National drinks distributor Matthew Clark Wholesale Ltd has relocated to a new purpose built distribution facility at Thorp Arch Estate, near Wetherby. The firm, which distributes both soft and alcoholic drinks to thousands of hotels, clubs, pubs and restaurants across the north of England, has relocated to the 62,925 sq
Hampshire builders merchant Elliotts attended the opening of a new garden at Fordingbridge Junior School. The garden was designed by the students for the Elliotts School Competition 2016 and fought off tough competition from across Hampshire to win first place and see their design brought to life. Schools from all
New plans have been put forward to strengthen and refurbish the Central Lower Promenade in Whitley Bay. After an intervention from the Elected Mayor, North Tyneside Council has put together an alternative design for the coastal sea defence project, which will save over £1 million and has incorporated suggestions submitted
The new façade of Merrion House, an office building in Leeds city centre, is starting to take shape as the final concrete panel is removed. BAM Construction is continuing the installation of the building’s glazing and cladding. The 170,000 sq ft office space is owned together with the Town Centre
National drinks distributor Matthew Clark Wholesale Ltd has relocated to a new purpose built distribution facility at Thorp Arch Estate, near Wetherby. The firm, which distributes both soft and alcoholic drinks to thousands of hotels, clubs, pubs and restaurants across the north of England, has relocated to the 62,925 sq ft site, Unit 512. The move was one of the biggest commercial property deals in Yorkshire over the last 18 months. The relocation has meant that 90 jobs have been transferred to the Thorp Arch Estate, which has seen Matthew Clark Wholesale move its Yorkshire operation from the Derwent Valley Industrial Estate, in Dunnington, near York. The firm had previously been based there for over 15 years. The Rockspring Hanover Property Unit Trust owns the Thorp Arch Estate. Unit 512 is the third biggest unit on the 385-acre Thorp Arch Estate, a former wartime munitions factory, and the largest warehouse that Rockspring Hanover Property Unit Trust has built for a new tenant Director of Wharfedale Property Management, which manages the estate for owner, Rockspring Hanover Property Unit Trust, Tim Munns, commented: “The completion of the Matthew Clark Wholesale Ltd relocation is further evidence that Thorp Arch Estate is becoming the top destination for businesses across north Leeds, Harrogate and York which want to expand and be near the motorway network but do not want to move to the M62 corridor.“ The new Matthew Clark Wholesale distribution hub will include nine dock levellers, two level-entry goods access doors, a large goods yard and 6,350 sq ft of office space. Property and construction consultants, LHL Group, York, managed the construction for Rockspring. Ian Gordon, Matthew Clark’s regional managing director, Ian Gordon, commented: “We are delighted with our brand new depot, providing us with more space to operate and allowing us to be closer to the motorway network, all of which serve our customers better within the region. “These factors were crucial when it came to choosing the new location as we continuously look to strengthening the service to our customers.”
Hampshire builders merchant Elliotts attended the opening of a new garden at Fordingbridge Junior School. The garden was designed by the students for the Elliotts School Competition 2016 and fought off tough competition from across Hampshire to win first place and see their design brought to life. Schools from all over the South entered the competition and were asked to submit a design showing how they would like Elliotts to help transform a patch of land on their site, with a written appeal stating why the new area would make all the difference to their school. The finished garden features a sensory pathway with textures, bumps in the path and beds soon to be filled with herbs and fragrant plants. The school will also be adding musical instruments and wind chimes to the garden to give the children a full sensory experience. Elliotts” sales director Paul Cleary, said: “It’s brilliant to see the finished garden, and we’re really happy to have been able to fund and supply materials for this project. “It’s been a privilege to work with the wonderful bright young minds from Fordingbridge Junior School and we’d also like to thank New Forest Landscaping for doing such an excellent job of realising the winning design. From us at Elliotts, to the landscaping team and the school, this is a project everyone should feel proud of.” The new outdoor space was officially opened by the Mayor of Fordingbridge, Malcolm Connolly who said: “I’ve had the pleasure of opening many sensory gardens and this is by far one of the best ones yet.”
New plans have been put forward to strengthen and refurbish the Central Lower Promenade in Whitley Bay. After an intervention from the Elected Mayor, North Tyneside Council has put together an alternative design for the coastal sea defence project, which will save over £1 million and has incorporated suggestions submitted by the public. The new proposals have been officially lodged with planning officials who will now consider the application before a decision is expected early in 2017. It comes after 166 people attended two exhibition events at the end of last month (October), to examine the proposals in further detail and give their feedback. Almost everyone who submitted feedback said that they strongly supported the alternative proposals (92%) and backed the need to upgrade Whitley Bay’s sea defenses (93%). Participants praised the simplicity of the project, which was described as “much better” than the previous proposal, “attractive and practical”, “value for money” and “an improvement to the area” which “could attract visitors”. The response was similarly positive on social media with many taking to the council’s Facebook pages to comment favourably on the plans and say how they now look forward to the scheme becoming a reality as soon as possible. The council has considered all of the feedback, which has helped inform its planning application. Elected Mayor Norma Redfearn said: “I am delighted that we have now submitted the new plans for this important project, which will not only strengthen and safeguard sea defences but also breathe new life into this part of the seafront. “It’s fantastic too that we have had an overwhelmingly positive response in support of the new designs. Residents have made it clear that they now just want us to get on and deliver this scheme and we really appreciate their patience while these new plans have been drawn up. It is important that we ensure we save public money and get the best design possible, so it will be worth the wait.
The new façade of Merrion House, an office building in Leeds city centre, is starting to take shape as the final concrete panel is removed. BAM Construction is continuing the installation of the building’s glazing and cladding. The 170,000 sq ft office space is owned together with the Town Centre Securities Plc and Leeds City Council as part of a partnership between public and private sectors. Earlier this year, BAM Construction was appointed to deliver the project. Project Manager at BAM, Simon Sutcliffe, commented: “Deconstructing the ten-storey building, before recladding and refurbishing is a huge task. “There were 705 concrete panels to strip off the building, each weighing between two and four tonnes, before modern cladding could be installed. Months of meticulous planning are now paying off and it is great to see the new look taking shape”. Two tower cranes have been in place to lift panels from the building, one strip at a time, before the new glazing and curtain walling were installed using mast climbers. The concrete panels have been taken away to a quarry in Bramhope, Leeds, where they have had the steel reinforcement extracted and recycled before the remaining concrete is crushed and certified for reuse for other construction projects. Edward Ziff, chairman and chief executive of Town Centre Securities, commented: “Real progress is being made with the redevelopment and the revitalised Merrion House will be another key component to the northern side of the city centre, complementing the nearby Merrion Centre and Arena Quarter, and supporting the continued economic and cultural growth of the area”. Merrion House, which was originally constructed for use by Leeds City Council in 1973, is currently undergoing significant refurbishment in order for the council to return with all public facing services under one roof. This is part of a plan to reduce the number of council buildings in the city centre from 17 to just four.