Mayor of Barnsley, Councillor Sarah Tattersall, attended the official ground-breaking ceremony for Harron Homes’ newest development in Barnsley, which is to be named Nevison’s Fold. The development will deliver 238 luxury homes on a brownfield site on Bleachcroft Way, with two showhomes anticipated by December, and the first residents expected
Independent housebuilder Dandara has officially launched its first national partnership with Lighthouse Club, a charity which provides mental health and wellbeing support to people working in the construction industry. Dandara was established in 1988, but for the last three years has achieved a period of unprecedented growth. With the creation
A giant piece of artwork made up of 687 high-vis vests has been displayed on a construction site in the West End of London to represent the annual number of trade suicides in the UK. The mural has been created for Mental Health Awareness Week (15th-21st May) by IronmongeryDirect and ElectricalDirect to visualise the scale of the issue within the industry, and ‘give mental health higher visibility’. Throughout
Balustrade manufacturer, Neaco, is urging construction companies to be wary of compromising safety in managing the extra cost of new regulations requiring a second staircase on tall buildings. The government has been consulting on a plan to force developers to include two staircases in their designs for all new residential
The project will include the fit-out of an existing 280,000 sq ft warehouse unit, together with their new office space and associated civil engineering works. Glencar, a leading UK construction company that was recently ranked amongst Europe’s fastest growing businesses, has today announced that it has been appointed by leading
Over £1bn of investment opportunities in Greater Lincolnshire and Rutland will be showcased by a collaborative inward investment team at national investor forum UKREiiF. Representatives from Lincolnshire County Council (LCC), Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership (GLLEP) and Team Lincolnshire – a public and private sector group of Lincolnshire ambassadors –
A brand new affordable housing development on the site of the former Lairdsland Primary School, Kirkintilloch, has welcomed its first tenants. The 38 affordable homes are situated in a mixture of three and four-storey buildings which contain one and two-bedroomed flats and will be used as council housing. The
Mayor of Barnsley, Councillor Sarah Tattersall, attended the official ground-breaking ceremony for Harron Homes’ newest development in Barnsley, which is to be named Nevison’s Fold. The development will deliver 238 luxury homes on a brownfield site on Bleachcroft Way, with two showhomes anticipated by December, and the first residents expected to have moved in to their homes by the year’s end. This new development will offer something for everyone, whether they are first-time buyers, downsizers, families or couples. A mix of two-, three- and four-bedroom homes, all equipped with electric car charging points, will occupy the 23-acre Harron Homes site, which will feature green open spaces with a pocket park, footpaths, wildlife habitats, woodland and the enhanced Dob Sike waterway. As well as developing the site, Harron will be contributing over £2 million to the local area, including £1.3 million for education and over £180,000 on sustainable transport. This development will not only regenerate the site, which has stood vacant for many years, but it will also bring significant enhancements to the existing ecological features of the site, including Dob Sike. The Dob Sike waterway is a historic area of high ecological value which is home to ancient trees, water voles and other wildlife. It will be restored and maintained by Harron and incorporated into the new development. Tony Lee, Managing Director of Harron Homes Yorkshire, said: “We are thrilled to have recently started regenerating this area and we were pleased Councillor Tattersall could join us for this significant milestone. Our investment of over £2 million will not only revitalise this part of Barnsley but also create numerous job opportunities in the wider local area.” Councillor Tattersall added, “It was fantastic to see the potential in what has been an abandoned site for so long and I look forward to seeing the houses develop into a lovely Barnsley community.” A variety of buying schemes will be available for buyers to take advantage of, including Part Exchange, which minimises the inconvenience of the property chain through Harron purchasing your existing home at market value. Interested buyers are welcome to attend a Harron event at The Fairway, S75 4LS, 5-7pm on 16th May for more information on the development. For those wishing to attend, please RSVP to Harron Homes’ sales office at The Hawthornes on 01757 641080. For more information on Nevison’s Fold, please visit https://www.harronhomes.com/find-a-home/south-yorkshire/nevisons-fold/. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Independent housebuilder Dandara has officially launched its first national partnership with Lighthouse Club, a charity which provides mental health and wellbeing support to people working in the construction industry. Dandara was established in 1988, but for the last three years has achieved a period of unprecedented growth. With the creation of two new divisions the housebuilder’s operations now span across the South of England, Wales, Scotland, Jersey and Isle of Man, as it is set to become a national player in the housebuilding market. Trevor Dempsey, CEO of Dandara, said: “Following our recent expansion and looking to the future of the company, it is our priority to ensure our ethos is upheld; our first national partnership with Lighthouse is a vital part of this. “The construction industry has a tragically high suicide rate, which has been increasing in recent years, so it was incredibly important to us to work with a charity like Lighthouse Club that provides practical support to not only our employees, but our subcontractors and any other workers on our sites – alongside their family members. We want to help break the stigma of mental health in the industry, and the grassroots support this partnership offers across our sites is a meaningful first step.” Lighthouse Club provides a range of support services for all construction workers, including subcontractors, agency workers and people in allied trades. It operates a confidential helpline and has over 350 volunteer drop-in centres that provide a safe, supportive environment for people to talk about the problems they face or have faced. It also offers a 24/7 text-back counselling service, a support app with information about medical conditions and coping strategies, and masterclasses to help people deal with a range of issues including stress, bullying and financial management, as well as alcohol and drug problems. Bill Hill, CEO of Lighthouse Club, said: “We are excited to welcome Dandara as one of our company supporters. We receive no public funding, so it is only through the generosity of people in the industry that we can provide much-needed support to people working in construction and their families.” Suicides in the construction industry throughout England and Wales hit their highest level last year since analysis began. * On average, two construction workers take their own life every working day in the UK and Ireland, and over 20% of recorded work-related absence is caused by stress, anxiety or depression.* Trevor Dempsey, CEO of Dandara, added: “I’m incredibly proud that we selected Lighthouse Club to work with and I’m looking forward to seeing the positive and meaningful impact of this partnership as we work to change attitudes across the industry.” For more information, please visit www.dandara.com. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A giant piece of artwork made up of 687 high-vis vests has been displayed on a construction site in the West End of London to represent the annual number of trade suicides in the UK. The mural has been created for Mental Health Awareness Week (15th-21st May) by IronmongeryDirect and ElectricalDirect to visualise the scale of the issue within the industry, and ‘give mental health higher visibility’. Throughout the week, the banner is being displayed at the Galliford Try construction site on Goslett Yard, just off Charing Cross London, in the heart of the West End. Tragically, an average of 687 skilled trade workers died by suicide each year between 2019-2021, according to the latest government data. This equates to 13 a week, or almost two a day, on average. In 2021, tradespeople accounted for 15% of suicides across all industries, which is more than any other occupation. In fact, construction workers are nearly four times as likely to die by suicide than some other sectors. The 687 high-vis vests, symbolising each of these individuals, have been stitched together into one 12-metre-tall garment by J&C Joel, one of the world’s leading fabric manufacturers. The display was unveiled alongside IronmongeryDirect and ElectricalDirect’s annual Mental Health in the Trades report, which found that more than four in five (84%) UK tradespeople experience mental health problems due to work-related issues. As part of the campaign, the Essex-based companies have once again partnered with the mental health charity, Basildon Mind, and are donating over £5,000 to support its crucial services. Emma Mamo, Head of Workspace Wellbeing at Mind, said: “In male-dominated industries such as construction, employees are often less willing and able to open up about their mental health and ask for support. This can be problematic because mental health problems often become worse if left untreated, and the consequences can be fatal. “We urge employers to create cultures where employees can speak openly and honestly about their mental health.” After finding that 84% of tradespeople don’t feel comfortable talking about their mental health, IronmongeryDirect and ElectricalDirect spoke to tradespeople who were willing to share their stories, with the aim of encouraging others to do the same. Rebecca Bishop, co-founder at Elite Building, talked about her experiences, and shared a positive message for those who can relate. “I experience burnout regularly, but it started getting serious in 2020 at the onset of the pandemic. I remember asking my husband if it was possible to die from stress as I was genuinely concerned. “I have often tried to survive it and make it to the other side. Sometimes I share vulnerably on social media about mental health, but I also put pressure on myself to always keep it together – which is ridiculous, because I am human and this is not possible. “Tradespeople need to understand that they are never alone. Things don’t have to stay the way they are. We just need some brave people to step up and be vulnerable and share, which then might encourage others to share as well.” Dominick Sandford, Managing Director at IronmongeryDirect and ElectricalDirect, said: “We hope that this artwork serves as a poignant reminder of the devastating impact of mental health issues within the trades industry. “By bringing this issue to the forefront of people’s minds, we hope to encourage more open conversations around mental health and continue our efforts to support those who may be struggling.” For more information about the stunt, visit: https://www.ironmongerydirect.co.uk/blog/putting-mental-health-in-high-visibility To read IronmongeryDirect and ElectricalDirect’s Mental Health in the Trades: 2023 Report, visit: https://www.ironmongerydirect.co.uk/research/mental-health-in-the-trades/ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Balustrade manufacturer, Neaco, is urging construction companies to be wary of compromising safety in managing the extra cost of new regulations requiring a second staircase on tall buildings. The government has been consulting on a plan to force developers to include two staircases in their designs for all new residential blocks above 30m in height, a proposed step which has already been adopted by London mayor, Sadiq Khan, for planning applications in the capital. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said the extra fire safety measure could cost developers around £1.6bn over a decade, prompting concerns that some companies will use cut-price solutions that are not reliably tested to meet fire safety compliance. With the government consultation envisaging a very short transition period, new developments are being encouraged to prepare for the change now. Having worked on balustrade specifications for high-rise buildings throughout the UK, Neaco believes that time and cost pressures could lead to flawed decisions in the design of staircases. Ryan Bainbridge, Technical Lead at Neaco, said: “The direction of travel appears to be heading towards a mandatory two staircases and a coalition of industry professional bodies, including the Chartered Institute of Building, have joined fire chiefs in calling to extend the rule to residential buildings above 18m in height. Many developers will be busy revising their designs and assessing the cost of the change. In some cases, there could be an incentive to reduce cost with economy solutions, but that carries a risk as many of these solutions are not rigorously tested with third-party data and supporting documents. “For example, balustrade and other staircase elements must achieve the required fire classification to BS EN13501.Those credentials must be certified by a credible third party – in other words, an independent and authorised testing body. If a balustrade manufacturer has not invested in third party certification and instead tests its products in-house, it cannot be relied upon to supply a genuinely compliant solution.” The introduction of more robust oversight under the Building Safety Act will throw a spotlight on decisions made at the design stage whenever safety issues arise. In that context, a lack of diligence in specification could expose developers to costly remediation measures. Alan Green, Managing Director at Neaco, said: “Under the terms of the Building Safety Act, the new Building Safety Regulator will apply evidence-based regulation of high-rise buildings, so everyone in the supply chain should be mindful of the importance of data which is independently sourced and documented. We all have a responsibility to maintain standards and compliance, particularly in relation to fire safety. Credible and reliable product testing is vital to that collective cause.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The project will include the fit-out of an existing 280,000 sq ft warehouse unit, together with their new office space and associated civil engineering works. Glencar, a leading UK construction company that was recently ranked amongst Europe’s fastest growing businesses, has today announced that it has been appointed by leading British logistics provider Wincanton, to fit out a 280,000 sq ft IKEA warehouse at a site in Dublin, Ireland. The project also incorporates the fit-out of their new office space, sprinklers, racking, the installation of a new security hut and all associated civil engineering works. The works commenced in April and overall is expected to take 22 weeks, with practical completion expected towards the end of September 2023. Commenting on the appointment Rory McGillycuddy, Country Director of Glencar’s Ireland division said: “Our offering in Ireland and the UK continues to advance rapidly with Glencar recently being appointed to several fit-out projects, in addition to entering new markets such as the Data Centre and Ports sectors to supplement our core market of Industrial and Logistics delivery. For this scheme in Dublin, we are working closely with our special projects division that specialises in fit-out works across Great Britain. This project underpins our continued growth in Ireland, collaborating with existing major partners that we work with in the UK, as well as new customers in the Irish market.” As specialists in the Industrial and Logistics sector, the knowledge and expertise we have developed in the past seven years in the UK, transfers itself perfectly to support the needs of a growing number of occupiers in Ireland requiring complex construction, fit-out and commissioning works. We look forward to working with Wincanton in Dublin and will deliver this facility to their exacting standards. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Over £1bn of investment opportunities in Greater Lincolnshire and Rutland will be showcased by a collaborative inward investment team at national investor forum UKREiiF. Representatives from Lincolnshire County Council (LCC), Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership (GLLEP) and Team Lincolnshire – a public and private sector group of Lincolnshire ambassadors – are attending the event in Leeds next week (16 to 18 May). In its second year, UKREiiF is set to attract more than 6,000 delegates from the property industry, with more than 250 UK local authorities in attendance over the three-day event. The Greater Lincolnshire and Rutland inward investment team has ambitious plans for the region and will be sharing investment prospects across its 10-strong sector proposition, including advanced engineering and manufacturing, visitor economy, defence, health and life sciences, digital tech, commercial and residential development, and a particular focus on agri-food, low carbon energy and logistics. Investment opportunities across the region include the South Lincolnshire Food Enterprise Zone, Humber Freeport, hotel sites ready for development, land earmarked for housing, multiple business centres and commercial space and more. Councillor Colin Davie, Executive Portfolio Holder for Environment and Economy at Lincolnshire Council, said: “We saw great value from our attendance at UKREiiF last year and with the event set to be even bigger this year, we need to seize the opportunity to champion our region on a national stage once again. “We are focussed on targeting investors, developers and organisations that can help drive forward our key sectors and our work at the event will contribute towards growing our Greater Lincolnshire and Rutland economy and to create new jobs. “Greater Lincolnshire is such a vibrant place to call home. The lifestyle you can create here with our rich heritage, abundant culture, diverse jobs market and open green spaces and coast, make it a wonderful place to live” The lifestyle in Greater Lincolnshire and Rutland will also play a key part in the team’s promotion of the region as a place to live, learn, work and invest. Andy Gutherson, Executive Director of Place at Lincolnshire County Council adds: “UKREiiF is a fantastic platform for LCC, GLLEP, Team Lincolnshire and our local district councils to speak directly to investors about the unique opportunities we have to offer. Conversations had and connections made at these events are incredibly valuable and make a positive and far-reaching impact on our local economy. “Collaboratively, and as part of Midlands Engine, we will be flying the flag for the region as the place to live, learn, work and invest in and with a busy diary of meets, I’m looking forward to what the team and I can cultivate for Greater Lincolnshire and Rutland.” Lincolnshire excels in food processing and agri-tech and was chosen as one of the Government’s manufacturing zones. This followed growth deal grants of £18 million, including £5.1 million for South Lincolnshire Food Enterprise Zone and £2.4 million for University of Lincoln’s Centre of Excellence in Agri-food and Technology at Holbeach. Ruth Carver, Chief Executive at Greater Lincolnshire LEP said ““This is a good time for Greater Lincolnshire with growing interest in our place and our game changing sectors. Since last year we have made great strides in areas such as town deals, infrastructure development, humber freeport and our business parks. “With many transformational projects taking place, now is a key time to reposition Greater Lincolnshire firmly on the national and global map as an even better place for people to live and work. UK REIF provides a provides a platform for us to tell our story to a global audience once again and we look forward to meeting new connections and investors.”
A brand new affordable housing development on the site of the former Lairdsland Primary School, Kirkintilloch, has welcomed its first tenants. The 38 affordable homes are situated in a mixture of three and four-storey buildings which contain one and two-bedroomed flats and will be used as council housing. The new development, part of the Kirkintilloch Town Centre Masterplan, includes four wheelchair accessible flats and eight amenity flats on the ground floor for tenants with specific health needs. The remaining flats are general needs housing. The Council worked in partnership with Cruden Building and Coltart Earley Architects to ensure that the homes were designed and built to complement surrounding buildings on Kerr Street and Queen Street, which sit within Kirkintilloch Town Centre Conservation Area. The development, which included the demolition of the old school, was complete within two years and the final flats were handed over to the Council in April. Councillor Paul Ferretti, Convener of Place, Neighbourhood and Corporate Assets, said, “I am delighted to see the completion of this smart and sympathetic development in the heart of Kirkintilloch. “This site forms just one part of the Council’s affordable housing investment programme, which is helping to meet the needs of local people who are finding it increasingly difficult to get on the housing ladder.” Site works included the creation of new parking spaces and soft and hard landscaping. Artefacts from the original school have been incorporated into the new building including the school’s date stone, now displayed in the new landscaped courtyard, and original stonework, which has been used to create boundary walls, bin stores and bicycle sheds. In addition, two cast iron columns from the world-famous Lion Foundry are now being used as streetlighting in the courtyard. Colin Kennedy, Construction Director at Cruden Building, said, “In addition to creating spacious, energy efficient homes, the projects have also delivered community benefits including the employment of local people, including labourers and cleaners, site visits for young people, mentoring by Cruden staff, Q&A sessions with apprentices and work placements.” Megan Cassidy, partner Mikey Hanlon and dog Lily have moved into one of the new wheelchair accessible flats. Megan said, “We are really happy with the flat. You can tell it has been specially designed and adapted for a wheelchair user, which is amazing. “It is a lovely area and all our neighbours seem really nice. I think we will be here for a long time.” Works have been carried out at nearby Holy Family and Lairdsland Schools as part of the Community Benefits Programme. Community projects included the construction of “Mud Kitchens” and the refurbishment of planters at local schools, the combined total of which was over £5,000. Artefacts from the original Lairdsland building, including coat hooks and a section of banister, are now part of a dedicated display at the town’s Auld Kirk Museum. The display, which runs until September 2023, gives an overview of the history of the school and includes objects from the museum collection and images from EDLC Archives. A mural from the original building, which dates from the 1930s and was hidden under new decor, and original wall tiles were removed and conserved by specialist conservators are also part of the Museums Collection. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
