News - Focus Consultants

Posted: 10 Jun, 2019

Focus Consultants is celebrating the news that Phoenix in Leicester is to receive £4 million of National Lottery money invested by Arts Council England towards its expansion and development plans. Phoenix 2020 will create a two-storey extension to the current building in Midland Street in the city’s Cultural Quarter, to include two new cinemas and a better, more accessible digital art gallery with an atrium. The café bar area will be extended, additional toilets added, and improvements made to some existing spaces at the venue. It will also have a green roof terrace. Focus Consultants is the project manager for...

Posted: 4 Jun, 2019

Focus Consultants has been instrumental in a scheme to extend and refurbish one of the busiest on-call fire stations in Cambridgeshire. Focus was the designer and building surveyor, as well as contract administrator and CDM advisor, on the project for Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service at Chatteris. It involved transforming one of the service’s older stations into a building suitable for a high-performing modern community fire station. Senior building surveyor, Darren Booker, said: “Focus Consultants has undertaken work for many blue light and public sector organisations, but this was our first project for Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service and we...

Posted: 28 May, 2019

Focus Consultants and Maber Architects have been appointed by Chesterfield Borough Council to explore the feasibility of establishing a Rail Innovation Centre at Barrow Hill, Chesterfield. The proposals for the Centre will enhance an already thriving centre of railway maintenance and engineering at Barrow Hill Engine Shed. In November 2018, Spanish Train Builder, Talgo announced that it planned to develop an Innovation Centre at Chesterfield as a focus from which the company’s ‘All Britain’ strategy will be developed. Now Focus Consultants and Maber have been appointed by Chesterfield Borough Council to investigate the feasibility and opportunities offered through the development...

Posted: 16 May, 2019

Focus Consultants has staged a string of fund-raising activities to support Stonebridge City Farm in Nottingham, after the community charity launched an urgent appeal in January to raise £30,000 to keep the farm going through the winter months. Staff at Nottingham-based Focus came up with some fun Easter activities to raise much-needed cash, which was topped up by the partners at the firm, Focus has handed over a cheque for more than £270. Stonebridge City Farm is a community charity which has been an important part of Nottingham life for the past 40 years and is described as a small...

Posted: 15 May, 2019

Liam Reidy and Amar Toor are taking a break from their studies at the University of Nottingham to join Focus Consultants as part of the Nottingham Internship Scheme. The students are undertaking a two-week placement amongst Focus’ experts in the art of strategy, funding, project development and delivery. Focus is offering the undergraduate spring internships for the first time, giving local students the chance to gain hands-on experience of working in pairs on a short-term market research project. The interns follow a long line of young people who have enjoyed work experience at Focus, who once again show a willingness...

Posted: 7 May, 2019

Posted: 30 Apr, 2019

Two of Focus Consultants’ museum clients have been named as finalists for this year’s Art Fund Museum of the Year, the world’s largest and most prestigious museum prize. Focus project managed an eight-year redevelopment scheme at St Fagans National Museum of History in Wales, which was completed last year. The firm provided a range of services including bid work for a Heritage Lottery Fund application, business planning, quantity surveying and project management. In addition, Focus has been undertaking project management and quantity surveying roles at the V&A Dundee for their programme of temporary exhibitions, the latest of which, Videogames, opened...

Posted: 29 Apr, 2019

Focus Consultants has been appointed by South Holland District Council to carry out a multi-disciplinary consultancy role including employer’s agent, principal designer, clerk of works, and CDM advisor on a Lincolnshire housing development. The project consists of the demolition of ten existing bungalows and the development of 34 units comprising a mixture of one, two and three-bedroom properties, including hardstandings and landscaping areas, at a site at Small Drove, Weston, near Spalding. The project which is partially funded by Homes England, offers a mixture of affordable rent and shared ownership houses and bungalows. It is due to be completed in...

Posted: 26 Apr, 2019

Focus Consultants has been appointed by South Holland District Council to carry out Quality Inspections of three Section 106 sites being developed by Ashwood Homes Ltd. The sites, which are based in Moulton, Cowbit and Donington in Lincolnshire are due to be completed throughout 2019 and 2020. South Holland District Council will take ownership of 18 units across the sites out of the total 174 being built. These will be for affordable rent and shared ownership. Focus will also be carrying out snagging and de-snagging inspections to ensure the homes are to a good quality. Representatives from Focus, which is...

Posted: 24 Apr, 2019

Focus Consultants has been appointed to develop a new business plan for The Wilson Art Gallery & Museum in Cheltenham. The company joins leading heritage and conservation specialist Purcell and interpretation experts Image Makers to draw up a feasibility study for the art gallery and museum to unify its gallery buildings and maximise the use of the triple-fronted museum. Focus Consultants is creating the business plan for the development project, which aims to provide a better experience for visitors, engage more with the community, develop its audience base and increase support. The Wilson has an important part to play in...

Posted: 12 Apr, 2019

Focus Consultants has been appointed as quantity surveyors on a £5.5m project to restore Coventry’s Grade II* listed Drapers’ Hall in time for the city being UK City of Culture in 2021. The building in the heart of the Cathedral Quarter will be used as a centre for educating young musicians from Coventry schools and for the performance of professional classical music. The project is being led by Historic Coventry Trust and managed by The Prince’s Foundation. The development of Drapers' Hall represents one of The Prince’s Foundation’s 7 for 70 projects announced in 2018 to coincide with The Prince of Wales’s 70th birthday. The Prince’s Foundation launched...

Posted: 2 Apr, 2019

Focus Consultants is delighted that the Confetti Digital Media Hub in Nottingham has been named as the Sustainable Development of the Year winner at the East Midlands Bricks Awards. Focus Consultants was the BREEAM Assessor and the BREEAM Accredited Professional for the scheme, providing the design team with expert advice on built environment sustainability, environmental design and environmental assessment. Built by Stepnell for Nottingham Trent University at NTU’s Creative Quarter Campus, the £9.1 million hub is one of the city’s most environmentally sustainable buildings. Senior sustainability surveyor at Focus Consultants Jessica Bullers said: “The Digital Media Hub, which connects the...

Posted: 28 Mar, 2019

Sustainability experts at Focus Consultants have welcomed Nottingham’s decision to aim to become the first carbon neutral city in the UK by 2028. Focus, has provided professional support and expertise on sustainability issues on many new-build projects in Nottingham, including the recently opened five-storey building at the Confetti Institute of Creative Technologies at Nottingham Trent University’s Creative Quarter Campus and the main site of the Confetti Institute. Focus is also part of the team that is delivering 250 energy efficient homes at Trent Basin, which has set the bar for community energy schemes with the installation of Europe’s largest community...

Posted: 21 Mar, 2019

We’re delighted to hear that several museum schemes involving Focus Consultants have been shortlisted in the Museums and Heritage Awards 2019. The D-Day Story in Portsmouth has been named as a finalist in the Permanent Exhibition of the Year category and also, one of its volunteers, John Jenkins, has been selected for the shortlist in the Volunteer of the Year Award (individual). Focus was the project manager, quantity surveyor, business planner and employer’s agent for the £5m revamp at the museum, completed last year. Shortlisted in the Innovation of the Year Award is the Museum ExplorAR augmented reality experience at...

Posted: 14 Mar, 2019

Focus Consultants are undertaking multiple roles at a student accommodation scheme being built on the site of the former Dagfa School in Beeston, Nottingham. The former independent school in Broadgate, which was based round the 18th Century house, closed in 2016 and is being developed by Cassidy Group Nottingham Ltd. The scheme started on site last Summer and is set to complete on schedule in August ready for the start of the 2019 academic year. Focus Consultants are acting as quantity surveyor and employer’s agent on the project to create three new student accommodation blocks which will provide 217 student...

Posted: 1 Mar, 2019

Posted: 27 Feb, 2019

Focus Consultants has been appointed to support Nottingham Trent University on some of its latest developments at the university’s rural Brackenhurst Campus. As well as building a new flagship reception and environment centre, which will act as the new ‘heart of the campus’, construction has also started on new accommodation blocks, augmenting the campus’s on-site residential capacity. Focus has been appointed as the BREEAM Assessor and the BREEAM Accredited Professional, providing the design and construction teams of the accommodation facilities with expert advice on built environment sustainability, environmental design and environmental assessment. In line with the University’s policy for new build...

Posted: 26 Feb, 2019

Focus Consultants is celebrating the news that two projects it was involved in have been shortlisted in the East Midlands RICS Awards 2019. The University of Northampton Engine Shed has been named as a finalist in the Building Conservation category, while the Confetti Institute of Creative Technologies at Nottingham Trent University’s Creative Quarter Campus and the main site of the Confetti Institute has been shortlisted for the Regeneration Award. Funding experts at Focus Consultants were involved in supporting the stage 1 and stage 2 Heritage Enterprise bids for the development at the University of Northampton Engine Shed, and members of...

Posted: 8 Feb, 2019

Focus Consultants has been appointed to project manage the transformation of a Cambridgeshire museum after supporting the museum’s successful bid for a National Lottery grant. Focus provided Ely Museum with project management and business planning support during the development phase, which led to the recent news that the museum had been awarded a £1.66 million National Lottery grant. Now the Nottingham-based office has been retained to provide project management services for the delivery stage of the Unlocking the Potential of the Old Gaol: Ely Museum Redevelopment Project. Focus associate Mike Lee said: “This is a fascinating project at Ely Museum...

Posted: 24 Jan, 2019

Focus Consultants is celebrating the news that Portsmouth’s D-Day Story has been nominated for the European Museum of the Year Award (EMYA) 2019. Focus was the project manager, quantity surveyor, business planner, and employer’s agent for a £5m revamp at the museum which was completed last year ahead of the 75th anniversary of the Normandy landings in 2019. Work included conserving items such as its 83m-long (272ft) Overlord Embroidery, which tells the story of D-Day in 34 hand-stitched panels, and the creation of three new exhibition galleries, a café and a shop. Now it has been announced that 40 museums...

Posted: 17 Jan, 2019

Following commissions for the Natural History Museum that have included work to the Conservation Centre, and the Whales: Beneath the Surface Exhibition, Focus is pleased to announce our success in securing an appointment to provide both Quantity Surveying and Principal Designer Services for their forthcoming project The Earth Galleries Ground Floor.

Posted: 8 Jan, 2019

Ambitious plans for a Grade I-listed museum, art gallery and library redevelopment scheme – project managed by Focus Consultants – have received initial National Lottery support. Re-Imagining the Harris project at the Harris Museum, Art Gallery and Library in Preston, Lancashire, has been awarded development funding of £180,900 by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). This will help Preston City Council and Lancashire County Council to progress their plans to apply for a full National Lottery grant in 2020. Focus partner Steven Fletcher said: “It’s great to hear that the Re-Imagining the Harris project has been successful in its bid for...

Posted: 18 Dec, 2018

A Grade I Listed Jacobean manor house will close in the New Year for a refurbishment after securing a £3,734,200 National Lottery grant. Focus Consultants provided business planning and quantity surveying services for Boston Manor House in Brentford as part of the early stages of the redevelopment plans. The heritage restoration project entitled Boston Manor: Engaging with the 21st Century aims to fully restore the manor house, currently on the ‘Heritage at Risk’ Register, to its former glory, while equipping it to meet the needs of the modern day. The work will include structural and building repairs and the installation of...

Posted: 13 Dec, 2018

A £1.4m programme of fire safety improvement work in which Focus Consultants undertook the building surveying, design and contract administrator responsibilities has been completed on a ward at Lincoln County Hospital. The third floor Branston Ward (gynaecology) at Lincoln County Hospital has just undergone a major refurbishment, as part of United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust’s (ULHT) ongoing fire safety upgrades. The 18-bed ward has benefited from new ceilings, flooring and patient bathrooms, in addition to a full set of new fire doors and new lighting throughout. The third-floor revamp is part of an extensive programme of work at Lincoln to...

Posted: 29 Nov, 2018

Focus Consultants has been appointed to deliver sustainability services for a new East Coast Hub for the global leader in offshore wind, Ørsted, which is currently building the biggest offshore wind farms in the world. Currently in construction on the Royal Docks at Grimsby, Lincolnshire, the building will represent a state-of-the-art operations and maintenance hub to support both the construction and operation of Ørsted’s offshore wind farms, from which they currently operate more than 1.2 gigawatts (GW) of capacity with a further 2.6GW under construction. “The construction, operation and maintenance of such a large off-shore wind capacity necessarily requires a...

Posted: 12 Nov, 2018

Having played a key role in the definition, creation and funding of the project for the redevelopment of Nottingham Castle, Focus Consultants is very pleased to see work now starting on site to transform the castle into a world-class visitor destination. Focus was the lead consultant working on the successful bid which secured a First Round Pass of almost £13m from the Heritage Lottery Fund – providing project management, bid writing, business planning and cost advice services to develop the successful bid. Partner at Focus Consultants, Steven Fletcher, said: “Focus was proud to be involved in helping to develop this...

Posted: 12 Nov, 2018

An eight-year redevelopment at St Fagans National Museum of History, project managed by Focus Consultants, has successfully completed and been topped with a highly commended accolade at the RICS 2018 Grand Final Awards. Focus first began working with the Welsh museum in 2010 when Focus was appointed for the preparation of a Heritage Lottery Fund bid. The bid was successful – securing £11.5m in HLF grant funding for the museum on the outskirts of Cardiff. At the time, in 2012, it was the largest HLF grant ever awarded in Wales. Focus was subsequently retained to provide business planning, quantity surveying...

Posted: 23 Oct, 2018

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Posted: 26 Sep, 2018

Great to see Trent Basin in Nottingham named as a finalist in three different award categories at the East Midlands Property Dinner Awards 2018. Focus Consultants is project manager, employer’s agent and sustainability advisor (HQM) for phase two of the scheme, having previously acted in a similar capacity for phase one. The Blueprint development – which when completed will have created 500 low energy homes as part of the 250-acre Waterside Regeneration area in Nottingham beside the River Trent – has been shortlisted in the Design Excellence, Sustainable Development of the Year, and Regeneration and Restoration Project of the Year...

Posted: 24 Sep, 2018

Focus Consultants and architects Guy Taylor Associates have been appointed to draw up ideas to improve the foreshore of one of the UK’s popular seaside towns. Skegness has a long tradition as a holiday resort, not least as the first location for the Butlins chain, built in 1936. Now the seafront is looking forward to improvements which aim to boost Skegness’s appeal as an all year-round visitor destination, thanks to concepts being drawn up by economic development consultants at Focus Consultants and heritage architects, Guy Taylor Associates. In late 2017, areas of Skegness foreshore were awarded 'Registered Park and Garden...

Posted: 10 Sep, 2018

Focus Consultants are proud to be an approved supplier on the ESPO National Framework 664-17 and 2664-18 for consultancy services. Check out ESPO’S Promotional Flyer to illustrate the benefits of using an ESPO Framework. Click Here

Posted: 6 Sep, 2018

Focus Consultants has completed two key contracts for Huntingdonshire District Council. Focus project managed the recent refurbishment and improvements of the swimming pool and changing village at One Leisure St Neots. Focus was also contract administrator, principal designer and CDM advisor for the £260,000, nine-week scheme at the leisure centre. In addition, Focus Consultants has recently completed the project management of a £250,000 redevelopment scheme for the council to create a one-stop-shop Customer Service Centre at Pathfinder House, Huntingdon. Also acting as contract administrator, principal designer and CDM advisor, Focus oversaw the fast-track refurbishment and alterations project which was split...

Posted: 13 Aug, 2018

A £2.8 million redevelopment scheme at Gilbert White and The Oates Collections, the former home of pioneering naturalist Gilbert White – projected managed by Focus Consultants – has now been completed. The renovation of the museum and estate in Selborne, Hampshire, includes restoration of the stable yard and brew house, providing a new entrance, a shop and a café for visitors, as well as the conversion of the upstairs into an apartment. Work also includes general refurbishment and reconfiguration of the layout of the main house to allow the creation of a new gallery celebrating the life and work of...

Posted: 1 Aug, 2018

Focus Consultants are project managing the biggest exhibition about the Sun that has ever been staged. Focus has been appointed as project manager, contract administrator, quantity surveyor and principal designer for the exhibition, which will open on 6th October at the Science Museum in London. The Sun: Living With Our Star will include spectacular interactive experiences and unique artefacts that explore our relationship with the Sun. The exhibition, which runs until 6th May 2019, is the third exhibition opening that Focus has been involved in at the Science Museum, which welcomes more than 3 million visitors every year. Partner at...

Posted: 20 Jul, 2018

Focus Consultants hosted another of the company’s annual charity golf days at the Belton Park Golf Club near Grantham in Lincolnshire - raising £200 for The Thera Trust, a local East Midlands charity who is raising money for a sensory garden in Boston. Attended by 16 different organisations, 18 players took part in the golf day, with first prize being presented to Simon Elkington. A number of prizes for achievements were also presented including longest drive and nearest the pin. In addition, a fundraising raffle was also held. Focus partner Trevor Newton, who organised the annual tournament, said: “The Charity...

Posted: 2 Jul, 2018

Focus have gained certification to the 2015 standards for both ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. Having previously been certificated to the ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 14001:2004 standards, we were successful in achieving the transition to the 2015 standards in our Nottingham, Leicester and Lincolnshire offices. Our certification further underpins our existing quality and environmental systems, processes and procedures which have proven very effective in ensuring we deliver the quality of service expected by our Clients and conduct our operations in an environmentally sustainable manner. Of added value and benefit, both to our Customers and our own operation, is the expertise...

Posted: 27 Jun, 2018

Focus Consultants has opened an additional office after winning a raft of new contracts in the area. Focus has launched a new branch office in Newark, Nottinghamshire, next door to our sister firm Midland Energy Services Ltd (MES Building Solutions). The move will allow closer co-operation between the two organisations, particularly on compliance work in the construction and building sector. It will also provide a base for the Focus team working on a number of recently won contracts in the Newark and Lincolnshire area. Focus has been appointed as quantity surveyor for the proposed conservation and repair work to be...

Posted: 19 Jun, 2018

The first museum exhibition of its kind dedicated to a global business that attracts more than 2.2 billion players worldwide is being project managed by Focus Consultants. Focus is also the quantity surveyor on the videogames exhibition at the world-famous V&A Museum. When it opens in September, the exhibition will be the first of its kind dedicated to the videogames sector. It will be the 11th exhibition that Focus has been involved in at the V&A. Florence Andrews, senior consultant at Focus Consultants, said: “As a company, Focus has project managed a wide range of exhibitions at the V&A and...

Posted: 18 Jun, 2018

A recently completed heritage scheme at Tatton Park in Cheshire, which Focus Consultants helped to project manage, has been named as a finalist in three categories of the North West Regional Construction Awards 2018. Tatton Dale Farm was shortlisted in the Preservation and Rejuvenation Award, as well as the Cheshire Project of the Year Award and the overall Building Project of the Year Award. The project tells the story of food production for a large country estate from the late 18th century to the 1950s, and has brought alive the agricultural, architectural, technological, social and cultural heritage of Tatton Dale Farm...

Posted: 7 Jun, 2018

Celebrations at Focus Consultants, as museum project wins key award The team at Focus Consultants is celebrating the news that St Fagans National Museum of History in Wales has won a top award. Focus is the project manager and quantity surveyor for a wide-ranging redevelopment currently on-going at the site in Cardiff. The company also provided business planning and funding advice for the preparation of the Heritage Lottery Fund bid, which, at £11.55 million, was the HLF’s largest grant award in Wales when it was awarded in 2012. Now the museum has won the Tourism and Leisure Category in the...

Posted: 29 May, 2018

Focus Consultants is pleased to hear that nearly 50 per cent of the homes in the second phase at Trent Basin, Nottingham, have already been reserved by keen homebuyers following a highly anticipated and successful open day at the unique waterside development. Focus is project manager, employer’s agent and sustainability advisor (HQM) on the second phase of the scheme, having previously carried out the same roles on the first phase of Trent Basin. More than 80 people attended the Phase Two launch event at the multi award-winning development on the banks of the River Trent, which will ultimately see some...

Posted: 16 May, 2018

Work is underway on the refurbishment of the Grade II listed Winter Garden in Eastbourne as part of the £44 million transformation of Devonshire Quarter in the town. Focus Consultants is the project manager and contract administrator for the whole scheme, and also undertook the economic impact analysis of the development. The latest phase will restore and improve one of Eastbourne’s key buildings – the Winter Garden. Preparation work has begun on the new lift shaft, while toilets have been gutted and carpets stripped in preparation for the restoration of the original parquet flooring in the Floral Hall. The top...

Posted: 11 May, 2018

Arts and heritage experts at Focus Consultants are celebrating the news that one of the museums the company has worked with has been named a finalist in the world’s biggest museum award. Focus was project manager for the recent redevelopment at Brooklands Museum – one of the UK’s most historically significant sites for motoring, aviation and engineering. Now it has been revealed that the museum is one of five finalists in the Art Fund Museum of the Year 2018 – the biggest museum prize in the world. The news has delighted the team at Focus, which has also worked with...

Posted: 8 May, 2018

Developers, contractors and architects are being urged to incorporate sustainability into the very earliest designs of commercial buildings following the launch of the updated BREEAM UK New Construction scheme. Sustainability experts at Focus Consultants have studied the revision of the key sustainability assessment method for real estate and are advising the best way forward. “BREEAM New Construction 2018 is taking bold steps to encourage the construction industry to better integrate sustainability into the design process,” said Focus partner Jason Redfearn. “As the BRE’s overarching aim, early and thorough integration of sustainability into the design and construction of commercial buildings takes...

Posted: 23 Apr, 2018

Focus Consultants partner Kevin Osbon has successfully completed the hottest London Marathon on record – raising more than £2,000 for charity. But he has vowed that his first marathon will also be his last. “It was absolute carnage,” said Kevin. “Nearly everyone had to walk or run in spurts after Canary Wharf, which seemed to be littered with bodies seeking attention. My feet blistered, my running shoes melted and stuck to the pavement – I have never run in such hot, tough conditions. “I trained in the ice and ran in the Sahara. That was the first and last marathon...

Posted: 20 Apr, 2018

Focus Consultants has been appointed to the NHS SBS Framework for a second term to provide construction consultancy services. The agreement runs until 31 March 2022. Focus is currently on seven framework agreements, including the ESPO 2664_18 framework to supply consultancy services for property & building advice and management services, and the ESPO 664-17 framework to supply consultancy services in leisure, culture and tourism, as well as asset management and delivery – all to public sector clients and social housing providers. The NHS SBS Framework provides ease of access and offers a compliant route to market for NHS and public...

Posted: 17 Apr, 2018

One of the founding Partners of Focus Consultants will be pounding the streets of the capital on Sunday (22nd April) when he takes part in the London Marathon. Despite having six knee operations over the past 15 years – including two total knee reconstructions – Kevin Osbon is aiming to conquer more than 26 miles and raise over £2,000 for the Teenage Cancer Trust. “As a teenager, I had a mole on the back of my leg which had to be cut out,” said Kevin. “I spent three weeks on an adult cancer ward, because the children’s cancer ward was...

Posted: 22 Mar, 2018

Three museums, which have recently undergone major redevelopment with support from Focus Consultants, have been shortlisted for awards. The National Army Museum, the Brooklands Museum and Aerospace Bristol are all finalists in this year’s prestigious 2018 Museum and Heritage Awards. The National Army Museum, shortlisted in the best permanent exhibition category, re-opened in 2017 following a £23.75m refurbishment, including £11.5m from The National Lottery. Focus Consultants were project managers, quantity surveyors and CDM co-ordinators during the three-year project, which dramatically transformed the building maximising access and engagement with the Collection and providing a 21st century visitor experience. The team at...

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