The gap between record 2021 volumes and low 2022 volumes began to close in November, with imports resembling more regular winter totals. The disparity in total volumes between 2021 and 2022 was just 14% in November, compared to 22% in October and 21% in September. The reduced disparity between 2021
The final chapter for one of the UK’s great urban regeneration success stories has begun with the appointment of a team to market 7.6 acres of prime waterfront land. Liverpool City Council has procured Faithful+Gould as Development Manager, and BDP, as Architect, to lead on the design process for the
Prologis, the UK’s leading owner and developer of logistics real estate has completed and leased two distribution centres at RFI DIRFT (Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal), adding over 514,000 sq. ft. of prime logistics real estate to the market. The two build-to-suit units, DC6 (232,302 sq. ft.) and DC7 (281,890
Building services and engineering consultants FHP has been specified to provide MEP and design services for a multi-million-pound residential led mixed-use regeneration project in North London. The firm is providing a range of RIBA Stage 3, 4 and 5 MEP technical and construction Revit design services to the city’s leading
Today, PlanRadar, a leading digital construction, real estate and facilities management platform, announces that it has been adopted by leading fire safety and passive fire protection measures consultancy, Global HSE Solutions. PlanRadar’s powerful software will support the company’s Global Technical Services (GTS) division, which provides fire engineering advice and expertise
Acting for Wates Developments in probably the biggest land deal to take place within the region since September’s mini budget, Leaders Romans Group (LRG), has sold a residential development site in Windsor from Wates Developments to Crest Nicholson. As a leading residential housebuilder with a track record in creating well
A RAPIDLY expanding housebuilder has restructured its management team to drive its ambitious plans for further growth. Since being founded in 2017, Genesis Homes has grown from a 10 unit per year company to one constructing in excess of 170 new homes during the latest financial year. To continue its
Angmering housebuilder David Wilson Homes is helping to plug the construction skills shortage gap[1] this National Apprenticeship Week (6th-12th February), having recently recruited two new apprentices at its Ecclesden Park development on Water Lane. Fledgling ‘chippies’ Alfie Tanner (17) and Bili Heasman (20) began their Level 2 Carpentry and Joinery
Award-winning commercial real estate agency Bromwich Hardy has called for more development land to be urgently identified across the West Midlands to help drive economic growth. The Coventry-based firm says a long-standing lack of land supply is stifling the ambitions of companies to grow across the region. The firm’s founding
The last of 292 concrete piles that will form the foundations for the UK’s longest railway bridge were installed this week at the site of HS2’s Colne Valley Viaduct, marking a successful end to the first phase of the record-breaking project. Once complete, the 2.1 miles (3.4km) bridge will carry
The gap between record 2021 volumes and low 2022 volumes began to close in November, with imports resembling more regular winter totals. The disparity in total volumes between 2021 and 2022 was just 14% in November, compared to 22% in October and 21% in September. The reduced disparity between 2021 and 2022 was seen most clearly in the softwood category, where a 182,000m3 gap in October was reduced to 72,000m3 in November. Overall, imports in 2022 have been significantly lower than the records set last year, with totals from January to November 2.4 million m3 lower than the same period in 2021. Only hardwood has seen growth in 2022, up 13% compared to last year. TDUK Head of Technical and Trade, Nick Boulton, said: “Totals in Q4 are beginning to resemble the levels of previous years, with the large disparity seen between 2022 and 2021 starting to close. “These more ‘regular’ volumes, however, are largely due to reduced winter demand in previous years rather than increased volumes this year, with the timber market often winding down for the festive season. “Overall, volumes have been low in 2022, with healthy stock levels and market uncertainty being reflected in this year’s import patterns. “Looking forward, 2023 is set to be another tricky year for the timber trade, with the CPA predicting reduced activity in crucial private housing and RM&I sectors. “The CPA has predicted a shallow recession in 2023, with demand likely to pick up again in 2024. “Demand for timber is also likely to increase significantly in the long-term, as the UK looks to reduce emissions in the built environment and achieve net zero by 2050.” Members can read the full statistics report here. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The final chapter for one of the UK’s great urban regeneration success stories has begun with the appointment of a team to market 7.6 acres of prime waterfront land. Liverpool City Council has procured Faithful+Gould as Development Manager, and BDP, as Architect, to lead on the design process for the future development of seven plots on King’s Dock, all of which adjoin the award-winning ACC Liverpool complex. The appointment comes 15 years after the M&S Bank Arena opened on the dock to officially launch Liverpool’s year as European Capital of Culture. The venue has gone on to scoop numerous awards as an exemplar for brownfield regeneration. As well as the 11,000-seat capacity arena, which is set to host Eurovision 2023 in May, King’s Dock now also hosts a convention centre – which includes a 1,350-seat conference auditorium – and the 8,100 sqm Exhibition Centre Liverpool, as well as a 1,450 space multi-storey car park, central public plaza, 1,800 residential housing units, and two 3-star plus hotels, along with the 4-star luxury Pullman Liverpool Hotel. The masterplan has been made possible thanks to a £1 million loan from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, which will be repaid from proceeds arising from the King’s Dock site sales. Liverpool City Council has now set a brief for the team to follow these schemes by outlining a residential-led, mixed-use development of international standard in design and sustainability, with the potential for a major cultural and/or leisure venue. As part of a two-year process, the King’s Dock Development Team will undertake investigations and review all existing surveys of the site, which includes the former car park which was demolished after a fire on New Year’s Eve in 2017. The team will also be asked to create a masterplan and development programme, undertake extensive consultations with the local community and stakeholders before looking to secure outline planning permission, as well as marketing the opportunity to the highest quality and most aligned investors. The City Council’s brief also requires the creation of a design code centred around an ecosystem-based approach which respects the heritage of the Dock, increases the overall biodiversity connectivity, and inclusivity of the waterfront. The masterplan and development will be in accordance with the council’s social value policy to deliver best value for the tax payer. Peter Jackson, North West Head of Property at Faithful+Gould said: “This is such an important development for the city of Liverpool and wider North West region as this final stage will deliver on multiple fronts for residents living and working here. “At Faithful+Gould we are passionate about projects that deliver real social value on the ground and the King’s Dock regeneration has social value at its core. We will also be drawing on our wide-ranging expertise in development management to support the client’s ambitions and ensure sustainability is locked in at every stage.” KING’S DOCK – THE FINAL CHAPTER: The Process There are four key stages to the development of the final development sites at King’s Dock: 1. Procurement – to secure the relevant experts to act for the City Council. 2. Master planning and development planning – to secure the relevant permissions. 3. Disposals on the open market based on the outline plans approved by the Local Planning Authority (LPA). 4. The development of planned sites by carefully selected developers. Councillor Sarah Doyle, Cabinet Member for Development and Economy, said: “This site marks the final chapter in the regeneration of the King’s Dock site and as such is a unique opportunity for Liverpool to create a world-leading waterfront development, rooted in quality and defined by sustainability. “The regeneration of King’s Dock over the past 15 years has been of the UK’s great urban success stories and the creation of the ACC Liverpool complex has generated billions of pounds for the city’s economy and showcased Liverpool to the world, be it the MTV Music Europe Awards in 2008, to Eurovision this May. “I’m delighted we’ve appointed such a talented and experienced team to deliver this first phase in this development. There is a huge amount of work to be done and it needs to be carefully plotted out with the full engagement of local residents and stakeholders. “The next two years will define the rest of the century for this site – and we need to ensure any scheme that comes forward is environmentally, socially and economically viable. Given the success to date of King’s Dock, the bar is already very high to deliver something truly significant, that will sustain our economy and environment for decades to come and it marks the start of a new chapter in brownfield regeneration.” Mark Braund, Architect Director and head of BDP’s Liverpool Studio said: “This is one of the best sites along the waterfront of Liverpool, it offers huge potential to the city and the wider region. “The King’s Dock is a place that has a diverse context, from performance venue to historic docks, residential neighbourhoods and creative districts. We feel proud to be helping Liverpool shape the vision and masterplan and we are looking forward to engaging with the community over the coming months to help shape the future of the site.” Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: “There’s a reason that hundreds of thousands of visitors flock to Liverpool’s waterfront every year – because there’s nowhere else that can match its diverse mix of culture, entertainment and leisure experiences. Even though it’s already a massive contributor to our region’s visitor economy, the council’s ambition for the future of King’s Dock is testament to the strong recovery the city’s tourism sector has made in the wake of the pandemic and associated lockdowns. “We know that a strong city is vital for a strong city region – which is why we’re investing £1m to support the regeneration of King’s Dock, helping to create new jobs, new training opportunities and, hopefully, to act as a catalyst for further investment in the area. I’m really looking forward to
Prologis, the UK’s leading owner and developer of logistics real estate has completed and leased two distribution centres at RFI DIRFT (Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal), adding over 514,000 sq. ft. of prime logistics real estate to the market. The two build-to-suit units, DC6 (232,302 sq. ft.) and DC7 (281,890 sq. ft.), have been leased to Warrens, part of Culina Group. Warrens, a transport and logistics provider, joins Stobart in expanding Culina Group’s presence at DIRFT. Classed as nationally significant infrastructure, DIRFT is home to many household brands, including some of the UK’s biggest retailers, such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and Dunelm. The new build-to-suit units were designed by Stephen George + Partners and constructed by VolkerFitzpatrick. In line with Prologis’ commitment to meeting its global net zero in operation 2030 target, both DC6 and DC7 are BREEAM-rated “Excellent”, with an EPC A rating. The units are also carbon neutral in construction, certified by Planet Mark. This means that all of the carbon built into the structure during construction has been measured, reduced through proactive design and then mitigated. Together, the construction of DC6 and DC7 has delivered £5.4 million in social value, partly through the number of job opportunities created onsite. DIRFT is well known for delivering high levels of financial and societal benefits to the Northamptonshire and wider SEMLEP area, with the Prologis Warehouse and Logistics Training Programme (PWLTP) alone delivering over £10 million in social value since its 2021 launch at The Hub, an onsite purpose-built training and education facility. Speaking about the two new units, Tim Burn, Development Manager at Prologis UK, said: “DIRFT is our largest asset in the UK, and it is always rewarding to watch the site grow and develop. The two new units are prime examples of the state-of-the-art facilities that we deliver for our customers, and what better location to do it in than the UK’s largest multimodal park. “Culina Group is a longstanding Prologis customer, with Stobart, also part of the group, already operating out of DIRFT. We’re proud to welcome Warrens onsite and look forward to seeing the business further develop and grow.” Tom Middlemiss, Managing Director at Warrens, said: “Our two new distribution centres are symbolic of our growth ambitions. Being involved in their development from an early stage has allowed us to customise the design and fit-out to meet our exact needs for both today, and the future.” Andy Collinson, Capital Projects Director at Culina Group, said: “Prologis Parks have always been a solid choice for our customers, and it’s great to see another Culina Group business expand its services at DIRFT. With easy access to major transportation lines, we are sure that Warrens will enjoy everything that the park has to offer.” Andrew Stoney, Operations Director at VolkerFitzpatrick, said: “Our latest completed project for Prologis UK and Warrens demonstrates the power of collaborative partnership, and is a testament to the ongoing relationship that VolkerFitzpatrick has with Prologis. It was a pleasure to recently host a group of NTU Built Environment students onsite to learn about the exacting standards we collectively work to.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Building services and engineering consultants FHP has been specified to provide MEP and design services for a multi-million-pound residential led mixed-use regeneration project in North London. The firm is providing a range of RIBA Stage 3, 4 and 5 MEP technical and construction Revit design services to the city’s leading residential-led mixed-use developer Regal London, which is leading the £270 million redevelopment of the former Euro Parts headquarters in Wembley. The site is currently being transformed into 759 new residential units across five high-rise buildings, which will feature 78 three-bedroomed family homes and more than 200 affordable properties. It all comes under plans to deliver a sustainable mixed-use development in line with the local authority’s wider aspirations for the growth and prosperity of the Wembley area. More than 33,000 sq. ft. of flexible commercial space is also under construction to accommodate retail, light industrial and logistics businesses. New communal amenity spaces within the upper roof terraces and at podium level area will eventually feature along with new landscaping, improved public access along the Wealdstone Brook, and the creation of 31,000 sq. ft. of children’s play space. FHP has been closely involved in the project from the start of RIBA Stage 3 providing mechanical, electrical and public health services together with sustainability, building physics and digital engineering support for what is being seen as one of North London’s most prestigious regeneration projects. A key aspect of FHP’s work centred on a review of proposed heating systems, developing two design options for either a 100% electric heating scheme or an alternative connection to a local district heat network. This allowed the developer to decide the best approach – a 1.7MW ASHP (air source heat pump) in conjunction with 1.7MW electric boilers – as part of a revised energy strategy submitted within the overall planning submission. Services to facilitate design stage and As-Built SAP and SBEM energy use and carbon emissions calculations were also completed by FHP as part of a comprehensive package of support. The Regal London project is the latest success for rapidly growing FHP, which employs 52 people and continues to see strong demand for services and growth across its London and Leeds operations. Tony Hewitt, managing director, said: “Fulton Road demonstrates the added value and insight we bring to multi-million-pound investment projects through innovative design-led MEP services. It’s also a reflection of the excellent work our team provides as we develop our commercial offering. We expect to see a strong performance this year as we invest further in expertise and secure new work nationwide.” Ryder Architecture is the lead architect on the Wembley site project. Fulton & Fifth is one of Regal London’s latest developments of more than 800 homes for sale alongside new independent cafés, shops and workspaces, due to complete in Q1 2025, said Damien Cartmell, managing director of construction at Regal London. He added: “With their expertise, technical insight and services, FHP are an important partner in helping to bring forward our vision for Fulton Road. Their input has ensured plans were delivered on time and to the highest standards as the various elements of the project progresses.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Today, PlanRadar, a leading digital construction, real estate and facilities management platform, announces that it has been adopted by leading fire safety and passive fire protection measures consultancy, Global HSE Solutions. PlanRadar’s powerful software will support the company’s Global Technical Services (GTS) division, which provides fire engineering advice and expertise to both Tier 1 contractors and Global HSE’s own contracting arm as well as hosting fire door inspection courses through its in-house Global Academy. Particularly, it will assist in the delivery of more efficient, detailed and accessible fire safety information. The service will also help its clients to navigate an ever-changing legislative landscape – including new fire door assessments regulations that came into effect on the 23rd January 2023. It’s a complete approach for delivering surveys and inspection results and will be rolled out across GTS’s entire inspection and surveying team. Commenting on the partnership, PlanRadar Co-CEO, Ibrahim Imam says, “Global HSE and GTS has a well-established reputation for delivering exceptional results in a highly niche, specialised and increasingly important field. Given the stringent requirements around fire safety, there is no margin for error, and a missed record or lack of clarity in inspection reports could have huge ramifications. That’s why we’ve invested in making our tools fit-for-purpose for accurate, compliant and easy to understand data collation fire reporting, specifically for fire professionals. It also ensures that ‘Golden Thread’ principles are being followed throughout, for greater fire safety compliance. “Global HSE’s confidence in our offering is a massive endorsement for PlanRadar’s relevance and efficacy. We look forward to collaborating with them going forward to deliver safe and secure commercial and residential environments.” The efficient secret GTS first became aware of PlanRadar’s digital solutions at FIREX 2022, where they immediately saw the potential for its platform to address an ongoing pain point within the business: The efficient creation and user-friendly presentation of fire surveys and inspection results. Furthermore, they realised the software could also tackle another persistent challenge faced by the business: recruiting enough highly-trained professionals to fill roles required. They saw PlanRadar’s suite of services as a way of streamlining the amount of resource existing staff spent on this important, but time-consuming activity. As Ross O’Loughlin, Head of Global Technical Services at HSE Global explains, “My main concern was how we could speed up our surveys without losing the value within the survey. I wanted to improve the working life of my staff. Reporting, writing, and collating information around a survey has always been a laborious task. If we can consolidate that in any way, it allows us to focus our energy on delivering our expertise.” Large-scale useability The team at GTS were particularly impressed by PlanRadar’s ability to record video and integrate BIM, which could support the division’s compliance requirements around the Building Safety Act and increased expectations for data collection in line with the Golden Thread of Information. Following initial discussion, the platform was tested in a real-world environment to see how the software performed on a project from start to finish. The test was based in a university in Northern England, where the surveying team were carrying out a fire damper inspection survey. With thousands of dampers to inspect, it was a daunting task requiring meticulous record-keeping. The team’s feedback was unanimously positive, with users highlighting how the platform significantly sped up reporting in an easy-to-use way, vindicating the decision to trial it. Better outcomes all-round Following the test, Global HSE and GTS decided to adopt PlanRadar’s platform, with the intention of rolling it out across all its inspection and surveying teams, providing them with an easy way to record and report. A previously arduous task has been made effortless, delivered in real-time as they walk through the building and record voice notes rather than having to stop and make notes on paper, or do lengthy follow-up work in the office. However, the platform’s potential goes further, as O’Loughlin concludes. “With GTS users already being onboarded, we’re exploring how PlanRadar could be used across other parts of the company,” he says. “From a business perspective, uploading as many documents, photos or jpegs at no extra cost is a massive win in comparison to competitors in this space. It’s an incredibly useful tool, and the opportunity we can gain from getting to grips with, and using, all its functions would significantly improve our day-to-day operations. Since introduction, PlanRadar has been brought onto over 20 GTS project, with the intention of using it as the standard reporting tool across the entire portfolio over the course of 2023. To find out more about Global HSE click here. To find out more about PlanRadar click here. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Acting for Wates Developments in probably the biggest land deal to take place within the region since September’s mini budget, Leaders Romans Group (LRG), has sold a residential development site in Windsor from Wates Developments to Crest Nicholson. As a leading residential housebuilder with a track record in creating well designed, high quality homes in sustainable communities, Crest Nicholson is ideally placed to deliver much needed homes in this popular location. Wates Developments secured release of the site from the Green Belt through an allocation in the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead Local Plan. They worked closely with the community, key stakeholders and Local Authority to develop plans for the residential development and subsequently obtained outline planning consent on part of the site. The scheme includes 135 much-needed homes, (40% of which will be affordable housing), for the 5.4ha site. Plans also include landscaped open spaces, (including recreational space), blue-green infrastructure and sustainable technologies, with a 30.69% net gain in biodiversity that will far exceed local and national planning policy. The site will also deliver improvements to walking and cycling routes into Windsor and other local destinations, as well as improvements to the A308 network to increase capacity. David Brocklebank, Executive Managing Director at Wates Developments Group commented: “We are delighted to have completed this sale of a portion of our land interest in Windsor to Crest and with great support from LRG. This is a truly exceptional new homes site and a fantastic location for a new community in Windsor. We expect to secure planning for the remainder of the wider site early in 2023 to allow the whole scheme to come forward quickly. A great performance by Crest”. Nicholas Daruwalla, Land Director at Crest Nicholson South, commented: “The acquisition of this site in Windsor plays a key role in the expansion of Crest Nicholson’s footprint in the region and allows us to respond to local demand for high-quality homes in the area. We look forward to offering a variety of homes for a range of buyers within the local community, helping to support the Windsor and Maidenhead Borough Local Plan.” Ian Barnett, National Land Director for Leaders Romans Group, who is based in the Group’s Wokingham head office, commented: “This is a significant land deal which will help deliver much-needed homes, including affordable housing. It is one of two substantial land deals that Leaders Romans Group has facilitated in this region in the last month and as such, demonstrates considerable strength in the local market in spite of the wider economic conditions.” Boyer (part of Leaders Romans Group) managed the planning process on behalf of Wates and is now instructed by Crest Nicholson to prepare and submit a reserved matters planning application in the first half of 2023. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A RAPIDLY expanding housebuilder has restructured its management team to drive its ambitious plans for further growth. Since being founded in 2017, Genesis Homes has grown from a 10 unit per year company to one constructing in excess of 170 new homes during the latest financial year. To continue its rapid growth, with ambitions to build 300 properties each year by 2028, founder Nicky Gordon has promoted current Land Director John Blue to the position of Managing Director with the responsibility for overseeing the daily operations of the company. As a result, Nicky has moved into the newly created post of Chief Executive Officer and will be responsible for strategic planning, stakeholder relationships and expanding the business across the North West. Nicky said: “Genesis Homes has grown exponentially, even during the most difficult times of our generation, and we are absolutely thrilled with the progress the company has made and the positive impact it has had on local communities. “With Cumbria at our heart, we have ambitions to continue our expansion across the North West region and to realise this dream we need a new management structure in place to ensure we can concentrate fully on our growth plans, whilst maintaining the high standards of build quality we have earned a reputation for. “John has proven himself as an incredibly competent, reliable and integral member of the team, and his knowledge and understanding of the sector, and the company itself, has been instrumental to our growth to date. “I have the utmost faith in John’s ability to take control of the day-to-day business operations of Genesis Homes, and I look forward to seeing the company continue to progress under his direction.” John has worked at Genesis Homes since January 2018, having previously worked at Gleeson Homes, North Associates and PFK. He joined the company as Land and Planning Manager and was promoted to Land Director within two years. Throughout his time at Genesis Homes, he has been responsible for identifying and acquiring suitable land for development across Cumbria, and then working to ready the land for construction work. John said: “I was immediately excited about Nicky’s ambitions to grow Genesis Homes when he started the company in 2017, and the journey over the past five years has been one that we have all enjoyed sharing. “Despite the housing market being severely interrupted during Covid-19, we have grown well beyond our initial expectations and we’re all looking forward to the next five years, and beyond, as we target further growth. “I have enjoyed having such a hands-on role in helping Genesis Homes to become one of the largest homebuilders in Cumbria in terms of volume of units built per year, and I am honoured that Nicky has shown such faith in me by promoting me to the position of Managing Director. “The company has huge ambitions for the future, and I am excited to be leading the daily operations to make these goals a reality.” Genesis Homes is currently operational across nine developments throughout Cumbria and Lancashire, with its pioneering EcoGen carbon net zero emitting pilot development in Calthwaite commenced last year. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Angmering housebuilder David Wilson Homes is helping to plug the construction skills shortage gap[1] this National Apprenticeship Week (6th-12th February), having recently recruited two new apprentices at its Ecclesden Park development on Water Lane. Fledgling ‘chippies’ Alfie Tanner (17) and Bili Heasman (20) began their Level 2 Carpentry and Joinery apprenticeships with the housebuilder in August 2022. “No two days are the same,” says Alfie, who splits his time between working with the subcontractors at Ecclesden Park, and Stephenson College in Leicestershire for practical and theoretical training. “We were up on the roofs from day one, learning from the construction team and getting stuck in trying out the tools and building the framework. I’ve since built signs, worked on roofs and helped with the finishing touches on the inside – from the stud work to the skirting, doors and architraves.” New apprentices with David Wilson Southern Counties can choose to qualify in either carpentry or bricklaying. The 18-month course will see Bili and Alfie gain crucial hands-on training, supported by the expertise of the construction team, and interspersed with block-weeks at Stephenson College where they learn about the construction process in detail, and gain off-site practical training. “I told myself that you can’t really go wrong with a trade, it’s a skill for life,” says Bili, who is a father and lives locally in Angmering. “I’ve worked as a trainee chef, bar manager and a plumber, but the difference to this is night and day. It’s an intensive course but you don’t need any experience to do it, just a willingness to learn. Every day is an opportunity to learn and the team really want you to grow and succeed.” Bili plans to complete his course with David Wilson Southern Counties and study towards a Level 3 qualification, while Alfie hopes to secure employment with the carpentry subcontractors at Ecclesden Park. “The great thing about the course is that the door doesn’t close when you achieve the qualification. Lots of apprentices go on to work with David Wilson Southern Counties’ subcontractors, but if you get a good result in your final exam then you can work towards a Level 3 qualification,” Bili adds. Alongside the hands-on training for apprentices, lessons at Stephenson College cover everything from the land buying process all the way to the latest industry regulations, providing apprentices with a wider insight into the process of building new homes. At the end of the course, apprentices will be challenged with speaking, practical and multiple-choice examinations to complete their qualification. Kimberley Benson, Sales and Marketing Director for David Wilson Southern Counties, comments: “Skilled tradespeople are the backbone of the construction industry, and it is our responsibility to invest in the next generation, providing much needed jobs and, therefore, housing to local communities. Our flagship apprenticeship scheme is second to none, offering a two-pronged learning approach to gain real experience on a construction site, working in tandem with our award-winning site teams to pass on their knowledge and expertise. Apprentices will also have the opportunity to learn in an academic environment at Stephenson College, helping them to gain the wider knowledge that will give them an unshakable foundation on which to build their career.” Looking ahead to the future, Bili hopes to start his own business with his brother, who is trained as a bricklayer, while Alfie plans to build his own house one day. Alfie continues: “There will always be a need for skilled tradespeople, and the skills that I’m learning during my apprenticeship are the first step on the path to career success.” To find out more about the careers available with David Wilson Southern Counties, visit www.barrattcareers.co.uk. Bili, Alfie and the team are building a range of two, three and four-bedroom homes at Ecclesden Park, where prices start from £369,995 for a two-bedroom house. To find out more David Wilson Southern Counties or Ecclesden Park, please call 0333 3558 499 or visit www.dwh.co.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals [1] https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/skills/skills-shortage-reaching-alarming-proportions-15-11-2022/
Award-winning commercial real estate agency Bromwich Hardy has called for more development land to be urgently identified across the West Midlands to help drive economic growth. The Coventry-based firm says a long-standing lack of land supply is stifling the ambitions of companies to grow across the region. The firm’s founding partner Tom Bromwich was speaking as he launched the 2022 Bromwich Hardy Barometer – containing a wealth of facts and figures about the office and industrial market across Coventry and Warwickshire. He told an audience of 70 leading property, construction and development experts at the event at the Telegraph Hotel in Coventry that 2022 had been a year of growth for the agency. Highlights included: · Commercial sales of more than £35million · Land sales of £57.6million · Lease deals worth £4.3million · Bromwich Hardy again the biggest dealmaker across Coventry and Warwickshire Tom said that the 2023 market remained positive, despite the challenging economic background, and that there were good reasons for optimism across the commercial property sector. “The last 12 months has seen Coventry and Warwickshire continue to do well. The region’s location, in the Golden Triangle at the heart of the nation’s motorway network, insulates it from some of the more chilling effects of the current economic difficulties and has enabled it to remain competitive. “The warehousing sector has been particularly strong, with excellent demand for high-quality units whenever they have become available. Occupier demand has also held up well across the region over the last 12 months – and shows all the signs of continuing to do so. The strength of interest is reflected in rising rental values, with a unit at Tachbrook Park in Leamington Spa achieving £13 per square foot earlier this summer – thought to be a new record rent for industrial warehousing in the town. “And the office market has shrugged off suggestions that it would be hard-hit by the pandemic. We have seen the level of deals continue to improve as employers have recognised the need to offer high-quality, sustainable and employee-focussed work spaces as a way of attracting staff back from their home offices. Developments such as Bourn in Coventry are a perfect example of this trend.” But Tom said the lack of new land for development was a serious concern and one which needed addressing urgently. “There is a significant lack of employment land on offer and the pipeline for the future is nothing like as strong as we would like to see. Very few new schemes are coming through and demand is being consistently frustrated by supply. “This is a hugely serious issue for the region. Our location means we are an attractive destination of choice for developers, but they will simply start to look elsewhere if the regional and national authorities do not take urgent steps to open up more of the new opportunities for employment land we so urgently need.” Bromwich Hardy partner David Penn and Lisa Dean from industry data experts CoStar gave guests an update in the state of the markets, whilst Brian Harrabin, from Complex Development Projects spoke about the scheme to transform the former Coventry Telegraph offices into the new Telegraph Hotel. To download a copy of the Barometer report for free visit: https://www.bromwichhardy.com/documents/BH-Barometer2022(LoRes).pdf
The last of 292 concrete piles that will form the foundations for the UK’s longest railway bridge were installed this week at the site of HS2’s Colne Valley Viaduct, marking a successful end to the first phase of the record-breaking project. Once complete, the 2.1 miles (3.4km) bridge will carry the new high-speed rail line across a series of lakes and waterways near Hillingdon on the north-west outskirts of London. The construction of the foundations, the 56 huge piers and the deck on top, have all been happening in parallel – with separate teams working from north to south. Deck assembly began last year, with more than 500 meters of the viaduct structure now complete. In order to deliver the 66 piles in the lakebed, the team first had to construct over a kilometer of temporary jetties, with cofferdams to hold back the water around each set of foundations. The jetties are also used to transport materials and equipment during the construction of the piers and viaduct deck, keeping vehicles off local roads. Construction of the HS2 project – which is designed to improve rail links between London, Birmingham and North, help level-up the economy and provide a low carbon alternative to car and air travel – is ramping up across the UK with almost 30,000 jobs now supported by the project. HS2 Ltd’s Project Client, David Emms said: “Once complete, HS2 will transform journeys across the UK, help to boost the economy and support the UK’s transition to net zero. “The completion of the piling for the Colne Valley Viaduct is a major achievement for our whole team and marks the end of almost two years of hard work. With pier construction and deck assembly also well underway, the viaduct is fast becoming one of the most impressive and recognisable parts of the project.” The viaduct is being built by HS2 Ltd’s main works contractor Align JV – a team made up of Bouygues Travaux Publics, Sir Robert McAlpine, and VolkerFitzpatrick, working with its contractor KVJV– who spent almost two years on the piling. KVJV is a team made up of Keller Group and VSL International. On top of each group of piles – some of which are to a depth of 60m into the ground – a concrete pile cap will support the pier which will in turn support the weight of the bridge structure above. Instead of hammering the piles into the ground, holes were bored before being backfilled to create the piles. The main deck of the viaduct is being built in 1,000 separate segments at a temporary factory nearby and assembled using a bridge-building machine which lifts each piece into position before shifting itself forward to the next pier. Align’s Surface Operations Director, Derek van Rensburg said: “Completing the piling is a great achievement for both Align and the team at KVJV, working over the lakes and waterways across the Colne Valley. We were able to complete the piling with no significant impact on the environment, a great result for the whole team.” Set low into the landscape, the widest spans reserved for where the viaduct crosses the lakes, and narrower spans for the approaches. This design was chosen to enable views across the landscape, minimise the viaduct’s footprint on the lakes and help complement the natural surroundings. The design was inspired by the flight of a stone skipping across the water, with a series of elegant spans, some up to 80m long, carrying the railway around 10m above the surface of the lakes, River Colne and Grand Union Canal. HS2 worked closely with Affinity Water and the Environment Agency to monitor water quality and agree working methods. These were monitored by a team of specialist engineers during construction in order to protect the natural environment. Before work began, an extensive programme of test piling was completed with engineers sinking 12 piles at two locations with geological and structural data from these tests fed back into the design of the viaduct. This resulted in a 10-15% reduction in the depth of the piles and associated time and cost savings. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals