Contractor Clegg Construction has been appointed to deliver a multi-million-pound refurbishment at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Leeds. Work has just started on site at the prominent hotel on the corner of Lower Briggate and Swinegate, which will be operated by Belfont Hotels. The design and build project will modernise the
LEADING commercial developer the Horncastle Group PLC and global crop inputs manufacturer Yara International have agreed a deal to build the UK’s largest speciality fertiliser manufacturing plant in Yorkshire, with Caddick Construction appointed as the main contractor on the scheme. The deal – which represents a total investment of more
A landmark stage was reached recently in the construction of Birmingham’s new purpose-built student accommodation project Pershore Junction with the topping out of the building. Developer Alumno celebrated the achievement with a special event held on site attended by a number of key stakeholders, including senior members of contactor GMI
Hundreds of energy innovators are set to descend on Liverpool on 31 October and 1 November, for this year’s Energy Innovation Summit. We are pleased to announce that Andrew Bowie MP will deliver this year’s keynote remarks. Minister Bowie, whose ministerial portfolio includes energy networks and nuclear, will join the
Construction work has begun to transform a vacant eight-acre brownfield site into over 200,000 sq ft of modern industrial and office units with the capacity to support around 700 jobs. The redevelopment of the Vauxhall Industrial Estate in Stockport will see up to 28 new buildings created across six blocks,
Multi-disciplinary consultancy, Pegasus Group, is pleased to announce the addition of urban designer Colin Pullan as senior director in its London office. This appointment adds a new dimension to the Group’s established London office, which has acted across a wide variety of sectors since it was opened over 10 years
IN THE WAKE of news that a quarter of the £36bn the government will save by scrapping the Manchester HS2 line will help remedy the UK’s ‘plague of potholes’, steps must now be taken to provide a maintenance roadmap to ensure funding is not wasted. Dave Sanders, head of technical sales at civil
Boroughs in the capital will need to make over £500m of savings next year to balance their budgets, new analysis from London Councils reveals. Based on its latest survey of council finances, the cross-party group warns that nine in ten London boroughs expect to overspend on their budgets this year
Jewson Partnership Solutions (JPS) has launched its second AVAIL Housing Hub, with the aim of helping housing providers in Leeds to navigate the demands and challenges of supplying safe and quality social housing to local residents. Following the successful launch of its first AVAIL Housing Hub in Newcastle earlier this
Britain’s Strategic Road Network (SRN) has been the backbone of the nation’s connectivity for decades. But as demands on our roads evolve, so does our commitment to updating and enhancing them. A collaboration between Costain, WSP, Flannery, and Forkers, the Smart Motorway Programme (SMP) Alliances’ recent M6 project is a
Contractor Clegg Construction has been appointed to deliver a multi-million-pound refurbishment at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Leeds. Work has just started on site at the prominent hotel on the corner of Lower Briggate and Swinegate, which will be operated by Belfont Hotels. The design and build project will modernise the building and includes the refurbishment of existing bedrooms, as well as creating new bedrooms, to take the total number of guest rooms to 108. It also involves modernising ground floor function rooms, the restaurant and bar, as well as the installation of new windows and renovations to the roof and elevations. Clegg Construction pre-construction director, Ross Crowcroft, said: “We are very pleased to have started on site to refurbish and modernise one of the most iconic hotels in Leeds city centre. “This refurbishment of the Cosmopolitan Hotel for Belfont Hotels will upgrade a landmark building in the heart of Leeds and turn it into a leading hospitality venue which will be perfect for both leisure and corporate demand. “Clegg Construction is extremely familiar with the area around The Cosmopolitan Hotel, as we are currently on site at Spinners Yard in Regent Street delivering a 185-apartment private rented scheme for Rise Homes, plus we are working on an 11-storey student accommodation development in Leylands Road.” Other members of the development team include project manager Edmond Shipway, architect Franklin Ellis and engineer Rodgers Leask. Work is expected to be completed in the spring of 2025. The scheme is the latest in a long line of hotel projects undertaken by Clegg Construction, including the Travelodge London Stockley Park Hayes hotel, which was completed in 2021, and a new Premier Inn in York which is currently being built. In Leeds, Clegg Construction delivered the external recladding of the Premier Inn Leeds City Centre Arena hotel in 2021 and the creation of the Premier Inn Leeds Headingly Hotel (constructed on top of the Arndale shopping centre) in 2017. Keval Thakerar and Akshay Dhamecha, directors at Belfont Hotels, commented: “We are excited to be working with Clegg Construction on this refurbishment that will see the Cosmopolitan Hotel repositioned as one of Leeds City Centre’s leading hotels, benefitting the local economy and community.” Clegg Construction is a Midlands, East Anglia, and Yorkshire-based construction firm specialising in the delivery of public and private sector projects. The company works with organisations of all sizes and specialities across a range of different sectors. For more information visit www.cleggconstruction.co.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
LEADING commercial developer the Horncastle Group PLC and global crop inputs manufacturer Yara International have agreed a deal to build the UK’s largest speciality fertiliser manufacturing plant in Yorkshire, with Caddick Construction appointed as the main contractor on the scheme. The deal – which represents a total investment of more than £50m – marks the start of work on Phase II of Ozone Business Park; a premier logistics and distribution hub in Howden, East Yorkshire, developed by the Horncastle Group. The building work, to be delivered by Caddick Construction as part of a £28m contract, includes state-of-the-art manufacturing plant, warehouses, and offices that will enable Yara to double production of its YaraVita speciality crop nutrition products and biostimulants, which are vital to achieving future food security and mitigating climate change. Virtually all the output from the plant will be exported to markets around the world, helping to meet a rising global demand for the products that help growers improve crop health and increase yields. Tom Horncastle, Managing Director of the Horncastle Group PLC, said securing Yara International as the first occupant of Phase II of Ozone Business Park was a fantastic result for all parties. Phase One of the development, which is located less than a mile from Junction 37 of the M62, is home to global logistics businesses DPD and DHL, as well as leading family baker Warburtons. Mr Horncastle said: “Ozone Business Park is one of the best located logistics hubs in the north east of England. “Situated a stone’s throw from the M62 and with excellent links to the M18 and M1, it provides quick and easy access to the south, west, and north of the country. This is why the first phase of the development has been so popular with third party logistics providers. “Yara’s decision to locate its new manufacturing plant here demonstrates the design flexibility Ozone Business Park can provide, including the high operational power requirements needed by Yara for their production lines. “With the first plot now secured, we are expecting a lot of interest in the two remaining plots on Phase II of Ozone Business Park.” The development has a total footprint of 295,669sqft and will include state-of-the-art production, distribution and office facilities. It will stand 12.6m to the eaves and has been designed in sympathy with the adjacent buildings on Phase I of the park. The boundaries of the site will be planted with native trees and shrubs to enhance biodiversity, contributing to a BREEAM rating of Very Good. Work on the main building is due to complete in summer 2024. This will be followed by an extensive plant and machinery fit-out period, with the production facility due to become operational by the end of 2025. As part of the deal, the Horncastle Group procured planning and design for Yara, and is now acting as Development Manager on the project. “This is a hugely exciting scheme to be involved in,” Mr Horncastle said. “We will be working closely with our client and our construction partner Caddick Construction to deliver a truly exceptional scheme.” David Tomkinson, Operations Director of Yara UK and son of John Tomkinson, the founder of Phosyn, said: “What began in Yorkshire in 1967 as Phosyn, is set to stay in Yorkshire for the next exciting leg of the Yara journey. “Yara was put in contact with Horncastle who had already completed a development of Ozone 1 Business Park at Howden and were in the process of planning Ozone 2. “This opportunity presented enough land for Yara to realise it’s new Global YaraVita Plant, in addition it offered improved access to logistical networks. Horncastle assisted Yara in the design and civils of the new plant and will continue to support the development during its construction.” Paul Dodsworth, Caddick Construction Group Managing Director, said: “Yara’s new manufacturing plant is not only important for the partners involved, ourselves included, but it is also vital to the region’s manufacturing industry and we’re very proud to be leading the delivery of a development that will boost the region’s industry, job market and economy. “Understanding our client’s ambitions, their investments in research and development, and their production processes all underpin our appointment to the project, and we look forward to applying our manufacturing expertise to this truly exciting project on behalf of Yara International.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A landmark stage was reached recently in the construction of Birmingham’s new purpose-built student accommodation project Pershore Junction with the topping out of the building. Developer Alumno celebrated the achievement with a special event held on site attended by a number of key stakeholders, including senior members of contactor GMI Construction Group. Regenerating a former BT brownfield site within the established Selly Oak community, Pershore Junction will accommodate the growing number of students attending local universities and the city’s dental hospital, taking pressure off private housing in the area. The development will comprise a mix of cluster beds and single occupancy studio rooms for 167 residents, together with a reception and communal areas. The £24 million scheme funded by Woh Hup will also provide an improved retail space for the site’s original Post Office and newsagent outlet, which has been relocated close by during construction. The local community will also benefit from an enhanced public area in front of the building, which will include landscaping, seating and cycle stands. Designed by Howells, the new development will comprise brickwork and terracotta detailing, which references local materials, while providing a modern identity for the building. “The elegantly crafted red brick/terracotta design responds to several key local landmarks, including the red brick Selly Park Church and Dogpool Lane Hotel,” explained Dav Bansal, Partner at Howells, which designed the development. “The project also reinstates a piece of under-utilised green space as a matured setting for the building for both students and the local community to enjoy. It will provide a much needed and sustainable home to embed students in the wider community, but also a catalyst for regenerating this local neighbourhood.” Commenting on the project, Alumno Managing Director David Campbell said: “It’s great to be celebrating the topping out of another exciting project. Our development will improve the local area visually, provide an economic boost to local businesses, and deliver much needed accommodation for Birmingham’s growing student population. As with all our developments, we have worked closely with the surrounding community and local authority to ensure the scheme enhances this vibrant area.” Delighted with the progress made to date, Gareth Jones, GMI’s Joint Divisional Managing Director, commented: “We are proud to have hit this major milestone on Pershore Junction, which will help to meet the growing demand for student accommodation in Birmingham. It also strengthens GMI’s credentials in the construction of multi-occupancy developments, particularly in the student accommodation sector, which is reflected by our continuing close relationship with Alumno.” Phil Johnson, Head of UK investments for Woh Hup, added: “We are delighted with the partnership with Alumno, GMI and the wider project team. We appreciate all the hard work undertaken to date by the team and are looking forward to opening the scheme for academic year 2024.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Hundreds of energy innovators are set to descend on Liverpool on 31 October and 1 November, for this year’s Energy Innovation Summit. We are pleased to announce that Andrew Bowie MP will deliver this year’s keynote remarks. Minister Bowie, whose ministerial portfolio includes energy networks and nuclear, will join the event to discuss the latest developments for innovation in the sector and engage with attendees, seeing sector innovation up close and first hand. The Energy Innovation Summit has been co-produced between Energy Networks Association (ENA), Ofgem, Innovate UK (part of UK Research and Innovation) and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. This year it will examine how innovation is vital for accelerating progress in technology supporting decarbonisation, increasing the ‘democratisation’ of the energy system and helping ensure industry can best help consumers in vulnerable situations. It will invite leading energy industry innovators from around the world to debate the challenges here in the UK, as well as ask the big questions about the remaining gaps in our net zero planning that require innovation to close, if we are to achieve the government’s net zero targets. The event will also include a full range of high-profile speakers across two days of innovation-focused discussions, networking and in-depth practical insights into the latest schemes. Jonathan Brearley, CEO of Ofgem said: “Reaching our goal of a decarbonised power system by 2035 will mean seeking out innovative solutions that will deliver a resilient, reliable, and more affordable energy system for households across the UK. “This year’s summit will be a great opportunity to discuss how we can develop the technologies needed to make this a reality so we can transition to a net zero energy system at the least cost to consumers.” David Richardson, Head of Innovation – Ofgem Strategic Innovation Fund, Innovate UK, said: “The energy networks will be central in the next phase of the transformation of our energy system. The Summit offers a chance for people working in all corners of the industry to actively engage in conversations about shaping our net zero future in a way which works for all users of our national infrastructure. “During the event, we’ll hear valuable perspectives, including those supported by the Ofgem Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF), which brings together energy networks and innovators to reimagine energy systems in a way which will support achieving our net zero goals. We look forward to hearing the Government perspective from Minister Bowie and encourage all others to join the conversation too.” Dan Clarke, Head of Innovation, ENA said:“Rarely has the UK’s energy sector been more focused on accelerating innovation. To reach the government’s net zero goals we need to apply successful innovation from across the UK and beyond, but we also need clear insights into the roadmap ahead. We look forward to engaging with the Minister and getting a clearer vision of the future of UK energy innovation.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Construction work has begun to transform a vacant eight-acre brownfield site into over 200,000 sq ft of modern industrial and office units with the capacity to support around 700 jobs. The redevelopment of the Vauxhall Industrial Estate in Stockport will see up to 28 new buildings created across six blocks, with parking for over 170 vehicles, 56 electric vehicle charging points and cycle storage areas. The new complex will have photovoltaic rooftop solar panels to generate electricity for occupiers. The units will have an A-rated energy performance certificate. Once completed, the site on Greg Road, Reddish, will provide 206,000 sq ft of new space, with units typically ranging in size from 4,000 sq ft to 13,500 sq ft. Tenants will be able to take multiple units and combine them. RECOM Solutions is managing the project for real estate developer and investor Western UK Property Group (WUKPG). Luke Roscoe and Maia Webster are managing the project for RECOM Solutions. Salford Quays-based RECOM has spearheaded the scheme from its inception through feasibility, design and planning stages to the demolition of vacant industrial buildings, site remediation and extensive groundworks. Foundation works have been completed and the installation of steel frames and cladding is now under way for each block. WUKPG has appointed DTRE and Sixteen Real Estate to market the units, which are scheduled to be available for leasing from the second quarter of 2024. RECOM director Jason McKnight said: “We’re thrilled with the progress being made on this prestigious project to transform the Vauxhall Industrial Estate, which is soon to be renamed Vauxhall Trading Estate. “We have been involved in the scheme from its conception and are excited to be supporting it through to completion. It’s also great to be working with WUKPG for the first time, which adds yet another respected developer to our client portfolio.” WUKPG director Oliver Lipson said: “While we’ve seen a significant number of new-build institutional big box sheds for the logistics sector, delivered across the UK, there’s a growing demand for smaller, efficient, modern industrial units for SMEs, including fulfilment, e-commerce and last-mile business to multinational trade counter retailers. “This scheme should prove to be a strong income-producing asset with a gross development value of £40m, to be held for long-term investment in our property portfolio. “Vauxhall Trading Estate is positioned in a strong location for Stockport, a major town with continued public and private investment across infrastructure and all real estate asset classes.” Other professionals involved in the project include architects C4 Projects, structural engineers Roscoe and mechanical and engineering consultants King Associates. RECOM, which was founded in 2015 by Jason McKnight and Joseph Dillon, undertakes construction project management and main contracting work across sectors including healthcare, education, retail and leisure, commercial and residential. It also provides consultancy services to assist in the design and delivery of health and safety, sustainability, passive fire protection and cladding projects. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Multi-disciplinary consultancy, Pegasus Group, is pleased to announce the addition of urban designer Colin Pullan as senior director in its London office. This appointment adds a new dimension to the Group’s established London office, which has acted across a wide variety of sectors since it was opened over 10 years ago. Based out of Soho, the team serves clients across London boroughs and the south-east. Colin will join an established office of 15 professionals who, together, advise clients on planning, heritage, environment, landscape architecture and now urban design matters. Colin has more than 35 years’ experience as an urban designer in the private sector, covering all design matters. He studied at the Oxford Polytechnic Joint Centre for Urban Design (now Oxford Brookes), one of the most distinguished urban design universities, before moving into private practice. Colin joins us having been Head of Masterplanning and Urban Design at Lambert Smith Hampton and prior to this an Urban Design Director at Lichfields. Colin brings with him considerable experience working on various projects throughout the UK including some 15 years as an expert urban design witness. Barry Cansfield, senior director, said: “We’re pleased to welcome Colin to the Pegasus team. Colin joining us demonstrates the company’s commitment to invest in the London office. It’s part of our planned growth strategy to capture the huge potential for increased workload in the capital and the south-east as well as continuing to serve our existing clients.” Henry Courtier, director, added: “Colin is a great addition to the Pegasus team. Working in such a high-density and complex urban environment, Colin’s design expertise will be invaluable across all the office’s projects, whether on our retail and hospitality projects, urban regeneration schemes or housing delivery.” Pegasus continues to grow its London team will enable it to continue meeting its clients’ needs while also expanding into new areas for further growth opportunities. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
IN THE WAKE of news that a quarter of the £36bn the government will save by scrapping the Manchester HS2 line will help remedy the UK’s ‘plague of potholes’, steps must now be taken to provide a maintenance roadmap to ensure funding is not wasted. Dave Sanders, head of technical sales at civil engineering products specialists Wrekin Products, is urging for more support and guidance to accompany the increased funding allocation – revealed to be £8.3billion in a government report. He believes more money alone won’t necessarily mean a pothole-free Britain. Dave said: “Unless there is a real push for long term pothole repair solutions instead of quick fixes, then we will not be able to solve the pothole crisis – no matter how much budget is allocated. We’re seeing a growing number of local authorities unhappy with the approach of patch repairing already subpar pothole repair works, but this is happening far too often.” He believes that with more guidance surrounding how potholes are formed and the innovative solutions available will allow more local authorities to address the root causes properly. Dave continued: “Other underlying causes of potholes include road ironwork failures and this needs to be addressed. Potholes will form when weaknesses exist in the road surface, potentially from surfacing joints, remedial works, or the use of poor-quality materials. Fitting a piece of ironwork in a road can create a potential weakness, as well as the cuts in the road needed to remove ironwork. Replacement or repair of ironwork also poses an increased risk. “Selecting robust systems with the correct, appropriate materials can reduce the potential for surface weakness. Durable ironwork that is sympathetic to its bedding materials and surrounding environment is key to preventing potholes.” To find out more about Wrekin’s pothole insights and read its recent industry report on the nationwide issue, visit: www.wrek.in/potholes Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Boroughs in the capital will need to make over £500m of savings next year to balance their budgets, new analysis from London Councils reveals. Based on its latest survey of council finances, the cross-party group warns that nine in ten London boroughs expect to overspend on their budgets this year – estimated at over £400m in total across the capital [1]. London Councils says boroughs face a perfect storm of prolonged high inflation, fast-increasing demand for services, and insufficient government funding – leading to a growing risk of financial and service failures. Pressures on adult and children’s social care, as well as the capital’s worsening homelessness crisis, are the biggest drivers of boroughs’ overspends. London Councils estimates that almost 170,000 Londoners – equivalent to one in 50 residents of the capital – are currently homeless and living in temporary accommodation arranged by their local authority. Boroughs expect to overspend on temporary accommodation by £90m this year. Ahead of the government’s Autumn Statement in November, where the Chancellor will set out his future spending plans, boroughs are calling for urgent action to boost support for local services and stabilise council finances. London Councils has launched its key priorities for the Autumn Statement, which include: Cllr Claire Holland, Acting Chair of London Councils, said: “Borough finances are on a knife edge – with grim implications for the future of local services in the capital. “The combination of higher costs due to spiralling inflation, skyrocketing demand for services, and insufficient levels of government funding leaves boroughs in an extremely precarious position. The pressure is relentless – we face a £400m shortfall this year, which rises to £500m next year unless the government provides more support. “Councils play a vital role in their communities providing essential services and in tackling so many major challenges, such as addressing homelessness, unlocking economic growth, and making faster progress towards net zero. “The government must use the Autumn Statement to bolster council finances. This will be crucial for helping boroughs stabilise budgets and sustain London’s local services.” London boroughs’ resources remain almost a fifth (18%) lower than in 2010, despite there now being almost 800,000 more Londoners – broadly equivalent to a city the size of Leeds. This has been exacerbated by over £1bn in unfunded or underfunded new burdens over that period, such as the government transferring responsibility to local authorities for financing Council Tax Support and a host of other measures. London Councils also highlights a recent report from the independent Institute for Fiscal Studies think-tank that found London local government funding is 17% lower than its estimated relative need – by far the largest gap of any region in England. London Councils key priorities for Autumn Statement 2023 Download Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Jewson Partnership Solutions (JPS) has launched its second AVAIL Housing Hub, with the aim of helping housing providers in Leeds to navigate the demands and challenges of supplying safe and quality social housing to local residents. Following the successful launch of its first AVAIL Housing Hub in Newcastle earlier this year, the one-stop-shop building and maintenance hub in Leeds will offer social housing providers all the benefits of JPS – including stock management technology, material supply, waste disposal and expert training – to tackle changing legislation, health and safety, rising costs, and decarbonisation regulations. A wealth of products for construction, maintenance and repairs will be made available to customers via the hub’s large external yard and warehouse. JPS will apply its automated replenishment technology to ensure levels of stock – which are specifically selected to support social landlords with their key challenges – are always maintained. A fleet of vehicles are available for delivery of products and materials to different sites and properties, either direct to operative or to AVAIL’s Smart Collection points located at convenient spots around the city. In coming months, the hub will include an on-site ‘drop and go’ waste offer, allowing users to save valuable time in the usual waste separation process, as well as a training academy, available to any AVAIL Housing Hub customer and their tenants, offering training on new product launches and construction processes. Courses will also be available for 16–24-year-olds looking to enter the job market, delivered in conjunction with charity YouthBuild. Social housing plays an important role in Leeds, with 54,000 council-owned dwellings in the city and a commitment in place to build 1,500 more by 2025 through the House Growth Programme. The hub is located in Seacroft, where 70 per cent of households are classed as living in deprivation – the fourth most deprived area in the city. JPS officially opened the doors to the Leeds hub at the end of September, at an event attended by a wealth of building materials suppliers, contractors and local housing associations. Scott Cooper, managing director of JPS, said: “From rising material costs and a shortage of labour, to environmental targets and a need to improve the comfort and energy efficiency of homes, housing associations are feeling more pressure than ever before to provide better housing for less while simultaneously raising the standards of their properties. “The roll-out of our AVAIL Housing Hubs is designed to make our customers’ lives easier in the face of these challenges, which we know are especially prevalent in Leeds. We want to offer social housing providers a way of working that will save them money, while also providing the guidance they need to select the products required to deliver the homes of the future. “The AVAIL Housing Hub model brings all of that under one roof, and enables us to act as a supply partner that can help them deliver on their objectives for the people who need it most.” The hub in Leeds is open now. For more information, visit https://www.jewsonpartnershipsolutions.com/avail. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Britain’s Strategic Road Network (SRN) has been the backbone of the nation’s connectivity for decades. But as demands on our roads evolve, so does our commitment to updating and enhancing them. A collaboration between Costain, WSP, Flannery, and Forkers, the Smart Motorway Programme (SMP) Alliances’ recent M6 project is a perfect example of this commitment. Spanning the M6 Junction 21a to 26, the 16km Smart Motorway project set out to augment capacity and enhance journey reliability on this integral artery of the UK’s highways. With triple the goods moved by road over rail and water combined and a third of all motor vehicle miles made on the SRN, projects like this have never been more pressing. On similar projects, the absence of data quality and efficient analysis has led to significant idle times, resulting in substantial fuel wastage and increased emissions. To maximise the efficiency of machinery during the construction phase, the SMP Alliance called on equipment data and telematics specialist MachineMax. Data-driven solutions MachineMax addressed these environmental and economic repercussions using its transformative telematics and data solution. The platform, focusing on crucial metrics, including: idle time, emissions, location, and fuel use, provided real-time data on equipment status, enabling immediate and actionable insights that lead to significant fuel savings and reduced emissions.Between the start of 2022 and July 2023, idling was successfully reduced from 56% to an impressive 19%. Furthermore, during the pilot phase, SMP Alliance managed to decrease fuel usage by 3500 litres per month, preventing 9236 kg of CO2 emissions. Tom Grahamslaw, Head of Connected Site for the SMP Alliance commented, “The MachineMax solution has created the insights we now need to understand and effectively manage plant across our projects, enabling us to drive a change in behaviours and deliver a step change in environmental performance.”Realising net-zero ambitions Construction teams on the project gained invaluable insights into equipment activity, idle periods, and usage percentages, significantly improving their understanding of equipment usage. GPS integration enabled tracking of routes, distances, and stops, facilitating better operational planning. Using just 20 highly efficient and cost-effective sensors from MachineMax, the SMP Alliance realise its ambition to deliver highway projects more efficiently and sustainably through tangible savings and reductions in idling, as well as improved air quality for both on-site workers and local residents Eamonn Slevin Operations Director for the SMP Alliance added, “The use of fuel on our construction sites is the single largest contributory factor to carbon emissions during assembly. On the M6, by using MachineMax’s innovative data solution, we were provided with better quality data which has allowed targeted behavioural training, plant idling has been reduced from 50% of operating time to 18%. The benefits of this are a reduction in carbon emissions, reduced impact on air quality from emissions and longevity of plant.” The green brick road The M6 Junction 21a to 26 Smart Motorway project is a testament to Britain’s commitment to its SRN, and the integration of innovative solutions to foster a data-driven approach sets a benchmark for future infrastructure projects. As the government continues its substantial investment across transport modes, projects like this will ensure our road networks remain safe, reliable, resilient, responsive, and efficient, unlocking vast economic and social benefits. Amy Law, Head of Marketing & Sales at MachineMax, concluded, “’In a world where every second and every litre of fuel counts, our technology is not just about data; it’s about driving real change on the ground. Working with Costain, Flannery, Forkers and WSP has enabled us to showcase the importance of timely, accurate data for project emission reductions, also exemplifying how the fusion of innovation and collaboration can redefine the future of construction efficiency and our Strategic Road Network. We’re not just building roads; we’re paving the way for a sustainable, connected Britain.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals