Enjoy reading and learning at the same time about the latest news, particularly that, in spite of the continuous instability in the price of energy over the course of the previous few months, Tungsten West is working towards developing new alternatives. In addition, on Sewell Street, the location of a former dairy is going to be redeveloped into 33 apartments. Meanwhile, the winning design by O’Donnell + Tuomey Architects will be built by main contractor ULCCo Special Projects starting later this year. Additionally, over the past few years, there has been somewhat of a building boom in the West Warrington area. On territory that was originally occupied by RAF Burtonwood airbase, a variety of construction projects have been initiated and finished over the course of the past several decades. Furthermore, the founder of eCommonSense, Andy Scothern, discusses the long-term effects that Brexit will have on the building business. Moreover, Aedifica, a European care property expert located in Belgium, is growing its portfolio of properties in the United Kingdom by investing 13.5 million pounds in the building of a new residence.

Tungsten West inks non-binding royalty contract, claims UK project doesn’t need substantial cash

Original Source: Tungsten West signs non-binding royalty deal and says further major funding not needed for UK project

AIM:TUN inked a non-binding term sheet for a $30 million royalty investment.

This summer, adjustments were made to its development plan for the UK’s Hemerdon tungsten project.

By September 2022, Tungsten West’s EPC contractor, Fairport Engineering, should have a construction timeline and final capex budget.

In the meantime, long-lead time equipment has been ordered, including a semi-mobile primary and secondary crusher circuit from Metso-Outotec of Finland.

Third parties have expressed interest in buying three ore sorters that are currently surplus to requirements.

New screens and vibrating feeders from South Africa’s Vibramech are on their way to the UK.

The company signed a letter of intent with EPC Groupe for drill and blast services during mining operations resumption.

The company discovered a 50-acre location within 1.2km of Hemerdon that is suitable for solar energy generation and has commissioned a scoping study and feasibility study into building the project.

The scoping study will be done in four weeks and the feasibility study by the end of 2022. The peak energy use for the processing plant is 7 MW, which the solar installation should cover.

Three spots on company-owned land within the mine’s boundaries are eligible for wind turbines. A feasibility study on installing a dedicated wind turbine with a private link to the processing plant, including planning and permitting, has been commissioned.

In the plant repair and upgrading, the tertiary crusher circuit is now complete. 67% of the plant’s renovation is done.

The on-site lab has been renovated to provide internal assay and metallurgical analyses.

The new ore sorting building’s earthwork is complete.

In addition to the royalty sale, which requires a new feasibility assessment, the company is in advanced talks with asset-backed credit sources to raise an additional £5m to £10m secured against fixed and mobile equipment and spare parts.

Money is needed for general company objectives, cost overruns, and commissioning cash buffers.

The company isn’t pursuing a project finance credit since it expects royalties, asset-backed financing, and cash on hand to finance Hemerdon’s positive cash flow.

£17 million in cash as of August 31, 2022.

The Runcorn Flats project begins construction

Original Source: Building work starts on ‘exciting’ flats project in Runcorn

A groundbreaking ceremony marked the start of the development of 33 apartments at a former Runcorn dairy.

Halton Housing can build 17 one-bed and 16 two-bed units on Sewell Street near Halton Road.

A housing company representative claimed the “affordable” complex would have 33 car parking spots, 3 disabled spaces, 2 motorcycle spaces, a “huge” bicycle store, and electric vehicle charging outlets.

Halton Housing has recruited Liverpool-based AKM Homes.

Express Dairies was once there.

Halton Housing claims the vacant site is a target for fly-tipping and antisocial behaviour.

Estimated completion is spring 2024.

This is Homes England’s first Affordable Homes Programme project for 2021-26.

Sewell Street is part of Halton Housing’s plan to create 1,000 houses by 2028.

Halton Housing’s Paul Mullane, director of development and expansion at Halton Housing, is thrilled about construction.

“This site has been empty for a while and will be used to create affordable dwellings to meet demand.”

Andy Walker, AKM Homes’ construction director, said the company is excited to start building and to continue working with Halton Housing to offer affordable homes in the borough.

“This is a terrific project to add to our portfolio.

The £23m Liverpool architecture school expansion begins in autumn

Original Source: Autumn start for £23m Liverpool school of architecture extension

ULCCo Special Projects will begin building O’Donnell + Tuomey Architects’ competition-winning design later this season.

ULCCo Special Projects is a university subsidiary.

The three-story expansion to Liverpool University’s School of Architecture was a 2019 worldwide design competition. The £23m project is due by 2025.

Liverpool authorised the project in July. The application is for an extension to part of the Peach Street car park and a landscaped open space on the existing sports centre car park.

The plan comprises internal alterations to the Georgian Abercromby Terrace and the 1930s Budden addition to the Leverhulme Building.

Most of the improvements are to the Budden extension’s classrooms and studios. The planning statement given by P4 Planning said that these rooms are no longer fit for use because the development of the Stirling Gallery in 1987 has diminished their space and reduced natural light.

A big central workshop is planned for the Budden expansion. The School of Architecture’s main entrance will be on the new extension’s Bedford Street side. A second entry will be off Peach Street.

The new expansion will have a café, an exhibition area, research spaces, and studios.

Due to the extension, 49 employee parking spots will be lost. 78 parking spaces will be lost due to the accepted outline application.

Project MEP’s environmental consultant is Max Fordham. The sustainability report was written by Ridge & Partners.

The civil engineer is AKT II. The principal design advisor is IM2, and the access appraiser is E3Cube.

The fire strategy and acoustics consultant is Buro Happold. Cost consultant Cunniffe and conservationist Peter de Figueiredo.

Aerial photographs depict west Warrington’s development boom

Original Source: Aerial photos show recent building boom in west Warrington

Several construction projects have been started and finished on the former RAF Burtonwood airbase grounds.

Some were housing, adding hundreds of additional dwellings to Chapelford.

Along the M62, Omega has built massive warehouses and distribution centres.

Airlift Hill provides a green area to walk and workout in between.

Work on a new retail park shows no sign of slowing down.

There are also plans to build a new GP surgery to serve people in the region.

Warrington Guardian reader Abby Roscoe took these images on a flight over the town to show the scale of construction.

Digitising construction to manage Brexit’s impact

Original Source: Embracing digitisation to manage the impact of Brexit on the construction industry

Building, as one of the UK’s largest and most significant industries, has escaped remarkably undamaged from the global Covid-19 pandemic, fully rebounding and exceeding pre-pandemic output levels in less than a year. Brexit uncertainty persists across all subsectors.

While a trade deal ensuring imports could continue without extra duties and quotas was a relief for construction enterprises, other knock-on impacts, including supply chain issues, labour shortages, and material cost regulation, have continued to damage the sector.

Materials movement and cost

Similar to Covid-19, construction SMEs have been less exposed to Brexit because they do most of their work in the UK. Aldermore Bank reported in 2021 that 28% of UK construction SMEs’ monthly income depended on EU business, affecting nearly a third of construction enterprises.

Despite this, Brexit’s impact on the building industry has disrupted UK-EU trade.

The EU supplies roughly £10bn worth of construction materials to the UK each year. More rigorous customs procedures and post-Brexit paperwork requirements have slowed ports and transport hubs. Transport linkages unable to accommodate the new restrictions have halted supply chains, forcing many enterprises to absorb costly building delays.

Supply chain difficulties caused massive lead times and increasing prices on resources like timber in 2021, wreaking havoc on building enterprises and projects across the country. Between September 2020 and September 2021, material expenses climbed every month.

Construction is facing difficult times due to ongoing disruptions, delays, and the Ukraine crisis. Merchants face tightening margins.

Digitization benefits the industry.

Solving supply chain inefficiencies should be a priority. To flourish, the construction business needs a digital revolution, interconnecting websites, product databases, and back-office systems of merchants, suppliers, and construction companies.

Investments in increasing sector-wide communication will allow customers to make educated buying decisions, enhance inventory and delivery management, and reduce the number of partially-filled delivery trucks.

Many retailers have little invested in digital transformation because they’re unsure if clients prefer online solutions and doubt the benefits. The Covid-19 pandemic’s ‘in-person’ constraints accelerated the digital revolution.

As the customer population changes and new generations enter the market, buying behaviours will alter. Millennials (those born between 1981-1994) make up more than 73% of B2B buyers, and 60% prefer digital channels like vendor websites to study new products and services.

As demand rises, suppliers and merchants favour efficient and sustainable options. Those that don’t invest in digital solutions risk falling behind competitors and future legislation.

Gain or inefficiency?

It’s tempting to seek quick answers to Brexit difficulties, but this might affect corporate productivity.

Having a broad perspective is essential for managing all aspects of a firm, including finance, operations, health and safety, and sales. Real-time insights from across the business help avoid making knee-jerk choices. Digital centralization can assist.

Unifying

Many building materials merchants struggle with data distribution around the firm and a lack of company-wide visibility. Without cross-department access, an organisation will struggle to thrive, hiding insights that could boost growth.

External variables affect everything from raw material management to job quoting and contracting. Brexit’s impact on construction is evident. By combining this knowledge with data, you may make smarter judgments and plan for the long-term.

Corporate management software, particularly ERP, can support business communication. Building a relationship with a partner whose solution was built for collaboration, even beyond internal teams, is crucial. Our supplier-merchant database was driven by this.

Three steps to increase building efficiency post-Brexit

Investing in a digital company management system is a big step forward, and a big part of that is selecting the proper solution for your organisation – one that will address all your inefficiencies without adding more.

In times of external problems, there are ways to improve efficiency.

1. Reduce costs to boost profits.

Today’s competitive economy allows no waste. Improve decision-making with dashboard data. Some investments may have paid off, but others may not have.

A digital system may present trend-based data, so it’s easier to see when KPIs have been met and where changes are needed, rather than guessing.

2. Empower employees.

The days of micromanagement have passed, yet some managers are still worried about delegating. Convincing your employees to take the next step may be difficult with a clumsy system.

According to a PWC study, professional growth is the top priority for graduates selecting a job, but over half indicated state-of-the-art technology was vital. Many small to medium-sized merchants can’t afford cutting-edge technology, but digital solutions are essential in a competitive labour market.

Staff can gain insight from real-time data using business management technologies. As the ordering, invoicing, and other processes are streamlined, employees may spend more time where it’s needed. Every department should be more productive with better decisions.

3. Reduce, gain

Construction efficiency has never been more critical. If you want to grow your firm, it may be tempting to expand quickly, only to find that maintenance costs are too costly. Software is similar. You may choose a system quickly to tackle one problem but find it lacking in others.

Cloud-based platforms let you add features to grow your staff and business. Builders’ merchants can integrate e-commerce into their ERP without constructing a website from scratch.

Seeking help from an experienced partner is the best approach to finding the proper system for your needs. They’ll also help you use data to predict the future, a crucial aspect of any long-term strategy.

Construction has played a key role in the UK’s Covid-19 recovery, and while the industry is well-positioned to respond to external events like Brexit and the Ukraine crisis, technology advances and digitization can further increase the sector’s resilience.

Builders’ merchants and the construction industry as a whole may avoid major disruptions by working wisely, planning ahead, and focusing on efficiencies.

Aedifica invests £13m in 60-bed UK care home

Original Source: Aedifica pumps over £13m into building of 60-bed UK care home

The Maria Mallaband Care Group will run the 60-bed facility in Biddenham, Bedfordshire. First-quarter 2024 is the projected completion date.

Aedifica bought a 25% stake in the land’s British real estate company on September 9, 2022.

Aedifica will gain full ownership of the building in 2024 by acquiring the remaining business shares.

Aedifica CEO Stefaan Gielens: “We’re thrilled to invest.”

approx. Biddenham’s new care home cost £13.5 million. Built-for-purpose

The senior care facility will have 60 en suite bedrooms. We’re excited.

Our local team looks forward to developing and investing in futureproof healthcare real estate.

Bruce Walker, country manager of Aedifica UK, added that environmental requirements and energy efficiency were considered when designing the Biddenham project.

“Construction will end in Q1 2024. MMCG, a longtime tenant with a proven operational model, operates 16 Aedifica sites.

Biddenham joins Aylesbury Martin, Dalby, Dawlish, and Market Drayton Great Hales in our pipeline of new MMCG properties. �

Summary of today’s construction news

In today’s construction news, Fairport Engineering, the EPC contractor for Tungsten West, is tasked with developing a construction schedule and a final capital budget by September 2022. The corporation needs funds for operational expenses, unexpected costs, and cash reserve funds.

Meanwhile, the director of construction at AKM Homes, Andy Walker, expressed his company’s enthusiasm for beginning construction and continuing their partnership with Halton Housing to provide low-income residents of Halton with access to new housing options.

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette has a subsidiary called ULCCo Special Projects. In July, Liverpool gave the green light to the project. The proposal is for a landscaped open space to be built on the currently paved parking lot at the sports centre, as well as an expansion of the parking lot on Peach Street.

In addition, Omega has constructed enormous distribution centres and warehouses along the M62. You can go for a stroll or do some cardio in the grassy areas between buildings at Airlift Hill.

Furthermore, the construction industry in the United Kingdom, one of the country’s most important and largest, was impressively unaffected by the global Covid-19 pandemic, recovering to even higher levels of output than it had been before the outbreak.

Over and above that, on September 9 of that year (2022), Aedifica purchased a 25% stake in the British real estate business that owned the site. After 2024, when Aedifica buys out the remaining shareholders, it will own the entire structure.