Completion of major enhancement works at Redmoor Academy
G F Tomlinson has successfully completed works at Redmoor Academy in Hinckley, marking the official handover of the school’s brand-new sports hall and associated facilities. The contractor worked in close partnership with S2e – Surveyors to Education – which served as Employer’s Agent on the scheme, ensuring the smooth delivery of the project from planning through to completion. Delivered on behalf of Leicestershire County Council, the project provides high-quality new teaching and sports accommodation to support the academy’s continued growth and to enrich the educational experience of its pupils. The completed works include a 696 sq. metre hall designed for a range of indoor sports including cricket, basketball, netball, badminton and handball. Supporting facilities include dedicated changing rooms, a reception area, offices, four classrooms and a fitness room – all of which create modern, flexible and inspiring learning environments. This new development builds upon G F Tomlinson’s previous improvement works at the school, including the delivery of a new teacher’s car park last year. G F Tomlinson worked alongside S2E – Surveyors 2 Education, which acted as the Employers agent on the scheme. Andy Sewards, Group Chairman at G F Tomlinson, said: “We are delighted to mark the successful completion of this significant scheme at Redmoor Academy. The new sports hall and teaching spaces represent a major investment in the future of the school and will have a positive impact on generations of students. It has been a pleasure to work collaboratively with the academy and Leicestershire County Council to deliver facilities that not only enhance pupil learning but also support the wider community.” Redmoor Academy Principal, Matt Nicolle, said: “Seeing this project completed is a proud moment for our school, and the new sports and teaching facilities will transform the opportunities available to our students – supporting both their academic development and physical wellbeing. This is a facility that truly reflects the ambitions and values of Redmoor Academy, and we are excited to see our pupils and local community make full use of it.” Councillor Charles Pugsley, cabinet member for children and families at Leicestershire County Council, said: “We are delighted to see the new facilities at Redmoor Academy open. This is one of our biggest investments in helping schools to expand so they can accommodate rising pupil numbers and also offer the best possible learning environment.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Stanhope and Allies and Morrison to lead masterplan for redevelopment of St Mary’s Hospital, including expansion of surrounding life sciences cluster
Landmark NHS project to build on hospital’s long track record in excellence in healthcare and innovation, creating economic growth and job opportunities as well as better health outcomes Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust has appointed Stanhope Plc and Allies and Morrison to lead the masterplanning and planning application for the urgently needed redevelopment of St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, in north west London. Stanhope, a London-based development and asset manager with a 30-year track record delivering complex urban regeneration, will oversee the masterplanning process for the whole estate. Architects Allies and Morrison will lead masterplan design. They will work alongside HOK, who continue as the hospital’s design architects. They join an experienced wider team including Savills on planning strategy, Gillespies on landscape design, LCA on consultation and Gardiner & Theobald as project managers. The teams are developing proposals that will transform the current nine-acre St Mary’s site, some of which dates back to 1845, with: Independent analysis shows that, as well as improving health and healthcare, this development will create 12-15,000 jobs and up to £15 billion in new economic activity over ten years. It will also support the development of WestTech London, the wider research and innovation cluster across west London led by Imperial College London. The new St Mary’s Hospital will enable services to be organised around patient, staff and visitor needs, under one roof and on a smaller more efficient footprint. It will have built-in flexibility so that it can adapt to new demands and, at over 800-beds, have around 25 per cent more inpatient capacity to respond to expected population changes. It will also include spaces to embed research, education and innovation, helping the hospital to continue its longstanding legacy of clinical breakthroughs. Once the new hospital is built on the east of the site, the land that is then surplus to requirements will be redeveloped. As well as helping to offset the building costs, supporting the further expansion of Paddington Life Sciences and contributing to wider community benefits, this approach enables services to remain operational throughout the development. Design work for the hospital and overall masterplan is now underway, with the next phase of public engagement and consultation planned to start in February 2026. There will be a range of opportunities for patients, staff and local communities to help ensure the hospital and wider site are rooted in local priorities and designed around user needs. The Trust is aiming to submit a planning application in spring 2027. Stanhope brings deep expertise in delivering complex urban regeneration, including the redevelopment of BBC Television Centre, the creation of Oxford North – a 1 million square foot hub for science and technology innovation – and, most recently, the British Library extension, which will provide new galleries and learning spaces for the library and 600,000 square feet of commercial accommodation for science and technology organisations. Allies and Morrison is a practice of architects and urbanists with an international reputation for transformative urban regeneration projects including King’s Cross, and masterplans with a specific focus on innovation and healthcare. These include work at Sister – Manchester’s new innovation district; a life sciences cluster around the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel; and at White City for Imperial College London. Matthew Tulley, Redevelopment Director at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust said: “This marks a critical step in our journey to finally deliver the urgently needed new St Mary’s, designed around the needs of our patients, staff and local communities. Our approach also builds on our long legacy of clinical breakthroughs, embedding research, education and innovation in the new facilities and surrounding area to help us solve the next generation of health challenges. “I’m delighted that we have such a range of expertise in our project team, each a leader in their own field, to help us bring our vision to life.” David Camp, Chief Executive at Stanhope, commented: “This redevelopment is about more than new buildings – it’s about ensuring future generations have access to world-class care, innovation and inclusive growth. We are therefore proud to be helping deliver a masterplan that puts a new St Mary’s Hospital at its heart, safeguarding NHS care while bringing science, community and opportunity together.” Paul Eaton, Partner at Allies and Morrison, said: “We are looking forward to working with Stanhope and Gillespies to support Imperial College Healthcare in developing its long-term vision for St Mary’s. The masterplan will integrate the new HOK-designed hospital with its Paddington setting, provide a wealth of new connections and public spaces, as well as facilities for health and innovation partners.” Further information St Mary’s has been part of the Government’s New Hospital Programme (formerly the ‘40 New Hospitals by 2030’ initiative) since its inception. Many parts of the St Mary’s estate are over 170 years old, and the Trust currently spends around £10 million per year just on essential repairs alone. Despite this investment, critical infrastructure is increasingly failing. As one of London’s four major trauma centres, significant disruption to St Mary’s services would have very damaging consequences for the capital’s wider health care system. The Trust has developed a detailed, well-evidenced and widely supported case for the redevelopment of the hospital. This includes a new teaching and research hospital with over 800 beds on the eastern side of the site, at an estimated cost of £2.2 billion, as well as redevelopment of the rest of the estate to include expansion of the existing Paddington Life Sciences, the cluster of surrounding life sciences and data companies. However, central government funding from the New Hospitals Programme has been repeatedly delayed and, currently, Imperial College Healthcare has only managed to secure funding to complete design and planning. The main funding for the building works is not currently scheduled to be available until 2035 at the earliest, meaning no new hospital until the early 2040s. In partnership with Westminster City Council, Imperial College London, Imperial Health Charity and local MPs, the Trust has established a taskforce to enable the construction of a new St Mary’s to begin as
Housebuilder secures planning for 100 high-quality homes in Cirencester
Top 10 UK housebuilder, Keepmoat, is working to deliver 100 high-quality new homes as part of a multi-million pound investment to transform land off Spratsgate Lane in Cirencester at The Steadings. The housebuilder secured planning this month to develop the land. The homes, set to be built in Cotswold stone, will make up part of the second phase of the wider scheme, which is set to create 2,350 new homes, together with new education, health, community and leisure facilities. Working in partnership with master developer Bathurst Development Limited and Homes England, Keepmoat is creating a unique mix of one and two-bedroom apartments and two to five-bedroom homes. All the homes will feature a mix of energy-saving technology such as air source heat pumps and PV panels. Bathurst Development has completed the delivery of the new primary road, play area and landscaping of the adjoining open green spaces as well as improving local infrastructure. Ben Leather, Regional Managing Director, South West, said: “At Keepmoat, we’re dedicated to creating high-quality, sustainable homes in thriving communities. “Our focus is on creating a well-connected neighbourhood that complements its surroundings whilst meeting the housing requirements of the local community, including delivering high-quality affordable homes. “We look forward to working closely with our partners to progress our plans for a scheme that reflects the character, heritage and long term ambitions of the area.” Peter Cusdin, Development Director at Bathurst Development, added: “Our vision for The Steadings is to be a welcoming and integrated new neighbourhood for Cirencester. “Beautifully designed energy-efficient new homes that integrate modern living with the architectural traditions of the Cotswolds will all be built within a generous open parkland setting so that the whole area becomes somewhere people are proud to live, work and spend their leisure time. “We look forward to working with Keepmoat to bring forward this much-anticipated next phase within The Steadings.” Joe Wharton, Assistant Director – Regional at Homes England, added: “As the government’s housing and regeneration agency, our aim is to work with public and private sector partners to unlock strategic housing sites, and we are committed to supporting Keepmoat to achieve their ambitions. “Funding from Homes England will enable the delivery of 100 high-quality new homes in Cirencester. This is a prime example of how we are working with partners to achieve our mission to build thriving communities that people can be proud to call home.” Following the establishment of Keepmoat’s South West region, the developer is also working on multiple live sites across, including in Swindon, Warminster and Weston-Super-Mare. To find out more about The Steadings, please visit: www.thesteadingscirencester.co.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
ASWS showcases unrivalled expertise in County Hall window restoration
Associated Steel Window Services (ASWS) carefully selects skilled operatives for its specialist projects, ensuring they are fully prepared for the unique challenges involved. Each team member receives comprehensive training to approach every task with confidence and diligence, supported by the right safety equipment and expert supervision. This commitment to excellence enabled ASWS to deliver outstanding results on projects such as the restoration of 40 distinctive ‘porthole’ and rectangular steel windows overlooking Westminster Bridge. Recently completed, the contract concerned the 5th and 6th floors of The Marriott Hotel which forms part of the iconic County Hall building, once occupied by the Greater London Council (GLC), and where ASWS has undertaken multiple contracts for different clients over the past 30 years. This most recent one was won partly on the basis of its unrivalled experience in the field, but was the first time the company had worked with either the main contractor Red Construction or Studio Loren, which led the design work. Having initially assisted a previous architect with technical advice and preliminary assessments of the damage the ageing steel windows had suffered, ASWS began work on site during the summer of 2023, but had to take multiple breaks due to the complexity of the internal reconfigurations being carried out by Red Construction. Significantly, the difficulty of overhauling and redecorating the 15 crescent-shaped porthole windows at 5th floor level, that included a large central roundel with no opening vents, and the two dozen rectangular windows, mainly measuring 1800 x 2000mm and arranged across both floors, was magnified by it not being possible to scaffold the elevations involved. The Operations Director for ASWS, Kris Bennell, explained: “While we were only decorating the inside of the windows, a lot of them had to be deglazed which, without scaffolding, required special measures and very strict procedures to ensure the work was carried out safely – both for our staff and the public. We have a ‘tool tethering’ system for any of our operatives to use when required; the NLG, or Never Let Go toolbelt secures hammers, screwdrivers or anything else to their bodies using tethers, tapes and lanyards. If the tool does not have an eyehole or other attachment point, a special tape is applied around the handle to secure the cable. It is not just the initial training which all our operatives undergo, but also explaining the importance and managing it on a contract-by-contract basis which results in our excellent safety record going back years. “Not only was it many of the steel frames with their through-glazing bars that were in need of significant repair, but much of the glazing also had to be replaced, while all of the ironmongery had to be demounted. The glass was internally beaded which helped, but being located up on the fifth floor there is obviously a large potential ‘fall zone’ so we had to set up quite a wide exclusion zone on the ground below; while we worked during County Hall’s non-operational hours. The team got in early and worked from 5am before the restaurant below opened, carrying out all the hazardous tasks. In addition, we applied a very strong film across the surfaces of the glass before we broke any of it out.” While the majority of the windows were refurbished in-situ, two which had been isolated for decades by a false wall were found to be very heavily corroded as they took the brunt of the weather off the river. Fortunately, these were demounted from a balcony and removed from site for full restoration: with shot-blasting revealing many parts that required replacement. No longer in production, the Mid-Universal sections had to be fabricated from flat bar and angle lengths in the ASWS workshops and then welded into position. Kris Bennell summed up: “Sequencing was a challenge and managing noise was particularly restricting as, apart from the two floors we were working on, the hotel remained fully occupied. For instance, the principal suite in the Marriott was above us on the 7th floor, and overall, we were limited to a three-hour period every day, before lunch when we could make noise. However, we stuck to our initial quotation, and the different operations were completed in coordination with the other trades.” ASWS offers a full range of survey, repair, replica replacement and maintenance services for all ages and types of metal and timber windows. For more information on ASWS, please visit asws.co.uk. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Glencar emerges as frontrunner for landmark north London data centre
Glencar is understood to be on course to secure a major new data centre contract in north London, strengthening its growing reputation in the UK’s rapidly expanding digital infrastructure market. Industry sources suggest the contractor is set to be appointed on a £100m-plus scheme for Pure Data Centres at Brent Cross, forming the next phase of the developer’s wider £1bn campus investment in the area. If confirmed, the project would represent another significant win for Glencar in the highly competitive data centre sector. The proposed facility is expected to stand out not only for its scale but also for its design credentials. Central to the scheme is a vast living wall wrapping around the building, covering approximately 7,400 square metres and incorporating more than 750,000 plants. The feature is intended to soften the appearance of the development, enhance biodiversity and contribute to improved air quality, reflecting the increasing emphasis on sustainability and environmental performance in data centre design. Sources close to the procurement process indicate the contract came down to a straight contest between Glencar and Winvic, with Glencar ultimately emerging as the preferred contractor. The decision is understood to have been influenced by Glencar’s strong delivery record on complex logistics and technology-led projects, particularly in west and north London. Glencar has previously delivered data centre schemes in the capital, including a six-storey facility at Park Royal for Vantage Data Centers, which reached completion late last year. That project is said to have demonstrated the contractor’s ability to manage technically demanding builds within constrained urban sites, while maintaining programme certainty and quality. The latest Brent Cross scheme would further consolidate Glencar’s position as a go-to contractor for large-scale data centre developments, at a time when demand for digital infrastructure continues to accelerate across London and the South East. Neither Glencar nor Pure Data Centres has formally commented on the appointment, but an announcement is expected once contractual arrangements are finalised. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Major construction milestones reached at TJ Morris Distribution Centre, Doncaster
McLaren Construction Midlands and North is continuing to make strong progress on the TJ Morris Distribution Centre in Doncaster, with significant structural, envelope and internal milestones now achieved. The steel frame for the development was completed in November, with ground floor slab works also commencing the same month. The building is on track to become fully watertight by the end of February, with cladding works progressing well and targeted for completion in the Spring. Significant progress has also been made on the Vehicle Maintenance Unit (VMU) with the steel structure now fully erected, approximately 90% of the cladding installed and the fit out of the internal workshop scheduled to commence in March. Externally, a major milestone will also be reached in late March with the completion of base course tarmac to the external hard standing areas. Internally, office fit-out works across the ground, first and second floors will begin in early February, delivering modern office accommodation alongside a commercial kitchen and canteen. Within the warehouse, high-level mechanical and electrical services installation is nearing completion, including the sprinkler system. Once slab works are finalised, teams will return to bring internal levels up to finished ground level. Specialist industrial freezer works are scheduled to commence in the spring. Loading dock installation is now complete, with all 106 dock doors installed, while approximately 50 per cent of office windows are in place. Full window installation is expected within the next four weeks, further supporting the programme to achieve full weather tight status. The project is also incorporating several efficiency- and sustainability-led construction practices. These include on-site concrete batching by specialist subcontractor McCoys, with approximately 20,200m³ of concrete produced to date. This comprises 14,000m³ for yard slabs, 2,500m³ for waterproofing in pits, 2,000m³ for ground beams and bases, 1,300m³ for dock slabs and 400m³ for miscellaneous drainage and associated works. All concrete has been batched on site, significantly reducing vehicle movements and the project’s overall carbon footprint. In addition, all precast piles installed on the project have been cropped, crushed, and reused on site for temporary works areas, further reducing waste and associated transport impacts. Once complete, the 829,000 sq. ft highly automated distribution centre will serve more than 300 Home Bargains stores nationwide and is expected to create up to 1,000 new jobs, forming a cornerstone of TJ Morris’ long-term logistics and distribution strategy. In addition to its commercial impact, the project underscores McLaren’s commitment to local engagement and sustainability. Key initiatives include a highly localised supply chain, with 70 percent of suppliers currently located within 50 miles of the site, innovation applied to the steel requirements to ensure the scheme is as economical as possible, the use of borrow pits and local fill materials significantly reducing transport emissions, and the sponsorship of a local football team, including full kit provision. Located at Unity Connect, the facility is part of the wider Unity Yorkshire masterplan – a transformative mixed-use regeneration scheme that spans over 250 hectares, delivering homes, jobs, and infrastructure across the region. The Unity scheme is also home to a dedicated Employment Academy, an initiative funded by Waystone Hargreaves Land and delivered in partnership with Business Doncaster aimed at supporting recruitment, training, and access to employment opportunities for local residents Luke Arnold, Regional Director, at McLaren Construction Midlands and North, said: “Progress on the TJ Morris Distribution Centre continues to gather momentum, with a number of key milestones achieved. This is a complex, large-scale logistics project and the pace of delivery is a real credit to the project team and our supply chain partners. “As we move towards making the building fully watertight and into the next phases of fit-out and external works, we will see the scale of this facility and the long-term benefits it will bring to Doncaster.” Neil Kelson, Head of Logistics, TJ Morris said “It is great to be part of a business that continues to invest in future growth and the very latest technology to maximise efficiency and keep prices low for our customers. Working with our build partners for this project, McLaren Construction, great progress has been made, with the build on track to hand over to Witron to start the automation install later this year. I am excited that by the summer of 2028 we will be fully operational at the Doncaster site, taking all of the key learnings and best practice from our recently opened Omega Distribution Centre, St Helens”. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals