TWO leading construction consultancies have formed a brand-new consortium to add to their procurement portfolios with the appointment to one of Crown Commercial Service’s (CCS) major public sector frameworks. Pick Everard and Wood hold reputations as being among the UK’s leading providers and working together will lead to greater success and
There’s no getting away from the fact that demolition projects can be disruptive – but that doesn’t mean the industry can’t offer a wide variety of benefits for local communities. Of course, nobody working in the demolition industry needs to be persuaded of the long-term advantages we bring to local
TODD Architects has submitted a planning application to Fife Council for the refurbishment and extension of The Scores Hotel at St Andrews, Scotland; a historic property that occupies a unique position, a few yards from the first tee at the Old Course, overlooking the legendary Royal & Ancient Golf Clubhouse and
Sips Supply BV in Holland works very closely with Hemsec, whose panels are all manufactured in Britain. Sips Supply has run 200 SIPs projects since 2015 and currently has a new, major programme in the pipeline. Company Director Arthur Tromp explains why he uses SIPs, and Hemsec products in particular
In a first for the construction and infrastructure industry, Balfour Beatty, in collaboration with Sunbelt Rentals, today launches EcoSense – a sustainable site cabin design with integrated disability and neurodiverse features. EcoSense boasts a range of sustainable applications and components including occupier-activated extractor fan sensors and lower kilowatt heaters with
Following the last highly successful collaboration, sustainable built environment event Futurebuild has once again enlisted the support of offsite construction experts from Cogent Consulting and Explore Offsite. The companies will collaborate to ensure the most innovative and advanced offsite systems and solutions are on show at the 2022 event. Taking
Sustainable construction innovators, Dura Products has won a contract to supply the Thames Tideway site at Barn Elms with its Durakerb product. The installation, delivered in partnership with Keyline Civil Specialists in London, will see over 1km ofthe company’s lightweight, environmentally friendly kerbstone installed along the main access route to
Springfield Properties plc (AIM: SPR), a leading housebuilder in Scotland delivering private and affordable housing, announces the conditional acquisition of Tulloch Homes, an Inverness-based housebuilder focused on building high-quality private housing in the Scottish Highlands, for a net consideration of £56.4 million. This is Springfield’s third acquisition since joining the
Winning key places on the framework of choice for Government Ridge and Partners LLP (Ridge) has once again been successful winning a coveted place on the new Crown Commercial Service (CCS) RM6165 Construction Professional Services Framework. Ridge is appointed on 4 key Lots for: Lot 1 – Built Environment &
Barhale Scotland has been awarded a key contract by urban regeneration body Clyde Gateway Developments Limited to carry out remedial works to an unstable section of embankment alongside the River Clyde. The civil engineering and infrastructure specialist will carry out a £2.8 million package of works adjacent to the River
TWO leading construction consultancies have formed a brand-new consortium to add to their procurement portfolios with the appointment to one of Crown Commercial Service’s (CCS) major public sector frameworks. Pick Everard and Wood hold reputations as being among the UK’s leading providers and working together will lead to greater success and greater benefits for clients. The formed consortium will bring together the firms’ collective expertise, resources, and skills to support the public sector throughout the whole of the UK – and internationally. Together, the firms have been appointed to five of the six available lots under the RM6165 Construction Professional Services framework covering: Lot 1 – Built Environment and General Infrastructure Lot 2 – Urban regeneration Lot 3 – International Lot 4 – High Rise Lot 6 – Environmental and Sustainability Technical Services The Construction Professional Services framework is the UK’s largest public sector framework of its kind, with a total value of up to £1.7bn. It replaces CCS’s Project Management and Full Design Team Services framework, to which Pick Everard and Wood Group were both previously appointed. Under the new consortium, clients will benefit from the two organisations’ combined forces now serving the appointed lots in collaboration. Crown Commercial Service supports the public sector to achieve maximum commercial value when procuring common goods and services. In 2020/21, CCS helped the public sector to achieve commercial benefits equal to £2.04bn – supporting world-class public services that offer best value for taxpayers. This latest appointment follows a raft of successful framework wins for Pick Everard, including two other CCS frameworks – namely the Estates Management Services and Management Consultancy Framework Three. Managing partner Duncan Green said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be announcing this consortium agreement with Wood, another industry heavyweight. “When working in such close collaboration with another organisation, the cultural alignment is of utmost importance. We have worked closely with Wood throughout recent years and this consortium appointment is the next step in the evolution of our relationship. The complementary expertise and shared client-focussed approach across our businesses will position us well to tackle any project in the public sector, providing the best possible solutions and services for any client. “We’re also really pleased to see the appointment mark us within the top consultancies being successfully awarded more than four lots on the framework, backing up the excellent industry reputations of both businesses. We look forward to continuing our collective work to deliver the excellent, high-quality services and developments for the public sector that we are known for.” The lot appointments will see the two organisations able to support public sector bodies in delivering a wide and varied range of major and minor building and civil engineering projects throughout the UK, as well as internationally under lot 3. This will cover projects that include infrastructure, urban regeneration, and high-rise accommodation typically more than 18m in height, along with the provision of environmental and sustainability technical services. Ian Cromie, senior vice president at Wood, said: “Adding this major framework to our portfolio alongside an industry leader like Pick Everard is excellent news for us at Wood. It brings significant opportunities for our combined and complementary business expertise to create benefits for the wider public sector through our development schemes. “Being appointed to five of the six available lots is a brilliant result, seeing our solutions made available across a wider breadth of the sector through an excellent, compliant and respected procurement route. We very much look forward to working in close collaboration with Pick Everard through this consortium, and to working with our clients on schemes procured through the framework.” Wood is a global leader in consulting and engineering across energy and the built environment, operating in more than 60 countries and employing around 40,000 people. For more information, please visit www.woodplc.com. Pick Everard employs more than 600 staff across its 13 offices, providing a range of project, cost, and design consultancy services. For more information, please visit www.pickeverard.co.uk.
There’s no getting away from the fact that demolition projects can be disruptive – but that doesn’t mean the industry can’t offer a wide variety of benefits for local communities. Of course, nobody working in the demolition industry needs to be persuaded of the long-term advantages we bring to local areas. Demolition projects are often a vital part of urban renewal plans, for example, clearing the way for the regenerative benefits of a revitalised environment. McKinsey has highlighted the urgency surrounding urban transformation brought on by the pandemic. Its report on the Bloomberg New Economy Forum notes that while cities still have a prominent part to play in our lives, we need to rethink what city centres look like – for example by making shopping more experiential in a way that can’t be replicated when making an online purchase. While demolition plays a huge and necessary role in that kind of regeneration, it’s completely understandable that local people, facing short-term disruptions to their lives, aren’t always inclined to take a broader, long-term view of the situation. As such, it’s important that the demolition industry takes the initiative to proactively demonstrate and expand upon the ways in which we contribute to the communities we serve. One of the most tangible and immediately impactful ways of doing this is to employ local labour for the various non-permanent roles that each project needs to fill. The community benefits of engaging local labour It goes without saying that providing a source of employment within a given community is going to have positive ramifications. Offering jobs to local people will stimulate the community’s economy and forge closer connections between demolition firms and the people around them – and there’s scope for firms to make a real difference in that arena. Hiring ex-military personnel, for example – as we plan to do on an upcoming project – could have a hugely positive impact on a deserving group. According to pre-pandemic research from Barclays, around 22 per cent of armed forces leavers face employment difficulties. Stepping in to help resolve this issue is completely within the grasp of demolition firms up and down the country. Alternatively, firms might consider employing younger, less experienced people for some of its junior positions. After all, the industry can be highly rewarding, but – beyond childhood images of wrecking balls and explosions – it’s not one that many young people will have considered as a career path. In setting young people’s feet on this path, demolition firms can contribute towards changing the current youth unemployment problem. The House of Lords Youth Unemployment Committee has just recently pointed out that one in eight under 25s are neither working, in education, nor in training – leaving the stage set for the industry to give back to the community in an instantly substantive way. Local councils have recently woken up to benefits like these, with some new projects requiring the employment of local people – ten per cent of the workforce, in some cases – in order to satisfy and discharge planning conditions. But firms are under no obligation to limit themselves to these minimum requirements – especially considering the advantages that local labour can offer demolition projects. Advantages of local labour for demolition firms Beneficial though employing local labour can be for communities, this isn’t just an empty gesture towards CSR. There are, in fact, a wealth of varied advantages for demolition firms which embrace local labour. Taking a broad view, there are wide-ranging implications for the environmental impact of projects which employ local people. With several employees living close to demolition sites, the carbon emissions associated with commuting will be reduced or eliminated altogether. This is of great benefit for firms looking to reduce their carbon footprint – something we should all be looking to embrace. According to the International Energy Agency, road vehicles account for three quarters of all emissions, so taking steps to limit their usage is a fantastically beneficial aspect of local labour. Leaving aside the wider environmental ramifications, local labour can also provide practical, on-the-job advantages to firms prepared to embrace it. Employing local people allows firms to access new pools of talent and different skill sets, which isn’t necessarily possible if firms choose to ferry existing employees to faraway sites on a regular basis. These different skill sets come to the fore when – returning to a previous example – firms hire ex-military personnel. Military veterans are trained to operate in high-risk environments, making them well suited to the demolition industry – and a prime instance of the transferable skills that local labour can offer. Clearly, then, the practice of hiring locally has extensive ramifications – for the environment, for local economies, for local people in need of good employment in a rewarding profession, and for an industry whose long-term efforts to improve local areas can be matched by an immediate and tangible contribution to the communities it serves. Written for BDC Magazine by Ben Griffiths, SHE and Operations Director, Rye Group
TODD Architects has submitted a planning application to Fife Council for the refurbishment and extension of The Scores Hotel at St Andrews, Scotland; a historic property that occupies a unique position, a few yards from the first tee at the Old Course, overlooking the legendary Royal & Ancient Golf Clubhouse and North Sea coastline. The application has been submitted on behalf of the new owners, a joint venture between Links Collection Capital and Northern Ireland based property investment company, Wirefox, who purchased the property earlier this year. The proposal will see the hotel’s existing rooms reconfigured and a five-storey extension added at the rear to create a 5* luxury hotel with 51rooms. The design includes a new entrance that will add a sense of arrival to the hotel, whilst the new extension will include a high-quality restaurant and garden-dining area to deliver culinary excellence. Andrew Murray, Director at TODD Architects, said: “The Scores Hotel has been in existence since the mid 1930s and we fully understand the responsibility of restoring such an important and well-loved building for the local community and the tourism trade in the area. “Whilst a truly special hotel, it has been subject to a series of unsympathetic and piecemeal changes and additions, leading to many of the lovely Victorian spaces being carved up into awkward shapes with difficult access and many level changes. The hierarchy of spaces, dramatic settings and potentially amazing views have been lost. Our aim is to bring it back to its full potential, respecting the existing fabric whilst making sure our contemporary additions sit gracefully within the hotel grounds and the wider conservation area.” Speaking about the proposals, Joanne McBurney, Director, at Wirefox, said: “We are delighted to have finally submitted plans for the transformation of the much-loved Scores Hotel along with our development partners Links Collection Capital and our project team. “We are grateful to those that have provided feedback on the proposals from our informal consultation with a range of local stakeholders over the past few months. “We will continue to work proactively with local stakeholders and community groups as well as our neighbours as the application progresses through the planning process. Our aim is to create as world-class facility to complement the existing offer in St Andrews and the site’s location overlooking golf’s most famous course.” TODD Architects’ design will see bedroom floors in the existing terrace reconfigured to increase room sizes in keeping with 5-Star requirements and better benefit from the amazing views over The Old Course and North Sea Coastline. The rear extension will sit discretely to the rear of the main hotel and features a simple, contemporary look with materiality that is distinct from the original fabric but complementing its forms and features. A mansard roof creates a lighter finish to the building, and articulation creates a strong vertical rhythm accentuated with recessed and projecting elements for the outer wall. The ground floor will contain space for a new destination restaurant and a flexible multi-purpose area that can be used for small weddings or reconfigured into rooms of differing sizes for corporate bookings. Patrons of the ground-floor rooms can spill out into the freshly landscaped, south-facing garden. A predominantly glazed link forms a delicate connection between the original hotel and the new wing. The design includes the creation of a modest new stone and glass entrance in a simple contemporary style, reconfigured to contain a dedicated staircase to an upper bar and restaurant. Andrew Murray concludes: “It is a rare opportunity to contribute to the ongoing story of such an important and historic building as The Scores Hotel. Building on our growing portfolio of hospitality and leisure schemes throughout the UK, we have drawn on our experience to enhance and add value to the property with a workable layout and additions that respect the proud history of the site and St Andrews, the home of Golf.”
Sips Supply BV in Holland works very closely with Hemsec, whose panels are all manufactured in Britain. Sips Supply has run 200 SIPs projects since 2015 and currently has a new, major programme in the pipeline. Company Director Arthur Tromp explains why he uses SIPs, and Hemsec products in particular Arthur Tromp is an engineer with 30 years’ experience working in the Dutch construction industry; his specialist knowledge and expertise is in using timber frames for housing. In 2011, he first came across SIPs, which was a real epiphany. Arthur was impressed by how much thinner, stronger and easier to use SIPs are, when compared to conventional timber frame. By using SIPs manufactured offsite, the construction of new homes on site is much quicker and more cost effective – as well as being more thermally efficient than houses constructed in a traditional way. This gave Arthur the idea to set up his own company: Sips Supply BV to serve the Dutch and European markets, which currently have an urgent need for new, energy-efficient homes. Like many countries across Europe, including the UK, the Netherlands has a pressing need for new housing, and consequently it is an important social and political issue. House price rises are outpacing other countries within the EU and last year rose by 15%[1]. Experts estimate that Holland has around 330,000 fewer houses than it requires and needs to build one million more over the next 10 years[2]. The Dutch housing market is conservative and traditional, with up to 70% using concrete or other materials. The market for timber frame is large, though, with around a 30% share. Within that, come SIPs and although their market is not currently large, demand is growing. During the height of the COVID19 crisis, many people used their extra time to research different and more sustainable solutions; higher quality buildings which are better insulated and highly thermally efficient. The recent surge in global energy prices will undoubtedly accelerate this trend. SIPs fit these needs perfectly. Collaboration is an essential ingredient to grow the demand for SIPs Seeking the right partners was a key stage as Arthur established SIPs Supply BV. Growing the market is important; but it is equally important in Arthur’s view to build the SIPs market slowly, focusing attention on maintaining exacting standards to minimise the risk of poor delivery. Whilst researching the SIPs market, Arthur came across Hemsec, based in the north of England. Impressed by the information provided by the Hemsec team during his initial conversations, Arthur travelled across to the UK from his home in Friesland to visit the Hemsec factory and learn more about the production facilities. It was important for him to assess for himself the quality of Hemsec’s SIPs. Arthur was impressed. Importantly, Hemsec’s SIPs were of a better quality than panels fabricated closer to home in Europe. There were other critical factors too. Hemsec panels are CE and BBA Certified products, extensively evaluated for structural, acoustic and thermal properties, including fire resistance. In addition, the OSB/3 used in Hemsec SIPs is PEFC certified, meaning that the timber is from sustainable forests; this is a requirement in the Dutch market. The Dutch SIPs supply chain Since 2016, Sips Supply has worked closely with Hemsec, importing the panels from across the North Sea. The company works with four processors in Holland – building companies who deliver to the end user – and is gradually expanding. The SIPs supply chain is a network of partners comprising architects, engineers, drafting technicians, processors and contractors. This comprehensive approach enables Sips Supply to undertake the whole project, from the foundations to completion and everything in between. Ensuring that the build quality is the best it can be is fundamental to Arthur; with years of experience working on site, he aims to keep a careful eye on all the projects he is managing. By using this 360° approach he can help project managers to tackle issues as they arise and keep developments on track. The benefits of using SIPs Increasingly, professionals in the construction sector are discovering the benefits of SIPs. Driven by market factors including construction materials shortages, demands for high insulation values and Covid-19 encouraging working from home and therefore requiring home extensions, more and more are considering SIPs. Professionals like the cost-effectiveness of SIPs, the speed of build, its safety record, durability, flexibility, energy-efficiency and the ability to improve the overall build quality. Arthur finds that many professionals such as carpenters – especially those working for smaller companies – love working with SIPs because it’s easier; everything is numbered precisely so that they only have to ‘build it like a large Lego box’, and they are often impressed with what is achievable in one day. Fitting a dormer window is another example. Dormers give extra roof space and the opportunity for extra rooms; they are particularly popular in today’s world, where people are increasingly working from home. In a timber frame house, it is quite complicated to fit a dormer window; however, with SIPs, the installation into the panel is easy. Technical Innovation: Posi-Joists Innovating to continuously improve build quality is central to the work of the company. Arthur is a great exponent of the benefits of Posi-Joists; engineered joists that combine the lightness of timber with the strength of Posi-Strut steel web. This combination between Posi-Joists and SIPs is principally beneficial for providing extra space for utilities, such as thermal heat pump systems, electrics and water, which lay on top of the SIPs. This facilitates easy access for the installation and maintenance of the services in a floor zone, providing great space utilisation and structural qualities, as well as adding strength and stability. Project Rotterdam These are exciting times for Arthur and Sips Supply, as awareness of the benefits of using SIPs grows in both the new build and renovation markets. Last year Arthur was approached by a Dutch development company within his network. The young leadership team discussed the potential for using
In a first for the construction and infrastructure industry, Balfour Beatty, in collaboration with Sunbelt Rentals, today launches EcoSense – a sustainable site cabin design with integrated disability and neurodiverse features. EcoSense boasts a range of sustainable applications and components including occupier-activated extractor fan sensors and lower kilowatt heaters with built-in, self-regulating digital thermostats, which will reduce carbon emissions on site by up to 30%. The new site cabin design, which supports the company’s refreshed sustainability strategy “Building New Futures”, is currently being rolled out across several of the company’s projects in the UK and will be introduced as standard to all new site set-ups from January 2022. Once deployed, it is expected that Balfour Beatty will save a minimum of 1,400 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions across its site cabin portfolio each year. When combined with the company’s EcoNet technology, which effectively manages the power supply of site compounds, an additional 4,000 to 5,000 tonnes of CO2 savings can be expected annually. Following an idea born through its employee-engagement programme, My Contribution, EcoSense also incorporates wider corridors for wheelchair users, coloured plug sockets and switches to assist the visually impaired and tri-coloured LED lighting for those who are hyper-sensitive to bright light; marking a positive step forward in making site cabins a more inclusive environment for neurodivergent people. Heather Bryant, Balfour Beatty’s Health, Safety, Environment & Sustainability Director, said: “At Balfour Beatty, sustainability is at the heart of what we do, whether we’re attracting, training, and retaining the diverse workforce of the future, or developing innovative new solutions for the construction and infrastructure industry. “But we know that to truly move the dial, we must work together. EcoSense is yet another example of how, alongside our partners such as Sunbelt Rentals, we are actively becoming smarter and greener, faster, as we move towards an inclusive, Net Zero world.” Ian Needham, Director of Accommodation at Sunbelt Rentals said: “Sunbelt Rentals is committed to advancing technology for a lower carbon future and to making our industry as inclusive as possible. “Working with our partner Balfour Beatty we have developed an industry-changing solution with EcoSense. Not only is the cabin design more energy efficient, but it can be powered by low or zero carbon power sources as the norm. In addition, the disability and neurodiverse elements will help to give everyone equal opportunities when working on site.” To find out more about what Balfour Beatty is doing to reduce its carbon emissions, visit Balfour Beatty’s website here, or read its refreshed sustainability strategy, “Building New Futures”.
Following the last highly successful collaboration, sustainable built environment event Futurebuild has once again enlisted the support of offsite construction experts from Cogent Consulting and Explore Offsite. The companies will collaborate to ensure the most innovative and advanced offsite systems and solutions are on show at the 2022 event. Taking place at ExCeL London from March 1 – 3, Futurebuild is the sustainable built environment event that will bring together those who are driving transformational change in the offsite arena by taking factory manufacture and prefabrication to the next level. As the construction industry looks to eliminate emissions, precision factory-controlled methods, products and systems are creating some of the most efficient and sustainable developments in the UK today. Offsite manufacturing removes much of the building process from the construction site, leading to efficiency, productivity and environmental benefits. As publishers of Offsite Magazine and Offsite Hub and organisers of Offsite Expo and Offsite Awards — the Explore Offsite team will partner with Futurebuild to give visitors a comprehensive and contemporary perspective of this rapidly evolving sector. The event will play host to the leading UK and international offsite manufacturers and component suppliers showcasing a broad spectrum of panelised, volumetric modular, pod and prefabricated MEP solutions. Futurebuild 2022’s accompanying world-class knowledge programme will also feature thought leaders from all aspects of the offsite arena. Leading partners including AIMCH, BRE, MPA British Precast, MPBA and LSFA will present sessions that will cover best practice and explore the use of offsite technology to effectively construct a better and more sustainable environment. “Futurebuild champions a sustainable built environment by cultivating cross sector collaboration and working with experts in their field, such as Cogent Consulting and Explore Offsite,” explained Martin Hurn event director at Futurebuild. “Offsite construction will be a key player in reducing emissions, delivering more sustainable structures and helping us to reach net zero goals. This partnership will enable us to accelerate change, giving visitors the opportunity to interact with these game-changing technologies and processes.” “Partnering with Futurebuild enables us to increase the built environment sector’s understanding of the benefits of offsite construction,” explained Darren Richards, managing director of Cogent Consulting. “Offsite manufacturing a build reduces time on site, waste, transportation and energy usage, making offsite the most sustainable way to build. We’re excited to showcase the latest developments in offsite technology at Futurebuild to accelerate our industry’s journey to net zero.” Taking place from March 1 – 3 2022, Futurebuild will connect specifiers, decision makers and disruptors with major brands and start-ups, attracting over 20,000 senior professionals from across the built environment. As the home of innovation, the event is the perfect opportunity for the industry to meet and collaborate, to achieve the transformational change needed if the built environment is going to reach net zero. To discover more about the offsite section in partnership with Cogent Consulting and Explore Offsite, visit www.futurebuild.co.uk/offsite/. Register for Futurebuild 2022 here.
Sustainable construction innovators, Dura Products has won a contract to supply the Thames Tideway site at Barn Elms with its Durakerb product. The installation, delivered in partnership with Keyline Civil Specialists in London, will see over 1km ofthe company’s lightweight, environmentally friendly kerbstone installed along the main access route to the site, described as ‘one of the greenest sites on the Tideway project’. Durakerb, made from 88% recycled polymers, is a lightweight polymeric kerb unit. With a carbon footprint of just 1.06kg of carbon dioxide (CO2) per kg, it offers a far more sustainable alternative than its concrete counterpart, as well as being safer, faster, and easier to install. Itwill be fitted at the West London site, a key location for the construction of the ‘Thames Tideway Tunnel’, also known as London’s ‘super sewer’. The project, delivered by construction company Tideway, involves the installation of a 25km tunnel that will intercept, store, and ultimately transfer sewage waste away from the River Thames. The decision to opt for Durakerb reflects Tideway’s commitment to green construction and a focus on sustainability. In addition to the health and ecological benefits inherent in the project, the company have pledged to plant two trees for every one removed and use the river as their primary transport route between sites, in turn, producing fewer carbon emissions. Such initiatives draw parallels with Dura Products. The companyuses a blend of recycled polymers to manufacture their products, ensuring it continues to divert waste from landfill and reduce demand for virgin plastic. The company’s green credentials were affirmed earlier this month with the announcement of new Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) for Durakerb and its two other products, Durachannel, a linear surface drainage system, and Duradrain, a dual function kerb and drainage system. The three products recorded carbon footprints of just 1.06, 1.47 and 1.71kg of carbon dioxide per kg respectively. Commenting on the contract, Steve Bennett, Managing Director of Dura Products said: “More and more frequently, we are seeing construction companies opt for the green alternative, reflecting the industry’s commitment to reducing its impact on our planet. It’s particularly satisfying to be awarded a contract by a company that shares our ethos and are striving to make the world a greener place. We’re looking forward to assisting them in their mission to prevent millions of tonnes of sewage from entering the river each year”.
Springfield Properties plc (AIM: SPR), a leading housebuilder in Scotland delivering private and affordable housing, announces the conditional acquisition of Tulloch Homes, an Inverness-based housebuilder focused on building high-quality private housing in the Scottish Highlands, for a net consideration of £56.4 million. This is Springfield’s third acquisition since joining the market in 2017, becoming Scotland’s only listed housebuilder. The acquisition significantly enhances Springfield’s foothold in the Scottish Highlands in and around Inverness – an area of high and growing demand. It is expected to be earnings enhancing from the current year and significantly enhancing from the first full year of ownership. The Company also announces a proposed placing of new ordinary shares at a price of 140 pence per share to raise gross proceeds of £22.0 million. The placing is being conducted via an accelerated bookbuild and the net proceeds will be used to re-finance part of the initial cash consideration of the acquisition. Please find some highlights below and additional details in the announcement attached. If you would like anything further or to speak with the company, please let me know. Acquisition Highlights Acquisition of Tulloch Homes, a profitable, cash generative and well-run housebuilder with significant land ownership in the Scottish Highlands around Inverness. Total net consideration of £56.4 million, being gross consideration of £77.6 million less expected net cash in the Tulloch Homes business, on completion, of not less than £21.2 million, is comprised of: Initial net cash consideration of £43.4 million; and Deferred cash consideration of £13.0 million. The Directors believe the Acquisition will: Accelerate the growth of Springfield; Enhance the Company’s foothold in an area of high demand in Scotland, and where Springfield has been organically building a presence in recent years, in line with the Company’s strategy of expanding via acquisition and into new territories to accelerate growth; Reinforce supply chain capabilities such as gaining access to labour and subcontractors; Strengthen the Company’s private housing land bank and create opportunity for affordable housing; Bring a strong, established management team into the Company; and Enhance earnings from the current financial year and significantly enhance earnings from first full year of ownership. Completion of the acquisition is conditional upon binding commitments being received from investors in the placing of not less than £22.0 million (or such lesser amount as Springfield may in its absolute discretion elect).
Winning key places on the framework of choice for Government Ridge and Partners LLP (Ridge) has once again been successful winning a coveted place on the new Crown Commercial Service (CCS) RM6165 Construction Professional Services Framework. Ridge is appointed on 4 key Lots for: Lot 1 – Built Environment & General Infrastructure Lot 2 – Urban Regeneration Lot 3 – International Lot 5 – Defence The highest potential value of the framework is set at £1.7billion. This is a huge achievement for Ridge on the national framework of choice for Government and the wider public sector across the UK and internationally. Key stakeholders include central government departments and all other UK public sector bodies, including local authorities, health, police, fire and rescue, education, housing, charities, not for profit, nuclear, devolved administrations, defence (DIO/MOD) and international (FCDO). Jolyon Price, Equity Partner at Ridge says: “This is an outstanding achievement, and we are looking forward to continuing our strong working relationship with CCS to deliver best value for the public sector that actively supports the needs of our clients, local communities, local economic development, employment initiatives and the environment.” This latest success follows Ridge recently winning places on all 10 Lots applied for on the Fusion21 national public sector framework. These key framework successes provide strong work-streams and major public sector projects for Ridge to deliver over the next 4 years and beyond, ensuring their teams have continuity of work across a range of interesting projects. Ridge will be able to offer these frameworks to its public sector clients – delivering social value and saving on cost, time, procurement risk and challenge. Founded in 1946, Ridge is celebrating its seventy-fifth anniversary this year. Crown Commercial Service is an Executive Agency of the Cabinet Office and supports the public sector to achieve maximum commercial value when procuring common goods and services. In 2020/21, CCS helped the public sector to achieve commercial benefits equal to £2.04billion – supporting world-class public services that offer best value for taxpayers.
Barhale Scotland has been awarded a key contract by urban regeneration body Clyde Gateway Developments Limited to carry out remedial works to an unstable section of embankment alongside the River Clyde. The civil engineering and infrastructure specialist will carry out a £2.8 million package of works adjacent to the River Clyde between Rutherglen Bridge and Dalmarnock Smart Bridge in the Shawfield area. This will help pave the way for the future development of office, industrial and residential space. The programme will include ground investigation works; habitat and ecology mitigation works; the design and construction of soil mixed columns and soil mixed capping slabs; and the diversion and reinstatement of an existing outflow pipe and headwall. Works will be completed with the construction of a new geogrid reinforced earthworks slope and associated soft landscaping. To facilitate the scheme, Barhale will design and install an extensive series of temporary works. They will enable the safe and controlled construction of the permanent works. Clyde Gateway Developments Limited is the urban regeneration company set up to drive inward investment and improvement for the people and communities across the east end of Glasgow and South Lanarkshire. It is formed of a partnership between Glasgow City Council, South Lanarkshire Council and Scottish Enterprise. Lee Hollywood, who leads Barhale’s Scottish operation, welcomed the award and underlined the importance of the Clyde Gateway programme. “This is one of the largest urban regeneration projects being undertaken in the UK today,” he said. “Overall it is tackling an area of 840 hectares and it will bring long term benefits to the communities in Bridgeton, Dalmarnock and Rutherglen. “We are very proud to have the opportunity to play our part and to be able to prepare the ground for the next phase at Shawfield.” The construction programme is expected to complete in December 2022.