Two leading firms in London have joined forces to drive forward an £8 billion development at Thamesmead Waterfront. Property group Peabody and construction firm Lendlease have formed a 50:50 joint venture partnership to work on the scheme. The companies will deliver a minimum of 11,500 homes and make a significant
The development of a modern retirement village in the Havering area of London has taken a major leap forward. Demolition has begun on the former Solar, Serena and Sunrise Courts site to make way for the sheltered accommodation. Local supplier Downwell Demolition is delivering the work. When complete, the site
Caddick Construction has completed a new state-of-the-art Mercedes-Benz showroom in Carlisle, which will create over 20 new jobs in the area. The project was delivered for dealer Sytner at Kingmoor Park, replacing a previous facility in Rosehill Industrial Estate. “The showroom looks fantastic in such a notable location. We have
The construction of new apartments in Birmingham is being supported by a funding deal worth £21 million. The new capital has been received by Cedar Invest, who will use the funding to support its project to build 140 new apartments in Digbeth. The five-storey development, named The Forge, consists of a
The final details have been safely negotiated for the construction of the new Badenoch and Strathspey Community Hospital this summer in Highland. Signed off by the Scottish Government, the plans also include an overhaul of healthcare services in the strath. “My visit to Skye and Lochalsh today has been an
Developer Quintain has awarded another construction project on the ongoing build-to-rent development at Wembley Park. John Sisk & Son has been appointed to deliver its tenth scheme, which will see 458 new homes built over three blocks on plot E05. “Sisk and Quintain have a great partnership at Wembley Park.
IMPORTANT plans for the future supply of homes in Edinburgh have been given the go-ahead by Councillors at a hearing on the 22 MAY 2019. The 655-home development at Cammo Estate is a consortium project by CALA Homes and David Wilson Homes and includes 164 much-needed affordable homes. The development
Winchester’s first primary academy school is due to be delivered by contractor Willmott Dixon, which was awarded the £8.35 million contract by Hampshire County Council. The new Barton Farm Academy is a single storey two-form entry school that features a main hall, holistic music and drama studio, ‘discovery point’ library,
Leading UK construction company Willmott Dixon has strengthened its presence in Sussex with a new office. The firm held an event to celebrate the opening of the Gatwick office, welcoming leaders and representatives from both Crawley and Surrey County Council. The new base expands the company’s presence as it looks
Schoolchildren in Cheshire are enjoying a renewed sense of health and wellbeing, following a ground-breaking project at Alsager School. The £320k development has provided students with space to enjoy the fresh air – whatever the weather. Tasked with overseeing the design, build and installation of a sleek new ETFE canopy
Two leading firms in London have joined forces to drive forward an £8 billion development at Thamesmead Waterfront. Property group Peabody and construction firm Lendlease have formed a 50:50 joint venture partnership to work on the scheme. The companies will deliver a minimum of 11,500 homes and make a significant contribution to the continuing economic regeneration of east London and the Thames Estuary. They will work with the community to revitalise the existing Thamesmead town centre, creating new cultural, community and commercial space, along with many new homes. The site, which currently includes 2.5km of river frontage as well as green space and two lakes, will see its full ambition unlocked by the two firms with a new cross-river extension of the Docklands Light Railway to Thamesmead. Peabody Chief Executive Brendan Sarsfield said: “Thamesmead Waterfront represents an historic opportunity to transform an isolated and underutilised riverside location in London. A new DLR crossing from east London would allow this long-term partnership to create a new waterfront district with thousands of new affordable homes and a new leisure, cultural and commercial offer for the town, for London, and for the wider Thames Estuary. This would unlock huge benefits for existing and new communities, boosting the economy and providing huge opportunities for London and the UK. “The Waterfront, alongside Peabody’s regeneration of the wider area, can help Thameshead become a sustainable new town – offering all of the benefits of urban living with unparalleled access to green open spaces by the Thames.” Neil Martin, CEO at Lendlease, Europe, added: “The breadth of opportunity and economic potential that this scheme offers Thamesmead and London, is enormous. Thousands of new homes and jobs can be created, but key to its successful delivery is improving connections for existing and current residents and businesses. Doing so would open up this area of London to new audiences and improve the opportunities for those already living there. “Improving transport links is a vital part of the long-term regeneration of the area, as it will bring those new homes within reach of the heart of London and help us deliver one of the most exciting new places to live in the capital.”
The development of a modern retirement village in the Havering area of London has taken a major leap forward. Demolition has begun on the former Solar, Serena and Sunrise Courts site to make way for the sheltered accommodation. Local supplier Downwell Demolition is delivering the work. When complete, the site will become home to 172 new high quality apartments designed for local people who are approaching, or who have reached, retirement age. The building will feature communal facilities, which could include a residents’ lounge, treatment studio for health and wellness, and flexible village hall, which could be open to the wider community to use. There will also be flexible storage space for either bicycles or mobility scooters. Proposed designs for the site show that a large proportion of the apartments will be designed as Wheelchair Adaptable, which includes a larger floor area than average. Hallways and bathrooms will be particularly large to enable accessibility. The plans extend to the garden area, which will have distinct zones to encourage a range of activities, such as relaxation, lawn games, and a community growing area for accessible gardening. A social area will also enable residents to socialise in a safe, welcome and attractive space. This modern project also forms part of the first phase of Havering Council’s 12 Estates joint venture project with national developer Wates Residential. The £1bn programme is set to deliver around 5,000 high quality homes over the next 12 to 15 years, doubling the amount of council rented accommodation and more than doubling the number of affordable homes. Phase one of the 12 Estates project began in July with the demolition of Napier and New Plymouth House in Rainham. In addition to the retirement village, phase one will continue with the Waterloo Estate in Romford in the coming months. “It is great that we have been able to celebrate demolition starting on the second site of our joint venture with Havering Council. The Solar, Serena and Sunrise Court site will deliver new high quality apartments, meeting the needs and aspirations of local people around retirement age,” said Kate Ives, Development Director for Wates Residential. “We are looking forward to continuing our work with Havering Council over the coming months as work progresses across the wider programme, which will deliver thousands of new homes as well as new skills and training opportunities for residents in Havering and the wider area.”
Caddick Construction has completed a new state-of-the-art Mercedes-Benz showroom in Carlisle, which will create over 20 new jobs in the area. The project was delivered for dealer Sytner at Kingmoor Park, replacing a previous facility in Rosehill Industrial Estate. “The showroom looks fantastic in such a notable location. We have worked closely with Sytner to ensure the highest quality environment, using our wealth of expertise in delivering automotive developments across the north of England,” commented Derek Billows, Contracts Manager at Caddick Construction. Providing a stage for the high quality vehicles, the £6.5 million flagship showroom includes customer amenities such as a coffee lounge and merchandise shop, as well as a drive-through facility, cosmetic repair, MOT studio and wet/dry valet with extensive car parking. “The new site is a world apart from our previous home which we had completely outgrown and is bigger and better in absolutely every respect. Caddick have helped us build a real show-stopping environment which is now much more befitting of the brand we represent. It includes an 18-bay workshop which will be better able to meet the demands of our customers when it comes to servicing and MOTs. Outside our approved used car display will rise from 40 to 90 cars to offer more choice than ever before and on-site parking has increased enormously which I know will delight our customers,” said Barry Crooks, Head of Business at Mercedes-Benz of Carlisle. Caddick has recently delivered showrooms for The Car People, in Warrington, Jaguar Land Rover in Kendal and Vertu Motors’ Farnell Jaguar Land Rover in Leeds. The automotive team is currently on site constructing the £41 million Jaguar Landrover, Mini and BMW showrooms at the Trafford City Development, as well as JCT Porsche in Newcastle.
The construction of new apartments in Birmingham is being supported by a funding deal worth £21 million. The new capital has been received by Cedar Invest, who will use the funding to support its project to build 140 new apartments in Digbeth. The five-storey development, named The Forge, consists of a mix of one- and two-bedroom apartments and a 42-space car park and is set for completion by the end of 2020. Providing new homes for more than 226 residents, Cedar Invest said it had already sold 107 of the 140 homes at the site in Bradford Street. “The Forge Digbeth is set to be a transformative development in the city, regenerating a currently underutilised piece of land to provide a range of luxury new homes. By securing backing from Frontier Development Capital and Coutts, we have been able to get spades into the ground – a significant milestone for Cedar but also Birmingham as we contribute to its ongoing growth,” said John Whateley, director at Cedar Invest. The new investment comprises a £17.5 million loan from Coutts and £3.5 million from Frontier Development Capital, with Cedar Invest investing £6 million. The funding has allowed construction to commence at the previously disused ‘Park Works’ brownfield site, supporting more than 300 jobs in the construction phase. “This investment in Cedar Invest will be crucial in allowing the developer to deliver this flagship development, a strong platform from which it can bring forward more schemes across the Midlands and wider UK. The volume and quality of residential development in Birmingham is on the rise, driven by developers like Cedar Invest. We look forward to working with the team as this scheme takes shape and delivers much-needed homes in the city,” added Nick Oakley, head of property investments at Frontier Development Capital. Working alongside Cedar Invest on the regeneraion project are GJL Property Developers and BJD.
The final details have been safely negotiated for the construction of the new Badenoch and Strathspey Community Hospital this summer in Highland. Signed off by the Scottish Government, the plans also include an overhaul of healthcare services in the strath. “My visit to Skye and Lochalsh today has been an opportunity to find out more about the work underway to deliver the recommendations in Sir Lewis Ritchie’s report on out-of-hours services,” said Health Secretary Jeane Freeman. “Reading the latest report and hearing from members of the community, the clinicians and other partners has reassured me that NHS Highland are moving in the right direction. I have been particularly impressed with the level of commitment and drive shown by the community and their representatives working with NHS Highland and their partners to develop solutions together.” The plans are part of a joint £48 million full business case submitted to Scottish Ministers to modernise community and hospital services for two NHS Highland localities – the other area being Skye, Lochalsh and South West Ross. The Government’s Capital Investment Group has now approved the full business case submission; which means construction of the two community hospitals will begin this summer. “This investment represents a major step forward for NHS services in both Skye and Badenoch and Strathspey. It supports our efforts to modernise and transform the delivery of healthcare and, in terms of our promise to improve out-of-hours care on Skye, it is very much in line with the recommendations of the Ritchie Report,” said NHS Highland’s chief executive Iain Stewart. “We are delighted to be able to turn this vision into reality and I would like to recognise the huge contribution made by local communities, staff and partner agencies in reaching this stage. The redesigned services will be more stable, more sustainable and will deliver a better experience for our patients and wider communities,” he added. £4.6 million will be used to refurbish and retain existing facilities in Grantown, Kingussie, Broadford and Portree. However, both Ian Charles Hospital in Grantown and Kingussie’s St Vincent’s Hospital will close when the new Aviemore hospital opens its doors.
Developer Quintain has awarded another construction project on the ongoing build-to-rent development at Wembley Park. John Sisk & Son has been appointed to deliver its tenth scheme, which will see 458 new homes built over three blocks on plot E05. “Sisk and Quintain have a great partnership at Wembley Park. As a business we are focused on building strong relationships with our partners. We are delighted to have agreed the contract for E05 while continuing our work to deliver the ‘Eastern Quarter’ as part of this iconic regeneration scheme,” said Stephen Bowcott, CEO of John Sisk & Son. The contract will see the largest number of ‘family units’ being delivered on a single development plot at Wembley Park to date, with a total of 115 three- and four-bed homes. With 25% of homes provided as family dwellings, the new apartments have been designed to ensure the project continues to develop as a vibrant, balanced and sustainable neighbourhood. The building reflects the growing demand for larger homes, as an increasing number of families are choosing to rent in a high-quality development rather than buy. The apartments and shared social spaces are designed to be as flexible as possible to allow multiple uses – living, working, playing, entertaining. Sisk has been working with Quintain to transform Wembley Park for 14 years. Amongst other projects, they are delivering Canada Gardens which was the largest construction contract ever awarded. During their tenure, Sisk has successfully delivered Emerald Gardens, London Designer Outlet, the Hilton London Wembley Hotel and the reconfiguration and refurbishment of the Grade 2 listed Wembley Arena now The SSE Arena, Wembley. “Our relentless focus on quality and safety means we can deliver projects of this scale, working closely with our supply chain partners. We have been part of the Quintain story at Wembley Park for over 14 years now and we feel part of the community that has been created. We are proud of the social value we have helped deliver in the area through engagement with local schools, community groups and charities, as well as the great homes and amenities we are delivering for the people who live at Wembley Park,” added Stephen.
IMPORTANT plans for the future supply of homes in Edinburgh have been given the go-ahead by Councillors at a hearing on the 22 MAY 2019. The 655-home development at Cammo Estate is a consortium project by CALA Homes and David Wilson Homes and includes 164 much-needed affordable homes. The development will provide a unique mix of 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments, terraced homes, colonies as well as detached family homes. A spokesperson on behalf of the consortium, said: “We must thank the local community first and foremost for engaging with us throughout, helping us to shape the final proposals which have evolved over the past two years. “We fully understand how important the junctions at Maybury and Barnton are and traffic was a key concern for many people at the outset. “We feel the improvements made through Planning Gain contributions will benefit the wider community and those commuting in or out the city. “Following yesterday’s decision our focus now turns to assisting the City of Edinburgh Council to ensure a timely delivery of these improvements” A key component of the site is the extent of publicly accessible green space – which totals over a third of the entire development and includes linear parks, a seven-hectare park, and over 700 new specimen trees. In addition, a half kilometre 20-metre wide green corridor at Maybury Avenue will feature a much-needed cycle and footpath detached from Maybury Road. Further improvements to the walking and cycling network will be made from Planning Gain contributions the developments will make. In line with the Local Development Plan these routes will connect to the land at West Craigs, and as part of that development connect onwards to the Gyle and Edinburgh Park. The spokesperson added: “At the heart of the design solution has been the delivery of an outstanding landscape environment along with significant investment to improve public transport, education and health care and the delivery of an excellent pedestrian and cycle network. “Within the development site we will deliver new bus infrastructure in addition to making contributions to public transport connections to the site. “In addition, there is an exceptionally wide range of homes that will help to ease the supply shortfall that features throughout the market.” As part of the 655 homes, 25% of the development units will be of affordable tenure delivered with our Registered Social Landlord partner; comprising a wide range of 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments and terraced homes. The affordable housing will commence as part of the initial phase of development.
Winchester’s first primary academy school is due to be delivered by contractor Willmott Dixon, which was awarded the £8.35 million contract by Hampshire County Council. The new Barton Farm Academy is a single storey two-form entry school that features a main hall, holistic music and drama studio, ‘discovery point’ library, staff room and workspace, administration offices and parent waiting rooms. As a response to the 2,000 new homes that are being built on the Barton Farm site, the Council has decided appoint a contractor and build further school places too. The school will target a BREEAM Excellent energy efficiency rating to provide a sustainable learning environment when it opens in September 2020. “The University is an outstanding provider of teacher education and has a strong track record of raising aspiration among young people. Pupils at the school will benefit from our values-driven ethos, extensive regional school partnerships, our evidence-based learning and teaching, our powerful links with local business and community organisations, and our passionate commitment to social justice and sustainability. The innovative Academy buildings, including state-of-the-art indoor and outdoor learning environments, will also meet our very high standards for sustainability,” said Professor Joy Carter CBE, DL, Vice-Chancellor of the University and Chair of the University of Winchester Academy Trust, which will run the school. This project win adds to Willmott Dixon’s recent contract to build the new Winchester Sport and Leisure Park to replace the River Park Leisure Centre. “Willmott Dixon is delighted to be involved in this project. The new school will provide much-needed inspirational learning spaces. We are always delighted to play a part in supporting the learning of the next generation. As will all our projects we aim to leave a positive legacy in the local community and are targeting 140 apprenticeship weeks on the project,” added Richard Poulter, managing director of Willmott Dixon in the Central South. Barton Farm Academy has been designed by Hampshire County Council’s in-house team of architects and landscape designers and meets the highest standards for environmental sustainability and will provide inspiring and creative learning spaces for children to flourish. The new school forms part of the County Council investment in new school places across Hampshire.
Leading UK construction company Willmott Dixon has strengthened its presence in Sussex with a new office. The firm held an event to celebrate the opening of the Gatwick office, welcoming leaders and representatives from both Crawley and Surrey County Council. The new base expands the company’s presence as it looks to deliver more projects that play a key role in the county’s future. The opening comes shortly after the successful completion of L3 Technologies’ new flight simulator production and training facility on Gatwick Road in Crawley. It was designed to promote an agile, collaborative, project-led working approach, and will accommodate both pre-construction and operations staff, with partners and customers also encouraged to utilise the space. “Willmott Dixon has been well established in the county since 1930 when we built Bailiffscourt at Climping near Littlehampton for Lord Moyne. Since then we’ve grown across Sussex and opening our new Gatwick hub, close to where many of our people live, is a natural evolution,” explained Russell Miller, Willmott Dixon Director for Delivery in Sussex. “Gatwick is a thriving area and has, along with Sussex, a really bright future with many bold and imaginative initiatives to encourage growth and investment. We want to be part of shaping that by basing ourselves in an area close to our partners and customers,” Russell added. The event also saw Chestnut Tree House – the children’s hospice for Sussex –presented with a cheque for £7,104.12 which was raised by the team at Willmott Dixon following a sponsored skydive.
Schoolchildren in Cheshire are enjoying a renewed sense of health and wellbeing, following a ground-breaking project at Alsager School. The £320k development has provided students with space to enjoy the fresh air – whatever the weather. Tasked with overseeing the design, build and installation of a sleek new ETFE canopy to enclose what was previously an open courtyard, Access North Build has made waves within the education sector with its industry-first solution. Yorkshire-headquartered Access North Build designed, developed and installed a pioneering solution, a lightweight steel space frame – the first of its kind supporting an ETFE membrane in the UK – erected to span the quad, thus enclosing the area beneath. Alsager School site manager, Matt Harris, explained: “Fresh air plays a pivotal part in the wellbeing and health of people of all ages. Creating a space which allows students to ‘go outside’ while providing protection from the elements – including rain and solar shielding – is key to supporting their development.” Engineered to carry more weight over a greater area – in order to provide plenty of natural light and promote student wellbeing – the greatest challenge was the location and layout of the outdoor space, which was enclosed by existing buildings on all sides. As a result, the superstructure – which is over 400 square feet in size – had to be assembled in the school car park before being carefully manoeuvred over the establishment and precisely into position on the pre-installed locating bolts. Access North Group managing director, Berenice Northcott added: “This type of ETFE enclosure provides an extremely beneficial space for organisations within the education sector where student wellbeing is crucial. Additionally, the new ETFE canopy has a design life of 70 years providing it is regularly maintained, but if the time comes when it is no longer required, the ETFE membrane and steel space frame are recyclable, extending the environmental-friendliness of the build with the circular economy in mind. “We relished the challenges of this particular project. Craning a huge space frame over a school and courtyard – which was bordered on all sides – without damaging buildings or people, was a testament to the planning, organisation and attention to detail of the team. The new roof has transformed a previously under-utilised area into a light and airy multifunctional space, resulting in a positive impact on staff and pupils.”
