Salford housing association Salix Homes is celebrating a double win in the prestigious Northern Housing Awards. Salix Homes, which owns 8,000 homes across Salford, won the Best Resident Involvement Initiative and the Best Digital Transformation categories in the awards, which celebrate the achievements of the housing sector in the North.
Construction works on a new multi-million-pound neighbourhood centre have now completed at Blythe Valley Park (BVP) in Solihull, and the finished scheme was marked with a socially distanced handover ceremony on 16 April. The £7.5million project, which was led by Midlands-based contractor G F Tomlinson on behalf of client IM
Scarborough Group International (SGI) has commenced works on site to deliver a significant exemplary office building at Thorpe Park Leeds. The 133,118 sq ft building, which is pre-let to leading credit management company, Lowell, sets a new benchmark in workplace design at the park and has a gross development value
Ayr Grammar Primary School pupils are enjoying their new school following the full refurbishment of a Grade B Listed building that was originally home to Ayr Academy. Designed by BDP’s Glasgow studio, the sensitive restoration of the historic building located on the edge of the 17th Century Citadel of Ayr offers
Work has begun on the infrastructure to transform the iconic 75 acre West Works site at West Longbridge. The £20m infrastructure investment is the next step in the £1 billion regeneration of Longbridge which will see the derelict West Works site transformed into the high quality Longbridge Business Park with
Brock Carmichael has worked with C. Gars Ltd. for over six years as it expanded operations across the UK to now six locations. Its latest location is in the heart of London offering one of the World’s best selection of luxury cigars and spirits to a discerning clientele. Situated within
New starters in Building and Industrial teams CBRE has bolstered its team in Leeds with a round of new hires across the National Building Consultancy and Industrial service lines. Dan Wells has been appointed as Senior Project Manager and Tom Wright joins as Building Surveyor. Davina Hyde-Sykes joins the team
With water damage proving to be one of the most frequently reported insurance claims in buildings, the latest in ultrasound technology offers a promising solution to avoid costly damage in vulnerable commercial buildings. According to ABI, insurers pay out £1.8 million for residential water damage every day. Causes can relate
Opening of new regional office away from its St Albans head office comes in response to rapid growth in projects across the north west. Glencar, an expanding construction company specialising in the industrial, logistics, distribution, manufacturing, life science and pharmaceutical sectors has today announced that it has opened a new
Despite a four year delay, the latest research by London lettings and estate agent, Benham and Reeves, has found that house prices surrounding Crossrail stations are still largely outperforming the wider areas in which they are located. Last week, a ‘crucial milestone’ was reached as testing began on the long-awaited
Salford housing association Salix Homes is celebrating a double win in the prestigious Northern Housing Awards. Salix Homes, which owns 8,000 homes across Salford, won the Best Resident Involvement Initiative and the Best Digital Transformation categories in the awards, which celebrate the achievements of the housing sector in the North. The landlord scooped Best Resident Involvement Initiative in recognition of its pioneering Customer Committee, which was set up last year in a bid to give tenants a greater say in how its housing services are run. The Customer Committee has seen Salix Homes trailblazing a new approach to customer engagement, which was established ahead of national calls for greater transparency and for tenant’s voices to be better heard following the Grenfell Tower tragedy. The Customer Committee is made up of 12 residents in a paid-for role, on a par with the organisation’s board members, who can commission a piece of scrutiny work into any area of the organisation. The judges commended Salix Homes for its commitment to putting tenants first. They said: “Salix Homes have reacted to the Grenfell disaster by putting tenants at the heart of what they do, ensuring they have a strong voice and are able to participate. A very well done to all of you.” Salix Homes was also recognised for its digital innovation, which has seen the landlord launch a ground-breaking digital repairs service incorporating innovative chatbot technology; and becoming the first housing provider in the UK to fully embrace the public cloud. Judges were also impressed with the MySalix customer portal – an online platform which enables residents to manage their tenancy at the touch of a button or tap of a phone. Jim Battle, Chair of the Board at Salix Homes, said: “We’re an organisation that prides itself on being progressive and forward-thinking, with a bold vision to rethink the way our housing services are provided in order to meet the demands of a modern and digital world. “Despite the challenges of the past year posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, we’ve pushed on with our plans to establish our Customer Committee and become a truly digital organisation, so to be recognised for our efforts for both these areas is a real honour and is testament to all the hard work of our colleagues and partners. “We’re particularly proud that our Customer Committee has been recognised for the impact it’s having on both our organisation and the wider social housing sector. Never has it been more important for social landlords to listen to the voices of tenants and we firmly believe our modern approach to customer engagement echoes the recommendations made in the Government’s Social Housing White Paper, calling for greater accountability, transparency and engagement with customers, so we’re very proud to be leading the way.” Salix Homes is no stranger to awards, having already been named Digital Landlord of the Year in the UK Housing Awards 2020, and coming in at number four in the recent Top 30 Digital Housing Providers roll of honour, organised by Housing Digital.
Construction works on a new multi-million-pound neighbourhood centre have now completed at Blythe Valley Park (BVP) in Solihull, and the finished scheme was marked with a socially distanced handover ceremony on 16 April. The £7.5million project, which was led by Midlands-based contractor G F Tomlinson on behalf of client IM Properties, involved the construction of four mixed-use, high quality apartment buildings to act as a new hub for BVP. The 1.2million sq. ft. park employs 3,500 people and is occupied by more than 25 businesses, including a range of high-profile brands such as Gymshark, Lounge, Cooper Parry, Siemens and Zenith. Bloor Homes and Crest Nicholson are also on site building 750 new homes. BVP also features a number of amenities for people who live and work within the development, including Java Lounge Coffee House, Busy Bees Nursery & Pre-School and Virgin Active Gym, as well as 122 acres of surrounding parkland. The new neighbourhood centre helps to seamlessly blend the growing residential and commercial communities at the development – providing 48 one and two-bed apartments, 36 of which are being retained and let by IM Properties. The affordable housing element is being managed by Bromford Homes. Modern retail spaces make up two of the ground floor buildings, which are available for a convenience store and a further retail unit, creating additional jobs in the area. All four of the new apartment buildings provide level access to accommodate disabled members of the community and renewable green technology has been installed to provide power to apartments and communal areas. There is also cycle storage, a number of electric car charging points, and an onsite electric pool car for short journeys. Andy Sewards, managing director at G F Tomlinson said: “It has been a pleasure to work with IM Properties to create the new neighbourhood centre at Blythe Valley Park, which has delivered a significant number of new homes, complete with retail and food outlets, that will boost the local economy and employment. “Blythe Valley Park is a well-established business hub that offers great investment, employment and residential opportunities and we’re extremely pleased to have handed over this exciting project this spring, which has helped to further expand the park’s residential community. “As a Midlands-based contractor, we are always proud to work on schemes that deliver investment into the region and this is another significant residential project to add to our portfolio.” Richard Knight, technical director of IM Properties said: “We’re pleased to have worked in partnership with G F Tomlinson as a part of our trusted supply chain to create the new neighbourhood centre as part of our ambition to create one of the Midlands’ first truly mixed-use schemes. “The new neighbourhood centre helps to connect the commercial and residential phases and add to the buzz of community life at the heart of the scheme, with people living, working and enjoying leisure time alongside.” Chris Hill, project manager at Novus, said: “A fantastic project, delivered via a solid and collective team ethic, within extremely challenging circumstances; yet with programme and quality maintained. We are delighted to have been provided the opportunity to work with G F Tomlinson and the role of driving this scheme on behalf of our key client.” An 80-bed care facility is also under construction by Macc Care Group.
Scarborough Group International (SGI) has commenced works on site to deliver a significant exemplary office building at Thorpe Park Leeds. The 133,118 sq ft building, which is pre-let to leading credit management company, Lowell, sets a new benchmark in workplace design at the park and has a gross development value of £52 million. Representatives from both SGI and Lowell met on site to mark the official ground-breaking with GMI Construction, principal contractor for the project, just a matter of weeks after funding was secured for the project through OakNorth Bank. GMI expects to complete the building by September 2022, ready for the tenant to commence their CAT-B fit-out works before they relocate in 2023. The pre-let to Lowell was announced earlier this year and represents the largest single out of town office deal ever recorded in West Yorkshire and the biggest property transaction in the Northern Powerhouse region over the last twelve months. Lowell has agreed a 15-year lease to occupy the building and will relocate its UK headquarters from two sites at Leeds Valley Park. The building, which will extend over seven floors with two levels of underground podium parking and amenity below, marks the evolution in the design of out of town office space and is being constructed in line with the very latest human health and wellbeing standards. Its location and adjacent landscaped courtyard will create an anchor point for the next development plots that will be largely pedestrianised, providing easy access to The Springs retail and leisure park and new green park. Designed by award-winning architects, Carey Jones Chapman Tolcher, the building is to represent a new benchmark for future development at Thorpe Park Leeds, with an environmental performance target rating of BREEAM ‘Excellent’ and principles set out in the WELL Standard to provide an exemplar environment for users. Kevin McCabe, Chairman at SGI, said: “We are pleased to be able to start on site so quickly after securing planning consent, funding and of course concluding the landmark letting with our new neighbours Lowell. The transaction is excellent news for the region and a huge vote of confidence in the existing & future environment at Thorpe Park as well an indicator that the office market remains strong, despite the pandemic. “We continue to engage with businesses seeking to locate at Thorpe Park Leeds, some of which are existing occupiers looking to expand, and we remain committed to our ambition to deliver further phases of office development to ensure that Thorpe Park maintains and advances its position within the Northern Powerhouse as the flagship location for business, employment and quality of life.” Lee Powell, Divisional Managing Director of GMI Construction Group, said: “We are delighted to start on site with our next significant project at Thorpe Park Leeds as we maintain our long-term and trusted partnership with SGI to deliver phase two. The scale of delivery is considerable and as principal contractor we are excited to be working closely with the entire delivery team to build the biggest single office building in Leeds out of town history. It really is exciting to see how Thorpe Park Leeds has excelled in recent years to become a thriving business and leisure destination and we are proud to be a part of it.” Lisa Wragg, Head of Office Services at Lowell said: “This building is the culmination of many months of tireless work by all involved to get it to this stage. We’re really excited to see the construction of our new home finally starting to take shape and look forward to celebrating the next milestone in due course.” In recognition of the hard work that has gone into getting the project to this stage, while simultaneously observing social distancing guidelines in place, SGI staged a virtual ground breaking ‘Pass the Poster’ challenge. The TikTok-style video, which can be viewed here, features a 30-strong team involved in the project, including contractors, engineers, architects, landscape architects, agents, planners, lenders and sustainable transport consultants alongside the SGI and Lowell teams sharing key messages about the HQ building and wider Thorpe Park Leeds development. Thorpe Park Leeds is an already well-established business location, strategically located with its own dedicated access at Junction 46 of the M1. More than 900,000 sq ft of office space is already built supporting over 5,500 jobs and The Springs retail and leisure park sits at the core of the mixed-use business community with a line-up of major high street brands including Next, M&S, ODEON Luxe, Pure Gym, Boots, H&M and TK Maxx along with a growing range of smaller, independent, niche retail and leisure businesses. Further development plans include the delivery of a 113-acre public park with sports and wellbeing facilities for the community of the Leeds City Region and beyond. The phase two development at Thorpe Park Leeds was enabled following a unique investment deal with Legal & General Capital in 2015. Since then a transformational 1.35 million sq ft mixed-use expansion has progressed bringing exceptional new business opportunities to the Leeds City Region. It has also enabled the delivery of the first section of the ‘East Leeds Orbital Route’ (ELOR), a key piece of transport infrastructure connecting north and east Leeds to Junction 46 of the M1. This road also unlocks land for the future construction of over 7,000 new homes on the East Leeds area. The Award-winning development has been chosen for the new railway station ‘East Leeds Parkway’ and associated Park and Ride, connecting directly to Leeds City Centre in less than eight minutes. This forms part of a £270 million infrastructure investment into Leeds by the Department of Transport.
Ayr Grammar Primary School pupils are enjoying their new school following the full refurbishment of a Grade B Listed building that was originally home to Ayr Academy. Designed by BDP’s Glasgow studio, the sensitive restoration of the historic building located on the edge of the 17th Century Citadel of Ayr offers a contemporary learning environment in an historic setting. Following full consultation with parents, pupils, staff, South Ayrshire Council, and the wider community, the new education hub has been created to offer a nursery, a primary school, a Community Arts Centre, and a new home for the Ayrshire Archives and Registry which houses the repositories for historical records and the Ayrshire fine art collection. Lindsey Mitchell, Architect Director at BDP, said: “This project is an exemplar of how the re-use of historic buildings is relevant to contemporary education. We are hopeful that this fantastic refurbishment will be the catalyst for further regeneration of this important historic area in the town of Ayr.” “This new education hub is a great example of how to bring the community together in one facility. The creation of a new public amenity that overlooks the river Ayr, and offers active frontage to South Harbour Street, provides the town with a real multi-generational offer that breathes new life into a fantastic historic building.” The full refurbishment was carried out following the move of Ayr Academy to the new BDP designed school at the Craigie Campus in Ayr in 2017.
Work has begun on the infrastructure to transform the iconic 75 acre West Works site at West Longbridge. The £20m infrastructure investment is the next step in the £1 billion regeneration of Longbridge which will see the derelict West Works site transformed into the high quality Longbridge Business Park with 900,000 sq ft of commercial space creating up to 5,000 jobs and an attractive new residential neighbourhood of 350 homes. St. Modwen is working in partnership with West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and this key milestone follows the recent announcement of a £6m grant funding contribution from the WMCA to unlock the West Works scheme. Longbridge Business Park will provide a home for advanced manufacturing, high tech, research and development, health and science uses. The first phase of works is expected to be complete by the end of the year. Rob Flavell, Senior Director for Regeneration in the Midlands and North for St. Modwen, said: “The West Works site is a vital piece of the ongoing regeneration of Longbridge Town Centre and to see the first spades in the ground is a huge milestone for the area. “Our plans for West Longbridge signify our key objectives for the wider redevelopment of Longbridge – creating an amazing place with modern working environments, high-quality homes and attractive public spaces which will bring wide ranging benefits to those who live, work or visit the area. “This first phase of infrastructure works will help us to accelerate the delivery of the site. We’ve already been receiving strong enquiries from high-quality, renowned businesses for the commercial spaces and we’re looking forward to working with prospective occupiers to create environments which will produce jobs for local people and contributions to the local economy.” Andy Street, who was re-elected Mayor of the West Midlands last weekend (Saturday May 8), added: “One of my election pledges was to create 100,000 new jobs for the region over the next two years, and regeneration of derelict industrial sites is going to be critical to achieving that. “That’s why we are using the money we have secured from Government to transform sites like Longbridge West Works into thriving new workplaces and communities. “The regeneration of this once iconic site is a first-class example of how we are bringing brownfield sites back into use, creating thousands of jobs and homes as well as new, modern industrial spaces. “The pandemic has hit this region hard but by investing in our future in this way and in the type of hi-tech, green industries that will be based at the new Longbridge Business Park, I am confident we can recapture our pre-pandemic success and drive an economic recovery that benefits all our communities and the environment.” St. Modwen is offering design and build opportunities on freehold and leasehold terms and has seen strong demand from the market over the past year. Occupiers will benefit from the established town centre amenities, beautiful green spaces, a wide range of modern homes and excellent sustainable transport links. Improvement works include a new green way along a one mile stretch of the River Rea, allowing the river to be opened up to the public via new footpaths and cycle routes connecting West Longbridge and Rubery to Longbridge Town Centre. West Longbridge will also feature 27 acres of open green space connected to the nearby Austin Park, in a drive to increase biodiversity and promote health and wellbeing across Longbridge. The West Works investment is the latest in a series of key milestones at Longbridge as momentum increases in 2021. It follows recent announcements including a new green heart in the Town Centre, public realm improvements on Longbridge Lane and a new link from Austin Park to West Longbridge along with a unique public art installation. So far St. Modwen has overseen the regeneration of around half of the wider Longbridge works which it bought in 2003. Once complete, it is expected to create up to 4,000 new homes, two million sq ft of commercial development and 10,000 jobs, transforming Longbridge into a modern, attractive environment in which to live and work. For more information about the ongoing regeneration of Longbridge, go to www.longbridgebirmingham.co.uk.
Brock Carmichael has worked with C. Gars Ltd. for over six years as it expanded operations across the UK to now six locations. Its latest location is in the heart of London offering one of the World’s best selection of luxury cigars and spirits to a discerning clientele. Situated within the Smithson’s listed Economist Building this retail unit, on the ground floor of the Bank Building in Smithson’s Plaza, suffered all the challenges a Grade II* listed building can offer. The design needed to remain sensitive to its Brutalist origins, whilst appealing to visitors, and functional, whilst being compact and multi-facetted. Additionally, the restrictions on the sale of tobacco meant most of the products could not be displayed to entice entry. The site chosen for the new retail unit, which was formerly an estate agent, had a considerable number of challenges for Brock Carmichael who were responsible for the design, planning and licensing applications, coordination and delivery to a tight timescale, during lockdown. Alterations to 23a St James’s Street included: • External improvements and restorations to the original features, • The installation of chrome feature display shelving that encased the perimeter of the unit, that integrated a sales point, stock storage, ventilation and 12 personal cigar lockers, • The creation of a glass fronted walk-in Humidor that allows for nearly 360 degrees of stunning product displays, with climate and humidity controls, • A new sales floor and sampling area, • An illuminated glass feature light within the retail space and a new lighting design. Both the humidor and the retail floor area have an impressive and very quiet smoke filtration system. This involved the addition of a very high specification HVAC ventilation system and associated ducting, concealed in perimeter boxing at a high level, with nothing visible or audible from the street. Externally, along with the restoration work, new window displays were created, which needed to serve a dual function, display product and attract customers, but also, in accordance with SSI 2013/85, prevent any display of the tobacco products inside. This was achieved by layering displays of Spirits and Cigar accessories. Additional internal improvements included improved access, new flooring, new lighting, new security systems and an entirely new WC and storage area design. Tobias Bachra, the Lead Designer from Brock Carmichael responsible for the project added; “It was important for us to pay homage to Alison and Peter Smithson who designed the 1964 Economist Plaza ‘a milestone in the canon of modern architecture’. The plaza has stood the test of time and is rightly Grade II* listed. Interior designs for 23a St James’s Street are also reminiscent of their 1956 ‘House of the Future’ for the Ideal Home Exhibition at Olympia with its curves, bold shapes and efficient use of the space available.” He added; “We all really enjoyed working on this project and as part of a team too, with the client, the contractors and engineers.” Managing Partner at Brock Carmichael, Chis Bolland added; “We’re delighted to have now completed our fifth successful project for C. Gars Ltd. now Dominique London, they are a business we love working with. From being early pioneers in internet retail they continue to push the boundaries in luxury retail and hospitality, with innovation as standard.” Client Mitchell Orchant, managing director of C. Gars Ltd. and CCO of Dominique London said; “Two things impress us most about Brock Carmichael, the ability for us to relax knowing they will improve on our vision and get the work done with the minimum of fuss. The second is the people. Our reputation is built on quality and they don’t let us down. For this project, most impressive were their illustrations and images and how they were brought to life exactly as we’d approved.” Plans for the future at St James’s include cigar sampling, whisky tastings and events to add to retail which means the space has to work hard and be flexible. Other work for C. Gars by Brock Carmichael continues.
New starters in Building and Industrial teams CBRE has bolstered its team in Leeds with a round of new hires across the National Building Consultancy and Industrial service lines. Dan Wells has been appointed as Senior Project Manager and Tom Wright joins as Building Surveyor. Davina Hyde-Sykes joins the team as PA to support the Building Consultancy and Engineering teams across the North, based in Leeds. The Industrial team has appointed Danielle Raunjak as Assistant Surveyor, joining from CBRE’s London office where she worked for 3 years. Forming part of a wider Building Consultancy team of more than 30, Dan Wells joins from Gardiner & Theobold and Turner & Townsend, where he delivered a range of projects spanning new build education facilities, hotel refurbishment and the largest CAT A office building in Leeds with a contract value of £84M. Dan’s role at CBRE is as a senior lead and Project Manager with focus on delivery of capital schemes across a range of sectors and property types. Following a 13 year service as a Royal Air Force mechanical technician, Dan has successfully delivered a range of projects across Leeds and London. Tom Wright joins from Knight Frank where he acted for commercial clients on a wide range of instructions across office, industrial, retail and leisure properties. His role with CBRE will see him working on a range of core Building Surveying instructions for commercial clients across the North East. CBRE also announces two promotions with Charles Parkinson promoted to Associate Director in the Office Agency team and Alison Mackay becomes Associate Director in Planning. Two new graduates also join the CBRE Leeds office – Sam Berry joins Planning and Tom Kruger joins Building Consultancy. Charles Parkinson joined CBRE’s Office Agency team in 2019 as a senior surveyor from Garness Jones Ltd to work on Landlords office space and occupier projects. Alison Mackay joined CBRE’s UK Planning team in 2018 from Colliers to support the firm’s growing project workload. Alison’s expertise in large complex commercial planning applications and land promotion across multiple service lines has been instrumental in her success. Richard Bamford, MD, CBRE Leeds commented: “We are delighted to welcome both Dan and Tom to the National Building Consultancy team. The sector has remained resilient despite the pandemic and we look forward to harnessing their experience and expertise to grow our project workload and complement the wider team. Davina will also be a great addition to Leeds to support both the Building and Engineering teams across the North of England and it’s great to welcome two bright young graduates to the Leeds Planning and Building teams. Congratulations also to both Charles and Alison on their well-deserved promotions to Associate Director. We look forward to a busy and exciting year ahead.”
With water damage proving to be one of the most frequently reported insurance claims in buildings, the latest in ultrasound technology offers a promising solution to avoid costly damage in vulnerable commercial buildings. According to ABI, insurers pay out £1.8 million for residential water damage every day. Causes can relate to a number of issues such as corrosion, limescale and frost compromising old pipes, as well as accidental drilling of new systems, all of which can have disastrous effects in commercial buildings. According to an expert from AXA[1], particularly vulnerable buildings include those that have just been built, vacant, or reduced occupancy – as are many buildings currently due to the pandemic. The message comes from polymer company, REHAU which has recently unveiled a pioneering smart water control system using the latest in ultrasound technology – RE.GUARD. With most drip-based leaks usually going unnoticed, and burst pipes then leading to severe damage, REHAU is encouraging specifiers, contractors and facilities managers to take advantage of this new prevention technology. REHAU’s RE.GUARD smart control water system monitors the water flow rate assessing it in real time due to integrated software. The innovative new system is comprised of four main components: a smart water controller, water sensors, a hub gateway and an app. Water damage issues pose increased risk in commercial buildings such as offices as they generally have more water features than residential homes, including more toilet facilities, air conditioning, water coolers, and coffee machines connected to the mains. The RE.GUARD smart water controller helps to detect burst pipes and drip leaks by shutting off the water supply to mitigate damage. It is installed after the water meter which allows it to also measure water consumption, and has the ability to be manually turned on and off. The controller is supported by RE.GUARD water sensors which detect leaking water in critical areas even faster by being positioned throughout the building. It connects to the RE.GUARD smart water controller via the Z-Wave radio standard and includes an extension cable for places that are particularly difficult to reach. All devices are connected to the Internet via the RE.HUB gateway which can easily be connected to a building’s router. Essential information is then available to the property manager at a glance which also helps to identify sustainable ways to save on water consumption. Steve Richmond, Head of Marketing and Technical at REHAU Building Solutions said: “Not only is water damage an expensive problem to face for building owners, it can also result in the formation of mould within just 24 hours of moisture penetrating a building structure, which is harmful to health and requires extensive remediation work. The unfortunate reality is that many property owners don’t find out until it’s too late. “With smart technology now embedded into most of our daily lives, we just knew there should be a better solution to this issue. We monitor the health of our bodies, so why shouldn’t we monitor the health of our buildings? It really is an exciting new gadget which we believe can help building professionals by providing a cost-effective safety net.” To find out more, visit: www.rehau.uk/reguard [1] https://www.insurancebusinessmag.com/uk/opinion/containing-escape-of-water-claims-in-commercial-buildings-161150.aspx
Opening of new regional office away from its St Albans head office comes in response to rapid growth in projects across the north west. Glencar, an expanding construction company specialising in the industrial, logistics, distribution, manufacturing, life science and pharmaceutical sectors has today announced that it has opened a new regional office in Manchester city centre in response to the increasing number of projects it is working on across the north west. The office is situated within the iconic Neo Building in the heart of the central business district and is the second regional office that Glencar has opened away from its St Albans HQ. The opening of this new office in the North West together with the Birmingham office is a real indicator of regional expansion with turnover expected to reach £250M this year. Several new positions have been created as a result of the office opening including the recruitment of Dawa Singh as North Regional Director from Sheffield based national construction company J.F Finnegan where he served as Head of Pre-Construction. Talking about the opening of the new office, Pete Goodman Glencar Managing Director Midlands and North said: “Over the past twelve months Glencar have been awarded a number of high-profile project instructions at sites throughout the north west and it makes sense to have a permanent presence in this region to be closer to our customers and continue our expansion in this fast-growing UK region, part of the northern powerhouse”. Amongst the projects that Glencar have been appointed on and delivered recently at sites across the north west – including several projects ongoing currently include: Construction of two speculative logistics warehouse units of 90,000 and 138,000 sq ft respectively for PLP at its Ellesmere Port scheme adjacent to Junction 8 of the M53 motorway. Both units were completed on time and on budget in April 2021. The construction in 27 weeks of two speculative logistics units of 92,000 and 43,000 sq ft also for PLP at its Crewe Commercial park development with both units subsequently let to Brightstar, the world’s leading provider of integrated solutions for the mobile and financial service industries. Glencar is currently onsite implementing fit-out works. Fit out works on a 525,600 sq ft warehouse at Haydock, St Helens occupied by Kellogg Company. Works were carried out while the facility was live. Talking about the market and opportunities across the region Dawa Singh, Glencar North Regional Director said: “The Northern Region (West and East) is demonstrating significant market confidence and prosperity, allowing our new Manchester regional office to track and secure considerable tender and contract value opportunities. This ensures a robust new work pipe-line during 2021/22 and beyond”.
Despite a four year delay, the latest research by London lettings and estate agent, Benham and Reeves, has found that house prices surrounding Crossrail stations are still largely outperforming the wider areas in which they are located. Last week, a ‘crucial milestone’ was reached as testing began on the long-awaited Crossrail route and the research by Benham and Reeves shows that, on average, property values in postcodes home to a Crossrail station sit 17% higher than the wider area. Current Crossrail Property Price Premiums Current property prices in postcodes due to benefit from a Crossrail station currently average £572,686, 17% higher compared to the average £490,429 across the wider districts in which they are found. Tottenham Court Road is home to the highest Crossrail boost, with property prices in the W1 postcode currently averaging just shy of £2m, 140% higher than the wider borough of Camden (£822,936). Bond Street (97%), Liverpool Street (55%), Twyford (40%), Gidea Park (32%), Iver (27%), Whitechapel (26%), West Ealing (22%), Shenfield (21%) and Canary Wharf (17%) are also home to some of the largest Crossrail property price premiums. Crossrail Property Price Growth Since Crossrail was approved in July 2008, property values in postcodes due to benefit from a station have climbed by 65% on average, far higher than the 39% seen across the UK. Crossrail stations within London have seen prices increase at an even greater rate, up 71% since 2008, although this rate of growth sits at the same level as London as a whole. Tottenham Court Road and Bond Street have, again, seen the biggest boost with values in the W1 postcode climbing by 172%. Woolwich has also seen a notable jump with property prices up 122%, along with West Ealing (97%), Twyford (92%) and Maryland and Stratford (89%). However, the research by Benham and Reeves shows that in addition to Crossrail station house prices sitting 17% higher than their wider areas today, this premium has also increased from 14% since it was first approved. This boost in Crossrail house prices is even more substantial across some stations. In 2008, property prices in Tottenham Court Road’s W1 postcode were 39% higher than the wider area of Camden. However, today this premium sits at 140%, a 101% increase in the price premium paid for Crossrail properties. Crossrail also seems to be reversing negative price trends found around stations due to benefit. In Woolwich, for example, the average house price in the Crossrail postcode of SE18 was £181,022 in 2008, -23% lower than the wider borough of Greenwich (£233,729). Today, the average price in the postcode has increased to £401,326 and while it remains lower than the average for Greenwich as a whole (£421,221), this gap has closed to just -5%. In other areas, Crossrail house prices have seen a complete turnaround. In 2008, the average property price in the IG postcode (£254,328), home to the Goodmayes and Seven Kings Crossrail stations, came in -6% below the wider borough of Redbridge (£271,019). Today, the postcode is home to an average property price of £478,831, 5% higher than the average of £456,098 seen across Redbridge as a whole – an 11% swing on the premium paid for homes close to the Crossrail station. Director of Benham and Reeves, Marc von Grundherr, commented: “Despite the ongoing and extensive delays, Crossrail remains one of the most eagerly anticipated developments to the London landscape in recent times. It’s set to transform the way we traverse the capital by train and will substantially shorten journey times for both Londoners, and those commuting from further afield. So it’s hardly surprising that despite its late arrival, many areas due to benefit continue to see a substantial rate of property price growth, with homes surrounding a Crossrail station also commanding a notable premium when compared to the wider area in which they are located. This strong market performance also comes against a backdrop of Covid uncertainty which has seen London underperform to some extent when compared to other regions of the UK. However, the capital has started to regain momentum with many now returning to work as lockdown restrictions are eased and so we expect to see house prices along the Crossrail route continue to climb as its launch approaches.” Table shows the top 10 Crossrail stations with the largest property price premium when compared to the wider area CrossRail Station Outcode Average Crossrail Postcode Property Price Wider area Average Property Price Difference (%) Tottenham Court Road W1 £1,972,185 Camden £822,936 140% Bond Street W1 £1,972,185 City of Westminster £1,000,560 97% Liverpool Street EC2 £1,046,782 City of London £675,309 55% Twyford RG10 £581,908 Wokingham £416,164 40% Gidea Park RM2 £500,367 Havering £378,213 32% Iver SL0 £534,069 Buckinghamshire £419,428 27% Whitechapel E1 £574,017 Tower Hamlets £455,633 26% West Ealing W13 £634,733 Ealing £520,674 22% Shenfield CM15 £538,243 Brentwood £445,723 21% Canary Wharf E14 £533,976 Tower Hamlets £455,633 17% Average £572,686 Average £490,429 17% Table shows the top 10 largest increases in Crossrail house prices since the scheme was approved in July 2008 CrossRail Station Outcode Average Crossrail Property Price – July 2008 Current Average Crossrail Property Price Change % Tottenham Court Road/Bond Street W1 £725,603 £1,972,185 172% Woolwich SE18 £181,022 £401,326 122% West Ealing W13 £322,644 £634,733 97% Twyford RG10 £303,248 £581,908 92% Maryland/Stratford E15 £232,879 £439,325 89% Goodmayes/Seven Kings IG3 £254,328 £478,831 88% Abbey Wood SE2 £196,698 £368,266 87% Forest Gate E7 £234,723 £437,470 86% Manor Park E12 £222,916 £401,192 80% Romford RM1 £199,635 £354,024 77% Average (All Crossrail Stations) £322,981 £534,284 65% Average (London Crossrail Stations) £329,637 £564,046 71% Average UK House Price £290,261 £496,269 39% Average London House Price £179,845 £250,341 71% Table shows the top 10 Crossrail stations to see the biggest change in property price difference vs the wider area between 2008 and now CrossRail Station Outcode Wider area Crossrail property price vs wider area 2008 Crossrail property price vs wider area 2021 Change in Crossrail price