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Commercial Property

Urban Splash reopens building sites and modular house factory

Developer swings back into action after two-month shutdown during the height of the coronavirus pandemic

Inside the Melville building as it is transformed into business use

Construction giant Urban Splash has restarted work on its building sites and at its modular factory after taking “robust” precautions to keep workers and the public safe.

The Manchester-based company suspended operations across the º£½ÇÊÓÆµ in March 2020 as the pandemic crisis tightened its grip on the º£½ÇÊÓÆµ.

But it said that following housing minister Robert Jenrick’s call for developers to get back to work it has taken the decision to restart operations.

It is understood the company is bringing back furloughed workers in phases with factory and construction site staff following strict and “robust” safety procedures. Non-site staff will continue to work from home.

The vast Melville building, Royal William Yard(Image: Penny Cross / Plymouth Live)

The company, which docked shareholding directors’ pay by 30% during lockdown, has restarted work at its House by Urban Splash modular factory, in the East Midlands, and is now in action again at building projects including Port Loop in Birmingham, New Islington and Avro in Manchester, Park Hill in Sheffield and the Melville building at Plymouth’s Royal William Yard. It has also acquired some new sites during the lockdown.

Urban Splash chairman Tom Bloxham said: “The health and wellbeing of our team, suppliers and subcontractors has been the driver in every decision we’ve made this past month. And now, following the latest Construction Leadership Council guidelines, we are pleased to recommence construction, while continuing to keep our hard working colleagues safe.

Tom Bloxham, founder and chairman of Urban Splash, at the Royal William Yard

“We have taken the time to brief colleagues in-depth on the specific processes at each site, allowing them to adhere to robust new health and safety measures, new ways of working and respect social distancing guidelines; with these in place, we are confident that we can protect our workforce and will continue to monitor the guidelines issued by the Government moving forward.”

Urban Splash stressed that measures have been put in place to ensure safe working environments. For example, operatives and subcontractors have spent the past fortnight implementing new ways of working, before fully reopening the Plymouth site this week.