A new B&M store built by Lincoln company Lindum on land just off Peter Chambers Way in Mablethorpe will officially open its doors at 8am on Thursday, June 22. Jon Quick, Lindum Construction Manager, said: “It is fantastic news that the new B&M store will be opening very soon and creating so many jobs for the local community. “Lindum has been involved in the Mablethorpe area for 15 years, and so we are fully invested in the local community. We hope the new store will continue to benefit the people of Mablethorpe once it opens.” A spokesperson for B&M said: “We’re feeling extremely positive about the creation of more jobs for local people, and we hope customers are going to be delighted with their new store. We are all really excited to get the doors open and welcome our new customers through the door.”

Work has started to build a 303-bedroom student scheme in York after a forward funding deal was agreed with Singapore-based Q Investment Partners (QIP).

The mix of 195 cluster apartments and 108 studios will be spread across a three to five storey development on James Street in York.

Planning permission was secured for the scheme by S Harrison last year, and the respected York-based development firm is working with QIP and a wider development team to deliver the project in time for the 2025 student intake year. The development will then be operated by the Prestige Student Living brand of Homes for Students.

GMI Construction Group has been appointed as contractor, and it is expected that the development will complete in the Spring of 2025.

Peter Young, CEO and co-founder of QIP, believes that purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) is increasingly attractive to institutional investors. He said: “James Street is one of the student schemes that is part of a £200m build-to-core UK student housing venture between QIP and property investment group, Soilbuild.

“This expansion complements our existing stabilised portfolio, in partnership with Ares, that encompasses c.1,000 bedrooms across the UK’s leading student cities. This latest partnership reaffirms our unwavering commitment to the sector and allows QIP to leverage our existing platform scale to meet the rising demand for high-quality student accommodation in the UK.”

Martyn Harrison, from S Harrison, said: “We have been headquartered in York for over 70 years and have successfully designed and delivered many successful PBSA schemes in York, Leeds and Edinburgh in recent years, totalling thousands of bedrooms.

“Our ability to create exceptional developments in highly sought after locations means we have strong relationships with many leading PBSA and institutional investors, both in the UK and globally, and we’re very pleased to agree our first deal with QIP.

“High quality PBSA is in real demand in York, especially for schemes like this one, which is so close to both the University of York and York St John University. When this is combined with our local knowledge and QIP’s experience in the sector, there’s no doubt this development will prove to be very popular with the city’s student population.”

With an A-shaped footprint, the development has been designed by York-based CSP Architects and includes a large external central communal area, and also offers study space, a games room, cinema, gym and laundry facilities.

The site’s central location means it will mostly be car-free and a large cycle store forms part of the scheme. With plenty of soft landscaping and a South facing public pocket park on the site’s southeast corner and more than 200 sq m of green space, the Lawrence Street streetscape, which is a primary route into the city, will also be greatly improved.

Yorkshire’s divisional managing director at GMI Construction, Andrew Hurcomb, said: “GMI has a strong track record of delivering student accommodation across the North of England and the Midlands. The James Street development is in an ideal location given it’s within walking distance of two universities and will help York confirm its position as a top study destination by expanding the range of quality facilities available for students.”

Martyn concluded: “This scheme ticks so many boxes as it’s creating new, energy-efficient homes for students in an easily accessible location, as well as benefiting the local community with improvements to both pedestrian and cycle infrastructure, as well as a new community park for all.”

QIP is a private equity real estate firm that specialises in the global residential living sector. The company invests in the UK, US and Japan, by investing in PBSA, multi-family and co-living rental buildings, build-to-rent and care homes.

By autumn next year Lincoln-based Lindum Group expects to have completed a £9.5m project to build 50 new affordable homes in the Cambridgeshire village of Bottisham, on behalf of Accent Group. The development includes 30 shared ownership homes and 20 properties for affordable rent. It will be a combination of one-bedroom flats, two to four-bedroom semi-detached houses, and four two-bed bungalows. The homes will all be built to the previous building regulations, but they will all achieve EPC rating A through the installation of solar panels. Steve Morris, Accent Group Director of Development, said: “This is a significant development for us and reflects the ambitions of our development strategy which commits to building sustainable homes in areas of high housing need. “The new homes will be thermally efficient, reducing both fuel consumption and the overall running costs for our customers. We have made a commitment to build all our new homes in our land led programme to an EPC A rating and currently have around 600 homes on site being built to this standard.” Lindum Construction Manager Colin Knight said: “We are thrilled to be under way on what will be a very exciting project for Accent Group. “These 50 properties will make a significant impact on the affordable housing needs of the area, encouraging first time buyers to come to the village, whilst also helping the people who grew up there to stay.” Since work started, foundations have been put in place, and work will soon begin on the roads and sewers. The road works will connect the site to the existing road on Ox Meadow. The Scheme is being developed with part funding from Homes England.

Leeds Law School at Leeds Beckett University is relocating to the university’s Broadcasting Place building later this year, a move that will see the School’s facilities transformed and enable students and staff to bring law to life. The new development will serve as the new home for Leeds Law School’s undergraduate, postgraduate and research programmes, offering state-of-the-art facilities that will allow students to work alongside legal academics and learn in an environment that will promote deep learning and develop critical analysis. An immersive simulation suite, a courtroom with a jury deliberation room, a reading room and social learning areas are among the spaces that will support students to expand their knowledge of the legal profession and provide them with an ideal platform to launch their career. The national charity Support Through Court will have a dedicated room within the new premises to support members of public to represent themselves in court. Professor Deveral Capps, Dean of Leeds Law School, said: “The Law School has grown considerably in recent years, and we’ve now reached a level where we want to give our students and staff a real sense of place, and for them to have somewhere amazing they can call home. This huge investment means we will have the most modern law school in the country, which fills me with great pride. “I’m incredibly excited to open the doors to our new Law School in time for us to celebrate the school’s centenary. We’ve been teaching law at Leeds Law School since 1924 and settling into such modern, state-of-the-art facilities by 2024 gives us a sense of great achievement and opportunity for our students and staff.” Work on the project is due to start in June 2023 and is expected to be completed by September 2023. Once complete, it will provide the students at Leeds Law School with the chance to thrive in an environment designed specifically to support their needs.

Grade II listed building Silvester House will be brought back into full use thanks to a grant from the Levelling Up fund. Half of the building in The Maltings is currently in use, but investment from Bud Properties Ltd and the grant will see a full renovation of its empty eastern side. This part of the building will be subsequently fitted out as 14 one and two bedroom apartments. The works, valued at more than £400,000, will see new electrics and plumbing installed, alongside new kitchens, windows, flooring and decoration. New internal alterations and partitions will also be added. Councillor Paul Drake-Davis, portfolio holder for regeneration, said: “This renovation is great news for this area of the city centre, rich in stunning architecture. “These grants from the government’s Levelling Up Fund are really helping to enhance the city centre’s offer to residents and visitors alike and it’s great to see another building being brought back into full use.” Work will begin on the renovations in the coming weeks.

Keighley has received Government confirmation of the funding it needs to proceed with building a new health and wellbeing centre.

The funding of £3.4million forms part of a Towns Fund grant from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC).

It means that building the centre can now get underway with the centre expected to open in the summer of 2026.

The new facility would include GP services, self-care and prevention, community care, mental health, dental care, a GP training hub and other healthcare services, at an accessible town centre location.

The scheme would also bring around 200 jobs to the town centre, 50 of them being new posts, helping bring extra footfall to local shops and other businesses.

The site on which the new centre will be built comprises two areas of brownfield land at the corner of North Street and Cavendish Street, previously occupied by Keighley College, which was demolished in 2017.

Ian Hayfield, Keighley Towns Fund Chair, said: “It is fantastic news for Keighley that we’ve been given the go-ahead by the Government for the Health and Wellbeing Centre. It is a project that will make a real difference and bring in much needed investment to help achieve real social and economic change for our community.

“I want to thank all the residents and businesses of Keighley, the project sponsors, my fellow board members and the council for the hard work that has gone in over the last few years.”

Professor Mel Pickup, place-based lead for Bradford District and Craven Health and Care Partnership, said: “The funding announcement is great news for the people of Keighley and for our whole health and care partnership. The new Health and Wellbeing Centre is much needed and will provide a ‘state of the art’ integrated health and wellbeing centre at the heart of Keighley.

“The centre will bring a wide range of services under one roof, and help ensure local people receive the care they need closer to home. This project is an exciting opportunity to construct a landmark building on the central site that enhances the town centre, provides value for money and, most importantly, improves the health and wellbeing of local people.”

Cllr Alex Ross-Shaw, Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, said: “The announcement today is a great result for Keighley. It will bring a brand new facility in the heart of Keighley, in easy reach of transport links and which will provide essential services to improve the lives of those living in the community.

“In addition it will be a great boost for investment and jobs for Keighley and the wider district. This is a partnership success and thanks must go to the Keighley town fund board and everyone involved in this bid who has made this happen.”