Kent-headquartered national building contractor, United Living, has secured more than £25 million worth of housing maintenance and refurbishment contracts across the South East region. The business, which works in partnership with housing providers throughout England and Wales to build new homes and refurbish existing properties, has made a strong start
The ground has been broken on a new £300 million state-of-the-art physics laboratory and shared facilities hub at the University of Cambridge. Bouygues UK was joined by members of the university to celebrate the beginning of construction. “This is a great step in the development of physics research and learning at
SIX NEW classrooms and a 690 m2 sports hall at Henlow Church of England Academy, Bedfordshire have now completed, completely reimagining the 600 pupil school’s teaching facilities and sports opportunities. PCMS Design designed the modern, new extension to the original school site, with Building Services Design (BSD) providing mechanical and
Construction work on a major residential scheme in Digbeth, Birmingham is expected to begin this summer, as plans get green light. SevenCapital’s Connaught Scheme will include 70 spacious new apartments, including a 27-storey landmark tower, circa 42,000 sq ft of commercial space, a community gymnasium and boxing academy. “Connaught Square
A new housing development in Edenbridge is set to throw open its showhome’s doors to home-hunters in the area. The Aldwych showhome at Bellway’s Oakley Park development, off St Johns Way, is being unveiled to the public on Saturday, February 2. This outstanding four-bedroom property will showcase all that’s best
Northamptonshire will see the construction of two residential schemes that will bring around 8,500 homes, as well as schools, leisure and commercial space. After securing a £70 million loan from Homes England under its £4.5 billion Home Building Fund, the schemes will move forward. “I am delighted to hear shovels
The £35m Castle View Windsor urban retirement development has been completed on time and to budget following a two year build and fulfilling a dream by entrepreneur and developer, Robin Hughes, who wanted to create a retirement home ‘good enough for Mum’, 85 year old Betty Hughes. One of the
Optimism in the UK construction sector hit an eight-month high in December 2018, according to the IHS Markit/CIPS UK Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index. This rise in confidence came despite a slowdown in growth caused by Brexit-related uncertainties. The ongoing lack of certainty post-Brexit will likely delay decisions further, but it
The new £98 million Heatherwood Hospital in Ascot has officially received green light and construction work is on its way. The project leader is Kier, aiming to replace the ageing Heatherwood Hospital with a new state of the art facility, located in woodland behind the current site. “We are delighted that
Master developer Nakheel has started constructing the rooftop infinity swimming pool at The Palm Tower, its 52-storey, luxury hotel and residential complex at the heart of Palm Jumeirah in Dubai. Perched 210 metres above ground and covering 775 square metres, the infinity pool – one of the highest in the
Kent-headquartered national building contractor, United Living, has secured more than £25 million worth of housing maintenance and refurbishment contracts across the South East region. The business, which works in partnership with housing providers throughout England and Wales to build new homes and refurbish existing properties, has made a strong start to the year, with a host of client wins for its 152-strong southern refurbishment team. They include: An appointment to a £6m contract with the University of Essex to refurbish a high-rise student accommodation block with external groundworks, in Colchester A £2m remodelling and refurbishment contract for Network Housing at Colebrook Court, a vacant building in Cuffley, Herts, which will create 11 new, modern standard homes in the roofspace An award to undertake kitchen and bathroom replacements to various homes managed by Metropolitan, with an initial value of around £1m Works to support Anchor Housing with various improvements to sheltered housing schemes across London and the home counties Installation of new class A2 aluminium cladding and insulation across an occupied block in Croydon on behalf of Firstport LLP The first stage award for design development and planning for replacement cladding across two properties managed by Lewisham Homes Fire protection improvements and installation of new sprinkler systems to three buildings managed and owned by Canterbury City Council, in Whitstable and Herne Bay Further works to upgrade kitchens and bathrooms across homes managed by Stevenage Council Daren Moseley, managing director for refurbishment (south) at United Living, said: “Housing providers and local authorities continue to face the challenges of a broken housing market with very stretched resources. We have the expertise to help them ensure their existing stock has longevity and surpasses regulatory standards. But more importantly, we’re trusted as a partner because of the added value we strive to bring to our projects; whether that’s through our training and skills programmes, or how we support the communities in which we work.”
The ground has been broken on a new £300 million state-of-the-art physics laboratory and shared facilities hub at the University of Cambridge. Bouygues UK was joined by members of the university to celebrate the beginning of construction. “This is a great step in the development of physics research and learning at the University of Cambridge. We look forward to moving in to our new facilities and opening our doors to the wider research community and the public to increase understanding and foster discovery,” commented Professor Andy Parker, Head of Department of Physics at the University of Cambridge. The development will provide a purpose-built centre for world-leading physics research, bringing together all of the Cavendish Laboratory’s research groups under one roof. Located at the West Cambridge campus off Madingley Road, the flagship building of the development will be named the Ray Dolby Centre to recognise a £75 million gift from the estate of sound pioneer Ray Dolby. It will house a range of laboratories, offices, clean rooms, workshops and multiple lecture theatres. “Bouygues UK and our sister company Bouygues Energies & Services have been involved from the start on this exciting scheme, working alongside the University of Cambridge’s existing project team to develop proposals for a new world-class laboratory. It is exciting to break ground on this project that will see us bringing innovation, a collaborative approach and our technical expertise to create a new home for major academic research,” said Fabienne Viala, Chairman of Bouygues UK and UK Country Manager for Bouygues Construction. The new facility is expected to be completed in 2022.
SIX NEW classrooms and a 690 m2 sports hall at Henlow Church of England Academy, Bedfordshire have now completed, completely reimagining the 600 pupil school’s teaching facilities and sports opportunities. PCMS Design designed the modern, new extension to the original school site, with Building Services Design (BSD) providing mechanical and electrical (M&E) engineering support for the project. “The six classrooms and sports hall are a standalone block,” explained Adam Middleton, senior electrical engineer at the national M&E practice, BSD. Adam continued: “The new sports hall comprises four new Sport England compliant courts, which are to be used for both the school’s own netball, basketball and hockey teams as well as for community hire; making it an incredibly inclusive space – and one which will support not just the school but the wider Henlow population. “There are also attached changing rooms as well as a 88 m2 storage facility.” BSD provided technical support to PCMS Design to ensure that the delivery of the M&E engineering services for electricity, gas, water and the fire alarm system ran smoothly and to specification. “There were a couple of challenges on this project; time constraints meant that the scheme had to be completed for the beginning of term but, through working closely with the delivery team, we managed to complete the project on time and on budget. “The new building is a standalone building, separate to the main school. Services had to be provided to the new site and connected to existing services without impacting on the school’s day to day operations,” added Adam. The sports hall has a standing seam zinc roof, which is curved to the hall and pitched to the storage room, as well as architectural louvres which allows for air flow through the area. Alex Bond, PCMS design director and project manager said: “PCMS Design engaged BSD to advise on the performance specification for the mechanical and electrical installation on a large educational sports hall and classroom block project at Henlow Church of England Academy. “We found its services to be invaluable in the early planning stages, and throughout the specification process when specialised M&E skills and knowledge were needed.” Head teacher Caren Earp said: “Thanks to the incredible design team, we now have a fantastic new building which is going to be of huge benefit to our children, increasing the number and range of opportunities for sport that we can now offer.” The project was funded by Central Bedfordshire Council and the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA).
Construction work on a major residential scheme in Digbeth, Birmingham is expected to begin this summer, as plans get green light. SevenCapital’s Connaught Scheme will include 70 spacious new apartments, including a 27-storey landmark tower, circa 42,000 sq ft of commercial space, a community gymnasium and boxing academy. “Connaught Square is already one of the most significant and talked about regeneration projects to date in Birmingham, as it bridges the gap between the main city centre and the growing creative quarter. So throughout the entire design process it has been imperative that what we create and deliver is the right fit for the area, the city and importantly right for the community that will form as a result of Connaught Square,” said Damien Siviter, director at SevenCapital. Part of the city’s wider plans to regenerate Digbeth, the development will further cement the area’s position as Birmingham’s Creative Quarter. The 5,000 m² Connaught Square will be constructed in two phases, incorporating a new riverside walkway and terrace alongside the River Rea, which runs through the middle of the development and will be opened up as a feature to the public. During the construction period a number of jobs will be created, with the project also set to support apprentices at the nearby South and City College. “Digbeth has recently been listed as one of the coolest places to live by The Times, but through Connaught Square and the wider future regeneration works currently in planning or construction within the area, we want to make sure that it goes beyond cool, to become one of the best places in the UK,” said Damien. “We’ve been working tirelessly over the past few years to design a scheme that will enhance the city and create a new destination where people will want to live, work and spend their leisure time, and what we have now, we believe will deliver that,” he added. The date for the completion of the first phase of the development is expected to be March 2022, followed by the whole site in August 2023.
A new housing development in Edenbridge is set to throw open its showhome’s doors to home-hunters in the area. The Aldwych showhome at Bellway’s Oakley Park development, off St Johns Way, is being unveiled to the public on Saturday, February 2. This outstanding four-bedroom property will showcase all that’s best about the spectacular mix of two, three, four and five-bedroom houses as well as one and two-bedroom apartments at the development. Work on Bellway’s landmark site began in late 2017 and will be made up of 300 homes. The development will also feature public open space featuring a children’s play area, walkways and wildlife areas. Mark Harrop, Sales Director for Bellway’s Kent division, said: “We are very excited to be opening our new showhome at Oakley Park on February 2. “It will give people seeking their dream home an excellent insight into the beautiful properties we are building here. “It looks set to be very busy on the launch day because there has been such intense interest in Oakley Park from people keen to move into the area and we’re gearing up to meet high demand. “Our development offers a wide range of homes to suit everyone from first-time buyers looking to get on to the property ladder to families who’d like more room and those looking for the ideal place to downsize. “Our properties at Oakley Park have already been going down well so I’d urge anyone interested in making this their home to come along and view our showhome so that they don’t miss out.” Bellway will be ploughing almost £1.5 million into local infrastructure and facilities as part of the Oakley Park planning agreement. There is currently a range of two-bedroom apartments and three, four and five-bedroom houses available to buy. Prices for two-bedroom apartments start at £264,995. More information on the homes being built at Oakley Park can be found at bellway.co.uk.
Northamptonshire will see the construction of two residential schemes that will bring around 8,500 homes, as well as schools, leisure and commercial space. After securing a £70 million loan from Homes England under its £4.5 billion Home Building Fund, the schemes will move forward. “I am delighted to hear shovels are already in the ground as builders set about delivering 8,500 much-needed homes so more people can realise their home-owning dream. We are making the housing market work, and Homes England’s £70 million loan will unlock the development so we can invest in the properties our country needs,” said Kit Malthouse, Minister of State for Housing. Moreover, the Kettering and Wellingborough developments will create around 3,000 jobs in the areas. Roads, utilities and other works will also be delivered to enable the delivery of homes at Kettering and at phase one of the site at Wellingborough. Speaking of Homes England’s role in delivering the sites, Sir Edward Lister, Chairman of Homes England commented: “We’re working with partners across the country to ensure land is available to build more new homes where they’re most needed. Providing infrastructure upfront is key to unlocking significant housing growth and Homes England’s investment in Kettering and Wellingborough will enable two major housing projects to be delivered after many years of delay.”
The £35m Castle View Windsor urban retirement development has been completed on time and to budget following a two year build and fulfilling a dream by entrepreneur and developer, Robin Hughes, who wanted to create a retirement home ‘good enough for Mum’, 85 year old Betty Hughes. One of the largest and most innovative urban retirement villages in the UK, the Castle Retirement Living development comprises 64 apartments including five rooftop penthouses, along with its neighbouring 72 bed care home, which is being operated by Care UK. From his original dream ten years ago, the founder and CEO of Castle Retirement Living, Robin Hughes spent years buying and assemble different pockets of land in Windsor to create the three-acre urban retirement development site – and originally just armed with a £10k retirement cheque to create his business, won multiple planning permissions, raised the £35m and ran the build with main contractors Castleoak and funding partner Octopus. Says Robin Hughes, Founder and CEO, Castle Retirement Living, who worked in the property and care sector for over 20 years before creating his own vision as an independent retirement developer: “For me, everything about the development from start to finish has been attention to detail in every aspect which has to be ‘good enough for Mum. It had to be right and we couldn’t be late. “Having built four previous retirement villages as development director for Richmond Villages and Shelbourne, I was confident from the outset that with Castle View Windsor, we would finish the project on time to budget and schedule. Many sector projects of this size have been late which is inexcusable. Working collaboratively with Castleoak, our team of 130 contractors on site each day and our excellent project manager, Sam Grimbaldeston, we did it. “Everyone working on the project knew how important quality and completing on schedule was to me, as well as its personal nature. We hosted regular contractor lunches at key stages of the project, the best of which was fish and chips on the roof for the team before the Royal wedding. Good communication is crucial and along with our project update meetings I was on site daily so any issues could be quickly ironed out. We also regularly thanked our construction team for all their hard work and celebrated key project milestones. My Mother is delighted to be in her new home.”
Optimism in the UK construction sector hit an eight-month high in December 2018, according to the IHS Markit/CIPS UK Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index. This rise in confidence came despite a slowdown in growth caused by Brexit-related uncertainties. The ongoing lack of certainty post-Brexit will likely delay decisions further, but it shouldn’t deter construction companies from planning ahead – not least when it comes to expanding their fleets. Know Your Construction Fleet For construction companies looking at fleet expansion, a useful starting point is to know the size and composition of an existing fleet. An inventory can show up any gaps in a fleet, as well as the plant or vehicles that need replacing. It can also help you work out how big your company fleet needs to be. Leasing Options One way to expand your fleet, yet mitigate the ongoing uncertainties in the construction sector, is to lease plant or commercial vehicles. One benefit of leasing is cashflow management; there’s no major capital investment, just regular monthly payments for the duration of the lease period. Purchasing Options Leasing can be beneficial in the short-term, but expanding your construction fleet by purchasing the equipment you need can be more advantageous in the long-term. Owning assets outright is one way of investing in your company’s future and can add value to your business. It often works out cheaper to buy used equipment. Used plant and vehicles tend to hold their resale value better than their new counterparts. It’s also worth getting a comprehensive hpi check done so you can be confident that your new trade vehicle has no hidden secrets from its past. Other Considerations Other factors to consider if purchasing equipment to expand your construction fleet are the ongoing costs. Unlike leasing, your business will be responsible for repairs and maintenance. One way you can avoid any nasty surprises, however, is through preventative maintenance. Your business will also need to think about the cost implications of insuring your owned equipment, as well as the time it takes to train your staff. This is particularly relevant when you’re adding a new piece of equipment to your fleet. Fleet expansion can be an effective way to help your construction company plan for challenges and opportunities that lay ahead. By weighing up your business needs against the options available, you can find the most appropriate solution and allow your company to look ahead with confidence.
The new £98 million Heatherwood Hospital in Ascot has officially received green light and construction work is on its way. The project leader is Kier, aiming to replace the ageing Heatherwood Hospital with a new state of the art facility, located in woodland behind the current site. “We are delighted that work to build a new hospital can now begin on the Heatherwood site. This will be a fantastic hospital fit for the 21st century, offering state-of the-art care for our patients and a first class working environment for our staff,” said Dr Tim Ho, medical director at Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust. Specialising in planned, non-emergency procedures such as orthopaedics, general surgery, urology, gynaecology and endoscopy, the new facility will have six operating theatres and 48 inpatient beds, plus 22 day case cubicles. Moreover, it will also include space for the Trust’s private patient unit. In addition, the facility will offer a range of outpatient and diagnostic facilities, including cardiology, radiology, lithotripsy, children’s clinic, physiotherapy and orthodontics and space for a primary care hub with GPs, community nurses and other healthcare specialists. “We are delighted that we can now deliver our vision for the Heatherwood site. The new hospital will ensure we can offer local patients the best care in the best environment and it is a key part of our strategy to remain an innovative and outstanding trust well into the future. We can’t wait to get started,” commented Frimley Health chief executive Neil Dardis. The new Heatherwood Hospital is the latest major development in Frimley Health’s £200 million capital investment programme, expected to be complete by late 2021.
Master developer Nakheel has started constructing the rooftop infinity swimming pool at The Palm Tower, its 52-storey, luxury hotel and residential complex at the heart of Palm Jumeirah in Dubai. Perched 210 metres above ground and covering 775 square metres, the infinity pool – one of the highest in the world – borders all four sides of the building, boasting unrivalled, panoramic views across Palm Jumeirah, the Arabian Gulf and the Dubai skyline. The pool – which will hold 930,000 litres of water – is on the 50th floor of The Palm Tower. Above the pool will be a podium housing a 51st level speciality restaurant and a 52nd storey public viewing deck, 240 metres high. Construction of the rooftop dining viewing deck complex will begin soon. Located at the heart of the world-famous, award winning Palm Jumeirah, The Palm Tower comprises a 289-room St. Regis hotel, 432 luxury residences and an array of dining and leisure facilities. The hotel occupies the first 18 floors, with fully-furnished studios and one, two and three bedroom apartments on the upper floors. Currently, around 850 construction workers are on site at The Palm Tower, rising to more than 1,500 when internal fit out gets in full swing in the next few weeks. Fit out of the St. Regis – due to open later this year – has already begun. The Palm Tower is directly connected to the under-construction Nakheel Mall – the access point for the public viewing deck – and its 350 shops, restaurants and attractions. Nakheel Mall, which has its own Palm Monorail station, is due for completion this year. Several other dining, leisure and entertainment venues are nearby, including the St. Regis Beach Club, part of Nakheel’s Palm West Beach complex, to which hotel guests and residents will have priority access; Al Ittihad Park, the UAE’s first indigenous park, spanning 1.1 million square feet across the heart of Palm Jumeirah; and the newly-opened Pointe at Palm Jumeirah, with 70 seafront restaurants and shops. For more information on The Palm Tower apartments, visit the Nakheel Sales Centre, call +971 4 390 3333 or log on to www.nakheel.com
