Barberry Industrial has today revealed plans to develop three high quality mid-box manufacturing/logistics units totaling 220,750 sq. ft at a prime West Midlands business park in a £28 million project. Barberry’s proposals to build industrial/logistics units of 47,750 sq. ft, 62,000 sq. ft and 113,000 sq. ft at Hilton Cross
Caterpillar® dealer earns a place in the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers Finning UK and Ireland has been awarded a national accolade for its outstanding apprenticeship programmes, scooping a place in the government-led Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers. The UK’s exclusive distributor of Cat® machines and products was ranked 38 in the
Skills shortfall: up to 120,000 additional people will be required over the next 5 – 10 years, with demand for skills peaking around 2025 An ageing workforce: over 28% of workers in the current rail workforce are over the age of 50 Failure to attract a diverse workforce: Only 16%
GRAHAM has reached a milestone on its Crossrail Ealing Broadway project, completing Phase One of the structural steelwork installation. The work involved the installation of approximately 120 tonnes of structural steel over consecutive weekend closures of the road. The contractor completed the installation using a 500-tonne crane that was configured
HS2 today issued an invitation to tender to five bidders in the running to design, deliver and maintain almost 300 state-of-the-art lifts and escalators for HS2’s four major new stations. The following bidders have been invited to tender for two separate packages covering lifts and escalators: Fujitec UK Ltd Kone
The first phase of luxury homes at the prestigious new Barton Quarter residential development, in conjunction with the Prince’s Foundation, is on track for completion early next year, with buyers able to move in from March 2021. Situated on the 10-acre former site of Barton Transport in Chilwell, Beeston, the
Deciding on the type of furniture to buy for your indoor and outdoor setting is a process. Due to counterfeit brands in the market, the buyer needs to consider several factors before coming to a decision. With the rattan brand, however, you do not have to worry about getting fake
Water is an indispensable part of our lives. It is paramount for any modicum of life to exist at all. While looking for any sign of life, our astronauts try to find traces of oxygen and water, primarily, amongst other things. Our planet consists of large water bodies that take
The total value of construction contract awards in October 2020 was £4.9 billion based on a three-month rolling average. This is a decrease of 9.4% on September and follows three consecutive months of good growth. Annual comparisons show it as 1.1% lower than for October 2019. In the three months
LEADING independent property, construction and infrastructure consultancy Pick Everard will play an integral role in the design of four new prisons – to be built in Yorkshire and in the North West and South East of England – following its appointment by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to its New
Barberry Industrial has today revealed plans to develop three high quality mid-box manufacturing/logistics units totaling 220,750 sq. ft at a prime West Midlands business park in a £28 million project. Barberry’s proposals to build industrial/logistics units of 47,750 sq. ft, 62,000 sq. ft and 113,000 sq. ft at Hilton Cross Business Park, just off junction one of the M54 near Wolverhampton, would bring much-needed investment and jobs to the region. The units will be built to exacting energy efficiency and sustainability levels, to include photovoltaic cells on the south facing slopes of the roof and provisions for electric charging points. The West Midlands-based property investor and developer has been selected by landowner South Staffordshire Council as the preferred purchaser of the last two remaining plots on the well established Hilton Cross Business Park. Barberry has submitted a detailed planning application to South Staffordshire District Council. Barberry Industrial development director and shareholder Jon Robinson said: “We are very pleased to announce that we have been selected as purchaser for this prime site at junction 1 of the M54 at Wolverhampton, based upon our track record and delivery of previous projects. “We have submitted a detailed planning application this week for the development of three high quality manufacturing/logistics units, with a view to securing planning and enabling us to start construction on site in Q2 2021. “We have an excellent working relationship with South Staffordshire Council and we are looking forward to working with them to deliver this prime motorway-connected manufacturing/logistics scheme of more than 227,750 sq. ft of self contained, high quality accommodation to help satisfy demand in the mid-box sector.” Jon added: “We are confident that the quality of our development, combined with this excellent location will generate a great deal of interest from potential occupiers, catering for pent-up demand for both freehold and leasehold requirements and provide a logistics location for occupiers supplying into i54 on Junction 2 of the M54. We are also confident that this development will attract high quality occupiers, creating much-needed jobs for the region and attracting further investment to the region.” South Staffordshire Council leader Councillor Brian Edwards M.B.E. said: “When the council acquired the land at Hilton Cross we were always very keen to see it developed to bring jobs and growth to South Staffordshire and, subject to planning permission, I’m delighted that this should hopefully be the case. With the proposed development at Hilton Cross, and other key employment sites, including some of our own developments, it really demonstrates this council’s commitment to the economic prosperity of this area and the benefits it will bring to businesses of all shapes and sizes”. Grant Mitchell, assistant director enterprise and growth at South Staffordshire Council, said: “The council has worked positively with Barberry for some time to realise the potential of the two plots on Hilton Cross and it’s good to see such well-located quality employment land coming forward for development. The proposals will create much-needed jobs in difficult times and demonstrates the attractiveness of South Staffordshire that Barberry are keen to invest here and add to their already impressive portfolio.” It’s been a busy year for Barberry. It recently announced it is developing a c.£38 million state-of-the-art precision engineering advanced manufacturing and design facility for a global leader in Military and commercial engine controls systems in Gloucestershire. The 184,000 sq. ft centre of excellence for Moog’s Aircraft Controls Segment will be built on a 10-acre site at Ashchurch, Tewkesbury. It is believed to be one of the biggest deals of the year in the manufacturing sector. Barberry also recently announced that it is working with IMI Truflo Marine – a world-leading manufacturer of critical flow control solutions – to create a multi-million-pound centre of engineering excellence in Birmingham. A state-of-the-art manufacturing and design facility will be developed at Birmingham’s Advanced Manufacturing Hub (AMH) in a deal with Barberry. IMI Truflo Marine will relocate to the manufacturing hub in Witton from its existing facility nearby. It has agreed a 15-year lease on the new headquarters. Barberry has a 3.3 million sq. ft industrial/logistics development portfolio with a Gross Development Value of more than £398 million. Hilton Cross Business Park is strategically located immediately adjacent to junction 1 of the M54. Junction 10a of the M6 is situated only two miles to the east, while i54 Business Park and the new two million sq. ft JLR engine plant is just three miles to the west.
Caterpillar® dealer earns a place in the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers Finning UK and Ireland has been awarded a national accolade for its outstanding apprenticeship programmes, scooping a place in the government-led Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers. The UK’s exclusive distributor of Cat® machines and products was ranked 38 in the league table and is one of just a handful of companies from the engineering and construction industries that earned a place on the list. More than 400 organisations from across the country fought for a place in the league table, including large national employers such as HMRC, The British Army, Sainsbury’s, and M&S. The top 100 companies were announced in a live broadcast by the National Apprenticeship Service in October. The accolade was given in recognition of the variety of apprenticeships that Finning offers. The company has an established four-year apprenticeship programme which recruits budding engineers for its equipment solutions and energy & transportation divisions. Diversity is one of the core criteria considered for the ranking. The intake this year includes the highest number of female recruits so far, with four of the eleven new apprentices being women. Finning also partners with training providers across the country to deliver other apprenticeship programmes such as team leading, health and safety, HR, supply chain and business administration, providing existing staff with opportunities to progress within the organisation. “This is a huge achievement for Finning and well-deserved recognition of the work we’ve done to help develop existing staff as well as the next generation of engineers,” explained Marsha Myles, apprenticeship programme manager at Finning. ‘‘This is a first-class scheme for young people,” commented Chloe Harris, in her fourth year of the apprenticeship programme. “Finning offers lots of opportunities both during and after the apprenticeship to develop skills and knowledge. The support in both the workshop and in the academy is outstanding.” The Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers 2020 can be viewed here. To find out more about the Finning engineering apprenticeship recruitment programme, which will open once again for applications in January 2021, visit https://www.finning.com/.
Skills shortfall: up to 120,000 additional people will be required over the next 5 – 10 years, with demand for skills peaking around 2025 An ageing workforce: over 28% of workers in the current rail workforce are over the age of 50 Failure to attract a diverse workforce: Only 16% of the rail workforce is female and nearly one in four women (24%) would consider a career in rail New research by City & Guilds and the National Skills Academy for Rail (NSAR) paints a stark picture for the future of the rail workforce, with skills shortages set to escalate significantly in the sector over the next five years. With major rail infrastructure projects due to be announced next week as part of the long anticipated National Infrastructure Strategy, the Back on Track report – which includes findings from research undertaken by YouGov[1] and data from NSAR on 242,000 workers in the rail industry – reveals that there is potential for these to create a new lease of life for the UK economy through new jobs and economic growth. However, serious systemic issues in the industry’s talent and skills pipeline, have created a shortage of trained and talented employees, just when the industry needs them most. While the industry has made progress in addressing these issues – which include a short-term approach to skills development, an ageing workforce and a reliance on overseas and ‘third-tier’ workers – greater industry collaboration is needed to fix them in time to meet this additional demand. The research finds that the rail sector is set to lose huge numbers of skilled workers over the next few years. With 28% of workers in the industry aged over 50, this means some 15,000 workers could be due to retire by 2025. Meanwhile, Brexit is set to exacerbate this issue, potentially reducing access to overseas workers. From 2016 to 2018, the proportion of EU workers in the rail sector dropped from 17% to 15% – and this declining trend is expected to continue. As a result of this talent and skills shortfall coinciding with new rail projects that will heighten the demand for skills, between 7,000 and 12,000 additional people will be required every year by the industry over the next five to ten years – up to 120,000 people in total. And with modelling showing peak demand around 2025, people must be recruited now to equip them with the relevant skills and experience to meet future demand. But, as highlighted by in the new report, a lack of upskilling opportunities and perceived reputational problems mean that the industry continues to struggle to attract and train candidates, with just a third (32%) of respondents saying they would consider a career in the rail sector. This is particularly acute amongst women, young adults and people from BAME backgrounds: Just 16% of the current rail workforce is female and only 24% of women would consider a career in rail, compared to 41% of men 26% of 18-24-year olds say they would consider a career in rail, compared to 39% of 35-44-year olds 27% of BAME people would consider working in rail, compared to 32% of white people. Martin Hottass, Managing Director – Technical Training at City & Guilds Group, commented: “The UK rail industry is on the cusp of leading a once-in-a-generation infrastructure revolution, with the potential to create thousands of high quality jobs across the country at a time when they are needed most. However, the dual blow of Brexit and a retirement cliff edge, in addition to systemic issues around growing and retaining skills, means unless Government, employers and industries work together to urgently addresses these issues, they risk scuppering this golden opportunity. It’s clear that greater collaboration will be key to increasing awareness of opportunities in the sector, and ensuring that rail projects are committed to creating lifelong learning opportunities.“ Neil Robertson, CEO at the National Skills Academy for Rail, commented: “The rail industry’s lack of diversity and perception by younger people, are well known, but less well understood – and while many people in the industry are already working to recruit and upskill a more diverse workforce, it’s by shedding a light on these issues that we can understand the solutions that will truly make an impact. Now, as we look to invest in new talent in to fill future skills gaps in the rail industry, it’s also clear that we can use this opportunity improve social mobility across the UK. By hiring people from different backgrounds and regions and providing them with quality skills and career progression, we can ensure that these infrastructure projects not only create jobs, but also promote positive socioeconomic change.” The report found that this disinterest in careers in rail could be largely fuelled by misperception and a lack of awareness and understanding about the wide range of career opportunities and roles in the sector – pointing to a basic need to educate a wider pool of people about the potential jobs available to them. Of those who said that they wouldn’t consider working in the rail industry, 42% said they don’t know enough or anything about careers in the sector, whilst 35% said they don’t have the skills needed to get in the sector. City & Guilds and NSAR are calling on the rail sector and Government to collaborate and take a joined-up approach to urgently gear up the industry’s skills and talent pipelines, before it’s too late. The seven key recommendations outlined in the report are: Build lifelong learning commitments into project specifications for national rail projects – starting with apprenticeships Transform the rail industry into a career destination, especially for young people Develop strong career paths to attract and retain talent and maximise productivity Make mid-career entry to the industry and skills-transfer more frictionless Build greater participation at a local / regional level Government and relevant partners should consider a perception and awareness raising campaign Utilise the Green agenda to attract a new generation of people to the industry The full report is available here.
GRAHAM has reached a milestone on its Crossrail Ealing Broadway project, completing Phase One of the structural steelwork installation. The work involved the installation of approximately 120 tonnes of structural steel over consecutive weekend closures of the road. The contractor completed the installation using a 500-tonne crane that was configured to sit directly over the site’s bridge piers over the existing rail network. The first phase of the canopy steelwork at Ealing Broadway is now complete and roofing is now underway. Discussing the latest works, John Deery, project manager for GRAHAM, said: “We’re making good progress at the Ealing Broadway site. Despite the ongoing COVID-19 situation, construction work is permitted to continue and we are working while following the Government’s guidelines carefully, to protect both our staff and the public. “The canopy steelwork is now complete following our installation last weekend. Inside the station, the internal walls are now 80% complete and Stannah lift installation have begun. The curtain walling to the link bridge is now complete between Platforms 1 and 2, whilst work on the mechanical and electrical infrastructure is ongoing. “Last weekend’s installation was a significant milestone in the first phase of works and I’d like to thank the public for their patience while we completed these works, and congratulate the team for its hard work on a successful delivery.” As part of the work on the Crossrail project, GRAHAM is significantly remodelling Ealing Broadway station, extending the platforms at the station to accommodate the new Elizabeth line trains. This is one of three stations the company is constructing on the project, with works also at an advanced state at Acton Mainline and West Ealing. With passenger numbers expected to increase when the Elizabeth line fully opens, the upgraded Ealing Broadway station will benefit from improved passenger flow and enhanced accessibility with lifts and footbridges that will bring step free access to all its platforms serving the Elizabeth line.
HS2 today issued an invitation to tender to five bidders in the running to design, deliver and maintain almost 300 state-of-the-art lifts and escalators for HS2’s four major new stations. The following bidders have been invited to tender for two separate packages covering lifts and escalators: Fujitec UK Ltd Kone Plc Otis Ltd Schindler Ltd Thyssenkrupp Elevator UK Ltd Around 160 lifts and 130 escalators will be installed across the project, helping hundreds of thousands of people access HS2 trains every day. All the new stations in London and Birmingham will be zero carbon in terms of day-to-day operation, and fully accessible, with step-free access from street to train. Placed end to end, the escalators would stretch more than 3km – longer than the Forth Rail Bridge. The longest escalators will be at Old Oak Common, in west London, which will take passengers 13.5m up from the subsurface platforms to concourse level. In total, the new station – where HS2 meets Crossrail services to Heathrow and the West End of London – will boast more than 50 lifts and escalators. Three of HS2’s new stations will be built to the highest industry standard – ‘BREEAM Excellent’ – in terms of sustainable lifetime performance, with Birmingham Interchange set to achieve the higher level of ‘BREEAM Outstanding’. Energy efficient lifts and escalators are a key part of achieving these ambitious environmental standards. Once complete, HS2 will more than double capacity along Britain’s main north-south rail routes and halve many journey times between London, Birmingham and the major cities of the north. This new dedicated high speed route will free up more space for local and freight services on the current mainline out of Euston and offer an environmentally friendly form of transport for long distance passengers. HS2 Ltd’s Procurement and Commercial Director, David Poole, said: “This invitation to tender is a key step forward in the delivery of HS2’s four iconic new railway stations. The lifts and escalators our partners go on to deliver will be at the heart of the operation, moving hundreds of thousands of people every day and helping us to ensure seamless journeys for everyone.” The contract is divided into two separate packages for lifts worth up to £267m and escalators worth up to £198m, with the winners appointed to frameworks. This flexible approach allows for potential changes in the number of lifts and escalators ordered as station designs are finalised. Contracts are expected to be awarded next year and the value includes maintenance for 20 years.
The first phase of luxury homes at the prestigious new Barton Quarter residential development, in conjunction with the Prince’s Foundation, is on track for completion early next year, with buyers able to move in from March 2021. Situated on the 10-acre former site of Barton Transport in Chilwell, Beeston, the Barton Quarter will be a carefully designed new development of homes, facilities and two new public squares – embracing the heritage and residential character of the historic location. Comprising four phases of works, the £12m first phase of homes is due for completion in March next year, and available house styles will include classically beautiful terraced properties, triple aspect end of terraced houses with grand facades, traditional style paired villas, detached large family homes, detached apartments and mews apartments. Finished with generous floor to ceiling heights, all homes boast oversized front doors which are 50% larger than a standard front door and classic design sash windows, hand carved and bespoke cornices, brackets and mouldings. The first phase of the development fronts Queens Road West and the Chilwell High Road with two, three and four bedroom properties available, ranging from £335,000 for a two-bed mews apartment, £365,000 to £430,000 for a three-bed home and £440,000 to £520,000 for a four-bed home. Help to Buy is also available on all properties. The scheme is being developed in conjunction with the Prince’s Foundation – a prestigious built environment charity founded by the Prince of Wales that focuses on developing better urban design and communities, in collaboration with Ben Pentreath Architects – one of the country’s leading classical architects, and Stockbridge Land – a specialist team with 80 years’ collective experience working to procure, design and build unique developments across the UK. FHP Living has been appointed as a joint selling agent on the scheme with Knight Frank Birmingham, and interested parties can contact Steve Parker, Natasha Goodman or Will Hargreaves at FHP for information and viewings. An upcoming sought-after destination for a range of buyers – plans for the Barton Quarter have been developed through close engagement with the local Beeston community and Broxtowe Borough Council – with a vision to creating a mix of house sizes and styles, built with an attention to detail and generous gardens, benefitting from excellent transport links and access to nature. The development as a whole will provide a new substantial residential quarter for Nottingham and an important anchor for the west end of the vibrant Chilwell High Road with its independent bars and restaurants, which is part of the overall regeneration of a gateway site to Beeston town centre. Situated just a ten-minute walk from Beeston town centre and its amenities including Tesco, Lidl and Boots, Barton Quarter is close to a range of major employers in the region including Queens Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Boots and Experian. Beeston station is a 12-minute walk away providing regular services to local hubs including Nottingham, Leicester and Derby, as well as other services to Birmingham, Cardiff and London St Pancras – of which there are 38 daily trains, with the quickest journey being one hour and 32 minutes. It’s a two-minute walk to the tramline which runs from Chilwell High Road, with regular services to the University of Nottingham Campus, Nottingham Trent University, Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham Railway Station and the city centre, as well as Toton Lane Park & Ride. Steve Parker, director at FHP Living, said: “Situated in a prime location in a highly sought-after area of Nottingham, which is currently a hot zone of regeneration, Barton Quarter provides a rich mix of unique and beautiful homes to suit a range of buyer requirements. With architecture drawing from the best of the Regency period, inspired by early development in The Park, with mews streets and townhouses, there is a real opportunity for all types of buyers to find what they are looking for in an ideal central area of Nottingham. “Once the historic site of Barton Transport, one of the oldest bus companies in Western Europe dating back to 1908 in Nottinghamshire – the new development on Queens Road West and the Chilwell High Road, is in close proximity to Beeston town centre’s amenities, with great travel links and close connections to neighbouring parts of the area, including both universities and major employers. “We are incredibly pleased with the levels of interest and number of viewings already, and we look forward to showing interested potential buyers these beautiful properties. Buyers of phase one will be able to move in by the end of March and will have no stamp duty to pay.” David Hargreaves, founder of FHP Living, said: “There is nothing like Barton Quarter in Nottingham or for miles around. The design, detailing and quality of homes is second to none, with the feeling of a grand Regency square.” Ben Bolgar, design director for Stockbridge Land said “We are delighted to have been so welcomed by the local community through the design workshops we ran and really hope that what we have delivered is not only true to our word but surpasses expectations. We believe if you design and build places with care and beauty then they will enhance a local area and provide part of both the Barton and Beeston heritage for centuries to come.” Kim Hitch, director of projects at The Prince’s Foundation, said: “The keenly-anticipated development of Barton Quarter really effectively reflects The Prince’s Foundation’s commitment to creating sustainable harmonious communities. “We are pleased to have worked with the land owner, developer, and local community to bring to life in built form our traditional principles in making beautiful places. We hope that the community-led approach in this development — whereby the land owner prioritised leaving a sustainable community legacy over merely maximising profit and the developer engaged with local people to gauge opinion on the development — is adopted more widely in future.”
Deciding on the type of furniture to buy for your indoor and outdoor setting is a process. Due to counterfeit brands in the market, the buyer needs to consider several factors before coming to a decision. With the rattan brand, however, you do not have to worry about getting fake materials. If you are skeptical about buying them, the following are the reasons you should consider buying them whenever you are shopping for furniture: Wide Variety of Designs and Fast Delivery When it comes to home décor, everyone prefers uniqueness and originality. Finding a dining set that meets this expectation is, however, not a breeze. Have you ever thought of buying rattan garden dining sets? Well, this is a dining set brand that will guarantee you uniqueness. Moreover, service providers dealing with them are professionals with a high level of competence. Another problem that buyers face is finding service providers who deliver on time. With rattan dining sets service providers, you access fast delivery of all the products you order. Additionally, you access various designs in one place. Are Easy To Maintain Maintenance cost is something most buyers overlook when buying furniture. While some designs of furniture may be cheap, the cumulative cost of maintaining them usually surpasses the original price. Ideal furniture should be one that is easy to maintain, something that the rattan garden dining set offers you. With them, you do not require a fancy furniture cleaner to keep them clean. You may only require a washcloth and a dishwasher to clean them. Furthermore, they rarely get stained, so you may not need to clean them daily. Easily Repairable Reparability is one thing every buyer should ascertain before buying a piece of garden furniture. As you may be aware, there are those types of furniture that cannot be repaired. In case they break, the only option is to dispose of them – something that rattan garden dining set saves you from. You can repair them with ease in case they break or deform. All you need is boiled linseed oil and a brush. Are Durable Durability is one factor that makes any product quality. If a piece of furniture cannot last long, then it is not worth investment. Rattan garden dining sets outshine the rest when it comes to durability. It can serve you for as long as you are maintaining it in good condition. If you have been wondering where to find durable furniture, consider rattan. They are one of those products you cannot regret buying. Are Weather Resistant The rattan material is waterproof and resistant to UV lights. Therefore, it is fit for both indoor and outdoor settings. If winter sets in, you do not have to worry about your rattan furniture absorbing moisture. Similarly, its quality does not change during the summer. It is neither affected by extreme heat nor cold. It will remain brand new despite the severe weather conditions.
Water is an indispensable part of our lives. It is paramount for any modicum of life to exist at all. While looking for any sign of life, our astronauts try to find traces of oxygen and water, primarily, amongst other things. Our planet consists of large water bodies that take up more than 70% of its overall area. It is quite similar for our body: our bodies are 70% water, and the rest is muscle, skin, bones, blood, etc. However, water is a resource that we cannot invent. Despite having this resource in massive amounts, scientists have detected a problem regarding the scarcity of water we might have to face in the foreseeable future. Anyway, the water we have been consuming and putting in use has to go through an elaborate process. Some centers inspect and filter the water before it goes to a water filling machine. In this article, we will talk about how water is treated in these large water treatment centers. Water treatment can be divided into five different processes: Chemical Coagulation While the water goes through the first step of the process, it is dirty and carries numerous bacterias and toxic materials. This is the first step towards detoxifying it. Initially, chlorine dioxide is added to the water mixture. Being an oxidant, it helps separate and break down materials like plant matter and leaves. Aluminum sulfate, the primary coagulant, is added consecutively after this process alongside a polymer. The sole function of the polymer is to aid the coagulant in strengthening its bonds. The use of the polymer is suggested as a coagulant aid since its chain of synthetic compounds will be an ideal fit in this situation. These coagulants are subsequently rapidly mixed into the water, which kickstarts the coagulation process. It makes the tiny dirt particles cling to each other and form a giant clump, easily detected and filtered out in the following procedures. Flocculation If we have to describe the process in short, it is nothing but stirring the coagulated water. Stirring the water that has already passed through chemical coagulation makes it come in contact with the particulates. Then, the sediments or the particulates adhere to the floc on the water surface, which can be skimmed through easily. Sedimentation This process focuses on reducing water’s velocity so that all the particles and particulates descend to the bed. As it gets to the bottom, it is then removed slowly. This process accounts for the removal of 90% of the total dirt. Disinfection and Filtration Disinfection refers to the addition of chlorine to the water. Its function is to inactivate or kill any possible microorganisms, bacteria, pathogen, parasites, or viruses. This is where the water is freed of all the possible waterborne diseases like dysentery, giardiasis, gastroenteritis, typhoid, or cholera. As the name seems to suggest, filtration is where the disinfected water is then filtered of all the floc, sediments, and organisms ready to become safe drinking water and fed to an automatic water filling machine.
The total value of construction contract awards in October 2020 was £4.9 billion based on a three-month rolling average. This is a decrease of 9.4% on September and follows three consecutive months of good growth. Annual comparisons show it as 1.1% lower than for October 2019. In the three months to October 2020, total contract awards were valued at £14.7 billion which is 75.7% higher than for the previous quarter and is also 1.3% higher than for the comparable quarter ending October 2019. There was an increase of 8.7% for contract award numbers this month at 871 compared to September. Annual comparisons show marginal (0.8%) improvement. The latest edition of the Economic & Construction Market Review from industry analysts Barbour ABI, highlights levels of construction contract values awarded across Great Britain. The North West was the leading region in October with 19.8% of awards and a total of 120 projects. The second largest region was London with value share of 13.8%, whilst tying for third place was the East of England and Scotland both with 11.1% of awards. Analysis by sector indicates that residential maintained lead status in October accounting for 36.8% of awards. Underpinned by some major civils awards, infrastructure was the second largest region this month with 22.2% of awards and 131 projects. Commenting on the figures, Tom Hall, Chief Economist at Barbour ABI and AMA Research said, “The value of contract awards decreased from £5.4 billion in September to £4.9 billion in October but the number of awards continued to increase month on month. It is encouraging that since coming out of the first UK-wide lockdown, contract awards remain at long-term average levels. While there remain many downside risks, more positive news has emerged over the last month, not least construction sites staying open over the second lockdown plus positive vaccine trials. We therefore have a greater level of confidence that activity will be maintained over the short term.” Download the full report here: http://ubm.io/2FRLrwm
LEADING independent property, construction and infrastructure consultancy Pick Everard will play an integral role in the design of four new prisons – to be built in Yorkshire and in the North West and South East of England – following its appointment by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to its New Prisons Programme (NPP). The MoJ and HM Prisons and Probation Service (HMPPS) aims to deliver a decent, safe and secure estate that supports offender rehabilitation. These four new prisons will be designed with this in mind and provide prison staff the necessary tools to prevent offenders from being drawn into further criminal activity whilst serving their sentence in custody and turn their lives around. Pick Everard – operating under Perfect Circle’s unique collaboration – has been appointed as client designer for the project, with procurement and delivery being accelerated through SCAPE, the UK’s leading public sector procurement authority. SCAPE’s direct award and fully performance managed framework will also help drive collaboration, efficiency, time and cost savings across the four sites. Tim Irons, director of architecture at Pick Everard said: ‘’We are delighted to have secured this role working in partnership with the MoJ to progress this significant building programme, which is the first MoJ client design appointment of this scale. “Following the successful delivery of common designs at HMP Five Wells and Glen Parva, this next phase of intense construction activity will deliver not only much needed prison places for the MoJ, but importantly environments sensitively designed to bring the best possible outcomes for those passing through them as they reach the end of their sentences. “We are continuously improving our solutions for resettlement focussed facilities to ensure they support both residents and staff to achieve more and are excited to now stretch the sustainability features of our designs to achieve BREEAM Outstanding and ambitious reductions in operational energy demand.’’ Robin Seaton, HMPPS Programme Director for New Prisons added: “We look forward to working with Pick Everard and Perfect Circle as we embark on the design and construction of our newest prison builds. It is essential that we get the design right to deliver Ministers’ and HMPPS’ commitment to modernise and improve prisons, making them more secure and better equipped to rehabilitate prisoners. We are confident that Pick Everard will help us to meet these aims.” The NPP will initially develop the design for four new prisons – the first of which will be located in Full Sutton, Yorkshire, with a further three locations to be confirmed. The Pick Everard team has commenced a baseline design review, which began last month (October). This will be followed by the development of a suite of reference designs, which will be used to deliver the four new prisons together with potential expansions of existing sites. Pick Everard will work closely with the MoJ to develop its existing ‘baseline design’ for prisons and deliver site specific designs for each of the new prisons. There are currently two prisons under construction to a ‘common’ design – one in Wellingborough (named HMP Five Wells) and the other in Glen Parva – which will form the basis for the new reference prison designs. The designs will introduce further opportunities to implement modern methods of construction and adapting current designs to meet ambitious new sustainability targets in support of achieving a net zero carbon estate. David Nisbet, partner at Pick Everard, said: “We have a long-standing relationship with the MoJ so we are very pleased to be able to work with them on this new approach to prisoner accommodation, education and rehabilitation. The NPP marks a really significant reform to the prison system and we are looking forward to working closely with the MoJ on delivering a new approach, which will offer value for money both throughout the design and build, but also in the day-to-day operation of the prisons.” Mark Robinson, group chief executive at SCAPE, added: “Modernising HMPPS’ prison estate is a matter of national interest, not just in terms of supporting communities with effective rehabilitation, but also in enabling our economic recovery through public sector investment. “Pick Everard’s longstanding partnership with the MoJ has demonstrated both teams are committed to creating positive outcomes for the justice system while delivering facilities that represent value for the taxpayer. These projects embody that same commitment and I look forward to seeing them progress at speed through our consultancy framework.” Perfect Circle – which comprises Pick Everard, Gleeds and AECOM – leads the SCAPE Consultancy framework, which offers direct access to the most extensive property, construction and infrastructure consultancy services available to the public sector. The fully OJEU-compliant procurement route brings together the strongest collaborative team with value for money, while contributing substantially to local social value. Pick Everard employs more than 500 staff across its 13 offices, providing a range of project, cost and design consultancy services. For more information, please visit www.pickeverard.co.uk.