HS2 Ltd’s CEO Mark Thurston hosted Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt and Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street at HS2’s Interchange Station construction site in Solihull. The Chancellor’s visit follows last week’s Autumn Statement in which he committed to investment in infrastructure and to continue building HS2 to
According to a research study from Jason Rowley LTD, the construction sector is responsible for the most fatal workplace injuries in Britain in 2021/22. Based on annual statistics from HSE on work-related fatal injuries in Great Britain, a total of 123 workers were killed in work-related accidents in Great Britain
Changes to the levelling up and regeneration bill allowing councils to withhold planning consent to developers slow to build on a site are counterproductive, claims the industry. They argue that land banking is a myth and that developers are keen to build on sites as soon as possible to gain
More than 600 students of all ages and over 200 industry professionals attended Foundations Live 2022 – one of the north of England’s biggest construction, trade, networking, and careers events. Despite the torrential downpour, exhibitors, trades people, students and teachers were all able to keep dry and explore more than
Marchini Curran Interiors has announced the completion of a new senior living scheme in Watford, Hertfordshire. Mayfield Watford retirement village, which is the first to be delivered by Mayfield Villages, consists of 255 contemporary one and two-bedroom apartments for over 55s, and is now open to property owners. Located on
Contractor G F Tomlinson has completed construction works on the Barr’s Hill School in Coventry, expanding the school’s capacity with the creation of a new teaching block for year seven pupils and re-modelling of existing buildings. The company led on the construction of the building on behalf of Coventry City Council
HS2 Ltd’s CEO Mark Thurston hosted Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt and Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street at HS2’s Interchange Station construction site in Solihull. The Chancellor’s visit follows last week’s Autumn Statement in which he committed to investment in infrastructure and to continue building HS2 to Manchester. Mark Thurston hosted the Chancellor and Mayor Andy Street on a tour of the site to see construction progress, meet site engineers and apprentices, and hear about how HS2 is already driving economic benefits across the Midlands and wider to the whole UK, creating opportunities for jobs and businesses across the country. HS2 Ltd’s CEO Mark Thurston said: “It was a pleasure to host the Chancellor and the West Midlands Mayor on our busy Interchange Station site today, so they could see first-hand HS2’s construction progress in action, and to show them how HS2 is delivering for the government’s levelling-up agenda. “With almost 30,000 jobs supported by the project, and tens of thousands more throughout our UK-wide supply chain, we are delighted the Chancellor recognises the important part HS2 is playing in driving growth across the country today, and will do in the future.” On Twitter, after the visit Jeremy Hunt MP tweeted: Today I met skilled apprentices on the site of HS2’s new Interchange Station in #Solihull with the brilliant @andy4wm. We could have balanced the books with big cuts to capital projects, but better transport connections spread wealth & opportunity – so we are proud to BACK HS2. The Chancellor and Mayor met apprentices from HS2’s civils construction partner Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV) to hear about the opportunities the project is providing for them and their future careers. Bethany Williamson, BBV Apprentice Civil Engineer from Birmingham said: “It was great to talk to the Chancellor, who was really interested in hearing about my apprenticeship and my role working on HS2. I told him that it really is a brilliant opportunity to work on such a huge construction project, and that I’m very excited about continuing my career with HS2.” The contract to build HS2’s eco-friendly Interchange Station in the West Midlands will support around 1,000 jobs over the next five years. This means there will are huge opportunities for people and businesses in the region right now, years before the station is open. Interchange Station is the catalyst for huge growth plans in Solihull, creating an economic transformation for the region. The plans, being led by the Urban Growth Company, will support 30,000 jobs, up to 3,000 new homes and 70,000m2 of commercial space. This forms part of the wider UK Central Hub area plans for 70,000 jobs, 8,000 new homes and 650,000m2 of commercial space, generating £6.2bn GVA per year and bringing 1.3m people to within a 45-minute public transport commute of the station. The design of Interchange will make it one of the most sustainable stations anywhere in the world. Harnessing the latest green technology and designs will provide exciting jobs, training and supply chain opportunities, as we begin to build a world-class transport hub for the UK. The station site covers an area of 150 hectares within a triangle of land formed by the M42, A45 and A452. Significant progress has already been made on the site, including the construction of modular bridges over the M42 and A446 as part of a re-modelled road network in the area to facilitate access to the new station. In 2023, after an initial 12 month planning stage, Laing O’Rourke will start the detailed design. HS2’s Main Works Contractor Balfour Beatty VINCI are currently preparing the site, ready for construction to start in 2024. The station is due for completion in 2027 in advance of the railway opening between 2029 and 2033. There will be up to five trains per hour passing through the station in both directions, with an estimated total of 175,000 seats per day, making this one of the best-connected transport interchanges in the country. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
According to a research study from Jason Rowley LTD, the construction sector is responsible for the most fatal workplace injuries in Britain in 2021/22. Based on annual statistics from HSE on work-related fatal injuries in Great Britain, a total of 123 workers were killed in work-related accidents in Great Britain in 2021/22, a decrease of 22 fatalities from 2020/21. 30 of these workers died in construction in 2021/22, followed by 22 fatal injuries in agriculture and manufacturing. Between 2017 and 2022, the average workplace death in construction was 36 a year. However, if you consider the rate of fatal injuries in terms of the number of fatalities per 100,000 workers employed between 2017 and 2022, agriculture is the worst sector for workplace deaths. The rate of fatal injury to workers in the agriculture sector is 21 times higher than the other industries. Although there has been only one death in 2021/22 in the waste and recycling sector, they are also the second-highest sector for fatal injury rate, 11 times higher than the other industries. In contrast, the rate of fatal injury in construction is considerably less than that of the agriculture industry between 2017 and 2022. Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, the number of annual fatalities each year had been broadly similar to one another, as seen below. Year Fatal injuries to workers in Great Britain 2016/17 135 2017/18 141 2018/19 149 2019/20 113 2020/21 145 2021/22 123 For information about health and safety, or to report inconsistencies or inaccuracies in this guidance, visit the HSE website. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Changes to the levelling up and regeneration bill allowing councils to withhold planning consent to developers slow to build on a site are counterproductive, claims the industry. They argue that land banking is a myth and that developers are keen to build on sites as soon as possible to gain a return on investment. Home Builders Federation, HBF, planning director Sam Stafford told Construction News: “Repeated independent investigations have concluded that homebuilders do not land bank. “Builders are always keen to get on site as soon as possible and get a return on this investment, but there are many influences over how quickly a site can be built out.” Economic conditions, finance, labour, supply shortages and the new building safety requirements are among the factors affecting prompt delivery. The British Property Federation, BPF, has warned the government that the amendment to the bill could hamper future housebuilding. “I think the amendment means well, but could be counterproductive, in that developers will not want to apply for planning permission until they have all their ducks in a row,” said BPF policy director Ian Fletcher in an interview with Construction News. Councils guilty of land banking The National Federation of Builders, NFB, said local planning authorities often allocate sites with outline planning permission but delay giving full planning permission or signing off a site. “If there is so much concern about land banking, perhaps the government should force councils to give up their own copious amount of land, as under their own narrative, it is clearly being ‘banked’,” said NFB planning and policy head Rico Wojtulewicz. Property finance intermediary Hank Zarihs Associates said it would help SME developers if councils could speed up the planning process and create a small sites list available to smaller local builders. The brokerage added this would make it easier for a wider range of lenders to offer development finance to SMEs. The amendment to the levelling up and regeneration bill requires developers to report annually to councils on their progress. It also gives local authorities the power to block planning proposals from builders who have failed to deliver on the same land. The bill is set to have its third reading in parliament next week. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
More than 600 students of all ages and over 200 industry professionals attended Foundations Live 2022 – one of the north of England’s biggest construction, trade, networking, and careers events. Despite the torrential downpour, exhibitors, trades people, students and teachers were all able to keep dry and explore more than 80 exhibition stands inside the huge arena at Bishop Burton College in East Yorkshire. Hobson & Porter, the event’s main organiser, was joined by the likes of Beal Homes, Vinci Construction, Keepmoat, Balfour Beatty, Spencer Group, Jewson, Dulux, British Gypsum, and Plasmor. In addition to all the schools, colleges, and training providers from across the region, the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) and representatives from Talentview Construction were also on hand to help people find first jobs, apprenticeships, and work experience opportunities. David Blades, SHEQ director at Hobson & Porter, said: “It was great to see Foundations Live back in action and in full force for the first time in three years due to the pandemic. It proved to be our biggest and most successful event to date. It was the perfect environment for those working in construction and engineering to network and find out about the latest sustainable and technological developments, as well as get information on how to access grants and funding. “With hundreds of young people of all ages engaging with our exhibitors and interactive activities, we were also able to showcase what wonderful sectors construction and engineering are, and hopefully help to address some of the current skills shortages the sectors are facing.” According to the CITB 19,000 extra workers need to be recruited to meet expected levels of work over the five-year forecast period. Ms M Joshi, from The Market Weighton School, said: “It was a very productive morning and the students have all enjoyed it. With practical tasks that have given them hands on experiences, as well as excellent businesses to talk to, students have been able to engage in really productive and informative ways that will no doubt help them when making their career choices.” Exhibitor Alicia Bowyer, from Synthotech Ltd, said: “We work with Northern Gas Networks and came to showcase some of the technology we use when servicing their pipes. We brought our robot with us that has a camera and sprays a flexible sealant inside the pipes to fix cracking joints. The kids loved it and were really enthusiastic asking loads of questions. We are part of the innovation team and it’s great to get in front of the next generation and explain what we do.” Sarah Cooper, from Northern Gas Networks, said: “It’s the fourth time we have exhibited at Foundations Live. One year we brought one of our sniffer dogs that spots gas leaks, which was really popular and this year we brought the hydrogen car with us. These kind of events are great for us as we get to chat to people about the huge variety of careers available – you don’t have to be a gas engineer to work for us!” Mike Hutchinson from window firm, Fakro, said: “We have been before, and each year take a larger stand! It’s a really good event where we get to speak to joiners, carpenters and builders and companies like Jewson about our window products. The students have all been engaged and interested in how we manufacture and install our products and we can’t wait for next year!” Sharon Tallett, from Bishop Burton College, said: “What a great event! I have had invaluable conversations at Foundations Live, particularly about sustainability. Everyone has been so friendly and informative, and I have made some great industry contacts too.” TV host Mark Millar also returned to the event as Foundations Ambassador. Mark is an experienced project manager who runs a successful building firm in Bristol and is the presenter of Channel 5’s primetime series Dream Kitchens And Bathrooms He’s also one of the most recognised faces on BBC One’s DIY SOS and he’s passionate about developing the talent of the future and promoting the construction industry as a career to the next generation. Foundations Live will take place next October 2023, for more details visit www.foundationslive.co.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Marchini Curran Interiors has announced the completion of a new senior living scheme in Watford, Hertfordshire. Mayfield Watford retirement village, which is the first to be delivered by Mayfield Villages, consists of 255 contemporary one and two-bedroom apartments for over 55s, and is now open to property owners. Located on Heron Place, close to Watford General Hospital and less than a mile to the town’s retail centre, the new community features landscaped communal gardens, swimming pool, sauna and steam room, gym, beauty treatment rooms and a café-bistro. Midlands-based Marchini Curran Interiors was appointed on the scheme in 2017, to create an interior concept and lead the procurement of furniture, lighting and artwork. The now complete interior design scheme at the village is rooted in Scandinavian style, with a focus on biophilic design – bringing the outside in. The interior is orientated around a central garden with all interior spaces having a visual link to it. “This is a significant and impressive scheme which we are incredibly proud to have delivered. To create a concept from scratch, unlike anything else in the UK, was a real joy to bring to life. We undertook detailed market research in the UK and the US, Australia, New Zealand and Scandinavia for inspiration. With this intelligence we took a fresh approach to designing for contemporary retirement villages, with minimal, clean lines – moving away from the stereotype style often found at senior living developments,” said Christopher Taylor, Design Director at Marchini Curran Interiors. “As part of the design process, we broke down the boundary between defined spaces synonymous with retirement living and instead created a largely open plan interior that can ebb and flow, expand and contract, allowing the spaces to adapt to the activities at hand.” The village is part of the new urban development, Watford Riverwell, which will bring new homes, community, leisure and retail facilities, set in more than 4.5 acres of green open space. “Watford is our first Mayfield Village and it meets the ever-increasing demand for more high-quality retirement options across the UK. Helping people to maintain their independence and actively improve their health and wellbeing should be key to how we look after people as they get older. Marchini Curran listened to what the market wants in terms of the environment they live in and have delivered this with great style,” concluded Nick Sanderson, CEO of Mayfield Villages. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Contractor G F Tomlinson has completed construction works on the Barr’s Hill School in Coventry, expanding the school’s capacity with the creation of a new teaching block for year seven pupils and re-modelling of existing buildings. The company led on the construction of the building on behalf of Coventry City Council since works started on the school in 2021. The £6.5 million new teaching building known as ‘The Bridge’ is set across two storeys and comprises seven modern classrooms. The facility provides a dedicated space that has been designed to help 11 and 12-year-olds benefit from a smooth transition into secondary education serving as their own ‘mini school’. Works also included the re-configuration and remodelling of existing buildings to accommodate the school’s expansion over the coming years, with the school’s science department being extended and refurbished, as well as new classroom spaces, improved sports and gym facilities, external play spaces, and an additional dining area. “We’re pleased to see works have completed on this dedicated space for year seven pupils at Barr’s Hill School. This being our second project through Pagabo’s National Framework and for Coventry City Council,” said Chris Flint, Managing Director of G F Tomlinson. “The expansion and improvement of the school will ultimately provide 310 additional places, as well as a dedicated space to help pupils prepare and adjust for secondary education. We look forward to seeing the school welcome pupils into the new space.” Procured through Pagabo’s National Framework for Medium Works, this is the second scheme G F Tomlinson have successfully delivered for Coventry City Council – the first being the £3.7 million development of Cardinal Newman Catholic School in Coventry. The school, whose most recent exam results place it in the top 1% nationally, currently offers 780 places for children aged 11-16, plus 140 sixth form students, and has an expansion plan to ensure it provides a total of 1100 places in five years’ time. “The new spaces are transformational, they offer students exceptional learning environments to go alongside their exceptional achievements. It was wonderful to see the amazed faces of the year seven students going into The Bridge for the first time, they could not believe it! We are grateful to G F Tomlinson for the delivery of an exceptional learning space and a well thought through scheme,” concluded Chris Jupp, Headteacher at Barr’s Hill School. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
