Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic progress on M-Sport’s state-of-the-art Evaluation Centre continues at pace. Following an initial 6-week closure of the site, works recommenced in a COVID-Secure environment at the beginning of May. Currently the multi-million-pound facility at the firm’s Dovenby Hall Estate in Cumbria remains on course
The University of Manchester’s procurement process to find its development and investment partner for the £1.5 billion ID Manchester project has resumed. The search was paused in March due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with the four highest scoring bidders having already been notified that they would be taken forward into the detailed
After more than two years of producing work across the city, the theatre and arts venue Contact has formally regained possession of its Manchester site. With construction work to transform the building for the next generation of audiences, artists and young people having began in January 2018, the practical completion has
More details have been revealed on an international conference and exhibition centre set to open at Gateshead Quays in 2023, including new CGI images of the development. The centre will include a 68,000 sq ft pillar free exhibition hall, with the capability to be divided into three smaller halls. Alongside
A survey of recruitment firms by the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) has revealed that 79% are reviewing their need for office space with almost a third (31%) stating that they will definitely downsize and almost half (48%) saying that they will not go ahead with office expansion plans.
The first phase of the £11 million Beehive Business Park development in Ulverston, South Cumbria has been handed over to developer Rawdon Property Group by Caddick Construction, with the first store an 18,600 sq. ft. Aldi opening on May 28th, 2020. The prestigious development represents a major uplift in retail
Nottingham Science Park has welcomed a new state-of-the-art office space to its premises. The Elizabeth Garrett Anderson building, named to honour Britain’s first female doctor and celebrate collaboration and innovation on the site, has officially reached completion. The new development provides space for growing firms to expand their research and
Global financial giant JP Morgan has expanded its services in Maidenhead with the completion of a new state-of-the-art office. Contractor VolkerFitzpatrick has completed the Building 5 Foundation Park project two weeks ahead of schedule, with members of the team turning out last month to mark the milestone. The team, which
Office rents in Oxfordshire have risen by 24.3 per cent over the past year, according to research by property consultant Bidwells. Bidwells recorded more than 1.1 million square foot of office and laboratory space in Oxfordshire and found that only 569,500 square foot of space was available, which was less
UK storage group SureStore is moving forward with plans to expand its business across the nation. A contract has been agreed which will see a new £4 million storage facility built for the company in Wigan. Triton Construction has signed on for the project, which involves the development of a
Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic progress on M-Sport’s state-of-the-art Evaluation Centre continues at pace. Following an initial 6-week closure of the site, works recommenced in a COVID-Secure environment at the beginning of May. Currently the multi-million-pound facility at the firm’s Dovenby Hall Estate in Cumbria remains on course for completion towards the end of the year. The first phase of works comprised the design and construction of a 2.5km test track. This civils works to facilitate this involved moving 200,000 Tonnes of earth, whilst ensuring a cut and fill balance to ensure that no materials needed to be removed from site. Sustainable drainage to the track included 6.5km drainage and a number of balancing ponds to ensure no negative impact on the local watercourse. The second and current phase is the associated 111,000ft2 production facility which commenced in May 2019. The facility is considered integral to the future of the Cockermouth-based business and once complete will safeguard existing jobs as well as creating new skills in the area. Northern Developments’ team have worked hard over the summer to mitigate the 6-week delay and address supply chain challenges caused by COVID-19 closures and restrictions. The building is now fully clad and watertight. All internal pre-cast concrete walls have been installed, and initial partitions to separate the 10,723m2 workshop from its various departments are starting to take shape alongside mechanical and electrical installations. The external concrete road has been laid, and the structural glazing that will form the front of an impressive showroom at the front of the development is now being installed. The project was made possible with investment from the UK Government’s Regional Growth Fund (RGF) as well as Growth Fund investment provided by Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership (CLEP) and will allow M-Sport to develop a one-of-a-kind facility in the UK. Offering a unique centre of engineering excellence, the M-Sport Evaluation Centre was designed to boost Cumbrian economy, skills and innovation in the Northern Powerhouse – the importance of which has only increased given the current climate. M-Sport Managing Director, Malcolm Wilson OBE, said: “I’m extremely proud of what we are creating here at Dovenby Hall, and it’s important that we move forward with an operational facility to attract new business and protect existing jobs as well as new skills in the area. These are particularly challenging times for so many businesses, but once the Evaluation Centre is up and running, I’m confident that we can come out the other side and continue to provide for Cumbria.” Commercial Manager for Northern Developments, Eddie Ward, said: “In spite of the impact of the global pandemic, the team on site have worked tirelessly to overcome various challenges, striving to deliver this impressive project on time. The client’s commitment to the local economy is unwavering and we are proud to be able to facilitate such ambitious aspirations in challenging times.” Established in 1985 Northern Developments work throughout the UK, recently completing more than £16million worth of purpose-built student accommodation developments through new build and refurbishment. Currently, Northern are evaluating several large scale private rented sector schemes. Their M-Sport Project has been shortlisted by the National Building & Construction Awards 2020 for Project of the Year in the £10 million to £25 million category. Managing Director Martyn Boak commented: “We continually look for development opportunities, the depth of our experience allows us to look at all sectors and our proven track record of delivering consistently for over 3 decades counts for an awful lot today, the current political backdrop is certainly adversely affecting the real estate sector and Business’s as a whole which none of the Politicians even begin to understand, however we’re agile, opportunistic and open for Business”.
The University of Manchester’s procurement process to find its development and investment partner for the £1.5 billion ID Manchester project has resumed. The search was paused in March due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with the four highest scoring bidders having already been notified that they would be taken forward into the detailed dialogue stage. “The university is committed to the delivery of ID Manchester and our ambition to create the innovation capital of Europe is unwavering. Having paused, reviewed and reflected, we now have a way forward to resume the final stage of the selection process to find our joint venture partner,” said Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, president and vice-chancellor of The University of Manchester. The final partner selection will be made in the spring of 2021. “We look forward to beginning the detailed dialogue with the selected bidders. Pausing the process has allowed ourselves and the bidding teams space to deal with the immediate impact and challenges created by the pandemic. ID Manchester is an incredibly exciting project and we are looking forward to progressing to the next stage,” added Diana Hampson, director of estates and facilities at The University of Manchester. Since 2004, the university has contributed more than £746 million to the economy and it is on these foundations it seeks to build ID Manchester. ID Manchester has been earmarked as an engine for economic growth with the potential to create more than 6,000 jobs. The available development space is four million sq ft. it benefits from existing green space and the 650,000 sq ft Sackville Street Building.
After more than two years of producing work across the city, the theatre and arts venue Contact has formally regained possession of its Manchester site. With construction work to transform the building for the next generation of audiences, artists and young people having began in January 2018, the practical completion has been reached in a “significant milestone” for the £6.75 million project. “The re-opened Contact will transform the experience for audiences, artists and young people alike. It’s more important than ever that young people from all backgrounds and cultures can come together to create, express themselves, and access free training and skills,” said Matt Fenton, chief executive and artistic director at Contact. “We can’t wait to start to welcome back our young participants from across Greater Manchester, and in due course to host audiences of all ages to experience shows in our unique, sustainably-designed building.” Working with Sheppard Robson, Contact designed the new building to include a dedicated arts and health space. The venue also comprises a purpose-built recording studio, a rehearsal studio, refurbished performance spaces and offices. Since the spring of 2018, Contact’s staff and participants have been based at the Powerhouse in Moss Side and have undertaken their shows and activities across the city. The project has been funded through a £3.85 million investment from Arts Council England, plus generous grants from other supporters, trusts and foundations including Manchester City Council, the Foyle Foundation, the Granada Foundation, Wellcome Trust, the Garfield Weston Foundation, the Wolfson Foundation and the Oglesby Charitable Trust. Help in-kind was given from Manchester University and Bruntwood. Construction work was carried out by F Parkinson, with project management from Mace. Legal advice was provided by Mills and Reeve.
More details have been revealed on an international conference and exhibition centre set to open at Gateshead Quays in 2023, including new CGI images of the development. The centre will include a 68,000 sq ft pillar free exhibition hall, with the capability to be divided into three smaller halls. Alongside this, there will be a 17,500 sq ft conference hall, 10,500 sq ft of meeting and events spaces with views of the NewcastleGateshead quayside, and a dedicated 14,500 sq ft outdoor events space. The £260m project on Gateshead Quays will also include a 12,500-capacity arena, two hotels with 290 bedrooms, bars, restaurants, and other public spaces. In total, the international conference and exhibition centre would be capable of hosting up to 5,000 delegates. It is expected to create about 2,000 jobs, inject £60m into the regional economy each year, and attract an extra 300,000 visitors to North East. A full planning application has been submitted for the development, to be located between the BALTIC and Sage Gateshead, with a decision expected in autumn 2020. “The Quays development confirms the region’s reputation for world-class events. Gateshead Quays will capitilise on a conferencing demand that the region has been unable to meet and showcase the North East’s strengths to a global audience. The new images show just how unique and special the waterfront site is. An events setting like no other in the UK,” said Councillor Martin Gannon, leader of Gateshead Council. Kerrin MacPhie, head of business events at VisitBritain, added: “The Gateshead Quays development will create a huge opportunity for NewcastleGateshead, increasing its global reach to attract large-scale events from all over the world. This development is great for the business events industry in the UK and shows confidence within the market. “The new centre will provide event planners with an exciting option in an already well-established destination within the business events industry and will have a positive impact on bringing more international associations and incentive groups to the area.” International venue and event management company ASM Global has already been confirmed as the operator for the venue. Global architects’ practice HOK is designing the overall masterplan for the site, international conference and exhibition centre and the 12,500 capacity arena, while AHR Architects is designing the hotel which forms part of the masterplan. The project team also includes project manager and contract administrator Legends International; Lichfields, planning consultant; Gardiner and Theobald, QS; ARUP, structural engineer/ M&E and Vectos for transport planning.
A survey of recruitment firms by the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) has revealed that 79% are reviewing their need for office space with almost a third (31%) stating that they will definitely downsize and almost half (48%) saying that they will not go ahead with office expansion plans. Over half of the 112 respondents had offices in central London. With almost 40,000 recruitment firms in the UK, the research could make worrying reading for commercial landlords. “We will not be returning as we had previously,” said one respondent, a life sciences recruitment firm with over 50 staff and offices in central London and the south east. “In fact, our productivity has spiked with remote working so we will be operating offices in the future with a rota of teams in attendance that will support social distancing. However, with a more productive remote work practice, we will look for smaller offices and rotas in the future.” Over half of the survey respondents (53%) expected to be back in the office within three months, over a third (37%) within six months and 10% next year. When asked about forward planning just over 30% said they were in the process of reading the Government guidance, almost half (48%) had read the guidance and were actively carrying out risk assessments and just over 20% felt that it was too early to plan anything. However, with recent announcements from companies such as Shopify, Facebook and Twitter saying that staff can work from home indefinitely, it is clear that those looking to return are contemplating a different way of working in the future: “We rent our office but I think the way we rent and use office space needs to change”, commented another respondent a technology recruiter with an office in central London. “We need a base in London for meeting with clients and candidates once it is safe to do so and somewhere to meet as a team once or twice a month. Landlords will need to look at how they rent out space.” The recruitment sector has been hit hard by the Covid-19 crisis and despite government support packages such as the Job Retention Scheme, 46% of respondents are still planning redundancies. Commenting on the results of the survey, Ann Swain, Chief Executive of APSCo said: “The biggest two cost bases to recruitment firms are people and premises and so it is not surprising that companies are looking to reduce those costs against a backdrop of a significant fall in business and I hope that once we have some clarity on the Job Retention scheme post June, the percentage looking at redundancies will fall. However, what this research clearly shows us is that the age of the majority of staff being in the office five days a week is probably well and truly behind us.”
The first phase of the £11 million Beehive Business Park development in Ulverston, South Cumbria has been handed over to developer Rawdon Property Group by Caddick Construction, with the first store an 18,600 sq. ft. Aldi opening on May 28th, 2020. The prestigious development represents a major uplift in retail and business space in Ulverston. Three other buildings in the first phase are an M&S Food store of almost 12,000 sq. ft., a Screwfix Warehouse occupying 6000 sq. ft. and a purpose-designed 14,500 sq. ft. facility to house processing of top quality Cumbrian meat by Lake District Farmers. Discussions are taking place with interested parties on the smaller, second phase of the business park. A spokesman for the developers Rawdon Property Group explained: “It is hugely satisfying to achieve handover just over a year after starting construction on the site. As the main contractor, Caddick Construction has done a splendid job in driving progress on the site despite some very challenging weather conditions in the early stages, and the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Their hard work and careful management of the project has been a vital factor in our success. He added: “There is a great deal of excitement surrounding the opening of two new major retailers in the town. We are confident that opening the Beehive will encourage more local people to do their main shopping in Ulverston rather than travelling to Barrow, and will attract people from the surrounding communities such as Dalton, Coniston and Grange.” Ian Threadgold, North West Managing Director for award-winning contractor Caddick Construction commented: “Caddick Construction has been delighted to work on such an important and high profile project for Ulverston that is going to bring an economic boost and much-needed jobs to the area. The Beehive Business Park’s prime location and generous parking will also mean easy access for visitors who will undoubtedly enjoy having well-known high street names such as Aldi and M&S on their doorstep.” Construction journey video:
Nottingham Science Park has welcomed a new state-of-the-art office space to its premises. The Elizabeth Garrett Anderson building, named to honour Britain’s first female doctor and celebrate collaboration and innovation on the site, has officially reached completion. The new development provides space for growing firms to expand their research and development facilities near like-minded businesses. It includes a café, an 80-space car park and a conference space, allowing companies to host conferences and events, creating a central hub for networking across the entire Nottingham Science Park site. Designed by CPMG Architects and built by Willmott Dixon, the building incorporates a daring and dramatic cantilever at its entrance and the façade is a pattern of modules in a combination of glazed elements and aluminium cladding panels, the latter finished in contrasting dark grey and gold colours. Stuart Kerr, operations director for Willmott Dixon in the East Midlands said: “We are really proud to have helped deliver this important scheme for Nottingham and Nottingham City Council, which will really shape the city centre and create a hub for research and development. As with all our projects we aim to give back to the local community, making a difference to real people. “During the project, we teamed up with social enterprise Think Big Academy to deliver a careers event on the live construction site, this attracted 100 young people and resulted in over 20 work experience enquiries. We also created jobs for an additional six local people on the scheme, alongside having seven apprentices on the site while also providing work experience opportunities for students of Nottingham College.” Stuart added: “In tandem with the project, our site team worked with Nottingham’s Emmanuel House – by helping it secure funding and refurbish its dilapidated facilities – we donated hundreds of Willmott Dixon hours and secured support from our partners including CPMG to deliver a fantastic result. We are also incredibly proud that Katie Butler, our commercial lead on this project, won in the Women in Construction category at Nottinghamshire Live’s Women in Business Awards 2019 for her amazing work locally.” Willmott Dixon worked together with Perfect Circle, a property, construction and infrastructure consultancy comprising of Pick Everard, Gleeds and AECOM, via The Scape National Built Environment Consultancy Services framework. Construction of the new building has been part funded by the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP). Councillor David Mellen, leader of Nottingham City Council, commented: “Nottingham has long been a city of scientific innovation with the MRI, ibuprofen and the legacy of Jesse Boot and expanding our reputable Science Park supports our ambitions to continue to be a city of innovation and creativity. “Providing more Grade A office space in the city is a long held ambition of the city to meet the demands of potential tenants and so far it looks as though there’s been good interest in the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson building, given its proximity to the Boots Enterprise Zone, University of Nottingham, the tram, the M1 and the city centre. “As a Science City, we know scientific research and new innovations like fintech can create jobs, stimulate growth and keep talented graduates in the city and are committed to this with our £2bn Southside regeneration programme.”
Global financial giant JP Morgan has expanded its services in Maidenhead with the completion of a new state-of-the-art office. Contractor VolkerFitzpatrick has completed the Building 5 Foundation Park project two weeks ahead of schedule, with members of the team turning out last month to mark the milestone. The team, which began work on the project in October 2018, successfully completed a three-storey CAT A office, featuring open plan work spaces, a full height atrium with internal staircase, and a balcony terrace. The building has also been finished with energy saving LED lighting and photovoltaic roof panels. Throughout the project, the team worked strategically to overcome a series of logistical challenges, not least working within a live business park, neighbouring an aerodrome. Close collaboration with the airport during the planning phase allowed both parties to coordinate their schedules, ensuring that work to erect the building’s steel frame could proceed on time, with minimal disruption. Rob Lindsay, project manager for VolkerFitzpatrick, said: “What a fantastic journey Foundation Park has been for us. There’s been a real sense of teamwork from start to finish and we have risen to any challenges which we’ve encountered along the way. The result is a client who values our opinion and trusts us to deliver.” Speaking following an official tour of the new facility, Paul Harris, vice president at JP Morgan Asset Management, added: “It has been a pleasure to work with the VolkerFitzpatrick team on the Building 5 development and we are delighted with the finished product. From the very beginning, VolkerFitzpatrick led a positive and open relationship, and this, combined with their attention to detail, enabled us to deliver a building of the highest standards.”
Office rents in Oxfordshire have risen by 24.3 per cent over the past year, according to research by property consultant Bidwells. Bidwells recorded more than 1.1 million square foot of office and laboratory space in Oxfordshire and found that only 569,500 square foot of space was available, which was less than at the end of 2018. David Williams, partner at Bidwells, said: “Ensuring the world’s best can flourish in Oxford is critical for our region’s economy, but ensuring an adequate supply of correctly located offices and research labs is equally important to ensure our most successful businesses can develop and expand in Oxfordshire. There is now just 173,000 square foot of grade A space available to expanding businesses. “We are emerging from a period where demand has outstripped supply, but we are now entering a new and exciting stage in Oxford’s evolution as major new campuses like Oxford North and regeneration projects in the city centre deliver significant floor space. There is no shortage of interest in Oxford. Total Oxford office take-up for last year was 225,300 square feet, with science and technology businesses taking 60 per cent of lettings by floor space. Of those still seeking space, half of requirements by size are for space of more than 30,000 sq ft.
UK storage group SureStore is moving forward with plans to expand its business across the nation. A contract has been agreed which will see a new £4 million storage facility built for the company in Wigan. Triton Construction has signed on for the project, which involves the development of a new 50,000 sq ft building on a vacant site on Pitt Street in the town centre. The contractor will begin work on site next month with clearance of the existing foundations for the former building occupied by furniture maker, Latham Jenkins. Construction will be carried out on the four-storey facility over a phased period due to tight restrictions around that site that is circled by the Pitt Street one-way road system. Paul Clarkson, Managing Director at Triton Construction said: “We are pleased to secure our first contract with SureStore as it progresses its expansion in the UK. Our credentials in building storage and warehouse facilities that stand out from the ordinary are strong and we are hoping to secure more projects with SureStore with three further projects pending in the North.” Mike Wilson, Managing Director at SureStore added: “We were already familiar with Triton Construction due to its good working relationship with our architect C4 Projects and we are also aware of its good credentials in constructing striking buildings for operators in the self-storage industry. In particular Triton has shown great flexibility, allowing us to have early access for fit out during the build programme, and thus speeding up the process for us to become operational. We hope to be able to work with Triton on more of our pipeline projects.” SureStore has major plans to expand further across the UK and expects to be managing over 20 stores in the next 18 months.
