Balfour Beatty Kilpatrick, the leading UK Mechanical and Electrical engineering provider, has been appointed by Programme and Project Partners as one of two key delivery partners responsible for the mechanical and pipework works at Sellafield, the multi-function nuclear site in Cumbria. Through the framework, valued at £250 million, Balfour Beatty
GMI Construction Group’s dedication to developing skills through earn and learn opportunities has earned it membership of the prestigious 5% Club. The employer-led UK charity, made up of more than 650 members, inspires and educates businesses and organisations to increase the number of apprentices, sponsored students, and graduate trainees with
The City of Liverpool College is expanding its highly successful apprenticeships programme to tradesmen and budding apprentices across the country, as part of its mission to close the skills gap and contribute to a greener future. From September, the College will be moving away from the existing ‘day release’ model
A refurbished industrial estate in the West Midlands is fully occupied after property investment and development company, Goold Estates secured the letting of the final two available properties. Dudley-based design engineer, MiTek Industries Limited has signed a five-year lease on unit 11b, a 5,737 sq ft modern industrial unit at
Bellway has completed the purchase of land from Homes England in Milton Keynes, where it will adopt new building technology for the first time in the UK, speeding up the build process with some homes built on a factory production line. Bellway will build 160 homes using Modern Methods of
One way of enabling people to live cleaner, greener lives is by making sure the buildings in which people live and work are more eco-friendly so that the very environments in which we survive and thrive are helping us towards a more sustainable future. With this in mind, and using
Work on four new speculatively built units is underway at two major West Midlands logistics parks as Prologis, the leading developer of industrial property in the UK, expands its portfolio at Prologis Park Hams Hall and Prologis Park Ryton, near Coventry. At Prologis Park Hams Hall, three buildings are currently
Contributing £127 billion Gross Added Value, the logistics sector is vital to keeping the country’s economy moving. SOCOTEC’s Environment & Safety division is proud to serve a number of key clients within this industry, helping to keep the country stocked up on the services and resources it needs to function.
Building specifiers and contractors are advised to put healthy design principles first when adapting existing structures according to REHAU, following cautions from the Climate Change Committee (CCC) about overheating buildings. The CCC’s latest analysis of the Government’s heat and Building Strategy has noted that current overheating policy is only applicable
CPI EuroMix is delighted to announce the appointment of Wendy McFarlane as its Financial Director. Wendy, who began her role on March 1st, said the dry mortar specialists’ reputation was a deciding factor in her taking up an ‘exciting’ opportunity within the company. She said: “The company’s values and their
Balfour Beatty Kilpatrick, the leading UK Mechanical and Electrical engineering provider, has been appointed by Programme and Project Partners as one of two key delivery partners responsible for the mechanical and pipework works at Sellafield, the multi-function nuclear site in Cumbria. Through the framework, valued at £250 million, Balfour Beatty Kilpatrick will work alongside Doosan Babcock to deliver mechanical piped services as part of its continued effort to support the decommissioning of the nuclear power facility over the next 18 years. Will Smith, Managing Director, Balfour Beatty Kilpatrick said: “Utilising our expert capabilities and collaborative delivery approach, Balfour Beatty Kilpatrick is perfectly positioned to deliver the mechanical and pipework framework at Sellafield. “Having now been appointed to the third of Programme and Project Partners’ frameworks, we have cemented our status as a key delivery partner; through which we will continue to deliver a lasting positive legacy across the region and support in the safe and successful decommissioning of the facility.” Cameron Gilmour, VP Nuclear and Defence, Doosan Babcock said: “The 18-year framework provides a unique opportunity to build upon our site-delivery and expertise heritage at Sellafield and provide further value to the local West Cumbrian area.” The announcements marks the third framework Balfour Beatty Kilpatrick has been appointed to through Programme and project Partners ‘Multi Project Procurement’ model at Sellafield, having been awarded the electrical and instrumentation framework earlier this month, and heating, ventilation and air conditioning package in November last year.
GMI Construction Group’s dedication to developing skills through earn and learn opportunities has earned it membership of the prestigious 5% Club. The employer-led UK charity, made up of more than 650 members, inspires and educates businesses and organisations to increase the number of apprentices, sponsored students, and graduate trainees with the aim of alleviating poverty through increased employment. One of the largest independent construction companies in the North of England and the Midlands, GMI Construction Group has long championed apprenticeships and undergraduate work placements as a way of encouraging young people into the industry. It has developed links with seven universities: Leeds Beckett, Nottingham Trent, Coventry, Birmingham City, Salford, Liverpool John Moores and Sheffield Hallam and employs four undergraduates per year undertaking construction-related degrees. In addition, the company has also forged close ties with Leeds College of Building. In addition, GMI Construction Group, which employs 213 people, recently recruited three apprentices to bring its cohort to 16. An example of its ethos and passion for training and development can be found in the £200m train manufacturing plant GMI is currently delivering on behalf of Siemens Mobility in Goole, East Yorkshire. Here, it has created four apprenticeships, and five university and college work placements, as well as hosting educational visits and workshops for schools, colleges, and universities. The company, with offices in Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham, and Teesside, believes work placements provide participants with a real insight into working on construction sites. Construction students from Wirral Met College recently engaged in placements, apprenticeships, job opportunities and site visits to the Wirral Waters regeneration project at Birkenhead, while four Level 3 Construction & the Built Environment students from Leeds College of Building have been involved in the build of a new 604-bed purpose built student accommodation in the city and Thorpe Park in a partnership that will continue to grow. Lee Powell, CEO of GMI Construction Group, said: “This company is committed to encouraging the next generation into the construction industry, to develop their skills and create clear pathways of progression. “Earn and learn opportunities are key to developing employees who not only possess the industry knowledge but also have hands-on practical experience. We offer everything from apprenticeships to trainee site manager training, backed up by the necessary mentoring and support that they require to grow in their career. “This approach also benefits the business as it delivers more effective and motivated employees, while ensuring an inclusive and accessible workplace.” Gill Cronin, operations director of The 5% Club, said: “I’m delighted to welcome GMI Construction Group as a member. The construction industry is a major employer of apprentices and graduates and it’s excellent to see that it is setting a great example and providing a wealth of opportunities.”
The City of Liverpool College is expanding its highly successful apprenticeships programme to tradesmen and budding apprentices across the country, as part of its mission to close the skills gap and contribute to a greener future. From September, the College will be moving away from the existing ‘day release’ model of its Level 3 The Refrigeration Air Conditioning and Heat Pump (RACHP) Engineering Technician Apprenticeship, and instead rolling out a ‘block release’ structure. In the current delivery model, apprentices are required to attend the College once a week over the course of the year for up to three years, with, apprentices therefore ideally needing to be based in the local area to make the frequent commute. With an increasing number of the College’s employer partners successfully winning work nationally, the College has introduced an innovative new approach which will enable it to adapt to the needs of employers across both the Liverpool City Region (LCR) and the rest of the UK. The introduction of the new block model means that apprentices will attend the College’s Vauxhall Road premises for seven one-week periods over the course of the academic year, opening opportunities to long-distance apprentices and company partnerships, who can book their apprentices onto the invaluable course. This new structure also allows employers to plan for the absence of their apprentices, avoiding complications with the workforce, which has previously impacted employers enrolling their staff on to the courses. The new RACHP model will lead the way in training the next generation of renewable installers to help meet ambitious carbon reduction and climate change targets set by government. It comes as the UK heat sector is set to play an integral part in the transition to net-zero, with the Climate Change Committee anticipating that, to reach 2050 climate targets of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, 17 million UK homes may have a heat pump installed. Last year, the Government announced its 10-point plan for a ‘Green Industrial Revolution’, which highlighted the critical importance of decarbonising homes across the country. The plan included the phase-out of gas heating in new homes by 2023 and a target to install 600,000 heat pumps every year by 2028. Following the announcement, the demand for heat pumps in the UK began to soar, with more homeowners striving to be eco-friendly and embracing the benefits that come from installing heat pumps, such as lower long-term energy costs. At the same time, the Heat Pump Association (HPA) warned the sector was suffering low levels of technology deployment and could also be hindered by a skills gap in the sector, as it was estimated 60,000 installation workers will be needed by 2028 to help meet these targets, but only 1,800 people currently possessed the right training. The City of Liverpool College recognises the need to invest in the training and upskilling of over 40,000 heat pump installers needed by 2035, to achieve widescale deployment and close the skills gap in the industry. Over 30 local businesses already work in partnership with the College on its RACHP apprenticeship, and with the launch of this new model, the College predicts a significant increase in this number from companies across the country looking to welcome new workers and upskill current employees as demand in this area increases. Lindsey Meadows, Head of Apprenticeships at The City of Liverpool College, said: “As we continue our mission as the College for business, it’s important that we open our doors to more companies and apprentices from across the country and do our part in closing the skill gap that is currently present in the heating technology industry. “This new model means apprentices from across the country can attend the course and gain their highly-valued qualification in a more convenient format, which is also hugely beneficial for employers. “The new format will ensure employers can access the skilled workforce needed to help the country build back greener after the pandemic. We are helping to set the standards for the industry, providing the vital skills and opportunities required to be at the forefront of a Green Industrial Revolution. “We are delighted to be opening the doors to this apprenticeship built for a green future, which creates the right skills and environment for our industry to grow. “Through this apprenticeship, we are hoping to help diminish some of the barriers that existing engineers face when looking to expand into low-carbon heating, including difficulty finding dedicated courses and courses that then meet the needs of the installer.” The new format will launch with the new academic year from September and apprentices and businesses can enrol by visiting https://www.liv-coll.ac.uk/courses/refrigeration-air-conditioning-and-heat-pump-engineering-technician-level-3-apprenticeship-standard/.
A refurbished industrial estate in the West Midlands is fully occupied after property investment and development company, Goold Estates secured the letting of the final two available properties. Dudley-based design engineer, MiTek Industries Limited has signed a five-year lease on unit 11b, a 5,737 sq ft modern industrial unit at Cookley Wharf Industrial Estate on Leys Road, Brierley Hill. Office furniture designer and manufacturer, JDD Furniture Ltd has become the single largest occupier on the estate, having taken a 10-year lease on 18,657 sq ft of space at units 17b – 20b. Joe Duffell, co-director of JDD Furniture Ltd, said: “The refurbished Cookley Wharf site has provided us with the perfect foundation to increase our manufacturing facility and offer further employment opportunities for the local area.” Goold Estates has comprehensively refurbished a former steel manufacturing plant at Cookley Wharf Industrial Estate, to create ten smaller industrial/warehouse units, ranging in size from 2,400 sq ft to 6,296 sq ft. Delivered in two phases, the project has re-roofed, re-clad and redecorated each unit, with new insulated roller shutter doors, new pedestrian doors and new LED lights installed. The new buildings also benefit from allocated car parking and EV charging points, as well as 24/7 access within a secure gated estate that contains a high-definition CCTV system with ANPR. Anthony Williams, property director at Goold Estates, said that all ten units have been let to seven occupiers. The company is now carrying out a similar refurbishment of Masonry Trading Estate in Walsall. “Occupier demand at Cookley Wharf was extremely strong, with lettings agreed on virtually all units prior to completion of the refurbishment works. We believe this was due to a shortage of available stock in the area and the high specification of the redevelopment. “We are hoping to achieve similar success at Masonry Trading Estate, where we are refurbishing five industrial / warehouse units to a similar specification. The estate, which also includes office premises, totals 75,000 sq ft and is well located, being just 2 miles from J10 of the M6. We anticipate that two units of approximately 12,000 sq ft and 17,000 sq ft will be refurbished and available for occupation in summer 2022, with the remainder of the estate already let or under offer.” Max Shelley of Bulleys who marketed Cookley Wharf Industrial Estate, said: “The local market remains especially busy but demand is continuing to outstrip the supply of small industrial/warehouse units of this type, which are so hard to come by. The popularity of the Cookley Wharf scheme is a testament to the quality of the product that Goold Estates has delivered.”
Bellway has completed the purchase of land from Homes England in Milton Keynes, where it will adopt new building technology for the first time in the UK, speeding up the build process with some homes built on a factory production line. Bellway will build 160 homes using Modern Methods of Construction on the 9.2-acre parcel of land at Tattenhoe Park. This will include 40 modular homes and 120 homes built using timber frame panels. The housebuilder was selected to develop the site at Tattenhoe Park as part of a Homes England pilot project to speed up the delivery of new homes. The build programme will be completed within two years of work starting. Paul Smits, Managing Director of Bellway Northern Home Counties, said: “Bellway is committed to exploring innovative ways of delivering new homes more quickly and more sustainably. Tattenhoe Park is therefore a key project for the company, and for the community in Milton Keynes. “Using Modern Methods of Construction will offer benefits beyond speeding up construction. The modular homes, which are built off-site, and the timber frame panels, which replace traditional breeze blocks, are produced in a controlled factory environment. This ensures consistent quality and removes any negative impact from weather conditions. “Both methods improve energy efficiency by creating a more airtight home, and timber is a more sustainable material than brick. The modern processes also reduce the amount of waste produced in the build process. “We have worked with Homes England and with our partners to ensure we can build these homes to the highest standards, for which Bellway is known as a HBF Five Star Builder. “The end result will be a new community which looks comparable with Bellway’s other developments in the area, while delivering these additional benefits to the customer, the community and the environment.” The project is one of a series being led by Homes England with the ambition of delivering 1,800 new homes across the country using a variety of modern construction methods. Bellway’s 160 homes will form phase four of the wider Tattenhoe Park development. Bellway will partner with ilke Homes to deliver the 40 modular homes. Stewart Milne Timber Systems will supply the timber frame panels for the remaining 120 homes. The homes at Bellway’s Tattenhoe Park development will be a range of one and two-bedroom apartments, one and two-bedroom maisonettes and two to four-bedroom houses. The 48 affordable homes will be divided between rental and shared ownership, and there will be a selection of wheelchair accessible properties. Bellway secured planning consent for the development at the end of 2021 and expects to start work on site by the summer. Bellway’s Northern Home Counties division is based in Milton Keynes. The division is already building homes at Wavendon View and Wavendon Chase on the outskirts of Wavendon, and is set to launch a new development at Whitehouse Park in Milton Keynes later this year. For more information on homes at Tattenhoe Park see https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/northern-home-counties/tattenhoe-park.
One way of enabling people to live cleaner, greener lives is by making sure the buildings in which people live and work are more eco-friendly so that the very environments in which we survive and thrive are helping us towards a more sustainable future. With this in mind, and using data from BREEAM, Distrelec found out which towns and cities are taking the time to invest in eco-friendly infrastructure and the countries that are taking the environmental impacts of their buildings most seriously. Countries with the Most Eco-Friendly Buildings With so many English places ranking so highly among towns and cities in the full study, you’d think the UK would easily top the list of countries with the most eco-friendly buildings under BREEAMS ratings, but whilst it scores impressively overall, with 91.53% of those buildings falling into the top band, it only sneaks into the top four as the Czech Republic managed to strike back to claim top spot with 93.15% of its rated buildings coming into that superior classification. Perhaps more shockingly, when taking a national overview, 0.40% of the UK’s buildings that undertook the BREEAM assessment came out as unclassified. Towns & Cities with the Most Eco-Friendly Buildings Of the many global cities and towns that data was gathered from, Coventry in Central England came out on top with a whopping 98.31% of the buildings certified by BREEAM falling into the Outstanding/Excellent/Very Good category with a further 1.69% coming in as Good. A former industrial powerhouse, Coventry was heavily damaged during the Second World War and has seen major investment and restructuring in the post-war years, becoming a noted University city, which may go some way to explain how it scores quite so highly. Polish city Krakow is not far off with an impressive 97.65% of its buildings rated by BREEAM coming into that top category and another 1.18% rated as Good. Interestingly, of the remaining top 10, eight are English towns and cities with Czech capital Prague rounding out the list with an impressive 96.27% of its ranked buildings falling into that top band. Hope you enjoyed the story! If you do decide to write, Original data source: https://knowhow.distrelec.com/energy-and-power/europes-most-eco-friendly-buildings/
Work on four new speculatively built units is underway at two major West Midlands logistics parks as Prologis, the leading developer of industrial property in the UK, expands its portfolio at Prologis Park Hams Hall and Prologis Park Ryton, near Coventry. At Prologis Park Hams Hall, three buildings are currently under construction with steelwork and cladding currently being put in place. The three units – DC2 (259,510 sq. ft.), DC3 (131,780 sq. ft.), and DC4 (85,685 sq. ft.) – are set for completion in summer 2022. At Prologis Park Ryton, work is underway on a 330,770 sq. ft. unit, also due to be completed in summer 2022. With seven of its 22 logistics parks located in the West Midlands, these new developments further strengthen Prologis’ commitment to delivering logistics property in strategic locations for UK supply chains. Prologis Parks Ryton and Hams Hall are important locations in the Midlands, especially for the automotive industry and are already home to companies such as Jaguar Land Rover, LEVC and DHL. Both sites have quick access to the national motorway network, with Prologis Park Hams Hall also featuring an on-site intermodal rail freight terminal, which links to three seaports and the channel tunnel. Alongside playing their part in improving the flow of goods around the country, the four new units will also deliver social value through job creation and strengthening the local economy. Sustainability has been factored into the build process from the outset too, with all units being net zero in construction, and will be targeted BREEAM-rated ‘excellent’, and EPC A rated. Tom Price, capital deployment and leasing director at Prologis UK, said: “These four new units will provide vital extra capacity for the West Midlands logistics and warehousing market. We know that our customers and the wider business community recognise the value of the region to their supply chain operations, and we’re pleased to be providing facilities to help meet that demand. It’s exciting to see the new units take shape and we’re looking forward to their completion later this year.”
