News
Development – a CGI of New College Durham ’ s state-of-the-art extension .
ADVICE
ESH DEAL
Local contractor appointed for £ 8.9m New College Durham extension
Durham-based Esh Construction will build a new Centre for Higher and Technical Level Skills on behalf of New College Durham .
Work on a two-storey extension at New College Durham ’ s Framwellgate Moor Campus started this summer following Esh Construction being appointed as design and build contractor .
The £ 8.9m development will provide a collaborative and integrated learning space for the delivery of higher and technical level skills qualifications .
Designed by Ryder Architecture , the building will include adaptable spaces and technologies making it more flexible for different educational delivery needs .
A glazed central atrium will form the “ heart of the building ”, with work and breakout zones to encourage interaction and creativity .
Specialist spaces for healthcare qualifications and digital and science labs will also feature across the two floors .
Andy Broadbent , principal and chief executive of New College Durham , said : “ This is a very exciting project which will enhance our teaching delivery and provision across a range of higher and technical level qualifications , while being designed with the flexibility to allow us to adapt to new subjects which will arise in the future .”
The appointment of Esh Construction will provide a wealth of benefits for the area through the employment of a local workforce and procurement of a local supply chain .
The firm ’ s pre-construction director Chris Hale said : “ This is a significant contract award for Esh , and we are delighted to be working with New College Durham to deliver an inspiring place for students to study technical qualifications .”
Procured via the Procure Partnerships Framework , Esh Construction will work with Turner & Townsend , Ryder Architecture , Jasper Kerr Consulting Engineers and TGA Consulting Engineers to deliver the development .
Housebuilders confirmed for major Durham city residential development
Plans for a new high-quality residential development to the east of Durham City are set to move forward after the completion of a major deal between two leading housebuilders and the County Durhamheadquartered developer behind the scheme .
Banks Property secured outline planning permission from Durham County Council for the Bent House Lane development last year and has since been working towards identifying the most appropriate housebuilders to take the project on .
The family-owned firm has now agreed deals with both Miller Homes and Barratt Homes , which will each develop around half of the 19.5-hectare site .
The Bent House Lane site , which was allocated for residential development in the County Durham Plan , will now see up to 500 family homes being built on land to the south of the A181 Sherburn Road between Gilesgate and the A1 .
RACE TO ZERO
Lee Peachey , co-director and founder of Peterlee-based renewable energy specialist , Clear Climate , on the battle to beat rising energy bills …
We ’ re all hearing about the Race to
Zero campaign . But what does that actually mean and what can we as business owners and homeowners do to support it ?
Alongside asking that question , pretty much every one of us is feeling the pinch thanks to rising energy bills .
So do the two come hand in hand ? By doing our bit to help the country work towards becoming carbon neutral , can we in turn reduce our overheads , save money and become more environmental friendly and greener ? Absolutely yes . And that ’ s why we ’ re seeing more and more people look at better energy efficient ways of heating and lighting their offices and factories .
Making a few simple changes can make a big difference , both in terms of our contribution to the Race to Zero drive and how much we ’ re paying for our heating and lighting each month .
The most popular changes currently are the switch to air source heat pumps , which are replacing the old boiler systems that use air to heat buildings and water , and also the installation of solar PV panels , which capture the sun ’ s energy and convert it into electricity .
Whether you ’ re a business owner or a homeowner , now is the time to act . The signs are already there – if we don ’ t do something now , the damage to our planet will be irreversible .
Lee Peachey Co-director , Clear Climate
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