Contractor G F Tomlinson has completed construction work on the new Fradley Park primary school in Lichfield, Staffordshire. The £4.8 million school is the first school to be built in the area in over 40 years and it will offer 210 primary and 26 nursery places Delivered through the Staffordshire
hub South West Scotland has handed over the new Prestwick Educational Campus project to South Ayrshire Council. Based at Sherwood Road in Prestwick, the new educational campus has been developed on the site of the existing Glenburn Primary School and will accommodate the school’s current intake, as well as the
The operating and patient recovery facilities at a private hospital in Bath are undergoing a major refurbishment by Beard Construction. The five-phase project will see three operating theatres at Circle Health Group’s Bath Clinic revamped and a fourth created from an existing endoscopy suite. The associated patient recovery and anaesthetic
A state-of-the-art faience-tiled dining hall has been completed at University of Cambridge’s Homerton College. The new building has a capacity of up to 336 and heating designed to reduce carbon emissions by approximately 40%. Ingleton Wood, a Cambridge-based property and construction consultancy, was appointed as Project Manager and Principal Designer
Construction works have been completed on a new first school on the Bramshall Meadows estate on Ivinson Way in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire. Midlands-based main contractor G F Tomlinson has been leading the construction of the school since works started on the 12,000 sq. metre site last year. The school will offer
Contractor G F Tomlinson has completed construction work on a new first school on the Bramshall Meadows estate on Ivinson Way in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire. The new school will offer pupils 12,000 sq. metres of space, as well as nursery placements. Completed through Staffordshire County Council’s Capital Framework, the £4.3 million
Contractor Henry Brothers has handed over a new extension at Glossopdale School to Derbyshire County Council. The £4million extension is the second phase of the Council’s plan to increase capacity at the school, which can now take up to 1,440 pupils. The new space will provide an additional nine teaching
Work has commenced at a new all-through school in Abergavenny, with Morgan Sindall Construction being appointed as contractor for the project. Councillors were faced with the plans earlier this year when the existing comprehensive school’s building was considered for replacement. The project is part of the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Communities
A topping out ceremony has taken place to celebrate the latest milestone in the creation of a £9 million sustainable pavilion, being built by Henry Brothers, to expand SportPark, the multi award-winning development at Loughborough University. The 2000 sq m project on Loughborough University Science and Enterprise Park (LUSEP) is
THE education sector is well versed in procuring built environment work. However, current market constraints, the latest statistics on the level of work needed across school estates and the lack of associated funding means that it will not be an easy road for many. Emma Hesbrook, regional manager at national
Contractor G F Tomlinson has completed construction work on the new Fradley Park primary school in Lichfield, Staffordshire. The £4.8 million school is the first school to be built in the area in over 40 years and it will offer 210 primary and 26 nursery places Delivered through the Staffordshire County Council Framework, the new, two storey 1FE primary free school was project managed by Entrust. Now complete, it will be run by the John Taylor Multi Academy Trust and a ceremony will be held later in the year to celebrate the opening. “We are delighted to have completed Fradley Park Primary School with framework partner Staffordshire County Council, which will provide much-needed school and nursery places for the local community in Lichfield,” said Chris Flint, Managing Director at G F Tomlinson. “Our completion of this project also coincides with that of Bramshall Meadows Primary School – another scheme that we have worked on through the Staffordshire County Council Framework. We’re pleased to continue to be very active in this region, in the education sector and in general, building numerous quality schools throughout the Midlands.” The primary school in Lichfield comprises nine classrooms, a library, catering spaces, indoor sports facilities and an outdoor play area. There is also a MUGA (multi-use games area) pitch on site to enable a number of sports activities for pupils. The school has been constructed with consideration for proposed expansion to 2FE in the future – taking its capacity up to 420 primary and 52 nursery places in total – to accommodate for further planned housing schemes in the local area. “Fradley Park is the latest of our primary schools to be built in response to growing demand for school places locally Whenever there is new housing in an area, we always work with developers, local schools and the Department for Education to put plans in place to meet increased demand for school places. With its brand-new library, sports facilities and state-of-the-art classrooms, this school will provide children with a fantastic environment in which to learn and grow,” commented Staffordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Education Jonathan Price. Staffordshire County Council has entrusted G F Tomlinson with the delivery of five schools to date, with Fradley Park Primary School being the latest. “We’re extremely pleased to see Fradley Park ready to open its doors to local children and their families. As our first primary free school, Fradley Park has been a key priority for the Trust, and we have been supported extremely well by Staffordshire County Council, Entrust, the Department for Education and GF Tomlinson. Our close working relationship has played no small part in enabling us to reach this milestone so effectively, and for us to be receiving a truly wonderful new school that will grow with its local communities for generations,” added Mike Donoghue, CEO of John Taylor Multi-Academy Trust, expressing his delight over the completion of the school. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Home of Construction and Property News
hub South West Scotland has handed over the new Prestwick Educational Campus project to South Ayrshire Council. Based at Sherwood Road in Prestwick, the new educational campus has been developed on the site of the existing Glenburn Primary School and will accommodate the school’s current intake, as well as the relocation of the nearby St Ninian’s Primary School and the creation of a new Early year’s centre and nursery As the Authority’s development partner, hub South West Scotland (hub SW) managed the development and delivery of the project and worked closely with construction partner Morgan Sindall, architect BDP, independent tester Capita and principal designer and cost consultant Gardiner and Theobald. South Ayrshire Council formally announced the project in May 2019 with work beginning on site in early 2020. The new campus consists of 22 classrooms and multi purpose rooms spread over two storeys, with an Early Years centre and nursery facilities for children aged two to five. Incorporating leading sustainable methods into the project was key with the new campus running purely on electric power thanks to the installation of roof solar panels and air source heat pumps for heating. In addition to a state-of-the-art sports hall, the new Prestwick Educational Campus will feature outstanding outdoor sporting amenities, including an all-weather pitch. A new allotment garden, willow garden and sensory garden will offer students and children from the surrounding community the opportunity to learn about local nature. Councillor Stephen Ferry, South Ayrshire Council’s Portfolio Holder for Education said: “We’re committed to providing children and young people with the best possible start in life, and I’m delighted that pupils can now set foot into their brand new school after what I’m sure felt like a long wait for them. “Prestwick Educational Campus will provide a modern and engaging environment for learning and will ensure pupils can thrive throughout their years at school. We’re continuing to transform learning in South Ayrshire with our school build programme, and I know that both schools will benefit from the shared provision. “I’d like to extend my thanks to everyone involved in making this project a huge success, and wish all of the children, teachers and school staff good luck for the year ahead.” Michael Ross, Chief Executive of hub South West Scotland, said: “We are incredibly proud to have led the delivery of this project for South Ayrshire Council, delivering the project early – enabling the full school to decant before the end of the summer holidays – on budget, and to the highest quality standards. “This is the 14th project we have successfully delivered for South Ayrshire Council. It is this long-standing relationship that has enabled us a platform to invest in ongoing initiatives, continuous improvement and processes to support our joint agenda for excellence in project delivery which has been demonstrated and proven here. “This platform allows us to implement our unique Build Ayrshire events that upskill SMEs, facilitate our hub clubs that create a network of connected Ayrshire businesses and also reinforces our partnership with Ayrshire College where we support curriculum activities. “This project was a real team effort. A huge well done goes out to all parties involved, the local supply chain and our construction partner Morgan Sindall.” Stuart Parker, managing director of Morgan Sindall Construction’s Scotland region, said: “It’s an honour to deliver this state-of-the-art educational campus to the local community. “Our aim was to create an inspiring space where students can socialise, learn and flourish in an environment that feels special to them – we can’t wait for everyone to enjoy it. “This campus is yet another example of working collaboratively with our partners to create special places that have a positive impact, so a huge thank you to all involved.” Lindsey Mitchell, Architect Director, BDP Glasgow Studio, said: “I’m thrilled that pupils will be starting their first day at nursery or school at the new Prestwick Campus. We received such positive engagement and involvement with the pupils, parents, staff and the wider Prestwick community and I hope the buildings and open spaces we have created reflect their needs and views. “The design celebrates the identity of both of the primary schools and the shared space will help bring together each of the school communities. “We aimed to create something authentic for the community that will be inclusive, welcoming and provide a platform for contemporary learning and teaching. The buildings present a positive, community facing frontage that will provide a strong sense of arrival to all pupils, staff and visitors regardless of whether they are using the facilities, teaching or learning at the campus.” The outputs delivered as part of the Prestwick Educational Campus project are not limited to the built environment. hub South West Scotland tenders and awards projects to help drive job creation and investment in the local Ayrshire SME base. As a collective team we facilitated 14 apprenticeships filled by local young people. As part of the work experience programme, attendees supported the groundworks team with setting out, kerbing, landscaping and joinery. They were also given the opportunity to observe key milestone activity on site including cement pours and completion of steel work. hub SW tendered the project competitively to maximise local economic output which saw two jobs created and also saw a graduate quantity surveyor and graduate QHSE manager hired to work on the project. hub SW has held multiple workshops with local SMEs and ensured that 80% of packages were tendered by territory supply chain. This project has awarded £9m of works packages to subcontractors within the hub SW territory, included within that is £3.7m of spend with subcontractors in Ayrshire and £3m of that with South Ayrshire Council based businesses.
