Banks Renewables is expecting to invest over £100 million to develop Pond Energy Park, which will see a section of an industrial park near Bathgate re-designed into a two-hectare battery site. Plans are expected to be submitted later this year and Pond Battery Storage will have an export capacity of
The Government has announced that works have began on the Lowdham Cocker Beck Flood Alleviation Scheme, a Nottinghamshire flood scheme. The new £26 million flood storage reservoir will protect homes and businesses in the Nottinghamshire village. Environment agency officials, local MPs, councillors and members of the local flood action group
Mace has been selected as the main contractor for the Landsec Timber Square redevelopment on Lavington Street in Southwark. The announcement confirms Landsec’s commitment to delivering the project in full and will progress Landsec’s ambition to deliver a one million sq ft green office cluster in Southwark. The redevelopment of
Plans have been approved for Countryside Partnerships to develop an additional 204 mixed tenure homes in Teesside. Countryside Partnerships North East, was chosen by Homes England to complete the third phase of the £119 million Kirkleatham Green project, near Redcar, in April this year and submitted a planning application in
Plans to develop a multi-level last-mile logistics scheme on Mandela Way in Southwark have been given the green light. This is the latest scheme in British Land’s 2.9m sq ft pipeline. The site sits close to the junction of New Kent Road, Old Kent Road and Tower Bridge Road and
A total of £1.67 million is to be invested to refurbish platforms 13 and 14 at Manchester Piccadilly Station. Network Rail teams will start to overhaul the lounge above the station’s busiest platforms which see up to 40,000 passengers every day. The investment will bring: During the upgrade work the
Swansea Council has appointed Willmott Dixon to complete work at the Copr Bay district after the original contractor, Buckingham Group, went into administration. The Copr Bay scheme covers the area of the former St David’s Shopping Centre and across the new bridge over Oystermouth Road to Swansea Arena and the
Trafford Council has given the green light to the new design for Therme Manchester. The updated scheme features a pavilion-style concept immersed and enveloped in a natural landscape. The decision coincides with the appointment of Professor David Russell as the first UK-based CEO of Therme UK and demonstrates a shift
Morgan Sindall has been appointed by the City of London Academies Trust (COLAT) and the Department for Education to deliver major upgrades to Newham Collegiate Sixth Form Centre. The project at the free sixth form college, situated on Barking Road, has been procured through the Department for Education’s (DfE) construction
Southwark Council and housebuilder, The Hill Group, has welcomed residents to their new council homes at Aylesbury Estate. Hill recently completed 229 high-quality homes, exclusively designated for affordable rent, on behalf of the council. Providing 187 apartments, 27 houses, and 15 maisonettes, these new properties include 54 extra-care homes and
Banks Renewables is expecting to invest over £100 million to develop Pond Energy Park, which will see a section of an industrial park near Bathgate re-designed into a two-hectare battery site. Plans are expected to be submitted later this year and Pond Battery Storage will have an export capacity of 200 megawatts over two hours. When fully charged, this project will be enough to supply the average demands of 600,000 homes for that two hour period – more homes than Edinburgh and Glasgow combined. The new site is set to deliver opportunities for local businesses in areas like construction, groundworks, civils and remediation; with Banks’ flagship ‘Connect2Renewables’ initiative prioritising local businesses as much as possible when awarding contracts on their sites. The responsible developer is renowned for its onshore wind projects in South Lanarkshire – including the construction of the UK’s tallest and most efficient onshore wind turbines at its Kype Muir Extension site near Strathaven. Gordon Thomson, projects director at Banks Renewables said: “The proposed Pond Battery Storage project in West Lothian marks a very exciting time for us here at Banks Renewables. “Battery storage projects like this are becoming increasingly important in Scotland’s push for net zero. When it’s not sunny or windy, battery energy storage can allow us to dip into the reserves by using pre-generated energy in the batteries to supply to the national grid and reducing our reliance on energy derived from imported fossil fuels.” The first in-person consultation events will occur on 12 October, from 2pm – 7pm, at the Jim Walker Partnership Centre in Bathgate. Here, members of the community will be invited to give their thoughts, help shape the proposals and highlight key local priorities which could be addressed using community benefits. Battery storage, or battery energy storage systems (BESS), are devices that store and enable energy from renewables, like solar and wind farms. Natural fluctuations in weather conditions mean that renewable electricity generation can often be out of step with demand and batteries can address this by storing surplus generation when demand is low and releasing it when demand is higher – maximising the efficiency of renewable energy. Batteries are set to play a huge role in the country’s push for net zero, reducing the reliance on large fossil fuelled power stations. If approved, the site will be based at Pond Industrial Estate on Whitburn Road to the south-east of Bathgate. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The Government has announced that works have began on the Lowdham Cocker Beck Flood Alleviation Scheme, a Nottinghamshire flood scheme. The new £26 million flood storage reservoir will protect homes and businesses in the Nottinghamshire village. Environment agency officials, local MPs, councillors and members of the local flood action group attended an official ground-breaking ceremony. The flood storage area will be able to hold up to 100,000 cubic meters of water when the Cocker Beck floods. Construction work will involve cutting into an embankment of the Cocker Beck and using compacted soil and ultra-low carbon concrete to create a raised reservoir. Moreover, trees will be planted on the site as well as the creation of three hectares of new woodland nearby. Paul Lockhart, Area Flood and Coastal Risk Manager at the Environment Agency said: “We are delighted that we are now in the position of being able to commence the construction of a major Flood Alleviation Scheme to protect the people of Lowdham. “The reservoir we are building will provide a very high level of protection against flooding to 191 properties, and it represents excellent value for money for the taxpayer. “We would not have been able to achieve this without the long-term support of the MP for Newark, Robert Jenrick MP, our local authority partners (Nottinghamshire County Council and Newark and Sherwood District Council), the members of the Trent Regional Flood and Coastal Committee, and, most importantly, the local community Flood Action Group (FLAG) and the Parish Council, who have been very supportive throughout the process.” The Rt Hon Mark Spencer MP for Sherwood and Minister for Food, Farming and Fisheries said: “As a serving Defra Minister, and local MP, I am acutely aware of the distress and cost that flooding causes to our communities. “This £26m Reservoir Scheme will provide a very significant level of protection from flooding to the community and will, I’m sure, give confidence to the people of Lowdham so they will be able to carry on with their lives without the constant worry of future flooding.” The scheme that will generate £50 million for the local economy will be completed in Spring 2026. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Mace has been selected as the main contractor for the Landsec Timber Square redevelopment on Lavington Street in Southwark. The announcement confirms Landsec’s commitment to delivering the project in full and will progress Landsec’s ambition to deliver a one million sq ft green office cluster in Southwark. The redevelopment of the former printworks will be the latest large-scale project Landsec is carrying out in Southwark, following the recent delivery of The Forge, the UK’s first Net-Zero commercial building designed in line with the UKGBC’s framework, which was completed by Mace and its joint venture partners, Sir Robert McAlpine. Building on the lessons learnt from The Forge, the project will further pioneer new approaches to designing and building net zero spaces, expanding the use of low-carbon materials to achieve around a 50% reduction in Co2 during construction compared to a typical office build. Timber Square will offer 380,000 sq ft of Grade A office space, split between two linked buildings, as well as retail space and a vibrant destination with a sizeable public realm which will boost pedestrian routes in the area. Timber Square is a pioneering net zero office development and will retain 85% of the existing structure by embracing a range of modern methods of construction, including the use of cross-laminated timber (CLT) to deliver a highly sustainable, energy-efficient space. Air Source Heat Pumps will be the primary heat source of the development. The redevelopment is targeting a BREAAM ‘Excellent’ and Well Core Platinum, as well as £205 million social and local economic value generated during the project life cycle. Pat Fitzgerald, Commercial Director for Major Projects at Mace, said: “We are delighted to be working with LandSec on another fantastic project. We are aligned by our common purpose to create sustainable, high-quality office spaces for London such as Timber Square. We look forward to getting started on this major redevelopment to play a part in the regeneration of London’s Southbank.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Plans have been approved for Countryside Partnerships to develop an additional 204 mixed tenure homes in Teesside. Countryside Partnerships North East, was chosen by Homes England to complete the third phase of the £119 million Kirkleatham Green project, near Redcar, in April this year and submitted a planning application in May. Now approved, the popular development can continue to offer homes that meet the various housing needs of the area, improving both choice and quality for local people. Work on the third phase of the Teesside homes development is expected to begin in November this year and will include the creation of affordable homes, homes for private rent and homes for open market sale via the Linden Homes brand. The designs for the homes on this third phase have been created following feedback from phase one customers. Countryside Partnerships is already working on phase one and two of the project – constructing 375 homes for sale, shared ownership and private and affordable rent – and a specialist residential village of 75 homes, for people with a specific housing need. Key to securing this latest contract, Countryside Partnerships has risen to Homes England’s challenge to build homes at pace, enabling residents to move in quickly – without compromising on quality. Adopting the same mixed tenure approach to this £44 million third phase will allow this successful model to continue. Development partners to manage the affordable and private sector rental properties will be announced in due course and it is expected the first residents will be able to move into these new third phase homes by Autumn next year. The Home Builders Federation (HBF) also awarded a five-star builder status for the work already completed on the development, following liaison with open market sale and affordable rented customers who have moved into properties completed during phase one of the project. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Plans to develop a multi-level last-mile logistics scheme on Mandela Way in Southwark have been given the green light. This is the latest scheme in British Land’s 2.9m sq ft pipeline. The site sits close to the junction of New Kent Road, Old Kent Road and Tower Bridge Road and will deliver a last mile logistics hub for Southwark and central London. The former Southwark Council car pound will be redeveloped to feature four floors of flexible, high-quality, sustainable logistics space with exceptional access to local consumers and central London making it suitable for a range of prospective occupiers. The asset’s ground floor logistics space provides access for a variety of distribution vehicles including HGVs and cargo bikes, while upper floors will be served by lifts. In line with British Land’s ‘Greener Spaces’ pillar of its 2030 sustainability strategy, the scheme will target a BREEAM Excellent rating and implement low-carbon materials, and a circular economy strategy to lower embodied and operational carbon emissions. British Land’s pipeline of urban logistics projects in Greater London has a gross development value of £1.3 billion. It includes, alongside Mandela Way, an additional project adjacent to the Old Kent Road on Verney Road, the Finsbury Square Car Park and The Box at Paddington Central, which received planning consent earlier this year. Additionally, British Land received approval in July to deliver 455,000 sq ft of multi-level logistics space at Heritage House, Enfield, located near Junction 25 of the M25. Mike Best, Head of Logistics at British Land, said: “Mandela Way is the latest scheme in our London urban logistics pipeline to receive planning consent following approvals at both Paddington Central and Enfield earlier this year, enabling us to bring forward another high quality logistics project and continue to address the acute undersupply of sustainable, modern warehousing in Greater London.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A total of £1.67 million is to be invested to refurbish platforms 13 and 14 at Manchester Piccadilly Station. Network Rail teams will start to overhaul the lounge above the station’s busiest platforms which see up to 40,000 passengers every day. The investment will bring: During the upgrade work the toilets and seating areas will stay open, but it will see some changes for passengers – including the closure of the existing Costa coffee shop. Kyla Thomas, Network Rail station manager for Manchester Piccadilly, said: “The waiting area above platforms 13 and 14 is crucial to how we manage passengers getting safely on and off their trains, so it’s really important for us to make this investment so we can make it even better for customers. “While trains won’t be disrupted during the work, some of the facilities will be out of action while we build two new retail units and carry out a phased upgrade of the seating area and toilet facilities. I’d like to thank people in advance for their patience while we improve this well-used part of Piccadilly station for the tens of thousands of passengers who use it every day.” The waiting lounge revamp for passengers will begin on October 4 and will be complete in early 2024. It follows the recently completed investment to resurface platforms 13 and 14, paint new safety markings and install tactile studs along their lengths to improve accessibility for people with visual impairments. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Swansea Council has appointed Willmott Dixon to complete work at the Copr Bay district after the original contractor, Buckingham Group, went into administration. The Copr Bay scheme covers the area of the former St David’s Shopping Centre and across the new bridge over Oystermouth Road to Swansea Arena and the coastal park. Most of the scheme is complete and open, so it’s business as usual at Swansea Arena, the Copr Bay south car park, the coastal park, the Green Room Bar and Kitchen, and the residential unit on the north side of Oystermouth Road. Willmott Dixon, which has an office nearby in Cardiff, will focus on completing the car park on the north side of Oystermouth Road and some other snagging work on site. The St David’s multi-storey car park – which is earmarked for demolition – will remain open in the meantime A Swansea Council spokesperson said: “The Copr Bay district is at the heart of Swansea’s on-going regeneration of the city centre. When our contractors Buckingham went into administration, we had to act quickly to protect the council’s position and complete the unfinished work. We’re delighted to appoint Willmott Dixon, one of the country’s leading specialists, to manage the construction and ensure the unfinished work is completed as soon as possible. “The snagging works will now be finished as soon as possible, and work to finish the car park is anticipated for completion in the spring of 2024. The financial arrangements we have in place mean we don’t envisage these works leading to extra costs for the council or the taxpayer.” Neal Stephens, Managing Director for Willmott Dixon in Wales and West, added: “It is very sad what happened to Buckingham Group and to see their supply chain partners go through such a difficult period. We will try to use as many as possible as we complete this important project for Swansea. We have extensive experience of working in the local area and are pleased to be working with Swansea Council to bring this fantastic development to a fitting conclusion.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Trafford Council has given the green light to the new design for Therme Manchester. The updated scheme features a pavilion-style concept immersed and enveloped in a natural landscape. The decision coincides with the appointment of Professor David Russell as the first UK-based CEO of Therme UK and demonstrates a shift in Therme’s focus from design and planning to delivery. With 30 years of experience in delivering large-scale projects, Professor Russell has been involved in major ventures around the world including the London 2012 Summer Olympics, The Rugby World Cup in Japan 2019 and the $8 billion Expo 2020 in Dubai. Russell takes up the role after a successful three-year tenure as CEO of a joint venture between Russell Partnership Collection, the UK’s largest food, nutrition, and technology consultancy, and Therme Group. Russell will be supported by Richard Land, Chief Development Officer of Therme UK, who has successfully spearheaded the planning process, and James Mark who has been a leading part of Therme UK’s senior team since the project began. Mr Mark now takes up the role of Chief Strategy Officer for Therme UK, with a focus on developing further city-based wellbeing resorts across the UK. Attractions include large family and adults-only zones with swimming pools, slides, warm water lagoons and multi-sensorial saunas. Alongside this, elements such as water-based fitness classes, evidence-based wellness therapies, botanical gardens, immersive art, urban farms and educational activities create an integrated wellbeing concept for all ages. The resort is forecast to contribute over £4.5 billion to the UK economy, according to an independent PwC study, with most of the positive impact in the Greater Manchester area. James Whittaker, Executive Director – Development at Peel L&P said: “After five years working in partnership with Therme, we are delighted to hear planning permission has been approved for this incredible, high-quality health and wellbeing resort in TraffordCity. We’re looking forward to working closely with the whole of the Therme team to deliver something truly unique and iconic in the UK, that is not only world-leading for health and wellbeing, but will also create a significant number of new jobs and have a huge positive economic impact for North West England.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Morgan Sindall has been appointed by the City of London Academies Trust (COLAT) and the Department for Education to deliver major upgrades to Newham Collegiate Sixth Form Centre. The project at the free sixth form college, situated on Barking Road, has been procured through the Department for Education’s (DfE) construction framework. Work will take place across two buildings, with the former East Ham Police Station set to be refurbished and a new structure built at the rear of the building, providing a new, high quality teaching space for students. The two buildings will be connected via a glass façade dining hall. Across both the new structure and refurbished building, Newham Collegiate will benefit from an additional 11 classrooms and four seminar rooms, creating an additional 60 places for the school. Two new cycle stores will be built to encourage healthy and sustainable travel for prospective students. Morgan Sindall will also install a green roof with over 100 sq. m of photovoltaic (PV) panels across all roofs on site. As part of Morgan Sindall’s commitment to delivering social value to the communities in which it operates, the project team are already underway in engaging with the local Newham community. To date, the tier one contractor has hosted four different events at local schools and provided students with the opportunity for work experience and mock interviews. Throughout the project, the Morgan Sindall team will continue to generate social value in Newham, educating the next generation on careers in the construction industry that they may not have previously considered. Morgan Sindall is working alongside engineers Ingleton Wood and architects Rivington Street Studios. Alongside the work at Newham Collegiate, Morgan Sindall is delivering a new residential development in Newham that will bring hundreds of much-needed affordable homes to the area. Manor Road Quarter, from The English Cities Fund (ECF), is currently under construction and when complete will deliver 804 homes, of which 50% are affordable, to the London Borough of Newham. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Southwark Council and housebuilder, The Hill Group, has welcomed residents to their new council homes at Aylesbury Estate. Hill recently completed 229 high-quality homes, exclusively designated for affordable rent, on behalf of the council. Providing 187 apartments, 27 houses, and 15 maisonettes, these new properties include 54 extra-care homes and seven homes designed to enable people with learning difficulties to enjoy independent living. A combined heat and power energy centre will help improve energy efficiency, and new community facilities include a landscaped central park, play areas, and a community centre. These homes are just one phase of the wider regeneration of the Aylesbury Estate which is being managed by Southwark Council. The total redevelopment will see 3,575 new homes and 7,800 sqm of employment, retail, healthcare and community spaces built over the coming years. The overall masterplan aims to create new neighbourhoods which are integrated into the wider network of streets and spaces in Walworth. The Una Marson library on the estate was recently finished and will be opening to residents before Christmas. The library is named after Una Marson, who was the first Black female presenter on the BBC during World War II. Cllr Helen Dennis, Southwark’s Cabinet Member for New Homes and Sustainable Development, said: “It’s really exciting to see residents moved into these wonderful new council homes and celebrate the start of a new chapter in the story of the Aylesbury Estate. I can see the difference these new homes are making to the lives of our residents and it’s fantastic to be able to celebrate that here in the brand new community centre at the heart of this latest development.” Oluwakemi Odutayo, a resident who moved into her new home on Aylesbury Estate in March, said: “I’m really pleased with my new home. It’s spacious, it has a garden, my kids are enjoying it, and our lives have much improved since moving out of temporary accommodation.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
