Plans to develop a new secondary school fin the Burgess Hill area have been approved. West Sussex County Council and co-applicant Homes England’s plans to create a zero-carbon school were approval by Mid Sussex District Council’s planning committee on 15 December 2022. Committee members praised the ‘excellent’ and ‘unique’ designs
Story Homes has partnered with Anderton Concrete to utilise its unique Stepoc concrete shuttering technology to construct retaining walls as part of the development of 40 residential dwellings in Greystoke, West of Penrith. As the ground across the site was uneven in places, retaining walls of up to 1.8metres were
Anglian Water is set to upgrade Ashton’s Water Recycling Centre (WRC), near Northampton. The firm is to install new equipment which will remove phosphorous from wastewater, improving river water quality nearby. Work began on site at Ashton WRC this month and is expected to finish by March 2023. As the
Wates, one of the largest privately-owned construction, development and property services companies in the UK, has started construction work on a new gigafactory in Sunderland, for Envision AESC. The project the largest by single value in Wates’ 125-year history is AESC’s second Sunderland battery plant. It will have capacity of
Morgan Sindall has started construction work on a new, highly specialist radiotherapy centre at Milton Keynes University Hospital (MKUH). Guests from the project’s key stakeholders, including MKUH, Oxford University Hospitals, Morgan Sindall Construction and Milton Keynes Council, visited the site of the new radiotherapy centre. During the event, attendees heard
Central Bedfordshire Council has announced that Milestone Infrastructure has been awarded its highways maintenance services under a term service contract starting from 1 April 2023. The council’s partnership with Milestone Infrastructure will involve maintaining and improving roads, pavements, rights of way, drainage, bridges and other structures. In addition, the project
National housebuilder Keepmoat has completed a Santa signposting initiative to ensure that families who have moved home since last Christmas will receive presents at their new address. The national homebuilder, founded in Doncaster, has created a list and, after checking it twice, has updated the Santa Sat Nav database with
Yorkshire-based high voltage electrical engineering and contracting firm Smith Brothers has expanded its workforce with the appointment of two key hires and a pair of promotions. The onboarding coincides with promotions for existing colleagues too, as the business focuses on continuing to build its industry-leading engineering capabilities and innovative sustainable energy
Hollaway Studio has designed a pioneering inland surfing lagoon creating Kent’s first surfing “wave garden”, alongside a 120-bed luxury spa hotel on land at former colliery, Betteshanger Country Park, near Deal SE England. Subject to planning approval in early 2023, the combined £50 million project, known as The Seahive, is
Plans to create an affordable housing community in Cheddar are officially underway, following a confirmed partnership between Keepmoat Homes and Alliance Homes. Looking to bring much-needed homes into the area, partnership housebuilder Keepmoat, along with community based social housing provider, Alliance Homes, will transform the 5.8-acre site into a high-quality
Plans to develop a new secondary school fin the Burgess Hill area have been approved. West Sussex County Council and co-applicant Homes England’s plans to create a zero-carbon school were approval by Mid Sussex District Council’s planning committee on 15 December 2022. Committee members praised the ‘excellent’ and ‘unique’ designs before voting unanimously in favour. The ambitious design will allow the school to generate its own renewable energy on site without using any fossil fuels. It aims to be the first school in West Sussex to achieve Passivhaus certification, the highest standard of energy efficiency a building can reach, and offer excellent educational facilities to 900 local children. The school will be created at Homes England’s new Brookleigh development near Burgess Hill to provide a high-quality education to families of the 3,500 homes and the surrounding area. “Planning approval marks a major milestone in our ambition to create an environmentally-friendly and high-quality new secondary school in Mid Sussex. It is uniquely designed to achieve Passivhaus certification and lead the way in energy efficiency. In addition, Brookleigh families will be able to walk or cycle to their new place of education, again demonstrating the County Council’s commitment to significantly reducing carbon emissions as part of our Climate Change Strategy. By creating this modern and high standard school, we are investing in our children’s future and in the long-term future of our county,” said Nigel Jupp, West Sussex County Council Cabinet Member for Learning and Skills. West Sussex County Council has approved capital funding of £57.060m to build the secondary school, making it the largest capital project the council has delivered. This includes a £18.159m contribution from Homes England as part of the overall development. The new secondary school is being delivered through the County Council’s multi-disciplinary consultancy partnership with Faithful+Gould, with Atkins and Cundalls leading on the design. The school will include a Special Support Centre enabling children with special educational needs and disabilities to be supported to learn in a mainstream school. Net-zero in operation, the building has energy efficiency at the heart of every area of its design. Its position will provide maximum sunlight to nearly 1,000 solar photovoltaic panels generating an estimated 296,000 kWh of energy a year. The LED lighting will be controlled automatically by daylight and movement detection. The main building will have fresh air ventilation, keeping the school a comfortable temperature, even in extreme heat. “This is a really positive step forward for the proposed school which has been designed to promote well-being and educational attainment for all learners who use the building and create a project with a low environmental impact,” concluded Richard Christmas, lead designer at Atkins. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Story Homes has partnered with Anderton Concrete to utilise its unique Stepoc concrete shuttering technology to construct retaining walls as part of the development of 40 residential dwellings in Greystoke, West of Penrith. As the ground across the site was uneven in places, retaining walls of up to 1.8metres were required to ensure an optimal construction was achieved. However, once ground was broken, an unexpected incline of almost 2.5metres between three pairs of gardens was uncovered. This left the developers with a new challenge to ensure the difference in height was addressed by retaining the ground safely and quickly to minimise any potential disruption to the build and maximise on site efficiencies. Story Homes considered several retaining wall possibilities but specified Anderton Concrete’s Stepoc shuttering system because of its quick installation traits and ability to retain ground up to 4.0metres in height. “The initial design details for the scheme were based on a series of smaller garden retaining walls to create back to back terraced gardens, the details employed at this stage were in line with our internal standard suite of retaining wall designs. In order to bring improvements to these garden areas whilst balancing cost, buildability and space on site we decided to utilise the Anderton Concrete Stepoc system,” explains Scott Bradshaw, Engineering Manager, Cumbria and Scotland, Story Homes. “The slenderness of the Stepoc wall meant that with restricted space on the site, the overall amount of slope that had to be cut back could be reduced, saving precious time. This was the same with the overall speed of installation, which was swift and primarily enabled by the lack of steel fixing required in the stem.” Stepoc’s precast concrete block technology is unique in its versatility to facilitate the construction of retaining walls for multiple applications. Story Homes had previously specified the technology, but it was a first for the company’s Site Manager, Paul Woodruff, who was impressed with its wholesale benefits and adaptability. Stepoc’s ability to solve the problem of a considerable incline between gardens was achieved because of its flexible construction and ease of installation. As the wall can be laid dry, it saves valuable time, whilst the concrete pour cascades inside the wall, meaning minimal mess and maintenance. It can also be installed in various weather conditions, meaning no lengthy delays to overall construction times. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Anglian Water is set to upgrade Ashton’s Water Recycling Centre (WRC), near Northampton. The firm is to install new equipment which will remove phosphorous from wastewater, improving river water quality nearby. Work began on site at Ashton WRC this month and is expected to finish by March 2023. As the upgrades are taking place on site at the WRC, Anglian Water customers in the Ashton area should not experience any disruption during the scheme. Phosphorous is widely used in soaps and cleaning products but can be harmful to wildlife when it reaches rivers and other watercourses. The investment at Ashton WRC, which is worth £4 million, includes new equipment to strengthen the current water recycling process and remove even more phosphorous from wastewater. “We’re really pleased that these upgrades to Ashton’s Water Recycling Centre will help to protect nearby rivers and increase our resilience to climate change, by helping us make sure the wastewater is treated to an even higher standard than usual before it’s returned to the natural environment,” said Polly Garrod, Regional Treatment Manager. “We know how important rivers and the wider environment are to our customers and local communities. That’s why we’ve committed through our Get River Positive programme that our water recycling processes will not harm rivers.” Anglian Water’s team has used detailed modelling of the local system to design a robust engineering scheme which will help to protect local watercourses in Ashton now and in the future. This investment means the water entering the River Tove from Ashton WRC will be even cleaner, protecting wildlife and water quality in the river, as well as other downstream watercourses. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Wates, one of the largest privately-owned construction, development and property services companies in the UK, has started construction work on a new gigafactory in Sunderland, for Envision AESC. The project the largest by single value in Wates’ 125-year history is AESC’s second Sunderland battery plant. It will have capacity of 12 GWh and will employ more than a 1,000 people when operational in 2025. It will be powered by 100% Net Zero Carbon energy, aligning with the company’s global commitment to sustainability. Moreover, the state-of-the-art facility will produce AESC’s latest generation batteries, with 30% more energy density to improve range and efficiency, and manufacture enough batteries to power 100,000 electric vehicles annually. The gigafactory Wates is building forms part of a wider £1bn partnership with Nissan and Sunderland City Council to create EV36Zero, an electric vehicle hub supporting next generation EV production and accelerating the transition to net zero carbon mobility. A traditional Japanese first pillar ceremony marked the first phase of work on Friday 9th December, with AESC CEO Shoichi Matsumoto tightening the bolt on the building’s ‘first pillar’ – a traditional Japanese custom on construction projects. The ceremony also marked a decade of EV battery production on Wearside with the first electric vehicle battery built back in 2012, to support production of the first-generation Nissan LEAF. “Envision AESC is the largest single project by value in our 125-year history. We are integrating years of expertise from across our business and supply partners to deliver this immensely complex scheme. This gigafactory represents the future of green, automotive manufacturing – not only in the North East, but nationally – and like all our projects, we’re committed to building it sustainably and for the long-term benefit of the region. It was an honour to celebrate this first phase with AESC and we look forward to our next milestone being completed,” said Sir James Wates CBE, Chairman of Wates Group. The company has doubled in size since production began and today employs more than 470 people in Sunderland. Globally AESC batteries are found in 800,000 electric vehicles operating with zero critical incidents. The footprint of the new building will be the equivalent of 23 football pitches and use 14000 km of mains cables. When complete the 360m long building will be longer than the nearby Northern Spire bridge across the River Wear. The latest integrated Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) smart technology will be deployed to monitor and optimise energy consumption, manufacturing and maintenance at the gigafactory. Construction of the new building on the IAMP business park – which spans land in South Tyneside and Sunderland will pave the way for potential future investment that could eventually see the site generate 35GWh capacity and 4,500 new high value green jobs. Wates Group, alongside its specialist engineering services arm, SES Engineering Services, is leading the design and delivery of the build, working alongside Turner & Townsend who will act as the project manager and cost manager. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Morgan Sindall has started construction work on a new, highly specialist radiotherapy centre at Milton Keynes University Hospital (MKUH). Guests from the project’s key stakeholders, including MKUH, Oxford University Hospitals, Morgan Sindall Construction and Milton Keynes Council, visited the site of the new radiotherapy centre. During the event, attendees heard presentations from Sally Burnie, MKUH’s Head of Cancer Services and Carol Scott, Lead Therapeutic Radiographer & Deputy Clinical Director at Oxford University Hospitals, explaining how the new facility will improve the treatment that patients receive locally. Morgan Sindall’s Northern Home Counties business was selected by MKUH to oversee the construction of the multi-million project, which will adjoin with the hospital Cancer Centre which opened in 2020. The project was procured via the Pagabo national framework for major construction works and it is expected to be completed by spring 2024. The new facility will improve access to radiotherapy for patients who currently have to travel to other hospitals in the region to receive the specialist treatment. When complete, the radiotherapy centre will house two state-of-the-art medical linear accelerator (Linac) bunkers and will include a main reception, consultation rooms and a CT scanner area. The specialised nature of the project presented several unique construction challenges, for which the tier one contractor devised tailored solutions in line with its Intelligent Solutions approach to construction. This included the need to create 2.6m thick concrete walls to prevent radiation leakage from the onsite radiotherapy equipment. Due to the size of the walls and complexity of applying this quantity of concrete, a schedule of long pours has been designed so that the thickness will be achieved without compromising the quality of the concrete structure. To guarantee a smooth building process, Morgan Sindall has also accounted for several logistical factors. This has included extensive material delivery preparations to avoid undue inconvenience to the hospital’s patients and staff. Materials will be brought through the rear of the building, bypassing the front of the hospital where the new unit will be located, as this is an important access point for the adjoining cancer centre, its drop off-point, car park and nearby energy facilities. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Central Bedfordshire Council has announced that Milestone Infrastructure has been awarded its highways maintenance services under a term service contract starting from 1 April 2023. The council’s partnership with Milestone Infrastructure will involve maintaining and improving roads, pavements, rights of way, drainage, bridges and other structures. In addition, the project team will also provide design, traffic management, winter services, street lighting services and emergency response services such as handling flooding and removing fallen trees. “As our current highways maintenance contract comes to an end in March 2023, we took the opportunity to go back to the market to procure the best possible deal, one that offers exceptional value and, most importantly, a first-class service for our residents. We engaged with over 30 companies and there was strong interest from potential bidders who wanted to work with us and shared our ambition,” said Cllr Ian Dalgarno, Executive Member for Community Services. “We were impressed with Milestone Infrastructure as they provided a strong and good value tender, and we look forward to working with them from April 2023. We are confident this new relationship will enable us to deliver more schemes on the network. The partnership is an opportunity to work collaboratively to provide quality highways maintenance work for the benefit of our residents.” Following a thorough procurement exercise, the council has awarded Milestone Infrastructure a, up to, £250 million contract with an initial term of seven years plus the option of a further three years extension. Milestone Infrastructure will take over from Ringway Jacobs whose contract ends on 31 March 2023. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
National housebuilder Keepmoat has completed a Santa signposting initiative to ensure that families who have moved home since last Christmas will receive presents at their new address. The national homebuilder, founded in Doncaster, has created a list and, after checking it twice, has updated the Santa Sat Nav database with details of families at 91 of its developments across the UK that have seen new homeowners move in since last Christmas. To ensure that Santa doesn’t deliver presents to the wrong home this year, as well as the digital data upload, Keepmoat is doubling down on directions by installing Santa signposts for homes with the latest occupiers. And – as most modern homes are built without real fires – the company, which employs more than 1,100 people across the UK, has also created a downloadable fireplace that families can print out and colour in. “We know that families who have moved into one of our homes since last Christmas are keen to ensure their new house is on Santa’s delivery schedule. Whilst we’re confident Santa knows what he’s doing, to absolutely ensure there’s no mix-ups we’ve designed a digital map showing the location of every Keepmoat development in the UK that has had a new occupant since last Christmas,” said Amanda Bishop, Group Head of Sales at Keepmoat. “And, as well as updating the details of 91 of our developments on the master Santa Sat Nav database, we have installed ‘Santa this home is now occupied’ signs in the front garden of our newest homeowners. Finally, to make sure we’ve got Christmas fully covered, we have created a downloadable fireplace for families to print out, decorate for Christmas and use in their home in time for the big day,” she added. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Yorkshire-based high voltage electrical engineering and contracting firm Smith Brothers has expanded its workforce with the appointment of two key hires and a pair of promotions. The onboarding coincides with promotions for existing colleagues too, as the business focuses on continuing to build its industry-leading engineering capabilities and innovative sustainable energy solutions for public and private sector customers. Joining as SHEQ manager, Mark Bush will oversee health and safety within the organisation, to ensure the welfare of colleagues on-site and in the offices – protecting both mental and physical health. An experienced Safety Health Environment and Quality specialist, Mark has a wealth of experience in the electrical transmission sector – notably with Morrison Energy Services, Babcock International Group, and Siemens Wind Power. Elsewhere, Jerry Connolly has been appointed as a quantity surveyor, to manage the commercial elements of projects. Most recently having worked on the delivery team for Morrison Delivery Services, Jerry brings 41 years of experience on a wealth of builds, such as the Qatar airport extension, Mersey Gateway Bridge, and Eagles Meadow, Wrexham. Meanwhile, Liam Smith has moved into the position of operations manager – having first joined the company as an apprentice in 2006. In his new role, Liam will support on the delivery of all design projects, services, and infrastructure – orchestrating the day-to-day running of all the site staff. And finally, Alex Dixon has been promoted to tendering manager, and will oversee all incoming and outgoing project bids – with the aim of filling Smith Brothers’ order book for 2023 and beyond. Speaking about the organisation’s growing workforce, Dave Ogden, Smith Brothers commercial director, said: “At a time when sustainable power generation is a topic at the forefront of many minds, we are incredibly proud of the business we have – and central to that is our people and our culture. “Our new colleagues will prove critical to building our reputation in the high voltage power electrical engineering sector, and build on already impressive customer retention levels. In terms of the promotions within the team, they are thoroughly deserved and, from our point of view, it is important we recognise our colleagues and consistently provide an environment where they can continue to develop.” Established in 1999, Smith Brothers has bases in Elland and Sheffield and has worked with a vast range of organisations ranging from major nationwide utilities providers and blue chip brands, to local SMEs and construction partners. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Hollaway Studio has designed a pioneering inland surfing lagoon creating Kent’s first surfing “wave garden”, alongside a 120-bed luxury spa hotel on land at former colliery, Betteshanger Country Park, near Deal SE England. Subject to planning approval in early 2023, the combined £50 million project, known as The Seahive, is scheduled to open in April 2025. Hollaway Studio, the award-winning architecture practice which has studios in both London and Kent, has created the designs for the 15-acre site which will feature a Wavegarden Cove technology surf lagoon at its centre, which would be the second of its kind in England and the seventh of its kind in the world following facilities in Melbourne, South Korea, Switzerland, Brazil, Wales and Bristol. The revolutionary Wavegarden Cove technology featured in the lagoon, which can be used by up to 80 people at a time, offers up to 1000 perfect waves per hour similar to those in the ocean. It can create more than 20 different wave types ranging from 50 cm to 2m in height, providing rides of up to 15 seconds long for all ages and abilities. Overlooking the surfing lagoon is the ‘Lagoon Surf Hub’ with 15 accommodation lodges; a wellness centre with yoga and fitness zones, cold water therapy, meditation pavilions and a splash pool; a clubhouse with a surf academy as well as a restaurant and bar; conference facility; retail outlet; chill out spaces; dedicated work area; and immersive balcony. A dedicated learning hive will run a full-time schedule of courses for children via surf therapy and educational intervention programmes to enhance and protect their mental health. In addition to the hub, there is a separate design for the destination 120-bed hotel, spa and gym. The inclusion of the hotel will work to readdress the lack of hotel rooms available in the surrounding area and welcome visitors from outside of the area. While Kent may have easy access to the sea, the inclusion of the surf lagoon at The Seahive is an exciting one as the local sea conditions are not suitable for surfing. The Seahive project is part of the Betteshanger Country Park’s wider plans to expand, reflected by the recent additions in 2022 of a Mining Museum, café and restaurant as well as cycling tracks and play areas. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Plans to create an affordable housing community in Cheddar are officially underway, following a confirmed partnership between Keepmoat Homes and Alliance Homes. Looking to bring much-needed homes into the area, partnership housebuilder Keepmoat, along with community based social housing provider, Alliance Homes, will transform the 5.8-acre site into a high-quality sustainable housing community. “We’re incredibly pleased to be working with Alliance Homes to help bring affordable housing to the village of Cheddar, which offers excellent transport links and open green spaces. In keeping with our positive environmental practices, the Steart Farm community will be created with sustainability in mind and will be a gas-free development which uses air source heat pumps throughout. Over the coming months we look forward to working with the local community and welcoming new residents to the area,” commented Charlotte Goode, Divisional Chairman at Keepmoat. Bringing affordable housing to the Somerset area, Steart Farm will offer 29 homes under shared ownership, and 29 as affordable rent. Well positioned to local transport links, the development lies 10 miles south-east of J21 off the M5 motorway and 11 miles south of Bristol Airport via the A371 and A38, and the new community will feature a local play area, wildlife zone and public open space. “We’re really pleased to be involved with Keepmoat on this development in Cheddar. Not only will these 58 homes be a big step on our way to developing 2,000 homes over 10 years, but the environmental credentials of the homes meet our plans to be a green and ethical business. This site will be 100% affordable and that has been made possible thanks to a grant from Homes England,” said Iain Lock, Director of Investment at Alliance Homes. The Reserved Matters planning application was approved in September 2022, and first completions are expected mid-2024. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
