Rula Developments has acquired 25 acres of development land at Winsford Gateway from Build&Thrive, the partnership between Cheshire West & Chester Council and PSP, (formally known as Public Sector Plc). Rula has already delivered a 168,000 sq ft state of the art factory for Tiger Trailers on the largely industrial
ilke Homes will deliver up to 449 highly energy-efficient homes in Kent, in partnership with housing association The Riverside Group. Subject to Reserved Matters planning approval from Thanet District Council, ilke Homes plans to deliver a mix of houses and apartments ranging from one to four bedrooms across a mix
Winvic has successfully delivered the first hands-on training sessions to Northampton College engineering students as part of the new Winvic Enrichment Programme. The initiative provides students with up to five days of construction industry insights, gives them practical experience related to their studies and develops their soft skills. It also
Regeneration firm Urban Splash has signed a new £10m funding deal with Grosvenor Property UK. The deal sees Urban Splash and Grosvenor form a land acquisition partnership that will purchase land assets and work up schemes post purchase. The announcement follows Grosvenor’s recent launch of its £120m residential debt strategy,
Work on a new outpatient facility at King’s College Hospital in London is now complete. The facility is the UK’s largest modular off-site construction project within NHS healthcare to date and has been successfully procured via a bespoke, structured finance agreement. King’s College Hospital serves more than 700,000 patients across
Keltbray has commenced work on the complex sub and superstructure packages on the Salisbury Square Development for main client The City of London Corporation, on behalf of Mace. The delivery of the contract, valued at £73 million, follows on from the successful completion of the £10 million demolition and enabling
Wiltshire Council has approved plans to refurbish and remodel the Grade II listed Town Hall in Trowbridge. This paves the way for the Town Hall to become a major creative and community hub for Trowbridge, comprising custom designed performance and activity spaces, recording studios and a licenced café bar with
Watco and Tor Coatings have joined forces to offer a wider choice of high-quality coatings for every surface of a building, which is something that isn’t available anywhere else on the market. Combined the specialists have almost 150 years of experience and can offer a wider range of products and
Lincoln-based Stirlin Construction, part of Stirlin Group, has completed a new £1.8 million headquarters in Louth, Lincolnshire, for accounting and business adviser Duncan & Toplis. Oxley House is located on the Fairfield Industrial Estate on Lincoln Way and brings 10,000 sq. ft. of premium office space to the town. The
McGoff Construction has started work on site at the its latest residential development in Manchester. The site, located on Rochdale Road, which was previously Rochdale Road Gas Works and home to other industrious businesses, has been derelict for some time. In recent months extensive investigations has been carried out with
Rula Developments has acquired 25 acres of development land at Winsford Gateway from Build&Thrive, the partnership between Cheshire West & Chester Council and PSP, (formally known as Public Sector Plc). Rula has already delivered a 168,000 sq ft state of the art factory for Tiger Trailers on the largely industrial and logistics led employment site at Junction 18 of the M6. More recently Rula completed a 1.6-acre roadside petrol filling station with retail amenity for The Kay Group as well as a new 60,000 sq ft storage facility at Winsford Gateway. Rula is offering fully serviced plots for immediate development. Opportunities are available for new build units on freehold or leasehold terms, ranging from 1,500 sq ft up to 230,000 sq ft for industrial space and roadside amenity uses. Ben Ward, Managing Director at Rula Developments said: “We are pleased to secure this prime development site at Winsford Gateway. Having completed works on a new main access road and site infrastructure we can offer bespoke design and build opportunities industrial and logistics operations through to mid-size business space and smaller retail uses. “The estate is already a well-established location with great amenities and our ability to deliver quickly will help to fulfil the current demand for high quality logistics space and provide the opportunity for businesses to grow or relocate to the area.” Winsford Gateway and the wider industrial estate has seen rapid development in recent years and is now home to more than 100 businesses and around 4,000 workers. The Estate is in the heart of Cheshire with excellent transport links from the adjacent M6 motorway. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
ilke Homes will deliver up to 449 highly energy-efficient homes in Kent, in partnership with housing association The Riverside Group. Subject to Reserved Matters planning approval from Thanet District Council, ilke Homes plans to deliver a mix of houses and apartments ranging from one to four bedrooms across a mix of tenures – including social rent, shared ownership and build-to-rent. ilke Homes and The Riverside group are collaborating to finalise the proposals and will be submitting for Reserved Matters planning in the next month. Subject to planning, a start on site is anticipated in early in 2024. Being delivered on a 21-acre site owned by The Riverside Group, most of the homes will be manufactured offsite at ilke Homes’ 250,000 sq ft factory in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, where ilke Homes deploys precision-engineering techniques along production lines to deliver high-quality, energy-efficient homes. Selected via a procurement exercise managed by EN Procure Ltd, ilke Homes were chosen because of the company’s ability to deliver value for money, and a quality product whilst unlocking an accelerated delivery programme. ilke Homes will deliver the site under its ‘design and build’ offering, by which it gains planning permission, manufactures the homes and develops the site. This vertically integrated approach will help control build costs and speed up construction programmes. Precision-engineering techniques mean that ilke Homes will be able to deliver the 449 homes in half the time of traditional methods, thanks to most of the construction stage taking place offsite. By manufacturing offsite, the homes delivered will be of the highest quality, as ilke Homes is able to benchmark standards at numerous stages of the build cycle. By harnessing artificial intelligence, robotics, and digital design, the modular housing company is capable of creating homes that are incredibly well insulated, meaning less heat escapes, consequently reducing bills. This will help reduce household bills for tenants, who are the most likely to be affected by the cost-of-living crisis, while minimising operating costs for The Riverside Group. ilke Homes will be submitting a Reserved Matters planning application to Thanet District Council at the end April and subject to planning, anticipate starting work on site in early 2024. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Winvic has successfully delivered the first hands-on training sessions to Northampton College engineering students as part of the new Winvic Enrichment Programme. The initiative provides students with up to five days of construction industry insights, gives them practical experience related to their studies and develops their soft skills. It also helps Winvic, suppliers and clients to meet strategic social value goals, while it supports further education establishments to meet their enrichment activity targets. The first Winvic Enrichment Programme is being delivered over a number of weeks in collaboration with client Prologis UK at The Hub at DIRFT, which is a new training, meeting and café facility on the Logistics Park available for occupiers and local businesses to use. “We have been working to shape the Winvic Enrichment Programme for some time with subcontractors, clients and colleges, so it’s exciting to see it coming to life with students already giving wonderful feedback. Collaboration is at the heart of everything we do at Winvic and our experience in delivering social value activities illustrates that you can always do more and benefit more people when you work together. The Winvic Enrichment Programme supports the objectives of our clients and building occupiers, further education providers – offering numerous qualifications – and students who want to be work ready, armed with practical experience and accomplished soft skills. I’d like to thank everyone who has been involved so far and I’m looking forward to rolling the five-day initiative out to many more projects in the future,” said Kayleigh Merritt, Winvic’s Talent Development Manager. A typical programme includes a site tour, an overview of contractor, subcontractor and developer roles and health and safety awareness training, and teaches CV writing, interview and presentation techniques. The first programme has been tailored with Northampton College to meet the needs of the 16 BTEC Engineering students who are in their first and second years of study; therefore sessions include hands-on setting out equipment training, a practical lesson on concrete mixes and a demonstration of concrete slab pouring inside an industrial warehouse. A number of Winvic’s subcontractors are involved to help get the students work ready across a variety of our planned programmes, including Stanford Flooring, Sitecrete and Collins Earthworks, who provided minibus transport for the students’ first day at The Hub at DIRFT and will be delivering a practical session about on-site plant using their machines later in the programme. Winvic delivered the DIRFT III Rail Infrastructure extension project and is currently constructing two large industrial units for Prologis at the site – the 327,000 sq ft DC327 and 628,000 sq ft DC628. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Regeneration firm Urban Splash has signed a new £10m funding deal with Grosvenor Property UK. The deal sees Urban Splash and Grosvenor form a land acquisition partnership that will purchase land assets and work up schemes post purchase. The announcement follows Grosvenor’s recent launch of its £120m residential debt strategy, led by the investment team in its UK property business. The move signals an expansion of the property company’s regional presence which includes the 42-acre Liverpool ONE destination and a growing regional office portfolio. Speaking of the deal, Urban Splash director Nathan Cornish said: “We are proud to make this announcement and form a new venture, it will allow us to acquire more development sites so that we can add to our ever-increasing pipeline that currently stands at 5,000 homes and 500,000 sq ft of commercial space. “We believe in the power of partnerships and to add Grosvenor to the list is a big moment for us and a further endorsement of the Urban Splash brand and our ability to source and deliver exciting new opportunities.” Rachel Dickie, Executive Director, Investment, Grosvenor Property UK, said: “With a significant need for new homes across the country and a softening in traditional debt markets, we see opportunities to use our experience of residential development to support the delivery of new homes by matching our capital to experienced delivery partners. “Urban Splash has a track record of bringing forward some of the UK’s most innovative regeneration schemes and we are delighted to be able to support them to continue to expand.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Work on a new outpatient facility at King’s College Hospital in London is now complete. The facility is the UK’s largest modular off-site construction project within NHS healthcare to date and has been successfully procured via a bespoke, structured finance agreement. King’s College Hospital serves more than 700,000 patients across four London boroughs and was facing severe capacity constraints due to a lack of available space and urgent upgrades required to its current facilities. Procured via a tailored finance solution, specialist modular building provider Premier Modular handed over the new outpatient consultation and procedure facility within nine months, with the modules being installed on-site on an existing car park at the hospital in just 23 days. Jane Tabiner Managing Director at SAF Solutions: “This was a fantastic project to be involved in and SAF has played a pivotal role in helping make the UK’s largest modular off-site construction project within the NHS a reality. This is a fantastic achievement for both SAF Solutions and Premier Modular. “Collaboration and partnership were central to the successful delivery of this project. We worked closely with the team at Kings College Hospital to understand the Trust’s financial needs and designed a bespoke solution that fits the bill. We’re proud of our work on this project and our part in further supporting the NHS and their patients.” The large-scale facility has been built onto one of the Trust’s existing car park, assisting in reducing waiting times while improving the patient experience for urgent care services, all without disrupting the current day to day activity of the hospital. The use of existing hospital estate to house the facility also allows the trust to redevelop other areas of the site. With a wealth of experience in developing bespoke funding solutions within healthcare and modular construction, SAF created a funding structure that was tailored to suit both the Trust’s significant investment and the construction agreements already in place with Premier Modular. The finance solution can be adapted to align with the evolving needs of the Trust and its patients and also takes the initial building and development elements of the project into account, amalgamating costs into a single, monthly fee. The new facility provides 48 purpose-designed consultation rooms and eight procedure rooms for a range of services, including dermatology, rheumatology, respiratory, neurosciences, pain management, and urology as well as other aspects of surgery and therapies. Set to provide much-needed additional capacity for the Trust and its patients, this new facility is a fantastic example of the positive role finance solutions can play in supporting investment in brand-new, modular, industry-leading healthcare facilities whilst effectively utilising budgets available within an NHS Trust. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Keltbray has commenced work on the complex sub and superstructure packages on the Salisbury Square Development for main client The City of London Corporation, on behalf of Mace. The delivery of the contract, valued at £73 million, follows on from the successful completion of the £10 million demolition and enabling works package by Keltbray, where sustainable circular economy techniques are being deployed to minimise waste and reduce the overall environmental impact of the scheme. Work will include the installation of over 500 king post piles, secant piles, contig piles and bearing piles, construction of a new basement slab, core base and box, as well as four new cores, the formation of a reinforced concrete superstructure for the court building and a ‘listed building’ soft strip using ‘cut and carve’ techniques to retain key elements of the heritage structure. The Salisbury Square Development will principally deliver a new, purpose-built 18-courtroom legal facility called the City of London Law Courts and an industry leading City of London police headquarters equipped to combat amongst other things, fraud and economic crime across the UK. Chief Executive Officer, Darren James commented: “Keltbray is very pleased to announce we have secured the contract to deliver the major structural elements on Salisbury Square. The contract is a significant step forward for Keltbray in extending our service offering further along the value chain, where clients are recognising the value in our integrated approach to self-delivery.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Wiltshire Council has approved plans to refurbish and remodel the Grade II listed Town Hall in Trowbridge. This paves the way for the Town Hall to become a major creative and community hub for Trowbridge, comprising custom designed performance and activity spaces, recording studios and a licenced café bar with refurbished spaces for a wide range of community activities from yoga classes to toddler groups. Listed Building Consent was also granted on the same day ensuring the status of the Town Hall as a local historic landmark in the heart of the town. “Securing these planning permissions are vital milestones in this project which forms part of the £16 million investment in Trowbridge town centre through the government’s Future High Streets Fund. We are delighted that we can now start to move from planning to the exciting stage of delivery with works starting later this year,” said Cllr Richard Clewer, Leader of Wiltshire Council. “One of the key aims in our Business Plan is making sure our towns are resilient, ensuring our communities are able to grow sustainably with access to leisure, arts, heritage and culture. The refurbishment of Trowbridge Town Hall is central to developing a unique cultural offer in the town, encouraging increased footfall into the town centre and helping to revive Trowbridge’s poor evening economy. We are looking forward to these plans being realised in the future.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Watco and Tor Coatings have joined forces to offer a wider choice of high-quality coatings for every surface of a building, which is something that isn’t available anywhere else on the market. Combined the specialists have almost 150 years of experience and can offer a wider range of products and solutions rooted in technical expertise to help facilities managers ensure the smooth running of fast-paced operations. As part of the partnership, site surveys will be offered before, during and after the project. In addition, annual site surveys will allow regular inspection of projects that have been completed as well as surfaces in nearby areas. The dedicated technical team will then provide a report of required maintenance work and will work with professional contractors as needed, to ensure repairs and surface defects are fixed – allowing warranties to be extended for ongoing protection. Commenting on the partnership’s origin, Chris Budd, Sales Director at Watco shared: “We realised that by joining forces, we could offer customers the technical expertise and solutions they would need for an entire building and all of its surfaces, as well as enhanced warranties for larger projects.” He continued: “On top of this, our customers can now speak to just one member of the joint team for advice. This will be of huge benefit to busy facilities and premises managers because by using one contact and one supplier for the needs of the entire building envelope, they can enjoy a more streamlined process, as well as extended warranties on the products specified for a job.” Together, Watco and Tor Coatings will be able to offer technical support to each customer, take the time to understand the project and recommend exactly which solution should be selected, while remaining on hand during and after every application. The joint offering includes coating and solutions for floors, roofs, walls, balconies and more. Ian Birch, Commercial Director at Tor Coatings added: “We hope that by offering our wider range of solutions, and increased contact with regular site visits, we will be able to make recommendations which will ensure the longevity of coatings across all surfaces, prevent further damages, and save our customers money in the long-term. This means that our customers will sleep at night with the peace of mind that their facility, and their finances, are safe – with no nasty surprises – and will be for years to come.“ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Lincoln-based Stirlin Construction, part of Stirlin Group, has completed a new £1.8 million headquarters in Louth, Lincolnshire, for accounting and business adviser Duncan & Toplis. Oxley House is located on the Fairfield Industrial Estate on Lincoln Way and brings 10,000 sq. ft. of premium office space to the town. The two-storey building includes open-plan office spaces, meeting rooms, kitchen facilities and a reception area. Sustainable elements of the project include EV charging points and a renewable energy solar system to the roof. The ground floor is now the home of the Louth team of Duncan & Toplis and the first floor is occupied by Wilkin Chapman Solicitors. “Oxley House is a fantastic example of Stirlin Construction delivering the design, and build, of a fit-for-purpose new facility, on time and on budget – and we are thrilled with the result. We worked closely with our long-standing client at Duncan & Toplis to design a premises that would provide a contemporary workspace to accommodate its growing team. This project was a pleasure to deliver alongside local construction delivery partners, and we’re really pleased to see the building complete and now being enjoyed by two flourishing businesses. Thank you to all involved who worked hard to deliver this brilliant facility,” said Howard Griffith, Head of Construction at Stirlin. After reaching capacity at its previous office, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire-based Duncan & Toplis appointed Stirlin as principal contractor, to develop a contemporary headquarters with sustainability and accessibility at the forefront of its design. “The opening of our new premises in Louth is a landmark moment for Duncan & Toplis. The new office is a major investment, underlining our dedication to the region, adding real, lasting value to our communities, by creating a future-fit working environment designed in collaboration with and for our team members. I am absolutely delighted with how the office is looking and we can’t wait to welcome colleagues and clients,” commented Duncan & Toplis Managing Director, Adrian Reynolds. Other partners on the project include Lincoln-based CRM advisors Hunt & Sykes, John Roberts Architects and structural engineer Steve Gilman Design, and Newark-based civil engineer William Saunders. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
McGoff Construction has started work on site at the its latest residential development in Manchester. The site, located on Rochdale Road, which was previously Rochdale Road Gas Works and home to other industrious businesses, has been derelict for some time. In recent months extensive investigations has been carried out with McGoff Construction preparing the land for build. The archaeological test pits are complete, and the demolition of all smaller buildings will now take place. Part of Manchester City Council’s Victoria North Strategic Regeneration Framework, the new £50m development, which will be part of the Group’s ‘Downtown’ brand, will comprise 237 homes, including a range of one, two and three bedroom apartments. In addition, there will duplex apartments with some of these properties benefiting from garages and storage areas, including a private drive. Known as Downtown Victoria North, it will be a true Build to Rent development, with Downtown Asset Management maintaining ownership and managing rental lettings. Creating a superb new community in the city centre, the development will offer a spacious communal lobby with 24hr concierge, a stylish resident lounge, meeting area and gym facilities, as well as secure underground parking for 29 cars and a cycle store. There will also be landscaped grounds and courtyards within the development for resident-only use. With construction now underway and the Manchester project scheduled to take approximately 145 weeks to complete, Brendan Caloe, Head of Special Projects Division within McGoff Construction, commented: “It’s great to be back building in the city centre and the plans for Downtown Victoria North are excellent, with a choice of one, two and three bedroom apartments set within a stunning development.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
