KEY DETAILS
Rivers Edge
Location: Warrington, Cheshire
Homes: 513
Partners: Torus & Sigma Capital Group
Project Duration: 4 years
Gross Development Value: £124m
Land: Brownfield
Social Value: Over £700,000 in measurable social value generated to date
Introduction
Rivers Edge is a flagship regeneration project that reimagines the River Mersey waterfront into a vibrant, connected, and sustainable community. Located just a 10-minute walk from Warrington Bank Quay station, the development offers direct rail links to Manchester, Edinburgh, and London, and is a 20-minute walk to Warrington Town Centre.
With a high demand for housing, this mixed-tenure partnership scheme brings investment to the area and delivers a variety of benefits to the community and environment.
Housing Delivery and Affordable Homes
Vistry is building and selling a variety of homes through its Countryside Homes retail brand offering a range of tenures, to create an inclusive, sustainable community that meets the needs of residents at every stage of life:
- 105 affordable homes
- 150 homes for private rent
- 258 of homes sold to open market customers through the Countryside Homes retail brand
All homes are constructed using timber frames manufactured off-site at the Vistry Work’s factory in Warrington. Sustainability features found throughout the development include photovoltaic (PV) panels and EV chargers.
“A seamless process from start to finish. I needed to find rental accommodation at short notice and managed to secure a property of perfect fit within seven days. I still cannot believe that I moved in within a week of making an enquiry and I absolutely love it.”
(Private Rented) Resident
“Countryside was the first housebuilder we looked at. The location of the development was perfect for us, and we loved the specification of the homes. The kitchen absolutely blew us away, with the skylight windows and the open space. The value for money was unbelievable, so it was a bit of a no brainer for us.”
(Open Market Sale) Residents
The Rivers Edge development will provide local people with much-needed homes for sale and rent, with a great mix of affordability, accessibility and sustainability.“Just as importantly, Rivers Edge will bring new investment into the area, delivering wider benefits to the local community and the environment. We want to ensure all our residents have access to a good choice of quality housing – within strong communities – which fully meets their needs. This fantastic scheme supports these aims.”
Warrington Borough Council: Cabinet Member for Housing
Every new scheme Torus develops is designed to provide quality housing solutions – homes that cater for current and emerging demand and support stronger communities. Rivers Edge is no different.“We are delighted to be a part of this mixed-tenure partnership scheme. Our £15 million investment will create 105 family homes in Warrington, a Torus heartland, and ensure local residents have access to excellent affordable homes close to the town centre.”
Chief Executive at Torus
After 15 years of collaborating with Countryside, we are thrilled to be working on this new mixed-tenure site to deliver a range of homes to Warrington.“With a strong background in urban regeneration, we have a lasting commitment to make a real difference within the UK by bringing well-managed and high-quality homes to individuals and families within local communities. By providing the opportunity for a good lifestyle for our residents, as well as benefiting the wider neighbourhood, our homes are all pet friendly and built within close range to schools, shopping centres and good travel routes.”
Regional Managing Director at Sigma Capital Group
Community Facilities
Residents of Rivers Edge benefit from two public open spaces, a riverside cycle link and a tree lined cycle path connecting to the neighbouring business park.
The development has also delivered significant social value, with over £700,000 invested in the community. This includes £100,000 for local healthcare, £300,000 for education provision, and £300,000 for transport infrastructure, supporting the Centre Park Link scheme to reduce congestion and improve access.
Community Initiatives include:
- Mental health awareness events with The Light House Charity
- Dusty Boots site tours
- Furniture donations to families and care leavers
- Girls into Construction event with WRVC
- CV and interview workshops in local schools
- Apprenticeships and mentoring for mature students
- Engagement with over 5,000 students via job fairs
- 12-week bootcamp for unemployed residents
- Surplus material donations to training centres
- Collaboration with Warrington Youth Zone, raising £1,250 and supporting foodbank and toy appeals
Employment and Local Business
The creation of Rivers Edge has enabled Vistry to collaborate with local suppliers and deliver meaningful training and employment opportunities for Warrington residents. In partnership with Warrington Royal Vale College, Torus Developments, and Clarion Housing, the project is actively addressing skills shortages and building career pathways for young people, apprentices, ex-offenders and military veterans.
This development has:
- 15 local residents that have received training and achieved their green CSCS cards
- Provided on-site experience and a stepping stone into long-term employment in construction to local residents
This initiative is part of a broader commitment to social value, ensuring that Rivers Edge not only delivers homes - but also empowers the community through education, opportunity, and inclusion.
Commitment to Nature and Sustainability
Vistry is proud to support the Homes for Nature initiative, ensuring wildlife thrives alongside new communities.This development has:
- Dedicated badger foraging areas that are protected with approved fencing
- Planning requirements exceed pre-regulation standards for environmental performance
Homes are sustainably designed using modular timber frames, with electric vehicle chargers installed as standard across all properties.