Canal-side Burlington House scheme comprises 91 luxury waterfront apartments within the much-acclaimed Piccadilly Basin development in Manchester. GMI Construction Group, has confirmed the completion and handover of 91 luxury waterfront apartments delivered on time and on budget for Leeds based property investor and car park operator, Town Centre Securities PLC
Further expansion signalled with appointment of well-known name Pat McGillycuddy. Glencar, an expanding construction company specialising in the industrial, logistics and distribution sectors has today announced the appointment of Pat McGillycuddy as Chairman. Pat McGillycuddy, a well-known name in the UK/European logistics real estate industry joins at the start of
GRAHAM is pleased to announce the official opening of a new construction training hub at its Tilbury2 site at the Port of Tilbury. The Thurrock Hub has been created in partnership with the South Essex Construction Training Academy (SECTA) for the CITB Construction Skills Fund project, led by Southend-on-Sea Borough
This year’s International Water Mist Conference will take place in Berlin, Germany, on 23rd and 24th October. The venue will be the Ameron Hotel Abion Spreebogen Waterside. As of today, the programme, which features a manifoldness of topics, is online. Part of the event, as has become kind of
Almost three quarters of tradespeople in the UK are happy in their work, despite working long hours and regular weekends, according to a new survey carried out by the country’s largest online supplier of ironmongery, IronmongeryDirect. The poll, completed by over 950 tradespeople, saw 72% of respondents rate themselves as
The iconic Metal Box factory in Neath, an important part of the local economy for more than 80 years, is now operational again for the first time in almost four years. Local councillors were given a tour of the site to mark the occasion and be shown plans for the
The Prince’s Foundation has launched Housing Britain, a blueprint aimed at addressing issues around housing in the UK. The 64-page publication was presented on Friday [June 28] to key industry partners and stakeholders at Dumfries House in East Ayrshire, which hosted a topical panel debate followed by a lunch reception.
The government is seeking views on the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, which underpins fire safety in non-domestic premises. Employers and business owners are being asked for their views on fire safety in workplaces in England as part of a Home Office call for evidence launched today. The Home
The Local Government Association (LGA) says the height threshold at which automatic fire suppression systems are required in residential buildings in England should be lowered to 18 metres, down from the current 30-metre/10-storey limit. It is also urging the Government to require automatic fire suppression systems to be installed in
Canal-side Burlington House scheme comprises 91 luxury waterfront apartments within the much-acclaimed Piccadilly Basin development in Manchester. GMI Construction Group, has confirmed the completion and handover of 91 luxury waterfront apartments delivered on time and on budget for Leeds based property investor and car park operator, Town Centre Securities PLC (TCS). The canal-side Burlington House scheme, which was delivered in partnership with Highgrove Group, represents the first Private Rental Scheme (PRS) development to be undertaken by TCS and has been designed by internationally acclaimed Architects SimpsonHaugh. The development comprises 91 apartments of 1, 2 and 3 bedrooms set over 11 floors, and boasts a flamboyant design sitting within the 13-acre award- winning Piccadilly Basin development in Manchester City Centre. Piccadilly Basin is one of TCS’s most significant development opportunities with a mix of residential, commercial and car parking with a total estimated GDV of over £300m. The delivery of Burlington House forms part of the wider regeneration aspirations for the strategic site, which include the redevelopment of existing and recently acquired office buildings and the next residential development, Eider House, which will be the second PRS scheme for TCS. Speaking about the project GMI Divisional Managing Director Marc Banks said: “The Burlington House development is the second major, high profile project that GMI has been trusted to deliver within the Piccadilly Basin regeneration project. We are proud to play such a key role in that renaissance and especially so when it is for one of GMI’s longest standing and most important customers – Town Centre Securities.” Edward Ziff, Chairman and Chief Executive of TCS, commented; “To be delivering our first ever PRS scheme represents an exciting time for TCS. Piccadilly Basin is a unique regeneration scheme with far-reaching development opportunities and is the natural home for a luxury apartment development of this nature. We will diversify our portfolio in response to market demand where we recognise opportunities and are anticipating strong interest in this new venture”. The project team on Burlington House alongside GMI included SimpsonHaugh, Civic Engineers, Max Fordham, Scott Ripley Associates and RLB. For further information visit http://burlingtonmcr.co.uk/
Further expansion signalled with appointment of well-known name Pat McGillycuddy. Glencar, an expanding construction company specialising in the industrial, logistics and distribution sectors has today announced the appointment of Pat McGillycuddy as Chairman. Pat McGillycuddy, a well-known name in the UK/European logistics real estate industry joins at the start of July following over 30 years at the helm of leading European Logistics developer Gazeley. At Glencar, Pat will work together closely with co-founders Edward McGillycuddy and Chris Gleave to spearhead the company’s further expansion and reinforce the customer service ethos that was the basis of many successful programmatic partnerships in his previous roles. Speaking about his appointment, Pat McGillycuddy said: “Glencar has traded successfully for three years and is growing at a steady rate. Eddie and Chris have an outstanding pedigree in the management and delivery of large-scale industrial developments throughout the past twelve years. Over the past three years they have grown Glencar’s capability steadily on several industrial projects. We are very firmly committed to a strong customer service ethos as the basis for building strong partnerships with our customers and supply chains. We believe that this enables better service and ensures the same consistent level of quality and service is delivered right across our operations. I look forward to developing upon that further and supporting Glencar’s continuing expansion”. Glencar Managing Director, Eddie McGillycuddy also went on to say “From years of construction industry experience, we knew there was a better way to do things and that’s what we have set out to achieve with Glencar. Our clients, partners and suppliers tell us they are feeling the benefits of our proactive and diligent approach and we will work hard to continue to build and improve on the excellent standards which we have already set ourselves. We look forward to welcoming Pat into the business and benefitting from his years of knowledge and abundant experience.”
GRAHAM is pleased to announce the official opening of a new construction training hub at its Tilbury2 site at the Port of Tilbury. The Thurrock Hub has been created in partnership with the South Essex Construction Training Academy (SECTA) for the CITB Construction Skills Fund project, led by Southend-on-Sea Borough Council. The official opening ceremony of the new hub was held at the Tilbury2 site on Tuesday 25th June. Representatives were in attendance from Port of Tilbury, Essex County Council, Thurrock and Tilbury Council, while GRAHAM also welcomed the Mayor of Thurrock, Terry Piccolo. Hyla Grimwade, SECTA Project Manager commented: “SECTA is pleased to be working in partnership with leading UK contractor GRAHAM. GRAHAM has kindly agreed to host the Thurrock hub for this CITB Construction Skills Fund project. The hub allows people to have first-hand experience of visiting a live construction site and will host training as part of the SECTA project. Clients using the hub have already felt the difference from a normal classroom compared to this hub as it allows them to relate their learning to a real-world experience.” Tilbury2, situated on the north bank of the River Thames, is a nationally significant infrastructure project involving the delivery of a new multi-million pound port terminal. The site will host and facilitate training as part of SECTA, which has been developed to support 650 people from the south Essex region into the construction industry. Students at the Thurrock Hub will receive ongoing training on a live constitution site, with support from qualified construction professionals to provide an improved learning experience that brings the subject to life. The CITB Construction Skills Fund supports the development of onsite training hubs. It has been set up to help train people who are looking to make a career change into the construction industry as well as others not currently in employment. The fund’s objective is to increase the number of people trained in construction skills to create a workforce to meet the needs of the sector. Thomas Craven, GRAHAM’s Tilbury2 Contracts Manager, said: “We’re thrilled to be playing host to this new construction training hub at Tilbury2 and look forward to working with the new trainees over the duration of the project. “At GRAHAM we understand the importance of skills development in our industry and the need to provide high quality training to fill the growing demand for workers in construction and bridge the employment skills gap. “By providing hands-on teaching and exposing trainees to this huge, live port construction site, we will offer the best environment possible for them to learn the trade and gain the skills needed to make them employment and site ready at the end of their training.” Peter Ward, Commercial Director, Port of Tilbury said: “It’s great to partner with SECTA and GRAHAM on this construction academy. Training and skills development is a key part of our business and it is only fitting that as part of the construction of our new port, Tilbury2, that this plays a major role in the project. The Construction Academy will ensure that people are skilled for not only the T2 project but for future work opportunities which help our local and wider economies. Tilbury2 is a significant project for our business, our customers and the local communities and we look forward to it being operational next year.” When operational in Spring 2020, Tilbury2 will be the UK’s largest unaccompanied freight ferry port, the country’s biggest construction processing hub and will see the creation of a new significantly larger rail head which can accommodate the longest freight trains of 775m. GRAHAM is delivering both the Terrestrial and Marine packages of work and is currently underway with works including Roll-On/Roll-Off (RoRo), highway works, the relocation of the existing railhead, and a fixed structural steel bridge to the linkspan. SECTA is supporting businesses and residents across south Essex, with hubs in Southend and Basildon as well as Thurrock. For details about SECTA visit www.sectatraining.co.uk or call 01702 212856.
This year’s International Water Mist Conference will take place in Berlin, Germany, on 23rd and 24th October. The venue will be the Ameron Hotel Abion Spreebogen Waterside. As of today, the programme, which features a manifoldness of topics, is online. Part of the event, as has become kind of a tradition, will be a panel discussion entitled: “Grenfell, Notre Dame – How can Water Mist Systems prevent loss of lives, property and jobs?” Organizer of the event is as always the International Water Mist Association (IWMA). The first day of the conference will be all about systems in practice and will include the discussion. The second day of the conference will mainly be dedicated to research and testing. The flyer containing the agenda can be downloaded from the IWMA webpage and also from the conference webpage which is accessible directly via www.iwma.net. Please note that the early bird period will end on 15th July. The registration period will end on 18th October.
Almost three quarters of tradespeople in the UK are happy in their work, despite working long hours and regular weekends, according to a new survey carried out by the country’s largest online supplier of ironmongery, IronmongeryDirect. The poll, completed by over 950 tradespeople, saw 72% of respondents rate themselves as ‘happy’ or ‘very happy’ in their current role, with 70% saying they would recommend their job to others. This was despite almost half (46%) of those surveyed working over 45 hours every week, 54% regularly working weekends and almost a third (29%) taking less than two weeks holiday a year. The findings are in contrast to the overall decline in job satisfaction across the UK, highlighted by a recent survey* which found that workplace happiness has dropped steadily over the past three years, with only 41% of staff reporting being happy most of the time at work. Commenting on the survey findings, Wayne Lysaght-Mason, Managing Director of IronmongeryDirect, said: “For too long academic professions have been portrayed as the aspirational career routes to pursue while occupations in the trade sector are viewed as second class. This couldn’t be further from the truth. “There are a huge number of benefits for those taking up a trade and the results from our survey show just how fulfilling and rewarding a career on the tools can be. With acute skills shortages felt across the whole construction sector, it is the perfect time for young people to pursue a trade career and join this flourishing industry.” Skills shortages (reported by 64% of respondents), which are compounded by record employment levels, mean a trade career is likely to offer long-term job security. With 10% of the UK construction workforce made up of overseas workers**, the issue could be even further exacerbated if immigration is restricted under the terms of Brexit. Furthermore, 22% of current tradespeople are aged over 50 while 15% are in their 60s, so new talent is urgently needed to replace those nearing retirement. Trade skills can lead to lucrative careers, with half of the survey respondents earning £30k or more. There are also good prospects for self-employment, which offers added flexibility, control and the option to be selective when taking on work. This is reflected in the survey, with 78% of self-employed tradespeople rating themselves as ‘happy’ or ‘very happy’ at work. IronmongeryDirect has over 17,000 products available and in stock. Orders can be placed as late as 8pm for next day delivery from Sunday through to Friday and by 4pm on Saturdays. Free, no quibble returns are available on all products. For more information, visit IronmongeryDirect.com or call their team of specialist advisors on 0800 168 28 28.
The iconic Metal Box factory in Neath, an important part of the local economy for more than 80 years, is now operational again for the first time in almost four years. Local councillors were given a tour of the site to mark the occasion and be shown plans for the further development of the site. The factory is up and running again thanks to investment by Sevenoaks Modular, a Neath-based specialist in timber frame construction. The company aims to invest some £6.5 million in acquiring and regenerating a large part of the industrial site. With phase 1 an investment of almost £500,000 now complete, some 20 people are already employed at the site. Councillors for Neath Port Talbot, Sandra and John Miller were recently shown around the 250,000 sq ft site and discussed the company’s future plans for it. Sevenoaks Modular, which currently employs around 100 people in Neath, anticipates it will double its workforce in the next 12 months in conjunction with its expansion to the site. The move will also allow it to go from producing 1,000 homes per year to more than 3,000 per year. Sevenoaks Modular will acquire around half of the site from Neath Port Talbot Council, which bought the factory in 2019. It will move all its operations to the site once it has been refurbished as will its sister companies Hale Construction and Hale Homes, both part of the Hale Group. Between all the companies, some 200 people will be based at the site. John and Sandra Miller said: “When the Metal Box closed I don’t think anyone expected to see its doors open again. After our guided tour of the facility this morning it is easy to become hopeful again. This is an exciting development which highlights a company who are able to adapt and utilise the space available to them. “Although this morning’s tour was only to the first phase, we were extremely impressed by what we saw and with the plans for expanding into the next phase. We were given a full account of the vision of the company and the intention of those driving the project. We look forward to seeing this local company going from strength to strength.” Charlotte Hale, director of Sevenoaks Modular, said: “We are delighted to see the site up and running again and there has been a real buzz in the local community as a result. At present, only a small part of the site is operational but we have around 20 people employed there and one of the two large-scale cranes at the site is now working again following extensive repairs and refurbishment. “This is just the start for us. We will eventually have all our manufacturing based at the site. Our long-term plans will mean a significant investment in the local economy and allow us to keep pace with demand and all while pushing an environmentally friendly agenda, both in terms of the style of construction we champion and in terms of how we will regenerate the site itself.” Supported by the public and private sectors, Sevenoaks Modular will make a significant investment to regenerate the site. It will install a new roof, conduct extensive repairs on the main premises, build offices and install an eco-friendly wood burning facility, complemented by cutting-edge energy storage units, which will recycle offcuts from the construction process and power the entire site. In partnership with local education providers, it will also establish a training academy for young people looking to get a foothold in the construction industry, and open parts of the site up to use by the wider community. The company anticipates all the work will be completed and the site fully operational within 12 months. Sevenoaks Modular has an order book in excess of £10 million all with tier one contractors and large property developers. It anticipates further rapid growth, which is partly being driven by government initiatives to build more homes quickly. The UK Government set a target of building 300,000 new homes in 2017 and the Welsh Government aims to build 20,000 new affordable homes by 2021. JG Hale Construction now has a turnover in excess of £40 million. It will move all of its operations to the new site using the vast space as an indoor, offsite construction hub. The Metal Box factory site was occupied for more than 70 years by the Metal Box container factory known locally as “The Box” but has been vacant after the previous occupiers, the Crown packaging company, closed in 2016. With support from the Welsh Government’s targeted regeneration investment programme, Neath Port Talbot Council bought the site in 2019 with plans to turn it into a business zone to create jobs. This investment from Sevenoaks Modular represents a big boost to that strategy. The entire site could provide space for up to 500 jobs with interest from a number of locally based companies.
The Prince’s Foundation has launched Housing Britain, a blueprint aimed at addressing issues around housing in the UK. The 64-page publication was presented on Friday [June 28] to key industry partners and stakeholders at Dumfries House in East Ayrshire, which hosted a topical panel debate followed by a lunch reception. Housing Britain contains a 14-point “call to action” [see Editor’s Notes, below] articulated by a range of industry pioneers. Running on the theme of how to achieve mixed-use places rather than homogeneous housing estates, the content aims to provide landowners, civic leaders, community groups and developers with a reference guide to encourage construction projects that place long-term gain above short-term profit. Ben Bolgar, senior director of The Prince’s Foundation, said: “We are proud to present Housing Britain, a collection of best-in-class thinking from those in the industry, providing compelling arguments that can help inform decision-makers when tackling issues around housing in the UK. “This blueprint has been published by The Prince’s Foundation, which, like its legacy charity The Prince’s Foundation for Building Community, has gained a reputation as a leader in the theory and practice of establishing beautiful, enduring buildings and places. Our efforts in this field are inspired by the work of our charity’s president The Prince of Wales and his philosophy on what makes successful and prosperous communities. The content of Housing Britain draws on the expertise and contacts we have gained over the years to provide comprehensive insight and analysis that we hope will help change the face of housing in Britain.” For the past 30 years, The Prince of Wales has championed community-led, mixed-use, attractive, walkable housing developments with future generations in mind. The publication of Housing Britain comes 30 years on from the publication of His Royal Highness’s book A Vision Of Britain. The launch event on Friday provided an opportunity for key decision-makers to come together to debate the issues raised in Housing Britain and take them forward in a meaningful way. Panel members and their respective subject matters were as follows: Jack Airey ‒ Head of Housing, Policy Exchange, whose work on raising housebuilding standards has attracted cross-party support and led to the Government creating the Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission. The politics of the UK Housing crisis with current up to date analysis and key statistics The Earl of Moray ‒ landowner and developer of Tornagrain, a 5000-home village near Inverness. The role the landowner plays in long term stewardship and legacy development, challenges and why it matters for Britain’s future communities. Andrew Cameron ‒ engineer with more than 20 years of experience in planning for movement while at the same time creating great streets and enjoyable places. The importance of shared public spaces for building community; How to integrate movement, not just cars; Manual for streets and technological change. Kit Martin ‒ architectural designer, Phoenix Trust: The plight of heritage buildings in the last 100 years and positive regeneration examples providing future inspiration. Kim Slowe: developer and managing director of Zero C and Design Your Own Home Importance of mixed-use in development and how it can add value; SME builder’s role; Custom-build potential. The principles of housing design and planning espoused in Housing Britain are reflected in The Prince’s Foundation’s Beauty In My Backyard (BIMBY) toolkit, which is available free of charge. The online resource, based on more than 20 years of community engagement techniques, aims to unite local communities, planners and landowners to develop a shared vision for locally popular places. The toolkit creates a local housing manual to help set agreed standards that should pave the way for a faster and more certain route to an agreeable planning permission.
The government is seeking views on the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, which underpins fire safety in non-domestic premises. Employers and business owners are being asked for their views on fire safety in workplaces in England as part of a Home Office call for evidence launched today. The Home Office is seeking feedback on the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, which underpins fire safety in business premises, such as offices, warehouses, shops and commercial venues, to ensure it is fit for purpose. The call for evidence follows publication last year of Dame Judith Hackitt’s Independent Review on Building Regulation and Fire Safety, which was commissioned by the government after the Grenfell Tower fire. The order places legal duties on those responsible for the safety of people using business premises. This is typically an employer or business owner, who must carry out fire risk assessments and ensure the safety of staff and others. Minister for Policing and the Fire Service Nick Hurd said: The Grenfell Tower fire was an unimaginable tragedy and we are determined to do everything we can to stop it ever happening again. The government is making good progress on improving the safety of high-rise flats, but we must also look at the wider building safety landscape, including the places where we all work. To help keep people safe, we want to ensure the Fire Safety Order is fit for purpose. To do this, we need to understand how it is working on the ground and make informed decisions in the future. The order covers all non-domestic premises, as well as the parts of residential buildings used in common, such as corridors and stairwells. Under the order, those responsible for fire safety in regulated premises include employers, business owners, landlords, occupiers and anyone else in control of the premises, such as building and facilities managers. The order also applies to anyone with paying guests, including those who run bed and breakfasts, guesthouses or let self-catering properties, as well as hotels. All of these ‘responsible persons’ are being urged to respond to the call for evidence. Their responsibilities include: carrying out a fire risk assessment of the premises and reviewing it regularly telling staff or their representatives about the risks identified putting in place and maintaining appropriate fire safety measures planning for an emergency providing staff information, fire safety instruction and training The call for evidence will run for eight weeks until 31 July 2019, and an analysis of responses will be published and inform the government’s next steps later this year. It complements the government’s consultation, Building a Safer Future, which is also launched today. Led by the Ministry for Housing, communities and local government, the consultation outlines how the government proposes to take forward meaningful legislative reform in the building safety regulatory system. See more information on the call for evidence here and on the Building a Safer Future consultation here.
The Local Government Association (LGA) says the height threshold at which automatic fire suppression systems are required in residential buildings in England should be lowered to 18 metres, down from the current 30-metre/10-storey limit. It is also urging the Government to require automatic fire suppression systems to be installed in all new premises where vulnerable people sleep, including care homes and residential schools. The LGA says existing proposals for a 30-metre threshold is too high given the practicalities of firefighting. Cllr Ian Stephens, chair of the LGA’s fire services management committee, told the LGA’s annual fire conference in Brighton: “Residents have a right to be safe and to feel safe in their homes and automatic fire suppression systems, which can include sprinklers, offer a strong reassurance that is urgently needed following the Grenfell Tower tragedy. www.local.gov.uk/topics/fire-and-rescue