Latest phase adds to 1,450 homes already created at flagship development Approval now means work could begin by Autumn 22 St. Modwen, a leading developer of new communities and high-quality homes, has reached the latest milestone at its flagship Longbridge development after Birmingham City Council granted planning permission for a
The effectiveness of education provided to students is directly proportional to the quality of the learning environment where the teaching is delivered. Optimal acoustics, thermal performance, air quality, natural lighting, security and aesthetics work harmoniously together to positively impact how students and teachers stay comfortable and focused, and perform academically.
Barhale has been awarded a design and build contract to enable completion of Barking Riverside train station – the new London Overground station that will service over 10,000 new homes planned in East London. Barking Riverside Limited (BRL) has appointed civil engineering and infrastructure specialist Barhale to install a new
GLP, a leading investor and developer of logistics warehouses and distribution parks, today announces that it has successfully leased multiple warehouses at Magna Park Lutterworth to top-tier customers, along with commencing speculative development on four units at Magna Park South Lutterworth. Magna Park Lutterworth is the UK and Europe’s largest
Leading infrastructure, construction and management consultancy, Rider Levett Bucknall UK (RLB UK) has been appointed to key transport operator First Group’s Property Projects Consultancy Framework on its Project Management and Principal Designer lots. The Framework contract, which lasts for two years with a one year option, covers England and Wales
United Living Group has announced that Ole Pugholm has been appointed as Group Chief Financial Officer. He joins the leadership team following the recent acquisition of Great British Telecoms, which boosted the United Living Group’s turnover to in excess of GBP 0.5 billion annually. The business has also won some
A disused site on Weymouth’s coast could be transformed into a picturesque housing and industrial development in multi-million regeneration plans. The land at Newton’s Road off Newton’s Cove was formerly the base of defence research company QinetiQ Bincleaves up until its closure. The disused site has been subject to regeneration
Housebuilder Harron Homes have officially joined Homes England’s Delivery Partner Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS). Homes England is the Government’s housing delivery agency and one of the largest vendors of residential land. Harron Homes will be joining 65 other developers, suppliers and housing associations in the new £20bn DPS. The Delivery
New ‘SETL’ contemporary living canal side development situated in Birmingham’s iconic jewellery quarter will feature 101 apartments together with 2,350 sq. ft. of ground floor commercial space. GMI Construction Group PLC an established and successful UK contractor and construction services company providing specialist design and build capabilities spanning multiple sectors
The Connecting Leeds £25million transformational Corn Exchange project is due to complete following resurfacing works which are happening later this month. Once fully complete, the area around the Corn Exchange will see restrictions to general traffic, allowing for bus priority measures, enhanced bus stop signage and facilities, safer cycle tracks
Latest phase adds to 1,450 homes already created at flagship development Approval now means work could begin by Autumn 22 St. Modwen, a leading developer of new communities and high-quality homes, has reached the latest milestone at its flagship Longbridge development after Birmingham City Council granted planning permission for a new neighbourhood of 350 new homes. This latest phase builds on the 1,450 homes and 3,000 full-time jobs already delivered by St. Modwen, which has already boosted the local community and economy. St. Modwen has worked in partnership with the West Midlands Combined Authority which has contributed £6 million of grant funding to support the redevelopment of the West Longbridge area. Work is already underway on the infrastructure throughout the 75-acre site and represents a significant part of the overall £1 billion regeneration project that is being undertaken. The new homes will be built by St. Modwen Homes and construction is expected to begin by Autumn 2022. The planning success builds on the momentum from late 2021 when planning permission was granted to build a new state of the art veterinary hospital which will create up to 150 skilled new jobs at West Longbridge Business Park. It represents a major milestone in the development of the park as it becomes a leading centre for science and technology, medicine, advanced manufacturing and R&D. The importance of Longbridge was highlighted by former Minister for Housing, Chris Pincher, when he visited the site in November of last year. The UK Government has made the regeneration of brownfield sites such as Longbridge a top priority as part of a national target to build a million new homes. On completion of the regeneration works, St. Modwen will have created over 3,000 new homes, 2 million sq ft of commercial floorspace and up to 10,000 jobs at Longbridge. Rob Flavell, Senior Director for St. Modwen, said: “Housing has always been an integral part of our plans here at Longbridge. More businesses are coming to Longbridge and employees require good quality, local housing. I’m delighted that the next phase of this regeneration can progress and the whole team here at St. Modwen are looking forward to more significant developments at Longbridge throughout 2022.” West Longbridge will also feature 27 acres of attractive, green space connected to the nearby Austin Park, including a mile of the River Rea which will open to the public for the first time, increasing biodiversity and promoting health and wellbeing throughout the area. Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “Securing planning permission for this latest development of housing represents yet another important step for the regeneration of Longbridge. For those of us familiar with the troubled history of this site it really is brilliant to see the rejuvenation of Longbridge coming along, and I am delighted the WMCA has been able to play its part in making that happen. “This scheme is the latest in a long line that we have helped fund, bringing derelict brownfield land back into use to create much-needed new homes and new jobs for local people. Not only that, but our brownfield-first approach to redevelopment across the West Midlands also helps protect our precious and irreplaceable greenbelt land.” For more information about the ongoing regeneration of Longbridge town centre, visit: https://www.longbridgebirmingham.co.uk
The effectiveness of education provided to students is directly proportional to the quality of the learning environment where the teaching is delivered. Optimal acoustics, thermal performance, air quality, natural lighting, security and aesthetics work harmoniously together to positively impact how students and teachers stay comfortable and focused, and perform academically. Kawneer continuously invests in façade systems that create excellent learning environments, allowing specifiers to choose from a wide variety of market leading products designed and built to the highest possible standards. From a suite of products specifically designed for the Education sector, highlights include the AA®190 TB, a severe duty welded commercial entrance door that offers robust performance, the AA®720 SL window, offering great thermal characteristics and slim sightlines, and our market leading AA®100 curtain wall system, which provides a best-in-class performance. Facing the challenges together With a vast amount of experience in this sector, helping to create buildings that deliver aesthetic, cost and performance requirements, Kawneer understands the challenges faced by architects, fabricators and maintenance teams. That’s why it specialises in aluminium façade solutions that provide excellent performance, best value, unmatched durability, reduced maintenance and a low carbon footprint. Kawneer manufactures high performance aluminium curtain wall systems at its purpose-built manufacturing facility in Runcorn, Cheshire. These products allow specifiers to meet both the technical performance and cost brief of any project, creating excellent learning environments that provide great aesthetics and optimise natural light and ventilation. Leading by example As all aluminium façade products are manufactured in the UK, Kawneer can also guarantee supply and competitive lead times, while ensuring that its systems remain competitive. Fully tested in accordance with the BSI standards, Kawneer products are responsibly sourced with BES 6001 accreditation, supported by Life Cycle Assessments and Environmental Product Declarations for all main systems and low carbon aluminium billet solutions. Teachers strive to ensure the experience and knowledge they pass on to a new generation lasts a lifetime. Kawneer wants the buildings it has helped to create to withstand the test of time and ensure they provide comfortable learning environments for all future generations. Discover more at: Kawneer-education.com
Barhale has been awarded a design and build contract to enable completion of Barking Riverside train station – the new London Overground station that will service over 10,000 new homes planned in East London. Barking Riverside Limited (BRL) has appointed civil engineering and infrastructure specialist Barhale to install a new foul water pumping station at the terminus which is currently being built as part of the £260M extension of the Gospel Oak to Barking Overground Line. BRL is the joint venture between L&Q and the Mayor of London spearheading Barking Riverside, the mixed-use development that will regenerate the 443 acre brownfield site of the former Barking Power Station. Barhale will enter a three month design phase with design partner Nicholas O’Dwyer before the main construction work commences in May 2022. The programme will also include laying a linking length of foul sewer to a new rising main and the drainage within the pump station to connect the incoming sewer to the inlet chamber and to a new emergency storage. A key consideration is overcoming the challenging ground conditions, predominantly tidal alluvium, presented by the location alongside the River Thames. Barhale’s Daniel Meadowcroft, regional manager, explained that the team had been able to bring its experience of similar scenarios to bear in its recommendations. “Our approach will see the originally-specified, shallower-laid, large diameter pipes replaced by a storage tank,” he said. “Given that we are literally working on the banks of the Thames, it will provide a firmer foundation and minimise the risk of settlement. “It’s a great example of how we are able to draw upon our extensive expertise in overcoming engineering challenges to find an optimum solution. “Barking Riverside is a hugely important project to help build the transport infrastructure for a new community in East London. We are very excited to be playing a part.” Barking Riverside station is scheduled to open later this year.
GLP, a leading investor and developer of logistics warehouses and distribution parks, today announces that it has successfully leased multiple warehouses at Magna Park Lutterworth to top-tier customers, along with commencing speculative development on four units at Magna Park South Lutterworth. Magna Park Lutterworth is the UK and Europe’s largest dedicated logistics and distribution park, situated within the Midlands’ ‘Golden Triangle’ of logistics. Home to 36 different customers and occupying over 11 million SQ FT of sustainable floor space across 41 buildings, Magna Park Lutterworth is GLP’s flagship distribution park. The deals in the park include two spec build lettings and a build to suit transaction in the North, plus a letting of an existing building in Magna Park Central: Bleckmann, a fashion and lifestyle supply chain expert, has leased the first of the three “spec builds” in Magna Park North, taking a 200,102 SQ FT building (MPN1) on a long-term lease. The warehouse will be used to service Bleckmann’s increasing number of contracts and will be the company’s second unit leased at Magna Park Lutterworth, after it acquired Tornado-186 18 months ago. Iron Mountain, an information management services company, has signed an agreement to lease MPN3, the third spec building under construction, totaling 297,194 SQ FT. This will support Iron Mountain’s UK expansion strategy. MPN3 is expected to complete by the end of March 2022. LX Pantos has taken a building on a built to suit basis – MPN4, totaling 310,000 SQ FT, which is expected to complete by July 2022. LX Pantos is upsizing from an existing facility and plans to use the warehouse to service LG Electronics, amongst other top brands. In a separate development, GLP has completed the letting of Hurricane-258, a 258,000 SQ FT cross-docked distribution unit located within the Magna Park Central Lutterworth development, to Rhenus Home Delivery. Rhenus intends to operate the unit as a two-man lift operation in response to the further growth of their home delivery business. The letting brings the park close to 100% occupancy, with only MPN2, GLP’s 500,000 SQ FT spec build, available. MPN2 is currently under construction and is expected to complete in March 2022. Following the highly successful development of 1.2 million SQ FT (Phase one) last year in Magna Park South (MPS), GLP has announced it has commenced the next phase (Phase two) of speculative development in MPS, with another 1 million SQ FT being constructed across four buildings. The development will see the construction of 186,000, 211,000, 256,000 and 355,000 SQ FT buildings respectively. Work on-site will commence in Q2 and is expected to complete by Q4 2022. As with all GLP’s developments, the existing and new units follow GLP’s rigorous ESG development standards and benefit from best-in-class specification including wide service yards, significant HGV and car parking allocations, dock levelers, level access doors, increased natural light, electric vehicle charging and abundant power supply. Each development is also BREEAM Excellent, designed to WELL principles and features a range of sustainability and energy efficiency measures. Joe Garwood, Senior Development Director at GLP, explains: “This marks an exciting time in the ongoing development of Magna Park Lutterworth, which has been firmly established as Europe’s leading logistics and distribution park. The park has seen unprecedented development and leasing activity in recent months, with GLP completing eight deals over the course of last year totaling 2.2 million SQ FT. We are delighted to partner with such well-established companies, and we look forward to working with Bleckmann, Iron Mountain, LX Pantos and Rhenus Home Delivery and supporting them as they grow.”
Leading infrastructure, construction and management consultancy, Rider Levett Bucknall UK (RLB UK) has been appointed to key transport operator First Group’s Property Projects Consultancy Framework on its Project Management and Principal Designer lots. The Framework contract, which lasts for two years with a one year option, covers England and Wales and spans all First Group’s existing railway property including more than 400 stations managed across the UK network. RLB was awarded the framework based on the extensive experience of its team on project managing works and maintenance across the railway infrastructure. This team experience includes projects such as Crossrail, High Speed 2, Midland Metro Alliance, East West Rail, Network Rail Infrastructure Projects, Network Rail platform extension programme and the Manchester Piccadilly station. As well as their reputation within the industry, RLB’s award-winning team is spread across 12 national offices combining global best practice and innovation with local knowledge and complementing the First Group’s regional footprint. Stuart Parker from First Group commented, “We wanted to work with partners who not only understood the transportation and property sectors but also had an in-depth knowledge of best practice across the built environment, and a complementary added value attitude to provide better rail services, keep people moving and communities prospering across the country. RLB’s breadth of service delivery and range of sector experience as Project Managers and Principal Designers, alongside the outstanding technical expertise of their proposed team, made them an obvious choice to be involved in the framework.” Simon Pledger, RLB Project Management lead for Infrastructure and National Framework Project Management Account Manager for First Group comments, “Transportation infrastructure is more than a way of getting people from A to B. It works towards driving social equality, boosting the economy and bringing accessibility to all. We are delighted to be supporting First Group in ensuring it provides optimised facilities across its railway estate, in retaining a leading position in the thriving UK rail market, and in improving their customer experience offering.”
United Living Group has announced that Ole Pugholm has been appointed as Group Chief Financial Officer. He joins the leadership team following the recent acquisition of Great British Telecoms, which boosted the United Living Group’s turnover to in excess of GBP 0.5 billion annually. The business has also won some major contracts over the last few months including a 10-year £160 million partnership with Lewisham Homes, delivering major refurbishment works to its existing housing stock, a 432 new home development in Cardiff, worth £55 million and a £1.6 million deal on a district heating project at the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland (AMIDS) – which has a total project value of £150 million. In addition, it has secured places on the £750 million Fusion 21 Decarbonisation framework and the £5 billion SCF Residential framework. Ole’s extensive experience, spanning more than 15 years in CFO level roles, includes working with private equity and Global Fortune 500 multinationals, most recently working as CFO for the Marine Division of Survitec Group Limited, a global organisation with a presence in 96 countries. He has a significant background in turnaround management, acquisition and growth – supporting both the commercial and operational aspects of business – and an impressive track record of building strong performing finance teams, whilst creating business value through both buy and build, and organic growth. Neil Armstrong, Chair and CEO, United Living Group commented: “I am delighted to welcome Ole to the team. His exceptional track record and experiences will bring significant value to the business and support our further development plans, helping to set us up for future success.” Ole Pugholm added: “I am pleased to be joining United Living Group at an exciting point in the company’s development. I very much look forward to working with Neil and the wider Executive Team on developing its growth potential and building on the considerable success the group has achieved so far.”
A disused site on Weymouth’s coast could be transformed into a picturesque housing and industrial development in multi-million regeneration plans. The land at Newton’s Road off Newton’s Cove was formerly the base of defence research company QinetiQ Bincleaves up until its closure. The disused site has been subject to regeneration developments after being earmarked for redevelopment in April 2008 to build a new hotel, takeaway restaurant and 110-residential apartment block but development never started. Read more: Inflatable park including 50ft obstacle course and huge slides is coming to Weymouth A separate application to build a care village of 195 supported living units, a 60-bed care home, 34 respite hotel suites, cafe and restaurant was approved in August 2016. Despite the existing premises being demolished, the new development was never built. Since then, the 12-acre site was sold to Juno Developments UK Ltd in 2021 as they unveiled their ambition to regenerate the disused site in a £70milllion project. The Pegasus Group, on behalf of Poole-based Juno Developments UK Ltd, has submitted outline planning permission to Dorset Council to construct a mixed-use development comprising up to 189 dwellings and 65-bed care home, with space for a gym, swimming pool and spa. The application also includes office/light industrial floorspace and a waterside restaurant with associated car parking, with vehicular and pedestrian access from Newton’s Road. The developers add they would carry out cliff stabilisation and sea defence works as well as create pedestrian paths and cycle lanes. The plans show the coastal Weymouth site will have five ‘character areas’, which comprise of a 119-flat residential block, 62-flat residential block, 65-bed care home, home zone comprising of eight townhouses and an employment block of six units. The residential flats will have 58 one-bedroom units, 108 two-bedroom units and 15 three-bedroom units. Developers feel the development would allow Dorset Council to “meet its housing needs and contribute to the vitality and viability of the economy and the social well being of the local residents.” Its design and access statement reads: “Overall, this statement has demonstrated that the siting, alignment, design, scale, mass, and materials used would complement and respect the character of the surrounding area and would actively reinforce the sense of place by ensuring that general design of the proposed buildings would be in harmony with each other whilst also making reference to the former industrial buildings which used to occupy the site. “In conclusion, this application represents an opportunity to contribute to the regeneration of Weymouth town centre with a comprehensive high-quality redevelopment proposal that will provide a sustainable mix of residential accommodation and employment-generating uses.” The application, which is in its public consultation stage, has already attracted one positive comment from a resident has he welcomed the plans for a new restaurant. Luke Brain wrote to Dorset Council: “(I) Love the plans for Newtons Cove. An area which has always looked a little bit drab can, at last, be appreciated. “It would be good to see a tourism aspect as part of the plans. I like the fact it will offer somewhere to grab food or a drink while walking around the Newtons Cove/ Nothe Area.”
Housebuilder Harron Homes have officially joined Homes England’s Delivery Partner Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS). Homes England is the Government’s housing delivery agency and one of the largest vendors of residential land. Harron Homes will be joining 65 other developers, suppliers and housing associations in the new £20bn DPS. The Delivery Partner DPS is one of Homes England’s main routes for land distribution and it gives house builders such as Harron Homes the ability to bid for these sites. Other public bodies may also use the DPS to procure developers, broadening housebuilders exposure to potential projects. It also allows for potential new members to join at any time – in contrast to the previous framework which renewed every four years. Nick Hague, Land Director at Harron Homes, said “After a rigorous application process, we are delighted that Homes England have accepted us onto its exciting new DPS system. “Being accepted enables us to work dynamically in identifying and procuring residential land. We are already planning on how to take maximum advantage of a framework that unlocks opportunities to be involved with projects which may have previously not come to our attention. “The new framework means benefits are passed onto both landowners and home buyers, new homes can be built quicker”. To find out more about current Harron Homes developments and the homes currently available, visit https://www.harronhomes.com/find-a-home/ or call the sales team on 01777 553390.
New ‘SETL’ contemporary living canal side development situated in Birmingham’s iconic jewellery quarter will feature 101 apartments together with 2,350 sq. ft. of ground floor commercial space. GMI Construction Group PLC an established and successful UK contractor and construction services company providing specialist design and build capabilities spanning multiple sectors has today announced that it has been appointed by leading property developer HBD to construct a new residential-led scheme in Birmingham’s iconic Jewellery Quarter. The development, titled ‘Setl’ is HBD’s first city centre development in Birmingham and has been designed by leading architects BPN, based in the jewellery quarter. 101 apartments will be accompanied by an array of residential amenities and 2,350 sq. ft. of ground floor commercial space. The scheme will feature a courtyard, workspace, a lounge and a gym, along with a rooftop garden on the upper floors of the six-storey building. Speaking about the announcement Andy Bruce, Divisional Marketing Director GMI Construction Group said: “We are very much looking forward to seeing this contemporary new development coming out of the ground, which will transform a redundant site into a modern, attractive development right at the heart of Birmingham’s iconic jewellery quarter. “GMI is proud to be have been trusted by leading developer HBD to deliver its first city centre development in Birmingham in an area with such a strong commercial history.” GMI continues to make good strides in Birmingham and the Midlands with over £100M of projects secured in our order book with new and established customers including HBD, St Modwen, Graftongate and St James Securities and across multiple sectors including residential, industrial/logistics, commercial, hotel and student. Simon Raiye, Director at HBD, said: “Setl is one of the city’s most exciting new developments, creating high-end, design-led apartments in one of Birmingham’s most sought after areas. We look forward to working with GMI to bring our vision to life.”
The Connecting Leeds £25million transformational Corn Exchange project is due to complete following resurfacing works which are happening later this month. Once fully complete, the area around the Corn Exchange will see restrictions to general traffic, allowing for bus priority measures, enhanced bus stop signage and facilities, safer cycle tracks and pedestrian crossings. There will also be a new public realm space created directly outside the Corn Exchange, more greenery and wider pavements, making room for al-fresco dining on Lower Call Lane. Also part of the scheme, New Briggate will now be partly pedestrianised with upgraded cycle tracks. Traffic has been removed from this route onto Vicar Lane which allows the creation of outdoor opportunities for the growing restaurant and bar sector in the area. The resurfacing, which is due to happen later this month, involves removing 50mm of existing road surface, re-setting drainage covers and manhole lids and re-painting white lines and other road markings. Night-time closures will be in place, with roads closing at 8pm to general traffic and re-opening at 5am each morning. The pavements will still be open to pedestrians and businesses in the area will be open as usual. Buses will be temporarily diverted, and signs will be placed at bus stops with information on alternative stops. Work is scheduled in the following locations and dates: Kirkgate, Crown Street and New York Street: Sunday 27 February, 8pm – Thursday 3 March, 5am Call Lane: Monday 7 March, 8pm – Wednesday 9 March, 5am Meadow Lane (near old Asda filling station): Monday 7 March, 8pm – Tuesday 8 March, 5am Meadow Lane and Hunslet Road cycleway: Thursday 10 March, 8pm – Friday 11 March, 5am Call Lane (near Blue Rinse): Wednesday 9 March, 8pm – Thursday 10 March, 5am Lower Briggate cycleway: Wednesday 9 March, 8pm – Thursday 10 March, 5am New Briggate: Sunday 13 March, 8pm – Thursday 17 March, 5am New Briggate cycleway: Monday 21 March, 8pm – Tuesday 22 March, 5am The work is weather dependent and any adverse weather conditions will mean that it will need to be rescheduled. All works on this scheme are due to be complete by the end of spring and form part of the Leeds Public Transport Investment Programme which will see £173.5million investment into public transport and road improvements in Leeds. The improvements to the public realm around the Corn Exchange is funded by West Yorkshire Combined Authority under the Government’s Getting Building Fund. It involves £8.6million of match funding which is part of Leeds’ £12.2million Grey to Green programme. While resurfacing work is taking place, the council is urging people to plan journeys in advance by visiting the Connecting Leeds website or visiting the WY Metro website for bus diversions. Councillor Helen Hayden, Leeds City Council’s executive member for infrastructure and climate said: “It’s exciting to see the final resurfacing works happening on this scheme. It gives these historic streets and buildings the surroundings it deserves whilst increasing opportunities for active travel and providing extra public space in the city centre. “We appreciate this next phase of work will be disruptive, but our contractors will make every effort to keep noise to a minimum and carry out noisy works as early on in the shift as possible. We would like to thank people and businesses for their patience while this project has been ongoing and ask that people continue to plan ahead to experience minimal disruption to their journey.” Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire said: “The Corn Exchange is a real gem and is a beacon of culture and creativity, so it’s fantastic to see these changes, which will make the historic landmark more welcoming to the people of Leeds and visitors from far and wide. “Improving cycling, walking and public transport provisions form a key part of my pledge to tackle the climate emergency, so I’m also delighted that we are part of this scheme that will see more green spaces and provisions for active travel.”
