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Wates to build new homes in Barking and Dagenham

Wates to build new homes in Barking and Dagenham

Cristina Diaconu January 18, 2023

Wates was selected by Be First to develop over 330 new homes in Barking and Dagenham, as part of an £874 million regeneration of the Gascoigne Estate. This will be the third project Wates has undertaken for Be First in the area, having recently completed 201 homes at Gascoigne West

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Wates FM appoints new divisional Managing Directors

Wates FM appoints new divisional Managing Directors

BDC News Team January 12, 2023

Wates has appointed two senior level directors to lead its facilities management and southern planned housing maintenance businesses.  Antony Collett joins as Managing Director (MD) for the facilities management (FM) business and replaces James Gregg, who has moved into the role of MD of the southern planned division, housing maintenance,

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Wates starts work on new gigafactory

Wates starts work on new gigafactory

Cristina Diaconu December 16, 2022

Wates, one of the largest privately-owned construction, development and property services companies in the UK, has started construction work on a new gigafactory in Sunderland, for Envision AESC. The project the largest by single value in Wates’ 125-year history is AESC’s second Sunderland battery plant. It will have capacity of

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DERBY MARKET HALL MARKS COMPLETION OF ROOF RESTORATION

Kenneth Booth August 17, 2022

AFTER undergoing extensive roof and structural restoration assisted by a scaffolding structure weighing more than eight blue whales, the team behind the transformation of Derby’s iconic Market Hall has revealed that the first phase of work has now completed. The Grade II listed Victorian market hall, which has been trading

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WATES SECURES £90M SUSTAINABILITY-LINKED LOAN TO FURTHER ESG AMBITIONS

Kenneth Booth March 28, 2022

Wates Group, one of the UK’s largest family-owned built environment, residential development and property services companies, has secured a £90m sustainability-linked loan (SLL) from a three-bank syndicate led by Lloyds Bank. The facility, for which Lloyds Bank also acted as the Sole ESG Coordinator, will help Wates achieve its ESG

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Kawneer systems help take the wind out of Birmingham’s sails

Kenneth Booth June 1, 2021

Curtain walling, windows and doors feature on a 33-storey apartment tower. High performance building façade products manufactured by leading UK manufacturer Kawneer were specified to handle the challenging wind loads on Birmingham’s tallest exclusively residential tower block. Kawneer’s AA®100 zone-drained and capped curtain walling, complemented by AA®720 top-hung ventilator windows

Read More »

Wates FM awarded contract extension with Discovery Communications

Kenneth Booth January 31, 2020

Wates FM has secured a contract extension with mass media company, Discovery Communications, to provide 24/7 critical engineering cover and fabric maintenance for two locations in Chiswick, including the organisation’s live broadcast premises. Having run for three years, the contract will be extended for a further year due to team

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Scape Group unveils details of next generation Venture frameworks

Kenneth Booth June 17, 2019

The frameworks have been created to enable efficient built environment procurement for private companies including; charitable bodies, public sector joint venture (JV) partnerships and housing delivery companies; The Venture offering includes the full range of multidiscipline design services, client advisory, development management and construction, civils and infrastructure services; Scape Group,

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Latest Issue
Issue 330 : Jul 2025

Wates

Sale of Land in Windsor from Wates Developments to Crest Nicholson

In Landmark Deal Leaders Romans Group Confirms Sale of Land in Windsor from Wates Developments to Crest Nicholson

Kenneth Booth February 10, 2023

Acting for Wates Developments in probably the biggest land deal to take place within the region since September’s mini budget, Leaders Romans Group (LRG), has sold a residential development site in Windsor from Wates Developments to Crest Nicholson. As a leading residential housebuilder with a track record in creating well designed, high quality homes in sustainable communities, Crest Nicholson is ideally placed to deliver much needed homes in this popular location. Wates Developments secured release of the site from the Green Belt through an allocation in the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead Local Plan. They worked closely with the community, key stakeholders and Local Authority to develop plans for the residential development and subsequently obtained outline planning consent on part of the site. The scheme includes 135 much-needed homes, (40% of which will be affordable housing), for the 5.4ha site. Plans also include landscaped open spaces, (including recreational space), blue-green infrastructure and sustainable technologies, with a 30.69% net gain in biodiversity that will far exceed local and national planning policy. The site will also deliver improvements to walking and cycling routes into Windsor and other local destinations, as well as improvements to the A308 network to increase capacity. David Brocklebank, Executive Managing Director at Wates Developments Group commented: “We are delighted to have completed this sale of a portion of our land interest in Windsor to Crest and with great support from LRG.  This is a truly exceptional new homes site and a fantastic location for a new community in Windsor.  We expect to secure planning for the remainder of the wider site early in 2023 to allow the whole scheme to come forward quickly. A great performance by Crest”. Nicholas Daruwalla, Land Director at Crest Nicholson South, commented: “The acquisition of this site in Windsor plays a key role in the expansion of Crest Nicholson’s footprint in the region and allows us to respond to local demand for high-quality homes in the area. We look forward to offering a variety of homes for a range of buyers within the local community, helping to support the Windsor and Maidenhead Borough Local Plan.” Ian Barnett, National Land Director for Leaders Romans Group, who is based in the Group’s Wokingham head office, commented: “This is a significant land deal which will help deliver much-needed homes, including affordable housing. It is one of two substantial land deals that Leaders Romans Group has facilitated in this region in the last month and as such, demonstrates considerable strength in the local market in spite of the wider economic conditions.” Boyer (part of Leaders Romans Group) managed the planning process on behalf of Wates and is now instructed by Crest Nicholson to prepare and submit a reserved matters planning application in the first half of 2023. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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Wates to build new homes in Barking and Dagenham

Wates to build new homes in Barking and Dagenham

Cristina Diaconu January 18, 2023

Wates was selected by Be First to develop over 330 new homes in Barking and Dagenham, as part of an £874 million regeneration of the Gascoigne Estate. This will be the third project Wates has undertaken for Be First in the area, having recently completed 201 homes at Gascoigne West Phase 1. The £142 million Gascoigne East Phase 3B scheme will provide 277 apartments, 46 houses and 11 maisonettes as well as new public spaces connecting pedestrian and public transport links, centred around a garden square at the east of the site, as well as delivering £30 million in social value to the area. The build will use modern methods of construction such as offsite production of balconies, bathrooms and utilities cupboards, which will reduce construction time on site. “At Wates we believe everyone deserves a great place to live. This new project will provide huge economic, social and environmental benefits to local people and the local businesses that will be involved, as well as providing safe, healthy and comfortable places for communities to flourish,” said Helen Bunch, Executive Managing Director, Wates Residential. Be First has a strong track record in delivering new, high-quality homes for people and communities in Barking and Dagenham, with the borough named the most affordable for housing in the capital. The latest phase of this major development will complement the award-winning regeneration of the eastern side of the Gascoigne Estate, where Be First is delivering 526 new flats as part of a safer, healthier, and more sustainably designed environment. The wider Gascoigne Estate will include tree-lined public spaces, a new 5,000 sqm park Gascoigne Square along with public art and stunning designs in a mixture of traditional and modern styles. The Gascoigne East Phase 3B project will allow Wates to invest in the local community through the provision of 13 apprenticeships and a minimum of 40 work placements for local people. During the Gascogne West Phase 1 programme, the pandemic inspired Wates to find innovative ways to bring £45 million in social value to the local community including the creation of 21 apprenticeships, 22 work experience placements and £89k of investment in local charities and community causes. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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Wates FM appoints new divisional Managing Directors

Wates FM appoints new divisional Managing Directors

BDC News Team January 12, 2023

Wates has appointed two senior level directors to lead its facilities management and southern planned housing maintenance businesses.  Antony Collett joins as Managing Director (MD) for the facilities management (FM) business and replaces James Gregg, who has moved into the role of MD of the southern planned division, housing maintenance, having been managing both businesses since December 2021. Antony brings more than 20 years’ experience within the FM and real estate industries, with senior roles at Maintenance Management Ltd, Integral UK and Verisae. His most recent role was Managing Director at Mitie where he was responsible for large scale transformation within its Technical Services business. James is a Wates veteran, having taken a number of roles in the fit out and refurbishment business, ending as pre-construction and strategy director before moving on to lead the FM business in July 2016.  In their new roles, both Antony and James will be responsible for delivering each business’ ambitious growth plans by strengthening existing customer relationships and growing their business in current and new markets, including Wates’ drive to help customers achieve their net zero carbon.  David Morgan, Executive Managing Director, Wates Property Services, said: “In Antony and James, we have two excellent leaders for two critical parts of our business. Our FM business has gone from strength to strength in the last few years under James’ leadership and has had another record-breaking year in 2022.  “Antony brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our business, and we are looking forward to welcoming him to Wates and see him build on the great foundations we have in place. Since taking on the leadership of our south planned division, James has delivered some amazing results. I look forward to seeing them both take our businesses to new levels that help us achieve our ambitious growth plans.”     Wates is currently delivering planned and responsive housing maintenance to over 500,000 social housing properties and FM services to over 350 properties across the public and private sectors in England.  Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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Wates starts work on new gigafactory

Wates starts work on new gigafactory

Cristina Diaconu December 16, 2022

Wates, one of the largest privately-owned construction, development and property services companies in the UK, has started construction work on a new gigafactory in Sunderland, for Envision AESC. The project the largest by single value in Wates’ 125-year history is AESC’s second Sunderland battery plant. It will have capacity of 12 GWh and will employ more than a 1,000 people when operational in 2025. It will be powered by 100% Net Zero Carbon energy, aligning with the company’s global commitment to sustainability. Moreover, the state-of-the-art facility will produce AESC’s latest generation batteries, with 30% more energy density to improve range and efficiency, and manufacture enough batteries to power 100,000 electric vehicles annually. The gigafactory Wates is building forms part of a wider £1bn partnership with Nissan and Sunderland City Council to create EV36Zero, an electric vehicle hub supporting next generation EV production and accelerating the transition to net zero carbon mobility. A traditional Japanese first pillar ceremony marked the first phase of work on Friday 9th December, with AESC CEO Shoichi Matsumoto tightening the bolt on the building’s ‘first pillar’ – a traditional Japanese custom on construction projects. The ceremony also marked a decade of EV battery production on Wearside with the first electric vehicle battery built back in 2012, to support production of the first-generation Nissan LEAF. “Envision AESC is the largest single project by value in our 125-year history. We are integrating years of expertise from across our business and supply partners to deliver this immensely complex scheme. This gigafactory represents the future of green, automotive manufacturing – not only in the North East, but nationally – and like all our projects, we’re committed to building it sustainably and for the long-term benefit of the region. It was an honour to celebrate this first phase with AESC and we look forward to our next milestone being completed,” said Sir James Wates CBE, Chairman of Wates Group. The company has doubled in size since production began and today employs more than 470 people in Sunderland. Globally AESC batteries are found in 800,000 electric vehicles operating with zero critical incidents. The footprint of the new building will be the equivalent of 23 football pitches and use 14000 km of mains cables. When complete the 360m long building will be longer than the nearby Northern Spire bridge across the River Wear. The latest integrated Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) smart technology will be deployed to monitor and optimise energy consumption, manufacturing and maintenance at the gigafactory. Construction of the new building on the IAMP business park – which spans land in South Tyneside and Sunderland will pave the way for potential future investment that could eventually see the site generate 35GWh capacity and 4,500 new high value green jobs. Wates Group, alongside its specialist engineering services arm, SES Engineering Services, is leading the design and delivery of the build, working alongside Turner & Townsend who will act as the project manager and cost manager. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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DERBY MARKET HALL MARKS COMPLETION OF ROOF RESTORATION

Kenneth Booth August 17, 2022

AFTER undergoing extensive roof and structural restoration assisted by a scaffolding structure weighing more than eight blue whales, the team behind the transformation of Derby’s iconic Market Hall has revealed that the first phase of work has now completed. The Grade II listed Victorian market hall, which has been trading since 1866, will be transformed into a contemporary and vibrant cultural and retail destination. Wates Construction, which has an extensive track record of heritage restoration projects around the UK, has been leading an expert project team of local architects and engineers on the flagship project, comprising Latham Architects, Rogers Leask, and Clancy Consultants. The work completed includes masonry repairs to the building envelope, internal cleaning of the roof structure, and lead paint removal before the challenging and extensive heritage glazed roof replacement works. This included increasing ridge height to accommodate natural ventilation for the building, copper roof replacement, gutter and rainwater works, access equipment, localised electric works, lightening protection, and decoration. John Carlin, Regional Director at Wates Construction, said: “It has been a privilege to work on the restoration and transformation of such an iconic and unique building, maintaining its historic charm but also bringing it into the council’s overall modern vision for the revitalisation of the wider city centre.  “Before this work on the roof was carried out, the Market Hall often had to close to customers for safety reasons if there was possibility of strong winds, snow, or heavy rain in case the glass windows came out of their frames. Along with the extensive restoration of the roof structure, all of these windows have now been replaced, meaning that closing the market and disrupting trade just for weather will no longer be necessary.” “Making sure that trading could continue while initial surveys and work on the roof took place was particularly important. To do this, we installed a scaffolding structure to give access to the roof without disrupting ground level activity. It was an impressive feat of engineering all by itself, which would have spanned more than 62 miles if placed end-to-end and weighed almost 900 tonnes, but it really was the key to making sure trade could continue despite our ongoing work, supporting the city’s traders post-pandemic.” Throughout the process, the project team supported traders and the council project team to a high level, offering tours and site visits, as well as engaging with local sixth-form college students and a range of industry professionals to involve the local community in the project. The team is now looking forward to commencing the second phase of the regeneration programme, which is set for later this year and will focus on internal and external configuration to transform the look and feel of the building. Raised concrete floor plinths that currently house individual market stalls will be removed to create a more airy, open and accessible space, with the ground level intended to provide space for up to 32 market stalls, which will be portable for flexibility. Meanwhile, the interior balcony area will provide an opportunity to accommodate a small business incubator, and to provide space for special themed markets, such as antiques or crafts. The entrances to the Market Hall are also set to be improved in the upcoming phase of work, allowing market activity to flow seamlessly into the surrounding streets and creating an attractive and flexible space in the adjacent Osnabruck Square. The Market Hall is located within Derby’s City Centre Conservation Area, which also contains Derby Cathedral, the Silk Mill, and the Guildhall Theatre, and was originally designed by Derbyshire engineer Rowland Mason Ordish. When completed, it will complement the emerging Cultural Hub, which aims to re-energise the day and night-time economies and drive stronger footfall in the Market Place and wider city centre Councillor Mick Barker, Cabinet Member for Governance and Deputy Leader of Derby City Council, said: “Derby Market Hall is one of the city’s most beautiful and prominent buildings, which connects key areas of our city centre. “As a Grade II listed building, it deserves tasteful and sympathetic attention to detail to its renovation. Quality takes time and we’re delighted to see that this striking copper roof has now been finished, which paves the way for the rest of the Market Hall’s transformation. “Soon we can move onto the internal renovation and give Derby a fantastic market, which is full of life and which will help draw people back into the heart of our city.” Wates Construction was appointed via SCAPE’s Major Works framework. The second phase of development is set to commence on site in Q4 2022, with an aim to complete in 2024. For more information, please visit https://www.wates.co.uk/

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WATES SECURES £90M SUSTAINABILITY-LINKED LOAN TO FURTHER ESG AMBITIONS

Kenneth Booth March 28, 2022

Wates Group, one of the UK’s largest family-owned built environment, residential development and property services companies, has secured a £90m sustainability-linked loan (SLL) from a three-bank syndicate led by Lloyds Bank. The facility, for which Lloyds Bank also acted as the Sole ESG Coordinator, will help Wates achieve its ESG objectives and see it work towards three ambitious KPIs to achieve margin discounts on its funding. HSBC and AIB also provided equal funding on the deal of £30m each. The three-year facility is believed to be the second largest SLL provided in the sector. The first KPI is that 35% of Wates’ top 200 suppliers have Science Based Target Initiative (SBTi) approved targets in place by December 2024. This is linked to the company’s Scope 3 emissions. These currently make up around 98% of its greenhouse gas emissions. Wates’ second KPI is to create nearly £370m of social value over the next three years. To achieve this objective, it will create jobs, support growth and promote healthier lifestyles in the communities it operates in. Finally, the business will continue to aim for more balanced representation as part of its existing inclusion and diversity strategy by improving the number of women in senior leadership positions. Wates employs around 3,800 people across its divisions. In 2020, it set out its ambitious strategy to eliminate waste and be carbon neutral from its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2025, alongside enhancing the natural environment of the communities it operates in. Recently, to mark its 125th anniversary, Wates also announced a programme to open doors for more women into construction across all levels, over and above its existing recruitment schemes. Philip Wainwright, chief financial officer at Wates Group, said: “Sustainability is a key element of our Guiding Framework – that’s why we launched our 2025 sustainability goals in 2020. “We are continually reviewing how we can embed sustainability into what we do and we’re pleased that we have been able to identify and agree on three additional metrics with our lenders that will drive sustainability outcomes and demonstrate our commitment around Scope 3, social value and diversity. “We already have a close working relationship with Lloyds Banking Group through the Wates Innovation Network and it’s encouraging to not only have the support of three banks, but also to see them being prepared to increase their level of exposure, which is a real vote of confidence in our ability to meet these KPIs.” Max Jones, relationship director in Lloyds Bank’s construction and infrastructure team, said: “Now’s not the time for firms within the built environment to rest on their laurels when it comes to creating a greener, more welcoming industry. Wates have long been a leader for sustainability in the industry – we’re looking forward to helping them reinforce and build upon that position.”

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Kawneer systems help take the wind out of Birmingham’s sails

Kenneth Booth June 1, 2021

Curtain walling, windows and doors feature on a 33-storey apartment tower. High performance building façade products manufactured by leading UK manufacturer Kawneer were specified to handle the challenging wind loads on Birmingham’s tallest exclusively residential tower block. Kawneer’s AA®100 zone-drained and capped curtain walling, complemented by AA®720 top-hung ventilator windows on the first to top floors, with AA®190 TB entrance doors on the ground floor, were specified by Glancy Nicholls Architects for the £30 million 33-storey Left Bank 2 tower. The external façade is constructed of in-situ reinforced concrete frames that were developed over two years by main contractor Wates for developer Regal Property Group, Left Bank 2 is the second tower to feature Kawneer’s aluminium systems at The Bank, between Broad Street and Brindley Place in the city centre. Also funded by real estate investment company Aprirose, Left Bank 2 comprises 217 luxury one to three-bedroomed apartments with private gym, residents lounge and coffee bar, private kitchen and dining room, on-site cycle storage, and secure and private outdoor green space. Featuring 3,580ft2 of ground-floor retail space, it is one of only two residential skyscrapers in the city to measure over 100 metres tall. Left Bank 1 is 21 storeys and features Kawneer’s thermally superior AA®720 windows. Glancy Nicholls’ focus was to respond to the Grade ll listed building that occupies a key part of both the site and its streetscape, and to provide a new public realm link to the adjacent commercial and leisure district. The “brass” building envelope on both towers takes reference from the historical context of the neighbouring Brasshouse building and the site’s brass and metal working heritage. Glancy Nicholls’ Marketing Co-ordinator Sophie Casewell said: “We specified the Kawneer systems for their system performance, particularly in relation to wind loads. “The curtain wall system delivered the required performance to deal with the challenging wind loads on the 33-storey tower, with the site also elevated geographically within Birmingham. The aesthetics of the system also delivered upon the desired design intent.” She added: “The Kawneer glazed elements are a significant element with the façade design and assisted with the aesthetic detailing required. The glass to glass corners maximise daylighting and views across the city. “The client has been very satisfied with the product, with over 70% of the apartments sold by building completion. The glass to glass corner windows were a big selling point and the aluminium material assisted in achieving the client’s sustainable target deliverables.” The Kawneer systems, including AA®100 curtain walling featuring 50mm sightlines, were installed over 18 months by a team of eight operatives from Kawneer-approved specialist sub-contractor APiC UK who also installed the Kawneer windows on Left Bank 1. APiC’s Sales and Estimating Technician Andrew Finn said: “The relationship that was established on the first tower ensured that Wates and Glancy Nicholls had the confidence to proceed on Left Bank 2 using Kawneer products with APiC as their preferred curtain walling sub-contractor.” Left Bank 2 was a finalist in the 2020 Facades Awards UK for Best use of a building facade system using aluminium. Glancy Nicholls have also used Kawneer systems on the St Modwen student residences in Swansea and the John Taylor Free School in Burton.

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Wates FM awarded contract extension with Discovery Communications

Kenneth Booth January 31, 2020

Wates FM has secured a contract extension with mass media company, Discovery Communications, to provide 24/7 critical engineering cover and fabric maintenance for two locations in Chiswick, including the organisation’s live broadcast premises. Having run for three years, the contract will be extended for a further year due to team resilience, the application of innovation and continued excellence in fabric service. James Gregg, Managing Director of Wates FM, commented: “Our contract extension with Discovery Communications, is a huge testament to the expertise of our team and our position as a trusted and reliable FM partner to our clients. “Wates FM is heading into 2020 with a very healthy work pipeline but of course our growth must be steady and sustainable to ensure that we continue to deliver exceptional services to our clients, both existing and new.” Formerly operating as Wates Smartspace, Wates FM forms part of Wates Property Services alongside the Group’s Living Space business and currently manages over 350 commercial properties.

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ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS CELEBRATES CONSTRUCTION MILESTONE ON CUTTING-EDGE REDEVELOPMENT

Kenneth Booth January 30, 2020

The Grade II* listed Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) headquarters has celebrated a major landmark in its redevelopment, with a topping out ceremony in Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London. Professor Derek Alderson, President of the RCS, was joined by Sir James Wates, chairman of Wates Group, whose construction arm is carrying out the heritage project, to mark the occasion of reaching the highest point of the build. The RCS began as the Company of Barber-Surgeons, established in 1540, and has been based at Lincoln’s Inn Fields since 1796.  The historic home of advanced surgical education in the capital is being refurbished to enable it to continue providing the best learning, examination and research resources for the nation’s surgeons, while retaining elements of its illustrious history. In 2019, the number of people waiting for operations across the NHS rose to 4.4million, increasing the urgency of training more surgeons to cope with demand. With the introduction of new robotic, AI and VR technology in surgery, the shape of surgical training is also changing. The £75m redevelopment of the RCS will provide a modern learning facility that will play an integral role in training the next generation of surgical practitioners. As a specialist in heritage works, Wates Construction has ensured the historic neo-classical frontage, heavily influenced by Charles Barry, the architect behind the House of Parliament, will be maintained. Humidity control in the library spaces will preserve the historic timber construction, while the Hunterian Museum, which opened in 1813, is being expanded to occupy the majority of the ground floor, allowing greater accessibility to the museum’s internationally-important historical collections when it reopens in 2021. Upon completion, the Royal College of Surgeons will have an environmentally friendly building, incorporating a highly insulated, air-tight envelope to ensure thermal and energy efficiency; photovoltaic panels on the roof providing a sustainable energy source; and space for 120+ cyclists to store bikes and shower, encouraging greener travel in the capital. Speaking at the ceremony, Professor Alderson said: “This marks an important milestone in transforming our treasured home and the world-famous Hunterian museum. We will create a modern, state-of-the-art headquarters for training the next generation of surgeons, and to continue our long history of supporting the exchange of learning and ideas on the future of surgery. The building has been designed to retain our rich surgical heritage, while embracing the cutting-edge future of modern surgery. “The RCS has over 27,000 members across the UK and internationally.  Our new building will be the nerve centre for the development and proliferation of the best surgical training techniques and practice in the world. Surgical skills taught here in the coming century, will radiate into operating theatres around the world, for the benefit of millions of patients.” Mark Craig, Operations Director at Wates Construction London, added: “The RCS requires modernised facilities to help it continue improving surgical standards through education, research and clinical performance. At the same time, it has a tremendously rich heritage going back hundreds of years in central London, which it is important to preserve. “This is just the type of challenging build that our team love, using modern methods of construction to balance proud history with the need for a facility fit for the 21st century. Best of all, once construction is complete, the RCS will have a world-class home for its community of trainees and surgeons, its museum and library, supporting its mission of driving forward the standard of surgical practice through years to come.” Wates’ extensive portfolio of heritage projects across London also includes the refurbishment of the V&A Museum extension at Exhibition Road, the Metropolitan Police Service’s Grade II listed Hammersmith Police Station and multiple buildings on Parliament’s Westminster estates.

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Scape Group unveils details of next generation Venture frameworks

Kenneth Booth June 17, 2019

The frameworks have been created to enable efficient built environment procurement for private companies including; charitable bodies, public sector joint venture (JV) partnerships and housing delivery companies; The Venture offering includes the full range of multidiscipline design services, client advisory, development management and construction, civils and infrastructure services; Scape Group, the market leader in public sector procurement, has published details of its next generation of the Scape Venture frameworks, the procurement arm of the business focused on supporting public/private partnerships and charitable organisations. Scape Venture offers clients fully managed frameworks designed to allow privately funded projects to be delivered rapidly, with a robust governance structure and embedding the same socioeconomic benefits that its other frameworks do, supporting local job creation and offering a wide range of community engagement initiatives. The frameworks have been developed to assist local authority owned private companies, charitable bodies, joint venture (JV) partnerships and special purpose vehicles with projects that are privately financed.   The services that will be offered under the frameworks include full multidisciplinary design consultancy, client advisory services, development management, infrastructure and construction. It has also been designed to support the delivery of projects being undertaken by the privatised elements of public sector organisations, charities, housing organisations including the delivery of new schools which form part of a section 106 agreement. Scape Venture has already supported a number of high-profile clients to achieve their desired outcomes and maximum social value on a number of projects, including the RSPB Sherwood Forest visitor centre, the National Space Centre and the University of Cambridge Eddington Estate Management Office. The new frameworks take a strengthened approach to responsible procurement, ensuring speed, value for money, inclusive social value and enhanced performance management. Scape’s delivery partners include a wide range of industry leading businesses and operate across the country, including; Balfour Beatty, Morgan Sindall, Robertson, Wates, Willmott Dixon, Woodhead Construction and Perfect Circle, the consortium comprising Pick Everard, Gleeds and AECOM. Each partner has been selected for their expertise and ability to work collaboratively with clients and communities to deliver social value across projects. Service Project value Areas covered Partner Consultancy All project values National Perfect Circle Civil Engineering All project values National Balfour Beatty Construction Exclusive provider: All project values Scotland Robertson Construction Exclusive provider: Projects over £7.5m   Non-exclusive provider: Projects up to £7.5m North England, Wales and Northern Ireland Willmott Dixon Construction Non-exclusive provider: Projects up to £7.5m North England Woodhead Construction Construction Exclusive provider: Projects over £7.5m   Non-exclusive provider: Projects up to £7.5m Central Morgan Sindall Construction Non-exclusive provider: Projects up to £7.5m Central Woodhead Construction Construction Exclusive provider: Projects up to £7.5m London and South England Morgan Sindall Construction Exclusive provider: Projects over £7.5m London and South England Wates Mark Robinson, Scape Group chief executive, comments: “We are tremendously proud of the volume of successful, and high-profile projects that Scape Venture has enabled in recent years by bringing together the very best of public and private procurement expertise. “Our strengthened Scape Venture offering will continue to generate greater value for money and project success for privately funded projects, while creating significant and measurable social value across the United Kingdom. The delivery partners we have selected will all be supported by strong local supply chains which will ensure projects are delivered on-time and on-budget, while stimulating local economic growth by keeping the pound local.” Steve Beechey, Group Strategy Director and Managing Director Government Affairs, Wates Group, comments: “Scape Venture represents a pioneering approach to the procurement of privately funded projects, which has set a new standard in efficiency while incorporating the extensive local economic benefits created by public sector procurement practices. Our re-appointment to Scape Venture recognises our shared values with Scape Group to continually raise standards in the built environment and to deliver exceptional projects that come with an ambitious socioeconomic legacy.”

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