Stafford MP Theo Clarke visited a new development of homes for affordable rent and shared ownership. The site of 23 houses and apartments off Sandon Road being built for Housing Plus Group, is revitalising an area on the edge of the town centre. With progress well underway on the site, the
National architects GSSArchitecture, whose head office is based in Kettering, are delighted to share that work has begun on the new Macmillan Cancer Support Centre at Kettering General Hospital, following a turf-cutting ceremony, which took place on 12th July. The centre – the first in North Northamptonshire – will bring
Research from national estate agent, Keller Williams UK, has revealed that Edinburgh is the UK’s most valuable pocket of the property market based on the average price and number of homes sold during the pandemic. Across the UK, 946,447 homes have been sold since January 2020 and with the current
Life insurance is definitely one of the more underrated types of insurance cover; younger individuals assume they won’t be needing the policy any time soon. Even older individuals feel that they won’t be the ones to benefit from the insurance policy when the unfortunate time arrives to claim. However, this
Halkin Investments CEO Becomes Non-Executive Chairman As part of ME Developments strategy to deliver £400m of new homes over the next 36 months, the Surrey-based residential developer has announced the formation of an Advisory Board and the appointment of a Non-Executive Chairman. Bashir Ahmad, CEO of Halkin Investments, becomes ME
Providing a complete energy efficient solution for household heating, NIBE Energy Systems has launched a selection Solar PV panels to power its heat pumps and expanded its range of smart home accessories to maximize indoor comfort and climate control. The new range builds on the heat pump manufacturer’s plans to
A £150m not-for-profit regeneration scheme bringing improved community facilities, new affordable homes and an innovative education hub to White City in west London is to begin this month following approval of an agreement between Ark, a national education charity, and Hammersmith & Fulham Council (H&F). The plans include the building
AN ESTABLISHED eight-acre city-centre industrial park has been snapped up following a multi-million-pound deal completed by commercial property agent Innes England. Bar Lane Industrial Park, located in Basford, Nottingham, features 10,497 sq. metres of industrial accommodation with over 20 tenants in situ. Due to its popularity, the unique freehold
The UK suspended ceilings and partitioning systems market was worth an estimated £283m in 2020, having declined by an estimated 16% due to the impact of the pandemic. The overall market for suspended ceiling and partitioning products is relatively mature and primarily dependent on construction and refurbishment activity in the
Construction software platform, Zutec, has been tasked with helping global commercial real estate company, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, to build the largest shopping mall in Europe In 2008, the world faced one of the greatest economic crises in modern history. Many businesses suffered, and the high street appeared to become a thing of
Stafford MP Theo Clarke visited a new development of homes for affordable rent and shared ownership. The site of 23 houses and apartments off Sandon Road being built for Housing Plus Group, is revitalising an area on the edge of the town centre. With progress well underway on the site, the MP met Housing Plus Group Chief executive Sarah Boden and members of the development team to see what will be available when the first residents move into their new homes later this year. Housing Plus Group has partnered with Midlands construction firm Markden Homes on the development of three-bedroomed houses and one and two-bedroomed apartments. In a key project for the housing provider, Wheeldon Close will become the first new affordable housing site to be completed following the merger between Housing Plus Group and Stafford and Rural Homes. It is an important step towards fulfilling a commitment made by the Group during that merger, to help address the local housing crisis by starting work on 2,000 new homes for rent, shared ownership and outright sale across Staffordshire and Shropshire by 2023. The high specification homes have been built on the site of a former car showroom on one of the gateway roads into the town centre. It was named by pupils at John Wheeldon Primary Academy, who wanted to honour a former head teacher who went on to become mayor of Stafford. Theo Clarke said: “I was delighted to visit the new development to see the regeneration of a brownfield site in Stafford – it is fantastic to see a positive example of local development, including homes for shared ownership, to help people get on the housing ladder. One of my priorities as the local MP is to ensure that people have the opportunity to own their own homes. “It was also an opportunity to discuss matters raised by constituents and to work together to find solutions.” Sarah Boden said that she was delighted to welcome the MP to Wheeldon Close and to show her around some of the homes and apartments under construction: “We are very proud of the homes that are taking shape on this development. These are high quality, attractive homes for local people to rent and to be able to step onto the first rung of an incredibly challenging housing market through shared ownership. “I believe very strongly in the transformative power of housing not only to change lives but to revitalise locations like this, close to the town centre. The homes will help us to make a positive difference to homes, lives and communities; bringing people and families into the area, sustaining local facilities and helping shops and businesses to thrive. “We are looking forward to welcoming the new residents of Wheeldon Close soon and in a key year for our Group, we are also nearing completion of the nearby Wren House, which will provide 80 one and two-bedroomed retirement apartments for affordable rent.”
National architects GSSArchitecture, whose head office is based in Kettering, are delighted to share that work has begun on the new Macmillan Cancer Support Centre at Kettering General Hospital, following a turf-cutting ceremony, which took place on 12th July. The centre – the first in North Northamptonshire – will bring a range of vital cancer support services together under one roof. As well as providing information on all aspects of cancer, emotional and psychological support, the centre will provide welfare benefits advice, wig fitting and signpost to other local services. Situated within the courtyard inside the hospitals main ward block, the centre will make best use of the available space, whilst providing an engaging and sympathetic environment for users of the centre. The unique curved nature of the plan enables the building to interact with several interesting external spaces that have been created, while maintaining the requirement for a less clinical, private, and calming setting. Andrew Vallis, Architect leading the project from GSSArchitecture, said, “I’m proud to be working on such an interesting and important project to benefit the people of Kettering, building upon GSSArchitecture’s long history with the hospital which dates back over 100 years. Our substantial experience in the Healthcare sector, in addition to a close collaboration with both Macmillan Cancer Support and Kettering General Hospital, has allowed us to progress these important plans to site, with works expected to complete early next year.” Rachel Atkinson, Macmillan Partnership Manager for Northamptonshire, said: “Cancer can affect every part of your life, not just your health, so it’s vital that we try and support patients with non-clinical needs as well. This brilliant new centre, funded by public donations, will offer a comfortable space where our highly-trained support staff and volunteers can offer people with cancer support for a variety of different needs that come with a cancer diagnosis. We want to help everyone with cancer live life as fully as they can and will do whatever it takes to ensure that happens.” GSSArchitecture are working as Architect, Principal Designer and Lead Consultant on the scheme, alongside Main Contractor, Marshdale Construction Ltd., and GSSllp who are providing Quantity Surveying services. If you would like any further information on GSSArchitecture, or the projects that they are currently working on, please visit www.gssarchitecture.com
Research from national estate agent, Keller Williams UK, has revealed that Edinburgh is the UK’s most valuable pocket of the property market based on the average price and number of homes sold during the pandemic. Across the UK, 946,447 homes have been sold since January 2020 and with the current average UK house price at £250,772, this equates to a bricks and mortar value of £237.4bn. Richest Property Regions The South East is the richest property region of the UK at present, with 140,571 transactions completing during the pandemic at an average of £329,849, totalling £46.4bn in property sold property values. Despite much being made of the decline of the London market, 85,411 transactions have still taken place across London since the start of the pandemic. With an average house price of £485,956, this equates to a staggering £41.5bn in sold property values – the second highest of all areas of the UK. Northern Ireland has seen just 25,103 homes sold since the start of 2020 at an average of just £144,059. Despite being home to the lowest total sum of property sold, the nation has still seen £3.6bn of homes change hands. Richest Local Authorities However, when analysing the market at local authority level, it’s Edinburgh that ranks as the UK’s richest property market. 10,740 homes have been sold across the city since January 2020 at an average of £280,287, totalling an estimated £3bn in value. Edinburgh is closely followed by Wandsworth with a total of £2.8bn in sold property during the pandemic. Cornwall also ranks high at £32.4bn in homes sold, with Bromley (£2.2bn) and Leeds (£2.175m) also making the top five. CEO of Keller Williams UK, Ben Taylor, commented: “The UK property market has been booming and it’s interesting to see the regional variations of this performance in terms of current values, transaction volumes and house price growth. However, it’s Edinburgh that has seen the strongest pandemic property market performance when considering both transaction levels and property values and the total sold value of properties that have changed hands. That said, the wider health of the current market is more than evident when analysed on this basis with cities and towns from all over the UK featuring in the top performers. While the tapered end of the stamp duty holiday may have some impact, there’s no doubting that we’re on course for a seriously impressive year from a property standpoint.” Table shows the total value of property sold based on transaction volumes and the average house price Location Pandemic Transactions Average house price Total estimated value of homes sold South East 140,571 £329,849 £46,367,213,864 London 85,411 £485,956 £41,505,981,288 East of England 93,962 £296,965 £27,903,459,409 South West 92,212 £266,486 £24,573,162,845 North West 104,575 £172,935 £18,084,650,336 Scotland 103,354 £157,265 £16,253,927,363 West Midlands Region 75,248 £205,891 £15,492,875,817 East Midlands 70,883 £202,137 £14,328,101,582 Yorkshire and The Humber 78,258 £171,488 £13,420,295,497 Wales 39,903 £171,490 £6,842,970,223 North East 36,967 £132,515 £4,898,674,312 Northern Ireland 25,103 £144,059 £3,616,306,591 England 778,087 £265,490 £206,574,414,951 United Kingdom 946,447 £250,772 £237,342,407,084 Sources UK House Price Index (Jan 2020 to Feb 2021 – latest available data) Average value x transaction volume Table shows the areas of the UK market to see the highest value of transactions during the pandemic Location Pandemic Transactions Average house price Total estimated value of homes sold City of Edinburgh 10,740 £280,287 £3,010,280,674 Wandsworth 4,574 £609,392 £2,787,360,997 Cornwall 9,791 £245,468 £2,403,380,298 Bromley 5,046 £438,111 £2,210,708,952 Leeds 11,123 £195,461 £2,174,114,541 Birmingham 11,156 £192,971 £2,152,780,840 Wiltshire 7,655 £279,742 £2,141,428,705 Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole 7,285 £287,647 £2,095,511,521 Dorset 6,841 £295,890 £2,024,183,950 Kensington and Chelsea 1,517 £1,323,585 £2,007,878,999 Belfast 14,381 £137,784 £1,981,469,854 Richmond upon Thames 2,857 £683,839 £1,953,726,787 City of Westminster 1,961 £960,840 £1,884,206,381 Barnet 3,535 £528,189 £1,867,147,536 City of Bristol 6,318 £295,315 £1,865,800,647 Sources UK House Price Index (Jan 2020 to Feb 2021 – latest available data) Average value x transaction volume
Life insurance is definitely one of the more underrated types of insurance cover; younger individuals assume they won’t be needing the policy any time soon. Even older individuals feel that they won’t be the ones to benefit from the insurance policy when the unfortunate time arrives to claim. However, this type of insurance is just as beneficial and essential as auto insurance, disability insurance, and various other insurance policies. So, if you are a bit divided about whether or not you should purchase relevant life insurance, here are the most valuable benefits this type of cover has to offer. Protect The Best Interest Of Loved Ones Left Behind Whether you are an income contributor or the sole breadwinner in your household, if anyone depends on your income, life insurance will protect them from poverty when you are no longer there to provide. The payout can be assigned to the most trusted dependant that relies on your income, and you can specify its intended use in your last will. An Inheritance For Your Children If you’re a parent, there’s no doubt that you want to leave something behind for your children. Because a life insurance payout can be used as an inheritance, your children will have a substantial amount of money to give them a bit of a helping hand in life. Suppose your time arrives before you can see your children enroll in a university. In this case, the policy can be used to pay for their education or even assist with housing when you are no longer there to provide. Leave No Debt Burden Behind If you have any debts, there’s a possibility that your descendants will inherit your debts if you pass on before you can settle any loans and financing plans you have. This can be a significant burden to any family; even if they can survive without your income support, having to cover debts can set a family back substantially. A life insurance payout can cover your debts for you, leaving no debt burden behind for your loved ones to carry. Peace Of Mind Even though you won’t be the one to cash in on your life insurance policy, having one will ultimately bring your genuine peace of mind. Your family will be cared for, your debts will be covered, and your funeral costs will likely be included in your policy benefits. So, you won’t have to stress and worry about the well-being of your loved ones if your time arrives before you can create substantial savings to hand over. Not everyone has the means to build wealth in their bank accounts due to various reasons. Life insurance offers the perfect solution for professionals and income providers that want to protect the best interests of their loved ones. The small monthly premium will amount to a massive payout that can keep our loved ones in financial comfort for quite some time in the event of your unexpected death.
Halkin Investments CEO Becomes Non-Executive Chairman As part of ME Developments strategy to deliver £400m of new homes over the next 36 months, the Surrey-based residential developer has announced the formation of an Advisory Board and the appointment of a Non-Executive Chairman. Bashir Ahmad, CEO of Halkin Investments, becomes ME Developments Non-Executive Chairman. ME Developments has plans to expand across the Home Counties and outskirts of London, benefitting from a buoyant residential property market. This market activity has increased the availability of innovative funding available from institutions and international investors who recognise the opportunity in the UK’s residential property sector. The company has plans to build over 1,000 houses and apartments over the next three years. ME Developments is a vertically integrated developer with in-house construction, planning and design teams and its chain of estate agencies, all of whom will facilitate the expansion plans. As part of the company’s plans, it has formed a separate division, ‘ME City’, seeking to embark on a series of 200+ unit urban regeneration schemes working in tandem with landowners, shopping centre operators and local authorities. ME City will embark on a plan to revive and bring life back to high streets by combining commercial, residential, and leisure uses. Simon Marshall, Co-founder and CEO of ME Developments commented… “I am delighted His Excellency and Lord Lamont have joined us on our advisory board and that Bashir has accepted the role of Non-Executive Chairman of the board. As we expand, their experience and guidance will be fundamental to our success and help us achieve our 1,000 homes in 36 months target. Beyond that, we are committed to making ME Developments one of the UK’s leading residential developers contributing positively to the UK economy and creating jobs. Gerry Waters, Co-founder and COO of ME Developments, commented… “We continue to build high quality homes across London and the Home Counties that meet the demands of expanding families and the demographic shifts brought on by Covid-19. With considerable opportunities ahead of us to build even more homes, we are delighted to now be working with an Advisory Board of such esteemed individuals who, along with Bashir, can ensure we achieve our aspirations and beyond”. Bashir Ahmad, Non-Executive Chairman, commented… “ME Developments is a tremendously exciting company. They have the skills and drive to become leaders in their field, and I am delighted to be part of the team to deliver much-needed housing across London and the Home Counties. I will be working with ME management team to take the company to the next level and create value for its clients, investors, staff and shareholders. I am very excited to be part of such an enthusiastic group of people! His Excellency Shaukat Aziz and Lord Lamont commented… “It is clear the UK has a desperate need for housing, and we are delighted to advise ME Developments as they strive to deliver homes where supply remains limited. The company’s executives are committed to delivering high-quality homes, and we are looking forward to aiding and advising them on their journey.” About ME Developments ME Developments is a dynamic Surrey-based residential developer focused on delivering quality housing across London and the Home Counties. Established in 2014, the company has already completed £100m of housing projects ranging from luxury homes to urban apartments, each of which demonstrates the company’s commitment to providing quality homes and unrivalled attention to detail. The company was co-founded by ex-Alhokair Plc (Saudi listed) CEO Simon Marshall and Gerry Waters, along with several industry experts across a range of activities from construction through to design and marketing. As a fully integrated organisation, the company delivers all aspects of the design process in-house and ultimately sells completed units via its chain of estate agencies. About His Excellency Shaukat Aziz His Excellency Mr Shaukat Aziz was elected as Prime Minister of Pakistan and served from 2004 – 2007, following five years as Finance Minister from 1999. Mr Aziz was the first Prime Minister of Pakistan to complete a full term in office. Mr Aziz restored his country’s credibility at home and abroad and is renowned for his strategic approach, structural reforms, transparency and ability to focus on what is best, not simply what is politically expedient. His policies were based on liberalisation, deregulation and privatisation, accompanied by strong regulatory oversight. Mr Aziz’s tenure was marked by high economic growth, increased per capita income, poverty reduction, an upsurge in investments and improved debt and economic indicators. He became Finance Minister in 1999 and was named “Finance Minister of the year” for 2001 by Euromoney and The Banker magazine. As Prime Minister, Mr Aziz co-chaired the UN Secretary Generals Committee to promote reform and coherence at the United Nations. In recognition of his services to Pakistan, he was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws by his Alma Mater, The Institute of Business Administration, University of Karachi, Pakistan. In 2014 Mr Aziz was appointed Senior Visiting Research Fellow at Green Templeton College, Oxford University, United Kingdom, where he also chairs their annual Emerging Markets Forum. Having presided over impressive economic growth in his country, Mr Aziz offers an expert view. He is a frequent speaker on the world’s challenges, including structural reforms, diplomacy, geopolitics and security. Mr Aziz is a member of several boards and advisory boards of various commercial and non-profit entities worldwide. About Lord Norman Lamont Lord Lamont (Norman Lamont) was at the centre of British politics for many years. He was a Cabinet Minister under both Margaret Thatcher and John Major and was a member of the House of Commons for twenty-five years. Norman Lamont was Chancellor of the Exchequer (Finance Minister) from 1990-1993 and introduced three Budgets. He inherited the policy of membership of the ERM, which made it a difficult and controversial time to be Chancellor. This culminated in Britain’s exit from the ERM in September 1992. Many Economists have attributed much of the economic stability and low inflation enjoyed in his first years by Gordon Brown to the
Providing a complete energy efficient solution for household heating, NIBE Energy Systems has launched a selection Solar PV panels to power its heat pumps and expanded its range of smart home accessories to maximize indoor comfort and climate control. The new range builds on the heat pump manufacturer’s plans to offer customers a smarter and more connected home. New NIBE PV Package to Power Heat Pumps Homes with a NIBE heat pump and PV package can benefit from the production of free solar to power heating, hot water and cooling needs, while reducing carbon emissions and energy bills all year round. A key part of the connected home, NIBE solar-powered heat pumps offer greater control over household energy consumption via the NIBE Uplink technology, automatically adjusting the indoor climate for optimal indoor comfort. The NIBE PV package is comprised of monocrystalline silicone cell panels using PERC technology for maximum efficiency, available in two sizes with an elegant all-black design. Each base package consists of 10 panels with a nominal power of 3.6 kW, mounting parts and a suitable inverter with a communication module, all of which are ready for installation. New Smart Home Accessories The new range of myUplink wireless smart home accessories compliments the NIBE S-Series heat pumps, providing more comfortable, precise room-by-room or ‘zone-by-zone’ climate control. Delivering comfort through connectivity, each of the smart home accessories connects in a mesh network arrangement, communicating with each other to create a simpler but more advanced home. Each accessory is a small unit which can easily be mounted on the wall and connected to an S-Series heat pump, automatically adjusting the temperature, humidity and CO2 levels for high comfort and low energy consumption. Included in the range is the myUplink RPP 10 UK Repeater Plug, the THS 10 Temperature Humidity Sensor, the RPP CDS 10 Carbon Dioxide Sensor, the ROT 10 Room Thermostat, and the NIBE RMU S40 Room Unit. Phil Hurley, Managing Director at NIBE Energy Systems commented: “We are really pleased to be launching this new range of myUplink Smart Home Accessories and to be building on our promise to continuously update our products with new functions and accessories. It was a proud moment for us last year when we launched the S-Series range of heat pumps, and it is brilliant to be able to build on their offering today with the launch of accessories that will make sure our customers can truly make the most of them. Technology never stops developing or improving, and neither do we. “The launch of our PV Package is another big moment for us, and we look forward to now being able to offer our customers the full integrated package they need to truly harness the power of nature to heat their home. We are, as ever, committed to making it easy to be smart.” To find out more about the new product range, please visit https://www.nibe.eu/en-gb/products/s-series For more information on NIBE Energy Systems and its range of products, follow @NIBEEnergy on Twitter and NIBE Energy Systems Limited on LinkedIn.
A £150m not-for-profit regeneration scheme bringing improved community facilities, new affordable homes and an innovative education hub to White City in west London is to begin this month following approval of an agreement between Ark, a national education charity, and Hammersmith & Fulham Council (H&F). The plans include the building of a new primary school, nursery and adult education centre, as well as a state-of-the-art youth zone and 132 affordable homes. A modern office building will become the future home of Ark and other organisations. Work will begin this month on what has been known as the EdCity scheme following a pause due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It will regenerate the site between South Africa Road and Australia Road and include: a new building for Ark Swift Primary Academy with state-of-the art IT and modern classrooms, and access to a range of sports and performing arts facilities; 132 new council-owned affordable homes for local people; a new building for Harmony Nursery to increase capacity to 75 children; a new OnSide Youth Zone providing sporting, creative and social activities and opportunities for local young people; an expanded adult education and community learning centre providing training and life-long learning opportunities for local residents; a new 100,000 sq ft office space for up to 1,000 jobs and a new permanent home for Ark and other organisations and businesses; a new landscaped public square with a pedestrian and cycle route, directly linking residential areas to the redeveloped White City business and transport hubs. H&F Leader Cllr Stephen Cowan said: “This project will bring tangible benefits to the local community with a new school and nursery, a youth zone and improved adult education services. There will be new, affordable homes for local people, improvements to public areas and jobs will be relocated here. Partnerships are a central feature of our Industrial Strategy benefiting this previously-neglected part of the borough, so I am delighted we can now get this work under way.” Ark CEO Lucy Heller said: “These exciting plans will bring significant improvements to education provision in White City, including a new modern building for pupils at Ark Swift primary school. Alongside other community facilities, the scheme will also provide a new home for Ark to support our work with schools and ventures across the country and to foster collaboration with other organisations working in the wider education system.” Mark Davies, Chair of WEST Youth Zone, said: “It’s fantastic that we can now progress with this exciting development, and I am delighted that WEST Youth Zone will be a part of it. Once open, the Youth Zone will provide all young people of the borough with an amazing facility where they can take part in a wide range of activities, make new friends and gain support from our team of dedicated youth workers.” The office building will provide highly efficient Grade A space designed to a BREEAM rating of “Excellent”. Two floors are pre-let to Ark and its partner organisations with a further 80,000 sq ft available to rent. The development will be carried out in two phases with initial works starting this month. Demolition will take place during the summer and autumn. The new school, youth zone and office will be open in the second half of 2023 as well as some of the new homes. The remaining changes will be fully completed in 2025. The plans have been developed following local consultation and final planning approval was granted in 2020. The funding agreements were approved by H&F’s Cabinet on 5 July 2021. The scheme is jointly funded by the Ark charity and H&F and is supported by grants from central government and the GLA.
AN ESTABLISHED eight-acre city-centre industrial park has been snapped up following a multi-million-pound deal completed by commercial property agent Innes England. Bar Lane Industrial Park, located in Basford, Nottingham, features 10,497 sq. metres of industrial accommodation with over 20 tenants in situ. Due to its popularity, the unique freehold opportunity eventually went to best bids and was secured by Meadow Lane Services Ltd, a well-established investor in the region. The industrial park, which will continue to be run as an industrial estate, proved to be highly attractive due to its underlying development potential for a mixed-use scheme. It is in a prime location within a 15-minute drive to the centre of Nottingham and is home to a number of existing local businesses, including shed, metal, fencing and insulation providers as well as other industrial suppliers. Scott Osborne, director at Innes England who secured the sale said: “We are really pleased to have got this substantial deal over the line. It is a sizeable deal with well-established industrial accommodation and is in the perfect location close to the city centre. We received a lot of interest early on, due to the size and scale of the estate but I am now pleased it has been secured for a large amount and we wish Meadow Lane Services the best with the site moving forwards.” Dritan Skenderaj, director at Meadow Lane Services, said: “We are really pleased to have secured the site at Bar Lane Industrial Park. As well offering large industrial space, it is in close proximity to the city centre, and will certainly appeal to a number of businesses looking for somewhere new or to expand. We are excited to provide local businesses with an excellent central hub to grow from and offer the space they need to help their business be a success.” Matt Hannah, managing director at Innes England, said: “We have been advising on the site for some time with our development services reviewing the opportunity, the management team taking over the day-to-day operations and our agency team selecting active buyers with direct approaches leading to a successful sale.” Brett Artus, asset manager for the private vendor, said, “We are delighted with this result. With our professional team at Innes England and Waymark we have worked hard to try and maximise the potential of this site and we are confident that Meadow Lane Services will make the most of that potential. “Innes England and Waymark have provided considerable expertise in preparing the site for sale and managing a very well targeted marketing campaign. Their unrivalled local knowledge generated considerable interest and ultimately secured the sale. My client is very pleased and I would like to thank all involved at Innes England and Waymark for their professionalism and commitment throughout.” Innes England and Heb Surveyors have now been retained by the purchaser to act as agents on the site and continue to let vacant units. Find out more at http://www.innes-england.com or join the conversation at @InnesEngland.
The UK suspended ceilings and partitioning systems market was worth an estimated £283m in 2020, having declined by an estimated 16% due to the impact of the pandemic. The overall market for suspended ceiling and partitioning products is relatively mature and primarily dependent on construction and refurbishment activity in the non-domestic sector, particularly offices, education, retail, entertainment & leisure, and health. Suspended ceilings are typically installed towards the end of a construction project and partitions are generally fitted upon tenant occupation, so there is a delayed impact compared to changes in construction levels. The market experienced growth to 2018 and was relatively static in 2019, before declining significantly in 2020, primarily due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Following the initial lockdown, construction levels recovered throughout 2020 and have continued into 2021 as government guidance indicated that the manufacturing and construction sectors could continue to work. This led to an improvement in market performance improve with growth forecast for the year to 31 December 2021. During 2020, the pandemic significantly impacted market growth levels, particularly during the first national lockdown from mid-March. At the peak impact of the Covid-19 lockdown measures in the Q2 2020 many working sites were closed although some activity resumed relatively with the easing of lockdown. Despite the implementation of social distancing measures, overall construction and RMI output grew during H2 2020. For the year, however, it is estimated that the suspended ceilings and partitions market fell by around 16% in 2020. Perhaps one of the most significant developments due to the 2020 lockdowns was the change in working patterns, with people working from home where possible. Any permanent shift in where and how people work is likely to have a lasting impact on the market. The office sector was changing prior to the pandemic but faster adoption of more flexible patterns may accelerate this movement further. Construction in the office sector has fluctuated since 2016, being on a downward trajectory overall. Many companies are reviewing their need and use for office space. Recently ministers have said they want to consider proposals for giving office staff a ‘default’ right to work from home. However, there are concerns by some that this would allow companies to employ workers from abroad, which may impact employment levels in the UK. Alex Blagden, Senior Research Analyst at AMA Research, comments “One of the key factors expected to impact on future demand for suspended ceilings and partitioning is the current change in working practices in offices, largely brought about by the pandemic. While some employers have been encouraging staff to return to the office in 2021, others have – including some major employers – have permanently closed many of their offices and/or changed working practices to full-time or part-time remote working.” Due to the current high number of offices that are vacant or with lower density occupation office blocks, combined with uncertainty among investors, speculative office construction activity has fallen. However, Since Q3 2020 in London there has been a marked increase in starts, with more than half being major refurbishments and the remainder mostly pre-let newbuilds. Refurbishment has centred on reformatting offices to make them both more ’eco friendly’ and more Covid-19 secure. Across the UK, it is likely this is being replicated, so generating requirements for partitioning in open plan spaces and hygienic suspended ceiling tiles. Prospects for the suspended ceilings and partitions market into the medium-term are relatively optimistic with forecast growth to around £335m by 2025. Prospects for the short term remain challenging as construction output growth rates fell in 2020, feeding through to reduced demand for suspended ceilings and partitions.
Construction software platform, Zutec, has been tasked with helping global commercial real estate company, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, to build the largest shopping mall in Europe In 2008, the world faced one of the greatest economic crises in modern history. Many businesses suffered, and the high street appeared to become a thing of the past. However, against all odds, amidst a fast-deteriorating retail landscape, one company was able to complete the construction of a mall visited by over two million shoppers in its first three weeks of opening. Westfield Group’s Westfield Shopping Mall, in White City, West London, became the largest covered shopping development in London in October of that year. It began with a retail floor area of 1,600,000 sq. ft., and with additional investment and expansion, by 2018 it became the largest shopping centre in Europe, with an area of 2,600,000 sq. ft. To ensure the mall was completed on time despite the poor economic climate, commercial real estate company, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, sought the aid of cloud-based software platform, Zutec, for Phases 1 and 2 of the project from 2007 until present. Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield was formed in 2018 when Unibail-Rodamco SE, a European company, acquired Australian shopping centre operator Westfield Corporation, and has the largest development pipeline in the industry. Phase 1 In 2007, Westfield Design & Construction (now part of Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield) procured Zutec to manage the handover and completion process for the first phase of the shopping centre. When the mall opened the following year, the platform became a powerful tool for the management team, who used it to access interactive and digital operations and maintenance manuals, continuously upload retail fit-out information onto the platform, and update both capital and minor works to maintain a Source of Truth for the entire facility. Phase 2 From 2017 onwards, Westfield D&C once again procured Zutec for the handover and BIM data management and integration of Westfield London’s £600 million Phase 2 retail extension, as well as the URW UK Head Office Building and Newall Court. Early engagement with Westfield’s management team, via workshop sessions held with key management personnel, was crucial to success during the implementation of the software for this phase of the project, which included adding 740,000 sq. ft. of retail space. During this time, Zutec evolved from an interactive folder structure for the capturing of handover information, to a 3D Model Management and Visualisation Solution, and repository for all BIM attributes linked to Asset Registers and Manuals/Documents. Benefits The project was a success due to the multitude of benefits Zutec provides its customers. The platform, which is used for all project data to be defined, captured and managed throughout the entire lifecycle of a project, allowed Westfield quicker access to information, enhanced knowledge of built assets, a reduction in existing condition surveys and a faster reaction time in emergencies. Zutec continues to be utilised as a single Source of Truth, where the as-built records, changes and modifications which take place throughout the facility’s life cycle continue to be updated and maintained. Commenting on the partnership, Zutec’s Global Head of Digitalisation, Tom Boland, said: “This project has been one of our greatest achievements, and we are proud to have been involved from the very beginning. It’s thanks to the hard work and dedication on both sides that Westfield was able to open its doors on time and achieve the level of success that it has experienced to this day. We hope to continue this more than 10-year-long partnership with Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield and collaborate on equally groundbreaking projects in the coming years.”