Dandara Breaks Ground at Strategic Houghton Regis Development
Independent housebuilder Dandara has officially begun construction at its Linmere development in Houghton Regis, Bedfordshire. The Anglo Gate development will deliver 165 new homes to the area. Dandara is building a mix of private and affordable two-, three-, four-and five- bedroom properties across the 11-acre site, forming part of the wider Linmere consortium scheme delivered by Master Developer Land Improvement Holdings. The wider scheme is set to provide up to 5,000 homes and a range of community amenities across Linmere over the coming years. Construction work has commenced on Parcel 1, which will comprise 58 private sale units within Bidwell Green, while Parcel 6 will deliver 107 units within the Barns and Baileys Character Area. Across the developments, a range of architectural styles, brick tones and materials are being used to create a distinct neighbourhood identity while reflecting the local character of the area. As part of the Section 106 agreement, Anglo Gate will contribute to three new primary schools and a new secondary school next door as well as public open space and green infrastructure. Sustainability commitments also include the use of responsibly sourced materials, including timber, from sustainably managed forests where possible. The first homes are expected to launch for sale in October 2026, and the show homes are expected to launch in Spring 2027. Simon Pendlebury, Managing Director at Dandara Northern Home Counties, said: “Breaking ground at Linmere is an exciting step forward as we begin delivering much-needed private and affordable homes in Houghton Regis. As part of Dandara’s ongoing commitment to creating sustainable, high-quality developments across the region, Linmere represents an important investment in the area’s future. “It is rewarding to be able to form part of the wider consortium to bring community amenities and green infrastructure improvements to the area, which will serve new and existing residents. We look forward to progressing with construction at Anglo Gate and seeing the first residents put down offers on their future homes.” Houghton Regis has a variety of amenities, including supermarkets, independent shops, cafes, restaurants, health facilities and parks including Houghton Hall Park, perfect for a family day out at the weekend. Dandara continues to expand its presence across the Northern Home Counties, with new homes currently being delivered across Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire, including The Acres, Meadow View and Manor Park developments. To find out more about the new homes coming to Linmere visit www.dandara.com/linmere. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Cybersecurity firm Cytix takes 5th floor at Manchester’s 101 Princess Street
Cytix has signed for the entire 4,506 sq ft fifth floor at 101 Princess Street, taking the top floor of the Grade II listed building on a fitted and furnished basis. The Manchester cybersecurity company moves into the space this autumn, occupying the whole of the top floor including two private external terraces overlooking the city centre. The letting was agreed in line with quoting terms. The floor was fitted, furnished and brought to market by owner Yakel, which acquired the Princess Street building in 2024 from ABRDN and has been repositioning it floor by floor since. It was delivered with 48 desks, meeting rooms and breakout space, allowing Cytix to commit and move in without a fit-out programme. The deal leaves the 5,381 sq ft fourth floor as the only remaining conventional office floor at the building, quoting at £24 per sq ft. Samual Farage, principal at Yakel, said: “When we purchased 101, it was a building with extraordinary bones and a lot of work ahead of it. Working with our design team, Incognito, we’ve redesigned this floor by floor, curating it for an occupier who would value the history. Cytix is exactly the kind of enrepreneurial buisness we set out to attract to the 101 community. Delivering the fifth floor fully fitted and furnished meant they could commit and move in quickly, which is increasingly what occupiers of this size are looking for.” “The building has come a long way in two years. With Noon, our flex offering trading well on the second floor and plans taking shape for the rest, this letting takes us another step toward a full building.” Matt Shufflebottom, Director, CBRE, the letting agent for the building said: “Demand for well-priced, fitted and furnished workspace remains strong and we are pleased to see the 5th floor leased to Cytix. Focus now switches to the 4th floor where we can deliver a bespoke fit-out to suit the occupier’s requirements.” The Victorian warehouse on Princess Street has been the subject of a phased refurbishment programme by Yakel, which owns and manages the building directly. Alongside the conventional office floors, the second floor houses Noon, Yakel’s own serviced workspace brand. CBRE acted for Yakel. Level Workspace advised Cytix. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
John F Hunt Moves into Basement Construction at Major City of London Scheme
John F Hunt has begun piling and basement construction at 45 Moorfields in the City of London, marking the next stage in the redevelopment of the site formerly known as Tenter House. The start of Phase 1 follows around nine months of pre-construction activity undertaken in close collaboration with developer Freshwater, preparing the prominent City site for its major transformation. The initial programme included the demolition of the existing 11-storey building together with extensive enabling works required ahead of the main construction phases. John F Hunt has now moved into its latest package, with piling operations under way and work progressing towards the construction of a new single-level basement. The package will also include significant public realm improvements around the development. Plans include the creation of a new plaza together with associated hard and soft landscaping, helping to establish a more attractive and accessible setting around the new building. John F Hunt’s current programme is expected to continue through to January 2027. Paul Bland, Chief Executive Officer of John F Hunt Limited, said: “The start of piling marks the next stage in the delivery of the Tenter House development. “Having completed the pre-construction programme, our focus is now on progressing the works while continuing to coordinate closely with developers Freshwater, project managers Buro Four, cost consultants Exigere and the wider project team.” The wider 45 Moorfields redevelopment will ultimately deliver a new 21-storey building, representing another substantial commercial development within the City of London. McLaren signed a Pre-Construction Services Agreement for the main construction contract last year, providing early contractor involvement as the project progresses towards its principal construction programme. John F Hunt’s role in the early stages provides an important foundation for that subsequent development, with demolition, enabling, piling and basement works preparing the constrained central London site for the new structure above. The project also highlights the extensive preparatory work required before vertical construction can begin on major developments within the capital, particularly on complex City sites where demolition, structural works, logistics and interaction with the surrounding public realm must be carefully coordinated. With the former building now demolished and piling under way, 45 Moorfields is moving from enabling works into physical construction, setting the stage for the delivery of the new 21-storey development and its accompanying public realm improvements. ‘Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
OakNorth provides loan to West Coast Estates to fund commercial acquisitions in Aberdeen and St Andrews
OakNorth, the bank for entrepreneurs, by entrepreneurs, has provided a loan to West Coast Estates, an Aberdeen-based property development and investment company, to fund the acquisition of two commercial assets in Aberdeen and St Andrews, with headroom available to support further acquisitions. West Coast Estates was founded 35 years ago and is led by Sarfraz Ali and Iftikar Mian, who have built a portfolio of retail, industrial, and roadside commercial developments across Scotland, with particular expertise in EV charging, neighbourhood, and roadside assets. The business model involves identifying sites and securing planning permissions, working closely with end users to meet their occupational requirements. The OakNorth facility has supported the acquisition of two assets that exemplify this model. In St Andrews, West Coast Estates has completed the acquisition of Craigtoun Road, a 7-acre mixed-use development opportunity with planning consent for over 60,000 sq ft of retail, office, and employment space. The scheme – which is expected to create over 170 permanent and 100 construction jobs – has attracted significant occupier interest, notably from Home Bargains as the anchor retailer. In Aberdeen, West Coast Estates has acquired Grampian House on Virginia Street, a former warehouse that has received planning permission for conversion into the UK’s first indoor drive-thru, ultra-rapid EV charging hub, pre-let to Fastned on a 35-year lease. Fastned is Europe’s third-largest ultra-rapid EV charging operator with over 2,100 chargers across more than 350 locations in nine countries. The business will install 12 ultra-rapid charging bays capable of delivering up to 400kW – providing up to 100 miles of range in five minutes – alongside a café, shop, and waiting area within the existing warehouse structure, targeting a winter 2026 opening. Iftikar Mian, Director of West Coast Estates, commented: “These two acquisitions represent years of work – identifying the sites, building the relationships, progressing the planning, and agreeing pre-lets and pre-sales to de-risk the projects. That’s how we operate, and it requires a lender who understands the strategy. OakNorth took the time to genuinely understand what we were trying to achieve and why, and structured a facility that reflected that understanding. They were direct, they moved at pace, and they backed us without requiring us to justify the model from scratch – which, after 30 years of doing this, makes a real difference.” Fraser McPhail, Debt Finance Director at OakNorth, continued: “Sarfraz and Iftikar have developed a distinctive and highly disciplined approach to commercial development in Scotland – patient, methodical, and with a genuine eye for sites that others overlook. The Aberdeen EV hub is a particularly compelling asset: a Fastned tenancy, a 35-year lease, and a genuinely pioneering format that reflects both the strength of the operator and the quality of the site West Coast Estates identified and secured. St Andrews is an equally strong story – one of the most commercially constrained planning environments in Scotland, with a scheme of genuine scale and ambition already well underpinned by a pre-sale to Home Bargains. We look forward to supporting West Coast Estates across further opportunities as they continue to grow their portfolio.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Sempra Homes shortlisted for Government Property Awards 2026
Sempra Homes are delighted to announce that they have been shortlisted in the Project of the Year category at the Government Property Awards, alongside Basildon Council, recognising the successful delivery of 166 new homes across three combined developments at Chapelgate, Broadmayne and Tyefields, in Basildon. Delivered through a strong public-private partnership, the developments have transformed underutilised brownfield sites to provide much-needed mixed tenure housing, alongside investment and improvements that benefit the wider local community. Melanie Keys, Services Manager for Sempra Homes, said: “Being shortlisted for a Government Property Award is a fantastic recognition of what has been achieved through these developments and the strength of the partnership behind them. “The success of these schemes demonstrates what can be achieved when partners work together to unlock challenging sites and deliver much-needed homes for local people alongside wider benefits to borough residents and businesses through the use of local supply chains, opportunities for local labour, training and apprentice placements.” Across the three developments, all affordable rent and shared ownership homes are now occupied, while more than 60% of private sale homes have been reserved or sold, demonstrating strong demand across the different tenures. The collaborative approach between Sempra Homes, Basildon Borough Council, Homes England, One Public Estate, South Essex Councils and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, The Hill Group and Site Ready Solutions has been central to bringing the three projects forward. Government funding helped unlock infrastructure, enabling the schemes to progress and provide a range of housing opportunities for local people. In addition, improvements to the wider community include the provision of new play and picnic areas, new footpaths and cycle lanes and improvements to open space areas with new tree and wildflower planting and biodiversity improvements. The Government Property Awards shortlist recognises projects that demonstrate excellence across the public sector property industry. The winners will be announced later this year. For further information, visit www.semprahomes.co.uk. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
95% increase in construction and architecture degree apprenticeships at UK’s top universities despite funding cuts
A new study today reveals a 95% uplift in construction and architecture sector degree apprenticeships at the UK’s Top 100 universities in the last two years, despite government funding cuts earlier this year leaving thousands of employers facing an estimated £214 million* increase in training costs. The research by the University Vocational Awards Council (UVAC), the higher and degree apprenticeship voice for over 80 universities, comes just months after levy funding was withdrawn for most Level 7 apprentices aged over 21, leaving building firms and architecture employers with a financial and skills shortage headache. In a further boost to firms, 69% of the UK’s Top 100* universities will continue to offer Level 7 apprenticeships in September despite the funding shortfall. In the building and architecture sectors, 63% of the degree apprenticeships available at leading universities this autumn will be available at Level 6, whilst 37% can be completed at Level 7. There has been a 6% increase in top universities providing degree apprenticeships in the last two years, reflecting sustained employer and apprentice demand for both Level 6 and 7. Degree apprenticeship provision overall across sectors*** ranging from construction to law has also increased by 73% over the same period. Dr Mandy Crawford-Lee, chief executive of UVAC, said: “Although these findings provide no comfort to construction or architecture apprentices aged 22 and older or employers who were greatly impacted by the Level 7 government funding cuts earlier this year, it’s clear from our research that the UK’s top universities continue to back degree apprenticeships in large numbers. “What’s particularly encouraging is that universities aren’t simply maintaining provision, they’re evolving it. Degree apprenticeship growth in sector areas such as construction and architecture demonstrates their commitment to helping tackle where the UK’s biggest workforce challenges exist, and where higher-level skills can have the greatest economic impact. In addition to the construction and architecture sectors, marketing has seen a 150% growth in degree apprenticeship programmes provided by the UK’s top universities since 2024, followed by law (+67%) and finance and accounting (+57%). The following list identifies which sectors have seen the most growth in degree apprenticeships over the last two years: Dr Mandy Crawford-Lee added: “Demand for construction and architecture-led degree apprenticeships amongst young people has never been higher. Our focus is now on helping universities ensure their provision across more regions, sectors and apprentices from underserved communities so that social mobility is not compromised. “Degree apprenticeships remain the cornerstone to a successful economy and our latest findings are certainly a significant step in the right direction.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals