The Electrical Industries Charity’s first ever Dragon Boat 2016 is fast approaching and what better way to spend some time with your family, friends and colleagues than by signing your team up for the fastest growing water activity in Britain. Dragon Boat 2016 takes place at the
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a founding member of a new international coalition that will develop the first set of globally-recognised ethics standards for real-estate and related professional organisations. The International Ethics Standards (IES) Coalition currently comprises 48 member organisations with professionals working in a diverse range
Network Rail is set to be stripped of its full control of railways in England’s as part of a major government shake-up. Chris Grayling, Transport Secretary, has announced that he intends to bring track and train operations back together, handing train operators greater influence over the work that takes place
Citygate Construction (CGC), based in Paisley, is set to launch a new initiative to help housing associations combat loneliness and isolation among their older tenants. Starting at the beginning of next year, the ‘Afternoon Tea with CGC’ scheme will encourage housing associations and housing co-operatives in Scotland to apply for
Construction services company J Tomlinson has appointed Tony O’Toole as managing director of its M&E operation. The position is a new post and reflects the company’s plan to grow the M&E side of the business. “J Tomlinson is experiencing a continued period of expansion, and Tony’s appointment reflects our commitment
British Steel is celebrating the 10th anniversary of rail production at its Scunthorpe plant today (Wednesday 7 December 2016) with the news it has secured another contract in Europe. On December 7 2006, the company replaced the old rail facility in Workington with a new one in Scunthorpe. It has
A landmark court ruling means that basement extensions must have planning permission if they require engineering and excavation works. A High Court judge has ruled that the London Borough of Camden wrongly allowed a basement designed by North London practice Strange Associates under permitted development rights. Brought to court by
Herefordshire Council has given planning permission for the building of a 20MW energy storage system (ES) which will give real-time grid stabilisation to the local distribution network. Energy Reservoirs now has three years to start building the system, which will be made up of batteries housed in ten containers on
Carillion, a subsidiary of Wolverhampton-based support and construction services group, has been chosen as the preferred bidder for a power transmission contract worth £120 million. Manitoba Hydro has chosen Rokstad, a division of Carillion Canada, as the preferred provider for the next phase of its Bipole III high voltage transmission
Hertfordshire construction firm Montway has been fined £144,000 after a Romanian labourer was seriously injured when he fell off a roof during demolition work. Southwark Crown Court heard that on 25th February 2013 two workers were pulling apart the roof of a two-storey house in Golders Green in London. One
The Electrical Industries Charity’s first ever Dragon Boat 2016 is fast approaching and what better way to spend some time with your family, friends and colleagues than by signing your team up for the fastest growing water activity in Britain. Dragon Boat 2016 takes place at the picturesque Peterborough rowing lake on Saturday 6 August 2016. This exciting summer event will offer great entertainment for everyone and make a perfect family day out this summer. This fun-filled event will allow industry professionals to re-ignite their team spirit and compete against their rivals while having fun with their families, friends, and colleagues. Families can also look forward to a fun day out with plenty of entertainment to choose from including a funfair with children’s rides and stalls. Managing director, Tessa Ogle says: “We are very excited to host our first ever Dragon Boat event this summer that will bring our industry professionals and their families and friends together. We believe that spending time with family is crucial for everyone, and what better way to do this than by joining us at our fantastic summer event.” Sign your team up today for as little as £1000. For more information contact, Vicky Gray: vicky.gray@electricalcharity.org www.electricalcharity.org Source link
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a founding member of a new international coalition that will develop the first set of globally-recognised ethics standards for real-estate and related professional organisations. The International Ethics Standards (IES) Coalition currently comprises 48 member organisations with professionals working in a diverse range of countries including China, Brazil, Dubai, Russia and India. Coalition partners, many of which already have their own codes of conduct focusing on qualities like trustworthiness, integrity and respect, will work together to align ethics principles through a new international standard. Speaking today, RIBA President Stephen Hodder said:“The RIBA has its own robust standards and codes and is committed to working with our fellow global professionals to develop a common ethics standard. I strongly believe establishing this important standard across the entire supply chain will enhance transparency, consistency and trust in the services being offered by professionals in the global and interconnected marketplace.” The IES Coalition was first proposed during a meeting of a number of the founding organisations at the United Nations (New York) in October 2014. It is hoped that the new International Ethics Standard will be ready in early 2016. More information at http://ies-coalition.org/ ENDS Notes to editors 1. For more information contact: RIBA Press Office pressoffice@riba.org 020 7580 5533 2. RIBA’s International Task Group, led by RIBA Vice President International Peter Oborn set out a detailed plan for RIBA’s role in engaging with international communities, including signing up to the Coalition, in December 2014. The full report: http://www.architecture.com/RIBA/Aboutus/Whoweare/RIBACouncil/InternationalTaskGroupreport.aspx 3. RIBA is hosting Designing City Resilience 2015, a two-day international summit on disaster prevention and resilience in June 2015. The summit is supported by the Commonwealth Secretary General, the Government Office for Science and the Rockefeller Foundation. www.designingcityresilience.com. 4. The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) champions better buildings, communities and the environment through architecture and our members www.architecture.com Follow us on Twitter for regular RIBA updates www.twitter.com/RIBA Posted on Wednesday 13th May 2015 Source link
Network Rail is set to be stripped of its full control of railways in England’s as part of a major government shake-up. Chris Grayling, Transport Secretary, has announced that he intends to bring track and train operations back together, handing train operators greater influence over the work that takes place on the rail lines throughout the country. At present, the UK’s track infrastructure is solely owned and maintained by Network Rail, which is publicly owned, with trains and services operated by private train operating companies such as Virgin and Southern. However, Mr Grayling has called for a change, with both track and trains to be managed by “one joined-up team of people”. Under the changes, Network Rail and train operating staff will be integrated into operating teams for renewal and maintenance work. It is not yet clear how much control Network Rail will have over the tracks – as is the make-up of the teams. Mr Grayling is also expected to reveal plans to create a organisation, separate to Network Rail, called East West Rail. This will oversee the construction and operation of a rebuilt multi-million-pound train line linking Oxford to Cambridge. This will be the first fully integrated rail operation created since the end of British Rail in 1994, and will be tasked with securing private sector design, build and management of the route. The move will be a step away from the way major enhancement projects, which are usually delivered on the UK’s rail lines through Network Rail’s Infrastructure Projects Division. Last month, the chancellor Philip Hammond gave £100m to the speed up the delivery of the western section of East West Rail between Cambridge and Bedford, and a further £10m to develop a preferred route from Bedford to Oxford. Network Rail chief executive Mark Carne has welcomed the changes, saying more needed to be done to align incentives between the organisation and train operating companies.
Citygate Construction (CGC), based in Paisley, is set to launch a new initiative to help housing associations combat loneliness and isolation among their older tenants. Starting at the beginning of next year, the ‘Afternoon Tea with CGC’ scheme will encourage housing associations and housing co-operatives in Scotland to apply for funding from CGC to host their own traditional afternoon teas – with the aim of providing companionship for those in later life. Managing director Leo Reilly said the project is in keeping with CGC’s strong commitment to social justice. He commented: “We remain committed to our social justice principles of helping communities where we can in innovative and worthwhile ways. Major business like ourselves must clearly understand the need to use our profitability to give something back.” The announcement came as CGC announced it is on track to surpass £14 million in turnover this year. The company said the record turnover figure had been boosted by securing a large number of contracts south of the border, with more in the pipeline after opening its inaugural English base in Preston. Since spring this year, the 13 year old company has taken on more than 20 staff to boost the number to 123. CGC has also given an undertaking that it is “100 per cent” committed to its apprenticeship programme to give young women and men a helping hand onto the employment ladder. Currently there are eight apprentices with the firm – two of whom are adult apprentices in their 20s and 40s. Most remain with CGC on completion of their apprenticeships. Leo Reilly added: “This has been a remarkable year for the business – much of this can be attributed to the commitment and hard work of our staff. Of great significance has been the contracts won south of the border in addition to our widespread activity in Scotland. “We have won many orders across the United Kingdom thanks to a combination of good value, performance and our hard-won reputation.”
Construction services company J Tomlinson has appointed Tony O’Toole as managing director of its M&E operation. The position is a new post and reflects the company’s plan to grow the M&E side of the business. “J Tomlinson is experiencing a continued period of expansion, and Tony’s appointment reflects our commitment to building on our M&E services. Nationally the M&E sector is starting to show signs of growth, and by strengthening our M&E team we aim to be best placed to expand this division,” said J Tomlinson CEO Mark Davis. Tony, who was previously operations director at Balfour Beatty Engineering Services for the North West and Midlands delivery unit, is based in J Tomlinson’s head office at Beeston near Nottingham, working across the East Midlands, West Midlands and Yorkshire. This is an exciting time for me. He said: “This is an exciting time for me to be joining J Tomlinson Ltd and to contribute to the strategic goals which will see a sustained growth in both the turnover and profitability of the J Tomlinson Ltd group.” With more than 30 years of experience within the M&E business, Tony began his career as an apprentice electrician and has since held senior positions within both PLC and privately owned national M&E contractors. “Tony is a proven leader with hard-core engineering and construction skills, industry vision and the ability to unite people behind that vision, and I am very pleased to welcome him to the J Tomlinson team,” added Mark. J Tomlinson provides a range of integrated building solutions including construction, refurbishment, repairs and maintenance, mechanical and electrical services (M&E), and facilities management. The company employs more than 400 people, and has been growing steadily and sustainably in recent years, with turnover increasing from £54 million in 2014 to £74 million in 2016. Recently, the firm opened a new West Midlands headquarters after experiencing expansion in the region – transferring its West Midlands base from a site in Birmingham to larger offices in London Road, Canwell, near Sutton Coldfield. For more information about J Tomlinson, visit www.jtomlinson.co.uk
British Steel is celebrating the 10th anniversary of rail production at its Scunthorpe plant today (Wednesday 7 December 2016) with the news it has secured another contract in Europe. On December 7 2006, the company replaced the old rail facility in Workington with a new one in Scunthorpe. It has since rolled more than 1.5 million tonnes of rail – enough to lay track between London and Delhi. And the landmark has been made even more significant by the announcement the Finnish Transport Agency (FTA) has chosen to use rails made by British Steel for the sixth consecutive year. Peter Smith, British Steel’s Managing Director Rail, said: “This is an important contract for us in a very competitive market place. “The full contract will be split 50/50 between British Steel and another supplier, with our half of the contract seeing 5,500 tonnes of steel being delivered by April 2017. “This will be produced at our Scunthorpe Rail and Section Mill, which is now 10 years old. The first deliveries will be made to the FTA over the coming weeks and the fact they have chosen us again is testament to the high standards we set. “This is a major exporting contract for one of our target markets and it comes as a boost against strong European competition. There are only four other approved bidders competing to supply the FTA, reflecting their strict requirements for service and quality.” The steel will be used for the agency’s annual maintenance work, which will see the British Steel rails used across multiple sites. British Steel’s Scunthorpe Rail and Section Mill (SRSM) opened in 2007 after the rail production plant in Workington was deemed incapable of producing the length of rail needed for future market demands. Premium equipment for the new mill was sourced from across the globe and Peter said: “The plant was designed to service UK rail demand, specifically long rail for Network Rail, but over the years we’ve seen our range of profiles, products and markets grow to meet demands from across the world. “Our Scunthorpe rails are now in track networks from Finland to Algeria and then down to Chile, and in locations as diverse as South Africa, Saudi Arabia and Singapore. “Our major domestic customer is Network Rail and I’m proud to say our relationship with them has gone from strength to strength. “We’re able to deliver 100% on time, week in, week out. This is critical as we supply the vast majority of their rail requirement, so the performance of the country’s rail network depends on successful operations at SRSM. “As we look forward we continue to see a great future in rail, it’s exciting the Government is talking about an industrial strategy and talking about improving transport infrastructure, particularly in the north of the country with projects like HS2, for which we expect to be a significant supplier.” About British Steel British Steel is our new company, created with a proud heritage and a passion to build stronger futures. Our past has always been important to us but now we’re looking to the future, maintaining world leader status in steel production. Our steel has been, and continues to be, fundamental in creating iconic, awe-inspiring structures around the world. It helps people travel, work, eat and socialise every day. More importantly, it helps keep us safe. As British Steel, we are more agile and easier to do business with, meaning we’re more responsive, adaptable, competitive and proactive in our markets and for our customers. We know we have passionate, hard-working, ambitious and dedicated employees and together we are creating a future we are all proud to be part of. We produce more than 2.8 million tonnes of steel every year. From this, we manufacture more than 1,450 different specifications of steel that gets rolled into wire rod, sections, special profiles and rail. British Steel employs 4,800 people (4,400 in the UK, 400 in France). The business is made up of the following facilities: Scunthorpe integrated steelworks Teesside Beam Mill, Lackenby Special Profiles, Skinningrove Hayange Rail Mill, north east France Immingham Bulk Terminal (port terminal) Engineering business, Workington National design consultancy Associated distribution facilities in the UK and Ireland Global sales offices Landmark railways that contain British Steel products The vast majority of Network Rail’s steel rail is made by British Steel Crossrail, London Borders Railway – longest UK railway to be built in over 100 years TGV high speed lines, France Mecca-Medina line, Saudi Arabia
A landmark court ruling means that basement extensions must have planning permission if they require engineering and excavation works. A High Court judge has ruled that the London Borough of Camden wrongly allowed a basement designed by North London practice Strange Associates under permitted development rights. Brought to court by a neighbour, the case is the latest round in London’s ‘basement wars’ between disgruntled neighbours and householders developing underground extensions. Landmark Chambers, representing neighbour Michael Eatherley, made the following statement: “This is the first time that the High Court has directly dealt with whether a residential basement extension, involving significant excavation works, is or can be within the Class A right. “The judgment clarifies a controversial topic in planning law and provides much-needed guidance to authorities, who have hitherto adopted divergent approaches.” Class A permitted development rights apply to projects to enlarge, improve or alter domestic homes. Last December, Eatherley’s neighbour, James Ireland, applied for a certificate to excavate a single-storey basement under his terraced house in Belsize Park, North London. This latest judgement found that Camden’s planning committee erred by approving the application because it did not consider the excavation and removal of soil, as well as the structural support works, as a separate activity from the creation of the basement. Justice Cranson, the presiding judge, commented: “In the context of an original “two up, two down” terrace house in suburban London, it seems to me that the development of a new basement, when there is nothing underneath at present, could well amount, as a question of fact and degree, to two activities, each of substance. “There is the enlargement, improvement and alteration aspect, but there is potentially also an engineering aspect of excavating a space and supporting the house and its neighbours.” He added that, even though engineering works may be indivisible from the aim of the developer, they still need planning permission.
Herefordshire Council has given planning permission for the building of a 20MW energy storage system (ES) which will give real-time grid stabilisation to the local distribution network. Energy Reservoirs now has three years to start building the system, which will be made up of batteries housed in ten containers on a greenfield site to the west of Clay Hill Pitch, Dormington. The original planning documents state that the system will be directly connected to the adjacent substation to provide energy storage capacity to the National Grid. It will mean that excess electricity generated from a number of conventional and renewable sources will be allowed to be stored in the batteries during times of low demand. The stored capacity will then be fed back into the grid during peak demand times, which can coincide with times of low generation. A spokesperson for Energy Reservoirs said that in terms of other potential streams of revenue, the process of prequalifying for the capacity market was “an expensive job” for a battery due to the high bid bond require, while arbitrage “doesn’t really work yet sadly”. The project is therefore expected to rely on providing frequency balancing services as the main revenue stream. However, the spokesperson added that the company intended to take part in National Grid’s next tender after failing to win in the recent EFR competition. Energy Reservoirs has yet to appoint a supplier and is currently attracting quotes from a number of potential partners, the majority of which are offering lithium-ion batteries.
Carillion, a subsidiary of Wolverhampton-based support and construction services group, has been chosen as the preferred bidder for a power transmission contract worth £120 million. Manitoba Hydro has chosen Rokstad, a division of Carillion Canada, as the preferred provider for the next phase of its Bipole III high voltage transmission line scheme. The project will involve clearing rights of way, installing access roads, anchors and foundations, the assembly of towers and the stringing of cables for three packages of the Bipole III project, which will include 1,384 km of transmission lines and two converter stations, beginning at Keewatinohk in Northern Manitoba and will end at Sandy Bay Ojiway First Nation in Southern Manitoba. When the Bipole lll project is fully completed, it will deliver renewable energy to the United States and Southern Manitoba. Carillion said it expected to agree final terms and achieve contract signature shortly to enable work to begin before the end of the year, with completion scheduled for 2018. Carillion chief executive, Richard Howson, said: “We are delighted to have been selected for this important project, which further demonstrates the quality and strength of Rokstad’s offering and the success of our strategy of expanding our infrastructure services activities in Canada into the power transmission and distribution market, with the acquisition of Rokstad in 2014.” The announcement was made at the same time as a full year training update was published by the parent group, in which it said performance was meeting expectations with strong growth expected to be reflected in increased operating profit and total revenue. It showed that revenue growth continued to lead the performance, along with a strong margin in support services. The group has also forecast that net borrowing is expected to reduce from the half-year level. New orders plus probable orders in 2016 are expected to reach £4.5bn, with total orders plus probable orders of approximately £16 billion (December 2015: £17.4 billion) by the end of the year.
Hertfordshire construction firm Montway has been fined £144,000 after a Romanian labourer was seriously injured when he fell off a roof during demolition work. Southwark Crown Court heard that on 25th February 2013 two workers were pulling apart the roof of a two-storey house in Golders Green in London. One of them, Ioan Vancea, fell from the partly demolished roof and suffered serious injuries. No scaffolding had been provided and the work was not being supervised. Mr Vancea fell five metres to the ground and sustained a fractured spine. He was in an induced coma for two weeks and remained in hospital for three months. Two weeks later, the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) paid a visit and found that demolition work was still being carried out with no supervision and asbestos debris was piled by a neighbour’s hedge, mixed in with other waste. Enforcement notices were served. Montway Ltd of Batchworth House, Church Street, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and was fined £144,000 and ordered to pay £43,606.15 in costs. The company originally pleaded not guilty, but changed its plea and sought a Newton hearing to determine numerous issues it disputed. The Newton hearing took place before District Judge Roscoe on 23rd and 24th May 2016. HSE inspector Andrew Verrall-Withers said after the hearing: “Mr Vancea’s injuries were life changing and he could easily have been killed. This serious incident would have been avoided if scaffolding had been provided. Montway Ltd’s site documents even identified it was needed.” He added: “Montway Ltd sought a Newton hearing so they could dispute numerous issues in front of a District Judge. They were unsuccessful and the Judge’s ruling confirmed she was satisfied that their approach towards the welfare of their employees was lax and casual, and it was their overall poor management of health and safety that directly led to this incident.” This article was published on 2 Sep 2016 (last updated on 2 Sep 2016). Source link