Telford Homes has revealed its pipeline is now worth £1.5 billion. The company announced the pipeline grew by £500 million after it secured the United House Developments’ regeneration business last September. The group is going to carry on its expansion into the private rented sector following its acquisition of two schemes so far in 2016, one of which is a £69 million deal that will see the firm deliver an East London 150 home scheme with M&G Real Estate. Telford Homes announced a record revenue for the year up to March 31 2016 of £245.6 million, which sees a 42% rise from the previous year’s figure of £137.5 million. There was also a £7.1 million increase in pre-tax profit for the year, rising from £25.1 million to £32.2 million across the same time scale, with the company now bidding to post profits in excess of £50 million in the next three years. Meanwhile, the private rented sector contributed to almost a quarter of total property sales for the year. Telford Homes is now exploring the possibility of forming long term partnerships with institutional investors, saying that sales to M&G and L&Q this year are merely the beginning of the company’s expansion into the private rented sector market. Jon Di Stefano, Chief Executive of Telford Homes, said that although there are some justifiable concerns regarding London’s prime residential properties, the group will grow because of the company’s focus on non-prime housing. He added that the firm is focussing on London’s best non-prime locations at a cost that will see the continuation of strong demand. Mr Di Stefano continued to say that the company is currently operating in a market sector where supply continues to be significantly outstripped by demand. Meanwhile, Countryside Properties have also announced last month that it will target West Midland sites in conjunction with developer Sigma.

The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB)has issued a statement on the issue of Building Lives funding. Director of Policy, Steve Radley, has said that following the funding issues experienced by Building Lives last year, CITB has sought to provide support in a range of ways, including giving guidance in detail on how Building Lives could apply for levy-payers’ funds from CITB. He continued to say that the charity was introduced to other funding groups, such as the Skills Funding Agency contributed to its funding. Mr Radley said that this was done in order to ensure that all the people who were participating in training at Building Lives in May last year were able to fulfil their courses and make sure they did not lose out. He said that the funding application from Building Lives is currently under review, along with several other applications, and that a decision on the future of the group will be made by the end of the week. He hastened to add that none of the applicants have been informed of the potential results of their reviews. Mr Radley continued to say that CITB has presented a clear outline of its funding criteria, which was agreed last year with industry following a series of extensive consultations. He said that it is pivotal that all applications should be led by employers and that CITB will only provide funding if other sources are unavailable. There must also be firm evidence provided by applicants of how the industry will benefit from their project. He added that such criteria are of vital importance in ensuring that CITB is sure that it is investing levy-payers’ funds in areas that need it the most and with the greatest chance of succeeding. He concluded by saying that CITB is not aware of Building Lives engaging in discussions with local partners to ensure the centre remains open, but CITB will give support to the process if it is able to.

Gravity Fitness Limited has reached a deal for another Yorkshire based indoor trampoline park at the St Stephen’s Shopping Centre in Hull. The operator is represented by Savills, the international real estates advisor, and has secured a new lease for 15 years for a 15,000 sq ft (1,394 sq m) unit on the second floor of the shopping centre, for which it will pay a rent of £100,000 every year. Scheduled to open in the summer of 2016, the site will be the fifth venue Gravity has unveiled after similar deals were secured in Glasgow, Norwich, Maidstone and Castleford. Savills has been instructed by Gravity to attain further spaces of 20,000 sq ft (1,858 sq m) or bigger in high footfall buildings such as leisure or retail parks, high streets and shopping centres across the country. Gravity Fitness Limited spokesperson, Harvey Jenkinson, said that the company is excited and pleased to be unveiling its latest trampoline park and second in the Yorkshire area after its great success opening a park at Castleford’s Xscape centre. He added that the trampoline operator has seen its customers travel for many miles to its centres and is now anticipating a continuation of its expansion. Savills’ Retail Director, Steve Henderson, said that the concept of trampoline parks initially gained popularity in the US and have now transcended to the UK leisure scene. Mr Henderson added that Savills are delighted to have secured another Yorkshire venue for Gravity and are looking at several other sites across the UK. The new Hull trampoline park was formerly run as an indoor soft play area by the ‘Monkey Bizness’ firm and will now be transformed into a wall-to-wall trampoline centre along with battle beams and foam pits. Gravity is owned by two businessmen from Bridlington, Harvey Jenkinson and Michael Harrison.

‘DIY SOS’ are calling for local tradespeople to come together to help the transformation of a young carers’ centre in Blackpool. On Wednesday June 8 the BBC One show will be hosting a ‘Trades Day’ event in order to bring together volunteer trades and businesses to support the regeneration project as part of a special episode for BBC Children in Need. DIY SOS – ‘The Big Build’, which will be hosted by Nick Knowles, will be trying to complete one of its most heartfelt and ambitious projects ever which will require the assistance of volunteer tradespeople and businesses from the Blackpool region and Lancashire in general. The young carers’ centre is currently a neglected and run down Victorian house and the DIY show is going to attempt a huge transformation to make it a supportive, safe and fun environment in which young carers will be able to make the most of their childhood. Lawrence Llewellyn-Bowen, who was a young carer himself, is designing the project and is going to raise funds for Children in Need projects throughout the UK. To realise the centre’s dream, the show is looking for material donations along with the help of tradespeople such as landscape gardeners, decorators, plasterers, carpenters, plumbers, and electricians who are able to offer their services in support of the project. Mark Millar, build manager at DIY SOS, is to host an event that will last all day on June 8 at Blenheim House in Blackpool where businesses and tradespeople will be invited to weigh up the task and look at ways they can contribute to the project either by donating materials or trade volunteering. June 28 until July 7 are the building dates coming up and will help to improve the standards for Blackpool Carers, a charity that gives practical and emotional support to carers as young as five years old.