Site of former police station on Chiswick High Road to be redeveloped into 50-unit retirement community Birchgrove, the UK’s leading provider of rented retirement homes, has secured planning permission from Hounslow Council to redevelop the site of a former police station on Chiswick High Street into a fifty-unit retirement living
Boroughs in the capital warn they face a funding shortfall of at least £400m in 2024-25, as MPs prepare to vote on the local government finance settlement on Wednesday [1]. The cross-party London Councils group says that despite a 5.5% real-terms increase in their core spending power in the settlement,
Southwark Council, Ledbury Estate residents and the council’s development partner Higgins Partnerships celebrated the start of the first phase of building works at Ledbury Estate at a ground breaking ceremony on Monday 5 February 2024. The first phase of construction works is taking place on the site of the former
Oldham Council has pledged to get 500 new social homes built in the borough over the next five years. The announcement was made at the council’s inaugural Housing Roundtable, which took place at Oldham Civic Centre on Thursday 1 February and was led by Leader of the Council, Cllr Arooj
A leading construction and fit-out company has captured the dramatic transformation of a major estate in a three-minute timelapse film showcasing the incredible rejuvenation of the 1960s-built neighbourhood. The film from Willmott Dixon shows remarkable footage of Barking’s Gascoigne East regeneration that sees a tired and outdated estate disappear to
A trio of community consultation events will take place next week in Liberton ahead of the council’s major transformation of the site into much needed homes. In partnership with Anderson Bell + Christie, HTA landscape architects, G3 Consulting Engineers and arts organisation WAVEparticle, the pop-up events will give those living in
LABC has showcased projects that demonstrate high quality, and exemplary standards in construction at an industry event in London attended by more than 900 leading industry figures. A panel of industry experts at the LABC Building Excellence Awards Grand Finals judged the highest quality projects, professionals, and teams from around
Top 10 UK housebuilder Keepmoat has invested more than £25million into a housing regeneration scheme at Preston Road in Hull, now named Liberty Rise, as part of Hull City Council’s ‘city wide’ regeneration project. The scheme, being delivered by the housebuilder, is part of a long established partnership with the
Major funding bids will help build 3,380 new homes in Manchester – including 1,761 genuinely affordable homes – following successful submissions to GMCA’s Brownfield Housing Fund. Manchester City Council has been awarded £51.6m that will allow the development of 31 long-term underused sites over the next two years – and
A multimillion-pound scheme to transform the civic and cultural quarter of Crewe town centre is under way. The project involves: Salford-based MC Construction has completed the first phase of the scheme, which involved enabling works to strip out the former library next to Memorial Square where the history centre will
Site of former police station on Chiswick High Road to be redeveloped into 50-unit retirement community Birchgrove, the UK’s leading provider of rented retirement homes, has secured planning permission from Hounslow Council to redevelop the site of a former police station on Chiswick High Street into a fifty-unit retirement living community. Originally opened in 1972, the police station at 209-211 Chiswick High Road closed in 2021 and was sold by the Metropolitan Police to Birchgrove in April 2022. Redevelopment plans were originally submitted later that year, and, following two public consultations, planning permission has now been granted. The new high-quality one and two-bed self-contained rented apartments will be available to rent to those aged 65 and over, with facilities including a 24-hour concierge service, restaurant, licenced bar, courtyard garden and wellness suite. The site has been designed to benefit the wider local community, with a dedicated space on the ground floor available for local groups, charities and individuals to hire, as well as for the police to hold local resident meetings. The police will also be provided with a separate dedicated facilities space which will enable officers to charge their body-worn cameras, iPads and radios, and means a police base will be re-established on the High Road following the station’s closure. The scheme will also provide a £400,000 contribution towards affordable housing in Hounslow, and has been assessed as highly sustainable – achieving a minimum 77% reduction in carbon emissions over the regulatory baseline. The approval of the new Birchgrove community comes as demand for retirement accommodation across Hounslow increases: based on the 2015 city-wide London plan, Hounslow has a target of 135 new specialist homes for elderly people per year, meaning the redevelopment of the police station site will play a vital role in tackling Hounslow’s retirement accommodation shortage. The approval also comes as demand for senior living rented accommodation continues to surge: according to the English Housing Survey, the number of pensioners in rented accommodation is set to double to over 1m in the next decade. Birchgrove currently operates three retirement communities across the South-East, with three further communities under construction and now available for rental off-plan, and three further London sites acquired (Chiswick, Hampton Court and Mill Hill). Honor Barratt, Chief Executive, Birchgrove said: “After almost two years of consultation we are thrilled to have secured planning permission, and I would like to thank everyone – including the council and local residents – for both their support and suggestions to ensure the development is the best it can be and does Chiswick justice.“All too often older people are shoved to the end of a cul-de-sac somewhere, but not here. With our development bang in the middle of Chiswick High Street, our residents will be able to flourish at the heart of the community.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Boroughs in the capital warn they face a funding shortfall of at least £400m in 2024-25, as MPs prepare to vote on the local government finance settlement on Wednesday [1]. The cross-party London Councils group says that despite a 5.5% real-terms increase in their core spending power in the settlement, boroughs will continue to grapple with an “enormous” funding gap due to service pressures and costs. The £400m funding shortfall is roughly the same amount as London boroughs collectively spend on homelessness in a single year. London Councils highlights the following: London Councils says the spate of recent warnings of financial failure across local government is the result of many years of underfunding – with boroughs in the capital badly affected. The increased frequency of Section 114 notices in the last year should not be taken lightly and more are likely if the sector does not receive further funding support [2]. Last week the LUHC committee’s report on financial distress in local authorities urged ministers to address systemic underfunding in local government and tackle the £4bn gap in council finances nationally. Research from the Institute for Fiscal Studies think-tank found an estimated 17% gap between funding need and the actual levels of local government funding in London. This was by far the largest gap of any region in England. Outer London boroughs face a particularly tough outlook as they are amongst the lowest funded per capita in the country, with growing populations who are becoming more deprived. London Councils calculates the 2024-25 finance settlement will leave boroughs’ overall resources 15% lower in real terms than in 2010. Demand for services has risen substantially, as the capital’s population has grown by 800,000 during that period. Boroughs’ spending power per Londoner has decreased by around 30% in real terms since 2010. Cllr Claire Holland, Deputy Chair of London Councils, said: “Boroughs will continue to face a bleak financial outlook for the foreseeable future. “The increase in funding set out in the government’s finance settlement will not be enough to address the enormous funding gap we are grappling with. Massive pressures on local services, skyrocketing costs, and years of inadequate funding have left town hall finances teetering on a cliff edge. “It is in no one’s interests for a council to find itself in a Section 114 situation. Londoners want stability for their local services. We will continue to urge ministers to increase funding support and to work with us in making the local government finance system fairer and more sustainable.” London Councils is calling for the upcoming Spring Budget on 6 March to address the financial pressures facing boroughs. London Councils’ priorities for the government include: More information can be found in London Councils’ consultation response to the local government finance settlement, which is available here. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Southwark Council, Ledbury Estate residents and the council’s development partner Higgins Partnerships celebrated the start of the first phase of building works at Ledbury Estate at a ground breaking ceremony on Monday 5 February 2024. The first phase of construction works is taking place on the site of the former Bromyard House and will provide 80 new homes across two blocks, made up of 45 council homes, 15 shared ownership homes and 20 homes for private sale. The new council homes will be prioritised for former residents who had to vacate their previous homes due to safety issues, and the shared ownership homes will be designated for leaseholders of the Ledbury towers. The start of these building works marks a key milestone in the redevelopment of the whole of Ledbury Estate, which the council has been working closely with local residents on for many years. The redevelopment was proposed after four towers on the estate, built in the 1960s, were identified as having serious structural and fire safety issues. Following extensive consultation Ledbury Estate residents voted in favour of demolishing the four blocks and providing modern high-quality new homes and a range of other improvements to the estate. Cllr Helen Dennis, Cabinet Member for New Homes and Sustainable Development, said, “I’m so thrilled to see works get underway on this estate – it’s a really exciting marker in the long journey we have been on with residents to replace the previous homes in the towers with the fire safe, high-quality new homes our residents deserve. “Today we can celebrate being one step closer to Ledbury residents moving back onto the estate they know and love and bringing this wonderfully tight-knit community back together. “Thank you to all the residents who have worked so closely with us on this and helped to co-design a wonderful redevelopment which will transform the lives of everyone on this estate”. Dominic Higgins, Chief Operating Officer for Higgins Group comments, “We are delighted to be marking this important milestone on site with residents and Southwark Council. “As well as delivering these high quality new homes for local residents, we are committed to delivering community engagement and social value and ensuring we leave a lasting legacy for generations to come. “As work progresses, we will be working with the local community to provide training and employment opportunities as well supporting social value opportunities and providing volunteering hours to community projects.” In total, the Ledbury Estate redevelopment will provide 340 new homes, 224 of which will be council homes to replace those from the old towers. The council will also build an additional 36 new council homes, taking the total to 260 council homes, as well as 15 shared ownership homes and 75 homes for private sale. The wider neighbourhood will also benefit from landscaping and new outdoor communal areas with a large, multi-purpose garden courtyard with space for community growing, a play area and tree-lined paths creating new pedestrian and cycle friendly connections between the Old Kent Road, Pencraig Way and Bird in Bush Park to the south-west. The first phase of building works is expected to complete in spring 2026 and the entire Ledbury Estate redevelopment is expected to be finished by 2030. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Oldham Council has pledged to get 500 new social homes built in the borough over the next five years. The announcement was made at the council’s inaugural Housing Roundtable, which took place at Oldham Civic Centre on Thursday 1 February and was led by Leader of the Council, Cllr Arooj Shah. Senior representatives from all of of Oldham’s major social housing providers were at the event, along with private landlords, letting agents, developers and housebuilders, charities and more. Together with the Council, they discussed Oldham’s housing crisis and how partners can work together to tackle it. Cllr Shah, who is also Cabinet Member for Reform and Regeneration, said: “Nationally, there’s been a growing issue with housing for years and now places like Oldham are bearing the brunt of it. “Thousands of social homes have been sold under right to buy with no government policies in place to replace them. Wages haven’t kept up with house prices or private rents and the cost of living crisis has piled even more pressure on. “I hear from local people every day whose lives are being ruined by this broken housing system. “For me, a home is a place where memories are created, where children and parents are safe and where there is love. “But for far too many families in Oldham, this is not the reality. And we know from our own work in communities that the dire situation is getting worse. “There are more than 7,500 families on the council housing register and thousands of applications waiting to be processed. There are over 500 families in temporary accommodation – and among them are 500 children. That’s 500 kids without their own bed, a place to do their homework, living in places like hotels and B&Bs. It’s tragic. “This is why we have to do everything in our power to respond locally to this national crisis. “With the support of our housing providers, we’ll be building 500 new social homes over the next five years. We have to act now, and we are.” Issues under discussion included the national problems with housing supply, driven by factors such as the high costs of renting and home ownership, the lack of Government funding to invest in social homes, differences in the definition of truly “affordable” homes, and a reduction in the supply of social and affordable housing. Nationally, Government has stopped incentivising developers to build truly affordable homes, with funding provided through the Government’s Affordable Homes Programme (AHP) being slashed. Figures from charity Shelter show that around 39,500 new social houses were delivered nationally in 2010, compared to 6,600 a decade later. At the same time, demand for those homes is increasing, as people are affected by the cost of living crisis and are struggling with rising mortgage interest rates – meaning they may not be able to afford to pay, or get on the housing ladder at all. Among those discussing the reality of the crisis were three members of Oldham Poverty Truth Commission, who shared their own experience of navigating the social housing system. They included Simon Carrigan who said: “I owned my own home but I was cockooed and forced to sell my house and declare myself bankrupt to pay off the debts they said I owed them. I got a social home but they found me and the cuckooing started again. “I asked for help and the housing association tried – but they put bars on the windows and that just trapped me. I had to walk away again. “I’m 41 now and I’m still in poverty because of this. A good life starts with a good home. It’s so important.” Nadia Masood talked about her battles with mould and the lack of action from her landlord to keep up repairs saying: “I have a lot of health conditions and I’m living in a house covered in mould. “I’ve had to rip up the carpets and I’m now living with concrete floors. The buzzer doesn’t work so I never know if there’s someone at the door, the bath leaks and living on my own, I’m trying my best to deal with it, but it’s really hard. It gave me a really serious asthma attack. “I’ve been asking for help since last summer, I’ve done so much myself to try and sort it, but nothing ever happens.” Yaasmin Mughees told the roundtable about facing homelessness with three young children immediately after being granted right to stay in the UK. She said: “I was new to the system and I was scared, I experienced things I wouldn’t expect any human to experience. “I did get temporary accomodation for six months and it was good – but I know the quality of it was far better than where many other people are living. It really hurts to know so many people are living in these situations.” The roundtable discussed housing standards, demand and supply in Oldham and called on partners from across the room to make a commitment to building a local solution to a national crisis. This included: social and private landlords pledging to improve the quality of the homes we already have; letting and estate agents signing up to charters aimed at raising housing standards and developers working with the Council to get spades in the ground. Cllr Elaine Taylor, Cabinet Member for Housing and Licensing, said: “We promised the housing roundtable would put firm plans in place to tackle the housing crisis. “Social housing changes lives, giving people a stable, affordable home – but there’s not enough social homes to go round. “That’s why we’re building more – with the support of our partners – I’m proud to say Oldham will have an additional 500 new social homes for local residents with the highest need. “It’s a huge step in the right direction and we’ll keep bringing people together to make sure Oldham fights its way out of this horrendous housing crisis as soon as possible.” For more information and support with
A leading construction and fit-out company has captured the dramatic transformation of a major estate in a three-minute timelapse film showcasing the incredible rejuvenation of the 1960s-built neighbourhood. The film from Willmott Dixon shows remarkable footage of Barking’s Gascoigne East regeneration that sees a tired and outdated estate disappear to be replaced by high quality, environmentally friendly homes and recreational space for the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham’s direct delivery company Be First. Willmott Dixon director Steve Kitchen, who led the team behind the transformation, said: “The video is a testament to the huge amount of work that’s gone into transforming a large 1960s-era residential area into a beautiful and vibrant new community with green space and a bustling playground. It’s four years of hard work condensed into a fraction of the time, bringing the project to life in a truly impactful way.” The £164m phase two regeneration of Gascoigne East created 434 new homes and six retail units, as well as a large park and play area, a climbing wall and extensive planting and trees. The homes have been built around a landscaped internal courtyard and all properties have a balcony. With Willmott Dixon committed to active travel in the area, 300 cycle spaces have also been included in the full Gascoigne East development. Tim Porter, director of delivery at Be First, said: “This video brings to life the progress we’ve made across this phase of the Gascoigne neighbourhood since we began the regeneration project in 2019. When completed, over 2,800 homes will have been delivered across the entire neighbourhood. This project is part of our wider commitment to build 50,000 new homes by 2037 across the borough.” Further emphasising the project’s focus on placemaking, affordability and sustainability, Tim said: “Providing large green spaces, below market rent options, and helping residents reduce their carbon emissions and energy bills are core to our vision for Gascoigne neighbourhood.” Steve said: “This is the best way to capture for history what is happening across Gascoigne East, and the work to regenerate it into a modern, sustainable community that’s fit for the future, which we’re proud to be delivering in collaboration with Be First.” Throughout the Gascoigne East phase two development, Willmott Dixon has breathed new life into the area with: Beyond the physical transformation, Willmott Dixon made a significant impact on the local community through various initiatives: For more information on Willmott Dixon, click here. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A trio of community consultation events will take place next week in Liberton ahead of the council’s major transformation of the site into much needed homes. In partnership with Anderson Bell + Christie, HTA landscape architects, G3 Consulting Engineers and arts organisation WAVEparticle, the pop-up events will give those living in the local area the opportunity to hear about plans and share views. The events will take place throughout the day on Monday 29, Tuesday 30 and Wednesday 31 January in the Malbet, Ellen’s Glen and Carnbee areas of Liberton and an online survey is also available. This is the second community engagement activity for the sustainable neighbourhood project which will deliver around 400 new homes within the Liberton area, a significant number of which will be accessible and affordable for social or mid-market rent. These new homes will be built on the grounds of Liberton Hospital including the former Blood Transfusion Centre, as part of the Council’s direct purchase of the land from NHS Lothian, and the aim is to retain as many of the original features of the historic Victorian hospital as possible. NHS services will continue to occupy the premises until March 2025 once the hospital’s remaining services have been relocated. Councillor Jane Meagher, Edinburgh’s Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, said: “For over 100 years Edinburgh residents have been cared for under the roof of Liberton Hospital. I’m delighted that we’ll be able to pay that care forward as we tackle our housing emergency and convert the site into much needed new homes. “We’re committed to putting care-based housing at the centre of this redevelopment and I’d like to thank our partners at the NHS for working with us to secure the land. It has been many years in the making. “By demolishing the 1960s built extensions, including the disused Blood Transfusion Service, we’ll be able to design an accessible green neighbourhood of low-carbon housing from scratch. This should help lots of people with specialist needs particularly older residents to live comfortably and with independence. Plus, it will allow us support people who are in desperate housing need as we’re determined to make more than half of the homes on site affordable or social rent. “Tackling poverty and striving for net zero are two of the biggest priorities for the council and we must do everything within our power to work against the housing crisis. This project supports all of these aims. I’m really looking forward to seeing the plans take shape and for the community to have a real say.” Sarah Brown, Senior Architect at Anderson Bell + Christie, said: “Community consultation events such as this are extremely important as they give the local community a chance to share their opinions and help shape a future neighbourhood. “We’re hoping we will meet and talk with plenty of local residents on what they’d like to see from this project, so we can support on a range of housing needs and set them within a rich and beautiful greenspace.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
LABC has showcased projects that demonstrate high quality, and exemplary standards in construction at an industry event in London attended by more than 900 leading industry figures. A panel of industry experts at the LABC Building Excellence Awards Grand Finals judged the highest quality projects, professionals, and teams from around England and Wales to showcase solutions to complex technical or construction issues, site constraints and technical innovation. One of the unique aspects of the awards is their recognition of the vital contribution public sector building control teams make as part of the project team in all manner of projects, from individual housing extensions to large housing developments. To this end, winners in the ‘place’ categories included nationally significant projects such as the conversion of Battersea Power Station, as well as residential projects including the conversion of Smithy Cottage in Yorkshire, and the high-volume new housing development of The Green in Devon alongside the small social housing development of Hen Orsaf in Gwynedd. Further categories included Best Non-residential New Build, won by Lancaster Energy Centre and Best Purpose-Built Accommodation, won by Eign Gate in Herefordshire. Smaller Build Projects Within smaller build projects, Best Individual New Home was awarded to Above Town in Devon and Best Residential Extension was taken by Whin Hill Road in South Yorkshire. Black Pheasant Barn in Suffolk took Best Residential Conversion to a Single New Home and Best Non-Residential Extension, Alteration, or Conversation was taken by Ince Benet in Merseyside. This year’s awards are especially timely thanks to new measures coming into force as part of the Building Safety Act. This includes professional registration of Building Control Professionals backed by competency assessments. LABC’s chief executive, Lorna Stimpson commented: “These awards showcase the breadth of projects that building control is involved in, each with their own building regulations and standards, as well as the skills and expertise needed in our industry to support them. “When Dame Judith Hackitt threw down the gauntlet to the whole construction industry in 2017, the building control sector was the first to focus on improving skills, proving its competence and bringing in new generations of talented workers. “The winning projects at this year’s Building Excellence Awards are shining examples of quality, professionalism, and high standards expected of registered professionals. They clearly demonstrate the progress made since 2017, as well as setting a bar for future projects to aspire to.” Criteria used to choose the winners included employing creative solutions to improve sustainability and energy efficiency, as well as cooperative team working. The Best Small New Housing Development was taken by Chestnuts, Hertfordshire, whilst the Best Medium Volume New Housing Development was named as St Mary’s Vale in Leeds. The Best Large Social Housing Development was the Former George Gay Gardens in Swindon. Entries for the 2024 Building Excellence Awards are now open. Find out more on the LABC website: www.labc.co.uk/awards Winning projects www.labc.co.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Top 10 UK housebuilder Keepmoat has invested more than £25million into a housing regeneration scheme at Preston Road in Hull, now named Liberty Rise, as part of Hull City Council’s ‘city wide’ regeneration project. The scheme, being delivered by the housebuilder, is part of a long established partnership with the council to deliver new, energy-efficient homes that will replace 11 acres of brownfield scrubland that once formed part of the Preston Road Estate. The Liberty Rise development will form part of one of the largest housing-led regeneration programmes in the UK and 514 homes on the former council estate, that were no longer fit for purpose, have already been demolished. Following the final phase of the transformation, delivering up to 500 new mixed tenure homes, the housebuilder has created a modern, well-designed neighbourhood with a range of modern homes, including homes to rent from Hull City Council to meet the needs of the local community. The project has also created a raft of new local jobs, training and apprenticeship opportunities, further boosting the local economy. Daniel Crew, Regional Managing Director at Keepmoat, Yorkshire East, said: “We’re thrilled to be continuing delivery under the Hull City Wide partnership to deliver quality, sustainable homes for the latest phase in this historic Hull regeneration project. “As the Liberty Rise project nears completion and our communities begin to flourish, it’s extremely rewarding to hear positive feedback from residents and breathe new life into the Preston Road area. We’re also working with the Environment Agency to create a nature trail near the site, where one of our urban nursery projects will grow plants, shrubs and trees – a further step in our mission to create sustainable communities for the future.” Councillor Paul Drake-Davis, Portfolio Holder for Regeneration and Housing at Hull City Council, added: “The council has enjoyed a longstanding and successful partnership with Keepmoat. Thanks to this, we can regenerate former rundown areas and build comfortable, affordable, modern and energy efficient new homes which our residents deserve.” Keepmoat is a top 10 UK partnership homebuilder with a track-record of delivering quality new homes across the UK at prices people can afford. To date, almost 70% of its current developments are on brownfield sites. To find out more about Liberty Rise, please visit: www.keepmoat.com/liberty-rise-hull Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Major funding bids will help build 3,380 new homes in Manchester – including 1,761 genuinely affordable homes – following successful submissions to GMCA’s Brownfield Housing Fund. Manchester City Council has been awarded £51.6m that will allow the development of 31 long-term underused sites over the next two years – and 52% of the homes built will be affordable to Manchester people. The funding is part of the trailblazer agreement between the Government and Greater Manchester over three years to unlock brownfield land to be used to build new housing. The total fund allocated to the region amounts to £128m in this phase of bidding (£150m overall). Some of the housing developments that will receive funding include: Manchester City Council has previously successfully bid for £3m the national Brownfield Land Release Fund (administered by One Public Estate), which was used to kickstart development at the Council’s inaugural This City site in Ancoats and a range of Project 500 housing sites. Find out more. These new homes are part of the ambitious target set in Council’s Housing Strategy up to 2032, which includes the target to help build 36,000 new homes across the city. 10,000 of these new homes will be affordable and 3,000 of those will be located in the city centre. Find the GMCA report here Cllr Gavin White, Manchester City Council’s executive member for housing and development, said: “We have been necessarily ambitious through our housing strategy, committing to helping to build 36,000 new homes up to 2032 – of which at least 10,000 will be genuinely affordable to Manchester people. “This is a challenge both in terms of available land and the funding necessary to build new housing at scale – but we are on course to meet these targets. However, we must be innovative and use the resources available to use. “As a post-industrial city, we have lots of brownfield sites that are sometimes difficult to develop, but this land represents a massive opportunity to deliver the homes – particularly the affordable housing our residents need. This funding is hugely welcome and we will help bring these unused areas of Manchester back into use.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A multimillion-pound scheme to transform the civic and cultural quarter of Crewe town centre is under way. The project involves: Salford-based MC Construction has completed the first phase of the scheme, which involved enabling works to strip out the former library next to Memorial Square where the history centre will be developed, clearing the structure over the existing Civic Centre car park and erecting a temporary entrance to the magistrates’ courts. MC Construction will begin the next phase in February when it dismantles the former library building and the existing concourse. This phase is expected to be completed by summer 2024. The works by MC Construction are being undertaken for Cheshire East Council. Russ Forshaw, managing director of MC Construction, said: “This scheme will transform the civic and cultural quarter of Crewe town centre by providing new and greatly improved facilities for the public. “Having successfully completed numerous other projects for Cheshire East Council, we are proud to be working with the authority once again and to further strengthen our relationship with this valued client.” The revamp is being supported by the government’s Towns Fund and Future High Streets Fund. The history centre, supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, will co-host the regional’s written and pictorial history collections with a second history centre being built in Hoole, Chester. This scheme has been driven by Cheshire Archives and Local Studies, a shared service of Cheshire East and Cheshire West and Chester councils. The centres will replace the archive service’s current facility and open the collections to new audiences across Cheshire. The centres will have climate-controlled environments and will feature event and gallery areas to host performances, workshops and exhibitions, more space for people to conduct research and better spaces to make the collections more accessible to the public. Other professionals involved alongside MC Construction include Bowker Sadler Architecture, Davis Partnership and Wardell Armstrong. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
