Planning consent was secured in December 2025, and enabling and demolition works have been completed. Around half of the 16‑acre site will be converted into a 266,000 sq ft, state‑of‑the‑art campus for high‑end television and independent film, due to be operational in late in 2027. The remainder of the site, recently upgraded by the BBC under a long‑term lease, continues to host EastEnders. The historic complex first opened as a film studio in 1914. The brownfield scheme is designed to keep the studios commercially competitive by significantly boosting production capacity, more than quadrupling stage space to approximately 100,000 sq ft across five advanced sound stages ranging from 16,000 to 21,000 sq ft. New workshops, offices and a café will be added, alongside a 58,000 sq ft Media Hub providing office and amenity space exclusively for media‑related industries and businesses directly connected to the studios. Fairbanks Studios is targeting Outstanding ratings from BREEAM and the Albert Studio Sustainability Standard, the world’s first environmental impact benchmark for film studios. The plans also include landscaped public areas and urban greening, with around 130 new trees to be planted. The project is expected to generate substantial socio‑economic benefits, supporting around 390 jobs during construction and more than 1,200 full‑time equivalent roles once complete, contributing approximately £80 million in annual inward investment. Paul Serkis, director of studio projects at McLaren Construction, comments: “Film and high-end TV production is one of the success stories of the UK economy and there is a real and pressing demand for high quality production space here. Approved schemes in the right locations need to come out of the ground quickly to meet that demandand take full advantage of the sector’s growth potential. We are delighted tobe working with BNPP AM Alts and Oxygen Studios to deliver Fairbanks Studios.” McLaren’s initial supply chain on the project includes Harringtons Builders (groundworks), Aarsleff (piling), SCWS (steelwork), Halsall (MEP) and Northern Cladding (cladding). Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

COMPLETE construction partner Stepnell has secured a place on the £428m North West Rise Construction Framework, boosting its regional presence and underpinning its wider UK growth strategy. The appointment follows the opening of the regional contractor’s Liverpool office and forms part of its commitment to fostering long-term relationships and sustainable growth across the North West construction market, delivering high-quality, socially responsible projects through established public sector frameworks. Procured by Regenda Group in partnership with Rise Construction Framework, the agreement runs until March 2030 and sees Stepnell appointed to Lot 1 – General Construction within the £15m+ value band, as one of five contractors selected. The framework attracted 79 tenders for this lot, with 38 firms appointed in total, placing Stepnell within a highly competitive group of contractors operating at scale. Craig Finn, framework director at Stepnell, said: “This is a significant appointment for Stepnell and a strong endorsement of our approach as a responsible, long-term construction partner. “Our focus has always been on more than just delivering buildings – we work to create real value for clients and the communities we operate in. That includes delivering meaningful social value, supporting local people and ensuring every project contributes positively beyond the built environment. “Securing this place on the framework aligns with our growth in the North West and reflects the strength of our offer, our people and our commitment to delivering lasting value for clients and communities.” The contractor will support initiatives across the North West region, including working with care leavers, engaging with Rise’s social mobility programme and contributing to community activity through volunteering and fundraising. Stepnell will also collaborate with voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSEs) and support engagement with school leavers. The framework, which has generated over £100 million in social return on investment over the last decade, supports public sector clients including local authorities, NHS trusts, blue light services, housing providers and education bodies across North West England, North Wales and Yorkshire and the Humber. Sara Lawton, director at Rise Construction Framework, said: “As we celebrate the 10th anniversary of Rise Construction Framework we are delighted to launch the latest re-iteration of Rise. “Importantly we are looking forward to continuing to change the lives of people across our communities;  we are proud to hold the Kings Award for Enterprise for our commitment to social mobility meaning the public sector not only have access to experienced supply partners who deliver quality capital projects, but they are investing in communities each time they access our services.” The win comes amid continued growth for Stepnell, following a fifth consecutive year of profit, as the contractor strengthens its presence across key UK regions through targeted expansion and framework opportunities. For more information on Stepnell and its services, visit https://www.stepnell.co.uk/ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Speller Metcalfe has been selected as principal contractor by North Warwickshire Borough Council to construct a new leisure centre in Atherstone, marking a major step in the site’s redevelopment. From the end of April, the contractor will take possession of the existing Atherstone Leisure Complex, Memorial Hall and the adjacent car park to begin phase one, which includes installing site hoarding and preparing the buildings for demolition ahead of construction. The appointment follows the submission of a planning application earlier this year and reflects a significant investment in the health and wellbeing of residents across the Borough. Mark Hudgeon, divisional director at Speller Metcalfe, said the project will deliver long-term benefits for the community: “We are delighted to have been appointed by North Warwickshire Borough Council to deliver this important project for Atherstone. The new leisure centre will provide high-quality, modern facilities that support healthier lifestyles and bring people together. Our team is looking forward to working collaboratively with the Council and local stakeholders to create a facility the community can be proud of.” When complete, the centre will offer state-of-the-art facilities, improved accessibility and an energy-efficient design, ensuring it is fit for the future and able to serve the community for generations to come. To enable works to start, Atherstone Leisure Complex and Memorial Hall will close at the end of the Easter school holidays on Sunday 12 April. The Council-owned car park at the site will also close and remain unavailable throughout the construction period, which is expected to last around two years. During the closure, customers can use alternative facilities at Polesworth Fitness Hub and Coleshill Leisure Centre. Evening and weekend classes currently held at Memorial Hall will move to The Queen Elizabeth Academy, and the Council will run a dedicated bus service to swimming pools in neighbouring boroughs, with routes and timetables to be confirmed in the coming weeks. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

A multi-million-pound regeneration project transforming former dockland in South Shields is entering its final phase. The scheme at Holborn has converted disused docks and derelict land into a new riverside residential community following extensive remediation and engineering works. Ground contamination has been cleared, former dry docks raised to address flooding risks, and a new quay edge wall constructed. The civil engineering stage has now been completed and the site handed over to developers to begin the final phase of housebuilding. The first two phases of the project have already delivered 135 houses and apartments, all of which have been sold and are now occupied. In the final stage, Keepmoat will build 47 homes while Cussins will deliver a further 109. Twenty-four of the properties will be affordable homes, available through discounted market sale and affordable rent via Benicia. The wider development has also created a new play area and will eventually feature a public riverside promenade leading to the restored dry docks. Councillor Margaret Meling, Lead Member for Economic Growth and Transport at South Tyneside Council, said: “This really has been a massive transformation. It’s incredible to think that this evolving riverside community was disused, inaccessible land just a few years ago. “We’re not just creating places for people to live — we’re supporting local businesses, increasing footfall and helping to strengthen the local economy for years to come. “Holborn is a fantastic example of regeneration on a significant scale, and we’re proud to see the final phase now taking shape.” As part of the engineering works, the largest of the four former dry docks has been infilled, while the remaining three have been restored to preserve the area’s industrial heritage. The project also secured £1.85m from the government’s Brownfield Land Release Fund. Ian Worgan, Regional Managing Director at Keepmoat, North East said: “We’re delighted to continue our work at the third and final phase of this fantastic transformation scheme in Holborn. “Over the last few years, Keepmoat has invested £20 million into riverside regeneration in South Shields, transforming disused shipyards into our River’s Edge scheme to breathe new life into the area and create high-quality new homes and apartments. “At Keepmoat, we have a robust partnership model and we are proud of our continued collaboration with South Tyneside Council and Cussins to progress homes for local people.” The final phase will include a mix of energy-efficient housing, ranging from two-bedroom apartments to five-bedroom family homes. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Momentum Build, part of The Momentum Group, the leading North West property services company, has been appointed to refurbish Xplore! Science Discovery Centre, an educational facility in North Wales owned by Wrexham University.  After a competitive tendering process, the two organisations are delighted to be working in partnership.  Known as “the home of science in North Wales,” Xplore! offers a wide range of educational and interactive exhibits for all ages, alongside a visitor centre, café, school activity programmes, venue hire, corporate event options, and birthday party experiences.  Momentum Build has been appointed to carry out phase one of the refurbishment, including Xplore!’s planetarium.  The tender covers procurement for building and refurbishment services for the planetarium, including lift and kitchen installations.  Once upgraded, the planetarium will become the only fixed-dome planetarium in north-east Wales. Xplore! have secured funding for the project with the phase one works being completed in Spring 2026.   Dan Lewis, Construction Director at Momentum Build, said: “Being appointed by Xplore! is a fantastic opportunity.  Not only does this take us into a new sector, but it also allows us to partner with another non-profit client.  Xplore! is a unique facility, and we are excited to be working with such a passionate client team to help ensure it continues to inspire people for many years to come.”  Scot Owen, Centre Manager at Xplore!, added: “Momentum Build has the expertise, the experience and the reach to help us achieve our ambitions for the refurbishment of Xplore!. More than that, as a business, they are passionate about adding value to the communities in which they operate, and to do so sustainably, both of which are values we prize highly too.  We are looking forward to how this partnership will develop and seeing the positive impact it will have.”  This appointment, together with Momentum Maintain’s recent work with Crosby Housing Association and Momentum Build’s £1.9 million industrial refurbishment in Maidenhead, transforming an industrial unit into temporary housing, demonstrates The Momentum Group’s ongoing commitment to delivering meaningful community impact through its projects.  Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals