LABC Welcomes Announcement of £42.5m Government Grant

funding will go to support Fire and Rescue Services and the National Fire Chiefs Council.

LABC Chief Executive, Lorna Stimpson, said: “Building control surveyors are a scarce commodity and so it is important that we start to invest in this previously underfunded but vital public service role,”

The £16.5 million will be used to recruit and train approximately 110 new building control inspectors. The DLUHC programme will see trainees develop the skills and resources required over three years, before being redirected to areas with a higher distribution of high-rise buildings.

The new inspectors will become local regulators of the BSR, an independent body within the Health and Safety Executive. BSR was established by the Building Safety Act in response to the Grenfell Tower fire.

The BSR will act to ensure the safety of all buildings and in particular the construction and safe maintenance of buildings identified as high risk. The government grant will also see the recruitment of 111 fire protection officers to support BSR.

Those responsible for safety in high-rise residential blocks in England will have six months from April to register with the BSR.

Local Authority Building Control (LABC) has welcomed the news of a £42.5 million grant to support the delivery of the Building Safety Act 2022 between now and 2025.

Joint Venture to Bring 462 Apartments to West London

A mixed-use development will see the tallest building in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea delivered by joint developer MARK and Seven Capital. Ardmore has signed a contract for works to begin on the £200 million residential scheme in West London.

The project will deliver 462 apartments over seven new builds. The tallest block will reach 32-storeys located at West Cromwell and Warwick Road. Work will integrate existing buildings, including a multi-storey car park requiring significant strengthening and alterations. The car park was originally built to support a multi-storey office building. However, the development was never completed.

The announcement of the grant, by The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), will see LABC receive £16.5 million of the total amount awarded. The remainder of the

IMAGE: The BSR will implement the new regime for higher-risk buildings

Enabling works have already been completed, with the main contract set to start in April. The project will require a phased strategy as agreed with nearby businesses. The development will see significant improvements in the area, also providing commercial and retail space.

Ardmore Managing Director, Cormac Byrne, spoke about the collaboration between Ardmore, MARK, and Seven Capital: “The project builds on our impressive track record of helping developers unlock some of the most complex schemes in London. There is no doubt this is one of the more challenging projects currently under construction. We have worked closely with Seven Capital, MARK, and neighbouring stakeholders to bring our extensive experience of working in and around existing occupied buildings and next to operational rail assets.”

IMAGE: MARK / Seven Capital - The development will see the tallest building in the Royal Borough of Kensington

L&Q Announce Largest Construction Project

L&Q Construction broke ground in March on what will be their biggest new-build project to date. The ambitious development will result in a 476-home residential scheme at Greenwich Peninsula in South London.

The project marks a significant move for the construction arm of the housing association. L&Q's focus on self-delivery comes as part of a bid to control costs and improve programme outcomes. The Greenwich Peninsula scheme is one of three own-build projects by L&Q currently in the works.

The L&Q team will deliver seven buildings over two plots of 40,000 sqm. Construction is due to be completed by 2027. The Greenwich Peninsula development will include two towers, 22 and 30-storeys high. There will also be 17 four-bedroom family homes and two mansion blocks.

Affordable housing will be a focus of the project, with 70% of homes split between London Affordable Rent and Shared Ownership schemes. The remainder of the builds will be market-sale homes.

Sheppard Robinson has provided the design for the scheme, which forms part of an overall master plan for the area. Improvements to the brownfield site will include 3,000 sqm of play areas and significant upgrades to landscaping and street works.

L&Q spoke of their excitement at the project, which will see them work closely with partners at the GLA and Greenwich Council.

IMAGE: L&Q Construction /Sheppard Robson476-home residential scheme at Greenwich Peninsula in South London