The UK construction industry has hit the ground running at the beginning of the New Year. And while it failed to replicate the anomalous highs of December 2020, the latest set of monthly figures researched by Builders’ Conference & highlighted on BCLive table speak to a sector enjoying a period
Leeds-based property investor and car park operator, Town Centre Securities PLC (TCS), has secured its first new letting following the completion of a significant £2m refurbishment project at the iconic Ducie House in Manchester’s Piccadilly Basin. Textile company NB Avenue Limited, who supply and manufacture clothing to online retailers internationally,
Modular Group Investments has completed the acquisition of Euramax Solutions Limited, a manufacturer of fenestration products to the construction, modular and leisure markets. Michael Garratt, the founder and CEO of MGI said, “we invest in a range of sub-sectors across the MMC markets including component manufacturing and supply chain operators. MGI’s involvement with
Despite the uncertainty that many businesses have had to face since the emergence of Covid-19, specialist off-site building solutions provider, Bedfordshire-based Excel Structures, is optimistic that 2021 will be a year of opportunity. As Managing Director, Jason Pritchard comments: “Whilst 2020 had its challenges, from our own perspective MMC (Modern
THE ANNUAL in-depth review of the commercial property market across the East Midlands – published and presented by commercial property expert Innes England – will be going digital this year, for the first time ever in its 14-year history. The Innes England Market Insite report has been monitoring the regional property market
Christian Deilmann, Co-founder and Chief Product Officer at tado° outlines the measures needed to meet Europe’s and the UK’s climate targets. Heating and cooling in buildings and industry accounts for half of the energy consumption, and governments across Europe and the UK have begun to recognise the scale of this
Sika’s Roofing team has appointed Tim Halls as National Sales Manager for New Build roofing in England and Wales. Tim returns to the UK after spending the last 10 years working for Sika globally in Saudi Arabia, China and Vietnam. Throughout this period he has promoted Sika’s roofing products, systems
Workplace injuries interrupt smooth operations in industries and construction sites. To be compliant with the safety regulations, you need to install safety barriers strategically. Barriers help to prevent falls and limit access to potentially dangerous areas. Investing in safety will keep your workers safe and create a positive image for
BDC 319 : Aug 2024
The UK construction industry has hit the ground running at the beginning of the New Year. And while it failed to replicate the anomalous highs of December 2020, the latest set of monthly figures researched by Builders’ Conference & highlighted on BCLive table speak to a sector enjoying a period of prolonged positivity. Builders’ Conference CEO Neil Edwards looks over some pleasing figures. Huge tranches of HS2-related construction contracts – sadly – do not come along every month. So anyone expecting a repeat of the £12 billion plus in new contract awards recorded in December 2020 was always going to be disappointed. But with £6.2 billion in new contract awards in the first month of the New Year, the sector has blasted past the established £4.0 billion monthly benchmark to get 2021 off to a flying and reassuringly positive start. The largest single contract researched by Builders’ Conference for the month was a £940 million award that propelled Hill Partnership to the number one position on the BCLive league table. Let by client Poplar HARCA, the contract is for the creation of as many as 2,500 dwellings as part of the regeneration of the Teviot Estate in Poplar, East London. In second place for the month was Morgan Sindall, which collected an impressive 23 new contract awards worth a combined £507 million. The largest of these is a £312 million refurbishment and repair contract that is part of Highways England’s Collaborative Delivery Framework. The project will see the M40 and M42 motorways between M42 Junctions three and four and M40 Junction 16 upgraded to smart motorway status. That twenty three contract haul temporarily wrested the crown for the most awards in the month from long-term holder, Kier Group. However, Kier Group still claimed the number three position with 18 new awards valued at a combined £311 million. A key contributor to that total is a £200 million contract with Transport for London that will see significant improvements on some of the capital’s most infamous traffic black-spots including the Blackwall Tunnel, Rotherhithe Tunnel, and the A40 at Hangar Lane. Extending over a period of eight years, the contract will include safety inspections, cleaning and the installation of intelligent transport systems. With housing continuing to dominate the UK construction industry, Redrow Homes once again enjoyed a lofty position on the BCLive league table. The housing specialist started eight new contract awards during the month worth a combined £274 million, the largest of which is a £60 million contract for the creation of new three, four and five bedroom dwellings at Brizen View in Cheltenham. In a month in which road projects also enjoyed a welcome resurgence, Costain took the number five position on the BCLive league table with a single £250 million project for Highways England. That project is an improvement and widening scheme for a 6.5 kilometre stretch of the A1 from Birtley to Coal House that will provide dual three lanes and the replacement of the Allerdene Bridge. This project will be of key interest to equipment manufacturer Komatsu UK that builds its excavators at a factory in Birtley. Although that project will provide a welcome shot in the arm for the North East region, it was London and the Midlands that had most to celebrate in January 2021. With more than 100 new contract awards, London provided £1.87 billion in new contract awards while the combined East and West Midlands served up another £996 million. The North West region contributed a further £726 million while Scotland continues to play catch-up with a lowly £152 million. As has become the norm, housing dominated in the sector countdown, with 188 new contract awards valued at a combined £2.89 billion. But a marked uptick on roads (£962 million) and education (£823 million) point to a loosening of the government purse strings that will only add to the positivity of another impressive month. There is, of course, a very real possibility that the industry picture could change dramatically when the government’s furlough scheme comes to an end in March. But for now, there is much to celebrate as the UK construction sector continues to march ahead. Quick review of BCLive table for January 2021 310 no companies were detailed as winning new contracts during January 2021 551 no new construction orders were researched by Builders’ Conference all detailed on the UK’s only Live league table of construction contract awards BCLive Hill Partnerships secured overall top spot with a single contract worth £940 million Morgan Sindall Group secured most number of new construction orders in the month with 23no totaling £507.8 million Builders’ Conference real-time verified, independent, construction information, sales leads and research has neverbeen more important in allowing all types of businesses to receive LIVE construction information. Ensure your business has access to evidenced based premier construction project information from across the UK by becoming a member of the Builders’ Conference. Discover what is really happening in UK construction as well as critically analysing ALL our data via our built in report writing service. Go to www.buildersconference.co.uk/how-it-works for more information. We are a not for profit organisation who are dedicated to maintain our high level of services for as long as possible with the financial support of our membership. We firmly believe because it is the UK construction industries own information which we analyse no one should be paying vast sums to read it! Proud to have been bringing validated UK construction information since 1935.
Leeds-based property investor and car park operator, Town Centre Securities PLC (TCS), has secured its first new letting following the completion of a significant £2m refurbishment project at the iconic Ducie House in Manchester’s Piccadilly Basin. Textile company NB Avenue Limited, who supply and manufacture clothing to online retailers internationally, has leased the 2,692 sq ft Duplex 5 unit in the 33,000 sq ft Ducie House office conversion, which is now home to circa 20 tenants from various sectors including technology, marketing and fashion. Originally a petticoat factory, Ducie House has continually evolved with famous Manchester bands including Simply Red, 808 State, as well as ANS, Ask Developments and Ear to the Ground making appearances in the venue over the past 20 years. The recent refurbishment of its flexible office space has now created a new contemporary reception entrance; cycle storage; formal meeting rooms and booths; balcony break out areas; shower facilities and outdoor amenity space to meet the needs of modern businesses. The extensive renovation also includes the reconfiguration of suites on the first, second and third floors now offers potential occupiers individual units from 147 sq. ft to over 3,600 sq. ft. There is also the option to combine spaces to deliver over 11,700 sq. ft to suit the needs of larger businesses whilst also supporting organic growth of tenants within the Ducie House community. Nikita Banga, owner of NB Avenue said, “We are so excited to be moving into the new look Ducie House which is a great reflection of the culture and feel of our business. Being so close to the Northern Quarter, with all my favourite bars and restaurants within walking distance, is a huge bonus. The whole team can’t wait and it’s really helped boost morale which is currently so important following a challenging year working through a pandemic. It’s great to have our own private space as well as communal areas to access as part of the wider Ducie community and I feel our new home will further support the continuing growth of our business”. Chris Collins, Associate Director, Town Centre Securities (PLC) commented: “Ducie House is a well-loved office location in Manchester and the completion of the refurbishment works has ensured that existing and new tenants have the very best facilities within a unique character space. The reconfigured office suites make excellent use of the space, enabling us to be completely flexible for company’s looking to bring their business to this fantastic location and offer them the option to organically grow within the building in line with their requirements. “It is apt to be welcoming a textile company to this former petticoat factory and we look forward to welcoming additional tenants to our eclectic mix in the coming months.”
Modular Group Investments has completed the acquisition of Euramax Solutions Limited, a manufacturer of fenestration products to the construction, modular and leisure markets. Michael Garratt, the founder and CEO of MGI said, “we invest in a range of sub-sectors across the MMC markets including component manufacturing and supply chain operators. MGI’s involvement with Euramax will allow it to expand and develop the product portfolio to better serve our customer needs. We are delighted to be working with the Euramax team, which will remain unchanged, and look forward to an exciting period of development together”. Chris Butters, MGI Chairman stated “as a British company we are strategically focused on UK construction markets and specifically on the changing needs required by the expansion of the MMC sector. We look forward to working with our various stakeholders and our new colleagues in the large Barnsley facility. We are highly committed to quality, reliability and innovation which are attitudes already embedded in the ethos at Euramax so we are enthusiastic about future opportunities, despite the present Covid challenges”. Nick Cowley, Managing Director of Euramax said, “today’s announcement commences an exciting new chapter for Euramax. Together with MGI, we look forward to continuing our growth plans, developing new products and building strong partnerships with our customers”. The acquisition was supported by Hempsons providing legal advice, financing guidance by TML Finance and Advisory, Arc Pensions Law for specialist legal pensions advice and TC Group for tax and accounting advice. For more information, visit Modular Group Investments https://www.mginvestment.co.uk/ or Euramax Solutions https://www.euramaxuk.com/
Despite the uncertainty that many businesses have had to face since the emergence of Covid-19, specialist off-site building solutions provider, Bedfordshire-based Excel Structures, is optimistic that 2021 will be a year of opportunity. As Managing Director, Jason Pritchard comments: “Whilst 2020 had its challenges, from our own perspective MMC (Modern Methods of Construction), also referred to as offsite construction, gained increased momentum. Indeed given that the Covid pandemic has seen all businesses re-appraise how they do things, being able to build in a far more sustainable and environment friendly manner is generating increased interest. “Many builders, developers and self-builders are re-appraising the build methodologies available to them, so this presents us with an opportunity to really drive home the significance of delivering projects that are highly-energy efficient, sustainable and environment friendly,” adds Jason. Just words some might say, but the projects that Excel Structures completed in the Covid period speak for themselves. “Within the last twelve months we have completed projects that utilise all of the off-site building solutions that we are unique in being able to offer – SIPS (Structural Insulated Panels), Light Gauge Steel Frame, CLT (Cross Laminated Timber) and timber frame. And 2021 could paint the same picture. At the present time we are working on self-build projects, apartment developments and multiple housing schemes,” states Jason. In equal demand is the wide range of world class and high performance windows and doors that specialist division, Excel Façades, has to offer. All products deliver world-class performance when it comes to thermal and acoustic characteristics, and exceptional security protection, plus they are available as part of a structural solution or as a complete standalone offering. So what is Excel Structures USP? As Jason interjects: “Largely it rests with the fact that it can offer clients access to a range of off-site solutions – residential and non-residential – all of which are fully bespoke and tailored to individual customer requirements in terms of architectural design intent, budget and environmental impact. This has been achieved by establishing proven, sustainable, and scalable relationships with our specialist supply chain partners.” Excel Structures works closely with clients to ensure that the system most suited to a project is adopted. Components are then designed and manufactured under strict factory controlled parameters and delivered to site to create airtight and well insulated buildings. As Jason concludes: “Despite the existence of Covid, we have been fortunate in being able to turn adversity into opportunity. It is against this backdrop that we intend to ensure that Excel Structures remains committed to delivering the most suitable low carbon, offsite construction solution on every project.”
THE ANNUAL in-depth review of the commercial property market across the East Midlands – published and presented by commercial property expert Innes England – will be going digital this year, for the first time ever in its 14-year history. The Innes England Market Insite report has been monitoring the regional property market for more than a decade – providing individual focuses on Nottingham, Derby and Leicester and an insight into activity across a range of sectors including office, industrial, retail and investment markets. The event – which will take place on Thursday 11 February as a webinar including industry insights from the firm’s property experts as well as a live Q&A session – will examine the latest developments, property trends and the opportunities presented during a remarkable 12 months and consider ‘what next’ for the regional property market into 2021. Matthew Hannah, managing director at Innes England, said: “The last ten months have challenged us all to think differently and to innovate – and we are embracing that as we move to deliver our very first online Market Insite event. Our annual events are attended by some 400 people across the region so we are very much looking forward to delivering it in a digital format this year, with an engaging and interesting webinar – something that we have never done before. “We were determined to go ahead with the event and continue to deliver and present our annual review, despite the circumstances and challenges of not being able to hold a physical event. We hope that attendees will find Market Insite a useful reference point when considering market opportunities within the East Midlands and we are confident that people will really enjoy the webinar. “We will still be providing our well-respected market commentary that attendees can expect from Market Insite and people will have the opportunity to ask questions and interact with the key speakers, as they normally would – albeit without the traditional coffee and bacon sandwich. “As we all know, it has been a very challenging year for everyone, one of the most unpredictable years of many peoples’ lives – and the property sector has been no different. Flexibility has been a key theme as we move into 2021 and ensuring that people are well equipped with the right technology to deliver their best work has never been more important than it is now.” Key speakers for the Market Insite 2021 webinar from Innes England include director Peter Doleman, who will be discussing industrial and distribution trends, director Craig Straw who will be delivering the report on offices and managing director Matthew Hannah who will be overseeing the investment and retail report. To attend the Innes England Market Insite 2021 webinar, taking place on Thursday 11 February 9.30-10.30am please register here. Find out more at http://www.innes-england.com or join the conversation at @InnesEngland.
Christian Deilmann, Co-founder and Chief Product Officer at tado° outlines the measures needed to meet Europe’s and the UK’s climate targets. Heating and cooling in buildings and industry accounts for half of the energy consumption, and governments across Europe and the UK have begun to recognise the scale of this challenge and opportunity through financial incentives and legislation to make homes greener. A rapid acceleration of energy-efficient measures and a comprehensive digital energy transition are required in 2021 and beyond. Energy efficiency, the Green Deal and Climate Change Act The European Green Deal and the UK’s Climate Change Act – Europe’s and the UK’s plan to go carbon neutral by 2050 – is calling for the doubling of the number of energy-efficient renovations in homes. This would mean 35m homes being renovated to a higher energy-efficiency standard by 2030 – but this still leaves the vast majority of the 200m+ homes as energy inefficient. One of the key challenges is the high cost of purchasing and retrofitting promoted measures like insulation, heat pumps, and solar panels. We need to make sure that we start with the low-hanging fruit which in this case is smart heating and cooling controls. A smart thermostat typically costs under £200 with a payback of one or two years through the energy saved. No other energy-efficiency measure in homes comes close to the energy efficiency impact, low cost, easy installation, and fast energy-savings return. Smart thermostats are part of various country-specific laws and subsidy programs but more consideration is needed in the huge and impactful European Green Deal and Climate Change Act. Electrification of heat and grid integration Heat pumps are already being installed as standard in large parts of new European and UK buildings and homes. This is exactly the right way to go. Heat pumps have the capability to only consume a fraction of primary energy compared to what gas or oil heating systems need. The connectivity of heat pumps and air conditioning systems in combination with intelligent algorithms can result in a paradigm shift. Smarter heating and cooling will revolutionise the way energy is consumed and provide a valuable source of flexibility for regional and national grids. Europe and the UK need a fully integrated, interconnected and digitised energy market. This flexibility provided to the energy grid paves the way for more renewable energy without the need for backup power plants. The consumption will then react to when the sun shines or the wind blows without affecting comfort inside buildings. This means rolling out demand response solutions and agile tariffs. Remote diagnostics to reduce physical repair visits Another part of digitisation is reducing repair and maintenance efforts by half. By remotely monitoring the health and performance of heating and cooling systems, energy utilities and repair service providers are able to increase operational efficiency. Rather than wait for a boiler to break down, remote monitoring can inform the user or energy supplier of the issue before it fully materialises. Incidents are minimised and when an engineer does need to do a repair, he/she already knows what the issue is and what parts are required. This reduces the need to visit the home twice – first to identify the issue, second to come back with the right spare parts for the actual repair. Remote diagnostics reduces costs, cuts transport emissions, and minimises unnecessary contact in the current COVID-19 situation. An open platform which works across any system from any manufacturer In order to achieve the wide-scale benefits of digitising the heating and cooling sector, a solution which works for all households independent of the brand or type of heating system is the key. tado° has partners who provide tens of millions of customers across Europe and the UK with energy and who also repair millions of heating systems every year. There is naturally a wide variety of heating systems from hundreds of manufacturers across large customer bases. With a cross-manufacturer compatible tado° solution, we tackle exactly this challenge with the goal that our partners have the chance to offer all of their customers the same connectivity solution and a uniform smartphone application. Moreover, this allows their service centres to manage all of their customers’ heating systems in one remote diagnostics tool, and all aggregated systems into one network of demand response load.
Sika’s Roofing team has appointed Tim Halls as National Sales Manager for New Build roofing in England and Wales. Tim returns to the UK after spending the last 10 years working for Sika globally in Saudi Arabia, China and Vietnam. Throughout this period he has promoted Sika’s roofing products, systems and technologies to a vast number of worldwide customers. “Sika is a global company that has allowed me to have some wonderful adventures. I have worked with some of the world’s largest consultants and contractors while at the same time experiencing other cultures and Sika businesses. But this position in the UK was a great opportunity and one I couldn’t refuse, I’m looking forward to working with our strong team of 11 salespeople in the new build sector,” commented Tim Halls. Sika’s Roofing team in the UK provides three distinct roofing solutions for its customers: single ply membranes, liquid applied membranes and bituminous membranes from its leading brands – Sika Sarnafil, Sika Liquid Plastics, SikaBit and Sika-Trocal. As well as market leading technologies, Sika has expertise within its technical and applications support for both new build and refurbishment flat roof construction. “It’s been a challenging year for us all, but we’ve come together as a team and worked extremely hard to achieve encouraging results, especially in these difficult times. It is now more important than ever that we stay close to our customers and provide them with the support and products they require. Tim is well-placed to use the experience he has gained while working in the wider Sika global arena to enhance our offering. We are looking forward to his contribution and he will have a large part to play in the exciting developments we have planned for 2021,” Pete Hollingworth, Business Unit Manager – Roofing and Flooring, welcomed the return of Tim Halls to the Sika UK team.
Workplace injuries interrupt smooth operations in industries and construction sites. To be compliant with the safety regulations, you need to install safety barriers strategically. Barriers help to prevent falls and limit access to potentially dangerous areas. Investing in safety will keep your workers safe and create a positive image for your company. Here are useful tips you should know to assist you in choosing the right safety barriers. Assess your location Where do you want to place the barriers? For outdoor, barriers are subject to weather changes that can cause damage, depending on the material you choose. It is advisable to choose barriers made of concrete. The most popular are concrete jersey barriers, known to withstand all extreme environments. Concrete barriers can be in use for decades without any repairs needed. Flexible barriers can be used in sharp corners to absorb impact and reduce damage and potential harm to people during an accident. Check durability In construction sites where you use heavy equipment and vehicles, there is a need for durable barriers. In case of an accident, how well can they absorb shock from an impact? While they are put in place to reduce accidents, choose materials that can also lessen the damage in such an occurrence. A precast retaining wall has the most durable properties compared to any other material. Cost versus protection Not everything expensive is best for you. Again, what you find affordable might not translate to the protection you need. You have to research and pick barriers that will give you value for your money. Consulting an expert will help assess your need and balance it with the cost of each viable solution. Choose noticeable barriers Safety barriers cannot work effectively if they are not noticeable. Well, relatively large and rigid barriers are easy to see. When using concrete barriers, choose brighter paint, mostly yellow, to make them more visible. Colours arrest the mind of people almost subconsciously and prompt them to be more vigilant of the surroundings. An alternative to paint is to attach high viz material or reflectors. Choose easy to install barriers Most construction sites are temporary and the area will be vacated after completing the project. Traditional walls and barriers are expensive, take much time to construct and best suit establishments of a permanent nature. Precast barriers are easy and fast to install. No much equipment or skilled labour is needed. Even better, there are no waste products from installation and dismantling. Using precast concrete barriers saves you both time and money, as you won’t need to install posts and wires to secure them. Lastly, ensure you prioritize function over style. Great designs are very appealing but might not work for your situation. The best approach is to check the features against your company’s safety precaution policies. In summary, is the barrier functional? Is it easily noticeable? How durable is it? How easy is it to install? If it passes all these requirements, pick it regardless of how it looks.
