Two major regeneration projects worth £25 million have been approved for Moston, marking the next phase of a long-term £90 million investment programme designed to revitalise the neighbourhood, deliver new homes, and create a vibrant public square. The investment forms part of Manchester City Council’s Neighbourhood Development Framework (NDF), launched
Studio Egret West and Oval Real Estate have received planning approval for the redevelopment of Albert Bridge House, a landmark project set at the historic junction between Manchester and Salford, where Albert Bridge spans the River Irwell. The approved scheme will transform a car park-dominated site, currently occupied by vacant
Hammerson’s plans to transform an underused city centre car park into a vibrant new mixed-use neighbourhood called the Edgbaston Street Gardens have been approved. This paves the way for a major regeneration project in the heart of Birmingham. The Edgbaston Street Gardens development, located adjacent to the Bullring, has the
Caddick Construction has been selected for a £22 million re-build project at Harrogate College’s main campus and install a new green technology centre, becoming the second project to be delivered on behalf of Luminate Education Group. The new Harrogate College campus will include a 3,997 sq m multi-storey teaching block
A major investment in local healthcare has been unveiled with the completion of a new Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) at Northgate Hospital, designed to improve access to scanning and diagnostic services for communities across East Norfolk and Waveney. The £8 million redevelopment, delivered by Morgan Sindall Construction’s Eastern Counties team,
Morgan Sindall Construction has officially broken ground on the Orchard View Academy site. The construction firm was appointed by Buckinghamshire Council to deliver a new primary school within the Kingsbrook development in Aylesbury. Procured through the Southern Construction Framework, the scheme will deliver a two-form entry primary school designed to
Work to develop a £30 million student accommodation project at St Gabriel’s Court in Manchester is now complete. Located at Oxford Place, adjacent to Oxford Road and south of the city centre the work was carried out by McLaren Construction Midlands and North. Delivered on behalf of McLaren Property, the
Morgan Sindall Construction has completed the first phase of transforming Gloucester’s Art Deco Debenhams building, creating a new City Campus for University of Gloucestershire. Designed by ADP Architecture and delivered through the Pagabo Major Works framework, the adaptive reuse of the former department store offers a state-of-the-art centre for teaching,
Manchester City Council has released a report to deliver over 700 new homes across the city. The homes will be developed using Council-owned land in the coming years. The report is in collaboration with the Manchester Housing Providers Partnership (MHPP). Working with the MHPP, the Council is able to invest
AP UK (Ashtrom Properties) has appointed McLaren Construction as Construction Manager for the refurbishment of Colmore Gate, transforming the landmark tower into a Grade A office building in the heart of Birmingham’s business district. Originally built in the 1990s, Colmore Gate occupies a prime city-centre location between Colmore Row and
Two major regeneration projects worth £25 million have been approved for Moston, marking the next phase of a long-term £90 million investment programme designed to revitalise the neighbourhood, deliver new homes, and create a vibrant public square. The investment forms part of Manchester City Council’s Neighbourhood Development Framework (NDF), launched in 2023, which sets out an ambitious vision to unlock Moston’s potential through improvements to housing, green spaces, infrastructure, and local amenities. So far, the multi-million-pound regeneration across Moston has delivered new social housing, pocket parks, road safety upgrades, alley-gating, and measures to tackle fly-tipping and environmental issues. Over the summer, enhancements were completed to three pocket parks on Moston Lane, alongside improvements to the Simpson Memorial Hall and Community Hub. More than £3 million in government grants has also supported the delivery of new social and affordable homes for local residents in recent years. One of the flagship projects under the NDF is the creation of a new public square on Moston Lane, designed as a focal point for the high street and a flexible community space for markets, events, and gatherings. The new square will include seating, lighting, trees, and planting, providing a welcoming green space in the heart of the neighbourhood. The Council has acquired several properties between Pym Street and Hartley Street, which will be cleared to make way for the development. As part of the regeneration, the Moston Superstore will relocate from its current site to the Kenyon Lane car park, with a planning application expected shortly. Replacement parking will be provided across several nearby locations, including spaces dedicated for supermarket users. Plans for the site also include around 80 new homes, made up of apartments and townhouses, including social and genuinely affordable housing. Ground floor areas will offer retail, commercial, health, and community facilities, supporting a more vibrant and sustainable high street. The Council has now started the developer disposal process for the site, with a planning application to follow after community consultation. A second regeneration site, between Watermans Close and Ebsworth Street, is also being brought forward through the same process. The location has been identified for 30 to 40 new family homes, addressing local demand for larger properties and incorporating new green space. The successful developer for both sites is expected to be appointed by March 2026, with community consultation and planning submissions to follow. To ensure local input into the regeneration, the Council is establishing the Moston Regeneration Partnership, a new advisory group chaired by Cllr Paula Appleby. The group will work with residents, businesses, and the appointed developer to guide design decisions and help shape future investment priorities for Moston Lane. Together, these initiatives mark a major milestone in Moston’s transformation — delivering new homes, community spaces, and economic opportunities that will benefit local people for generations to come. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Studio Egret West and Oval Real Estate have received planning approval for the redevelopment of Albert Bridge House, a landmark project set at the historic junction between Manchester and Salford, where Albert Bridge spans the River Irwell. The approved scheme will transform a car park-dominated site, currently occupied by vacant mid-century office building, including the 18-storey Albert Bridge House, into a vibrant mixed-use quarter that reconnects the area with the river and surrounding neighbourhoods. The new design represents a refined evolution of the previously consented 2023 plans, which proposed a single residential tower and a large commercial block. In response to changing market conditions, the updated scheme now features three distinctive buildings, maintaining the same design ambition while delivering a more balanced urban composition and a striking addition to the Manchester skyline. The development will comprise: The proposals also include 5,780 sqm of new public realm, introducing new pedestrian and cycling routes linking Parsonage Gardens to Trinity Bridge and King Street West to the River Irwell. At its heart, an Urban Arboretum will anchor the central square, preserving mature trees and enhancing biodiversity with additional native and non-native planting. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Hammerson’s plans to transform an underused city centre car park into a vibrant new mixed-use neighbourhood called the Edgbaston Street Gardens have been approved. This paves the way for a major regeneration project in the heart of Birmingham. The Edgbaston Street Gardens development, located adjacent to the Bullring, has the potential to deliver up to 745 new apartments or 1,544 student rooms, or a combination of both. Detailed designs will be finalised ahead of demolition work, expected to begin in late 2027, with construction anticipated from 2028 onwards. The scheme forms a key part of Birmingham’s broader city centre regeneration strategy, directly addressing local priorities around housing, sustainability, transport, and urban renewal. Plans include the creation of new green spaces, community amenities, commercial areas, and extensive public realm improvements designed to better connect the Bullring with neighbouring districts such as Digbeth and Smithfield. Hammerson, a long-term investor in Birmingham since the late 1990s, is already well established in the city’s development landscape. The company was responsible for funding and managing the original Bullring redevelopment, and earlier this year became the sole owner of the Bullring and Grand Central for the first time — a move underscoring its continued commitment to Birmingham’s growth. Since 2021, Hammerson has repositioned more than 400,000 sq ft of retail space in the city, introducing new flagship stores and first-to-region brands including Sephora, Pull&Bear, Space NK, and Uniqlo. The Bullring has also diversified its offer with a broader range of food and leisure experiences, now featuring the largest M&S in the Midlands. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Caddick Construction has been selected for a £22 million re-build project at Harrogate College’s main campus and install a new green technology centre, becoming the second project to be delivered on behalf of Luminate Education Group. The new Harrogate College campus will include a 3,997 sq m multi-storey teaching block and a 988 sq m single storey workshop. Caddick’s appointment to the project follows the contractor’s completion of an £11.4m contract to build Pudsey Sixth Form College in Leeds, where building work commenced in 2024. Open in time for the 2025/26 academic year, Pudsey Sixth Form College included a new teaching facility to cater for 600 students aged 16 to 18 years, expanding the sixth form provision across Leeds. Building work in Harrogate will now see Caddick develop the town’s new college building, fulfilling Luminate Education Group’s ambition to better align the curriculum with the region’s green technology skills needs. Located at Hornbeam Park, the new development has received £20m funding from the Department for Education and will replace the former Harrogate College building, which is set for demolition. Caddick is expected to reach completion of the project in time for the 2026/27 academic year. Both Pudsey Sixth Form College and Harrogate College have been procured through the NEPO Construction Works solution, to which Caddick was appointed in 2023. Steve Ford, Regional Managing Director, Caddick Construction North East & Yorkshire commented: “Our appointment to Harrogate College is a mark of our experience in delivering high quality education projects and our presence on the region’s leading procurement frameworks, both of which will result in an efficient and exceptional delivery. We’re very pleased to be building on our relationship with Luminate Education Group following our completion of the new Pudsey Sixth Form College in time for the new academic year.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A major investment in local healthcare has been unveiled with the completion of a new Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) at Northgate Hospital, designed to improve access to scanning and diagnostic services for communities across East Norfolk and Waveney. The £8 million redevelopment, delivered by Morgan Sindall Construction’s Eastern Counties team, was commissioned by the James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (JPUH) and procured through the Pagabo construction framework. The project has transformed the hospital’s former Cranbrook Building into a state-of-the-art facility offering a CT scanner, cardiac and lung diagnostics, and multiple consultation and treatment rooms. By repurposing an existing structure rather than building anew, the Trust has reduced both costs and carbon impact. The centre welcomed its first patients in late April after the early completion of the CT scanner area and main reception. By August, additional diagnostic services came online as new consultation spaces opened. The final construction phase — a new drainage system — was completed in September. To create the CDC, Morgan Sindall undertook a full strip-back and refurbishment of the two-storey building. The structure was reinforced with new internal supports before being completely refitted with modern floors, walls, doors and a new mechanical and electrical system. Three extensions were built to accommodate the CT scan room and control area, a plant room, and a new fire escape stairwell. The roof was retiled and insulated, and energy-efficient windows and systems were installed to make the facility more sustainable and cost-effective to run. The redeveloped building features: New staff areas and offices mirror the layout and design of James Paget University Hospital, ensuring a familiar environment for clinical teams who work across both sites. Given the age of the Cranbrook building, Morgan Sindall applied its Intelligent Solutions approach to deliver temporary works and structural alterations that allowed for open floor plans and efficient construction. By retaining and upgrading the existing building, the Trust reduced embodied carbon and future energy use. Modern insulation, high-performance materials, and efficient systems will keep operational costs down while supporting NHS sustainability goals. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Morgan Sindall Construction has officially broken ground on the Orchard View Academy site. The construction firm was appointed by Buckinghamshire Council to deliver a new primary school within the Kingsbrook development in Aylesbury. Procured through the Southern Construction Framework, the scheme will deliver a two-form entry primary school designed to accommodate 420 pupils, along with a 60-place nursery, 12 place SEND provision and a variety of outdoor play areas. The building has also been laid out allowing capacity to be expanded to 630 pupils. Scheduled for completion in summer 2026, the school will be operated by Inspiring Futures Partnership Trust. Its two-storey main building will feature classrooms for each year alongside the main hall, catering areas, staff and office areas, a Learning Resource Centre, activity studio, and a space to teach practical food tech, science, and design & technology lessons. The site’s main building will also include a SEND unit, consisting of two classrooms, two safe rooms, sensory rooms, a therapy room and life skills spaces. An adjoining one-storey building will house a nursery with two playrooms as well as WC, kitchenette, and storage facilities. Externally, the project will create a Sports England standard pitch, multi-use games area (MUGA), hard court, and dedicated playgrounds for nursery, SEN, and specific Key Stage pupils. The building’s structure will include offsite manufactured timber frame walls, supporting a first-floor structure of pre-cast hollow core concrete planks and an insulated timber roof cassettes system. The main building will also include a pre-cast lift shaft and staircases. Morgan Sindall has leveraged its Intelligent Solutions approach to ensure the school’s design, construction, and operation are as sustainable as possible. This method aligns with Buckinghamshire Council’s environmental strategy and commitment that this new school will be Net Zero in Operation. The digital whole life carbon assessment and reduction tool CarboniCa has been utilised to inform the school’s creation, which has seen the design team adopt a fabric-first approach to make the site as efficient as possible. The school’s external envelope has been designed with a highly efficient U-Value (a measurement of heat transfer) to ensure optimal thermal comfort and with an airtightness performance that will minimise energy losses. The window glazing has similarly been designed to balance heating and thermal comfort from natural sunlight while avoiding excessive heat levels. A large photovoltaic (PV) panel array will be installed on the roof and ventilation will predominantly be achieved through natural means where possible, such as opening windows and ventilation stacks to circulate fresh air. Passive ventilation will also be supported by local NVHR (Natural Ventilation with Heat Recovery) units, positioned in teaching spaces to enhance airflow and maintain indoor air quality while optimising energy efficiency. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Work to develop a £30 million student accommodation project at St Gabriel’s Court in Manchester is now complete. Located at Oxford Place, adjacent to Oxford Road and south of the city centre the work was carried out by McLaren Construction Midlands and North. Delivered on behalf of McLaren Property, the 321-bed development will improve the city’s student housing provision. The two-acre site is close to the University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University campuses. Designed to improve the Victoria Park Conservation Area – St Gabriel’s Court is a mixture of refurbishment and new build works which included the renovation of St Gabriels Lodge, the 1963 chapel and Woodthorpe Hall, with an additional two new four and five storey buildings constructed at either end of the site. Overall, the scheme houses 321-bed spaces in a mix of cluster bedrooms (5-8 bed clusters), with a communal kitchen and living space, studio rooms, and amenity and ancillary spaces. The refurbished St Gabriel’s Lodge and Woodthorpe Hall contains the studios, cluster bedrooms are located in the new purpose-built student accommodation buildings, and the chapel has been refurbished to provide shared amenity space for residents. The original St Gabriels Lodge building to the east of the chapel was built in the 1850s and has been sensitively restored with the original stone façade, ornate chimneys and curved windows retained. Repairs were undertaken using specially sourced reclaimed brickwork and key features, including the main entrance doors, were refurbished. While the interior was modernised, key elements were preserved, and new amenity spaces were introduced. The 1963 Chapel, designed by modernist architects Reynolds and Scott, was restored to ensure that key architectural features are retained including the zig-zag canopy and the original south gable window, now replaced to match the original design. A circular stained-glass window on the north elevation has also been preserved and a statue of Christ was donated to St Hilda Church of England Church, Manchester. The boundary wall to Oxford Place was retained, repaired and widened with the addition of new gates. Woodthorpe Hall is a 1930s build designed in a neo-Georgian style and was formerly a women’s only hall of residence. As part of the restoration, the original brick façade was retained, and the elevations were renewed using existing materials. The grassed courtyard, a key feature of the original layout, has been modernised with additional paving to retain its character that includes two mature trees and surrounding hedgerows. Alongside the renovation work, the new buildings complement the site’s heritage with buff and red brick finishes, aluminium-framed glazing, and perforated aluminium screens. Works also included the construction of a sub-station, outbuildings and extensive external landscaping. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Morgan Sindall Construction has completed the first phase of transforming Gloucester’s Art Deco Debenhams building, creating a new City Campus for University of Gloucestershire. Designed by ADP Architecture and delivered through the Pagabo Major Works framework, the adaptive reuse of the former department store offers a state-of-the-art centre for teaching, learning, and community services. The scheme is set to be a major catalyst in the reinvigoration of Gloucester’s high street and its wider city centre regeneration. The City Campus in Kings Square is home to University of Gloucestershire’s Education, Psychology and Social Work programmes, forming a new city-centre base for 1,200 students and staff. It is also set to house public-facing services, including Gloucester’s central library, and is already home to a new Arts, Health and Wellbeing Centre. These developments are anchoring the University firmly in the community to create a thriving city hub. The project has embedded learning and innovation into the everyday life of the city, making education a visible and integral part of urban regeneration. To date, the team has completely transformed the ground and first floors of the building to offer lecture and seminar rooms, study spaces, and space for a city library, while upgrading the whole building envelope. Future phases of the project will see all five-storeys of the 20,000m² building fully modernised. The complex retrofit has been sensitively carried out across different sections of the site, dating back to the early 1900s, 1930s, and 1950s. Working closely with a conservation officer, the team retained original features to preserve the heritage and character of the iconic building, which sits in the heart of Gloucester City Conservation Area. To bring the scheme up to contemporary energy standards, low-carbon design technologies and intelligent building systems for heating, cooling, ventilation, and lighting, including air source heat pumps, were implemented throughout. The team also carried out upgrades to ensure fire safety regulations are met in the conversion from retail to educational use. Externally, the team renovated and enhanced the building’s iconic Art Deco elevation, including restoration of the leaded tracery from the original shop windows. Since construction began, the Campus has delivered over £44 million in social value to the local community, which is a 74% return on the total project cost. This has been achieved through job creation, strengthened partnerships with local businesses and the third sector, and environmentally conscious building practices. A key driver of this impact has been the active engagement of 53 SME’s, helping to boost local supply chains and support inclusive economic growth. By bringing university students into the heart of Gloucester, the development is revitalising the high street, boosting footfall and vibrancy, and fostering a renewed sense of local pride. Richard Fielding, Area Director for Morgan Sindall Construction in the Midlands, said: “It’s been brilliant to see this old Debenhams building get a new lease of life as a university campus. These big retail spaces have sat empty for too long, so to transform one into a place that will bring thousands of students into the heart of Gloucester is exactly what the city needs. “The building had real character that we wanted to preserve – working with those Art Deco features and the different sections dating back over decades was a fascinating challenge. It’s always satisfying when you can retain that sense of history while creating something completely new and fit for purpose. “The University has been fantastic to work with, and knowing that it is now home to more than 1200 students and staff makes it a really meaningful project for the local area.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Manchester City Council has released a report to deliver over 700 new homes across the city. The homes will be developed using Council-owned land in the coming years. The report is in collaboration with the Manchester Housing Providers Partnership (MHPP). Working with the MHPP, the Council is able to invest unused, surplus parcels of land to make sure the right mix of homes are being built to meet demand in a particular area. In the last three years, Registered Providers and Housing Associations that are part of the MHPP delivered around 90% of the affordable homes completed across the city with a remit to deliver homes as affordable as possible to Manchester people – with the majority capped at social rent or the Manchester Living Rent. More than 1,750 affordable homes have been completed in Manchester since the housing strategy was adopted in 2022 – alongside a strong pipeline with 1,500 affordable homes under construction, and a further 2,250 affordable homes with planning approval. Key sites as part of this phase of the MHPP partnership includes: The executive committee will also hear a report around future investment in Gorton Town Centre where a further 400 homes will be built by Clarion. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
AP UK (Ashtrom Properties) has appointed McLaren Construction as Construction Manager for the refurbishment of Colmore Gate, transforming the landmark tower into a Grade A office building in the heart of Birmingham’s business district. Originally built in the 1990s, Colmore Gate occupies a prime city-centre location between Colmore Row and the Snow Hill Business District. The building sits opposite Snow Hill Station and is just a six-minute walk from the new HS2 station at Birmingham Curzon Street. Once refurbished, the tower will offer 290,000 square feet of Grade A office space, strengthening its position as a key commercial address in the city. Managing Director for Construction Management & Specialist Projects at McLaren Construction, Vince Lydon, said: “This is a further success for McLaren’s construction management delivery model which allows us to form a true partnership with our client and involve the supply chain early on in the process.” AP UK CEO Guy Lewinsohn added: “We are delighted to be moving forward with the transformation of Colmore Gate, a landmark building at the heart of Birmingham’s business district. This project reflects our commitment to delivering high-quality, sustainable Grade A office space that meets the evolving needs of occupiers and supports the city’s growth as a leading hub for business. We look forward to working in close partnership with McLaren to bring our vision for this building to life.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals