IG Masonry Support supplies Brick Slip Lintels on Bridges Family Practice development

Medical practices are at the heart of communities across the world. IG Masonry Support was proud to play an important part in the stunning redevelopment of the Bridges Family Practice, formerly known as Bryson Street Surgery.

 

The family practice has been a staple of Protestant and Catholic communities for more than a century, and its new moniker is a reflection of the bridging of these two groups. Thanks to significant funding from Landmark East, The Northern Ireland Executive’s Social Investment Fund, this vital community asset has been transformed into a state-of-the-art-facility that will continue to serve its people for years to come.

In its new glory, the practice boasts extensive amenities including interview and treatment rooms, children’s play and waiting area, facilities and access for wheelchair users and minor surgery capabilities.

 

The Challenge

East Belfast residents will recognise the new building has retained one feature – its unique, curved wall with a projecting soffit at its entrance. In order to maximise the visual impact of the wall, funding was secured through the Northern Ireland Executive’s Urban Villages Initiative to commission a piece of art for this iconic exterior.

IG Masonry Support, a company which continually meets customers’ high expectations in terms of quality, was tasked with crafting a bespoke Brick Slip Lintel that curved with this shape of the building’s entrance.

The Solution

IG Masonry Support’s teams utilised their skill, craft and expertise to create a Brick Slip Lintel that accentuated this architectural finish and fitted seamlessly with the constructed brickwork. IG Masonry Support also produced Brick Slip Lintels above each of the windows, which required a brick soffit.

IG Masonry Support’s Brick Slip Lintels can be used over small openings to eliminate the need for additional masonry support. Supplied in stainless steel or galvanised steel, IG Masonry Support’s Brick Slip Lintels have the same profile as a standard lintel and are delivered to site as a one-piece unit, complete with brick slips attached, eliminating the need for specialist installation onsite. These solutions are produced off-site in a factory-controlled environment which ensures that the bonding process occurs in optimum controlled conditions free from wet weather, extreme temperature variations and excessive dust.

With thousands of installations completed over the past decade, IG Masonry Support’s Brick Slip system is a proven and reliable solution which provides maximum BBA-certified adhesion of the brick slips.

The utilisation of IG Masonry Support’s Brick Slip Lintels will ensure the iconic curved wall of the Bridges Family Practice’s entrance looks good and performs well into its bright future.

 

CLICK HERE TO VISIT IG MASONRY SUPPORT

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CITIES – THE CARBON BATTLEFIELD

Digital Twins to play a key role in COP26 and the built environment through international and national programs

Experts and industry leaders want Digital Twin technology to be top of the agenda for this year’s pivotal COP26 event in the UK from October 31st until November 12th.

Digital Twins are being named as a potential aid towards preventing the world’s current climate crisis, and many want the technology to be discussed and accelerated when global leaders meet in Glasgow, UK at the end of the month.

COP26’s biggest challenge is to ensure the planet is net-zero by mid-century and to keep a global temperature of 1.5 degrees within reach. Leading nations have been asked to bring ambitious 2030 emissions reduction targets to Scotland to align with these goals.

To reach net-zero, countries need to phase out the use of coal, curtail deforestation, speed up the electric vehicle switch, decarbonise our urban environments and increase investment in renewable energy. Progress is being made, but science shows that much more must be done.

Experts have already identified cities and urban areas as the key emissions battlefield; buildings within cities worldwide are currently responsible for 70% of world carbon emissions.

This combined with an acceleration of deforestation could be transformed using a global Digital Twin network or platform that measured, mapped, tracked, and rewarded sustainable actions.

Arnildo Schildt, former Brazilian ambassador and diplomat as well as a Harvard scholar, has been developing a new model for protecting the rainforests using carbon credits and offsets linked to an international Digital Twin platform.

Arnildo said: “We have been working tirelessly now for two years developing a model with governments, the UN, international banks, academics and industry partners as well as investors to harness the power of Digital Twin technology to simultaneously solve two massive challenges for our environment.

We have a delegation going to COP26 and will follow this with other partnership meetings in the UK, Canada and the US straight after the Glasgow event to make this a reality.”

According to a recent report from Ernst & Young, Digital Twins are forecast to reduce carbon emissions by 50-100% within buildings, reduce operating costs by 35% and boost productivity by 20%.

Due to this, some major cities are adopting Digital Twin technology. Chicago-based, with offices in the UK and India, Digital Twin provider Cityzenith recently launched a ‘Clean Cities – Clean Future’ international initiative, where it offers its SmartWorldOS Digital Twin platform to major polluting cities for free to track, manage, and reduce emissions.

New York and Las Vegas have recently signed up, with other major international cities expected to follow in the next few months.

“The use of Digital Twins to track, manage and reduce emissions within the built environment is unparalleled,” said Cityzenith CEO and founder Michael Jansen “And our ‘Clean Cities – Clean Future’ initiative will demonstrate how building owners and cities can dramatically reduce operating costs and emissions for little or no investment.”

“We have our Digital Twin platform so that it can work seamlessly with cities and building asset owners to drive down emissions and efficiencies as we build back better, but crucially we are able to link this to protecting our forestry and agriculture using carbon offsets or trades.”

Jansen is one of many that are pleased that Digital Twins will be a topic of conversation at this year’s COP26:

This event can play a huge role in bringing the climate crisis into the public spotlight – COP26 must give technologies such as Digital Twins the opportunity to make a difference in the fight to protect the planet.”

America’s climate envoy John Kerry, who earlier this year switched US government efforts back towards fighting Climate Change, believes COP26 is the last best hope for the world in protecting the planet:

“The truth is emissions are going up around the world, not down in enough countries, and key countries are pursuing policies that border on being very dangerous for everybody.”

Kerry also said that if greenhouse gas emissions were not reduced enough over the next nine years, there was no chance of meeting long-term targets.

Another Digital Twin program is being run at COP26 for a national Digital Twin program with the UK, which includes Anglian Water, BT, and UK Power Networks to foster better outcomes for the built environment.

The goal of this project is to deliver an Information Management Framework which can ensure secure, resilient data sharing and effective information management, while the program identifies a range of benefits to society, business, the environment, and the broader economy.

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PREMIER MODULAR EXPANDS TEAM OF OFFSITE SPECIALISTS IN SCOTLAND

Left Paul Kyle and right Steven Ballantyne

Premier Modular, one of the UK’s leading offsite construction specialists, has made two new appointments to increase its presence in Scotland.

 

Based in Renfrew, Paul Kyle has more than 30 years’ experience in the offsite sector gained from holding senior roles for a number of modular building specialists. He re-joins Premier to provide local support for offsite projects throughout Scotland, having worked for the business for more than eight years in the 1990s.

As Senior Business Development Manager for Scotland, Paul is now Premier’s contact for its bespoke offsite construction solutions for NHS trusts, local authorities, universities, social housing providers, developers, and contractors across Scotland.

Steven Ballantyne has been appointed Area Sales Manager for Premier’s Hire Division in Scotland and brings a decade of experience in the modular hire space to his new role.

Working from Dundee, Steven will be assisting clients with modular building projects for short and long-term hire in the construction, infrastructure, healthcare, and education sectors – from high quality project offices and welfare facilities to decant classrooms and temporary hospital facilities to meet surges in demand.

According to Dan Allison, Director of Premier Modular, “The demand for offsite construction continues to increase in every sector as more construction clients recognise the benefits of enhanced quality, shorter programme times, affordability, and significantly reduced impact on the environment. Our modular solutions are precision engineered for high levels of energy efficiency and are manufactured with zero waste to landfill. And we are very keen to bring those benefits to our growing customer base in Scotland for both temporary and permanent building projects.”

“Paul and Steven bring some tremendous experience in offsite construction to the business which will definitely add value to customers in Scotland who are considering a modular solution. They both have invaluable local knowledge so we can offer the highest level of service, meeting individual project requirements across Scotland with a flexible approach that is unparalleled in the offsite sector.”

Established in 1956, Premier Modular is one of the most financially robust businesses in the dynamic offsite sector. It provides both temporary and bespoke offsite building solutions across a diverse range of sectors including education, healthcare, infrastructure, and construction.

In the residential market, Premier specialises in apartments and studios for multi-occupancy buildings – from hotels and student accommodation to build-to-rent and social housing schemes.

 

For further information, visit www.premiermodular.co.uk, call 0800 316 0888 or email info@premiermodular.co.uk.

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Additional Measures Required to Support Heat and Buildings Strategy

Steve Richmond, Head of Marketing and Technical at REHAU

The Government’s Heat and Buildings Strategy is a welcome development in decarbonising the UK heating sector, but must be supported by further policy if net zero is to be achieved, according to polymer pipework specialist REHAU.

The long-awaited strategy was launched October 2021 by the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), with the £450 million Boiler Upgrade Scheme being the centrepiece of the development. From April 2022, homeowners will be eligible for £5 – 6K grants to install heat pumps, with the intention of driving down the cost of clean heat and reducing dependence on fossil fuels.

However, REHAU has advised that greater scope will be necessary if climate targets are to be achieved. Steve Richmond, Head of Marketing and Technical at REHAU, said: “The Boiler Upgrade Scheme is a really positive development for the uptake of cleaner technology. However, at £5 – 6K funding per heat pump, we’re only providing scope for a maximum of 90,000 installations. The UK is currently installing roughly 35,000 each year, so we need to be more ambitious if we are to reach the Prime Minister’s target of 600,000 heat pumps per annum by 2028.

“With increasing installations, the Government’s ambition is to reduce the cost of heat pumps by 25 – 50 % by 2025. However, the number of trained installers and manufacturing costs are likely to be a challenge here. The Government has signalled that they want to see more local manufacturing for low-carbon solutions, and REHAU has been manufacturing its pre-insulated RAUVITHERM pipe since 2012, which is used for both heat pumps and district heating.”

District heating networks also feature heavily in the strategy, with a £338 million investment in the Heat Network Transformation Programme set to take place between 2022 and 2025. Other measures such as the £150 million Home Upgrade Grant have been put in place to help off-gas grid homes achieve a reduction in their carbon emissions.

With the Future Homes Standard also set to ban gas boilers in new builds by 2025, heat pumps and district heating networks are expected to become the new standard for residential heating. Growing uptake of low-carbon heat sources has in turn lead to increased demand for energy-efficient heat distribution solutions, such as underfloor heating & cooling or Thermally Activated Building Structures (TABS), which makes use of a building’s natural structure to both heat and cool.

Steve concluded: “With the decision on hydrogen’s future being pushed back to 2026, there is a greater need than ever to evaluate our path to net zero. The launch of the Government’s Heat and Buildings Strategy is a vital step in this journey, but cannot bear the load of this challenge alone. Only through the support of other initiatives will we achieve a net zero Britain.”

For more information on REHAU’s low carbon district heating solutions, CLICK HERE:

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World First for Electric Power

Junttan Oy Unveils World’s First Electric Pile Driving Rig
Junttan Oy is helping to ensure a sustainable future with the unveiling of the PMx2e, the world’s first fully battery-powered electric pile driving rig. The rig’s hydraulic system is controlled by a modern electric motor that generates power from a battery pack, which has replaced the counterweight.

 

The PMx2e has been designed to mimic the use of a diesel engine rig as closely as possible, even in challenging working conditions. Junttan was intentional in its quest to replicate the efficiency and power of a diesel rig. The PMx2e offers the same robust structure and usability as the PMx22, but consumes less energy per pile, reduces noise, and delivers more power and instant torque.

Junttan’s PMx2e is equipped with two detachable 396 kWh battery packs to allow for 8 to 13 hours of continuous pile driving.  An external quick charging unit allows the batteries to be fully charged overnight or during the day if needed.

This new, electric pile driving rig demonstrates Junttan’s commitment to helping our customers build a more sustainable future around the world, says Junttan Oy CEO Pasi Poranen. “After four years of research and development, we are bringing the future replacement of a diesel engine deep foundation machine to the market. PMx2e, will empower our clients by massively reducing their CO2 emissions and environmental footprint.”

The world’s first electric pile driving rig was commissioned in Sweden in late October 2021 by one of Europe’s premier contracting firms, Per Aarsleff, A/S and its Swedish subsidiary Aarsleff Ground Engineering AB.

Understanding the power of an alliance between manufacturer and end-user, Junttan and Aarsleff formed an alliance from day one known as “Junttan X Aarsleff.” Both had a shared vision of the future of driven piling.

For the first time ever in the history of driven piling, Junttan and Aarsleff saw an opportunity to write a new chapter in the playbook on sustainability. The companies’ combined their respective strengths and 119 years of combined expertise to improve sustainability without restrictions in performance or application.

Junttan’s introduction of the world’s first electric pile driving rig will support Aarsleff’s mission to reducing the carbon dioxide emissions that originate from fossil fuels. “The biggest challenge to finding alternatives to diesel-powered machines is the lack of large, powerful electric construction equipment, but machine manufacturers are working hard to solve this,” says Lars Dithmer, head of sustainability at Per Aarsleff A/S. “The future is beginning to look brighter for more environmentally friendly construction sites.”

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SIKA JOINS OFFSITE ALLIANCE

Gaynor Tennant – Co-Founder and Chair of the Offsite Alliance and Simon Griffiths – Head of Sales, Offsite Construction at Sika 

 

As part of its commitment to offsite manufacturing across the nation, Sika has joined the Offsite Alliance, a membership organisation that increases the uptake and delivery of offsite technologies in the residential sector.

With offsite’s benefits clear to see, Sika’s membership will further enhance offsite manufacturing’s adoption across the UK. Sika will draw on its world-leading status as a manufacturer and supplier of construction materials for a wide variety of applications, to drive the construction industry closer to the offsite manufacturing transformation it is calling out for.

Sika joins the Offsite Alliance at a time when it has a dedicated MMC Division that works with modular manufacturers to look at how Sika products can be used as part of the process in this fast-growing sector. Sika’s decision to be part of the Offsite Alliance signifies the company’s commitment to the offsite manufacturing effort. Through a combination of action and collaboration, Sika will work with fellow like-minded organisations to promote best practice, share innovation and work together to create the high quality, sustainable homes of the future.

Speaking of the news, Simon Griffiths – Head of Sales, Offsite Construction at Sika said: “We are delighted to have joined the Offsite Alliance. We see a perfect strategic fit. We have a great team at Sika, who in many cases, are already involved in driving forward industry and association agendas. We see this addition as a natural step forward to working collaboratively with the MMC industry, to raise the profile and standards, and to help deliver the aspirations of the industry.”

Founded in 2019, the Offsite Alliance works alongside leading organisations, industry bodies, government, local authorities, housing associations, and most importantly, its members, to cultivate adoption of offsite technologies across the residential sector.

Sika is an international market leader offering the industry’s widest product ranges for sealing and bonding, roofing, building finishing, passive fire protection, damping and reinforcing, concrete, flooring, waterproofing and wall finishes for interior and exterior applications, and bathroom pod waterproofing and tiling systems. Sika delivers construction solutions that not only meet the most demanding specifications of the building industry, they improve manufacturing efficiency and quality – making Sika a worthy addition to the Offsite Alliance.

 

For more information please call 01707 394444, or visit www.sika.co.uk

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STUNNING SMART WINDOWS

A derelict mill in a Cumbrian hamlet has been transformed over a three and a half year self-build project into a stunning four bedroom, four bathroom house, together with workshop and office space. Featured on Channel 4’s Grand Designs programme, the project saw a new timber-framed, SIPS-construction house built within the footprint of the existing mill building, with many of the original materials, retained or reclaimed and reused.

The blacking mill, a Scheduled Ancient Monument, had lain empty and deteriorating for 60 years and required full restoration. Marlin Windows, one of Smart Architectural Aluminium’s key partners, worked closely with the architect and client to design, fabricate and install 40 windows and 7 doors as part of the project.

Adrian Martin, Marlin Windows’ Managing Director, said: “Our brief was to provide contemporary aluminium windows and doors with flat, square edged profiles that would not only echo the design style and architectural lines of the building, but would also maximise the natural light coming into it. We were also tasked with ensuring the colour and finish were sympathetic to the reclaimed stone and new timber facing materials, as well as the surrounding natural environment.”

For the main feature windows, the experienced Marlin team installed Smart’s EcoFutural system, with its slim profiles and outstanding thermal efficiency enabling the maximum glass area to be achieved. Smart’s Alitherm 800 casement windows were then used elsewhere to provide natural ventilation and fire exit options.

Two large Smart Visoglide Plus sliding doors were incorporated to enhance the open plan living space, flood the room with light and open up the panoramic views beyond. Featuring slim frames to maximise the glazed areas, Kevin McCloud, Grand Designs’ presenter, said of the seven metre wide sliding doors: “That vast window is panoramic, it’s like a super-wide cinema screen. It almost completely fills my field of vision.”

Providing a stunning main entrance to the property, a wide Sherbourne door style from Smart’s high-performance Designer Door range was installed, featuring a low threshold for easy access and matching glazed side light. The company’s Alitherm Plus door system was installed for access to the workshop, utility and roof garden areas.

The windows and doors were all painted in textured Vulcan Black from Smart’s sensations colour range, the colour selected to harmonise with the local environment and adjacent materials.

Smart’s Managing Director, Eddie Robinson, said “This is a fantastic project, with huge credit going to Adrian and the team at Marlin Windows for the quality of the fenestration work. The products not only look magnificent in this unique project, but their thermal performance will make a significant contribution to energy-efficiency.”

www.smartsystems.co.uk

 

External shots: “Images courtesy of Marlin Windows”

Internal shot: “Image courtesy of Grand Designs”

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public sector sites can cut carbon emissions by 70%

Complex public sector sites – such as hospitals, prisons, and military barracks – could achieve a 70% reduction in carbon emissions by 2032 with an average capital cost of £12.6m per site, according to a two-year innovation pilot.

The Modern Energy Partners (MEP) innovation programme was tasked with exploring how to decarbonise the public sector estate, by developing repeatable methods that enable large campus-style sites to meet UK Government commitments on net zero.

MEP was driven and funded by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) through the £505 million Energy Innovation, and overseen alongside Cabinet Office, and other estate-owning departments, with Energy Systems Catapult providing programme delivery, analytical and technical support.

The MEP pilot used a test bed of 42 sites responsible for over 294,000 tCO2e carbon emissions – equating to 8% of Ministry of Defence (MOD), 17% of Ministry of Justice (MOJ) and 6% of NHS sites.

MEP found that on average for a campus-style to achieve 70% emissions reduction by 2032 the capital cost was £12.6m per site.

The MEP final report provides independent recommendations for stakeholders involved in public sector decarbonisation for campus or similarly challenging sites:

  • Strategic plans to help speed up and scale up action are important: An increase in the pace and scale of decarbonisation across the public sector estate is urgently needed to reach targets. Agreed-upon, organisation-wide and long-term decarbonisation strategies can help simplify processes and cut timelines. More broadly, a public sector-wide reporting framework alongside appropriate carbon valuation will incentivise action.
  • Tailored plans at site level are vital: A tailored and detailed approach is needed for each site. The design stage should consider all aspects of Departmental and site-level governance as well as the appetite for investment in low carbon technology. Working with multiple consultancies in the development of individual design plans can increase idea sharing and avoid technology bias.
  • Delivery capability must be considered: Appropriate resourcing, capacity-building and prioritisation is urgently needed. This includes the capacity building of roles focussed on coordinating the planning and delivery of decarbonisation strategies into existing asset life replacement programmes on site. Important responsibilities of this role will be to select the technology appropriate delivery route and ensure sign-off and access are obtained in a timely manner.

The programme focused on “learning by doing”, MEP tested out the practicalities of scalable decarbonisation through three primary activities:

1. Tested rapid deployment of data gathering technologies and analysis techniques to appraise future net zero progress across 36 of the 42 testbed sites.

2. Developed a systematic and repeatable appraisal approach for the decarbonisation of campus-style public sector sites at 24 of the sites, showing estate-wide programmed deployment can be planned.

3. Worked intensively with four “pathfinder” sites to test out different commercial deployment routes, seeking quality and value for money:

  • Sheppey Prison Cluster
  • HMS Collingwood
  • NHS Goole and District Hospital
  • Catterick Garrison

Energy Systems Catapult chief executive, Philip New, said: “The public sector only accounts for around 2% of total UK emissions. But by both reducing its own emissions and demonstrating an ambitious, systematic and scalable programme of work, it offers an opportunity to demonstrate that it is possible to decarbonise at scale. The potential to procure at scale is likely to drive value for money for the public purse, encourage innovation, support skills building, help levelling up across the country and push technology prices down benefiting the wider economy.

“The Modern Energy Partners programme demonstrated that it was possible to put individual sites on track to hit net zero targets through a sustained effort by people with a mix of skill-sets.

“While some action has already being taken towards reducing emissions within the public sector estate, MEP experienced multiple barriers to delivery which must be overcome to deliver decarbonisation at scale.

“Firstly, each Government department needs a deliverable net zero strategy, which captures the scale and pace required to meet national net zero commitments.

“Secondly, the cost of decarbonisation is a key barrier. To make decarbonisation scalable, funding must be available and deployed efficiently within a department.

“Thirdly, MEP found that capability was limited to centrally based sustainability teams and, rather than embedded throughout departmental estate management. Under current conditions, delivery that relies on these small central teams is time-consuming and not scalable.

“Finally, we found that in the future decarbonisation of campus-style sites, like prisons, military bases and hospitals could be possible and could be delivered at the scale and pace required, however it needed to follow a systematic, repeatable and scalable approach.”

 

 

DOWNLOAD HERE: Modern Energy Partners – Summary Report 

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Plastic Park Will Recycle 367,500 Tonnes of Plastic

Plans for the UK’s first £165m Plastic Park – designed to tackle a share of the UK’s 4.9 million tonnes of annual plastic waste – have moved a step closer.

Peel NRE, part of Peel L&P, has submitted a planning application for the Plastic Park to be developed at Protos, the company’s strategic energy and resource hub near Ellesmere Port, Cheshire. It will cluster together innovative processing and treatment technologies to get the most value from plastic waste.

Two facilities at the Plastic Park have already received planning consent – the UK’s first waste plastic to hydrogen facility using pioneering Powerhouse Energy technology and a PET (polyethylene terephthalate) recycling plant that will take food and beverage packaging, such as plastic bottles, and recycle them for use in making new packaging products.

Peel NRE is now seeking planning approval for several further facilities which would provide capacity for up to 367,500 tonnes of mixed recyclables and plastic and create 147 new jobs.

The application follows a public consultation where nearly 300 local people took part. An overwhelming majority of respondents agreed that more plastic recycling facilities are needed in the UK.

“As our pre-application consultation showed, the issue of plastic waste is high up the agenda. By clustering various treatment technologies together in one place, we can maximise the amount of plastic that can be recycled and create a circular economy in the North West. Over time, the flow of materials between the different facilities means vehicle movements will reduce and we will use any plastic that can’t be recycled to create hydrogen which can be used as a clean fuel for HGV’s, buses and cars,” Richard Barker, Development Director at Peel NRE, part of Peel L&P, said.

“This will not only create 147 jobs and address the urgent need to tackle plastic waste, it’ll also deliver significant carbon savings, helping the North West reach its ambition to be the first net zero region in the UK.”

It comes as the UK prepares to host the global climate summit, COP26, in Glasgow this November. Peel NRE’s innovative Plastic Park would contribute significantly to the North West of England becoming carbon neutral by 2040. As well as reducing the need for virgin plastic, the facilities would save over 190,000 tonnes of CO2 every year when compared to landfill.

The latest planning application features:

  • A Materials Recycling Facility (MRF): which will separate out dry mixed recyclable materials (such as glass, paper, cans, and card) into different waste streams and send them for recycling.
  • Plastics Recycling Facility One (PRF1): plastic from the MRF and mixed plastics arriving pre-sorted to the site will be separated into different plastic types. The separated plastic will either go to PRF2 or the PET recycling plant already consented at Protos.
  • Plastics Recycling Facility Two (PRF2): pre-sorted plastic from PRF1 will be washed and processed into flaked plastic which can be used to make new plastic products, such as food packaging or drinks bottles.
  • Polymer Laminate Recycling Facility: plastic (such as crisp packets and baby food pouches) will be heated, the plastic will break down into an oil for reuse in manufacturing new products with the aluminium recovered for recycling.
  • Hydrogen refuelling station: taking hydrogen from the consented plastic to hydrogen facility to supply up to 1000kg of hydrogen per day to vehicles, sufficient to fuel approximately 20 HGVs from outside Protos and a similar number of internal HGV movements that will be servicing operations within Protos.
  •  

The application will now be considered by Cheshire West and Chester Council with a decision expected in early 2022.

Peel NRE, part of Peel L&P, is at the heart of the nation’s activity around clean growth and the circular economy – helping the UK achieve net zero by 2050 and supporting regions in their actions to achieve climate emergency targets. They reuse, repurpose, and re-energise natural resources to develop and maintain vital infrastructure across the UK and are experts in renewable energies, district heating, waste to value, water management, materials management and electric vehicle charging.

Their Protos Cheshire energy and resource hub leads the way in low carbon energy and waste management through innovative technologies including the UK’s first plastic-to-hydrogen facility, a 50MW windfarm, a 26MW biomass plant, a 49MW energy from waste plant in construction and a plastic park blueprint to revolutionise plastic recycling nationwide.

 

Source: Energy Industry Review

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The Row House from Urban Splash arrives in the Wirral

House by Urban Splash has delivered six of its factory-built homes to the development along with partner Peel L&P.

The houses include the three-storey Town House design and the Row House – which will be making its debut at Wirral Waters. Each has been set up in Wirral Waters’ East Float area, which faces East Float Dock.

Row House comes in three sizes, one with two bedrooms and two storeys, another with three bedrooms and 2.5 storeys, and a third with four bedrooms and three storeys. Each Row House has a private terrace and access to a communal garden.

The Town House design comes with three storeys and can have up to five bedrooms. The Town House model is prominent in Manchester’s New Islington neighbourhood.

House by Urban Splash is making 40 modular houses for the first phase of the East Float neighbourhood, which will ultimately have 350 homes. Lloyds Bank provided a £5m development loan for the project, with the understanding that more will be provided as the scheme advances. All of the modular houses will be made at House by Urban Splash’s factory in the East Midlands, using modern methods of construction.

“We’re absolutely delighted to deliver our first brilliantly-designed, precision manufactured homes to this new neighbourhood – including our first ever Row House homes,” said House by Urban Splash senior sales manager Toby Brown.

“We’ve never created our Row House homes anywhere before so this is a great opportunity for buyers on the Wirral to be early adopters and secure themselves a home completely different to anything else on the market.”

East Float is just one part of the wider Peel L&P Wirral Waters project, which spans 500 acres of land and will ultimately have up to 13,000 homes and 20m sq ft of mixed-use floor space.

Richard Mawdsley, director of development for Wirral Waters, said that the arrival of the homes was a “significant example of progress” at the scheme.

“Together with the other developments along Northbank, we are creating a new mixed, sustainable neighbourhood – a community for all,” Mawdsley said. “These innovative homes will sit alongside new public realm, including pocket parks and dockside walkways, helping to support healthier communities with a focus on fresh air and active travel.”

Wirral Waters residents are expected to move into their East Float homes starting in early spring.

by Julia Hatmaker

 

Source: Place North West

 

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