Because of the strong demand for investment in East London Property, Cogress has managed to secure funding for a new residential and commercial property development on Tudor Road. The development is located in Hackney, which is one of the most popular boroughs in London. The project will create 4.725 sq.
Great design at heart of £325m electric vehicle project – London Taxi Company (LTC) has hailed the designers of the ambitious firm’s state-of-the-art electric vehicle manufacturing facility in the West Midlands, as part of the business’ £325m electrification project. Birmingham-based interior designer architects Monteith Scott designed high-quality interiors – and
Jet Aire, the Leeds based company has recently appointed Simon Lawton to their board as a non-executive chairman. Simon has been working with the drainage contractors since 2014 on a number of different ad hoc projects. Over the course of the past six months, Simon Lawton has been working with
Britcon has announced that they have made three new senior appointments at their offices in Wakefield. The Building and civil engineering business has now increased their Yorkshire base team numbers to 12 with the new appointments. The Wakefield base was first opened in 2014 and over the past 12 months
New Bylaws have been introduced in Wokingham that the Council hopes will reduce the flood risk in areas such as Arborfield. Wokingham Borough Council now have legal anti-flooding powers that will allow the Council to prosecute people who cause blockages to watercourses or damage to riverbanks that could lead to
Worcester City Council has announced a £10.5 million pool extension. This work at the Perdiswell Leisure Centre will form part of a nationwide strategy to give support to facilities in the right areas that will encourage more people to take part in sport. This new project will create a state
Because of the strong demand for investment in East London Property, Cogress has managed to secure funding for a new residential and commercial property development on Tudor Road. The development is located in Hackney, which is one of the most popular boroughs in London. The project will create 4.725 sq. ft. of office space and 19 residential units. The property developer contracted for this project is Kirk Real Estate Ltd. At the moment 7 of the 19 residential units in the development have been sold. It is thought that the London Borough of Hackney has seen a great deal of redevelopment, which in turn has led to an average house price increase of 700% over the course of the last 20 years. This massive jump in house prices in the area could be due in part to the after effects of the London 2012 Olympic Games. This “Olympic effect” means that the infrastructure in the area has been improved, making it a popular place for commuters. This popularity has been heightened because of the variety of different independent bars, shops and restaurants as well as the borough’s close proximity to London. It is thought that the project should be complete and ready for resale in September 2018 and Cogress are working to diversify their portfolio in order to offer the best opportunities to their investors. The company has an increasing number of qualified investors that are looking for opportunities in the London markets. For the assets in the company’s portfolios, the investors usually receive any profits from the portfolio on exit. The exit is planned for the Hackney development in September next year and it is hoped that the development will allow their investors the access to property investment opportunities of over £10 million. The investment company are diversifying their portfolio in order to adapt to the investor demand while the uncertain times in the market.
Great design at heart of £325m electric vehicle project – London Taxi Company (LTC) has hailed the designers of the ambitious firm’s state-of-the-art electric vehicle manufacturing facility in the West Midlands, as part of the business’ £325m electrification project. Birmingham-based interior designer architects Monteith Scott designed high-quality interiors – and worked with a feng shui consultant – for the impressive new facility at Ansty Park in Coventry. Ansty is the UK’s first car plant dedicated solely to the production of range-extended electric vehicles, and is where the world’s first purpose-built, electric taxi will be made. LTC has also announced that it will also build electric vans at the site. The investment in the new site and the development of the next generation taxis and vans will create over a 1,000 new jobs, including 200 engineers and 30 apprentices. Monteith Scott, which has delivered successful working environments for companies across the UK, was appointed to deliver an inspiring workspace across three floors of the new plant. The project included a reception area, a 270-seat restaurant, gymnasium, locker rooms and toilets. The company worked alongside BHP Architects on the scheme. Alison Monteith, managing director of Monteith Scott, said: “The black cab is a truly iconic piece of London culture, known around the world, so it’s incredibly important that the space in which they’re manufactured reflects this. “This has been a very exciting project for us to be involved with and, as the vehicles switch from diesel to electric, we were keen to present an environmentally friendly workspace that demonstrates the company’s commitment to the production of ultra-low emission vehicles. We worked with a feng shui consultant on key areas, to align the interior with the business ethos and to aid productivity.” Paul Woolley, Chief Operating Officerat London Taxi Company, said: “On this electrification project our core belief has been that quality begins with good design, so it was natural we would work with a top architectural designer. Monteith Scott have created a bright, comfortable high quality work environment and we are thrilled with the result.” The London Taxi Company became part of the Zhejiang Geely Holding Group in 2013, and its owners say this investment is a sign of China’s confidence in the UK post-Brexit. The opening of the new plant set several records. It is the first brand new automotive manufacturing facility in Britain for over a decade, the first dedicated electric vehicle factory in the UK, and the first major Chinese investment in UK automotive. LTC have worked with many businesses in the West Midlands to deliver this project, making the most of the area’s rich automotive heritage. Architectural interior designer specialist Monteith Scott, based in the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham, is led by managing director Alison Monteith and design director Derek Matthews, and operates across a range of sectors.
Jet Aire, the Leeds based company has recently appointed Simon Lawton to their board as a non-executive chairman. Simon has been working with the drainage contractors since 2014 on a number of different ad hoc projects. Over the course of the past six months, Simon Lawton has been working with the directors and the senior management team in order to lay foundations for the next stage of the company’s growth. The company is looking to expand their presence in the provision of professional drainage solutions to the company’s commercial, industrial and domestic clients. Simon Lawton has a great track record as a finance director for a number of rapidly expanding entrepreneurial businesses. Most notably, Simon worked for Tribal Group Plc and managed to help the company grow from a start-up company to a business with sales of over £250 million over the course of 10 years. Simon is a founder trustee for the Tribal Group Foundation which works to raise money and fund different health and education projects in Africa, India and Nepal. Simon spent two year working on a variety of different investment projects in Sub-Saharan Africa. These investment projects include a 5-star island tourist resort which is located in the Indian Ocean near Mozambique. In 2013, Simon worked to help co-launched a new start up support services business which is called Benula Capital Limited. This support services company works within the recruitment and HR market and currently holds a number of equity stakes in several different companies around the UK and Internationally. Benula looks to help companies carry out an accelerated growth strategy through strategic financial and development advice for owners and managers. As part of Jet Aire, Simon will be offering the Leeds based drainage contractor advice on the best ways to push the business forward. Jet Aire has been benefitting from a sustained period of growth and plans to extend further over the next five years.
Britcon has announced that they have made three new senior appointments at their offices in Wakefield. The Building and civil engineering business has now increased their Yorkshire base team numbers to 12 with the new appointments. The Wakefield base was first opened in 2014 and over the past 12 months is has doubled its size. The first appointment to Britcon is Brian French, who has joined the company as a senior quantity surveyor. Brian French will be bringing more than 40 years’ experience as part of the building, civil engineering and fit out sectors to his new role where it is thought that he will be taking commercial responsibility for Eddie Stobart and York University initially. Brian has worked for a number of years and ha specific expertise in project cost management for private commercial sectors as well as the local authority and projects for the NHS. The second appointment to the Wakefield base is Tony Mulcrone, who will also be a site manager for the Britcon team. Mulcrone comes from a strong engineering background and it is thought that he will add value as part of the construction projects Britcon are involved in. Tony will be especially valuable when involved with construction projects that contain a great deal of emphasis on sub-structures and external works. The third appointment is Craig Bell, who has been recruited to the Britcon Engineering Services division as the structural steel 3D draftsman. Craig Bell has worked in the past for a number of Yorkshire steel fabrication firms in a number of different roles including draughtsman, buyer and estimator roles. Craig is currently working for Britcon Engineering Services on a Bulk Store project that is located IN King Lynn for ABP. Craig is also working on a project in Lancashire for Rolls Royce. These three appointments have been made to reflect Britcon’s continuous growth in Yorkshire. This growth is important due to major client instructions coming from York University, BASF, Eddie Stobart, Cepac and Bradford City Council. The company has also recently managed to secure a place as part of the contractors framework for Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Trust.
New Bylaws have been introduced in Wokingham that the Council hopes will reduce the flood risk in areas such as Arborfield. Wokingham Borough Council now have legal anti-flooding powers that will allow the Council to prosecute people who cause blockages to watercourses or damage to riverbanks that could lead to an increased risk of flooding. These new land drainage bylaws that have been introduced means that there cannot be any developments built within eight meters of drainage ditches. This restriction is thought to reduce the risk of flooding created by manmade obstructions or damage. The penalty for breaking the bylaws that have been introduced by Wokingham Borough Council could lead to a court appearance at the Magistrates as well as a significant fine and a criminal record. The Council applied for the legal powers that would allow them to control the changes to watercourses as well as manage the number of obstructions and disruption to vegetation. The borough council had to apply to the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, or DEFRA; which they have done successfully in order to be granted with the legal powers to reduce the manmade factors that can lead to flooding. The legal powers have been granted after a public consultation that took place last year. The specific bylaws in Wokingham will give the council control over any land that is within eight meters on either side of the bank of a ditch in the council area. This means that developers and farmers that are looking at building houses or any form or agricultural structure will be prevented from doing so near a ditch in order to make sure that there is no change to the natural flood plain. This also means that there will be a buffer zone created for wildlife as well as protecting homes from flooding. Landowners will also be made to make sure that any livestock in these areas do not damage the riverbanks by installing fencing and any vegetation nearby needs to be cut in order to allow the free flow of water.
Worcester City Council has announced a £10.5 million pool extension. This work at the Perdiswell Leisure Centre will form part of a nationwide strategy to give support to facilities in the right areas that will encourage more people to take part in sport. This new project will create a state of the art swimming pool that will be up to competition standards and will also become a strategically placed venue that will help with the development of the sport for a number of years. The swimming pool will be extended and open at some point this year, and the project has been paid for in part by Sport England and their Strategic Facilities Fund. When the pool is open it will offer an eight lane swimming pool that measures 25m x 18m. Also constructed as part of the project is a 18m x 10m learner pool that is equipped with a moveable floor. Overlooking the pool area there will also be seating for a capacity of 250 spectators. The construction is being completed using innovative building techniques in order to ensure that the pool is at the highest standard possible and to make sure it is an asset to the swimming community for years to come. Carrying out the work on the new pool facilities is Speller Metcalfe, and the roofing on the project is being created by Britannia Site Solutions. The roof will be constructed with a 2,300m² Protan EX-A 1.5mm single ply polymer membrane that will be adhered to the roof decks that will be made out of concrete and aluminum. The roof element of this project is complex in comparison to the other features of the project because there are a number of different aspects to take in to consideration. There are a number of different penetrations in the roof and also other detailing to allow for the ducting systems to be installed. There are also a number of construction substrates to be considered and impact the chemically treated water of the pools could have on the roofing.
