Transport improvement plans to be considered by the Government

Ambitious £22million plans for transport improvement around Sheffield will be submitted to the Government for approval.

Ambitious transport improvement proposals for the future of the Sheffield City Region’s transport network were agreed by the Mayoral Combined Authority and will now be submitted to Government. At a meeting, the MCA agreed on the content of a draft Transforming Cities Fund (TCF) bid to the Department for Transport (DfT).

The bid, for up to £220m in funding, focuses on three large areas which could most benefit from significant improvements across rail, public transport and active travel schemes. The aim is to reduce journey times, cut congestion, improve punctuality and reliability, and bring about a wide range of benefits associated with active travel, such as improved health and wellbeing.

Dan Jarvis, Mayor of the Sheffield City Region, said: “It is critical that we improve the transport system in our region, to create better access to major employment sites, reduce congestion, better integrate different modes of transport and make our transport network fit for the 21st century.”

“That’s why it’s so important that we get this Transforming Cities Fund bid right, and why we’ve been working closely with partners across South Yorkshire to ensure that our bid has real potential to drive transformational change for our communities.”

“Improving our transport links is crucial for growing our economy as we develop a Global Innovation Corridor, linking residents and businesses to our internationally-significant assets in areas such as advanced manufacturing, health and wellbeing, and engineering.”

“I now look forward to working with the Department for Transport as we develop our detailed plans.”

The three areas the bid focuses on are the River Don ‘corridor’ between Sheffield city centre and the Unity site north of Doncaster; the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District (AMID) on the border of Sheffield and Rotherham, and the Dearne Valley Corridor, spanning Rotherham, Barnsley and Doncaster. This area also includes key employment sites such as the Barnsley Digital Campus and M1 Junction 36.

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GRAHAM wins contract for orthapeadic centre from NHS Fife

A new orthopaedic centre at Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy has been planned by NHS Fife with the contract for construction awarded to GRAHAM.

The new multi-million-pound centre will provide specialised care at the NHS Fife hospital which performs a growing number of orthopaedic procedures. As Principal Supply Chain Partner, GRAHAM will be responsible for working with NHS Fife to establish a team to deliver the whole project from design through construction.

NHS Fife’s current orthopaedic care has been praised by the British Orthopaedics Society for its quality. Currently, it is the only inpatient service left in the phase 2 tower block at Victoria Hospital.

Tricia Marwick, Chair of NHS Fife, said: “The number of patients requiring orthopaedic intervention, such as hip or knee replacement, continues to rise and is one of the most common surgical procedures undertaken in the NHS.”

“Fife is fortunate to have one of the best renowned and most forward-thinking orthopaedic teams anywhere in the country and I am delighted that we are able to announce our partnership with GRAHAM to work with us through the development of this exciting project.  This marks a further step toward a new-build elective orthopaedic centre at the Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy.”

“This new specialist centre will secure NHS Fife’s position as the heart of orthopaedic excellence in Scotland.”

The centre will have 34 beds, three operating theatres, and outpatient facilities with construction expected to take 18 months. Local businesses will also be involved in the construction and it is hoped that the centre will improve the surrounding local area.

The building will feature an environmentally friendly design and the work will be completed using low energy techniques to avoid harming the environment. A fully costed design will be developed by GRAHAM and NHS Fife and sent to the government for approval in order for construction to begin.

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London borough representatives attend a workshop on veteran housing

A London VAPC event discussed veteran housing and homelessness with representatives from 13 local authorities.

Thirteen local authorities were represented at a veteran housing policy workshop held at the RAF Club in London on Monday, June 3. Delegates discussed homelessness and Veterans; the allocation of social housing to Veterans and working with others to achieve a coherent approach.

The event was organised by London Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committee (VAPC) and also featured the University of Kent Law School, the Royal British Legion and Renewing the Covenant in the Capital. Representatives from the boroughs of Bromley, Camden, Greenwich, Hammersmith and Fulham, Harrow, Haringey, Hounslow, Kensington and Chelsea, Newham, Richmond, Southwark, Wandsworth and Westminster were in attendance.

Lynn Verity, London VAPC Chairman, said: “We hope the workshop will lead to a coalition of the willing. Housing is an incredibly complex and emotive subject; put it together with a special group like Veterans and it can become even more so.”

“But after today we think it’s possible agreement may emerge on, for example, what is best practice; something that could be of real use not just in London but also in other parts of the UK.”

Representatives from major charities and veteran welfare organisations also attended, including Veterans UK and the MOD. The University of Kent will create a research programme based on contributions from attendees.

The VAPC has said that they aim to collaborate with local authorities to create a better situation for veterans. The 2019 Homeless Veterans in London report recommended local authorities ensuring housing organisations know how to check for service records, improve their service for veterans, and keep staff updated on the law and their duty towards former servicemen and women.

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Residents asked to view Midlands flood protection scheme

People living near Perry Barr and Witton have been invited to comment on a new Midlands flood protection scheme to reduce the risk of flooding in the area.

People living near a Midlands flood protection scheme being built in Sandwell Valley Country Park, to reduce flood risk in Perry Barr and Witton, are being invited to visit the site. The £42.3m scheme is being built by the Environment Agency in partnership with Birmingham City Council and local levy funds, and is expected to be completed in September 2020.

Part of the scheme involves creating a flood storage area and, when finished, it will reduce the flood risk to 1,400 properties. Local residents are being invited to visit the scheme on 11 June to look at what is being done and to learn more about the scheme.

Project Manager for the Environment Agency Josh Harris said: “This is a major flood risk management scheme for the West Midlands and we want to keep residents updated on our progress. We hope to see plenty of people coming along to see what we’re doing.”

Consultation is also due to be held on a Perry Barr Highways scheme. The £27.1 million project – which includes the removal of the A34 flyover, the retention of the A34 underpass and the replacement of the A34/A4040 roundabout with a four-arm signal junction – was approved by Cabinet on February 12 of this year.

The scheme will now go out to consultation from June 3 to July 19, when people are invited to have their say on the proposed new road layout and other measures. In addition, there would be new cycling routes, improved footpaths, removal of subways and landscape improvements.

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Galliford Try secures RAF construction contract

Galliford Try has been awarded a construction contract by BAE Systems to build facilities for a Typhoon squadron at RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire.

The £23million construction contract will create new facilities for 12 squadron, a joint RAF/Qatar Emir Air force unit. The building will use both traditional construction techniques and modular building.

Galliford Try also signed a £7.9million contract with the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) to build an accommodation block for personnel training at the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines (CTCRM). The facilities will include a 181-bed block for junior ranks, with eight-bed rooms and ten-bed rooms, as well as supporting offices, and a communal area at the site near Lympstone, Devon.

Keith Yarham, Defence Director for Galliford Try, said: “Defence is a key sector for our business and one in which we have a growing reputation for building high-quality, technically demanding facilities. The award of these two contracts demonstrates the breadth of our offering to the sector and our ability to deliver appropriate solutions for our clients.”

Simon Jones, the DIO Project Manager, said: “This new accommodation will be purpose-built for personnel at CTCRM Lympstone. We are looking forward to working with both Galliford Try and our technical services partner AECOM on providing these essential facilities.”

The company released plans for the design of the Lincolnshire facilities. The contract comes after the sale of Typhoon jets to Qatar.

As well as accommodation the company will also provide aircraft hangars for Typhoon jets, flight line shelters, and a training building at RAF Coningsby. Galliford Try has recently scaled back parts of its business, reducing operations by a third in some areas.

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IHS data shows decline in construction work in May

New data from the IHS shows that there was a sharp decline in construction work in May, the largest fall since March of last year.

The data shows that the weakest performing sector remains commercial construction work, and there was also the sharpest decline in workforce numbers in seven years. Despite a slight increase in house building, overall growth suffered from a drop in civil engineering as well as commercial construction.

At 48.6 in May, down from 50.5 in April, the headline seasonally adjusted IHS Markit/CIPS UK Construction Total Activity Index registered below the 50.0 no change mark for the third time in the past four months. The latest reading was the lowest since the snow-related downturn in construction output during March 2018.

Duncan Brock, Group Director at the Chartered Institute of Performance and Supply, said: “A fragile dreariness descended on the sector this month with lower workloads leading to the fastest decline in purchasing of construction materials since September 2017. With the continuing uncertainty around Brexit and instabilities in the UK economy, client indecision affected new orders which fell at their fastest since March 2018 and particularly affected commercial activity.”

“The previously unshakeable housing sector barely kept its head above water, growing at its weakest level since February as residential building started to lose momentum. The biggest shock however, came in the form of job creation as hesitancy to hire resulted in the largest drop in employment for six and a half years.”

Civil engineering fell for the fourth month in a row with construction companies blaming low client budgets and political uncertainty in the face of Brexit. There was a decline in orders received by construction companies and many practised more cautious recruitment strategies.

Companies also reported supply chain pressure and a decline in purchasing from clients. There were reports of a shortage of materials and a longer lead time among vendors which affected sales.

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Work begins on Northampton government land housing development

Construction has begun on 212 new homes in a housing development in Northampton on government land owned by Homes England.

Built by Morris Homes, the government land scheme will form part of a wider 860 home development on land owned by the Government’s housing agency, Homes England, who have also invested £77 million in infrastructure for the district, including roads and parkland. Morris will deliver a mix of apartments and two, three and four bedroom houses at the site.

Around 1,000 homes have already been built at Upton, and Upton Park and Upton Lodge are planning to deliver 2,200 new homes in Northampton in total. The first phase of Upton Park homes are expected to be available in Spring 2020.

Stephen Kinsella, Executive Director for Land at Homes England said: “The start on site at Upton Park marks the beginning of a new neighbourhood for Northampton.”

“The development will offer a range of homes to meet the needs of local people, building on the success of the new community at Upton.”

Martin O’Toole, Regional Managing Director (Eastern) from Morris Homes said: “We are delighted to be working with Homes England on this new phase of development in the village of Upton. The Upton Park development will be a welcome addition to Northampton, and we are looking forward to it opening during summer 2019.”

Homes England is also seeking further planning permission for its Upton Lodge site to build a further 1,400 homes. The current project has been identified as appropriate by the local council, going with the requirements of their Local Plan.

The priority for the project is to create affordable housing that meets the needs of the local area and can be delivered quickly. The government is aiming to create 300,000 new homes by the mid-2020s along with supporting infrastructure.

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