Axis Park cleared for take-off: sustainable 200,000 sq ft logistics hub approved in Milton Keynes
A major new urban logistics scheme has secured planning in Wolverton, Milton Keynes, paving the way for 200,000 sq ft of Grade A space designed to support jobs, growth and greener operations. The joint venture between Chancerygate and CBRE Investment Management will deliver Axis Park on Blackhill Drive, within the established Wolverton Mill employment area. The 10.6-acre development will comprise eight leasehold units ranging from 6,100 sq ft to 67,700 sq ft, offering flexibility for local and regional occupiers. Construction is scheduled to start in November, with the first businesses expected to move in from the third quarter of next year. The location is already home to a strong cluster of manufacturers and logistics operators, including CTDI, Aston Martin, API Technologies and Funrise International. Sustainability sits at the heart of the plans. All buildings will target BREEAM Outstanding certification and a minimum EPC A+ rating, supported by features such as electric vehicle charging points, rooftop solar generation and high-performance building materials to reduce operational carbon. The specification aims to lower running costs while enhancing resilience and compliance for occupiers facing tightening ESG requirements. Chancerygate senior development director, George Dickens, said the scheme responds directly to local market needs. We are very pleased to be able to bring forward Axis Park in partnership with CBRE IM as part of our joint venture to deliver much-needed sustainable urban logistics space throughout the UK. There is strong demand in Milton Keynes for high-specification Grade A accommodation close to key transport links. Our development will meet this demand and provide a thriving long-term economic asset for the area which we estimate could create hundreds of jobs. Founded in 1995, Chancerygate is the UK’s largest urban logistics developer and asset manager, and the only one operating nationwide. The business currently has around 1.41 million sq ft under construction or ready for development across 11 sites, from Edinburgh to Croydon. Tom James, head of UK transactions at CBRE IM, said the investment aligns with the firm’s long-term strategy. This project represents a strategic investment into multi-let urban logistics in a high-demand, well-connected area, offering modern, sustainable space that aligns with our commitment to deliver long-term value creation for our investors. Axis Park will provide state-of-the-art facilities for local and regional businesses for whom there is limited new best-in-class space of this size in Milton Keynes. Cushman & Wakefield and Louch Shacklock are acting as agents for Axis Park. For more information visit www.chancerygate.com Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Green light for Outwood Academy Kirkby rebuild as Willmott Dixon sets out phased plan
Willmott Dixon has secured planning permission to deliver the new Outwood Academy Kirkby in Nottinghamshire, paving the way for a full replacement of the school’s dated 1970s buildings. Ashfield District Council has approved the scheme, which is fully funded by the Department for Education through its School Rebuilding Programme, with completion targeted for the 2028/29 academic year. The project will create a modern, energy-efficient learning environment designed to meet contemporary curriculum needs and community expectations. Central to the plans are improved specialist teaching areas, dedicated sixth-form facilities and an upgraded sports offer, supporting both pupils and local users. The new main building will be constructed on the existing site, with the design focused on durability, low running costs and a better day-to-day experience for students and staff. To maintain continuity of education, the works will be delivered in phases. A temporary teaching block will be installed and operated alongside the retained lower school and existing sports facilities, ensuring classes can continue with minimal disruption while construction progresses. Once the new school is ready for occupation, the current buildings will be safely demolished and the external sports areas completed, providing the final piece of the campus upgrade. Nick Heath, director of delivery at Willmott Dixon, said the scheme reflects the contractor’s long-standing ties to the county and its emphasis on social impact. “With strong roots in Nottinghamshire, we’re delighted to be the selected partner for Outwood Academy Kirkby. The new facility will provide an enhanced offering to the local community, including dedicated sixth-form spaces and the transformation of the current on-site sporting facilities. As part of the project, we will also be engaging with local schools and colleges to provide careers advice and work experience opportunities. Social value is at the heart of what Willmott Dixon does, and we hope to leave a positive legacy by helping pupils prepare for their future. We have already started working with Outwood Academy Kirkby pupils, delivering mock interviews to help hone their skills for future opportunities.” With planning now in place, enabling works and detailed sequencing can begin ahead of the main build. The approved approach balances the need for a safe, live school environment with the delivery of a high-quality education estate that will serve Kirkby and its surrounding communities for decades to come. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
IFS Loops Accelerates Industrial Operations with Agentic AI Digital Workers: Deployable Today, Scalable for Tomorrow
IFS, the leading provider of Industrial AI software, today announced the next evolution of its IFS Loops agent platform: 10 Digital Workers with 50 agentic skills, and a near-term roadmap for 100 skills designed for mission-critical workflows in construction, energy & utilities, manufacturing, telecoms, aerospace & defence, and service industries. The IFS Loops agentic platform delivers templated Digital Workers that autonomously manage high-volume operational tasks, including field dispatch, supplier coordination, customer order manager, and inventory replenishment, across enterprise systems with real-time intelligence, audit-ready compliance, and domain-specific understanding. Unlike traditional automation, RPA, and Generative AI, IFS Loops Digital Workers manage complex workflows, make context-driven decisions, and continuously improve operational performance while working right alongside employees to reduce manual tasks and amplify their impact. Whether embedded in IFS Cloud or running alongside legacy systems, these digital workers provide immediate ROI and operational impact. Somya Kapoor, CEO of IFS Loops, commented: “The pace of operational change is faster than ever, with complexity growing faster than human teams or legacy systems can handle. Operations leaders and CIOs can’t wait for months of IT rollout to benefit from new capabilities. IFS Loops gives companies a digital workforce they can deploy today, orchestrating complex industrial workflows reliably, securely, and contextually, allowing skilled teams to focus on higher-value tasks. For many, this is their first step into agentic AI and a natural entry point into the broader IFS Cloud ecosystem.” Recognising the CIO urgency to plan now for 2026 and beyond, IFS is scaling its agentic AI capabilities with a roadmap of 50 additional agentic skills available in December 2025, ensuring that Digital Workers continue to evolve alongside operational complexity and emerging industrial challenges. IFS Loops Studio, coming Q1 2026, will enable customers to create their own digital workers as needs arise, with rapid workflow customisation. Highlights of IFS Loops today: Mickey North Rizza, Group Vice President, Enterprise Software, IDC, said: “Companies that deploy agentic AI today are positioning themselves ahead of competitors, turning Digital Workers into a differentiator that not only drives productivity but also enhances employee experience and operational agility.” To learn more about IFS Loops Digital Workers, click here. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Bellrock disrupts the FM industry with Symphony, a new playbook for hard services that empowers engineer autonomy.
Data-driven solution offers predictive maintenance and real-time monitoring, closing the book on reactive, high-cost approaches Facilities management industry disruptor Bellrock has unveiled its Symphony playbook – a proactive approach to delivering M&E maintenance that promises to transform the FM space, ushering in a new data-led era of predictive maintenance and real-time monitoring. Symphony translates constantly monitored building data into actionable insights, allowing expert teams to identify warning signs and fix problems before they even occur. Such predictive maintenance drives cost savings and compliance, in contrast to reactive, high-cost emergency maintenance approaches. “The current approach to building maintenance is broken,” said Mark Tyson, Managing Director of Bellrock’s Intelligent Asset Care division. “Different rooms, systems and estates are managed in isolation, in a way that lacks the intelligence to see when something is wrong, or soon will be. Symphony tackles the problem head-on by monitoring a building’sstatus continually and then feeding alerts, curated trends and expert analysis into the hands of building services engineers and facilities managers.” Symphony learns and adapts to the way buildings are used, their capex investment profile and their energy reduction targets. Algorithms assess a building’s current status, identify inefficiencies and recommend preventative action when performance failure thresholds are close to being breached. Through data, technology and engineers working to a high level of autonomy, Bellrock takes account of different building environments to develop a bespoke preventative maintenance regime that is unique to every space, from hospitals to restaurants to commercial office blocks, based on the specific usage patterns of each one. “If you think of the building as an orchestra, with many different assets, Symphony is the conductor that makes sure they are all playing in harmony,” said Tyson. Symphony has been in development since 2019. Since then, it has been tried, tested, and refined with clients including Legal and General Asset Management (L&G). It is now being used by a range of organisations to save money through the remote triaging of issues, increased uptime, and reduced maintenance costs across their estates. Bellrock CEO, Carlo Alloni, added: “The facilities management industry is ripe for disruption, and Symphony is ready to disrupt it. Companies are missing a trick and wasting money by relying on manual, disconnected systems that only kick in when things go wrong. Individually, isolated incidents concerning a blocked drain or a malfunctioning air conditioning system may seem trivial, but collectively, they are responsible for thousands of pounds of waste every day. The good news is that this is all preventable if organisations invest in a more intelligent facilities management platform.” Ongoing training on the processes and technology is delivered to engineers and facilities managers directly through the Symphony Academy, where users are trained on a data-led approach to building maintenance. In March, the Symphony Academy was recognised for the role it plays in training team members in digital skills and modern maintenance techniques when Bellrock, in partnership with Legal & General and Demand Logic, won the Collaboration category of the prestigious CIBSE Building Performance Award. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Panattoni expands at Horizon 120 with 10-acre acquisition to deliver next phase of Panattoni Park Braintree
Panattoni, the world’s largest privately owned industrial developer, has acquired an additional plot at Horizon 120 Business Park in Braintree, Essex, as it continues to expand its footprint in the South East logistics market. Braintree is a well-connected town in Essex, approximately 15 miles from Stansted Airport. The area provides direct access to the A120 and A131, linking swiftly to the M11 and M25 motorways, and benefits from mainline rail services to London Liverpool Street and a strong local and regional workforce. The newly 10-acre acquired site will form the next phase of Panattoni Park Braintree 1.0, to be known as Panattoni Park Braintree 2.0. The purchase follows 12 months after the launch of the initial phase, which comprises four units, one of which is already under construction. The new phase will deliver an additional 164,000 sq ft across six units, all built speculatively in response to sustained occupier demand in the South East of England. With an estimated Gross Development Value of £50 million, the project underlines Panattoni’s continued investment and long-term commitment to the UK logistics market. Offering a competitive alternative to units within the M25, the scheme is expected to attract a diverse range of occupiers seeking modern, sustainable accommodation with excellent connectivity and value. Full detailed planning consent has already been secured, enabling construction to commence in late 2025, with practical completion expected in late 2026. James Watson, Head of Development – Southern England & London at Panattoni, said: “This acquisition represents an important next step in our long-term commitment to Braintree and the wider Essex logistics market. The area remains significantly undersupplied, particularly for occupiers seeking high-quality, sustainable accommodation within close proximity of Stansted Airport and the M25. Panattoni Park Braintree 2.0 will enable us to deliver additional capacity to meet that demand, continuing the successful rollout of our speculative development strategy.” Panattoni Park Braintree 2.0 will deliver six new mid-box units designed to meet the needs of regional and national occupiers, including those in the aviation, parcel distribution, and local last-mile sectors. The buildings will be constructed to BREEAM ‘Excellent’ and EPC ‘A’ standards, with flexibility for semi-detached units to be combined into larger configurations if required. Panattoni has appointed CBRE and Coke Gearing as leasing agents. For more information, please visit: https://panattoni.co.uk/our-properties/braintree2 Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Blackpool’s Silicon Sands Prepares for First Sustainable Data Centre
Plans are moving forward for the first data centre at Blackpool’s landmark Silicon Sands digital infrastructure site, marking a major milestone in the town’s ambition to become a leading hub for sustainable technology and data innovation. An application for planning permission is due to be submitted before Christmas for a 6MW carbon-friendly data centre alongside 20,000 sq ft of office and research space. The development has already attracted strong interest from private sector investors keen to be part of the Fylde Coast’s emerging digital economy. Located next to Blackpool Airport, the Silicon Sands project builds on the arrival of the transatlantic Aquacomms cable, which connects the UK to North America and Europe. The initiative is designed to position the region as a strategic location for high-capacity, energy-efficient data infrastructure. The proposed data centre will be powered entirely by renewable energy and will feature advanced liquid immersion cooling to maximise efficiency. Waste heat generated by the facility will also be captured and reused to provide energy for nearby properties — a key element of its sustainable design. Councillor Mark Smith, Blackpool Council’s Cabinet Member for Economy and Built Environment, said the project could be transformative for the area. “Silicon Sands is a transformational opportunity for Blackpool. It can create thousands of well-paid jobs, attract investment, and put us at the forefront of sustainable digital development. That vision is proven by the significant interest we have had from the private sector already. Silicon Sands is about so much more than just data centres though. We are carefully managing the programme so that we can create data centres which are carbon friendly and can even supply waste heat back to local communities.” The first phase of development will be located on the former fire station and engineering yard at Blackpool Airport, which was demolished in 2023, as well as the old administration offices and security point. If approved, the project will signal the start of an ambitious new chapter for Blackpool, establishing Silicon Sands as a pioneering example of how digital infrastructure and sustainability can work hand in hand to drive regional growth. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals