Fresh plans have been revealed for Kings, a major £1.2bn waterfront development in Liverpool that could deliver one of the UK’s tallest buildings outside London. The eight-acre scheme, brought forward by Beetham Group and Davos Property, is described by the developers as the regeneration of a “forgotten corner” of Liverpool’s
A major new industrial park in Northumberland has been given the go-ahead, paving the way for more than 1m sq ft of employment space and a significant boost to the region’s economy. Northumberland planners have unanimously approved outline proposals from Arlington Real Estate for the 126-acre West Hartford Park scheme
Cambridgeshire-based Spacemaker Developments (SMD) has been appointed to the London Construction Programme (LCP) General Works Framework. The £3bn framework which is procured by the London Borough of Haringey on behalf of LCP, puts SMD in the lineup for public sector projects throughout London and the Home Counties. SMD has been
Matthew Pennycook MP stated that leasehold remains a barrier to a fair and efficient property market and confirmed that the UK Government aims to ‘get the job done’ by the end of this Parliament, making commonhold the default tenure for new flats. However, he also stated that reform must be
Fresh plans have been revealed for Kings, a major £1.2bn waterfront development in Liverpool that could deliver one of the UK’s tallest buildings outside London. The eight-acre scheme, brought forward by Beetham Group and Davos Property, is described by the developers as the regeneration of a “forgotten corner” of Liverpool’s waterfront. A public consultation has now opened ahead of the submission of a hybrid planning application later this year. Kings would be the city’s largest development project since Liverpool ONE and is set to include 10 buildings across a new mixed-use district. Consent has already been secured for the first building, a 28-storey residential tower. The wider masterplan includes six residential buildings, providing around 2,750 homes in total. At the heart of the proposals is a 70-storey tower designed by SimpsonHaugh Architects, which would include a hotel on its lower floors and more than 500 branded residences above. If delivered, it would become Liverpool’s tallest building. Across the district, the plans include around 400 hotel rooms, 150,000 sq ft of office space close to the river, and 160,000 sq ft for retail, leisure, food and beverage operators. The scheme will also include a new arts venue, shared workspace for start-ups and technology businesses, and public realm designed to improve connections across the waterfront. The development is being planned across three zones. Residential uses would be focused towards the northern end of the site, linking with Waterloo Dock and Pall Mall. Offices would sit towards the southern end, creating a connection between Liverpool’s business district and the Princes Dock office quarter, while leisure uses would be positioned in the centre of the scheme. The hybrid planning application will seek detailed consent for the site layout, services and some buildings, with outline consent requested for the remaining plots. Hugh Frost, chairman of Beetham Group, said Kings represents a statement of confidence in Liverpool, its leadership and its economy. He said the consultation would allow the public to help shape a scheme that could deliver a significant step-change for the city. Chris Bolland, managing partner at Brock Carmichael, the masterplan architect for Kings, said the proposals had been carefully developed around heritage, permeability, layout, massing and scale. He added that feedback from people across Liverpool and Wirral would be an important part of refining the final plans. The joint venture is now seeking investment partners for the project, including build-to-rent funding, a branded residences partner, a hotel operator and support for the office element. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A major new industrial park in Northumberland has been given the go-ahead, paving the way for more than 1m sq ft of employment space and a significant boost to the region’s economy. Northumberland planners have unanimously approved outline proposals from Arlington Real Estate for the 126-acre West Hartford Park scheme in Cramlington. The development is being brought forward in partnership with Homes England and is expected to become one of the region’s most important strategic employment sites. The decision comes as confidence begins to return to the UK logistics and industrial development market. Demand is being driven by growth sectors including offshore wind, advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence infrastructure, clean technology and modern logistics. West Hartford Park is the largest remaining strategic employment allocation in Northumberland. Once developed, it is expected to support more than 2,000 jobs and attract over £150m of investment. The plans include a wide range of flexible industrial, manufacturing and logistics buildings, with units from 40,000 sq ft up to 532,000 sq ft. The scheme will also feature office space, innovation facilities and supporting retail amenities for occupiers and workers. Its location is a key part of the project’s appeal. The site is close to the deep-sea Port of Blyth and will be promoted as a “near port” destination for businesses involved in offshore wind, clean technology, advanced manufacturing and logistics. Arlington said the development has already generated strong interest from potential occupiers. The company pointed to the site’s significant power capacity, modern infrastructure and lack of highways restrictions as important advantages for businesses looking to invest in the area. Environmental measures also form part of the plans. Around 40 acres of the site will be used for ecological mitigation, green space and landscaping, helping to balance development with environmental improvements. Dean Cook, managing director at Arlington, said the scheme’s scale, flexibility and infrastructure made it exceptionally well placed to support a wide range of industries, including advanced manufacturing, logistics, clean energy and technology. The approval marks an important step forward for Northumberland’s industrial ambitions and could help position the county as a key location for the next wave of clean energy and manufacturing investment. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Cambridgeshire-based Spacemaker Developments (SMD) has been appointed to the London Construction Programme (LCP) General Works Framework. The £3bn framework which is procured by the London Borough of Haringey on behalf of LCP, puts SMD in the lineup for public sector projects throughout London and the Home Counties. SMD has been appointed for projects in three categories: New build construction projects up to £7.5m, new build projects valued between £6m-£15m and refurbishment and retro fit projects up to £7.5m. Moomith Ullah, operations director at SMD said: “We’re proud that SMD has secured a place on the LCP General Works Framework. The appointment reflects the strength of our team, our track record in delivering high-quality projects, and our continued commitment to supporting long-term infrastructure and built environment improvements. “We look forward to working alongside LCP and fellow framework partners to deliver safe, sustainable and value-driven projects across the programme. “Thank you to LCP for putting their trust in SMD and to everyone involved in making this happen.” Frameworks provide many benefits for both contractors and their clients, streamlining the procurement process, with contractors already being pre-approved for works. Agreements such as this also promote transparency and good communication making the whole construction process easier. To be appointed to the framework SMD proved its technical capability, financial stability and compliance in quality, safety and legal standards and was able to demonstrate the ability to consistently deliver value to public sector clients over several years. SMD is already an approved supplier on several other frameworks including LHC’s (London and South -East Procurement) Modern Methods of Construction of New Homes Framework, the Procurement for Housing Residential Construction Framework and the Southeast Consortium Construction and Development Dynamic Purchasing System, all proving SMD’s status as a solution-focused, proactive, collaborative and secure construction partner. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Matthew Pennycook MP stated that leasehold remains a barrier to a fair and efficient property market and confirmed that the UK Government aims to ‘get the job done’ by the end of this Parliament, making commonhold the default tenure for new flats. However, he also stated that reform must be phased to avoid legal, administrative and market disruption — meaning the five million existing leases in England and Wales will not end immediately. central part of the reform programme is the draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill, which was published in January 2026. The Bill introduces a new legal framework for commonhold and includes measures to ban the use of leasehold for new flats, building on the existing ban on most new leasehold houses. The UK Government’s position is that leasehold should be stopped from renewing itself, while existing leaseholders should be given clearer routes to take control of their buildings and leave the system when they choose. The draft Bill proposes a new conversion process that would allow a block to move to commonhold where at least 50% of qualifying leaseholders agree. Propertymark supports the ambition to make commonhold a more realistic option, but we have warned that the shift will need careful implementation. Commonhold will involve new documents, new processes, new management arrangements and new responsibilities for homeowners and property professionals. Consumers and agents will need clear guidance and practical support to understand how the system works. Ground rent cap must not leave leaseholders waiting too long The Minister also confirmed that the UK Government intends to cap ground rents at £250 per year, before reducing them to a peppercorn rate after 40 years. Propertymark welcomes the commitment to bring ground rents down, but we have raised concerns about the proposed timeframe. Our evidence to the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee stated that a 40-year transition is too slow to provide meaningful relief for many existing leaseholders. We have also warned that the cap must not allow ground rents that are currently below £250 to be increased to that level where no escalation clause exists. This matters for the market now. Our research found that 78% of agents said leasehold properties with escalating ground rent would struggle to sell, even if priced correctly. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals