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
Work will shortly begin to deliver hundreds of affordable homes, retail spaces and community facilities across Blackbird Leys, now formal planning permission has been granted by Oxford City Council. The council’s planning committee approved plans to carry out the transformational redevelopment in August, following more than four years of engagement
Wexford County Council has appointed Ayesa as the Design consultant for the Trinity Wharf project in Wexford Town. The project, with an estimated total investment of €120 million, including €24 million of public investment, is slated to commence construction works in the fourth quarter of 2024. The Trinity Wharf project,
Plans have been approved to redevelop Catterick Garrison town centre in a move aimed at bringing jobs and vital new facilities for local communities as well as military personnel on one of England’s largest Army bases. Permission to build a new community and enterprise building and a multi-use events space
One the most significant and sustainable urban expansions of Edinburgh in a generation is a step closer to reality following the submission of a major planning application to the City of Edinburgh Council (CEC). West Town Edinburgh Limited, the development consortium headed by Drum Property Group which owns more than
Agreement highlights new model of delivery and partnership to tackle the housing crisis Sustainable housing developer EDAROTH, (a wholly-owned subsidiary of AtkinsRéalis) has signed a development agreement with Bristol City Council to design and deliver 29 affordable homes – based on a new model created under Bristol’s involvement in the
As the requirement becomes compulsory In advance of the statutory requirement for biodiversity net gain (BNG) for new developments from January 2024, Carter Jonas has analysed the emergence of BNG policies and guidance within local planning authorities (LPAs) in a series of research from spring 2022. Carter Jonas’ Q4 2023
Bouygues UK, the lead contractor for the first phase of Westminster City Council’s flagship Ebury Bridge regeneration scheme, has completed and handed over the project. This significant milestone marks the delivery of 226 new homes, including 100 high-quality council homes, 16 returning leasehold homes, and 110 homes for market sale.
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
Work will shortly begin to deliver hundreds of affordable homes, retail spaces and community facilities across Blackbird Leys, now formal planning permission has been granted by Oxford City Council. The council’s planning committee approved plans to carry out the transformational redevelopment in August, following more than four years of engagement with the Blackbird Leys community and more than 1,500 pieces of feedback from local residents and stakeholders. The plans by housing association Peabody (formerly Catalyst) and development partner Oxford City Council include 294 homes across two sites, which will help to tackle Oxford’s housing shortage. A new district centre will include 210 homes, 83 percent (174 homes) of which will be for social or affordable rent and 17 percent (36 homes) for shared ownership. A further 84 houses for shared ownership will be built at Knights Road. The district centre is also set to provide new high-quality facilities to support the Blackbird Leys community and others that live and work in the local area. This will include green spaces, shops and a community centre, as well as improved roads with a segregated cycle route. Beginning in April 2019, Peabody and Oxford City Council held more than 15 events for Blackbird Leys residents to feed into plans, engaging with the local community through door knocks, leaflet drops, webinars and in-person events. With planning permission secured and agreements now finalised, the project’s contractor Hill has begun preparation work on site, including putting up hoardings at the existing Community Centre and Evenlode Tower parking and garages. Demolition will begin shortly, with the old Community Centre expected to be taken down at the end of the month. Hill will be hosting a ‘Meet the Builder’ event on Wednesday 31 January for local residents to meet the construction team, learn more about the construction process and ask the project team questions. The drop-in session will take place in the hall of Church of The Holy Family in Cuddesdon Way from 3pm to 6pm. Peabody and the council have also been working with local communities since August to understand their views about the new Blackbird Leys Community Centre and the public space surrounding it, which will be delivered as part of the first phase of the redevelopment. Along with events, meetings and consultations, the Leys Community Review Panel – made up of local residents – has been set up to communicate the community’s needs to the design team. Planning consent for the Community Centre has been granted in ‘outline’, and there will be further opportunities for the community to influence plans until the submission of a detailed planning application in the spring. Peabody and Oxford City Council will soon set out further information about how local people can access opportunities to work on the Blackbird Leys redevelopment project, learn skills in construction, and get involved with artwork on construction hoarding. Simon Barry, Managing Director, Development at Peabody said: “We’ve come a long way since we first engaged with the community in 2019 about our proposals for Blackbird Leys, so I’m delighted to now see work beginning on site. This marks a critical step forward in our programme to rejuvenate this area with much-needed affordable homes and purpose-built high-quality public spaces. “The next stage is to finalise our plans for the Community Centre, and we’ve had brilliant conversations with local residents and organisations over the past few months – that’s thanks to the fantastic energy of this community. We’re looking forward to building on this as we move through the final design stage.” Councillor Linda Smith, cabinet member for housing, Oxford City Council, said: “The start of construction work on site is a major milestone in the long history of this project. Some people believed we’d never get to this stage, and the current difficulties in construction and property development mean it’s taken more time and lots of hard work to get here. “I’d like to thank local people for bearing with us over the years as the scheme was paused and re-started and the vision for a new district centre for Blackbird Leys was developed. We now have work commencing on a scheme which will deliver nearly 300 much-needed new affordable homes, modern shops and a brand-new community centre, which will be a big boost for residents of Blackbird Leys.” Homes England played an important role in the funding of the Blackbird Leys project, with their housing grant and infrastructure funding supporting the delivery of the much-needed homes. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Wexford County Council has appointed Ayesa as the Design consultant for the Trinity Wharf project in Wexford Town. The project, with an estimated total investment of €120 million, including €24 million of public investment, is slated to commence construction works in the fourth quarter of 2024. The Trinity Wharf project, spanning 10 acres, is a vital element of Wexford County Council’s strategy to attract foreign direct investment and generate high-quality employment opportunities. The initiative is funded under ‘Call 2’ of the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF), aimed at enhancing urban areas to make them more appealing for residents, businesses, and investors. This multi-use development includes modern office spaces, hotel accommodations, a multi-story car park, a cultural and events building, residential units, a new marina, and a boardwalk connecting Trinity Wharf to Paul Quay and the Crescent. The project is integral to the long-term regeneration and enhancement of Wexford town and environs. Cathaoirleach of Wexford County Council, councillor John Flemming commented: “The appointment of Ayesa marks a significant milestone in Wexford’s economic development. Today’s announcement signals a crucial step forward in delivering this project for the people of Wexford and beyond,” Luke O’Connor, Design & Build Lead for Ayesa, commented on the appointment: “Ayesa, with our delivery partners, is delighted to play a crucial role in the regenerative project for Wexford town. Our involvement aims to craft a sustainable legacy for businesses, the town, and its citizens,” “With works set to commence on site by Q4 2024, the Trinity Wharf project is a major multi-use development that will greatly enhance the quality of life for people in Wexford,” said Mayor of Wexford, Councillor John Hegarty. “This is a rare opportunity to transform an under-utilised brownfield site and bring renewal to a historic part of Wexford Town deserving of a new lease of life.” Tom Enright, Chief Executive of Wexford County Council, characterised Trinity Wharf as one of the most exciting and ambitious economic development projects in the county. “Trinity Wharf is a prime example of how the local authority has integrated a diverse set of economic, social, and recreational needs into a generational opportunity,” he said. Ayesa’s strength lies in its multidisciplinary expertise across waste management, geotechnical engineering, marine and coastal engineering, and civil engineering. These diverse disciplines will aim to collaboratively contribute to the development’s success by ensuring that the design not only meets regulatory requirements but also aligns with sustainable practices. Ayesa’s holistic and integrated approach demonstrates its commitment to overcoming challenges and crafting a resilient design that respects both the historical significance and ecological sensitivity of the site. To find out more about Ayesa’s award-winning water engineering work click here. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Plans have been approved to redevelop Catterick Garrison town centre in a move aimed at bringing jobs and vital new facilities for local communities as well as military personnel on one of England’s largest Army bases. Permission to build a new community and enterprise building and a multi-use events space as well as create a new public square was given by members of the Richmond (Yorks) Area Constituency Planning Committee. Plans also include landscaping improvements, upgrades to Coronation Park and Shute Road, improved play spaces, accessible routes to the town centre and improvements to footpaths and cycleways. Richmond (Yorks) Area Constituency Planning Committee chairman, Cllr David Webster, said: “This scheme will see significant improvements to the centre of Catterick Garrison as well as contribute to our work to reduce carbon emissions through the use of sustainable design and renewable energy.” The redevelopment of the town centre, which covers four acres of land around Shute Road, will see us working with the Ministry of Defence (MOD). We have received £19 million from the Government’s Levelling Up Fund, with the remaining match-funding coming from the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) and ourselves. It is hoped they will be brought to fruition by summer next year (2025). The community building will house offices for small businesses and include space for community groups and food retail. Improvements to the park will include new play areas for all ages from toddlers and woodland play areas to a skatepark for older users. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
One the most significant and sustainable urban expansions of Edinburgh in a generation is a step closer to reality following the submission of a major planning application to the City of Edinburgh Council (CEC). West Town Edinburgh Limited, the development consortium headed by Drum Property Group which owns more than 200-acres of prime development land to the west of Edinburgh, has unveiled ambitious proposals for West Town, a new homes-led ‘twenty-minute’ neighbourhood set to transform Scotland’s capital. The 205-acre West Town site – located between Ingliston Park and Ride and the Gogar Roundabout at the western gateway of Edinburgh – is regarded as one of the most strategically important large development areas in the UK. The £2-billion project is set to become the biggest, single homes-led development in Edinburgh in modern times, significantly addressing the city’s well publicised ‘housing emergency’ whilst providing an outstanding quality of life in a brand-new, sustainable mixed-use community. Development proposals follow guidelines set out by CEC’s City Plan 2030 which identifies the area as having the potential to become a vibrant, high-density city extension with a capacity for 7,000 homes – along with the necessary employment, commercial, leisure and community facilities required for a 20-minute neighbourhood. Proposed facilities include schools, medical provision, civic and community space as well as bars, restaurants, cafes, retail and other commercial spaces. There are plans for 27 acres of accessible green space – including a large 5.5-acre central park, several ‘pocket’ parks and a ‘wildlife’ corridor, criss-crossed by a network of cycle, running and walking tracks. The Edinburgh Tram route runs directly through the site and a new tram stop will be created to ensure the whole development has access to quick and efficient public transport. The proposals for West Town are consistent with the West Edinburgh Placemaking Framework, approved by CEC in December 2023 and align with the ambitions of the Scottish Government’s National Planning Framework 4, which was approved in February 2023. West Town Edinburgh was formed in April 2021 by Drum Property Group to progress development of the site. Drum is currently delivering a variety of transformative mixed-use projects across Scotland, including the award-winning Buchanan Wharf and Candleriggs Square developments in Glasgow. Welcoming the planning application submission, Graeme Bone, Drum’s Group Managing Director said: “We now have the opportunity to make West Town an exemplar, sustainable 20-minute neighbourhood on a par with the best new developments taking place across the UK and Europe. “This planning application is a significant milestone in realising the ambition we share with the council both for the local area and for the city, further strengthening the long-term collaborative process that is set to deliver a major transformation of the west of Edinburgh. The amount of space on the site combined with its superb location allows for a natural extension for the city providing 7000 mixed-tenure homes and new jobs in a new 20-minute neighbourhood. West Town has direct access to some of the best public transport in Scotland – the tram line travels through the site and there are integrated rail, cycle and road connections, creating a strategic gateway to Edinburgh. He added: “Drum has a proven track record of delivering high quality large-scale communities across Scotland and our ambition for the area matches that of the proposed Edinburgh City Plan 2030. We look forward to continuing to work with the Council to advance our shared vision to create a new, sustainable urban quarter for the city.” Subject to the ongoing development of the delivery strategy – as set out by the joint Memorandum of Understanding between West Town Edinburgh Ltd and CEC, the approval of City Plan 2030, and in accordance with all relevant council policies and appropriate planning consents – it is hoped that work will start on site before the end of 2024, with the first phase of homes and community amenity being ready for occupation from early 2026. The West Town planning application has been submitted following a successful 12-month local consultation programme which included two online and one public consultation events, resulting in more than 2000 visits to the West Town website. For more information on West Town, visit www.west-town-edinburgh.com Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Agreement highlights new model of delivery and partnership to tackle the housing crisis Sustainable housing developer EDAROTH, (a wholly-owned subsidiary of AtkinsRéalis) has signed a development agreement with Bristol City Council to design and deliver 29 affordable homes – based on a new model created under Bristol’s involvement in the UN Climate Smart Cities challenge. The new homes will be a mix of 13 houses and 16 apartments and will be constructed using offsite manufacturing methods to create low energy-use, net zero homes – which will provide additional capacity for the housing market and directly tackle the housing crisis. Subject to planning approvals, they will be developed at six sites* across Bristol on under-utilised land owned by the city council, including brownfield which is often overlooked by large-scale housing developers, but can be adapted/repurposed to unlock new space for communities. Central to the development agreement are the sustainable construction methods that are used by EDAROTH including: Councillor Tom Renhard, Cabinet Member for Housing Delivery and Homelessness at Bristol City Council, said: “We are thrilled that our collaboration with the UN Habitat for the Climate Smart Cities Challenge is set to deliver 29 social rent zero carbon council homes. “This development of much needed affordable homes will add to the 12,500 new homes already completed in the city between 2016 and 2023. The new homes will help people in housing need, adding to the 474 new affordable homes built in Bristol in 2021/22. “This wider collaboration is not just about the great homes that will be built, but it is helping us unlock small parcels of underutilised council land that have often been considered too complex or expensive to develop for council housing. “We remain ambitious to see even more affordable housing built in our city and this new approach to unlock these small brownfield sites will help us do that whilst also protecting our vital green spaces.” Mark Powell, Managing Director at EDAROTH (an acronym for Everyone Deserves a Roof Over Their Head), added: “Entering into a development agreement with Bristol City Council underlines their position as a forward-thinking local authority which places value in sustainable housing and infrastructure. “Bristol, in common with the rest of the country, faces a huge demand for affordable homes. This scheme is one part of the solution which not only supports the ambition to meet that demand, but also aims to enhance communities by transforming under-used sites to create thriving places to live. “The agreement is a really important step in this project which demonstrates the city council’s confidence in the proposals we’ve put forward and their determination to deliver low carbon, low-energy-use homes for the community.” The agreement is based on an award-winning approach developed by the city council, and the One City team, with partners including the Housing Festival, AtkinsRéalis and EDAROTH, as one of four winning projects in the UN Habitat Climate Smart Cities Challenge in 2022. Part of the challenge involved the creation of a demonstrator scheme that could prove how aggregating small sites for development, and overcoming systemic barriers, could unlock previously unviable sites to deliver truly affordable social housing. The new approach identifies small parcels of land for development such as brownfield or under-used garage sites, within existing residential areas, which is more effective in creating social value and cohesion as it enables those existing communities to thrive. Zoe Metcalfe, Client Director for Connected Thriving Places, AtkinsRéalis who led on the competition application process for AtkinsRéalis, said: “Winning the UN Smart Cities Challenge as the Bristol Thriving Places team enabled us to explore viable sites for development and devise this approach around them. “The wisdom of the EDAROTH development team has been instrumental in translating theory into reality. The Housing Festival boldly led the systems-led change to disrupt the evaluation model to deliver social value with Bristol City Council facilitating innovation. An exemplar of the power of collective action through trusted partnerships. “It really shows how the principle of aggregating and clustering sites in this way can help to unlock value and achieve the economies of scale that are central to the offsite manufacturing approach which EDAROTH delivers, and we’re thrilled that Bristol City Council has chosen to turn those potential benefits into a reality through this new development agreement.” A public engagement process has been launched, with information packs and questionnaires issued to residents near to the development sites to provide feedback. The development agreement with Bristol City Council follows the recent announcement that EDAROTH has been given the green light to provide state-of-the-art, sustainable homes in Surrey, after Raven Housing Trust was granted planning permission for its latest housing scheme. The scheme in Surrey is the latest in a number of new contracts across southeast England for EDAROTH, which is bringing a fresh approach to the housing crisis by utilising brownfield and former industrial land to release genuine social and economic value from often overlooked assets. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
As the requirement becomes compulsory In advance of the statutory requirement for biodiversity net gain (BNG) for new developments from January 2024, Carter Jonas has analysed the emergence of BNG policies and guidance within local planning authorities (LPAs) in a series of research from spring 2022. Carter Jonas’ Q4 2023 research of the 306 LPAs in England has revealed a gradual increase in the number requesting in excess of the 10% biodiversity net gain. The local plans of Guildford, Brighton and Hove and Worthing (1% of all LPAs) require or encourage a percentage net gain higher than 10%. However, this figure is set to increase substantially as 17 (5.6%) have such a policy emerging through their local plan review. This is an increase of 33.3% from our Q4 2022 research. Although not included in the analysis because of the early stage of adoption, numerous LPAs are actively considering a higher level of net gain, including Birmingham and Chelmsford. Kingston Upon Thames and Tower Hamlets are set to have the most ambitious policies to date: both would require a minimum of 30% net gain but these policies are emerging through the local plan process and not yet adopted. Commenting on the importance of the research, David Alborough, Natural Capital Consultant at Carter Jonas said, “Our analysis provides developers, landowners and planning consultants with valuable insight into where the greatest demand for off-site BNG is emerging, which has important implications for developers and identifies opportunities for landowners.” Specifically, the research identifies some significant regional variations. BNG policies with a requirement in excess of 10% tend to be located in the south of England. In the South East, 11 LPAs have a BNG policy (either emerging or adopted) calling for greater than 10% net gain, accounting for 16.7% of LPAs in the region. This compares starkly to the North West, North East, West Midlands and East Midlands where no LPAs make this requirement. Sophie Davidson, Associate in the Research Team explains, “Some regional variation can be attributed to the influence of Local Nature Partnerships, which is evident in the south. For example, the Kent Nature Partnership is promoting a county-wide target of 20% within Kent and Medway. In response to this, Kent County Council (with funding support from Natural England) commissioned a strategic viability assessment of BNG in Kent. The report concludes that the biggest cost in most cases is to get to 10% net gain, and the increase to 15% or 20% is ‘generally negligible’. This has influenced emerging policies in Sevenoaks, Maidstone, Canterbury and Swale so far, representing 30.7% of the county. Likewise, the Surrey Nature Partnership and Sussex Local Nature Partnership have directed higher net gain targets in their counties.” In addition to showing an increasing number of LPAs deviating from the national position, either in the percentage net gain required or in their guiding framework for delivery, Carter Jonas’ research also identifies which LPAs are adopting measures to direct investment to local sites and accelerate the local market. Sophie Davidson concludes, “In areas with higher net gain requirements, we can expect the local market to develop at a faster rate. Many LPAs have stalled their local plan reviews in the face of significant changes to national planning policy, so BNG policies have taken longer to develop than expected. But as changes are formalised and local plan reviews progress, expect to see more LPAs progressing higher levels of BNG. We are aware of several which have included an option to consider a greater scope for BNG in early consultations. “Conversely, LPAs may drop their emerging 20% BNG policy before adoption. For instance, Rossendale Borough Council was seeking a 20% net gain in its draft submission but reduced the requirement to the statutory 10% in its final local plan. “In the coming months, developers will be assessing their options and refining their BNG strategies. Meanwhile, demand for land for BNG will rise substantially, affording diversification opportunities for landowners.