BBV adopts drone software from Esri UK to digitise survey workflows, reduce costs and enhance safety on its 90km stretch of HS2 Esri UK today announced that Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV) has rolled out its Site Scan for ArcGIS drone flight management and image processing software, to support its drone
Work has started on the first wholly speculative development of new multi-let laboratory and office space at Cambridge Biomedical Campus, which is specifically targeting a range of growing biotech and life science businesses. Situated on the southern edge of the campus, the new 103,000 sq ft five-storey building at 1000
On the NHS’ 74th Anniversary (5 July), Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMMH), has announced the name of its major new In-patient mental health unit to be constructed at North Manchester General Hospital: ‘North View’. Marking the NHS’ Birthday by unveiling the official name for the £105.9 million adult
Leading independent property advisory firm, Lismore Real Estate Advisors today released its review of the Scottish investment market for the second quarter of 2022. Following a strong start to the year, Q2 has continued the momentum with transactional trading of circa £612m, up some 104% on Q2 2021. Activity for
A critical contract that will help to unlock works at the northern end of London’s newest river crossing has been awarded to Barhale. RiverLinx CJV, the joint venture comprising Ferrovial, BAM Nuttall and SK E&C, has appointed the civil engineering and infrastructure specialist to divert water mains which would otherwise
Taking place on 6October, around 500 runners are expected to take part All funds to be donated to LandAid, the charity on a mission to end youth homelessness Target to raise £30,000, adding to £50,000 raised from previous years An annual West Midlands charity run will be returning to Longbridge
Sheds are probably the most likely outbuilding you are to see on a property. They have a variety of uses. However, since they are outside the house, waterproofing them is vital, and that means that your roof choice is important. But while many newer alternatives have become available – polycarbonate
Trammell Crow Company (TCC), a leading global developer and investor in commercial real estate, has begun work on its first European logistics site, a 19.4-acre scheme that will deliver three Grade A logistics buildings in Milton Keynes, UK. With construction now underway by principal contractor Glencar, a leading UK
CPI holds a market leading position in the construction materials sector, and we recognise our responsibility to play a similar leading role on sustainability in construction materials. We believe we have an opportunity to make a positive contribution to redefining the norms of the sector and to be an advocate
Over 500 Spectus casement windows and 100 French doors were specified in a new £10m development of 75 new residential properties, providing a mix of one, two, and three-bedroom homes in Blackpool. Troutbeck Crescent on Mereside, sits in a prominent position which is visible from the main motorway connection when
BBV adopts drone software from Esri UK to digitise survey workflows, reduce costs and enhance safety on its 90km stretch of HS2 Esri UK today announced that Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV) has rolled out its Site Scan for ArcGIS drone flight management and image processing software, to support its drone deployment strategy on its Midlands section of HS2. Faster and more efficient drone surveys are already saving around £20,000 a year on monthly construction progress surveys on a single site, instead of using physical surveys and the subsequent updating of CAD models. BBV estimates this could save around £1.6m if the same workflow was applied across 80 sites in the first year. Another benefit has been the removal of 800 ‘working at risk’ days and a cost saving of £30,000 per year from monitoring aggregate stockpiles, using a single drone operator to carry out 3D volumetric measurements in 20 minutes. Previously, contractors would take a full day to physically measure stockpiles and calculate transport requirements, often working in steep and difficult environments. Site Scan for ArcGIS is being used to carry out drone site surveys, manage aggregate stockpiles and monitor progress of construction. Various 2D and 3D outputs are being generated for sharing with multiple stakeholders, including high-definition imagery and 3D terrain models. The new software was rolled out across the BBV business to almost 400 users in autumn 2021, including 13 drone pilots. The major civil infrastructure project spans from Long Itchington Wood tunnel in the south to the West Coast Main Line tie-in near Lichfield in the north, with a major junction into Curzon Street Station in central Birmingham. The main works civil engineering contracts will deliver earthworks, ground engineering and many structures including bridges, viaducts and tunnels along a 90km stretch of the UK’s new high speed rail line. “We needed the right software to manage an increasingly complex and varied use of drones and meet the needs of multiple teams, from logistics to site managers to engineers,” explained Dan Fawcett, Innovation Director at Balfour Beatty VINCI. “New digitised workflows are rapidly replacing traditional, physical working practices and introducing new levels of efficiency, accuracy and safety. On major projects such as HS2, the ROI achieved is significant.” Other applications of the new software include helping to show compliance with design tolerances in built structures against BIM and CAD models, speeding-up design cycles, particularly in earthworks and excavations design and monitoring the installation of utilities. Site Scan supports RTK drones to ensure highly accurate data capture and point cloud creation. Super-user training for Site Scan is being provided by Esri UK partner Heliguy, the drone consultancy, hardware and training specialists. Site Scan for ArcGIS is Esri’s cloud-based drone flight management and image processing software, offering flight planning, hardware management, scalable image processing and unlimited data storage, plus seamless integration with BBV’s Esri enterprise GIS system.
Work has started on the first wholly speculative development of new multi-let laboratory and office space at Cambridge Biomedical Campus, which is specifically targeting a range of growing biotech and life science businesses. Situated on the southern edge of the campus, the new 103,000 sq ft five-storey building at 1000 Discovery Drive will form part of the very definition of an expanding ecosystem of clinical, academic, and commercial excellence. Since announcing plans to develop the building in October last year, Prologis UK has received numerous expressions of interest in the new development from biotech and life science businesses, providing flexibility to meet start-up, spin-out and scale-up options for healthcare research facilities. Andrew Blevins, Head of Life Sciences at Prologis UK, said: “Opportunities to lease life sciences property of this calibre that allows established and up and coming research-led businesses to, quite literally, brush shoulders with big pharma, leading academics, research scientists and experts in clinical medicine, is unprecedented in this country. We already have a strong pipeline of customer interest and are expecting more to come.” Designed with flexibility in mind, the new building will provide laboratory and office space in a variety of sizes and specifications, ranging from open plan to laboratory and office space equipped. The opportunity to be part of an established, vibrant, life science ecosystem is likely to be the main draw for organisations choosing to locate at Cambridge Biomedical Centre. As well as being co-located with the University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, the campus is home to world leading hospitals such as Addenbrookes and Royal Papworth as well as facilities for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust. Prospective tenants will be based with the nation’s leading scientific minds in reach, as the campus also includes other leaders in healthcare innovation and discovery such as the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, colloquially known as the “Nobel Prize factory”, Cancer Research UK’s Cambridge Institute and the corporate and research headquarters for AstraZeneca and Abcam. The new building will deliver important amenities for the wider campus and community, including a café and open-source community centre, where businesses, visitors and scientists can come together to share ideas, collaborate or simply meet. Set within the wider context of the surrounding community, the aim is to create a building that is socially inviting and explorable. The welcoming design also forms part of the emerging Cambridge Biomedical Campus’ 2050 Vision, which is focused on improving connectivity with the surrounding community in Cambridge and encouraging local people to visit the site and enjoy its green spaces. Kristin-Anne Rutter, Executive Director of Cambridge University Health Partners adds: “In Cambridge, our mission is simple – to improve lives by bringing together the academic and foundational institutions, the NHS and industry to improve health through breakthrough discoveries that are rapidly tested and scaled to deliver benefit to the world. To facilitate this we need to create the spaces where people can serendipitously meet and purposively come together to collaborate to develop ideas particularly around the prevention and early diagnosis of diseases and how we tackle global health inequality. 1000 Discovery Drive will be an important part of this process on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus. It will offer future tenants not just the best facilities but encourage people to talk, listen and work together in a place which is already home to over 20,000 people dedicated to making a difference.” Such is the level of interest in the new building that Prologis has already begun the design for multiple follow-on buildings for both speculative and pre-let development. Andrew Blevins, Head of Life Sciences at Prologis UK, added: “There is intrinsic value in creating a space where the brightest academic, business, and clinical minds converge to build an ecosystem, sharing not only space and infrastructure but new ideas and intellect. The value of this has already been demonstrated by the successful expansion of the campus to date, but there is much more to come.” To further support the development within the region, Prologis UK has committed £1.65 million to support public arts and community activities at Cambridge Biomedical Campus, one of the largest investments of its kind in the Cambridge area to date. Most recently, the campus hosted an open-air artwork by Luke Jarrom, In Memoriam, constructed out of 120 flags made from NHS bed sheets.
On the NHS’ 74th Anniversary (5 July), Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMMH), has announced the name of its major new In-patient mental health unit to be constructed at North Manchester General Hospital: ‘North View’. Marking the NHS’ Birthday by unveiling the official name for the £105.9 million adult inpatient unit is a significant milestone demonstrating how the NHS has innovated and adapted to meet the changing needs of each successive generation. Work on the new building is expected to start in August, with the new unit anticipated to be built and operational by 2024. The name follows engagement with staff, service users and stakeholders, which saw hundreds of suggestions. Commenting on the announcement, Neil Thwaite, Chief Executive of Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, said: “In deciding on a name for the new development we wanted to choose something that would stand the test of time and celebrate our location in North Manchester. The name provides a strong sense of place and was inspired by the Lemn Sissay poem “Anthem of the North”, whose imagery resonates with our ethos of care, resilience, hope and growth. “We are very much looking forward to our move into the new North View development. Not only does a modern, therapeutic environment help us to improve the quality of specialist inpatient mental health care, but the design of the unit has been carefully thought through to enhance what we do. The 150 bed spaces are in single rooms with en-suite bedrooms. There are indoor and outdoor amenity and activity areas with multiple outside garden spaces, space for artwork, meeting spaces and a café for everyone to enjoy.” Marc Reed, Associate Director of Capital, Estates and Facilities for Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Today’s announcement is a significant milestone as we move towards construction of the new mental health inpatient unit. We’ll now be undertaking work to develop branding to support the North View building name and provide a specific identity for the project. We have all waited a very long time for this fit for purpose, mental health inpatient unit and we are truly excited for what this transformation will mean for adults with mental health problems in Manchester.” The new building will open in Autumn 2024 and forms part of the new hospital programme and transformation of a new sustainable health campus at North Manchester General Hospital (NMGH). The new development is a major part of the vision to improve health and wellbeing for local people over the next 10 to 15 years. In November 2021, the UK government formally approved the Full Business Case for the brand new mental health unit for adults in Manchester. This is part of the Prime Minister’s commitment to upgrade 20 hospitals, backed by £850m, to update facilities and equipment, helping improve patient care and ultimately save more lives. The £105.9 million state-of the-art unit will replace the current Park House mental health inpatient unit. £91.3 million will be funded by central government, with the remaining £14.6 million funded by GMMH. Find out more at https://www.gmmh.nhs.uk/improving-north-manchester
Leading independent property advisory firm, Lismore Real Estate Advisors today released its review of the Scottish investment market for the second quarter of 2022. Following a strong start to the year, Q2 has continued the momentum with transactional trading of circa £612m, up some 104% on Q2 2021. Activity for the quarter was 56% above the five-year average, although the average is obviously skewed by a Covid hit Q2 2020. Excluding 2020, the Q2 2022 figure is 27% above the average. The standout deal of the quarter was HFD Property Group’s £215m sale (4.50% yield) of 177 Bothwell Street, Glasgow to Pontegadea, one of the biggest regional office deals ever concluded, with ESG credentials driving premium pricing. Other key transactions included the £30.2m sale of the Premier Inn, Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, the £16m sale of 123-129 Buchanan Street, Glasgow and the sale of 124-125 Princes Street, Edinburgh for £15.8m. A number of significant deals, particularly in the PBSA market, are due to complete early in Q3 which should provide a pre-summer flurry before what could be a quiet summer as investors take stock of the macroeconomic environment. Pressure on pricing Pricing likely to come under pressure cross sector on assets which are not absolutely prime, particularly if they do not meet ESG credentials. This is further driven by increased cost of capital and more cautious decision making. UK pension funds and investment managers continue to seek secure long income defensive stock, particularly in the logistics and PBSA sectors. There remains a significant weight of capital from overseas investors, particularly from North America, the Middle East and Europe. UK based property companies continue to be acquisitive in the retail warehousing and industrial sectors, targeting the best locations with strong occupational dynamics where they can achieve optimum pricing/value. Colin Finlayson, Director of Lismore comments: “Cash remains king, asthe increasing cost of capital for debt backed investors is creating an advantage to cash investors – if they can move quickly then opportunities will arise in the second half of the year. “There remains a persistent strong demand for PBSA from sector specialists and funds, which is driving pricing. The Scottish BTR market continues apace in Glasgow and Edinburgh although build cost inflation is keeping the supply pipeline in check. “Aberdeen could see resurgence and be one of the winners over the next six months, with investors seeking out higher yielding stock to balance their portfolios. The Granite City may well begin turning heads, with a yield discount to prime central belt assets of circa 400-500bps. “After a strong Q1, caution in the market is leading driven by the war in Ukraine, rising inflation and more challenging debt conditions, has caused by investors to pause for breath.” Investors expect yields to soften for the remainder of the year Lismore investor research on the office market has shown that 61% of investors expect yields to soften over the next six months and it was noted that prime London yields have already begun to soften, with the regions traditionally lagging behind. Funds and investment managers were the most pessimistic with 100% of funds and 63% of investment managers anticipating yields cooling in the remainder of 2022. However, a quarter of investment manager expected yields to harden in the second half of the year. Property companies are more bullish with 64% expecting yields to stay the same. Lismore’s research findings showed that location was the key driver for occupational demand, accounting for 32% of responses, followed by total occupational costs by 26% and macroeconomic sentiment by 24% of respondents, with persistently high inflation and rising interest rates identified as key issues over the next six months. Post pandemic, 46% of respondents believe that the importance of the office has decreased, with investment managers being split 50/50 between the importance increasing and decreasing. For an expert view on the office market, Lismore spoke with Stephen Lewis, managing director, HFD Property Company, who said: “Investors’ considerations will mirror those of occupiers, especially for offices. The key factors are the flight to quality and ESG; however, well-being, connectivity and other attributes will also contribute to the selection of one building over another. “Our project at 177 Bothwell Street has delivered a range of market ‘firsts’, including the incorporation of Scotland’s first metro data centre, rooftop running track and drone landing pad. It’s about future-proofing and providing resilience.” “We are seeing all types of occupiers embarking on their own ESG journeys. Across our portfolio we are undertaking a significant decarbonisation project to improve energy efficiency, increasing the use of renewable energy and installing infrastructure to support electric vehicles. It’s important for us as a business, but more importantly, it’s something our occupiers are looking for. “Over the next 10 to 15 years, construction of modern workplaces will evolve and materials used will largely be driven by decarbonisation, both from an operational and embodied perspective. There are some myths to dispel around the choice of materials – it is possible to build a fully glazed building and still meet energy performance targets, however, it undoubtedly takes a lot of work. There’s also a need to balance both sides of the equation between operational and embodied carbon. “We can foresee is that there will an even greater focus on data and ‘smart tech’ in its broadest sense, including sensor networks to gather real-time information about how occupiers use buildings. “Looking forward, hybrid working is here to stay but we will see more changes as macro factors influence the way we work. What we haven’t been able to fully determine yet is the impact on the demand for office space. While overall occupational demand for space has reduced, it isn’t necessarily aligned to working from home with more space also being converted to alternative work environments. “Something that remains to be seen is how policies on remote working might change when the recession bites. During economic downturn, the need to maximise productivity, innovation and collaboration is never higher, and I suspect that will
A critical contract that will help to unlock works at the northern end of London’s newest river crossing has been awarded to Barhale. RiverLinx CJV, the joint venture comprising Ferrovial, BAM Nuttall and SK E&C, has appointed the civil engineering and infrastructure specialist to divert water mains which would otherwise clash with the proposed route of the £1 billion, 1.4 km twin-bore Silvertown tunnel under the River Thames. A six-month programme of works, scheduled to run from July 2022 to December 2022, will see Barhale re-route the two twin 1400mm rising mains to allow the cut-and-cover construction of the northern approach to the new tunnel. When completed, the new crossing will run to the east of the 123-year-old Blackwall Tunnel, connecting the A102 at Greenwich Peninsula to the A1020 at west Silvertown, adjacent to the western end of the Royal Victoria Docks. The project forms a major element in London’s future transport strategy. It will ease traffic congestion and help the local infrastructure accommodate anticipated population increases in the catchment area. A key benefit is the improvement in public transport links between the two sides of the river. It is forecast that the numbers of buses making the crossing will increase to 37 buses an hour, all of them able to use dedicated traffic lanes. Michael Faherty, Contracts Manager at Barhale, is proud of the appointment and of the role his team will play in adding a new, vital connection within the capital. “We all understand how frustrating getting around London can be at times,” he said. “So it is great to be contributing to the transformation of travel in this part of town. “It is a very pleasing endorsement of the skills and expertise that we bring to the table that we have been selected and we look forward to working alongside the RiverLinx team, playing out part in delivering this world-class engineering project.”
Taking place on 6October, around 500 runners are expected to take part All funds to be donated to LandAid, the charity on a mission to end youth homelessness Target to raise £30,000, adding to £50,000 raised from previous years An annual West Midlands charity run will be returning to Longbridge in Birmingham for its fourth year in an effort to raise funds for LandAid, the property industry charity on a mission to end youth homelessness. Taking place on Thursday 6 October, participants can opt for a 10k or 5k route, and individuals of all abilities are encouraged to take part in the event, whether they choose to run, walk or cheer on from the crowd. First launched in 2017, the run has become an annual fixture in the running calendar amongst businesses and individuals throughout the West Midlands and further afield looking to put their running ability to the test. This year’s event, hosted by St. Modwen, the Birmingham-based owner of leading logistics development and housebuilding businesses, will see around 500 runners pounding the pavements of Longbridge and Cofton Park along this notoriously challenging yet scenic route. Sarwjit Sambhi, CEO of St. Modwen, commented: “We’re delighted to be able to bring the much-anticipated run back to Longbridge this year. Past years’ events have been hugely successful, raising over £50,000 to support the vital work that LandAid do to help young people out of homelessness. We hope to raise even more funds this year and continue supporting the charity for years to come.” “As St. Modwen has played a key part in the regeneration of Longbridge, we’re looking forward to being able to bring the whole community together and show others what a brilliant place Longbridge has become to live and work in.” All funds raised from the event will go towards the next phase of St Basil’s Live and Work project, LandAid’s Birmingham-based charity partner, which provides apprenticeship opportunities and living accommodation to young people in the West Midlands facing homelessness. Paul Morrish, Chief Executive of LandAid, said: “LandAid is thrilled to be a charity partner of St. Modwen. All funds raised from the St. Modwen Charity Run for LandAid will make a huge difference to the lives of young homeless people across the Midlands and rest of the UK. Sign up today and you will be giving young homeless people a safe, secure and affordable home.” Registrations are now open to take part in both the 5k and 10k options, head here to find out more: https://join.landaid.org/event/stmodwen10k For sponsorship opportunities, please contact landaidcharityrun@stmodwen.co.uk
Sheds are probably the most likely outbuilding you are to see on a property. They have a variety of uses. However, since they are outside the house, waterproofing them is vital, and that means that your roof choice is important. But while many newer alternatives have become available – polycarbonate sheeting, corrugated sheeting, and EPDM rubber – none of them trump good old shed felt for sheer practicality. Shed felt is made using a bituminous layer for waterproofing and a secondary fibrous layer to provide structure and strength. Whereas in the past this might have been an organic option, nowadays it tends to be a tough synthetic material like polyester. The updated materials let an old solution remain relevant in the modern day. Durability Shed Felt is hard-wearing. While it’s not quite as durable as say, polycarbonate sheeting, it is not fragile like EPDM and bituminous corrugated sheeting. Not only is it rugged, it also can’t be scratched easily like polycarbonate. This means you won’t need to worry about treating it with kid gloves. Aesthetic Value While a shed is a very utilitarian structure, there’s no reason it can’t also be aesthetically pleasing. Shed felt comes in colours that are bold and reassuring but not garish. Whereas a shed with a corrugated metal roof might appear harsh and intimidating, a shed felt roof looks nostalgic and inviting. If you’re willing to go to the effort of installing the strips, you can even get a lovely tiled appearance with shed felt shingles. Low Cost Shed felt is as affordable and cheerful as they come. Very few alternatives beat it for price. In terms of how expensive it is to how long it lasts before needing replacement (often as long as ten years) it’s no wonder it’s as popular as it is. Ease of installation Shed felt doesn’t need glazing bars or complex tools to install. Just a hammer, a utility knife, and some clout nails. If you really want to get fancy you might use adhesive if you live in a windy area. That’s much simpler than having to drill many holes for screws for sheeting, or use an electric saw to cut up polycarbonate. Even relatively inexperienced DIYers can put up a shed felt with a little elbow grease if they follow instructions. Simple to repair This is where shed felt really pulls ahead of comparable materials. Repairing sheeting is difficult, whereas shed felt can be patched easily. All you have to do is cut out a section of damaged felt and patch it with some new felt. Shed felt is durable, so you shouldn’t be repairing it all the time, but when the worst thing happens you can deal with it easily. If a sheet is completely damaged, as we previously mentioned, it’s cheap and easy to install so you can get it up and running in no time without hitting the pocketbook too harshly. Of course, there may be situations where you decide to go with another material because of unusual or particular circumstances. However, when it comes to an all-terrain shed roofing solution, shed felt simply cannot be beat.
Trammell Crow Company (TCC), a leading global developer and investor in commercial real estate, has begun work on its first European logistics site, a 19.4-acre scheme that will deliver three Grade A logistics buildings in Milton Keynes, UK. With construction now underway by principal contractor Glencar, a leading UK construction company that was recently ranked amongst Europe’s fastest growing businesses, and completion due for spring 2023, TCC’s Milton Keynes site will comprise three speculative logistics buildings totaling approximately 340,000 sq ft at Merton Drive, with building clear heights from 39 ft to 49 ft. The buildings will provide increased load capacity on the roof to accommodate photovoltaic arrays and additional natural daylighting. They will also house transformers and primary electrical frameworks for increased electrical demand and reserves of power; have infrastructure suitable for electric vehicle charging; provide increased capacity of floor slabs for floor-standing mezzanines and pick-towers; and have the flexibility to accommodate various office configurations. CBRE acted as the planning consultant on the project and Chetwoods as the architects. Since launching in Europe in 2021, TCC has acquired three sites in strategically important logistics locations in the UK (in Milton Keynes, Sheffield and Heywood), two in Germany (both near Berlin), three in Spain (in Granollers near Barcelona, and Cabanillas and Alovera near Madrid), and one in the Czech Republic. In keeping with its global standards, TCC will target BREEAM Excellent certification across all its logistics projects. Graham Reece, Head of European Logistics Construction at Trammell Crow Company, said: “With construction having begun on our first European site, set to be closely followed by our Sheffield and Spanish sites, Trammell Crow Company has taken another step towards being one of Europe’s leading developers of prime industrial and logistics space. We’re building these assets with a sharp focus on quality, ensuring they have the flexibility, the energy supply and the ESG credentials to meet investors’ and occupiers’ needs now and the future, staying ahead of whatever demands regulations and technology introduce.” Pete Goodman, Managing Director Midlands and North at Glencar, said: “As Trammell Crow Company’s inaugural project since coming to Europe Glencar are extremely proud and honored to have been appointed to construct this fantastic new speculative logistics site and we look forward to delivering. It’s great to see the fantastic progress that has already been made with the site being levelled and ground being stabilized ahead of vertical construction later in the summer. “We have worked very closely with TCC and the planning and design teams to design a scheme that we will build to an extremely high specification and which is future proofed to meet investor and occupier requirements going forward together with being ahead of cutting edge ESG credentials and energy demands.”
CPI holds a market leading position in the construction materials sector, and we recognise our responsibility to play a similar leading role on sustainability in construction materials. We believe we have an opportunity to make a positive contribution to redefining the norms of the sector and to be an advocate for a low-carbon sustainable future. The CPI sustainability strategy identifies commitments in four key focus areas: planet, customer and products, people and communities. Underpinning these four areas is our commitment to an ethical and responsible approach to how we conduct our business every day. Our strategy challenges us to address issues that are closest to our business, and which make the biggest contribution to the UN Global Sustainable Development Goals that we have identified as being most relevant to us. Protecting our planet for us means limiting our impact on natural resources, reducing our carbon footprint by managing our use of energy and minimising waste, and recycling wherever possible. Our commitment to these principles and protecting the environment is underpinned by our ISO 14001 Environmental Management accreditation. Recognising that our manufacturing process has a high energy demand we completed a switch to 100% renewable electricity procurement during 2021. We have also identified scope to achieve partial self-sufficiency for electricity, reducing our demand on what is a limited renewable energy capacity, by installing solar arrays at a number of our factories during 2022. Despite a programme of annual re-investment in our delivery vehicles, we operate a diesel fleet that generates high emissions. At present we have not identified a suitable, more sustainable alternatives to our current fleet but continue to explore new technology developments and are highly engaged with our vehicle manufacturers. In the absence of imminent changes to our distribution carbon emissions we have initiated a carbon capture forestry scheme in partnership with Potanow Forestry. The CPI 30-hectare forest of some 80,000 trees will ensure that all EuroMix deliveries in 2022, both by CPI vehicles and also those contracted by us, will be carbon neutral. Our ISO 9001 Quality Management System accreditation, the international standard for quality management, is at the heart of our ambitions to drive continuous improvement to meet our customer needs. This is a key principle of the customer and product focus element of our sustainability strategy. Our BES 6001 Responsible Sourcing accreditation gives our customers the confidence that the materials used in our products have been secured through a responsible and sustainable supply chain. As the pioneers of dry silo mortar in the UK, at CPI we have some of the best technical product knowledge in the industry. We are using this extensive product knowledge to collaborate with our supply chain partners to develop more sustainable product choices within the parameters of the British Standard specification for masonry mortars as well as the other products we produce. Additionally, CPI takes a sustainable approach to limiting its waste streams, and reducing its use of plastics, and is also in the early stages of developing a sustainability code with its raw materials suppliers. We value our people and strive to provide a fair, safe and inclusive workplace where every colleague feels welcome and empowered to achieve their full potential. We know our colleagues also care about the environment and through our sustainable living campaigns, we help and support them to live more sustainably by providing useful information and resources. Making a positive contribution in the communities in which we operate is important to us and we are engaging with our colleagues to identify local community projects to support and to nominate charity partners. We are continuing our work with schools and colleges to raise awareness in areas such as health and safety, and the environment. At CPI, we are continually looking for new opportunities to support greater sustainability in the industry and our communities. We are committed to creating a more sustainable future and making progress within the construction industry. To discover more about CPI Euromix’s sustainability initiatives, visit: https://www.cpieuromix.com/sustainability/
Over 500 Spectus casement windows and 100 French doors were specified in a new £10m development of 75 new residential properties, providing a mix of one, two, and three-bedroom homes in Blackpool. Troutbeck Crescent on Mereside, sits in a prominent position which is visible from the main motorway connection when entering Blackpool. Formerly the site of 81 run down flats built in the 1960’s, the demolished site was secured for the development of the new social housing properties. The development of: • 19 one-bedroom apartments• 18 three-bedroom houses• 27 two-bedroom houses• 2 three-bedroom accessible properties• 9 two-bedroom accessible properties Had required over 500 windows to complete. The contract for the work was awarded to Spectus Approved Window Contractor Jade Windows, thanks to their exceptional track record of working on several prestigious commercial projects. Spectus Windows and Doors Meet the Commercial Requirements Spectus casement windows and French doors were specified for the project. All products were manufactured in Spectus’ Elite 70 bevelled system. The Elite 70 bevelled system has all the technical credentials for high-quality commercial applications. It can achieve a Window Energy Rating of Band A++ and U values as low as 0.8W/(m2K). In this project, the windows and doors were manufactured in anthracite grey to the external face with white internally to create the modern appearance of an aluminium window but at a more sympathetic price point. All products were manufactured to PAS24:2016 standard. The high-quality development also included the installation of several externally glazed ceramic glass panels by Jade Windows to provide a point of interest at an attractive pricing point. With over 500 windows and 100 French doors needing to be installed on a busy construction site, effective project management was essential. Jade Windows liaised with the project contractors and all trades on site to ensure fabrication and installation ran smoothly and on schedule. Initial site clearance began in September 2019 in preparation of construction on the 2.3-hectare site. The installation by Jade Windows took a total of twelve months with exacting standards and precision project management evidence at every level. Now the project is complete, Blackpool has a new flagship development of 75 high-quality, affordable homes. Ryan Fozard, Sales Manager at Jade Windows commented: “The new site has been completely transformed. The modern houses and flats boasting gardens, balconies, and car ports now provide a high standard of accommodation for residents and sits within an attractive environment that integrates with the surrounding area. We are delighted to have worked on this project and once again, the quality and reliability of the Spectus product range has delivered at every level. This is a flagship development for Blackpool and we are proud of the finished results.”