Portsmouth City Council has selected Knights Brown to carry out the fifth and final phase of the North Portsea Coastal Scheme, starting in September. Knights Brown previously constructed the second and third phases, so they have carried out the majority of this valuable scheme. The scheme as a whole, is one of the largest local authority-led coastal flood defence projects in the UK and is crucial for the protection of Portsmouth residents. The defences will safeguard more than 4,000 homes and almost 500 businesses. It covers 8.4km of coastline from Tipner through to Milton. Most of the area is low-lying and many of the current coastal defences were approaching the end of their effective lives. The final phase of the work carried out by Knights Brown will take place along Ports Creek in North Portsea and will include 1.9 km of flood defences. The design consists of a sloped earth embankment, which provides the required flood defence level, with a rock armour toe. Rock armour dissipates wave energy, therefore preventing further breakup of the shoreline. Divisional Director, Mike Crook, said: “We are delighted to have been appointed as principal contractor to carry out the fifth and final phase of the North Portsea Coastal Scheme. This third award demonstrates our capability and trusted collaborative relationship with Coastal Partners. “Our extensive expertise in coastal civil engineering and our local knowledge will enable us to deliver this essential flood defence scheme, which will safeguard residents and businesses for the next 100 years. All of the improvements will be delivered with the highest standard in order to foster the growth of local marine life and enhance the social space for the local community.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

A £2.95 million repair scheme to protect the Filey sea wall from future erosion is to begin next month. North Yorkshire Council has secured a grant from the Environment Agency to carry out the project, which aims to ensure the sea defence remains viable for the next 50 years. The scheme will cover a 1.1-kilometre stretch of the coast between Coble Landing in the north and Royal Parade in the south. The defences were built between the 19th and 20th centuries, protecting 626 residential and 166 non-residential properties, as well as five Yorkshire Water assets, including sewage pumping stations. Executive member for highways, transport and coastal protection, Cllr Keane Duncan, said: “We are pleased to be able to begin the essential repair scheme which will enhance the condition of the sea wall by replacing damaged blocks, slipways and steps. “Extensive preparatory work has been carried out to ensure the stability of the wall and public safety. This includes comprehensive surveys and investigations to enable us to choose the best construction method and equipment. “We are also addressing concerns around erosion at St Martins Gill where the slipway meets the softer undefended cliffs. These vital improvements aim to bolster the integrity and resilience of our coastal defences, ensuring better protection for our community, infrastructure, and coastline.” The council has worked closely with its delivery partner and local businesses to minimise disruption. The project is due to begin on 24 August, but construction won’t start until mid-September to avoid the peak tourist season. The Filey sea wall scheme is due to be completed by the spring of next year, and earlier this month Jackson Civil Engineering Limited was appointed to carry out the work. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

A major project to transform Ancoats Green in Manchester has begun. The work is to develop a much-improved city centre park space as part of the closing chapter of the regeneration of Ancoats that commenced more than 20 years ago. The Green will act as a new focal point for the area as part of a wider public realm investment in Ancoats that will celebrate the industrial and manufacturing heritage of this part of the city centre. The funds are provided through Homes England and Greater Manchester Combined Authority to create the necessary infrastructure within which 1,500 new homes will be brought forward. The project will include new walking and cycling routes to encourage active travel through the neighbourhood, significant new planting – including new wildflower areas and wetland planting – and a range of new tress that will add colour throughout the year. Community is a central tenet of the investment creating high quality multi-functional green space for existing and future generations, including new play areas with accessible equipment, open grassed areas, generous footpaths and space for hosting small events. As a nod to the history of the site, once central to the flint glass works district of Ancoats, the entrances to the space will include design features that reference its industrial past. The Green will also create a seamless route from the Council’s This City affordable housing scheme on Rodney Street (One Ancoats Green) from north Manchester through to the new Mobility Hub and city centre beyond. Supporting wildlife has also been a key consideration and so increasing biodiversity to encourage new species to the Green through planting of native and fruit trees – including an avenue of cherry trees – as well as the wildflower and wetland areas. The majority of the existing trees will be retained and any that do need to be removed due to age or disease will be replaced 2:1.The wider investment in the green spaces and public realm is part of the third and final phase of the regeneration of Ancoats, which will also see investment at Jersey Green (to commence 2025) and public realm on Prussia Street (to commence in 2027). The aim is to create high quality public green spaces that create a strong sense of place and help create a low-traffic, pedestrian first neighbourhood and underpin the development of 1,500 new homes in this part of Ancoats, as well as the creation of a new Mobility Hub. Homes England has committed £28.1m to the overall project – along with the Mobility Hub – which, combined with the £4.7m allocated by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority through the Brownfield Housing Fund, brings the total budget to £32.7m. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

To support the UK’s focus on delivering sustainable regeneration and 5,800 new homes on a brownfield site, housebuilders can consider what these sites have to offer and how they can create sustainable homes at accessible prices. By committing to working towards the latest targets announced by the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, housebuilders across the UK can bring lasting change that improves the economic and wellbeing outcomes of communities across the UK. Tim Wray, Group Development Director at top 10 UK housebuilder Keepmoat, reflects on these new targets and how planning, construction and development teams can pinpoint brownfield redevelopment projects to create sustainable communities in spaces that were once unused, to benefit populations across the UK .  Redeveloping brownfield sites Sustainable land Developing brownfield land and creating thriving new communities is key to delivering the government’s housing targets, whilst also contributing to the UK’s sustainable regeneration advancements. With more than 67,000 acres of brownfield land across the country, if developed effectively, these unused sites can  offer sustainable, social and economic benefits to the surrounding cities and towns. Brownfield sites also provide ideal opportunities to provide housing stock at accessible price points, creating employment opportunities, promoting conservation efforts and adding new social areas, such as playgrounds, playing fields or sitting areas. Developers may want to look at  prioritising sustainable development practices as we look to the future of housebuilding. By purchasing formerly developed land, these sites continue to promote urban regeneration, providing new homes, workplaces, and amenities in areas that have suffered from neglect or lack of investment. Many local authorities also support regeneration in their communities, making it easier for developers to gain planning permission to create new housing stock at a price point that residents can afford.  Keepmoat recently began work on a new site of 300 new homes in Northstowe, Cambridgeshire. The homes will be constructed using a closed panel timber frame technique to deliver part of the second phase of the new town which is located on former RAF military land.  Developing this unused RAF site means the newest Cambridgeshire town, which in total will see more than 10,000 homes, eight schools, a new town centre with multiple facilities and open spaces provided, will become a sustainable, lively community.  Land acquisition  Revitalising communities through the delivery of high-quality multi tenure homes, in well-designed and well-connected neighbourhoods, is made possible through a strong local authority partnership approach. One such partnership is the Leeds City Council Brownfield Land Programme. Keepmoat is working with Leeds CIty Council to deliver 1,000 new multi tenure homes, across 13 brownfield developments across east Leeds.  The scheme is widely considered to be the most prominent package of brownfield redevelopment in the Leeds area. The large-scale intervention will not only broaden the housing on offer in East Leeds but will aid the regeneration of three neighbourhoods, through local amenities, highway improvements and greenspace provision. The housing stock is multi-tenure and set at accessible price points to attract first time buyers and young professionals to the area. 68% of purchasers are between 18-30 years old. The Synergy development in Halton Moor is the latest in the Leeds Brownfield project to see construction begin. The project will deliver 109 new two, three and four-bedroom properties, of which a percentage are available for affordable housing provision through Leeds Federated Housing Association. Keepmoat and the Council have engaged with local schools, colleges and employment groups to recruit local young people through apprenticeship schemes.  Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals