Regional construction hitting pre-financial crisis levels

Construction activity in the UK’s main regional cities is surging to levels not seen since before 2008’s financial crisis according to consultancy firm, Deloitte.

In Deloitte’s annual crane surveys, which analyses the number of new projects across the main regional cities in the UK, the construction industry seems to be showing no sign of suffering a Brexit-related slowdown.

In Birmingham, 1.45m sq ft of office space is currently under construction – an increase of 50% on the previous year’s figures.

As HS2 moves closer, the report says that developer confidence has increased dramatically in the region. Rising costs of office development in London has also seen ‘near shoring’ companies relocate staff from the capital to Birmingham and other main regional cities.

As a consequence of this, more homes are needed to satisfy the ever-increasing demand. The UK’s second city saw a rise in residential building with over 2,300 units to be delivered over the next three years.

Moving further north, the report described Manchester as enjoying a resurgence of “unparalleled scale”.

The city has seen a huge increase in the number of residential buildings constructed, with 6.963 units currently in development. This surpassed 2007’s figures by almost 3,000 units.

Manchester’s skyline will have four new additions with four residential schemes over 25 storeys under construction and a further six planned for 2017.

Grade A refurbishment projects made up 8 of the 9 new starts in office construction and made up 60% of all new floor space under construction during 2016.

The city also saw an increase of 63% in the number of hotel beds under construction – the biggest delivery of complete rooms in ten years.

New construction in Leeds was driven by the office sector, which saw the highest level of office space completed since 2006.

The city was also boosted by a record number of hotels built last year, the highest in the history of the survey.

This year Deloitte extended the crane survey to Belfast for the first time.

The regional survey described the city as on an “upward trajectory”, driven by investment in tourism and higher education.

Last year, seven hotels entered the development phase whilst other tourist-related schemes such as the expansion of the Waterfront Hall conferencing facilities, the HMS Caroline exhibition at Alexandra Dock, and a major public realm improvement scheme along Rosemary Street were also completed.

London saw office construction in London increase 4% over the past six months to 14.8 sq ft – an eight-year high.

A total of 28 refurbishment projects account for 70% of the new starts, providing a boost to the delivery of new office space in 2017.

Tenant demand would appear to be buoyant with 41% of space under construction already let in the capital.

Deloitte’s latest London Office Crane Survey also predicted that the Internet of Things and new technology would revolutionise the workplace with the creation of Intelligent Buildings.

Given the increasing use of digital construction methods such as Building Information Modelling (BIM), it should come as no surprise the advancement of ‘Intelligent Buildings’ is expected to gain momentum in the projects over the next five years.

The survey says the use of intelligent building technology could become an ‘important differentiator’ when it comes to companies choosing their new location.

Intelligent buildings allow technology to provide connectivity and control elements such as lighting systems, climate, security, audio-visual and time and attendance control.

In order to deal with London’s population growth, expected to reach 10 million by 2024, the survey also examines way in which the demand for residential demand can be satiated.

Emerging office locations such as Vauxhall Nine Elms Battersea, Stratford and White City can play a key role in delivering mixed-use developments were housing and office buildings exist in the same space.

The report states: ‘Whilst this cannot be achieved by buildings alone, an evolution of workplace practices and the desire amongst employees to live close by their place of work will also drive change.’

The success of these mixed-use areas will also depend heavily on access to the public transport network, with major infrastructure projects such as Crossrail, helping to realise this ambition of solving London’s residential shortfall.

 

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Major milestone reached for Manchester’s Smart Motorway

Smart Motorway works underway on M60 and M62 near Manchester, to tackle congestion and improve journey times.

Works are underway on the latest phase of a major Smart Motorways project to tackle congestion and improve journey times on the M60 and M62 near Manchester.

A five mile stretch of the M62 near Rochdale has been converted from a hard shoulder to a standard motorway lane, with works started now on the central reservation.

A new safety barrier in the central reservation will be created, to reduce the risk of vehicles crossing onto opposite carriageways in collisions, as well as needing less repairs, cutting the need for lane closures. More than 7,000 tonnes of concrete will be needed.

The works will increase capacity on this section of the motorway by a third, making journeys quicker and more reliable.

Stephen Hill, Senior Project Manager at Highways England, said: This scheme will ultimately improve journeys for the tens of thousands of drivers who use it every day, and the completion of the hard shoulder work is a major milestone for the project.

“We can now start installing the new concrete safety barrier in the central reservation and work towards lifting the roadworks between junctions 18 and 20 on the M62 by the end of September.”

Work is also continuing throughout the 17 mile scheme, which runs from junction 8 of the M60 at Sale to junction 20 of the M62 at Rochdale, to upgrade 56 overhead gantries so that they can be fitted with new electronic signs.

Overnight closures between several junctions are being used so that contractors can carry out major overhead gantry work on longer stretches of the route. A maximum of six miles of the motorway will be closed each night, between 10pm and 6am, and clearly signed diversions will be in place.

From September, the Manchester Smart Motorway is due to go live in sections, with all of the roadworks planned to be lifted by the end of the year.

New overhead electronic signs will have variable speed limits introduced to keep traffic moving, and alerts for drivers of any lane closures or incidents ahead. CCTV cameras covering the entire route will allow Highways England’s traffic officers and the emergency services to respond quickly to incidents.

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Heathrow campaigners fail in High Court runway challenge

Campaigners lose High Court challenge against government’s approval of third runway at Heathrow Airport.

A High Court challenge against the government’s approval of a third runway at Heathrow Airport has failed.

The coalition of local councils, included Hillingdon, Richmond, Wandsworth and Windsor and Maidenhead, together with Greenpeace UK and a Hillingdon resident.

Those campaigning against the third runway were hoping to have the decision declared unlawful, with the argument that the government had failed to consult local communities or recognise the project’s unlawful impact on air quality.

The Transport Secretary argued that the judicial review could not go ahead until after the consultation on the National Policy Statement (NPS).

The judge said his decision followed from the language of the relevant section of the Planning Act 2008.

“Once the Secretary of State adopts and publishes an NPS the court will have jurisdiction to entertain the challenges the claimants advance. For the present this claim must be struck out,” he said.

The expansion at Heathrow was favoured over Gatwick in October, and was quickly opposed by protesters and legal challenges.

Greenpeace UK executive director, John Sauven, said: “Expanding Heathrow will heap more misery on thousands of Londoners already breathing illegal levels of air pollution and make it impossible for the Government to comply with air quality laws.

“The Government should ditch this project as they have promised to do many times in the past.”

Analysis by the Airports Commission, which investigated the merits of Heathrow’s case, estimated that the airport’s expansion will create up to 180,000 jobs and provide £211Bn in economic benefits and growth across the UK by 2050.

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One Public Estate expands to help deliver thousands of jobs and homes

One Public Estate expansion will help councils to deliver 44,000 jobs and 25,000 homes across England.

Almost three quarters of councils will be helped in delivering 44,000 job and 25,000 homes through property as One Public Estate  (OPE) expands, with the addition of 79 Councils.

The Cabinet Office and Local Government Association have today announced that the further 79 councils will join the programme, bringing the total number of members of the OPE to 225.

A total of £6.6M has been allocated to councils across the new and existing partnerships on the programme.

By 2019-2020, in addtion to the 44,000 jobs, 25,000 homes, the latest funding is expected to raise £415M in capital receipts from land and property sales and cut running costs by £98M.

Ben Gummer, Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, said: “One Public Estate is not just about creating savings and collecting land receipts, it also enables the delivery of houses and jobs.

“Through this ground-breaking programme, local councils can transform services, unlock significant local growth and crucial efficiency savings through smarter use of property and land.”

Lord Porter, Chairman of the Local Government Association, said: “In the drive to get Britain building again it is encouraging to see that over 70% of councils have now joined the OPE Programme. These councils will strive to collaborate with government and wider public sector bodies to deliver much needed Housing and services at a local level.”

One Public Estate, jointly delivered by the Government Property Unit within the Cabinet Office and the local Government Association, focuses on boosting economic growth, unlocking regeneration and creating more integrated public services by supporting joint working across central and local government. Created in 2013, it encourages public sector partners to share buildings, transform services, reduce running costs and release surplus and under-used land for development.

Launched in 2013, One Public Estate begun with 12 councils, and has since expanded. In the Autumn Statement 2015, following on from successful pilot stages, it was announced that the programme would receive £31M to further expand the programme.

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Highways England awards new-style framework contracts worth £434M

Up to £434M in new-style framework contracts awarded by Highways England to Cumbria, North Lancashire and the North East.

Highways England has teamed up with 18 companies, to help improve road journeys for drivers in Cumbria, North Lancashire and the North East of England.

The new £434M Construction Works Framework, which will start on 1 April 2017, covers 10 different specialisms of work, and is split into 15 separate lots which will run for four years.

The framework covers a range of activities that include renewal work to roads and bridges, and improvement schemes on the Highways England road network.

Highways England will directly manage both routine maintenance and the delivery of capital renewal and improvement schemes, as part of the Asset Delivery Contracts. This marks a change from previous ways of working, bringing the management of key functions in-house and taking greater control of the road network.

The first of these types of contracts began operation in the East Midland’s region in July last year.

David Poole, Executive Director for commercial and procurement at Highways England, said: “We are spending record amounts on improving our road network meaning quicker, safer and more reliable journeys for motorists. We are delighted to welcome these 18 contractors to work alongside us as part of Asset Delivery in Cumbria and North Lancashire, and the North East. These contracts demonstrate our commitment to increasing capability and understanding within Highways England and bringing Highways England closer to our customers.

“Collaboration with our supply chain is key to our new way of working and we are looking forward to establishing a successful, long-term relationship with the appointed contractors.”

Highways England will be working closely with the successful contractors to ensure they are ready to begin delivering key services from 1 April 2017.

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Joint venture to deliver £50M scheme for South Yorkshire

Dransfield Properties Ltd and Harworth Group Plc announce joint venture to deliver £50M retail, office and leisure scheme.

Dransfield Properties Ltd and Harworth Group Plc have announced a joint venture agreement to deliver a new £50M mixed-use scheme for South Yorkshire. The 12 acre retail, office and leisure scheme at Waverley, Rotherham, is a key part of the strategic regeneration of the 740 acre Waverley development, Yorkshire’s largest ever brownfield mixed-use redevelopment.

The Waverley development is just two minutes from junction 33 of the M1. It will deliver a 24,500 sq ft food store, high quality office space, a medical centre, transport hub, a new hotel, a gym, restaurants, coffee shops, 70,000 sq ft of further retail space and 470 car parking spaces.

The development will formally link the internationally renowned Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) and the residential area through a masterplanned retail and leisure development.

The much-needed community facilities will include a variety of much needed indendant and national named shops, restaurants and cafes. The development will see attractive walkways, landscaped piazza areas with water features and a “town square” where regular farmers markets can be held.

In Spring 2017, the planning application will be submitted for a transport hub in Rotherham to improve connectivity to the region as well as a hotel and a new medical centre to serve the growing business and residential area.

The leading development already has 600 homes and the Advanced Manufacturing Park, which included firms such as Rolls-Royce and Boeing. In the next 15 years, there will be a further 3,400 further homes built, in addition to a further £1M sq ft of manufacturing space to further grow the AMP.

Mark Dransfield, Managing Director of Dransfield Properties, said: “This is a really exciting project to be involved with. We are delighted to work alongside Harworth, bringing our team’s experience and knowledge of delivering retail developments to this new community.

“Waverley is an exciting development which has great potential for creating a high-quality retail and leisure environment, designed to support the growing community and the wider region. We look forward to being a part of this project.”

Owen Michaelson, Chief Executive of Harworth Group plc, said “We are delighted to partner with Dransfield for this significant development on our flagship site, given their track record across the UK and their absolute focus on quality.

“We expect the local centre to become central to the Waverley community, as it co-joins the AMP and the residential area, offering a range of essential facilities and bringing hundreds of job opportunities to the region.”

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MOD and Boeing celebrate joint initiative success

Following the Prime Minister’s unveiling of the new Modern Industrial Strategy this week, the Minister for Defence Procurement, Harriett Baldwin, met with Boeing International president, Marc Allen, to celebrate the success of the joint initiative signed last year.

The joint initiative sees the Ministry of Defence and the aerospace giants working together to increase prosperity, growth, and exports across the country.

Boeing signed the UK aerospace industry’s Supply Chain Competitiveness Charter, which aims to strengthen relationships between companies and their suppliers, in an effort to improve collaboration to increase UK productivity and competitiveness.

This joint initiative between the Ministry of Defence and Boeing has enjoyed some notable successes including:

• A new commercial airline hangar to be constructed at Gatwick airport, supporting more than 100 jobs
• Collaboration on a new £100m P-8A operational support and training base at RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland, creating more than 100 new jobs
• Boeing facilitated a visit to Seattle for 37 UK suppliers to deepen their relationships with Boeing driving enhanced prosperity in the UK
• Training courses for UK suppliers on how to win additional business with the company, further enhancing the competitiveness of the UK supply chain
• Education partnerships with the Royal Academy of Engineering and the RAF Air Training Corps in Northern Ireland, which reached more than 5,000 young people in the UK last year

Minister Harriett Baldwin said: “Britain’s defence industry plays a key role delivering an economy that works for everyone. Across the UK, Britain’s defence companies provide highly skilled, well-paid jobs with world class manufacturing exports.

“Boeing expects to increase their UK workforce by 50% by 2020. This joint initiative is a prime example of the cutting edge, high-skilled, job-creating investment that our industrial strategy seeks to harness to make Britain one of the most competitive places in the world to innovate, build businesses and deliver secure, long-term prosperity for all.”

Over the next six months, the joint venture will seek to deliver:

• Boeing will increase bid opportunities for UK suppliers and work with the government to enhance UK competitiveness. The aim is for UK companies to double their supply work with Boeing and win higher proportions of content on future Boeing aircraft.
• Boeing will make the UK its European base for training, maintenance, repair and overhaul across its defence fixed-wing and rotary platforms.
• Boeing will make the UK a base for defence exports to Europe and the Middle East, increasing UK employment and investment.

Marc Allen, President of Boeing International, commented: “Boeing’s partnership with the UK, which dates back to the 1930s, goes from strength to strength today. Boeing values the UK’s aerospace and defence capabilities. In both 2015 and 2016 Boeing in the UK hired, on average, a new employee per day and our relationship with the UK supply chain today has more than doubled in value since 2011.

“This growth continues in 2017 and beyond, with further significant announcements to follow in the future, building on our initiative’s achievements already in place.”

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Education Minister announces £10M investment for 4 schools under SEP

Education Minister announces £10M investment for four schools to begin under School Enhancement Programme (SEP).

Education Minister Peter Weird announced this week that around £10M will be invested in four schools across Ireland, under the School Enhancement Programme (SEP).

Improvement schemes at St Malachy’s College, Belfast, Our Lady’s Grammar School, Newry, St Michael’s College, Enniskillen and Slemish Integrated College, Ballymena have been given approval to move to the construction phase.

The Minister said: “This £10M investment will provide new and improved facilities and accommodation which will enhance the working and learning environment for pupils and school staff.

“Improving the schools estate is a priority for me and the School Enhancement Programme is an excellent way of delivering capital work projects which have an immediate positive impact on the schools, staff and pupils.”

St Malachy’s College, Belfast, will have £2.4M of funding in a project that involves refurbishment and Health and Safety Works to upgrade the heating system to Blocks A, B, Main Block and Music Block; works to stabilise a listed boundary wall, works to improve general site drainage and ground surfaces and the provision of an extension to the Technology and Design Block.

Our Lady’s Grammar School, Newry, will have £3.275M available for the construction of a new standalone extension consisting of three-room Technology and Design Suite, incorporating three general classrooms and refurbishment of existing accommodation to provide a new two room ICT suite, six form study and general classroom.

The £1.07M project at St Michael’s College, Enniskillen, involves the construction of a new floodlit 3G pitch, with a shale athletics area and changing pavilion.

Slemish Intergrated College in Ballymena would see the construction of a new sports hall, a floodlit synthetic pitch, three tennis courts and repairs to an existing rugby pitch, with the cost of the project at £3.082M.

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Severn Trent consider new delivery models for £4Bn AMP7 programme

Severn Trent is to examine its strategy for above and beyond ground capital works, services and goods for future regulatory periods including AMP7 and further ahead.

The strategy will encompass all types of work from large capital projects to smaller scale repair and maintenance jobs.

Various different delivery models will be explored ranging from turnkey solutions to sourcing strategy for materials, plant, equipment and labour.

The programme value will be worth up to £4Bn depending on the size of the regulatory cycles included.

The water company is inviting interested companies who operate in:

• Design and construction or construction only
• Material supply
• Labour supply
• Construction equipment supply and/or operation.

Parties wishing to be considered should register on Severn Trent’s E-tendering site to confirm their interest. They should also email the company to receive updates on the programme.

The utility will issue a contract notice in May 2017.

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Sunderland bridge centrepiece to be lifted into place

The centre piece of Sunderland’s new £117M bridge will be raised into position in engineering spectacle.

The centrepiece of Sunderland’s new bridge arrived at its final location earlier this month after being transported onto the construction site in the middle of the River Wear. It is now ready to be lifted into position.

In what has been described as an engineering spectacle, the impressive 100m pylon – is expected to be raised into position in the coming two weeks.It is most likely to take place during the week commencing Monday, January 30, but could possibly be the following week of February 6, depending on weather conditions.

Weighing 1550-tonne, the tower will be raised at the site of the city’s new bridge over the river, during a carefully planned operation that is expected to take up to 24 hours to complete.

Works have been taking place this week to rotate the pylon into position, and now work is underway to attach the pylon to foundations that have been built into the riverbed to support it.

Nothing of this scale has been lifted in this way since the London Eye was raised in 1999.

The New Wear Crossing is being built on behalf of Sunderland City Council by Farrans Construction and Victor Buyck Steel Construction, which have formed FVB Joint Venture.

Once raised into position, the team will spend several weeks securing the pylon to the foundations in preparation for the next section of the bridge deck to be pulled out across the river in Spring.

The bridge is set to be completed by 2018.

By creating a link between Castletown to the north of the River Wear with Pallion in the south, it will significantly improve important transport links to the city centre and the Port of Sunderland, open up land for regeneration and attract investment into the city.

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New HS2 Chief Executive appointed

HS2 has appointed Mark Thurston as its new Chief Executive following a five-month global search to fill the role.

The search was led by Heidrick and Struggles who considered 20 potential candidates working across the globe on projects in America, Australia and Asia, as well as in the UK.

With over 30 years of experience in the rail industry, Mr Thurston began his career as an apprentice with Transport for London (TfL), before taking on a number of roles with The Nichols Group, Metronet, and working for CH2M since 2008, on the London 2012 Olympics and Crossrail, where he was lead for the Programme Partner joint venture for three years.

He is currently the regional managing director overseeing CH2M’s European operations, which includes those in the UK.

The Chairman of HS2, David Higgins, said that Mr Thurston’s vast experience within the rail industry made him the ideal candidate.

He said: “Mark not only knows the UK rail industry from the bottom up, but has worked for organisations operating at the highest level globally. His grasp of how to manage the transition from page to reality makes him not only the right person to take over at HS2 as we are on the verge of Royal Assent, but also to see it through the years leading up to the first train being commissioned.

“The challenge is huge in terms of the task and timescale, but the Board believes Mark has the knowledge, experience and leadership qualities to deliver the project within the budget we have been given and to do so in a way that recognises our responsibility both to Parliament and the communities in which we will be operating.”

Commenting on his appointment, Mr Thurston said: “HS2 is arguably the most important investment in infrastructure in the UK for a generation, which will serve businesses and communities across much of the country.

“I am looking forward to leading the HS2 team and its partners to deliver a railway that will transform connectivity between our major cities and regions.”

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Tapping the military for construction skills

Every year, 14,000 individuals leave the armed forces. And, although service leavers and veterans receive careers advice, construction is not a career of choice for them when they return to civvy street. Yet, the skills shortage continues for construction.

A new, monthly webinar launches in January 2017 to celebrate schemes and initiatives focused on tackling some of construction’s most embedded problems – diversity, skills, ethics and wellbeing. Although the construction industry holds many seminars, conferences and summits, to date they’ve tended to repeat the same vague goals. BEtheAction was created to provide a platform for changemakers in the industry, taking place as a regular webinar, held at 1pm on the second Friday of every month with guests from all areas of the sector.

Our first guest was Rebecca Lovelace, creator of BuildForce. BuildForce was conceptualised in 2011, and connects service leavers and veterans to construction careers. It’s currently funded by the CITB and is backed by some of the biggest names in the industry – Crossrail, Carillion, Wilson James, Morgan Sindall, Lendlease and EY.

BuildForce recognises a talent pool of leavers from the armed forces, and seeks to make the process of connectivity easier for everyone in construction but particularly for smaller businesses. As a collaborative industry-led programme, with an objective to reduce the skills gaps in construction, BuildForce will connect the military community to construction careers through a UK-wide alliance of employers, industry bodies and charities, supported by government. The alliance will inspire, engage and enable Service Leavers and Veterans to achieve sustainable employment in the construction industry, through a unique national network of mentors and champions.

Rebecca was very keen to emphasise that BuildForce must be led by the construction industry, and one of the key requirements is to promote the industry as a career of choice to those currently leaving the armed forces, as well as those whose service will continue for a year or more. Simply understanding the breadth of the construction sector can pose quite a challenge, not to mention the importance of matching the right talent to the right organisation, so if your company is committed to promoting construction and developing your workforce then BuildForce can connect you with the right military people to help your business.

From sustainability to infrastructure, technology to wellbeing, and regeneration to diversity, there is so much to know and understand in construction that businesses taking the opportunity to support service leavers will undoubtedly create a loyal and committed workforce

A vital component to the success of the project is ensuring that careers messaging matches with key areas of skills shortages, and there are a number of steps you can take to ensure that happens:

 

1. sign up to the BuildForce Charter at buildforce.org.uk . Be part of the system design, and contribute to the discussions around opportunities to use the model for other areas of potential talent pools for construction
2. download the BuildForce Industry Information pack from the website
3. become a BuildForce mentor to support individual service leavers to transition from military life into rewarding careers in construction
4. become a BuildForce champion to help promote construction as a career of choice throughout the military, and ensure that key areas of skills shortage are highlighted
5. And for those who love a knees-up, there are a handful of tickets left for the launch event at the Tower of London on 31^st All details at buildforce.org.uk

 

The next BEtheAction webinar takes place at 1pm on 10^th February, and we want to share the best and brightest initiatives for change across the construction sector! Please get in touch via Twitter @BE_theAction

 

Kathryn Lennon-Johnson is the founder of Built Environment Skills in Schools, and 50% of BEtheAction alongside Maria Coulter from Construction Coach

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Funding for York Street Interchange scheme development announced

Infrastructure Minister announces funding of up to £4M for York Street Interchange scheme development

Funding of up to £4M has been announced by Infrastructure Minister, Chris Hazzard, which will be made available to develop the York Street Interchange Scheme ready for construction. The Minister has also confirmed that contract award for the scheme development will be progressed.

TransportNI has developed proposals to provide a grade-separated junction at York Street that would provide direct links between Westlink and the M2 and M3 motorways and greatly improve access between these roads.

The current construction estimate is in the region of £130M.

Minister Hazzard said: “This is an important step in the development of the Interchange which is seeking to address the traffic delays at this heavily congested location. There is no doubt that a scheme of this scale represents a significant investment in our economy. By removing the traffic bottleneck, the new interchange will improve journey time reliability and road safety for motorists, including freight transport, and support the competitiveness of the Port of Belfast with improved links to the strategic road network.

“I am pleased to announce that funding of up to £4M will be allocated to allow the scheme to be developed to a point where construction could begin. The identification of funding for the construction phase will be dependent on future budgets and is unclear at this time.

“The consultation process recommended within the Public Inquiry Report is now commencing with the local community and key stakeholders. The release of funding to allow a contractor to come on board to develop the scheme will improve the quality of this process.”

A public inquiry was held in November 2015 into proposals to separate strategic traffic from the local streets by providing direct vehicular links between the Westlink, the M2 and M3, the construction of underpasses and the construction of a new bridge to carry York Street over the junction.

The Minister announced his decision to proceed with the scheme following the publication of the Inspector’s Report. The inspector made a number of recommendations aroud the consultation neede with the local community and the scheme stakeholders. This process has now begun, and a contractor will be appointed.

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Work completed on Cranfield University’s £35M Aerospace Integration Research Centre.

The development is now home to the University’s researchers and industrial partners, who will be investigating ways of integrating advanced technologies and reducing time from academic innovation to industrial application. The centre will bring together researchers from Airbus and Rolls Royce, amongst others, under one roof to look at the most effective ways of integrating the aircraft and its subsystems as well as developing the use of automation.

Professor Iain Gray CBE, Cranfield’s Director of Aerospace, said: “The AIRC will foster close collaboration between leading researchers, the Centre partners and the wider aerospace supply chain. It will directly contribute to the competitiveness and prosperity of the aerospace industry and the wider UK and European economy.

“Work at the Centre will focus on the development of new integrated propulsion, airframe and subsystems technologies with resulting benefits in the performance, emission control and efficiency targets of future aircraft.”

Work began in July 2015 on the three-storey building, with designs provided by Nottingham based CPMG.

A number of features are being accommodated in the new building, with the ground floor hosting a 1,500sq m open laboratory space capable of housing large airframe integration projects. The lab will be used to test intelligent robots in structural assembly and features 18m by 6m sliding doors to allow demonstrator aircraft into the facility.

A presentation and visualisation space is situated on the second floor, with state-of-the-art simulation facilities for air traffic management and large aircraft, to test new ideas and impact. While feedback screens re linked to the visualisation lab and the pod meeting area.

The top floor houses an open plan office environment for the researchers to collaborate.

Other features of the building are: a full-size aircraft wing and a FANUC CR-35iA robot – which can operate in an uncaged, open space, and determine the proximity of a person or object so it will stop if touched.

Rolls-Royce, Airbus, HEFCE (the Higher Education Funding Council for England) and Cranfield University have co-funded the building.

Cranfield is the only university in Europe that brings together major aerospace research facilities, including the Aerospace Integration Research Centre (AIRC), its airport and runway on one connected site.

Tim Mackley, Head of the AIRC said: “This is an exciting day, marking a significant milestone in the journey towards a more integrated approach to research between academia and industry with an aim of developing innovative and integrated solutions for aerospace.”

An official opening of the Centre will take place later this year.

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Northern Powerhouse conference announced following Industrial Strategy

Senior transport figures to gather at UK Northern Powerhouse International Conference following Government’s industrial strategy.

Next month’s UK Northern Powerhouse International Conference will see Senior transport figures coming together to debate the investments announced in the Government’s industrial strategy, and discuss further measures that are needed to rebalance to UK economy.

The event, which is taking place in Central Manchester in February, is expected to attract over 3,000 business delegates, including major national UK companies and delegations from India, China, US and Australia.

The two-day event will include two sessions on Transport and Infrastructure. The first focusing on ‘air and road’ and the second on ‘port and rail’. Speakers at these sessions include:

David Brown, CEO, Transport for the North

Elliot Shaw, Executive Director for Strategy and Planning, Highways England

Graeme Mason, Planning & Corporate Affairs Director, Newcastle International Airport

Andreas Köster, Senior Director Sales UK, Lufthansa Group

Paul Griffiths, Phase Two Development Director, HS2

Alex Hynes, Managing Director, Arriva Rail North

Martin Frobisher, Route Managing Director, Network Rail

Kate Willard, Chair, Atlantic Gateway & Head of Corporate Projects, Stobart Group

James Cooper, Chairman, Associated British Ports

Infrastructure projects across the North were singled out by the Prime Minister in her industrial strategy, including the Goole international terminal, aimed at linking the east Yorkshire town’s existing rail, sea, motorway and waterway hubs.

The Minister for Northern Powerhouse, Andrew Percy MP, Lord Kerslake, Chair of the UK Northern Powerhouse Advisory Board and Lord O’Neill of Gatley, will also be speaking at the conference.

Business leaders from across the major cities of the North will be attending including Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield, Newcastle and Leeds. It will include interactive sessions with top firms such as Nissan, Cisco, Yorkshire Bank and Stobart Group, as well as the Confederation of British Industry, Institute of Directors and Federation of Small Businesses.

Manufacturing, transport and infrastructure, finance and delivery, devolution, competitiveness and productivity and energy were among the topics being addressed.

The conference is the biggest cross sectorial gathering of Northern businesses in the UK, with business leaders from across major UK cities attending, including Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield, Newcastle and Leeds.

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Manchester Airport unveils new luxury lounge for T3

Manchester Airport has revealed plans for a new £1.6M lounge to open in Terminal Three.

The lounge will be named 1903 in honour of the year of the Wright Brothers first flight and will cater exclusively for adults, with only those above the age of 16 permitted entrance.

1903 will hold up to 71 people and offer guests a chance to begin their holidays in style by taking advantage of all-inclusive food and drinks including premium champagne and prosecco.

Unlimited free Wi-Fi along with free scanning, printing, fax facilities and work stations will be available for those who have business matters to take care of before take-off.

Ken O’Toole, CEO of Manchester Airport, said: “We’re looking forward to the launch of 1903 in Terminal Three.  It’s in a prime location and will offer passengers a real slice of luxury before their flight.  We continually listen to the needs of our passengers and 1903 offers something different from our existing airport lounges.”

Travellers who pre-book can gain entry for £30, while standard entry would cost £35. Users of 1903 will also be granted a Fast Tack security pass directly to the lounge.

Tickets for the lounge go on sale from 1^st February 2017.

Beth Brewster, Executive Vice President of Business Development & Lounges for Manchester Airports Group, said: “1903 at Manchester Airport will be our flagship lounge for the brand and will provide passengers travelling through Terminal Three with the opportunity to begin their travel in the most enjoyable and relaxing manner possible. We expect to roll the brand out in due course to our other airports.”

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Electric vehicles at heart of green paper in ‘post-Brexit’ strategy

Government places electric vehicles at the heart of green paper outlining “post-Brexit” Industrial Strategy for UK.

Electric vehicles are at the heart of a green paper outlining its ‘post-Brexit’ Industrial Strategy, launched by Theresa May. The strategy focuses on designing a smart grid and the roll out of public charging points for the vehicles to bring about “affordable energy and clean growth”.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Science (BEIS) will be overseeing the government’s Industrial Strategy, which is founded on “10 pillars”. Evidence provided by the government shows they will drive growth in UK business.

The Prime Minister has described the Industrial Strategy as a ‘critical part’ of the government’s plan for “post-Brexit Britain” and will see ministers take on a “new, active role” rather than “leaving businesses to get on with the job”.

One of the main focuses of the strategy in the report is battery technology in the automotive industry. The government’s Chief Science Advisor, Sir Mark Walport, is to review the case for a new research institution by early 2017.

It states: “Electric vehicles are less polluting and cheaper to run, and have the potential to provide electricity storage and demand flexibility that could provide benefits to consumers and our electricity system. Drawing together these battery, energy storage and grid technologies is sensible because step-changes in innovation will likely involve all of them.

“For example smart grids that respond to the demands of consumers could potentially use new battery technologies, particularly storage in electric vehicles, to deliver power efficiently and at lower cost.”

The report states that new grid technologies are already being tested in various locations around the country “in preparation for the shift to electric vehicles”, and that the government is investing £600M in support to accelerate the transition to ultra low emission vehicles.

On changes to energy infrastructure, the paper notes: “The Office for Low Emission Vehicles is leading work across the Government to improve our understanding of the system impacts and opportunities of the shift to electric vehicles.

“We are also exploring the potential opportunities offered by hydrogen fuel technologies across multiple applications, including heating, energy storage and transportation.”

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IEMA urges long-term approach to government’s skills revamp

The Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) has backed the Prime Minister’s plans to overhaul the UK’s technical education and skills as part of the government’s Modern Industrial Strategy unveiled this week.

IEMA welcomed Mrs May’s announcement but warned that the approach must be a long-term one.

Martin Baxter, Chief Policy Advisor at IEMA, welcomed the announcement and claimed the government’s plans represented a chance to push the UK’s skills profile and commitment to sustainability outside of the EU.

Mr Baxter said: “Government must use the Industrial Strategy as an opportunity to accelerate the UK’s transition to a low-carbon, resource efficient economy – one that is flexible and agile and which gives a progressive outlook for the UK’s future outside the EU.”

He backed the focus on skills and education saying it was “vital” that the next generation of workers has the “competence and capability to innovate and compete globally in high-value manufacturing and leading technology.”

Mr Baxter said that the government’s Industrial strategy, along with the upcoming 25-year Environment Plan and Carbon Emissions Reduction Plan, to create long-term economic and environmental targets, which would “set the conditions to unlock investment, enhance natural capital and provide employment and export opportunities for UK business.”

He added: “We will ensure that the Environment and Sustainability profession makes a positive contribution in responding to the Green Paper.”

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Man Utd confirm stadium accessibility plans

Manchester United has confirmed plans to enhance its facilities for disabled supporters that will see “significant structural work” carried out at Old Trafford.

The structural changes will be completed in time for the new 2017/2018 season and will create over 300 new positions for disabled supporters.

The new facilities will see the installation of new wheelchair user platforms; new amenity seats of other disabled supporters; the widening of entrance and exit areas and state-of-art reversible platforms.

The move comes following consultation between the club and the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and Manchester United Disabled Supporters’ Association (MUDSA).

The club consulted with numerous architects and examined a number of options that allow Old Trafford to increase its capacity for disabled supporters.

The changes to famous stadium will mean that 2,600 season ticket holders will be displaced as a consequence. To make the transition easier, the club has proposed a three-year phased scheme to relocate supporters to alternative seats.

Next season, around 800 fans face the prospect of relocation but will compensated by way of a “goodwill package”, which includes free cup tickets for all games played at Old Trafford for a year and the club promising to cover any extra cost if no alternative seats are available in a similarly priced area of the stadium.

Group Managing Director, Richard Arnold, commented: Old Trafford is a home for all United fans. These changes will help many more of our loyal disabled supporters to attend games to watch their heroes. Manchester United prides itself on its work in this area for more than 25 years and will continue to ensure that it remains at the forefront of our thinking.

“We’ve worked openly and continuously for over a year with the Equality and Human Rights Commission, Manchester United Disabled Supporters’ Association, architects and a significant number of stakeholders including Level Playing Field, supporters groups and the club’s fans’ forum to make sure these improvements take into consideration all affected fans.”

Chas Banks, Secretary of the Manchester United Disabled Supporters’ Association said: “This is a huge task and it can’t be completed overnight. However, it will be completed faster than most believed possible. More importantly, this expansion is the beginning of a process, not the end. Manchester United is constantly looking to improve in every area and I’m confident they will apply that same ambition towards their disabled fans.”

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Balfour Beatty publishes paper on flood and coastal risk management

“Ten steps to efficiency in Flood and Coastal Risk Management” published by Balfour Beatty.

International infrastructure group, Balfour Beatty, has published its paper “Ten steps to efficiency in Flood and Coastal Risk Management”, in line with their experience of protecting the UK’s coastlines and floodplains.

The paper outlines ten points that could enable commissioning authorities, government and the infrastructure industry to achieve efficiencies in delivering and maintaining flood defences, while ensuring a high level of quality and safety is maintained.

These range from undertaking schemes simultaneously enabling resources to be shared, through to improving procurement processes such as employing collaborative framework agreements, like those offered by Scape Group.

Balfour Beatty has delivered over 75 coastal protection and flood defence projects worth over £500M for clients such as local authorities and the Environment Agency. Due to their work on flood prevention schemes, since 2010, approximately 100,000 properties have had their risk of flooding reduced significantly.

Jim Hutchison, Balfour Beatty Business Development Director Flood and Coastal Risk Management, said: “Managing the cost of UK flood damage, for homeowners and businesses, will continue to be a pressing issue given the widespread changes in weather patterns with six of the seven wettest years occurring since the year 2000.

We work closely with the Environment Agency, local authorities and supply chain to ensure the effective delivery of flood protection schemes across the country. Taking a collaborative approach, early project involvement and standardising solutions can deliver significant efficiencies.”

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North East waste sites to face inspections

The Environment Agency and the Health and Safety Executive are to undertake joint visits to waste sites in the North East to ensure regulations are being followed appropriately.

It is envisaged that the visits will lead to better working practices on regulated sites.

Thirteen sites were visited in a series of visits in the latter part of last year, with more scheduled as we move into the early stages of 2017.

The joint initiative has so far concentrated its efforts on sites that recycle, process or store waste metal, such as scrap vehicles and general waste metal.

There are a number of working processes and equipment used to strip, cut and burn waste to extract the key metal and components that could potentially be a health and safety risk to workers.

The visits are designed to ensure that the waste sites are operating within the conditions of their Environmental Permit to protect the environment and community, while at the same time making sure the health and safety of workers isn’t compromised.

The Environment Agency’s Ruth Tyson, Waste Team Leader, commented: “We manage our permitted sites every single day to ensure they are operating within the law, to protect the environment and to minimise impact on the local community.

“Health and safety is paramount when our officers are visiting sites and officers regularly contact HSE if they feel a site is unsafe.

“These joint operations are a really good opportunity to share knowledge with other agencies and mean we look at the site from different perspectives, ensuring any issues impacting on the environment and community can be looked at together with site safety.”

Inspector Victoria Wise from the Health and Safety Executive said on average, seven people including members of the public, are killed in the waste industry each year.

Ms Wise said: “The main causes of death are people being run over or struck by a moving vehicle or something unstable collapsing on them.

A high number of workers in this industry are also exposed to processes that cause irreversible ill health conditions.

“Joint operations such as this mean we can work alongside the Environment Agency to make sure those responsible for the sites are not exposing workers, members of the public and the environment to harm from the operations they undertake.”

The last round of visits found eight sites in significant contravention of health and safety law with seven Enforcement Notices served.

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Mitie Group Plc and Troup Bywaters + Anders Ltd win National Apprenticeship Award

Mitie Group Plc and Troup Bywaters + Anders Ltd revealed as winners at the National Apprenticeship Awards exclusive ceremony.

Mitie Group Plc and Troup Bywaters + Anders Ltd were both crowned winners at the National Appprenticeship Awards exclusive ceremony at London’s Grosvenor House on friday (20 January 2017).

The awards, which have now been running for thirteen years, recognise excellence in two areas: businesses that grow their own talent with apprentices and apprentices who have made a significant contribution to their workplaces.

Mitie is a strategic outsourcing company, employing around 2000 apprentices across 39 different areas of the business, from construction and engineering to catering and landscaping. The company have offered apprenticeships for over 20 years, encouraging its employees to become apprentices, and investing in lifelong learning. They estimate that apprenticeships have saved their business over £2M in the last few years.

Barry Norris, Training and Development Director at Mitie Group Plc, said: “Mitie’s commitment to apprenticeships brings numerous benefits to the business, including happier, more self-confident employees, a higher staff retention rate, and over £2M in savings over the past few years.

“Apprenticeships allow us to attract the very best of talent and to keep it, through a focus on upskilling the entire workforce regardless of age or role. As a business, we’ll continue to promote apprenticeships as the right thing for our employees and our company.”

The ceremony also saw Mitie Group Plc named in the prestigious Top 100 Apprenticeship Employer list.

Building services engineering partnership, Troup Bywaters + Anders Ltd, won Medium Employer of the Year.

The company employ 210 people across 8 UK offices, 20% of which are apprentices. Their scheme, which is now in its 5^th successful year, has been successful in recruiting apprentices, with 60% of its workforce made up of young recruits.

Craig Heaney of British Gas (L) poses with Peter Anderson of Troup Bywaters and Anders wins the The British Gas Award for Medium Employer of the Year.

On accepting the award, Neil Weller, Partner at Troup Bywaters + Anders, said:  “There is a real buzz and belief around apprenticeships at TB+A. For Partners at the business introducing apprenticeships was just a natural thing to do. They are a more traditional way of implementing engineering training and senior leaders’ believe it is the right way to bring people on and build up their skills, especially as most of us are former apprentices ourselves.

“We see apprentices as our future leaders who can go all the way to run and own our business. If we keep them engaged and they identify with our culture then we will continue to secure our long term future.”

The awards are run by the National Apprenticeship Service and hosted by its Director, Sue Husband.

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Prime Minister unveils new industrial strategy

The Prime Minister, Theresa May, will today launch the government’s proposals for a Modern Industrial Strategy in an effort to drive growth across the country.

Infrastructure, broadband and energy will see huge investment to help Britain thrive in a post-Brexit world.

