Specialist cruise liner maintenance company, SD Marine Services, has completed the handover on its extensive refurbishment of AIDAmar. The 71,300-tonne cruise ship has undergone a series of repairs and renovations to its public areas, spa facilities and over 180 cabins. It has been docked in Marseilles for the duration of
A major shopping complex in Reading is set to boost its entertainment offering with the introduction of a new independent cinema. Really Local Group has reached a deal with Moorgarth to redevelop a 4,000 sq ft space in Broad Street Mall into a cinema, music and events centre. The developer
Leading UK retailer Primark has selected GRAHAM to deliver four contracts across some of its national stores. The firm will roll out the retailer’s modern new concept in Manchester, Milton Keynes, Liverpool and Southend on Sea against tight deadlines. This builds on the £53 million worth of work GRAHAM has
Plans to redevelop Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium in time for the 2022 Commonwealth Games have taken a major stride forward. Birmingham City Council’s Planning Committee has green lit proposals to transform the facility into a high-quality venue for diverse sporting, leisure, community and cultural events. These works form part of a
The Torbay-headquartered construction company The Cavanna Group has announced three new appointments to its Board of Directors, completing a ten year succession plan for the family business which was established in 1923 in Torquay. The Cavanna Group’s business operations, which include Cavanna Homes developments across the West Country, are overseen
Leading energy and services group, ENGIE, in partnership with North Lanarkshire Council, has launched the ‘ACT 2020 – Action on Climate Together’, campaign, driven by a programme of high-profile events that aims to outline realistic action to curb climate change locally. ACT 2020 will champion sustainable growth across North Lanarkshire,
It’s no secret that the construction industry is currently facing an increasingly large skills shortage. The industry has long suffered from a lack of skilled workers, making it more difficult than ever to hit deadlines due to the shrinking talent pool. This is a big problem for the government, whose
Working in the building design or construction industry requires you to invest in the right tools. Building infrastructures from the ground up is taxing, and doing everything with your bare hands can delay progress, lessen the structural integrity of the building, and even lead to injuries. For people who want
When a property chain collapses, it’s bad news for all parties involved, from the house buyers and sellers to the developers. Fast property completion is essential for delivering the highest standards of customer service, maintaining a positive brand reputation and attracting new buyers. So how can property developers repair a
A new district energy centre has been opened in Newcastle as part of a commitment to tackle climate change in the area by saving more than 30,000 tonnes of carbon over 40 years. The energy centre is being officially launched by ENGIE UK, in partnership with Newcastle City Council. The
Specialist cruise liner maintenance company, SD Marine Services, has completed the handover on its extensive refurbishment of AIDAmar. The 71,300-tonne cruise ship has undergone a series of repairs and renovations to its public areas, spa facilities and over 180 cabins. It has been docked in Marseilles for the duration of its refurbishment and will shortly sail to Palma where the SD team will depart following two weeks of repairs. The project was headed up by Director of Marine Services Gareth Preston, who said on its completion: “We’re delighted to be handing over the new and improved AIDAmar – it’s been a pleasure to work on for these past two weeks and it’s great to see the passenger cabins in pristine condition. “We’ve had six cosmetic repairs and French polishing specialists onboard carrying out renovations and spraying on some amazing luxury facilities, including its 2,300-m spa. The team have done a fantastic job and we’re all really proud of the standard of work carried out.” The AIDAmar is a sphinx-class cruise ship built at Meyer Werft for AIDA Cruises. She is the sixth Sphinx series ship and was christened in Hamburg in 2012. With 1,096 cabins and 14 decks, AIDAmar holds the capacity for a total of 2,686 passengers. SD Marine Services is a division of the SD Sealants Group, the UK’s leading sealants and repairs specialist. Its marine team recently also completed work on the MS Amera in Hamburg, a 38,768-tonne cruise liner boasting nine passenger decks and the capacity for over 800 on board. The £30,000 project required a month-long refurbishment that involved silicone replacement inside all passenger cabins and marked the first major project completion for SD’s Marine specialists.
A major shopping complex in Reading is set to boost its entertainment offering with the introduction of a new independent cinema. Really Local Group has reached a deal with Moorgarth to redevelop a 4,000 sq ft space in Broad Street Mall into a cinema, music and events centre. The developer will repurpose the ground and first-floor unit of the former Argos store to provide a four-screen cinema due to open in summer 2020. In addition, the new space will include food kiosks, outdoor terrace seating area and a café bar run by Compound Coffee, their first venture outside London. The design, by Lyttelton. Yates, uses a bold colour scheme to create a sense of uniformity and symmetry throughout the venue. Both the floorings and walls of the food kiosks, terrace seating area, private hire room and the cinema lobby will be a sage green in tribute to Reading’s colour palate and to unify the neighbouring spaces. The entrance, café and the outdoor seating area on the upper level will be in a vibrant yellow to draw footfall to its warm and welcoming aesthetic, while the carpets, walls and seats in the cinema screening rooms will be a saturated blue. Really Local Group creates and restores cultural infrastructure, acting as a catalyst for the wider regeneration of the local area. The company’s mission is to provide inclusive and affordable venues for communities, which will be uniquely designed to reflect their locality, serving as a community ‘hub’ for the area. This is the firm’s second project, following on from the launch of Catford Mews, which opened in September 2019. Catford Mews, a new cultural hub for Lewisham, includes a three-screen cinema, the first multiscreen in Lewisham in almost 20 years, live entertainment space, pop-up food market including a variety of stalls from local traders and a full-service bar serving local brands. Preston Benson, Founder of Really Local Group commented: “We are very excited about coming to Reading, to enhance the cultural infrastructure offer in a town with an established creative community. Working with Moorgarth and Reading Borough Council, we hope to be able to curate a new ‘cultural quarter’ for the town and secure collaboration opportunities with local independent businesses, artisans and traders.” Gary Lewis: Managing Director, Moorgarth Group Limited added: “We are delighted to be partnering with Really Local Group to deliver our long-held aspiration of bringing an exciting and vibrant new cinema to Broad Street Mall. This is another milestone in the re-imagining of the centre.” Really Local Group is also calling on the people of Reading to help name the new venue. Those with a perfect naming idea which pays tribute to Reading are asked to tweet the developers at @reallylocalgrp with suggestions by the 18 February. The winner will be awarded an annual membership complete with free cinema tickets and further discounted cinema tickets, food and drink, as well as an invite to the exclusive venue launch party this summer (plus 10 friends).
Leading UK retailer Primark has selected GRAHAM to deliver four contracts across some of its national stores. The firm will roll out the retailer’s modern new concept in Manchester, Milton Keynes, Liverpool and Southend on Sea against tight deadlines. This builds on the £53 million worth of work GRAHAM has already completed for the fashion retailer since 2015. Mark Gibson, Managing Director for GRAHAM Interior Fit-Out, said: “The work across all four stores comes with different challenges. Many will be completed in single phases while others will have a period of between 16-34 weeks to allow for a full fit-out. “The fast turnaround time required on each project, demands robust project management and efficiency in decision making and ultimately delivery. Throughout our four-year partnership with Primark we have consistently demonstrated our capacity to deliver multiple projects simultaneously without any variance in the high-quality of our work. “And because Primark is a popular retailer and, like many other fashion names, limiting closure over trading periods is of paramount importance, we will be working with a number of named sub-contractors in partnership to ensure the rollout is delivered on time and on deadline.” GRAHAM’s contract for the new Primark Barton Square store at the Trafford Centre in Manchester is worth over £9 million and involves an “extensive fit-out” covering 65,000 sq ft. The work will be completed in a single phase with an opening set for February 2020. Meanwhile the Milton Keynes store, a contract worth £4.5 million, will cover 75,000 sq ft across three floors with an opening due in April 2020. In Liverpool, GRAHAM’s work on its store will take place over a period of 16 weeks, from January 2020 until May 2020, while the store remains operational. This £3.5 million project will take place as GRAHAM works on the retailer’s most significant scheme next year, the £9.3 million Southend On Sea contract.
Plans to redevelop Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium in time for the 2022 Commonwealth Games have taken a major stride forward. Birmingham City Council’s Planning Committee has green lit proposals to transform the facility into a high-quality venue for diverse sporting, leisure, community and cultural events. These works form part of a wider £72 million plan to regenerate Perry Barr. Initially, the stadium, at Walsall Road, Perry Barr, is set to be the focal point of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, hosting the Opening and Closing Ceremonies as well as the athletics events during the 11-day event which features 6,500 athletes and officials from 71 nations and territories. The redeveloped stadium would increase its permanent seating capacity from 12,700 to 18,000 allowing more than 30,000 during the Games through additional temporary seating. Post-Games it will be at the centre of a regenerated Perry Barr, which is receiving more than £500m of investment in the coming years, which also includes new housing, improved transport and related upgrades to infrastructure and public space. The stadium will provide a new home for the university’s sports and exercise students, as well as becoming a focal point for a range of leisure, health, wellbeing and community activities for local residents and the wider general public. Cllr Ian Ward, Leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “We’ve always been clear that Birmingham 2022 is about much more than 11 days of fantastic world-class sporting action. The Games are about regeneration, improved health and wellbeing, promoting the city on a global stage and building civic pride. “This particular scheme is integral to all of those aims and benefits – the eyes of the Commonwealth and indeed the wider world will be on the venue during the Games, but the longer-term opportunities the improved stadium will offer a regenerated Perry Barr, and indeed the wider region and nation, mean the delivery of this scheme is crucial for the city’s future.” Ian Reid, Chief Executive for Birmingham 2022, added: “The Alexander Stadium is a pivotal venue for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, as not only will it host the track and field events for athletics but it’s also where we will stage our official opening and closing ceremonies for the Games. “Today’s news that planning approval has been granted is therefore a key moment for us as the organisers of the Games and one which we are pleased to be able to celebrate with our partners. “Birmingham City Council will be delivering the new sections of the stadium and we look forward to watching progress over the next couple of years, ahead of us moving into the stadium when we deliver the Games in 2022.” Construction of the new stand will commence in spring of this year, with completion in late 2021. This will be followed by test events ahead of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
The Torbay-headquartered construction company The Cavanna Group has announced three new appointments to its Board of Directors, completing a ten year succession plan for the family business which was established in 1923 in Torquay. The Cavanna Group’s business operations, which include Cavanna Homes developments across the West Country, are overseen by Managing Director Keith Miller who joined the company in October 2017. Alongside Keith on the Board are Andrew Addison who has been promoted to Operations Director, having previously served 12 months as Head of Operations. David Green who has been with Cavanna Homes since 2001 is promoted to Development Director and Scott Murray joins the firm as Group Finance Director, replacing Brian Bargent. Brothers Jeremy and Jonathan Cavanna and their cousin Martin Cavanna, who are third generation members of the family business will remain on the Board but have moved to non-executive roles within the Cavanna Group which remains entirely family-owned. Keith Miller said: “2020 marks a significant milestone in Cavanna’s history as we complete the transition from a family owned and managed business to one that is now managed and directed by non-family members. While the Board of Directors are responsible for driving-forward this very successful company, we are answerable to the Cavanna shareholders, for whom the way in which we do business “the Cavanna Way”, embedding the family ethos in everything we do, is paramount. “We are also pleased to have fourth generation Cavanna family members in the business and look forward to supporting their growth and success in the company.” Paying tribute to the Cavanna family, Keith said; “Cavanna Homes charts a remarkable story of business success from humble beginnings when PD Cavanna arrived in Torquay with the tools of his trade and £200 of his family’s life savings, to a multi-million pound business which achieved national recognition as winner at the Housebuilder Awards 2019. “Over the past three decades, Jeremy, Jonathan and Martin Cavanna have laid solid foundations for the future, having grown the company by a factor of one hundred under their leadership. Their legacy is a strong family ethos, professional standards and a commitment to achieving the highest level of customer and staff satisfaction. “It is an honour and a privilege for me and my fellow directors to take this company to its centenary year and beyond. With the excellent team here at Cavanna Homes we will keep the company safe and profitable well into the future.” Cavanna Homes employs 139 staff from its Torquay headquarters and around 250 contractors working on development sites across Devon, Cornwall and Somerset. In 2019 Cavanna Homes produced a turnover of £50.9million on 169 open market sales and 59 affordable homes. This year the firm will be building new homes in 14 locations including city, coast and countryside developments. In addition to the day to day business, Cavanna staff raised over £15,000 in 2019 for Children’s Hospice South West and have nominated the same charity for their fundraising efforts in 2020. The company was recently named the UK’s Housebuilder of the Year 2019 at the national Housebuilder Awards in the medium category for housebuilders building between 200 and 1,500 homes a year.
Leading energy and services group, ENGIE, in partnership with North Lanarkshire Council, has launched the ‘ACT 2020 – Action on Climate Together’, campaign, driven by a programme of high-profile events that aims to outline realistic action to curb climate change locally. ACT 2020 will champion sustainable growth across North Lanarkshire, and create a roadmap for councils, businesses and communities to take realistic action, ahead of the United Nations Conference of Parties (COP26) event in Glasgow in November 2020. COP26 is the most important global diplomatic conference on climate change since the Paris Agreement was signed in 2016. The unique programme of events will address key crisis issues around climate change including: the local government as a system leader in the transition to net zero, the role of schools, education and young people in promoting sustainable lifestyles, how communities can activate change through volunteering, managing a transition to a zero carbon economic model, as well as subsequent events focussing on the future of health, housing and technology. A series of five events will engage with businesses, communities, public sector, voluntary organisations and children and young people. ENGIE will draw on its expertise in sustainability and commitment to zero carbon measures, to emphasise how positive leadership roles in the public sector, large and small businesses and local communities can play in helping to achieve the transition to a zero carbon world. ENGIE’s Divisional CEO Places & Communities, Colin Macpherson said of the programme, “ENGIE is committed to supporting businesses and local authorities on their journey towards zero carbon. We are very pleased to be partnering with North Lanarkshire Council on this extremely important and valuable programme of events in the run-up to November’s high-profile COP26 conference, which will be a great opportunity to connect with those deciding the direction and effectiveness of the climate change debate.” Convener of the Environment and Transportation Committee at North Lanarkshire Council, Councillor Michael McPake, said, “The council declared a climate emergency last year and this has acted as a trigger to take realistic action to curb climate change at a local level. “Working with our partners at ENGIE, these exciting events aim to mobilise local authorities, businesses, communities and individuals to discuss measures that can affect real action and to make concrete efforts to stop the disastrous consequences of climate change.” Although North Lanarkshire Council is the first to partner with ENGIE on this programme, similar events are currently being planned across the UK.
It’s no secret that the construction industry is currently facing an increasingly large skills shortage. The industry has long suffered from a lack of skilled workers, making it more difficult than ever to hit deadlines due to the shrinking talent pool. This is a big problem for the government, whose plans to build 300,000 new homes a year by the mid-2020s is becoming more of a pipe dream. In fact, according to the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), the lack of skilled construction workers is at its highest point since 2007. In order to get back on track, the industry needs to recruit over 200,000 more workers by 2020. Below, industry experts at Vizwear explore what problems the skills shortage in construction is causing for the government’s homebuilding targets — and what companies can do to help fill key positions. What’s causing the skills shortage? The main problem that’s contributing towards the skills shortage is that as a whole, the construction industry is still battling with an image problem. “The industry needs to attract a fresh workforce to keep up with demands”, says Daniel Ure from online PPE retailer Vizwear. “But for many on the outside, the thought of working in construction still conjures up images of wolf-whistling workmen on building sites. To attract a new stream of workers, the industry needs to shake this negative image and show how the industry has developed.” It’s not just the difficulties of attracting new employees that are causing a skills shortage, though: it’s also due to the current workers. Data from the 2011 census showed that in the construction industry, one in five employees were aged over 55. This means that by the early 2020s, when the industry should be hitting its homebuilding targets, most will have reached or be close to retirement age. An ageing workforce and an uphill recruitment battle are a combination that could have a detrimental effect on the industry. What steps can be taken to close the gap? The biggest barrier facing the construction industry is presenting itself as a desirable career path to potential employees. Although often seen in a bad light, there are fantastic opportunities to be had in construction, including mechanics, engineering and electronics. There are a number of ways that construction companies can reach out to the right candidates and ensure them that a career in construction is exactly what they’re looking for. 1. Increase education To ensure that the future workforce in construction is vibrant and engaged, young people need to be re-educated about what construction is really like A survey created by L&Q Group discovered that only one in ten children between the ages of 16 and 18 would consider a career in construction, fearing that the industry would be ‘challenging and unexciting’. Although around 50% said that they were interested in a Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) career, the construction industry simply wasn’t appealing enough. Interestingly, though, the students who said they would consider a construction career said that their reasoning was due to the excitement of the role. Working closely with schools and colleges to promote the industry is a great way to show young people that there are a number of avenues their career path can take in construction. By setting up a formal work experience programme, you can attract future workers with real, hands-on experience to give students the chance to experience the industry for themselves. 2. Don’t neglect training By offering proper training programmes, construction companies have the opportunity to help close the skills gap with new talent. It’s not just labour-intensive roles that are suffering from the skills shortage — there is also a demand for tech and digital skills. But rather than looking externally for these roles, use it as an opportunity to upskill your current staff. Nurturing talent within your business is great for morale; plus, you’ll help to develop your team’s careers, skill sets and better utilise ambitious and forward-thinking workers. The training involved with upskilling current workers can be as simple as one-on-one mentoring, or you can make use of the wide range of online and practical courses available for skill development. There are also government-funded schemes available to help train future construction workers. For instance, we are currently in the middle of an 18-month fund set up by the government, launched with a budget of £22 million. This scheme launched 20 on-site hubs, of which people looking to join the industry, as well as people switching careers, can apply their knowledge in a real-world environment. 3. Look for skilled workers in the right places Ensuring that next-generation workers are knowledgeable about the industry is vital, but there are other skilled groups that are waiting to be snapped up by the industry. For example, over 14,000 leave the military every year, meaning the construction industry has a pool of highly trained individuals with transferable skills at their disposal. There are a number of companies that have already reaped the benefits of military leavers, and even provide specialist training and learning credits to get them fully trained as soon as possible. Military leavers offer the unique opportunity for construction firms to hire workers that can effectively follow instructions, work well as a team and can keep calm under pressure. It’s a unique opportunity that is too good to pass up. 4. Address the gender imbalance Part of the problem is that construction is a historically male-dominated industry. Between 2007 and 2016, reports found that the number of women workers in construction only rose by 0.7%, resulting in an incredibly low 12.8% total. But it’s not just workers in the industry, nearly half of construction workers claimed that they have never had a female manager. Whatever the role, women in construction are being overlooked. As women make up half of the population, it seems crazy that the industry is ignoring so much potential talent that it sorely needs to help fill the skills gap. Educating female students is a crucial
Working in the building design or construction industry requires you to invest in the right tools. Building infrastructures from the ground up is taxing, and doing everything with your bare hands can delay progress, lessen the structural integrity of the building, and even lead to injuries. For people who want to create a career in this industry or engage in more DIY activities at home, is a must-have. A cordless drill, as highlighted in this website https://cordlessdrillguide.com, is a smart investment because it can make your life easier as a handyman. This tool can also improve the quality of your projects and lessen your work time. A cordless drill is important for different purposes. Here are some great reasons why you should get one as soon as possible: 1. Convenience Completing projects at home or construction will require time and effort. The more extensive the project is, the more resources you’ll have to invest in it. Fortunately, owning a cordless drill can make tasks lighter. This equipment is more lightweight than corded drills, making it easier for you to carry it around. Cordless drills are also very convenient because you won’t have to look for power outlets just to use it. This will give you the ability to use the equipment in different locations. Since it’s cordless, you also don’t have to worry about its wires and how these can tangle up with your other equipment. Cordless drills are more compact and now come in a wide variety of comfortable designs. Having these options allows you to choose a cordless drill that perfectly suits your grip and desired level of comfort. A tool that meets all of your preferences will help you work faster. This is especially important for new or inexperienced handymen. 2. Safety Working on construction or DIY projects at home can be very rewarding, but at the same time, it can also pose serious safety risks. Major home renovation projects, like turning your shed into a home office, can be dangerous as you’ll use different kinds of equipment. You can complete bigger projects without compromising your safety when you use a cordless drill. Because this equipment works using lithium batteries, you won’t have to worry about suffering from accidents and injuries from tripping over the cables. The absence of these cables will also decrease your susceptibility to any electrical problems, as well. 3. Power You’ll have to work with different materials in order to complete projects. While some of these materials are easy to work with, some can be very challenging and will require very specific tools to get the job done, like working with concrete, which is a hard material that resembles the durability of stones. Cordless drills are very powerful tools that can help you work with concrete. This tool utilizes slight vibrations and a strong rotating action so you can easily drive bolts into concrete. With this feature, you can bolt down any type of furniture or screw into concrete without worrying about getting injured or spending hours just to complete a minor task. 4. Replaces Screwdrivers Although small, a screwdriver is one of the most essential tools every handyman should have. A screwdriver is a versatile tool because it allows you to install and remove different types of screws. However, because a screwdriver is a manual tool, using it for big projects can take up a lot of time and energy. You’ll have to manually turn its handle for the tool to serve its purpose. If you want to enjoy the features of a screwdriver minus the manual turning, you should definitely get a cordless drill. By using a screw tip, you can use a cordless drill to attach and assemble a screw into another material. You just have to flip the switch and let the cordless drill do all the work for you. With a cordless drill, you can install and remove more screws in less time and minimal effort! Know What To Buy A lot of people use cordless drills, which is why you can expect to find this tool in different makes and models today. For you to avoid making costly mistakes when buying a cordless drill, determine how you’re going to use the tool and how you want it to feel in your grip. The brand and any additional features are also important considerations. When you know what to look for in a cordless drill, you can easily narrow down your options and buy one that can meet your expectations.
When a property chain collapses, it’s bad news for all parties involved, from the house buyers and sellers to the developers. Fast property completion is essential for delivering the highest standards of customer service, maintaining a positive brand reputation and attracting new buyers. So how can property developers repair a broken property chain? Why Do Property Chains Collapse? Almost half of all property sales fell through in the final quarter of 2018. The most common reasons for a buyer to pull out of a sale include problems selling a property or securing a mortgage, the seller receiving a higher offer, issues highlighted in a survey, delays in the sale process and late demands for reductions in the price. If a sale falls through for any reason, this can prevent a buyer further down the chain completing on a property in your development. What Can Developers Do to Avoid a Broken Chain? While much lies in the control of the homeowners and buyers, there are steps building companies and property developers can take to repair a broken chain. Good Communication If problems arise for your buyer, good communication is the first step to resolving the issue without losing a sale. Make sure your company has an effective communication system in place and that customers know how to contact the right person to help them. If a problem is temporary and easily surmountable, there may be a compromise that can be reached to ensure the buyer does not lose their home and you do not miss out on a sale. Part-Exchange Offering customers a range of finance options is excellent customer service that will enhance the reputation of a company and increase the pool of potential buyers for your buildings. Buyers who have access to the right property purchase financing can move quickly towards completion without being impacted by broken property chains. Offering part-exchange (PX) to customers purchasing a new-build property is beneficial to property owners and buyers. Many people cannot complete on a new home until they have sold their existing property. If your buyers are struggling to sell their home or if their sale falls through, this could mean a lost sale for you. A PX scheme allows you to purchase a buyer’s current home at slightly less than the market value, in exchange for a reduced price on one of your properties. You can then sell on the property at a profit in addition to securing the sale on one of your new-build homes. In this way, PX can be used to avoid and repair a broken property chain. Chain Repair Companies If a chain collapses affecting the sale of one of your properties, a specialist chain repair service can be an effective and hassle-free way to save the sale. A chain repair company can shorten the property chain length, remove the need for a buyer to sell their property before they purchase yours and prevent delays to your development plans and a lost sale. How does it work? The company will send an agent to value your customer’s property and then send a cash offer, which you can extend to the client. If the offer is accepted and a sale date agreed, the buyer can proceed with purchasing the new property from you. If the client is amenable to this option, it’s an effective way to meet key deadlines despite property chain issues. Final Thoughts The success and profitability of property developments rest on hitting key milestones and deadlines. A broken property chain can result in lost sales and delays, which can seriously impact the bottom line. If your buyer encounters issues selling their home, communicate, be flexible and take proactive action to find a solution. Saving a sale already in progress is likely to consume fewer resources than starting from scratch searching for a new buyer.
A new district energy centre has been opened in Newcastle as part of a commitment to tackle climate change in the area by saving more than 30,000 tonnes of carbon over 40 years. The energy centre is being officially launched by ENGIE UK, in partnership with Newcastle City Council. The official launch event, which took place on Wednesday, January 15, saw the district energy centre – which forms part of a wider £20m low carbon scheme within the City – further boosting Newcastle’s commitment to tackling climate change by saving more than 30,000 tonnes of carbon over 40 years. The facility on the flagship Newcastle Helix site, will use a 5km network of underground pipes to supply heating and cooling to 10 buildings and up to 450 homes on site. Using heat and power created through the use of low carbon and cost-effective energy solutions, including natural gas fired CHP (Combined Heat and Power), the centre also generates chilled water and cooling facilities and electricity to neighbouring buildings. It’s hoped the new centre will be the first of many innovative energy projects resulting from the Regenerate Newcastle Partnership; a joint venture between ENGIE and Newcastle City Council, to develop and operate district energy schemes within the City over a 40-year term. Nicola Lovett, Chief Executive of ENGIE UK and Ireland, said: “We are delighted to be marking the completion of the new Helix Energy Centre, the first of what we hope will be many innovative low carbon energy projects delivered by our long-term partnership with Newcastle City Council. “With local authorities playing an increasingly key role in the drive to reduce the UK’s carbon emissions, ENGIE is committed to using its expertise to support Newcastle with its climate goals and on its journey to becoming a zero carbon city by 2030.” The centre has been made possible with funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Government’s Local Growth Deal through the North East Local Enterprise Partnership. Leader of Newcastle City Council, Cllr Nick Forbes, said: “Climate change is the biggest threat to our planet so it’s incumbent on all of us to do what we can to reduce our carbon emissions. “Last year we declared a climate change emergency and since then have set up a Climate Change Convention and are putting in place a range of measures to make the city carbon zero by 2030. “The opening of the District Energy Centre is a significant boost to our climate change credentials and will provide affordable and sustainable heating to residents and cutting-edge businesses which are bringing high quality jobs to the city,” added Cllr Forbes, who also chairs the council’s Climate Change Committee. Helix District Energy Centre is the first innovative scheme in a venture to develop District Energy in the Newcastle city boundaries as part of the Regenerate Newcastle Partnership.