Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Scotland has welcomed the creation of a new Planning Hub, which aims to support the work of local authorities, build skills and capacity, and leverage specialist expertise from outside the planning profession. Dr Caroline Brown, Director of RTPI Scotland, said: “Whilst recent budget announcements from
Commercial interior design and fit out company APSS has created a stunning interior design for Lincolnshire charity Naomi’s Garden part of a volunteer project bringing together construction and professional service companies across Lincolnshire. Louth-based Naomi’s Garden provides a conductive education and special education needs consultancy. It also provides Bowen Therapy
Hot on the heels of the Paris Olympics and Paralympics, a young engineer from the UK is aiming to fly the flag at this month’s “Skills Olympics’’ in France, with continued backing from Fujitsu General Air Conditioning UK. Luke Haile, a refrigeration technician from Lightfoot Defence, will represent the UK
wienerberger UK & Ireland, a leading provider of solutions across the building envelope, has launched a new partnership with charity Emmaus UK as it begins to implement its first ever social impact strategy. Under the agreement, wienerberger will contribute £10,000 to Emmaus UK’s Companion Training Fund. The programme provides grants
Prologis UK, a leading owner, developer and investor of logistics property, is expanding its development in Croydon, South London. Working with leading main contractor, Winvic Construction, groundworks have been completed on four new market-leading units at Prologis Park Beddington. Ranging from 15,000 to 46,000 sq. ft., the latest expansion phase
Leading North West property services company, The Momentum Group, has announced the publication of its first Annual Report for Momentum Contribute and its second Annual Health, Safety and Wellbeing Report. Momentum Contribute underpins The Momentum Group’s business activities, encapsulating the company’s commitment to people, places, the planet, and professionalism. Its
Winvic Construction Ltd is again leading the industry with another UK first; the main contractor that specialises in the design and delivery of private and public sector construction and civil engineering projects is the first to use Skyline Cockpit – a pioneering technology that operates tower cranes from a ground
London Museum (formerly known as Museum of London) has today announced a new pledge of £50 million from its principal funders the City of London Corporation and the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan. The contribution of £25 million each will go towards the creation of its new home – a
Yesterday’s publication of the final report of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry is a long-awaited milestone in the response to the tragic loss of 72 lives in June 2017. It is another difficult and traumatic moment for the bereaved, the survivors and relatives of the Grenfell Tower victims and the Construction
Housing providers and local authorities across the UK are set to benefit from a new procurement framework specialising in decarbonisation retrofit works. The framework, launched by specialist procurement consultancy Prosper, is expected to generate up to £1 billion of construction opportunities. It provides an all-encompassing procurement solution for landlords, covering
Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Scotland has welcomed the creation of a new Planning Hub, which aims to support the work of local authorities, build skills and capacity, and leverage specialist expertise from outside the planning profession. Dr Caroline Brown, Director of RTPI Scotland, said: “Whilst recent budget announcements from the Scottish Government raise concerns about the impact on funding for nature recovery, active travel, and climate action, we are really pleased to see a more positive announcement about the creation of a new Planning Hub. This is a very positive step, investing new resources into Scottish planning with the potential to bring in diverse expertise and drive innovation in the profession. “The Sottish Government has taken great initiative in setting up a hub that will operate to support the work of local authorities, building skills and capacity by leveraging specialist expertise from outside the planning profession. In our consultation response earlier in the year, we voiced concerns that an initiative like this could create new bottlenecks in local authorities, and it is encouraging to see those concerns addressed in the architecture of the proposed Hub. “The true benefits of the planning hub are likely only be visible over time. Sustained funding is necessary for its long-term viability, and it will need to expand beyond hydrogen to truly impact Scotland’s communities.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Commercial interior design and fit out company APSS has created a stunning interior design for Lincolnshire charity Naomi’s Garden part of a volunteer project bringing together construction and professional service companies across Lincolnshire. Louth-based Naomi’s Garden provides a conductive education and special education needs consultancy. It also provides Bowen Therapy along with running a Holiday Activities and Food programme (HAF) in conjunction with Lincolnshire County Council. Conductive education is based on a ‘simple’ concept of human potential, meaning that everyone has the capability to learn and develop irrespective of their starting point. The Bowen technique comprises a series of precise movements over muscle and connective tissue to naturally assist the body in re-balancing and re-setting itself. Between each set of moves there is a pause allowing the nervous system to adjust the tension level in the muscles. The charity is currently raising funds for its new HQ in Manby Park near Louth to transform it from a motorcycle repair shop into a fit-for-purpose facility, where it can deliver its life-changing services to more people who need them. APSS designer Caitlin Maginess created the interior concept which steered away from a usual clinical interior and made it a more welcoming and fun experience for the children and adults who require the services. Caitlin said: “It was important to have a home away from home for people to visit, so we focused on creating a homely feel with a contemporary industrial design using a lot of soft furnishings. “There are areas within the design where we toned the concept down to focus on the needs of the people who will be using the space. “In addition to providing the primary service, there will be a space for people and businesses to rent out for classes like Zumba or spinning and birthday parties. There is also a communal kitchen that everyone can use in addition to therapy rooms, meeting rooms and counselling rooms as well as the classroom which will be the heart of the facility.” When complete, the new centre will enable the charity to extend its working hours, provide group sessions and create a dynamic learning environment for all – no matter what their disability – resulting in 50% more adults and children being supported each year. The building will also give them the option to run group sessions and be used for the wider community. Sarah-Jayne Walker, Lead Conductor at Naomi’s Garden, said: “When we received the designs from APSS, I cried. We were blown away with how beautiful they were and exactly what we were after. “Now we need to continue our fundraising journey while we gather as many Lincolnshire-based companies to make this dream a reality. We are in awe at the generosity we have already received from these local companies and businesses along with other charities who have stood shoulder to shoulder with us. “We currently have a waiting list across Lincolnshire who are keen to benefit from the unique therapy we provide. We desperately need our new more accessible hub to be functional so we can continue our work and expand to help those families who are relying on us as the only service provider of our kind in our area.” To make a donation towards Naomi’s Garden’s new premises please visit: https://www.gofundme.com/f/naomis-gardens-big-move?utm_campaign=p_nacp+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Hot on the heels of the Paris Olympics and Paralympics, a young engineer from the UK is aiming to fly the flag at this month’s “Skills Olympics’’ in France, with continued backing from Fujitsu General Air Conditioning UK. Luke Haile, a refrigeration technician from Lightfoot Defence, will represent the UK at WorldSkills 2024 in Lyon (10-15 September) on equipment supplied by Fujitsu in France, having completed his training on similar kit donated by Fujitsu in the UK. The former apprentice, from Hampshire, won the WorldSkills UK-RACHPSkills UK gold medal in 2022, when Fujitsu was headline sponsor of the event. That victory earned him the right to compete at WorldSkills 2024, known as the “Skills Olympics’’. In keeping with their efforts to help develop the next generation of engineers, Fujitsu has maintained its relationship with Haile and continued to offer support by providing equipment for him to train on, under the guidance of Mark Forsyth, a WorldSkills UK training manager and owner of Coriolis International. Haile said: “Fujitsu General Air Conditioning has supported my WorldSkills journey from the very beginning. Its sponsorship during the early stages encouraged not only myself but other young and up-and-coming engineers. “Fujitsu’s backing extended far beyond sponsorship; offering me access to their technical experts and a wide range of advanced equipment to train on, as well as onsite visits. This invaluable support has not only sharpened my skills but also shaped me into becoming a better engineer. I am deeply grateful and am certain the friendships forged will extend beyond the WorldSkills final.’’ Martyn Ives, Commercial Director, Fujitsu General Air Conditioning UK, said: “Fujitsu is extremely proud of its efforts to help improve standards across the air conditioning and heat pump sectors. We have formed partnerships with a number of colleges across the UK and we are delighted to have been able to help Luke on his way to Lyon. “We donated a wall mounted split system for Luke to train on and hopefully that training will help him to prove his worth against the best young engineers from around the world.’’ Ben Blackledge, Chief Executive, WorldSkills UK said: “We are extremely grateful for the continued support from Fujitsu towards Luke’s training programme for WorldSkills Lyon 2024 and for our National Finals which will take place in Greater Manchester in November. “We couldn’t be prouder of Luke and Team UK; they are fantastic role models. We will use their participation at WorldSkills to boost the prestige of technical and vocational education, inspiring many more young people to take up technical and vocational training across the UK.” WorldSkills UK, a four-nation partnership between education, industry and UK governments, is responsible for selecting, mentoring and training Team UK for WorldSkills Lyon 2024. Pearson, the world’s leading learning company is the official partner of Team UK for WorldSkills Lyon 2024. WorldSkills Lyon 2024 will host over 1500 young people from 65 countries, who will compete in 62 different skill disciplines. To discover more about the Fujitsu product range, visit https://www.fujitsu-general.com/uk/ or email sales@fgac.fujitsu-general.com Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
wienerberger UK & Ireland, a leading provider of solutions across the building envelope, has launched a new partnership with charity Emmaus UK as it begins to implement its first ever social impact strategy. Under the agreement, wienerberger will contribute £10,000 to Emmaus UK’s Companion Training Fund. The programme provides grants to residents of Emmaus UK communities, enabling them to acquire valuable skills and qualifications for employment. Priority will be given, when feasible, to allocating funds for companions interested in pursuing training and education opportunities within the broader construction industry. The partnership will also allow for product donations to build and/or renovate Emmaus UK’s buildings, and opportunities for wienerberger’s employees to volunteer for the charity “Emmaus is really excited about the future of our partnership with wienerberger. With the combination of a corporate donation, colleague fundraising, training opportunities and product donations, we look forward to seeing the positive impact this partnership will have on our companions and communities,” commented Robyn Cummins, Director of Fundraising and Influence, Emmaus UK. There is a growing crisis of housing insecurity within the UK, with the housing and homeless charity Shelter estimating that over one million households are waiting for social homes and at least 300,000 people are estimated as homeless in England, with a 27% rise in rough sleeping in the past year alone. wienerberger’s inaugural social impact strategy focuses on addressing housing insecurity through meaningful action. The initiative aims to prevent individuals from losing their homes, support those at risk, and assist people experiencing housing crises in rebuilding their lives. The programme is a key component of wienerberger’s broader sustainability strategy, “Let’s Build Beyond,” which is dedicated to supporting communities throughout the UK and Ireland. The company’s social impact strategy also includes proactive actions to prevent homelessness, such as working with vulnerable groups to offer support through work experience and skills development. This includes young care leavers, who have experienced a 33% increase in homelessness in the past five years. wienerberger will offer work taster days in partnership with Greater Manchester Youth Network at the company’s Head Office in Cheadle, Stockport. Simon Nevitt, Chief Manufacturing Officer at wienerberger UK & Ireland said: “We have a responsibility as a leading provider of building solutions to create value for our communities and play an active role in the areas in which we operate. Our social impact strategy is just the beginning of our commitment that will deliver ambitious, positive and long-lasting impact for our people, our partners, and our communities.” Further efforts to tackle homelessness and deliver social value include collaborating with the supply chain, making targeted product donations to improve public amenities, and direct engagement with community groups and schools. Through its social impact strategy, wienerberger also aims to engage its employees in causes that are close to their hearts. This includes support for personal fundraising, and a Community Fund for each UK location. Causes that have been nominated by employees to receive Community Fund support to date range from a dog rescue centre, a dementia community café, sports teams, a memorial garden, hospices, and a charity supporting homeless families. To find out more read wienerberger UK & Ireland’s social impact strategy here – https://www.wienerberger.co.uk/about-us/sustainability/social-impact.html. To explore wienerberger UK & Ireland’s product donation guidelines and apply, visit its website – Product Donations | Wienerberger UK Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Prologis UK, a leading owner, developer and investor of logistics property, is expanding its development in Croydon, South London. Working with leading main contractor, Winvic Construction, groundworks have been completed on four new market-leading units at Prologis Park Beddington. Ranging from 15,000 to 46,000 sq. ft., the latest expansion phase demonstrates design excellence, flexibility and sustainability. Environmentally-conscious design is at the heart of the new units and integrated into their defining features. This includes the installation of air source heat pumps, rooftop solar PV and 15% rooflights, along with rainwater harvesting. All of these features will support Prologis UK customers with their sustainability targets and reduce long-term energy costs, with the solar PV alone expected to generate £12,000 of savings per annum on the smallest building, to £33,000 on the largest. Each of the units will be all electric with net-zero regulated energy use in line with an EPC A+ rating. Embodied carbon will be measured, reduced and mitigated in line with the UKGBC net zero carbon framework and the units are well on track to being awarded BREEAM ‘Excellent’. Maximising flexibility has been a key design consideration at Prologis Park Beddington, demonstrated in the innovative approach to mezzanines. Available at two of the units, the additional space will allow for office areas to be expanded or configured to provide extra storage space, benchwork, assembly or racking across the lifespan of the unit. Richard Plant, Chair at Develop Croydon and Partner at Stiles Harold Williams, said: “Set to drive essential growth for Croydon’s local economy, Prologis UK’s expansion on Beddington Lane will create significant opportunities in the South London job market. We’re looking forward to seeing this next phase develop, building on Prologis’ current property footprint in the local area.” Simon Perks, Director in the Capital Deployment and Leasing team at Prologis UK, said: “The expansion at Prologis Park Beddington sets a new standard for design and flexibility of logistics space in Croydon. With four differing sized units, the park’s location is ideal for last mile logistics operators serving the capital, with ready access to the local job market in South London. “We’ve ensured that sustainability has been a major consideration throughout the design and construction of this development and have been encouraged by the positive reception from customers enquiring about the scheme.” The expansion at Prologis Park Beddington is already taking shape, with steels currently being erected and the scheme due to be complete in Q1 2025. Danny Nelson, Managing Director – Industrial at Winvic Construction Ltd, said: “As a trusted Prologis construction partner for over 20 years, Winvic has successfully delivered numerous industrial facilities that meet their sustainable design and construction standards. We’re thrilled to be working on the four units at Prologis Park Beddington, which are unique due to the innovative design approach for the mezzanines. With the groundworks now complete, we look forward to delivering these market-leading logistics facilities for Prologis, while setting a new standard for design and flexibility.” With nearby access to the A23, A205 and M25, Prologis Park Beddington provides excellent transport links to London and the South East. The expansion builds on the existing 220,000 sq. ft. of warehouse and office space, made up of six BREEAM ‘Excellent’-rated units. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Leading North West property services company, The Momentum Group, has announced the publication of its first Annual Report for Momentum Contribute and its second Annual Health, Safety and Wellbeing Report. Momentum Contribute underpins The Momentum Group’s business activities, encapsulating the company’s commitment to people, places, the planet, and professionalism. Its maiden annual report provides an assessment of the company’s progress since launching the responsible business strand 12 months ago. Highlights include: Establishing processes to capture The Momentum Group’s baseline emissions leading to the first carbon footprint calculation for the whole business; Achieving ISO 14001 and 45001 standards to prove the Group’s successful environmental and health and safety management systems; Taking a leading role in the Liverpool City Region to open the debate around how the property sector can become more sustainable, most notably delivering Liverpool’s first Sustainable Property Conference in support of the UN’s Global Sustainable Development Goals Week. The conference brought together over 80 attendees and speakers from across the property sector; And establishing the Momentum Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the group, as a force for good in the Liverpool City Region by holding its first open grants panel, providing funding to five local charities. Chris Bliss, Co-founder and Director of The Momentum Group, commented: “The Momentum Group is committed to maximising our positive contribution and minimising our negative impact. The creation of Momentum Contribute was a key step in achieving this, but the publication of our first annual report assessing its activities takes us even further on our journey to be a responsible, sustainable business. We recognise we have more to do and are committed to fulfilling our objectives in the years ahead, whilst encouraging other businesses to behave in a more socially and environmentally responsible way.” Marking The Momentum Group’s ongoing commitment to the highest standards of health, safety and wellbeing, the company’s second Annual Health, Safety and Wellbeing Report offers a transparent look into Momentum’s practices for clients, supply chain partners, and its own team. Sitting at the core of the business, ‘Safe First’ underpins everything that Momentum does. The report reveals: In over 195,000 hours of activity, the team had only one significant reportable incident, and zero dangerous occurrences, with The Momentum Group continuing to set very high standards and ensuring its team and supply chain partners adhere to processes and procedures; Momentum facilitates several regular meetings across the business to keep an open line of conversation to discuss health and safety issues and concerns. These include the Steering Group, chaired by the company’s external safety advisors alongside the Co-Founder Directors and each of the division heads. The Co-Founder Directors also undertake Monthly Safety Tours on various sites across the business; Mental wellbeing is another key aspect of Momentum’s health, safety and wellbeing considerations, with the management team implementing a range of initiatives to aid the mental health of the team, including all line managers being trained as Mental Health First Aiders; During the 12-month period, The Momentum Group employees took part in over 8,600 hours of training, including courses on Fire Safety, First Aid, and various construction related courses. Chris Renshaw, Co-founder and Director of The Momentum Group, added: “Our health and safety performance continues to be strong, and we will ensure we maintain our high standards, reviewing, adapting, and challenging ourselves to be even better in the year ahead. “More broadly, both reports are a testament to the commitment, hard work and support from our team, clients and partners, and extend our gratitude to them all for the key roles they have played in all that we have achieved so far.” Read the full Annual Report for Momentum Contribute here and the Annual Health, Safety and Wellbeing Report here. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Winvic Construction Ltd is again leading the industry with another UK first; the main contractor that specialises in the design and delivery of private and public sector construction and civil engineering projects is the first to use Skyline Cockpit – a pioneering technology that operates tower cranes from a ground control system. Winvic’s commitment to health, safety and wellbeing were the drivers for the selection of the new technology, but daily and weekly analytics reports available through the Skyline Cockpit cloud portal also allow for efficiencies to be analysed. A 12-week trial period of Skyline Cockpit has concluded at Crown Place Birmingham, a city centre a Purpose Build Student Accommodation (PBSA) scheme; it’s resounding success now means Winvic will continue to use the remote operation technology for the remainder of the project. Handover of the scheme to client Crown Student Living is scheduled for December 2025. Crown Place Birmingham, containing 814 student beds, is Winvic’s tallest project to date and will tower to nine, 12 and 33 storeys when complete. A 14-tonne capacity Potain MR225 crane is being utilised to facilitate several works packages; constructing the hybrid precast and insitu concrete frame, facilitating the installation of the unitised curtain walled façade, and vertically distributing internal fit out materials, such as prefabricated bathroom pods. Currently the crane reaches to 77 metres, but it will be climbed throughout construction to a maximum height of 102 metres. Progress of the project can be viewed on Winvic Live. Skyline Cockpit negates the need for a crane operator to climb up and down the mast section, to the tower crane cab and instead they control the crane from a specialist ground command centre located in a cabin on a lower floor or ground level. The cabin contains a large panoramic screen measuring 2.1 by 1.2 metres, which shows simultaneous views from the seven cameras placed on the crane. The Skyline Cockpit algorithms combine the output from the cameras to create a panoramic view of the site. They also use augmented reality (AR) to display the load line, expected landing spot, as well as real-time indicators including wind speed, slew, lifting, hoist, jib, and radius data. The benefit of the technology on compact, high-rise projects like Crown Place Birmingham is improved all round visibility; the cameras eliminate blind spots and restricted views created by the building and the close proximity of the lifts to the crane’s mast. They also provide up to 40% zoom resolution, allowing the crane operator to see areas that would typically be out of their line of sight. While safety and efficiency are the most obvious benefits, the physical working conditions for the crane operator are much improved; the cabin comprises kitchenette and welfare facilities. It is predicted that such digital machinery will inspire the next generation to consider tower crane operation as a cutting edge, technological profession. Mark Jones, Winvic’s Managing Director of Multi-room, said: “Winvic is known for embracing innovative technologies, materials and methods of construction and we’re pleased to be the first contractor in the UK to utilise ground control tower crane technology. It is transformational for the safety and wellbeing of crane operators and an important step for the industry. “During our 12-week trial period, in collaboration with Skyline Cockpit and Radius Group, we analysed the data and assessed the benefits and we’re delighted to announce that we will continue to use this game-changing technology at the 33-storey Crown Place Birmingham for the remainder of the project’s construction.” Alan Pulver of Crown Student Living said: “Winvic are doing an amazing job for us at our latest PBSA to be known as Crown Place, Birmingham. Winvic are forward thinking, and it is no surprise that they are using Skyline Cockpit which certainly sounds like a winner. The ground control system for operating tower cranes will be a great advance to the construction industry, and we are proud to be associated both with Winvic and Skyline Cockpit in this groundbreaking venture.” For more information on Winvic, the company’s latest project news and job vacancies please visit www.winvic.co.uk. Join Winvic on social media – visit X (formerly Twitter) @WinvicLtd – and LinkedIn. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
London Museum (formerly known as Museum of London) has today announced a new pledge of £50 million from its principal funders the City of London Corporation and the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan. The contribution of £25 million each will go towards the creation of its new home – a sustainable and world class development in the historic Smithfield markets. It will be supported by an additional £30 million in fundraising by the museum. The funding will help realise the overall budget of £437 million for the new museum. Designed by Stanton Williams and Asif Khan, working with conservation architects Julian Harrap, the new London Museum is one of Europe’s largest cultural infrastructure projects and will preserve the historic Smithfield Market buildings for generations to come. The formerly derelict Victorian General Market, home to the museum’s permanent galleries, will open in 2026 showcasing more of its internationally important collection than ever before. The Poultry Market, set to house the museum’s world-class learning centre, temporary exhibition spaces and