Construction has started at a £9 million speculative warehouse development in the West Midlands, leading commercial property developer Barberry Industrial announced today. Main contractor A&H Construction has started work on a 3.5-acre site at Well Lane, Wolverhampton, where Barberry will deliver a 55,575 sq ft unit. Barberry acquired the site
Award-winning student Madeleine Clarke is part of a rising number of women pursuing a construction career at Coventry University and is hoping her achievement will inspire more young girls to consider a career in the industry. Third year Architectural Technology BSc student Madeleine won the West Midlands’ crown at The
ISG has acquired a majority shareholding in ESS Group – the modern methods of construction (MMC) specialist headquartered in Dublin and Manchester. The investment underpins ESS Group’s ambitious growth strategy, and further enhances ISG’s leadership role transforming the construction industry through smart innovation and pioneering delivery approaches and methodologies. Founded
Esri UK today announced the winners of a competition to find local planning authorities with innovative ideas, for how best to use geospatial technology to help modernise the planning process. Attracting almost 50 entries, the three winning councils were Nottingham City, Dacorum Borough Council and South Ayrshire who will work
Panattoni, the largest industrial real estate developer in Europe, is planning to develop one of the largest speculative logistics facilities in South Yorkshire. The development, called Panattoni Doncaster 420, will be a 417,570 sq ft facility at GatewayEast, Doncaster Sheffield Airport. Panattoni has acquired the 18.4-acre site, which has outline
The City of Edinburgh Council has appointed Will Rudd Davidson as consultant civil and structural engineers to oversee two housing projects in the capital and a survey of the condition of high rise homes in the city. The firm’s Edinburgh division will begin working on the design of new affordable
Managing a business, whatever the scale or size, requires dedication, time, and money. Most of the time, you need to create effective strategies and methods to keep your head above water and stay ahead of the competition. No matter your short or long-term goals, you want your business to be
BDC 319 : Aug 2024
Construction has started at a £9 million speculative warehouse development in the West Midlands, leading commercial property developer Barberry Industrial announced today. Main contractor A&H Construction has started work on a 3.5-acre site at Well Lane, Wolverhampton, where Barberry will deliver a 55,575 sq ft unit. Barberry acquired the site from ASSA ABLOY for an undisclosed sum. Called Barberry 55, the development will be a highly specified Grade A building with 10-metre clear height eaves, 2,965 sq ft of internal offices, 45 car parking spaces and 50-metre yard depth, with dock and level access loading provision. It is expected to reach practical completion in Q3, 2022. It demonstrates Barberry’s continued investment in the region and will create significant job opportunities while helping to address the shortage of new industrial accommodation in the West Midlands. Jon Robinson, development director at West Midlands-based Barberry, said: “This start on site marks another great occasion in our quest to deliver another one of our market leading speculative developments comprising a new, Grade A industrial and logistics hub in Wolverhampton. “We believe our new building will create the much needed quality accommodation for local, regional and national businesses to expand their operations within the Midlands creating much needed new jobs. We have seen significant occupier demand for new industrial and warehouse units of this size and specification, and we expect there to be a great deal of interest in Barberry 55. “It perfectly complements the many other projects we have delivered within the region where we have delivered best in class, Grade A buildings. Our latest investment is expected to generate around 120 jobs, making a significant contribution to the local economy.” Kieren Turner-Owen, associate director property at Frontier Development Capital, said: “Demand for high quality industrial and logistics space continues to grow in the West Midlands. Barberry 55 will help address the shortage of Grade A industrial accommodation. We are delighted to be working with Barberry on another scheme that unlocks unused brownfield land and helps deliver economic growth to the region.” Robert Mottram, director, of A&H Construction, said: “We are delighted to have secured this construction tender and are very much looking forward to working with Barberry in delivering this project within the heart of Wolverhampton.” The site is situated in a prime urban location just four miles from J10 of the M6 via the A454, within 3.4 miles from J1 of the M54. It also benefits from its close proximity to links to the M6 Toll, M5, and M42. It is adjacent to the Sainsbury’s supermarket in Wednesfield Way, with Bentley Bridge Retail Park nearby hosting a number of market leading shops and restaurants. Other major occupiers nearby include Supersmart Services, Crown Workspace, Yodel, Euro Car Parts, Travis Perkins, Mercedes, Tool Station and Tata Steel. Jaguar Land Rover has an engine factory within five miles at i54. Barberry has a 3.6 million sq ft industrial/logistics development portfolio with a Gross Development Value of in excess of £500 million. It is developing a £40 million state-of-the-art manufacturing and design facility for a global leader in engine and flight controls systems in Gloucestershire. The 207,000 sq ft centre of excellence for Moog’s Aircraft Controls Segment is being built on a 10-acre site at Ashchurch, Tewkesbury. The company has also commenced speculative construction of three high quality mid-box manufacturing/logistics units totaling 222,750 sq ft at a prime West Midlands business park in a £37 million project. Barberry’s development includes industrial/logistics units of 47,750 sq ft, 62,000 sq ft and 113,000 sq ft at Wolf Pack, Hilton Cross Business Park, just off junction 1 of the M54, Wolverhampton.
Award-winning student Madeleine Clarke is part of a rising number of women pursuing a construction career at Coventry University and is hoping her achievement will inspire more young girls to consider a career in the industry. Third year Architectural Technology BSc student Madeleine won the West Midlands’ crown at The Association of Women in Property 2021 Student of the Year Awards, an event that aims to increase and support the 15% of women who make up the construction and property workforce. Coventry University is helping to address that figure, with women making up a quarter of the students studying built environment courses at the university. Madeleine, who was 23 when she decided to pursue her dream, is keen to increase exposure of careers in construction to young women. She said: “The only careers that were pitched to me at school were nursing or teaching. I was only exposed to a career in architecture when I completed a career quiz online. When I go to these Women in Property events it is great because the room is filled with women in the industry. “I just want to encourage more women and girls to look into a career in property or construction because exposure is important, and I want to show people through this award that you can change your path and do something different.” Sabine Coady Schäbitz, Curriculum Lead for Built Environment at Coventry University, says the university wants to drive change in the industry. She said: “We are proud of Madeline and are actively encouraging women to enrol on our professional courses in the Built Environment. In the last five years the percentage of women studying with us rose from 17.3% to 26.4%. “We are working closely with industry and the professional bodies to further increase equality, diversity and inclusion in the creation and management of the Built Environment.” Find out how Coventry University can help you follow in Madeleine’s footsteps.
ISG has acquired a majority shareholding in ESS Group – the modern methods of construction (MMC) specialist headquartered in Dublin and Manchester. The investment underpins ESS Group’s ambitious growth strategy, and further enhances ISG’s leadership role transforming the construction industry through smart innovation and pioneering delivery approaches and methodologies. Founded in 1989, the ESS Group employs more than 280 staff based in four offices and three manufacturing facilities across the UK and Ireland. The Group, which includes the ESS Modular and Spatial Initiative brands, specialises in delivering MMC solutions for clients in the public sector, healthcare and commercial markets. The financial strength and backing of the ISG business will enable the independently operating ESS Group to support its ambitious growth plans across the UK and Ireland, with a core focus on generating increasing opportunity across current and target public sector frameworks. The acquisition brings additional MMC capability and expertise to the wider ISG business, while maintaining the firm’s agile and responsive approach to client-led demand for innovative construction solutions. Paul Tierney, CEO at ESS said: “The ISG investment is a pivotal moment for the ESS Group, giving us a solid financial platform for our continued growth plans. We passionately believe in a better way and have been working for the last 30 years to bring our high-quality offering to clients. We are looking forward to what we are sure will be an exciting time for the industry as we see MMC continue to transform customer outcomes and expectations in the drive towards a net zero future.” Matt Blowers, CEO of ISG, commented: “Greater integration and collaboration are two ways that our industry can accelerate its performance to meet the growing demand for net zero construction solutions. The ESS Group brings a wealth of expertise, talent and innovation into ISG and enables us to collectively fast-track our journey developing and implementing leading-edge built solutions that are rooted in operational performance and the highest sustainable and ethical outcomes.”
Esri UK today announced the winners of a competition to find local planning authorities with innovative ideas, for how best to use geospatial technology to help modernise the planning process. Attracting almost 50 entries, the three winning councils were Nottingham City, Dacorum Borough Council and South Ayrshire who will work with Esri UK to make their pilot projects a reality, receiving free consultancy and access to GIS (Geographic Information Systems) software from the company. The competition revealed several common planning challenges faced by local authorities, being addressed by the pilots, including the improvement of community engagement, how to maximise the use of 3D visualisations and how to manage developer contributions more efficiently. Esri UK is also creating a Customer Advisory Board to help grow best practice use of GIS within planning. “As the government looks to reform the planning system with an increased use of digital technologies, we wanted to find innovative solutions to planning challenges and collaborate with authorities to bring them to life,” explained Stephen Croney, Head of Sector for Land, Property and Planning, Esri UK. “By combining each council’s domain expertise with our team of geospatial experts, the pilot projects will explore new and efficient approaches to problems all designed to help make the planning process easier for everyone.” Nottingham City Council’s project will examine how geospatial technology can help increase the use of 3D visualisations within planning, both internally and with the public. Dacorum Borough Council’s pilot will be using GIS systems to better manage the use and communication of developer contributions secured through Planning Obligations, while South Ayrshire Council’s objective is to create an innovative community consultation platform, with interactive methods of engagement to improve community involvement in Local Development Plans. “Geospatial technologies can help shape the future of the planning process by delivering significant cost and time savings,” said Croney. “Spatial data provides the common language to join different data together and make it meaningful. Helping to understand the spatial nature of our environment so that we can better determine its future, means that more sustainable communities are created and helps with the Levelling Up agenda too.” The Customer Advisory Board will provide a forum for local planning authorities to discuss best practice and share common problems and goals. Croney continued: “It became clear that finding new ways of applying GIS in planning opened the minds of councils entering the competition as to what problems could be solved. The advisory board will help Planning teams learn from each other, make better use of their investment in GIS and shape the future of digital transformation within planning.” Geospatial technology and data have an important role to play in digital planning reform, as outlined in the Planning for the Future white paper, published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government in 2020. The use of mapping and associated analytical tools was also one of the recommendations in the report A Digital Future for Planning: Spatial Planning Reimagined, released in February 2022, by the Independent Digital Task Force for Planning. Selected from almost 50 entries, the winning applications are: Dacorum Borough Council Dacorum Borough Council wants to translate existing text and spreadsheets by using digital mapping to better manage and communicate infrastructure and developer contributions, secured through Planning Obligations. “The objective is to use digital mapping to help with not only the decision making around the planning of new infrastructure and make the whole process more transparent but also to support community engagement,” commented Councillor Alan Anderson, Portfolio Holder, Planning and Infrastructure at Dacorum Borough Council. “Our current system outputs are text and spreadsheet based – we believe that by providing this information in a spatial way it will provide a powerful asset which can be used by Council officers and others for planning, decision making and monitoring and also by the public to enhance understanding and engagement in infrastructure funding and planning.” Nottingham City Council Nottingham City Council’s proposition will explore how geospatial technology can help increase the use of 3D visualisations within the planning environment, internally and with the public. “If 3D assessments are conducted in a GIS environment, planning teams will be able to conduct an assessment of various constraints on a site, at the same time as a visual assessment of the impact of the site. This will enable better and quicker business decisions and greatly contribute to modernising the planning processes as per the Government White Paper,” explained Mick Dunn, GIS Service Manager, Nottingham City Council. “GIS will bring other capabilities to the process too, from in-depth flooding analysis to view analysis, which we would like to be able to share easily with interested parties. We feel this could be pushed even further, perhaps being able to provide VR (virtual reality) consultation on sites.” South Ayrshire Council South Ayrshire Council’s project will examine how an innovative community consultation platform with interactive methods of engagement can help further improve community involvement in Local Development Plans – the Proposed South Ayrshire LDP2 in the first instance. “The objective is to create a space to keep our community engaged and informed to strengthen our relationship with our stakeholders, in order to reach better planning outcomes,” said Gordon Wilson, Planning Technician at South Ayrshire Council. “Effective public engagement can lead to better plans, better decisions and more satisfactory outcomes and it can help to avoid delays in the planning process too. Our vision is to build on the work already done by South Ayrshire in creating its LDP2, developing new apps and information to create a Local Plan community engagement and consultation Hub, which will be more accessible, as the majority of people are now online.”
Panattoni, the largest industrial real estate developer in Europe, is planning to develop one of the largest speculative logistics facilities in South Yorkshire. The development, called Panattoni Doncaster 420, will be a 417,570 sq ft facility at GatewayEast, Doncaster Sheffield Airport. Panattoni has acquired the 18.4-acre site, which has outline planning consent, from Peel Land and Property. “This well-located site with direct access to local, regional and global markets is a superb addition to our speculative development programme. South Yorkshire is rapidly forging a reputation as one of the UK’s prime distribution locations. Record take up across Yorkshire in 2021 has resulted in the supply of units over 100,000 sq ft dipping to the lowest level ever seen,” said Dan Burn, Development Director at Panattoni. Panattoni Doncaster 420 benefits from superb multi-modal links, located within six minutes of rail facilities at iPort, while the seaports of Immingham and Hull are both approximately 50 miles from the site. It also provides last-mile access to the major conurbations of Yorkshire and Humberside and the major consumer and manufacturing centres of the North East, North West and East Midlands, plus central London, all fall within 4.5 hours by HGV. Panattoni expects to start construction later this year with the intention of delivering the facility in Summer 2023. Panattoni Doncaster 420 is targeting BREEAM ‘Excellent’ and EPC ‘A’ ratings. Occupiers will also benefit from a range of standard sustainability features and green build options. The development is part of Panattoni commitment to a significant speculative development programme in the UK in 2022 in response to strong demand from occupiers for immediately available space. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Home of Construction Industry News
The City of Edinburgh Council has appointed Will Rudd Davidson as consultant civil and structural engineers to oversee two housing projects in the capital and a survey of the condition of high rise homes in the city. The firm’s Edinburgh division will begin working on the design of new affordable homes at Leith Walk that will close a gap site to be vacated by an Edinburgh Tram’s construction team; and Powderhall former Waste Transfer Station, an ambitious project in Broughton neighbourhood of Edinburgh seeking planning permission to create around 220 new private and affordable homes. This will complement the new intergenerational facility and refurbished stables building that will also be delivered on the site by the Council, supported by its partners. Engineers at Will Rudd will have the opportunity to work on complex structural projects with Leith Walk being bounded to the front by listed buildings, the tram line and Powderhall, a brownfield redevelopment site, sitting adjacent to the Water of Leith and existing residential flats. The team at Will Rudd is also exploring how to make best use of low carbon technologies on the sites such as green roofs and PV panels. “All of the Will Rudd Davidson team are looking forward to supporting the delivery of these exciting projects and we will be taking a leading role in the design and development of the civil and structural aspects,” said Gillian Ogilvie, managing director, Will Rudd Davidson Edinburgh. “We will be working closely with the design and delivery team to develop the sites in conjunction with the brief. These projects present exciting challenges to our engineers, especially in the form of drainage infrastructure, flood risk and delivering energy efficient structures. It is always a pleasure for us to work on projects that deliver new and sustainably built homes in the capital and we look forward to working with the City of Edinburgh Council over the coming months.” As part of a drive by the City of Edinburgh Council to make all council homes carbon zero, Will Rudd Davidson has also been appointed to oversee all structural engineering elements of the investigation into the condition of 36 multi-storey blocks by the project management team at Faithful and Gould. A report to the council’s finance and resources committee references Will Rudd’s recent accomplishment of a similar project at Westfield Court in Gorgie which was ‘delivered to a high quality, on time and within budget’. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Home of Construction Industry News
Managing a business, whatever the scale or size, requires dedication, time, and money. Most of the time, you need to create effective strategies and methods to keep your head above water and stay ahead of the competition. No matter your short or long-term goals, you want your business to be successful at all costs. As most entrepreneurs are aware, a business may face a lot of risks. In some cases, risks are hard to avoid; some are unprecedented or simply unanticipated. To prevent your business from getting hurt, it’s a sound investment to have commercial insurance coverage. This gives you peace of mind that doesn’t equate to any monetary value. If you’re still on the fence about whether to opt for commercial insurance or not, check out more reasons below why they’re needed for your operations: Legally Required Depending On Your State Most states require businesses of all sizes to have insurance coverage. If you don’t carry the necessary coverage, you may be subject to fines and penalties. And besides, it could cost your business a lot more than the sum total of your insurance premiums if something unexpected happens, like an accident or a catastrophe. On the other hand, even if you live in a state that doesn’t require it, it’s still best to get commercial insurance to avoid unnecessary expenses later on. This coverage can help you if a customer decides to sue you due to dissatisfaction or unsettled conflict. Some insurance policies also cover fire incidents to help cover the cost of damage to property. The insurance industry evolves with time, so you can access the best coverage for your needs. Helps Your Business Run Smoothly An accident or disaster can happen anytime. If and when it does happen, your business may lose a hefty sum of money if it doesn’t have insurance coverage. Business owners can use insurance to protect themselves against loss of income when faced with a major disaster. Your business won’t be bankrupt since you’ll continue to have funds to restart operations. As a result, it’ll help you run your business smoothly even after a fire or disaster. Depending on your policy, your insurance may cover your operational costs like rent and utilities. You’re definitely getting more of your money’s worth considering the monthly insurance premium you’re paying. Protects Your Employees One of the most critical priorities for small business owners is employee satisfaction. Having liability insurance for your employees is a wise decision. Additionally, they’ll feel more secure and protected in case something unexpected happens, like a job-related injury or illness. Also, this helps to attract high-quality candidates and prospects. 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Protects Your Business From Disaster Or Theft A business without insurance may not be able to afford repairs or replacements in the aftermath of a natural disaster. But with adequate insurance coverage, your business will be able to recover faster from losses due to a catastrophe or theft. Therefore, small companies without the capital to completely replace damaged or destroyed assets should consider getting insurance. Improves Your Brand Credibility Many businesses go for commercial insurance to improve their brand credibility, and it’s enough reason. After all, so many new companies are sprouting here and there, finding it easy to stay ahead of you. Therefore, you must act smart in establishing your company’s credibility. Fortunately, commercial insurance can do that. You can show prospective customers and clients that you’re a trustworthy business by having insurance. The work you do for them comes with a compensation plan if something goes wrong. Many customers would want to go for a licensed and insured business, and if that’s what you offer, you’ll be assured that you can continue your business for a long time. Helps With Lawsuits In the event of a lawsuit, you could quickly lose your business if you don’t have liability insurance. In addition, even if you win the case, you’ll still have to pay costly legal fees. Commercial insurance can help you in such a messy situation. Whether you’re being sued by an ex-employee or by a client, lawsuits can be expensive, and it’ll all come directly from your company’s account. Your business might not have enough funds to deal with a lawsuit, so it’s better to think ahead and plan for this possibility. Effective Backup Plan A successful business should always be prepared with a contingency plan. Having insurance is your plan B when you can’t operate and generate revenues due to accidents or disasters. You can also choose optional coverage to guarantee that payroll will be met during a specific period. Insurance can help cover lost income and day-to-day operating expenses. Your insurance provider can compensate for the interruptions. Since disasters happen more and more, it’s best to include insurance in your business continuity plan. Nobody knows what the future brings, so it always pays to be ready for anything. So, be prepared for disasters, accidents, or even theft by getting commercial insurance. Conclusion Business insurance allows small business owners to focus on what they do best without worrying about issues that may arise. Nothing beats the feeling of security and having peace of mind when things go wrong. Commercial insurance coverage will allow you to get back on your feet after your
