Work is now well under way on a £20.8million refurbishment scheme for council homes in Oldbury. Representatives from Sandwell Council and Lovell Partnerships Limited, which is carrying out the work, visited 19-storey high-rise block Darley House in Wallace Close to see the progress made since work started in November 2022.
London boroughs have launched a Housing Development Academy with backing from the Mayor of London to boost council housebuilding and help tackle the capital’s homelessness crisis. Believed to be the first collaboration of its kind between local authorities in the UK, the academy will help ensure London has the skills
More accountabilityin return for more responsibility Greater Manchester’s Mayor and 10 Leaders have hailed the city-region’s first devolution deal with the Government since 2017 as the most significant yet – securing much greater influence over crucial policy areas. The Deal further embeds the role of local decision-making through additional powers, new financial freedoms and new
The group is searching for 300 hotel sites across the UK which could provide a long term investment for Local Authorities This expansion programme could represent an investment of around £3 billion for third party investors and create over 9,000 new jobs across the UK This innovative programme creates jobs/careers,
Peel L&P’s plans for a brand-new public park and essential infrastructure to enable the delivery of approximately 2350 homes, with biodiversity, sustainability, and heritage at its hearts, have been approved by Liverpool City Council. Located within the Central Docks neighbourhood at Liverpool Waters, just south of Collingwood Dock by the
Additional support totalling £848,123 is being provided from the Scottish Government’s Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF) for a trio of flagship regeneration projects in the city – The Leith Community Croft, Macmillan Hub and West Shore Studios – being delivered by the City of Edinburgh Council in partnership with three
Manchester City Council’s executive will be asked to approve the Strategic Regeneration Framework (SRF) for the former retail site at a meeting today. The high-level development that sets out the principles for future planning applications for the site was originally agreed in 2020 and updated to inform a six-week consultation
Work has started on-site to build 20 new affordable housing apartments in Midlothian. Situated on the High Street of Bonnyrigg’s popular town centre, Cruden Building is delivering the project on behalf of Midlothian Council. The new homes will support the Council’s wider ambition to reach net zero by 2030. Achieving
During last weeks budget announcement, the government announced £5.6million of funding to redevelop Marsden Mills through the Levelling Up Fund (LUF). In August last year, Kirklees Council submitted a bid for the LUF aimed at bringing Marsden Mills, a long-vacant historic mill complex in Marsden town centre, back into use.
Baxi will be supplying its 100% hydrogen boilers for the H100 Fife Project, a world-first hydrogen-to-homes demonstration delivered through a partnership between gas distribution company SGN and Fife Council in cooperation with industry regulator Ofgem. Baxi attended an event hosted by SGN on 8 March to mark the beginning of
Work is now well under way on a £20.8million refurbishment scheme for council homes in Oldbury. Representatives from Sandwell Council and Lovell Partnerships Limited, which is carrying out the work, visited 19-storey high-rise block Darley House in Wallace Close to see the progress made since work started in November 2022. Surrounding low-rise blocks Alston House, Birchley House, Century House, Radnall House and Selby House will also benefit from the major transformation for the area in forthcoming phases of the project. Once the three-year scheme is completed, external walls of all blocks will have been fitted with insulated rain cladding and new windows. A new local district heat pump system including new radiators and hot water system is currently being installed, as part of the council’s response to climate change, improving energy efficiency. Work is almost finished on the pump room within the site compound which will house all the pipework that will eventually supply all heating and hot water to Darley House and surrounding blocks. Under the scheme, Darley House will also benefit from a new roof, balcony improvements and internal improvements. The area around the blocks will be landscaped. Throughout the project, Lovell’s team will continue working closely with the council to provide a positive impact and a lasting legacy for the community. Lovell provided family activities in the community room at Darley House during the recent February half-term break and is supporting wider community engagement initiatives and working with local businesses. Councillor Charn Singh Padda, Sandwell Council’s cabinet member for housing, said: “It was really good to visit Darley House with Lovell and see the great progress made so far. This major project will improve homes for hundreds of local people while also helping to improve energy efficiency. “We are working closely with tenants to keep disruption to a minimum and the project team will continue to keep our tenants regularly updated as they move through different phases of the refurbishments. “This project is part of our ongoing investment in existing and new council homes in Sandwell to make sure people have the homes they need.” Carl Yale, regional refurbishment director at Lovell, said: “It is not just the scale of the refurbishment that makes Darley House a significant project for our team, but the positive and very real impact it will have on the lives of residents. “This is a substantial decarbonisation project, which includes the installation of a district heat network that will provide effective and affordable warmth to over 200 flats from renewable heat generated on site using air source heat pumps. This, along with new windows and doors, enclosed balconies and insulated rainscreen cladding, not only contributes positively to the environment but tackles the fuel poverty that impacts so many people in our region. “A new play area and soft landscaping will also create a greater sense of community once this exciting project is completed.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
London boroughs have launched a Housing Development Academy with backing from the Mayor of London to boost council housebuilding and help tackle the capital’s homelessness crisis. Believed to be the first collaboration of its kind between local authorities in the UK, the academy will help ensure London has the skills required to deliver council-built homes in even larger numbers. In the face of London’s severe housing pressures, boroughs are playing a key role in driving up delivery of affordable homes – including through building new council housing for their communities. Council housebuilding is at its highest level since the 1970s, with more than 5,000 new council-built homes started in London last year – more than the rest of the country combined. The Housing Development Academy will support this ambitious housebuilding agenda by offering short courses on the skills needed to build more homes, from the initial site analysis techniques through to the financial appraisals and commercial assessments required for large-scale investment. Set up by the London Housing Directors’ Group with the support of London Councils and grant funding from the Greater London Authority, the academy’s training programmes are delivered by Future of London, the capital’s leadership and networking organisation for the built environment. The training is open to staff from local authorities, housing associations, and for-profit developers – but with priority given to London boroughs. Although local authorities were major housebuilders for much of the 20th century – delivering hundreds of thousands of new council homes each year across the UK – their role declined significantly from the 1980s onwards as a result of central government policy. By 1993 council housebuilding had practically ended and local authorities’ housing development skills and expertise were much depleted. With renewed flexibilities to enable council housebuilding in recent years, London boroughs are determined to strengthen their capacity as housing developers and deliver a new generation of council housing. The academy will enable staff from London and further afield to train alongside each other, to learn from real-life scenarios, and to acquire the skills needed for ramping up delivery. Cllr Darren Rodwell, London Councils’ Executive Member for Regeneration, Housing & Planning, said: “Boroughs are proud to be building the next generation of council homes across the capital. “We’re determined to give more Londoners the opportunity to live in affordable, high-quality homes. That means building more council housing, as boroughs were able to do in previous decades. This is vital for our vision of London as a fair, economically dynamic and environmentally sustainable city. “The Housing Development Academy will play a pivotal role in making sure London has the skills required to deliver the council-built homes our communities are crying out for.” Joanne Drew, Co-Chair of the London Housing Directors’ Group, said: “Boosting delivery of new homes is essential for tackling London’s chronic shortage of affordable housing. “Through the Housing Development Academy, council staff will strengthen their skills while sharing experience and learning from each other’s work. It’s a great example of boroughs collaborating to support our collective capacity as housebuilders and to take on one of the most significant challenges facing the capital.” Nicola Mathers, Chief Executive of Future of London, said: “Future of London is proud to be delivering this important collaborative project with London boroughs. The initiative is providing high-quality training, which will equip local authority housing practitioners with the skills they need to build more homes. “Accelerating the delivery of genuinely affordable rented homes is crucial to London’s social and economic sustainability. That’s why we are delighted to be working with local authorities to make that happen.” Tom Copley, London’s Deputy Mayor for Housing and Residential Development, said: “City Hall has led a renaissance in council homebuilding, with council-led delivery last year hitting the highest level since the 1970s. “Ensuring that councils have the right specialist skills to continue to deliver affordable homes in the face of budget cutbacks is crucial to achieving a fairer and more equal London for all. “The Mayor and I are proud to be funding London Councils to launch the Housing Development Academy, delivered by the Future of London. The academy will support councils in building on their skills to continue delivering high-quality, genuinely affordable homes Londoners deserve.” London’s homelessness crisis is the most severe in the country, with London Councils’ latest analysis suggesting 166,000 homeless Londoners – including 81,000 children – are currently living in temporary accommodation arranged by their local borough. London accounts for almost two-thirds of England’s temporary accommodation population, with Shelter estimating that one in 58 Londoners is homeless. Collectively, London boroughs have more than 300,000 on their housing waiting lists. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
More accountabilityin return for more responsibility Greater Manchester’s Mayor and 10 Leaders have hailed the city-region’s first devolution deal with the Government since 2017 as the most significant yet – securing much greater influence over crucial policy areas. The Deal further embeds the role of local decision-making through additional powers, new financial freedoms and new accountability arrangements. It is a vote of confidence in devolution and Greater Manchester and its ability to deliver. The Mayor and Leaders have secured the majority of their asks in negotiations with the Government and are now focused on turning their ambitions into reality as English devolution enters a new era. Significant breakthroughs secured in the new Trailblazer Deal include: Devolution in Greater Manchester over the years shows what can be achieved if people locally are trusted to make some of the big decisions that affect the daily lives of the 2.8 million residents and 124,000 businesses, such as bringing buses back under public control, introducing a £2 cap on adult bus fares and taking steps to reduce rough sleeping. Greater Manchester is ambitious for the future of the city-region and, with more levers at its disposal, it can make a bigger difference to people’s lives. The Government published its Levelling Up White Paper in February 2022 committing to deeper devolution in Greater Manchester and the West Midlands and the Mayor and Leaders in Greater Manchester have been in negotiations with them since then. This will be the seventh devolution deal for Greater Manchester, building on existing responsibilities over transport, business support, employment and skills support, policing, spatial planning, housing investment and health. Commenting on the new devolution Deal, Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham said: “This is the seventh devolution deal Greater Manchester has agreed with the government and it is by some way the deepest. This Deal takes devolution in the city-region further and faster than ever before, giving us more ability to improve the lives of people who live and work here. “I have always been a passionate believer in the power of devolution, and I’ve been in the privileged position of being able to exercise those powers and make a positive difference to people’s lives. “We’ve worked hard to secure this Deal and have achieved a significant breakthrough by gaining greater control over post-16 technical education, setting us firmly on the path to become the UK’s first technical education city-region; new levers and responsibilities to achieve fully integrated public transport including rail through the Bee Network by 2030; new responsibilities over housing that will allow us to crack down on rogue landlords and control over £150m brownfield funding; and a single block grant that will allow us to go further and faster in growing our economy, reducing inequalities and providing opportunities for all. “With more power comes the need for great accountability and I welcome the strengthened arrangements announced in the Deal. “While we didn’t get everything we wanted from the Deal, we will continue to engage with government on those areas in the future. For now, our focus will be on getting ready to take on the new powers and be held to account on the decisions we will be making on behalf of the people of Greater Manchester. Today is a new era for English devolution.” Skills and employment The Mayor and Leaders, alongside business and education, have been strongly advocating for more responsibilities over skills and employment to transform Greater Manchester into the UK’s first technical education city-region through the creation of an integrated skills system linked to the labour market and pathways into good jobs. This was one of the main areas the Mayor and Leaders pushed for in negotiations with the government and securing it represents a significant breakthrough for Greater Manchester. The Deal confirms a new partnership between Greater Manchester and the government to provide oversight of post-16 technical education and skills. This joint board will, for the first time in England, bring together Greater Manchester Leaders and the Department for Education to gain better oversight of T-Levels, apprenticeships and other technical and vocational education qualifications on offer in the city-region. This will help ensure the courses available are relevant for the local jobs market and will better support people into work, to develop them in their jobs or change careers. The groundwork in Greater Manchester has already begun with Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) already working closely with partners including the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Manchester Colleges Group, to create a system that builds stronger links between employers, further education and training. The Deal also builds on the successful devolution of the Adult Education Budget to Greater Manchester, devolving non-apprenticeship adult skills functions and grant funding in the next Spending Review. GMCA will also have local flexibilities over Free Courses for Jobs and Skills Bootcamps during this Spending Review moving towards a simplified single adult skills fund, and it will be the central convenor of careers provision in the city-region. Working with the Department for Work and Pensions, there will also be co-design of all future contracted employment support programmes, consideration of potential employment support pilots and commitments to data sharing to ensure provision addresses labour market inactivity, supported by a new joint board. This will allow Greater Manchester and the government to provide a more responsive service to support particular groups back into employment bringing together partners, including health, to improve provision. Transport Greater Manchester has a compelling vision to improve public transport through the Bee Network – an integrated London-style transport system for the city-region across bus, Metrolink, rail, and cycle hire services. By 2030, Greater Manchester wants local public transport connectivity to be significantly closer to the standards of London, with improved services, simpler fares and integrated ticketing. Progress is already being made through bus franchising with public control of the buses taking effect from September in Bolton, Wigan and parts of Bury and Salford. In order to achieve the full vision, the Mayor of Greater Manchester and Leaders need more levers which is why they pushed for and successfully secured more responsibilities over transport in the new devolution Deal. Building on existing plans for transport integration between trams and buses through franchising, the Deal commits to activity to enable the delivery of full integration of local rail services into the Bee Network by 2030. This includes London-style touch-in/touch-out integrated fares and ticketing across bus, Metrolink and rail and Bee Network co-branding across the public transport network. This will be taken forward by a new Rail Partnership with Great British Railways, with the first pilots on integrated fares and ticketing agreed by the end of the year. The deal lays the foundation for greater input into our stations, services and strategic infrastructure investment with the creation of the North West Regional Business Unit and GM Rail Board.
The group is searching for 300 hotel sites across the UK which could provide a long term investment for Local Authorities This expansion programme could represent an investment of around £3 billion for third party investors and create over 9,000 new jobs across the UK This innovative programme creates jobs/careers, attracts new visitors to the area, increases local spend and provides the Local Authority with a long-term asset that delivers a secure revenue stream to support future growth This week, Travelodge, one of the UK’s largest hotel brands, which operates nearly 600 hotels, has wrote to 220 Local Authorities across Britain proposing a joint development partnership that can act as a catalyst to stimulate regeneration and facilitate further growth. This letter outlines the pivotal role that Travelodge has been playing for the last 10 years in supporting Local Authorities in England, Wales and Scotland by: The letter also includes a direct call to action on how Travelodge can do the same for other Local Authorities that it does not currently work with – and collectively support Britain’s recovery. Travelodge has identified that it can expand its UK hotel network with a further 300 target locations for new hotels across the UK, and is offering Local Authorities the opportunity to have one or multiple hotels within their region to support their regeneration programmes. For over 120 towns, such as Ripon, Lichfield and Cromer, it could be an opportunity to have its first branded hotel – which could revolutionise its local economy. This expansion programme could represent an investment of around £3 billion for third party investors and create over 9,000 new jobs across the UK. In 2022, Travelodge opened six new hotels, three of which were Local Authority partnerships with two hotels located in London at Docklands and Wimbledon and the third hotel situated in Braintree. The group is also currently on site with construction of two further Travelodge hotels being delivered in direct partnership with Local Authorities in Rotherham and Colchester. The Rotherham Travelodge is the group’s first hotel in Rotherham and it is also the first branded hotel in the town centre. For Colchester, it is the group’s second Travelodge hotel. These bespoke agreements have had unique funding structures, all of which have enabled Local Authorities to utilise their existing assets, create jobs, generate income, and help to regenerate brownfield land in strategically important locations. Some of the new Travelodge hotels in this programme have been built on surplus local authority land, with the funding provided either through the Local Authority’s internal resource or via low-cost funding from the Public Works Loan Board or third party resources. Upon completion of the hotel development, local authorities have the choice of either retaining ownership of the hotel and receiving an annual rent into the Council’s revenue budget or selling the hotel with Travelodge as its operator. The two recent London Travelodge hotel openings at Docklands and Wimbledon as well as Colchester were lease-wrapper deals, also known as income-strip deals. Under this structure, the Council takes a headlease, with Travelodge being the undertenant. The rent that the Council pays is lower than the rent it receives from Travelodge – with an annual profit rent for a 30+ year period. The Councils’ covenant strength enables the developer to sell the (Council) leasehold investment to an institutional, long-income fund at a much lower investment yield than a lease to Travelodge would achieve. This generates a higher end development value, enabling the development to proceed. This kind of structure enables developments to take place which otherwise would not be financially-viable and therefore delivers new town centre regeneration which would not otherwise happen. Steve Bennett, Travelodge Chief Property & Development Officer said: “In the current climate, Local Authorities are under extreme pressure to invest in their economy and support regeneration projects. This is why we are today writing to 220 Local Authorities to offer our support, as we can make a real difference. We have a proven track record of working with 25 forward-thinking Local Authorities across the UK from Ashford to Stirling. Our effective, innovative co-partnership development deals are spearheading regional economic growth and providing a solid long-term revenue stream.” “Britain is now a nation of budget travellers, with more of us choosing to stay in budget hotels than any other hotel type and this trend is set to grow, which is why we are looking to expand our UK hotel network with a further 300 hotels. Adding a Travelodge hotel can be a catalyst to attract new businesses, support regeneration, bring vacant buildings back into economic use as well as attracting thousands of new overnight visitors to the area and revitalising High Streets. In addition, our research shows that, on average, Travelodge customers will spend at least double their room rate with local businesses during their stay; this can be an annual, multi-million pound boost into the local economy.” Cllr Chris Read,Rotherham Council’s Leader,said: “The Rotherham Town Centre Masterplan aims to develop Rotherham into a leisure destination which will benefit the local economy and residents. To facilitate this vision, having a well-known and trusted hotel brand like Travelodge is a great asset and hugely beneficial as it helps to attract other major brands to invest in Rotherham.Also Travelodge’s great value proposition will help to attract business and leisure visitors to the area which then positions the town centre as the gateway to explore the wider leisure and culture offer the Rotherham borough. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Peel L&P’s plans for a brand-new public park and essential infrastructure to enable the delivery of approximately 2350 homes, with biodiversity, sustainability, and heritage at its hearts, have been approved by Liverpool City Council. Located within the Central Docks neighbourhood at Liverpool Waters, just south of Collingwood Dock by the historic Tobacco Warehouse, Central Park will become one of the city’s largest green spaces, spanning 1.9 hectares (or 4.7 acres), and will form an important part of the next stage of the Liverpool Waters development. The approved plans also include the creation of a network of public spaces in the Central Docks neighbourhood, with green streets and rain gardens; the delivery of high-quality public realm; and new street infrastructure, such as high-quality footpaths and a variety of street types to support vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists. Hundreds of trees will also be planted across the Central Docks neighbourhood. The development of this 11ha site will enable and accelerate the delivery of around 2,350 homes over the next 10 years, in line with the Liverpool Waters Central Docks Neighbourhood Masterplan. This planning application and the development it will enable demonstrates the scale of ambition for Liverpool Waters and the transformative impact it will have on this historic brownfield site. Coastal and woodland planting, wetland planting, community gardens and open parkland will all help to create a unique, world class environment at Central Park, celebrating the site’s post-industrial heritage and its coastal locality. The park will also include shelters and canopies, areas for sport, recreation and fitness, and spaces designed to support local wildlife. Connectivity for pedestrians and cyclists between the city centre, Princes Dock, Everton’s new stadium at Bramley Moore Dock, and the city’s northern docks will also be significantly improved as part of this development. Central Docks will become the largest of the five planned neighbourhoods in Liverpool Waters and will directly enable the delivery of thousands of new homes, alongside commercial, retail, leisure and community developments over the next ten years. Chris Capes, Peel L&P’s Development Director for Liverpool Waters, said: “The Council’s approval of our plans for Central Park, and its surrounding infrastructure and public realm, paves the way for ten years of development across the whole Central Docks neighbourhood and will set a quality benchmark for later phases of Liverpool Waters. “Central Park and the public realm have been designed to provide a unique environment that will enrich the lives of everyone in Liverpool as well as the millions of people who visit the city every year and we’re looking forward to moving this project forward in 2023. Central Docks and will enable the delivery of new residential, commercial and leisure development and be a catalyst for the delivery of 10 Streets and North Liverpool.” The consultant planning team for this development includes: Planit-IE – Master Planners, Landscaping and Urban Design, Visualisation; Arup Planning – Planning Consultant; Walker Sime – Project Management; John Sisk – Infrastructure and Design; Curtins – Civils and Structures; Hannan Associates UK – MEP; Hatch – Social Value; Safer Sphere – CDM; RSK – Ecology, HRA, Aquatic, Noise, BNG; Rob Burns – Heritage; Civic Engineers – Transport; Social – Consultation and Engagement. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Additional support totalling £848,123 is being provided from the Scottish Government’s Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF) for a trio of flagship regeneration projects in the city – The Leith Community Croft, Macmillan Hub and West Shore Studios – being delivered by the City of Edinburgh Council in partnership with three keystone charities. The Leith Community Croft project is transforming a former tennis pavilion at Leith Links into a new multifunctional community hub run by the environmental charity Earth in Common. It will be used for events, training, and promoting local food production and will receive £159,123 of the additional funding. The Macmillan Hub in Pennywell will feature a library, an early years centre, affordable housing, and a new enterprise, workshop, learning and creative studio space to be run by the local charity North Edinburgh Arts. The Hub forms part of the wider strategic regeneration of Pennywell-Muirhouse and will receive £500,000 of the additional funding, to be used to help deliver the creative space. Forming part of the Council’s sustainable regeneration of Granton Waterfront, West Shore Studios will transform a disused 1970s former industrial unit at 20 West Shore Road into a vibrant new creative and community hub that will be operated by the charity Edinburgh Palette. The project will deliver workspaces for artists and micro-businesses along with a new home for the popular Pitt Street Food Market. The project will receive £189,000 of the additional funding towards the renewal of doors and windows along with essential utilities work. Welcoming the news Depute Leader of the City of Edinburgh Council Mandy Watt said: “This funding is very welcome as these projects will play a key role in the ongoing regeneration and enhancement of Granton Waterfront, Pennywell, and Leith in north Edinburgh. The funding will help the projects in their goals to bring new jobs, training courses, and recreation opportunities to the communities of all three areas. I look forward to visiting these projects in future to see how they are benefitting local people in the years to come.” Community Wealth Minister Tom Arthur said: “I congratulate these projects on making progress and supporting jobs, investment and wider opportunities. Regeneration of Scotland’s more disadvantaged communities is a key Scottish Government priority to help transform the economy. This extra Scottish Government funding will help deliver fairer and more prosperous local districts.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Manchester City Council’s executive will be asked to approve the Strategic Regeneration Framework (SRF) for the former retail site at a meeting today. The high-level development that sets out the principles for future planning applications for the site was originally agreed in 2020 and updated to inform a six-week consultation in January this year. The SRF reacts to a range of opportunities for the site – each playing their own part in improving the area. This includes supporting Manchester’s aim of becoming a zero carbon city by 2038, increasing the amount of greens space available to residents, creating sustainable economic growth and stimulating new employment opportunities. Responses to the consultation were largely focused on the need to have usable green space and biodiversity, creating a welcoming area that should feel like a park – rather than a harder landscaped city centre space. Comments included a welcoming of the increased amount of new space compared to the previous SRF and respondents also raised the hope that the new green space would be created as a continuation of Cotton Field Park. Following the consultation, the SRF has also been updated to include a new plan for how the development site will connect to wider walking and cycling routes. These will be well lit – reacting to responses in the consultation – along with accessible routes. The key principles for future development include: The Government Property Agency (GPA) is also exploring options for delivering office solutions in Manchester, to meet the needs of various civil servant departments, which supports the Government’s commitment to locate more civil servants outside of London and support levelling up. Therefore, the framework also responds to potential interest from the GPA to locate government offices on the site. The SRF proposes a phased approach to development, to allow the full potential of the site to be realised and to minimise disruption during construction. The exact timing of development will largely be driven by commercial office space and market requirements. The potential interest from the GPA to locate offices in the area gives a positive indication of current market demand. The green space at the former retail park complements wider green investment elsewhere in Ancoats and New Islington, as well as the nearby, recently opened, Mayfield Park. A planning application has now been submitted on a £30m public realm investment in Ancoats – including the new Ancoats Mobility Hub – which will create a new green heart to the city centre area. The Council’s executive has also endorsed the Manchester Active Travel Strategy (Feb 2023), which supports our residents to make walking and cycling the natural choice for shorter journeys and encourages active travel and public transport to be part of our residents’ daily life. Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, said: “The development of the former Central Retail Park presents a number of key opportunities to deliver a really impactful programme of regeneration – increasing access to quality public green space, creating a green route to open up and celebrate Cotton Field Park, creating a highly sustainable office space that will support thousands of new jobs in an ecosystem that encourages business growth, and all while bringing an eyesore of a brownfield site back into constructive use. “The feedback we received through the recent consultation has been a helpful guide in further developing the framework plan for bringing the former retail park back into use – and importantly the investment in a new public green space in our city centre, complementing Mayfield nearby, Electric Park, Cotton Field Park and the upcoming transformation of Ancoats Green.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Work has started on-site to build 20 new affordable housing apartments in Midlothian. Situated on the High Street of Bonnyrigg’s popular town centre, Cruden Building is delivering the project on behalf of Midlothian Council. The new homes will support the Council’s wider ambition to reach net zero by 2030. Achieving status as the largest Passivhaus development programme in Scotland, Midlothian Council is committed to building 182 green homes across the local community. Designed by award-winning architecture firm, AHR, eight of the new apartments will offer assisted living, with the remaining twelve apartments providing age-exclusive homes for those aged 55 and over. Achieving Passivhaus certification, the homes will offer tenants bright and spacious living spaces paired with more affordable running costs. A series of measures are being incorporated to help reduce energy consumption levels, including the new homes being fitted with Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) units to provide a constant flow of fresh air, whilst also helping to retain energy that has already been used in heating the apartments. The development will feature an attractive brick exterior to compliment its neighbouring buildings and keep with the original character of the surrounding community. With an array of local amenities available in Bonnyrigg town centre, Midlothian Council tenants will be able to embrace independent living with easy access to nearby shops, healthcare centres and transport links. Work is due to complete in July 2024. Richard Crowther, Commercial Director at Cruden Building Scotland, said: “The Cruden Group is committed to delivering more energy-efficient homes across Scotland, so we’re delighted to support Midlothian Council in reaching their wider net zero goals through building these new apartments. “Passivhaus homes can allow up to 90% of energy savings in comparison to other types of builds, which will bring life-changing benefits to local tenants, particularly at a time where living costs are at an all-time high.” Midlothian Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing, Councillor Stuart McKenzie, said: “We’re extremely proud to be delivering the most ambitious Passivhaus building programme in Scotland. The people who will call these flats home will enjoy living in a comfortable, warm, energy-efficient and affordable home. These flats help us towards our goal of achieving net zero status by 2030.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
During last weeks budget announcement, the government announced £5.6million of funding to redevelop Marsden Mills through the Levelling Up Fund (LUF). In August last year, Kirklees Council submitted a bid for the LUF aimed at bringing Marsden Mills, a long-vacant historic mill complex in Marsden town centre, back into use. Despite news that the bid had been unsuccessful, the project is now able to go ahead thanks to the unexpected funding boost from government. The plans include retaining parts of the mill’s façade, as a beautiful heritage piece, preserving the building’s history and personality. The remainder of the building will be partially demolished to create a new, improved building, which will support the town centre and local businesses. Once completed, the new development will include commercial units and office space, with a potential for residential units on the upper floors – all surrounded by beautiful landscaping and an attractive new courtyard. The historic façade will remain a key feature. Councillor Shabir Pandor, Leader of the Council, said: “I am pleased that the Marsden project has been given the funding it deserves. We knew when we submitted our Levelling Up Fund bids that the projects we put forward were strong ones. The fact that the government has approved another of those bids, alongside the successful bid for Batley town centre, goes to show that our vision for our towns is the right one. I look forward to seeing the work take shape.” Councillor Graham Turner, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, added: “This project will boost the local economy in Marsden, allowing it to thrive. I am very pleased that we can move forward on this important scheme and know that the people of Marsden and beyond will benefit from having high quality facilities in the heart of the town.” The plan is for the project to be led by private sector organisations with the support of the council. Alongside the £5.6million of funding announced through the LUF, a further £11.7million will be contributed by private sector partners. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Baxi will be supplying its 100% hydrogen boilers for the H100 Fife Project, a world-first hydrogen-to-homes demonstration delivered through a partnership between gas distribution company SGN and Fife Council in cooperation with industry regulator Ofgem. Baxi attended an event hosted by SGN on 8 March to mark the beginning of construction of the H100 Fife hydrogen homes demonstration facility. Due to open to the public this summer, the new facility will comprise two hydrogen show homes where visitors will be able to try out domestic hydrogen appliances, including Baxi’s 100% pure hydrogen boilers. The H100 Fife project enables households in the Buckhaven and Denbeath areas of historic Methil on the south Fife coast, to opt-in to be supplied with hydrogen through a new network which is due to go live in 2024. The scheme has already signed up over 300 householders who want to be part of the first 100% green hydrogen-to-homes zero carbon network anywhere in the world. Their participation will provide important behavioural and social evidence critical to help the UK decarbonise home heating. Green hydrogen will be supplied via the dedicated ORE Catapult 7MW wind turbine connected to an on-site electrolyser and storage facility. Modelling shows the turbine could provide the energy to produce enough hydrogen for up to 900 homes a year. The H100 Fife Project is the latest in a line of hydrogen projects to benefit from Baxi’s involvement, with the leading heating specialist having already supplied its full hydrogen and 20% blend compatible boilers to residential projects such as HyDeploy, Hy4Heat, HyStreet, Northern Gas Network’s 100% Hydrogen Home near Gateshead. In the commercial heating space, Baxi also recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with H2GO Power to deliver the world-first commercial hydrogen boiler and demonstrate the technology’s potential to decarbonise multiple industries. Karen Boswell, managing director of Baxi UK and Ireland, said: “We are thrilled to be providing our 100% hydrogen boilers to another innovative, world-first demonstration project. It’s great to see the support for this project from the local community and hands-on involvement from Fife council and other important stakeholders in the area. With such projects, we can help the public, Government and wider heating industry to better understand the potential of hydrogen to provide safe and low-carbon heating in the future, alongside other options available today such as heat pumps, hybrid systems and heat networks.” For more information, visit www.baxi.co.uk/about-us/the-future-of-heat Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
