I could give you a hundred ways to make a germaphobe cry. But none would probably be as devastating as forcing one to use a public restroom. It would probably take a special kind of emergency to make a germaphobe even consider using one. And just when he made his
Birmingham-based Urban Village Capital has overcome the obstacles of lockdown to deliver full completion of its latest luxury £14m apartment development. Knight’s House, a stunning nine-floor former office block in affluent Sutton Coldfield, features a total of 63 apartments – including 12 penthouses, and continues the company’s upward spiral and
Construction and civil engineering specialist GRAHAM is celebrating a double win at the national Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation (CIHT) Awards 2020. The contractor scooped the Fosroc Engineering Award, before then being named as the Overall Winner of the CIHT Awards 2020, both of which were for its work
The DAYCO interview… With all four brands in the Fexco Property Services group relying on the services of external suppliers and contractors, we knew that for many, maintaining operations during COVID19 was never going to be simple or easy. We spoke to one of our approved contractors to get their
Connex Offsite, specialists in the manufacture of high-end modular bathroom pods announced a three million pound contract, to supply luxury modular bathroom pods to London property developer, Mount Anvil. The contract will see the Newry based manufacturer export their residential bathroom pods to Mount Anvil’s Royal Eden Docks development, an
The second of Polypipe Civils & Green Urbanisation’s e-Roadshow events on Realising Resilience put the spotlight on Wales, where it is now a statutory requirement to have SuDS in place to manage on-site surface water. All three guest speakers, from the worlds of local authorities, architecture and planning, expressed the
While you may think that the construction industry has stayed pretty much the same over the years, with similar systems and processes in place, you would be wrong. Over the past few decades, technological advances in construction-based systems have completely honed and revolutionised the industry. From greatly enhancing productivity to
Steelwork now underway on the Ravenscraig Road site. Construction is now under way at the Raven Locks, a 172,000 sq ft speculative industrial scheme in Salford, following the appointment of Portal Construction NW Ltd as main contractors. Portal Construction NW were appointed to undertake works on the 14-acre Ravenscraig Road
Hayfield has commenced construction at its first scheme in Cambridgeshire. It is the third new development where work has got underway during the past four weeks, signalling a £70 million investment from the UK’s Best Small Housebuilder. The new 4.4-acre development site is in the historic village of Great Gransden.
Polypipe Civils & Green Urbanisation’s inaugural Realising Resilience e-Roadshow event on Wednesday 17th June, which attracted over 80 delegates, shone a light on Greater Manchester and the great strides it is taking towards embedding green infrastructure throughout the region. “One of the strong messages to emerge from the diverse line-up
I could give you a hundred ways to make a germaphobe cry. But none would probably be as devastating as forcing one to use a public restroom. It would probably take a special kind of emergency to make a germaphobe even consider using one. And just when he made his way to the bathroom partition, he’d probably run out screaming before he could do his business. The life of a germaphobe is difficult but with society forcing us to share each other’s utility, there has to be a way to get out of all this madness. In this article you are going to have to toughen up as we talk about the things that will make your stomach churn. Somewhere over the Bathroom Partitions As the most observant of you may already notice, I am a germaphobe myself and these words speak to me more deeply than I how I take my breath before I walk into a crowd of strangers. There are two things you would always find in my bag, if they were not on my hands already and that is a bag of wet wipes and an alcohol spray. There are times that I wished that I could bathe in purell and douse myself in lysol. Except that it would kill me along with all the germs and bacteria but that did not stop me from considering it. When I was younger, when people were debating which the best romance movie character was or which player was the best, I was busy doing important work. And that was to educate my fellow kids about the dangers that germs pose. For instance, I would talk to them in length about how the ten-second rule is pure bogus. That did not stop Jeremy from eating that baloney sandwich however. That still gives me nightmares to this day. And for that reason, and my qualifications as a lifetime germaphobe crusader, I will teach you how to conquer your public restroom fears. Let us find out what is beyond those bathroom partitions. Of course, I know that I have science on my side. Not that the smell, sight, sound and everything about the public bathroom are not proof enough, but having the scientists’ backing is a big deal. Research suggests that the public bathrooms ranks among the worst places in terms of diseases that you may catch. So, yes Sheila, the public bathroom will indeed kill me. The worst discovery from that research is that the bacteria that lingers in the bathroom can remain there for months. That is more than 30 days worth of bacteria piling up upon each other in a confined space. Think about how many breaths that you take in while you are there doing your business. The paranoia is real and it is justified. The Inevitable Bathroom Partition Encounter Before we dive right into a germaphobe’s survival tactics, let us get one thing straight. Germaphobia is real and having one does not mean you are crazy. The discussion about phobia as a mental disorder is a long trip down a rabbit hole that I am not willing to get into in this article. But, for the sake of argument, let us put all of these aside for a bit. I have the worst bladder and an even more terrible digestive system. Of course that is false but, really, not by much. Having that condition meant I had to use the bathroom more than the lucky ones. And combine that with being a germaphobe means I have my work cut out for me. Because of this, I have gathered enough experience to devise surefire ways to survive your trip to the public bathroom. The real lesson here is the public bathroom is inevitable, tiny bladder or not. Everyone has to go at the most inopportune times at some point. Noone is special enough to be exempt from this predicament. The Best Bathroom Partition You are probably already convulsing over being made to choose between a wall and a hard place. So let me unstuck you. Not all public restrooms are the same and some can actually be quite decent, for a public restroom that is. As a seasoned veteran of the art of public bathroom sleuthing, I can tell you that it takes time and courage before you can hone your own skills as well. I divided public bathrooms into four categories and you will know each one as we go. The first type of public bathroom is what I call the hard-pass bathroom. Because you cannot get away fast enough away from that place. You probably already have an idea what kind of public bathroom I am talking about. Think of it like the public bathroom of public bathrooms, like the ones on a New York subway. If you could not drag yourself to use the subway, then there is no chance that you would use their bathroom and that is a fact. Consider crossing off these no-no bathrooms in your public bathroom list. Unless you are absolutely out of options, it would be better for you to just battle on until you find a better public bathroom. The second type is good enough, but not quite. These ones are what you would rather avoid if you have other choices but it would not make you convulse to be there for a minute or two. If you need to do business taking longer than that, then this bathroom is not for you. Generally, we classify bathrooms of common use but private bathrooms in this category. These include your cafeteria bathrooms, the one in movie theaters, and other similar facilities. And lastly, the public bathrooms that are worth noting are the fancy ones that take their sanitation seriously. You can be sure that you are entering one by being greeted by a strong chemical smell from the bleach and other cleaning agents. Some people do not like the smell, but if you are a germaphobe like
Birmingham-based Urban Village Capital has overcome the obstacles of lockdown to deliver full completion of its latest luxury £14m apartment development. Knight’s House, a stunning nine-floor former office block in affluent Sutton Coldfield, features a total of 63 apartments – including 12 penthouses, and continues the company’s upward spiral and ambition to be a major player in the private rental sector. Having announced practical completion in November, Urban Village Group has had to negotiate the issues posed by the COVID-19 lockdown before being able to open up the rental market. While the finishing touches were completed to the property during the lockdown, Urban Village Group offered two-months rent-free accommodation to NHS workers serving in Birmingham’s hospitals during the height of the COVID-19 crisis. Knight’s House adds to the company’s growing portfolio of build-to-rent developments, which also includes The Old Arts School House in Sutton Coldfield. Urban Village Capital plans to add a further 247 apartments next year having recent purchased a landmark office block in the Yardley area of Birmingham. Urban Village Group are pioneering the conversion of unloved former commercial buildings and turning them into desirable living spaces, which is aiding the UK government’s push for 300,000 new homes every year. Birmingham has been identified as a key location for the government’s plans as it looks to create a Commonwealth Games Legacy. The city is hosting the games in 2022. Urban Village Capital chief executive Nick Sellman said: “Knight’s House is a stunning addition to the Birmingham residential rental market. “The final couple of months of the development did pose one or two challenges, but nothing that we haven’t been able to overcome to add this development to our growing list of properties. “We are continually sourcing and developing tired properties to transform them into highly-desirable living spaces. There is a huge demand for quality properties across Birmingham and we are playing a key role in delivering those homes and helping the government achieve its ambitious targets.” Urban Village Capital made use of the government’s housing rules allowing existing offices to be built upwards to increase housing stock. Consequently, Knight’s House was increased from seven to nine floors to accommodate the new penthouses. The property features spacious one or two-bedroom stylish apartments, which will meet the needs of today’s modern professionals. Each apartment offers premium designer kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms and come with chrome fittings and laminate wood flooring. One of the key innovations in the building is the addition of hyperoptic broadband, which delivers connection speeds of up to 1GB. The superfast connectivity is expected to have huge appeal to those professionals have the desire and capability to work-from-home after the lockdown. New tenants will be able to benefit from an exclusive broadband package, while tenants taking a 12-month lease will qualify for one month’s free broadband. Viewings are now available and can be arranged via residential lettings agent Centrick. Contact them via email birmingham@centrick.co.uk or call 0121 347 6116. The development also includes a restaurant and office suite.
Construction and civil engineering specialist GRAHAM is celebrating a double win at the national Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation (CIHT) Awards 2020. The contractor scooped the Fosroc Engineering Award, before then being named as the Overall Winner of the CIHT Awards 2020, both of which were for its work on Carpenter’s Land Bridge, a project that connects London’s East Bank to its International Quarter. The CIHT Awards is an annual global competition that celebrate innovative work, what it takes to be the best and the incredible benefits that the highways and transportation sector and its work bring to society. Carpenter’s Land Bridge is a vital pedestrian and cycle bridge that links the £1.1 billion East Bank culture and education district on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park to International Quarter London. The project saw GRAHAM’s civil engineering teams design and install a 66m long steel bridge, formed of a portal frame and bearings, a concrete cill beam and bearings within an existing retaining wall structure, that crosses both Network Rail and Docklands Light Railways lines. The bridge was designed using Business Information Modelling software, consisting of both object-oriented 3D geometrical and non-graphical data, which was updated throughout the course of the project. Judges at the CIHT Awards praised the scheme, stating they were particularly impressed with GRAHAM’s creative approach to design and implementation. Judges stated: “The innovative solution, using off site fabrication and novel construction techniques provided a potential model for others to follow.” They added that there “were significant benefits in delivering during a constrained time window with large social values for the community and business.” On being named winners at the awards, Leo Martin, GRAHAM’s Managing Director of Civil Engineering, said: “It is a great honour to receive not just one, but two prestigious CIHT Awards for our work at the Carpenter’s Land Bridge. I would like to thank our project team for the dedication and commitment that was essential to completing the scheme on schedule and to budget. “The team went the extra mile on this project, taking advantage of the rail network shutdown to minimise disruption, and installing the bridge during overnight works on Christmas Eve, working into Christmas Day morning to ensure our programme was met.” Leo added: “Collaboration, as always, was also key to the delivery of this scheme and I’d like to thank our clients at the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC), our partners COWI designers and Briton Fabricators, MACE – the LLDC’s project management partner and principal contractor for the East Bank development, and all the stakeholders involved in the work for making this a success. The CIHT Awards are a highlight of the industry’s calendar and to be recognised at them is a fantastic achievement.” The CIHT Awards were announced at a virtual awards ceremony on the 23rd June. For more information on the awards and to view the full winners list visit: https://www.ciht.org.uk/events-listing/featured-events/ciht-awards/
The DAYCO interview… With all four brands in the Fexco Property Services group relying on the services of external suppliers and contractors, we knew that for many, maintaining operations during COVID19 was never going to be simple or easy. We spoke to one of our approved contractors to get their perspective on how life has changed for their business, and what predictions they had for ‘business as usual’ in the future. Stephen Day and Tom Lloyd are Directors of Dayco, a property maintenance services company who supply a wide range of services from electrical, decorating, cleaning and general maintenance repairs to major works. Tom was originally the founder of Lloyds Cleaning & Maintenance Services Ltd, providing maintenance services to property management companies, until he merged his company with Dayco. Steve (CEO) and Tom (COO) shared their experiences and key insights into how their business had to adapt to not only keep business running but keep their staff safe as lockdown took hold on the Nation. Q: What was your reaction to the lockdown when it was initially announced? We noticed trends and patterns across the business that emerged immediately it was announced, but I have to say we saw changes approaching before lockdown so Tom and I had already put a strategy plan in place that would focus on emergency works, putting non-essential small scale works on hold. As Boris announced lockdown, we immediately had an influx of messages from suppliers of materials and parts, who reacted by closing their doors. Two days later and with further clarity they partially opened, but only for ‘click and collect’. This did ease the problem, however, we then had to negotiate long queues which meant that simple repairs that should have been a quick job, such as changing a tap washer now takes twice as long. Q: Has stress on the supply chain affected you? Yes, it has, with large builder’s merchants started to struggle with not having enough stock, as larger warehouses were not getting supplies in, and as a result, some have since closed down. One noticeable product affected by this was wall plaster, which rapidly became hard to find. Supply & demand has generally created cost issues and prices have noticeably risen across many items. Cleaning supplies have obviously been in extremely high demand even with price rises on essential products and materials. Q: Have any of your services been affected? Indeed, some have, most notably with our cleaning services. Regular cleans turned into major cleaning tasks (or deep cleans) which meant that we had to provide protective clothing and products to our staff, not all of whom were comfortable wearing restrictive PPE. In general, we think preparation time scales were not realistic and with the demand for cleaning equipment and clothing etc being so high it meant some changes to our business – at the time the lockdown came, we were running around 80 cleaning contracts. You couldn’t set up a contract with a new supplier as demand was too great – it limited who we could buy from, but we had to ensure that all of our workers were complying to the government guidelines and issued with the right protective equipment and clothing. Q: Has this had an impact on your business? It has to a degree; whilst the cleaning contracts have thrived due to high demand, our maintenance contacts have reduced somewhat. Cleaning contracts generate less profit but with the volume of contracts increasing we have maintained margins and ensured business continuity. Q: What changes have you had to implement? Several changes were made almost immediately because we had already discussed a plan that we could roll out if necessary, which included putting provisions in place to set people up to work from home – which we did straight away with some of our office staff. We had to reassess the company’s financial status – financial holidays, furloughs etc. to protect the business, and we also had to change our entire assessment for working on site. Q: How important is H&S? H&S is a major part of what we do – so it certainly became a main focus in the early days of lockdown, we had to ensure everything was in line with government guidelines and we were fully prepared to keep our clients, the public and staff safe. As well as our in-house H&S team we work closely with an independent H&S consultant firm which has been a big help. How to interpret the information as it constantly changes and processing the changes into correct procedures has taken a lot of time. We needed ideas and strategies to adapt and having those resources to hand has played a massive part in helping us to make the right changes. Q: What have you done for your clients? We’ve had to install Perspex screens at concierge desks. We’ve put in road barriers and other measures to instruct social distancing, as well as full sanitisation services where we can. We’ve worked on a number of sites with confirmed COVID cases, but the Property Managers have been very good at keeping us informed at all times. We set up a special sanitisation team to provide a reactive service where ‘deep cleans’ were instructed – as soon as we were advised we would go in and carry out full sanitation clean. We have ramped up this service to accommodate the client’s needs. Q: How have your staff reacted to the change? Staff have generally been ok with the changes. Before lockdown, there were whispers about people stopping work and some operatives felt uncomfortable about working with the threat of the virus all around. We decided pretty quickly that we would not enforce working on site for anyone who decided the risk was too great. By the end of March we assessed the workload situation and any issues arising from staff concerns, providing a statement to staff about being able to work from home and since then Teams and Zoom have
Connex Offsite, specialists in the manufacture of high-end modular bathroom pods announced a three million pound contract, to supply luxury modular bathroom pods to London property developer, Mount Anvil. The contract will see the Newry based manufacturer export their residential bathroom pods to Mount Anvil’s Royal Eden Docks development, an area in East London that is set to re-emerge as a globally significant commercial, cultural and residential centre. Connex is aggressively targeting new business throughout the UK, viewing the residential market as having major scope for future expansion. In the next two months, the firm will recruit staff for a variety of roles including joiners, operations managers, designers, general labourers and tilers, to meet their rapidly growing order book. Brendan Doherty, Managing Director of Connex Offsite said: “We are delighted to be working with Mount Anvil, one of the leading property developers in London, with thirty years of construction history in the city under their belts. “Mount Anvil recognised the high quality of our pods and standard of service from recent major projects we have delivered in Central London and decided our product was a perfect fit for their supply chain requirements. “We have seen huge growth in recent months and I believe the Covid-19 crisis has been the catalyst for a shift to modular construction. Off-site manufacturing is being embraced by the industry because of the restrictions on the level of labour on site. Because our pods are completely finished in a controlled environment, shrink wrapped on the factory floor and shipped to the construction site, we are reducing the numbers of trades required on site.” Connex launched two years ago, with a £1.2 million investment, and due to a significant increase in production, will move into its new £2.5millionfacility ahead of time, in August 2020.
The second of Polypipe Civils & Green Urbanisation’s e-Roadshow events on Realising Resilience put the spotlight on Wales, where it is now a statutory requirement to have SuDS in place to manage on-site surface water. All three guest speakers, from the worlds of local authorities, architecture and planning, expressed the view that you must plan for SuDS, and now green urbanisation, from the outset to achieve the best outcomes. “The principal advice from every speaker was that you must consider SuDS at the design stage if you want to achieve the desired aesthetic, resilience and biodiversity outcomes,” explained Sean Robinson, Polypipe Civils’s Specification Director, who hosted the event. “You can’t simply plan a development and then tack on a SuDS element as an afterthought.” Matt Bradley, National Specification Manager, Civils & Landscape, opened proceedings with an explanation of how Polypipe’s green urbanisation approach can ‘hardwire green assets into the SuDS solution’. He also emphasised the importance of collaboration throughout the design process. “The benefits of green urbanisation can’t be realised by one body on its own,” he said. “You need early engagement between stakeholders and manufacturers because cooperation is the key to success.” The notion that approvals from the SuDS Approval Body (SAB) added time and cost to development got short shrift from Ian Titherington, SAB Officer for Cardiff City Council. “It’s an urban myth,” he declared. “If you get the SAB officers engaged early in the design then it will be cheaper and faster to design, get approved and get built.” Both Ian and the next speaker, Kathryn Williams of Kew Planning, pointed out that this legislation covers virtually all construction – even down to a residential extension or patio. Kathryn argued that not only was this far too wide-ranging but also the whole process needed amending to be fair and workable in order to promote more SuDS schemes. For his part the third speaker, architect Noel Isherwood, saw the new requirement as encouraging a rethink in housing development design, with SuDS helping to mitigate the dominance that highways has always had. “Incorporating green urbanisation into a housing scheme means that densities can be higher but without sacrificing amenity. Interstitial areas can be transformed as places where people can meet and spend time. No longer are amenity areas just bits of land that are left over at the end of the design,” he said. “The beauty of SuDS is that highways is no longer the major driver for developments, so we can explore better ways of designing the built environment. It becomes all about placemaking, rather than the car.” Polypipe’s next Realising Resilience e-Roadshow on 30 June examines Green Urbanisation in the context of Birmingham and is entitled Planning and Development to Enhance Health and Wellbeing. Realising Resilience events centred on London and Scotland follow on 7 July and 14 July respectively. All of the guest speaker presentations for the Wales e- Realising Resilience e-Roadshow event can be viewed at https://www.polypipe.com/news For information on the full programme and details of how to register visit: – https://www.polypipe.com/roadshow-2020 Pic caption: Trees deliver the greatest multi-functional benefits across the spectrum of green urbanisation applications at roof podium and pavement level.
