News in Brief: January 2026

South Derbyshire District Council has revealed plans for a new leisure centre and council office building in Swadlincote. Designed by CPMG Architects, state-of-the-art building will replace the current Green Bank Leisure Centre, which will be demolished as part of the redevelopment of the town centre.

Plans for a £750 million film studio complex in Buckinghamshire have been approved by the Government’s Secretary of State Steve Reed. Designed by Wilkinson Eyre, Marlow Studios will be one of the UK’s largest facilities, covering around 36 hectares.

Tilbury Douglas has been appointed to lead the construction of the new Pershore High School in Worcestershire, on behalf of the Department for Education. Designed to achieve net zero carbon in operation, the school will feature Information and Communication Technology suites, science studios, a staff room, a dining area, 3D art room, activity studio, drama studio and changing facilities.

Morgan Sindall has started work on Plus Ultra Manchester, a purpose-built development that will provide 66,141m² of research and innovation space in the Manchester Knowledge Quarter’s Oxford Road Corridor.

Willmott Dixon has started construction on a £140 million state-of-the-art Emergency Care Building at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth. The four-storey facility, procured under P23 with Mace, will transform urgent and emergency care provision for the South West peninsula, creating modern, purpose-built spaces to replace the hospital’s current 50-year-old Emergency Department.

Work is underway on a new fire station in Hereford, forming part of a programme to improve services in the town and the surrounding area. Designed by Bond Bryan Architects, the new four-storey facility will accommodate four vehicle bays as well as sustainable features such as rooftop solar panels.