Yorkshire & Humber shows strong market with more competitive procurement approach
Local Yorkshire construction and property management consultancy, RLB UK’s fifth annual Procurement Trends report reveals that Yorkshire & Humber shows a strong market and more competitive procurement practices than the national picture. Indicators such as Yorkshire having the highest proportion of single-stage projects and with single-stage procurement activity likely to continue going forward, show confidence…
Hot proper-tea: coffee’s the top pick for West Yorkshire developer
With Yorkshire being home to one of the most iconic tea brands in the world, employees at Barratt and David Wilson Homes Yorkshire West have revealed their first choice for hot drinks in celebration of National Tea Day (Sunday 21st April). The survey interviewed employees both on developments and at head office, and shockingly revealed…
Gareth Robertson joins Walker Sime as UK Director of Quantity Surveying
Leeds-based construction consultancy Walker Sime has announced the appointment of Gareth Robertson as the UK Director of Quantity Surveying. He joins from CBRE where he was Senior Director and Head of Cost Management for the North of England. It was in this role that he led and grew the cost management team over his four-year…
Manningham Housing Association shuts down X account
Manningham Housing Association (MHA) has closed its account on X, formerly known as Twitter. In a statement, a spokesperson for MHA – which manages more than 1,400 homes for over 6,000 residents in Bradford and Keighley – said: “Following a review of our internal and external communications strategy, we have decided to withdraw from X….
West Yorkshire homebuilder awarded five stars by customers for 15th consecutive year
Leading housebuilder Barratt and David Wilson Homes has once again received the maximum five star rating in the new Home Builders Federation (HBF) annual New Homes Customer Satisfaction Survey. This is the fifteenth year in a row that parent company, Barratt Developments, has achieved the top five star rating – far longer than any other…
Leeds Beckett University collaboration to drive innovation in construction industry
Construction innovation experts at Leeds Beckett University have partnered with Yorkshire’s largest public sector procurement framework organisation to drive innovation in the construction sector and boost opportunities for small businesses in the region. Leeds Beckett University will work with YORhub to create a Supply Chain Engagement Toolkit. This aims to increase the number and diversity…
New Yorkshire Building Society mortgage helps first-time buyers get on the housing ladder earlier, for just £5k
Yorkshire Building Society is today launching its new and innovative £5k Deposit Mortgage to help tackle one of the biggest issues preventing people from achieving their homeownership dreams. The new mortgage is available directly to customers and via brokers through Accord Mortgages – the lender’s intermediary-only arm. This new and innovative product, believed to be…
Vastint UK reveals first look at the second phase of Aire Park masterplan
Vastint UK, the developer behind Leeds’ highly anticipated mixed-use district Aire Park, has revealed a first look at its plans for the final phase of its masterplan. The next step in transforming the former brownfield site in Leeds South Bank into a vibrant new destination, the plans feature 502 high-quality 1,2,3 and 4 bedroom homes,…
Andrew Jackson advises on yew tree farm development
Regional law firm Andrew Jackson Solicitors LLP announces that it has advised Huddersfield-based John Radcliffe & Sons, thought to be the oldest development company in the north of England, on the purchase of land at Yew Tree Farm in Farnley Tyas, West Yorkshire. Radcliffe Developments Farnley has already developed 31 houses in Farnley Tyas on…
Cym D’Souza joins Manningham Housing Association as Vice Chair
Cym D’Souza has been appointed Vice Chair of Manningham Housing Association (MHA). She previously served as Chief Executive of Manchester-based Arawak Walton Housing Association, stepping down last autumn after almost 25 years in the post. Ms D’Souza is a well-known figure in UK housing having served from 2012-23 as Chair of BME National, the umbrella…
Walker Sime launches new regeneration delivery service
Walker Sime, the Leeds-based multi-disciplinary construction consultancy, has announced the launch of a dedicated Regen Delivery service. The launch of the dedicated service comes in response to the increasing demands for regeneration initiatives, driven by government funding for Levelling Up, Long Term Plan for Towns, Future High Street and Sustainable Transport Settlement Funds. Aimed at…
Farming partnerships: beware the higher rate Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) charge on additional dwellings
Stamp duty land tax (SDLT) can be a significant cost on property transactions – and an area that farming partnerships need to be aware of, says Andrew Jackson’s tax partner, Fiona Phillips It is well known that partnerships are treated for the purposes of income tax as tax transparent, with the profits from the trade…
New Manningham Housing Association website goes live
Manningham Housing Association (MHA) has launched a new website in the latest stage in the roll-out of its three-year digital business strategy. Delivered in partnership with Yorkshire-based creative design agency Redbak, the redesign seeks to improve accessibility for customers and project partners with a more modern, sleeker look. The revamped site incorporates numerous additional features…
Budget 2024: Housing association tenants were far from the Chancellor’s thoughts
The chief executive of Bradford-based Manningham Housing Association (MHA) has responded to today’s Budget. In a statement, Lee Bloomfield said: “It is disappointing but not surprising that a commitment to build many more urgently needed affordable homes was absent from the Chancellor’s remarks. “Alongside the six-month extension to the Household Support Fund, the well-trailed cut…
Leeds Beckett University and ARC launch building insulation innovations
An Innovate UK-funded partnership with Leeds Beckett University has shaped the future success of Leeds-based ARC Building Solutions – implementing a New Product Development (NPD) department within ARC which has created, developed, and brought to market two new innovative building insulation and fire safety products. ARC – a specialist manufacturer of cavity fire barriers and…
More homes proposed for Council’s low-energy, 100% affordable Ordnance Lane site
A new planning application is proposing an extra 16 low-energy, 100% affordable homes at the Council’s Ordnance Lane site, to be set in even more green space. Following Executive’s decision in November 2023 to build 100% affordable homes off Fulford Road, these zero-carbon in use homes are proposed to increase in number from 85 to…
Walker Sime to showcase commitment to healthy cities at leading real estate event
Walker Sime, the Leeds based construction consultancy, has confirmed its involvement with The UK’s Real Estate Investment & Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF) which takes place between 21-23 May 2024, in Leeds. As a renowned construction, regeneration and infrastructure consultancy, Walker Sime has long been committed to creating lasting legacies of regeneration that positively impact society and…
Leeds College of Building overwhelmed by generous construction crafts donation
Teaching staff at Leeds College of Building are elated after receiving eleven articulated trailers of equipment donated by Legal & General. The materials and tools will be used to train the next generation of construction professionals enrolled across the College’s North Street and South Bank Campuses. The donation includes 60 pallets of fire, moisture, and…
Two new self-build plots available on Dane Avenue
In response to the need for more homes in the city and following the success of Lowfield Green’s six self-build plots which featured on Channel 4’s Grand Designs, City of York Council is offering two new opportunities for self-builders. These plots are to support people to get on the housing ladder by building their own…
Leeds-based Walker Sime delivers social impact at The Barnum
Chamber members Walker Sime, a Leeds-based construction consultancy firm, have played a pivotal role in the successful completion of The Barnum residential project in Nottingham, leaving a lasting impact on the city’s landscape and community. Serving as Quantity Surveyors, Project Managers, and Employers Agent, the company helped deliver a striking 348-apartment and studio development and…
Align announces exciting opportunities for highways and infrastructure professionals
Align, the award winning, multi-discipline building design consultancy, is gearing up for an expansive and growth-driven year in 2024. As the year promises to be the busiest in our history, and with a host of new projects in the pipeline, we are thrilled to announce opportunities for passionate individuals to join our Highways and Bridge…
Local partnerships help York students build their future in construction
Students in York have been learning about careers in the construction industry this month, gaining valuable real-world experience of a wide range of different roles. Year 11 students were given an opportunity to experience life as an apprentice at a range of local businesses across the city last week [18 January]. The construction sector is…
Survey of all York’s council homes begins ahead of developing investment plans
City of York Council is about to start looking at every single one of its council homes through a stock condition survey. This survey of council homes will gather the information needed to plan and fund an improvement programme which regularly invests £10 million per year in the modernisation of the council’s 7,400 homes. The…
2024 can be year of renewed hope for Bradford – Manningham Housing Association
The Chief Executive and Chair of Manningham Housing Association have said that 2024 can be “a year of renewed hope and expectation” for the district’s residents as Bradford prepares to become UK City of Culture 2025. In a joint New Year message, Lee Bloomfield and Rupert Pometsey also spoke of their belief that, despite a…
Further growth for Andrew Jackson’s real estate and property team
Andrew Jackson Solicitors LLP announces that Kirsty Barsby has joined its real estate and property team as a partner, further strengthening the firm’s client services offering across the region and beyond. With over 18 years’ experience across a broad range of property matters, Kirsty’s clients operate across several sectors including hotel and leisure, residential and…
A fond farewell as Manningham Housing Association Chair steps down
The Chief Executive of Manningham Housing Association (MHA) has paid tribute to the Bradford-based organisation’s Chair, Barrington Billings, who is stepping down at the end of December after more than six and a half years in the role. Mr Billings has more than three decades of experience in the housing sector and is currently Head…
Incommunities appoints new Director of Communities
A 22,650-home housing association based in Bradford has appointed a new Director of Communities Bradford based housing provider Incommunities has appointed Patrick Collins as its new Director of Communities. Patrick joined Incommunities in November 2020, as Head of Neighbourhood Management. He has more than 30 years’ experience in the housing sector and before joining…
Manningham Housing Association is top of the bots
Manningham Housing Association (MHA) has launched a new WhatsApp bot to boost around the clock assistance for tenants. The application is designed to answer common questions relating to MHA’s services including rent payments, maintenance requests and other tenant support via a real-time automated conversational experience. It will also provide useful information about the association’s properties…
Housing association and partners visit local scheme
Kinara Close in Keighley was the centre of attention when Bradford Council Neighbourhood Wardens and representatives of West Yorkshire Police and Bradford District Credit Union joined Manningham Housing Association (MHA) board and staff members on a special visit to engage with local residents. It was the latest in a series of Scheme Focus events organised…
King’s Speech lacks commitment to build more affordable homes – housing association CEO
The chief executive of Bradford-based Manningham Housing Association has criticised the government for failing to include a firm commitment in the King’s Speech to build more new affordable homes. In a statement, Lee Bloomfield said the speech – which is written by Ministers but delivered by King Charles – highlighted that taking homeless people off the streets…
Globe Point almost fully let as sixth new tenant secured
International law firm Gowling WLG is moving into the fifth floor at Globe Point in Leeds on a long-term lease. Relocating from Park Row in the city, Gowling WLG will occupy a 4,477 sq ft suite with a dedicated exterior 1,970 sq ft terrace. The company is the sixth tenant to sign up at the…
Solberge Hall has been sold to luxury wedding company Wharfedale Grange
Solberge Hall in Northallerton has been acquired by wedding and events company Wharfedale Grange for an undisclosed sum. The 24-bedroom Georgian country house hotel is set in 9 acres of woodland situated near the North Yorkshire Moors and Yorkshire Dales. It has been owned by Classic Lodges hotel group since 2015 when it was purchased…
Affordable homes to be built on site of former flats at Valley Road, Shipley
Bradford-based housing provider Incommunities has begun clearing the way for the construction of 42 new affordable homes on the site of former flats at Valley Road. Following the site clearance, Casey Construction will begin building the new homes over the next few weeks, with construction expected to be complete in summer 2024. The new development,…
Barratt Developments – trading environment remains tough
Barratt Developments, one of the UK’s largest housebuilders, has released an AGM trading update for the period from 1 July to 8 October: · Trading environment remains difficult · Forward sales significantly down on last year at 9,221 homes (2022: 13,314 homes) · Barratt continues to target total home completions of 13,250 to 14,250 in FY24 Charlie Huggins, Manager of…
Concrete admixture manufacturer marks 40 years with significant growth
Bradford-based concrete admixture manufacturer Oscrete is marking 40 years in business with further growth and an increased shareholding in its Northern Ireland division. Oscrete, a subsidiary of Christeyns, is one of the UK’s leading specialist construction chemical suppliers which manufactures and supplies a range of concrete admixtures for precast and ready-mix concrete and the ready-to-use…
Two new occupiers move into Number One Kirkstall Forge
Two deals have been secured for space at the Kirkstall Forge development in Leeds. American firm, Buildings IOT, is opening its first UK base as part of its cross Atlantic expansion plans and local firm, CPA Consulting Engineers, is moving to accommodate its continued long term growth plans. In keeping with the exceptional sustainability credentials…
Exciting new platform for Baul music as Bradford prepares for UK City of Culture 2025
A collection of more than 100 original songs of South Asian heritage by Bradford and Keighley writers has been launched at a celebratory event with support from Manningham Housing Association (MHA), Bradford Council and The Leap. The project was the brainchild of Sadar Uddin, MHA Community Partnership and Investment Manager, as a vehicle to revive,…
Action needed to support BAME housing association residents into smaller homes
The chief executive of Manningham Housing Association (MHA) has told a Westminster inquiry there needs to be better choices for older people from BAME communities to downsize their properties and receive a better offer of accommodation – in terms of both quality and location. Giving evidence in the House of Lords to the All-Party Parliamentary…
New corporate strategy for housing association ‘at the top of its game’
Manningham Housing Association (MHA) has published a new streamlined corporate strategy and action plan with the theme of ‘Investing and Developing in Diverse Neighbourhoods where People Want to Live and Thrive.’ The three-year strategy centres on four overarching objectives: Providing More Affordable Homes, Looking After Our Existing Homes and Tenants, Community Investment and Partnership, and…
New corporate strategy for housing association ‘at the top of its game’
Manningham Housing Association (MHA) has published a new streamlined corporate strategy and action plan with the theme of ‘Investing and Developing in Diverse Neighbourhoods where People Want to Live and Thrive.’ The three-year strategy centres on four overarching objectives: Providing More Affordable Homes, Looking After Our Existing Homes and Tenants, Community Investment and Partnership, and…
Housing association CEO challenges Government to deliver more homes in Bradford
The chief executive of Manningham Housing Association (MHA) has written to Michael Gove questioning why the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) failed to spend almost £2 billion of allocated funding to deliver more affordable homes. In his letter, Lee Bloomfield added: “It is a shame that neither you nor your officials chose…
Helmsley Group demonstrates further high street commitment with Big Tent festival sponsorship
Property investment and development specialist, Helmsley Group, has announced its support of the Big Tent Ideas Festival in York. Taking place on Saturday 17th June, the Big Tent Ideas Festival invites political representatives and prominent names in media, business and academia to take part in a wide range of discussions on subjects including devolution, social…
Baul music set to reach new audiences in Bradford and Keighley
Manningham Housing Association (MHA) has secured funds for a project to revive, preserve and promote the writing of Baul music in Bradford and Keighley. Originating in Bangladesh and the neighbouring Indian state of West Bengal, Baul music was especially popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries. As well as a form of folk music,…
New starters enhance customer centric approach at Oscrete
Two experienced customer service professionals have joined the Bradford-based Oscrete UK construction team. Aneesa Ahmed and Jack Cavalier-Lumley have joined the specialist construction chemical supplier as Customer Service Advisors adding to the company’s growing customer services team. Focussing on creating a dynamic, responsive and swift service, Aneesa, Jack and the wider customer service team work…
Helmsley Group makes further public realm commitment at Coney Street Riverside
Yorkshire property specialist Helmsley Group has submitted a second planning application for its ambitious Coney Street Riverside masterplan. The plans, submitted to City of York Council (CoYC), feature numbers 3-7 Coney Street and include proposals to create a new snickelway connecting Coney Street to the riverside walkway outlined in the initial planning application. This new…
Leeds Commercial Property Lunch launched by regional businesses
Bradley Hall, Schofield Sweeney, and Together have partnered to launch the first Leeds Commercial Property Lunch. The three regional businesses have come together to create a forum for key commercial property professionals, with the aim of introducing new opportunities, education and encourage collaboration in the sector. David Cran, managing director of Bradley Hall Yorkshire, said:…
Homeowners in Leeds can sell their home quicker with a new scheme
Homeowners in Leeds can sell their home quicker thanks to a new buying scheme from David Wilson Homes. Moving house is considered one of the most stressful life events that a person can go through (57%)[2], but Part Exchange aims to reduce stress by removing the sales chain. Prospective buyers can use the Part Exchange Guarantee Scheme to sell…
Local Homebuilder, Barratt Developments Yorkshire West is celebrating the success of a local student who has completed his apprenticeship
Local Homebuilder, Barratt Developments Yorkshire West is celebrating the success of a local student who has completed his apprenticeship at Momentum, Waverley development in South Yorkshire Cameron Dalton-Heppenstall, from Sheffield was awarded a certificate and a £100 voucher to mark his successful completion of the Level 3 Apprenticeship in Carpentry and Joinery by Andy Dawson,…