Willmott Dixon has been appointed to work with the University of Exeter to complete detailed designs to build a new Multi-Faith Centre at Streatham Campus. Construction is due to start in summer this year. Exeter City Council recently approved plans to develop the Multi-Faith Centre, which will replace the existing
Fradley Park Primary School in Lichfield, Staffordshire, celebrated the official opening of its £4.8m free school with the local community last week (Friday 13 January). The two-storey building, which was constructed by Midlands-based contractor G F Tomlinson and completed in summer 2022, opened to 210 primary and 26 nursery pupils in
Family-run Scottish housebuilder, Muir Homes, has purchased land with planning permission to build high-quality family homes at its first development in Midlothian. The new site is in Pathhead, a popular community close to Dalkeith. The site is allocated for housing in the Midlothian Local Development Plan and extends over 6.9
Colchester-based chartered surveyors Whybrow, which operates under the Beresfords property group umbrella, is on the development team on the Colchester Northern Gateway Leisure Park. Its dedicated team of chartered surveyors is advising its client, Turnstone Estate, with commercial needs throughout the construction of the 200,000 sq. ft. Northern Gateway Leisure
Construction work to develop a new railway station in Butetown and to redevelop Cardiff Bay station as part of the biggest upgrade to public transport in the area for a generation will soon begin. In the summer of 2022, Transport for Wales (TfW) confirmed plans to build a new two-platform
Harlow Council has approved plans to redevelop the town centre’s bus station and Terminus Street area. The proposals, which form part of Harlow Council’s town centre regeneration plans, were approved by the council’s Development Management Committee. The overhaul will be made possible thanks to government support secured by the council
Mace has been appointed as the main contractor on the refurbishment of Fleet Street’s Peterborough Court, the largest interiors project for the Group in the past decade. Construction has started on the landmark Fleet Street office development scheme, Peterborough Court, the former European headquarters of Goldman Sachs. Peterborough Court, located
Sheen Lane Developments has got the planning thumbs up to turn a landmark House of Fraser building in south west London into a mixed-use development with gym and restaurant. The firm will redevelop the George Street store in Richmond giving it an additional top floor and extending the basement for
Estate agent Jones & Chapman, has been appointed by Peel L&P to market and sell the highly sustainable two, three and four-bedroom, modular homes now complete at Redbridge Quay, Wirral Waters. Arthur and Doreen, from Liverpool, have become the very first residents to move into the new development, which includes
Sainsbury’s has put forward plans to build a new store in Arborfield Green as part of a development plan for the Berkshire village. The proposal has been made as part of the development of the new district centre in Arborfield Green. The supermarket has said it plans to open a
Willmott Dixon has been appointed to work with the University of Exeter to complete detailed designs to build a new Multi-Faith Centre at Streatham Campus. Construction is due to start in summer this year. Exeter City Council recently approved plans to develop the Multi-Faith Centre, which will replace the existing Muslim prayer rooms and multi-faith spaces in the Old Library with a 50 person Muslim prayer space and a multi-faith space. It will also house communal meeting space, a kitchen, a dedicated office for the Multifaith Chaplaincy Team, a Changing Places facility and an external terrace area. “We are really excited to progress our plans for the new Multi-Faith Centre. The University is committed to supporting equality, diversity and inclusion and developing cultural competence working with partners across Exeter and Cornwall, and the wider region,” said Shraddha Chaudhary, Assistant Director for Culture and Inclusion at the University of Exeter. Sustainability and reducing carbon emissions are fundamental to the design of the new Multi-Faith Centre, which aims to achieve the Passivhaus standard. Features include the use of highly efficient porotherm blocks, air source heat pumps and PV panels on the building’s roof. Willmott Dixon has been working with a professional team, that includes Faithful and Gould, Group Emmett Design, SE3Design, Sands, SDS and ARUP. “Having worked with the University of Exeter on a number of projects, we are looking forward to delivering this new and inclusive Multi-Faith Centre and supporting the University’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, culture and heritage of its students and the wider community. This project aligns with our commitment to push the boundaries of sustainable design construction and operation of building,” added Rob Woolcock, Director at Willmott Dixon. The contractor has worked for the University of Exeter before on several projects. It has also several Passivhaus projects under its belt, including the Centre for Medicine at the University of Leicester and the Harris Academy in Sutton. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Fradley Park Primary School in Lichfield, Staffordshire, celebrated the official opening of its £4.8m free school with the local community last week (Friday 13 January). The two-storey building, which was constructed by Midlands-based contractor G F Tomlinson and completed in summer 2022, opened to 210 primary and 26 nursery pupils in autumn last year – being the first school to be built in the area in over 40 years. “We’re delighted to have marked the official opening of Fradley Park Primary School, working collaboratively alongside Staffordshire County Council and Entrust, which has provided much-needed school places for young children within the local area. The brand-new facilities and state-of-the-art classrooms have created enhanced environments for children to learn and grow, and the ceremony was a great opportunity to see them explore their fantastic new school,” said Kevin Dodds, Construction Director at G F Tomlinson. The opening ceremony was attended by Ben Robinson, High Sheriff and County Councillor Jonathan Price from Staffordshire County Council, Construction Director Kevin Dodds from G F Tomlinson, and CEO of John Taylor Multi-Academy Trust Mike Donoghue. As well as approximately 50 guests, comprising school staff and governors, John Taylor MAT directors and members, and colleagues from the local authority and other partner and community organisations. “I was really pleased to officially open Fradley Park Primary, which is the latest primary school in the county to be built in response to growing demand for school places in the area. It’s been great to see the first classes of children settling in well to their new school, which looks to be a fantastic place for them to start their education journey,” commented Staffordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Education Jonathan Price. The occasion was marked with speeches and a presentation of the school’s journey, before the Lichfield school was officially opened by Ben Robinson, High Sheriff of Staffordshire County Council and County Councillor Jonathan Price, Cabinet Member for Education and SEND. The school was delivered through the Staffordshire County Council Framework, and project managed by Entrust, and is now being managed by the John Taylor Multi Academy Trust. This is one of six educational schemes that G F Tomlinson has delivered within Staffordshire alongside Entrust, with the Derby-headquartered firm recently completing the latest scheme – Bramshall Meadows First School in Uttoxeter. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Family-run Scottish housebuilder, Muir Homes, has purchased land with planning permission to build high-quality family homes at its first development in Midlothian. The new site is in Pathhead, a popular community close to Dalkeith. The site is allocated for housing in the Midlothian Local Development Plan and extends over 6.9 acres. The proposals include 34 high quality and energy efficient houses and four flats next to Tynewater Primary School at the southern edge of the village. The majority of homes are for private sale and the flats will provide affordable homes to be managed by Midlothian Council. Muir’s design will blend the much needed new family homes in Pathhead with the existing community. The plans incorporate existing footpaths and include new links from the new homes to the school, local parks and amenities. As well as creating routes to and from the new homes, Muir will also include additional landscaping to the existing tree line to provide a natural and sustainable buffer between the proposed homes and the primary school. “We are pleased to announce the completion of this new site at Pathhead. It is part of Muir Homes commitment to build quality new homes in new communities across Scotland. Muir is proven to be successful in providing superb quality homes where people want to live. Pathhead not only has its own vibrant community, it is a village on the edge of stunning countryside, with easy access to village, town, out-of-town and City shopping experiences nearby. It also has the advantage of being easily commutable to Edinburgh,” said Paul McKay, Managing Director, Muir Homes. “Our family homes are suited to this type of location. Families will be attracted to the range of education options and recreational activities. The homes also allow space for homes offices to support hybrid working. We aim to contribute positively to the development of Pathhead through the new homes we are providing and the enhancements to the existing facilities for the community.” Muir Homes will build larger family homes to accommodate the demand for houses in this area as it provides an attractive environment for children and good quality Primary and Secondary Schools; Pathhead also offers access to amenities at Dalkeith and easy accessibility to Edinburgh. The 9 new affordable homes will allow residents with lower incomes to stay in the area in good quality accommodation. The plans meet the requirements of the national and local design policies. As part of its commitment to the local community, Muir is working closely with the Tynewater Community Council to ensure the new homes are integrated into the existing village. It is also recommending any investment it provides will benefit directly the Pathhead community. Construction will start in March with the new private homes released for sale at Easter. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Colchester-based chartered surveyors Whybrow, which operates under the Beresfords property group umbrella, is on the development team on the Colchester Northern Gateway Leisure Park. Its dedicated team of chartered surveyors is advising its client, Turnstone Estate, with commercial needs throughout the construction of the 200,000 sq. ft. Northern Gateway Leisure Park, having acquired this ten-acre site next to the A12 from the Council. The leisure park, which is due to complete in Autumn 2023, will include a 12-screen cinema for Cine UK, 20-lane bowling alley for Hollywood Bowl, a Puttstars indoor golf centre and Jump Street indoor play park. As well as this it will have a 96-bed Travelodge, drive-thru restaurants for Greggs and Wendy’s, an EV charging station and a high-quality landscaped piazza with parking for 750 cars. “We’re delighted to be assisting on transforming the Northern Gateway into a hub, which is a key part of our commitment to boosting the economy of the Borough. The whole development and Northern Gateway area will also benefit from the construction of a carbon-cutting, District Heat Network at Colchester Northern Gateway to supply heat and hot water to the developments’ homes and businesses. A digital network will also provide ultra-fast broadband to local homes and businesses, as well as encouraging biodiversity through bio retention ponds and the planting of native trees,” said Ewan Dodds, chief executive officer of Whybrow. Terms have now also been agreed to let three of the restaurants, one to Kervan Kitchen and two others to a regional buffet operator (4,000 sq. Ft.) and one to a gelato and meat restaurant (3,200 sq. ft.) with terms out on several others. Practical completion is due in September 2023. “We are pleased that our expert team of chartered surveyors at Whybrow are working on this exciting project, to bring the very best results. Northern Gateway Leisure Park will have a great impact on the local community and beyond, and we look forward to seeing it complete next year,” added Paul Beresford, chief executive officer of Beresfords. Established in 1985, Whybrow has been dedicated to providing property consultancy to local, regional and national companies – particularly those with a presence in the South East and London – for nearly 40 years. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Construction work to develop a new railway station in Butetown and to redevelop Cardiff Bay station as part of the biggest upgrade to public transport in the area for a generation will soon begin. In the summer of 2022, Transport for Wales (TfW) confirmed plans to build a new two-platform station in the north of Butetown. The existing Cardiff Bay station will also be enhanced, as well as getting new signage, customer information screens and other improvements. Cardiff Bay station will remain open for passengers while the work is taking place. Installation of a new track will allow faster and more frequent services using brand new tram-trains, enabling a new timetable to be introduced from 2024. “The Bay Line transformation project is an important part of the South Wales Metro and we’re delighted to be able to begin construction work on the brand-new station in Butetown, as well as important upgrades to Cardiff Bay station. From 2024 we’ll be providing a smoother, greener, modern public transport service which will open up a range of opportunities for people living in Butetown and the wider Cardiff Bay area,” said James Price, TfW Chief Executive Officer. “We’re keen to continue working collaboratively with local residents through workshops and drop-in sessions, where people will be able to get more information and ask questions about the Bay Line transformation,” he added. The plans are to fit with a wider collaborative vision, working alongside Cardiff Council and the Welsh Government. The work will explore potential options for future transport routes between Cardiff Central and Newport Road, via the Cardiff Bay line and Porth Teigr subject to funding being secured. A seven-week consultation was launched on 12 December to collect feedback from the public, the findings of which will inform the project’s outline business case. Members of the public can find out more and take part in the consultation by visiting the Community and Stakeholder Engagement page on the TfW website. Cardiff Bay residents living close to the railway line have been contacted with details of the construction and engineering work taking place in the area which is needed to deliver the Core Valleys Lines (CVL) programme, at the heart of the development of South Wales Metro. The build of a construction compound on Lloyd George Avenue will begin this month, with the works on the track starting from early 2023. TfW will soon be preparing for the installation of a construction compound on the trackside of Lloyd George Avenue to manage its work and provide welfare facilities for workers. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Harlow Council has approved plans to redevelop the town centre’s bus station and Terminus Street area. The proposals, which form part of Harlow Council’s town centre regeneration plans, were approved by the council’s Development Management Committee. The overhaul will be made possible thanks to government support secured by the council as part of its successful £23.7m Towns Fund bid. The planning permission makes way to develop a new transport hub and interchange for Harlow bus station services, as well as a cycle hub and dramatic improvements to the area’s public realm amenities and landscaping. Works, which are due to start in the coming months, will deliver: • The entire redevelopment of the bus station and Terminus Street • A new single-storey transport hub to the north of the site, with green space and a canopy covered waiting area • A cycle hub to the south with storage space for up to 80 cycles • Flexible events space • A new exit for buses from Terminus Street onto Crown Gate • Transformation of Terminus Street • The removal of the bridge connecting East Walk and Terminus House • A new entry area to Terminus House, with a lift to serve the first and second floors • Works to the existing Terminus House bin store. The development will support both existing public transport routes and proposed sustainable transport corridor routes, which will promote walking and cycling, as part of the development of Harlow and Gilston Garden Town. The inclusion of green areas and an events space will also help to transform the overall character of the area and create a welcoming environment. “This is another major step forward for the regeneration of the town centre following the recent purchases of Occasio House and the Harvey Centre, the £46 million investment from Strawberry Star and the many other plans that are coming into fruition – all in line with our Town Centre Masterplan,” said Councillor Dan Swords, Deputy Leader of the Council. “This transformation of Terminus Street and the entire rebuilding of the bus station area will completely overhaul a run-down part of the town centre into a welcoming gateway into Harlow’s new town centre. The new transport hub will allow for sustainable transport and cycling and will be built to the highest quality, with fantastic landscaping, public realm and build quality. This has all been made possible by the £23.7 million Towns Fund investment from the government which will also transform Broad Walk too – seamlessly connecting the new gateway into the town centre with the high street. “This is truly a historic moment for our town as the regeneration of the town centre motors on with construction work starting shortly. We are delivering on the council’s commitment to entirely rebuild our town centre and to restore pride in our town. We are also continuing our work with all our other regeneration priorities for the town, like building new council homes, repairing existing council homes and restoring pride in the town,” he added. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Mace has been appointed as the main contractor on the refurbishment of Fleet Street’s Peterborough Court, the largest interiors project for the Group in the past decade. Construction has started on the landmark Fleet Street office development scheme, Peterborough Court, the former European headquarters of Goldman Sachs. Peterborough Court, located at 133 Fleet Street, will be remodelled to create 292,000 sq ft of curated Grade A workspace and ground floor retail across eleven floors. The iconic property offers flexible floor plates of between 16,000 sq ft and 33,000 sq ft, with access to private terraces across four floors and public courtyard open space. The scheme will be available for occupation from Q2 2024. CBRE and JLL are joint leasing agents. Peterborough Court features transformed Fleet Street and Shoe Lane building entrances, activated frontages, a long gallery entrance with new glazing, and redesigned interiors aligned to the highest sustainability standards, health and wellness and dual-feed, 100% ‘All-Electric’ technology. The building will target green building certification BREEAM status of ‘Excellent’, or better, as well as ‘Platinum’ ratings for WELL (health and well-being), Wiredscore (broadband connectivity) and ActiveScore (commuter convenience). In addition, a minimum EPC energy efficiency rating of ‘B’ rating will be achieved. Peterborough Court has excellent transport and cycle connections adjacent to the Fleet Street conservation area. The property will offer c. 600 cycle spaces, EV charging points, luxury showers, lockers, changing and support facilities to appeal to London’s cyclist commuter market. The design features SMART technology, outdoor spaces, attractive on-site F&B amenities and impressive leisure facilities. The building is expected to exceed LETI 2030 and RIBA Climate Challenge 2030 embodied carbon targets. The £120 million investment programme for Peterborough Court is managed by Broadwater Capital. Mace, the international construction and consultancy firm, has been appointed as the main contractor on the scheme and will be supported by JRA for architectural services and BDP for structures and lighting. Gardiner & Theobald provide Project Management and Cost Consultancy services and Gerald Eve act as the planning advisor. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Sheen Lane Developments has got the planning thumbs up to turn a landmark House of Fraser building in south west London into a mixed-use development with gym and restaurant. The firm will redevelop the George Street store in Richmond giving it an additional top floor and extending the basement for a swimming pool. The grade II-listed store was originally built in the 1960s and has been empty since September 2020 when House of Fraser ceased trading. “We’re extremely pleased to have secured planning consent for this prominent town centre building in the heart of Richmond. It offers a superb opportunity to bring back into use a key building that has been empty for more than two years,” said Henry Courtier, of planning consultant Pegasus Group. The developer Sheen Lane Developments is now starting work having already secured occupational interest from several operators, and it is expected that the basement and first floor will be occupied by private gyms, with the ground floor being retail and a restaurant. Offices would occupy floors two and three, while another restaurant would move to the fourth floor. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Estate agent Jones & Chapman, has been appointed by Peel L&P to market and sell the highly sustainable two, three and four-bedroom, modular homes now complete at Redbridge Quay, Wirral Waters. Arthur and Doreen, from Liverpool, have become the very first residents to move into the new development, which includes a mix of the award winning ‘Town House’ and ‘Row House’ modular homes, designed by Liverpool architects Shedkm. The couple initially left Liverpool and moved to Lancaster but were drawn back to the city region because of its history and connectivity. They really enjoy being by the water, so when they found Redbridge Quay, they sold up and moved straight back. Jones & Chapman has offices based in Prenton (349 Woodchurch Road) and Wallasey (108 Wallasey Road) and is part of the award-winning national estate agency network, Sequence (UK). The estate agent will market over 350 homes which will make up this development, with the first phase of 30 homes now complete. Each individual home at Redbridge Quay is being precision engineered using Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) and will exceed all carbon reduction targets. Town House alone is over 50% more energy efficient than the average new build home. Located in the emerging Northbank neighbourhood at Wirral Waters, the waterside development is surrounded by beautiful Grade II listed grain warehouses, a new pocket park, green landscaping and new public realm, including dockside walkways. The development, previously known as East Float, has now officially been named as Redbridge Quay due to its proximity to the famous red bridge in the northeast corner of Wirral docks. It follows Peel L&P taking over the whole development from Urban Splash earlier in the year. “We are delighted to welcome Arthur and Doreen to Redbridge Quay and hope they will enjoy everything that Wirral Waters, and the Wirral, has to offer. We are also pleased to appoint Jones & Chapman as the agent for Redbridge Quay and look forward to welcoming them to the Wirral Waters family,” commented Richard Mawdsley, Peel L&P’s director of development for Wirral Waters. “This is a very exciting residential development for the Wirral as it will bring the very latest in sustainable housing design and innovation to the area which will be a huge appeal for so many families looking for a sustainable, energy efficient home,” he added. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Sainsbury’s has put forward plans to build a new store in Arborfield Green as part of a development plan for the Berkshire village. The proposal has been made as part of the development of the new district centre in Arborfield Green. The supermarket has said it plans to open a ‘neighbourhood hub’ store, which would be a larger version of its convenience stores. It will create 40 jobs in the area and offer a click-and-collect service for customers. “The store would form part of the district centre off Nine Mile Ride Extension, which we’ve awarded outline planning permission and are now awaiting a more detailed submission from developer Crest Nicholson. The development is required to include this, which we imposed to ensure residents are served by high-quality infrastructure alongside new housing which the Government requires us to take,” said the Wokingham Borough Council. “We welcome Sainsbury’s news as it shows the financial uncertainty caused by coronavirus and Brexit, which is why the district centre has been delayed, is improving. Further details will come through a separate planning application.” Crest Nicholson exhibited revised plans for Arborfield Green’s district centre and is now seeking people’s feedback before it submits a planning application to the council. The plans include a supermarket, smaller shops, a square, a community centre, a pub and green space and allotments. Since the plans were first put forward the developer has proposed a different layout and new pedestrian areas. The plan is running behind schedule due to the coronavirus pandemic. The council has apologised to residents for the delay. It said: “We know there’s been frustration at how long this has taken, so we’ve met Crest to discuss these delays and will be pressing them to move as quickly as possible. This project fell behind schedule, in part, due to reasons beyond the developer’s control. The coronavirus pandemic made retailers reluctant to open stores so it was very hard to attract interest from supermarkets. “Without an ‘anchor’ tenant to attract others, which was also partly down to Brexit, the scheme was unviable for a while. Government guidelines require us to be fair so we didn’t take any further action. However, as time moves on and the national situation improves, we’ll stay in touch with Crest to ensure there are no unnecessary delays.” Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
