More than 200 affordable homes have been given the green light this week, allowing the Council to create more much-needed affordable housing. At least 130 of these new homes will be for social rent at key sites in Greendykes, Wester Hailes and Dreghorn. It follows decisions by the Development Management
Designs for a landmark scheme that will regenerate Smithfield Birmingham have been submitted to the City Council, following an extensive consultation on the proposals. The site played a central role in the hugely successful Commonwealth Games last summer, during which it hosted several games venues as well as the Smithfield Festival.
Innovative approach to ‘wrap’ Brent Cross Town’s new electrical substation creates one of the UK’s largest public artworks and a new landmark for London Brent Cross Town, one of the largest urban regeneration projects in Europe, today unveils a new 21-metre-high and 52-metre-long permanent public artwork. The artwork has been
Plans to create a version of New York’s High Line park as part of an ambitious regeneration project in a North London borough have been given the green light. Camden council’s planning committee has unanimously approved the first phase of the ‘Camden Highline’ scheme in a move that’s set to
Funding has been secured through the Levelling Up fund for eco-friendly projects in Oldham; including a learning centre at Northern Roots; a new “Green Shoots” business centre, and an “Oldham Greenway” to link areas together by bike or on foot. The bid, for £20m in funding, was one of only
The Leader of Barnet Council, Cllr Barry Rawlings, has welcomed the Government’s announcement yesterday to award £29.5m of Levelling Up funding for the redevelopment of Colindale Tube station. Colindale is one of London’s most deprived areas and the redevelopment of the Tube station will be central to enabling the building
BarNET ZERO, the new borough-wide campaign to help Barnet become one of London’s most sustainable boroughs is launching on 16 Jan. The campaign has been designed to bring residents, communities, and businesses on the borough’s journey to Net Zero, through advice, information and support. The initial five-week campaign will look
In partnership with the leading environmental charity Changeworks, the City of Edinburgh Council is helping homeowners transform the energy efficiency of their homes. Making 166 homes in Oxgangs warmer and fit for the future by improving external wall insulation, more than 50 properties have already received major improvements with over
The Actis specification team is looking forward to taking part in a face-to-face technical roadshow with LABC later this month – which will provide delegates with three and a half hours of CPD training. The event, aimed at builders, specifiers, building control officers and architects in the central region, takes
A public consultation has launched over proposals outlining investment plans in and around Gorton District Centre. Manchester City Council has developed an initial strategy for the areas in Gorton and Belle Vue that highlights potential new public spaces, homes and employment opportunities. It is these early ideas that are open
More than 200 affordable homes have been given the green light this week, allowing the Council to create more much-needed affordable housing. At least 130 of these new homes will be for social rent at key sites in Greendykes, Wester Hailes and Dreghorn. It follows decisions by the Development Management Sub Committee on Wednesday (25 January) to grant permission for newbuild sites and agreement by the Finance and Resources Committee on Thursday (26 January) for the Council to purchase empty homes from the Ministry of Defence. Of the 140 new homes agreed for Greendykes, 74 will be Council homes. They form the final phase of the Council’s 15-year Greendykes masterplan, which is delivering 2,200 new homes in total alongside four new schools, a new public park, a brand new town centre and 300,000 sq ft of retail space. The project is also the second pilot for the Edinburgh Home Demonstrator (EHD) programme, meaning innovative construction methods will be used to build these homes offsite before delivering them to Greendykes where they will offer residents’ net zero carbon homes. This is a significant milestone for the EHD programme and the Greendykes area as we look to accelerate the delivery of affordable housing that is aligned with the current Net Zero Carbon approach of the Council. Of the 73 new homes granted for Wester Hailes, 41 will be Council homes. They will be built at a derelict site in Murrayburn Gate where the Wester Hailes Health Centre once stood. The site is next to the Westside Plaza shopping centre and close to rail links, with the community to also benefit from a new public footway to the nearby Canal View Primary School. All 23 empty homes agreed to be bought in Dreghorn are currently owned by the Ministry of Defence and are based along Dreghorn Place and Dreghorn Drive. The homes will be made available for social rent from the Council. Councillor Jane Meagher, the Council’s Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, said: “Never has our need for affordable housing been greater as we face a cost-of-living crisis and a climate emergency. The decisions made this week demonstrate our Council’s commitment to urgently creating the homes Edinburgh needs. “I’m particularly pleased that we’ll be able to deliver so many homes for social rent. We want to provide everybody with a safe and warm place to live but we’re facing growing homelessness in Edinburgh. This remains a challenge, but these new properties that we’re buying and building are going to help many people in desperate housing need. “And, as we build these new homes, we’ll create well designed places. Innovative offsite manufacturing of net zero homes such as those planned for Greendykes will help tenants and residents to keep their fuel bills down. This work will be taken forward alongside retrofitting many of our existing homes, so that older Council properties are also brought up to a better standard.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Designs for a landmark scheme that will regenerate Smithfield Birmingham have been submitted to the City Council, following an extensive consultation on the proposals. The site played a central role in the hugely successful Commonwealth Games last summer, during which it hosted several games venues as well as the Smithfield Festival. Now this 17-hectare development in the historic heart of the city is set to transform Birmingham and create major economic opportunities, including an estimated 8,000 new jobs. This once in a generation opportunity has the potential to reshape Birmingham’s city centre. A market has operated on the site for over 200 years and, continuing this long history, the new scheme will provide a home for the city’s historic Bull Ring markets, which will celebrate Birmingham’s roots as the ‘city of a thousand trades’. This will form an iconic new centrepiece for the city centre and include a rooftop garden, dining hall and new market square. The plans reveal ambitions to make Birmingham a new business hub where organisations can grow their networks and ideas. The masterplan creates a workspace campus of over one million square feet, featuring a range of workplaces designed to foster partnerships and knowledge-sharing, from Grade-A workspace, to flexible creative space and makerspace. Designed with health and wellbeing at its heart for a post-Covid, low-carbon future, the proposals will nurture a diverse range of companies and individuals. This will ensure that Birmingham continues to grow and retain its best talent and ideas, as well as attract new businesses to the city from across the UK and all over the globe. Integrated public transport, an enviable location close to Birmingham New Street station, along with easy access to the upcoming HS2 rail link, will make Smithfield one of the most well-connected areas to conduct business in the country. Taking advantage of the site’s location next to the artistic and cultural district of Digbeth, the plans submitted for approval also include a brand-new events and gathering space, Festival Square, that will play host to cultural events for thousands of people. Designed by James Corner Field Operations, the world-leading landscape architects responsible for the much-loved High Line in New York, the new square will be a space where musical and artistic communities come together to put on live performances for all ages. If approved, 600 sustainable and modern homes will be delivered in a green setting as part of the first phase of work – with a total of 3,000 homes planned for the whole site over the coming years, including affordable homes, all supported by modern community facilities. Smithfield Gardens will provide residents with access to nature on their doorstep and provide visitors with a new green space to unwind and keep fit. Meanwhile expanded cycling routes and improved eco-friendly transport options will be complemented by new and improved green walking routes, connecting the centre of Smithfield towards the Bullring, central Birmingham and Highgate Park. This will stitch the development into the fabric of the city, enhancing the existing offer while reinvigorating the centre of Birmingham. The scheme is a joint venture between Birmingham City Council and Lendlease, an international real estate and investment group with core expertise in shaping cities and creating strong and connected communities. And the plans submitted for approval have been shaped by local people from across Birmingham’s diverse communities; including local residents, businesses and community organisations, market traders, and a dedicated youth panel. Alongside masterplanners Prior+Partners and David Kohn Architects who are designing the new market, Lendlease’s design team includes a host of international and local architects and landscape architects, including dRMM, Intervention Architecture, Haworth Tompkins Architects, Minesh Patel Architects and RCKa with James Corner Field Operations designing the significant new public realm and landscape. Birmingham residents can view the proposals that have been submitted to the council at www.smithfieldbirmingham.co.uk Colin Murphy, Project Lead at Lendlease, said: “Throughout 2022 we’ve been part of a city-wide conversation with people who live and work in Birmingham, inviting comment on our plans from all corners of the city including those who are at the heart of today’s Bull Ring Markets. And the submission of our planning application is a pivotal moment for a £1.9bn development that will provide thousands of new jobs and homes. “This really is an exceptional opportunity to create and celebrate the next chapter in Birmingham’s transformation as an international city. Smithfield will provide the opportunity to create a destination market experience to rival Europe’s best; as well as an international office hub with access to outstanding transport links.” A decision on the planning submission is expected in early 2023. If approved, construction on site would begin later in the year. For further information on Smithfield, please visit www.smithfieldbirmingham.co.uk where you can sign up for updates on the proposals. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Innovative approach to ‘wrap’ Brent Cross Town’s new electrical substation creates one of the UK’s largest public artworks and a new landmark for London Brent Cross Town, one of the largest urban regeneration projects in Europe, today unveils a new 21-metre-high and 52-metre-long permanent public artwork. The artwork has been created by celebrated London-based artist Lakwena and architects IF_DO, and is formed of a ‘wrap’ around the new electrical substation for Brent Cross Town. The exuberant colour scheme and vast scale of the artwork, which at its highest point is taller than the Angel of the North (at 20 metres), ensures that it will become a new local landmark. The artwork, titled “Here we come, here we rise”, sits next to London’s A406 North Circular at the junction with the M1 motorway, and adjacent to both the Thameslink railway line that connects central London with the home counties north of the city, and the new Brent Cross West station, which is due to open this year. It is estimated that some six million people each year will see it from the road and rail alone. Lakwena, who is known for her joyful technicolour murals and graphical text poetry, has applied her signature colour, pattern and language to the design. The inspirational statement “Here we come, Here we rise and shine” reflects the ambition to inspire and bring people together in the local community. Working with Lakwena, IF_DO created a unique structure and façade design comprised of four undulating bands and triangular-shaped “lenticular” panels that create a kaleidoscopic visual effect to emphasise the idea of movement as viewers move around the structure. Lakwena and IF_DO drew on influences as varied as Eadweard Muybridge’s motion studies and historic forms of roadside structures, such as billboards, funfairs and industrial sites that make use of a skeletal frame supporting a brightly coloured skin. Brent Cross Town, which is being delivered in partnership by Related Argent and Barnet Council, is being designed to be a net zero carbon development by 2030, and investment in efficient new infrastructure is a key part of this. The substation will supply electricity to all of Brent Cross Town, including the 6,700 new homes, 3 million sq ft of offices and new retail and leisure spaces, as well as to the low-carbon district heating/cooling networks operated by Swedish energy company Vattenfall. Brent Cross Town will source all electricity supplies within its control from 100% renewables sources. In addition to being a colourful and dynamic beacon for north London, the electrical substation is also notable for its sustainable innovations. Global engineers, Arup, led the design team with a focus on minimising the environmental impact of the structure. The project puts circular economy principles into action with circa 50% of the structural steel being salvaged from unused oil pipelines, reducing embodied carbon emissions by over 40%. The concrete used is a combination of low cement concrete and the new ‘Earth Friendly Concrete’ – a cement-free concrete. Using these alternative concrete mixes saves up to 33% and 70% of embodied carbon respectively compared to standard mixes. Galldris were the main contractor responsible for the delivery of the overall project, undertaking the civil engineering, working with Bourne Group, the specialist technology-led construction engineering company, to deliver the wrap. Bourne Group also worked closely with Arup to progress the design philosophy into a solution that could be efficiently fabricated and constructed, and undertook the project’s steelwork construction. TPS Project Management, acting as project manager, supported on delivery overseeing design management and construction of the wrap, substation and off-site reinforcement. Lighting plays a key part in the design of the artwork and specialists Michael Grubb Studio designed the lighting scheme to be discreet and attract attention to the artwork during the day and at night. The lighting creates a halo around the façade’s wrap which filters down through the structure, allowing the light to fade away at lower level. The project has also brought back to life a piece of brownfield, ex-industrial land with the creation of a newly landscaped embankment designed by Gillespies Landscape Architects. Newly planted trees and wildflower meadow provides a naturalistic setting to the artwork, as well as increasing site biodiversity, enhancing local wildlife corridors and tying in with the wider network of green infrastructure within the masterplan and surrounding area. The launch of the new public artwork adds to the growing momentum behind Brent Cross Town with affordable, student and homes to buy all under construction, and the recent announcement that Sheffield Hallam will open its first campus outside of Sheffield at the new town. Nick Searl, Partner at Related Argent, commented: “This amazing piece of public art, designed in collaboration between artist Lakwena and architect IF_DO, is set to become a great landmark for London in this highly visible location. It sets the tone for the wider Brent Cross Town neighbourhood and demonstrates our commitment to art, culture and low carbon development. It would have been easy to take the more traditional route of enclosing the substation in a nondescript box and to miss the opportunity that is now so evident. Instead, we have demonstrated that even the most functional pieces of infrastructure can play an important role in defining place and lifting the spirits.” Councillor Barry Rawlings, Leader of Barnet Council, said: “We are investing in public art across Barnet because we recognise the potential to improve the wellbeing of our people and its positive role in building a sense of place. Not only will this iconic large-scale artwork put Brent Cross Town on the map, but it also showcases a talented London artist, and wraps an important piece of sustainable infrastructure that is key to meeting Brent Cross Town’s aspirations to achieve net zero Carbon by 2030 – this really is green innovation and creativity at its best.” Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: “Lakwena has created an incredible artwork that brings together creativity and sustainability and will be enjoyed by millions of people. London is a world
Plans to create a version of New York’s High Line park as part of an ambitious regeneration project in a North London borough have been given the green light. Camden council’s planning committee has unanimously approved the first phase of the ‘Camden Highline’ scheme in a move that’s set to transform a 260m section of viaduct between Camden Gardens and the crossroad between Royal College Street and Camden Road into a public park. The ‘Camden Highline’ route will run eight metres above the ground, providing a biodiversity boost for one of London’s most popular tourism centres as it weaves its way through local communities and housing estates, connecting 20,000 people to new green space. Gardens and walkways, seating areas, cafes, arts and crafts stalls, children’s play areas and space for charitable activities are all set to feature in a ground-breaking design, which is inspired by woodlands, meadows, hedgerows and gardens to ‘celebrate and amplify the unique characteristics of the railway viaduct’. Alongside delivering health and social benefits, the developers and architects vPPR are working with urban space reimaginers Street Space to ensure the local community plays a central role in project design and has a voice in decision-making. The mayor of London Sadiq Khan has previously backed the scheme, which he says epitomises London’s creativity and ingenuity. An expected two million people a year could visit and use the Highline, pumping an additional £16m in tourism revenue into the local economy annually. Upwards of 200 jobs could also be delivered during construction operations, while land and property values will see a strong uplift with almost £100m worth of existing and future development anticipated. Planning approval for Phase 1 has been secured by planning and development consultancy Lichfields. Senior director Michael Lowndes and planner Sophie Bisby said the project will revitalise a vitally important part of London. Michael Lowndes added: “Planning approval is great news and will bring benefits to local people and the thousands of visitors who come to the area every year. It reflects a fresh approach to rejuvenating urban public spaces that deliver long term, impactful and sustainable benefits for local communities. We have drawn extensively on our experience and expertise to deliver a solution to secure planning permission. “Camden Highline will undoubtedly have a big impact and contribute to a positive change to this part of North London. The design is intended to celebrate and amplify the unique characteristics of the railway viaduct, dramatising movement and discovery, set within a sequence of woodlands, meadows, and gardens.” Camden Highline, the charity behind the project, is currently focused on fundraising for construction. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Funding has been secured through the Levelling Up fund for eco-friendly projects in Oldham; including a learning centre at Northern Roots; a new “Green Shoots” business centre, and an “Oldham Greenway” to link areas together by bike or on foot. The bid, for £20m in funding, was one of only three successful bids from across Greater Manchester. The aim of the funding is to boost opportunities for residents and businesses through better connectivity, sustainability, culture, innovation and job opportunities. Oldham Council Leader Amanda Chadderton said: “Oldham has so much potential and as a Council we continue to do everything in our power to help our communities and our borough thrive. “We welcome the £20 million we’ve secured for our Greener Oldham projects in the borough. This proves Government has confidence in our regeneration plans and the work we are doing throughout our Creating a Better Place programme – creating an town where people want to live, work and visit. “Towns like ours have been hit hardest by austerity, the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis. But despite this we remain one of the most entrepreneurial towns in the UK. “We have a clear direction for Oldham and have worked with partners to identify exciting projects as part of our Levelling Up bids, which will help us to build a better borough and future. So much work has gone into this successful bid, and it’s great to see that our ambition has been recognised and invested in.” The successful bid was for the Oldham East and Saddleworth constituency and includes three key project areas to help us build back greener. It also backs our Greener Oldham commitment to being carbon neutral as a borough by 2030, as part of Oldham’s Green New Deal. The three projects are: The Levelling Up bids follow Oldham Council’s successful applications to secure Towns Fund and Future High Streets Fund grants of £24.4m and £10.75m respectively. A second bid to the Levelling Up fund for a Creative Improvement District in Oldham West and Royton was unfortunately unsuccessful. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The Leader of Barnet Council, Cllr Barry Rawlings, has welcomed the Government’s announcement yesterday to award £29.5m of Levelling Up funding for the redevelopment of Colindale Tube station. Colindale is one of London’s most deprived areas and the redevelopment of the Tube station will be central to enabling the building of 11,400 quality new homes for locals. Since 2011, Colindale’s population has grown by 70%, making the area around the station the second-fastest growing ward in London after the Stratford Olympic Park in Newham. In its current state, the 1960s built station will reach passenger capacity by 2026. The redevelopment will increase the number of people the station can cope with and create step-free access, which will speed up journey times. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt used his Autumn Statement to reference the £2.1bn Levelling Up Fund earmarked for priority local infrastructure projects. The Colindale station bid has been led by the Greater London Authority and has received broad cross-party support. Cllr Barry Rawlings said it will benefit tens of thousands of people: “The awarding of the £29.5m Levelling Up funding is a welcome New Year present for those living at the sharp end of the cost of living crisis. The Colindale Tube station redevelopment scheme is precisely the kind of project Levelling Up should support, supporting house building and spreading opportunity for so many living in one of the capital’s most deprived areas. Better transport links means better jobs and better pay.” Lucinda Turner, Assistant Director of Planning at the GLA and Director of Spatial Planning at TfL, said: “Making our transport network more accessible and inclusive is a top priority, as we know that a more accessible public transport network benefits everyone. These schemes are also key to supporting sustainable growth in these areas and help unlock the delivery of thousands of new homes. “We’re delighted that, by working hand in hand with the boroughs, the joint bid with City Hall to fund making Colindale and Leyton Tube stations step-free has been successful. We look forward to working with the Government and local boroughs on these projects, as well as other successful bids in London that will enable increased walking, cycling and public transport.” Barnet Council is now working with TfL to ensure that construction on the station improvements can begin as quickly as possible this year.
BarNET ZERO, the new borough-wide campaign to help Barnet become one of London’s most sustainable boroughs is launching on 16 Jan. The campaign has been designed to bring residents, communities, and businesses on the borough’s journey to Net Zero, through advice, information and support. The initial five-week campaign will look at each of these areas, showcasing some of the work already taking place across the borough, and how individuals can take small (or large) steps to become more sustainable. Launching at the same time is the council’s new Sustainability Newsletter which will provide regular updates on progress on the journey as a borough, as well as the opportunity for individuals to make pledges on their own personal journey to Net Zero. In May 2022, the council declared a Climate and Biodiversity Emergency and set the target of becoming a Net Zero council by 2030 and Net Zero borough no later than 2042, pledging to go further and faster than before. A Barnet Council spokesperson said: “We all need to work together to become one of London’s most sustainable boroughs, and we can only do that if we all play our individual part within it. Everyone can do something, and every small step will take us on the journey to becoming Net Zero. “The individual pledges we can all make are a great first step for those who may not have previously thought about this agenda. “Some of small things we can do include reducing meat consumption, switching to more sustainable transport options like walking and taking the bus instead of getting in the car, getting involved in local volunteering opportunities in the community and supporting local businesses to adopt more eco-friendly practices. “We also know that one of the biggest sources of carbon emissions in Barnet comes from domestic energy use in the home. So, another great option, for those who can, is to insulate homes, install solar panels and other energy saving technology like ground source heat pumps. “We are committed to supporting residents, businesses and communities make sustainable choices wherever they can, and our dedicated BarNET ZERO website provides more information on other steps you can take” In February 2023, Barnet will hold its first-ever Citizens Assembly in parallel with the launch of its Young’s People’s Assembly, tackling the question: Barnet has declared a climate emergency. What more can we do together to make Barnet more sustainable, now and in the future? More information on the progress of these assemblies can be found here: Citizens’ Assembly on Climate Change and Biodiversity 2023 | Engage Barnet Working at pace in this ever-changing landscape, the Council has delivered many actions, some of the highlights so far include: We want to hear about the steps you take in becoming more sustainable – share them via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram with the #barnetzero – we will upload the best ones to our website! To receive the latest sustainability news and events from Barnet Council, including grant funding opportunities and support you can subscribe to the BarNET ZERO newsletter: www.Engage.barnet.gov.uk/net-zero Let’s work together in becoming one of London’s most sustainable boroughs #barnetzero Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
In partnership with the leading environmental charity Changeworks, the City of Edinburgh Council is helping homeowners transform the energy efficiency of their homes. Making 166 homes in Oxgangs warmer and fit for the future by improving external wall insulation, more than 50 properties have already received major improvements with over a hundred others to be completed by the Spring. Funding is provided by the Scottish Government through the Energy Efficient Scotland; Area based Scheme (EES:ABS). These area-based schemes are designed and delivered by councils with local delivery partners. They target fuel-poor areas to provide energy efficiency measures to a large number of Scottish homes while delivering emission savings and helping to reduce fuel poverty. The schemes in Oxgangs are helping households make major improvements to their home at a significantly lowered cost. Some households even qualify to have the work done for free, completely removing the financial burden for households at a time when that relief could not be more needed. Installing insulation makes it cheaper and easier to heat the home, meaning householders can expect to save on their heating bills. Oxgangs is an area that does suffer from a higher rate of poverty than other areas of the city and all houses included in the project are in Council Tax bands A to C. This project, with a total funding of £1.9 million, is targeted at reaching those most in need. The EES:ABS scheme is open to private householders and mixed tenure blocks have been targeted too, benefitting both social housing tenants and private householders. The Council is directly funding the works to Council homes. Councillor Jane Meagher, Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, said: “Most of the homes in the area are receiving external wall insulation which means their homes will keep more heat in. This is important because it means more Oxgangs residents are going to see their homes stay warmer for longer, at a time when temperatures are low but energy bills are worryingly high. “As people become more conscious of their energy use, these projects will have a real impact – both on the planet and Edinburgh’s net zero goals and on the lives of homeowners and tenants who need this support now, more than ever.” One resident who received the external wall insulation is Catherine Murray, who says she’s “delighted” with the difference it’s made. She said: “My house is warmer, much warmer, it’s really noticeable. I don’t need the heating on as much, I put it on in the morning and then the house is fine until I put it on again at about 7 or 8 until I go to bed. If I’m in the living room, it contains the heat. “We’re on the main road and the people that pass stop and look, it’s amazing. People stop to comment on it. “It really brightens the place up, I don’t get out much anymore but when I do, it makes you feel better when you do come into the area, you can really see the difference between the ones that have been done and the ones that haven’t been done, it’s great. I really appreciate the work that’s been done.” Most of the homes in the area are receiving external wall insulation installed by contractor SERS. Not only does this mean that their homes will keep more heat in, keeping them warmer for longer and requiring less energy to heat, it provides a complete refresh of the outside of the property too. With it being an external insulation measure, there’s no work done inside the house. Alongside the Oxgangs project which is currently underway there are four other retrofit schemes in Edinburgh which form part of the EES:ABS 2022/23 programme. These include an external wall insulation and solar PV scheme in Gilmerton, a fabric improvement programme in Murrayburn and Drumbryden, a citywide internal wall insulation roll out and hard-to-treat cavity and solar PV works across the EH16 and EH17 postcode areas. To register your interest in similar schemes should they become available in your area, fill in this simple online form.
The Actis specification team is looking forward to taking part in a face-to-face technical roadshow with LABC later this month – which will provide delegates with three and a half hours of CPD training. The event, aimed at builders, specifiers, building control officers and architects in the central region, takes place on Thursday January 26 at Redbourn Golf Club in St Albans, with doors opening at 8am and the event finishing at noon. Actis will present a mini version of its RIBA-approved CPD on changes to Part L, Tomorrow’s Insulation Solutions for Future Homes Standards, while other topics on offer include addressing warranty defects and modern solutions for old issues. The event is the latest of LABC’s monthly informative sessions, which are a mixture of face-to-face and virtual activities. This is the fifth year in a row in which Actis is working with LABC as a CPD partner. The free seminar will also see LABC looking at the latest building regulations news. The roadshows are aimed at helping other industry members gain greater insight into issues affecting the construction sector, with the Actis component focusing on thermal efficiency. Reserve your place here. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A public consultation has launched over proposals outlining investment plans in and around Gorton District Centre. Manchester City Council has developed an initial strategy for the areas in Gorton and Belle Vue that highlights potential new public spaces, homes and employment opportunities. It is these early ideas that are open to consultation to gather vital feedback from the people who live, work and use the areas daily. “Gorton has seen some really exciting investment in recent years from the Belle Vue Sports Village, the recent opening of the Gorton Hub and the new Coop Academy school that will open soon. We have an opportunity to capitalise on this momentum and develop an ambitious plan for the local area – creating a district centre that can help the area to meet its potential,” said Cllr Gavin White, Manchester City Council’s executive member for housing and development. “This consultation gives local people a general flavour of the kind of investment we want to make in their community – but the feedback we get from local people will help us guide the development as plans progress. As ever, I would urge as many people as possible who live in, work at or shop in the district centre to give us your thoughts. As someone who uses the area daily your insight is invaluable.” What the proposals want to achieve: • Make the centre greener, including quality green space and tree planting Create a more attractive local area that is comfortable and attractive to spend time in • Support new events and activities to attract people to visit in the evenings and weekendsCreate a new heart of the community, delivering a new civic square and public realm • Deliver new mixed tenures homes to match local housing demand (including affordable housing such as Social Rent and Shared Ownership) • Make the centre more accessible by safe walking and cycling • Encourage a broader mix of uses that will attract different communities and age groups. There has been some high-quality investment in the Gorton neighbourhood in recent years and the intention is to ensure that the District Centre is a destination of choice for local people, which is also well-connected to the wider area. • Improve the transport links to fantastic community facilities, including Gorton Hub, Belle Vue Sports Village, Gorton Youth Zone, and the New Co-op Academy • Better walking and cycling routes to local green spaces, including Debdale Park, Gore Brook Valley and Fallowfield Loop. • Focusing on key locations for improvement that cover (from west to east) Belle Vue Station, Gorton Hub, Garratt Way (including market and former library), Wellington Street crossroad and Chapman Street crossroad • Particular focus on Garratt Way as the focal point for the district centre Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
