Call for urgent action as more than one million families currently on social housing waiting lists EDAROTH (a wholly owned subsidiary of Atkins) has laid bare the extent of the current UK housing crisis in its latest white paper – New Approach, Better Homes, Brighter Future. The report demonstrates clearly
Bouygues UK and Carmarthenshire County Council have revealed the first steel structure for the landmark Pentre Awel project. This is the first of five buildings and will house education and business development. Leaders from Carmarthenshire County Council joined representatives from Bouygues UK and local contractors Shufflebottom and Dyfed Steels to
A memorable topping-out ceremony was held yesterday, Tuesday 1 August, to celebrate the £55 million Senior Living Village in Flitwick, as the independent living apartment blocks reached its highest point. The event brought together a cheerful crowd on the roof, including Executive Member Cllr. Mark Smith who inaugurated the planting
Manchester City Council is on course to reach an important milestone this year as part of its drive to become zero-carbon by 2038. By the end of 2023 the Council aims to have installed almost 10,000 new solar panels on its buildings across the city – 9,859 in total. Reducing
London Councils has responded to the government’s announcement on building new homes and the Secretary of State’s speech on reforming the planning system and regenerating urban areas. Cllr Darren Rodwell, London Councils’ Executive Member for Regeneration, Housing & Planning, said: “Boroughs are ready and willing to help deliver the homes
The first phase of the Barbican Renewal Programme is set to get underway with £25 million in funding announced by the City of London Corporation. The funding was approved by the City Corporation’s Policy and Resources Committee to develop elements of a long-term masterplan, undertake further consultation, and deliver early
Proposals for a project to bring around 1,000 new homes to Hull city centre have today been approved by Cabinet. Schemes on three city centre brownfield sites will now move a step further to preparing and marketing the sites for developer interest. One site, known as East Bank Urban Village
Commenting on the Government’s announcement of an expansion of permitted development rights, Cllr Shaun Davies, Chair of the Local Government Association said; “There is no doubt that we need more homes as well as to reinvigorate our high streets and town centres. However, premises such as offices, barns, and shops
COMMITTING its future to regional improvement, leading independent multi-disciplinary consultancy Pick Everard has been appointed to a new framework deal with Leicester City Council. Operating on an initial two-year term, with options to extend for a further two, the framework will see Pick Everard flex its broad range of consultancy services, working closely with the council’s
MWJV has published its annual report for year four of Cornwall Council’s BEPS Framework: 2022/2023A Cornish construction and professional services consultancy has generated an added social and economic value of £59.5 million as a result of its work with Cornwall Council over the past four years. Mace Ward Williams Joint
Call for urgent action as more than one million families currently on social housing waiting lists EDAROTH (a wholly owned subsidiary of Atkins) has laid bare the extent of the current UK housing crisis in its latest white paper – New Approach, Better Homes, Brighter Future. The report demonstrates clearly how unlocking dormant brownfield land to develop for affordable homes, could have a dramatic impact on social housing waiting lists across the country. Analysis of data from the Brownfield Register and the latest available social housing waiting lists, illustrates how capacity for building new homes outstrips the waiting list demand in many parts of England. And, as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has re-stated his commitment to building more than one million homes before the next general election, EDAROTH has called for action to unlock brownfield land and promote more effective use of modern methods of construction, as a realistic solution to meeting that demand. Not only would unlocking brownfield sites help create the necessary capacity for social housing, but it would also drastically reduce the cost of keeping people in temporary accommodation. Currently around 95,000 households are in temporary accommodation which is costing the Government up to £1.6bn. In addition, according to data released in April by the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) for 2022, affordable rent costs were double the equivalent social rents in some parts of England. Mark Powell, managing director at EDAROTH (an acronym of Everybody Deserves A Roof Over Their Head) says: “The number of people identified as living in temporary accommodation had risen by an alarming 74% in the last ten years***. Of that total, more than two-thirds had been living in temporary accommodation for more than a year. “By transitioning households from temporary accommodation into social rented homes, we estimate local authorities across England could save in excess of £1bn. This saving could then be used to offset the delivery of up to 14,000 new social and truly affordable homes each year. “To beat the social housing emergency, I believe we must drive market reform and speed up planning with a presumption in favour of net zero compliant homes. “If we do this, we will be able to accelerate the delivery of energy-efficient, truly affordable homes. However if we continue to rely on traditional methods and approaches, I believe the housing crisis will deepen, with low-income households and the most vulnerable in our society feeling the harshest effects.” The affordable homes developer which uses modern methods of construction (MMC) to create sustainable, thriving places, says that low-income and vulnerable households will remain trapped in unaffordable, insecure and, in some cases, unsafe homes without a new approach in place. EDAROTH entered the housing market three-years-ago, to help local authorities and the Government address the shortage of social housing. However, according to the new report very little has changed in that time. The Government’s most recent affordable housing statistics show there were 7,500 new social homes delivered in 2021-22. But with more than one million households currently on social housing waiting lists across England, this build rate falls woefully short of widely-accepted estimates that at least 90,000 new social homes need to be built every year. How brownfield can meet demand Unlocking under-utilised brownfield sites, often overlooked by large-scale housebuilders could help local authorities find suitable locations for new social housing. The data shows that councils across England from Bournemouth to Birmingham, and Norwich to Newcastle, would be able to dramatically reduce housing waiting lists if brownfield sites were developed. EDAROTH has analysed the potential capacity for homes on brownfield land from the Brownfield Register, and calculated the percentage of social housing waiting lists it could absorb. The results are revelatory as our table below illustrates. For example in Manchester, the waiting list from 2022 was 14,912, while the estimated number of homes that could be built on brownfield sites stands at 75,585 In Birmingham, the waiting list figure is 21,867, yet there is capacity to build 54,304 homes. And in Bournemouth it’s a similar story with a waiting list of 1,180 which could disappear within the potential 18,036 homes that could be built on brownfield sites. The overall national percentage impact that brownfield land could have on housing waiting lists is now 109.9%. Local authority (England only) Hectares of brownfield available Social housing waiting list 2022 Total minimum net dwellings on brownfield Impact on waiting lists Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole 202.1 1,180 18,036 1528.5% Birmingham 629.6 21,867 54,304 248.3% Manchester 483.3 14,912 75,585 506.1% Newcastle-upon-Tyne 185.1 6,149 10,958 173.9% Leeds 801.6 26,241 29,527 112.1% Nottingham 194.6 8,207 11,698 142.5% Norwich 158.6 3,906 9,184 235.1% Lewisham 110.8 10,183 12,572 123.4% Basingstoke & Dean 114 4,061 5,497 135.4% The white paper report outlines how modern methods of construction can make a significant contribution to solving the housing crisis by providing low energy, affordable and sustainable homes quickly, driving economic regeneration to support the levelling up agenda and meet Net Zero goals. This is supported by analysis published on behalf of the Local Government Association (LGA), National Federation of ALMOS and Association of Retained Council Housing (ARCH) in September 2021– estimating that building 100,000 new social homes each year could contribute £15bn to the UK’s economy. Call to action: In order to shore up demand and support the MMC sector, the EDAROTH white paper is calling for increased incentives for local authorities, public sector bodies, and housing associations, to vastly increase the supply of social housing at scale, utilising MMC. EDAROTH believes there is a strong argument for the urgent prioritisation of Government and local authority-owned brownfield land to deliver new homes which demonstrate clear societal and economic value. It will also be imperative to go further than the current approach of one-for-one replacements of homes sold if social housing demand is to be met, waiting lists reduced and households to be lifted out of temporary accommodation – according to the report. Mark Powell adds: “To beat the social housing emergency, I believe we must harness new
Bouygues UK and Carmarthenshire County Council have revealed the first steel structure for the landmark Pentre Awel project. This is the first of five buildings and will house education and business development. Leaders from Carmarthenshire County Council joined representatives from Bouygues UK and local contractors Shufflebottom and Dyfed Steels to view the steel structure, which marks a significant milestone in the project. The multi-million pound development is being delivered by Carmarthenshire County Council and is the largest regeneration scheme in south west Wales. It will bring together life science and business innovation, community healthcare and modern leisure facilities at the 83-acre Delta Lakes site on the Llanelli coastline. It is part-funded by the Swansea Bay City Deal (£40million) and is the largest regeneration scheme in south west Wales. Lead contractor Bouygues UK is committed to using local subcontractors as part of its commitment to provide employment, training and skills opportunities to local people and underrepresented groups. Dyfed Steels is providing the reinforcement bar for the project’s foundations which has 98% recycled content, and Shufflebottom is providing the structural steel for the building, which has 80% recycled content. With a commitment to the heritage of the area, the steel frame also provides the historical link to the previous industrial buildings that were located on the site. These including South Wales Tinplate Works and the Richard Thomas (Tinplate) Mills. Peter Sharpe, Bouygues UK’s Pentre Awel Project Director, said the steel structure marks a significant part of the project. He said: “This is a major construction milestone at Pentre Awel and an exciting one as we can really start to see the structure taking shape providing the scale of the project. Steel framing has a proven track record of providing sustainable benefits and it also offers significant cost benefits compared to alternative materials. For us it’s very important that we have as many local sub-contractors as possible working with us on this project and it’s great to welcome our guests from local companies Shufflebottom and Dyfed Steels to see the progress that is being made here.” Cllr. Darren Price, Leader of Carmarthenshire County Council: “Whilst works have been progressing at pace for many months, this milestone represents the start of aboveground works. We are delighted that Carmarthenshire businesses, Shufflebottom of Cross Hands and Dyfed Steels of Dafen, are playing such a significant part in the construction of Zone 1. Their skill and expertise as two local businesses helping us deliver what will be a fantastic facility at Pentre Awel is a significant boost to the local economy. This alongside the project’s complementary programme of apprenticeships, recruitment and training, reflects the County Council’s and Bouygues UKs joint ambition to maximise opportunities for local people and businesses.” As well as Shufflebottom and Dyfed Steels, other companies contracted to work on Pentre Awel include: Green4Wales, Redsix Partnership, Gavin Griffiths Group, Davies Crane hire, Dyfed Recycling Services and Owen Haulage. Bouygues UK has opportunities for numerous trades over the next few years of the project, from those in external works to companies who specialise in internal fixings. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A memorable topping-out ceremony was held yesterday, Tuesday 1 August, to celebrate the £55 million Senior Living Village in Flitwick, as the independent living apartment blocks reached its highest point. The event brought together a cheerful crowd on the roof, including Executive Member Cllr. Mark Smith who inaugurated the planting of the rooftop gardens. These gardens are not only expected to provide an oasis of peace for residents but also offer environmental benefits. This topping-out ceremony signifies a significant construction milestone for the low energy development, which includes a 72-bed care home, 88 independent living apartments, and an 8-bed short stay unit, all set to open in Summer 2024. Emphasising its commitment to sustainability and community welfare, our construction partner Farrans is also providing local social value support, including learning opportunities in schools and various employment opportunities for the local community. Designed to meet Passivhaus standards, the development aims to offer older people an opportunity to maintain an independent lifestyle while providing a ‘home-for-life’ with varying levels of care and support when needed. The Passivhaus design ensures optimal internal conditions, a safe, healthy, and comfortable environment, while significantly reducing energy, emissions and operational costs. After the ceremony, guests were joined by several residents from Ferndale Care Home and enjoyed a post-ceremony tea at the Rufus Centre. Cllr. Steven Watkins, Executive Member for Business, Housing, and Public Affairs said, “This was a fantastic day to reflect on everything that has been achieved so far and to celebrate the significant social impact this project is already having on the local community.” Cllr. Mark Smith, Executive Member for Adult Social Care, emphasised the health benefits of the rooftop gardens, stating, “Gardens bring significant health benefits, and the rooftop gardens will provide an oasis of peace and calm with space for people to come together and an opportunity for those who enjoy gardening to get involved.” “The Senior Living Village will not only offer first-class care and accommodation in the care home but also provide independent living apartments, allowing residents to enjoy an active and independent lifestyle with excellent facilities right on their doorstep.” Cathal Montague, Regional Director for Farrans Construction, said: “The topping out of Steppingley Road Senior Living Village marks another stage in the progress of this important project for Central Bedfordshire Council. This building is ahead of the curve in its drive for Passivhaus accreditation and it will be an example of what can be delivered in this new frontier in sustainable care homes. “We strive to have a positive lasting impact in the communities that we work and since starting on site we have had 13 apprentices join our team, we have had over 280 local people working on our site and we have created nine full time positions for previously long term unemployed. We have partnered with local schools to deliver workshops and site visits, participated in litter picks and volunteered at community events. “Our social value work will continue until the end of the project and coming up we have four community biodiversity workshops scheduled for August, several volunteering and litter picking sessions in the diary and teacher insight days to provide more information about career and work experience opportunities within the construction industry.” To visualise the care home, its community garden and the independent living accommodation with roof garden, you can view the CGI fly-through video showing a vision of the building. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Manchester City Council is on course to reach an important milestone this year as part of its drive to become zero-carbon by 2038. By the end of 2023 the Council aims to have installed almost 10,000 new solar panels on its buildings across the city – 9,859 in total. Reducing carbon emissions from council buildings by using renewable energy and energy efficiency measures is a key part of the Council’s Climate Change Action Plan 2020-25. Since 2022 a total of 6,897 panels have been installed across City Council-run sites, this includes Hough End Leisure Centre, the Wythenshawe Forum and Moss Side Leisure Centre. An additional 2,962 panels have been commissioned or are in the pipeline to be delivered this year at locations such as Didsbury Library, and the Manchester Aquatic Centre. As part of this project work has taken place at the National Cycling Centre in a bid to turn pedal power into solar power. As part of the Unlocking Clean Energy in Greater Manchester project, The Council, working in partnership with Energy Systems Catapult and the European Regional Development Fund recently completed a £2.9m project to install solar car ports at the site. These car ports will provide shelter for vehicles, whilst generating power from solar panels installed on top. As one of the most energy-dependent buildings within the Council’s estate, working to reduce the building’s overall consumption forms an important pillar of the Council’s overall carbon reduction plan. It is estimated that the 1,005 m2 site – equivalent to around the size of four tennis courts – will generate roughly 172MWh of electricity annually. In the eight weeks since the solar panels at the Velodrome went live, they have generated more than 47MWh of electricity, saving an estimated nine tonnes of carbon. Councillor Tracey Rawlins, Executive Member for Environment and Transport said: “This work shows that tangible progress is being made as the Council works to become a zero-carbon organisation. “Renewables such as solar power, even in rainy Manchester, provide a viable and unlimited source of energy for buildings across the city. “Looking at the National Cycling Centre, we have shown that we are able to seamlessly incorporate the use of renewable energy into the existing infrastructure, setting a clear example of how this approach can be replicated across the city.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
London Councils has responded to the government’s announcement on building new homes and the Secretary of State’s speech on reforming the planning system and regenerating urban areas. Cllr Darren Rodwell, London Councils’ Executive Member for Regeneration, Housing & Planning, said: “Boroughs are ready and willing to help deliver the homes our communities need, but this requires more local powers and resources for housebuilding. “Despite massive challenges, boroughs are working hard to accelerate housebuilding and have made solid progress in recent years. London saw more council-built homes started in 2022 than any year since the 1970s. “There are at least 143,000 potential new homes we could begin building immediately in London if the funding was in place, and we would welcome the prospect of enhanced government support for housing development and regeneration. We are calling for reform of Right to Buy receipts, increased grant allocations, and investment in new infrastructure so that we can truly turbocharge affordable housebuilding. “The chronic shortage of affordable housing is the critical factor behind London’s skyrocketing homelessness figures. The situation is utterly unsustainable. There are 166,000 homeless Londoners living in temporary accommodation, including on average at least one homeless child in every London classroom. “The focus must be on boosting delivery of affordable, high-quality homes. The government’s pledge to expand permitted development rights does not guarantee this will happen – in fact it brings serious risks. Boroughs must retain the ability to ensure housing is built to the right standards, in suitable locations, and with the necessary local infrastructure such as GP surgeries and transport connections.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The first phase of the Barbican Renewal Programme is set to get underway with £25 million in funding announced by the City of London Corporation. The funding was approved by the City Corporation’s Policy and Resources Committee to develop elements of a long-term masterplan, undertake further consultation, and deliver early systems and infrastructure work to boost the arts centre’s operational and environmental performance over the next two years. The Renewal Programme will transform underused spaces within the centre for new creative use, whilst also investing in its existing venues and public spaces, and improving the welcome, wayfinding and technical capabilities at the site. It comes after the City Corporation launched its Destination City programme to build a seven-day-a-week leisure destination for UK and international visitors, workers, and residents. Recognised globally as an icon of Brutalist style, the Barbican Centre is one of the UK’s greatest post-war buildings, attracting almost two million visitors annually. It showcases the most exciting performers and artists in music, theatre, dance, the visual arts, and cinema, as well as supporting emerging talent, shaping opportunities that will accelerate the next generation of creatives. The City Corporation is the Barbican Centre’s founder and principal funder. The overarching vision for the Barbican Renewal Programme is to care for and invest in the Barbican Centre building, celebrating its radical vision, and design heritage, while responding to the creative opportunities and challenges of the future. Major improvements will be made to the building’s environmental performance under the City Corporation’s Climate Action Strategy, which commits it to achieving net zero carbon status in its own operations by 2027. The project will sensitively preserve the complex, respecting its Grade II listed status, and the original architectural vision of the arts centre, which is now more than 40 years old. Since the appointment of an award-winning design team in 2022 – led by Allies and Morrison, Asif Khan Studio and Buro Happold – the Barbican Renewal Programme team has been consulting widely to understand what audiences, artists, local communities, and the wider public want from the scheme. City Corporation Policy Chairman Chris Hayward said: “A world-renowned arts and learning organisation, the Barbican Centre showcases the most exciting performers and artists from around the world. “It is a cultural cornerstone of our Destination City programme, enhancing our already unrivalled arts and culture offer, and elevating our attractiveness as a global visitor destination.” Chair of the City Corporation’s Barbican Centre Board Tom Sleigh said: “The Barbican is creatively buzzing and enthralling audiences as it contributes to the cultural and economic life of the City, the capital and beyond. “This initial investment, as part of the larger Renewal project, will start to reshape the arts centre to enable it to continue to deliver unforgettable experiences to millions. “The Board recognises the need to care for this world-famous listed asset, and sympathetically intervene in the built environment, making it more open, inclusive and sustainable.” Claire Spencer, Chief Executive Officer at the Barbican Centre said: “We are delighted with this vote of confidence in the Barbican Renewal Programme from the City Corporation. Our role is to spark creative possibilities and transformation for artists, audiences, and communities – to inspire, connect and provoke debate. Fundamental to this is the renewal of our brilliant Barbican building. “We now have a great opportunity to conserve the extraordinary architectural heritage of the Barbican, while reconsidering what an arts centre can and should be in the twenty-first century, and making sure we are open and welcoming to all. I am looking forward to continuing to work with our accomplished design team, current and future users of our building, and the community to address the challenges and seize the opportunities of the future.” The Barbican Renewal Programme will ensure that the Barbican Centre maintains its status as London’s creative catalyst for arts, curiosity and enterprise – an internationally significant cultural and events venue rooted in its community. Following the £25 million funding from the City Corporation the Barbican Centre will be seeking a range of additional funding sources for subsequent phases of the programme. The City Corporation is the fourth largest funder of heritage and cultural activities in the UK and invests over £130m every year. The organisation manages a range of world-class cultural and heritage institutions, including the Barbican Centre, Tower Bridge, Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Guildhall Art Gallery, London Metropolitan Archives, and Keats House. It also supports the London Symphony Orchestra and the Museum of London. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Proposals for a project to bring around 1,000 new homes to Hull city centre have today been approved by Cabinet. Schemes on three city centre brownfield sites will now move a step further to preparing and marketing the sites for developer interest. One site, known as East Bank Urban Village will see up to 850 new homes, with another 200 properties at a second site at St Stephen’s Place. It is anticipated these sites would offer the potential for high-quality apartments providing social rooftop areas and spaces for families, outdoor play and integrated green spaces, as well as private gardens and sports provisions. Myton City Gateway is expected to be of mixed commercial use and, given its prominence and proximity to the A63 Castle Street improvements, could deliver an impressive entrance to the city centre with opportunities for retail, commercial and leisure developments. The overall ambition of the projects is to offer new, inclusive neighbourhoods where people choose to live, work and play, all whilst developing unused brownfield land in the city centre. This would combine Hull’s unique features to create highly sustainable mixed-use urban developments, as well as balanced and diverse high-quality living which respects and reflects the history of each site. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Commenting on the Government’s announcement of an expansion of permitted development rights, Cllr Shaun Davies, Chair of the Local Government Association said; “There is no doubt that we need more homes as well as to reinvigorate our high streets and town centres. However, premises such as offices, barns, and shops are not always suitable for housing. “Further expanding permitted development rights risks creating poor quality residential environments that negatively impact people’s health and wellbeing, as well as a lack of affordable housing or suitable infrastructure. “It is disappointing that the Government have ignored their own commissioned research that concluded that homes converted through a planning application process deliver higher quality homes than those converted via permitted development rights. The proposals are also at odds with their ambitions to give local communities greater control over developments where they live. “Building the homes the country needs should be delivered through a locally-led planning system, and in the right places supported by the right infrastructure. Only this ensures a mix of high-quality, affordable housing that meets the needs of local communities, while also giving those communities the opportunity to shape and define the area they live in.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
COMMITTING its future to regional improvement, leading independent multi-disciplinary consultancy Pick Everard has been appointed to a new framework deal with Leicester City Council. Operating on an initial two-year term, with options to extend for a further two, the framework will see Pick Everard flex its broad range of consultancy services, working closely with the council’s Estates and Building Services (EBS) department to drive city-wide improvement programmes. Pick Everard will lead ‘Lot A’ on the Project Construction Professional Services Framework, providing multi-disciplinary consultancy across the entirety of the council’s estate, including schools and education, transport, art galleries and museums, leased premises, public and office buildings, and housing. Matt Hall, national director at Pick Everard, said: “This appointment marks a significant period for our business and Leicester City Council, which like all local authorities across the country is working hard to deliver and maintain a building stock fit for current and future sustainability standards. “As sole multi-disciplinary supplier, our aim is to deliver real value to the city, building on our previous work across a broad and varied estate, that will deliver the best possible outcomes, with high quality assets that will positively impact this generation and the next.” Pick Everard will cover a range of projects under the framework agreement, including new builds, extensions, refurbishments and housing builds. In total, it will provide more than 30 multi-disciplinary services, tying into a council-led vision to provide Leicester with a high quality, efficient, effective, and sustainable built environment. Alastair Hamilton, partner at Pick Everard, said: “Our philosophy at Pick Everard is to deliver better together, and with this major appointment, we look to the next phase of enhancing the city we have so rightly called home since 1866. “It is an opportunity to leave a lasting legacy through a programme of works that combines industry leading expertise under one central collaborative relationship. “We’re proud to continue our ongoing work with Leicester City Council and to partner them in this onward journey.” Matt Wallace, director of estates and building services at Leicester City Council, said: “Having undertaken a robust procurement exercise to provide essential construction professional services and support to the council, we are delighted to be working with a successful, Leicester-based company like Pick Everard, that has such a strong and proven track record in local development. “Having access to its supply chain, along with their shared passion for improving the quality of life for people living and working in Leicester, will be invaluable to us as we deliver the council’s vision to sustainably develop the city and support Leicester’s economic growth and future prosperity.” Pick Everard is a major contributor to city-wide improvement programmes, having delivered project management on the £14.5m Leicester Royal Infirmary relocation of East Midland’s Congenital Heart Centre in 2021. For more information on Pick Everard and the services it provides, visit https://www.pickeverard.co.uk/. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
MWJV has published its annual report for year four of Cornwall Council’s BEPS Framework: 2022/2023A Cornish construction and professional services consultancy has generated an added social and economic value of £59.5 million as a result of its work with Cornwall Council over the past four years. Mace Ward Williams Joint Venture (MWJV), which is a joint venture between Mace and Ward Williams Associates (WWA), has released its annual report following its fourth year of work with Cornwall Council on the £650 million construction and infrastructure capital programme of investment within the Built Environment Professional Services (BEPS) Framework. Andy Snapes, Board Member at MWJV and Senior Partner at WWA, said: “We are proud to outline the social value impact of MWJV for this year in line with our ongoing commitment to share and engage on this critical area of business within our built environment and construction sector. “The work of MWJV in partnership with our delivery partners is deeply rooted in how we aim to shape positive impact in our communities and to develop a vibrant future-focused workforce in Cornwall, putting into practice the UK Government vision of the Construction Playbook through innovation, collaboration and delivery, sitting alongside positive social outcomes. “The recognition for this impact nationally has been significant over the last year and saw two of our businesses recognised with the illustrious Queen’s Award for Enterprise status within the Sustainable Development category. “MWJV has been focused on delivering the UN Sustainable Development Goals in our work at the local level, directly supporting seven of them as shown in the report, and our team includes three verified B Corporations; companies whose objectives are to truly use ‘business as a force for good’.” As well as the added social and economic value it has achieved to date, the 2023 version of the annual report shares a summary of the company’s work and achievements over the past twelve months. Some of the most impressive results achieved by MWJV are its involvement in creating 202 new jobs, delivering 193 career events, facilitating 3,367 hours of work experience, and providing training and development for 150 people, surpassing its original goal by 215%. The joint venture has now spent £27.6 million on local businesses, with £20.3 million of this being spent with SMEs across the region. Andy continued: “From the headline figures of over £59 million of value to the local economy through new jobs, training and upskilling, community and educational volunteering and local spend, through to the very individual impact we are able to create for young people entering the workforce through structured training programmes such as T Levels and apprenticeships, it is clear that economic growth through construction and positive impact is possible through innovative local partnerships such as MWJV. “We celebrate this impact in our 2023 Social Value Report and look forward to its ongoing evolution and growth.” MWJV works with its wide network of local and national suppliers to bring expert and cost-effective project management, architecture, design, engineering, and surveying support to a range of programmes across Cornwall in sectors including transport, education, infrastructure, town regeneration and housing. Local suppliers include teams across architecture, engineering and wider specialisms based in Cornwall and across the South West. Chris Owen from Truro-based MBA Consulting said of working with MWJV on the Cornwall Council BEPS Framework: “All our staff live and work in Cornwall. The framework has given us additional stability in the face of COVID and the subsequent financial turmoil. It has enabled us to employ new staff over the lifetime of the framework, all of whom also live in the area. “It provides additional satisfaction to all of us at MBA to work on projects that benefit the community around us; a sentiment that has been relayed repeatedly to me in the office throughout the past twelve months. “The working relationships within the MWJV have been exemplary. In particular, the discussions with our fellow engineers have been enjoyable and beneficial.” Projects across the region that MWJV has worked on over the past year include Spaceport Cornwall, Schools Backlog Maintenance, Local Town Deals, and Looe Flood Defence. MWJV has also continued its support of a range of charities which aim to make a difference to local life and the environment, including Children’s Hospice South West, Surfers Against Sewage, and Macmillan Cancer Support. The full annual report is available for download here: https://www.mwjv.net/s/MWJV-Social-Value-Report_V12.pdf Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
