BDC News Team
Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen Officially Opens Siddington Park Retirement Village

Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen Officially Opens Siddington Park Retirement Village

Rangeford Villages’ latest retirement development, ‘Siddington Park’, was officially opened last week by Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, at a glamourous party hosted in the village’s dedicated new restaurant and bar, The Orangery.  Guests included Siddington Park owners, prospective buyers, national and regional press, and VIP’s Jackie Llewelyn-Bowen, Hermione Marriott, Lady Bathurst and

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Mccoy Contractors awarded Oaks Student Village phase 4 & 5

Mccoy Contractors awarded  Oaks Student Village phase 4 & 5

Leading provider of groundworks McCoy Contractors has been appointed to deliver the groundworks and hard landscaping for Phase 4 and 5 of The Oaks Student Village in Coventry. This prestigious project will provide an additional 1,210 rooms in purpose-built accommodation for students attending the nearby University of Warwick. The Oaks

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Kirklees Cabinet Approves £23M Capital Investment Programme for 2024-2026

Kirklees Cabinet Approves £23M Capital Investment Programme for 2024-2026

On Tuesday 9 July, Cabinet members approved the proposed allocations for essential capital delivery, investment, and wellbeing projects for 2024-2026. The budget aims to address urgent and essential condition, health and safety, and service delivery issues within the Council’s portfolio of land and buildings, whilst facilitating a programme of refurbishments

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OCS to Expand Apprenticeship Placements

OCS to Expand Apprenticeship Placements

Facilities management provider OCS plans to offer apprenticeship pathways across each of its service lines to nurture future talent and support career progression. The company has committed to increasing its number of apprenticeship placements in the UK and Ireland to over 1,000 within the next 12 months. This initiative aligns

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Equans Extends FM Partnership with Manchester City Council

Equans Extends FM Partnership with Manchester City Council

Equans will continue to provide FM services across Manchester City Council’s public buildings estate. The three-year contract extension will see the energy and facilities management specialist providing responsive repairs and planned preventative maintenance to industry-standard specifications across the Council’s portfolio of 258 buildings. As part of the contract, which originally

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Miller Knight looks right for senior regeneration, commercial and estimator specialists

Miller Knight welcomes three industry big-hitters to senior team

THREE industry heavyweights have joined the senior team at Miller Knight, one of the fastest-growing construction companies in the East Midlands. Previously long-serving senior directors at Derbyshire-headquartered G F Tomlinson, Chris Flint, Andrew Foster and Jamie Braybrook, have moved across to Miller Knight to add significant strength and expertise to

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Frasers Group Acquires Doncaster Shopping Centre

Frasers Group Acquires Doncaster Shopping Centre

The Frenchgate Centre in Doncaster, formerly known as the Arndale Centre, has been purchased by Frasers Group for an undisclosed sum. The shopping centre houses major brands such as Next, H&M, and TK Maxx, and is conveniently located near the main railway and bus stations. Frasers Group views this acquisition

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Latest Issue
Issue 324 : Jan 2025

BDC News Team

Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen Officially Opens Siddington Park Retirement Village

Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen Officially Opens Siddington Park Retirement Village

Rangeford Villages’ latest retirement development, ‘Siddington Park’, was officially opened last week by Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, at a glamourous party hosted in the village’s dedicated new restaurant and bar, The Orangery.  Guests included Siddington Park owners, prospective buyers, national and regional press, and VIP’s Jackie Llewelyn-Bowen, Hermione Marriott, Lady Bathurst and Cirencester’s new Mayor, Councillor Sarah Orr. The Orangery’s hospitality team served free-flowing drinks, and mouthwatering canapes artistically created by talented Head Chef Danijel Furjan, throughout the afternoon.  Live music was performed by classical violinist, Meg Batch from Cheltenham, followed by well-known local band Pip & the Bad Seed playing favourite songs from the 60’s and 70’s.  There was also a thrilling aerobatics display put on by pilot Dave Barrell in a WWII bi-plane, from Rendcomb-based wing-walking team, Aerosuperbatics, the only display team of its kind in the world.    Upon departure, guests were further treated to goodie bags containing indoor orange trees and a gift voucher for lunch for two at The Orangery. Siddington Park has been expertly designed with a contemporary twist on Cotswold elegance, set in beautifully landscaped parkland. Guests were shown around village’s newly completed central hub, ‘The Pavilion’, and were in awe of the five-star design and incredible attention to detail.  The Pavilion houses The Orangery bar and restaurant, and state-of-the-art leisure facilities.  These include a Stuart Wilson hair salon; an impressive heated indoor pool with sauna, steam room and deluxe experience shower; a gym with the latest high-tech equipment; a dedicated studio space for yoga and fitness classes; luxurious treatment rooms; and a sumptuous owners’ lounge with cinema screen. The Orangery bar and restaurant and the Stuart Wilson hair salon are open to the public, whilst the leisure complex of pool, spa facilities and lounge are exclusively for the owners living at Siddington Park and their families.  Bookings for The Orangery can be made on the restaurant’s website. Also unveiled on the day was a stunning new show home apartment, exclusively designed and decorated by Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, a new collaboration with Rangeford Villages and the celebrity interior designer, which will be rolled out to other Rangeford developments.  All fabrics, upholstery, furniture, artworks and accessories are from the LLB Shop and Brand HQ in Cirencester.   The end result is a magnificently stylish home, exuding glamour and charm with swanky abundance.   The Pavilion was interior designed by Jonathan Radburn of Whichelo Spa Interiors & Lighting.  Wichelo are at the forefront of the high-end retirement village sector, with a particular focus on the design of wellness facilities, which stems from a wealth of experience designing some of the most glamorous hotel and destination spas in the UK and worldwide.  Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, speaking about his collaboration with Rangeford, referred to the new Pavilion as ‘super swanky’, and talked about living life over 60 years old, saying: “As you get older you must not stop being brave, you must not compromise, and you must not think, I’m old now, so I’d better turn down the volume.  Rangeford has proven it’s about keeping the volume up, keeping up the rock ‘n’ roll, and keeping the excitement.”  He went on to say: “Design is there to help, it is there to make you feel a lot better about who you are, where you are and how you live, and this development is a perfect example how to use it to do exactly that.”  During CEO Howard Nankivell’s welcome speech, he praised Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen’s ‘spectacular’ show home appartement, referring to him as ‘the undisputed king of wild and adventurous design’, and announced that Rangeford’s collaboration with LLB would be rolled out to other villages in the portfolio.  He added: “At Rangeford we strive to really raise the bar for retirement living, creating thriving new communities that promote healthy active lifestyles, hobbies, friendships, and wellbeing, and so we are absolutely delighted to officially open this, our latest exciting development.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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Mccoy Contractors awarded Oaks Student Village phase 4 & 5

Mccoy Contractors awarded  Oaks Student Village phase 4 & 5

Leading provider of groundworks McCoy Contractors has been appointed to deliver the groundworks and hard landscaping for Phase 4 and 5 of The Oaks Student Village in Coventry. This prestigious project will provide an additional 1,210 rooms in purpose-built accommodation for students attending the nearby University of Warwick. The Oaks Student Village, designed by architects Corstorphine & Wright, comprises nine buildings ranging from five to six stories. Phase 1 delivered 378 beds in 2021, with Phase 2 and 3 adding 639 more rooms. Phase 4 and 5 will deliver a further 1,209 rooms.  Having successfully completed the groundworks for Phases 1-3 to the client’s satisfaction, McCoy was awarded the latest £8 million groundworks package by main contractor McLaren Construction. McCoy is delivering a range of groundworks including earthworks, foundations, reinforced retaining walls, external drainage, attenuation tanks, service trenching, and hard landscaping across the extensive site. Despite challenging weather and groundwater conditions, McCoy is working ahead of schedule, underscoring their commitment to delivering complex projects efficiently. “McCoys has made a fantastic start to our project at 120 Longwood Close.On a project with some challenging details the team have performed to a very high standard through a difficult and wet winter,” said Alex Derbyshire, Construction Manager, McLaren Construction. “McCoys has been very agile through change and have enhanced our project team with their vast knowledge and expertise in groundworks. The helpful and approachable nature of the team at McCoys has gone a long way to the current successes at Longwood Close moving into the summer months,” added Alex Derbyshire. “We are extremely proud to continue our involvement in this landmark student accommodation development,” said Chris Haughey, Managing Director of McCoy Contractors. “Being re-appointed by McLaren Construction for Phases 4 & 5 is a testament to our team’s dedication and expertise in delivering high-quality groundworks on large-scale projects. The Oaks Student Village is setting new standards for purpose-built student living in the Midlands, and we’re excited to play a key role in bringing this exceptional development to fruition.” McCoy’s strong health and safety practices have also been recognised on-site, recently ranking 3rd out of 45 subcontractors – further highlighting the company’s professionalism and commitment to creating safe working environments. The final phase of McCoy’s works at The Oaks Student Village is scheduled for completion in 2025. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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Kirklees Cabinet Approves £23M Capital Investment Programme for 2024-2026

Kirklees Cabinet Approves £23M Capital Investment Programme for 2024-2026

On Tuesday 9 July, Cabinet members approved the proposed allocations for essential capital delivery, investment, and wellbeing projects for 2024-2026. The budget aims to address urgent and essential condition, health and safety, and service delivery issues within the Council’s portfolio of land and buildings, whilst facilitating a programme of refurbishments and remodelling and in some cases rationalisation to ensure that council owned operational buildings can remain fit for use and make essential savings where necessary. The programme of works will address the modernisation of key council buildings and enable more local based services to operate from them. This Investment will cover many areas across the councils current building stock, undertaking urgent condition and health and safety works to ensure that public spaces remain safe for use and within legislation, and that the council can continue to serve their local communities across Kirklees. Some of the upcoming works include venues such as Oakwell Hall, Tolson Museum, The Walsh Building in Dewsbury, Huddersfield Upperhead Row Bus Station car park. Now this item has been approved the council will look to develop, design and where necessary procure the delivery of this programme of works for the next financial year. David Shepherd, Executive Director of Place, Kirklees Council, said: ‘’The council is committed to making sure its portfolio of buildings is safe, secure, and sustainable for the future. Providing appropriate spaces for service delivery and community activities. ‘’We have a large portfolio of buildings, which have come into our ownership over many years and over time the services we deliver and the needs of the communities we deliver them for have changed. By continually reviewing our properties, investing in those that continue to meet our needs and looking at a more appropriate future for those that do not, we can make sure we are making the best use of our resources for the benefit of Kirklees.’’ For more information please contact chelsey.warvill@kirklees.gov.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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OCS to Expand Apprenticeship Placements

OCS to Expand Apprenticeship Placements

Facilities management provider OCS plans to offer apprenticeship pathways across each of its service lines to nurture future talent and support career progression. The company has committed to increasing its number of apprenticeship placements in the UK and Ireland to over 1,000 within the next 12 months. This initiative aligns with its growth ambitions and includes substantial investments in its funded learning programme. With the recent announcement of its vision to optimise people and places as part of its brand strategy, this move underscores OCS’s dedication to social mobility and impact. It aims to drive social value initiatives, such as apprenticeship schemes and funded learning, to enhance sustainable employment by offering empowering careers and embracing diversity. OCS reports a 140 per cent increase in the uptake of its apprenticeships over the past year and aims to maintain this growth by providing opportunities in each of its service lines: facilities management, security, pest control, cleaning, catering and hospitality, and hard services. Ipswich-based OCS currently offers 12 professional pathways and 39 programmes to support its business units. In addition to service lines, these opportunities include management and leadership, coaching and mentoring, and customer service and sales. By focusing on investing in the development and upskilling of its internal colleagues, these pathways and programmes are available to both employees and external candidates. Apprenticeship pathways will be available at entry level (level 2) and for management (level 3), and OCS is currently revising its higher apprenticeship pathway (level 4) in collaboration with the Institute for Apprentices and Technical Education. Toni Marie-Vaughan, Head of Social Mobility at OCS UK and Ireland, commented: “While it’s important that we continue to open up more opportunities for people looking to develop, our priority will always remain on the quality of programmes delivered. We are working with a number of partners to achieve this. “Additionally, we have invested further in our online training modules, delivered through the OCS Academy. Learners can access a variety of programmes in addition to the structured training around their chosen pathway. Along with e-learning and on-the-job training, learners can expect regular line management meetings and coaching conversations, dedicated study time away from practical training, and progress reports.” Daniel Dickson, Chief Executive Officer at OCS UK and Ireland, said: “It’s exciting that we operate in an industry that can provide opportunities for further development within many different career paths. Our apprenticeship scheme and funded learning pathways are accessible to everyone, regardless of age, gender, background, level of education, or experience.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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Equans Extends FM Partnership with Manchester City Council

Equans Extends FM Partnership with Manchester City Council

Equans will continue to provide FM services across Manchester City Council’s public buildings estate. The three-year contract extension will see the energy and facilities management specialist providing responsive repairs and planned preventative maintenance to industry-standard specifications across the Council’s portfolio of 258 buildings. As part of the contract, which originally commenced in 2019, Equans has responsibility for repairing and maintaining Grade 1 and Grade 2 listed buildings, including Manchester Town Hall – as well as care facilities where 24-hour service delivery is paramount. As the partnership evolves into its next phase, Equans is collaborating with Manchester City Council to work towards the city’s target of becoming net zero by 2038. This will be evident in the way Equans conducts its own operations and through targeted decarbonisation activities across the council’s property portfolio. Richard Carmichael, Managing Director for Local Authority Services at Equans UK & Ireland, said: “This is a terrific opportunity for us to build on an already strong and successful partnership with Manchester City Council and draw on our broader expertise in decarbonisation to help the city of Manchester reach its impressive zero carbon ambitions. “Beyond service delivery, the partnership with Manchester City Council extends to supporting local priorities such as job creation, social welfare, and innovation. We are thoroughly committed to continuing to undertake social value activities across the region to help improve prosperity in the area; including employment opportunities and community fundraising.” This contract award follows the recent three-year extension with Manchester City Council Housing, which will see Equans providing ongoing maintenance and repairs to 12,000 homes and carrying out refurbishment and adaptations on behalf of the council until 2027. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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Detailed legislation needed for BNG in response to NPPF reforms following Labour victory

Detailed legislation needed for BNG in response to NPPF reforms following Labour victory

Leading bio-diversity net gain (BNG) expert and chief executive of CSX, Andy Howard, has called on the new Labour Government to put the environment at the heart of its plans to get Britain building again. As the dust begins to settle following the landslide Labour victory in this month’s General Election, the new Chancellor, Rachel Reeves has announced plans to amend the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and turbo-charge the economy by making it easier for new homes and infrastructure to be built. The growing challenge of NIMBYism up and down the country means radical change is needed but tackling local opposition and delivering the monumental target of 300,000 homes per year, while meeting climate reduction targets and hitting BNG requirements is going to be the latest challenge for the built environment. While Labour will take powers away from local councils on national infrastructure projects as well as introduce a greater role for regional Mayors to speed up the planning process, they have still committed to sensitive development that respects and enhances the environment. Labour has made no mention of repealing BNG legislation so developers should assume it is here to stay. BNG has the potential to fundamentally improve how the built environment will transform and enhance communities across the UK. The built environment is responsible for a quarter of the UK’s carbon emissions, often involves habitat and land use change when new developments are taking place, and therefore a clear commitment from Government is needed to ensure developers can continue to plan for BNG on sites across the UK. Andy Howard of CSX said: “This new Government’s commitment to get Britain building again must coincide with a renewed commitment to restore, protect and diversify the environment. BNG has a vital role to play in shaping the future impacts of built development across the UK, providing the natural places, green landscaping and nature recovery that helps shapes places and enhances wildlife habitats. For example, the current BNG guidance allows for off-site units to come from projects within either the Local Planning Authority Boundary OR the National Character Area.  There is however different application of this guidance across the country, with only one of those area boundaries being applied in some instances.  Clarification from the new Government that it is indeed either LPA or NCA boundaries that can be used will provide significant flexibility to unlocking the benefits of BNG in delivering new developments. We look forward to working with the Labour Government and developers to deliver BNG across the country.” As policies take shape, and Britain gets building, it will be imperative for BNG to remain present in discussions between parliament, local authorities, industry leaders, developers, and experts. CSX and their team of experts stand ready to help politicians and industry leaders to refine the detail of how to implement BNG and hold constructive conversations which utilises their expertise and data to further provide efficient and effective solutions in the management of BNG requirements and carbon offsetting. Datasets, accumulated by CSX, will be crucial in making sure processes and guidance is accurately and reliability accounted for in the quality of carbon offsetting for future builds and changes to the landscape. Read more about CSX’s work on biodiversity at https://csxcarbon.com/ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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GT3 Architects appoints first finance director, signifying growth and expansion

GT3 Architects appoints first finance director, signifying growth and expansion

LEADING firm GT3 Architects has announced the appointment of Eric Hampel as its new finance director, further expanding its senior leadership team. Formerly of Deloitte and Tribe Technology PLC, Eric brings more than 12 years of financial expertise and leadership experience to GT3 Architects, working within Canada, Australia and UK markets.  This strategic addition to the practice’s leadership team marks a significant milestone in the company’s ongoing growth and expansion efforts. It also comes shortly after GT3 was included in The Architects’ Journal’s list of the 100 largest and most influential architectural practices in the UK, and as the team has added several more project award wins to its trophy cabinet. Simon Dunstan, director and co-founder at GT3 Architects, said: “As directors, Mark Gowdridge and I are delighted to welcome Eric to the team, especially at a time our success continues to gain recognition with the likes of our AJ100 listing. This is an exciting strategic hire for us, and one which we believe highlights our commitment to diversification and growth and our dedication to the wider GT3 team. We’re looking forward to benefitting from Eric’s expertise and experience and valuable insights as we continue our sustainable growth strategy.” Eric Hampel expressed his enthusiasm about joining GT3 Architects, stating: “I’m delighted to be joining GT3. The people architecture approach is something that resonated strongly with me when being introduced to the practice and what the team does, and I’m keen to support that within my role. I’m excited to contribute to the further growth of a business that places such a strong emphasis on creative solutions that serve the community through every single action and design.” Eric is the fourth new director added to the business in the past 12 months, following the promotions of Suzanne Blair, Paul Reed, and Michael Simpson in 2023. For further information, please visit www.gt3architects.com Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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Miller Knight looks right for senior regeneration, commercial and estimator specialists

Miller Knight welcomes three industry big-hitters to senior team

THREE industry heavyweights have joined the senior team at Miller Knight, one of the fastest-growing construction companies in the East Midlands. Previously long-serving senior directors at Derbyshire-headquartered G F Tomlinson, Chris Flint, Andrew Foster and Jamie Braybrook, have moved across to Miller Knight to add significant strength and expertise to its structure. The trio will boost Miller Knight’s market share with ambitious plans to sustainably expand its service offerings within the regional construction market. Chris Flint, former MD at GFT, is Miller Knight’s new regeneration director. Andrew Foster has been made commercial director and Jamie Braybrook is chief estimator. Chris said: “The rise and rise of Miller Knight is something that excited me – and I wanted to be part of the company’s growth, helping to further support its expansion and capability. “After meeting Miller Knight chief executive David Dickson, and the other directors and visiting many of their current construction sites, I was not only impressed by how the business was set up – but also by the commitment of the staff and the company’s collaborative working approach.” A £24 million turnover market leading multi-discipline principal contractor formed two decades ago, Mansfield-headquartered Miller Knight is primarily known for its specialist divisions dedicated to remedial fire protection. The company has built its reputation, carrying out complex and sensitive regeneration and refurbishment projects across the UK for the public and private sectors, delivering substantial schemes across education, health, blue light and residential. Chris added: “It is clear to see that Miller Knight’s reputation is increasing and that this ambitious company has a team of directors who have a clear vision for the future and I very much wanted to be part of those plans. “I’m truly excited about using my experience and knowledge of the industry to support the company’s continued growth across both the public and private sectors.” The company has seen an exciting year on year growth for the past seven years with revenues set to double again for this upcoming financial year, with an order book reaching close to £50 million in turnover. David Dickson, chief executive, said: “Adding Chris, Andy and Jamie to our team was an exciting opportunity for us. They are extremely experienced, will be great people to work alongside and will only strengthen our capabilities. We feel honoured to be able to have the opportunity to work with them all and are really looking forward to watching them settle in and helping us to continue to grow. “To date, the company’s growth has been nothing short of extraordinary. We are taking our rightful place among some of the region’s biggest name firms and will no doubt become one of the fastest growing construction companies of 2024. “Businesses are all about people. Here at Miller Knight, we take pride in being a great place to work, we have a great culture, and we have built a fantastic team over the years – and that is the main driver behind our successes to date.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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Comment: why the Government must focus on decarbonising how we produce AND consume energy

Comment: why the Government must focus on decarbonising how we produce AND consume energy

In the comment inserted at the bottom of this email, Don McLean, CEO of Glasgow-headquartered climate tech company, IES, discusses the welcome attention around decarbonising energy production. However, he reaffirms the need to take a holistic approach to decarbonising how we both produce and consume energy, in order to deliver on the ambition for Britain to become a clean energy superpower. Commenting on the role of the new government when it comes to decarbonising energy in the UK, Don said: “Since at least 2015, governments have talked about how they would cut emissions, but sadly, this has not yet been achieved. While Labour promises to solve former Conservative failures, the scale and pace of climate change is impacting the Earth more and more and becoming an increasingly pressing issue. “The new government has made some big promises when it comes to decarbonising the UK energy system, and all eyes will be on how they put this policy into practice throughout the next parliament. “Great British Energy is a welcome initiative which will go some way to focus attention on decarbonising energy production. But while decarbonising the grid is really important, we also need to strengthen our efforts in reducing the way we consume energy in turn. “For example, we know that buildings are major players when it comes to energy usage and emissions, responsible for 39% of global energy-related carbon emissions – with a greater proportion of this resulting from operations compared to materials and construction. To fully deliver on the ambition for Britain to become a clean energy superpower, while cutting bills for people and businesses alike, we need to take a holistic approach to decarbonising how we produce and consume energy.”   “We are still a long way from finding a holistic solution to decarbonisation – not just here in the UK, but from a global perspective. This means that as a country, we have the opportunity to demonstrate leadership that others can follow. However, it is necessary to prove the decarbonisation process will work before making significant changes to millions of buildings.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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Frasers Group Acquires Doncaster Shopping Centre

Frasers Group Acquires Doncaster Shopping Centre

The Frenchgate Centre in Doncaster, formerly known as the Arndale Centre, has been purchased by Frasers Group for an undisclosed sum. The shopping centre houses major brands such as Next, H&M, and TK Maxx, and is conveniently located near the main railway and bus stations. Frasers Group views this acquisition as a testament to their confidence in the future of physical retail. Michael Murray, CEO of Frasers Group, stated that acquiring the Frenchgate Centre underscores the company’s commitment to investing in brick-and-mortar stores. The group intends to use the space to expand their current Sports Direct store and to introduce other brands they own, such as USC and Evans Cycles. The shopping centre, which opened in 1968, saw a significant extension in 2006, linking it to a new transport interchange. One of the largest stores in the expansion was a Debenhams, which closed in 2021. However, plans were approved last year to convert the space into a cinema. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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