Travelodge, the UK’s first budget hotel chain, has opened its 600th hotel – located at London Oval Cricket Ground. The milestone was celebrated at a ribbon-cutting ceremony with Travelodge Chairman, Martin Robinson, CEO Jo Boydell, ex-England Cricket Captain and Surrey County Cricket Club Director, Alec Stewart OBE, and Surrey County Cricket Club CEO, Steve Elworthy. London Oval Cricket Ground Travelodge is a 95-room hotel, developed in partnership with Surrey County Cricket Club. The hotel is ideally located for both business and leisure travellers, and is just a minute’s walk from Oval Under ..read more

Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, Norges, is poised to acquire a significant share in Meadowhall, a key shopping centre in Sheffield, enhancing its position in the UK retail sector. Norges is nearing a deal to buy out British Land’s 50% stake in the centre for around £363 million. This strategic acquisition would place the total valuation of Meadowhall at approximately £725 million and is expected to yield a return of 7-8%. The move is seen as a strong indication of Norges’ confidence in the resilience and future profitability of top-tier retail locations across the UK. The discussions, which ar ..read more

Flagship Group has submitted an outline planning application to regenerate a 1,100-home development in Norfolk. The project, centered around the Abbey in Thetford, aims to address housing needs while enhancing energy efficiency and community well-being. The plan involves constructing between 320 and 500 additional homes, retrofitting existing ones, and replacing others. These new homes will be built to higher energy-efficient standards, reflecting Flagship’s commitment to sustainable development. According to Peter Hawes, Chair of Flagship, the project marks an important milestone for the Abbe ..read more

Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council is proud to announce a landmark agreement that will see some £100m invested in the Borough over the next 10 years. With anticipated Growth Deal funding of £36m from UK Government and the same from the NI Executive, alongside other partner contributions, this deal is set to shape the future trajectory of the region. The formal signing of the Growth Deal, Heads of Terms agreement, represents a significant milestone in advancing the economy of the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough. The official launch took place at Ulster University’s Coleraine Campus this ..read more

Turtle Defib Cabinets – an innovative manufacturer of defibrillator and bleed control cabinets, bleed control kits and supplier of medical equipment – is recommending people who work in the construction industry to learn the location of their nearest defibrillator and bleed control kit this World Day for Safety and Health at Work (28 April 2024). Action needs to be taken in less than five minutes in the event of a serious bleed injury or cardiac arrest. Therefore, being confident of where equipment can be found is a sensible ‘just in case’ strategy that can mean the difference between life and ..read more

Bouygues UK, main contractor and developer for the Hallsville Quarter phase 3 development in Canning Town, London, has successfully completed the handover of two affordable residential blocks to One Housing, part of Riverside. Designed by Hawkins\Brown architects, these blocks provide homes for 235 shared ownership, 10 shared equity, 10 affordable rent, 50 extra care, and 37 social rent tenures. Each block has been designed to provide community podium and roof gardens, with convenient access to the Hallsville Quarter town centre facilities and local transport. The Hallsville Quarter scheme, va ..read more

Ground-breaking data analysis by socio-economic experts at Marrons has revealed areas of opportunity for development across England and highlighted the positive impact of specialist and affordable homes as part of a functioning housing market, much of which can be facilitated through market-led development at scale. Utilising the latest ONS Census data (2021) and 2018-based population projections, planning, design and development consultancy Marrons has painted a clear picture of England’s housing need in 2040 in its latest report. Supplementing this is data from local authority housing regist ..read more

Work to transform a 16-storey residential scheme at Wellington Street in central Leeds is progressing at pace, with Caddick Construction appointed to remove the cladding facade and commence reinstallation of regulatory compliant materials.  Delivered on behalf of Mainstay Residential and West Point Management, the £24.5 million project at West Point residential complex, is one of the largest recladding contracts outside of London, with this scheme due for completion in May 2025, following a 121-week programme.  The building, which was not originally constructed by Caddick, has remain ..read more

Storms, icy weather, floods and extreme heat among top disruptions in past year UK construction workers find themselves arriving late, leaving early and feeling stressed 6 out of 10 admit cutting corners at work and risking their own safety Construction workers in the UK say the nation’s unpredictable weather is preventing them from doing their jobs properly, prompting calls for employers to provide extra support. A survey by global technology company SafetyCulture has singled out stormy weather as the biggest disruption in the past 12 months. Four of the top five disruptions to UK construct ..read more

J3 Advisory, a prominent latent defects insurance and structured property finance advisory firm, was recently instructed by Dominus to source and place insurance for their latest development in Holborn that is situated within close proximity of London universities including LSE, Kings College London and Queen Mary University of London. 61-65 Holborn Viaduct, a student accommodation development designed by Stiff + Trevillion Architects and Jonathan Cook Landscape Architects is set to address the pressing need for student housing in Central London. Nestled beside the historic Holborn Viaduct and ..read more