Regional sub-contractors are joining forces and providing all their time, labour, and costs for free to offer SENCO enhancement works for the Grace Academy in Coventry – as part of its vision for the future. Led by McLaren Construction’s Midlands and North division and Opus Land, ‘The Big Build’ charitable
British solar heat and power scale-up Naked Energy announced today that it has secured £17m ofnew equity as part of a Series B first close to supercharge its global expansion and the adoption of its cutting-edge solutions to decarbonise heat. The round was led by E.ON Energy Infrastructure Solutions (E.ON
ROCCIA’s annual Trade Event, which took place this month, was a knockout success, with the high-end tile specialist welcoming a record number of tradespeople from across the UK to its annual supplier showcase. The event, held at ROCCIA’s Preston showroom, provides anyone working in the kitchens, bathrooms and home building or
Boost for local economy as London railway arches are transformed into high-specification, modern industrial space Stephen George + Partners (SGP) is thrilled to announce that completion has been reached on the transformation of six vacant railway arches into high-specification commercial premises for light industrial use, located just 16 minutes away
TO DRAW attention to the damage litter causes to the UK’s waterways, lakes, and oceans, leading housing provider Barratt Homes and specialist civils provider Wrekin Products has partnered on an initiative – ‘The Sea Starts Here’ – to educate the public. The campaign’s message will be featured prominently on Wrekin gully grates
“Labour’s housebuilding targets and planning reforms are welcomed, but pace, along with funding or incentives, will be needed to encourage SME developers to build on grey belt.” These insights come from Richard Nowell, Senior Relationship Director at Secure Trust Bank Real Estate Finance, a leading provider of finance for property development
Global engineering, design and sustainability consultancy Ramboll announces a change to its UK leadership, with Managing Director Philippa Spence to take over the leadership of its Environment & Health (E&H) Division from 1 August. Neil Sansbury, current Finance and Executive Director will take on the role of acting Managing Director
A new Chair in Energy appointment by the University of St Andrews heralds a groundbreaking era in battery technology research, crucial for addressing the climate emergency. The University of St Andrews, in partnership with the Faraday Institution, is delighted to announce the appointment of Professor Venkataraman Thangadurai as its new
Balfour Beatty, in partnership with National Highways, has reopened the M25 seven hours ahead of schedule, following the completion of the latest stage of improvement works for the Junction 10 improvement scheme. The M25 between Junction 10 and 11 was closed at 9pm on Friday 12 July until around 11pm on
A new chief executive officer has been appointed to lead Aggregate Industries UK, part of the global Holcim group. Earlier this year it was announced that current CEO, Dragan Maksimovic, had been appointed as Region Head West Europe overseeing the leadership of the Holcim businesses in the UK, France, Belgium,
BDC 321 : Oct 2024
Regional sub-contractors are joining forces and providing all their time, labour, and costs for free to offer SENCO enhancement works for the Grace Academy in Coventry – as part of its vision for the future. Led by McLaren Construction’s Midlands and North division and Opus Land, ‘The Big Build’ charitable programme of works will deliver brand-new classrooms and sensory facilities, enriching the lives of students at the Academy who are in desperate need of these spaces. McLaren Construction Midlands and North and Opus Land have been supported in this community project by our designers who helped provide the vision for this scheme; Architect – Webb Gray, Structural Engineer – SBK, Mechanical & Electrical Engineers – CPW and Landscaper – Whiting’s, who are also providing all the landscape and raised beds works. The works will include a complete refurbishment and remodelling of existing classrooms to form larger teaching spaces and a new sensory room with access to outside spaces. New walls, ceilings and floorings will also be installed, complemented by new LED lighting, heating, security, and fire alarm systems. The dedicated space will allow a new environment for student needs, offering room for small group intervention and 1-2-1 support with internal staff and external agencies. The school enhancements will ensure students with special educational and emotional needs can be as fully equipped as possible for success. Works will take place from 22 July until Friday 2 August, and the academy will be holding an opening ceremony to celebrate and view the new spaces on 2 September. Head of Grace Academy, Natasha Whiles, said: “We are so grateful that this space and build has allowed us to really take the time to consider the individual needs of some of our most vulnerable learners. We’ve really enjoyed working alongside McLaren Construction Midlands and North and all parties involved, to develop the space which otherwise would be completely unaffordable. We’re looking forward to the new facilities helping special educational and emotional needs students work towards their limitless potential through ‘The Grace Way’.” Operations Director at McLaren Construction Midlands and North, Shaun Colley, said: “The Big Build works at Grace Academy will provide state-of-the-art classrooms and facilities to improve the lives of the current and future intake of students and we are proud to be part of this fantastic project. “We commend all of the designers and contractors who have committed to supporting this project and it’s been an honour to be part of this process and driving it forwards for such a worthy school in the region. “I would like to thank the below contractors personally, without you none of this would have been possible, thank you.” Joint Managing Director of Opus Land, Richard Smith, said: “We are most grateful to McLaren Construction Midlands and North and all of the other companies involved in the BIG Build for their tremendous generosity here. “Opus originally got involved in The Grace Academy through their development of the nearby Prospero estate on the Ansty Business Park and soon came to realise the tremendous results that the school fulfils for the local community.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
British solar heat and power scale-up Naked Energy announced today that it has secured £17m ofnew equity as part of a Series B first close to supercharge its global expansion and the adoption of its cutting-edge solutions to decarbonise heat. The round was led by E.ON Energy Infrastructure Solutions (E.ON EIS), a provider of integrated, sustainable energy solutions for cities and industries. E.ON EIS is part of the E.ON Group, one of Europe’s largest operators of energy networks and infrastructure, and a strategic partner to Naked Energy. The partnership was initiated by E.ON Group Innovation through the global accelerator programme Free Electrons, in which E.ON’s innovation team identified the advanced Naked Energy technology. The strategic partnership was founded in October 2023 and enables the partners to continuously expand the collaboration and scale the solution. The series was supported by co-investment from existing investor Barclays through its Sustainable Impact Capital. The investment is a strong endorsement of Naked Energy’s growth plans, enabling the company to accelerate the international distribution of its award-winning solar heat and power technology with the adoption of innovative new business models. Naked Energy’s Virtu solar collectors have a modular design and the world’s highest energy density solar technology, proven to be up to four times more impactful at offsetting CO2 emissions than conventional solar PV panels. E.ON EIS will benefit from access to the innovative Virtu product range for its commercial and industrial customers. The relationship between E.ON and Naked Energy will facilitate the provision of Naked Energy’s technology through a Heat-As-A-Service model to a global client base. The two companies are already working on a pipeline of projects across multiple territories. Naked Energy has sold its Virtu product range to more than 20 countries and is well-established in the UK and Europe, having signed deals with industrial and commercial clients, such as IHG Hotels & Resorts and Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London. The IEA Renewables Report 2023 projects that the share of heat from renewable energy will increase by more than 40% worldwide from 2023 to 2028. As a result of the deal, Naked Energy is well-positioned to capitalise on this growing opportunity for renewable heat technologies. The company has manufacturing bases in the UK and Europe, and is scheduled to start manufacturing in Dallas, Texas later this year in partnership with its US distribution partner ELM Solar. Christophe Williams, CEO of Naked Energy, said: “The first wave of investment of our Series B round is transformative for our journey and a great step in the wider movement to decarbonise heat. “It’s clear that both E.ON and Barclays share our sense of urgency to decarbonise heat. Heating takes up over half of all energy consumed globally, and as the demand for renewable heat continues to rise, we’re committed more than ever to supporting the commercial and industrial sectors in their transition away from natural gas. “Heat decarbonisation presents a huge economic opportunity. With investment from such major industry players, we’re confident we can capitalise on this global shift and look forward to other like-minded investors joining us on our journey to ‘change energy for good’.” Daniel Joisten, Head of Innovation Commercialization at E.ON Energy Infrastructure Solutions, added: “Investing in Naked Energy has been a great decision for E.ON. In just one year, we’ve progressed from scouting and assessing their capabilities through E.ON Group Innovation as part of the prestigious Free Electrons Program, to a test installation at E.ONs Silicon Valley Garage and now on to a strategic partnership with significant potential for E.ON´s Energy Infrastructure Business. “Naked Energy’s solutions have distinctive and convincing value propositions. We will utilise them to help our customers, in industries such as Food & Beverage and Hospitality, to decarbonize their businesses profitably. We are looking forward to scaling our joint business activities, both from an E.ON perspective and on Naked Energy’s board of directors.” Gavin Chapman, Co-Head of Principal Investments at Barclays, said: “To reach net zero, we need to rapidly scale new, innovative technologies to help reduce emissions in the sectors that are most difficult to decarbonise – particularly our homes and buildings. As we make our follow-on investment today, we’re excited to see and support Naked Energy’s continued growth and further deployment of their technology, supercharged by the partnership with E.ON.” Piper Sandler served as exclusive corporate finance advisor to Naked Energy on the transaction. The second close is expected to complete before the end of September 2024. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
ROCCIA’s annual Trade Event, which took place this month, was a knockout success, with the high-end tile specialist welcoming a record number of tradespeople from across the UK to its annual supplier showcase. The event, held at ROCCIA’s Preston showroom, provides anyone working in the kitchens, bathrooms and home building or renovating industry with the opportunity to speak first-hand with trade experts from ROCCIA and its key suppliers including Kelmore, RUBI, PCS, Genesis, CT1, Dural, Tile Rite, BAL, Schluter Systems, First Trace and BAL/Ardex. But there was another special guest that visitors to the show were keen to meet, former WBC World Champion (and I’m A Celebrity star) Tony Bellew. Tony has become a familiar face in the ROCCIA showroom, as a valued client, and was on hand to oversee the ROCCIA ‘punch machine challenge’ which saw individuals battle it out to demonstrate the strength of their punch. Attendees also got to find out more about the latest adhesives and tiling tools with live demonstrations throughout the day. The event also raised more than £1,140 for the Rosemere Cancer Foundation a local charity which supports world-class cancer treatment throughout Lancashire and South Cumbria, funding cutting edge equipment and supporting innovative ways to take the fear out of cancer for patients and their families. Anyone who donated £20 to the charity received a ROCCIA Gift Bucket full of goodies worth more than £55 and were entered into a prize raffle. Commenting on this year’s event, Jonathon Stopforth, Trade Account Manager at ROCCIA, said: “We’re committed to supporting our trade account members year-round with the best service, exclusive products, offers and expert advice, but it’s fantastic when trade customers as well as suppliers get together for our annual ROCCIA Trade Event to enjoy networking, learning and freebies. We were delighted to welcome back familiar faces to the event as well as meet some of our newest trade members. “The day was a great opportunity to celebrate our ever-growing trade community and for industry experts to showcase what’s new; sharing best-practice advice and tips on everything tiles, kitchen and bathroom fitting. Our ROCCIA trade team were on hand throughout the day to explain more about ways to save time and money when fitting tiles within client’s homes and commercial properties. “There was a real buzz around the business, and we were glad to welcome more visitors than ever before as the event goes from strength to strength. “Congratulations to all of the winners on the day – especially Gaz Fenton who got to take home the Tony Bellew signed gloves. And thank you to Tony for helping us to make it a great and fun event. His unique blend of sportsmanship and motivational insights left us in awe of what he’s achieved.” More information can be found at www.roccia.com Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Boost for local economy as London railway arches are transformed into high-specification, modern industrial space Stephen George + Partners (SGP) is thrilled to announce that completion has been reached on the transformation of six vacant railway arches into high-specification commercial premises for light industrial use, located just 16 minutes away from the City of London. Benefitting from good loading/parking facilities, the design and style of the refurbished arches on Witan Street, Bethnal Green, create an on-brand aesthetic for light industrial use which should prove attractive to potential tenants in the current marketplace. Josh White, Architectural Technologist at SGP says: “As design architect for the scheme, we have drawn on both our technical expertise and proven track record delivering industrial buildings to create contemporary spaces to suit a variety of industrial occupiers. Part of the development challenge from an architectural perspective has been to maximise the tenantable area and we worked closely with The Arch Company to deliver modern industrial spaces that allow maximum flexibility for future tenant fit-out.” SGP Studio Director Alan Soper comments: “Urban industrial property can play a vital part in local economies, yet good-sized, modern industrial space close to central London is often difficult to find. That’s why we’re delighted to be working with The Arch Company on the transformation of these arches on Witan Street into vital commercial spaces that will suit a variety of industrial occupiers and support their daily operations in a location close to the heart of one of the busiest cities in the world.” Following comprehensive surveys of the arch structures and original brickwork, new internal linings and concrete floor slabs have been installed, alongside glazed infills and electric roller shutter doors, LED lighting, 3-phase power and a WC facility in Unit 216a, with capped services for potential kitchen/WC in other units. The design incorporates high-quality materials and restores the appearance to the elevation at this location on Witan Street and further enhances the commercial appeal of the surrounding neighbourhood. The Witan Street project forms part of Project 1000, The Arch Company’s £200m plan to bring a thousand empty or derelict spaces into use across England and Wales by 2030. It is just one of over ten such projects for which SGP has been commissioned to develop designs. Elsewhere in London, work has commenced on the refurbishment of four disused and dilapidated railway arches on America Street, Southwark, into spaces for restaurants, cafés and bars. Dave O’Sullivan, Senior Project Manager at The Arch Company, said: “We’ve enjoyed working with SGP on our scheme at Witan Street in Bethnal Green which has transformed six previously empty and derelict arches into a new and improved single multipurpose rental property. Demand for our spaces in Bethnal Green is high and the arches there play host to a range of different businesses, each serving an important role with the local and wider London economy. We look forward to working with SGP on other upcoming projects to create more economic activity in previously unused and underutilised spaces.” Multi-disciplinary consultancy, Pick Everard, provided structural, civil and building engineering services on the site, working in close collaboration with key partners. Santosh Patel, Strategic Account Director at Pick Everard, said: “From concept to completion, we were able to advise and coordinate with SGP to allow efficient structural and drainage solutions to be designed. This collaborative approach has delivered exceptional results that utilises the unused archways into modern industrial units, creating spaces that are both functional and versatile. With every inch of space in London highly valuable, the regeneration of the arches grants exciting new opportunities. It’s been a rewarding experience to once again collaborate with SGP and The Arch Company on a development that will support local businesses and enrich the urban area of Bethnal Green.” Alan Soper concludes: “Like much of our industrial heritage, refurbished and repurposed railway arches present significant opportunities. If refurbished correctly, they create a long-term, sustainable solution to the economic vitality of our towns and cities. Witan Street, with its nearby transport links to central London, is perfectly located for commercial businesses to thrive and it’s incredibly gratifying to have refurbishment work complete and see these arches back in productive use.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
TO DRAW attention to the damage litter causes to the UK’s waterways, lakes, and oceans, leading housing provider Barratt Homes and specialist civils provider Wrekin Products has partnered on an initiative – ‘The Sea Starts Here’ – to educate the public. The campaign’s message will be featured prominently on Wrekin gully grates in Barratt’s Kings Park, a David Wilson Homes development in Macclesfield. It aims to raise awareness of how small pieces of litter can snowball into lasting environmental effects. To further grab attention, Kings Park gully grates have been painted a stark bright blue. Keep Britain Tidy estimates that the UK discards a staggering 30 million tonnes of litter annually, incurring a cleanup cost of £1 billion. Shockingly, nearly half of this litter (14m) ends up contaminating our rivers and canals, as reported by the Canal & River Trust. This ongoing damage has led to a situation where none of our waterways are currently classified as being in ‘good health’. Simon Turner, commercial director at Wrekin Products said: “We hope this campaign will go some way to increasing awareness about the interconnectedness of our infrastructure and the problems and effects of water pollution on our marine wildlife. “As one of the most popular suppliers of gully grates in the UK, we’re using our position as an opportunity to create a positive environmental impact by reminding people that there is a correct place for litter to go, and it’s not down our drains. “We’re lucky enough to live in one of the most beautiful natural landscapes on the planet, and so it’s a shame to see it needlessly harmed by pollution and rubbish. More so when we see the ripple effects of excess nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen seeping into and harming our freshwater habitats, and in some cases being enough to kill the fish population. “Kings Park is just the beginning of this campaign, and we’ll be looking to spread this important message even further throughout this year and beyond. The main culprit of river pollution in the UK is smoking-related litter. However, confectionary packets, drinks bottles and cans, fast food, wet wipes, and, more recently, disposable vapes all contribute to a harmful chemical cocktail.” The government’s Environmental Audit Committee (2022) found that housing developments’ drainage systems which are clogged with ‘a profusion of plastic and other non-biodegradable waste’, in addition to heavy rainfall, often leads to an overloaded sewerage system unable to cope effectively. Alaric Ross-Wagenknecht, project engineer at Barratt and David Wilson Homes Anglia, said: “As leaders in the residential housebuilding sector, we wanted to work with Wrekin to educate children and adults in a fun and informative way about the importance of pollution control and the role of drainage infrastructure and the water cycle. “To permanently imprint the message ‘The Sea Starts Here’ on a gully grating means the message will be here for years to come, throughout the gully’s whole life cycle. That will get people thinking twice about gullies and their role.” More information surrounding the effect of litter on drainage systems and in the UK’s waterways can be found at the Wrekin website here: https://www.wrekinproducts.com/tssh Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
“Labour’s housebuilding targets and planning reforms are welcomed, but pace, along with funding or incentives, will be needed to encourage SME developers to build on grey belt.” These insights come from Richard Nowell, Senior Relationship Director at Secure Trust Bank Real Estate Finance, a leading provider of finance for property development and investment. He hails the government’s ambitions as positive but believes one of the five ‘golden rules’ for developing on grey belt land may lock SME housebuilders out of being able to regenerate these sites. The grey belt refers to brownfield sites such as disused car parks and wasteland within parts of protected green belt land. Specifically, Richard says the aim to ensure 50% of the homes built on grey belt land are affordable housing will make it extremely difficult for local and regional developers to justify developing on these plots. Richard said: “If I were to sum up the events since Labour won the election in three words, those would be ambitious, pace, and delivery. The reinstatement of housebuilding targets and intent to reform planning is ambitious from Rachel Reeves, and we now need pace from the Chancellor and our new Housing Secretary, Angela Rayner, to deliver on these plans. “One of the key challenges I see is enabling small-to-medium sized housebuilders to rejuvenate these sites which include old car parks and petrol stations on the borders of our countryside. The costs of development are already sky high, and to effectively demolish existing structures for redevelopment will be another significant outlay that impacts the viability of a scheme. To then have 50% of the properties as affordable housing will further impact the feasibility and profitability for small to medium sized housebuilders, which may ultimately restrict grey belt development solely to larger or national developers.” To overcome this, Richard believes funding and support are required from the government to subsidise construction costs for SME developers. He suggests that Labour’s ‘Freedom to Buy’ scheme, which sees the government act as a guarantor, needs to get off the ground as soon as possible to keep the property market moving. “Funding and support will, I suspect, be required. This is especially the case for smaller enterprises which have lost substantial time and money from not being able to get their projects off the ground because of ever-trickier planning processes. Meanwhile, more people must be able to realise that dream of being homeowners so that the market stays buoyant. For that to happen, first time buyers also need help. The Freedom to Buy mortgage guarantee scheme is a great initiative, and we trust that details will soon be coming out soon about how this will be implemented. “At Secure Trust Bank Real Estate Finance, we have years of experience working on grey belt schemes. One recent scheme saw us provide a £2m property development loan to Larkvale Homes, which turned an old, disused petrol station into a development that now houses nine luxury homes in the village of Cockfield in Suffolk. As property finance specialists, we stand ready to support developers with their real estate projects, and this wider movement from the government.” For more about Secure Trust Bank Real Estate Finance and its residential development finance products and solutions, please click here. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Global engineering, design and sustainability consultancy Ramboll announces a change to its UK leadership, with Managing Director Philippa Spence to take over the leadership of its Environment & Health (E&H) Division from 1 August. Neil Sansbury, current Finance and Executive Director will take on the role of acting Managing Director for UK & Ireland. Ramboll has today announced the appointment of Neil Sansbury as Acting Managing Director for UK & Ireland as Philippa Spence steps into a global leadership role in Ramboll’s 3,000-strong global E&H Division after three years in her current role. Neil, who takes the helm for the UK and Ireland, joined Ramboll in 2016 and played a crucial role in navigating the company through the challenges relating to Brexit, Covid and more recently inflation, whilst helping to double revenue and deliver sustainable growth. He will bring his considerable experience and in-depth knowledge of Ramboll’s business in the UK & Ireland to the role. As head of the E&H Division, Philippa will oversee Ramboll’s largest and most profitable market, which holds a top-10 leading position globally among environmental consultancies. Philippa takes on the global role having led the company’s E&H Division in the UK from 2019-2021. An industry leader in sustainability and environmental consultancy, Philippa chairs the Environment Industries Commission (EIC), where she has been a passionate advocate for the environment alongside her role at Ramboll. Commenting on Neil’s new role, Philippa said, “I am delighted that Neil will be taking on the acting MD role, he has been a firm hand on the tiller in our growth journey, helping drive our strategy: ’The Partner for Sustainable Change’. He has worked alongside the UK Executive to empower our people to deliver innovative and leading solutions that support the transition to a more sustainable society, whilst creating a culture in which our people can grow and flourish”. Neil added, ”I’m looking forward to leading the UK and Ireland business. It’s an exciting time for our industry with early promising signals from the new Government on a variety of matters. Bringing stability and confidence to the market with the green energy transition, establishing Great British Energy and the National Wealth Fund, planning reforms. These initiatives and other clear policy signals are essential for the UK’s growth and decarbonisation ambitions. Our significant investments into sustainability means we are well placed to support clients in the green transition, I have no doubt that the next five years will be transformational for our industry”. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A new Chair in Energy appointment by the University of St Andrews heralds a groundbreaking era in battery technology research, crucial for addressing the climate emergency. The University of St Andrews, in partnership with the Faraday Institution, is delighted to announce the appointment of Professor Venkataraman Thangadurai as its new Chair in Energy. Professor Thangadurai, who joins St Andrews from the University of Calgary in Canada, has been awarded a Faraday Institution Adjunct Professorial Fellowship. The Faraday Institution Adjunct Professorial Fellowship programme is designed to enable universities in its community to attract leading battery scientists to the UK or promote new people to contribute to fields related to energy storage research. Professor Thangadurai’s research interests involve the design and preparation of novel solid electrolytes exhibiting fast oxide ion, lithium ion, and sodium ion conduction and mixed ionic-electronic conduction based on inorganic crystal structures. His work primarily explores novel solid electrolytes, electrode materials, and interfaces to enhance battery performance, safety, and longevity. By addressing key challenges in energy storage, his research aims to facilitate the adoption of more efficient and sustainable energy technologies, contributing significantly to the advancement of renewable energy systems and electric vehicles. The newly created position of Chair in Energy at St Andrews will see Professor Thangadurai bring his extensive expertise to the University’s School of Chemistry. His leadership will significantly enhance the St Andrews research capabilities and contributions to sustainable energy solutions, the development of technological spin-out opportunities and Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs). This strategic appointment aligns with St Andrews dedication to advancing global energy sustainability through cutting-edge research and innovation. Professor Thangadurai’s research will look to the future of battery technology, playing a critical role in combating the climate emergency by enhancing energy storage solutions, essential for integrating renewable energy sources like solar and wind into the power grid. Speaking about his appointment, Professor Thangadurai said: “I am delighted to be given this opportunity to continue my research at St Andrews, working with the world’s leading researchers in battery and renewable technologies. The support of the Faraday Institution in making this role a reality shows the commitment to the development of next generation of battery technologies so we can make a real change in the world, playing our part in tackling the climate emergency that impacts us all. The work we will continue and develop at St Andrews will ensure safe, sustainable, renewable energy solutions for generations to come.” Professor Thangadurai, will also work with colleagues from the School of Chemistry, including Professor John Irvine CBE, as part of the Faraday the NEXGENNA research project into sodium-ion batteries. The Faraday Institution’s NEXGENNA project is accelerating the development of sodium-ion battery technology by taking a multi-disciplinary approach incorporating fundamental chemistry right through to scale-up and cell manufacturing. Its aim is to put on the path to commercialisation a sodium-ion battery with high performance, low cost, that has a long cycle life and is safe. Professor Thangadurai will deliver the keynote address at the 24th International Conference on Solid State Ionics in London on Friday 19 July. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Balfour Beatty, in partnership with National Highways, has reopened the M25 seven hours ahead of schedule, following the completion of the latest stage of improvement works for the Junction 10 improvement scheme. The M25 between Junction 10 and 11 was closed at 9pm on Friday 12 July until around 11pm on Sunday 14 July, marking the third closure of the M25 since the beginning of this year. During the closure, Balfour Beatty successfully installed 72 concrete beams which will form the second of the new Junction 10 gyratory bridges and lifted two new gantries into place – one being a 45 metre superspan gantry, spanning the entire width of the M25 carriageway. Howard Williams, Balfour Beatty Project Director, said: “Another great achievement for Balfour Beatty and National Highways, as we reopen the M25 to the travelling public ahead of schedule following another complex weekend of works. “I would like to extend my thanks to my colleagues and our supply chain partners who have worked tirelessly to make this latest closure a roaring success, and to the public who listened to the advice and followed the diversion routes.” Balfour Beatty will now turn its attention to the construction of the next modular bridge, which will take place offsite. The bridge will then be wheeled into place on a self-propelled modular transporter later this year. The Junction 10 improvement scheme is due to complete in Summer 2025. For more information about the project and the latest updates including the closures, please visit: M25 junction 10 – National Highways Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A new chief executive officer has been appointed to lead Aggregate Industries UK, part of the global Holcim group. Earlier this year it was announced that current CEO, Dragan Maksimovic, had been appointed as Region Head West Europe overseeing the leadership of the Holcim businesses in the UK, France, Belgium, Germany and Spain. Holcim group has now announced Lee Sleight as the new CEO of Aggregate Industries UK. He will take up his position on 1 August 2024. Lee joined the business in 2021 as Managing Director of the readymix concrete division and in his time there transformed the business. Last year he moved to take up the role as Managing Director of the aggregates division. Lee has more than 20 years of experience in the construction industry holding various senior leadership positions. Outgoing CEO and Holcim Region Head West Europe Dragan Maksimovic, said: “Firstly, I’d like to congratulate Lee on his appointment. He will make an excellent CEO. “I have worked closely with him for the last few years and he has a proven track record in leading and transforming businesses. I am confident he will continue to drive the business forward while delivering on our ambitious plans of decarbonisation and green growth.” Lee Sleight, Aggregate Industries UK new CEO, said: “It is a very proud moment for me to be chosen to lead this fantastic business. Having been with the company for a number of years I know first-hand how amazing the people who work here are. “I am now really looking forward to working with our teams around the country in order to deliver on our ambition to be the UK’s leading supplier of sustainable construction materials and to keep progressing on our journey to a net zero future.” Kaziwe Kaulule will succeed Lee as Managing Director of the company’s aggregates division. Kaziwe joined AIUK in October 2023 as Director of Strategic and Commercial Growth, having previously been CEO of Holcim’s South Africa and Zimbabwe businesses. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
