Tesco has agreed the sale of fourteen Spenhill development sites across London, the South East and Bath, to a fund and clients advised by Meyer Bergman that will see the building of new homes.

The transaction, worth £250 million, is for sites suitable for mixed-use and residential development and marks further progress against Tesco’s strategic priority of protecting and strengthening its balance sheet.

Tesco and Meyer Bergman have reached completion on eleven sites, with the remaining sites due to complete in due course.



Dave Lewis, Chief Executive said:“We are very pleased to have agreed a deal with Meyer Bergman that will bring forward significant investment for these local communities, including opportunities for residential development.



We will be working with Meyer Bergman and local Councils in the coming weeks to complete a formal handover and look forward to the delivery of investment on these sites.”

Markus Meijer, CEO at Meyer Bergman, said:“We see this investment as an opportunity to give new impetus to the Spenhill projects, to make Tesco’s place-making ambitions for the sites happen and to make an enduring contribution to local communities.



“Backed by long-term and prudent global institutional capital, Meyer Bergman has a wealth of experience and expertise in the development and asset management of mixed-use properties.”

Housing specialist Lovell has been appointed by consortium LHC to carry out its new major kitchen and bathroom replacements framework in five regions of the UK.

Under the framework, the company will be eligible for large-scale housing refurbishment programmes – worth over £500,000 – for housing associations and councils in the East Midlands, West Midlands, Yorkshire & Humber, the North West and North Wales.

Lovell business development director Peter Quinn said: “Lovell has a long track record of successfully delivering housing refurbishment programmes for housing association and local authority clients and residents and we’re absolutely delighted to be bringing this expertise to the high-profile LHC kitchen and bathroom replacements framework”.

John Skivington, director of LHC, said: “We would like to welcome Lovell on to this new framework. A lot of effort has been put into producing this framework by LHC to provide public sector landlords with a quality, compliant framework to meet their refurbishment requirements.”

Work covered under the LHC kitchen and bathroom framework will include installation of new kitchens and bathrooms, plumbing and electrical services, structural alterations and redecoration.

The appointment is the latest in a number of major housing maintenance gains for Lovell this year. They include a contract with Chevin Housing Association, a member of the Together Housing Group, to carry out £20 million of improvement work for homes across Yorkshire over the next two years.

Network Rail has begun work to build the new station at Abbey Wood as part of the Crossrail programme that will create new constuction jobs.

The first of more than 100 piled foundations which will support the new station have been installed. The piling will continue until the end of the year, when the building will start to become visible above ground.

The station, which will be built over two new dedicated Crossrail tracks and those used by North Kent services, will open at the end of 2017.

Work has been underway in Abbey Wood since 2013 and has included the construction of an interim station, the demolition of the old station and the installation of a new one mile section of track.

Matthew White, Crossrail Surface Director said: “Crossrail will help to transform Abbey Wood, dramatically improving transport links and bringing a state-of the-art station.

“A train every five minutes at peak times will make it quicker and easier to get to a range of destinations across London and the South East.”

Matthew Steele, Crossrail Programme Director at Network Rail said: “It’s great news that the construction of the new station is underway. As part of our railway upgrade plan, we are on schedule to provide people in Abbey Wood with a fantastic new station by the end of 2017.

“Local people will benefit from a spacious new ticket hall, step-free access to every platform and better access to local bus services.”

A new investment vehicle that will provide up to 1,000 affordable homes for rent across Scotland was launched this week, paving the way for new construction jobs.

It is funded by a £55 million loan from the Scottish Government, with matching private investment expected to lift the overall funding package to more than £100 million.

House builders and developers, in partnership with LAR and local authorities, are being invited to get involved in delivering a pipeline of affordable housing.

Eligible tenants are allocated homes based on affordability and income criteria, ensuring tenancies are provided to those in most need.

LAR builds on the Scottish Government’s successful National Housing Trust initiative and means, since 2012, approaching 4,000 new affordable homes have been approved through a range of innovative financing mechanisms, unlocking up to half a billion pounds of housing investment.

There is potential for the LAR model to be extended and replicated widely in the future to provide more affordable homes to meet the significant demand for mid-rent housing.

In Musselburgh, where East Lothian Council and Taylor Wimpey are set to deliver the first LAR housing development, Social Justice Secretary Alex Neil said: “We continue to lead the way in the UK in developing innovative financial models, such as guarantees, loans, grant recycling and new sources of private funding to accelerate the supply of affordable homes. These pioneering approaches help us to make taxpayers’ money stretch further.

“LAR will deliver up to 1,000 homes for mid-market rent offering tenants high quality, affordable mid-rent homes across Scotland, supporting local communities to thrive, tackling inequality and addressing housing need.

“These homes will be in addition to the 30,000 affordable homes, of which at least two thirds will be for social rent, that will be delivered by the end of this Parliament. And there is potential for this model to be extended more widely to meet the significant demand for mid-rent housing.”

Plans by Praxis Holdings for a 1million sq ft employment park at Whitebirk in Lancashire have been given the go-ahead by Hyndburn Council.

The 85-acre mixed-use scheme, known as Frontier Park, incorporates industrial and distribution units, in addition to 35,000 sq ft of hotel, food and leisure space.

Frontier Park is part of Lancashire’s strategic economic plan which aims to generate almost 10,000 jobs and more than £500 million for the local economy in East Lancashire through key employment sites such as Frontier Park.

Following the planning consent, preparatory works are scheduled to start on site in December 2015 and expected to last nine months.

The initial phase of construction is set to begin in 2016 with the first building occupied by the end of 2017. It is envisaged that the entire development will be completed within five years.

Gabriel McLaughlin, director and head of asset management at Praxis, said: “Frontier Park is a major development proposition that is not only exciting for us as developers, but also for Lancashire given it will create thousands of jobs for local people and encourage substantial inward investment.”

Housing and Planning Minister Brandon Lewis today announced new measures that will make it easier to turn underused office buildings into new homes.

The move will provide thousands of new homes, and make the best use of existing buildings including some that are underused and neglected – while at the same time boosting the building trades.

Brandon Lewis said: “We’re determined that, both in Whitehall and in town halls, everything is done to get the homes we need built.

“Today’s measures will mean we can tap into the potential of underused buildings to offer new homes for first-time buyers and families long into the future, breathing new life into neighbourhoods and at the same time protecting our precious green belt.”

First introduced in 2013, temporary permitted development rights have enabled offices to be converted to new homes without having to apply for planning permission.

It has meant that between April 2014 and June this year, almost 4,000 conversions were given the go-ahead.

To further support the delivery of new homes, the rights will in future allow the demolition of office buildings and new building for residential use.

In addition, new permitted development rights will enable the change of use of light industrial buildings and launderettes to new homes.

Construction work has started on a new £4.2 million rent-to-buy housing development in Newton Mearns.

The pioneering Greenlaw scheme will provide tenants with an affordable way to buy a new-build home while boosting the construction trades.

It is the first development in Scotland for affordable housing provider QSH, which is targeting £250 million from UK-based investors to deliver 2,000 properties, many of which will be built north of the border.

Tenants in Newton Mearns are due to begin moving into the 42, two bedroom homes – which are being built by Wates Living Space, just off Stewarton Road – in spring 2016.

Under the innovative QSH-rent-to-buy scheme, they will pay rents which are two thirds of the local market rate. Half of each of each tenant’s rental payments will automatically be put towards the deposit they need to secure a mortgage to buy their home.

Tenants will have the option to buy between their first and fifth year of living in their new homes. Those who choose to purchase their properties will receive a discount of up to 10% of the open market value.

Mick Holling, Business Director for Wates Living Space said: “The start of work on site marks the beginning of our work here in Newton Mearns. We are very proud to be QSH’s business partners in the delivery of quality homes that will fulfil the needs and aspirations of local people.”

Balfour Beatty has has been awarded a new framework agreement by Western Power Distribution for its excavation, cable laying and reinstatement works in the South Wales operating region.

Balfour Beatty has signed the initial three year contract, worth £37.5 million, to manage planned and reactive low voltage to 33Kv cabling works.

Work is due to start on the 1st November 2015 and subject to successful performance, there is an option to extend the agreement for a further two years, taking the overall potential value to around £62 million over five years.

Neil Kirkby, Balfour Beatty Managing Director – Power Transmission & Distribution, said: “Securing this new framework agreement is once again recognition of the capability and expertise we bring to the industry. We have worked with Western Power Distribution for over 20 years and we’re looking forward to continuing this relationship.

“Balfour Beatty is committed to delivering high levels of client satisfaction and we will be doing everything we can to help Western Power Distribution achieve its targets.”

Balfour Beatty is committed to providing benefits to the local communities in which they operate and the project will include approximately 170 employees with 90% of this direct employment for Balfour Beatty, and a cohort of local sub-contractors who have remained on the contract for several years.

Business Minister for Wales Jane Hutt is set to increase the value of EU investments from collaborative projects with other EU regions to help boost the Welsh economy.

Launching Wales’ European Territorial Cooperation (ETC) programmes action plan, the Minister will highlight the collaborative opportunities for Welsh businesses that will drive economic growth and create new jobs.

The Minister said: “The EU’s key programmes for supporting co-operation between partners across national borders and regions have paved the way for many fruitful partnerships over the years.

“Looking ahead, we are committed to strengthening relations between regions building on partnerships and networks to increase joint working so we achieve maximum benefit for our region.

“This source of funding is additional to the Structural Funds that Wales receives and provides many opportunities for collaborative projects with our European counterparts. It is yet another example of how UK membership of the EU is vital to sustainable growth and jobs in Wales.”

The strategic initiative will bring experts together from across Europe to develop the potential of sustainable energy. Its aim was to reduce CO2 emissions and dependency on unsustainable energy sources in North West Europe by developing algae-based fuel as a renewable power source.

Planning rules on brownfield sites are being removed to free up land for the building of new homes, paving the way for thousands of jobs in the construction industry.

The housing budget is directed towards new ‘low cost homes for sale’ for first-time buyers and housing association tenants given the right-to-buy to increase home ownership and construction.

Another improvement is about the existing 89 Local Authority pension funds which will be pooled into half a dozen British Wealth Funds, each with assets of over £25 billion. This step will save millions of pounds every year in costs and fees. The new funds will develop the expertise to invest in infrastructure.

The government will bring forward sales of land, buildings and other assets the government bought or built, raising up to £5 billion over the course of this Parliament. The funds from these sales will be recycled to help fund new infrastructure projects.

A new independent National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) is being created today (5 October 2015). It will be charged with offering unbiased analysis of the UK’s long-term infrastructure needs.

Commenting on the National Infrastructure Commission the Chancellor, George Osborne, said: “The Commission will calmly and dispassionately assess the future infrastructure needs of the country and it will hold any government’s feet to the fire if it fails to deliver.

“I am delighted that the former Cabinet Minister and Transport Secretary Andrew Adonis has agreed to be the Commission’s first Chair and help us create Britain’s plan for the future.”