Work has begun on a multimillion-poundextension at a school in Cheshire to create additional places. The scheme being undertaken by Salford-based MC Construction at Springfield School in Crewe will help address an urgent need for extra provision in the area for children with complex needs. The project involves building a
Wigan based commercial interior design & fit out company, Truline celebrates 35 years and a record increase in year-on-year sales with a restructure to reposition within the market. Truline saw a sales increase of 35% year on year and so in its 35th year the team decided to update the
Yesterday the production of over 83,000 concrete tunnel segments for HS2 has begun at a new facility at Hartlepool docks. STRABAG were awarded the contract to manufacture the segments in October 2021 and chose Hartlepool as the location for their new production site. Located in a unit at Hartlepool Dock
Yesterday, Monday 24 July 2023, the Government confirmed that they will adopt an 18-metre height threshold for second staircases in all new residential buildings. In a huge win for RIBA’s cross-sector campaign on this issue, the Government noted that the new fire safety measure comes in response to expert bodies’ united calls. Since March, a RIBA-led coalition spanning the built environment, fire
Proposals for a project to bring around 1,000 new homes to Hull city centre have today been approved by Cabinet. Schemes on three city centre brownfield sites will now move a step further to preparing and marketing the sites for developer interest. One site, known as East Bank Urban Village
Jacksons Fencing, a renowned supporter of wildlife conservation, is making significant strides in promoting hedgehog-friendly security fencing. In 2015, the company became the first British fencing manufacturer to introduce a hedgehog-friendly timber gravel board, for residential use. This breakthrough innovation is compatible with their timber fence panels and slotted posts.
Deanestor, one of the UK’s leading education fitout specialists, has been awarded its 16th contract for Morrison Construction. The new project involves the provision of around 6,000 items of loose and fitted furniture for a primary school and community hub now under construction in Aberdeen. This contract for Greyhope School
After successfully trialling Volvo Trucks’ first fully electric skip loader, Powerday – London’s leading recycling and waste management company – has become one of the first companies in the UK to place an order for the Swedish manufacturer’s vehicles. Powerday currently operates a fleet of over 70 vehicles, servicing construction
Joint venture partners Cole Waterhouse and Tonia Investments have secured a significant amended planning consent for Leeds Urban Village, a £185 million mixed-use, residential led scheme in the East of Leeds city centre. The partnership acquired the 3.8-acre site in May 2022 with full detailed planning permission for 1,012 apartments
Wyatt Homes, a leading South West housebuilder recently handed over a collection of new high-quality apartments at the prestigious Rivers Edge development in Wimborne. These homes have been built for Aster Group, a housing association dedicated to providing affordable homes for communities across the South of England and London. Situated
Work has begun on a multimillion-poundextension at a school in Cheshire to create additional places. The scheme being undertaken by Salford-based MC Construction at Springfield School in Crewe will help address an urgent need for extra provision in the area for children with complex needs. The project involves building a wrap-around extension to the school’s existing sports pavilion to create eight new classrooms, ancillary spaces including calm rooms, a sensory room and a therapy room, new hygiene suites and toilets, as well as extending and remodelling existing kitchen facilities. Springfield is rated as outstanding by Ofsted and was named 2022 School of the Year in the National Schools Awards. It caters for pupils aged from four to 19 with severe learning difficulties and complex needs, including autism. Cheshire East Council’s southern planning committee unanimously backed the extension scheme to alleviate the shortfall in places at the school. Demand for specialist school provision is at an all-time high in the area. The new block is scheduled to be ready for use in September 2024. Russ Forshaw, managing director of MC Construction, said: “We’re delighted to be returning to Springfield School and to be once again partnering with Cheshire East Council. “We have a strong track record of delivering education projects across the region, and the construction of the new teaching block will be our largest to date. “This is a significant and important scheme which will greatly enhance provision for children with special educational needs and disabilities in the local authority area. “Our team has proven experience in delivering major projects in sensitive environments and we’re looking forward to delivering a new facility of the highest quality.” The contract was procured through the North West Construction Hub framework. The architect for the scheme is Halliday Meecham and the quantity surveyor is Currie & Brown. Other professionals involved in the project include construction design and management adviser David Trowler Associates, mechanical, electrical and plumbing consultancy Davies Partnership and structural engineer Sutcliffe. Lisa Hodgkison, headteacher at Springfield School, said: “We are delighted to have MC Construction working alongside us to build this much-needed expansion for Springfield. “They have made a fantastic start and are extremely keen to work with us to ensure our school day is unaffected. They will also be educating our young people on each stage of the build project, to keep them involved in the process. “The expansion will enable us to provide education and support for more children and families within our immediate locality, where we know there is such great demand for specialist places.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Wigan based commercial interior design & fit out company, Truline celebrates 35 years and a record increase in year-on-year sales with a restructure to reposition within the market. Truline saw a sales increase of 35% year on year and so in its 35th year the team decided to update the business to branch out into new sectors and build on existing strong client relationships. Following an internal restructure of the business, Truline recruited an interior design team to provide a full design and build service. This team is headed up by Martha Lorains who was recruited to lead change within the team and secure more design-led schemes. Recent design-focussed projects include education & collaboration spaces at Hugh Baird College in Liverpool, redesign and fit out of AJ Barr’s head office. Truline has also provided a full solution with design and fit out at a large Blue Chip manufacturing plant. Truline has also recently completed multi-million-pound education projects which have seen a variety of refurbishments including spaces within Grade II listed buildings. The company as principal contractor has also seen a growth in the Healthcare sector, with projects delivered at Hospitals, Mental Health & Medical centres across the North-West region. The business has also invested six figures in a rebrand which comprises a new website, logo, colourways, uniform & head office refurbishment Mike Hyde, MD at Truline, added “Our business is at a pivotal point as we’re seeing the results of the last few years of hard work and relationship building start to truly deliver. It is the perfect time to refresh our look and internal structure to ensure that we’re in the best possible position correctly to drive further growth of the business. The enhanced services provided by our design team has a dual benefit as it offers added value service to support traditional contracts with consultants and also provide a full turn key solution for direct clients. “We are confident in the future of the business as the property industry in Manchester is now growing faster than London and with the fact we have our own interior design team, bespoke joinery workshop and multi skilled in-house operatives means we’re in a strong position to grow and expand into new & existing sectors.” Martha Lorains, head of design and business relationships, added: “It’s a hugely exciting time to join Truline. The team already has a reputation for delivering high quality construction and fit out services and we want this to extend into offering high quality, bespoke design. I directed the rebrand of the business to feel more design-led and move forward into a broader service offering for clients.” Truline is a leading commercial interior design and construction provider that employs over 50 people in Wigan and is a living wage employer. For more information, please visit https://truline-cis.co.uk/
Yesterday the production of over 83,000 concrete tunnel segments for HS2 has begun at a new facility at Hartlepool docks. STRABAG were awarded the contract to manufacture the segments in October 2021 and chose Hartlepool as the location for their new production site. Located in a unit at Hartlepool Dock which was previously used for the fabrication of oil rigs, the new facility has been fitted out with a state of the art automated segment carousel and reinforcement hall. Robots controlled by telemetry have been installed to produce the high quality reinforcement cages required for each segment. The location boasts excellent transportation links, both by road and sea, and the STRABAG team have brought the rail head adjacent to the site back into use, reinstating rail connections. Over 100 jobs have been created at the Hartlepool facility, including six new apprenticeships and a number of formerly unemployed people recruited from the local area. STRABAG are also utilising the local supply chain, sourcing aggregate from local quarries and using UK recycled steel. Over 83,000 precast tunnel segments will be produced for HS2 in order to construct the Northolt tunnel east and Euston tunnel. They will be used to construct 3.4miles of twin bored tunnel for the Northolt tunnel East, and 5miles of twin bored tunnel for the Euston tunnel between Old Oak Common and Euston. Each ring has an 8.8m outside diameter, is 35 centimetres thick and weighs seven tonnes. The Hartlepool facility will be used to produce HS2 tunnel segments for around three years but the investment from STRABAG in the site is part of a long term UK investment strategy. Ruth Todd CBE, HS2’s Chief Commercial Officer, said: “HS2 is already bringing benefits to the UK economy, creating jobs around the country as part of the construction and manufacturing required for HS2. STRABAG’s choice of location in Hartlepool for its new facility demonstrates a commitment to bringing new job and training opportunities to the North East, and the HS2 project provides a great pipeline of work. “Over 3,000 UK based businesses are already working on the project, with over 28,500 jobs directly supported, with many more through the supply chain. As more phases of the HS2 programme begin, there will be many more opportunities for businesses across the UK to get involved in this once-in-a-generation mega-project.” Hartlepool MP, Jill Mortimer, said: “It’s been absolutely fantastic to be back at STRABAG and in two years seeing how much they have achieved. We were talking about jobs and investment then and now it is here. It’s £50million of investment and 100 jobs, not just for HS2 but beyond, for 50 or 60 years building tunnels across the nation. We should be really proud that Hartlepool is part of the HS2 project because that is something that is going to bring benefits across the country.” Robotics will be used by the STRABAG team at the facility and a state-of-the-art automated segment carousel will ensure shorter turnaround times and better quality in production. The automation used in creating the steel reinforcement cages reduces wastage to negligible volumes and operates with energy efficiency levels significantly better than traditional methods. Andy Dixon, MD for STRABAG UK, said: “This is an extremely exciting day for STRABAG’s UK operations. Our new factory in Hartlepool allows us to manufacture products for HS2 in the North East of England by giving new life to a vacant site and bringing over 100 new skilled jobs to the area. The increased use of automation enhances production efficiency, creates a safer environment for our staff as well as creating new technology related job opportunities. “In addition, having direct access to the rail network means that we can take a significant number of lorries off of UK roads. This creates a more sustainable solution in the way that we transport tunnel segment rings to the Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) building the London tunnels for HS2, resulting in a reduction in our carbon footprint.” 96 concrete segments rings will be produced each day at the site, with teams of 30 working in shifts across 24 hours, seven days per week. HS2’s Main Works Civils Contractor, Skanska Costain STRABAG joint venture (SCS JV), are constructing HS2’s London tunnels. The segments will be transported by rail to HS2’s London logistics hub, part of HS2’s commitment to reduce carbon emissions in construction.. Starting in the summer, a 20 carriage train will depart from the site each day over six days, increasing to 2 per day as production increases. From the Logistics Hub, the segments will be transported by an electric Multi-Service Vehicle (MSV) to the neighbouring construction sites and transferred on to the four giant Tunnel Boring Machines that will be constructing these tunnels. James Richardson, Managing Director of SCS JV, said: “We are proud to be able to support the development of this state-of-the-art industrial facility, ensuring jobs and economic growth are secured for the future in the Hartlepool area.“The tunnel segments manufactured here in Hartlepool will be transported by rail to our tunnel boring machines, forming the high-speed tunnels in the heart of London. By using rail instead of road to move over 83,000 segments, we avoid over 56,000 lorry journeys and reduce CO2 emissions by 76 percent. At all stages of the manufacturing, transportation and installation of these tunnel segments, we will ensure the building of a cleaner, greener railway and unlocking the social benefits HS2 can bring across the UK.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Yesterday, Monday 24 July 2023, the Government confirmed that they will adopt an 18-metre height threshold for second staircases in all new residential buildings. In a huge win for RIBA’s cross-sector campaign on this issue, the Government noted that the new fire safety measure comes in response to expert bodies’ united calls. Since March, a RIBA-led coalition spanning the built environment, fire safety and disability rights groups have been strongly advocating an 18-metre threshold. RIBA and its Expert Advisory Group have been calling for second staircases in new residential buildings for a long time. RIBA President Simon Allford said: “This is a significant moment. Over six years on from the Grenfell Tower tragedy, it is hugely positive and reassuring to see the Government listening to the united call of experts on fire safety, bringing greater coherence and certainty for industry. Mandating second staircases in new homes over 18 metres is a vital step towards a safer built environment for all. We are pleased to have played our part in this.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Proposals for a project to bring around 1,000 new homes to Hull city centre have today been approved by Cabinet. Schemes on three city centre brownfield sites will now move a step further to preparing and marketing the sites for developer interest. One site, known as East Bank Urban Village will see up to 850 new homes, with another 200 properties at a second site at St Stephen’s Place. It is anticipated these sites would offer the potential for high-quality apartments providing social rooftop areas and spaces for families, outdoor play and integrated green spaces, as well as private gardens and sports provisions. Myton City Gateway is expected to be of mixed commercial use and, given its prominence and proximity to the A63 Castle Street improvements, could deliver an impressive entrance to the city centre with opportunities for retail, commercial and leisure developments. The overall ambition of the projects is to offer new, inclusive neighbourhoods where people choose to live, work and play, all whilst developing unused brownfield land in the city centre. This would combine Hull’s unique features to create highly sustainable mixed-use urban developments, as well as balanced and diverse high-quality living which respects and reflects the history of each site. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Jacksons Fencing, a renowned supporter of wildlife conservation, is making significant strides in promoting hedgehog-friendly security fencing. In 2015, the company became the first British fencing manufacturer to introduce a hedgehog-friendly timber gravel board, for residential use. This breakthrough innovation is compatible with their timber fence panels and slotted posts. This pioneering product not only safeguards fence panels from ground contact but also incorporates a designated hole to facilitate the passage of hedgehogs. This seemingly small modification plays a crucial role in combating the declining population of hedgehogs by providing them with convenient access between areas for essential activities like foraging and mating. Pushing boundaries Recognising the need to extend this initiative beyond residential gardens, Jacksons Fencing is aiming to tackle the matter of hedgehog-friendly fencing in commercial sites too. The company aims to raise awareness among architects, specifiers, and end-users about the availability of hedgehog-friendly fencing options and the importance of incorporating them in their projects. Certain commercial fencing types, such as mesh fencing with larger apertures: V mesh, twin wire panels, and chain link, for example, have recently come under scrutiny due to their potential to trap or endanger hedgehogs. Although attempts to create openings or holes in these fences have been made, they often prove ineffective as hedgehogs may not be aware of such access points or may not be able to navigate them safely. This revelation has prompted Jacksons Fencing to advocate for the species by highlighting alternative products that prioritise both wildlife preservation and high security requirements of sites which require security fencing, where suitable. Safe and secure solutions Among the recommended solutions, vertical bar fencing emerges as the optimal choice, as it seamlessly integrates security and hedgehog-friendly features. With gaps between pales designed to adhere to anti-trap regulations, hedgehogs can navigate through the fencing effortlessly, ensuring their safety. These fences also feature sturdy construction, concealed, tamper-proof fixings, an attractive appearance, and minimal obstruction to visibility, making them an ideal choice for various applications. Additionally, Jacksons Fencing highlights the advantages of high concealment mesh fencing, particularly their innovative EuroGuard® Combi product. This solution combines rigid V mesh panels with interlaced wooden slats, delivering both privacy and a natural aesthetic while upholding the strength and security expected from a steel mesh fence. The incorporation of timber slats effectively covers mesh gaps, preventing hedgehogs from getting stuck while still providing a secure enclosure. A race against time Considering hedgehogs have been listed as vulnerable to extinction since 2020, Jacksons Fencing is dedicated to actively raising awareness of this pressing issue and promoting the adoption of hedgehog-friendly alternatives. Action is being taken by UK charities. A ‘Hedgehog Friendly Fencing’ campaign was recently launched by Hedgehog Street, a collaboration between People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) and The British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS). Central to the campaign is the establishment of ‘Hedgehog Highways’ as the industry standard in garden fencing, which we applaud. Peter Jackson, Managing Director, Jacksons Fencing says, “Jacksons Fencing has championed Hedgehog Highways for several years. We have updated our product literature, specifications, and online content to educate our customers and specifiers about the availability and benefits of wildlife-friendly fencing options. Prioritising hedgehog preservation and conservation, is just one example of our commitment to sustainability and the well-being of wildlife.” For more information about hedgehog-friendly commercial fencing, please click here. To find out more about the Hedgehog Friendly Fencing campaign, please click here.
Deanestor, one of the UK’s leading education fitout specialists, has been awarded its 16th contract for Morrison Construction. The new project involves the provision of around 6,000 items of loose and fitted furniture for a primary school and community hub now under construction in Aberdeen. This contract for Greyhope School and Community Hub follows the successful completion of Countesswells Primary School – Deanestor’s latest school fitout to be delivered for the same project team. Both projects are for Aberdeen City Council, and are with main contractor Morrison and delivery authority Hub North Scotland. The architects are Halliday Fraser Munro. The new £18m Countesswells Primary School was handed over a month ahead of programme. This will serve the growing local community, catering for up to 434 pupils with an additional 60 early learning and childcare places. Deanestor fitted out 74 rooms across the two-storey school, providing nearly 5,000 items of fitted and loose furniture. These included curved shelving, bag and shoe storage, learning walls, changing benches, seating, and storage solutions. Michael Black, Construction Manager at Morrison Construction, said, “Deanestor contributed to a very successful project at Countesswells. This new two-stream school was handed over defect-free four weeks early, which was a considerable achievement.” “The fitout went very well – from the technical drawings produced by Deanestor at the early stages to the high standard of workmanship in the factory and on site. They are part of our established supply chain, and we are looking forward to working with their team on the Greyhope School project, which is now underway.” Martin Greig, Councillor and Education and Children’s Services Convener at Aberdeen City Council, said, “Deanestor has a great willingness to work collaboratively with us to inform the design process from both a cost-centred perspective and to ensure the required technical performance. Their team’s use of 3D technology, participation in workshops, and flexible approach allow us to fine tune the specification of the furniture very easily to meet our stakeholders’ requirements. The furniture is robust and will be easy to maintain.” “At Countesswells, we chose neutral colours for the walls and flooring, and grey, white, and grey wood-effect finishes for the fitted furniture to create a calming environment. Bright pops of colour are then highlighted to enliven the spaces and create identities for different zones and year groups. These colours provide an element of fun and are picked out in some of the fittings. Following the success of this project, Greyhope School will follow an identical design theme.” A spokesperson for the Aberdeen City Council Client Team working on the Greyhope School and Community Hub Project said, “Deanestor has been easy to work with and went the extra mile to achieve client results in creating excellent collaborative, interesting and functional spaces for the school and the community – and in particular, the school classrooms, community library/cafe and the community general office space. We are looking forward to working with the Deanestor team once again.” Ramsay McDonald, Managing Director for Deanestor in Scotland said, “We are delighted to be working on another school project with this award-winning construction team. It will create a truly inspirational learning environment for local children and invaluable community facilities. Our team did a fantastic job of delivering our contract and contributing to the early handover.” Greyhope School and Community Hub represents a £28m investment by Aberdeen City Council to provide a new primary school and a range of amenities for the local community including a café, library, performance facilities and housing office. The school will accommodate 434 pupils and a further 100 children in an early years centre. Deanestor’s contract at Greyhope School is for the fitted furniture for 117 rooms which will be finished in graphite grey and white, and loose items supplied in a palette of bright colours – lime green, yellow, powder blue, parrot green and tangerine. Items manufactured by Deanestor will include a trophy cabinet, tilt-top tables, worktops, desks, storage solutions, lockers, and teaching walls. Deanestor manufactures and installs robust and flexible loose and fixed furniture solutions for early years, primary, SEN, and secondary education, fitting out areas such as classrooms, science laboratories, ICT, design and technology, atria, social dining spaces, break-out areas, sports facilities, and changing rooms. For further information, visit www.deanestor.co.uk/education, call 01623 420041 or email enquiries@deanestor.com. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
After successfully trialling Volvo Trucks’ first fully electric skip loader, Powerday – London’s leading recycling and waste management company – has become one of the first companies in the UK to place an order for the Swedish manufacturer’s vehicles. Powerday currently operates a fleet of over 70 vehicles, servicing construction clients across the south east. The two new Volvo electric vehicles will come into service in September and are expected to save more than 30 tonnes in CO2 emissions per year. The new skip loaders will initially be based at the company’s Old Oak Sidings site, in north west London. Transition to electric The shift to using the electric skip loaders comes after Powerday launched its latest Sustainability Manifesto, which revealed its commitment to achieve net zero status by 2040. The annual report outlines the company’s targets for the year, and reports on progress for the previous year, under five sustainability pillars: employees, community, carbon management, clients, and procurement. Powerday has been measuring its Scope 1 and 2 emissions since 2020. It has set the 2040 net zero target – relative to a 2021 baseline – with interim goals of a 20% reduction in 2023, 35% by 2026 and 50% by 2030. The commitment has been registered with SME Climate Hub to count towards the UN Race to Net Zero. A revolution in skip loading vehicles Driven by a two-speed transmission, offering a smooth and comfortable driving experience, the Volvo’s electric’s power is handled by a unique traction control system developed to master even slippery surfaces, while different drive modes are available to set the desired performance, comfort, and energy usage levels. Equipped with four batteries, it offers a range of approximately 190km and can be recharged in just 2.3 hours using the 150kW DC charger that has been installed at Powerday’s Old Oak Sidings site. Chris Donnelly, Sales Director, Volvo Trucks commented: “Powerday conducted trials last year when we first launched our fully electric skip loader demonstrator, installing infrastructure at its own cost for the trial to take place. This showed immediate commitment and we were very grateful. “The data following the trials was staggering. We had predicted returns of course from our Electric Range Simulator, however, the performance was far better than expected. We congratulate Powerday on its bold environmental targets and look forward to supporting them on its road to Net Zero.” Edward Crossan, CEO, Powerday, added: “In line with our net-zero roadmap, adopting these electric skip loaders into our fleet shows our commitment to reducing our carbon footprint and contributing to cleaner air and environment in London. “As a pioneer in the waste management industry, we proudly stand as the first company to embrace the future of sustainability. By investing in electric skip loaders, we lead the charge towards cleaner, greener solutions.”
Joint venture partners Cole Waterhouse and Tonia Investments have secured a significant amended planning consent for Leeds Urban Village, a £185 million mixed-use, residential led scheme in the East of Leeds city centre. The partnership acquired the 3.8-acre site in May 2022 with full detailed planning permission for 1,012 apartments across five towers with commercial space on the ground floor. Following the purchase, Leeds-based DLG Architects and landscape specialists Exterior Architects were appointed to review the scheme design with a focus on enhanced placemaking and a significant review of its wind mitigation features. Having worked closely with a range of stakeholders through the summer including Leeds City Council, a Section 73 Minor Material Amendment Application was submitted in December 2023. The planning approval will mean there are wholesale changes to the building’s elevational and public realm design. Wind mitigation measures have also been substantially improved through changes to the towers’ form and massing. Leeds Urban Village will deliver 1,012 residential apartments across five towers ranging from 13-23 storeys and will include 478 BTR apartments. The ground floor spaces will accommodate retail, food and beverage as well as a considered range of resident amenities such as a shared pantry, cinema, gym and a ‘library of things’ – appliances and useful equipment for people to borrow. The public realm, designed by Exterior Architecture, includes features such as a climbing wall and spaces for active play, whilst a large central hub offers opportunities for events, markets and gatherings. The development is targeting Fitwel rating – the world’s leading healthy building design accreditor – and has considered occupant wellbeing and health from the outset of design. In addition, a new cycle hub within the public realm is proposed with direct platform lift access to basement parking and a range of high-quality cycle welfare facilities. Speaking about the scheme, George Smith, planning manager at Cole Waterhouse, commented: “These design enhancements will ensure that Leeds Urban Village is a desirable new urban neighbourhood and a cultural destination in itself, designed to meet and exceed people’s expectations now and in the future. “Located in the heart of Leeds city centre with both the West Yorkshire Playhouse and Great Northern Ballet nearby, we have looked at how we best build on the surrounding cultural offer to deliver a vibrant and meaningful placemaking strategy to strengthen further our engagement with the cultural and creative community in Leeds as our vision for the site develops.” George continues: “We have been working with Colliers to secure development funding and also working on the appointment of a main contractor. We are aiming to start on site in Q2 2024 to deliver the first phases of much needed Built-to-Rent homes for the city of Leeds.” Cole Waterhouse has a strong track record in the residential and BTR sector and has a current pipeline to deliver over 2,000 residential units across its sites in Leeds, Birmingham and Manchester. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Wyatt Homes, a leading South West housebuilder recently handed over a collection of new high-quality apartments at the prestigious Rivers Edge development in Wimborne. These homes have been built for Aster Group, a housing association dedicated to providing affordable homes for communities across the South of England and London. Situated in the heart of Wimborne, Rivers Edge will offer 79 homes for both affordable rent and shared ownership across five phases upon completion. Aster customers moved into the first phase in March 2021. Shared ownership provides an affordable way onto – or back onto – the housing ladder. Buyers purchase a share of a property and pay rent on the remaining share. This reduces the size of the initial deposit required and if they want to, purchasers can buy more shares in their property (known as staircasing), eventually leading to outright home ownership. The newly handed-over apartments mark a significant milestone in this project. Shaun Pettitt, Managing Director of Wyatt Homes, commented on the achievement, stating, “We are delighted to have successfully completed and handed over these exceptional apartments to Aster Group. Rivers Edge represents our commitment to excellence and innovation in housebuilding. “We have worked tirelessly to create homes that not only offer exceptional quality and craftsmanship but also contribute to the overall well-being and prosperity of the local community. We are confident that the residents will enjoy a fantastic living experience at Rivers Edge.” Nick Ridd, Site Manager at Rivers Edge, expressed his pride in the completion of the apartments, saying, “Handing over these apartments to Aster Group is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our team at Wyatt Homes. “It has been a pleasure overseeing the construction process, ensuring attention to detail and high quality at every stage. We are thrilled to have contributed to the creation of outstanding homes.” Jane Gallifent, Development and Sales Director at Aster Group said: “The team at Wyatt Homes have done a fantastic job at delivering these beautiful new affordable homes which we’ll be proudly handing over to our customers who are either choosing them as a great option for affordable rent or buying through shared ownership. “Being handed the keys to a new home provides our customers with long-term security. For many it means they are able to remain living in an area they often grew up in, close to family and friends but otherwise would’ve been priced out of due to an acute shortage of affordable homes, an issue that is a particular problem in the South West.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals