Reds10 Drives Modular Prison Expansion as Inmates Help Build 152 New Places
Reds10 has started construction of 152 new prison places at HMP Kirklevington Grange in North Yorkshire, with prisoners themselves gaining construction and manufacturing experience as part of the delivery programme. The Ministry of Justice scheme is being delivered through its Rapid Deployment Cells (RDC) Programme, which uses Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) and extensive offsite manufacturing to increase capacity across the prison estate more quickly than conventional construction methods. Reds10 is the Principal Works Contractor for the Kirklevington Grange project. The development will provide the additional places across three new two-storey accommodation blocks, together with supporting facilities and infrastructure. A total of 181 modules will be used, with more than 85% of the accommodation completed offsite before being transported to the prison for installation. In an unusual example of construction being integrated with rehabilitation and skills development, prisoners are also participating in the project. Two inmates are working on the foundations on site, with the potential for participation to increase as construction progresses. Reds10 is also employing prisoners released on temporary licence to support the manufacture of RDC units for the wider prison estate. Three former prisoners have subsequently secured permanent employment with the modular construction specialist. The approach adds an important social value element to a programme primarily focused on increasing the capacity of the Government’s prison estate. Kirklevington Grange is an open prison supporting men preparing for release and resettlement in the North East, with employment and vocational training already forming an important part of its work. Mark Wood, Head of Construction, Justice Sector at Reds10, said the scheme demonstrates the benefits of combining MMC with an integrated delivery model to provide greater certainty, coordination and efficiency. He added that the contractor was proud of the opportunities being created for prisoners to develop practical skills and workplace experience while contributing directly to the delivery of much-needed prison capacity. The development forms part of a much wider Government programme to expand the prison estate. The Government has committed to delivering 14,000 additional prison places by 2031, with 3,300 delivered since July 2024. Other projects across the North East and Yorkshire include additional accommodation at HMP Northumberland and HMP Humber, alongside the recently opened 1,500-place HMP Millsike near York. Rapid Deployment Cells are increasingly forming part of this construction programme, with modular units manufactured away from operational prisons before being installed on existing sites. The approach can reduce the amount of work undertaken within live custodial environments while accelerating delivery and making use of smaller parcels of available land. For Reds10, Kirklevington Grange is its largest Rapid Deployment Cells Programme project to date and provides a notable example of how offsite construction, public-sector investment and social value can be combined within the Government estate. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Panattoni Powers Ahead with 500,000 Sq Ft Wakefield Logistics Development
Panattoni has appointed three leading property agencies to market its major Wakefield 500 development, as construction progresses on one of the largest speculative logistics projects currently being delivered in Yorkshire. Knight Frank, Colliers and Commercial Property Partners (CPP) have been selected as letting agents for the development at Wakefield Europort in Castleford, where Panattoni is delivering a 500,000 sq ft cross-docked logistics facility. Panattoni acquired the 23-acre site from Delin Property earlier this year and is developing Wakefield 500 in joint venture with Newport by Panattoni, with the project forming part of the Newport Logistics Fund III investment portfolio. Construction started in June, with the building expected to be ready for occupation in May 2027. The scale of the speculative investment reflects confidence in West Yorkshire’s logistics market at a time when the availability of modern large-format warehouse space remains constrained. Wakefield Europort is already an established distribution destination, with major occupiers including Asda, Royal Mail, Haribo, Warburtons and Menzies. Located close to Junction 31 of the M62, the development provides onward access to the M1 and A1(M), connecting occupiers with markets across Yorkshire, the North, Midlands and wider UK. Rail connectivity provides another important advantage. Wakefield Europort includes a rail freight terminal operated by Maritime, offering businesses an alternative to road-based distribution and supporting the decarbonisation of supply chains. Wakefield 500 is being constructed to a high Grade A specification, with a 15-metre clear internal height, 56 dock doors, eight level-access doors and yard depths of up to 50 metres. The development will also provide 62 HGV spaces, 384 car parking spaces, EV charging infrastructure and a 2.5 MVA power supply. Sustainability forms a major part of Panattoni’s development strategy for the scheme. Wakefield 500 is targeting BREEAM Outstanding, net zero carbon in construction and strong EPC performance. Environmental measures include roof-mounted solar PV, rainwater harvesting, water leak detection and energy sub-metering, alongside extensive natural daylight within the warehouse. Chris Brown, development director at Panattoni, said the building had been designed around the requirements of modern large-scale logistics occupiers, with factors including resilience, labour availability, power, sustainability and access to major consumer markets influencing its specification. The appointment of Knight Frank, Colliers and CPP will now step up the marketing campaign as construction advances. Iain McPhail, logistics and industrial property partner at Knight Frank’s Leeds office, said the project was arriving at a time when the supply of large-format logistics accommodation remained severely restricted across both the UK and West Yorkshire. Rob Whatmuff, director at Colliers, highlighted the combination of road and rail connectivity, workforce availability and modern specification, while CPP director Toby Vernon described Wakefield 500 as one of the most highly anticipated speculative industrial and logistics developments to emerge across the North. With its combination of scale, multimodal connectivity and ambitious environmental standards, Panattoni Wakefield 500 represents a significant addition to Yorkshire’s logistics development pipeline and a major vote of confidence in the region’s long-term industrial property market. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Built for the busiest six by four metres in retail
How SPECTRSOLUTIONS LTD uses HIMACS, specified through James Latham, to deliver premium retail kiosks inside Westfield, Battersea Power Station and other landmark UK shopping destinations. A shopping kiosk has nowhere to hide. Standing in the middle of the mall, surrounded on every side by sometimes frenetic footfall, it has to perform as architecture, signage, storage and customer counter, all inside a footprint that rarely exceeds six metres by four. For SPECTRSOLUTIONS LTD, which has spent 15 years designing, producing, installing and maintaining kiosks for some of the country’s busiest and high-profile retail destinations, that compact footprint hides a much bigger challenge. “It’s never easy,” says Oleg Kacs, Managing Director at SPECTRSOLUTIONS. “Every project has to answer to three different rulebooks at once. It has to meet British Standards, the shopping centre’s own design guidelines and align with the brand’s identity. And it still has to draw people in.” A material that earns its place Around half of SPECTRSOLUTIONS’ projects are designed in-house. The other half arrive from leading British design agencies. Either way, the team takes the concept through production, installation and aftercare, with materials sourced in the majority of cases from James Latham. HIMACS, the solid surface material distributed by James Latham, has become the team’s default for kiosk work. It now sits ahead of comparable solid surface options on the SPECTRSOLUTIONS specification list. The reasoning is as much practical as visual. Shopping centres in the UK and across Europe insist on materials that are fire-rated, durable and capable of standing up to constant interaction. A kiosk is touched, leant on, brushed past and bumped into all day. HIMACS, a solid acrylic surface, is scratch resistant, hard to damage and available in a wide colour palette. That breadth of colour choice helps the team meet brand guidelines without resorting to finishes that would fall foul of shopping centre rules. Westfield’s kiosk guidelines, for example, rule out anything that scratches to reveal another colour underneath. That veto extends to laminates, vinyl wraps and most sprayed finishes. Whereas solid surface sits firmly within the approved list. HIMACS works hard across décor, side panels, counters and countertop surfaces, often employed in a single project. How the projects come together A typical kiosk measures around six metres by four. A standard build uses roughly five sheets of HIMACS in the primary brand colour, with one or two further sheets in accent shades for smaller features. Each sheet measures 3.68 metres by 70 centimetres, which decides how panels are cut, jointed and finished. The programme of design to assembly and installation runs to roughly three months. One month covers design, approvals and the technical drawings required by the venue. The remaining eight weeks cover production and installation on site. Specifying materials through James Latham allows the planning phase to operate alongside the order, so stock is moving while drawings are still being signed off. Where the real work happens The briefing is the point where everything has to come together. Brand teams arrive with a colour palette and a portfolio that needs to translate into three dimensions. Shopping centre managers ask for a sculptural object that contributes visual appeal to the mall and gives shoppers a reason to stop. Underneath all of that, British Standards govern fire performance, accessibility and structural detail. “Every project starts and ends with the client’s vision,” Oleg explains. “Then we look at inspirations, what the client likes, and we combine all of that with the shopping centre’s design guideline. The brand is the last layer, but it is the most important one. People recognise it from the other end of the mall.” The tension Oleg sees most often sits between the brand’s operational needs and the centre’s appetite for impact. Counters, storage, stock movement, hand wash provision in food and beverage units, and concealed CCTV all have to fit inside the same small footprint that also has to look striking from any angle. HIMACS gives the team a way to fundamentally shape the structure rather than simply dressing it. The James Latham link For SPECTRSOLUTIONS, working with James Latham takes one of the bigger variables out of a tight, three-month programme. HIMACS material is available in the colours, sheet sizes and quantities the team needs, with the supply chain reliability to hold installation dates. Debbie Northall, Specification Manager, James Latham says, “Projects like these put HIMACS to work in some of the most demanding retail settings in the country, in front of millions of shoppers a year. With more kiosks already in the diary at Westfield, Battersea Power Station and other UK centres, the partnership keeps building, one six by four metre footprint at a time.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Will Rudd powers Scottish Water HQ with major solar installation
Multi-award-winning civil and structural engineering consultancy Will Rudd has supported the delivery of a major solar car port installation at Scottish Water’s headquarters in Stepps, Glasgow. The project has seen more than 1 MW of solar PV installed across eight canopies, covering approximately 243 parking bays and incorporating around 2,250 solar panels. Once operational, the installation is expected to generate around 1 GWh of electricity each year, providing roughly one third of the site’s power and saving approximately 160 tonnes of carbon annually. Delivered within a live, high-traffic environment, the project presented a number of engineering challenges, including how to manage drainage across the existing car park while integrating the new structures with the site’s existing infrastructure. The initial proposal involved an underground drainage solution, but a detailed assessment of the existing site levels and surface water flows identified an opportunity to make greater use of the infrastructure already in place. Will Rudd developed a solution that incorporated the existing drainage network and sustainable drainage features, requiring just one new drainage connection to serve the proposed glass-reinforced polyester switch room. This reduced the need for extensive underground drainage works while providing an effective approach to surface water management, and reducing project costs. Will Rudd was appointed by OCS to provide civil and structural engineering services for the project, with its involvement beginning with a detailed review of existing information, site inspections and surveys of the proposed development area. The consultancy was responsible for the design of the foundations, substructures and drainage infrastructure, as well as swept path analysis to assess vehicle access and manoeuvrability around the new structures. Will Rudd also provided Structural Engineers Registration certification for the third-party canopy structures, prepared structural design submissions and supported the building warrant application process. Throughout construction, the team provided ongoing civil and structural engineering support, responding to site queries and resolving technical challenges to support delivery within the live site environment. Steven Williams, Assistant Engineer at Will Rudd, said: “Projects such as this demonstrate how engineering can help organisations make practical use of existing sites to support their transition towards more sustainable energy. “Working within an operational car park presented a number of challenges, particularly around drainage, access and the integration of the new structures with the existing site. By taking a detailed approach to the existing infrastructure, we were able to develop solutions that supported the installation while minimising disruption and unnecessary additional works. “It’s a great example of how careful civil and structural engineering can help deliver renewable energy infrastructure that works effectively within an existing environment.” The project forms part of Will Rudd’s growing work in the renewable energy and infrastructure sectors. The consultancy is currently working with OCS on a number of projects across the UK, including structural assessments of non-traditional housing stock in Scotland to support the installation of Tesla Powerwall energy storage systems, alongside surveys and feasibility assessments for solar PV installations across DWP buildings in England and Scotland. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
£120bn Government FM Framework Sets Stage for Major Public Estate Contracts
Some of the UK’s biggest facilities management and building services contractors have secured positions on a new government framework valued at up to £120 billion, opening the door to a major pipeline of public estate work over the next eight years. The Government Commercial Agency framework, RM6378, is set to become a recommended procurement route for facilities management services across central government. It will also be available to local authorities, NHS organisations, police forces, fire and rescue services, education bodies and devolved administrations. Competition for the largest Total Facilities Management contracts has attracted many of the sector’s leading names. Eighteen businesses have been appointed to the highest-value lot, covering individual contracts worth more than £15 million annually. The successful firms include Amey, CBRE, Compass, Dalkia, Equans, G4S Facilities Management, ISS, JLL, Kier, Mitie, OCS, Robertson Facilities Management, Serco, Skanska, Sodexo, Vinci Facilities, Vivo Defence Services and Wates. For the construction and built environment industry, the framework also represents a substantial opportunity for contractors delivering hard FM, engineering, maintenance and asset management services across the public estate. Forty businesses have secured positions on the major Hard FM lot for contracts valued above £2 million per year. Among those appointed are Amey, BAM FM, CBRE, Dalkia, Equans, Galliford Try, Graham Asset Management, Kier, Mears, Mitie, NG Bailey, OCS, Robertson, Serco, Skanska, Vinci Facilities, Vivo and Wates. The framework has been structured to accommodate public sector estates and contracts of significantly different scales. Total FM is divided into three bands covering contracts worth up to £2 million annually, between £2 million and £15 million, and more than £15 million. Hard FM is split between contracts below and above £2 million a year. A core group of contractors has achieved particularly strong coverage across the framework. Fifteen firms secured places across all five Total FM and Hard FM lots: Amey, CBRE, Equans, ISS, JLL, Kier, Mitie, OCS, Robertson, Serco, Skanska, Sodexo, Vinci Facilities, Vivo Defence Services and Wates Property Services. A further group, including BAM FM, Dalkia Facilities, Galliford Try Facilities Management, Graham Asset Management and Mears FM, secured positions across four lots. The scale and duration of the framework make it an important development for the management and maintenance of the UK’s public buildings and infrastructure. Alongside day-to-day FM provision, major hard services contracts can encompass the engineering, maintenance and long-term performance of complex property portfolios. With public bodies continuing to face pressure to improve building efficiency, modernise ageing estates and manage assets more effectively, the framework provides a long-term procurement platform through which significant programmes of FM and building services work can be commissioned. The agreement is scheduled to operate for eight years, running through to August 2034, giving successful contractors access to what could become one of the most significant public sector facilities management pipelines in the UK. Main Total FM and Hard FM winners Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
£249m Refinancing Backs Next Chapter for Manchester’s Landmark Square Gardens
Downing has secured a £249.2 million refinancing package for two major residential towers at its £400 million Square Gardens development in Manchester, marking another significant milestone for one of the city’s largest new living schemes. The financing, provided by Bank of Ireland, covers Acer and The Fernley, the two completed co-living buildings within the wider Square Gardens development in Manchester’s First Street district. Together, the buildings provide a major concentration of new rental accommodation, with the 25-storey Acer and 45-storey Fernley forming the first two phases of the development. Both buildings are now operational, demonstrating the scale of demand for professionally managed, amenity-led rental accommodation in Manchester. Designed by Manchester-based SimpsonHaugh Architects, Square Gardens represents a substantial addition to the city’s evolving residential landscape. The wider £400 million development has been conceived as a new urban neighbourhood combining high-density living with extensive shared amenities, landscaped spaces and public realm. Residents have access to facilities including a gym and wellness centre, co-working and meeting areas, social lounges, private dining spaces and extensive landscaped gardens and terraces. Sustainability has also formed an important part of the development, with measures including air source heat pumps, while the scheme has targeted BREEAM Excellent and EPC A ratings. The refinancing represents an important financial milestone following the completion and occupation of the two buildings. Savills Capital Advisors advised Downing on the transaction. Bay Downing, joint chief executive of Downing, described the deal as a landmark transaction for the business, highlighting the strength of the company’s portfolio and growing opportunities across the living sector. The deal is also significant for the wider UK residential market. Large-scale co-living and Build to Rent developments are becoming an increasingly established component of regeneration in major regional cities, combining new housing supply with extensive shared facilities and professionally managed environments. Square Gardens has been created using Downing’s vertically integrated approach, with development, construction and ongoing management delivered by the business. This has enabled the company to take the scheme from construction through to operation within the wider group. With Acer and The Fernley now completed and backed by £249.2 million of refinancing, Square Gardens is moving firmly from major construction project to established residential destination, reinforcing Manchester’s position as one of the UK’s leading markets for large-scale rental and co-living development. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals