M&G Real Estate, in partnership with Wates Group, the UK’s leading family-owned development and construction company, celebrated the structural completion of ‘The Ribbon’, M&G’s state-of-the-art retail and commercial development on Oxford Street, London, with a ‘topping out’ ceremony. This time-honoured tradition marks the achievement of reaching the highest point of
Bellway Kent has made significant progress on a new housing scheme within Kings Hill in Kent. The company is building a total of 542 new homes across five developments at Aviation Park, part of the Kings Hill regeneration scheme that has been transforming the former RAF West Malling site over
A project in the centre of Sunderland has reached another key milestone. Plans for the re-development of the former Sunderland Civic Centre building were revealed in March 2021, as part of the council’s move to new premises on the former Vaux site, just north of the city centre, in November
Developer Weston Homes has finalised the acquisition of the historic Sergeants’ Mess in Deepcut, Surrey. This Edwardian building, rich in military history, is set to be transformed into a £32.5 million development featuring 70 homes. The project will include a blend of converted spaces and new builds, offering both market
A significant milestone has been reached in the development of Orchard House, a new £16m special high school which is due to open in Miles Platting, Manchester next September. A special beam-signing ceremony has been held at the school to celebrate the completion of the building’s steel frame, with employees
Plymouth City Council is leading a new housing project on the outskirts of the city, where 500 modern, energy-efficient homes will be built on land off Stoggy Lane in Plympton, including 150 affordable units. Also in the plans is new wetland greenspace, up to 2,000 new trees and a financial
Housebuilder Keepmoat plans to transform nearly seven acres of unused land in Milton Keynes, building 115 new homes, with 50 meeting the upcoming Future Homes Standard. With a planned total build budget of £21.5 million, the project is due to be completed in March 2026, and will provide a range
Bouygues UK has been selected as lead contractor to build a new secondary school for the Department of Education in Grove, Oxfordshire. St John’s Academy, a project for Vale Academy Trust, will be built alongside the already completed primary school in Grove on the Wellington Gate Development, and will be
Portsmouth City Council has selected Knights Brown to carry out the fifth and final phase of the North Portsea Coastal Scheme, starting in September. Knights Brown previously constructed the second and third phases, so they have carried out the majority of this valuable scheme. The scheme as a whole, is
Tilia Homes Central has secured approval on plans to develop a 12-hectare derelict brownfield site in Northampton, as part of a multi-million pound programme of regeneration. The housebuilder is collaborating with Homes England on the scheme, which was recommended for approval by the West Northamptonshire Council planning committee recently. The
M&G Real Estate, in partnership with Wates Group, the UK’s leading family-owned development and construction company, celebrated the structural completion of ‘The Ribbon’, M&G’s state-of-the-art retail and commercial development on Oxford Street, London, with a ‘topping out’ ceremony. This time-honoured tradition marks the achievement of reaching the highest point of the building. Speeches at the ceremony were given by Jonny Wates – Director of Wates Group, Aaron Pope – Head of UK Offices Asset Management at M&G, Steve Holbrook – Regional Director at Wates Construction and Chris John – Head of Development Management at CBRE. Attendees of the event included members of the local council and senior executives from the organisations involved in the project. The Ribbon is due to be completed next year. Once finished, it will comprise 70,000 sq ft of Grade A office space and 21,000 sq ft of flagship retail space on the capital’s iconic Oxford Street. Designed by ORMS with CBRE as Development Managers, the office space benefits from generous floor to ceiling heights, luxury end-of-trip facilities, a client business lounge, smart enabled features and a wellness studio. The ninth floor includes a communal pavilion and a landscaped terrace with views across the London skyline. Jonny Wates, fourth generation family owner, Wates Group board director, and chair of the board sustainability committee said: “At Wates, we are passionately committed to ensuring sustainability across all our projects. We place a high value on the chance to work with clients and supply chain who share our beliefs and priorities We are proud that The Ribbon features a passive design, allowing the building to maximise the use of natural sources of heating, cooling, and ventilation to create optimal conditions inside without the need for polluting appliances – ultimately allowing the building to be net zero carbon in operation.” The building will also be built to exemplary environmental and wellbeing standards, targeting NABERs 5*, BREEAM Outstanding, Wiredscore Platinum, WELL Platinum, Smart Enabled, RESET Air (shell and core certification), and EPC Rating A. This project also demonstrates Wates commitment to social value in all the communities it serves. Through this project so far, Wates has supported 237 students through education programmes, employed 6 local people, and offered 7 work experience placements to equip individuals with the skills and confidence for future success in the construction sector. Through this project, Wates have spent £13k with social enterprises and have contributed over 80 hours of volunteering with causes in Westminster. Wates have also partnered with local charity, the Children’s Book Project, who provide free books to children who need them most. Over the last five years at sites across the country, Wates has donated nearly 50,000 books and The Ribbon is the latest donation point to be installed, with books being donated to local foodbanks, community groups, nurseries and women’s refuges. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Bellway Kent has made significant progress on a new housing scheme within Kings Hill in Kent. The company is building a total of 542 new homes across five developments at Aviation Park, part of the Kings Hill regeneration scheme that has been transforming the former RAF West Malling site over the last three decades. The drone image shows how work is moving apace on the huge site where the housebuilder is set to deliver a total of 402 properties for the private market and 140 affordable homes available for local people through low-cost rent or shared ownership. To the right of the photo, the completed new homes within Liberty Quarter, off Park Drive, can be seen. Just seven of the 52 properties built here remain for sale. Meanwhile, the progress of construction within Blenheim Green can be seen around the linear park in the centre of the image. To date, 14 of the 140 homes planned within this development have been completed, with a further 18 reserved. Work also started this year at DeHavilland Place, off Jubilee Way, with the southern tip of this development visible in the top right-hand corner of the aerial image. Bellway is delivering 210 new homes here – comprising 126 homes for private sale and 84 affordable homes – with five reservations already made and the first residents due to move into their new homes in December. In addition, Bellway is building 70 apartments at Westland Place, off Abbey Wood Road, and 70 apartments at Gloster Chase, off Kings Hill Avenue, with 84 of these pre-sold for private rent and 56 being delivered as affordable housing. Mark Harrop, Sales Director at Bellway Kent, said: “This drone photograph illustrates perfectly the sheer scale of the project we are undertaking at Kings Hill and the good progress we have made so far. “Our building programme at Aviation Park involves the creation of vibrant new communities by constructing more than 500 new homes on a brownfield site. The mix of one and two-bedroom apartments and two to five-bedroom houses has been specifically designed to meet the needs of local people. “We are very proud to be playing a major role in this ambitious scheme and are thrilled to have won an award for our part in the Kings Hill regeneration project, winning the Best Regeneration Project category at the Evening Standard New Homes Awards in September 2023.” Aviation Park is part of the wider Kings Hill project, where more than 3,000 homes have been built or planned since work began in 1990, along with new commercial floor space, schools and shops. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A project in the centre of Sunderland has reached another key milestone. Plans for the re-development of the former Sunderland Civic Centre building were revealed in March 2021, as part of the council’s move to new premises on the former Vaux site, just north of the city centre, in November that year. Permission was granted to Vistry North East, part of the Vistry Group, to replace the old 1960’s buildings with a vibrant city centre community of 265 homes in April 2022. Demolition started in October and was completed in February of this year, with the construction of the new West Park Quarter moving forward at pace. Now, the first of the high-quality new properties have been released for sale under the Linden Homes brand. They include a selection of three and four bedroom homes offering choice for both first time buyers or those looking for a larger, family home close to the city centre and with access to scenic and accessible open green spaces. Sean Egan, Managing Director with Vistry North East, said: “This is a flagship project for our business and we are delighted to now be in a position to release the first properties for sale. We expect the first customers will be moving in later this year and at the start of 2025. “A complex scheme, working in close partnership with Sunderland City Council, we’ve been able to support the move to Riverside Sunderland’s City Hall and unlock the potential of the old civic site in a way that will re-energise this part of the city centre. “West Park Quarter is delivering homes for sale, private rent and affordable rent and our mixed tenure approach has enabled us to deliver the new homes at pace. The properties will be set around public, open green spaces and will offer excellent links to both the high street and to local transport infrastructure. By improving the choice and standard of new homes in the centre of Sunderland, we aim to create a vibrant community for people to live in and enjoy.” Part of the project will see works 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 streetscapes being constructed have been planned to be sensitive to existing structures, the park side location and the Ashbrooke Conservation Area. The development is also incorporating plenty of cycling and pedestrian links, improving public access to and from the city centre. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Developer Weston Homes has finalised the acquisition of the historic Sergeants’ Mess in Deepcut, Surrey. This Edwardian building, rich in military history, is set to be transformed into a £32.5 million development featuring 70 homes. The project will include a blend of converted spaces and new builds, offering both market sale and shared ownership options. Situated on Bellew Road at the former Princess Royal Barracks, the Sergeants’ Mess sits on a 4.25-acre plot within a 6.23-acre site. The three-story building, designed by architect W.A. Ross and completed in 1938, boasts a brick façade, classical Portland stone entrance portico, dormer roof, and prominent brick chimneys. Weston Homes plans to convert and develop the site to provide 70 converted and newly built homes, comprising 65 market sale and 5 shared ownership homes. The main Sergeants’ Mess building will be converted into 33 apartments, whilst in the extensive grounds Weston Homes will build a premium collection of new two, three, four and five-bedroom homes, each with private gardens. Princess Royal Barracks, which comprises 114 hectares, was used for military training since the late 19th century. It is now being transformed into a new neighbourhood, Mindenhurst, providing housing, a primary school, amenities, and extensive outside space. Skanska is leading the masterplan development. The village of Deepcut is named for the deep excavations dug for the construction of the Basingstoke Canal during the 18th century. There are direct trains from nearby Frimley station to London Waterloo in 1 hour 20 minutes and nearby Farnborough station to London Waterloo in 35 minutes. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A significant milestone has been reached in the development of Orchard House, a new £16m special high school which is due to open in Miles Platting, Manchester next September. A special beam-signing ceremony has been held at the school to celebrate the completion of the building’s steel frame, with employees from main contractor ISG and the North West Construction Hub joining members of the city council and the Prospere Learning Trust on site to mark the event. Once completed, Orchard House will cater for boys and girls with an Education, Health and Care Plan for significant additional needs, with space for 150 pupils aged between 11 and 19 years old. The Prospere Learning Trust has been chosen to run the school and has worked with the project team as part of a collaborative design process to ensure teaching methodologies and aspirations are met through the building and its facilities provision. The single-storey building, designed by JM Architects and Ridge and Partners, additionally functions as a key community hub, and outside of school hours its double-height main hall space and external games areas will be available for use by a wide range of local groups and clubs. The new school’s classrooms will have direct access to dedicated outdoor teaching areas, with external spaces subdivided to create both secure and safe spaces for pupils. Each classroom will also have its own group room, to facilitate additional one-to-one teaching support, and specialist teaching spaces have been designed in consultation with the Trust to create areas that are tailored for the individual needs of pupils. With modern facilities and a high-quality environment, the new school will enable more Manchester children to meet their full potential and benefit from the city’s growth. The scheme is also fully aligned with Manchester’s Low Carbon Strategy and designed to meet the stretching BREEAM ‘Excellent’ environmental target, creating an educational asset with long term operational and environmental performance. Linda Jones, Chief Executive Officer, Prospere Learning Trust, said: “We’re really excited at the difference Orchard House is going to make, both to pupils and the community in Miles Platting. We’re looking forward to welcoming our first pupils next year and helping them succeed and achieve in what promises to be a fantastic new building, firmly rooted within the local community.” Funded by the city council the school is scheduled for completion in summer 2025. It joins a family of special schools in Manchester that currently includes five primary schools, two all-through primary to secondary schools, and seven high schools. The construction of the new school by main contractor ISG was procured by the city council through the North West Construction Hub. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Plymouth City Council is leading a new housing project on the outskirts of the city, where 500 modern, energy-efficient homes will be built on land off Stoggy Lane in Plympton, including 150 affordable units. Also in the plans is new wetland greenspace, up to 2,000 new trees and a financial contribution towards a new sports hub at Boringdon. Councillor Chris Penberthy, Cabinet Member for Housing, Communities and Cooperative Development, will present the plans to his cabinet colleagues when they meet on Monday 9 September. In advance of the meeting, Chris said: “I’m pleased to be able to talk about this venture, which has been long in the planning. “Plymouth, like so many other cities in the UK, is in the midst of a national housing crisis and one of the obvious solutions to this is to build more houses. That’s exactly what we’re doing here. “The Stoggy Lane development is certainly ambitious, but we owe it to the hundreds of households on the housing waiting list to make big decisions like this and provide answers to the problems.” The land at Stoggy Lane, which is designated for housing in the Joint Local Plan, is currently unutilised farmland with no formal public access. It is owned by Plymouth City Council but falls within the boundary of South Hams District Council. Working with South Hams, Plymouth City Council has produced a master plan for the homes ready to apply for planning permission. Before that, though, a thorough public consultation on the scheme is expected to begin in September, featuring information sessions to allow residents to learn more and feedback on the plans. That data will then be fed into a final design before a final planning application is submitted in Spring 2025. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Housebuilder Keepmoat plans to transform nearly seven acres of unused land in Milton Keynes, building 115 new homes, with 50 meeting the upcoming Future Homes Standard. With a planned total build budget of £21.5 million, the project is due to be completed in March 2026, and will provide a range of high-quality, multi-tenure homes to add to the thriving community already in the area. The housebuilder will also create multiple types of housing for residents at the site to be named Haworth Place, including much-needed affordable housing stock through a local housing association. The development is located on the edge of Milton Keynes and is close to a variety of amenities such as shops, parks and transport links. The Future Homes Standard legislation update, which is due in 2025, requires all new homes to reduce 75 percent of the carbon emissions and is set out to replace traditional Building Regulations for new dwellings. Keepmoat has invested in new research and development to create an advanced delivery programme of new builds called ‘Echo’ homes, equipped with air source heat pumps, solar PV panels, increased levels of insulation and EV charging points to reduce carbon emissions from the homes. These new technologies will be rolled out across key selected developments in the house builders’ portfolio to begin the advanced delivery project, including within 50 homes at the development in Milton Keynes. Ian McFaul, Interim Regional Managing Director at Keepmoat, South Midlands, said: “We’re thrilled to be regenerating this underdeveloped piece of land in Milton Keynes to deliver 115 high-quality, multi-tenure homes for the local area, including much-needed affordable housing options. The project is also creating a raft of new local jobs, training and apprenticeship opportunities, further boosting the local economy and the industry’s future workforce. “As the project continues into the next phase, it’s extremely rewarding to see the excitement about the plans to deliver these homes in this fantastic new town. We’re also proud to be delivering homes featuring anticipated Future Homes Standard technology ahead of the Government-enforced delivery model set to come in next year – a further step in our mission to create sustainable communities for the future.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Bouygues UK has been selected as lead contractor to build a new secondary school for the Department of Education in Grove, Oxfordshire. St John’s Academy, a project for Vale Academy Trust, will be built alongside the already completed primary school in Grove on the Wellington Gate Development, and will be the first all-through school (Nursery to Year 11) in the local area, teaching around 600 pupils. As part of its commitment to both education and sustainability, Bouygues UK will use sustainable, low carbon materials as part of the build, including a cross-laminated timber frame. It will use an enhanced quality construction approach through consistent off-site manufacturing, to reduce waste and defects. The two-storey building will feature a green roof with photovoltaic panels. The grass playing fields and MUGA will also have extensive SUDs (sustainable draining systems) featuring attenuation, swales and porous parking areas. The buildings will also be clad in brickwork and timber panelling with feature aluminium framed entrances. John Boughton, Bouygues UK’s Managing Director for Wales and the South West, said the project is a significant one for the Bouygues UK team, which is committed to building sustainable, low carbon schools. He said: “Bouygues UK is dedicated to building low carbon, energy-efficient structures with sustainability at the centre and we’re so pleased to be building St John’s Academy CE. Local communities are also at the heart of construction projects like these, and our St John’s Academy CE project will also use locally sourced labour and materials to build a fantastic school for children in Grove.” Rick Holroyd, Executive Headteacher at St John’s academy said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Bouygues UK on the design and build of this amazing school building. Our vision for the new academy is that this wonderful new school will sit at the heart of the emerging Wellington Gate community and, will not only offer outstanding educational provision for local secondary students, but will also offer opportunities and services to meet the needs of all family members within the new community. We are confident that Bouygues UK will deliver a state-of-the-art building which will meet the educational, social and recreational needs of community members of all ages for many years to come.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Portsmouth City Council has selected Knights Brown to carry out the fifth and final phase of the North Portsea Coastal Scheme, starting in September. Knights Brown previously constructed the second and third phases, so they have carried out the majority of this valuable scheme. The scheme as a whole, is one of the largest local authority-led coastal flood defence projects in the UK and is crucial for the protection of Portsmouth residents. The defences will safeguard more than 4,000 homes and almost 500 businesses. It covers 8.4km of coastline from Tipner through to Milton. Most of the area is low-lying and many of the current coastal defences were approaching the end of their effective lives. The final phase of the work carried out by Knights Brown will take place along Ports Creek in North Portsea and will include 1.9 km of flood defences. The design consists of a sloped earth embankment, which provides the required flood defence level, with a rock armour toe. Rock armour dissipates wave energy, therefore preventing further breakup of the shoreline. Divisional Director, Mike Crook, said: “We are delighted to have been appointed as principal contractor to carry out the fifth and final phase of the North Portsea Coastal Scheme. This third award demonstrates our capability and trusted collaborative relationship with Coastal Partners. “Our extensive expertise in coastal civil engineering and our local knowledge will enable us to deliver this essential flood defence scheme, which will safeguard residents and businesses for the next 100 years. All of the improvements will be delivered with the highest standard in order to foster the growth of local marine life and enhance the social space for the local community.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Tilia Homes Central has secured approval on plans to develop a 12-hectare derelict brownfield site in Northampton, as part of a multi-million pound programme of regeneration. The housebuilder is collaborating with Homes England on the scheme, which was recommended for approval by the West Northamptonshire Council planning committee recently. The land off Ransome Road in Far Cotton, Northampton, has been left abandoned since the Northampton to Peterborough Branch Railway closed in the 1970s, with the Grade II listed former Midland Railway Locomotive Shed located on the University site to the north of the proposed development. Approximately half of the site was previously used as a landfill area and there has been an ongoing process to remediate the land for future development. The site has had a long-standing allocation in the Local Plan for residential development. Tilia Homes will build 217 homes in a selection of styles, sizes, and designs, including a provision of affordable homes. The development will feature a high proportion of open space and a new play area. Amerjit Atwal, Regional Managing Director for Tilia Homes Central, commented: “Our vision to regenerate this neglected site off Ransome Road has moved closer to becoming a reality. “Restoring landfill land back into usable living and recreational space is essential if we are to meet housing targets and we look forward to turning this once-neglected space into a thriving new community that people are proud to call home. “Our energy-efficient properties would help to alleviate a general housing shortage in Northampton, as we aim to fulfil our mission of supporting people at every stage of the housing ladder. “As well as providing more green, open space that people can enjoy, our proposed development layout also pays particular attention to the provision of additional public parking and the needs of the local community.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
