Our world and everything in it is developing at such a rapid speed that it is often hard to keep abreast of all the latest developments. New technologies in the trucking industry are concentrating on efficiency, autonomy, and safety, especially as far as driver fatigue is concerned. It is estimated that
The first tenants of the ‘FitHome’ village in Dalmore, Alness, have been welcomed. The Saltire Award-winning concept that unites the priorities of healthcare, housing provision and tenant welfare was delivered by Albyn Housing Society, in partnership with Carbon Dynamic and NHS Highland. As a concept, the ‘FitHome’ aims to help
Connect38 on the Ashford Commercial Quarter site has been officially opened by Quinn Estate, marking the beginning of an exciting new chapter in the town’s story as the economic powerhouse of Kent. Connect38, designed by Canterbury based Clague Architects, is the largest office block to be built in Kent for
Equity release provider Pure Retirement, the fastest growing company in Yorkshire, will be taking 12,575 sq ft of office space in Paradigm at Thorpe Park Leeds, a regeneration scheme that is being developed by partners Scarborough International Properties and Legal & General. It has agreed on a 10-year lease to
Caddick Construction has been appointed by Williams Group for the development of its £41 million flagship Jaguar Land Rover, BMW and Mini Automotive Retail Centre near Manchester Trafford Centre. The construction work is underway and the project will include a three-storey BMW showroom, two-storey Jaguar Land Rover showroom and a
Barratt Homes, one of Scotland’s largest house builders, is supporting its plans for future growth with a number of promotions and new appointment in its senior management team. “This year we are planning to deliver more high quality homes for customers across Edinburgh, the Lothians and Fife than we’ve done
The former hall of residence, Thwaite Hall, situated on the corner of Thwaite Street and New Village Road in Cottingham, will be put on the market by the University of Hull. The over 200-years-old property was closed as a hall of residence in August 2017 because of changes in students’
Nina Bressington decided to change the outside appearance of her property in Bristol, which had a red brick exterior like many ex-local authority houses. She chose an Andura coating due to its durability, the no maintenance required and the 20 year guarantee, as well as the professionalism of Andy Gazzard
Barking and Dagenham Council has ambitious plans to deliver a £1 billion town centre rebuild and is looking for a select list of builders capable of delivering it. Entirely owned by the council, the urban regeneration company Be First aims to create a panel of contractors to deliver over 40
Unite Students, the UK’s leading manager and developer of student accommodation, has been granted a planning approval to develop a 928-bed student accommodation development in Leeds. The site, located on Merrion Way in the city centre, is close to both the University of Leeds and Leeds Beckett University. The site would
Our world and everything in it is developing at such a rapid speed that it is often hard to keep abreast of all the latest developments. New technologies in the trucking industry are concentrating on efficiency, autonomy, and safety, especially as far as driver fatigue is concerned. It is estimated that approximately 40% of truck crashes in the UK are related to driver fatigue, reiterating the importance of having systems in place that can not only monitor fatigue but notify the driver when he is in danger. The following developments are all contributing towards reducing the number of fatigue-related accidents that occur on the roads of the UK every year. Fujitsu develops ground-breaking IoT device At the beginning of the year Fujitsu launched a new and innovative IoT (internet of things) powered wearable with the aim to drastically reduce fatigue-induced trucking accidents in the United Kingdom. The device, known as the Driver Drowsiness Detector or DDD is a lightweight device that is worn around the driver’s neck with a tiny sensor clip which attaches to the earlobe, detecting pulse waves. The purpose of the device is to keep track of the driver’s pulse, evaluating fatigue levels and notifying the driver when his risk of possible compromised alertness increases. The system can also be linked to various fleet-management systems to enable managers to also monitor the state of their drivers in real-time. Logistics company DHL is currently testing the DDD in 60 of its trucks, hoping to improve driver accuracy and accountability, while decreasing cover premiums as well. What other technologies can help detect driver fatigue? New advances are constantly being made in terms of wearable technology to monitor trucker fatigue. Wristwatches and fitness trackers like those manufactured by Apple, Garmin and Fitbit can help detect fatigue by measuring the sleep quality the driver is accustomed to as well as track biometrics such as blood pressure and heart rate. There have been significant technological breakthroughs as far as caps and hats are concerned. Mining giant BHB Billiton makes use of such caps to monitor the brainwaves of their drivers for signs of fatigue. Other technologies that have been around for some time but are constantly being subjected to improvements are dashcams, GPS systems and lane departure equipment. If Fujitsu’s DDD is anything to go by, the future of wearable devices to detect driver fatigue looks very bright indeed. Even if only a single truck accident can be prevented in any given year thanks to a detection device it will be enough as one life lost is one too many. When technological advancements are coupled with responsible human driving practices, the outcome can only be good for all concerned, saving not only lives but substantial amounts of money as well.
The first tenants of the ‘FitHome’ village in Dalmore, Alness, have been welcomed. The Saltire Award-winning concept that unites the priorities of healthcare, housing provision and tenant welfare was delivered by Albyn Housing Society, in partnership with Carbon Dynamic and NHS Highland. As a concept, the ‘FitHome’ aims to help people live safe, well and independently in their communities for longer by using cutting edge data-gathering technology and Artificial Intelligence to help detect the onset of ill health and potentially even prevent episodes such as falls. New tenant, 19 year old Dylan Bogue who lives with muscular dystrophy said: “This will be a life-changing concept for some individuals, including me, and importantly their extended families. Nobody will have to worry about their elderly relatives, or younger relatives for that matter, being on their own if they fall or have an accident. Most importantly, residents can stay in their home, in the community that they have grown with for as long as they feel able to.” The project has received support and official endorsement from Highland MSP Maree Todd. At a recent parliamentary event she spoke of the project saying: “This project is an exemplary showcase of innovation coming out of the Highlands that demonstrates how cross-sectoral working in areas such as housing, health, care, construction, education and training can lead to pioneering new approaches that keep Scotland at the leading edge.” The project concepts have been supported by a Scottish Government housing grant, funding from the Inverness and Highland City–Region Deal and finance from Triodos Bank, Europes’s leading sustainable bank that only funds projects that create positive social, cultural or environmental value. “Scottish innovations are globally renowned and the FitHome is a gigantic leap forward in social care. At Triodos, we work to make sure that projects like this get the funding and financial support they need to have a positive impact on the local community. The FitHome is a game-changer when it comes to helping people live independent and inclusive lives,” said Graeme Galloway, Relationship Manager at Triodos Bank UK. The Data Lab – the Scottish Innovation Centre charged with generating economic, social and scientific value from big data – is also supporting the project by funding research into predicting falls, which is being led by Professor Susan Craw, an Artificial Intelligence expert at Robert Gordon University.
Connect38 on the Ashford Commercial Quarter site has been officially opened by Quinn Estate, marking the beginning of an exciting new chapter in the town’s story as the economic powerhouse of Kent. Connect38, designed by Canterbury based Clague Architects, is the largest office block to be built in Kent for 20 years with 75% of the building let. The new building delivers 80,500 sq ft of office, restaurant and retail space with the creation of around 481 full-time jobs. Its first tenants have already arrived, with infrastructure consultants, Peter Brett, accountancy firm Wilkins Kennedy, and dental practice Pennypot Dental welcoming their new homes. “This project is one of my proudest achievements to date. Connect38 and Ashford Commercial Quarter is going to mark a new chapter for Ashford and sets the standard for office space in the South East,” said Mark Quinn, CEO at Quinn Estates. “Connect38 represents an extraordinary opportunity for businesses looking to relocate locally, or from London and further afield. The international train station is almost adjacent to the development site, making this an ideal commuting location.” Delivered by Quinn Estates in partnership with George Wilson Developments, the scheme was also backed by Ashford Borough Council, which sees it as pivotal to the town’s future economic success. To support the development, the council has underwritten the cost of two floors of the office block. “This building, and Ashford Commercial Quarter as a larger site, makes an important statement about the borough’s economic position, our can-do attitude as an authority, our sharp commercial focus and the confidence that key businesses and developers have in the town,” said Cllr Gerry Clarkson, Leader of Ashford Borough Council. “This borough has a rich heritage, but we are also embracing growth with ambitious plans for the future. Ashford Commercial Quarter marks a significant project within our ‘Big 8′ developments -major projects emphasising this ambition. These developments illustrate our intention to unlock major opportunities, while delivering new jobs, housing, retail and cultural facilities,” he concluded.
Equity release provider Pure Retirement, the fastest growing company in Yorkshire, will be taking 12,575 sq ft of office space in Paradigm at Thorpe Park Leeds, a regeneration scheme that is being developed by partners Scarborough International Properties and Legal & General. It has agreed on a 10-year lease to occupy the top two floors of the building. “Pure Retirement continues to enjoy major growth targeting a quarter of the UK market share in 2019 with £1bn in lending. During the last five years we have quadrupled in size to £21m in turnover with a team soon to total 91. We are forecasting similar growth over the next three years to become one of the UK’s top providers,” said Paul Carter, CEO at Pure Retirement. “To achieve this, we require suitably prestigious headquarters and Paradigm at Thorpe Park Leeds perfectly matches our aspirations. Despite some pressure to relocate to the city centre, we felt that Thorpe Park Leeds delivers the best in terms of accessibility whilst also offering the quality of office space usually restricted to prime plots in the city,” he added. Thorpe Park Leeds is located off junction 46 of the M1 motorway and it consists of 800,000 sq ft of development built and occupied to date. Over 60 blue chip businesses occupy space at Thorpe Park, employing around 4,500 people. “It is good to see that the business, like many before it, has chosen to remain at Thorpe Park Leeds which is testament to the quality of space, environment and business support on offer,” commented on the news Paul Holcroft, head of commercial leasing at Scarborough International Properties. Following a £162 million investment deal with Legal & General Capital, Scarborough International Properties and Legal & General are progressing a transformational 1.35 million sq ft mixed-use expansion at Thorpe Park. Phase two is currently underway and it includes a new 350,000 sq ft retail and leisure park due for completion this autumn. The plan also includes a further 900,000 sq ft of Grade A office accommodation, 300 new residential homes by Redrow and a 113-acre public park with sports facilities.
Caddick Construction has been appointed by Williams Group for the development of its £41 million flagship Jaguar Land Rover, BMW and Mini Automotive Retail Centre near Manchester Trafford Centre. The construction work is underway and the project will include a three-storey BMW showroom, two-storey Jaguar Land Rover showroom and a single-storey MINI showroom. The dealerships will occupy a 14.3-acre site opposite Event City and next to John Lewis at the Intu Trafford Centre. Designed by Wilmslow-based architects Taylor Design, the development is scheduled for completion in late summer 2019. “Our vision includes a striking range of contemporary showrooms including the new Jaguar land Rover ARCH concept featuring a dual-branded showroom and service drive through for Jaguar and Land Rover,” said Nick Cook. Williams Group managing director. “Our stunning new flagship retail centre at this premium site will provide the perfect platform to display our range of prestige vehicles.” Alongside the showroom space, Caddick Construction will also deliver workshops, including service drive through for both centres, valet and car washing facilities together with roads and drainage works with the development. Part of the wider TraffordCity redevelopment by Peel Land and Property, the scheme will create a further 3.4 million sq ft of retail, leisure and commercial space around Intu Trafford Centre. “We have built an extensive portfolio of car showrooms and dealerships, which demonstrates the strength and capability of our teams working in partnership with clients in the automotive sector,” said Ian Threadgold, North West construction manager at Caddick Construction. “We are extremely proud of our long association with Manchester, where we are currently working on the landmark 34-storey Angel Gardens project in the city centre.” “Undertaking this major development enables us to continue contributing to its future prosperity by engaging with local suppliers, as well as creating local job opportunities,” concluded Ian Threadgold.
Barratt Homes, one of Scotland’s largest house builders, is supporting its plans for future growth with a number of promotions and new appointment in its senior management team. “This year we are planning to deliver more high quality homes for customers across Edinburgh, the Lothians and Fife than we’ve done in any other year. Our new moves and appointments will ensure that we are in an excellent position to build on our success to date and I am delighted to have new senior team members who have the skills, knowledge and experience to continue to grow our business,” said Alison Condie, managing director at Barratt Homes East Scotland. Development director Mansoor Ali from East Scotland division has been promoted to regional development director with a remit for land buying and strategy across Scotland. With an experience of over 25 years, Ali has worked for Barratt Homes since 2001 and had led the identification and purchasing of land for the developer across Edinburgh and the Lothians since joining the firm. In his new role he will be responsible for leading Barratt Homes’ Scotland-wide land strategy. Furthermore, Donald Borland has been appointed as regional finance director, a new dedicated role for Barratt’s Scottish business. Donald joined from Havelock Europa PLC where he was CFO and prior to that he spent 18 years with Miller Group, latterly as group finance director. Apart from the Scotland-wide appointments, new ones have been made across the Scotland East division as well. Nicholas Wright took up the development director role in the East of Scotland following Ali’s move. With 15 years’ experience in housebuilding, Wright began his career as a chartered surveyor and joined Barratt Homes five years ago after holding senior roles at Bett Homes. The East Scotland team also welcomes new operations director Andrew Morrison. Morrison was previously construction director at Bellway Homes, where he was responsible for the management and delivery of the whole construction process across all of the house builder’s Scottish developments. The senior moves and appointments follow consistent growth and acquisition of new sites for the East Scotland team, as well as supporting its continued investment in new developments across Edinburgh, the Lothians and Fife. Barratt Homes has a number of new sites launching later in 2018, including St Clement’s Wells in Wallyford, and Preston Square in Prestonpans, East Lothian, as well as Harwood Park in Livingston.
The former hall of residence, Thwaite Hall, situated on the corner of Thwaite Street and New Village Road in Cottingham, will be put on the market by the University of Hull. The over 200-years-old property was closed as a hall of residence in August 2017 because of changes in students’ accommodation preferences. “Accommodation is a deciding factor for many when choosing where to study and the University has experienced a shift in demand towards high-quality, on-campus accommodation,” said Stephen Dale, director of estates at the University of Hull. “We have been investing in out accommodation portfolio as part of our ongoing commitment to provide an outstanding experience for students, which includes The Courtyard and Westfield Court on our Cottingham Road campus.” Handling the sale would be commercial estate agent Cushman & Wakefield. “Although the University no longer has a use for the building, we are keen to see a long term plan for its future be put in place and have been working closely with the local authority planning department to discuss the potential future use of the site,” added Stephen. The eventual purchaser and their intended use for the building will determine the nature and extent of work carried out on the site. Any proposal would be subject to relevant planning processes and legislation. “Thwaite Hall presents a rare and exciting opportunity to revitalise a high-profile building within a popular village location,” said Oliver Salisbury, senior surveyor in Cushman & Wakefield’s residential development team. “Discussions with the local authority have been positive and indicate that a number of uses are considered appropriate, subject to a high quality design which takes into account the conservation area setting and adjoining Grade II listed botanical gardens. We look forward to engaging with parties and maximising the site’s future potential,” he continued. Until a purchaser is found, the University will continue to ensure the site is secure.
Nina Bressington decided to change the outside appearance of her property in Bristol, which had a red brick exterior like many ex-local authority houses. She chose an Andura coating due to its durability, the no maintenance required and the 20 year guarantee, as well as the professionalism of Andy Gazzard at Protective Wall Coatings, a Registered Andura Contractor, to carry out the work. “I had a friend who had a similar Andura coating done to their house which had lasted extremely well, compared with a neighbour’s house which had been just painted, and was already flaking after a couple of years,” said Nina. The property is a 1940’s three bedroom semi-detached house, located in a great residential area. Nina has modernised the interior and more recently added a conservatory to the rear, a front porch and a side extension. It was after these additions in March 2018 that Protective Wall Coatings were brought in and the whole job took just five days on site to complete. When Protective Wall Coatings came to look at the mortar joints and brick faces, there would have been a lot of repairs to do in re-mortaring and so the Andura process was to be a much more effective solution. There was some preparation and repair to be done to the outer surfaces and then the first stage was to apply the GRC base coat, a high performance, breathable polymer render (unlike sand and cement) which gives increased flexibility. As the mortar joints were deep, two coats of GRC were applied, the first a rough coat then a finer flatter coat. Once this base coat had cured, the top coat of Andura Trowel & Roll coating was applied. Protective Wall Coatings find that this coating gives a thicker application and then they use a nylon roller for downward texture ensuring that when it rains, the water runs off and the surface is self-cleaning. Andura’s Trowel & Roll coating gives an attractive textured appearance and has been specifically formulated for the protection and decoration of brick, cement renders and many other masonry surfaces. It provides a hard wearing, long lasting and beautiful finish to keep exterior walls in top condition. Andura Trowel & Roll coating comes in 16 standard colours, plus a colour matching service is available. It is a solvent-borne high performance acrylic coating conforming to Building Regulations. Andura is accredited to IS0 9001:2015 quality management standards.
Barking and Dagenham Council has ambitious plans to deliver a £1 billion town centre rebuild and is looking for a select list of builders capable of delivering it. Entirely owned by the council, the urban regeneration company Be First aims to create a panel of contractors to deliver over 40 projects. Architects West Williamson + Partners have drawn up the town centre regeneration plans, which have at its heart the existing listed station building. 2,200 new homes will be built, together with new commercial and social infrastructure, all connected by over two hectares of new clean, green, accessible open spaces. Moreover, the masterplan also includes significant over-track development, which will create a series of urban quarters linked by a reinvigorated high street and capillary routes. The construction framework will be divided into two lots – one covering projects worth up to £20 million and the other projects valued at over £10 million. Lot one has an estimated value of £250 million over the next four years, while Be First expects Lot two to account for up to £750 million worth of projects. Firms interested in the scheme have until the 9th of July to complete proqual documents, available on the e-sourcing site: https://www.delta-esourcing.com/tenders/UK-UK-Barking:-Construction-work./SY8JJ34E6T. Be First has already confirmed the appointment of architects to deliver the next phase of the Gascoigne Estate East rebuild, known as Weavers Quarter. White Arkitekter will deliver the detailed design for phase two, while HTA Architects will deliver phase three of the scheme which involves over 500 homes. In total the estate renewal will see over 1,575 new homes being built, along with the new primary and secondary schools, an energy centre, community centre, play areas and retail space. The project is scheduled to be completed by 2024.
Unite Students, the UK’s leading manager and developer of student accommodation, has been granted a planning approval to develop a 928-bed student accommodation development in Leeds. The site, located on Merrion Way in the city centre, is close to both the University of Leeds and Leeds Beckett University. The site would increase Unite’s Leeds portfolio to 4,376 beds, serving a student population of 58,000, and further enhancing Unite’s operating efficiency in the city. In the last five years, Unite’s occupancy in the city has been 99% with over 1,800 beds subject to nominations agreements with Leeds universities. The development will generate a development yield in line with our target returns and will be funded from internally generated sources. It is expected to be open for the 2020 academic year. The transaction reflects Unite’s strategy of aligning its property portfolio with high-ranking universities where student numbers are growing whilst underpinning further earnings growth. Nick Hayes, Group Property Director, Unite Students said: “Leeds is a strong performing market, with a diverse and growing student population. With two high quality Universities, we expect demand for quality, affordable student accommodation to grow and this development will help to fulfil that need.”
