Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield launches next round of consultation on The Croydon Project
Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW) has today [12 March 2026] launched the next round of public consultation on The Croydon Project, its vision to regenerate Croydon town centre and strengthen its role as a key destination in South London. Led by URW The Croydon Project will transform the Whitgift Centre, Centrale and the iconic Allders building, alongside surrounding areas on North End, into a vibrant mixed-use destination with new homes, public spaces, shops, restaurants and leisure uses. The evolving masterplan outlines how Croydon town centre could be transformed into a modern mixed-use destination, combining new homes with a stronger retail, leisure and cultural offer that keeps the town centre active throughout the day and evening. As part of the proposals, the project aims to deliver: The revitalisation of the historic Allders building The latest proposals also respond directly to feedback received during earlier consultations, including calls for greener public spaces, improved accessibility, more cultural and leisure activities, and the protection and reuse of Croydon’s historic buildings. The consultation will give residents, businesses and visitors the opportunity to review the latest masterplan ideas and provide feedback on how the project can best meet the needs of Croydon’s communities. As part of the consultation, the project team will host a series of pop-up events across Croydon where local people can learn more about the proposals and share their views directly with the team. The pop-up events will take place at: (weather dependent) Progress is already underway on the project. New shops and restaurants have opened at Allders Parade, refurbishment of shops along North End is continuing and a planning application for improvements to Centrale was submitted earlier this year. Adam Smith, Strategic Development Director at Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, said: “The Croydon Project aims to reimagine Croydon town centre and restore its role as the economic and creative capital of South London. Our ambition is to create a thriving mixed-use destination with new homes, public spaces and a vibrant mix of retail, leisure and cultural activity that reflects Croydon’s energy and creativity. This long-term regeneration will bring new life and investment to the heart of the town centre. Community feedback will remain central, with this next round of consultation giving local people the chance to help shape the evolving masterplan.” Residents and businesses can also view the proposals and provide feedback online at TheCroydonProject.co.uk. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Beyond the Boiler: Lovell backs new industry guides to support retrofit acceleration
AS the UK prepares for major energy efficiency works under the government’s Warm Homes Plan, refurbishment and retrofit housing specialist Lovell Renew has joined forces with Sustainable Housing Action Partnership (SHAP) to launch the Retrofit Success Guides. Alongside the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and Equans, and with the input of nearly 100 experts and 70 organisations, this invaluable expertise has been distilled into a practical blueprint for housing providers, local authorities and the supply chain. Moving away from high-level policy, this new eight-part suite of resources has been designed to be a manual for delivery and support the drive towards net zero. This includes community and resident engagement, data use, workforce development, area-based planning, financing, governance and procurement. Having spent decades on the frontline of retrofit design and delivery, as well as working within long term partnerships in the public sector, the involvement from Lovell was crucial to understanding how to navigate the sector. This includes acknowledging the challenges that often stall retrofit projects and how to overcome them – from resident trust and data integrity to the chronic skills gap and complex financing. Carl Yale, regional managing director for Lovell Renew Central, said: “After many years, numerous partnerships and thousands of homes made better, safer, warmer, and healthier, we have built up a deep understanding for what this work entails and how critical it is in boosting resident comfort, health and wellbeing. With the Warm Homes Plan on the horizon, the sector is facing an important moment when retrofit needs be front and centre – but it also needs support in understanding best practice and how to ensure successful delivery. “This will require collaboration and commitment to ensure that projects are done with insight, integrity and always with the residents at heart. We are proud to have been involved in the development of these guides and hope it will help to shape the future of this crucial specialist sector.” Ellie Horwitch-Smith, chair of SHAP board and assistant director, Route to Net Zero, Birmingham City Council, said: “The Retrofit Success Guides show what’s possible when expertise from across the sector is brought together with a shared ambition to do things better. The guides are founded on the realities of delivery and offer a practical foundation for anyone serious about scaling retrofit with quality, integrity, and real impact for people and place.” Rob Johnson, head of delivery for Building Retrofit at West Midlands Combined Authority, said: “The West Midlands Combined Authority is proud to be at the forefront of driving change in retrofit delivery through devolved funding and local leadership. The Retrofit Success Guides are an essential resource born from collaboration across the sector and grounded in the first-hand experience of those delivering retrofit or experiencing its impact. They represent a shared commitment to innovation, high standards, and putting residents at the heart of every programme.” Unlike traditional technical papers, the guides are designed for action. They arrive at a time when fuel poverty and energy security are at the top of the national agenda. By making these resources free to access, it removes the barriers to entry for smaller housing providers and local councils who are often left to navigate this alone. To find out more and download the guides, visit: https://shap.uk.com/retrofit-success/ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
New Head of Construction at Bellway North East aims to build on improved levels of customer satisfaction
Continuing to drive up levels of customer satisfaction is the main focus for Bellway North East’s new Head of Construction. Ben Singlewood has been appointed to the role with the housebuilder’s North East division on a permanent basis, having held the position in an interim capacity since last May. Based in the North East division’s head office in Gateshead, Ben will be responsible for sites across Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, Northumberland and County Durham. He believes that delivering key infrastructure at an earlier stage in the construction process has played an important part in the division improving its customer satisfaction scores – and he is determined to ensure that the buyer experience remains front and centre in his planning and decision making. Ben, 51, from Bishop Auckland, said: “We have a ‘Customer First’ policy that is part of the company ethos. This is massive for the success of the business and for customer feedback. “Ensuring that all roads and other infrastructure are finished to an adoptable standard as a development progresses ensures that customers move into a street that feels complete. Historically this work might have been done towards the end of the project, but we try to do it while we are still on site. That means we control it better and it makes it easier for people who have moved in to get around. We are judged on our scores and surveys, and we find our scores are getting better because we are doing this work as we go.” Decisions around which homes are completed and handed over to customers and when this happens also have a big impact on the customer experience. “Occupation strategies are important because we want to move people into the correct environment, especially as on a large development work may be completed over several phases, over several years, and we are still the neighbours to our customers.” Ben has been with Bellway for 21 years, having joined the company as an assistant site manager in Darlington in 2004. “Bellway is a great company to work for with good employee engagement. It’s a very inclusive and forward-thinking business,” he said. Ben became a site manager in 2011, working in Darlington, Durham and Washington. Between 2014 and 2016 he was Senior Site Manager at Stannington Park – a regeneration project on the former St Mary’s Hospital site in Stannington in Northumberland for which Ben won a prestigious Pride in the Job Quality Award from the National House Building Council (NHBC). In 2016 he became Construction Manager and in 2018 Senior Construction Manager. Major projects on the horizon include Bellway’s DH1 development to the north west of Durham, where the company is building 368 homes all fitted with sustainable air source heat pumps. The role of Head of Construction entails long-term strategic involvement not just in construction on-site but in every part of the process from land acquisition and planning to technical and sales. Ben enjoys the fast pace and problem-solving demands of the role in an industry that is constantly on the move. He said: “The one thing that is constant is change, and that’s a big appeal of the role for me. It’s a very dynamic role and I like the variety.” In some ways his motivation is the same as it was when he was a site manager. He said: “We are creating communities and I get a lot of satisfaction in turning over a good house and a good product.” To find out more about Bellway North East, visit https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/north-east. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Prologis brings forward further 1 million sq ft at DIRFT amid rising demand
Prologis UK has submitted proposals for DC762, a new 762,000 sq ft rail-served distribution centre at Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal (DIRFT), as it progresses over 1 million sq ft of remaining consented capacity at the estate. DC762 forms part of three expansion plots at DIRFT, which together total 1,063,000 sq ft. Two further units, measuring 158,000 sq ft and 265,000 sq ft respectively, are planned for submission in the coming weeks. The proposals follow a sustained increase in customer enquiries at DIRFT with retailers, third-party logistics providers and e-commerce businesses seeking centrally located platforms with multimodal connectivity. The submission for DC762 relates to Plot F in the eastern part of DIRFT III and sits within the site’s Development Consent Order, providing a clear and established planning route to delivery. Scale and specification Designed to meet the demands of modern logistics, DC762 will deliver an 18m clear internal height. The cross-docked building will include 114 dock doors and 11 level access doors on east and west elevations. Infrastructure proposals include a new access road, 233 trailer spaces, 590 space car park and 144 cycle spaces. The building will target BREEAM Outstanding and EPC A+ ratings and feature a 700kWp rooftop solar PV system, capable of generating enough electricity annually to power approximately 200 UK homes. Design and landscape DC762 will adopt a contemporary architectural approach in keeping with recent developments by Prologis at DIRFT, continuing to raise the bar for logistics design. Full-height glazing and a south west-facing external balcony accessible from the first-floor offices will strengthen the connection between internal and external environments. Extensive landscaping aims to provide employees and visitors with spaces to relax and connect with nature. Proposals include extensive planting of woodlands, hedgerows, grassland and bulbs to enhance biodiversity and create seasonal interest. Progress at scale Over the past six months, DIRFT has secured a series of major commitments, including M&S Food’s 1.3 million sq ft national distribution centre and XPO’s national chilled palletised logistics hub for Arla Foods. More recently, e-commerce homeware brand Laura James confirmed a 217,785 sq ft build-to-suit facility at the estate. DC762 follows full consent being granted for DC613, a 613,000 sq ft unit at DIRFT ready for fast-track occupation, with groundworks and power connection in place. Construction of DC107, a speculative 107,000 sq ft development, commenced in January and is scheduled for completion in Q3 2026. James Hemstock, Capital Deployment Director at Prologis UK, said: “Enquiries for plots at DIRFT have increased as customers prioritise scale, connectivity and long-term certainty. Progressing these developments now ensures that capacity is available to meet sustained demand in the Midlands. DIRFT continues to demonstrate the strength of rail-connected logistics infrastructure as a long-term platform for UK supply chains.” Prologis continues to work with Government and West Northamptonshire Council to support the long-term evolution of its rail-served logistics platform at DIRFT. The estate’s direct rail connection supports a shift from road transport, reinforcing its role in delivering resilient, lower-carbon supply chains. DIRFT supports more than 10,000 jobs and generated £219 million in annual GVA in 2023/24, alongside £13.1 million in business rates contributions. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Skyline ambition: plans revealed for 70-storey Liverpool waterfront tower
Designs have been unveiled for a 70-storey tower set to become the centrepiece of the £1bn Kings development on Liverpool’s waterfront. The landmark building, designed by SimpsonHaugh, will combine a five-star hotel with luxury residential apartments managed by the hotel operator. The reveal comes only weeks after the project’s first building, a 28-storey tower known as No. 1 Kings, secured planning approval from Liverpool City Council. Demolition work on the site is expected to begin this spring for Davos Property Developments Limited, working in partnership with Beetham Davos Ltd. Hugh Frost, chairman of Beetham Davos, described the tower as the defining feature of the wider scheme. He said it would represent the ultimate expression of the company’s confidence in Liverpool, supported by the city council’s backing for the ambitious waterfront development. The lower 23 floors of the building will be occupied by a five-star hotel offering 212 high-specification rooms. Above this, the tower will house 563 luxury residences. Facilities for guests and residents will include bars, restaurants, gymnasiums, banqueting and meeting spaces, as well as a rooftop terrace. At 727ft tall, the tower would become the tallest building in Liverpool. The current record holder is the nearby West Tower, developed by Beetham in 2007, which stands at 459ft. Frost said the development would benefit from Liverpool’s growing cruise tourism sector. He noted that 135 cruise ships are scheduled to visit Liverpool during the 2026 season, with numbers expected to increase once the new cruise terminal is completed and the landing stage extended to allow two ships to berth at the same time. According to Frost, many cruise passengers are likely to seek luxury accommodation in the city before or after their journeys, creating demand for a high-end hotel offering similar standards to those experienced on board. The 70-storey building forms part of a wider masterplan that could see up to ten buildings developed across the Kings site. The emerging plans are expected to go out to public consultation later this spring, ahead of a planning application anticipated in late summer. The hybrid application will seek detailed consent for the overall layout and site infrastructure, alongside outline consent for individual building plots. The wider development could include residential towers, two hotels, Grade A office space, a new arts venue, shared workspaces for start-ups and technology businesses, and a variety of food and drink outlets. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Construction rebounds in February but the Iran conflict looms large over the sector
February showed a clear rebound on construction activity, with strength concentrated in Residential, Commercial, Education and major infrastructure schemes according to construction data analysts Barbour ABI. Contract Awards were up 16% month on month after a poor January with Residential rising significantly. Commenting on the trend Barbour ABI head of business and client analytics Ed Griffiths said: “The market is increasingly driven by large‑scale regeneration, data‑centre demand, and energy‑transition projects such as HVDC cabling, all of which continue to attract investment despite wider economic uncertainty. Growth in residential awards reflects pent‑up demand for student accommodation and urban living, while commercial recovery is being supported by logistics‑led developments and digital infrastructure.” Residential contract award value increased 32% on January to £2.1bn after an easing. The sector Q1 average now sits just above the average for the same period last year. The largest project in the sector was the replacement 2,330 bed student accommodation, Cambridge Halls in Manchester. The North West, bolstered by large Residential projects and Birkenhead regeneration, saw a 158% increase to £1.16bn after a disappointing start to the year. Meanwhile approvals ticked down 9% to £10.1bn but momentum remains strong with several large residential and mixed‑use schemes achieving consent. The continuing throughput of schemes above £100m demonstrates planning authorities’ commitment to progressing strategic housing and urban regeneration pipelines. Clouds on the horizon However, looking ahead Griffiths sounded a note of caution. “In many ways it’s good news this month but across the sector, contractors still face tight margins, supply‑chain volatility and prolonged planning timelines, which are slowing momentum in some regions. Meanwhile the OBR downgraded GDP growth forecasts for the recent spring statement from 1.4% to 1.1%. Although they were more optimistic about 2027 this did not take into account the potential impact of the US-Israel strike on Iran. “This kind of event reminds us that much of the current uncertainty in the UK construction market lies outside domestic policy control, which adds a further restraint on investment. A spike in oil and gas prices as a result of the current conflict would greatly exacerbate the viability issues that plague the market and halt any progress on delivery.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals