GLP, a leading investor and developer of logistics warehouses and distribution parks, announced today that it is starting construction on 1 million SQ FT of warehouse space across seven units and four sites in Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes, following the grant of planning permission. It is the largest programme
HBD Barnfield has marked two major milestones for Beacon 62, an 11.5-acre strategic gateway development in Huyton, Merseyside, with the completion of an 18,000 sq ft Aldi supermarket and detailed planning consent secured for a Euro Garages service station. HBD Barnfield is a joint venture partnership between property developer HBD
Bradfords Building Supplies, the number one independent builders’ merchant in the South West, has kicked off the new year with the opening of a new branch in Glastonbury, which includes one of the first Sustainable Home Centre showrooms in the UK. The launch of the new branch is representative of
With a year to go until Glasgow hosts COP26 Climate Summit, engineering probably isn’t the first thing that springs to mind when considering how we tackle climate change. Yet the built environment where we all live, learn, work and play has been engineered. The question now, as we work towards
Addington Capital, the investment and asset management company has sold The Quadrant, Abingdon Science Park to Kadans Science Partner, a science park, investor, developer and operator at a price of around £13 million. The scheme comprises four terraces of offices and laboratory buildings totalling 75,316 sq. ft. along with a
Stainforth Construction Ltd have been appointed by Barmston Developments a subsidiary of Leeds based Wilton Developments to deliver the final plot on the successful Enterprise 36 industrial park in Tankersley, South Yorkshire. The contractor will start on-site later this month to deliver an 80,500 sq ft HQ building for an
Evans Property Group has fully let Phase 1 at Quad, its £1.4 million York Business Park industrial scheme, within 3 months of practical completion. The property investor and developer has concluded lettings on all three recently developed units to Network Rail and leading European micro-mobility operator, TIER Operations Ltd with
ISG took this month’s top spot in the contractor league tables after being appointed the contractor for seven major projects totalling just under £2.7 billion. Almost all this amount is due to work on a new £2.6 billion electric battery plant in Blyth, Northumberland. In second position this month with
Ramboll, BAM and Sweco arrive in Antarctic to start BAS Construction season following strict Covid-19 measures The next stage of building a scientific support facility in Antarctica begins this week [11 January 2020]. To avoid the risk of introducing COVID-19 to British Antarctic Survey’s (BAS) Rothera Research Station, the construction
Liverpool’s latest student accommodation development, Natex, has achieved a key construction milestone as it reaches its highest point, nine months before it opens to students. Mount Property Group’s £45million, 574-unit development, with its unrivalled views across Liverpool’s historic St George’s Quarter and the city beyond from its upper floors, has
GLP, a leading investor and developer of logistics warehouses and distribution parks, announced today that it is starting construction on 1 million SQ FT of warehouse space across seven units and four sites in Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes, following the grant of planning permission. It is the largest programme of speculative logistics real estate development currently underway in the UK. The development programme has been launched to satisfy the significant demand in an increasingly supply-constrained logistics real estate market in the UK. It follows GLP’s completion of 1.25 million SQ FT of speculative development at Magna Park South, Lutterworth in December 2020. Demand for larger warehouses has significantly expanded in recent years, particularly among e-commerce occupiers in need of more storage space. According to Savills, online sales in December 2020 were 51% higher year-on-year, with this growth trajectory expected to continue. As a result, warehouse take-up was 50.1 million SQ FT in 2020 – by far the strongest year on record. As part of the programme, GLP is developing the following units: Three distribution units of 126,000 SQ FT, 161,000 SQ FT and 249,000 SQ FT at G-Park Bedford Wixams A 133,000 SQ FT unit at G-Park Northampton, within the Moulton Park Estate Two units comprising 117,000 and 140,000 SQ FT at its new G-Park Milton Keynes development A 88,000 SQ FT unit, Magnitude 88, at GLP’s flagship logistics park Magna Park Milton Keynes The developments are expected to be available for occupancy in Summer 2021, while Magnitude 88 will be available at the end of Q1 2021. As part GLP’s ongoing commitment to sustainability, the sites will all benefit from a range of leading sustainability features including rainwater harvesting, energy monitoring, LED lighting technology and reduced embodied carbon in the construction process. Bruce Topley, Managing Director, GLP UK, said: “The growth of ecommerce in the UK has been accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic given the increased importance of home deliveries. As a result, we have seen a surge in demand for logistics real estate in the right locations. Customers are also seeking to reinforce their supply chains and increasingly require higher specification buildings and cutting-edge sustainability credentials. In response to this, we are excited to be bringing 1 million SQ FT of high-quality logistics space to the market which reaffirms our confidence in the continued strength of the UK and follows the completion of over 1.5 million SQ FT of speculative development last year. “All developments are in carefully selected locations with excellent transport links to key areas of the UK. Each unit will be developed with flexibility at the forefront of both the design and construction processes, enabling customers to tailor the space to individual requirements. We look forward to discussions with new and existing customers, working alongside them to meet their specific operational requirements and helping them grow their business.”
HBD Barnfield has marked two major milestones for Beacon 62, an 11.5-acre strategic gateway development in Huyton, Merseyside, with the completion of an 18,000 sq ft Aldi supermarket and detailed planning consent secured for a Euro Garages service station. HBD Barnfield is a joint venture partnership between property developer HBD and Barnfield Group. Barnfield Construction, the construction arm of the wider Barnfield Group, has undertaken all building works on the site, which is adjacent to both the M62 and M57 motorways. With construction works completed, the Aldi store opened to the public in September following a full internal fit out, creating 30 new jobs. This is the fifth contract with supermarket giant Aldi completed by Barnfield Group, with others in Clitheroe, St Helens, Burscough and Rhyl. Bryn Richards, Regional Property Director for Aldi Stores Ltd, commented: “The HBD Barnfield team has worked safely to remain on track and get the project to the completion stage throughout a difficult time for the industry over the last few months. We’ve received really positive comments from the local community who have visited the brand-new store.” Having now secured planning approval for phase two of the development, work will begin on a 2.5-acre plot to be occupied by a Petrol Filling Station (PFS), McDonalds and Starbucks for Blackburn-based Euro Garages. Phase 3 of the scheme comprises a 6-acre plot which has outline planning permission for business and industrial uses (or warehouse and storage subject to planning permission) and full planning permission for a car dealership. Plots are available for design and build opportunities or to buy/lease. When completed, it is expected that the Beacon 62 scheme will create up to 357 new jobs; a huge boost for the local area. Barnfield has extensive experience of leading joint venture companies, having successfully formed and operated several with both private sector and local authority partners, and is looking to grow the development arm of the business over the coming months. The Nelson-headquartered family-run business, which has been operating for more than 40 years, is currently on site delivering a range of mixed-use schemes nationwide across retail, commercial, industrial, residential and healthcare sectors. Tracy Clavell-Bate, Head of Development for Barnfield Group commented: “In a difficult climate, we’re pleased to have successfully delivered the first phase of what will be a popular, vibrant mixed-use scheme, and are looking forward to starting phase two. The final plot also offers another fantastic opportunity to be part of this thriving new business and retail destination.” Dan Lawrenson, Development Surveyor at HBD, said: “Beacon 62 is an important gateway site, which will bring significant investment into the area and create a notable number of new jobs. We have 6-acres now remaining across plots 3 and 4 and look forward to making further occupier announcements in the near future.” HBD is one of the UK’s leading property developers, working across the breadth of the country from seven regional offices. Its diverse portfolio includes big-brand retail, office space and logistics, through to residential innovation and award-winning heritage projects.Savills and Mason Owen have been appointed as joint agents for the scheme.
Bradfords Building Supplies, the number one independent builders’ merchant in the South West, has kicked off the new year with the opening of a new branch in Glastonbury, which includes one of the first Sustainable Home Centre showrooms in the UK. The launch of the new branch is representative of the builders’ merchants’ commitment to sustainability for 2021 and beyond. Bradfords’ in-branch Sustainable Home Centre has been created in collaboration with Renewable Equipment Solutions (RES), a local Somerset provider of sustainable energy efficient heating and ventilation solutions. From live heat pumps and underfloor heating, to solar panels and vehicle charging points, the centre will showcase sustainable solutions for domestic dwellings available on the market. David Young, CEO of Bradfords Building Supplies, said, “The Glastonbury branch is centrally located across our sites on the M5 corridor. Not only is it an ideal building to effectively accommodate everything you’d expect from a builder’s merchants, it also provides us the opportunity to launch this new offering. “This new Sustainable Home Centre is Bradfords putting a stake in the ground for the industry. We want to reach out to local builders, installers and architects in the community to encourage them to come and talk to us about sustainable construction solutions and the benefits they offer in creating a more sustainable future for everyone.” The centre will also provide product training for installers across the region and host CPD courses for architects to keep up to date with the latest and greatest in ultra-efficient technologies. Shane Oxberry, Manager Director of RES Distribution Limited, added, “Bradfords are very much our preferred partners; they are unique in the South West and very well established. In what will be our first showroom, customers will be able to get a real feel for what’s possible in their homes with sustainable solutions that are designed to a high standard. “Surprisingly, an inefficient gas boiler is a family household’s single biggest contributor of CO2 emissions – far more than running a petrol car, food consumption or going on holiday. We anticipate a growing surge of interest, as renewable strategy from Government continues to gather pace, with incentives such as the Green Homes Grant and Renewable Heat Incentive.”
With a year to go until Glasgow hosts COP26 Climate Summit, engineering probably isn’t the first thing that springs to mind when considering how we tackle climate change. Yet the built environment where we all live, learn, work and play has been engineered. The question now, as we work towards meeting ambitious net-zero carbon targets, is how do we build, protect, preserve and enhance our landscapes in a sustainable way. This is not a new question for Will Rudd as we have been considering this challenge for some time now, and in fact we made blue-green engineering a core principle of the Will Rudd approach to design five years ago. When I started at the firm’s Glasgow office twelve years ago, there were six of us, and today we are a team of 41. We have completely diversified our portfolio of services and the design and engineering solutions have continued to evolve. This is evident in our range of in-house specialisms which empower us to adapt and create responsible environmental solutions which has been key to our continued success and growth of the business. The energy market is a very strong sector for us, whether that’s the £500m energy from waste facilities we are working on or the numerous wind farm projects we are currently delivering. Like every organisation, we have weathered storms but it has been our progressive, pioneering spirit, coupled with our drive and commitment to do the right thing, that led us to push the boundaries and throw away the traditional rulebooks. Like moving away from the assumption that drainage must be hidden and underground. Instead we are working with the landscape to determine how we can develop above ground solutions that naturally interact with it to take care of the drainage and flood risk, assessing the geology, energy and hydrology of the area and create a living habitat for us and wildlife alike. Like a recent project we worked on where the drainage solution works with the woodland around it, or in planted swales and communal ponds. Delivering sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS) serve to capture carbon as well as reduce flood risk. How we improve urban areas too can hugely benefit society and this is a key focus for cities across the UK and Ireland. With demand for housing increasing and a shortage of suitable land, developers are increasingly looking to mixed-use developments where residents can enjoy high-quality living spaces. This is particularly prominent in London where we have worked on tall buildings, up to 36 storeys. Instead of exploiting every square metre of space for building, we are working collaboratively with architects, landscape architects, planners, developers and contractors to create environments that maximise opportunities for green spaces, both through the preservation of the surrounding areas, and in the creation of new spaces integrated in the fabric of the building, like community roof gardens. These enhanced spaces for social and recreation activities have been proven to deliver health benefits as well as reducing the impact on the environment and are engineered to be resilient to changing climates. Our blue-green approach to engineering and infrastructure delivers sustainable solutions across a variety of sectors; hospitality, residential, renewable energy, education, marine, public and private sectors. Working on projects big and small, an enormous amount of collaboration ensures we support clients as they too consider their role and contribution to reducing their carbon footprint. The collective mission of the 80-strong team of experts working across the Will Rudd Glasgow and Edinburgh offices is to fulfil our duty to support the creation of positive sustainable environments that we and future generations can benefit from. We think about our children when we’re working on projects, and the legacy we will leave behind for them. It is important to us that we play our part in delivering a built environment where people can thrive, and knowing we make a positive contribution to protecting our planet.
Addington Capital, the investment and asset management company has sold The Quadrant, Abingdon Science Park to Kadans Science Partner, a science park, investor, developer and operator at a price of around £13 million. The scheme comprises four terraces of offices and laboratory buildings totalling 75,316 sq. ft. along with a 1.59-acre parcel of land, with planning consent for a further 20,000 sq. ft. of office and laboratory buildings. The Quadrant was acquired in January 2016 in a joint venture. Since then, Addington has successfully improved the occupancy from 30% to 85%, increased headline rents by 20% and secured planning permission on the development land. Existing tenants include PsiOxus Therapeutics, Tessella and Fishawack. Philip Symonds, partner at Addington Capital said, “By investing in the fabric of the highly adaptable buildings at the Quadrant, we were able to attract new tenants whilst meeting existing occupiers’ requirements. We were also able to design and secure consent for the next phase of development at the property. South Oxfordshire benefits from favourable occupational dynamics largely due to its burgeoning technology and life sciences sectors, which have proven resilient during the Covid-19 pandemic. We experienced this first hand in the number of new lettings, renewals and expansions completed at the property during the business plan. There continues to be strong demand for excellent quality, flexible accommodation in the region.” “I have no doubt the property under Kadans’ ownership, as well as the wider Abingdon Science Park, will continue to flourish in the coming years.” Doherty Baines acted for Addington Capital. Bidwells advised Kadans Science Partner.
Stainforth Construction Ltd have been appointed by Barmston Developments a subsidiary of Leeds based Wilton Developments to deliver the final plot on the successful Enterprise 36 industrial park in Tankersley, South Yorkshire. The contractor will start on-site later this month to deliver an 80,500 sq ft HQ building for an undisclosed occupier. Enterprise 36 is a four-unit development located just 1 mile from J36 of the M1. Last year Barmston Developments, advised by CBRE & CPP, completed deals on Unit 4 to William Rowland and Unit 3 to label printing specialists Dura ID Solutions Ltd. Following the letting of Unit 1, just one unit remains available. The available 77,804 sq ft Unit 2 has been speculatively developed to a high specification and is ready for immediate occupation having recently achieved practical completion. The successful development of Enterprise 36 is being supported by Barnsley Council’s Enterprising Barnsley investment team and their nationally recognised BMBC Property Investment Fund. Jason Stowe Managing Director of Wilton Developments said; “Enterprise 36 has proven to be an attractive proposition for occupiers seeking high quality, well-connected accommodation with a range of design and build options. We are delighted to have now secured occupiers for three out of the four units and our agents are handling interest in the remaining unit which is ready for immediate occupation. The creation of new jobs is important more now than ever and we are pleased to be adding more roles to the regional offering.” Mike Baugh, Senior Director at CBRE Leeds, said; “Occupiers have been quick to secure deals at Enterprise 36, recognising the benefits of the scheme’s strategic M1 positioning and attracted by the delivery solutions provided by the developer. The regional logistics sector continues to flourish and we are pleased to have Unit 2 available in an increasingly diminishing supply of high quality well located units in Motorway locations.” Cllr Tim Cheetham, Cabinet Spokesperson for Regeneration and Culture, said: “We are delighted that yet another business will be moving to Enterprise 36, assisted by our Enterprising Barnsley investment team. Enterprise 36 has been a real success story and demonstrates that by working in partnership with Barmston Developments, with the support of our Property Investment Fund, they have been able to deliver first class industrial premises in an excellent location”. CBRE are acting as joint agents on the scheme with CPP.
Evans Property Group has fully let Phase 1 at Quad, its £1.4 million York Business Park industrial scheme, within 3 months of practical completion. The property investor and developer has concluded lettings on all three recently developed units to Network Rail and leading European micro-mobility operator, TIER Operations Ltd with a fourth unit set to complete in the summer. The 4,225 sq ft Unit 1 has been let to TIER to help service its year-long agreement with York City Council to provide an e-scooter trial on the streets of York. Units 2 and 3, comprising 3,650 sq ft and 3,250 sq ft respectively, are let to Network Rail on a 5 year term and each unit contains integral office accommodation, secure parking and a fenced yard area. The Quad scheme, which was completed by contractor CBM Construction in September 2020, was developed to deliver high quality industrial/warehouse accommodation to the regional pipeline at a time when demand outweighs current supply. Located on Great North Way, the main estate road within the established York Business Park, the units are just 3 miles from York City Centre and front onto the York outer ring road and the A64. Evans has secured planning consent for an additional 5,250 sq ft Unit 4 at Quad and CBM Construction has commenced work with completion scheduled for summer 2021. Joint agents Flanagan James and Savills are marketing the unit to potential occupiers. The investment by Evans continues the firm’s long-standing interests in York Business Park which have spanned some three decades and included the delivery of units for Evans Easy Space and Evans Business Living. Richard Bean, Senior Asset Manager for Evans Property Group, said; “To have achieved full occupation of all three developed units at Quad within just 12 weeks of completion is a fantastic result. We are delighted to be able to assist TIER with accommodation to service its York e-scooter trial and to be welcoming National Rail on board to two units. The success of Phase 1 has enabled us to commence works on the next unit and our agents are currently handing interest in Unit 4.” Richard Flanagan, Director at Flanagan James, continued; “The industrial market in York is reflective of the wider national picture, where demand for all unit sizes is high and good quality units are in short supply. To have concluded deals on 3 units within 3 months at Quad demonstrates the quality of product and appeal of the strategic location and we are confident in securing a fourth occupier for the final unit which is currently under construction.”
ISG took this month’s top spot in the contractor league tables after being appointed the contractor for seven major projects totalling just under £2.7 billion. Almost all this amount is due to work on a new £2.6 billion electric battery plant in Blyth, Northumberland. In second position this month with just one project is Future Valleys, who are working on a £513 million dualling project on the A465 in Wales. Up 16 places from last month, Wilmott Dixon round off the top three with seven projects totalling £170 million including extension works to a community hospital and construction of a 318-flat building in Bristol. The latest edition of the Top 50 League Tables published by industry analysts Barbour ABI, highlights the number and value of construction contracts awarded during December. This month shows that the combined value of contracts awarded to the Top 50 was just over £5.5 billion with a total of 128 projects. For December, Kier Construction were the busiest contractor with a total of eight contract awards at a combined value of £116 million. ISG sit at the top of the rolling 12-month league table with 59 projects at a total value of £3.3 billion. Tom Hall, Chief Economist at Barbour ABI & AMA Research said, “2020 ended with a strong December value of £5.5bn. However, £2.6bn was the Gigavolt EV battery plant in Northumberland; underlying activity remains somewhat weaker than average. Over the beginning of 2021, uncertainty remains as the UK suffers under another Covid-19 wave and concerns arise over the newly erected EU trade barriers. Positively, construction activity should be relatively unaffected by the third national lockdown.” Download the full report here: https://www.barbour-abi.com/market-intelligence/top-50-league-tables/
Ramboll, BAM and Sweco arrive in Antarctic to start BAS Construction season following strict Covid-19 measures The next stage of building a scientific support facility in Antarctica begins this week [11 January 2020]. To avoid the risk of introducing COVID-19 to British Antarctic Survey’s (BAS) Rothera Research Station, the construction team spent two weeks in quarantine and had three Covid-19 tests prior to making the almost 11,000 kilometre voyage by ship. A 20 person-plus team from BAS construction partners BAM, Ramboll and Sweco is working on the second season of building the cutting-edge science and operations building. Construction can only take place during a short window during the Antarctic summer months, avoiding the harsh, dark winter. This season the team aims to complete the pre-cast concrete foundations, ground floor slab, rock anchors and stub columns, as well as drainage and the perimeter wall, before returning in December to complete the outer structure. The new scientific support facility, named the Discovery Building, commemorates the discovery of Antarctica just over 200 years ago. The project is part of the Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Programme (AIMP). Facilities in the new two-storey 4,500m2 building include preparation areas for field expeditions, offices, a medical centre, recreational spaces (music room and climbing wall) and science workshops. The Discovery Building has a unique design, such as a thermally-efficient envelope to minimise energy use, along with heat recovery generators and photovoltaic solar panels. It also has a snow and wind deflector – the largest of its kind in Antarctica – to minimise time spent removing snow accumulation from around the building. Bright, open-plan offices foster collaboration and improve health and wellbeing of staff living in remote locations. Roof lights increase natural light and reduce the effects of seasonal affective disorder (SAD). The project is delivered by the Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation partnership, which includes construction partner BAM and their team, design consultants Sweco, Hugh Broughton Architects, with Ramboll acting as BAS’s Technical Advisers, with their team NORR architects and Turner & Townsend. Maurice Siemensma, Project Manager at BAM said: “We’re delighted to return for another construction season to Rothera, to undertake the installation of the foundations, the concrete perimeter walls, the underground drainage and completing the earthworks for the Discovery Building. Although this year’s construction season has been shortened, we have put together a programme to ensure we can continue progress on this crucial piece of infrastructure, which will support the construction works in the coming season substantially”. David Brand, Senior Project Manager at British Antarctic Survey said: “By working in collaboration with our construction partners and colleagues at BAS, we have planned this year’s construction season and overcome a number of challenges, including logistics and maintaining safety for our staff. This short season will see the completion of a vital stage of construction for this new facility at Rothera, which will help generations of scientists understand the future challenges of climate change.” The Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation (AIM) programme is commissioned by UKRI-NERC (Natural Environment Research Council. It aims to keep the UK at the forefront of climate, biodiversity and ocean research and will last between 7-10 years and is worth an estimated £100m. Find out more information on the Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation programme on the British Antarctic Survey website: https://www.bas.ac.uk/polar-operations/antarctic-infrastructure-projects/
Liverpool’s latest student accommodation development, Natex, has achieved a key construction milestone as it reaches its highest point, nine months before it opens to students. Mount Property Group’s £45million, 574-unit development, with its unrivalled views across Liverpool’s historic St George’s Quarter and the city beyond from its upper floors, has reached full height with a topping out ceremony marking the occasion. International property investment firm, Mount Property Group, acquired the landmark site of the former National Express bus station in 2018, and appointed Barton PM as management contractor for the Falconer Chester Hall designed scheme. Providing a home-from-home for the students of Liverpool, Natex features two towers of 16 and 10-storeys, containing 574 student beds split between 493 cluster units and 81 studios. The development will offer not only offer superior, high-end living spaces for its customers, but the communal facilities a modern student expects, including private study rooms, impressive social spaces, a fully kitted out gym, laundry rooms and landscaped gardens for students to enjoy. Michael Chrysokhou, managing director of Mount, said “Whilst a challenge, the past year has proven how resilient both the construction and student market is, so I’m delighted to start the new year with such positive news and we look forward to entering the final stages of completion and opening the doors to our student customers for the next academic year.” The construction milestone also coincides with Barton’s two-year trading anniversary, during which time the fledgling business has made its mark in the north west, working for Mount on Natex and also Innovo House; the 124-unit scheme in Liverpool’s Knowledge Quarter. Matt Fawcett, managing director at Barton Group Services and Barton PM, commented “Natex has become a striking addition to the Liverpool cityscape and topping out not only marks a key programme milestone, but gives us a chance to celebrate the hard work and collaboration of the entire project team to reach this stage. “We’ve been fortunate to continue works on site during the majority of 2020, with Covid-safe procedures in place for our operatives and sub-contractors. With the internal fit-out on Block A well underway there is a huge amount of activity currently on site and the momentum will continue early this year with the fit-out commencing on Block B.” Natex is scheduled for completion in July 2021, in anticipation of students starting the new academic year in September.