Countryside Properties (Bicester) Limited has commenced work on new facilities for St Edburg’s CE Primary School on the Kingsmere development in Bicester. The company is working in partnership with the Oxfordshire County Council and the Oxford Diocesan Board of Education to complete the project by September 2024. The new facilities
A new development by real estate company Dominus, which will help solve the student housing crisis in Manchester, has been given the green light by Manchester City Council’s Planning and Highways Committee. The One Medlock Street scheme will provide more than 1,000 beds for the city’s university students, who would
McLaughlin & Harvey is delighted to announce trainee engineer Christy Dickson has picked up the coveted CECA Scotland’s Most Promising Apprentice 2023 award. Developing the engineering stars of tomorrow is part of the ethos at McLaughlin & Harvey, with the company committed to ensuring 5% of the workforce is made
Bowmer + Kirkland has been selected to develop a 500-home build to rent (BTR) residential scheme in Leeds city centre. The £140 million project at Whitehall Riverside is being delivered by Glenbrook and backed by Legal & General following last month’s announcement of what is Leeds’ largest BTR funding deal
Capital&Centric has submitted plans to Bolton Council for Neighbourhood Bolton, a new concept community. The plans include 160 sustainable homes split across four nearby brownfield plots on the town’s Bradshawgate and Breightmet Street. The community will have 1-4 bed homes with bold designs and high energy performance. They will be
Fusion21 has selected suppliers to its national Refurbishment, Construction, New Build and Modular Buildings Framework. It is worth up to £305 million over a four-year period. A total of 61 specialist firms, 64% being SMEs, have secured a place on the framework which has been developed to support public sector
Housebuilder SevenHomes received the go-ahead from Redditch Borough Council for its plans to develop new homes next to the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch. The former NHS site off Woodrow Drive, which was previously earmarked as surplus land, will be transformed and 92 high quality one bedroom apartments and two, three
Spitfire Homes has been granted planning permission to develop 48 new homes in Wolston, Warwickshire. Spitfire Homes acquired the 5.44 acre site to develop 34 two- to four-bedroom homes, and an additional 14 properties which will be part of the Government’s First Homes scheme. Named Rosedale, the homes will feature
Trafford Council has approved plans to build a care home as part of the first wave of residential developments at Peel L&P’s Trafford Waters. The homes which will have on-site specialist facilities and amenities for people in need of dementia care. Specialist healthcare provider Montpelier Estates successfully applied for planning
Construction and engineering firm John Sisk & Son has been appointed by Sheffield City Council to carry out £25m-worth of city centre landscaping work. Sisk started work last month on a makeover for the Fargate area of Sheffield city centre. More than 2,500 sq of pocket parks will be created
Countryside Properties (Bicester) Limited has commenced work on new facilities for St Edburg’s CE Primary School on the Kingsmere development in Bicester. The company is working in partnership with the Oxfordshire County Council and the Oxford Diocesan Board of Education to complete the project by September 2024. The new facilities will allow St Edburg’s CE Primary School in Bicester to expand from a two-form entry to a three-form entry school operating across two sites within the Kingsmere development. Commenting on the work Councillor Liz Brighouse, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Children, Education and Youth Services, said: “This extra capacity will have huge educational benefits for pupils at St Edburg’s CE Primary School. It is yet another exciting project from the county council, working with communities and partners on our commitment to provide first class education for Oxfordshire’s children and young people.” Martin Leach, Director, Countryside Properties (Bicester) Limited, said: “We are delighted to have reached another key milestone at Kingsmere. The provision of new facilities for St Edburg’s CE Primary School will provide an enhanced educational offering for residents and the local community right on their doorstep.” Speaking about the features of the project Tony Wilson, Director of Education at the Oxford Diocesan Board of Education (ODBE), said: “The new facilities will be served by air source heat pumps utilising the very latest in green energy technology. With our commitment to confronting the climate emergency, ODBE is delighted that this expansion is designed and built with sustainability as a key consideration. ODBE believes that the pupils of St Edburg’s CE Primary School will thrive and flourish in their new learning environment.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A new development by real estate company Dominus, which will help solve the student housing crisis in Manchester, has been given the green light by Manchester City Council’s Planning and Highways Committee. The One Medlock Street scheme will provide more than 1,000 beds for the city’s university students, who would otherwise be forced to live in privately rented houses. The University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University attract around 45,000 and 36,000 students a year respectively, while only 26,830 professionally managed student beds in Manchester remain available. If current demand levels from students continue to grow at a predicted rate of 3.2% each year, then up to 14,772 additional students will be forced into privately-owned accommodation, taking vital supply away from the broader rental market. Manchester City Council’s recently-published PBSA Study identifies Dominus’ One Medlock Street development as one of the key named sites committed to meeting the city’s needs for student beds over the coming years. The development, which includes two new buildings with 13 and 37 storeys respectively, replaces an existing Premier Inn hotel and is expected to support 475 jobs and provide a £198 million productivity boost to the local area during construction. Jay Ahluwalia, Principal Director at Dominus Real Estate, said: “We are pleased to be working in partnership with Whitbread to create a mixed-use scheme that will provide an attractive, sustainable and well-connected hub for work, study and living. Our aim is to provide a huge boost to Manchester’s Southern Gateway, contributing to the continued regeneration of the First Street area. “Our One Medlock Street scheme will bring high-quality and flexible Grade A offices, much-needed student housing at a location supported by the City Council and a better street-level experience for all. “Dominus Real Estate’s portfolio ranges from hotels to residential and office spaces, and we are constantly expanding our £2.4 billion pipeline by working with universities, local councils and other local stakeholders to meet the most pressing demands of those communities. “We are delighted that Manchester City Council have resolved to grant planning permission at Planning Committee. We look forward to starting on-site and delivering this exciting project.” As well as student accommodation, the development – being delivered alongside partners Whitbread – also includes office space with room for 2,200 jobs, a landscaped pocket park and rain garden, and “green streets” connecting the site to the wider First Street Regeneration Area. There will also be a nine-story piece of public art to enhance the site. Once completed, the scheme is expected to contribute £1.6 million in business rates each year. The plans have been designed by award-winning architects Jon Matthews Architects, who have delivered a number of transformative regeneration projects in Manchester including Axis, Oxygen and Brazennose House, and Planit-IE. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
McLaughlin & Harvey is delighted to announce trainee engineer Christy Dickson has picked up the coveted CECA Scotland’s Most Promising Apprentice 2023 award. Developing the engineering stars of tomorrow is part of the ethos at McLaughlin & Harvey, with the company committed to ensuring 5% of the workforce is made up of apprentices, students and graduates on formalised training schemes. Christy Dickson is clearly making his mark in that 5% having joined McLaughlin & Harvey in 2019. Initially gaining experience with the team at the Bushmills Distillery Offsite Maturation Facility site followed by a brief spell with the estimating department, he then joined the Hawick Flood Protection Scheme which has been a focal point of his work since September 2020. Despite balancing working away from home on challenging projects and the impacts of Covid, Christy sailed through his Higher Level Apprenticeship (HLA) Foundation course and moved straight onto the HLA in Civil Engineering. He is currently in his second year and attends university every Thursday during term time. Always willing to help encourage more people into the industry, Christy has frequently put himself forward to take on the additional responsibilities of mentoring and supervising young people or work-returners brought on-site for work experience, site visits or work placements. In 2022, Christy helped guide eight S3 girl pupils from Hawick High School on-site as part of the CECA Scotland endorsed What-IF programme. Upon completion, the S3 girls were keen to explore opportunities in construction, with each offering compliments to and of Christy. Robin Erskine, Senior Contracts Manager at McLaughlin & Harvey, said: “I have had the opportunity to work with Christy at the Hawick FPS for the past two and a half years and I’m very proud of how he has developed into a very competent young engineer. From day one, he has shown a real willingness and eagerness to learn and advance his knowledge in civil engineering. His attitude, dedication and work ethic are exemplary. He works every other weekend on-site in Hawick due to his mid-week college day commitments back in Belfast. He has an excellent relationship with his peers, colleagues, subcontractors and client team, and I am delighted that he has picked up CECA Scotland’s Most Promising Apprentice award – thoroughly deserved.” Commenting on his award win, Christy Dickson said: “I am very honoured to have won this year’s CECA Scotland award for Most Promising Apprentice. I cannot thank Seamus Devlin and the team at McLaughlin & Harvey Ltd enough for all the training, support and opportunities they have given me. As well as my family and friends who have helped guide me throughout these early stages in my career as a Civil Engineer.” Christy received the award at the annual CECA Awards Dinner, held at the Doubletree by Hilton in Glasgow at the end of March. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Bowmer + Kirkland has been selected to develop a 500-home build to rent (BTR) residential scheme in Leeds city centre. The £140 million project at Whitehall Riverside is being delivered by Glenbrook and backed by Legal & General following last month’s announcement of what is Leeds’ largest BTR funding deal and the pair’s first venture together. Over the last decade, Glenbrook has established itself as one of the UK’s most active BTR developers, delivering over 1,500 homes to date. Whitehall Riverside represents the company’s first residential scheme in Leeds with a further 618-home development to come forward at Kirkstall Road later this year. In February 2023, Bowmer + Kirkland announced the practical completion of High Definition, a 280-apartment build for sale scheme at MediaCityUK, which the contractor delivered for Glenbrook on behalf of Latimer, Clarion Housing Group’s development arm. Danny Roberts, development director at Glenbrook, said: “With planning permission secured and the funding agreement with L&G now in place, we’ve immediately moved forward with the delivery of Whitehall Riverside and are working towards a completion date of April 2026. “Given the scheme’s extensive sustainable credentials, it was vital that we had a best-in-class contractor in place with similar values. We have a well-established relationship with Bowmer + Kirkland and this appointment provides certainty to the market that we will be delivering a high-quality product and provide an even broader range of choice for people in the city.” The project team includes Sheppard Robson, Curtins, Abacus, Re-form, Crookes Walker Consulting. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Capital&Centric has submitted plans to Bolton Council for Neighbourhood Bolton, a new concept community. The plans include 160 sustainable homes split across four nearby brownfield plots on the town’s Bradshawgate and Breightmet Street. The community will have 1-4 bed homes with bold designs and high energy performance. They will be set alongside safe streets fit for kids to play out, community amenity spaces where residents can get together, shared green areas and new workspaces for creative small and start-up businesses. Neighbourhood Bolton will kickstart reinvigoration of the key interchange area surrounding Bolton’s bus and train stations. It will be made up of Neighbourhood Trinity Gateway – the site on Bradshawgate – and Neighbourhood Trinity Village – a cluster of sites around Breightmet Street. Richard Spackman, Development Director at Capital&Centric, said: “It was just weeks ago we announced these plans and we’re already on with a planning application. We wanted to get the Neighbourhood concept spot on, with bold, contemporary homes, community amenities and workspaces set to totally change the feel of the area around Bolton’s train and bus stations. For us, this is all about taking the design-led approach you see in some of the exemplary city centre developments and bringing it to life in the suburbs. “A big part of Neighbourhood Bolton is to bring something totally different to what’s already on offer locally. We’ve worked at real pace to bring forward plans that will ultimately help meet Bolton’s growing housing need. “There’s places up and down the country that have these challenging brownfield sites in prime, town centre locations, crying out for a creative approach to regeneration. We’re rising to that challenge here and delivering a neighbourhood with a sense of community, excellent sustainability credentials and a distinct design edge.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Fusion21 has selected suppliers to its national Refurbishment, Construction, New Build and Modular Buildings Framework. It is worth up to £305 million over a four-year period. A total of 61 specialist firms, 64% being SMEs, have secured a place on the framework which has been developed to support public sector organisations, including housing, education, and healthcare providers to deliver construction programmes. The framework offers internal and external refurbishment, construction, new build and modular buildings. Peter Francis, Executive Director of Operations at Fusion21 said: “Having responded to member and supply chain feedback, we have created a commercially efficient framework solution that will support the delivery of regeneration programmes, modernisation and upgrade works as well as the expansion of public sector estates. “Fusion21 members accessing this compliant framework will benefit from support given by our technical procurement experts and an experienced supply chain, measurable efficiency savings, flexible call-off options – including direct award and geographical coverage across the UK down to a regional and local level – and social value delivery aligned to organisational priorities.” Suppliers appointed to Fusion21’s refurbishment, construction, new build and modular buildings framework are: Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Housebuilder SevenHomes received the go-ahead from Redditch Borough Council for its plans to develop new homes next to the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch. The former NHS site off Woodrow Drive, which was previously earmarked as surplus land, will be transformed and 92 high quality one bedroom apartments and two, three and four bedroom homes, will be developed. Wire Croft will also provide around £700,000 in financial contributions towards education, sporting pitch improvements, highways, and public transport, as well as £50,000 towards further town centre enhancements. The SevenHomes development of the 5.85 acre site in Redditch will enable the capital raised to be injected back into the NHS to help fund much needed services. Abdul Ali, Executive Director and head of office for SevenHomes, said: “The existing buildings have remained unoccupied for over a decade, so we are delighted to have received the green light from committee to breathe new life into this currently vacant site. “With its proximity to the hospital and connectivity to the main town centre and Birmingham city centre, the site offers a fantastic location for good quality, modern family homes for local residents. Crucially, the development will not only enhance the local area and support housing demand but will also positively contribute towards improving facilities at Alexandra Hospital through the capital raised.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Spitfire Homes has been granted planning permission to develop 48 new homes in Wolston, Warwickshire. Spitfire Homes acquired the 5.44 acre site to develop 34 two- to four-bedroom homes, and an additional 14 properties which will be part of the Government’s First Homes scheme. Named Rosedale, the homes will feature a varied palette of external materials comprising a mixture of red brick and chalky white render, paired with a combination of red and grey roof tiles. Within each property, layouts will be carefully considered and appointed with a stylish internal specification. Rosedale will feature Spitfire Homes’ signature design-led properties, bringing modern, quality features to suit a variety of lifestyles aimed at first-time buyers, individuals, couples, families and downsizers alike. The 14 properties due to be delivered as part of the First Homes scheme will be available exclusively for first-time buyers at a reduced rate of the market value. The homes will be the first of their kind delivered by Spitfire marking part of an ongoing commitment to enable a range of buyers to get on the property ladder. The energy-efficient new homes will all have heating and hot water supplied courtesy of air-source heat pumps and will feature electric car charging points as standard. This aligns with the priorities of buyers and Spitfire’s commitment to its Sustainable Futures strategy, which outlines a number of sustainability targets to be achieved by the homebuilder by 2030. Ben Leather, Managing Director at Spitfire Homes, said: “Wolston is a desirable village location with a growing requirement for new homes – the commuter links and countryside setting make it the ideal location for these homes to meet this rising demand for high-quality, future-proofed homes designed to suit modern lifestyles. “The homes at Rosedale are a further example of Spitfire’s investment into the Midlands region alongside following recent collections in Royal Leamington Spa, Northampton, and Daventry. “We look forward to working with the Parish to deliver both the new homes and the allotments for the local community, ensuring these properties support our ongoing commitment to providing energy-efficient and sustainable homes.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Trafford Council has approved plans to build a care home as part of the first wave of residential developments at Peel L&P’s Trafford Waters. The homes which will have on-site specialist facilities and amenities for people in need of dementia care. Specialist healthcare provider Montpelier Estates successfully applied for planning permission to build an 85-bed care home at the Trafford Waters site which sits within TraffordCity, near to the Manchester Ship Canal and The Trafford Centre. Montpelier’s scheme will offer tailored dementia care and elderly living with a range of on-site facilities to encourage socialising in a comfortable, safe and supportive space. An on-site bistro café, hair salon, cinema and rooftop garden will all be created as part of the scheme in Trafford Waters. There will also be space for community events, relaxation and exercise for future residents to enjoy. Several parts of the facility will also be open to the wider public to encourage further interaction and community building. The homes will be some of the first 350 to be built at Trafford Waters. Montpelier’s plans are part of the first phase of Trafford Waters where Peel L&P has secured outline planning permission for 3,000 new homes to suit a range of needs, a primary school, hotels, offices and a new 20-acre public park to improve people’s health, wellbeing and access to nature. The project is estimated to create over 5,000 new jobs. Anna Ciesielska, Director of Montpelier Estates said: “We are very pleased with the planning decision to approve our bespoke residential and nursing care scheme at Trafford Waters. We are proud be working in partnership with Peel L&P to deliver this high-quality, much-needed, specialist home for the local community. “We understand that a decision to move to a care home is difficult for residents and their families. That’s why our developments are highly focused on creating spaces where people really want to spend their time and live, where they feel reassured, empowered, cared for, while allowing them to remain independent with good links to the community and local facilities.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Construction and engineering firm John Sisk & Son has been appointed by Sheffield City Council to carry out £25m-worth of city centre landscaping work. Sisk started work last month on a makeover for the Fargate area of Sheffield city centre. More than 2,500 sq of pocket parks will be created that will catch, store, absorb and clear rainwater and run-off from roads and pavements. Parts of the greenery will also be for children’ play areas. The events area next to Leopold Street will be enlarged, with added features such as public water points and bespoke seating. Trade waste bins will be removed from the street and replaced by ‘buried bins’ accessible to delivery vehicles only at specific times via an automated rise and fall bollard system. The streetworks are designed to support Sheffield City Council’s plan to have more flats and offices in the upper floors of Fargate buildings. Known as the ‘Front Door Scheme’, separate front door entrances will be installed to buildings, enabling easier access to previously hidden parts of Fargate. The project is funded by the South Yorkshire Combined Authority through the £50m Transforming Cities Fund. Completion is expected in summer 2024. Sisk’s UK Civils managing director Dominic Hodges said: “Sisk is delighted that we’ve reached this important milestone and that funding has now been secured to construct the scheme. We’ll be working closely with local businesses and residents throughout construction to ensure this work causes minimum disruption.” “We’re pleased to be working with Sheffield County Council on this scheme which will enhance Fargate and help to make the high street more sustainable.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
