launch news

Residents of Stainforth and across Doncaster have been given support, inspiration and access to employers and wellbeing organisations during Learning for Life Week’s Work and Wellbeing event.

Delivered as part of City of Doncaster Council’s Pathways to Work agenda, the event marked the culmination of a five-day Learning for Life Week with activities running across community venues from Monday 26 January, with four days of free learning opportunities followed by the Work and Wellbeing event on Friday 30 January.

Learning for Life Week brings the Remake Learning Days concept to hyper-local areas and is specifically designed to provide engaging and inspiring opportunities to residents aged 16 and over who are not in work, to help them build confidence, develop skills, inspire their curiosity and explore pathways back into work, training or further learning.

Activities were delivered in fun, interactive ways by a wide range of voluntary sector organisations, community groups, businesses and learning providers, working alongside City of Doncaster Council and making use of local community assets. Across the week, residents were able to take part in training and employer taster sessions, professional development opportunities, outdoor learning, sport and wellbeing sessions, and more.

Among those attending the event were several representatives from the Unity development team, who spoke with residents about onsite progress and the long-term employment opportunities being created.

Helen McLoughlin, director of Waystone Hargreaves Land, said: “We were delighted to take part in what was a very collaborative and positive event for the local area. There is a great deal of development activity currently onsite at Unity which is creating many new employment roles within companies including McDonald’s, Starbucks and Home Bargains, with many more employment opportunities set to come forward as the scheme develops over the coming years.”

Sue Farmer, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Families said: “Learning for Life Week aimed to give giving residents in Stainforth the confidence, skills and encouragement to explore new possibilities for their future. As a key part of the week, the Work and Wellbeing event brought together brilliant local organisations, employers and support services, creating a space where people could discover opportunities and take practical steps towards work, training or further learning.”

The Unity team was joined by colleagues from City of Doncaster Council, including Ambition Coach, Sarah Bainbridge and Employment Manager, Michelle Munslow who is leading the Unity Academy, a new initiative which is funded by Waystone Hargreaves Land through a Section 106 agreement and delivered in partnership with Business Doncaster.

Michelle Munslow said: “The Unity Academy has been established to support employers at Unity with their recruitment and training needs, while promoting job and skills opportunities to local residents.

“The recent Learning for Life Week was a great success, inspiring new interests and helping local people consider future career options all in a supportive setting. City of Doncaster Council is inviting learning providers, community organisations, sports groups and businesses to take part in future Learning for Life Weeks and encourages interested parties to get in touch.”

The event received high-profile support, with Ed Miliband, Labour MP for Doncaster North, attending to show his backing for the initiative and its focus on supporting local people into work.

Waystone Hargreaves Land is delighted to announce completion of a new access road at Unity Park which paves the way for further development in 2026 and beyond.

The £1.5m enabling employment road has been supported by the Stainforth Town Deal, funded by government and delivered in collaboration with the City of Doncaster Council to help accelerate employment uses on the Unity Park zone and the site of the former Hatfield Colliery.

Caddick Civil Engineering, who were appointed following a competitive tender process, successfully delivered the new road within an 18-week programme.

The contract also saw Caddick install new foul and surface water drainage to extend existing networks, thereby supporting the wider masterplan.

The new road includes footpaths and cycleways to improve safe access and connectivity across the site. New water, gas and street lighting was also installed to help future-proof the development area.

David Bend, Construction Director at Waystone Hargreaves Land, said: “The new access road is an important addition to Unity Park and speaks volumes of the site’s deliverability. It’s a great way the end 2025 so a big thank you to all the delivery partners who helped us bring this project to life.”

Earlier this year the newly developed East Lane Gateway also completed at Unity. The link road connects East Lane in Stainforth to the Unity Way roundabout providing improved access to people entering and leaving Stainforth and relieving pressure on typically busy roads such as Waggons Way.

Funded by UK Government, and overseen by the Stainforth Town Deal Board, East Lane Gateway is aimed to provide new employment opportunities, as well as access to the M18 and direct access to the railway station from the new entrance on Waggons Way.

Announced in 2019, the £3.6 billion Towns Fund was created with the aim of stimulating growth in areas of need across England. 541 eligible towns were identified, and these were scored on the basis of deprivation and risk across a range of criteria.

One of Yorkshire’s largest regeneration schemes is gearing up for the arrival of a leading name in the world of coffee in Spring 2026.

A brand-new Starbucks drive-thru is set open its doors at Unity in March following the commencement of work onsite last month. Over 15 new jobs are expected to be created at the 1,840 sq.ft drive-thru when it opens.

Unity, which lies adjacent to Junction 5 of the M18 motorway, has also welcomed a new 4,500 sq.ft McDonald’s restaurant in recent weeks. The new Starbucks will sit adjacent to McDonald’s and will provide 4 EV charging points, to be operated by E. ON Drive.

Extending to over 618 acres, Unity is being delivered by Waystone Hargreaves Land LLP, and will comprise of over 3,000 homes, industrial and commercial development together with a new local centre and community facilities.

The two new drive-thrus are situated on land to the east of Connect Drive and north of Unity Way, within the ‘Unity Connect’ zone of the development.

The Starbucks drive-thru has been developed by Pequod Doncaster Ltd, part of Pequod Group, a specialist in the roadside, drive-thru and electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure markets.

Andrew Johnson, director at Waystone Hargreaves Land LLP, said:  “The arrival of Starbucks in 2026 will be a fantastic moment to celebrate the ongoing evolution of Unity. McDonalds has also launched onsite in recent weeks and is trading well. I have no doubt that Starbucks will also prove to be very popular with Unity employees and visitors, as well as benefitting the local residents of Hatfield, Stainforth and Dunscroft.”

Excitement is building at Unity as we get closer to the opening of our very own McDonald’s restaurant!

The new 4,500 sq.ft restaurant will open its doors in November, representing another important milestone in the evolution of Unity.

The McDonald’s restaurant is situated on land to the east of Connect Drive and north of Unity Way, within the Unity Connect zone of the development and is anticipated to create over 100 jobs.

Andrew Johnson, director at Waystone Hargreaves Land LLP, said: “Popular roadside amenities are a vital component in the creation of viable and self-sufficient mixed-use developments. I am confident that the new McDonald’s restaurant will quickly become a popular destination for employees and visitors alike, as well as benefitting the local residents of Hatfield, Stainforth and Dunscroft.”

Extending to over 618 acres and positioned adjacent to junction 5 of the M18, Unity is being delivered by Waystone Hargreaves Land LLP. The scheme will comprise of over 3,000 homes, industrial and commercial development together with a new local centre and community facilities.

We are very pleased to announce a new appointment to the Unity team!

Carina Dias has joined us as Site Engineer and is based at our Unity site offices. Carina’s responsibilities include site supervision, conducting site meetings, as well as communicating with contractors, suppliers and project managers to ensure works are being completed as planned.

Following her appointment in February, Carina is currently working across many parts of the site, but mainly on Unity Connect and Unity Park. At Unity Connect, earthworks for the forthcoming McDonalds and Starbucks have just started, which Carina is overseeing.

At Unity Park, Carina is working with a number of contractors to facilitate new drainage plans. This includes various site meetings and data collection to ensure everyone is working towards the same goals.

Commenting on her new role, Carina said: “Starting my new role as a site engineer for Unity has been an exciting experience. The team have been incredibly welcoming, and I have been learning a lot since day one.

“The work environment is great, with plenty of opportunities for growth and development. Looking ahead, I am excited to be gaining more experience with the various aspects of the project and taking on more responsibilities as the project progresses. I am particularly keen on expanding my surveying skills, increasing my geotechnical knowledge, and getting the chance to contribute more to Unity.

“I am looking forward to the challenges of working with diverse people to deliver successful parts of Unity, and ultimately seeing the impact of my work as the project comes to life.”

Two new drive-thrus are heading to one of Yorkshire’s largest regeneration schemes following positive planning decisions.

Unity, which lies adjacent to junction 5 of the M18 motorway, will launch a McDonald’s restaurant and a Starbucks drive-thru in 2025, after plans were given the green light by Doncaster Council.

Extending to over 618 acres, Unity is being delivered by Waystone Hargreaves Land LLP, and will comprise of over 3,000 homes, industrial and commercial development together with a new local centre and community facilities.

Due to open in late summer 2025, the new 4,500 sq.ft McDonald’s restaurant will be situated on land to the east of Connect Drive and north of Unity Way, within the ‘Unity Connect’ zone of the development. The restaurant will bring 110 jobs and significant investment to the local area.

The 1,840 sq.ft Starbucks drive-thru is also expected to open in September 2025 and will sit adjacent to the new McDonald’s and 4 EV charging points. Over 15 jobs are expected to be created.

Andrew Johnson, director at Waystone Hargreaves Land LLP, said: “Popular roadside amenities are a vital component in the creation of viable and self-sufficient mixed-use developments. We look forward to the new Starbucks and McDonald’s opening next year to provide a destination for employees and visitors, as well as benefiting the local residents of Hatfield, Stainforth and Dunscroft.”

A McDonald’s spokesperson said: “We are excited about the opportunity to open a new restaurant in Doncaster next year, bringing significant investment and up to 110 full and part-time jobs to the local area.”

We are very pleased to announce that a group of 30 water voles has been released back into a newly created habitat at Unity following a successful conservation exercise spanning the last 3 years.

Back in 2021 a small population of water voles was discovered in the network of drains within the Unity Connect zone. The construction of new infrastructure required the rerouting of these drains, so environment and design consultancy FPCR were tasked with safeguarding the future of our water voles.

FPCR secured a licence to capture the water vole population within the ditches that would be affected by new development and also any water vole habitat that would be isolated by the works.  The entire population of 12 water voles were caught by trained ecologists and were transported to a specialist facility in Devon.

During their stay in Devon, a new habitat was created at Unity, specifically to increase the habitat quality and the area available for the water voles.  Whilst this new habitat developed, the water voles were paired and bred in captivity and the subsequent generation has recently been released back into the new habitat.

The new habitat has capacity to support 60 water voles and the population is expected to considerably expand throughout the summer of 2024.  The new areas are connected to the network of realigned drains which would be expected to be recolonised in the coming years, providing a more robust local population.

Construction Director David Bend said: “In the UK water voles are significantly declining due to a number of factors such as habitat loss and degradation . Thanks to the fantastic work by FPCR, our program has provided resilience and enhancement to the local water vole population here at Unity and provides a valuable contribution to the conservation of this protected species. We look forward to monitoring their progress in the years ahead.”

One of Yorkshire’s largest regeneration schemes has welcomed a brand new 191,000 sq ft distribution unit following completion last week.

Acting on behalf of Waystone Hargreaves Land LLP, main contractor Caddick Construction has delivered Unit B at Unity in South Yorkshire within the targeted 10-month build programme.

Known as Doncaster 191, the new unit occupies a 10-acre (4-ha) plot within Unity Connect, one of the dedicated employment areas of the scheme, which is strategically located immediately adjacent to junction 5 of the M18 motorway.

Launched to the market by joint agents Knight Frank and JLL, Doncaster 191 comprises a steel portal frame unit with profile metal sheet elevations and roof, designed to accommodate modern occupier requirements.

Internally, the property provides two floors of Grade-A office space and a 560kva power supply. With 2 ground level and 18 dock level loading doors, together with secure parking for 8 trailers and 165 cars, the launch of Doncaster 191 comes at a time of high demand for new logistics facilities, particularly in close proximity to the M18.

Doncaster 191 was delivered as part of a deal between Waystone Hargreaves Land LLP (the joint venture company behind the Unity development) and Aver Property Limited Partnership (a joint venture between Ergo Real Estate and NFU Mutual).

Martin Jepson, founding partner of Ergo Real Estate, said: “It is gratifying to see a key element of the Unity development come to fruition, offering much needed high quality Grade A space in the M18 vicinity. We look forward to formally launching the building to the market in the New Year.”

Chris Metcalfe, project director at Hargreaves Land, said: “We are very pleased to announce the completion of Doncaster 191 and delighted with how the project has progressed over the course of the last 10 months. Caddick Construction has delivered a first-class distribution facility and we anticipate strong interest within the coming months.”

Unity Connect has outline planning permission for industrial and logistics space and forms part of a wider planning permission for 2 million sq ft of commercial space and 3,100 homes across the Unity development site.

Budding young footballers in Dunscroft are proudly wearing smart new strips this season, thanks to sponsorship by Unity.

Waystone Hargreaves Land LLP, the joint venture partnership behind Unity is delighted to be able to support Dunscroft Warriors whose new strips have the eye-catching Unity logo prominently featured on the front.

Formed in 2000, Dunscroft Warriors JFC provides football for children from the ages of 4 to 18 years old.

Unity’s construction director David Bend said: “We are delighted to be able to support young people in our local community. The new strips look fantastic and we hope the Warriors have a very enjoyable and successful season.”

Here are the Dunscroft Warriors in their new strips at their home ground, standing in front of the Hatfield Colliery half wheel which was recently donated by Hargreaves Land:

Waystone Hargreaves Land LLP is delighted to announce that planning permission has been secured for a major new phase of industrial development at Unity Connect.

Andrew Johnson, director at Waystone Hargreaves Land LLP, said: “In recent weeks, planning consent has been granted for Unit A which will provide 375,000 sq.ft of market leading industrial accommodation on a 20 acre plot. The unit is designed to meet modern occupier requirements and will be located at Unity Connect, which is strategically located immediately adjacent to junction 5 of the M18 motorway.”

More news to follow.

Waystone Hargreaves Land LLP recently secured planning at one of Yorkshire’s largest regeneration schemes for a new 191,000 sq ft unit and have appointed Caddick Construction as main contractor, following a competitive tender process.

The unit will occupy a 10-acre (4-ha) plot within Unity Connect, one of the dedicated employment areas of the scheme, which is strategically located immediately adjacent to junction 5 of the M18 motorway.

This latest development will be known as Doncaster 191 and comprises a brand new, industrial / distribution unit which will be available from Q4 2023. The unit will be of steel portal frame construction with profile metal sheet elevations and insulated profile metal sheet roof, designed to meet modern occupier requirements.

Doncaster 191 is part of a deal between Waystone Hargreaves Land LLP (the joint venture company behind the Unity development) and Aver Property Limited Partnership (a joint venture between Ergo RE and NFU Mutual).

Martin Jepson, founding partner of Ergo Real Estate, said: “It is great our logistics programme is off to such a promising start in 2023 with part of the impressive Unity development, offering Grade A premises for the sector. This site is strategically located with direct access to Junction 5 of the M18 giving immediate access to the wider motorway network.”

Andrew Johnson, director at Waystone Hargreaves LLP, said: “The appointment of Caddick Construction as main contractor is fantastic news for Unity Connect and the wider scheme.

“There is a high level of demand for new, high-quality distribution space within the South Yorkshire market, so we are delighted to be starting 2023 on such a positive note.

“Despite the wider economic outlook, the occupational industrial market is showing continued robustness and we are finding that Unity’s proximity to the M18 is proving to be a major draw for occupiers.”

Unity Connect has outline planning permission for industrial and logistics space and forms part of a wider planning permission for 2 million sq ft of commercial space and 3,100 homes across the Unity development site.

Paul Dodsworth, Group Managing Director for Caddick Construction, added: “It’s a privilege to have been appointed to deliver the construction of what will be a hugely significant distribution landmark in South Yorkshire. Its strategic location, just off J5 of the M18 motorway, combined with the high quality build of this mixed-use space, will no doubt encourage businesses from across the UK to put down roots in Doncaster.”

This week we were delighted to host a launch event at our new Unity site office where we welcomed over 40 commercial property agents, together with representatives from Business Doncaster.

The event provided the perfect opportunity for us to meet with agents working in the Yorkshire market and present an informal overview of what’s in store at Unity over breakfast at our new site offices.

Everyone who attended the event walked away with a set of Bluetooth headphones as a thank you for taking the time to visit Unity and discover more about the many opportunities available for commercial occupiers.

Unity Connect and Unity Link extend to over 160 acres of development land available for logistics, manufacturing and industrial uses all situated in a prime strategic location directly off Junction 5 of the M18/M180 motorway interchange. Units are available on both a pre-let and freehold “build to suit” basis.

Andrew Johnson, head of asset management at Hargreaves Land, said: “This week’s launch event was very well attended, and it was excellent to see so many members of the Yorkshire property scene and representatives from Business Doncaster who continue to provide us with invaluable support.

“Our newly established site office provides us with the perfect base to welcome guests and will eventually become home to the Unity Academy. There is a great deal of positive news in the pipeline and we look forward to making some big announcements in the months ahead.”

The event was hosted by representatives from the joint venture’s partners, Waystone and Hargreaves Land, together with our appointed agents JLL, Knight Frank and Commercial Property Partners.

For more information, please get in touch with a member of the team.

The team behind Unity Yorkshire is delighted to announce the appointment of FPCR Environment and Design Ltd as the scheme’s ecological and landscape consultants.

The leading design and environmental practice, which is headquartered in Derby but also has an office in York, has been involved in the Unity scheme since before the formation of the Waystone Hargreaves Land joint venture.

Helen Mcloughlin, director at Waystone Hargreaves Land LLP said: “Given FPCR’s prior knowledge of the site the firm has been chosen as a long-term partner on future work relating to the ecological and landscape elements of the project.

“FPCR has a valuable mix of multi-disciplinary expertise enabling them to assist on large-scale and complex projects such as Unity. The team is already familiar with the project and we look forward to working with them to enhance the quality of the environment across the site.”

FPCR has undertaken a variety of ecological surveys and assessments, including surveys for water voles and other wildlife. The firm is liaising with Natural England as part of their work in planning and designing a future receptor area for water voles. This is due to start in the new year so that it will be possible to translocate water voles into the new area in Spring 2022.

Commenting on the firm’s appointment, Tim Jackson, director at FPCR said: “Unity is a site of significant regional importance and we are pleased to be a part of the professional team advising on the best ways to protect the environment, whilst developing an attractive landscaped setting.”