A comprehensive programme of improvement works at the Lockwood Way Industrial Estate in the London Borough of Waltham Forest has been completed and handed over by the main contractor BRAC Contracts. The £650,000 project was secured by BRAC following a competitive tender process and included improvement works to both the
A new programme has been launched to accelerate the next wave of low carbon transport in the South and East of England. UK Power Networks is approaching the owners and managers of destination venues, property landlords and business workplaces who have long-term plans to install low carbon technology such as
M&J Evans, a groundworks and civil engineering contractor headquartered in the West Midlands, has invested over £4.5m in 52 Cat machines from Finning, exclusive UK & Ireland dealer, and is the first groundworks company to take delivery of the recently launched Cat CS12 GC vibratory soil compactor. The deal included
Construction firm, R G Carter has recently completed the construction of two new secure inspection facilities for Hutchinson Ports along the East Anglia coast. R G Carter won the bid to design and construct both secure inspection facilities at two of the UK’s most important ports, Harwich International in Essex,
Planning Consent For Leeds Urban Extension White Laithe Developments Ltd, as part of a consortium of landowners, has secured planning consent from Leeds City Council to transform land at Whinmoor into a residential-led sustainable urban extension with 2000 homes, which could facilitate significant job creation. Approval has been granted for
New 68,374 sq ft distribution facility set to practically complete this month Harbert Management Corporation (Europe) LLC has announced that it has secured a pre-letting at Guinness Point, a brand new 68,374 sq ft industrial unit in Trafford Park. The new distribution facility will be practically completed this month. Sainsburys
–Training costs, lack of customer demand, and excess paperwork are main barriers to change- -Installers will play a pivotal role in supporting homeowners with future heating decisions- The transition to low carbon heating is at finely balanced tipping point with installers split on whether they will be installing heat pumps
As the Building Safety Act 2022 comes into force, a leading provider of building management services is urging facilities and building managers to ensure their emergency lighting systems are ‘fit for purpose.’ The call for action from Abtec Building Technologies (Abtec BT) comes following a number of fires in high
Story Plant is a specialist plant hirer to the UK rail industry which operates a diverse fleet of road rail vehicles fitted with SITECH® Trimble Technology to ensure quality, safety, and delivery in a sector where timescales are tight, and delays are costly. Based in Carlisle, Cumbria, Story Plant have a historic relationship
Updated plans submitted by Google for its £1 billion “groundscraper” headquarter building in Kings Cross show that it will have 250 metres of shop fronts and a community events space. Lendlease is main contractor of the huge one million sq ft building. — designed by Thomas Heatherwick and Danish architects
A comprehensive programme of improvement works at the Lockwood Way Industrial Estate in the London Borough of Waltham Forest has been completed and handed over by the main contractor BRAC Contracts. The £650,000 project was secured by BRAC following a competitive tender process and included improvement works to both the industrial units, as well as the surrounding public realm. Located within the Blackhorse Lane Creative Enterprise Zone, the Lockwood Way Industrial Estate is home to an eclectic mix of local businesses including two craft breweries and a vintage scooter specialist. The improvement work has been carried out not only to further increase the attractiveness of the area to new businesses, but also to improve it for those already based there. The estate now boasts attractive new frontages to the industrial units, signage for both the businesses themselves as well as the wider estate, artwork, footpath widening, fencing, landscaping, and road resurfacing. It brings to life a vision created by We Made That. BRAC’s MD, Adam Clark, comments: “As an area identified for investment, Lockwood Way possessed huge potential not only to be updated and made more attractive to current and potential tenants, but also to become a more integral part of the local community. “Through the work that we’ve delivered against the vision outlined by the team at ‘We Made That’, the estate now has the potential to offer ‘after hours’ facilities and increase its vibrancy beyond all measure! We’re delighted to have been involved in such an important project and look forward to witnessing it being enjoyed.” The transformation of Lockwood Way will be celebrated on July 16, 2022, with a family-friendly block party featuring live music, children’s activities and street food. Concluding, Councillor Ahsan Khan, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Regeneration at Waltham Forest Council, comments: “Lockwood Way Industrial Estate has become a home for a broad variety of creatives, makers, and artisans who have transformed it into a bustling hub of culture and small businesses. We are delighted to have worked with We Made That and BRAC, alongside local businesses, to improve the area and build upon its heritage to support new industries finding their way and help local up-and-coming talents establish themselves. “The Lockwood Way project is an amazing opportunity to highlight the skills and services available in the borough, support local business growth and create jobs, and protect the breadth of creative diversity in the area.” Further information on the Lockwood Way Industrial Estate can be found here: https://www.walthamforest.gov.uk/regeneration-and-growth/regeneration-blackhorse-lane/regeneration-blackhorse-lane/lockwood-way
A new programme has been launched to accelerate the next wave of low carbon transport in the South and East of England. UK Power Networks is approaching the owners and managers of destination venues, property landlords and business workplaces who have long-term plans to install low carbon technology such as solar energy generation or electric vehicle charging hubs. The electricity distribution network operator for London, the South and East of England wants to help identify common challenges across groups and sectors, that until now have not needed to work with their local energy distributor, then identify common challenges and design practical solutions to help. The new Low Carbon Technology Customer Group will initially work with a broad range of trade bodies and individuals, representing sectors ranging from social housing landlords to emergency services, leisure and retail development owners, farmers and even caravan and camping destinations. The group will collaborate with UK Power Networks to identify common challenges they face in reducing their carbon footprint. Solutions could range from sector-specific toolkits to targeted, co-ordinated network investment programmes. Adam Lakey, stakeholder engagement manager at UK Power Networks, said: “We want to help anyone who might be thinking about decarbonising their existing property asset but doesn’t know who to speak to. We’re looking for input from organisations like ambulance trusts or fire brigades to campsites or shopping destinations; anyone who knows that at some point over the next five-10 years they want to install low carbon technology like EV chargers or solar panels but doesn’t yet know how to go about it. “We can offer advice and expertise about how to go about it in the most cost-effective way. For example, if you install solar panels and then add electric vehicle charge points it may work out cheaper than upgrading your electricity supply for the charge points then adding solar power later. “We know there’s a vast range of existing buildings, developments and organisations that want to decarbonise. By starting a conversation with us through this new group we can help people do it more easily, quickly and cost-efficiently.” UK Power Networks is forecasting the number of electric vehicles connected to its networks will increase almost tenfold in the next five years, from 310,000 now to 2.6m in 2028. Last year, UK Power Networks launched its Green Recovery programme, an unprecedented opportunity to address climate change by kick-starting 86 shovel-ready green energy infrastructure projects. In total, £66m is being invested, including enabling 11 motorway service areas to install more than 600 ultra-fast 150kW chargers. This investment, combined with collaborative work across the sector, aims to develop the energy infrastructure that inspires customers with the confidence to switch to an EV. To find out more about participating in the LCT Customer Group, please email LCT@ukpowernetworks.co.uk
M&J Evans, a groundworks and civil engineering contractor headquartered in the West Midlands, has invested over £4.5m in 52 Cat machines from Finning, exclusive UK & Ireland dealer, and is the first groundworks company to take delivery of the recently launched Cat CS12 GC vibratory soil compactor. The deal included the purchase of 49 Cat 313 GC excavators, a staple for any groundworks company, offering up to 5% more fuel efficiency than competitor machines of equivalent class, and 20% less maintenance costs. M&J Evans has also bought three Cat CS12 GC vibratory soil compactors as part of the deal – two of which have now been delivered and being put through their paces on the company’s construction sites. M&J Evans plant and transport manager Philip McEvilly, a qualified machine operator, saw the compaction technology in action at a Finning roadshow and immediately recognised how the technology would significantly impact on-site productivity and increase fuel efficiency. “The technology enables the operator to input in the required level and parameters needed into the on-board computer, and then instead of the operator having to go over the area again and again until it’s compacted to the correct level, the machine does it perfectly, the first time,” he said. M&J Evans is one of the largest groundworks businesses in the UK and runs a varied fleet of over 1500 items including excavators, dumpers and rollers used on over 200 housing sites across the Midlands, Yorkshire, Northwest, South and Southwest following the opening of a Swindon headquarters. Phil added: “We decided to purchase the Cat machines from Finning because they offer a fully comprehensive warranty scheme and have excellent coverage across the UK which is important so we can ensure all our fleet of machines are serviced and maintained to keep them operational. We’re also using the company’s CUBIQ™ dealer services platform which enables us to have access to real-time data on machine use and performance which is critical to our business. “Rising diesel costs and fewer people mean idling time and wear and tear on our machines must be kept to a minimum so we’re getting the maximum utilisation from them. We also like to demonstrate to our customers that we’re being proactive in managing their costs. “Although availability of some new machines is a challenge, we’re delighted that Finning has been able to supply the Cat 313 GC excavators and the rollers within the timeframe we need.” Georgia Key, Territory Account Manager at Finning UK & Ireland, said: “We’re excited to see the first Cat CS12 GC with Machine Drive Power (MDP) going into groundworks in the UK. This is a state-of-the-art machine with soil compaction measurement technology which helps operators accurately determine the load bearing strength of the soil they are compacting. “The machine ensures customers have complete confidence that their work meets specification, allowing them to move on to the next area increasing productivity and saving time, fuel, and wear and tear on the machine. “As part of the deal, M&J has taken out a full three-year, 3000-hour warranty with Finning which provides customers with assurance and peace of mind that the machines run as productively and efficiency as possible during their lifetime. “The warranty package ensures all component machine parts are dispatched to site (wherever in the UK the machine is) in line with its scheduled maintenance and servicing plan. The customer also benefits from a full remote condition monitoring and industry-leading fluid analysis service, which enables the Finning service experts to identify any potential problems with the machines before they occur and act on it – reducing the risk of critical failure and minimising downtime. “Through the CUBIQ™ dealer services portal M&J also have instant access to invaluable machine performance information including running time, fuel usage bringing the customer closer to critical information about their assets which means they have the data to make the best possible decisions.”
Construction firm, R G Carter has recently completed the construction of two new secure inspection facilities for Hutchinson Ports along the East Anglia coast. R G Carter won the bid to design and construct both secure inspection facilities at two of the UK’s most important ports, Harwich International in Essex, and the Port of Felixstowe, Suffolk, to inspect goods such as fresh produce and plants entering the UK. Completing the new border control posts at Harwich within 42 weeks, the project was slightly larger in scale, and more complex in design and build compared to the second inspection facility delivered at Felixstowe. The new site at Harwich is situated close to a newly constructed port exit and features state-of-the-art, steel-framed buildings housing temperature-controlled conditions to maintain ambient, chilled, or frozen temperatures, dependent on the goods being inspected by DEFRA agencies. With over 100 years of construction expertise, the East Anglian-based construction firm has racked up experience working on the ports and similar projects in the past. One of the key tasks was managing their 200-strong workforce of staff and sub-contractors at Harwich International. James Wilson, General Manager and Director from R G Carter is delighted to be handing over another successful project to Hutchinson Port, he said: “This has been an exciting and truly collaborative project for us to be involved in and we are delighted to have delivered these essential facilities at these busy regional Ports. We are very proud to see them successfully open for operational use and hope they provide the very highest standards of efficiency required at this important checkpoint.” The Felixstowe project includes ten dock levellers and two loading bays, both featuring temperature-controlled rooms with commercial fridges and freezers. Both sites at Harwich and Felixstowe include high specification offices and welfare facilities for the Port and DEFRA staff. The completion of these projects has resulted in significant benefits to each respective Port. The site at Harwich also includes a new exit road which allows freight to access the facility and then exit directly on to the A120, reducing freight congestion and allowing for free-flowing traffic.
Planning Consent For Leeds Urban Extension White Laithe Developments Ltd, as part of a consortium of landowners, has secured planning consent from Leeds City Council to transform land at Whinmoor into a residential-led sustainable urban extension with 2000 homes, which could facilitate significant job creation. Approval has been granted for the creation of a new community including 2000 homes, a local centre, a primary school, public open space and part of the East Leeds Orbital Road. The circa 250 acre site comprises three adjacent parcels of land, off Coal Road and Skelton Lane, between the A58 Wetherby Road and the A64 York Road. The residential development, which will be the primary land use within the site, will incorporate a mix of market and affordable homes from two bedroom apartments to five bedroom townhouses. Leeds City Council is required to deliver 51,952 new dwellings between 2017 and 2033, with a target that 3,247 dwellings per year should be delivered. The land at Whinmoor will significantly assist in contributing to housing delivery as it will accommodate 2,000 units of the wider East Leeds Extension site, which has an allocated capacity of 3,771 homes. The new primary school will be a two-form entry school and the mixed-use local centre will provide a variety of retail, community and health uses as a focal point for the new community. The development will also provide the first phase of the East Leeds Orbital Road between the A58 Wetherby Road and the A64 York Road, connecting surrounding communities. Peter Garrett, Managing Director of Keyland Developments – one of the JV partners, said; “The planning consent has facilitated an entirely new extension of Leeds to bring about much-needed housing and associated community facilities as well as a vital new road connection. The development has the potential to deliver a multitude of economic and social benefits, including significant job creation, and we are pleased to have played a role in unlocking its potential.” John Carter, Director at Evans Property Group – a JV partner, commented; “Developments of this scale have the ability to ensure the long-term success of cities and we are delighted that this strategic site at Whinmoor will be brought to life as a vibrant mixed-use development with a community at its heart. Development of sites like this is crucial and we are looking forward to seeing the scheme progress.”
New 68,374 sq ft distribution facility set to practically complete this month Harbert Management Corporation (Europe) LLC has announced that it has secured a pre-letting at Guinness Point, a brand new 68,374 sq ft industrial unit in Trafford Park. The new distribution facility will be practically completed this month. Sainsburys Supermarkets Ltd has signed a 15 year lease on the facility which will provide the retailer with a prominent, high-quality, new build development within the heart the North West’s prime industrial/logistics location. Having identified a lack of supply within Trafford Park and the wider Greater Manchester region, Harbert Management Corporation committed to speculatively develop the unit with strong occupational demand received immediately. Steve Capper, Director, CBRE’s Industrial & Logistics team, comments; “Given the lack of development within Trafford Park, coupled with the prominent location and specification of the unit, it is no surprise that an excellent company such as Sainsburys has committed to the property.” Howard Hill of Harbert Management Corporation (Europe) LLC further comments; “We are excited to welcome Sainsburys Supermarkets Ltd to the Trafford Park portfolio. It has been a pleasure to work in partnership with Sainsburys on the scheme and we look forward to seeing them operating from the unit very soon. We have seen record levels of take-up and rental growth across the Trafford Park holding and occupancy levels remain at an all-time high.” CBRE and B8RE acted for Harbert Management Corporation (Europe) LLC and Avison Young acted for Sainsburys Supermarkets Ltd.
–Training costs, lack of customer demand, and excess paperwork are main barriers to change- -Installers will play a pivotal role in supporting homeowners with future heating decisions- The transition to low carbon heating is at finely balanced tipping point with installers split on whether they will be installing heat pumps in their customers’ homes. That’s the main finding of a new report from heat solutions provider Baxi which assesses what would encourage installers to take the leap to low carbon sources of heat. Baxi’s research with installers found that nearly a third – equivalent to about 37,000 of the more than 130,000 of the UK’s heating engineers – are prepared to embrace heat pumps in the near future. By contrast, around 30% say they are extremely unlikely to install heat pumps. The government is targeting 600,000 heat pump installations every year by 2028. That is ten times the current market and represents a transformation from early adoption to a mass market proposition. It would require an army of low carbon heating installers to be assisting homeowners and encouraging to make the change. Amongst the main findings in the report “Heating Installers: Taking the Leap to a Low Carbon Future” are that the government and the industry will need to address the important issue of training costs, ensuring there is enough demand from customers and reducing paperwork. On training costs – 39% said they would be more likely to install heat pumps if they received help with training costs. They currently pay the full cost of training and forgo work in order to receive heat pump training On customer demand – 56% of installers said customer demand needed to be addressed and 38% of installers are concerned about lack of government support for the market. The current Boiler Upgrade Scheme which pays a max £5,000 grant to support air source heat pump installations ends in 2025. On paperwork – 44%wanted support to reduce the burden of paperwork, for example in applying for government assistance schemes Karen Boswell, Managing Director of Baxi UK & Ireland, said: “Installers will play an important role as we decarbonise the nation’s heating and it will be vital that the government and industry support them with the right information, incentives and training. “They will need to be advocates for low carbon sources of heat and recommend to the nation’s homeowners that they should make the leap to a heat pump. To achieve this, we will need to address their concerns, support them with training, and explain more clearly the financial and non-financial benefits of these appliances.” Baxi’s report makes a series of recommendations which include spelling out stronger government initiatives that will drive demand for heat pumps over the coming decade; support for training costs on a first come-first served basis; and an industry wide campaign to market the role of a low carbon heating installer to attract new entrants. For more information, and to download the report, click here
As the Building Safety Act 2022 comes into force, a leading provider of building management services is urging facilities and building managers to ensure their emergency lighting systems are ‘fit for purpose.’ The call for action from Abtec Building Technologies (Abtec BT) comes following a number of fires in high rise buildings in recent months, and at a time when the call for the ‘stay put’ policy to be abandoned. Welcoming the new legislation, the company believes such incidents place a much-needed spotlight on the need for more integrated approaches secure, robust emergency lighting reporting solutions which allow occupants to safety exit the building. Abtec BT, who launched ARGOHub – a software as a service (SaaS) offering, believes too many buildings reman ill-equipped with outdated emergency lighting systems and testing practices. This means they are not fit for purpose and cannot be relied upon in the event of an incident. Fully supportive of the current industry standards, ARGOHub can be tested in accordance with BS EN 50172:2004/BS 5266-1:2016, which specify the minimum provision and testing of emergency lighting for different premises. “Emergency building services is about more than fire alarms,’ comments Dave Watkins, Director of Abtec Building Technologies. “As the focus on building safety continues to increase, it is absolutely vital that those with responsibility for building safety take a good look at their existing systems and ask whether they are truly fit for the purpose they were installed for?. “Building managers must be sure they can control, monitor and test their emergency lighting systems with ease and confidence. We know from experience that integrating technology such as ARGOHub into building management systems will enhance overall building safety and bring peace of mind to building owners, operators and users everywhere. For any building manager who remains unsure of how things can be improved or made more robust and reliable, we are here to help.” For more information and to download ARGOHub’s white paper visit www.argohub.com.
Story Plant is a specialist plant hirer to the UK rail industry which operates a diverse fleet of road rail vehicles fitted with SITECH® Trimble Technology to ensure quality, safety, and delivery in a sector where timescales are tight, and delays are costly. Based in Carlisle, Cumbria, Story Plant have a historic relationship of using SITECH machine control systems spanning over 15 years, so when an influx of new operators and a transition from the Trimble GCS900 system across to Trimble Earthworks meant they needed training support they approached the team at SITECH. Story Plant carry out works with multiple clients across the UK, and they are now growing their customer base within the Midlands which has led to an increase in their fleet and number of operators. Mark Bruce, head of technical development at Story Plant, said: “We rely heavily on our machines and the Trimble system to get things right and we currently have six dozer machines configured with the tech. “We found that different clients want to use different configurations of the Trimble system, often our operators would only use one system for a period of time and would then require a refresher when they needed to switch to a different configuration. “Solving that skill fade was important because we need our teams to have confidence in the system they’re using. Working within the rail industry you must get the work done right first time, because timescales are tight and as there’s a closure on the rail network there are severe consequences for delays. “As well as meeting tight timescales, we place significant importance on carrying out our work safely. This involves working in areas with restricted space, such as tunnels and viaducts, so having confidence in the systems they are using allows our teams to focus on safe delivery.” “We’re also in the process of transitioning from the old Trimble GCS900 system across to Trimble Earthworks, so we approached SITECH to see if they could create a series of quick reference videos as refreshers for our operators on things like setting up the system and simple fault fixes, which they can watch on their tablet or mobile phone. “The training videos are just one example of our good relationship with the team at SITECH, as they also supported us earlier this year when we bought a Caterpillar D6K2 dozer, the largest dozer on the UK rail infrastructure. Because of the restricted space it operates in, it has a unique folding blade fitted which the SITECH team analysed to ensure the mast is located in exactly the right position when the Trimble system is in use.” To find out more about the construction technology, software and services SITECH UK & Ireland offers, visit the website https://www.sitechukandireland.com.
Updated plans submitted by Google for its £1 billion “groundscraper” headquarter building in Kings Cross show that it will have 250 metres of shop fronts and a community events space. Lendlease is main contractor of the huge one million sq ft building. — designed by Thomas Heatherwick and Danish architects BIG — is now well advanced ahead of topping out later this year, with completion expected by 2024. However, there has been little detail surrounding what it will look like at ground floor level — until now. New detailed designs submitted this week with Camden council reveal a long parade of retail units “with a mix of established and growing brands” as well as a “market hall” for small businesses and “a community, education and event space that will host a changing programme of events all year round. This will be the first wholly-owned and designed Google building outside of the US and will comprise a staggering one million square feet of space spread out over an 11-story building. To put it into context, Google’s building will be longer than the Shard is tall. As well as office space for up to 4,000 Google employees to work, the area will also feature a pool, games area, gym, landscaped roof garden and a parade of retail space for shops and other businesses to occupy. The new building is being developed from the ground up and will contribute to the Knowledge Quarter and King’s Cross’s growing knowledge-based economy. The tech giant says that, when finished, the area ‘will be a resource not just for Googlers but Londoners, too.’