Developer Quintain has awarded another construction project on the ongoing build-to-rent development at Wembley Park. John Sisk & Son has been appointed to deliver its tenth scheme, which will see 458 new homes built over three blocks on plot E05. “Sisk and Quintain have a great partnership at Wembley Park.
Twp prestigious Master Builder Awards have been scooped by Chester-Le-Street based building firm Radford Construction Services Ltd. The company took home the prize for best Commercial Project while Andrew Radford, owner of the company, has been named Heavenly Builder in the Federation of Master Builders’ (FMB) Northern Counties region. Since
Winchester’s first primary academy school is due to be delivered by contractor Willmott Dixon, which was awarded the £8.35 million contract by Hampshire County Council. The new Barton Farm Academy is a single storey two-form entry school that features a main hall, holistic music and drama studio, ‘discovery point’ library,
Leading UK construction company Willmott Dixon has strengthened its presence in Sussex with a new office. The firm held an event to celebrate the opening of the Gatwick office, welcoming leaders and representatives from both Crawley and Surrey County Council. The new base expands the company’s presence as it looks
The 2019 East Midlands RICS Awards have recognised the £30 million Lincoln Transport Hub, winning the top prize in the Infrastructure category. The Wilmott Dixon-built development garned praise from the judges for being delivered “on time and within budget”. In addition, this major win has also secured the project’s place at
An £8 million industrial scheme has been completed by Caddick Construction in Knowsley, Merseyside, boosting the provision of warehouse space in the area. The scheme called Element is part of a bigger development at Network Space’s Alchemy Business Park, which will provide three highly specified industrial warehouse units of 22,900
Zinsser, the brand famous for solving painting and decorating problems, celebrates 170 years of producing industry leading paints, primers and removal solutions. The Zinsser brand was originally created in 1849, when William Zinsser set up the United States’ first shellac beaching plant on Manhattan’s west side and introduced shellac paint
Set to enter the UK market is Japan’s largest homebuilder – Sekisui House -, which has already formed a partnership with Homes England and Urban Splash. “Sekisui House bring with them a proven track record in harnessing the modern methods of construction that are transforming home building. Backed by Government
More than three in four small business owners (76%) say business worries keep them awake at night. Whilst sleepless nights are most prevalent among owners of businesses that in serious decline (96%), the new research from Hitachi Capital Business Finance found that even those predicting growth for their business admit
A new partnership, STEM Accord, created to provide co-ordinated action to inspire more young people, and particularly girls, to study science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) will be announced at the WISE annual conference. STEM Accord has been created by WISE, the ERA Foundation, STEM Learning, Design and Technology Association (DATA)
Developer Quintain has awarded another construction project on the ongoing build-to-rent development at Wembley Park. John Sisk & Son has been appointed to deliver its tenth scheme, which will see 458 new homes built over three blocks on plot E05. “Sisk and Quintain have a great partnership at Wembley Park. As a business we are focused on building strong relationships with our partners. We are delighted to have agreed the contract for E05 while continuing our work to deliver the ‘Eastern Quarter’ as part of this iconic regeneration scheme,” said Stephen Bowcott, CEO of John Sisk & Son. The contract will see the largest number of ‘family units’ being delivered on a single development plot at Wembley Park to date, with a total of 115 three- and four-bed homes. With 25% of homes provided as family dwellings, the new apartments have been designed to ensure the project continues to develop as a vibrant, balanced and sustainable neighbourhood. The building reflects the growing demand for larger homes, as an increasing number of families are choosing to rent in a high-quality development rather than buy. The apartments and shared social spaces are designed to be as flexible as possible to allow multiple uses – living, working, playing, entertaining. Sisk has been working with Quintain to transform Wembley Park for 14 years. Amongst other projects, they are delivering Canada Gardens which was the largest construction contract ever awarded. During their tenure, Sisk has successfully delivered Emerald Gardens, London Designer Outlet, the Hilton London Wembley Hotel and the reconfiguration and refurbishment of the Grade 2 listed Wembley Arena now The SSE Arena, Wembley. “Our relentless focus on quality and safety means we can deliver projects of this scale, working closely with our supply chain partners. We have been part of the Quintain story at Wembley Park for over 14 years now and we feel part of the community that has been created. We are proud of the social value we have helped deliver in the area through engagement with local schools, community groups and charities, as well as the great homes and amenities we are delivering for the people who live at Wembley Park,” added Stephen.
Twp prestigious Master Builder Awards have been scooped by Chester-Le-Street based building firm Radford Construction Services Ltd. The company took home the prize for best Commercial Project while Andrew Radford, owner of the company, has been named Heavenly Builder in the Federation of Master Builders’ (FMB) Northern Counties region. Since 1999, the Master Builder Awards has been a flagship for high-quality building work, showcasing examples of fantastic craftsmanship and building excellence. Organised by the FMB, the awards programme is unique in that any project entered by the builder must be backed up by the customer – giving clients the opportunity to support those building companies that have delivered exceptional results. The awards programme recognises the hard work and contribution that small and medium-sized (SME) construction firms make to the UK construction industry. The Heavenly Builder category is one which the winner really epitomises what the awards are all about as it looks for evidence of professionalism, courtesy and exceptional customer service. Radford Construction Services Ltd was crowned winner in the best Commercial project for designing a purpose-built, 200-guest wedding venue to extend the popular South Causey Inn. This unique new venue has a reception bar area, brides’ dressing room, chapel/ceremony room, own kitchens, hot buffet serving room, large bar and barn hall for reception and evening. The reception space features a dramatic bespoke bar counter designed and built from reclaimed cast fireplaces and railway sleepers, while the fireplace in the entrance bar area uses reclaimed stone, brick and sleepers. All door frames were hand-built, while vast handmade windows overlook a fantastic view. What impressed judges most was that all of this high-quality build was achieved in just six months. Company owner, Andrew Radford was crowned Heavenly Builder for the Northern Counties region for his ability to take bare-bones ideas and nurture them into innovative designs, executing projects with craftsmanship that never fails to surpass expectations. When asked about working with Andrew, the client Philip Moiser, said: “I feel like Andy has become a much-valued and honest friend and in business these days, that’s a rarity. He is a fantastic ambassador for the FMB and sets a high standard that other builders can only aspire to. I’m already looking at new projects to work on with him.” Andrew and Radford Construction Services Ltd was selected by the region’s judges to win the Northern Counties awards, which were presented at a gala dinner hosted at The Midland Hotel, Manchester on 08 March. The firm will now go through to compete in the national finals for the chance to win the UK category title. The national ceremony will be held at the Intercontinental Hotel, Park Lane London on 20 September. If Radford Construction Services Ltd wins the overall national Master Builder Awards title, selected from all national category winners, the firm will drive away in a new Isuzu D-Max Utah Pick Up truck worth more than £30,000. Their client will also receive a cheque for £1,000 for their efforts.
Winchester’s first primary academy school is due to be delivered by contractor Willmott Dixon, which was awarded the £8.35 million contract by Hampshire County Council. The new Barton Farm Academy is a single storey two-form entry school that features a main hall, holistic music and drama studio, ‘discovery point’ library, staff room and workspace, administration offices and parent waiting rooms. As a response to the 2,000 new homes that are being built on the Barton Farm site, the Council has decided appoint a contractor and build further school places too. The school will target a BREEAM Excellent energy efficiency rating to provide a sustainable learning environment when it opens in September 2020. “The University is an outstanding provider of teacher education and has a strong track record of raising aspiration among young people. Pupils at the school will benefit from our values-driven ethos, extensive regional school partnerships, our evidence-based learning and teaching, our powerful links with local business and community organisations, and our passionate commitment to social justice and sustainability. The innovative Academy buildings, including state-of-the-art indoor and outdoor learning environments, will also meet our very high standards for sustainability,” said Professor Joy Carter CBE, DL, Vice-Chancellor of the University and Chair of the University of Winchester Academy Trust, which will run the school. This project win adds to Willmott Dixon’s recent contract to build the new Winchester Sport and Leisure Park to replace the River Park Leisure Centre. “Willmott Dixon is delighted to be involved in this project. The new school will provide much-needed inspirational learning spaces. We are always delighted to play a part in supporting the learning of the next generation. As will all our projects we aim to leave a positive legacy in the local community and are targeting 140 apprenticeship weeks on the project,” added Richard Poulter, managing director of Willmott Dixon in the Central South. Barton Farm Academy has been designed by Hampshire County Council’s in-house team of architects and landscape designers and meets the highest standards for environmental sustainability and will provide inspiring and creative learning spaces for children to flourish. The new school forms part of the County Council investment in new school places across Hampshire.
Leading UK construction company Willmott Dixon has strengthened its presence in Sussex with a new office. The firm held an event to celebrate the opening of the Gatwick office, welcoming leaders and representatives from both Crawley and Surrey County Council. The new base expands the company’s presence as it looks to deliver more projects that play a key role in the county’s future. The opening comes shortly after the successful completion of L3 Technologies’ new flight simulator production and training facility on Gatwick Road in Crawley. It was designed to promote an agile, collaborative, project-led working approach, and will accommodate both pre-construction and operations staff, with partners and customers also encouraged to utilise the space. “Willmott Dixon has been well established in the county since 1930 when we built Bailiffscourt at Climping near Littlehampton for Lord Moyne. Since then we’ve grown across Sussex and opening our new Gatwick hub, close to where many of our people live, is a natural evolution,” explained Russell Miller, Willmott Dixon Director for Delivery in Sussex. “Gatwick is a thriving area and has, along with Sussex, a really bright future with many bold and imaginative initiatives to encourage growth and investment. We want to be part of shaping that by basing ourselves in an area close to our partners and customers,” Russell added. The event also saw Chestnut Tree House – the children’s hospice for Sussex –presented with a cheque for £7,104.12 which was raised by the team at Willmott Dixon following a sponsored skydive.
The 2019 East Midlands RICS Awards have recognised the £30 million Lincoln Transport Hub, winning the top prize in the Infrastructure category. The Wilmott Dixon-built development garned praise from the judges for being delivered “on time and within budget”. In addition, this major win has also secured the project’s place at the RICS national finals in London later this year. “The Lincoln Transport Hub involved complex stakeholder engagement as well as presenting numerous operational challenges from the outset. By working in collaboration with the council and other organisations involved, we were able to collectively deliver a real success story for Lincoln,” said Nick Heath, director of delivery for Willmott Dixon. “We are delighted to have been recognised by our peers for this project, which we are certain will continue to be the bedrock of growth in Lincoln city centre. We have previously worked with Lincoln University Technical College (UTC) to refurbish and extend its iconic building and we are continuing to deliver a number of exciting schemes across Lincolnshire, such as a next generation emergency services hub for Lincolnshire County Council.” Thornton Firkin and John Roberts Architects worked alongside Willmott Dixon to deliver the hub to meet the needs of City of Lincoln Council. It is a vital element of the council’s plans to transform Lincoln’s city centre with a better integrated and improved interchange into the city centre which will also encourage further inward investment in Lincoln. The scheme included a new bus station with 14 bus bays and a six-level multi-storey car park housing 1001 spaces. “The transport hub scheme helps the city council achieve our vision of delivering Lincoln’s ambitious future and our priority of driving economic growth in Greater Lincoln. The new bus station and wider transport hub project will help revitalise the key visitor arrival point into the city centre. Our commitment to the Transport Hub project demonstrates to people locally, regionally and nationally that Lincoln is a thriving city and we are confident enough in this belief to invest significantly in its future,” added Kate Ellis, director of major projects at City of Lincoln Council.
An £8 million industrial scheme has been completed by Caddick Construction in Knowsley, Merseyside, boosting the provision of warehouse space in the area. The scheme called Element is part of a bigger development at Network Space’s Alchemy Business Park, which will provide three highly specified industrial warehouse units of 22,900 sq ft, 35,200 sqft and 45,450 sq ft. “Element offers a prime location in Knowsley and enjoys exceptional transport links. This latest speculative development demonstrates the high level of confidence that developers have in Knowsley as a place to invest and do business,” said Dale Milburn, Knowsley Council’s Executive Director for Regeneration and Economic Development. The development, which was supported by a £1.8 million Local Growth Fund grant, has been designed to appeal to a wide range of logistics and industrial occupiers and feature generous self-contained yards, office and car park provision, separated office and yard access with 10m eave heights and dock level access provision on the two larger units. Once let, the Element units could accommodate up to 250 jobs and produce a net additional GVA per annum of £9.90 million for the region. “This is Network Space’s fourth self-financed scheme to complete within the last 12 months, taking the total space delivered within that period to just under 400,000 sq ft across 14 units. Within that same period, we have already let nearly 60% of the space and have good prospects for the remaining units. There remains a shortage of industrial warehouse space across the region and this coupled with the prominence, accessibility, quality and presentation of this scheme makes Element a compelling prospect for future occupiers,” commented Stephen Barnes, Managing Director (Development) at Network Space. B8 and CBRE are the appointed agents for the scheme and both have reported encouraging interest from a range of prospective occupiers.
Zinsser, the brand famous for solving painting and decorating problems, celebrates 170 years of producing industry leading paints, primers and removal solutions. The Zinsser brand was originally created in 1849, when William Zinsser set up the United States’ first shellac beaching plant on Manhattan’s west side and introduced shellac paint products to the US market. Zinsser now manufactures its range of UK products in County Durham and has remained true to William Zinsser’s principals of quality and innovation by continuously producing world-class, professional quality and fast-drying formulas that make problem solving simple. Whether you’ve got graffiti to cover up, fire damage, or a big issue with mould and mildew, Zinsser products are the muscle you need to wipe out all decorating nightmares in the home or on commercial projects, quickly and for good. The Zinsser range of products include professional coatings for interior and exterior use and each of Zinsser’s paints, primers and removal solutions can be depended upon to do the job right, making the brand a must-have in any decorators van and a top-seller for paint merchants. One of Zinsser’s most popular products which has never been matched or bettered is B-I-N®, the original shellac-base primer-sealer. This “silver bullet” primer, sealer and stain killer offers unparalleled adhesion to glossy surfaces, dries in just 15 minutes and is recoatable in 45 minutes, saving both time and money. B-I-N’s unique formula gives it unsurpassed stain-killing power and covers everything unwanted, from water damage, to fire damage and more. It’s the best primer for sealing interior wood and is the “go to” for spot priming knots or sap streaks inside and out, making it a key staple in any decorators van. A newer customer favourite in the range is Zinsser AllCoat Exterior, available in Matt, Satin and Gloss finishes. This clever paint offers resistance to mould, cracking, blistering and flaking as well as rain and severe weather. Suitable for use with all exterior surfaces, such as wood, metal, masonry, plastic concrete and cladding, it forms a low-maintenance water-shedding coating in one hour and can be painted with a second coat after one hour. This self-priming paint is another superior product that enables jobs to be completed quickly, efficiently and brilliantly. As Zinsser AllCoat Exteriorpaint can be matched to any RAL / BS or NCS colour reference, including designer colours. Alongside an outstanding problem solving product range, Zinsser also ensures decorators and DIYers are armed with the correct knowledge to use products efficiently, ensuring each job is competed correctly. The Zinsser Pocket Guide, which is available as an app and printed book, is packed with expert advice on primers and finishing substrates, with detailed guidance and specialist product recommendations. Zinsser’s UK-based Technical Support team are on hand to answer any questions and offer expert advice. They can quickly tell you which product is best suited to a job, give advice on the best method of application and help establish how much paint is needed. Zinsser’s UK based specification service is also available free of charge, often working with professional specifiers, architects, maintenance managers, FM companies, property owners and professional on-site spray contractors to solve a wide variety of painting problems. The experienced team helps at every stage of a project, from initial survey through to specification and application of coatings, providing on-site advice, training and technical assistance.
Set to enter the UK market is Japan’s largest homebuilder – Sekisui House -, which has already formed a partnership with Homes England and Urban Splash. “Sekisui House bring with them a proven track record in harnessing the modern methods of construction that are transforming home building. Backed by Government investment, today’s announcement will support our urgent mission to deliver more, better and faster home construction to ensure a new generation can realise the dream of home ownership,” said Kit Malthouse MP, Minister of State for Housing. The homebuilder will be investing £90 million out of which £55 million will go into regeneration company Urban Splash’s ‘House’ development business. This provides a significant boost to the UK’s modular housing industry and will help to speed up production of much needed new homes. “We are extremely pleased to be able to work together with Homes England and Urban Splash to establish our operations and help to create outstanding communities in the UK. Using modern methods of construction to build high quality homes with short build times is one of our company’s great strengths. Our technology and know-how can help resolve pressing social issues in the UK, and I want to see us play our part effective immediately. These operations can also help bring vitality to UK regions, and we will work to make the strongest connections with the local communities,” added Yoshihiro Nakai, President and Representative Director of Sekisui House Ltd.
More than three in four small business owners (76%) say business worries keep them awake at night. Whilst sleepless nights are most prevalent among owners of businesses that in serious decline (96%), the new research from Hitachi Capital Business Finance found that even those predicting growth for their business admit they seldom get a good night’s sleep (84%). The Business Barometer findings come at a time when concerns have risen over the mental health of small business owners across the UK, with reports of anxiety and depression rising at the end of last year. Hitachi Capital’s study reveals that it’s not just businesses that are already struggling that have nightmares, fast growing ones are just as likely to be taking their business worries to bed with them (84%) – they just have different nightmares. For small companies predicting growth over the spring and summer months, red tape (40%), compliance (28%) and dealing with skills gaps in a growing workforce (20%) were their top concerns. For those decision makers expecting their business to decline, the key worries related to market uncertainty (44%) and how to retain business (26%). The Business Barometer survey – which has now run for five years – asked 1,177 small decision makers to share some of the issues that they were currently worrying about and kept them awake at night. The biggest worriers London emerged as potentially the worst place to run a small business in terms of sleepless nights, with almost nine in ten business leaders in the city (87%) saying business worries kept them awake at night. Those in London were most likely to start the working day with bags under their eyes in the country – with night-time business worries in the capital rising by 14% since the start of 2018. Retail was the sector most likely to give business owners nightmares. More than four in five small business owners (87%) within the retail sector admitted to being kept awake at night by business concerns – rising from 75% a year ago. Others sectors where entrepreneurs were more likely to experience sleepless nights included transport (78%, up from 69% at the start of 2018), real estate (80%), and education (76%). Resting easier The Business Barometer also indicates not all owners have been letting their business concerns come to bed with them. Entrepreneurs in Yorkshire reported getting a better night’s sleep over the course of the 12 months (31%, Q1 2019 vs. 25%, Q1 2018).
A new partnership, STEM Accord, created to provide co-ordinated action to inspire more young people, and particularly girls, to study science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) will be announced at the WISE annual conference. STEM Accord has been created by WISE, the ERA Foundation, STEM Learning, Design and Technology Association (DATA) and The Smallpeice Trust, working in alignment with the Royal Academy of Engineering, Engineering UK and the IET and guided by the recommendations of the Perkins Review. Helen Wollaston, Chief Executive of WISE, the campaign for better gender balance in STEM, says: “Despite hundreds of outreach programmes, most girls in this country still think that science, tech and engineering aren’t for them. We can’t allow this to continue. By joining forces, we will make sure that all girls and their families get the message that these subjects open doors to the jobs of the future” Dr Jo Kennedy, Board Member of the ERA Foundation, adds: “As far as we are aware this will be the first multi-organisation initiative to deliver STEM outreach to schools in line with the recommendations of the Perkins report, Engineering UK and the Royal Academy of Engineering. This collaboration is vital to provide more cohesive support to students, teachers and parents across the UK to ensure that as many young people as possible and particularly girls are inspired and understand the potential STEM careers that could be open to them.” STEM Accord aims to generate impact through combining effort and resources across the existing effective outreach programmes run by the founder member organisations. This approach is a key part of WISE’s 2019 action plan for creating future skills for the UK, taking a holistic approach to improving gender balance in STEM, from classroom to boardroom. Alongside the work as part of STEM Accord, WISE’s priorities for 2019 are: Ensuring that women have the opportunities to retrain or return to STEM careers at all stages of their careers. This includes a call to action for employers, Government and universities, to provide training for women to take up jobs in technology, to ensure that, as a priority, women are able to access life-long learning opportunities to retrain and reskill in STEM, including providing easy to access routes into work such as taster days, internship, returnships and training. Working together with business and industry, through WISE’s Ten Steps business programme, to help them show leadership by improving the representation of women in technical and management roles. WISE is calling on all organisations, from the classroom to the boardroom, to set a target for the percentage of girls and women in STEM to create sustainable change. Helen Wollaston explains: “Technology is transforming our lives and yet more than 80% of those working in technology are men. We need to address this now to ensure that women have opportunities for the best paid jobs, businesses can fill the technical roles they need, and women can play their full part in shaping our future world.” Helen concludes: “We know that industry, education and Government have a shared objective here; to encourage more girls into STEM and provide opportunities for them throughout their careers. It makes sense for us to work together to create sustainable change. We must take ownership, because we all have a contribution to make to ensure that the UK has the necessary STEM skills for the future. By working together, we can create a greater impact than we can separately. We’ll have broader insight, more ideas and better initiatives.”