The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has appointed a new ‘responsible body’. Ecological consultancy RSK Biocensus – and specifically its biodiversity net gain (BNG) team RSK Wilding – is one of the first organisations authorised to work with landowners and developers to secure areas of conservation and
Last-minute amendments to the Renters (Reform) Bill designed to appease some Tory backbenchers will make ‘little material difference’ to the majority of landlords or tenants, according to the managing director of client accounting and automated rental payment specialists, PayProp UK. Neil Cobbold, who has closely followed the progress of the
Base Structures are announcing a new offering from its tensile fabric experts, Temporary Weatherproof Screening, promising to speed up building programmes and mitigate against weather delays on site. Base Screens are a new product that provide a unique and efficient solution for weatherproofing requirements on construction sites. Quick to install
New Rush Hall School in Ilford is adding an additional space with its third modular building supplied by GCS Cabins. The building, which will provide a gym and music suite, will be installed in May to elevate learning and lead the way in addressing SEMH student needs. New Rush Hall School provides
Pioneering live digital twin technology piloted at the University of Liverpool A new tool for optimising the operational performance of buildings has been used as part of a project at the University of Liverpool, resulting in operational cost savings of £25,000 and energy consumption reductions of 23%. Glasgow-based climate technology firm, IES,
Following the highly regarded 2023 awards ceremony in November of last year, the AEMT is delighted to announce that the nomination process for the 2024 awards programme is now officially open. Building on its past successes, the seventh outing of this sector specific awards scheme will again culminate in a
Linkcity, the development arm of Bouygues UK, and Crosstree Real Estate Partners are delighted to announce the financial close and start on site of the fourth phase of the regeneration of Hallsville Quarter in Canning Town, London, forming part of the £3.7 billion Canning Town and Custom House Regeneration Programme.
British Gypsum is to become the first building materials manufacturer in the UK to form a strategic partnership with circular economy pallet supplier The Pallet LOOP in a bid to significantly reduce pallet waste. The manufacturer uses approximately 1.6 million white timber pallets every year but its switch to a
High-End Retail, Supermarkets and Mixed-Use Schemes Among the Modest Activity Retail construction orders fell to an all-time low during the final quarter of 2023, according to data from the Office for National Statistics. Construction orders, a proxy for development activity, totalled £1.3 billion in the fourth quarter of last year
Unite Students, the UK’s largest provider of student accommodation, has received planning approval for a landmark 952-bed property in east London and 500-bed scheme at a key Bristol location. The Stratford development, next to Meridian Steps near Westfield Stratford City shopping centre, is a 41-storey tower targeted to complete in
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has appointed a new ‘responsible body’. Ecological consultancy RSK Biocensus – and specifically its biodiversity net gain (BNG) team RSK Wilding – is one of the first organisations authorised to work with landowners and developers to secure areas of conservation and biodiversity. RSK Wilding Senior Legal Adviser Natalie Bryce said that a responsible body was a new position created by the Environment Act 2021 and allowed for contracts, known as conservation covenants, to be entered into. These are agreements on how an area of land can be used and can include positive obligations, as well as restrictive ones. They have to be for the public good and have a conservation purpose. Once the conservation covenant has been agreed, it is registered as a local land charge and becomes binding for all future owners of the land. Defra’s guidance during the consultation period described conservation covenants as a new legal tool to help landowners: “Leaving our environment in a better state than we found it for future generations to enjoy requires long-term investment and stability. Where landowners seek to secure positive environmental outcomes, they have no adequate mechanism to secure those benefits over the long term. We need a new legal tool – conservation covenants.” Natalie added: “The beauty of conservation covenants is that they offer a quicker, more flexible and more effective way of ringfencing land for a certain use as opposed to using a planning obligation (or section 106 agreement). “Our shared goal is for the landowner to be able to protect, conserve or enhance the land as they wish and get the planning permissions they need if BNG is needed for a development.” Natalie said that the role of the responsible body was to provide the legal solution by way of a conservation covenant, which will be drafted by RSK Biocensus’ legal team. “We will also monitor the landowner’s obligations under the covenant to ensure the land is being used as it should. RSK Wilding, part of RSK Biocensus, will review the land management plans and collaborate with the landowner to agree the most beneficial system of monitoring.” She said that the system would be particularly useful given the recent change in planning law. “From 12 February this year, most planning permissions, with some exceptions, will be granted only if the landowner or developer can show that they are not just offsetting their biodiversity loss but are replacing it with a minimum 10% BNG over a period of 30 years or more. “Landowners can create and/or enhance areas for habitats on their land and register the resulting uplift in biodiversity units (along with a legal agreement) on the government’s new biodiversity gain site register. These units can then be sold to developers that need to secure off-site BNG.” Some examples of how the new system could work include: Natalie added that conservation covenants can have a wide range of uses beyond BNG and can be used for any type of conservation, from protecting heritage assets and mitigating flooding to ensuring nutrient neutrality. They can be wide or very specific, for example, preventing the use of a specific pesticide on certain flora. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Last-minute amendments to the Renters (Reform) Bill designed to appease some Tory backbenchers will make ‘little material difference’ to the majority of landlords or tenants, according to the managing director of client accounting and automated rental payment specialists, PayProp UK. Neil Cobbold, who has closely followed the progress of the legislation since it was introduced 11 months ago, said: “When you take a step back and look at the details, these new changes amount to very little in real terms – in fact, the Bill is more or less intact. “The government has made some tweaks after speaking to the industry but in practical terms, nothing substantial in the Renters (Reform) Bill has changed for the majority of tenants and landlords.” Just before the Easter break, the government announced that it would table a series of amendments to the Bill in an effort to calm opposition from some of its own MPs. The proposed changes include: Tenant groups and charities reacted angrily to the proposed amendments claiming the government was betraying renters in favour of placating their own backbenchers. But Cobbold said: “Although these amendments were billed as a big announcement, there’s nothing here that is particularly groundbreaking. “Waiting for reform of the court process before the abolition of Section 21 is something we’ve known about since the Bill was introduced. What will be key is the details of this assessment, which we have been calling for since the legislation was introduced. The abolition of Section 21 has been a policy of every major party since the last election, so it has become a question of whether this government will abolish it or a future one. “Until Section 21 is abolished, landlords will have to think in a slightly more structured way about how they actually evict somebody. Having to wait four months before you can give two months’ notice is effectively a six month wait – well it’s at least a six month wait now if an eviction notice is contested and the matter has to be settled through the legal system. The only material difference here is that tenants won’t be able to treat the PRS like an Airbnb lite, giving notice as soon as the tenancy begins to secure cheaper rents for a few months in a new location. “Revising the legislation to protect student lets is something almost everybody is in favour of – students and landlords alike. If the Government didn’t take action there’d be a major problem for the new intake of students at the beginning of the academic year. “And as far as the property portal removing the need for local authority licensing schemes is concerned, what the government has announced is only a review. What the industry is keen to see is the abolition of selective licensing schemes and HMO licences so there is consistency across England – although the question of how enforcement will work is less clear. “I think these are quite balanced changes that the government is proposing to the Bill – nothing really contentious at all and certainly not a landlord’s charter, as some are claiming.” MPs return to work after their Spring break on Monday 15 April and the Bill will be scheduled for its Third Reading shortly afterwards before progressing to the House of Lords. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Base Structures are announcing a new offering from its tensile fabric experts, Temporary Weatherproof Screening, promising to speed up building programmes and mitigate against weather delays on site. Base Screens are a new product that provide a unique and efficient solution for weatherproofing requirements on construction sites. Quick to install and demount, they are customisable to meet specific site conditions, which presents contractors with the chance to remove conventional cladding from a programme’s critical path. This accelerates the construction schedule and allow teams to progress with fit out works, staying ahead of any delays that the changing climate may bring. Andy Traynor, Director at Base Structures and Head of Installations and Health & Safety, said: “Our in-house expertise and engineering capabilities mean that we can design, manufacture and erect temporary weatherproof screens very quickly and to fit an existing structure, safeguarding construction works from external elements. By installing screens early in a project, we can provide a bespoke solution to ease the installation, movement and removal of the screens at various points in the building programme at specific fixing points. This means that there’s no requirement for scaffolding, minimising any potential for damage to works that have already been completed. We’re delighted to have been able to offer this innovative solution to several happy clients across the country, and with an increase in this kind of work, Base Structures are well placed to help teams find solutions to keep building programmes on track despite the rainfall and weather challenges we’ve seen this springtime.” Base Screens are made of PVC fabric that can cover large areas. They’re durable, easy to clean, fire retardant and a low-risk option, offering a less labour-intensive and safer solution than other more traditional weatherproofing options. Base Structures have produced case studies of their work in this area, which can be found via the links below: Project Resilience – Base Structures Engineered Temporary Weather Screens Dublin Terminal 2 Temporary Works Screens They have also produced a blog post detailing some of the benefits of adding weatherproof temporary screens to your next building project. For more information, case studies, images or quotes, please contact mail@basestructures.com or visit the contact us page. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
New Rush Hall School in Ilford is adding an additional space with its third modular building supplied by GCS Cabins. The building, which will provide a gym and music suite, will be installed in May to elevate learning and lead the way in addressing SEMH student needs. New Rush Hall School provides specialised support for pupils aged 5 to 16 who have social, emotional, or mental health (SEMH) difficulties. Staff take pride in providing a personalised, inclusive, and inspiring education to all 80 pupils. A quality learning environment plays a significant part in student education. Mr Walters, Executive Headteacher said: “We have used GCS Cabins for two modular buildings and are in the process of commissioning a third. We needed additional space to provide therapy rooms and break-out spaces for our pupils in order to enhance their wellbeing. The spaces created by GCS Cabins have enabled us to do that.” New Rush Hall School has been choosing modular classrooms from GCS Cabins for the past four years. The first building was a simple, open-plan, communal break area. The second building included a number of bespoke customisations, which allowed for the creation of a library, five individual 1-1 learning spaces and finally accessible toilets. The third building, which is currently being constructed off-site, will be 108m2 and house a gym and music suite. The gym will have various machines, a boxing ring, punch bags that are removable from ceiling hooks, a toilet and two showers. The recording studio with a microphone area will be fully soundproofed. Mr Walters added: “The third modular building, which is currently in progress, will provide us with a Creative and Fitness Hub, which will incorporate a gym, boxing facilities and a recording studio. This latest hub will provide additional opportunities for our pupils to access facilities that they would not normally have. These spaces will encourage creativity, develop talents, and have a positive impact on our pupils’ fitness and mental health, which will be of huge benefit.” The addition of a modular gym and music suite is designed to encourage more students to participate in extracurricular activities. A study by Public Health England found that participation in extracurricular activities has a positive effect on student attainment. Physical activity has also been linked to improved classroom behaviour across the whole school. Modular classrooms are a great option for schools as they are completely customisable and adaptable. Each school building can be refurbished to provide a dynamic, inclusive space that meets the specific needs of your students and teachers. Mr Walter continued: “GCS Cabins have been involved with the design and production from the start of this Hub and the previous hubs. Their expertise and knowledge has been of great value and has helped us to design spaces that are fit for purpose. They have been flexible and supportive and enabled us to fulfill our vision. Their communication is excellent, and they have gone above and beyond in terms of trying to meet our needs whilst remaining hugely competitive and cost-effective.” All projects are full turnkey packages, including all groundworks and connection of services. New Rush Hall School’s latest building will be completed in May with a turnaround of only 12 weeks from the point of order to completion. GCS Cabins is experienced in creating inspiring learning spaces that help schools support their students’ achievements Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Pioneering live digital twin technology piloted at the University of Liverpool A new tool for optimising the operational performance of buildings has been used as part of a project at the University of Liverpool, resulting in operational cost savings of £25,000 and energy consumption reductions of 23%. Glasgow-based climate technology firm, IES, is working in partnership with the university by using IES Live to evaluate in real-time the impact of an ongoing HVAC refurbishment project for one of its campus buildings. The project is one of the first to utilise the first-of-its-kind tool which connects live operational data from a building to a calibrated digital twin. Aimed at facilities managers, it equips teams with a single pane view of live operational performance metrics via the cloud. In order to realise the savings, evaluate the performance of the campus building and identify the required improvements to enhance efficiency, a digital twin of the building was created. The digital twin was used to test various refurbishment scenarios and identify those that would be most effective in generating energy, carbon, and cost savings. Once the selected improvements had been made to the building, the digital twin was upgraded by connecting live data from the BMS and energy meters, enabling the model to be calibrated to match measured data on an hourly basis. The updated model highlighted additional interventions to optimise operational performance and move towards decarbonisation. The university’s facilities management team is now using this operational performance digital twin to continually monitor and improve the building. Benchmarking against the simulated baseline, the university can track performance and gain improvement insights for energy, carbon, and comfort. Additionally, the ongoing impact of the refurbishment can be measured and verified. The live feature also helps to prevent operational drift, whereby the performance of building systems degrades over time, as any issues will be flagged and can be fixed before they begin to have an impact. Replicable across the campus, the university plans to continue collaborating with IES to create digital twins for three more buildings in the next phase of work. Valeria Ferrando, Associate Director at IES, said: “Improving the operation of buildings is key to mitigating energy and climate risk, cutting costs and emissions, meeting sustainability objectives and increasing resilience, not to mention being a vital part of a successful net zero strategy. However, you can’t improve what you can’t measure and there was a gap in the market for a tool that can connect live operational data, providing continuous insights and giving energy management teams a holistic view of how their building is performing. IES Live is a real game-changer, maximising the impact of a digital twin which leverages a world-class simulation engine and placing this power in the hands of those who need it. “It’s been a pleasure to work with the University of Liverpool to pilot IES Live and enable them to evaluate the effectiveness of their retrofit measures, verify predicted results and allow informed decisions to be made on building improvements. We look forward to replicating the work across the campus.” “Tony Small, Head of Engineering Services at the University of Liverpool said: “Working with IES on this project has given us detailed insight into the impact of our refurbishment work and will enable us to continually monitor and update our operational systems to ensure that the building is operating efficiently. With building use, occupants and settings altering frequently, having access to this level of data means we can make informed decisions on improvements and ensure optimum performance doesn’t come at the expense of occupant comfort.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Following the highly regarded 2023 awards ceremony in November of last year, the AEMT is delighted to announce that the nomination process for the 2024 awards programme is now officially open. Building on its past successes, the seventh outing of this sector specific awards scheme will again culminate in a gala presentation ceremony taking place on the evening of Thursday 21st November at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel in Coventry. Centrally located for easy access from all over the UK, this venue will also play host to the supporting AEMT Conference – a ‘must attend event’ for all those in membership. The full programme will be announced during the summer, but its focus will again be on providing AEMT Members with help and guidance on a range of topics that will be of tangible value and relevance in the development their businesses. Then, during the evening, the AEMT Gala Awards Dinner will bring together the electrical and mechanical trades sector in a celebration of business and professional excellence. Personal endeavour, product innovation, skills training, engineering advancement and commercial acumen will once again be acknowledged and celebrated, in recognition of the achievements of both individuals and companies operating across the maintenance and repair arena. Industry wide engagement Operated by the Association of Electrical and Mechanical Trades (AEMT) the awards will again pay tribute to the skill, effort and sheer dedication of the people and businesses serving this important sector of industry. With the support of our invaluable sponsors, well deserved industry-wide recognition will be given to those businesses, who are excelling in their commercial endeavours, and in many cases going far beyond the call of duty, in ensuring the safe and efficient operation of plant and equipment within our critical manufacturing, commercial and utility sectors. Award categories The following nine categories make up the 2024 awards programme: – Call for nominations Entries are being sought for any company, product, application, or individual involved in the supply, installation, service, maintenance and repair of industrial machinery, such as electric motors, drives, pumps, fans, gearboxes, generators, transformers, switchgear, and ancillary equipment. Individuals can put forward entries for themselves and their own company, or they can nominate others that they know merit recognition. The online entry process couldn’t be easier, so anyone wishing to play their part in highlighting engineering excellence should visit the AEMT Awards website – www.aemtawards.com. Closing date for entries In keeping with the programme schedule in previous years, the closing date for all entries has been set as 5.00pm on Friday 6th September 2024, so for those wanting industry-wide recognition for a job well done, be it for product innovation or project management, for application know-how, or service and repair, they should make a note of this key date. It is free of charge to enter the awards, but the promotional value associated with being selected as a finalist is worth many hundreds of pounds. And for those individuals and companies fortunate enough to be announced as one of the nine winners during the charged atmosphere of the gala awards dinner, the promotional benefit is even greater. So, what have you got to lose? Just 20 minutes spent completing the online entry form, providing the information and details that you have at your disposal, and which presents and supports your business and professional endeavours, could make you a winner in your industry’s awards programme; the gravitas and promotional exposure for which is both valuable and enduring. Further details For more information, visit the website www.aemtawards.com or contact the awards programme producers, Touchwave Media, by phone on 07785 290034 or by email at andrew@touchwavemedia.co.uk. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Linkcity, the development arm of Bouygues UK, and Crosstree Real Estate Partners are delighted to announce the financial close and start on site of the fourth phase of the regeneration of Hallsville Quarter in Canning Town, London, forming part of the £3.7 billion Canning Town and Custom House Regeneration Programme. Phase 4 of the Hallsville Quarter proposes a new and exciting home for students in London developed by Linkcity, with design by PRP Architects and interiors by Holloway Li. The scheme comprises 375 purpose-built student accommodation rooms and a range of market-leading student amenity space with a roof terrace and landscaped public realm. As with the previous phases, Bouygues UK will be the main contractor and will take a low-carbon, sustainable approach targeting BREAAM Excellent. This project marks the penultimate phase of the £600 million Hallsville Quarter Masterplan and is expected to complete in the summer of 2026 ahead of the 2026 / 2027 academic year. In total, the Hallsville Quarter development will provide over 1,100 private and affordable homes, over 30,000 square metres of leisure and retail space and a new hotel all located directly opposite Canning Town underground station. The masterplan also provides new public spaces including play areas, pedestrian links, cyclist provisions and secure parking spaces. Oliver Campbell, Development Director of Linkcity said, “This is an exciting and pivotal moment as we reach financial close on the fourth stage of the Hallsville Quarter masterplan and commence work on site. The location of this development, in the thriving new town centre in Canning Town, will provide a vibrant area for students with excellent links into the centre of London. We are delighted to commence this joint venture with Crosstree and look forward to seeing the progress on site as we reach the final stages of this landmark, residential project.”Peter Robinson, Partner at Crosstree Real Estate Partners, added, “Crosstree continue to be active investors in the student accommodation sector benefiting from attractive cyclical and secular fundamentals. Given the market dislocation for forward funding transactions of this type, Crosstree is excited to partner with Bouygues UK, a best in class contractor/developer in taking forward a thoughtfully designed and highly specified PBSA scheme. Canning Town is a strong student location with excellent connectivity via the Jubilee Line to major university campuses in Stratford and London Bridge with 160k+ students within a 30-minute travel time. Together with our partners we look forward to the successful realisation of this project.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
British Gypsum is to become the first building materials manufacturer in the UK to form a strategic partnership with circular economy pallet supplier The Pallet LOOP in a bid to significantly reduce pallet waste. The manufacturer uses approximately 1.6 million white timber pallets every year but its switch to a circular pallet re-use scheme is set to radically reduce the avoidable waste that can result from pallets being disposed of unsustainably. The landmark move supports British Gypsum’s commitment to achieving net zero carbon by 2050, and the initiative is one of many set out in British Gypsum’s sustainability roadmap, which aims to minimise waste, re-use materials and tackle emissions to reduce environmental impact at every stage of build. British Gypsum hopes its partnership with The Pallet LOOP, using its reusable pallets and service-led collection model, will also enable it to work with its customers to support their own reductions in waste and net zero targets. Dean O’Sullivan, Managing Director at British Gypsum, part of Saint-Gobain Interior Solutions, said: “We are delighted to announce our partnership with The Pallet LOOP as we aim to radically cut unnecessary waste. “Pallets left behind after products have been removed have for a long time created a challenge, with many being unsustainably disposed of at a heavy environmental cost. By joining forces with The Pallet LOOP, we aim to significantly reduce this practice.” British Gypsum will roll out The Pallet LOOP scheme in two stages, with the instantly identifiable, green-coloured LOOP pallets scheduled to be in circulation from May for its bagged plaster and accessories. From July, its plasterboard range, based on pallet size, will begin to transition over, resulting in 70% of their products delivered on reusable pallets once the scheme is fully operational. It is hoped the remaining 30% will move across during a later phase of the project. The Pallet LOOP founder Paul Lewis said: “At LOOP, our mission is to transform the way building materials move and we are incredibly excited that British Gypsum, as a market leader, is partnering with us to promote a culture of pallet reuse. “Using our service, merchants, distributors, principal contractors, and housebuilding companies will be able to book pallet collections, which can take place from as little as 72 hours later. There will also be a PayBack of up to £4 available for every green coloured pallet they put back in the LOOP. Our service is a real step change that is set to deliver substantial benefits across the UK construction supply chain. We can’t wait to get our LOOP pallets into circulation and look forward to other building material manufacturers following British Gypsum in adopting our circular pallet reuse model.” For further information, or to register, visit The Pallet LOOP website at: www.thepalletloop.com or, email setmeup@thepalletloop.com Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
High-End Retail, Supermarkets and Mixed-Use Schemes Among the Modest Activity Retail construction orders fell to an all-time low during the final quarter of 2023, according to data from the Office for National Statistics. Construction orders, a proxy for development activity, totalled £1.3 billion in the fourth quarter of last year on a rolling annual basis. The figure is the lowest since the data series began in 1985 and compares to an average of £3.2 billion since then and a high of £6.8 billion in 2006 – heady days when shopping centres Westfield, London and Liverpool One were being built. The ONS statistics are supported by CoStar’s data on new construction starts, which were also at their lowest on record in 2023 at 3.15 million square feet – a gradual slowdown over the past ten years from 14.4 million in 2014. This comes in the wake of the structural changes in the retail sector and development viability issues that are affecting all sectors – high finance and build costs, rising yields and subdued rental growth. Deliveries are also slowing sharply and with the recent trend of converting shopping centres and department stores to other uses, net deliveries have also reached an all-time low. Within the slowdown there are some modest outperforming segments that continue to see activity across the country. High-end retail schemes are among the most prominent, such as designer outlet villages at Scotch Corner and Tewkesbury, and large auto dealerships, including Porsche in Newport. Mixed-use projects, where retail forms part of large new residential schemes, have increased in prominence in recent years, and there are several underway including Lewisham Gateway and Green Haus in Salford. With retail park availability at an all-time low, a handful of schemes are among the key projects being built as well as several supermarkets – Aldi, Lidl and Tesco being the most active. Despite the slowdown in construction, net deliveries are still expected to outpace net demand this year, putting further pressure on the vacancy rate. But the slowdown in construction orders means fewer completions can be expected after that. Coupled with the trend of owners converting retail to other uses, the vacancy rate should then begin to stabilise. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Unite Students, the UK’s largest provider of student accommodation, has received planning approval for a landmark 952-bed property in east London and 500-bed scheme at a key Bristol location. The Stratford development, next to Meridian Steps near Westfield Stratford City shopping centre, is a 41-storey tower targeted to complete in 2028. The construction of a new entrance and exit to Stratford Underground Station is also part of the plans, providing a positive benefit to the local community by helping to alleviate passenger congestion and improve the area’s infrastructure. The Group’s Freestone Island development, in Bristol’s Temple Quarter, has total development costs of £73million, and is set to open in 2026. Unite Students is working in partnership with the University of Bristol through a nomination agreement on the property, which will guarantee rooms for the university’s students. This will assist the university in delivering high quality accommodation to support its growth in the Temple Quarter area of Bristol. Temple Quarter, in the heart of Bristol, is one of the UK’s largest regeneration projects – with 130 hectares of land being redeveloped to create a mixed-use community that includes office and commercial space, as well as pedestrianised green areas, alongside Unite Students’ student housing. The Quarter will be a key contributor to the West of England’s economy by creating new homes, jobs and generating income for the local area. Unite Students’ development, which has received full planning approval, will be close to its 600-bed Marsh Mills site, on Feeder Road, and the University of Bristol’s Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus, where up to 4,600 students will be based on completion. The new development will provide 4,500 sq ft of affordable workspace and will be BREEAM Excellent with EPC Ratings of A across the scheme. The Stratford project, which has approval with conditions and is yet to obtain full planning permission, will also deliver 1,151m2 of commercial space which will include workspace and a retail area. Part of the space is earmarked for Canning Town-based You Press, a social enterprise for young people and underrepresented communities. A total of 333 beds will be let at affordable rents; 30 beds will be in self-contained studio flats while the rest are in shared flats of five to 10 bedrooms. One in 10 bedrooms will be wheelchair accessible. The planning application was supported by University College London (UCL) and full planning permission is expected later this year. Unite Students is in the process of confirming a long-term agreement with the university for its students to let the majority of the beds. This will support the university’s recently completed UCL East campus in Stratford. Embodied carbon to practical completion is targeted at 730 kgCO2e/m2 (carbon emission equivalent per square metre), showing further progress towards the Group’s 2030 net zero development targets. Including this project, Unite Students’ total planned investment into Stratford is c£400m. This includes the delivery of 716 new beds and academic space for the London Academy of Excellence at its Hawthorne House property, which is replacing former office block Jubilee House on Farthingale Walk. Tom Brewerton, Group Development Director at Unite Students, said: “Unite Students is leading the purpose-built student accommodation sector and these London and Bristol developments are unique offerings in their respective cities – two cities where we already have a strong footing and are committed to investing in further. “We are excited to get started with construction in the swiftest possible timescale. It is fantastic to have received approval at planning committee for this exciting new Stratford development that will positively contribute to the area’s changing skyline. “Bristol is one of the most undersupplied markets in the UK for purpose-built student accommodation and our Freestone Island project provides Unite Students with the opportunity to grow further in the city by providing high quality, value for money rooms for our students and university partners. “We are trusted by parents, students and universities to provide quality, safe and affordable accommodation that supports the entire university experience and are committed to delivering our record development pipeline to meet this demand.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals