SOCIAL impact developers Capital&Centric are set to lead on a vision to turn a sprawling brownfield site in Wolverhampton into a creative new neighbourhood. A report – to be considered by City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet next week – recommends Capital&Centric are appointed as part of a pre-development agreement for
Scotts Timber Engineering and MiTek UK & Ireland have announced a partnership to offer highly detailed 3D modelling and automated design features for housebuilders. MiTek PAMIR is a specialised roof-truss and Posi-Joist 3D modelling and design software system, which is a powerful and versatile fully integrated CAD, layout and engineering
The highly sustainable “BREEAM Outstanding” certified development sets new standards for more environmentally and ecologically-friendly logistics, putting Rhenus at the forefront of the industry. Glencar, a leading UK construction company that was recently ranked amongst Europe’s fastest growing businesses, recently announced that it has completed construction of the final warehouse
Berkeley Group – one of the largest home builders in the UK – has reaffirmed its support for the newly updated Consumer Code for Home Builders (‘the Code’) as part of its continued focus on customer satisfaction. This ongoing commitment will see thousands of home buyers benefit from additional protection
The Grade II listed former Post Office building in Lowestoft, has won a prestigious accolade at the East Suffolk Council’s Quality of Place Awards 2023, winning first place in the Conservation category. The awards recognise and encourage an interest in the quality of the built and natural environment of the
Panics come and panics go in the pragmatic world of engineering. It is part of the job to identify potentially intractable problems – and then bend the collective mind to creating a practical solution to them. That is why the current disquiet over RAAC in a number of public buildings
Choice Housing, one of Northern Ireland’s largest housing associations alongside their subsidiary Maple and May, has launched the construction of their £18 million mixed tenure development in Newry. The project team were joined at the city centre location by Clonrose Developments, who will lead the development of the site. The
Developer Capital & Centric is set to transform a brownfield site in Wolverhampton into a creative new neighbourhood. A report – to be considered by City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet next week – recommends Capital & Centric are appointed as part of a pre-development agreement for the former Sainsbury’s supermarket
Christophe Bind, Country Manager at passive fire protection specialist FSi Promat, looks ahead to 2024. With the Building Safety Act coming into force, 2024 will be a time of change for the construction industry as a whole, with a close focus on fire safety including passive fire protection. Long overdue
Construction Youth Trust’s Patron attends launch event as charity partners with City developers in five-year plan to boost social mobility for young Londoners A prestigious event at Broadgate this week celebrated the partnership launch of Broadgate Future Talent – a collaborative five-year project to create new apprenticeship pathways for young
SOCIAL impact developers Capital&Centric are set to lead on a vision to turn a sprawling brownfield site in Wolverhampton into a creative new neighbourhood. A report – to be considered by City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet next week – recommends Capital&Centric are appointed as part of a pre-development agreement for the former Sainsbury’s supermarket site, to bring the neighbourhood forward. The first step will be to develop a masterplan for the 5-acre St George’s site, with early ideas for a melting pot of homes, community spaces and green streets, with the Grade II listed church repurposed as a community centrepiece. Shops, workspaces and café bars would complete the line-up, adding a vibrant new quarter to Wolverhampton’s city centre, with links to the £61million City Learning Quarter set to open in 2025. If appointed, the developers will work up a detailed vision as to how the strategic site could become a destination district for the people of Wolverhampton, with the potential for over 400 homes. The next stage would then be to consult the community prior to the submission of a planning application. Established in Manchester, Capital&Centric have gone on to deliver on award-winning regeneration projects across the UK, from homes and workspaces, to hotels and leisure destinations. They’ve earned an enviable reputation for their offbeat design, with many of their projects featuring a striking blend of restoration of historic buildings alongside contemporary new builds. Having delivered standout neighbourhoods in Manchester city centre – including Kampus and Piccadilly East – they’re now ploughing on with transformational mixed use communities in spots including Stockport, Sheffield, Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle-under-Lyme. Everything they do is geared toward delivering social impact through regeneration, whether creating communities of independent businesses, creating skilled new jobs or inspiring young people into careers in regeneration through the not-for-profit ‘Regeneration Brainery’ they established. John Moffat, Joint Managing Director at Capital&Centric, said: “St George’s is a worthy headliner among the line-up of major opportunities in Wolverhampton and fits perfectly with what we’re about … delivering eclectic neighbourhoods that mix the old and new. It has bags of potential and we’re already brimming with ideas of how we could deliver new city centre homes alongside community hangout spaces and loads of much-needed greenery. We can’t wait to write the next chapter for the stunning St George’s church, creating a new centrepiece around which the community will revolve.” St George’s was one of a trio of development opportunities featured in the Wolverhampton Investment Prospectus, launched by the Council at MIPIM earlier this year. The prospectus was aimed at bringing the private and public sector together to unlock growth in the city, delivering more homes, jobs and investment. City of Wolverhampton Council Leader, Councillor Stephen Simkins, said: “Ambitious plans and investment as part of a wider strategy are driving the regeneration of our city centre, The Halls Wolverhampton, our award-winning £150million transport interchange and Grade-A office developments are testament to that. “The St George’s opportunity sits at the heart of this, well connected to commercial and leisure hubs, which is a priority as we transform our city centre to generate jobs, homes and growth. “If the recommendations are approved by Cabinet it will enable the council to develop an outline business case that will establish this site as a new gateway into the city centre. “St George’s can provide an inclusive, safe and sustainable new quarter that will generate new opportunities and jobs, bring underutilised assets back into community use and, importantly, deliver much needed new homes in Wolverhampton city centre, which will bring wider social and economic benefits.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Scotts Timber Engineering and MiTek UK & Ireland have announced a partnership to offer highly detailed 3D modelling and automated design features for housebuilders. MiTek PAMIR is a specialised roof-truss and Posi-Joist 3D modelling and design software system, which is a powerful and versatile fully integrated CAD, layout and engineering package with full EC5 engineering to the latest design codes. These advanced capabilities translate into numerous advantages for Scotts Timber Engineering’s customers, including higher quality drawings and quicker turnaround times when detailing and amending drawings. James Scott, managing director, Scotts Timber Engineering says: “One of the key strengths of MiTek’s PAMIR design platform is its seamless integration with third-party information systems such as PDF, AutoCAD, and Revit. This compatibility enables Scotts Timber Engineering to import and export information and details from architects or engineers quickly and easily, streamlining our workflow.” MiTek’s PAMIR design software allows the design team at Scotts to create accurate designs more efficiently, resulting in a faster turnaround time for customers. As a result, quote stage designs are more accurate, which reduces the amount of work required to bring preliminary designs up to construction quality. The transition to MiTek PAMIR involved a comprehensive review and restructuring of Scotts Timber Engineering’s operations. By reevaluating each process, the company was able to identify areas for improvement and build a more efficient workflow. Billy Richardson, head of sales, Scotts Timber Engineering says: “It is clear that MiTek is investing and developing in its systems beyond its competition, and we wanted to be a part of that. PAMIR has made complicated designs more accurate and streamlined our entire design process. We can now respond more efficiently to client feedback without the need to start from scratch.” Tim Garner, Commercial Director of MiTek UK and Ireland says: “MiTek are delighted to be working in partnership with Scotts Timber Engineering, and it’s great that Scotts are already seeing the many benefits of our software and service. Our design software PAMIR unlocks unparalleled efficiencies, allowing designers to work with speed, accuracy, flexibility and quality. We continue to invest heavily in our suite of software, and we’re very excited to bring timber frame detailing into our PAMIR platform in response to the growing adoption of MMC by homebuilders. We look forward to a long and successful partnership with Scotts.” About Scotts Timber Engineering: Scotts Timber Engineering works with major volume housebuilders, specialist luxury homebuilders and other developers across the country. From its manufacturing centres in Thrapston (Northamptonshire) and Redditch (Worcestershire), it designs, manufactures and supplies timber engineered roof trusses, spandrel panels, metal web joists, porches and canopies, as well as car barns and carports. It is part of the prestigious Scotts of Thrapston Group which was established over 100 years ago. The company has a strong reputation for high-quality, PEFC-certified specialist timber products and, as a long-standing member of the Trussed Rafter Association, Scotts maintains high technical and quality assurance standards and a commitment to best practices and the TRA’s code of conduct. About MiTek:fing systems. MiTek’s structural floor joist system – Posi-Joist – has become the go-to product in the industry for housebuilders looking to create high quality homes. Thanks to its open metal web system, housebuilders can make great strides in offsite construction and respond to the demands of the Future Homes Standard. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The highly sustainable “BREEAM Outstanding” certified development sets new standards for more environmentally and ecologically-friendly logistics, putting Rhenus at the forefront of the industry. Glencar, a leading UK construction company that was recently ranked amongst Europe’s fastest growing businesses, recently announced that it has completed construction of the final warehouse of 771,000 sq ft for leading pan-European and industrial development company Baytree Logistics Developments and its customer global logistics provider Rhenus Warehousing Solutions UK at its new 64-acre, 1 million sq ft logistics campus at a site in Nuneaton in the West Midlands. Baytree Nuneaton, known as the ‘Rhenus Campus’, comprises of two warehouses of 210,000 and 771,00 sq ft on 64 acres and sets new benchmarks in environmental and social responsibility within the logistics sector. The scheme, developed by Baytree, was designed by award winning architectural practice Chetwoods and has been developed to achieve significant reductions in whole life carbon, designed with reference to the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) Framework Definition for Net Zero Carbon Buildings, ensuring that Rhenus can reduce their own carbon emissions but also potentially support its customers with reducing theirs. Renewable energy will be generated on-site, with solar panels. Included on the site is a three-storey 30,000 sq ft office headquarters with a structure constructed entirely from CLT and Glulam. This is pioneering because it’s one of the first cases in the UK of timber being used in the build of a large-scale structure within an industrial and logistics setting by a logistics developer. When compared to conventional materials, procuring timber structural elements can deliver significant embodied carbon savings, especially as timber also sequesters carbon in its creation. The value of timber is demonstrated by the estimate that there are around 1,000 metric tons of sequestered carbon in the timber frame of the office at Nuneaton – the equivalent of enough embodied carbon to power a 20w lightbulb for 21,853 years or to drive around the world approximately 208 times. The development also incorporates MUGA sports pitches, allotments, edible planting, wildflower grasslands, extensive networks of footpaths to encourage cardiovascular exercise and external break out areas for staff wellbeing. The site, which is bounded by the Coventry Canal, features landscaping with extensive native tree planting, and other works aimed at generating biodiversity such as log piles, locations for apiaries, bat and bird boxes, as well as an extensive balancing pond overlooked by a projecting terrace for staff relaxation. Internally the facilities will benefit from the latest in robotics, AI and warehouse management systems to provide flexible solutions and control of the supply chain. When fully operational, the development will help Rhenus Warehousing Solutions UK achieve its goals of reducing direct carbon emissions. Both state-of-the-art, sustainable warehouses will offer a wide range of warehousing and distribution services to a diverse customer base of Global retail brands, particularly those in the fashion, toy, FMCG, home and health & beauty sectors. Commenting on the project Glencar CEO Eddie McGillycuddy said: “It is with a tremendous sense of pride and happiness that we today can formally announce practical completion has been reached and we are handing over this truly incredible new dedicated logistics campus to Baytree and Rhenus. This cutting-edge project is one of the largest and most sustainable developments Glencar has ever had the privilege of delivering and we are absolutely delighted with the outcome. The vast scale of the warehouses coupled with the latest emerging warehousing and logistics technology and innovations looks set to ensure Rhenus can accommodate customers well into the future. As a BREEAM Outstanding certified building we are enormously proud of the hard work and dedication that the team has put in to achieve this outstanding success. I would like to thank everyone involved and look forward to seeing the building come into life and enable Rhenus to meet growing demand and exceed its customers’ expectations. Also commenting, Amit Babbar, Baytree Development Director said: We are delighted to have reached practical completion on this industry leading development for Rhenus. The development incorporates a number of industry firsts on a development of this scale and represents our commitment to pioneering advancements in both the environmental and social elements of industrial and logistics buildings. We are extremely pleased with the collaborative approach taken by all involved to create a new benchmark in the sector. Harry Wheelhouse, Business Development & Marketing Director at Rhenus Warehousing Solutions UK also said: “This new site will allow us to meet the demands of our growing business and attract new customers, whilst enabling us to deliver our high-quality, personalised service. More importantly, our new, sustainable warehouses can potentially support our customers in achieving their own carbon-reduction goals. Every aspect of our warehouse environment, will be measured using the latest in digital technology including CO2 levels by area. As all companies will need a plan to achieve a carbon-zero supply chain by 2050, Rhenus Warehousing Solutions UK is perfectly positioned to help its customers document their own roadmap to deliver this.” Also commenting, Laurie Chetwood, Chairman of Chetwoods, outlined: “We are really proud to have designed this pioneering scheme. It has been a pleasure to work with this project team who have been open to the innovative use of timber in the industrial and logistics sector. With this project setting an industry precedent, we hope to be nearing a breakthrough moment in the UK market as further developers consider procuring timber in elements of their warehouse designs. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Berkeley Group – one of the largest home builders in the UK – has reaffirmed its support for the newly updated Consumer Code for Home Builders (‘the Code’) as part of its continued focus on customer satisfaction. This ongoing commitment will see thousands of home buyers benefit from additional protection introduced following an independent review of the Code. The revised Code (fifth edition), effective from 1 January 2024, provides enhanced protection for consumers, with additional requirements and guidance for builders to help improve customer service. Berkeley Group has sought to operate in line with Code requirements since the Consumer Code for Home Builders was first launched in 2010, and latest research shows 97.5% of its customers would recommend Berkeley to a friend[1]. The Group is now preparing for the additional requirements contained in the updated Code. Rob Perrins, CEO of Berkeley Group, said: “Our customers are at the heart of everything we do, which is why we’ve always been supportive of the Consumer Code for Home Builders. The Code provides clear requirements, with supporting resources and training, which help our colleagues across the business maintain consistent, high quality customer service. “We particularly value the experienced, independent feedback provided by the Code through a combination of site audits, adjudicator decisions and industry-wide learning. The Consumer Code for Home Builders is ideally placed to provide us with credible, experienced, and sometimes challenging feedback, that supports our commitment to customer satisfaction and continuous improvement.” Noel Hunter, Code Chair, said: “We are delighted that Berkeley Group has confirmed its ongoing commitment to the Consumer Code for Home Builders. Our revised Code builds on over ten years of enhanced protection for new-build home buyers. It’s extremely encouraging to see the additional requirements and consumer protection we’ve built in, being welcomed by the industry.” A free ‘Transition Pack’ is available to help home builders comply with the revised Code and can be downloaded from the Code’s Home Builder Resources Page alongside other useful documents. 1Based on customer feedback surveys independently collected by In-house Research FY 2023 [1] Based on customer feedback surveys independently collected by In-house Research FY 2023 Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The Grade II listed former Post Office building in Lowestoft, has won a prestigious accolade at the East Suffolk Council’s Quality of Place Awards 2023, winning first place in the Conservation category. The awards recognise and encourage an interest in the quality of the built and natural environment of the district and promote an awareness of the need for high standards in all forms of design, including planning, architecture, sustainable development, landscaping and community engagement. Purchased by East Suffolk Council in 2018 as part of a wider programme to boost regeneration in the town centre, the project to restore this 19th century building was made possible through the London Road, Lowestoft Heritage Action Zone project, funded by Historic England, East Suffolk Council and the Towns Fund. Local contractor R G Carter, started restoration works to the building at the start of 2022, working with architects Chaplin Farrant and Kings and Dunne, and heritage specialists to restore the external façade of the Grade II listed building. The completed works included over 60 sash windows refurbished and restored by carpenters from R G Carter, with Oak Hill stripping and preserving each frame with traditional linseed oil. The roof was also reinstated with natural Welsh slates and the ground floor restored to its original appearance. The conservation to the external fabric of the building, led by Aldis & May, started with steam cleaning all three storeys of stonework, followed by air lime repointing, consolidation and mortar repairs to walls and decorative features such as cornices and balusters, as well as removing algae, sulphation crusts, dirt, and a linseed oil surface coating. Heavily weathered balusters at the parapet were replaced, and repairs to the chimneys and leadwork and rainwater goods renewed. On their site visit in October, the Quality of Place Awards judging panel were impressed with the scope of the work, and the attention to detail that was behind every decision. They praised the team for their dedication to ensuring that every intervention was sensitive to the historic materials, and for their engagement with the local community during the project. They were happy to see the positive impact that the restoration has already had London Road North and excited to see the Post Office become a lively place once more, which this restoration will enable. Gavin Leeks, from R G Carter says; “We are delighted that the Post Office has received this conservation award in recognition of the craftmanship and commitment of everyone involved. It has been an honour to be part of this unique project and to play our part in bringing this important local building back to its former glory and preserve the rich architectural heritage in Lowestoft.” Tony Calladine, East Regional Director, Historic England, said: “Congratulations to everyone involved in the restoration of the former Post Office in Lowestoft on this well-deserved award. This important local landmark has been a central project of the London Road Heritage Action Zone and it’s wonderful to see the building repaired, restored, and ready for a new life. I’m looking forward to seeing people exploring and enjoying the revitalised space.” In May 2023, the high quality of the conservation repairs project was also recognised with the RIBA Suffolk Individual Craftmanship Award. Thanks to this flagship restoration project, the Post Office will once again benefit the people of Lowestoft. A conversion phase will commence in 2024 for the Post Office to become a new cultural arts space run by Messums, recognised for revitalising old buildings and embedding them within communities. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Panics come and panics go in the pragmatic world of engineering. It is part of the job to identify potentially intractable problems – and then bend the collective mind to creating a practical solution to them. That is why the current disquiet over RAAC in a number of public buildings throughout the UK needs to be kept in perspective. If you subsisted only on a diet of mainstream media, you could be forgiven for thinking the entire built estate was on the point of imminent collapse. For clarity, this is not the case. Yes, RAAC – Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete – exists in a number of buildings, but the number is small in comparison to the totality of schools (more than 20,000 in England), hospitals and other public buildings, and most closures are precautionary, rather than evidence-based. But first of all, what is RAAC? It is an aerated lightweight cementitious material with no coarse aggregate, looking in cross-section a bit like the inside of an Aero bar. When it was introduced to the UK from Scandinavia in the reconstruction period after the war, it was hailed as an innovative wonder material. In fact, if RAAC planks – the technical name for the concrete panels – in a building are properly protected, there is a maintenance schedule and there is no sign of water ingress, the roof will likely be fine and the facility can continue to be used. According to construction and engineering materials expert Professor Chris Goodier of Loughborough University, RAAC is still manufactured and installed all over the world and can be an appropriate construction material if properly designed, manufactured, installed and maintained. The problems arise in situation where maintenance has been neglected over the course of years, or indeed decades. In buildings from the fifties, sixties and seventies, when RAAC was used freely, maintenance regimes were not as comprehensive as they are now and users did not know what to look for or what to do. Given that the material was lightweight and economical, it is hardly surprising that many manufacturers were happy to supply it – with the best of intentions and with no foreknowledge of the issues which would rear their heads further down the line. Although local authorities have been aware of RAAC in their buildings for some time, things came to the boil a year ago when the Office of Government Property sent a Safety Briefing Notice to all Property Leaders, regarding the dangers of RAAC, stating that “it is now life-expired and liable to collapse”. It put the onus squarely on those responsible for the management, maintenance or alteration of central and local government buildings to know whether their buildings contain RAAC and, where they do, to act appropriately to ensure that such buildings are deemed safe. How can those concerned go about this? The first step is inspection, either by a surveyor or a structural engineer. Both are professionals who will act in the client’s interest, the difference being that the former will identify problems while the latter will also propose manageable solutions. Inspection is eased by the fact that most RAAC planks are in flat roofs on single-storey buildings. Drones can give a clear picture of the roof covering and heat sensors can check if water has penetrated. If there is water ingress, then as far as RAAC is concerned it is game over. There is no remedial solution and use of the building has to be immediately stopped. However, RAAC planks can be replaced with traditional roofs with timber joists or a dual-pitch roof truss. The good news is that RAAC does not affect residential buildings. The bad news is that, like a previous panic – asbestos, many owners or operators of public or commercial properties do not know that they are, or might be, affected. The issue is not going to go away. But there are answers to it, and prudence would dictate more regular monitoring and inspection regimes – something that will almost certainly be factored in by insurance companies at renewal time. However, It’s not a case of RAAC and ruin. Professional advice and guidance can alleviate the understandable instinct to panic. Alan Ferns is Director – Structural Engineering at Dougall Baillie Associates Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Choice Housing, one of Northern Ireland’s largest housing associations alongside their subsidiary Maple and May, has launched the construction of their £18 million mixed tenure development in Newry. The project team were joined at the city centre location by Clonrose Developments, who will lead the development of the site. The former Saint Clare’s Convent and Primary School in High Street, Newry was given the green light for redevelopment in March of this year. Development of the scheme is expected to be completed by the end of 2025, and when all work has been finalised, it is set to consist of eighty-eight units in total, of which 18 will be two bed apartments for private rent managed by Choice subsidiary Maple and May and a further 70 social housing properties, managed by Choice. Another key feature of the multi-million-pound scheme will be the bespoke community hub that will provide a range of high quality and cost-effective services to local people. Partners working with Choice and Maple and May in this project include Clonrose Developments, H&J Martin Construction, Gray Designs, a Newry-based Architects firm and Hall Black Douglas Architects. Michael McDonnell, Choice Group Chief Executive said: “This is one of Choice Housing’s biggest and most ambitious projects in recent times and I am pleased to see the project get under way. “Not only does this development represent a significant boost to the area economically and, at the same time, help to address the ever-growing need for social and private rentals in Newry, we also believe it is sensitive to an area that has historical significance and interest. “In a part of Newry that’s been under-developed for some time now, when St Clare’s has been finished by contractors, Choice Housing is confident that this will be a very attractive place to live.” Stephen Davey, Director of Clonrose Developments, added: “We are really pleased to continue our strong relationship with Choice Housing and Maple May and deliver what will be our fourth and most ambitious project to date for them. The former St Clare’s Convent and Primary School represents a very challenging site from a development perspective, located within a conservation area and combining the sympathetic restoration of a listed Chapel and the retention of many mature trees. However, once complete, we are confident it will provide a unique setting for the 88 new homes, within walking distance of Newry City Centre.” Choice has 741 properties in the Newry Mourne and Down area, with 448 of these designated for family housing and the remainder a mix of sheltered and supported housing respectively. The high-quality homes, care and support services Choice provide help meet the diverse needs of its customers, including pensioners, families, mature singles, and individuals with complex needs. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Developer Capital & Centric is set to transform a brownfield site in Wolverhampton into a creative new neighbourhood. A report – to be considered by City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet next week – recommends Capital & Centric are appointed as part of a pre-development agreement for the former Sainsbury’s supermarket site, to bring the neighbourhood forward. The first step will be to develop a masterplan for the 5 acre St George’s site, with early ideas for a melting pot of homes, community spaces and green streets, with the Grade II listed church repurposed as a community centrepiece. Shops, workspaces and café bars would complete the line up, adding a vibrant new quarter to Wolverhampton’s city centre, with links to the £61 million City Learning Quarter set to open in 2025. If appointed, the developers will work up a detailed vision as to how the strategic site could become a destination district for the people of Wolverhampton, with the potential for over 400 homes. The next stage would then be to consult the community prior to the submission of a planning application. Established in Manchester, Capital & Centric have gone on to deliver on award winning regeneration projects across the UK, from homes and workspaces, to hotels and leisure destinations. They’ve earned an enviable reputation for their offbeat design, with many of their projects featuring a striking blend of restoration of historic buildings alongside contemporary new builds. Having delivered standout neighbourhoods in Manchester city centre – including Kampus and Piccadilly East – they’re now ploughing on with transformational mixed use communities in spots including Stockport, Sheffield, Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle-under-Lyme. Everything they do is geared toward delivering social impact through regeneration, whether creating communities of independent businesses, creating skilled new jobs or inspiring young people into careers in regeneration through the not for profit ‘Regeneration Brainery’ they established. City of Wolverhampton Council Leader, Councillor Stephen Simkins, said: “Ambitious plans and investment as part of a wider strategy are driving the regeneration of our city centre, The Halls Wolverhampton, our award winning £150 million transport interchange and Grade A office developments are testament to that. “The St George’s opportunity sits at the heart of this, well connected to commercial and leisure hubs, which is a priority as we transform our city centre to generate jobs, homes and growth. “If the recommendations are approved by Cabinet it will enable the council to develop an outline business case that will establish this site as a new gateway into the city centre. “St George’s can provide an inclusive, safe and sustainable new quarter that will generate new opportunities and jobs, bring underutilised assets back into community use and, importantly, deliver much needed new homes in Wolverhampton city centre, which will bring wider social and economic benefits.” John Moffat, Joint Managing Director at Capital & Centric, said: “St George’s is a worthy headliner among the line up of major opportunities in Wolverhampton and fits perfectly with what we’re about … delivering eclectic neighbourhoods that mix the old and new. It has bags of potential and we’re already brimming with ideas of how we could deliver new city centre homes alongside community hangout spaces and loads of much needed greenery. We can’t wait to write the next chapter for the stunning St George’s church, creating a new centrepiece around which the community will revolve.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Christophe Bind, Country Manager at passive fire protection specialist FSi Promat, looks ahead to 2024. With the Building Safety Act coming into force, 2024 will be a time of change for the construction industry as a whole, with a close focus on fire safety including passive fire protection. Long overdue changes to increase the safety of high-rise residential buildings are finally in place, but the impact of these on an operational level is yet to be fully seen and understood. Already raised as potentially being the end of design and build, the gateway scheme means that more detailed specification of products and applications will become increasingly important from an early stage as plans need to stipulate safety provisions. For passive fire protection this is an ideal solution. Early specification ensures the right product is installed for the building, cavity barriers and fire stopping are delivered to the correct timeline, and that waste is minimised. It also allows any issues to be identified long before installation takes place. However, a lack of clarity around central issues in the Act remains, such as the definition of notifiable changes, and at what point do changes to specification need to be notified. Having clarity on this as soon as possible is imperative for efficient project management and to ensure consistency in the application of passive fire protection. Education and awareness Competence continues to be a concern and we, as an industry, need to ensure that life critical products are manufactured, specified and installed to the highest standards. Along with a laser focus on fire safety we hope to see education and information prioritised across all sectors involved in the building process. Within the industry the spotlight will absolutely be on skills, awareness and competence, and everyone involved in fire protection needs to take responsibility for theirs. FSi Promat has already set up its own training facility to support accurate installation of its fire stopping and cavity barrier products – and we look forward to welcoming more partners across the coming year. The golden thread will support this – and again this will see more industry change with a need for comprehensive information to be readily available throughout the full building lifecycle. This is one of the most important parts of the new legislation, ensuring the attention to detail that makes sure the right products are in place and have been installed correctly. To this end we expect to see more transparency and increased digitalisation to support ease of access to information. With the implementation of the gateway scheme there is the possibility that we could see delays to some projects, but demand for fire stopping and cavity barriers is expected to remain high – both from a regulatory point of view and from raised awareness, but also the demand for recladding to make existing buildings safe. While conditions have been challenging in the construction industry, there are signs of an improvement in 2024, which will, in turn, see an upturn for passive fire protection. The coming year will be a time of change, these are changes that we need to see – and that are long overdue. Buildings should be made with safety in mind, and we at FSi Promat will do all we can to support that. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Construction Youth Trust’s Patron attends launch event as charity partners with City developers in five-year plan to boost social mobility for young Londoners A prestigious event at Broadgate this week celebrated the partnership launch of Broadgate Future Talent – a collaborative five-year project to create new apprenticeship pathways for young Londoners. As the project’s charity partner, Construction Youth Trust (CYT) invited its Patron, HRH The Duke of Gloucester, to the showcase of how a major London development can be a powerful engine of social mobility and workforce diversity. Along with property company, British Land and construction company, Sir Robert McAlpine, CYT also invited guests from the City, as well as partner employers and some of the project’s young beneficiaries. The vision of Broadgate Future Talent is to introduce young people from the City’s neighbouring communities to all aspects of the built environment sector, to inspire them about working in an industry with a huge skills-need, and to support these budding young professionals to develop their employability and connect with life-changing career opportunities. CYT has worked with British Land and Sir Robert McAlpine to forge partnerships with other Broadgate employers who have pledged financial and in-kind support. Carol Lynch, Construction Youth Trust CEO, stated: “We expect Broadgate Future Talent to engage 500 young people from low socio-economic groups each year. Through the delivery of inspiring sessions in schools in Central London Forward boroughs, as well as immersive world-of-work experiences and support from our coaches and industry mentors, we will tackle hidden barriers and many young talents will achieve their career potential as a direct result of this project.” Paul Hamer, Chief Executive at Sir Robert McAlpine, commented: “As an industry we need to attract a greater diversity of talent, and we are looking for under-represented young people who will spearhead developments in the future. The quality of students we are seeing come to us through this project is outstanding. We want to employ them; we want them to be part of the future of our business.” David Lockyer, Head of Development at British Land, said: “At British Land we are committed to having a lasting positive impact in everything we do. This collaboration ensures we can do just that through our developments at Broadgate, supporting emerging talent into the industry and helping businesses attract and retain this talent.” The event was held on the final day of a three-day Building Future Skills course – just one of a suite of programmes run by CYT to support young people into inspiring careers. The winning team from the 16–17-year-old participants were presented awards by The Duke, following which three of last year’s cohort, now higher-level degree apprentices, took part in a panel interview to discuss their career journey – and their future plans as young professionals. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