collection stores, will open in 2028. The new pledge will help the museum realise its full vision for the site, bringing the Mayor’s overall contribution to £95 million and the City of London Corporation’s funding to £222 million. The museum’s new fundraising commitment raises its overall target to £100 million, with almost half of that (£45 million) having already been secured through private donations, sponsors, and philanthropy. The museum will explore green loan opportunities to achieve the remaining £20 million towards its £437 million target. Substantial restoration efforts and early works in the General Market are already complete and work is underway to frame the internal spaces that will house the museum’s permanent galleries. In 2023, a three-metre-wide glass oculus was craned in to become the centrepiece of the General Market’s dome roof, and the four-year-long restoration of the Poultry Market’s copper roof was successfully completed by hand by coppersmith Chris Johnson (83yrs), an apprentice on the original 1960s build. Having gained vacant possession of the Poultry Market in September 2023, interior restorations are now underway, including work to connect the ground floor and basement levels. The ground floor will house two state-of-the-art temporary exhibition spaces, alongside a new learning centre. At basement level, former cold stores will be transformed into a working collections store. A publicly accessible store and display space will offer visitors a unique opportunity to glimpse behind the scenes into the museum’s vast collection. Director of London Museum, Sharon Ament said: “Thousands of Londoners are helping to shape this fantastic new museum which will not only explore our city’s rich history but the people and places that make it such a vibrant place to be. With the generous support of the GLA and the City of London Corporation, alongside our other funders and supporters, we are steaming ahead to deliver a transformative, world-leading museum that will be worthy of this great global capital.” Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: “Culture is the DNA of our city, and I am proud that we’re such an integral part of the creation of the new London Museum at Smithfield. It is one of the biggest cultural projects in Europe and will be a brilliant addition to London’s world-leading cultural sector. It will attract Londoners and tourists from around the world, generate new jobs and reinforce our position as a global creative capital, as we continue to build a better and fairer London for everyone.” Policy Chairman of the City of London Corporation, Christopher Hayward said: “This additional funding marks a positive milestone for the new London Museum. I have always said we are committed to working with London Museum to explore other funding opportunities, so I am very pleased we are able to confirm this new tranche of funding. The new London Museum is a cultural and economic cornerstone of ‘Destination City’. This infusion of funding reaffirms our commitment to the transformation of the historic market buildings that make up the site and showcases the City Corporation’s commitment to bringing to life a community-led space for Londoners and international visitors to tell and share their stories.” The news follows a visit earlier this week by London Museum’s new Patron HRH The Duke of Gloucester. Formerly a practising architect, The Duke was given a tour of the Smithfield site by Director of New Museum Project and Estate, Alec Shaw and Principal Director at Stanton Williams, architect Paul Williams. London Museum will play a key role in the transformation of Smithfield, opening early and closing late to reflect London’s 24-hour character. The landmark site will become one of the city’s top visitor attractions at the heart of a dynamic new cultural quarter. Housed within historic market buildings, London Museum will welcome over 2 million people each year, of which half will be tourists. It will support economic growth, local businesses, and employment, contributing an estimated £565m in GVA (Gross Value Added) within 10 years of opening. Through its learning centre, it will seek to engage every London schoolchild. Increased gallery space will enable visitors to enjoy more of its 7 million strong collection than ever before. Sustainability is at the heart of the new museum, with both the construction and the continued operation of the building designed to be as environmentally friendly as possible. 70% of the site’s existing fabric will be preserved and recycled whilst operational carbon will be reduced through the use of smart technologies that lower energy requirements and monitor and improve performance over time. An attenuation tank lying three meters beneath the basement floor will also store surface and rainwater to guard against flood risk and be re-used for non-potable purposes such as flushing toilets. Already more than 70,000 Londoners have been involved in the shaping and creation of the new museum – from the design of inclusive and welcoming public spaces, to collecting objects, and working with the museum team to create future displays. This number is set to rise to 100,000 by completion. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The
Yesterday’s publication of the final report of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry is a long-awaited milestone in the response to the tragic loss of 72 lives in June 2017. It is another difficult and traumatic moment for the bereaved, the survivors and relatives of the Grenfell Tower victims and the Construction Industry Council (CIC) recognises once again all that they have suffered and we extend our sympathy once more to all the victims. Sir Martin Moore Bick has made many recommendations for further action in the report, based on a careful analysis of the evidence presented to the Inquiry by hundreds of witnesses and in hundreds of thousands of documents. CIC and its member organisations are now reviewing the full report and its recommendations and carefully considering the further actions that we will need to take. Whilst much work has already been done through the independent review of building regulations and fire safety undertaken by Dame Judith Hackitt and the consequent programme of regulatory reform that has been introduced and which the industry is working hard to implement, Sir Martin has clearly identified several further matters that require attention and CIC will be working with its members, the wider industry and government to develop appropriate responses to those matters, ensuring that they are given the critical and expedient attention that they demand. It will take time to give the thought and consideration that the report requires and for the action that is needed to address the various recommendations Sir Martin has brought forward. It is essential that government and the construction sector recognise the findings he has reported and that we learn the lessons and continue to respond to create an industry and a culture where safety, competence and compliance with the law is an absolute priority. Only then will public trust in the sector be restored. CIC believes that every construction professional should fully familiarise themselves with the report and its recommendations, and we will work closely with our members to facilitate this process as we develop an appropriate detailed response to the report. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Housing providers and local authorities across the UK are set to benefit from a new procurement framework specialising in decarbonisation retrofit works. The framework, launched by specialist procurement consultancy Prosper, is expected to generate up to £1 billion of construction opportunities. It provides an all-encompassing procurement solution for landlords, covering a range of Energy Efficient Retrofit works in accordance with PAS 2035 and traditional investment installation works. The Decarbonisation and Investment Installation Works framework will further strengthen Prosper’s position in the market after successfully launching the first-to-market decarbonisation retrofit and investment work framework in August 2022, which has already unlocked more than £200 million worth of construction opportunities. The new framework will provide landlords with an innovative and compliant ‘one-stop-shop’ solution route to delivery through appointed principal contractors. The solution will complement the works supported through the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) and ECO4 works, meaning contractors have to be compliant with PAS 2035 installer accreditation requirements and hold Trustmark certification. The new framework coincides with SHDF Wave 3 applications and offers traditional investment works to deliver component schemes or whole house approaches to include typical cyclical investment works. Typical works covered under the framework will include internal and external wall insulation, ground source and air source heat pumps, electric heating solutions, PV systems, ventilation systems, roofing works as well as traditional works such as the installation of new kitchens and bathrooms, replacement of windows and doors and solutions to tackle damp and mould. The initial decarbonisation retrofit framework will run concurrently with the new framework and landlords will be able to utilise either framework. Contractors on the existing framework will be able to apply to join the new framework, but only the top 8 in each Lot will be awarded a place. Rod Brasington, CEO of Prosper, said: “With the forthcoming rollout of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund wave three and landlords’ commitment to achieve Net Zero, this new framework will provide even greater funding and procurement opportunities for landlords and contractors across the UK. “Following the successful implementation and delivery of our first decarbonisation retrofit framework and consultation with existing clients, this new major framework will not only create greater value by combining decarbonisation works together with cyclical investment works, it also provides efficiency in the delivery of programmes and minimises disruption for residents whilst major works are being undertaken within their homes. “This framework is one that all contractors who deliver investment and/or renewable works should be keen to win a place on, and we anticipate there will be significant work placed through it.” Rebecca Griggs, Head of Procurement at Prosper, said: “The Framework call-off will be either by further competition or by direct award, the scale of the framework means that the pricing exercise to complete as part of the tendering process is extensive, however, this should enable wider and more regular use of the direct award option. We are really excited about how this new framework is going to positively contribute towards the drive for decarbonisation of our homes across the country.” The Decarbonisation and Investment Installation Works framework is now live. Tender return is 10:00 Friday 11 October 2024 and can be viewed via the tender advert on ProContract at – https://procontract.due-north.com/Advert?advertId=1eedd272-6064-ef11-812e-005056b64545 For more information about the new framework or any of our other solutions, please email Prosper at info@prosper.uk.com or call on 0191 280 5665. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
