The final bolt on the steel frame of a £4.7m extension to one of Teesside’s most successful business centres has been put in place by the Managing Director of UK Steel Enterprise.

The ceremony marked the completion of an important stage in the development of UK Steel Enterprise’s Innovation Centre on Hartlepool’s Queens Meadow Business Park, due for completion in May 2011.

Stuart Green, head of UKSE, the Tata Steel subsidiary, was joined by representatives from One North East, Tees Valley Unlimited, Hartlepool Borough Council, the town’s Mayor Stuart Drummond and architects, contractors and project managers involved in the project.

The extension will almost double the size of the existing Centre, built in 2005.  It will add 20, 000 sq ft of space to the existing 27,500 sq ft, providing 46 new offices, most with balconies, along with an additional reception area and parking space.

“We are pleased to be investing £4.7m in Tees Valley to meet the demand for top quality, managed business premises that is still growing despite the challenging economic circumstances,” said Stuart Green.  “We are currently supporting around 80 of the area’s most promising companies in our two Innovation Centres at Redcar and Hartlepool and there has already been considerable interest shown in these new offices.

“UKSE has decades of experience in providing managed business premises and, nationally, we have invested more than £30m in workspace alongside £75m of true risk capital to help more than 4,600 companies and create more than 70,000 jobs.”

Both Innovation Centres are specifically designed to support new and growing companies, leaving them free to concentrate on their core businesses by providing facilities such as a manned reception area, high security, 24 hour access, well-equipped meeting rooms, the latest broadband and telecom systems and even a gym and chill-out room alongside support from an on-site UKSE team and no lengthy leases.

Support for the latest project has come from One North East and Tees Valley Unlimited. David Cramond, Director of Capital Development at One North East said: “This investment by UK Steel Enterprise is very welcome and it is good to see the development taking shape. Projects like this are extremely important for the economy of Tees Valley and the North East and demonstrate what can be done when organisations work in partnership across the region.”

Richard Buckley, Director of Delivery, Tees Valley Unlimited said: “This is exactly the type of project that we are keen to invest in and support as it helps small and medium sized  enterprises establish themselves in this area.  We want to see developments like this flourish and wish UK Steel Enterprise every success.”

Mayor of Hartlepool Stuart Drummond said: “We are delighted to see UK Steel Enterprise making this investment in Hartlepool.  UKSE showed great faith in Phase 1 of our development at Queens Meadow and the Innovation Centre was one of the first buildings to be completed on the business park.  A further investment, especially at this time is great news for Hartlepool.”

Stuart Green (top), Managing Director and Simon Hamilton, Regional Manager, from UK Steel Enterprise, tighten the last bolt in the steel frame of the £4.7m extension to the Innovation Centre at Hartlepool. Watching are (from left) Stuart Drummond, Mayor of Hartlepool; David Cramond, One North East; Richard Buckley, Tees Valley Unlimited; Adrian Evans, P + H S Architects; Colin Cook, JNP Group; Lee Barron, Turner & Townsend and Denise Spearman, Mansell Construction.

News release on behalf of UK Steel Enterprise Limited, published in Euvue, see http://regional-news.euvue.co.uk/4-7m-investment-for-hartlepool/

Work has started on Phase II of the Hartlepool Innovation Centre. This is the second building on Queens Meadow Business Park that P+HS have designed for UK Steel Enterprise Limited. The foundations are complete and erection of the steel frame is well underway [approx 70% complete]. Work on the roof is due to start later this week, whilst the concrete first and second floors are programmed to commence on 28th October.

Client: UK Steel Enterprise Limited

Architect: P+HS

Main Contractor: Mansell Construction Services Limited

Contract Value: £2.9m

Completion Date: May 2011.

View from site entrance

View from Phase I entrance

View across existing car park

View from Shibdon Road

 

View from car park entrance

View from atrium looking towards main entrance.

View from atrium link bridge looking towards PCC

Images supplied courtesy of Willmott Dixon Construction Limited.

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Willmott Dixon have installed a webcam at the Houghton le Spring Primary Care Centre site. This can be viewed by visiting this web page.

Should you wish to view the progress of this project, you will need a user name and password to gain access to the webcam. Please contact me, via email, for confirmation of both.

The 30th Bupa Great North Run, the world’s biggest half marathon, will take place on Sunday 19 September 2010. I will be particpating to raise funds on behalf of The Alzheimer’s Society.

Alzheimer’s Society is the UK’s leading care and research charity for people with dementia and those who care for them.

There are 750,000 people with dementia in the UK with numbers set to rise to one million by 2025. Alzheimer’s Society is a membership organisation, which works to improve the quality of life of people affected by dementia in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. To find out more, visit their web site at http://www.alzheimers.org.uk

If you would like to pledge your support for both me and my chosen charity, please sponsor me by visiting my fundraising page at http://www.justgiving.com/adrianevans-bgnr2010

 Many thanks

Internal view of double height waiting area

Close up view of solar shading to south facing elevation

View towards main entrance from south-west corner of car park

Progress photos taken on 25th August (week 63).

Building is due for occupation on Monday 8th September.

The newly constructed Primary Care Centre in Washington incorporates 10No solar pre-heating panels located on the flat roof. The solar panels face due south and will provide up to 85% of the hot water for this new facility, thus reducing the carbon footprint.

The building also incorporates windcatchers to promote natural ventilation and large areas of brise soliel to reduce solar gain.

Washington PCC is due for completion in August.

Week 38 of 60.

View of entrance to Renal Dialysis Unit. Stair tower is fully glazed using Velfac curtain walling system. Velfac system incorporates a completely flat aluminium infill panel, which requires no additional support steel.

Week 38 of 60.

South Elevation taken from outside main waiting area. Full height Velfac windows are in place. Solar shading will be fitted between vertical CHS posts to reduce solar gain from southern aspect. Internally, full height, electically operated blinds will also be fitted. Wind catchers are to be mounted on the roof to provide natural ventilation to the main waiting area.

Week 38 of 60. On programe for completion on 1st August 2008.

All brickwork and windows are now complete. Base coat of Sto render has been applied. Cladding approx 70% complete. Still awaiting arrival of fascias and parapet flashings.

1st fix plumbing and electrics progressing internally. Internal partitions approx 50% complete.

Work has started on the new Washington Primary Care Centre. This is the second PCC that P+HS have designed for Sunderland Teaching Primary Care Trust. The piles and pile caps are complete and erection of the steel frame is underway [approx 50% complete]. The concrete first and second floors are programmed to commence on 1st October. This photograph was taken from the raised pedestrian walkway at the north-west corner of the site.

The project is being delivered under the P21 procurement method.

Contractor/PSCP: Laing O’Rourke.

Contract Value: £9.2m [GMP]

Completion Date: August 2008.

On Friday 23rd February, P+HS Architects were presented with the 2007 Building Control Quality Award for Best Access/Community Project for the Grindon Lane Primary Care Centre, Grindon Lane, Sunderland. The awards were hosted by Sunderland City Council at the Stadium of Light in recognition of quality, innovation and those who go beyond the regulatory requirements. The event was attended by representatives of the design team, Procure 21, Sunderland Teaching Primary Care Trust and construction team.

The project has now been entered into The LABC Northern Region Built In Quality Awards to be held at Devere Slayley Hall on Friday 18th May 2007.

Winners of the regional awards will be entered into the National Awards, which will be featured in Building Magazine.