Contractor sought for first phases of £83m scheme

A contractor is being sought to build the first two phases of an £83m York residential development following an appointment for the initial infrastructure works.Latimer has appointed civil and electrical engineering specialist McCann to undertake initial infrastructure works at Cocoa Gardens.McCann will undertake works including site clearance, earthworks, drainage and the management of installation of underground works such as telecommunications, electricity and water.Latimer, which is the private development arm of Clarion Housing Group, is set to develop 103 homes across the first two phases of the scheme on Haxby Road, one mile north of York city centre.Phase one and two of the development will have a gross development value of £33m. Latimer is now inviting expressions of interest from prospective contractors.The whole Cocoa Gardens development will be completed across five phases and is expected to have a GDV of £83.1m.A total of 302 homes will be built on the 13.2-acre site. These will comprise 41 two-bedroom, 98 three-bedroom and 45 four-bedroom houses, as well as 53 one-bed, 62 two-bed and three three-bed apartments.Overall, 36 per cent of homes at the development will be made available through affordable options.The homes are being built next to The Cocoa Works, the historic former Rowntree’s ‘Garden Factory’, which Latimer is currently redeveloping to create 279 studios and apartments.