Pure Commercial Finance, the Cardiff-based brokerage, recently saved a multimillion-pound development by sourcing £2.5 million of funding in just three days. The client, an experienced property developer who wishes to remain anonymous, had a large site with planning permission for multiple homes. An existing lender had taken a charge out on the land to fund the project up to that point, but further finance was needed to complete the job to the developer’s high-quality standards. This finance was secured, but even though loan documents had already been issued, the lender pulled out at the last minute. The developer was blindsided and needed £2.5m of funding in days to prevent the development collapsing. Ben Lloyd of Pure Commercial Finance was approached by the developer to save the project, despite its very short turnaround time and a valuation which only covered the first charge amount. Pure needed a new lender that would take a second charge behind the existing debt and would look at the overall merit of the land value and the final project, rather than the previous valuation. With these complications there are very few lenders that Pure could turn to and rely upon to deliver, so they approached Bushell Investment Group (BIG) who had shown the Pure team a proven track record of delivery in these types of situations. The average industry turnaround time is around three weeks for second charge loans, but Pure completed the deal within three working days.  “Bushell Investment Group is an absolutely outstanding lender for complex jobs, especially in a time sensitive situation. I can tell that the BIG team worked as fast as humanly possible and that they wanted to prove that they could get this deal done,” said Ben Lloyd, Managing Director of Pure Commercial Finance. “I worked very closely on this deal with Lee Bushell, the founder and principal of BIG, to make the deal happen. Even though there wasn’t a second valuation, which would turn off many lenders, BIG were comfortable with their own research that the asset was worth significantly more and decided to progress with the loan without the need for a new valuation,” Ben added.

KnitMesh Technologies, the UK’s leading supplier of world-class mesh products, has launched a new knitted wire mesh to help prevent the illegal use of drones in delivering contraband into open prison yards. The knitted wire mesh has been specifically designed to provide a strong, lightweight and flexible barrier and comes in response to demand from HM Prison Service for help in combatting the increasing use of drones around prisons. The new Prison Mesh has been developed using a high quality, 304 stainless steel wire in a variety of strengths and with diameters from 0.28 to 0.5mm. Due to the innovative stitch pattern the mesh is 80% lighter than equivalent weld-mesh solutions. The knitted wire mesh, available in rolls up to 50 metres and from 0.5m to 2m wide, is perfect for prison applications as it is easy to mould, wrap or stretch around structures and has a high corrosion resistance. Installing a protective, fine mesh barrier is affordable, easy to install and doesn’t require technology or constant surveillance to operate effectively. The mesh is a robust and low maintenance solution that does not impede on the inmates by allowing light and other natural elements through. The protective mesh is available in a range of colours or finishes allowing it to seamlessly blend with the surroundings. Lew Bingham, Managing Director at KnitMesh, comments: “This is a proven and versatile mesh that has been developed to provide prisons with a lightweight and flexible protection against drones accessing prison yards or windows. The innovative stitch pattern and material helps ensure that the mesh is strong, weather resistant and can be easily moulded to provide a versatile and highly protective barrier.” KnitMesh Technologies has considerable experience in the design, development and application of knitted mesh for a wide range of applications. The company’s versatile mesh technologies are already being used across a range of industry sectors including for commercial, telecommunications, enclosure and military purposes.

MoMA’s eighth Design Store has now opened in Tokyo’s popular Ginza shopping district with design by London-based retail specialist Lumsden Design. This opening is the latest project in Lumsden’s longstanding relationship with MoMA, which has seen the creation of three stores in New York, and standalone stores in Kyoto and Tokyo. The LOFT concession comes ahead of New York’s MoMA reopening in mid-October this year following an extensive overhaul of the international attraction including new museum retail delivered by Lumsden. The new Ginza concession occupies 596 square feet at the base of the third-floor escalators within the LOFT department store, ideally positioned near the central customer pathway ensuring maximum visibility for the brand. A mirror image The store design follows a tri-zonal layout with two L-shaped modular display fixtures anchoring the space. Against a backdrop display featuring MoMA prints, the effect is a symmetry that is echoed throughout the space, beneath a bold central hanging Design Store sign that can be seen from all perspectives on the floor and from the escalators. Continuing the symmetrical layout, all display furniture has received bespoke treatments by Lumsden Design to create a cohesive material palette in line with MoMA’s recognisable pared-back aesthetic. “We wanted to build on MoMA’s established material palette with a visual texture”, says Gabrielle Milner, Senior Designer, Lumsden Design. “By adding fluted glass to display shelving we were able to expand the material range while retaining a sense of space and transparency for customers.” Bespoke design elements Lumsden worked with MoMA’s merchandising team to plan a bespoke display layout that places the curated range of products at the centre of the retail space. In keeping with MoMA’s style, the overall design is clean-cut and refined. Display furniture features blonde wood supported by a minimal black linear framework allowing the products to stand out. The merchandising plan led to the development of tech tables, adapted from the original furniture designed for the MoMA Daimaru Store. These tables flank the central zone, displaying high value items beneath clear acrylic cases with integrated lighting and concealed cabling to maintain a clean look. With restrictions in place governing hanging space and display units throughout the LOFT department store, Lumsden Design faced the challenge of providing an approach that would represent the internationally-recognised MoMA brand. “We’re proud of our history with MoMA, so getting the space plan in line with the brand was a top priority for us. We negotiated additional height allowances for the rear display units that would enable customers to see more merchandise without losing any visibility through the greater shop floor. To overcome wall-hanging restrictions, we created a floating print display unit that hangs from the ceiling,” said Milner.

A new £350 million riverside urban village in Barking, east London, has received planning permission. Developer Weston Homes and the Estates & Agency Group will deliver the new project, which will see the six-acre Abbey Retail Park regenerated to make way for over 1,000 homes.  1,089 new homes of mixed tenure will be part of the urban village, as well as commercial/leisure space that includes a new riverside pub/restaurant; Max Whitlock MBE athletes training centre/gym; employment space; community space, including a community hall, local community events and children’s parties; and a community-hub/reception. “The regeneration of this important Gateway site into a new waterfront urban-village adjacent to Barking Town Centre forms part of the Borough Council’s vision of bringing aspirational waterfront living to Barking,” said Bob Weston, Chairman & Chief Executive of Weston Homes. “The £350 million ‘Abbey Quays’ is one of the biggest urban renewal projects in East London, delivering striking new buildings, riverside public spaces, inward investment and job creation. The regenerated site will provide much needed affordable local housing for local Londoners, further enhance the local community and compliment the existing centre,” added Bob. Masterplanned and designed by architectural practice Broadway Malyan, the plans include 737 private sale one, two and three bedroom apartments and penthouses and 352 provided as affordable housing including affordable rent, shared ownership and discount market-sale tenures. Moreover, the apartments will be provided across 13 residential blocks split across three buildings, ranging from seven to 29 storeys. The site will also feature a series of outdoor communal spaces, including a riverside walkway, linear park and two public squares. Once a ‘Section 106’ legal agreement between the applicant and the Council is completed, planning permission can be issued.