A special breaking ground celebration was held last week to mark the start of construction to build Oriel, a new eye care, research and education centre in Camden. The integrated centre will be the new home to Oriel partners: Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology
Video of West Wycombe Estate in Buckinghamshire – one of the projects which has received funding: A £5 million HS2 Woodland Fund, administered by the Forestry Commission, is supporting new woodland creation and Plantations on Ancient Woodland Sites (PAWS) restoration projects around the Phase One route between London and the
Arrowpoint Advisory’s Energy Transition and Infrastructure team has advised Balfour Beatty Investments (“BBI”) on its entry into the on-street Electric Vehicle charging market with the formation of Urban Fox – a partnership with Urban Electric Networks, a British EV chargepoint operating company. Balfour Beatty Investments expects to invest up to
National law firm’s property division now has 29 partners and over 150 qualified lawyers National law firm Irwin Mitchell is expanding its Real Estate Disputes Team with the recruitment of a new partner, William Scott, who will be based in the firm’s London office. The appointment takes the specialist disputes
Fire crews from the Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service were called to a massive fire at a commercial building in South Wigston. The early morning blaze at Paragon destroyed much of the facility and will result in work being redistributed and staff redeployed at other locations in the wider group.
We will reap the economic and environmental benefits when we save culturally significant urban centres by breathing new life into towns and cities across the United Kingdom, says Queensberry founder, Paul Sargent. Paul Sargent commented: “Regeneration in the UK acts as a powerful catalyst for economic growth, with the likes
Paul Marsden, Technical Specification Manager at Baxi, has been appointed as the new chair of the Society of Public Health Engineers’ Industry Working Group. SoPHE aims to provide a higher profile and focus for public health engineers within the Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) as well as within
FIRE safety businesses across Scotland are being offered the chance to bid for potential work worth up to £20 million to support a wide range of public bodies. A leading Scottish procurement firm has invited businesses to apply for it its new fire safety framework, which launches in early 2024.
Schlüter-Systems, as a leading manufacturer of tile installation products, also offers both conventional underfloor heating (UFH) and an electrical undertile heating alternative suitable for diverse applications: the manufacturer’s two CAD-enabled options for the 21st century – BEKOTEC-THERM and DITRA-HEAT E. The first is a hydronic system that can be installed
A multi-million pound upgrade to the electricity network is now benefiting 80,000 homes and businesses across Cheshire – and setting them up for a cleaner and greener future – thanks to SP Energy Networks. The £23 million investment gives a new lease of life to Crewe Grid substation – originally
A special breaking ground celebration was held last week to mark the start of construction to build Oriel, a new eye care, research and education centre in Camden. The integrated centre will be the new home to Oriel partners: Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Eye Charity. Bouygues UK is the leading contractor who will build the centre which is due to open in 2027. The new centre – part of the New Hospital Programme, the biggest hospital building programme in a generation – will harness the expertise of the partners under one roof to enable closer collaborative working between clinicians and researchers. This will speed up delivery of the highest quality treatments and therapies for patients in the UK and globally. Breaking ground is an important construction milestone which publicly marks the start of building work on site. Guests at the event included Lord Markham CBE, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Health and Social Care, key staff involved in the development and design of Oriel, NHS leaders and leadership donors who are supporting the project. Dr Martin Kuper, Moorfields Eye Hospital chief executive, said: “We have been looking forward to this breaking ground event for a long time. It signifies we are now in the construction stage of the project to build the new home for Moorfields Eye Hospital and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology. Thank you to everyone who has worked so hard to get us to this stage. This centre will support our global reputation for excellence and help us deliver outstanding care for all our patients.” Professor Alan Thompson, Dean of the UCL Faculty of Brain Sciences, said: “Being part of breaking ground really brought home that construction of our new centre is about to start. This is a hugely exciting milestone for Oriel and a great opportunity to celebrate all the work it has taken to get to this point. Oriel will allow us to drive forward innovation to support our work in the long-term and strengthen our partnership with Moorfields to deliver real benefits for patients.” Robert Dufton, Moorfields Eye Charity chief executive, said: “We were delighted to invite our generous leadership donors to this exciting event. It gave us an opportunity to thank them for their support. Philanthropy is a key part of the Oriel funding mix and has a vital role to secure the future of eye health on a global scale. We look forward to talking to more interested donors.” Fabienne Viala, chair of Bouygues Construction in the United Kingdom, said: “In our construction industry, breaking ground is always a very exciting moment. It signifies a huge step forward to start building and is a real opportunity to celebrate. We are so proud to be the leading contractor for this innovative building which will be an exemplar for accessibility, tailored to the needs of patients, and designed flexibly to meet future needs.” Health Minister Lord Markham said: “It was an honour to attend the breaking ground event to mark the start of construction to build Oriel, which is part of the biggest hospital building in a generation. The new centre will advance eye care, research and education to deliver innovative new ways of working, with closer collaboration between clinicians and researchers, enabling quicker delivery of new treatments and therapies for patients. We continue to work closely with the NHS to improve services and Oriel is part of our commitment to build 40 new hospitals by 2030, which is now expected to be backed by over £20 billion of investment.” Natalie Forrest, senior responsible owner of the New Hospital Programme, said: “This exciting event, which marks the start of construction for the new eye care, research and education hospital is such a momentous milestone. I am delighted to see the project move forward as part of the New Hospital Programme, which marks a step change in how we design and build new hospital facilities. This incredible state-of-the-art facility will transform eye care and health for people across the country.” The Oriel site was previously owned by Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust. In February 2023, Moorfields acquired the site through an NHS-to-NHS transaction approved by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and a £300 million contract was awarded to Bouygues UK to build Oriel. Demolition of six buildings on the Oriel site started in late February and construction of the 10- storey, 47,000 sq. m, centre has now begun on site. To see our timelapse video of demolition on the site please visit Demolition – Oriel (oriel-london.org.uk). The new centre will be located in the heart of the Knowledge Quarter, an internationally renowned hub for science and innovation. It is close to several NHS, commercial and charity partners as well as UCL’s Bloomsbury campus. For the second year running, UCL was named second in the world for the strength of its international research network, which is central to their mission as London’s global university. For more information about Oriel, the construction programme and upcoming milestones please visit www.oriel-london.org.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Video of West Wycombe Estate in Buckinghamshire – one of the projects which has received funding: A £5 million HS2 Woodland Fund, administered by the Forestry Commission, is supporting new woodland creation and Plantations on Ancient Woodland Sites (PAWS) restoration projects around the Phase One route between London and the West Midlands. To date, a total of £1.75 million has been allocated across 35 schemes. This has resulted in the restoration of over 66 hectares of ancient woodland, including the planting of over 110,000 trees; and over 130 hectares of new native woodland, with around 220,000 trees planted. The fund provides support for landowners in the area 25 miles around the Phase One route. This goes beyond HS2’s existing environmental programme to plant 7 million trees and create over 33 square kilometres of wildlife habitat. James Hicks, Biodiversity Policy Specialist at HS2 Ltd said: “We’re designing HS2 to be a railway that respects the natural environment by conserving, replacing and enhancing wildlife habitats with a new ‘green corridor’ along the route. This will create a network of bigger, better-connected, climate resilient habitats and new green spaces for people and wildlife to enjoy in the future. “Over and above our required mitigation, our HS2 Woodland Fund provides important additional financial support for areas near the route to help compensate for unavoidable impacts to ancient woodlands.” Sir William Worsley, Forestry Commission Chair, said: “We must ensure that woodlands and habitats impacted by HS2 are effectively restored and protected. “The HS2 Fund will continue to facilitate the creation of new woodland and bring new life to ancient woodlands around the Phase One route between London and the West Midlands.” The HS2 Woodland Fund on Phase One provides funding to restore and maintain PAWS sites, including restocking with native trees and shrubs, and associated items including fencing, gates and natural flood management items. It also provides funding for creating, protecting and maintaining new native woodland through the England Woodland Creation Offer – part of a suite of Forestry Commission initiatives to support woodland creation and tree planting across England. West Wycombe Estate in Buckinghamshire is one of the projects which has received funding to restore one of their ancient woodland sites and is now seeing the benefits. Over 15,000 native trees were planted on a site that is very well used by the public, which was previously planted with non-native Japanese Larch that had suffered from damage by squirrels. David Hunt, Forest Manager at West Wycombe Estate said: “With the funding available from HS2, it made it an obvious choice for us to opt for going back to restore native ancient woodland on the estate. The benefits of planting woodland on ancient sites is really wildlife conservation, biodiversity and landscape as opposed to commercial woodlands. The funding from HS2 has been really important for us, and anyone interested in this woodland can see the benefits of going back to native tree planting.” HS2 Ltd are working to extend the Woodland Fund for Phase 2a with an additional £2million of funding available. A £1million HS2 Woodland Fund was also announced on Phase 2b in January 2023 which will be launched following Royal Assent. More information on the HS2 Woodland Fund, including the locations of schemes delivered to date, can be found on the HS2 website: https://www.hs2.org.uk/building-hs2/environmental-sustainability/ancient-woodland/ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Arrowpoint Advisory’s Energy Transition and Infrastructure team has advised Balfour Beatty Investments (“BBI”) on its entry into the on-street Electric Vehicle charging market with the formation of Urban Fox – a partnership with Urban Electric Networks, a British EV chargepoint operating company. Balfour Beatty Investments expects to invest up to £60 million of capital in the partnership to fund the roll out of up to 35,000 charge points across the UK over the next decade. Urban Fox offers local authorities a whole life solution to EV chargepoints: funding, building, operating and maintaining a range of fast, rapid and slow chargepoints across the counties in which they will be deployed. Its innovative 7kW on-street chargepoint is the first of its kind to the market. Installed into the pavement, the unit is fully retractable underground leaving pavements clutter free and accessible when not in use. With 43% of British households without access to off-street parking, and the growing demand and uptake of electric vehicles, Urban Fox’s quick installation and replacement process allows additional chargepoints to be easily installed as demand dictates. Ian Brown, Managing Director at Arrowpoint Advisory, concluded: “We are thrilled to have advised Balfour Beatty Investments on this new venture to support the build out of critical infrastructure required for the transition to electric vehicles. We are excited about the potential this partnership with Urban Electric Networks will bring to the UK.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
National law firm’s property division now has 29 partners and over 150 qualified lawyers National law firm Irwin Mitchell is expanding its Real Estate Disputes Team with the recruitment of a new partner, William Scott, who will be based in the firm’s London office. The appointment takes the specialist disputes team to 25, including four partners and four senior associates, based in offices across the UK. The team is jointly led by partners Danny Revitt and Tim Rayner and sits within Irwin Mitchell’s Property Division which will now number 29 partners and over 150 qualified lawyers. Will will be working with London Head of Real Estate Disputes, partner Paul Henson in a team of seven specialist real estate disputes lawyers in London. He joins Irwin Mitchell from Bates Wells where he was Head of Real Estate Disputes since April 2019, having joined the firm as a solicitor in 2008. Will has extensive experience of working for both landlords and tenants advising on all aspects of disputes relating to commercial landlord and tenant relationships. He has particular expertise in acting for corporate occupiers, charities, retailers, unions, educational establishments and individuals. Day to day work includes advising on service charge disputes, dilapidations claims, all aspects of exits from property, lease renewals, forfeitures and possession claims. He has also built up a reputation amongst clients and led on ESG property related matters, business rates, telecoms issues and the Real Estate aspects of the impact economy. He is a member of the Property Litigation Association. Danny Revitt, Joint Head of Real Estate Disputes at Irwin Mitchell said, “Will’s arrival will be a real boost to our national Real Estate Disputes practice, particularly in London, where we are already highly regarded but are keen to develop and grow the team further. His expertise in ESG, business rates and telecoms will further strengthen our offer as these are key issues our clients are concerned about and wish us to help address.” Tim Rayner, Joint Head of Real Estate Disputes at Irwin Mitchell added, “Our national Real Estates Disputes Team has more than doubled in size in the last five years, reflecting the challenges investors, developers and occupiers face in the modern real estate industry. We have a strong and sizeable practice already but look forward to working with Will to further strengthen our offer to clients. We wish him a warm welcome.” Irwin Mitchell has continued to invest heavily in its team focused on the corporate, property and institutions audience. Earlier this year it announced the arrival of construction partner Robert Tunningley, banking partner Jeremy Ladyman, two corporate/property tax partners, Kate Featherstone and Jennie Newton and most recently corporate partner Geraint Lloyd. The firm is committed to the ESG agenda and has developed its own service for clients. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Fire crews from the Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service were called to a massive fire at a commercial building in South Wigston. The early morning blaze at Paragon destroyed much of the facility and will result in work being redistributed and staff redeployed at other locations in the wider group. The building did not have the benefit of an automatic sprinkler system. The June 15th blaze broke out at the Paragon Building in Saffron Road and required 11 fire crews and more than 100 firefighters from the Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service to contain it. The large demand for water to tackle the fire was supported by drawing from the Grand Union Canal and pumping it one kilometre to the site. There were several buildings impacted by the fire which required huge resources including an aerial ladder platform in order to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby businesses. Local residents had to contend with large plumes of smoke shortly after the fire broke out. While the business reports 250 people employed at this inbound mail processing facility, there were 134 present at the site that day. Thankfully, there were no reported injuries in the blaze. The impact on the local community and environment was significant with local road closures, trains halted and nearby residents forced to close windows and doors. There were a number of measures employed to minimise the impact of pollution to the local environment. The business was reported to be initiating a business contingency plan to manage the impact of this catastrophic fire. What remains of their sprawling 15,000m2 facility is reported to need to be demolished and disposed of. This fire is perhaps one of the largest of recent weeks consuming much of a 15,000m2 facility. Many people would be surprised by the scale of the fire given that it was a commercial mail handling operation. However, it is not alone in impacting a company and its operations. Another two businesses counting the cost and damage of a destructive fire are on an industrial estate in Corby. In the early hours of April 25th, fire crews from Northampton Fire and Rescue Service were called to a major fire in a warehouse unit which housed two businesses. This building was a modestly sized floor area of about 2,000m2. At the height of the blaze, there were nine fire engines tackling the flames with appliances from Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire and Leicestershire. The fire and rescue service contained the fire but were unable to save the building which was completely destroyed. Halting the spread of fire when it is first detected is the best way to limit damage and minimise costs and impacts. Sprinklers have been shown to contain, control or extinguish fires in 99% of cases when caused to operate1. The impacted business can be operational within hours, avoiding the economic and social costs. Commercial and industrial fires such as these once again underscore the need for an increased emphasis of resilience alongside life safety as a reasonable requirement. Recognising this importance would result in more buildings being designed and constructed to withstand disproportionate damage, using combinations of passive and active fire safety measures. For more information about the BSA visit the www.business-sprinkler-alliance.org Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
We will reap the economic and environmental benefits when we save culturally significant urban centres by breathing new life into towns and cities across the United Kingdom, says Queensberry founder, Paul Sargent. Paul Sargent commented: “Regeneration in the UK acts as a powerful catalyst for economic growth, with the likes of London, Manchester, and Edinburgh already experiencing the benefits of investment in their cities. “Regeneration initiatives nurture entrepreneurial spirit by providing a fertile ground for new businesses to flourish. With improved infrastructure, affordable workspaces, and access to skilled talent, our towns and cities can become incubators for innovation and entrepreneurship. “We need to continue to invest in towns and cities up and down the UK to ensure they become magnets for businesses, entrepreneurship, and job creation. This injection of economic activity has a multiplier effect, stimulating various industries and contributing to the overall prosperity of the region. “There are great opportunities to increase tourism through regeneration, too. By preserving historical landmarks, developing cultural venues, and investing in world-class attractions, regeneration projects have the ability to transform cities into vibrant cultural and leisure destinations. “At Queensberry, we believe regeneration is not solely about economic gains; it is about improving the quality of life for all residents and visitors. Thoughtfully designed neighbourhoods, sustainable development, and accessible green spaces foster social cohesion and promote well-being, creating vibrant and inclusive communities that people are proud to call home. “It’s predicted that 340,000 new homes are needed in the UK each year to 2035, and with these new homes, we need to ensure that there are sufficient facilities to drive social mobility and create a fairer, more equitable society. Collaboration between public and private sectors is pivotal to ensure the benefits of regeneration are shared by all segments of the population. “Regeneration efforts prioritise sustainable development, incorporating green building practices and renewable energy solutions. By embracing environmentally conscious design, our towns and cities can reduce their carbon footprint, enhance energy efficiency, and mitigate the impacts of climate change. “Sustainable buildings not only benefit the environment but also contribute to the overall health and well-being of residents, creating healthier and liveable communities. “We are also presented with a unique opportunity to address regional inequalities and bridge divides through regeneration projects in our towns and cities. By investing in infrastructure, education, and employment opportunities, we can create a more level playing field, ensuring that economic benefits are shard across the country.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Paul Marsden, Technical Specification Manager at Baxi, has been appointed as the new chair of the Society of Public Health Engineers’ Industry Working Group. SoPHE aims to provide a higher profile and focus for public health engineers within the Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) as well as within the building services industry. An Affiliate member of CIBSE and SoPHE and a member of the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE), Paul’s whole career has been centred around commercial hot water generation and Public Health Engineering. He uses his wealth of experience and expertise of hot water systems and renewable/LZC technologies to help Public Health and Mechanical Engineers understand the relationship between the product/s, the application/s and the system/s they are designing. Paul has an ONC in Gas Utilisation and City and Guilds in Gas Services and regularly represents both Baxi and the wider industry delivering a variety of training and CPD presentations and seminars. More recently he has developed training events and courses targeted at young and graduate engineers. As Chair of the Industry Working Group, Paul will work with SoPHE members to offer the support and assistance required to help further the profile of this very important Building Services sector. Paul said: “I am delighted to be appointed as the SoPHE IWG chair and look forward to building upon the work of my predecessors. The increasing focus upon decarbonisation will not only impact upon how buildings are designed, but also how products are designed and manufactured. This represents both challenges and opportunities and makes for an exciting time in which to be involved as we transition to a low / zero carbon future.” For more information on Baxi’s commercial heating and hot water solutions, visit: https://www.baxi.co.uk/about-us/our-brands Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
FIRE safety businesses across Scotland are being offered the chance to bid for potential work worth up to £20 million to support a wide range of public bodies. A leading Scottish procurement firm has invited businesses to apply for it its new fire safety framework, which launches in early 2024. Potential suppliers include consultants, assessors and experts who can install safety measures from fire doors and alarms to sprinkler systems. It also covers vital remedial cladding for public buildings – a significant issue felt nationwide in the wake of the 2017 Grenfell Tower tragedy which claimed 72 lives. Interested firms and experts have until August 24 to lodge applications with the Scottish Procurement Alliance (SPA), the country’s largest, free-to-join procurement organisation for public sector buyers. Lesley Anderson, Regional Director at SPA, said: “Following the Grenfell Tower tragedy, fire safety has become a paramount concern for local authorities and social housing providers. They are prioritising the preparedness of buildings in the event of a fire. “We’re extremely proud of this important evolution of our fire safety framework, which will give public organisations peace of mind. They can be assured that any works or services they are undertaking will be delivered by proven and fully-qualified experts to meet the most exacting, current standards.” Known as FS2, it combines two previous SPA frameworks while adding in a host of active fire safety measures including sprinklers, wet and dry risers, emergency lighting, domestic alarms and waking watch services. It also covers fire panels, automatic opening ventilation (AOV) and – crucially in the wake of the Grenfell disaster – cladding assessment and remedial work. It was developed with input from experts to meet post-Grenfell building safety legislation, introduced on both sides of the border. Lesley added: “This is an outstanding opportunity for businesses with expertise and capability in fire safety. They have a chance to put themselves in front of the public bodies who need their services. “With an emphasis on local suppliers, FS2 aims to ensure that vital contracts are delivered efficiently and to benefit the local economy. It offers Scottish SMEs a chance to increase their business opportunities creating jobs and employment across the country.” SPA works with 120 public sector organisations and its frameworks offer an efficient and compliant route to market for the construction, refurbishment and maintenance of social housing and public buildings. Partners include councils, housing associations, blue light services, the NHS, further and higher education providers and many other public bodies. Currently, SPA has 600 live projects totalling £1.1bn in contracts covered by its 17 frameworks – from new build housing, modular construction, to asbestos services, energy efficiency and construction consultancy services. As part of FS2, there will be eight workstreams, covering Fire Consultancy; Fire Risk Assessments; Waking Watch; Installation and Remediation of Passive Fire Protection; Installation Servicing and Maintenance of Active Fire Protection; Installation, Servicing and Maintenance of Fire Suppression; Cladding Remediation; Multi-Disciplinary. SPA advise that bidders must be able to demonstrate a minimum turnover of £250k to be awarded to the framework, which will cover North-Eastern Scotland, Highlands and Islands, Eastern Scotland, West Central Scotland and Southern Scotland. The framework is split into lots by region. Bidders can apply for regions that best suit their capabilities/focus. As a proud not-for-profit, SPA reinvests its surpluses into Scottish communities through its Community Benefit Fund (CBF) by working with its dedicated charity, Lintel Trust. Since 2017, the CBF has allocated over £1.7 million in grants and match funding to support 102 community groups, charities, and causes. Projects have included Holiday Hunger programmes, community gardens, digital and social inclusion, employability initiatives, apprenticeship support funds and specialist mental health services. They have helped improve the lives of at least 19,000 people, while delivering social value of more than £3.9million. Interested fire safety experts can find out more details here – https://in-tendhost.co.uk/lhc/aspx/ProjectManage/15 For more information on the Scottish Procurement Alliance, visit https://www.scottishprocurement.scot/ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Schlüter-Systems, as a leading manufacturer of tile installation products, also offers both conventional underfloor heating (UFH) and an electrical undertile heating alternative suitable for diverse applications: the manufacturer’s two CAD-enabled options for the 21st century – BEKOTEC-THERM and DITRA-HEAT E. The first is a hydronic system that can be installed in the traditional way beneath different floor finishes throughout the home or in commercial buildings. But unlike many rival UFH systems, BEKOTEC-THERM is based on studded modular panels which are quick and easy to install and offer a low build height with rapid warm up times. A screed is laid across the pipe runs and, rather than waiting weeks for it to cure, tiling operations can commence as soon as the surface is hard enough to walk on by using Schlüter-Systems’ DITRA uncoupling mat which means BEKOTEC-THERM is ideal for time-critical refurbishment contracts such as in shops and offices. Then, as an electric powered undertile solution, applications for DITRA-HEAT E are only limited by the imagination: they encompass demisting mirrors, warming walls or seats in spas and showers, and vanity areas or countertops. DITRA-HEAT further finds applications for flooring and plant shelving in conservatories while the system has been specified widely in prestigious locations such as The Lanesborough Hotel and Langham’s in London. Schlüter-Systems’ Technical Specifications Consultant, Tony Taylor-Sheriff, commented: “UFH technology has progressed enormously since the Roman Hypocaust, but there is still much that is not understood across the wider construction industry regarding relevant efficiencies and potential problems such as the importance of uncoupling layers, load distribution and vapour management. Our solutions have been developed to help professionals achieve quick and energy efficient installations, with BEKOTEC-THERM, for example, being able to offer the benefit of low temperature flow which makes it ideal for use with heat pumps or other renewable sources of heat. DITRA-HEAT E likewise offers rapid response and is very flexible in use.” For specifiers and architects, as well as installers of flooring finishes wishing to increase their knowledge of underfloor heating technology, Schlüter-Systems also offers a CPD seminar entitled Specifying Integrated Underfloor Heating Systems which can be delivered online or in person. With more than 2,300 employees and seven offices across Europe and North America, Schlüter-Systems is the world’s largest and most innovative manufacturer of system solutions for the function, protection and decoration of tiles and natural stone flooring. Schluter-Systems in the UK offers a very wide product portfolio including the Schluter-KERDI range waterproofing membranes, the versatile tilebacker KERDI-BOARD and its underfloor heating solutions. For further information, call 01530 813396 or visit https://www.schluter.co.uk/ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A multi-million pound upgrade to the electricity network is now benefiting 80,000 homes and businesses across Cheshire – and setting them up for a cleaner and greener future – thanks to SP Energy Networks. The £23 million investment gives a new lease of life to Crewe Grid substation – originally commissioned in 1966 – and will help ensure the network is able to cope with the growing number of green technologies, like electric vehicles and heat pumps, that will need to connect to the grid in the months and years ahead. Mark Sobczak, 132kV General Manager at SP Energy Networks, said: “This project marks a significant milestone as we strive to ensure our distribution network provides a secure and reliable service now and in the future. “Crewe substation was designed and built decades ago when the world was a very different place and how we used electricity, and where it came from, were nothing like the electricity system we have today. “This upgrade, using the latest innovation and technology, means that Crewe will remain right at the heart of our network as we move towards a net zero future and will continue to make a difference for generations to come. “It also supports our commitment to embedding sustainability across our operations, through our supply chain, across the industry and into our everyday lives. “ The project supports SP Energy Networks work to provide energy security for the UK – supporting jobs, the supply chain and the wider economy. It will ensure no community is left behind in the transition to low carbon technology and net zero emissions. For more information about SP Energy Networks and its services, visit: spenergynetworks.co.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals