Costa Coffee who is pushing on with plans to grow their market share and are investing in resilient development with stores that can serve customers through the pandemic and beyond.

“We would like to thank planners and councillors at Stoke-on-Trent City Council for their support with this scheme; Ophir Architecture for their outstanding design; consultants Simply Planning for their advice on this development and agents Rapleys for their assistance with the acquisition and letting of the site. We look forward to commencing construction of the development in the second quarter of this year.”

Stuart Pratt, group development director at Godwin Developments, added: “We are delighted to have secured the green light for this scheme from the planners at Stoke-on-Trent council less than a year after we acquired this prominent site in the city. This announcement highlights yet again our ability to secure leading commercial sites and obtain permission to commence construction quickly and efficiently. It is precisely the reason why we are continuing to successfully gain sites across the country for similar developments and why well-known national brands such as Costa Coffee trust us to deliver.”

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Susan Agnew, acquisition manager from Costa Coffee, said: “We are very pleased to hear news of the planning approval for our new store in Stoke-on-Trent which can now move on to the next stage of its delivery. I would like to thank Godwin Developments for their expedient and very professional approach throughout the process to-date, and look forward to working with them to extend our presence in the city and the wider West Midlands area.”

Jonathan Jones, retail & leisure specialist at Rapleys, welcomed the news saying: “We had every confidence in the Godwin team and their advisers in delivering an acceptable planning permission for this development. Given the previous use of the site and its excellent location with complementary surrounding uses, it is ideal for a coffee drive-thru and indeed a further food-to-go retail unit. Further details on the available unit on site are available by contacting us at Rapleys.com or on 0370 7776292.”

News of the planning permission comes less than a month after Godwin Developments was granted approval for their roadside and convenience retail scheme Ram Jam Services in Rutland.