Lanes Group wins contract for Mersey Gateway Project

Lanes Group have won a contract to deliver drainage and maintenance to the £600M project.

Drainage engineers based at the Lanes Group depot in Chester have been contracted to provide a range of services including drainage cleaning and unblocking, CCTV drainage surveys and remedial work on existing and new drainage infrastructure.

The Company are working for the Merseylink Civil Contractors Joint Venture – a joint venture consisting of FCC, Kier, and Samsung, the design and construction contractor for this major transport and regeneration project

Ian Clapham, Area Development Manager for Lanes Chester, said: “This is a very exciting project for us. The Mersey Gateway Project is going to make a huge difference to the lives of people and to economic development across the North West.”

The construction project, which began in May 2014, is split into nine sections, with the new bridge itself making up just one of them. The new bridge is being built 1.5km to the east of the Silver Jubilee Bridge and will have six lanes and a toll bridge between the towns of Runcorn and Widnes. Including the approach viaducts on each side, it will be 2,130 metres long with a river span of 1,000 metres. The toll will be free for people living in Halton.

The Mersey Gateway Project is expected to create around 4,640 new jobs through inward investment, regeneration activity and direct employment. The development will unlock major economic development, environmental improvement and transport infrastructure opportunities.

The new £600M cable stayed bridge will be made from reinforced concrete, supported by steel cables, which will be attached to three towers. It will be a landmark structure that will be recognisable throughout the North West.

It is due to open in autumn 2017.

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Plans unveiled for 56 home Gleann Mor House restoration

Plans have been revealed for the restoration of an old hospital that will see the creation of 26 luxury townhouses and 30 executive apartments.

Robertson Homes submitted their plans for the £13M development to Highland Council last week. The fire-damaged listed Gleann Mor House is situated at the Scottish house builder’s Westercraigs Development in Inverness.

The project will see the creation of over 100 local jobs as the Company look to employ a wide range of skills to undertake what is believed to be one of the most complex in the city’s recent history.

Robertson have recently submitted an application to build 50 new homes at Westercraigs and subject to approval, work on both projects will begin next year, with occupancy in 2017.

Managing Director of Robertson Homes, John Murphy said : “We are really pleased to submit these proposals. Built in 1864 Gleann Mor House is an historic building that was badly damaged by fire in 2009.

The first phase of the restoration of Gleann Mor House, 12 luxury apartments, was completed in 2011. Robertson Homes has since reconfigured its plans to replace many apartments with townhouses, maximising open space and landscaped gardens.

Mr Murphy commented: “Our plans are to create a sustainable semi-rural community at Westercraigs, including play facilities, green space and community facilities. We are also moving forward with plans to upgrade the link road to the A82.”

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£10Bn HS2 contracts up for grabs for Scottish businesses

A conference is being held today in Edinburgh to help Scottish businesses compete for over £10Bn worth of contracts related to the HS2 project.

The event will help companies become HS2 ready and provide specific technical information on how to compete for the contracts, including design and construction plus a wide range of other services such as signalling and telecommunications.

So far, over 160 businesses have signed up to attend the conference that will be held at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre.

Scotland’s engineering industry will be ideally positioned to take advantage of the construction phase of the project when it commences in 2017.

HS2 Ltd Chief Executive, Simon Kirby will be speaking at the event. He commented: “Britain’s high speed rail network is a major, long-term project offering a huge opportunity for Scottish companies to develop the necessary staff and skills base that will position them to bid for the billions of pounds worth of contracts available throughout the supply chain during construction.

“To deliver a project of HS2’s scale and complexity requires the right companies with the right skills. I’m extremely pleased that so many firms across Scotland have signed up to find out more about how they can benefit from this huge UK infrastructure investment.”

UK Transport Minister for HS2 Robert Goodwill will also be attending the event. He said HS2 provided a “fantastic opportunity” for Scottish companies, as it will create “some of the largest value contracts” in the history of construction in the UK, providing job opportunities across the supply chain.

Mr Goodwill said: “With billions of pounds worth of contracts on the table, we hope Scottish businesses will take full advantage of this event, which will set out how firms can compete for work on this vital infrastructure project.”

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Garden Bridge: Charity now owes TfL £10M

The charity behind the proposed Thames Garden Bridge has been left owing money to Transport for London after Boris Johnson’s spectacular U-turn, NCE has learnt.

Hampshire County Council support local construction with £240M frameworks

Hampshire County Council will be creating business opportunities with small value buildings and engineering frameworks by supporting Hampshire’s local construction industry over the next four years.

Hampshire’s Building Minor Works Framework and Mechanical and Electrical Framework will provide opportunities and welcome bids from small to medium sized contractors for public sector building, mechanical and electrical projects. This is part of the County Council’s approach to updating its innovative construction procurement.

