NGM Sustainable Developments and Whitbread (Premier Inn) have received planning approval for a 54 bed, full-time floating hotel in Hartlepool. The hotel will be an extension to the existing Premier Inn hotel situated on the quay side. It is envisaged that the hotel will be in place and operational by the time the Tall Ships Race visit Hartlepool in 2010.
54 bed floating hotel
NGM Sustainable Developments has gained planning approval for a flood-resilient house, the first of its kind in the UK. The flood resilient house will be situated on the river front and has the capability to rise with increasing flood levels.
NGM Developments have partnered with several companies, including Zurich Building Guarantee, Envirocentre and GVA Grimley to launch the British Flood Awareness Initiative. The sponsors behind this initiative have invited the most respected voices behind flood defence and floodplain development to answer a series of pertinent questions. The answers to these questions could help us overcome some extreme social and economical challenges that face us all now and in the very near future.
A Reuters report on prefabricated, floating homes in Amsterdam, Holland, talks about the likelihood of waterside living driven by climate change. The Mayor of Seaton in England, Sandra Sexton, has travelled to The Netherlands to investigate the future of living with water in Britain.
Exciting proposals to construct floating dockland buildings in Middlesbrough and Liverpool have received a major boost with the announcement of two new directors for the property company, NGM Sustainable Developments Ltd.
Derek Cochrane, a former Regeneration Director at British Waterways, has been appointed as a new non-executive board director and consultant for NGM. Derek, 56, who is a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers, brings over 28 years experience of waterway management at British Waterways to the company.
NGM is also joined by Carl Nelson, 43, as the Construction and Technical Director. He will be responsible for design selection, procurement and co-ordination of the construction programme. He is a Chartered Builder and spent 24 years in the Royal Engineers before joining Zurich Insurance Building Guarantee as its technical manager, assessing new buildings for warranty purposes.
Kerry Martin, Chief Executive of NGM, commented: “We are delighted that Derek and Carl have joined the company. Derek’s experience in regeneration and property, particularly in a water-based environment, will be invaluable. Carl has a wealth of specialist technical knowledge, particularly an expertise in dealing with Modern Methods of Construction. Their appointments complement our growing network of associated companies and we are now poised to roll out our unique designs across the country.”
Mr Cochrane added: “This is a wonderful opportunity to make a contribution to what is a truly sustainable form of development. With land a diminishing resource, the ability to use the water space in former docks to provide great buildings for people to live, work and play is really important.” And Mr Nelson added: “The NGM product is at the cutting edge of energy-efficient property design. These are the buildings of the future and will provide inspirational living spaces situated right on the water.”
Working in partnership with NaREC (New and Renewable Energy Centre) in Northumberland and planning consultants GVA Grimley, and funded by the European Regional Development Fund, NGM has developed modern, carbon-neutral designs for buildings which can be constructed to float on disused water spaces. Construction materials come from renewable sources and the designs make maximum use of wind, solar and water energy as well as the revolutionary new process of photovoltaics which is a super- efficient method of harnessing energy from the sun.
A major first for NGM is its ability to secure an exclusive deal to supply home-owners with normal residential-style mortgages, warranties and insurance for properties which previously, as floating structures, would have been subject to limited insurance and less favourable funding terms.
Mr Cochrane and Mr Nelson join NGM at a key point in the company’s development. NGM has been commissioned by BioRegional Quintain to provide technical appraisals to evaluate the potential for water-based and floating structures at Middlehaven Docks in Middlesbrough. The project received outline planning consent in March 07 and is based around a master planning concept of Will Alsop. Pete Halsall, managing director of BioRegional Quintain, said: “We believe that there will be a market for floating structures and homes at Middlehaven. We selected NGM to work with us as technical advisors on the basis of their access to unique and commercially sound technical and legal solutions for this exciting new form of development. ” Sean Egan, senior regeneration manager for the Tees Valley Regeneration, said: ” We believe that the floating structures proposed for Middlehaven will play a significant part in its regeneration, providing a blue print of how to regenerate disused docks and water space sustainably throughout the UK”
NGM is also in discussion with Liverpool City Council, British Waterways and English Partnerships about a proposal to construct a floating mixed-use development of residential and commercial properties at Liverpool’s South Docks.
For more information contact: Lynn Pegler on 01928 789042 / 07783 686246
OSM Homes recently tied up a partnership with NGM Developments, a developer which specialises in floating homes and hopes to build 600 units in the next four years using the OSM product. Floating bases will be imported from Holland by NGM.
http://www.timber-building.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/93/House_to_haus.html
NGM has been commissioned by BioRegional Quintain to provide technical appraisals to evaluate the potential for water-based and floating structures at Middlehaven Docks in Middlesbrough. The project received outline planning consent in March 07 and is based around a master planning concept of Will Alsop.
Pete Halsall, managing director of BioRegional Quintain, said: “We believe that there will be a market for floating structures and homes at Middlehaven. We selected NGM to work with us as technical advisors on the basis of their access to unique and commercially sound technical and legal solutions for this exciting new form of development.”
Sean Egan, senior regeneration manager for the Tees Valley Regeneration, said: ” We believe that the floating structures proposed for Middlehaven will play a significant part in its regeneration, providing a blue print of how to regenerate disused docks and water space sustainably throughout the UK”
Lloyds have decided to continue their promotional campaign under the guise of advice in the wake of the summer floods. Obviously there is a lot of money at stake here and Lloyds have moved swiftly to make their claim and probably halt few others. We still believe the best way forward to is to embrace the new environment and live with water. This attitude will improve people’s lives and open up many more business opportunities.
