Work has begun on the third phase of a multi-million pound business park in Leamington Spa, which will bring 180,000 sq ft of new industrial units to the town. Leading property developer Stoford Developments is building four units and has already signed up Liberty 920E, part of the prestigious Liberty
The new, long-awaited 62,000-seater Tottenham Hotspur’s Stadium is officially opening today as the team faces Crystal Palace in the Premier League. This opening comes after a host of delays and two successful testing games over the past couple of weeks. SCX, Sheffield- based engineering specialist, will be seeing its world-first dividing
Buckingham Palace, the official London residence of Queen Elizabeth II, could earn £1,034,291.43 a day if listed on Airbnb. The figure was calculated by GuestReady, a globally leading Airbnb management company, to demonstrate how much the sovereign could profit if she rented out the palace’s rooms on the short-term rental
The sports and leisure industries within the UK are booming. More people than ever before are choosing to focus on their health and fitness, thanks in part to inspiring role models within the sector. Boxing and fitness classes are becoming particularly popular, yet space for these types of facilities is
National property and construction consultancy Wakemans has completed a £2.4million SuperRoom roll out programme for Travelodge, one of the UK’s largest budget hotel chains. The Travelodge SuperRoom is the UK’s first premium economy room concept within the budget hotel sector. It is designed around the ‘premium economy’ concept familiar to
BROXTOWE Borough Council has secured a deal to bring The Arc Cinema to Beeston town centre as part of its plans to create a vibrant hub of leisure facilities and new homes in Nottinghamshire. The eight-screen cinema forms part of the mixed-use development which will include a greater choice of
Plans for a new £20 million leisure centre in Nottinghamshire have been submitted and, if approved, construction work may start in Summer 2020. The concept to build a leisure centre in Bingham has already been approved by Rushcliffe Borough Council. In October 2018, the investigations into the feasibility of a
Northern Ireland based developer and contractor McAleer & Rushe has announced that it has just secured planning permission to develop two multi-million-pound hotels located in Birmingham and Glasgow City Centre, representing an investment of c. £85 million. Combined, the two hotels will deliver a total of 630 bedrooms and will
McAleer & Rushe has secured the contract for the new £82 million hotel and aparthotel development in Paddington, with construction work due to begin shortly. The new 620-room development is the final stage of the Paddington Basin Masterplan. The development will be built on an existing two-storey basement and feature
Five-star lifestyle hotel Andaz London Liverpool Street, is launching a unique collaboration with world leading eco fashion duo VIN + OMI, to further the hotel’s sustainability efforts and support its vision to operate in an environmentally conscious way. This will be achieved through various creative initiatives to reuse and recycle
Work has begun on the third phase of a multi-million pound business park in Leamington Spa, which will bring 180,000 sq ft of new industrial units to the town. Leading property developer Stoford Developments is building four units and has already signed up Liberty 920E, part of the prestigious Liberty Vehicle Technologies, for a 50,000 sq ft unit at the park, which is located on Tachbrook Road. A further three units of 30,000 sq ft, 40,000 sq ft, and 60,000 sq ft, all with ancillary offices and suitable for advanced manufacturing and e-fulfilment and distribution uses (B1, B2 and B8 classes), will also be constructed. When it is fully operational, Liberty 920E’s state-of-the art, flagship 50,000 sq ft centre will become a global hub for its research and development and engineering expertise, housing house more than 100 technical professionals, including 40 new engineering posts. The company, which employs 5,000 people in the UK, is a Tier 1 supplier to major automotive manufacturers domestically and overseas. The centre, adjacent to its original plant, will also house Liberty’s Vehicle Technologies, 920Engineering (920E) and Shiftec businesses, which are internationally renowned for their advanced lightweight braking and control systems respectively. Contractor Benniman has been appointed to undertake the first tranche of phase three construction, which is due for completion in Q4 this year. Dan Gallagher, Joint Managing Director at Stoford Developments, which is developing the site jointly with leading asset management company BlackRock, said: “Starting on phase three of Spa Park is a key milestone in this significant development that could bring hundreds of jobs to the area. “We are pleased to have signed Liberty 920E for one of the larger units that we are delivering and we are also in talks with other prospective occupiers and hope to make further announcements soon. There is still huge demand for business units and warehouses of this size in the region, which has a long track record for advanced manufacturing and engineering industries.” Stoford is retaining a large portion of the site that will enable it to construct units ranging from 30,000 sq ft – 290,000 sq ft on a build-to-suit basis. Paul Tebbit at BlackRock said: “We are pleased to be on site in Leamington working in partnership with Stoford once more, following on from our recent project in Siskin Parkway West, Coventry, where we successfully built and let 310,000 sq ft in two buildings. Spa Park forms part of BlackRock’s strategy to build and own best in class, strategically located logistics assets within the BlackRock UK Property Fund, which now stands at nearly £3.5bn. Spa Park offers access to a strong skilled labour pool, good infrastructure and connections and importantly a significant power supply.” Anthony Blackwell, chief technical officer for Liberty Engineering, who is leading the development of the global technology centre, said: “This industry-leading new facility at Spa Park will play a pivotal role in our development of sophisticated components for the next generation of vehicles. “This site has nearly a century of heritage in automotive manufacturing and our new centre here will help us write an exciting new chapter in this success story.” Spa Park is ideally located, close to the A46 and junctions 14 and 15 of the M40. Leamington Spa train station is less than one mile away. Spa Park is already home to lingerie and swimwear brand Bravissimo, Detroit Electric and global medical company Smith + Nephew. For more details about Spa Park, visit www.spapark.co.uk Photo caption (l-r): Dan Gallagher, Joint Managing Director, Stoford Developments; Anthony Blackwell, Chief Technology Officer for Liberty Engineering; Steven Smith, Managing Director, Benniman.
The new, long-awaited 62,000-seater Tottenham Hotspur’s Stadium is officially opening today as the team faces Crystal Palace in the Premier League. This opening comes after a host of delays and two successful testing games over the past couple of weeks. SCX, Sheffield- based engineering specialist, will be seeing its world-first dividing retractable pitch on display at the match. The grass surface, which can be rolled back to reveal a bespoke NFL pitch below, is the result of the vision and expertise of SCX Special Projects, the bespoke engineering arm of the SCX group. The innovative system allows the venue to be used for music concerts and other events in addition to regular football matches and NFL games. “It has been a phenomenal success, equal to what we have achieved with the retractable roofs for Centre Court and No.1 Court for the All England Lawn Tennis Club at Wimbledon, and within a very tight timescale,” said SCX’s Project Director, Danny Pickard. “The Tottenham pitch went from being perceived as the highest risk part of the project – with all the moving parts, the turf joins and an engineering concept that had not been tried before – to something neither we nor the client had to worry about. It’s fantastic. Everything was completed on time despite the huge scale of the project, and communication has been the key. We have a really great client in Spurs,” Danny added. The retractable real grass surface splits into three pitch-long steel trays. When the trays slide together, the join is invisible and imperceptible to the players. The trays, weighing more than 3,000 tonnes each, can be rolled under the new South Stand to reveal the NFL artificial surface in a process taking about 25 minutes. The mechanical tests included the sideways movement of the side trays to meet the centre tray, the defining feature that makes the pitch a world first.
Buckingham Palace, the official London residence of Queen Elizabeth II, could earn £1,034,291.43 a day if listed on Airbnb. The figure was calculated by GuestReady, a globally leading Airbnb management company, to demonstrate how much the sovereign could profit if she rented out the palace’s rooms on the short-term rental platform. The palace has 775 rooms, of which include but are not limited to, 19 Staterooms, 52 Royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms. The overall figure represents the rent price for one day in the palace’s premises, including access to the property’s garden and facilities. The calculations were made by taking into consideration the daily rental rate of properties in the same area where Buckingham Palace is located. GuestReady made sure its estimate was based on prices of office and events spaces, flats and hotel suites that provide a similar level of luxury that one would expect to get at the palace. In addition, GuestReady accounted for the fact that with the high number of quality amenities offered at the palace – such as a private movie theatre, indoor swimming pool, post office, or medical centre – the daily rates would increase by approximately 50%. According to GuestReady’s numbers, one night in one of the 52 Royal bedrooms would be £3,570, while those keen to stay at Buckingham Palace on a budget could stay in one of the staff apartments on a significantly cheaper amount for just £284 a night. If you fancy renting out the banquet room, which seats 160 guests, you’d need to pay £16,000. If you’re expecting more guests, you can take the party to the palace’s garden where approximately 8,000 people are usually invited to the royal garden celebrations. Buckingham Palace’s garden covers 40 acres and includes a helicopter landing area, a lake, and a tennis court. To rent that space out for one day, the price is a bit steeper at £400,000. “Who never imagined what would be like to stay as a guest at Buckingham Palace? Millions of people around the world are fascinated by the British Royal Family, so we thought we’d crunch the numbers to give them a bit of a glimpse of how much one of the most famous properties in the planet would go for if listed on Airbnb. Even though travellers are still not allowed to book the palace as their next holiday accommodation, there are still plenty of amazing properties in London they can book through short-term rental platforms,” commented Steffan Maagefelt, UK Country Manager at GuestReady.
The sports and leisure industries within the UK are booming. More people than ever before are choosing to focus on their health and fitness, thanks in part to inspiring role models within the sector. Boxing and fitness classes are becoming particularly popular, yet space for these types of facilities is now limited. Consequently, the construction industry is seeing a demand for leisure centres and sports clubs. Here, we’ll look at the rise in the demand for sports clubs and leisure centres and how it benefits other businesses. Sports clubs continue to grow Last year, the Sports Club Survey Report discovered that sports clubs in England were continuing to grow despite numerous challenges. Over half of clubs that responded to the survey, claimed they expected their adult memberships to continue to increase. There was also an interesting rise in the number of volunteers working within sports centres, showing the love of sports isn’t just tied to money. The challenges of building sports and leisure centres Although the rise in the demand for sports and leisure centres is increasing, there are challenges construction workers face when building these types of buildings. A lot of the new sports clubs require a unique, modern construction, rather than a standard generic layout. They are more specialised buildings, ranging greatly in size from single gymnasiums to large stadiums. Even the refurbishment of older facilities can be a complex construction process. Just some of the issues involved in the building of sports clubs and leisure centres include high up-front costs and long project completion. How the increase in demand benefits other sectors There may be challenges within the construction of additional sports clubs and leisure centres. However, the rise in demand is having benefits on other sectors. Companies which supply fitness equipment are seeing an increase in business, as are those which supply facilities for the buildings such as JLA. An additional benefit is that these new clubs and leisure centres require new staff to keep them running. So, personal trainers are seeing an increase in demand too. However, the wider benefits are even more remarkable. As there is an increase in demand for sports and leisure facilities, it means a lot of people are focused on getting fitter. This is obviously a great benefit for society as a whole. It also means less pressure will be placed onto the NHS eventually as obesity levels drop. Obviously, this isn’t a benefit that’s going to happen overnight, but it is a promising sign that people are getting fitter and healthier. Overall, sports clubs and leisure centres are becoming more popular in the UK. While there may be challenges building and running new facilities, this increase in demand is delivering a lot of benefits to associated sectors too.
National property and construction consultancy Wakemans has completed a £2.4million SuperRoom roll out programme for Travelodge, one of the UK’s largest budget hotel chains. The Travelodge SuperRoom is the UK’s first premium economy room concept within the budget hotel sector. It is designed around the ‘premium economy’ concept familiar to airline users. It dials up the comfort factor for business and leisure customers who want the extra choice of a more premium room. Wakemans acted as project manager on the trial rooms, with responsibility for the procurement of the new amenities as well as fit-out, before overseeing the roll-out of SuperRooms in 48 Travelodge hotels around the UK. Nigel Himpson, Senior Associate Director at Wakemans, said: “SuperRooms are now available in some of the top locations around the country and offer an extra level of comfort to guests who opt for longer stays as well as those who choose to spend more time in the room.” A total of 296 SuperRooms have been incorporated into Travelodge’s existing city centre hotels. Scott Rutherford, Travelodge, Technical Services Director said: “At Travelodge we are all about bringing great value and choice to the budget traveller. More and more business travellers are opting for a budget hotel and last year we generated more sales from business customers than those on holiday. Our new SuperRoom adds an extra choice for customers who are spending more time working in the room, are staying longer or who just value that little bit more comfort. Alongside our recently upgraded classic room, this is another important milestone on our journey to become the favourite hotel for value.” The stylish SuperRoom has everything that you would expect from Travelodge but with lots of new additional creature comforts. It has been styled in a modern residential décor scheme, creating a home from home feel. It features a new dream-light colour scheme which includes tones of