Ask brings new life into city centre living
Date: 01/06/2006
Source: Residential
Fed up with the usual identikit city centre apartments? Fancy something different
– with the highest quality you would expect from one of the North West’s top award-winning developers? Looking for apartments with a new lease of life?
Welcome to Ask Life – the new residential development company from the home of Ask Developments creating new places for people in stunning, well-established locations. Ask Life has an uncompromising commitment to quality and design with spectacular schemes produced by some of the UK’s leading architects.
Already an established name on the North West property scene, Ask Developments has a wealth of experience in developing multi-million pound commercial, retail and leisure schemes including Deansgate Locks in Manchester City Centre, Central Park business park in east Manchester, Leopold Square leisure scheme in Sheffield and re-developing shopping centres in Gorton and Urmston. Ask Life, headed up by Duncan Bowman, the newly appointed Director of Residential Development, will be responsible for delivering the new residential schemes within Ask’s own commercial portfolio, in place of its traditional joint ventures. The company’s refreshing attitude to residential development is such that its new homes are just that – homes for the owner occupier in popular towns such as Urmston, Ashton-under-Lyne and Bury and districts such as Castlefield and Salford Quays. “These are already well-established places,” says Duncan Bowman. “We want to create homes where there is a community – where there are shops, bars, restaurants, good transport links – all the things that are important to buyers. We don’t want to just build an apartment block out in the middle of nowhere, because we happen to have land there, nor do we want to just build something for the investor and sell it on without a thought for the occupier.” Ask Life’s schemes will have the same attention to detail and the high standard in line with Ask Developments. “We are an Ask company after all,” adds Duncan. “And we want the same quality and same positive approach to building our apartments as we do our offices, leisure developments and business parks.”
The scheme will provide luxury, contemporary studios and one and two bedroom apartments at affordable prices, which start from as little as around £85,000.
Plans have already been submitted by Ask Life for a 22-storey landmark scheme at the gateway between Manchester and Salford Quays. Outline planning permission has been submitted to Salford City Council for 654 apartments, at Clippers
Quay on the 3.5 acre former Virgin cinema site. Ask Life will continue with Ask’s trademark attention to detail, both internally and externally, and will consist of a mixture of high-quality studios, one, two and three bedroom apartments, many of which will have balconies to take advantage of the stunning waterside views. Designed by architects Broadway Malyan, the development boasts attractive landscaping and an internal courtyard providing tranquil, private space for residents.
Interlinking the residential building will be high quality offices with space for small retail outlets and plenty of car parking. Residents and workers alike will benefit from the scheme’s prime location, only minutes from both Salford Quays and the heart of Manchester city centre by tram – Exchange Quay is opposite the scheme - and by road with swift access to the M602 and motorway links. Duncan Bowman said: “Ask Life sees this as a high quality landmark scheme on the main arterial route linking Manchester and Salford. We want to enliven the waterside promenade, which together with the private courtyard will provide a stunning new place to live and work.” One of the fi rst schemes that will be developed by Ask Life is set in the south Manchester suburb of Urmston – just eight miles from Manchester city centre. Ask Developments are creating a whole new shopping area, complete with a Sainsbury’s food store, a new library and community centre and plenty of new shops, bars and restaurants set within a new plaza in place of the former shopping precinct.
Ask Life will work seamlessly with the commercial development arm to change the face of Urmston, bringing new city-style iving in the form of 141 one and two bedroom apartments overlooking the plaza and nearby park, with prices starting from around £110,000. Ask Life will also be coming soon to Castlefield in Manchester with a jaw-dropping scheme – three glass and copper-clad buildings which will provide 226 studio and one and two bedroom apartments and a further 114 apartments in a separate building at the heart of the former Roman fort which will take advantage of the stunning location. The scheme, designed by Ian Simpson Architects, will link Castlefield’s attractive waterside bars and offices with Deansgate and Liverpool Road. Prices are expected to start from around £120,000. Ask Life will soon be developing the residential element of the new vibrant urban quarter in Ashton under-Lyne, St Petersfield. The scheme will provide luxury, contemporary studios and one and two bedroom apartments at affordable prices, which start from as little as around £85,000. Commenting on the schemes Duncan Bowman believes it is quality that will set Ask Life apart from other developers.