Four existing blocks, which were identified as ‘having serious structural and fire safety issues’ by the council, will be replaced with a new development of 340 mixed tenure homes set within six blocks ranging from five to 22 storeys in height. There will also be the reprovision of a community centre and a multi-use games area along with wider estate improvement works.

Extensive consultation has taken place with Ledbury Estate residents who voted in favour of demolishing the four blocks and providing modern high quality new homes designed by Karausevic Carson Architects. 224 of these homes will replace the existing homes which will comprise 206 socially rented homes and 18 leaseholds properties.

Cllr Helen Dennis, Southwark Council’s Cabinet Member for New Homes and Sustainable Development, said, “We’re very pleased to welcome Higgins to the Ledbury Estate project. Their appointment marks the next milestone in our journey to providing high-quality new homes on the estate in line with our residents’ wishes. We look forward to seeing these new homes and amenities become reality as the transformation of the Ledbury Estate gets underway.”

Located on the site of the former Bromyard House, Phase one will feature 80 new homes within two blocks. All the affordable rent properties will be completed prior to the occupation of the market sale homes to allow for the decant of residents from the second phase and to give those currently living ‘off site’ a right to return.

Phase two will see the demolition of Peterchurch, Sarnsfield and Skenfrith Houses and associated underground garages to create 260 new homes, two commercial units and the new community centre and MUGA.

Declan Higgins, Chief Executive Officer for Higgins Group comments, “On the back of our successful partnership with Southwark Council at our Ecole development we are delighted to be appointed as development partner to redevelop Ledbury Estate.

“This scheme has undergone extensive consultation with the community who have been at the forefront of the design process; we now look forward to starting work to deliver these much needed new homes for the area.

“Throughout the development we will also provide training and employment opportunities and support the up skilling of local people with at least 25% of our labour resources coming from the Southwark area. We will also work with community groups and social enterprises to allow us to design targeted community led social value initiatives which create impact and leave a lasting legacy.”

The new homes will be built in accordance with the council’s New Homes Design Standards providing high quality, energy efficient and sustainable homes.

The wider neighbourhood will also benefit from landscaping and new public realm with a large, multi-purpose garden courtyard featuring community growing and play area along with a series of tree-lined paths that extend out to create new pedestrian and cycle friendly connections between the Old Kent Road, Pencraig Way and Bird in Bush Park to the south-west.

For further information about Higgins Partnerships please visit www.higginspartnerships.co.uk

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The current Local Plan, which was adopted by Mansfield District Council in 2020, sets out guidelines for how the district will grow and change until 2033.

Now, people have a chance to identify issues that the council should consider in evolving the Local Plan to cover the next 15 years and beyond.

It is running an eight-week public consultation from 25 August to 20 October as a first stage in its review of the Local Plan during which it will consider “Issues and Opportunities”.

Cllr Stuart Richardson, Portfolio Holder for Growth and Regeneration, said: “The council is committed to making sure that it has an up to date and relevant Local Plan that sets out a robust framework for how the district will grow and change, and remains consistent with the latest national guidelines and local circumstances.

“The passage of time brings new priorities so, for instance, since the last Local Plan was adopted, we now have the implications of the COVID pandemic to consider and how that has impacted on shopping habits.

“There have also been changes to the population and housing requirements along with new legislation and guidance introduced by the government.

“This consultation gives the community and other interested stakeholders a chance to shape what issues the Local Plan should consider. I would encourage anyone with an interest in Mansfield’s future to get involved.”

The Local Plan sets out a range of policies on matters including housing and employment needs, climate change, flooding, the historic environment and design quality, and town centres and shopping.

It also deals with considerations such as the amount of new development there should be and where it should go. Future stages of the Local Plan will identify which sites should be allocated for different types of development.  

Responses from this new consultation will be used to inform the next stage of the Local Plan which will contain options for which sites could be earmarked for new development.

The draft document can be viewed and downloaded online at the council’s planning consultation portal at https://mansfield-consult.objective.co.uk/kse/. People can take part in the consultation by answering questions at the end of each section using the online or paper questionnaires.

Printed copies of the Local Plan Issues and Opportunities paper can be viewed at Mansfield Civic Centre or at libraries within the district. A printed copy can also be provided, in exceptional circumstances, where someone is unable to access the document online. These should be returned in person or by mail.

To find out more about council planning policy, visit the council website at www.mansfield.gov.uk/planning-policy.

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A new campus design for the 900-place secondary school will replace the existing buildings on site, have a more concise and efficient layout, and will provide a variety of learning spaces, including science and technology classrooms and improved facilities to cover sport, music, drama and SEND provision.

Oak Academy will be net zero carbon in its operation, in line with the DfE’s latest output specification requirements. It will be a thermally efficient building incorporating the use of air source heat pump technology and a full bio-solar roof incorporating photovoltaic panels. The project is funded through the DfE’s School Rebuilding Programme, which was announced in 2020, and is addressing either the rebuilding or major refurbishment of 500 schools with the highest condition need.

The building has been designed using Kier’s kSchool design platform to reflect the school’s desire to serve as the heart of the community. The H-shaped layout centres around an open dining space with glazed elevations, adjacent courtyards to encourage socialising and learning, and configurations to allow the school hall, sports hall and changing facilities to be used by the wider community after hours.

Kier is committed to providing support to the school throughout the design, build, handover and post occupancy phases to ensure that they derive the maximum benefit and most efficient operation from their new building.

Mark Norris, operations director at Kier Construction London & Southern, said: “We are delighted to be appointed by the Department for Education to create a new home for Oak Academy, one which will deliver improved, sustainable facilities for students, staff and the community.

“This innovative net zero carbon in operation project will combine improved facilities under one roof, making more efficient use of the site’s footprint and allow the school to increase its student and staff intake.

“We look forward to using our wealth of first-class education facility experience to bring this project to fruition, positively impacting the wider community and its next generation of talent.”

Oak Academy is part of the Ambitions Academies Trust, a multi-academy trust serving schools in or close to the Bournemouth and Weymouth areas. The Trust’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Principal and Directors have been involved with the project from the start.

Sian Thomas, CEO at Ambitions Academies Trust commented: “We are excited that Oak Academy will have a new school with such superb facilities. Ensuring that future generations will have a great school in which to thrive is so important and means a lot to the whole community.”

This appointment is the latest appointment for Kier on the Department for Education Construction framework and further strengthens its position as a leading provider of educational facilities across the UK. Recent appointments include Emmanuel School, a new sustainable community primary school in Havering; Carew Academy, a new SEND school in Wallington; Katharine Lady Berkeley’s School, a partial rebuild project in Wotton-under-Edge; and Thomas Keble School, a new secondary school in Gloucester.

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North View is the 150-bedroom specialist unit set to provide much-needed space and modern facilities for adults with mental health needs from across Manchester. Work on North View started in August 2022 with the new unit anticipated to be built and open in autumn 2024.

The steel frame superstructure is approximately 75% constructed and is due to be 100% complete by mid-September 2023. You can view drone footage of the site from August 2023 here:

The unit will help improve the region’s mental health services and ensure service users can access the care they need in an environment designed to enhance and aid therapeutic recovery.

Once open, Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust will provide the clinical services operating out of the new development.

The building itself is part of an exciting vision for North Manchester General Hospital (NMGH) to improve health and wellbeing for local people over the next 10 to 15 years. It will replace the Park House mental health unit, which currently serves as the inpatient unit for the area, but will be built in an alternative location on the hospital site. This will allow the new development to be fully constructed without disturbing current patients and the day-to-day operation of services.

The new development will see significant improvements to patient experience, with spacious single bedrooms, each with a private en-suite shower room, as well as a variety of indoor activity areas, meeting rooms for family visiting, multiple gardens, spaces for therapeutic artwork and a café.

North View has also been designed as an all-electric healthcare facility to support the NHS goal of becoming net zero and will utilise heat pump technology to provide heating, cooling and the generation of hot water. The building will also incorporate energy efficient materials throughout, and roof mounted solar power.

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Caulmert, which has offices in St Asaph, Bangor, Altrincham, Nottingham, and Kent, has secured the contract with Cyngor Gwynedd to deliver civil and structural work on the new Community Campus in Bontnewydd near Caernarfon.

Funded via the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Schools’ Challenge, £12 million will finance the net zero project, which includes community facilities on the wider campus, such as a hall, office space, and car charging points. 

There are currently two buildings on the site, a community centre located in a former Victorian school, and the current Ysgol Bontnewydd in a 1970’s building. Both are part of Cyngor Gwynedd’s plan to reuse materials, reducing the carbon footprint of the new development.

Caulmert has so far completed a survey of the current school site to assess what can be repurposed prior to demolition and is set to carry out further investigations.

Reflecting Wales’ net zero carbon mandate, the firm’s analysis of the current structures will feed into the building information modelling (BIM) team’s recommendations.

David High, associate at Caulmert, said: “We’re thrilled to be working with Cyngor Gwynedd again, they are a great client and we enjoyed working with them on the £9m new Ysgol Y Garnedd project in Bangor.

“A key element of this project will focus on minimising carbon emissions for the construction process, keeping sustainability front of mind.

“We welcome the opportunity to be part of such a pioneering scheme, a new net zero school in North Wales, which will no doubt set a precedent for other institutions in the region.”

Richard Farmer, project manager at Cyngor Gwynedd, added: “Bontnewydd Community Campus is an exciting and innovative opportunity for us all.

“The Welsh government has challenged us to demonstrate our vision for sustainable construction and community involvement in school construction.

“Both the design process and the final building will be exemplars and we are pleased to welcome Caulmert to the team.”

Cyngor Gwynedd also has plans to introduce as many types of renewable energy as possible, and to utilise surplus locally where achievable.

A nearby river, Afon Gwyrfai, also has the potential to provide a source for hydroelectric and water source heat pumps. 

Transport to and from classes will factor into the school’s sustainable ethos too, with safe travel links for walking or cycling to be established.

Founded in 2009, Caulmert is on track to meet an ambitious growth and development plan.

Its expertise in a variety of planning, environmental and engineering disciplines is supported by its use of BIM to a level two standard in many of its projects.

For more information visit www.caulmert.com

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Ronan Hughes, Regional Director at GRAHAM commented: “Building on our expertise in providing state-of-the-art health facilities, we’re immensely proud to be delivering this project for the Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust. It will undoubtedly leave a lasting legacy in the Birmingham area and hugely benefit children and families, clinical staff and the wider community.”

The proposals will see a radical transformation of the front of the hospital with the current entrance being demolished and replaced with a new striking glass façade creating more space to welcome patients and visitors.

A key benefit of the scheme is improved thermal performance and energy efficiency by expanding the use of ground source heat pump technology. Windows at the front of the hospital will be replaced with modern glass and frames in keeping with the site’s Victorian architecture.

Matt Boazman, Chief Executive for Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are grateful to Council colleagues for their support of these plans. This is excellent news, not just for the Children’s Hospital but the thousands of children and young people across Birmingham and the West Midlands who access our services every year and those across the UK who rely on the skills and expertise of our highly specialised services.

“The developments will not only improve existing services but create opportunity for us to do more for the young people who rely on us for their care.”

The plans are also being supported by the hospital’s Charity which is currently fundraising for the new iMRI machine and in discussions to support the dramatic transformation of the front of the hospital.

Vicky Casey, Architect Director at BDP said: “Through a combination of redevelopment and refurbishment our project at Birmingham Children’s Hospital will create a modern healthcare facility that can sustain the world class provision of paediatric services in the heart of Birmingham city centre. The ambitious decarbonisation credentials alongside the theatre expansion and iMRI provide critically important facilities for the children of Birmingham and the wider region.

“The sympathetic reimagining of the historic Victorian courtyard will provide the trust with a modern main entrance re-creating a sense of arrival that celebrates the building’s origins while meeting the needs of patients and families. We are incredibly proud to be designing these projects for such an important anchor institution in Birmingham, helping it shape the future of healthcare provision for its staff and children in the West Midlands.”

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In June, the council’s Cabinet Members voted unanimously to make the purchase, which forms one-quarter of the council’s commitment to deliver 1,000 new affordable homes by 2026. Most of the new homes will be made available for rent starting in October 2023 with the remainder following in January 2024. 

The properties are part of the latest phase of the Colindale Gardens development and will offer 42 three-bed family homes and 40 that are wheelchair adaptable. The stock will also include studios, one and two-bedroom properties.

Barnet Council will acquire the 249 homes through its Housing Revenue Account. The properties and communal areas will be managed by Barnet Homes, adding to its social housing portfolio of 13,000 properties across the borough.

Cllr Ross Houston, Deputy Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Homes & Regeneration, welcomed the announcement:

“As a council, we care for our people and that means providing high quality, affordable housing. We have seized this unique opportunity to take a big step forward in our commitment to deliver 1,000 council homes by 2026.

“It represents really good value for money and will make considerable savings on temporary accommodation costs the moment new tenants are able to move in this year.

“Delivering the right homes to meet diverse needs now and for future generations, that people can afford and are in the right places, is a key priority and challenge for the council. We are London’s second largest borough by population but have the sixth lowest stock of social housing. Many of our residents are deeply affected by the acute housing shortage and sky-high rents, so providing more genuinely affordable housing will help those at the sharp end of the cost-of-living crisis.”

Paul Muldowney, Managing Director of Redrow London Division, commented:

“At Redrow, our commitment to the local community and creating great places to live serves as the driving force behind our collaboration with Barnet Council. We believe that everyone should have access to secure, comfortable, and affordable housing, with this partnership marking a step towards making this vision into a tangible reality.

“We’re proud that Colindale Gardens offers high specification apartments surrounded by open green space yet close to excellent amenities and travel links to enjoy the best of the city. In providing 249 new homes for affordable rent, we look forward to seeing our homes become vibrant spaces which seek to provide not just housing, but the foundation for a thriving community.”

In March, the council announced sweeping new plans to improve housing in Barnet including enhancing social housing tenants’ security by moving from fixed-term to lifetime tenancies, and committed to investing £2.2m per annum for the next 10 years to tackle damp and mould in the council’s housing stock.

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Following a competitive tender process, Urban’s Maintenance & Energy team was appointed to cover around 3,500 of the Council’s social housing properties across the city. The five-year contract covers home improvements and repairs,  extensive damp works  as well as an energy retrofitting programme to make the homes greener and more energy efficient for the residents.

Dunnington-based, Urban Group Commercial Director Andrew Green commented: “We are delighted to be working with City of York Council on this important programme of works that will upgrade  thousands of homes, making them warmer and more energy efficient, which is obviously very good news for the tenants.

“We were able to demonstrate a proven track record in the social housing sector across the North and, with our headquarters also based in York, our team has an excellent understanding and knowledge of the city which means we can hit the ground running.”

He added: “We’ll be looking to recruit on the back of this contract win to grow the team, as well as take on some keen apprentices who can learn and progress with Urban over the coming years. This is a great opportunity for anyone who has enthusiasm and wants to learn on the job, whilst gaining industry-recognised qualifications.”

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Midlands-based contractor, G F Tomlinson, delivered the construction works through the Constructing West Midlands (CWM) Framework, alongside Staffordshire County Council, design and project managers Entrust and architects Arc Partnership.

The £7m two-storey school will initially welcome nursery and reception pupils before filling up year on year to accommodate 210 school pupils and 26 nursery places.

The school, which has been built in response to increased demand for places in the local area, boasts state-of-the-art classrooms, a library, large hall, dedicated design and technology room and a full production kitchen to provide healthy meals for pupils and staff.

The accommodation makes good use of natural light, ventilation, and technology to provide modern energy-efficient spaces, as well as modern outdoor formal and informal play spaces.

Anna Seward Primary School will be part of the highly successful Arthur Terry Learning Partnership (ATLP), which runs six other facilities in Lichfield. An official ceremony to celebrate its opening is planned to take place in September 2023, once staff and pupils have started the new term.

G F Tomlinson provided £212,976.00 of social value added opportunities for the local community, including organised site visits and career talks with students from nearby schools and recycled 98 per cent of its construction waste generated on site which was diverted from landfill – contributing positively to the local environment and the national carbon net-zero agenda.

Jonathan Price, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Education, said: “Anna Seward Primary has been built in response to local housing developments, which have increased demand for school places in the Lichfield area. It has been great to see the school constructed over the past few months and, although the school summer holidays are currently in full swing, I’m sure many parents and pupils will be looking forward to starting their education in a brand-new school come September.”

Chris Flint, Managing Director at G F Tomlinson, said: “We are proud to have completed another project for Staffordshire County Council and continue our excellent working relationship, playing our part in expanding primary school provision in the local community.

“Seeing Anna Seward Primary School take shape over the last few months has been truly rewarding – knowing that the school will provide an exceptional learning environment for many local children.”

Richard Gill CBE, the ATLP CEO, said: “It’s hugely exciting to see many months of planning and hard work come to fruition at Anna Seward Primary, where we have assembled a first-class teaching team.

“The ATLP has built a highly respected reputation for delivering excellence in education to primary and secondary school pupils in Lichfield and beyond. Parents of Anna Seward pupils can expect such high standards.”

This is the sixth school G F Tomlinson has delivered for Staffordshire County Council to date, these include the most recent Bramshall Meadows First School in Uttoxeter and Fradley Park Primary School in Lichfield last Summer.

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Operating across a four-year term, the move will see the firm deliver each of its core services and more across ten lots of the NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) Healthcare Planning, Construction Consultancy & Ancillary Services Framework Agreement, spanning architectural and project management services to net zero environmental consultancy.

Open to local authorities, emergency services, higher education, NHS and the wider public sector, the new agreement builds on the previous NHS SBS Framework Agreement and a nine-year working relationship Pick Everard has held with the organisation on the NHS SBS framework agreement.

Alex Hamilton-Jordan, associate director at Pick Everard, said: “This agreement provides an efficient route to market to procure our services, and offers flexibility for organisations to adapt to meet their requirements.  

“Collaboratively, we aim to deliver better, together. Nothing can be achieved in isolation, and key to our continued success on this framework will be to engage and work with a full range of partners throughout the supply chain, including local SMEs that can offer valued, local insight.  

“We’re excited and open to the opportunities this will bring to appoint our professional services, engaging public bodies through the framework agreement.”

Pick Everard has successfully delivered a wide range of projects through the existing NHS SBS framework agreement, including the relocation of congenital heart services for the Leicester Children’s Hospital in 2021 – which had been threatened with closure until campaigning efforts ensured the centre received part of a £450m pot of government funding.

The firm also designed and managed a £250m+ schools expansion programme for the London Borough of Hounslow, which delivered more than 1,000 new school places.  

Alastair Hamilton, partner at Pick Everard, said: “Our strength as a business is being able to create a positive impact for local communities, that scale regionally and nationally. We’ve made huge strides in growing our operation over the past five years, and part of this owes to our framework appointments, which have a real focus on quality, a broad range of service delivery and technical excellence.

“We’re hugely proud to be able to continue our journey with NHS SBS and the success the framework agreement delivers – ensuring the best possible outcomes for clients and end-users.”

Melissa King, senior category manager – construction and infrastructure at NHS SBS, said:  

“We’re excited to launch our Healthcare Planning, Construction Consultancy and Ancillary Services framework agreement, which replaces our successful Construction Consultancy Services 2 framework agreement.  

“It is designed to support the NHS and wider public sector by providing high-quality, innovative and cost-effective solutions through UK-wide coverage, a unique depth of expertise and a broad range of suppliers.”  

For more information on Pick Everard and its services, visit: https://www.pickeverard.co.uk/

Further details on NHS SBS can be found at: https://www.sbs.nhs.uk/

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