Kier has appointed Actavo Building Solutions to help with the completion of a prestigious offsite construction project that is located in Eastbourne. It is thought that the UKs fastest-growing modular construction company, according to Plimsoll Analysis, has been selected to help with the construction work by Kier on the Devonshire Park project. The two will work together in order to provide a players’ village that will be two-storeys high ready for the Aegon International Eastbourne tennis championships that are happening in June 2017. The work on this development started in January 2017 and it is thought that it will be completed by May 2017. The site will have open spaces that will be used for fitness training, as well as changing areas and showers, WCs and a platform lift that will allow disabled access on to the second floor of the athlete’s village. The facility developed by Actavo and Kier will provide an environment that is conducive to relaxation for the players while off court. This ethos in the build is shown through the generous ceiling heights as well as the lounge areas that have views across the courts as well as having high quality fixtures and fittings. It has been said that offsite buildings are becoming increasingly sought-after as customers find them a faster alternative to more traditional construction method because modular buildings allow for the facilities to be constructed in half the build time which means that the operations are faster and buildings are completed in a shorter space of time. For this development the Mono-crystalline PV panels as well as a high efficiency mechanical heating system will mean that the finished facility will have a reduced energy consumption. There will also have a full height glazed curtain walling in order to provide a high level of visibility across the grass courts. The concrete floor solution provided by Actavo will give the building a robust and durable feel.

Kier Property has secured a double deal in Manchester City Centre and revealed it will begin work on an 80,000 sq ft office project on Fountain Street in 2017. Kier Group’s development arm will revamp Oldfellows House, which it brought from Aberdeen Asset Management, to provide floor plates of between 10,211 sq ft and 11,668 sq ft. There will also be two retail units on the ground floor. When finished, Oddfellows House will be known as Eleven York Street. Furthermore, Kier Property has sold nearby 81 Fountain Street to real estate investment firm Aprirose. Constructed in 1988, a comprehensive refurbishment of the 40,100 sq ft property is underway and should complete in December. Managing Director for Kier Property (North), Tom Gilman, commented: “These two deals demonstrate the high demand for office space in the heart of Manchester, and we are excited to be involved in the transformation of the transformation of the CBD. “We have been looking for the right opportunity for some time and Eleven York Street provides us with a perfect platform to break into Manchester and expand our already successful northern operations. “81 Fountain Street is a fantastic space, and the sale demonstrates the demand for high quality office space.” Managing Director of CBRE, John Ogden, advised Kier on the purchase of Eleven York Street. He said: “With a number of high profile lease events over the coming 18 months there are certainly some high calibre suitors for this highly desirable HQ opportunity.” Last month, Kier announced the completion of the disposal of Mouchel Consulting to WSP Global Inc. for £75 million cash. Mouchel Consulting, bought in June last year as part of Kier’s acquisition of Mouchel, provides engineering, environmental and asset management consultancy services, principally to infrastructure markets. Kier announced in July that it was undertaking an evaluation of the strategic options for the Mouchel Consulting business including a possible disposal.

Construction and property company Kier has opened an office in Swansea to support growth in South Wales. Kier’s new base at Technium 2 will complement the group’s regional hub in Cardiff and create seven new jobs to be filled by people who live in the Swansea area. The firm is working with Beyond Bricks and Mortar – a Swansea Council-led initiative that aims to make sure young people and those economically inactive are given chances for sustainable employment and training – during the recruitment process. The group has also taken on two recruits from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD), who will work in job placements that complement their degrees. Kier has completed a series of high-profile schemes in the area, including the first phase of the new, multimillion-pound Swansea Innovation Quarter for UWTSD. Other schemes include the Neath car park regeneration project for Neath Port Talbot Council, and construction projects with Coastal Housing, Swansea University and Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board. Operations Director for Kier Construction Wales, Jason Taylor, commented: “It’s an exciting time for Swansea, with key developments in and around the city changing the urban environment and perception of the city. As Swansea becomes a vibrant hub of commerce and culture, it’s an ideal location for our new office. “The wider West Wales market presents a significant growth opportunity for us, and our new office underlines our commitment to our clients, our suppliers and subcontractors and the wider business community in the area.” Kier has also submitted plans on behalf of the Mersey Care NHS Trust for a new medium secure hospital to the north west of Liverpool. The new hospital, on Villas Road, will be constructed on land in between Ashworth hospital and HMP Kennnet in Maghull. It will replace the existing Scott Clinic in St Helens, which has been deemed no longer fit for purpose.

It has recently been announced that Kier has been chosen to deliver upon a new £53.5m scheme for student accommodation on behalf of the University of Northampton, and to serve as part of the university’s brand new, £330m waterside campus. Aiming to offer some 1,166 bedrooms for student use, the development will see a mixture of both four and five storey structures, comprising of both townhouses and flats for the majority of the accommodation, then also offering a 32-bedroom teaching hotel, ancillary and commercial space to provide yet further opportunity. It is expected that the development will begin the construction phase further into the year, with the project hoped to be completed in time for 2017’s academic year – naturally, it is hoped that the residences will be filled by students for the year, and so the speedy development of the project is a must to achieve this. The scheme comes to follow on from a number of projects which Kier has already undertaken with the University of Northampton, with the firm already having developed the university’s innovation centre (£7.2m), as well as the St John’s Halls of Residence project (£17.6m), which has already seen the addition of some 468 bedrooms for students to the location. Additionally, the scheme also follows on Kier’s well-founded experience in the provision of schemes for student accommodation, with the firm presently developing greater than 700 bedrooms for students in projects across the width and breadth of the UK. Additionally, the company has also recently seen the completion of the London Gateway project on behalf of the University of Lincoln, also then providing considerable bedroom space for students – 519 in total. Kier’s Managing Director, Mark Dady provided comment, then saying: “Being awarded this scheme is testament to the relationship we’ve built with the university over the past few years and we’re pleased to see this continue.”