Whitbread PLC, the owner of the Premier Inn hotel chain, has revealed the location for its newest Dublin hotel, with plans submitted to redevelop a site at Parkgate Street, Dublin 8, into a new 155-bedroom Premier Inn. Development partners Greenleaf Group and Warren Private have submitted a planning application to
New data reveals that the industry’s biggest challenges are budget constraints, under-staffing, and barriers to technology adoption According to a recent survey, improving compliance and safety continues to be the number one priority for facilities management professionals. However, 14% of respondents expressed uncertainty about meeting building maintenance compliance standards, while
LondonMetric Property Plc (“LondonMetric”) announces the acquisition of a long-let M&S logistics warehouse for £74.0 million, reflecting a NIY of 5.65%. The 390,000 sq ft regional logistics warehouse is pre-let to M&S on a 20-year lease with five yearly upward only rent reviews linked to CPI. The highly specified warehouse
A major investment programme that is improving living conditions across the Army estate has delivered new accommodation for soldiers at St George’s Barracks in Bicester. The new Single Living Accommodation (SLA) block, constructed using Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), provides 72 en suite single bedspaces, kitchen and diner facilities, utility
Aviva Investors, the global asset management business, announces it has completed a significant letting agreement at its flagship One Liverpool Street development in the City of London, with global real estate adviser Knight Frank. The agreement will see Knight Frank take 72,400 sq ft in the building on an 18-year
The infrastructure business will continue to leverage data to build new opportunities for both their employees and business, with training provided by Multiverse Infrastructure today announces that it will build out its data academy with Multiverse, following the success of its graduating apprenticeship cohort. In a move that will continue
Speedy Hire, the UK’s leading tools and equipment hire company, has successfully delivered a significant fleet mobilisation to support Lanes Group in the rollout of a new contract with Yorkshire Water. The operation saw 115 vehicles fully equipped with brand-new tools and specialist kit, ready for day-one deployment across Yorkshire.
The British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc) has announced a new event aimed at encouraging the next generation to consider careers within the professional cleaning industry. For the first time, the industry-leading Institute will host its inaugural BICSc Youth Event which will take place on July 9th, 2025. The one-day
Salix Finance, which supports governments across the UK achieve net zero targets, is celebrating after being accredited as a silver Carbon Literate Organisation by The Carbon Literacy Project. The award recognises commitment to equip teams with the knowledge and skills to actively reduce their carbon emissions and to contribute to
The Guinness Partnership, one of England’s largest housing associations, has won in the Collaborative Working category at this year’s EEM Building Communities Awards for its DIY Skills programme. EEM is a not-for-profit consortium set up to drive cost and efficiency savings in the public sector, and the awards celebrated excellence
Whitbread PLC, the owner of the Premier Inn hotel chain, has revealed the location for its newest Dublin hotel, with plans submitted to redevelop a site at Parkgate Street, Dublin 8, into a new 155-bedroom Premier Inn. Development partners Greenleaf Group and Warren Private have submitted a planning application to demolish the vacant Westbrook Motors building and build a new latest format Premier Inn hotel. The site is situated in a prime location near Heuston Station, on the River Liffey and by famous Dublin 8 pub Ryan’s of Parkgate Street. Whitbread previously partnered with Greenleaf Group and Warren Private on its first Premier Inn hotel in Ireland – at Lower Stephen’s Street, Dublin 2 – and its Cork hotel which opened its doors in 2024. Furthermore, Warren Private and Greenleaf Group sold the site at 29-30 Ushers Quay, Dublin 8 where Whitbread shortly intends to commence construction on a new 100-bedroom hotel. Parkgate Street is the latest commitment by Whitbread in Ireland as it targets a network of 5,000 Premier Inn rooms across the country. The company currently offers a choice of six hotels across Dublin and Cork and has more than +1,000 new hotel rooms in its secure development pipeline across both cities. Matt Gent, Development Manager for Whitbread in Ireland, said: “Premier Inn is growing from strength to strength in Ireland. Submitting a planning application for what will become our third Premier Inn hotel in Dublin 8 is a huge achievement for the business and will deliver another excellent location for our customers as we aim to become the number one budget hotel chain in Ireland. “Parkgate Street site is in an exciting and vibrant area of the city, and we are confident a Premier Inn hotel will trade strongly there given the proximity to Heuston Station and the many leisure attractions and leisure businesses nearby. “With significant additional bedroom requirements yet to fulfil in Dublin and elsewhere, we’re actively seeking additional freehold and leasehold opportunities for Premier Inn across Ireland as we work to establish a national network of budget hotels for our domestic and international customers”. Mark Elliott, Director of Dublin-based Greenleaf Group said: “We are very pleased to once again be partnering with Warren Private and Whitbread to regenerate this high-profile Dublin 8 site and deliver a high-quality new 155-bedroom Premier Inn hotel. “This is a continuation of our tried and tested partnership with Warren Private and Whitbread. Our completed Premier Inn hotels are now open and trading well in Dublin and Cork, and we’re certain this strategically important location will be a success. “We very much hope that the proposal will be favourably considered by Dublin City Council, and we look forward to working with all stakeholders during the planning and development of the site.” Premier Inn has a target list of 14 locations for Premier Inn in Ireland including Dublin, Galway, Killarney, Limerick and Waterford. The business is seeking sites as freeholds, leaseholds, conversions as well as going concern asset purchases. The full list of target locations for Premier Inn in Ireland is available here. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
New data reveals that the industry’s biggest challenges are budget constraints, under-staffing, and barriers to technology adoption According to a recent survey, improving compliance and safety continues to be the number one priority for facilities management professionals. However, 14% of respondents expressed uncertainty about meeting building maintenance compliance standards, while only 23% plan to increase their investment in compliance and safety measures. SFG20, the industry standard for building maintenance, surveyed 190 professionals from various roles across the built environment, construction and real estate to assess challenges and priorities regarding facility management. The survey reveals that while the industry faces significant pressure, professionals are focused on innovation and improvement, with clear priorities and strategies for 2025. Compliance and safety as top priority The survey reveals that improving compliance and safety remains the top priority for facilities management professionals. A significant 77% of respondents reported compliance to be at least a moderate challenge, reflecting the ongoing issue of meeting complex regulatory requirements. Budget constraints and cost reduction Budget constraints are currently the biggest challenge in the industry, as reported by 75% of respondents. At the same time, reducing operational costs is the second biggest priority for FM professionals. Rising energy costs, inflation, and supply chain disruptions all make it increasingly difficult to deliver quality and cost-efficient services within tight budgets. As organisations strive to meet compliance demands and implement essential safety measures, 40% report a budget decrease over the past year, with 13% citing a significant reduction. 69% of facilities management professionals have the same or less budget than the previous year. Meanwhile, staffing shortages are widening the talent gap in facilities management, with 80% of professionals reporting their facility management teams are understaffed, and 24% stating they are significantly understaffed. Technology adoption Digital transformation has become a core focus within the FM industry, as organisations seek to lever technology to improve efficiency, reduce operational costs, and enhance compliance. 53% of respondents rated digital transformation as a ‘highly important’ strategic priority for their organisation. However, high costs remain a major obstacle to technology adoption in facilities management, with 33% stating it as their main barrier. Many facility management teams work under tight budget constraints, making large-scale investment in digital advancements a struggle. Other challenges revealed were: integration with existing systems (19%), a lack of internal expertise (16%), and a resistance to change within the organisation (17%). Kirsty Cogan, Managing Director at SFG20, says: “As the facilities management industry evolves, improving the quality of asset data, achieving compliance, and controlling costs will be the key priorities in 2025. The survey findings highlight the significant pressures faced by professionals in the sector but also show how they are driving change and innovation to address these challenges. “It’s encouraging to see the industry increasingly prioritising technology as a vital tool for achieving compliance and reducing operating costs. To overcome the significant challenges facing the sector, technology must play a central role. Recognising this, SFG20 are incorporating technologies such as AI search and asset mapping into our software and developing API integrations to assist industry with FM systems connectivity. A great way to start is to build a technology roadmap that is aligned to your organisation’s objectives” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
LondonMetric Property Plc (“LondonMetric”) announces the acquisition of a long-let M&S logistics warehouse for £74.0 million, reflecting a NIY of 5.65%. The 390,000 sq ft regional logistics warehouse is pre-let to M&S on a 20-year lease with five yearly upward only rent reviews linked to CPI. The highly specified warehouse is being developed by Epta Development Corporation (“EDC”) and its development partner, Stoford. It will be a key facility for M&S’s food distribution business and incorporates chilled, ambient and frozen product. The unit is located at Axis Works, a prime logistics location in Bristol, adjacent to other LondonMetric warehouse investments in Avonmouth. The BREEAM Excellent building is expected to complete in summer 2026 and LondonMetric will receive a funding coupon of 5.5% during the development. Andrew Jones, Chief Executive of LondonMetric, commented: “This is a high quality development let on a very long lease to one of the UK’s strongest retailers. It will deliver income longevity, certainty and guaranteed growth. It further extends our relationship with M&S and adds another exceptional building to LondonMetric’s portfolio.” Alex Freudmann, MD of M&S Food, commented: “Modernising our supply chain is key to increasing the capacity in our network and will help us get ahead of the volume curve we are driving in M&S Food to meet our ambition of becoming a shopping list retailer. This new site will ensure that we’re getting the right products to the right stores at the right time for our customers. It will also create a great working environment for our colleagues.” Chris Tsakumis, Principal at EDC, commented: “We are pleased to have invested in the site and our long-term UK investment strategy has reaped initial dividends with the announcement of our first occupier and investment sale.” CBRE and Knight Frank acted for EDC and Stoford. Lambert Smith Hampton represented M&S. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A major investment programme that is improving living conditions across the Army estate has delivered new accommodation for soldiers at St George’s Barracks in Bicester. The new Single Living Accommodation (SLA) block, constructed using Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), provides 72 en suite single bedspaces, kitchen and diner facilities, utility rooms and furnished communal space for Junior Rank soldiers. The project was funded under the Army’s SLA Programme and delivered by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), contracting to off-site construction specialists Reds10 and engineering consultants Arcadis. The modular, sustainable SLA features solar energy harvesting, air source heat pumps and a SMART building management system, which processes data from an array of sensors and equipment to monitor energy consumption and to ensure the building runs as efficiently as possible. At the formal opening of the Junior Ranks block on 24 March, Brigadier Peter Quaite OBE, Head of Infrastructure Plans, Army Basing and Infrastructure said: “As a key part of our long-term investment programme, we are embracing modern methods of construction to enable us to build faster, while providing a better standard of living space for our people and improving the sustainability of our estate. This new, energy-efficient building has been designed using soldier feedback to ensure it meets their specific needs and showcases the impressive standard of accommodation we are committed to delivering.” Lt Col Gerard Hennigan, Bicester Garrison Commander, said: “It is excellent to see the result of significant investment at St George’s Barracks to deliver better accommodation for our soldiers and provide modern living facilities that meet their needs. The quality of the bedrooms, common areas and kitchen areas are impressive, and we look forward to moving soldiers into their new home in the coming weeks.” Warren Webster, DIO MPP Army Programme Director, said: “We are delighted to have completed the latest in a series of new SLA blocks for our Armed Forces across the country. This new block will provide the Army with fantastic homes for junior ranks at St George’s Barracks while utilising sustainability features built into the design from the outset, making the building efficient to run and comfortable to live in.” Phil Cook, Defence Director, Reds10, said: “We are proud to support the Army’s commitment to improving service personnel accommodation with modern, high-quality, and sustainable living spaces. Through industrialised production, we have delivered a building that not only meets the needs of personnel today but also ensures long-term efficiency and environmental benefits. This project exemplifies how innovation and collaboration can enhance the living conditions of our service personnel, and we look forward to continuing our work in delivering exceptional accommodation that will transform the lived experience”. Overall, the Army SLA Programme is investing £1.4Bn over ten years to enhance living conditions for service personnel. More than 1,000 new bedspaces are currently in construction across the estate, with six blocks due to complete this year. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Aviva Investors, the global asset management business, announces it has completed a significant letting agreement at its flagship One Liverpool Street development in the City of London, with global real estate adviser Knight Frank. The agreement will see Knight Frank take 72,400 sq ft in the building on an 18-year lease, in what will become its London and global headquarters. It is the second major letting completed by Aviva Investors at One Liverpool Street, and follows the news in 2023 that Dentons, the world’s largest global law firm, would be occupying almost 68,000 sq ft of space in the building. Due to complete in Q1 2026, One Liverpool Street will provide 176,000 sq ft of best in class office and retail space, spread across the ground and ten upper floors. It forms one part of a substantial development scheme that also includes One Liverpool Street’s sister scheme, 101 Moorgate, which itself provides over 70,000 sq ft of office and retail space over its ground and eight upper floors and roof terrace. The two buildings sit at the eastern and western entrances to the Elizabeth Line at Liverpool Street station respectively. Both sites are being developed to create office headquarters that are fit for the future, with energy-efficiency being a prominent consideration in their design, targeting a BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ rating for sustainability performance and EPC A. They will also feature all-electric energy solutions. The measures are expected to lead to an overall carbon saving of 33 per cent over current Building Regulations, whilst lowering ongoing energy needs and costs for occupier firms. Sitting in the heart of the Square Mile, the scheme also supports the City of London’s strategic priority to deliver a minimum of 1.2 million sq m additional office floorspace by 2040 under its ‘City Plan 2040’. One Liverpool Street forms part of a significant development pipeline for Aviva Investors in the City of London. Alongside 101 Moorgate, a public consultation has also recently opened on Aviva Investors’ plans to redevelop 130 Fenchurch Street. Ed Atterwill, Head of Central London at Aviva Investors, said: “Attracting a business such as Knight Frank is testament to the quality of our development programme and the buildings that we create. We are delighted to welcome them to One Liverpool Street. This is a scheme designed to equip world-leading businesses with a truly flagship building, featuring best-in-class facilities and modern technologies, whilst sitting in one of London’s best connected locations. We believe this is a development which can help the City get ready for the future by creating flagship assets that continue to attract world-leading businesses to the heart of the Square Mile.” William Beardmore-Gray, Senior Partner and Group Chair at Knight Frank, added: “We are absolutely delighted to have secured a truly best-in-class building located in the heart of London as our new Global HQ. Our goal was always to secure a state-of-the-art space with exceptional ESG credentials, that embodies our market-leading brand, delivers what we need and sets us up for the future – 1 Liverpool St represents that. With excellent transport links surrounded by restaurants, shops, green spaces and much more, it will be an exceptional place for our people to come together, work, collaborate and welcome our clients.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The infrastructure business will continue to leverage data to build new opportunities for both their employees and business, with training provided by Multiverse Infrastructure today announces that it will build out its data academy with Multiverse, following the success of its graduating apprenticeship cohort. In a move that will continue to boost business potential through data-driven decision making, the upskilling initiative marks Morgan Sindall Infrastructure’s continued commitment to investing in its people. The forthcoming launch will bring the total number of employees who have enrolled on digital and data programmes with Multiverse to 80. Impact across the business has been substantial since the inception of the academy. The most recent cohort saw a 14% increase in individual efficiency during the programme – equating to more than 7,200 hours saved per year. Apprentices have used improved data skills to drive tangible business outcomes, from mitigating weather-related project delays, to reducing workplace safety incidents, to increasing visibility of potential quality issues. Following their completion of the programme, 86% of the graduating cohort achieved a distinction. One apprentice who drove significant impact on programme is James Macdonald, who developed skills in Python, SQL and PowerBI. He said: “I’ve already benefited from learning how to conduct hypothesis tests and build regression models in Python. I’ve been able to apply this in my work on our carbon calculation tool, to predict the carbon footprint of forthcoming projects, which will be really valuable. And elsewhere I’ve already seen value in data skills reducing time spent gathering information for reporting dashboards.” Multiverse’s 2024 Skills Intelligence Report revealed that in construction, 29% of employees’ time working with data is spent unproductively. Morgan Sindall Infrastructure’s continued commitment to upskilling, however, will enable its teams to automate processes and tasks, leading to a significant boost in efficiency and output. Sarah Reid, Managing Director –for Water & Highways at Morgan Sindall Infrastructure said: “The Digital and Data Academy is part of our ongoing commitment to developing and protecting our people, ensuring they have the right tools and knowledge to thrive in a fast-paced industry. Having the skills to harness data effectively will not only improve efficiency across the business but also create opportunities for personal and professional growth.” Multiverse combines work and learning to unlock economic opportunity for everyone. It works with more than 1,500 organisations to close critical skill gaps in the workforce in AI, data and technology. Gary Eimerman, Chief Learning officer at Multiverse said: “Data is transforming the future of the construction industry. By taking a forward-thinking approach to close the data skills gap, Morgan Sindall Infrastructure will deliver measurable benefits for both its business and its people.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Speedy Hire, the UK’s leading tools and equipment hire company, has successfully delivered a significant fleet mobilisation to support Lanes Group in the rollout of a new contract with Yorkshire Water. The operation saw 115 vehicles fully equipped with brand-new tools and specialist kit, ready for day-one deployment across Yorkshire. “This mobilisation is a great example of what Speedy Hire can do for its customers,” said Tom Gillespie, Account Director at Speedy Hire. “We’ve been working with Lanes Group in partnership to get these vehicles ready for a brand-new contract with Yorkshire Water. All the vehicles have been fully prepped and are ready to go on day one.” The mobilisation involved close collaboration between Speedy Hire and Lanes Group to ensure the entire fleet was kitted out efficiently and delivered on schedule. “Mobilising a contract of this size and scale takes real collaboration,” said Sam Harris, Head of Procurement and Plant at Lanes Group. “Working with Speedy as a partner, we’ve got 115 vans ready to go, and everybody’s been able to pick up their vehicles and drive straight out. It’s been a real success.” Key to the project’s success was Speedy Hire’s mobilisation team, who oversaw the complex logistics and delivery across multiple locations. “I’ve been working closely with the team at Lanes Group to ensure all the equipment they required was available in the right place at the right time,” said Nikki Harvey, Mobilisation Director at Speedy Hire. “It’s been great to see everything come together — this has been our largest mobilisation for Lanes Group to date, and a proud moment for the team.” This mobilisation highlights Speedy Hire’s capability to scale rapidly and support major contracts across the utilities and infrastructure sectors, with end-to-end equipment solutions and expert project management. WATCH THE VIDEO HERE… Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc) has announced a new event aimed at encouraging the next generation to consider careers within the professional cleaning industry. For the first time, the industry-leading Institute will host its inaugural BICSc Youth Event which will take place on July 9th, 2025. The one-day event will shine a spotlight on the varied career opportunities in the cleaning sector and facilities management industry. BICSc will be hosting this new event in collaboration with Youth Employment UK (YEUK) and together will showcase and explore exciting career options with experts from the sector, delivering dynamic presentations and participating in insightful, knowledge sharing panels. BICSc Group Managing Director, Neil Spencer-Cook said: “This event is designed to give young people a comprehensive understanding of the diverse job roles available after leaving school, college, or university. Those attending will leave with a clearer picture of the multiple career paths that await them, and the skills needed to succeed. “Hosted by BICSc, in collaboration with Youth Employment UK, this event underscores our commitment to being a youth-friendly, industry-friendly organisation that values its local community and the opportunities within it. It gives delegates the ideal opportunity to shape their future and discover the numerous possibilities to achieve and succeed in the cleaning and FM sectors!” The event, which will be held at IET, Austin Court, Birmingham, will be staged during Youth Employment Week, 7th-11th July 2025 and will guide and highlight the breadth of the cleaning industry and wider FM roles available to students after leaving school, college or university. Experts from BICSc and YEUK will share their own personal insights and experiences of their career successes to help inspire attendees to understand what can be achieved in both sectors. Discussions will also focus on early/extended careers in innovation in the industry. Neil Spencer-Cook added: “We are thrilled to be able to launch this new BICSc Youth Event which will offer a full day of presentations, panels, and exhibitions from youth-friendly companies operating within our industry. For sponsors and exhibitors, this is a unique chance to showcase their opportunities and connect with enthusiastic young talent and effectively promote their job openings and career prospects.” “We are excited to share more information about the multitude of career opportunities available and inspire the next generation of specialists within the sector.” BICSc is the largest independent professional and educational body within the cleaning industry. The are several sponsorship packages available and opportunities for organisations to exhibit at the exclusive event. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Salix Finance, which supports governments across the UK achieve net zero targets, is celebrating after being accredited as a silver Carbon Literate Organisation by The Carbon Literacy Project. The award recognises commitment to equip teams with the knowledge and skills to actively reduce their carbon emissions and to contribute to a net zero future. To achieve this accreditation team members from across the organisation completed carbon literacy training. Achieving silver status fits with the Salix mission to ‘help save the planet’ and the leadership provided in decarbonisation for other public bodies, as well as sustainability in every aspect of the business. We hope it will serve as inspiration for other public sector organisations to follow. Going forward, Salix remains dedicated to helping organisations with the tools they need to reduce emissions at a personal, community, and organisational level. Salix chief executive, Kevin Holland, said: “We’re on a mission to help save the planet, supporting public sector organisations to reduce their environmental impact. “In order to provide leadership in this sector, we want to invest in our people to continually build the knowledge and skills they need. “That’s why we’re committed to carbon literacy training for everyone here. “I’m very proud we’ve been recognised with silver status by the Carbon Literacy Project.” Carbon literacy consultant, Georgina Patel, said: “Salix is focused on supporting clients with decarbonisation. “It has also been very clear that it is also serious about reducing its own organisational carbon footprint. “Through Carbon Literacy training, Salix’s employees have fully embraced their learning about the climate crisis we all face, and to understand what that means to them as individuals and in their job roles.” The Carbon Literacy Trust was formed in September 2013. It is incorporated as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO). The Trust’s aim is to advance the education of the public in the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment through the dissemination of carbon literacy. It offers training to organisations and individuals. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The Guinness Partnership, one of England’s largest housing associations, has won in the Collaborative Working category at this year’s EEM Building Communities Awards for its DIY Skills programme. EEM is a not-for-profit consortium set up to drive cost and efficiency savings in the public sector, and the awards celebrated excellence in the construction and social housing industry. Guinness received the award for its DIY Skills programme which ran in Oldham, Sheffield and Salford, where 65 female participants, who are unemployed or on a low income, had the chance to learn basic DIY and maintenance skills, such as joinery, tiling, and plumbing. The training was delivered by Frameworks Social Enterprise CIC who provided the participants with practical skills to build their confidence in doing DIY at home. As well as training, participants received mentoring, support and guidance to help them get into work, and the chance to gain a Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS). Eadaoin Kelly, Senior Community Partnership Manager at The Guinness Partnership said: “We are delighted to have won the Collaborative Working award, in recognition of our multi award winning DIY skills programme. This training programme could not have happened without all the incredible participants and our partners, who have been instrumental in making this a success. Also, a huge thank you to EEM for giving us this fantastic award.” Rebecca Dermody-Simmons, Chief Executive at EEM commented: “Huge congratulations to The Guinness Partnership and all the amazing partners involved in the women’s DIY Skills Programme. This initiative is a brilliant example of what can be achieved when organisations come together with a shared purpose—giving women the skills, confidence, and opportunities to take their next steps into careers in the housing and construction sector. A well-deserved win!” All the partner organisations who have supported the programme and shared in the award: Great Places Housing Group, Salix Homes, The Sheffield College, Oldham College, City Skills, Salford, Frameworks Social Enterprise CIC, Jewson Partnerships Solutions, Triton Showers, Toolbank, Hispec, Edmundson Electrical, Smartworks Greater Manchester, Salford City Council, CITB, Wates. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
