Sunderland-based Brims Construction, working hand in hand with the former chairman of Tolent, John Wood, have come to the rescue of Tolent’s Teesside employees/operations, hoping to save 150 jobs after the building contractor went into administration on Monday 13th February. The move will see Tolent’s previous Teesside management team re-employed
South Seaham Garden Village has taken a huge step forward with landowner Tolent completing the land sale to a trio of developers including Karbon Homes, Taylor Wimpey and Miller Homes. The completion of the deal means construction of the project, which was awarded garden village status back in 2019, can
The Gateshead-based contractor recently published its financial accounts for 2021, with a 7% increase in group turnover to £197.9m, the highest since its incorporation. In particular, the group’s housing division has seen the biggest rise growing by more than 40% in 2021 with a turnover of £66.2m. The group recorded
ONE OF the North East’s most ambitious residential developments is set to begin, with Tolent appointed to commence work. Sunderland City Council has signed a deal that will see North East based Tolent take on the construction of 135 ultra-modern homes that will form the new Vaux neighbourhood at Riverside
A £17.7m contract to deliver 113 new homes for Yorkshire Housing has been awarded to contractor Tolent. The development in Menston includes a mix of two, three and four bedroom homes and will be available for a mix of tenures including shared ownership, right to buy and affordable rent. The
Construction work on the huge new tower in the city centre is continuing despite the coronavirus lockdown Work on the soon-to-be tallest building in Newcastle is continuing despite the Covid-19 outbreak. The Hadrian’s Tower development, a 27-storey tower which looms over the city centre, is due to be completed later this
Full-service law firm Ward Hadaway has successfully defended a judicial review claim in respect of planning permission for a multi-million pound garden village development in County Durham. Specialist planning lawyers within the organisation’s Built Environment Team provided advice during the planning application process and negotiated a substantial Section 106 agreement
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
Tolent has announced its recent contract win at Kirkstall Forge, where the team will build the site’s first residential phase, with the contract initially delivering the construction of two prototype houses. Led by CEG, Kirkstall Forge is a £400 million project in Leeds that will see over 1,000 new homes
BDC 319 : Aug 2024
Sunderland-based Brims Construction, working hand in hand with the former chairman of Tolent, John Wood, have come to the rescue of Tolent’s Teesside employees/operations, hoping to save 150 jobs after the building contractor went into administration on Monday 13th February. The move will see Tolent’s previous Teesside management team re-employed by Brims, along with staff, operatives and members of the supply chain, whose aim will be to ensure minimum disruption to clients, with some sites having already returned to work on Monday 20th February. Brims will not be taking on responsibility for reimbursing any of Tolent’s creditors. Brims, who were already forecasting a turnover of £38m this year to the end of March (excluding any additional Teesside revenue) and employs 90 site and office staff, was established 16 years ago by Ian Clift, Jason Wood and Richard Wood. All were previously employed by Tolent, which was founded by John Wood – Jason and Richard’s father. Consequently, they know the Teesside staff and business operation particularly well. Despite the obstacles thrown in their way by Tolent’s current legal and financial situation, the Brims team have worked around the clock, visiting all the current projects and talking to the clients involved to reassure them that their projects will be in safe hands with Brims. Commenting on the ongoing business plan Brims director, Richard Wood, said that Brims had been looking to expand further south and open an office in Teesside but had not envisaged it happening this way: He said: “Following the announcement on the 13th February that Tolent had gone into administration with the loss of 350 jobs, we took action immediately as it is a company very close to our hearts. My father set Tolent up, but Ian, Jason and I all trained and worked there, with John only retiring three years ago as chairman. “Its unfortunate demise has provided an opportunity for the future expansion of Brims and at the same time, we are hopeful of providing secure employment for up to 150 employees moving forward. “The former Tolent sites will be re-badged as Brims Construction and our sole aim is to save jobs with the minimum of disruption to clients. We have spent the last few days talking to clients and reassuring them that their projects will proceed as normal, with the people they have previously been dealing with. We are confident we can minimise any job losses by quickly stepping in this way.” Tolent’s Teesside office was working on a mix of commercial projects including a rolling programme of petro-chem maintenance works. In total the value of the ongoing work is estimated to be around £15-£20 million. Mr Wood continued: “Several clients have already recognised our new proposal is simply to provide them with the same group skillset of people but with a stronger company behind them. We have already received new orders for work, which helps save the previous workforce, for which we are all extremely grateful. We are currently dealing with the administrator, in order to buy the Tolent Teesside office building at Thornaby and it is very much our intention to put firm roots down in Teesside.” Adding his thoughts, John Wood said: “It gives me great pleasure to be able to offer my help with these proposals, especially with Brims being central to it. It keeps the construction heritage alive under the Brims name and it will hopefully salvage some of the work that Tolent was previously involved with. We are confident that we will save as many site and supply chain jobs as we can and I would encourage all existing management and site staff to feel encouraged at what we are doing. “It is great news for the region. We just want to save the jobs and get work back on track.” Tolent was founded in 1983 by John Wood. By the time he retired in 2019, turnover was around £180m with a strong balance sheet and the firm was viewed as one of the region’s success stories. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
South Seaham Garden Village has taken a huge step forward with landowner Tolent completing the land sale to a trio of developers including Karbon Homes, Taylor Wimpey and Miller Homes. The completion of the deal means construction of the project, which was awarded garden village status back in 2019, can now progress. Infrastructure works linking the development to the nearby A182 are due to start this summer with the first phases of housing commencing early in 2023. The development will bring 1,500 new homes to the area. 750 homes will be developed for private market sale by Miller Homes and Taylor Wimpey, with the remaining 750 homes to be of mixed tenure including rent to buy, shared ownership and affordable rent options. It is hoped that a proportion of the affordable homes will be designed to meet the emerging net-zero standards providing lower operational costs for residents as well as minimising the environmental impact of the development. Paul Webster, CEO at Tolent said: “South Seaham Garden Village will provide a diverse mix of homes providing a vibrant community on the outskirts of Seaham. The site has been owned by Tolent for a number of years and we have been working in partnership with Durham County Council to create an ambitious garden village that will provide innovation in the local housing market. “Approximately half of the development will be managed green space including play areas and a grassed playing pitch lined by a network of over three miles of landscaped paths and cycleways which coupled with its coastal setting make it an idyllic location.” Tolent will remain engaged in the project following the sale of the land and has entered into a construction partnership with Karbon Homes to deliver their share of the properties supporting local housing delivery over the next decade. Sarah Robson, Director of Development and Regeneration at Karbon Homes, said: “We’re delighted to have bought our share of the land at South Seaham Garden Village and are looking forward to bringing 750 much-needed, affordable homes to the area. This is the largest development we have embarked on to date and we’re excited to be playing a part in bringing this vibrant new community to County Durham.” In addition to the planned housing, the project includes a new village centre, which will include the delivery of a two-form entry primary school and a range of community facilities. Russ Hall, Managing Director of Taylor Wimpey North East, said “We are pleased to continue our investment in the North East and the South Seaham Garden Village project is a result of considerable hard work to date that will be evident on the ground soon. We are excited to be part of the delivery of another major development in the North East and the delivery of a new garden village community” Patrick Arkle, Managing Director, North East at Miller Homes said: “This is a key location for us in the region, Seaham has transformed over the years into a popular beachfront destination and an up-and-coming place to live. As a team we’re excited about South Seaham Garden Village, the scale of the site presents lots of opportunities and we believe it will become a flagship development offering an excellent range of much-needed three, four and five-bed homes.” The site is set to be a testbed for future technologies with a range of modern methods of construction planned for use with the potential for off-site panellised solutions and a range of alternative building methodologies currently being considered.
The Gateshead-based contractor recently published its financial accounts for 2021, with a 7% increase in group turnover to £197.9m, the highest since its incorporation. In particular, the group’s housing division has seen the biggest rise growing by more than 40% in 2021 with a turnover of £66.2m. The group recorded a £4.0m loss in the period which has been attributed to a perfect storm of adverse trading conditions affecting the entire sector with impacts felt from the pandemic, a bad debt, a loss-making contract and the overall macro-economic environment. Despite recent losses, the underlying business remains profitable with the firm in a robust financial position with management accounts for the current year to date showing the company returning to profitability indicating that the organisation, that employs 400+ staff across the North East and Yorkshire, have weathered the recent economic storm. The uptick in performance has coincided with some strategic changes to the main board which saw Paul Webster move from his position as chief operating officer to chief executive officer and Mark Overton joining the organisation as chief financial officer following over a decade at Colas. Mark Overton, Chief Financial Officer at Tolent, said: “We have worked hard over the last 6 months to financially strengthen the business and increase working capital which has included the renegotiation of our finance facility, a rights issues which raised £3.7m in new share capital and an £8m cash injection following the completion of a land deal which will soon become South Seaham Garden Village.” The group has also been exposed to the repercussions surrounding a large number of developers, contractors and supply chain partners that fell into administration during this period. Following the demise of High Street Group in 2022, Tolent was named amongst the company’s creditors listed in the administration document which resulted in a bad debt of £2.1m. Paul Webster, Chief Executive Officer at Tolent, said: “Our priority moving forward is to secure a sustainable profit, working with trusted clients as we continue to increase our workload within the public sector. We are focused on consolidating our position within the North East and Yorkshire and will continue to deliver some of the flagship projects we have become known for. “Naturally with the increasing pressures on wage inflation, material prices and availability we have to be cautious in our approach to winning new work, however, we have a strong and identified pipeline of just under £1bn across a variety of sectors that provides us with the confidence to be cautiously optimistic for our business over the next few years.” Tolent has recently announced their involvement in a number of local, flagship projects including Vaux Neighbourhood Housing, an ultra-sustainable development providing 135 homes in Sunderland city centre, and South Seaham Garden Village. Construction of the garden village will commence in 2022 and see the firm build 750 homes over a 10-year period.To find out more about Tolent visit www.tolent.co.uk For all media enquires please contact Vibhuti Verma at vverma@tolent.co.uk
ONE OF the North East’s most ambitious residential developments is set to begin, with Tolent appointed to commence work. Sunderland City Council has signed a deal that will see North East based Tolent take on the construction of 135 ultra-modern homes that will form the new Vaux neighbourhood at Riverside Sunderland, the first of 1,000 homes planned for the area as part of ambitious plans to double the number of people living in the city centre. The £40m project will see Tolent construct the stunning sustainable houses using modern methods of construction, renewable energy and smart technology to reduce the carbon footprint of the development, producing high quality, low carbon properties in the heart of the city. The homes will stand alongside The Beam and City Hall – the latest development to rise from the ground at Riverside Sunderland. One of four new communities that will take shape at Riverside, construction work on the scheme is expected to commence within weeks, forming the first of the new distinct neighbourhoods that will create city centre housing for up to 2,500 residents. The homes will provide a future living offer that will attract new and existing Sunderland residents to live in the vibrant city centre, with the homes sitting alongside the orchards and allotments of Kingsley Gardens and nearby Riverside Park, which is continuing on its journey towards an accessible, attractive and ecologically diverse parkland. The Vaux neighbourhood will be the site of the Expo Sunderland in 2024 which will showcase the new homes and the aspirational lifestyle offer that Sunderland will provide. Included in the scheme will be a cluster of award-winning dwellings, that were selected as the best in the national Homes of 2030 Design Competition – which explored how homes will look and function in the future. The properties are based on the winning designs in the Homes of 2030 competition, which was launched in March 2020, and managed by the Royal Institute of British Architects, to encourage the design of environmentally-friendly homes that support people in leading independent, fulfilling lives as society ages. +Home designed byigloo Regeneration with Useful Projects, Expedition Engineers and Mawson Kerr andConnector Housing designed by Openstudio with Hoare Lea, LDA Design and Gardiner & Theobald were the joint winners of the competition, and it is their designs that will stand proudly on the site if approved, shining a spotlight on future living and showcasing the ambitious plans the council has to make Sunderland a world-class place to live, work and play. Councillor Graeme Miller, leader of Sunderland City Council, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to have taken this final step to get work started on our flagship residential scheme at Riverside Sunderland. The housing developments on Riverside Sunderland will be world-class, and Tolent is an ideal partner to deliver them, based locally and capable of building these aspirational homes. “We’re innovating with this scheme, using modern methods of construction, renewable energy and smart technology that align to our low carbon and smart city ambitions, and that will also allow the next generation to learn how to build the homes of the future, as we also push ahead with the Housing Innovation and Construction Skills Academy (HICSA), an important part of the housing ecosystem we’re trying to create in Sunderland.” HICSA is backed by the Government’s Levelling Up Fund and will create a state of the art learning space at Sheepfolds, where – in partnership with Sunderland College and the Ministry of Building Innovation and Education (MOBIE) – the council will ensure that the city’s residents are trained up in modern construction methods that will enable them to build many of the 1,000 homes set to be developed on Riverside Sunderland, as well as elsewhere in the city. As HICSA prepares to take shape, Tolent – a firm that will deliver significant social value – will ensure that the first new homes deliver the maximum local advantage, with a range of commitments to work with local people and support the local supply chain, as well as voluntary and community organisations across Sunderland. In all, over £17m of social value activity – including supporting local jobs for a range of people including apprenticeships and placements, a commitment to spend in the local area through the growth of regional supply chains and a variety of schemes to engage with local community groups – will be delivered during the construction phase of the project. Paul Webster, chief executive officer of Tolent, said: “Vaux neighbourhood is an amazing project that showcases the strides being taken in Sunderland to modernise the city centre. The world-class houses being built will provide a community fit for the future and an archetype for sustainable housing. As a truly local business, we are proud to be involved in the project and to showcase our ability to meet and exceed the capabilities of national contractors on a local level. The project will complement a number of local landmarks that we have constructed including The Beam, Beacon of Light and Echo Building. We have been working closely with the entire team since being appointed preferred bidder back in September and we can’t wait to get started!” Construction work on the development is due to commence during the summer and the first tranche of homes will be completed by the end of 2023. The housing is part of an ambitious and exciting masterplan for Riverside Sunderland that will include residential, commercial and leisure developments. It is part of a programme of development projects in the Riverside Sunderland area that, taken together, aim to double the residential population in the city centre and increase employment by 50 per cent and also fits with the city’s housing strategy, which will see 7,000 new homes build by 2030. To stay up to date with Riverside Sunderland developments, visit www.riversidesunderland.com or follow @RiversideSund on social media.
A £17.7m contract to deliver 113 new homes for Yorkshire Housing has been awarded to contractor Tolent. The development in Menston includes a mix of two, three and four bedroom homes and will be available for a mix of tenures including shared ownership, right to buy and affordable rent. The development will be delivered on behalf of Yorkshire Housing who manages more than 18,000 affordable and social rent homes, and is supported with Homes England funding. Sian Grindley, director of development at Yorkshire Housing, said: “At Yorkshire Housing we’re passionate about building homes and communities that our customers are proud to live in and call home. Menston is a desirable location for many people and we’re proud to be able to offer a choice of homes at this site. “We’re excited about what we’re doing with smart technology here, which will benefit both the customer and the environment. We’re looking at how we can use innovative products at every stage, from the construction method itself through to the technology that our customers will use and benefit from. This is the first site that we’re looking to use structurally insulated panels for the build and we’re also considering a number of different smart tech options for the finished homes. This will mean greater resident control and it’ll also make it easier for us to monitor the energy performance of our rental homes. “Our progress means we can deliver more, much needed homes to the region and continue working towards our strategic priority of delivering 8,000 homes by 2030. We’re delighted that our hard work will give hundreds of people an opportunity to move into a high quality new home.” Tolent, who has regional bases across the North East and Yorkshire, will be using a mix of modern methods of construction (MMC) on a number of units, which would see the structure of some homes go from foundations to roof level in just one week. Other benefits of MMC ensure homes are more environmentally friendly, more energy efficient and reduces the carbon footprint of the development. Mike Brown, commercial director for Tolent said: “This is a fantastic win for us and we’re delighted to be working with the team at Yorkshire Housing to deliver this flagship scheme. “It’s a privilege to be involved in creating new, inclusive communities and we’ll also be delivering on our commitment to create employment and apprenticeship opportunities as well as engaging with local schools, colleges and universities.” Work is expected to start on site later this summer and is expected to complete in spring 2024. Tolent announced its intentions to expand its housing division further into Yorkshire in 2020 and has recently won a string of new contracts in the area. Contracts include a £2.6m project to create 14 affordable homes in Batley and a £4.1m job that will see 32 new homes delivered in Kirkbymoorside. Including work completed in 2020 and secured work into 2023, Tolent is set to deliver around 3,000 new homes covering both the private and public sector across the North East and Yorkshire.
Construction work on the huge new tower in the city centre is continuing despite the coronavirus lockdown Work on the soon-to-be tallest building in Newcastle is continuing despite the Covid-19 outbreak. The Hadrian’s Tower development, a 27-storey tower which looms over the city centre, is due to be completed later this year. Restrictions on construction projects were not included in Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s stark address to the nation last Monday evening announcing the lockdown. Halting work on Hadrian’s Tower would mean an unfinished skyscraper on the city’s skyline which could become a poignant image of a North East stopped in its tracks by the global pandemic. The firm carrying out the building work – Tolent – have confirmed that work is continuing for now but conceded that could change. A spokesperson for Tolent said: “The health and wellbeing of our colleagues and supply chain partners continue to be our number one priority throughout this highly dynamic situation. “All welfare procedures and systems on sites that remain open are fully compliant with the guidelines issued by the Government via the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, to ensure that all teams can and are adhering to the 2m social distancing rule. “We continue to monitor the situation diligently and will adapt accordingly to any subsequent advice from the Government.’
Full-service law firm Ward Hadaway has successfully defended a judicial review claim in respect of planning permission for a multi-million pound garden village development in County Durham. Specialist planning lawyers within the organisation’s Built Environment Team provided advice during the planning application process and negotiated a substantial Section 106 agreement on behalf of North East-based contractor Tolent and its subsidiary Coolmore Land Limited for the £175m South Seaham Garden Village project. The project team also worked closely with Home Group who are also heavily involved in the project. The 77.75ha development, which will be located close to the A19 near the Dalton Retail Park in Seaham, will bring 1,500 new homes of mixed tenures to the area including shops, a café, a new primary school, a park and village square, community health and wellbeing village, community allotments and a world class business innovation and research hub surrounded by extensive green open space. Working closely with Home Group, Tolent will build around 1,000 of the new homes, of which 750 will be affordable homes (representing 50% of the housing on the site) designed for a range of buyers from first-time buyers to those in need of assisted living creating a truly inclusive community. Land for the remaining 500 homes will be sold on the open market with other national housebuilders likely to become involved. The ten-year project is expected to be home to some 4,000 residents and will create an estimated 1,000 jobs. The garden village project is one of 19 schemes announced in the UK and development is expected to start on site this autumn. Ward Hadaway has had a long-established relationship with Coolmore Land Limited, part of Tolent, having acted for Coolmore since 2009 when it first acquired an interest in the site with a view to future developments. Melissa Flynn, an associate in Ward Hadaway’s Built Environment team, said: “This has been a significant project and one which fully demonstrates the range of skills and capabilities of our team. Our dedicated planning experts have worked with our client from initial concept, advising on legal matters around the planning, judicial review and section 106 agreement with colleagues in the wider Built Environment Team also advising on the sale of the site to Home Group and other developers. “The garden village scheme will significantly boost the local economy, providing quality affordable homes, investment, innovation and jobs. We are proud to have assisted Tolent in this significant development project and we look forward to seeing the development come to fruition.” John Wood, director of Tolent, said: “Receiving garden village status is befitting of such a great development that really will be a national exemplar. Our vision to create a truly sustainable community with a mix of distinctive, high quality housing that improves quality of life is what we’re doing here, as well as creating jobs for the next decade and beyond. “I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the team at Ward Hadaway for their support.”
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.”
Tolent has announced its recent contract win at Kirkstall Forge, where the team will build the site’s first residential phase, with the contract initially delivering the construction of two prototype houses. Led by CEG, Kirkstall Forge is a £400 million project in Leeds that will see over 1,000 new homes and 400,000 sq ft of offices, retail, leisure and community spaces being developed. 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. Following their feedback, improvements will be made to finesse the final product before continuing with the first phase of 112 contemporary homes, which were designed by Stirling Prize winner Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios. Open plan, light and airy, offering open plan living opening out onto gardens and terraces across different floors, the homes have been designed for modern life, making everyday living refreshingly enjoyable and effortlessly cool. Regional Director for Tolent, John Currie, said: “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.” James Shimwell, head of residential development at Kirkstall Forge, said: “This innovative way of delivering prototype housing follows the attention to detail we have paid to everything we are delivering 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.” CEG’s decision to ensure Kirkstall Forge is ‘Different by Design’ has paid off to date; with the opening of a new railway station connecting this development site to Leeds City Centre in just six minutes, followed swiftly by a 110,000 sq ft office development which was 90% let less than a year from completion, securing the prestigious British Council of Offices best UK ‘Commercial Workplace’ award. Tolent, a north-east based national contractor, has been working across the Leeds and wider Yorkshire area since 1990, delivering a variety of contracts from industrial, leisure and more recently student accommodation. To find out more about Tolent visit www.tolent.co.uk
