The National Audit Office has stated new Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirements have been launched without all the necessary elements for successful implementation. In February, as BNG laws came into effect, the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) noted that 81% of planners in the public sector needed further ‘guidance, advice,
Leading civil engineering and building contractor Farrans Construction has completed an innovative tunnelling operation on Northumbrian Water’s Project Pipeline: County Durham and Tees Valley as a specialist tunnel boring machine has completed an underground crossing of the River Tees. The 220m tunnel is part of Phase 1 of a new
Leading Design & Build Contractor McAleer & Rushe are partnering with Ulster University to launch their new 2024 Degree Apprenticeship Programme, in time for the 2024/25 academic year. The programme offers an alternative to the traditional degree route, providing students aged 18 and older with the opportunity to gain fully
TerraQuest, the operator of Planning Portal, has launched its combined portal for Planning and Building Control applications. The service comes with a raft of new features built from the ground up to meet the needs of contractors and developers, creating a unified portal that serves as the home of planning
Nearly half of building maintenance professionals state that systems integration is one of their most significant struggles, according to a recent poll by SFG20, the industry standard for facility maintenance specifications. Using this industry insight, SFG20 have developed an Application Programming Interface (API) that streamlines the integration between SFG20 content
SIXTY-FIVE jobs are being created after global integrated logistics and materials management specialist, ASCO, secured a contract to provide a range of services at the Teesworks site. The three-year contract will see ASCO providing a range of services at Teesworks’ South Bank Heavy Lift Quay, tailored to support the burgeoning
Costa Clyde on a sunny Saturday was the setting for the Five Ferries Challenge, a 52-mile-long cycle ride undertaken by a team of East Kilbride-based engineers on behalf of the Beatson Cancer Charity. The team, made up of ten cyclists and two support crew, from Dougall Baillie Associates, one of
Midlands contractor, G F Tomlinson, is progressing works on the new Barwell Medical Centre in Leicestershire. The new two-storey doctor’s surgery, located off High Street, Barwell, will replace the existing centre on Jersey Way, which is at capacity and unable to meet the growing demand for its services from the
McLaughlin & Harvey is delighted to have handed over United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority’s (UKAEA)’s newest office building at Culham Campus. The new facility provides expanded office capacity with agile working space, new shared meeting amenities and collaborative breakout areas. In addition, it also features a new staff canteen and
TODAY Greater Manchester is taking its first step towards offering a property check to renters across the city region, empowering those who feel trapped in substandard housing. This morning, in Moss Side, the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham announced a £600,000 package of measures to support tenants and clamp
The National Audit Office has stated new Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirements have been launched without all the necessary elements for successful implementation. In February, as BNG laws came into effect, the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) noted that 81% of planners in the public sector needed further ‘guidance, advice, and support’, 68% of all planners needed more staff and skills, and 61% require more case studies of best practice, according to a survey of RTPI members. The RTPI is closely monitoring BNG’s impacts on the planning system. The Institute is encouraging members to share their experiences by filling out its BNG survey and sharing case studies of best practice. Victoria Hills, Chief Executive of the RTPI, said: “Our members in public and private sectors said that they felt unprepared for Biodiversity Net Gain in the lead up to its implementation. We worked to voice these concerns to the government, calling for clear guidance on BNG and sufficient resources to local planning authorities operating this new system. “We would like to see the implementation of Biodiversity Net Gain succeed and are pleased that our engagement on this subject helped secure further funding for planning services to implement BNG. “However, the conclusions outlined by the NAO today reflect what our members have been consistently telling us for some time: that planning services have not been given sufficient guidance, advice, and support, and lack the staff and skills to avoid delays to an already stretched planning system. We strongly support the principles of BNG, but any new burdens to the planning system need to be adequately supported. “We agree with the recommendations made by the NAO. To facilitate local delivery, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs must ensure local authorities have sufficient funding, monitor the biodiversity units market, identify regional impacts, and work with planners and ecologists to coordinate best practice among local authorities.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Leading civil engineering and building contractor Farrans Construction has completed an innovative tunnelling operation on Northumbrian Water’s Project Pipeline: County Durham and Tees Valley as a specialist tunnel boring machine has completed an underground crossing of the River Tees. The 220m tunnel is part of Phase 1 of a new £155m water pipeline to be constructed while protecting the watercourse and the wildlife that relies upon it. Northumbrian Water’s Project Pipeline: County Durham and Tees Valley will see the construction of around 57km of new pipes connecting Lartington Water Treatment Works with around 200,000 customers across the south of the North East. The specialist tunnel boring machine arrived on site in April to begin its journey between two specially constructed shafts. This operation has created a pathway beneath the river, through which the new pipes will be installed. Phase 1 of the project will connect Lartington, in Upper Teesdale, with Whorley Hill and Shildon, County Durham, and will be followed by a second phase extending the pipeline from Whorley Hill to Long Newton, connecting to the existing network that serves large parts of Teesside. In recent months, work has been carried out by main contractors Farrans and subcontractors Joseph Gallagher, to create the two shafts, one on either side of the river. The western shaft is 8.0 metres in diameter and 32 metres deep, while the eastern shaft is 7.5 metres in diameter and 46 metres deep, the difference being due to the rising topography on the east bank. Dave Mellor, Contracts Director for Farrans, said: “This highly technical and challenging operation has been a best-practice example of innovative civil engineering and we are delighted to have completed it successfully and on schedule. I would like to thank our team, our specialist contractors Joseph Gallagher and our client for collaboratively achieving this important milestone in a project which will secure the water supply to this region for years to come. The moment of break through into the west shaft was a cause for celebration on site following weeks of slow, incremental progress to create the tunnel.” James Dawes, Northumbrian Water’s Project Manager said: “This project has been years in the planning, and ensuring that key strategic crossings, such as the River Tees, are done in the best way possible for the local environment and communities, has been vital. “While it would have been possible to cross the Tees using a pipe-bridge, we had to consider such factors as how this would impact the stunning Teesdale landscape that will be here long after our team have completed the project and moved on. “The use of no dig techniques, tunnelling or directional drilling, is becoming increasingly common in our projects, to reduce the impact on our region’s road and rail networks by reducing the need to dig long trenches. However, this is the first time we have employed it to cross a large river and the teams at Farrans and Joseph Gallagher Limited have done a great job to make this possible. Project Pipeline: County Durham and Tees Valley is a huge investment in the resilience and quality of water supplies to around 200,000 customers, and there is a lot of work to be done, but this is an exciting and important milestone as we progress this strategically important project towards completion.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Leading Design & Build Contractor McAleer & Rushe are partnering with Ulster University to launch their new 2024 Degree Apprenticeship Programme, in time for the 2024/25 academic year. The programme offers an alternative to the traditional degree route, providing students aged 18 and older with the opportunity to gain fully paid employment in the construction industry while studying for a fully funded University accredited degree. Launching today, this partnership signifies an entrance into the apprenticeship space for McAleer & Rushe, which the Cookstown-based company has strategically targeted to provide students with the best possible opportunity to pave their way into the construction industry. The new apprentices will take up a role within McAleer & Rushe’s Commercial and Engineering teams, working closely with a mentor who will provide support and guidance, while undertaking a part-time, fully funded, five-year BSc Honours degree in Ulster University’s School of Architecture and the Built Environment. The associated courses include Quantity Surveying & Commercial Management and Construction Engineering & Management, with programme teaching delivered at Ulster University’s state-of-the-art Belfast campus located in the vibrant cultural centre of the city, the Cathedral Quarter. As the apprentices ‘earn while they learn’, they will also get started on the pathway towards gaining a membership of professional bodies and pursuing a professional chartered status. Working on the company’s substantial portfolio of projects across their core sectors of residential, hotel, office and student accommodation, apprentices will get the opportunity to travel throughout the programme to sites in major cities across the UK and Ireland, such as London, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Applications for their September 2024 intake are now open. Visit McAleer & Rushe’s website to apply: https://bit.ly/3JZgdSJ Commenting on the launch, Shane McCullagh, Director at McAleer & Rushe said: “We are thrilled to launch our Degree Apprenticeship Programme in partnership with Ulster University, providing students with an excellent opportunity to take the first step towards a diverse and fulfilling career in the construction industry. “By investing in apprenticeships, we are not only diversifying our workforce, but we are also innovatively creating career pathways for students by empowering them with invaluable experience early on in their careers. At McAleer & Rushe, we pride ourselves in nurturing staff from the beginning of their career journeys and throughout their careers, and with the guidance and support of our experienced staff, we can guarantee our apprentices’ personal and professional aspirations will be achieved.” Abbie McKenna, Head of Centre Apprenticeship, Skills & Flexible Education at Ulster University, commented: “We are thrilled McAleer & Rushe are launching their Apprenticeship Programme. Ulster University have long established links with McAleer & Rushe and we are proud that so many of our alumni students now enjoy successful careers with the company. We are confident that as we continue to work together, we will strengthen the joint success story Ulster University and McAleer & Rushe have together.” Clare Mahon, Senior Lecturer in Construction Management at Ulster University, commented: “This is an incredible opportunity for school leavers to gain a pathway into the construction industry. “Along with ourselves in Ulster, McAleer & Rushe have carefully sculpted the bespoke delivery model for the Degree Apprenticeship to include a range of flexible learning opportunities at university and in the work place. We are really excited to be part of it. “This partnership offers apprentices the opportunity to gain a university level qualification tailored to meet the needs of McAleer & Rushe. This earning and learning pathway not only leads up to graduation but also paves the way for apprentices to pursue professional chartered status as they progress in their careers.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
TerraQuest, the operator of Planning Portal, has launched its combined portal for Planning and Building Control applications. The service comes with a raft of new features built from the ground up to meet the needs of contractors and developers, creating a unified portal that serves as the home of planning and building control. Crucially, the new platform offers contractors and developers direct access to all their planning and building control applications via a single sign-on, while also providing a host of usability and interface enhancements designed to save them time and money. The service will allow applicants to pull information through from existing or approved planning applications to pre-populate elements of building control applications. Like Planning Portal, the new Building Control service is based on TerraQuest’s proprietary KeyChain software platform, which has been recognised by international experts for its quality. To enable the platform to operate on a self-sustaining basis without public funding, a service fee will apply to each application, with an introductory rate at launch of £21 including VAT. As a result of the investment that this modest service fee will unlock, applicants will benefit from continuous improvements to the service, driven by TerraQuest’s agile development team. This approach means there will be a pipeline of new features, developed on the basis of feedback from services users. Geoff Keal, CEO at TerraQuest, said: “Our new Building Control platform promises to be a major step forward for contractors and developers, substantially reducing the administrative burden that surrounds development. Planning applicants have already benefited from key usability enhancements and so it made sense to extend these to the Building Control application process with a new portal based on our proven KeyChain platform.” “The move to the new platform has in part being prompted by the need for greater agility in adapting to changes in health and safety legislation, so that applicants can make compliant submissions more easily.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Nearly half of building maintenance professionals state that systems integration is one of their most significant struggles, according to a recent poll by SFG20, the industry standard for facility maintenance specifications. Using this industry insight, SFG20 have developed an Application Programming Interface (API) that streamlines the integration between SFG20 content and FM systems used for operational activity. Almost 90% of FM professionals agreed on the benefit of implementing SFG20’s new ‘smart’ software, driven by new features such as automatic notifications that advise users when updates are made to the SFG20 standard. The new API makes SFG20 content available and accessible to all via the common FM systems used for operational activity i.e., CAFMs, IWFMs, CMMS etc. As users are notified of updates to SFG20’s content, they can choose when to accept them. SFG20 guidance will then automatically flow into their FM system. The API is also bi-directional, meaning that once work has been completed this information can flow back to SFG20 who will be able to provide reporting and insight around levels of compliance and value derived from their FM provider. Paul Bullard, Product and Professional Services Director at SFG20, says: “Our new freely available API will allow users to access and work with the SFG20 standard more efficiently than ever. By receiving updates to SFG20’s maintenance schedules and having this content automatically integrated into various FM systems, facility maintenance professionals remove the risk of falling off the standard and becoming non-compliant. The API comes at no cost, and allows any FM system to link in. SFG20 also provides support with the integration process, thereby removing any potential barriers and making it as easy as possible to carry out maintenance work and achieve compliance.” “To find out more about SFG20’s new open API solution, please visit their software integration page, which details the benefits of their open API, from improved efficiency, greater control, and standard compliance.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
SIXTY-FIVE jobs are being created after global integrated logistics and materials management specialist, ASCO, secured a contract to provide a range of services at the Teesworks site. The three-year contract will see ASCO providing a range of services at Teesworks’ South Bank Heavy Lift Quay, tailored to support the burgeoning offshore energy sector. Services will include quayside planning and scheduling, operations coordination, vessel scheduling, stevedoring and internal distribution services. ASCO was chosen for the contract because of its proven track record in delivering excellence to major energy industry operators at port and terminal locations across the world. Garry O’Malley, operations director at Teesworks, said: “We are delighted to award the operating contract to ASCO who have a great deal of experience in port and terminal operations both in the UK and globally. “The award of this contract also marks another milestone for the Teesworks site as it makes the transition to greener energy. ASCO as the quay operator will provide the operational expertise required to ensure service levels for users of this valuable asset are of the highest standard. “This partnership will create up to 65 direct jobs, providing more employment opportunities for the area.” The contract is also expected to support a number of other jobs in related sectors and the regional supply chain. ASCO is committed to helping develop and foster local talent to fill its vacancies by providing training to ensure the recruited workforce meets the company’s exacting standards. ASCO CEO, Mike Pettigrew, said: “The South Bank Quay is a flagship project for ASCO which will propel us along the right track right at the start of 2024, en route to achieving our future goals. It confirms and reinforces our intention to make significant investment into increasing our footprint in the new energies sector over the coming years. “Winning such a major contract is a testament to the work that we have done over the years where we have delivered world-class logistics services across the energy industry while contributing to the economic growth of the communities in which we operate.” Teesworks – the UK’s largest freeport – is being developed as an integrated energy hub and will include new energies such as hydrogen, carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS) and offshore wind projects, including monopile manufacturer SeAH Wind. Work under the ASCO contract is expected to start this summer, with the first vessel scheduled to berth in Autumn 2024. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Costa Clyde on a sunny Saturday was the setting for the Five Ferries Challenge, a 52-mile-long cycle ride undertaken by a team of East Kilbride-based engineers on behalf of the Beatson Cancer Charity. The team, made up of ten cyclists and two support crew, from Dougall Baillie Associates, one of the largest independent engineering consultancy firms in Scotland, tackled the demanding uphill and down dale cycle on Saturday 11 May. The challenge, which gets under way from Ardrossan, then takes the ferry to Brodick on Arran, then a ferry from Lochranza, Arran, to Clonaig in Kintyre, another ferry from Tarbert on Kintyre to Portavadie on the Cowal Peninsula, a fourth ferry from Colintraive on Cowal to the Isle of Bute, then a final ferry from Bute to Wemyss Bay and the nearest public house for a well-deserved refreshment. Fergus Adams, Managing Director of Dougall Baillie Associates, said: “I didn’t realise there were quite so many hills on the route, but we supported each other all the way, made the most of our recovery times on the ferries and got back to Wemyss Bay pretty much on the timetable we set ourselves. “And happily, all five ferries were running smoothly and dropped us off us where we needed to be when we needed to be there. “It was great also to be able to undertake the challenge on a beautiful, sunny day since the team had been training throughout the late winter and early spring in some pretty appalling weather conditions. “We’ve been training hard with a weekly cycle club taking place plus some extra regular weekend cycles also. The team also looked the part with our DBA-branded cycling tops. “The upshot is that we have raised £4500 so far for one of Scotland’s most worthy charities and we would like to thank our many colleagues, clients, suppliers, families and friends who have contributed to this magnificent sum.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Midlands contractor, G F Tomlinson, is progressing works on the new Barwell Medical Centre in Leicestershire. The new two-storey doctor’s surgery, located off High Street, Barwell, will replace the existing centre on Jersey Way, which is at capacity and unable to meet the growing demand for its services from the local community. Due for completion in June 2024, the new medical centre will provide modern healthcare facilities to many more local people, with demand expected to grow from its current 6,400 to 11,000 users over the next five to ten years. The additional space at the new centre will allow it to provide a greater range of much-needed health services, including physiotherapy and mental health support. The new L-shaped building will consist of 12 consulting rooms, a space for minor surgical procedures with recovery facilities, a health promotion area, as well as 52 car parking spaces and six cycle racks. The centre will be constructed to BREEAM Excellent standards, ensuring the long-term sustainability of the new Medical Centre. Demolition works at the unused brownfield site have already taken place which saw the removal of a former vehicle workshop and warehouse. Adrian Grocock, Group Managing Director at G F Tomlinson, said: “To be delivering this new contemporary medical facility which will enable more local people to access vital medical care, as well as its expanding specialist services, is a privilege. “G F Tomlinson is vastly experienced in the delivery of healthcare schemes and understand the incredibly important role they play in the local community. The team and I are looking forward to seeing this significant facility progress over the coming months.” Dr Mark Findlay, GP Partner at Barwell and Hollycroft Medical Centres said: “We are excited that after 17 years of planning, we will be moving into a purpose built, modern medical centre later this year. Over the last 10 years our practice list has increased by 50% to 14,600 patients across our two sites, and we have desperately needed a new building at Barwell. “After a challenging process obtaining NHS agreement and issues with planning and funding, we are relieved that we are close to providing the building our patients and staff deserve. The new medical centre is less than 500 metres from the existing site, closer to the local pharmacy and more accessible – being situated on the High Street, on the local bus route and having 52 parking spaces. “We have been delighted by our choice of contractor, GF Tomlinson, who have been incredibly supportive and professional throughout as well as being very considerate to our neighbours. Going above and beyond, they have been supporting the local community with food bank donations, Christmas tree collection and wood recycling.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
McLaughlin & Harvey is delighted to have handed over United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority’s (UKAEA)’s newest office building at Culham Campus. The new facility provides expanded office capacity with agile working space, new shared meeting amenities and collaborative breakout areas. In addition, it also features a new staff canteen and coffee bar, external plaza space, and car parking provision located at the site entrance. Works included the construction of a four-storey office building arranged in an L-shape to provide two dual aspect office wings to the east and south, wrapping around a centralised core and atrium. The design ethos of the new office building is based around efficiency, adaptability and flexibility, identity, wellness, innovation, and sustainability. The building has achieved this vision, providing a flexible office environment that can be easily modified according to future needs and conditions. The central shared atrium space promotes wellbeing for its occupants and encourages innovation through collaboration. UKAEA’s Culham Campus is central to UKAEA’s mission to develop fusion energy. UKAEA believes that meeting the challenges of fusion requires collaboration across multiple industries and disciplines. UKAEA’s vision is for its facilities, such as the new office building, to support Culham Campus becoming a destination to inspire and grow the fusion community. External works also included the construction of an associated car park, the installation of incoming utilities, and the creation of a central landscape square and ‘garden’ spaces for staff and visitors. McLaughlin & Harvey has been identified as a supplier by UKAEA under the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) Framework Construction Works & Associated Services. This was the third UKAEA scheme awarded to us through the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) Framework Construction Works & Associated Services. Michael Kieran, McLaughlin & Harvey Construction Director, said, “We have enjoyed working in collaboration with our Client UKAEA to successfully complete their new office building. This is the third project we have completed for UKAEA under the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) Framework. We look forward to continuing to deliver excellent results for UKAEA in the future.” Tim Bestwick, Deputy CEO at UKAEA commented, “The expansion and redevelopment of Culham Campus is an important part of UKAEA’s objectives – it is becoming an international centre of innovation, scientific advancement and excellence, fostering collaboration in pursuit of a more sustainable future.” Simon Peck, Interim Head of Campus and Property Development said “We aim to create an attractive and sustainable working environment as we strive to realise our goals for Culham Campus’ development and growth. The new office building embodies these objectives and has been built to a BREEAM Excellent standard.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
TODAY Greater Manchester is taking its first step towards offering a property check to renters across the city region, empowering those who feel trapped in substandard housing. This morning, in Moss Side, the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham announced a £600,000 package of measures to support tenants and clamp down on rogue landlords, as part of a plan to rewire the rental system so it works for people, not against them. The Good Landlord Charter, set to be rolled out later this year, will work with landlords who are willing to improve the standard of the properties they rent out. The first in the UK, the Charter scheme will cover social and private rented sector housing and set out clear, practical, and accessible standards to drive up the quality of renting in Greater Manchester. For tenants whose landlords are not willing to work with us voluntarily, we will be launching a Property Check scheme – another UK first. This will help those who feel trapped by their housing situation by giving them the right to request a property check, carried out by local teams and followed up with enforcement action where necessary. Data shows that, throughout Greater Manchester, around 23 per cent (56,000) of private rented homes and just under 17 per cent (82,000) of all rented homes do not meet the legal Decent Homes Standard. But since many tenants feel unable to raise complaints for fear of eviction, it’s thought the true number of substandard rentals may be as high as 40 per cent. Our recent survey of private tenants in Greater Manchester found that in the past year: Greater Manchester is investing £150,000 in a pilot with Salford City Council and central government to explore how these checks can be used effectively and proactively and help identify properties that fall short of the Decent Homes Standard – a legal requirement when the Renters (Reform) Bill comes into law later this year. The Mayor will be asking the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service to support the delivery of Property Checks. Our fire crews already visit around 30,000 homes a year, providing fire safety checks and work is under way to explore how they could deploy Property Checks as part of their work with our communities. To drive forward Greater Manchester’s plans to tackle the housing crisis, the Mayor has announced two more new pilot projects that will come into effect in the next 12 months, supporting the implementation of the Good Landlord Charter and the vision to become the UK’s first Housing First city-region: Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: “Today we drive forward the next phase of Greater Manchester’s mission to tackle the housing crisis and get serious about housing standards. “Everyone across our city-region deserves a good, safe, and secure home. It should be the starting point for a good life. It should not damage your health or be a source of concern and anxiety. “Sadly, too many people in Greater Manchester still find themselves in those situations, trapped in poorly maintained properties and in fear of unlawful eviction. But the days of bad landlords renting out unsafe and unfit homes are coming to an end. This new right to a property check for all residents, backed up with new measures to protect renters and take action against rogue landlords, will empower people across Greater Manchester and put us on course to become the UK’s only Housing First city-region.” The three pilot programmes, currently in development, support Greater Manchester’s plan to make sure every resident in our city-region can live in a good, safe home. Galvanising this plan will be the creation of a multi-agency Greater Manchester Housing First unit within the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, which will develop a strategy to drive up standards and bolster enforcement capacity across the board. The Mayor announced the package of measures today (Thursday 16 May) on a visit to a housing estate in Moss Side, Manchester. He was joined by Cllr Gavin White, Manchester City Council Executive Member for Housing and Development. Manchester City Council is currently consulting on proposals for new selective licensing schemes, which require private landlords or their managing agents to obtain a license before renting out a property. Their proposals would see the total number of private rented sector properties in the borough covered by selective licensing schemes rise from 2,000 to just under 4,000. For further information please contact the Communications and Engagement team on: news@greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk. Find us on social media @greatermcr. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals