Labour’s election victory was not enough to kickstart project activity in construction in July. Contract Awards, where businesses are formally chosen as suppliers for projects, remained 20% down compared to July 2023. Ed Griffiths, head of business and client analytics at construction analysts, Barbour ABI said: “Despite some promising energy
National placemaker, Muse has been named as the delivery and investment partner that will work with the Council to deliver the transformational investment in Wythenshawe town centre. The procurement exercise began in October 2023 to find a private sector partner that could invest and develop Civic at scale to meet
Highly sustainable development the first instruction to be received by Glencar from Trebor and is situated in the heart of Crewe’s well established commercial area. Glencar, a leading UK construction company known for its innovative and sustainable approach and who was recently ranked amongst Europe’s fastest growing businesses, has today
Following a campaign led by JCB, there is an amendment in the regulations to allow engineering plant to tow trailers under specific circumstances. Originally, engineering plant including wheeled excavators and loaders were prohibited under the Road Vehicles (Authorisation of Special Types) General Order (STGO) to the towing of trailers on
HS2 have just revealed stunning new timelapse footage showing engineers carefully sliding a 3,700-tonne viaduct deck almost half a kilometre uphill into position near the town of Wendover in Buckinghamshire. The deck of the Wendover Dean Viaduct – which stretches for 450m – was assembled in three stages, ranging from
Premier Technical Services Group Ltd (PTSG) has been contracted to deliver specialist electrical services at St Georges Hospital in Tooting. Located in South London and founded in 1733, it is one of the UK’s largest teaching hospitals and one of the largest hospitals in Europe. It is run by the
Hampshire-headquartered Bargate Homes has submitted an Outline Planning application for a 19-hectare site in Overton, Hampshire, which could deliver 130 new homes, as well as a Country Park. The vast Country Park would take up more than half of this expansive site, delivering widespread social and environmental benefits. Located west
Housing association Salix Homes has unveiled its plans to invest more than £20million improving social housing across Salford over the next year. The landlord, which owns 8,000 homes in Salford, has announced its investment programme for 2024-2025, which will see 1,366 homes undergo improvement work. A £10million eco-transformation at neighbouring
Bellway has completed a land deal on Golbourne Road in Winwick, with planning consent granted by Warrington Borough Council for 153 family homes. The site, which is 15 acres in size, was formerly privately owned farmland. With build due to start by the end of the month, the land will
In the past week later living operator and developer, Inspired Villages, achieved planning approval for further phases at two of its future communities. Arun Lea, Broadbridge Heath and Little Mount Lake, near Tunbridge Wells, were both approved in detail by their respective councils. Phase 1 of Inspired’s Little Mount Lake
Labour’s election victory was not enough to kickstart project activity in construction in July. Contract Awards, where businesses are formally chosen as suppliers for projects, remained 20% down compared to July 2023. Ed Griffiths, head of business and client analytics at construction analysts, Barbour ABI said: “Despite some promising energy projects, we have yet to see a significant increase in Residential and Infrastructure awards that we might expect with the new government in the coming year. “Though there were increases in Residential and Medical & Healthcare both come from poor previous months. The largest project in Residential is the 564 flat £140m Green Quarter development in London.” Meanwhile, almost 75% of all Commercial and Retail awards occurred in London with the £200m Lansdowne House mixed development topping these awards. Elsewhere, the East Midlands saw a 168% increase in Contract Awards from last month with a £120m battery storage system making up around 16% of all awards in the region. Planning approvals will be a key indicator for new government Planning approvals decreased by 9% in July totalling £8.8bn, a 36% decrease from a highly productive July 2023, although infrastructure bucked the trend with a big increase from June. “Infrastructure planning approvals will be of particular interest as an area where Labour can have a more direct and immediate influence,” said Griffiths. “The top approval for Infrastructure in July was the £200m Medway One Energy Hub followed by two 400MW battery storage facilities. Ed Miliband’s headline grabbing approval of several large solar panel projects will likely have a big impact in next month’s figures.” “We will also be tracking residential approvals over the coming months to see the effect of new housing policies on the planning system. Housing project approvals actually fell 16% from July – a figure Labour will hope is an aberration rather than a long-term trend.” Planning applications on pause Analysis of planning applications in June, ahead of the general election, highlighted an industry on pause, with overall application value is down 32% from June 2023, its lowest for over 18 months. “The next available set of data for applications with cover election month and it will be interesting to see if businesses were feeling brave enough to commit to future projects in the wake of Keir Starmer’s victory” concluded Griffiths. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
National placemaker, Muse has been named as the delivery and investment partner that will work with the Council to deliver the transformational investment in Wythenshawe town centre. The procurement exercise began in October 2023 to find a private sector partner that could invest and develop Civic at scale to meet the regeneration ambitions set out in the the town centre. The appointment will help accelerate the long-term programme of regeneration that will see a new public square, new shops, net zero carbon commercial space, community and cultural space and more than 1,750 new homes – including significant affordable housing – over the next 10years. The joint venture partnership has set an ambition to deliver the UK’s first Positive Energy District (PED) in Wythenshawe. By delivering highly energy efficient buildings – along with native trees, urban allotments, and roof gardens – achieving PED status at Civic is part of a clear roadmap to achieving net zero carbon and greatly improving local biodiversity. The total investment cost is expected to exceed £500m with the initial development work commencing as early as 2025. Kickstarting the investment, the Council was awarded a £20m grant through the Levelling Up (LUF) programme, which will be complemented by a further £11.9m from the Council to deliver a cultural and creative hub, food hall, co-working and employment space, and initial investment in new public realm. Muse will work together with the Council and other local partners to support the delivery of this funding and maximise its impact in Wythenshawe with an exciting new arts and culture offer. Find out more about the investment at Wythenshawe Civic The procurement exercise was managed on behalf of the Council by Savills and DWF Group. Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, said: “This is a key moment for our ambitious plan for long-term regeneration of Wythenshawe Civic. Bringing Muse in as development and investment partner means we can quickly progress to begin delivering on proposals that will genuinely transform the town centre in the coming years. “Muse brings with them a wealth of experience in transformational and sustainable development projects and we look forward to working closely with them to bring forward plans for the town centre quickly. “Regeneration is about much more than buildings, it is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create jobs, deliver secure and affordable housing, tackle deprivation, strengthen community and create opportunity for the people of Wythenshawe. “In the meantime, we are still progressing initial investment at the Civic – including the new public square, culture hub and food hall as a statement of intent around our ambition for Wythenshawe – there’s a lot to be excited about and we’ll keep the local community up to date on progress.” Phil Marsden, Managing Director for Muse – North West, said: “We are extremely excited to be given this opportunity to deliver a vibrant new neighbourhood in Wythenshawe. A place which is successful, sustainable and full of character. A place that people are proud to live in, and that people will love to visit. “We will now work closely with Manchester City Council, other local partners and the local community, to deliver against an ambitious and bold strategy. One which delivers a community-centric, climate-resilient, and inclusive Wythenshawe Civic. “Our team has engaged closely with the community and listened to local people. We will work with, and build on, what already makes Wythenshawe special. We are committed to addressing the challenges and seek to change perceptions. There is so much to be excited about.”
Highly sustainable development the first instruction to be received by Glencar from Trebor and is situated in the heart of Crewe’s well established commercial area. Glencar, a leading UK construction company known for its innovative and sustainable approach and who was recently ranked amongst Europe’s fastest growing businesses, has today announced that is has been appointed for the first time by award winning commercial property developer and Industrial and Logistics specialist Trebor Developments to construct Crewe 335, a new highly efficient and sustainable distribution unit comprising 335,000 sq. ft at a site situated in the heart of Crewe’s established commercial area. This development represents a significant investment in the region and is set to be become a cornerstone of Crewe’s expanding industrial and logistics sector. It will feature 15m eaves height, Grade A offices, dock and level access loading doors, yard depths up to 56m, and separate car parking, all within a self-contained and secure site. The unit has been designed to be sustainable from the start with 10% roof lights, solar panelled roof, dedicated EV charging points, cycle spaces, and staff wellbeing areas. The unit will be built to BREEAM “Excellent” standards and is targeting EPC “A”. Speaking about the contract award Pete Goodman, Glencar Managing Director Midlands & North said: “Trebor are without doubt one of the most active, leading developers in the I&L marketspace so we are naturally delighted to have been appointed by them for the first time. Our values and philosophy are very well aligned to that of Trebor in terms of our pursuit of excellence and sustainable building practices in all that we do. This development sits in key strategic location in the well-established industrial area along Weston Road (A532) and together with the high specification and array of sustainable features built in is likely to be a compelling proposition for occupiers seeking to base their operations in this area. We very much look forward to working with the full professional team on this project and delivering an outstanding outcome. Also in comment Mark Wright, Partner at Trebor said: “Having successfully completed demolition works onsite we are now excited about the next phase of work onsite and starting vertical construction in this key location for logistics and distribution. We are very pleased to be working with Glencar for the first time who come with a first class reputation and recent track record. This development offers significant potential, with strong levels of interest at this early stage and we look forward to seeing the construction phase for completion next Spring.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Following a campaign led by JCB, there is an amendment in the regulations to allow engineering plant to tow trailers under specific circumstances. Originally, engineering plant including wheeled excavators and loaders were prohibited under the Road Vehicles (Authorisation of Special Types) General Order (STGO) to the towing of trailers on UK roads. However, the case was made by JCB in that advancements in towing safety and technology, coupled with the benefits of reducing carbon, reducing costs, and increasing efficiency meant that a Ministerial decision was made by the Department for Transport that allowed a derogation to The Road Vehicles (Authorisation of Special Types) General Order 2003, so that the towing of a trailer can be permitted for the activities of road construction, maintenance, and repair. To tow trailers under this derogation requires a Vehicle Special Order (VSO) that allows wheeled earthmoving machinery (engineering plant) to tow a trailer on the UK roads to transport certain attachments and materials with the towing machine. They will be allowed to tow trailers on all types of roads, except motorways, and are limited to a maximum speed of 20mph. The towing machine must also be road-registered and comply with all relevant parts of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986. The overall length of the combined machine and trailer must not exceed 8m and the trailer must bear the same number plate as the towing machine. As they led the campaign, JCB have provided more detail on the changes restrictions and applications to this VSO concession at: https://www.jcb.com/en-gb/resources/blogs/2024/07/the-new-trailer-towing-legislation-explained?page=1 Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
HS2 have just revealed stunning new timelapse footage showing engineers carefully sliding a 3,700-tonne viaduct deck almost half a kilometre uphill into position near the town of Wendover in Buckinghamshire. The deck of the Wendover Dean Viaduct – which stretches for 450m – was assembled in three stages, ranging from 90m to 180m, with each one pushed out from the north abutment before the next section was attached behind it. This painstaking, eight-month long process meant that the weight of the deck increased with each push, up from an initial 590 tonnes at the start of work in January – to 3,700 tonnes by the time it reached the south abutment on Saturday. It is one of 50 major viaducts on the HS2 project – which is designed to improve connections between London, Birmingham and the North while freeing up space on the most congested southern end of the existing West Coast Main Line. During the slide, special pads covered in Teflon – a material usually found on the surface of a non-stick frying pan – were used to minimise friction between the deck and the temporary steel bearings on top of each of the concrete piers. To help maintain control, the deck – which weighs the same as 264 double-decker buses – was pushed slightly uphill, with the finish point approximately 1.8m higher than the start point. With the steelwork now in position, engineers can begin the challenging job of lowering the deck 60cm onto the permanent bearings which will support the full weight of the structure. The two-month long operation will see the steelwork above each pier carefully lowered by 20cm at a time, pier-by pier, until the whole 450m long deck settles into its final position. HS2 Ltd’s Head of Delivery, Nicola Henderson-Reid said: “The last eight months have been incredible, and I’d like to thank everyone involved in getting us to where we are today. It’s been fascinating to watch the deck slowly inch into position, and we now look forward to the next stage of the project – lowering the deck into final position and completing the complex concrete work that will support the new railway.” Once the deck is in its final position, work can begin on the concrete that will support the railway using a specially designed travelling formwork. Moving slowly from north to south, this stage is expected to take around a year and will be followed by the installation of the parapets along the edge of the viaduct. The Wendover Dean Viaduct is the first major railway bridge in the UK to be built with a ‘double composite’ structure, which uses significantly less carbon-intensive concrete and steel than a more traditional design. Instead of using solid pre-stressed concrete beams to form the spans between the viaduct piers, the hollow ‘double composite’ structure uses two steel beams sandwiched between two layers of reinforced concrete to create a more efficient super strong span. A similar approach is also being used at Small Dean, Westbury, Lower Thorpe and Turweston, which are all at an earlier stage of construction. All five viaducts are being built by HS2 Ltd’s main works contractor, EKFB – a team made up of Eiffage, Kier, Ferrovial Construction and BAM Nuttall – with the manufacture and installation of the beams being led by specialists at Eiffage Metal. EKFB’s Senior Project Engineer, James Collings, said: “The final launch for Wendover Dean viaduct marks two years of teamwork from EKFB and our supply chain partners Eiffage Metal. I am very proud of our progress and would like to thank the team for their ongoing commitment to the safe delivery of the viaduct. Over the next three months, we will see the viaduct lowered onto its permanent bearings in preparation for its concrete deck.” The last few months has also seen significant progress at HS2’s other major viaducts, including the key structures that will form the Delta Junction in North Warwickshire and the viaducts taking the railway into Birmingham Curzon Street. In total, HS2 is building more than 500 bridging structures – ranging from small road bridges to the record-breaking Colne Valley Viaduct which will become the longest railway bridge in the UK when the deck is finished later this year. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Premier Technical Services Group Ltd (PTSG) has been contracted to deliver specialist electrical services at St Georges Hospital in Tooting. Located in South London and founded in 1733, it is one of the UK’s largest teaching hospitals and one of the largest hospitals in Europe. It is run by the St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The new hospital at Tooting was built in stages. The first stage, which included 710 beds and the medical school, was completed in 1976, although the main hospital was not completed until 1980. In April 2010 St George’s Healthcare became part of the South West London and Surrey Trauma Network (SWLSTN). All Accident and Emergency (A&E) departments within the network continue to provide trauma services with St George’s designated as the major trauma centre. In this contract, engineers from PTSG Electrical Services Ltd will install a new lighting protection system, working at the hospital’s substation. This will provide protection for the buildings and their users in the event of an electrical storm. PTSG is the UK’s leading provider of lightning and surge protection services. Its network of engineers deliver a complete range of services including design and installation, testing and inspection and repairs and maintenance. Ultimately, the Group gives customers complete peace of mind that their assets and people are safe and protected at all times. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Hampshire-headquartered Bargate Homes has submitted an Outline Planning application for a 19-hectare site in Overton, Hampshire, which could deliver 130 new homes, as well as a Country Park. The vast Country Park would take up more than half of this expansive site, delivering widespread social and environmental benefits. Located west of Sapley Lane, the proposed housing development would create 130 mixed-tenure new homes, providing opportunities for those looking to downsize, get onto the housing ladder, relocate, or live closer to friends and relatives. 40% will be allocated for affordable housing to be delivered by VIVID – the parent company of Bargate Homes. The 15-hectare Country Park is set to be a multifunctional public green space, which would support a range of activities, including natural play areas for young children, and seating areas for relaxing and enjoying views of Overton. New planting of native trees and shrubs is proposed, as well as the rewilding of areas to promote and enhance local biodiversity. The site will deliver a biodiversity net gain of over 109.74%. The homes are designed to be zero carbon ready, in line with the Building Regulation requirements from 2025, featuring air source heat pumps, Solar PV panels and electric vehicle charging points for each dwelling. Mark White, Managing Director of Bargate Homes, said: “We are pleased to have submitted an Outline Planning application for this site in Overton, which could become a very special new development. Located close to our now completed Seven Acres development, our proposals are designed to create a new neighbourhood and green space for the community of Overton. It will provide local residents with the opportunity to stay in the area and maintain all important friend and family networks. “The new Country Park would be a fantastic asset for the community of Overton, as it will offer ample space for physical outdoor activities, connections to nature, an uplifting meeting place for residents, as well as educational opportunities for school children.” The development site is sustainably located and has been designed in accordance with the ‘20 Minute Neighbourhood’ concept, with essential amenities all within a 20-minute walk, cycle or public transport ride. A local shop, allotments, doctor’s surgery, playing fields and primary school are all within a 20-minute walk of the site. Overton train station is a 10-minute cycle, and has frequent services running to Basingstoke, Salisbury, Exeter, and to London Waterloo in 55 minutes. The nearest bus stop is a mere four-minute walk providing services to nearby towns and villages. The site sits just south of Overton, and is equidistant between the larger towns of Basingstoke to the east, and Andover to the west. Easy access to the A303 and A34 leads to the wider motorway network. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Housing association Salix Homes has unveiled its plans to invest more than £20million improving social housing across Salford over the next year. The landlord, which owns 8,000 homes in Salford, has announced its investment programme for 2024-2025, which will see 1,366 homes undergo improvement work. A £10million eco-transformation at neighbouring tower blocks Grey Friar Court and White Friar Court in Greengate forms a key part of the investment programme, aiming to make the buildings greener and more energy efficient. Salix Homes is also installing sprinkler systems in five more of its tower blocks, meaning 14 of its 20 tower blocks will have sprinklers, with the remaining blocks to follow. Other improvement work includes new kitchens, bathrooms, windows, doors, roofs, rewiring and heating systems to hundreds of homes. Sue Sutton, Chief Executive at Salix Homes, said: “As we continue to build new homes in Salford, we also remain dedicated to investing in our existing housing stock to ensure our customers have the high-quality, safe and sustainable homes they deserve. “This investment programme is one of our most ambitious yet, aimed at significantly enhancing our customers’ quality of life by creating safer, cleaner and greener homes and communities. “Sustainability is a key priority for Salix Homes – projects like the eco-transformation at Grey Friar Court and White Friar Court are pivotal in reducing our carbon footprint, tackling fuel poverty, and supporting Salford’s journey towards a greener future. “Additionally, the installation of sprinkler systems in five more of our tower blocks underpins our ongoing commitment to building safety, and we are very proud to continue making a positive impact on the lives of our customers and the broader Salford community.” Work is already well underway at Grey Friar Court and White Friar Court, with the scaffolding now erected. The work is being carried out by Salix Homes’ principal contractor Casey and includes external wall and roof insulation, new windows and ventilation; while the façade and balconies will be completely rendered and transformed. An eco-friendly ground source heating system will also be installed, which, combined with the external insulation will improve the thermal efficiency of the building and help reduce energy bills. The state-of-the-art heating system works by harnessing the natural heat from the ground, rather than burning fuel to generate heat. Salix Homes secured £4million from the government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) to help fund the tower block project, following a successful bid from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) on behalf of social housing providers across Greater Manchester. The SHDF scheme provides financial support to social housing providers and local authorities to undertake energy efficiency and decarbonisation measures. The Government has set a target that all social housing should have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) of a ‘C’ rating by 2030, as part of the net zero programme to reduce the UK’s carbon emissions, while Salix Homes has committed to becoming a carbon neutral organisation by 2038. The five tower blocks to get sprinkler systems over the next year are Floral Court and Cheshill Court in Broughton and Black Friar Court, Newbank Tower and Riverbank Tower in Greengate. The improvement work will be carried out by Salix Homes’ partner contractors, including Casey, Connolly and Emanuel Whittaker. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Bellway has completed a land deal on Golbourne Road in Winwick, with planning consent granted by Warrington Borough Council for 153 family homes. The site, which is 15 acres in size, was formerly privately owned farmland. With build due to start by the end of the month, the land will be transformed into a picturesque development comprising a mix of three and four bedroom homes. The new development will be known as St Oswalds Place, and appealing to a family audience, will offer an array of semi-detached and detached houses, all providing garages and/or off road parking. Each property at St Oswalds Place has been expertly designed to an exceptionally high standard, with the development benefitting from a lovely open aspect yet well connected to local transport links, including the M6 and M62 motorways as well as Winwick Quay train station. Garce Yarlett, Sales Director at Bellway, said: “Winwick is a wonderful location for a new residential development. It is a particularly popular place to live for families, so we expect our range of three and four bedroom homes to be in demand once released for sale. Having only just completed on the land deal, we are thrilled to be making an immediate start on site at St Oswalds Place.” With construction commencing imminently, it is anticipated that the two stunning showhomes will open in June 2025, along with first occupancy. Bellway plans to release for sale the first few properties later this year, in November. In addition to the new development in Winwick, Bellway has made several significant Section 106 contributions, totalling more than £2m. Some of these include £897,241 towards primary and secondary school education, £154,154 towards healthcare, £120,000 towards highways and £321,082 towards sport. Bellway worked with APD Architects and Gateley Solicitors on the scheme. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
In the past week later living operator and developer, Inspired Villages, achieved planning approval for further phases at two of its future communities. Arun Lea, Broadbridge Heath and Little Mount Lake, near Tunbridge Wells, were both approved in detail by their respective councils. Phase 1 of Inspired’s Little Mount Lake community in the District of Wealden, West Sussex, was approved in 2021. This latest decision on Phases 2 and 3, that was unanimously approved by Wealden District Council’s Planning Committee last week, will deliver a further 91 specialist homes for over 65s. This will support the significant need for age-appropriate housing options for older people across the District while freeing up existing family homes in the area. Speaking at the committee, Cllr Johanna Howell, Wealden District Councillor for Frant & Wadhurst, said: “I visited an Inspired Village unit up in Leeds, near Leeds Castle, and was very impressed by them.” She added: “I would like to thank Inspired Villages for listening, for being there and being receptive to ideas – they are model for other people as to how they should go forward.” Inspired Villages are currently in the process of appointing a primary contractor to deliver the first phase. In addition to the jobs and apprenticeships created during construction, the new retirement community is expected to create approximately 30 full-time equivalent jobs for local people once Little Mount Lake is complete. The second success was for its Arun Lea community located in Broadbridge Heath, West Sussex. Phase 1 was approved in November last year for the village centre with restaurant, café and shop, as well as a swimming pool and sauna, all open to the wider community, in addition to 47 homes. Plans for Phases 2 and 3 were submitted in February this year for an extra 94 homes and approved by Horsham District Council last week. Ellen Pearce, Head of Planning at Inspired Villages commented, said: “We’re really pleased with the outcomes for our Arun Lea and Little Mount Lake communities as a tremendous amount of effort goes into each planning application. In the case of Little Mount Lake, we were keen to demonstrate to Wealden District Council Planning Committee Members what life at Inspired Villages looks like so it was fantastic to be able to share that with a tour around Ledian Gardens in Leeds, Kent. “We are now working toward the submission of a further seven planning applications for the remainder of the year and remain optimistic that the positive views of the council members and officers at these two communities will be echoed in other Local Authorities.” Inspired Villages CEO, Jamie Bunce continued: “Getting the green light to grow these two net-zero communities is a great way to kick off the second half of 2024. The simple fact is the UK needs more housing of every kind, the new National Planning Policy Framework states 1.5m new homes and these outcomes help towards that goal with a further 185 age-appropriate homes for our rapidly ageing population. It’s a positive step in the right direction and I would like to extend a huge well done to the planning team for all their hard work and dedication in making this happen.” Inspired Villages is an operator and developer of integrated retirement communities across the UK. It currently operates nine villages, which are home to over 1,200 residents. For more information visit www.inspiredvillages.co.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
