Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic progress on M-Sport’s state-of-the-art Evaluation Centre continues at pace. Following an initial 6-week closure of the site, works recommenced in a COVID-Secure environment at the beginning of May. Currently the multi-million-pound facility at the firm’s Dovenby Hall Estate in Cumbria remains on course
PLANNING permission has been granted by Nottingham City Council for the highly anticipated multi-million-pound development of Nottingham’s Guildhall, which brings the currently vacant building into its next lifetime and will create more than 250 jobs for the city. The planning application was submitted by a joint venture between Locksley Hotels
IN ORDER to stand any chance of meeting the UK government’s targets, 100 per cent of all new buildings must be designed to be zero-carbon within the next five years, and 100 per cent of all new buildings constructed must be zero-carbon within the next decade. Procuring new developments through
Marco Verdonkschot, Managing Director at IronmongeryDirect & ElectricalDirect, has commented on the latest furlough figures for the construction industry: “This morning, the Office for National Statistics released the latest figures for the government’s job retention scheme and it’s natural for them to be a bit concerning. “The number of construction
PROPERTY investment firm Castleforge Partners announced its entrance into the hospitality sector today (20th August) with the major new hire of Matt Lederer from Marriott International. Lederer joins Castleforge as the company’s Hotels Acquisitions Director, broadening the firm’s portfolio from investment in residential and office property to hotels. With Castleforge
Jim Hodkinson, former CEO of B&Q, has become a major investor and the first Chairman of London-based start-up Genius IP, maker of Quadsaw, the world’s first drill for square holes. Hodkinson’s appointment follows the completion of the company’s latest ‘Angel’ funding round, which increases the multi-million pound investments in the
The redevelopment of a historic Newcastle building into a new hub for engineering and innovation is being supported by a new funding. The grade II*-listed Neville Hall, which was built between 1869 and 1872 to provide a headquarters for The North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers, is
Building materials supplier CEMEX has expanded its mortar range by adding 25kg bagged options to two of its dry mixes, in order to provide customers with increased flexibility of supply. CEMEX’s M4 and M12 Natural Mortar are now available in 25kg bags, as well as 1 tonne bags alongside the
Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic progress on M-Sport’s state-of-the-art Evaluation Centre continues at pace. Following an initial 6-week closure of the site, works recommenced in a COVID-Secure environment at the beginning of May. Currently the multi-million-pound facility at the firm’s Dovenby Hall Estate in Cumbria remains on course for completion towards the end of the year. The first phase of works comprised the design and construction of a 2.5km test track. This civils works to facilitate this involved moving 200,000 Tonnes of earth, whilst ensuring a cut and fill balance to ensure that no materials needed to be removed from site. Sustainable drainage to the track included 6.5km drainage and a number of balancing ponds to ensure no negative impact on the local watercourse. The second and current phase is the associated 111,000ft2 production facility which commenced in May 2019. The facility is considered integral to the future of the Cockermouth-based business and once complete will safeguard existing jobs as well as creating new skills in the area. Northern Developments’ team have worked hard over the summer to mitigate the 6-week delay and address supply chain challenges caused by COVID-19 closures and restrictions. The building is now fully clad and watertight. All internal pre-cast concrete walls have been installed, and initial partitions to separate the 10,723m2 workshop from its various departments are starting to take shape alongside mechanical and electrical installations. The external concrete road has been laid, and the structural glazing that will form the front of an impressive showroom at the front of the development is now being installed. The project was made possible with investment from the UK Government’s Regional Growth Fund (RGF) as well as Growth Fund investment provided by Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership (CLEP) and will allow M-Sport to develop a one-of-a-kind facility in the UK. Offering a unique centre of engineering excellence, the M-Sport Evaluation Centre was designed to boost Cumbrian economy, skills and innovation in the Northern Powerhouse – the importance of which has only increased given the current climate. M-Sport Managing Director, Malcolm Wilson OBE, said: “I’m extremely proud of what we are creating here at Dovenby Hall, and it’s important that we move forward with an operational facility to attract new business and protect existing jobs as well as new skills in the area. These are particularly challenging times for so many businesses, but once the Evaluation Centre is up and running, I’m confident that we can come out the other side and continue to provide for Cumbria.” Commercial Manager for Northern Developments, Eddie Ward, said: “In spite of the impact of the global pandemic, the team on site have worked tirelessly to overcome various challenges, striving to deliver this impressive project on time. The client’s commitment to the local economy is unwavering and we are proud to be able to facilitate such ambitious aspirations in challenging times.” Established in 1985 Northern Developments work throughout the UK, recently completing more than £16million worth of purpose-built student accommodation developments through new build and refurbishment. Currently, Northern are evaluating several large scale private rented sector schemes. Their M-Sport Project has been shortlisted by the National Building & Construction Awards 2020 for Project of the Year in the £10 million to £25 million category. Managing Director Martyn Boak commented: “We continually look for development opportunities, the depth of our experience allows us to look at all sectors and our proven track record of delivering consistently for over 3 decades counts for an awful lot today, the current political backdrop is certainly adversely affecting the real estate sector and Business’s as a whole which none of the Politicians even begin to understand, however we’re agile, opportunistic and open for Business”.
PLANNING permission has been granted by Nottingham City Council for the highly anticipated multi-million-pound development of Nottingham’s Guildhall, which brings the currently vacant building into its next lifetime and will create more than 250 jobs for the city. The planning application was submitted by a joint venture between Locksley Hotels Ltd and hotel group Ascena in May 2020, detailing plans for a 162-bed, four-star hotel, which will include a rooftop fine dining restaurant, spa and wedding and conference facilities. The hotel will house luxury rooms and existing courtrooms in the building will be converted into bar and restaurant facilities, retaining the original listed features. The modern extension to the northern elevation of the existing building will also utilise high-grade materials to give a nod to Nottingham’s lace heritage in its design. John Wilby, project lead for Ascena, said: “Having most recently housed the city council’s offices, Nottingham’s Guildhall is an iconic building in the city centre, which has hosted a magistrates’ court, police station and fire station since it was built in 1887. After it has sat vacant for the best part of a decade, we’re pleased to have hit this significant milestone in breathing new life into it. The development will not only bring jobs to the area but will also help elevate the city as a tourist destination.” The Guildhall building itself will house the hotel following a sensitive restoration of the Grade II listed building and Fire Station House, while more modern extensions at the back of the building will be demolished and rebuilt. Jack Turton, director of Ascena, said: “We have been working closely with our heritage consultant Turley and Historic England to ensure that this iconic building is brought back to its former glory. As well as this, an existing latter-day extension to the northern elevation of the Guildhall will be demolished and rebuilt. “We’re thrilled to have been working in close collaboration with the city council to help bring its former home to life, and now that planning consent has been granted we hope to begin work on site in the coming months.” Councillor David Mellen, leader of Nottingham City Council, said: “I’m very pleased that these exciting proposals to turn Nottingham’s Guildhall into a high-quality hotel have been given the go ahead. It’s something we have been keen to happen for a long time and our planning officers have worked with the developers to help them shape a development which respects the history of this grand old building and bring it back into use. “The mixture of uses on the rest of the site will help to reinvigorate this part of the city centre at a time when new developments and the jobs they bring are very welcome indeed. “This investment in the city shows ongoing confidence in Nottingham and will complement other schemes that are transforming the city centre into a new destination for residents, businesses and visitors.” Ascena owns and runs a number of luxury hotel and restaurant facilities around the UK, one of which is the Birmingham restaurant Opheem – one of only ten Indian restaurants in the UK to achieve a Michelin star – which is run by Ascena business partner Aktar Islam. Aktar, who is a former winner of The Great British Menu and The F Word, will be running the rooftop restaurant of the Guildhall development.
