The latest designs for HS2 west London super-hub at Old Oak Common have been unveiled. Kick-starting the UK’s largest regeneration project, the new high speed station aims to transform the former railway and industrial area, into a new neighbourhood supporting up to 65,000 jobs and 25,500 new homes. The high-speed
The content of the Chancellor’s Spring Statement washed over many in the property profession as the Brexit storm continued. But the decision by Philip Hammond to allow upwards extensions through Permitted Development (PD) Rights is significant news. The announcement, which forms part of a package of initiatives to breathe life
With environmentally friendly, recycle and green energy becoming a priority across the entire world, it’s no wonder that more and more architects and construction specialists are focusing on introducing eco-friendly building designs. Buildings are getting designed in a manner that considers their environmental impact from the start, and even the
A new state of the art training centre will be built by McLaren Construction for Leicester City as part of a major deal between the two. “We are very excited to work on this prestigious project. It’s a wonderful opportunity to partner with Leicester City to create a facility that
Two water-related contracts, which will see upgrades completed on a North Lincolnshire pumping station and West Sussex pipeline, have been won by Galliford Try. The firm will upgrade Keadby pumping station near Scunthorpe for the Environment Agency under a £20.5 million contract. This project will be carried out in a
The latest designs for HS2 west London super-hub at Old Oak Common have been unveiled. Kick-starting the UK’s largest regeneration project, the new high speed station aims to transform the former railway and industrial area, into a new neighbourhood supporting up to 65,000 jobs and 25,500 new homes. The high-speed platforms will be built below ground with connections to the adjoining ground level conventional station with an overbridge to Elizabeth line (Crossrail) trains, to Heathrow and central London. The current station design also includes the potential for provision of future services to Wales and the west of England from Old Oak Common. The two halves of the station will be linked by a light and airy concourse with a soaring roof inspired by the site’s industrial heritage. The six 450 m HS2 platforms will be built in a 1 km long underground box, with twin tunnels taking high-speed trains east to the terminus at Euston and west to the outskirts of London. Passengers will be taken down to the HS2 platforms by escalators, while a new public park will be built above them. Material excavated during work on the tunnels will be removed by rail from the nearby former Willesden Euroterminal depot. The long-term planning and development of the wider site is being led by the Mayor’s Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation, which is planning a mixed-use development, with commercial, residential and leisure uses. “The arrival of HS2 has the potential to transform Old Oak Common, unlocking thousands of new jobs and homes around the UK’s best connected transport hub. Linking HS2 and Crossrail, our new station will be a landmark piece of architecture at the heart of the development, designed around the passenger to ensure seamless, accessible and stress-free travel. We want the community to be a part of the design process and we are asking for their views on the latest plans,” said Matthew Botelle, HS2’s Old Oak Common Project Director. HS2 is currently working to clear the site and prepare the ground for the start of construction, later this year.
The content of the Chancellor’s Spring Statement washed over many in the property profession as the Brexit storm continued. But the decision by Philip Hammond to allow upwards extensions through Permitted Development (PD) Rights is significant news. The announcement, which forms part of a package of initiatives to breathe life into the ailing high street, is set to go ahead via regulations due this autumn and followed an extremely contentious consultation earlier this year. In the absence of a planning process to scrutinise projects that will add to building heights, the issue of Rights of Light (ROL) becomes a very serious consideration, and one with significant consequences. ROL is a form of easement in Common Law which entitles property owners to benefit from a certain level of light, which can be measured (before and after construction) by technical ROL assessments. A ROL may be acquired by an aperture that has enjoyed a level of light uninterrupted for 20 years. There many other ways apertures can also enjoy this right. Because Daylight and Sunlight assessments are usually a component of a planning application, they are currently required at an early stage in the process. The planning system also necessitates that local residents are consulted on a planning application, allowing those with legitimate concerns to assert their point of view. With this step removed, developers could potentially proceed unaware of any objections – resulting in building works then being halted through an injunction either during the process or post-completion. So while developers might look set to gain from the opportunity to create additional storeys and in doing so, increase the net lettable areas of commercial properties, in reality the situation is precarious. Without the stringent procedures and ultimately the reassurance that the planning system offers, developers could potentially embark on building works and only on completion suffer significant consequences. This could be anything up to a year post development and in extreme cases up to 6 years. In fact, there is already precedent ordering new construction to be torn down in such circumstances. In 2010 the courts ordered the demolition of the top storeys of a building in the centre of Leeds because it obstructed a neighbour’s natural light. Needless to say, following this case there has been a significant increase in the public’s awareness of their rights. The likely result of this change in policy is that we will see an increase in the number of both investigations and claims. Although we anticipate that the permitted development rights will take into account issues including overlooking and overshadowing, it is unclear how this would be implemented. Strategically-minded developers may seek to prevent or extinguish Rights of Light from being acquired by issuing a Light Obstruction Notice (LON) for a period of 12 months prior to construction – after which, nullifies a claim for light if left unchallenged, thereby resetting the prescriptive 20 year clock. It is unsurprising that the number of professionals offering expertise in this area has grown considerably in the past years. Having worked for an ROL specialist for many years, I saw considerable benefit in joining Trident, which, as a multidisciplinary building consultancy, has the ability to advise both (would-be) developers and neighbours in the context of the bigger picture. As land values increase and buildings grow taller, ROL has become increasingly important. Combining PropTech, extensive theoretical and practical knowledge, and the support of its national network, Trident’s growing ROL team has the capacity and resources to meet the demands of all project sizes, in all locations. While permitted development rights offer some freedom, too much freedom can be dangerous: pushing risk further down the line only increases risk. So developers are advised to seek professional advice at an early stage to avoid the significant expense of having to pull down an extension and begin again. www.tridentbc.com
With environmentally friendly, recycle and green energy becoming a priority across the entire world, it’s no wonder that more and more architects and construction specialists are focusing on introducing eco-friendly building designs. Buildings are getting designed in a manner that considers their environmental impact from the start, and even the way they’re constructed places a distinct focus on eco-friendliness and sustainability. The way in which these buildings deal with their waste during their construction is hugely important, and that is why more and more buildings are utilising skip hire in Northampton and the rest of the UK which focuses on ethical and environmentally-friendly waste removal. The secrets behind Eco-Friendly Building Construction Green Waste Removal – Even though all your efforts to reduce as much waste as possible during a construction project is great for helping the environment and reduce costs, there will always be waste created from the process. When it comes to removing the waste from your building project in anywhere across the UK, you need to ensure that you are using ethical waste removal and disposal service. That is why you need to find a skip hire company that does its best to recycle as much of the waste it receives as possible and can offer extremely high rates of recycling success. Alternative Energy Solutions – Modern buildings today, tend to have solar panels directly included into their design as a clean and renewable energy source. They utilise the natural energy provided by the sun and can not only work to reduce the environmental impact of a building’s design but can even provide decreased energy bills over the building’s lifetime. There are several government grants, incentives and tax breaks which a huge bonus to those buildings can also be which include solar power in their designs. Using Sustainable Buildings Materials – If you’re aiming to construct a green building, then it’s a no-brainer to use environmental construction materials. Each and every part of your building needs to use responsibly made and eco-friendly components, from the roofing material to the insulation you choose, the materials chosen can have a major effect on the overall sustainability of your building. Popular eco-friendly building materials include reclaimed timber, recycled plastics, recycled glass and other natural building products such as bamboo, cork and linoleum made of renewable materials. Energy Efficient Windows – Double-glazed windows can be extremely effective when to comes to a building’s insulation properties and drastically reduce costs from heating over the building’s lifetime. This also makes complete financial sense, as any additional costs incurred by installing double-glazed windows is overturned by the savings that these windows will provide in the long run. In summary, these points suggest that Britain is going in the right direction and when considering an environmentally friendly construction project, then you need to plan the most effective strategy to manage your waste, with the help of an expert.
A new state of the art training centre will be built by McLaren Construction for Leicester City as part of a major deal between the two. “We are very excited to work on this prestigious project. It’s a wonderful opportunity to partner with Leicester City to create a facility that will help to shape the next generation of top sportsmen and women – for the club and for the sport. We bring our considerable experience in sports and leisure facilities to the project, as well as our reputation for quality and timely delivery,” said Kevin Taylor, Chairman of McLaren Group. The training centre will host new facilities for the Premier League football team, including 11 full-size outdoor pitches, eight smaller pitches, five training grids and two goalkeeping areas. The indoor facilities include 35 bedrooms, a hydrotherapy pool, rehabilitation facilities and dining areas for the club’s academy and first team, as well as administration offices and a media centre. A full-size indoor artificial pitch will also be located next to the main building. Furtmermore, the development contains a sports turf academy which will be used to train the next generation of grounds-people, and a 499-seat mini-venue show pitch, so that the under-23 and under-18 teams can experience a match environment. Principal contractor McLaren will complete the project, which is scheduled for completion in mid 2020, on the grounds of the former Park Hill Golf and Fishing Centre at Charnwood, supporting biodiversity with the delivery of 17 new ponds and 38,000 new trees.
Two water-related contracts, which will see upgrades completed on a North Lincolnshire pumping station and West Sussex pipeline, have been won by Galliford Try. The firm will upgrade Keadby pumping station near Scunthorpe for the Environment Agency under a £20.5 million contract. This project will be carried out in a joint venture with Black & Veatch. The station is located at the end of a complex network of rivers and pumping stations within the lowlying Isle of Axholme which spans around 200 square miles across South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. The pumps help transfer flood water from the Three Rivers into the River Trent during high tides. The station is nearly 80 years old and has reached the end of its working life. Work involves replacing the existing diesel driven pumps with six electric pumps, constructing electrical equipment buildings within the existing site and rebuilding the outfall headwall where the Three Rivers discharge to the Trent. Work starts this month and full completion is set for June 2021. The other project, worth £14.5 million, involves the laying of a 10km pipeline in Chichester, West Sussex, for Southern Water. The new waste water transfer main with three new pumping stations will run from the west of the city to the Tangmere treatment works in the east. The new infrastructure is necessary to connect three major housing developments of 3,800 homes in the catchment to the sewer network while complying with Environment Agency consents to limit storm discharges from the existing Chichester treatment works into the harbour. Both contracts will be undertaken by the Environment business unit of Galliford Try’s Infrastructure division.
