An £8 million industrial scheme has been completed by Caddick Construction in Knowsley, Merseyside, boosting the provision of warehouse space in the area. The scheme called Element is part of a bigger development at Network Space’s Alchemy Business Park, which will provide three highly specified industrial warehouse units of 22,900
The largest ever Built To Rent (BTR) scheme has been announced by Legal & General, who is set to bring around 1,000 homes and 85,000 sq ft of commercial space to London. Two adjacent sites in Wandsworth will combine for the scheme, providing purpose-built rental homes with long leases for
Coastal flood risk in Lincolnshire is due to be managed by a £7 million Beach Management scheme, which will benefit around 20,000 homes and businesses. The Environment Agency scheme will see contractors pump around 400,000 cubic metres of sand onto Lincolnshire’s beaches to help protect people and their properties from
A key milestone has been reached by a Manchester apartment scheme ahead of its opening next month. Contractor McGoff marked the completion of Phase Two’s concrete frame with a topping out ceremony at Downtown on Woden Street. When complete, Downtown will provide 374 apartments with high end facilities and hotel-style
Galliford Try Partnerships has been named to deliver the first 725 homes at Enfield Council’s £6 billion Meridian Water scheme. After a robust evaluation of four very strong bids, Enfield Council’s Cabinet decided that developer Galliford Try Partnerships is best placed to deliver on value, quality, design and financial robustness.
Wates Construction has submitted a planning application for a new Cruise Terminal Hotel in Liverpool, which forms part of Peel Land and Property’s Liverpool Waters, the city’s major waterfront regeneration scheme. Following the consultation held in September 2018, which gave residents and businesses the chance to view plans and provide comment on
Construction work is underway on a new £400 million housing scheme in Leeds led by CEG that will see over 1,000 new homes and 400,000 sq ft of offices, retail, leisure and community spaces developed at Kirkstall Forge. Phase one of the scheme will be delivered by Tolent, including the construction
Kier Property has acquired part of a major regeneration scheme in Birmingham, which allows the project to finally move forward. The development division of Kier Group purchased Arena Central from Miller Developments in a deal that will see three further phases of the site’s existing masterplan to be delivered. “We
Swansea Council has selected Buckingham Group Contracting as the principal contractor to help deliver the £120 million Swansea Central Phase One transformation under a pre-construction services agreement (PCSA). The contract was awarded after a competitive tender process. The transformation will bring a 3,500-capacity digital indoor arena, a coastal park, digital plaza, landmark
Major public realm improvements and upgrades around Prescot train station are due to commence, along with walking and cycling routes to the £26 million Shakespeare North theatre. The 350-seat, 30,000 sq ft Jacobean court-style theatre also includes a study centre, education, and exhibition space. Knowsley Council is set to formally
An £8 million industrial scheme has been completed by Caddick Construction in Knowsley, Merseyside, boosting the provision of warehouse space in the area. The scheme called Element is part of a bigger development at Network Space’s Alchemy Business Park, which will provide three highly specified industrial warehouse units of 22,900 sq ft, 35,200 sqft and 45,450 sq ft. “Element offers a prime location in Knowsley and enjoys exceptional transport links. This latest speculative development demonstrates the high level of confidence that developers have in Knowsley as a place to invest and do business,” said Dale Milburn, Knowsley Council’s Executive Director for Regeneration and Economic Development. The development, which was supported by a £1.8 million Local Growth Fund grant, has been designed to appeal to a wide range of logistics and industrial occupiers and feature generous self-contained yards, office and car park provision, separated office and yard access with 10m eave heights and dock level access provision on the two larger units. Once let, the Element units could accommodate up to 250 jobs and produce a net additional GVA per annum of £9.90 million for the region. “This is Network Space’s fourth self-financed scheme to complete within the last 12 months, taking the total space delivered within that period to just under 400,000 sq ft across 14 units. Within that same period, we have already let nearly 60% of the space and have good prospects for the remaining units. There remains a shortage of industrial warehouse space across the region and this coupled with the prominence, accessibility, quality and presentation of this scheme makes Element a compelling prospect for future occupiers,” commented Stephen Barnes, Managing Director (Development) at Network Space. B8 and CBRE are the appointed agents for the scheme and both have reported encouraging interest from a range of prospective occupiers.
The largest ever Built To Rent (BTR) scheme has been announced by Legal & General, who is set to bring around 1,000 homes and 85,000 sq ft of commercial space to London. Two adjacent sites in Wandsworth will combine for the scheme, providing purpose-built rental homes with long leases for all ages, demographics and social groups. “As renting continues to become a tenure of choice in the UK, the delivery of high density, high quality developments with vibrant communities is becoming more and more important. To do this, we need to deliver schemes which offer well connected housing options, which are carefully integrated into the public realm, maximising our existing infrastructure and supporting economic growth. This latest development in Wandsworth, our largest BTR acquisition to date, is a perfect example, offering 1,000 new rental homes alongside improving the station infrastructure and offering commercial real estate space to support local businesses,” commented Paul Miller, MD Principal Investing at Legal & General Capital. Located within Zone 2 and adjacent to Wandsworth Town train station, the £500 million development will include a new entrance to the platforms and will form part of the major regeneration of the local area. It will also include 35% affordable housing. Through the creation of a BTR asset class, Legal & General is looking to use its sources of long term capital to help address the chronic lack of housing supply and meet the increasing demand for affordable, quality rental accommodation. “This latest acquisition is another great example of Legal & General investing in a location with significant urban regeneration potential and providing large scale sustainable rental schemes which will have a positive socioeconomic impact. The location is highly desirable for renters and, with 1,000 units planned for the site, demonstrates Legal & General’s ambition to make a real impact on the delivery of new homes within the UK. Representing our largest scheme to date, this flagship BTR development is another step forward towards tackling the severe housing crisis facing both London and the UK, offering homes for all ages and social groups, as well as reduced living costs thanks to economies of scale,” said Dan Batterton, Head of Build To Rent at LGIM Real Assets.
Coastal flood risk in Lincolnshire is due to be managed by a £7 million Beach Management scheme, which will benefit around 20,000 homes and businesses. The Environment Agency scheme will see contractors pump around 400,000 cubic metres of sand onto Lincolnshire’s beaches to help protect people and their properties from coastal flood risk by preventing damage to the sea defences along the coast and reducing the risk of overtopping. “Our Lincolnshire Beach Management scheme helps us protect thousands of homes and businesses on the Lincolnshire coast. The scheme also offers real value to Lincolnshire’s coastal tourism economy, by maintaining the sandy beaches that are so well-loved by residents and visitors alike,” said Mark Robinson, senior flood risk advisor for the Environment Agency. As well as local homes and businesses, the Lincolnshire Beach Management (LBM) scheme will also protect 24,500 static caravans and 35,000 hectares of land. “While our annual beach nourishment works continue to be very effective, our long-term estimates suggest that it will not be sustainable to continue with just sand as a method of flood risk management in the future due to the impact of climate change,” added Mark. “This is why we have worked over a number of years to review our strategy for coastal flood risk management between Saltfleet and Gibraltar Point. We took a shortlist of options to public consultation in early 2019 and are currently finalising our new draft strategy for coastal flood risk management over the next 100 years, which we will be taking forward to consultation later this year.” Work will begin on the project on Monday 13 May and run for six weeks. Beaches at Trusthorpe, Mablethorpe, Ingoldmells, Trunch Lane, Wolla Bank, Chapel Six Marshes and Huttoft will be replenished during the programme.
A key milestone has been reached by a Manchester apartment scheme ahead of its opening next month. Contractor McGoff marked the completion of Phase Two’s concrete frame with a topping out ceremony at Downtown on Woden Street. When complete, Downtown will provide 374 apartments with high end facilities and hotel-style services including lobby with 24 hour concierge, gymnasium, spa, media room, postal room, dry and chilled storage, private dining, business centre as well as landscaped grounds and roof terraces. The first residents are due to arrive at the new development in May 2019. “The collaboration between McGoff Construction, Heyrod Construction, Alliance Investments, our legal team, architect and Wellesley has been incredible. Developing this bespoke partnership has enabled us to take advantage of Downtown impressive sales success and start build of Phase II two much earlier than planned,” said Chris McGoff, director at the McGoff Group. “As we near the end of construction at Downtown, and reflect on its success, we can safely say that our collaboration was a truly unique and refreshing way to work in the construction industry. With all apartments selling quickly off-plan, the McGoff Construction team was agile with regards to the build programme, fully supported by Heyrod Construction, which not only saved money but also allowed us to accelerate the build of Phase II without the need to negotiate based on better than envisaged sales. With such a solid partnership in place, and the results to prove it, Wellesley was happy to adapt and release funds for Phase II early. It really has been a success story with regards to both sales and construction on site,” he added.
Galliford Try Partnerships has been named to deliver the first 725 homes at Enfield Council’s £6 billion Meridian Water scheme. After a robust evaluation of four very strong bids, Enfield Council’s Cabinet decided that developer Galliford Try Partnerships is best placed to deliver on value, quality, design and financial robustness. “This is the start of a bright new era for Meridian Water and we welcome Galliford Try Partnerships to the team. We are extremely excited to be working with Galliford Try as they have demonstrated that they will be able to deliver quality, well-designed homes in a timely manner and social infrastructure that reflects the Meridian Water vision,” said Enfield Council’s Leader, Cllr Nesil Caliskan. The first homes will be built by 2022 and will include a significant number of affordable units, as well as new public squares, shops and leisure facilities. The new homes will be delivered around the new Meridian Water train station, which is due to open next month and serve up to four million rail passengers a year. Outline planning permission is already in place for the new homes, with construction enabling work having started in January 2017. The first phase forms part of the £6 billion Meridian Water development, which will deliver 10,000 homes and 6,000 jobs, alongside world-class public spaces, community facilities and road and rail networks. “We are delighted to have been selected to work in close partnership with Enfield Council and the local communities on the delivery of Meridian One as a new vibrant mixed-use, mixed-tenure neighbourhood. We will create an environment for local people to thrive – providing quality affordable homes, opportunities for local start-up businesses to flourish, great public spaces and a design which celebrates the parkland character of the Lea Valley. It is a great opportunity to demonstrate responsible and accountable regeneration through a responsible, accountable partnership,” commented Stephen Teagle, Chief Executive of Galliford Try Partnerships. In addition, the search for a new developer for Meridian Two, at Leeside Road has also started. The scheme will deliver circa 250 affordable homes with workspace on the lower floors, earmarked to bring makers and creators to the area. The appointment of Galliford Try Partnerships as the Master Developer for Meridian One is subject to call in, the statutory stand-still period and is also subject to contract.
Wates Construction has submitted a planning application for a new Cruise Terminal Hotel in Liverpool, which forms part of Peel Land and Property’s Liverpool Waters, the city’s major waterfront regeneration scheme. Following the consultation held in September 2018, which gave residents and businesses the chance to view plans and provide comment on the proposed new four-star hotel, the submission for planning application was sent. The new development is subject to planning and it will include a 200-bedroom accommodation complex, including a lobby bar, cafe, restaurant, business suite and back of house facilities as well as visitor and coach parking, and a taxi pick-up and drop-off point. The purpose of the new hotel is to support and supplement the city’s new cruise liner terminal at Liverpool Waters’ Princes Dock, which once built will accommodate the world’s largest cruise ships and create new jobs and generate wider economic benefit to the city region. The new cruise liner terminal, equivalent to the size of two football pitches, would be serviced by an off-site multi-storey car park and will enable the world’s largest cruise ships (up to 3,600 passengers) to embark and disembark at Liverpool. As part of the construction of the hotel, Wates has made a commitment to provide extensive training and employment opportunities for local residents as well as boosting the city’s economy through the appointment of local supply chain partners.
Construction work is underway on a new £400 million housing scheme in Leeds led by CEG that will see over 1,000 new homes and 400,000 sq ft of offices, retail, leisure and community spaces developed at Kirkstall Forge. Phase one of the scheme will be delivered by Tolent, including the construction of two prototype houses. “This is another great win for the team which really shows the depth of experience and expertise we have as a national construction firm. With such a significant and visionary project that is already winning awards, we’re looking forward to being a part of this legacy for Leeds as well as the innovative prototype housing which is something new for us,” commented Regional director for Tolent, John Currie. The two prototype houses will be completed this summer and, once finished, members of CEG’s design team will move into the three and five-bed homes and test out the living experience. Improvement will be then made, according to their feedback, to finesse the final product. Following that, phase one of the scheme will see the construction of 112 contemporary homes, which were designed by Stirling Prize winner Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios. “This innovative way of delivering prototype housing follows the attention to detail we have paid to everything we are delivering at Kirkstall Forge,” added James Shimwell, head of residential development at Kirkstall Forge. “By testing every detail we can ensure we best complement Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios’ inspiring design, which maximises the acres of green space and waterfront opportunity.”
Kier Property has acquired part of a major regeneration scheme in Birmingham, which allows the project to finally move forward. The development division of Kier Group purchased Arena Central from Miller Developments in a deal that will see three further phases of the site’s existing masterplan to be delivered. “We are delighted to announce the purchase of this significant 9.2 acre development opportunity at Arena Central. This acquisition will substantially increase our activities in the West Midlands and will enable Kier to continue the development of the area as a place where people will want to work, shop and socialise in Birmingham,” commented Tom Gilman, managing director for Kier Property North. Kier Property will be in charge of delivering 3 Arena Central, as well as the development of three office buildings, totalling 526,009 sq ft. The 5 Centenary Square, 4 Arena Central and 5 Arena Central buildings will be phased over the next five-seven years. “Having been involved in the project for a number of years, Arena Central is now firmly established as one of Birmingham’s prime office locations, and we’re delighted to hand the baton to an organisation of Kier Property’s calibre for delivery of the remaining phases,” added Andrew Sutherland, Miller Developments. This scheme is part of a major redevelopment of 10 buildings consisting of offices, shops, bars, cafes, restaurants and a hotel through to Q4 2026.
Swansea Council has selected Buckingham Group Contracting as the principal contractor to help deliver the £120 million Swansea Central Phase One transformation under a pre-construction services agreement (PCSA). The contract was awarded after a competitive tender process. The transformation will bring a 3,500-capacity digital indoor arena, a coastal park, digital plaza, landmark pedestrian bridge, new car parking and new homes and premises for retail, food and drink. Buckingham Group will undertake pre-construction services including detailed design, costings and essential preparatory work on the expansive city centre site over six months period. “Buckingham Group Contracting have an outstanding record in successfully delivering major high-profile schemes. Having a company of this calibre working in collaboration with us is another statement of intent; this will be a world-class transformational scheme that will be a catalyst to making Swansea a great 21st century city,” said Rob Stewart, leader of Swansea Council. “Swansea Central Phase One will bring a bright new modern focus to our city; it will mean new opportunities for local people, businesses and major investors. Other regeneration will follow. We have developed a strategy with Buckingham to offer packages of work to sub contractors and trades, many of whom we hop will be local so the benefits of this significant investment will stay within the local economy,” Rob added. The early work will prepare the project and site for the main build phase due to start in late summer this year, with the transformation due to be completed in 2021.
Major public realm improvements and upgrades around Prescot train station are due to commence, along with walking and cycling routes to the £26 million Shakespeare North theatre. The 350-seat, 30,000 sq ft Jacobean court-style theatre also includes a study centre, education, and exhibition space. Knowsley Council is set to formally sign off £8.2 million funding for this project. Shakespeare North, which is currently being built by contractor Kier, will benefit from better links, which are set to transform the area around the railway station and features a shared-use walking and cycling route from the station to the town centre and on to the theatre. The project also includes a remodelled car park to up the number of spaces from 38 to 48, additional lifts to provide step-free access to the station and platforms and better wayfinding and signage to direct visitors to the town centre and towards Knowsley Safari Park. Liverpool City Region’s Strategic Investment Fund offered £7.9 million and the majority of it will be drawn down between 2019 and 2021. There is also a local contribution of £186,000 to take the total funding package up to nearly £8.2 million. Knowsley Council is set to sign off the funding at a meeting next week. Tarmac and SSE are the chosen contractors for the scheme. They will deliver all the public realm works, while Network Rail will deliver the new lifts and station access. Meanwhile, Kier is set to complete the theatre by December 2020, after beating rival bidders Morgan Sindall and Wates to the job last year. The public realm works are also likely to be completed around the same time. The theatre has been backed by £5 million from the Government, which was first announced by then-chancellor George Osborne in May 2016. The council is also providing £6 million towards the scheme, with the remainder coming from a £14 million contribution from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Single Investment Fund.
