Building new homes on brownfield land is not the solution to the national housing emergency even if significant government support is forthcoming, claims a report published today by the Land Promoters and Developers Federation (LPDF). According to the Banking on Brownfield report even if every site on council brownfield registers
Peel L&P and Pension Insurance Corporation plc (‘PIC’) are pleased to announce the commencement of construction of Miller’s Quay, the cornerstone investment in what will become the largest regeneration project in the UK, creating up to 20,000 permanent jobs. Miller’s Quay is a 500 one-and two-bedroom residential scheme which will
75% of Welsh tourism businesses see increase in visitors over May half term Bluestone invests £23 million into 80 ‘Platinum’ lodges Timber certified by forestry-standards organisation PEFC Just weeks until bookings open for Summer 2023 The first sustainable timber frame for 80 new lodges arrived at Bluestone National Park Resort
Goodman to redevelop Vauxhall aftersales warehouse in Luton, Bedfordshire Proposals for up to 1.2 million sq ft of high-quality industrial and logistics space Strategically-located site ideally placed to serve Greater London and the Midlands, with 27.7 million consumers within a two-hour drivetime* Pre-let opportunities from 200,000 sq ft up to 1.2million
Accounting is a complicated subject, let alone construction accounting. There are challenges in the construction industry that others don’t have to face. Just imagine what a headache it can be to account for changing construction materials prices, or differences in labor computations according to location. That’s only two of what
The new Deputy Leader of Waltham Forest, Ahsan Khan, lay the ceremonial brick at affordable housing developer Pocket Living’s Osier Way scheme in Leyton. Joined by Leyton Ward Councillor Rhiannon Elgin and Pocket’s Chief Commercial Officer Nick Cuff, the ceremony marked an important milestone for the area and prospective first-time
A comprehensive programme of improvement works at the Lockwood Way Industrial Estate in the London Borough of Waltham Forest has been completed and handed over by the main contractor BRAC Contracts. The £650,000 project was secured by BRAC following a competitive tender process and included improvement works to both the
Construction firm, R G Carter has recently completed the construction of two new secure inspection facilities for Hutchinson Ports along the East Anglia coast. R G Carter won the bid to design and construct both secure inspection facilities at two of the UK’s most important ports, Harwich International in Essex,
Updated plans submitted by Google for its £1 billion “groundscraper” headquarter building in Kings Cross show that it will have 250 metres of shop fronts and a community events space. Lendlease is main contractor of the huge one million sq ft building. — designed by Thomas Heatherwick and Danish architects
BBV adopts drone software from Esri UK to digitise survey workflows, reduce costs and enhance safety on its 90km stretch of HS2 Esri UK today announced that Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV) has rolled out its Site Scan for ArcGIS drone flight management and image processing software, to support its drone
Building new homes on brownfield land is not the solution to the national housing emergency even if significant government support is forthcoming, claims a report published today by the Land Promoters and Developers Federation (LPDF). According to the Banking on Brownfield report even if every site on council brownfield registers was to be built out in full, brownfield land capacity only equates to just under a third (31%) of the 4.5 million new homes needed over the next 15 years. Undertaken on behalf of the LPDF by planning and development consultancy Lichfields, Banking on Brownfield asks if previously developed land can supply enough homes, of the right type, where they are needed. The answer is a resounding no. The analysis comes in response to the Levelling Up White Paper, 2021 Conservative Party Conference speeches and the £1.5 billion Brownfield housing fund which have all suggested brownfield land as the solution to meeting the country’s housing needs. The report shows: 1.4 million estimated net housing capacity on listed sites in Brownfield Registers (after 58,000 are deducted due to double counting). 23,500 individual site entries on Brownfield Registers (after 1,000 are deducted due to double counting). 31% net brownfield capacity as a proportion of the amount of housing needed over the next 15 years. 48% of potential homes on Brownfield Registers are estimated to be flats, compared with 17% of households likely to live in flats. 1 to 27 – the ratio of one new brownfield house (as opposed to flats) to every 27 households likely to live in houses. 57% of brownfield capacity outside the Greater South-East (GSE) is within the two least viable quintiles (20%) of LPA areas (compared with less than 3% of those in GSE). 68% of the Housing Market Areas (HMAs) with more brownfield capacity (relative to their housing need) are already more affordable than average. There were 132,000 net housing additions built in England in 2001 when ‘brownfield first’ was the dominant national housing supply policy objective (compared with 234,000 p.a. on average over the last three years). According to thereport, brownfield registers suggest that 81% of new homes that could be delivered in 19 urban authorities with uplifted housing requirements will be at apartment densities, rather than family houses. The research also highlights the viability challenges in these areas, assigning 15 out of 19 uplifted authorities to higher viability risk profiles which will also undoubtedly contribute towards their limited delivery of affordable homes. LPDF chairman Paul Brocklehurst said: “If the Government wants to meet its target of building 300,000 homes each year, no source of land can be ‘off the table’. Our analysis in this report shows that there is simply not enough brownfield land in any part of the country to meet housing needs alone. “The re-orientation of housing policy, and Homes England efforts towards brownfield regeneration, may help support the conditions where viable and developable land can come forward, but many of these sites will also require grants to unlock them, at greater expense to the taxpayer. Even with this policy support, greenfield land development will still be needed in every region, to meet current housing need.” He added: “The competition for urban land is ever present, markedly between economic and residential uses. Our research finds the opportunity cost of prioritising brownfield land for housing rather than employment is significant in pricing out industrial and office development to potentially sub-optimal locations.” Matthew Spry, senior director and head of Lichfield’s London office said: “Lichfields is delighted to partner again with the LPDF on this topical research. Our analysis shows that even if all identified brownfield land could be viably developed, we are a long way from being able to rely on it as the supply-side solution to the housing crisis. “And in reality, this theoretical capacity cannot all be delivered: much capacity is tied up in complex estate regeneration projects, or is best suited for continued industrial use, or includes contaminated land, or is in areas where development won’t be viable. Many brownfield sites are also earmarked for apartments, when the overwhelming demand is for houses with gardens. “While brownfield land will form an important part of the mix, the experience of the late 1990s tells us that banking on brownfield will lead to a sharp fall in new house building and undersupply in every region. Local planning authorities should plan positively for brownfield development but accompany this with a realistic supply of land of all types, capable of delivering the right type of homes, and where and when they are most needed.” The report says the current Brownfield Registers have significant shortcomings when evaluating the quantum of developable land overall. This makes them an unreliable basis for policy makers to decide on the number of homes that can be built in different areas. It states: “Significant work is needed on improving data quality if it is to withstand the evidential burden that will be placed upon it if the Government chooses to make brownfield land availability a key part of its new planning reform agenda. A modest assessment of the Brownfield Register finds significant numbers of duplicate records. Our simple test for duplicates removed around 1,000 sites accounting for 58,000 homes.” The research complements another recently published report by the LPDF – An affordable housing emergency: the national failure to provide the homes we need (read full report here). It found that the Government must urgently introduce new policies to end the scandalous shortage of new affordable homes being developed if it wants to tackle the national housing emergency. Both the Affordable Housing Emergency and the Banking on Brownfield Land reports by the LPDF highlight the serious lack of supply of new social homes and how focusing development on brownfield sites in less viable locations across the country is likely to lead to reduced levels of affordable housing provision, further exacerbating the affordable housing emergency. Paul Brocklehurst added: “The Government’s proposals to widen Right to Buy to housing association properties will make
Peel L&P and Pension Insurance Corporation plc (‘PIC’) are pleased to announce the commencement of construction of Miller’s Quay, the cornerstone investment in what will become the largest regeneration project in the UK, creating up to 20,000 permanent jobs. Miller’s Quay is a 500 one-and two-bedroom residential scheme which will continue the delivery momentum at Peel L&P’s Wirral Waters, a 500-acre brownfield site and former dockland. Wirral Waters is supported by central Government as a key part of its levelling up strategy. The £130 million Miller’s Quay development has been made possible through a special partnership between highly experienced developer and regeneration business, Peel L&P, Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council (‘WMBC’) and long-term investor, PIC, who are Peel L&P’s funding partner. Construction company Graham is the contractor for the scheme. The commencement of construction was marked by a ground-breaking ceremony on 11 July with Rob Groves, PIC’s Chief Investment Officer and Hayley Rees, Managing Director of PIC Capital; James Whittaker, Peel L&P’s Executive Director for Development; Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region; and Councillor Jeff Green, The Mayor of Wirral. Hayley Rees, Managing Director of PIC Capital, said: “The development of Miller’s Quay is a model for how long-term investors can play a key role in the levelling up agenda and create considerable social value. The site will provide much needed housing for the Wirral and offers secure long-term cashflows to back the pensions of our 300,000 policyholders, some of whom live in the region. We hope that the regeneration lease structure used to finance Miller’s Quay can be adapted across a range of sectors and projects for other local authorities, as well as housing associations, universities, NHS trusts and other organisations looking to unlock funding for regeneration schemes around the country.” James Whittaker, Executive Director of Development at Peel L&P, said: “This is a truly landmark moment for Wirral Waters with construction on this much anticipated residential scheme now starting. Miller’s Quay is a major scale, catalytic and highly sustainable residential development that we consider to be a great example of brownfield regeneration. This project will pave the way for a number of waterside residential schemes in the new Northbank neighbourhood and it will also deliver considerable social value through comprehensive engagement with both Wirral Met College’s Construction Campus and local supply chains.” Sue Higginson, CEO of Wirral Met College, said: “We are excited about the opportunities that this development offers and look forward to working with Peel and Graham to equip our students with the skills, knowledge and behaviours they will need to succeed through on-site experience, learning seminars, and apprenticeships.” Jonathan Hall, Regional Managing Director (Building South) at GRAHAM commented: “Graham are delighted to add this prestigious residential project to the secured pipeline of work in our Liverpool Region. We are very excited to get started on this significant and much anticipated development that will deliver top quality new homes locally. Performing such a key role on one of the UK’s largest regeneration projects is a huge boost for us and will enhance our residential portfolio, a sector for which we are known for our quality and delivery.” Mayor of Wirral, Cllr Jeff Green, said: “This is another key milestone in the story of Wirral’s regeneration. These new homes, on a brownfield site, show that our ambitions for the Left Bank area from Bromborough to New Brighton through Birkenhead, Seacombe and Wirral Waters, are coming to fruition and delivering the developments people want and need. This shows the value of our work with partners including the Government. Miller’s Quay is also a real statement of confidence in the future of Wirral Waters and the whole Left Bank area, one which will provide homes – including 100 affordable homes – for hundreds of people.” About Miller’s Quay Miller’s Quay is a 500 apartment Build-to-Rent residential development and the cornerstone scheme for the broader Wirral Waters development. The project has been made possible through a long-term, regeneration lease structure, providing funding for Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council, which would not have been available from traditional structures, while generating the secure long-term cashflows which allow PIC to match its pension payments decades into the future. The project has been designed to deliver social good to the area with a core focus on sustainability, utilising a range of energy efficient and low carbon technologies to reduce carbon emissions: All buildings across the Wirral Waters regeneration project are targeting BREEAM Excellent, including Miller’s Quay, as well as significant bio-diversity improvements with the planting of more than 1,600 trees so far. Miller’s Quay, will use a range of energy efficiency and low carbon technologies to reduce carbon emissions, including solar power systems, and air source heat pumps. Miller’s Quay will be surrounded by parks, green spaces, dockside walkways and cycle routes, with homes having access to cycling storage and electric vehicle charging points. One in five apartments to be designated as affordable housing units, with rents set at a maximum of 80% of open market value. The Peel L&P delivery team will continue to engage with the Wirral Met College’s construction students for site visits, seminars, work experience and apprenticeships, enabling the students to benefit from experience on the project as we seek to create the construction workforce of the future. Sustainable Urban Drainage to manage surface water from the site into the Docks through the provision of rain gardens, climate tolerant planting and tree pits designed to accommodate a 1 in 100-year storm.
75% of Welsh tourism businesses see increase in visitors over May half term Bluestone invests £23 million into 80 ‘Platinum’ lodges Timber certified by forestry-standards organisation PEFC Just weeks until bookings open for Summer 2023 The first sustainable timber frame for 80 new lodges arrived at Bluestone National Park Resort in Pembrokeshire last week as the latest figures show three quarters (75%) of Welsh tourism businesses saw an increase or maintained visitor levels over the May half term. The delivery of the first timber frame is part of a £23 million expansion development at the resort. Like many tourism businesses in Wales, Bluestone is witnessing a significant increase in bookings from pre-pandemic levels with the new development plans catering for a growing demand for luxury lodge accommodation for short breaks in areas of natural beauty. The Wales Tourism Business Barometer also shows visitor numbers were up 25% compared to pre-pandemic levels, with restaurants, pubs and cafes enjoying a busy Jubilee bank holiday weekend as 38% of hospitality businesses experienced more customers than usual. In further research from the Visit Britain Domestic Sentiment Tracker, 39% of respondents said they are more likely to choose a UK trip than an overseas trip compared to pre-pandemic. The top reasons for this preference being that UK holidays are easier to plan, and long queues at airports or cancelled flights. “We know there’s growing demand for a sustainable luxury tourism product in Wales and we’re confident we can meet the need for an ecologically sound product in natural surroundings,” said Marten Lewis, Head of Sustainability at Bluestone National Park Resort. “Sustainability is a key aspect across all the decisions on the design and build. Along with the promotion of health and wellbeing, sustainability has always formed an integral part of Bluestone’s business operations and will continue to do so as we move forward,” added Marten. Bluestone reported a ‘surge’ in bookings for holidays in August in late June as uncertainty continued over flight cancellations and delays. The holiday resort near Narberth in Pembrokeshire said Thursday 23rd June was the busiest day for August bookings since mid-March. Sales were even ahead of bookings for August 2019, showing that despite international travel having opened up with restrictions lifted, the demand for staycations is still strong. The new lodges will have their own private entrance with virtual check-in and will offer the most luxurious facilities to date at Bluestone. Visitors will be among the first to book the new lodges later this month in readiness of their official opening in the summer of 2023. The new lodges are the fourth phase of expansion plans for the resort near Narberth in Pembrokeshire, which currently has 344 existing lodges, cottages and studio apartments across 500 acres of rolling Pembrokeshire countryside. Timber and other sustainable materials have been used in the design and construction of the ‘Platinum’ lodges which will be heated by air-source heat pumps. Welshpool-based SJ Roberts Construction will be the main contractors during the project, while the timber frames will be manufactured by sister company Lowfield Timber Frames with the remainder of the supply chain being carefully selected to ensure a quality build is guaranteed, while aiming to use as many local suppliers as possible. All of the timber used is certified by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) – the world’s largest forest certification organisation – with a full chain of custody.
Goodman to redevelop Vauxhall aftersales warehouse in Luton, Bedfordshire Proposals for up to 1.2 million sq ft of high-quality industrial and logistics space Strategically-located site ideally placed to serve Greater London and the Midlands, with 27.7 million consumers within a two-hour drivetime* Pre-let opportunities from 200,000 sq ft up to 1.2million sq ft Vauxhall’s aftersales warehouse in Luton, Bedfordshire, is set to be transformed into a 1.2 million sq ft industrial and logistics park. Goodman plans to redevelop the 60-acre brownfield site into a state-of-the-art commercial park, providing space for customers operating across the manufacturing, distribution and logistics sectors. Adjacent to Junction 11A of the M1 and just 17 miles from the M25, the site’s strategic location makes it ideally placed to serve Greater London and the Midlands, with 27.7 million consumers accessible within a two-hour drivetime*. The scheme can offer bespoke property solutions of scale and flexibility within a market which has limited availability of large-scale space. Customers will also benefit from the Borough’s local talent pool. With transportation and logistics accounting for 10.8 per cent of jobs in the area, compared to the national average of 5.1 per cent, Luton provides a large available workforce and strong skills base.** Goodman’s vision for the site is to deliver a high-quality commercial park, combining sustainably-designed warehouse space with extensive landscaping to provide customers with modern facilities in an attractive workplace environment. Goodman will take a circular approach to construction, minimising waste and use of resources. This will include reusing existing materials wherever possible, from the recycling of metal roof and wall cladding to the use of recycled aggregates on-site. The development will also utilise renewable energy sources, including full rooftops of solar photovoltaic panels, rainwater harvesting and electric vehicle infrastructure. This latest commitment builds on Goodman’s wider investment in the Bedfordshire region. It has recently completed the second phase of Bedford Commercial Park, a 45-acre development and joint venture with Bedford Borough Council. Nigel Dolan, Development Director at Goodman, said: “Luton’s excellent connectivity, large labour pool and strong performance across sectors including technology, research and development, transport and logistics, makes it an ideal location for investment. “In line with our brownfield development strategy, Goodman will redevelop this site and create a highly sustainable business and employment destination of exceptional quality, while placing our customers close to large consumer populations and a readily available talent pool. We look forward to driving supply chain efficiencies for our customers in this prime location.” Work is expected to start in 2023, subject to planning. For more information, please visit the website for further details. *Source: Esri & Michael Bauer Research **Source: ONS
Accounting is a complicated subject, let alone construction accounting. There are challenges in the construction industry that others don’t have to face. Just imagine what a headache it can be to account for changing construction materials prices, or differences in labor computations according to location. That’s only two of what it covers. If you don’t know some industry secrets to staying organized with your accounting, you may just be setting up your construction business to doom. This statement may sound overly dramatic, but there’s so much truth in it. Big and small businesses depend on a steady and robust financial situation. An efficient accounting system can then run the possibility of having erroneous financial reports, hurting your construction business’ operations. There’s much more to learn about construction accounting, and this article walks you through a quick guide. Hire Professional Tax Preparers To Help You Nobody ever said, ‘Accounting is simple.’ Even the most seasoned entrepreneurs recognize they need the help of those who have spent years studying accounting and tax-related matters. And, in between the busy day-to-day operations of your construction site and the time-consuming demands of taxation and accounting, your construction site’s smooth flow of operations may suffer. This is why you need to leave those highly technical job functions to the experts in the industry, like accountants and tax preparers. The latter are professionals who have to register with the IRS to submit returns using professional tax software. This page gives you more information about this matter. Open A Separate Bank Account For Construction Business Finances This tip goes without saying if you’ve been in business for so long and you’ve grown your construction business quite extensively. However, for newcomers, it’s worth remembering to open a separate bank account for construction-related inflow and outflow and a separate one for your finances. Ideally, never mix the two. No matter how small your business may be at the moment, it’s never worth mixing business and personal funds. Doing so will only make the job of your accountant even more cumbersome. Even seasoned accountants can make mistakes, and you’re simply increasing the likelihood of this happening. It’s easier to track the inflow and outflow of money when you know for sure which belongs to your construction business and which belongs to your funds. Moreover, this practice is what you need for long-term business stability, so you don’t wind up spending business funds for personal purposes. Open Multiple Bank Accounts Now you’ll have a separate account for business and personal purposes. Don’t stop there. You can go even deeper and more specifically by opening multiple bank accounts for your business. This strategy is one of the easiest ways to track revenue and expenses, both of which are the core focus of accounting. For example, you may want to have a separate account for payroll purposes, construction materials’ procurement, and for receiving payments. The account you use to accept payments from clients can also be where you’ll transfer money to the other accounts as needed. Practice The Job Costing Method The job costing method means the cash inflow and outflow are properly attributed to each construction site or job. Even if all income from those construction sites technically still goes to your company’s earnings, it can streamline the accounting process when you know what belongs to this site and what doesn’t. This system is critical, so you can monitor the income earned for each site. Otherwise, if you mix different job projects, you may use the funds from one location site to pay for the labor expenses on another. This considerably misleads your books, as you may have a higher income on another site than it generates. Practice The Cash Basis Method There are generally two accounting methods that businesses can choose from cash basis or accrual basis of accounting. The most straightforward approach is cash basis, so this is what you should use for your construction business. You’re already operating a complicated business as it is. If there’s any system or process you can use to help simplify those complexities, that would be the better choice. With the cash basis of accounting, you record the income and expenses as you receive and pay cash for them. Conclusion The construction industry is, by itself, a very complex business. Unlike other types of businesses, there are many variables to account for in construction. And those variables can be regularly changed as to values as well. With that, it’s almost unsurprising to note that construction accounting may not be that straightforward. It’s difficult, but there’s no excuse not to learn it, as every penny counts. Hopefully, the guide above has shed more light on you about construction accounting, so moving forward, you’ll be less confused about how to go about it.
The new Deputy Leader of Waltham Forest, Ahsan Khan, lay the ceremonial brick at affordable housing developer Pocket Living’s Osier Way scheme in Leyton. Joined by Leyton Ward Councillor Rhiannon Elgin and Pocket’s Chief Commercial Officer Nick Cuff, the ceremony marked an important milestone for the area and prospective first-time buyers residing and working in the borough. Once Osier Way completes, the London Borough of Waltham Forest will have delivered the highest number of Pocket homes, compared to any other borough across London. Totalling 331 homes, this reiterates the council’s ambitions and commitment to delivering housing for the next generation of homeowners. With the median age of residents within the borough standing at 35 years, (compared to 401 across England), the need for entry level homes has never been greater. Osier Way represents one of Pocket’s most ambitious projects in its 17-year history, as well as being England’s largest scheme dedicated only to first-time buyers. Scheduled for completion in summer 2023, the development will provide 196 new homes, including 148 one-bedroom, 41 two-bedroom and 7 three-bedroom Pocket homes; all of which will be exclusively available at a 20% discount to market value for first-time buyers who live or work within Waltham Forest. Located just a short walk from Leyton station, the car-free scheme, consisting of five blocks ranging from six to 13 storeys, will also include 900 square metres of light industrial space and a further 50 square metres of café space. To date, Pocket has delivered one scheme in Waltham Forest and has over 2,000 eligible first-time buyers who live or work in Waltham Forest interested in buying a Pocket home at Osier Way. Shortlisted for three design awards, Pocket’s Gainsford Road development highlighted the success of the Pocket model in Waltham Forest. Another 90-home scheme is also in construction at Forest Road in Walthamstow, which forms part of Pocket’s ambitious targets to deliver 550 homes across London in the next 18 months. Cllr Ahsan Khan, Deputy Leader of the London Borough of Waltham Forest, comments: “The Council is committed to doing whatever it can to help people in Waltham Forest onto the property ladder. The scale of Pocket Living’s ambition for the Osier Way scheme speaks to both to their ingenuity and the need for well designed, affordable homes for first-time buyers in the borough.” Nick Cuff, Chief Commercial Officer at Pocket Living, adds: “As the cost of living continues to rise it has never been more difficult to own a home in London and so it is vital that we continue to deliver innovative housing solutions to unlock homeownership for the next generation of Londoners. As such, we are proud to be continuing our partnership with the London Borough of Waltham Forest to bring forward highly sought-after homes that will truly help local people onto the housing ladder.”
A comprehensive programme of improvement works at the Lockwood Way Industrial Estate in the London Borough of Waltham Forest has been completed and handed over by the main contractor BRAC Contracts. The £650,000 project was secured by BRAC following a competitive tender process and included improvement works to both the industrial units, as well as the surrounding public realm. Located within the Blackhorse Lane Creative Enterprise Zone, the Lockwood Way Industrial Estate is home to an eclectic mix of local businesses including two craft breweries and a vintage scooter specialist. The improvement work has been carried out not only to further increase the attractiveness of the area to new businesses, but also to improve it for those already based there. The estate now boasts attractive new frontages to the industrial units, signage for both the businesses themselves as well as the wider estate, artwork, footpath widening, fencing, landscaping, and road resurfacing. It brings to life a vision created by We Made That. BRAC’s MD, Adam Clark, comments: “As an area identified for investment, Lockwood Way possessed huge potential not only to be updated and made more attractive to current and potential tenants, but also to become a more integral part of the local community. “Through the work that we’ve delivered against the vision outlined by the team at ‘We Made That’, the estate now has the potential to offer ‘after hours’ facilities and increase its vibrancy beyond all measure! We’re delighted to have been involved in such an important project and look forward to witnessing it being enjoyed.” The transformation of Lockwood Way will be celebrated on July 16, 2022, with a family-friendly block party featuring live music, children’s activities and street food. Concluding, Councillor Ahsan Khan, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Regeneration at Waltham Forest Council, comments: “Lockwood Way Industrial Estate has become a home for a broad variety of creatives, makers, and artisans who have transformed it into a bustling hub of culture and small businesses. We are delighted to have worked with We Made That and BRAC, alongside local businesses, to improve the area and build upon its heritage to support new industries finding their way and help local up-and-coming talents establish themselves. “The Lockwood Way project is an amazing opportunity to highlight the skills and services available in the borough, support local business growth and create jobs, and protect the breadth of creative diversity in the area.” Further information on the Lockwood Way Industrial Estate can be found here: https://www.walthamforest.gov.uk/regeneration-and-growth/regeneration-blackhorse-lane/regeneration-blackhorse-lane/lockwood-way
Construction firm, R G Carter has recently completed the construction of two new secure inspection facilities for Hutchinson Ports along the East Anglia coast. R G Carter won the bid to design and construct both secure inspection facilities at two of the UK’s most important ports, Harwich International in Essex, and the Port of Felixstowe, Suffolk, to inspect goods such as fresh produce and plants entering the UK. Completing the new border control posts at Harwich within 42 weeks, the project was slightly larger in scale, and more complex in design and build compared to the second inspection facility delivered at Felixstowe. The new site at Harwich is situated close to a newly constructed port exit and features state-of-the-art, steel-framed buildings housing temperature-controlled conditions to maintain ambient, chilled, or frozen temperatures, dependent on the goods being inspected by DEFRA agencies. With over 100 years of construction expertise, the East Anglian-based construction firm has racked up experience working on the ports and similar projects in the past. One of the key tasks was managing their 200-strong workforce of staff and sub-contractors at Harwich International. James Wilson, General Manager and Director from R G Carter is delighted to be handing over another successful project to Hutchinson Port, he said: “This has been an exciting and truly collaborative project for us to be involved in and we are delighted to have delivered these essential facilities at these busy regional Ports. We are very proud to see them successfully open for operational use and hope they provide the very highest standards of efficiency required at this important checkpoint.” The Felixstowe project includes ten dock levellers and two loading bays, both featuring temperature-controlled rooms with commercial fridges and freezers. Both sites at Harwich and Felixstowe include high specification offices and welfare facilities for the Port and DEFRA staff. The completion of these projects has resulted in significant benefits to each respective Port. The site at Harwich also includes a new exit road which allows freight to access the facility and then exit directly on to the A120, reducing freight congestion and allowing for free-flowing traffic.
Updated plans submitted by Google for its £1 billion “groundscraper” headquarter building in Kings Cross show that it will have 250 metres of shop fronts and a community events space. Lendlease is main contractor of the huge one million sq ft building. — designed by Thomas Heatherwick and Danish architects BIG — is now well advanced ahead of topping out later this year, with completion expected by 2024. However, there has been little detail surrounding what it will look like at ground floor level — until now. New detailed designs submitted this week with Camden council reveal a long parade of retail units “with a mix of established and growing brands” as well as a “market hall” for small businesses and “a community, education and event space that will host a changing programme of events all year round. This will be the first wholly-owned and designed Google building outside of the US and will comprise a staggering one million square feet of space spread out over an 11-story building. To put it into context, Google’s building will be longer than the Shard is tall. As well as office space for up to 4,000 Google employees to work, the area will also feature a pool, games area, gym, landscaped roof garden and a parade of retail space for shops and other businesses to occupy. The new building is being developed from the ground up and will contribute to the Knowledge Quarter and King’s Cross’s growing knowledge-based economy. The tech giant says that, when finished, the area ‘will be a resource not just for Googlers but Londoners, too.’
BBV adopts drone software from Esri UK to digitise survey workflows, reduce costs and enhance safety on its 90km stretch of HS2 Esri UK today announced that Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV) has rolled out its Site Scan for ArcGIS drone flight management and image processing software, to support its drone deployment strategy on its Midlands section of HS2. Faster and more efficient drone surveys are already saving around £20,000 a year on monthly construction progress surveys on a single site, instead of using physical surveys and the subsequent updating of CAD models. BBV estimates this could save around £1.6m if the same workflow was applied across 80 sites in the first year. Another benefit has been the removal of 800 ‘working at risk’ days and a cost saving of £30,000 per year from monitoring aggregate stockpiles, using a single drone operator to carry out 3D volumetric measurements in 20 minutes. Previously, contractors would take a full day to physically measure stockpiles and calculate transport requirements, often working in steep and difficult environments. Site Scan for ArcGIS is being used to carry out drone site surveys, manage aggregate stockpiles and monitor progress of construction. Various 2D and 3D outputs are being generated for sharing with multiple stakeholders, including high-definition imagery and 3D terrain models. The new software was rolled out across the BBV business to almost 400 users in autumn 2021, including 13 drone pilots. The major civil infrastructure project spans from Long Itchington Wood tunnel in the south to the West Coast Main Line tie-in near Lichfield in the north, with a major junction into Curzon Street Station in central Birmingham. The main works civil engineering contracts will deliver earthworks, ground engineering and many structures including bridges, viaducts and tunnels along a 90km stretch of the UK’s new high speed rail line. “We needed the right software to manage an increasingly complex and varied use of drones and meet the needs of multiple teams, from logistics to site managers to engineers,” explained Dan Fawcett, Innovation Director at Balfour Beatty VINCI. “New digitised workflows are rapidly replacing traditional, physical working practices and introducing new levels of efficiency, accuracy and safety. On major projects such as HS2, the ROI achieved is significant.” Other applications of the new software include helping to show compliance with design tolerances in built structures against BIM and CAD models, speeding-up design cycles, particularly in earthworks and excavations design and monitoring the installation of utilities. Site Scan supports RTK drones to ensure highly accurate data capture and point cloud creation. Super-user training for Site Scan is being provided by Esri UK partner Heliguy, the drone consultancy, hardware and training specialists. Site Scan for ArcGIS is Esri’s cloud-based drone flight management and image processing software, offering flight planning, hardware management, scalable image processing and unlimited data storage, plus seamless integration with BBV’s Esri enterprise GIS system.
