Bespoke interiors and fitout company Konstruct has completed works on the striking new flagship store for contemporary fashion label RIXO on London’s King’s Road. The 5,000 square foot store opened its doors this week to unveil a stunning, vibrant interior with features including a coffee kiosk, cocktail bar and
Work on a major retail development including new Tesco and Home Bargains stores set to open next year is now underway. The new £20m development at Houghton Colliery is set to bring around 100 new jobs to the area. A 45,000sq ft Tesco supermarket and 20,000sq ft Home Bargains store
Manchester City Council’s executive will be asked to approve the Strategic Regeneration Framework (SRF) for the former retail site at a meeting today. The high-level development that sets out the principles for future planning applications for the site was originally agreed in 2020 and updated to inform a six-week consultation
Citrus Durham has completed a deal with Adil Group who will develop a stand-alone drive-thru KFC at the £400m mixed-use Integra 61 development at J61 of the A1(M). Citrus Durham was advised by retained roadside agents Colliers and Avison Young with WSB acting for Adil Group. Detailed planning consent has
Extending c. 72,000 sq ft of retail and leisure space, the Park will provide a new out-of-town retail destination for the South West of Glasgow in Barrhead. LSPIM has secured a range of leading national brands, including: LIDL, B&M, Starbucks, Burger King, Card Factory, Baynes, Indigo Sun, The Salvation Army
Docks Bruxsel announced that it has received the “CO2 neutral – gold company” certificate from CO2logic/South Pole and is the first large shopping centre in Europe to receive this certification. “Docks benefits from exceptional design and build with regard to low carbon emissions, this was part of our rationale for
Sheen Lane Developments has got the planning thumbs up to turn a landmark House of Fraser building in south west London into a mixed-use development with gym and restaurant. The firm will redevelop the George Street store in Richmond giving it an additional top floor and extending the basement for
Sainsbury’s has put forward plans to build a new store in Arborfield Green as part of a development plan for the Berkshire village. The proposal has been made as part of the development of the new district centre in Arborfield Green. The supermarket has said it plans to open a
Manchester City Council is to refresh regeneration proposals for the former Central Retail Park. A report updating on the strategic redevelopment of the former Central Retail Park site will be heard on 14 December requesting approval for a new consultation to start in the New Year. The Council has refreshed
Caddick Construction has completed the £8.2m Tawd Valley Centre retail outlet in Skelmersdale, West Lancashire, as part of the wider regeneration plans for the town centre. Major retail brands Lidl, B&M Bargains and Poundstretcher are already trading on the scheme with the area adjacent to the retail park also enjoying
Bespoke interiors and fitout company Konstruct has completed works on the striking new flagship store for contemporary fashion label RIXO on London’s King’s Road. The 5,000 square foot store opened its doors this week to unveil a stunning, vibrant interior with features including a coffee kiosk, cocktail bar and bridal suite, alongside RIXO’s full range of ready-to-wear, bridal and accessories. The brand has existing standalone stores on King’s Road, Marylebone and Carnaby Street. Delivered in partnership with Gemma McCloskey of CÚPLA Studio, Konstruct oversaw the design, construction and fit-out of the RIXO project, completed within just six months. RIXO has made a bold mark in the fashion industry since its establishment in 2015. Owned by Henrietta Rix and Orlagh McCloskey, the brand’s signature hand-painted prints and exquisite dresses have taken the contemporary fashion scene by storm across the globe. The team at RIXO appointed Konstruct to lead on the development of the King’s Road store due to their expertise and experience in high quality commercial fitouts as well as their excellence in interior design. Led by partners Martin Kernan and Columb Gribbin, Konstruct originated in County Armagh, with bases in London and Dundalk, County Louth. The company has grown significantly since its inception five years ago, driven by notable projects within its commercial, hospitality and luxury residential portfolio across the UK and Ireland. Speaking about this latest project completion, Managing Director of Konstruct Martin Kernan said: “It has been an absolute pleasure to work with RIXO on the creation of their incredible new flagship store on King’s Road. “Henrietta and Orlagh had a clear vision for the store, which sought to really capture the essence of the RIXO brand. From day one we were focused on creating a fun, versatile, colourful space to be in with standout features such as the flooring made using leftover marble – and with additions like the bar and coffee shop, RIXO have really enhanced the customer experience. “Working with Gemma from CÚPLA Studio has been an enjoyable and effective creative partnership, resulting in a real synergy between visual design and fitout. This has been a relatively short project in terms of timeframe so our whole team has worked incredibly hard to ensure the store was perfect for its first visitors to step into this spring. “We’re very proud to have been part of that and we congratulate Henrietta, Orlagh and everyone at RIXO on this significant milestone for the business.” Henrietta Rix, Co-Founder of RIXO said: “Seeing our flagship store on King’s Road be brought to life and now open its doors has been a joy. This store has been part of our plan from the beginning. We wanted to create a beautiful space that reflects the RIXO style and also encourages our customers to relax and spend time with us. Konstruct were the perfect partners to turn that into reality. “Working closely with Orlagh’s twin sister Gemma, Konstruct were able to create a store that is welcoming, playful, inviting – and the perfect backdrop to explore our collection. This opening marks a very important chapter in the RIXO story.”Amongst several major residential projects, Konstruct is now working on the development of a premium orangery venue in the Cotswolds and a high-end restaurant fitout in London. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Work on a major retail development including new Tesco and Home Bargains stores set to open next year is now underway. The new £20m development at Houghton Colliery is set to bring around 100 new jobs to the area. A 45,000sq ft Tesco supermarket and 20,000sq ft Home Bargains store will be built on the former Colliery site with an opening date of Spring 2024 on the cards. Work at the site is now underway with preparation work being carried out to clear the site ahead of building work beginning. A 300 bay carpark will also be built including disabled spaces and electric car charging points. Sunderland City Council’s cabinet agreed to sell the former colliery – which had been empty for 40 years – to developers Hellens Group and Fintry Estates in 2019. Cllr Kevin Johnson, Dynamic City Cabinet Member at Sunderland City Council, said: “The redevelopment of the former Houghton Colliery site is a project we have been working on for some time, so we’re absolutely thrilled to see work progressing on the scheme.” Gavin Cordwell-Smith, chief executive at Hellens Group said: “We are delighted to begin clearance work on the former colliery site with construction due to commence in May this year. “As a Sunderland-based company, we are committed to supporting local regeneration projects and seeing the area benefit from multi-million pound developments. “The support from Sunderland City Council has been invaluable in unlocking this particularly challenging brownfield site.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Manchester City Council’s executive will be asked to approve the Strategic Regeneration Framework (SRF) for the former retail site at a meeting today. The high-level development that sets out the principles for future planning applications for the site was originally agreed in 2020 and updated to inform a six-week consultation in January this year. The SRF reacts to a range of opportunities for the site – each playing their own part in improving the area. This includes supporting Manchester’s aim of becoming a zero carbon city by 2038, increasing the amount of greens space available to residents, creating sustainable economic growth and stimulating new employment opportunities. Responses to the consultation were largely focused on the need to have usable green space and biodiversity, creating a welcoming area that should feel like a park – rather than a harder landscaped city centre space. Comments included a welcoming of the increased amount of new space compared to the previous SRF and respondents also raised the hope that the new green space would be created as a continuation of Cotton Field Park. Following the consultation, the SRF has also been updated to include a new plan for how the development site will connect to wider walking and cycling routes. These will be well lit – reacting to responses in the consultation – along with accessible routes. The key principles for future development include: The Government Property Agency (GPA) is also exploring options for delivering office solutions in Manchester, to meet the needs of various civil servant departments, which supports the Government’s commitment to locate more civil servants outside of London and support levelling up. Therefore, the framework also responds to potential interest from the GPA to locate government offices on the site. The SRF proposes a phased approach to development, to allow the full potential of the site to be realised and to minimise disruption during construction. The exact timing of development will largely be driven by commercial office space and market requirements. The potential interest from the GPA to locate offices in the area gives a positive indication of current market demand. The green space at the former retail park complements wider green investment elsewhere in Ancoats and New Islington, as well as the nearby, recently opened, Mayfield Park. A planning application has now been submitted on a £30m public realm investment in Ancoats – including the new Ancoats Mobility Hub – which will create a new green heart to the city centre area. The Council’s executive has also endorsed the Manchester Active Travel Strategy (Feb 2023), which supports our residents to make walking and cycling the natural choice for shorter journeys and encourages active travel and public transport to be part of our residents’ daily life. Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, said: “The development of the former Central Retail Park presents a number of key opportunities to deliver a really impactful programme of regeneration – increasing access to quality public green space, creating a green route to open up and celebrate Cotton Field Park, creating a highly sustainable office space that will support thousands of new jobs in an ecosystem that encourages business growth, and all while bringing an eyesore of a brownfield site back into constructive use. “The feedback we received through the recent consultation has been a helpful guide in further developing the framework plan for bringing the former retail park back into use – and importantly the investment in a new public green space in our city centre, complementing Mayfield nearby, Electric Park, Cotton Field Park and the upcoming transformation of Ancoats Green.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Citrus Durham has completed a deal with Adil Group who will develop a stand-alone drive-thru KFC at the £400m mixed-use Integra 61 development at J61 of the A1(M). Citrus Durham was advised by retained roadside agents Colliers and Avison Young with WSB acting for Adil Group. Detailed planning consent has been granted by Durham County Council for the development of the KFC unit and work is expected to start in the summer which would enable KFC to open for business by the end of the year. The new KFC drive-thru will sit alongside the existing Greggs and Costa Coffee drive thru’s and will form part of the growing roadside element at the ground-breaking North East development. Integra 61 is the largest logistics- led mixed use scheme seen in the North East in a generation and is home to Amazon’s new 2 million sq ft Fulfilment Centre which is fully operational with over 1,000 employees on site. Construction of a further 640,000 sq ft of speculative logistics space in 5 units, known as Connect at Integra 61, is well advanced with completion due this summer. Serviced plots are available on the remainder of the site to accommodate a wide range of unit sizes to suit occupier’s specific requirements. The 205 acre site, which has the potential to create over 3,000 jobs and add £2 billion to the regional economy over the next 10 years, has consent to deliver some 260 new homes, a new hotel, nursery, family pub/restaurant, vehicle dealerships and trade counter/retail units. David Cullingford, Project Lead for Integra 61 and Citrus Durham, said: “Adding another high profile occupier to the roadside element of Integra 61 is fantastic news and further strengthens the diversity of uses at the site. We are having a very busy 12 months on site with lots of development works underway and we are looking forward to welcoming KFC to the scheme.” John Roberts, Head of Automotive and Roadside for Colliers and joint agent on Integra 61 with Avison Young, said: “We are talking to a range of roadside occupiers regarding the remaining plots at Integra 61. The sector remains buoyant and we are able to accommodate a wide variety of roadside users from vehicle dealerships to self-storage and a range of retail and hospitality uses.” For enquiries, please contact Avison Young or Colliers Robert Rae 07860 398 744robert.rae@avisonyoung.com /Danny Cramman 07796 993 750 danny.cramman@avisonyoung.com Robert Whatmuff07703 393 145robert.whatmuff@colliers.com / Simon Hill 07736 480 041simon.hill@colliers.com Roadside enquiries to john.roberts@colliers.com Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Extending c. 72,000 sq ft of retail and leisure space, the Park will provide a new out-of-town retail destination for the South West of Glasgow in Barrhead. LSPIM has secured a range of leading national brands, including: LIDL, B&M, Starbucks, Burger King, Card Factory, Baynes, Indigo Sun, The Salvation Army and Osprey Charging Network. It will also welcome the UK’s first Popeye’s drive thru. One unit remains available extending totalling 1,430 sq ft. LSPIM is advised by Savills, jointly with Orinsen. Andy Richardson, development director at LSPIM, comments: “The interest in Barrhead Retail Park is a really positive demonstration that momentum exists in the retail sector, despite pressures from the pandemic and cost of living challenges. It will be great to see this project complete early this year, bringing a boost to the local economy and community.” Mike Spens, retail director at Savills, adds: “Barrhead Retail Park has defied the current economic gloom and secured 98% pre-lets prior to its completion. The new park will offer a rich mix of retailers and food operators providing a strong offer for the local community. While shopping habits in the last 24 months have evolved in a direction few could have anticipated, footfall on retail parks has fared well and we anticipate this new Park will draw strong interest.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Docks Bruxsel announced that it has received the “CO2 neutral – gold company” certificate from CO2logic/South Pole and is the first large shopping centre in Europe to receive this certification. “Docks benefits from exceptional design and build with regard to low carbon emissions, this was part of our rationale for investing in Docks. Our team have worked tirelessly to further reduce the carbon emissions, to provide inclusive access and our ESG strategy. We are very pleased and proud to be the first large scale shopping centre to have achieved CO2 neutral status and gold certification. We continue working to further reduce our carbon emissions; an environmental and socially inclusive strategy is essential to us, our investors, tenants and customers and part of the DNA of Docks”, Peter Todd Founder of Portus Retail and Asset Manager/Owner of Docks Bruxsel. The sustainable ecological approach has always been in the DNA of Docks and is an integral part of its architecture. The shopping centre has a natural ventilation system that replaces air conditioning and a 580m³ rainwater recovery basin which, after filtration and treatment, can be used for many applications (sanitary facilities, cleaning processes, cooling systems, etc.). Docks Bruxsel is also equipped with a rainwater filtering method for watering the green walls. The shopping centre has 4,500 m² of solar panels and the heat from the nearby incinerator is used as an energy source. On the roof, two beehives house around 80,000 bees. This explains why the shopping centre also has BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating in the construction sector. This same ecological infrastructure has enabled Docks Bruxsel to fill its Christmas ice rink with rainwater and power it with 100% green energy generated from solar panels. These panels produce no less than 520 Mwh per year, equivalent to the average consumption of 115 Brussels households. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Sheen Lane Developments has got the planning thumbs up to turn a landmark House of Fraser building in south west London into a mixed-use development with gym and restaurant. The firm will redevelop the George Street store in Richmond giving it an additional top floor and extending the basement for a swimming pool. The grade II-listed store was originally built in the 1960s and has been empty since September 2020 when House of Fraser ceased trading. “We’re extremely pleased to have secured planning consent for this prominent town centre building in the heart of Richmond. It offers a superb opportunity to bring back into use a key building that has been empty for more than two years,” said Henry Courtier, of planning consultant Pegasus Group. The developer Sheen Lane Developments is now starting work having already secured occupational interest from several operators, and it is expected that the basement and first floor will be occupied by private gyms, with the ground floor being retail and a restaurant. Offices would occupy floors two and three, while another restaurant would move to the fourth floor. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Sainsbury’s has put forward plans to build a new store in Arborfield Green as part of a development plan for the Berkshire village. The proposal has been made as part of the development of the new district centre in Arborfield Green. The supermarket has said it plans to open a ‘neighbourhood hub’ store, which would be a larger version of its convenience stores. It will create 40 jobs in the area and offer a click-and-collect service for customers. “The store would form part of the district centre off Nine Mile Ride Extension, which we’ve awarded outline planning permission and are now awaiting a more detailed submission from developer Crest Nicholson. The development is required to include this, which we imposed to ensure residents are served by high-quality infrastructure alongside new housing which the Government requires us to take,” said the Wokingham Borough Council. “We welcome Sainsbury’s news as it shows the financial uncertainty caused by coronavirus and Brexit, which is why the district centre has been delayed, is improving. Further details will come through a separate planning application.” Crest Nicholson exhibited revised plans for Arborfield Green’s district centre and is now seeking people’s feedback before it submits a planning application to the council. The plans include a supermarket, smaller shops, a square, a community centre, a pub and green space and allotments. Since the plans were first put forward the developer has proposed a different layout and new pedestrian areas. The plan is running behind schedule due to the coronavirus pandemic. The council has apologised to residents for the delay. It said: “We know there’s been frustration at how long this has taken, so we’ve met Crest to discuss these delays and will be pressing them to move as quickly as possible. This project fell behind schedule, in part, due to reasons beyond the developer’s control. The coronavirus pandemic made retailers reluctant to open stores so it was very hard to attract interest from supermarkets. “Without an ‘anchor’ tenant to attract others, which was also partly down to Brexit, the scheme was unviable for a while. Government guidelines require us to be fair so we didn’t take any further action. However, as time moves on and the national situation improves, we’ll stay in touch with Crest to ensure there are no unnecessary delays.” Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Manchester City Council is to refresh regeneration proposals for the former Central Retail Park. A report updating on the strategic redevelopment of the former Central Retail Park site will be heard on 14 December requesting approval for a new consultation to start in the New Year. The Council has refreshed a Strategic Regeneration Framework (SRF) for the former retail site that was previously agreed by the Council in 2020. The commitment remains to develop a flagship, highly sustainable commercial district that can attract new business and talent to the city, that will also promote social value and well-being. The Government Property Agency (GPA) is exploring options for delivering office solutions in Manchester, to meet the needs of various civil servant departments, which supports the Government’s commitment to locate more civil servants outside of London and support levelling up. Therefore, the new framework also responds to potential interest from the GPA to locate government offices on the site. “The former Central Retail Park is a key site and one of the final pieces of the puzzle in the long-term regeneration story of New Islington, which has the potential to create thousands of new jobs in the city. For decades the site has created a physical barrier between Great Ancoats Street and the growing community around New Islington Marina. Developing this site will create a new public link through to the existing Cotton Field Park behind and create a green space at the heart of the low-carbon commercial district,” said Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council. “We have a real opportunity to create a flagship, highly sustainable development of renown – and we would encourage people to take part in the consultation. A six-week consultation will begin in early January and we invite feedback around the proposals for site.” The overall vision of the refreshed Former Central Retail SRF is: • Create a high-quality, sustainable office district to bring the currently vacant former retail park back into use. • Create a range of new employment opportunities, including through the construction phase of the development project. Thousands of jobs are expected to be located at the site, many of which will be new employment opportunities to the city. • A new high-quality, green public space will be at the heart of the former retail site, creating a link between Great Ancoats Street to Cottonfield Park and the growing New Islington community behind. • New connections and routes will be created through the site from adjacent neighbourhoods. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Caddick Construction has completed the £8.2m Tawd Valley Centre retail outlet in Skelmersdale, West Lancashire, as part of the wider regeneration plans for the town centre. Major retail brands Lidl, B&M Bargains and Poundstretcher are already trading on the scheme with the area adjacent to the retail park also enjoying an upgrade to include a new play area in Tawd Valley Park. A new high street has been provided to link West Lancashire College with the rest of the town centre. Improvements are also being made to the public areas outside Skelmersdale Library to make them more attractive spaces for residents to enjoy. Ian Threadgold, North West Managing Director of Caddick Construction said: “Caddick is delighted to have completed on this important scheme that is already having a transformative effect on Skelmersdale town centre and the local communities. “Investment and vision are important if we want to see local town centres revitalised and attract new retailers in with the right location and premises. It’s great to see Tawd Valley Centre is already delivering for Skelmersdale.” Councillor Yvonne Gagen, Leader of West Lancashire Borough Council, added: “The new town centre development will bring economic and social benefits for the Borough’s communities long into the future and will greatly enhance the Borough’s appeal as a great place to live, work and invest, providing increased opportunities for many. “This development is a significant step towards a future where everyone in West Lancashire will be able to take advantage of a positive economic outlook and vastly improved health and wellbeing outcomes. The people of West Lancashire deserve this and I’m delighted we have delivered it.” The town centre redevelopment scheme is a partnership between the Borough Council and developer St. Modwen and is supported by the Lancashire Local Enterprise Partnership and Growth Deal Funding. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
