October 20, 2016

Japan’s nuclear restart stymied by courts

©AFP Buddhist monks offer prayers for tsunami and earthquake victims at Soma in Fukushima, the scene of a radiation leak A welter of conflicting legal decisions has left Japan’s nuclear reactors in a state of limbo as national energy strategy clashes with the courts. The reactors are being turned on

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RIBA coaches future industry leaders

Browser does not support script. Contact us The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced details for a series of new seminars dedicated to the up-and-coming architects poised to take the leap into senior roles in practice. The RIBA Future Leaders programme will help provide vital training and skills

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Tendering gets under way for 3,400-home scheme

Local authorities in Hampshire are starting the tender process for the first 3,400 homes of 8,000 planned for a 843ha greenfield site west of Basingstoke. Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council and Hampshire County Council have issued a prior information notice (PIN) for the first 3,400 homes on the Manydown development.

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JV formed for £350m Scape Group framework

19 August 2016 | Martin Read A joint venture between real estate consultancies Pick Everard, Gleeds, and AECOM is to deliver a £350 million Built Environment Consultancy Services (BECS) framework for Scape Group, the local authority-owned built environment service provider.   It is the first time that a joint venture has

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Construction Work Begins on £1bn St James Centre Revamp

The £1 billion redevelopment of Edinburgh’s St James centre is finally underway after political, financial and legal upheavals caused years of delays to the project. Building work began this week after developers TH Real Estate sold a 75 per cent stake in the 1.7 million sq ft retail and leisure centre

Read More »

Blueprint to Deliver 5,000 New Inner-City Homes Launched

The Greater Icknield and Smethwick Housing Growth Prospectus will drive £400 million development over five key brownfield sites in Birmingham and Smethwick. Icknield Port Loop plans   A blueprint to kick-start the construction of more than 5,000 new homes across inner-city Birmingham and Sandwell has been launched. The Greater Icknield

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London Sees Systems that Save Construction 60% on Security Costs

A dramatic switch from human guards to cost-effective smart technologies has been the trend in site security during the past year. Recent schemes carried out by the construction specialist, VPS Site Security, have shown savings of more than 60% in security budgets, which have provided an improved, comprehensive security net

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Construction Work Underway on £1bn Edinburgh St James Centre

The £1 billion redevelopment of Edinburgh’s St James centre has finally begun after political, financial and legal upheavals caused years of delays to the scheme. Building work started this week after developers TH Real Estate sold a 75% stake in the 1.7 million sq ft retail and leisure centre to

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Latest Issue
Issue 322 : Nov 2024

October 20, 2016

Two of the UK's best new homes shortlisted for RIBA House of the Year award

An experimental London house incorporating the walls of a 19th century stable into its split-wing design (Kew House) and Vaulted House, a sophisticated family house in Chiswick characterised by six skylight topped roofs, join Flint House and Sussex House on the 2015 RIBA House of the Year award shortlist, sponsored by specialist insurer, Hiscox. The annual award is run by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). The projects in the running for the UK’s most prestigious award for a new house are being revealed in a special four part TV series for Channel 4, Grand Designs: House of the Year. During the course of the series which began on Wednesday 4 November 2015, the seven homes shortlisted for the 2015 RIBA House of the Year award will be announced; the winner will be revealed on screen on Wednesday 25 November. The latest two projects shortlisted for the 2015 RIBA House of the Year are: Kew House, London by Piercy&Company Vaulted House, London by vPPR Architects They join the following two houses on the RIBA House of the Year shortlist, with another three yet to be announced: Flint House, Buckinghamshire by Skene Catling De La Pena Sussex House, West Sussex by Wilkinson King Architects -ends- Notes to editors: 1. For further press information contact Howard Crosskey, howard.crosskey@riba.org 020 7307 3814 2. The RIBA House of the Year award (formerly the Manser Medal) is awarded every year to the best new house designed by an architect in the UK. It was created in 2001 to celebrate excellence in housing design.  3. The judges for the 2015 RIBA House of the Year award, sponsored by Hiscox, are Jonathan Manser, Chair of the jury; James Standen of Hiscox; award-winning architect, Mary Duggan; Chris Loyn, the recipient of the 2014 award and Tony Chapman, RIBA Head of Awards.  4. Hiscox, the international specialist insurer, is headquartered in Bermuda and listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE:HSX). There are three main underwriting divisions in the Group – Hiscox London Market, Hiscox Re and Hiscox Retail (which includes Hiscox UK and Europe, Hiscox Guernsey, Hiscox USA and subsidiary brand, DirectAsia). Hiscox underwrites internationally traded, bigger ticket business and reinsurance through Hiscox Re and Hiscox London Market. Through its retail businesses in the UK, Europe and the US Hiscox offers a range of specialist insurance for professionals and business customers, as well as homeowners. For further information visit www.hiscoxgroup.com  5. The Architects’ Journal is media partner for the 2015 RIBA special awards, including the RIBA House of the Year www.architectsjournal.co.uk  6. The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) champions better buildings, communities and the environment through architecture and our members. Visit www.architecture.com and follow us on Twitter. 7. Grand Designs: House of the Year is produced by Boundless, producers of Grand Designs. 8. The judges’ full citations and image links for each building follows: Kew House, London by Piercy&Company Images: https://riba.box.com/s/mft7pcmxsdci27e1k5ib2arnkrfn2bdo This four bedroom family house is formed of two prefabricated weathering steel volumes inserted behind a retained nineteenth century stable wall. The layout is informal; rich with incidental spaces and unexpected light sources. A delicate, glazed circulation link reveals the contrast between a rustic exterior and refined interior. Split into two wings, the simple plan makes the most of a constrained site and responds to the living patterns of the young family. Completed in January 2014, Kew House was an experimental project, driven by the architect’s and clients’ shared interest in a ‘kit-of-parts’ approach, prefabrication, and the self-build possibilities emerging from digital fabrication. Vaulted House, London by vPPR Architects Images: https://riba.box.com/s/lcvu3fg1kdzaihl6x6kp4bzdjz5kyfrk This family house, built on the walled site of a former taxi garage, is almost entirely hidden in the middle of a Victorian block in Chiswick. The approach is via a covered passage, beyond which is a brick-lined front porch. A recessed, chamfered surround for the front door hints at the geometric language of the house’s primary formal and spatial idea: a walled enclosure above which a cluster of six conjoined hipped roofs hovers enigmatically. The house is arranged so that on entry, one is poised between the two levels, with stairs leading up to the open-plan living level, and down to the lower level of bedrooms. The six roofs, each topped by a skylight, are lifted above the enclosing boundary wall. This creates a sense of weightlessness and a borrowed panorama of neighbouring gardens. The hipped roofs’ sloped planes join precisely to form a series of large coffers or ‘vaults’. These vaults spatially define and individually illuminate various parts of the open plan main living space; kitchen, dining and living areas. In two places, the vaulted roofs are absent, leaving two storey deep voids that act as garden courtyards for the basement level bedrooms and children’s playroom. Glazed walls slide back to expand the living space onto balconies that project into the voids, formed with perforated mesh. This material and its careful detailing creates beautiful shadows on pristine courtyard walls.   Posted on Wednesday 11th November 2015 Source link

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Japan’s nuclear restart stymied by courts

©AFP Buddhist monks offer prayers for tsunami and earthquake victims at Soma in Fukushima, the scene of a radiation leak A welter of conflicting legal decisions has left Japan’s nuclear reactors in a state of limbo as national energy strategy clashes with the courts. The reactors are being turned on and off like light switches as activists file lawsuits, highlighting the tension between safety fears and energy supply, and raising questions about the role of courts in nuclear regulation. More On this topic IN China At stake is a multibillion-dollar nuclear infrastructure that is mothballed, reducing the risk of accidents but forcing energy-poor Japan to import and burn millions of tonnes of polluting fossil fuels. The nuclear industry received a small boost on Wednesday when Fukuoka’s high court refused to grant an injunction against the Sendai nuclear plant on the southern island of Kyushu — the only reactor in operation. But it does not make up for last month, when a district court ordered Japan’s only other online reactor, at Takahama on the main island of Honshu, to shut down again. The Takahama shutdown was a particular blow to the industry because a court in the district that hosts the reactor had lifted its injunction against the plant. That showed how plaintiffs can try different judges, given the wide areas potentially affected by an accident. The stop-start court decisions are a huge frustration to government policymakers, who last year set a goal of restoring nuclear power to 20-22 per cent of Japan’s energy mix. “I think [Takahama] was a very strange judgment,” says Masakazu Toyoda, chairman of the Institute of Energy Economics in Tokyo, pointing out that courts around the world scrutinise whether regulators and generators have properly followed their safety procedures. “But in Japan we have the really strange situation where the court has decided the safety standard itself is not sufficient to alleviate every possible adverse impact,” Mr Toyoda says. The court in the Takahama case said the causes of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster were not fully understood. It cited various problems and questions about tsunami risk and disaster preparedness. To Mr Toyoda, that overrides the regulators who wrote the safety standards, clearing Takahama to operate, and leaves no room for concerns such as climate change, energy security or the health risks from alternative power sources. But to Hiroyuki Kawai, one of the leading legal campaigners against Japan’s reactors, independence from nuclear experts and national energy strategy is the whole point of the courts. “We tried leaving everything to the experts and what we got is Fukushima,” he says, arguing that one way or another, Japan’s nuclear experts are tied to the industry. “The courts don’t consider energy strategy, they just consider whether a reactor should start or stop,” Mr Kawai says. “Thinking too much about energy strategy and government policy is what leads courts to error.” Kenichi Ido, a former judge who issued an injunction against a nuclear power station in 2006 — well before the Fukushima disaster — said it was not surprising Japan’s courts kept coming to different opinions given the widely different views in society. The courts have wide discretion to rule based on civil law or the constitutional rights to life and liberty. Mr Ido said a supreme court ruling would only settle the issue if it was framed widely, rather than on the facts of a particular case. That leaves Japan’s reactors facing a future of constant litigation — and Mr Kawai is revelling in it. “We’ll aim to get injunctions against any reactor that tries to restart,” he says. With the Sendai plant operating, he recognises his alliance of lawyers may not stop them all. But, he promises: “There’s no chance of all Japan’s reactors starting up again.” Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2016. You may share using our article tools. Please don’t cut articles from FT.com and redistribute by email or post to the web. Source link

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RIBA coaches future industry leaders

Browser does not support script. Contact us The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced details for a series of new seminars dedicated to the up-and-coming architects poised to take the leap into senior roles in practice. The RIBA Future Leaders programme will help provide vital training and skills for architects to enable them drive the future direction of their profession. Three afternoon seminars, held in March, May and July at RIBA, 66 Portland Place will tackle major topics that all future leaders will need to engage with: 15 March – Social Purpose How can architects take the lead in projects with a social purpose? How can practices lead in Corporate Social Responsibility? Includes interactive sessions with leaders from Architecture Sans Frontières UK, UN Global Compact and the Social Value Portal. 10 May – Improving Outcomes How do leaders of practices explain the importance of design quality to clients? How can practices lead in Post Occupancy Evaluation to do so? Includes keynote session with Sherin Aminossehe, Head of Government Property Profession in the Government Property Unit at the Cabinet Office. 5 July – Future Proofing How to lead in securing your business against future challenges and take fullest advance of coming opportunities? What lessons can large practices learn from small practices? How do we engender closer collaboration? What are the major challenges facing the future leaders of the architecture profession? Includes keynote session with Daniel Susskind, Lecturer in Economics at Balliol College, University of Oxford, speaking about the future prospects of the architecture profession and professionalism. Each seminar programme will take the form of three sessions which develop specific hard and soft skills: Project and Practice Leadership – A presentation contextualising the seminar theme followed by three short presentations on leadership skills used on projects and in practice. Professional Leadership – Interactive workshop followed by discussion and debate on professional leadership facilitated by RIBA staff. Leadership in Context – Keynote presentation from a figure outside but close to the architectural profession to offer thought leadership and different styles of leadership. RIBA President Jane Duncan said: “Our bespoke seminars have been tailored to suit the exacting needs of architects on their way to the top. “If you or someone in your studio is ambitious and determined to progress in our profession, I recommend joining the RIBA Future Leaders programme.”   For further information and tickets visit: www.architecture.com/FutureLeaders2016  ENDS For further information contact Howard Crosskey howard.crosskey@riba.org  +44 (0)20 7307 3761 Press images are available on request For further information and tickets visit: www.architecture.com/FutureLeaders2016 The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) champions better buildings, communities and the environment through architecture and our members www.architecture.com  Follow us on Twitter for regular RIBA updates www.twitter.com/RIBA   Posted on Tuesday 1st March 2016 Source link

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Tendering gets under way for 3,400-home scheme

Local authorities in Hampshire are starting the tender process for the first 3,400 homes of 8,000 planned for a 843ha greenfield site west of Basingstoke. Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council and Hampshire County Council have issued a prior information notice (PIN) for the first 3,400 homes on the Manydown development. The site could ultimately see the delivery of 8,000 homes over two local plan periods. The PIN outlines the first phase of the project of approximately 3,400 homes. The authorities are inviting developers and investors to attend an event on 13 June to find out more. The OJEU notice will be served in July 2016. Manydown project director Richard Bayley said: “Manydown offers one of the best residential development opportunities in England. We are looking for an organisation or a consortium of developers and investors who have a solid track record in placemaking and infrastructure to deliver this large-scale residential project. We need a partner who has both financial and resource capacity to work with us and commit for the longevity of this exciting project.” He added: “Our plan is to enable the selected partner to facilitate the delivery of the first phase of 3,400 homes, but they will also be encouraged to fulfil the longer-term opportunity of the project which could comprise further development phases. The whole of the project could ultimately deliver 8,000 homes.” Further onformation on the project is available at www.manydownbasingstoke.co.uk; or by emailing Richard Bayley richard.bayley@basingstoke.gov.uk   This article was published on 13 May 2016 (last updated on 13 May 2016). Source link

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JV formed for £350m Scape Group framework

19 August 2016 | Martin Read A joint venture between real estate consultancies Pick Everard, Gleeds, and AECOM is to deliver a £350 million Built Environment Consultancy Services (BECS) framework for Scape Group, the local authority-owned built environment service provider.   It is the first time that a joint venture has been appointed by Scape, with the three partner organisations working together over the next four years – supported by their respective local supply chains – to deliver new public sector projects. The consortium has been given the name ‘Perfect Circle’.   Services to be delivered by Perfect Circle under the BECS framework will include project management, quantity surveying, building surveying, commercial surveying, architecture and design services, civil and structural engineering, highways consultancy and engineering services and strategic asset management.   Perfect Circle was selected through an OJEU-compliant tender process based on an evaluation of cost as well as social, economic and environmental sustainability criteria.   Scape says that about 150 SMEs will support the consortium as supply chain partners, with 27,000 discipline experts spanning the group. Perfect Circle has also committed to creating “significant opportunities for micro businesses”.   Duncan Green, chairman of Perfect Circle and managing partner at Pick Everard said: “Perfect Circle brings together three industry-leading organisations into a full service consortium that has the influence, scalability and expertise to make a significant and positive contribution to the challenges currently affecting the public sector.   “The consolidation of consultancy services into one framework presented a unique opportunity for our respective businesses to join forces and create an offering of unrivalled added value and efficient solutions nationwide.”   Richard Steer, chairman of Gleeds Worldwide, said: “The BECS Framework presents a significant business opportunity; our teams worked incredibly hard to produce a best-in-class bid and it is now our job to ensure that we are able to hit the ground running once the framework goes live.”   Patrick Flaherty, chief executive, UK & Ireland of AECOM, said: “The BECS framework provides public sector organisations with a responsive, cost-effective and efficient delivery model through which to access Perfect Circle’s full consultancy services.” Source link

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Construction Work Begins on £1bn St James Centre Revamp

The £1 billion redevelopment of Edinburgh’s St James centre is finally underway after political, financial and legal upheavals caused years of delays to the project. Building work began this week after developers TH Real Estate sold a 75 per cent stake in the 1.7 million sq ft retail and leisure centre to Dutch pension asset manager APG. TH Real Estate will hold the remaining 25 per cent stake. The plan to demolish the existing 1970s St James Centre and replace it with modern retail and office space was originally given the go-ahead in 2009. The project met with a series of delays, with developers blaming difficulties in attracting international investors in the wake of the financial crash in 2008 and “uncertainty” surrounding this year’s EU referendum vote. Doubts over the project were also raised following a legal challenge over ownership of the site. Once complete, Edinburgh St James will comprise 850,000 sq ft of retail space, anchored by John Lewis, a multi-screen cinema, a W Hotel comprising 214 rooms and 150 private apartments. Designed by Allan Murray Architects, the development will also create up to 3,000 permanent jobs. Laing O’Rourke, which had been appointed on a consultancy basis to advise on pre-construction works over the last year, has now been appointed as the main contractor for the project. Demolition work is anticipated to take around 18 months, with the retail and leisure element being finished in 2020, followed by full scheme completion in 2021. Myles White, director of retail, TH Real Estate, said: “We are delighted to be strengthening our existing relationship with APG, with whom we have built up a strong and successful relationship over the past eight years, to partner on this exceptional development. Both APG, and ourselves, on behalf of our UK Shopping Centre Fund investors, look forward to a long term partnership on this investment which we believe will set a new benchmark for the future of retail and leisure schemes, both in the UK, and beyond.” Robert-Jan Foortse, head of European property investments at APG, said:  “The Edinburgh St James project is one the UK’s largest and most significant regeneration projects.  We are excited to become part of this scheme that will transform and reinforce the heart of Edinburgh city centre with the creation of a new shopping destination.  Furthermore we believe that the addition of the W hotel will help attract even more tourists to this Unesco World Heritage city.  As such, the project fits very well in our portfolio with stakes in shopping centres like Westfield Stratford City in London and CAP3000 in Nice. Edinburgh St James also fits in seamlessly with our strategy to increase our focus on ‘develop to core’ projects. In TH Real Estate we have a long time trusted partner and we look forward to working with them in the completion of the project and its management, once it has been completed.” Cabinet secretary for economy, jobs and fair work, Keith Brown added: “The Scottish Government warmly welcomes this major investment in Edinburgh and Scotland, which will have significant positive impact on construction activity, jobs, and the economy. I am particularly pleased that the Scottish Government has been able to help unlock the investment by working in partnership with the Scottish Futures Trust and Edinburgh City Council on the Growth Accelerator Model through which we will be contributing significant sums and assisting the council to manage risk. “I also welcome the plans for a training academy to help ensure the positive impact of the investment on jobs and training is spread as widely as possible. This is a major signal of investor confidence in Scotland, and provides further demonstration that Scotland is open for business.”

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Blueprint to Deliver 5,000 New Inner-City Homes Launched

The Greater Icknield and Smethwick Housing Growth Prospectus will drive £400 million development over five key brownfield sites in Birmingham and Smethwick. Icknield Port Loop plans   A blueprint to kick-start the construction of more than 5,000 new homes across inner-city Birmingham and Sandwell has been launched. The Greater Icknield and Smethwick Housing Growth Prospectus will drive £400 million development over five key brownfield sites in Birmingham and Smethwick The selected sites are at Grove Lane, Icknield Port Loop, Spring Hill, Brindley Canalside and Windmill Eye. As well as looking to attract private sector investment interest, the prospectus also seeks Housing Zone status from Government and could see the planning process streamlined to deliver the homes more quickly. Birmingham council leader John Clancy said: “This isn’t just about bricks and mortar; it’s about transforming lives and futures. “We want to rejuvenate and create neighbourhoods that are well connected, have a good range of facilities and services, and are attractive to residents and investors. “By expanding our partnership working and targeting funding to revive brownfield sites, either by financing infrastructure or supporting individual schemes, we can give developers and investors the confidence to get to work and provide badly needed homes.” Cllrs Steve Eling and John Clancy Sandwell leader Steve Eling added: “The Greater Icknield and Smethwick housing scheme has already attracted considerable investment and commitment from the public and private sector. “We have a shared vision, delivery is already underway and we want to keep that momentum going. “This prospectus sets out what we are doing to bring forward that vision – putting brownfield land to good use to accommodate quality new housing.” The councils are investing in roads including the A457 link to the M5, a new school at St Vincent Street West and a new leisure centre at Icknield Port Loop to support the developments. The prospectus is a result of the councils work with the new West Midlands Combined Authority. Where are the homes? Greater Icknield and Smethwick housing development areas The Grove Lane scheme in Smethwick has the £353 million Midland Metropolitan Hospital at its heart and will see approximately 900 new houses and apartments being built. This includes 142 homes on the former Atlas Metals site, with 40 expected to be completed in 2016/17 and scope for a further 40 on land to the west of the site. The former Heartlands Furniture site will provide 250-300 homes, with a longer term option for approximately 30 further homes. The Icknield Port Loop scheme will provide 1,800 homes. The main development will be 1,150 homes at Icknield Port Loop itself, being delivered by Urban Splash and Places for People in conjunction with Birmingham City Council and the Canal and River Trust. Further developments in the area include converting former industrial buildings in Ledsam Street to create 200 homes, and potentially a further 100 homes on Severn Trent’s former Waterworks Road depot. Spring Hill development plan The Spring Hill scheme will see up to 750 homes on part of the site of the current City Hospital in Dudley Road, Birmingham, which will be vacated once the Midland Metropolitan Hospital opens in 2018. A further part of this scheme is Soho Loop, which will see a further 500 homes built between Icknield Port Loop and the City Hospital site. The Brindley Canalside scheme provides 755 homes on three sites located alongside the Birmingham Canal in Smethwick. This includes up to 400 potential new houses and apartments in the Rolfe Street area, and 200 new homes around Rabone Lane. Windmill Eye would see a further 450 new homes in the existing housing development north of Cape Hill. These would be at two sites in Crocketts Lane and two around Raglan Road/Durban Road.  

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London Sees Systems that Save Construction 60% on Security Costs

A dramatic switch from human guards to cost-effective smart technologies has been the trend in site security during the past year. Recent schemes carried out by the construction specialist, VPS Site Security, have shown savings of more than 60% in security budgets, which have provided an improved, comprehensive security net 24/7 at lower cost. Costain, GallifordTry, Carillion, Taylor Wimpey and Murphy are among the household names in the construction industry who are deploying CCTV systems to improve security, while also cutting costs, and the technologies are being shown at this month’s London Build, at Olympia on October 26 and 27. Systems such as JCB Smart Towers, that combine the latest cameras with wireless networks, sensors and power sources, can protect even the most challenging environments such as highway construction, day and night, from the safety of a monitoring station. Managing Director at VPS Site Security, Simon Alderson, commented: “Guard patrols have been the traditional approach to secure sites. But a surge in technological developments have proven themselves in recent years, so that better 24/7 protection and safety can be achieved alongside dramatic cost savings. “Mobile patrols may still be required, but even they are much more efficient when deployed with the support of towers, as they can help target problems quickly and efficiently.” The CCTV systems are also being used as safety tools and for traffic management, which add an extra layer of health and safety protection for construction workers and the public alike, which provides both a safety audit and deterrence to taking risks. One example of such a system, the JCB Smart Tower, is being shown at London Build, Olympia, this month on stand F81. Earlier in the year, VPS launched a social media campaign to warn of the risks of playing on construction sites during the summer.

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Boosting Renewables in Cities is Key to Achieving Climate and Development Aims

Cities now have an unprecedented chance to transform and decarbonise their energy supply and use, according to the latest report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Renewable Energy in Cities, released on the side-lines of the Habitat III Conference in Quito, estimates the energy use in 3,649 cities and explores their potential to scale-up renewable energy by 2030. It finds that although there is no one-size fits all solution; every city has huge potential to cost-effectively boost renewable energy use at the local level. IRENA Director General, Adnan Z.Amin, commented: “Cities can play a transformative role in leading the world to a clean and sustainable energy future. “We have to rethink the entire urban energy landscape, which requires rigorous planning and holistic decision-making. Renewable energy, combined with energy efficiency, will power the future growth of cities. We must ensure this transition happens as soon as possible.” Electricity use varies widely throughout different cities depending on climate conditions, population density and development stage. Similarly, energy use for transport varies hugely depending on urbanisation models. Today, renewables supply just 20% of this energy, but much more is possible. Renewable Energy in Cities outlines three priority areas – both in technology and in policy – where cities can take action to scale up the use of renewable energy sources: renewable energy in buildings (for heating, cooling, cooking, and appliances); sustainable options for transport (electric mobility and biofuels); and creating integrated urban energy systems. Accounting for 65% of global energy use and 70% of man-made carbon emissions, cities must play a major role in the transition to a low-carbon economy. By highlighting best practice from cities across the world, the report shows what is possible and what policies are required to enable the change. It also offers concrete examples of how city actors can accelerate the switch to renewable energy at the local level by acting as planners, regulators, financiers and operators of urban infrastructure.  

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Construction Work Underway on £1bn Edinburgh St James Centre

The £1 billion redevelopment of Edinburgh’s St James centre has finally begun after political, financial and legal upheavals caused years of delays to the scheme. Building work started this week after developers TH Real Estate sold a 75% stake in the 1.7 million sq ft retail and leisure centre to Dutch pension asset manager APG. TH Real Estate will hold the remaining 25% stake. The plan to demolish the existing 1970s St James Centre and replace it with modern retail and office space was originally given the go ahead in 2009. The scheme was met with a number of delays, with developers blaming difficulties in attracting international investors in the wake of the financial crash in 2008 and “uncertainty” surrounding this year’s EU referendum vote. Doubts over the project were also raised after a legal challenge concerning ownership of the site. Once finished, Edinburgh St James will be made up of 850,000 sq ft of retail space, anchored by John Lewis, a multi-screen cinema, a W Hotel comprising 214 rooms and 150 private apartments. Designed by Allan Murray Architects, the development will also create up to 3,000 permanent jobs. Laing O’Rourke, which had been appointed on a consultancy basis to offer advice on pre-construction works during the last year, has now been appointed as the main contractor for the scheme. It is expected that the demolition work should take around 18 months, with the retail and leisure element being completed in 2020, followed by full scheme completion the following year. Myles White, director of retail, TH Real Estate, said: “We are delighted to be strengthening our existing relationship with APG, with whom we have built up a strong and successful relationship over the past eight years, to partner on this exceptional development. Both APG, and ourselves, on behalf of our UK Shopping Centre Fund investors, look forward to a long term partnership on this investment which we believe will set a new benchmark for the future of retail and leisure schemes, both in the UK, and beyond.”

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