Plans have been approved to build over 50 affordable homes and a 68-apartment extra care development, two miles from Bridlington Town Centre. The scheme has been brought forward by Esh Construction in a land led deal worth £25 million in partnership with Housing 21 and Yorkshire Housing. Earmarked for land
GRAHAM has been awarded the contract for the redevelopment of Birmingham’s Children’s Hospital. The redevelopment plans include the creation of a new three storey elective care hub on the site, funded by the national COVID-10 recovery programme, that will be the home for a new state-of-the art intraoperative MRI (iMRI)
Persimmon Homes Cornwall and West Devon has secured planning permission for the delivery of a major new development in Newquay, Cornwall. The land south of A392 in Trevemper will see Cornwall and West Devon construct 187 quality new homes for local families, after permission was granted this week by Cornwall
The government has approved two SSE green hydrogen projects proposed to progress to the final stage of its Net Zero Hydrogen Fund. The fund aims to back the development and deployment of new low-carbon hydrogen production to de-risk investment and reduce lifetime costs. Following a period of due diligence, the
Children in Lichfield are gearing up to start their education in a brand-new school in September. Anna Seward Primary School will be welcoming its first cohort of pupils in the new school year, after undergoing a year-long build process. Midlands-based contractor, G F Tomlinson, delivered the construction works through the
Multi-disciplinary consultancy Pick Everard has been appointed to the £1.6 billion NHS Shared Business Services framework agreement. Operating across a four-year term, the move will see the firm deliver each of its core services and more across ten lots of the NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) Healthcare Planning, Construction
Higgins Partnerships (Higgins) has announced the successful completion of the first phase of 208 mixed tenure housing development at the former iconic Shredded Wheat factory site in Welywn Garden City, Hertfordshire. Higgins has worked in partnership with Metropolitan Thames Valley to provide 52 Shared Ownership properties, 106 for affordable rent
More homes are embracing green energy and installing heat pumps and solar panels in the UK than ever before, with a 62% jump compared to last year, new data from the official standards body for renewable technologies, MCS, has revealed. MCS data shows that in the first six months of
UBS Asset Management and Reef Group have received approval to develop a life science campus in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, one of the largest in Europe. The decision from Stevenage Borough Council’s planning committee paves the way for the new Life Sciences hub to be delivered alongside GSK’s existing Global R&D facility
Notting Hill Genesis (NHG) has announced the appointment of energy and regeneration specialist, Equans, to undertake an upgrade and investment programme at the Paragon estate in Brentford. It means work can start on bringing 1,000 homes back into use between 2025 and 2026 and restoring a local community on the
Plans have been approved to build over 50 affordable homes and a 68-apartment extra care development, two miles from Bridlington Town Centre. The scheme has been brought forward by Esh Construction in a land led deal worth £25 million in partnership with Housing 21 and Yorkshire Housing. Earmarked for land off Pinfold Lane in the north of Bridlington which is allocated for residential development in the East Riding Local Plan, the inter-generational scheme meets an identified need for affordable housing in the area and homes for older persons aged over 55. A three-storey extra care building containing one and two-bedroom apartments and communal facilities, including a restaurant, hair salon and a resident lounge, will be managed by Housing 21. This will allow people to live independently in their own home, while accessing on-site care and support should they need it. For Yorkshire Housing, Esh will build a mix of two and three-bedroom houses, two-bedroom bungalows and one-bedroom ‘walk up’ apartments for affordable tenures, including affordable rent, shared ownership and rent to buy. Modern methods of construction (MMC) will be used throughout the scheme and 26 homes will be built with a timber frame. Laura Devaney, land and partnerships director at Esh Construction, said: “This land led scheme has been long in the making, therefore we are delighted to receive the go ahead from the planners. “With an ageing population it is important that we are building more new extra care housing to satisfy the needs of later life living options, as well as helping to meet the Government’s affordable housing targets. The development in Bridlington is an exciting project and we look forward to getting work underway next year.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
GRAHAM has been awarded the contract for the redevelopment of Birmingham’s Children’s Hospital. The redevelopment plans include the creation of a new three storey elective care hub on the site, funded by the national COVID-10 recovery programme, that will be the home for a new state-of-the art intraoperative MRI (iMRI) machine, providing seamless patient care during surgery and reduce the need for some children to travel to other parts of the UK for treatment. It will also provide additional clinical space for services. Ronan Hughes, Regional Director at GRAHAM commented: “Building on our expertise in providing state-of-the-art health facilities, we’re immensely proud to be delivering this project for the Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust. It will undoubtedly leave a lasting legacy in the Birmingham area and hugely benefit children and families, clinical staff and the wider community.” The proposals will see a radical transformation of the front of the hospital with the current entrance being demolished and replaced with a new striking glass façade creating more space to welcome patients and visitors. A key benefit of the scheme is improved thermal performance and energy efficiency by expanding the use of ground source heat pump technology. Windows at the front of the hospital will be replaced with modern glass and frames in keeping with the site’s Victorian architecture. Matt Boazman, Chief Executive for Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are grateful to Council colleagues for their support of these plans. This is excellent news, not just for the Children’s Hospital but the thousands of children and young people across Birmingham and the West Midlands who access our services every year and those across the UK who rely on the skills and expertise of our highly specialised services. “The developments will not only improve existing services but create opportunity for us to do more for the young people who rely on us for their care.” The plans are also being supported by the hospital’s Charity which is currently fundraising for the new iMRI machine and in discussions to support the dramatic transformation of the front of the hospital. Vicky Casey, Architect Director at BDP said: “Through a combination of redevelopment and refurbishment our project at Birmingham Children’s Hospital will create a modern healthcare facility that can sustain the world class provision of paediatric services in the heart of Birmingham city centre. The ambitious decarbonisation credentials alongside the theatre expansion and iMRI provide critically important facilities for the children of Birmingham and the wider region. “The sympathetic reimagining of the historic Victorian courtyard will provide the trust with a modern main entrance re-creating a sense of arrival that celebrates the building’s origins while meeting the needs of patients and families. We are incredibly proud to be designing these projects for such an important anchor institution in Birmingham, helping it shape the future of healthcare provision for its staff and children in the West Midlands.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Persimmon Homes Cornwall and West Devon has secured planning permission for the delivery of a major new development in Newquay, Cornwall. The land south of A392 in Trevemper will see Cornwall and West Devon construct 187 quality new homes for local families, after permission was granted this week by Cornwall Council. In addition, the region will allocate 56 properties to a local housing association provider, which will help address Cornwall’s pressing housing requirements. The proposed development comprises homes of one, two and three storeys, and a wide range of properties from one-bed apartments to five-bed homes will be built. Persimmon’s proposals will also deliver significant public open space, play area, infrastructure improvements and a new 3m wide strategic footpath/cycle way following a request from local people Cornwall Council. The region will also contribute over £565,000 to Cornwall Council through the Community Infrastructure Levy for local improvements. Commenting, Robbie Brown, Technical Director for Persimmon Homes Cornwall and West Devon, said: “We are delighted to have secured planning permission for our new Newquay development. “The application demonstrated our continued commitment to the principles of sustainable, high-quality development, delivering a wide choice of homes to meet local needs. “Through the construction of 187 quality new homes for local people, this site will deliver substantial social and economic benefits, playing an important role in the growth and aspirations of Newquay as one of Cornwall’s key settlements. “As part of our wider commitment to the local community, we will transfer 56 homes to a local housing association partner, which will help tackle Cornwall’s pressing housing demands. We have also listened to the request for a new strategic footpath and cycle way, and we’re delighted to have gone above and beyond on this asset for the local community. “I would like to thank Cornwall Council for their cooperation and diligence during the application process as all parties worked positively to deliver a high-quality scheme, which helps address the local housing need and provides the opportunity for home ownership to more local people.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The government has approved two SSE green hydrogen projects proposed to progress to the final stage of its Net Zero Hydrogen Fund. The fund aims to back the development and deployment of new low-carbon hydrogen production to de-risk investment and reduce lifetime costs. Following a period of due diligence, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has confirmed it will enter negotiations with SSE to provide support for its Aldbrough Hydrogen Pathfinder and Gordonbush Hydrogen projects. Aldbrough Hydrogen Pathfinder, which is being developed at SSE Thermal’s existing gas storage site in East Yorkshire (pictured above) aims to demonstrate the interactions between renewable hydrogen production, storage and power generation. Pathfinder could be operational by the middle of the decade and serve an important role in proving the role flexible hydrogen power can play in the UK’s net zero journey. Gordonbush Hydrogen plans to produce and deliver green hydrogen through electrolysis using renewable energy from SSE Renewables’ 100MW-plus Gordonbush onshore wind farm in Sutherland (pictured below). The project would demonstrate the value in co-locating green hydrogen production at existing renewables sites, with the potential to maximise renewables output unlocking further growth as well as enabling decarbonisation of other sectors. Catherine Raw, Managing Director of SSE Thermal and Group Executive Committee lead for hydrogen, said: “Hydrogen will be crucial in getting the UK to net zero, as well as significantly boosting our energy security by maximising our ability to harness homegrown renewables. At SSE, we are developing projects across the hydrogen value chain, from production to storage to power generation. “For a thriving hydrogen economy to be developed, we need to see projects brought forward at pace and the Net Zero Hydrogen Fund aims to achieve exactly that. “We welcome the recognition from UK Government on the potential of both Aldbrough Hydrogen Pathfinder and Gordonbush Hydrogen and look forward to the continued development of these important low-carbon projects.” SSE’s Aldbrough Hydrogen Pathfinder would utilise green power sourced from grid through Renewable PPAs when supply is plentiful, in compliance with the Low Carbon Hydrogen Standard. Hydrogen would then be produced via a 35MW electrolyser and stored in a converted salt cavern before being used in a 100% hydrogen-fired open-cycle gas turbine, exporting flexible green power back to grid at times of system need. SSE aims to produce hydrogen and start filling the cavern by 2025, subject to planning consents and reaching a final investment decision later this year. Gordonbush Hydrogen is currently undergoing refinements prior to the submission of a planning application to the Highland Council. If developed, the Gordonbush Hydrogen facility could produce up to 1,300 tonnes of green hydrogen annually in an electrolyser unit. The green hydrogen could then be used as a clean alternative to petrol, diesel or natural gas to help decarbonise hard-to-abate sectors such as industry, transport and manufacturing. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Children in Lichfield are gearing up to start their education in a brand-new school in September. Anna Seward Primary School will be welcoming its first cohort of pupils in the new school year, after undergoing a year-long build process. Midlands-based contractor, G F Tomlinson, delivered the construction works through the Constructing West Midlands (CWM) Framework, alongside Staffordshire County Council, design and project managers Entrust and architects Arc Partnership. The £7m two-storey school will initially welcome nursery and reception pupils before filling up year on year to accommodate 210 school pupils and 26 nursery places. The school, which has been built in response to increased demand for places in the local area, boasts state-of-the-art classrooms, a library, large hall, dedicated design and technology room and a full production kitchen to provide healthy meals for pupils and staff. The accommodation makes good use of natural light, ventilation, and technology to provide modern energy-efficient spaces, as well as modern outdoor formal and informal play spaces. Anna Seward Primary School will be part of the highly successful Arthur Terry Learning Partnership (ATLP), which runs six other facilities in Lichfield. An official ceremony to celebrate its opening is planned to take place in September 2023, once staff and pupils have started the new term. G F Tomlinson provided £212,976.00 of social value added opportunities for the local community, including organised site visits and career talks with students from nearby schools and recycled 98 per cent of its construction waste generated on site which was diverted from landfill – contributing positively to the local environment and the national carbon net-zero agenda. Jonathan Price, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Education, said: “Anna Seward Primary has been built in response to local housing developments, which have increased demand for school places in the Lichfield area. It has been great to see the school constructed over the past few months and, although the school summer holidays are currently in full swing, I’m sure many parents and pupils will be looking forward to starting their education in a brand-new school come September.” Chris Flint, Managing Director at G F Tomlinson, said: “We are proud to have completed another project for Staffordshire County Council and continue our excellent working relationship, playing our part in expanding primary school provision in the local community. “Seeing Anna Seward Primary School take shape over the last few months has been truly rewarding – knowing that the school will provide an exceptional learning environment for many local children.” Richard Gill CBE, the ATLP CEO, said: “It’s hugely exciting to see many months of planning and hard work come to fruition at Anna Seward Primary, where we have assembled a first-class teaching team. “The ATLP has built a highly respected reputation for delivering excellence in education to primary and secondary school pupils in Lichfield and beyond. Parents of Anna Seward pupils can expect such high standards.” This is the sixth school G F Tomlinson has delivered for Staffordshire County Council to date, these include the most recent Bramshall Meadows First School in Uttoxeter and Fradley Park Primary School in Lichfield last Summer. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Multi-disciplinary consultancy Pick Everard has been appointed to the £1.6 billion NHS Shared Business Services framework agreement. Operating across a four-year term, the move will see the firm deliver each of its core services and more across ten lots of the NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) Healthcare Planning, Construction Consultancy & Ancillary Services Framework Agreement, spanning architectural and project management services to net zero environmental consultancy. Open to local authorities, emergency services, higher education, NHS and the wider public sector, the new agreement builds on the previous NHS SBS Framework Agreement and a nine-year working relationship Pick Everard has held with the organisation on the NHS SBS framework agreement. Alex Hamilton-Jordan, associate director at Pick Everard, said: “This agreement provides an efficient route to market to procure our services, and offers flexibility for organisations to adapt to meet their requirements. “Collaboratively, we aim to deliver better, together. Nothing can be achieved in isolation, and key to our continued success on this framework will be to engage and work with a full range of partners throughout the supply chain, including local SMEs that can offer valued, local insight. “We’re excited and open to the opportunities this will bring to appoint our professional services, engaging public bodies through the framework agreement.” Pick Everard has successfully delivered a wide range of projects through the existing NHS SBS framework agreement, including the relocation of congenital heart services for the Leicester Children’s Hospital in 2021 – which had been threatened with closure until campaigning efforts ensured the centre received part of a £450m pot of government funding. The firm also designed and managed a £250m+ schools expansion programme for the London Borough of Hounslow, which delivered more than 1,000 new school places. Alastair Hamilton, partner at Pick Everard, said: “Our strength as a business is being able to create a positive impact for local communities, that scale regionally and nationally. We’ve made huge strides in growing our operation over the past five years, and part of this owes to our framework appointments, which have a real focus on quality, a broad range of service delivery and technical excellence. “We’re hugely proud to be able to continue our journey with NHS SBS and the success the framework agreement delivers – ensuring the best possible outcomes for clients and end-users.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Higgins Partnerships (Higgins) has announced the successful completion of the first phase of 208 mixed tenure housing development at the former iconic Shredded Wheat factory site in Welywn Garden City, Hertfordshire. Higgins has worked in partnership with Metropolitan Thames Valley to provide 52 Shared Ownership properties, 106 for affordable rent and 50 homes exclusively for the over 55s at Wheat Quarter Phase One. The landmark 24 acre historic site was originally built in the 1920s, after being commissioned by Welwyn Garden City planner Ebenezer Howard to attract Shredded Wheat manufacturers Nabisco to the town and has been an iconic part of the area ever since. The factory finally closed its doors in 2008 after 73 years of use before Welywn and Hatfield Borough Council granted planning consent for the complete transformation and regeneration of the site in February 2019. Steve Leakey, Managing Director of Higgins Partnerships commented: “We are extremely proud to have worked in partnership with Metropolitan Thames Valley on the first phase of what is an iconic site for the local community. What Quarter Phase One has provided a range of affordable homes to meet local needs, including a number of retirement properties, and marks the start of this exciting new residential community. “Throughout our time here, we have also ensured that we have created training and employment opportunities for those living in the local area, through our work with Joe Brenan Training, Women into Construction and JCP Mentoring Circle. “Working in partnership with Skills Builder we have supported children at Stanborough Secondary School, Watford on the Accelerator Programme to improve essential skills learning and making it a core part of education for every child and young person. We have also provided an insight into apprenticeships through Construction Youth Trust and supported and engaged with local young people to reduce anti-social behaviour as part of the Youth Centre YMCA.” Wheat Quarter Phase One also received a Gold Secured by Design Award Certificate from Hertfordshire Constabulary for working closely with the Crime Prevention team from the outset to ensure innovative planning made the development the safest it can be with crime prevention at the very heart, focusing on Hertfordshire’s Prevention First policing approach. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
More homes are embracing green energy and installing heat pumps and solar panels in the UK than ever before, with a 62% jump compared to last year, new data from the official standards body for renewable technologies, MCS, has revealed. MCS data shows that in the first six months of 2023, more than 120,000 certified solar panels, heat pumps and other renewable technologies were installed in UK homes, the highest number ever by this point in the year. The previous record for renewable installations was more than a decade ago in 2012, when households raced to get solar panels before cuts to the Feed-In Tariff incentive scheme kicked in. June saw 27,791 certified installations recorded on homes and businesses across the UK, bringing the total for the first half of the year to 122,155. 2023 saw more installations in the month of June and in the first half of the year than any previous year. 2023 is the first year to average more than 20,000 solar panel installations per month, and the first to see more than 3,000 heat pumps installed per month. Analysts say that with this sustained growth, nearly a quarter of a million households could install renewable energy by the end of this year. Over 80% of the installations so far in 2023 have been electricity-generating technologies, driven mainly by the continued growth in solar PV installations. By the end of June, there were 102,797 certified installations of solar PV alone as more households turn to home-grown energy during the cost-of-living crisis. The first half of 2023 saw 82% more installations than the first half of 2022. Small-scale renewable energy installations on homes and businesses across the UK now have a total installed capacity of 4GW. The energy demand for the entire country averaged 29.4GW a day in the last year, meaning that the solar panels and wind turbines on peoples’ homes, at peak conditions, could power over 13% of the UK at current. The growth in solar has been mirrored by battery storage installation growth since MCS introduced the battery storage installation standard at the end of 2021. Each month of 2023 has been a record month for battery technologies, with installation figures surpassing the month before, totalling over 1,000 batteries going into homes and businesses across the UK in 2023 so far. There has been similar success in the growth of low-carbon heating, with average heat pump installations being over 3,000 per month for the first time in 2023. There were 17,920 heat pump installations in the first six months of 2023, a figure only rivalled by a rush to install heat pumps before the end of the Renewable Heat Incentive subsidy scheme in March 2022. Heat pump installations in England and Wales have been eligible for £5,000 – £6,000 Government grants since May last year under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. These grants are starting to take effect as heat pump sales are steadily growing. In Scotland, consumers can claim a grant of £7,500-£9,000 towards a heat pump installation plus an additional optional loan of £7,500. The UK Government has set clear targets to reach 70GW of solar capacity by 2035 and to install 600,000 heat pumps a year by 2028. The growth in renewable technology across the UK in the last few years is promising, but there is still much further to go. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
UBS Asset Management and Reef Group have received approval to develop a life science campus in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, one of the largest in Europe. The decision from Stevenage Borough Council’s planning committee paves the way for the new Life Sciences hub to be delivered alongside GSK’s existing Global R&D facility and the vibrant ecosystem at Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst. The scheme will deliver a world-class, sustainable, and connected life science campus bringing together companies from early-stage through to commercialisation and helping to meet the growing demand for GMP manufacturing and laboratory space in the UK. Construction is expected to start in late 2023. The 15-building campus, which will be named ‘Elevate Quarter’, will be set around a central green with an interconnecting network of paths and open spaces. The buildings for the new campus will comprise a variety of different uses, including R&D labs and offices, GMP manufacturing facilities and flexible lab buildings, as well as training, innovation and collaboration spaces. Employee and visitor amenity spaces will include restaurants, cafes, and leisure facilities. There will be three Green Transport Hubs which will provide multi-storey car parking, bike parking and potential scooter/e-bike hire spaces. Olivia Drew, Portfolio Manager, Real Estate and Private Markets, UBS Asset Management, said: “The delivery of the new life science campus will leverage years of unparalleled experience across both UBS and Reef. The buildings have been carefully designed to be at the cutting edge of sustainability and will facilitate world-leading R&D and advanced manufacturing. The new campus will support thousands of new jobs and boost the UK’s position as a global life sciences leader.” Piers Slater, Joint Chief Executive, Reef Group, said: “The approval of our new life science campus in Stevenage further cements its position as Europe’s leading cluster for advanced therapies. Stevenage is ideally positioned to attract world-class talent and the campus will facilitate further collaboration between major multinationals and biotechs. The campus has been designed to allow these life science businesses to grow and scale-up over time and to create an open and accessible environment for both employees and the wider public.” Image Credit: Hawkins Brown Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Notting Hill Genesis (NHG) has announced the appointment of energy and regeneration specialist, Equans, to undertake an upgrade and investment programme at the Paragon estate in Brentford. It means work can start on bringing 1,000 homes back into use between 2025 and 2026 and restoring a local community on the estate. Those who previously lived at Paragon were successfully supported to find new homes and move on with their lives, following the difficult decision to ask them all to leave the estate in October 2020; due to Notting Hill Genesis’ concern that the buildings did not meet adequate levels of safety. John Hughes, group director of development and sales and deputy chief executive of NHG said: “The safety of our residents is always our first priority and, as such, we felt moving residents from Paragon was the best course if action and has enabled us to assess the full scope of the proposed works. We know how much of an upheaval this was for everyone, so we established dedicated teams to work with every household to find a permanent solution. “The subsequent thorough investigations give us a great deal of confidence that we have a robust plan and we are looking forward to working with Equans and our expert team of surveyors to deliver our remediation and reinvestment plan. We look forward to people once again calling the Paragon estate home and to it being a thriving west London neighbourhood once more.” Equans will carry out remedial works across all six blocks, enhancing fire safety measures, by installing much thicker insulation and a new façade to dramatically improve the comfort and efficiency of the homes. Of the £72m investment, £36m will be spent on works to bring building services and finishes up to a modern standard, including the installation of sprinkler systems, upgraded mechanical, engineering, and public health systems, and completely refitted homes. The work also includes a complete internal refurbishment to all areas, including new lighting, ceilings, furniture, flooring, and landscaping. Dan Germann, regional managing director for Equans added: “Following months of significant, intrusive investigations and comprehensive planning and testing, we are delighted to have been appointed to undertake the remedial and reinvestment works at the Paragon estate development. “Equans is very much looking forward to continuing the proactive and collaborative working relationships which have developed over the past number of months with Notting Hill Genesis and their appointed professional team. We are committed to ensuring that this significant project provides both safe and modern accommodation for all residents at Paragon estate.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
