uilding Design and Construction Magazine

NET-ZERO LOGISTICS SCHEME IN LEIGHTON BUZZARD ATTRACTS FIRST OCCUPIERS

Commercial real estate investor and developer, Firethorn Trust, has now completed work at Ascent Logistics Park, with three units let to occupiers. The 25.5-acre industrial development in Leighton Buzzard has been constructed to net-zero carbon and comprises eight highly specified units, offering 466,860 sq. ft. of Grade A logistics accommodation.

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RTPI ready to support Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill

The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) welcomes the inclusion of the planning system within the a ‘Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill’. Planners can be an asset to the Bill, increasing living standards and home ownership, cultivating pride in place, improving transport infrastructure and population health and strengthening local leadership. Victoria

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Latest Issue
Issue 325 : Feb 2025

uilding Design and Construction Magazine

NET-ZERO LOGISTICS SCHEME IN LEIGHTON BUZZARD ATTRACTS FIRST OCCUPIERS

Commercial real estate investor and developer, Firethorn Trust, has now completed work at Ascent Logistics Park, with three units let to occupiers. The 25.5-acre industrial development in Leighton Buzzard has been constructed to net-zero carbon and comprises eight highly specified units, offering 466,860 sq. ft. of Grade A logistics accommodation. Ascent’s largest warehouse, spanning 125,510 sq. ft., will be accommodated by e-commerce experts Spreetail, whilst the fulfilment house Airbox UK Ltd has taken an 85,480 sq. ft. unit, and children’s product specialists, Solution EU, will occupy a 35,583 sq. ft. space. The development has been accredited by the UK Green Building Council for its net-zero construction, which was delivered by Winvic Construction Ltd. Designed to attract a diverse range of occupiers, Ascent is set to create approximately 150 jobs and bring significant economic benefits to the wider region. Chris Webb, Partner at Firethorn Trust, said: “This is an exciting milestone for Firethorn, as we continue to meet the growing market demand for modern Grade A logistics spaces. Ascent is a bold and ambitious development, with sustainability and employee wellbeing placed at the heart of its design. As a responsible developer, we’re committed to ensuring that all Firethorn developments meet the highest sustainability criteria, and Ascent is designed to support both the immediate operational needs and future ESG requirements of every business.” Chris Beer, Asset Manager at Firethorn Trust, said: “We’re delighted to have already let three of the eight units, with an additional space currently under offer. Occupiers will benefit from market-leading renewable technologies, high-quality specification and excellent connectivity.” Mehmet Kalay, CEO, EU at Spreetail said: “Spreetail is one of the fastest-growing ecommerce companies in history and we are excited to continue our expansion by launching in the UK. Joining the Leighton Buzzard community aligns with our mission of accelerating brands and channels by providing the best service and shipping capabilities for our online customers. We appreciate our partnership with Firethorn, which enabled our team to achieve our growth goals by efficiently executing a lease in a new country.” Jeremy Tan, Co-Founder and Managing Director at Airbox UK Ltd said: “We are delighted to be taking occupation of Ascent 86. The scheme’s net-carbon construction aligns well with our drive for sustainable fulfilment and will play a huge role in the next stage of Airbox’s expansion. It was refreshing to see Firethorn’s desire to form a personal and long-term partnership and we look forward to continuing working together on future potential projects.” David Watts, Operations Manager at Solution EU said: “We’re so pleased to be establishing a new Headquarters at Ascent Logistics Park. The scheme’s specification and location will allow us to expand and improve our operations and provide our industry knowledge and technical expertise to new customers, which is key to our continued growth as a business.” Strategically located off the Leighton Road, Ascent Logistics Park offers excellent connectivity to London Luton airport, Milton Keynes Central station and the M1/M25 motorways, which lie within a 30-minute drive time. All enquiries regarding Ascent Logistics Park should be directed to the scheme’s retained agents, Knight Frank and Brasier Freeth.  For more information, visit www.ascentlogisticspark.co.uk Building Design and Construction Magazine | The Home of Construction & Property News

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PREMIER MODULAR DELIVERS FIRST PHASE OF A NEW MODULAR CAMPUS AT CANADA WATER

Premier Modular, one of the UK’s leading offsite specialists, has delivered a £2.6m contract to provide a bespoke, sustainable higher education facility at Canada Water in London. Occupied by The Engineering and Design Institute London (TEDI-London), the building is the first phase of an innovative new modular campus for research and development. The new facility was designed and built in just nine months in time for the first cohort of students. Premier’s modular solution allowed its rapid and sustainable construction, whilst minimising disruption to the local area. Designed by internationally-renowned architects Hawkins\Brown, the building will be in use for the next seven years to allow British Land to work with TEDI-London to develop a permanent home for its students within the Canada Water masterplan. Minimising impact on the environment was therefore a key part of the project brief. David Walters, Programme Director at British Land, said, “We are using modular construction in a really different way on this campus. It is enabling our tenants to grow with us, only taking the space they need at any one time, with the knowledge that we can respond rapidly to expand the building when they need to add more space. This is achieved with the least possible disruption, and an architectural quality that enhances the surroundings enormously.” “This project successfully demonstrates excellent design, a highly efficient building system, and outstanding collaboration at every stage.” “The partnership between Premier and Hawkins\Brown continues to work exceptionally well and has definitely added value to the project. We can utilise all the benefits of offsite – speed, less impact on the environment, ease of expansion, and less disruption – whilst creating a high-quality education facility which looks fantastic.” “The first cohort of students was able to occupy the building after just nine months, which is an impressive achievement.” Sarah Whittaker-Gilbey, Head of Facilities, Health and Safety at TEDI-London said, “This is a wonderful building. All the feedback has been so positive – from other higher education providers to property developers, staff, students, and the local community. It flows really well and has been designed with disability and inclusion in mind. It encourages interaction and collaboration, and has a strong community feel – exactly what we wanted. We all just love it!” Andrew Tindale, Associate at Hawkins\Brown, said, “This project has been a huge success and we love the finished building. It has really brought a brownfield site to life and has created significant social value and a sense of community. This is a welcoming, safe, and inspiring learning environment that TEDI-London and its students can be genuinely proud of.” “It has been a pleasure working alongside Premier and main contractor Galldris to design and deliver the building and landscape within the budget and time constraints. We believe this working relationship was critical to the project’s success.” “Both Hawkins\Brown and Premier have also been working as industry partners to the Institute, contributing to the curriculum by setting and participating in an engineering challenge.” David Harris, Managing Director of Premier Modular, added, “This use of modular construction brought a number of important environmental benefits to the project. As with all our buildings, this scheme was manufactured by Premier generating zero waste to landfill. When the Institute relocates to its permanent home, the modular structure can then be dismantled for sustainable re-use or recycling.” “The lightweight nature of the Premier steel-framed offsite system also meant the campus building could be sited on the existing concrete base of a disused carpark, avoiding the need for intrusive deep pile foundations.” Other environmental features include low energy LED lighting with PIR sensors, highly efficient heating and cooling using air source heat pumps and mechanical heat recovery ventilation, and Siberian larch cladding which can be re-used or recycled when the building is dismantled. The modules were engineered to create a large double span exhibition, events, and cafeteria space. There are four large ‘makerspaces’ for practical learning, viewing galleries, smaller conference-style meeting and teaching rooms, a full-height glazed entrance, offices and student common room. One corner of the building was extended to three storeys to add visual interest and to create a large roof terrace for social interaction and with views over the Rotherhithe peninsula. Services in the ceiling are exposed to allow students to understand the complexities of the building as part of their learning experience. The Canada Water masterplan is a 53-acre regeneration scheme which is owned in a 50:50 joint venture by leading UK property company, British Land and AustralianSuper, Australia’s biggest profit-to-member pension fund. The masterplan will deliver a new town centre for London including around 3,000 homes, alongside a mix of commercial, retail and community space. TEDI-London is a new engineering higher education enterprise founded by three global universities – Arizona State University, King’s College London, and UNSW Sydney. For further information, visit www.premiermodular.co.uk, call 0800 316 0888 or email info@premiermodular.co.uk. Building Design and Construction Magazine | The Home of Construction & Property News

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RTPI ready to support Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill

The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) welcomes the inclusion of the planning system within the a ‘Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill’. Planners can be an asset to the Bill, increasing living standards and home ownership, cultivating pride in place, improving transport infrastructure and population health and strengthening local leadership. Victoria Hills, Chief Executive of the RTPI said: “We welcome government recognition that a strong planning system will be essential to levelling up. We hope that such a system will help communities better shape the places they live, work and enjoy. “Our members stand ready to support the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to develop a system. But, if we’re going to achieve the overall ambitions of Levelling Up and regeneration, we need to ensure we’re building the right homes in the right places. “It is essential that any reform comes forward as soon as possible to help prevent further delays. It is also key that all local areas have an up to date local plan, are sufficiently resourced, and open to a dialogue with their local communities, including businesses and residents current and future.” The RTPI will continue to work with Government, officials and parliamentarians based on its member’s experiences, its expertise and timely research to help shape these planning reforms. The RTPI will follow up with further analysis on the role of planning within the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill as news develops. Building Design and Construction Magazine | The Home of Construction & Property News

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