The Anglian Water £100 million programme of additional storm water storage across the East of England is almost complete. The programme forms part of the water company’s Get River Positive initiative which was launched by Anglian Water and Severn Trent earlier this year. The plan includes five pledges to transform
BDC Phase 2 Limited, a joint venture between Mace and Doric Properties, has agreed the forward funding and sale of Phase Two of the West Way Square regeneration development in Oxford to Grainger plc. Grainger has agreed to forward fund and acquire the 150-home build-to-rent scheme in Botley, Oxford. “We
Pryme Group, an innovative engineering collective that designs, creates and delivers solutions to diverse global industrial markets, has launched two specialist tooling systems for offshore wind installations, via Caley Ocean Systems. The tools have been launched to the global market, furthering the company’s commitment to innovative engineering solutions for a
Gregory Properties has secured full planning approval from Sheffield City Council to deliver a 33,000 sq ft industrial unit at Sheffield Business Park. The long established, local developer plans to speculatively build the unit to support a major shortage of new space in the region. Gregory Properties acquired the prominent
Norfolk County Council has launched a public consultation on proposals for the West Winch Housing Access Road. The pre-planning application consultation will give people the opportunity to put forward their views before the planning application is finalised and submitted next year. The consultation will run for eight weeks until Sunday
Wates Construction has completed work on the £27 million the Sands Centre redevelopment in Carlisle. Local dignitaries – including the Leader of Carlisle City Council, Cllr John Mallinson and the Mayor of Carlisle, Cllr Mike Mitchelson – were joined by Chair of Sport England, Chris Boardman and partners. “I’m delighted
Developer Glenbrook has submitted plans for the residential and public realm elements of Lumina Village, a £250 million mixed-use scheme in Trafford, Greater Manchester. Working in partnership with Bruntwood and Trafford Council, the proposals, designed by Sheppard Robson and landscape architect Re-form, include the development of six blocks of apartments,
Caddick Construction has announced that it has reached the end of its work on the £8.2 million Tawd Valley Centre retail outlet in Skelmersdale, West Lancashire. Part of the wider regeneration plans for the town centre, the outlet plays an important role in the revival of the local community. “Caddick
McLaren Construction has been appointed by ExCeL London to deliver the expansion of its conference, event and exhibition facilities. The builder is taking over the job from Sir Robert McAlpine, who were awarded the first three Phases of the expansion contract. After being awarded the main build contract, McLaren will
A specialist agent lead management, automation, and phone answering platform has been awarded a prestigious award, despite it launching only 18 months ago. The revolutionary software system, designed specifically for the sales and lettings industry, is being used by hundreds of agents across the UK. Agent Response, the software, helps
The Anglian Water £100 million programme of additional storm water storage across the East of England is almost complete. The programme forms part of the water company’s Get River Positive initiative which was launched by Anglian Water and Severn Trent earlier this year. The plan includes five pledges to transform river water quality across their regions and demonstrates a clear and actionable response to calls for a revival of rivers in England. Central to the pledges is a commitment that work carried out by the two water companies will ensure storm overflows and sewage treatment works do not harm rivers. Because large proportions of the sewer network take surface water combined with wastewater, it means that rainwater ends up flowing through pipes to nearby water recycling centres where it is cleaned and returned to the environment. If this network becomes overwhelmed during heavy rainfall, that water can be released into nearby watercourses, to protect homes and businesses from flooding. As part of Get River Positive, Anglian Water has committed to greatly reducing how often this happens, protecting the region’s rivers and seas. “We know that the frequency and severity of extreme weather – including drought, intense rainfall and flooding – is becoming more commonplace as a result of climate change. This year we’re in a strange juxtaposition where this summer’s extremely dry weather is actually a contributing factor for flooding. As it’s been dry for so long, the ground is still drier than usual and intense rainfall on to harder ground does not soak in as easily, meaning standing water builds up as there’s nowhere for it to go, causing surface water flooding. It’s a bit like a bath plughole, and it takes time for the water to drain away,” said Head of Environmental Strategy for Anglian Water, Carly Leonard. “On top of this, the East of England is the lowest and flattest part of the UK so there’s less gravity to help water flow through catchments meaning rainwater more commonly stays where it falls. All of these factors mean that we need resilient infrastructure that can rise to the challenge and help us protect the environment at the same time. Being able to store excess water on our sites means that less ends up in our rivers, seas and some of the unique habitats in our region.” The installation of new storm tanks, and increasing the capacity of existing tanks, means that larger volumes of rainfall, particularly during periods of extremely wet weather, can be captured and stored, helping prevent storm spills. The water is then released from the storage tank at a controlled rate through the water recycling process to make sure it’s clean enough to be returned to nearby watercourses. Importantly, being able to store excess rainwater in this way provides additional protection to rivers, many of which in the East of England are unique chalk stream habitats, as well as the region’s coastline. Despite the East of England seeing periods of heavy rainfall over the last couple of months, the region is still classed as being in a drought, with reservoirs, underground water stores and river levels still below average for this time of year. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
