IN THE WAKE of news that a quarter of the £36bn the government will save by scrapping the Manchester HS2 line will help remedy the UK’s ‘plague of potholes’, steps must now be taken to provide a maintenance roadmap to ensure funding is not wasted. Dave Sanders, head of technical sales at civil
Boroughs in the capital will need to make over £500m of savings next year to balance their budgets, new analysis from London Councils reveals. Based on its latest survey of council finances, the cross-party group warns that nine in ten London boroughs expect to overspend on their budgets this year
Work is complete on a stunning and luxurious new care home in Sleaford that offers 67-bedrooms alongside first-class amenities, with the first residents now moving into their new homes. Sleaford Manor is the latest development in Brough headquartered Yorkare’s portfolio of care homes which are located throughout Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.
Jewson Partnership Solutions (JPS) has launched its second AVAIL Housing Hub, with the aim of helping housing providers in Leeds to navigate the demands and challenges of supplying safe and quality social housing to local residents. Following the successful launch of its first AVAIL Housing Hub in Newcastle earlier this
Britain’s Strategic Road Network (SRN) has been the backbone of the nation’s connectivity for decades. But as demands on our roads evolve, so does our commitment to updating and enhancing them. A collaboration between Costain, WSP, Flannery, and Forkers, the Smart Motorway Programme (SMP) Alliances’ recent M6 project is a
Keepmoat is set to develop more than 600 new homes in Nottingham following the successful acquisition of a parcel of land on Thane Road. The land sits within the brownfield land within the 286-acre Boots site, which is part of the Nottingham Enterprise Zone. The large-scale regeneration project will see
Kier Construction and partners have hosted a topping out ceremony to mark the completion of the TIDE Bankside’s developments main structure. Kier was joined by Barings and LBS Properties for the event at the Park Street, Southwark to mark the occasion. Designed by award winning architects Squire & Partners, TIDE
Nationwide refurbishment contractor, Fortis Vision, has welcomed seven new team members into brand new positions as part of its national growth strategy. Tom Lewis – a new quantity surveyor, Tracy Lamont – a new project coordinator and Sam Wise – a new HR manager have joined the business this spring.
IN THE WAKE of news that a quarter of the £36bn the government will save by scrapping the Manchester HS2 line will help remedy the UK’s ‘plague of potholes’, steps must now be taken to provide a maintenance roadmap to ensure funding is not wasted. Dave Sanders, head of technical sales at civil engineering products specialists Wrekin Products, is urging for more support and guidance to accompany the increased funding allocation – revealed to be £8.3billion in a government report. He believes more money alone won’t necessarily mean a pothole-free Britain. Dave said: “Unless there is a real push for long term pothole repair solutions instead of quick fixes, then we will not be able to solve the pothole crisis – no matter how much budget is allocated. We’re seeing a growing number of local authorities unhappy with the approach of patch repairing already subpar pothole repair works, but this is happening far too often.” He believes that with more guidance surrounding how potholes are formed and the innovative solutions available will allow more local authorities to address the root causes properly. Dave continued: “Other underlying causes of potholes include road ironwork failures and this needs to be addressed. Potholes will form when weaknesses exist in the road surface, potentially from surfacing joints, remedial works, or the use of poor-quality materials. Fitting a piece of ironwork in a road can create a potential weakness, as well as the cuts in the road needed to remove ironwork. Replacement or repair of ironwork also poses an increased risk. “Selecting robust systems with the correct, appropriate materials can reduce the potential for surface weakness. Durable ironwork that is sympathetic to its bedding materials and surrounding environment is key to preventing potholes.” To find out more about Wrekin’s pothole insights and read its recent industry report on the nationwide issue, visit: www.wrek.in/potholes Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Boroughs in the capital will need to make over £500m of savings next year to balance their budgets, new analysis from London Councils reveals. Based on its latest survey of council finances, the cross-party group warns that nine in ten London boroughs expect to overspend on their budgets this year – estimated at over £400m in total across the capital [1]. London Councils says boroughs face a perfect storm of prolonged high inflation, fast-increasing demand for services, and insufficient government funding – leading to a growing risk of financial and service failures. Pressures on adult and children’s social care, as well as the capital’s worsening homelessness crisis, are the biggest drivers of boroughs’ overspends. London Councils estimates that almost 170,000 Londoners – equivalent to one in 50 residents of the capital – are currently homeless and living in temporary accommodation arranged by their local authority. Boroughs expect to overspend on temporary accommodation by £90m this year. Ahead of the government’s Autumn Statement in November, where the Chancellor will set out his future spending plans, boroughs are calling for urgent action to boost support for local services and stabilise council finances. London Councils has launched its key priorities for the Autumn Statement, which include: Cllr Claire Holland, Acting Chair of London Councils, said: “Borough finances are on a knife edge – with grim implications for the future of local services in the capital. “The combination of higher costs due to spiralling inflation, skyrocketing demand for services, and insufficient levels of government funding leaves boroughs in an extremely precarious position. The pressure is relentless – we face a £400m shortfall this year, which rises to £500m next year unless the government provides more support. “Councils play a vital role in their communities providing essential services and in tackling so many major challenges, such as addressing homelessness, unlocking economic growth, and making faster progress towards net zero. “The government must use the Autumn Statement to bolster council finances. This will be crucial for helping boroughs stabilise budgets and sustain London’s local services.” London boroughs’ resources remain almost a fifth (18%) lower than in 2010, despite there now being almost 800,000 more Londoners – broadly equivalent to a city the size of Leeds. This has been exacerbated by over £1bn in unfunded or underfunded new burdens over that period, such as the government transferring responsibility to local authorities for financing Council Tax Support and a host of other measures. London Councils also highlights a recent report from the independent Institute for Fiscal Studies think-tank that found London local government funding is 17% lower than its estimated relative need – by far the largest gap of any region in England. London Councils key priorities for Autumn Statement 2023 Download Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Work is complete on a stunning and luxurious new care home in Sleaford that offers 67-bedrooms alongside first-class amenities, with the first residents now moving into their new homes. Sleaford Manor is the latest development in Brough headquartered Yorkare’s portfolio of care homes which are located throughout Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. The £6 million development was built by Yorkshire and Lincolnshire construction firm, Hobson & Porter, and is the seventh project the company has completed for Yorkare since 2015. Located off London Road, Sleaford Manor’s spacious bedrooms are all fully furnished with their own en-suite bathrooms. Those on the ground floor have private patio areas and there are also premium suites, with their own lounge areas, which often appeal to couples or siblings. Facilities include an in-house bar, restaurant standard dining rooms, a full beauty salon and hairdressing room, a cinema, private dining rooms and outdoor terraces on each floor. The development is surrounded by landscaped gardens with private seating areas, as well as a bowling green and allotments. Nicola Anderson, marketing and community engagement manager, from Yorkare, said: “Sleaford Manor is our tenth care home, which is a major milestone for us, and it’s already proving very popular with people in and around Sleaford who are looking for a special place to start the next chapter of their lives. “We’re already welcoming our first residents to Sleaford Manor and would urge anyone who would like to find out more about the outstanding levels of care offered and the luxury facilities, to get in contact with us.” Mark Smee, director at Hobson & Porter, said: “We’re very pleased to complete work on this latest development for Yorkare, which follows a string of successful projects in Louth, Cottingham, Cleethorpes Beverley, Hessle and Hornsea. In addition, we’re currently working on another project for Yorkare at Haxby, which will complete next year. “Yorkare has established a strong reputation for pushing industry boundaries, when it comes to the design and luxury fit out of its homes. This translates into exceptional homes in prominent locations and Sleaford Manor, which is much more akin to an up-market hotel than a care home, offers a stunning living environment where residents will aspire to live.” Sleaford Manor sits in a prominent location next to a Co-op supermarket, a community centre, and a newly developed coffee shop. For more information about the development visit yorkarehomes.co.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Jewson Partnership Solutions (JPS) has launched its second AVAIL Housing Hub, with the aim of helping housing providers in Leeds to navigate the demands and challenges of supplying safe and quality social housing to local residents. Following the successful launch of its first AVAIL Housing Hub in Newcastle earlier this year, the one-stop-shop building and maintenance hub in Leeds will offer social housing providers all the benefits of JPS – including stock management technology, material supply, waste disposal and expert training – to tackle changing legislation, health and safety, rising costs, and decarbonisation regulations. A wealth of products for construction, maintenance and repairs will be made available to customers via the hub’s large external yard and warehouse. JPS will apply its automated replenishment technology to ensure levels of stock – which are specifically selected to support social landlords with their key challenges – are always maintained. A fleet of vehicles are available for delivery of products and materials to different sites and properties, either direct to operative or to AVAIL’s Smart Collection points located at convenient spots around the city. In coming months, the hub will include an on-site ‘drop and go’ waste offer, allowing users to save valuable time in the usual waste separation process, as well as a training academy, available to any AVAIL Housing Hub customer and their tenants, offering training on new product launches and construction processes. Courses will also be available for 16–24-year-olds looking to enter the job market, delivered in conjunction with charity YouthBuild. Social housing plays an important role in Leeds, with 54,000 council-owned dwellings in the city and a commitment in place to build 1,500 more by 2025 through the House Growth Programme. The hub is located in Seacroft, where 70 per cent of households are classed as living in deprivation – the fourth most deprived area in the city. JPS officially opened the doors to the Leeds hub at the end of September, at an event attended by a wealth of building materials suppliers, contractors and local housing associations. Scott Cooper, managing director of JPS, said: “From rising material costs and a shortage of labour, to environmental targets and a need to improve the comfort and energy efficiency of homes, housing associations are feeling more pressure than ever before to provide better housing for less while simultaneously raising the standards of their properties. “The roll-out of our AVAIL Housing Hubs is designed to make our customers’ lives easier in the face of these challenges, which we know are especially prevalent in Leeds. We want to offer social housing providers a way of working that will save them money, while also providing the guidance they need to select the products required to deliver the homes of the future. “The AVAIL Housing Hub model brings all of that under one roof, and enables us to act as a supply partner that can help them deliver on their objectives for the people who need it most.” The hub in Leeds is open now. For more information, visit https://www.jewsonpartnershipsolutions.com/avail. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Britain’s Strategic Road Network (SRN) has been the backbone of the nation’s connectivity for decades. But as demands on our roads evolve, so does our commitment to updating and enhancing them. A collaboration between Costain, WSP, Flannery, and Forkers, the Smart Motorway Programme (SMP) Alliances’ recent M6 project is a perfect example of this commitment. Spanning the M6 Junction 21a to 26, the 16km Smart Motorway project set out to augment capacity and enhance journey reliability on this integral artery of the UK’s highways. With triple the goods moved by road over rail and water combined and a third of all motor vehicle miles made on the SRN, projects like this have never been more pressing. On similar projects, the absence of data quality and efficient analysis has led to significant idle times, resulting in substantial fuel wastage and increased emissions. To maximise the efficiency of machinery during the construction phase, the SMP Alliance called on equipment data and telematics specialist MachineMax. Data-driven solutions MachineMax addressed these environmental and economic repercussions using its transformative telematics and data solution. The platform, focusing on crucial metrics, including: idle time, emissions, location, and fuel use, provided real-time data on equipment status, enabling immediate and actionable insights that lead to significant fuel savings and reduced emissions.Between the start of 2022 and July 2023, idling was successfully reduced from 56% to an impressive 19%. Furthermore, during the pilot phase, SMP Alliance managed to decrease fuel usage by 3500 litres per month, preventing 9236 kg of CO2 emissions. Tom Grahamslaw, Head of Connected Site for the SMP Alliance commented, “The MachineMax solution has created the insights we now need to understand and effectively manage plant across our projects, enabling us to drive a change in behaviours and deliver a step change in environmental performance.”Realising net-zero ambitions Construction teams on the project gained invaluable insights into equipment activity, idle periods, and usage percentages, significantly improving their understanding of equipment usage. GPS integration enabled tracking of routes, distances, and stops, facilitating better operational planning. Using just 20 highly efficient and cost-effective sensors from MachineMax, the SMP Alliance realise its ambition to deliver highway projects more efficiently and sustainably through tangible savings and reductions in idling, as well as improved air quality for both on-site workers and local residents Eamonn Slevin Operations Director for the SMP Alliance added, “The use of fuel on our construction sites is the single largest contributory factor to carbon emissions during assembly. On the M6, by using MachineMax’s innovative data solution, we were provided with better quality data which has allowed targeted behavioural training, plant idling has been reduced from 50% of operating time to 18%. The benefits of this are a reduction in carbon emissions, reduced impact on air quality from emissions and longevity of plant.” The green brick road The M6 Junction 21a to 26 Smart Motorway project is a testament to Britain’s commitment to its SRN, and the integration of innovative solutions to foster a data-driven approach sets a benchmark for future infrastructure projects. As the government continues its substantial investment across transport modes, projects like this will ensure our road networks remain safe, reliable, resilient, responsive, and efficient, unlocking vast economic and social benefits. Amy Law, Head of Marketing & Sales at MachineMax, concluded, “’In a world where every second and every litre of fuel counts, our technology is not just about data; it’s about driving real change on the ground. Working with Costain, Flannery, Forkers and WSP has enabled us to showcase the importance of timely, accurate data for project emission reductions, also exemplifying how the fusion of innovation and collaboration can redefine the future of construction efficiency and our Strategic Road Network. We’re not just building roads; we’re paving the way for a sustainable, connected Britain.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Keepmoat is set to develop more than 600 new homes in Nottingham following the successful acquisition of a parcel of land on Thane Road. The land sits within the brownfield land within the 286-acre Boots site, which is part of the Nottingham Enterprise Zone. The large-scale regeneration project will see Keepmoat deliver over 600 high-quality, multi-tenure new homes over a period of six years, with construction due to complete in 2029. Of the 604 new homes, more than half will be delivered on behalf of Platform Housing, one of the largest housing associations in the Midlands, for affordable rent, and shared ownership. Commenting on the acquisition of the land, Tim Beale, CEO at Keepmoat, said: “I am incredibly proud that Keepmoat, in particular our East Midlands region led by Tristin Willis, has successfully completed one of the most significant land deals of the last decade, for the delivery of new homes, in Nottingham. It is a fantastic achievement. “For me personally, having been brought up in Nottingham and lived here for most of my life, I am delighted that we will be delivering this landmark development on this special site, which will bring much needed, high-quality new homes and significant investment to the city. “This development will put our East Midlands region, which was established in Nottingham eight years ago, firmly on the map. It sits alongside nine other new sites that we are currently developing in and around Nottingham which will collectively deliver around 2,700 new homes.” Tristin Willis, Regional Managing Director of Keepmoat, East Midlands said: “I am very much looking forward to working with our partners to bring this fantastic development to life, delivering new homes for the people of Nottingham and the surrounding areas and transforming this area of the city into a vibrant new community.” Stephen Boyce, Director of Estates, Boots UK, added: “This is an exciting development for the Nottingham Enterprise Zone. We look forward to seeing Keepmoat’s vision come to life, developing new high-quality and affordable housing for people in the local area.” The Nottingham office of National law firm Freeths LLP represented Keepmoat on both the acquisition from Boots and the forward sale to Platform. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Kier Construction and partners have hosted a topping out ceremony to mark the completion of the TIDE Bankside’s developments main structure. Kier was joined by Barings and LBS Properties for the event at the Park Street, Southwark to mark the occasion. Designed by award winning architects Squire & Partners, TIDE will be a net zero carbon development, has received a NABERS design reviewed target rating of 5* and is targeting a certification of BREEAM Outstanding. It is set to surpass the current LETI best practice target for embodied carbon by more than 10%. Ian Mayhew, Managing Director, UK Asset Management, Real Estate at Barings, said: “This is an exciting milestone in the delivery of TIDE Bankside. We acquired this office in the summer of 2021 because we recognised how changing tenant requirements would create a fresh wave of demand for well-located, sustainable and beautifully designed office buildings. Set to open in Autumn 2024, we have that same confidence and look forward to the next phase of development for TIDE.” Nick Crawford, CEO of LBS Properties, also said: “It is exciting to see the architectural vision of Squire and Partners come to fruition as we reach this important project milestone. When it completes next year, we believe TIDE will set the benchmark for the next generation of Central London office development. In addition to its market leading sustainability credentials and extensive internal and external amenity, we also hope its inspiring architecture will capture the imagination of our future occupiers.” Gus Wright, Regional Director for Kier Construction London & Southern, added: “We are proud to reach this significant milestone at TIDE, and today’s event was a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the hard work and collaboration that goes into delivering such an impressive building. This project, which utilises our expertise of delivering large scale sustainable commercial developments on tight inner-city sites, has been constructed to meet the highest sustainable building standards, and will prove to be an important asset for the local community.” The new 12-storey, 145,000 sq. ft building, costing approximately £69m to construct, will provide a mixture of office space, affordable workspace and retail space and is situated near Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre and the Tate Modern in London’s Bankside area, next to the River Thames. Designed to have a positive impact on its occupants’ health and wellbeing, the building uses efficient design solutions both to improve its sustainability and to enhance user experience for those working there. These include light, airy spaces with openable windows, green landscaping on the roof, over 13,000 sq ft of external spaces, and panoramic views across the city. The professional team include Squire & Partners, Heyne Tillett Steel, Hoare Lea and Gardiner & Theobald. The building is marketed by leasing agents Cushman & Wakefield, RX London and USP. TIDE forms part of Kier’s expanding London private market portfolio, which includes The Refinery, a landmark high spec lab development in Hammersmith; and mixed-use commercial schemes The Fitzrovia and the Network Building in Tottenham Court Road. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Nationwide refurbishment contractor, Fortis Vision, has welcomed seven new team members into brand new positions as part of its national growth strategy. Tom Lewis – a new quantity surveyor, Tracy Lamont – a new project coordinator and Sam Wise – a new HR manager have joined the business this spring. Tom joined the Bristol office and will be commercially managing iQ student accommodation projects from tender stage, through to handover. With a BSc in Commercial Management and Quantity Surveying and a background working as a quantity surveyor at a renowned national construction group, he is highly skilled in cost management and planning, procurement, and risk management. Tracy is a highly organised, methodical, and pro-active project coordinator with a proven record of project on-time delivery and many years of project planning experience, in public and private sectors. Tracy is supporting the project delivery team from tender through to practical completion and is also assisting with the management of PR and social media for the company. Sam has 13 years of HR experience working in a variety of industries including Storage and Warehousing, Oil and Gas, Childcare, Education and Training, Hospitality, and the Motor trade. In her new role she will be focusing on applying her experience to the company’s vision for the future, striving to ensure Fortis Vision is an employer of choice by providing an inclusive and forward-thinking culture. The business has also invested in the role of a logistics manager based in the Bristol office and is delighted to welcome Joel Phillips into the role. Joel has a background in outdoor pursuits and will be assisting in several upcoming outdoor charity events. Project manager Ian Armstrong has also joined the team and will be fully engaged in the Midlands and London areas, working on a range of dynamic student accommodation schemes. In addition, the company has invested in two new trainees in separate disciplines – Ollie Dowde as an undergraduate placement surveyor in building surveying and Charlie Borthwick as a management trainee in an operations discipline. Both will be completing degree qualifications in their respective disciplines. David Borthwick, managing director at Fortis Vision, said: “We’d like to welcome all of the new starters from diverse backgrounds to Team Fortis, all will contribute to differing degrees, as we support them on their career journeys.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
