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Bardsley Construction to deliver £8.2m scheme in Manchester

Sam Whitear
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Bardsley Construction is building on its expertise in the provision of extra care facilities by delivering an £8.2m scheme in Manchester for Southway Housing Trust.

Secured via the Homes England DPP Framework, the extra care facility at Burnage Lane comprises the design and construction of 56 self-contained one and two-bed apartments over three and four storeys.

The scheme will provide a communal lounge for residents, a bistro for residents and visitors, a laundry, office space for Southway management, private balconies to the rear, large gardens and parking for residents and visitors.

The design team on the project consists of Pozzoni Architects, civil and structural engineers Clancy Consulting and mechanical and electrical engineers S I Sealy, with Markhams retained as employer’s agent and quantity surveyor.

Adrian Rooney, housing and development director at family-owned Bardsley Construction, said: “This prestigious project for Southway Housing Trust builds on our expertise in the provision of such specialist facilities and will regenerate a former brownfield site on Burnage Lane which has remained vacant for several years.”

Southway Housing Trust is a not-for-profit local housing company based in Didsbury, south Manchester. It owns and manages almost 6,000 homes across Burnage, Chorlton, Didsbury and Withington while also providing services for tenants, residents, the environment and wider community of south Manchester and beyond.

Karen Mitchell, chief executive at Southway Housing, said: “The appointment of Bardsley Construction to deliver this long awaited and hugely necessary scheme proves our commitment to the provision of more social housing in Manchester.

“The scheme was born from a great need and demand for extra care facilities in the area and while providing a community and environment for older residents, will also free up other much needed homes for young families.”

Green light for £35m residential development

Sam Whitear
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A £35m development of 262 new homes in Bolton has been given the go-ahead by councillors.

Full planning permission was granted for the scheme by Bolton Council’s planning committee. 

Homes will be a mixture of apartments and town houses in the Croal Valley part of the town centre. 

The residential scheme, from Bolton-based company Forshaw Land & Property Group Ltd, will be built on land fronting St Georges Road between Bark Street and Back Bark Street. 

Croal Valley is one of Bolton Council’s five intervention areas within its £1.2bn town centre masterplan. 

The scheme includes fully equipped gymnasiums, private cinemas, residents’ lounges and a roof terrace.

 Managing director of Forshaw, Lyndon Forshaw, said: “I am very pleased with the outcome. This project will set a new benchmark for high quality residential schemes in Bolton town centre.

“It will provide much needed new homes for people in Bolton and further afield. The location of our scheme is an important gateway to the town which has been derelict for years and we are aiming to start work towards the end of the year.” 

Councillors have also approved plans for a £150m neighbourhood in Church Wharf, the first of two town centre masterplan schemes to be granted approval.

Bolton Council director of place, Gerry Brough, added: “This is another piece in our masterplan jigsaw slotting into place. 

“This scheme – like Church Wharf – will rejuvenate a key gateway into the town centre, which needs significant regeneration.

“It will also bring much needed housing to a brownfield site in the heart of Bolton, bringing more people into our town and creating jobs which will help the local economy.

“It demonstrates yet more investor confidence in our vision and strategy.”

Cash-for-trash initiative looks to save Britain’s waterways

Sam Whitear
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Manchester-based Environmental consultancy APEM has launched a ‘cash-for-trash’ initiative to help tackle the problem of plastic pollution in Britain’s waterways.

Alongside the Welsh Water Biodiversity Fund, APEM’s charity fund has pledged to donate money to Keep Britain Tidy for every bag of litter it collects from waterways across the UK.

APEM’s field scientists survey watercourses at over 100 locations across the country every year, providing opportunities to collect litter which would otherwise find its way into the sea and have a damaging effect on marine life.

APEM is Europe’s leading independent environmental consultancy specialising in freshwater and marine ecology and aerial surveys.

The head of APEM’s field team, Peter Dennis, said: “During our field work, we are astounded by how much plastic pollutes waterways. It’s tragic to see, as not only does it look unsightly, but it adversely affects our wildlife and ecosystems.

“Single use plastics like water bottles and crisp packets make up a shockingly high proportion of the litter, and we felt compelled to do something about the problem.

“We’re all in this job because we are passionate about preserving our environment, so collecting the plastic was the best way we could do our bit.

“APEM will donate £1 for every bag collected to support the fantastic work of Keep Britain Tidy and give our staff a strong incentive to get involved.

“We are working alongside organisations such as the Big Blue Ocean Cleanup hoping to eliminate plastic at the source before it enters our oceans.

“We urge as many people and businesses as possible to start tackling the issue head on so future generations can see their waterways free from plastic waste.”

Gail Davies, Environment Program Manager at Welsh Water Biodiversity Fund said: “This is a fantastic and ground-breaking initiative proposed by one of our environmental contractors who work across all of our operating areas.

“It’s a simple activity which everyone can get involved in and together we can genuinely make a tangible difference”.

Rory Sinclair, Chief Executive at the Big Blue Ocean Clean-up added: “APEM’s ‘cash-for-trash’ initiative to help tackle the problem of plastic pollution is an incredible project we fully support.”

Malcolm Hollis Rights of Light specialist relocates to Manchester

Sam Whitear
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Independent commercial building consultancy Malcolm Hollis has relocated Rights of Light and Neighbourly Matters specialist, Barney Soanes-Cundle, to its Manchester office.

Soanes-Cundle moves from the firm’s London office on a 12-month secondment and will predominantly provide Rights of Light and Neighbourly Matters services to new and existing clients in the North of England.

Soanes-Cundle joined the firm in 2015 and has worked with a range of clients, including Whitbread, CLS Holdings Plc, City of London Corporation, M&G Real Estate and Argent Related, amongst others.

“It is great to have Barney on board in Manchester, strengthening our Rights of Light and Neighbourly Matters offering to clients in the North West and beyond. As a business, we pride ourselves on staff wellbeing and development, which is why we offer people the opportunity to move to other offices and learn new skills,” said Ian McKenna, Head of Rights of Light, Malcolm Hollis.

Salford fundraiser gears up for London Marathon

Sam Whitear
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A Salford fundraiser is to take on the London Marathon in support of homelessness charity Emmaus Salford.

Will Atkinson, aged 24 and originally from Kendal, is gearing up to take part in the London Marathon on Sunday 28 April. Will applied to take on the 26.2 mile run for Emmaus because of his desire to test himself as well as raising money and awareness for a good cause.

Will said: “The issues of homelessness, fuel poverty and increased dependency on food banks are very topical at present. With an Emmaus community situated close to where I live and work in Salford, I’ve seen the fantastic work these guys do and I am proud be able to raise a bit of money for them.

“With the difficult winter training now out of the way, and hundreds of laps of Media City under my belt, I’m looking forward to the big day!”

Emmaus Salford supports formerly homeless people by offering a home, meaningful work in a social enterprise and an opportunity to get back on their feet again. The charity operates shops at Fitzwarren Street and Seaford Road in Salford, as well as the Emmaus Emporium in Swinton.

Rachel Richardson, Assistant Community Manager of Emmaus Salford, said: “We are extremely grateful to Will for taking on this huge challenge for Emmaus Salford. Benefitting from the support of members of the Salford community is essential for our charity and Will’s London Marathon run is a great example of someone who is going the extra mile in support of people who have experienced homelessness.”

University of Manchester Innovation Company holds Innovation Showcase

Sam Whitear
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Over 100 people have come together to learn more about developments at the University in Vision Sciences, Bioelectronics and MedTech. There were demonstrations of new technologies, tours of MedTech laboratories, presentations by researchers and budding entrepreneurs as well as roundtable discussions and networking with the University’s technology transfer company, UMI3.

Curtis Dobson, Professor of Translational Biology at the University, commented: “The University of Manchester carries out an astonishingly broad programme of research, with numerous world renowned teams eager to help companies pursue their R&D goals.

“Events like the Innovation Showcase offer a fantastic opportunity for the University to engage with industry and further its mission to make a positive impact in the world.”

Mary Canning, Associate at Epidarex, a specialist life science venture capital group, who attended the Innovation Showcase commented: “We like to work closely with top universities and the Innovation Showcase was very helpful in pointing out where The University of Manchester’s strengths lie. We’ve had a good relationship with UMI3 for the last couple of years. “They’ve pitched a number of projects to us and there’s a very exciting pipeline.”

She added: “I’d also say that academics shouldn’t feel that they have to have a perfect business plan before they talk to industry or talk to investors, because if the technology is exciting enough, people will want to help and give advice.

“We like to engage directly with academics, even long before they need funding so we can give them some input and then talk again later on.”

Mark Dearden took part in the Plenary Panel. Mark is VP of Strategy & Marketing at LG, a global leader in the life sciences sector, serving customers in healthcare, applied markets (including food, agbio and the environment), research and government.

Mark commented: “Innovation is critical to our agenda as a company. We track the vitality of our portfolio, which is a measure of revenue generated from new technology.

“The diversity of perspectives from such a broad range of attendees in the Innovation Showcase was really engaging.”

Rugby League World Cup 2021 announces first round of small grants for CreatedBy capital grants programme

Sam Whitear
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RLWC2021 InspirationALL ambassador Jodie Cunningham returned to her former school, Cardinal Newman Catholic High School in Warrington, to present one of the first seven CreatedBy RLWC2021 Capital Grants projects, which range from kit and equipment for weekly touch rugby league sessions at Castleford Tigers Women to a clubhouse refresh for Wigan St Judes ARLFC.

The seven chosen small grant schemes, part of the tournament’s wider InspirationALL legacy initiative, are the first to receive funding for the provision of capital items, kit and equipment or to refurbish and improve existing facilities.

Applications for grants have been open since October 2018, with a total of £10 million available for local clubs and community projects to create a positive impact. £9 million will be allocated to large-scale requests costing more than £15,000, with the remaining £1 million being granted to smaller-scale projects. The government investment, delivered in partnership with the RFL and Sport England, is part of RLWC2021’s ambitious plan to leave a lasting legacy.

The grants have been awarded to the following:

  • Aspatria Hornets RLFC – The club has been granted cash to purchase a professional lawn mower for their new home pitch and some rugby equipment for their juniors

 

  • Cardinal Newman Catholic High School in Warrington – Funds will go towards the school’s aim to increase female engagement in the region with new equipment and goal posts allowing the school to develop its training, competition and guidance offering to potential new players

 

  • Castleford Tigers Women – The club will use the funds to establish a weekly touch rugby club for girls with a variety of rugby equipment

 

  • Drighlington Amateur Rugby League Club – CreatedBy will replace their old rusty posts, with new ones and will supply new post protectors to go with them

 

  • Golborne High School in Wigan– The school has been awarded new rugby equipment, kit and post protectors

 

  • South Leeds Spartans ARLFC – The club has been awarded with new kit and equipment to grow the number of girls teams it can provide. The new under-8s and under-10s sides will join the already established under-12s, under-14s and under-16s groups

 

  • Wigan St Judes ARLFC – The club aims to complete a refurbishment of their existing clubhouse by replacing doors and windows, modernising the bar facilities, replacing flooring and improving sanitary areas

Jon Dutton, Chief Executive of the Rugby League World Cup 2021, said: “It’s incredibly exciting to announce the first round of funding, which has been made available to help these seven worthy projects. Our CreatedBy Capital grants will make an immediate impact more than two years before our tournament begins and we look forward to seeing more projects get underway very soon.”

Ralph Rimmer, Chief Executive of the Rugby Football League, added: “There are so many reasons for the game to be excited about RLWC2021, and the CreatedBy Capital Grants Programme is right up there. These seven awards are the first of many over the next couple of years and give a hint of the range of clubs and other organisations that are going to benefit. Congratulations to the seven successful bidders, and I know they’ll put the investment to good use for the development of Rugby League.”

Senior promotions cap record-breaking year for Portfolio Group

Sam Whitear
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Leading specialist recruiter, The Portfolio Group has made a host of promotions on the back of a successful year which has seen the business announce a record turnover of £14.5 million.

The business has made seven promotions in total with the highest accolade earned by Mark Davis as he takes up the position of Associate Director.  This will be Portfolio’s third Associate Director title given in just over a year, with Davis joining Patrick Day & Gemma Creamer as part of the Senior Management Team.

Starting at The Portfolio Group almost eight years ago as a Senior Consultant, Davis has gone from strength-to-strength on the Payroll Temporary division earning a Team Leader title back in 2014 to now being propelled into the sought-after role of Associate Director.

Davis – alongside the Directors and Associate Directors – has witnessed significant growth over the past few years with a 120% increase in employee numbers, the opening of a second office in Manchester and a move to a larger London head office move due to employee and business growth.

Mark Davis, Associate Director at Portfolio Group, said: “I am delighted to have been promoted to Associate Director. My journey with The Portfolio Group started just under 8 years ago and I have seen the business diversify and grow into something I am incredibly proud to be a part of. I look forward to leading Portfolio’s temporary business and I am hugely excited by the thought of what we can achieve over the coming years.”

Danny Done, Managing Director at Portfolio Group, said: “Mark has been a wonderful leader of our highly successful temporary recruitment team for several years now and this promotion is a recognition of this and highlights his and the entire teams’ fantastic work. We plan to expand the team further and Mark’s responsibilities will only grow with this expansion. Portfolio Group have greatly increased their market share and fully expect this to continue. Under Mark’s leadership we aim to continue breaking records and take the team and the entire business to another level.”

Trio of new hires for Manchester-based Storage World

Sam Whitear
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Personal and business self-storage provider, Storage World, has expanded its Manchester-based team with three new hires.

Storage World has announced that it has appointed managers Mike Mellor, Nick Compston and Jay Monteith to its customer service and sales teams in Manchester and Middleton.

With a background in retail and customer service, Mike Mellor joins the Manchester storage facility as Customer Service & Operations Manager. His role encompasses the management of the facilities and its processes, as well as looking after nearly 400 customers, ensuring their needs are met and expectations exceeded.

Nick Compston joined the team in the equivalent role at the Middleton branch of Storage World. Nick has extensive experience is managing customer experience and his appointment comes as the store has over 250 customers and growing.

With previous experience in retail and the self-storage industry, Jay Monteith also joins the Manchester team in the role of Sales Manager. His role is front-facing to all incoming enquiries, tenant move-ins and will also see him support the needs of business customers at the location. His appointment is in a new role also.

Commenting on the expansion of the management team, Marc Studholme, Managing Director at Storage World, said: “We are delighted to welcome Mike, Nick and Jay to the team. The addition of three customer-facing managers bolsters our team at a time when we are seeing an increase in enquiries for storage space from both existing and new clients.

“We’re anticipating making more hires over the coming months and so look forward to welcoming more team members on board to support our tenants.”

Calvin Capital to acquire Lowri Beck

Sam Whitear
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Calvin Capital (Calvin) has agreed to acquire Wigan-based Lowri Beck, one of the leading providers of meter installation and data collection services to the UK energy market for an undisclosed sum.

The acquisition, which is subject to certain conditions, will see Lowri Beck join Calvin to create an end-to-end market offering comprising the installation, servicing, managing and funding of domestic metering assets.  This agreement also provides a platform for the future funding, deployment and management of a wider range of digital energy assets, including battery storage and EV charging infrastructure.

Lowri Beck was formed by its founder Bob Vernon over 20 years ago and today has a workforce of approximately 2,000 people across Britain, with offices in Wigan and Dunstable, plus a dedicated training centre in Ashton-in-Makerfield.

The company currently installs and exchanges over 300,000 domestic meters annually, collects data from another 5 million meters and is heavily involved in the nationwide smart meter roll-out. It will continue to operate as an independent brand serving both large and small energy suppliers.

Calvin is a leading Meter Asset Provider (MAP) for energy suppliers in the roll-out of smart meters and in the development of a digital energy infrastructure. Calvin owns over 7.3 million installed meter assets.

Commenting on the acquisition, Bert Pijls, Calvin’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “This is a very positive development for two complementary businesses and for the wider energy market. Bringing together Calvin with Lowri Beck will enable us to create a ‘one-stop-shop’ offering that will be available to all energy suppliers and new market entrants through a broader array of services, ranging from full Metering-as-a-Service to bespoke installation, servicing or funding solutions.

“In addition, Lowri Beck’s expertise will help Calvin to accelerate the development of a sustainable digital energy infrastructure beyond smart meters.”

Jon Parr, Managing Director of Lowri Beck, said: “We are excited to be joining Calvin. Having built our business on delivering service excellence and innovation, with Calvin’s support we look forward to leveraging the resources of the new combined business to build greater smart meter ownership and installation capacity. This agreement also provides a broad platform for developing new services in energy infrastructure growth areas, such as battery storage and EV charging.”

Lowri Beck founder, Bob Vernon, commented: “I am very pleased to see the company I started over 20 years ago become part of such a dynamic business. The energy market is fast moving and this acquisition will accelerate business growth while creating opportunities for personal development and career progression for our people.”

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