With Maidenhead currently undergoing a period of rapid investment including a complete transformation of the town centre, a £30 million expansion of secondary schools across the borough and a train station revamp in the lead up to Crossrail, there has never been a more exciting time to buy a home
A local headteacher was the special guest invited to officially open a new housing development in Hatton. Mark Whyman, of Heath Fields Primary School, unveiled the sales office and two showhomes at Bellway’s Hatton Court on Saturday 20 November. The event was the first opportunity for members of the public
Property developers and intermediaries will collectively waste over 14,500 days searching and applying for loans in 2022, predicts development finance comparison site, Brickflow. Brickflow co-founder and head of lending, Ian Humphreys, says while it traditionally takes around 70 hours to search for lenders and complete a development finance application, his
As part of its ongoing support for the decarbonisation of the electrical industry, Legrand has signed BEAMA’s Climate Commitment to industrial decarbonisation and sustainable product development across the whole electrical industry. The commitment has been made to support electrical industry professionals faced with the challenge of implementing energy efficient and sustainable solutions
Bellway South Midlands has appointed a new land manager as part of an ambitious growth plan across the region. Christy McLean has joined the housebuilder, which has its regional headquarters in Coventry, as the division sets its sights on increasing the number of houses it builds every year from 352
Davidsons Homes South Midlands has already secured over half of its projected sales for 2022 – before the year has even begun. A surge in demand during the second half of this year has seen the Blisworth-based housebuilder not only meet its benchmark for 2021 ahead of schedule but also
Recticel Insulation’s innovative insulation board, which has a tongue and groove joint on all four sides to ensure an airtight fit and improved thermal performance, was selected for a desirable new housing scheme built beside one of England’s eminent waterways. The Magenta Court development in Apsley, Hemel Hempstead is a
Keystone Lintels, the UK’s leading manufacturer of steel lintels, is delighted to have been awarded ‘Heavyside Supplier of the Year’ at the Builders Merchant Journal Awards 2021 in recognition of its outstanding customer service. The glittering event took place on November 26th at the Park Plaza London Riverbank. The awards
Blue Machinery (Central) Ltd have been appointed the Doosan distributor for the entire range of Crawler Excavators, Wheel Excavators, Articulated Dump Trucks, Wheel Loaders and Mini Excavators across the North West and North Wales. Representing Doosan throughout Lancashire, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, North Wales, Cheshire and the Islands of Anglesey and
More and more technologies are emerging from the construction industry as time goes on. The problem is that it can be hard to keep up with it all. On top of this, the adoption process takes up a huge amount of money and time. Construction professionals have to learn about
With Maidenhead currently undergoing a period of rapid investment including a complete transformation of the town centre, a £30 million expansion of secondary schools across the borough and a train station revamp in the lead up to Crossrail, there has never been a more exciting time to buy a home in the area. Those hoping to invest in this area of regeneration should look no further than Bellway’s Belmont Park, which is launching on January 15th. Designed to appeal to a variety of buyers including first-time buyers and downsizers, Belmont Park features a spectacular range of two and three-bedroom homes. Located less than a mile from Maidenhead’s bustling town centre, buyers are well placed to take advantage of everything the area has to offer. All homes are spacious with carefully considered layouts and a high quality finish. Each home also benefits from the convenience of allocated parking. Emma Jones, Sales Director at Bellway Thames Valley comments: “We are delighted to be launching these homes at our new Belmont Park development in Maidenhead. These properties will appeal to a range of buyers including professionals looking for an easy commute and young families looking to live near some exceptional Berkshire schools. With Maidenhead currently undergoing a multi-million-pound regeneration programme and with Crossrail services expected to begin next year, there has never been a better time to buy in the area. I urge prospective purchasers to register their interest as soon as possible to secure one of these choice properties.” Positioned just a three-minute drive north of the town centre, buyers at Belmont Park will be able to enjoy all the amenities on offer in Maidenhead. The town centre hosts a variety of eateries, including the popular Coppa Club which enjoys a prime riverside position. Families are well-catered for at Belmont Park, with a host of ‘Outstanding’ primary schools located within a mile of the development, including St Luke’s CofE Primary School, Furze Platt Junior School and Boyne Hill CofE Infant School. For older children, nearby Furze Platt Senior School has just benefitted from the addition of a new three-storey English and Science block, as well as a new theatre space. Maidenhead train station is just a 10-minute walk away, offering direct services to Reading (14 minutes) and London Paddington (34 minutes), with the introduction of Crossrail expected to improve services even further.
A local headteacher was the special guest invited to officially open a new housing development in Hatton. Mark Whyman, of Heath Fields Primary School, unveiled the sales office and two showhomes at Bellway’s Hatton Court on Saturday 20 November. The event was the first opportunity for members of the public to visit the development off Derby Road, where construction work began in April. The sales office and showhomes are now open seven days a week. Bellway is building 128 homesat Hatton Court, including a mix of two, three, four and five-bedroom properties. The development is part of a wider 385-home scheme being delivered in partnership with Ashberry Homes, also part of the Bellway group, and which will also include public open space and two play areas. Marie Richards, Sales Director for Bellway West Midlands, said: “It was a pleasure to welcome Mark as our VIP guest for the official opening of the sales office and showhomes at Hatton Court. Launching a new development to the public is always a momentous occasion, so we were delighted that such a prominent figure in the local community was able to join us for the event. “Hatton Court will deliver much-needed new homes for the area with a mix of properties to suit a variety of buyers. Hatton is already a popular and thriving village and we see our development as an extension to the existing community. “The two showhomes at Hatton Court will give prospective buyers a chance to explore a completed property at the development for the first time and we are confident they will like what they see. We had a very good turn-out for Saturday’s launch and the comments we received from visitors were extremely complimentary. “The first homes have already been reserved off plan, and we are already looking forward to welcoming the first residents into their homes early next year.” Mark Whyman, Headteacher of Heath Fields Primary School, said: “It was a pleasure to be invited to open the showhome at Bellway’s Hatton Court development. “Heath Fields Primary School is looking forward to welcoming new families and their children to the school when they move into their new Bellway home.” The two showhomes at Hatton Court feature the two-bedroom Almond and three-bedroom Hawthorn house designs. A selection of two, three, four and five-bedroom homes are currently available, with prices starting from £196,500.
Property developers and intermediaries will collectively waste over 14,500 days searching and applying for loans in 2022, predicts development finance comparison site, Brickflow. Brickflow co-founder and head of lending, Ian Humphreys, says while it traditionally takes around 70 hours to search for lenders and complete a development finance application, his tech platform helps users perform the same task in 20 hours or less. Ian estimates developers and intermediaries spend nearly a third of their time searching for development finance; Brickflow uses algorithms, searching over 120 data points across 36 lenders, presenting finance options within two minutes. Developers are able to choose their preferable lending options, use online onboarding tools and access expert help, where necessary, to complete applications which can be sent to up to five lenders in the deal forum’ (similar to a competitive tender). Conversion rate from Heads of Terms to completion is over 90%. Ian comments: “Development finance lending topped £9.3 billion in 2020 and if we assume an average loan figure is £4 million, it equates to 2,325 development finance applications taking 50 hours longer than necessary. When you divide this by an 8 hour day, it’s a staggering loss of time. “Add to this the frustration of nearly one in three SME house builders citing a lack of finance as one of the biggest barriers to progressing projects and it’s clear Brickflow is a no-brainer.” He concludes: “According to YouGov research, saving money and spending more time with the family are popular New Year’s resolutions for Brits so I’m pleased we can help people achieve this.”
As part of its ongoing support for the decarbonisation of the electrical industry, Legrand has signed BEAMA’s Climate Commitment to industrial decarbonisation and sustainable product development across the whole electrical industry. The commitment has been made to support electrical industry professionals faced with the challenge of implementing energy efficient and sustainable solutions in buildings to meet Government targets for net zero emissions by 2050. Crucial to helping contractors and consultants deliver more sustainable buildings, signing this commitment is part of Legrand’s wider aim to drive sustainability across the UK’s electrical installations, as its CEO Pascal Stutz, explains: “As a leading manufacturer of electrical equipment across an entire breadth of buildings, it is our responsibility to support professionals with energy efficient products and expertise across all sectors of construction to achieve sustainability targets. This forms part of our wider mission of improving lives by transforming the spaces where people live, work and meet. “In signing this agreement, we want to show contractors and consultants that we are with them every step of this journey and are a trusted partner when it comes to decarbonising and futureproofing their projects.” Beyond providing the electrical solutions and experts who can help specify and implement technologies, Legrand is also transforming its own operations to be more sustainable. For example, the company upgraded its Consett manufacturing facility using its own energy saving lighting control innovations in conjunction with solar panels to reduce the consumption of operations. Pascal adds: “The work at Consett represents just part of our commitment to creating a more sustainable electrical industry. Not only are we demonstrating how our own technologies can help in the energy efficiency challenge, but we are also creating environments that promote wellbeing for our own people. “Our mission is to improve lives, not only of clients and their end users, but of our own teams of experts who are key in helping customers integrate solutions in their projects. We want our people and the wider industry to be proud to work with us, and signing the BEAMA Commitment is just part of us showing how we can drive this progress forward.”
Bellway South Midlands has appointed a new land manager as part of an ambitious growth plan across the region. Christy McLean has joined the housebuilder, which has its regional headquarters in Coventry, as the division sets its sights on increasing the number of houses it builds every year from 352 to 500. The division is looking for land opportunities throughout Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Oxfordshire and West Northamptonshire as it seeks to expand its housebuilding operations. “I am delighted to be joining Bellway which has an enviable reputation as a national housebuilder of high-quality new homes. These are exciting times as the industry, and the country as a whole, starts to bounce back from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic,” said Christy, 27, from Solihull. “But these times are particularly exciting at Bellway South Midlands because the division has recently moved to new offices in Coventry and has assembled a new land team to help achieve its growth targets. I have just joined the team while the Land Director Dan Forrester has only been in his role for a while and land graduate Alice Fish has also recently been appointed. “The aim is to expand our operations so that we are increasing the number of houses we build from 352 last year to 500 a year within the next few years. That is an increase of 42 per cent which represents an ambitious target and a real challenge for us as a team.” Christy, who was formerly a land manager at another housebuilder, is looking forward to his new role which will include sourcing land, conducting land appraisals, negotiating land deals and using his knowledge and skills to secure new sites for development. “I spotted the job advert on LinkedIn and thought it was time for me to take a step up in my career,” added Christy. “The first challenge was to get the job which I did and now the next target is to help the land team at Bellway South Midlands grow and hit its annual build numbers.” Bellway South Midlands is currently building new homes at nine sites in Warwickshire, Oxfordshire, Worcestershire and Northamptonshire.
Davidsons Homes South Midlands has already secured over half of its projected sales for 2022 – before the year has even begun. A surge in demand during the second half of this year has seen the Blisworth-based housebuilder not only meet its benchmark for 2021 ahead of schedule but also achieve 56 per cent of its target for next year. With new sales offices due to launch at developments in Meppershall and Biddenham in 2022, the housebuilder is expecting the high demand and strong sales to continue well into the new year. “To be entering a new year with over 50 per cent of our projected sales for the forthcoming 12 months already achieved is completely unprecedented for us as a region. It is a reflection not only of the exceptionally high level of demand for homes in the South Midlands but also our success in meeting the needs of housebuyers whose priorities have shifted markedly since the start of the pandemic. Spacious family homes represent a core part of our product mix, and these have proved particularly popular with people seeking more space due to the rise in homeworking,” said Simon Tyler, Sales Director for Davidsons Homes South Midlands. “Location has also been a key factor in the strong sales rates across our developments. We build in carefully selected locations which offer an attractive setting and enviable quality of life – things which have become even more highly sought after over the past 18 months. “Demand has been especially high towards the back end of the year. We met our 2021 target in November and around half of the forward sales for next year have taken place within the past three months. We therefore expect this momentum to continue well into the new year, so would advise anyone interested in buying a new home with us in 2022 to act quickly to ensure they don’t miss out.” Davidsons Homes South Midlands is currently building and selling new homes at developments in Hanslope in Buckinghamshire, Houlton near Rugby, Meppershall in Bedfordshire, Rushden in Northamptonshire, and Market Harborough in Leicestershire. A sales office and showhome are due to open at the Woodlands Rest development in Meppershall in January, while the first homes at a new site in Biddenham will go on sale later in the year.
Recticel Insulation’s innovative insulation board, which has a tongue and groove joint on all four sides to ensure an airtight fit and improved thermal performance, was selected for a desirable new housing scheme built beside one of England’s eminent waterways. The Magenta Court development in Apsley, Hemel Hempstead is a multi-award nominated social housing project on behalf of Dacorum Borough Council. The £6.5 million scheme, which stands alongside the famous Grand Union Canal, comprises 29 one-and-two bedroom flats within four blocks. The buildings’ design was inspired by the surrounding wharf architecture present in a nearby listed cottage, papermill and Apsley Lock. Being delivered by main contractor Jarvis Contracting, working with architects RG+P, key to the programme’s success was achieving an energy-efficient building fabric. This led to the specification of Eurowall +, a high-performance PIR solution from Recticel. This flagship product helps to achieve a 0.18 U-value with a 90mm-thick panel in a 100mm cavity. The lightweight, easy-to-handle board features a tongue-and-groove joint on its four sides, allowing it to be used as full-fill cavity wall insulation with a 10mm clear cavity. The additional space makes for a rapid, more convenient fit for bricklayers when it comes to installation. “This was a tremendous project to be involved with. It’s a superb housing scheme in a great location. With the buildings’ overall thermal efficiency among the priorities, it’s the type of project Eurowall + was created for. Further, it enhanced the programme’s sustainable credentials by reducing on-site labour times, thanks to the additional space it affords installers,” said Simon Blackham, Recticel Technical Manager. Eurowall + is an exemplar of how high-performance materials can maximise a home’s thermal performance through a fabric-first approach. Its selection for the Magenta Court development was crucial to the creation of a number of desirable, energy-efficient affordable homes, whilst playing a part in ensuring the contractor remained on track to complete the project to the agreed timeframe.
Keystone Lintels, the UK’s leading manufacturer of steel lintels, is delighted to have been awarded ‘Heavyside Supplier of the Year’ at the Builders Merchant Journal Awards 2021 in recognition of its outstanding customer service. The glittering event took place on November 26th at the Park Plaza London Riverbank. The awards recognise brands, builders’ merchants and individuals that are making a difference to the sector and are chosen by the merchant industry professionals working within it. “This is a fantastic achievement and a great celebration of the robust and engaging partnership between the Keystone Lintels team and our merchant customers. We are delighted that our industry leading customer service has once again been recognised with this prestigious award. This is a great way to end the year and we are looking forward to continuing to set the standard for customer service in 2022,” commented on the Heavyside Supplier of the Year award, Chris Hemmington-Green, Sales Director for Keystone Lintels. Hosted by TV presenter Gabby Logan, the BMJ award winners were announced by the voice of the National Lottery and Strictly Come Dancing, Alan Dedicoat. Keystone is the largest supplier of steel lintels in the UK and Ireland and supports merchants with innovative ranges of products which solve problems for the builder and deliver more opportunity, added value and margin for merchants.
Blue Machinery (Central) Ltd have been appointed the Doosan distributor for the entire range of Crawler Excavators, Wheel Excavators, Articulated Dump Trucks, Wheel Loaders and Mini Excavators across the North West and North Wales. Representing Doosan throughout Lancashire, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, North Wales, Cheshire and the Islands of Anglesey and the Isle of Man. The addition of the Doosan brand to Blue Central’s product portfolio allows them to become the ultimate ‘one stop shop’ for customers operating across a whole host of industries and applications. The Doosan range will complement Blue Central’s existing market leading equipment from brands including Doppstadt and the three Terex products of Powerscreen, Fuchs and MDS. “We are very excited to introduce the Doosan product range to our supplier portfolio. We recognise the significant market share that Doosan have in the region and feel that the range complements our existing suppliers such as Terex Powerscreen and Doppstadt and helps us complete the product offering to our clients. The Doosan range spans all our existing industry sectors from Construction & Demolition and Quarrying & Earthmoving to Recycling and Scrap Handling as well as Ports, Rail and Plant hire,” said Sean McGeary, Sales Director at Blue Central. “The addition of Doosan forms part of a long-term plan of growth for our family-owned distribution business and allows us to scale our aftermarket offering. We continue to aspire towards excellent customer service and are committed to continue our investment in our people, products and customers.” Blue Central have a network of engineers based right across the region, offering customers total support throughout their machine’s lifetime. Their ‘Blue Care’ service packages allow customers to choose a level of service which works best for them, to help improve their machines efficiency whilst minimising the cost of ownership. Blue Central will also supply genuine Doosan OEM parts with a large stock holding and same/next day delivery to keep machines up and running. This new distribution partnership has led to significant investment from Blue Central as they acquire a second facility. The new 4-acre site based in Nantwich (Cheshire) will act as a dedicated depot for their Doosan equipment and spare parts. They have also grown their team to help support the Doosan brand with the addition of a new operations team and sales representatives. They have also recruited a number of factory trained engineers who have been provided with specific diagnostic tooling and equipment. “We welcome the appointment of Blue Machinery Central as our Authorised dealer for the Northwest and North Wales. They bring their strong after-market support and parts expertise to the Doosan Construction products in the region,” added Kim Dudley, Doosan Regional Manager UK-North and Nordics. “With all the stage V diesel engines and Dash -7 Mid and Heavy product launches completed in 2021 and new products like the DX100W 11tonne Wheeled Excavator and new Mini Excavators coming on-stream early in 2022, it promises to be an exciting year. “Blue Machinery Central have committed to carry depth of stock of new machines and parts, to offer excellent levels of support and availability of Doosan products. We trust Doosan customers will give them the opportunity to deliver the latest dash 7 products in 2022 and experience the new comfort levels, fuel economy and superb performance of the dash -7 range.”
More and more technologies are emerging from the construction industry as time goes on. The problem is that it can be hard to keep up with it all. On top of this, the adoption process takes up a huge amount of money and time. Construction professionals have to learn about these technologies, so that they can test and implement them on a trial basis, before moving on to full adoption. If you want to find out more about the tech that is out there and the benefits of it, then this is the guide for you. Technology makes it Easier for Everyone to Collaborate The great thing about technology is that it does in fact make it much easier for everyone to collaborate. Using tech on the job site makes it much easier for various contractors to communicate with their team, whether it is the builder, the architect or even the owner. It also allows people to collect information from the job site so that it can then be shared with others while asking any questions, before getting input support in real-time. Useful tech can include online websites and mobile apps too. This can aid with document sharing, management, archiving and more. If you do adopt tech for this reason then you need to make sure that you are maintaining it. It may be that you need to look into ways to make your systems faster as time goes on and that you do not overlook the importance of updates. Technology Allows Any Contractor to Make an Informed Decision Technology also allows contractors or even project managers to make way more timely decisions. They can do this based on things such as cost and labour data. With intelligent modelling, it is entirely possible for users to make adjustments to their building model and all of this can be done in real-time too. Designers and can visualise how scenarios can change the look of a building while also giving them the chance to consider things such as time and even cost constraints. In the end, technology can help project teams to be more on the ball while also helping them to make decisions faster. It also ensures that the project stays within the budget and timeline set. Automating the Capture of Information Another great thing about technology is that it allows supervisors to use a mobile or other device to document employee hours worked. This can be done wirelessly and it can then be sent to the field office. This tech removes the need for excess paperwork and it also helps to streamline the timesheet approval system. This information can then be added to the main system for the company, decreasing errors while also dealing with any inefficiencies that may be more involved with record-based timekeeping. Things like this are ideal for construction sites that have hundreds of employees at any given moment. It is also ideal for smaller companies who do not have time or the process required to document such data, proving its usefulness in any given situation. Using tech to Ensure Documentation and Compliance Using tech on the job site also allows construction workers and teams to meet documentation requirements. Digital photos, videos and even webcam documents can be stored in document management solutions. Systems like this can then be accessed via a portal or even any mobile device. The great thing about this is that it saves a huge amount of time and it also reduces the number of penalties someone may experience. Real-Time Data Mobile tech, such as tablets or even smartphones can be paired with cloud-based storage and it can also help to improve the overall efficiency of the workflow on the job site. Construction contractors can access things such as blueprints, contracts and any other important kind of information. This can all be done in real-time and it can be used from the job site. This decreases the wait time and it can also cause serious delays. This allows people to avoid expensive mistakes and it also makes the whole process farconsiderable amount of time and money more efficient. Of course, there are many things that you can do to try and make sure that you get the best result out of your construction business and if you follow this guide then you will soon find that it is both easier and faster for you to adopt technology while also ensuring that you use it to your full advantage. Tech has truly changed construction for the better, and it isn’t hard to see why at all.
