Leeds-based Sigmat have agreed a major new partnership with McCarthy & Stone, the UK’s leading developer and manager of retirement communities, to use Sigmat’s unique modern method of construction (MMC). Following a detailed selection process, Sigmat secured the framework as the Partner of Choice based on the merits of its
New SCAPE research finds just one in five people believe developers will deliver on their commitments to improving local communities Half of UK residents can’t think of a local construction project that has had a positive impact on their community Insight features in new report on the evolution of social value by the UK’s leading public sector procurement authority The property industry must do more
10-minute walk anyone? Picture an alternative reality where you can wake up and be at your workplace, school, supermarket, or sports centre within less than 10 minutes – walking. It’s a choice most people have to make, where there oughtn’t to be a choice at all – do I live
CEG’s 200,000 sq ft EQ development in the heart of Bristol City Centre broke ground on the main construction phase this week, becoming the largest speculative office development currently underway in the south of England. BAM Construction has been appointed to deliver the striking glass building at 111 Victoria Street,
Machine learning is helping construction companies the world over to replace monotonous human tasks. Machine learning also helps with the designing and planning of projects, and it enables teams and companies to make better-informed decisions for a more streamlined workflow. Indeed, there are countless useful applications of machine learning in
Do you have a construction or renovation project? These are usually costly endeavours, and you need to be very careful about how you spend the money. Nevertheless, there are plenty of pragmatic tips to follow, both in and outside of how you spend the money that will help you keep
Recently announced is a national framework agreement with Countryside & PFP to accelerate live and future projects through the delivery of mixed-tenure developments. Under the agreement, PFP will work together to combine expertise in creating high quality homes and places that give opportunities for communities to thrive. It is envisaged
Work starts on site for £1.1M store at Handforth Dean Retail Park Castlehouse Construction has been appointed by CPG Group to deliver a £1.1M new build Pets at Home store at Handforth Dean Retail Park near Wilmslow in Cheshire. Castlehouse, which has offices in Leeds and Manchester, has now started
Cator Park at Kidbrooke Village, Berkeley’s flagship net biodiversity gain project in the Royal Borough of Greenwich, has been awarded the prestigious ‘Sir David Attenborough Award for Enhancing Biodiversity’ and the ‘Overall President’s Award’ at the recent Landscape Institute Awards. Kidbrooke Village is set in 136 acres of green and
There is no doubt that the construction sector endured a torrid time through the pandemic in 2020. As a survey by Glenigan* released at the end of 2020 showed, the value of underlying project starts (with a construction value of less than £100 million) dropped by 46 per cent during the second
Leeds-based Sigmat have agreed a major new partnership with McCarthy & Stone, the UK’s leading developer and manager of retirement communities, to use Sigmat’s unique modern method of construction (MMC). Following a detailed selection process, Sigmat secured the framework as the Partner of Choice based on the merits of its industry-leading, eco-friendly and dynamic Light Gauge Steel Framing (LGSF) off-site structural solution. The landmark deal will see Sigmat roll out its LGSF solution across five of McCarthy & Stone’s sites in FY21, totalling more than 200 units. It is expected that this solution will become c.25% of McCarthy & Stone’s total output within five years, equating to c.400 units a year. The partnership will see McCarthy & Stone become one of the first national retirement community developers to back the Government’s agenda of increasing housing built off-site. McCarthy & Stone is also one of only a handful of volume developers to make a major commitment to this type of manufacturing. The plans have the potential to improve energy efficiency, compared with a traditional UK home and cut development times by up to half. The framework agreement will also help fast-track the delivery of housing for older people which, despite the rapidly ageing population, is currently undersupplied across the UK. McCarthy & Stone is looking to increase its proportion of off-site development by embracing other parts of Sigmat’s innovative design elements, including its pre-glazed window options. The key benefits of homes manufactured in the Sigmat Light Gauge Steel Frame system include: ● Reduced build times, risks, and increased project management control ● Construction times cut by up to 50% because work can be streamlined and employees can be more productive ● Eco-friendly with high proportion of recycled materials ● Dynamic and flexible application, ideal for the modern retirement market ● Increased levels of build quality thanks to the consistency and control achieved in factories compared with working on construction sites ● Ongoing research and development ● All homes backed by the same NHBC Build Mark warranty that traditional homes offer, ensuring they are fully mortgageable and insurable ● Vital investment in UK productivity, innovation and skills by creating new employment that can tackle skills shortages in construction and engineering John Tonkiss, CEO of McCarthy & Stone, said: “I am delighted that we are working with Sigmat who are one of the UK’s most innovative and quality driven manufacturers. Their team share our commitment to embracing MMC and can help us deliver high-quality retirement communities that push the boundaries of what consumers expect while cutting energy bills, waste and construction times. The Government has prioritised off-site manufacturing in recognition that we need different solutions to the housing crisis. We are responding to this with a serious, long-term commitment that will be a win-win for investors, policy makers and, above all our customers.” The move into off-site manufacturing is one of three key strands of McCarthy & Stone’s new strategy, announced in September 2018, to leverage the long-term opportunities in the retirement community sector. They include: ● Increasing customer choice by launching a range of multi-tenure options ● Increasing flexibility by launching new care and support services to better support its customers ● Increasing affordability by designing communities with new construction techniques such as off-site manufacturing. As part of this, new contemporary and open plan apartment types have also been developed to increase mass-market appeal. Work has already started on the team’s first collaborative scheme in Hexham, Northumberland. The 48 apartment development is expected to be completed in September 2021. Mark Eburne, CEO of Sigmat commented: “We are delighted to be partnering with McCarthy & Stone to help them embrace modern methods of construction by providing Sigmat light gauge steel panelised structural frames, including floors and walls. The Sigmat team have started on-site for our first project together in Hexham, and we anticipate more projects to commence within the following 12 months. By partnering with McCarthy & Stone we are committed to providing quality superstructures, manufactured off-site at our Leeds manufacturing facility for the UK retirement market.” Sigmat’s Chief Operating Officer Marcus Wood also commented: “This is a hugely exciting collaboration for both McCarthy & Stone and Sigmat. We have been working closely with the team at McCarthy & Stone over the last two years and we are delighted to be selected to help support their push in modern method of construction over the next five years. The retirement living sector is one of many ideal applications of the Sigmat system due to the eco-friendly, flexible and dynamic nature. This investment in both the McCarthy & Stone build expertise, Sigmat Modern Method of Construction and the partnering style will set new standards in delivering retirement living portfolios. Moving away from the more traditional ‘one off’ project construction methods and relationships into a more integrated and long-term solution across the portfolio making incremental improvements, lessons learnt and standardisation over time.”
New SCAPE research finds just one in five people believe developers will deliver on their commitments to improving local communities Half of UK residents can’t think of a local construction project that has had a positive impact on their community Insight features in new report on the evolution of social value by the UK’s leading public sector procurement authority The property industry must do more to demonstrate the positive impact of construction projects on communities across the UK, according to new research by the UK’s leading public sector procurement authority, SCAPE. In this latest nationwide research, SCAPE found that as few as one in five (20%) people in the UK believe that property developers will deliver against the commitments they make in relation to social value and improving local communities. The research indicates that there is a clear disconnect between the wide-ranging initiatives employed by contractors nationwide to create social value and the general public’s awareness or perception of them. Only half (50%) of the 2,000 UK residents surveyed recognised that a project had contributed positively to their local community. Respondents indicated that delivering long-term community benefit was the most important outcome for any project, ahead of other issues such as a building’s appearance or its green credentials. The research forms part of Social Value: More Than Metrics, a new report by SCAPE thatexplores the evolution of social value in the public sector and the impact that contractors and developers are having on local communities. Despite widespread initiatives across the construction industry in relation to employment, sustainability and social cohesion, many members of the public are still unaware of how projects are being delivered in a way that enriches their community. Only a third (35%) of all respondents had heard of the term ‘social value’ and felt confident that they understand what it means. With the public sector already acting as the cornerstone for the UK’s economic recovery – and set to play an increasingly important role in infrastructure investment as the nation builds back better in 2021 – the report calls for public sector organisations and contractors to aid the public’s understanding of social value. Key recommendations in the report include: Giving social value returns equal if not greater prominence than traditional procurement drivers, such as time, cost and quality Incorporating qualitative feedback procedures, such as interviews with community stakeholders and focus groups, into measurement processes Encouraging ongoing review of the metrics used to measure each project to avoid a ‘cookie cutter’ approach to social value Standardising sustainability measurement to demonstrate benefits with greater ease and consistency Implementing long-term community engagement processes to ensure positive legacies for every project. Mark Robinson, group chief executive at SCAPE, said: “In the seven years since the Social Value Act was passed, the new duties required in procurement have played a valuable role in guiding public bodies and contractors to consider the wider impact of public investment on society. However, as we await the imminent launch of the government’s Construction Playbook – which will increase the focus on socioeconomic improvement – our research shows that work still needs to be done to improve public perception regarding the benefits being created through construction projects. “Whilst the monetisation of social value is important, in many ways, the more important thing is the short and long-term value that one action can set in motion within a community, and how these actions are perceived and received. By shining a light on the public’s understanding and perception of social value, and demonstrating what best-in-class delivery looks like, it is our aim through this report to get to the heart of these issues and drive positive, sustainable change within communities.”
10-minute walk anyone? Picture an alternative reality where you can wake up and be at your workplace, school, supermarket, or sports centre within less than 10 minutes – walking. It’s a choice most people have to make, where there oughtn’t to be a choice at all – do I live nearer work, nearer the school, nearer the park? Bellharbour takes a look at the future of largescale developments, both in and out of the city environment. What is ‘mixed-use’? According to the MRSC of Washington, it’s a development that incorporates pedestrian friendliness and blends residential, commercial, cultural, or institutional uses. Others quote that mixed-use developments are “three-dimensional, pedestrian-oriented places that layer compatible land uses, public amenities and utilities together”. As you can see, the focus is on people and making the lives of the public much simpler. Developments such as this have been growing in popularity, especially with millennial buyers/renters. They allow people to work, live, play and shop in one place, whilst creating a destination for adjourning neighbourhoods. There are two main categories of mixed-use development: Vertical Different uses within the same building Public uses on lower floor i.e. shops, restaurants Private uses on upper floors i.e. offices, residences, hotels and Horizontal Single-use buildings within a mixed-use district Range of uses in one development Complementary and integrated uses that are walkable and within a given neighbourhood However, some developers like to combine the two. This still means 10 minutes of walking distance to core activities. Why mixed-use? It’s proven to work well. An old example is Soviet City Planning (USSR) during the cold war. Virtually identical city blocks were erected across many nations – it’s not going to be like this, don’t worry. But these blocks were built with a goal to get everyone to spend time outside in communal environments, working, eating, and socialising. This resulted in blocks within the cities, where people could travel easily on foot to food shops, places of work and education, and socially interact in parks and leisure spaces. More functionality, and less of a need for transport. This idea fits into the modern description of mixed-use developments and ties in with climate-friendly development design. Multi-purpose buildings/ areas take up less space on the ground, leaving more for green spaces and communal services. Today, examples of mixed-use can be found in a few UK town centre regeneration schemes, but according to Property Week “This approach, which is second nature in cities such as New York and Hong Kong, is only just starting to really pick up steam in London. This is surprising, given the huge benefits that well-thought-out mixed-use schemes can provide – especially from a planning and funding perspective.” We are seeing some areas of the UK pick up the model, such as a redesign in Keynsham (Somerset) to include shops, offices, public space, and the library has seen its popularity increase dramatically – breathing life into an otherwise tired town. A good design will combine social and private rental properties, private sale homes and health, education, community, retail and leisure facilities. Having a mix of tenants is a great way to secure the value and diversity of a development, too. One strikingly modern example of mixed-use on a larger scale is in Podil, Ukraine. This district of Kiev is known for its historical monuments which will be celebrated, and its relationship to the river Dnipro will be reconstructed with new connections. Podil’s new design incorporates promenade features along the Dnipro, with green islands for social interactions. Traffic infrastructure will be integrated, public space will be free to interpretation and the ecological network for nature is emphasised. Usually, mixed-use developments are incorporated outside city-centres but in recent city-centre regeneration projects, they are gaining popularity. This is a great source of profit injection to the local economy and is likely to improve its appeal to outsiders, bringing external economy. The McLaren Group Shoreditch scheme comes with residential apartments, school, commercial and gallery space, sports facilities, and community space. Combined with treatment rooms and landscaped gardens, this type of development really does provide a one-stop living environment to suit all. Is going up the way forward? Bidwells say that there’s a huge challenge for modern homes to hit the mark with offices and entertainment resources in the same space. As such, their redevelopment of Cambridge City station and space in central Oxford has also incorporated mixed-uses. Business Leader says that there is too much retail space in the UK, with high streets and shopping centres. The challenges of providing affordable housing that has minimal impact on the environment could be simultaneously solved by mixed-use developments – improving the local economy and repurposing abandoned/disused areas. The competition for luxury development spaces means mixed-use is the perfect alternative to purely retail or housing developments. Moreover, retail, work, and housing spaces are self-supporting, playing host to residential customers and visitors, who are more likely to return for convenience. Another priceless benefit is the potential for high-quality consumer-vendor relationships, building more of a rounded community. With a reduced need for transport and more focus on walking and cycling, mixed-use developments come with a reduced carbon footprint. There may also be greater availability of public transport services to those stationed further from amenities, workplaces and schools – not to mention reduced traffic around school areas!
CEG’s 200,000 sq ft EQ development in the heart of Bristol City Centre broke ground on the main construction phase this week, becoming the largest speculative office development currently underway in the south of England. BAM Construction has been appointed to deliver the striking glass building at 111 Victoria Street, close to Bristol Temple Meads Station. Raising the bar in terms of quality, occupant wellbeing and sustainability, EQ will provide 20,000 sq ft of occupier amenities such as a rooftop bar, restaurant and business lounge with communal terrace, ground floor café kitchen, 50 seat auditorium, as well as a fitness suite and break out space. The building will provide some of the largest open plan office floor plates in Bristol of up to 27,377 sq ft. CEG will also offer its ‘Let Ready Go’ studio concept, offering fully-equipped internet ready workstations enabling businesses immediate set up, easy expansion and contraction and access to high quality meeting and amenity space as part of a thriving and collaborative community. Over 500 construction jobs will be created per annum during the two-year build programme, as well as six local apprenticeship opportunities. Once complete, the building will accommodate over 2,000 people and will deliver £466 million GVA per annum from direct and indirect operational jobs*. Paul Richardson, investment manager at CEG, said: “We are making an immediate start on site in order to be in a position to offer 200,000 sq ft of the highest quality office space ready for occupation by the first quarter of 2023. “There is an acute shortage in supply of Grade A offices in Bristol and we’ve already seen a record number of pre let office deals in the city this year. We adopt an innovative approach to leasing, to deliver flexibility, as well as offering tenant fit outs, which reduces an occupier’s capital spend traditionally associated with a relocation.” Neil Dorrington, construction director for Bristol-based BAM Construction, said: “This must be one of the most ambitious schemes ever constructed in Bristol, which is a tremendous testament to CEG. “BAM’s early and close association with the development of it over a prolonged period means we can bring our expertise in digital construction and our sustainability credentials to bear even more so than on many other schemes. Our time on site means we can also achieve great social value for the city.” Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol, said: “As we face severe recession, contraction to Bristol’s economy and employment losses, news of such a major sustainable investment to bring job opportunities and social value to our city is hugely positive and welcome. “Working with city partners to achieve Bristol’s potential, our economic renewal should be focused on tackling inequality and building a fair, healthy and sustainable city. This type of sustainable development will help us build back better together.’’ Architect Aukett Swanke has designed the building with sustainability, amenity, health and well-being at its core. Targeting BREEAM Outstanding, the building provides photovoltaic units on the roof, rainwater harvesting, efficient heating, cooling and lighting systems, extensive cycling parking, showers, electric vehicle and e-bike charging points and will be connected to Bristol City Council’s District Heating Network. This will help occupiers trying to meet their carbon reduction targets. In a first for Bristol, a dedicated bicycle entrance and ramp from Temple Street to the basement provides easy access to more than 260 cycle spaces, which is in excess of industry standard. Health club quality changing and shower facilities are also provided. This gives cyclists priority on accessing the building, something which will prove even more important post Covid. Luke Schuberth, UK managing director of Aukett Swanke, said: “EQ will be a first class piece of architecture that we have enjoyed being involved in creating. It is testament to a client that has clear ambition and vision and a design team that has a strength in depth and a culture of pushing innovation. It has been a joy to design EQ, to stretch the boundaries of office design with health and well-being and a sustainable ethos that is at the core. The building will increase the energy of the people within it, whilst reducing the energy required to run it. We are delighted that it will now be realised and look forward to its completion.” Designed as a Smart Tech enabled building, there will also be fewer touch points, increased air changes and air quality sensors, benefitting occupiers in a post-Covid world. The scale, quality and flexibility offered by the building, as well as its strategic location close to Temple Meads, opens up significant opportunities for new inward investing companies keen to access the south west market. Jones Lang LaSalle and Cushman and Wakefield have been appointed by CEG to launch the building to market. Ian Wills of JLL explains: “Living costs have rocketed in London and skilled staff are finding it too expensive and over-crowded. Employers are looking elsewhere and Bristol has always appealed; just 80 minutes from the heart of London, it offers a large skilled workforce and great quality of life which help to attract and retain employees. “CEG with a long term investment and management approach is also able to offer a unique Core and Flex model which allows a business to expand and contract within the space. This will help to manage company growth and additional projects, as well as seasonal demand and the effects that social distancing will have on their office requirements.” Andy Heath of Cushman and Wakefield states: “We are confident we will secure a pre-let, not just due to the high market demand in Bristol, but because this offers a workspace that is sustainable, efficient, flexible, healthy, digitally resilient and future-proofed – it will set a new benchmark for regional offices.” CEG has one of the largest office development pipelines in Bristol, offering some 400,000 sq ft in its local portfolio at The Quorum, The Crescent Centre, 1000 Aztec West and EQ. The Quorum has been recently refurbished, and a planning consent has
Machine learning is helping construction companies the world over to replace monotonous human tasks. Machine learning also helps with the designing and planning of projects, and it enables teams and companies to make better-informed decisions for a more streamlined workflow. Indeed, there are countless useful applications of machine learning in the construction industry. Let’s take a closer look at some of the primary applications. What is machine learning? Machine learning is a subset of artificial intelligence that involves machines learning and predicting outcomes by themselves. The machines do not require a person to program them. Instead, the machines use software and algorithms to enable them to make predictions based on the analysis of data. For instance, a machine could inform you that it requires preventative servicing. There are traditionally three primary machine learning approaches. They are: · Supervised learning, in which a computer is presented with input examples and desired outputs. The computer then learns a general rule to map those inputs and outputs. · Unsupervised learning, in which the learning algorithm does not receive any labels and is instead left by itself to discover structure in its input. · Reinforcement learning, in which a program interacts with a dynamic environment to perform a specific goal. What industries use machine learning? Today, many different industries use machine learning. For example: · In marketing, machine learning helps marketers to create better customer segmentations, deliver more relevant campaigns, and measure performance more effectively. · Online casinos use machine learning to analyse players’ betting data and protect players by promoting responsible gambling. Machine learning also enables the online casino industry to have greater stability and improved planning. · The healthcare industry is increasingly using machine learning in various ways, such as with wearable devices and sensors that give healthcare professionals access to patient health in real-time. Now, let’s take a look at the useful applications of machine learning in the construction industry. Machine Learning Can Enhance Design Quality When machine learning is utilised during the design phase of a construction project, it can improve the quality of designs. For instance, if you are building meeting rooms for a company, machine learning can tell you how the space can match the people using it by predicting things like how frequently the rooms will be used. Machine learning can also help to highlight mistakes and omissions in designs before going ahead with construction. You can also test various environmental conditions and scenarios in the model. Machine Learning Can Increase a Project’s Lifecycle Generally, there are gaps in facility management’s information, making it challenging to manage repairs and renovations on-site cost-effectively. Machine learning can be instrumental in facility management and extending an asset’s total lifecycle. It can streamline processes via collecting and utilising data better. For instance, machine learning can classify documents and data such as work orders and assess conditions in real-time with extreme accuracy. That helps to speed up processes no end. And when machine learning is integrated with a BIM model in maintenance and operations, it can determine the best way to conduct maintenance and repairs by visualising where and when issues will occur. Machine Learning Can Create a Safer Construction Site Safety is, of course, paramount to any construction site, and machine learning provides ways to ensure job sites are as safe as possible. For example, machine learning tools can identify when a person is not wearing a hard hat much more quickly and accurately than humans can. Because machine learning learns and adapts over time, it helps humans to find problems and solve them efficiently. Furthermore, machine learning can determine risks before they even happen. It can identify risks, measure the impact of those risks and use predictive analytics to reduce the risks. And with the assistance of artificial intelligence algorithms, risks can be comprehended better, and problems can be prioritised automatically. With such tools available, construction managers can not only prevent problems. They can also streamline workflows for a more efficient process.
Do you have a construction or renovation project? These are usually costly endeavours, and you need to be very careful about how you spend the money. Nevertheless, there are plenty of pragmatic tips to follow, both in and outside of how you spend the money that will help you keep the cost down and control the budget. In this article, you’ll find some of the primary tips. #1 Try to Keep the Renovation Design Simple and Straightforward Before building, everything starts with a preliminary design. Simple construction design is not only the first but also the most important factor in keeping the budget affordable. Regardless of the construction method you choose, every additional feature or change included in the renovation of your home means additional costs. #2 Work with the Right People Ask various construction companies for detailed quotes. The architect you’ll decide to work with will have in-depth knowledge of the main contractors in your area and their construction methods, so asking him/her is always a good idea. If necessary, schedule an additional appointment with him and together determine the most budget-friendly decisions you can make during the construction process. The price to pay for this extra hour will most likely pay off in the long run in forms of a better construction method, a more optimized design, etc. Nevertheless, independent research might be helpful as you could stumble on excellent construction companies like this luxury construction London company. #3 Create a Comprehensive Overview of Your System Plan for a fair cost distribution between the different phases of the renovation project. Divide your project into different phases, such as structural work, the finish, etc. and get an estimate of the prices of the different materials used and look for potentially more economical alternatives if possible. After receiving each invoice, write down the total amount of expenditures and regularly calculate your total expenses. This way, there will be plenty of time to sound the alarm if you experience cost overruns and unpleasant financial surprises. #4 How Much Additional Space Do you Need? As mentioned above, your project will increase in price as the living area grows; So the area under construction is directly correlated to the cost, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get creative. A well-designed house often looks larger than a poorly imagined villa. Create open, multi-functional spaces that make your home feel larger while working on a smaller area in reality. You can achieve unimaginable things with smart construction methods and designs. #5 Don’t Be Afraid to Get Involved Personally It is not necessary to spend days learning about every aspect of home renovations or to obsessively watch internet tutorials, these will likely not be helpful. However, you can easily ask the contractor about small things you can do yourself, and most contractors will be happy to provide an answer and give you a list of tasks a layman can do. This will save you a lot of money during cleanups or preparations. In this way, the workers will arrive on a prepared scene and will work fewer hours, costing you less money. #6 Decide On The Funding Source There are a number of options for funding your renovation once you have an idea of the costs. A renovation loan from somewhere like Plenti or savings will go a lot further if you have your budget under control. Some people choose to remortgage if they have a large project that will substantially add to the value of their property. Don’t forget to build in a little contingency for any unexpected costs or issues.
Recently announced is a national framework agreement with Countryside & PFP to accelerate live and future projects through the delivery of mixed-tenure developments. Under the agreement, PFP will work together to combine expertise in creating high quality homes and places that give opportunities for communities to thrive. It is envisaged that up to 10,000 mixed tenure homes will be developed through the framework over a ten-year period across the UK. Opportunities for growth Countryside continues to see attractive opportunities for growth to deliver a mix of private for sale, PRS and affordable homes and this framework agreement will allow the homebuilder to develop large sites more quickly. The PFP strategy is to deliver more homes and more choice has seen us work with a number of partners including Homes England, and develop new delivery models. Working with Countryside will continue to boost capacity and aid strategic aim for increasing the delivery of affordable housing and mixed-tenure communities. Meeting people’s needs and aspirations Iain McPherson, Group Chief Executive, Countryside, said: “We are delighted to have formed a strategic relationship with Places for People, to deliver much-needed mixed-tenure housing. Our business has a proven track record and, together with our clear strategy for growth, we look forward to continuing to work with our partners as we focus on the delivery of high quality and sustainable mixed-tenure communities.” David Cowans, Group Chief Executive, Places for People, said: “For our future housing market to be successful, we need to provide more housing choice, improve quality and increase efficiency. Working with Countryside, a business that shares our commitment to creating well designed, sustainable communities, will help us deliver quality homes that provide choice and meet people’s needs and aspirations.”
Work starts on site for £1.1M store at Handforth Dean Retail Park Castlehouse Construction has been appointed by CPG Group to deliver a £1.1M new build Pets at Home store at Handforth Dean Retail Park near Wilmslow in Cheshire. Castlehouse, which has offices in Leeds and Manchester, has now started works on the new 10,000 sq ft building for the UK’s leading specialist pet care business with completion earmarked for Spring 2021. Handforth Dean Retail Park is situated in the heart of Cheshire’s stockbroker belt. Located just off the A34 bypass, close to the A555 between Wilmslow, Heald Green and Styal, the 40 acre park includes retailers such as M&S, Tesco Extra and Boots and Next. Pets at Home takes the lead in the business of pet care and this new store forms part of the retail group’s continued expansion strategy, with more than 451 stores currently operating across the country, largely based on retail parks. Frank Kofler, Managing Director, Castlehouse Construction commented: “We are delighted to start work on the new Pets at Home store for CPG. Whilst this is our first pet care store new build, we have a strong track record in the retail sector, delivering stores for the likes of Lidl, Aldi, Iceland, Home Bargains and more. When completed the store will be a huge asset for pet owners visiting the Retail Park and a popular shopping destination for thousands of people across the region.” Martin Ridgway, Group Managing Director of CPG said: “The Handforth Dean retail area is one of the most popular in the region due to the strength of the catchment population and great accessibility. The new flagship Pets at Home store will build on the success of the Next at Home store completed a few years ago. We are pleased to be working with Castlehouse Construction and look forward to completion in Spring 2021.” Wayne Kemp, Pets at Home Store Development Director said: “We’re delighted to be working with CPG and Castlehouse Construction on this project and to be opening a store in such a great location with the added benefit of it being just around the corner from our Support Office. We’re bringing the very best of Pets at Home to this location and we’re confident that pet owners will be impressed with the finished store.” Warrington Martin is project manager on the new build.
Cator Park at Kidbrooke Village, Berkeley’s flagship net biodiversity gain project in the Royal Borough of Greenwich, has been awarded the prestigious ‘Sir David Attenborough Award for Enhancing Biodiversity’ and the ‘Overall President’s Award’ at the recent Landscape Institute Awards. Kidbrooke Village is set in 136 acres of green and open space, which comprises areas of grassland, meadow and wetland rich in plant and wildlife. In partnership with the Royal Borough of Greenwich, Berkeley has worked with London Wildlife Trust and HTA Design to rewild Cator Park, increasing biodiversity and encouraging birds, mammals and insects to nest amongst the ponds, wetlands, trees and wildflowers. The park also has a new play area developed in collaboration with Apes Adventure Playground Engineers (designers of the Olympic Park Playground). On completion, Kidbrooke Village will have achieved a net biodiversity gain of over 200%. It is the first of Berkeley Group’s 40 net biodiversity gain projects to reach maturity. Together these projects will create 480 acres of new or improved natural habitats. The ‘Sir David Attenborough Award for Enhancing Biodiversity’ celebrates projects which emphasise the enhancement or connectivity of habitats for biodiversity, while the ‘Overall President’s Award’ recognises the best landscape scheme of the year as selected by the President of the Landscape Institute. These awards round off a successful month for Berkeley’s Kidbrooke Village after it won the Pineapple Award for Contribution to Place earlier in November. Karl Whiteman, Divisional Managing Director at Berkeley East Thames, said: “Berkeley has made a commitment to ensure all our new developments create a net biodiversity gain, and it’s fantastic to see this come to fruition at Cator Park and Kidbrooke Village. Thanks to our partnership with the Royal Borough of Greenwich, HTA Design and London Wildlife Trust, Cator Park is a fantastic haven for nature, where new species are thriving. The park is a beautiful, biodiverse space that is loved by the community, and we are delighted to see its impact recognised with this new award.” James Lord, Partner at HTA Design, said: “I’m over the moon that Cator Park has won the prestigious Sir David Attenborough for Enhancing Biodiversity and the overall President’s Award. Cator Park is a celebration of the outdoors, blending play provision with the natural ecology and heritage of the site. Bringing wildlife back into the city and people and nature together, Cator Park demonstrates how the development of brownfield sites can contribute to wider biodiversity gains within cities and build sustainable communities. Many congratulations to the team at Berkeley, London Wildlife Trust, HTA Design and everyone else who worked so hard to make the project such a success.” The Landscape Institute Awards celebrate the value of landscape in connecting people, place and nature. The virtual ceremony on 26 November was presented by Countryfile’s Julia Bradbury, alongside special guest Rebecca Pow MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
There is no doubt that the construction sector endured a torrid time through the pandemic in 2020. As a survey by Glenigan* released at the end of 2020 showed, the value of underlying project starts (with a construction value of less than £100 million) dropped by 46 per cent during the second quarter compared with a year earlier. But the decline in quarterly starts was not as great as initially feared. As Glenigan noted: “Contractors were quick to adjust site working practices and suspended sites in England and Wales were re-opened more rapidly than initially anticipated, with a revival in new project-starts following in their wake.” We can expect a more gradual, but sustained recovery for the next two years; subject of course to the vagaries of the ebb and flow of the pandemic whilst also facing Brexit-related disruption to trade and growth. Existing major infrastructure schemes, including Thames Tideway, HS2 and Hinckley Point, are also forecast to lift civil engineering output over the forecast period. Much of this will be turbocharged by increasing use of modern methods of construction and better use of data analytics, but addressing the skills capacity issue remains a key constituent of delivering project success in construction. But the Government signalled its intent before Christmas with the publication of its plan for infrastructure, and the launch of the Construction Playbook as well as the start of the reforms of the planning process. All these elements point towards a commitment to a greater focus on construction as part of its ‘building back better’ focus. Fundamental to this process will be the capacity to deliver this. And never has it been more important to have the right skills and capacity to deliver a sustained and innovative construction pipeline. And we believe that the project profession has an increasingly vital role in delivering this. In an era of unprecedented technological, social and environmental change, the need for project -based skills and working is set to increase, and as we look towards 2021, the project profession will play a pivotal role in delivering such change in construction. APM, the chartered body for the project profession,carried out a year-long conversation with its members and the wider project community, the conclusions of which inform the latest Projecting the Futurereport, The Adaptive Project Professional. The report sets out a series of ideas and insights to help shape the future of project management, and highlights that now is the time to focus on the ‘adaptive’ project professional. Being adaptive is vital. It means embracing change and recognising its implications for projects. It means striking the right balance between clarity about goals and benefits, and flexibility between the use of best practices and innovating to meet unique circumstances. Adaptivity also means knowing that we as individuals need to develop throughout our careers, continually learning to keep pace with a fast-changing world. A recent APM and Censuswide survey, supports the Projecting the Future report, revealing that a quarter (25 per cent) of project managers in the construction industry think becoming more adaptive and responsive to changeis the most important way in which the project profession could change over the next five years. Keeping up with the pace of change Project management contributes an estimated £156.6 billion of Gross Value Added to the UK economy, according to APM’s research report The Golden Thread. It’s therefore important that the profession’s pipeline continues to develop in order to keep up with the pace of change, from starter to chartered: providing new routes into the profession both for young entrants and more mature professionals and provide greater mobility between career stages. The coronavirus pandemic has demonstrated how adaption across all industry is essential in delivering at speed. Whether it’s the building of the NHS Nightingale hospitals, the government’s furlough scheme, or the race to find a find a vaccine for Covid-19, project professionals have been at the heart of making these innovative changes happen. Project professionals must take centre stage in the continued recovery from the pandemic and adapt to the challenges and opportunities of the fourth industrial revolution, climate change and increasing human longevity. To find out more about APM, recent research, and the benefits of membership visit www.apm.org.uk *Glenigan have published a construction industry forecast for 2021-2022. The forecast can be accessed here: https://bit.ly/38gggrr