The operating and patient recovery facilities at a private hospital in Bath are undergoing a major refurbishment by Beard Construction. The five-phase project will see three operating theatres at Circle Health Group’s Bath Clinic revamped and a fourth created from an existing endoscopy suite. The associated patient recovery and anaesthetic rooms will also be transformed, alongside new staff changing and toilet areas and the installation in a new roof of the significant new infrastructure needed to power and operate the state-of-the-art equipment in the new facilities. The challenges of the £3.5m refurbishment are calling upon Beard’s extensive experience of working on medical developments. Three of the four operating theatres will always remain in use while the work is undertaken and the entire project will take place alongside the clinical environment of the hospital – with minimum disruption to the on-going, 24/7 patient services. Beard is also pulling together and managing a range of expert sub-contractors providing specialist equipment including medical gas supplies, surgeons panels, hospital building management system panels and nurse-call systems. The work is on track to be completed by July 2023. Three of the theatres sit in the basement of a two-storey building with patient recovery facilities on the floor above. Beard has re-felted, insulated and re-purposed the crinkle-tin roof above this building to hold the new infrastructure needed to run the operating theatres and recovery areas below. This roof area will also house new a standalone air-heating unit as well as parallel unique and isolated power supplies. The installation will include several 300-tonne crane lifts, as the control systems are lowered into place above the patient recovery areas. The project is currently in phase one, with phase zero seeing the roof conversion and installation of system infrastructure and the stand-alone endoscopy unit converted to a fully-fledged operating theatre. The remaining four phases will now work through the conversion of the existing three operating theatres. Beard Swindon director Jamie Harwood said: “Beard’s commitment to minimising the impact of our work on the local environment has already been taken to new levels on this project. “To carry out this extensive refurbishment alongside or above a working, clinical environment is exceptionally challenging. But we’re working with the hospital staff and our sub-contractors to make it happen. “The final product will transform the operating environment and facilities for patients and staff at Bath Clinic.” A spokesperson for Circle Health Group said: “The refurbishment work taking place at Bath Clinic is making good on our promise to offer our patients the very best facilities and services. As the hospital enters its 40th year treating and serving the community, this investment project is a commitment to continuing to deliver outstanding care to patients in Bath and further afield for another 40 years.”
A state-of-the-art faience-tiled dining hall has been completed at University of Cambridge’s Homerton College. The new building has a capacity of up to 336 and heating designed to reduce carbon emissions by approximately 40%. Ingleton Wood, a Cambridge-based property and construction consultancy, was appointed as Project Manager and Principal Designer for the two-year project. The project comprised a dining hall, buttery, kitchens and other staff amenities, and provides daily dining facilities as well as a formal venue for evening events. A balcony located in the buttery offers students an alternative setting for socialising or quiet study. The hall has been designed and detailed robustly for a minimum 100-year lifespan, applying a set of sustainability standards that exceed best practice. It is all-electric and passively ventilated, with a ground source heat pump that reduces CO2 emissions from heating and hot water by approximately 40%. Nick Bryant, Project Manager at Ingleton Wood, said: “Homerton College has been a client of ours for many years, and we were delighted to utilise our extensive experience within the campus to support this project. “In 2014 we prepared an overall College Masterplan which identified the Dining Hall’s construction as one phase of the implementation process. We have worked with the College and contractors to carry out all of the previous phases, including new post-graduate accommodation, refurbishment of the Queens Wing building, a new college bar, the provision of new guest bedrooms, an auditorium and music practice rooms.” Previously the College’s dining facilities were housed in its historical buildings, but additional capacity and modernisation were required. The new build achieves this while maintaining the site’s heritage, with the faience tiles echoing the formal motifs of its neighbouring buildings. Lord Simon Woolley, Principal of Homerton College, said: “Our new dining hall is a beautiful beacon which from the outside speaks to our ambition and values, and on the inside provides space for our students, Fellows, staff and guests to have conversations, debates, music, theatre and of course, fine dining, all under this magical roof.” Ingleton Wood is one of the largest property and construction consultancies covering Central England, East Anglia, London and the South East, with offices in Cambridge, Oxford, London, Colchester, Billericay and Norwich. Its services include architecture, building surveying, building services engineering, planning, interior design, civil and structural engineering, quantity surveying, project management and health and safety. For more information about Ingleton Wood, visit www.ingletonwood.co.uk.
Construction works have been completed on a new first school on the Bramshall Meadows estate on Ivinson Way in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire. Midlands-based main contractor G F Tomlinson has been leading the construction of the school since works started on the 12,000 sq. metre site last year. The school will offer places for pupils from four to nine-year-olds, as well as nursery placements and looks forward to welcoming the first cohort of pupils at the start of the academic year in September. An official opening ceremony will be held in October. The £4.3 million scheme has been completed through Staffordshire County Council’s Capital Framework and has been designed and project managed by Entrust. Now complete, the school will be led and managed by The Uttoxeter Learning Trust. The new, single storey 1 form entry (1FE) first school has been developed as part of a wider plan to expand first school provision in Uttoxeter in response to an increased demand for places generated from new housing in the local area, such as the Bramshall Meadows housing development. It represents the first school to be constructed in Uttoxeter in response to growth, comprising a nursery, classrooms, a multi-use hall, catering space, outdoor sports pitch, play areas and car parking. G F Tomlinson has been entrusted to deliver five schools to date for Staffordshire County Council with Bramshall Meadows First School being the latest, following the recently completed Fradley Park Primary School in Lichfield. Chris Flint, Managing Director at G F Tomlinson, said: “We feel very privileged to have been able to deliver this brand-new, high-quality school building for Staffordshire County Council which will create much-needed school places for children in the local area. The project is the first to be completed in response to the rise in demand for places within Uttoxeter and we feel very proud. “We very much look forward to seeing the school welcome pupils in September as the children take their first steps to embark on their academic journeys. The school has been designed with future growth and expansion very much in mind to provide an excellent learning environment for the growing community.” Jonathan Price, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Education said: “Bramshall Meadows has been built in response to increased housing in the area, which has meant there will be more demand for school places. Whenever there is new housing in an area, we always work with developers, local schools and the Department for Education to put plans in place to meet increased demand for school places. “It’s fantastic that local children will be able to learn in a brand-new school with lots of amazing facilities, and I am sure they are looking forward to starting school life in September.” Andrea Cairns, Executive Headteacher at Bramshall Meadows First School, commented: “We are absolutely delighted with the new school and the high quality of the build project with all of its amazing facilities. We are very excited to welcome the first children into school in September!” To find out more about the school and further information about student places, visit: https://www.bramshallmeadows.org.uk/
Contractor G F Tomlinson has completed construction work on a new first school on the Bramshall Meadows estate on Ivinson Way in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire. The new school will offer pupils 12,000 sq. metres of space, as well as nursery placements. Completed through Staffordshire County Council’s Capital Framework, the £4.3 million scheme has been designed and project managed by Entrust. and now that it is completed, it will be led and managed by The Uttoxeter Learning Trust. “We feel very privileged to have been able to deliver this brand-new, high-quality school building for Staffordshire County Council which will create much-needed school places for children in the local area. The project is the first to be completed in response to the rise in demand for places within Uttoxeter and we feel very proud,” said Chris Flint, Managing Director at G F Tomlinson. “We very much look forward to seeing the school welcome pupils in September as the children take their first steps to embark on their academic journeys. The school has been designed with future growth and expansion very much in mind to provide an excellent learning environment for the growing community.” Developed in response to an increased demand for school places in Uttoxeter generated by new housing in the area, such as the Bramshall Meadows housing development, the new, single storey 1 form entry (1FE) school is the first to be constructed in Uttoxeter. The new school comprises a nursery, classrooms, a multi-use hall, catering space, outdoor sports pitch, play areas and car parking. “Bramshall Meadows has been built in response to increased housing in the area, which has meant there will be more demand for school places. Whenever there is new housing in an area, we always work with developers, local schools and the Department for Education to put plans in place to meet increased demand for school places. It’s fantastic that local children will be able to learn in a brand-new school with lots of amazing facilities, and I am sure they are looking forward to starting school life in September,” commented Jonathan Price, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Education. G F Tomlinson has been entrusted to deliver five schools to date for Staffordshire County Council with Bramshall Meadows First School being the latest, following the recently completed Fradley Park Primary School in Lichfield. “We are absolutely delighted with the new school and the high quality of the build project with all of its amazing facilities. We are very excited to welcome the first children into school in September,” concluded Andrea Cairns, Executive Headteacher at Bramshall Meadows First School. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Home of Construction and Property News
Contractor Henry Brothers has handed over a new extension at Glossopdale School to Derbyshire County Council. The £4million extension is the second phase of the Council’s plan to increase capacity at the school, which can now take up to 1,440 pupils. The new space will provide an additional nine teaching spaces comprising eight standard classrooms and a demonstration science lab. It will also provide flexible options for dining and social spaces and extra staff workrooms. Ian Taylor, Managing Director of Henry Brothers Midlands, said: “Having built the main Glossopdale School, which has proved so popular, Henry Brothers is delighted to have now delivered an extension to create additional space for a further 200 students. “We have partnered with Derbyshire County Council on several school projects over recent years, helping to enhance facilities, and it’s great to see the completion of this latest scheme. “Working alongside employers agent Concertus, DLA Architecture, civil and structural engineer Curtins and Couch Perry Wilkes for M & E services, Henry Brothers has helped to deliver a superb scheme, which will allow additional pupils to attend this popular school.” The addition, which was funded by the Council, is set into the hillside and also includes a new multi-use outdoor games area for play and PE. Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Education, Councillor Alex Dale, said: “It’s great to see the handover of the new phase of the planned Glossopdale expansion, and we’re really pleased that it’s been delivered ahead of the original strategy to help us meet local demand. “We’re committed to ensuring young people in Derbyshire have the best possible start in life and access to a high-quality education is at the heart of that. I’m really pleased that the school will be welcoming pupils back into this new space from September.” Jess Etienne, Key Account Manager at Concertus Design & Property Consultants, said: “Considering the economic climate during the construction period, we are pleased to have been able to play our part in delivering these high-quality educational facilities and we are so thrilled with the outcome. The close and positive working relationship between Concertus, Derbyshire County Council, and Henry Brothers has played an instrumental part in the success of this project, and we are excited to see the students continue their journey in their new setting.” Nottingham-based Henry Brothers Midlands is part of The Henry Group, which comprises a number of manufacturing and construction sector companies, ranging from external construction through to interiors fit-out. Henry Brothers is on a carbon reduction journey and is committed to cutting its carbon emissions by 50% by the year 2030, and to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. For more information, visit www.henrybrothers.co.uk
Work has commenced at a new all-through school in Abergavenny, with Morgan Sindall Construction being appointed as contractor for the project. Councillors were faced with the plans earlier this year when the existing comprehensive school’s building was considered for replacement. The project is part of the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme, which aims to improve buildings and education facilities throughout the region. Totalling £61 million, the rebuild work consists of replacing the existing King Henry VIII High School and combining it with the Deri View Primary School to create a single 1,900 place all-through school for three to 19-year-olds. At the heart of the design are the pupils at Abergavenny school, who have been heavily involved in consultation events. The discussions have helped shape plans for the school, which is set to welcome students in 2024. As part of the changes involved in the new development are an additional learning needs base and a flying start early learning centre and wrap around childcare facility. There will also be plenty of sport provisions, with a full-size 3G football pitch, 2G hockey pitch and recreational grass pitches for all field sports as well as a three court multi-use games area. Moreover, the Abergavenny school has been developed with sustainability in mind and it will run on Building and Ground mounted Solar Panels with mains electric back up. The design includes 18 electric vehicle charging points and rainwater harvesting as well as storm water retention storage to minimise impact of surface water downstream. Morgan Sindall Construction is also using modern methods of construction including site metering and AI to detect when heaters and electronics have been left on but are not in use. Phase 1 of the development will focus on the construction of the main school, with phase 2 involving the demolition of the existing building and creation of a hockey pitch. Groundworks are currently taking place to plateau the hill on which the school will be built. Using its extensive experience in delivering educational facilities whilst working on live sites, the tier one contractor will use a separate entrance and maintain a clear line of separation between the existing school to avoid disruption to pupil’s learning. The development was awarded to Morgan Sindall Construction through the £1 billion South East & Mid Wales Collaborative Construction (SEWSCAP) framework. The contractor has already delivered more than 6,000 school places in Wales through SEWSCAP and its commitment to backing local suppliers has seen it route more than 90% of spend through Welsh subcontractors and consultants during this time, totalling more than £150 million. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Home of Construction and Property News
A topping out ceremony has taken place to celebrate the latest milestone in the creation of a £9 million sustainable pavilion, being built by Henry Brothers, to expand SportPark, the multi award-winning development at Loughborough University. The 2000 sq m project on Loughborough University Science and Enterprise Park (LUSEP) is being built to Passivhaus Classic Accreditation to significantly reduce CO2 emissions and is scheduled for completion at the end of the year. As the first Passivhaus development on the University campus, SportPark Pavilion 4 will give sports organisations the unique opportunity to secure environmentally future-proof accommodation that is tailored to their needs. It will also enable occupants to reduce their carbon footprint due to highly efficient heat pumps, opening triple-glazed windows, solar shading to avoid summer overheating as well as a well-insulated building fabric to minimise heat loss. Passivhaus consultants Beyond Carbon Associates have hailed the development as “an exciting, future-facing building, treading lightly on our planet’s resources using Passivhaus energy conservation, solar PV and a climate resilient design to manage future heat waves.” Ian Taylor, Managing Director at leading construction company, Henry Brothers said: “SportPark Pavilion 4 is an exciting Passivhaus development which is supporting Loughborough University’s plans to decarbonise its estate to meet the Government’s zero carbon target by 2050. “It also builds on Henry Brothers’ growing portfolio of environmentally sound schemes and we are very pleased to have reached this milestone in this important development for the University.” Henry Brothers recently announced its Journey to Net Zero strategy, outlining plans to build upon its extensive foundations in sustainability. SportPark Pavilion 4 will project the University’s and Henry Brothers’ forward thinking and environmentally conscious values, delivering significant benefits to its occupants. Professor Mike Caine, Loughborough University Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor Sport, said: “SportPark is a tremendous asset to the University and wider region – housing complementary organisations, working in partnership with the University, and harnessing the power of sport to benefit communities, locally, nationally, and around the world. “SportPark Pavilion 4 will provide the capacity to welcome yet more mission-driven organisations to the University, and to reinforce the East Midlands region’s potential as a global sports innovation hub, with Loughborough at its heart. “The SportPark expansion coincides with a growing number of innovation and technology-led sports businesses launching at, or relocating to, LUSEP, attracted to the collaborative environment and access to the University’s world-leading expertise in sports science, engineering, health and well-being, high-performance athlete base, and sports infrastructure.” SportPark Pavilion 4 is delivered by the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) as part of the Getting Building Fund (GBF). Funds were designated for investment in local, shovel-ready infrastructure projects to stimulate jobs and support economic recovery across the country. The LLEP was allocated £20 million, supporting the SportPark 4 project with £6 million. A separate £1.8 million GBF allocation helped fund improvements at Junction 23 and the A512, which links the M1 with Loughborough. It makes LUSEP one of the most accessible science parks in the UK. Andy Reed OBE, Interim Chair of the LLEP Board of Directors, said: “Loughborough University’s global reputation for sport brings tremendous opportunities for us all and, through this fourth pavilion, provides new jobs and opportunity for further growth across a range of services. “This latest project directly supports 165 jobs, with more than 150 in the wider economy. Importantly, it also helps create further demand to bring sports-related organisations and businesses to the region. “On a separate note, it’s really pleasing for me personally to see the continued development of SportPark. I was fortunate to be involved in creating the vision of a sports cluster at the University for the first phases of the development back in the mid-2000s. It’s wonderful to see it continue going from strength to strength.” To find out more about Henry Brothers, visit henrybrothers.co.uk
THE education sector is well versed in procuring built environment work. However, current market constraints, the latest statistics on the level of work needed across school estates and the lack of associated funding means that it will not be an easy road for many. Emma Hesbrook, regional manager at national framework provider Pagabo, discusses how compliant procurement through frameworks and a direct award approach can support schools with their building programmes. 61 schools have been announced this week as successful in securing funding from the government’s school rebuilding programme. Although, this number is a drop in the ocean when compared to the fact that 1,105 schools applied for support within a short four-week window earlier this year. With the Department for Education (DfE) planning to support 500 projects in the next decade, that means more than half of this batch of applicants are likely to miss out on funding altogether – and considering the DfE has previously revealed that more than £11 billion of repair work is needed across England’s schools, this is significantly short of what is needed. To qualify for this latest allocation of funding, schools had to demonstrate that they had at least 1,200 square metres of ‘severe condition need’ to apply. The government has quite rightly prioritised applications with ‘structural or safety issues that pose risk to users’, followed by those showing ‘severe deterioration’ in external walls, roofs, windows or doors, or those with mechanical and electrical systems ‘close to failure’. However, outside of these categories there are thousands of schools that require refurbishment work that are just as important. As well as maintenance, another consideration is the drive towards net zero. Almost 70 per cent of schools around the country comprise of buildings from before the 2000s – with 20 per cent dating back to the first half of the 20th century or even earlier. There are no prizes for guessing when education providers prefer – or rely on – construction work to be undertaken considering that summer offers the largest annual window in which sites are significantly quieter. Post-covid, summer has provided an ideal concentrated timespan to get building work, critical repair or maintenance work done. With such a significant number of schools needing work and likely to miss out on funding, it’s fair to assume that next summer will be busier than ever with summer works – and we may see a marked increase in works during term time as well. When it comes to carrying out education projects in recent months, we have seen an increase in contractors turning projects off and turning their backs on expensive bidding opportunities. This comes as no real surprise when considering the backdrop of rising costs, and materials and labour shortages across the construction industry – but it has given the direct award process a new lease of life in the procurement realm. We know that clients have existing supply chain relationships, which must be nurtured. While framework providers are capable of consulting and opening up a network of compliant suppliers, there is intangible value found in building on existing collaboration, which direct award can allow. The direct award approach is one that can work for both low and high-value projects, offering benefits including greater cost and programme certainty, tailored social value outcomes and no stressful or costly bidding process. It also allows for a quick turnaround for supplier appointment, without compensating on compliance checks. One such example of a recent scheme that maximised the benefits of the direct award process is Nottingham College. The team approached us in April for a low value project to be completed this summer. The expression of interest went to market via our DPS and Medium Works framework, but with suppliers oversubscribed with work to assign the necessary bidding resource to the project, a direct award was suggested. Local contractor J Tomlinson was appointed quickly via direct award, getting the project on track and on site within weeks – and is now making excellent progress against the original programme timetable. Schools craft our experts of tomorrow and without the best environments, pupils’ learning experience will be impacted. This is why it’s so important that the built environment sector looks to support schools with creating those excellent environments, and while funding continues to fall short for schools, we must champion tactics like direct award to help schools in creating the environments they need however and where we can. For more information, please visit https://www.pagabo.co.uk/
