On behalf of Network Space, Yorkshire company, Harris CM is on site delivering 116,600 sq ft of prime industrial space across four high specification units at Woodhouse Link, close to junction 31 of the M1 in Sheffield. Ready for occupation in early 2022, Woodhouse Link will be capable of fostering
Responding to May’s announcement by Housing Minister Christopher Pincher of the 14 places that have been appointed to test the application of the government’s new design code, Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Chief Executive Victoria Hills said: “The Government’s announcement on the 21st of May the 14 places which will
Tricas Construction has been awarded the contract to deliver a new construction project in Telford. The £10.7 million project will bring 88 residential plots to a site in Old Park, for The Wrekin Housing Group. Tom Broadway, operations manager at Tricas Construction, said: “Tricas are well placed to deliver an
Following the publication of the Building Safety Bill today, I am sharing commentary from Scott Steedman, Director-General, Standards at BSI. He said: “We welcome the new measures set out in the government’s Building Safety Bill. The Bill provides a new regulatory framework that will steer the improvement of practices in
RMI contractors’ output in 2020 fell due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. While most social housing providers have been able to maintain essential responsive repair services, the provision of planned maintenance has been impacted. Capitalised RMI expenditure for the year was £1.6bn, against a £2.4bn forecast for the
Mecalac Construction Equipment UK has launched an exciting new football-themed promotion. Intended to inspire the atmosphere of team spirit and competition this summer, All to Play For will bring together operators and owners from across the UK and Ireland, highlighting their place within Mecalac’s global team. Running until mid-July, All
Business is evolving step by step, and some people seek opportunities in each situation. Learn the features of the top post-COVID business scopes.
Do you always depict the house of your dreams in your head? Modern opportunities grant you more chances to realize it! Find more in the article.
Housing developer Stonebond Properties, in partnership with housing association Settle, has completed the purchase of a 9.8-acre site on a new 650-acre urban village development next to Houghton Regis in Bedfordshire. The site will provide 202 homes, with 70% of them being delivered as additional affordable homes, a mixed tenure
Dougall Baillie Associates (DBA), the East Kilbride-based independent engineering consultancy, is seeking to hire six new recruits to help it fulfil a series of recently won contracts. The 40-strong East Kilbride firm, which has emerged strongly from the pandemic with a clutch of high-profile new business, wants to hire a
On behalf of Network Space, Yorkshire company, Harris CM is on site delivering 116,600 sq ft of prime industrial space across four high specification units at Woodhouse Link, close to junction 31 of the M1 in Sheffield. Ready for occupation in early 2022, Woodhouse Link will be capable of fostering approximately 200 new jobs. Network Space has secured its first letting at its speculative multimillion-pound Woodhouse Link development, with BLE Smoke and Fire Curtains Ltd is taking the 31,200 sq ft Unit 3 on a 15-year lease. A second unit is also under offer Jason Adlam, CEO at Harris CM, said: “This project is an impressive industrial development and we look forward to working with Network Space on our first contract together. “The scheme demonstrates the importance of Sheffield’s industrial and manufacturing sectors and provides further opportunities for our workforce and supply chain, with a significant proportion being South Yorkshire based.” Simon Peters, Development Director at Network Space, explains: “Woodhouse Link is designed to meet the shortage of quality industrial space within the Sheffield City Region, where it is evident that new supply is struggling to keep pace with strong demand. “We’ve already had a lot of interest in the development and we are delighted to welcome BLE as our first occupier. Woodhouse Link offers a great central location and with a further unit under offer and strong enquiry levels in the remaining space we could be fully let before this speculative development completes.” Woodhouse Link lies close to junctions 31 and 33 of the M1, to the east of Sheffield and on the south side of Rotherham, within the Advanced Manufacturing and Innovation District and close to the Advanced Manufacturing Park at Waverley. The development has planning permission for 24/7 operation and is suitable for manufacturing or distribution uses. The detached and self-contained units all provide secure storage yards and parking, 8 to 10 metre high eaves, integral offices and are designed to a high sustainability standard, including EV charging points, and to a BREEAM Very Good rating. BLE has taken unit 3. Part of the family owned Lowe & Fletcher Group, the company has designed, made, installed and maintained innovative, bespoke smoke and fire curtains for buildings around the globe for the last 40 years, providing life-saving protection for millions of people in commercial buildings, stations, airports and hospitals. The expansion to Woodhouse Link reflects the continued growth of the company. Nigel Ward, Managing Director from BLE said: “This purpose build facility in such a great location will offer the company an exceptional base for our fast growing business. “The integral office will be to headquarter standard, in keeping with our brand and helping us to add the best talent to our team. The flexible design and high sustainability standards are ideal for our needs.” With unit 3 now let and a further unit under offer, only units 1 and 2 remain available providing 48,900 sq ft and 13,200 sq ft respectively. Avison Young and CPP have been appointed to market the site. Toby Vernon, Director at CCP introduced the deal. He said: “Demand for quality units such as those at Woodhouse Link is going from strength to strength. We saw a record take up in 2020 and high demand for space has continued in 2021. Occupiers want modern, efficient buildings that will stand the test of time, which is one of the reasons demand is so high, evidenced by the letting to BLE.” Rob Oliver, principal from Avison Young said: “We have always known this development will be well received by the occupational market, so we were delighted, but not surprised, to have two units under offer before speculative construction began. “Well designed and highly specified they suit the demands and expectations of today’s occupiers who want accessible and cost effective premises which facilitate efficient operations, present the right impression to clients and the workforce and meet their environmental agenda.” The project team includes DLA Architecture, Spawforths planners, Tetra Tech and CJR Midlands M&E engineers, Walker Sime QS and project management and Gateley legal.
Responding to May’s announcement by Housing Minister Christopher Pincher of the 14 places that have been appointed to test the application of the government’s new design code, Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Chief Executive Victoria Hills said: “The Government’s announcement on the 21st of May the 14 places which will take part in a six-month testing programme for the National Model Design Code is a pragmatic way of identifying problems that may arise in the application of the code and will also hopefully provide some potential solutions. “The RTPI has no doubt that only a multi-disciplinary approach – involving planners, architects, developers, ecologists, highways authorities and communities – will lead to effective delivery of quality design outcomes. These pilot programmes should help to identify how these relationships will work in practice. We will keep a close eye on the results. “However, what is already clear is that substantial extra investment into the planning system will be needed if planners are to play their part fully – almost 90% of our members have told us that they want to prioritise ‘beauty’ in their work but lack the policy support and resources to do so. “As part of our submission to the 2020 Comprehensive Spending Review, we said that a Design Quality Fund of £81 million was needed to support cash-strapped local authorities through design training, specialist expertise and design-focused policy. “These pilot programmes are an encouraging start but it is only through significantly increased funding for local authority planning teams that the government’s ambitions for Design Codes in every council will be realised.”
Tricas Construction has been awarded the contract to deliver a new construction project in Telford. The £10.7 million project will bring 88 residential plots to a site in Old Park, for The Wrekin Housing Group. Tom Broadway, operations manager at Tricas Construction, said: “Tricas are well placed to deliver an exceptional construction project for The Wrekin Housing Group, given our experience building for several other high profile housing associations. It fits perfectly with our growth strategy and will be the first of several planned schemes in Shropshire over the coming months.” Graham Hopewell, contracts manager at Tricas Construction, said: “We look forward to delivering a modern construction project for The Wrekin Housing Group. The 100-week programme will bring 88 plots, comprising of a mix of 2-, 3- and 4-bedroom homes all for affordable rent and will be highly energy efficient, as we draw on our experience with the Grosvenor Road pilot scheme.” The Old Park project represents part of a £170 million investment by The Wrekin Housing Group to deliver affordable housing in the Telford and Wrekin borough. Jane Kind, development manager at The Wrekin Housing Group said: “The project forms part of an ambitious development programme for the Group which will see us developing 1,400 new homes across the region. We remain committed to providing high quality, sustainable homes for local people and creating vibrant communities. “At Wrekin, we are committed ensuring people have access to good quality, affordable housing. Developments like the one at Old Park not only deliver safe and secure homes for families, but also create apprenticeships and other opportunities through the local supply chain.”
Following the publication of the Building Safety Bill today, I am sharing commentary from Scott Steedman, Director-General, Standards at BSI. He said: “We welcome the new measures set out in the government’s Building Safety Bill. The Bill provides a new regulatory framework that will steer the improvement of practices in the design, construction and building management sector, particularly in relation to safeguarding the safety of residents in high-rise residential properties. “BSI is working closely with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and the new Building Safety Regulator to support the implementation of the Bill in our role as the UK National Standards Body. Our Built Environment Competence Standards programme, launched last year, will support the new legislation, along with the industry training and qualification schemes that will follow and provide a basis for third party accreditation of building safety competence at all levels and across all roles, functions, tasks and activities. We will be publishing specific standards aimed at the competence requirements of the three key roles regulated under the Building Safety Bill, which are those of Principal Designer, Principal Contractor and Building Safety Manager. “Over time we expect that the combination of the new Bill and the competence standards will bring a much needed change of culture to the entire Built Environment sector and long term benefits to the public, living and working in buildings, to the workers in the sector and to the building owners.” Please do let me know if you have any question about the Build Environment Competence Standards programme.
RMI contractors’ output in 2020 fell due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. While most social housing providers have been able to maintain essential responsive repair services, the provision of planned maintenance has been impacted. Capitalised RMI expenditure for the year was £1.6bn, against a £2.4bn forecast for the year as of January 2020. This was because of lockdown restrictions and social distancing measures, limiting the ability of workers to carry out planned maintenance works. Between 2000 and 2018, the level of social housing RMI contractors’ output had been on a downward trajectory. In 1997, £9.3bn of RMI work was carried out on five and a half million social homes but by 2010 there were less than four million. A key reason for the year-on-year decrease in output between 2016 and 2020 was the annual 1% cut in rents brought about by the government in 2016, which lead to falls in rental income and hence less to invest in property. The impact of the arrival of the pandemic in Q1 2020 does not show up in the annual financial accounts of housing associations and the housing revenue accounts (HRAs) of local authorities for 2019/2020. However, once published later in 2021, the 2020/2021 annual accounts are expected to show a fall in revenues and expenditure. The falls in revenues are indicative of the increase in rent arrears, due to both the furloughing of tenants by their employers and the inability to work due to covid-19 infection or the loss of jobs. Social housing tenants in employment typically work in sectors that have proved vulnerable to the impact of the pandemic such as public transport, healthcare, hospitality and retail. However, with the fall in infections, the success of the vaccination roll-out programme and the easing of restriction, over the medium-term landlords will be able to recover lost income from rent arrears. Abdul Tantouch, Research Analyst at AMA Research comments “other than the negative impact of Covid-19 on planned maintenance expenditure by social housing providers, since 2018 the key issue within the social housing RMI sector has been the high level of investment in fire remediation works in the wake of the Hackitt report into the Grenfell Tower tragedy. Estimates of the final costs of removing unsafe cladding and implementing other fire safety measures range from £10bn up to £15bn. For many housing associations, fire safety works are continuing throughout 2021 and possibly into 2022. Over the longer term, the main driver for RMI growth is likely to be decarbonisation programmes, underpinned by the government’s commitment to the 2050 net zero carbon target.” Lockdowns, and other measures to limit the spread of the virus, have resulted in much RMI work being suspended due to the risk of maintenance staff being in close contact with people in their homes. While most landlords have been able to maintain emergency repair services, planned maintenance/improvement works have had to be suspended. Over the next year or two growth is expected to resume, mainly underpinned by ongoing fire remediation works. Over the next couple of decades, decarbonising social housing stock is expected to be the key growth driver.
Mecalac Construction Equipment UK has launched an exciting new football-themed promotion. Intended to inspire the atmosphere of team spirit and competition this summer, All to Play For will bring together operators and owners from across the UK and Ireland, highlighting their place within Mecalac’s global team. Running until mid-July, All to Play For offers entrants the chance to win a whole host of prizes. Simply take a picture alongside your Mecalac machine, upload it to social media and use the hashtag #TeamMecalac. Dealers from across the UK will be helping to promote the initiative, filming trick shots with Mecalac branded footballs. Nottingham Forest Women’s Academy player Amelia, whose club is one of the elite pathways to England football, is also throwing her support behind the promotion and will be showing off her skills through a series of short clips. Paul Macpherson, Commercial Director at Mecalac Construction Equipment UK, commented: “All to Play For is an initiative to get dealers and their customers feeling part of the Mecalac team. All participants have a chance of winning some great prizes – just upload a photo using the hashtag and you’re in with a shot!” To see Mecalac’s football-themed video, scan here:
Business is evolving step by step, and some people seek opportunities in each situation. Learn the features of the top post-COVID business scopes.
Do you always depict the house of your dreams in your head? Modern opportunities grant you more chances to realize it! Find more in the article.
Housing developer Stonebond Properties, in partnership with housing association Settle, has completed the purchase of a 9.8-acre site on a new 650-acre urban village development next to Houghton Regis in Bedfordshire. The site will provide 202 homes, with 70% of them being delivered as additional affordable homes, a mixed tenure parcel combining 2-, 3- and 4-bedroom properties, including 86 shared ownership and 56 for affordable rent. Start on site is due in Spring 2022 with completion expected in Autumn 2025. Residents will benefit from the area’s proximity to one of the many green spaces for which Linmere will be known – the Ouzel linear park, a wildlife haven and walking area. The plot is the fourth parcel to be sold in phase one of the new Linmere development, which is being created over the next 15 years by the Houghton Regis Management Company (HRMC), a consortium comprising master planners Lands Improvement, Aviva Investors, and the Diocese of St Albans. Bellway Homes and Barratt Homes are already building around 600 units between them. The first homes are due for occupation in Autumn 2021. Linmere development director Nigel Reid said: “We are delighted that Stonebond will be joining us as the third developer at Linmere. The investment by Stonebond Properties in the development and the new homes they will create with their partners means the Linmere community will continue to grow in a hugely positive way.” Richard Cherry, co-chairman at Stonebond added: “Linmere is a great example of how beneficial partnerships can be in creating new destinations and we’re delighted to have acquired the fourth parcel with settle. We look forward to playing our part in delivering much needed affordable new homes to the neighbourhood, and to seeing the project evolve.” Gavin Cansfield, chief executive at settle said “We’re delighted to be working in partnership with Stonebond on this development. Our purpose at settle is to help people who are struggling to find a place to live and to help our residents live comfortably in their homes. Linmere is a fantastic site and we are really pleased to be providing over 140 affordable homes in what promises to be a great community setting.” Around 90 acres of the Linmere site will be green space – a combination of parkland, wildlife corridors, allotments, sports pitches, play areas and walking routes linking the new village with surrounding countryside and rural settlements. As well as delivering up to 5,150 homes over the next 15 years Linmere will see the creation of two brand new state of the art primary schools and an extension to Houghton Regis’ existing Thornfield Primary school, due to open this September. A ten-form secondary school will open in September 2022. Phase two of the development, currently under way, includes the village’s focal point, The Farmstead, a hub not only for the villagers but for residents from the surrounding area. The centre, due to open in December, will consist of a café, retail outlets, and will have rooms available for hire for community events. That phase will also see the completion of a 24,500 sq ft Lidl store on 2.11 acres, due to open later this year. Lidl is also building a one million sq ft regional distribution centre on 58 acres, the largest in the UK, due for completion in 2023, which will create 1,000 new jobs. Linmere’s ethos is to create a place where wellbeing is prioritised and outdoor living is a way of life. Once completed, the overall development will contribute more than £36m towards local education, transport, open space, and leisure facilities. The project has already provided a substantial financial contribution to deliver the A5-M1 Link Road, which has been open since 2017 and will bring benefits to the wider area including helping to relieve traffic congestion in the nearby town centres. For further information, please visit www.linmere.com
Dougall Baillie Associates (DBA), the East Kilbride-based independent engineering consultancy, is seeking to hire six new recruits to help it fulfil a series of recently won contracts. The 40-strong East Kilbride firm, which has emerged strongly from the pandemic with a clutch of high-profile new business, wants to hire a Principal Structural Engineer, a Senior Transportation Engineer, a Senior Civil Engineer and an Engineer with experience in, residential infrastructure, plus a graduate engineer and a graduate apprentice. Fergus Adams, Managing Director of DBA, said: “All of these positions are as a result of recent contract wins which is a real positive given the impact of the pandemic. “We know the market is competitive and we are keen to stress the benefits of working here, notably the option of our hybrid – home office model. Further details of the roles can be found on our website. “In addition, we have a well-established Training Agreement in place, certified by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE). The quality of the experience available means that we have a near 100% success rate at the Chartered Professional Review. “We are delighted to be presenting a further three Engineers for the Chartered Professional Review this year. We are keen to continue to “grow our own” talent as well as recruiting externally”. Scott MacPhail, DBA director and Ambassador for the University of Strathclyde Graduate Apprenticeship programme, said: “We have a strong track record of internal promotions, with a number of colleagues who joined us straight from school progressing to roles as senior engineers and technicians, and we are keen to get that message out to parents, teachers and lecturers”. One such example is Kieran Duffy who initially joined DBA three years ago as a trainee technician and only a two years of his Graduate Apprenticeship to run. As part of his study course Kieran, who secured an HNC at Glasgow Kelvin College and currently attends day release classes in civil engineering at the University of Strathclyde, won the coveted title Apprentice of the Year at the 2020 Lanarkshire Business Awards. He said: “DBA is a great company to work in, and a great place to learn and earn at the same time. I was impressed by the number of colleagues who started here and have gone down the same route as me, so they know what it is like to cope with working and studying at the same time.” Another DBA colleague, Megan McGaw, is at the same stage as Kieran, and is currently completing her second year at the University of Strathclyde. She said: “Opportunities for motivated people are always available at DBA and I am delighted to be in a position where I can directly link my work as a paid trainee technician with the material I have been studying at University.” While residential homes work now comprises some 70% of the DBA portfolio, the company is enjoying regrowth in Transportation Engineering following the Covid crisis, with a recent commission for the COP26 conference amongst the high-profile projects. The company has also been involved in a number of business and leisure proposals which would see vacant city centre sites redeveloped.