Metrocentre partners with Gateshead Council on major riverside regeneration scheme
Metrocentre has entered into an agreement with Gateshead Council to bring forward Metro Riverside, a large-scale mixed-use development set to transform brownfield land along the south bank of the River Tyne. Located around three miles west of Newcastle-Gateshead city centre, the project will regenerate under-utilised land surrounding Metrocentre, creating a new urban neighbourhood comprising up to 4,500 homes alongside improved infrastructure, public spaces and leisure amenities. The scheme is being designed as a walkable, well-connected destination, with a focus on creating compact neighbourhoods that prioritise accessibility and strong links to public transport. The ambition is to establish a high-quality waterfront environment that supports both residential and economic growth. Metro Riverside has been identified as a key housing-led regeneration project within the North East Combined Authority’s Local Growth Plan, as well as forming part of the Strategic Place Partnership with Homes England, aimed at accelerating the delivery of new homes across the region. A central element of the development will be the evolution of Metrocentre itself, with plans to reposition the retail destination to better serve the day-to-day needs of a growing local population, while continuing to attract visitors from across the North East. The agreement highlights the importance of long-term collaboration between the public and private sectors in delivering complex regeneration projects at scale. By aligning investment, planning and delivery strategies, the partners aim to unlock a new phase of growth for the area. Martin Healy, chair of Metrocentre, said the scheme demonstrates how coordinated partnerships can drive meaningful change, bringing together investment and local leadership to create a sustainable urban community. The project is expected to deliver a mix of residential, commercial and leisure uses, supporting job creation and long-term economic activity, while reinforcing Metrocentre’s role as a key regional destination. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Contractors circle £30m high-rise container storage project at London Gateway
Contractors are preparing to bid for a £30m landmark logistics project at London Gateway, where plans are advancing for a 12-storey automated container storage facility at the major Thames-side port. The scheme, known as BOXBAY, will deliver a next-generation, high-density storage system for empty containers within the port’s existing MT Park area in Thurrock. Once complete, the structure will rise to around 55 metres in height, with a footprint of approximately 323 metres by 159 metres, making it one of the most technically ambitious industrial buildings of its kind in the UK. Procurement for the project is now underway, with contractors invited to participate in a competitive flexible tender process. A shortlist of bidders will be selected before final submissions are assessed on a 60:40 split between price and quality, with contract award expected in July. Construction is scheduled to begin shortly afterwards, with a two-year delivery programme. The project presents a complex engineering challenge, combining heavy civil engineering works with a substantial structural steel package. More than 15,000 tonnes of steelwork will be required, alongside around 50,000 sq m of cladding and a 46,500 sq m roof. Groundworks will also be extensive, involving the installation of over 5,000 precast piles, each approximately 28 metres in length, to support a 1.2 metre deep reinforced concrete raft foundation. The contractor will additionally deliver a full suite of infrastructure works, including drainage, power, firewater systems, IT networks and heavy-duty external pavements, as well as associated ancillary structures. A defining feature of the development will be its integration of advanced automation. The building will house 15 automated storage and retrieval machines operating along around 3km of rail, although the specialist systems themselves will be supplied separately. One of the key challenges will be delivering the project within a fully operational port environment. This will require careful sequencing, logistics planning and strict safety management to ensure ongoing terminal operations are not disrupted. The BOXBAY system is designed to significantly increase storage density and improve operational efficiency compared with traditional container stacking methods, helping to reduce congestion and maximise the use of available land. The project forms part of wider ongoing investment at London Gateway, reinforcing its position as one of the UK’s most advanced logistics and port infrastructure hubs, and highlighting the growing role of high-specification, automated industrial facilities in modern supply chains. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
UK Construction Activity Collapses
Glenigan’s April Construction Index uncovers an industry struggling to cushion the blows from ongoing international conflict and a persistently weak economy. Glenigan releases the April 2026 edition of its Construction Index. The Index focuses on the three months to the end of March 2026, covering all underlying projects, with a total value of £100m or less (unless otherwise indicated), with all figures seasonally adjusted. It’s a report which provides a detailed and comprehensive analysis of year-on-year construction data, giving built environment professionals a unique insight into sector performance over the last 12 months. April’s Index highlights the serious challenges facing the UK construction sector, which seem to be relentless. The industry remains in the tight grip of decline which, if not terminal, is having a deeply damaging effect, pushing its resilience to a breaking point. A phenomenal series of socioeconomic events and foreign policy decisions have resulted in a severely disrupted supply chain and unprecedented market volatility. It all comes as yet another hammer blow falling on contractors and subcontractors alike; stalling activity, flattening margins and denting profits. The US-Israel/Iran War started at the end of February and shows no sign of coming to an end any time soon, resulting in considerable uncertainty that’s set to keep sector performance subdued. Whilst some of the negative effects are being felt in the here and now, the expected aftershock of the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz, alongside the increasing threats posed to the Suez Canal and Red Sea, mean disruption is predicted to continue through Q2 and Q3 2026. Amid this maelstrom, new projects commencing in the coming months are expected to be impacted. This comes after work starting on site fell once again, particularly when seasonally adjusted, dropping by 17% compared to Q4 to finish almost a fifth (-18%) below 2025 levels. Residential construction tumbled yet again, as international conflict, persisting confusion around planning policy and a weak economy continue to hinder development. Ice-cold investors and apprehensive potential buyers are keeping their hands firmly in their pockets for the time being. For Non-Residential, Offices remained a strong outlier, posting impressive project-start increases compared to both the previous quarter and last year. However, these impressive figures were not nearly enough to outweigh overall disappointment in these verticals, with civils tanking against both periods covered by the Index. Commenting on the April Index, Glenigan’s Allan Wilen says, “Superficially, looks can be deceiving. A seasonal rise during the first quarter is masking a renewed weakening in project starts. All three main verticals: housing, non-residential buildings and civil engineering are considerably lower than a year ago and on the previous quarter on a seasonally adjusted basis. He continues, “The sector is fighting on all fronts, home and abroad. Particularly, the Iran War will depress activity further near-term as private developers and house purchasers delay investment decisions due to fears of higher than anticipated interest rates, rising material costs, spiralling energy costs and stalled economic growth. It will have a knock-on effect on the non-residential verticals which, although many have ring-fenced funding, will no doubt be putting activity on hold to ensure they don’t waste budgets whilst rates spike.” Taking a closer look at the sectors, verticals and regions… Sector Analysis – Residential As above, Residential experienced a particularly poor period, according to Glenigan’s figures. Project-starts declined by13% on the preceding three months and by almost a third (-30%) on 2025. Drilling a little deeper, private housing construction-starts declined by 9% against the preceding three months and by 34% against the previous year. Social Housing starts were similarly depressed, dropping by roughly a quarter (-24%) against the preceding three months and by 16% against the previous year. Sector Analysis – Non-Residential According to Glenigan’s data, Offices were the only vertical to experience a growth spurt compared to the previous quarter, up 37%, to stand over two-thirds (+67%) above 2025 levels. This uptick in activity was primarily supported by the £50 million 105 Old Broad Street office development in the City of London. The only other vertical to increase against the previous quarter was Retail, which rose 12% against the preceding three months. However, this modest leap wasn’t enough to bring it above last year’s results, falling 17% by comparison. Hotel & Leisure and Education had a mixed period, with both falling by around a quarter (-25% and -24% respectively) compared to the previous quarter. However, both finished up when measured against last year, rising 1% and 23% respectively. Elsewhere, performance plummeted. Industrial experienced an especially lacklustre period, nosediving by 36% against the preceding three months to stand 31% below the previous year. Likewise, Health declined 16% against the preceding three months to stand 13% lower than the previous year. Community and Amenity project-starts, which have recently posted positive results are now in recession, falling by 37% against the preceding three months to stand 10% down against the previous year. Sector Analysis – Civils The bottom fell out of Civils, with work starting on-site cascading 37% against the preceding three months and falling 34% against the previous year. Breaking it down, Infrastructure work starting on-site declined 32% against the preceding three months and declined by 37% on the previous year. Similarly, Utilities declined 42% against the preceding three months and by 30% against the previous year. The Regional Outlook According to Glenigan’s regional data, the performance picture was inconsistent. Once again, London was the stand out performer, experiencing a strong performance, rising 26% against the preceding three months to stand 69% up against the previous year. This was underpinned by a strong performance from the Office sector, which helped drive growth in the region. It was more of a mixed bag for some of the regions. Northern Ireland experienced a mixed performance, dipping 2% against the preceding three months to finish 37% up against the previous year. The North East performed similarly, dropping 27% against the preceding three months to stand
Citrus Secures Planning For £340M Second Phase Of Integra 61
Durham County Council Gives Green Light For Extra 3M Sq Ft Citrus Durham has secured planning consent from Durham County Council for the next £340M investment at its Integra 61 mixed-use development at J61 of the A1(M). Approval has been granted for an extension to the west of the Integra 61 scheme to accommodate a further 3 million sq ft of employment space. The plans for the second phase follow the success of the existing £400M Integra 61 development, where 90% of the 3m sq ft of developable space is already complete. The major investment into the second phase has the potential to create some 300 new jobs throughout the build resulting in up to £30m in additional economic output (GVA) into the economy each year. Operationally the development could support c3000 jobs once operational dependant on occupiers, generating up to £100m of additional economic output (GVA) into the economy each year. The outline planning consent allows for a range of storage/distribution and manufacturing units of varying sizes, to reflect market demand from regional businesses as well as those looking to invest in premises in the region. Now that the fundamental development principles of bringing a scheme forward have been approved, later reserved matters applications will evolve the exact design and scale, following the principles now established. The proposed development will, dependant on speed of uptake and demand, require the delivery of the Bowburn Development Route (relief road) in conjunction with Durham County Council and other stakeholders. Integra 61 is already home to Amazon’s 2m sq ft fulfilment centre, a further 640,000 sq ft of speculative logistics space at Connect at Integra 61 and an impressive roadside portfolio including Costa and Greggs along with an incoming £4 million EG On The Move petrol station with a convenience store and separate Starbucks drive-thru. Tesla has also installed 19 new Superchargers on site. Construction is well underway on Marton Care’s new 73 bedroom care home facility to complement the 260 new homes already developed by Persimmon and Bellway. James Taylor, Regional Director at Citrus, said: “We are extremely pleased to have secured outline planning consent, which is a significant milestone and the culmination of a long-held vision to expand Integra 61 and build on our successes across two phases, together once complete creating one of the region’s largest employment destinations. We’d like to thank the many stakeholders that continue to support us on this journey and we look forward to delivering this exciting phase with our partners.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
“Every part of the build must be lower carbon”: Holcim UK says new towns plan and Future Homes Standard will test industry readiness
The housebuilding sector has been urged to embed lower carbon delivery into every part of the build following the publication of the Future Homes Standard. According to Ian Dean, Managing Director, Concrete Products at Holcim UK, the combination of the new regulatory requirements with government plans for seven new towns across England demands a far more holistic and coordinated approach to sustainable construction. He said the UK is entering one of its most ambitious phases of housebuilding in decades, and that meeting rising expectations will depend on earlier collaboration and stronger attention to embodied carbon. He also stressed the pressures the sector faces as 2028 approaches. “We all want to get spades in the ground tomorrow, but the industry needs time to adapt. Planning cycles are long and 2028 is not far away, which means we must move faster and close regulatory loopholes if the policy is going to deliver what it promises.” Lower carbon materials must be embedded throughout construction Dean emphasised that decarbonising new homes begins long before heat pumps or rooftop solar are installed. “It is a positive step to see heat pumps and rooftop solar mandated, but if the concrete blocks, the foundations, the groundworks and the driveway materials are not low carbon or made with recycled content, you undercut the green credentials of the development from the start. We have to embed lower carbon delivery into every part of the build.” He said attention must now turn to embodied carbon in core materials. “The structure, the subbase and the infrastructure around the home all have a major role to play. If we get that right, the operational improvements delivered through the Future Homes Standard will go even further.” Early involvement is essential to achieving the best outcomes Holcim UK argues that early project involvement is fundamental to delivering the performance expected from new housing developments. According to Dean, early collaboration allows the company to combine traditional and lower carbon solutions in the most effective way. “Collaboration at the design stage allows us to bring forward the right mix of traditional and sustainable products and identify the best solution for each project.” He highlighted Holcim UK’s ability to support the full construction process. “Whether it is aggregates, asphalt, recycled materials, ready mix concrete using lower carbon cement, recycled aggregates or recycled blocks, we support developers at every stage. We invest in innovation because customers need solutions that are high quality, cost efficient and lower carbon.” Performance, he added, remains non-negotiable. “Quality and cost efficiency are always central. The shift toward more sustainable construction only works if it delivers higher quality outcomes at the same time.” New towns require deeper collaboration across the value chain The scale of the new towns programme makes supply chain coordination more important than ever. Dean believes early engagement will be critical to building places that are genuinely fit for the future. “If we get involved early with construction teams and supply chain partners, we can build better towns and better places to live.” Yet he also pointed to the hurdles. “There is still friction in parts of the value chain. We need more holistic partnerships if we are to deliver these new communities at the scale and quality required.” A positive policy direction, but delivery capability must follow Dean welcomed the ambition behind the new towns programme and the Future Homes Standard, while urging continued focus on practical delivery. “This is a step in the right direction, but we must ask whether everything needed to make it happen is fully in place. The hope is that it leads to greener construction and greater quality, but we all have a role to play in making sure it does.” Holcim UK plans to work with its construction sector partners to establish a new benchmark for integrated, low carbon development. Early collaboration, thoughtful material choices and consistent regulation will be essential to creating communities that work well now and, in the years, ahead. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Hygiene and Acoustic Standards delivered for Alhambra Centre, Barnsley
The Alhambra Centre in Barnsley, once a shopping centre, is undergoing a major transformation into a town centre health hub. This redevelopment aims to alleviate growing pressures on Barnsley Hospital by providing easily accessible healthcare services in a more central location. To support this transition, the interior design required a ceiling solution that met rigorous hygiene and acoustic standards while delivering strong aesthetic impact. CHALLENGE The project team faced several key challenges in transforming the Alhambra Centre into a functional and welcoming health hub. Aesthetic appeal was one of the top priorities, as the space required a fresh, modern look with a visually impactful ceiling design that would not only impress visitors but also create a calming and visually comfortable environment or all users. Hygiene compliance was equally important. Given the building’s new role as a healthcare facility, all materials, including ceiling systems, needed to meet strict hospital-grade hygiene standards to ensure a safe and sanitary environment for patients and staff. Acoustic performance also had to be carefully considered. A calm, quiet atmosphere is essential in healthcare settings, especially in waiting areas and treatment rooms. The team needed a ceiling solution that could help manage sound effectively to promote patient comfort and well-being. Lastly, service integration and accessibility presented a practical challenge. The ceiling system had to accommodate complex mechanical and electrical installations while still allowing easy access for future maintenance, ensuring long-term functionality without compromising design. SOLUTION Following a CPD session with Zentia and a review of relevant case studies, the architectural team, James Totty Partnership, selected a range of Zentia ceiling solutions to address the project’s diverse and complex requirements. In the reception and waiting areas, the architect envisioned a bold, eye-catching ceiling feature to make a strong first impression. They opted for Sonify Curved Baffles in a mixture of green and black, installed on the patented Sonify Create grid system. This combination not only delivered the striking visual impact they were after, but also provided Class A sound absorption to ensure patients would be in an acoustically comfortable space. For the circulation spaces, the team chose Prestige SL2 Planks. These were selected for their modern, streamlined appearance and, importantly, their ease of accessibility. In areas with frequent foot traffic and the need for ongoing service access, these planks offer a practical and efficient solution that supports long-term maintenance without compromising the aesthetic. In the clinical and utility areas, performance and hygiene were essential. The team specified Biobloc Acoustic tiles for treatment rooms and general medical zones, where sound control and cleanliness are essential. The Biobloc Acoustic tile delivers both excellent sound absorption, and compliance with hospital-grade hygiene standards, such as the Health Building Note 00-10 Part B: Walls and Ceilings, due to its additional coating that actively inhibits the growth of micro-organisms. For high-moisture environments such as shower rooms, Hydrabloc was chosen for its 100% Humidity Resistance (RH), water resistance, and easy-clean properties, ensuring both durability and safety in demanding conditions. However, Zentia’s involvement did not end with supplying products. The team delivered a full Sonify 3D Studio design service, working closely with the architects to bring the ceiling vision to life. In addition, Zentia collaborated with main contractor’s O&P Construction and installers JR Whinfrey Ltd to provide detailed system walkthroughs, support with quotations and order planning, and on-site guidance during installation to ensure a smooth project delivery. The redesigned Alhambra Centre is set to become a welcoming, efficient health hub with ceilings that do more than cover the space – they define it. With bold design statements in public areas and robust technical performance in clinical zones, Zentia’s ceiling systems have helped ensure the redevelopment meets both functional demands and architectural ambition. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals