National housebuilder Keepmoat Homes has completed the purchase of a site on School Street, Thurnscoe, which will be developed in partnership with Homes England and Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council. The site, situated within the Dearne Valley on the eastern outskirts of Barnsley, was previously owned by Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council,
Steel-frame specialists Wareing Buildings has completed the design and build of a major commercial development for Henco International. The site at Cropper Close on Whitehills Business Park in Blackpool consists of two units totalling 20,000 sq ft, which offer high-quality storage and distribution space for potential occupiers. The first unit,
This month we ask Steve Blacker at award-winning property developers Kebbell to tell us a little more about a day in the life of a site manager. What made you first want to become a site manager? I was actually a carpenter but I was really intrigued about the running
Leading wet civil engineering specialists, Land & Water, has been appointed by Merton Council to build a new road bridge over the River Wandle in Mitcham. The new Bishopsford Bridge will replace the previous structure, which had to be demolished for safety reasons after partially collapsing following heavy rainfall in
Charitable housing association, Yorkshire Housing, has acquired an 18-acre development site on Boroughbridge Road in Knaresborough, where it now plans to build 120 homes that will be available through a wide range of ownership options. Dacre, Son & Hartley’s specialist agricultural and development division has managed the land, which forms
National housebuilder Keepmoat Homes has completed the purchase of a site on School Street, Thurnscoe, which will be developed in partnership with Homes England and Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council. The site, situated within the Dearne Valley on the eastern outskirts of Barnsley, was previously owned by Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, and will see 360 brand new homes created in the area. The development will comprise of two-, three- and four-bedroom homes with off-street parking and private gardens, of which 5% will be affordable housing. The £52m development represents the third phase of housing on the wider site and highlights Keepmoat’s commitment to working with Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council to transform the area through the creation of high-quality, modern homes, public open spaces and a children’s play area. As part of their ongoing commitment to the local community, Keepmoat Homes has pledged to support local people and help generate opportunities in training and employment through the use of sub-contractors, work placements and educational visits to the site, which will be delivered throughout the lifetime of the project. Dan Crew, Regional Managing Director at Keepmoat Homes, said: “We’re delighted to be continuing to work in partnership with Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council and Homes England to deliver our third phase in Thurnscoe. “As a local developer, with our Head Office in Yorkshire, this acquisition is a positive step for our ambitious growth plans in South Yorkshire and following the success of previous developments in the area, it’s a fantastic opportunity to strengthen our presence in the town and cement our relationship with the Council. “The new homes are designed for both first time buyers and those looking to up-size, as well as providing much needed provision of more affordable homes. We are driven to make a big impact to the local area and aim to create a new community with open spaces and park facilities for everyone to enjoy.” The first homes will become available to purchase at the start of 2021 and the development will take around nine years to complete.
Steel-frame specialists Wareing Buildings has completed the design and build of a major commercial development for Henco International. The site at Cropper Close on Whitehills Business Park in Blackpool consists of two units totalling 20,000 sq ft, which offer high-quality storage and distribution space for potential occupiers. The first unit, comprising 8,000 sq ft with an additional 2,000 sq ft of mezzanine, ‘grade A’ air-conditioned office space, has been let to gift and toy designers/distributors Floss & Rock who will take occupancy of the unit later this year. The remaining unit spans 12,000 sq ft, also offering the option of additional mezzanine offices, and has the potential to be split into two separate units covering approximately 5,000 sq ft and 7,000 sq ft. Both units at 7.5m to eaves benefit from excellent loading facilities with a large yard, including 25m turning circle and loading doors. Wareing Buildings’ role in the development included site preparation and clearance, implementing concrete foundations and strip footings, the fabrication and erection of the steel frame structure and construction of external cavity brick walls. Wareing Buildings also added a concrete floor slab with power float finish, roof and wall cladding and composite sheeting and aluminium-framed glazing. It is the latest in a series of projects that Wareing Buildings, based in Preston, has completed on behalf of commercial development and investment company Henco, which has been operating on the Fylde coast for more than 35 years. Henco owns several developments on Whitehills Business Park, a number of which were built by Wareing Buildings. The contractor was appointed to deliver six units at Apollo Court in 2013 totalling 12,000 sq ft, a four-unit development on Brooklands Way spanning 5,500 sq ft, which completed in 2017 as well as nine units at Juniper Court in 2018 totalling 13,000 sq ft. Whitehills Business Park provides easy access to the M55 which joins the M6 motorway, allowing ease of commuting throughout the North West and beyond. Commuting options are also available to the surrounding towns of Blackpool, St Annes and Lytham. Simon Tickle, estimator at Wareing Buildings, said: “Henco holds an extensive amount of space at Whitehills Business Park because it identified that the area offered fantastic commercial opportunities for businesses wanting to make Blackpool and the Fylde their home. “Since the first spade was put into the ground on the Apollo Court development in 2013, we have worked in partnership to develop spaces that will serve to drive forward the commercial sector in the region and make the area a thriving business hub. “This latest project once again offers something new to occupants, and we look forward to seeing which other exciting businesses take advantage of these high-quality facilities.” Chris Hibbert, Managing Director at Henco International said: “Whitehills Business Park offers a great opportunity for businesses operating on the Fylde Coast with new, high-quality buildings and a central location with easy access, just a stone’s throw from the regions motorway network.” “The Park continues to grow in occupier numbers, with approximately 750,000 sq ft of commercial premises now built, accommodating a diverse range of businesses. With over 2,000 new homes scheduled for development within a 2-mile radius and funding for the long-awaited M55 link road directly connecting Whitehills at Junction 4 to Lytham St Annes now secured, Whitehills provides a fantastic business location for the area.”
This month we ask Steve Blacker at award-winning property developers Kebbell to tell us a little more about a day in the life of a site manager. What made you first want to become a site manager? I was actually a carpenter but I was really intrigued about the running of a site and how it all came together so I progressed to an assistant site manager position and have been a site manager now for 20 years. What skills do you need to be a site manager? A trade background gives you a head start. You need to be knowledgeable about the build process and have some IT skills, to understand what works commercially, be good at problem solving and have a good eye for detail. Strong communication skills, being a team player and a people person are really important. What are your main responsibilities? I am responsible for the day-to-day running of a particular construction project being developed by Kebbell. I have one eye on the timescales and another on the budget of a project, and I manage any delays or problems encountered and deal with all the sub-contractors. I like to get the best out of the people on site and our designs. Encouragement and quality are key. I keep a close eye on snagging and do daily inspections. Tell me about your typical day? Really every day is different depending on things like deliveries, weather, snagging, who is on site, the stage of the development and so on. There is a lot of travel involved because I live in Welwyn Garden City and drive every day, and occasionally at the weekends, to whichever site I am working from. I get to site usually about 07:20 and spend the first part of the morning checking all of the tradespeople are okay and are aware of what the priorities of the day are. I order materials, I might deal with local residents or councillors or health and safety officers. Building inspectors do frequent visits at key stages. At about 16:45 I finish on site having made sure everything is locked up and is secure and I then head home and start looking forward to the weekend. I enjoy a clay-pigeon shoot! What are the best and hardest things about the job? The best thing is definitely taking a development from muddy field to building amazing new homes and then seeing buyers and their families move in. I enjoy seeing it all the way through. The hardest thing is when unexpected delays occur. Sometimes contractors or suppliers can’t meet deadlines which means schedules get pushed out which can be frustrating. Kebbell have an exceptionally high requirement level for quality and sometimes tricky conversations have to be had with tradespeople. What have you been working on lately? I have worked at Kebbell for five years, most recently on a new development of 8, two bedroom apartments called Misbourne House in Gerrards Cross which is set to complete in early 2021. One of the main issues I had to deal with on this project was getting hold of the materials we needed during both national lockdowns. I am shortly moving to a new site at Iver which will be a bigger build as a collection of 39, two and three bedroom luxurious apartments in three blocks with basement parking. The bigger project means more tradespeople on site. I like the variety but don’t really have a favourite project although I enjoy high end developments because of the even greater attention to detail needed. What has been your proudest moment? I was chosen for an NHBC Pride in the Job Quality Award in 2019 for the work I did as Site Manager at our Aubury Place development in London. We got top marks from an inspector and then I was chosen as award winner by a director of NHBC. We went to the awards dinner in Brighton and it was one of my proudest moments. How long do you stay on a project at any one time? It really depends on the size and build of the project. For example, I spent three years working on Aubury Place but just one year at Misbourne House. How has Covid-19 affected your job? It has mostly affected our suppliers and several times we have been close to the wire like nearly running out of roofing materials! As Misbourne House is made up of eight apartments social distancing was easily achieved by the tradespeople working separately in each apartment. What do you think makes Kebbell different from other housebuilders? Everyone at Kebbell is a team player and we always strive to deliver the best homes possible. We are always looking for any opportunities to enhance a house. For example, if it is possible to create a little more storage or change the position of a TV point, to maximise the flexibility of a room, we will take the time and effort to do that. It is often me who sees these opportunities whilst we are building so I will consult with Nick Kebbell, our Managing Director, and the rest of the team and together we perfect the change. We always think about how people will actually live in our homes and constantly question “would I be happy with that in my house?” If the answer is no then we make any changes necessary to turn it into a yes! What do you think makes a house a home? Family is what makes a house a home. To find out more visit https://kebbell.co.uk
Leading wet civil engineering specialists, Land & Water, has been appointed by Merton Council to build a new road bridge over the River Wandle in Mitcham. The new Bishopsford Bridge will replace the previous structure, which had to be demolished for safety reasons after partially collapsing following heavy rainfall in June 2019. Land & Water was contracted by Merton Council to carry out the demolition work last spring. Replacing the bridge is a particularly complex task because it influences river flow and has a range of utilities running through its structure. During the project, a temporary cofferdam to the north and south side of the bridge will be installed, while work takes place underwater. The new river crossing, along the A217, will be wider than the previous bridge, to include a northbound segregated cycle lane and a wider shared southbound pavement and cycle space. The new design has a single span, rather than three arches like the old bridge. Land & Water’s ongoing environmental commitment has been reflected in its choice of specialist plant, which minimises noise. The river banks border Watermeads Nature reserve and the plans will help promote biodiversity in the river and on its banks. Construction Director at Land & Water, Kevin Kirkland said: “We are looking forward to returning to Mitcham to build a new bridge at this key river crossing. “It is a particularly challenging project because the bridge influences river flow and has a range of utilities running through its structure. We will be working closely with Merton Council to safely build a new bridge to replace the 200-year-old previous structure. The new bridge is designed both to meet the demands of today’s traffic and to encourage people to make more journeys by bike or on foot. “Land and Water is committed to improving the environment around its engineering works.”
Charitable housing association, Yorkshire Housing, has acquired an 18-acre development site on Boroughbridge Road in Knaresborough, where it now plans to build 120 homes that will be available through a wide range of ownership options. Dacre, Son & Hartley’s specialist agricultural and development division has managed the land, which forms part of the former Slingsby Estate, in the village of Scriven for more than 30 years and the company negotiated the sale together with a national development promotion company. Detailed planning for the development was approved in August 2020. Yorkshire Housing plans to start work on the two, three and four bedroom homes in January 2021 with the first homes ready to move into by January 2022. The housing association currently owns and manages nearly 20,000 homes throughout Yorkshire. Ian Cox, a director from Dacre, Son & Hartley, who heads up the firm’s agricultural and development team, said: “This is a prime, oven-ready development site that sits just over a mile from Knaresborough town centre, so it attracted interest from a wide range of housebuilders and developers. “Agreeing this sale with Yorkshire Housing will deliver a good mix of high-quality homes that will appeal to all demographics, including many who would otherwise find themselves priced out of the market in this part of North Yorkshire.” Andy Gamble, Director of Development at Yorkshire Housing said: “We are delighted to have completed the purchase of this site and are looking forward to starting our latest development. The 120 new homes will be mixed tenure and will provide homes for shared ownership, affordable rent, rent to buy and market sale. “We want to continue creating new communities that bring more, much needed homes to Yorkshire where our customers are proud to live and call home. The creation of 120 new homes in Knaresborough is another step towards us delivering on our strategic priority of delivering 8,000 new homes by 2030.”
