An £82.7 million deal has been agreed between M&G Real Estate and Redrow Homes for the funding of more than 180 new build to rent homes in Colindale, North London. The 48-acre project, which is being created by Redrow on the site of the former Peel Centre Metropolitan Police training
Construction work is under way at the new £16 million marine science centre in Lowestoft, which will see new headquarters built for the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) at its site on Pakefield Cliffs. The ground-breaking ceremony was attended by funding supporters from Defra and the New
Nottingham-based consulting engineers Howard Ward Associates (HWA) has been appointed to work on a major £20M student accommodation scheme on Westwood Way, Warwickshire. The site of the planned 380-bed student accommodation project is currently occupied by an office building, which has been vacant for more than four years. When works
Law firm, Sintons has continued to build its national reputation in healthcare through its latest major NHS framework appointment. The Newcastle-based firm, one of the UK’s leading specialist healthcare advisors, has been appointed to the legal services framework of the NHS Shared Business Services (NHSSBS), a body which provides business
Target Healthcare REIT has acquired two award winning luxury care homes developed by Octopus Healthcare for Aura Care Living. The deal, covering Aura Care’s Stratton Court in Cirencester and King’s Lodge in Camberley, also resulted in CEO and founder Linda Lloyd acquiring sole control of Aura Care Living. Mike Adams,
Construction is underway for a new £6.5 million education centre in Sydenham, London, which will transform the care of the dying and bereaved. The new building is located at St Christopher’s Hospice and the news was welcomed by a ceremony that coincided with the 100th birthday of Dame Cicely Saunders,
Bolsover, Derbyshire, will see more than 200 new homes being built on the end of Mooracre Lane and Rotherham Road. Keepmoat Homes has started work to deliver 212 properties and a show home is due to open on the site this autumn, ahead of properties becoming available at the end
Automation is nothing new in the manufacturing and distribution industry. After all, robots have been helping out on production lines since the 1970s, from shuttling parts to constructing car chassis. But the latest wave of automation is both more autonomous and more mobile than ever before – and it’s already
Increasing its presence further in the healthcare sector, Forbo Flooring Systems has been appointed as an approved supplier on the Department of Health’s ProCure22 Framework for NHS and social care construction schemes in England. This means the company’s floor covering solutions, from entrance to exit, are approved for the healthcare
‘Lock up and leave’ properties in London are in increased demand, according to innovative developer be:here. This finding is backed by data from Statista that shows the average person increased its number of holidays abroad from 1.4 in 2016 to 1.7 in 2017. With London’s airports serving such a wide
An £82.7 million deal has been agreed between M&G Real Estate and Redrow Homes for the funding of more than 180 new build to rent homes in Colindale, North London. The 48-acre project, which is being created by Redrow on the site of the former Peel Centre Metropolitan Police training college, will see more than 2,900 new homes built over the next 10 years. “This new deal with another top UK house-builder, increases our ongoing development pipeline, offering our investors the opportunity to continue capitalising on the UK’s rapidly growing private rental market. We look forward to continued deals of this stature in the sector, providing investors with the chance to increase their exposure to the residential market,” said Alex Greaves, Head of Residential Investment at M&G Real Estate. “This development is a clear statement that renting can be the tenure of choice for an upwardly mobile workforce, which requires the flexibility of renting with high-quality service and support. Colindale has emerged as a property hotspot and is an area undergoing major transformation,” he added. The 186 homes are part of the £1.2 billion Colindale Garden development and they are anticipated to be ready by 2021. “This deal is another exciting step forward for Colindale Gardens and Redrow as we look to create a diverse and sustainable community that offers a range of housing for a diverse mix of Londoners,” said Mark Parker, Managing Director at Redrow Homes East London. “The wider area is fast becoming a hotspot for families and young professionals and our development will offer all the attributes which customers prioritise, including excellent connectivity, green open spaces and an abundance of amenities on their doorstep.” M&G Real Estate is the property investment arm of M&G and one of the world’s largest property investors with £30.1 billion of assets across all the major sectors in the UK, Europe and Asia. Drawing on 150 years of investment experience, the firm actively manages its properties to maximise returns and generate a strong income stream for institutional investors.
Construction work is under way at the new £16 million marine science centre in Lowestoft, which will see new headquarters built for the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) at its site on Pakefield Cliffs. The ground-breaking ceremony was attended by funding supporters from Defra and the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership, alongside local councillors, residents, staff and contractors. To commemorate the occasion, a time capsule containing recent Cefas scientific papers, letters to the future from young Cefas apprentices, a reusable water bottle – reflecting organisational commitments to reducing marine plastics, and other artefacts were buried. “I thank Defra, New Anglia LEP, local councillor and the many others for their support for our exciting new Lowestoft headquarters development,” said CEO Tom Karsten. “This will be a vital step in realising our vision of a new era of Cefas and Defra leadership in providing world class science to manage the marine and freshwater environment.” “Cefas has played a leading role in the UK and Lowestoft’s marine history over the past 116 years. The renewal of our Lowestoft headquarters represents an important chapter in this history and future opportunities for our continued development,” he added. Cefas secured the final piece of funding in January 2018 and with the new centre on the way, the firm could save up to £2 million a year in running costs and would safeguard 440 jobs at the Pakefield Road site as well as enabling it to employ 12 to 15 apprentices a year. “We are pleased to be officially marking the start of construction on this important development, which will provide Cefas with outstanding facilities to support their globally-relevant research and anchor our region as a centre for marine science excellence in the UK,” said Saul Humphrey, managing director of Morgan Singall’s East region. “Our team is already making good progress and we look forward to working closely with Cefas and the wider project team as we deliver this landmark centre,” he continued. Building work on the new office is due to begin shortly, with the completion date set for May 2020.
Nottingham-based consulting engineers Howard Ward Associates (HWA) has been appointed to work on a major £20M student accommodation scheme on Westwood Way, Warwickshire. The site of the planned 380-bed student accommodation project is currently occupied by an office building, which has been vacant for more than four years. When works start towards the end of 2018, the building will be demolished to make way for the new sustainable residential scheme to be built. The Oaks, which received planning permission in April, is due for completion for the 2020/2021 academic year. HWA has been chosen to work on the scheme on behalf of McLaren Property to provide advice and a range of engineering services, including civil and structural engineering and pre-planning engineering services such as ground investigation, transport planning and flood risk assessment. Dan Bailey, partner at HWA, said: “We have a long-standing relationship with McLaren Property having worked on numerous student accommodation schemes across the country since 2013 with them, which is why we are very pleased to be working with the team again on this exciting bespoke project. “This is an interesting residential project within the education sector that incorporates a historic watercourse running through it. The watercourse has dried up but needs to be maintained throughout the development in case flows are able to be restored, meaning it has become an interesting landscape feature. “Both Coventry and Warwick University continue to see an increased demand for student accommodation, so we are pleased to be able to help fill that gap in the market locally and to be helping to deliver a high-quality scheme.” The Oaks will feature a number of social learning spaces as well as fitness facilities, onsite bicycle storage, excellent pedestrian links and easy access to local bus services when complete. Bruce Ruddle, development director at McLaren Property, said: “We are delighted that planning permission for our new student accommodation scheme on the site of 1 The Oaks has been approved by Coventry City Council. “The building has been vacant for several years and we are looking forward to regenerating the site and providing high quality student accommodation close to existing educational establishments. “It is anticipated that construction of the scheme will commence later in 2018, with the scheme expected to be completed for the 2020/2021 academic year.” HWA is also working on a number of other high-end projects in the West Midlands, including two other student accommodation projects in Birmingham, a distribution park and church in Dunchurch, and is currently undertaking roof inspections on a commercial premise in connection with PV solar panel installations. The firm, whose head office is located on Walkers Yard, Nottingham, delivers construction engineering consultancy services across a range of sectors, including education, healthcare, emergency services, commercial and residential across the country.
Law firm, Sintons has continued to build its national reputation in healthcare through its latest major NHS framework appointment. The Newcastle-based firm, one of the UK’s leading specialist healthcare advisors, has been appointed to the legal services framework of the NHS Shared Business Services (NHSSBS), a body which provides business support services to the NHS with the aim of delivering efficiencies and increased quality. Following a competitive tender process, Sintons has won a place on the organisation’s legal services framework for the first time, which will see it being able to provide services to NHS Trusts and other bodies across the country. Sintons has been appointed to all eleven lots tendered by NHS SBS covering legal practice areas including NHS governance and public law, primary care, mental health law, employment law, commercial, property, construction, IT, corporate finance and PFI/PPP projects. The appointment will be initially for two years from June 1, 2018, with an option to extend for a further two years. This follows last year’s appointment to the North of England NHS Commercial Procurement Collaborative (NOE CPC) which works with more than 80 high-level NHS organisations across England. Amanda Maskery, partner and head of NHS healthcare at Sintons, said: “Our team has worked hard to build its reputation in the healthcare sector, and we have become trusted specialist advisors to NHS Trusts, GPs, dentists and other healthcare organisations across the UK. “Our latest appointment to the NHS SBS legal services framework is a further endorsement of our capability, expertise and genuine understanding of the complexities of the NHS, which very few other law firms can rival. “We are delighted to be working with NHS SBS in supporting them to achieve their ambitious cost savings targets for the NHS, and our healthcare team is well equipped and ideally placed to assist.”
Target Healthcare REIT has acquired two award winning luxury care homes developed by Octopus Healthcare for Aura Care Living. The deal, covering Aura Care’s Stratton Court in Cirencester and King’s Lodge in Camberley, also resulted in CEO and founder Linda Lloyd acquiring sole control of Aura Care Living. Mike Adams, Chairman of Octopus Healthcare, said: “Octopus Healthcare’s development financing expertise has enabled Aura Care Living’s bold vision to redefine later life living to become a reality. “Together we have redefined the luxury category in care homes and retirement apartments while also delivering attractive returns to Octopus’ clients. We wish Linda and the team every success as Aura Care Living enters into its next stage of growth with Target Healthcare REIT.” Linda Lloyd, founder and CEO of Aura Care Living, said: “A creative and entrepreneurial partnership between Octopus Healthcare and Aura Care Living has successfully delivered two visionary new luxury care homes. “I am looking forward to developing the business in partnership with Target Healthcare REIT as we continue to pursue our mission to fundamentally change expectations for living later in life while ensuring the best care is available to residents.” Octopus Healthcare, one of the UK’s leading healthcare property developers and investors, currently manages more than £1.2bn of healthcare investments across a number of platforms, with a focus on three core areas: GP surgeries, care homes and retirement housing.
Construction is underway for a new £6.5 million education centre in Sydenham, London, which will transform the care of the dying and bereaved. The new building is located at St Christopher’s Hospice and the news was welcomed by a ceremony that coincided with the 100th birthday of Dame Cicely Saunders, who started the end of life care hospice in 1967. “Caring for the people and families of South East London is our primary purpose and passion, which won’t change,” said Heather Richardson, joint chief executive at St Christopher’s Hospice. “However, we don’t have the resources to reach all the people who need our help and so through these amazing new education facilities, we can share our knowledge and experience more widely not only to improve the support available to dying and bereaved people in our local community, but nationally and around the world. We are so proud to be continuing Dame Cicely Saunders’ legacy of care, research and education through the Learning Hub,” she added. The Learning Hub will feature a skills lab, an open community space and a café. At the ceremony, Diane Roberts from Dulwich spoke about her experiences of caring for her mum. “The Learning Hub will have beds and all kinds of practical equipment where you can learn simple things such as how to wash someone. Learning from the expertise of the hospice means people who have become carers like me will feel much more confident and better able to cope, and their loved ones will receive better care,” she said. Established in 1967 by Cicely Saunders, whose work is considered the basis of modern hospice philosophy, St Christopher’s Hospice is a place where all dying people and those close to them have access to the care and support they need. Each person is unique; therefore the care offered at the hospice meets social, emotional and spiritual needs, as well as manages physical symptoms. Every year they provide care and support to over 6,000 people across South East London, both at home and in the hospice.
Bolsover, Derbyshire, will see more than 200 new homes being built on the end of Mooracre Lane and Rotherham Road. Keepmoat Homes has started work to deliver 212 properties and a show home is due to open on the site this autumn, ahead of properties becoming available at the end of the year. “We want to bring a thriving new neighbourhood to Bolsover. The homes at Hedgerows will be detached, semi-detached and terraced and from two to five bedrooms, making them ideal for families and suitable for a range of budgets,” said Shaun Fielding, Regional Managing Director for Keepmoat Homes in Midlands. “The site is on the edge of beautiful countryside and we are making sure the development is in keeping with this by ensuring that the design has included a number of open green spaces,” he added. The Hedgerows development also includes the building of a safer access route to Rotherham Road from Bolsover centre, with a new through road from Mooracre Lane to Rotherham Road and the inclusion of a speed bump as a traffic calming measure at the entrance of the site. “We’re working closely with Bolsover Council so we can ensure the development has a really positive impact on the area, bringing growth but also supporting the existing facilities,” said Shaun. “This includes the provision of almost £520,000 just for education contributions, with a further £130,000 for transport contributions plus £53,000 of funding for Bolsover Academy for additional places.” Headquartered in Doncaster, Keepmoat Homes is a leading house building company in the UK that provides private homes for sale. With an average selling price of £152,000, 72% of the homes Keepmoat sells are to first time buyers, which puts it at the heart of the UK’s need for more quality housing.
Automation is nothing new in the manufacturing and distribution industry. After all, robots have been helping out on production lines since the 1970s, from shuttling parts to constructing car chassis. But the latest wave of automation is both more autonomous and more mobile than ever before – and it’s already at work in a facility near you. Here’s what you need to know about robots and storage, or what’s known as an automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS). An AS/RS is a computer-controlled system that’s designed to locate, place and retrieve loads from racking and other storage. An AS/RS usually operates with complete autonomy, although it will tend to have some human oversight. In large scale operations, the AS/RS will receive its orders automatically in conjunction with an eCommerce system, and will set to work retrieving the items in question. The AS/RS concept has been around in some form since the 1960s. You may recognise the concept from depictions of archives in science fiction: a robot on a shuttle, lift or crane navigates a line of shelves, plucks out an item, and returns it to the operator. Many of today’s systems operate in a similar fashion, though their abilities have increased: modern systems can now pick smaller, more delicate items, and do so with dramatically improved speed. The most common automated storage systems operate by moving autonomous vehicles along guided rollers alongside shelves. When they are in position, a series of lifts carry the vehicle up to the correct pallet, which is then withdrawn from the shelf and ferried back. This is often quicker and always safer than involving employees in the retrieval process, and allows human resources to be distributed elsewhere in the business. An AS/RS using lifts is also known as a Vertical Lift Module (VLM). A VLM allows for storage on more levels than are traditionally available in a pallet racking solution, with the potential for eight or more tiers of as much as 100 ft tall. Such a system can accommodate over 14,000 pallets in just 30,000 square feet of floor space – saving up to 70,000 sq/ft saving on a traditional three-tiered layout. The efficiency savings this provides can then be reinvested in further internal and external expansion for production or distribution purposes. Amazon’s Kiva robots represent the current pinnacle of this technology. These squat, heavy lifting robots are what’s known as Unit Load AS/RS, and are more reminiscent of giant Roombas than your stereotypical robot. They’ve proved so efficient however that Amazon has rolled them out to its global warehouses, and they now help to manage the bulk of its Amazon Pantry stock. The robots are able to navigate down aisles of racking without collisions, and can locate pallets by scanning QR codes, a blocky barcode like image. They can then lift an entire pallet on their ‘back’, and carry it to human workers to open and pack the contents. All of this is carried out autonomously based on order volume for various products, and is only overseen by a human controller. The development of both sensor and wireless technology has dramatically altered the capabilities of an AS/RS. Advanced sensors similar to those used in autonomous cars prevent the robots from colliding with storage units or people, ensuring safe retrieval. The ability to grip and locomote with greater dexterity has also allowed for smaller objects to be transported, and the development of what are known as Mini-Load AS/RS. Wireless technologies such as RFID, Wi-Fi and NFC meanwhile allow the units to communicate information wirelessly, locating objects which have been tagged with visual codes or microchips. They can then tell a centralised system when they have successfully retrieved the item, automating the inventory management process with absolute accuracy. Automated storage and retrieval systems have a number of requirements which may be beyond smaller businesses; these include heavy health & safety oversight, centralised inventory management and eCommerce systems, and significant capital investment. Many businesses may benefit instead from the installation of more efficient, high density pallet racking, or the space saving effects of a mobile shelving solution. For those at the cutting edge, however, AS/RS represents the pinnacle of efficiency savings in storage and distribution, and something to keep a watchful eye on for the future. This post was written by Invicta Pallet Racking. For over 25 years we have been at the forefront of the archive storage industry throughout the UK and Europe, designing and installing some of the largest racking and storage systems currently found on the market.
Increasing its presence further in the healthcare sector, Forbo Flooring Systems has been appointed as an approved supplier on the Department of Health’s ProCure22 Framework for NHS and social care construction schemes in England. This means the company’s floor covering solutions, from entrance to exit, are approved for the healthcare environment. The ProCure22 (P22) process is designed to achieve improved value for money and reduce exposure to risk through a simplified procurement procedure. Committed to developing and offering products that contribute in a positive way to the health and comfort of the individual, Forbo’s floor coverings are designed to be good for people, good for buildings and good for the environment. Offering a 10-year warranty, with discounts of up to 47% and pricing fixed for 12 months, Forbo can ensure that healthcare environments have a product selected, which is fit for purpose and fit for the future – providing savings without any compromise. Commenting on the company’s achievement, Sharron Kapellar, National Framework Manager at Forbo Flooring Systems, said: “We have undertaken many projects within NHS Trusts and social care throughout England, including flooring for acute, mental health and community facilities, and are delighted to have been awarded with the ProCure22 approved supplier status. “The P22 process definitely reduces exposure to risk for clients. By working with an appointed framework Principal Supply Chain Partner (PSCP) NHS Trusts won’t have to undertake an oJeu procurement process. “And, from a flooring perspective, we can help create stylish and functional flooring schemes, while still meeting the various floor covering requirements outlined in Health Building note 00-10, Part A: Flooring. From sheet systems for clinical areas, static control flooring for X ray rooms, slip resistant flooring in wet clinical areas, carpet tiles in offices and entrance flooring systems, which prevent pollutants from entering facilities, Forbo has a wide portfolio of cost effective flooring solutions to meet a variety of requirements, as well as savings through transparent trading and better purchasing power. “Apart from this though, it’s our healthcare experience that really adds value to a project’s success; our area managers will assist with any specifications, technical and design advice, all supported by an efficient sample service and even a free collection service for installation waste.” Forbo also takes a proactive approach when it comes to developing its healthcare knowledge. For example, it has partnered with the University of Stirling’s Dementia Services Development Centre (DSDC) to review over 1000 floor finishes, assessing their suitability for use in dementia-friendly environments.
‘Lock up and leave’ properties in London are in increased demand, according to innovative developer be:here. This finding is backed by data from Statista that shows the average person increased its number of holidays abroad from 1.4 in 2016 to 1.7 in 2017. With London’s airports serving such a wide range of destinations, those travelling overseas for both work and pleasure are looking to ensure that their homes remain safe while empty. “Today’s housing schemes have to think carefully about the needs of their residents, particularly as the convenience of international travel means that our modern lifestyle often involves trips overseas, whether for business or pleasure. This is even more true for developments that are within reach of international airports, as easy travel abroad is often a key benefit for those living there,” said Hayley Wills, Area Manager at be:here Hayes. For those looking to prioritise security as a result of leaving their property empty regularly, the new purposely-designed Build to Rent development ‘The Gatefold Building’ from be:here and located in Hayes, 4 miles from Heathrow International Airport, presents a unique opportunity. The development is gated and provides an on-site concierge and management team. Knowing there’s always someone on hand to keep an eye on things is immensely reassuring, particularly in an urban environment as vast as London. Flight crew, for example, have to regularly leave their homes unoccupied whilst at work, so security is a particularly important issue. The lock up and leave benefits of Build to Rent accommodation apply equally to those who travel on business regularly. The benefits of living at the award-winning Gatefold Building include tenancies of up to three years in length, low deposits (just one month’s rent), pet-friendly homes, free super-fast 30 mbps broadband, regular social events and Habitat furnishings. Soon, tenants will also be able to take advantage of on-site Laundry Republic lockers, meaning that they can take care of their dry cleaning from home with ease. The prices for an apartment at The Gatefold Building start at £1,195 pcm for one bedroom and from £1,450 for two bedroom. In addition, every home comes with either a garden or a balcony.
