EWG Business Update December 2024 Final

Business Update December 2024

Pitch & training area hand over at Farington

What’s Inside: Animate reaches practical completion

Victoria Trading Estate completes

Planning applications go in for park revamp

Divisions attend Insider’s Lancashire Property Awards 2024

Welcome

Welcome to our December Business Update Being the last Business Update of the year, it’s always a good opportunity for reflection and looking through the previous updates in the year, you can only come away with a huge sense of pride in who we are and what we’ve achieved in 2024.

We have made some excellent progress across many of our business plan objectives and, along the way, delivered some outstanding successes. The breadth of talent and depth of ability we have is testament to the variety of complex projects our teams have successfully undertaken in the year. Attempting to list the highlights of 2024 wouldn’t do justice in the space I’m given.

Within this update however, you will see that our achievements continued right through to the year end! Notably, we have now successfully handed over the professional County Pitch at Farington which is a significant milestone and a huge credit to our site team.

Alongside this, the Preston Animate scheme achieved practical completion, starting a new chapter in the regeneration of Preston City Centre.

Looking ahead to 2025, we have some of the strongest order books for some time, and converting these opportunities and unlocking their potential wouldn’t be possible without your continued dedication and commitment.

As we approach the Christmas break, myself and Eric want to personally thank you for all your commitment and support throughout 2024. We are all part of a remarkable business and the considerable progress we have made across so many aspects of our business in 2024 means that we can turn into 2025 with plenty to look forward to. We will really start to see the benefits of all our efforts coming through with even more well deserved successes and achievements.

Finally, I hope you find time to have a well deserved break over the Christmas period and I wish you all the very best for the New Year.

Thank you Jeremy

Jeremy Hartley CEO Eric Wright Group

Snowy greetings from Water Park

Business

County pitch and training area completes at Farington

Tower crane installation at Laystall Street

Construction have handed over the professional county pitch and new training facility to clients Lancashire County Council and Lancashire Cricket.

The tower crane is now up at construction’s Laystall Street project in Manchester City Centre.

The team are working on site to deliver a new nine-storey residential development that will provide 89 one and two-bed affordable apartments.

The new county pitch will host several men’s and women’s competitive matches each year. The team have also started construction of the new £7m pavilion. Set over two floors, the 13,454 sq.ft pavilion will include training spaces and facilities for players and staff, storage spaces and a multifunction room with bar and kitchen facilities. Read more here.

The project is continuing to progress well, with the ground floor concrete now poured and the external ground works complete. Work is also due to commence on the lightweight steel frame.

Steel Beam signing event at The Ged Mason Building Work continues to progress at Seashell Trust with the steel frame now complete and roofing works coming along nicely.

Prior to the steel frames completion, members of the team joined students, staff and supporters for a steel beam signing event, which was then fitted into the structure. The new Ged Mason Building will not only be home to Royal College Manchester, it will also house office space for support staff to use, replacing older buildings which are no longer fit for purpose.

Seashell Trust

Contract wins: Our construction team have won a new contract with Gaskell School in Bolton.

This contract follows on from previous refurbishment and re-roofing works. The team will be designing and constructing a new two-storey building extension with the demolition of an existing wall – the works are valued at £2m.

The team have also been instructed by client, Lancashire Constabulary for preparatory demolition and soft stripping works, at their new site in Chorley - the works are valued at £1.6m.

Business

Animate reaches practical completion Maple Grove Developments has proudly reached practical completion at their £45m mixed-use leisure scheme, Animate.

The project, built by our Construction team, is being delivered for Maple Grove Development’s on behalf of Preston City Council.

Animate will feature an eight-screen cinema, 16-lane bowling alley with gaming zone, five family restaurant units, a food hall, public realm, a competitive social unit and 164-space basement car park.

With lettings to leisure brands including ARC Cinemas, Hollywood Bowl, Zizzi, Cosmo, Las Iguanas, Mad Giant Food Hall, Loungers and Taco Bell signed up as tenants.

Andrew Dewhurst, Director said “This is an important milestone for Animate. The next stage involves the various tenants completing their own internal fit out works before they can open their doors to the public.” Read more here.

Victoria Trading Estate completes with new lettings Phase two of the Victoria Trading Estate in Oldham has now completed, with two further tenants signed up at the scheme and only one unit to let.

Victoria Trading Estate has been built

by Construction for Maple Grove Developments and the Group’s Property Portfolio, and following the success of the first phase in 2016, phase two comprises approximately 14,000 sq.ft across four trade counter units.

Read more here.

Portfolio refurbishments Our portfolio team have carried out refurbishment works at Stone Cross Place and Wainwright Yard.

Maple Grove acquire 19-acre site in Penrith Maple Grove Developments have acquired a strategically located, 19-acre development site just north of Penrith, adjacent to the A6 and Junction 41 on the M6 Motorway.

Primed for commercial development, outline planning consent allows for up to 250,000 sq.ft of industrial, logistics and general business space.

Read more here.

Stone Cross Place in Golborne, Warrington is a 20 year old office building that’s currently leased to 10 tenants. Refurbishment works have been carried out to the entrance area and meeting rooms to meet modern day working expectations. By completing the works, this will help retain existing tenants and attract new lettings to the vacant suites, which will increase the rent we get from the building.

Refurbishments have also been completed at Wainwrights Yard, Kendal entrance to the retail/leisure.

The improvements to the signage and lighting were undertaken to attract shoppers into the centre.

Business

Memorial works for Armistice Day

Planning goes in for Moor Park revamp

Our Civil Engineering team went to a momentous effort so that a Remembrance Service could go ahead in Carlisle Market Square. The team worked hard to ensure that the Memorial was reinstated in its new position ready for the Remembrance Sunday service.

Our Civil Engineering team, on behalf of client Preston City Council, has submitted a detailed planning application for Moor Park. The plans include restoring the Serpentine Lake and installing a new bridge that will replicate the original Victorian bridge.

The works would also see upgrades to the football pavilion, as well as improvement works to the main play area and the south east entrance to Moor Park Avenue. Read more here.

Planning submitted for new sports and leisure facility Following a public consultation, our Civils team has submitted a planning application, on behalf of Preston City Council, for the creation of a new £2.5m sports and leisure facility at Waverley Park, Preston. Read the story here.

Highly commended award for Clyde Bridge Well done to Civils who have been highly commended for their Clyde Bridge project at the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (National) North West Awards 2024.

The project was led by our Contracts Manager Antony Mulligan, for client South Lanarkshire Council, and involved a 90m span modular bridge launch over the River Clyde.

Antony commented "It's great to be highly commended for our work at Clyde Bridge, the new bridge has delivered a new community link along with a range of sustainability and social value benefits. It also showcases our high quality and problem-solving approach to delivery. Great work and well done to all the team”

The team have been working in Carlisle since August 2024, delivering the Greenmarket and Market Square public realm works which include a rain garden and other landscaping works to create an inviting outdoor entertainment space.

New contracts Our Civil Engineering team have won a new contract with Wakefield Council to deliver repairs to the retaining walls at the Pontefract Park Reservoir – the works are valued at £873k.

The team have also been instructed by client, Merseytravel, to construct a replacement monument, standing 19m high it’s complete with a feature lighting bowl, at the entrance of the Queensway Tunnel – the works are valued at £1.4m.

Business

Development update We are proud to welcome the first homeowners to phase one at our Ribblesdale, Worsthorne site which is home to 35, two and three-bedroom bungalows for the over 55’s market.

The team have also started on site at their Loveclough, Rossendale development. The site was previously being developed by Hollins Homes with Applethwaite recently taking on the site and continuing to work on nine existing properties and construct 51 new homes.

Applethwaite launch new Instagram The Applethwaite team have launched a new Instagram channel to help them reach new markets by sharing updates from their developments as well as connecting with customers. You can check out their new page at Applethwaite.Homes

Business

Career talk at Greater Manchester Business School Strategic Health Care Planner, Natalie Hilton from our Healthcare Consultancy team visited Greater Manchester Business School to deliver a talk to nursing students about her career pathway. As a registered nurse, Natalie’s had a varied healthcare career and highlighted the impact that healthcare planning within the built environment can play. She talked to students about the work Partnerships do within the Healthcare sector and the different roles within the group.

New contracts Our Facilities Management team have won a new contract with Carvetti Partnerships to deliver hard services across four of their health centres in Barrow. They will be working on a three year contract - works are valued at £1.1m.

Working with long-standing client, Todmorden Health Centre, our Facilities Management team have won a three year extension to their contract which sees them deliver hard and soft services at the centre.

Great feedback for Healthcare Consultancy Our Healthcare Consultancy team continue to work closely with Community Health Partnerships colleagues and are making great progress with the LIFT buildings in East Lancashire.

Jeanette Leach, North West Regional Director at Community Health Partnerships left the team some excellent feedback following project completions.

New framework announcement Partnerships have secured a place on the Community Health Partnerships Consultancy Services Dynamic Purchasing System. Giving the team the opportunity to tender for work in the following categories Multi-Disciplinary Consultancy Services, Strategic Management, Programme Management, Estates Management and Sustainability Consultancy Services.

Business

Lancashire’s Construction Business of the Year Eric Wright Construction have been awarded Construction Business of the Year at Insider’s Lancashire Property Awards 2024. This award adds to the team’s growing collection as they also took home North West Construction Business of the Year back in May. John Hartnett, Construction’s Managing Director said “What a year it’s been for our construction team. Earlier in the year we took home North West Construction Business of the Year and now we’ve won Lancashire Construction Business of the Year. The breadth of talent and ability we have is testament to the variety of complex projects undertaken. We all have a huge sense of pride in who we are and what we have achieved.”

Applethwaite were nominated for House Builder of the Year and Maple Grove Developments, in partnership with Burnley Council, were also up for Commercial Development of the Year for Pioneer Place in Burnley. Well done to all the divisions for being shortlisted.

Business

‘Boxphish’ update from IT You will now receive monthly emails regarding cyber awareness training in collaboration with Boxphish. Please ensure you complete the training on a regular basis to help safeguard the business from threats.

These modules are intended to provide employees with the knowledge to recognise threats both within and outside of the workplace, which minimises the risk of security incidents.

Civils photography competition The Civils team recently hosted a photo competition to see who could take some of the best pictures of their sites.

Well done to the winners below

Social Value

Social value donation to Salford City Roosters Our Construction team, in collaboration with Wernick Hire, have donated a 32ft fully refurbished unit to provide classroom training and a 20ft storage unit to Salford City Roosters Rugby League Club. The team recently joined Jack Youd, Deputy City Mayor of Salford and Salford City Roosters for the official opening.

The social value spend from this donation will be attributed to our Willohaus project where the team are delivering 100 Passivhaus, affordable apartments for Salix Homes.

Read more about the opening and donation here.

Winter Warmer items donated to Great Places As part of our social value commitments on the Laystall Street project, the team and brickwork sub-contractor PLF, have donated electric blankets and draught excluders to client Great Places Housing Group. The donation is part of the client's winter warmers campaign which supports the community's most vulnerable people.

Applethwaite site manager supports Age UK shops in Garstang and Burnley Aysa Hardy, Site Manager at Applethwaite, has been volunteering at Age UK Lancashire providing materials and labour to plaster and paint a wall inside their Garstang shop as well as doing some gutter cleaning at their Burnley Branch.

Janine Dawson, the Head of Retail has passed on her thanks, saying “I’m so grateful for all your support. You have been amazing! You have done a great job, and we are delighted. You have saved the organisation a substantial amount of money, which all supports Age UK Lancashire in being able to support the older people in Lancashire who need us.”

Social Value

Another successful WOWEX cohort We recently welcomed our fourth, World of Work Experience (WOWEX) cohort. The group was made up of 10 students who spent the week immersed in the different divisional operations, experiencing challenges and tasks from planning, bid writing, design management, quantity surveying, site management, programme planning and engineering.

The week-long work experience programme gives students the opportunity to work in small groups forming their own business and with the help of our staff, work through a project from tender to completion. The final task is to present their work to a panel of our directors and demonstrate their understanding of the work we do in our industry.

Supply chain partner donates tools and equipment to Rumworth School Construction is currently on site at Rumworth School in Bolton for client Clear Futures. As part of our ambition to leave a legacy beyond the build, our masonry contractor on the scheme ECR have generously donated new tools and equipment to the school, allowing for the students to hone their skills in becoming the next generation of bricklayers.

Read how they got on here.

WOWEX Cohort

University of Salford Architecture students visit Continuing our relationship with the University of Salford, our Construction team hosted a site visit for a group of second year architecture engineering students at our Peru Street project. The visit was especially beneficial to the students as the assessment brief in their current module required students to analyse and present structural elements of a variety of structures.

Three Peaks fundraising Well done to Partnerships and people from across the Group who have raised an impressive £3,150 for their walk up the Three Peaks, and with match funding from the Group have donated £6,300 to Wigan & Leigh Hospice.

People

Jim and Annabel Carter are retiring Jim Carter joined the business in 1986 as a Development Manager in Maple Grove Developments and became a Director of Maple Grove plus many other companies, before becoming CEO of the Group. Following his retirement as CEO in 2009, Jim became Chair of Property and Deputy Chair of the Group.

Over the years, Jim has been a passionate and enthusiastic supporter of the Group and delivered a number of successful developments including speculative offices in Manchester, food stores including a joint venture with Booths and a joint venture with De Vere at Daresbury Park.

Jeremy with Jim Carter

He’s had an accomplished career in commercial property development and whilst here, Jim was Chair of the RICS and received the first ever presidents medal in 2014. Jim was also a member of the Lancashire LEP and chaired City Deal.

Annabel Carter is also drawing to a close her remarkable legal career with the Group spanning over 25 years during which, Annabel has advised the various property and contracting divisions.

We would like to thank Jim and Annabel for the dedication and enthusiasm over the years and wish them well in the next chapter. We hope they enjoy the travelling which they have planned and pursuing their many hobbies.

Annabel with the legal team

Spotlight on the Legal team The Legal Department will ring in the New Year with the new additions of: Olivia Hepworth (Property Solicitor) Tom Gall (Construction Solicitor) Christel Banks (temporary Senior Legal Consultant) They will be supporting the existing Legal Department, reflecting the growth of the Group.

Olivia Hepworth

Tom Gall

Christel Banks

People

Men’s Health Awareness Month

Coming in January...

Men’s Health Awareness took place in November. We have previously raised awareness of men's health issues, specifically mental health, prostate cancer, and testicular cancer.

Entry into our Save as You Earn Scheme will open in January.

Joining the charity, Movember, we looked at men’s health through a male lens, focusing on prevention, early intervention and health promotion.

This is a great benefit where you can choose to have an amount deducted from your salary each month which will then be paid out in November.

Reset and Recharge!

We’re looking ahead to 2025 with some exciting events coming up. In January we will be looking at a Reset and Recharge aimed at helping you get the most out of your health setting you up for the year ahead.

The information can still be accessed on by clicking the image.

Menopause Awareness Day

Please can you...

Check your annual leave.

Our leave year runs from April to March, please log onto WrightPeople, have a look at how many days you have left and get them booked in!

Update your EDI information: Please log onto WrightPeople and update your personal details including your Equality, Diversity and Inclusion information, thank you!

Menopause Awareness Day took place on the 18 October. We held a workshop with Dr Gibson and launched some new e-learning content to support colleagues going through it and living and working alongside those that are.

The course can still be accessed on Wright People by clicking the image.

If you need any support of guidance accessing Wright People, please contact a member of the HR team on hr@ericwright.co.uk

People A huge welcome to our new colleagues across the Group Eric Wright Group Eleanor Greenwood - L&D Coordinator Gillian English - L&D Administrator Liam King - Apprentice IT Support Technician Tom Gall - Construction & Engineering Solicitor Olivia Hepworth - Property Solicitor Eric Wright Water Laura Warren - Finance Assistant Simon Smith - Senior Planner Stephen Waterhouse - Project Engineer (Mechanical) Leon Ward - Project Manager (Mechanical) Dominic Potgieter - Electrical Improver Daniel Farnworth - Site Manager Paul Prior - Site Manager Douglas Walker - Cleaning Operative James Vaughan - Site Manager Erin Livermore - Office Administrator Harry Yates - General Operative John Jones - General Operative Carl Scrase - Working Supervisor Eric Wright Construction Mark Holden - Design Manager Thomas Edwards - Site Manager Daniel Clarke - Aftercare Operative Jamie Wraith - Advanced Joiner Lee Wall - Senior Planner

Eric Wright Facilities Management Natalie Dickson - Cleaning Operative Karen Font - Cleaning Operative Lucy Wood - Cleaning Operative Katie Glover - Cleaning Operative Franklin Oladimeji - Cleaning Operative Thomas O'Grady - Site Supervisor Molly McDonald - Cleaning Operative Callum Cook - Cleaning Operative James Hipkiss - Cleaning Operative Royston Barker - Site Assistant Kwasi Doffour - Cleaning Operative Richard Amankwah - Cleaning Operative Adana Darius - Cleaning Operative Malachy Devlin - Technical Services Manager John Cunningham - Site Assistant Alwyn Paul - Site Supervisor Aaron Hindmoor - Site Supervisor Simon Stone - Helpdesk Manager – Concessions Sharon Livesey - Cleaning Operative Applethwaite Roy Jeffery - Housing Manager Eric Wright Civil Engineering Macy Noblett - Project Support Coordinator

Service celebrations Congratulations and thank you to our colleagues who are celebrating service anniversaries!

5 Years Service David Sykes – HR Administrator - EWG Ethan West - Site Assistant - EWFM Barbara Stolarczyk – Cleaning Operative - EWFM Emma Holland – Facilities Manager - EWP Andy Newton – Commissioning Engineer - EWW Ryan Pickstone – Electrical Supervisor - EWW Tim Holmes – Senior Planner - EWW Kevin Tolley – Mechanical Fitters Mate - EWW Philip Ward – CAD Engineer - EWW Matthew Williams – Mechanical Engineer - EWW 10 Years Service Jonathon Wasp – Project Quantity Surveyor - EWC Daniel Berry – Site Engineer - EWC Sarah Carleton – Construction Administrator - EWC Suzanne Moores - Secretary - EWCE Gary Jones – Operations Manager - EWW Louise Bates – Senior Contract Administrator - EWW

15 Years Service Nick Keyte – Senior Project Manager - EWW 25 Years Service Nick Palmer – Group IT Technical Manager - EWG

Nick Palmer

David Sykes

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Please contact us with any news you’d like to see in the next update: ewgcomms@ericwright.co.uk

Written and designed by Amy and Michelle

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