A ground-breaking ceremony has been held to mark the beginning of construction on London’s largest and tallest Premier Inn hotel. Developer Rockwell was joined by representatives from contractor Sisk to celebrate the project milestone, which also includes plans for new homes alongside the 400-bed hotel adjacent to Westferry DLR station.
McLaren Construction has been handed its fourth project at Quintain’s 85-acre Wembley Park estate. The contractor secured a £130 million project for the construction of plots NW09 and NW10, which will see the delivery of 396 build-to-rent homes, 1,000 sq m of ground floor retail space and 1,200 sq m
Harrogate Borough Council has handed out a £10 million contract for a major expansion of one of the area’s existing leisure centres. This project will see national firm Willmott Dixon build a new 25m pool at Ripon’s leisure centre, along with associated changing and community areas. The company will also
Having recently completed the first phase of the new state-of-the-art £25million testing facilities for M Sport Limited in West Cumbria, Northern Developments (Cumbria) Limited are progressing at pace and are on target for an autumn 2020 completion. The first phase of works comprised the design and construction of a 2.5km
Midlands-based main contractor MCS Group has completed the construction of a new £9 million BMW car dealership in Cardiff. Sytner Group appointed MCS Group to deliver the new 43,000 sq ft development on the site of the former McDonalds and Kismet Park in Grangetown, Cardiff, replacing an existing dealership in
The vast majority of people love trips to casinos, whether in Sin City, Macau or anywhere else around the globe. However, what most do not seem to realize is that casinos are actually scrupulously designed mazes that effectively force people to spend insane amounts of money and lose all track
Construction work has begun on the new hotel situated in the heart of York city centre, in Piccadilly within the Castle Gateway district. GMI Construction Group has announced the award of a contract by Avantis Hotels to build a 143-bedroom Hilton York Piccadilly hotel in the heart of York city
Three new entertainment venues have launched in Birmingham’s creative quarter, Digbeth. Gaming concept Chance and Counters is based in the Custard Factory, and ‘social sports bar’ The Floodgate and The Great Birmingham Bake Off, an interactive baking experience, are based on Floodgate Street. The businesses bolster Digbeth’s burgeoning and eclectic leisure, retail,
ASCENA has been named as the hotel operator at the much-anticipated £120 million Guildhall development in Nottingham. Ascena will bring a 160-bed four-star hotel offering to the city which will include a rooftop fine dining restaurant, spa and wedding and conference facilities. The scheme will be submitted for detailed planning
UK metal bending expert, Barnshaws Sections Benders, has supported two marine projects by providing precision-curved, rectangular hollow section (RHS) to support contractor Leisure Structures. The work was part of the recent interior refurbishments of the Celebrity Summit and Celebrity Millennium cruise liners. Barnshaws delivered a tonne of precision-curved stainless steel
A ground-breaking ceremony has been held to mark the beginning of construction on London’s largest and tallest Premier Inn hotel. Developer Rockwell was joined by representatives from contractor Sisk to celebrate the project milestone, which also includes plans for new homes alongside the 400-bed hotel adjacent to Westferry DLR station. The £151 million mixed-use scheme, which sits in a derelict site between West India Dock and Limehouse Causeway, was granted planning permission in October 2018 by the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. When complete, the 30-storey development will also include a restaurant, café, gym facilities and a landscaped pocket park, alongside communal gardens for new residents. It is designed by architects SimpsonHaugh. Donal Mulryan, Founder of Rockwell commented: “We are immensely proud to break ground on this landmark building which will be an important asset for the area, providing significant benefits for the local community with the creation of numerous jobs for local people, enhanced public realm and much needed new homes. We look forward to working with our contractors John Sisk & Son to deliver this high-quality hotel-led scheme, and look forward to delivering similar high-quality schemes in the future.” Ajaz Shafi, Regional Managing Director at John Sisk & Son added: “We are delighted to be working with the Rockwell team on this exceptional project. We have used smart thinking and an innovative approach to the design, planning and delivery of this high rise building on a tight footprint in London. Sisk works in close collaboration with all the key stakeholders to ensure we deliver quality projects, safely, which meet the needs of the community and our client. Our track record in this type of project and our strong supply chain partnerships in the region are key to the successful delivery of this development.” This mixed-use scheme is scheduled for completion in early 2022.
McLaren Construction has been handed its fourth project at Quintain’s 85-acre Wembley Park estate. The contractor secured a £130 million project for the construction of plots NW09 and NW10, which will see the delivery of 396 build-to-rent homes, 1,000 sq m of ground floor retail space and 1,200 sq m earmarked for a GP surgery. The development will include 117 properties available for discounted market rent, which will account for nearly 30% of the net internal area of the residential provision. There will also be a range of amenity spaces for residents including a large private landscaped garden at the heart of the development featuring a children’s play area. McLaren secured the contract after handing over the 340-apartment residential scheme W03 (now named Alameda) and 115,000 sq ft of Grade A office space at the W06 development along Wembley Park Boulevard in 2019. The firm is due to complete the 150-apartment residential block of W06 in March 2020. John Butten, McLaren’s Managing Director – Major Projects, commented: “This is fantastic news for McLaren, and we are pleased to have been awarded our fourth project at Wembley Park. It is a great achievement, showcasing McLaren’s continuous growth in these large-scale projects and our great customer relationships. We are delighted to continue working with Quintain to ensure this project is delivered successfully, further enhancing the area for local residents.” Matt Voyce, Quintain’s Executive Director of Construction, added: “We are delighted to have the McLaren team on board to deliver their fourth project at Wembley Park. We look forward to continuing the transformation of the 85-acre site by delivering thousands more homes, retail and office space and continuing our strong relationship with McLaren through our construction framework.” Main construction works are underway at plot NW09/10 and are due to complete in the summer of 2022. When complete, the entire transformation of Wembley Park will bring 8,500 much-needed homes to the borough, a third of which will be affordable and the majority available for rent rather than for sale.
Harrogate Borough Council has handed out a £10 million contract for a major expansion of one of the area’s existing leisure centres. This project will see national firm Willmott Dixon build a new 25m pool at Ripon’s leisure centre, along with associated changing and community areas. The company will also add a new main entrance and lobby to the current centre as well as upgrade the dry leisure facilities with new changing rooms and health suite, two dance studios, a ‘spin’ studio and a meeting room. Further developments include new play areas and a bridge linking the existing facility and the new-build pool element. Councillor Stanley Lumley, cabinet member for sport, said: “After what seems like many months of planning and discussion, the work to build the new pool is finally underway. “This represents a significant investment and will provide the people of Ripon with state-of-the-art swimming facilities. Combined with the refurbishment of the leisure centre, we are transforming the sport and leisure offer in this part of the district.” Willmott Dixon is working with Pick Everard as architect and Gleeds as QS and project manager to deliver the extension. The project has been procured via Major Works England and Northern Ireland, a part of the Scape National Construction framework. Anthony Dillon, Willmott Dixon’s managing director in the North, added: “We have one of the biggest track records in the UK for delivering projects that provide excellent leisure facilities. The creation of top-quality facilities to encourage health and wellbeing are vital to help our communities thrive and what we’ll deliver at Ripon will leave a lasting legacy for many years to come for people in the town and across the region.” The extension at Ripon’s leisure centre is expected to be completed in 2021.
Having recently completed the first phase of the new state-of-the-art £25million testing facilities for M Sport Limited in West Cumbria, Northern Developments (Cumbria) Limited are progressing at pace and are on target for an autumn 2020 completion. 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. 6.5km of drainage to the track links to a number of balancing ponds to ensure no negative impact on the local watercourse. The groundworks for the associated 111,000sq/ft production facility commenced in May of this year, and construction is now well underway, with 550T of structural steelwork and roofing virtually complete, and all external precast concrete walls now installed, all in little over 6 months. Eddie Ward, Commercial Manager for Northern commented, “this project has been on the drawing board with us since 2010, it is a significant and complex Design & Build of which we’re very proud; we are pleased to finally see it on site, taking shape so quickly”. The MEC will provide M Sport with the ability to further expand into the wider automotive R&D sector. Northern managed the construction of the existing site facility back in 1999, and it was not long before M Sport were looking to expand further. The new building is more than twice the size of their existing production facilities, providing significant expansion and creating over 100 jobs in the process. Malcolm Wilson OBE, Managing Director at M-Sport, said “It’s always been important for me to keep the business in Cumbria, and with the help of Cumbria LEP we’re seeing the growth of more and more businesses in our region. The M-Sport Evaluation Centre will provide a unique centre of engineering excellence – allowing world leaders in automotive technology to follow their concepts from design and development, right through to production. Our region is fast becoming a great place for business, and we’re proud to be a part of that.” 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. 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”.
Midlands-based main contractor MCS Group has completed the construction of a new £9 million BMW car dealership in Cardiff. Sytner Group appointed MCS Group to deliver the new 43,000 sq ft development on the site of the former McDonalds and Kismet Park in Grangetown, Cardiff, replacing an existing dealership in the city. The new showroom includes a 22-bay workshop, two MOT bays, a drive-in service area and 654 parking spaces, including 151 on a roof deck car park. MCS Group has also transformed two existing detached buildings into facilities for wash/valet services and cosmetic repairs. Keir Edmonds, managing director of MCS Group, said: “This is a fantastic new dealership and a significant investment by Sytner in Cardiff. BMW customers now have a showroom and service facilities of the very highest quality and I’m sure it will be a huge success for Sytner. “We’ve delivered similar new developments for Sytner Group in recent years and it has been wonderful to work alongside them again on such a prestigious project.” He added: “We are hugely experienced in delivering high-quality car dealerships in line with the corporate image of premium brands such as BMW and we look forward to working alongside Sytner on future projects.” Sytner Cardiff is located on the Penarth Road, just outside Cardiff City Centre and less than eight miles off junction 33 of the M4 motorway. The new two-storey dealership will stock new and pre-owned BMW vehicles, including electric cars from BMW’s ‘i’ division. The wider project team included Edge Property Solutions as project managers and cost consultants; MDG Architects as architects; and Sanderson Watts Associates as structural engineers. MCS Group has built and refurbished more than 300 car dealerships since its inception in 2003. The Warwick-based company has worked on a string of high-profile projects for brands including Audi, Lamborghini, Porsche, Mercedes and Jaguar Land Rover. The ambitious constructor has enjoyed a period of sustained growth in delivering projects across the motor retail, industrial, storage and distribution sectors and has set itself a target of increasing profits and raising turnover to around £200 million. The new Sytner Group BMW dealership in Cardiff, delivered by MCS Group.The ambitious constructor has enjoyed a period of sustained growth in delivering projects across the motor retail, industrial, storage and distribution sectors and has set itself a target of increasing profits and raising turnover to around £200 million. About MCS Group: Established in 2003, MCS Group is a driven and dynamic construction company with a proven track record of delivering complex and fast track projects to an exceptional standard. We have invested heavily in recruiting the right people, training staff, offering apprenticeships and developing the range of specialist services we provide. It is all part of a strategy designed to see our growth continue with major projects across the UK.We have completed more than 1,000 projects in the industrial, automotive, commercial, retail and social care sectors. For more information please visit www.mcs-ltd.com.
The vast majority of people love trips to casinos, whether in Sin City, Macau or anywhere else around the globe. However, what most do not seem to realize is that casinos are actually scrupulously designed mazes that effectively force people to spend insane amounts of money and lose all track of time. This is actualized through clever casino planning and design. Here are some casino design elements that keep players hooked for far more than they should be. Disorienting Arrangements In most casinos, once players have stepped foot inside, getting to a restaurant, a restroom, a retail outlet or the like involves taking a convoluted route that makes it very easy to get lost. This is no accident, with the intent being that disoriented players who are unable to find their way to wherever they wish to go will choose to abandon whatever they might have previously resolved to do and instead focus on having fun at any of the numerous slot machines, craps tables and the like. However, such a trick does not apply to online casinos. Time Flies There are never any clocks in a casino. This is because the casino does not want players bothered with the passage of time or thinking about their appointments for the day. Essentially, this leads to a suspension of both space and time, with this impression being reinforced by the lack of windows by which players can gauge how much time has passed since they sat down to gamble at a casino table. Mazing It Up There’s a reason why casinos prefer a maze design with exits and entrances that are randomly arranged, as well as narrower, shorter passages, over straight and lengthy rows with countless slot machines and gambling tables arranged in order. The reason has to do with avoiding overwhelming players with the goodies on offer and instead forming small islands where players can effectively feel at home and so spend forever playing casino games. Comfort Me Casinos go out of their way to make their players feel super comfortable. This fact can be most clearly seen in high roller rooms and suites that are designed for the utmost comfort and convenience. As can be imagined, comfortable players do not feel any need to go elsewhere and can play for long periods without tiring. Player Engagement One key way that casinos effectively prevent players from even thinking about going home is through the crafty engagement of all the senses. This includes the playing of chirpy music, displaying an array of bright lights and ensuring lots of exotic smells and scents. All these motivate players to keep on playing till the cows come home and retire for a cud-chewing session, when they should instead be thinking of quitting and coming back another day. Casinos also offer free food, drinks and the like to tired players to invigorate them and can comp a room where tired players can have a short rest. And that’s it, folks! The next time you pay a visit to a casino, do look out for all the above-listed details and disregard them at your likely peril!
Construction work has begun on the new hotel situated in the heart of York city centre, in Piccadilly within the Castle Gateway district. GMI Construction Group has announced the award of a contract by Avantis Hotels to build a 143-bedroom Hilton York Piccadilly hotel in the heart of York city centre. Construction work on the £25M project has commenced with the hotel due for completion in the first quarter of 2021, at which point it is expected that 50 full and part-time jobs will be generated. Avantis Hotels, which already owns and operates the Hampton by Hilton York in nearby Toft Green is developing the Piccadilly site, which most recently housed offices, a carpark and a motorcycle accessory shop. Piccadilly itself is situated in the Castle Gateway district of the city, and, together with neighbouring streets, has been identified by the City Council as an area for major regeneration and redevelopment. In addition to its 143 guest bedrooms, the hotel site will also include eight luxury private residences all enjoying uninterrupted views of Clifford’s Tower, going on sale in late 2020. The scheme is designed to the latest BREEAM standards and will boast cycle parking bays and a number of electric-vehicle charging points. A detailed and complimentary landscape design acknowledges the sensitive nature of its surroundings – something guests can enjoy from the hotel’s terrace that overlooks Clifford’s Tower. Talking about the project GMI Divisional Managing Director Lee Powell said: “We are very pleased to be appointed by Avantis to deliver this major new hotel development and to play a role in the regeneration of York’s Piccadilly district. This project is the second major hotel development that GMI have been entrusted to deliver this year following the completion and handover of the stunning new 137-bedroom luxury Dakota Hotel development in Manchester in June. Once completed this new hotel will be the 11th hotel project delivered to date by GMI for high profile customers including The Dakota Group, Premier Inn, Travelodge, IBIS Styles and Millennium & Copthorne in prime city centre locations across the Midlands and North. Also commenting Ravi Majithia, Avantis Hotels’ development director, said: “The Hampton by Hilton York Piccadilly is an incredibly exciting prospect and is a significant investment for us. We are confident it will help breathe new life into a part of York that lacks activity yet has envious views overlooking the River Foss, facing one of York’s most popular attractions. Our design team, many of whom are local professionals, have worked closely with the city planners to ensure the hotel’s design is not only sympathetic to its surroundings, but one that brings real benefits to the environment. The Hilton brand is recognised and respected world-wide and our new Hampton by Hilton York Piccadilly will complement our existing Hampton by Hilton York at Toft Green. We are excited to bring Hampton by Hilton York Piccadilly to the city. We selected a great creative design team and highly capable contractor with a proven track record of delivering major hotel developments across the north of England, including Leeds and Manchester. Avantis has a long-term interest in the growing success of York’s local economy and this investment demonstrates our confidence in its strength. It is a wonderful city and we are privileged to play our part in York City Council’s plans to reinvigorate and revitalise Piccadilly.”
Three new entertainment venues have launched in Birmingham’s creative quarter, Digbeth. Gaming concept Chance and Counters is based in the Custard Factory, and ‘social sports bar’ The Floodgate and The Great Birmingham Bake Off, an interactive baking experience, are based on Floodgate Street. The businesses bolster Digbeth’s burgeoning and eclectic leisure, retail, hospitality and live music scene which includes Digbeth Dining Club, Baked in Brick, The Mill, The Arena, Dig Brew, The Mocking Bird and Ridding & Wynn. The Floodgate is the brainchild of three school friends, Stephen O’Reilly, Mike Gregory and Chris Ross, who pooled their skills and interests to create the social sports bar. The new venue brings social sports, such as Pit-Pat Table Golf, Baseball cages and even Curling, together with cocktails in an interior boasting a plethora of UV murals, hand painted by leading Birmingham street artists, Gent48. Previously a converted warehouse, The Floodgate Spans 10,000 square feet and also has an upstairs area for live music and the arts, private parties, conferences and corporate events. Chance and Counters blends the nostalgia of over 500 board games – both old and new – with local beers and ciders and an extensive food offering, which includes brunch, burgers and tacos. With two popular sites in Bristol and Cardiff already, the 3,500 square foot, 100-seater Digbeth venue marks their biggest venture yet. The interior features secluded booths and a bright, open area overlooking the river. The creators of London’s highest rated event, The Big London Bake, are bringing their award-winning concept to Digbeth. Launching this weekend, the Big Birmingham Bake is based in a fully kitted out marquee on Floodgate street, complete with 12 idyllic bake stations, a treasure trove of customisable decorations and is led by a team of professional bakers who will give hints and tips to help create the winning bake. The businesses launch as Oval Real Estate, the owners of the Custard Factory and 98 other buildings and sites in Digbeth, announce plans for a consultation on long terms plans for the Digbeth Estate. It is anticipated that these new elements will include new places to live, work and play including offices, shops, restaurants and cafes, new public realm, arts and culture spaces, capable of hosting a range of events and activities. The Framework will also introduce homes to the area, providing the opportunity for people to live and work within walking distance of each other. The plans are available to view at www.consultdigbeth.co.uk James Craig, Founder of Oval Real Estate said, “We’re excited to welcome Chance & Counters, The Floodgate and The Great Birmingham Bake Off to Digbeth. We’re really proud of the eclectic and rich leisure offer we’re building across Digbeth; with so much to see and do the area is fast becoming a destination in its own right.”
ASCENA has been named as the hotel operator at the much-anticipated £120 million Guildhall development in Nottingham. Ascena will bring a 160-bed four-star hotel offering to the city which will include a rooftop fine dining restaurant, spa and wedding and conference facilities. The scheme will be submitted for detailed planning over the next few weeks. Ascena has been working over the past few months to bring forward the redevelopment of the listed Guildhall. John Wilby, project lead for Ascena, said: “We are delighted that this scheme has taken a significant step forward. We will soon be submitting the development for planning and it is likely that all being well, that work will start on site in autumn 2020. “It is a landmark development for the city and a key destination for people across the East Midlands. The Guildhall is an amazing building and we are naturally delighted to be working the city council.” There will be sensitive restoration of the Grade II listed Nottingham Guildhall – the city’s former magistrates’ court – and Fire Station House, he added. “There will be a new lightweight extension to the northern elevation of the existing Guildhall to replace an unsightly latter-day extension,” John said. “We will be utilising high-grade materials and are working closely with our heritage consultant Turley and Historic England to ensure that this listed building is brought back to its former glory.” Ascena owns and runs a number of luxury hotel and restaurant facilities in Birmingham and the south West, one of which is the Birmingham Michelin starred restaurant Opheem – which is run by Ascena business partner Aktar Islam. Aktar, who is a former winner of The Great British Menu and The F Word, will be running the rooftop restaurant. The existing courtrooms will be sympathetically converted to bar and restaurant facilities, retaining many of the original key listed features. There will be a rooftop bar and restaurant to the new build extension incorporating Fire Station House. The Guildhall building itself will house the hotel, while more modern extensions at the back of the building would be demolished and rebuilt. The remaining part of the site, including the old fire and police stations, are subject to a mixed-use redevelopment which will be announced soon. Following detailed planning approval, it is likely that work will start on the hotel in autumn 2020. Since it was built in 1887, it has hosted a magistrates’ court, police station, and fire station. Nottingham City Council was based at the building between 1996 and 2010, until it moved to new offices in Loxley House. There will be a public exhibition on Monday 2 December at 38 Carrington Street from 3pm to 7pm when it will be possible to see images of the development and meet with the project team.
UK metal bending expert, Barnshaws Sections Benders, has supported two marine projects by providing precision-curved, rectangular hollow section (RHS) to support contractor Leisure Structures. The work was part of the recent interior refurbishments of the Celebrity Summit and Celebrity Millennium cruise liners. Barnshaws delivered a tonne of precision-curved stainless steel to create two modern, curved canopies forming the entrance to the ship’s restaurants. Though more commonly associated with curved structural steel and aesthetic metal elements in the construction industry, Barnshaws is seeing growing involvement in the marine sector. Its wide range of specialist bending machines, its branches in the West Midlands, Manchester and Scotland, combined with its EXC class 4 for steel fabrication, means the business is well-placed to meet the volume and quality demands of the industry. Leisure Structures reached out to Barnshaws to provide five stainless steel 200 x 100 mm RHS sections at six metres in length curved to a 8980 mm radius. Having worked with Barnshaws in the past, the contractor was well aware of the high-quality workmanship the business could provide. This was particularly important as the curved stainless-steel elements of the canopies would be visible to passengers on both vessels, so it was imperative that rolling and transportation left minimal marking on the steelwork. Each section was ‘protection wrapped’ during the metal bending process to ensure the best possible finish. The Celebrity Summit and Celebrity Millennium were fitted out in Alaska and Singapore respectively. Both are sister ships of the Millennium-class, operated by Celebrity Cruises. The Summit’s two GE gas turbines allow the ship to reach 24 knots and carry 2,218 passengers; while the Millennium relies on the same turbines to carry 2,138 passengers while attaining the same top speed. Stuart Anderson, Sales Manager at Barnshaws, said: “As a group, we have previously supplied high-quality fabrications to support the offshore industry. Supporting cruise liners was new to us, but we have employed our steel curving experience and extensive in-house capabilities to deliver these sections within the project timeframe.”
