Bellway has completed the purchase of land from Homes England in Milton Keynes, where it will adopt new building technology for the first time in the UK, speeding up the build process with some homes built on a factory production line. Bellway will build 160 homes using Modern Methods of
One way of enabling people to live cleaner, greener lives is by making sure the buildings in which people live and work are more eco-friendly so that the very environments in which we survive and thrive are helping us towards a more sustainable future. With this in mind, and using
Work on four new speculatively built units is underway at two major West Midlands logistics parks as Prologis, the leading developer of industrial property in the UK, expands its portfolio at Prologis Park Hams Hall and Prologis Park Ryton, near Coventry. At Prologis Park Hams Hall, three buildings are currently
Contributing £127 billion Gross Added Value, the logistics sector is vital to keeping the country’s economy moving. SOCOTEC’s Environment & Safety division is proud to serve a number of key clients within this industry, helping to keep the country stocked up on the services and resources it needs to function.
Building specifiers and contractors are advised to put healthy design principles first when adapting existing structures according to REHAU, following cautions from the Climate Change Committee (CCC) about overheating buildings. The CCC’s latest analysis of the Government’s heat and Building Strategy has noted that current overheating policy is only applicable
CPI EuroMix is delighted to announce the appointment of Wendy McFarlane as its Financial Director. Wendy, who began her role on March 1st, said the dry mortar specialists’ reputation was a deciding factor in her taking up an ‘exciting’ opportunity within the company. She said: “The company’s values and their
The first CGIs of the residential development Lockside Wharf in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter have been released. Property investment company Joseph Mews, which is working with London-based property development company Consortia Developments to bring the properties to market, have released the images this month. Lockside Wharf, once called Scotland Works, is
The annual Renovation Nation Report by the consumer spending experts at money.co.uk has found the average UK homeowner has spent £1,473 on home renovations, furnishing and DIY projects in 2021. What part of the home have UK homeowners spent the most money on? After almost a year of being confined to our homes, it’s
City Plumbing has opened a new branch to support local tradespeople and homeowners of Winsford, Cheshire. The new Winsford branch, located at the UK’s first ‘green’ business park, the Road One Industrial Estate, will cater to plumbers, heating engineers, bathroom installers and electricians, as well as homeowners looking to create
Johnson Controls, the global leader for smart, healthy and sustainable buildings, is delighted to announce that it is the first national BAFE SP207 accredited evacuation alert specialist. The BAFE SP207 scheme, developed in conjunction with the fire safety industry and the Fire and Rescue Service, sets a vital industry standard
Bellway has completed the purchase of land from Homes England in Milton Keynes, where it will adopt new building technology for the first time in the UK, speeding up the build process with some homes built on a factory production line. Bellway will build 160 homes using Modern Methods of Construction on the 9.2-acre parcel of land at Tattenhoe Park. This will include 40 modular homes and 120 homes built using timber frame panels. The housebuilder was selected to develop the site at Tattenhoe Park as part of a Homes England pilot project to speed up the delivery of new homes. The build programme will be completed within two years of work starting. Paul Smits, Managing Director of Bellway Northern Home Counties, said: “Bellway is committed to exploring innovative ways of delivering new homes more quickly and more sustainably. Tattenhoe Park is therefore a key project for the company, and for the community in Milton Keynes. “Using Modern Methods of Construction will offer benefits beyond speeding up construction. The modular homes, which are built off-site, and the timber frame panels, which replace traditional breeze blocks, are produced in a controlled factory environment. This ensures consistent quality and removes any negative impact from weather conditions. “Both methods improve energy efficiency by creating a more airtight home, and timber is a more sustainable material than brick. The modern processes also reduce the amount of waste produced in the build process. “We have worked with Homes England and with our partners to ensure we can build these homes to the highest standards, for which Bellway is known as a HBF Five Star Builder. “The end result will be a new community which looks comparable with Bellway’s other developments in the area, while delivering these additional benefits to the customer, the community and the environment.” The project is one of a series being led by Homes England with the ambition of delivering 1,800 new homes across the country using a variety of modern construction methods. Bellway’s 160 homes will form phase four of the wider Tattenhoe Park development. Bellway will partner with ilke Homes to deliver the 40 modular homes. Stewart Milne Timber Systems will supply the timber frame panels for the remaining 120 homes. The homes at Bellway’s Tattenhoe Park development will be a range of one and two-bedroom apartments, one and two-bedroom maisonettes and two to four-bedroom houses. The 48 affordable homes will be divided between rental and shared ownership, and there will be a selection of wheelchair accessible properties. Bellway secured planning consent for the development at the end of 2021 and expects to start work on site by the summer. Bellway’s Northern Home Counties division is based in Milton Keynes. The division is already building homes at Wavendon View and Wavendon Chase on the outskirts of Wavendon, and is set to launch a new development at Whitehouse Park in Milton Keynes later this year. For more information on homes at Tattenhoe Park see https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/northern-home-counties/tattenhoe-park.
One way of enabling people to live cleaner, greener lives is by making sure the buildings in which people live and work are more eco-friendly so that the very environments in which we survive and thrive are helping us towards a more sustainable future. With this in mind, and using data from BREEAM, Distrelec found out which towns and cities are taking the time to invest in eco-friendly infrastructure and the countries that are taking the environmental impacts of their buildings most seriously. Countries with the Most Eco-Friendly Buildings With so many English places ranking so highly among towns and cities in the full study, you’d think the UK would easily top the list of countries with the most eco-friendly buildings under BREEAMS ratings, but whilst it scores impressively overall, with 91.53% of those buildings falling into the top band, it only sneaks into the top four as the Czech Republic managed to strike back to claim top spot with 93.15% of its rated buildings coming into that superior classification. Perhaps more shockingly, when taking a national overview, 0.40% of the UK’s buildings that undertook the BREEAM assessment came out as unclassified. Towns & Cities with the Most Eco-Friendly Buildings Of the many global cities and towns that data was gathered from, Coventry in Central England came out on top with a whopping 98.31% of the buildings certified by BREEAM falling into the Outstanding/Excellent/Very Good category with a further 1.69% coming in as Good. A former industrial powerhouse, Coventry was heavily damaged during the Second World War and has seen major investment and restructuring in the post-war years, becoming a noted University city, which may go some way to explain how it scores quite so highly. Polish city Krakow is not far off with an impressive 97.65% of its buildings rated by BREEAM coming into that top category and another 1.18% rated as Good. Interestingly, of the remaining top 10, eight are English towns and cities with Czech capital Prague rounding out the list with an impressive 96.27% of its ranked buildings falling into that top band. Hope you enjoyed the story! If you do decide to write, Original data source: https://knowhow.distrelec.com/energy-and-power/europes-most-eco-friendly-buildings/
Work on four new speculatively built units is underway at two major West Midlands logistics parks as Prologis, the leading developer of industrial property in the UK, expands its portfolio at Prologis Park Hams Hall and Prologis Park Ryton, near Coventry. At Prologis Park Hams Hall, three buildings are currently under construction with steelwork and cladding currently being put in place. The three units – DC2 (259,510 sq. ft.), DC3 (131,780 sq. ft.), and DC4 (85,685 sq. ft.) – are set for completion in summer 2022. At Prologis Park Ryton, work is underway on a 330,770 sq. ft. unit, also due to be completed in summer 2022. With seven of its 22 logistics parks located in the West Midlands, these new developments further strengthen Prologis’ commitment to delivering logistics property in strategic locations for UK supply chains. Prologis Parks Ryton and Hams Hall are important locations in the Midlands, especially for the automotive industry and are already home to companies such as Jaguar Land Rover, LEVC and DHL. Both sites have quick access to the national motorway network, with Prologis Park Hams Hall also featuring an on-site intermodal rail freight terminal, which links to three seaports and the channel tunnel. Alongside playing their part in improving the flow of goods around the country, the four new units will also deliver social value through job creation and strengthening the local economy. Sustainability has been factored into the build process from the outset too, with all units being net zero in construction, and will be targeted BREEAM-rated ‘excellent’, and EPC A rated. Tom Price, capital deployment and leasing director at Prologis UK, said: “These four new units will provide vital extra capacity for the West Midlands logistics and warehousing market. We know that our customers and the wider business community recognise the value of the region to their supply chain operations, and we’re pleased to be providing facilities to help meet that demand. It’s exciting to see the new units take shape and we’re looking forward to their completion later this year.”
Contributing £127 billion Gross Added Value, the logistics sector is vital to keeping the country’s economy moving. SOCOTEC’s Environment & Safety division is proud to serve a number of key clients within this industry, helping to keep the country stocked up on the services and resources it needs to function. Each of these clients have heavily relied upon SOCOTEC to ensure that they can continue to deliver their services in a safe and compliant manner. Below, we take a look at some of the ways that SOCOTEC has supported the logistics sector and supply chain management, playing its part in keeping the country moving. Managing unoccupied depots SOCOTEC has been supporting a leading UK logistics company with its expansion plans, helping to ascertain and define compliance levels for some of its new hubs and depots. The client’s success has gone from strength to strength over the past two years, with the volume of parcels they deliver having doubled. Many of the buildings that the client has acquired as new hubs are small local depots that serve the final few miles of a parcel’s journey. This means that they are often left unoccupied for extended periods of time and may contain old, outdated water systems/run the risk of housing Legionella bacteria. In addition, many of these buildings will have been constructed before the nationwide asbestos ban in 1999, meaning that they are at risk of housing asbestos-containing materials (ACMs). To reduce the level of risk posed by Legionella and asbestos within these depots, SOCOTEC has been undertaking asbestos surveys and Legionella risk assessments on behalf of the client, ensuring that the premises they use to store their parcels remain safe and compliant for employees to use. Monitoring health and safety risks Thanks to the high quality, professional level of service provided by SOCOTEC’s Environment & Safety division, many of the organisation’s business units have maintained a longstanding relationship with a global logistics service provider since 2015. Given the fast-paced, rapidly changing working environment that the client operates within, it is critical that their employees are able to handle and manage the high volume of deliveries being processed every day and that health and safety risks are kept to a minimum. SOCOTEC has successfully delivered a range of services for this particular client, ensuring that the health and safety risks of their working environments are constantly monitored, with any areas for improvement recommended and implemented where necessary. As a result of this continued success, SOCOTEC has gone on to provide additional services on behalf of the client, having recently signed a three-year contract that comprises: Occupational hygiene Environmental monitoring Legionella management Fire risk assessments Health and safety/training Asbestos surveys. Since the beginning of 2021, SOCOTEC has also gone on to provide the following services: Legionella risk assessments and monitoring Legionella training to City & Guilds accredited standard Monitoring, sampling and inspections Noise monitoring to the Control of Noise at Work Regulation 2005 Fire risk assessments to Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Offering cost-saving benefits Finally, SOCOTEC works with a multinational e-commerce organisation to provide risk assessments for fire safety and water hygiene across their warehouses, helping to determine the safety risks posed by fire and Legionella bacteria. Our team of health and safety consultants can carry out both of these risk assessments at the same time, which is beneficial from a cost-saving and environmental perspective for both SOCOTEC and the client. While out on site delivering these services, SOCOTEC has also been able to advise as to how fire safety has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, such as when fire doors have been held open to help reduce viral transmission. Furthermore, SOCOTEC has provided additional advice on the implementation and use of electric vehicles for this client – a service which is particularly useful given that there is currently little guidance on the commercial usage of EV delivery vehicles. Ensuring health and safety compliance in the transport and logistics sector Health and safety is an important factor to consider within the logistics sector, as there are many risks that can impact the industry as a whole. Indeed, common injuries in the logistics, haulage and distribution industries are caused by lorries in the workplace, falls from vehicles and poor load security. To remain compliant with health and safety legislation and guidance, employers must ensure that their staff have received adequate training. They should also be made aware of the correct manual handling procedures, as this will ensure that workers are well equipped with the knowledge required to carry out their work safely. Furthermore, in order to ensure the safety of logistics operations and the handling of materials, there should always be an efficient monitoring of all sites, routes, vehicles and staffs through technologies such as security escorts and CCTV cameras. Tracking applications for products and vehicles should also be implemented, such as bar coding, GPS and telematics. Could your organisation benefit from SOCOTEC’s Environment & Safety services?Contact us.
Building specifiers and contractors are advised to put healthy design principles first when adapting existing structures according to REHAU, following cautions from the Climate Change Committee (CCC) about overheating buildings. The CCC’s latest analysis of the Government’s heat and Building Strategy has noted that current overheating policy is only applicable to new buildings, and does not take existing structures into account. With this in mind, polymer supplier REHAU is highlighting concerns around sustainability and occupant wellbeing currently affecting the construction industry. This warning follows findings demonstrated in the company’s ‘Designing Healthy’ series of guides, in which 500 respondents in M&E and architectural roles, are surveyed on pressing issues. In ‘Designing Healthy Apartments,’ for example, 97% of respondents said leaving high-quality buildings for future generations was a medium-to-high priority, yet 44% believed well-being is ‘value-engineered’ out of building design during a project. Steve Richmond, Head of Marketing and Technical for REHAU Building Solutions comments: “The CCC’s latest analysis puts a concern in the spotlight that we’ve been highlighting for years – overheating in our existing building stock. As climate change continues, we suggest this issue needs to be addressed in comprehensive fashion. “One key way of doing this is to adopt healthy design practices. For example, making improvements to current structures to become more energy efficient may not be enough, as this in turn raises the chances of excessive indoor temperatures during warmer months. Instead, good planning, design and construction from the offset is essential to avoid this, yet as our own surveys suggest, these priorities are often overlooked in favour of cost as a project progresses.” Providing buildings that are warm in winter yet avoid overheating issues that can lead to health hazards in the summer is a key issue highlighted in REHAU’s Design Healthy series. Long-lasting M&E solutions are identified as a possible solution to this, with almost 70% of survey respondents in the company’s ‘Designing Healthy Schools and Universities’ report saying that the lifespan of the components needs to increase. Steve concludes: “The issues raised in the CCC’s latest analysis echo what we have seen when we have taken soundings across the industry. Though we are huge advocates of improving the energy efficiency of the nation’s existing building stock, this must be done in a considerate way that avoids overheating. M&E solutions must sit at industry’s response to this pressing and ever-growing concern.” To find out more about REHAU’s ‘Designing Healthy’ series, visit: www.rehau.uk/designinghealthy
CPI EuroMix is delighted to announce the appointment of Wendy McFarlane as its Financial Director. Wendy, who began her role on March 1st, said the dry mortar specialists’ reputation was a deciding factor in her taking up an ‘exciting’ opportunity within the company. She said: “The company’s values and their ambition made a real impact on me. I was already aware of CPI’s brand success, so I’m delighted to have joined such a forward-thinking team.” Wendy has the skills and experience to make a success of her new position. She completed an Accounting & Finance degree before training as a Chartered Accountant at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Prior to joining CPI, Wendy spent 10 years at food manufacturer Devro PLC where she progressed to Global Supply Chain Finance Business Partner. CPI EuroMix is a market leader in the production of dry mix mortars, which are available in a range of colours and finishes to meet the complex demands of specifiers and users. Wendy, who will be based at CPI’s site in Bellshill, North Lanarkshire, said she was looking forward to playing a part in the company’s future success. “CPI is led by a fantastic management group and has a strong finance team in place,” she said. “I’m excited to work with and support the team whilst considering how we can bring further added- value services to the business.”
The first CGIs of the residential development Lockside Wharf in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter have been released. Property investment company Joseph Mews, which is working with London-based property development company Consortia Developments to bring the properties to market, have released the images this month. Lockside Wharf, once called Scotland Works, is currently under development and will be a careful restoration of a historic Birmingham landmark situated along the city’s canal system. The canal-side development, based on Scotland Street, was formerly offices and is a historic Victorian building, recognised as a hub of manufacturing in Birmingham since 1897. Work has already begun to convert the site into 61 one, two and three-bedroom apartments, split across the restored old building and a brand-new building on the adjacent empty site. There will also be roof extensions, creating four penthouse-style apartments at the top of the development. While one half of Lockside Wharf will be a complete restoration of the original structure, the other will be a newly developed structure on the neighbouring brownfield site. The newly released images by Joseph Mews showcase what the inside of some of the apartments will look like, featuring designer Poggenpohl kitchens, quartz worktops and designer interior styling, as well as wine fridges and balconies. The Joseph Mews Property Group, which officially launched at the start of the year, and was set up by former SevenCapital sales director Andy Foote, is proud to be helping Consortia Developments bring this product to market. Andy said: “Throughout the development it will keep its ‘reclaimed aesthetic’ with exposed brickwork and steel sitting alongside Karndean flooring, state-of-the-art appliances and clean lines. “It’s expected that Lockside Wharf will be a unique proposition for buy-to-let investors interested in Birmingham. The wider development is designed to appeal to the professional tenants flocking to Birmingham in search of work at some of the biggest companies in the city. We are looking forward to bringing these homes to the market, alongside Consortia Developments,” he said. Lockside Wharf is expected to complete in the second quarter of next year. For more details about Joseph Mews email Sales@Joseph-Mews.com or visit www.joseph-mews.com.
The annual Renovation Nation Report by the consumer spending experts at money.co.uk has found the average UK homeowner has spent £1,473 on home renovations, furnishing and DIY projects in 2021. What part of the home have UK homeowners spent the most money on? After almost a year of being confined to our homes, it’s perhaps unsurprising that one in five (20%) of UK homeowners have spent the majority of their home improvement money on their garden. Area of the home UK homeowners have spent the most money on Percentage Garden 20% Living room 17% Bedroom 14% Kitchen 14% Bathroom 9% Dining Room 3% Study/office 3% Roof 3% Conservatory 2% Garage/garage conversion 2% Loft/attic 2% Balcony 1% Basement 1% Annexe 1% Our love of gardening has blossomed during and following the pandemic. When asked what home projects they’d invest in if money were no object, a third (32%) of respondents said a garden summer house or work studio and almost a fifth (18%) said a greenhouse or vegetable patch. This green-fingered trend could be seen across the age groups, with the exception of Gen Z who claimed their kitchen was the room they’d spent the most on in 2021, and a home gym would be the top priority if money were no object. Which area of the home would Brits invest in if money were no object? If money was no object, which home projects would you consider investing in, as a direct result of the pandemic, if any? Area of the home Percentage of respondents Garden summer house/work studio 31.62% Greenhouse/vegetable patch 17.86% Indoor gym 17.21% Leisure room 15.76% Office 12.52% Outdoor/indoor pub or bar 12.07% More walls/rooms for more privacy 8.28% Other, please specify 8.18% Bike storage 7.28% Classroom 3.39% Top home furnishing purchases in 2021 Furniture / Home Accessory Percentage of respondents Lamps/Lighting 41% Cushions 40% Curtains/Blinds 39% Mattress 30% Artwork 29% Sofa/Armchair 28% Bookcases/shelving 28% Bed 28% Vases 27% Clocks 26% Storage cabinet 26% Office chair 24% Top 5 retailers to purchase furniture in 2021 Retailer Percentage of respondents Ikea 27.03% Dunelm 27.03% Next 17.13% The Range 17.13% John Lewis 16.47% How have UK homeowners funded their renovations projects? The majority of UK homeowners have used some form of savings as a way of funding their home improvements, with 20% using money originally intended for holidays. Seven percent of UK homeowners have used funds originally intended to purchase a car, and 5% using cash originally intended for an engagement ring. Why are UK homeowners investing in their properties? While over half of UK homeowners may have cited the pandemic playing a significant role in their decision to dabble with DIY, money.co.uk were also interested in finding out the reason why so many of us are spending time and money on our homes in 2021. Over a quarter (27%) of those asked said that spending less money on going out had given them more money to spend on their homes and over a fifth (22%) cited wanting to increase the value of their home.
City Plumbing has opened a new branch to support local tradespeople and homeowners of Winsford, Cheshire. The new Winsford branch, located at the UK’s first ‘green’ business park, the Road One Industrial Estate, will cater to plumbers, heating engineers, bathroom installers and electricians, as well as homeowners looking to create bespoke bathrooms. Opening today (21st March), plumbing and heating engineers can use the branch to browse through the 20,000 spare parts available from all of the leading manufacturers, receive advice and business support from colleagues who have years of trade experience, and visit the Bathroom Showroom to view its wide range of bathrooms. Throughout its first month, the branch will host Trade Mornings where tradespeople can explore new products and speak with specialists from a wide range of industry suppliers. Electricians will also be able to source essential products from the electrical trade counter which is stocked with over 2,000 electrical products as well as receive advice from experts. Additionally, the branch will be host to The Bathroom Showroom, which offers complimentary 3D design planning, virtual appointments, and tile sampling to help bathroom installers and homeowners create bespoke bathrooms with the exact finish they desire. Paul Glover, Branch Manager of the Winsford branch said, “With experienced staff on hand to offer expert advice and support across heating, plumbing, bathrooms and electrical, we are delighted to be able to offer a one-stop-shop for local tradespeople in and around Winsford. The Bathroom Showroom on site will also help local homeowners create their ideal bathrooms.” The Winsford Branch is located at Unit 3 Artis Park, Road One, Winsford Industrial Park, CW7 3QE To learn more about City Plumbing please visit www.cityplumbing.co.uk
Johnson Controls, the global leader for smart, healthy and sustainable buildings, is delighted to announce that it is the first national BAFE SP207 accredited evacuation alert specialist. The BAFE SP207 scheme, developed in conjunction with the fire safety industry and the Fire and Rescue Service, sets a vital industry standard for the design, installation, commissioning, and maintenance of evacuation alert systems. Organisations that meet the scheme’s stringent criteria become third party certificated and BAFE Registered, giving customers peace of mind that they can entrust them with their fire safety systems. The scheme was developed as a result of new consultations into high rise buildings, which demonstrate the necessity of providing safe and compliant evac-alert systems in times of emergency. The accreditation is a testament to Johnson Controls’ expertise in delivering high performance, fully accredited evac-alert systems, and provides reassurance to customers that it operates in full accordance with industry best practice at the highest level. From detection through to suppression, the team of specialised fire safety experts are on hand to ensure that high-rise buildings have the right tools in place to protect occupants and meet Johnson Controls’ exacting standards. “It is an honour to be the first national BAFE SP207 accredited evacuation alert specialist, and our fully qualified engineers are already working on some exciting new install projects. This accreditation solidifies our position as a trusted fire safety partner for our clients and marks a vital step in the industry to ensure that buildings are safe for all. Fire safety systems are the one piece of equipment you hope you never have to use, but ensuring that yours is compliant, and meets new standards like BAFE SP207, can really save lives,” commented Adam Norris, Sales Director for Fire & Security within Johnson Controls. Johnson Controls provides the world’s most comprehensive range of fully BSI-compliant evacuation alert systems, with all products meeting BS8629:2019 industry standards. Installation is carried out by fully qualified BAFE SP207 engineers that specialise in high-rise buildings, to ensure that all systems are secure and fit for purpose. Meeting the strict criteria required to secure this accreditation cements Johnson Controls as a trusted expert in fire safety and gives customers confidence in the competence of their building’s emergency systems.