The main objectives of the framework are to work more closely with selected small/medium construction contractors, to deliver improved cost outcomes, greater local spend, local employment and apprenticeship opportunities. Shared apprentices can work for numerous employers in the catchment area which is ideal as it can provide continuity of training for apprentices.

Councillor Mel Kendal, Executive Member for Income and Capital Receipts said: “Hampshire County Council has always pioneered the concept of collaborative and innovative construction procurement arrangements, using the combined buying power of public-sector partners to raise standards and improve value-for-money in construction projects. Our approach provides continuity for contractors working with the Council with the benefit of good value and available capacity to deliver significant volumes of work for public sector clients.

“This approach gives us an opportunity to support local firms, by offering a framework specifically for smaller projects. We know that local contractors provide great quality and value for money on these schemes, and now those that wish to bid have the potential to see a sustained opportunity for a wider variety of projects, a consistent relationship with Hampshire County Council and ultimately, business growth.”

The frameworks will be used for public sector buildings such as schools, academies, offices, police facilities and fire and rescue facilities. Features of the Hampshire Building Minor Works Framework includes recladding projects worth up to £2m, door and window repairs and placements worth up to £500,000 and roofing repairs and refurbishments up to £250,000. Hampshire Mechanical and Electrical Framework include electrical repair, refurbishment and installation projects up to £500,000.

 

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Patrick McLoughlin visits Crossrail project at Canary Wharf

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin views Europe’s biggest infrastructure project at Canary Wharf, Woolwich and Abbey Wood station.

Crossrail will transform rail transport in London, cutting journey times from southeast London and improving connectivity between that area and the capitals key areas of employment. The Canary Wharf is the most progressed station of Crossrail’s 10 new stations with the station, retail and park areas being six stories high and 256 meters long.

Mr Mcloughlin viewed the recently completed ticket hall and platforms along with the preparation taking place for the installations of systems that will be in place ready for 2018 at Canary Wharf. He also saw the beginning of the construction of the new station at Abbey Wood, which will include a bright and spacious concourse that leads onto a wide forecourt connecting the station to the Harrow Manorway flyover which runs above the platform. There will also be two new island platforms for Crossrail and North Kent services.

The introduction of Crossrail will reduce the journey from Abbey Wood and Woolwich travelling to Canary Wharf by 11 minutes. The journey to Heathrow will be shortened by 40 minutes. Once opened, it will increase central London’s rail-based transport network capacity by 10% carrying around 200 million passengers per year.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: “The progress that Crossrail is making is truly impressive, and it is great to see how the project will not only provide better journeys for passengers across London but will also support massive regeneration in the surrounding areas. Rapid transport links to the City and the West End will unlock investment and jobs, supporting further economic growth and local development.

“Crossrail is proof that our plan to build a rail network fit for the 21st Century is firmly on track.”

Crossrail is being delivered on time and within the budget of £14.8bn. The construction is 70% complete with 10,000 people currently working on 40 construction sites. A total of 485 apprenticeships have been created and 12,000 people have been trained at the Tunnelling and Underground Construction Academy in east London.

Crossrail services will begin through central London is 2018. Every five minutes during the peak times, the trains will allow residents to travel right through the capital without any changes in trains.

 

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JCB buys power generator firm Broadcrown

JCB Power Products has acquired UK diesel generator manufacturer Broadcrown Ltd – a move that will see it expand its product range of generators.

JCB Power Products is the power generation arm of construction equipment manufacturer JCB and began offering its own range of generators in 2006 to coincide with the launch of the JCB engine.

At the moment, JCB Power Products provides a range of over 200 generators from 8-3300kVA, 35% of which are powered by JCB’s engines, produced at JCB Power Systems in Foston, Derbyshire.

Broadcrown was established in 1976 and has a 29,000 sq ft assembly and test facility at Hixon, near Stafford, a 19,000 sq ft assembly plant in Newtown, Wales and employs more than 100 people.

The business will now operate under the name JCB Broadcrown, with its products will be marketed as Broadcrown. It will offer a full portfolio of products and services, providing power solutions to a diverse range of industries and sectors. The Company specialises in diesel generators and power generation systems providing power from 6 kVA to 30 mVA.

Jonathan Garnham, JCB Power Products Director & General Manager Jonathan Garnham said: “JCB Power Products already has an excellent generator range sold through a network of 150 dealers. This purchase offers us a fantastic opportunity to accelerate the growth of the JCB Power Products business by significantly extending the range. It also offers a great opportunity for the fuel-efficient JCB engine to power more generators.”

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