“Post-Olympic Work to Create New Jobs in the Trades” 

The London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) has appointed Britain’s second biggest homebuilder to build the first of the five new neighbourhoods on the Olympic Park.

The appointment of Taylor Wimpey and asocial housing landlord L&Q will transform the 9.3 hectare Chobham Manor site, delivering 870 new homes and supporting thousands of new jobs in the trades.

Sitting between the Athletes’ Village and the Lee Valley VeloPark, the development of Chobham Manor will address the residential needs for larger homes, with more than 75% of the new homes offering family housing.

Eleven thousand new homes, schools, nurseries and shops are set to be built in the Olympic Park over the next 20 years after the London Games leave town.

Daniel Moylan, Chairman of the London Legacy Development Corporation, said: “Chobham Manor will set the tone for the high quality neighbourhoods we want to create across the Park with new schools, health centres and community spaces to support them.”

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, welcomed the announcement by emphasising the future benefits for local communities and the increasing accommodation needs in the city.

Mr Johnson said: “With the incredible energy of London 2012 captivating audiences across the world, the long-term legacy of the Olympic Park is quietly going from strength to strength.

“The development of Chobham Manor is major milestone and will help ensure a thriving community on the Park becomes a reality sooner rather than later.”

What are your reactions of the Olympic Games and the lasting legacy they will bring to London’s infrastructure? Do you welcome the Post-Olympic work which is set to deliver thousands of new homes for Londoners? Share the wider implications of the Games for you and your business by commenting here or raising your voice on our Facebook page.

 The London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) has unveiled plans for the regeneration of the future Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park which will generate millions of pounds in the British economy and boost the building construction industry.

The new park will reopen exactly one year after London 2012 opening ceremony, becoming an exciting new visitor destination and community park unlike any other in the UK, the LLDC said.

The creation of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park will be one of the biggest construction projects in Europe. The 18 month transformation programme will lay the foundation for further building and construction work in East London over the next 20 years.

The transformation programme will clear Games-time structures including temporary venues such as bridges, walkways and roads. It will also connect the Park to the surrounding area with new roads, and foot paths as well as complete permanent venues to be used by visitors and the public.

The Legacy Corporation said that it is working together with experienced team of construction and architecture specialists who will deliver the best quality Park whilst making sure plans are completed as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Chief Executive of the LLDC, Andrew Altman, commented that the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park will become one of the most thriving parts of London and will help for the creation of thousands of new homes and jobs in East London.

Mr Altman said: “The transformation will take the Park from an Olympic site, to a new piece of London that’s owned and shaped by the community in and around it. Above all, the Park will create a place of practical benefit for the surrounding community – a place to take your children swimming at weekends, go to school, walk your dog or go to a festival in the summer.”

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, also emphasised on the importance of the Olympic site for Britain’s economic growth and future prosperity.

He said: “The fantastic new sporting venues are only one part of the unfolding legacy story. The Park will help drive the growth London needs to steer it out of recession and on to long term prosperity.”

What is your reaction to the post-Olympic work revealed by the London Legacy Development Corporation? Share with us how you might benefit from the project by leaving a comment below: 

Proposals for a £50 million hotel scheme to be built in Southampton have been given the green light by planning officials in Southampton City Council. The new development, which will include a luxury hotel with a restaurant and a rooftop bar, is likely to boost the building construction sector and create new jobs in the city, Career Structure News has reported.

Development plans submitted by MDL Marinas include the building of 82 flats, a variety of shops and restaurants as well as office space to let. Tenders for building construction work are expected to be announced within weeks, as work is expected to begin this autumn.

Managing Director at MDL Marinas, Eamonn Feeney, said: “We are delighted with today’s decision which will enable us to deliver the final stage of the master plan for Ocean Village Marina, and most importantly create a vibrant waterfront destination for the city.”

Director of Economic Development at Southampton City Council, Dawn Baxendale, welcomed the decision for the major development and said that it will bring a lot of benefits to the city.

Ms Baxendale commented: “This is excellent news for Southampton and I congratulate MDL Marinas for getting their planning approved.

“The scheme demonstrates that serious investors believe Southampton represents their future and is a city that is becoming comparable with the best in Europe.”

Do you welcome the approval of Southampton City Council to give the green light for the £50 million hotel scheme?  Share your thoughts by leaving a comment below:  

Britain’s largest privately owned Housebuilding and Construction Company, Miller, has won building contracts worth £51 million at Bangor and Durham universities. Building and construction work at Bangor University will begin in May this year, continuing until 2014, whilst work in Durham will begin this month and is expected to be completed by September 2013.

Miller will build a £40 million art centre at Bangor University and carry out extension work at Durham University’s Business School.  As part of the £40 million investment at Bangor University, the construction firm will also build a studio theatre, cinema, restaurant, bars, a new students’ union building as well as additional learning and teaching space.

Chris Webster, Chief Executive of Miller Construction, told Construction News: “We are building a strong portfolio of projects in Higher Education and the contracts at Bangor University and Durham University provide us with the opportunity to reinforce our expertise and skills in this market.”

Research by the building firm Wates revealed last week that 79% of UK universities are planning to expand or make significant improvements to their existing buildings. Two thirds of universities are willing to spend more than £5 million on construction work in the future; the Higher Education Sector will be a major source of work for trade professionals and building contractors.

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A new regeneration scheme in Billingham will pave the way for more construction work as Stockton Council gives the green light to build a new library worth £2.5 million.

Stockton Council is planning to build a new state-of-the-art library and customer service centre to match similar complexes in surrounding areas of Stockton and Thornaby.

The project is one of the largest improvement schemes among other construction projects in town. It brings the council’s investment in the area to more than £23 million in recent years with significant numbers of redevelopment projects and affordable housing schemes.

Stockton Council’s cabinet member for regeneration and transport, Councillor Mike Smith, welcomed the decision of the council to build new facilities in town which will boost the local economy and create new jobs whilst offering a good service.

Mr Smith said: “This is tremendous news for Billingham and honours the council’s commitment to create such a facility in the town.

“The service centres have been hugely successful and popular elsewhere in the borough and also help attract many people to go into the town centres.” added Councillor Smith.

Recent investments in building and construction projects have been crucial measures for the government to secure economic growth and create new jobs.

What is your opinion to the decision of Stockton Council to build a new £2.5 million library? Do you think it will boost the local economy and create new jobs? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment below:

A £1 Billion Extension Plan for Westfield Shopping Centre in West London is set to go ahead, paving the way for building construction work – Construction Enquirer revealed today.

The scheme will build more than 1,500 homes across five buildings, ranging from 8 to 20 storeys.  Some of these will be as part of the affordable housing scheme announced by the government in November last year.

Plans for redevelopment of the 22 acre site will include new green offices, restaurants and a huge extension to the current shopping centre will include community facilities and leisure space.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, is expected to rubber-stamp the scheme before building construction work can begin in 2014. Further details of the scheme will be announced later this year.

Hammersmith & Fulham Council’s cabinet member for community engagement Harry Phibbs, explained that this is a vital investment for the area which will create new jobs and encourage future economic growth.

Mr Phibbs said: “This development is bringing positive change, improvements and jobs to an area that needs revitalising.”

Duncan Bower, Director of Development and Asset Management at Westfield, said: “We are naturally very pleased with the decision by Hammersmith and Fulham Council to approve the scheme. We now await the decision of both the Mayor and the Secretary of State.”

What do you think about the extension of Westfield Shopping Centre and the building of new homes in West London? Do you think more needs to be done to encourage further economic growth? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment below: 

Oxford City Council has given the green light to construction work at Westgate Shopping Centre which will create as many as 2,500 new jobs, many of them in the building construction sector. 

The investment of £330 million for redevelopment of the 750,000 sq. ft. shopping area will create 90 new shops, bars, restaurants and cafes. Building work towards fulfilling the project is expected to boost the economy and create more jobs in Oxford.

Councillor Deputy Leader, Ed Turner, described the decision for the project as “fantastic news for Oxford” in regards to the positive contribution the redevelopment plans would have on the City of Oxford.

Nigel Wild, president of Oxfordshire’s Chamber of Commerce, welcomed the improvements saying that such investment would benefit Oxford with raising more business revenue and higher income.

Mr Wild said: “Shopping in Oxford has been traditionally poor and we need that kind of development in order to attract people to make it a destination city.”

Although, there has been some opposition to the project from environmental groups and some non-government organisations, building work is likely to begin in 2014; this will also include construction work of an underground car park and extension of existing shopping establishments.

Do you welcome the decision of Oxford City Council to approve the £330 million redevelopment of Westgate Shopping Centre? How is the investment going to benefit you or your business? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment below:

Heathrow Airport has unveiled its plans for dealing with high volume of extra passengers expected to arrive ahead of this summer’s London Olympics, which could fuel civil engineering recruitment.

As reported earlier this week, Heathrow Airport has announced to build a new terminal for the London Olympic Games to ease the increased traffic of people at one of the busiest airports in the world.

Building work at London Heathrow will create new jobs, transport networks and regenerate 6th runway in Heathrow Airport, which expects nearly 50% more passengers arriving on July 26, the day before the opening ceremony.

As part of preparations for the new terminal at Heathrow, building construction work will take place to build specialist lifts for Paralympians and improve facilities from which participating athletes will depart.

Nick Cole, Heathrow’s head of Olympic and Paralympic planning, asserted: “The London 2012 Games will be a unique operational task and a massive challenge for Heathrow.

“The airport is one of the most popular international airports in the world and already operates close to capacity.”- Mr Cole added.

Work is also currently underway on Heathrow’s new £2.2 billion terminal two, which will replace its existing terminals one and two once completed in 2014, with around 5,000 people to be employed on the site of this project.

 

What is your opinion about the plan of building a new Olympic Terminal at Heathrow Airport? If you are working in the building construction sector, do you think that could be a good opportunity for you/your business?  Share your thoughts by leaving a comment below:    

 

 

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has announced the first phase of a major housing redevelopment for the Greenwich Peninsula, South London, which will see 10, 000 homes built in the next three years.

Boris Johnson and the Communities Secretary, Eric Pickles, visited the Peninsula on Wednesday. They shared optimism about the regeneration of the area and all the benefits the project will bring to businesses and the Building Construction Industry.

Some 1,300 homes and 600 student accommodation units will be built later this year. The Building Sector is expected to benefit immensely from the project as a result of the building work which will be undertaken this year – Communities Secretary, Eric Pickles suggested.

Mr Pickles said: “Today the Mayor and I can announce we’ve unlocked this once stalled site in Greenwich that will now get workers back on site, construction back on track and help get our city building in 2012 the new homes Londoners needs.”

The Mayor of London said he is delighted for the project to be given green light. Mr Johnson said: “The transformation of Greenwich Peninsula is undoubtedly one of the most exciting development opportunities in London.”

He added: “This latest phase of regeneration will seal its future as a thriving, well-connected new district, combining vibrant new residential areas and fantastic leisure facilities.”

After detailed planning applications are submitted to Greenwich Council in April, construction work on the first phase of the project is set to begin in autumn later this year.

 

What is your reaction on the housing boost given to Greenwich Peninsula in South London? How beneficial for you or your business the project is going to be? Share your thoughts with us by commenting below: