Commercial : Specialist Facilities News

Huge Success on NWCH Framework for GRAHAM

GRAHAM is celebrating the huge success of being named on all three lots of the North West Construction Hub’s (NWCH) new High Value Framework. Aiming to improve efficiencies, the framework will see contractors deliver construction projects in markets including education, health, retail and leisure. “We have strategically developed the GRAHAM business

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London Development Chooses VolkerFitzpatrick

A multi-use development in London has chosen VolkerFitzpatrick to deliver £27 million worth of construction works. The firm will refurbish and extend 77 Coleman Street, constructing 8,000 ft 2 of office space and over 16,000 ft 2 of retail and leisure space. “We are delighted to have been selected by

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Architect AHR Selected for Chester Northgate Scheme

The development of the multi-million Chester Northgate regeneration scheme has reached a significant milestone with the appointment of architect AHR, selected to progress the scheme to detailed design. Specialist advisors from Cheshire West and Chester Council have also been appointment. Together, they will bring forward the £60 million initial phase

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Wolverhampton’s i9 Development Contract Goes to GRAHAM

The development contract for Wolverhampton’s new modern office space, i9, has been secured by GRAHAM. The development will provide 50,000 sq ft of Grade A office space, designed by Glenn Howells Architects. “The appointment of GRAHAM offers the next step towards this much anticipated state of the art, Grade A office

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APA Continues Wates Partnership on Leeds Development

APA Facade Systems, Speedclad and Wates Group are continuing their partnership for the newest development in Leeds’ most sought-after business location – 4 Wellington Place. APA’s TB60 and TB60 SG facade system will be installed by Speedclad to 4 Wellington Place, marking the latest installment in this 22-acre office development. The proposed addition to Wellington Place consists

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Norwich Mixed Use Project Gets Green Light

Weston Homes’ proposals to regenerate Anglia Square in central Norwich into a £300 million mixed use urban quarter has received a Resolution to Grant planning permission from Norwich City Council. Planning permission can be issued as soon as a ‘Section 106’ legal agreement between the applicants and the Council is completed. The

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New Commuter Pads Launched in Thurrock

The Office for National Statistics has warned that the number of Londoners under the age of 40 setting up their own home in the capital is to fall significantly over the next 15 years. However, the report goes on to say that the borough of Barking and Havering, will buck

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Ri Awards Stewart and Shields Food and Drink Incubator Contract

Stewart and Shields has been awarded by Riverside Inverclyde (Ri), the organisation charged with delivering the economic redevelopment of Inverclyde in the west of Scotland, the £1.6 million design and build construction contract for its food and drink incubator. Baker Street Food & Drink Enterprises will be built on land

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Latest Issue
Issue 324 : Jan 2025

Commercial : Specialist Facilities News

Huge Success on NWCH Framework for GRAHAM

GRAHAM is celebrating the huge success of being named on all three lots of the North West Construction Hub’s (NWCH) new High Value Framework. Aiming to improve efficiencies, the framework will see contractors deliver construction projects in markets including education, health, retail and leisure. “We have strategically developed the GRAHAM business in the North West of England, beginning with the opening of our Manchester office in Salford (2012) and more recently our Liverpool office (2018), and this award underlines our now established reputation in the region. It is a tremendous result and presents us with unique opportunities to deliver lasting impact right across the North West. As a business, we are focused on partnering with clients and procurement bodies who share our vision and values. Collaboration is central to NWCH and that fits perfectly into the GRAHAM approach whereby true collaboration is at the forefront of every relationship. Working in partnership allows us to engage locally, provide greater efficiency and generate better value for money and social value outcomes for our clients and partners. We look forward to undertaking our first projects with NWCH in 2019,” commented the firm’s Strategic Alliances and Frameworks Director, Patrick McDonald. Available to public sector bodies in the North West of England, the framework icovers Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Lancashire, Cheshire and Cumbria. The lots range in value from £8 million – £15 million (Lot 1), £15 million – £35 million (Lot 2) and £35 million+ (Lot 3). “It is very exciting to see some new names join our existing partners and there are already some interesting projects lined up with clients who have been eagerly awaiting this announcement,” added NWCH Framework Lead, Joanna Chomeniuk. GRAHAM will deliver ‘Design & Build’ or ‘Construct Only’ projects within each lot over a four-year term.

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London Development Chooses VolkerFitzpatrick

A multi-use development in London has chosen VolkerFitzpatrick to deliver £27 million worth of construction works. The firm will refurbish and extend 77 Coleman Street, constructing 8,000 ft 2 of office space and over 16,000 ft 2 of retail and leisure space. “We are delighted to have been selected by Kajima, to deliver this exciting project in central London. Utilising our high quality construction and fit out capabilities, 77 Coleman Street will be a significant addition to our portfolio of multi-use developments in the capital,” said Stuart Deverill, managing director of VolkerFitzpatrick’s Building division. VolkerFitzpatrick’s involvement in the project includes fiting the office spaces out to a CAT A specification, including the shell and core structures, ceilings, floors and installation of key services. Meanwhile, the retail and leisure units will feature a complete base build, concrete walls, flooring, lighting and installation of fire alarms. The units will be fitted with retail frontages at ground floor level and terrace areas will be constructed around the upper floors. A new four-metre high reception and breakout area will also be delivered as the building’s main entrance and a new public street, named Nun Court, linking Coleman Street with Moorgate. “This is a technically complicated development and a really important project for us in terms of the expected quality and programme, so we’re delighted to place its delivery into the reliable hands of the VolkerFitzpatrick team,” commented James Starkey, project director for Kajima. The multi-use development project was first launched in April 2018, and is scheduled for completion in Q4 of this year.

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Architect AHR Selected for Chester Northgate Scheme

The development of the multi-million Chester Northgate regeneration scheme has reached a significant milestone with the appointment of architect AHR, selected to progress the scheme to detailed design. Specialist advisors from Cheshire West and Chester Council have also been appointment. Together, they will bring forward the £60 million initial phase of the project, which includes a new relocated dynamic and modern market, six-screen cinema, restaurants, public square and car parking. “The Chester Northgate scheme is set to deliver a fantastic boost to the city and we’re tremendously pleased to have been appointed to the project. The development will reinforce the leisure and culture offering at the heart of the transformation of the city delivering a new relocated dynamic and modern market, six-screen cinema, host of new restaurants and public square,” said Dominic Manfredi, director at AHR and a local resident of the borough. “The project will also provide vital new car parking. This will increase capacity and ensure visitors can enjoy the development and the wider city centre with ease, benefitting local businesses across the city. We’re confident that this ambitious project will help further strengthen Chester’s reputation as one of the North West’s premier destinations,” Dominic added. The Council’s preferred contractor is Vinci Construction UK, who will be formally appointed to a pre-construction agreement in autumn 2019. Meanwhile, building work for the initial phase of Chester Northgate is set to start early 2020.

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Wolverhampton’s i9 Development Contract Goes to GRAHAM

The development contract for Wolverhampton’s new modern office space, i9, has been secured by GRAHAM. The development will provide 50,000 sq ft of Grade A office space, designed by Glenn Howells Architects. “The appointment of GRAHAM offers the next step towards this much anticipated state of the art, Grade A office building for Wolverhampton. The i10 development has already proven that new occupiers are attracted to Wolverhampton and the state-of-the-art transport links of the Interchange will be a major attraction for those new occupiers,” said Steve Parry, managing director of Ion The scheme follows on from the success of the award-winning i10 complex on the opposite side of the road in the heart of the City of Wolverhampton Interchange. “Wolverhampton is undergoing a period of regeneration that is set to transform the city and attract further investment and jobs to the area. We are therefore pleased to have been appointed as the main contractor on the i9 – a significant new headquarters building that benefits from a prime location and high-spec office facilities. We look forward to working with the wider project team to deliver this new, sustainable commercial development for the city,” commented John Maguire, Regional Business Development Director for GRAHAM’s Birmingham office. Councillor John Reynolds, Cabinet Member for City Economy, City of Wolverhampton Council added: “The appointment of GRAHAM means we can look forward to i9 emerging at the heart of the city’s Interchange in 2019. It is another step towards our aspirations of creating a Commercial District in this area of the city and we want this building to become the design and quality benchmark for future developments in the city and to demonstrate our ambition for the city centre. This important site ideally lends itself to a distinctive, high-quality headquarters building.” The i9 development is expected to be completed in 2020.

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APA Continues Wates Partnership on Leeds Development

APA Facade Systems, Speedclad and Wates Group are continuing their partnership for the newest development in Leeds’ most sought-after business location – 4 Wellington Place. APA’s TB60 and TB60 SG facade system will be installed by Speedclad to 4 Wellington Place, marking the latest installment in this 22-acre office development. The proposed addition to Wellington Place consists of an eight-storey triangular building, with a sloping roofline from Northern Street to Tower Square, incorporating terraces to all floors facing onto the Lifting Tower. The development frames stunning views across Wellington Place and the wider townscape, reflecting its emerging context through the use of the bronze, stone and glass as seen on 3, 5 and 6 Wellington Place. Described as ‘the jewel in the crown’ of the wider 22-acre development, on account of its unique form, 4 Wellington Place will deliver 131,500ft² nett of grade A office accommodation. It will also include 17,000ft² of ground floor retail and leisure space, in addition to basement car parking and landscape work. When entering the masterplan via the two avenues heading towards Tower Square, the proposed facades intersperse stone and bronze vertical panels with glazing, giving the reflective quality that creates the building’s jewel-like appearance. The gateway approach of 4 Wellington Place and its position sitting at the centre of the current master plan, has led to the development of a building that is distinct whilst borrowing from the architectural language of the surrounding buildings. Having already completed no’s 3 and 5 Wellington Place, APA Facade Systems is currently working on no’s 7 & 8 and is delighted to secure the latest contract in this development.

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Norwich Mixed Use Project Gets Green Light

Weston Homes’ proposals to regenerate Anglia Square in central Norwich into a £300 million mixed use urban quarter has received a Resolution to Grant planning permission from Norwich City Council. Planning permission can be issued as soon as a ‘Section 106’ legal agreement between the applicants and the Council is completed. The new development is one of the biggest urban renewal projects outside of Greater London, covering more than 1.2 million square feet. The redeveloped Anglia Square provides new homes, retail premises, leisure amenities, public artwork and new public realm. It will deliver a series of striking buildings designed around two Covent Garden style landscaped plazas, linked by new high quality landscaped public spaces including pedestrian streets, offering cycle linkages across the site, complete with new trees and planted areas. There would also be extensive communal green squares and central courtyards for residents of the scheme. Furthermore, over 1,200 much needed new homes will be created, including stylish one and two bedroom apartments and penthouses for private sale, alongside circa 120 on-site affordable homes for local households on lower incomes. The proposals for Anglia Square will give Norwich a new northern city centre destination for shopping, leisure and entertainment, with high quality retail floorspace allowing for 40 glass fronted retail units, including an anchor food store. Alongside this there will be a new 200 bed hotel with a range of facilities including a roof level bar and restaurant, offering panoramic views over the city centre, and a new leisure quarter, centred on a new ground floor multi-screen cinema. Surrey Chapel will be provided with a brand new £2.5 million home within the development. Anglia Square is the future of Norwich with striking architecture in the form of high quality buildings with expanses of glazing, varied balcony design, rooftop terraces and feature detailing to the facades. There will be shops, restaurants and leisure at ground level, with homes above, with those on the uppermost floors offering panoramic views over Norwich City Centre. There will be a replacement multi-storey car park providing 600 shopper parking spaces, and the project allows for 75% of the homes to have residential parking. There will also be public “play trail” artwork, helping to create a “Covent Garden” style ambience, allowing both adults and children to enjoy the public open spaces, with details to be agreed with the City Council. The project will open up new views of the Anglican Cathedral and St Augustine’s Church and bring various benefits to Norwich. The new Anglia Square represents a substantial level of private sector investment into Norwich, with the mixture of uses generating new Council Tax revenue, new construction and permanent employment opportunities, and New Homes Bonus payments over four years.

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New Commuter Pads Launched in Thurrock

The Office for National Statistics has warned that the number of Londoners under the age of 40 setting up their own home in the capital is to fall significantly over the next 15 years. However, the report goes on to say that the borough of Barking and Havering, will buck the trend and show projected increases.  Thurrock lies a mile away to the east of where Bellway launched Renovo, a development of 200 new homes on 27thOctober with a second phase to follow. In the past five years property in Thurrock, Essex has seen a rise in value of 37.04%, and the average value of property in the area is currently just under £220,000 according to Zoopla’s Zed Index.  Bellway’s Renovo development, offers a selection of new homes and apartments which will include one and two-bedroom apartments and two, three and four-bedroom houses starting from £219,995. Renovo includes a collection of two, three and four bedroom houses, and one and two bedroom apartments, ideal for families, investors or commuting professionals looking for a new modern pad. Thurrock is a fantastic commuter location, with an excellent range of nearby facilities and amenities, good transport connections and plenty of green spaces, offering residents a versatile and reasonably priced locality. “Often homebuyers are struggling to find competitively priced new-build homes within easy striking distance of London, so we’re pleased to be offering Renovo, an attractive development with a varied selection of homes at affordable prices. This is an area on the fringes of London that is ripe for development and will provide excellent commuter homes for professionals and families alike,” said Paul Timson, Sales Manager at Bellway Homes Essex. This regeneration of West Thurrock gives residents wonderful open space; the 200-acre Chafford Gorges Nature Park just 20 minutes on foot; perfect for a family day out or just getting away from it all with stunning views across the gorge. Less than a 10 minute drive away, Rainham Marshes RSPB Nature Reserve is popular with the more active members of the community; cyclists, runners and walkers can all enjoy this idyllic Essex countryside. Various sports amenities are close by, including Mardyke Valley Golf Club and Blackshots leisure centre, which hosts two swimming pools, a fitness suite and exercise studios. Residents of Renovo are also ideally placed to enjoy the Intu Lakeside Mall which is home to a myriad of restaurants, bars, cafes and a wide range of shopping amenities.  Further afield there is easy train access to the heart of East London and the Docklands where visitors can explore a wide range of dining and leisure options. Ideal for commuters, Chafford Hundred is the nearest train station, which is a 20 minute walk from the development, reaching London Fenchurch Station in as little as 30 minutes and providing excellent transport links to Barking, Limehouse and Southend.  Major road connections accessible from the development include the A13 to East London and Docklands, which is also a great link to London City Airport in a short 25 minute drive and the M25 Orbital. Prices start at £219,995 for a one bedroom apartment. For further information please visit www.bellway.co.uk or call 0845 548 8026.

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The Brinell Building, Brighton, is fully pre-let as Unity Technologies signs-up

The Brinell Building, a speculative office development in Brighton, has been fully let ahead of completion in June 2019. The newly developed 65,253 sq ft Grade A, seven-storey office building, is being delivered by developer and contractor McAleer & Rushe. The Brinell Building achieved record rents for the city with each pre-let transaction, topping out at £32.00 per sq ft. Unity Technologies, the ApS video game development company based in San Francisco with a market cap in the region of $2.5Bn (May 2017), has become the final occupier to take space at The Brinell Building. The tech company, who will be the anchor tenant, has committed to 37,398 sq ft over the first to fourth floors on a ten-year lease. Unity Technologies joins other standout occupiers including Diversified, the leading technology integrator delivering innovative digital media, broadcasting, electronic security and OTT solutions, which has pre-let 8,272 sq ft on the ground floor on a 15-year lease. As well as professional services firm Dehns which has pre-let the top two floors covering 18,514 sq ft on a 15-year lease. Angus Monteith, Property Development Director at McAleer & Rushe, said: “McAleer & Rushe successfully developed CityView in 2016 and we saw the opportunity to bring forward additional office space to meet untapped demand in central Brighton. Our decision to speculatively develop The Brinell Building has been rewarded with 100% pre-lettings to a first class tenant line-up six months ahead of practical completion.”  Jack Riley, Associate, National Offices Knight Frank, said: “The Brighton occupier market has historically been underpinned by corporate giants like L&G, American Express and BUPA but the letting success at The Brinell Building highlights demand from the ever-expanding TMT sector. Brighton’s amenity offering coupled with a young, skilled labour force and growing tech sector is making it a hotbed for talent. With vacancy rates at an all-time low, speculative schemes providing Grade A office stock, such as The Brinell Building, are crucial for the continued growth of Brighton’s thriving business community.” Emma Lockey, Associate at CBRE, said: “We have worked alongside Unity for a number of years, advising on its original offices at CityView. We are delighted to have secured The Brinell Building for one of Brighton’s rapidly growing businesses in what is one of the largest office pre-lets for many years.”   Knight Frank acted jointly with SHW for McAleer & Rushee and CBRE acted for Unity Technologies.

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Ri Awards Stewart and Shields Food and Drink Incubator Contract

Stewart and Shields has been awarded by Riverside Inverclyde (Ri), the organisation charged with delivering the economic redevelopment of Inverclyde in the west of Scotland, the £1.6 million design and build construction contract for its food and drink incubator. Baker Street Food & Drink Enterprises will be built on land recently cleared at the corner of Greenock’s Baker Street and Drumfrochar Road. It is the second phase of a £2.5 million road realignment project currently being delivered by Riverside Inverclyde for Inverclyde Council. The Baker Street project will see the development of six manufacturing units ranging from 30 to 70 square metres. Aimed at enticing the growth of small and medium-sized food and drink businesses, the building will also include shared office space, storage unit and boardroom facilities for its tenants as well as shower and change areas. Ri will also provide a business growth programme to support the tenants, as well as seeking match-funding support for machinery and equipment. By assisting with the transition into Baker Street, the aim is to provide support towards achieving Safe and Local Supplier Approval (SALSA) standard accreditation for the units. “Ri has targeted the food and drink sector as a fantastic growth opportunity for Inverclyde,” said Andrew Bowman, Head of Business Investment at Ri. “We have started to promote this pioneering facility nationally and are already seeing interest in the Baker Street hub and all of the available support for the eventual tenants. The incubator offers Inverclyde some exciting opportunities, not least the ability to grow the number of food and drink producers in the area alongside the associated jobs. We hope to see some of the early participants grow to become great success stories in their own right.” The Baker Street incubator and its other areas of support will be the first of its kind in Scotland, assisting Inverclyde’s growth in the food and drink sector as Scotland aims to double its turnover to £30 billion by 2030. The development started in October 2018 and is expected to be completed in the summer of 2019. The development is due to begin this autumn with a completion date of spring 2019. The Baker Street incubator is being supported by £900,000 from the Scottish Government’s Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF).

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Carter Jonas Secures Planning for the Conservation of William Morris’ Historic Oxfordshire Home

Carter Jonas, the national property consultancy, has secured planning permission on behalf of the Society of Antiquaries of London for a new on-site education centre at Kelmscott Manor, alongside the conservation and refurbishment of the West Oxfordshire estate’s Grade I listed heritage buildings. Kelmscott Manor is a limestone manor house that dates from 1570 in the Cotswolds village of Kelmscott. It was built by local farmer Thomas Turner and remained in the family for generations, but is best known as the country home of the writer, designer and socialist William Morris. He lived there from 1871 until his death in 1896 drawing inspiration from the house’s architecture and garden. It featured in his work ‘News from Nowhere’ and in the background of Rosetti’s painting of Morris’ wife ‘Water Willow’. Carter Jonas’ planning and development team worked closely with experts in the consultancy’s rural practice to vary a restrictive covenant in favour of Kelmscott Manor. They also negotiated with a neighbouring landowner to rent a small area of land for a new car park, which involved the surrender of a long-term lease from the agricultural tenant, a change of use and settling terms for a new long-term lease direct with the landowner. The new 969 sq ft (90m2) education centre will be built on the south side of the farmyard with construction due to start in Q2 2019. Conservation repairs will begin in Q2 2020 to the listed buildings of Kelmscott Manor including the house itself, the Stable Barn that houses the cafe and the Granary Building, which contains the visitor’s shop.  Nicky Brock, Partner, Carter Jonas said: “It is a privilege to work on an architectural treasure with such a strong design heritage. The planning permission means that important refurbishment works can be undertaken to conserve the collection of Grade I listed building that make up the estate, whilst looking to the future with the addition of the new education centre. This will ensure that visitors can not only enjoy the house and its grounds, but learn more about the legacy of Kelmscott Manor and its most famous resident William Morris. The project is a good example of how we can bring together specialists across our core divisions to create a bespoke solution for our clients.”

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