The Government is to continue its efforts to increase housing stock following the result of the EU referendum. Communities Secretary Greg Clark and Housing Minister Brandon Lewis said the Government remained committed to tackling the shortage of new homes. In a meeting with the Home Builders Federation (HBF), they said
Category: Construction Industry Today | Subscribe to Construction Industry Today Feed Published Fri, Jun 17th 2016 Caped crusaders from Keyline, the UK’s leading specialist supplier of civils and drainage solutions and heavy building materials, will take their fight against evil onto the road as they take part in an international
Fit-out specialist Styles&Wood reports a clutch of diverse contract awards worth £23m in total. Above: Chief executive Tony Lenehan The six projects are across the commercial office, healthcare and hospitality sectors in London and the northwest. In the commercial office sector, Styles&Wood has a £6.2m contract for a 56,000 sq
Prysmian is staging a series of roadshows to demonstrate how cables that may look similar can perform very differently, highlighting the potential dangers of selecting poor quality products. The All Cables Are Not The Same (ACANTS) roadshow was launched in April, with further events planned to take place around the
UK manufacturer of power and distribution transformers, Winder Power, has been shortlisted by the Living Wage Foundation for the Living Wage Champion Awards 2016 in the Yorkshire & Humber region. The awards recognise Living Wage Foundation employers who have made significant contributions to communities and industries by implementing and celebrating
The first scaffolding training centre to deliver apprenticeships and commercial courses in the North East of Scotland has officially opened its doors. The state of the art facility, which has received over £1 million in investment, is a partnership between the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) and ASET International Oil
A new £2 million training and research centre at the Port of Blyth will be opened next week by the Duchess of Northumberland. The launch will mark the next phase of the Blyth Education and Community Hub (BEACH), a development to regenerate the Blyth coastline. The first stage delivered a
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is launching two new and innovative building contracts next month (November 5). Designed to be used in conjunction with RIBA’s Architect’s Appointment Agreements for Small Projects (domestic and concise forms), the new contracts are fully aligned with the RIBA Plan of Work 2013.
Clugston Construction, part of the privately owned Clugston Group, has secured a multi-million pound contract to build a new Lidl supermarket in Scarborough. The scheme is one of a new generation of sleek energy efficient stores currently being rolled out throughout the UK by Lidl, and is being built by
Laing O’Rourke topped August’s contractor league table after it signed the £850m deal for the St James Quarter project. The firm had been lined up by TH Real Estate for the Edinburgh commercial development having undertaken enabling works, before finalising the main contractor agreement in August. That sole contract was
The Government is to continue its efforts to increase housing stock following the result of the EU referendum. Communities Secretary Greg Clark and Housing Minister Brandon Lewis said the Government remained committed to tackling the shortage of new homes. In a meeting with the Home Builders Federation (HBF), they said that the target for a million new homes was still a “top priority”. Peter Andrew, deputy chairman of the HBF, welcomed the announcement. “We were very pleased to hear the Secretary of State reaffirm the Government’s commitment to increasing housing supply,” he said. “House-builders remain confident in the underlying level of demand for housing and will continue to deliver the homes the country needs.” Estimates from the HBF suggest that around 245,000 new homes are needed each year in England. In order to bring an end to the shortage, ministers announced a target to build a million new homes in England by 2020 last year. Among the factors thought to be causing the shortfall are complicated planning procedures and a drop in the number of councils building new homes. It is also thought that a shortage of skilled workers may be preventing developers from increasing construction rates. As a way to plug the skills gap, the Government is also aiming to create three million apprenticeships by 2020. It has protected the term “apprenticeship” in law to ensure the vocational training programmes are seen on an equal footing to career paths such as university degrees. Figures from the National House Building Council (NHBC) show that there was an increase in the number of new homes completed last month. According to the NHBC, there were 12,045 completions in May 2016 compared to 11,149 in May 2015. Overall, almost 13,000 new homes were registered to be built in May, the figures show. Meanwhile, the HBF has said that sales rates have so far not been affected by the referendum result last week. Source link
Category: Construction Industry Today | Subscribe to Construction Industry Today Feed Published Fri, Jun 17th 2016 Caped crusaders from Keyline, the UK’s leading specialist supplier of civils and drainage solutions and heavy building materials, will take their fight against evil onto the road as they take part in an international car rally. Drivers will embrace the Superheroes & Villains theme as they head from Northampton to St Tropez this month to raise vital funds for Prostate Cancer UK. Posted via Industry Today. Follow us on Twitter @IndustryToday Caped crusaders from Keyline, the UK’s leading specialist supplier of civils and drainage solutions and heavy building materials, will take their fight against evil onto the road as they take part in an international car rally. Drivers will embrace the Superheroes & Villains theme as they head from Northampton to St Tropez this month to raise vital funds for Prostate Cancer UK. This will be the seventh year in a row that Keyline has organised the event and those taking part are hoping to raise in excess of £100,000. Twenty-four cars made up of teams from Keyline’s staff, along with its suppliers and customers, have chosen themes that include Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Catwoman, Thor and The Flash. All teams will gather at the starting line in Northampton on Wednesday 22 June. After crossing the English Channel at Dover, the cars will travel over 1000 miles, via Soissons and Grenoble, before reaching the beautiful French town of St. Tropez on Friday 24 June. Once again, ex-international footballer and ambassador of Prostate Cancer UK, Luther Blissett, will be embarking on the fundraising adventure. He said: “Taking part in the Keyline rally again is a dream come true to me. Anything that involves driving is very close to my heart and although it is not a racing circuit, the rally is all about driving, strategy and endurance, which is what team48, my Alfa racing team, is all about. It’s a great test of motoring but is ultimately about saving men’s lives so that they can go on to fulfil their dreams.” “This year the rally theme is superheroes and villains. Who will I be? You will have to wait and see. However, in the end the only real villain is prostate cancer and everyone who participates in this event or donates to this incredible cause are definitely superheroes. One man dies of prostate cancer every hour and so getting across the important message that we need to stop ignoring this disease and raise awareness and funds is vital.” Keyline’s partnership with Prostate Cancer UK began in 2010, initially pledging to raise £25,000 in that one year alone. However, through the fantastic efforts of staff and customers, together with the support from the team at Prostate Cancer UK, the partnership has helped to raise more than £1.2 million. Every year 42,000 men in the UK are diagnosed with prostate cancer, with over 10,500 men dying from the illness. The money raised from the Keyline rally will help fund vital research into tests, treatments and the causes of prostate cancer. Kieran Griffin, Managing Director of Keyline, said: “This will be the seventh annual Keyline rally and each year we receive fantastic support from our employees, suppliers and valued customers, as well as the outstanding team at Prostate Cancer UK. Since launching the partnership, we have raised more than £1.2 million for the charity, which contributes to the fantastic work undertaken to help fight this terrible disease.” James Beeby, Director of Fundraising at Prostate Cancer UK said: “This is the first time I’ve taken part in the Keyline Rally and I can’t wait to hit the road. All that’s left now is putting together the playlist! Keyline has given a phenomenal amount of support to the work of Prostate Cancer UK, both in terms of helping to raise awareness and vital funds. Ignoring prostate cancer won’t beat it and I urge everyone to join us in fighting back against the disease.” Contact information lizzie woolley weston partnership 29 Kingswood road london SW2 4JE 07881 923 530 Source link
Fit-out specialist Styles&Wood reports a clutch of diverse contract awards worth £23m in total. Above: Chief executive Tony Lenehan The six projects are across the commercial office, healthcare and hospitality sectors in London and the northwest. In the commercial office sector, Styles&Wood has a £6.2m contract for a 56,000 sq ft Grade A commercial fit-out at One St Peter’s Square in Manchester. This is Styles&Wood’s second contract in this development, following its appointment to fit-out DLA Piper’s offices in 2015. It is also working on the £3m, 45,000 sq ft fit-out of Dakota House, a three-storey office building in Concord Business Park in Wythenshawe. This work includes a new glazed main entrance curtain wall and feature canopy and the complete renewal of all mechanical and electrical services; and Thirdly in this sector it is refurbishing Irongate House, a 26,000 sq ft office building in the City of London. Irongate is the second major contract the Group has secured with Aviva Investors, following its contract to refurbish Westminster House in Manchester in September 2015. In the healthcare sector Styles&Wood is delivering the £3m fit-out and refurbishment of a treatment clinic in Manchester for CARE Fertility. The contractor is having to work around staff and patients as the facility remains occupied and in operation during works. Finally, in the hospitality sector, Styles&Wood is working on two hotel contracts for easyHotels. In Manchester it is stripping out and refurbishing a listed five-storey building on Dale Street to create a 115-room hotel. And in Liverpool it is doing a similar job on a vacant six-storey site on Castle Street, creating a 70-room hotel. Chief executive Tony Lenehan said: “We are delighted with these contract wins, which demonstrate how the group is leveraging its unique skillset and capabilities to boost growth. The strength of our design and build offer, and in particular our team’s track record of delivering projects on time and on budget across a range of sectors, has seen us appointed to a number of high-profile developments across the UK. This is a further endorsement of our diversification strategy, which continues to bear fruit and is enabling the business to support clients across industries as diverse as healthcare and hospitality. “While we are continuing to win work and expand our portfolio in a variety of markets, the commercial fit-out sector also remains an important source of work for the business. The Manchester market in particular has witnessed a surge in activity in recent months, and as demand for premium space remains high, particularly across the northwest, we are expecting this is trend to continue.” This article was published on 10 Jun 2016 (last updated on 10 Jun 2016). Source link
Prysmian is staging a series of roadshows to demonstrate how cables that may look similar can perform very differently, highlighting the potential dangers of selecting poor quality products. The All Cables Are Not The Same (ACANTS) roadshow was launched in April, with further events planned to take place around the country over the summer. ACANTS was devised in reaction to an influx of sub-standard cable products from across Europe and beyond. While many of these products may look similar and make similar claims to those of legitimate cable manufactured to stringent quality standards, the actual performance can vary widely. Prysmian identified a need to demonstrate to the whole supply chain the importance of selecting the right cable and conceived the roadshow format. Hosted by the BBC’s Dallas Campbell, the inaugural ACANTS roadshow took place at Port Solent near Portsmouth in front of an audience including wholesalers, installers and some of the UK’s largest electrical contractors. Future events will be staged at a series of locations across the UK including Manchester and London. Using videos and live demonstrations of testing procedures, the roadshows vividly illustrate how differently individual cables perform. The premise was simply to collect cable samples from the market and test them in Prysmian facilities for the characteristics they should offer or claim to offer to see the results. Several types of test were undertaken, with some being filmed in the Prysmian fire test laboratories. Films of the most dramatic fire testing were screened, highlighting the financial and life threatening effects of choosing the wrong cable. Martin Boorman, product sales manager at Prysmian, said: “The event was a resounding success. Simply showing people how much difference there is in the performance of similar looking cables proved a real eye-opener and we are looking forward to bringing ACANTS to new audiences as the roadshow programme is developed.” Source link
UK manufacturer of power and distribution transformers, Winder Power, has been shortlisted by the Living Wage Foundation for the Living Wage Champion Awards 2016 in the Yorkshire & Humber region. The awards recognise Living Wage Foundation employers who have made significant contributions to communities and industries by implementing and celebrating the Living Wage, an hourly rate set independently by the Foundation and updated each year, calculated according to the basic cost of living using the ‘Minimum Income Standard’ for the UK. Decisions about what to include in this standard are set by the public; a social consensus about the amount people require to make ends meet, and Winder Power has been a proud supporter of the initiative over the last three years. There are currently more than 2,700 accredited Living Wage Foundation employers throughout the UK, all who have signed up voluntarily, who recognise that adhering to the Government’s national living minimum wage is not good for business. As a living wage employer, this commitment means that every employee at Winder Power, regardless of whether they are permanent employees or third-party contractors; receive a minimum hourly wage of £8.25 – significantly higher than the Government’s national living wage of £7.20. Speaking following the shortlist announcement, Laurence MacKenzie, group chief executive of Winder Power, said, “We’re absolutely delighted to have been recognised by the Living Wage Foundation and to have been shortlisted for their Living Wage Champion Awards. Making a public commitment to be a responsible employer is important for Winder Power as many Winder Power staff are from the local community and we are a proud British manufacturer producing all of our products in Yorkshire. We are committed to ensuring that we provide this community, and the UK, with sustainable employment and maintain, and indeed create, jobs in this country; and we believe the Living Wage Foundation accreditation aids us in this objective.”
The first scaffolding training centre to deliver apprenticeships and commercial courses in the North East of Scotland has officially opened its doors. The state of the art facility, which has received over £1 million in investment, is a partnership between the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) and ASET International Oil & Gas Training Academy (ASET). The centre is based at Clinterty in Aberdeen and provides high quality professional training and a comprehensive portfolio of CISRS (Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme) and SQA (Scottish Qualifications Authority) accredited scaffolding courses. These will train and upskill the Scottish workforce and benefit both the construction and oil and gas industries. David Mosley, CISRS Scheme Manager, said: “The possibility of a second CISRS accredited centre in Scotland has been discussed at length. We are delighted that ASET and CITB have built an excellent facility and we wish them a very successful future.” Nine learners from throughout Scotland have started their apprenticeships this week. Dundee based employer Kevin Malone of Skyline Scaffolding Ltd, employs apprentice scaffolder Darren Holt, who has just started his training at the new site. Kevin commented: “I was extremely happy when I heard the new centre was opening. It is long overdue, and will certainly be a great boost for scaffolding training in the area.” Atholl Menzies, Chief Executive at ASET, added: “This is an exciting time for ASET and CITB as we now begin to realise our vision of creating a centre of excellence for scaffolding training in the North of Scotland. This purpose–built facility is perfectly positioned to meet the demand for accredited training at introductory and advanced levels – from Dundee to Shetland. “The apprenticeship provision will help to attract new entrants into the industry, making an important contribution to the local economy. The extensive range of commercial courses available will open up new opportunities for employers and individuals alike.
A new £2 million training and research centre at the Port of Blyth will be opened next week by the Duchess of Northumberland. The launch will mark the next phase of the Blyth Education and Community Hub (BEACH), a development to regenerate the Blyth coastline. The first stage delivered a maritime heritage centre, an Engineering and Marine Science base for Newcastle University along with a new facility for the training and community outreach charity, Blyth Tall Ship. Now, the base will allow Port of Blyth’s training subsidiary Port Training Services to develop its offering of NVQ’s and plant training, while enhancing its delivery of apprenticeships and community engagement through a schools partnership. Newcastle University’s Emerson Cavitation Tunnel Laboratory, situated at the centre, will offer an environment for the study of propulsion, water turbine, coating technology, ice research and a series other niche areas of research. Northumberland College’s wind turbine technician training facility is to be backed and certificated by international renewable energy training and certification body BZEE. This latest phase of the hub has attracted significant funding from the Coastal Communities Fund, North East LEP and Sport England, whilst all the partners have contributed significantly to the total budget for the scheme. Martin Lawlor, Chief Executive of Port of Blyth, commented: “We’re delighted to be opening phase two on the back of a record year at the Port. “The significant benefits of the project reflect the commitment that the Port and all partners in the development have to training, research and opportunities for the community”.
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is launching two new and innovative building contracts next month (November 5). Designed to be used in conjunction with RIBA’s Architect’s Appointment Agreements for Small Projects (domestic and concise forms), the new contracts are fully aligned with the RIBA Plan of Work 2013. The new contracts have been designed in response to feedback from members of RIBA members who have called for improvement and innovation within the building contracts that are currently available. The RIBA Domestic Building Contract offers a simple, comprehensive and legally appropriate contract solution for all types of non-commercial work, such as renovations, extensions, maintenance and new buildings. The contract is endorsed by the HomeOwners Alliance. The RIBA Concise Building Contract will provide a complete contract solution to cover small scale commercial building projects of a standard and straightforward nature. The new RIBA Building Contracts form part of a move towards a holistic suite of project contracts that can be prepared and stored digitally and are more relevant and focused around the needs of those undertaking smaller projects – a more intelligent and flexible suite of documents that are easier to use, yet reduce risks to both parties and the project overall. The RIBA is also working on updating the suite of RIBA Agreements, to be available as an online tool. Key innovations incorporated into the new RIBA Building Contracts: Allows effective collaboration between the client/employer and contractor Facilitates good management of the project from start to completion Fair and equitable terms for all parties Provides an effective way of managing payments to the contractor Flexible payment options Flexibility to propose suppliers and sub-contractors Provides a straightforward method for dealing with changes to the project within specified timescales Option for completion in stages Comprehensive insurance provisions Terms compliant with the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations for consumer clients
Clugston Construction, part of the privately owned Clugston Group, has secured a multi-million pound contract to build a new Lidl supermarket in Scarborough. The scheme is one of a new generation of sleek energy efficient stores currently being rolled out throughout the UK by Lidl, and is being built by Clugston Construction’s North East office. Once complete in January next year, it will form a key part of a wider residential development, also under construction on the site of the Town’s former football stadium. The new store is designed to put customers and Lidl employees at the heart of it, while also boasting a brand new architectural structure and spacious layout which, with its wider aisles, longer tills, restroom and baby changing facilities, will offer an enhanced shopping experience and superior welfare facilities for Lidl’s growing customer base. The new concept Lidl store will also use the latest energy efficient technology to cut down on its environmental impact. The building will reduce the CO2 emission rate by more than 20% in comparison with a building of the same type, size and use; which is around 40 tons of CO2 per year. This is equal to nine households, which would take eight cars off the road for a year or flying a jumbo jet for over 700 miles. Commenting on the new store Lidl UK Regional Head of Property, David Murphy, said: “We are really excited at the prospect of bringing a new store to Scarborough. This marks a substantial investment in the local community and will create 40 new jobs when the store opens. We would like to take the opportunity to thank everyone for their support and look forward to opening our doors in the not too distant future.” Andy Mackintosh, Clugston Construction regional manager for the North East commented, “We’re delighted to be working on the Lidl development in Scarborough, which continues Clugston Construction’s expansion in the region. We are looking forward to delivering a successful project.” Clugston Construction is working alongside Space Architecture and structural engineering company, HPBW Civil & Engineering Service on the project.
Laing O’Rourke topped August’s contractor league table after it signed the £850m deal for the St James Quarter project. The firm had been lined up by TH Real Estate for the Edinburgh commercial development having undertaken enabling works, before finalising the main contractor agreement in August. That sole contract was enough to send Laing O’Rourke to the league summit, according to construction intelligence provider Glenigan – the first time it has topped the monthly table since November 2015. Bouygues took second for August with a £492.5m haul across eight projects. Underpinning this was £236m of work secured by Bouygues subsidiary Colas Rail on the extension of the Midlands Metro. Galliford Try claimed third spot for the period with £293.9m spanning 11 deals, including a £175m regeneration scheme for Genesis Housing Association and Queens Park Rangers at Old Oak Common. Fourth-placed McLaren owed its place primarily to a £155m distribution centre development for Roxhill & the London Distribution Park, while Skanska finalised another of the month’s stand-out deals: a £65m package at Great Ormond Street. Top 10 contractors, year to Aug 2016 Contractor No Total (£m) 1 Bouygues 43 2486.5 2 Royal Bam 89 2389.4 3 Morgan Sindall 306 1845.1 4 Kier 294 1748.7 5 Laing O’Rourke 22 1734.3 6 Galliford Try 146 1726.0 7 Balfour Beatty 76 1621.7 8 Carillion 43 1402.6 9 Wates 127 1311.7 10 Mace 37 1152.6 League tables are subject to revision Top 10 contractors, August 2016 Contractor No Total (£m) 1 Laing O’Rourke 1 850.0 2 Bouygues 8 492.5 3 Galliford Try 11 293.9 4 McLaren 3 265.4 5 Lendlease 4 231.6 6 Balfour Beatty 5 181.1 7 Burmeister & Wain 1 160.0 8 Graham 6 124.5 9 VolkerWessels 11 122.6 10 Siemens Rail 1 105.0 League tables are subject to revision Its strong month kept Bouygues at the top of the annual contractor league, despite second-placed Bam closing the gap. Morgan Sindall climbed to third for the 12 months to August after Balfour Beatty slipped to seventh, while Kier was up two places to fourth. Bowmer & Kirkland was a notable mover, gaining three spots to sit 14th, while Multiplex went one better in rising four places from 19th to 15th.
