An ambitious £93.8 million transformation plan is set for Coventry city centre and Coventry Station. Coventry City Council’s planning committee gave its permission for the £11.8 million scheme to improve the Upper Precinct and the £82 million Coventry Station Masterplan. The plans submitted by Shearer Property Group include a framed
WISE, the campaign for gender balance in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), carried out a research that showed the UK is on track to have 1 million women working in core STEM roles by 2020. There are over 900,000 women working in STEM currently and an estimated 200,000 women
The Scottish Building Contract Committee (SBCC) has elected Alan Wilson, acting managing director of SELECT, the trade body for the electro-technical trade in Scotland, to be its Vice Chair. The election took place at SBCC’s AGM on the 7th of November. “It’s a great honour to our organisation, as well
Any contractor that will get appointed to the stalled Midland Metropolitan hospital project in Sandwell will have to adhere to the requirements that have been set out by construction union Unite. Originally planned to become operational this month, the hospital project has been stalled since the main contractor Carillion collapsed
A showcase campus has enabled three schools to co-locate, while also providing a showpiece for a trio of Armstrong Ceiling Solutions, including TechZone™, the industry’s first easy-to-specify-and-install ceiling acoustic solution with integrated technical services. The new state-of-the-art Balloch Campus in West Dunbartonshire features three highly acoustic Armstrong Ceiling Solutions throughout
A £17 million redevelopment is planned for a former prison in Northallerton, starting in spring 2019. The plans to turn the former prison into a new retail, residential, leisure and office space were approved by Hambleton District Council’s Planning Committee on the 15th of November. The Treadmills project will also
With the new school year now underway, Richard Werth, CEO of Troy Homes has taken a look at the impact that ‘outstanding’ Ofsted rated schools have on house prices. According to data from the Land Registry, Department of Education and Ofsted, the connection between family sized homes and proximity to
This year’s Brick Awards saw Ibstock Brick celebrating the success of architects and brick contractors. Three outstanding projects using products from the Ibstock Brick range were named as winners, with a further two projects receiving commendations from the expert judging panel at the annual awards ceremony, organised by the Brick
Award-winning Ipswich-based KLH Architects have merged with another local architectural practice, which led to an expansion of its service offering. Poole and Pattle, the architectural practice based in Ipswich and run by Neil Poole and John Pattle, will be joining the 28-strong team this month bringing a wealth of experience
Building a Legacy, a flagship news-style programme revealing how the construction industry is key to delivering forward looking, sustainable infrastructure for this and future generations, has been launched by ITN Productions, in partnership with the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB). Presented by national newsreader Natasha Kaplinsky, ‘Building a Legacy’ explores
An ambitious £93.8 million transformation plan is set for Coventry city centre and Coventry Station. Coventry City Council’s planning committee gave its permission for the £11.8 million scheme to improve the Upper Precinct and the £82 million Coventry Station Masterplan. The plans submitted by Shearer Property Group include a framed courtyard in the Upper Precinct along with planting, landscaping, water features, seating areas and timber terraces. The work also involves the demolition of the existing escalator and footbridges connected to West Orchards Shopping Centre, and the creation of a 75-room student accommodation block in the district. Phase one of the council’s masterplan for Coventry Station is already underway and it aims to construct a new footbridge and canopies, as well as an access tunnel under Warwick Road. The second phase consists of the construction of a multi-storey car park for 633 vehicles, a new station concourse with access to all platforms and Warwick Road, and a new pedestrian route via an access tunnel under Warwick Road to a new bus interchange. This project is being funded by the West Midlands Combined Authority, the CWLEP, the Department for Transport and other borrowings. “It’s been a while since we had this level of investment in our city approved in a single planning committee – but now we have the green light to crack on with these two important city centre projects,” said Councillor Jim O’Boyle, Cabinet Member for Jobs and Regeneration at Coventry City Council and CWLEP board director. “Our work in the Upper Precinct will help to reinstate it back to something much closer to Donald Gibson’s original plan. We will ensure we retain the very best of the old whilst creating an environment appropriate for the way people want to enjoy their city centre today. The railway station is the fastest growing outside London with passenger numbers increasing year-on-year so we need a station that can cope with increased demand and provide the right kind of Coventry welcome,” he continued. Coventry City Council is working in partnership with Network Rail, Virgin Trains and other rail operators, Transport for West Midlands, Friargate Coventry LLP and other stakeholders to deliver the scheme.
WISE, the campaign for gender balance in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), carried out a research that showed the UK is on track to have 1 million women working in core STEM roles by 2020. There are over 900,000 women working in STEM currently and an estimated 200,000 women with STEM qualifications will reach working age within the next 2 years. The news was announced at WISE 2018 Awards presented by the Patron of WISE, HRH The Princess Royal. WISE’s annual Awards recognise inspiring individuals and organisations who are actively working to promote STEM to girls and women and drive change. Costain, Network Rail, EDF Energy, and BAM Nuttall were among some of the companies who collected Awards. “We need UK employers to do more and follow the great example of our Award winners who are leading the way. They have managed to get more women into engineering and technology, removed barriers preventing women moving up through the ranks and seen the benefits of doing so in terms of improved business performance. The great news is that there are more women than ever before coming onto the labour market with engineering and technology qualifications. If employers manage to recruit just half of these women, the UK will have achieved a major milestone,” explained Helen Wollaston, Chief Executive Officer for WISE. WISE also wants to see an increase in the proportion of girls choosing maths, physics, computer science and engineering, as well as making it easier for women who did not study these subjects at school, college or university, to obtain the relevant qualifications later in life. “A girl studying A level electronics told WISE recently that she feels her generation is on the cusp of finding new and better ways of creating things – in a sustainable way. Science and engineering and tech are fundamental to the future of the planet, we need women to take their rightful place in creating that new future,” concluded Helen at the end of the evening.
The Scottish Building Contract Committee (SBCC) has elected Alan Wilson, acting managing director of SELECT, the trade body for the electro-technical trade in Scotland, to be its Vice Chair. The election took place at SBCC’s AGM on the 7th of November. “It’s a great honour to our organisation, as well as to our sister body, the Scottish Engineering Contractors Group, (SECG), to have been elected as Vice Chair of SBCC,” said Alan Wilson. Until now its office bearers have been drawn from the membership of the Royal Institute of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). “We have worked closely for some years with SELECT and SECG and have a high regard for their professionalism and abilities. In our view, the election of Alan to be our new Vice Chair is a timely and appropriate development reflecting our due acknowledgement of his organisation,” commented Chair of the SBCC, Lisa Cattanach, a chartered surveyor who is also a director of Glasgow-based Contract Dispute Resolution. Lisa’s first official role as chair of the SBCC was to host a very successful annual conference which was held in the Merchants House in Glasgow on Wednesday the 14th of November. “We had an outstanding lineup of speakers, including Professor John Cole of Queen’s University, Belfast, who delivered a very thought provoking State of the Nation address, in which he focussed on the findings of two independent enquiries of industry-wide significance established to address major issues of building quality,” said Lisa about the conference. The SBCC, whose role is to provide definitive guidance on building contracts and construction law in Scotland, was founded in the 1960s. SELECT’s 1250-member companies account for around 90% of all electrical installation work carried out in Scotland. They have a collective turnover of around £1 billion and provide employment for 15,000 people.
Any contractor that will get appointed to the stalled Midland Metropolitan hospital project in Sandwell will have to adhere to the requirements that have been set out by construction union Unite. Originally planned to become operational this month, the hospital project has been stalled since the main contractor Carillion collapsed in January 2018 and it is not expected to be completed until at least 2022. In order to ensure workers are treated fairly and not exploited whenever the project resumes, the union wrote to Toby Lewis, chief executive of the Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust to seek that any contractor appointed to the project adheres to the following requirements: Adhere to national industrial agreements that govern pay and conditions Use local labour and suppliers Workers are directly employed (not employed under a form of bogus self-employment) Exploitative forms of employment such as umbrella companies are outlawed Trade unions are recognised and are given proper access to the workforce. “Local residents desperately need a new hospital which must become operational as early as possible but this must not be at the expense of the construction workers who will undertake this vitally needed work,” said Unite regional officer Su Lowe. “Exploitation can only be prevented and fair treatment guaranteed by recognising industrial agreements, guaranteeing direct employment and allowing unions proper access to the workforce. Unless workers are treated fairly and decently there is likely to be further problems with the construction of this site, which will create even more delays, causing even greater misery for patients and staff,” So Lowe added. The local NHS Trust is working to appoint a contractor for the project.
A showcase campus has enabled three schools to co-locate, while also providing a showpiece for a trio of Armstrong Ceiling Solutions, including TechZone™, the industry’s first easy-to-specify-and-install ceiling acoustic solution with integrated technical services. The new state-of-the-art Balloch Campus in West Dunbartonshire features three highly acoustic Armstrong Ceiling Solutions throughout – Perla OP 0.95 Tegular mineral tiles on Prelude 24 TLX grid, Parafon Hygien Board mineral tiles on a 24mm corrosion-resistant grid, and Armstrong’s revolutionary TechZone™ integrated ceiling system incorporating Perla OP MicroLook planks. Delivered by main contractor Morgan Sindall, they were specified by architects Holmes Miller for the £16 million campus for “cost and quality” reasons and installed by Armstrong’s Green Omega specialist sub-contractor Brian Hendry Interiors. As part of their membership of Armstrong’s Green Omega network of recycling installers Brian Hendry Interiors also recycled 300m2 of the new ceiling tile off-cuts during the installation process, preventing almost a tonne of material going to landfill and the consumption of an equivalent weight of raw materials. For maximum acoustic comfort some 1,600m2 of Perla OP 0.95 600mm x 600mm tiles with a Tegular edge detail within a standard 24mm grid were used in offices, classrooms and stores. These tiles perform to Sound Absorption Class A and were also the first mineral ceiling tile in Europe to win Cradle to Cradle™ certification as part of the new generation of sustainable and acoustic ceilings offered by Armstrong. In the corridors and breakout areas Armstrong’s TechZone™ integrated ceiling system was specified with a 15mm XL2 grid, fabricated to special lengths of 900, 2100 and 2400mm. Incorporating 800m2 of Perla OP 0.95 1200mm x 300mm MicroLook, the TechZone™ system was specified to achieve the aesthetics of a linear plank system and seamlessly integrate and complement the 100mm wide linear lighting arrangement. In addition, it addressed the clutter of services above in a crowded corridor installation and provided an acoustic Class A product to reduce unwanted noise in the busy ceiling plane. To complete the trio of Armstrong ceiling systems installed at Balloch Campus, 160m2 of Parafon Hygien 600mm x 600mm tiles, which offer Class A sound absorption, 95% humidity resistance and clean room classification to ISO 4, were used within a 24mm corrosion-resistant grid in the high humidity zones, such as the kitchen areas and stores. The new 53,280ft2 campus has been built on the site of the former St Kessog’s Primary and provides a new home for it, along with Haldene Primary and Jamestown Primary, to create the newly-formed school, Balloch Primary Campus*. An Additional Support Needs (ASN) unit and a new Balloch Early Learning and Childcare Centre (ELCC**) are also operating at the site. In total there are 21 open-plan flexible learning spaces for the potential 747 students, as well as a centrally-located shared administrative areas, gym halls and assembly area, while the ASN has capacity to assist 36 pupils with a varying range of support needs. The £16 million campus represents a major investment in the education offering in the area by West Dunbartonshire Council through what is now the Scottish Procurement Alliance. This supports the efficient construction, refurbishment and maintenance of social housing and public buildings throughout Scotland. With multiple stakeholders across the three schools and the local authority, the framework procurement route afforded early-stage collaboration on design, budget and timescales. The 16-month steel frame build to BIM Level 2 was completed on schedule and to budget. Brian Hendry Interiors had a team of up to 16 operatives, including apprentices, on site for five months.
A £17 million redevelopment is planned for a former prison in Northallerton, starting in spring 2019. The plans to turn the former prison into a new retail, residential, leisure and office space were approved by Hambleton District Council’s Planning Committee on the 15th of November. The Treadmills project will also incorporate five Grade II listed buildings, which were retained when the remainder of the prison site was demolished, as well as the construction of a large public square. The project is being delivered by the Central Northallerton Development Company (CNDC), a joint venture between Hambleton District Council and developers Wykeland Group. “This is a very exciting project not just for Northallerton but for the area as a whole. It will generate more activity in the town centre with people coming to visit the shops and enjoy the leisure experience we will offer through the restaurants and cinema,” said Chairman of the CNDC Board, District Councillor Peter Wilkinson. So far, Lidl has been confirmed as the retail anchor for the project, while Hull-based C4DI – the Centre for Digital Innovation – has been confirmed as the operator of the digital tech office space. Negotiations are underway to finalise operators of the remaining retail and leisure units. “We’re delighted this transformational redevelopment has gained planning approval and will soon move into the construction phase. This scheme will respect and conserve the heritage of the site while delivering many economic, social and community benefits for Northallerton, the wider area and local residents,” concluded Dominic Gibbons, Managing Director of Wykeland Group, and CNDC Board Member.
With the new school year now underway, Richard Werth, CEO of Troy Homes has taken a look at the impact that ‘outstanding’ Ofsted rated schools have on house prices. According to data from the Land Registry, Department of Education and Ofsted, the connection between family sized homes and proximity to a school with an ‘outstanding’ Ofsted rating (state or private; primary or secondary) can be as much as 28% and, even at the extremities of the schools’ catchment areas, it can remain around 20%. Given that some schools’ catchment areas can span 20 miles in each direction from the school’s gates, an Ofsted ‘outstanding’ rating can affect a huge swathe of property. Whilst living within a school’s catchment area does not guarantee a place, it certainly helps. For example, living within the catchment area of a Grammar School is often essential to securing a place. The premium for homes within 5 miles of popular private schools is often much higher than 28% – particularly in University cities where demand outstrips supply. So, as there is usually no formal catchment area, there is a temptation to live further away from the school. But, it is worth bearing in mind that if you live 10-15 miles west of the school, then your child’s best friend could easily live the same distance to the east of the school, making sleepovers and parties very complicated! Choosing the right schools is highly individual and can change as your children develop. It can be a complex and daunting process but, in the end, it very often comes down to ‘gut feel’ – you just know when you have connected with staff, students and atmosphere and if it just feels right. Buying to be in a catchment area is one thing, but the family home still has to meet the demands of all the family’s lives. Affordability, design, layout, size, commute, local facilities are just a few of the criteria that should be considered; after all, life outside school is just as important. But, for everyone’s benefit, the shorter the school run, the better.
This year’s Brick Awards saw Ibstock Brick celebrating the success of architects and brick contractors. Three outstanding projects using products from the Ibstock Brick range were named as winners, with a further two projects receiving commendations from the expert judging panel at the annual awards ceremony, organised by the Brick Development Association (BDA). Ibstock Brick also proudly sponsored three awards; Individual Housing Development, Architect’s Choice and Supreme winner. “Each year the standard of entries for the Brick Awards improves. As the market leading brick manufacturer we are delighted to be associated with the celebration of brick as a modern building material. We would like to congratulate everybody involved with the award-winning projects for their success in showcasing how brick can be used within creative and contemporary architecture. Ibstock Brick is committed to providing products which offer design flexibility for the most innovative building facades,” commented Darren Bowkett, Operations Director of Ibstock Brick. Voted by the public from a selection of shortlisted projects in other categories, the Architect’s Choice Award was handed to the BPTW Architects designed project at Creek Road in the heart of Greenwich. The project utilised the Funton Old Chelsea Yellow brick to mirror the existing bricks whilst adding a contemporary twist. The winner in the Education category was Marlborough Primary School (Architect: Dixon Jones), while Royal Albert Wharf was the winner in the Large Housing Development category. Blackfriars Circus also picked up a commendation in this category, with both projects being designed by Maccreanor Lavington. Scala Yard (Architect: DLA Design Group) received a commendation in the Small Housing development category. The winners of the Specialist Brickwork Contractor award, Anglian Brickwork Ltd, used Ibstock Bricks in one of their winning projects at the David Attenborough Building (Architect: Nicholas Hare). Ibstock Brick, part of Ibstock plc, is the biggest manufacturer of clay bricks sold in the UK. With 20 manufacturing plants producing more than 850,000 new bricks per annum, it offers an unrivalled choice of more than 450 different bricks, which includes prefabricated brickwork components, rainscreens and a diverse selection of special shaped bricks and pavers.
Award-winning Ipswich-based KLH Architects have merged with another local architectural practice, which led to an expansion of its service offering. Poole and Pattle, the architectural practice based in Ipswich and run by Neil Poole and John Pattle, will be joining the 28-strong team this month bringing a wealth of experience particularly in the retail and commercial sectors. “We are thrilled to welcome the team from Poole and Pattle under the KLH umbrella. Their expertise will help bolster our offering as a firm and enables us to provide a more diverse service to our clients,” said Martyn Goodwin, director at KLH Architects. The 32-year-old firm has worked on notable projects including the extensive redevelopment of Coes clothing store in Ipswich and the extension and refurbishment of Ipswich’s New Wolsey Theatre. “When the opportunity arose for us to join the team at KLH we knew it was the right move for us as a firm. They are a fantastic practice with a reputation of delivering high quality buildings throughout East Anglia and London,” said Neil, director of Poole and Pattle. “KLH have the same principles as us – being totally client-focused and delivering buildings and facilities that exceed the expectations of clients, stakeholders and users.” This decision follows the recent news of Bryan Wybrow’s promotion to director bringing the total to five directors. “This is an exciting time for the firm and we have experienced substantial growth. We are currently undertaking a major extension and renovation project on our offices to accommodate the growth and welcome the new team members,” added Martyn. KLH Architects is an RIBA chartered practice which provide design, planning and project management expertise in healthcare, residential, commercial and leisure development in East Anglia and London.
Building a Legacy, a flagship news-style programme revealing how the construction industry is key to delivering forward looking, sustainable infrastructure for this and future generations, has been launched by ITN Productions, in partnership with the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB). Presented by national newsreader Natasha Kaplinsky, ‘Building a Legacy’ explores the meaning of sustainable construction, highlights the vital role that sustainable buildings play in securing long-term environmental and social viability and hears from the masterminds behind some of the country’s most iconic structures and cutting-edge digital design technologies. “We’re were delighted to partner once again with the Chartered Institute of Building to produce a programme exploring the extraordinary role that the Construction Manager plays in the lives of us all. We hope the content can be used to share remarkable stories, highlight new innovations and look at the next generation of construction professionals,” said Elizabeth Fisher-Robins, Head of Industry News, ITN Productions. Drawing upon ITN’s 60-year heritage and expertise in storytelling, the news-style programme combines interviews and reports with sponsored editorial profiles from leading organisations: Sir Robert McAlpine, Bluebeam, Allplan and Coins Global. In an interview, Chris Blythe, Chief Executive of the CIOB, highlights how the organisation supports the success of the industry and champions the role of the Construction Manager as a key driving force in building sustainability. “Buildings are about improving people’s quality of life – they are far more than just bricks and mortar. And construction managers are key as they not only help connect the people who work in the building with those who will use the building, they connect with the local community. The shaping of the built environment plays a big part in shaping communities and working with ITN Productions has given us a great opportunity to showcase that,” said Chris Blythe, Chief Executive, CIOB.