SECTOR FOCUS: PROPERTY
Accord secures project funding
A
£20 million housing development which will breathe new life into West Bromwich town centre has been given a boost after it was awarded almost £1 million in
Government funding. The development will be built on the corner of Bull Street and High Street
after Accord Housing Association secured £765,000 from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), through its Affordable Homes Programme. Building work is expected to start at the 2.1 hectare site in January 2012 and the flagship scheme at the Eastern Gateway to the town centre will feature 69 homes for rent and outright sale. The high quality contemporary homes, which will include a range of
family houses and apartments, will be constructed by Mansell Midlands and the whole scheme is expected to be completed by February 2014.
‘This is a significant element of the regeneration of West Bromwich town centre’
Alan Yates, group director of regeneration for the Accord Group, said:
“We are delighted to have secured this funding from the Homes and Communities Agency and we are looking forward starting work on this exciting development. “This is a significant element of the regeneration of West Bromwich town
centre and will create high quality, affordable housing for local people and we are very proud to be a part of it.” Councillor Ian Jones, Cabinet Member for Jobs and Economy, said: "This
Chris Sharp, Planning Officer for Sandwell Council (left) and Alan Yates, Director of Regeneration for the Accord Group with a model of the Eastern Gateway development
is great news as the Eastern Gateway development will play a key role in the ongoing regeneration of West Bromwich. It will not only provide first class housing, but also new office and retail space which will help make West Bromwich one of the premier towns in the West Midlands."
MITIE wins city council contract
Computer generated image of Veolia’s new head office Firm completes trio of projects
Property and construction firm Rider Levett Bucknall has completed a number of key projects, including a new head office for recycling and waste management company Veolia. The £7.5m project consists of a 40,000 sq ft, three-
storey energy efficient building. The building, home to 400 staff, features roof
mounted solar panels, a rainwater collection system and light sensors. Another project is the recently completed
Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) at Ansty Park, Coventry. The 12,000 sq m centre will be used as a research
hub for UK manufacturing companies. A third scheme is the £30m redevelopment of
Edgbaston Cricket Ground which was officially opened
in July this year by The Duke of Edinburgh. Mark Weaver, managing partner for Rider Levett Bucknall in Birmingham, said: “We are delighted to have been involved in such significant projects for the region all of which have benefitted from our ‘responsible management’ approach. “Responsible management is about being
corporately responsible, carbon efficient, meeting sustainability targets and reducing costs with more efficient assets. “With sustainable buildings estimated to have a 25
per cent higher occupancy rate, corporate sustainability improving the bottom line for businesses in the region of seven per cent and a gearing up of most firms to be ready when economic recovery arrives, Rider Levett Bucknall is without doubt responding to a very vibrant interest in this area and the obvious benefits it brings.”
Facilities management giant MITIE has secured a £350 million four-year works and maintenance contract with Birmingham City Council. It is for the maintenance of all non-housing council owned buildings, primarily with the south of the city. MITIE has been working on similar contracts for the city council since 1995. Cllr Randal Brew, cabinet member for finance, said: “We were looking for a company who could not only provide a great service, but also provide real value for money and invest in the local area. “MITIE has a proven track record
to deliver on all these counts. I'm sure they will be a key player in the new framework in the months and years ahead.” The new contract adds to
MITIE’s portfolio in the Midlands, which includes similar work for Walsall Council and Tamworth Borough Council.
NOVEMBER 2011 CHAMBERLINK 41
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