A GROUND-BREAKING new bioscience facility has been announced as the next phase of Nottingham’s The Island Quarter development. Plans submitted to Nottingham City Council today, 2 December 2022, feature more than 245,000 sq ft of high quality, flexible research and laboratory space, further enhancing the city’s reputation as the bioscience
Trans-Tomaco is a family company based in Castellón in Spain, founded in 1950 by professionals from the world of transport, logistics management and earthmoving. Since then, the business has fulfilled all of its clients’ material transport needs. Its vehicle fleet is three years old on average and is diversified in
Lee Martin, Head of UK for Unlatch, the new homes sales progression and aftercare platform for developers and housebuilders, provides his thoughts on what we should and could expect from the new homes property sector and reality of 2023. With 2022 coming to a close, the UK finds itself under
A planning application for 61 EPC A-rated new homes in the Bedfordshire village of Toddington has been submitted to Central Bedfordshire Council. The Reserved Matters application, by award winning housebuilder Hayfield, is for a £30m development of much needed new homes on a 7-acre (2.84 Ha) site off Russell Road,
London based metal window refurbishment specialist, Associated Steel Window Services (ASWS) has successfully completed two very demanding phases of work in refurbishing the exterior facades to the ASOS premises in Watford; renewing a past working relationship with main contractor ISG, while demonstrating its ability to embrace contemporary contracting techniques as
Construction materials supplier Euroform has introduced a new direct render base board called Versarend®. An A1 non-combustible exterior grade board, Versarend® is cement based yet light weight with ‘score and snap’ workability, so is quick to install. Already tested with a range of polymeric renders, Versarend® has been tested by
The transformation of a former post office in Warrington town centre into a luxury aparthotel has been completed with an investment of approximately £2.5million. The contracting arm of Leeds-based Priestley Group, Priestley Construction, has delivered the project on Palmyra Square through its North West Office for clients Deuce Hotels. Beginning
The project team behind One City Park – a state-of-the-art new office in Bradford – gathered on site to celebrate the building reaching its highest point and on track to complete in Summer 2023. The event had a festive twist with an official light switch on for a 15ft Christmas
A 100-tonne bridge deck is being constructed at Everton Stadium to assist with site logistics and provide a vital link to the scenic western wharf in the final scheme. The concrete bridge in the north west corner, which will eventually provide part of the route for the team coaches arriving
Building work is well underway at a pioneering housing development in Milton Keynes where Bellway is adopting Modern Methods of Construction (MMC). The developer was selected by Homes England to deliver phase four of Tattenhoe Park, a major extension to the south-west of the city. The site is part of
A GROUND-BREAKING new bioscience facility has been announced as the next phase of Nottingham’s The Island Quarter development. Plans submitted to Nottingham City Council today, 2 December 2022, feature more than 245,000 sq ft of high quality, flexible research and laboratory space, further enhancing the city’s reputation as the bioscience capital of the UK. With more than 200 bioscience businesses in the city already, the proposed facility will act as an incubator for new and growing companies, in what is a strategically important sector within Nottingham. The plans comprise of two buildings, a five storey east building and a seven storey west building. The two buildings will be connected by a glazed link at upper levels and provide a mixture of laboratory, office and meeting spaces. Featuring rainwater gardens and medicinal planting, the building’s external landscaping is designed to echo the vision for the overall site, with an ecology-focussed street that links the latest phase with the rest of The Island Quarter. This includes raised planters made with natural stone paving blocks in the style of those found in the heritage buildings – connecting the site’s history with its future. The surroundings are designed to respond to the emerging wider masterplan, which is being developed in collaboration with the planning authority and is the subject of ongoing community engagement. These latest proposals will continue the development of the northern edge of the 36-acre development, which also features a 693-bed student accommodation block, due for completion in summer 2024. Christopher Ware, property director at Conygar, said: “Nottingham has a world-renowned reputation as a leading city for innovation, and that is never more the case than in the field of biosciences. Bringing forward this phase of the development will create vital research space for some of the city’s most innovative businesses, and further grow its standing in the bioscience sector.” Richard Watson of The Island Quarter project delivery team said: “This latest phase is another significant step forward for the regeneration of The Island Quarter, bringing the potential for hundreds of new jobs and increasing the footfall across the wider site. With 1 The Island Quarter now fully open for business and the student accommodation set to be ready for the 2024/25 intake, it’s a truly exciting time not just for the project, but for the city as a whole.” To find out more about The Island Quarter, please visit: theislandquarter.com Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Trans-Tomaco is a family company based in Castellón in Spain, founded in 1950 by professionals from the world of transport, logistics management and earthmoving. Since then, the business has fulfilled all of its clients’ material transport needs. Its vehicle fleet is three years old on average and is diversified in order to meet the demand of operators with modern and state-of-the-art loader equipment. Moving Three Thousand Tonne of Raw Material Daily The latest addition to the fleet at Trans-Tomaco is the purchase of a new Doosan DL380-7 wheel loader to move raw materials used in the manufacture of porcelain stoneware flooring in the Castellón area. The ceramic sector in Spain is of vital importance at a national level, but above all in terms of exports. Spain is the benchmark in the industry and one of the main European and world exporting countries in this market, with 90% of production being concentrated in the province of Castellón. Raw materials for the industry arrive at the ports of Castellón and Valencia, or come from mines in various Spanish towns, and are transported by truck to the ceramics plant. Using the new Doosan DL380-7 loader, these materials are collected and fed into hoppers, so that the ceramic atomizer has a continuous supply for the manufacture of tiles. The dependability of the wheel loader is paramount, because production cannot be stopped once the ovens are switched on, as the process is continuous. Great Load Capacity, Speed and Lower Fuel Consumption “We need to stack a large amount of material, mainly white clay, to feed the hoppers quickly and reliably. We are talking about a movement of at least three thousand tonne of material per day, in two shifts,” comments Raúl Martínez Paula, the machine operator in charge. “The Doosan DL380-7 wheel loader provides us with a large loading capacity and it is faster and guarantees a better performance with lower fuel consumption. We now have a 4.3 m3 shovel that improves the effectiveness of the work considerably. With this greater load capacity we have made gains in efficiency.” The DL380-7 is part of the new generation DL-7 wheel loader family, which offers maximum capacities from 2.8 to 6.4 m3. In addition, the Z-bar lift arm provides high breakout forces and lifting capacities, especially for heavier materials, and a large dumping angle to efficiently unload materials. “We highly value the speed of movement, the power and the low fuel consumption – everything goes well together. This machine is very easy to operate, manoeuvres perfectly both indoors and outdoors, and performs and runs very well,” adds Raúl Martínez Paula. The Doosan DL380-7 wheel loader features a Stage V engine that primarily uses Selective Catalytic Reduction, plus a longer lasting Diesel Particulate Filter, with a fully automatic regeneration process designed to manage itself, without operator intervention. Eliminating exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) from the engine leads to much lower fuel consumption and fewer particulates in the exhaust. With no EGR needed and a new selection of power modes available – SAT2, Standard or Power – the new generation Situation Awareness Technology (SAT2) power management system automatically scans the machine’s activity and adjusts the engine’s output according to real time analysis of the boom pressure, pump pressure and output shaft. New Cab with Excellent Finish Raúl Martínez Paula added: “Previously we owned another Doosan loader, a DL300 and we were satisfied with its performance so we weren’t considering changing brands. Compared with the old machine, the new loader is more modern, sleaker and very comfortable. It is larger, the cab is very spacious, comfortable and has a better finish. It has an 8-inch touch screen that is easy to read and use, with all the functions integrated in one place. Visibility from the operator’s station is unbeatable.” Inside the cab, the DL380-7 wheel loader offers enhanced operating comfort, an enhanced steering system and advanced electronic controls. Using the new Doosan Smart Key system on the control panel in the cab, the operator can start the machine using a keyless device, helping to prevent machine theft. The Smart Key system provides remote door control, door lock and unlock, door release, searching and other functions. The control panel also includes two USB sockets. The new cab has a Grammer Actimo XXL seat with fully adjustable horizontal and vertical suspension settings, a pneumatic lumbar function and seat heating as standard. The new EMCV (Electric Main Control Valve) joystick fully integrated in the armrest is another standard feature in the cab, providing the operator with smoother and precise controllability of the lift arm and attachments on the wheel loader. Raúl Martínez Paula continued: “It is also worth noting the breakout force of this loader, as well as its high traction that facilitates the penetration of even the hardest materials. This is a very safe and robust machine and we also opted for the DL380-7 because of the confidence provided by the service of the Doosan distributor, SUMAG MOP, and the professionals in their workshop, together with that offered by Centrocar, exclusive importer of Doosan in Spain, Portugal, Angola and Mozambique, who we have been working with for many years.” Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Lee Martin, Head of UK for Unlatch, the new homes sales progression and aftercare platform for developers and housebuilders, provides his thoughts on what we should and could expect from the new homes property sector and reality of 2023. With 2022 coming to a close, the UK finds itself under somewhat of a financial dark cloud. Some are calling it a recession, most believe it to be the obvious symptoms to many factors currently being experienced on a global front, not just within the UK. This is coupled of course with a cost-of-living crisis. According to Halifax’s House Price Index, since the UK entered this difficult economic stage, the average house price fell by 0.4%. On top of this, in the last quarter of 2022, the Bank of England raised interest rates from 2.25% to 3.0%, and again to 3.5% in December, triggering a low number of mortgage approvals and sellers accepting 3% below the asking prices on their homes. Against this backdrop, estate agents Savills and Knight Frank expect house prices to drop by 10% and 5% respectively in 2023. Economic experts Capital Economics are forecasting that in quarter four house prices will be 8.5% lower than they were in Q4 2022. However, is it all doom and gloom? I personally think not! Let us not forget, since Covid we have seen unprecedented buoyancy in the market, and thus it has become a seller’s environment, pushing prices to ever higher false premiums. Seeing prices coming down does not mean they are dropping, but levelling out to where they should have and would have been. A 5% fall in house prices next year would see most of the market’s current over-valuation reversed by December 2023. Mortgages are slowly becoming more favourable week on week, people will always have a reason to move, be that due to having children, those children getting older and that means the need for more space. Divorce often pushes people to have to sell and buy, FTB’s wanting to get on the ladder (often with help from Bank of Mum & Dad), and even, and not to sound morbid; death of a partner. The costs to rent are rising, where many would prefer to invest in something tangible rather than paying off someone’s mortgage, yet for those who can’t scrape a deposit together, there will always be investors snapping up properties to let, and with a thriving new homes market, buying is simplified and made more affordable through more energy efficient living, and availability in stock or off plan plots. New Homes will always turn on its survival mode in a harder market, regardless of the climate as there are many tools able to be used to help broker a deal, where in contrast, the Jones family selling their 4 bedroom semi on Pennywell Avenue in Uxbridge are not able to offer such incentives. These negotiating tools can consist of, for example, stamp duty paid, mortgage payments for a specific timeframe, discounts on the property in question, utility bills or service charges paid for a limited time, government schemes such as the old HTB and Shared Ownership, along with the fact that developers will often have to sell, so there is a will to achieve the end result rather than if vendor on an established property may decide against selling if they do not achieve the price they require to move on themselves. And of course, with PropTech firmly on the scene, more so for the new homes industry, we will continue to see an even better, more improved transparency between developer and purchaser. Never underestimate the glory in a quality buyer experience and customer journey, something we here at Unlatch saw a long time ago when we created our white labelled Purchaser Portal, and branded app. Added to this, our new E-Commerce module, allowing people to purchase in real time, regardless of location or time zone, allowing those overseas purchasers to continue their spending and taking advantage of the climate and exchange rates, where buyers from around the world have continued to purchase at high and consistent levels over the last 6 months where more localised buyers have of course slowed down, mainly due to being stretched on their mortgage rates and repayments. To conclude, a rapid reversal in mortgage rates would have the greatest impact on buying power, enabling buyers to borrow for their next move without over-stretching themselves. However, it is important to mention that those who had not started their new home journey until now would not have known or felt the strain of how much more they now must pay monthly on their mortgages. A far contrast to those who were already on the search, now feeling the obvious and blatant difference and ‘pinch’ which could be off putting; which is where I use the analogy of the old Saturday evening television series Bullseye; “here’s what you could have won”, and we are not talking about a caravan or a speedboat. If a modest decline in house prices took place, that desire to buy could be further accelerated. Clients of Unlatch, along with new prospects are happy to invest into the tools we offer, from SME to National developers and housebuilders, which should give confidence to many that property is still and likely to always be the safest investment or asset to turn to… I would always rather have a home than crypto currency personally, but perhaps that reasoning is simply because I understand the property market, and have seen a couple of blips in the market in my 23 years of working within the industry… what goes up must come down… until it goes up again. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A planning application for 61 EPC A-rated new homes in the Bedfordshire village of Toddington has been submitted to Central Bedfordshire Council. The Reserved Matters application, by award winning housebuilder Hayfield, is for a £30m development of much needed new homes on a 7-acre (2.84 Ha) site off Russell Road, all of which will be zero carbon ready. Only 2% of the UK’s new homes are currently being built to EPC-A standards. Hayfield’s Toddington scheme will deliver homes that offer a greener way of living, with solar PV panels, air source heat pumps, energy-efficient underfloor heating, EV fast-charging points, 100% renewable energy, and fibre optic broadband. Andy Morris, Managing Director of Hayfield, said: “This will be our fifth development in Bedfordshire, and subject to planning, will deliver a high-quality range of two, three, four and five-bedroom homes in a variety of designs to suit the needs of the local community. All of the homes will be fossil-fuel free, and 18 of them will be affordable.” The site is allocated for residential development in the Central Bedfordshire Local Plan and previously received outline planning permission. To generate enhancements to biodiversity, the Toddington scheme will incorporate Public Open Space, new habitats for wildlife, native tree planting, an attenuation pond to be planted with wetland wildflowers, and the vast majority of existing trees and hedgerows will also be retained and enhanced. A new access road and a network of footpaths to adoptable standards will be created from Russell Road. The proposed new homes will be tenure blind, and all properties will have designated parking, with many benefiting from garages. Visitor parking spaces will also be widely available. All new Hayfield homes are zero carbon ready and exceed the government’s Future Homes Standard – which will be mandatory from 2025 – and include innovative solutions installed as standard, such as air-source heat pumps, increased insulation, water efficiency measures and electric vehicle charge points. The company is committed to being a sustainable developer and has pledged to be net zero by 2030. Hayfield builds beautiful homes in prime semi-rural locations in Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Northamptonshire, Worcestershire and Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire. For more information visit: https://www.hayfieldhomes.co.uk/ Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
London based metal window refurbishment specialist, Associated Steel Window Services (ASWS) has successfully completed two very demanding phases of work in refurbishing the exterior facades to the ASOS premises in Watford; renewing a past working relationship with main contractor ISG, while demonstrating its ability to embrace contemporary contracting techniques as well as traditional trade skills. The property, which dates from late 1990’s, not only required re-glazing and extensive mastic renewal and replacement to its original aluminium curtain walling system, but the articulated, stepped and brise soliel structure also presented real logistical challenges for ASWS, in terms of access and the very tight programme timetable. Initially, ASWS was engaged to carry out a full survey of the property’s curtain walling, to determine its general condition, highlighting specific areas of damage and deterioration, as well as any glazing units which might require replacement. This included a full external survey using MEWPS and photography. The company was then awarded the contract for the first phase of work under competitive tender, which addressed the whole building envelope across all elevations and roof works. Its team of twelve highly experienced operatives then proceeded to carry out the repairs utilising half a dozen different types of access equipment, including scissor lifts, HGV mounted Broncos and other types of MEWPS, including the specialist Spider equipment, which is designed to work at extreme heights in narrow areas that normal access equipment wouldn’t be able to operate in. This required the ASWS team to be specifically trained in IPAF 1b to be able to operate the spiders. The largest IG unit fitted was a 3m long by 2m high, weighing over 300kg. Kris Bennell, Contracts Director for ASWS, explained: “Aside from having carried out past projects for ISG, we were awarded the ASOS contract on the basis of our overall capabilities and being able to show the ability to work in challenging circumstances as well as to tight programmes. “While we have extensive experience of renovating different types of metal window – from the earliest wrought iron and steel windows, through to contemporary aluminium systems – access issues were a major element to this job: involving getting to different heights, dealing with the variable ground conditions, the various weights of machine, and employing crane mounted glazing machines. Not only that the job was completed over one of the coldest winters in recent memory! We are delighted to say that the project was completed on time and practical completion was achieved by our client.” The Project Manager for ISG, Dragos Caraimaneanu commented: “This was a very demanding job where we were completing the full Cat. A and Cat. B fit out on behalf of ASOS. Despite the difficulties ASWS performed very well, even repairing and reglazing an extremely large window that was broken. The client was also very happy with the results.” ASWS was duly awarded the second phase of the project a year later, which addressed the next building that ASOS took possession of next door in Leavesden Park. ASWS has since gone on to win other work with ISG. And elsewhere across the country, the company has continued to carry out a diverse range of work for both private and commercial clients: much of it involving the detailed repair or installation of new traditional style steel windows. For more information on ASWS, please visit asws.co.uk. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Construction materials supplier Euroform has introduced a new direct render base board called Versarend®. An A1 non-combustible exterior grade board, Versarend® is cement based yet light weight with ‘score and snap’ workability, so is quick to install. Already tested with a range of polymeric renders, Versarend® has been tested by a number of leading render system suppliers. Versarend® has achieved A1 Euroclass reaction to fire classification, making it suitable for a direct render carrier board where a non-combustible façade is required, providing all other components are non-combustible, says Euroform. It is UKCA marked according to BS EN 12467:2012+A2:2018 ‘fibre cement flat sheets’ “Versarend® is particularly innovative, because it can easily be cut with a utility knife and snapped to size without the requirement for power tools as is usually the case with traditional render base boards, thereby minimising dust and noise, and greatly increasing speed of installation,” said Roland Culverhouse, technical product manager at Euroform. Versarend® is manufactured via a unique process combining Ordinary Portland Cement and a reinforcing matrix that enhances the workability and handling properties over traditional fibre cement boards. It is a 12mm board in sheet size of 2400 x 1200 that is compatible with standard stud spacings/layout. Versarend® is highly moisture tolerant and will not rot or degrade. For technical data visit https://www.euroform.co.uk/ Euroform has been developing, fabricating and supplying materials for the construction industry since 1995. Euroform specialises in ensuring fire and thermal compliance across its product range. Each product is supported by an experienced and knowledgeable technical team to provide advice and guidance. Based at Warrington, Euroform is part of Performance Technology Group an SIG Trading Ltd group of companies specialising in supporting the construction industry to meet acoustic, fire, thermal and vibration challenges. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The transformation of a former post office in Warrington town centre into a luxury aparthotel has been completed with an investment of approximately £2.5million. The contracting arm of Leeds-based Priestley Group, Priestley Construction, has delivered the project on Palmyra Square through its North West Office for clients Deuce Hotels. Beginning in June 2021, the upper floors of the Grade II listed building have been transformed into 21 high-specification apartments for short-term rent. The new development has a luxury finish inside, including installation of high-tech entry systems which will enable hotel guests to enter the aparthotel using their smartphones. Whilst being modernised, the Warrington aparthotel has still retained many original features. The existing flooring has been built up to ensure acoustic separation. Like any project, there were issues to overcome. Bob Priestley, Head of Construction, explained “The after effects of the pandemic presented inevitable material delays that many have faced. Our delivery had to consider two existing tenants on the ground floor which were a bar and a restaurant. The team worked efficiently to overcome these hurdles and managed to complete the works in November. Providing a new hotel facility, this project will help encourage tourism in Warrington town centre by creating attractive places for people to stay. This will also bring more life to the town centre and therefore, a better environment for the community in Warrington. The Old Post Office Aparthotel is a seven-minute walk away from Warrington Bank Quay train station and is located within Palmyra Square where it benefits from the restaurants, venues and bars on offer, making it an ideal location to stay when visiting the town. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The project team behind One City Park – a state-of-the-art new office in Bradford – gathered on site to celebrate the building reaching its highest point and on track to complete in Summer 2023. The event had a festive twist with an official light switch on for a 15ft Christmas tree which now adorns the top of the steel frame to celebrate this major milestone. One City Park, which will create 56,403 sq ft of sustainable office space, is being brought forward by nationwide place maker, Muse, in partnership with Bradford Council. The building is being built by Caddick Construction, with the steel frame supplied and erected by Halifax-based Elland Steel. One City Park will combine high-quality specifications, flexible floor plates and strong sustainability credentials, offering businesses an opportunity to locate at the first new office space in city centre for 20 years. Simon Dew, development director at Muse, said: “The construction programme is being delivered at pace and to be on schedule is testament to the hard work everyone involved. At Muse, we create kinder and inclusive places in partnership that build brighter futures for everyone and our purpose remains the same here at One City Park. “Bradford is a diverse city full of potential and we want to attract the right businesses to One City Park and create a wealth of opportunities for the rich talent within the community. “We know that City Park is a popular place for gatherings and events throughout the holiday season and we wanted to play our part in the celebrations.” One City Park launched to market earlier this year, represented by commercial agents Knight Frank and Colliers. Once complete, the building will feature five floors of exceptional workspaces and a roof terrace, offering flexible floor plans that can adapt to accommodate more agile working practices that promote wellbeing. Designed to suit a range of businesses from home grown starts-up and SMEs, through to larger organisations and multi-nationals – there has been a high volume of enquiries from potential occupiers. Jason Sims, Caddick senior project manager said: “We are delighted with the progress at One City Park to date and it’s always gratifying to see the steelwork completing and topped out as a visible milestone for the city centre. It’s a real boost for the site team but we are also getting positive comments from passers-by who see the progress made day-by-day because it’s such a central and significant development for Bradford.” The building will be complemented by new public spaces around the site including stepped access and attractive seating areas. Surrounded by cultural assets including the Grade I Listed City Hall, St George’s Hall and new music venue, Bradford Live, which is currently undergoing a multi-million-pound transformation, as well as bars, restaurants and cafes – City Park is expected to play a major role in the city’s UK City of Culture celebrations in 2025. Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Bradford Council’s Executive Member of Regeneration, Planning and Transport, said: “One City Park is bringing hundreds of jobs to the city centre throughout its construction and once complete will bring hundreds more. It will be a great complement to the Darley Street Market which is also currently under construction.” One City Park will also feature a range of green design elements including high-performance glazing, photovoltaic panels and air source heat pumps to make sure the building operates on renewable energy. Every car-parking space features an electric car charging point, coupled with secure cycle storage and changing facilities to encourage workers to take more sustainable and healthier modes of transport. For further information visit www.onecitypark.com. Commercial enquiries to Eamon Fox at Knight Frank (Eamon.fox@knightfrank.com / 0113 297 2433) and Roddy Morrison at Colliers (roddy.morrison@colliers.com / 0113 200 1810).
A 100-tonne bridge deck is being constructed at Everton Stadium to assist with site logistics and provide a vital link to the scenic western wharf in the final scheme. The concrete bridge in the north west corner, which will eventually provide part of the route for the team coaches arriving the stadium, is being put in place early into the build to assist with the flow of site traffic. It also serves as a conduit for the utilities and an array of cables, which will connect the outside broadcast compound on the yet-to-be-developed western wharf to all camera positions within the 52-888-seater stadium. And a change to the original design means the new bridge, which complements the existing isolation structure in the south west of the site, meets sustainability measures by improving the flow of water through neighbouring docks and helping to stimulate marine life. Gerald Knights, Structures Engineering Lead for Laing O’Rourke, explained: “The bridge is fundamental to the operation of the stadium. “It allows a one-way flow of traffic around the stadium, so vehicles can come in on the north side and leave via the south, or loop around the western wharf. “It’s also a conduit for all the utilities that come from the outside broadcast unit, which sits on the western wharf, and the bridge carries all of the electrical and communication cables into the stadium. “Originally, there was another type of structure designed in this location, which would have de-linked some of the water connectivity between the two adjacent docks. “We changed that and turned it on its head and built this structure which spans over the water now, and allows the marine life to repopulate the channel.” The bridge, sitting atop six concrete piles bored 16 metres underground, is made up of four precast concrete beams, each weighing around 28 tonnes and with a span of 15 metres. “That makes it quite a substantial structure, but one that is more cost-efficient and sustainable than the previous version that was on the table,” added Knights. “We are constructing it now because it becomes important for logistics. Once we have the utilities in and we have built the bridge deck, we will be able to start putting traffic on this bridge and it will give us the flexibility, later on, to be able to excavate out around 15,000 cubic metres of earthworks to create the new water channel and a new habitat for all the species that will move into this area. “We’re hoping to get it ready for use in January of next year, and then we should be able to see traffic on it not long after.” Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Building work is well underway at a pioneering housing development in Milton Keynes where Bellway is adopting Modern Methods of Construction (MMC). The developer was selected by Homes England to deliver phase four of Tattenhoe Park, a major extension to the south-west of the city. The site is part of a project designed to try to speed up the delivery process for new homes. The development will include 160 homes, with 40 of these being modular homes built off site in a factory environment, before being assembled on site and connected to mains services. Construction is continuing apace on the remaining 120 homes which are being built on site using timber frame panels in place of traditional block and brickwork. This system makes the build process quicker and more sustainable. Iain Hunter, Construction Director at Bellway Northern Home Counties, said: “We commenced construction work at Tattenhoe Park in May, and progress has been so good that a handful of the timber-frame houses are now water tight, and there are others that are nearly ready to have the roofs installed. “The modular installation has already commenced, with a few of those units already being reserved off-plan. In fact, the high level of interest in these modular homes and the timber-frame properties saw us accelerate the release for sale of a selection of homes onto the market through Elevation Estate Agents in Milton Keynes.” Luke Southgate, Sales Director of Bellway Northern Home Counties, said: “The interest in these properties has been phenomenal. We have experienced a huge number of enquiries and are pleased that the house-buying public have responded so positively to this innovative project, which is very important for not only Bellway and Milton Keynes but for the house-building industry in general. “As things go, we are hoping to welcome the first residents onto Tattenhoe Park in early 2023. Looking further ahead, we aim to deliver all of the new homes on the site within two years.” The Bellway scheme will include one and two-bedroom apartments, and two, three and four-bedroom houses. There will be 112 homes for private sale and 48 affordable homes, which will be made available to local people through shared ownership or low-cost rent. Tattenhoe Park will eventually become a neighbourhood of more than 1,300 homes. Bellway’s development, being built on land which the company bought in February 2022, is located just a short walk from Priory Rise School for primary-age children. Bellway has teamed up with specialist suppliers for the scheme, with timber frame panels provided by Donaldson Timber Systems and the modular units built by ilke Homes at its Yorkshire factory. Ryan Burgess, Project Manager at Tattenhoe Park, said: “It’s great to be given the opportunity to be involved with this scheme, backed by Homes England, which champions Modern Methods of Construction. “Pilot schemes such as this one, help ease the pressures of material and labour shortages, whilst also providing much needed affordable new build homes.” There is currently a selection of one and two-bedroom apartments and two, three and four-bedroom houses available to reserve at Tattenhoe Park, with prices starting at £215,000. For more information, visit https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/northern-home-counties/tattenhoe-park. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals