ISG is set to deliver Asda’s first Level 2 BIM (Building Information Modelling) project after securing a £10 million development contract in Clacton-on-Sea that will boost economic growth.

BIM methodology has its foundation in project collaboration, efficient working practices and the instant accessibility of highly-detailed building services data for asset planning.

The contractor was appointed to Asda’s influential global BIM steering group in 2014 and following trial BIM projects at the company’s new Barry store in South Wales and the Beeston store in Leeds – Asda has now awarded its first full Level 2 project to ISG.

The 35,000 sq ft Clacton store is being constructed on the site of a former multi-occupancy retail development in the popular Essex town.

Rob Martin, ISG’s Western regional managing director, said: “The Clacton-on-Sea project represents the culmination of a journey by Asda into advanced collaborative working practices, where ISG has played a key role as a trusted project partner and influencer.

“In a sector where operational costs and asset management are critical, BIM not only creates efficiency benefits during the build phase but also throughout the service life of the store and we are thrilled to be working with Asda on such a milestone project.”

ISG has secured the first contract to be awarded under the renewed North West Construction Hub Medium Value Framework – a £2 million education scheme for Manchester City Council.

The company was reappointed to the NWCH Medium Value Framework after delivering public sector projects across the North West valued in excess of £124 million on the previous capital works framework.

The scheme involves the refurbishment of a former local authority care home in Longsight, Manchester to create replacement special educational needs (SEN) facilities for Rodney House School.

The refurbishment scheme will enable Rodney House to consolidate its specialist facilities on a single site, as well as providing the expansion space needed for the school to accommodate extra pupils.

The main project sees the existing building extensively remodelled to accommodate the change of use, with structural alterations to form new entrances and reconfiguration of internal walls.

Danny Murray, ISG’s Northern regional managing director, said: “The NWCH Framework has proved instrumental over the past four years in bringing key community projects to site quickly and cost effectively.

“The renewed framework continues this forward thinking ethos and we are delighted to be working to deliver purpose-built facilities for Rodney House School, which will enable the school to provide support and education to a greater number of children in the East Manchester area.”

ISG has secured the first contract to be awarded under the renewed North West Construction Hub Medium Value Framework – a £2 million education scheme for Manchester City Council.

The company was reappointed to the NWCH Medium Value Framework after delivering public sector projects across the North West valued in excess of £124 million on the previous capital works framework.

The scheme involves the refurbishment of a former local authority care home in Longsight, Manchester to create replacement special educational needs (SEN) facilities for Rodney House School.

The refurbishment scheme will enable Rodney House to consolidate its specialist facilities on a single site, as well as providing the expansion space needed for the school to accommodate extra pupils.

The main project sees the existing building extensively remodelled to accommodate the change of use, with structural alterations to form new entrances and reconfiguration of internal walls.

Danny Murray, ISG’s Northern regional managing director, said: “The NWCH Framework has proved instrumental over the past four years in bringing key community projects to site quickly and cost effectively.

“The renewed framework continues this forward thinking ethos and we are delighted to be working to deliver purpose-built facilities for Rodney House School, which will enable the school to provide support and education to a greater number of children in the East Manchester area.”

Plans for Ashford regeneration have been granted planning permission to deliver a new mixed-use development at the old Powergen site on Victoria Way.

Previously occupied by Powergen in the 1990s, the project will bring 660 new homes, new public realm and a café for Ashford, built on a brownfield parcel of land that has lain derelict for well over a decade.

Developer U + I is delivering the scheme in partnership with Canterbury-based Quinn Estates and specialist private rented sector operator, Neighbour. Plans have been designed by the RIBA award-winning team, Guy Hollaway Architects.

This strategic regeneration project will help to link Ashford town centre with Victoria Park to the south, creating a new residential community and injecting new life into a currently unused site.

Almost six acres in size, a master plan is currently in progress for a significant regeneration project that will create over 165 new jobs.

The proposed development would house approximately 200 residential units, a 120-bed hotel, an Aldi food store and a new brewery and visitor centre for local wine and beer maker, Chapel Down.

With Ashford’s fantastic rail connections to London and

The Scottish Government has exceeded its 30,000 affordable homes target by more than 10 per cent, according to official statistics released for the first time this week.

Over the last Parliamentary term, 33,490 affordable homes were delivered while helping economic growth and boosting the construction trades.

The rate of house building completions across all sectors puts Scotland in the lead of every other country in the UK, with more completions than Northern Ireland for the first time since 2006.

The statistics follow the First Minister’s commitment to increasing the supply of homes even further by setting a new target of delivering at least 50,000 affordable homes, backed by more than £3 billion investment, by the end of this parliament.

Housing Minister Kevin Stewart welcomed the statistics while visiting a new affordable housing development by Castle Rock Edinvar in Wester Hailes.

He said: “Our investment of more than £1.7 billion, as well as the re-introduction of council house building, has meant high quality, energy efficient, affordable homes have been built the length and breadth of the country.

“We are building at a rate faster than anywhere else in the UK, and in fact since 2007 we have built over 41,000 more homes than would have been built at England’s lower per-capita rate. That’s the equivalent of a new town the size of Paisley.

“Not only do these numbers show we have more than achieved our targets, but they also tell us approvals for affordable homes have increased by 26 % in the 12 months to March.

“This marks an excellent start to being able to deliver our new, higher target and help supply the homes people and communities need.”

House building developer Lovell Homes has started construction of 67 high-quality brand- new homes in Hellesdon, Norwich.

The Firs Park development will create 57 homes for sale and 10 affordable homes in a sought-after residential area on the northern side of Norwich.

Building work has just begun on the scheme in Eversley Road which will transform the brownfield site – a former tile distribution warehouse – with a mix of two-, three- and four-bedroom houses and two-bedroom apartments for sale as well as 10 affordable one- and two-bedroom apartments and bungalows.

Set for overall completion in spring 2018 – with the first new homes set to be available in spring next year – Firs Park will answer the growing need for new open market and affordable homes locally, providing modern homes designed and built to the highest standards.

Lovell regional director Simon Medler said: “We’re very excited to have begun construction of this fantastic new development for Norwich.

“There is a pressing demand for new homes locally and Firs Park will offer the opportunity to live in a highly desirable residential suburb with excellent access to the local road network and the city centre.

“With flats ideal for couples and first-time buyers plus two-, three- and four-bedroom houses, these well-designed homes will meet the needs of a wide range of residents whether you’re looking for the perfect family house, your ideal apartment or the right retirement property.”

Based locally in Thorpe Road, Norwich, national housing developer Lovell specialises offering quality and value homes and built to high energy efficiency standards.

Willmott Dixon has secured new contract under the Southern Construction Framework (SCF) to build a vehicle depot in the London Borough of Barnet.

The £12 million contract will see Willmott Dixon deliver a new base for Barnet’s fleet of household waste collection and collection vehicles to replace the current depot in Mill Hill which will be developed for housing.

The Oakleigh Road South Vehicle Depot (formerly known as Abbots Depot) will provide a range of facilities for Barnet’s waste collection service.

Alongside parking facilities for refuse and recycling collection vehicles, the new depot will house a vehicle maintenance building and cleaning bay, refuelling facilities and a covered bulking facility allowing recyclables to be put into larger vehicles for processing outside the borough.

Chris Tredget, managing director for Willmott Dixon in the northern Home Counties said: “This is a milestone moment for an important new framework that will provide an excellent means of best value procurement for public projects across the whole region.

“As with all our projects, the site will be registered with the Considerate Constructors Scheme which is the industry standard for how construction companies care about appearance, respect the community, protect the environment and provide a safe working environment. We are proud to be Founding Members of the Considerate Constructors Scheme.”

Last year, the SCF replaced three frameworks in London, the southeast and southwest of England as a means for local authorities to access a pool of up to 11 contractors to bid for projects to create new public assets that ranges from fire stations and primary schools to offices and leisure centres. It has a target spend of £4bn between 2015 and 2019.

A flagship development scheme that could create up to 10,000 jobs at the former Archbishop Blanch school site has been unveiled by Liverpool’s Mayor Joe Anderson this week.

The proposed 1.8 million sq ft development at Minshull Street on the outskirts of Liverpool City Centre will create a scheme of national and international importance, specialising in cutting-edge life and medical sciences.

The scheme will form a key plank of the Knowledge Quarter Mayoral Development Zone, with Phase One likely to begin on-site in 2017, paving the way for new construction jobs.

The extension of the Knowledge Quarter will bring essential additions to what is fast becoming one of Europe’s leading innovation districts and one of the UKs largest academic and clinical campuses.

Also, in order to meet the needs of local people, commuters, academics, students, patients and hospital visitors, the plans will also include a new rail station with access to the existing underground network and the national high-speed rail network via Lime Street Station.

Announcing the plans, Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson said: “The extension of our Knowledge Quarter is a game-changer in terms of the high-quality jobs we will be able to bring into the city in hi-tech, 21st-century industries

“This landmark scheme provides the basis for Liverpool to now become a national and international destination for investment in life and medical sciences, bringing with it thousands of new, high-skill, high-wage jobs.”

The building of 167 new energy efficient homes, together with a replacement library and a high-quality commercial space, in Ponders End have been given the go-ahead.

Construction works were celebrated last week in Ponders End during a joint visit arranged by Enfield Council and developer Lovell.

The £46 million ‘Electric Quarter’ scheme, which has been co-ordinated by Enfield Council, is due for completion in early 2019 and will see the former Middlesex University site in Ponders End High Street transformed with new homes along with shops and other commercial units.

Enfield Council’s Cabinet Member for Economic Regeneration & Business, Cllr Alan Sitkin, said “This fantastic scheme will help provide work and training for local people and will make Ponders End an even more attractive local shopping area.

“It’s great to hear that Lovell is providing up to 14 work experience and construction apprenticeships opportunities on this scheme and that at least 30 per cent of its construction workers are going to come from the local area.”

Lovell Regional Director Michael O’Farrell said “We’re proud to be bringing our expertise in mixed-use regeneration to this important scheme which is delivering modern and attractive affordable and open market sale homes for Enfield, alongside new retail and commercial and community facilities as well as important legacy benefits in the shape of job and training opportunities for local people.”

Crest Nicholson has been given go-ahead for plans to deliver the Brightwells regeneration scheme in Farnham that will create 400 jobs in the construction trades.

The Brightwells mixed-use scheme will deliver 239 homes, including 167 private homes and 72 homes under the Shared Ownership scheme to be purchased by Thames Valley Housing.

The plan also includes 100,000 sq ft of retail and leisure space, and a shopper car park with space for 183 cars. Signed pre-lets include Marks & Spencer Simply Food, a 6 screen Reel cinema and restaurants including Carluccio’s, Byron Burger and Ask.

Crest Nicholson will deliver the scheme for Waverley Borough Council over the next three years and will be financing the delivery from its own committed funds.

The regeneration secures more than £2 million of external investment into the Farnham community and includes an additional £2 million for highway improvements in central Farnham.

The grade II listed Brightwells House will be retained, refurbished and extended.

Chris Tinker, Board Director at Crest Nicholson, said: “After many years of working in partnership with Waverley Borough Council to secure planning and pre-sell the commercial elements of the development, Crest Nicholson is very pleased to be in a position to commence the delivery of the Brightwells scheme.”