Glaston Group has signed a contract for five flat tempering lines for solar panel tempering with Chinese Kibing Glass. The order is the first win for Glaston’s new tailor-made concept for the solar industry. In Glaston’s updated strategy, the solar industry is identified as a growth-capturing customer segment. Amid rising
Finance House offers residential consent and BTR potential A prime residential development site in the west end of Edinburgh has been brought to market by Lismore Real Estate Advisors and Scarlett Land and Development, on behalf of Square and Crescent. Located on Orchard Brae, between the west end and Stockbridge,
Conrad Energy, the UK’s market leading flexible power company, has recently secured planning consent for a 50MW 2-hour battery energy storage system in North Petherton, Somerset. The approval demonstrates Conrad Energy’s commitment to enabling the UK’s ambitious net zero plans and reflects their continuing investment in energy storage. Conrad Energy’s
“There is no doubt from the recent announcement there is a divide on the future of energy costs and security between what is needed and what is being delivered. The Government has set out a series of measures which will limit household energy bills to £2,500, with additional measures for
Chalk excavated from the Chiltern tunnels being used to landscape the site which is set to become a 127 hectare wildlife haven featuring new chalk grassland, woodland, wood pasture and wetland habitats. The transformation of HS2’s largest construction site into a haven for wildlife reached a major milestone this week
The new partnership will give building owners and operators real-time data-driven insights into their assets to make better decisions and reduce costs Asite, the world’s leading data platform for the built environment, is delighted to announce a new partnership with SmartViz, an intuitive digital twin platform that boosts the performance
Solihull-based affordable housing specialist Living Space has promoted its commercial manager Steve Oldacre to Commercial Director, in recognition of his valuable contribution to the company. Among Steve’s enhanced roles will be to focus on the importance of a strong pipeline, identify opportunities for growth as well as developing and driving
Greyfriars Project Management have stepped in to assist a Norwich school in finishing a development project in time for pupils to start in September. The construction works were undertaken to ensure Angel Road Infant School could house pupils from the neighbouring Angel Road Junior School, following its closure in June
Global construction cost consultancy, Soben has expanded its senior management team with the appointment of Pieter Schaap as Director. Pieter is the sixth director-level appointment to be made at Soben this year, with further growth planned in the coming months. Pieter joins award-winning Soben from Yondr Group, where he was Supply Chain Director
ONE of the UK’s leading multi-disciplinary property consultancy firms – EDGE PS – has revealed how a 40% year-on-year growth in turnover provided the momentum needed for the strategic launch of its Leeds office earlier this year. Since the office’s initial formation in January 2022, the company has further grown
Glaston Group has signed a contract for five flat tempering lines for solar panel tempering with Chinese Kibing Glass. The order is the first win for Glaston’s new tailor-made concept for the solar industry. In Glaston’s updated strategy, the solar industry is identified as a growth-capturing customer segment. Amid rising concerns over climate change and energy security, significant growth in renewable energy is expected. In China, the solar market is booming and the new installed solar capacity was up 148% in the first quarter of 2022 compared to the corresponding period in 2021 (Source: China National Energy Administration, April 2022). Reflecting these growth numbers, the output of solar glass in China has increased thereby driving demand for solar panel glass processing equipment. Glaston’s long-term customer, Kibing Glass is an innovative high-technology company, specializing in float glass, energy-saving building glass, low-iron ultra-white glass, photovoltaic glass, and pharmaceutical glass. Currently, Kibing Glass invests heavily to expand its photovoltaic glass production base in China and Malaysia and the number of photovoltaic glass projects has been accelerating. Kibing Glass already operates close to 20 Glaston insulating glass lines. Glaston’s technological advantage, service capabilities and strong brand name contributed to the positive outcome when the customer was looking for a technology supplier for their growing solar business. “Kibing Glass is a highly valued customer and we are honored to support their growth initiatives in the solar business. Glaston’s tailor-made solar concept, which combines huge volumes and high-quality thin glass, is a perfect choice”, says Sasu Koivumäki, CSO at Glaston Corporation. The CHF Solar line is designed for high volume and operates 24/7 with an automatic setup. The cycle time per glass is only 15 seconds. As the line is running continuously, the daily throughput is approximately 250 tonnes. The order, valued at close to EUR 5 million, is booked in Glaston’s Q3/2022 order book. The CHF Solar lines will be delivered to the customer’s facility in Malaysia during the first half of 2023. With total assets of RMB 19 billion and more than 10,000 employees, Kibing operates from six glass processing plants located throughout China and Malaysia. The company also has 26 high-quality float glass lines in production. Since 2011, the company is listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange.
Finance House offers residential consent and BTR potential A prime residential development site in the west end of Edinburgh has been brought to market by Lismore Real Estate Advisors and Scarlett Land and Development, on behalf of Square and Crescent. Located on Orchard Brae, between the west end and Stockbridge, Finance House is immediately west of Edinburgh city centre, via the main arterial route of Queensferry Road. The Finance House development site extends to 2 acres and benefits from minded to grant planning consent for 151 apartments, over a total area of circa 135,000 sq ft. It also offers build to rent (BTR) potential for 172 apartments, subject to planning consent. The main building was constructed in 1968 for Lloyds Bowmaker over eight storeys, with a substantial five-storey extension added in 1978. The 1960’s building, which is almost entirely of concrete frame construction will be retained and converted in 86 apartments, whilst the 1970’s building will be demolished and replaced with a new build block, containing 65 residential apartments, ranging in height from three to five storeys. The development will also feature 3,000 sq ft of office/coworking space on the ground floor, and 23,000 sq.ft of private and communal external amenity spaces. With vehicle access from Learmonth Gardens, the site will have 32 car parking spaces plus 380 bike spaces. With sustainability credentials firmly in mind, the development is designed to be net zero ready – all-electric energy, with a predicted EPC rating of ‘B’ and an aggregated reduction in CO2 emissions of 40.6% lower than a baseline compliant development. The re-use of existing concrete frame will capture embodied carbon. The design standards ensure the development will achieve net zero in regard to operational carbon when the grid reaches net zero. It includes air source heat pumps via common centralised plant to provide heating and domestic hot water throughout. The standards will also meet the requirement of the new build heat standard coming into force in Scotland in 2024. Colin Finlayson, Director of Lismore Real Estate Advisors said: “Few UK cities can match the performance of Edinburgh’s private residential market, which has a proven history of growth and resilience, due to a combination of constrained supply and strong demand. “This development opportunity has so much to offer and is ideally placed in Edinburgh’s high desirable west end. It will be a real draw and we anticipate strong interest from potential developers, as well as institutional investors seeking exposure to the Edinburgh residential market.” Will Scarlett, Founder and Director of Scarlett Land and Development adds: “Large scale prime residential sites with planning consent rarely come to the market in Edinburgh. Not only does Finance House benefit from minded to grant planning for 151 apartments, it is also net zero ready – all electric (Air Source Heat Pumps) and uses no fossil fuels. “The opportunity also exists at Finance House for a BTR scheme of 172 units within the same massing in a city that boasts some or the strongest fundamentals in the UK, yet lags other regional cities in terms of supply due to multiple constraints.” Lismore Real Estate Advisors and Scarlett Land and Development are selling agents for Finance House and the architect is Morgan Architects. Further information on can be found HERE https://lismore-re.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/24229_FINANCE_HOUSE_FINAL.pdf
Conrad Energy, the UK’s market leading flexible power company, has recently secured planning consent for a 50MW 2-hour battery energy storage system in North Petherton, Somerset. The approval demonstrates Conrad Energy’s commitment to enabling the UK’s ambitious net zero plans and reflects their continuing investment in energy storage. Conrad Energy’s largest battery storage project to date will use local topography and innovative design to conceal the scheme within the landscape. Additional planting and landscaping will boost the local habitat with an estimated biodiversity net gain score of 22.3% and 100% for hedgerow units, enhancing the local landscape and providing shelter for birds, animals and insects. “With biodiversity gain built into the design for this site from the start, we are delighted to have successfully achieved planning permission,” said Chris Shears, Conrad Energy’s Chief Development Officer. “Battery energy storage projects like this one are vital to the energy transition. Contributing to the local ecological system is just one of the ways we work with communities to ensure our projects can facilitate the rapid transition to renewable energy which the UK needs to achieve.” This announcement comes as Conrad Energy’s 15MW 4-hour battery energy storage system in Plympton, Devon recently achieved planning approval. The company’s first significant strategic solar development at Larport in Herefordshire was awarded planning approval in May.
“There is no doubt from the recent announcement there is a divide on the future of energy costs and security between what is needed and what is being delivered. The Government has set out a series of measures which will limit household energy bills to £2,500, with additional measures for heat networks and oil users. All businesses, charities and public users will also benefit from similar support. There was however further announcements regarding energy generation and security. There were positives – unlocking the potential for nuclear and small modular reactors plus the removal of the price cap for electricity generated from gas – releasing cheaper forms of energy generation could really be game changing for those businesses and households which rely on electricity only. Again it was pleasing to hear the commitment to Net Zero by 2050. But what was troubling to hear was the ‘dash for gas’ – increasing licences for the north sea oil and gas, but worryingly the ending of the moratorium on fracking if there is local support for the scheme. Fracking is notoriously unpopular, it will not be swift, and it will be expensive. There needs to be more alternative sources of energy to ensure we are delivering the country’s energy needs in a cost effective and environment effective way. This should be a golden age for onshore wind, solar, tidal, hydro, hydrogen and nuclear – not for the oil and gas industries. These are the most cost efficient ways of energy generation and we should be doubling down on these methods to provide security to both supply and costs. Again there was no mention from the Government about reinstating insulation and energy efficiency methods. Does this miss the opportunity to develop better ways of insulation and energy efficiency? Today’s announcement just keeps the status quo and an additional reliance on fossil fuels. So the divide is clear to see. And who pays for this? Seemingly households over a prolonged period of time, with no windfall tax on the reported super profits of £170 billion of the oil and gas companies. And no real detail on how we can deliver more energy from alternative sources in the future.
Chalk excavated from the Chiltern tunnels being used to landscape the site which is set to become a 127 hectare wildlife haven featuring new chalk grassland, woodland, wood pasture and wetland habitats. The transformation of HS2’s largest construction site into a haven for wildlife reached a major milestone this week with the millionth cubic metre of chalk laid out around the south portal of the Chiltern tunnel. The ambitious environmental project will eventually see 2.6 million cubic metres of chalk excavated during the construction of the 10 mile long tunnels used to create one of the largest areas of chalk grassland in the Chiltern hills. Instead of removing the material by road, it is being used to landscape the site as part of plans to create 127 hectares of new chalk grassland, woodland, wood pasture and wetland habitats. Welcoming the news, HS2 Ltd’s Environment Director Peter Miller said: “The south portal project is one of the most important parts of our Green Corridor programme to establish better connected, sustainable and biodiverse landscapes along the route of the new railway and will contribute substantially to HS2’s carbon reduction target. “It’s great to see how much chalk has already been laid on site and I look forward to seeing the site completely transform over the coming years.” Chalk grassland – a type of calcareous grassland – is habitat of international conservation importance mainly found on limestone and chalk downlands of south-east England and the Isle of Wight. Lime-rich, but low in nutrients, the thin soil holds little water and drains well. These conditions encourage a huge variety of smaller herbs and wildflowers and over 40 plant species can be found in one square metre of grassland, including some of the UK’s rarest orchids as well as highly diverse invertebrate populations. Only 700 hectares of chalk grassland exist across the whole of the Chilterns AONB. The plans have been developed by HS2’s main works contractor, Align – a joint venture formed of three international infrastructure companies: Bouygues Travaux Publics, Sir Robert McAlpine, and VolkerFitzpatrick – working with its design partners Jacobs, Rendel-Ingerop, and LDA Design, that form Align D. Chris Chantler, Align D, Design Director “This innovative, multi-discipline project is providing a unique opportunity to create a huge expanse of new grassland using chalk being excavated from the Chiltern tunnels. With the first million cubic metres of chalk having already been placed to create the grassland, we are well on the way to creating a landscape which will be both rich in diversity and a place for people to explore and connect with the natural environment.” Two giant tunnelling machines – named Florence and Cecilia – are currently around 4 miles into their journey under the Chilterns. The material they excavate is mixed with water to form a slurry before being pumped out of the tunnel. It is then processed at a slurry treatment plant at the south portal site where the flint is removed and water extracted, to leave chalk cake which is then carefully laid out on site – together with recycled concrete and aggregates from construction works – in order to create a naturalistic landscape with all the temporary construction buildings removed. Ninety hectares of chalk grassland will be seeded into re-profiled soil layers. This will sit alongside new areas of woodland, wood pasture and wetlands, including almost 65,000 trees and shrubs of 32 species and nearly 3.5km of new hedgerows. Around 4.5km of new footpath, cycling and horse-riding routes will give the public areas to large parts of the site, which sits between the Colne Valley Regional Park and the Chilterns AONB. Field trials are in preparation ahead of final seeding, and planting of trees and shrubs in 2025.
The new partnership will give building owners and operators real-time data-driven insights into their assets to make better decisions and reduce costs Asite, the world’s leading data platform for the built environment, is delighted to announce a new partnership with SmartViz, an intuitive digital twin platform that boosts the performance of assets. This new partnership will expand operational capabilities available to asset owners. It will also enable outcome-driven digital twins through real-time data and occupancy analytics, simulations, and visualizations for asset performance optimization. Building on a combined experience of over 40 years, the new Asite and SmartViz partnership will unlock a range of benefits for the AECO industry and open a new world of digital possibilities for the future of work. Nathan Doughty, Asite CEO, said: “We are incredibly excited about this new partnership with SmartViz and the world of opportunity it opens for us and the built environment as a whole. Digital twins are transforming the AECO industry and the world as we know it, ushering in a new and exciting digital era. We are proud to be at the forefront of this technological advancement and reinforce our reputation as one of the industry’s most forward-thinking and innovative service providers. The Asite Platform connects our growing ecosystem of partners through standardized interfaces, consolidating our strengths to unlock everything digital twins have to offer.” Dr. Shrikant B. Sharma, Founder & CEO at SmartViz Ltd, said: “This is an exciting moment for SmartViz and our industry. SmartViz’s innovative digital twin application together with Asite Platform can truly empower our clients to boost building performance and user experience. It’s just not acceptable that buildings still consume 3.5x more energy and release 3.8x more co2 than they should. This needs to change. For that we need to break data silos, and make it accessible, insightful and empower everyone from the COO and CFO to the estate directors, facilities managers and end users. That’s what this partnership delivers by enhancing space utilisation, saving energy and supercharging the productivity and wellbeing of people – all highly relevant issues in light of the climate challenges, net zero goals, and post-covid world adapting to hybrid working.” The new partnership is a testament to Asite’s promise to support sustainability in the built environment in the move to Net Zero. Through this partnership, real-life, real-time digital twins will be created and will be used to make more effective decisions by turning data into insights and outcomes. Asset information—CO2, light, humidity, and occupancy levels—can be aggregated from a myriad of IoT sensors and smart building systems, and visualized on an asset model in real-time to determine where energy is being lost within the asset and if space is being used efficiently. The partnership provides the tools necessary to build more productive and energy-efficient assets, improving building performance and sustainability while helping reduce costs. To find out more about innovation at Asite, please contact sales@asite.com.
Solihull-based affordable housing specialist Living Space has promoted its commercial manager Steve Oldacre to Commercial Director, in recognition of his valuable contribution to the company. Among Steve’s enhanced roles will be to focus on the importance of a strong pipeline, identify opportunities for growth as well as developing and driving the commercial function of the business. He brings to the senior role more than three decades of commercial experience, and says he is looking forward to the challenge ahead. “We have a tight-knit team here at Living Space,” said Steve, “and I am absolutely committed to retaining and strengthening the strong relationships across our commercial, construction and sub-contractors’ teams. Ensuring we are all fully integrated and tuned in to the needs of each department is key to an effective and productive good working practice.” Steve, who is MCIOB chartered, started his career at the age of 16 at J. Hickman & Sons, as a trainee QS, before beginning a five-year period at Bromsgrove builders Weavers – a career path move that he credits with providing and cementing some of the key skills of his professional life. After working for himself for a number of years, Steve joined Mansel PLC as a senior quantity surveyor where promotions followed through from managing quantity surveyor up to divisional manager. In 2013 he left the company to take up the position of Regional Commercial Manager for United Living Group in Wolverhampton where he stayed for eight years. He joined Living Space in 2021 following a spell at Vistry Group where he was Group Senior Surveyor. Paul Breen, Managing Director of Living Space, said: “Steve has played a pivotal role in developing our supply chain strategy, driving efficiencies, and developing our processes to improve supplier performance. In his 12 months as Commercial Manager, he demonstrated a professionalism and eye for detail that brought real value to our business. “This is well-deserved recognition of Steve’s contribution to Living Space Housing and the wider group and is a timely promotion as we accelerate our ambitious growth plans.” The overall value of Living Space’s development portfolio is now approaching £200million, which equates to 950 affordable houses, apartments and bungalows. The company is on track to deliver at least 20 developments over the next two years. It is the partnership arm of the WhatHouse? ‘Housebuilder of the Year’ Hayfield. The vast majority of the homes Living Space builds are delivered to Registered Providers (RPs) for affordable rent and shared ownership. Living Space sources the land, achieves planning consent and builds the homes for the RP, enabling them to focus on the funding and management of high-quality homes for their residents. For more information, visit www.livingspace.co.uk
Greyfriars Project Management have stepped in to assist a Norwich school in finishing a development project in time for pupils to start in September. The construction works were undertaken to ensure Angel Road Infant School could house pupils from the neighbouring Angel Road Junior School, following its closure in June 2021 over safety concerns. Construction started on the shared site in spring 2022 with Greyfriars Project Management coming on board in May amid pressures to meet the tight September deadline. With the works completed on time, all pupils started at the school for the new term as planned. “It’s been a race to finish by the autumn term – and we’ve succeeded. With new mobile classrooms and outdoor spaces, the school is ready for pupils to use” says Jon Barnard, Director of Greyfriars Project Management. Working with the Evolution Academy Trust, the project management specialists delivered a range of vital services which accelerated the works, including risk management, financial tracking, regular reporting, programme support and design support. “We provided procurement support for most of the works which sped up the process. We also delivered masterplanning services, one result of which will be the creation of a new access stair-come-amphitheatre” adds Jon. Alongside relieving short-term accommodation pressures, longer-term aspirations were tackled too, such as improving the flow of people around the school and renovating outdated areas to create a better environment. Improvements included realigning fencing, installing mobile classrooms, building a new walkway, upgrading the early years playground and installing CCTV among other changes. “We were involved in the management of key enhancements, including the creation of four classrooms and inspiring outdoor spaces. Being part of this project has been incredibly rewarding and we’re thrilled the children are enjoying the upgrades” concludes Jon. Based in Norwich, Greyfriars Project Management specialise in providing expert project management support across the UK and help deliver development and infrastructure projects of all sizes for both the public and private sector. With a strong focus on community interest, they are often involved in projects which aim to provide real public benefit. To find out more about Greyfriars Project Management and their services, visit: https://greyfriarspm.com/
Global construction cost consultancy, Soben has expanded its senior management team with the appointment of Pieter Schaap as Director. Pieter is the sixth director-level appointment to be made at Soben this year, with further growth planned in the coming months. Pieter joins award-winning Soben from Yondr Group, where he was Supply Chain Director for the APAC region. He brings with him a wealth of experience and expertise, including in oil and gas, petrochemical, and data centre sectors, and has a strong background in mission critical environments. Pieter’s initial key responsibilities include the formation of supply chain workstreams, sustainability transformations and organisational changes, and creating development activities that relate to Soben’s key clients. Pieter, born and raised in the Netherlands, and a master’s graduate of the University of Groningen, said: “Having the opportunity to work with clients around the globe and add real value to our industry is something I have always enjoyed. “Soben is enabling me to do what I love, and I am looking forward to making a strong impact.” Scott Smyth, Soben Founder and Group CEO commented: “I am delighted to welcome Pieter to the Soben team and know he will do an excellent job in overseeing the development of our global supply chain. “Pieter’s extensive leadership and knowledge in driving successful procurement strategies will benefit our clients and their stakeholders tremendously. “He also has fantastic relationship-building skills, which will help to further cement our strong ties with our current client base across the world. “I believe Pieter’s hire is a real statement of intent and perfectly demonstrates our underlying ambitions to build and develop a global company that offers the marketplace something different.” Soben has further plans for expansion, targeting 1000 people globally by 2027 to support growth in current locations and expansion into additional territories.
ONE of the UK’s leading multi-disciplinary property consultancy firms – EDGE PS – has revealed how a 40% year-on-year growth in turnover provided the momentum needed for the strategic launch of its Leeds office earlier this year. Since the office’s initial formation in January 2022, the company has further grown its regional portfolio of commissions and local resource to a team of 17 professionals, incorporating project and commercial management to building and digital surveying services. The expansion builds on the company’s continued business growth in its established bases in Nottingham, Sheffield, Birmingham and London, resulting in a 40% year-on-year increase in turnover from 2021 to 2022. To mark this strategic accelerated growth and commitment to delivering services within the Leeds city region, a special celebration with more than 200 key industry stakeholders and clients was hosted at the Dakota Hotel in Leeds at the start of September. The consultancy has a solid reputation for delivering a variety of services to national and international clients across the property and construction industry. EDGE PS is delivering both public / private sector projects across the region including supporting the strategy for reducing carbon and energy reduction for the University of Leeds in its target to achieve Net Zero by 2030. Nick Phelan, partner at EDGE PS, said: “The rapid expansion of our operations in Leeds and the wider northern regions signifies a major milestone for the company as a whole and is a reflection of the continued growth of the Company. We have been delivering key projects across the region for several years, our new Leeds office now provides further localised support to our key clients and partnerships across the region. “Our celebration event on Thursday was a fitting celebration to mark eight hugely successful months from our new base and we were delighted to be joined by some of our most supportive colleagues, clients and friends to mark the occasion.” EDGE PS’s regional healthcare portfolio includes Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS FT, Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS FT, Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Trust, and Sheffield Children’s Hospital. Clients in the wider West Yorkshire region include Leeds Bradford Airport, UNITY Doncaster, and Wykeland Group, along with household names B&Q and Johnson & Johnson. Through the team’s expertise in cost management, project management, health and safety advice, and building and digital surveying, EDGE PS has built a strong foundation for successful and continued expansion across the north of England. Its unique approach ensures that more than 86% of EDGE PS’s projects are sourced from repeat business. The Leeds office enables EDGE PS to build upon the company’s existing client base within Leeds and the wider West Yorkshire region in the business’ focus areas of, healthcare, schools & higher education, infrastructure, aviation, residential, retail, commercial and manufacturing sectors, food and drink, distribution, through both the public & private sectors over the coming years. Dale Rodgers, director at EDGE PS Leeds, added: “The meteoric success in the West Yorkshire area – both in terms of the quality and profile of our clients supported by the growth of our team since the start of the year – is testament to our professional approach, tailored service model and expertise of our staff. “It’s important to us that as we continue to expand, we retain our unique collaborative culture at heart to ensure EDGE PS remains a leading construction consultancy business across the UK.” For more information on EDGE PS and its services, follow the link for more information: https://www.edgeps.co.uk/