calming blue, warm beige and tranquil taupe, as well as blackout curtains, creating a relaxing atmosphere for a restful night’s sleep. The signature creature comforts in the SuperRoom include: Lavazza ‘A Modo Mio’ fresh capsule coffee machine to kick-start your day Hansgrohe Raindance 3-jet adjustable shower to leave you fully refreshed Multiple power and USB charging points at arm’s length throughout Relaxing ambient LED mood lighting Comfy armchair to relax in Larger desk area with a comfortable swivel chair Luxurious king-size Travelodge Dreamer™ bed Choice of firm and soft hypo-allergenic pillows Dressing stand with a powerful hairdryer In-room iron and ironing board Powerful hairdryer and full length mirror Samsung Slimline wall-mounted flat screen TV Hot chocolate and a KitKat for that extra treat when you need it
BROXTOWE Borough Council has secured a deal to bring The Arc Cinema to Beeston town centre as part of its plans to create a vibrant hub of leisure facilities and new homes in Nottinghamshire. The eight-screen cinema forms part of the mixed-use development which will include a greater choice of food and drink outlets and 132 new homes. Negotiations continue on 50 per cent of the commercial units available for food and drink outlets and the sale of the residential site has been agreed. Councillor Richard Jackson, Leader of the Council for Broxtowe Borough Council said: “This is a significant milestone in Beeston’s development which we are excited to announce. We have been in negotiations with three leading cinema operators for several months and selected Arc Cinema because of its approach to delivering high-quality screenings tailored to local communities.” Director for Melcorpo, Brian Gilligan said: “We are delighted to be launching The Arc Cinema in Beeston; I’m confident our cinema will complement the successful regeneration of this thriving town centre. “The Arc Cinema offers customers a premium cinema experience combining 700 supremely comfortable electric recliner seats, cutting-edge technology like laser projection with a friendly, personal atmosphere.” Work is expected to start on the site in August with an anticipated opening date in late 2020. The new cinema will contribute to Beeston’s night time economy, revitalising the town centre and creating a vibrant new hub where people want to spend time. Councillor Richard Jackson added: “The Arc Cinema will be an asset to Beeston and I’m really pleased the operator has selected the town as one if its locations to launch its UK rollout of 10 sites over the next three years. Our development presents an exciting opportunity for restaurants, bars and cafes looking to expand in the East Midlands.” The scheme forms the second phase of a £50 million development which involved the refurbishment of the shopping precinct, new and improved public transport connecting the town to the NET tram network, more retailers, cafes and a gym. The development is being marketed by agents HEB Tel: 0115 950 6611 and JLL Tel: 0115 908 2120. The project is also being supported by the D2N2 Local Growth Fund pt 3 N2TC Fund. For more information on the scheme and to view the designs, visit https://www.broxtowe.gov.uk/for-business/town-centres/beeston/beeston-square/
Plans for a new £20 million leisure centre in Nottinghamshire have been submitted and, if approved, construction work may start in Summer 2020. The concept to build a leisure centre in Bingham has already been approved by Rushcliffe Borough Council. In October 2018, the investigations into the feasibility of a centre at Chapel Lane, Bingham have started when Gleeds was initially appointed to produce a study into the business case for a mixed leisure and commercial development at the site. The council, after a review of the company’s findings, has opted to go ahead with the reports proposals as part of the delivery of its wider masterplan for the Town. The initial proposal was submitted by CPMG, the architect responsible for the Rushcliffe Arena development in West Bridgford, as part of the study. In addition to the leisure centre, which includes both swimming and fitness space, outline proposals illustrate much-needed community space, 10,000 ft 2 of commercial office and plans to bring an adjacent industrial unit back into use. “Rushcliffe Borough Council is set to deliver a high specification leisure and community facility for residents of Bingham and at Gleeds we are delighted that it has accepted our recommendation to proceed. The planned new facilities perfectly dovetail with the council’s overarching masterplan for the area, which seeks to support healthy lifestyles and complement the continued growth of the town and the local economy,” said Michael Davies, Director of Gleeds in Nottingham.
Northern Ireland based developer and contractor McAleer & Rushe has announced that it has just secured planning permission to develop two multi-million-pound hotels located in Birmingham and Glasgow City Centre, representing an investment of c. £85 million. Combined, the two hotels will deliver a total of 630 bedrooms and will be operated by Ireland’s largest hotel operator, Dalata Hotel Group (“Dalata”), under its four-star Maldron brand. McAleer & Rushe Contracts UK Ltd are scheduled to commence construction on both hotels this summer, with practical completion anticipated within two years. Maldron Hotel Glasgow The 300-bed 4 star hotel in Glasgow, the first Maldron Hotel for Dalata in Scotland, will be located on Renfrew St, close to Buchannan St and employ c. 100 staff. It forms part of a wider masterplan by McAleer & Rushe to include c. 100,000 sq.ft of Grade A offices. Maldron Hotel Birmingham The 330-bed Maldron Hotel in Birmingham is prominently located in the city centre 5 minutes walk from New Street Station and will be delivered in advance of 2022 Common Wealth Games, employing up to 105 staff. The development which is regenerating a derelict site, will feature a business centre, ground floor bar and restaurant with guest rooms arranged over 10 uppers floors. Commenting Stephen Surphlis, Property Director, McAleer & Rushe said, “The development of the two new Maldron Hotels are very exciting initiatives for both cities with the projects strategically located, catering for both business and leisure users. Glasgow has one of the fastest growing economies in the UK and Birmingham continues to secure a range of inward investment projects, with the opening of the HS2 high speed rail network in 2026. “We’ve been encouraged by the support shown by both Local Authorities in processing the applications in a professional and timely manner allowing construction works to commence in the coming months and we look forward to working with in partnership with Dalata once again.” Dermot Crowley, Deputy CEO, Dalata Hotel Group commented: “We are delighted that planning permission has been granted for these two prime sites in Birmingham and Glasgow that will deliver 630 rooms across both cities and supports our goal to become the leading 4-star operator in 20 target cities across the UK. This will be our first Maldron Hotel in Birmingham, where we currently operate a 174 bedroom Clayton hotel. In addition to the Maldron Glasgow, we will deliver a 4-star 294 bedroom Clayton hotel in Glasgow in early 2021. We look forward to working with McAleer and Rushe on these developments, who have proved to be an excellent partner on previous projects.”
McAleer & Rushe has secured the contract for the new £82 million hotel and aparthotel development in Paddington, with construction work due to begin shortly. The new 620-room development is the final stage of the Paddington Basin Masterplan. The development will be built on an existing two-storey basement and feature a 373-bed Premier Inn and a 247-bed Staycity aparthotel across 19 floors. The development will also deliver 27,000 square feet of social and community floorspace. “We are looking forward to working as development partners with Concierge 3 and all shareholders in delivering this exciting project within the wider Paddington regeneration masterplan. Our experience in delivering high quality mixed-use buildings will ensure this project is a real success and is currently our second major development in Paddington Basin,” said Emmett McGinley, Commercial Director, McAleer & Rushe Contracts UK. Led by developer Concierge 3, a consortium of BSW Land & Property, Staycity and The Pickstock Group, the scheme is the final stage of the Paddington Basin Masterplan and part of a wider investment which has seen new offices, shops, homes and leisure facilities being built over the last number of years revitalising this unique location. The new hotel-aparthotel hybrid will open its doors in late Summer 2021.
Five-star lifestyle hotel Andaz London Liverpool Street, is launching a unique collaboration with world leading eco fashion duo VIN + OMI, to further the hotel’s sustainability efforts and support its vision to operate in an environmentally conscious way. This will be achieved through various creative initiatives to reuse and recycle waste. VIN + OMI are well known for their innovative approach to eco-fashion and have received international acclaim for their sustainable practices and circular social impact projects. Their clothing is regularly seen on global icons and influencers such as Michelle Obama, Lady Gaga and Beyonce. They have been working with Andaz London Liverpool Street since 2016 and have hosted a number of their eco fashion shows at the hotel. ”We are proud to have a long term relationship with the Andaz London. Choosing a partner venue for our shows is a carefully thought out process. The Andaz’s creative and eco approach makes them a perfect partner” said VIN+OMI. Over the last couple of years, Andaz London Liverpool Street has been active in making daily changes to operational procedures, from energy saving practices to the elimination of plastic and the reduction of food waste, transitioning to more sustainable processes and biodegradable alternatives. In 2018, Andaz London Liverpool Street was also awarded for its efforts by the Association of Energy Engineers for their Monitor & Save project. This was achieved on the back of their Western Europe Region Energy Project, which kicked off in 2016 and, within a year, saved 21% of electricity and 27.1% of gas consumption. 2019 will see the implementation of a number of environmentally-conscious procedures and the hotel will encourage guests and staff to become more aware and sustainable. The collaboration with VIN + OMI is another step to introduce a ‘green’ mindset all around. “We love VIN+OMI’s passion for sustainability and the incredible creativity they bring to address environmental issues. We feel they are the perfect partner to support the hotel in its mission to become more sustainable. Through this collaboration, we aim to raise more awareness of the issue and educate our team and guests in reducing waste, focusing on small steps every day across all areas of the business,” said Amanda Richter, Director of Food & Beverage at Andaz London Liverpool Street.
