Plans for 280 apartments to be built in the centre of Preston have been formally submitted to the City Council. The new building, consisting of 67 two-bedroom and 213 one-bedroom apartments, will replace some of the existing buildings within the development site at 127-131 Church Street. It will rise from
Wakefield-based granite and quartz worktop supplier, Roann Limited, is on track to achieve a record-breaking turnover in 2023, thanks to successfully securing three new projects. Roann Limited has been appointed by some of the UK’s largest house builders to provide its bestselling Silestone worktops to three new developments, which have
Relocating to the idyllic Devonshire countryside, to a small rural village surrounded by spectacular views is a dream for many. For John Greatwood and his family, it’s now reality. John and his wife Phillipa lived and worked in Carshalton in South London with their four-year-old twins, Finley and Imogen. When
Renowned Northampton construction consultancy Bhangals Construction Consultants has celebrated its recent expansion and office move by making two dedicated members of staff directors of the business. Former operations manager Katie Newman is now Associate Operations Director and Harrison Baxter, who was previously estimating manager at the firm, has been named
Developer Capital & Centric is set to transform a brownfield site in Wolverhampton into a creative new neighbourhood. A report – to be considered by City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet next week – recommends Capital & Centric are appointed as part of a pre-development agreement for the former Sainsbury’s supermarket
Carmarthenshire County Council and Bouygues UK, who are currently delivering the new prestigious, multi-million pound development Pentre Awel, held a Dragon’s Den style event to celebrate their 21st Century skills work experience scheme. Five local schools in Llanelli – Bryngwyn School, Coedcae School, Ysgol Pen Rhos, St John Lloyd RC
Network Rail and Homes England have chosen McLaren Property and Arlington Real Estate as the strategic developer for their major brownfield scheme, York Central. York Central is being brought forward by a partnership between Network Rail, Homes England, the City of York Council and the National Railway Museum. The scheme
Improvement work to the external façade of the Health Hydro leisure centre in Swindon has commenced. Owned by Swindon Borough council the centre closed earlier this year, extensive surveys have been carried out, which could not be done while the building was in use. Now, scaffolding has been put up
Beard has commenced work on a major renovation project at Nuffield College, a graduate college of Oxford University. The three-phase, £3.3 million project will see Beard undertake significant remodelling and accessibility improvements across the Grade II listed building. In the first phase – which is already underway – Beard is
Bradford’s One City Park office scheme, delivered by Muse in partnership with Bradford Council, is now complete and contracts have been exchanged with a corporate anchor tenant, to be announced in the coming weeks. The landmark city centre building was delivered on schedule, a major feat for a scheme of
Plans for 280 apartments to be built in the centre of Preston have been formally submitted to the City Council. The new building, consisting of 67 two-bedroom and 213 one-bedroom apartments, will replace some of the existing buildings within the development site at 127-131 Church Street. It will rise from four storeys to a part-19 storey building with 337 sq.m of ground floor commercial accommodation provided in addition to residential amenity areas, landscaped courtyard and cycle storage. The historic 131 Church Street will be retained and refurbished and the scheme will boast an outdoor seating area in the new central public realm core. If approved the 19,257 sq.m apartments scheme in Preston is expected to start on site during Autumn 2024. Luke Averill, Managing Director of developer TAG, said: “Preston City Centre continues to look forward and we are delighted to have submitted this planning application. “We believe our project will contribute significantly to the long-term success of Preston, which is outlined in the transformational 15-year vision ‘Preston’s City Investment Plan (2020 – 2035)’. I would like to thank the professional team that have got us to this stage and also say that we are actively seeking joint venture partners for this exciting scheme.” Consultants on the scheme include DAY Architectural Ltd, Zerum PDM, Scalia Planning, Futureserve, TPM Landscape Ltd, MB Heritage, ERAP, Adept Consulting Engineers (Manchester) Ltd, SK Transport Planning Ltd, Arcaero, GIA Surveyors, Noise Air, Jensen Hughes, TC Property and RAD. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Wakefield-based granite and quartz worktop supplier, Roann Limited, is on track to achieve a record-breaking turnover in 2023, thanks to successfully securing three new projects. Roann Limited has been appointed by some of the UK’s largest house builders to provide its bestselling Silestone worktops to three new developments, which have a combined value of £180,000, with the potential for this amount to increase by up to 20% with upgrades. Among the projects is Highcroft, a Oxfordshire-based development of 33 new build homes by St Joseph Homes (a division of Berkeley Group), and Lime Grove, a Lincolnshire-based development by Bowbridge Homes, which includes a total of 68 new build homes. Roann Limited has also been selected as the exclusive worktop provider for Sunbeam, a former factory in Wolverhampton which is being converted into 180 modern apartments by Kuche Contracts. Silestone, a sustainable surface containing a minimum of 20% recycled materials, is made using 100% renewable electrical energy and 99% recycled water. The worktops are extremely hard-wearing, making it an ideal choice for contemporary family homes. The company’s success in securing these projects is testament to its unrivalled focus on quality, innovation and client satisfaction. As the year draws to a close, Roann Limited is poised to celebrate a record-breaking turnover and financial year, reflecting the company’s sustained growth and prominent position in the kitchen worktop manufacturing industry. “We are thrilled to announce our recent success in securing three new projects,” said Scott Wharton, Operations Director at Roann Limited. These accomplishments affirm our commitment to delivering high-quality worktop solutions to our clients, whilst positioning us for our most successful year to date. It’s a very exciting time for us here.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Relocating to the idyllic Devonshire countryside, to a small rural village surrounded by spectacular views is a dream for many. For John Greatwood and his family, it’s now reality. John and his wife Phillipa lived and worked in Carshalton in South London with their four-year-old twins, Finley and Imogen. When it came to deciding where they wanted their children to go to school, the couple decided to pack up and move to the mid-Devon village of Hemyock. With a clear vision for the home and location they wanted to live in, as well as a firm deadline for when they needed to be moved by in the country, John and Phillipa searched Rightmove and found the Cavanna Homes Oak Mount development in Hemyock. “The area and its amenities were the biggest selling point for us, particularly as the local primary school is within walking distance of Oak Mount,” explained John. We also wanted to be within a 15-minute drive of Honiton as we have close friends who live there,” he added. Oak Mount is within the Blackdown Hills National Landscape with some of the homes benefiting from views over uninterrupted countryside. The three and four-bedroom family homes are within walking distance to Hemyock village with local amenities on the doorstep, including a shop, pub, post office, a doctors’ surgery and pharmacy. “We wanted a house with four bedrooms, a garage, space for a home office, and an open plan kitchen with dining space for family mealtimes”, said John. “We looked through the different house types on the Cavanna Homes website and found one that ticked all our boxes – the ‘Hockinston’!”. The couple then booked to visit the Oak Mount Marketing Suite to find out more about buying with Cavanna Homes and to explore the area. John said: “As the development was still in its early stages, not all the homes had been built yet, so the Sales Advisor arranged for us to see the same house type at one of their developments in Exeter whilst we were down visiting. “We fell in love with the Hockinston and set the wheels in motion to reserve our brand-new family home at Oak Mount.” As a Carpenter, John was able to easily visualise how their finished home would look, but to put Phillipa’s mind at ease, the couple booked a second visit to Oak Mount to look around the newly opened ‘Hockinston’ show home. “We’d never reserved a home off plan before, so I was keen to visit the show home to see the build quality and layout of the house, and we weren’t disappointed”, said Phillipa. She was also able to envisage where she could create an office to enable her to comfortably work from home as a Travel Consultant. The idea of a new-build property enticed John and Phillipa because there would be no need for renovations or costly improvement works. New-build homes also have excellent energy performance ratings, making them cheaper to run than older properties. Every home at Oak Mount is built with greener living in mind and is installed with high-quality wall and loft insulation, double glazing and an air source heat pump, which provides a low carbon heating alternative to gas. “The Sales and Site team were great at introducing us to our air source heat pump, showing and advising us how to use it most efficiently,” said John. The family collected the keys to their new home on 26th July and moved in two days later. Finley and Imogen started at the local primary school in September; “We can do the school run in under 5 minutes with no need for a car, which is fantastic. It’s been a big change for the twins, but they’ve really embraced it and are settling in well”, said Phillipa. “We love our new home and we’re living out our countryside dream”, added John. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Renowned Northampton construction consultancy Bhangals Construction Consultants has celebrated its recent expansion and office move by making two dedicated members of staff directors of the business. Former operations manager Katie Newman is now Associate Operations Director and Harrison Baxter, who was previously estimating manager at the firm, has been named Associate Estimating Director. The dynamic duo have worked their way up the career ladder at Bhangals Construction Consultants over the last five years and both recently featured in the company’s Build A Career at Bhangals campaign which marked Careers in Construction Month. The month-long celebration of the career paths available in the construction industry shone a much-needed spotlight on the rewarding opportunities on offer in the sector to people looking learn a new craft or skillset. Katie and Harrison were perfect examples for the campaign as both have grown with the business. Katie started out as a client services executive five years ago, and now oversees and improves business processes and in-house strategies to ensure the company’s success. She said: “I’m thrilled to announce my new role. From starting out as an administrator five years ago to being where I am now is something I’m extremely proud of and I’m incredibly grateful to be a part of such an amazing team. I’m so excited for the journey ahead!” Harrison, who studied product design and has a natural eye for detail, looks after a team of around 20 estimators and enjoys the responsibility of his role. He said: “I am so excited about this promotion. My journey throughout the last five years has been unimaginable and I have grown within the business and within myself by a staggering amount. I am excited for what this new opportunity brings and can’t wait to hit future goals with our amazing team.” Bhangals Construction Consultants Managing Director Parm Bhangal said: “This promotion for Katie and Harrison is well deserved and well earned. They are both an asset to our business and their dedication and hard work has paid off. We look forward to continuing to watch them thrive as they ascend the professional ladder within our organisation.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Developer Capital & Centric is set to transform a brownfield site in Wolverhampton into a creative new neighbourhood. A report – to be considered by City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet next week – recommends Capital & Centric are appointed as part of a pre-development agreement for the former Sainsbury’s supermarket site, to bring the neighbourhood forward. The first step will be to develop a masterplan for the 5 acre St George’s site, with early ideas for a melting pot of homes, community spaces and green streets, with the Grade II listed church repurposed as a community centrepiece. Shops, workspaces and café bars would complete the line up, adding a vibrant new quarter to Wolverhampton’s city centre, with links to the £61 million City Learning Quarter set to open in 2025. If appointed, the developers will work up a detailed vision as to how the strategic site could become a destination district for the people of Wolverhampton, with the potential for over 400 homes. The next stage would then be to consult the community prior to the submission of a planning application. Established in Manchester, Capital & Centric have gone on to deliver on award winning regeneration projects across the UK, from homes and workspaces, to hotels and leisure destinations. They’ve earned an enviable reputation for their offbeat design, with many of their projects featuring a striking blend of restoration of historic buildings alongside contemporary new builds. Having delivered standout neighbourhoods in Manchester city centre – including Kampus and Piccadilly East – they’re now ploughing on with transformational mixed use communities in spots including Stockport, Sheffield, Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle-under-Lyme. Everything they do is geared toward delivering social impact through regeneration, whether creating communities of independent businesses, creating skilled new jobs or inspiring young people into careers in regeneration through the not for profit ‘Regeneration Brainery’ they established. City of Wolverhampton Council Leader, Councillor Stephen Simkins, said: “Ambitious plans and investment as part of a wider strategy are driving the regeneration of our city centre, The Halls Wolverhampton, our award winning £150 million transport interchange and Grade A office developments are testament to that. “The St George’s opportunity sits at the heart of this, well connected to commercial and leisure hubs, which is a priority as we transform our city centre to generate jobs, homes and growth. “If the recommendations are approved by Cabinet it will enable the council to develop an outline business case that will establish this site as a new gateway into the city centre. “St George’s can provide an inclusive, safe and sustainable new quarter that will generate new opportunities and jobs, bring underutilised assets back into community use and, importantly, deliver much needed new homes in Wolverhampton city centre, which will bring wider social and economic benefits.” John Moffat, Joint Managing Director at Capital & Centric, said: “St George’s is a worthy headliner among the line up of major opportunities in Wolverhampton and fits perfectly with what we’re about … delivering eclectic neighbourhoods that mix the old and new. It has bags of potential and we’re already brimming with ideas of how we could deliver new city centre homes alongside community hangout spaces and loads of much needed greenery. We can’t wait to write the next chapter for the stunning St George’s church, creating a new centrepiece around which the community will revolve.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Carmarthenshire County Council and Bouygues UK, who are currently delivering the new prestigious, multi-million pound development Pentre Awel, held a Dragon’s Den style event to celebrate their 21st Century skills work experience scheme. Five local schools in Llanelli – Bryngwyn School, Coedcae School, Ysgol Pen Rhos, St John Lloyd RC Comprehensive and Ysgol Y Strade – took part in the event aimed at empowering learners to discover careers in construction and design, a culmination of a 12-week learning and mentoring programme based around the world of building and construction. When the scheme was launched in May 2023, each school was given a brief to design a collaborative workspace, that aligned with the ethos of Pentre Awel; innovation, positive health and well-being and environmentally-sustainable design. During that time, they were mentored by Bouygues UK staff and had visits to site several times to develop their designs briefs and help them prepare for their final pitch to a panel of judges. The judging panel was made up of a diverse group of professionals from Bouygues UK, Carmarthenshire County Council and Gleeds Project Consultancy. The pupils had just 10-minutes to put their best foot forward and showcase their final designs, including the development journey they had been on and examples of how their mentors helped them along the way. Each school was responsible for their pitch and how they wanted to present to the panel, with some writing additional bid documents to support their presentation, some presenting 3D scale models, and others demonstrating digital fly-throughs of their designs. One group brought along a collection of plants to demonstrate their biophilic wall design. The designs on the day were so impressive that the judges found it difficult to single out one school as an overall winner; St John Lloyd RC Comprehensive and Ysgol Y Strade were crowned joint winners while primary school Ysgol Pen Rhos won the innovation/sustainability award for their biophilic design and carbon capture ideas. Nina Williams, Bouygues UK’s social value advisor for Pentre Awel, said: “The input from all the schools was outstanding with some amazing designs and concepts based around the four themes. The most rewarding part has been the way in which the learners have developed in confidence. “At the beginning of the experience they were all very nervous to ask questions, the mentors being unfamiliar to them, but by the time they were preparing for their final pitch, they were working round the table, firing off ideas, listening to the mentor’s advice and having conversations about how to change and improve their designs. The project has helped the schools to build future relationships with industries, utilising the knowledge and experience of professionals to enhance and develop their knowledge base which can be applied in their future curriculum design.” Project Director Peter Sharpe said: “It’s been really refreshing to take time out of my normal day-to-day activities to listen to the five presentations. The information and depth of knowledge and understanding of the brief were absolutely fantastic. I’m sure there will be some aspects of the learner’s designs that we could incorporate into the building. A project like this is of great value to the world of construction.” Aeron Rees, Head of Strategy and Learner Support at Carmarthenshire County Council, added: “It’s been an honour and a privilege to be part of the judging panel. The youngsters equipped themselves very well and they were inspiring in what they had to say and what they delivered. This project shows a superb example of the synergy between the business community and education, and we are really indebted to Bouygues UK and our colleagues in the council for facilitating this for our learners.” As part of Bouygues UK’s commitment to provide significant social value and engagement to surrounding schools, colleges and universities, there is also a school ambassadors scheme. Bouygues UK is keen for the children to share their ideas and help shape the project, which in turn will enable them to see first-hand the work that goes into the construction process. The children will make regular visits to the site to see the progress being made and will work on school projects centred around construction and building. The 21st Century Skills initiative is part of a broader programme of community benefits to be delivered during the development of Zone 1 of Pentre Awel to realise social, economic, cultural, and environmental benefits. This includes targeted recruitment and training, community engagement, STEM activities and supply chain engagement. Pentre Awel is a truly collaborative scheme being delivered for the local community by Carmarthenshire County Council in partnership with Hywel Dda University Health Board, Universities and colleges and is part-funded by the Swansea Bay City Deal (£40million). It aims to create around 1,800 jobs over 15 years and boost the local economy by more than £450m. The development will include a new state-of-the-art leisure centre and hydrotherapy pool together with education, research and business development space; a clinical research and delivery centre; and a well-being skills centre. Externally, Pentre Awel will enjoy landscaped outdoor public spaces for recreation, walking and cycling. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Network Rail and Homes England have chosen McLaren Property and Arlington Real Estate as the strategic developer for their major brownfield scheme, York Central. York Central is being brought forward by a partnership between Network Rail, Homes England, the City of York Council and the National Railway Museum. The scheme has the potential to significantly boost the local economy by creating up to 6,500 jobs and delivering over £1.1 billion of Gross Value Added to the economy of York per annum. There are already £135 million of infrastructure works underway to enable this major regional scheme to progress. These include over 3km of new roads, footpaths, cycleways and also include two new bridges over the East Coast Main Line. The appointment of McLaren Property and Arlington Real Estate as a development partner is the latest milestone in delivering York Central, which will see a key piece of York city centre brought to life by transforming under-utilised railway land into vibrant and distinctive residential neighbourhoods, cultural spaces, high quality public realm and a high-quality commercial quarter. McLaren Property and Arlington Real Estate partnership have significant experience in delivering major mixed use regeneration schemes and neighbourhoods including Durhamgate, Newton Aycliffe and Upper Brook Street, Manchester. Peter Denton, Chief Executive at Homes England said: “This is a major milestone in the important regeneration of York Central. Over the last few years, Homes England and Network Rail have worked closely with City of York Council to create a vision and masterplan, and have invested in the critical infrastructure to make this a reality. It will now be delivered at pace through our chosen development partner for long term delivery and stewardship.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Improvement work to the external façade of the Health Hydro leisure centre in Swindon has commenced. Owned by Swindon Borough council the centre closed earlier this year, extensive surveys have been carried out, which could not be done while the building was in use. Now, scaffolding has been put up in order to repair failing roofs and sections of the stonework and windows. This work is part of a £6.9 million refurbishment programme which is being funded using money from the Council, the Government’s Towns Fund and Historic England. When complete, users will experience substantial improvements with enhanced changing facilities, a new entrance and fitness suite in the former washing baths hall and a new mechanical, electrical and plumbing plant system to service the main pool and improve the building’s environmental performance. As this is only the first phase of works, further funding is needed for the £5.7m second phase. Last month a £4.6m grant bid was submitted to the National Heritage Lottery Fund, which will aim to fund the completion of the restoration and enhancement of the main pool hall. Overall, the Health Hydro project will repair and insulate the main pool hall roof, deliver substantial improvements to the building’s environmental performance and undertake conservation works to the exterior and interior including the spectator gallery and stained-glass window. The project will also focus on how to showcase the building’s remarkable history and its role in informing the blueprint for the NHS. The success of the first stage of this bid will be revealed in March 2024. If successful, a second application will then need to be prepared and submitted. Councillor Marina Strinkovsky, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Heritage, Art and Culture, said: “This bid to the National Lottery Heritage Fund signals a new era and wave of optimism for Swindon’s heritage and marks an important milestone for the restoration and regeneration of this building. “The Hydro is an important landmark for the town and it’s one we want to see restored to its former glory and available for future generations to enjoy. “We have recently embarked on developing a new Heritage Plan, which will chart our next priorities for unlocking the value and opportunities from Swindon’s rich heritage, not only including the Hydro but also in the rest of the Railway Village and the Borough as a whole.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Beard has commenced work on a major renovation project at Nuffield College, a graduate college of Oxford University. The three-phase, £3.3 million project will see Beard undertake significant remodelling and accessibility improvements across the Grade II listed building. In the first phase – which is already underway – Beard is building new, fully accessible facilities in multiple locations at the college site. Phase two will see Beard relocating the main entrance, moving the porters’ lodge to the Worcester Street entrance to the College, where it was originally planned to be, providing more modern and accessible facilities. This will then be followed by phase three, with the existing lodge site transformed into accessible meeting spaces, as well as the refurbishment of existing facilities to create a new 100-person lecture theatre. Throughout the project, the Beard team will also be completing major landscaping works to improve access to the ground floor spaces. In addition to raising the paving in the upper and lower quads to door level, Beard will also be increasing ramped access between the quads. To meet the requirements of the Grade II listed building and reduce the loss of embodied energy, Beard will be retaining and re-using the old York stone paving slabs. The project, which is set to complete next summer, is taking place in a live building. As a result, Beard has split the project into 15 mini-phases to ensure the college can maintain access. Meanwhile, the team has implemented partitions, walkways and fences, as well as a full-time traffic marshal to keep all members of the college safe. This is particularly important as the college’s arched entranceway will mean deliveries will have to be forklifted onto the site, while materials used for the landscaping will be transported using dumper trucks. Dean Averies, Beard director for Oxford, said: “Beard has built a formidable reputation in the education sector and we’re incredibly proud of the longstanding partnership we have with Oxford University and its colleges. To be chosen once again to support the growth of one of the country’s finest educational institutions is certainly not lost on us. “Working on any listed or heritage building presents its own challenges, especially when the building is still active and in regular use. However, we have plenty of experience in complex refurbishments in education and in live environments across Oxford and further afield. The college has clear ambitions to enhance its facilities – and we believe we have the skills and expertise to help make that a reality.” Andrew Dilnot, Warden of Nuffield College, added: “This project represents one of the most significant interventions made to the College since it was built. The works will radically improve accessibility into and around the main College site and through the refurbishment of internal areas will provide outstanding facilities which will further support the College’s core functions as a centre for research and teaching in the social sciences. We are pleased to see Beard begin work and are grateful to them and the wider professional team on the project for the expert ways in which they are approaching what is a very complex project while also enabling the College’s day to day activities to continue to the fullest extent possible. We look forward to the project’s completion next summer.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Bradford’s One City Park office scheme, delivered by Muse in partnership with Bradford Council, is now complete and contracts have been exchanged with a corporate anchor tenant, to be announced in the coming weeks. The landmark city centre building was delivered on schedule, a major feat for a scheme of this scale in a prominent and extremely tight city centre location. Brought forward by national place makers Muse and in partnership with Bradford Council, the scheme offers 56,403 sq. ft of sustainable and flexible office space in the heart of the city and was delivered by main contractor Caddick Construction. Additional funding came from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority. Simon Dew, development director at Muse, said: “One City Park will be a catalyst for further investment in the city and signifies a newfound confidence in its commercial centre that will attract future big-name businesses. The project also demonstrates a very successful public/private partnership that will reap long-term benefits by providing incredible job opportunities for the younger, growing, population in the city.” The project is the first large capital development to complete in the city, ahead of the £23m Darley Street market scheme set to open next year, as well as Bradford Live which is currently undergoing its own multi-million-pound transformation. The city has also committed to a Walking and Cycling Improvements Scheme that is set to transform the way people get around the city centre. The £43m scheme includes the pedestrianisation and landscaping of a number of city centre streets and re-routing some buses – all aimed at creating a healthier, safer and more attractive place in which to live, work and visit. One City Park only launched to market last year and is represented by commercial agents Knight Frank and Colliers. It features five floors of workspace and a roof terrace, flexible floor plans that can adapted to accommodate more agile working practices as well as promote wellbeing. It is designed to suit a range of businesses from home grown starts-up and SMEs, through to larger organisations and multi-national occupiers. The building, which has now been formally handed over to Bradford Council as the owners, is framed by new public spaces including stepped access and attractive seating areas. Cultural assets such as the Grade I Listed City Hall, St George’s Hall and new music venue, Bradford Live, all surround One City Park and are expected to play a major role in the city’s UK City of Culture celebrations in 2025. Sustainable design elements are at the core of One City Park including high-performance glazing, photovoltaic panels and air source heat pumps to make sure the building operates on renewable energy. Every car park space has an electric car charging point, coupled with secure cycle storage and changing facilities to encourage workers to take more sustainable and healthier modes of transport. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