While you may think that the construction industry has stayed pretty much the same over the years, with similar systems and processes in place, you would be wrong. Over the past few decades, technological advances in construction-based systems have completely honed and revolutionised the industry. From greatly enhancing productivity to improving safety measures, technology has – and continues to – play a huge role in the growth of the industry. But how I hear you ask? Well, that’s what this article is here to look at – in particular, assessing how training and safety have both improved as a result of implementing technological advances. Augmented & Virtual Reality Back in 2016, approximately 20% of worker deaths were found to be construction-related incidents, demonstrating just how important effective safety training and measures can be. Since then, advances in virtual reality (VR) have already started to make a strong impact on lowering this number of deaths, by enabling workers to familiarise themselves with potentially dangerous situations in a perfectly safe virtual environment. Say, for instance, if a trainee needs to learn how to dismount heavy plastic barriers from the back of a lorry. Using a VR-based system, scenarios can now be produced to teach said trainee the right way to respond, depending on the exact circumstance. Having already been used for many years by flight schools, medical schools and the military, VR simulators can be utilised in various ways to train workers on how to carry out precise operations – whether that be operating cranes or doing masonry work. Augmented reality (AR), on the other hand, can greatly improve safety in an entirely different way. Whether it be producing detailed safety plans or providing expert training, there are several different ways in which AR can be utilised within the construction industry. For example, workers could have augmented safety checklists, specific to each task, pop up on a display integrated into a smart hard hat or safety goggles. This will then remind them to make sure they are wearing to proper personal protective equipment, and carry out any checks required to perform tasks safely. Safety managers can also have the opportunity to monitor exactly what their workers are doing, walking them through tasks whenever they need assistance. Wearables Wearables are pretty much everywhere nowadays and the construction industry is no different; workers are now being fitted with smart tech capable of monitoring their working environment and improving their on-site safety. The wearables that workers are now being told to wear have a wide array of smart features able to track their movements, repetitive motions and any slips, falls or injuries they might have. These smart devices embed into the personal protective equipment they are already familiar with, meaning using them shouldn’t disrupt their ability to work. However, that’s not all. The rise of smart clothing in recent years has revolutionised the construction industry in terms of assessing the overall health of workers. Being able to monitor vital signs like respiration rate, skin temperature, and heart rate can make it easy to pinpoint whether a worker is suffering from fatigue or is under the influence of drugs or alcohol. This can then enable safety managers or health professionals to step in before an accident occurs. Site Sensors As we’ve already mentioned, keeping construction sites as safe as possible is imperative to ensuring the protection of workers. With this in mind, site sensors can now be deployed across construction sites to take measurements of the dust level, the temperature and the noise level, in order to control and prevent potentially harmful exposure. These sensors can be mounted throughout the entire construction site, immediately alerting workers when they are most at risk of being exposed to potential danger. The sensors then relay the data they record back to the site safety manager, who can then make the necessary changes required to ensure their workers’ safety. Final thoughts… Ensuring the safety of construction workers is absolutely imperative but, thankfully, advances in technology are helping us do just that. Whether it be through improving on-site safety, training procedures or identifying health-related issues, technology will continue to play a more and more pivotal role in the life and role of a construction worker as time moves on. Watch this space.
Steelwork now underway on the Ravenscraig Road site. Construction is now under way at the Raven Locks, a 172,000 sq ft speculative industrial scheme in Salford, following the appointment of Portal Construction NW Ltd as main contractors. Portal Construction NW were appointed to undertake works on the 14-acre Ravenscraig Road site, with completion anticipated for February 2021. Despite the challenges brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, the contractor has continued to make excellent progress on site and remains on programme. The completed scheme will offer 3 detached, self-contained units ranging from 29,500 – 61,000 sq ft along with a terrace of a further 3 units ranging from 11,000 – 19,000 sq ft. Each unit will comprise high quality warehouse space, extensive secure yards and dedicated carparking along with office accommodation and amenities. The larger units will also enjoy other benefits including 10 metre eaves height whilst the biggest unit will boast 5 dock level access doors as well as trailer parking spaces. Raven Locks is ideally situated in Little Hulton on the outskirts of Salford, with 2 miles of both Junction 3 and 4 of the M61 and close to Junction 15 of the M60. This gives easy access to Manchester city centre, Manchester International Airport and on to Liverpool and the south. The local demographic is also attractive to would-be tenants with access to an NVQ+ qualified workforce of 235,600 and potentially 6 million customers within a 60-minute drive radius. Network Space Development Director Joe Burnett said: “We are delighted to have appointed Portal Construction NW to deliver the Raven Locks scheme which will offer much-needed high quality modern industrial units in a very sought-after location. “The development will have a positive socioeconomic impact on the local and wider area by bringing a longstanding brownfield site back into use and provided accommodation for local businesses as well as attracting inward investment. We are encouraged by the level of enquiries so far and remain confident that we will continue to see strong demand for Raven Locks given the site’s positioning, connectivity across the North West, Greater Manchester and key transport hubs, as well as having access to a sizeable and qualified workforce within close proximity of the scheme.” Raven Locks is one of a series of developments being delivered by Network Space Developments across the North West in partnership with global investors, InfraRed Capital Partners. Architects on the scheme were AEW Architects. Asset and property management services have been awarded to industrial asset management specialists NSM. NSM has also been appointed as agents, along with JLL and DTRE. Scheme details are available at http://ravenlocks.co.uk/.
Hayfield has commenced construction at its first scheme in Cambridgeshire. It is the third new development where work has got underway during the past four weeks, signalling a £70 million investment from the UK’s Best Small Housebuilder. The new 4.4-acre development site is in the historic village of Great Gransden. Located off Sand Road, a stunning linear route through the development area will be created, which has inspired its name – Hayfield Avenue. Detailed Planning Approval has recently been secured from Huntingdonshire District Council for the £13.8m development, which will feature 40 luxury homes, 16 of which have been designated for affordable housing. Mark Booth, Managing Director of Hayfield said: “Our Hayfield Avenue scheme in Great Gransden is a prime residential site in a beautiful sought-after village which has seen very little new development. We have actively targeted Cambridgeshire and are thrilled this will be our first project in the county. “This scheme completes our hat-trick of new development starts since the Covid-19 lockdown has eased. While the global impact of this pandemic is unprecedented, the basic macroeconomics of housebuilding have not altered. With strong financial backing, we have made this £70m investment in order to secure and create new jobs in both Hayfield and the construction supply chain. I am proud to report that we now have a total of eight live development sites, where 554 homes are currently being delivered.” Hayfield worked with Architect and Planning Consultant Woods Hardwick on the design of the scheme. Following thorough analysis of the existing high-quality architectural vernacular of Great Gransden, the blueprint for the new houses has been inspired by the Arts and Crafts era, taking specific design cues from properties in the village. A total of 12 house types will feature across the development, giving a wide choice of two, three, four and five-bedroom homes. ‘Play Streets’ will be incorporated within the centre of the scheme, which will see the road surface designated as an area for cars and pedestrians to share. Great Gransden lies 15 miles west of Cambridge and within easy reach of the plethora of science and innovation parks located across the county. St Neots Train Station is a 20-minute drive away. Hayfield’s other live sites include the flagship Hayfields scheme in Southmoor, Oxfordshire, which comprises 74 luxury houses. Also under construction in Oxfordshire is Hayfield Green, where 66 luxury houses and bungalows are being developed on a 21-acre former RAF WWII Airfield in this historic village of Stanton Harcourt. In the small market town of Southam in Warwickshire, the final phase of Hayfield Grange is selling ahead of the build programme. The popular development comprises 51 family houses and bungalows. In Bedfordshire, Hayfield is under construction with 105 luxury houses and bungalows close to English Heritage’s Grade I listed Wrest Park Estate, which is in the sought-after village of Silsoe. Seven miles away, in the traditional village of Clifton, the Hayfield Gate development – comprising 95 luxury homes – has launched on an off-plan basis. Hayfield has recently started construction work at a prestigious eight-acre residential site in the historic small town of Woburn Sands, Buckinghamshire, where 53 luxury family homes will be delivered. While in the picturesque and historic Wiltshire village of Blunsdon, Hayfield is underway developing 70 luxury homes, a new community shop and café.
Polypipe Civils & Green Urbanisation’s inaugural Realising Resilience e-Roadshow event on Wednesday 17th June, which attracted over 80 delegates, shone a light on Greater Manchester and the great strides it is taking towards embedding green infrastructure throughout the region. “One of the strong messages to emerge from the diverse line-up of speakers was the importance of collaboration between a wide range of stakeholders in delivering green urbanisation. One simply can’t just look to ecologists, landscape architects and designers; utility companies, private investors and data analysts are all part of a successful mix,” explained Sean Robinson, Specification Director, who hosted the event. Nicholas Wright, Specification Manager, City & Landscape Polypipe Civils & Green Urbanisation, opened the event with a look back at Manchester’s Angel Gardens. Completed in 2019, this project boasts a large Permavoid, shallow invert attenuation tank situated on the podium which limited the impact to the surrounding drainage infrastructure. He also explained how if this project was designed today the addition of more green assets and smart systems – like the ones installed on Polypipe’s own award-winning, blue/green roof in Aylesford – could have boosted this development’s resilience further. Sophie Tucker, United Utilities’ Sustainable Drainage System Manager, spoke of her organisation’s role in encouraging the installation of blue/green roofs in the North West, with retrofit a particular focus. United Utilities is incentivising this with significant reductions in sewage charges to non-household customers who deploy SuDS such as blue/green roofs. John Roberts, Principal Civil Engineer at specialist consultancy Environmental Protection Group provided an insight into the design of cascade blue roof systems. Such set-ups add even more resilience by reducing discharge into sewers and reducing the need for potable water by allowing the movement of water between roof areas and attenuation zones, and making this water available for passive irrigation to support green assets. Samuel Evans, Head of Environment Policy, at the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, outlined how the authority is working to encourage private investment in natural capital. Exciting plans are already afoot to form a portfolio of retrofit projects, where the savings in sewer charges offered by United Utilities could provide a return on investment for would-be funders. The final speaker, Francis Hesketh, director at the Environmental Partnership, explained the value of ecosystem services. Both he and Evans referenced Greater Manchester’s impressive mappinggm.org.uk resource which now contains an overlay providing a colour-coded Ecosystem Services score which will help inform planning and biodiversity net gain goals. Polypipe’s next e-roadshow, which will tell the story of Wales’ SuDS journey, is on 23 June and features speakers from Cardiff City Council, Kew Planning and Noel Isherwood Architects. Realising Resilience events centred on Birmingham and London follow on 30 June and 7 July respectively. For information on the full programme and details of how to register visit: – https://www.polypipe.com/roadshow-2020 Pic caption: The move to a shallow invert Permavoid attenuation solution on Angel Gardens, Manchester, allowed the creation of a two storey, 146 space basement car park.