In today’s news, we will look at the Contractors who have begun purchasing land in preparation for the construction of the first net-zero railway in the United Kingdom. JDR Cable Systems has announced plans to invest £65 million in a factory in Northumberland. 498 brand new houses will be available for rent on the Clyde in Glasgow as a 20-story skyscraper makes a significant advancement. Mayfield completes £1.5 billion land purchase. The Babergh and Mid Suffolk Innovation Awards were bestowed upon Palgrave’s Natural Building Systems twice.

Land purchase paves path for UK’s first net-zero railway

Original Source: Land acquisition paves the way for construction of UK’s first net zero railway

As part of the Global Centre of Rail Excellence (GCRE) in Wales, contractors have bought land to prepare for building the UK’s first net-zero railway.

Celtic Energy has officially acquired the former Nant Helen opencast site and Onllwyn Washery in South Wales for the project.

The Nant Helen surface mine site will have an electrified high-speed outer rail testing track (6.9km) with speeds up to 110mph (177kmh) and an electrified low-speed infrastructure testing track (4.5km) with speeds up to 40mph (64kmh).

It will have two platform stations and 25kv OLE infrastructure.

The Onllwyn washery site will contain an R&D, education, training, and conference centre; an operations and control centre/office; staff facilities; rolling stock storage/sidings; and 25kv OLE infrastructure.

The 700Ha properties at the head of the Dulais Valley in south Wales will be transformed into the UK’s “one stop shop” for railway innovation, from R&D to testing, verification, and certification to applied innovation on mainline passenger and freight railways.

Consultants and contractors include Hirwaun’s Walters Group, Atkins, Fifth Studio, Arcadis, and Mott MacDonald are designing the site and preparing for construction in 2023.

GCRE comprises three phases:

Phase 1: Rolling stock sidings by 2023

Phase 2: Construction of two electric test loops, one 6.9km high-speed loop and a 4km infrastructure loop, starting in 2024.

GCRE chief executive Simon Jones said, “We are moving at pace to deliver on our ambitious plans to deliver a modern and comprehensive rail testing and innovation facility, building our team and preparing for construction with the aim of having our commercial rolling stock storage facility available to the market.

“The next stage of our procurement process will begin soon with a meet the buyer event and the introduction of a separate innovation competition next week. Potential suppliers and partners can learn how to become involved. Then, a private investment prospectus will be released. We’re on a mission to put Wales and the UK at the centre of 21st-century sustainable transport innovation with the assistance of the Welsh and UK governments and Powys and Neath Port Talbot local councils.

Economy minister Vaughan Gething visited the £250M GCRE project site.

“GCRE is one of the most critical and inventive infrastructure projects in Europe,” he remarked.

Its importance to the community and Welsh economy shouldn’t be ignored. This project will develop employment and skills. I’m convinced it will boost Dulais Valley’s industrial future.

Lee Waters, deputy minister of climate change, said GCRE will be a unique location for testing infrastructure, rolling stock, and innovative technology. It will help manage rail project costs by testing concepts before deployment and assist the innovation needed to reach net zero.

The legal acquisition of the land allows GCRE and their contractors to assume possession of the site and begin building the infrastructure needed to realise this ambitious ambition.

Neath Port Talbot and Powys County Councils approved GCRE in 2021.

This month, the GCRE opened the procurement process for £250M worth of contracts to create its test tracks and associated infrastructure. Rail innovators were encouraged to compete for up to £7.4M to help bring their ideas to life.

JDR Cable Systems’ £65m Northumberland facility is a go

Original Source: Contract to build £65m Northumberland factory for JDR Cable Systems agreed

Building North East and Yorkshire has won the Blyth project.

JDR Cable Systems to establish a £65m plant in Northumberland.

Galliford Try’s Building North East and Yorkshire business will develop the new facility as part of JDR’s expansion plan. The new 500,000 sq ft factory will help JDR expand and service the burgeoning worldwide offshore renewable energy sector by adding high voltage export and long-length array cables.

The new location will create 170 new employment and provide the firm access to new contracts, following deals gained at its second North East base in Hartlepool, which recently won a contract to supply an offshore wind farm in Germany.

The company stated the Blyth initiative is a significant investment in the North East on the site of the former Blyth power station. It builds on Galliford Try’s track record of delivering major industrial facilities in the region, including projects for Rolls-Royce and Quorn.

Galliford Try CEO Bill Hocking said, “We’re happy to be part of this wonderful project, which adds to our excellent portfolio of work in the North East and helps the UK reach energy security and net zero carbon ambitions.” We look forward to working with JDR to help them achieve their goals.”

JDR’s chief strategy and compliance officer remarked, “The appointment of Galliford Try and the start of construction is a critical milestone in realising our new high-voltage subsea cable manufacturing plant.” JDR chose Galliford Try for its technical experience, attention to detail, local supplier chain, and collaborative solutions.

“We hope to collaborate with Galliford” Build our facility to bring new power cable capabilities and capacity to the UK, which will help secure our energy supply and link more renewable energy to our homes and towns.

JDR Cables will get construction funding from the government’s Offshore Wind Manufacturing Scheme.

JDR secured a £130m UK Export Finance Export Development Guarantee, allowing it to generate new employment in Northumberland and safeguard 270 at its Hartlepool and Cambridgeshire operations. The company spent £3m to install a new vertical layup machine in Hartlepool.

498 Glasgow houses to rent on Clyde as 20-story building advances

Original Source: 498 new Glasgow homes to rent on Clyde as 20-storey building takes huge step forward

The new Platform building with one-, two-, and three-bedroom homes, a gym, roof terraces, and remote working capabilities will be finished next year.

The 498-home development might be one of the tallest in Glasgow.

The 20-story build to rent on the Clyde will be finished in October 2019 and boasts amazing views of the city.

The four-block location is near to Glasgow Live and the Daily Record and minutes from the SEC and Hydro.

One-, two-, and three-bedroom homes have a gym, courtyard, roof terraces, cinema room, and remote working amenities.

Developer Platform Glasgow celebrated completion of the building’s core with a “topping out” ceremony.

Development director Matt Willcock commented “The Clyde Waterfront has been planned for urban renewal by Glasgow City Council. We’re helping to speed this by offering a ready-made neighbourhood that will provide much-needed houses and improve inhabitants’ health and welfare.

The six- to 20-story waterfront houses span four blocks and include a gaming area, bar, guest lounges, and group dining rooms.

Gary Holmes from Graham, the building company, said, “As demand for new rental houses in the city outstrips availability, it’s great to see Platform Glasgow taking shape.”

“Graham is thrilled to work with Platform on this historic development. Unique offering will improve home supply and build a flourishing community beside the River Clyde.

£1.5bn Mayfield closes land deal

Original Source: Partners in £1.5bn Mayfield close in on land deal

The mixed-use Manchester consortium will acquire the Macdonald Hotel car park leasehold for office redevelopment.

Next month, Manchester City Council’s executive will discuss the parking arrangement. The city government, which owns the Travis Street site, will likely sell it to the Mayfield Partnership.

LCR, Transport for Greater Manchester, and Landsec’s U+I are also involved.

Taking control of the car park will allow the partnership to advance its ambitions for Wyre Street, one of Mayfield’s five neighbourhoods.

The area around Wyre Street allows the SRF to “re-address the link between Mayfield and the city centre to the west.”

The framework says the hotel car park may provide “a generous and generic building floorplate” for retail, leisure, and office applications.

The plans pedestrianised Travis Street.

Place North West approached the collaboration but received no comment.

In September, Mayfield’s six-acre public park opened.

Landsec announced in May it planned to develop 316,000 square feet of offices at Mayfield by the end of the year.

Natural Building Systems wins two Babergh and Mid Suffolk Innovation Awards 2022

Original Source: Palgrave-based Natural Building Systems scoop two awards at the Babergh and Mid Suffolk Innovation Awards 2022

A company that develops eco-friendly building products earned two innovation prizes.

Palgrave’s Natural Building Systems won two Babergh and Mid Suffolk Innovation Awards.

More than 160 people attended the Wherstead Park ceremony, which honoured firms for innovation in healthcare, customer service, sustainability, construction, and the high street.

Natural Building Systems received Tomorrow’s World and Construction Innovation for its sustainable construction strategy.

The company blends low embodied carbon materials with digital manufacturing and other modern ways of construction to develop carbon neutral, carbon-reducing building materials.

Chloe Donovan, director of operations, said the company was thrilled to win two prizes for innovation in building and promising ‘tomorrow’s world’ technology.

If the government wants to achieve net zero carbon emissions, we must reduce the carbon footprint of our buildings and the materials they’re constructed from quickly.

Summary of today’s construction news

Overall, we have discussed today about contractors who have purchased property in advance of constructing the United Kingdom’s first carbon-neutral railway as part of the GCRE (Global Centre of Rail Excellence). Celtic Energy has finalised the purchase of the former Nant Helen opencast site and Onllwyn Washery in South Wales for the development project. The Building Carried Out by Galliford Try As part of JDR’s development plan, a North East and Yorkshire enterprise will be responsible for developing the new facility. It is expected that this 20-story rental building on the Clyde, which will be home to 498 people once completed in October 2019, will be one of the tallest in Glasgow. The Macdonald Hotel parking lot leasehold will be purchased by the Manchester mixed-use group for office redevelopment. The sustainable building practices of Natural Building Systems have been recognized by Tomorrow’s World and Construction Innovation. Two Babergh and Mid Suffolk Innovation Awards went to Palgrave’s Natural Building Systems.