Heat networks that will use Energy from Waste to be developed in London and East Devon with support of funding awarded through the Government’s Heat Networks Investment Project (HNIP). Over £250 million of funding has been awarded to heat network schemes under the Heat Networks Investment Project (HNIP) since it
People across Dorset, Wiltshire and Somerset will benefit from a new partnership to build more energy-efficient homes for rent and ownership. Magna Housing and Wiltshire Council have joined forces to address the housing crisis, appointing offsite manufacturing company Rollalong via the South West Procurement Alliance (SWPA) Offsite Construction of New
A housing regeneration partnership which has delivered over 1,150 homes to Sheffield is increasing its workforce, with the appointment of a Development Manager. With ambitious plans to build 2,300 properties on a total of 23 sites by the end of 2027, Sheffield Housing Company (SHC) – Sheffield City Council’s joint
Paving and Building Products firm, AG, has reinforced its position as a market leader in sustainable construction through its latest investment in sustainable packaging at its Toome plant. AG has invested in the new state-of-the-art T-Rex packaging as part of its overall environmental strategy and commitment to responsible and sustainable
Leading Midlands contractor G F Tomlinson has announced the completion of a new light manufacturing facility on Hamilton Way, Oakham Business Park, Mansfield. The £10million scheme sees the construction of a two-storey facility and basement space for a UK leading aerospace manufacturer based in the East Midlands. The 80,000 sq
Morgan Sindall Construction and public sector procurement authority SCAPE have achieved CHAMPION level of the Carbon Reduction Code for the Built Environment, joining HS2 (the project)and Skanska UK in this highest category level. The Code, which is a commitment scheme designed to facilitate action and collaboration in the built environment
H.E. Pascal Smet, Secretary of State for the Brussels-Capital Region, spoke last Friday at a net-positive cities event in London jointly organised by hub.brussels and the Urban Land Institute (ULI) addressing over 120 businesses and experts, and stated that, “We have to transform our cities into zero-net cities and that’s not going to be too easy. There are two
New homes are starting to take shape at the ambitious Neighbourhood development being built on brownfield land in Salford that has stood empty for more than a decade. Housing association Salix Homes and partner developer Step Places are building 157 new homes on two parcels of vacant land off Kara
This Tuesday marked the official State Opening of Parliament, with the Queen’s Speech setting out the Government’s agenda for the 2022-23 session, outlining key policies and proposed legislation. This year, for the first time, the speech was delivered by the Prince of Wales in the Monarch’s absence. During the address,
Canterbury Road Vent Shaft site in South Kilburn becomes HS2 Ltd’s first completely diesel-free construction site Major moment for the project in its journey towards net-zero carbon emissions by 2035 HS2 Ltd – the company building Britain’s new high speed, low carbon railway – has today [Thursday 12 May] announced
Heat networks that will use Energy from Waste to be developed in London and East Devon with support of funding awarded through the Government’s Heat Networks Investment Project (HNIP). Over £250 million of funding has been awarded to heat network schemes under the Heat Networks Investment Project (HNIP) since it opened its doors to applicants in 2018. The total Capex of schemes offered HNIP funding exceeds £826 million highlighting the scale of the opportunity for investment in the sector. Ken Hunnisett, Triple Point Heat Networks Investment Management, said: “Heat networks are at their brilliant best when using heat from natural resources or here, with these two exciting schemes in Southwark and Cranbrook, when recovering heat which would otherwise be wasted. Benefitting from a combined award of loan and grant funding exceeding £26m, the scale and ambition of the two projects reflect the growth in the UK’s heat network market while also being exemplars of how green infrastructure can be a driver of tangible local economic growth and a compelling means of levelling up the very different communities of a bustling metropolitan borough and a Devon new town. The HNIP has now closed for applications, but we’ll continue to showcase its many success stories. Over the past three years we have seen some incredible projects come forward for funding we look forward to seeing them develop and expand further.” Business and Energy Minister, Lord Callanan, said: “Heat networks powered by energy from waste sites are an important and low-cost part of the UK’s low carbon heating mix, helping to reduce our reliance on gas and oil for heating. “Transitioning heat networks away from gas can help protect consumers from the volatility of fossil fuel prices and this funding will accelerate the development of technologies that help shield households and businesses.” Energy from Waste plants tackle two key challenges as we move towards a more sustainable society: waste and climate change. Not only do they deliver significant base-load low carbon electricity, but they also process waste that would otherwise end up in landfill. The generation of electricity results in high temperature waste heat which can be captured and used to heat our homes and buildings. Finally, the ash produced as a by-product can be used as aggregate in the construction sector. Overview of projects awarded funding Veolia (Funding Award: £16 million) Veolia has been awarded over £16 million to bring an EfW sourced, low-carbon, heat network to a new area of Southwark, supplying heating and hot water to several existing estates and schools that currently depend on gas boilers and supporting the future growth to a new regeneration area aimed to accommodate 20,000 new homes over the next 15 years. The project is subject to further agreement with SELCHP Ltd, the existing EfW energy centre, and will involve some modifications to improve efficiencies and enable further heat extraction and the construction of a new 6km district heat network. The proposed network will provide immediate and long-term carbon reductions to these developments compared to the proposed counterfactuals, while providing good value to residents and businesses. The network is expected to deliver on average 11,100 tonnes of carbon savings each year. Commenting on the latest carbon reduction energy project, Gavin Graveson, Veolia Senior Executive Vice-President, Northern Europe Zone, said: “Decarbonisation of the domestic heat supply is a key area where the UK can advance progress towards the net-zero carbon goal by increasing the adoption of heat networks. The proposed expansion of the existing Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) derived heat network, to a further eleven estates across the London Borough of Southwark, has now been made possible with support from BEIS and Triple Point Heat Networks. This significant new heat network project will deliver low carbon affordable heat to over 3,000 Southwark homes, local schools, and enable commercially viable connections to future private and commercial customers.” Cllr Helen Dennis, Cabinet Member for the Climate Emergency and Sustainable Development, said: “Seventy-nine per cent of emissions in Southwark are from buildings, so to achieve our ambition of being net-zero by 2030, it’s crucial that we take steps to green all of our homes and buildings and support the shift away from gas. We are delighted to see this significant project move forward to do just that on eleven of our estates and at five of our schools in the Old Kent Road and North Peckham area. This will provide a sustainable and affordable heating and hot water solution, which will keep our students and residents warm, whilst also making a massive reduction in the borough’s carbon emissions.” Cranbrook (Funding Award: £10.7 million) Cranbrook is a new town in East Devon located near to the city of Exeter. Development began in 2011 and today around 2,800 homes have been built. Cranbrook is in close proximity to employment developments including the low carbon Skypark business park with a single heat network serving both developments. Over the next 20 years, Skypark is predicted to create up to 6,500 new jobs with a significant positive impact on the local economy. The development takes an integrated approach to sustainability which includes tackling embodied carbon, reduction in building level energy demands, the use of renewable technologies and ensuring the site is future proofed. A second network immediately to the west is being rolled out to serve Exeter Science Park and further housing development. The £10.7 million award by HNIP will allow both of these networks to be connected to a forthcoming Energy from Waste Plant. Cranbrook/Skypark will supply heat to 3,500 homes and 1.4m sq ft commercial space and Monkerton/Tithebarn which will connect 4,600 homes and 800k sq ft commercial space. The interconnection of these networks will enable the bulk supply of heat to both networks including all necessary resilience and back up. The project will also support the planned expansion of Cranbrook to circa 8,000 houses through enabling the delivery of a Future Homes Standard compliant energy solution. Cllr Geoff Jung, East Devon District Council’s Portfolio Holder for Coast, Countryside and Environment, said: “We very much
People across Dorset, Wiltshire and Somerset will benefit from a new partnership to build more energy-efficient homes for rent and ownership. Magna Housing and Wiltshire Council have joined forces to address the housing crisis, appointing offsite manufacturing company Rollalong via the South West Procurement Alliance (SWPA) Offsite Construction of New Homes framework, to build nearly 1,000 new homes over the next three years. At the forefront of this work in the local area, the partners are committed to accelerating the delivery of modular homes in the UK, using offsite manufactured, precision-engineered techniques to deliver much needed homes in the local area, as well as modernising and speeding up the overall process. The latest range of homes are net zero carbon ready and net zero carbon living, supporting the Government’s objective of delivering net zero carbon homes by 2050. They are cheaper to run than traditionally built homes, with better insulation and more efficient heating, and people living in them will be better off as a result. Designs can flex from traditional to contemporary to suit the towns and villages across Somerset, Wiltshire and Dorset. The development of these new homes, designed with the end user in mind, supports the local economy by employing local people and using local suppliers. The construction process also reduces any environmental impact as it uses less energy, reduces waste and creates less disruption to local residents, thanks to fewer deliveries to site over a shorter period of time. With a faster turnaround than traditional methods of construction, as well as a high-quality, standardised product, they will be available more quickly and will be more cost-effective and safer for occupants. The partnership has made extensive efforts to make sure that the concept and approach works: Rollalong has already manufactured 120 homes and completed the first three sites at Barton Gardens, Woodlands Way and McCreery Road in Sherborne, Dorset. Paul Read, Magna’s Executive Director for Sustainability and New Supply, said: “We have been on an exciting journey leading this approach to modular homes. I am delighted that we are now seeing our hard work turn into reality with new homes now on site and people being ready to move in. “Our priority, in addition to creating homes designed for living, is to reduce the amount of carbon in delivery and occupation of homes. So in addition to creating great places to live, and beautiful homes, they are also more sustainable and cheaper to run, providing huge benefits for our customers. This partnership will not only make more homes available for local people but will lead the way in how we can transform the delivery of these.” Steve Chivers, Managing Director of Rollalong, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded the contract by Magna Housing and Wiltshire Council to design and build these modular homes that will provide a range of high-quality, affordable housing for everyone. “We are building the homes of the future designed for living today. It’s another great opportunity to demystify modular housing and champion the benefits that this style of housing can provide in the face of a nationwide housing crisis. “This unique partnership delivers the volumes that we require using a market tested portfolio of standard designs – we are aggregating demand through client cluster relationships and rolling out through a regional delivery model. “We are now working with experienced clients in the South West, bringing jobs and apprenticeships and using our local supply chain partners which demonstrates our commitment to social value. “Local communities built by local people, using local manufacturers for local people – we are creating systemic change in our transition towards a circular economy in the South West. “The next step for us is setting work to further reduce carbon from the way we build and live in homes.” Councillor Phil Alford, Cabinet Member for Housing at Wiltshire Council, said: “One of our key missions within our business plan is to deliver high-quality, attractive homes that provide residents with truly affordable housing, with reduced energy bills. “Not only are we doing that, but we firmly believe we’re building the highest quality affordable housing in Wiltshire with the lowest rents. “The work that has gone into securing this three-year contract with Rollalong will provide long-term benefits for residents and the environment and we are really pleased to be on this journey with Magna Housing. This work has demonstrated that when you collaborate and join forces, collective buying power is greater than working alone. “We can’t wait to see our innovative vision become a reality.” Mary Bennell, Director of SWPA, said: “We have worked closely for a long time with Magna Housing, and more recently with Wiltshire Council, to provide the innovative procurement solutions required to meet their housing aspirations. “The demand aggregation approach used here will provide a stable pipeline of homes, via a manufacturing process, and demonstrates benefits in terms of value for money. We hope that this becomes the preferred route for all social housing clients to deliver affordable, high-quality and energy-efficient homes.”
A housing regeneration partnership which has delivered over 1,150 homes to Sheffield is increasing its workforce, with the appointment of a Development Manager. With ambitious plans to build 2,300 properties on a total of 23 sites by the end of 2027, Sheffield Housing Company (SHC) – Sheffield City Council’s joint venture development company with private developer Keepmoat Homes and Great Places Housing – is seeing construction activity increase across the city. Howard Young (49) and from Greenhill, joins SHC and will be responsible for managing the delivery of over 550 houses on existing live sites, as well as planning for the next phase of six sites and more than 350 homes to be brought forward over the next five years. He brings a wealth of experience to the role having worked in architecture and both public and private sector housing, including the transformation of the renowned Kelham Island. He said: “Born and bred in Sheffield, I have an affinity and passion for the area, so when the opportunity arose to apply to work for SHC, I was very interested. Over the last few years, SHC and its partners have been responsible for delivering new, high quality, affordable housing that has enabled many to step onto the property ladder in their home city and encouraged others to move to the area “I am really looking forward to this role and the challenges ahead, most of which I feel will be influenced by the current economic climate, pressures on supply chain, employment and household incomes. I am confident that SHC’s proven track record and expertise will continue to find innovative and creative ways to address housing need in Sheffield.” In his spare time, Howard enjoys time with his family, dog walking, cycling and local football. Steve Birch, Project Director with SHC added: “We are delighted to welcome Howard to the SHC team, we are confident that his experience, knowledge and familiarity of Sheffield will play a pivotal part in helping to drive our projects forward.” Established in 2011, the regeneration partnership has created over 800 jobs, 75 apprenticeships and spent more than £80m with construction businesses in the South Yorkshire region.
Paving and Building Products firm, AG, has reinforced its position as a market leader in sustainable construction through its latest investment in sustainable packaging at its Toome plant. AG has invested in the new state-of-the-art T-Rex packaging as part of its overall environmental strategy and commitment to responsible and sustainable operating practice with the new system reducing carbon emissions. The pioneering system, supplied by Kraft Curing Systems, uses 100% biodegradable pellets that are sprayed onto each product layer for added surface protection before the next layer is added on top, without compromising on the quality of the finished goods. The system replaces the customary foam layers which are traditionally set between layers to protect the product whilst in transit. Customarily, the foam layers are disposed of by contractors on site, but the T-Rex packaging system uses granules which biodegrade naturally in-situ, removing the need for disposal. The investment in the packaging system allows AG to deliver on product requirements through a more efficient and sustainable method further reducing carbon emissions through drastically reducing the amount of packaging in their products. The system highlights AG’s commitment to responsible operating practice and is the latest in a series of sustainability initiatives created by the firm which include switching to 100% renewable energy as well as utilising bio-LPG instead of the industry-standard LPG resulting in a carbon saving of 70% – equal to a person driving around the world three times. The business has also introduced electric and hybrid cars into their fleet with a goal of having a full hybrid/electric fleet by 2025 This latest investment was led by CEO Stephen Acheson with support from the firm’s net zero carbon team which was set up with the aim of reducing the company’s carbon footprint, as part of an energy strategy developed with a commitment to producing low carbon products. The firm, which has manufacturing locations in Fivemiletown, Dungannon, Toome, Ballygawley and Carryduff, already has one of the lowest carbon footprints in the industry and is committed to reducing the environmental impact of its operations to an absolute minimum. Last year, the business also reduced its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 10%, despite a 30% increase in production volumes as the company faced unprecedented demand for its products reinforcing its commitment to a greener future in construction. Rodney Davidson, Commercial Director at AG said: “We are delighted to introduce this new packaging system into our Toome plant. At AG we are constantly working to reduce our carbon footprint and are committed to sustainable construction.” CEO, Stephen Acheson added: “AG has a corporate social responsibility to be sustainable. We have adopted a long-term corporate philosophy that focuses on the wider message of lasting sustainable strategies and this new switch enables us to further reduce our carbon saving, lowering our carbon footprint even more.” “Each of our sites bring our corporate environmental philosophy to life and we are delighted to be making very positive steps in our journey of carbon reduction”.
Leading Midlands contractor G F Tomlinson has announced the completion of a new light manufacturing facility on Hamilton Way, Oakham Business Park, Mansfield. The £10million scheme sees the construction of a two-storey facility and basement space for a UK leading aerospace manufacturer based in the East Midlands. The 80,000 sq ft steel frame building features composite insulated cladding to the walls and roof to provide a production facility and headquarters comprising a ground floor with workshop, office and meeting spaces, including staff facilities and a basement level for storage. Adjacent is an external service yard with two artic loading bays and car parking spaces over three levels for 139 cars. Five gabion retaining walls are also in place across the site – totalling 170 metres in length with a height of 1.2 metres. As part of the project G F Tomlinson also carried out £3million M&E works, and worked alongside project manager and principal designer Jackson Design Associates and Webb Gray Architects – both firms the contractor has worked with previously on office and industrial schemes elsewhere in Mansfield and in Lichfield. Chris Flint, managing director of G F Tomlinson, said: “We are very pleased to have completed construction works for this impressive industrial facility in Mansfield, which has been designed to meet the end user’s growing manufacturing ambitions, storage and office requirements. “It is a pleasure to have worked once again with Jackson Design Associates and Webb Gray Architects – two local businesses which each have a wealth of experience in the Midlands region and in this sector.” David Grieves, senior project manager at Jackson Design Associates, said: “It’s great to see this project completed. The collaborative working relationship with G F Tomlinson helped overcome challenges along the journey, resulting in a successful project delivery. The client can now enjoy the impressive internal space for what they do best.” G F Tomlinson, which has offices in Derbyshire and Birmingham, has many years of experience across multiple sectors including industrial, education, retail, healthcare, leisure, commercial and residential. Building Design and Construction Magazine | The Home of Construction & Property News
Morgan Sindall Construction and public sector procurement authority SCAPE have achieved CHAMPION level of the Carbon Reduction Code for the Built Environment, joining HS2 (the project)and Skanska UK in this highest category level. The Code, which is a commitment scheme designed to facilitate action and collaboration in the built environment towards reducing carbon emissions (CO2eq) related to design, construction, maintenance, operation and decommissioning of built assets, forms part of the Construction Leadership Council’s Construct Zero initiative. The Code is structured around commitments that stimulate action in different aspects of carbon reduction. All organisations who comply to the Code must set out and publish plans to meet Net Zero by 2045, including annual targets, recognising that the majority of cuts need to be made by 2030, and publish progress against it annually. This is the minimum commitment for achieving PLEDGER status. There are three levels of compliance to the Code, PLEDGER, SIGNATORY, and CHAMPION. To comply with the criteria required to achieve CHAMPION level, an organisation must sign up to all of the Further Commitments of the Code in addition to the core commitments. “We are delighted that Morgan Sindall Construction and SCAPE have achieved CHAMPON level of the Code. They join fellow CHAMPION organisations HS2 and Skanska UK, and PLEDGER level organisations – the National Association of Construction Frameworks (NACF), City Building Engineering Services (CBES), Interclass and SCF Construct,” said Dr Jennifer Schooling OBE, Director of CSIC which hosts the Code. “There are already a number of additional organisations in the Code pipeline which is promising because carbon reduction is more likely to happen when all organisations within a value chain are committed to reducing their footprint and saving costs. The Code provides a framework for organisations to make a public commitment to and report on progress towards achieving Net Zero.” Pat Boyle, Managing Director of Morgan Sindall Construction said: “We are delighted to have been recognised as a Champion according to the Carbon Reduction Code, which raises the bar for organisational carbon management standards. Our commitment to be a Champion of the Code highlights the relevance of our Decarbonising Communities approach, and underlines our ongoing efforts to work openly and collaboratively with stakeholders across the value chain to deeply decarbonise our own operations and the assets we deliver for our customers.” Mark Robinson, chief executive of SCAPE commented, “Addressing the climate emergency with practical action is a national imperative, and it is one we take very seriously at SCAPE. The Carbon Code is a hugely important initiative, and so I am absolutely thrilled that our team has achieved Champion status. The code is vital to driving the systemic and behavioural change needed within construction and will serve as a barometer against our ambitious plans to enable a direct response to the climate challenge through procurement, design and delivery innovation. With the support of our passionate delivery partners, our talented teams and the robust governance that has been laid out in the Carbon Code, we are committed to working hand in glove with industry to chart a course that will improve the environmental performance of the public estate. Building Design and Construction Magazine | The Home of Construction & Property News
H.E. Pascal Smet, Secretary of State for the Brussels-Capital Region, spoke last Friday at a net-positive cities event in London jointly organised by hub.brussels and the Urban Land Institute (ULI) addressing over 120 businesses and experts, and stated that, “We have to transform our cities into zero-net cities and that’s not going to be too easy. There are two domains in which we have to act, in the mobility issue and the building issue.” “We have an opportunity to make our cities a better place to live […] The public and the private sector have to work together in order to build these better cities.” Welcoming guests to the event, Chair of the Urban Land Institute of Belgium and Luxembourg, Gabriel Uzgen, warned, “We will soon reach critical thresholds [of greenhouse gas emissions], consequences which we cannot reverse.” He went on to say that, “We need to reconceive our buildings and redesign them to be more sustainable. Because of the scale of these issues, it is critical that city officials and businesses work together to achieve this change. “There is no longer time for procrastination or asking questions. It’s time for action. We need to work together to share knowledge and find solutions.” In her keynote speech, Director of Savills Earth Advisory, Marylis Ramos, echoed his sentiment stating, “The data is clear: the direction of travel is away from fossil fuels but not everyone will admit that the train has left the station, let alone how fast that train is travelling or that it may skip some stations along the way.” Minister Smet is visiting the UK as part of the Belgian Economic Mission, a 4-day trade and political visit presided over by HRH Princess Astrid, organised to strengthen the economic and diplomatic ties between the two countries. The UK could benefit greatly from Belgian learnings in green architecture and construction, as Belgian policy is some years ahead in this area. Both countries hold huge potential for innovation, with 40% of the UK’s carbon emissions estimated to come from the built environment and an increasing preference in Belgium for buildings made from circular concrete or sustainable timber. Later in the event, experts covered industry issues and trends such as: The potential for retrofitting homes to make them more energy efficient – Annette Simpson, Director of Development and Partnerships at Legal & General Wooden buildings for environmental and social benefit – Pertti Vanhanen, Managing Director of the Cromwell Property Group The development of flexible timber to meet changing building needs – Ana Gatóo, a PhD candidate at the Centre for Natural Material Innovation in the Department of Architecture at Cambridge Creating a local value chain for wood from urban forests – Stephan Kampelmann, Ecological Economist and Founder of the Sonian Wood Coop Reducing inequality through affordable and sustainable housing solutions – Annette Simpson, Director of Development and Partnerships at Legal & General The Belgian Economic Mission is hosted from 9th – 12th May 2022. Belgian Ministers, HRH Princess Astrid and 406 business leaders are visiting the UK. A key international economic player, Belgium is ranked 13th in the world for both exports and imports by the World Trade Organisation in 2021. The country’s central European location matched by its prosperous ports makes it an ideal gateway for UK businesses looking to trade in Europe – it makes up 75% of the EU market (GDP) and 40% of consumers. For more information on the Belgian Economic Mission and its upcoming events please visit belgianeconomicmission.be. For any questions or commentary from H.E. Smet, or any other speakers from the event, please contact Whitehouse Communications using the details below.
New homes are starting to take shape at the ambitious Neighbourhood development being built on brownfield land in Salford that has stood empty for more than a decade. Housing association Salix Homes and partner developer Step Places are building 157 new homes on two parcels of vacant land off Kara Street and Liverpool Street in Seedley South. The eco-friendly development, comprising social housing, homes for affordable rent and properties for shared ownership and outright sale, is on track for completion in summer 2023. Terry McBride, development manager at Salix Homes, said: “Neighbourhood will bring a new era of housing to Salford and complement the wider regeneration taking place in the area, so it’s great to see these new homes starting to take shape. “This brownfield land has stood empty for over a decade and we’re very proud to see our long-awaited vision to breathe new life into the area and deliver much needed housing, start to become reality. “With housing in such short supply, we’re confident that Neighbourhood will deliver more of the right types of homes that people need in Salford, including social and affordable housing, creating a vibrant, sustainable and aspirational community of modern, high-quality and energy efficient homes.” The community-focussed development is a mix of two, three and four-bedroom homes and one and two-bedroom apartments, and Salix Homes is working with Salford-based contractor Watson Homes to deliver its part of the scheme. The housing association has secured funding from Homes England to help finance the multi-million-pound project. Manchester poet Tony Walsh marked the start of work at Neighbourhood last year, when he penned a new poem – Salford Keys – to honour the spirit of Salford and commemorate a new era of housing and regeneration in the city. The honorary Salfordian, also known as Longfella, has a close affinity to the area, having previously worked in the Seedley and Langworthy communities as a regeneration manager. Speaking at the development launch last year, he said: “I have an association with Salford going back 40-years and know every back alley of this area in particular. Having worked on the regeneration project 15 years ago, it’s great to see what was planned back then finally come to fruition and the new Neighbourhood development will be central to the regeneration of the area.” The innovative design of Neighbourhood is a modern take on the traditional terrace house, complete with raised terrace gardens for some of the properties. There will be a public green space at the heart of the development, 86 trees planted, and all houses will have cycle storage and electric car charging points. Harinder Dhaliwal, managing director of Step Places, added: “It’s a great scheme of mixed tenures and innovative house types with sustainability high on the agenda. In the current climate of rising energy prices, the air source heat pumps and highly insulated homes will be a real benefit for occupiers” In total, 91 of the properties at Neighbourhood will be shared ownership, affordable rent or social housing, while 66 will be available for market sale, with Help to Buy support available. Salford Council is purchasing 25 of the homes for social rent, while a further five properties will go to Inspiring Housing Community Land Trust for a community-led housing model, which aims to support affordable homes for local people. Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett said: “It is fantastic to see this vacant site being brought back to life and it is very positive news this new development is eco-friendly. I look forward to joining the celebrations when the site is finished next year and people can move in. “These homes are provided against a backdrop of a national housing crisis with people on our housing lists that are desperate for affordable homes. We need to continue to work together to provide many more affordable homes in the city that local people can live in.” The 32 affordable rent homes will be allocated via Salford Home Search, while the remaining properties will be available via Salix Homes’ affordable home ownership brand – Willo Homes. The first phase of 47 homes at Neighbourhood, have already been reserved, with a further 20 homes released this month. Properties available as part of the Shared Ownership scheme are due to be released this summer, and people are urged to register their interest with Willo Homes now. For more information about homes available, email neighbourhood@salixhomes.co.uk or visit Neighbourhood Salford. Building Design and Construction Magazine | The Home of Construction & Property News
This Tuesday marked the official State Opening of Parliament, with the Queen’s Speech setting out the Government’s agenda for the 2022-23 session, outlining key policies and proposed legislation. This year, for the first time, the speech was delivered by the Prince of Wales in the Monarch’s absence. During the address, the Prince declared that Government’s priorities are to “grow and strengthen the economy, and help ease the cost of living for families”, as well as to “level up opportunity in all parts of the country, and support more people into work”. In total, thirty-eight Bills were announced, including legislation to drive sustainable investment in public services and empower local economic growth through regeneration. Five existing Bills were also carried over from the 2021-22 parliamentary session, such as the High-Speed Rail (Crewe – Manchester) Bill. CIOB (the Chartered Institute of Building) welcomes the Government’s focus on the built environment in the legislative programme for 2022-23, most notably the alignment of net zero and sustainability priorities, with the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill. The Bill is wide-ranging and contains devolution measures, a government duty to report annually on the twelve levelling up missions, metrics of inequality across the UK and elements from the Planning Bill, which stalled following internal disagreements within the Conservative Party on proposed reforms to the planning system in England. CIOB is also pleased to see enhanced focus on cultivating the development of greener and smarter placemaking, whilst simultaneously seeking to address quality, sustainability and safety in the sector. The new Energy; Leaseholder Reform; and Transport Bills all afford opportunities for the construction sector to lead the way in safety and quality, while hitting the UK’s net zero ambitions and housing needs. Responding to the announcement, Caroline Gumble, Chief Executive of CIOB, said:“CIOB is pleased that the built environment is a focal point for the Government’s legislation agenda and will play a pivotal role in addressing the UK’s social, economic and environmental ambitions. The aims of the new Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, particularly through increased community involvement in planning proposals and redevelopment projects are sound, but the absence of an Employment Bill to support these initiatives could be a missed opportunity. The Covid-19 pandemic has clearly exacerbated persistent labour and skills shortages across the construction sector which has implications for those employed and seeking employment. Without a future pool of talent coming into the sector, any ambitions to build the necessary homes and infrastructure as part of the Government’s levelling up agenda will cost more and potentially reach a hard stop within a short space of time. Separately, questions remain on changes to permitted development rights (PDR), which – if implemented without significant safeguards – could lock in unacceptable standards of development, going against the fundamental desire to improve building quality and safety as set out in the recent Building Safety Act. The Government must therefore be explicit about links to existing and proposed legislation. We also welcome the announcement of a Procurement Bill, aimed at making it simpler for smaller businesses – who often struggle to secure local authority projects – to bid for public sector contracts. As part of this, Government should recognise the role of qualified professionals in ensuring professionalism, quality and value in public sector projects and programmes, and work with the sector to embed value-based outcomes as part of qualifying for public sector contracts. CIOB continues to champion these mechanisms for enhancing social value and how it can be used as a lever for improving quality, enhancing energy efficiency, promoting business best practice and improving access to the profession.” To read the transcript of the Queen’s speech, click here.
Canterbury Road Vent Shaft site in South Kilburn becomes HS2 Ltd’s first completely diesel-free construction site Major moment for the project in its journey towards net-zero carbon emissions by 2035 HS2 Ltd – the company building Britain’s new high speed, low carbon railway – has today [Thursday 12 May] announced its first completely diesel-free site is the Canterbury Road Vent Shaft site in South Kilburn, where HS2’s civils contractor Skanska Costain STRABAG joint venture (SCS JV) have introduced a range of diesel-free technologies and greener equipment. Earlier this year, HS2 Ltd announced that the project aims to be net-zero carbon from 2035, with the target of achieving its first diesel-free construction site in 2022, and all of its construction sites being diesel-free by 2029. HS2 Minister Andrew Stephenson said: “HS2 is boosting transport across the UK, creating thousands of jobs and levelling up communities throughout the North and Midlands, all while leaving the environment better off than how we found it. “This, the first of many diesel-free sites, is another example of how the country’s biggest infrastructure project not only delivers on its commitment to be Net Zero from 2035, but is a pioneer in leading the whole industry to cleaner, greener construction.” Innovations on this site include one of the UK’s first 160 tonne emissions-free fully electric crawler cranes; the use of biofuels (Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil) to power plant and machinery on site; an electric compressor; and access to mains power on a 100% renewable energy tariff. HS2’s Net Zero Carbon Plan sets out how HS2 will achieve new carbon reduction milestones, support the decarbonisation of the UK construction sector and reduce the carbon footprint of the programme. Other sites are set to follow suit, with innovations including retrofit technologies, biofuels, hydrogen and solar power helping to cut carbon across the whole of the route. Peter Miller, HS2’s Environment Director said: “We’re delighted to reach this key milestone in our Net Zero Carbon Plan. HS2 is playing a major role in the decarbonisation of the construction industry, collaborating with the industry and our supply chain to accelerate innovation in low-carbon technologies. Reducing emissions and improving air quality on HS2 construction sites is crucial for both the environment and surrounding communities.” James Richardson, Managing Director of SCS said: “We’re thrilled that Canterbury Road Vent Shaft has become the first diesel-free site on the HS2 project. We’re working hard with our supply chain to introduce renewable energy, green hydrogen and sustainable biofuels to help us remove diesel entirely from our sites by 2023.” Innovations being trialled and introduced on other sites include: ‘Clean Air Gas Engine’ funded through Innovate UK and led by OakTec, which replaces diesel power with ultra-low (bio-LPG) emission engines in Advante Welfare units and standalone units. ‘EcoNet’ developed by Invisible Systems, Balfour Beatty and Sunbelt which controls and reduces energy output from key appliances, reducing power demand by 30%. Non-Road Mobile Machinery retrofit solutions which adds pollution control equipment onto older vehicles as an alternative to replacing the machine or the engine, reducing emissions. CESAR Emissions Compliance Verification which is a resilient system to show the EU Stage engine emission class of all construction plant. Proactive dust management solutions reducing impacts associated with on-site activities. Fully Electric Renewable Energy using solar and wind to power noise and air quality monitors, site security cameras and site briefing areas and solar pods powering sites by combining solar PV, battery storage and a back-up generator. Hydrogen Technology trials across sites considering both fuel-cell technology and combustible hydrogen solutions.