Having taken more than 20 years to evolve into the successful sustainable community it is today, The Bridge at Dartford became independently run for the first time at the end of March. This is an important step in the development of this unique community, which provides an appealing place for
Leading and award-winning build-to-rent provider Placefirst has reported record property portfolio growth, demonstrating continued commitment to expansion plans. The regeneration specialist has doubled its portfolio since January 2021 and has hit an important milestone of 1500 homes. Placefirst is on track to reach a projected milestone of 6500 homes by
The impact of inflation across the construction supply chain fuelled by energy increases has led one of the UK’s largest buying groups to call for “realism” in pricing negotiations. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is forecasting an inflation peak of 9% this year which is driving material costs up
The total cost of construction injuries was up 34% in 2020, costing the injured employee more than the business or government combined Injuries and ill-health in the UK construction industry are now costing upwards of £16.2 billion, new data has revealed. Around 20% (£3.16 billion) of that cost was incurred
Comfortable, welcoming homes now available to rent in Wembley Park Stylish John Lewis & Partners furnishings deliver a timeless, classic look Park aspect and on-site amenities complete Madison’s appeal Quintain Living – the award-winning management company overseeing the rental of more than 3,250 apartments in Wembley Park – has launched
A North East construction and regeneration specialist is starting work on a supported housing village in Redcar. Vistry Partnerships North East has secured planning consent and agreed contracts for the 75 homes, which will be constructed for Beyond Housing, within the development at Kirkleatham Green. The homes have been specially
First UK building to achieve three stars under this scorecard 106,000 sq. ft workspace in Hammersmith Capacity for 1500 occupants The Metro Building, in London’s Hammersmith, is the first UK building to be awarded a three-star Fitwel certification, under the Built Certified Multi-Tenant Base Building (v2.1) scorecard. Managed by Workman
Developer Salboy has acquired a site and will begin construction this summer Housing developer Salboy has completed the acquisition of a development site at Tuckingmill, close to Camborne in Cornwall, and will soon be starting on the construction of 278 new homes. The first phase of 77 homes has had planning
Speaking on World Earth Day, Baxi calls emissions reduction an “important step forward” Baxi’s carbon emissions[1] last year were 35 per cent lower than they were two years ago, the company’s sustainability report will say when it is published next week. The biggest reason for this reduction was the decision
COMPLETE construction partner, Stepnell, has announced two new strategic hires with the appointment of Lewis Archibald as framework director and Sheona Macmillan as sustainability manager. Both roles will support Stepnell’s framework performance growth and bolster its sustainable commitments to project delivery for customers. Lewis joins with nearly 30 years of
Having taken more than 20 years to evolve into the successful sustainable community it is today, The Bridge at Dartford became independently run for the first time at the end of March. This is an important step in the development of this unique community, which provides an appealing place for local people to live, work and play. The vision for The Bridge at Dartford took shape in the early 2000s, when property company, Prologis UK, joined forces with Dartford Borough Council to turn a 264-acre former historic isolation hospital site, into a thriving, attractive place for local people and businesses. The site’s regeneration included plans to place residential homes alongside a range of employment uses, effectively bringing jobs into the heart of the community. The site’s proximity to Junction 1 of the M25 offers excellent access to the London area and this has proved a major draw for businesses. The site also benefits from excellent public transport links, with the Fastrack A bus service, operated by Arriva, which connects Greenhithe, Bluewater and Dartford. A variety of businesses are located at The Bridge, including Sainsbury’s, and several high-tech engineering businesses including motor tech company, SEM, and bathroom design company, Crosswater. The Nucleus Business and Innovation Centre is also onsite alongside a number of prestigious dealerships, including Mercedes, a Premier Inn and a Beafeater restaurant. With 1,500 new homes and 80 acres of public open space, including three lakes with excellent biodiversity, the site benefits from a range of education and leisure facilities, including a local triathlon club, a primary school, Leigh University Technical College and SusCon, a sustainable construction training and research centre. There will soon be a new care home and new play park, both currently under construction. Paul Weston, Regional Head at Prologis UK, said: “The Bridge as it is today is even better than we could have imagined 20 years ago, and I am delighted that the community is now taking this important step towards a self-managed future. With two primary schools and a university technical college for 14-18-year-olds on site, The Bridge is particularly well served with amenities that are attractive to families in the area and the lifestyle benefits that come from living and working in the same place are highly valued by local residents. “I am proud of the legacy that Prologis UK and Dartford Borough Council have left at The Bridge and hope that it will inspire similar regeneration projects across London and the South East. “I wish the community at The Bridge every success as they continue to pursue their path to a more self-sufficient and sustainable future.”
Leading and award-winning build-to-rent provider Placefirst has reported record property portfolio growth, demonstrating continued commitment to expansion plans. The regeneration specialist has doubled its portfolio since January 2021 and has hit an important milestone of 1500 homes. Placefirst is on track to reach a projected milestone of 6500 homes by 2026. This milestone follows a year of major development success in 2021, bolstering Placefirst’s reputation as a front runner in the build-to-rent industry with a proven track record of creating quality homes designed specifically for long-term renters. One key project has been the launch of ‘Elevate’, an £8m apartment scheme in Manchester. Elevate has brought back into use a former Jobcentre by repurposing the building and adding a new top floor to give it a new lease of life. The scheme is now in its final stages and delivers 53 modern apartments. Elevate will complete in spring 2022 and has attracted huge interest, hitting a pre let figure of 75% this week. In addition to Elevate, both Placefirst’s Skye Edge and Scholars View developments are also due to complete in spring 2022. And the final phase of Placefirst’s iconic award-winning Welsh Streets development in Liverpool, which began in 2016, will be submitted for planning in the autumn. To support the growth plans, Placefirst is continuing to develop its pipeline across the UK. Standout schemes include Esh Winning, which received planning approval at the end of last year. The brownfield site will be transformed into a neighbourhood of 89 new homes, and will be the largest delivery of bungalows in a generation. Work is set to start on site this year. In Bolton, Placefirst is working on an exciting scheme in collaboration with Bolton Council. The project is set to deliver over 150 rental homes in the town centre as part of a significant regeneration project. A £65m residential scheme in Wolverhampton for 366 new homes and commercial space as part of a major regeneration project in the heart of the city’s historic Canalside Quarter, also received full planning approval in the final quarter of 2021. Placefirst is committed to creating thriving neighbourhoods with a strong sense of place, operating an end-to-end service which includes a dedicated resident services manager and community engagement initiatives. The last two years have seen the landscape of the private rental market change as people look to move to areas that offer a sense of place, and provision to stay long-term. Placefirst’s homes are designed to provide everything you could want for modern living with pets allowed, private and communal garden areas, strong sustainability credentials and quality guaranteed by delivering homes that are designed specifically for rent. David Mawson, chief executive at Placefirst comments: “We are delighted to have doubled our portfolio in the past year. The 1500 homes milestone is an incredible achievement for the business, extends our track record as a specialist in the single family housing market, and is a culmination of the hard work that is put into each of our developments. We provide an end-to-end service; designing, letting and managing every neighbourhood and always keep high quality and our residents at the forefront of our values. “The impact of our developments has been fantastic; we have a track record of delivering high-spec homes to our communities through placemaking and innovative regeneration. We are excited about future projects and look forward to continuing our success.”
The impact of inflation across the construction supply chain fuelled by energy increases has led one of the UK’s largest buying groups to call for “realism” in pricing negotiations. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is forecasting an inflation peak of 9% this year which is driving material costs up along the length of the construction supply chain. Whilst able to accept reasonable cost pressure, National Buying Group (NBG) is increasingly concerned that price changes must be justified and be proportionate with transparent detail to support any changes. Nick Oates, Managing Director at National Buying Group says the market is difficult for everyone: “We understand this is a very challenging market and that is being reflected in our negotiations. However, there is a real danger that if prices increase too much, we will impact demand from the end consumer, which could ultimately kill the market. We need to spread the inflationary impact across the supply chain.” For the merchant, passing price increases on to the end user is increasingly more challenging, because they must also factor in the greatly increased cost of delivery onto any product price changes, says Nick. “Merchants are arguably the most vulnerable portion of the supply chain to this ‘double squeeze’ from both material and fuel pricing. In effect, merchants must find an extra circa 5% on top of the increase in material prices to cover the cost of delivery.” Nick says suppliers to the merchant sector can help in two ways – by looking at their stock levels and asking for “realistic” price increases. “We’re asking Suppliers to be reasonable about when they ask for price increases. If a Supplier is sitting on many months of stock, there is no need to ask for a price increase today. “Secondly, prices need to be more dynamic and reactive to commodity price changes. When commodity prices come down, Suppliers need to react as quickly as when they go up. That is only fair.” He concluded: “NBG and its Partners have always prided themselves on building strong relationships with their Suppliers. We understand that suppliers cannot absorb all the increase in cost and a proportion needs to be passed on, but independent merchants are also being impacted and their margins eroded by the cost of delivery, so we must take a longer-term balanced view.” For more information on National Buying Group, including how to join the premier buying group for independent merchants, visit https://www.nationalbuyinggroup.com/.
The total cost of construction injuries was up 34% in 2020, costing the injured employee more than the business or government combined Injuries and ill-health in the UK construction industry are now costing upwards of £16.2 billion, new data has revealed. Around 20% (£3.16 billion) of that cost was incurred by employers and 22% (£3.5 billion) by the government. Yet the majority of these costs (59% or £9.56 billion) fall upon the injured and ill individuals themselves. The data also suggests that many people are going into work when sick or injured. Between 2017/18 and 2019/20, there was a 12% decrease in working days lost through work-related injury or illness. The figure dropped to 2.1 million, from 2.4 million between 2015/16 and 2017/18. The findings, collated by specialist providers of plant hire in London, Herts Tools, used construction statistics from Health and Safety Executive reports from 2018 to 2021. The analysis demonstrates the impact of accidents in the construction industry and how workers and workplaces are being affected. Continuing to work through illness or injury can have severe, long-term consequences for physical and mental health. Physical injuries might be aggravated by carrying on with regular duties – especially if manual labour is required – causing further absences in the future. Construction site injuries are growing in number, but both prohibition and improvement notices are becoming less common. When compared to 2017/18, 61% fewer prohibition notices were issued in 2020/21, and improvement notices were down 54% over the same timeframe. In addition, there were 63% fewer prosecutions, giving those who suffer accidents little hope of achieving justice. Stefano Lobban, director at Herts Tools, says: “Although there will always be accidents in the construction industry, we can never stop trying to reduce them. These latest findings show just how far we have to go, with the cost of workplace injuries rising relentlessly, despite the UK having some of the most thorough health and safety regulations anywhere. “Training is key to protecting workers, whether it’s highlighting dangers or teaching workers to make their own risk assessments on site. Then there’s ensuring workers have all the PPE they need, such as helmets, safety goggles and slip-resistant footwear. Workers should also be encouraged to be honest about their health and not risk their future wellbeing by working on through injury or illness. “I hope these findings act as a wake-up call to the industry and we’ll see a reduction in incident numbers next year.” Phil Beaumont, Health and safety consultant, says: “First and foremost, it’s important for sites and companies to implement rules, procedures and policies that people can easily follow to stay safe at work. Minimising future accidents also depends upon keeping a record of incidents and continuously assessing what went right, what went wrong, what was irrelevant and what more could have been done previously. “If a company reports an accident at work concerning one of its workers – depending on the severity of the accident and cause – they should carry out a thorough risk assessment for the returning person. This ensures they’re capable of doing the tasks they’re assigned and won’t aggravate their recovery. This should also include manual handling and Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) assessments. “It’s also worth looking at a buddy system, temporary assignments, reduced hours or planning a stepped return to work for the injured party.” How can companies prevent accidents on construction sites? Provide training and plan all work at height properly Use the correct equipment and regularly check it to prevent falls Avoid slips and trips by keeping floors clean, dry, well-lit and free of obstacles Clear up spillages quickly, deep cleaning after working hours Install safety guards on machinery and provide safety goggles Store heavy objects close to the ground, fit debris nets and outlaw throwing tools
Comfortable, welcoming homes now available to rent in Wembley Park Stylish John Lewis & Partners furnishings deliver a timeless, classic look Park aspect and on-site amenities complete Madison’s appeal Quintain Living – the award-winning management company overseeing the rental of more than 3,250 apartments in Wembley Park – has launched 381 new homes at its latest building, Madison. The mid-century modern inspired apartments deliver a stylish, uncluttered vibe that feels sophisticated and simple. They bring to mind the elegance of 1950s/60s New York – the era so delightfully captured by hit TV show Mad Men, which was influential in the design of the apartments’ interiors. Furnished by John Lewis & Partners, Madison’s apartments have a timeless, classic feel, with plenty of natural materials. Cool, calming tones of rich cream and pale green are counterbalanced by darker shades of brown or grey and warm orange. Retro-influenced sofas come with heavily textured grey fabrics and wooden legs, with dark-toned woods featuring heavily in dining table chairs, accent chairs with dark green or navy plush fabric seats and backs, consoles and more. Harlequin rugs and cushions add warmth and contrast. “Madison is inspired by modern mid-century design with a laid back and mature feel, the curated furniture selection reflects this. You’ll find deep wood tones, sleek lines and vintage inspired bespoke artwork, when brought together they achieve a classic timeless look.”Joseph Bradley, Spokesperson, John Lewis & Partners The furnishings are all about sleek lines and luxury fabrics, with pieces chosen to suit the apartments’ two-colour palette options. In the bedrooms, a mix of a blend of upholstered, rattan and metal beds change up the look of each bedroom and continue the mid-century elegance that flows throughout the homes. Madison’s apartments feature artworks inspired by the mid-century modern feel, some of which were painted by local artist Laura Ashby, who has been a Quintain Living resident since 2017. Laura worked together with John Lewis & Partners and their supply chain to produce bespoke artwork prints for Madison. Residents can choose between the light and dark colour palettes, a fresh light palette that incorporates greys and greens and an elegant dark one that’s all about dark wood tones and classic curves. The light palette features light sage and beige tones, with light blue tiled bathrooms, light brown wardrobe doors and worn ash effect wood flooring. The dark palette features rich blues and browns with dark blue tiled bathrooms, rustic barn wood effect flooring and dark brown wardrobe doors. The result is apartments that feel warm and inviting – these are homes to relax and unwind in, tucked away from the hustle and bustle of London. Large windows fill the apartments with light and make the most of the exceptional views over the leafy Union Park – one of London’s first new large public parks in decades. All apartments have been designed around contemporary life. They include 36 adaptable apartments for wheelchair users and disabled residents, while all two-bedroom apartments have two bathrooms, making them ideal for sharers. “Each of our Wembley Park buildings has its own distinctive character and that’s certainly the case at Madison. The apartments offer a sophisticated, calming home – a haven for residents to retreat from the world and take time to focus on family life or winding down from work.”Danielle Bayless, Chief Operating Officer, Quintain Living In addition to the stylish apartments, Madison provides a range of on-site amenities. There’s a super-gym at ground level while the podium garden features a children’s play area and a dog park, as well as pretty, geometric gardens with three rentable BBQs for residents’ use. Carefully considered planting has ensured maximum appeal to bees and other pollinators and insects, delivering a sense of richness and maturity across the setting. Madison residents also enjoy use of a rooftop-level loft, with comfy seating and a kitchenette that’s ideal for social gatherings. There’s also another large lounge for relaxing and socialising in, while the private work-from-home area provides desks for peace and focus. “From the individual apartments to the social spaces, Madison has a very calm, serene air about it. It’s both comfortable and practical, while also being stylish – an appealing combination for somewhere to call home. We’re delighted to be launching these new homes in Wembley Park, where they are positioned to get the best out of the neighbourhood, as well as being a quick six-minutes from the Tube which provides access to Central London within 12 minutes.”Danielle Bayless, Chief Operating Officer, Quintain Living Located on the doorstep of Wembley Stadium, and close to the OVO Arena Wembley and London’s largest BOXPARK, Madison is ideal for renters who want to have everything on hand but also enjoy their own calm space in the midst of all the action.Homes at Madison will be available for occupancy from the end of April 2022. For more information on Quintain Living or to book a viewing, visit www.quintainliving.com, @quintainliving on Instagram or call 020 3151 1927.
A North East construction and regeneration specialist is starting work on a supported housing village in Redcar. Vistry Partnerships North East has secured planning consent and agreed contracts for the 75 homes, which will be constructed for Beyond Housing, within the development at Kirkleatham Green. The homes have been specially designed for customers with a wide range of support needs, including adults over 55, residents with accessibility requirements and others with learning disabilities. They will include 31 two bedroomed and 14 one bedroomed apartments, six wheelchair accessible two bedroomed bungalows, 12 single bedroomed quarter houses and 12 two bedroomed flats. The aim is to enable people to live independently for longer, by providing appropriate housing, communal facilities and outdoor spaces – with flexible levels of support and care assistance where required. The homes have been designed to be extremely energy efficient, reducing carbon emissions – when compared to a traditional residential unit with a combi gas boiler – by 50%. This has been achieved by the inclusion of Mechanical Ventilation Heat Recovery, which reclaims heat from extracted air to pre-heat the incoming fresh air, minimum heat loss insulation and Air Source Heat Pump hot water cylinders. The project will bring Vistry Partnerships North East’s recent investment in Teesside to £198 million. Current projects include mixed tenure developments at Bracken Grange, in Middlesbrough – 350 homes – and Kirkleatham Green, Redcar – 375 homes – next to which, the supported housing village will be constructed, and a detailed planning application has been lodged for 385 homes at Summerville Farm, Stockton. Andrew Rennie, Development Director at Vistry Partnerships North East, said: “Our Kirkleatham Green development offers a unique and innovative solution to the housing challenge on Teesside, delivering housing options for all. “Whether people are looking to buy outright, to rent privately or to access supported housing options – such as affordable rent or shared ownership through a registered provider – there have been homes available at Kirkleatham Green. Now, following this planning consent, an additional housing offer is to be added to what is already an inclusive project, furthering our goal to create homes that meet almost every kind of need in the wide and diverse community.” “We share Homes England’s ambition to deliver high quality, large scale housing at pace – whilst also providing jobs and training opportunities which boost local economies. We want to create communities in which people choose to live and work and homes in which they can take pride.” Clare Harrigan, Director of Development at Beyond Housing, said “We are delighted to be continuing our partnership with Vistry on this high-profile scheme which will deliver vital affordable homes with support in Redcar. “At Beyond Housing, we are committed to delivering high quality homes which meet a range of housing choices for our customers and contribute to the prosperity and regeneration of the local communities.” Vistry Partnerships North East is active on 12 construction sites around the region with a gross development value of just under £350 million and has a further four proposed projects currently in the planning process.
First UK building to achieve three stars under this scorecard 106,000 sq. ft workspace in Hammersmith Capacity for 1500 occupants The Metro Building, in London’s Hammersmith, is the first UK building to be awarded a three-star Fitwel certification, under the Built Certified Multi-Tenant Base Building (v2.1) scorecard. Managed by Workman on behalf of global real assets investor PATRIZIA, Metro now joins properties from around the world accredited by Fitwel, a certification system embraced by developers and workplace strategists as part of the growing trend towards healthier workplaces. As the UK’s leading implementer of Fitwel, Workman has achieved certification for almost 2 million sq. ft of retail, office, and business assets – the most completed Fitwel certifications in the UK and Europe. Metro’s 3-star Fitwel Certification demonstrates the collaboration of a proactive Workman onsite team, led by building manager Nicola Price and property manager Suky Atwal, along with PATRIZIA and sustainability consultancy Evora. This achievement showcases the Workman commitment to optimising buildings for health, using evidence-based strategies. The Fitwel standard provides a blueprint for making positive changes that are scientifically proven to enhance wellbeing and occupier health. Using an evidence-based scorecard system, Fitwel certifies the wellness credentials of buildings and their surroundings. Through the six-month Fitwel process, Metro benchmarked its health and wellbeing performance before developing strategies to improve it. The Metro Building scored particularly highly in areas including: The implementation of an Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) policy. Provision of lactation room, a facility for nursing mothers. Access to a fruit or vegetable garden. Policies encouraging the use of stairwells over lifts. Amenities such as fitness and gym rooms. Nicola Price, Workman’s Building Manager at Metro, said: “Occupiers at the Metro building are engaged in the concept of healthy buildings, and we care about their wellbeing. Our landscaping project includes seasonal planting for occupiers to get involved with growing and harvesting. The introduction of initiatives such as IAQ testing has made a real difference to how our occupiers feel, and in turn this has motivated the onsite team, who have seen the benefits of Fitwel accreditation.” Charlotte Ross, ESG Manager and Fitwel Ambassador at Workman, said: “Across our managed properties and the wider industry, there is an increased focus on occupier health and wellbeing. For us, it was not only important to gain the Fitwel certification for Metro, but also to use the strategies to make sure we are managing the building with health and wellbeing in mind.” Jennie Brown, Associate, Asset Management at PATRIZIA, said: “Fitwel’s world-leading certification is testament to our strategy of improving occupier wellbeing by using best-in-class design to create healthy buildings for a strong community. Our focus on both mental and physical health, for example creating a new outdoor landscaped area, as well as a lactation room, were positively welcomed by our occupiers.”
Developer Salboy has acquired a site and will begin construction this summer Housing developer Salboy has completed the acquisition of a development site at Tuckingmill, close to Camborne in Cornwall, and will soon be starting on the construction of 278 new homes. The first phase of 77 homes has had planning implemented and construction is due to begin in summer 2022. The development will include a range of two, three and four bedroom properties which will be positioned as starter and family homes. The full unit breakdown is yet to be finalised. Simon Ismail, MD of Salboy said: “This scheme will be bringing some much-needed housing to the area and is part of our wider plans in Cornwall, which also include our Narrowcliff project in Newquay and The Garrack retirement properties in St Ives. “The site at Tuckingmill has had planning approved for housing for some time and we’re really pleased to announce that we’ve completed the purchase and can finally get construction started.” The site, which is a brownfield just south of Pendarves Street, is included in the Tuckingmill Framework which was first submitted to Cornwall Council in 2010. The scheme, which will be completed in several phases, will aim to deliver a mix of open market and affordable homes – the full details of which will be available soon. DOMIS, the sister construction company of Salboy, will be the lead contractor on the development and has already started to approach local suppliers and trades. DOMIS is also planning to host a ‘meet the buyer’ event to further connect with local labour for its numerous upcoming projects in Cornwall. Simon continued: “We’re very aware of the need for good quality housing in Cornwall and hope this development in Tuckingmill will help to ease some of the pressure on the market as a result of the housing crisis. “We’ve got a fantastic history of delivering top quality homes across the UK. Being able to work with our sister contractor DOMIS means we’ll have full oversight on the project to ensure every stage is completed to the highest possible standard.” More information on Salboy and its work in Cornwall can be found on its website: https://salboy.co.uk/property-in-cornwall/
Speaking on World Earth Day, Baxi calls emissions reduction an “important step forward” Baxi’s carbon emissions[1] last year were 35 per cent lower than they were two years ago, the company’s sustainability report will say when it is published next week. The biggest reason for this reduction was the decision to buy electricity only from renewable sources. The company is targeting an annual five per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from its own operations from 2019 to 2030. This is in addition to a 30 per cent reduction in emissions in the supply chain producing the materials and components that go into its appliances, as well as the emissions produced ‘downstream’ by its products by 2030. The latest figures represent an important step in achieving that target, but the company says there is still much work to do. The company has recently changed its company car policy to electric/hybrid only and trialling the use of electric vans for use by its field engineers. Ian Robinson, Baxi HS&E and Quality Director, explains: “We’re working towards a sustainable future and the last year represents an important step forward in reducing the emissions from our own business. Even more importantly, we’re driving the energy transition with the aim of providing low carbon heating and hot water to customers across the UK & Ireland.” While there is still work to do, the figures represent an important step in achieving environmental goals. Baxi will report its progress on several other measures in its Sustainability Report. Having recycled nearly 99 per cent of its waste in 2021, Baxi is targeting a 50 per cent reduction in overall waste by 2025. By the same date, the company is aiming to ensure all of its packaging is recyclable, commencing with a pilot to replace difficult to recycle polystyrene packaging, with an alternative made from waste cardboard. Until now, more than 100 tonnes of Polystyrene have been used every year to protect Baxi appliances as they make their journey from the warehouse to the customer. Most goes to landfill, so Baxi’s trial of recycled packaging using cardboard pulp, aims to reduce the amount of packaging that ends up in landfill. Find out more by visiting www.baxiheating.co.uk
COMPLETE construction partner, Stepnell, has announced two new strategic hires with the appointment of Lewis Archibald as framework director and Sheona Macmillan as sustainability manager. Both roles will support Stepnell’s framework performance growth and bolster its sustainable commitments to project delivery for customers. Lewis joins with nearly 30 years of industry experience, having spent his career working across a variety of preconstruction and estimating roles. At Stepnell, Lewis will continue to add to the complete construction partner’s 15-strong portfolio of both regional and national frameworks. Lewis will also be responsible for increasing the number of framework projects, so that Stepnell can continue to provide better service, earlier contractor involvement and more certainty of delivery. Lewis said: “I’m delighted to be taking on this role during a time of significant growth for Stepnell. Our work to deliver construction excellence – via an increasing number of framework projects – is crucial to our service proposition and the success of the business. “I’m looking forward to accelerating delivery and efficiencies at project and programme level, as well as driving forward innovation for projects, helping to ensure they are on time and within budget. This is an excellent time to be joining Stepnell, with a huge amount of potential to enhance our position, which I hope to achieve.” Stepnell’s new sustainability manager, Sheona, brings seven years of environmental management experience to the role from across rail, construction and military sectors. Sheona will be instrumental to the implementation of sustainability solutions for projects across the entire business. Sheona said: “Supporting Stepnell to achieve and increase our sustainability goals is vital for success. I am therefore very much looking forward to leading the business on its sustainability journey and developing and driving forward new initiatives. By prioritising early engagement with our customers, and through using the most effective sustainable resources and technologies, Stepnell will further minimise waste, reduce carbon emissions, prioritise renewable energy and encourage biodiversity across our sites.” Tom Wakeford, joint managing director at Stepnell, added: “We are pleased to welcome Lewis and Sheona, who will both play an integral part in the continued growth and success of Stepnell. Investing in new talent helps our teams to unlock new and exciting opportunities, while expanding and strengthening our service offering. As they both develop in their roles, we are certain that Lewis and Sheona will make a significant and positive impact to the business, and we look forward to supporting them to do this.” To find out more about Stepnell, visit: www.stepnell.co.uk and for information about Stepnell’s framework partnerships visit www.stepnell.co.uk/frameworks . Join the conversation at @Stepnellltd.