PizzaExpress has opened in the restored former Burton building in Hull, bringing the art deco landmark back into use for the first time in half a decade. The pizzeria brand has become the first occupier of Burton House in Hull city centre, following a stunning £2.4m regeneration delivered by leading commercial property developer Wykeland Group. Designed for Burton menswear company founder Montague Burton by his famed Chief Architect Henry Wilson, the building dates back to the 1930s but has stood empty since 2020, when Burton owner Arcadia Group collapsed into administration. Wykeland purchased the building in 2021 and has since delivered an extensive restoration to the exterior and key parts of the interior of the building. PizzaExpress has leased 2,400 sq ft of ground floor space, as well as 1,600 sq ft in the basement. Wykeland Development Director, Jonathan Stubbs, said: “We’re delighted to welcome PizzaExpress to Burton House. Having the nation’s most iconic pizzeria brand as our first occupier realises our vision to bring the building back into use, to be enjoyed by local people and visitors alike. “We’re extremely proud to have delivered a restoration project sensitive to the extraordinary character and history of the building. “We’re sure PizzaExpress will love their new home and customers will enjoy dining in one of the city’s most striking settings. “We’re also receiving significant interest from potential occupiers of the upper floors as we continue to once more make Burton House a thriving gem in the heart of Hull.” PizzaExpress Hull General Manager, Chris Joseph, who heads a 24-strong team, said: “We’re so excited to open our doors in our stunning new setting. We know pizza fans are going to love our new restaurant – it’s the perfect destination, from catch-ups to celebrations and everything in between.” At Burton House, work is continuing on the upper floors to create premium commercial space which are ready for occupiers to move straight into. The offices are loft-style spaces with an exposed brick aesthetic, complete with new flooring, kitchen facilities and toilets. The first, second and third floors each cover 2,500 sq ft. The restoration of Burton House is the latest significant city centre regeneration project delivered by Wykeland. The Hull-based developer has also restored historic Castle Buildings in a £2m project to bring another Hull landmark back into use, for the first time in more than half a century. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

UK’s largest hotelier buys into Bognor Road location as part of its southern expansion drive   Whitbread PLC, the parent company of Premier Inn, the UK’s largest hotel company, has announced plans to build a new 82-bedroom Premier Inn in Chichester, satisfying the company’s long-term goal to secure a second hotel in the cathedral city.   The site on Bognor Road, which was acquired from Hanbury Properties, is located adjacent to the main A27 / A259 junction, offering a highly accessible location for business and leisure travellers looking to spend time in the historic city.  This new location complements the existing Premier Inn at Gate Leisure Park to the south west of Chichester city centre and will bring the total number of Premier Inn bedrooms in the catchment to 165, completing Whitbread’s network plan for the city.  Whitbread Acquisitions Manager Louise Woodruff said:  “From Roman ruins to the racing circuit at Goodwood, Chichester’s diverse cultural offer and successful business economy is fuelling year-round demand for high-quality, affordable hotel rooms from our customers.  “This consistent demand has underpinned our search for a suitable second Premier Inn location in Chichester which we are pleased to have acquired from Hanbury Properties, who have provided us with a fully serviced site, ready for development in the Spring.    “Purchasing the site freehold shows how flexible we can be to bring high-quality locations like this one into our pipeline, and our in-house development team is itching to get started and begin constructing our newest hotel on the south coast later this year.”  James Belbin, Director of Hanbury Properties, said:  “We’re delighted to complete the sale of this site to Premier Inn and look forward to seeing their plans come to life.  It’s an excellent location for a new hotel and will help to underpin the next phase of development at Cathedral Business Park.  “The site was a former WWII fuel depot that required significant investment, including full remediation, a new slip lane and traffic light junction off the A259, bus stop, a 220m estate road, and services under the A27 to facilitate development – so it’s not been the most straightforward site to deliver.      “This sale represents the culmination of all that hard work.  It’s been a pleasure working with all the acquisition team at Premier Inn to bring this site forward, and it’s great to know that this hotel will create valuable jobs and help contribute positively to the local community in the years to come.”    The Bognor Road acquisition is Whitbread’s latest commitment to investing across Sussex and the south coast of England where it sees an excellent opportunity to grow Premier Inn.    Later this year the business is set to grow its network in West and East Sussex to 23 locations following the opening of its latest Premier Inn on Bognor Regis Seafront in April.   The construction of the first Premier Inn in Littlehampton Town Centre is also due to commence in February following the demolition of the former supermarket occupying the site. Whitbread is also seeking a suitable new location for Premier Inn in Rye.   The acquisition of the second Chichester location forms part of Whitbread’s ongoing expansion of Premier Inn across the UK and Ireland.   Currently the business offers its customers close to 86,000 bedrooms from more than 840 UK and Ireland hotels and it sees the long-term potential to expand to 125,000 rooms in these two core markets.  Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Planning permission for the conversion of the 90,000 sq ft office brings hub by Premier Inn a step closer to London’s World-Famous South Bank Whitbread, the parent company to Premier Inn, the UK’s largest hotel business, has successfully secured planning permission to convert Dorset House, a former office building on Stamford Street in Southwark (SE1), into a 421-key hub by Premier Inn. The permission rounds off an especially active 2025 for the business in Central London where it has acquired four development sites for its Premier Inn and hub by Premier Inn brands since January 2025. Collectively, the four locations add close to 1,000 bedrooms – and more than 262,000 sq ft of development space – into Whitbread’s secured development pipeline in the capital. Dorset House brings the hub by Premier Inn brand south of the River Thames for the very first time at a location that boasts Waterloo Station, Blackfriars Station, London’s South Bank and the Royal Festival Hall within a ten-minute walking distance. Whitbread acquired the 90,000 sq ft building freehold in May [2025] and quickly began conversations with Southwark Council on the change of use of the nine-storey vacant office into a hub by Premier Inn hotel.  The intention is to add the compact hub bedrooms within the existing floorplate and introduce a new hotel entrance on Stamford Street, with the basement-level F&B space visible through cut-out concrete sections on the ground-floor.  Construction work is expected to begin in the second half of 2026 with a target date for opening in summer 2028. Jonathan Langdon, Senior Acquisition Manager for Whitbread, said: “Whitbread’s reliable and affordable hotels are ingrained in London life and we’re taking full advantage of opportunities to expand our network further for our guests. “The buildings we have acquired in 2025 bring four outstanding hotel locations into our secured pipeline in places where we are either not yet represented or are responding to strong, year-round demand from our customers. “All four acquisitions demonstrate Whitbread’s ability to spot and convert excellent opportunities to grow our business, deploy capital strategically, and work through planning risks to successfully grow our estate. “Achieving planning permission at Dorset House rounds off an especially active period for Whitbread’s Central London team in 2025, and we are moving quickly to progress our pipeline hotels into construction and onto trading as soon as possible.” Reflecting wider changes in the demand for office properties across the UK, all of Whitbread’s property acquisitions in Central London are office-to-hotel conversions. They include: Collectively the acquisitions total more than £100 million of direct investment.  All the new hotels will be powered solely by electricity generated from renewable sources in line with Whitbread’s sustainability programme, Force For Good. Whitbread’s London hotels represent 18% of the company’s c. 86,000 bedroom-strong network in the UK & Ireland and an important growth market for both brands as the company works to expand its hotel estate by 45% to a long-term potential target of 125,000 UK&I rooms.  Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Construction has officially begun on a £120m Wilde aparthotel in Shoreditch, as Gilbert Ash breaks ground on the major London development for Dublin-based Staycity Group and The Property Trust Group. Located at 19 Great Eastern Road, the 11-storey scheme is set to become Staycity’s largest Wilde-branded property in the capital and its fifth within Zone 1. WT Partnership is acting as project manager, with completion scheduled for May 2027. The new aparthotel will provide 275 studio and one-bedroom units, each designed with self-catering layouts to support longer stays and flexibility for guests. The development will also feature an extensive range of amenities including a restaurant, café-bar and cocktail lounge, communal dining areas, a fitness room and a guest laundry. A biodiverse roof will crown the building, contributing environmental benefits and supporting local ecology. The Wilde brand, inspired by the spirit and style of Oscar Wilde, debuted in Covent Garden in 2018 and has since expanded across major European cities including Berlin, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Lisbon, London, Manchester and Vienna. Further openings in Amsterdam and Porto are already planned as the brand continues its rapid growth. The Shoreditch project marks another significant step in Staycity’s ambition to expand its presence across key urban centres, while reinforcing The Property Trust Group’s commitment to delivering high-quality hospitality developments in prime city locations. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Wrexham AFC have officially broken ground on the redevelopment of the Kop Stand at the STōK Cae Ras, marking the beginning of the full construction phase of one of the most significant infrastructure projects in the Club’s history. The ceremony, held on 4 December brought together representatives from the Club, Wrexham County Borough Council, McLaren Construction Midlands and North, the Welsh Government, Wrexham University alongside wider stakeholders from the Wrexham Gateway Partnership. The groundbreaking is a landmark moment in the long-awaited return of the Kop Stand and signals the transition from extensive early site preparation to the main build programme. The new stand, set for completion during the 2026/27 season, will restore the stadium to a four-sided configuration, increase capacity to just over 18,000 and enable the STōK Cae Ras to achieve UEFA Category 4 compliance. Since McLaren Construction’s appointment under a Pre-Construction Services Agreement earlier this year, the project team has completed a comprehensive suite of enabling works to prepare the historic site for full construction. These works have included establishing the early-phase compound and welfare facilities, completing the reduced-level dig and stabilised construction platform, installing the piling mat, relocating and upgrading hoarding, forming a permanent safe walkway from the Wrexham Lager Stand, creating construction access routes and crane platforms and commencing the piling operations that will continue into the early new year. Delivery of the main site offices and welfare accommodation has also been completed ahead of the full construction programme progressing. The project will now move into its principal construction period, with the breakout piles, casting of foundations all commencing through December and into January, and the start of reinforced concrete lift cores, that will support the new structural steel frame along with the foundation. Work will also progress on internal service ducting, drainage and preparation of the main ground floor slab. In early 2026, slip formed reinforced concrete cores will be constructed to provide stability for the roof structure. The steel frame, which comprises approximately 1,500 tonnes of steel including major long-lead tubular truss sections, is scheduled to begin rising from early spring. Installation of precast concrete terrace units will follow before roofing and façade works, internal fit-out and systems installation continue through the remainder of 2026 and into 2027. The project team has worked closely with partners to address the complexities of building a major new stand within a live, operational and historically sensitive stadium environment. A detailed sequencing strategy has been developed to manage trade movements and construction operations within the tight site footprint, while logistics planning has been coordinated with Wrexham County Borough Council, Wrexham University and nearby businesses to minimise disruption. A comprehensive Construction Environmental Management Plan underpins this process, ensuring that the construction programme is delivered safely and responsibly. The new Kop Stand will deliver modern concourses, improved accessibility routes, upgraded media and broadcast facilities, and enhanced back-of-house and matchday operations. Its design is being driven by UEFA standards, Safety Advisory Group requirements and the latest Green Guide principles, ensuring the new structure not only meets regulatory expectations but significantly enhances the supporter experience and long-term operational efficiency of the stadium. Joel Casstles, Operations Director at McLaren Construction Midlands and North, said: “The groundbreaking ceremony marks the start of an exciting phase for Wrexham AFC and for the city. The scale and complexity of the new Kop Stand are significant, especially on a historic and operational site, but the progress made to date means we are entering the main build with confidence. “This stand will transform the stadium and deliver a new gateway to Wrexham, which the whole community can be proud of. We are committed to ensuring the project creates local opportunities and leaves a lasting legacy for supporters and residents alike.” Michael Williamson, CEO of Wrexham AFC, said: “Breaking ground on the new Kop Stand is a hugely significant moment for the Club and our supporters. The Kop has always held deep importance, and today’s ceremony marks the beginning of its long-awaited return. Over the coming months, fans will see the structure take shape as we build a stand that enhances capacity, improves facilities and secures the future of the STōK Cae Ras as a top-tier venue for domestic, international football and other sporting and entertainment events.” Leader of Wrexham Council, Cllr Mark Pritchard said “The new Kop Stand marks a significant step forward for the Wrexham Gateway. We’ve worked closely with the club and partners to help shape the project that will see enhancements to the ground and improvements in connectivity that will open up new opportunities. Once in use, the stand will be a great vantage point to witness historic domestic and international games here in Wrexham, the spiritual home of Welsh Football.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Artisan Real Estate to Partner with Whitbread to Transform 1980s Office on edge of Capital’s New Town into hub by Premier Inn Planning consent has been granted by the City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) to transform a sandstone office building on the edge of Edinburgh’s New Town into a sustainable 102-bedroom city centre hotel. Regeneration specialist Artisan Real Estate is now set to progress with the redevelopment of Albany House, located at 58 Albany Street on the corner of the capital’s Broughton Street, with completion scheduled for summer 2027. Artisan have agreed terms with Whitbread plc to operate the completed hotel under its popular hub by Premier Inn brand The five-storey Albany House was constructed in the 1980s and was designed to reflect the adjacent Georgian neoclassical town houses along Albany Street. The current occupiers are relocating to new offices in the city centre in 2026. Artisan’s design proposals will retain much of the external structure of the building whilst replacing the top floor facade with a contemporary new cladding and finish to meet current building standards.  Internally, the hotel’s design specification will meet high environmental and sustainability standards, with air-sourced heat pump technology replacing the existing fossil fuel heating and hot water system. Welcoming the planning consent for Albany House, Artisan’s Managing Director for Scotland, David Westwater, said: “This exciting hotel development will bring continued interest and investment to a vibrant corner of Edinburgh’s eastern city centre. We are pleased to be once again working with Whitbread to create a modern and contemporary hotel interior providing the high levels of insulation and energy technology, delivering both a sustainable and attractive addition to Edinburgh’s successful hospitality sector. The existing sandstone building is well-suited to hotel development with high levels of natural daylight and an established entrance area.” He added: “Albany House is the latest in a succession of high-profile planning proposals delivered by Artisan in Edinburgh’s city centre during the last 12 months and reinforces our stated commitment to bring substantial investment coupled with high quality development to the heart of Scotland’s capital.” Whitbread currently welcomes close to a million visitors to its established network of 14 Premier Inn and hub by Premier Inn hotels within the City of Edinburgh Council area. The business calculates its guests staying at these hotels generate more than £32 million in visitor expenditure to the Edinburgh economy every year. Jill Anderson, Acquisitions Manager for Whitbread, said: “Albany House is an excellent location for a hub by Premier Inn hotel, and I am very pleased to be working with Artisan to expand our footprint in the city in a sustainable way through the proposed conversion of the 1980s office building. “Our hub by Premier Inn hotels are designed to appeal to budget, short-stay travellers, looking to stay in the most interesting and connected city centre locations.  It offers all the comfort, consistency, and reliability of Premier Inn, but with a smaller bedroom and the format allows us to offer great value rooms in the most vibrant places.” She added: “Premier Inn has been part of Edinburgh’s hospitality scene for more than 30 years.  We’re incredibly proud to have built a network of popular, good-value hotels across the city, and we see great potential for further investment driven by our own high occupancy in the city and the fact that budget hotels like Premier Inn account for just 20% of the city’s bedroom stock.” Artisan Real Estate has an established track record of delivering innovative hotel development in architecturally sensitive city centre locations. This includes three hotels as part of the award-winning New Waverley development in the heart of the Edinburgh’s Old Town – including partnering with Whitbread to deliver a Premier Inn and hub by Premier Inn (trading as Edinburgh City Centre Royal Mile). Most recently, the developer has completed the transformation of Glasgow’s historic Clydeside Custom House into a new hotel quarter. The Albany House planning proposal follows Artisan’s successful application to transform the city’s historic Caledonian Brewery into a new residential neighbourhood which received planning consent from CEC in May 2025. The developer is also progressing with the homes-led regeneration of a vacant office block on the city’s Ferry Road, to the north of the city centre. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Whitbread PLC, the UK’s largest hotel company and owner of Premier Inn, has made a significant freehold hotel acquisition in Central London for its hub by Premier Inn brand.  In line with the company’s strategy of expanding its network of budget hotels in London, it has acquired Victory House (30-34 Kingsway, WC2) from a private overseas investor for an undisclosed sum.  The location matches Whitbread’s network plan requirement for Covent Garden / Holborn and provides hub by Premier Inn customers with doorstep access to Covent Garden, Lincoln’s Inn Fields, the LSE campus and London’s Theatre District all of which are less than a ten-minute walk away.   Whitbread intends to convert the 45,000 sq ft office building which is currently occupied until spring 2026 into a hub by Premier Inn hotel of around 200-bedrooms, subject to planning.  It plans to introduce the compact hub by Premier Inn bedrooms within the existing floorplates, retaining and respecting the handsome 1920s stone façade facing onto Kingsway.   The off-market purchase of Victory House rounds off an especially active year for Whitbread in Central and Inner London where the business is investing heavily.  Since February [2025] the company has acquired four former office buildings to convert into Premier Inn and hub by Premier Inn hotels – investments totalling more than £100 million.  Collectively the buildings, which include Victory House, will add close to 1,000 Premier Inn and hub by Premier Inn bedrooms into Whitbread’s secured development pipeline in a market where a significant proportion of their future pipeline is located.  Currently 19% of Whitbread’s 85,000 bedrooms are in London.  Jonathan Langdon, Senior Acquisition Manager for Whitbread, said:  “The vision behind hub by Premier Inn is to offer all the great things about Premier Inn in the most central, accessible and exciting places.  Kingsway is one of those stand-out locations being surrounded by London’s best entertainment, restaurants, cultural venues and institutions – somewhere we know our customers will want to stay.    “Investing here matches our network plan and complements our trading and pipeline hotels, neatly “bookending” Covent Garden with our St Martin’s Lane hotel to the west.  It also rounds off an especially active year for Whitbread in Central and Inner London where we have made four significant purchases and lease commitments, collectively totalling more than £100 million of investment and adding close to 1,000 prime located rooms into our pipeline.  “We’re pleased to have secured the Kingsway location quickly off-market and are excited to begin the planning journey with Camden Council next year, with a goal to bring the location onto our trading network in 2028.”  Whitbread’s hub by Premier Inn is designed for locations in major cities where property prices are relatively high but, thanks to the brand’s smaller room format, is still able to generate attractive long-term returns whilst providing affordable rooms for guests.  Launched on St Martins Lane in Covent Garden in 2014, the brand now offers eighteen hotels and more than 3,000 bedrooms in locations across Central London and Edinburgh City Centre – with four further London locations currently under construction or in the advanced stages of planning, including a flagship 690-room hub on Strand, next to Trafalgar Square.   Unique to the location, the Kingsway hub by Premier Inn will offer stunning views over Lincoln’s Inn Fields to the east whilst being on the doorstep of Covent Garden to the west. Whitbread is due to secure vacant possession of the building in April 2026 when the lease comes to an end.   In line with Whitbread’s sustainability strategy, the hotel will be all-electric, powered by energy generated from renewable sources – with the building design itself set to incorporate heat recovery systems and air source heat pumps to create a low energy demand.  Whitbread was advised on the transaction by Ingleby Trice and the vendor was advised by JLL and Savills. Conversations with Camden Council on the conversion of the eight-storey building are anticipated to begin in early 2026.  Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Whitbread PLC, the UK’s largest hotel company and owner of Premier Inn, has acquired Victory House at 30–34 Kingsway, WC2, in Central London, in an off‑market deal for an undisclosed sum, strengthening its pipeline for the hub by Premier Inn brand. The freehold purchase fits Whitbread’s network plan for the Covent Garden/Holborn area, placing future guests within a ten‑minute walk of Covent Garden, Lincoln’s Inn Fields, the London School of Economics campus and the West End’s theatre district. Subject to planning, Whitbread intends to convert the 1920s, 45,000 sq ft office—currently occupied until spring 2026—into a hub by Premier Inn hotel of around 200 bedrooms. Rooms would be delivered within the existing floorplates while retaining the building’s stone façade onto Kingsway. The location offers views over Lincoln’s Inn Fields to the east, and Whitbread expects to secure vacant possession in April 2026 when the current lease expires. The acquisition rounds off an especially active year for Whitbread in Central and Inner London. Since February 2025, the business has bought four former office buildings for conversion into Premier Inn and hub by Premier Inn hotels, with total investment exceeding £100 million. Collectively, these assets—including Victory House—will add close to 1,000 rooms to Whitbread’s secured development pipeline. Currently, 19% of Whitbread’s 85,000 bedrooms are in London. Jonathan Langdon, Senior Acquisition Manager for Whitbread, said: “The vision behind hub by Premier Inn is to offer all the great things about Premier Inn in the most central, accessible and exciting places. Kingsway is one of those stand-out locations being surrounded by London’s best entertainment, restaurants, cultural venues and institutions – somewhere we know our customers will want to stay. “Investing here matches our network plan and complements our trading and pipeline hotels, neatly ‘bookending’ Covent Garden with our St Martin’s Lane hotel to the west. It also rounds off an especially active year for Whitbread in Central and Inner London where we have made four significant purchases and lease commitments, collectively totalling more than £100 million of investment and adding close to 1,000 prime located rooms into our pipeline. “We’re pleased to have secured the Kingsway location quickly off-market and are excited to begin the planning journey with Camden Council next year, with a goal to bring the location onto our trading network in 2028.” Hub by Premier Inn is designed for high‑value city-centre locations, using compact room formats to deliver attractive long‑term returns while offering affordable stays for guests. Launched on St Martins Lane in Covent Garden in 2014, the brand now operates eighteen hotels and more than 3,000 bedrooms across Central London and Edinburgh, with four further London sites under construction or in advanced planning, including a flagship 690‑room hub on the Strand next to Trafalgar Square. Aligned with Whitbread’s sustainability strategy, the Kingsway hotel will be all‑electric and powered by renewable energy, with heat recovery systems and air‑source heat pumps incorporated to reduce energy demand. Whitbread was advised by Ingleby Trice, while the vendor was represented by JLL and Savills. Conversations with Camden Council about converting the eight‑storey building are expected to begin in early 2026, with Whitbread targeting entry into its trading network in 2028. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Whitbread plc, the UK’s largest hotel company, and owner of Premier Inn, has submitted a planning application for a new city centre hotel in Carlisle. The proposed 104-bedroom hotel on Victoria Viaduct, close to the station and Carlisle City Centre, will complement the existing Premier Inns in Carlisle when it opens. In May 2025, the company announced the freehold acquisition of the former Central Plaza site from Cumberland Council for this development. The site has a lengthy connection to the hospitality industry stretching back to 1881 but in more recent years the former hotel fell into disrepair and was demolished in 2019 / 2020. Whitbread is seeking planning permission for a new five-storey Premier Inn hotel offering the brand’s latest format ‘Standard’ and enhanced ‘Premier Plus’ bedrooms as well as a guest-focused restaurant. The bedrooms are arranged from lower ground to fourth floor with the hotel reception and restaurant accessed from Victoria Viaduct at the upper ground floor via a prominent and welcoming entrance.  Public car parking at the West Walls car park is a two-minute walk away. Jill Anderson, Acquisition Manager for Whitbread in the north of England, said: “Since announcing our plans in May 2025 people have told us that they wish to see the vacant Central Plaza site brought back into long-term use.  They also welcome the new employment opportunities and positive economic benefits the hotel will bring to the city.  We’re very grateful for all the support we’ve received so far from stakeholders and representative groups we have spoken to. “The site on West Walls is not an easy location to redevelop into a hotel and we’ve had to be flexible to create a design that meets our operational requirements and is economically viable.  The contemporary design we are proposing responds positively to the historic context and will create an active frontage onto both Victoria Viaduct and West Walls.  We’re eager to move the proposal forward, get onto site and deliver the package of benefits the hotel will create.” Based on its own in-house data, Whitbread estimates around 30,000 Premier Inn guests will stay at the City Centre hotel per annum once it reaches maturity. These customers are anticipated to spend more than £4 million a year within the visitor economy during their stay according to an independent economic impact assessment submitted as part of the planning application, supporting the leisure and tourism sector in the region. Around 25 new permanent hospitality jobs are also anticipated to be created on opening with around 45 established jobs in the construction supply chain expected to be supported during the £12 million build. Subject to planning, Whitbread is hoping to commence development in 2026 and is targeting to welcome its first customers before the end of 2028.  In line with the company’s sustainability policy the proposed hotel will be powered by electricity generated from renewable sources and the proposed building will incorporate heat recovery systems and air source heat pumps to create a low energy demand. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

A major new leisure and office development is being proposed for Swadlincote, with South Derbyshire District Council unveiling plans for a £59 million complex on a former mining site at Cadley Park. The scheme, designed by CPMG Architects, would deliver a contemporary glass-fronted leisure centre at ground level with an open-plan council office hub above, creating a new civic focus for the town. The council hopes construction could begin as early as September next year, subject to planning approval. Located off William Nadin Way, the development is intended to breathe new life into the Cadley Park site and provide modern facilities to serve residents across South Derbyshire. The proposals include a state-of-the-art leisure centre to replace the ageing Green Bank Leisure Centre on Civic Way, which would be demolished once the new building is open. South Derbyshire District Council has launched a public consultation, inviting local people to share their views on the plans ahead of a formal planning application expected before the end of the year. Residents, businesses and community groups are being encouraged to review the designs and comment on how the new hub can best meet local needs. Council leader Robert Pearson said the project represented a significant step forward for the district. “A project like this is complicated and there has been a huge amount of work going on in the background to get us to this stage,” he said. “But of course, these key milestones in the programme are the most exciting, as we all get to take a sneak peek at what has been happening, and the plans for this future new addition to our district.” If approved, the Cadley Park development would provide Swadlincote with a modern leisure destination and new council headquarters on a single site, transforming a former industrial area into a landmark community asset. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals