Whitbread submits plans for Carlisle city centre Premier Inn
Whitbread plc, the UK’s largest hotel company, and owner of Premier Inn, has submitted a planning application for a new city centre hotel in Carlisle. The proposed 104-bedroom hotel on Victoria Viaduct, close to the station and Carlisle City Centre, will complement the existing Premier Inns in Carlisle when it opens. In May 2025, the company announced the freehold acquisition of the former Central Plaza site from Cumberland Council for this development. The site has a lengthy connection to the hospitality industry stretching back to 1881 but in more recent years the former hotel fell into disrepair and was demolished in 2019 / 2020. Whitbread is seeking planning permission for a new five-storey Premier Inn hotel offering the brand’s latest format ‘Standard’ and enhanced ‘Premier Plus’ bedrooms as well as a guest-focused restaurant. The bedrooms are arranged from lower ground to fourth floor with the hotel reception and restaurant accessed from Victoria Viaduct at the upper ground floor via a prominent and welcoming entrance. Public car parking at the West Walls car park is a two-minute walk away. Jill Anderson, Acquisition Manager for Whitbread in the north of England, said: “Since announcing our plans in May 2025 people have told us that they wish to see the vacant Central Plaza site brought back into long-term use. They also welcome the new employment opportunities and positive economic benefits the hotel will bring to the city. We’re very grateful for all the support we’ve received so far from stakeholders and representative groups we have spoken to. “The site on West Walls is not an easy location to redevelop into a hotel and we’ve had to be flexible to create a design that meets our operational requirements and is economically viable. The contemporary design we are proposing responds positively to the historic context and will create an active frontage onto both Victoria Viaduct and West Walls. We’re eager to move the proposal forward, get onto site and deliver the package of benefits the hotel will create.” Based on its own in-house data, Whitbread estimates around 30,000 Premier Inn guests will stay at the City Centre hotel per annum once it reaches maturity. These customers are anticipated to spend more than £4 million a year within the visitor economy during their stay according to an independent economic impact assessment submitted as part of the planning application, supporting the leisure and tourism sector in the region. Around 25 new permanent hospitality jobs are also anticipated to be created on opening with around 45 established jobs in the construction supply chain expected to be supported during the £12 million build. Subject to planning, Whitbread is hoping to commence development in 2026 and is targeting to welcome its first customers before the end of 2028. In line with the company’s sustainability policy the proposed hotel will be powered by electricity generated from renewable sources and the proposed building will incorporate heat recovery systems and air source heat pumps to create a low energy demand. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
M&S opens new 100,000 sq ft flagship store concept at Merry Hill
Merry Hill has announced that M&S has opened its latest renewal store concept at the top 10 UK shopping destination, featuring a brand-new Coffee Shop, fresh market-style foodhall, and expanded fashion, home & beauty offer. The opening represents a major investment by M&S and the landlord, and underlines Merry Hill’s position as a location where leading retailers continue to grow and thrive. Spanning 100,000 sq ft, the new M&S marks a significant reinvestment after 35 years at Merry Hill. The store brings together two existing units into one flagship space, reflecting M&S’s long-term commitment to its loyal customers at the centre. The new foodhall offers an enhanced shopping experience, with wider aisles, expanded product ranges, produce from M&S’ Select Farm partners and standout new features such as an iconic cheese barge, in-store bakery, and dedicated Flower and Wine Shops. Across fashion, home and beauty, the store has been reimagined to deliver a seamless shopping experience for customers. Home, menswear and kidswear now come together to form a full fashion destination on the upper mall, while womenswear has moved to the lower mall. Adding to the transformation is the brand-new M&S Coffee Shop, located just outside the main store, where customers can find a range of breakfast and lunch choices, alongside cakes and pastries, barista-made coffee and iced drinks. Graeme Jones, Executive Director at Sovereign Centros from CBRE, on behalf of Merry Hill, commented: “This opening builds on the centre’s transformation in recent years. It’s a move that wouldn’t have been possible a few years ago, but with Merry Hill thriving, the time is right to create a growth platform for M&S and use that evolution to unlock new opportunities. Importantly, it delivers even more for our customers, enhancing the visitor experience at M&S, and allowing us to introduce new brands that have wanted to be here for a while, and are now willing to commit to Merry Hill, having seen the significant changes that have taken place.” Calum Telford, Regional Manager at M&S, said: “M&S Merry Hill is one of more than 20 new or renewed stores we are opening across the UK in the remainder of this financial year, and it’s fantastic for customers to see the full transformation. Renewing our stores is all about delivering the very best of M&S and the best possible shopping experience for our customers. Our transformed store does just that and our focus is now on delivering the trusted value and exceptional quality we’re known for. As we celebrate 35 years at Merry Hill, it is brilliant to be starting this next era for the store.” This landmark investment by M&S follows a wave of major anchor tenants joining Merry Hill, including Hollywood Bowl, international home retailer Harvey Norman, premium fitness brand XF Gym, and the soon to launch Funstation. JLL, Time Retail Partners, and Font Real Estate represent Merry Hill. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Panattoni completes 200,000 sq ft logistics park in supply constrained South East corridor
Panattoni, the world’s largest privately owned industrial developer, has reached practical completion of Panattoni Park Crawley, and is now ready for tenant fit-out, its new prime logistics development serving one of the most supply constrained parts of the South East. The scheme delivers two high quality speculatively developed units of 65,620 sq ft and 134,473 sq ft, both now available for immediate occupation, with the flexibility to combine into a single 200,093 sq ft facility. Located five minutes from Gatwick Airport and Junction 10 of the M23, the completed development offers one of the South East market’s only immediately available 200,000 sq ft opportunities within this strategic logistics corridor. Designed to support larger occupiers requiring scale and operational efficiency, the building’s 15 metre internal height provides up to 25 percent more pallet capacity than comparable local schemes built to 12.5 metres. Both units have been delivered to Panattoni’s high specification, achieving BREEAM ‘Excellent’ and EPC A. The buildings include extensive roof mounted solar PV capacity, 15% roof lights, EV charging, high performance insulation and best in class yard and parking provision. David McGougan, Development Director, South East at Panattoni, said: “Practical completion at Panattoni Park Crawley marks an important milestone in bringing much needed modern logistics capacity to one of the best connected but most supply constrained markets in the country. “The ability to offer a flexible single unit of 200,000 sq ft, combined with enhanced height and increased pallet density, provides a rare and compelling solution for occupiers seeking immediate, future proofed space with unmatched access to Gatwick, the M23 and London. We have significant tenant interest in the facility and look forward to supporting the expansion of businesses to our new facility at Manor Royal.” The park benefits from excellent access to labour, transport and amenities. Brighton and South London are reachable within 45 minutes, with Central London reached in an hour. More than 3.8 million addresses lie within 30 miles, supporting last mile operations, and over 19,000 people in West Sussex – which employs almost double the national average in transport and storage – are actively seeking work. The site offers strong public transport links, including the Fastway 100 bus route and three nearby railway stations, and sits within walking distance of major retailers. Rising air freight volumes at Gatwick, which saw a 33.4 percent increase year on year in 2025, continue to drive strong occupier demand. For more information, please visit: https://panattoni.co.uk/our-properties/crawley/ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Conamar Wins £18 Million Deal to Transform Former City Bank into Low-Carbon Offices
Hertfordshire based contractor Conamar has secured an £18 million contract from Alchemy Asset Management to refurbish and decarbonise 7–21 Wilson Street in the City of London. Work is due to start on site in January, with completion targeted for summer 2027. The project will see the former Arbuthnot Bank building transformed into around 36,000 square feet of best in class, sustainably refurbished office space, including a substantial rooftop terrace. A key feature of the scheme is a new façade designed to refresh the building’s presence on Wilson Street. The upgraded frontage will incorporate curved glazing alongside high performance stone and terracotta cladding, giving the property a contemporary look while improving its environmental performance. Conamar is understood to have beaten competition from RED Construction and Forcia to secure the job following a competitive tender process. David Hughes, director at Alchemy Asset Management, said:“We are delighted to have selected Conamar to deliver this exciting project on behalf of our overseas client. This speculative investment responds directly to sustained occupier appetite and reflects our confidence in the resilience of the London office market. “Having secured planning consent earlier this year, we ran a competitive tender process over the summer, and we were impressed with Conamar’s diligence and commitment to the project. We look forward to delivering this refurbishment with them into an increasingly tightly supplied market.” Nathanial Crichton, pre construction director at Conamar, added:“The competitive tender, followed by a rigorous due diligence period, enabled us to demonstrate our understanding of the client’s development drivers and value priorities. “Through collaborative design and commercial analysis, we identified additional net internal area and realised close to £2 million in cost efficiencies. Our dedicated design partners and core supply chain have been instrumental in shaping a deliverable and efficient route to market. We are very pleased to be moving forward and look forward to bringing this project to life.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Stepnell commences second phase of expansion works at Hazeley Enterprise Park
COMPLETE construction partner Stepnell has commenced the latest phase of development works on Hazeley Enterprise Park outside of Twyford, extending the current facilities within the park to include light industrial buildings, energy-efficient offices and a community hub. Addressing the shortage of quality business units in the area, Hazeley Enterprise Park will deliver 17 new light industrial units, as well as up to ten new office units. At the heart of the Hazeley Enterprise Park will be the Hazeley Hub which will include a cafe as well as meeting and event spaces, offering both tenants and the wider community a place to connect. Stepnell has commenced remediation works of the site, formerly a chicken farm and feed mill, to ensure that the ground is suitable to support the next stage of construction. Rob Speirs, director at Stepnell, said: “From our nearby Southampton office, we understand the local demand for high quality industrial and commercial units within the area and the ease of access that such a development affords from the M3. “Hazeley Enterprise Park will provide the local area with enhanced access to high-quality commercial spaces and increasing employment opportunities in the commercial and industrial sectors. “Working on an active site requires strong site control and communication and we’ve already been proactively sending out monthly newsletters to residents to keep them informed on the project’s progress. We’re also engaging with surrounding neighbours to ensure that disruption to their working day is kept to a minimum.” Located among parkland and woodland, environmental sensitivity is at the core of Stepnell’s work on the site. From the earliest stages, Stepnell is prioritising ecological responsibility, from utilising the 12-acre field to enhance the developments biodiversity and long-term sustainability to planting native trees and shrubs and wild flower areas. Supporting the sustainable goals at the core of the development, Step Energy – the energy and renewables business within Stepnell Group – has provided solar panels for the roofing and electric vehicle charging will be provided to all units as standard. Social value will also remain a key priority, working with contractors to support the integration of apprenticeships as well as utilising local suppliers wherever possible. Nikki Bream, managing director at Hazeley Group, said: “We are pleased by the pace of work on site, with visible differences being made each day. First-phase units and offices are due to be completed by early summer 2026, with some already pre-let to new businesses to the site. “The Hub will follow slightly later and will be a valuable addition to the Park. Tenants, both current and prospective, are excited by the future availability on site of a versatile space which can be booked for larger meetings and events, providing the opportunity to host wider business gatherings and entertain suppliers and customers. “We are creating an attractive vaulted building, designed to allow the dual purpose of providing both tenants and the public with somewhere to meet or entertain in our beautiful, rural setting.” To explore Stepnell’s expertise, visit https://www.stepnell.co.uk/. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Timber Takes Centre Stage as McLaren Secures Landmark Clerkenwell Office
McLaren Construction has been chosen by developer Global Holdings Management Group to deliver Xylo, a pioneering 100,000 square foot office building in Clerkenwell that will become the UK’s largest all timber frame workplace. The nine storey scheme in central London moves into full construction following the completion of enabling works. McLaren will now work with architects Piercy&Co, project manager Avison Young, services and sustainability engineers Max Fordham, and structural and civil engineers Heyne Tillett Steel, with completion targeted for the second quarter of 2028. Xylo is being billed as one of the most environmentally advanced office buildings in the world. Its structure will be formed entirely from glulam beams and cross laminated timber, supplied by Hybrid Structures, part of the William Hare Group. The extensive use of engineered timber significantly reduces embodied carbon when compared with traditional steel and concrete, while also aiming to create a warm, natural internal environment for future occupiers. Darren Gill, managing director for London and South at McLaren Construction, said the job represents a major step forward for sustainable office development in the capital. “This is a pioneering use of structural timber and off site manufacturing to deliver a high level of buildability and sustainability on a typically tight central London site,” he said. “The result will be a landmark project that redefines what a sustainable, healthy workplace can be. Rigorous digital information management systems enable us to monitor carbon emissions as the project progresses and ensure that it comfortably meets its ambitious targets.” Josh Lawrence, chief executive of Global Holdings Management Group UK, added: “We are delighted to be working with McLaren to deliver Xylo – a game changing project and a significant milestone for our industry. Xylo is going to be the perfect building for companies that are leaders in their fields, showcasing the most environmentally friendly technologies in a truly beautiful building, underpinned by a vibrant neighbourhood and excellent transport links.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals