Aldi is set to open nine stores in the capital this year as part of a £55 million investment within the M25. Building on its promise to bring unbeatable value to even more Londoners, the supermarket has revealed four of the locations set to welcome new Aldi stores in the
New phase promises high-tech growth for Oxfordshire innovation hub Albion Land’s flagship technology park, Catalyst Bicester, is set for significant expansion following Cherwell District Council’s approval of the next phase of development. The green light paves the way for an additional 128,000 sq ft of premium employment space across three
The Council’s executive will be asked to consider a report at next week’s committee meeting (Weds 22 January) outlining a range of land disposals across Manchester that will help deliver more than 700 new affordable homes. In 2023/24 the highest level of affordable housing was delivered for a decade, contributing
This Blue Monday (20 January), escape the ordinary and apply for the job of a lifetime in Antarctica. British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is looking for people to work at its research stations in Antarctica in a range of roles. Carpenters, chefs, electricians, plumbers, boating officers, plant operators and more are
The joint venture’s first acquisition comes days after the announcement of the €840 million pan-European logistics partnership managed by M7 M7 Real Estate (“M7”), the pan-European investor and asset manager, announces the acquisition of Broadheath Network Centre in Greater Manchester for £47 million, from Network Space Developments. The acquisition is the
WREKIN Products has proudly achieved the We Invest In People standard accreditation from Investors in People, marking its commitment to staff welfare and organisational standards. This milestone involved the specialist civils provider working with Investors in People to evaluate and improve its procedures and personnel. A detailed report was produced,
Aldi is set to open nine stores in the capital this year as part of a £55 million investment within the M25. Building on its promise to bring unbeatable value to even more Londoners, the supermarket has revealed four of the locations set to welcome new Aldi stores in the next 12 months. Shoppers in Wimbledon, Fulham Broadway, Caterham and Orpington are all set to benefit from a new Aldi store in 2025. The openings form part of Aldi’s £650 million investment in Britain in 2025. The investment also includes upgrades at some of its existing locations within the M25, including an extension to its Colindale store. Aldi has a long-term ambition to open another 100 stores in London, creating around 3,500 new jobs. Jonathan Neale, Managing Director of National Real Estate at Aldi UK, said: “We strongly believe that everyone in Britain should have access to high quality food at our unbeatable Aldi prices. But we know that there are still thousands of shoppers in the capital that don’t yet have access to an Aldi nearby. “We don’t think it’s fair that so many people still have to make do with big prices at other supermarkets, which is why London continues to be a real focus for us as we work to bring even more Aldi stores to shoppers across the capital.” Aldi has been named by Which? as officially the UK’s cheapest supermarket of the year for 2024, the fourth year in a row the supermarket has picked up the title. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
New phase promises high-tech growth for Oxfordshire innovation hub Albion Land’s flagship technology park, Catalyst Bicester, is set for significant expansion following Cherwell District Council’s approval of the next phase of development. The green light paves the way for an additional 128,000 sq ft of premium employment space across three state-of-the-art, sustainable buildings along the A41. Planning permission for the project, part of Phase 4 of the Catalyst masterplan, was granted at a council meeting on Thursday, 16 January. With eight buildings already completed and fully let to advanced manufacturing, research and development (R&D), and design companies—including notable names such as Evolito, Tesla, and Yasa—Catalyst Bicester continues to establish itself as a hub for innovation and technology. The development also benefits from nearby amenities such as the Holiday Inn Express and David Lloyd Leisure, enhancing the appeal of the park for employees and businesses alike. Simon Parsons, Director of Albion Land, said:“This is fantastic news for Bicester, Oxfordshire, and the high-skills technology and engineering sectors in the region. These bespoke new buildings will provide exceptional workspace for companies eager to join the Catalyst Bicester success story and benefit from our efforts to strengthen Bicester’s tech ecosystem. We’re thrilled with the planning approval and are eager to move forward to meet the strong demand from occupiers.” Construction of Phase 3 is planned for 2025, delivering a further 110,000 sq ft across five buildings. Phase 4 will follow unless accelerated by tenant demand. Phase 4 represents a £55 million investment and could create around 500 additional jobs, depending on the eventual occupiers of the new space. Catalyst Bicester’s development began in 2021, with Phases 1 and 2 now fully built out and leased. The most recent addition, Unit 8 (38,710 sq ft), was completed last autumn and is already home to an international advanced-engineering and design business. Demand for space at Catalyst Bicester is driven by the growth of Oxfordshire’s innovation and technology sectors, as well as the park’s strategic location, high-quality amenities, and integration within the region’s tech and engineering ecosystem. The three new Phase 4 buildings will occupy a prime site fronting the A41, directly opposite the Holiday Inn Express. The site is designated in the Cherwell Local Plan for knowledge-based employment development. Albion Land was supported in the planning process by Quod (planning consultants) and Cornish (architects). Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The Council’s executive will be asked to consider a report at next week’s committee meeting (Weds 22 January) outlining a range of land disposals across Manchester that will help deliver more than 700 new affordable homes. In 2023/24 the highest level of affordable housing was delivered for a decade, contributing to the Council’s ambitious housing strategy to deliver at least 10,000 genuinely affordable, Council and Social Rent new homes up to 2032. To further meet this target Manchester City Council will continue to collaborate within the Manchester Housing Providers Partnership – coordinating support and delivering sustainable affordable housing to meet the city’s needs. New housing will help reduce demand on Manchester’s housing register and will be part of the Council’s approach to help reduce homelessness. Legal & General Affordable Homes and L&Q have recently joined the Housing Partnership, broadening capacity and complementing the specialty of existing partners, but also expanding delivery resources over the housing strategy period to 2032. The report outlines the Housing Partnerships plans for ten brownfield sites and how they have been designed to directly address acute local affordable housing demand, providing a broad range of different house types and tenures ranging from specialist supported accommodation, apartments for key workers and right-sizers, along with larger family houses. Following Executive approval, all proposals are expected to conclude pre-application engagement with the Local Planning Authority and for public consultation on the design proposals to commence before construction works begin on site as soon as possible. Various 100% affordable housing land disposals include: Read the exec paper in full to find out more Leader of the Council Bev Craig said: “Building more affordable homes for Manchester residents is one of Manchester City Council’s biggest priorities and we have a massive housebuilding programme under way to build at least 10,000 genuinely affordable, council, social homes. “We know that building these much-needed homes isn’t easy, so we have looked at how we can get the best use from land that the council owns to help us reach ambitious housing strategy. I’m pleased to bring forward the latest examples of where we our building on our land. “We are on track to meet our target, and we have seen more genuinely affordable homes built in the last year than at any other time in more than a decade. This is being done through programmes like this, our own building company This City, Project 500, large regeneration schemes and working to influence the market. We are committed to building the new homes Manchester residents need to thrive.” Cllr Gavin White, Manchester City Council’s executive member for housing and development, said: “We are constantly reviewing what land opportunities are at our disposal to build much-need housing across a range of tenures and types to meet demand in a local area. These parcels of land will all deliver the homes we know these communities need, including significant affordable and social housing, but also specialist housing too. We really welcome the accelerated delivery of new social and affordable housing that these sites will enable. “This is in no small part thanks to our strong partnership approach, working closely with Manchester’s housing providers using Council-owned brownfield land, public and government funding, and the expertise of the city’s affordable housing developers to build high quality, low carbon homes for Manchester people.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
This Blue Monday (20 January), escape the ordinary and apply for the job of a lifetime in Antarctica. British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is looking for people to work at its research stations in Antarctica in a range of roles. Carpenters, chefs, electricians, plumbers, boating officers, plant operators and more are encouraged to apply for a job that offers the opportunity of a lifetime. It’s a job unlike any other and an experience that will provide lifelong memories. Successful applicants will work in some of the most remote and beautiful places on Earth, building lifelong friendships and contributing to science that’s critical for understanding our changing world. Eloise Saville is a carpenter at Halley VI Research Station, which sits on an ice shelf and is the furthest south of the BAS research stations. This is her first season in Antarctica. “This job is unlike anything I’ve ever done before. I scrape ice off wood, drive skidoos and build things in one of the most extreme places on Earth, yet it’s funny how quickly it all feels normal. The people here are some of the most interesting and adventurous that I’ve met, and yet they’re normal too! If I’d known this was an option earlier, I’d have been working my way down here all along. It’s not just cold, it’s cool!” It’s an experience that leaves a lot of people wanting more. Ben Norrish, Head of Vehicles, joined BAS in 2001 as a Mobile Plant Technician. He has since returned to Antarctica many times, having spent 16 Antarctic seasons living and working on the ice. “There’s something special about Antarctica and the people that adventure there that gets under your skin. No matter how many times you go, when you step off the ship or aeroplane into Antarctica, you look up and take in where you are. That feeling of being in an amazing place is that same now as it was the first time. I would say to anyone who’s even a bit curious about what it’s like to live on the ice, take the leap and apply for the job of a lifetime – you won’t regret it and you don’t know where it might take you!” Looking out the window of your workplace and watching icebergs, whales and penguins is an experience that never gets old. Olivier Hubert, who is now a Catering Manager at BAS, was a chef in a Michelin-starred restaurant before deciding he was ready for a change of scene. He has over-wintered at Rothera Research Station and spent a summer at Halley VI Research Station. “Being a chef in Antarctica is a very different experience to anything I’ve ever done before. Meals are such an important part of life down South – they’re the anchors to the day so the pressure is on to create interesting and nutritious meals with limited supplies. But it’s such a privilege to cook for the team that become your family while you’re there – plus the views from the kitchen are pretty epic!” BAS is a world leader in polar research and operations. Its research highlights the fragility of the Earth’s frozen environments, and what that means for us and our planet. BAS scientists discovered the hole in the ozone layer and identified key evidence for climate change in ancient ice. It provides the UK’s national polar capability by operating research stations, aircraft and Royal Research Ship Sir David Attenborough, supporting science at the poles and securing the UK’s presence in Antarctic affairs. The first batch of the jobs – including diving officer, meteorological observer and ocean scientist are now on the BAS website at bas.ac.uk/vacancies. Applicants should check the specific job advert for the relevant closing date, with contracts starting anytime between May and September. We will continue to post more vacancies, including chefs, vehicle mechanics and zoological field assistants over the next three months. Contracts run from six to 18 months and are flexible. Salaries start at £29,273 per annum, with a benefits package. It’s worth noting there are no external costs whilst living on station as all living expenses are covered – accommodation, food, travel, specialist clothing, tools and training. Want to know more about what it’s like to live and work in Antarctica? Check out our podcast Iceworld to hear stories from people working in these roles on the ice. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The joint venture’s first acquisition comes days after the announcement of the €840 million pan-European logistics partnership managed by M7 M7 Real Estate (“M7”), the pan-European investor and asset manager, announces the acquisition of Broadheath Network Centre in Greater Manchester for £47 million, from Network Space Developments. The acquisition is the first undertaken by M7 on behalf of the newly formed pan-European industrial & logistics joint venture between Oxford Properties, a leading global real estate investor, developer and manager, and AustralianSuper, Australia’s largest superannuation fund. The joint venture, which is named the European Supply Chain Income Partnership (“ESCIP”), is aiming to build a €4.5 billion portfolio in the next three to five years and was formed through the acquisition by AustralianSuper of a 50% stake in Oxford’s c. €840 million industrial & logistics portfolio and its M7 platform. The joint venture is expected to complete at the end of Q1 of 2025 and is conditional, amongst other things, on customary regulatory approvals. The c. 206,000 sq ft prime, new, multi-let industrial estate was recently developed by Network Space Developments who acquired the site in 2021 ahead of building out the facility which now comprises 25 high-specification units ranging in size from 2,080 sq ft to 41,738 sq ft. Broadheath Network Centre was constructed using recycled steel and concrete, and includes EV charging points which alongside a number of other environmental initiatives have led to its BREEAM ‘Very Good’ and EPC ‘A’ ratings. The estate is currently 66% let with key occupiers including Maersk, National Trust, Options Greathire, Xpand Logistics, Socotec and Torque Golf. M7 will undertake an active asset management strategy to lease up the remaining vacant space and drive the income profile of the asset. Strategically located in Altrincham, an established logistics hub in Greater Manchester, Broadheath Network Centre benefits from direct access to the M56, M60 and M6 motorways, as well as its proximity to Manchester Airport, enabling both local and national distribution. David Ebbrell, CEO M7 Real Estate, said: “This acquisition is our first investment on behalf of the newly formed European industrial & logistics strategic partnership with Oxford and AustralianSuper announced earlier last week. To have concluded this transaction so soon after agreeing that joint venture underlines the strong ambitions we all have to grow the ESCIP platform. The Broadheath Network Centre typifies the type of asset we want to add to this portfolio, being a prime last-mile asset in a high growth urban logistics location within a strong and affluent regional city. We now look forward to leveraging the M7 team’s asset management expertise, building on the leasing momentum already achieved by Network Space Developments, to let up the remaining vacant space. At the same time, we are actively pursuing high-quality urban logistics assets in key European markets, aiming to capitalise on robust occupier demand.” Alicia Peters, Vice President of Logistics & Residential, Oxford Properties, added: “This transaction, coming days after the formation of the joint venture with AustralianSuper, is a real statement of intent as we look to grow ESCIP into a leading, €4.5 billion, pan-European logistics portfolioover the next three to five years. We believe this is an attractive moment in the cycle to deploy capital into European logistics and our high conviction investment strategies.” Stephen Barnes, NSD Managing Director, said: “We are delighted to have sold Broadheath Networkcentre to M7 and Oxford. Completed in March this year, the scheme is already 66% let including two further lettings completed in recent weeks, achieving a new headline rent – a testament to the quality of the scheme, its location, design and sustainability credentials. The scheme’s delivery is the result of a well-established and successful partnership between ourselves, Trafford MBC who have provided debt finance, and the principal contractor Bansco. “The sale process with M7 and Oxford has worked incredibly smoothly – a result of our preparedness and the hard work and dedication of both our corporate teams, led by Dan Adamson, together with M7 and Oxford’s teams. We wish to thank all those involved for ensuring a swift and successful conclusion.” M7 Real Estate was represented by Savills, Jones Day, Deloitte, TFT Consultants and Nova Ambiente. Network Space was represented by B8RE, Gateley and Grant Thornton. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
WREKIN Products has proudly achieved the We Invest In People standard accreditation from Investors in People, marking its commitment to staff welfare and organisational standards. This milestone involved the specialist civils provider working with Investors in People to evaluate and improve its procedures and personnel. A detailed report was produced, highlighting strengths and offering recommendations for improvement. Following the report, significant changes were implemented with the help of consultants, Astrum Associates, which has modernised the HR and team management processes completely. These updates included enhancements to onboarding, welfare services, and structured career progression meetings. Having assessed more than 50,000 businesses during its 30-plus years of operation, Investors in People is a trusted, independent, and internationally recognised body which evaluates businesses based on their commitment to employee wellbeing and gives critical recommendations for improvement. The Wrekin team celebrated their achievement by having the plaque unveiled at an internal ceremony with a specially made cake for all staff to share. Driving the effort was Wrekin’s head of HR and senior accountant Mel Kinsey, who described the accreditation as a ‘worthwhile recognition of the team’s hard work paying off’. She said: “I’ve been with Wrekin for a long period of time, joining when the company was only small. Now that we have grown in size, it is rewarding to be putting measures in place to ensure people are having a positive working experience and no one is overlooked. I’m passionate about improving people’s work lives and I’ve championed this initiative for some time. “It was vital to make these changes company-wide, encouraging a culture where everyone contributes to building and maintaining the great team spirit we have. The response has been fantastic, with colleagues embracing the opportunity to grow and support one another. “People need to feel supported, included, and respected. Thanks to our work with Astrum and Investors in People, we’ve made significant progress in these areas. However, this just the beginning as we are now aiming for gold accreditation and even greater improvements. At Wrekin, our people are important to us and we’re committed to continued growth.” To learn more about Wrekin and its culture, visit: www.wrekinproducts.com/about-us Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
