Urban Splash is a British company which regenerates decaying industrial warehouses, mills, Victorian terraced houses and other buildings. These buildings have mainly been converted into housing (apartments and penthouses). The company has also constructed new build developments.
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Established in 1993, the company mainly worked in the northern cities of the United Kingdom such as Manchester, Bradford and Liverpool, but has recently expanded into the Midlands and the South in such places as Birmingham, Bristol (Lake Shore) and Plymouth (Royal William Yard).
The company are known for taking on difficult sites and projects that other developers will not, such as the Budenburg Haus Projekte in Altrincham, Greater Manchester, Park Hill, Sheffield, Saxton Gardens, Leeds, the Chimney Pot Park[1] in Salford, New Islington and Moho in Manchester and Lister's Mill in Bradford. They also place emphasis on design, employing well respected architects such as Foster and Partners, ShedKM and Glenn Howells.
Urban Splash recently developed two landmarks in Birmingham: The Rotunda and Fort Dunlop. They have also been chosen to redevelop the Waterfront in Walsall. In 2006, the company bought the derelict Birnbeck Pier in Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset. As of September 2010 they have placed the pier back up for sale.[2] They have also been chosen as the developer for the East Wharf development project in Watchet, Somerset and have submitted plans to the local planning authority (as of May 2007).[3] Their redevelopment of Morecambe's famous Art Deco Midland Hotel was completed in May 2008. Urban Splash along with Hammerson were chosen to redevelop a large area of Swansea city centre.
In June 2008, work got underway of Tribeca, Liverpool. The scheme which is expected to be completed in 2014 has been described as the largest residential development in Liverpool City Centre to date.
Urban Splash are also the chosen developers for Bank Hall in Bretherton, Lancashire; who will work with the Heritage Trust for the North West and the Bank Hall Action Group in restoring the building. In September 2008 Urban Splash announced it would be making significant redundancies[4] due to the downturn in the UK property market. This downturn has led to delays on some projects.[5]
In March 2010 it was announced by Urban Splash that they would be drawing up plans for an £80 million project to renovate the Pleasureland Southport site and construct an outdoor heated swimming pool, while expanding the marine lake and construct a winter garden, which will all be housed under a landmark atrium inspired by the Eden project. This development could form part of the 34-acre (140,000 m2) plot, which will be known as Southport Marine Park. [6]
Urban Splash was founded by Tom Bloxham, a graduate of the University of Manchester, and Tiffinian, whose initial business experience was selling pop posters in Affleck's Palace in Manchester. To expand his business Bloxham branched out as a landlord opening the N4 Arcade adjacent to Affleck's Palace. He then expanded into Liverpool, opening a shopping arcade called the Liverpool Palace and then into licensed premises with the founding of the Baa Bar in Liverpool with architect and Urban Splash co-founder, Jonathan Falkingham. Tom Bloxham has recently appeared on the Sunday Times Rich List. In the 2005 list, it was stated that Bloxham had a personal fortune of around £50 million. He now resides in Worsley, Greater Manchester.