BDC Phase 2 Limited, a joint venture between Mace and Doric Properties, has agreed the forward funding and sale of Phase Two of the West Way Square regeneration development in Oxford to Grainger plc. Grainger has agreed to forward fund and acquire the 150-home build-to-rent scheme in Botley, Oxford. “We are delighted to secure our first scheme in Oxford, a key target city with robust underlying fundamentals and a great need for high quality rental homes. The convenient location and connectivity of West Way Square makes it attractive for those working in the city centre or at the many local business and science parks,” said Helen Gordon, Chief Executive Officer, Grainger. West Way Square is a mixed-use development located 10 minutes from Oxford city centre. Oxford Parkway and Oxford’s mainline station are nearby with five of Oxford’s leading science parks located within 15 minutes of the development. The joint venture has already created 264 purpose-built student accommodation studios and apartments, 20 build to rent apartments, almost 40,000 square feet of retail and commercial space, a new hotel and office and community spaces, including a local library as well as car and cycle parking amenities and a new public piazza in Phase One. Phase Two, which is the final phase of the development, includes the 150 high quality build to rent homes as well as c.3,244 sq. ft. of internal residents’ amenity space and an outdoor amenity provision comprising a c.7,662 sq. ft. podium garden and a c.2,263 sq. ft. roof terrace. The scheme also includes seven ground-floor commercial units, totalling c.10,058 sq. ft., and 120 parking permits. “This is a great deal, which underlines the strength of our partnership working approach to urban regeneration in creating a new, high quality, mixed-use development. Phase One saw us work with the local community, the council and our partners Doric Properties to deliver a vibrant new destination and attract residents and businesses into the area. With this funding in place for Phase Two, we can realise the overall vision for the development to leave a positive and lasting legacy for this thriving part of Oxford and for Grainger,” added Kirsten White, Finance Director for Develop, Mace Group. Gilbert-Ash Limited have been appointed as the main contractor for Phase 2 and Mace Develop as development manager. Preparatory work has commenced, and on-site works are expected to start in late November 2022, with practical completion targeted for late 2024. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Pryme Group, an innovative engineering collective that designs, creates and delivers solutions to diverse global industrial markets, has launched two specialist tooling systems for offshore wind installations, via Caley Ocean Systems. The tools have been launched to the global market, furthering the company’s commitment to innovative engineering solutions for a net zero future. Pile Fixation Tool (PFT) and PileProp are designed to support the installation of monopile and jacketed foundations for offshore wind, by providing a localised, rigid deflection constraint – and in the case of the PileProp system independent of vessel interaction or station – prior to the critical grouting process of securing the foundations. “Pryme Group is dedicated to developing the tools, technology and equipment for the energy transition. Our offshore wind capabilities have been significantly bolstered by these two innovative solutions, successfully operating in the field, and we are eager to work with existing and prospective partners to implement them across the world. We are dedicated to delivering solutions along with our partners to support current and future rapid growth opportunities within the offshore wind market,” said Kerrie Murray, CEO at Pryme Group. PFT is a bespoke monopile foundation installation support solution, designed to address the stabilising issues involved with monopile foundations being placed in pre-drilled boreholes, due to challenging seabed conditions. This proven technology has been used to support DEME with the foundation installation on the St Nazaire offshore wind farm. PileProp has been designed to aid securing the fixing of jacket foundations over pre-installed pile pins. This solution was designed to comply to DNV regulation ST-0126, which advised minimising movement in all planes to 1mm, prior to grouting. PileProp is currently being deployed in support of foundation installation work on St Brieuc offshore wind farm, with Caley’s client, Ailes Marines, being the developer. These systems were developed as part of Caley’s collaboration with engineering design specialists Houlder, which covers a wide range of engineering design and installation tooling for offshore wind farm projects. Both tooling systems minimise early age cycling and reduce weather and wave limitations to installation. This results in minimised downtime due to severe conditions, therefore lengthening the installation window, increasing efficiency and speed of the installation process, limiting risk of early failure of grouting and reducing initial project and through life costs. Pryme Group has broad capabilities supplying engineering products, services and solutions to diverse markets from oil and gas to nuclear to defence and marine to offshore wind and renewables. The group comprises five businesses with a total of 260 staff operating over 12 sites across the UK. Each business operates under its own brand name as part of the Pryme Group. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Gregory Properties has secured full planning approval from Sheffield City Council to deliver a 33,000 sq ft industrial unit at Sheffield Business Park. The long established, local developer plans to speculatively build the unit to support a major shortage of new space in the region. Gregory Properties acquired the prominent 2-acre vacant site on Europa Link from Sheffield Business Park Ltd earlier this year, adding to its portfolio of industrial developments on key strategic sites across Yorkshire. Sheffield Business Park is an already well established 200-acre development located off Junctions 33 and 34 of the M1 and to the North of Sheffield City Centre. Current occupiers include SIG Group, South Yorkshire Police, Gleesons, TNS, Primetals and Hart Shaw. The Park is situated within the heart of the Advanced Manufacturing & Innovation District (AMID) that has seen substantial investment from occupiers including Boeing, Rolls-Royce and McLaren. “We are pleased to secure planning consent to develop this prime strategic site that is already recognised as a hotbed of cutting-edge industry and is also well placed for last mile logistics operators serving the Sheffield City Region,” said Nick Gillott, Development Director at Gregory Properties. “We are committed to speculatively deliver a state-of-the-art building that responds to critical demand for market ready premises, and we are confident in securing a strong occupier in the near future. We hope to be able to start construction on site by April 2023 with a view to practical completion by December 2023.” The Harris Partnership has designed the new development to include 30,000 sq ft of industrial/warehouse space with a 3,000 sq ft M&E fitted office mezzanine. The steel portal frame unit will offer 9m to eaves with three ground level access doors, enhanced landscaping and carparking for 34 vehicles, secure covered cycle shelter, and gated service yard with security lighting. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Norfolk County Council has launched a public consultation on proposals for the West Winch Housing Access Road. The pre-planning application consultation will give people the opportunity to put forward their views before the planning application is finalised and submitted next year. The consultation will run for eight weeks until Sunday 8 January, with the proposals available to view online. In addition, three local events will be held during the consultation period, with information on display and members of the project team on hand to answer questions. The new road will serve the South East King’s Lynn Growth Area (known locally as the West Winch Growth area) which will see up to 4,000 new homes built over the next 20 years. “The road is an essential part of the wider plans to create new housing in the area and resolve traffic issues on the existing A10. We are therefore working closely with the borough council and local partners to deliver this vital piece of infrastructure as soon as possible,” said David Allfrey, Assistant Director for Infrastructure Delivery at Norfolk County Council. “This consultation will provide everyone with more detail about the proposed scheme which would see the A10 rerouted as it approaches King’s Lynn. This is an important opportunity for us to receive local input before we finalise and submit the planning application next year. I would encourage as many people as possible to look through the proposals and give us their feedback.” The road’s route connects the A10 to the A47 via new 1.5-mile road, starting to the south of Gravelhill Lane in West Winch and joining the A47 before it reaches the Hardwick Junction. The road joins the A47 via a new signalised roundabout and dedicated free-flow slip road. The scheme would see the dualling of the A47 between Hardwick and the new road. Changes will be made to the Hardwick Interchange to account for the extra housing traffic and the rerouted A10. The West Winch Housing Access Road will provide an alternative route around village of West Winch. The traffic flows through West Winch are expected to fall significantly once the new road opens. In the new road’s opening year, it is forecast that the daily traffic through West Winch will be 55-62% lower than 2018 levels. The reduction in traffic will allow the introduction of measures through the village to improve safety and living conditions for local residents. This could include a reduction to existing speed limits, weight restriction on heavy good vehicles and new crossings for pedestrians and cyclists. The new road would intersect two existing local roads in Rectory Lane and Chequers Lane. The proposals would see a new bridge built to carry Rectory Lane over the access road to maintain connectivity between West Winch and North Runcton. Chequers Lane would be severed to prevent traffic travelling through North Runcton to the A47. The opportunity for a pedestrian and cycle crossing at Chequers Lane will be explored as part of the consultation. Steps are also being taken to consider the local landscape and ecology. The consultation will include details about themes such as air quality, noise, biodiversity, drainage, and climate. The consultation will also provide information about sustainable transport. This includes the connectivity between new and existing walking and cycling routes, and the opportunity for improvements to public transport. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Wates Construction has completed work on the £27 million the Sands Centre redevelopment in Carlisle. Local dignitaries – including the Leader of Carlisle City Council, Cllr John Mallinson and the Mayor of Carlisle, Cllr Mike Mitchelson – were joined by Chair of Sport England, Chris Boardman and partners. “I’m delighted that work has been completed on The Sands Centre redevelopment and would like to pass on my thanks to our project team, partners and contractors. Massive improvements have been made to the site and it will provide huge benefits for the wellbeing of our communities. The project has had to overcome lots of challenges, but the benefits will last for many generations to come,” said Leader of Carlisle City Council, Cllr John Mallinson. The new Sands Centre building, funded by Carlisle City Council with support from a £2.2 million Sport England grant, is set across two storeys and accessed by a bespoke, internal street, the new build extension adds 40,000 sq ft to the existing building, with the redeveloped centre offering state-of-the-art facilities including a 25m main pool and a 20m learner pool complete with an innovative moveable floor. There is a four-court sports hall with a spectator gallery, full equipped gym, and a spinning studio and dance studios. It also boasts a café and bar areas to be provided by Hickory’s. The improved facilities also include a range of sustainable features which will support Carlisle City Council’s plans for reducing carbon emissions, improving energy efficiency and providing sustainable, healthy transport options. “Sport England’s mission is to make sure that everyone – regardless of background, bank balance, gender or where they live – has the opportunity to get active. And fantastic spaces like the Sands Centre can play a huge part in that. We’re delighted to have supported the Centre to give local people more opportunities to enjoy the physical, mental and social rewards of an active lifestyle,” added Chris Boardman MBE, Chair of Sport England. The project also consolidates the existing arrangements with the North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust (NCIC) Musculoskeletal (MSK) team. The MSK team already provide treatment services at The Sands Centre but will be able to expand their services and develop new joint/collective treatment and rehabilitation activities with GLL and other partners. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Developer Glenbrook has submitted plans for the residential and public realm elements of Lumina Village, a £250 million mixed-use scheme in Trafford, Greater Manchester. Working in partnership with Bruntwood and Trafford Council, the proposals, designed by Sheppard Robson and landscape architect Re-form, include the development of six blocks of apartments, ranging from six to 20 storeys and 53 three-storey townhouses at the Talbot Road site. The plans offer a total of 639 new homes, a mix of one, two and three bedroom apartments and three and four bedroom houses. A mixed offer of private rent, private sale, shared ownership and affordable rent will be available, with at least 15% Affordable Housing. “This planning application marks the first stage in the delivery of Trafford’s wider Civic Quarter masterplan. We have worked closely with Bruntwood, Trafford Council and our design team to ensure that the type of homes we are creating will meet the market need now and in the future, as well as delivering a new public realm based on age 8-80 principles that will benefit both the new and existing community. Subject to a positive outcome at committee, we aim to start on site in Q2 2023,” commented Shannon Conway, Residential Director at Glenbrook. As part of the planning application the scheme will include 5.4-acres of public realm, 5,300 sq ft of retail space on the ground floor and 200 parking spaces. Avison Young is the planning consultant. After securing outline planning consent to redevelop the former 12-acre Kellogg’s site in 2020, Bruntwood and Trafford Council appointed Glenbrook in December 2021 to deliver both the residential offer and the public realm at Lumina Village. “Together with Trafford council and Glenbrook, we’re committed to creating high-quality, people-focussed spaces where communities can come together and thrive. The community has been at the heart of the plans to create a vibrant new neighbourhood at Lumina Village, which forms an important part of our wider transformation in Trafford. It’s fantastic to see the project take another step forwards with this latest milestone,” concluded Andrea George, Town Centre and Consumer Brands Director at Bruntwood. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Caddick Construction has announced that it has reached the end of its work on the £8.2 million Tawd Valley Centre retail outlet in Skelmersdale, West Lancashire. Part of the wider regeneration plans for the town centre, the outlet plays an important role in the revival of the local community. “Caddick is delighted to have completed on this important scheme that is already having a transformative effect on Skelmersdale town centre and the local communities. Investment and vision are important if we want to see local town centres revitalised and attract new retailers in with the right location and premises. It’s great to see Tawd Valley Centre is already delivering for Skelmersdale,” said Ian Threadgold, North West Managing Director of Caddick Construction. Trading on the scheme already are major retails brands, such as Lidl, B&M Bargains and Poundstretcher, with the area adjacent to the retail park also enjoying an upgrade to include a new play area in Tawd Valley Park. A new high street has been provided to link West Lancashire College with the rest of the town centre, while improvements are also being made to the public areas outside Skelmersdale Library to make them more attractive spaces for residents to enjoy. “The new town centre development will bring economic and social benefits for the Borough’s communities long into the future and will greatly enhance the Borough’s appeal as a great place to live, work and invest, providing increased opportunities for many. This development is a significant step towards a future where everyone in West Lancashire will be able to take advantage of a positive economic outlook and vastly improved health and wellbeing outcomes. The people of West Lancashire deserve this and I’m delighted we have delivered it,” added Councillor Yvonne Gagen, Leader of West Lancashire Borough Council. The town centre redevelopment scheme is a partnership between the Borough Council and developer St. Modwen and is supported by the Lancashire Local Enterprise Partnership and Growth Deal Funding. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
McLaren Construction has been appointed by ExCeL London to deliver the expansion of its conference, event and exhibition facilities. The builder is taking over the job from Sir Robert McAlpine, who were awarded the first three Phases of the expansion contract. After being awarded the main build contract, McLaren will now complete the project by extending the existing facilities by up to 25,000 square metres. The expansion at the carbon neutral venue will create additional state-of-the-art ICC convention facilities, exhibition halls and conference rooms, together with stunning outdoor spaces, all helping to put London at the forefront of the global events industry. “The wealth of expertise and sector knowledge that the team at McLaren will bring to the main construction phase will ensure that we meet the needs of our customers by providing world class venue spaces and guest experience, on time and on budget, as well as ensuring we deliver our commitments to the local community,” said ExCeL London’s CEO Jeremy Rees. Part of the new event space is a12,000sqm exhibition space on the ground floor, which will be seamlessly integrated into the existing venue. This will be complemented on the upper level with high-end convention space, modern meeting rooms and catering facilities. A priority for ExCeL regarding this project has been the sustainability side of it. In line with its current ESG strategy, the company aims to create the most sustainable scheme possible and will be targeting a Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) rating of ‘Excellent’ – surpassing the recognised industry standard. As with the current venue, the electricity supply will be 100% from renewable sources. As part of the project, a substantial investment will also be made in the public realm including new greenery along the dock edge, improved landscaping for pedestrians and cyclists, and a new pocket park. The project will also create permanent and temporary employment, both in the construction process – including apprenticeships – but also indirectly once complete. McLaren Construction have been appointed to deliver the next phase of construction works, commencing in January 2023. McLaren has extensive experience of delivering UK major projects, including Leicester City Football Club’s new training ground, The Financial Times’ Bracken House’ headquarters, and a major fulfilment centre for warehouse giant SEGRO. McLaren will work alongside key project partners who have already delivered the design and enabling works phase of the project, including Gardiner & Theobald, Grimshaw Architects, Hoare Lea and Campbell Reith. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A specialist agent lead management, automation, and phone answering platform has been awarded a prestigious award, despite it launching only 18 months ago. The revolutionary software system, designed specifically for the sales and lettings industry, is being used by hundreds of agents across the UK. Agent Response, the software, helps sales and lettings agents generate increased revenue from sales leads, pre-qualify lettings leads, and improve operational efficiencies, saving both time and money. The company behind the system was crowned the Best Supplier in the Small Business category in the EA Masters Best Estate Agent Guide (BEAG) Awards. “We’re hugely proud and absolutely thrilled to have been recognised by such a prestigious award as the BEAG. Having worked as a Sales and Lettings agent for well over two decades, I knew from my personal experience that there is a huge gap between data and delivery. Many agents were, and still are, having to spend so much of their time filtering enquiries and identifying those that are genuine from those that aren’t, before then being able to move further through the Sales or Lettings process,” said Mike Nettleton, Co-Founder of Agent Response. “Agent Response essentially takes a huge load off lettings agents by asking pre-qualifying questions and capturing valuable data before an enquiry is even made – ensuring that only those who are genuinely interested and suitable for a property are sent to our users. For Sales, it harnesses the data to boost revenue potential that may otherwise be missed, and makes the process as straight-forward as possible.” The BEAG guide is produced annually by Property Academy in partnership with Rightmove, and independently assesses over 90% of UK estate agents, making it one of the most inclusive and extensive data-driven reviews in the industry. “We’re not only over the moon about our own award win, but the fact that 50% of the four overall winning agents across the nation use Agent Response which is fantastic! While we’re under no illusion that our tool is the sole reason for their award success, it’s great to note that many of the processes, automation, and operational efficiencies they’ll have been judged on will be directly influenced by what the Agent Response tool does. We’re hugely excited to see the platform continue to grow and to be recognised in this way by an industry event which recognises the best of the best,” concluded Leon Blair, Co-Founder at Agent Response, who heads up the technology and automation behind the platform. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
