Network Rail awards £90m Crossrail contracts

Network Rail has awarded two major contracts for the next stage of Crossrail totalling £90 million. Alstom will deliver the final stage of the signalling system between Reading and Paddington in a £79m deal while Amey has won an £11m deal to provide resilient power supplies. The upgrades are crucial to the future operation of Elizabeth line services as well as the modernisation of the Great Western Main Line. The Alstom contract covers the design, manufacture, supply, installation, testing and

Opposition grows to 4,000 homes plan at Didcot

Opposition to a development of more than 4,000 homes in Didcot is growing with councillors in neighbouring Harwell planning to fight to keep its identity. Vale of White Horse District Council unanimously approved plans for up to 4,254 houses and a host of schools, facilities and infrastructure at a site to be known as Valley Park, on April 20. There had been 122 letters of objection to the scheme, put forward by Hallam Land Management which is just west of Great Western Park where 3,300 homes

Good intentions and bad law

Simeon Fenn is Senior Associate in the Property Litigation team at BrookStreet des Roches. It seems safe to assume that no-one has ever sat down with the intention of drafting a bad law. By which I mean a law that does not achieve its purpose, or has some unintended consequence. Yet the statute books have included many such laws over the years. Some have been consigned to history, whilst others remain a problem today. I could cite many examples, but one continuing thorn in the side of the

Linda Sawyer joins Haslams

Haslams in Reading has announced the appointment of Linda Sawyer to its new homes team as client services manager from May 2016. Linda has 25 years experience in new homes, most recently acting as sales manager for Bellway Homes Thames Valley. Previously, she had worked in new homes roles at agents, Prospect and Lane Fox. Mike Shearn, head of new homes at Haslams, said: “Linda will further strengthen our new homes management team. It is an important role for any new homes agency, and having

BG's Thames Valley Park HQ to close

Around 800 jobs will be transferred from BG’s former corporate head office at Thames Valley Park to London after the announcement by Shell it is to close offices at Reading, Aberdeen and Manchester. Shell announced in February, following its takeover of oil and gas exploration company BG, that it would review all its office locations and has now announced 10,000 job losses across the world, 2,800 of them connected with the BG deal. Consultation has begun with staff at Thames Valley Park and

Second phase of plans for 400 homes at Benson is submitted

Plans have been submitted for 241 homes in Benson, in the second phase of a scheme to build 400. Permission for 107 dwellings, 41 retirement flats and 11 retirement bungalows on land at Littleworth Road, was won on appeal in June 2015. Now a developer, named only as RJ&S; Styles, has through agent West Waddy architects, submitted the next phase in the form of plans for 241 homes, a retail unit, school playing fields allowing for the expansion of Benson Church of England Primary School. a youth

Eilidh McAllister promoted by Haslams

Eilidh McAllister has been promoted to associate at Haslams Chartered surveyors. Eilidh, who joined the firm in 2012 after completing the undergraduate Real Estate degree at the University of Reading, works in the commercial agency department, advising on transactional-based work including letting, sales, development and investment. Managing partner Conrad Hill said: “We are absolutely delighted to be able to promote Eilidh which is thoroughly deserved, in recognition of all her hard work

Reading's Toys R Us and Homebase could be lost for 800 flats

Plans are being drawn up to demolish Homebase and Toys R Us stores in Reading and replace them with up to 800 high rise flats. Planners from London-based Temple Group have submitted a request for a screening opinion to Reading Borough Council for the development of the land at Kenavon Drive for tower blocks of up to 19 storeys for 700-800 ‘residential units’ on the seven-acre site which backs onto the River Kennet. The proposed development includes 13,000 sq ft of commercial/community/retail

Rumours and movers: Handelsbanken, B&M;, Iceland, Commerce Park and Merlin House

Handelsbanken VSL & Partners has let a 2,500 sq ft office in Latimer House, Langford Locks in Kidlington to Handelsbanken as the Swedish bank expands its UK business. The bank, which has further branches at Seacourt Tower in Botley and at Abingdon Business Park, has been in the UK since the 1980s and operates a wide network of small offices. VSL director Richard Venables said: “Handelsbanken prides itself on delivering outstanding customer service and Latimer House is exactly the right

Approval for 4,000 more homes at Didcot

Planners have unanimously approved plans for up to 4,254 houses and a host of schools, facilities and infrastructure at Didcot. Vale of White Horse District Council’s planning committee agreed Hallam Land Management’s scheme to the west of Great Western Park on Wednesday (April 20) despite 122 letters of objection. The site, now known as Valley Park, includes two primary schools, a special needs school, sports pitches, community and leisure facilities, retail, open space and extensive green