Focus Consultants appointed to project manage phase two of Trent Basin scheme

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Focus Consultants has been appointed to project manage the second phase of the Trent Basin development in Nottingham.

The company was project manager, energy and sustainability advisor, and employer’s agent for phase one of the scheme, which was completed at the end of 2016 and featured 45 low energy homes, including eight apartments.

Now the company has been appointed as project manager, employer’s agent and sustainability advisor (HQM) for phase two, with work by builders Willmott Dixon now underway on the next 31 homes.

When the whole scheme is finished, the £100 million residential development will have created 500 low energy homes as part of the 250-acre Waterside Regeneration area in Nottingham beside the River Trent.

Partner at Nottingham-based Focus Consultants Keith Butler said: “The Trent Basin scheme is unique in Nottingham and a pioneer in terms of low energy living.

“As a company with specialists in low energy construction and development, Focus is very pleased to be playing key roles in this scheme. Almost all the properties built in phase one have been sold or reserved, and we are looking forward to working on phase two to bring additional low-energy, low-carbon homes onto the residential market in Nottingham.”

The second phase of 31 properties will comprise a mix of two, three and four-bedroom houses along with two-bedroom maisonettes. The first of these new homes will be ready to move into in 2019.

Trent Basin is the vision of award-winning Nottingham developer Blueprint and has high green energy credentials.

It is setting the bar for community energy schemes by installing Europe’s largest community battery (2MWh), and solar photovoltaics that will generate, store and distribute energy at a neighbourhood level, and is also launching a unique energy company for residents. Funded by Innovate UK, the pioneering energy scheme has a project team behind it which includes a large consortium headed by the University of Nottingham.

Nick Ebbs, chief executive of Blueprint, said: “We’re thrilled we’ve got the green light from the city council’s planning committee to start work on phase two and we can’t wait to see our vision come to life along this historic stretch of the River Trent.

“There’s already a commitment to low energy living shared among the residents, with many of them embracing electric cars, car-sharing and cycling to work. We plan to install additional electric car charging points at Trent Basin and are looking forward to the completion of Nottingham’s first Eco Expressway along Daleside Road which will complement our ambitions for the community by giving buses, bikes and electric vehicles priority along one of Nottingham’s busiest routes.”

Focus Consultants, which is based at Phoenix Business Park, Nottingham, and also has offices in Leicester, London and Boston in Lincolnshire, provides a range of services to the property and construction industry, including sustainable development support, project management, building surveying and quantity surveying.

The company also specialises in funding and economic development including area regeneration strategies, funding applications, economic impact appraisals, business plans, and research and evaluation. Since 1994 Focus has also secured for clients more than £953 million of grants for projects and businesses across the UK and delivered more than £1.3 billion worth of projects and programmes – making it one of the most successful businesses of its kind in the country.

Further details about the Trent Basin development can be found at www.trentbasin.co.uk Visit www.focus-consultants.co.uk for more information about Focus Consultants.

Press release issued by Nottingham based PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

J Tomlinson awarded £10m emh homes contract

J Tomlinson has been awarded a £10m contract to undertake repairs and maintenance services for social landlord, emh homes.

The appointment followed a comprehensive tender process, in which emh homes tenants were directly involved in the selection of the successful contractor. Several tenants involved in scrutinising the landlord’s services on behalf of all tenants were invited by emh homes Director of Property Services Adrian Cheetham to take part in the tender process.

Three companies were shortlisted and invited to meet with the tenants and representatives of emh homes. The contract was awarded to integrated building services business, J Tomlinson Limited.

The contract is worth £10m over five years, and will see J Tomlinson working alongside the emh homes internal maintenance team to deliver a responsive repairs service and vacant property refurbishments to homes in Nottinghamshire, South Derbyshire, Leicester, Loughborough and Northamptonshire. The landlord has almost 20,000 properties across the East Midlands.

The tenants were impressed with the efficient and professional way in which the discussions were handled, and were pleased that they were involved in the process at every step of the way.

Martin Ardron, Operational Director at J Tomlinson, said: “We are delighted to win the contract, further strengthening our longstanding partnership with emh homes. From our perspective it was great to see such strong tenant involvement in the interview and questioning. We are really looking forward to working with emh homes and its tenants to deliver a reliable and high-quality service over the next five years.”

Mal Stocks, a long time emh homes tenant, said: “We were delighted when Adrian invited us along. The repair and maintenance of our homes is perhaps the most important thing tenants are concerned about, so it was crucial that we got this right. We have seen good and bad over the years, so we knew what we were looking for and what we wanted from the service.”

Adrian Cheetham added: “We expect to form a strong working relationship with J Tomlinson which will help us grow and support the delivery of increased productivity and efficiencies for both emh homes and our tenants.”

Nottingham-based J Tomlinson operates primarily across South Yorkshire, the East Midlands and the West Midlands, offering a range of integrated building services which include construction, mechanical and electrical services (M&E), facilities management, refurbishment, repairs and maintenance and regeneration. The firm is a leading provider to the social housing sector, working with clients such as Ashfield District Council, South Yorkshire Housing Association, Midland Heart and Derwent Living.

For more information visit www.jtomlinson.co.uk or www.emhhomes.org.uk/