Whitbread opens the doors to flagship Hub by Premier Inn hotel
Whitbread PLC, the UK’s largest hotel business and owner of Premier Inn, will today [Wednesday 4th February] formally open its latest hotel in the City of London – setting a new benchmark for affordable hotel design in the capital. It brings 212 contemporary hotel bedrooms – which will be operated under Whitbread’s popular hub by Premier Inn brand – to an area packed with history, culture, global landmarks and international business headquarters. Taking care to respect the heritage aspects of the building, the hub by Premier Inn London Farringdon (Old Bailey) is built within a Victorian-era former police station, retaining many of the original features of the era including a historic entrance way, ‘reading room’, staircase and a dramatic atrium that celebrates both old and new architecture. Hotel guests and visitors to the City will be able to enjoy a free-to-enter cultural space at the entrance to the hotel and in a central atrium space, featuring the work of two Goldsmith’s trained London-based artists – Hilary Yip and Leily Mojdehi – designed to integrate the hotel within the City of London’s ‘Culture Mile’ initiative. Unique heritage bedrooms have been designed at the front of the Grade II listed building, and the ‘hub’ brand’s compact bedrooms are also arranged across the rear new building, set behind a historic retained façade across eight storeys. Affordable hotels are in high demand in the City of London as domestic and international guests increasingly seek out value from which to enjoy the City’s many unique cultural attractions and leisure opportunities, and to take advantage of the Square Mile’s transport connections, particularly the Elizabeth line. It is a use the City of London Corporation has been encouraging through its ‘Destination City’ growth strategy to attract more visitors and workers into the Square Mile which recognised the opportunity for hotels, alongside office workspaces, for which it is internationally renowned. Whitbread has been operating Premier Inn hotels in the City of London catchment since 2013 and has stepped up investment in recent years to meet consistently high customer demand and to capitalise on opportunities to transform former office buildings into high quality, affordable hotels. Following the opening of the London Farringdon (Old Bailey) hub by Premier Inn hotel, the FTSE100 hotel company now offers its guests a choice of seven Premier Inn and hub hotels across the City with a further two Square Mile locations under construction or in planning. Nationwide, nearly 30% of the FTSE100 hotel company’s development pipeline are hub by Premier Inn hotels, the majority of which are focused in the capital. Jonathan Langdon, Senior Acquisition Manager for Whitbread, said: “We have poured our heart and soul into creating a showcase development at Farringdon (Old Bailey) – demonstrating how affordable hotels like hub by Premier Inn can breathe fresh life into vacant historic buildings in Central London. “The new hotel achieves so much, creating a fantastic new addition for our customers, retaining heritage, and contributing towards a buzzing and vibrant seven-day-a-week City of London through the activity and spending of our guests. “We’re very proud with what we have achieved and are grateful to the vision and hard work of so many people who have contributed to make the development happen.” Whitbread acquired the former City of London Snow Hill Police Station from the City of London Corporation and worked closely with City planners to create a hotel development that balances the need to revitalise the site whilst respecting its heritage. Tom Sleigh, Chairman of the Planning and Transportation Committee at the City of London Corporation, said: “The transformation of the former Snow Hill Police Station into a modern, affordable hotel shows how heritage and planning innovation can work hand in hand, an excellent example of how thoughtful, high-quality design can bring new life to one of the City’s historic buildings. “As we continue to diversify the Square Mile’s offer, projects like this help ensure the City remains a vibrant, welcoming and culturally rich place for workers, residents and visitors alike. We welcome Whitbread’s commitment to celebrating the area’s history while supporting the City’s growth.” Whitbread’s hub by Premier Inn is designed for locations in major cities where property prices are relatively high but, thanks to the brand’s smaller room format, is able to deliver a strong commercial performance whilst providing affordable rooms for guests. Launched on St Martins Lane in Covent Garden in 2014, the brand now offers nineteen centrally located hotels and almost 3,300 bedrooms in locations across Central London and Edinburgh City Centre. In line with Whitbread’s sustainability strategy, Force For Good, the hub by Premier Inn London Farringdon (Old Bailey) hotel is powered by electricity backed by Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGO) – with the building incorporating heat recovery systems and air source heat pumps to create a low energy demand. The hub also features a blue roof design, which means it stores the rainwater and releases it slowly to reduce flood risk in the area. A team of 35 have been recruited or offered opportunities for career progression with Whitbread through the new hotel opening – with new job opportunities promoted to residents of Central and Inner London. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Redleaf and Abel Homes welcome Tesco to new local centre in Swaffham
Developers bringing forward a new local retail centre in Swaffham, Norfolk, have welcomed Tesco to the scheme. Redleaf is delivering Brandon Road Shopping Centre, an 850 sq m (9,150 sq ft) commercial development at the front of Cygnet Rise, a new residential scheme launched in September 2024 of 160 new houses being built by Abel Homes. Having brought in Tesco Express as the anchor store, Redleaf is also in advanced discussions with a national coffee operator, leaving c.335 sq m (3,600 sq ft) for remaining commercial uses – with a minimum of 75 sq m. Brandon Road Shopping Centre benefits from planning consent for all retail uses – A1, A2, A3, A4 and A5. Sui Generis uses would require consent. There are 36 demised car parking spaces. Interest in the remaining space can be discussed directly with Redleaf. Paul Bishton, Founder of Redleaf, comments: “Redleaf prides itself on delivering high-quality commercial developments to compliment equally high-quality residential schemes and it’s a pleasure to be working with Abel Homes, Tesco and others to ensure these new homes are served by suitable amenities that meet the needs of local residents. With a convenience store and coffee shop on the way, we’d also love to hear from any other retail operators interested in locating to Brandon Road Shopping Centre.” Paul LeGrice, managing director of Abel Homes, said: “Our Cygnet Rise development is very much about creating a new community, providing a new local centre, a care home and assisted living units, as well as much-needed new homes. We are delighted to be delivering another key component of the community so early in the scheme’s programme, fulfilling the promises we made when we brought plans for the site forward.” Tesco Swaffham Express store manager Ashley Stolworthy said: “We are delighted that the fit-out of our new Swaffham Express store has started and we look forward to opening in the coming weeks. As well as serving customers with a wide variety of food, drink and bakery options, the store will also have on-site parking and an ATM. “We are also committed to supporting the local community through the Tesco Community Food Connection scheme, which redistributes surplus food to charities and community groups from every Tesco store at the end of each day.” The new shopping centre is being constructed by Warwick Burt Construction Ltd. of Northampton. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
£40m programme to cut carbon emissions at 35 public buildings across Liverpool City Region
Liverpool’s world-famous waterfront is set to benefit from a £40m investment to cut carbon emissions at 35 public buildings across the City Region. Work is starting on the major programme that will see heat decarbonisation and energy-saving measures introduced at many historic buildings, town halls, leisure centres and libraries – cutting emissions by more than half. The project will connect landmark sites on Liverpool’s waterfront – including the Georges Dock and the Cunard buildings – to the Mersey Heat network, which is powered by water from the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. It is the latest step in the Combined Authority’s five-year carbon action plan, approved in 2023, aimed at making the City Region net zero by 2035 at the latest – at least a decade before national government. Work is already underway at Bootle Leisure Centre, Bootle Library, Wirral Country Park, Prescot Soccer Centre and Landican Cemetery to install low‑carbon heating systems and complementary measures, such as insulation upgrades, solar PV, and modern building controls, with eight buildings expected to be completed by March. Cllr Anthony Burns, Liverpool City Region Cabinet Member for Net Zero, said: “Cutting carbon is one of the most important ways we can improve people’s everyday lives, and this programme shows the scale of our ambition. By transforming our civic buildings, we’re reducing emissions, lowering energy bills and future‑proofing public services for decades to come. “We know how big the task ahead is, but we also know the scale of the opportunity. With work already underway across the city region – from leisure centres and libraries to parks and historic landmarks – we’re proving that our commitment to reach net zero by 2035 is real, practical and already delivering results. Public buildings account for a sizeable amount of the total emissions, so it is right that we lead by example.” Buildings account for most carbon emissions, with public buildings responsible for 13% of the total. Together, the city region’s six local authorities and the Combined Authority (CA) own more than 600 buildings that emit almost 77,000 tonnes of CO2. The CA has secured £36m from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS). With additional funding from local authorities, a total of more than £40m will go towards improving energy efficiency, cutting carbon emissions and accelerating the transition to low-carbon heat across the region. The programme, delivered by the Combined Authority Energy Team, unlocks the extension of the Mersey Heat network, which is already supplying the Liverpool Waters site, the Titanic Hotel and the Tobacco Warehouse apartments. The network is driven by the Mersey Heat Energy Centre, developed by The Peel Group and Ener-Vate, which uses one of the UK’s largest water source heat pumps to extract energy from canal water. Connections are planned to the Cunard Building and George’s Dock Building, with additional funding awarded to National Museums Liverpool to connect the Museum of Liverpool. The expanded network is projected to reduce emissions by around 4,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year. A range of measures to replace fossil‑fuel heating in each building with low‑carbon alternatives – such as heat pumps, solar thermal and district heating connection – will completely remove gas‑fired heating. Combined with fabric and energy‑efficiency upgrades, the programme is expected to halve energy demand and carbon emissions, saving around 21,500 MWh per year and cutting emissions by more than 50%. Alongside PSDS investment, the Combined Authority has also secured £1.45m through the Mayoral Renewables Fund to deliver solar PV installations across 14 public buildings, providing a total of 1.2 MW of new renewable generation capacity across the region. James Johnson, Head of Regional Programme at the North West Net Zero Hub, said: “Retrofitting these buildings is a significant step, not only due to the reduction in emissions, but also in terms of the efficiencies that this will bring to the public estate. “Heat decarbonisation and energy-saving measures will help to reduce running costs and allow those savings to be focused back into communities. Lower energy bills mean more public money that can be spent on services.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
CBRE Secures Flurry of Lettings at Trinity, Manchester
Deals totalling 14,000 sq ft bring office scheme to full occupancy Leading real estate advisor CBRE has secured a number of high-profile lettings at Trinity building in Manchester for client Swiss Life Asset Managers, with the latest signings taking the office scheme to full occupancy for the first time since its comprehensive redevelopment. British Engineering Group has regeared its lease and expanded by a further 3,500 sq ft, increasing its total occupation within the building to 11,000 sq ft. The company now occupies space across the mezzanine and 1st floor level within the centrally located John Dalton Street building. The recent activity also includes a new letting in December to leading law firm Lewis Silkin, which has taken 7,900 sq ft of fully fitted and furnished workspace, advised by JLL. The plug-and-play second floor workspace provides a ready-to-occupy environment, complete with meeting rooms, client lounge, kitchen breakout space and extensive desk provision. Sally Hulston, Partner and Head of Manchester Office, Lewis Silkin said: “It’s just over three years since Lewis Silkin opened in Manchester, and I’m proud to say that we’ve outgrown our office space for the third time. We’ve taken a 10-year lease on our space at Trinity, demonstrating our long-term commitment to the city. The facilities and location are excellent, and we’ve got plenty of room to grow into, which is exactly what we need as we continue to add to the team.” In addition, leading chartered accountants and business advisers Saffery Champness has expanded its presence within the building, taking an additional 2,600 sq ft of space on the sixth floor as part of its continued growth in Manchester, taking total space occupied to 6,800 sq ft. These latest deals underline Trinity’s continued appeal to professional services occupiers seeking high-quality, centrally located workspace in Manchester. Trinity provides fully fitted and furnished Grade A workspace, centred around a prominent double-height reception with concierge service and the on-site 92 Degrees café. The all-electric building benefits from VRF air conditioning, LED lighting, showers, basement parking and cycle hub. Matt Shufflebottom, Director, CBRE’s Office agency team in Manchester commented: “These lettings represent a major milestone for Trinity. We were delighted to be appointed as sole agents by Swiss Life Asset Managers, and to reach full occupancy for the first time since the building was redeveloped is a fantastic result for all involved, and testament to the investment made by the Landlord. The commitment made by all 3 occupiers reflects the continued demand for well-located, high quality workspace, particularly fitted and furnished.” CBRE acted as sole advisor to Swiss Life Asset Managers on the lettings at Trinity Building, while JLL advised Lewis Silkin and Savills advised Saffery Champness. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Planning approval granted for Traffordcity Ice Arena and Events Space
Trafford Council has approved plans for a new purpose-built ice arena and multi‑use event space at TraffordCity, Manchester; marking a major milestone for the region’s leisure and sports offering. The 3,000-capacity TraffordCity Arena will feature state‑of‑the‑art ice skating and ice hockey facilities, and a flexible event space designed to host a wide range of entertainment and community activities. The development’s anchor tenant will be Planet Ice and will become one of their largest venues in the UK. Located on the former Soccer Dome site, adjacent to The Snow Centre, Trafford Golf Centre, David Lloyd, Fives Soccer, iFLY and The Padel Club, the arena will further strengthen TraffordCity’s position as the UK’s leading leisure destination. The project is being developed by ICITIES in partnership with Peel Waters, who have cleared the site to enable future leisure developments. The new arena will offer year-round ice activities, lessons and sessions, alongside premium hospitality experiences with future tenants offering family dining, bars, leisure and VIP areas. Designed with versatility in mind, the venue will also host concerts, screenings and immersive experiences, creating a dynamic destination for visitors. The decision follows a strong period of momentum for the TraffordCity area, which is currently experiencing a wave of transformational development activity. Work has now commenced on the £450million Therme Manchester wellness resort – an ambitious, next‑generation health and wellbeing destination set to include extensive indoor and outdoor pools, thermal experiences, botanical gardens, water-based family attractions, fitness and wellbeing facilities, and a diverse F&B offer. The project will be one of the most advanced wellbeing resorts in Europe and a flagship addition to TraffordCity. Meanwhile, Trafford Waters Care Home, the first residential development within the emerging Trafford Waters neighbourhood within TraffordCity, has now completed – marking the delivery of the first new homes on the site and establishing a key anchor for the growing mixed-use community. With planning now secured for the TraffordCity Arena, Peel Waters is actively exploring further development opportunities for adjacent plots on the former Soccer Dome site. These could include high-end lifestyle hotels as well as more exciting leisure and sporting experiences, providing new opportunities for partners and operators looking to join the UK’s most successful leisure destination. The TraffordCity Arena is expected to deliver significant economic benefits to the region. Peel Waters’ long-term vision for TraffordCity has already created 17,500 jobs, with plans to increase this to 33,000 over the next 20 years. The new arena will contribute to this growth by generating construction roles during the build phase and more than 50 permanent operational jobs once open, including hospitality, event management and leisure services. With the increasing popularity of ice sports, the development is forecasted to attract a significant number of new visitors annually, boosting the local visitor economy and driving further investment into Trafford and Greater Manchester. This influx of visitors will also benefit surrounding businesses and leisure attractions, reinforcing TraffordCity’s position as a premier destination for sport and entertainment. James Whittaker, Managing Director of Peel Waters, said: “Securing planning approval for the TraffordCity Ice Arena is fantastic news for the area. This is a significant step in delivering our vision for TraffordCity as a destination that offers something for everyone. The new arena will provide world-class ice facilities and enhance our growing portfolio of sport and leisure experiences; attracting new visitors, investment and employment opportunities to the region.” Nick Payne, Director of ICITIES, commented: “This approval allows us to move forward with creating a truly unique venue. Our design combines professional ice facilities with flexible spaces for non-ice events, ensuring the arena can serve a wide range of uses and audiences. The design includes approximately 20,000 sq. Ft of ancillary space for tenants offering complementary food, beverage and leisure facilities.” Cllr Liz Patel, Trafford Council’s Executive Member for Economy and Regeneration, said: “Trafford Council is committed to the regeneration of the area and this project will bring a number of important benefits to the borough including the creation of 50 permanent jobs.” Heath Rhodes, Chief Operations Manager at Planet Ice, added: “As Planet Ice enters its 30th year, we’re delighted to see planning permission granted for this landmark project. Demand for ice facilities in the North West continues to grow, and this arena will help meet that need while delivering first class amenities for visitors. TraffordCity is the perfect location, with excellent transport links and complementary leisure attractions.” The contractors will be announced in the new year, with construction expected to begin in spring 2026 and an estimated build time of 12–15 months. Once complete, the arena will become a key part of Peel Waters’ long‑term vision for TraffordCity – to create an exciting, inclusive destination for sport, leisure and entertainment. 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