Panattoni, the largest industrial real estate developer in Europe, has signed a lease agreement with UPS, one of the world’s largest package delivery companies, for a 280,700 sq ft speculatively developed facility at Bolton. UPS has signed a 10-year lease for the largest of the two facilities at the 360,700
Morgan Sindall Construction has completed its first project as a result of its position on the University of Glasgow’s capital projects framework, undertaking a complete refurbishment of Maclay Residences, which offers accommodation to postgraduate students. The work entailed the refurbishment of two accommodation blocks. Block 15 comprised 40 rooms with
Curtain walling, windows and doors by Kawneer were used on the third and final phase at The Slate Yard. Architectural glazing systems by leading UK manufacturer Kawneer featured on the third and final apartment building at The Slate Yard, which forms part of the wider £1 billion, 50-acre Salford Central
Mitsubishi Electric has provided a medical practice in South London with three commercial Ecodan air source heat pumps to deliver renewable heating and year-round comfort. The owners of Paxton Green Group Practice needed a heating solution that would future-proof the building by reducing both heating bills and carbon emissions, to
The respected, proven DeckProtect+ range of coatings from StructureCare features in the car park at St James Quarter, Edinburgh’s largest development in a generation. Working as a specialist subcontractor to Laing O’Rourke, StructureCare has successfully completed a contract applying liquid applied deck coatings and wayfinding to the three-storey parking structure
Glencar, an expanding construction company specialising in the industrial, logistics, distribution, manufacturing, life science and pharmaceutical sectors has today announced that it has appointed James Scott into the new role of Head of Sustainability. James will be responsible for leading the development and implementation of a robust sustainability strategy across
When you want to rent out your property to a new tenant, you may not be sure of what steps to take prior to searching for the right people. This can be especially difficult if you are new to renting out properties. By considering certain aspects of your house, you
As the country prepares for peak, Kite Packaging launches a tool set to significantly streamline gift wrapping and other packaging processes. For businesses not dispatching enough to require an automated carton sealer, the new windmill dispenser is an effective, low-cost way to boost efficiency without sacrificing the aesthetic touches that
Manor Interiors, the expert in build-to-rent furnishing solutions, has revealed which major UK cities offer the best opportunities for build to rent developers based on the highest levels of apartment living vs the rest of the rental market. Build to rent is designed for people who are looking for a
HS2 was this week celebrating a literal milestone as ‘Florence’ – the first of ten Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) on Phase One completed her first mile of tunnel for the UK’s new high speed railway The latest photos of work on the Chiltern tunnel are available here: https://mediacentre.hs2.org.uk/resources/f/tbms-and-tunnels-massive-machines-and-their-current-progress/chiltern-tunnel-construction A new
Panattoni, the largest industrial real estate developer in Europe, has signed a lease agreement with UPS, one of the world’s largest package delivery companies, for a 280,700 sq ft speculatively developed facility at Bolton. UPS has signed a 10-year lease for the largest of the two facilities at the 360,700 sq ft Panattoni Park Bolton, which has a BREEAM sustainability rating of ‘Very Good’ and an EPC rating of ‘A’. The facility, which has a 15m clear internal height, 24 dock doors and five-level access doors, was completed in September. It is expected that more than 280 jobs will be created. The first unit of 80,000 sq ft was pre-let in January to Hermes Parcelnet, one of the UK’s largest parcel delivery companies. Panattoni Park Bolton is close to junction 6 of the M61, providing easy access to the key ports of Liverpool to the west and Hull to the east; the M6 is less than 15 minutes drive, providing access to Scotland, the wider north west and the Midlands. Dan Burn, Development Director for the North West and Yorkshire at Panattoni, said: “Panattoni Park Bolton is the only development of its size and scale to have been built in Greater Manchester this year. The fact that we have let the two units to two global delivery companies reflects their confidence in this region. “The town has the second highest employee base in Greater Manchester, yet with wages below the regional average labour costs remain attractive, as does the good mix of skills among the workforce. Employment in the logistics sector is considerably higher than both the regional and national average”. DTRE, Savills and Knight Frank were the letting agents and TSL Projects was the contractor.
Morgan Sindall Construction has completed its first project as a result of its position on the University of Glasgow’s capital projects framework, undertaking a complete refurbishment of Maclay Residences, which offers accommodation to postgraduate students. The work entailed the refurbishment of two accommodation blocks. Block 15 comprised 40 rooms with accompanying toilet and shower pods and eight communal kitchens and seating areas, while Block 14 has 18 rooms with accompanying toilet and shower pods, with six communal kitchens and seating areas. Morgan Sindall Construction’s team completely stripped out all rooms within the blocks, with all the flooring and lighting fixtures also removed, while all sanitary ware was also removed from the toilet pods. The two blocks now have completely new kitchens and carpets, vinyl flooring and electrics while each bedroom has been completely redecorated. All 58 toilet pods now have new wet wall installed and all sanitary ware re-instated. This ambitious programme, which saw Morgan Sindall Construction work alongside an AECOM led design team and furniture supplier Alpha Scotland, was achieved in a tight timeframe, with work beginning on 28th June and completing on 31st August with a sequence of room handovers from the 16th August to allow the University’s furniture contractor to install in time for students to move in immediately prior to term beginning. In order to ensure that as little as possible of the replaced furniture and fittings went to landfill, Morgan Sindall Construction developed a comprehensive circular economy strategy: Loose furnishings – including over 100 bar stools and seats from the communal areas – were donated to Kinross Wooden Products, a firm that specialises in designing and creating high quality, sustainable working environments from surplus or certified sustainable materials. The company also uses this process to enable young people to develop upholstery skills. Carpet tiles were donated to Spruce Carpets, a local non-profit organisation that seeks to reduce the amount of flooring waste going to landfill and increase the amount of reused carpet and vinyl flooring in Scotland. 1000 carpet tiles were saved from landfill, with Morgan Sindall Construction receiving a landfill diversion certificate as a result. 58 mattresses were collected by King Size Recycling. They were manually deconstructed into their individual components before being provided to other industries who in turn put these materials through their manufacturing processes and procedures to be reused e.g. the foam has already been remanufactured into underlay for flooring. 14 microwaves were donated to the Marie Trust, which supports the complex and often challenging needs of people across Glasgow that are affected by homelessness, poverty, and social exclusion. Stephen Doran, senior site manager at Morgan Sindall Construction, said: “This was a very satisfying job for our team to complete. We were under significant time pressure to ensure the work was finished and the halls were ready to welcome back students to a new, improved Maclay Residences at the start of term. “I’m proud to say that this is something we were able to achieve. However, the most pleasing aspect of this project for me is that we were able to support brilliant organisations across Scotland that are doing so much to promote a circular economy across the country. It’s inevitable that a project like this would produce a lot of waste, but through working with these brilliant organisations we were able to ensure our excess outputs were minimised, and furnishings, fixtures and materials could either be recycled or used to support vulnerable groups across Glasgow and the Central Belt.” Dominic Duffy, head of programme management office – estates directorate, University of Glasgow, said: “This was Morgan Sindall Construction’s first project under our Construction Framework with the University of Glasgow. The team worked exceptionally well with the design team at AECOM and Alpha in delivering the project on time and on budget under the restricted delivery window of the student summer break. As well as demonstrating excellent teamwork across the design team, Morgan Sindall Construction engaged brilliantly with Accommodation Services and our key stakeholders. The project has been well received by the University and we look forward to the first intake of students arriving to utilise the accommodation.” Ryan King, director, Kingsize Recycling, said: “We were delighted to assist Morgan Sindall Construction at its refurbishment project at the Maclay Residences. The site team was absolutely brilliant on the day and it went just as planned. We estimate that this project alone equates to c. 1.3 tonne of material diverted from landfill!” In the University’s estates strategy, the research intensive institution has outlined plans to invest in its Gilmorehill Campus, Garscube Estate, and the various satellite campuses around the city, in a bid to drive up its research standing, attract the very best academic staff, and provide a sustainable 21st century learning environment for the next generation of world changers. For more information about this news release please contact Tom Carlin at Influential on 07827 957740 or email carlin@thisisinfluential.com.
Curtain walling, windows and doors by Kawneer were used on the third and final phase at The Slate Yard. Architectural glazing systems by leading UK manufacturer Kawneer featured on the third and final apartment building at The Slate Yard, which forms part of the wider £1 billion, 50-acre Salford Central masterplan. Two types of Kawneer’s zone-drained curtain walling – AA®100 with 50mm sightlines and AA®110 with 65mm – as well as AA®541 top-hung casement windows and thermally superior AA®720 balcony doors were specified by AHR architects for Plot A7 at The Slate Yard. The 20-storey building comprises 199 apartments for rent for client The English Cities Fund (ECF) – a partnership between national urban regenerator Muse Developments, Legal & General, Homes England and Salford Council. ECF is currently delivering some of the most complex urban regeneration projects across the UK. The first phase of The Slate Yard was one of the first institutionally funded, custom-built BTR (Build to Rent) schemes to be delivered in Greater Manchester, with all three phases at The Slate Yard forward funded by Legal & General. Architect Feidhlim White of AHR, which frequently deploys Kawneer, said the systems were specified due to their aesthetics, practicalities, and cost-effectiveness as well as the company’s standards of customer service. “The system provided the match to the planning images, enabling us to deliver the project to the aesthetic and practical vision,” he said. “The opening lights aided the ventilation system with the ability for purge ventilation whilst still maintaining acceptable sightlines. The simplicity of weatherproofing by glazing in the EPDM makes it an ideal system.” He added: “We tend to use Kawneer a lot as we have a good relationship with their support team and local reps. They’re also well priced in the market, I believe. The client is very pleased with the overall outcome and how the building sits as a suite of three.” The Kawneer aluminium systems were installed over 15 months of the two-year build for main contractor Morgan Sindall Construction by approved specialist sub-contractor FK Group who also installed the Kawneer systems specified by AHR at Plot A6 (the Graphite building), a neighbouring BTR apartment block comprising 135 apartments over 16 storeys for the same client.
Mitsubishi Electric has provided a medical practice in South London with three commercial Ecodan air source heat pumps to deliver renewable heating and year-round comfort. The owners of Paxton Green Group Practice needed a heating solution that would future-proof the building by reducing both heating bills and carbon emissions, to replace the existing gas boilers. Ecodan CAHV monobloc air source heat pumps from Mitsubishi Electric were chosen due to their ability to lower running costs and carbon emissions. Patients and staff can now benefit from cost-effective, renewable heating while also enjoying modern levels of comfort. The heat pumps were installed to deliver 116kW of heat to the building, replacing the two commercial gas boilers. The CAHV models operate in a cascade system, meaning they are able to continually match the heating but only consume the power needed to keep the practice comfortable, whatever the weather. Andy Booth, Project Manager for Opus Air Conditioning, which installed the system said: “One of the things that amazed me was how quickly the CAHV units heated the water in the tank. We picked up water temperatures of 70 degrees in less than 30 minutes.” Opus specialises in the design, supply, installation, service and maintenance of boilers and heating systems, along with heat pumps, air conditioning and ventilation systems. This was the first Ecodan CAHV installation that Opus had carried out and they will be looking at promoting the use of air source heat pumps on future projects. Owing to the practice being a vaccination centre for its local community, the heat pumps had to be installed and the old systems removed in close partnership with the practice and its opening times. “The team had to be completely flexible so that we could get in around the working hours of the vaccination centre,” added Andy. Heat pumps are low maintenance and able to produce an average of three kilowatts of heating for every kilowatt of electricity consumed. The practice can now provide a high quality healthcare service for patients whilst also delivering high levels of comfort. For more details on the Ecodan CAHV, visit: ecodan.co.uk
The respected, proven DeckProtect+ range of coatings from StructureCare features in the car park at St James Quarter, Edinburgh’s largest development in a generation. Working as a specialist subcontractor to Laing O’Rourke, StructureCare has successfully completed a contract applying liquid applied deck coatings and wayfinding to the three-storey parking structure which comprises 1,600 parking bays. The car park is part of the 1,700,000 square foot St James Quarter, one of the most significant city centre transformations currently underway in the UK. It is a new quarter for the city, with a stunning new shopping galleria housing 80 new brands and an enticing mix of restaurants and bars already completed, with a luxury W Edinburgh, a boutique Everyman Cinema and a Roomzzz Aparthotel still underway. A key factor in the award of the contract to StructureCare is the company’s unique position within the sector as both a manufacturer and installer of car park deck coating systems. It has led to StructureCare’s highly skilled operatives installing 48,907m2 of DeckProtect+ deck coatings throughout all levels of the car park, with an additional 2,825m2 of DeckProtect+ being applied at the entrance and exit of the car park. Ryan Williams, Business Development Manager for StructureCare, explained “We undertook additional surface preparation and sacrificial coating works to ensure the concrete decks met with our client’s expectations. This was one of the biggest building projects in Europe and our operatives worked in and around other trades. The works were paused due to Scottish Covid restrictions with the closure of all building sites. We are obviously proud of the work done by our team in helping to makes St James a much-valued addition to a wonderful, vibrant city”. The DeckProtect+ range delivers outstanding aesthetic qualities as well as excellent performance and durability. Armed with the market leading range, StructureCare is able to deliver a high-quality solution to meet any car park challenge. More information on the DeckProtect+ range is detailed in StructureCare’s new technical brochure, “Versatile & Innovative Deck Coating Systems for Car Park Structures” which can be downloaded from the website www.structurecare.com
Glencar, an expanding construction company specialising in the industrial, logistics, distribution, manufacturing, life science and pharmaceutical sectors has today announced that it has appointed James Scott into the new role of Head of Sustainability. James will be responsible for leading the development and implementation of a robust sustainability strategy across all areas of the business, in line with Glencar’s strategic vision. Before joining Glencar, James spent over 20-years working as a Sustainability Consultant, working for Clients in the construction, retail and robotics industries on a diverse range of projects. Glencar Managing Director Eddie McGillycuddy commented: “We are delighted to welcome James into this crucial new role for the business. The construction industry has a huge opportunity and indeed responsibility to drive the sustainability agenda and we are committed to being at the forefront of this. James will have the full support of the entire Glencar team to drive this crucial area of the business forward and bring our vision for economic social governance to life. We look forward to him getting started and working with our customers and consultants on supporting their ESG strategy.” Also commenting newly appointed Head of sustainability James Scott said: “The world is facing unprecedented environmental challenges that impact all of us, in our work and our home lives. I think we all understand that the industry we work in has a significant role to play in tackling these existential threats. Glencar, as a growing and agile construction company, has a huge opportunity to make a clear, bold commitment to its sustainability position in the industry. I’m therefore very excited to be appointed in this role for Glencar. Part of my role starts with the articulation of this position, and, with the support of everyone in the company, the development of a roadmap to realise this vision. As the term roadmap suggests, this will be a journey. Key priority areas for the company are net zero carbon, climate change resilience, responsible procurement, waste and the circular economy, and delivering social value. I look forward to meeting everyone and working to deliver Glencar’s commitment to being a successful, sustainable business for years to come.
When you want to rent out your property to a new tenant, you may not be sure of what steps to take prior to searching for the right people. This can be especially difficult if you are new to renting out properties. By considering certain aspects of your house, you may be able to find ways to limit the number of repairs needed throughout the course of the tenancy, and even make your property more desirable than other, similar homes on the market. Service the Boiler The property you rent will require a working boiler to supply heating and hot water to your tenants. While you may have it serviced annually, it can be a good idea to have an interim service prior to selecting new tenants. This way, if there is a problem, it can be rectified prior to the move-in date. A new boiler cost can vary depending on the type you choose, and the urgency within which you need it fitted. Therefore, the earlier you check your current boiler is up to par, or opt for a replacement, the easier it may be upon your bank balance. From here, you may also want to make it clear to the tenant that boiler servicing is non-negotiable, and that they should allow access to technicians as and when required. Furnishings You may want to decide whether or not you furnish the bedrooms and living spaces within your property. This may potentially enable you to charge a higher base rent than if the space was barren, and be an option for tenants who do not have many belongings. Alternatively, you might opt to leave the space unfurnished. This can be a good strategy when finding tenants, as they might already have belongings of their own that they wish to use. Considering the size of your property could be a good idea here. A larger property may benefit from being unfurnished, especially if your tenants are families with young children, as they may be more likely to already own goods. Smaller studio or single-bedroom properties could be furnished, especially if you plan on letting to students. Decoration It could also be a good idea to freshly decorate the property prior to commencing the lease. This will make the home feel new. The choice will be yours regarding whether tenants are allowed to undertake their own decoration, as well as if pictures or other items may be hung on the walls. You may want to be clear about this within the tenancy agreement. Opting for a light colour can help to make rooms appear larger. It could also be beneficial to choose a wipe-clean paint, in case of any smudges or spills. Renting out a property can be a great way to make a second income. By planning prior to accepting a new tenant, your property could become a wonderful home for someone, either long- or short-term.
As the country prepares for peak, Kite Packaging launches a tool set to significantly streamline gift wrapping and other packaging processes. For businesses not dispatching enough to require an automated carton sealer, the new windmill dispenser is an effective, low-cost way to boost efficiency without sacrificing the aesthetic touches that elevate an entire shopping experience. The tape dispenser works by first loading a roll onto the holder. By turning the outer wheel, the roll rotates and an integrated blade positioned on the underside of the device cuts the tape into convenient 1.4 inch lengths. These pieces are cleanly laid out on the spokes to be picked up by hand when the wheel completes its rotation. This product drastically reduces the potential for the sticky messes or tangles that can occur when using other dispensers or attempting to cut and apply tape by hand. The increased rapidity makes the windmill dispenser an excellent addition to any workstation whether it is at a pressurised point-of-purchase counter or at an ecommerce dispatch area. Use to secure Kite’s 100% recyclable and biodegradable tissue paper available on a roll dispenser for an attractive and uniform finish to your gift wrapped goods. Designed to be loaded with Kite’s durable polythene packaging tapes, small postal boxes or mailing bags can also be sealed with the pieces dispensed on the windmill. Pack your products with greater ease for faster dispatch times and an overall more presentable parcel using this ergonomic, impressively simple item.
Manor Interiors, the expert in build-to-rent furnishing solutions, has revealed which major UK cities offer the best opportunities for build to rent developers based on the highest levels of apartment living vs the rest of the rental market. Build to rent is designed for people who are looking for a modern way of life; city living with a focus on community and amenities. Therefore, UK cities where city-centre flat-living is already prevalent present the best opportunity for the BTR sector as they are already primed for a build to rent revolution. In the UK and on average, flats account for 64% of all properties currently available to rent, a national average that a good number of UK cities make look very small indeed. The city in which flats have the biggest rental market share is Edinburgh. Of 562 properties currently available for rent, 505, or 90%, are flats. This, therefore, suggests that flat-living is a key focus of demand for Edinburgh residents and presents a prime opportunity for the build to rent industry. Scotland’s second city, Glasgow, also comes second on the list as flats account for 89% of the properties currently available to rent in the city. Using Rentola Glasgow is sure way to find the best place to live. London is third with flats accounting for 88% of the 45,285 currently available rent, while in Newcastle, flats make up 79% of the market. Bournemouth currently has just 508 properties on the rental market and 385 of them, or 76% are flats, while in Manchester, flats account for 73% of the market. The rest of the UK cities in which flats have an above-average market share are Sheffield (68%), Bradford (67%), Nottingham (66%), Cardiff (65%), and Liverpool (64%). There are a number of UK cities in which flats have a below-average market share, most notably Leeds (39%), Swansea (43%), and Portsmouth (48%) – the only three cities where flats account for less than half of the rental market. CEO of Manor Interiors, Farhan Malik, commented: “Flat living is the clear choice for many city-dwellers and a high propensity for renting apartments means many of our major cities are already primed and ready for the build to rent to revolution. In some cases as many as 90% of all properties are flats and apartments, so the desire for urban living is clear and build to rent is helping to accommodate this demand with fit for purpose developments targeted towards the modern tenant. “Build to rent developments offer a step above the standards of your typical private rental flat, a step up in sophistication and quality and, perhaps most of all, a superior tenant experience. We expect the sector to continue to establish a strong foothold as it has already done in London in particular, and developers can be confident that demand will be high.” Table shows what % of the rental market flats account for in major UK cities, listed from highest % to lowest Location Total – rental properties Flats – rental properties Flat rental stock % Edinburgh 562 505 90% Glasgow 752 667 89% London 45,285 39,675 88% Newcastle 1,407 1,116 79% Bournemouth 508 385 76% Manchester 3,720 2,718 73% Sheffield 1,339 905 68% Bradford 340 227 67% Nottingham 1,985 1,304 66% Cardiff 841 549 65% Liverpool 1,805 1,148 64% Bristol 1,094 667 61% Leicester 2,162 1,269 59% Sunderland 527 292 55% Southampton 1,179 635 54% Birmingham 3,665 1,891 52% Portsmouth 1,081 524 48% Swansea 151 65 43% Leeds 3,030 1,172 39% United Kingdom 145,689 92,838 64% Source – Rightmove
HS2 was this week celebrating a literal milestone as ‘Florence’ – the first of ten Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) on Phase One completed her first mile of tunnel for the UK’s new high speed railway The latest photos of work on the Chiltern tunnel are available here: https://mediacentre.hs2.org.uk/resources/f/tbms-and-tunnels-massive-machines-and-their-current-progress/chiltern-tunnel-construction A new video flythrough of the first mile can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZqmuTGVGZA The first enormous 2,000 tonne tunnelling machine passed the one mile mark this week during the construction of the first tunnels for HS2 – Britain’s new high speed rail link between London, Birmingham and the north. Launched in May, the 170m long Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) covered the first mile cutting through a mix of chalk and flint beneath the Chiltern hills just outside London. Named ‘Florence’ by local school children, the TBM is one of two identical machines excavating the twin ten-mile-long tunnels. A second machine, named ‘Cecilia’ is a short way behind, with both TBMs expected to break out in around three years’ time. Designed specifically for the geology of the Chilterns, each machine is a self-contained underground factory, digging the tunnel, lining it with concrete wall segments and grouting them into place as it moves forward. Welcoming the progress, HS2 Ltd Project Client Rohan Perin said: “The 10 mile Chiltern tunnel will take HS2 underneath the hills and safeguard the woodlands and wildlife habits above ground as well as significantly reducing disruption to communities during construction and operation of the new railway. “Once complete, HS2 will offer low carbon journey options linking London with the major cities of the north and releasing capacity for more freight and local trains on our existing mainlines. It’s great to see how much progress has been made over the summer and I’d like to thank the crew of Florence and all the tunnelling team for their hard work.” The first two TBMs are operated by HS2’s main works contractor, Align – a joint venture formed of Bouygues Travaux Publics, Sir Robert McAlpine, and VolkerFitzpatrick. A crew of 17 people keep the machines running, working in shifts and supported by over 100 people on the surface, managing the logistics and maintaining the smooth progress of the tunnelling operation. Align Project Director Daniel Altier added: “I am delighted with the progress that Florence has made since its launch in May, with Cecilia not far behind. All the spoil from the TBMs is converted into slurry before being pumped back to our South Portal site, just inside the M25, where it is processed and used for landscaping on site. This is, and will continue to be, a huge logistical challenge, as Florence and Cecilia continue their journey through the Chilterns. “Florence reaching the 1 mile point is a great achievement, however we still have a long way to go.” Each of the separate northbound and southbound tunnels will require 56,000 precision engineered, fibre-reinforced concrete wall segments – which are all being made at the south portal of the tunnel, next to the M25. During her first mile, Florence and her crew have installed more than 5,500 separate segments, each weighing around 8.5 tonnes. Approximately 2.7 million cubic metres of material will be excavated during the construction of the tunnels and used for landscaping around the south portal site. Once construction is complete, this will help create around 90 hectares of wildlife-rich chalk grassland habitats. Chalk grassland used to be widespread across the hills of south east England and are considered habitat of international conservation significance with just 700ha left across the Chilterns. In total there will be ten TBMs on the HS2 project – working to create 64 miles of tunnel between London and the West Midlands including major tunnels on the approach to London and Birmingham. More than 20,000 jobs and over 650 apprenticeships are already being supported by HS2, which is set to transform transport links between Britain’s major cities, free up space on the rail network for more freight and local services and support the UK’s transition to net zero carbon emissions. The TBM is named after Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, who spent many years in Claydon, Buckinghamshire where she wrote books on nursing, with the name suggested by students at Meadow High School in Hillingdon. A new video flythrough of the first mile can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZqmuTGVGZA An animation explaining the Chiltern tunnels can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTsLL9BPHpc TBM names: Florence – named after Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, who spent many years in Claydon, Buckinghamshire where she wrote numerous books on nursing. Suggested by students at Meadow High School in Hillingdon. Cecilia – named after Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin, the Astronomer and Astrophysicist born in Buckinghamshire who attended Cambridge University before becoming Chair of Astronomy at Harvard University in the United States. She was the first person to properly ‘read’ a temperature on stars. She also discovered that stars are made mainly from hydrogen and helium. Suggested by students at The Chalfonts Community College in Buckinghamshire. Around 4,500 people from across the UK then took part in the poll to select the final names, with Florence taking 40% of the vote and Cecilia a close second with 32%. Facts and figures – The Chiltern tunnel TBMs The TBMs are 170m in length – nearly 1.5 times the length of a football pitch Each one weighs roughly 2000 tonnes – the equivalent of 340 African bush elephants They were transported to the UK in 330 separate shipments containing a total of more than a thousand separate parts. They will run almost non-stop 24 hours a day for 3.5 years Once complete, trains will pass through the tunnel in around 3 minutes at speeds of up to 320km/h The tunnels will go as deep as 80m below the ground – ensuring communities and countryside above are not impacted by the railway The size of the TBM cutterhead which will bore the tunnels is 10.26m, roughly the height of two giraffes standing on top of one another Taking into account the thickness of the tunnel walls, the internal diameter of the tunnels in which the trains will pass through will be 9.1m, slightly larger than two London buses stacked on top of one another The tunnels will