Plans for a new £20 million leisure centre in Nottinghamshire have been submitted and, if approved, construction work may start in Summer 2020. The concept to build a leisure centre in Bingham has already been approved by Rushcliffe Borough Council. In October 2018, the investigations into the feasibility of a
The vast majority of people love trips to casinos, whether in Sin City, Macau or anywhere else around the globe. However, what most do not seem to realize is that casinos are actually scrupulously designed mazes that effectively force people to spend insane amounts of money and lose all track
Planning consent has been granted by Liverpool City Council to a revised scheme for the stalled Baltic House project in Liverpool. The revised scheme, designed by architect Brock Carmichael, was submitted by Crossfield Exclusive Developments, after purchasing the Norfolk Street site out of liquidation late last year. Now under the name
Planning consent for the design of a new high quality residential scheme in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets has been secured by FBM Architects. The new development for Gateway Housing Association will provide 32 homes across the site located near Medway Conservation Area in Bow. FBM Architects’ carefully thought
A vacant land at South Humber Bank Power Station will see the arrival of a new multi-million pound energy centre. Set to create around 50 new jobs, the £300 million facility would generate 49.9MW of electrical power, which is the equivalent to supporting around 500,000 homes. The planning application for
Stephen George + Partners LLP (SGP) is celebrating planning success for its new build 91,000 sqft retail park in Ashford, Kent. The impressive development consists of two retail terraces split into six units and connected by an outdoor garden centre, additionally there are a 2,000 sq.ft. standalone retail unit and
There are many reasons people hire a building contractor but generally speaking, it is to undertake all of the tasks and duties relating to whatever the project is. For people who need to hire a General Contractor it can be a minefield. How do you know exactly what you need them
A new state-of-the-art science park that will deliver cutting edge facilities for R&D and high-tech manufacturing has been proposed in Swindon. The 82,188 sq m Wasdell Group facility located at Inlands Farm, Wanborough, will also help support Wasdell’s projected growth. The planning application for the development was submitted by national planning and
Bicester Heritage’s ambition to become the number one leisure destination for automotive fans has moved into pole position with the granting of planning permission for a new hotel, designed by award-winning hotel architects and interior designers Dexter Moren Associates. Situated on a former RAF base in the heart of Motorsport
Miller Homes has recruited two new senior planning experts to support its ambitious growth plans. Mark Jackson has joined the award-winning house builder as Strategic Planning Director – Midlands & South, while Ben Hatt is now on board as Strategic Planning Manager – South, both based at the company’s Basingstoke
Plans for a new £20 million leisure centre in Nottinghamshire have been submitted and, if approved, construction work may start in Summer 2020. The concept to build a leisure centre in Bingham has already been approved by Rushcliffe Borough Council. In October 2018, the investigations into the feasibility of a centre at Chapel Lane, Bingham have started when Gleeds was initially appointed to produce a study into the business case for a mixed leisure and commercial development at the site. The council, after a review of the company’s findings, has opted to go ahead with the reports proposals as part of the delivery of its wider masterplan for the Town. The initial proposal was submitted by CPMG, the architect responsible for the Rushcliffe Arena development in West Bridgford, as part of the study. In addition to the leisure centre, which includes both swimming and fitness space, outline proposals illustrate much-needed community space, 10,000 ft 2 of commercial office and plans to bring an adjacent industrial unit back into use. “Rushcliffe Borough Council is set to deliver a high specification leisure and community facility for residents of Bingham and at Gleeds we are delighted that it has accepted our recommendation to proceed. The planned new facilities perfectly dovetail with the council’s overarching masterplan for the area, which seeks to support healthy lifestyles and complement the continued growth of the town and the local economy,” said Michael Davies, Director of Gleeds in Nottingham.
The vast majority of people love trips to casinos, whether in Sin City, Macau or anywhere else around the globe. However, what most do not seem to realize is that casinos are actually scrupulously designed mazes that effectively force people to spend insane amounts of money and lose all track of time. This is actualized through clever casino planning and design. Here are some casino design elements that keep players hooked for far more than they should be. Disorienting Arrangements In most casinos, once players have stepped foot inside, getting to a restaurant, a restroom, a retail outlet or the like involves taking a convoluted route that makes it very easy to get lost. This is no accident, with the intent being that disoriented players who are unable to find their way to wherever they wish to go will choose to abandon whatever they might have previously resolved to do and instead focus on having fun at any of the numerous slot machines, craps tables and the like. However, such a trick does not apply to online casinos like https://www.jackpotmobilecasino.co.uk/. Time Flies There are never any clocks in a casino. This is because the casino does not want players bothered with the passage of time or thinking about their appointments for the day. Essentially, this leads to a suspension of both space and time, with this impression being reinforced by the lack of windows by which players can gauge how much time has passed since they sat down to gamble at a casino table. Mazing It Up There’s a reason why casinos prefer a maze design with exits and entrances that are randomly arranged, as well as narrower, shorter passages, over straight and lengthy rows with countless slot machines and gambling tables arranged in order. The reason has to do with avoiding overwhelming players with the goodies on offer and instead forming small islands where players can effectively feel at home and so spend forever playing casino games. Comfort Me Casinos go out of their way to make their players feel super comfortable. This fact can be most clearly seen in high roller rooms and suites that are designed for the utmost comfort and convenience. As can be imagined, comfortable players do not feel any need to go elsewhere and can play for long periods without tiring. Player Engagement One key way that casinos effectively prevent players from even thinking about going home is through the crafty engagement of all the senses. This includes the playing of chirpy music, displaying an array of bright lights and ensuring lots of exotic smells and scents. All these motivate players to keep on playing till the cows come home and retire for a cud-chewing session, when they should instead be thinking of quitting and coming back another day. Casinos also offer free food, drinks and the like to tired players to invigorate them and can comp a room where tired players can have a short rest. And that’s it, folks! The next time you pay a visit to a casino, do look out for all the above-listed details and disregard them at your likely peril!
Planning consent has been granted by Liverpool City Council to a revised scheme for the stalled Baltic House project in Liverpool. The revised scheme, designed by architect Brock Carmichael, was submitted by Crossfield Exclusive Developments, after purchasing the Norfolk Street site out of liquidation late last year. Now under the name of Baltic View, the development will comprise 129 apartments with associated communal space and courtyard. It will also feature nine office units totaling 1,174 sqm on the ground and first floors to accommodate businesses in the digital and creative sectors, complemented by storage space for up to 100 bicycles. “We have worked closely with Liverpool City Council over many months and we are pleased that the planning committee shares our vision for the transformative potential of this site. Baltic View will be a new dawn for the site and our local, experienced team is committed to creating a development that provides a positive, enduring addition to the area,” said David Cain, director at Crossfield Group. The plans received approval by Liverpool City Council last week and Crossfield Construction is already on site to begin work on the scheme. Approximately ten new full-time jobs are expected to be created during construction, in addition to as many as 400 workers on site through a local supply chain. “We are really pleased to see the stalled development site back on track. It’s been a painful daily reminder of failed developments over the past few years,” said Liam Kelly, chair of the Baltic Triangle area company. “It’s really encouraging to see the site now being developed by Crossfield Group, who share in the area’s vision and have engaged with the stakeholders right from the start. This is an example of how the area can retain its identity and continue to see positive growth over the coming years, with everyone working together.”
Planning consent for the design of a new high quality residential scheme in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets has been secured by FBM Architects. The new development for Gateway Housing Association will provide 32 homes across the site located near Medway Conservation Area in Bow. FBM Architects’ carefully thought out design complements the urban and historic setting, whilst providing homes for contemporary living. The new scheme, its height defined by the strong parapet line, offers a continuous three-storey frontage along Norman Grove and Saxon Road, relating to the character of the Medway Conservation Area and the locally listed Saxon Lea Court. A generous space between the two buildings on the eastern part of the development ensures a soft transition in height from three to four storeys, and creating the entrance to the new apartments. The building line is set back from the street, re-establishing a typical scale for the Victorian streets in the immediate neighbourhood, while successfully solving the issue of overlooking between the existing and proposed houses on Norman Grove. Ordered fenestration patterns with tall, generous window proportions further underpin the scheme’s connection with Victorian architectural legacy. The inclusion of arched entrances to individual dwellings introduces an intimate, human-scale character that echoes this distinctive feature of the surrounding streets which contain arched openings to windows and front doors. Full height windows and doors further reinforce the connection between the external and internal spaces. A buff/brown coloured brickwork provides a contextual, robust appearance that unifies the scheme. The ground floor apartments benefit from private terraces facing onto the central courtyard. The upper floor apartments have private amenity space in the form of deep balconies that act as an extension of the adjacent rooms. The central courtyard provides landscaped open space and includes a playground while a wide green strip of front gardens on Norman Grove and Saxon Road ties Regency Court to its neighbouring context. The scheme is fully car-free, given the excellent proximity to local transport links and supportive of local policy that encourages sustainable modes of transport. Dedicated cycle storage is provided within the courtyard that is accessible to all residents.
A vacant land at South Humber Bank Power Station will see the arrival of a new multi-million pound energy centre. Set to create around 50 new jobs, the £300 million facility would generate 49.9MW of electrical power, which is the equivalent to supporting around 500,000 homes. The planning application for the scheme has been submitted by EP UK Investments Ltd (EPUKI), which owns and operates South Humber Bank Power Station. The application was validated in December by North East Lincolnshire Council and a decision is due to be made by the end of March. “We are very pleased to announce the proposed development of an Energy Centre at the South Humber Bank Power Station and it follows the completion of our recent £53 million investment in the existing site,” said James Crankshaw, head of engineering at EPUKI. “The project is not dependent on securing a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) or other form of secured income such as a Contract For Difference (CFD) as other EFW projects have required and, as such, EPUKI expect to progress to the construction phase soon after planning is approved,” he added. If the planning permission is granted, the South Humber Bank Energy Centre will be powered by approximately 620,000 tonnes of refuse-derived fuel annually. “The Energy Centre will provide much needed new power generation and energy recovery facilities, as well as creating permanent local jobs. We look forward to working with the planning authority and local community over the coming months,” James concluded. A subsidiary of Europe’s seventh biggest power generator EPH, EPUKI aquired in 2017 2.2GW of combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power stations from energy giant Centrica. Moreover, the firm put plans in place last year to boost its portfolio further by commissioning a new 420MW biomass power station at Lynemouth, Northumberland. EPUKI also has development consent to deliver up to 4.2GW of new build CCGTs in Eggborough and King’s Lynn.
Stephen George + Partners LLP (SGP) is celebrating planning success for its new build 91,000 sqft retail park in Ashford, Kent. The impressive development consists of two retail terraces split into six units and connected by an outdoor garden centre, additionally there are a 2,000 sq.ft. standalone retail unit and a 2,200 sq.ft. café unit. Says Stuart Hancox, Director of SGP: “Our client Castle City Estates and Ashford Borough Council wanted a quality development that met their high design standards. Having undertaken previous schemes in the Ashford area, SGP was chosen to bring a new approach to the park; still functional and honest but without the normal metal clad box like forms opting instead for a softer more natural feel.” SGP’s design reflects the surrounding woodlands and natural landscape, using a modern minimal aesthetic and clever detailing in a more natural form for the prominent front aspect. A wavelike timber façade with integrated timber screen brise soleil, undulates across the elevation, echoing the surrounding tree line. A solid base of local field stone filled gabions provides an aesthetic durability with a grounded feel. Adopting a more elemental approach, the architects have used local natural materials in their ‘raw’ state – bare wood, local field stone, and galvanised metal finishes – to be sympathetic to their context and blend with the natural backdrop. Landscaping and environmental concerns were another key element of the overall design. The site wide SUDS strategy incorporates water attenuation ponds and swales, along with new trees and shrub planting that will create a transition from the site to the surrounding natural woodlands, boosting biodiversity. Concludes Stuart: “It was a pleasure to design such a good-looking retail park. Having a client and local authority actively pushing up the quality bar was stimulating and ultimately created a retail park that was able to deliver commercial requirements with a high end sensitive design.” The buildings have good environmental credentials and aim to achieve BREEAM ‘very good’. Work is planned to start in February 2019. Project Team Client: Castle City Estates Planning: Ashford Borough Council Architect:Stephen George + Partners Landscape Architects:Munro + Whitten Engineer:Pinnacle Consulting Engineers Project Manager: Cube
There are many reasons people hire a building contractor but generally speaking, it is to undertake all of the tasks and duties relating to whatever the project is. For people who need to hire a General Contractor it can be a minefield. How do you know exactly what you need them to do and are you sure they’re up for the job? In this article, we take a closer look at the duties and responsibilities of a general contractor to help you make the right hire for your building project. There are five principle responsibilities of a general contractor as follows: Project Planning When you first hire a contractor, you will obviously have a good idea in your mind of what you want. However, you’ll need the experience of the contractor to make sure all the elements of your project are pulled-off professionally and within budget. Project planning is an important duty for a contractor and generally follows the same lines as the outline provided in their initial estimates. The contractor has full responsibility for the supervision of everyone working on the project site and so they need to manage them effectively. Plans for each project are generally very detailed and include all the intricate elements of the project while factoring in contingencies and other unexpected expenses. The general contractor should also have a good knowledge of all the legal and regulatory issues relating to the project so they can include those processes in their plans. Furnishing Project Needs Before a project is launched, the contractor should have enough resources to complete the first phases of construction. Using all the information supplied in the project estimates, the contractor should ensure that all the necessary materials and labor are in place and paid for out of the budget. Even the most basic building projects require someone who knows how to break down the costs and ensure all the materials and manpower are in place to carry out the job. Any specialist tasks such as electrical or plumbing works need to be carried out by appropriately qualified workers who can be vetted by your general contractor. Project Monitoring and Management When work has started on your project, it will need to be supervised and managed by your general contractor to make sure everything goes smoothly. Every phase or step of the build will need to be managed in terms of deploying materials and manpower according to a schedule your contractor will draw up. Projects rarely run exactly to schedule and so your contractor needs to have contingency plans or at least the flexibility to deal with all types of scenarios. This is where their experience is really important as they should have the best idea of the kind of problems they could face. The best contractors will have fully assessed the project ahead of work commencing so that subject to no unprecedented changes or alterations to plans, everything should be completed on time and within budget. Legal and Regulatory Responsibilities The majority of building, remodeling or reform projects require some degree of statutory obligations. Your general contractor will be fully versed in the laws of your state regarding any necessary permits of planning applications your project may require. General contractors also have the responsibility for ensuring all legal and regulatory responsibilities are met. In addition, general contractors are liable for taxes according to mandatory state and federal law. You don’t want to be faced with hefty fines or penalties because of a lapse in regulatory compliance and this is a significant benefit to hiring a contractor. Health, Safety and Protection All construction projects should be vigilant with health and safety on site. When you are ultimately responsible for the work being done on your property, you want to be certain that everybody working on the site is safe. There are numerous hazards on building sites and oftentimes, they can be avoided if your contractor has factored health and safety into their project plans.
A new state-of-the-art science park that will deliver cutting edge facilities for R&D and high-tech manufacturing has been proposed in Swindon. The 82,188 sq m Wasdell Group facility located at Inlands Farm, Wanborough, will also help support Wasdell’s projected growth. The planning application for the development was submitted by national planning and development consultancy Turley submitted the . The company is also providing planning, environmental impact assessment, landscape and built heritage services for the scheme. “This facility will provide a major lift for Swindon and the surrounding area, providing jobs and boosting the local supply chain. We are thrilled to play our part in helping to deliver fantastic new opportunities for the local economy and people,” Turley’s head of planning for the south east, Peter Lawson. Swindon Science Park will be designed by Oxford Architects and will boast low-density green spaces separated by footpaths, cycle ways and water features. 14% of the park will be built area, while 86% of the site will be given over to green sustainable landscaping, screening and planting of native British trees. The buildings will be constructed using the latest technology and materials, with roof mounted solar panels to generate renewable energy and green sedum roofs to promote bio-diversity, air quality and rain water attenuation. “The Government recognises the crucial role that the life sciences industries must play in UK PLC, and there are considerable opportunities for our local and regional economy if as a town we embrace the life sciences and collaborate on R&D and investment,” said Wasdell’s CEO, Martin Tedham. “Our neighbours in Reading, Oxford, Bath and Bristol are already reaping substantial rewards through making the sciences an economic and employment priority. With the national research councils on our doorstep, and Heathrow less than an hour away, Swindon is perfectly placed to grow its hi-tech, science-based industries too,” he added. The first element of the Wasdell facility is believed to become operational in 2021, with the remainder becoming operational over the subsequent four years.
Bicester Heritage’s ambition to become the number one leisure destination for automotive fans has moved into pole position with the granting of planning permission for a new hotel, designed by award-winning hotel architects and interior designers Dexter Moren Associates. Situated on a former RAF base in the heart of Motorsport Valley, a stone’s throw from numerous Formula One teams and the Silverstone Circuit, the approved scheme will feature a 252-room hotel, 92-unit aparthotel, restaurant, leisure facilities and conference centre. The hotel design, granted unanimous approval by Cherwell District Council last week, is inspired by RAF Bicester’s rich heritage, offering a modern interpretation of the form of adjoining listed hangars and featuring a signature entrance atrium designed around the display of classic motor vehicles. “We were thrilled to be selected to design this landmark hotel within the former RAF base, forming part of the Bicester Heritage Masterplan vision focusing on motorcars and aeroplanes. The design objective has been to respond in a contemporary manner to the site’s unique past, drawing inspiration from its historic position at the forefront of aviation, engineering, and innovation while complementing the existing period buildings. The elevations take inspiration from the listed aircraft hangers within Bicester Heritage, whilst the metal-clad curved façade references the sinuous line of a classic car,” said Dexter Moren Associates. “Providing 344 hotel and aparthotel rooms, and with extensive facilities including food and beverage, leisure and conferencing, this new hotel will contribute to the greater Bicester and Oxford area hospitality offer while enhancing the activities of Bicester Heritage and its future plans for accommodation, theatre, automotive research and maintenance,” Dexter Moren Associated added. Dexter Moren Associates is an award-winning practice of 70 architecture and interior design specialists, working right across the hospitality spectrum. Over the past 26 years in business we have established a world-renowned reputation as leaders in hospitality design, based on our ability to deliver intelligent, creative and bespoke solutions which meld both developer and operator requirements.
Miller Homes has recruited two new senior planning experts to support its ambitious growth plans. Mark Jackson has joined the award-winning house builder as Strategic Planning Director – Midlands & South, while Ben Hatt is now on board as Strategic Planning Manager – South, both based at the company’s Basingstoke office. The pair will work under the leadership of Scott Chamberlin, Divisional Managing Director – Strategic Land, whose appointment was announced in the summer. Bringing with him a wealth of experience from planning consultancies and local authorities, Mark comes to Miller Homes after a seven-year spell at Gleeson Strategic Land, where he was Planning Director. Ben spent a decade working for a local authority, before moving to Churchill Retirement Living’s planning department. Commenting on his appointment, Mark said: “I am pleased to join Miller Homes at a time when it is moving closer towards hitting its medium term target of delivering 4,000 new homes a year. “This is a fantastic opportunity to work across an extensive portfolio of existing sites, while adding to it with new sites in desirable locations that will satisfy the needs of prospective homeowners, including proximity to quality schooling, good transport links and high employment.” Ben echoed his comments, adding: “This is a very exciting time to join Miller Homes and I’m looking forward to working alongside Scott and Mark to help steer the business to further growth in the south by bringing in more strategic sites.” Scott Chamberlin added: “We have ambitious growth plans for the business and strategic land delivery is a fundamental aspect of this. The appointments of Ben and Mark strengthens our wider Strategic Land team and they will play an important role in helping us achieve our goals.” Last year, Miller Homes completed almost 2,800 new homes in regional markets outside London. For more details on its latest developments visit www.millerhomes.co.uk.
