A BRAND-NEW state-of-the-art flour mill and warehouse – the largest to be constructed in the UK in recent years – has been completed for GR Wright & Sons in Harlow, Essex, by Clegg Food Projects, specialists in the construction of food and drink facilities. Clegg Food Projects was appointed as the principal contractor
The first phase of the £350 million transformation of a post-war housing estate in Woking, Surrey, is now complete with work on the second phase underway. Canalside, the long-awaited regeneration of Sheerwater, will deliver nearly 1,100 energy-efficient homes, half of which will be affordable, set around new public parkland, with
Sustainably designed and stylish new 188 bed building sits in a prime location with the Leeds student’s district… GMI Construction Group, has today announced that it has completed construction of a new 188 bed student accommodation block for Maple Grove Developments at a prime site in Leeds. The development known
High security composite panels specialist Modular Security Solutions is providing the building sector with additional protection for people and assets, following the successful fire testing of its brand-new ULTRA composite panel system. The Newcastle upon Tyne-based firm’s high security ULTRA composite panel system has now been tested to BS476- Resistance
Modular Group Investments Limited (MGI), a rapidly growing group focused on acquiring businesses around the off-site manufacturing sector has completed another acquisition this year with the purchase of the entire share capital of Barton Windows Limited, a 35-year-old aluminium fenestration business based in Barton-upon-Humber North Lincolnshire. The latest acquisition continues
Construction has started on an innovative, carbon-neutral development scheme at SEGRO Park Dagenham, part of the East Plus regeneration programme being delivered in partnership with the Greater London Authority. The units at Plot 1, which will range from 1,620 to 6,730 sq ft, are being built speculatively to provide high-quality
Tiled stoves that only warm up are a thing of the past. Today’s end customers expect an unobstructed view of the fire from several sides and thus a real “campfire feeling”, of course with the highest environmental standards at the same time. Angularly bent fire-viewing panels made of glass ceramics
Back in 2012, the English Housing Survey took an in-depth look at the energy efficiency of the country’s housing stock. It found that social housing was leading the field, with an average Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) rating of 65, compared to just 57 for the private rented sector. The most
Housebuilder Bellway has relocated its Eastern Counties divisional office to Building 2030 at Cambourne Business Park as it targets significant growth over the next five years. The division is one of Bellway’s newest, having been established in 2018. Its first office opened in Huntingdon early in 2019. Bellway Eastern Counties
A BRAND-NEW state-of-the-art flour mill and warehouse – the largest to be constructed in the UK in recent years – has been completed for GR Wright & Sons in Harlow, Essex, by Clegg Food Projects, specialists in the construction of food and drink facilities. Clegg Food Projects was appointed as the principal contractor for the project, responsible for the overall design and construction of the mill and warehousing facility. This included extensive ground preparation, the civil and structural build, and the installation of the specialist processing and milling equipment. With work initially beginning on site in December 2018, the project was separated into three phases. First the construction of the mill, warehouse, and the sites mechanical and electrical services, secondly the wheat and flour silo installations, and finally the milling processing and packing equipment installation. The completed development, which spans across six floors and is more than 30m tall, includes the latest in milling processing and packaging technologies – which was provided by Buhler – and will help to future-proof the business as it continues to build on its successes. Oliver Jenkins, business development manager at Clegg Food Projects, said: “We’re delighted to have completed the mill for one of the UK’s leading millers. It has been a fantastic project to be involved with on many levels. Working with a family-owned business steeped in history has been a privilege and knowing that this new facility will support their future growth is very rewarding.” James Wright, production director at GR Wright & Sons, said: “This new facility will not only allow us to continue as one of the UK’s leading flour mills, but will also help us to attract talented individuals to join the sector. With flour being a key ingredient in nearly 30% of all grocery products on supermarket shelves, we have experienced an increased demand over the last few years, so this development will help us to fulfil the nation’s requirements for years to come.” GR Wright & Sons is London’s only family-owned flour mill and has more than 150 years’ experience and expertise producing a wide variety of flour choices and bread mixes. With roughly 12 million loaves of bread, two million pizzas and ten million cakes made in Britain each day, this new facility is one of the largest of its kind in the UK. Clegg Food Projects – part of the Clegg Group – has more than 40 years’ experience in the food and drink sector. Headquartered in Nottingham, the firm works nationally and internationally with household brands to design and build top quality manufacturing facilities. For further information visit www.cleggfoodprojects.co.uk or follow @CleggFoodP on Twitter.
The first phase of the £350 million transformation of a post-war housing estate in Woking, Surrey, is now complete with work on the second phase underway. Canalside, the long-awaited regeneration of Sheerwater, will deliver nearly 1,100 energy-efficient homes, half of which will be affordable, set around new public parkland, with car-free streets and landscaped, pedestrian and cycle-friendly links connecting individual neighbourhoods, community facilities and green spaces. Following a renewed masterplan and design work by global interdisciplinary design practice BDP and delivered by ThamesWey, Woking Borough Council’s independent housing delivery company, the new community is specifically designed around multi-generational living, responding to both the housing crisis and the needs of an ageing population. Canalside will include an assisted living facility for older and vulnerable people in a prime location at the centre of the development, and age-friendly apartments mixed in amongst family homes throughout the new, interconnected neighbourhoods. Construction has recently finished on the first 92 homes and the first residents have started to move in this month. The masterplan includes unique, traffic-free streets and public open areas between homes and buildings have been designed to create safe spaces to encourage residents to sit, relax, socialise and connect with each other and the outside, natural environment. Expected to complete in 2027, Canalside will comprise several individual neighbourhoods with clear identities, offering a range of homes and apartments of different sizes, from one-bedroom studios to five-bedroom houses. A new leisure complex on the development also opened in early October, featuring a 25-metre swimming pool plus a separate teaching pool, sports hall, studios and a gym. The outside facilities include a full-size 3G football pitch, and new grass football and rugby pitches. Work is now underway on the next two phases of the development which include flats, mews houses, maisonettes, and homes for older and vulnerable people, along with a new community centre, medical facilities, nursery, retail spaces and a new energy centre to provide low carbon heating to the core of the development. Martin Jones, BDP’s landscape and urbanism director, said: “We are thrilled to see the vision becoming reality at Canalside as the first phase of this major regeneration scheme completes and people start to move into the modern, high quality and highly sustainable new homes. “Creating a vibrant, connected and contemporary community for all ages and requirements, along with access to nature and outdoors spaces, was central to our masterplanning and design approach. Now completely reimagined, this former post-war housing estate is leading the way in creating a community for all ages – with sheltered housing and homes for older and vulnerable people at the heart of the neighbourhood, in and around homes for families and young people.” The Canalside regeneration scheme is expected to complete by 2027. For more information visit https://www.thamesweygroup.co.uk/project/canalside BDP published a new independent report earlier this year highlighting the importance of building greener, more equitable homes for older people with stronger connections to their communities, helping to improve quality of life and help to reduce the need for people to move into specialised accommodation.
Sustainably designed and stylish new 188 bed building sits in a prime location with the Leeds student’s district… GMI Construction Group, has today announced that it has completed construction of a new 188 bed student accommodation block for Maple Grove Developments at a prime site in Leeds. The development known as Oak House is situated in Park Lane in the Belle Vue district of Leeds’s student district and took 82 weeks to build. It offers a combination of 9 high-spec studio flats, and 30 shared flats for 4 to 8 students. Its impressive communal spaces include a large lounge area with space for private and group study, and a stunning outdoor terrace with seating. Tenants will have free access to the on-site cardio studio and secure bike storage, and rent includes all bills, TV licence and personal possessions insurance. All flats are spacious and modern, with double beds, en-suite bathrooms, and are equipped to a high standard with smart TVs, in flat washer-dryers and super-fast internet (up to 200Mb/s wired and 100Mb/s wireless). Oak House is the ideal place for students wanting high quality, sustainable living in a great city centre location. Talking about the project GMI Divisional Managing Director Lee Powell said: “GMI is proud to have been trusted to deliver this superb new student accommodation facility in the historic community of Little Woodhouse in this outstanding part of Leeds. This is a sustainable development which provides a positive impact within the conservation area including improvements to open space and the provision of high-quality student accommodation, with good levels of amenity, in a sustainable location close to the established universities. Getting this project complete and over the line constitutes a great team effort and on behalf of GMI I would like to thank and congratulate all involved. This is the 10th student accommodation development that GMI has completed to date as we continue to build upon our offering and credentials in this sector” Maple Grove Developments’ Managing Director Karen Hirst continued: “This is the latest development we have completed in the PBSA sector, which is showing great resilience and continued interest for funders. Looking ahead, we are currently evaluating future student development schemes.” Tony Vyse, Assistant Chief Executive – Development from Incoming tenant Unipol also commented: “After such a difficult time during the global pandemic and the aftermath of supply chain issues, Unipol and more importantly, the residents, are extremely happy with the finished product that completed on time. Oak House reflects Unipol’s values to provide well-priced accommodation and creates a living environment that encourages socialisation and well-being, which is part of our educational mission. Unipol has now commenced a long-term deal which will provide quality housing for students for the next 25 years. Personally, as an active member of the project team throughout the entire design and build, I’d like to thank all parties involved in what has been a very successful scheme, which ultimately benefits Unipol’s portfolio, students for the next quarter of a century and the community of Little Woodhouse.” The architect on the development was DLA. To take an exclusive tour around the development visit:
High security composite panels specialist Modular Security Solutions is providing the building sector with additional protection for people and assets, following the successful fire testing of its brand-new ULTRA composite panel system. The Newcastle upon Tyne-based firm’s high security ULTRA composite panel system has now been tested to BS476- Resistance to fire at a UKAS (the United Kingdom Accreditation Service) approved fire testing facility and achieves 120 minutes on both integrity and insulation. Testing on the new product line will give Modular Security Solutions’ customers additional peace of mind. It will also broaden the company’s ability to support building contractors, security contractors, facilities managers, and end users with fire-tested panel systems in areas of high vulnerability, where defence against enhanced professional criminal attempts to access high value assets is required. To gain the BSEN 476 certification, the panels were tested for 120 minutes for integrity and insulation. Integrity measures the system’s ability to stop flames or hot gases from passing from the ‘fire side’ to the non-fire side through openings such as panel joints and interfaces within the testing culvert, while insulation relates to the system’s ability to limit the surface temperature rise on the non-fire side. During the UKAS-accredited testing procedure, the company’s ULTRA security composite panels were installed into a concrete testing rig and subjected to resistance testing from a furnace, which reaches temperatures of up to 1200°C. Modular Security Solutions’ ULTRA composite panel system has been designed and tested to resist enhanced professional criminal attacks from a wide range of tooling, including not only mechanical and electrical power tools but also petrol driven disc grinders and chainsaw tooling elements. Modular Security Solutions designs and supplies high security walling systems and enclosures which can be used to create new buildings and superstructures. They can also be retro-fit into existing buildings to security harden and fire-proof specifically identified areas. Modular Security Solutions’ high security composite panels are manufactured with a fire retardant rockwool insulative core, to support fire resistance, and steel anti-cutting layers which ensure they have high levels of resistance to mechanical, electrical and petrol-driven tooling. The high security composite panelling systems are fully modular and versatile. They can be rapidly installed and offer a significant reduction in labour costs, site down time and on-site trades, due to their convenient male/female slip joint and pre-finished appearance, which comes in a wide range of standard colours and finishes. Mark Sutherland, Projects Director of Modular Security Solutions, said: “We’re very proud to have achieved this two-hour fire testing pass for the ULTRA composite panel system, as the testing process is extremely rigorous. “The excellent performance of our panels during testing demonstrates our commitment to ensuring that fire safety and physical security are built into the sensitive environments and projects our systems are part of. “Our panels’ combination of high security capabilities, fire resistance and build flexibility gives contractors a cost-effective solution for protecting high-risk areas, such as data centres, server rooms, laboratories and vaults.” Modular Security Solutions offers a complimentary Security Design Package with every project, which details secure installation methods and ensures the interfaces between its systems and doors, windows, ventilation louvres and service penetrations are inbuilt and secure. For more information on Modular Security Solutions, visit https://www.modularsecurity.co.uk
Modular Group Investments Limited (MGI), a rapidly growing group focused on acquiring businesses around the off-site manufacturing sector has completed another acquisition this year with the purchase of the entire share capital of Barton Windows Limited, a 35-year-old aluminium fenestration business based in Barton-upon-Humber North Lincolnshire. The latest acquisition continues to diversify MGI’s customer base and adds huge synergistic value to the group whilst also complementing MGI’s existing aluminium product portfolio of cladding and decking branded ‘Euralite’ launched only last month. The transaction closed on 14 October 2021. MGI were advised by Hempsons (legal). Michael Garratt,founder/CEO at MGI said: “I am pleased to add Barton to our group and look forward to future acquisitions that can add huge strategic value. This opportunity significantly increases our aluminium product portfolio which will better serve our customer needs. We are delighted to be working with the experienced team at Barton and look forward to a promising future together” Nick Cowley, MGI Group MD commented: Barton Windows provides MGI with a new route to market and customer base within construction. The products supplied by Barton interfaced with our own Euralite aluminium system will create a complete envelope system for our clients, providing them a total solution from a dependable supplier. Chris Butters,Chair at MGI stated: Barton represents a timely acquisition and is highly accretive to earnings due to the organic growth opportunities that are available between our subsidiary operations, once integrated these will represent a strong product portfolio for customers and a broader-base for our colleagues to work within. This is a logical deal that integrates businesses with good legacy characteristics and a proactive approach to customer expectations. For more information, please contact michael@modulargroupinvestments.co.uk
Construction has started on an innovative, carbon-neutral development scheme at SEGRO Park Dagenham, part of the East Plus regeneration programme being delivered in partnership with the Greater London Authority. The units at Plot 1, which will range from 1,620 to 6,730 sq ft, are being built speculatively to provide high-quality commercial space and bring business and employment opportunities to the east London regions. The scheme provides an alternative and complementary product type to others in the East Plus portfolio but takes inspiration from the success of the Enterprise Quarter at SEGRO Park Rainham – a development that offers leases for modern industrial units to small and start-up customers and is also part of the East Plus regeneration scheme. Once fully developed, the overall SEGRO Park Dagenham scheme will offer 1.2 million sq ft of sustainable, industrial and warehouse space in a variety of unit sizes from 1,620 to 233,000 sq ft. In line with the Responsible SEGRO commitment to champion low carbon growth, each of the 13 units will be designed to achieve BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) ‘Very Good’ and Carbon Neutral status. Sustainability features such as battery storage, electric car charging points, roof mounted photovoltaic panels and LED lighting will also be incorporated. The units will be available in Spring 2022. SEGRO Park Dagenham is a new industrial park that will offer freehold, leasehold, design and build and spec build opportunities to the area. A range of accommodation and unit sizes will be provided, suitable for start-ups, traditional light industrial and urban logistics customers. The development will also support the wider regeneration of Dagenham Dock – providing relocation space for local displaced businesses, supporting housing development programmes and generating business investment and jobs within the borough. As part of the masterplan and wider regeneration, SEGRO will be bringing forward multi-levels to meet GLA’s requirements for intensification of industrial land in the area. Alan Holland, Managing Director, Greater London at SEGRO said: “We work hard to ensure that SEGRO is an integral part of the communities in which we operate, and this is a great example of how we are contributing to long-term vitality in East London by offering a wider range of real estate options for local SMEs. “Once fully let, Plot 1 at SEGRO Park Dagenham will become a self-sustaining collective of businesses, which could generate over 1,000 jobs. “Furthermore, working with our contractors, customers, the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham and other stakeholders we will use the development as a catalyst to maximise training and employment opportunities for the local community.” Elsewhere at SEGRO Park Dagenham, the company recently completed a building on Plot 5 of the estate for The Capital Dairy Company. The unit provides a 20,000 sq ft design and build unit for a local occupier which is relocating from Thames Road, Barking. SEGRO Park Dagenham is located in the south of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, within the area currently known as Dagenham dock, which is fast becoming a first-class industrial and distribution location due to growing demand. The site benefits from excellent road connections and close proximity to central London, with easy access to Junction 31 of the M25 in just 11 minutes and the A13 in 3 minutes. The Port of Tilbury and London Gateway Docks are a short distance away, as is Barking Intermodal Terminal which links to the country’s national rail network and HS1 to Europe. The site also offers fast access to London City Airport and Central London via rail from Rainham and the proposed new Beam Park Station will be in proximity to the site.
Tiled stoves that only warm up are a thing of the past. Today’s end customers expect an unobstructed view of the fire from several sides and thus a real “campfire feeling”, of course with the highest environmental standards at the same time. Angularly bent fire-viewing panels made of glass ceramics are therefore correspondingly popular. In order to reduce the technically unavoidable slight bulges at the outlets of the bending edges, the special glass manufacturer SCHOTT has developed an innovative process. Irlbacher, a global specialist in glass technology and glass processing, has now added these ideally curved viewing panels to its portfolio. Angularly bent fire-viewing panels have been used for some time to create the visually enhanced impression of a fireplace. Until now, however, for physical reasons, these tended to develop a slight bulge at the outlets of the bending edge, as in the picture above left. The fireplace manufacturer has to take this bulge into account when fitting the glass ceramics exactly into a frame or even a frameless design. A special bending process for glass ceramics, developed by SCHOTT, now solves this fundamental issue. The bulge at the outlet of the bending edge is considerably reduced, as can be seen in the picture above right. The flat pane of glass ceramics is almost ideally curved and can thus be integrated into frame constructions much more easily; the frames can be much slimmer. In addition, the mechanical solidity of the curved edge can be improved by up to 80%. The result is a visually more sophisticated play of flames as well as an additional enhancement of frameless designs – for a distinctive spatial impression. The portfolio includes large bending radii between 30 and 95 mm. The soft curvature facilitates an even more natural fire experience and an all-round uninterrupted view of the flames. End customers experience a real campfire feeling in the middle of their living room. The variety of large bending radii allows fireplace manufacturers to differentiate themselves by using dense glass systems instead of two flat panes – thus creating designs that are both elegant and extravagant.
Back in 2012, the English Housing Survey took an in-depth look at the energy efficiency of the country’s housing stock. It found that social housing was leading the field, with an average Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) rating of 65, compared to just 57 for the private rented sector. The most recent English Housing Survey to provide a snapshot of energy efficiency is the 2019-20 report. It found that energy efficiency had improved over the preceding decade, with the proportion of dwellings in the highest EER bands (A to C), rising from 12% to 40% between 2009 and 2019. Social rented homes continued to be the best performers, with 61% in bands A to C in 2019, compared to just 38% of homes in the private rented sector. The average cost to move a property from EER bands D to G up to a band C rating was estimated to be £8,110. The cost varied across tenure, from the cheapest being housing association dwellings (with an average of £5,910) to the most expensive being owner occupied homes (£8,579). Just 2% of properties were found to be unable to reach band C at all. With an average annual energy cost saving of £298 because of upgrading a home to band C, it would take the average property over 27 years to start benefitting financially from doing so. Hence the need for government incentives to speed up the upgrading of English homes’ energy performance. Heat pumps are an interesting example of this. In 2019, just 103,000 homes in England had a heat pump – well below 1% of total housing stock. The government has now announced a £5,000-per-household grant to encourage the installation of heat pumps. However, that will cover the installation of just 30,000 heat pumps per year. How the government target of installing 600,000 heat pumps per year by 2028 is to be met remains unclear. Some of those likely to be near the front of the queue for the new heat pump grants are England’s landlords, as all new tenancies will require an EPC rating of band C or higher by 2025. Proptech investment platform houzen is supporting landlords and owner-occupiers alike to reach band C or higher with its in-depth sustainability reports. The tech-driven reports provide owners with the means to see quickly and easily how their properties measure up in terms of their environmental impact, as well as how they can enhance their sustainability. They blend expert knowledge with AI and Computer Vision to consider how homes perform in respect of 27 measures that impact the climate.
Housebuilder Bellway has relocated its Eastern Counties divisional office to Building 2030 at Cambourne Business Park as it targets significant growth over the next five years. The division is one of Bellway’s newest, having been established in 2018. Its first office opened in Huntingdon early in 2019. Bellway Eastern Counties now employs 64 people and supports hundreds of contractor jobs across the East of England. Directly employed staff cover a range of disciplines, from land and planning to technical, commercial, finance and sales. The team also includes apprentices and graduate trainees. “Our move to larger premises is an immensely positive step forward for the division, which reflects the continued high demand for new homes in this part of the country. We did not expect to outgrow our previous office space so soon. The fact that we did so demonstrates how quickly we have scaled this new division,” said Phil Standen, Managing Director of Bellway Eastern Counties. “A series of new developments will launch to the public over the next year and our land buyers are busy securing more sites for future growth. Cambourne Business Park has everything we need locally, and the office is a first-class environment which will enable us to innovate and expand further.” The division is working on 13 current and future housing developments, with more to be announced soon. Work is underway on its second development in Fordham, to be followed by homes in locations including Peterborough, Stilton, Godmanchester and Bacton in Suffolk. Bellway Eastern Counties has also been announced as a joint venture partner with Latimer to build 1,200 homes in Cherry Hinton, near Cambridge. “The search for a new office was extensive and we are pleased to have found somewhere that ticked every box. In just three months, we have agreed the lease, organised the office fit-out and moved in. The team are delighted to be settling into their new surroundings,” added Phil.
