It has been announced that Owen Pugh GDC, a leading northeastern civil engineering practice has been successful in earning a £1.1m project for infrastructure works in line with a leading Newcastle-upon-Tyne housing scheme. The contract, to see Owen Push complete a series of works, such as the installation of roads,
Good news for industry equality; it has recently been announced that the quantity of women holding positions in the construction sector has recently risen to one of the highest figures since the establishment of records. Heralding a positive step forward in equality and diversity for the construction sector, the news
It has been announced that Owen Pugh GDC, a leading northeastern civil engineering practice has been successful in earning a £1.1m project for infrastructure works in line with a leading Newcastle-upon-Tyne housing scheme. The contract, to see Owen Push complete a series of works, such as the installation of roads, sewers and complete plot works, exists to support the some 37 affordable new homes in Fenham. It is estimated at present that the project will take approximately a year for Owen Pugh to complete and will also include complementary works to the main project ambitions, such as hardscaping, paving and road surfacing; effectively taking the organisation closer to offer a complete infrastructure package for the scheme. Also heralding the first time with the Owen Pugh has worked with the development company, Gentoo Homes, expectations are assuredly high and only time will tell as to how Owen Pugh impresses on the project. Owen Pugh GDC’s Business Development Manager, Steve Hamilton expressed his delight in being awarded the project, and the ability to deliver the much-needed infrastructure for the area, then adding: “It’s real coup to have been recognised as a preferred supplier. This is a significant piece of work for the GDC team and one which we are well placed to deliver.” As such, optimism is rife, from Owen Pugh, the Gentoo Group and also from the locality, with the prospectus of delivering a project which will benefit the area together. The development at which the project is to be undertaken, called the Calderstone development, is situated some 2.5 miles west of the Newcastle city centre, and includes a combination of two, three and four-bedroom residential properties for those looking to get onto the property ladder, as well as those looking for affordable residential family housing; as such, the properties are starting at prices of just £155,950, a very manageable sum in comparison to present average property prices.
Good news for industry equality; it has recently been announced that the quantity of women holding positions in the construction sector has recently risen to one of the highest figures since the establishment of records. Heralding a positive step forward in equality and diversity for the construction sector, the news is quite well received from an ethical perspective and, whilst firstly highlighting the increase in female construction workers taken on, yet also showcases the level of interest from women in construction careers. Highlighted in statistics provided by the Office for National Statistics, it can be seen that the quantity of female construction operatives has seen a growth of some 9.9% on a yearly basis, reaching levels of 277,000 at the close of 2015 – this figure being at a high not seen over the course of the last twenty years, when the last record was set in 1996. Surprisingly, it has also been seen that the sheer rate at which female construction workers have been hired has actually been at a more rapid pace than male construction workers, with the total number of male workers only rising by 6.6% in the 12 months up to the close. Most specifically, each quarter of 2015 showed a 1.5% increase in the number of female workers in the sector, with the increase in male workers trailing behind at a 1% increase er quarter. Of course, the sector is far from entirely equal, with these figures, yes, highlighting positive change, but the industry does indeed remain more weighted towards male workers. As of present, the overall proportion of women making up the construction sector’s workforce sits at 19.9%, which is a considerable increase on the figure of 11.9% shown when the records were first initialised. And so, while considerable progress is still hoped for from an equality perspective, these figures highlighted over the course of the year to paint a very positive picture, both from the perspective of interest levels and of the take-up of female construction workers as a whole.