The new strategy will be unveiled at the Prime Minister’s first regional cabinet meeting and will spell out the need for a “hive of new industries that will challenge the companies and industries of today”.

As part of an effort to “better align central government infrastructure investment with local growth priorities” Infrastructure investment will see a focus on digital, energy, transport, water and flood defence.

In an effort to boost skills across the country, the government will invest in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths), digital skills and numeracy, the government will build a new system of technical education aimed at those young people who don’t end up going to university.

 

The strategy has set out ten points of action:

Investing in science, research and innovation

Developing skills

Upgrading infrastructure

Supporting businesses to start and grow

Improving procurement

Encouraging trade and inward investment policy

Delivering affordable energy and clean growth

Cultivating world-leading sectors

Driving growth across the whole country

Creating the right institutions to bring together sectors and places

Smart energy technologies; robotics and artificial intelligence and 5G mobile network technology are highlighted within the green paper as technologies where Britain has strengths in research and development which could benefit through the government’s new Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund.

The fund is part of £4.7Bn of additional R&D funding announced by the Prime Minister in November – the largest increase in any parliament since 1979.

The government will also announce a £556M investment for the Northern Powerhouse in effort to stimulate economic growth and create jobs with Goole Intermodal Terminal linking rail, sea and road, a 21st century conference centre in Blackpool, and a new innovation fund for Manchester and Cheshire businesses amongst the projects to benefit over the next few years.

Prime Minister, Theresa May, said: “The Modern Industrial Strategy will back Britain for the long term: creating the conditions where successful businesses can emerge and grow, and backing them to invest in the long-term future of our country.

“It will be underpinned by a new approach to government, not just stepping back but stepping up to a new, active role that backs business and ensures more people in all corners of the country share in the benefits of its success.”

Ann Francke, Chief Executive of the Chartered Management Institute, welcomed the Prime Minister’s announcement. She said: “I welcome Theresa May’s announcement today, recognising the need to invest in the digital, management and engineering skills the UK needs to flourish as a global leader in the 4th Industrial Revolution.

“This is an opportunity for the UK to take a global lead and show what responsible capitalism can deliver. This is all the more important given the recent insular, protectionist announcements from President Trump.

“Alongside investing in infrastructure, it’s essential we challenge the UK to accept the value of technical, high level apprenticeships. Unless we can overcome “apprenticeship snobbery” and invest in practical routes that can lead right to the top we won’t boost productivity and create the new, dynamic industries that will set the UK apart.”

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Sweco to begin second phase of Sighthill regeneration project

Sweco announces it will begin working on second stage of Sighthill, the largest Transformational Regeneration Area in Glasgow.

Engineering, environmental and design consultancy Sweco, has announced they will be working closely with Glasgow City Council and Gardiner+Theobald, supporting the delivery of the second phase of the project, with a focus on the construction of infrastructure at the site.

The project, in the north of the city, is the biggest regeneration in the UK outside of London. It is part of eight Transformational Regeneration Areas (TRA) in Glasgow.

So far, the regeneration has seen 141 units of social rented housing for the Governments Housing Association.

Phase one of the project saw undertaking of enabling and environmental remediation works, which replaced the poor quality housing and facilities that previously dominated the area. Hundreds more new high quality development plots will come in the following phases, as well as a new education community campus, including Additional Support for Learning, sports facilities, a new church and alternative use site for which options are being considered.

As part of the new phase, Sweco will provide design integration support for new roads, transport and sustainable drainage, the design of utilities, development of a new foul drainage and serviceable development platforms.

Iain Hall, operations director at Sweco said: “We are extremely pleased to be able to provide our expertise on such a significant regeneration project for Glasgow, particularly one that will provide improved infrastructure and housing and first class facilities for the city’s residents.

“We pride ourselves on being able to deliver outstanding engineering and environmental consultancy services and our work on the Sighthill regeneration project is an example of our expertise in developing and implementing strategies and infrastructure that aims to connect communities. We are particularly proud to be able to continue our longstanding support to Glasgow City Council in tackling complex sites in the city. ”

The £250M masterplan for Sighthill TRA was developed through Transforming Communities: Glasgow, a partnership between Glasgow City Council and the government, and Glasgow Housing Association.

Works began in 2013 and the construction is expected to be completed by early 2020.

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Search begins for HS2 train builder

The search for a company to build trains capable of travelling 225mph to run on Britain’s HS2 network is now underway.

Transport Secretary, Chris Grayling, has launched the hunt for a company to design, build and maintain 60 trains in contract worth £2.75Bn.

Hundreds of skilled jobs will be created at the planned rolling stock depot in Washwood Heath, Birmingham to maintain the fleet, with the HS2 Network Control Centre also sharing the same site.

In total, 25,000 jobs and 2,000 apprentices will be created throughout the HS2 project.

The Department of Transport say that the chief requirement for companies vying for the contract is to provide “a world class passenger experience” that will carry more than 300,000 people every day.

The new trains will need to meet HS2’s design and performance standards to provide a world-class service for passengers that includes noise reduction and environmental sustainability.

An industry event will be held on 27 March where interested companies can get more information about the bidding requirements and process. Following this will be the launch of the pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ) pack which will provide further details of the specifications for the trains.

Mr Grayling said: “Launching the hunt for a manufacturer of these trains is a major step towards Britain getting a new railway which will carry over 300,000 people a day, improve connections between our great cities, generate jobs, and helping us build an economy that works for all.

“Hundreds of jobs will be created in building and maintaining these trains, representing a great opportunity for British based businesses and suppliers.

“In total 25,000 jobs and 2,000 apprenticeships will be created during HS2 construction and we have held discussions with UK suppliers to make sure they are in the best possible position to win contracts.”

Phase one of the project is due to open in 2026 and run between London and Birmingham, with construction due to commence later this year.

A second Y-shaped phase will be launched in two stages.

HS2 Ltd’s Managing Director of Railway Operations, Chris Rayner, said: “We are looking for a supplier who is capable of delivering and maintaining some of the world’s most advanced rolling stock, with designs putting the passenger at their heart to ensure seamless, accessible, fast and reliable journeys.

“Starting from 2026, our trains will be used by tens of thousands of people every day, bringing the benefits of high speed rail not only to the core network, but also onward to places like Manchester, Glasgow, Liverpool, Preston and Wigan.”

Formal invitations to tender will be issued in 2018, with the contract will be awarded in late 2019.

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New Tata Steel report reveals importance of sustainability in construction

A new report from Tata steel has revealed that over 80% of construction industry is investing in sustainable strategies.

The new report, “Sourcing responsibly: A market insight into sustainability attitudes and practices”, has revealed key findings from a survey commissioned by Tata Steel in March 2016, highlighting the importance of sustainability in the construction industry.

From those that responded to the survey, 82% of them confirmed that their companies are investing or planning to invest in a sustainability strategy.

The aim of the survey was to gain an understanding on the current attitudes and practices in regards to sustainability, highlighting some important results including why sustainability is crucial within the construction industry and of great value to companies.

Respondents were supply chain leaders, and included architects, consultants, developers, engineers, planners and installers, who provided the insights outlined in the report.

Topics covered in the report include sustainability investments, education, and barriers to improved sustainability performance.

Barry Rust, Energy & Sustainability Manager at Tata Steel stated: “Sustainability is becoming a critical issue in the construction industry, as shown by the results detailed in our report. Responsible sourcing emerged as a particularly important theme, with the industry clearly prioritising a need to understand the provenance and impact of the materials used in construction. As a manufacturer of construction products certified to BES 6001 responsible sourcing standard, we are pleased to see such a positive response to responsible sourcing and plan to use the findings from the report to encourage greater adoption of sustainable materials in the construction industry.”

Within the report, key figures in the construction industry, such as Rory Bergin, Partner of Sustainable Futures at HTA Design LLP, discusses the need for the construction industry as a whole to focus on responsible sourcing to remove the negative impacts of the materials used in a building and then the negative impact of the building itself. Additionally, John Hutton, Head of Sustainability at BAM Nuttall, highlights responsible sourcing as a key part of the transition to a more sustainable industry.

Jonathan Clemens, Head of Marketing at Tata Steel Construction & Infrastructure, added: “We have made a public commitment to leading and advocating environmentally responsible practices in all business operations. Overall, our report details a positive industry-wide approach to sustainability, but it also highlights areas of opportunity for businesses within the construction industry to grow and improve. This includes the requirement for more emphasis on recyclability, rather than recycled content, and further education to ensure that there is a greater emphasis on the whole life cycle of the building. Only through this life cycle approach will the optimum resource decisions be made and the value of the building asset maximised.”

