In February 2021, contract awards increased by 11% compared to January to £4.7 billion, this remains below average levels, but underlying activity has increased as no single project was valued over £200 million. Similarly to January, distribution centres make up two of the top four contract awards. The latest edition
Large housing developments should contain ‘mobility hubs’ for transport as a condition of planning consent to improve the environment and reduce congestion, ministers have been told. Responding to a Scottish Government consultation, shared transport charity Collaborative Mobility UK (CoMoUK) said greener travel should be at the heart of the country’s
National engineering specialist, SES Engineering Services (SES), has been appointed to deliver £25m worth of MEP services to Helical’s latest commercial offering in the capital, known as 33 Charterhouse Street. Working alongside lead contractor, Mace, SES will provide full mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) services at the 200,000 sq ft
This year the Rotary Club of Mansfield celebrated 30 years of the Courage Awards – the annual event celebrating the courage and achievements of young people in the area. HW Martin Waste Ltd was proud to be involved once again, as one of the main sponsors of this special event
Lismore Real Estate Advisors (Lismore) has advised Lothian Pension Fund on the acquisition of a prime logistics warehouse at Eurocentral in North Lanarkshire from Windward Titan Limited. “Titan” is a prime distribution facility and, at 123,850 sq.ft is one of the largest modern industrial buildings in Scotland. The sale price
MC Construction has won a place on a new three-year framework for improvement works at the internationally-renowned Daresbury Laboratory in Cheshire. Salford-based MC Construction has been appointed by the Science & Technology Facilities Council (STFC). Part of the Science & Technology Facilities Council, STFC’s Daresbury Laboratory has more than 300
Southern Sheeting has appointed Ecommerce Manager Jo Morfield to lead the company’s ecommerce expansion and support the next stages of its growth as a market leader. Morfield is an experienced digital marketing manager who is looking forward to helping the business build on the recent launch of its ecommerce website.
Hilltop Credit Partners, a UK-based specialist development funding partner, has secured investment from Metropolitan Real Estate, the global real estate multi-manager platform. As part of this, Hilltop will target to deploy up to £300 million over the next three years to finance the construction of over 1,000 new residential units
Homes are selling quickly at the new gated ‘Bridgford Place’ complex in West Bridgford, and interested buyers are encouraged to register interest with the stamp duty holiday extension and introduction of the 5% deposit mortgage scheme. Comprising a total of 30 one and two-bed apartments, 75% of which were sold
In February 2021, contract awards increased by 11% compared to January to £4.7 billion, this remains below average levels, but underlying activity has increased as no single project was valued over £200 million. Similarly to January, distribution centres make up two of the top four contract awards. The latest edition of the Economic & Construction Market Review from industry analysts Barbour ABI, highlights levels of construction contract values awarded across Great Britain. Sector analysis shows that residential strengthened in February to £1.9 billion with strong activity in the West Midlands. Infrastructure also picked up, rising £78% to £900 million following a disappointing January. The largest infrastructure projects are the National Grid LNG terminal expansion in Kent and the M25 Junction 28 improvements in Essex. The industrial sector, led by warehousing, continued as the hottest sector, with two of the top four projects being distribution centres: a distribution hub in Wakefield worth £186 million and a Lidl distribution centre in Bedfordshire with a value of £100 million. Commenting on the figures, Tom Hall, Chief Economist at Barbour ABI and AMA Research said, “There was not a huge amount to see in February as planning activity was maintained; no pre-budget optimism to be seen. Contract awards strengthened slightly while planning applications and approvals weakened. Approvals particularly are looking fragile. Elsewhere the significant activity in warehousing and distribution continued, and infrastructure contract awards returned to previous levels after a weak January.” Download the full report here: https://www.barbour-abi.com/zones/2103032-Snap-Analysis-March-Output-File- v2.pdf
Large housing developments should contain ‘mobility hubs’ for transport as a condition of planning consent to improve the environment and reduce congestion, ministers have been told. Responding to a Scottish Government consultation, shared transport charity Collaborative Mobility UK (CoMoUK) said greener travel should be at the heart of the country’s planning future. It urged ministers to consider requiring developers of housing estates containing 50 dwellings or more to create hubs containing facilities such as electric vehicle charging, bike sharing and car club schemes. In smaller developments of 25 homes or more, housebuilders should be required to install at least one shared transport initiative, the charity argued. The Scottish Government’s Fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) recently closed for submissions and asked for views on how the country’s planning structure could help the environment, boost the economy and improve public health. The climate emergency declared by the Scottish Government and most local authorities aims to achieve a ‘net zero’ status by 2045. CoMoUK pointed out in its submission that transport is now Scotland’s largest emitting sector, contributing 36 per cent of greenhouse gasses, and that the largest source within that was private cars. It has urged ministers to do more in terms of promoting shared car schemes and encouraging cycling and shared transport. The Covid-19 pandemic should be used as an opportunity to pursue alternatives, the response said, especially with behaviour changes persuading more people to return to their car. The organisation added that better shared transport would help more deprived communities in terms of connectivity, and increased walking and cycling would improve physical and mental health. CoMoUK is pioneering the development of European-style mobility hubs in the UK. These bring together public transport stops for buses, trams and trains with bike share schemes, car clubs, e-scooters, electric vehicle charging points, bike racks and shared taxi rides, as well as community facilities such as cafés, fitness areas, green space, package collection points and wifi and phone charging – all with covered waiting areas, real-time journey planning information, walking areas and disabled access. Lorna Finlayson, Scotland director of CoMoUK, said: “Scotland cannot achieve the reduction in greenhouse gasses it needs without changing the way people move about. “Reform to the planning system over the coming years provides an opportunity to do exactly that. “All over the country new housing estates are being built – that provides the perfect chance to install more mobility hubs. “People who have just moved are more open to changing their transport habits and trying out new opportunities. “This is an action the government could take now which would have a positive impact on the environment, the economy and public health. “Getting this right will help everyone and assist the government in many of the targets it has set itself across a range of issues.” The CoMoUK submission states: “By embedding shared transport and mobility hub policy into NPF4, shared mobility can grow further, developing a national network of hubs, serving a wider population and diverse locations and communities. It can contribute to the decarbonisation of the transport sector as well as the rebalancing of the planning system to prioritise climate and the four main outcomes by 2050.”
National engineering specialist, SES Engineering Services (SES), has been appointed to deliver £25m worth of MEP services to Helical’s latest commercial offering in the capital, known as 33 Charterhouse Street. Working alongside lead contractor, Mace, SES will provide full mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) services at the 200,000 sq ft 10-storey block in the heart of Farringdon. It will involve a Category A office fit-out, with integrated building services to make the building ‘smart’ and ultimately, more energy efficient – making variables like heating, lighting and security accessible on one network and giving the end user sight and control over the entire building using just one platform. The build, part-funded by Ashby Capital, has been carefully designed to be Helical’s first commercial offering that targets a BREEAM rating of Outstanding, and will play a significant role in supporting the developer to meet its ambition of having all new developments net zero carbon and in operation by 2025. SES is working closely with all delivery partners and stakeholders – including the end facilities management company, Ashdown Philipps – to ensure all services can be integrated correctly and are designed for frictionless operation. Offsite technology is playing a large part in delivery, with components built and tested at its offsite manufacturing centre, Prism, while an extensive digital twin model has also been created to ensure seamless assimilation. The firm’s appointment follows its successful completion of Helical’s Barts Square over two phases in nearby Bartholomew Close, while SES is also working alongside Mace at the landmark Battersea Power Station regeneration. SES will commence on site in 2021 and will complete next year. Steve Joyce, SES’ managing director, said: “Regardless of the challenges thrown at the commercial sector this year, the future of office developments is moving towards a more digital, integrated and sustainable approach and 33 Charterhouse Street will be a fantastic example of this shift. “We’ve worked with Helical before and their forward-thinking approach matches our own. The client has tasked us, as well as the rest of its delivery partners, with supporting an ambitious, but necessary goal in regard to becoming carbon neutral, and we’re proud to support them in achieving it. “Integrating so many building systems is an incredibly complex task and early collaboration between ourselves and all stakeholders is vital, as well as the ability to manufacture a large amount offsite. This will save an estimated 14,669 labour hours on site – helping improve efficiency at its central London location, and support arrangements to reduce personnel on site wherever possible in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.”
This year the Rotary Club of Mansfield celebrated 30 years of the Courage Awards – the annual event celebrating the courage and achievements of young people in the area. HW Martin Waste Ltd was proud to be involved once again, as one of the main sponsors of this special event held on the evening of Tuesday 2nd March. Due to the social distancing restrictions currently in place, the event was held virtually via Zoom, which posed a new challenge for Rotary Club President Kate Allsop and the event organisers. However, it was a great success with over 100 people viewing the proceedings. The 11 young people recognised at the Awards were: Leoni Bragg and Abigail Cross, of Meden School, Warsop; Owen Brown and Rachel Tweedie, of Portland College; Adam Hooley, of Reach Learning Disability; Corey Root, of A Place To Call Our Own; Annabelle Pye, of West Nottinghamshire College; James Slaney, of R.E.A.L. Education; Daisy Marie–Stanley, of The Beech Academy, Mansfield; Connor Summerell, of Samworth Church Academy, Mansfield; and Joshua Stead, of The Joseph Whitaker School, Rainworth. Each received a plaque from the Rotary Club and a civic citation from the Mayor of Mansfield, Andy Abrahams. Many comments of appreciation were received from parents and attendees. Louise and Richard Stead, parents of 12 year-old Josh, commented, “I would like to extend my thanks to the Rotary Club of Mansfield for recognising the bravery or our son Josh at this afternoon’s Bravery Awards. 2020 has without question been tough on the whole community, but the added difficulties a shock diagnosis has brought to Josh and our wider family makes the recognition even more special. The positive news is that he is essentially brain tumour free and should be able to continue a normal life. He has already resumed rugby training and hopefully will be playing as soon as lockdown permits. Thank you once again.” Details on each of the young people recognised at the Awards can be seen HERE. Mansfield Rotary Club is one of over 34,000 clubs in 200 countries, which form Rotary International. The Mansfield Rotary Club’s Courage Awards is an example of the community work it undertakes throughout the year to benefit youth groups, families in need, the infirm and service men and women. HW Martin Waste Ltd, based on the border of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, has pledged to support local initiatives through the provision of funding and resources.
Lismore Real Estate Advisors (Lismore) has advised Lothian Pension Fund on the acquisition of a prime logistics warehouse at Eurocentral in North Lanarkshire from Windward Titan Limited. “Titan” is a prime distribution facility and, at 123,850 sq.ft is one of the largest modern industrial buildings in Scotland. The sale price of £14,326,000 reflects a net initial yield of 5.01% and capital value of £116 per sq ft. The asset occupies a prominent position within Centralpoint at Eurocentral, Scotland’s premier logistics park. Located within the heart of Scotland’s central belt, Eurocentral provides unrivalled connectivity via the national motorway network and the rail freight terminal. It is home to occupiers such as LIDL, Amazon, Morrison’s, Fedex and Eddie Stobart. Titan is currently let to The Scottish Ministers (NHS) until 31st January 2031, at a rent of £766,094 per annum reflecting £6.19 per sq.ft. Simon Cusiter, director of Lismore, said: “We were delighted to act on behalf of Lothian Pension Fund in relation to the acquisition of Titan. Eurocentral continues to go from strength to strength, resulting in upwards pressure on rents. The strong fundamentals of the location and sector, coupled with the quality of the asset offer scope for strong performance in the short to medium term.” The industrial and distribution market in Scotland remains remarkably robust, reflecting occupiers demand for larger “big box” properties, such as Titan. The development pipeline is limited across the central belt of Scotland and further rental growth is anticipated, as supply remains tight. Nicola Barrett, portfolio manager for LPF added: “It was a pleasure to work with Simon and the Lismore team on this acquisition. We are pleased to have secured the asset for our portfolio and the strong property fundamentals reflect our strategy going forward.” Lismore Real Estate Advisors advised Lothian Pension Fund whilst MWM Consultants acted on behalf of Windward Titan Limited.
MC Construction has won a place on a new three-year framework for improvement works at the internationally-renowned Daresbury Laboratory in Cheshire. Salford-based MC Construction has been appointed by the Science & Technology Facilities Council (STFC). Part of the Science & Technology Facilities Council, STFC’s Daresbury Laboratory has more than 300 staff and is located at Sci-Tech Daresbury, which spans nearly 200,000 sq metres. MC Construction achieved the highest overall score in the tendering process for refurbishment, replacement and maintenance projects worth up to £500,000 in value. Its first-place ranking means it will be awarded all works up to £15,000 in value under the terms of the framework. The estimated total spend under the agreement will be up to £2m a year. Projects will range from minor construction works to extensions and lab and office fit-outs. Russ Forshaw, group operations director at MC Construction, said: “STFC’s Daresbury Laboratory is internationally recognised for its world-leading scientific research. “We are thrilled by our appointment to improve and maintain this inspiring campus via the new framework, and coming first in the tender process highlights that our experience, processes and personnel are of the highest standard to deliver a wide range of projects. “The framework will enable us to showcase the flexibility we offer via our core construction business and facilities services division. In addition, our specialist local supply chain, who will be helping to deliver small and large projects, will have an important role to play in the delivery of future schemes. “We look forward to starting projects in the near future and to building a strong relationship with the client.” MC Construction undertakes building projects throughout the north west with a focus on the commercial, education, heritage, hospitality, industrial, local authority, social housing and healthcare sectors. Its other framework partnerships include Manchester Airport, Royal Mail Group, Transport for Greater Manchester, the University of Manchester, Salford City Council, Cheshire East Council, STAR Procurement, the Crown Commercial Service, North West Construction Hub and the Rise Construction Framework. The family-owned business is based on Oldfield Road, Salford, and employs 60 people. It is celebrating its golden jubilee in 2021. Phill Smith, mechanical project manager at STFC’s Daresbury Laboratory, said: “With plans to update and refurbish lab and office space across Daresbury Laboratory, we have a very busy schedule planned for the next few years. “I’m looking forward to working closely with MC Construction at this exciting time.”
Southern Sheeting has appointed Ecommerce Manager Jo Morfield to lead the company’s ecommerce expansion and support the next stages of its growth as a market leader. Morfield is an experienced digital marketing manager who is looking forward to helping the business build on the recent launch of its ecommerce website. Southern Sheeting in East Grinstead, West Sussex, has been supplying building materials to trade and domestic customers around the UK for more than 40 years and is embarking on an ambitious strategy to grow digital sales. “We’re delighted to welcome Jo to our team. She will play a key role in supporting us on our digital journey, achieving our ambitions and growing our online capabilities. We’ve invested a lot of time in launching our new website. Its full ecommerce functionality allows both new and existing customers to see their own pricing, check live stock levels and purchase everything online within a few clicks,” said Tony Hobbs, Managing Director, Southern Sheeting. “Jo’s experience and enthusiasm for helping companies realise a digital transformation is just what we need to take Southern Sheeting’s offering to the next level.” Her role will involve setting-up, resourcing and managing the ecommerce department to deliver digital sales revenue, gross profit targets and KPIs, while seeking out further growth opportunities. She will also ensure that the new website delivers an exceptional user and customer centric experience. “With more than ten years of digital and ecommerce experience, I have always been passionate about digital transformation and making a difference. I love working with companies to help them on their digital journey, and who have clear ambitions, along with a desire to futureproof and grow their online capabilities, so it’s a fantastic opportunity to support them in this venture,” added Jo Morfield. “This role is vital to the company growth strategy and I believe that I will bring drive, passion, and a commitment for all things digital along with my wealth of experience. I have already been made to feel like part of the team in this friendly and family run business which goes above and beyond to look after its employees and clients. I’m looking forward to bringing their 40 years of experience and amazing customer service to the online journey.”
Hilltop Credit Partners, a UK-based specialist development funding partner, has secured investment from Metropolitan Real Estate, the global real estate multi-manager platform. As part of this, Hilltop will target to deploy up to £300 million over the next three years to finance the construction of over 1,000 new residential units across the UK, with a focus on affordable regional markets with strong supply-demand fundamentals. The investment provides Hilltop with an immediate opportunity to grow its existing UK residential development finance platform. An investment of this type is critical to achieving the UK government’s target of delivering 300,000 new homes per year. “I’m delighted to announce this partnership, which further establishes Hilltop as a leading player in the UK development lending market. Working with Metropolitan Real Estate will bring together our collective experience in real estate and credit to support proven housebuilders in the UK, and to promote greater housing supply. This partnership is a validation and recognition of our work so far, and we look forward to growing our lending portfolio across Britain this year,” said Paul Oberschneider, Founder and CEO of Hilltop Credit Partners. Hilltop believes that UK residential development lending has fallen up to 40% since 2008, as high-street banks have withdrawn from the market due to new regulatory capital requirements and the impact of Covid-19. The UK could therefore face a funding gap of c. £200 billion that will need to be covered over the next decade in order to achieve the government’s housebuilding targets. Hilltop is backed by global real estate investment firm, Round Hill Capital, and the firms’ combined expertise, industry knowledge and access to capital has facilitated the construction of 250 residential units across the UK to date. The partnership with Metropolitan brings further institutional validation of Hilltop’s strategy and track record. Metropolitan committed c. £60 million in 2021 to purchase a portfolio of existing development loans across five regions and to continue funding the active pipeline. This commitment also demonstrates the strong appetite among institutional investors for the attractive risk-adjusted returns offered by residential real estate credit strategies. Despite the challenging economic backdrop in 2020, UK residential property prices rose at their fastest rate in six years, as strong pent-up demand coincided with a slowdown in the supply of new housing, with more affordable regions outside of London showing the strongest performance.
Homes are selling quickly at the new gated ‘Bridgford Place’ complex in West Bridgford, and interested buyers are encouraged to register interest with the stamp duty holiday extension and introduction of the 5% deposit mortgage scheme. Comprising a total of 30 one and two-bed apartments, 75% of which were sold by selling agents FHP Living by practical completion of the development, Bridgford Place by Buildwell Developments offers modern, luxury and eco-friendly living in the very heart of West Bridgford town centre, just a stone’s throw from Central Avenue. Following Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s announcement of the 5% deposit mortgage scheme and stamp duty holiday extension up until the end of June for properties up to the value of £500,000, and the end of September for homes up to the value of £250,000, interested buyers are encouraged to act quickly to snap up one of the six remaining apartments in the heart of West Bridgford. Each of the last remaining apartments offer a large open plan living space, en-suite shower room, family bathroom, zoned underfloor heating and allocated parking space on-site or across the road. The remaining apartments are located on the ground, first and top floor of the three-storey scheme, with prices ranging from £222,500 to £265,000. All homes have been finished with a light, contemporary design with high spec fixtures and fittings including German kitchens, Bosch cooking appliances, integrated dishwasher, washer dryer and fridge freezer, quartz worktops, luxury bathrooms with Roca sanitaryware and Grohe showers, Karndean flooring and 80/20 wool twist carpets. Allocated parking is available for certain properties on site, and external parking spaces are available on a rental basis, for apartments without parking. With Central Avenue on its doorstep, Bridgford Place benefits from an array of amenities easily accessible on foot, including parks, bars, restaurants and cafes such as Costa Coffee, Copper, Yumacha, The Botanist, Portello Lounge and Escabeche, and convenient supermarkets for essentials such as the Co-op and M & S. Just two miles from Nottingham city centre, regular bus services including the 5 Green Line run frequently from Rectory Road through West Bridgford, Trent Bridge, The Meadows, Nottingham City Centre and the Lace Market. Following the COVID-19 pandemic and the latest announcement of plans to gradually ease lockdown restrictions over the coming months, Nottingham has seen an influx of people moving to the city – as many look to relocate from London and other major cities. The chief executive of Invest in Nottingham, among many local experts, puts the rise of people moving from the capital to Nottingham down to the city’s attractive, affordable house prices and lower cost of living*. FHP Living has already seen a 23% increase in enquiries from prospective buyers interested in moving from London to Nottingham this year.
