The developers of one of the biggest new industrial developments in the region are showing their commitment to the local community by backing an awards event. Richardson Barberry, the team behind the huge Forrest Park development at Aycliffe Business Park, has joined the growing list of high-profile names to back
Your property may fall vacant for various reasons. Perhaps you’ve just relocated and are yet to rent or sell your property. Other times, you may have moved out for renovations or gone for a long holiday. Leaving your property uninhabited may expose it to numerous risks. For instance, thieves find
Davidsons Homes is set to welcome the first residents into their new homes at a housing development in Meppershall. The developer is building a range of two, three, four and five-bedroom homes at Woodlands Rest, located off Shefford Road. Of the 145 homes being built, two are due to be
The unique design of a new double-faced sports stand that works seamlessly for both Yorkshire County Cricket Club and the rugby league Super League club Leeds Rhinos posed a unique set of challenges for ironmongers Em-B and architects DLA in Leeds. Security, public safety, and access control were all key
Nuclear AMRC Midlands is set to lead dynamic supply chain developments in high value UK manufacturing Work on a transformative £15m nuclear research facility in Infinity Park Derby (IPD) is now underway, which will advance manufacturing capabilities in sustainable energy using pioneering technologies. The 46,728 sq. ft research centre, Nuclear
Work has started on the transformation of a landmark building, Fairfax House, in Leeds city centre’s Arena Quarter, into a major new residential development consisting of 168 apartments. Fairfax House, on the corner of Merrion Street and Wade Lane, is being developed by Leeds based property company YPP and has
High-tech 117,000 sqft warehouse further strengthens west London’s connectivity and capability abrdn’s AIPUT fund (Airport Industrial Property Unit Trust) has today announced the completion of the second and final phase of construction of its state-of-the-art dnata City East warehouse campus, located opposite Heathrow’s Cargo Terminal. The completed 360,000 sq ft
The redevelopment of Sunderland’s Civic Centre site into a new residential community, has been given the green light. A planning application for 265 new homes was approved at the City Council’s Planning and Highways (East) Committee meeting last night (11.04.22). North East regeneration and construction specialist Vistry Partnerships will deliver
Construction begins on two new apartment buildings for Hestia, the residential Platform of Federated Hermes. Launch of phase two highlights positive social impact of the SOYO project within the city of Leeds and the wider region. Event brings together local leaders and stakeholders to reflect on 2.5 years of activity
NATIONAL contractor Stepnell is bolstering its reputation in the education sector across the South West, as the business works on its sixth school project in Dorset in the operating year. Stepnell’s work across the multi-million-pound school projects, which include renovating buildings dating from the early twentieth to the twenty-first century,
The developers of one of the biggest new industrial developments in the region are showing their commitment to the local community by backing an awards event. Richardson Barberry, the team behind the huge Forrest Park development at Aycliffe Business Park, has joined the growing list of high-profile names to back Aycliffe Business Park’s Make Your Mark awards, in association with Husqvarna. The glamorous awards ceremony – organised by Aycliffe Business Park Community (ABPC) – will be held at the stunning Redworth Hall Hotel on Friday, May 20. Richardson Barberry are backing the awards by sponsoring the Engineering and Manufacturing award – joining headline sponsors Husqvarna and category sponsors Gestamp, Stiller, Ebac, Business Durham, Think Kudos and Jacksons Law Firm. Barberry industrial development director and shareholder Jon Robinson said: “It’s great to see the return of the Make Your Mark awards after what has been a highly challenging couple of years for many companies. “Everyone at Richardson Barberry is delighted to be able to support such a prestigious event which celebrates some of the exceptional achievements of people and companies at Aycliffe Business Park. “Together with our joint venture partners Richardson, we are excited at the prospect of adding to the success of Aycliffe Business Park by delivering new industrial and logistics units at Forrest Park. “Situated on a 116-acre site, it will be one of the North-East’s premier business parks, stimulating economic growth by an estimated half a billion pounds in the next 10 years and creating over 3,000 jobs for the region. “We are submitting our reserved matters planning application in April 2022 for our phase one scheme comprising of c: 780,000 sq ft over eight buildings and are talking to local, national and international occupiers who have expressed interest in taking some of the 1.8 million sq ft of industrial space available at Forrest Park. “They are attracted by the fact that it is a serviced and consented site, in a first class business location on a motorway junction, with access to an excellent, skilled labour demographic. “Companies moving to Forrest Park will also benefit from becoming part of the vibrant and highly successful Aycliffe Business Park community. “We are looking forward to joining everyone at the awards and celebrating the hard work, innovation, investment and successes of those businesses that have been shortlisted.” ABPC board director Thomas Prentice, who’s business development manager at Stiller, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to have Richardson Barberry on board with the Make Your Mark awards. “The Forrest Park site is a hugely exciting development for Aycliffe Business Park and it’s fantastic to see its developers not only engaging with the business park so positively, but also embracing these awards, which are so important.”
Your property may fall vacant for various reasons. Perhaps you’ve just relocated and are yet to rent or sell your property. Other times, you may have moved out for renovations or gone for a long holiday. Leaving your property uninhabited may expose it to numerous risks. For instance, thieves find it easy to break-in. It’s also vulnerable to vandalism, squatting, and disasters like fire, floods, wind, and hail. With that in mind, you need to safeguard your property, whether you’re leaving it vacant for a long or short period. Here are six incredible tips on maintaining your empty property: Provide Security You may consider hiring Empty property security guards from reputable firms to maintain, safeguard, and oversee your vacant property. The guards should monitor your property full time. This protects it from vandals and squatters. In addition to offering security services, they may undertake risk evaluations and help keep your compound clean until you’re back. Aside from that, you’d want to install security cameras and alarms as a reinforcement to the guards. Install Smart Home Devices Technological advancement has made it possible to monitor your home remotely through smart devices. This helps keep your property safe and gives you peace of mind since you can see all that’s happening around your home. You may install smart home cameras that record live footage and send it to your phone directly. In case of an attempted break-in, you can notify security quickly, saving your property from vandalism. You can also consider installing a smart lighting system that lets you turn your lights on and off even when you’re away. This scares those with ill intentions as they may think you’re around. Additionally, make a point of installing smart thermostats. These enable you to adjust your home’s temperatures according to the current weather conditions. For instance, during cold seasons, you may keep your home warmer and prevent your pipes from freezing entirely and even bursting. Use Metal Doors Metal doors provide extra security for your property. Burglars can’t break in simply because they must use special equipment to force the door open, unlike wooden doors. The noise generated in the process alerts your neighbors, who can inform the police, thus thwarting the attempted robbery. Metal doors also provide a barrier to vandalism and trespassing. And no matter how long you’re away, metal doors can’t be destroyed by pests and insects. This maintains the sound state of your doors and saves you from the costly repairs associated with dilapidated doors. Inform Your Trusted Neighbors Your neighbors are an indispensable asset when it comes to vacant property. You can speak to the ones you trust most, informing them about your intended absence. As they’re always around the home, they can constantly watch your property and report anything strange to you or the police. You can also assign someone to conduct periodic inspections to check for issues like leaking pipes and report them to you. Purchase An Empty Property Insurance If you’re going to leave your property unoccupied for a long time, you may consider purchasing vacant property insurance. This primarily covers theft, vandalism, and natural disasters like fire outbreaks, hail, and winds. Vacant property insurers know the risks of an empty property. If you inform them, they can make regular visits to your asset and identify any problems timely or even keep them at bay. Maintain Internal And External Cleanliness One obvious indicator of an empty property is bushy and dirty surroundings. Once thieves, vandalizers, and squatters notice that your home is increasingly unkempt, they conclude that you’re not around. Thus, they’ll go ahead and break into your property. Therefore, you need to ensure the grass and bushes in your compound are trimmed, and the flowerbed is neatly weeded. Also, remember to remove any litter around and empty the dustbins. This gives your surroundings an attractive look and gives the impression that it’s inhabited. Don’t forget to dust your house. Even though it’s unoccupied and locked, dust still gets in. Dusting prevents any permanent stains from forming on your expensive furniture and interiors. To make all these maintenance chores possible, you may employ a friend or neighbor to do it on your behalf. Conclusion Leaving your property empty for lengthy periods is risky. Therefore, you need to put appropriate measures to safeguard it from burglars, vandals, and trespassers. Remember, prevention is better than cure. It’s better to take precautions against theft and break-ins than to come to terms with huge losses. So, consider appointing security guards, replacing wooden doors with metal ones, installing smart home devices, and purchasing empty property insurance covers. This way, you’ll keep your unoccupied property safe.
Davidsons Homes is set to welcome the first residents into their new homes at a housing development in Meppershall. The developer is building a range of two, three, four and five-bedroom homes at Woodlands Rest, located off Shefford Road. Of the 145 homes being built, two are due to be occupied and 26 have sold so far off-plan. Simon Tyler, Sales Director for Davidsons Homes South Midlands, said: “The first homeowners moving in will mark an important milestone at Woodlands Rest. “Ever since we released the first homes for sale last spring, we’ve experienced incredibly high demand at the development. We’ve received interest from buyers locally as well as further afield, including buyers from the outskirts of London who are looking to relocate to a quieter village location. “We’ve also found that buyers are attracted to the development for our high quality and traditional style of build, as well as its central location with a wealth of amenities close by. “We look forward to seeing buyers settle into life at the development and to witnessing this brand-new community start to take shape.” Two new showhomes and a brand-new sales office were opened at the end of January at Woodlands Rest by Councillor John Thompson, Chairman of Meppershall Parish Council, and the Parish Clerk Alessandra Marabese. Simon added: “The recent launch of our Winchester and Barnwell showhomes gives house-hunters the perfect opportunity to get a feel for the luxurious and spacious interiors of the homes on offer here at Woodlands Rest.” There is currently a selection of three, four and five-bedroom homes available to reserve at Woodlands Rest, with prices starting from £419,995. For more information, visit davidsonshomes.co.uk.
The unique design of a new double-faced sports stand that works seamlessly for both Yorkshire County Cricket Club and the rugby league Super League club Leeds Rhinos posed a unique set of challenges for ironmongers Em-B and architects DLA in Leeds. Security, public safety, and access control were all key considerations throughout, all on a project specced to the highest standards of design and finish of the hospitality industry. The unique concept of a double-sided, jointly owned stand posed double the amount of challenges for Em-B who were appointed following a successful project on Headingley’s East Stand 15 years ago. Two clients, two architects, two designers with completely different needs to deal with, plus the demands of different door suppliers to coordinate. Em-B was tasked with coordinating all these different elements, acting as technical consultant for door hardware and access control throughout, checking compliance across the piece and bringing the project together. The Emerald Headingly Stadium is home to both the Leeds Rhinos Rugby League Club and Yorkshire County Cricket Club, both of whom had very differing needs and requirements for the project in terms of security, accessibility, and aesthetics. Em-B worked on both sides of the stand including boxes, changing rooms, hospitality areas and concourses: a complex brief. The owners, Caddick Group, brought in Em-B as the result of previous successful projects, bringing them in at a very early stage of the process to consult on security and access control. The project had been planned by architects DLA for six years. The spec, especially for the hospitality areas, was exceptionally high. The client wanted the directors’ suite to have the finish of a high-end boutique hotel rather than a sports stadium, combined with high levels of security for corporate and players’ entrances. “Em-B worked closely with us to manage all of the hardware requirements for the complex Headingley stand project. We have worked with Em-B in the past and knew we could rely on them to deliver the outcomes we wanted.” said Chris Wilson, of client Caddick Construction. The project was a complex one with different requirements from the cricket and rugby clubs – from high security access control to high-end hospitality areas across both sides of the stand. Em-B coordinated two architects, two designers, steel door and shutter manufacturers to deliver an end product that looks great, works seamlessly and is totally compliant with all the regs.” Em-B is a thriving, well-established architectural ironmongery practice and supplier of door solutions based in Leeds established in 1998. The firm regularly win awards for its architectural ironmongery schemes on some of the UK’s most prestigious projects, working for household name architects and clients. Em-B’s success is built on working as a true partner within the construction process from drawing board to installed product and beyond.
Nuclear AMRC Midlands is set to lead dynamic supply chain developments in high value UK manufacturing Work on a transformative £15m nuclear research facility in Infinity Park Derby (IPD) is now underway, which will advance manufacturing capabilities in sustainable energy using pioneering technologies. The 46,728 sq. ft research centre, Nuclear AMRC Midlands, scheduled for completion by early 2023, next to Rolls-Royce and within 20 minutes’ drive of global manufacturers Toyota, Alstom and JCB, is preparing to support companies of all sizes to join carbon neutral supply chains ahead of the global race to achieve net zero by 2050. With energy prices now at record levels, Nuclear AMRC Midlands will help to guide the manufacturing industry towards critical energy transitions to facilitate growth in a carbon neutral economy. Development of the new Nuclear AMRC facility follows a successful pilot programme at Infinity Park’s Connect iHub, joined by the University of Derby, now home to fifteen engineers and support staff. The new research site will support 35 collaborative research and development projects, including high value sectors such as aerospace, automotive and rail within the first five years. Professor Warren Manning, Provost – Innovation and Research at the University of Derby, said: “Co-locating the Institute of Innovation in Sustainable Engineering with the Nuclear AMRC will enable us to share resources and expertise and open up new opportunities for our academics to support whole business sectors to become greener, more efficient, more competitive and ultimately help drive the recovery and future prosperity of our city and region.” The Government-backed IPD collaboration, with the University of Derby, Derby City Council, Wilson Bowden, Peveril Securities, Harpur Crewe Estate and Rolls-Royce, with over £9m from D2N2, will accelerate technological innovations uniting skills, markets, and demand with clean energy. Andrew Storer, CEO, Nuclear AMRC said: “As the first High Value Manufacturing Catapult facility in the East Midlands, we will continue to work closely with local industry, academic and government partners to deliver sustainable growth for decades to come. The coming years will see increasing investment into clean energy and low-carbon technologies, and the region is well placed to capitalise on the opportunity thanks to its wealth of experience, innovation and engineering expertise. We have already helped dozens of Midlands-based manufacturers to develop their capabilities for the nuclear sector and want to work with even more to support their ambitions across other growing low-carbon sectors.” Mark Bielby, of March Developments, development managers for IPD LLP said: “Nuclear AMRC is a beacon of excellence and its involvement at Infinity Park Derby is projected to add £71m to the local economy over five years. The shift to carbon neutral technologies is now an obvious priority for industry and with the help of our construction partner Stepnell we will deliver a sustainably designed building, which will lead by example.”
Work has started on the transformation of a landmark building, Fairfax House, in Leeds city centre’s Arena Quarter, into a major new residential development consisting of 168 apartments. Fairfax House, on the corner of Merrion Street and Wade Lane, is being developed by Leeds based property company YPP and has been designed by Brewster Bye Architects. The main seven-storey office building, which was built in the 1960s, is being transformed into 154 studio and one-bedroom apartments, which already had permitted development approval. In addition, Brewster Bye secured planning permission earlier in the year for a two-storey rooftop extension that will comprise of 14, one, two and three bedroom apartments, and will replace an existing rooftop plant structure. Amenity space for residents will also be incorporated into the scheme. Colbre Projects Ltd has been appointed as principal contractor and work is due to complete in August 2023. The development will then be managed by YPP Lettings and become part of the Live Oasis brand which offers high quality rental apartments across numerous purpose-built developments throughout Leeds and beyond. A spokesperson from YPP said: “Securing planning permission and then immediately starting work on the transformation of this iconic Leeds building, is a fantastic position to be in. “The scheme benefits from having both Leeds Arena and the city’s main shopping and leisure areas on its doorstep. It’s also in a part of the city that is currently benefitting from a huge amount of new development, as well as numerous new and completed tall building projects, which all enhances the vibrancy of the area and will make it a fantastic place to live.” Andrew Chapman, associate director at Brewster Bye Architects, said: “Fairfax House is a very distinctive Leeds building in a prominent city centre location, but it was no longer fit for purpose and looked dated in this fast-evolving part of the city. “As part of the development’s design, we’ve made major improvements to enhance the building’s appearance which will include partial glazing and recladding, and a smart new welcoming feature entrance will be created. This will be complemented by a generous outdoor and indoor amenity space for residents to enjoy across the ground and upper ground floors, that will offer landscaped seating areas and various other communal spaces. “Once complete, there’s no doubt it will be a sought-after place to live in one of the city’s most exciting areas.” This is YPP’s latest development in the city’s Arena and Northern Quarters. The company is also behind Havana Residence, Q1, Belgrave & Warwick and Commerce House, which is currently under construction.
High-tech 117,000 sqft warehouse further strengthens west London’s connectivity and capability abrdn’s AIPUT fund (Airport Industrial Property Unit Trust) has today announced the completion of the second and final phase of construction of its state-of-the-art dnata City East warehouse campus, located opposite Heathrow’s Cargo Terminal. The completed 360,000 sq ft warehouse campus significantly strengthens the nation’s critical logistics infrastructure, ensuring high value time-critical products are moved more quickly, safely and sustainably from this gateway location. Each phase of dnata City East has been specifically designed to meet the operational requirements of dnata, the largest independent cargo-handler serving Heathrow. The campus represents both the largest off-airport cargo handling operation at Heathrow Airport and one of the largest pre-lets in west London. The earlier 242,000 sq ft warehouse building – also built by AIPUT and pre-let to dnata – has been operational since late 2019, handling import and export throughput for Virgin Atlantic Cargo and Delta Cargo at Heathrow. Occupier demand for the very best sustainable industrial space in gateway locations throughout Greater London has accellerated throughout 2021 and early 2022, driven by the Covid recovery but also in response to Brexit and global supply chain issues. West London is virtually fully occupied, with vacancy levels of Grade A industrial space in this area at historic low levels of less than 3%. The lead contractor for the Phase 2 warehouse was specialist industrial and logistics constructor, McLaren Group, reporting to project manager, Avison Young. Throughout its design and construction, the building has incorporated the latest carbon reduction techniques, helping to future-proof both the operational and commercial value of the asset and to positively benefit the environment, local communities and the heath and wellbeing of dnata’s staff. Recycled and low-carbon materials have been widely used, together with the installation of solar PV panels, air-source heat pumps and electric vehicle charging points. This specification has already set new quality standards in the area, as well as achieving a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ environmental rating. /cont: Edward Amery, Head of UK Logistics at abrdn, commented: “The completion of AIPUT’s dnata City East marks the culmination of a four-year project to deliver a significant milestone in our strategy to drive the growth of AIPUT’s market-leading portfolio of prime industrial assets. dnata City East sets a new quality benchmark for industrial property investment, representing one of the UK’s very best critical logistics infrastructure assets. “We are proud that this new ‘centre of excellence’ will play a vital, long-term role in strengthening the UK’s supply chain resilience and make a positive impact at a local level for the environment and for communities.” Alex Doisneau, Managing Director, dnata (UK) Limited, commented: “The completion of Phase II of dnata City East marks a major step forward in our successful ongoing relationship with AIPUT, which has delivered a world-leading air cargo warehouse destination at the UK’s premier gateway airport. “These two new state-of-the-art facilities serve to support and enhance our customer and operational needs in a constantly changing environment.”
The redevelopment of Sunderland’s Civic Centre site into a new residential community, has been given the green light. A planning application for 265 new homes was approved at the City Council’s Planning and Highways (East) Committee meeting last night (11.04.22). North East regeneration and construction specialist Vistry Partnerships will deliver the project which, in addition to the new housing, will provide high quality public open spaces and cycling and pedestrian links, improving access to the city centre. Of particular note is a proposal to recreate Saint George’s Square – bomb damaged during the Second World War and lost to redevelopment in the 60s – with the Grade II listed Saint George’s House as the focal point. The architecture and streetscape will be sensitive to the parkside location and the Ashbrooke Conservation Area. The completed homes will be sold under Vistry’s house building brand Linden Homes and will range from one to four bedroomed homes, with many benefitting from views across Mowbray Park. A complex demolition programme will be undertaken to clear the site ready for the new development. Andrew Rennie, Development Director with Vistry Partnerships North East, said: “We are delighted to have secured approval for this city centre redevelopment to go ahead, which we are confident will play a pivotal part in Sunderland’s regeneration. “We aim to create an attractive new residential quarter that sits comfortably within the surrounding architecture, with a focus on green space that encourages community use. It will be a fantastic new inclusive neighbourhood with its own distinctive character, providing a new housing offer on the edge of Ashbrooke and Mowbray Park whilst benefiting from the close proximity to the city centre.” The civic centre redevelopment is part of a wider plan to build more than 7,000 new homes across the city by 2030. This will ensure that Sunderland has the volume and variety of homes it needs to attract and retain a diverse range of residents. Peter McIntyre, executive director of city development at Sunderland City Council, said: “Having made the move to our new City Hall only a matter of weeks ago, I am delighted to see plans for the former civic centre site given the green light. “Housing on the outskirts of the city centre will deliver a significant boost to traders in the heart of the city, as people living on the doorstep head in to spend their time and money in shops, bars and restaurants. By bookending the city with residential developments – at Riverside Sunderland and the former Civic site – we will boost footfall and hopefully – with it – spend too.” Sunderland City Council is also delivering on ambitions to develop contemporary new city centre homes on the Riverside Sunderland site, and at Northern Spire Park alongside the stunning Northern Spire bridge, as well as driving developments at the seafront and Sunderland South Growth Area (SSGA). The council announced plans to relocate from its current base to Riverside Sunderland in 2019 and work commenced on Sunderland City Hall later that year. The move will enable the council to deliver services from a modern environment, where residents can access a range of services under one roof. Bringing together a range of public sector partners, that will work from the 190,000sq ft office space, city hall is being funded by institutional investor Legal & General, which is also working with developer Landid, to build two speculative offices that will stand on adjacent plots. Vistry Partnerships North East is currently active on 12 construction sites around the region with a gross development value of just under £350 million and four further projects in the planning process. The Sunderland Civic Centre project has been delivered with Lichfields Planning Consultants. Senior Director at Lichfields Newcastle office, Michael Hepburn, said: “This project has been a significant collaborative effort with both the local community and Council officers, providing significant contribution to the vibrancy and vitality of an important sector. Founded in 1962, Lichfields offers a range of planning services including economics, heritage, sustainability, and GIS. Its clients include local authorities and government bodies, as well as developers, landowners and operators in the housing, retail, leisure, commercial, waste and recycling and infrastructure sectors.
Construction begins on two new apartment buildings for Hestia, the residential Platform of Federated Hermes. Launch of phase two highlights positive social impact of the SOYO project within the city of Leeds and the wider region. Event brings together local leaders and stakeholders to reflect on 2.5 years of activity on SOYO, as well as plans for the future. Construction work has started on the latest Hestia apartment scheme in the SOYO district of Leeds, on behalf of Federated Hermes Limited and is scheduled for completion in late 2023. The scheme comprises two adjoining blocks in the new city centre district, with planning permission held for 331 apartments – a mixture of studio, 1,2 and 3 beds – as well as outdoor courtyards, and 12,000 sq. ft retail, restaurant and ground floor amenity space. The blocks will be delivered alongside new public realm including green spaces and a public square, in the fast-evolving cultural quarter of the city. Leeds-based DLG Architects have been tasked with designing the buildings with sustainability credentials that put the scheme on the Net Zero Carbon pathway by, using techniques to reduce embodied and operational carbon. Caddick Group businesses Caddick Developments, Caddick Land and Caddick Construction will work with the project team to take the scheme from blueprint to delivery. Myles Hartley, MD Caddick Developments said: “Projects like SOYO represent a huge investment in Leeds. This development will deliver new homes, commercial spaces and new landscaped areas – all things that will improve the physical built environment. As part the team developing Caddick’s wider ESG approach, I’m also hugely proud that we’ve been able to deliver the ambitious social value targets we set for ourselves, in spite of the challenges of the pandemic” Matt Chillingworth, Senior Investment Manager, Federated Hermes added: “Having established Hestia’s presence in Manchester, Liverpool and London, we are excited to bring the brand to Leeds. We are focused on delivering high quality mid-market, sustainable housing across the UK and in doing so are helping to deliver a meaningful impact on local communities. SOYO Leeds is an ideal location to achieve these goals. SOYO Leeds is using the opportunity to highlight the positive local impact of the development so far, which includes nearly 500 local Leeds residents being brought into employment on the first phase of SOYO – New York Square. The latest phase for Hestia will support a further 2,000 construction jobs, with the creation of 10 new apprenticeships. TT&G acted for Federated Hermes.
NATIONAL contractor Stepnell is bolstering its reputation in the education sector across the South West, as the business works on its sixth school project in Dorset in the operating year. Stepnell’s work across the multi-million-pound school projects, which include renovating buildings dating from the early twentieth to the twenty-first century, is contributing to the county’s upgrading programme and adding to an ever-growing portfolio of education building expertise. Stepnell began their sixth project, a major renovation at Coombe House, on the outskirts of Shaftesbury in October 2021. Formerly St Mary’s School – a Roman Catholic day and boarding school for girls that was closed in July 2020 due to funding issues – the 165,000 square feet of mixed-use accommodation set within 55 acres was purchased by Dorset Council for £10 million as part of the council’s five-year £145 million capital programme. The project is due to complete in spring 2022. Previously, three projects have been completed on behalf of Gillingham Primary School, Ferndown Upper School and Blandford Upper School, with Coombe House, Woodroffe School, and Corfe Hills School currently underway. Corfe Hills School works are part of the efficiency estate programme and involve extensive remodelling and refurbishment of an existing year block. Provision of all new M&E Services, and IT Services. This also includes the provision of existing services to the remainder of the school at all times whilst implementing all new M&E and IT services. Provision of new classrooms, new windows and doors and associated ventilation. Formation of new IC’S and assistance with the decant of a number of classrooms. All works are taking place in a live school environment with works in close proximity to occupied classrooms. The project at Ferndown comprised of alterations to classrooms through new stud partitions, suspended ceilings and new flooring. At Blandford Upper, new ceilings, toilets and shower cubicles formed part of the refurbishment of the changing rooms. Remedial fire stopping works and fire doors were implemented between compartments to the roof void of block four. Furthermore, fire stopping measures were installed between the stairwells in block H and the adjoining class and storerooms. Rob Speirs, regional managing director of Stepnell, said: “Working within live sites in educational settings poses unique challenges but we are delighted to have been able to safely and efficiently complete works around the opening requirements of the school. The result is an enhanced space for high-quality education via the remodelled year block and existing school areas.” Rob added: “We were thrilled to have secured the redevelopment project for Coombe House, which will be pivotal in increasing the accessibility to high quality SEND institutions in Dorset. “Alongside our completed projects at Ferndown Upper School and Blandford Upper School, each development has shown Stepnell’s capability to form strong collaborations – including with Dorset Council and architects Kendall Kingscott. Our works in the region are helping to enable more resilient communities in a county where parents are desperate for their children to be educated to a high quality and meet their needs closer to home.” To find out more about Stepnell visit: www.stepnell.co.uk or join the conversation at @Stepnellltd.
