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: