HS2 has launched its sixth Innovation Accelerator programme, as the company behind Britain’s largest infrastructure construction programme seeks new ways to deliver major projects. Working in partnership with the Connected Places Catapult, the HS2 innovation accelerator programme is looking to new and existing tech firms to suggest innovative technologies to
Liverpool City Council has welcomed a multi-million pound boost for its life sciences hub and for one of the city’s well-loved markets. In a speech today at the Convention of The North conference, Michael Gove the Secretary of State for Levelling up, Housing and Communities has announced a £31m investment
Coventry University has been awarded a grant of almost £13million to help hit its target of being net zero by 2030. The grant from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, which is funded by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, and delivered by Salix Finance Limited, will help towards
Real estate investor and developer, Firethorn Trust, has made its first acquisition under its Living platform with the purchase of a purpose built student accommodation (PBSA) site in Leith, Edinburgh. Forming part of the Leith Walk regeneration scheme promoted by Calder Weir Properties, part of the site was purchased with
Retrofit for Purpose – a new insight study from Siemens Financial Services (SFS) – assesses the volume of carbon emissions buildings owners could save through energy-efficiency-as-a-service schemes. Specifically, the paper estimates emissions for the world’s four highest-volume emitter geographies – USA (71.35 MtCO2e), China (71.45), Europe (52.86), and India (14.91).
United Trust Bank (UTB) is supporting award winning developers Stephens + Stephens’ development of 32 luxury apartments in the sought after coastal town of Newquay in Cornwall. Stephens + Stephens was founded by Paul and Helen Stephens in 2008 and combines Paul’s 30 years of experience in construction with Helen’s
Worst possible decision at worst possible time An open letter in today’s Daily Record is urging the First Minister to think again about the cuts being proposed to the 2024-25 budgets for housing and planning. The call comes the day before the Scottish Parliament votes on the draft Scottish Budget
Railpen, manager of around £34 billion of assets on behalf of the railways pension schemes, has named Skanska and Morgan Sindall as main contractors for the first two of its major developments in Cambridge, Botanic Place, a 540,000 sq ft sustainable office scheme, and Devonshire Gardens, a 120,000 sq ft
Boroughs in the capital warn they face a funding shortfall of at least £400m in 2024-25, as MPs prepare to vote on the local government finance settlement on Wednesday [1]. The cross-party London Councils group says that despite a 5.5% real-terms increase in their core spending power in the settlement,
Logicor, a leading owner, manager and developer of European logistics real estate, has expanded its footprint in the UK by agreeing to forward fund a 500,000 sq ft distribution warehouse on a prime logistics site in Derby. Planning permission has already been secured for the warehouse on Infinity Park Derby.
BDC 319 : Aug 2024
HS2 has launched its sixth Innovation Accelerator programme, as the company behind Britain’s largest infrastructure construction programme seeks new ways to deliver major projects. Working in partnership with the Connected Places Catapult, the HS2 innovation accelerator programme is looking to new and existing tech firms to suggest innovative technologies to speed up design, automate construction handover and strengthen the role of the circular economy during site decommissioning at a project’s end. Construction of HS2, which will link London and Birmingham, is now well underway. Once complete, it will almost halve journey times between Britain’s two largest cities and free up space for more local trains on the most crowded parts of the existing West Coast mainline. The civil engineering programme is now at peak construction and over the coming years, the project will start to transition into a working railway. The first phase of the line between West London and the West Midlands is due to open between 2029 and 2033. HS2 Ltd senior innovation manager Jon Kelly said: “HS2 is at peak construction in 2024 and there’s still a vast amount to do on what remains Britain’s largest investment in transport infrastructure. It therefore offers a huge opportunity to develop and or hone technologies to help deliver Britain’s new high-speed railway. “HS2’s innovation accelerator is a metaphorical laboratory and test bench to develop new tech solutions to drive improved productivity and efficiencies for the high-speed rail programme and future projects – both large and small.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Liverpool City Council has welcomed a multi-million pound boost for its life sciences hub and for one of the city’s well-loved markets. In a speech today at the Convention of The North conference, Michael Gove the Secretary of State for Levelling up, Housing and Communities has announced a £31m investment package for Liverpool. The majority of the funding will be spent on the major development at Paddington Village in the heart of the city’s 450-acre Knowledge Quarter Innovation District, with the Minister stating the Government’s support for an “arc of opportunity” across the city to Bramley Moore Dock. Liverpool City Council set out its investment proposal to DLUHC late last year and this announcement follows the Interim Report of the Liverpool Strategic Futures Panel, chaired by Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram. The new funding will see: HEMISPHERE One, is a £60m scheme to be delivered by Sciontec, which is a partnership between the Council, the University of Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores University, and Bruntwood SciTech. The 115,000 sq ft scheme will include 80,000 sq ft of lab space in the building’s top five floors, in line with the Liverpool City Region’s Health and Life Sciences Investment Zone vision. Construction of HEMISPHERE One is expected to begin in early 2025 and be complete by early 2027. REACTION Secretary of State for DLUHC, Michael Gove, MP, said: “We know there is immense potential for urban regeneration in Liverpool and the wider city region. That is why the vision set out in the Liverpool Strategic Futures Advisory Panel report is so important. And that’s why we are backing it today it with £31m of new money for regeneration projects, which trace an arc of opportunity from the Knowledge Quarter to Bramley Moore Docks on the waterfront.” Council Leader, Cllr Liam Robinson, said: “We are delighted that the Government has endorsed our plans and is willing to invest in Paddington Village in our Knowledge Quarter. This investment will help to accelerate the city’s future as a world-leading science and innovation hub. “This funding is also a huge vote of confidence in our vision to be one of Europe’s leading centres for research and development in the life-sciences. “HEMISPHERE One is going to be a fantastic asset to the city, creating much-needed lab-based jobs for decades to come. The other tranche of funding will ensure we can develop the second phase of Paddington Village and enhance the city’s overall appeal to attract further investment and more jobs. “In addition, the funding for Great Homer Street Market is equally welcome as this will ensure we can grow this vital community asset in north Liverpool. “Today’s announcement is another sign of our growing relationship with Whitehall and Westminster which bodes well for further plans to grow the city’s economy.”Colin Sinclair, CEO of Sciontec Developments Limited and Knowledge Quarter Liverpool, said: “It is great news that Liverpool has been able to unlock additional funding for further development of its innovation infrastructure. This is a clear and deserved recognition of the enormous strides we have taken as a trailblazer in health and life sciences innovation and our potential for further success. “The world-class laboratory and workspace created at HEMISPHERE will play a pivotal role in that continued success and an expanded Paddington Village will be the engine room for the delivery of wider Investment Zone plans for the next decade and beyond.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Coventry University has been awarded a grant of almost £13million to help hit its target of being net zero by 2030. The grant from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, which is funded by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, and delivered by Salix Finance Limited, will help towards the cost of installing around 1,300 new solar panels and connecting nine Coventry University buildings to the city’s district energy network. It is hoped the proposals could reduce the Group’s carbon emissions by more than 1,300 tonnes per year – more than a fifth of its annual carbon emissions arising from the use of fossil fuels. These works are a major part of the carbon reduction actions outlined in a strategy jointly developed over the past year with consultants Turner & Townsend. The district energy network is a 6.6km underground heat system that transports waste heat from the city’s municipal incinerator to supply energy to major public buildings and in doing so has only one sixth of the carbon emissions of natural gas. The buildings that will connect to the network are: The approximately 1,300 new solar panels will be installed at the Alma building, Cycle Works, TheHub, Sir Frank Whittle building and Elm Bank, with the latter also having new energy efficient windows installed. All the works are expected to be completed by March 2026 and will help the university to avoid grid electricity costs of more than £100,000 per year and generate zero carbon electricity for internal consumption. Professor John Latham CBE, Vice-Chancellor of Coventry University, said: “For many years Coventry University has been taking positive strides towards our target of net zero and this grant from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme will help us with the next steps along that road. “Sustainable development and social responsibility are central to what we stand for and we are working to speed up society’s journey to net zero and clean growth through our excellent research and education. While we are rightly proud of the work and research we do to help tackle those issues nationally and internationally, being able to make a difference on our own campus is just as important.” Ian Rodger, Salix Director of Programmes, said: “We have a challenging journey to meet our net zero targets, and at Salix we’re privileged to work with organisations like Coventry University on this important mission. “This funding from government under the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme is pivotal in enabling organisations across the country to decarbonise their estates. Every day at Salix we are working to make our buildings, our environments and our communities healthier places to work and live in. “Our team at Salix looks forward to working closely with Coventry University to help them meet their net zero target.” John Bailey, associate director for sustainability at Turner & Townsend, said: “We are absolutely delighted for Coventry University receiving this funding. It has been a pleasure supporting them in their ambitious plans to net zero.” The university’s continued efforts to achieve net zero were recently recognised by the 2nd edition of the QS World University Rankings: Sustainability, placing the Group inside the top 250 universities in the world, and also saw it ranked as a Gold Tier University in the Uswitch Green University Report 2023. The recently published People & Planet University League Table, which assesses the environmental and ethical performance of UK universities, saw Coventry University retain its first class award. The university is also helping society shift to net zero through its impactful research into green battery technology, hydrogen fuel and future transport. Its commitment to tackling climate change is showcased through a number of projects, including the Clean Futures programme, which is supporting small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to develop new technology for green transportation in the UK, the relaunch of the Institute for Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering (AME), which is playing a critical step in the transition to electric transport manufacturing through innovative teaching and research, and upskilling JLR workers for the world of electric vehicles. Find out more about Coventry University’s sustainable development. About Coventry University Coventry University is a global, modern university with a mission of creating better futures. We were founded by entrepreneurs and industrialists in 1843 as the Coventry School of Design and we continue to work with businesses to ensure we provide job-ready graduates with the skills and creative thinking to improve their communities. With a proud tradition of innovative teaching and learning, Coventry University is now one of the largest in the UK and has world-class campus facilities, the UK’s first standalone 5G network and a digital community of learning. Our students are part of a global network that has 50,000 learners studying Coventry University degrees in more than 40 different countries and partnerships with 150 higher education providers worldwide. Over two centuries, we have flourished in our home city and Coventry University Group now also delivers access to our range of high-quality services and partnerships through bases in London, Scarborough, Belgium, Poland, Egypt, Dubai, Singapore and Africa. From September 2023, we will be teaching students at a new campus in China in a joint institution with Communication University of China. We have greatly increased our research capacity and capability with a focus on impactful research, delivered for and with partners to address real-world challenges and support the sustainable growth of business and communities. The depth and breadth of our rapidly growing research portfolio was validated by the latest UK research assessment, which saw us jump 22 places in the research power rankings. We were awarded a Gold rating in the 2023 Teaching Excellence Framework, proving we deliver excellence in what students care most about – teaching, learning and achieving positive outcomes from their studies. In 2022, we were honoured with the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the category of International Trade, the UK’s most prestigious business award. In recent years, we have won many awards and vastly improved our rankings in the league tables that matter to students
Real estate investor and developer, Firethorn Trust, has made its first acquisition under its Living platform with the purchase of a purpose built student accommodation (PBSA) site in Leith, Edinburgh. Forming part of the Leith Walk regeneration scheme promoted by Calder Weir Properties, part of the site was purchased with planning permission to create a PBSA block and three commercial units. Firethorn will develop the six-storey building to provide high quality accommodation for 230 student beds and generous amenities, including a fully-equipped gym, modern study spaces and student common rooms. The design specification, which was enhanced by Firethorn’s innovative use of AI technology, will feature sustainable elements to meet BREEAM ‘Excellent’ and EPC ‘A’ ratings, including photovoltaic (PV) panels. The wider Leith Walk development has planning permission for two five-storey residential units that will provide a mix of build-to-rent (BTR) and affordable housing. The owner has engaged Firethorn Living along with Calder Weir Properties to assist with the delivery of these residential units. This is the first deal for Firethorn under its Living platform, which was launched in 2023 following the appointment of Marcus Weeks as Director and Head of Living. Marcus, who has more than a decade of experience in acquiring and developing PBSA assets, commented: “Previously an underutilised brownfield site, the scheme is located in an area that continues to be the focus of major investment, driven by the recent opening of an adjacent tram line, which has significantly enhanced connectivity to the centre of Edinburgh. “As our first acquisition for Firethorn Living, the scale and quality of this project represents our ambitious strategy to invest in prime university cities and help to address the growing supply and demand imbalance for modern student accommodation, whilst making a positive contribution to local regeneration. “Firethorn is very well capitalised and our dedicated, in-house Living and development teams are actively seeking more deal opportunities in the sector to add to our growing pipeline. The PBSA and BTR markets offer strong potential for growth and we look forward to expanding our portfolio with future acquisitions in prime locations across the UK.” Work on site is expected to commence in the summer and is due to complete for the 2026/27 year. For more information, visit www.firethorntrust.com Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Retrofit for Purpose – a new insight study from Siemens Financial Services (SFS) – assesses the volume of carbon emissions buildings owners could save through energy-efficiency-as-a-service schemes. Specifically, the paper estimates emissions for the world’s four highest-volume emitter geographies – USA (71.35 MtCO2e), China (71.45), Europe (52.86), and India (14.91). Given these four areas are responsible for the majority of global CO2 emissions,[i] this equates to more than 8% of global annual CO2 emissions reduction targets, as defined by the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Renovating existing building stock to a zero-carbon-ready level is a key priority for achieving the sector’s decarbonization targets. However, rising inflation, hardening interest rates, increased fuel costs, and supply chain disruption are all factors negatively impacting adoption rates. The report therefore evidences the enabling role of flexible private sector financing arrangements to maintain crucial investment momentum, drawing on many real-world examples of implementation from around the globe. Comprehensive retrofits of commercial buildings – including offices, hospitals, factories, warehouses, and educational establishments – can reduce their energy use by up to 40 percent but are not happening anywhere near the scale needed to meet climate goals, notes the report. This is likely due to the considerable investment required to retrofit new technologies. That’s where arrangements known as energy-efficiency-as-a-service are helping private and public sector organizations to retrofit the existing non-residential building stock in an affordable and cash-flow friendly way. These innovative financing schemes can secure operational cost reductions without putting pressure on capital resources, avoid putting capital at risk, and ensure expected savings are realized. At the technology component level, financing tools are available to help vendors and distributors add value with cash flow capabilities for their buyers. For larger installations or systems, smart financing arrangements can be flexed and tailored to align costs with the rate of benefit gained from the energy-efficient technology. “With climate targets looming large, it’s important we continue support and enable the decarbonization of buildings. Not only are they a serious contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions, if left unchecked these emissions are projected to double by 2050,” says Toby Horne, Siemens Infrastructure Financing Partner, Siemens Financial Services, UK. “Specialist finance solutions are intelligently designed to factor in savings, making them budget-friendly enablers of the green transition.” Methodology Data from national/regional statistical institutes on annual energy consumption by non-residential buildings built prior to 2010 was used to model CO2 emissions of buildings likely to benefit from deep retrofit for energy-efficiency. This was then reduced by highest likely implementation levels of such deep retrofit. Likely energy savings from deep retrofit were calculated using the lowest end of official average ranges. The resulting figures provide a highly conservative annual estimate of the energy savings achievable through deep retrofit, which can be financed through energy-efficiency-as-a-service financing techniques. Download a copy of the Whitepaper: www.siemens.com/smart-buildings-retrofit Visit for further information about SFS: www.siemens.com/finance Follow us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/showcase/siemens-financial-services [i] https://www.visualcapitalist.com/carbon-emissions-by-country-2022/ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
United Trust Bank (UTB) is supporting award winning developers Stephens + Stephens’ development of 32 luxury apartments in the sought after coastal town of Newquay in Cornwall. Stephens + Stephens was founded by Paul and Helen Stephens in 2008 and combines Paul’s 30 years of experience in construction with Helen’s flair for design. Helen is the Founder and Creative Director of award-winning agency Absolute. Stephens + Stephens create desirable design-led properties in stunning locations within the Cornish landscape and describe themselves as offering a ‘perfect combination of skills, vision and experience for a whole new-wave style way of designing Cornwall-located buildings, interiors and surrounding spaces with architectural and style-driven longevity’. The scheme, known as Cliff Edge, is the second phase of the redevelopment of a former hotel site and comprises a new apartment building set over basement, ground and four upper floors. The first phase was completed last year and achieved a strong level of sales from purchasers looking to capitalise on the demand for high quality holiday accommodation in the area and those wishing to live there and enjoy the spectacular Cornish coastline all year round. UTB is providing £15m of funding towards the completion of Phase 2 of Cliff Edge, which offers 32 apartments ranging in price from £250,000 to well over £1m with the majority enjoying spectacular sea views. Buyers can also choose to have the interior of their home designed and furnished by Absolute which offers a turnkey designer interiors service. Paul Stephens of Stephens + Stephens commented: “We are delighted to be working with United Trust Bank on this prestigious development in Cornwall. This is our first project with the Bank, and we have found the whole team approachable, engaged and committed to working in collaboration with us to deliver this project. We are looking forward to the months ahead and working together on future schemes”. Orla Costello, Senior Director – Property Development – United Trust Bank said: “We love working with people who are passionate about property and Paul and Helen are exactly that. They have completed many fabulous developments across Cornwall and picked up several awards for exceptional design along the way. This is the first time UTB has supported a Stephens + Stephens development and I am confident that it will be another success to add to their outstanding track record.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Worst possible decision at worst possible time An open letter in today’s Daily Record is urging the First Minister to think again about the cuts being proposed to the 2024-25 budgets for housing and planning. The call comes the day before the Scottish Parliament votes on the draft Scottish Budget for the year ahead and follows the findings of independent research showing that 693,000 Scottish households are facing some form of housing need. It also comes in the context of three Local Authorities having already declared housing emergencies and others considering similar action. The letter has been signed by housing organisations Homes for Scotland (HFS), the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA) and the Chartered Institute for Housing together with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. SFHA Chief Executive Sally Thomas said: “Parliament will tomorrow decide whether to approve the Scottish Government’s budget – a budget that proposes to slash the money available to build social homes by more than a quarter. “Almost one in twenty people in Scotland are on a waiting list for a social home, 30,000 are homeless and nearly 10,000 children are growing up in temporary accommodation. We just aren’t building the homes that Scotland needs. “The budget proposals represent the worst possible decision at the worst possible time and are a hammer-blow to the First Minister’s priority of reducing poverty.” HFS Chief Executive Jane Wood said: “At a time when 693,000 Scottish households are facing some form of housing need, all the data shows that the chronic undersupply of housing in Scotland is intensifying. This not only threatens the country’s social wellbeing by perpetuating housing inequality but also risks its economic success and the transition to net zero. “As we consistently highlight, private and affordable housing delivery are interconnected. With 30 per cent of affordable housing generated by the private sector through developer contributions, the more homes for sale that can be built, the more affordable homes will be delivered as a result. Given the planning system is already on its knees, the 43 per cent funding reduction being proposed will serve only to increase delay and cost, and do nothing to encourage crucial private sector investment. “We hope that the First Minister will think again about his government’s proposals and that all MSPs will carefully consider the housing needs of their constituents as they vote tomorrow.” CIH Scotland National Director Callum Chomczuk said: “Scotland is in the midst of a housing crisis, with three local authorities already declaring housing emergencies and up to a dozen more on the brink of doing so. “We all know what the problem is, a failure to build enough affordable homes, and yet the most recent budget exacerbates the crisis by taking almost £200m out of the housing supply budget. But it is not too late to make changes. “Even at this late stage, the Scottish Government can restore the budget and work with the sector on developing a response to deal with the housing emergency. We hope they take the chance to make addressing Scotland’s housing crisis a political priority.” Chris Birt, Associate Director for Scotland at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, said: “There is still time for the First Minister to do the right thing and reverse this massive cut to the affordable housing supply budget. To fail to do so would be baffling in the face of spiralling homelessness and use of temporary accommodation, never mind the Scottish Government’s stated commitment to poverty reduction. Low-income tenants will face increasing rents and insecurity as the supply of affordable housing stalls. As a result of this cut to housing, this budget risks being a poverty causing budget rather than a poverty solving budget, and in the face of looming child poverty reduction targets is difficult to understand and even harder to defend.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Railpen, manager of around £34 billion of assets on behalf of the railways pension schemes, has named Skanska and Morgan Sindall as main contractors for the first two of its major developments in Cambridge, Botanic Place, a 540,000 sq ft sustainable office scheme, and Devonshire Gardens, a 120,000 sq ft mixed-use development. Both projects are being developed by Socius on behalf of Railpen. Skanska, one of the UK’s leading contractors, has secured the £200 million contract to build Botanic Place, which is set to be the most sustainable speculative office scheme outside of London. Architect AHMM has designed the buildings to achieve BREEAM Outstanding, WELL and Wired Scored ‘Platinum’ ratings. The workspaces will prioritise energy efficiency to stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer while using 70% less energy than traditional office buildings, and will be powered using renewable energy sources. Inspired by the nearby Cambridge University Botanic Garden, which can be viewed from the offices, the buildings’ quality and specification will be market defining. The project will also involve preserving the historic public house, The Flying Pig, which is located on the development site, and the creation of 15,000 sq ft of internal amenities, events, and F&B space, alongside 40,000 sq ft of terraces on multiple levels for both private and communal uses. Elsewhere in Cambridge, Railpen has also appointed Morgan Sindall, the British construction and regeneration group, to construct Devonshire Gardens, in a £77 million contract. Devonshire Gardens will comprise a new community connected by a landscaped park, supporting Railpen’s vision to create a majority car-free neighbourhood. Located in the heart of Mill Road, Morgan Sindall will deliver up to 150,000 sq ft of commercial space, 70 apartments, 8,500 sq ft of F&B space, and 1.55 acres of public open spaces. Richard Van Lente, Senior Asset and Development Manager at Railpen, said: “The appointment of both Skanska and Morgan Sindall marks a significant moment within our Cambridge portfolio as we work to deliver best-in-class assets and generate strong long-term returns for our members. We look forward to witnessing these projects come to fruition and continuing our long-lasting commitment to Cambridge with support from the council and key local stakeholders.” Doug Higgins, Development Director at Socius, also commented: “Botanic Place and Devonshire Gardens will be fantastic additions to the community of Cambridge, with Skanska and Morgan Sindall driving forward our shared vision with Railpen to deliver inspiring, sustainable and valuable assets for the city. With their expertise and proficiency, we are on track to provide a new benchmark for other developers and investors to follow, paving the way for an enhanced future within Cambridge and the wider area.” Morgan Sindall is set to begin works on Devonshire Gardens in April, and Skanska is due to start on-site at Botanic Place in July, with estimated completion dates of April 2026 and March 2027 respectively. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Boroughs in the capital warn they face a funding shortfall of at least £400m in 2024-25, as MPs prepare to vote on the local government finance settlement on Wednesday [1]. The cross-party London Councils group says that despite a 5.5% real-terms increase in their core spending power in the settlement, boroughs will continue to grapple with an “enormous” funding gap due to service pressures and costs. The £400m funding shortfall is roughly the same amount as London boroughs collectively spend on homelessness in a single year. London Councils highlights the following: London Councils says the spate of recent warnings of financial failure across local government is the result of many years of underfunding – with boroughs in the capital badly affected. The increased frequency of Section 114 notices in the last year should not be taken lightly and more are likely if the sector does not receive further funding support [2]. Last week the LUHC committee’s report on financial distress in local authorities urged ministers to address systemic underfunding in local government and tackle the £4bn gap in council finances nationally. Research from the Institute for Fiscal Studies think-tank found an estimated 17% gap between funding need and the actual levels of local government funding in London. This was by far the largest gap of any region in England. Outer London boroughs face a particularly tough outlook as they are amongst the lowest funded per capita in the country, with growing populations who are becoming more deprived. London Councils calculates the 2024-25 finance settlement will leave boroughs’ overall resources 15% lower in real terms than in 2010. Demand for services has risen substantially, as the capital’s population has grown by 800,000 during that period. Boroughs’ spending power per Londoner has decreased by around 30% in real terms since 2010. Cllr Claire Holland, Deputy Chair of London Councils, said: “Boroughs will continue to face a bleak financial outlook for the foreseeable future. “The increase in funding set out in the government’s finance settlement will not be enough to address the enormous funding gap we are grappling with. Massive pressures on local services, skyrocketing costs, and years of inadequate funding have left town hall finances teetering on a cliff edge. “It is in no one’s interests for a council to find itself in a Section 114 situation. Londoners want stability for their local services. We will continue to urge ministers to increase funding support and to work with us in making the local government finance system fairer and more sustainable.” London Councils is calling for the upcoming Spring Budget on 6 March to address the financial pressures facing boroughs. London Councils’ priorities for the government include: More information can be found in London Councils’ consultation response to the local government finance settlement, which is available here. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Logicor, a leading owner, manager and developer of European logistics real estate, has expanded its footprint in the UK by agreeing to forward fund a 500,000 sq ft distribution warehouse on a prime logistics site in Derby. Planning permission has already been secured for the warehouse on Infinity Park Derby. Located in the logistics hotspot of the East Midlands, the site benefits from direct access to the national motorway network (A50, M1, and M6) and its proximity to East Midlands Airport. Throughout the construction phase, and when the building is complete, there is the potential to create over 1300 jobs. The development will be sustainably built and will target EPC A and BREEAM Excellent certification. In addition to solar panels, LED lighting and air source heat pumps, there are plans for extensive landscaping with 112 trees, wetland habitats, bird boxes and bug hotels to improve the levels of local biodiversity at the site. Employees on the site will have access to nature trails, cycleways and footpaths to promote sustainable travel. Construction is due to start early 2024. Charlie Howard, Managing Director, UK at Logicor, said: “Infinity Park Derby fits perfectly with our strategy of further growing our footprint in areas where we know demand for quality real estate continues to outstrip supply. “We are looking forward to bringing to the market a highly sustainable, well-designed asset that is in a prime location for the UK.” Wilson Bowden and Peveril Securities is the development partner and Bowmer and Kirkland is the construction partner for the project. Logicor were advised by Cushman & Wakefield, and the developer were advised by Avison Young. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