Contributing £127 billion Gross Added Value, the logistics sector is vital to keeping the country’s economy moving. SOCOTEC’s Environment & Safety division is proud to serve a number of key clients within this industry, helping to keep the country stocked up on the services and resources it needs to function. Each of these clients have heavily relied upon SOCOTEC to ensure that they can continue to deliver their services in a safe and compliant manner. Below, we take a look at some of the ways that SOCOTEC has supported the logistics sector and supply chain management, playing its part in keeping the country moving. Managing unoccupied depots SOCOTEC has been supporting a leading UK logistics company with its expansion plans, helping to ascertain and define compliance levels for some of its new hubs and depots. The client’s success has gone from strength to strength over the past two years, with the volume of parcels they deliver having doubled. Many of the buildings that the client has acquired as new hubs are small local depots that serve the final few miles of a parcel’s journey. This means that they are often left unoccupied for extended periods of time and may contain old, outdated water systems/run the risk of housing Legionella bacteria. In addition, many of these buildings will have been constructed before the nationwide asbestos ban in 1999, meaning that they are at risk of housing asbestos-containing materials (ACMs). To reduce the level of risk posed by Legionella and asbestos within these depots, SOCOTEC has been undertaking asbestos surveys and Legionella risk assessments on behalf of the client, ensuring that the premises they use to store their parcels remain safe and compliant for employees to use. Monitoring health and safety risks Thanks to the high quality, professional level of service provided by SOCOTEC’s Environment & Safety division, many of the organisation’s business units have maintained a longstanding relationship with a global logistics service provider since 2015. Given the fast-paced, rapidly changing working environment that the client operates within, it is critical that their employees are able to handle and manage the high volume of deliveries being processed every day and that health and safety risks are kept to a minimum. SOCOTEC has successfully delivered a range of services for this particular client, ensuring that the health and safety risks of their working environments are constantly monitored, with any areas for improvement recommended and implemented where necessary. As a result of this continued success, SOCOTEC has gone on to provide additional services on behalf of the client, having recently signed a three-year contract that comprises: Occupational hygiene Environmental monitoring Legionella management Fire risk assessments Health and safety/training Asbestos surveys. Since the beginning of 2021, SOCOTEC has also gone on to provide the following services: Legionella risk assessments and monitoring Legionella training to City & Guilds accredited standard Monitoring, sampling and inspections Noise monitoring to the Control of Noise at Work Regulation 2005 Fire risk assessments to Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Offering cost-saving benefits Finally, SOCOTEC works with a multinational e-commerce organisation to provide risk assessments for fire safety and water hygiene across their warehouses, helping to determine the safety risks posed by fire and Legionella bacteria. Our team of health and safety consultants can carry out both of these risk assessments at the same time, which is beneficial from a cost-saving and environmental perspective for both SOCOTEC and the client. While out on site delivering these services, SOCOTEC has also been able to advise as to how fire safety has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, such as when fire doors have been held open to help reduce viral transmission. Furthermore, SOCOTEC has provided additional advice on the implementation and use of electric vehicles for this client – a service which is particularly useful given that there is currently little guidance on the commercial usage of EV delivery vehicles. Ensuring health and safety compliance in the transport and logistics sector Health and safety is an important factor to consider within the logistics sector, as there are many risks that can impact the industry as a whole. Indeed, common injuries in the logistics, haulage and distribution industries are caused by lorries in the workplace, falls from vehicles and poor load security. To remain compliant with health and safety legislation and guidance, employers must ensure that their staff have received adequate training. They should also be made aware of the correct manual handling procedures, as this will ensure that workers are well equipped with the knowledge required to carry out their work safely. Furthermore, in order to ensure the safety of logistics operations and the handling of materials, there should always be an efficient monitoring of all sites, routes, vehicles and staffs through technologies such as security escorts and CCTV cameras. Tracking applications for products and vehicles should also be implemented, such as bar coding, GPS and telematics. Could your organisation benefit from SOCOTEC’s Environment & Safety services?Contact us.
Building specifiers and contractors are advised to put healthy design principles first when adapting existing structures according to REHAU, following cautions from the Climate Change Committee (CCC) about overheating buildings. The CCC’s latest analysis of the Government’s heat and Building Strategy has noted that current overheating policy is only applicable to new buildings, and does not take existing structures into account. With this in mind, polymer supplier REHAU is highlighting concerns around sustainability and occupant wellbeing currently affecting the construction industry. This warning follows findings demonstrated in the company’s ‘Designing Healthy’ series of guides, in which 500 respondents in M&E and architectural roles, are surveyed on pressing issues. In ‘Designing Healthy Apartments,’ for example, 97% of respondents said leaving high-quality buildings for future generations was a medium-to-high priority, yet 44% believed well-being is ‘value-engineered’ out of building design during a project. Steve Richmond, Head of Marketing and Technical for REHAU Building Solutions comments: “The CCC’s latest analysis puts a concern in the spotlight that we’ve been highlighting for years – overheating in our existing building stock. As climate change continues, we suggest this issue needs to be addressed in comprehensive fashion. “One key way of doing this is to adopt healthy design practices. For example, making improvements to current structures to become more energy efficient may not be enough, as this in turn raises the chances of excessive indoor temperatures during warmer months. Instead, good planning, design and construction from the offset is essential to avoid this, yet as our own surveys suggest, these priorities are often overlooked in favour of cost as a project progresses.” Providing buildings that are warm in winter yet avoid overheating issues that can lead to health hazards in the summer is a key issue highlighted in REHAU’s Design Healthy series. Long-lasting M&E solutions are identified as a possible solution to this, with almost 70% of survey respondents in the company’s ‘Designing Healthy Schools and Universities’ report saying that the lifespan of the components needs to increase. Steve concludes: “The issues raised in the CCC’s latest analysis echo what we have seen when we have taken soundings across the industry. Though we are huge advocates of improving the energy efficiency of the nation’s existing building stock, this must be done in a considerate way that avoids overheating. M&E solutions must sit at industry’s response to this pressing and ever-growing concern.” To find out more about REHAU’s ‘Designing Healthy’ series, visit: www.rehau.uk/designinghealthy
CPI EuroMix is delighted to announce the appointment of Wendy McFarlane as its Financial Director. Wendy, who began her role on March 1st, said the dry mortar specialists’ reputation was a deciding factor in her taking up an ‘exciting’ opportunity within the company. She said: “The company’s values and their ambition made a real impact on me. I was already aware of CPI’s brand success, so I’m delighted to have joined such a forward-thinking team.” Wendy has the skills and experience to make a success of her new position. She completed an Accounting & Finance degree before training as a Chartered Accountant at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Prior to joining CPI, Wendy spent 10 years at food manufacturer Devro PLC where she progressed to Global Supply Chain Finance Business Partner. CPI EuroMix is a market leader in the production of dry mix mortars, which are available in a range of colours and finishes to meet the complex demands of specifiers and users. Wendy, who will be based at CPI’s site in Bellshill, North Lanarkshire, said she was looking forward to playing a part in the company’s future success. “CPI is led by a fantastic management group and has a strong finance team in place,” she said. “I’m excited to work with and support the team whilst considering how we can bring further added- value services to the business.”