IN ORDER to stand any chance of meeting the UK government’s targets, 100 per cent of all new buildings must be designed to be zero-carbon within the next five years, and 100 per cent of all new buildings constructed must be zero-carbon within the next decade. Procuring new developments through effective framework agreements is one way of moving more swiftly to a zero-carbon circular economy, so says Jason Stapley, managing director at Pagabo. Over the next 40 years, the world is expected to build 230 billion square metres of new construction, adding the equivalent of Paris to the planet every single week. This means that we must act now to meet the challenge of building net zero developments not just to meet government targets in the UK, but also to create a better future for every person on the planet. The first challenge is the understanding of what the move to carbon neutrality means from a construction point of view. The London Energy Transformation Initiative’s (LETI) Climate Emergency Design Guide revealed that 49 per cent of annual carbon emissions in the UK are attributable to buildings, that all new buildings must operate at net zero-carbon by 2030, and all buildings must do the same by 2050. However, when discussing carbon neutrality in construction more education is still needed. Achieving net zero is not simply about the construction phase, it is about whole life carbon effect. The carbon footprint of any building is made up of a combination of embodied and operational carbon – i.e. producing a building’s materials, their transport and installation on site, as well as their disposal at the end of life, and how the building is run operationally following occupation, including maintenance, repair and replacement. Whole life cost is the second big challenge. It’s imperative that that people understand that building something now doesn’t mean building something for themselves. While they may use the building in the short term, they are really constructing something that will be there for several decades at least – so they are building for future generations. So, it’s not about a race to the bottom and building the cheapest now. We must examine how we don’t just ‘hit’ targets but exceed them for the future benefit. Simply put, if we invest our money into better quality materials, processes and techniques now, there will be greater benefit down the line. We must remember that end of life can provide a significant input into the level of embodied carbon of a building as well, whether it be a mechanical refit, refurbishment or demolition. Timber construction is an area we are seeing develop quite rapidly – for example planning was granted late in 2019 for the world’s first wooden football stadium for Forest Green Rovers. Using timber for developments where possible can reduce carbon emissions related to practical completion but would also result in a drop of operational emissions as well. The lifespan of any building is several decades before any major maintenance work will need to be done, and – not surprisingly – evidence shows that carbon emissions jump during the lifespan of any building when major regeneration works needs to be done. If we design and build to the best achievable levels right now, we could eliminate the need for major replacement and maintenance before a building’s end of life. Many organisations are calling for the coronavirus recovery to be a green one, providing a springboard for longer term change. The Committee for Climate Change published its 2020 progress report to Parliament in June on the efforts to reduce carbon emissions in the last year, highlighting key investment priorities for the coming months including the strengthening of the energy network, improved infrastructure for walking, cycling and remote working, low carbon retrofits and a rapid move towards a circular economy. As well as this, the Committee also identified opportunities to support the transition and recovery by investing in the UK’s workforce and in lower carbon behaviours and innovation through reskilling and retraining programmes, and targeted science and innovation funding. With less than five years to be designing at a fully net zero-carbon level, it’s crucial that we do all we can to not just change attitudes, but behaviours as well. However, for all the conversation around zero-carbon builds, we must examine the fact that operational carbon levels are likely to be higher than embodied levels over the lifespan of a building. Changing attitudes and introducing energy efficiency will be a gamechanger. Many people are already waking up to the global crisis we are facing – and the coronavirus pandemic has helped with some of this general climate change education as we saw global air pollution fall during lockdowns. Research conducted by Energy UK with PwC showed that there was a 15 to 20 per cent reduction of energy demand during the UK’s lockdown period when compared to the same period in 2019, and evidence has shown that 30 per cent of consumers are paying closer attention to their energy usage since working remotely. Home working has also seen a flattening in daily peaks of energy usage in the domestic market. The government is working hard towards its election promises to build at least a million new homes by 2025, and with the workforce expecting greater flexibility in home working options post-COVID, the housing market is an important area for driving towards better energy efficiency for tenants and lowering carbon contributions. Energy UK’s report showed that the reduced energy demand during lockdown meant that 40 per cent of energy supply came from variable renewable generation in April 2020. If we design our buildings in the most effective way now, these are the kinds of benefits we will be able to continually reap in the near future. One major area of work identified by LETI that will need to be done in the UK specifically is our use of heat in the winter – and as summer heatwaves increase in frequency, we will see increased
Marco Verdonkschot, Managing Director at IronmongeryDirect & ElectricalDirect, has commented on the latest furlough figures for the construction industry: “This morning, the Office for National Statistics released the latest figures for the government’s job retention scheme and it’s natural for them to be a bit concerning. “The number of construction workers that have been furloughed has risen to 769,300, up by 17,300 from July. Three in five (60%) employees in the industry are now being paid by the scheme. “The number of employers having to sign up also rose, with 174,000 now enrolled (up from 171,400). This means that over three-quarters (76%) of construction companies are now furloughing at least some of their workforce. “As a result, the value of claims for furlough payments increased too. In August, construction employers claimed £2,931m to help pay their staff, up £324m from the previous month. “Some areas of the country are having to rely on the scheme more than others. The South West of England has furloughed the highest percentage of its construction workers (63%). The least affected is the South East of England (55%), although it experienced the UK’s equal highest rise between July and August (2%), with 2,500 more employees furloughed. “However, Scotland remains the worst hit, with a staggering 73% of its construction workforce (89,200 out of 121,500) being paid by the government. Northern Ireland is a close second, with 71% currently furloughed, with Wales and England a little behind (62% and 58% respectively). “It is positive that so many construction workers are receiving income during these difficult times, rather than companies simply making them redundant. However, when the furlough scheme ends at the end of October, we need to hope that the demand for work is great enough that employers don’t need to let staff go. “Thankfully, there are some positive signs that this might be the case, as while construction output remains around a quarter (24.8%) lower than it was pre-lockdown, it increased by 23.5% between May and June – the greatest rise since records began.” For more information about IronmongeryDirect, visit: www.ironmongerydirect.co.uk/.
PROPERTY investment firm Castleforge Partners announced its entrance into the hospitality sector today (20th August) with the major new hire of Matt Lederer from Marriott International. Lederer joins Castleforge as the company’s Hotels Acquisitions Director, broadening the firm’s portfolio from investment in residential and office property to hotels. With Castleforge looking to invest in the hospitality sector in the next year, Lederer will form a key part of Castleforge’s decision making team on hotel acquisition across the UK and Europe. Lederer joins from Marriott International, the world’s biggest hotel operator, where he was UK Development Director responsible for the growth of the company’s select service brands including Moxy, Residence Inn, and Courtyard by Marriott. With 14 years of industry experience, including stints at commercial real estate firm JLL, Lederer brings with him an excellent hotel real estate network which he will draw on at Castleforge to evaluate the market and finalise deals. The firm has invested approximately £1 billion throughout the UK and Europe since its formation in 2010 and has gained a reputation for investing in cities outside London, including Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester and Sheffield. Matt Lederer, Hotels Acquisitions Director at Castleforge Partners commented: “I was really impressed by the vision the Castleforge team have for investment into the hospitality sector.” “The company takes a long-term strategic view, and they can see that the hotel industry will rebound from its current setback. The appetite for leisure travel, in particular, is already growing again and fast. Working together with Castleforge’s diligent research team, I look forward to some really exciting projects across the UK and Europe as we begin to invest significantly in the sector.” Brandon Hollihan, Founding Partner of Castleforge Partners said: “We are thrilled to have Matt join us. We are focusing on a sector we believe will become increasingly attractive, guided by an expert in the field who shares our values. Matt is the perfect person to help our firm execute this strategy and grow our expertise.”
Jim Hodkinson, former CEO of B&Q, has become a major investor and the first Chairman of London-based start-up Genius IP, maker of Quadsaw, the world’s first drill for square holes. Hodkinson’s appointment follows the completion of the company’s latest ‘Angel’ funding round, which increases the multi-million pound investments in the start-up. The latest seven-figure round was helped by the UK government’s enhanced EIS scheme, which has encouraged individuals to invest funds at a level that was previously only reserved for Venture Capital firms. Manufactured in the UK, Quadsaw is a seamless attachment to a power drill that uses patented technology to convert rotary motion into linear motion in four planes at once, enabling users to cut square holes with minimal dust and absolute precision. Almost all construction projects require square holes for electrical sockets and other boxes but electricians currently create them with pencils, rulers and other tools that are not specifically designed for the task, which can be time consuming and inaccurate. Quadsaw solves this problem by enabling square holes to be cut in seconds rather than minutes, saving the construction industry millions of hours of labour annually. The appointment of Hodkinson as Chairman further strengthens the company as it aims to expand production globally. Hodkinson will utilise his extensive business experience and international network to help accelerate this expansion. As well as his roles at B&Q and Kingfisher he was previously CEO of fashion chain New Look and Chairman of Wyevale Garden Centres. He is currently Chairman of Furniture Village. Hodkinson said: “Quadsaw is the most exciting new product to arrive on the tools market for many years and it has the potential to be used worldwide. Wherever a square hole is needed Quadsaw will be there and I’m looking forward to helping the company achieve this global expansion.” Ean Brown, CEO of Genius IP, said: “We are delighted to have someone with Jim’s knowledge and experience to help steer the ship as we enter international waters. While 2020 started with sales momentum, when COVID-19 hit, the company was hurt much like most businesses in the world. But we used the time to recruit new engineers, invest in infrastructure for growth, including a design update of the Quadsaw and a bigger production facility. “We are glad to say that we’re now ready to meet global demand and the new design will be able to cut sockets to electrical standards in different markets that were not possible before.” The new design enables the user more flexibility to change the position of the blades to account for different-sized square and rectangular holes. As such, the Quadsaw will be sold around the world, including in the USA, Canada, Mexico, Japan, Australia, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Middle East, Italy, Brazil, Israel and more.
The redevelopment of a historic Newcastle building into a new hub for engineering and innovation is being supported by a new funding. The grade II*-listed Neville Hall, which was built between 1869 and 1872 to provide a headquarters for The North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers, is due to reopen in spring 2021 as The Common Room. “Thanks to the National Lottery and its players, we can continue with the restoration and also with our programme of learning activities which has already engaged almost 2,000 children and young people. Covid-related delays to our building programme have been able to be mitigated by this support,” said Liz Mayes, chief executive of The Common Room. The project has recently received an additional funding of £170,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund Emergency Grant Scheme, set up to support organisations through the Covid-19 pandemic. The historic spaces within the building – including its Victorian Library, Edwardian Lecture Theatre and Arbitration Room, where mine owners and workers would meet to settle disputes over working conditions – will be restored for use as events spaces for educational workshops, meetings and weddings. “We’re delighted to have secured this vote of confidence in our project, much of which will feed directly to our supply chain of small businesses for the common good,” added Liz. “When we reopen next year, The Common Room will become a place for the next generation of engineers to learn about the heritage of mining and engineering, and to be inspired about the future.”
Building materials supplier CEMEX has expanded its mortar range by adding 25kg bagged options to two of its dry mixes, in order to provide customers with increased flexibility of supply. CEMEX’s M4 and M12 Natural Mortar are now available in 25kg bags, as well as 1 tonne bags alongside the original dry silo option, to ensure all masonry requirements can be met – whatever the size of the site or requirements of the job. Both sizes of bags are fully waterproof to make storage even easier; perfect for sites which are too small for a silo or need the mortar to be moved to different areas throughout the job. A bagged product also allows for a more efficient use of labour. Readymixed, CEMEX’s M4 and M12 Natural Mortar is easy to use; customers simply add water until the required workability is achieved. It is available as both natural and in a wide range of colours. CEMEX M4 and M12 Natural Mortar is suitable for brick laying, block laying, repointing, general masonry repairs and for laying patio and paving slabs. Additionally, M12 Natural Mortar is specifically designed for below ground and DPC environments where increased durability is required. Both mixes are factory made for guaranteed consistency, using dried, constituents, accurately blended to approved mix designs to produce M4 and M12 mortars that comply with the requirements of BS EN 998-2. Michael May, Sales Manager for CEMEX Mortars Europe, commented: “It is important that we continually adapt our product portfolio to provide increased flexibility for the customer, which is why we have included two bagged dry mortar options in the range. Bulk and 25kg bags are suitable for smaller sites where storage is a challenge, or making good where the volume required on site doesn’t lend itself to a silo. “This means that whatever the size of the site or the needs of a job, we can provide a high quality, easy to use and consistent dry, pre-blended solution, compatible with a wide range of bricks and blocks.”
