NHS Property Services Surpasses Carbon Reduction Target in Drive Towards Net Zero
NHS Property Services has exceeded its annual carbon reduction target after cutting emissions by 5.2% during 2025/26, marking another significant step in the decarbonisation of the NHS estate. As one of the largest landlords within the health service, responsible for approximately 10% of NHS buildings across England, NHS Property Services plays a critical role in helping the wider healthcare sector achieve its Net Zero ambitions. Through its Green Plan and Net Zero Carbon Strategy, the organisation has committed to reaching Net Zero by 2040, in line with national NHS objectives. The latest reduction in emissions has been achieved through targeted investment in energy efficiency measures, low-carbon heating technologies, renewable energy systems and smarter building management solutions across community healthcare settings. One of the standout projects has been the installation of the NHS’s largest heat pump at Royal South Hants Hospital. The scheme is significantly reducing reliance on fossil fuels while demonstrating how low-carbon heating solutions can be successfully implemented within complex healthcare environments. Elsewhere, energy upgrades at Torrington Place Health Centre in North London have improved both energy performance and operational resilience, ensuring facilities continue to support patient care effectively. At Kirkstall Health Centre in Leeds, decarbonisation works have helped reduce energy demand, extend the lifespan of building assets and improve internal conditions for both staff and patients. Alongside improvements to its own estate, NHS Property Services is also supporting wider sector progress through collaboration and knowledge sharing. Earlier this year, the organisation hosted a national webinar exploring how NHS bodies can translate Net Zero strategies into practical action, with discussions focusing on funding, retrofit delivery and long-term planning. Sustainability measures are now increasingly embedded across both new developments and refurbishment projects, including high-performance insulation, LED lighting, smart building management systems, solar photovoltaic technology, energy-efficient heating and ventilation, electric vehicle charging infrastructure and biodiversity enhancements. Nick Macdonald Smith, Net Zero Carbon Lead at NHS Property Services, said exceeding the organisation’s carbon reduction target demonstrated what can be achieved when sustainability is integrated into estate planning and delivery. He added that collaboration and the sharing of best practice would be essential in accelerating progress across the wider NHS estate. With measurable results already being achieved, NHS Property Services continues to demonstrate how healthcare infrastructure can become more resilient, efficient and environmentally sustainable while supporting the NHS’s long-term commitment to Net Zero. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
MILWAUKEE® Tools partners with JTL to address the skills shortage facing construction
Leading tool manufacturer strengthens commitment to workforce development through comprehensive learner training programme MILWAUKEE® Tools has partnered with JTL, one of the UK’s largest work-based learning providers, to help address the growing skills shortage across the construction and building services engineering industry. The partnership will support apprentices in England, beginning with a pilot of the partnership at JTL’s Birmingham and new Thames Valley training centres, giving learners access to high-quality training, equipment and real-world experience. The partnership helps ensure the next generation of highly-skilled tradespeople are prepared for the demands of modern construction, mirroring what they will use on site and improving confidence, competence and safety. JTL has a network of 17 specialist training centres, and also partners with a number of colleges and other delivery partners, supporting around 8,000 electrical and plumbing apprentices. Expert-led training from experienced tradespeople Rather than simply supplying tools, MILWAUKEE® is also bringing its team of Job Site Solution Specialists to JTL apprentices. These experts will deliver regular, practical, on-site sessions across select training centres and colleges; complimenting the high-quality day-to-day training apprentices receive from JTL’s site-experienced Tutors and Training Officers. These sessions will give apprentices the chance to further get to grips with professional-grade tools, while also building confidence around safety and practical guidance in realistic working environments. This initiative also aims to challenge outdated perceptions of the trades. By introducing apprentices to modern technology, like the MX FUEL™ battery platform, M18™ and M12™ cordless systems, it highlights how construction today is driven as much by innovation as it is by skill. JTL Apprentices will also have the opportunity to visit MILWAUKEE®’s UK Experience Centre in Aylesbury, where they can explore the full range of tools and take part in specialist training sessions, competitions and events. Building confidence from day one For training providers, MILWAUKEE®’s collaboration helps reduce equipment costs and broaden access to high quality training. Independent Training Providers (ITPs) like JTL face significant funding constraints and are not directly funded for tools and equipment. For learners, it means learning with the same tools they’ll use on site, helping them feel job-ready from the very start. “The skills gap in construction isn’t just a recruitment problem, it’s a perception problem,” said Dan Abley, College Programme Manager at MILWAUKEE® Tools. “Young people need to see that the trades offer genuine career progression, with powerful technology, and career paths that rival any office-based role. This partnership puts professional-grade equipment in learners’ hands from day one, proving that construction is as innovative and technology-driven as any other sector. When you learn on the tools you’ll actually use in the field, you build the right habits and standards from the beginning, and that shapes your entire career.” “The construction sector is constantly evolving, with new technologies and tools reshaping how we work.” said Chris Claydon, Chief Executive Officer of JTL. “This partnership with Milwaukee ensures our apprentices continue to learn using first‑class, industry‑leading equipment. JTL’s training expertise, combined with the innovative solutions Milwaukee brings, will support our apprentices to develop the skills electrical employers need now and in the future.” Following a visit to MILWAUKEE®’s UK Experience Centre in Aylesbury, JTL’s Delivery Team Manager for the Western region, Kirstine Ginger, said: “It was fantastic for our delivery team to visit Milwaukee’s Experience Centre in Aylesbury and see first-hand the breadth of innovation shaping the electrical industry. Experiences like this really bring learning to life, giving staff greater knowledge and confidence with new tools and technologies to pass on to the next generation of apprentices, while reinforcing the practical skills they are learning in training with JTL”. By stressing the importance of education, mentorship and hands-on learning rather than focusing on product donation alone, MILWAUKEE® Tools and JTL are creating a sustainable model that benefits apprentices, education providers and the wider construction industry. There are also plans to expand the programme to more colleges and partners as it grows. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Manchester’s Tallest Tower Back on Course After £50m Funding Lifeline
Plans to deliver Manchester’s most ambitious skyscraper development have received a major boost after a £50m funding package helped secure the future of the landmark Viadux Phase 2 scheme. The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has stepped in with a significant rescue loan to bridge a viability gap that had threatened progress on the £360m development. The funding, approved through the authority’s Good Growth Fund, is expected to unlock construction of both the headline-grabbing Nobu Manchester tower and a dedicated affordable housing block. The intervention follows concerns that the project, despite securing planning approval last year, did not generate sufficient investor returns or developer profit to proceed without additional support. A report submitted to the combined authority highlighted the financial challenges facing the scheme, prompting the decision to provide targeted funding. The loan will specifically support the construction of a 23-storey social rent tower delivering 133 affordable homes. This element sits alongside the wider Viadux Phase 2 development, which is set to transform Manchester’s skyline and further strengthen the city’s reputation as one of the UK’s leading development hotspots. At the heart of the scheme is the proposed 76-storey Nobu Manchester tower. Rising to an impressive 246 metres, the skyscraper is set to become the tallest building in Manchester and the tallest tower anywhere in the UK outside London upon completion. The development will provide 452 private residential apartments alongside a 160-bedroom luxury hotel and restaurant operated by internationally renowned hospitality brand Nobu. The project has attracted significant attention both within the property sector and beyond, with Hollywood actor and Nobu co-founder Robert De Niro among the investors supporting the development. GMCA officials concluded that a subsidised loan represented the most effective and efficient funding structure to ensure delivery of the affordable housing element while simultaneously unlocking the wider regeneration benefits of the project. For developer Salboy, the funding agreement marks an important milestone in bringing the scheme forward. The company welcomed the decision, describing it as a crucial component of its long-term strategy to maximise affordable housing provision within the development while maintaining the viability of the wider project. Beyond its architectural significance, the scheme is expected to deliver a range of economic and social benefits, including new homes, employment opportunities, hospitality investment and further regeneration in the city centre. The inclusion of affordable housing within such a high-profile development also reflects growing efforts to balance major city-centre growth with the need for accessible housing provision. With funding now secured, construction of the affordable housing tower can move forward, helping to unlock the wider development and ensuring Manchester’s tallest-ever building remains on track for delivery. The £50m loan is expected to be repaid once the main tower reaches completion, which is currently anticipated in 2032. When finished, the development will not only redefine Manchester’s skyline but also stand as one of the most significant mixed-use projects delivered in the UK outside the capital. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Fusion21 appoints suppliers to £85 million UK-wide Grounds Maintenance Framework for the public sector
Following a competitive open tender process, Fusion21 has appointed 22 suppliers to its £85 million UK-wide Grounds Maintenance Framework, providing public sector members with a fast route to market for grounds maintenance, landscaping and outdoor space services. The specialist companies have secured a place on the fourth iteration of the framework, with 72% being SMEs. This is also the first Fusion21 framework awarded under the Procurement Act 2023. Designed to support Fusion21’s public sector members in maintaining and improving a diverse range of outdoor spaces, the framework provides regional and national coverage, and is available to members, including housing providers, local authorities, education, blue light and the NHS. Services span routine and seasonal maintenance, as well as hard and soft landscaping, tree works, fencing, and hedge and shrub maintenance. Peter Francis, Group Executive Director (Operations) at Fusion21, said: “Our renewed Grounds Maintenance Framework gives members a fast, simple and compliant way to access trusted suppliers for grounds maintenance and landscaping services. With regional and national coverage, it supports everything from local requirements to large-scale, multi-site portfolios. “Complementing our Workplace and Facilities Management Framework, this framework offers flexible call-off options while delivering social value and environmental improvements that have a visible impact on communities.” Over the lifetime of the framework, Fusion21 aims to support the development of a community forest planting trees in every area where the framework is active, helping to create more sustainable communities, reduce carbon emissions and improve wellbeing. Successful suppliers appointed to Fusion21’s national Grounds Maintenance Framework: Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Vistry and Housing Plus Group partner on 398 affordable homes at former Rugeley Power Station
Vistry, the UK’s leading provider of mixed-tenure homes, has signed contracts with Housing Plus Group to deliver 398 affordable homes at the former Rugeley Power Station site, after receiving planning permission to start work on the first 547 homes, the spine road, and associated public open space on the 139-hectare development. The brownfield site, once home to a coal-fired power station that closed in 2016, has already undergone demolition and remediation works. The planning consent paves the way for delivery of the new neighbourhood, including around 2,000 homes in a mix of tenures including affordable homes, private rented sector homes (PRS) and homes for sale on the open market, alongside an all-through school, a riverside park and space for commercial use. Michael Moore, Managing Director of Vistry North West Midlands, said: “Our partnership with Housing Plus Group to deliver 398 affordable homes is a major step forward for the regeneration of the former Rugeley Power Station site. Alongside securing planning permission for the first phase, it means we can now move ahead with confidence and begin creating a high-quality new community for Rugeley. Like many areas of the UK, the town has a severe shortage of housing, and this development will help address that need by delivering affordable and social rent homes, as well as PRS and open market homes, at pace.” David Hall, Executive Director of Investment and Growth at Housing Plus Group said: “Delivering almost 400 new affordable homes marks a key moment in our partnership with Vistry and in the delivery of our development programme as we continue to create places people are proud to call home. This exciting strategic site is a key element of growing our provision of high-quality affordable homes. As a place-based leader, we are committed to delivering for our customers and communities in Staffordshire.” Work is expected to start on the 547 dwellings, spine road and associated public open space and sustainable drainage measures over the coming weeks. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
British Land Names Joanne McNamara as New Chief Executive
British Land has announced the appointment of Joanne McNamara as its new Chief Executive Officer, marking a significant leadership transition for one of the UK’s largest and most influential property companies. McNamara joins the business from Oxford Properties, where she currently serves as Executive Vice President, Europe. Oxford Properties is the global real estate investment, development and management arm of the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS), one of Canada’s largest pension funds. With more than two decades of experience across the real estate sector, McNamara brings extensive expertise in investment, development, asset management and strategic growth. Since joining Oxford Properties in 2010 as one of the company’s first London-based team members, she has played a central role in expanding the organisation’s European operations and helping build a team of more than 70 professionals across the region. During her 16-year tenure, she has overseen several of Oxford Properties’ most significant investment and development transactions, contributing to the company’s growth as a major force within the European real estate market. Prior to joining Oxford Properties, McNamara held senior roles at Hammerson and DTZ, further strengthening her credentials across the commercial property and investment sectors. She is expected to join British Land by the end of November, following the completion of her notice period, and will succeed Simon Carter, who is stepping down after five years as Chief Executive. British Land Chairman William Rucker described McNamara as one of Europe’s most respected real estate professionals, highlighting her deep sector knowledge, experience within private capital markets and reputation for strong leadership. The appointment comes at an important time for British Land as it continues to focus on high-quality mixed-use developments, urban campuses, retail destinations and sustainable property investment across the UK. Commenting on her appointment, McNamara said she has long admired British Land’s track record of creating and managing best-in-class places. She added that she is looking forward to working alongside the board and wider team to build upon the company’s existing platform for growth. The leadership change signals a new chapter for British Land as it continues to navigate evolving market conditions while pursuing long-term opportunities across the UK property sector. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals