Developers behind a complex self-build housing project in Cambridgeshire have called on Aggregate Industries for its roofing product solution. Helen and Rob Facer, former owners of Barnack Estates UK Ltd used their expertise to build their own dream home on the rural landscape of Sutton. As with many historic English
Solent University’s new sports complex has been successfully connected to Southampton Geothermal Heating Company’s (SGHC) pioneering district energy scheme after signing a £2.8 million deal with energy and services specialist, ENGIE, over the next 20 years. The SGHC is a working partnership between ENGIE and Southampton City Council, launching more
A new sea defences project in Southsea, worth £100 million, has appointed a joint venture as the main contractor. The Southsea Coastal Scheme will provide flood protection to more than 8,000 properties and 704 businesses at risk, due to ageing existing coastal defences along 4.5km of Solent coastline. VSBW is
Two well-known North East property companies are joining forces in a deal that will create one of the region’s largest independent operations of its kind. The two property companies are Naylors and Gavin Black & Partners, which have decided to come together to form Naylors Gavin Black LLP. The new
The revised plans to demolish the Copperas Hill Police Station and build a huge student accommodation instead look set to be approved. The vacant property – which has been dubbed a “wasteful economic resource” – was constructed in the 1970s and occupies a frontage along Copperas Hill and Moor Place.
The government is to invest some £20 million to improve the National Cycle Network, including new routes, better surfacing, and improved links to other transport modes. The 22 schemes announced today follow 10 other projects announced earlier this year, to upgrade the National Cycle Network, which spans more than 16,000
A total of 100 towns across England are to be supported by the government’s new £3.6 billion Towns Fund to build prosperous futures and develop innovative regeneration plans. The 100 places invited to develop proposals for a new generation of multi-million-pound Town Deals have been announced by Local Government Secretary
A new-build development forming part of an existing fruit farm in Cornwall will soon see more than fruit coming out of the ground, it will also be extracting heat. Coastline Housing’s scheme of 26 affordable houses and flats in the small village of Mitchell near Newquay, will be heated by
Nuki, the market-leader in smart locks is proud to announce the launch of the Nuki Opener, a product designed for apartment buildings. The Nuki Opener enables the operation of the front door to apartment buildings simply via the Nuki app, as well as remotely. This retrofit solution is connected to
Two five metre-tall interactive sculptures, designed by multi-award winning British designer, Steuart Padwick will be erected in King’s Cross shortly for this year’s Designjunction event (19-22 Sept) as part of London Design Festival. The giant cuboid figures have been created in support of mental health anti-stigma initiative, Time To Change, and have been skilfully formed using Douglas Fir to
Developers behind a complex self-build housing project in Cambridgeshire have called on Aggregate Industries for its roofing product solution. Helen and Rob Facer, former owners of Barnack Estates UK Ltd used their expertise to build their own dream home on the rural landscape of Sutton. As with many historic English locations, the build was governed by a set of strict planning requirements rendering it vital that the choice of construction materials kept in with the overall surroundings. This meant the roofing specification had to complement the traditional stone houses within the area while, of course, enhancing the aesthetic appeal of the build. The couple therefore called on the recommendation of their appointed building contractors – who suggested Aggregate Industries’ flagship roof slate, Bradstone Cotswold. “The choice of roofing tile was incredibly important to us – as we wanted to make sure the chosen product suited our style without detracting from the other local homes. However, the other stone houses in the area used roofing slates that are no longer available, so it was difficult for us to find a match,” said Helen Facer, owner of the self-build home. “We were therefore thrilled to have come across Bradstone Cotswold roofing slates. The product is stunning and offers the look of natural stone while offering all the durability of a more modern product. What’s more, the Aggregate Industries team were a huge help throughout – from assisting us in calculating the exact quantity of product needed to providing it within just two-weeks.” Bradstone Cotswold Tiles are moulded from hand-dressed natural stone slates via a unique manufacturing technique specifically designed to recreate the natural beauty of Cotswold natural stone. In total, 374m2 of tiles were specified on the project and installed during October/November 2018. The tiles were readily available in a wide range of sizes and are exceptionally easy and quick to lay, thereby vastly reducing time on the job for workmen – and therefore reducing labour costs for the couple. As recommended by the Aggregate Industries team, the specification for the self-build project also included 13 of Bradstone Cotswold Slate Vents in order to ensure adequate airflow to certain rooms in the home. “As the project needed to conform to specific local planning requirements, it was vital to use products that was in keeping with the area. The Bradstone Cotswold Slates from our range of building products provided the ideal solution, offering an easy-application process, long-lasting performance, combined with a beautiful finish,” added Jamie Stratford, Regional Sales Manager for the South West at Aggregate Industries.
Solent University’s new sports complex has been successfully connected to Southampton Geothermal Heating Company’s (SGHC) pioneering district energy scheme after signing a £2.8 million deal with energy and services specialist, ENGIE, over the next 20 years. The SGHC is a working partnership between ENGIE and Southampton City Council, launching more than 30 years ago. The scheme supplies heat, chilled water and electricity to commercial and residential energy users across Southampton – currently serving a 2km radius of the energy centre. Users already included TV studios, a hospital, shopping centre, student accommodation, residential buildings and hotels; with Solent University tasking ENGIE with the implementation of a new heating connection which would link up existing assets, as well as a new state-of-the-art sports centre. The SGHC currently saves around 10,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions per annum, using heat from a large-scale combined heat and power (CHP) plant, supplemented by geothermal energy and conventional boilers. The University required a new District Heating connection with a substation, to provide heating and domestic hot water for the new facilities with predicted annual heating consumption of 620MWh/annum and a contractual peak load of 875 kW; which ENGIE is poised to deliver through the connection to SGHC. Approximately 150 m of Pre-insulated District Heating Steel Pipework were installed, adjacent to the Southampton Solent University building on East Park Terrace, Southampton. Andrew Hart, Managing Director for ENGIE’s Urban Energy business, said: “Southampton is an exemplar of district energy solutions that stand the test of time. We have successfully operated in the city for more than three decades – delivering low carbon and cost-effective energy – so the addition of Solent University to the scheme is a welcome one. “We have adopted an incredibly flexible approach to our service delivery, to ensure we can continue making connections to the scheme and extend this unique solution. We look forward to working with our partners in the council, as well as the University over the next 20 years to deliver a first-rate service for people and businesses in the region.” Paul Colbran, Chief Info & Infrastructure Officer at Solent University, said: “Solent is undergoing a £100 million estate redevelopment programme to provide new and improve current campus facilities, and the new sports complex is just one element of that programme. “With such a large infrastructure project and our desire to be cleaner, greener and more environmentally sustainable, the geothermal system helps us keep our emissions down and makes sense connecting with the current infrastructure already in place.” ENGIE has confirmed the new system is now operational – delivering heating and cooling for the sports centre and beyond.
A new sea defences project in Southsea, worth £100 million, has appointed a joint venture as the main contractor. The Southsea Coastal Scheme will provide flood protection to more than 8,000 properties and 704 businesses at risk, due to ageing existing coastal defences along 4.5km of Solent coastline. VSBW is a joint venture between VolkerStevin and Boskalis Westminster, with both businesses having been formed in the UK in the 1930s and previously joined forces for the likes of the £115 million Dover Western Docks Revival scheme. “We have been impressed with the quality of work put into the Scheme already and are looking forward to getting on site and delivering new defences for Southsea,” said Rob Coupe, on behalf of VSBW. The tender for construction works was issued to a shortlist of three contractors, all of whom were selected following an open-market supplier selection process, which evaluated the experience and capacity of each company to deliver this large-scale complex project. Following the initial process, Bam Nuttall, Van Oord/Mackley and VSBW were identified as the shortlisted companies to compete in a further multi-stage selection process to identify the successful bidder. VSBW will promptly join the project team, providing assistance to the council and newly-appointed design consultant, Royal HaskoningDHV, with input into the detailed engineering design, pre-construction site surveys and enabling works ahead of construction on the first phase which will begin in early 2020 should planning and funding approvals be gained. Councillor Dave Ashmore, cabinet member for environment and climate change at Portsmouth City Council, also added: “This intensive procurement process has allowed us to identify a very capable, proven contractor who will now be at the helm of delivering this very important piece of work for Portsmouth. “The integrated project team will continue to engage with the public throughout what will be an exciting project.”
Two well-known North East property companies are joining forces in a deal that will create one of the region’s largest independent operations of its kind. The two property companies are Naylors and Gavin Black & Partners, which have decided to come together to form Naylors Gavin Black LLP. The new entity will commence trading with immediate effect and comprise a combined team of 38. Established in 1990, Naylors is appointed on the likes of the International Advanced Manufacturing Park (IAMP), VAUX, Integra 61 and The Biosphere. Gavin Black and Partners is retained by a number of property occupiers such as Vertu Motors, Leeds Building Society, Network Rail, Sumo Digital and British Engines. The new company is looking to build on the success of the pair’s high profile agency teams. Gavin Black, Chris Pearson and Martyn Collins of Gavin Black & Partners will be joining Angus White, Fergus Laird, Keith Stewart and Chris Donabie of Naylors as equity partners. “The new business is driven by the mutual desire of both firms to be a market leader by reputation, underpinned by our shared values and clear focus on client service,” said Gavin Black. “Both offer complementary service lines and expertise making this a logical and attractive partnership. Coming together allows us to combine areas of strength to provide a broader range of services and greater depth of knowledge to our clients,” Gavin added. Angus White, who will be taking on the role of managing partner, also added: “Our strategic priority is the creation of one regional market-leading organisation, offering the highest standards in client service across all sectors. Together, we will have an unrivalled presence in the North East business space market, taking a leading role in the region’s flagship schemes.” The integration of the two businesses will commence imminently, with Gavin Black & Partners relocating to Naylors’ head office in Newcastle.
The revised plans to demolish the Copperas Hill Police Station and build a huge student accommodation instead look set to be approved. The vacant property – which has been dubbed a “wasteful economic resource” – was constructed in the 1970s and occupies a frontage along Copperas Hill and Moor Place. An application to redevelop the site for a similar purpose – as well as two other such developments – has been approved but not implemented. The most recent is considered to be unviable, with Liverpool Edge Ltd having drawn together a scheme which it believes would work in its place. Submitted in February, the plans consisted of a nine-storey building, of which eight would be presented to the Copperas Hill, Moor Place and Marquis Street frontages, and the top two storeys would be set-back from the frontage of the six storeys below. The plans would comprise 34 cluster apartments providing 280 bed-spaces, revised from 35 and 294 respectively. Each would have a dedicated access door leading to a shared lounge and kitchen facilities. Also put forward are plans for a public realm courtyard space, which would be centred on the area extending from Marquis Street. A planning statement submitted to Liverpool City Council noted that there is a “clear demand for the student bedspaces within Liverpool”. It added that the proposed development would provide a “much-needed multimillion-pound investment into the city” and help create more than 100 construction jobs. The application is now set to go before the authority’s planning committee on 17 September. A report drawn up ahead of the meeting said: “It is considered that the proposed student residential use of the site is acceptable in this location and will not result in an undue loss of amenity for neighbouring occupiers. “The proposed building will bring a vacant site back into beneficial use ensuring it contributes positively to the area. In addition, it is considered that the proposals are satisfactory from a traffic and highway safety viewpoint.” Approval has been recommended.
The government is to invest some £20 million to improve the National Cycle Network, including new routes, better surfacing, and improved links to other transport modes. The 22 schemes announced today follow 10 other projects announced earlier this year, to upgrade the National Cycle Network, which spans more than 16,000 miles of on-road and off-road cycling and walking paths. Making the announcement, Cycling and Walking Minister Chris Heaton-Harris, said: “Cycling and walking are sustainable forms of transport, which help to keep people active and clean up the quality of our air. “This funding will put the right infrastructure in place, so people can enjoy new routes on foot or by bike, supporting the government’s ambition for cycling and walking to become the natural choice for shorter journeys by 2040.” The funding focuses on fixing dangerous junctions, reducing traffic levels, building better surfaces, creating more accessible paths, and improving route signage. The projects include: • re-routing the Fylde coastal path to become traffic-free, between Blackpool and St. Anne’s • creating a new pedestrian and cycleway, the Gooseholme Bridge in Kendal • improving accessibility and safety of the Liverpool Loopline • a community-led re-design to improve the quality of the existing Bristol and Bath railway path • improving signage and building a new crossing for the Wolverhampton Wayfinding • building a traffic-free and accessible corridor from Sheffield to Doncaster • constructing a new traffic-free path alongside in Buckinghamshire While the government funding will be used to improve the quality of existing sections of the network, the projects will also improve integration with existing infrastructure. For example, cycle routes around areas including Sheffield, Doncaster and Buckinghamshire will benefit from improved connectivity and safer off-road routes. Anita Konrad, National Director, England at Sustrans, the walking and cycling charity and the custodian of the National Cycle Network, said: “The National Cycle Network is a -wide asset which helps nearly 4.4 million people make car-free journeys each year, benefitting local economies, public health and the environment. “This investment will help build on the network’s success and we look forward to working with local authorities and partner organisations around England to achieve a network of walking and cycling paths that are safer and more accessible for everyone, regardless of their age and abilities.” The cycling and walking investment strategy, published in 2017, sets out the government’s ambitious plan for active travel. Almost £2 billion is projected to be invested over this Spending Review period in cycling and walking between 2016/17 and 2020/21 and investment per head has increased three-fold since 2010. The government long-term vision is for cycling and walking to become the natural choice for all shorter journeys, or as part of longer journeys, by 2040.
A total of 100 towns across England are to be supported by the government’s new £3.6 billion Towns Fund to build prosperous futures and develop innovative regeneration plans. The 100 places invited to develop proposals for a new generation of multi-million-pound Town Deals have been announced by Local Government Secretary Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP. The towns eligible for support from the £3.6 billion Towns Fund include places with proud industrial and economic heritage but have not always benefitted from economic growth in the same way as more prosperous areas. Communities, businesses and local leaders will now join forces to draw up ambitious plans to transform their town’s economic growth prospects with a focus on improved transport, broadband connectivity, skills and culture. A total of 45 places across the Northern Powerhouse and 30 places in the Midlands Engine are among the 100 pioneers of new regeneration fund as part of the government’s commitment to level up all regions by boosting productivity, skills and living standards. Local Government Secretary, Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP, said: “Ensuring that prosperity and opportunities are available to everyone in this country, not just those in London or our biggest cities, is at the heart of the mission of this government. “We want to level-up our great towns, raising living standards and ensuring they can thrive with transformative investment in transport, technology, skills and culture. “I will now work with local people from the 100 communities announced today to agree proposals to invest up to £25 million in each place. I hope these deals will provide the investment and the impetus for long-term renewal ensuring each town can look to the future with a new optimism.” Minister for the Northern Powerhouse and Local Growth, Rt Hon Jake Berry MP also said: “In July, the Prime Minister promised to level up 100 towns across the country, and today we’re delivering that promise. “The best answers for local people will come from local people, that’s why we have listened to people living in these towns and will support them with a mega £3.6 billion fund to drive jobs and economic growth. “Five years on from the launch of the Northern Powerhouse, we are reaffirming our commitment to the people of the North so they have the support they need to be at the leading edge of a confident, global Britain when we leave the EU on 31 October.” The announcement on the regeneration fund follows the Prime Minister’s confirmation in July of an additional £1.325 billion to support towns as part of a renewed vision to level up our regions, which took the total value of the Towns Fund to £3.6 billion. The government will soon publish a prospectus to guide towns through the process and set eligibility criteria for funding. Once approved, new Town Deals will improve connectivity, provide vital social and cultural infrastructure and boost growth – with communities having a say on how the money is spent. Decisions on funding any proposals will be made in due course. The Town Deals Fund builds directly on the government’s commitment to decentralising funding and decisions away from Whitehall and investing in the growth of local economies and devolving powers through ambitious City and Growth Deals, providing more than £9 billion of funding to Local Enterprise Partnerships and introducing 8 metro mayors in England.
A new-build development forming part of an existing fruit farm in Cornwall will soon see more than fruit coming out of the ground, it will also be extracting heat. Coastline Housing’s scheme of 26 affordable houses and flats in the small village of Mitchell near Newquay, will be heated by Cornish-manufactured Kensa Shoebox ground source heat pumps and installed by sister-company Kensa Contracting. George Gillow, Business Development Manager for Kensa Contracting says, “it is a pleasure to be involved in a project which will bring affordable, low carbon heating to local families.” Currently under construction, each home will have its own heat pump, which will be connected to a series of shared borehole ground loops. The Kensa Shoebox can provide low cost heating by either underfloor heating or traditional radiators, in this case the efficient houses will be heated by radiators with a 45°C flow temperature. The low carbon, energy efficient heating system will be eligible for the government’s non-domestic renewable heating incentive (RHI), which will give the Redruth based Housing Association valuable extra income over the next 20 years. The homes are being built by South West building company EBC, based in Newton Abbot, which will be offered to local people for affordable rent and shared ownership. The development was made possible thanks to funding of just over £1million from Homes England. Amy Jenkin, Development Manager at Coastline Housing, said: “We’re very happy to be working with Kensa to install ground source heating into one of our new build developments for the first time, giving our customers guaranteed access to a efficient, sustainable heating.” The development that is part of the fruit farm will work in harmony with the continuation of the family run Mitchell Fruit Garden, operating since 1977.
Nuki, the market-leader in smart locks is proud to announce the launch of the Nuki Opener, a product designed for apartment buildings. The Nuki Opener enables the operation of the front door to apartment buildings simply via the Nuki app, as well as remotely. This retrofit solution is connected to the intercom system inside the apartment, allowing it to trigger the entrance buzzer when activated. In combination with the Nuki Smart Lock, the revolutionary Nuki Opener gives residents completely keyless access from the street to their flat! “The Opener is a huge step for us since about 50% of the European population live in apartment buildings”, says Nuki CEO Martin Pansy. “With the addition of the Nuki Opener to our portfolio we can now enable completely keyless access from the road to the living room for renters and owners of flats.” Just like the Nuki Smart Lock, the Opener can simply be retrofitted with the app tutorial and turns intercoms into smart entry systems. The Nuki Opener is connected to the intercom, allowing it to trigger the door buzzer when activated. Users can open the front door directly or remotely through the app – in combination with the Nuki Bridge. There are several features available that make the solution even more handy. When activating the “Ring to Open” feature authorised users don’t even need to get their smartphone out of their pocket, they just open their front door by ringing the bell to their apartment. Experience the Nuki Smart Lock and the new Nuki Opener as well as a wide range of accessories for yourself at IFA this year – Hall 25 Booth 352. Presentation of the ‘Works with Nuki’ programme Up until now Nuki has focused on the retrofit market, but the Austrian-based Smart Home pioneer is introducing its first solution for new builds so that door manufacturers can integrate Nuki technology directly into their products. The “Works with Nuki” system, which will be introduced at IFA 2019 in Berlin, shows that the company is tapping into the new-build market from 2020 and closely collaborating with door and lock manufacturers. By directly integrating the Nuki module into their products, door and lock manufacturers can offer customers the benefits of the Nuki platform as an out-of-the-box solution. To date, Nuki has delivered over 70,000 Nuki Smart Locks to customers, by the end of 2019 the company expects to surpass 100,000 installed locks. “We are incredibly proud of how positively our system has been received by customers and that we are experiencing fast and healthy growth”, says Martin Pansy. “With over 70 million detached houses and 50 million apartment buildings in Europe, our core market, there’s still plenty of room to grow.”
Two five metre-tall interactive sculptures, designed by multi-award winning British designer, Steuart Padwick will be erected in King’s Cross shortly for this year’s Designjunction event (19-22 Sept) as part of London Design Festival. The giant cuboid figures have been created in support of mental health anti-stigma initiative, Time To Change, and have been skilfully formed using Douglas Fir to convey warmth and humanity, using off-site construction technologies. However, it is the imposing, interactive ‘concrete’ blocks – representing their ‘emotional burdens’ – that truly bring these dramatic, public art spectacles to life. These cubes have been manufactured from HI-MACS® natural acrylic stone (in colour G555 Steel Concrete), supplied by main UK distributor, James Latham and fabricated by Preston based, We Are Limitless Limited (WALL). When a visitor approaches one of the figures, a proximity sensor is triggered and the ‘burden’ will appear to crack, releasing a glow of light. Then, because the sculpture’s burden has been reduced by engaging with the visitor approaching them, it begins to talk, emitting poignant, uplifting phrases, which have been written and recorded by an eclectic group of poets, writers and mental health ambassadors – all reminding us that, through communication, the weight so many of us carry can be lessened. As a key sponsor and supporter of the project, James Latham is encouraging people to post images of themselves interacting with the figures across its various social media platforms using (#makeitlathams), with a prize of an exclusive, bespoke HI-MACS® seat, designed by Steuart Padwick, for the best one. Extensively used in architectural projects of all kinds, HI-MACS® solid surfaces offer a robust, smooth, non-porous and visually seamless surface which can be backlit and thermoformed to give a striking appearance. Commenting on his material selection, Steuart Padwick said, “I wanted a quality material that was easy to work with, looked like concrete, could be machined to let light through and was outdoor friendly, and James Latham recommended HI-MACS® which has proved to be the perfect solution.” Stuart Devoil, Group Head of Marketing at James Latham commented, “This has been a unique project to be involved with and one with such a positive message. I can’t wait to see people interacting with these monumental figures. As one of the UK’s most recognised suppliers of cutting-edge materials to designers and architects, this was an ideal platform to showcase this innovative and versatile product.” Mariana Fredes, LG Hausys, commented, “With a long track record of working closely together as distributor and manufacturer, James Latham and LG Hausys are regularly involved in design events across Europe. We are delighted to work together again, this time providing the signature ‘concrete’ blocks, made from our natural acrylic stone HI-MACS®, for Steuart Padwick’s thought provoking installation” For all visitors to the London Design Festival and Designjunction, James Latham is holding a one-day HI-MACS® walk-in workshop on 19th September at their Design Showroom in the Business Design Centre, Islington, just one tube stop away from Kings Cross. Here, visitors can learn more about the product and witness inspirational demonstrations of thermoforming, sublimation and more. For details on HI-MACS®, James Latham’s full product portfolio or the walk-in workshop contact your local James Latham branch or showroom at: www.lathamtimber.co.uk or email info@lathamtimber.co.uk Designjunction, which runs from 19 – 22 September and is part of the annual London Design Festival, which connects the world’s most renowned design brands, with the world’s leading architects, interior designers, specifiers and buyers.