Kent-headquartered national building contractor, United Living, has secured more than £25 million worth of housing maintenance and refurbishment contracts across the South East region. The business, which works in partnership with housing providers throughout England and Wales to build new homes and refurbish existing properties, has made a strong start
THE MOST transformational office development scheme to happen in the East Midlands in more than a decade has been submitted to Nottingham City Council, creating thousands of jobs – and setting a ‘cornerstone’ for the city’s Southern Gateway. Developers Peveril Securities and Sladen Estates have lodged a planning application to
J Tomlinson is undertaking £4m of refurbishment work on student accommodation blocks at the University of Warwick. The scheme is the second completed for the university by the Nottingham-based firm and follows a £1m refurbishment project at the Avon building on the Westwood Campus. In addition, the company has also
A redevelopment programme in Sheffield has moved into the next phase as a deal is reached between the developers and a student accommodation provider. The Sheffield City Centre project would lead to the creation of over 800 student rooms as well as a range of shops and cafes. At the
BDC 319 : Aug 2024
Kent-headquartered national building contractor, United Living, has secured more than £25 million worth of housing maintenance and refurbishment contracts across the South East region. The business, which works in partnership with housing providers throughout England and Wales to build new homes and refurbish existing properties, has made a strong start to the year, with a host of client wins for its 152-strong southern refurbishment team. They include: An appointment to a £6m contract with the University of Essex to refurbish a high-rise student accommodation block with external groundworks, in Colchester A £2m remodelling and refurbishment contract for Network Housing at Colebrook Court, a vacant building in Cuffley, Herts, which will create 11 new, modern standard homes in the roofspace An award to undertake kitchen and bathroom replacements to various homes managed by Metropolitan, with an initial value of around £1m Works to support Anchor Housing with various improvements to sheltered housing schemes across London and the home counties Installation of new class A2 aluminium cladding and insulation across an occupied block in Croydon on behalf of Firstport LLP The first stage award for design development and planning for replacement cladding across two properties managed by Lewisham Homes Fire protection improvements and installation of new sprinkler systems to three buildings managed and owned by Canterbury City Council, in Whitstable and Herne Bay Further works to upgrade kitchens and bathrooms across homes managed by Stevenage Council Daren Moseley, managing director for refurbishment (south) at United Living, said: “Housing providers and local authorities continue to face the challenges of a broken housing market with very stretched resources. We have the expertise to help them ensure their existing stock has longevity and surpasses regulatory standards. But more importantly, we’re trusted as a partner because of the added value we strive to bring to our projects; whether that’s through our training and skills programmes, or how we support the communities in which we work.”
THE MOST transformational office development scheme to happen in the East Midlands in more than a decade has been submitted to Nottingham City Council, creating thousands of jobs – and setting a ‘cornerstone’ for the city’s Southern Gateway. Developers Peveril Securities and Sladen Estates have lodged a planning application to bring 62,022 sq m of Grade A office space to Unity Square, the 1.14 hectare site in Queensbridge Road, opposite Nottingham Train Station. The eagerly anticipated scheme will advance the £250 million Southern Gateway regeneration project – creating a new business district within an area of the city desperately in need of redevelopment. The planning application encompasses two office buildings – the first being ten storeys and the second being 13 storeys high. The build will be in two phases with landscaping and an attractive urban space connecting Unity Square and the station, creating a stunning entrance to this part of the city. The height and scale of the office buildings, along with urban spaces is set to create a brand new city landscape. Peveril Securities and Sladen Estates purchased Unity Square in 2015 and demolished the derelict car park buildings last year. Unity Square is seen as a crucial area of redevelopment with huge potential – and a cornerstone of Nottingham City Council’s vision for the city’s Southern Gateway, said Ralph Jones, MD of Peveril Securities. Today’s planning application hails the next step of the Unity Square story – and development is likely to commence early in 2019. The contractor is Bowmer & Kirkland. Jones said: “There is significant long-term investment in this area of the city. Nottingham Train Station was the catalyst and coming up is intu Broadmarsh’s forthcoming redevelopment along with other significant schemes expected over the next couple of years. “It is an exciting time for Nottingham with many significant schemes on the horizon and cranes expected on the Unity Square site in the next 12 months. “Looking ahead, the occupiers of Unity Square will be at the heart of this regenerated area of Nottingham, allowing them to take advantage of the multitude of local facilities and excellent transport links.” “The city council has been proactive in supporting the scheme which has generated strong interest from a number of office occupiers. Now that the existing buildings on site have been demolished, it is possible to see the huge potential for not just this site, but for the city as a whole,” said Nick Sladen, Sladen Estates’ chief executive “Unity Square is a major piece in the Southern Gateway jigsaw. “Unfortunately, Nottingham has struggled to provide Grade A office space over the last few years. Unity Square will help to bridge that gap. “With hundreds of people working in offices in Unity Square, we see ourselves as helping bring forward an entirely new business community – breathing new life into the southern gateway – and boosting the Nottingham economy. “There will be significant job creation up to and during the build programme, and once complete local eateries and shops will benefit from the hundreds of people working there. “Unity Square will benefit from Nottingham’s superb transport links – bus, train and tram -and it will create a magnificent backdrop for commuters arriving from Nottingham Station – providing the sort of dynamic surroundings you’d expect to see as you step from the train in one of the UK’s Core Cities. “We have strong occupier interest in the site, which is why we’ve submitted a planning application. Peveril Securities and Sladen Estates have an in-depth knowledge of the local market and national development, along with contracting expertise, and has the scale, expertise and resources to bring this scheme to fruition,” Sladen added. Lorraine Baggs, head of investment at Invest in Nottingham, said: “Unity Square is a prominent high quality development in this significant part of Nottingham – already seeing a massive resurgence in attracting multi-million pound regeneration. “The scheme indicates the growing confidence in Nottingham as a city which is ripe for both occupiers and developers and we anticipate other substantial interest over the months to come. 2019 is gearing up to be a momentous year not just for Nottingham’s regeneration plans as a whole, but for this area of the city to considerably advance its landscape.” Based in the East Midlands, and headquartered in Derbyshire, Peveril Securities and Sladen Estates have an established background in the regional commercial property market. They have a track record of delivering large-scale developments across the UK. Over the last 20 years, they have jointly completed projects worth more than £500 million in sectors including office, industrial, leisure and student accommodation. Peveril Securities and Sladen Estates have a portfolio with a development end value of around £750 million. Peveril Securities and Sladen Estates bought the Unity Square site from Peel Land and Property Group in 2015 for an undisclosed sum. The site came with planning approval for a mixed use scheme of office, hotel, retail and leisure. This new planning submission will supersede the previous application.
J Tomlinson is undertaking £4m of refurbishment work on student accommodation blocks at the University of Warwick. The scheme is the second completed for the university by the Nottingham-based firm and follows a £1m refurbishment project at the Avon building on the Westwood Campus. In addition, the company has also won a £900,000 contract to replace windows at the university’s conference centre, Scarman, which began at the beginning of August. The latest project involves the full redecoration of around 250 bedrooms and bathrooms, along with communal and circulation spaces, at two of the Arthur Vick accommodation blocks on the university’s main campus in Coventry. This scheme will see major improvement works undertaken within the halls of residence, including the installation of new aluminum windows and en-suite shower rooms, full rewiring of lighting, and new floor coverings throughout each block. It will also include the replacement of sanitary ware, new plumbing and extractor fans to en-suites, fire stopping works, small power, data cabling, sub-mains cabling and fire alarm works, along with a new heat exchanger and ancillary works to the mechanical plant. Work got under way in July and is expected to be completed ready for the start of the new term in early September, in accordance with a 10-week fast-track programme. The contract, which was won following a tender, is being delivered by J Tomlinson’s commercial refurbishment and regeneration teams. J Tomlinson’s construction director, Pete Woods, who heads the refurbishment team, said: “This is our second refurbishment project for the University of Warwick, and follows an earlier scheme at the Westwood Campus. “It is always a ringing endorsement of the standard of work achieved when a client appoints a second and subsequent contract, and J Tomlinson is delighted to once again be supporting the University of Warwick as it invests in and improves its facilities for students.” J Tomlinson, which also has a West Midlands office in Canwell, completed the refurbishment of the Avon building for the university in February this year. It included revamping a café and the Centre for Lifelong Learning, and creating an editing suite, a drama room, green room, family room, and toilets. Jonathon Buckingham, Senior Projects Manager at the University of Warwick, added: “The services-led refurbishment being undertaken at Arthur Vick 1 & 2 will significantly improve the standard of student and conference accommodation for 250 bedrooms and provide the buildings with brand new infrastructure.” J Tomlinson, which was founded in the 1950s, provides a range of integrated building solutions including construction, refurbishment, repairs and maintenance, mechanical and electrical services (M&E), and facilities management. The company operates primarily across the East Midlands, West Midlands and Yorkshire. It works across all major sectors, including student accommodation, healthcare, social housing, commercial and industrial. For more information about J Tomlinson, visit www.jtomlinson.co.uk.
A redevelopment programme in Sheffield has moved into the next phase as a deal is reached between the developers and a student accommodation provider. The Sheffield City Centre project would lead to the creation of over 800 student rooms as well as a range of shops and cafes. At the moment, the site is occupied by the former Stokes Tiles Centre and a collection of other surrounding properties. The plans will lead to a 12-story construction that so far has been progressing well, with an exchange of contracts taking place between Litton Buccleuch (Moore Street) Ltd and a provider of student accommodation. The plans for the site involved four interconnection building blocks that will offer flats, retail space and cafes on the ground floors of the buildings. More detailed planning discussions have been scheduled to take place with Sheffield City Council and it is thought that the full planning application will be completed and ready to be submitted soon. The project is expected to begin in May 2018, subject to the plans receiving approval, with the redevelopment of the Sheffield location planned to take 24 months to complete. The scheme of works shows that the project will be complete and ready to accept students for the Autumn 202 term. Litton Buccleuch is carrying out this redevelopment project as a joint venture with the Bakewell-listed Property Group and the Edinburgh based Buccleuch Property. Sheffield City Council hope that the plans for this redevelopment will lead to more residential developments going forward, especially in the adjoining Devonshire Quarter of the City. The finished development will deliver student accommodation that has been finished to a high specification and located in between the City’s two Universities, Sheffield Hallam University and the University of Sheffield. The development will also be located within the inner ring road of the city. It is thought that this high spec development will appeal to the increasing number of students becoming more selective about their living accommodation, a trait most common in postgraduates.
