The contract for Braywick Park in Maidenhead, Kent, was won by Wates Construction, which will build a new £33 million leisure centre and swimming pool. The new centre was designed by architects Burke Rickhards and it will replace the ageing Magnet Leisure Centre with a modern facility. The new centre
With furore building around the initial findings of the BRE report into the Grenfell Tower fire leaked to the London Evening Standard, Bureau Veritas has reiterated the critical importance of specification, construction methods and adherence to building standards in ensuring buildings are constructed correctly and appropriately going forward. The reported
A postcard from 1909 that rails against the wealthy landlords will be offered on sale by Altea Gallery at the London Map Fair in June. William Bacot Northrop, a social justice campaigner, shows through his design the tentacles of capitalism strangling the poor tenants across Westminster, Mayfair, Belgravia and other
The Building Better Communities initiative is in its fourth year of running and it will award one community project up to £50,000, as well as many other prizes. Projects from Calderdale and the rest of the county can apply for funding for building materials to improve their facilities. In addition,
The contract for Braywick Park in Maidenhead, Kent, was won by Wates Construction, which will build a new £33 million leisure centre and swimming pool. The new centre was designed by architects Burke Rickhards and it will replace the ageing Magnet Leisure Centre with a modern facility. The new centre will combine a number of leisure services under one roof, including an indoor street and winter garden running through to the spine of the building. Other facilities include a 25 metre, 10-lane swimming pool, training and splash pools and a health club with a 200 station gym floor, two dance studios and an indoor cycling studio. In addition, four squash courts, six outdoor netball/tennis courts and a 40m x 60m floodlit all-weather 3G pitch will be available. The focus of the design is on sustainability and it is set to use 70% less energy than the Magnet centre. “This leisure centre will provide a fantastic new venue for residents and visitors to enjoy. The development will create new opportunities for sports and a brand new space for performances for the whole community. This cutting-edge leisure centre will help residents of all ages and abilities lead healthier and happier lives as we build a borough for everyone,” said Councillor Samantha Rayner, cabinet member for culture and communities. The new leisure centre and swimming pool development is scheduled to open in late 2019 and it will be owned by the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead.
With furore building around the initial findings of the BRE report into the Grenfell Tower fire leaked to the London Evening Standard, Bureau Veritas has reiterated the critical importance of specification, construction methods and adherence to building standards in ensuring buildings are constructed correctly and appropriately going forward. The reported findings of the leaked interim document focused on five potentially significant breaches of building regulations that contributed to the spread of fire at Grenfell Tower, specifically in relation to a refurbishment carried out between 2014-16. Areas of focus included the building cladding and insulation, as well as the design and installation of the windows and cavity barriers. Andy Lowe, director of building control at Bureau Veritas, comments: “Firstly, it’s important that we wait for the full BRE report to be published to understand the real implications of the findings of the investigation. It’s also crucial that these findings are reviewed in conjunction with the ‘Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety’ by Dame Judith Hackitt and alongside any changes to Government legislation that may arise as a result. “However, it’s always imperative to reiterate just how important it is to construct buildings correctly in accordance with building regulations, including at the specification stage to ensure that materials selected are appropriate and suitable for their intended use. This includes adequate inspection at every stage of the process to not only assess the suitability of the materials used but also that installation has been done correctly. “Benchmarking of key areas and photography of critical components is also recommended as best practise, along with thorough documentation to form part of a fire safety dossier that can be passed on to the fire risk assessor – this should also be made available to the relevant tenants association if applicable. “Any further alteration works should be reviewed against the original strategy for the building and obviously should still comply fully with safety requirements. Only with all these measures in place can we be satisfied that a building has been constructed and maintained to the highest standards. “It is our understanding and continued hope that when both the full BRE findings and the Hackitt Review are published that this approach to best practice is strengthened, to ensure long-term compliance with these vital aspects of fire safety.” Bureau Veritas is a leading testing, inspection and certification company with a vast experience of the building control sector. Bureau Veritas Building Control UK combines technical expertise and market-leading systems with unrivalled industry experience to deliver building control services to some of the biggest names in construction. Through effective teamwork, a consistent approach and commitment to excellence, Bureau Veritas’ solutions go beyond just compliance – they can help to reduce costs and manage risk throughout the building lifecycle, from design stages through to site inspections and final certification – whilst giving designers confidence that the project will comply with Building Regulations and all relevant legislation. For further information, call 0345 600 1828 or visit www.bureauveritas.co.uk
A postcard from 1909 that rails against the wealthy landlords will be offered on sale by Altea Gallery at the London Map Fair in June. William Bacot Northrop, a social justice campaigner, shows through his design the tentacles of capitalism strangling the poor tenants across Westminster, Mayfair, Belgravia and other prosperous parts. The map is accompanied by a legend that reads: “Landlordism causes unemployment. It paralyses the Building Trade; It Pauperises the Peasantry; 12 Landlords ‘own’ London, taking £20,000,000 a year; 500 Peers ‘own’ an entire one-third of England; 4,000 landlords ‘own’ an entire half of England; The Land Octopus Sucks the Lifeblood of the People.” It targeted the Ecclesiastical Commissioners (annual rents £500,000); Lord Portman (270 acres: £1,890,000); Lord Howard de Walden (292 acres: £2,900,000); the Duke of Bedford (250 acres: £2,250,000); Earl Cadogan (200 acres: £1,500,000); the Duke of Westminster (400 acres: £3,000,000); Lord Northampton (260 acres: £1,600,000); and the Duke of Norfolk (The Strand: £1,500,000). Although the postcard dates back to 1909, the situation hasn’t changed that much since. The Ecclesiastical Commissioners are known now as the Church Commissioners and they retain the freehold of Hyde Park Estate north of Bayswater Road, between Lancaster Gate and Marble Arch. Lord Portman, whose Portman Estate remains the basis of the family’s wealth, still owns 110 acres of Marylebone, while the Howard de Walden Estate now covers 92 acres, including property on Marylebone High Street and Harley Street. The Bedford Estates is the largest private landowner in Bloomsbury, including seven large squares. Cadogan Estates owns 93 acres of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, including prime retail and residential areas in Sloane Street, Sloane Square and the King’s Road, while the Grosvenor Estate, headed by the Duke of Westminster, retains 300 acres of Mayfair and Belgravia. The Marquess of Northampton is a major landowner in Canonbury, Islington and Clerkenwell and The Duke of Norfolk still owns around 10 acres around The Strand. Altea Gallery can be found at the London Map Fair, Royal Geographical Society, 1 Kensington Gore, London SW7 2AR, on the 9th and 10th of June.
The Building Better Communities initiative is in its fourth year of running and it will award one community project up to £50,000, as well as many other prizes. Projects from Calderdale and the rest of the county can apply for funding for building materials to improve their facilities. In addition, Jewson will also give away £100,000 of the overall prize fund to heroes of the building trade, which are the unsung tradespeople who go above and beyond in their local area or builders who have always supported others and are now in need themselves. “The funds donated as part of the Building Better Communities competition are making a huge difference to local charities and community groups across Great Britain, and can do the same for those in West Yorkshire. We know there are groups doing great work on a daily basis, so it’s an honour to be supporting them and I’m really looking forward to learning about this year’s entries,” said George Clarke, celebrity architect that has been involved with Building Better Communities for two years. The deadline for all entrants to submit their application is the 9th of May. The winning project will be announced on the 3rd of July at a ceremony hosted by George Clarke. “Since we launched the Building Better Communities competition in 2015, we’ve helped more than 65 fantastic projects make a difference to communities across the UK. We’ve seen the great work being carried out by communities and tradespeople and want to give back to those who go the extra mile. That’s why we’re continuing to ask residents in West Yorkshire to nominate a cause that could benefit from some extra support,” said Thierry Dufour, managing director at Jewson.