Urban Splash

House by Urban Splash, a subsidiary founded in 2016 and spun-out in 2019, went into administration in 2022 with 160 staff made redundant and combined debts of over £19 million.

[9] In October 2013, Urban Splash sold one of their undeveloped acquisitions – the former Sunbeam motorcycle factory site, off the Penn Road island in Wolverhampton – which had been disused since 1999.

Property developer and former rugby player Liam Wordley bought the site, traditionally known as Sunbeamland, with the intention to convert for residential use.

[11][12] In the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire, a number of buildings developed by Urban Splash were reported to have been constructed using unsafe cladding.

[22] Administrators said the business failure was due to "the under-performance of its modular facility, which has been loss-making for a prolonged period"; the underperformance was due to multiple factors including "design issues resulting in production defects and re-working the modular units, the costs of which could not be passed on" while its factory in Alfreton also suffered from "underutilisation and inability to absorb overhead costs.

[20] As well as residential developments, Urban Splash also works on commercial projects, including Ducie House in Manchester, The Matchworks and Ropewalks in Liverpool, Fort Dunlop in Birmingham and Royal William Yard in Plymouth.

[25] In July 2022, Urban Splash completed a deal with Aviva Investors to secure £43.5m to invest in its commercial portfolio in Manchester and Liverpool.

The fund owns and manages homes across Manchester, Birmingham, Sheffield, Bradford and Bristol, with average occupancy of 97% and annual investor returns of 9.5%.

Titled Transformation, the book was reviewed in The Times who said: "When it comes to rescuing the great industrial landmarks of the past, Urban Splash is in a class of its own”.