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July 29, 2021

TRANSFORMATIONAL HOUSEBUILDING PROJECT CALLS FOR GAME-CHANGING SOLUTIONS TO INNOVATION CHALLENGE

Kenneth Booth July 29, 2021

An innovation initiative to support the transformation of the housebuilding sector is calling for suppliers of new solutions.  Advanced Industrialised Methods for the Construction of Homes (AIMCH) is inviting suppliers to enter the sandpit challenge to showcase their innovative products or services, demonstrating how they can deliver industrialised offsite solutions

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Industrial demand at a peak as businesses head to The Pensnett Estate

Kenneth Booth July 29, 2021

A flurry of new lettings at one of Europe’s biggest secure industrial and business estates, in the Black Country, is signalling growing confidence in the industrial market. LCP, the national commercial property and investment company, says demand for industrial property is at a peak, with voids at The Pensnett Estate

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HULL FIRMS LEAD THE WAY IN FLEXIBLE WORKING

Kenneth Booth July 29, 2021

Pagabo, Sypro and Social Profit Calculator, three Hull-based businesses synonymous with construction expertise, have been recognised for their attitudes to flexible working that set the organisations as front runners in the industry, which will be further facilitated by their move to new premises to accompany a new way of working

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Issue 324 : Jan 2025

July 29, 2021

TRANSFORMATIONAL HOUSEBUILDING PROJECT CALLS FOR GAME-CHANGING SOLUTIONS TO INNOVATION CHALLENGE

Kenneth Booth July 29, 2021

An innovation initiative to support the transformation of the housebuilding sector is calling for suppliers of new solutions.  Advanced Industrialised Methods for the Construction of Homes (AIMCH) is inviting suppliers to enter the sandpit challenge to showcase their innovative products or services, demonstrating how they can deliver industrialised offsite solutions required to meet current and future housebuilding demands. The three-year AIMCH project, whose goal is to support the sector to tackle the UK housing crisis by building new homes quicker, more efficiently and to a higher standard, is encouraging innovation and collaboration from across all parts of the industry. There are three challenge areas for suppliers to submit their technically and commercially promising products and systems;        Advanced MMC Solutions, with a particular focus on scaffoldless erect        Standardised Solutions, including modular stairs, bathroom pods, and preformed windows and doors         Zero Carbon Solutions, with a particular interest in heat pumps, underfloor heating, convection heaters, battery storage, and lower lambda mineral wool Successful partners could see their products and services trialled on live housing projects, with successful methods subsequently being commercialised and brought to market in volume.  Daniel Shea, AIMCH Partner and Technical Innovation Coordinator, Barratt Developments Plc, said, “What we are looking for from the sandpit challenge is for suppliers to bring forward truly innovative and unique near to market solutions that have the potential to be scalable.   Already we have witnessed the success of new product and system trials during the first two years of the AMICH project and we know that there are many more companies out there who are innovating and can play their part in helping to transform the sector.  We need to find more sustainable ways of building quality new homes and achieving a net zero-carbon built environment, and we need game-changers who can support this transformation.” The AIMCH project aims to develop know how that supports the key sector stakeholders deliver 120,000 homes for the same or less cost than traditional methods, built 30% quicker and has the potential to impact on 35,000 homes being delivered by AIMCH partners across the UK each year. Innovators who can play their part in delivering the project aims are encouraged to submit their proposals by completing the application form on the AIMCH website.  Successful applicants will then be invited to participate in a workshop hosted by one of three AIMCH partners, L&Q, Stewart Milne Group or Barratt Developments Plc. 

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Where can you still buy a new build for less than the £250,000 stamp duty holiday threshold?

Kenneth Booth July 29, 2021

The latest research from Warwick Estates has revealed which pockets of the national new build market still offer homebuyers the opportunity of a stamp duty saving right up until the final September deadline. While the initial stamp duty holiday for homes valued up to £500,000 has now passed, homebuyers purchasing up to the sum of £250,000 will still pay no stamp duty right up until the end of September. However, it’s no secret that the new build market carries a property price premium compared to existing homes. In fact, the average new build house price is currently £348,298 in England, 30% higher than the average price for an existing property. This would suggest that the average new build homebuyer may find it tricky to find a property that sits below the current and final stamp duty holiday threshold and at a regional level this may be the case.  Just two regions are currently home to an average new build house price below £250,000, the North East (£217,985) and Yorkshire and the Humber (243,791). However, when analysing the market at local authority level, Warwick Estates found that there is still some hope. In fact, 23% of local authority districts in England are home to a new build average house price that still sits below £250,000. You can see the full table below but the list includes areas from all over England including Northumberland, Plymouth, Great Yarmouth, Manchester, Ipswich, West Devon, Lancaster, Southampton, Liverpool, Scarborough, Norwich, Nottingham, Bradford, Gateshead and Stoke. COO of Warwick Estates, Bethan Griffiths, commented: “New build homes will always attract a premium when compared to the wider market and so those looking to climb the new build ladder will always need a little more in the savings pot. However, there seems to be a common misconception that new build homes are vastly unaffordable but as the figures show, the average new build home costs less than £250,000 across nearly a quarter of all areas in England. So not only can a new build home be purchased at a relatively affordable price point, but those currently in the market for one have a good chance of still securing a stamp duty free sale.” Location Average New Build House Price England £348,298 East Midlands £302,701 East of England £404,852 London £525,927 North East £217,985 North West £262,731 South East £420,199 South West £348,888 West Midlands Region £305,790 Yorkshire and The Humber £243,791 Data sourced from the Gov.uk – UK House Price Index (New Build vs Existing). March 2021 – latest available data.     Table shows the areas of England where the current average new build house price is still below £250,000 Location Average New Build House Price Northumberland £246,397 Fenland £245,637 City of Plymouth £243,533 Great Yarmouth £241,469 Manchester £239,678 Telford and Wrekin £238,884 Ipswich £238,831 West Devon £238,777 Allerdale £238,665 Newark and Sherwood £238,329 Knowsley £237,455 Sandwell £236,847 Tameside £234,525 Tamworth £233,614 Rotherham £233,322 Wolverhampton £233,189 Lancaster £231,215 Torbay £231,043 Southampton £230,143 Salford £229,586 Kirklees £229,494 North East Lincolnshire £228,064 Eden £226,530 St Helens £225,820 Liverpool £225,450 Broxtowe £224,828 Rochdale £224,768 Erewash £224,701 Oldham £223,654 Wakefield £221,607 Scarborough £220,679 Walsall £219,680 Ashfield £219,404 South Tyneside £218,370 Norwich £217,586 Sefton £217,305 Middlesbrough £215,115 Sheffield £214,295 City of Nottingham £213,251 City of Derby £213,168 Sunderland £212,758 Bolsover £209,730 Wyre £209,356 North Lincolnshire £209,066 Carlisle £206,690 Bassetlaw £206,421 Bradford £205,342 Blackburn with Darwen £201,666 Darlington £201,116 Mansfield £200,151 Redcar and Cleveland £200,115 West Lindsey £197,991 Boston £197,314 Bolton £197,074 South Holland £194,183 Newcastle-under-Lyme £193,940 Wirral £191,211 East Lindsey £190,763 Barrow-in-Furness £190,762 City of Kingston upon Hull £189,873 Gateshead £187,368 Pendle £185,122 Doncaster £183,153 Copeland £181,950 Stoke-on-Trent £181,278 Lincoln £181,066 Barnsley £179,817 County Durham £169,866 Hartlepool £166,313 Stockton-on-Tees £163,047 Blackpool £162,375 Burnley £134,834 Hyndburn £105,888 Data sourced from the Gov.uk – UK House Price Index (New Build vs Existing). March 2021 – latest available data.    

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Derbyshire construction firm celebrates further contract win at prestigious Matlock Spa development

Kenneth Booth July 29, 2021

Derbyshire based Wildgoose Construction is celebrating after landing a further £4.5m contract win at the prestigious Matlock Spa housing development. The Alfreton firm is set to start work on the next phase of Matlock Spa, called Spa Lofts, which is being built on the site of Cawdor Quarry. Wildgoose has already completed the Gateway Phase of Matlock Spa, consisting of 38 apartments and 20 houses. Phase Three will see 24 apartments built, due for completion in Autumn 2022. When completed, Matlock Spa will be made up of five distinct villages consisting of two, three, four and five-bedroom apartments and houses. The development will embrace the ‘Healthy Town’ model, promoting fitness in addition to a firm commitment to working with and protecting the local ecology and famous heritage of the Derbyshire Dales. Wildgoose has a long history in Matlock as the company was founded in the town in 1896 by the Executive Chairman Jonathan Wildgoose’s great grandfather. Jonathan Wildgoose, Executive Chairman of Wildgoose Construction, said he was delighted with the new contract award after a challenging year. He said: “The uncertainty that the construction sector and wider UK economy has experienced from the impact of Brexit and Covid-19 has presented many challenges. We are thrilled that we have been able to secure repeat business at Matlock Spa. Our client cannot wait for us to get started on the next phase of their high quality development. “We are also delighted to have completed an 80-bed care home in Wixam and Northampton Museum and Art Gallery and both projects have been extremely well received. All 22 houses at our own development in Marston Montgomery, in Derbyshire, have also sold out which is even more good news.”

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Industrial demand at a peak as businesses head to The Pensnett Estate

Kenneth Booth July 29, 2021

A flurry of new lettings at one of Europe’s biggest secure industrial and business estates, in the Black Country, is signalling growing confidence in the industrial market. LCP, the national commercial property and investment company, says demand for industrial property is at a peak, with voids at The Pensnett Estate in Kingswinford now under 1% – an historic low. It has signed deals with Milton Cable Management Systems, JL Drinks Ltd, and Ground Investigation & Piling Ltd in quick succession for units at the estate. Milton Cable Management Systems has signed a 10-year lease for Building G, Bay 2 at Prime Point, making this speculative development now fully let. The 24,505 sq ft unit will be used for the new business, which is part of the Hudson Group that operates RMS Cable Management in Hampshire and ArmorDuct Systems Ltd, based on The Pensnett Estate. Simon Hudson-Smith, owner director of the Hudson Group, said: “We were looking for suitable premises and one of the attractions of this unit was that it falls within DY5, Dudley’s Business and Innovation Enterprise Zone so that was a big incentive financially as we can get business rates relief. “The new unit will house Milton Cable Management Systems, which has been created to manufacture and market a cable basket system that we believe is under-utilised but has huge potential and it will also give us the opportunity to expand. “Some of the staff from ArmorDuct will transfer over but I hope over the next two to three years that we can create between 20 and 30 jobs.” Phase two of LCP’s multi-million pound Prime Point scheme comprises 100,000 sq ft of prestigious industrial units, with tenants Stiltz Ltd, the home lift company; Total Kare, which specialises in lifting and testing equipment for heavy duty commercial vehicle workshops; and Glendenning Limited. GIP Ltd, one of the largest geoenvironmental and geotechnical engineering companies in the Midlands, has signed a five-year lease for Building 62 Bay 3, a 5000 sq ft unit as it relocates from Wolverhampton, where it has been based for the past 20 years. Julian Hughes, managing director, said: “The new premises are part of a Geo-hub that we are setting up for our staff to use as a mix of home, site and office working promoted in part by the pandemic. “We are mostly a cloud-based operation, other than the drilling, so the unit at The Pensnett Estate will be a space for folks to meet, log, prep testing, as well as giving the younger geologists the opportunity to have the mentoring structure that has been difficult over the pandemic. “The new space will have folks coming in more frequently, but I am allowing them to choose their working hours and how much time they spend on site, at home or in the new office environment.” The business employs 20 staff and also uses specialist geo-services on a sub contract basis.   The final major letting is JL Drinks Ltd, which has signed a five-year lease for Building 18, a 13,053 sq ft unit. Paula James, LCP’s industrial lettings manager, said: “The industrial property market is at its peak and the take up is the best I have seen in 20 years of being involved in the property letting market, which is why we are seeing voids on The Pensnett Estate at under 1%. “These lettings, after a very challenging 16 months, demonstrate that there is significant demand for good-quality industrial units in the region. The Pensnett Estate’s strategic location also makes it an attractive proposition for businesses that need quick and easy access to motorways.” The Pensnett Estate is one of the largest secure business estates in Europe, and home to 160 businesses in over 2.4 million sq ft of commercial property. The Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership (BCLEP) has been supporting LCP with the development of Prime Point.

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HULL FIRMS LEAD THE WAY IN FLEXIBLE WORKING

Kenneth Booth July 29, 2021

Pagabo, Sypro and Social Profit Calculator, three Hull-based businesses synonymous with construction expertise, have been recognised for their attitudes to flexible working that set the organisations as front runners in the industry, which will be further facilitated by their move to new premises to accompany a new way of working post-pandemic. Like many other businesses, both in Hull and across the country, the major change has been balancing working from home with working from the company office. This has led to discussions on what facilities are needed to be added or adapted, and which are no longer required for a modern way of working, all of which has been incorporated in the designs for the organisations’ new offices in central Hull. The former HSBC building on Whitefriargate is set to be home to the three businesses, and create a thriving home for creative, digital and tech businesses. The refurbished building will feature individual and shared workspaces, excellent broadband connectivity, meeting room facilities suitable for video conferencing and podcast sound booths. Gerard Toplass, who heads up the three companies, said: “The pandemic has been a humbling period for all of us, but one of the reminders it has given us is that our employees will always be our greatest asset and we respect that everyone’s preferences are unique. We must continue to facilitate flexible working conditions that will allow individuals to lead fulfilling professional and personal lives – something we urge other businesses to remember are not mutually exclusive. “We have to also ensure that we are adapting to meet the expectations around flexible working. We know that it is more important to most employees than ever before – and especially so for younger team members. These people are ultimately the future of our workforce, so it is crucial that we meet their expectations to keep the talent we need, where we need it. “Flexible working is not just about working from home, which is why we have invested in new offices in the heart of Hull. Our new home has a mix of high-tech workspaces and relaxed social spaces so that we can interact in the appropriate environment when we are choosing to not work from home. We believe that it is particularly fitting that one of Hull’s oldest streets is now leading the way in the future of working and putting the great people of this city first.” The successful commitment to flexible working has attracted national attention, with the team welcoming Labour’s Deputy Leader and Shadow Secretary of State for the Future of Work, Angela Rayner, visiting the soon-to-open new office space. She spoke with staff from Pagabo, Sypro and Social Profit Calculator on the key learnings and takeaways from how they have been working throughout the pandemic and in the days since social distancing restrictions were lifted. The visit formed part of the Labour Party’s unveiling of plans to make flexible working a force for good and fundamentally change working practices for the better through the right to flexible working, which includes flexible hours, compressed hours, staggered hours and flexibility around childcare and caring responsibilities. Emma Hardy MP, who represents Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle, said: “Labour’s new flexible working plans are a breath of fresh air and ones which will improve people’s work life balance. “I have been speaking in Parliament for some time now about the potential we have here in Hull and East Riding and how remote working means people can work from home and online without having to leave the area. The possibility of someone working in Hull for companies across the UK has never been better. “No longer will we need to leaving family, friends, and the area to pursue better careers, and with greater affordability than in other cities such as London means a far better quality of life can be had here in Hull and the surrounding area. “These plans will also enhance gender equality by allowing parents to work at home without losing out by not being in the workplace. This, alongside calls for flexible hours to work around school runs and other family responsibilities will bring much-needed improvements to people’s work life balance.”

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