PD Industrial announces completion of significant logistics fit-out project in Nuneaton ahead of schedule
At 1,000,000 SF, the fully fitted out, state-of-the-art development serves as one of the greenest and most ecologically advanced warehouse sites ever developed in the UK. PD Industrial, a leading UK provider of industrial storage and warehouse solutions, has today announced the successful completion of a significant, high-specification pallet racking installation at a major new logistics hub in Nuneaton. The fast-track project, which commenced at the end March and concluded at the beginning of June, was delivered smoothly within a tight nine-week window. The state-of-the-art 1,000,000 SF facility—developed by Baytree (AXA) and built by Glencar—is a multi-award-winning development designed to meet the highest modern logistics standards. Operating under full CDM regulations as both Principal Designer and Principal Contractor, PD managed the end-to-end transformation of the space, ensuring total regulatory compliance and a seamless execution. Project Highlights & Capacity Milestones The comprehensive fit-out has dramatically optimized the building’s footprint, delivering exceptional storage density and operational readiness. Key deliverables include: Speaking about the project, PD Industrial, Managing Director Darren Hardiman said: ‘We are incredibly proud to have acted as Principal Contractor on this highly prestigious development, one of the greenest and most ecologically developed warehouses ever built in the UK. Delivering over 13,500 pallet positions in just nine weeks requires precision engineering and tight project management and is a significant undertaking. Working within a world-class, award-winning building allowed us to showcase our ability to deliver high-density, safe, and highly efficient warehouse environments ahead of schedule. With the handover complete, the facility is now fully optimized and operationally live. I would like to congratulate the full project team for the exemplar nature of the works delivered.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Major milestone for Glasgow Waters as first residential plans lodged for £100million co-living development at Yorkhill Quay
Set to deliver more than 500 new waterside homes, the scheme will establish a new waterfront landmark for Glasgow, with panoramic views of the city centre, vibrant ground floor uses including cafés and leisure, and an elegant colonnade. Plans have been submitted for the first homes at Yorkhill Quay, a key neighbourhood within Peel Waters’ transformational Glasgow Waters district – one of Glasgow’s most significant regeneration projects, marking a major milestone in revitalising the city’s Clyde waterfront. Submitted by waterside regeneration specialists Peel Waters in conjunction with national property developer Urban Pulse, the proposals for 526 units will deliver a distinctive new waterside co-living development at Yorkhill Quay, helping to meet growing demand for high-quality, flexible rental living in Glasgow. The scheme has been carefully designed by Anomaly Architects to respond to its prominent riverside setting, featuring a series of contemporary, stepped towers. The design steps down towards the River Clyde, incorporating generous shared terraces with views across the water and creating a more human-scale frontage along the new waterfront promenade. A vibrant, active ground floor for future retail, leisure and amenity use will animate the quayside, with internal uses opening onto a sheltered colonnade – a covered, column-lined walkway designed to bring the quayside to life – to enhance the public realm and encourage interaction between residents and visitors. Residents will benefit from a central reception and amenity spaces, extensive shared facilities, and high-quality landscaped areas designed to foster community living. The development also includes a two-storey podium that helps balance the scale between the riverside and surrounding buildings, while accommodating practical elements such as cycle storage and plant space, enabling more active uses at ground level. The eastern tower has been designed as a landmark feature within the emerging skyline, with the potential for a distinctive roofscape and elevated amenity spaces offering panoramic views back towards Glasgow city centre. The proposals build on the outline planning consent secured by Peel Waters in July 2024 for Yorkhill Quay, which will deliver around 1,100 homes, alongside leisure uses and new public spaces. They also follow the commencement of £3.75 million infrastructure works currently underway and funded by Peel Waters, which will unlock the site for development and deliver a new 400-metre waterfront promenade connecting the Riverside Museum and The Clydeside Distillery. James Whittaker, Managing Director of Peel Waters, said: “Submitting plans for the first homes at Yorkhill Quay is a hugely significant moment for Glasgow Waters. It brings our vision for this part of the River Clyde a step closer to reality and demonstrates the strong momentum now building across our emerging new district. “Urban Pulse’s proposals for a high-quality co-living scheme will introduce a new, flexible way of living to Glasgow Waters, helping to create a vibrant and diverse community from the outset. Alongside the infrastructure works already underway, this is another important step in transforming Yorkhill Quay into a welcoming, well-connected waterfront neighbourhood.” James Paterson, Director at Urban Pulse, added: “We are excited to submit plans for our co-living development at Yorkhill Quay, which we believe will set a new benchmark for this type of living in Glasgow. “Our vision is to create a high-quality, design-led scheme that not only provides much-needed homes but also fosters a strong sense of community through generous shared spaces, amenity and a close relationship with the surrounding waterfront. This will be the first location in Glasgow where you can live, work and play on the waterside which makes this a truly unique and exciting opportunity.” Yorkhill Quay forms a key part of Peel Waters’ wider Glasgow Waters masterplan, a 13-acre mixed-use regeneration project transforming a former brownfield site into a thriving waterfront district. Once complete, the neighbourhood will deliver new homes, jobs, public spaces and improved connectivity, helping to reconnect communities along the River Clyde and create a vibrant new destination for the city. The project team working on the development includes: Project Manager – Axiom Project Services Quantity Surveyor – Axiom Project Services Architect – Anomaly Civil & Structural Engineer – Renaissance Services Engineer – Hawthorne Boyle Landscape Architect – Oobe Planning Consultant – Iceni Projects Fire Engineer – Atelier Ten Ecologist (BNG/PEA) – Enviro Centre CDM Principal Designer – Kirk and Marsh Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Property data reveals Burnham’s council house building risks ‘postcode lottery’
Andy Burnham’s flagship council housebuilding plan risks becoming a “postcode lottery”, according to new analysis by specialist lender Together, with shortages of available public land in the right locations. The Prime Minister in waiting has said Labour will “oversee the biggest council housebuilding programme since the postwar period” using vacant land to reduce costs. However, analysis by property lender Together into data provided by property data platform Searchland reveals publicly-owned brownfield land in England has capacity for at most 187,000 to 207,000 homes. That is less than two-thirds of a 300,000 social and affordable home programme which Labour has previously announced, and that is before accounting for whether each site is genuinely deliverable. The state does not own enough registered land to build the programme on public land alone: a third or more would still have to come from land bought at its current market value. What public land there is, is heavily concentrated. A handful of authorities — led by Birmingham (185 sites, capacity for around 11,500 homes) — account for a large share of the national total. For most of the country, vacant public land is scarce. In around two-thirds of the 20 areas with the deepest housing shortfalls, there is little or no significant public land to build on. Communities in these areas carry some of the largest deficits in the country — yet whether Burnham’s lever can help them depends almost entirely on which council boundary they happen to sit inside. Local authority Region Delivery shortfall Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole South West ~4,550 Greenwich London ~3,880 Newham London ~2,870 Leicester East Midlands ~2,280 Sandwell West Midlands ~2,220 Thurrock East of England ~2,020 Southend-on-Sea East of England ~1,980 Basildon East of England ~1,760 Portsmouth South East ~1,660 Southampton South East ~1,580 Delivery shortfall = homes required minus homes delivered over the latest Housing Delivery Test window. None of the above appears among the 20 authorities with the most public land. Source: Searchland. Much of the largest public landholding sits in authorities that are already meeting or beating their housing targets, among them Leeds, Wandsworth, Waltham Forest, Newcastle and Nottingham. The use of publicly owned land to deliver these targets risks rewarding places that are already delivering, while those falling furthest behind are left with little to build on. Only five authorities — Birmingham, Bristol, Bradford, Lewisham and Kirklees — combine a serious deficit with a serious public-land holding. Ryan Etchells, Chief Commercial Officer, Together said: “Building on vacant public land is a sensible idea, but our analysis shows it can only ever be part of the answer. There isn’t enough public land to deliver a programme this size, and that’s before considering that the places with the greatest need tend to have the least land. As it stands, whether this pledge reaches your community is close to a postcode lottery. “The areas falling furthest behind won’t be rescued by land the state happens to own. They need sites to be assembled and bought, existing land intensified, and the wider public estate brought into play — and all of that needs finance that moves quickly and understands complex, non-standard sites. That is precisely the gap specialist lenders like Together exist to fill. “If the ambition is genuinely national, the plan has to look well beyond vacant public land, otherwise many of the families on today’s waiting lists will be left exactly where they are.” A programme built on vacant public land is, by its nature, a programme of thousands of small, dispersed brownfield plots, the kind that typically take one to 50 homes; precisely the land the volume housebuilders overlook. The homes on public land will overwhelmingly be delivered by small and medium-sized (SME) builders and regional contractors; the type of home-builders who delivered the post-war council-house boom. This is where specialist lending becomes vital. After planning, access to finance is the single biggest constraint on SME housebuilders. Mainstream banks retreated from SME development lending after 2008 and rely on rigid, one-size-fits-all criteria that cannot price the realities of public brownfield land, which include contamination and remediation, non-standard construction, access and ransom strips, phased build-out and planning risk. A small builder typically has its capital tied up in just one or two schemes, so a delay or a “computer-says-no” decision can stall the business entirely. Etchells added: “Making more public land available is an important part of boosting housing supply, but land alone doesn’t build homes. Developers need access to funding that can keep pace with the realities of a project, whether that’s navigating planning delays, drawing down finance in stages or moving quickly when a site becomes available. “In many high-demand areas, developers also need acquisition finance to bring sites together before a scheme can get off the ground. These are often complex opportunities that don’t fit a standard lending model, which is why specialist lenders have such an important role to play. If the funding isn’t there, even the most promising sites can struggle to move from allocation to construction.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
HG Construction Strengthens PBSA Portfolio with Cardiff and Loughborough Projects
HG Construction has secured two significant purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) contracts, further strengthening its position within one of the UK’s fastest-growing residential sectors. Appointed by Fusion Group as main contractor, the company will deliver major student living developments in Cardiff and Loughborough, adding to its expanding national portfolio. The latest appointments continue HG Construction’s strategic growth across the UK, where the contractor is currently delivering residential and PBSA developments in more than ten towns and cities, including London, Manchester, Leeds and Bristol. The Cardiff development at Longcross Court will transform a prominent urban site into a modern 17-storey student accommodation scheme. Designed to provide high-quality living environments in a sustainable city-centre location, the project will contribute to Cardiff’s growing student housing provision while making more effective use of an underutilised site. Meanwhile, in Loughborough, HG Construction will regenerate a derelict brownfield site adjacent to the Grand Union Canal Basin. The eight-storey development will deliver purpose-built student accommodation alongside a range of resident amenities, landscaped courtyards and attractive garden spaces, creating a well-connected and vibrant student community. For the construction sector, both schemes demonstrate the continued demand for high-quality PBSA developments as university cities seek to meet increasing student accommodation requirements through sustainable regeneration. The projects also highlight the importance of brownfield redevelopment in supporting housing delivery while reducing pressure on greenfield land. Beyond the residential buildings themselves, the developments will incorporate high-quality landscaping and public realm, reflecting the growing emphasis on placemaking, resident wellbeing and the creation of attractive, community-focused environments. Adam Quinn, Chief Executive Officer of HG Construction, said securing the two projects represented another important milestone in the company’s national expansion, adding that its continued growth was built on strong collaboration with partners who share a commitment to delivering exceptional living spaces and lasting benefits for local communities. Paul Miles, Group Construction Director at Fusion Group, said HG Construction had demonstrated its capability in delivering complex student accommodation projects, making the contractor a natural choice for both developments. He added that the Cardiff and Loughborough schemes would transform underused sites into high-quality residential environments with a strong emphasis on placemaking, long-term value and positive community impact. As investment in the UK’s student accommodation market continues, the latest projects reinforce the role of specialist contractors and developers in delivering sustainable, well-designed PBSA schemes that support both university growth and wider urban regeneration Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Manchester Green Quarter Set for 251-Home Residential Tower
Manchester’s rapidly expanding Green Quarter is set to welcome another landmark residential development after Linear Living secured planning approval for a 24-storey apartment scheme that will deliver 251 new homes in one of the city’s most sought-after urban neighbourhoods. Located on Lord Street, the development will provide a mix of one and two-bedroom apartments, together with four townhouses, helping to meet growing demand for high-quality city-centre living. The scheme comprises 82 one-bedroom apartments, 165 two-bedroom homes and family-sized townhouses, creating a diverse residential offering suited to a range of occupiers. Construction is expected to commence before the end of the year, with completion targeted for early 2029. Linear Design and Construct has been appointed as main contractor and will deliver the scheme alongside a professional team that includes AEW Architects, planning consultants Enabl and project management specialist Rihbell. The project adds further momentum to the ongoing regeneration of Manchester’s Green Quarter, an area that has undergone significant residential-led transformation over the past decade. Benefiting from its location adjacent to Manchester Victoria Station, the development offers excellent connectivity to the city centre, regional rail services and the wider Greater Manchester transport network, making it an attractive location for residents seeking sustainable urban living. For the construction sector, the project represents another substantial high-rise residential development within Manchester’s thriving city-centre market, creating opportunities across structural engineering, façade systems, building services, fit-out, landscaping and specialist subcontracting disciplines. The scheme has been designed to contribute positively to the continuing evolution of the Green Quarter, supporting higher-density living while strengthening the area’s established mix of residential, leisure, hospitality and commercial uses. Developments of this nature continue to play an important role in meeting housing demand while encouraging investment into surrounding infrastructure and public realm. Stephen Holmes, Chief Executive Officer of Linear Living, described the planning approval as a major milestone for the business as it continues to expand across Greater Manchester and strengthen its presence within Manchester city centre. He added that the Green Quarter’s vibrant character, excellent transport links and proximity to a wide range of leisure and hospitality amenities make it an ideal location for a development of this scale. Holmes said the scheme is intended to become a defining addition to the neighbourhood and help shape the future of the Green Quarter for years to come. As Manchester continues to experience sustained investment in residential development, the approval of the Lord Street scheme further reinforces the city’s position as one of the UK’s strongest regional markets for high-density urban living, with developers continuing to bring forward high-quality homes in well-connected and highly desirable locations. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
FMB members across the UK mark 85 years of raising standards in construction
As the Federation of Master Builders marks its 85th anniversary, members from across the UK reflect on the businesses, communities and industry the FMB has helped shape over the past eight decades. From Glasgow to Cheltenham, builders reflect on eight decades of craft, community and change as the Federation of Master Builders reaches a landmark 85 year anniversary The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) is marking its 85th anniversary this year and members from every corner of the UK are reflecting on what those eight decades have meant for their businesses, their trade and the people they build for. Founded in 1941, the FMB was established on a simple but enduring principle: that skilled, reputable builders deserved a voice, and that consumers deserved protection. Today, it remains the UK’s largest trade association for small and medium-sized building companies, championing high standards in an industry that continues to face significant challenges — from a deepening skills shortage and planning delays to the ongoing scourge of rogue traders who cost British homeowners an estimated £14.3 billion over the last five years alone. As the FMB looks ahead to its National Conference at Oxford’s historic Exeter College on 9–10 July, members who have been part of the organisation for decades — and those who joined more recently — are united by a shared commitment to the values that have defined the FMB since its founding. Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the Federation of Master Builders: “Eighty-five years ago, the Federation of Master Builders was founded on a simple but powerful idea: that skilled, trustworthy builders deserved a voice, and that the public deserved protection from those who would undermine the trade. That mission is as urgent today as it ever was. As we mark this anniversary, I’m proud of everything our members have built, not just the homes, extensions and renovations that have transformed people’s lives, but the standards, the reputation and the community that the FMB represents. Here’s to the next 85 years.” To mark the milestone, the FMB spoke to members past and present across the UK, asking them to reflect on their time with the Federation, the changes they’ve seen in the industry, and what membership means to their business today — and looking ahead to the challenges still to come. NORTH — I J Curry & Son Ltd, Penrith, Cumbria | In business since 1990 | FMB members for nearly 30 years For the Curry family, joining the FMB was about standing for something in an industry where standards are not always guaranteed. “Building is a people business,” says Nick Curry, “and we wanted our customers to know that we were committed to doing things properly and working to the highest standards.” The firm has been building in Cumbria since 1990 — 35 years of barn conversions, new builds and renovations across the region. Over nearly three decades as FMB members, the industry has changed beyond recognition: customer expectations are higher, sustainability and energy efficiency have moved centre stage, and technology has transformed everything from how plans are drawn up to how sites are managed. But Nick is clear that some things remain constant: “Despite all the changes, the importance of craftsmanship and trust has remained.” For a family firm now spanning three generations — Nick, his father Ian who first joined the FMB nearly 30 years ago, and Joan — multi-generational working is something they’ve had to navigate in practice. “The key is communication and recognising that nobody has all the answers,” says Nick. “Family businesses thrive when there’s mutual respect, clear roles and a shared vision for where the business is going.” The FMB has been part of that journey every step of the way. The Currys’ proudest achievement to date is being recognised with two national Master Builder Awards last year, alongside a string of regional wins. “It’s reassuring to know that we’re part of something bigger than our own business.” MIDLANDS — Graline Construction Ltd, Solihull, Birmingham | In business since 1974 | FMB members since 1995 Graline Construction has been one of South Birmingham’s leading family-run builders since 1974 — over 50 years of craftsmanship in kitchens, extensions and renovations across the region. But for Director of Operations Kathryn Poppitt, the FMB story is personal as much as professional. She now sits as the FMB Central Area Board President and serves as a Vice President of the regional FMB board. Her father joined the Federation in 1995 — when the company had already been trading for over two decades — because he wanted the credibility of a professional body behind the Graline name. Thirty years later, that commitment has passed to the next generation. “I feel like I’ve grown up with the FMB. My dad joined in 1995 because he wanted credibility behind our company and wanted to raise standards in an industry he’d worked in since he was 15. Being part of the Federation has been part of my childhood and is now a huge part of my business journey too.” LONDON — JA Lofts, South East London | FMB members for 10 years Jordan Ali started JA Lofts a decade ago with a clear intention: to stand out in a crowded market by holding himself to the highest standards. The South East London-based loft conversion specialist joined the FMB on day one — and has recently taken that commitment further by joining the London Board. “Happy 85th FMB! When I started my company I wanted to stand out from the crowd and hold myself to high standards so signed up with the FMB right away. I recently was elected to the London Board so am looking forward to making a contribution to the direction the FMB takes — particularly on bringing the next generation into the industry. Here’s to the FMB raising standards for many years to come!” SOUTH WEST — Newman Construction and Sons Ltd, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire | FMB members since 2019 Newman Construction and Sons Ltd may be a