One way of enabling people to live cleaner, greener lives is by making sure the buildings in which people live and work are more eco-friendly so that the very environments in which we survive and thrive are helping us towards a more sustainable future. With this in mind, and using
Work on four new speculatively built units is underway at two major West Midlands logistics parks as Prologis, the leading developer of industrial property in the UK, expands its portfolio at Prologis Park Hams Hall and Prologis Park Ryton, near Coventry. At Prologis Park Hams Hall, three buildings are currently
Contributing £127 billion Gross Added Value, the logistics sector is vital to keeping the country’s economy moving. SOCOTEC’s Environment & Safety division is proud to serve a number of key clients within this industry, helping to keep the country stocked up on the services and resources it needs to function.
Building specifiers and contractors are advised to put healthy design principles first when adapting existing structures according to REHAU, following cautions from the Climate Change Committee (CCC) about overheating buildings. The CCC’s latest analysis of the Government’s heat and Building Strategy has noted that current overheating policy is only applicable
CPI EuroMix is delighted to announce the appointment of Wendy McFarlane as its Financial Director. Wendy, who began her role on March 1st, said the dry mortar specialists’ reputation was a deciding factor in her taking up an ‘exciting’ opportunity within the company. She said: “The company’s values and their
The first CGIs of the residential development Lockside Wharf in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter have been released. Property investment company Joseph Mews, which is working with London-based property development company Consortia Developments to bring the properties to market, have released the images this month. Lockside Wharf, once called Scotland Works, is
City Plumbing has opened a new branch to support local tradespeople and homeowners of Winsford, Cheshire. The new Winsford branch, located at the UK’s first ‘green’ business park, the Road One Industrial Estate, will cater to plumbers, heating engineers, bathroom installers and electricians, as well as homeowners looking to create
Property investment and development company CEG has managed the acquisition of 33 Cadogan Street in the heart of the central business district of Glasgow. With full planning permission in place for a 275,000 sq ft development, the site has already been cleared and readied for construction. CEG has appointed a
Carefully selected construction firms have been chosen to help build about £500million of important projects in Central Bedfordshire over the next four years. Central Bedfordshire Council has created its own procurement framework tailored to its construction requirements and priorities such as promoting sustainability and the need to provide social value.
St. Modwen Homes announces £85m+ of investment across five sites St. Modwen Homes, one of the UK’s leading developers of new communities and high-quality homes, today announces five projects which will deliver over 1,100 new homes across England. The new sites will be situated in Lancashire, Kent, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and
One way of enabling people to live cleaner, greener lives is by making sure the buildings in which people live and work are more eco-friendly so that the very environments in which we survive and thrive are helping us towards a more sustainable future. With this in mind, and using data from BREEAM, Distrelec found out which towns and cities are taking the time to invest in eco-friendly infrastructure and the countries that are taking the environmental impacts of their buildings most seriously. Countries with the Most Eco-Friendly Buildings With so many English places ranking so highly among towns and cities in the full study, you’d think the UK would easily top the list of countries with the most eco-friendly buildings under BREEAMS ratings, but whilst it scores impressively overall, with 91.53% of those buildings falling into the top band, it only sneaks into the top four as the Czech Republic managed to strike back to claim top spot with 93.15% of its rated buildings coming into that superior classification. Perhaps more shockingly, when taking a national overview, 0.40% of the UK’s buildings that undertook the BREEAM assessment came out as unclassified. Towns & Cities with the Most Eco-Friendly Buildings Of the many global cities and towns that data was gathered from, Coventry in Central England came out on top with a whopping 98.31% of the buildings certified by BREEAM falling into the Outstanding/Excellent/Very Good category with a further 1.69% coming in as Good. A former industrial powerhouse, Coventry was heavily damaged during the Second World War and has seen major investment and restructuring in the post-war years, becoming a noted University city, which may go some way to explain how it scores quite so highly. Polish city Krakow is not far off with an impressive 97.65% of its buildings rated by BREEAM coming into that top category and another 1.18% rated as Good. Interestingly, of the remaining top 10, eight are English towns and cities with Czech capital Prague rounding out the list with an impressive 96.27% of its ranked buildings falling into that top band. Hope you enjoyed the story! If you do decide to write, Original data source: https://knowhow.distrelec.com/energy-and-power/europes-most-eco-friendly-buildings/
Work on four new speculatively built units is underway at two major West Midlands logistics parks as Prologis, the leading developer of industrial property in the UK, expands its portfolio at Prologis Park Hams Hall and Prologis Park Ryton, near Coventry. At Prologis Park Hams Hall, three buildings are currently under construction with steelwork and cladding currently being put in place. The three units – DC2 (259,510 sq. ft.), DC3 (131,780 sq. ft.), and DC4 (85,685 sq. ft.) – are set for completion in summer 2022. At Prologis Park Ryton, work is underway on a 330,770 sq. ft. unit, also due to be completed in summer 2022. With seven of its 22 logistics parks located in the West Midlands, these new developments further strengthen Prologis’ commitment to delivering logistics property in strategic locations for UK supply chains. Prologis Parks Ryton and Hams Hall are important locations in the Midlands, especially for the automotive industry and are already home to companies such as Jaguar Land Rover, LEVC and DHL. Both sites have quick access to the national motorway network, with Prologis Park Hams Hall also featuring an on-site intermodal rail freight terminal, which links to three seaports and the channel tunnel. Alongside playing their part in improving the flow of goods around the country, the four new units will also deliver social value through job creation and strengthening the local economy. Sustainability has been factored into the build process from the outset too, with all units being net zero in construction, and will be targeted BREEAM-rated ‘excellent’, and EPC A rated. Tom Price, capital deployment and leasing director at Prologis UK, said: “These four new units will provide vital extra capacity for the West Midlands logistics and warehousing market. We know that our customers and the wider business community recognise the value of the region to their supply chain operations, and we’re pleased to be providing facilities to help meet that demand. It’s exciting to see the new units take shape and we’re looking forward to their completion later this year.”
Contributing £127 billion Gross Added Value, the logistics sector is vital to keeping the country’s economy moving. SOCOTEC’s Environment & Safety division is proud to serve a number of key clients within this industry, helping to keep the country stocked up on the services and resources it needs to function. Each of these clients have heavily relied upon SOCOTEC to ensure that they can continue to deliver their services in a safe and compliant manner. Below, we take a look at some of the ways that SOCOTEC has supported the logistics sector and supply chain management, playing its part in keeping the country moving. Managing unoccupied depots SOCOTEC has been supporting a leading UK logistics company with its expansion plans, helping to ascertain and define compliance levels for some of its new hubs and depots. The client’s success has gone from strength to strength over the past two years, with the volume of parcels they deliver having doubled. Many of the buildings that the client has acquired as new hubs are small local depots that serve the final few miles of a parcel’s journey. This means that they are often left unoccupied for extended periods of time and may contain old, outdated water systems/run the risk of housing Legionella bacteria. In addition, many of these buildings will have been constructed before the nationwide asbestos ban in 1999, meaning that they are at risk of housing asbestos-containing materials (ACMs). To reduce the level of risk posed by Legionella and asbestos within these depots, SOCOTEC has been undertaking asbestos surveys and Legionella risk assessments on behalf of the client, ensuring that the premises they use to store their parcels remain safe and compliant for employees to use. Monitoring health and safety risks Thanks to the high quality, professional level of service provided by SOCOTEC’s Environment & Safety division, many of the organisation’s business units have maintained a longstanding relationship with a global logistics service provider since 2015. Given the fast-paced, rapidly changing working environment that the client operates within, it is critical that their employees are able to handle and manage the high volume of deliveries being processed every day and that health and safety risks are kept to a minimum. SOCOTEC has successfully delivered a range of services for this particular client, ensuring that the health and safety risks of their working environments are constantly monitored, with any areas for improvement recommended and implemented where necessary. As a result of this continued success, SOCOTEC has gone on to provide additional services on behalf of the client, having recently signed a three-year contract that comprises: Occupational hygiene Environmental monitoring Legionella management Fire risk assessments Health and safety/training Asbestos surveys. Since the beginning of 2021, SOCOTEC has also gone on to provide the following services: Legionella risk assessments and monitoring Legionella training to City & Guilds accredited standard Monitoring, sampling and inspections Noise monitoring to the Control of Noise at Work Regulation 2005 Fire risk assessments to Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Offering cost-saving benefits Finally, SOCOTEC works with a multinational e-commerce organisation to provide risk assessments for fire safety and water hygiene across their warehouses, helping to determine the safety risks posed by fire and Legionella bacteria. Our team of health and safety consultants can carry out both of these risk assessments at the same time, which is beneficial from a cost-saving and environmental perspective for both SOCOTEC and the client. While out on site delivering these services, SOCOTEC has also been able to advise as to how fire safety has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, such as when fire doors have been held open to help reduce viral transmission. Furthermore, SOCOTEC has provided additional advice on the implementation and use of electric vehicles for this client – a service which is particularly useful given that there is currently little guidance on the commercial usage of EV delivery vehicles. Ensuring health and safety compliance in the transport and logistics sector Health and safety is an important factor to consider within the logistics sector, as there are many risks that can impact the industry as a whole. Indeed, common injuries in the logistics, haulage and distribution industries are caused by lorries in the workplace, falls from vehicles and poor load security. To remain compliant with health and safety legislation and guidance, employers must ensure that their staff have received adequate training. They should also be made aware of the correct manual handling procedures, as this will ensure that workers are well equipped with the knowledge required to carry out their work safely. Furthermore, in order to ensure the safety of logistics operations and the handling of materials, there should always be an efficient monitoring of all sites, routes, vehicles and staffs through technologies such as security escorts and CCTV cameras. Tracking applications for products and vehicles should also be implemented, such as bar coding, GPS and telematics. Could your organisation benefit from SOCOTEC’s Environment & Safety services?Contact us.
Building specifiers and contractors are advised to put healthy design principles first when adapting existing structures according to REHAU, following cautions from the Climate Change Committee (CCC) about overheating buildings. The CCC’s latest analysis of the Government’s heat and Building Strategy has noted that current overheating policy is only applicable to new buildings, and does not take existing structures into account. With this in mind, polymer supplier REHAU is highlighting concerns around sustainability and occupant wellbeing currently affecting the construction industry. This warning follows findings demonstrated in the company’s ‘Designing Healthy’ series of guides, in which 500 respondents in M&E and architectural roles, are surveyed on pressing issues. In ‘Designing Healthy Apartments,’ for example, 97% of respondents said leaving high-quality buildings for future generations was a medium-to-high priority, yet 44% believed well-being is ‘value-engineered’ out of building design during a project. Steve Richmond, Head of Marketing and Technical for REHAU Building Solutions comments: “The CCC’s latest analysis puts a concern in the spotlight that we’ve been highlighting for years – overheating in our existing building stock. As climate change continues, we suggest this issue needs to be addressed in comprehensive fashion. “One key way of doing this is to adopt healthy design practices. For example, making improvements to current structures to become more energy efficient may not be enough, as this in turn raises the chances of excessive indoor temperatures during warmer months. Instead, good planning, design and construction from the offset is essential to avoid this, yet as our own surveys suggest, these priorities are often overlooked in favour of cost as a project progresses.” Providing buildings that are warm in winter yet avoid overheating issues that can lead to health hazards in the summer is a key issue highlighted in REHAU’s Design Healthy series. Long-lasting M&E solutions are identified as a possible solution to this, with almost 70% of survey respondents in the company’s ‘Designing Healthy Schools and Universities’ report saying that the lifespan of the components needs to increase. Steve concludes: “The issues raised in the CCC’s latest analysis echo what we have seen when we have taken soundings across the industry. Though we are huge advocates of improving the energy efficiency of the nation’s existing building stock, this must be done in a considerate way that avoids overheating. M&E solutions must sit at industry’s response to this pressing and ever-growing concern.” To find out more about REHAU’s ‘Designing Healthy’ series, visit: www.rehau.uk/designinghealthy
CPI EuroMix is delighted to announce the appointment of Wendy McFarlane as its Financial Director. Wendy, who began her role on March 1st, said the dry mortar specialists’ reputation was a deciding factor in her taking up an ‘exciting’ opportunity within the company. She said: “The company’s values and their ambition made a real impact on me. I was already aware of CPI’s brand success, so I’m delighted to have joined such a forward-thinking team.” Wendy has the skills and experience to make a success of her new position. She completed an Accounting & Finance degree before training as a Chartered Accountant at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Prior to joining CPI, Wendy spent 10 years at food manufacturer Devro PLC where she progressed to Global Supply Chain Finance Business Partner. CPI EuroMix is a market leader in the production of dry mix mortars, which are available in a range of colours and finishes to meet the complex demands of specifiers and users. Wendy, who will be based at CPI’s site in Bellshill, North Lanarkshire, said she was looking forward to playing a part in the company’s future success. “CPI is led by a fantastic management group and has a strong finance team in place,” she said. “I’m excited to work with and support the team whilst considering how we can bring further added- value services to the business.”
The first CGIs of the residential development Lockside Wharf in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter have been released. Property investment company Joseph Mews, which is working with London-based property development company Consortia Developments to bring the properties to market, have released the images this month. Lockside Wharf, once called Scotland Works, is currently under development and will be a careful restoration of a historic Birmingham landmark situated along the city’s canal system. The canal-side development, based on Scotland Street, was formerly offices and is a historic Victorian building, recognised as a hub of manufacturing in Birmingham since 1897. Work has already begun to convert the site into 61 one, two and three-bedroom apartments, split across the restored old building and a brand-new building on the adjacent empty site. There will also be roof extensions, creating four penthouse-style apartments at the top of the development. While one half of Lockside Wharf will be a complete restoration of the original structure, the other will be a newly developed structure on the neighbouring brownfield site. The newly released images by Joseph Mews showcase what the inside of some of the apartments will look like, featuring designer Poggenpohl kitchens, quartz worktops and designer interior styling, as well as wine fridges and balconies. The Joseph Mews Property Group, which officially launched at the start of the year, and was set up by former SevenCapital sales director Andy Foote, is proud to be helping Consortia Developments bring this product to market. Andy said: “Throughout the development it will keep its ‘reclaimed aesthetic’ with exposed brickwork and steel sitting alongside Karndean flooring, state-of-the-art appliances and clean lines. “It’s expected that Lockside Wharf will be a unique proposition for buy-to-let investors interested in Birmingham. The wider development is designed to appeal to the professional tenants flocking to Birmingham in search of work at some of the biggest companies in the city. We are looking forward to bringing these homes to the market, alongside Consortia Developments,” he said. Lockside Wharf is expected to complete in the second quarter of next year. For more details about Joseph Mews email Sales@Joseph-Mews.com or visit www.joseph-mews.com.
City Plumbing has opened a new branch to support local tradespeople and homeowners of Winsford, Cheshire. The new Winsford branch, located at the UK’s first ‘green’ business park, the Road One Industrial Estate, will cater to plumbers, heating engineers, bathroom installers and electricians, as well as homeowners looking to create bespoke bathrooms. Opening today (21st March), plumbing and heating engineers can use the branch to browse through the 20,000 spare parts available from all of the leading manufacturers, receive advice and business support from colleagues who have years of trade experience, and visit the Bathroom Showroom to view its wide range of bathrooms. Throughout its first month, the branch will host Trade Mornings where tradespeople can explore new products and speak with specialists from a wide range of industry suppliers. Electricians will also be able to source essential products from the electrical trade counter which is stocked with over 2,000 electrical products as well as receive advice from experts. Additionally, the branch will be host to The Bathroom Showroom, which offers complimentary 3D design planning, virtual appointments, and tile sampling to help bathroom installers and homeowners create bespoke bathrooms with the exact finish they desire. Paul Glover, Branch Manager of the Winsford branch said, “With experienced staff on hand to offer expert advice and support across heating, plumbing, bathrooms and electrical, we are delighted to be able to offer a one-stop-shop for local tradespeople in and around Winsford. The Bathroom Showroom on site will also help local homeowners create their ideal bathrooms.” The Winsford Branch is located at Unit 3 Artis Park, Road One, Winsford Industrial Park, CW7 3QE To learn more about City Plumbing please visit www.cityplumbing.co.uk
Property investment and development company CEG has managed the acquisition of 33 Cadogan Street in the heart of the central business district of Glasgow. With full planning permission in place for a 275,000 sq ft development, the site has already been cleared and readied for construction. CEG has appointed a design team to enhance the sustainability credentials of the new development. Glasgow based, Cooper Cromar, has been retained as architect for the scheme having successfully delivered CEG’s award-winning Number One Kirkstall Forge in Leeds. CBRE advised CEG on the acquisition of 33 Cadogan Street. Knight Frank and JLL represented M&G on the sale. JLL and CBRE have been appointed as joint agents to market the new development on behalf of CEG. Tom Gaynor, Head of Investment at CEG, said: “We are confident in the strength of Glasgow’s office market. The city is under supplied in terms of Grade A workspace and there is a very restricted pipeline of consented and funded schemes. A significant number of recent lettings has further eroded available stock. “Designed as a UK best in class building, The Grid responds to occupiers Net Zero Carbon and sustainability requirements as well as providing enhanced amenities and a workspace environment that occupiers are seeking for their employees. The scheme is fully funded and we are committed to a pathway to commence construction on site as soon as possible.” The new development will reflect the quality of workspace CEG is renowned for, with its Kirkstall Forge office being named the best commercial space in the UK by the British Council of Offices. CEG has a track record of delivering award-winning offices in Scotland. Following the development of Aurora on Bothwell Street in 2006, the company helped to kickstart the regeneration of the area with its 178,000 sq ft new build. The successful speculative development was fully let within six months of completion. The company’s ONYX development in Glasgow was recently redeveloped to deliver a new café, an extensive range of facilities for cyclists and new flexible Let Ready studios, providing fully-furnished grow-on space for smaller companies and project or satellite space for larger firms.
Carefully selected construction firms have been chosen to help build about £500million of important projects in Central Bedfordshire over the next four years. Central Bedfordshire Council has created its own procurement framework tailored to its construction requirements and priorities such as promoting sustainability and the need to provide social value. This new framework will see specialist construction firms, which best met the council’s criteria for a delivery partner, able to tender for forthcoming construction projects. The framework will enable the council to develop strong working relationships with delivery partners to enhance potential projects. It will also speed up the procurement process and how quickly schemes will be built and offers better value for money as external frameworks are not required. Councillor Eugene Ghent, Executive Member for Housing and Assets, said: “Having our own procurement framework and choosing from a carefully selected group of firms has significant benefits. It will offer cost savings and speed up the procurement process meaning we can get schemes built quicker. Importantly, we will work closely with a smaller number of firms forging important relationships and this collaborative working will ensure we can deliver quality, value for money projects which support our ambitions for Central Bedfordshire and our residents. “We look forward to working closely with our selected partners over the next four years as we build prosperity for our local communities.” Some of the projects expected to be procured through the framework, subject to the relevant Planning and Executive approvals, include Schools for the Future, the proposed new leisure centre in Leighton Buzzard and various housing projects. The new procurement framework comes into operation at the end of March 2022 and is important in supporting the council’s Strategic Plan. Procurement framework information The procurement framework was created in lots linked to the potential value of the project and specific types of projects needing specialist experience. The successful firms are below. Lot 1 £0k: £750k Beardwell Construction Ltd Gray & Sons Builders Ltd Borras Construction Ltd Conamar Building Services Ltd G&S Hutchinson Ltd Steel & Bray Ltd Lot 2: £750k – £2.0m SEH French Beardwell Construction Ltd Conamar Building Services Ltd Borras Construction Ltd T&B Contractors MGBC Ltd Chas Berger Ltd (reserve) SDC Builders Ltd (reserve) Lot 3: £2.0m – £8.0m Pentaco Construction Ltd RG Carter Cambridge Ltd Barnes Construction T&B (Contractors) Ltd Ashe Construction Jeakins Weir Ltd Chas Berger Ltd (reserve) SDC Builders Ltd (reserve) Lot 4: £8.0m – £15.0m Kier Construction Ltd Wates Construction Ltd RG Carter Cambridge Ltd Morgan Sindall Construction Willmott Dixon Construction Barnes Construction BAM Construction (reserve) VINCI Construction UK Ltd (reserve) Lot 5: £15m+ Kier Construction Ltd Wates Construction Ltd Morgan Sindall Construction Willmott Dixon Construction BAM Construction John Graham Construction VINCI Construction UK Ltd (reserve) Farrans Construction (reserve) Lot 6: Modular Elliot Group Portakabin Hawker Construction For further information please contact: Julian Cotton, Communications and Engagement Business Partner – Place, on 0300 300 5987 or email julian.cotton@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk.
St. Modwen Homes announces £85m+ of investment across five sites St. Modwen Homes, one of the UK’s leading developers of new communities and high-quality homes, today announces five projects which will deliver over 1,100 new homes across England. The new sites will be situated in Lancashire, Kent, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and London and will total over £85m of investment from St. Modwen Homes. The new developments include 28.6 acres of land in Ditton Edge, Kent, which has permission for 300 homes, as well as 116 homes in Coalville, Leicestershire. In West London, St. Modwen’s joint venture with Vinci has secured permission for 267 units in Uxbridge on the former RAF Uxbridge site while a further 300 homes will be delivered in Newark, Nottinghamshire. An additional 128 homes are due to exchange in Chorley, Lancashire. The announcement follows news this week that St. Modwen Homes plans to double in size over the next five years. St. Modwen Homes built almost 1200 new homes in 2021 and has been recognised as a five-star housebuilder with a Home Builder Federation customer satisfaction rating of over 90%. In September 2021, St. Modwen was named by Homes England as a preferred partner in its new Delivery Partner dynamic purchasing scheme. Dave Smith, Managing Director, St. Modwen Homes, said: “There is an urgent need for new homes in the UK, but the homes that are delivered need to be high quality, and communities must be created in the right places. St. Modwen has a proud record of delivering homes of the highest standard and thriving communities for people to live. Today’s announcement expands our footprint into new areas across the UK and builds on our continued, sustainable growth.”