A million more youngsters to live with parents over next decade

A million more young people are likely to be living with their parents over the next decade, according to Aviva.

According to insurance company, Aviva, more than a million young people will find themselves living with their parents, with the main reason being the affordability of housing. The housing affordability crisis and economic stress on the young, reflect statistics from the report, which show the increasing difficulty of getting on the housing ladder.

In a study by Aviva, 3.8 million people aged between 21 and 34, will be living at home by 2025.

Research by Aviva suggests that the desire for people in their 20s and 30s to own their own home, is still strong, with 83% of people citing it as important.

The number of households containing two or more families is also expected to rise, from 1.5 million to 2.2 million.

Aviva say that there are advantages of sharing a house with other couples, such as having other people around for company, cheaper living costs and more people to share chores.

A total of 66% of adults that co-habit said they found it to be a positive experience.

Lindsey Rix, Managing Director of personal lines at Aviva UK, said: “Multi-generational living is often seen as a necessity rather than a choice, particularly when adults are forced to move back in with family to help save for long-term goals like buying their own house.

“But rather than being an inconvenience, our report shows it is often a positive experience, with shared living costs reducing financial strain and the added benefit of constant company.”

Only 12% of adults cohabiting said the disadvantages outweighed the benefits.

According to the National Statistics House Price Index, property prices rose by 52% in the last decade, from £184,000 in 2015 to £279,000 last year. Over that period, average wages have increased by only 30%, and the incomes of young people have been especially hard hit by the recession and its prolonged aftermath.

Recent research from the Centre for Economics and Business Research consultancy revealed that the “Bank of Mum and Dad” has become increasingly crucial in helping young adults get on the housing ladder. The research suggested that it could help cover around 25 % if all mortgages, contributing to total sales of £77Bn.

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BIM and CDM2015 Regs: Exclusive Interview with Stefan Mordue

UK Construction Online talk exclusively with Stefan Mordue about how BIM can play a key role in Health and Safety and the CDM2015 Regulations.

Stefan Mordue is a chartered architect, construction project manager, writer and NBS consultant. He is co-author of a number of publications, including ‘BIM for Construction Health & Safety’ and ‘BIM for Dummies’ and was part of the team that delivered a joint project for NBS and UK BIM Task Group to produce a BIM toolkit in preparation for the government’s BIM mandate. Stefan is a visiting lecturer at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, and he sits on a number of industry and technical standard committees, including the British Standards Institute Occupational Health & Safety Management and the Architects Council of Europe BIM working group. He was a founding member of the CIC BIM2050 working group.

 

How can BIM benefit those responsible for Health and Safety risk management?

Everybody has something to gain, from the client to the end user – everybody can benefit from the introduction of Health and Safety information into BIM. Just simply by having data that’s readily available, consistent, structured and in an open format makes easier to read, digest and interpret.

When it comes to Health and Safety, it’s really about getting critical information to people when they need it and at the right time. While Health and Safety should be an on-going concern for a whole project timeline, what BIM can allow us to do is have an earlier consideration of hazards and risks within the design as we are sharing and coordinating information within the project team.

It can benefit from such things as construction sequencing and virtual reality simulations – these processes are about constructing in a safe virtual environment without anybody getting hurt right through to the construction phase. We can use BIM for training, hazard detection, etc. but while techniques such as 4D sequencing and simulations are useful tools within Health and Safety, we can use less technically advanced methods. They can be just as powerful and simply by showing information in a graphical way so all can understand it. Just recording hazards or decisions on risk in a structured way using an open format such as COBie is again very powerful.

 

Do you think that there is enough awareness amongst those responsible for Health and Safety risk management of the advantages of BIM?

I would say it’s increasing. If we went back to the 2011 Government Construction Strategy, Health and Safety wasn’t mentioned at all. It was mentioned, however, as a key driver within the Construction 2020 – 2025 Strategy. This acknowledged Health and Safety would play a vital component in a roadmap to success.

It’s extremely positive to see Health and Safety coming into these larger strategies and we are now realising that to have a construction industry we can all be proud of, we need to bring younger people through and we are only going to do that by having a safe industry.

Contractors, particularly the large tier 1 contractors, have been using BIM for Health and Safety management for quite some time now but we need to start to use it as an early intervention. The best form of any prevention is at the pre-construction stages.

 

Is there an obvious link up between BIM and CDM2015 Regulations?

There are many synergies there. It’s all about managing information and making it readily available to people so the can use it effectively.

A lot the benefits of BIM are discussed in terms of monetary value or cost savings, efficiency gains but there are real opportunities for health and safety management to be incorporated into that BIM process. It doesn’t really have to be a really high tech solution; something simple about collating relevant and crucial information in a very simple and graphical way that then can be communicated to the relevant people is really powerful, particularly when you consider some of the unfortunate injuries and fatalities that have happened in recent times, sometimes come down to a language barrier. So often having information is readily available and easy to understand can be a very powerful tool when it comes to Health and Safety.

When we consider how important the construction industry is to the UK economy and we look at some of the facts and figures around the industry, although it is improving it is still quite a dangerous industry to work in. Given the fact that it is so vital for our economy, we really need to start to think how we can make the industry safer and how we can produce safer assets. Only by doing this can we make an industry that the next generation of professionals can be really proud of and one that they want to work in.

 

With the new CDM2015 Regulations now in force and the creation of new role of the Principal Designer and all of its responsibilities, presumably BIM will have a vital role to play?

Yes it will. People are certainly using BIM during the construction phases but with any safety intervention the best form is do it before you even put a spade in a ground. It needs people to start thinking about these things a lot earlier; we need to start embedding this within the design chain.

The change in the CDM2015 regulations with the introduction of the Principal Designer is really promising because that role is best placed and has the most influence to design out and coordinate health and safety information at the pre-construction stage.

 

How could a resource like Construction Operation Building information exchange (COBie) be used in relation to Health and Safety?

COBie is simply a model view of the IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) schema. The idea is that it is used to improve processes of how we collect BIM information and how we handle that information and share it with asset owners, occupiers or operators, helping them to manage their asset more effectively. COBie isn’t asking for any more information than we currently deliver but what it is asking for is it in a structured way.

It’s interesting if you look at the BIMtask group website, it originally describes COBie as being a means of sharing structured information just like CDM and BIM.

COBie has an issues column, which is quite useful as it provides the designer with the opportunity to record information such as risk ratings or CHARM (Chemical Hazard and Risk Management). This is all structured and can be shared within the design team.

Other simple approaches include recording risks in other open standards. The IFC4 has a property set called P Set Risk so you can start to highlight information or tag BIM objects and communicate information in a very simple way – for example through a colour-coded system. Some of the non-graphical information and attributes can then be scheduled and risks and hazard can be easily located.

 

Can a digital model of a building still be useful in terms of managing Health and Safety even after the physical construction is complete?

One of the real value propositions of BIM is as well as procuring a physical asset; you also procure a digital one. Throughout the process you are getting this digital creation as a by-product but that digital model has the power to become the basis of many things going forward. It can help inform training or simulation and post construction can be used to plan or execute safe methods of operation and maintenance. It becomes a really powerful weapon in the arsenal of the building owner.

 

How do you see the role of BIM developing in the future with regards to Health and Safety?

That will be interesting. There have been lots of attempts to try and automate the processes such as regulation and legislation over the years. Sometimes that’s quite difficult because a lot of them aren’t black and white so it still needs a lot of human participation to understand some of this information.

What we’ll see is BIM will start to develop so that we have information close to hand to allow us to make informed decisions. We’ll also see emerging technologies such as the immersive technologies coming from the gaming industry. This will give the ability to put yourself in a situation and really start to understand your surroundings and maybe some of the impacts that your decisions may have on Health and Safety.

 

In terms of the BIM Level 2 mandate in April, how well prepared do you feel the industry is?

I don’t think we should get too hung up on the date that has just been and gone. April is just the mark of the start of the journey for many.

I think Industry is equipped with a lot of the tools now to go forward. Some people are more advanced than others but now we have the government website up and running with more information being added to that over time. There are lots of good resources, many of which are free, and we have standards and protocols in place now.

It’s just about making a start on that journey and realising you’re not going to implement everything first time because the whole thing is a big change in culture and approach as well, so managing expectations is going to crucial.

 

Do you expect the private sector to play a more significant part in the uptake of BIM?

We are seeing a lot of the private sector using BIM. I believe a lot of that will be dependent on the client. It will most likely be down to the private sector and construction professionals advising the client of the advantages of BIM. Hopefully we will see the private sector using it because it is a better way of working – it’s more efficient and you get a better performing asset at the end of the day.

 

Is it fair to say that BIM is as much about changing people’s outlook/ behaviour as it is about new technology?

It is and in my personal opinion there’s not enough emphasis or guidance given in this area. BIM is very much about a behavioural change programme than it is about technology or process change debate.

It’s going to require changes to policy and how we use technology and devices. For example, how we use our mobile devices on construction sites and file-sharing sites such as Youtube, which have historically been used for viewing music videos and the like; we need to think about these resources in a different way. Social media is another example and unlocking its power to get access to a whole online community of like-minded people where you can share, exchange and collaborate ideas.

 

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London City Airport refused planning permission for £50M Crossrail station

London City Airport CEO describes TfL’s refusal to give £50M Crossrail station the go ahead, “mindboggling.”

Chief Executive of London City Airport, Declan Collier, has hit out at Transport for London (TfL), as the proposals to build a £50M Crossrail station have so far been rejected.

The new station, which would link City Airport to Crossrail, known as the Elizabeth line, has already secured a number of developers willing to invest in the project.

Mr Collier said that once the airport was built, the station would generate more than £3M a year to cover its operational costs.

The Airport has pledged to privately fund the station, but Elizabeth line Operations Director, Howard Smith, said City Airport has yet to submit a formal feasibility study.

Transport Secretary, Patrick McLoughlin, has been approached by the City Airport with its station plans, and has said that the airport would have to show evidence that the project requires no public money, and would not interfere with Crossrail’s 2018 completion date.

They must also show that the new line would not increase journey times, before it could be considered.

A City Airport feasibility study found that the station would increase journey times by just two-and-a-half minutes, and could be built after 2018 without affecting Crossrail.

If the plans were given the green light, the City Airport stop would become the 11^th new station constructed along the £14.8Bn line.

City Airport also have expansion plans costing around £200M, which include the construction of a new terminal. These plans were blocked last March, due to concerns regarding noise. The plans could see the creation of 2,000 jobs and bring an economic boost of £750M to the capital.

The Planning Inspectorate currently has the application, and will send the report to the government who will then make a decision on whether to not the plans should go ahead.

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HS2 will cost five times as much as similar line in France

Transport experts say HS2 rail link is “over-priced” and costs five times as much as new Tours-Bordeaux route.

According to transport experts, HS2 is an over-priced project, which is costing five times the amount of a similar project in France.

The study, led by Professor Tony May from Leeds University and the transport consultant Jonathan Tyler, found that the TGV line from Tours to Bordeaux, currently under construction in France, was costing £20m per kilometre, compared to £105m/km for HS2.

The group of experts support high-speed rail overall, but warn that it will fail many of its objectives, and a “much fuller range of options” should have been considered to meet them. They say that out of the objectives to increase capacity and connections, regenerate the North and reduce climate impact change, only increased capacity will be met.

Critics say many key rail journeys could be worse, including to Nottingham, Stockport and Wakefield.

They believe that the benefits of HS2 can be achieved at a much lower cost, with lower CO2 emissions, saying the scheme would contribute nothing to reducing carbon emissions from transport. They have called for the government to examine their analysis.

The academics said there were “much less costly and environmentally damaging” ways of boosting capacity on the rail network.

A spokeman for HS2 said options for bringing down costs were being studied.

Another issue raised by the academics was the issue to design HS2 to run ultra-fast at 240mph. The speed for continental high-speed trains is 190mph. They say that the extra speed from ultra-fast services requires 23% more energy, but saves just 3.5 minutes from London to Birmingham

Professor James Croll of UCL said: “It is just vanity for the UK to have faster trains than the usual high-speed trains.

“The UK is far too small geographically to need an ultra-high speed network – by the time the trains get up to speed it will be almost time to slow them down again.

“The decision to design for 240mph has led to a succession of needlessly expensive knock-on effects in construction which will be saddling taxpayers with huge bills for a generation.”

The first two phases of construction have been approved, however details of the plan are still open to change.

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FTA reveal leading ladies in transport and logistics

Leading ladies in transport and logistics have been revealed at the FTA everywoman in Transport and Logistics Awards 2016.

The annual FTA everywoman Awards ceremony was held at the Hilton on Park Lane today, celebrating the successes of 22 outstanding women who work in the UK transport and logistics industry.

Caroline Rose, Head of Regional Operations at TNT Express, was presented with the coveted prize of Woman of the Year 2016, described as a “visionary team leader with a proven track record for leading teams”.

FTA’s Chief Executive David Wells presented her with the award, giving praise on leading depots and staff to set the standard for new initiatives across the organisation.

Congratulating Caroline on her success, David Wells said:  “As judges we were asked to find the woman who really stood out amongst the finalists; someone whose innovation, dedication, vision and success made her an outstanding role model. Caroline was all of those things.

”It is fantastic to see that all of this year’s winners work in very different roles in our industry, and come from organisations as diverse as Shell, TNT and Heathrow Express, reflecting the varying options for those contemplating a career in logistics or transport.”

The FTA everywoman in Transport & Logistics Awards were launched nine years ago to raise awareness of the varied and rewarding careers that the transport and logistics sector offers. The awards hope to increase the number of women considering transport and logistics as a career choice.

David Wells added: “FTA continuously works hard to raise the profile of our industry and change the public perception of what is meant by logistics.  We recently carried out independent research which showed that there is definite confusion.  That is why these awards are important as they illustrate what logistics involves, inspiring and encouraging other women into the industry.  Congratulations to all the winners.”

The FTA everywoman in Transport & Logistics Awards 2016 winners are:

Rising Star of the Year Award:

Rachel Beckett, Coaching Team Leader – Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company

Driver of the Year Award:

Kirsty Sando, Driver Manager – Heathrow Express

The Warehousing Award:

Helen Page, Team Manager – Mondelez

Innovation & Sustainability Award:

Katherine Trauth, Manager, LNG Marine Fuel Projects – Shell

Team Leader of the Year Award:

Wendy Findlay, Fleet Support Engineer – First Glasgow

Leader of the Year Award – sponsored by Asda Logistics Services:

Kathryn Lewis, Operations Director – Advanced Supply Chain

Industry Champion of the Year Award:

Jo Field, Head of Campaigns, Communications and Engagement – Transport for London

 

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London to get over 1,000 new homes for private rent

Housing Minister Brandon Lewis has welcomed the news of two new multi-million pound schemes that will see over 1,000 new homes built in London that will be available specifically for private rent.

The projects have been supported to the tune of £150M under the government’s Build to Rent scheme, which was created to speed up housing provision and help developers to build large scale, quality homes for the private rented sector.

The provision of these 1046 homes are part of the government’s ambitious housing programme that plans to see one million new homes built.

So far, 5,800 homes have been built through the Build to Rent scheme seeing a total investment of £661M.

The schemes will see 636 homes at The Newfoundland Building, Canary Wharf and 400 homes at Ferry Lane, Walthamstow.

Both developments will be located close to underground stations and will include a mix one, two, three-bedroom homes.

Housing and Planning Minister Brandon Lewis said: “As a global city filled with opportunity and links to the rest of the world, there is a real demand for good quality homes available to rent on flexible terms in the Capital.

“These two new deals will provide a big boost to housing and help meet the needs of tenants well into the future.”

Homes and Communities Agency Head of Transactions, Gareth Blacker, said: “This is good example of how the Homes and Community Agency is able to support major cities to create successful places for people to work and live.

“This investment in the capital helps to meet local priorities for housing and growth, supports a wide range of construction professions working on the scheme, and gives greater choice to people who want to rent a high quality home in London.”

Both housing schemes are expected to be completed in 2019.

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Kier breaks ground on landmark project for last Concorde

Kier has today begun construction for £19M Bristol Aerospace Centre, which will house the last Concorde to fly.

Kier has broke ground today, on the landmark museum project which will house the famous Concorde 216 – or Alpha Foxtrot.

Aerospace firm BAE Systems has donated £2.5M to the museum project and land on the northern edge of Filton Airfield, to build the new Bristol Aerospace Centre.

Concorde 216, also known as Alpha Foxtrot, was the last of the fleet to be built, when British Airways withdrew Concorde in 2003 due to increased running costs. It was also the last in a long line of Bristol-designed aircraft to be assembled and flown at Filton. It returned back to Filton on 26 November 2003, making the final flight by a Concorde.

The scheme comprises change of use and refurbishment of listed hangars, and a new build hangar for the famous jet.

The first hangar will tell the story of Bristol’s aerospace industry from its birth in 1910, to the present day and into the future, housing a collection of planes, aircraft and memorabilia. The hanger will also display several important heritage collections.

It will display aircrafts such as Bristol Scout, Bristol Fighter and a Blenheim IV (WWII Bristol Bolingbroke bomber, under restoration), as well as many scaled models.

A second hangar will house workshops and conservation projects which will be partially open to the public.

A brand new building will be constructed which will house Concorde 216.

The museum will educate on the design, engineering innovation and achievement of the aircrafts, and key individuals who made significant impacts.

The project is being run by the Bristol Aero Collection Trust.

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Balfour Beatty awarded major contract for M20 lorry area

International infrastructure group, Balfour Beatty, has been awarded a contract by Highways England, valued up at £130M.

The contract covers the development of the proposals during the Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) phase of the project, and the construction of a proposed lorry area subject to a decision to proceed from the Government.

It is part of the overall £250M lorry area, which was announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in Autumn 2015.

The M20 lorry area will provide much needed relief to Kent’s road network, while supporting local economic growth and development. It will accommodate approximately 3,600 lorries at capacity, when services across the English Channel are disrupted and lorries are unable to travel across the continent.

Lorries had to queue on parts of the M20 in emergency Operation Stack, when unable to cross the continent. The lorry area will provide a much needed, long term solution that will support the number of heavy good vehicles crossing from Kent, which is forecasted to double by the mid-2020s.

At the peak of construction, 150 construction workers could be employed.

With the early award of the contract, potential delays to the start of work will be minimised once the location is finalised and a decision to proceed is made, and so the project is expected to be partially open by the summer of 2017.

The ECI phase, in which Balfour Beatty is an experienced partner, allows for optimal integration between teams, enhanced innovation, improved efficiencies and reduced costs.

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IEMA survey highlights Brexit environmental concerns

A poll carried out by the Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment (IEMA) has revealed a concern about how environmental issues could be dealt with as part of infrastructure policy if the UK left the EU.

The poll surveyed around 1,200 UK ‘green’ professionals to gauge the potential impact on the environment and sustainability of a Brexit vote in the EU referendum to be held on 23 June.

Two thirds of those surveyed believe that the UK’s exit would lead to environmental concerns being taken into account in infrastructure planning would be scaled back or cut completely.

The view of half of IEMA’s respondents is that a Brexit vote would also see the opportunities for the public and local communities to engage with the planning process on new infrastructure projects that could potentially have an impact on their lives would be reduced. 43% felt that the current process would stay the same, while only 7% felt the process would be improved.

81% of those surveyed said that European laws and regulations are vital in giving them a framework to be able to provide environmental protection and improvements.

Martin Baxter, IEMA’s Chief Policy Advisor said: “Environment and Sustainability Professionals recognise the importance of EU policy and regulation in helping to drive environmental improvements.  Whichever way the vote goes, it is essential that environmental issues continue to be factored into infrastructure decision making and that those potentially affected are given opportunities to participate.”

In terms of biodiversity, 93% think that work to stop and reverse it are best dealt with within (80%) or aligned to (13%) EU policy frameworks. Only 7% believe that the loss of biodiversity would be best addressed with UK policy being outside EU policy regimes.

60% believe that there will be a lower level of legal protection for wildlife and habitats if the UK was to vote for a Brexit.

Recent years has seen the Common Agricultural Policy increase environmental management and protection requirements linked to payment support to farmers. 69% said a vote to leave the EU would mean environmental requirements associated with payments to support UK farmers would most likely be reduced or removed.

In 2014, the EU Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) directive was amended to introduce new requirements to harmonise EIA between EU Member States, streamline the process to reduce burden, and introduce basic quality requirements across the European Union.

80% of respondents said they think that the EIA Directive has improved how environmental issues are considered in development consent decisions for major infrastructure projects.

When asked about who should be covered by “competent experts” cited in the amended EIA directive, the results said:

• 61% believe that the EIA co-ordinator and the lead on each environmental topic area (e.g. ecology, air quality) should demonstrate they are a “competent expert”;
• 8% believe it should be limited to just the EIA co-ordinator having to demonstrate they are a “competent expert”;
• 31% believe that everyone making a contribution to the EIA process should demonstrate that they are a “competent expert”.

IEMA gives the majority of EIA related CPD in the UK and manages the individual EIA register and the EIA Quality Mark scheme (for organisations that co-ordinate UK EIA).  Given the new requirement for EIA Reports to be produced by “competent experts”, the survey revealed:

• 64% believe this should be a member of any relevant professional body with sufficient EIA expertise
• 19% believe only IEMA members who can demonstrate sufficient EIA experience and expertise should be considered to be competent experts for UK EIA
• 10% believe only IEMA members who are registered on the individual EIA Register should be considered to be “competent experts” for UK EIA
• 7% believe anyone with CEnv status should be considered as being a “competent expert” to undertake EIAs

Currently the European Commission is reviewing the Strategic Environmental Assessment directive to decide whether it needs amendment /updating since it was published in 2001.  75% of respondents expressed the opinion that it should be amended.

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New Maintenance Assistance Vehicle will reduce disruption on motorways

Motorists are set to benefit from reduced disruption on the motorways as a new vehicle will cut the duration of roadworks and save taxpayers up to £4M a year.

The vehicle, which will aid the replacement of overhead signs, takes its inspiration from the aviation industry with its design based on a vehicle used to load refreshments into aeroplanes using a hydraulic scissor lift.

The new Maintenance Assistance Vehicle will enable road workers to close fewer lanes and has been successfully trialled on the roads, leading to improved journeys for motorists.

Installation and removal of signs has traditionally been done using a flat-bed truck, crane and cherry picker – a process which can take up to 40 minutes. The Maintenance Assistance Vehicle can perform this task in less than 25 minutes by using a small jib crane, which is part of the vehicle.

Another advantage to the new vehicle is a safer working environment for workers as they perform their duties inside the vehicle and also on a sturdy platform while they work outside it.

Once the platform is elevated to the required height, the jib crane carefully attaches to the sign on the gantry and lifts it off.  The user then remove the sign, put it onto a trolley on the platform, and wheel it into the main compartment of the vehicle. When installing a new electronic sign, the process is reversed.

The hydraulically powered scissor lift allows the signs to be serviced at heights of up to 8.5 metres and in high winds of up to 47mph.

Safety is dramatically improved by the use of CCTV cameras, which allow the driver to park the vehicle in precisely the right area under the gantry before any maintenance is undertaken. The workers are monitored at the back while they carry out their duties.

While the initial trials were undertaken, the full carriageway was closed to evaluate the performance of the vehicle. Highways England, however, expect that some lanes will be able to remain open while work takes place, thus reducing disruption and maintaining safety.

Highways England is currently investigating the best way for its contractors to buy the machines. Widespread use of the vehicles could see almost £4M a year saved.

The possibility of using the Maintenance Assistance Vehicle in other roles on England’s motorways and A roads is also currently being explored.

Jeremy Bird, head of Health & Safety for Highways England, said: “Safety is our top priority and we believe no one should be harmed when travelling or working on our network.

“Technology has an important role in improving road worker and road user safety and this concept provides an opportunity to not only do this but at the same time reduce disruption on our roads by completing gantry maintenance in less time, and reducing the number of lanes closed to carry out such a task.”

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£21M of government funding promotes green transport

Successful schemes get funding to support job creation and clean up air quality with green transport.

Government funding of almost £21M has been won by councils across the country, to promote green forms of transport. The Department for Transport (DFT) made the announcement yesterday (24 May 2016).

A total of 23 travel initiatives across England have been given funding, as they boost local economies by supporting people’s ambitions – offering cheap, clean and healthy travel options to access jobs and education opportunities.

Transport Minister Robert Goodwill said: “Green transport cuts congestion and improves air quality. It also offers the cheapest and healthiest way for people to access jobs and education.

“The schemes will make a real difference for residents and help provide better air quality for everyone. Our £21M funding shows we are committed to improving lives through investment in sustainable transport.”

Local authorites such as Birmingham City Council, Brighton and Hove City Council, Devon County Council, and Portsmouth City Council, were among the widespread areas to receive funding for projects.

A total of £2Bn of measures has been committed to green transport schemes since 2011, which has funded thousands of low emissions buses introduced by bus operators on routes across England. The government aims to make almost every car and van zero emissions by 2050.

As part of the government’s commitment to green transport, successful local authorities demonstrated they could cut emissions, support social and economic growth and increase cycling and walking in their areas. Over £300M has been committed over this Parliament to support cycling and walking, and more than £6Bn will be provided for local road maintenance up to 2021, benefitting cyclists as well as motorists, with well-surfaced roads and cycle paths.

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Heritage and community rail-related tourism winners released

The winners of a million pound, rail-related tourism competition have been announced.

Heritage and community-rail related tourism winners have been released, in a £1M competition funded by the government, which will boost rail-related tourism right across Britain.

Offering grants to rail operators for innovative ideas and trails, the project is particularly aimed at heritage railways and community rail partnerships. The projects will create new opportunities for UK and overseas tourists to enjoy the hidden gems of the country’s heritage and community railways, encouraging more tourists by making it easier to explore the UK by rail.

The majority of heritage railways and community railways are outside of the Capital, and so the objective of the competition has been to encourage more visitors to the UK to travel to destinations beyond the capital.

Projects funded by the government competition include extending the heritage line from Chinnor to its former terminus at Princes Risborough station, expanding the luxury Pullman services on the North Yorkshire Moors and adapting them for wheelchair users in Kent, and developing a new “velorail” in Kidwelly, creating a new tourist attraction, giving visitors the chance to drive a train by pedal power.

A total of 17 grants were awarded, ranging from £25,000 to £75,000 to develop their ideas.

Tourism and Heritage Minister David Evennett said: “We want more tourists to experience the hidden gems the whole of the UK has to offer.

“Heritage and community railways are important local attractions, and these projects will help support our railway history and promote it to visitors from home and abroad.”

Deirdre Wells OBE, the Chief Executive of UK Inbound, said: “It was a privilege to be involved with this competition. Heritage and community rail plays a vital role in our vibrant and often quirky tourism industry.

“We want to do all we can to encourage more of the 36 million annual inbound visitors to the UK to explore more of our beautiful country by rail.”

The competition is part of the government’s 5-point plan to boost tourism across the UK.

Judges for the competition included Mark Garnier, MP, Lord Faulkner; Deirdre Wells OBE and Sir William McAlpine.

 

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£8.2M school projects to use off-site construction

The Department of Education has awarded the Portakabin Group contracts to rebuild two schools in the South East with a value of £8.2M.

The two projects – St Bede’s Church of England Junior School in Woking and Riverview Church of England Primary School in Epsom – will be manufactured off site at the Company’s production facility in York. By using this technique, the build programme will be reduced by half meaning the school will have less disruption during construction.

Off-site construction has been making the news recently after Head of Construction at the Cabinet Office, David Hancock, put forward the building method as a way to solve some of the issues afflicting the construction industry.

The rebuilding project are a part of the Government’s Priority School Building Programme (PSBP), which addresses the needs of those schools in the worst condition across the country.

Both schools have been designed by Surface to Air architects and will see the replacement of deteriorating buildings with state-of-the-art education facilities. The schools have been designed following consultation with teaching staff and will exploit natural light and ventilation.

The schools will feature two two-storey classroom wings, which are divided by a central path which runs the full length of the building and provides good passive supervision and zones for informal learning.

240 pupils aged between 7 and 11 attend St Bede’s School. The school’s original building was first built in the 1930s and is deteriorating badly.

The new educational facilities will include eight classrooms, a multi-purpose hall, and new hard and soft play areas. Each year group will have its own individual play areas with easy access to facilitate outdoor play and learning. The building will be designed to take advantage of natural light as much as possible.

Riverdale School accommodates 210 pupils and will benefit from eight new classrooms plus a large double height dining and sports hall. ‘Free flow’ play will be encouraged through the creation of easy access designated play areas.

Once the new buildings are up and running at both schools, Portakabin will safely demolish the old school buildings

Steve Newell, General Manager at the Portakabin Group said, “We are absolutely delighted to be appointed main contractor for these two projects. The opportunity for off-site construction to help the Department for Education improve the standard of school buildings across the UK is immense, as these projects will demonstrate.”

 

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Public consultation on Lower Thames crossing largest ever

A public consultation for a new lower Thames crossing drew more than 47,00 people, making it the biggest ever consultation for a UK road project according to Highways England.

The two-month consultation ended today (24 May 2016) and asked for people to give their views on the proposed routes for a new road crossing below the Thames.

The lower Thames crossing will be the first new crossing of the Thames east of London since the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge opened at Dartford 25 years ago.

Of the 47,000 people who took part, almost 30,000 made their views known online, with 3,700 filling in a paper questionnaire and around 13,000 sent a letter or email. The consultation also saw over 500 local government and industry groups respond.

A final decision will be made by the government on the preferred route later in the year following an analysis of the responses.

Highways England Consultation Manager Martin Potts said: “This is a fantastic level of engagement, and I am grateful to everyone who took the time to take part in the consultation. We set out to reach as many people as possible, to let them know about our plans and to seek their views, and public’s response has exceeded our expectations.

“The route for a new lower Thames crossing is a massive decision and it is vital that we get it right. I am very encouraged at the significant number of responses that we have received, as they will really help us to make the best possible recommendation to government about the route that this vital new road link should take.”

The new route could be in use by 2025 and is envisaged will unlock new potential for economic growth and help with congestion at the existing Dartford Crossing.

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Lord Adonis put forward as new Chair of Crossrail 2

National Infrastructure Commission interim chair, Lord Adonis, is set to become chair of Crossrail 2 after bring jointly nominated by new Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan; Chancellor George Osborne and Transport Secretary, Patrick McLoughlin.

The appointment will be subject to approval by the London Assembly and Transport for London Board.

The nomination was agreed this week following a meeting between the Chancellor and the Mayor of London. He will continue in role of interim chair of the National Infrastructure Commission.

Lord Adonis brings with him a huge amount of experience to the role. Amongst his previous positions are a former Secretary of State for Transport and Minister for Schools. He was also member of the independent Armitt Commission, which recommended an independent National Infrastructure Commission in 2013.

He has been a strong supporter of the Crossrail 2 project, labelling it ‘a priority’ that must be delivered by 2033.

The project, running south-west to north-east across London, will look to change how people travel around the capital and the south east. It will address the issue of overcrowding at main terminal stations and help in the delivery of new housing in London.

Lord Adonis said: “Without Crossrail 2 London will grind to a halt. There are no greater challenges facing London than overcrowding on the transport network and the city’s acute housing crisis. Crossrail 2 will help tackle both.

“I am delighted to be nominated to be its chair, whilst continuing the vital work of the National Infrastructure Commission, and I look forward to making it happen.”

Secretary of State for Transport, Patrick McLoughlin, said: “At this year’s Budget, the Chancellor gave the green light to Crossrail 2, a railway to transform how people travel in and around our nation’s capital. This transport project needs strong and experienced leadership and we agree with the Mayor of London that Lord Adonis will bring all of the vital skills and knowledge needed to drive the project forward.

“We now look forward to working in partnership with Transport for London and Lord Adonis to fully develop the business case for Crossrail 2. We are investing billions in projects right across the country because we know good transport links help people get around and get on.”

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Construction wages increase amid skills shortage and Brexit fears

Wages of construction workers have soared as the industry’s skill shortage continues to take hold and fears over the EU referendum remain.

A survey conducted by the Recruitment & Employment Confederation reports that bricklayers are able to earn up to £1,000 a week as building companies compete for workers to keep infrastructure and housebuilding schemes on target.

63% of recruitment agencies reported an increase in demand for temporary construction workers over the past 12 months. 69% claimed that a shortage of bricklayers, labourers and other tradesmen represents the first or second most substantial risk to their business.

The recruitment of bricklayers was reported by 43% of respondents as being especially difficult. Evidence from recruiters supplying London-based businesses noted an increase wages, with £15-25 an hour the current going rate.

Construction recruiters have forecast that a Brexit vote would only escalate the skills shortage within the industry. 59% said that a vote to leave the EU would make recruitment more difficult, while just 5% thought it would improve the issue.

The results of the poll follow the Office of National Statistics (ONS) release detailing the latest employment figures, which show a year-on-year increase in wages in the construction sector of 7.5% excluding bonuses.

The ONS also revealed that as of December last year, there were 2,238,000 jobs in construction, making up 6.6% of all employment.

The construction sector was the second largest employment sector in 2015, accounting for a quarter of job growth.

REC Chief Executive Kevin Green commented: “If you work in construction you can expect to be earning £34 a week more than last year, and our data indicates that some employers are increasing pay faster as the competition for skilled workers intensifies.

“Whilst this is great news for builders and tradesmen, there are hard questions that need to be asked about the sustainability of this trend. The UK is close to full employment and building firms are already struggling to find the people needed for major infrastructure projects. If Britain leaves the EU there’s no doubt that recruitment for some construction roles will become even more of a challenge.

“Whatever the outcome of the EU referendum we need to address deep-seated skills shortages. That means more apprenticeships, greater investment in skills development by employers, better careers guidance in schools, and more work experience opportunities so that young people are shown the potential benefits of a career in construction.”

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Brathay Apprentice Challenge finalists spread the word

Apprentices in this year’s Brathay Apprentice Challenge have been challenging to become team of the year finalists.

Participating teams in the challenge have been raising awareness about the value of apprenticeships to employers across the country and so far signed up almost 300 businesses to begin offering apprenticeships.

The challenge has also seen the apprentice teams get involved in their local communities and organise 45 community projects to help young people, from renovation projects to creating volunteering opportunities for young people.

The teams also visited over 320 schools, career fairs and youth groups to inspire young people into thinking about pursuing an apprenticeship.

The national finalists will now continue awareness raising activities until mid June, when they will be invited to Brathay Trust’s Windermere headquarters for the logistical and teambuilding finale where the apprentice team of the year will be announced.

The national finalists were announced in the House of Commons on May 18 and are made up from apprentices from Apprenticeships Norfolk Network; Hampshire County Council; HMRC Digital Newcastle; HMRC Surge and Rapid Response Team; HSBC; IBM; QinetiQ and UK Atomic Energy Authority.

Speaking at the announcement, Godfrey Owen, Chief Executive of Challenge organisers, Brathay Trust, commented: “All of the teams that have taken part have worked really hard and the quality of the portfolios increases year on year. We look forward to the final stage of the challenge when we can welcome the national finalists to Brathay in June.”

Sue Husband, Director of the National Apprenticeship Service, said: “The apprentice team of the year national finals demonstrate the skills, knowledge and desire to succeed from apprentices; and this continues to inspire others and impress us in equal measure.

“It is great to see apprentices put in the hard work to get the recognition they deserve, highlighting how apprenticeships benefit not only young people themselves, but their employers and their local community too.”

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FMB: Construction bosses won’t put business first in EU vote

A survey conducted by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has revealed that 80% of bosses of small construction companies will base their vote in the upcoming European Union referendum on their personal beliefs rather than their own business interests.

The poll revealed that over half of small construction company owners feel like they have not been given enough information on the issues that might affect their businesses when it comes to the EU referendum.

40% of respondents felt that a major advantage that a Brexit vote could bring would be the ability to “freely legislate” to meet the demands of British business.

In terms of remaining within the EU, economic stability was the key driver in terms of support to remain from builders.

Only 17% of respondents said that they would put their business interests first when it came to deciding on the issue.

Chief Executive of the FMB, Brian Berry, said: “The outcome of June’s referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU will have significant ramifications for construction SMEs, regardless of the outcome. That’s why it’s fascinating that more than 80% of our members have indicated that their vote will be determined by their personal beliefs ahead of anything else. It just goes to show that although it’s important to explore the business case for leaving or remaining within the EU, for many people their decision will be based first and foremost on other drivers. These could include the desire to be part of the wider European community or a compulsion to reclaim British national sovereignty.”

“However, a recent survey by Ipsos MORI revealed that the public want to hear the perspective of SMEs more than any other type of business. Unfortunately our research shows that the people who run small construction firms feel that the ongoing debate over Brexit has done little to enlighten them on the issues that really matter, with 52% stating they do not feel well informed on the issues that might affect their businesses. This is perhaps a reflection of how few of the impartial facts that are so widely craved have actually been offered by either side. No wonder then, that the vast majority of builders will be opting to vote based on their wider personal beliefs, when the economic and business case of each argument remain so unclear.

“What’s clear is that few sectors are more sensitive to uncertainty than construction. Already, there are signs that the unpredictability surrounding the outcome is beginning to sag on industry confidence as investment is deferred and home owner confidence wanes. This explains why continued economic stability has been cited as the best reason to remain in the EU. On the other hand, 40% of SMEs identified the potential freedom that Brexit could grant the Government to set legislation that truly meets the needs of British business as the biggest potential positive of Brexit.”

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SSE reach financial close on Moray Firth windfarm

The go ahead has been given for construction to begin on the £2.6Bn Beatrice Offshore Windfarm Ltd (Bowl) project.

Energy company, SSE, has said that it has now reached financial close on the wind farm to be located off the Scottish coast. Work is due to begin on the project this year with offshore construction due to start in 2017.

The scheme is a joint venture with SSE owning 40%, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners 35%, and SDIC Power with 25%.

The project will see the installation of 84 turbines, which will be able to generate 588MW of power when up and running in 2019 – enough to power around 450,000 homes.

Paul Cooley, Director of Renewables at SSE, said: “We are delighted that Beatrice has achieved financial close. Contracts have already been placed with many UK based suppliers, and Siemens intend to undertake turbine blade construction from Siemen’s new manufacturing facility in Hull.

“Around £10M of investment is planned at Wick Harbour to house the wind farm’s operations and maintenance facilities and improving the existing RNLI facilities.

“We expect a peak of around 65 jobs during construction of the base with around 90 long-term jobs anticipated during the operational phase.

“Today’s decision reaffirms SSE’s commitment to offshore wind and we are proud to progress such a flagship project for the Scottish offshore wind industry and the UK’s skilled supply chain.”

WWF Scotland Director Lang Banks said: “Proceeding with the Beatrice offshore wind farm is great news for the climate and Scotland’s economy.

“This single project will almost quadruple our offshore wind capacity, helping to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions as well as creating jobs and supporting local economic renewal.

“Scotland’s waters boast 25% of Europe’s offshore wind resource and it is vital that we continue to tap into this invaluable resource in the future.”

The project was given consent by the Scottish government in March 2014 and the UK government a few months later approved an investment contract.

Amber Russ, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, said: “The UK is the world leader in offshore wind, and this industry, backed by the UK Government and benefiting from our access to the EU single market, is a success story going from strength to strength.

“This project will provide home-grown clean energy boosting skills and creating jobs and financial security for working people and their families in Scotland, and across the UK.”

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Highways England video of M1 giant beam lift released

Highways England has released a timelapse video showing giant steel beams being lifted into place over the M1 near Dunstable.

The 38,100 tonne beams were installed over March and April this year as part of a £162M road project designed to stimulate Bedfordshire’s economy and reduce congestion through Dunstable town centre.

Motorists should see shorter journey times and improved reliability and safety.

The new scheme will see the creation of a new junction 11A interchange bridge and a B579 Luton Road bridge as part of the A5-M1 Link scheme.

A completely new 2.8-mile dual carriageway to provide the east-west link between the A5 to the M1, along with three new junctions including a new motorway junction, and six new bridges will also be built.

Once completed, it is envisaged that the scheme will unlock up to 40 hectares of land for businesses and create infrastructure to serve 7000 homes that will be constructed to the north of Houghton Regis.

Work on the A5-M1 link has so far seen work begin on the layout for the new M1 junction11A including new roundabouts and bridges, and also the rebuilding of the B579 Luton Road East and West to align it with junction 11A.

Good progress has also been made on the link road itself with drainage, fencing and some of the foundations and surfacing completed so far.

Highways England Project Manager Karen Green said: “The A5-M1 Link scheme is progressing well and to plan. Lifting the beams for these two bridges was an important milestone for the A5-M1 Link Road project, which will offer motorists better and safer journeys and help reduce congestion through Dunstable as well as unlock land for new homes and businesses.

“The two new bridges will be opened to traffic closer to the scheme completion in spring 2017.”

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Mott MacDonald to undertake Birmingham International Station study

Mott MacDonald, in association with Grimshaw Architects, have been commissioned by Solihull Council in partnership with West Midlands Integrated Transport Authority (ITA), Birmingham Airport and the NEC to examine how to best deliver transport connections between the airport, Birmingham International Station, the NEC and the new HS2 Interchange Station.

The results of these finding may become the first key pieces of infrastructure to come on the back of the proposed High Speed 2 Interchange Station in Solihull.

It is envisaged the project will see the creation of a new integrated public transport hub that will enable people to travel seamlessly along links between Birmingham Airport, the NEC, Genting Arena and the Genting Resorts World complex.

Over ten million passengers use Birmingham Airport ever year, while the NEC and Resorts World sees more than six million people visit over the same period. It is predicted that the HS2 Interchange Station will have a daily number of 20,000 people using its facilities.

The new hub will link up with the HS2 Automated People Mover to transfer onto the mainline rail network and tram services through North Solihull to Birmingham City Centre, improving access for people on their travels.

Ashley Taylor Mott MacDonald’s Divisional Director leading the Birmingham office said: “We’re delighted to be involved in this landmark project for Solihull that will improve critical transport links in the region and help capture inward investment as a result of HS2.

“We are excited to help solve the complex technical challenges this project presents, while recognising the huge benefits it will bring for our staff that live or work in the region. We’ve been active in the West Midlands for over 50 years and have over 250 staff working in our West Midlands offices.”

Councillor Ted Richards, Cabinet Member for Transport at Solihull Council, said:  “This is a crucial project that will promote transport connections between the new HS2 station and Birmingham Airport. It will be a truly significant piece of infrastructure that will transform the passenger and visitor experience.”

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FTA boss seeks London Mayor meeting

Chief Executive of the Freight Transport Association (FTA), David Wells, has written a letter to new London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, to ask for a meeting to discuss how his air quality plans will hit the freight and logistics industry.

A raft of proposals have already been announced by Mr Khan that will target improving air quality in the capital and include an additional central London charge in 2017; vans and lorries will be required to be Euro VI/6 across inner London as by 2018 and a ruling for lorries to be Euro VI across all of Greater London as early as 2020.

The FTA argue that these plans will put a considerable financial strain on transport operators and companies and may result in smaller firms going out of business completely.

Mr Wells provided the Mayor with a copy of FTA’s Freight Manifesto for London, which outlines how the Mayor and London Assembly can collaborate with the logistics industry to strengthen the economy, improve safety and the environment.

Writing in his letter, Mr Wells said: “The logistics industry is working – and succeeding – in improving its record on safety and emissions in London but more can be done, and crucially we believe it can be achieved without adding any unnecessary cost to London life and development.

“I must be honest and say that, given calls for simplistic HGV bans, the way policy may develop in London concerns our 15,000 member businesses more than almost any other issue in the UK.”

FTA’s 15,000 members operate more than half of the UK lorry fleet and consign over 90% of rail freight and 70% of exports by sea and air.

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Wylfa Newydd construction team appointed

A specially created joint venture has been appointed by Horizon Nuclear Power to build the company’s flagship Wylfa Newydd nuclear power station project.

The joint venture, Menter Newydd, which translates from Welsh as New Venture, consists of companies Hitachi Nuclear Energy Europe, Ltd., Bechtel Management Company, Ltd. and JGC Corporation (UK) Ltd, and will be responsible for delivering Wylfa Newydd.

Collectively, the JV have been involved in the construction of over 170 nuclear power stations in addition to a wide range of large infrastructure projects.

Located in Angelsey, the £14Bn project will see the JV act as a Tier 1 contractor, spending the coming months increasing its UK presence and looking to build supply chain relationships.

Operating under a FEED contract to Horizon for more than three years, Hitachi-GE will continue to provide the UK advanced boiling water reactor (ABWR) technology, under sub-contract to Menter Newydd.

Hitachi’s Malcolm Twist, Project Director for Menter Newydd, said: “This is a very strong team. All the partners are proven at the highest level, and I’m delighted we’ve established the balance of expertise to safely deliver for Horizon, on-cost and on-schedule. We expect to begin firming up relationships with our main sub-contractors – many of them British – very soon.”

Duncan Hawthorne, Horizon CEO, said that the appointment was an “important step”. He commented: “The depth and breadth of expertise Hitachi Nuclear Energy Europe, Bechtel and JGC bring to the Menter Newydd venture will help us ensure the timely delivery of our project, which will be vital for meeting the UK’s energy gap and boosting the local economy in North Wales for decades to come. We look forward to working with the team and continuing to make great strides with our plans.”

The JV appointment follows Horizon recently completing a further stage of public consultation in North Wales and launching its apprenticeship scheme. The Company has also just appointed Duncan Hawthorne as its Chief Executive Officer.

The power station will be situated on land beside the existing operational Magnox nuclear power plant and is described by Horizon as “ideally situated for low carbon nuclear power production”. This is due to the infrastructure developed supporting the existing system; the locally based skilled nuclear workforce and its close proximity to seawater cooling facilities.

Development work on site is making progress and the UK ABWR remains on track to complete its regulatory Generic Design Assessment by the end of 2017.

It is envisaged that the first electricity generation will take place at Wylfa Newydd within the first half of the 2020s.

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IMO discuss container weight verification

The International Maritime Organisation met this week and discussed the implementation of the new container weight verification rules due to come into force this July.

The need to verify the gross mass of a loaded container (VGM) before loading will become legally binding on 1 July 2016 with two weighing methods have been put forward.

At the meeting organised by the International Cargo Handling Coordination Association in London, the Global Shippers’ Forum highlighted the need for countries to work together.

Also on the panel were representatives from the World Shipping Council and TT Club as Head of Policy as Global Shippers’ Forum, Alex Veitch concentrated on ‘Method 2’ – this sees the weight of all individual items and packaging added together. Method 1 involves weighing the packed container using certified and calibrated equipment.

Shippers who use ‘Method 2’ are allowed to calculate the gross mass of the item and packaging instead of weighing them individually on the proviso that an audit system authorised by the national government of the country in which the are operating is being used. This can lead to efficiencies in both time and expense.

As the July deadline looms, international companies are struggling to come to terms with understand the requirements of ‘Method 2’. There also appears to be some variance in the guidance given in some countries.

The Global Shippers’ Forum has advised member states to follow international standards as far as possible in their ‘Method 2’ authorisation process, such as ISO 9001 or comparable quality management standards. It is envisaged that this will help companies to create accurate container weight information without impacting too much on trade.

Looking forward, the Global Shippers’ Forum called for member states to mutually recognise each other’s ‘Method 2’ authorisation, operating on a similar basis to bilateral arrangements between countries on customs issues.

Mr Veitch said: “International shippers prefer to use international quality management standards as far as possible, to ensure all their sites around the world meet regulated requirements. We urge governments to publish their guidance for Container Weight Verification as soon as possible and to consider the use of ISO 9001 or similar standards in their ‘Method 2’ requirements.”

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Construction industry needs to change mindset

A recent cross-industry advisory panel hosted by UK Construction Week has called for the construction sector to look to off-site manufacturing and pre-fabricated buildings to help overcome the challenges faced by the industry and challenged the government to help fill the skills gap.

Key players attended the event from the architecture, engineering, contracting and housebuilding sectors as the debate discussed the critical issues facing the construction industry – the housing shortage, the skills shortage, diversity and its reputation.

The discussion was kicked off by chair, Marta de Sousa, property developer and Built by Her campaigner, asking how the industry was going to entice the reported 36,000 workers per year to keep up with demands.

David Cowans, Group Chief Executive of Places for People, said that short-termism was a major problem for the industry due to its greater sensitivity to economic forces. This leads to construction workers being the first to face redundancy in the face of a recession.

The significant number of projects being put on hold due of the uncertainty caused by the European referendum was cited as an example of this by Allan Wilén, Economics Director of Glenigan, who echoed Mr Cowans’ words.

Head of Construction at the Cabinet Office, Dr David Hancock, called for the industry to get over its pre-conceptions with regards to off-site manufacturing and pre-fabricated buildings.

A shift to a more computer-controlled factory environment could lead to a more diverse workforce by eliminating the need for heavy lifting according to L&G Homes CEO, Tom Ground.

Dr Diana Montgomery, CEO of the Construction Products Association, concurred and is well placed given the CPA’s remit to point out that the manufacturing industry isn’t suffering from a skills shortage and benefits from a much more diverse workforce due to the different methods of work.

Dr Montgomery said the companies would benefit from growing their own brand and attract workers through this based on their own qualities. This would be much more effective than the construction industry as a whole looking to improve its reputation.

Nathan Garnett, Event Director for UK Construction Week, commented on the event:  “Against a backdrop of some seemingly major issues, the feeling was one of optimism, with a general consensus that the time has never been better to drive innovation and change mindsets across the industry.

“And I very much feel that UK Construction Week has a role to play in this.  By bringing together leading thinkers and innovators under one roof, we are creating the ideal opportunity to promote all that is great about the industry, showcase the UK as leaders in the construction industry, drive change and to attract new talent. UK Construction Week can be a unifying voice.

“Today’s discussions will feed into our plans, enabling us to create a platform that can be leveraged by the industry as a whole to promote itself and its wider societal contribution.”

UK Construction Week takes place at the Birmingham NEC from 18 – 20 October.

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Patrick McLoughlin opens Test and Commissioning facility for Crossrail trains

Patrick McLoughlin MP opens Balfour Beatty’s Test and Commissioning Facility for Bombardier Transport’s Crossrail trains.

A £12M project to deliver a new four-track test and commissioning facility on behalf of Bombardier Transportation’s Crossrail trains, has been completed by Balfour Beatty and officially opened on Friday (13 May).

The Secretary of State for Transport, Patrick McLoughlin MP, opened the £12M design and build project, which involved the construction of a 250 meter long V Shop Industrial Building, housing four multi-functional train lines, to initially test and commission the 66 nine-car Aventra Class 345 EMUs that Bombardier is supplying for the Crossrail project in London.

Each line has a full length 25 kV 50 Hz overhead line and inspection pit, containing a full range of services that is fully accessible by rail at both ends and connects into the existing test track facilities.

The project also created office space in the form of a two-storey annex, along with associated power upgrade works to the site to facilitate the overhead electricity lines.

Speaking at the launch event, Mr McLoughlin said, “I am delighted to open this new testing and commissioning facility in Derby, which will ensure passengers benefit from cutting edge trains with improved capacity and comfort. The government is making a record investment in our railways and it is fantastic to see firms such as Bombardier, who are delivering a £1 billion contract for Crossrail as well as London Overground, make the most of the opportunities this brings. This new facility will help secure jobs in Derby, at the heart of the UK rail industry, and help to drive the Midlands engine for growth.”

Richard Hunter, Managing Director, Bombardier Transportation UK said, “This new £12 million facility is one of the biggest investments in the history of our Derby site and ‘V’ Shop (as the finished test facility will be known) will be a fundamental part of both our current projects and future train builds, enhancing our ability to deliver all the stages of a new train product from a single UK site. It increases our capacity to deliver high volume orders within short timescales, ensuring we meet the future requirements of the UK market”.

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Examined: The Neighbourhood Planning and Infrastructure Bill

As part of the Queen’s Speech delivered to Parliament yesterday, the government outlined a number of radical changes that it hopes will tackle the housing crisis and ensure that the UK has the infrastructure in place to support its economic future.

The new measures were included within the Neighbourhood Planning and Infrastructure Bill and will seek to reform planning and give local communities the authority to control their own area to ensure more housing is created.

The government stated the aim of the Bill was to “support the economic recovery, and to create jobs and more apprenticeships, legislation will be introduced to ensure Britain has the infrastructure that businesses need to grow.”

In an effort to speed up the construction of new homes, local planning authorities will only enforce pre-commencement planning conditions where absolutely necessary. The government say that this will prevent the overuse and misuse of certain planning conditions and get projects underway more quickly.

Reforms will take place to compulsory purchases by making them “clearer, fairer and faster” for those involved in the process. It is hoped this will see an end to lengthy legal disputes as people look to prevent the progress of major schemes by clinging on to their property or holding out for more compensation.

The government stated the proposals would “consolidate and clarify over 100 years of conflicting statute and case law” and “establish a clear, new statutory framework for agreeing compensation, based on the fundamental principle that compensation should be based on the market value of the land in the absence of the scheme underlying the compulsory purchase.”

The Bill will see the Land Registry privatised in a move that is envisaged will see a more up-to-date, digital registration system that help those buying or selling their home.

The government will also hope to see a boost its coffers as capital receipt will be returned to the Exchequer.

Jeremy Blackburn, Head of UK policy at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), said: ” Nobody is in any doubt that we are in the grip of a housing crisis, and it will take some radical reforms to ensure that we are delivering the housing and infrastructure that this country needs.

“To that end, there is much merit in the proposed Neighbourhood Planning and Infrastructure Bill.”

Chief Executive of Shelter, Campbell Robb, said: “It’s promising to see the Government recognising that if they want to deliver on their promise of a million homes by 2020, overcoming the current barriers to house-building is essential.

“We will await the full details of the Bill, and hope that the Government will not only build more homes, but build homes that are genuinely affordable for people on lower incomes. Only this will solve the housing crisis for the long term.”

The Neighbourhood Planning and Infrastructure Bill will also establish the National Infrastructure Commission on a statutory basis.

The Commission was originally established by Chancellor George Osborne last year and is tasked with providing the government with expert, independent guidance on infrastructure through outlining a clear strategy for the future of infrastructure to make sure the UK economy is fit for 2050.

The NIC is currently examining the next step in how to best serve the Cambridge-Milton Keynes-Oxford corridor and developing the UK’s 5G communications infrastructure.

Chair of the National Infrastructure Commission, Lord Adonis welcomed news. He commented: “I strongly welcome the government’s announcement that it will make the National Infrastructure Commission statutory and independent. This is a major advance for infrastructure planning in Britain and will give the commission the power it needs to do its work.

“The commission looks forward to engaging with MPs and Peers ‎as the legislation advances to make this process as successful as possible.”

Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) president Sir John Armitt, who is a member of the National Infrastructure Commission, gave the government’s plans his support. He said: ““Setting the commission on a statutory footing formalises and upholds its role and purpose, this is an important milestone.”

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EU exit could wipe thousands off house values

Estate agents claim that exit from EU could wipe thousands of pounds off house values over next three years.

According to the National Association of Estate Agents, homeowners in London could lose as much as £7,500, while homes elsewhere could lose £2,300.

The report, jointly commissioned by the Association of Residential Letting Agents, said rents could also fall. The report also claims that a vote to leave could result in fewer homes being built, because of a shortage of construction workers.

According to the 2011 census, about 5% of construction workers in England and Wales were born in other EU countries and so prevention of them travelling freely in the UK could lead to a more severe skills shortage, says estate agents.

Mark Hayward, Managing Direction of the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) said: “We simply wouldn’t have the resource to put the bricks and mortar together.

“It has the potential to have a very damaging effect on the future housing market.”

The study suggests that prices in London would be hit by a fall in demand from foreign buyers, particularly those from EU countries. Statistics from 2013, show that 17% of homes sold in the middle of the capital went to EU nationals.

If the UK exit the EU, free movement of labour would not be maintained. The research claims that as a result of this, the population of the UK could fall by more than a million people.

A separate research note from the ratings agency Moody’s, said a leave vote could be good news for first-time buyers.

Gaby Trinkaus, a Vice President and senior analyst at Moody’s said: “First-time buyers would benefit from lower competition for housing, as house price and rental inflation would slow down if immigration is curbed.”

The Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR), carried out the research which suggests that by 2018, a British exit could reduce the total value of UK housing by as much as £26.5Bn.

It says the impact that an exit would have on rent would be minimal in the first two or three years, however EU nationals living in the UK are more likely to be renters than homeowners.

David Cox, Managing Director of the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) said: “If demand eases to such an extent that landlords cannot recuperate costs, we’ll likely see a mass exit from the market, which would then just have the opposite effect on demand as supply falls – and we’d be back to square one.”

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US raises import duties on Chinese steelmakers

US raise taxes to 522% for Chinese steelmakers after accusations of selling below market price.

Following China steel imports contributing to recent issues in the UK steel industry, the US has raised its import duties on Chinese Steelmakers by more than fivefold, after accusing them of selling their products below market prices.

The taxes of 522% specifically apply to Chinese-made cold-rolled flat steel, which is used in car manufacturing, shipping containers and construction.

The US Commerce Department ruling comes amid heightened trade tensions between the two sides over several products.

UK and European steel producers claim China is distorting the global market, leading to major losses after dumping its excess supply abroad.

Following the recent announcement from Tata Steel, the UK’s leading steel company, that they were selling the plants, there have been attempts to rescue the business through buy-outs and government funding.

Tata Steel announced its decision, after losing £1M a day, largely due to falling prices of global steel and a flood of cheap imports from China. Tata Steel has urged the UK and EU to act more urgently to deal with the crisis, and have been working hard to find possible buyers. The UK government have also offered finances to help out buyers in order to keep the plants open and create a rescue plan.

The ruling by the US is only directed at what is a small amount of steel from China and Japan, and won’t have much of an impact. However, the political ruling is significant, with the US saying the Chinese government unfairly subsidises its steel exports, which they claim has led to the loss of some 12,000 workers in the past year due to the unfair competition.

Over 6,000 UK jobs have also been at risk.

China claims the weak economy is more responsible for the industry’s problems and that it has taken steps to reduce its steel production.

The Commerce Department also levied anti-dumping duties of 71% on Japanese-made cold-rolled steel.

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2016 Water Industry Achievement Awards announced

The 2016 Water Industry Achievement Awards took place last night at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole and was attended by over 500 of the leading players in the water industry.

The Water Industry Achievement Awards consists of 13 categories covering the entire water industry and are open to water companies, contractors, consultants, sub-contractors and suppliers.

The awards look to recognise outstanding innovation and best practice across the industry, regard the size of the company or the scale of the project.

The winners on the night:

Carbon Reduction Initiative of the Year

Anglian Water, The @One Alliance & The David Ball Group

Community Project of the Year

Northumbrian Water Group – Water rangers

Customer Satisfaction Initiative of the Year

South East Water

Data Project of the Year

Severn Trent Water – Sewer Rehabilitation Team

Engineer of the Year

Howard Lewis, Affinity Water

Health & Safety Initiative of the Year

South West Water Delivery Alliance H5O in partnership with the WESC Foundation-The Specialist Centre for Visual Impairment

Most Innovative New Technology of the Year

Waterblade

Most Innovative Use of an Existing Technology

Veolia

Outstanding Individual Contribution to the Water Industry

Professor Jeni Colbourne MBE

Outstanding Innovation 2016
Waterblade

Partnership Initiative of the Year

Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water

People Initiative of the Year

South East Water

Sustainable Drainage & Flood Management Initiative of the Year

Northumbrian Water Group

Water Resource Management Initiative of the Year

Thames Water

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A third of company vehicle drivers lack basic road knowledge

Over a third of company vehicle drivers lack knowledge of basic road laws and the Highway Code according to online driver training and fleet risk management company E-Training World.

As part of its online risk assessment, the Company evaluates four features of driving – attitude, knowledge, concentration/observation’ and hazard perception.

Over the course of the past 12 months, 36.6% of drivers scored as ‘high rish’ in the knowledge segment, something which E-Training World’s Managing Director, Graham Hurdle, believes is a significant worry for businesses who operate vehicle fleets.

Mr Hurdle said: “Many drivers haven’t read the Highway Code since the day they passed their basic L- test. As a result, many do not know what road signs and markings mean, nor what the laws of the road are.

“There are also an increasing number of foreign drivers, who passed their test in other countries, who have a basic lack of knowledge of UK rules, signs and laws.

“Some might argue that not knowing the rules of the road isn’t as serious as tailgating, driving at dangerous speeds or other actions that are the common causes of accidents.

“I couldn’t disagree more. Road signs are there to guide and warn us while on the road, and the laws that govern our driving are there to make our roads safe. Drivers who lack basic knowledge cannot conduct themselves within the law, or react to signs, if they don’t know what they are or mean.”

The online driver profiling system revealed that the overall risk, taking into accounts combined scores across all four segments, was less than 10% of drivers could be considered high risk. 70% would be medium risk and 20% low risk.

Hurdle said that it was the knowledge section that was causing problems for drivers and that brushing up on the Highway Code would improve their driving ability.

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The Queen to open £44M Brain Research Imaging Centre

Her Majesty the Queen to open a £44M unique Brain Research Imaging Centre at Cardiff University

A new Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC) will be opened on the 7 June 2016, by Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, which houses a combination of neuroimaging equipment unique in Europe.

The Royals will be given a tour of the Centre, which will include the opportunity to view Europe’s most powerful brain scanner, the Siemens 3 Tesla Connectom MRI system, a specially adapted MRI scanner of which there is only one other in the world at Harvard University in the USA.

The system will enable researchers to study tissue microstructure in incredibly fine detail, and has been described as the Hubble space telescope of neuroscience.

Scientists at the Centre will seek to provide unprecedented insights into the causes of neurological and psychiatric conditions such as dementia, schizophrenia and multiple sclerosis, as well as understanding the workings of the normal, healthy brain.

CUBRIC has been designed by global architecture and technology practice IBI Group and built by construction firm BAM.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Colin Riordan said: “We are honoured to welcome Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh to open the Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre.

“This will be a fitting occasion for a facility that is not only significant for the University, but for Wales, the UK and Europe.

Professor Derek Jones, Director of Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre, said: “This is the culmination of a huge amount of hard work by many people over several years and I would like to thank everyone who played their part in creating this remarkable facility.

“The combination of the very best staff in their field and some of the most powerful scanners in the world has the potential for breakthroughs that could make a real difference to people’s lives around the world.

“It will be a very special day for us all and a real honour to share it with Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh.”

The new facility has been part-funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Government, the Medical Research Council (MRC), the Wellcome Trust, the Welsh Government and the Wolfson Foundation.

The Centre will be four times larger than the University’s existing brain imaging facilities, and will largely support innovation in brain-imaging research, creating many highly skilled jobs in Wales.

More than £27M of the cost has been provided by funders.

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Controversial Edinburgh ‘Garden District’ gets go ahead

Edinburgh Council has given to go ahead for plans to build a 1,350 housing development on green belt land on the outskirts of the city.

The decision came following a lengthy five and a half hour meeting in which the council own officials recommending the proposals be rejected. Planners said the development went against the Local Development Plan and would impact upon a replacement plan, which is currently under consideration.

The approval has been criticised as those who see the development as an encroachment into the city’s greenbelt area, despite the inclusion of huge amounts of parkland in the plans.

Greens planning spokesman Councillor Nigel Bagshaw said: “Sticking the adjective ‘garden’ in front of a development neither makes it green nor in the city’s best interest.”

The developer, Murray Estates described the project as a “world class extension to the nation’s capital”.

The development will see the construction of a new primary school shopping centre, sports facilities and a 60-acre national garden. The overall project is valued at £1Bn and will ultimately see 6000 new homes delivered.

The approval of the first phase is subject to further examination on flood prevention and traffic and public transport. It will then be referred to the Scottish government for final approval.

Edinburgh Council’s LDP was signed off last year but is still under review by the Scottish government’s planning reporter. It is expected to be finalised in the next few weeks.

The council hope that by pushing through the proposals, the need to build homes in more controversial areas can be lessened.

Councillor Sandy Howat commented: ““We need to build in the right places. To make the reporter see sense, to make the government ministers see sense, we need to give a very strong message.”

Jestyn Davies, Managing ­Director of Murray Estates, said: “Obviously, we are ­delighted to have secured overwhelming support from the committee today.

“We believe that this will be a world class extension to the nation’s capital, and this will become one of the city’s most successful housing developments.

“We look forward to making the case for the proposals to all members of the council in due course.”

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More must be done to address STEM skills shortages

Experts have called for employers and universities to do more to address STEM skills shortages.

Recommendations have been published by two eminent British academies, to improve the job prospects of graduates in STEM degrees.

Recommendations were published yesterday (16 May 2016) to better understand and improve the job prospects of graduates in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) degrees, with the aim of ensuring the UK workforce has the skills to meet the long-term needs of the economy.

The recommendations were set out in reviews conducted by Professor Sir Nigel Shadbolt and Professor Sir William Wakeham. Employment outcomes and more real-life work experience were among suggestions into how universities and employers can help development a generation of highly-skilled graduates in crucial subjects.

The findings coincide with yesterday’s publication of the government’s white paper, Success as a knowledge economy, which sets out plans to improve the quality of teaching with UK higher education.

The government commissioned the Shadbolt review, which investigated why computer science graduates experienced lower employment rates in recent years, compared to graduates from other disciplines despite growth in the digital sector. They also commissioned the Wakeham review to scrutinise whether STEM courses that are crucial to the economy, also suffer from poorer graduate outcomes.

Universities and Science Minister Jo Johnson said: “I’m extremely grateful to both Sir William and Sir Nigel for their thorough reviews into graduate employment outcomes and I welcome their clear emphasis on the importance of building much closer links between universities and employers.

“The UK has a world-class higher education system but, as these reviews recognise, more must be done to address the variability in outcomes for some graduates and to ensure all students receive the highest quality teaching. That’s why we are taking action to reform our higher education system, and the findings in these reviews provide valuable insights to ensure students and employers get the best returns on their investment.

There remains an unemployment rate of 11.7% for computer science graduates six months after graduation, with the Shadbolt review of computer science degree accreditation and graduate employability, revealing a lack of work experience is to blame. It also highlighted the need to improve the engagement between universities and employers, and disagreement amongst employers in whether graduates should be taught fundamental principles of computer science, or skills that reflect current technologies.

Both reviews identified that students would benefits from universities and employers working together and that professional bodies need to strengthen their accreditation systems so they support universities in delivering high-level STEM skills that are most relevant in the industry.

The government’s proposed “Teaching Excellence Framework” will introduce reputational and financial rewards for universities based largely on their success in supporting all students into employment or further studies. This type of data on graduate job prospects will also help applicants have a clear view of how different courses will lead directly to specific employment.

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