The latest plans have been approved for the new 12,500 capacity international grade Sage Arena and International Conference Centre (ICC), located in the heart of Gateshead on the banks of the River Tyne. On Wednesday 12th July 2023, Gateshead Council’s planning committee granted permission for revised plans for the ICC
Panattoni is the largest logistics real estate developer in Europe for the seventh year in a row, according to PropertyEU’s annual survey of logistics developers. Panattoni delivered more than 86 million sq ft of warehouse space in 302 developments over the three years to the end of 2022, which was more than three times the amount of its nearest competitor. Panattoni currently has
GLP, the leading global investment manager and business builder in logistics, digital infrastructure, renewable energy and related technologies, and Syzygy, Europe’s leading consultancy in renewable energy, energy storage and electric vehicle infrastructure projects, have completed work on G-Park Zevenaar. Syzygy has supported GLP for the past three years to establish
The completion of 15 brand new affordable rural homes was officially marked by the community of Icklesham in East Sussex on Friday 14 July 2023. Prior to the houses being built, there were a total of 167 affordable homes in the area of Icklesham. The 15 new homes represent a
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
The latest plans have been approved for the new 12,500 capacity international grade Sage Arena and International Conference Centre (ICC), located in the heart of Gateshead on the banks of the River Tyne. On Wednesday 12th July 2023, Gateshead Council’s planning committee granted permission for revised plans for the ICC and Arena, as well as an urban park, which will enhance biodiversity in the area and provide both pedestrian link and lift access from South Shore Road and the Millennium Bridge area up to Hawks Road, Gateshead College and the recently approved hotels. Whilst the development most recently gained planning permission in March 2022, a revised planning application was submitted in March 2023 due to design and scheme changes. The dual branded 344 bed hotel has been relocated to vacant land within Baltic Quarter, directly opposite The Sage development, and the land occupied by the hotels in the original design, will be opened up as an urban park bringing valuable green space into the area and enhancing biodiversity. Changes within the planning application also included updates to the timeline for the delivery of The Sage. A number of global factors outside the Council and its partners control have impacted, and are continuing to impact, on the development. The issues include the ongoing impact of Covid on the supply chain, inflationary pressures, energy prices and the war in Ukraine. To mitigate these impacts the developer has broken down the scheme into smaller delivery packages. Construction work is due to begin this Autumn on what forms one of the major projects for Gateshead Council and the region, the Sage International Conference Centre. Opening in 2025, the ICC includes 5,720sqm state of the art exhibition space, 2,520sqm adaptable meeting space, 17 conference rooms and a banqueting suite. A regional asset, the ICC will be the only such facility between Yorkshire and Scotland and will bring the world stage to the North East, much like the Arena and ICC sponsor, Sage Plc. There has already been very strong interest from the international conference market in hosting in Gateshead. The Sage Arena and International Conference Centre will transform the south bank of the River Tyne into one of the UK’s most dynamic visitor destinations. The impact on the visitor economy is vast, bringing an estimated 1 million+ additional visitors to the world -famous Quayside, many for overnight stays. The potential ongoing economic impact is transformational for the businesses and residents of Gateshead, with a direct investment of over £99m per annum in the local economy and an additional £70m of direct investment beyond the venue itself, particularly in the local hospitality sector. Add 2000 jobs, links to local labour and apprenticeships and the flagship project will act as a catalyst for the regeneration of the surrounding area and beyond. Earlier this year, Gateshead Council secured £20m in funding from the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund. The Government recognised the economic impact the development will have, how it is a vital piece in the jigsaw for increasing opportunities for residents to secure long term sustainable jobs, promoting local business, restoring civic pride in the borough and bringing millions of pounds of investment to Gateshead and the North East region. The development acts as a catalyst for £2billion of investment of multi purpose development which will be fundamental in transforming the riverside from Gateshead Quays to the Derwent Valley. Gateshead Council is working closely with the private sector to attract investment to the borough. There are multiple investment opportunities on the banks of the River Tyne and beyond, including land for up to 6,000 homes and up-to 700,000 sqm of commercial development. In June 2023, the contractor for the adjacent hotel was announced as Russell WBHO. The hotel will be located on a 0.5-acre site at the corner of Quarryfield Road and Hawks Road, accommodating future visitors to The Sage International Conference Centre and Arena, as well as supporting the wider region. The planning application for the 180,898 sq ft, nine storey hotel was approved by Gateshead Council in March 23 and Russell WBHO is planning to commence work on the two year build programme before the end of the year. Designed by AHR Architects, the hotel will feature restaurants, bars and business meeting rooms as well as a gym and will be managed by Vine Hotels. The hotel is expected to create 75 full time hospitality jobs with an additional 40 new roles across the regional supply chain. The hotel will have the ability to accommodate 210,000 visitor nights per year, contributing an estimated £13m annual contribution being made to the local economy. It is estimated that the Sage development will provide over 2000 jobs, and the companies running the buildings will engage positively to employ local people with Working Gateshead – a team of trained coaches within Gateshead Council who support Gateshead residents to find a job. This will include c650 construction jobs, working with the contractors to establish a construction training village securing opportunities for local young people. It is also estimated there will be 300 jobs throughout the wider supply chain. Martin Gannon, Leader of Gateshead Council, said: ‘‘Today marks another major milestone in the project and we’re looking forward to bringing the Sage Arena and ICC to Gateshead, attracting high-profile events and conferences to our region. The development will bring numerous opportunities and benefits to our residents, attracting visitors and creating jobs and bringing millions of pounds of investment to Gateshead and the North East.’’ “This is an excellent step forward. We welcome all progress on the Sage Arena and International Conference Centre (ICC). It will be such a transformational asset for our whole region, showcasing our strengths to a global audience and supporting the growth of our visitor economy.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Panattoni is the largest logistics real estate developer in Europe for the seventh year in a row, according to PropertyEU’s annual survey of logistics developers. Panattoni delivered more than 86 million sq ft of warehouse space in 302 developments over the three years to the end of 2022, which was more than three times the amount of its nearest competitor. Panattoni currently has more than 43 million sq ft of warehouse space under construction with an investment value of €5 billion, which is nearly 30% of the entire European development market of 150 million sq ft, according to PropertyEU. Each year, PropertyEU publishes a list of the largest logistics real estate developers, based on the volume of floorspace delivered to the market. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
GLP, the leading global investment manager and business builder in logistics, digital infrastructure, renewable energy and related technologies, and Syzygy, Europe’s leading consultancy in renewable energy, energy storage and electric vehicle infrastructure projects, have completed work on G-Park Zevenaar. Syzygy has supported GLP for the past three years to establish the company’s pan-European solar PV strategy, as well as the tactics to make its portfolio more sustainable through embedded renewable energy generation. G-Park Zevenaar is a 133,000 SQM logistics complex and represents a major investment in renewable energy by GLP Europe. The site is one of four in the company’s PV programme. G-Park Zevenaar, located at the business park 7Poort, close to the German border near the Rhine River, is a hugely significant embedded solar PV project in the Netherlands. The business park houses a vast roof-mounted solar PV system with a total installed capacity of 16.2MWp. It covers an area the size of 21 football pitches and saving 4,629 tonnes of CO2 per year and an anticipated 78,227 tonnes of CO2 across a 25-year lifespan. The impressive development was installed by solar deployment leaders Ecorus BV and is set to achieve BREEAM Excellent certification. At nearly 11.5 hectares, G-Park Zevenaar is now the second largest solar PV installation on a logistics building in the Netherlands, and among the top 20 largest installations in Europe. The project was granted the SDE++ subsidy – a government-funded incentive to stimulate sustainable energy production and facilitate the wider energy transition. In addition, the energy generated will be exported to the grid and part of it will be diverted to the tenant for on-site consumption. This will improve revenue potential and deliver the benefit of Guarantee of Origin (GoOs) to both the landlord and occupiers. Stefano Fissolo, Senior Director for Renewables at GLP Europe, commented: “Through our collaborative partnership with Syzygy, GLP is set firmly on its path to achieve its net zero goals through the development of one of Europe’s largest PV installations. The economic benefits that customers will enjoy through the cost savings in energy reduction will be just one of many attractions this project will offer to future occupiers. This is only the start of our ambitious European renewables programme; we’re excited to roll out further projects and utilise the latest technologies to maintain our industry-leading position in sustainability.” John Macdonald-Brown, CEO of Syzygy, commented: “It has been an incredible journey to get to this point with our friends at GLP. This started in March 2020 as we all went into lockdown with a deep dive research project to support the development of a pan-European renewable energy strategy for Natali Cooper and Nick Cook at GLP. These projects do not happen overnight and we can only praise the extraordinary work our European research Director, Cecile Bousquet who has led this initiative since we started. We are just the supporting cast. We cannot thank GLP enough for their drive and commitment to actually ‘getting things done’ and showing real leadership in this space. GLP has had their customers at the heart of this strategy throughout – it is impossible to deliver decarbonisation, at scale and in a commercially sustainable way, without genuine collaboration with your customers. GLP’s plans from here are impressive and there is much more coming down the line which is really exciting. Zevenaar is the second Netherlands project to have been delivered, but its scale is quite extraordinary – the size of 20 football pitches, generating enough power to supply 3,000 homes or to drive over 4.5m emission—free miles in an electric vehicle!” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The completion of 15 brand new affordable rural homes was officially marked by the community of Icklesham in East Sussex on Friday 14 July 2023. Prior to the houses being built, there were a total of 167 affordable homes in the area of Icklesham. The 15 new homes represent a 9% increase in social housing provision, making a significant difference to the lives of local people in the Parish. The land, which was originally owned by local residents Eric and Wendy Hysted, was purchased by Icklesham Parish Community Land Trust (IPCLT) and then leased to Hastoe Housing Association to develop and manage the homes on their behalf. Fifteen homes have been developed at Orchard Close on the former agricultural land: 12 for social rent and 3 for shared ownership. All homes have been prioritised for people with a local connection to the Civil Parish of Icklesham, such as those working in the village, those with close family in the area, or those who have previously lived there but have been forced to move out because of a lack of affordable housing. Works began on site in June 2021 and were completed in August 2022 with all homes built to a high standard of energy efficiency. Before construction started, an archaeological survey was carried out and small pieces of broken Roman pottery were found along with the remains of a Roman Cremation Vessel. There was also an unusual find with evidence of a cremation burial inside a square-ditched enclosure – possibly that of a child. It is not known if the excavated deposits were self-contained or are part of a larger settled area. The Icklesham Parish Community Land Trust played a pivotal role in the development of the site working in partnership with Icklesham Parish Council, Sussex Community Housing Hub, Rother District Council, Hastoe Housing Association, ECE Architecture, Westridge Construction Limited and employer’s agent McCreith Construction Consultants. Hastoe invested £2,130,260 into the development, with a further £1,068,000 from Homes England and a grant of £297,000 from Rother District Council. All partners, as well as local councillors, attended the official completion of works including residents who had moved in this year. The occasion was commemorated with the cutting of a ribbon. Speaking at the event, Geoff Foot, Chairman of Icklesham Parish Community Land Trust, said: “For many years Icklesham Parish Council has been concerned at the dearth of local affordable housing due to rising local house prices and the lack of affordable housing options. Younger families were having to leave the villages, or were having to live in unsuitable accommodation. We received over 500 bids for the houses and a number of deserving applicants had to be turned down. Certainly for me it brought home the scale of the problem with the lack of local affordable housing, both here and across the district.” Local land owner, Eric Hysted, said: “Wendy and I are very pleased to have been able to play a part in bringing this project to life. Having brought up two daughters in the village ourselves, who eventually needed homes of their own, we could really see the benefit of supporting a very locally-focused housing scheme. It would provide young families in particular with the opportunity to live locally and, over time, the younger element would greatly benefit our village attending the village school and supporting local clubs, pubs, etc.” Cllr Ruairí McCourt, Cabinet Member for Housing at Rother District Council, said: “I was delighted to attend the event to mark the completion of this scheme at Icklesham, and I would like to thank all the partners involved for their work on this fantastic project. We are really keen to see more social and affordable housing across the district which will help tackle homelessness and insecure housing. Decent, secure housing – like these wonderful homes at Icklesham – not only boosts the health and wellbeing of their residents, but they also help to create sustainable communities for local people well into the future.” Hastoe Board Member, Robert Rutledge, said: “On behalf of Hastoe, I would like to congratulate everyone on the completion of these fantastic homes. I know that 15 homes doesn’t sound like a lot, but they represent a 9% increase in social housing provision in the Parish and they have certainly make a huge difference to the lives of the people who live in them. What’s more, homes built by CLTs cannot be sold off, so these homes will be kept for the benefit of the community in perpetuity.” A spokesperson for Homes England said: “Despite the current challenges affecting the country, accelerating housebuilding remains our number one priority. We are committed to supporting Hastoe Housing Association that has ambitions to build new homes, and our investment through an affordable housing grant allows us to do that. We’re delighted that our funding has enabled Hastoe Housing Association to deliver much needed new homes in the Civil Parish of Icklesham.” Orchard Close tenant, Libby Gibbons, said: “Where I lived before there were 7 of us in a small 3-bedroom house and we were living on top of each other. Then me and my partner moved here and our son was born a few weeks later. It’s made a massive difference to our lives, having our own home, having lots of space and a garden. I love it.” Orchard Close tenant, Rowland Gardner, said: “I’ve lived in Icklesham previously for around 20 years. Sheila and me lived in a park home prior to our move here. We’re delighted with our new home.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
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