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Kenneth Booth

BUILDING SERVICES CONSULTANTS REPORT STRONG FIRST HALF YEAR GROWTH AND PIPELINE OF ORDERS

Kenneth Booth July 20, 2022

Building services engineering consultants FHP has seen strong growth following new work to support multi-million-pound projects across the UK and a healthy forward order book. The company, which provides mechanical, electrical and public health building services design and building physics engineering to national commercial, industrial, leisure, education, residential and infrastructure real

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Trade associations BESA and TICA sound fire alarm over pre-insulated pipework

Kenneth Booth July 20, 2022

Two leading trade associations have called for more rigorous checks on the fire safety of pre-insulated pipework installed in buildings.  The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) and the Thermal Insulation Contractors Association (TICA) have issued a joint statement raising questions about the suitability of pipework normally used for underground and

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CONSTRUCTION WORK BEGINS AT SCOTLAND’S FIRST INLAND SURFING DESTINATION 

Kenneth Booth July 20, 2022

Major construction work at Scotland’s newest leisure and staycation destination, Wavegarden Scotland, got underway today in Ratho, near Edinburgh. The £55m landmark development will be the country’s first inland surfing destination using revolutionary new technology. The Wavegarden Scotland development is expected to open to the public in Summer 2024 –

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Barhale wins Hampton Loade water treatment works civils package

Kenneth Booth July 19, 2022

RSE (Ross-shire Engineering) has awarded Barhale a key civil engineering package as part of its £55M rebuilding and refurbishment project at South Staffs Water’s Hampton Loade water treatment works. RSE is an engineering group that specialises in the design, build and maintenance of water treatment and water recycling equipment. RSE

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National Architects Open Collaboration Hub in Leeds

Kenneth Booth July 19, 2022

Due to recent successes, national Architects, GSSArchitecture, are delighted to announce the opening of a new collaboration hub in the heart of Leeds. With offices in Kettering, Gloucester, Harrogate, Milton Keynes and Newcastle, the Practice is opening another space in the Yorkshire area to further build on their presence in

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Panthera Group awarded national framework agreement for EnviroHoard™

Kenneth Booth July 19, 2022

Following the successful national rollout of award-winning, net zero carbon hoarding solution, EnviroHoard™, Panthera Group is delighted to announce it has been awarded a sole supplier nationwide framework by John Sisk & Son. The move follows the publication of Sisk’s ambitious road map that defines targets and actions to reduce

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Latest Issue
Issue 335 : Dec 2025

Kenneth Booth

BUILDING SERVICES CONSULTANTS REPORT STRONG FIRST HALF YEAR GROWTH AND PIPELINE OF ORDERS

Kenneth Booth July 20, 2022

Building services engineering consultants FHP has seen strong growth following new work to support multi-million-pound projects across the UK and a healthy forward order book. The company, which provides mechanical, electrical and public health building services design and building physics engineering to national commercial, industrial, leisure, education, residential and infrastructure real estate, investors, developers and contractors, has reported a 12%increase in turnover in the last six months – its best half year performance to date. With offices in Leeds andLondon, FHP is on track to hit £3.5 million in turnover in 2022 with £2 million worth of new orders secured, including mechanical, electrical and public health services work on the new £62 million Hyatt Hotel Leeds for Ivegate.  The firm is supporting a £12 million industrial warehouse unit development for Harworth Group in south Yorkshire and the £31 million luxury residential development in Leeds for developer Priestley Homes. Other projects include Labcorp’s new life science UK centre of excellence in Leeds’ Temple District and building consultancy services for new multi-million-pound roadside salt cellar depots being built nationally for National Highways. Further seven-figures worth of work in the pipeline in core sectors and beyond its traditional north of England markets, will contribute to further growth as FHP looks ahead to continued expansion on the back of a strategic development and a growth plan. With 52 people currently employed across its two offices, the firm is set to invest in additional resources to support growth and meet demand.  Director James Taylor saidFHP, which was established in 2009, had seen a good start to the first six months of 2022 on the back of hard work, resurgent business confidence and a record of resolving complex engineering issues in building services and building physics engineering. He said: “We are currently busier than ever and involved in developing new projects right across the region and beyond, which is very encouraging and contributing to driving growth. As our customers’ own development plans come to fruition, we are experiencing strong demand for value and technically driven building services engineering solutions, building physics design and technical skills. “We are confident about the future despite some economic uncertainties and expect the sectors we support to remain busy. We have strong clients, who are keen to work with us and utilise our expertise, and look forward to meeting and exceeding their needs from both of our offices.”

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Trade associations BESA and TICA sound fire alarm over pre-insulated pipework

Kenneth Booth July 20, 2022

Two leading trade associations have called for more rigorous checks on the fire safety of pre-insulated pipework installed in buildings.  The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) and the Thermal Insulation Contractors Association (TICA) have issued a joint statement raising questions about the suitability of pipework normally used for underground and buried applications, such as primary heating networks, now being deployed inside buildings.  They describe it as a “fundamental change in product application” which takes the products outside the scope of the quality standards normally applied to their performance. Considering the current focus on fire safety in buildings, the two bodies are anxious to draw attention to the issue.  They explained that building services pipe insulation specifications typically reflect the requirements of BS 5422 to ensure full compliance with Building Regulations. However, pre-insulated pipework systems typically use either PUR or PE insulants, which do not meet the fire performance criteria typically specified in building services applications.   “In addition, the one-size-fits-all approach to insulation thickness typically undertaken by manufacturers of pre-insulated pipework simply does not allow for the required flexibility to meet individual specification requirements,” the joint statement said.  Both bodies are particularly concerned about the use of coiled flexible polyethylene insulated piping systems. “We have increasing evidence that these systems are being installed in high-risk buildings, such as large multi-residential buildings.”   The statement reminds manufacturers, distributors, and installers of pre-insulated polyethylene pipework systems that they have a responsibility to provide evidence of the suitability of these products for the specific application specified.  Specifiers are also urged to check on the thermal performance of the polyethylene system and to ask the supplier how it would meet the heat loss/heat gain requirements of BS 5422 and Part L of the Building Regulations. It is also vital that the product in question has the appropriate Euroclass fire rating, they said.  Graeme Fox, BESA’s Head of Technical, said: “This is a critical fire safety issue and both bodies were determined to present a united front to help protect best practice in building services installations.” “One of the important lessons learned from the Grenfell tragedy was that products may have been tested and certified, but not necessarily for the particular application in question. “We would, therefore, expect all responsible supply chain firms to be able to provide details of how the Euroclass fire rating of the PUR/PE system was achieved and the arrangement of the insulants in the test to determine their exposure to heat and flame,” he added. “We would also expect them to be able to evidence compliance with BS 5422 heat loss/heat gain tables clearly.”  Chris Ridge, TICA’s Technical Policy Manager, said all responsible companies should be able to provide current Euroclass fire test certification for “the complete range of polyethylene pre-insulated pipework products.”   He added: “Looking ahead, we seek to challenge the wider industry to ensure that all pre-insulated systems meet the required standards. This should not stop at pre-insulated pipework but should also include pre-insulated ductwork products.” 

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CONSTRUCTION WORK BEGINS AT SCOTLAND’S FIRST INLAND SURFING DESTINATION 

Kenneth Booth July 20, 2022

Major construction work at Scotland’s newest leisure and staycation destination, Wavegarden Scotland, got underway today in Ratho, near Edinburgh. The £55m landmark development will be the country’s first inland surfing destination using revolutionary new technology. The Wavegarden Scotland development is expected to open to the public in Summer 2024 – boosting long term socio-economic, recreational and tourism benefits including creating up to 130 jobs once open, generating up to £11m for the local economy and attracting over 180,000 visitors each year.  Civil engineering and groundworks specialists Malcolm Construction is the firm appointed to build the groundbreaking destination which will include – in addition to Scotland’s first surf park – a surf school, overnight accommodation, a waterfront café and restaurant and retail spaces. Malcolm Construction has overseen the construction of some of Scotland’s most iconic sporting and leisure developments, including the 2014 Commonwealth Games Athletes’ Village, the temporary athletics track at Hampden Park for the games and the 14,000 capacity Hydro arena at the SEC in Glasgow.  Doig+Smith will oversee the management of the major project and have enlisted support from environmental design consultants Atelier Ten, architects Oberlanders, landscape architects HarrisonStevens, engineering consultants Ramage Young and property experts Colliers. Andy Hadden, founder of Tartan Leisure Ltd which is developing Wavegarden Scotland said: “It has taken many years of hard work and collaboration to get to this point and we could not be happier to see work begin on Scotland’s first inland surf park. “There has been extensive preparatory work going on behind the scenes with financial backers and with our design team and partners to ensure that this new facility will be a world-class leisure destination. Beginning construction work is a special moment for all of the team and marks a major milestone in our journey. “All of the firms appointed to work with us come with strong reputations in their respective field of engineering and project management and I am pleased they share our vision to deliver one of Scotland’s largest leisure attractions this century.” Walter Malcolm, Managing Director of Malcolm Construction said: “Everyone at Malcolm Construction is excited to be part of this innovative project. We have extensive experience of delivering complex engineering works and we look forward to working with the Wavegarden Scotland team to deliver such an important attraction for Scotland.” Gordon McLintock, Director of Doig+Smith added: “We have been providing project management, cost management, principal designer and supervisor services for the project so it’s incredibly exciting to see the project start to become a reality. We have extensive experience in large scale projects such as this including the new Port of Aberdeen project, substantial works over many years at both Glasgow and Edinburgh airports, and multiple education projects across the country in both the private and public sectors. We consider it a privilege to be part of the team bringing Scotland’s first inland surf park to life.” The development, set within a 60-acre country park, will use the latest wave generation technology called The Cove, developed by Wavegarden in Spain. The site will host surfers of all abilities who can ride the 1,000 bespoke ocean-like waves created per hour. Wavegarden is an innovative engineering company and has an extremely high growth potential in the surf park sector with more than 60 projects currently in development across the globe, seven facilities operating successfully and seven projects currently under construction across four continents. 

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Glencar to build 94,000 sq ft speculative warehouse development for Firethorn Trust in Erith.

Kenneth Booth July 19, 2022

Appointment serves as the second, repeat appointment in quick succession following the announcement in January of a project to build 500,000 sq ft across three units at a site in Peterborough. Glencar, a leading UK construction company that was recently ranked amongst Europe’s fastest growing businesses, has today announced that it has been appointed for the second time by commercial real estate investor and developer Firethorn Trust, to deliver its 93,984 sq ft last-mile logistics scheme, Blueprint Erith in South East London. The project will see the demolition and site clearance of an existing warehouse and external concrete yard, followed by the construction of four modern single storey terraced warehouse units, having a clear height to underside of haunch of 12 metres.  It will also feature 12,000 sq ft of internal first floor office accommodation together with open storage, while external site works include hardstanding’s, car parking, landscaping and drainage. With a BREEAM ‘Very Good’ certification, the development is being constructed to net-zero carbon with 15% rooflight coverage, 13 EV charging points and LED lighting. A Photovoltaic ‘ready’ roof structure will also provide capabilities for future full PV coverage. To mark the start of construction and the appointment, a ground breaking ceremony was recently staged onsite featuring executives from both Glencar and Firethorn. During the occasion various aspects of the enabling work were highlighted with progress onsite already significantly advanced. Speaking about the contract award Roy Jones Glencar Managing Director London and South said: “Glencar prides itself on long-term customer relationships and partnership built upon the principles of trust and understanding leading to repeat business.  On that basis receiving this instruction in quick succession is testament to the growing and beneficial relationship we are building with the team at Firethorn and we are proud to be delivering for them again”. Paul Martin, Development Director at Firethorn Trust, continued: “Glencar has a strong track record in delivering high-quality industrial schemes, and we are delighted to appoint them for a second time on what is a strategically important project for Firethorn. “The team has demonstrated great knowledge and expertise, putting forward the latest products and innovations to benefit our occupiers, both now and for the future, whilst enabling us to deliver on our commitment to sustainability. We look forward to working with the team again to bring Blueprint Erith to life.” Glencar is due to start on site this month and the project is due for completion in Q1 2023. The project team includes Quartz Project Services Ltd, Stephen George & Partners and Burrows Graham.

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Barhale wins Hampton Loade water treatment works civils package

Kenneth Booth July 19, 2022

RSE (Ross-shire Engineering) has awarded Barhale a key civil engineering package as part of its £55M rebuilding and refurbishment project at South Staffs Water’s Hampton Loade water treatment works. RSE is an engineering group that specialises in the design, build and maintenance of water treatment and water recycling equipment. RSE is undertaking a programme to increase capacity at the works through the introduction of a third water treatment process stream. Civil engineering and infrastructure specialist, Barhale, will deliver the civil engineering element comprising piling, construction of the reinforced concrete bases, and the installation of pipework and a large concrete tank. The Hampton Loade water treatment works, near Bridgnorth in Shropshire, has a capacity to produce 210 million litres of high-quality water a day and supplies around 700,000 customers. The works will help pave the way for an innovative and environmentally sustainable ceramic membrane-based water-filtration system to be installed in the largest deployment of its kind in the UK. Once completed, the new treatment process will significantly reduce energy consumption and Barhale’s James Ingamells, director, believes that the development at Hampton Loade is a fantastic illustration of how the water sector is taking action to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2030. “This is a very significant project and one which really demonstrates the kind of innovation and thinking that’s going on to help improve environmental performance,” he said. “We are looking forward to working alongside RSE to deliver what we think will be a new benchmark for water treatment in the UK.” The works form part of South Staffs Water’s AMP7 upgrade programme which is focused on the Hampton Loade water treatment works and the Seedy Mill water treatment works near Lichfield. It will contribute to South Staffs Water’s long-term strategy to develop the sites – continually improving the quality of water supplied to customers in the region. The project is due to be completed in summer 2024.

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FRAMEWORKS AND DIRECT AWARD KEY TO SUPPORTING UNDERFUNDED EDUCATION SECTOR

Kenneth Booth July 19, 2022

THE education sector is well versed in procuring built environment work. However, current market constraints, the latest statistics on the level of work needed across school estates and the lack of associated funding means that it will not be an easy road for many. Emma Hesbrook, regional manager at national framework provider Pagabo, discusses how compliant procurement through frameworks and a direct award approach can support schools with their building programmes. 61 schools have been announced this week as successful in securing funding from the government’s school rebuilding programme. Although, this number is a drop in the ocean when compared to the fact that 1,105 schools applied for support within a short four-week window earlier this year. With the Department for Education (DfE) planning to support 500 projects in the next decade, that means more than half of this batch of applicants are likely to miss out on funding altogether – and considering the DfE has previously revealed that more than £11 billion of repair work is needed across England’s schools, this is significantly short of what is needed. To qualify for this latest allocation of funding, schools had to demonstrate that they had at least 1,200 square metres of ‘severe condition need’ to apply. The government has quite rightly prioritised applications with ‘structural or safety issues that pose risk to users’, followed by those showing ‘severe deterioration’ in external walls, roofs, windows or doors, or those with mechanical and electrical systems ‘close to failure’. However, outside of these categories there are thousands of schools that require refurbishment work that are just as important. As well as maintenance, another consideration is the drive towards net zero. Almost 70 per cent of schools around the country comprise of buildings from before the 2000s – with 20 per cent dating back to the first half of the 20th century or even earlier. There are no prizes for guessing when education providers prefer – or rely on – construction work to be undertaken considering that summer offers the largest annual window in which sites are significantly quieter. Post-covid, summer has provided an ideal concentrated timespan to get building work, critical repair or maintenance work done. With such a significant number of schools needing work and likely to miss out on funding, it’s fair to assume that next summer will be busier than ever with summer works – and we may see a marked increase in works during term time as well. When it comes to carrying out education projects in recent months, we have seen an increase in contractors turning projects off and turning their backs on expensive bidding opportunities. This comes as no real surprise when considering the backdrop of rising costs, and materials and labour shortages across the construction industry – but it has given the direct award process a new lease of life in the procurement realm. We know that clients have existing supply chain relationships, which must be nurtured. While framework providers are capable of consulting and opening up a network of compliant suppliers, there is intangible value found in building on existing collaboration, which direct award can allow. The direct award approach is one that can work for both low and high-value projects, offering benefits including greater cost and programme certainty, tailored social value outcomes and no stressful or costly bidding process. It also allows for a quick turnaround for supplier appointment, without compensating on compliance checks. One such example of a recent scheme that maximised the benefits of the direct award process is Nottingham College. The team approached us in April for a low value project to be completed this summer. The expression of interest went to market via our DPS and Medium Works framework, but with suppliers oversubscribed with work to assign the necessary bidding resource to the project, a direct award was suggested. Local contractor J Tomlinson was appointed quickly via direct award, getting the project on track and on site within weeks – and is now making excellent progress against the original programme timetable. Schools craft our experts of tomorrow and without the best environments, pupils’ learning experience will be impacted. This is why it’s so important that the built environment sector looks to support schools with creating those excellent environments, and while funding continues to fall short for schools, we must champion tactics like direct award to help schools in creating the environments they need however and where we can. For more information, please visit https://www.pagabo.co.uk/

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G F Tomlinson donates £35,000 in services to charity partner Treetops Hospice

Kenneth Booth July 19, 2022

Midlands-based contractor G F Tomlinson and its partners Arc Partnership and Perfect Circle have donated more than £35,000 in services to end-of-life charity partner Treetops Hospice, as part of its Local Communities Partnership Programme. During the last 12 months, G F Tomlinson has been working closely with the hospice to provide advice and project management services on a pro bono basis, to aid in Treetops’ aims to improve its estate, including staff offices and external landscaping at its main site in Risley, Derbyshire. The Local Communities Partnership Programme is a collaborative initiative developed by G F Tomlinson, which is aimed at supporting communities and charitable bodies within the region. It is part of the company’s ongoing commitment to delivering social, economic and environmental benefits to the local communities in which it works through the SCAPE Regional Construction framework, a direct award framework that drives collaboration, efficiency, time and cost savings. Treetops Hospice, which provides care and support to more than 3,000 local people every year, was selected as the finalist following a ‘Dragon’s Den’-style event last year. G F Tomlinson and its partners, Arc Partnership, a joint venture between Nottinghamshire County Council and SCAPE, and Perfect Circle, have provided over 325 hours of time and expertise to the hospice, equating to £35,000, and is the equivalent cost for Treetops Hospice to do one of the following: provide an at-home nursing service for five weeks allow for nurses to be at the bedside of 324 terminally ill people allow for roaming nurses to respond to 515 calls for help during the night allow for its counsellors to be there for more than 90 children when someone close to them passes away Working together, the partners have provided Treetops with designs and budget advice for landscaping and boardwalk improvements to increase safety and accessibility of their grounds. They have also provided professional services for structural assessment, design and costing to enable the reconfiguration of hospice offices and backroom spaces to provide improved working areas for their dedicated and caring staff. Architecture, mechanical and electrical design were provided by Arc Partnership. The landscape architecture and structural engineering services were delivered by built environment consultancy Pick Everard – operating under Perfect Circle’s unique collaboration. Treetops Hospice will now use the information provided to prioritise the works and secure sufficient funding to make the improvements. To support the Treetops Hospice’s master planning for the wider estate in Risley, supply chain partners Gleeds and Amptron have provided condition surveys for the buildings and M&E systems. This will enable the hospice to plan ahead for future maintenance requirements to ensure facilities remain safe and functional. As an evolution of G F Tomlinson’s partnership with the hospice, the firm is also supporting Treetops with the refurbishment of its charity shop in Sandiacre, providing costing and project management services to ensure the condition of the building is fit for purpose. In preparing for the work G F Tomlinson sourced competitive quotes from specialist sub-contractors and programmed the works around the live shop environment. Mechanical contractor Miller Freeman was kind enough to carry out its work free of charge bringing further benefit to Treetops. Works on the shop refurbishment are currently underway and are being overseen by one of G F Tomlinson’s Site Managers. The works will complete later this month. Chris Flint, managing director at G F Tomlinson, said: “We are very proud to be continuing our partnership with Treetops Hospice 12 months after the leading charity were selected as the finalist of our Local Communities Partnership Programme. “With dedication from the team at G F Tomlinson and our partners Arc Partnership and Perfect Circle, we have been able to provide advice, design and costing work to help bring Treetops’ plans for its hospice facility and grounds to life. As a Derbyshire-based business that is highly active in the East and West Midlands, we feel it is extremely important to give back to the local communities in which we operate. “Social value is a cornerstone of our business, and a fundamental part of our ongoing relationship with SCAPE through its Regional Construction framework, so we wanted to partner with other like-minded regional organisations in the industry to collaborate on and contribute towards a highly beneficial outcome for a local charity that provides support and care to thousands of patients and their families every year.” Julie Heath, chief executive officer at Treetops Hospice, said: “We know we face challenging financial times ahead as the cost-of-living increases. It’s going to be tough. The support and technical information provided by G F Tomlinson and their partners will help us to apply for funding to undertake major and much-needed maintenance projects. Their help is also helping us to keep the hospice in an excellent state of repair for all our patients.” Managing director of Perfect Circle Victoria Brambini said: “We are proud to continue to support this joint partnership with G F Tomlinson. Community-focused initiatives sit at the core of our ethos, with Treetops Hospice benefitting from a collaborative model that creates value at the heart of the public sector. Together with SCAPE, our aim is to help deliver social, economic and environmental benefits to the Local Communities Partnership Programme.” Sara Williams, head of pre-construction at Arc Partnership said: “At Arc, we pride ourselves on delivering real value together and supporting our local communities. Not for profit organisations like Treetops Hospice play a vital role supporting people in the region at the most challenging times of their lives, and we are delighted to have been able to collaborate with our partners, G F Tomlinson and Perfect Circle to develop improvement plans for Treetop Hospice’s estate and support them in providing these crucial services.”

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DELIVERING BETTER TOGETHER: PICK EVERARD PLEDGES FOCUS ON COLLABORATION, CARBON NEUTRALITY AND INNOVATION

Kenneth Booth July 19, 2022

Pick Everard announces ambitious business strategy to become the first-choice consultancy in the industry Collaboration forms a key part of all five of the firm’s strategic pillars Key commitments include achieving net carbon zero by the end of the year and a pledge to invest five per cent of turnover into innovation and new technology PICK Everard has today announced its new business strategy, which outlines a commitment to creating a collaborative, prosperous and sustainable future for all to benefit from, along with ambitions to be the most highly regarded consultant in the property and construction industry. The announcement comes after the firm’s most successful year to date, having achieved a turnover of £58.8m and a 17 per cent growth in its staff body. The multi-disciplinary consultancy now has more than 600 employees across its national network of 14 offices, with further growth set over the coming years.  Managing Partner Duncan Green said: “Despite the worldwide challenges faced over the past year, together we have made it one of the most significant and successful in our 156-year history. It is the agility and determination of our people that has allowed us to navigate the national challenges of the last two years and come through stronger than ever – and with new ways of working that benefit our people, our clients and the wider industry too. “We have been enjoying a period of sustained growth, and with a strong pipeline of work and continued success in projects and frameworks appointments, we have examined our business strategy to outline the vision that underpins our journey. Collaboration forms a key part of all five of our strategic pillars, focusing on ‘delivering better together’ for our teams, our clients, communities and for the planet.” Pick Everard places huge value on fostering excellent company culture, with regular staff engagement shaping its approach as a business. The firm strives to be an industry leader in diverse recruitment – driven by its attitude to individuality and openness. Focused on building a talent density that perpetuates success and a commitment to train the industry leaders of tomorrow, the strategy includes the implementation of practice-wide award-winning career support mechanisms, including the Pick Everard Professional Map. This provides the pathway of the technical skills, behavioural competencies, role expectations and core values needed for personal progression, which together with the firm’s RISE mentoring programme will give staff the tools needed to achieve their career aspirations. To reflect its collaborative and client-oriented attitude, Pick Everard has evolved its internal structure to increase efficiencies and better meet the requirements of its clients. This evolution includes the creation of strategic account director roles to ensure even closer collaboration between the firm’s multi-disciplinary services to collectively. focus on the consistent delivery of excellent results for its clients. Pick Everard aims to achieve third party certification to support its strategy – namely ISO44001, which centres on collaborative business relationships. This accreditation seeks to build and support long-term partnership approaches that will increase project delivery success, manage risk, and promote best practice. The firm will also continue to build on its strong track record of outperforming competition in providing the best consultancy, choice, and services for its clients, aided by appointments on key national frameworks including Crown Commercial Services, ESPO, NHS Shared Business Services, Pagabo, and SCAPE. Duncan said: “Continuous improvement is embedded deeply in our culture, making sure that not only are we a leader in promoting new industry best practice, but also an early adopter of technology and innovations that enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of our actions. Our pledge to invest at least five per cent of annual turnover in innovation and technology will ensure we push forwards with the best solutions to meet clients’ needs on every scheme. “Our open attitude to sharing expertise allows us to upskill and inform our clients and key stakeholders, leaving a legacy of best practice and understanding wherever we work. This, along with our ambitions to be a leader in supply chain management and SME engagement, ensures that the projects we deliver provide communities with the high-quality assets that will have a positive impact on the way they, and future generations, will live, work, learn, and play.” Building on an excellent reputation for its approach to sustainability within project work, Pick Everard has been on a journey to drive down its own carbon footprint. It now pledges to become carbon neutral by the end of 2022. Duncan said: “We place sustainability and tackling the climate crisis with carbon neutral solutions central to any project, so there is no question that we must lead by example when it comes to the environment. On our own journey to net zero, we have been making great strides but will go even further, becoming a carbon neutral business by within 2022. “Delivering better together’ is not just a phrase, it’s a definition of our culture and the way of life at Pick Everard. It defines our approach to our people, our teams, our clients, and the communities and environment in which we live. We pride ourselves in our aim to create a better future and leave a positive and lasting legacy wherever we work.” For more information, please visit www.pickeverard.co.uk.

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National Architects Open Collaboration Hub in Leeds

Kenneth Booth July 19, 2022

Due to recent successes, national Architects, GSSArchitecture, are delighted to announce the opening of a new collaboration hub in the heart of Leeds. With offices in Kettering, Gloucester, Harrogate, Milton Keynes and Newcastle, the Practice is opening another space in the Yorkshire area to further build on their presence in the Leeds region and to better meet the needs of both their clients and architectural teams. Based in the centre of the city, with fantastic views of the River Aire, the hub sits at the southern gateway to Leeds City Centre, with excellent motorway links, and only a short walk from the southern entrance to Leeds Train Station and the City Centre. The flexible and engaging space will provide the GSS team with a base from which to meet and engage with consultants and clients alike. With several business lounges and breakout areas, the collaboration hub’s adaptive suite of spaces and geographical location are well suited to support the continued growth plans of the Practice. Jonathan Hunter, Partner at GSS, said, “The new Leeds collaboration hub marks the next exciting step in our continued growth plans for the Yorkshire region and has come about following several recent appointments and having secured places on frameworks with two major clients in the region. This will increase our ability to be collaborative and further build on our practice values.” Founded over 140 years ago, GSS have an extensive portfolio in a range of sectors. To find out how they can help with an upcoming project, please visit www.gssarchitecture.com

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Panthera Group awarded national framework agreement for EnviroHoard™

Kenneth Booth July 19, 2022

Following the successful national rollout of award-winning, net zero carbon hoarding solution, EnviroHoard™, Panthera Group is delighted to announce it has been awarded a sole supplier nationwide framework by John Sisk & Son. The move follows the publication of Sisk’s ambitious road map that defines targets and actions to reduce the company’s waste intensity by 50%. Using EnviroHoard™ enables the company to make a start on its waste reduction journey at the boundary of every project. It is widely acknowledged that the construction industry accounts for approximately 60% of material use and a third of all waste in the UK. Traditional painted plywood hoarding exacerbates the problem when it reaches end of life as it is often disposed to landfill. EnviroHoard™ was conceived to eliminate the use of timber and plywood and embrace a circular economy concept of recyclability and reusability. The system’s uPVC panels are manufactured from post-industrial uPVC and can be used multiple times before being recycled. The part recycled galvanised steel frame and ultra-low carbon blocks are also designed for re-use over many projects.  With a view to adopting circular economy principles into the business from 2023, Sisk undertook a comprehensive appraisal of EnviroHoard™, culminating in the decision to award the national framework.  Craig Murphy, Supply Chain Director of John Sisk & Sons Ltd, oversaw the negotiations;  “We are delighted to have recently renewed our strategic partnership with Panthera Group. It is a partnership that we feel will continue to generate great value for our business and that is underpinned by a significant strategic alignment between the two organisations. As part of our 2030 Sustainability Roadmap Sisk has committed to reducing our carbon and waste intensity through adopting circular principles. Panthera’s EnviroHoard™ hoarding system, which has been verified as net zero carbon, ensures our site teams can further contribute towards our drive to decarbonise our projects”. Sisk analysed the benefit of EnviroHoard™ on an assumed project of two years and found that the system would offer 70% lower embodied carbon reduction than the equivalent plywood hoarding method, along with additional climate positive benefits including carbon offsetting and tree planting directly attributable to the individual project. Unlike plywood hoarding which requires on-going maintenance, EnviroHoard™ offers zero maintenance cost saving benefits. Using a typical installation example of 2500m of EnviroHoard™ versus plywood hoarding, the figures were compelling: Embodied carbon saving of 177.14 tCO2e 211 trees planted Equivalent of taking approximately 60 family sized cards off the road Saving an estimated 100 no. 30-50-year-old softwood trees from being needlessly cut down Of note to the team was that the longer the project duration the higher the carbon embodiment saving. A further unintended consequence of using EnviroHoard™ is the cost savings against the purchase of traditional hoarding due to the global rise in the price of timber. Neal James, Managing Director of Panthera Group, is delighted that his decision to invest in a net zero hoarding system has been vindicated with another framework award; “This is fantastic news for all the team at Panthera and testament to the credibility of EnviroHoard’s™’ sustainability credentials and the commercial viability of the product. Our relationship with Sisk goes back over 10 years and this is our second framework award; this time as a sole supplier.  We are looking forward to supporting Sisk’s decarbonisation goals over the coming years”.

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