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Bouygues UK, the lead contractor for the first phase of Westminster City Council’s flagship Ebury Bridge regeneration scheme, has completed and handed over the project. This significant milestone marks the delivery of 226 new homes, including 100 high-quality council homes, 16 returning leasehold homes, and 110 homes for market sale. This achievement represents the largest delivery of new council homes in South Westminster for the past 50 years. Recognised for high levels of energy efficiency and rated as BREEAM Outstanding, all homes will be heated and cooled by a ground source heat pump, using warm water from 130 metres underground. Low carbon heating and cooling systems, greywater recycling, and blue roofs will support high-performing homes in a low carbon neighbourhood. Fabienne Viala, Chair and CEO of Bouygues UK, said, “We are thrilled to have completed the first phase of the largest delivery of new affordable homes in South Westminster in partnership with Westminster City Council. I am incredibly proud of our team, led by Peter Doherty, for their dedication and hard work in bringing this project to fruition. Our collaboration with the Ebury Bridge Estate community has resulted in sustainable benefits for all residents and workers and highlights our unwavering commitment to social value.” Bouygues UK’s contributions include donating around £120,000 to local community projects and contributing over 1,000 volunteer hours to various initiatives, such as the Abbey Centre, Construction Youth Trust, Women into Construction, and Social Bite. The site team has supported career sessions, work experience placements, provided educational support for residents and schools, and welcomed five apprentices from nearby London boroughs. They have provided 85 weeks of work placements, offered over 50 hours of expert support to small businesses and organisations in the borough, as well as providing sponsorship to assist parents with childcare. Westminster City Council has committed to bringing about new community-centred redevelopment in one of the UK’s most exclusive postcodes. As part of this commitment, 90 families will be moving into their new homes at Ebury Bridge over the coming weeks. The completion of this phase is a demonstration of the Council’s dedication to a Fairer Westminster, with all existing residents having the right to return. Councillor Matt Noble, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Renters at Westminster City Council, said, “This is the start of a new chapter for Ebury Bridge. The completion of the first phase of this scheme, which sees over 200 homes built, half of which are new council homes, showcases our commitment to building more truly affordable homes that are high-quality and fit for purpose in our community and demonstrates that we’re delivering on our Fairer Housing commitments for the residents of Westminster. “The completion of the first phase of Ebury is culmination of our efforts to achieve a Fairer Westminster. This phase not only sees the first residents move back into their new homes, but it will see new community facilities, play spaces and improved living standards. “I’m delighted for our residents who have waited for their new homes to be ready. The mixture of the original community and the new families and individuals moving to the neighbourhood will make Ebury a thriving, vibrant place that people want to visit. We’re proud of what has been achieved at Ebury and it sets a high bar for regeneration schemes across the country.” Phase one of the scheme aimed to set a new standard for mixed tenure neighbourhoods with a single estate management service across all buildings. In total, the Ebury Bridge project will deliver 781 high-quality and sustainable homes across three phases, with more than half set to be new or replacement council homes for social rent. Located in Knightsbridge and Belgravia, Ebury Bridge is one of Westminster City Council’s flagship regeneration projects rejuvenating an existing 1930s estate and transforming it into a sustainable modern neighbourhood. The scheme has already been recognised as a leading example of modern, sustainable, council housebuilding, receiving top prize at the Planning Awards 2023, the Best Community Engagement Outcomes, and the Mayor’s Prize for Good Growth at the Building London Planning awards. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
