Merson Group are set to provide 4 major installations at East Bank cultural quarter in east London. Merson Group, one of the UK’s largest signage companies, has announced the completion of the brand-new V&A East Museum signage at the new East Bank cultural quarter on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London.
The group is searching for 300 hotel sites across the UK which could provide a long term investment for Local Authorities This expansion programme could represent an investment of around £3 billion for third party investors and create over 9,000 new jobs across the UK This innovative programme creates jobs/careers,
Darlington market will have a distinctly 1920s feel next weekend as its exciting new venue – a Prohibition-themed bar opens to the public. Friday March 31 sees the much-anticipated launch of The Vault. Oozing sophistication the bar will be home to everything from a grand piano to top quality craft
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
Merson Group are set to provide 4 major installations at East Bank cultural quarter in east London. Merson Group, one of the UK’s largest signage companies, has announced the completion of the brand-new V&A East Museum signage at the new East Bank cultural quarter on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London. The illuminated letters, each standing six metres high and weighing around 1.5 tonnes each, took a cumulative 3 months to build in Glasgow-based Merson Group’s design and production facility, before they arrived in London for their three-day install. The complicated 3D designed steel structures were clad with aluminium before the edges and perimeters were bronze powder coated to remain in harmony with the façade of the building itself. To allow for optimum illumination, a white polycarbonate facing with internal lighting using LED modules were also incorporated. There were multiple challenges for the Merson design and build team, but the most critical was to ensure that the structures connected with the building exactly and that the signage could be maintained safely from the rear whilst they sit 40 meters up on the ledge where they now stand. Robert Murray, Chief Design Officer, said: “I’m truly proud of what the entire Merson design and implantation team have achieved here, especially Senior Designer, Ross Cloughley. Merson Group seek out these landmark projects because we have the expertise to deliver. V&A East will be one of the world’s leading arts and culture institutions and we are delighted to be a small part of the journey.” East Bank is a new powerhouse for innovation, creativity and learning on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. It is a unique collaboration between world-leading universities, arts and culture institutions that will create 2,500 jobs, generate £1.5 billion for the economy, and open up opportunities for everyone who visits, lives, and works in east London. Rosanna Lawes, Executive Director of Development at London Legacy Development Corporation, said: “The new signs are a wonderful addition to these incredible buildings. What’s particularly pleasing is that we’ve been able to draw on the skills and talents of companies from all across the UK, like Merson’s, to deliver this amazing legacy from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games”. V&A East Museum is the first of four East Bank buildings to which Merson Group are supplying external signage this year. The high-level letters at the University of the Arts London (UAL) were also completed last month whilst the low-level letters will be installed shortly. Likewise, signage at Sadler’s Wells East is on track to be installed in May. The BBC’s building is also set to have external signage installed in the second half of this year. With over 250 employees across two sites in UK and one in Europe, Merson Group has a global footprint when it comes to signage. Servicing clients such as Aston Martin, Lotus, Tesco, and Sainsbury’s, and most recently the Crossrail Elizabeth Line – Merson Group have a long history of providing high quality signage and wayfinding solutions across several sectors. Merson Group are experts and sector leaders in wayfinding signage in the UK. They also provide signage for Network Rail, Heathrow Airport, Spurs FC, British Land & Crown Estates. To find out more, visit: www.mersongroup.com Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The group is searching for 300 hotel sites across the UK which could provide a long term investment for Local Authorities This expansion programme could represent an investment of around £3 billion for third party investors and create over 9,000 new jobs across the UK This innovative programme creates jobs/careers, attracts new visitors to the area, increases local spend and provides the Local Authority with a long-term asset that delivers a secure revenue stream to support future growth This week, Travelodge, one of the UK’s largest hotel brands, which operates nearly 600 hotels, has wrote to 220 Local Authorities across Britain proposing a joint development partnership that can act as a catalyst to stimulate regeneration and facilitate further growth. This letter outlines the pivotal role that Travelodge has been playing for the last 10 years in supporting Local Authorities in England, Wales and Scotland by: The letter also includes a direct call to action on how Travelodge can do the same for other Local Authorities that it does not currently work with – and collectively support Britain’s recovery. Travelodge has identified that it can expand its UK hotel network with a further 300 target locations for new hotels across the UK, and is offering Local Authorities the opportunity to have one or multiple hotels within their region to support their regeneration programmes. For over 120 towns, such as Ripon, Lichfield and Cromer, it could be an opportunity to have its first branded hotel – which could revolutionise its local economy. This expansion programme could represent an investment of around £3 billion for third party investors and create over 9,000 new jobs across the UK. In 2022, Travelodge opened six new hotels, three of which were Local Authority partnerships with two hotels located in London at Docklands and Wimbledon and the third hotel situated in Braintree. The group is also currently on site with construction of two further Travelodge hotels being delivered in direct partnership with Local Authorities in Rotherham and Colchester. The Rotherham Travelodge is the group’s first hotel in Rotherham and it is also the first branded hotel in the town centre. For Colchester, it is the group’s second Travelodge hotel. These bespoke agreements have had unique funding structures, all of which have enabled Local Authorities to utilise their existing assets, create jobs, generate income, and help to regenerate brownfield land in strategically important locations. Some of the new Travelodge hotels in this programme have been built on surplus local authority land, with the funding provided either through the Local Authority’s internal resource or via low-cost funding from the Public Works Loan Board or third party resources. Upon completion of the hotel development, local authorities have the choice of either retaining ownership of the hotel and receiving an annual rent into the Council’s revenue budget or selling the hotel with Travelodge as its operator. The two recent London Travelodge hotel openings at Docklands and Wimbledon as well as Colchester were lease-wrapper deals, also known as income-strip deals. Under this structure, the Council takes a headlease, with Travelodge being the undertenant. The rent that the Council pays is lower than the rent it receives from Travelodge – with an annual profit rent for a 30+ year period. The Councils’ covenant strength enables the developer to sell the (Council) leasehold investment to an institutional, long-income fund at a much lower investment yield than a lease to Travelodge would achieve. This generates a higher end development value, enabling the development to proceed. This kind of structure enables developments to take place which otherwise would not be financially-viable and therefore delivers new town centre regeneration which would not otherwise happen. Steve Bennett, Travelodge Chief Property & Development Officer said: “In the current climate, Local Authorities are under extreme pressure to invest in their economy and support regeneration projects. This is why we are today writing to 220 Local Authorities to offer our support, as we can make a real difference. We have a proven track record of working with 25 forward-thinking Local Authorities across the UK from Ashford to Stirling. Our effective, innovative co-partnership development deals are spearheading regional economic growth and providing a solid long-term revenue stream.” “Britain is now a nation of budget travellers, with more of us choosing to stay in budget hotels than any other hotel type and this trend is set to grow, which is why we are looking to expand our UK hotel network with a further 300 hotels. Adding a Travelodge hotel can be a catalyst to attract new businesses, support regeneration, bring vacant buildings back into economic use as well as attracting thousands of new overnight visitors to the area and revitalising High Streets. In addition, our research shows that, on average, Travelodge customers will spend at least double their room rate with local businesses during their stay; this can be an annual, multi-million pound boost into the local economy.” Cllr Chris Read,Rotherham Council’s Leader,said: “The Rotherham Town Centre Masterplan aims to develop Rotherham into a leisure destination which will benefit the local economy and residents. To facilitate this vision, having a well-known and trusted hotel brand like Travelodge is a great asset and hugely beneficial as it helps to attract other major brands to invest in Rotherham.Also Travelodge’s great value proposition will help to attract business and leisure visitors to the area which then positions the town centre as the gateway to explore the wider leisure and culture offer the Rotherham borough. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Darlington market will have a distinctly 1920s feel next weekend as its exciting new venue – a Prohibition-themed bar opens to the public. Friday March 31 sees the much-anticipated launch of The Vault. Oozing sophistication the bar will be home to everything from a grand piano to top quality craft beers, real ale, creative cocktails, small plates and charcuterie. The launch weekend will also see those sampling the bar for the first time able to soak up an array of 1920s-themed entertainment including jazz singers, burlesque performances and flapper girls. The bar, which opens from Thursday to Sunday 12noon until 11pm, is the centrepiece of the transformational works at the much-loved market and part of a successful blueprint from operators Market Asset Management Darlington Ltd and Darlington Borough Council for the venue to grow as a food, retail, and live entertainment destination. Phase 2 of the redevelopment which began in August 2022 also includes revamped shop front fascia and entrances, a new shop floor café, new public and trader toilets on the ground floor and new toilets to the basement. Impressed Councillor Jonathan Dulston, leader of Darlington Borough Council has visited the bar as the finishing touches were being put in place. He said: “This is an amazing transformation and fantastic to see unused parts of this historic building brought back into use, adding to the appeal of the market for a wider variety of people. “We’ve got an excellent bar and evening entertainment scene in Darlington and I’m sure The Vault will become a firm favourite for many.” Market officials describe the bar as “a cavern of historic and industrial splendour offset with glamorous, velvet furnishing, softening the rough edges”. A century-old Grand Piano takes centre stage, to be used by established acts and any passing musicians who wish to entertain the crowd. As you would expect from a bar with a New Orleans-inspired jazz music vibe it will play host to live performances from jazz musicians throughout the year. And its drinks menu is as impressive as the décor and furnishing. The Vault will be offering a selection of 12 keg beers and four cask ales including a variety of styles, from pilsners and Weissbier to stouts and IPAs sourced from local producers, continental breweries, and a couple of more commercially recognisable products to cater for different tastes. Officials said the bar also offers a “rather seductive cocktail menu” with a range of both classic and contemporary cocktails, along with a carefully selected range of whisk(e)y, gin, rum, tequila, wine, and more. The market has remained fully open during the second phase of the development with minimum disruption to traders and shoppers. Works have seen the exterior of the building revamped with a new black and cream colour scheme replacing the old green one complete with traditional handwritten signage lovingly crafted by local artist and sign writer Ste Robson. An old walled-off area has been demolished to create a new glazed space which will be complemented with a new café next year. New toilets have also opened and there will be more opening in the basement when the new bar opens. MAM’s Darlington General Manager, Michael Harvey said: “The Vault is a fantastic addition and I know people can’t wait for it to open and sample its splendour. “Balanced background music and a mellow temperament will make this the perfect hideaway to unwind with friends, chat with strangers, and let evenings get lost in good times. Every corner is littered with curiosities, history, and secrets waiting to be uncovered by those who venture into The Vault. “It is a fitting centrepiece to the tremendous transformational works at the market as part of our unwavering commitment to ensure this is a place people love to shop, eat, drink and be entertained. As well as our amazing global cuisine and independent retail offering we are proud Darlington Market continues to shine as an events venue.” The exciting new chapter follows the successful first phase of the revamp which opened to the public in August 2021. It saw one third of the shop floor transformed into a street food scene with independent food traders offering cuisine from around the world from purpose-built units and a large communal seating area. Doors open to the public on launch night, Friday March 31 at 6pm. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
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