Historic Rowntree’s factory transformed into homes

The transformation of an iconic York landmark into a modern residential development has reached completion, blending heritage with contemporary living.

Latimer, the development arm of Clarion Housing Group, has redeveloped the former Rowntree’s Factory into The Cocoa Works, an £80 million project led by principal contractor Henry Boot Construction.

Left derelict after production ceased in 2006, the factory was revitalised following Latimer’s successful planning application in 2017.

Once home to iconic confectionery brands such as KitKat, Aero, Milybar and Smarties, the site now features 279 apartments, 30 per cent of which are affordable homes.

Ryan O’Loughlin, director at Henry Boot Construction, said: “The Rowntree’s Factory is an iconic part of York’s heritage and we’re proud to have delivered its transformation to The Cocoa Works.

“This ensures the story of this beloved building continues for decades to come with a residential development of outstanding quality.”

As part of the development, the former Joseph Rowntree Memorial library has been re-imagined as a co-working and meeting space with a concierge service for residents. The site also boasts the new William Sutton pavilion, named after the Victorian social housing visionary, which is home to CAVO, an independent café, alongside a bookable communal space.

Richard Cook, chief development officer at Clarion Housing Group, added: “Our work to breathe new life into the Rowntree’s Factory has been a huge endeavour of which everyone involved can be really proud.

“We all understand just how important the Rowntree’s Factory is to York’s heritage. It created some of the country’s best loved confectionery and was a major employer in the city, with a founder in Joseph Rowntree who was ahead of his time when it came to championing workers’ rights and social value.

“That’s why we made a promise to honour this important legacy through our redevelopment of the factory. We wanted to do more than just build homes at The Cocoa Works.

“We aspired to deliver more by sympathetically redeveloping the factory to sit at the centre of a vibrant and diverse neighbourhood which provides quality homes, amenities and shared spaces to help foster a genuine community.”

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