In February 2021, contract awards increased by 11% compared to January to £4.7 billion, this remains below average levels, but underlying activity has increased as no single project was valued over £200 million. Similarly to January, distribution centres make up two of the top four contract awards. The latest edition of the Economic & Construction Market Review from industry analysts Barbour ABI, highlights levels of construction contract values awarded across Great Britain. Sector analysis shows that residential strengthened in February to £1.9 billion with strong activity in the West Midlands. Infrastructure also picked up, rising £78% to £900 million following a disappointing January. The largest infrastructure projects are the National Grid LNG terminal expansion in Kent and the M25 Junction 28 improvements in Essex. The industrial sector, led by warehousing, continued as the hottest sector, with two of the top four projects being distribution centres: a distribution hub in Wakefield worth £186 million and a Lidl distribution centre in Bedfordshire with a value of £100 million. Commenting on the figures, Tom Hall, Chief Economist at  Barbour ABI and AMA Research said, “There was not a huge amount to see in February as planning activity was maintained; no pre-budget optimism to be seen. Contract awards strengthened slightly while planning applications and approvals weakened. Approvals particularly are looking fragile. Elsewhere the significant activity in warehousing and distribution continued, and infrastructure contract awards returned to previous levels after a weak January.” Download the full report here:  https://www.barbour-abi.com/zones/2103032-Snap-Analysis-March-Output-File- v2.pdf

Large housing developments should contain ‘mobility hubs’ for transport as a condition of planning consent to improve the environment and reduce congestion, ministers have been told. Responding to a Scottish Government consultation, shared transport charity Collaborative Mobility UK (CoMoUK) said greener travel should be at the heart of the country’s planning future. It urged ministers to consider requiring developers of housing estates containing 50 dwellings or more to create hubs containing facilities such as electric vehicle charging, bike sharing and car club schemes. In smaller developments of 25 homes or more, housebuilders should be required to install at least one shared transport initiative, the charity argued. The Scottish Government’s Fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) recently closed for submissions and asked for views on how the country’s planning structure could help the environment, boost the economy and improve public health. The climate emergency declared by the Scottish Government and most local authorities aims to achieve a ‘net zero’ status by 2045. CoMoUK pointed out in its submission that transport is now Scotland’s largest emitting sector, contributing 36 per cent of greenhouse gasses, and that the largest source within that was private cars. It has urged ministers to do more in terms of promoting shared car schemes and encouraging cycling and shared transport. The Covid-19 pandemic should be used as an opportunity to pursue alternatives, the response said, especially with behaviour changes persuading more people to return to their car. The organisation added that better shared transport would help more deprived communities in terms of connectivity, and increased walking and cycling would improve physical and mental health. CoMoUK is pioneering the development of European-style mobility hubs in the UK. These bring together public transport stops for buses, trams and trains with bike share schemes, car clubs, e-scooters, electric vehicle charging points, bike racks and shared taxi rides, as well as community facilities such as cafés, fitness areas, green space, package collection points and wifi and phone charging – all with covered waiting areas, real-time journey planning information, walking areas and disabled access. Lorna Finlayson, Scotland director of CoMoUK, said: “Scotland cannot achieve the reduction in greenhouse gasses it needs without changing the way people move about. “Reform to the planning system over the coming years provides an opportunity to do exactly that. “All over the country new housing estates are being built – that provides the perfect chance to install more mobility hubs. “People who have just moved are more open to changing their transport habits and trying out new opportunities. “This is an action the government could take now which would have a positive impact on the environment, the economy and public health. “Getting this right will help everyone and assist the government in many of the targets it has set itself across a range of issues.” The CoMoUK submission states: “By embedding shared transport and mobility hub policy into NPF4, shared mobility can grow further, developing a national network of hubs, serving a wider population and diverse locations and communities. It can contribute to the decarbonisation of the transport sector as well as the rebalancing of the planning system to prioritise climate and the four main outcomes by 2050.”

New sites for 25,000 homes around west London’s Old Oak Common HS2 station are being proposed following the collapse of negotiations over the Cargiant site. The Mayor’s Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation, OPDC, has submitted a revised draft local plan after a planning inspector told them in 2019 their housing estimates were too large. London’s mayor Sadiq Khan said: “I look forward to seeing this plan adopted and a healthy and inclusive new district emerge in this important part of west London.” He said the corporation’s plan complemented the recently published London plan. The OPDC has moved its focus to around the station, where a lot of the land is public sector owned, to accelerate creating a new urban centre. The corporation points out the site is unique for being the only spot in London where HS2, the Elizabeth Line and Great Western Rail services meet. String of lively neighbourhoods in the pipeline OPDC chief executive David Lunts said: “Our aim though, is not just new homes and jobs; we are creating a desirable, exceptionally well connected and bustling series of districts for London where live, work, play is more than just a slogan.”  He said the corporation would be consulting the local community while preparing a bid for government infrastructure funding. Mr Lunts said he expected the new local plan to be adopted by the end of the year pointing out that 6,000 homes were already being constructed. “Our aim though, is not just new homes and jobs; we are creating a desirable, exceptionally well connected and bustling series of districts for London where live, work, play is more than just a slogan,” said Mr Lunts. Hank Zarihs Associates said development finance lenders were looking to back projects in spots with excellent transport links such as those at Old Oak.  Existing businesses in Old Oak North will be protected by designating key sites for long-term employment. It is expected to deliver a quarter of a million square metres of additional industrial space over the next 20 years, encouraging new businesses and helping existing ones to grow. OPDC has been working with local landowners to prepare the plans and will continue to work closely with Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham and Brent councils, High Speed Two, the Department for Transport, Network Rail and the local community.

British Science Week, which in 2021 takes place from March 8 to 13, celebrates the broad range of jobs and careers available in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) industries and promotes STEM to younger generations by providing activity packs and school projects. While children learn the core sciences, like biology, chemistry and physics as part of the curriculum, many are yet to understand how to apply the knowledge to real life situations. To support British Science Week, Harjinder Randhawa, Laboratory Supervisor at Finning UK & Ireland, discusses his lesser known, but important, role in fluid analysis. While the typical picture of the construction industry is of operators in hard-hats at work on the job site, a lot of science and engineering goes on behind the scenes. Similarly, the traditional picture of a laboratory — white lab coats, goggles and test tubes — is not always the reality, a large amount of research and data analysis will take place outside of the lab environment. My role ties together the two — monitoring the condition of construction equipment using laboratory techniques. The aim is to reduce wear and tear on equipment and avoid unexpected repair costs. Condition monitoring facilities, like Finning’s fluid analysis lab in Leeds, test oil and other fluids from vehicles ranging from excavators and buses, to lifeboats and racing cars. These laboratories carry out techniques including particle count, particle quantification, gas chromatography (GC) and analysis of trace metals, to monitor the condition of the fluid and the equipment it was taken from and report back to the customer, while suggesting proactive steps to take to optimise the life of both. Though condition monitoring labs usually only test the oil and report the data to customers, employing lab technicians and diagnosticians who have science and engineering backgrounds can give a more comprehensive picture to the customer. Diagnosticians can point out specific issues with the equipment, such as a faulty bearing, and explain the different levels of severity to the customer, rather than making them decipher the data themselves. Equipped with a strong understanding of fluid and equipment condition, construction businesses can plan in proactive maintenance to prevent costly breakdowns. Consider this example. An excavator in a quarry has not had its oil regularly checked and a buildup of residue has caused the engine to fail 70 metres underground. The breakdown causes unexpected downtime and reduces the productivity of the workforce, as additional workers and equipment are needed to help pull it to the surface and take it off site to be fixed. Regular oil sampling will help identify any faults that need addressing and allow the site manager to fix them proactively, saving time and money. Lab technicians and diagnosticians who carry out fluid analysis have a varied and vital role in keeping the construction industry running. British Science Week is a great event for busting the stereotypes of STEM careers, sharing the behind the scenes of different industries and encouraging young people to consider STEM in the future. Chemistry skills learnt in school can easily be transferred into a lab technician role, and I hope future generations will consider it as a possible career choice. If you or someone close to you might enjoy a career in fluid analysis, apply for our newly launched Laboratory Technician Degree Apprenticeship programme here.