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

Indicative sketch 

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

Focus dives into leisure centre projects

Burgess Hall leisure centre bar

Focus Consultants is playing a key role in improving leisure facilities in Cambridgeshire.

The company was appointed to provide construction consultancy services for the fast-track refurbishment and alteration project to Burgess Hall Events and Conference Centre in St Ives.

The centre, run by One Leisure, the in-house leisure provider for Huntingdonshire District Council, has undergone a replacement of the bar, floor and toilets as part of a wider rebranding and redevelopment programme to provide modern leisure facilities. Huntingdonshire District Council has invested more than £10 million at a number of centres, including St Ives, in the past five years to provide high quality leisure centres to meet public demand.

“The refurbishment was carried out within a challenging programme with limited access due to ongoing events,” said Focus Consultants building surveyor Chris Smith.

“The project team worked together to successfully complete in time for a planned 90s night, featuring boy band Five. Positive feedback has since been received from the public, now that the work has finished.”

Now Focus has also been appointed to provide construction consultancy for the refurbishment and alterations to the One Leisure St Neots Swimming Pool in Cambridgeshire, which is due to start shortly.

“Focus has wide experience of providing construction consultancy services in the leisure sector, and we are delighted to be playing a role in upgrading and improving facilities in Cambridgeshire,” added Chris.

The work has been handled by the Boston office of Focus, which has its headquarters in Nottingham and branches in Leicester and London.

Focus offers a range of services to the property and construction industry, including building surveying, quantity surveying, project management, and sustainable development support.

For more information, visit www.focus-consultants.co.uk

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

Three new appointments at Focus Consultants

Sana Arif

Focus Consultants has welcomed three new members of staff to its professional teams.

Sana Arif joins the Energy Team as a graduate sustainability consultant and is based in the company’s Nottingham head office.  Sana’s interests and qualifications lie within the energy sector, focusing on renewable technologies with specific skills in wind, solar power and hydrogen fuel cell technology.

She graduated from the University of Nottingham with a BEng (Hons) in Electrical Engineering and Renewable Energy Systems and she completed her Masters during an internship with Blueprint. 

“Focus works with both the University of Nottingham and Blueprint and we are therefore especially pleased to welcome Sana to the team,” said Focus partner, Jason Redfearn. “It’s great to see Sana join Focus Consultants, at a time when our work in the energy and sustainable development sector is expanding. She brings new skills to the team and will add strength and depth as we continue to grow.”

George Jones

Also based at Nottingham is George Jones, who joins the Funding, Research and Economic Development Team. George has joined the company through the University of Nottingham’s Internship Scheme. George has strong client-facing skills and excels in communication and consultation techniques coupled with research and evaluation. He has travelled and studied widely in the UK and South America.

Focus partner Heather Frecklington said: “George is a welcome addition to our team. His skills are an excellent fit with our requirements and we look forward to working together.”

Evie Osbon

The third new team member is Evie Osbon who has joined the Focus London team as a graduate project manager. Evie has a background in the theatre and arts, having graduated with a BA (Hons) Acting Degree.  She is the latest addition to Focus’ expanding London team and will be supporting the firm’s project managers on a range of cultural and heritage-focused projects.

London partner Eleanor Clarke commented: “We are pleased to welcome Evie to our team. Her knowledge will provide a really useful user-centric insight into our arts-related commissions. She is already proving an excellent asset to the team getting to grips with brief development and programme management.”  

Focus, which has offices in Nottingham, London, Leicester and Boston in Lincolnshire, specialises in creative approaches to securing funding packages and delivering high quality projects across the UK. Since its creation in 1994, Focus has helped to secure more than £953 million of grant assistance for a range of projects and businesses across the UK and delivered more than £1.3 billion of projects and programmes – making it one of the most successful companies of its kind.

It also offers a range of services to the property and construction industry, including building surveying, quantity surveying, project management, and sustainable development support.

For more information, visit www.focus-consultants.co.uk

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

Focus completes project management role at Grade I listed hall

Kelmarsh Hall

A previously inaccessible area of a Grade I listed hall is being opened to the public following a conservation project which has been managed by Focus Consultants.

The scheme at Kelmarsh Hall and Gardens in Northamptonshire - entitled ‘Tunnelling through the Past’ - has conserved the former stable yard, laundries and the servants’ areas in the basement of the house.

Thanks to a £1.3 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and funding from Daventry District Council grant scheme, along with the charity’s own fundraising efforts, the history of the lives of the servants at the hall will now be showcased to visitors.

Nottingham-based Focus Consultants, which specialises in delivering high quality heritage projects across the UK, has been involved with the project from the end of 2015 until completion, undertaking a project management role.

Project manager at Focus Jo Hardwicke said: “The main opening of this exciting new interactive visitor experience will be on 1^st April 2018, when the hall reopens to the general public, but there will be an exclusive preview of the spaces next month as part of the National Lottery ‘Thank You’ week to lottery players, when Kelmarsh Hall holds a Christmas Fair on 17^th December.

“As a company, Focus has wide experience of conservation, restoration and other projects within the heritage sector, and we have been thrilled to have played a role in conserving and opening up these previously inaccessible areas at Kelmarsh Hall to give the public a glimpse into the history of the servants who lived behind the scenes at this wonderful hall.”

Currently just the main living spaces in the grand Grade I listed hall are open to visitors, and guided tours provide in-depth insight into the history of its famed past residents, such as designer Nancy Lancaster. But following the conservation project, undertaken by contractor Stone Edge, and after the introduction of the latest technologies, a full sensory experience of what life was like for those who formerly worked and lived at the property will be available. Tablet devices will help visitors to interpret the rooms in detail, whilst augmented reality will bring the spaces to life with period characters appearing to tell their story.

Lesley Denton, general manager for the Kelmarsh Trust said: “The conservation of the laundry and basement which are connected by a fantastically preserved tunnel has been a long road. It has been over six years from my first meeting with the HLF to the handover of the capital works by Stone Edge. The Kelmarsh Trust has been so fortunate to work with each and every one of the professionals involved, from our accountants and architects to the designers and interpretation experts. However, none of it would have been dealt with so professionally if we had not appointed Focus Consultants as our project managers. Jo and Steve have ensured we got where we are today by solving the problems, and there have been some, in a reassuring and effective manner. I cannot thank them enough.”

Focus, which has its headquarters at Phoenix Business Park, Nottingham, and branches in London, Leicester and Boston in Lincolnshire, offers a range of services, which include securing funding packages and project management. Since its creation in 1994, Focus has helped to secure more than £953 million of grant assistance for a range of projects and businesses across the UK and delivered more than £1.3 billion of projects and programmes – making it one of the most successful companies of its kind.

Focus also offers a range of services to the property and construction industry, including building surveying, quantity surveying, project management, and sustainable development support.

For more information, visit www.focus-consultants.co.uk

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