May 23, 2019

Innovative £320k development aids pupil’s wellbeing

Schoolchildren in Cheshire are enjoying a renewed sense of health and wellbeing, following a ground-breaking project at Alsager School. The £320k development has provided students with space to enjoy the fresh air – whatever the weather. Tasked with overseeing the design, build and installation of a sleek new ETFE canopy

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£40m Great Yarmouth flood defence upgrade set to start

Tidal defences in Great Yarmouth are set to receive a £40.3 million refurbishment, upgrading the level of protection from tidal flooding to more than 4,500 homes and businesses in the area. Nearly 4km of flood walls will be improved and updated as part of the project which will better protect

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Willmott Dixon awards REL £1.9m M&E contract

Willmott Dixon has selected REL Building Services to deliver the M&E package for a new £12m facility at the University of Hertfordshire. Part-funded by the Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), the three-storey ‘Business Hub’ is due to be completed in 2020. Designed by Bond Bryan, it will bring business incubator,

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Issue 323 : Dec 2024

May 23, 2019

Innovative £320k development aids pupil’s wellbeing

Schoolchildren in Cheshire are enjoying a renewed sense of health and wellbeing, following a ground-breaking project at Alsager School. The £320k development has provided students with space to enjoy the fresh air – whatever the weather. Tasked with overseeing the design, build and installation of a sleek new ETFE canopy to enclose what was previously an open courtyard, Access North Build has made waves within the education sector with its industry-first solution. Yorkshire-headquartered Access North Build designed, developed and installed a pioneering solution, a lightweight steel space frame – the first of its kind supporting an ETFE membrane in the UK – erected to span the quad, thus enclosing the area beneath. Alsager School site manager, Matt Harris, explained: “Fresh air plays a pivotal part in the wellbeing and health of people of all ages. Creating a space which allows students to ‘go outside’ while providing protection from the elements – including rain and solar shielding – is key to supporting their development.” Engineered to carry more weight over a greater area – in order to provide plenty of natural light and promote student wellbeing – the greatest challenge was the location and layout of the outdoor space, which was enclosed by existing buildings on all sides. As a result, the superstructure – which is over 400 square feet in size – had to be assembled in the school car park before being carefully manoeuvred over the establishment and precisely into position on the pre-installed locating bolts. Access North Group managing director, Berenice Northcott added: “This type of ETFE enclosure provides an extremely beneficial space for organisations within the education sector where student wellbeing is crucial. Additionally, the new ETFE canopy has a design life of 70 years providing it is regularly maintained, but if the time comes when it is no longer required, the ETFE membrane and steel space frame are recyclable, extending the environmental-friendliness of the build with the circular economy in mind. “We relished the challenges of this particular project. Craning a huge space frame over a school and courtyard – which was bordered on all sides – without damaging buildings or people, was a testament to the planning, organisation and attention to detail of the team. The new roof has transformed a previously under-utilised area into a light and airy multifunctional space, resulting in a positive impact on staff and pupils.”

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£40m Great Yarmouth flood defence upgrade set to start

Tidal defences in Great Yarmouth are set to receive a £40.3 million refurbishment, upgrading the level of protection from tidal flooding to more than 4,500 homes and businesses in the area. Nearly 4km of flood walls will be improved and updated as part of the project which will better protect the local community from the threat of east coast flooding. Great Yarmouth has a history of flooding. During the 1953 east coast tidal surge, the tidal river defences in the town were breached in several places resulting in loss of life. More recently, in December 2013, approximately 9,000 people were urged to evacuate their homes as a result of the highest ever recorded tide in Great Yarmouth. The work will see 46 flood defence walls refurbished at locations across the town using an innovative technique that will extend their lifespan by up to 30 years. It follows on from the initial five-year phase of work which included the use of a specialised dam, known as a limpet dam, to inspect and repair the steel sheet piles that form the flood walls in a dry environment that would otherwise be underwater. Funding is now in place for the next phase of the multi-partner project, which is being led by the Environment Agency and due to start later this year. The £40.3 million investment, plus £6.2 million for ongoing maintenance, has come from a range of sources including £32.4 million provided by central government. Partnership contributions have come from New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership, £8.2 million through the Growth Deal programme, and £2.8 million from the Anglian Eastern Regional Flood & Coastal Committee. Norfolk County Council and Great Yarmouth Borough Council have also contributed towards the project and local quayside businesses are supporting through contributions and the provision of compound space.   Environment Minister Thérèse Coffey said: “I’m very pleased to see the funding is now in place for this significant improvement to Great Yarmouth’s flood defences. An extra £5.4 million of funding was added to our standard Defra grant in view of additional regeneration objectives to allow this project to proceed with important partnership funding contributions. “Over £32million from direct government investment alongside the partnership funding will ensure 4,500 homes and businesses in the area are better protected from any future tidal flooding.”    Sir James Bevan, Chief Executive of the Environment Agency said: “We have worked very closely with our partners to enable this important project to go ahead. The upgraded defences will ensure that the flood defences in Great Yarmouth provide the best standard of protection to the local community for many decades to come. “We are currently consulting on our Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy and this project is a perfect example of some of the ways in which, by working together, we can make communities more resilient for the future.” The first five-year phase of works to replace more than 500 metres of tidal defences was completed in early 2017. The next phase of works is being delivered by the Environment Agency’s contractor JBA-Bentley. Preliminary work for this new phase of improvements began in February. A public drop-in event is being held on 13 June, 2019 at the Kingsgate Community Church, Kings Centre, 30 Queen Anne’s Road, Great Yarmouth, NR31 0LE. The session, which runs from 2pm and 7pm, will offer people the chance to find out more about the project and the partners involved. Cllr Carl Smith, leader of Great Yarmouth Borough Council, said: “The River Yare Tidal Defences are a huge benefit to everyone who lives in, works in and visits our borough, reducing flood risk to our homes, workplaces, and the highways and other vital infrastructure that we use every day, better protecting communities and helping the borough to realise its full economic potential. “Together with the Environment Agency and local businesses, the borough council has played an instrumental role over the years in securing this crucial and most welcome investment from multiple sources, helping with lobbying and developing the robust business case. I’m pleased that work will soon be getting underway on the second phase.” Chair of the Anglia Eastern RFCC, Paul Hayden OBE, said: “Members visited Great Yarmouth both to see the great work that has already been completed on flood defences in the town, and to show their support for partners working together to deliver these vital further improvements. “Our £2.8m contribution to these works comes from a Local Levy collected across Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Southend and Thurrock, and this investment is a demonstration of our commitment to protecting homes, jobs and businesses, and in encouraging further economic investment in the town.” Doug Field, chair of New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “This project is a great example of how partnership working can deliver projects which have a real impact on our people, places and economy. “Great Yarmouth is a vital part of our all-energy coast. It sits at the centre of the world’s largest market for offshore wind and is of huge strategic importance to our region. “By protecting homes and businesses and creating a safe environment for more to be created, these sea defences will allow the town to reach its potential as a key contributor to our economy.”   Cllr Andrew Proctor, Leader of Norfolk County Council said: “This refurbishment work will help to safeguard the future prosperity of Great Yarmouth. This is an important funding partnership which we are happy to support.” The Environment Agency has been leading a conversation with people and organisations who are affected by or work to manage flooding and coastal change. We are now consulting on a draft strategy, which sets out a vision for a nation ready for, and resilient to, flooding and coastal change up to 2100.

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LINCOLN STUDENTS GET CONFIDENT WITH COLOUR AT BELL DECORATING ACADEMY THANKS TO CROWN PAINTS

Working in collaboration with Bell Decorating Group, Crown Paints marked the launch of the first Bell Decorating Academy in Lincoln with a morning of workshops for the students of Lincoln College. The workshops were hosted in the recently-opened Decorating Academy, which was created by Bell Decorating Group in partnership with Crown Paints, and took place on 3rd April 2019 at Lincoln College. Representatives from Bell Decorating Group and Crown Paints were on hand to answer any questions the students had. Alongside Bell Decorating Group CEO, Craig Bell, Crown’s contractor/specification sales manager for the central east region, Paul Burton, and Dave Hooper, regional sales manager central east attended the full session. As part of the event, 27 full-time learners from the college’s painting and decorating courses had the opportunity to learn more about how to choose colour and the factors that play into it from Crown Paints’ colour consultant Jemma Saunders. Apprentice Decorator of the Year judge Kevin O’Donnell was also on hand to provide a demonstration of paint application, showing the benefits of Crown Trade primers, the Fastflow system and Clean Extreme and provided hints and tips. Crown also donated products for the students to practice with after. Paul Wilcockson, lecturer at Lincoln College, said: “The session gave our learners a real insight into what painting and decorating is all about in the real world. The event created a real impression upon them afterwards, and our full-time learners seemed to be very motivated and keen to progress with their tasks following the workshops.” Crown Paints’ colour consultant, Jemma, said: “We are delighted to be supporting the Bell Decorating Academy at Lincoln College, and I very much enjoyed meeting the students and encouraging them to think about how to apply their knowledge of colour to real-world situations where they might be called on to advise their clients.” Bell Decorating Group’s Les Birtles, community engagement co-ordinator said: “The Bell Decorating Academy at Lincoln College is designed to support the painting and decorating students to gain valuable knowledge and fantastic work experience placements. It’s great to work collaboratively with Crown Paints again to give the students valuable knowledge and the hands-on nature of the morning helped them to improve their skills and their employability.” For more information on Crown Paints’ specification services, please call 0330 024 0310, email info@crownpaintspec.co.uk or visit www.crownpaintspec.co.uk. You can also follow @CrownTradePaint on Twitter and Crown Paints on LinkedIn.

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Willmott Dixon awards REL £1.9m M&E contract

Willmott Dixon has selected REL Building Services to deliver the M&E package for a new £12m facility at the University of Hertfordshire. Part-funded by the Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), the three-storey ‘Business Hub’ is due to be completed in 2020. Designed by Bond Bryan, it will bring business incubator, social, and teaching facilities all under one roof. REL will be responsible for developing the M&E design to optimise performance, energy efficiency and costs. The installation of the £1.9m solution is expected to take eight months. Toby Buckley, REL’s managing director said: “This exciting educational facility incorporates teaching spaces alongside open plan collaboration spaces that will allow entrepreneurial students to mix with local businesses and hopefully develop successful business relationships. “We will be drawing on our extensive experience of both the education and commercial sectors to design and deliver an M&E package that uses the most effective technology to drive efficiencies and meet all client objectives.” The Business Hub will feature a ground floor social space, an area dedicated to business incubation, providing local entrepreneurs with access to all of the University’s facilities, and a new learning space for students. Hertfordshire LEP has invested £2.5m from the Local Growth Fund towards the construction of the building as part of its strategic priority to support business growth and innovation within the county. REL has a long-established relationship with Willmott Dixon and has worked with the contractor on several major projects, including the award-winning St Albans Museum and Art Gallery.

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