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CCS course raises awareness on vulnerable road users

The Considerate Constructors Scheme has launched a new online course to increase awareness of vulnerable road users.

The course created by the Best Practice Hub – a free online platform that allows users access for sharing best practice – is designed to increase knowledge and understanding of the risks construction activity can cause vulnerable road users and provides practical solutions which can be adopted to reduce these risks.

A key aspect to the course is that it provides users with an understanding of CLOCS, the national standard for Construction Logistics and Community Safety, and how it can be adapted for any type of construction activity across the UK.

Other learning areas include current road safety legislation, the Highway Code and details of other important road safety programmes including FORS – the Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme.

The CPD eligible course is already proving popular and has already seen hundreds of individuals from Scheme-registered sites, companies and suppliers completing it.

As part of an effort to raise standards nationally, the Scheme has also launched a dedicated section about the CLOCS Standard on the Best Practice Hub as well as additional questions about CLOCS in the 2017 Monitors’ Checklist.

Considerate Constructors Scheme Chief Executive Edward Hardy said: “All types of construction activity can involve potential risks to vulnerable road users. It is, therefore, essential that the industry knows and understands these risks and does all it can to minimise them, both for the general public and the workforce.

“The Vulnerable road users e-learning course and section about the CLOCS Standard on our Best Practice Hub provides an easily accessible and practical way for everyone within the industry – including site managers, contractors, suppliers and clients – to raise safety standards for every road user and pedestrian affected by construction vehicles.”

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Sunderland centrepiece transported to site

Centrepiece of Sunderland’s new bridge transported to final location in middle of River Wear.

The centrepiece of Sunderland’s new bridge, a 100m pylon, is now at its final location, after being transported onto the construction site in the middle of the River Wear.

The structure left Greenwells Quay at the Port of Sunderland at about 5am today and arrived on site at 7am, taking just 2 hours for the white structure to be transported by the barge, Louis, to make her way along the three mile stretch of the River Wear.

The new bridge is being constructed at a site between Pallion and Castletown in the city.

She travelled under the Wearmouth Bridge, passed the Stadium of Light – home of Sunderland AFC – before negotiating the tight corner at Deptford Bend, and finally moving under the Queen Alexandra Bridge, before making her way to site.

Cllr Paul Watson, Leader of Sunderland City Council, said: “It’s great to see the pylon now in its final location on the River Wear. A lot of hard work and planning has gone into building the pylon, and getting it to site, and I think we can now begin to imagine just how impressive it will look when it’s raised into position.

“I appreciate that some people may be disappointed that they were unable to watch it being transported up the river, but given that it would have meant people congregating during the early hours in the dark, along the riverbank, the team took the decision not to publicise it in the interest of reducing health and safety risks to the public. That was the right decision and was something that could not be avoided.

“The operation to raise the pylon will be a long process, but much of it will be carried out in daylight hours, so people will definitely have an opportunity to come out and watch then.”

Stephen McCaffrey, Project Director for Farrans Victor Buyck Joint Venture (FVB), which is delivering the project on behalf of Sunderland City Council, said the transportation of the pylon to site had gone extremely well.

He said: “A lot of work has been carried out on site during the last 18 months in preparation for the arrival on site of the A-frame pylon, so it’s great to get it here and focus on the next phases of the project.

“We needed to transport the pylon during a specific tidal window and unfortunately that meant taking it up the river during the early hours.  However, there will be plenty of opportunities for people to see the pylon on site in the weeks and months ahead – particularly when it is raised into place in a few weeks’ time.

“Nothing of this scale has been lifted in this way in the UK since the London Eye was raised in 1999, and it will be quite something to watch, so we will definitely be telling people when that is happening.”

The next steps will lead to the pylon rotated 90 degrees in the river and final engineering works carried out to connect the legs of the pylon with the giant concrete tusks that are fixed into the riverbed inside the cofferdam, which will support the A-frame in its final position.

Sarens, a world leader in heavy lifting and engineered transport, are transporting and raising the pylon.

The new bridge will link Castletown to the north of the River Wear with Pallion to the south, and will have dual two-lane carriageways for vehicles, as well as dedicated cycle and pedestrian routes.

The bridge is due to open in the spring 2018.

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Women in Engineering: Does the Government need to do more?

Recent research from CV-Library, the UK’s leading independent job site, reveals that an overwhelming 71.8% of female engineers don’t believe that young women are being made aware of the abundant career opportunities available in the sector. Ultimately this has a damaging effect on the pipeline of female talent.

The research was conducted amongst over 500 female engineers, with the aim of better understanding how women in the sector feel about their careers and the opportunities available to others who may be looking to break into the industry.

It’s no secret that there’s a real lack of women undertaking careers in STEM; and this coupled with the fact that the number of women studying towards a university degree in the field has remained virtually static is undoubtedly alarming for the industry, and the UK economy as a whole. The fact that more has to be done to attract new female talent into the field is undeniable; however, with traditional gender stereotypes and discrimination to overcome, employers certainly have a way to go.

Latest figures suggest that the UK will need over one million new technicians and engineers in the next five years, so it’s paramount that employers are taking steps to encourage both men and women into the industry. There’s an abundance of opportunities available, however, many still believe that engineering is a ‘man’s job’ and that women simply can’t measure up.

Worryingly, it appears that over half of the women we surveyed (56.5%) believe that young females are deterred from entering the industry due to the fact that many still view engineering as a ‘male profession’, and with this opinion appearing to be particularly prolific amongst those aged between 25-34 (the figure jumps to 59.4%), the future generation of female engineers could be facing a real challenge.

As Trimble MEP explains, the UK building and construction sector, is currently suffering from a national skills shortage and encouraging more women to join the industry has been identified as key in diffusing what is otherwise a ticking time-bomb. However, take up and retention rates for Further Education engineering courses remain in decline as do the number of girls taking STEM subjects at exam level.

Alarmingly, Trimble MEP elaborates, one of the most often aired explanations for the gaping gender gap is that girls simply aren’t interested in STEM subjects. Anyone who has ever spent time around young children and Lego knows this is absurdly untrue. While a degree of disinterest is inevitable in either sex, research shows that where girls are given practical engineering tasks to complete and enjoy as frequently as their male counterparts their interest is peaked and retained at a corresponding level. Disengagement typically occurs when peers, parents and teaching staff, wittingly or otherwise, begin to suggest or promote segregation in the way girls and boys evaluate and solve STEM problems. Where there is equality between the sexes in terms of practical STEM experiences, girls show more than enough aptitude, understanding and enthusiasm. With BIM opening up so many exciting engineering and contracting career opportunities, it is particularly woeful that more girls do not opt for working in the AEC industry. In Western society, girls are constantly subject to an influx of subliminal messaging pushing them towards so-called ‘soft subjects’. While boys are encouraged to get their hands dirty and be assertive, girls are told, emphatically, that their role is to mediate, negotiate and people please. Arguably, what the advent of BIM does (as well as being in industry game changer) is to elevate those self-same ‘soft skills’ from a position of perceived inferiority to the vanguard of an industry revolution. In placing collaboration and communication at the fore, BIM is dependent on professionals who have a broad understanding of its value as a philosophy rather than viewing it merely as a software or – worse still – a fad. Ironically, after years of pejorative action and thinking in STEM, surely girls are now ideally place to lead the industry as it transitions and blossoms?

Unfortunately, with so few women visible in the sector, the challenge of bridging the engineering gender divide all too often falls almost exclusively to teachers and the lack of practical opportunities available in a classroom setting all too often fail to inspire. Furthermore, non-specialist educationalists – outside of further and higher education – are unlikely to have even the slightest grasp of what BIM is or what it entails.

Without the industry itself stepping in to make-up the classroom shortfall, it seems unlikely that the UK skills shortage will ever be addressed and that’s a huge blow to everyone. Perhaps what is required is a targeted and meaningful campaign whereby businesses step in and offer girls and boys the chance to get to grips with BIM? If not, the future of the industry is set to suffer worldwide as the skills shortage spreads and grows.

To read CV library’s full article on Women in engineering visit: http://ift.tt/2fogQVv and download Connects, your free magazine from Trimble MEP with expert independent contributions from across and beyond the MEP construction sector.

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Department for Transport admits controlling HS2 costs will be “challenging”

Controlling costs of £55.7bn HS2 project will be “challenging”, and cost estimates for phase 2 won’t be set until 2019.

The Department for Transport has described controlling the costs of the HS2 project as “challenging”, and says that cost estimates of delivering Phase 2b will not be certain until 2019.

In written evidence to support an ongoing Public Accounts Committee (PAC) inquiry on the Great Western Railway, The department’s Secretary, Phillip Rutnam, said that costs estimates of Phase 2b will become more certain as HS2 Ltd awards contracts this year to progress the design of Phase 2b.

In the evidence report he said: “On the timing to secure assurance on the delivery of the identified potential efficiencies, the 2015 Spending Review set a budget for HS2 of £55.7Bn.

“HS2 is an ambitious engineering project which will take many years to complete, and like any programme of this scale, controlling costs will be challenging, yet the government is committed to delivering HS2 within this budget.

“We continue to scrutinise HS2 Ltd’s cost estimates closely and will report revised estimates in the Outline Business Case when it is published in 2019 to support the Phase 2b hybrid Bill that we plan to deposit in Parliament at the same time.”

Phase 2b route, which will travel from Crewe to Manchester and from the West Midlands to Leeds, is undergoing a review by the DfT, who are consulting on several changes to th route, including a new connection to Sheffield’s existing train station.

The consultations close in March, with the government set to publish its formal response later in the year.

It is expected that Phase Two will begin operating trains around 2033, with part of the route (between West Midlands and Crewe) to open in 2027.

At the PAC hearing, which took place on 14 December, Phillip Boswell MP also asked Rutnam about the government’s strategy and plans for the necessary skills to deliver rail enhancements.

Rutnam highlighted the government’s announcement of its Transport Infrastructure Skills Strategy (TISS) in January 2016 which aims to create 30,000 apprenticeships within the rail and road sectors by 2020. The strategy will be directed by the industry-led Strategic Apprenticeship Taskforce, which was announced last April and is chaired by Mike Brown, commissioner of Transport for London.

The permanent secretary further explained that the TISS will be supported by the Rail Sector Skills Delivery Plan announced by the rail industry in December, which will look to develop training standards and encourage recruitment and retention in the sector.

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Regional heats kick of Brathay Apprentice Challenge 2017

The Brathay Apprentice Challenge 2017 is now underway as regional heats see apprentices across the country compete to become the team of the year.

The event, now in its sixth year, will see over 650 apprentices from 75 organisations taking part over the next four months.

The teams will tackle a series of exciting and interactive work-related challenges to develop new skills and showcase their employer by engaging with young people and businesses to promote the benefits of apprenticeships.

The Brathay Apprentice Challenge is designed to develop and test team building, leadership, logistical and communications abilities. The Regional Heats see apprentices complete a Community Project that benefits young people and conduct activities that raise the profile of the team, their employer and apprenticeships.

The range of companies involved include large employer’s such as AstraZeneca, Balfour Beatty, GlaxoSmithKline, IBM and Severn Trent Water and also local authorities including Brighton & Hove Council, Plymouth City Council and Surrey County Council.

Smaller companies have teamed together to take on the bigger companies such as the Enterprise M3 Apprentice Ambassador Network team created by the Local Enterprise Partnership.

Colleges and training providers will also take part with teams of apprentices training with organisations including Derwent Training Association, HIT Training and QinetiQ Apprentice Training School.

New to this year’s event, apprentices taking part will be invited to attend a full training day commended and certified by City & Guilds Group in order to equip them with additional skills, tools and techniques to confidently promote apprenticeships and ultimately boost their careers.

Eight National Finalists teams will be announced on 17 May 2017 at the House of Commons. The National Finals will see the teams take on further awareness raising activity before culminating in a four day Logistical and Team Building Finale at Brathay Trust’s Windermere headquarters from 12 to 15 June 2017. The apprentice team of the year 2017 will be announced on 14 June 2017.

Sue Husband, Director of the National Apprenticeship Service, said: “It is great to see so many employers embracing the Brathay Apprentice Challenge. This challenge is a unique opportunity for schools, employers and local communities to hear about the benefits of apprenticeships directly from apprentices.

“Apprenticeships offer young people the opportunity to gain qualifications up to Degree level, whilst earning and developing skills they need to succeed. The Brathay Apprentice Challenge allows apprentices to showcase the true potential of apprenticeships.”

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Reaction to the Prime Minister’s Brexit speech

The Vinden Partnership welcomes the Prime Minister’s attempts to provide clarity to Britain’s ambitions in its Brexit negotiations

Peter Vinden, Managing Director of The Vinden Partnership – a leading multi-disciplinary consultant company to the built environment said: “Finally, we are getting some clarity on how the government will set out its stall in its Brexit negotiations – something the construction industry has been calling out for over the last six months.

“The Prime Minister has made it clear we will be getting a clean break from the European Union but will look to maintain close relationships and trading ties with Europe.

“Leaving the Common Market will give Britain a more global outlook to trade and the government will now be free to negotiate advantageous trade deals with nations around the world.

“Making sure the construction industry isn’t adversely affected by any potential drop in skilled workers will be crucial to ensuring long term infrastructure and housing projects. The government needs to get the shape of the immigration system correct to allow skilled workers to ply their trade whilst maintaining the necessary control.

“Of course saying the things you want to get from negotiations is not the same as what you end up achieving but we at least now have a clearer picture of the Prime Minister’s ambitions.

“Mrs May’s comments that no deal is better than a bad deal has drawn a line in the sand. We know what the government want to achieve, we as an industry and as a nation, need to roll up our sleeves and get on with making Brexit a success. We have set sail on this path, and whether or not people voted for Brexit, it is in everybody’s interest that is a success.”

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Collateral Warranties: Net Contribution Clauses

A net contribution clause applies where the party providing the collateral warranty (the warrantor) is not the only party liable to the party benefiting from the warranty (the beneficiary). Where there are other parties who are also liable to the beneficiary, the net contribution clause limits the liability of the warrantor to paying its share of the loss suffered by the beneficiary, on the assumption that the other parties who are liable to the beneficiary have also paid their share. For example, where a main contractor and a sub-contractor are liable to a beneficiary, the main contractor may be 70% responsible and the sub-contractor 30% responsible for the beneficiary’s loss; the sub-contractor providing a collateral warranty with a net contribution clause would pay only 30% of the loss.

A net contribution clause reverses the position at law, which is that the beneficiary may claim the whole of its loss from any party who is liable to the beneficiary; that party may then seek a contribution from other parties who are also liable to the beneficiary.

A net contribution clause places risk and the costs burden of pursuing multiple parties on the beneficiary. In addition the beneficiary carries the risk of the insolvency of any party who is liable in law but unable to pay. From the point of view of the warrantor, the net contribution clause is welcome as it transfers these risks to the beneficiary.

A relevant consideration is insurance; a consultant with professional indemnity insurance is on the face of it well placed to shoulder the burden of paying the beneficiary in full and then recovering a contribution from others. In addition, the consultant is, in the circumstances under discussion, to blame at least in part for the loss, whereas the beneficiary is an innocent party.

When considering the effect of a net contribution, it is advisable to be clear and precise on the question of what parties have joint responsibility to the beneficiary in respect of what obligations. The case law indicates that disputes could be avoided by spelling this out. Particular care is needed where there are consultants or a mixture of consultants and contractors with potential shared responsibility.

In West v Ian Finlay & Associates (2014), the architect’s liability was limited to that which was reasonable in relation to the responsibility of other consultants, contractors and specialists appointed by the beneficiary. The parties litigated over whether the reference to “other contractors” included the main contractor (the Court of Appeal finding it did).

In Royal Bank of Scotland v Halcrow Waterman (2013), the net contribution clause provided that a consultant’s liability was limited to that proportion of the beneficiary’s losses that it was just and equitable for the consultant to pay, on the basis that all other consultants were deemed to have provided undertakings to the beneficiary on no less onerous terms. The parties litigated over whether the term “other consultants” included the design and build contractor (the court, in Scotland, finding that it did not).

By Peter Sheridan, Partner, Sheridan Gold LLP

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