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Community at the heart of new Manor Farm housing development

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Manor Farm site

Construction at a new housing development at Manor Farm, Stretham is now under way following today’s official ground breaking ceremony. The project is the first of its kind to be developed in East Cambridgeshire involving a
Community Land Trust. The scheme, located just outside Ely, has been created through a partnership including Laragh Homes, Peterhouse College, Cambridge and the Stretham and Wilburton Community Land Trust (CLT).

The new development includes 50 homes, a third of which will be affordable. A new doctor’s surgery and several small business units will also be constructed, to boost the community’s amenities and economy. After extensive community consultation, the buildings have been designed around a large village green crossed by footpaths, cycle routes and bridleways. Laragh Homes has worked closely with the Stretham and Wilburton Community Land Trust to ensure that the Manor Farm development fits seamlessly with local housing, and enhances the existing community.

As well as the importance placed on green outdoor space, all buildings in the scheme also have solid green credentials. Designed and constructed to ensure maximum energy efficiency, the heating will come from air source heat pumps whilst the homes will have excellent insulation.

The start of works on site was marked with the planting of a cherry tree by Charles Roberts, Chairman of the Stretham and Wilburton Community Land Trust alongside Simon Somerville-Large, MD of Laragh Homes. “This is a truly great day,” said Mr Roberts “and in one year’s time when we welcome the first residents into their new homes, it will be an even greater day”.

Simon Somerville-Large, MD of Laragh Homes said: “It’s taken us about three years to get this far but it’s worth it because we’re investing in knowledge for the future and working with local communities. We are really keen to pass on our experience from here, working with other community trusts who don’t need to be dependent on any third party funding. Manor Farm will become a natural extension of the village.“

The Stretham & Wilburton Community Land Trust is the first of its kind in Cambridgeshire and one of only 170 CLTs across the country. In recent years, CLTs have become increasingly important in responding to the national housing crisis as CLT developments aim to deliver genuinely affordable housing as well as other assets important to the community.

The Manor Farm site was originally owned by Peterhouse College, Cambridge. Mr Somerville-Large said: “Peterhouse recognised the value of this scheme to the local community and were of enormous help in keeping costs down and facilitating community involvement. Without their cooperation we couldn’t have done it.”

Plans for Manor Farm will be available at the start of November with further information available from Cheffins of Ely who will be handling residential sales www.cheffins.co.uk.

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Canary Wharf Contractors’ lorries to avoid left turns

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Canary Wharf Contractors is introducing the latest technology to plot safe routes for lorries making site deliveries to its new Southbank Place development.

Routes will try and avoid left turns in a bid to make London’s roads safer for cyclists.

The move follows a raft of measures unveiled by Mayor of London Boris Johnson earlier this month to protect cyclists from HGVs.

Canary Wharf Contractors Ltd (CWCL) is implementing technology from PIE Mapping to help construction HGV drivers take alternative routes, reduce pollution and congestion and protect cyclists.

The company will create workable routes which minimise road sharing between HGVs and cyclists so that they avoid each other during peak periods.

Testing and careful modelling of all left turns coming into London is currently underway and the platform will impose time based restrictions on busy routes for HGVs.

These will be in place initially for the morning rush hour peak Monday to Friday. The software will guide and navigate HGV drivers differently based on the time of day.

Cormac MacCrann, Managing Director, Canary Wharf Contractors Ltd said: “We are delighted to be the first London construction company to implement this technology on our Southbank Place project.

“It’s critical that the construction industry rises to the dual challenges of reducing pollution and congestion, as well as protecting a wide range of road users, particularly cyclists.

“We are sure that our collaboration with PIE Mapping will help to improve safety for London cyclists and we would be delighted if other major contractors adopted this HGV routing system.”

The platform is being developed at the moment and Canary Wharf Contractors will roll it out as the Southbank Place development gets underway.

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ISG Wins andpound;7 Million MoJ Framework Scheme at HMP Oakwood

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ISG has been awarded a circa £7 million project to construct a new workshop facility at HMP Oakwood Prison as part of the Ministry of Justice’s Strategic Alliance Framework. One of the largest prisons in the UK, HMP Oakwood accommodates 1,605 category C male prisoners and shares a site with HMP Featherstone and HMYOI Brinsford near Wolverhampton. Posted via Industry Today. Are you into it? Follow us on Twitter @IndustryToday Continue Reading