National housebuilder Keepmoat has completed a Santa signposting initiative to ensure that families who have moved home since last Christmas will receive presents at their new address. The national homebuilder, founded in Doncaster, has created a list and, after checking it twice, has updated the Santa Sat Nav database with
Plans to create an affordable housing community in Cheddar are officially underway, following a confirmed partnership between Keepmoat Homes and Alliance Homes. Looking to bring much-needed homes into the area, partnership housebuilder Keepmoat, along with community based social housing provider, Alliance Homes, will transform the 5.8-acre site into a high-quality
To align with the plans for regional growth Keepmoat has set for the company, Matt, who was previously Land and Planning Director at Persimmon Homes, Linden Homes and Redrow Homes, has been appointed to support the existing land teams in the housebuilder’s East Midlands and Yorkshire East regions. Based in
Pave Aways, a successful privately owned construction business with a dedicated team of construction professionals, has announced it is to start construction work on a new Staffordshire History Centre in January. The £5.4 million centre will be formed by extending the existing Staffordshire Record Office on Eastgate Street in Stafford
Building and civil engineering firm McLaughlin & Harvey has been chosen as the preferred construction partner for City of Wolverhampton Council’s City Learning Quarter. The company will be developing the detailed designs while carry out some minor preparatory works ahead of construction starting in spring. Developed by the Council in
Multi-award-winning engineering consultancy Will Rudd Davidson is nearing completion at Topgolf, a high-tech golfing experience, which is due to open its first complex in Glasgow. The company has been carrying out core civil and structural service, with the entertainment venue opening to the public imminently. Located on Duchess Place, just
Jessup Partnerships, one of the region’s leading partnerships developers, has announced the opening of its Beech show home at a new development in Lightmoor Village, Telford. A great choice for families, the Beech style home is designed with an open plan kitchen/dining area taking the best of modern living and
BDC Phase 2 Limited, a joint venture between Mace and Doric Properties, has agreed the forward funding and sale of Phase Two of the West Way Square regeneration development in Oxford to Grainger plc. Grainger has agreed to forward fund and acquire the 150-home build-to-rent scheme in Botley, Oxford. “We
Developer Glenbrook has submitted plans for the residential and public realm elements of Lumina Village, a £250 million mixed-use scheme in Trafford, Greater Manchester. Working in partnership with Bruntwood and Trafford Council, the proposals, designed by Sheppard Robson and landscape architect Re-form, include the development of six blocks of apartments,
Caddick Construction has announced that it has reached the end of its work on the £8.2 million Tawd Valley Centre retail outlet in Skelmersdale, West Lancashire. Part of the wider regeneration plans for the town centre, the outlet plays an important role in the revival of the local community. “Caddick
National housebuilder Keepmoat has completed a Santa signposting initiative to ensure that families who have moved home since last Christmas will receive presents at their new address. The national homebuilder, founded in Doncaster, has created a list and, after checking it twice, has updated the Santa Sat Nav database with details of families at 91 of its developments across the UK that have seen new homeowners move in since last Christmas. To ensure that Santa doesn’t deliver presents to the wrong home this year, as well as the digital data upload, Keepmoat is doubling down on directions by installing Santa signposts for homes with the latest occupiers. And – as most modern homes are built without real fires – the company, which employs more than 1,100 people across the UK, has also created a downloadable fireplace that families can print out and colour in. “We know that families who have moved into one of our homes since last Christmas are keen to ensure their new house is on Santa’s delivery schedule. Whilst we’re confident Santa knows what he’s doing, to absolutely ensure there’s no mix-ups we’ve designed a digital map showing the location of every Keepmoat development in the UK that has had a new occupant since last Christmas,” said Amanda Bishop, Group Head of Sales at Keepmoat. “And, as well as updating the details of 91 of our developments on the master Santa Sat Nav database, we have installed ‘Santa this home is now occupied’ signs in the front garden of our newest homeowners. Finally, to make sure we’ve got Christmas fully covered, we have created a downloadable fireplace for families to print out, decorate for Christmas and use in their home in time for the big day,” she added. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Plans to create an affordable housing community in Cheddar are officially underway, following a confirmed partnership between Keepmoat Homes and Alliance Homes. Looking to bring much-needed homes into the area, partnership housebuilder Keepmoat, along with community based social housing provider, Alliance Homes, will transform the 5.8-acre site into a high-quality sustainable housing community. “We’re incredibly pleased to be working with Alliance Homes to help bring affordable housing to the village of Cheddar, which offers excellent transport links and open green spaces. In keeping with our positive environmental practices, the Steart Farm community will be created with sustainability in mind and will be a gas-free development which uses air source heat pumps throughout. Over the coming months we look forward to working with the local community and welcoming new residents to the area,” commented Charlotte Goode, Divisional Chairman at Keepmoat. Bringing affordable housing to the Somerset area, Steart Farm will offer 29 homes under shared ownership, and 29 as affordable rent. Well positioned to local transport links, the development lies 10 miles south-east of J21 off the M5 motorway and 11 miles south of Bristol Airport via the A371 and A38, and the new community will feature a local play area, wildlife zone and public open space. “We’re really pleased to be involved with Keepmoat on this development in Cheddar. Not only will these 58 homes be a big step on our way to developing 2,000 homes over 10 years, but the environmental credentials of the homes meet our plans to be a green and ethical business. This site will be 100% affordable and that has been made possible thanks to a grant from Homes England,” said Iain Lock, Director of Investment at Alliance Homes. The Reserved Matters planning application was approved in September 2022, and first completions are expected mid-2024. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
To align with the plans for regional growth Keepmoat has set for the company, Matt, who was previously Land and Planning Director at Persimmon Homes, Linden Homes and Redrow Homes, has been appointed to support the existing land teams in the housebuilder’s East Midlands and Yorkshire East regions. Based in Lincoln, Matt will be looking to fill gaps within the business’ development portfolio as the new Land and Partnerships Director, and secure land opportunities to ensure Keepmoat reaches its targets and fulfils its growth plans. His main focus will be to expand Keepmoat’s operations into the Lincolnshire area, covering towns such as Scunthorpe, Grimsby, Stamford, Grantham, and others, with a view to delivering much needed, energy-efficient homes that are fit for the future. “The East of the country, most specifically Lincolnshire and the East Riding, are areas of great potential for housebuilding, with some booming industries adding to the appeal, such as large-scale agriculture, engineering, and manufacturing. The region is also fantastically placed with towns such as York, Grantham, Newark and Retford having convenient rail and motorway connections, and there are some exciting developments proposed in North and North East Lincolnshire, which is also driving housing growth in the area,” said Marc when asked about his ambitions for the region. “I am keen to continue Keepmoat’s previous success of providing regenerated sites and thriving communities through our relationships with landowners, local authorities, land agents, and partners such as Homes England. Key to my role will be identifying and securing opportunities in the eastern corridor to push Keepmoat’s operational boundaries into Lincolnshire and strengthen its presence in East Yorkshire,” he added. Keepmoat is one of the UK’s leading partnership homebuilders and a leading brownfield builder. To align with the housebuilder’s aims, Matt will be leading on the negotiation and application for new land to regenerate into new communities. Together with local authorities and housing associations, he will continue to work towards the delivery of affordable, high-quality housing, as well as homes available for first-time buyers. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Pave Aways, a successful privately owned construction business with a dedicated team of construction professionals, has announced it is to start construction work on a new Staffordshire History Centre in January. The £5.4 million centre will be formed by extending the existing Staffordshire Record Office on Eastgate Street in Stafford to incorporate the William Salt Library. A modern glazed entrance will link both buildings, creating exhibition space to showcase museum, archive and library collections with additional strong rooms installed to build space for a further 55 years of collections. “We are very pleased to be working with the council to deliver this flagship building that will play an important role in the preservation and development of Staffordshire’s history. Having previously built a records and archives centre in Mid Wales, we are well placed to meet the stringent conditions that are required to house these historic collections. We can’t wait to get started,” said Managing Director of Pave Aways Steven Owen. The total cost of the project, which includes a four-year programme of activities, is £8,780,239. The project has been made possible thanks to a grant of £4,858,699 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Additional match funding of £3,921,540 was raised by the partnership, including Staffordshire County Council funding, grants, donations from local organisations and friends and in-kind contributions from volunteers. “We’re justifiably proud of our history and wonderful collections and we want to be able to share them and be able to protect them for future generations to enjoy. We’re all incredibly excited about the project and it’s great to have the start confirmed for the new year. Not only will the project give us a brand-new heritage attraction for the county but it will bring together three amazing collections from the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Archive Service, the County Museum and the William Salt Library,” added Victoria Wilson, Cabinet Member for Communities and Culture at Staffordshire County Council. “In addition to the new centre, a dedicated programme of touring exhibitions will also help take the Staffordshire story out into local communities, helping to get more people interested in our fascinating history. We are grateful to National Lottery Players for making this funding possible,” she concluded. Image: PRS Architects Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Building and civil engineering firm McLaughlin & Harvey has been chosen as the preferred construction partner for City of Wolverhampton Council’s City Learning Quarter. The company will be developing the detailed designs while carry out some minor preparatory works ahead of construction starting in spring. Developed by the Council in partnership with City of Wolverhampton College, the City Learning Quarter scheme will deliver a purpose-built learning facility for young people and adults at the heart of the city centre to drive up skills levels. “We are delighted to have been appointed as City of Wolverhampton Council’s construction partner for their City Learning Quarter project. This is our thirteenth project under the Crown Commercial Service CWAS RM6088 Framework, having recently completed Darroch House, Edinburgh and UKAEA Material Research Facility. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with the Council on the design and preparatory works,” said Michael Kieran, McLaughlin & Harvey Construction Director. The City Learning Quarter, set over 10,000 square metres, will be situated around the Old Hall Street and St. George’s Parade area of the city centre, incorporating a site on the corner of Garrick Street and Bilston Street, where the former Faces nightclub building once stood. The state-of-the-art education facility will also see investment in the building and public realm around them. It will encompass City of Wolverhampton College’s Metro One Campus, the council’s Adult Education Service and Central Library, creating an enhanced learning environment for everyone as well as significantly paving the way for City of Wolverhampton College to move from its out-dated Paget Road site, which has been identified as land to build much-needed housing. In addition to the new facilities providing educational benefits for the city, the City Learning Quarter will generate and safeguard 750 jobs in the local economy. Initially supported by a £6.2 million investment from the Council and Black Country LEP, the scheme secured a further £5 million in funding from the Towns Fund, as well as £20 million from the Levelling Up Fund and a further £20 million from the Department for Education. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Multi-award-winning engineering consultancy Will Rudd Davidson is nearing completion at Topgolf, a high-tech golfing experience, which is due to open its first complex in Glasgow. The company has been carrying out core civil and structural service, with the entertainment venue opening to the public imminently. Located on Duchess Place, just off the M74, the multi-level complex spans 45,000 sq ft and is seen as an integral part of the ongoing regeneration in the city’s east end. “It’s great to see this magnificent project now ready to open. I am incredibly proud of the team for all of their hard work in delivering what will likely be a popular leisure destination for people from all across Scotland and further afar,” said MJ O’Shaughnessy, Managing Director, Will Rudd Glasgow and Ireland. “Given the site’s complexities, it was really important that we worked closely with all of the design team and contractors to deliver what was required, especially in relation to the complex drainage network. For us, it was a great opportunity to showcase the broad range of skills Will Rudd has to offer and it is excellent to see it reach completion,” MJ added. The firm’s Glasgow division were able to utilise many of its in house specialisms at Topgolf, including their façade engineering and contractor design experience to deliver the project that includes a complex series of multiple façade types, ornate stairs design and curtain walling along with an intricate underground drainage network. Established in 1982, Will Rudd Davidson is a multi-award-winning engineering consultancy providing civil, structural and conservation engineering in the UK and Ireland. Operating from two practices in Glasgow and Edinburgh, the expert team delivers engineering and design services, working collaboratively with clients to deliver creative and innovative solutions across a range of sectors including conservation, energy and renewables, transportation and infrastructure, healthcare, and education, and residential and hospitality including large masterplanning developments. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Jessup Partnerships, one of the region’s leading partnerships developers, has announced the opening of its Beech show home at a new development in Lightmoor Village, Telford. A great choice for families, the Beech style home is designed with an open plan kitchen/dining area taking the best of modern living and pairing it with a traditional exterior. Downstairs, the three-bedroom home offers a large living area with French doors opening to the rear fenced and turfed garden, as well as a handy downstairs cloakroom. Meanwhile, off the landing on the first floor are three bedrooms and a family bathroom, with an ensuite to the main bedroom. The development, located on Wellington Road, features a mix of two, three, and four-bedroom homes which are perfect for families and young professionals. Each is built with ecological and environmental living in mind and to a generous specification. “The Beech is the perfect home for first-time buyers looking to set up a home as well as families which are expanding and looking for more space. All our homes within The Woodlands development are designed to be as sustainable as possible resulting in low running costs for all of our buyers. We encourage anyone looking to purchase a home to come along to the show home to avoid disappointment,” said Chris Timmins, Managing Director at Jessup. Located in the friendly village of Lightmoor, The Woodlands is a short drive away from the village centre which has a number of shops, a community hub, a flourishing school, and three popular parks which are perfect for any canine companions. The Woodlands is also close to open countryside and has great transport links on its doorstep. Nearby is 20 hectares of Lightmoor Nature Reserve, plus Birmingham, Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton are easily accessible via junction five of the M54. Lightmoor Village is a joint venture between Bournville Village Trust and Homes England, modelled on the principles of a Garden Village. Established for 34 years, Jessup is already a trusted partner to local authorities and registered providers of social housing. Its 92-strong team provides a full development management service from land acquisition and planning consent, through to the construction of high-quality homes across the wider Midlands. Jessup also benefits from preferred partner status with Homes England. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
BDC Phase 2 Limited, a joint venture between Mace and Doric Properties, has agreed the forward funding and sale of Phase Two of the West Way Square regeneration development in Oxford to Grainger plc. Grainger has agreed to forward fund and acquire the 150-home build-to-rent scheme in Botley, Oxford. “We are delighted to secure our first scheme in Oxford, a key target city with robust underlying fundamentals and a great need for high quality rental homes. The convenient location and connectivity of West Way Square makes it attractive for those working in the city centre or at the many local business and science parks,” said Helen Gordon, Chief Executive Officer, Grainger. West Way Square is a mixed-use development located 10 minutes from Oxford city centre. Oxford Parkway and Oxford’s mainline station are nearby with five of Oxford’s leading science parks located within 15 minutes of the development. The joint venture has already created 264 purpose-built student accommodation studios and apartments, 20 build to rent apartments, almost 40,000 square feet of retail and commercial space, a new hotel and office and community spaces, including a local library as well as car and cycle parking amenities and a new public piazza in Phase One. Phase Two, which is the final phase of the development, includes the 150 high quality build to rent homes as well as c.3,244 sq. ft. of internal residents’ amenity space and an outdoor amenity provision comprising a c.7,662 sq. ft. podium garden and a c.2,263 sq. ft. roof terrace. The scheme also includes seven ground-floor commercial units, totalling c.10,058 sq. ft., and 120 parking permits. “This is a great deal, which underlines the strength of our partnership working approach to urban regeneration in creating a new, high quality, mixed-use development. Phase One saw us work with the local community, the council and our partners Doric Properties to deliver a vibrant new destination and attract residents and businesses into the area. With this funding in place for Phase Two, we can realise the overall vision for the development to leave a positive and lasting legacy for this thriving part of Oxford and for Grainger,” added Kirsten White, Finance Director for Develop, Mace Group. Gilbert-Ash Limited have been appointed as the main contractor for Phase 2 and Mace Develop as development manager. Preparatory work has commenced, and on-site works are expected to start in late November 2022, with practical completion targeted for late 2024. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Developer Glenbrook has submitted plans for the residential and public realm elements of Lumina Village, a £250 million mixed-use scheme in Trafford, Greater Manchester. Working in partnership with Bruntwood and Trafford Council, the proposals, designed by Sheppard Robson and landscape architect Re-form, include the development of six blocks of apartments, ranging from six to 20 storeys and 53 three-storey townhouses at the Talbot Road site. The plans offer a total of 639 new homes, a mix of one, two and three bedroom apartments and three and four bedroom houses. A mixed offer of private rent, private sale, shared ownership and affordable rent will be available, with at least 15% Affordable Housing. “This planning application marks the first stage in the delivery of Trafford’s wider Civic Quarter masterplan. We have worked closely with Bruntwood, Trafford Council and our design team to ensure that the type of homes we are creating will meet the market need now and in the future, as well as delivering a new public realm based on age 8-80 principles that will benefit both the new and existing community. Subject to a positive outcome at committee, we aim to start on site in Q2 2023,” commented Shannon Conway, Residential Director at Glenbrook. As part of the planning application the scheme will include 5.4-acres of public realm, 5,300 sq ft of retail space on the ground floor and 200 parking spaces. Avison Young is the planning consultant. After securing outline planning consent to redevelop the former 12-acre Kellogg’s site in 2020, Bruntwood and Trafford Council appointed Glenbrook in December 2021 to deliver both the residential offer and the public realm at Lumina Village. “Together with Trafford council and Glenbrook, we’re committed to creating high-quality, people-focussed spaces where communities can come together and thrive. The community has been at the heart of the plans to create a vibrant new neighbourhood at Lumina Village, which forms an important part of our wider transformation in Trafford. It’s fantastic to see the project take another step forwards with this latest milestone,” concluded Andrea George, Town Centre and Consumer Brands Director at Bruntwood. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Caddick Construction has announced that it has reached the end of its work on the £8.2 million Tawd Valley Centre retail outlet in Skelmersdale, West Lancashire. Part of the wider regeneration plans for the town centre, the outlet plays an important role in the revival of the local community. “Caddick is delighted to have completed on this important scheme that is already having a transformative effect on Skelmersdale town centre and the local communities. Investment and vision are important if we want to see local town centres revitalised and attract new retailers in with the right location and premises. It’s great to see Tawd Valley Centre is already delivering for Skelmersdale,” said Ian Threadgold, North West Managing Director of Caddick Construction. Trading on the scheme already are major retails brands, such as Lidl, B&M Bargains and Poundstretcher, with the area adjacent to the retail park also enjoying an upgrade to include a new play area in Tawd Valley Park. A new high street has been provided to link West Lancashire College with the rest of the town centre, while improvements are also being made to the public areas outside Skelmersdale Library to make them more attractive spaces for residents to enjoy. “The new town centre development will bring economic and social benefits for the Borough’s communities long into the future and will greatly enhance the Borough’s appeal as a great place to live, work and invest, providing increased opportunities for many. This development is a significant step towards a future where everyone in West Lancashire will be able to take advantage of a positive economic outlook and vastly improved health and wellbeing outcomes. The people of West Lancashire deserve this and I’m delighted we have delivered it,” added Councillor Yvonne Gagen, Leader of West Lancashire Borough Council. The town centre redevelopment scheme is a partnership between the Borough Council and developer St. Modwen and is supported by the Lancashire Local Enterprise Partnership and Growth Deal Funding. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
