We recently visited Banks Group, a family business which provides development solutions across a range of areas, from quarrying, plant solutions and mining, to their most recent venture in housing development!
Banks Group are approaching their 50th year in business, forming as H J Banks and Company Ltd in 1976. The company began as a surface mining business, boasting a fantastic reputation due to their proud record of fully restoring every surface mine which they have worked on over the years. They began moving into new sectors from 1982, demonstrating their ambition and their eye for opportunity, via acquisition of a Midlands based pottery business, and a north east based civil engineering contractor as well as generic growth into mineral reclamation, sand and gravel extraction, landfill, property development and road haulage and culminating in the establishment of its onshore renewable energy company which, by this time it was sold in 2023, was operating eleven windfarms across northern England and Scotland. Diversification has continued to be key to Banks Group over the years. To date, the business has now achieved planning permission for over 11,000 homes and, as of 2022, Banks Homes was officially created with a dedicated view towards regional housebuilding.
BELL Lighting had the pleasure of being involved in a significant lighting upgrade at Inkerman House in Durham, the current headquarters for Banks Group. Inkerman House opened for business in 2010, operating as the base of activities for over 100 staff members in a 25,000 square foot purpose built contemporary office space. The building was designed with sustainability in mind, featuring the provision of rainwater harvesting and modern energy management systems. As a family business with Carbon Neutral status and an EcoVadis Gold Sustainability Rating, we were delighted to work with an organisation with aligning values.
Working with Eyre & Elliston (Newcastle Branch) and UpNorth Group (UNG), our Lighting Design team provided a free lighting solution, with a luminaire schedule, a proposed lighting scheme, and a quantity & location schedule informing the lighting overhaul at Inkerman House. UNG Building Services are specialists in the design, installation, and the management of Mechanical and Electrical (M & E) Building Services. With a proven track record across both public and private sectors, delivering end-to-end solutions from major design-and-build projects to complex plant and system upgrades. Their capabilities span the full project lifecycle — including design, consultancy, installation, and maintenance — with a strong focus on energy efficiency, system performance, and long-term value. In this project, UNG played a key role in delivering the electrical infrastructure required to support the lighting replacement works, ensuring a high-quality, reliable outcome for the client.
The first product which was specified for the project came in the form of our Arial Pro LED CCT Downlight; the fitting was released early to those onsite for the project, as the existing cut-outs which were used prior to our involvement in the reception area were presenting difficulties onsite. Our Arial Pro offered the perfect solution, providing over 300 lux and covering the cut-outs involved; the CCT and wattage switchable functionalities of the product also ensured that Banks Group will have options later down the line.
Alongside the reception area, we also designed various office spaces onsite using our 20W and 26W Arial Multi Plus UGR<19 LED Panels. We have an excellent track record as a design function, with our Arial Panels proving to be a popular and consistent product; on this occasion, as the offices are used for work on computers at desk level, we put forward a design which allowed for 500 lux at 0.75m AFFL for each office space. The improvement in lighting levels and the uniformity of the lighting provided between the completed and incomplete areas onsite was noticeable, with everyone involved in the project stating that they were extremely pleased with the end result. Inkerman House is a modern and impressive building which hosts loyal and skilled staff, and we are delighted that our products have improved the conditions onsite.
We would like to thank Banks Group, Eyre & Elliston, and UpNorth Group for their support and for their trust in BELL Lighting.