Everton has unveiled plans for a major new feature at the site of its new stadium, giving fans the chance to cement their place at Everton Stadium for posterity. ‘Everton Way’ is a unique walkway on the site of the Club’s new 52,888 capacity stadium that will be paved with
Global modular building specialist, Volumetric Building Companies, which has recently announced its expansion in the UK, has secured a contract worth more than £10m for the offsite construction of a 500-bed hotel for the Tropical Islands resort near Berlin, one of the world’s largest waterparks. Worldwide leisure park operator Parques
The architects behind Bearsden’s new Allander Leisure Centre, which opened its doors yesterday, are hailing the facility as a potential future flagship for community-led, combined leisure and adult day care projects. The £42.5m facility – designed by architects Holmes Miller for East Dunbartonshire Council – replaces the original Allander sports
Liverpool City Council has given the go-ahead to Peel L&P’s plans to develop a Central Park. The proposals include a new public park and essential infrastructure to enable the delivery of approximately 2350 homes. Located within the Central Docks neighbourhood at Liverpool Waters, just south of Collingwood Dock by the
Starbucks has put an end to speculation it could sell its British business with plans to invest £30m here and open 100 new coffee shops. The US hospitality giant, which has 1,066 outposts across the UK, said it would spend millions refurbishing its existing branches over the next three years
Proposals for Kirklees Council’s £210 million Cultural Heart development, which is set to transform the heart of Huddersfield town centre, were approved by the Local Planning Authority. With approval now secured, construction of the first phase of the scheme is set to get underway in Spring 2024. Initial works will
The planning team at law firm Irwin Mitchell has advised Millwall FC on its plans to build a new training ground in West Kingsdown, near Brands Hatch in Kent- which has now been granted full planning permission. The Championship football club now has the green light to erect new state
Work is to commence on the Kingsgate development in Huddersfield. Supported by Kirklees Council, developer WD Kingsgate will make major changes to the centre bringing cinema and engaging leisure activities to the offering, alongside the existing shops. Work to redevelop the 90,000 square foot, former House of Fraser store will
Today, Travelodge, one of the UK’s largest hotel chains, announces it is expanding its Spanish operation by acquiring the lease of the popular NH Villa de Coslada hotel in Madrid and it has appointed global hospitality advisors Aldaba Partners to help grow its Spanish hotel portfolio. This expansion programme reflects
GMI Construction Group has completed a 27,802 sq. ft Premier Inn in the Lake District tourist hotspot of Keswick. Operated by Premier Inn’s parent company, Whitbread, the 71-bedroom hotel is at High Hill, on the site of the former Ravensfield Residential Care Home. The latest addition brings Premier Inn’s presence
Everton has unveiled plans for a major new feature at the site of its new stadium, giving fans the chance to cement their place at Everton Stadium for posterity. ‘Everton Way’ is a unique walkway on the site of the Club’s new 52,888 capacity stadium that will be paved with engraved stones celebrating Everton’s identity, history and the greatest players to have represented the Club. And Evertonians anywhere in the world have the chance to join those Club legends to be part of ‘Everton Way’. From today, fans will be able to purchase personalised individual stones that will be laid on the walkway that runs the length of Everton Stadium’s South Stand; the spectacular single-tier home end that will house 13,000 passionate Blues. The stones can be personalised to celebrate births, marriages, anniversaries and loved ones – allowing fans to forever be part of the Club’s iconic new home. The unique design of ‘Everton Way’ will also include stones dedicated to the Club’s greatest players, the Everton Giants, and a celebration of the Club’s key milestones and achievements. The personalised stones come in a range of sizes, designs and locations, including the opportunity to have your stone located next to an Everton Giant. With prices starting from just £65, stones can be purchased by individuals, or bought as gifts for a partner, friend, family member, business or supporters’ club. In addition to having a stone at Everton Stadium – and ahead of installation – supporters will also have the chance to purchase a replica stone. Presented in an Everton-branded display box, these replica stones offer an additional memento, along with the option of a personalised A4 presentation certificate of authentication. A priority window for Season Ticket Members, ALL seasonal Members, Goodison Park Hospitality Members and Shareholders to purchase stones on Everton Way is now open, until general sale commences at 1pm on Tuesday, 28 March (UK Time). Please visit www.Evertonstadium.com/evertonway for details and to cement your place in Everton history. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Global modular building specialist, Volumetric Building Companies, which has recently announced its expansion in the UK, has secured a contract worth more than £10m for the offsite construction of a 500-bed hotel for the Tropical Islands resort near Berlin, one of the world’s largest waterparks. Worldwide leisure park operator Parques Reunidos is investing £22m in the new hotel, which will expand the resort’s facilities by 500 beds and create its largest hotel on the Tropical Islands site. VBC’s contract is for the modular manufacture, furniture production, offsite fitting out and installation of five storeys of guest room accommodation. There will be a range of guest room types, including two- and four-bedroom family suites; double, accessible, and 36sqm deluxe rooms. These will be installed by VBC on to a concrete podium which accommodates the public areas and guest amenities. The new hotel will be clad in grey composite cladding and will be linked to the indoor water attractions. In addition to the manufacture of 155 steel-framed hotel modules, VBC’s contract includes production of a full range of bespoke, contemporary furniture for the guest rooms at its factory in Poland – from beds and sofa beds to shelving, bathroom vanity units, and wood and glass partitions between the main bedrooms and bathrooms. The guest room modules will arrive on site in Summer this year and will be installed in just two months. The hotel is due to open early 2024. Commenting on the project, Wouter Dekkers, Corporate Development Director at Parques Reunidos, said, “We are delighted to be partnering with VBC on this scheme. Their longstanding, specialist experience in hotel construction will help us to create a really fantastic facility for Tropical Islands. The use of an offsite manufacturing solution for the guest rooms will significantly reduce disruption to our existing operations and guests during the build phase. The hotel’s modular construction will also have much less environmental impact – fewer vehicle movements through the park, less material waste, and the reduced carbon footprint of the steel structure.” Wojciech Chyrek, European Commercial Director at Volumetric Building Companies, said, “We are thrilled to be awarded our first modular project in Germany. Our offsite solutions have been widely used in the UK and globally, and the advantages of our approach to hotel construction are clear. We work to stringent and consistent factory quality standards and can help hotel operators achieve earlier occupation and a faster return on investment with our reduced programme times compared to in-situ construction. We are looking forward to developing a long-term strategic partnership with Parques Reunidos.” The attractions at the Tropical Islands Resort include an indoor rainforest which is home to 50,000 plants and 600 species, a beach and 1,200sqm swimming lagoon, spa and saunas spanning 10,000sqm, and the world’s longest double water slide. The park welcomes around 1.2m visitors each year, making it one of the most popular leisure destinations in Germany. Parques Reunidos is one of the fastest growing leisure park operators in the world. It owns and operates over 50 leisure parks across Europe, North America, and Australia – including theme parks, aquaria, zoos, and water parks. VBC has delivered modular projects in the UK, Europe and around the world for a host of global hotel brands, including for Marriott, Hilton, Intercontinental Hotels, Whitbread, and citizenM. For further information, visit www.vbc.co/uk or email enquiries@vbc.co. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The architects behind Bearsden’s new Allander Leisure Centre, which opened its doors yesterday, are hailing the facility as a potential future flagship for community-led, combined leisure and adult day care projects. The £42.5m facility – designed by architects Holmes Miller for East Dunbartonshire Council – replaces the original Allander sports complex, built in 1978. It also now accommodates support services for adults with learning disabilities, previously offered at the Kelvinbank Resource Centre in Kirkintilloch. The new centre features an 8-lane swimming pool, sauna and steam room, hydrotherapy pool, gym, spin room, an 8-court games hall, two squash courts and a café, while also offering dementia, rebound, sensory and physiotherapy treatment rooms, training kitchens and arts and crafts, dance and music rooms. A second phase of the project includes a new ‘sports dome’ with two football pitches and a tennis court, which is expected to be completed this autumn. The new building was designed after a thorough 12-month consultation, involving community workshops and extensive dialogue with users of both facilities, to ensure local people had the chance to shape their building. The focal point of the centre’s interior is a naturally-lit, timber-clad triple height entrance atrium that serves as a flexible events space for the community, and also houses a café. To reflect changing trends in sport and recreation, multi-purpose spaces have been designed in throughout, giving the flexibility to meet changing levels of demand throughout the year while catering for local sports club requirements. Ian Cooney, Project Director at Holmes Miller said: “As the design of health and wellbeing facilities adapts and evolves to ensure local authorities can provide good value for their communities, Allander is a leading project and representative of this new trend. “When we were asked to bring leisure and adult day care facilities together into one inclusive community hub, we saw this as a chance to break down barriers and make a real difference to the lives of many different groups of users.” Nada Shehab, Project Architect at Holmes Miller added: “We wanted to create a distinctive and timeless design that is welcoming, open, and of civic architectural quality – with a calm and simply designed internal environment. By collaborating closely with East Dunbartonshire Council and our partners, at the new Allander Leisure Centre we have delivered facilities that we hope will give local people an exceptional quality of experience and improve lives, both now and in the future.” Councillor Gordan Low, Leader of East Dunbartonshire Council, added: “The new leisure centre gives people the chance to have fun, get fit and improve their health – both physically and mentally. I’m pleased the project also includes services and facilities for adults with learning disabilities. This is a great facility which will benefit people across East Dunbartonshire.” The project is being delivered as part of the Scape- Major Works UK Framework. The project team also includes McLaughlin & Harvey (main contractor), Harley Haddow, Davie & McCulloch, Barton Willmore and Brown & Wallace. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Liverpool City Council has given the go-ahead to Peel L&P’s plans to develop a Central Park. The proposals include a new public park and essential infrastructure to enable the delivery of approximately 2350 homes. Located within the Central Docks neighbourhood at Liverpool Waters, just south of Collingwood Dock by the historic Tobacco Warehouse, Central Park will become one of the city’s largest green spaces, spanning 1.9 hectares, and will form an important part of the next stage of the Liverpool Waters development. The approved plans also include the creation of a network of public spaces in the Central Docks neighbourhood, with green streets and rain gardens; the delivery of high-quality public realm; and new street infrastructure, such as high-quality footpaths and a variety of street types to support vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists. Hundreds of trees will also be planted across the Central Docks neighbourhood. The development of this 11ha site will enable and accelerate the delivery of around 2,350 homes over the next 10 years, in line with the Liverpool Waters Central Docks Neighbourhood Masterplan. This planning application and the development it will enable demonstrates the scale of ambition for Liverpool Waters and the transformative impact it will have on this historic brownfield site. Coastal and woodland planting, wetland planting, community gardens and open parkland will all help to create a unique, world class environment at Central Park, celebrating the site’s post-industrial heritage and its coastal locality. The park will also include shelters and canopies, areas for sport, recreation and fitness, and spaces designed to support local wildlife. Connectivity for pedestrians and cyclists between the city centre, Princes Dock, Everton’s new stadium at Bramley Moore Dock, and the city’s northern docks will also be significantly improved as part of this development. Central Docks will become the largest of the five planned neighbourhoods in Liverpool Waters and will directly enable the delivery of thousands of new homes, alongside commercial, retail, leisure and community developments over the next ten years. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Starbucks has put an end to speculation it could sell its British business with plans to invest £30m here and open 100 new coffee shops. The US hospitality giant, which has 1,066 outposts across the UK, said it would spend millions refurbishing its existing branches over the next three years and opening new branches over the next year, following reports last summer that it was considering selling the business. The company mulled a sale amid rising competition from rivals such as Pret A Manger and high inflationary pressures. The company said at the time it was “not in a formal sale process”. The investment plans signal that Starbucks is committed to Britain for now. Accounts filed with Companies House show Starbucks’s UK sales rose by 37pc to £449m last year, surpassing pre-pandemic revenues for the first time. However, pre-tax profits dropped by a fifth to £10.4m as the climbing cost of everything from coffee beans to cups and energy ate into margins. Starbucks also gave its baristas a pay rise last year, reflecting intense competition in the labour market and a cost of living squeeze on workers. As costs soared last year, Stabucks raised the price of some espresso drinks and iced beverages by approximately 4pc. Duncan Moir, president of Starbucks Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA), said: “Whilst we are cautious about the macro-economic environment, we will continue to invest to grow the region this year. We plan to open over 100 new stores in the UK and 300 new stores in EMEA, to continue this growth momentum.” New stores will be a mixture of company-owned branches and franchised stores. Starbucks owns about 30pc of its outlets directly in the UK, with the remaining 70pc run by franchisees. Mr Moir said the coffee chain wanted to open “digitally-forward smaller stores” and more drive-throughs. The business recently announced a new range of drinks in Italy called Oleato, which are coffee beverages with extra virgin olive oil. The unusual drinks are expected to launch in the UK over coming months. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Proposals for Kirklees Council’s £210 million Cultural Heart development, which is set to transform the heart of Huddersfield town centre, were approved by the Local Planning Authority. With approval now secured, construction of the first phase of the scheme is set to get underway in Spring 2024. Initial works will concentrate on the major refurbishments of the historic Queensgate Market, as well as the creation of a brand-new outdoor public square. The Grade II Listed Queensgate Market building will be sensitively adapted to become a vibrant food hall, with space for around ten independent food stalls. Centred around large communal seating areas, the food hall will be a new social focal point for the town centre and will help provide activity in the area throughout the day and into the evening. Within the same building will be a new contemporary library venue. Designed with the town’s community needs in mind, this flexible, glass-fronted building will feature group meeting amenities, quiet breakout rooms, a dedicated children’s area, a local history room, computer facilities and more. Once complete, a special event space and terrace on the top floor of the library will look out over the scheme’s landmark new public square – an attractive outdoor space with water features that will double up as a destination for community and cultural events and will look out over the park. To enable these initial works, a section of the existing Piazza building along Princess Alexandra Walk will need to be demolished. The remainder of the Piazza building will stay in place until demolition is required to progress work onsite, with units including Boots and WHSmith also staying open during this period. “The Cultural Heart is all about delivering genuine long-term community assets, where friends and families can gather, relax and socialise. We are in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis and we understand that times are challenging right now for many. This reinforces our ambition to grow our town centre offer and give people more reasons to visit and spend time here. The public square, food hall, museum and library will be amazing new spaces that provide free and low-cost activities – ultimately bringing our diverse community closer together,” commented Leader of Kirklees Council, Councillor Shabir Pandor. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The planning team at law firm Irwin Mitchell has advised Millwall FC on its plans to build a new training ground in West Kingsdown, near Brands Hatch in Kent- which has now been granted full planning permission. The Championship football club now has the green light to erect new state of the art facilities on a 50-acre plot, that the club says will be “amongst the best in the country.” Sevenoaks Council originally approved the plans for the construction of a training academy last October, but full permission was only granted today, following the signing of a s106 agreement. The site, off Fawkham Road will include buildings for groundsman and security, indoor and outdoor football pitches, artificial turf and training areas, as well as car and cycle parking and hard and soft landscaping. The planning team advising on the scheme include Nicola Gooch, Planning partner, and Erica Ives at Irwin Mitchell, working with Joe Selby of Selby Projects and Rebecca Burnhams of Quod. Nicola Gooch said, “We are excited that this project can now proceed and Millwall can create the state-of-the-art training complex which reflects the club’s long-term ambitions. The facility will help the club in its push to the Premier League and to develop the young players that will keep them there. It has been a long and complex process and we wish the club every success going forward.” More information about the new training ground site and the club’s extensive plans is found by clicking here. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Work is to commence on the Kingsgate development in Huddersfield. Supported by Kirklees Council, developer WD Kingsgate will make major changes to the centre bringing cinema and engaging leisure activities to the offering, alongside the existing shops. Work to redevelop the 90,000 square foot, former House of Fraser store will begin in early March, with a target opening date for the complex of September 2024. “We are committed to helping businesses thrive in Kirklees and I am delighted that the council has worked very closely with WD Kingsgate to help them to deliver this scheme. Kingsgate is a key destination within the town centre, and the redevelopment will complement the existing shops and become an important family-friendly leisure destination. The developer’s vision for the project is in line with our own Blueprint ambitions for the town centre and will help create the perfect mix of retail, culture and leisure,” said Councillor Graham Turner, Cabinet Member for Regeneration. The Kingsgate Centre is a key focus of Huddersfield’s town centre offer and is in a prime location next to the council’s planned Cultural Heart project. These complementary projects will transform the leisure offering in the town centre and improve the experience for residents and visitors alike. The cinema and leisure proposition will be operated by The Light, who already operate 12 other venues across the country with another opening in Surrey this year. The Light will offer six state of the art cinema screens, ten bowling lanes, alongside a variety of other leisure activities and food offerings which will be revealed in the lead up to the opening. “I am grateful for the council’s support in delivering this scheme. We are excited about bringing a high-quality cinema in to Huddersfield town centre alongside a variety of other food and leisure outlets. Our redeveloped centre will create a new destination within the town centre that gives the opportunity to shop, eat and see the latest films all within a stone’s throw of the other planned town centre developments,” added Peter Everest of WD Kingsgate. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Today, Travelodge, one of the UK’s largest hotel chains, announces it is expanding its Spanish operation by acquiring the lease of the popular NH Villa de Coslada hotel in Madrid and it has appointed global hospitality advisors Aldaba Partners to help grow its Spanish hotel portfolio. This expansion programme reflects the key findings from comprehensive research, including a study of the Spanish hotel market that Travelodge commissioned from Christie & Co. Research showed that Spain is one of the most visited countries in the world and one of the fastest growing hotel markets across the globe, but there is a significant gap for branded, low cost and good quality accommodation in the midscale and economy segment. This growing segment indexes favourably with modern travellers who are looking for affordable accommodation options. This research indicates a significant opportunity for Travelodge to grow in Spain, as the group has nearly four decades of expertise in operating budget hotels, a strong brand, and a proven successful long term lease model in place. Therefore it can offer investors and landlords an alternative long term income stream in Spain. Whilst offering business and leisure travellers more choice and great value accommodation. At present, the Spanish hotel market is dominated by independent hotel owners, franchise and management agreement operators and shorter leasehold operators. However, our research showed that investors are increasingly looking for stable long term income streams in support of Spain’s growing tourism industry. This fits well with Travelodge’s traditional long term fixed lease model, as used in the UK. To help capitalise on this growth opportunity in Spain, Travelodge has appointed Aldaba Partners, who are renowned across the globe for their comprehensive investment advisory service. Aldaba Partners will help grow the Travelodge business in Spain by finding suitable hotel sites and third party investors. Key growth locations include: Barcelona, Madrid, Alicante, Bilbao, Granada, Malaga, Palma, Seville and Valencia. To launch its Spanish expansion programme, Travelodge is delighted to have acquired the lease of the NH Villa De Coslada hotel in Madrid. The 78-room hotel features an on-site restaurant, bar and car-park and is Coslada’s main hotel, situated close to the Civitas Metropolitano Stadium, IFEMA Convention Center and the airport – making it an ideal base for business and leisure customers. Travelodge has acquired a 20-year lease to operate the hotel from Grupo Veintidos. The hotel will be renamed Travelodge Madrid Coslada Aeropuerto and the group will invest approximately €1 million in acquiring the lease and refurbishing the hotel to the new Travelodge budget-luxe premium look hotel design. The Travelodge budget-luxe design includes all the low cost efficiencies you would expect from Travelodge but with the added benefit of thoughtful, stylish design and homely touches throughout its interiors. Work will commence in May 2023 and the hotel will remain open during this period with an official opening scheduled for this summer. Travelodge already operates a successful lease hotel model in Spain and Travelodge Madrid Coslada Aeropuerto, will be the group’s sixth hotel in Spain – and its third Travelodge in Madrid. The group also operates two hotels in Barcelona and one in Valencia. With the addition of this new hotel, Travelodge now operates nearly 600 hotels across the UK, Ireland and Spain. Steve Bennett, Travelodge, Chief Property & Development Officer said: “We are delighted to launch our Spanish expansion programme by acquiring the lease of the NH Villa de Coslada hotel in Madrid and appointing Aldaba Partners to help us grow our business across Spain. The Spanish hotel market is growing at pace with demand exceeding supply and we want to take this opportunity to take the Travelodge brand to new business and leisure locations across Spain. With nearly four decades of expertise in operating budget hotels, a strong brand and a proven successful long term lease model in place, we can offer investors and landlords an alternative long term income stream in Spain. Whilst offering business and leisure travellers more choice and great value accommodation.” The Travelodge Spanish operation is managed by Angel Beleno, who joined Travelodge in 2013 as Spain, Director of Operations and in 2014 was promoted to Spain, General Director. Angel has over 20 years experience of working within the hospitality sector in Spain and internationally. Prior to joining Travelodge, Angel worked for Melia Hotels International and Barceló Hotels and amp Resorts in Spain and Mexico. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
GMI Construction Group has completed a 27,802 sq. ft Premier Inn in the Lake District tourist hotspot of Keswick. Operated by Premier Inn’s parent company, Whitbread, the 71-bedroom hotel is at High Hill, on the site of the former Ravensfield Residential Care Home. The latest addition brings Premier Inn’s presence to six hotels the in the Cumbria/ Lake District region, the others being in Cockermouth, Kendal, Penrith, Whitehaven, and Ulverston. Premier Inn estimates the Keswick hotel – which opened its doors on Monday 13th February – will host 30,000 overnight stays per year, with guests expected to generate around £1.8m per year in additional visitor expenditure. GMI Construction Group was appointed principal contractor by Whitbread’s development partner, Premcor. As part of its commitment to supporting the Cumbrian supply chain, GMI engaged local contractors whenever possible and used locally sourced products and materials. Designed to be in keeping with the area, the hotel features locally quarried natural slate roofing and Lakeland stone walling, which wraps around the corners of the facade. Facilities include a ground floor reception area, an in-house restaurant and bar, on-site car parking spaces, including EV charging points, and cycle lockers. As well as the very latest ‘standard’ bedroom, the hotel also offers 12 ‘enhanced’ Premier Plus rooms. Premier Inn has created 24 permanent jobs at the hotel, which is within walking distance of Keswick, and is currently recruiting a further two roles. Karl Hetherington, the manager of Premier Inn Keswick, said: “Opening a new hotel is always a big moment. It is even more special when you have a connection to the local area like I do in Keswick. “I am very proud of the team we have recruited to run the hotel with me, many of whom are from Keswick and the local area, and I know they will do an excellent job of welcoming our guests and giving them the warm Premier Inn welcome we are known for.” Marc Banks, GMI’s Divisional Managing Director North West, said: “This is a quality development that has been delivered to Premcor and Whitbread’s exacting standards and is designed to be very much in keeping with the local area. It’s certainly one of the most scenic locations that we’ve ever built a hotel and we trust it will make a significant contribution to the local economy over the coming years.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
