Wrexham Council has submitted detailed plans to ignite the city’s long-trailed Gateway regeneration with a mixed programme of culture, commerce and transport improvements next to Wrexham General Station. At the heart of the proposals is a celebration of the city’s brewing heritage. A former Jewson builders’ merchant warehouse would be
Footasylum is returning to Silverburn, agreeing a deal with owner Henderson Park for a two-storey, 9,585 sq ft unit that will become the retailer’s fourth store in Glasgow. The move adds further momentum to the centre’s fashion-led refresh, following recent lettings to Bershka, Hollister, Pull&Bear and Stradivarius. Managed by Eurofund
Panattoni, the world’s largest privately owned industrial developer, has acquired a 70-acre site on Lenham, Kent, creating a rare opportunity to deliver large-scale, modern industrial space in a market where demand outstrips supply. The development is expected to attract national and international logistics occupiers. The site, previously home to Aliaxis
Glenigan Review sees UK construction activity continuing to fall against a backdrop of economic uncertainty Today, Glenigan | Powered by Hubexo (Glenigan), one of the construction industry’s leading insight and intelligence experts, releases the October 2025 edition of its Construction Review. The Review focuses on the three months to the
Salboy Group, the nationwide property development and funding company, has launched sales at Old York Mews, its third design-led London development since 2022. Named after the very-nearby Old York Road, a lively street running through Wandsworth that’s renowned for its cafes, bakeries and European-style ambience, this boutique mews development is
A report going to the Council’s executive next week (Weds 15 October) details the next phase in an ongoing collaboration with the Manchester Housing Providers Partnership (MHPP) to deliver genuinely affordable housing across the city. More than 700 new homes will be built using Council-owned land in the coming years,
The Guinness Partnership, one of England’s largest housing associations, held an event to celebrate the topping out of its Trinity Road development in Bristol. Kevin Williams, Group Director of Development & Commercial Services at The Guinness Partnership, was joined by senior colleagues from the development team, as well as representatives
Caledonia Housing Association, one of Scotland’s largest registered social landlords, is pressing ahead with a major programme of housing investment that will deliver over 180 new, affordable, mixed-tenure homes across the country over the next 18 months. The programme will boost Scotland’s supply of high-quality, energy-efficient homes and directly support
An enormous machine being used to dig HS2’s Birmingham approach tunnels broke through today, marking the completion of major tunnel excavation between London’s Old Oak Common and the West Midlands. The 125-metre-long tunnel boring machine – named Elizabeth after the 19th century philanthropist Elizabeth Cadbury – was launched near the
Leading installer of passive fire barriers, Injecta Fire Barrier, have announced an ongoing remediation project for a 13-storey building in Southampton. Using the patented Injectaclad system, Injecta Fire Barrier are installing regulatory compliant cavity barriers between the horizontal and vertical cavities that divide the structure, providing maximum fire protection for
Wrexham Council has submitted detailed plans to ignite the city’s long-trailed Gateway regeneration with a mixed programme of culture, commerce and transport improvements next to Wrexham General Station. At the heart of the proposals is a celebration of the city’s brewing heritage. A former Jewson builders’ merchant warehouse would be converted to house a new Wrexham Lager brewery, while the neighbouring Cambrian Sheds are earmarked for a taproom and museum telling the story of local beer-making. Together, they aim to create an anchor visitor attraction on the station’s doorstep, activating the wider site from day one. The application is hybrid. Alongside the detailed change-of-use plans for the brewery and museum, the council is seeking outline consent for a five-storey commercial office building, a new public plaza at the station entrance, and a pedestrian footbridge connecting the northern end of the plot. Public-realm and mobility upgrades include new bus stops, EV charging points, secure cycle storage and improved pedestrian and cycle access from Mold Road. The scheme sits within the broader Wrexham Gateway project, which also encompasses the new Kop stand at the STōK Racecourse and a linked transport hub. Demolition of the former Girl Guides and Wrexham District Scouts buildings is proposed to clear space for the new facilities and public routes. SHR Studio Architecture leads the design team, with Cushman & Wakefield as cost consultant, Hoare Lea on building services and Civic Engineers providing civil and structural input. The design intent pairs adaptive reuse with contemporary infill: industrial sheds are repurposed and made public-facing, while new-build elements frame a coherent station square. For contractors and consultants, the opportunity blends heritage refurbishment with phased new build, complex interfaces around live rail and highway environments, and a sustainability brief that leans on reuse, low-carbon mobility and energy-efficient services. If approved, the project would set a strong urban gateway for arrivals to Wrexham, establishing a cultural draw alongside workspace and improved connectivity. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Footasylum is returning to Silverburn, agreeing a deal with owner Henderson Park for a two-storey, 9,585 sq ft unit that will become the retailer’s fourth store in Glasgow. The move adds further momentum to the centre’s fashion-led refresh, following recent lettings to Bershka, Hollister, Pull&Bear and Stradivarius. Managed by Eurofund Group, Silverburn has seen more than 60 leasing deals concluded under its three-year joint venture ownership with Henderson Park, targeting an elevated brand mix and stronger youth and family appeal. Culverwell and Time Retail Partners acted for the landlord on the Footasylum transaction. For the retail property market, the signing underscores the continued pull of best-in-class regional centres for athleisure and trainer specialists, particularly where owners are investing in tenant mix, placemaking and experience. Silverburn’s large-format, multi-level unit allows Footasylum to showcase key brand partners and expand digital services such as click-and-collect and ship-from-store, supporting omnichannel growth across its c.60-strong estate. Alberto Esguevillas, CEO of UK retail at Eurofund Group, said: “Footasylum is a stand-out success story in the UK retail market, and we are pleased to see it return to Silverburn, where it is sure to be a welcome and popular new arrival.” Fit-out is expected to emphasise fast visual merchandising, strong back-of-house logistics and flexible display zones suited to seasonal launches and limited drops, aligning with the centre’s strategy to drive repeat visits and dwell time. The deal further consolidates Silverburn’s position as a regional fashion destination and signals ongoing demand from activewear and lifestyle brands for high-footfall, experience-focused locations. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Panattoni, the world’s largest privately owned industrial developer, has acquired a 70-acre site on Lenham, Kent, creating a rare opportunity to deliver large-scale, modern industrial space in a market where demand outstrips supply. The development is expected to attract national and international logistics occupiers. The site, previously home to Aliaxis and other industrial tenants, offers over 1 million square feet of space. Its location provides direct access to the A20, M20 (Junctions 8 and 9), and M25, enabling fast distribution across the South East, London, and Europe through the nearby ports of Dover, London Gateway, and Medway. From Lenham, more than 40 million postcodes are reachable within four hours and 19 million within two hours, positioning the site as a strategic hub for national supply chains. Panattoni plans to speculatively develop over 1 million sq ft, named Panattoni Park Maidstone. The development will target BREEAM ‘Excellent’ and EPC A+ ratings with net zero construction standards. Occupiers will be able to customise unit sizes and layouts ahead of planning submission, offering flexibility rarely available in the South East. David McGougan, Development Director at Panattoni, said: “Panattoni Park Maidstone is a significant addition to our portfolio and addresses the national need for high-quality, flexible industrial space. With strong transport links and access to a skilled workforce, it provides businesses with a location that supports growth, efficiency, and sustainability. The new site builds on this experience, providing occupiers with access to strategically positioned, high-specification space in a highly competitive market.” Tony Watkins, Head of Development: South East & London at Panattoni said: “Panattoni has a strong track record of delivering large-scale, sustainable industrial projects across Kent, including Panattoni Park Aylesford, Sittingbourne, and Wrotham. This acquisition further strengthens Panattoni’s role in delivering strategic logistics infrastructure across the UK.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Glenigan Review sees UK construction activity continuing to fall against a backdrop of economic uncertainty Today, Glenigan | Powered by Hubexo (Glenigan), one of the construction industry’s leading insight and intelligence experts, releases the October 2025 edition of its Construction Review. The Review focuses on the three months to the end of September 2025, covering all major (>£100m) and underlying (<£100m) projects, with all underlying figures seasonally adjusted. It’s a report providing a detailed and comprehensive analysis of year-on-year construction data, giving built environment professionals a unique insight into sector performance over the past year. All Fall Down Once again, Glenigan’s October Review paints a picture of a sector continuing to slow down, as investor confidence fails to return to the private market and many public projects face significant delays. It was a case of across-the-board decline with project starts, main contract awards and detail planning approvals all down compared to both the preceding three months, and the same period last year. Looking at the former, project starts fell by 15% against the previous quarter and plummeted to a shocking 40% on 2024 levels. Likewise, the value of planning approvals was slashed by approximately fifth (-21%) during Q.3 and when measured against the previous year (-18%). Whilst main contract awards only dipped a modest 2% compared to the preceding three months, they finished almost a third down (-32%) against the previous year. Commenting on the results, Yuliana Ivanykovych, Senior Economist at Glenigan says, “The situation seems to be getting worse as the year progresses and, at this rate something truly transformative will need to happen to kick-start activity. Activity is depressed across both underlying and major projects, a result of low business confidence and the slow progress of government funded projects. Couple that with the industry’s long-term labour market challenges, wafer-thin margins and growing concerns over rising costs and you have a perfect storm, which the industry will have to try and weather in the months to come. She continues, “Not only that, there is added caution ahead of the Budget. Investors are keen to keep their powder dry, whilst Government departments cautiously watch for any changes to their funding allocations which might put capital projects at risk.” Residential continues to fall The residential sector is in decline, with that positive growth spurt seen over the Spring/Summer now seeming a distant memory. Whilst project starts only fell by 7% year-on-year, main contract awards tumbled by 47% and planning approvals by 39% when measured against 2024 figures. Private housing experienced a particularly poor period whilst social housing has been left with a significantly weakened pipeline. Even though there was strong growth in major project starts within this vertical, compared to both last year and the previous quarter, it was not quite enough to pull it up into positive figures. Regionally, performance was generally weak, with most posting lower project starts compared to Q.2 and the previous year. However, London and the South East both registered small project start increases, up 8% and 2% respectively on 2024. The latter also experience an uptick in planning approvals, growing 10% year-on-year, with the East of England (+28%) and South West (+11%) posting increases on a year ago. High-rise for office starts Offices continued their moment in the sun, despite planning approvals falling by three-quarters (-76%) and main contract awards down by 9% compared to 2024, the vertical posted an impressive 82% increase in starts year-on-year. This boost can be predominantly attributed to a spike in underlying starts as well as policy-driven momentum, with the Government recently signing a Tech Prosperity Deal, which has led to announcing an AI ‘growth zone’ in the North East. This £30bn investment will make the region home to one of the largest data centre hubs in Europe and hint at how this type of building will likely keep performance relatively resilient in the office vertical (which includes data centres) in the months and years to come. Most regions posted strong project starts performances with London possessing the highest share (68%) during this period, thanks to an 87% increase year-on-year. This growth is largely the result of the £400 million 50 Fenchurch Street development in the City. The North West also witnessed a 14% project starts increase compared to a year ago, in this case Manchester’s The Republic at Mayfield development was responsible. Bright spots amid the gloom Two others verticals particularly stood out: Hotel & Leisure and Civils. The former has experienced a surprisingly robust period of activity with project starts increase a whopping 93% year-on-year, with main contract awards also up 14%. Whilst detailed planning approvals were down 35% compared to 2024 levels, they did grow against Q.2 A 237% jump in indoor leisure facilities was only outstripped by an astonishing 344% leap in sports facilities performance. These impressive results were born out in the regions where developments including Manchester’s wellbeing resort and the Cardiff Arena & Hotel Atlantic Wharf are driving growth. Despite a poor start performance, Civils has seen a sharp increase in planning approvals (+150%) compared to the previous year and a 38% rise in main contract awards over Q.2 2025. Underlying figures were particularly positive, rising to 58%, against the preceding three months, indicating a strengthening of the development pipeline. This has likely been catalysed by the Government’s focus on clean energy projects, alongside the approval of more offshore windfarm projects, set to support overall growth in the future. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Salboy Group, the nationwide property development and funding company, has launched sales at Old York Mews, its third design-led London development since 2022. Named after the very-nearby Old York Road, a lively street running through Wandsworth that’s renowned for its cafes, bakeries and European-style ambience, this boutique mews development is well situated for professionals and young families’ work and leisure needs. The scheme is less than five minutes’ walk from Wandsworth Town station with fast links into Clapham Junction, Waterloo and Bank, as well as Gatwick and Heathrow. It is also just a ten minute stroll to bankside walks along the River Thames. Transforming a former 5,000-sqft brownfield site, Old York Mews is made up of nine properties – eight 1 and 2-bed apartments and one 3-bedroom mews house. The properties are designed around a private landscaped courtyard, offering modern living with village charm. Works are underway on site led by Salboy’s construction partner, Domis, and the first property is expected to complete on site at the end of March 2026. Old York Mews residents will enjoy a blend of contemporary architecture and classic detailing, to mirror the evolving look and feel of this historic part of South London. All properties are designed on open-plan layouts with high ceilings and dual-aspect light, private terraces or balconies, and views of the private courtyard garden. Salboy and Domis’ collaboration ensures each property comes with the partners’ trademark high quality finish too. The kitchens come complete with quartz worktops and integrated appliances; the bedrooms are spacious and private; and air source heat pumps, permeable surfaces and biodiversity planting in the outdoors spaces celebrate the best of sustainable home-building. Simon Ismail, Co-Founder & MD of Salboy, comments: “We’re bringing to market a rarity in the South London housing scene – an exclusive enclave of just nine new homes that comes complete with its own quiet green setting, yet is only moments away from the river, transport links and the attractions and fun of inner city life. Wandsworth is a diverse, bustling riverside suburb imbued with London history. We have painstakingly designed this development to preserve and celebrate the heritage of the surrounding area, while subtly blending in answers to modern lifestyle needs.” Old York Mews is designed, developed and marketed by Salboy, one of the UK’s fastest-growth developers and property funding partners. In the last ten years, Salboy has delivered 4,000 new homes across the country. The team has £2 billion of UK property in development across 76 active sites. Old York Mews is Salboy’s third London scheme, after One Cluny Mews, a gated community of 35 apartments and penthouses in Earl’s Court and Wharfside Mews, a series of five 3-bed townhouses near Canary Wharf. A fourth scheme in King’s Cross will be announced in the new year. Ismail adds: “Salboy’s roots may be firmly in the North West of England but the London development scene is a fascinating ecosystem to operate in. We’re earned a strong track record for identifying sites and schemes in some of the capital’s fastest-evolving neighbourhoods and contributing to their regeneration with our sustainable, design-led homes that marry heritage and contemporary styles. Old York Mews is another hidden gem and we’re proud to help Londoners make it their new home.” Sales of the properties are being led by Salboy’s own sales team. The properties are priced between £875,000 and £1,045,000. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A report going to the Council’s executive next week (Weds 15 October) details the next phase in an ongoing collaboration with the Manchester Housing Providers Partnership (MHPP) to deliver genuinely affordable housing across the city. More than 700 new homes will be built using Council-owned land in the coming years, continuing a proven approach to deliver new affordable housing to meet demand – helping to meet and surpass the 10year Housing Strategy target to build at least 10,000 social, council and genuinely affordable homes across the city up to 2032, including 3,000 in the city centre. Working with the MHPP, the Council is able to invest unused, surplus parcels of land to make sure the right mix of homes are being built to meet demand in a particular area. In the last three years, Registered Providers and Housing Associations that are part of the MHPP delivered around 90% of the affordable homes completed across the city with a remit to deliver homes as affordable as possible to Manchester people – with the majority capped at social rent or the Manchester Living Rent. More than 1,750 affordable homes have been completed in Manchester since the housing strategy was adopted in 2022 – alongside a strong pipeline with 1,500 affordable homes under construction, and a further 2,250 affordable homes with planning approval. Key sites as part of this phase of the MHPP partnership includes: The executive committee will also hear a report around future investment in Gorton Town Centre where a further 400 homes will be built by Clarion. Read the full land disposals Executive Committee report Leader of the Council Bev Craig, said: “We are delivering on our commitment made through our housing strategy to vastly increase the number of affordable homes – including significant numbers of social housing – being built in Manchester. “We are seeing more affordable homes being built on Council land than at any point since 2015 and this has been made possible through the strong partnership we have with the city housing providers, who are helping us not only deliver affordable homes Manchester needs at pace – but we are exceeding our targets. “Providing council-owned land to create opportunities for new home building is a proven approach and this next phase is a continuation of a strong track record of delivering homes for our residents. “Through this latest programme of developments, including an ambitious pipeline of social rent homes in Gorton, we have unlocked more than 1,000 affordable homes this month alone.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The Guinness Partnership, one of England’s largest housing associations, held an event to celebrate the topping out of its Trinity Road development in Bristol. Kevin Williams, Group Director of Development & Commercial Services at The Guinness Partnership, was joined by senior colleagues from the development team, as well as representatives from Hill’s project team and Avon and Somerset Police, to mark the occasion. The homes have been built on the old Trinity Road Police Station site with a new police station on the ground floor. Avon and Somerset Police agreed the sale of the site because it no longer met the needs of the local community, police officers and staff. Award-winning housebuilder, The Hill Group, is constructing the homes which, when complete, will provide 104 high-quality one, two and three-bedroom apartments for social rent, to help meet the strong need for affordable housing within the City of Bristol. This important affordable housing development is being delivered with financial help and partnership working from both Bristol City Council and Homes England. The council has awarded £1.5m of capital funding from its Strategic Community Infrastructure funding budget towards the cost of redelivering a police facility on the site, and a further £1.6m through its Affordable Housing Funding policy to support the delivery of the scheme as social rent. Kevin Williams, Group Director of Development & Commercial Services at The Guinness Partnership said: “The topping out at Trinity Road is an important step towards the delivery of our 104 new, high-quality social rent homes in Bristol. We are grateful for the significant investment by Bristol City council and Homes England, and we would like to thank our contractor, The Hill Group, and Avon and Somerset Police who have worked with us on the project.” Bristol East Neighbourhood Chief Insp Serena Serjeant said: “Trinity Road has been the home of our east Bristol police station for decades and we’re excited to return to the original site in 2027 when the development works have concluded. “Since vacating the site in 2023, we have maintained a visible presence in the area and continue to work with our stakeholders, partners and community leaders to ensure the needs of local residents are met. “While we await the completion of our new base, we continue to parade out of The Bridewell Police Station, Fishponds Police Station and Kenneth Steel House. “We look forward to returning home and this topping out ceremony is the first step on the homeward bound journey.” Allan O’Brien, Regional Director at The Hill Group, comments: “We are pleased to be working with The Guinness Partnership on the Trinity Road project, where we are delivering 104 high-quality, energy-efficient homes for social rent in a city facing a critical housing shortage. The inclusion of a new, improved police station will also provide a valuable community asset to support local safety and wellbeing. “Celebrating the topping out ceremony alongside our partners was a proud moment and an important milestone in the delivery of this transformative development for Bristol.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Caledonia Housing Association, one of Scotland’s largest registered social landlords, is pressing ahead with a major programme of housing investment that will deliver over 180 new, affordable, mixed-tenure homes across the country over the next 18 months. The programme will boost Scotland’s supply of high-quality, energy-efficient homes and directly support the objectives of the Housing Emergency Action Plan, which highlights the urgent need for safe, warm and affordable housing as a key step in tackling child poverty. Projects currently under construction include a £4.9 million development in Whitehill Court, Kirkintilloch, to deliver 22 high-quality, affordable homes. The homes are being built by SIM Building Group and are due for completion in February 2026. A further 22 new homes are being delivered in Kerrow Drive, Kingussie, Inverness-shire. The £5.3 million project is the first in the area by Caledonia and is being built by Davall Developments. It is due for completion in Autumn 2026. This will be followed by a £6.5 million project in Easterfield, Inverness. Developed by Springfield Homes, the 28 new affordable homes include a shared equity option and will be completed in December 2026. In Stanley, near Perth, Caledonia is working with Ogilvie Construction to deliver 22 mixed tenure homes. The £4.9 million project will include five shared equity homes. In West Dunbartonshire, work has already begun on the transformational regeneration of Bellsmyre, a long-term project that will replace outdated flats with modern, energy-efficient homes designed around the needs of the community. Caledonia will deliver 138 new energy-efficient high quality social rented homes in partnership with CCG (Scotland) Ltd and West Dunbartonshire Council over the next five years. The first phase of the project will deliver 27 new homes this year. In Dundee, the near-completion of the 67-home Ballindean development is set to provide safe, warm and affordable homes for local families. Together, these projects underline Caledonia’s determination to deliver sustainable communities across Scotland. The on-site projects, which will provide warm, energy-efficient homes for over 400 people, have a combined investment of £21.7 million of Scottish Government grant funding. Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Màiri McAllan, recently visited Bellsmyre in West Dunbartonshire to tour the first new energy-efficient homes being delivered as part of a major regeneration programme which will significantly reduce fuel costs helping to build a greener, more connected community. Julie Watson, who was recently appointed as Head of Investment and Sustainability, a new role created in 2024 to further the organisation’s delivery of new build, regeneration plans and investment strategies, said: “This programme represents a step change in the scale and pace of our development activity. By working closely with our design and construction partners, local authorities and the Scottish Government, we are creating sustainable communities and delivering the high-quality, energy-efficient homes that people need. “Building on the current programme, Caledonia is progressing with additional development plans in Brechin, Dundee and Forfar, as well as future phases of the Bellsmyre Regeneration. These projects will further strengthen Caledonia’s capacity to deliver impactful housing solutions within the communities in which it operates. We remain committed to seeking out new opportunities to bring more high-quality, affordable homes to life across Scotland.” Anne Culley, Board member at Caledonia Housing Association, said: “Delivering high-quality, affordable homes is central to Caledonia Housing Association’s mission. “The scale of our current investment programme shows our determination to respond to the housing crisis while ensuring every development is designed to meet the needs of its community. “As a Board, we are proud to support this ambitious programme and the positive difference it will make for families across Scotland.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
An enormous machine being used to dig HS2’s Birmingham approach tunnels broke through today, marking the completion of major tunnel excavation between London’s Old Oak Common and the West Midlands. The 125-metre-long tunnel boring machine – named Elizabeth after the 19th century philanthropist Elizabeth Cadbury – was launched near the Warwickshire village of Water Orton in March 2024. It arrived at Washwood Heath this morning. Two identical machines were used to dig the 3.5-mile long Bromford tunnel that will carry high speed trains under the M6 and eastern outskirts of the city, with the first one – Mary Ann – breaking through earlier this year. Together, Elizabeth and Mary Ann have excavated more than 1.8 million tonnes of material and installed 5,804 concrete ring segments for the twin, eastbound and westbound tunnels. The spoil – made up of various grades of Mercia Mudstone – is being used to landscape the railway on the approaches to the city. Today’s milestone means that all the excavation is now complete for the 28 miles of deep bore tunnel between Old Oak Common in west London and the railway’s terminus at Birmingham Curzon Street. Construction teams are now mainly focused on internal walkways, ventilation shafts and cross passages. Once complete, HS2 will improve journeys between the UK’s two largest cities while freeing up space on the existing West Coast Main Line for more freight and local services. Although the tunnel milestone marks a significant achievement for the teams in Birmingham, other parts of the railway’s civil engineering are further behind. Mark Wild, HS2 Ltd’s chief executive, is now leading a comprehensive reset of the programme to deliver the railway in the most efficient way possible and for the lowest reasonable cost. Alan Morris, HS2 Ltd’s Construction Delivery Director said: “Today’s breakthrough is a major milestone for the tunnelling team here in Birmingham and for the HS2 project. All eight of the TBMs digging our tunnels between Old Oak Common and Curzon Street have now broken through, which means that the focus is now on the internal concrete work, ventilation shafts and cross passages. “I’m immensely proud of the men and women who have worked round the clock to bring our TBMs and their crews home safely, and I look forward to seeing more progress inside the tunnels in the years ahead.” Each TBM is an underground factory – working 24/7 to excavate, install the concrete ring segments that form the walls and grout them into place as it moves forward at an average speed of around 10 metres per day. Eight TBMs have been used on the project so far, with an incredible 9.4 million tonnes of material excavated during their tunnel drives. The longest tunnel – under the Chilterns – stretches for 10 miles, while the Northolt tunnels run for 8.4 miles from West Ruislip to Old Oak Common in west London. Additionally, there is a short 1-mile twin bore tunnel beneath Long Itchington Wood in Warwickshire. Two more TBMs are expected to launch next year to begin digging the tunnels from Old Oak Common to HS2’s final destination, London Euston. A short section of mined tunnel is also being dug between the Victoria Road Crossover Box and Old Oak Common. Alongside these deep tunnels, HS2 is also delivering around 5 miles of shallow ‘cut-and-cover’ tunnels in rural areas such as Burton Green in Warwickshire, Chipping Warden in West Northamptonshire and Wendover in Buckinghamshire. The Bromford tunnel is being delivered by HS2’s main works contractor Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV) with a team of more than 450 people involved in the complex logistical operation required to keep the TBMs moving around the clock. During their year-and-a-half-long mission, the team on board the 1,600-tonne machines worked at depths of up to 40 metres. They skilfully navigated Elizabeth and Mary-Ann under the M6 motorway, key National Grid infrastructure and the meandering River Tame – which they crossed four times, with a headspace as low as five metres. Meanwhile, separate teams were focused on supplying the concrete ring segments and removing the spoil as well as beginning work on the cross passages and the ventilation shaft at Castle Vale. With the breakthrough complete, Elizabeth will now be removed from the tunnel to allow work to progress on the concrete finishing works, base slabs, and emergency and maintenance walkways. Jules Arlaud, Balfour Beatty VINCI’s Tunnelling Director, said: “Today is a historic moment for Balfour Beatty VINCI, as TBM Elizabeth completes her three-and-a-half-mile journey in Washwood Heath. This is BBV’s fourth and final TBM breakthrough, delivered by our expert tunnelling team who’ve worked around the clock over 19 months to arrive at this point. “A sense of achievement and pride is felt by everyone connected with the project and follows years of planning and preparation. This has allowed us to guide Elizabeth safely and successfully underneath complex ground conditions and critical live infrastructure, including energy networks, the M6 and the River Tame. A breakthrough is always a unique moment, and it marks the culmination of exceptional engineering, dedication, and collaboration.” As well as being the arrival point for the two Bromford tunnel TBMs, Washwood Heath will also become the nerve centre for HS2’s operations. Next to the tunnel portal, HS2’s Depot and Network Integrated Control Centre will be built. From this site, trains will be serviced and stored, and the real time operation of the railway will be controlled. Washwood Heath is one of three key HS2 sites in the West Midlands, alongside the two new stations that will be built in Birmingham and Solihull. Collectively, the three sites have become a magnet for property investors and developers, helping to drive multibillion-pound redevelopment projects in the areas nearby, which are forecast to add £10 billion to the region’s economy over the next 10 years. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Leading installer of passive fire barriers, Injecta Fire Barrier, have announced an ongoing remediation project for a 13-storey building in Southampton. Using the patented Injectaclad system, Injecta Fire Barrier are installing regulatory compliant cavity barriers between the horizontal and vertical cavities that divide the structure, providing maximum fire protection for the building’s occupants.In addition to meeting the latest building regulations detailed in the Fire Safety Act (2021) and Building Safety Act (2022), the installation by Injecta Fire Barrier will ensure the external façade and cladding can remain intact. “Our team is now installing the life-saving Injectaclad system at a Southampton high-rise, protecting occupants from the ground up to the 13th floor from the spread of fire. By avoiding major structural renovations, the project will provide benefits of significantly reducing both the project costs, installation time and physical impact, meaning anyone inside will remain undisturbed and the building can keep its original brick façade” says Shaun Tasker, Managing Director at Injecta Fire Barrier. Injectaclad is a regulatory compliant fire-retardant sealant that can be seamlessly inserted into a building’s vertical or horizontal cavities. As an intumescent material, it reacts to heat by expanding to approximately 20 times its volume, filling any gaps and slowing the spread of flames and smoke. With its simple installation process, cavity fire barriers like Injectaclad are offering property owners a less disruptive and more cost-effective solution to fire safety in high-rise structures. “Gaining access via cherry pickers and scissor lifts, we’re able to seamlessly remove sections of brickwork at a height, maintaining the highest standards of safety throughout. Once complete, the team will restore the exterior back to its original condition, delivering 50 years of passive fire protection” adds Shaun. Injecta Fire Barrier are the UK’s first independent approved installer of the patented Injectaclad system. With years of experience in passive fire protection, the company are helping property managers and building owners protect their structures, meet safety regulations and avoid costly and intrusive renovations associated from traditional fire safety remediation. “The Southampton project demonstrates how we can provide robust, compliant solutions for high-rise buildings across the UK – all without compromising their appearance! We’re looking forward to seeing the installation completed soon, helping occupants enjoy peace of mind and a sound night’s sleep” concludes Shaun. More information about Injecta Fire Barrier can be found at: https://injectafirebarrier.com/ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals