The construction of 750 new affordable homes on the Durham Coast is getting underway, marking the next milestone in the development of the county’s first ‘garden village’. Karbon Homes has partnered with Esh Construction to begin work on the first phase of its new homes at Seaham Garden Village. The
A Bellway site manager from Newcastle who returned to the construction industry after a spell in the Royal Navy has won a prestigious national award. Darren Best received a Quality Award in the National House Building Council’s (NHBC) annual Pride in the Job competition for his work at The View
A £28.7m, 11-storey apartment scheme delivered by Clegg Construction in Sheffield has won an award at the Yorkshire Energy Efficiency Awards. The Ironworks took the title of Regional New Build Project of the Year at the awards ceremony, held in Leeds. Featuring 229 one and two-bedroom apartments, the scheme includes
Jigsaw Homes Midlands has selected a new contractor to complete the development of over 130 homes at Rolleston Drive in Arnold. Midlands-based Morro Partnerships was appointed following a procurement process and will start work on the scheme from July. Morro will complete the homes, originally manufactured off site by ilke
Family-owned developer City & Country has announced several new promotions as the business continues to grow its operations across the UK. Amongst those promoted include Lee Kirtland, who has been promoted to Regional Design Manager based in the East region. Lee has been fundamental in helping to proactively solve problems
Preparation work has commenced to develop nearly 400 new homes in Congleton, Castle Green Homes has announced. The homebuilder is primed to begin developing a 57-acre site on Viking Way to provide 396 new homes. Around two-thirds of the development will be affordable housing under a partnership with Torus. The
LLDC and Ballymore partnership given green light in Stratford London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) and Ballymore have this week been awarded detailed planning consent for 700 new homes neighbouring East Bank, the new cultural quarter for innovation, creativity and learning in Stratford. Stratford Waterfront, designed by Howells alongside O’Donnell+Tuomey and
LEADING housing developer Lovell Partnerships has been awarded a contract by Leicester City Council, which will bring forward 38 new low-carbon and energy efficient homes on the site of the city’s former velodrome. The vital brownfield regeneration plans will bring this derelict land back into use, with support from the
Top 10 UK housebuilder, Keepmoat, has invested more than £91 million into a housing regeneration scheme at the former AEI Cable Works factory site in Northfleet. Now named Cable Wharf, in honour of its historical significance, the scheme is being delivered by the housebuilder as part of a partnership with multiple
Top 10 UK housebuilder, Keepmoat, will invest more than £102 million into creating hundreds of new homes in Nottingham, with work having already commenced at a flagship parcel of land on the site of a former Boots factory. Partners from Platform Housing Group and Boots joined Charlotte Goode, Paul Hulme
The construction of 750 new affordable homes on the Durham Coast is getting underway, marking the next milestone in the development of the county’s first ‘garden village’. Karbon Homes has partnered with Esh Construction to begin work on the first phase of its new homes at Seaham Garden Village. The partnership will deliver 750 affordable homes, half of the total 1,500 homes planned for the new community. The garden village will also include a new primary school, convenience retail and health and well-being facilities. Taking advantage of the location on the Durham heritage coast, around 50% of the garden village will be dedicated to managed green space, with over 3 miles of landscaped paths and cycle routes. Sarah Robson, Director of Development and Regeneration at Karbon Homes, said: “I’m delighted we’ve started to build these much-needed affordable homes at Seaham Garden Village which will not only be an exciting new location in County Durham but also one of the few garden villages being delivered in the north-east region. The project is a fantastic example of collaborative working, that not only delivers new homes but a thriving new community and a great place to live for our residents. “We’re pleased to announce Esh Construction as our construction partner for the first phase of this scheme. We have worked well together elsewhere to deliver good quality, affordable homes, and we look forward to seeing progress on this site and new homes becoming available later in the year for people looking to live in a beautiful garden village environment.” The first homes from Karbon will become available towards the end of the year, for both affordable rent and affordable home ownership options, shared ownership and rent to buy. Karbon’s 750 homes are being delivered alongside 750 homes for private sale, developed by national housebuilders Taylor Wimpey and Miller Homes. Andy Radcliffe, chief executive officer at Esh Construction, said: “We are proud to be chosen as construction partner by Karbon for the exciting and innovative Seaham Garden Village development. With a spade in the ground on the first phase, this marks a key milestone in our strategic growth plans as we capitalise on a number of major project wins within the affordable housing sector and help registered providers deliver more quality, much-needed affordable homes. “As a Durham-headquartered contractor, our commitment to Constructing Local will amplify social and economic benefits in County Durham over the coming years, through local job creation, procurement opportunities, our bespoke award-winning school programmes, and quality work placements for the next generation of construction professionals.” The 78-hectare garden village, located on the A182 going into Seaham town centre, has sustainability and community spirit at its heart. Karbon is aiming to build all of its 750 homes to net zero carbon and the very latest building standards, ensuring they are fit for the future. They will all boast a range of energy efficiency technologies, including solar PV panels and battery storage units. The delivery of Karbon’s 750 homes is supported by funding from Homes England, through the housing association’s Strategic Partnership with the government’s housing delivery agency. The strategic partnership has provided Karbon with £165m in funding, to deliver 2,200 new affordable homes across the North East and Yorkshire over the next few years. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A Bellway site manager from Newcastle who returned to the construction industry after a spell in the Royal Navy has won a prestigious national award. Darren Best received a Quality Award in the National House Building Council’s (NHBC) annual Pride in the Job competition for his work at The View at Abbey Heights development in Callerton. The 33-year-old is one of just 449 site managers from across the UK to receive the accolade. Ten per cent of the winners in the annual competition were from Bellway. The father-of-two was selected from a pool of more than 8,000 site managers whose developments have been inspected by the NHBC over the past year, placing them among an elite group within the industry. Darren said: “It is a huge honour to win this prestigious award from such a respected organisation as the NHBC. It may sound like a cliché but this really is an accolade which has been earned by the whole team, with a special mention for my assistant site manager Craig Carter, whose help has been vital. “This is the first Pride in the Job award I have won and Craig and myself are determined that it won’t be my last. My motto in life is that if something is worth doing, it’s worth doing well and it is great that everyone in the team buys into that philosophy.” Darren first went into the construction industry when he started work at a building company as a joinery apprentice at the age of 17. “I went in straight from school and qualified as a joiner after three years but suddenly fancied a career change, so I joined the Royal Navy,” he said. “After five years, I wanted to get married, settle down and have a family so I decided it would be better to leave the Navy and get back into the building industry. “I went for a job as a joiner but the management team thought that with my experience in the Services I should start as a trainee assistant site manager. Within a year I was promoted to assistant site manager and three years after that I was made site manager. “I joined Bellway in 2021 as a site manager and have never looked back. I was delighted to be given the job of being in charge of the second phase of The View at Abbey Heights, where we have completed building 24 four and five-bedroom houses. It was really satisfying to be working on a collection of executive homes, which look incredible now that we have finished.” As a Quality Award winner, Darren, who is now in charge at Bellway’s neighbouring Abbey Heights development, is automatically entered into the next stage of the competition – the NHBC’s Seal of Excellence and Regional Awards, which will be awarded later in the year. The NHBC runs the Pride in the Job awards annually and every site registered with them is automatically entered into the competition. Each site manager is judged on a wide range of aspects of their work including attention to detail, leadership, technical expertise and health and safety. Dan Walker, Construction Director for Bellway North East, said: “The Pride in the Job Quality Awards are rightly held in high regard nationally as everyone in the industry knows just how hard it is to win this accolade. “The judging is incredibly rigorous, which means that winning the award is testament to the quality of the homes being built at The View at Abbey Heights. “I would like to congratulate Darren and every member of the fabulous site team for their achievement and wish them all the best for the next stage of the competition in the autumn.” For more information Bellway developments in the North East, visit https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/north-east. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A £28.7m, 11-storey apartment scheme delivered by Clegg Construction in Sheffield has won an award at the Yorkshire Energy Efficiency Awards. The Ironworks took the title of Regional New Build Project of the Year at the awards ceremony, held in Leeds. Featuring 229 one and two-bedroom apartments, the scheme includes a range of sustainability features such as a biomass energy centre providing hot water and heating throughout the building, with the intention to connect to the city’s district heating system in due course and use hot water from energy generated from the city’s Energy-from-Waste (EfW) plant. Each apartment has a central thermostat that is linked to an app on the resident’s phone, allowing the heating to be carefully and remotely controlled. The flow rates and temperature of water going into and leaving every apartment are monitored daily and a monthly report provides data on areas where the efficiency of the system can be improved. Completed by Clegg Construction last year for Rise Homes, the scheme also includes flow rate restrictors, electric vehicle charging, Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR), bat boxes, and automatic light movement sensors. Michael Sims, managing director at Clegg Construction, said: “The Ironworks was a fantastic project to deliver for Rise Homes and we are delighted that it has been named as Regional New Build Project of the Year at the Yorkshire Energy Efficiency Awards. “It is truly deserving of this title, as the development includes an array of sustainability features which are helping to reduce impact on the environment and enable residents to live in a greener, more environmentally friendly, way. Congratulations to all involved in delivering The Ironworks, and to all those who won Yorkshire Energy Efficiency Awards at the recent awards ceremony.” The Ironworks has also been shortlisted for an Insider Property Dinner South Yorkshire award, having been named a finalist in the Sustainable Development of the Year Award. Nigel Rawlings, CEO of Rise Homes, said: “The Ironworks is an attractive private rented scheme that Sheffield, and everyone involved in delivering it, can be very proud of. For it to now win the title of Regional New Build Project of the Year at the Yorkshire Energy Efficiency Awards is a brilliant accomplishment and a great endorsement of our commitment to sustainability.” Clegg Construction is a Midlands, East Anglia, and Yorkshire-based construction firm specialising in the delivery of public and private sector projects. The company works with organisations of all sizes and specialities across a range of different sectors. For more information visit www.cleggconstruction.co.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Jigsaw Homes Midlands has selected a new contractor to complete the development of over 130 homes at Rolleston Drive in Arnold. Midlands-based Morro Partnerships was appointed following a procurement process and will start work on the scheme from July. Morro will complete the homes, originally manufactured off site by ilke Homes before the company went into administration, and build the four remaining homes on site. The Homes England-backed scheme, known as Birch Fields, will have 45 two-bedroom homes, 73 three-bedroom homes and 13 four-bedroom homes and will be available for either shared ownership or affordable rent. The affordable rent homes will be advertised through Gedling Borough Council’s Homesearch scheme and allocated accordingly to meet local housing needs. Garnet Fazackerley, Operations Director of Development at Jigsaw Homes Group said: “This was an incredibly challenging time following the collapse of ilke Homes in June 2023. However, we remained committed and confident that we could find a suitable partner who could complete the scheme and provide much-needed affordable homes and we are delighted to be working with Morro Partnerships to complete this development. “The homes will have NHBC warranty following stringent quality and compliance checks and will be finished to a high standard as they have been kept watertight and secure since the development stalled. We appreciate the patience from Gedling Borough Council, Homes England and local residents as we know this has been a frustrating time for all concerned, but we are now on the right track to deliver new homes for those most in need.” Giovanni Corbo, Head of Technical and Design at Morro Partnerships said: “Morro are delighted to have been selected on this project and to be working in partnership with Jigsaw Homes and Gedling Borough Council. As a sustainable partnerships’ developer, we are keen to showcase our delivery of affordable homes on this project and complete the homes on this much needed affordable housing scheme, though a modern and sustainable form of build system. “Morro specialise in the delivery of affordable high efficiency homes developments in the Midlands for Registered Providers and Local Authorities, and our current pipeline of over 2,500 plots will help meet the growing demand for affordable housing across the region. We are exciting to be embarking on our first scheme with Jigsaw Homes and are looking forward to working with them on other developments to jointly deliver significant numbers of mixed tenure, highly efficient homes across the region. “Works will commence on these high-performance modular homes in July 24 with phased handover of plots allowing new residents to occupy the homes within the first few months of our 12-month programme. We hope to engage with local subcontractors where possible as part of our sustainability policy.” Chief Executive of Gedling Borough Council, Mike Hill said: “We’re very pleased to hear that the homes will be completed and we can get families, who have been waiting for such a long time, into these much needed affordable homes. This has been a very stressful time for families, and it has also impacted housing waiting lists in the borough, so we look forward to being able to reduce that list and get people out of temporary accommodation. “We know that this has been an incredibly difficult time for Jigsaw Homes to resolve this exceptionally unfortunate situation and we welcome this news that Morro Partnerships will be delivering these homes for local people.” The first homes are expected to be completed in October with the whole scheme aiming to finished by September 2025. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Family-owned developer City & Country has announced several new promotions as the business continues to grow its operations across the UK. Amongst those promoted include Lee Kirtland, who has been promoted to Regional Design Manager based in the East region. Lee has been fundamental in helping to proactively solve problems ahead of construction, constantly striving to improve the performance and design of our developments. Sharyn King was also promoted to Head of Finance. Sharyn manages the finance team function at the company and will lead day-to-day operations. While Adam Van-West has been appointed Commercial Director in the West region in recognition of his contribution to the business in the last two years with commercial procedures, team improvements, and helping to enhance the Western region. Other promotions include David Haskell to Build Manager and Matt Ward to Project Manager. Lee Kirtland, comments: “Building on our reputation for high-quality design across our heritage and new build projects, I am committed to developing our exciting pipeline with a focus on retaining these details whilst ensuring our homes align with the forthcoming Future Homes Standard. I am delighted to be promoted to contribute to the business’ aspirations in the Eastern Region, as part of its wider five-year growth plan.” Wayne Douglas, Managing Director at City & Country, added: “I’m delighted to share our latest round of promotions at City & Country to help support our ambitious growth plans. We still have a lot to do and a long way to go but with the Team’s assistance to continuously improve our business, I’m confident we will get where we need to be sooner. Our people are crucial to our success and growth and this year’s promotions are a testament to the dedication and hard work of the team across our business. Congratulations to all these individuals and their achievements over the last 12 months.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Preparation work has commenced to develop nearly 400 new homes in Congleton, Castle Green Homes has announced. The homebuilder is primed to begin developing a 57-acre site on Viking Way to provide 396 new homes. Around two-thirds of the development will be affordable housing under a partnership with Torus. The initial phase of works will be carried out by civil engineering contractors who will create the roads and sewers for the development, along with the substructure of the homes. It’s expected that construction of the homes will begin in September. Partnerships director for Castle Green Eoin O’Donnell said: “We’re proud to be working alongside Torus to deliver much-needed new homes in Congleton. Around 60% of the overall development will be affordable homes, available for shared ownership or affordable rent. The remaining 160 will be private sale homes. “We’re aiming to deliver homes to Torus at a record pace so they can place local families in well-designed, fuel-efficient homes as soon as possible. To do this we’ll have two phases of affordable homes being built simultaneously with between 100 and 200 people working on the site. Alongside this, we’ll have around 70 people building the private sale homes on the Woodland Manor phase of the development.” Castle Green expects to handover the first affordable homes over to Torus by the middle of 2025. The homebuilder is targeting delivering 16 homes a month for the housing group, with the aim that all homes being built for Torus will be completed by December 2026. Director of development & technical at Torus Developments Steve Alcock said: “Partnerships, like the one we have with Castle Green Homes, allow us to build even more affordable homes in sought after areas across the region. Congleton will see us deliver the largest number of affordable homes on a single site to date. There is real synergy between Torus and Castle Green to create a thriving new community together.” The first of the 160 private sale homes at Woodlands Manor are due to be released for sale off plan next month, with show homes scheduled to open in spring 2025. The first private sale homes are expected to be ready to move into in spring 2025. It’s anticipated the overall development will be completed by the middle of 2028. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
LLDC and Ballymore partnership given green light in Stratford London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) and Ballymore have this week been awarded detailed planning consent for 700 new homes neighbouring East Bank, the new cultural quarter for innovation, creativity and learning in Stratford. Stratford Waterfront, designed by Howells alongside O’Donnell+Tuomey and LDA Design, comprises a family of four residential-led buildings of up to 27 storeys, to be set within Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The plans also include circa 1,750 sq m of commercial space at ground level, as well as over 4,000 sq m of public open space that will prioritise biodiversity and play. 35% of the homes will be affordable, with a total of 50% affordable homes planned when combined with Bridgewater Triangle, a second site to be delivered by the partnership, together with Pudding Mill Lane and Rick Roberts Way. At the most northern part of the site, a marker building known as the ‘Prow’ has been designed by O’Donnell+Tuomey, who have also designed the neighbouring V&A East and Sadler’s Wells East. The three mid-block buildings of Stratford Waterfront, designed by Howells, feature strong textured masonry bands that connect them to their East Bank neighbours. The buildings make the most of its setting within the centre of the Park, with each staggered to maximise the long range views of the City and to the north. Sustainability has informed their design, and will ensure each home will receive good quality sunlight and daylight, while minimising overheating. In addition, residents can enjoy amenities such as a gym, concierge, co-working spaces, and podium play areas, all next to Waterworks River. The palette of all four residential buildings complements the materiality of prestigious neighbours: the V&A East Museum, London College of Fashion: UAL, BBC Music Studios, and Sadler’s Wells East. The four buildings share characteristics of strong vertical and horizontal lines, which harmonise with East Bank’s distinctive identity of earthen tones and cast materials, reflecting the making heritage of east London. At ground level, the scheme will offer future residents, workers, or visitors to East Bank multiple café and restaurant options alongside a south-facing waterfront promenade with views and connections into Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Landscape designed by LDA Design features play space, seating, and diverse tree planting, all contributing to a green and walkable neighbourhood. Simon Ryan, Development Director at Ballymore “East Bank is transforming Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park with the most ambitious cultural project in a generation. With the London College of Fashion, UAL and UCL East already open, Sadler’s Wells East will follow later this year with V&A East, and BBC Music Studios soon after. So, this site demanded new homes of design excellence – in keeping with the bar that has already been set by our cultural and academic partners and neighbours and the site’s most incredible setting by the water and on the park. We’re so proud of what has been achieved by our partnership with LLDC, and with the support of a brilliant design team. It’s fantastic to have the green light so detailed design work can commence with a view to beginning construction in early 2026.” Rosanna Lawes, Executive Director of Development at LLDC, said: “As East Bank, one of the country’s largest cultural and education districts, nears completion it is exciting to move onto the next phase of development. The joint venture partnership with Ballymore means that we can rapidly build on the Park’s successful legacy to create another thriving and sustainable community of well-designed and sustainable homes.” Areta Soare, Director at Howells, added: “We’re excited to share the plans for Stratford Waterfront with its unique offering that will complement the cultural hub at East Bank. Situated on a constrained site, we have worked closely with clients and collaborators throughout to ensure this scheme represents high-quality designed and crafted homes for this prominent location.” Construction is anticipated to be underway in spring 2026, with completion anticipated for late 2029. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
LEADING housing developer Lovell Partnerships has been awarded a contract by Leicester City Council, which will bring forward 38 new low-carbon and energy efficient homes on the site of the city’s former velodrome. The vital brownfield regeneration plans will bring this derelict land back into use, with support from the government’s Brownfield Land Release Fund in preparing the site ahead of the work which is planned to commence over the summer. All 38 new homes will be for affordable rent, and will include a range of low carbon elements to ensure environmental efficiency and longevity for the local community into the future. All homes will be fully electrical, with works set to showcase a fully fabric-first approach to construction, and each dwelling set to achieve an EPC A (92+) rating. The installation of ASHPs, PV panels, triple-glazed windows, electric vehicle charging points and MVHR will be delivered as standard, in line with the housing developer’s U-values. Beth Bundonis, regional managing director for the East Midlands at Lovell Partnerships, said: “there is high demand for affordable homes to support local communities around the country, and revitalising brownfield sites like this one is crucial to be able to increase the much-needed housing stock in the region. “This particular development will bring the historic velodrome area that has stood derelict for so long back into use for environmentally friendly and affordable homes. Our team in the East Midlands has extensive regeneration knowledge that we’re looking forward to leveraging to support the council in this latest development. The Saffron Lane regeneration project is one of a collection of projects that the Lovell Partnerships team in the East Midlands is currently working on, as it continues to solidify itself as a leading developer for the region. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Top 10 UK housebuilder, Keepmoat, has invested more than £91 million into a housing regeneration scheme at the former AEI Cable Works factory site in Northfleet. Now named Cable Wharf, in honour of its historical significance, the scheme is being delivered by the housebuilder as part of a partnership with multiple stakeholders to create new, energy-efficient homes that will replace 28.6 acres of brownfield land. Cable Wharf was also previously home to Northfleet Power Station and the once renowned Rosherville Pleasure Gardens that sit between the River Thames and the A2/M2, both of which are being transformed through the housebuilder’s investment. Completion of the development is planned for 2035, when Cable Wharf will form part of a 598-strong housing development nestled on the banks of the River Thames and nearby Gravesend. As the development approaches the halfway point on the final phase of the transformation, delivering the final portion of the new, mixed tenure homes, the housebuilder reflects on the modern, well-designed neighbourhood created to meet the needs of the local community. Adam Knight, Regional Managing Director at Keepmoat, South Midlands, said: “We’re thrilled to be continuing delivery under our strategic partnership model to build quality, sustainable homes for the latest phase in this historic regeneration project. “As the Cable Wharf project nears completion and our communities begin to flourish, it’s extremely rewarding to hear positive feedback from residents and breathe new life into the area.” Keepmoat is a top 10 UK partnership homebuilder with a track-record of delivering quality new homes across the UK at prices people can afford. To date, almost 70 percent of its current developments are on brownfield sites. To find out more, please visit: keepmoat.com/cable-wharf-northfleet Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Top 10 UK housebuilder, Keepmoat, will invest more than £102 million into creating hundreds of new homes in Nottingham, with work having already commenced at a flagship parcel of land on the site of a former Boots factory. Partners from Platform Housing Group and Boots joined Charlotte Goode, Paul Hulme and Philippa Stewart from Keepmoat, at the 286-acre site near Beeston yesterday (Thursday 20th June) to celebrate the start of work on site and to witness first-hand the progress that’s already been made. When complete, the housebuilder will deliver 604 new, multi-tenure homes, regenerating the disused land and creating a thriving new community in Nottinghamshire. Of the new properties, Platform Housing Group will offer 319 affordable homes. Charlotte Goode, Divisional Chair at Keepmoat, said: “Keepmoat is delighted to be regenerating this landmark development on a very special site that will bring much needed, high-quality new homes and significant investment to the city. “For this historical site alone, we are investing £102 million into creating a fantastic community and we’re proud to stand alongside our partners at Platform Housing Group today to mark the beginning of a wonderful community. We’re committed to delivering new homes for the people of Nottingham and the surrounding areas to transform the area and provide quality new homes.” Laura Osborne, Sales & Marketing Director at Platform Housing Group, added: “At Platform Housing Group, we’re thrilled to collaborate with our partner, Keepmoat, to build new homes in Beeston. “This is a hugely important scheme for Platform, to be contributing to the growth of a thriving town and to provide much needed affordable housing in the area. Beeston is an up and coming area with fantastic potential to become one of the most sought-after commuter locations in the Midlands, so to be leading the way with such a large scale development is rewarding.” Stephen Boyce, Director of Estates at Boots UK, commented: “We’re excited to see work start at this fantastic new development for the Nottingham Enterprise Zone. We look forward to seeing Keepmoat’s vision come to life, developing new high-quality and affordable housing for people in the local area.” To find out more about Keepmoat, please visit: www.keepmoat.com Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
