The developer behind a £35m Birmingham residential project has appointed a key sub-contractor for its first concrete frame build in the city centre. Elevate Property Group has announced renowned concrete frame specialists MPB have secured the contract to deliver both the frame and groundworks package on its Chapman’s Yard development
Bellway has won a coveted national sustainability award for its work on a world-first research project aimed at creating the energy efficient homes of the future. The housebuilder won the category for the Most Sustainable Construction Project in the 2023 Building Innovation Awards for its Future Home @ Energy House
Eurocell fabricator, Rapid PVCu has secured the first triple glazed site for Taylor Wimpey in Sunderland. National housebuilder Taylor Wimpey will use Eurocell’s Modus windows system at its Herrington View residential scheme in Penshaw, Sunderland. Doncaster-based Rapid PVCu is a new-build specialist and has worked with Eurocell, the UK’s leading
Orbit Homes is set to deliver 220 properties at a brand-new development in the village of Reydon, Suffolk. The proposed scheme located on Copperwheat Avenue, will comprise 44 affordable rent, 74 shared ownership and 84 market sale houses, as well as 11 self-build plots, and seven coastal erosion replacement properties.
Two major international real estate firms have joined forces to develop and sell 259 new apartments across two new buildings at Elephant Park in Zone One of central London. Lendlease and Daiwa House announced the new joint venture yesterday (26 October) at an on-site ground-breaking ceremony marking the start of
This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Dandara is donating £50 for every home reserved in October in its divisions across the UK to Breast Cancer Now’s wear it pink campaign. The independent housebuilder is taking part in the annual fundraising campaign which has raised over £39m since it began in 2001
Dorset Council’s Northern Area Planning Committee members have voted strongly to support plans by Dorset-based Wyatt Homes on land northeast of Blandford Forum. This comes after extensive consultation and engagement with the community. The new plans sought full planning consent for 150 new family homes and outline planning permission for
Bristol City Council’s Bedminster Green regeneration plans took a further step forward today with a topping out ceremony at Dandara Living’s new Stafford Yard development in Bristol. Situated on a former brownfield site within the Bedminster Green Framework Area, Stafford Yard occupies a prime location within this rapidly developing neighbourhood,
Guildford-based housebuilder Barratt Southern Counties has appointed a new Head of Sales and Marketing, who has taken over responsibility for sites across the Home Counties including Berkshire, Surrey and Sussex. Alex Dowling returned to the division this month (October 2023), where he began his career as a Sales Consultant more
Phase One of Salboy’s flagship mixed-use scheme, Viadux, reaches highest point, along with Victoria House, Salboy’s Ancoats-based development Salboy Group, the nationwide property development and funding company, has ‘topped out’ at two of its largest residential sites to date, both of which will bring hundreds of new homes to central
The developer behind a £35m Birmingham residential project has appointed a key sub-contractor for its first concrete frame build in the city centre. Elevate Property Group has announced renowned concrete frame specialists MPB have secured the contract to deliver both the frame and groundworks package on its Chapman’s Yard development in Upper Gough Street – a major regeneration scheme of 111 new homes. This follows the appointment of Shropshire based Buildfifty5 who will act as the construction manager for the development. Managing director James Costello said that the appointments represented a key milestone for the delivery of the project with works now scheduled to start in the next few weeks. James said: “Chapman’s Yard is our latest collaboration with Buildfifty5 as we have successfully worked together previously on Elevate’s city centre Heaton House and Price Street developments and the redevelopment of a former HMRC site in Solihull. “We are also excited to have MPB on board to deliver the concrete frame package, this underscores our commitment to work alongside people we trust and who share our approach to delivering high quality projects to the city. “This is Elevate’s first project to be delivered under a construction procurement route – giving us the benefit of maintaining a level of control over standards and suppliers to make sure we’re delivering the quality we’re known for. Chapman’s Yard is Elevate’s 11th development in the city of Birmingham, delivering a mixture one and two bedroom apartments plus a number of larger street level duplexes within walking distance of Grand Central station, the Mailbox and the city centre. James added: “It’s a challenging topography in the city centre, with quite a big fall away on the Chapman’s Passage side of the site and two existing buildings either side. But we have an excellent team of delivery partners on board, with a track record of success matching Elevate’s own reputation for high quality projects which positively contribute to the regeneration of Birmingham city centre.” Also appointed for the project are Associated Architects, civil engineers CWA and engineering services company CPW – all based in Birmingham. Garry Whiting, managing director of Buildfifty5, said the Bridgnorth-based team was delighted to be managing the construction for Elevate Property Group on the Upper Gough Street site. “The key to success for any build is being able to enjoy a great working relationship with the people commissioning our services. We’ve worked with James and his team previously, and we’re looking forward to delivering Elevate’s first concrete frame build under this new contract.” Elevate Property Group currently has six live residential sites across Birmingham, Derby, and Nottingham. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Bellway has won a coveted national sustainability award for its work on a world-first research project aimed at creating the energy efficient homes of the future. The housebuilder won the category for the Most Sustainable Construction Project in the 2023 Building Innovation Awards for its Future Home @ Energy House 2.0. Paul Lawler and Jamie Bursnell of the Bellway management team collected the award during a ceremony, hosted by Build in Digital, at the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel in Manchester on Thursday 12 October. As part of the pioneering project, Bellway has built a three-bedroom detached house, named The Future Home, inside a climate-controlled chamber within the Energy House 2.0 facility at The University of Salford. The chamber allows researchers to test the energy performances of the building in temperatures ranging from -20C to +40C, as well as in extreme conditions such as gale force winds, rain, snow, ice and solar radiation. Awards judges praised the Bellway submission as “ground-breaking research” and “an excellent all-round entry”. One judge said: “It’s great to see Bellway considering affordability in their solutions.” The conclusion of the judging panel described the housebuilder’s work at Energy House 2.0 as “an exceptional research project that can have a sustainable impact on the wider construction industry”. Jamie Bursnell, Bellway Group Technical and Innovation Manager, said: “We are exceptionally proud of our team’s work at Energy House 2.0. It means a lot to us to have our research within the project recognised not only for the impact it will have on housebuilders and the industry in general, but also on the daily lives of consumers. “Exploring and promoting sustainability across the business is the purpose of our Better with Bellway strategy, which includes the work we have undertaken at the Energy House 2.0 facility at The University of Salford. This project is a key component of our commitment to carbon reduction – one of the core priorities of our sustainability strategy. “The Future Home is part of a truly pioneering research project which will allow us to test and evaluate, in tightly controlled conditions, new ways of powering, heating and insulating homes. This will help to make them more energy efficient and enable them to meet new standards which require a significant reduction in carbon emissions for new-build homes from 2025. “We must say a special thank you to The University of Salford, our partners including Barratt Developments and St Gobain, and our suppliers for their commitment and support for the Future Home @ Energy House 2.0 project.” Energy House 2.0 is a £16 million project part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund. The UK’s largest housebuilder, Barratt Developments, also built a three-bedroom low carbon home, known as eHome2, in the same climate-controlled chamber, in partnership with Saint-Gobain, the worldwide leader in light and sustainable construction. For more information about the Future Home @ Energy House 2.0 project, visit https://www.bellway.co.uk/the-future-home. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Eurocell fabricator, Rapid PVCu has secured the first triple glazed site for Taylor Wimpey in Sunderland. National housebuilder Taylor Wimpey will use Eurocell’s Modus windows system at its Herrington View residential scheme in Penshaw, Sunderland. Doncaster-based Rapid PVCu is a new-build specialist and has worked with Eurocell, the UK’s leading manufacturer, distributor, and recycler of PVC-U building products for 14 years. Eurocell’s market-leading Future Homes Ready Modus window system is made from 50% average post-consumer recycled PVC-U and is manufactured using innovative dual material extrusion technology (DMET). The ultimate sustainable option, with a significantly lower carbon footprint than profiles made or recycled outside the UK. For the new homeowners that will move into the neighbourhood, with U-values as low as 0.86, the triple glazed windows will reduce carbon emissions, use less energy to heat and present higher levels of security. Eurocell has been working closely with national housebuilders to enable them to achieve energy efficiency and carbon reduction targets that meet the Future Homes Standard. Martin Benn, Head of New Build at Eurocell comments: “Working collaboratively with housebuilders is something we really value at Eurocell, and this project is another example of the demand for our market-leading Future Homes Ready Modus system that ensures housebuilders meet the requirements that will be introduced in two years’ time. We look forward to the scheme completing and for future projects with Taylor Wimpey.” John Duggan at Rapid PVCu adds: “This has been a fantastic project to work on collaborating with both the Eurocell and Taylor Wimpey teams to provide innovative, triple glazing windows which are the highest quality of their kind. Triple glazing really is the best option for lowering energy consumption and the fact that the Modus window system is made with recycled PVC-U makes them incredibly attractive for housebuilders. The windows will look really smart once the homes are finished and will provide longevity and energy efficiency for the new owners.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Orbit Homes is set to deliver 220 properties at a brand-new development in the village of Reydon, Suffolk. The proposed scheme located on Copperwheat Avenue, will comprise 44 affordable rent, 74 shared ownership and 84 market sale houses, as well as 11 self-build plots, and seven coastal erosion replacement properties. A choice of one, two, three and four-bedroom homes will be available. The development has received funding from the Homes England Strategic Partnership scheme for the delivery of affordable homes. Orbit Homes purchased the site from WM Denny & Sons, and Chartwell Industries. The expected start date for the scheme is 2025, with work expected to conclude in 2029. Ray Winney, Regional Managing Director at Orbit Homes, said: “We are excited to unveil plans for our brand-new development in the village of Reydon, Suffolk. This is an area of high affordability pressure, so we are pleased to be delivering 118 affordable properties for the local community, as well as 84 available to purchase through market sale. The site is located less than two miles from the desirable seaside town of Southwold, making it the perfect location for families, as well as couples and those looking to size-down. “All of our Orbit Homes developments are designed to be tenure-blind, which means customers receive the same commitment to design, specification, and safety, whether they purchase through shared ownership, market sale or affordable rent. I look forward to seeing the site progress over the years, and to creating a thriving new community in the East.” Orbit Homes currently has nine thriving new communities underway in East Anglia, comprising a range of affordable two-, three- and four-bedroom homes, including some rarely available new build bungalows. A mixture of purchasing options is available, including market sale and shared ownership. To find out more about the range of properties Orbit Homes offers, click here. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Two major international real estate firms have joined forces to develop and sell 259 new apartments across two new buildings at Elephant Park in Zone One of central London. Lendlease and Daiwa House announced the new joint venture yesterday (26 October) at an on-site ground-breaking ceremony marking the start of construction. Daiwa House is one of Japan’s largest home builders and property developers, with over sixty years of experience and is renowned for a focus on sustainability. This joint venture with Lendlease is the first time that Daiwa House has been involved in the development and sale of new homes in the United Kingdom. Lendlease is a global real estate group, headquartered in Sydney. The Australian firm will develop and construct the new homes, which have an end value of circa £250m and retain a 25 per cent interest in the project, which will be the final stage of residential development at Elephant Park. The announcement builds on a strong working relationship between the two organisations. They have already partnered on the delivery of a 41-storey mixed use building in Manhattan; and recently began work on a build-to-rent apartment development in Melbourne. Lendlease’s European Chief Executive, Andrea Ruckstuhl, said: “This deal is a significant vote of confidence in the property market in the United Kingdom. We’re very pleased to be able to bring Japanese investment here and it’s another illustration of the desire that international investors have for high quality opportunities across our global pipeline of projects.” At Elephant Park Lendlease is creating thousands of high-quality new homes in a vibrant part of central London alongside new jobs, restaurants, cafes, business opportunities and a new park. It is just a short walk from London Underground and Thameslink stations, allowing residents to head to the West End, City or Canary Wharf within 15 minutes. Residents of the new buildings will be able to enjoy a communal gym, elevated garden, SkyLounge, 24-hour concierge service and cycle storage. Residents are expected to be able to move in from mid-2026. The British Government’s Minister for Investment, Lord Johnson, said: “Real estate is hugely important for UK inward investment, supporting thousands of British jobs in our construction and property services industries as well as their huge supply chains. “Having just visited Japan to meet with investors, I know how excited they are to invest in more UK projects because of the huge potential for growth that we offer. The partnership between Lendlease and Daiwa House is yet further proof of this, and I wish them every success.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Dandara is donating £50 for every home reserved in October in its divisions across the UK to Breast Cancer Now’s wear it pink campaign. The independent housebuilder is taking part in the annual fundraising campaign which has raised over £39m since it began in 2001 and helps fund Breast Cancer Now’s world-class research and life-changing services. It is organised by Breast Cancer Now, whose mission is to make sure that by 2050 everyone diagnosed with breast cancer lives, and is supported to live well. Dandara staff took part in a range of activities to mark wear it pink day on 20th of October 2023. Kinie Kaur, wear it pink Manager from Breast Cancer Now, commented: “We want to say a huge thank you to Dandara for supporting wear it pink this October. Every year around 55,000 women and 400 men are diagnosed with breast cancer. But by wearing pink and raising money on 20 October, supporters like Dandara are helping to drive forward research and give life-changing support to those affected by this relentless disease.” Trevor Dempsey, Dandara CEO, said: “Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK with one woman diagnosed every ten minutes and helping find better ways of treating the illness and improving the quality of life for those who are living with it is vitally important. It would be wonderful if it becomes an illness that it is treatable within our lifetimes, so no-one else has to lose a partner, a mother, a friend, brother or a sister to this horrible disease.” Breast Cancer Now’s wear it pink day is one of the biggest and brightest fundraising events in the UK. To find out more go to: www.wearitpink.org or https://breastcancernow.org/about-us/blogs/wear-it-pink-back/ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Dorset Council’s Northern Area Planning Committee members have voted strongly to support plans by Dorset-based Wyatt Homes on land northeast of Blandford Forum. This comes after extensive consultation and engagement with the community. The new plans sought full planning consent for 150 new family homes and outline planning permission for a further 340 on a site adjoining the A354 and A350. The project will also provide new pedestrian and cycle connections and 30% of the homes will be affordable. The housebuilder also plans to plant over 2,000 new trees throughout the site and more than 40 acres of public open space will make up nearly 50% of the development. The new homes will prioritise energy efficiency and use advanced technologies to minimise CO2 emissions. This includes high levels of insulation, top-tier glazing, solar PV panels, wastewater heat recovery and heat pumps. Furthermore, this development will set aside land for a potential future school, allotments, a community hall, shops, and play facilities. It will also establish new cycling and pedestrian pathways and improve bus infrastructure, with upgraded stops and the possibility of extending existing routes. Speaking at the Dorset Council’s Northern Planning Committee, David Wyatt, CEO of Wyatt Homes said, “We are proud of the places we create and committed to building well-designed, high-quality homes using local materials and locally based contractors. “We will do our utmost to make this an exceptional development that not only Wyatt Homes is proud of, but the local community is proud of too.” Tim Hoskinson, Planning Director for Wyatt Homes said, “We are delighted with this strong positive endorsement by the planning committee, these plans are the largest zero carbon ready application that has come before the planning committee, will deliver much needed new homes including vital affordable homes in Dorset. “We would like to thank those who commented on the plans during the extensive public consultation over several years, as well as Dorset councillors, those on the Planning Committee and Council Officers. This is a complex application and the comprehensive level of scrutiny by officers and detailed consideration by members shows the planning system working at its best.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Bristol City Council’s Bedminster Green regeneration plans took a further step forward today with a topping out ceremony at Dandara Living’s new Stafford Yard development in Bristol. Situated on a former brownfield site within the Bedminster Green Framework Area, Stafford Yard occupies a prime location within this rapidly developing neighbourhood, just south of the city centre and Temple Meads train station. Representatives of Bristol City Council and invited guests from local businesses and community groups, joined Dandara Living’s CEO Jim Davies to commemorate the topping out of the development. Featuring 295 new apartments, resident amenities including, private balconies, roof terraces with vegetable beds, a gym, lounge, retail space as well as courtyard gardens, Stafford Yard will also deliver 21 affordable homes and is the first of three sites Dandara Living is developing in Bristol. This includes a current application for 339 residential homes adjacent to Stafford Yard on Malago Road/Hereford Street/Clarke Street known as Plot 5 Bedminster Green, and a further site with prominent frontage onto Clarence Road and Temple Gate where Dandara Living has submitted planning for a sustainable mixed-use development opposite Temple Meads station with 432 much needed high-quality homes, resident amenity and retail space. Jim Davies, CEO, Dandara Living said: “Build to rent is already very popular with young professionals who want to live and work in vibrant city centres like Bristol. However, we are also seeing increasing interest and demand from retirees and families for whom the security of tenure, professional management and sense of community that developments like Stafford Yard provide, is very appealing. “Bristol is a vibrant, ambitious city and like many others is experiencing a period of change as people reassess what they want from our cities. Build to rent still makes up a relatively small percentage of the UK’s overall housing sector, however it plays a vital role in maintaining overall housing supply and attracting inward investment. Bristol City Council has demonstrated its recognition and support for built to rent and I hope that our investment in Stafford Yard, Bedminster Green and Clarence Road, demonstrates our confidence and commitment to the city’s bright future. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Guildford-based housebuilder Barratt Southern Counties has appointed a new Head of Sales and Marketing, who has taken over responsibility for sites across the Home Counties including Berkshire, Surrey and Sussex. Alex Dowling returned to the division this month (October 2023), where he began his career as a Sales Consultant more than 15 years ago. Alex will be responsible for leading the sales function and implementing marketing strategies across the division. Alongside this, Alex will oversee pilot schemes aimed at boosting first time buyer homeownership, with the newly-launched Rent then Buy programme available across selected developments. “It is a difficult market at the moment, and I would say the first truly challenging market I have experienced in the industry, given the changes over the last 18 months in particular,” says Alex. “Yet this isn’t a time to shy away, and there is a unique opportunity here to spearhead homeownership for first time buyers through our pilot Rent then Buy scheme. I’m passionate about helping buyers on every rung of the ladder to achieve their homebuying goals.” Alex has more than 20 years’ experience in the new homes industry, initially beginning his career as a Sales Consultant in London before securing his first role at Barratt Southern Counties. After five years’ as a Sales Consultant for the division, Alex progressed to a Project Sales Manager, followed by Part Exchange Manager and then Head of Customer Service. Alex comments: “I managed to gain experience in a variety of roles early on in my career, which helped me gain a deeper understanding of the customer journey. I was involved in the creation and execution of numerous processes that are still in practice today, benefitting our customers and ensuring we maintain our excellent standards for buyers.” In 2015, Alex moved to FABRICA by A2 Dominion for a year on a project-basis, but was drawn back to Barratt in 2016 where he joined the Southampton division as a Sales Manager. “I enjoyed working in London for a year, but when I was offered the opportunity to return to Barratt, it was an easy decision,” says Alex. “As a PLC housebuilder, there are endless opportunities for progression, including transferring between divisions for personal development.” Looking for the next step in his career in 2020, a Senior Sales Manager position arose within Southampton division. Here, Alex was responsible for selling landmark schemes including Harbour Place, New Quarter and Heritage Quarter. Alex comments: “Progressing to Senior Sales Manager, particularly in the height of the post-lockdown property bubble, presented a new challenge and it was an exciting time to be selling new homes. We were extremely busy, and I enjoyed working in a new area.” When the position of Head of Sales and Marketing became available at Southern Counties division, this was the natural next step for Alex following his wealth of experience over the years. “Barratt is an excellent company to work for and champions promotion from within if you are willing to work hard. It feels like a full-circle moment to be back in the Guildford office, leading a 29-strong sales and marketing team.” Alex adds: “The property market is never straightforward, and whilst it is undeniably a challenging time, I am confident that we are a resilient division. Our land team is strategic in its investments, and as a result we have a number of new developments recently launched or due to launch over the next 12 months that are in desirable patches across Berkshire, Surrey and Sussex. Cost-of-living remains top of the agenda for buyers, who are more conscious than ever before on factors such as sustainability, energy efficiency and connectivity.” Barratt Southern Counties has a number of new developments planned to launch in the coming months, including 199 homes at The Poppies in Aylesford, and nearly 400 homes in Westham, including at Brookwood Meadows. In addition, the housebuilder recently launched its Finchwood Park development in Finchampstead, with an initial 100 homes delivered in the first phase. All new developments have been planned in preparation for Future Home Standards with enhanced energy efficiency measures including combi boilers with integrated flue gas heat recovery, waste water heat recovery system, photovoltaic panels, decentralised mechanical extract ventilation and electric vehicle charging points. To find out more about the enhanced energy efficiency measures visit www.barratthomes.co.uk/efficiency-built-in/features-and-benefits. For further details about Barratt Southern Counties visit www.barratthomes.co.uk or call 0333 355 8498. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Phase One of Salboy’s flagship mixed-use scheme, Viadux, reaches highest point, along with Victoria House, Salboy’s Ancoats-based development Salboy Group, the nationwide property development and funding company, has ‘topped out’ at two of its largest residential sites to date, both of which will bring hundreds of new homes to central Manchester buyers and tenants. Both towers were designed by renowned local architects Simpson Haugh to celebrate the best that city centre living has to offer to Manchester’s increasingly young, professional and international population. Together with its dedicated construction partner, DOMIS, Salboy has reached the highest point on the 40-storey residential tower that forms the major part of Phase One at Viadux, Salboy’s largest and most ambitious mixed-use development to date. Once complete, the Viadux tower will be home to residents spread across its 385 spacious one and two bedroom apartments and penthouses. All residents will have access to some of the city’s most modern and desired amenities including elevated terrace gardens, gym, private lounge, bar and cinema, and will find themselves in easy walking distance from city-centre living and multiple transport links. Victoria House, a scheme developed in partnership with Forshaw Group, is a 25-storey tower that will bring 177 new homes to Piccadilly Central, one of Manchester’s most lively, young and in-demand inner-city neighbourhoods. Combining a community park, co-working spaces, residents’ lounge and gym, Victoria House is targeted at young professionals forging their careers in Manchester. Construction schedules remain on track with practical completion expected on both sites by Q2 2024. As Manchester continues to attract considerable, above-average demand for quality housing, approximately 95% of properties in both schemes have already been sold. Simon Ismail, Co-Founder & Managing Director of Salboy, comments: “Topping out on any development is always an exciting moment. It’s an important opportunity to celebrate what’s come before to get to this point, and a chance to really get a sense of the scale and size of the finished scheme to come. To top out on two schemes on target and on budget at the same time is doubly thrilling. Manchester’s young, vibrant community deserves high quality spaces to enjoy and make their homes in, and we’re excited to deliver two more of these to them in the not-so-distant future.” This news follows the recent announcement from Salboy that groundworks have commenced on Waterhouse Gardens, another major central Manchester scheme located on the site of the former Boddingtons Brewery. The development will bring 556 new homes aimed at young professionals and students to a regenerated area and is scheduled to complete by Q2 2026. Additionally in early October, Salboy and its joint venture partner Relentless Developments revealed that their £400 million St Michael’s development will be home to the W Manchester Hotel and W Manchester Residences after striking a luxury branding agreement with global hotel business Marriott International. Carmen Ching, Head of Sales at Salboy adds: “Salboy and DOMIS’s track record for delivering high quality residential projects for Manchester has proven popular with buyers. It’s great to see both Viadux and Victoria House on track for completion in 2024.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
