Building output was boosted by sustained rise in new work across the board according to the Construction Purchasing Managers index for March. The latest reading of 59.1 was unchanged from February and well above the 50 mark that separates expansion from contraction. The index revealed the joint-fastest rate of output
Meanwhile, the fully pre-let 2 Ruskin Square tops out and is on track to complete in mid-2023 Both 2 and 3 Ruskin Square targeting BREEAM Outstanding ratings. Schroders Capital’s UK Real Estate Fund (SREF) and Stanhope Plc have secured detailed planning consent from Croydon Council for 3 Ruskin Square, a
INTERNATIONAL M&E consultancy CPW has further expanded its operations and appointed two accomplished acousticians. Jon Willmott now heads up the newly formed acoustics department, with the support of senior acoustics consultant James Large, in order to meet the growing demand across multiple sectors for acoustic input. Jon, who has been
Homes Plus, a leading provider of affordable homes has completed a landmark £3.2 million project in a Staffordshire village that aims to provide high quality, retirement living for older people. The purpose-built complex in Kinver offers 20 modern, spacious, self-contained apartments with extensive communal facilities, including an attractive rooftop terrace,
Since 2018, Peterborough-based Trade Mastermind has helped hundreds of construction businesses to achieve exceptional success and growth. Under the guidance of Trade Mastermind’s CEO Joseph Valente, and the former winner of BBC’s The Apprentice, the entrepreneur uses his vast business knowledge to teach construction business owners how to scale-up. After
Fivemiletown headquartered Paving and Building Products firm, AG, has reinforced its position as a market leader in sustainable construction through its latest carbon emissions data which shows a reduction in scope 1 and 2 emissions – despite a surge in production levels. The firm, which has manufacturing locations in Fivemiletown,
Birmingham will be Get Living’s eighth neighbourhood and marks their growing presence across the UK with a portfolio of over 10,000 homes The scheme is Watkin Jones’ largest build to rent development to date Get Living, the UK’s pioneer of large-scale build to rent neighbourhoods and Watkin Jones, the UK’s
Across the UK, the overwhelming majority people are crying out for help with their energy bills, claims Mike Foster, CEO of the not-for-profit trade body Energy and Utilities Alliance (EUA). Faced with a Price Cap increase on 54 per cent from 1st April. with many people finding their direct debits
Amazon Property, the leading London investor-developer run by CEO Charles Gourgey and COO Chris Lanitis, has committed, via Amazon Capital (the group’s private equity division), a £250 million real estate fund to invest in joint venture opportunities in the logistics, managed office solution, PBSA, Life Sciences and retirement sectors. Amazon
As a leading provider of affordable homes across the North West, Torus Developments is about to start its latest scheme in Standish, Wigan, which will see 155 new homes built at Hallbrook Gardens – Torus’ biggest investment in Wigan to date. With works starting on site with Seddon in the Spring,
Building output was boosted by sustained rise in new work across the board according to the Construction Purchasing Managers index for March. The latest reading of 59.1 was unchanged from February and well above the 50 mark that separates expansion from contraction. The index revealed the joint-fastest rate of output growth since June 2021 boosted by the highest level of new orders since August last year. Commercial work was the best-performing segment with an index reading of 60.8 due to projects restarting following the roll back of pandemic restrictions. Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply group director Duncan Brock said: “But residential building became the laggard of the pack as affordability concerns were a factor in holding back progress particularly in new housing and refurbishment work.” Recoveries in residential work lost momentum in March with a reading of 54.9 and 56.3 for civil engineering. Deliver wait times climb A third of supply chain managers reported longer wait times for deliveries and sharp inflation rises as transport and raw material cost went up. The overall rate of input price inflation accelerated sharply since February and was the highest for six months. “Construction companies are braced for more disruption on the horizon as a result of the Ukraine conflict. The rise in purchasing demand fed into higher costs for materials already in short supply as energy hikes also impacted on business costs,” said Mr Brock. Input buying rose at the steepest pace since July 2021, driven by a combination of stronger demand and efforts to build stocks where possible. S&P Global economics director Tim Moore, whose company compiles the survey, said: “Business optimism slipped to its lowest since October 2020 on concerns that clients will cut back spending in response to rising prices and heightened economic uncertainty.” Property finance intermediary Hank Zarihs Associates said despite economic uncertainty tender opportunities and resilient customer demand meant development finance lenders were keen to offer construction loans to builders.
Meanwhile, the fully pre-let 2 Ruskin Square tops out and is on track to complete in mid-2023 Both 2 and 3 Ruskin Square targeting BREEAM Outstanding ratings. Schroders Capital’s UK Real Estate Fund (SREF) and Stanhope Plc have secured detailed planning consent from Croydon Council for 3 Ruskin Square, a 14-storey office building adjacent to East Croydon Station. The building, strikingly designed by shedkm, will provide 290,000 sq ft of offices plus retail on the ground floor to enhance future amenity at the scheme. Advanced and sustainable design remains at the heart of the Ruskin Square development, with a number of key sustainability design features incorporated into each building. 3 Ruskin Square will benefit from an all-electric energy strategy, rainwater harvesting, a high-performance façade, 35% green roof cover, a modular structural design to minimise embodied carbon, photovoltaics and a BREEAM Outstanding target. Focussing on occupier health and wellbeing, the building will also feature an air handling plant providing fresh air on a floor-by-floor basis rather than conventional communal/building wide system. This will be a significant feature which will be of keen interest to tenants following recent pandemic air quality concerns. The design also includes bicycle spaces with lockers available for tenant use to promote active lifestyles and fitness, as well as three retail units located on the ground floor intended for use by convenience and local amenities to support the community-focused approach to the development. Schroders Capital has signed up to the Better Buildings Partnership agreement and Ruskin Square is a key example of delivering on its ambitious sustainability targets. The Ruskin Square mixed-use development also saw 2 Ruskin Square top out earlier this month. Both buildings are targeting BREEAM Outstanding ratings and the NABERS building performance accreditation as SREF, part of Schroders Capital, the private assets specialist investment division of Schroders, and Stanhope Plc look to deliver best-in-class office spaces, complete with pioneering sustainability credentials. These latest developments will further amplify Ruskin Square’s transformative effect on the borough. Pre-lets to the UK government were secured for both of the first two phases; the 183,000 sq ft, Grade A 1 Ruskin Square was let in its entirety on a 25-year lease to HM Revenue & Customs in 2016, and the 330,000 sq ft 2 Ruskin Square was pre-let to the UK Home Office in 2020 on a 25 year lease from completion of the development. Rob Cosslett, Deputy Fund Manager, Schroders Capital, commented: ““Ruskin Square is on track to become a truly best in class office scheme in South London, combining exceptional building design with the benefits of the nearby train station, the amenities of Boxpark, and high quality and long term office occupiers. The active management approach adopted by the team, twinned with our strong occupier relationships has generated considerable value at Ruskin Square in recent years. Achieving planning for 3 Ruskin Square represents a major step forward in delivering the next phase of the scheme, with the building offering cutting edge ESG solutions and highly desirable office space that will be well-placed to meet evolving occupier needs.” David Camp, Chief Executive, Stanhope Plc, added: “We are delighted to have received detailed planning consent for this super looking building which will set new standards for health and wellbeing not only in Croydon but the wider central London office market. It amplifies the commitment of both Schroders and Stanhope in setting high design goals and responding positively to the ESG agenda.” Alex Flint, Director, shedkm also commented: “shedkm are delighted to be working with Schroders and Stanhope on this next exciting addition to the Ruskin Square masterplan. The commercial offer looks to bring the very highest standard of sustainable workspace to the area, whilst generating a strong timeless architectural response with a new colonnade at ground and first floor and an extension to Ruskin Square itself.” Ruskin Square pipeline Ruskin Square boasts dining and leisure destination Boxpark, a further 100,000 sq ft of retail and restaurant space and attractive public realm. The first of four residential phases is now fully occupied. Delivered in partnership with Places for People, ‘Vita’ comprises 161 stunning apartments. A further 326 homes across three residential plots are consented – all with access to communal amenities and outside space. Croydon is supporting significant growth within the tech sector, attracting companies, incubators and accelerators, as the town strives to be a world-class destination for growth, opportunity and innovation in the tech sector. Croydon has recently been named London Borough of Culture for 2023, fending off competition from across the capital. This will see events across the borough – and in Ruskin Square itself – to celebrate the borough’s rich and resilient artistic heritage, creativity and diversity.
INTERNATIONAL M&E consultancy CPW has further expanded its operations and appointed two accomplished acousticians. Jon Willmott now heads up the newly formed acoustics department, with the support of senior acoustics consultant James Large, in order to meet the growing demand across multiple sectors for acoustic input. Jon, who has been in the industry for more than 20 years, has assumed the position of associate director and head of acoustics following successful tenures at several other major consultancies, where his expertise took him as far as the Middle East for the FIFA 2022 preparations. The acoustics department is a complementary service to CPW’s MEP consultancy and provides specialist advice on all aspects of the acoustics, noise, and vibration in the built environment. Based primarily at CPW’s Manchester office, Jon is tasked with offering specialist advice on projects across the UK as well as growing the team and client base. He said: “It’s been incredibly busy since joining CPW and taking on the responsibility of the acoustics department, but I’ve enjoyed every minute. “CPW’s work culture and values immediately drew me in. The forward-thinking nature of its employees and collaborative approach to solving problems within the built environment is something we’re keen to continue nurturing. Following a raft of new project appointments, we’re looking to grow the team and take on engineers across a range of positions. “This is a really exciting time for CPW following a companywide rebrand and the expansion of four offices, so further investing in the acoustics team will offer our clients even more added value on projects. As a business we are continuing to invest in the acoustic tools and software to enable exciting 3D modelling and auralisations. However, our core objective is to produce cost-effective practical design solutions to our clients, and communicate these in jargon-free, plain-English.” James, who has worked alongside Jon previously in his career, will also play a key role in driving the department’s future growth strategy. He brings nine years of industry experience to the team, having worked on several high-profile developments such as the refurbishment of Waterloo Train Station. James said: “I’m really pleased to be part of CPW’s new acoustic department. There are so many exciting opportunities on the horizon, and the acoustics team is already home to vast amounts of technical expertise ready to be put to good use for CPW’s growing customer base.” Having noticed the increased demand for acoustic services from the healthcare, education, residential and commercial sectors, CPW expects the department to quickly grow and complement its existing team of experts specialising in sustainability within the built environment. Antonios Agapakis, director at CPW, added: “I recognised that we needed an acoustics expert to head up our new specialist department – and to have Jon join us is a real win for the business. We’re delighted to build on our in-house capability, which will be bolstered by James’ expertise and support. “The department serves as a ‘one-stop shop’ for clients, offering peace of mind through both challenging regulation adaption and design recommendation. As we grow this new arm of the business, we look forward to expanding the team and furthering our service offering, whilst providing opportunities to the next generation of acoustic specialists.” Understanding that noise and poor acoustics can have wide-reaching implications on health and wellbeing, the acoustics department offers a range of services such as environmental noise impact assessments, acoustic modelling, sound insulation testing and BREEAM noise assessments – all of which add to the depth off offering to clients. CPW is an international M&E consultancy with more than 250 staff based across 11 offices – including Bristol, Derby, Huntingdon, Leeds, Leicester, London, Manchester, Nottingham, and Solihull as well as Poland and India – specialising in designing and integrating a full range of energy solutions into existing and new buildings. For further information visit www.cpwp.com or follow @CPWengineering on social media.
Homes Plus, a leading provider of affordable homes has completed a landmark £3.2 million project in a Staffordshire village that aims to provide high quality, retirement living for older people. The purpose-built complex in Kinver offers 20 modern, spacious, self-contained apartments with extensive communal facilities, including an attractive rooftop terrace, secure parking and electric vehicle charging points. The property also has photovoltaic panels which will improve the building’s overall energy efficiency. Homes Plus has developed the site of several bungalows that no longer met the organisation’s high standards. The Burgesses development has been designed for people over 55 who want to live independently, with the reassurance of access to care and support provided by Housing Plus Group’s care company, Care Plus. During the construction process, residents of the bungalows were temporarily rehoused at a neighbouring Care Plus retirement living scheme, and a number of them will soon be moving into the new apartments.Kerry Bolister, director of development at Housing Plus Group, explained: “We are delighted to see the completion of this landmark project that has received strong support from residents who previously lived in The Burgesses and from people living in Kinver who may need to move into more suitable accommodation as they get older. “As well as providing much-needed affordable housing for older people, the development is also a great example of working in partnership to replace outdated housing stock with high-quality homes, much better suited to current and future housing need.” The ambitious project went ahead following a £1.1 million Social Housing Grant from Homes England and additional funding of £145,000 from South Staffordshire District Council. Darren Adnett, provider manager of Homes England, commented: “Despite the current challenges affecting the country, accelerating housebuilding remains our number one priority. We are committed to supporting Housing Plus Group that has ambitions to build new homes and our investment through affordable housing grant allows us to do that. “We’re delighted that this funding will enable Housing Plus Group to deliver much needed new homes for older people in Kinver, Staffordshire.” Work on site has been carried out on behalf of Housing Plus Group by S J Roberts Construction Ltd, who formally handed over the development in December 2021. Michael Sambrook, S J Roberts managing director, said: “It’s been fantastic to see this vital community facility progress and now handed over to Housing Plus Group. This building will provide older people with beautifully designed independent living with the knowledge that any help they require is close to hand. “S J Roberts is proud of its relationship with the Housing Plus Group, and we look forward to this continuing well into the future.” The new homes form part of Housing Plus Group’s ambitious pledge to start building 2,000 much-needed new homes by 2023, helping to tackle the national housing crisis. “The Burgesses scheme offers yet another example of how we are investing in the future by building high-quality, energy-efficient homes to meet the needs of our customers and to help tackle a national shortage of affordable housing,” Kerry added. Councillor Terry Mason, cabinet member for planning and business enterprise at South Staffordshire District Council, commented: “Delivering much needed affordable housing across South Staffordshire remains a priority for this Council and we’re pleased to have been able to support another quality development in partnership with Housing Plus for older people in Kinver.”
Since 2018, Peterborough-based Trade Mastermind has helped hundreds of construction businesses to achieve exceptional success and growth. Under the guidance of Trade Mastermind’s CEO Joseph Valente, and the former winner of BBC’s The Apprentice, the entrepreneur uses his vast business knowledge to teach construction business owners how to scale-up. After winning The Apprentice, Joseph became business partner to Lord Sugar after the successful billionaire invested £250,000 into his Peterborough plumbing and heating business called Impragas. The company grew rapidly, reaching £1,000,000 per month turnover, as it became the largest independent boiler installation business in the UK. With Impragas achieving rapid growth, Joseph eventually became the only construction winner of The Apprentice to buy back his share of the business from Lord Sugar. Now, Trade Mastermind sits neatly under The Trade Group umbrella, with Joseph and his team focusing solely on helping other construction businesses to scale-up further. Construction businesses such as electrical, plumbing & heating, building, and landscaping to name a few, are all benefiting from the two-day events that cover every aspect of running a business and resulting in huge growth. With so many construction business owners struggling to gather leads, close sales, and hire staff, Trade Mastermind’s two-day events have become increasingly popular within the industry and the demand to attend is rapidly rising. The next two-day event on the calendar focuses on plumbing and heating with the 7 Figure Boiler Business Builder taking place on April 29th & 30th at the Brightfield Business Hub in Peterborough. Local hotel discounts are available on request for those seeking accommodation. The schedule includes a packed itinerary with guests from the industry also speaking at the event. Lunch is provided with hot and cold drinks throughout each day. Day 1: Day 2: All plumbing & heating business owners interested in attending can find out more here: https://www.trademastermind.co.uk/boiler-business-builder-academy/ Email: Craig.Mander@trademastermind.co.uk Alternatively, Tel: 0330 058 7100
Fivemiletown headquartered Paving and Building Products firm, AG, has reinforced its position as a market leader in sustainable construction through its latest carbon emissions data which shows a reduction in scope 1 and 2 emissions – despite a surge in production levels. 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 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. The specialist building products business previously switched 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 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. This is the latest in a series of sustainability initiatives created by AG which includes a longstanding dedication to producing a significant amount of their product range using recycled aggregates alongside locally quarried materials. As well as this, regular reviews of its systems and procedures ensure AG are constantly improving energy efficiency, which is monitored monthly in each facility, ranging from workshops with employees to the purchasing of equipment or goods with the lowest carbon footprint. Rodney Davidson, Commercial Director at AG said: “For many years, we have worked tirelessly to reduce our energy usage and we are delighted to see this reduction in our scope 1 and 2 emissions, especially during a time when production levels increased” 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 reductions in energy and water requirements.” “Every facility has a designated ‘Energy Champion’ whose job it is to check for any wastage of energy or water. We are constantly striving to improve energy efficiency and are delighted that this new switch enables us to make a massive carbon saving, lowering our carbon footprint even more.” “Each of our sites bring our corporate environmental philosophy to life and our commitment to reducing the impact our sites have on our neighbours and surrounding environment is evidenced by the rich biodiversity found around our sites – such as the peregrine falcons currently nesting in our Fivemiletown quarry. We are delighted to be making very positive steps in our journey of carbon reduction”.
Birmingham will be Get Living’s eighth neighbourhood and marks their growing presence across the UK with a portfolio of over 10,000 homes The scheme is Watkin Jones’ largest build to rent development to date Get Living, the UK’s pioneer of large-scale build to rent neighbourhoods and Watkin Jones, the UK’s leading developer and manager of residential for rent homes have agreed a £136 million forward funding deal to deliver 551 new homes at Sherlock Street, Birmingham. Representing Get Living’s first acquisition in Birmingham, the development will provide 551 beautifully designed one, two and three-bed apartments, 47 of which will be affordable. Residents will be able to enjoy social lounges, a gym and co-working space in the scheme, which will also benefit from double-height reception areas, a landscaped podium, and a double-height sky lounge. Located within 500m of the iconic Bull Ring shopping centre, in the heart of Birmingham City Centre, Sherlock Street (currently known as Maker’s Yard) is Watkin Jones’ largest build to rent development to date and will be ideally placed for residents to benefit from the city’s extensive retail, restaurants and bars, as well as public transport from Birmingham New Street Station. Alex Pease, Chief Investment Officer of Watkin Jones, said: “Our teams have done a superb job developing this scheme and we’re very pleased to have secured an investor with the knowledge and commitment of Get Living to take it through delivery with us. Sherlock Street is perfectly located on a brownfield site in the centre of Birmingham and will offer its residents an amazing lifestyle in a highly sustainable place that offers real long-term value to the wider community. “Institutional investment like this makes a real difference for places with a significant shortage of rental homes. We have a strong record in Birmingham and are actively looking at new opportunities across the Midlands.” Rick de Blaby, CEO of Get Living, added: “Birmingham, the UK’s second largest city has always been on Get Living’s wish list and so we are very excited to have secured this key city centre location with Watkin Jones for what will be Get Living’s eighth large-scale neighbourhood. “This transaction for such an attractive scheme takes our secured development pipeline to circa 6,500 homes supporting our ambitious strategy to grow our portfolio to 15,000 homes within the next five years. “It is our responsibility, as long-term owners and custodians, to ensure we provide a sustainable neighbourhood for people in Birmingham, not just to call home and put down roots, but also to set the stage for a community to thrive. We look forward to working with Watkin Jones as they deliver the scheme.” Sherlock Street is located on a 2.47-acre site and will feature a new pedestrianised public square that connects the city centre with the wider Rea Valley Urban Quarter, as well as giving access to the scheme’s circa 16,500 sq ft of ground floor commercial space that will enable local employment opportunities. The neighbourhood will be managed and operated by Get Living on behalf of its investors, with the final phase of the scheme expected to complete in 2025. Get Living was advised by BCLP and Colliers. Watkin Jones was advised by Addleshaw Goddard.
Across the UK, the overwhelming majority people are crying out for help with their energy bills, claims Mike Foster, CEO of the not-for-profit trade body Energy and Utilities Alliance (EUA). Faced with a Price Cap increase on 54 per cent from 1st April. with many people finding their direct debits rocketing by even more, the issue of energy bills is now at the top of the political agenda. Research commissioned by EUA last week of 2000 UK consumers showed the sheer scale of concern around rising energy bills. Nearly nine in ten (89 per cent) of people think it is important that the Government tackles rising energy bills; 91 per cent believe the Government needs to introduce new measures to support consumers if the Price Cap increases again in October. A measure promised following Brexit yet not implemented by Government, 86 per cent of respondents also want to see VAT on energy bills scrapped, a figure up 10 points since the same survey in June 2021. Mike Foster said: “The outcry over energy bills is now deafening. It is top of the agenda for people now struggling to pay their way. And the issue is not going away. With the expectation that the Price Cap will increase again in October, ahead of the winter heating season, the Chancellor will have to find a way of supporting consumers. If he doesn’t, given these poll findings, he and hundreds of his colleagues better start brushing up their CVs.” “The Spring Statement, which cut VAT on water turbines for your mill house, failed to help the vast majority. Even more than ever, charging VAT on energy bills is deeply unpopular. At a stroke, the Chancellor could shave £100 off the average energy bill, something nearly nine in ten people want to see. With numbers like that, not only would it be the right thing to do, it would be politically popular too.” “Short-term measures are clearly needed to help ease the current pain, but the Government must also address the longer term energy security of supply concerns that are the root cause of the problem. We need to break away from reliance on fossil gas and switch our gas networks to green hydrogen. Keeping gas boilers but changing the gas they use will help us reach our Net Zero targets, keep costs and disruption to a minimum for consumers and keep Putin’s gas in the ground.”
Amazon Property, the leading London investor-developer run by CEO Charles Gourgey and COO Chris Lanitis, has committed, via Amazon Capital (the group’s private equity division), a £250 million real estate fund to invest in joint venture opportunities in the logistics, managed office solution, PBSA, Life Sciences and retirement sectors. Amazon Property built its strong brand reputation for quality and fine attention to detail through delivering some 80 mixed use developments such as The Hempel Collection with British Land, The Park Crescent and The Soho Works Estate and acquiring over 3 million square feet of development and investment assets. The group’s success over a 25 year period is its operational flexibility in being able to consider a wide variety of asset classes, with varying degrees of complexity, and delivering best-in-class projects, this agility has been the hallmark of the brand. Over the last two years Amazon Property has focused on joint venture investments and trading assets and is now set for further expansion with a new wave of private equity funding and entry into the rapidly expanding care/retirement sector under Amazon Care. Amazon Capital has committed £100 million of equity and debt/bank funding, to raise the £250 million which will be used to provide private equity funding to joint venture partners/development managers and asset managers in the alternatives sectors including logistics, managed office solutions, PBSA, Life Sciences and retirement care. Chris Lanitis, COO of Amazon Property & Founder & CIO of Amazon Capital says: “Amazon Capital is a bespoke private equity operator who understands the real estate market and as a JV partner we offer long-term support, flexibility, innovation together with streamlined and fast decision making. We have committed £250 million of fresh funding and are seeking new joint venture opportunities across London and the UK with other talented entrepreneurs and sector leaders. We are able to make fast investment decisions, as opposed to prolonged board committees, and are committed to forming equity platforms and repeat deal flow in line with our partners’ long term business endeavours.” In logistics Amazon Capital will focus on funding or entering joint ventures (£5 to £30 million investment value schemes) for acquiring or developing 2nd generation estates of between 5 acres to 20 acres in size, typically providing 200,000 sq ft to 500,000 sq ft of warehouse accommodation. Previous funding by Amazon Capital has been used to acquire jv assets including the 17 acre (400,000 sq ft) Sirdar Business Park in Wakefield, the 15 acre Swan Lane Industrial Estate in Wigan and the 6 acre Moss Electrical Estate in London’s Dartford and most recently a 210,000 sq ft single let warehouse at Wakefield 41 Industrial Park, located at the intersection of the M1 and M62 motorways. In the managed office solution market, Amazon Capital will look to acquire landmark office buildings, with acquisitions from £5 million to £50 million, in locations including Central London, Greater London and the Home Counties. With the acquired office buildings Amazon Capital is offering a bespoke approach leasing floors to tenants and providing a Cat A plus plug-and-play office setup. The Conran Building in Shad Thames is an example of a currentjoint venture acquisition undertaken. In the student accommodation sector Amazon Capital will provide funding for acquiring PBSA sites without planning, providing 300 to 500 beds, in key university centres such as London and regional cities. In medical research hubs such as Cambridge, Oxford, Stevenage and London Amazon Capital will partner with global Life Sciences companies to provide funding for real estate infrastructure such as laboratories, R&D plants, medical/medicine manufacturing plants, drug/medical warehousing and scientist office spaces. In the care sector Amazon Care will be developing a collection of care homes of between 25,000 sq ft to 70,000 sq ft in size, providing between 25 to 150 suites, complete with luxurious lifestyle amenities operated through a private-rented-sector model with a focus on dementia care. Amazon Care are currently developing in Belgravia under the Loveday brand (fifth central London site) and are in the process of acquiring a number of sites in Zones 2 and 3.
As a leading provider of affordable homes across the North West, Torus Developments is about to start its latest scheme in Standish, Wigan, which will see 155 new homes built at Hallbrook Gardens – Torus’ biggest investment in Wigan to date. With works starting on site with Seddon in the Spring, Hallbrook Gardens signifies a £30 million commitment from the Torus Group to keep building genuinely affordable, modern homes outside of its traditional heartlands of Liverpool, St Helens and Warrington. With 100% of homes at Hallbrook Gardens being available by affordable means, including Affordable Rent, Rent to Buy and Shared Ownership, Torus are committed to ensuring people across the region can access high quality, modern homes that they can afford for years to come. Discussing the scheme, Managing Director of Torus Developments, Chris Bowen said: “With the cost of living increasing and this disproportionately affecting those who earn less, we want to ensure our homes are accessible to anyone and support more people onto the housing ladder. “Through building more affordable homes and increasing the mix of tenure across all our new development schemes, we are continuing to offer multiple ways people can get on the property ladder and Hallbrook Gardens is the latest scheme that evidences how we are opening the door for more people to have their own property. We are delighted to be working with Seddon on this scheme and to further increase access to genuinely affordable housing in Wigan.” Divisional director at Seddon, Duncan Williams added: “Affordable homes are vital for people to feel a part of their community and with the demand for new houses in Wigan, Hallbrook Gardens will create 155 new homes. “We are delighted to be working with Torus Developments under the new development framework providing new affordable homes and being able to make a difference in the community.” Hallbrook Gardens is the latest new build development Torus Developments is on site with in Wigan and follows closely behind its Frog Lane development and Plank Lane development in nearby Leigh, which is due for completion this December. Also complementing Torus Developments increasing footprint across the North West, Hallbrook Gardens joins over 20 schemes currently onsite outside of the Liverpool City Region and St Helens, accounting for over 1,500 homes being built in communities across the North West.