A £1.2bn Cardiff city region infrastructure improvements deal has been given a boost after local council leaders backed the plans. Ten local authorities backed a report outlining a future economic strategy for south-east Wales. Recommendations in the report included more collaboration between local councils to support public and private investment
With the completion of a green energy generating hydro screw in Sonning, Berkshire, Pridewater Estates Ltd will become the UK’s first completely carbon neutral marina and caravan site organisation. Pridewater Estates Ltd owns and operates four canal marinas and caravan sites which are spread across the UK from near to
Servelec, the Sheffield-based technology and software group, has won a contract by a UK gas supplier to provide a remote operations solution for a gas platform in the North Sea. The group will achieve this by deploying a specially developed Servelec Controls system. Work has now started on the project
Civil engineering business Moulding Contracts Limited is set to cut the jobs of 90 workers after being placed into administration by the High Court. A process to secure a buyer and additional funding for the £18m-turnover firm were unsuccessful. Diane Hill and Mark Getliffe of business advisory firm CLB Coopers
Romsey based consulting civil and structural engineering company WFBA is continuing to introduce additional members of staff to their expanding team. Harry Hunter graduated from Plymouth University in 2014 and since then has been working within the infrastructure team for a practice based in Exeter. Harry has relocated to Hampshire
Sellafield Ltd has awarded the Morgan Sindall and Arup joint venture an extension of the Infrastructure Strategic Alliance (ISA) contract for a further five years. The ISA is one of a number of long-term strategic supply agreements aligned to the Sellafield Ltd acquisition strategy. Awarded to Morgan Sindall and Arup
The preferred contractor teams have been named by London Underground for the £350 million Future Stations’ Civils and Tunnelling Works framework. Joint ventures between Taylor Woodrow/Bam Nuttall and Morgan Sindall/BeMo have secured places on all three lots covering tunnelling, civils and combines civils and tunnelling. Hochtief also won a contract
Plans for an advanced manufacturing training hub in Shropshire have been announced, with the aim of supporting ‘2020 learners by 2020’. The Marches Centre of Manufacturing & Technology (MCMT), which is led by a consortium of Classic Motor Cars, Grainger & Worrall, Salop Design & Engineering and training provider In-Comm,
Network Rail is set to be stripped of its full control of railways in England’s as part of a major government shake-up. Chris Grayling, Transport Secretary, has announced that he intends to bring track and train operations back together, handing train operators greater influence over the work that takes place
Carillion, a subsidiary of Wolverhampton-based support and construction services group, has been chosen as the preferred bidder for a power transmission contract worth £120 million. Manitoba Hydro has chosen Rokstad, a division of Carillion Canada, as the preferred provider for the next phase of its Bipole III high voltage transmission
A £1.2bn Cardiff city region infrastructure improvements deal has been given a boost after local council leaders backed the plans. Ten local authorities backed a report outlining a future economic strategy for south-east Wales. Recommendations in the report included more collaboration between local councils to support public and private investment in infrastructure and to develop housebuilding and regeneration plans around the region. The £1.2bn investment fund includes £325m committed to the Valley Lines Electrification programme and more than £400m allocated to the south-east Wales Metro scheme. Some £50m will be invested in constructing a new technology centre and the Welsh Government will work in partnership with local authorities in the region to regenerate the area. The Cardiff city region deal is expected to create a further £4bn of private investment in the region. City of Cardiff Council leader Phil Bale said: “The leaders welcome the commission’s report, and work has now begun to include recommendations […] within the CCR city deal implementation plan, which will be considered by all the councils concerned in the near future.” Both the UK and Welsh Government will contribute £500m to the city region deal, with the 10 local authorities in the Cardiff Capital Region contributing a minimum of £120m over the 20-year period of the fund. The government recommitted to implementing the Cardiff city region deal in last year’s Autumn Statement. Chancellor Philip Hammond said the agreement “remains at the heart” of the government’s strategy to develop local regions. Interested in this article? Read more at Construction News.
With the completion of a green energy generating hydro screw in Sonning, Berkshire, Pridewater Estates Ltd will become the UK’s first completely carbon neutral marina and caravan site organisation. Pridewater Estates Ltd owns and operates four canal marinas and caravan sites which are spread across the UK from near to Leighton Buzzard in the south, to New Mills in Derbyshire’s High Peak, with another near Lichfield, and one on the outskirts of Tamworth. The combined berthing capability of these marinas sits currently at over 300 boats and such facilities has meant the energy required to run all four marinas each year was significant – an output to the environment which Pridewater Estates has always worked to minimise. Ever aware of their carbon footprint, Pridewater Estates already make use of solar panels where possible at their marina locations however were looking to see how far they could go to cancel out their environmental impact completely. The answer came in the form of a highly efficient hydroelectric scheme – an Archimedes screw. An Archimedes screw is an energy generator which works by water falling naturally over a cascade, rotating the screw, which moves a turbine and generates electricity. While not feasible to install a hydro screw at each marina location, the idea came to build one screw which would produce enough energy to not only offset all four marinas at once but also provide a surplus which could be fed back into the National Grid. To this end, Pridewater Estates acquired a site to construct the green energy hydro screw in the beautiful Thames-side town of Sonning, Berkshire. The design and build was conducted by experienced civil engineering contractors Greenford Ltd who have been responsible for several other notable Archimedes screw projects including Blenheim Palace and the listed Mapledurham Watermill. THE STATS; The Sonning hydro site houses a 99kw generator driven by a 25 tonne Archimedes screw The screw is 4.2 metres in diameter, with a flow rate of 8,000 litres per second – sufficient to fill approximately 275 Olympic sized swimming pools every day! This site now has the capacity to generate enough power to supply approx. 2,000kwh every 24 hours – this is equivalent to offsetting approximately 150 average sized UK houses a year* The screw is set to produce approximately 730,000kwh per year – almost double the 440,000kwh per annum used by all four Pridewater Estate marina and caravan sites combined! The site also provides other ecological benefits including a fish pass which allows the continued safe passage of fish and other native fauna Robert Hutton, co-owner of Pridewater Estates Ltd, said, “Reviewing the ever increasing electricity running costs at our four marinas, coupled with an unexpected opportunity to acquire a suitable site on the Thames, led us to the decision to make this significant investment. We believe Pridewater Estates will be the first carbon neutral canal marina and caravan site operator in Great Britain and we will be able to play our own small part in tackling global warming and promoting green solutions to power generation. Thrilled to be an industry sustainability pioneer Another benefit of this initiative is to be able to provide marina and caravan sites for our customers to enjoy knowing we are a part of Britain’s incredible environmental landscape while minimising the mark made on it. Pridewater Estates are thrilled to be an industry sustainability pioneer and to operate 100% carbon neutral marinas.” To find out more about this green energy sustainability initiative and to view their marina locations please visit the Pridewater Estates Ltd website www.canalmarinas.com
Servelec, the Sheffield-based technology and software group, has won a contract by a UK gas supplier to provide a remote operations solution for a gas platform in the North Sea. The group will achieve this by deploying a specially developed Servelec Controls system. Work has now started on the project and is expected to contribute towards revenues in the current financial year. Following installation on the first platform by May 2017, there are options to extend the system to cover additional platforms. Alan Stubbs, chief executive officer of Servelec Group, said: “As a business focused on helping our customers to reduce their Opex whilst extending the life of ageing assets, we are proud to be working with our customer on this game-changing project. “The remote operations and monitoring system provided by Servelec will extend the operational life and viability of the platform for years to come. “This project marks a significant achievement for Servelec and further strengthens the Group’s position with regards to winning additional contracts on this customer’s other assets as well as with other OEMs; many of whom we are already in discussion with about future opportunities.” Article taken from https://bdaily.co.uk/industrials/21-12-2016/sheffield-tech-group-servelec-wins-contract-with-major-uk-gas-supplier/
Civil engineering business Moulding Contracts Limited is set to cut the jobs of 90 workers after being placed into administration by the High Court. A process to secure a buyer and additional funding for the £18m-turnover firm were unsuccessful. Diane Hill and Mark Getliffe of business advisory firm CLB Coopers in Manchester have been appointed as joint administrators for Moulding Contracts, which operated from from bases in Greater Manchester, Oxfordshire and County Durham. Mark said: “Moulding Contracts will complete some specific contracts but there is no prospect of it continuing to trade as a going concern. “The workforce was already in a redundancy consultation.“ Speaking further, he said there is “every prospect of creditors being paid a distribution”, adding: “The expectation is that we will be able to distribute funds back to creditors in 2017. “A plan has been agreed to effect this and creditors will be consulted early in the New Year.“ Founded in 1950 as a family-run plant hire company in the North West, Moulding Contracts went on to become a major service provider for both the quarrying and brick making industries across the North and Midlands. In 1996, after a string of successful joint venture projects, Moulding Contracts merged with a North East-based regional landfill engineering business. Employees affected include site agents, site engineers, plant operators and groundworkers. CLB Coopers’ Mark Getliffe continued: “It’s unwelcome to see people lose their jobs at any time of year but there is a chronic shortage of these skills across civil engineering and construction, so it’s our hope and belief that the workforce will be able to find alternative employment.“ Article taken from https://bdaily.co.uk/industrials/21-12-2016/90-jobs-lost-as-civil-engineering-firm-moulding-contracts-enters-administration/
Romsey based consulting civil and structural engineering company WFBA is continuing to introduce additional members of staff to their expanding team. Harry Hunter graduated from Plymouth University in 2014 and since then has been working within the infrastructure team for a practice based in Exeter. Harry has relocated to Hampshire and to WFBA and is now working towards Chartered Accreditation with the Institute of Civil Engineering. His appointment at WFBA will strengthen our civil engineering team and our offering to existing and new clients. Two new team members are from the Hampshire region. After 8 years with Southampton based AKS Ward, Graham Machin joins as a Senior Structural Engineer engaged on a variety of projects including a new eleven storey hotel scheme design for Portsmouth. His ambition is to gain his Chartership within the next few years. Romsey’s Tom Marshall started with WFBA as a summer intern in 2015. Now having gained his Master of Science in Civil Engineering at Cardiff University, he has been appointed as a Graduate Structural Engineer and supports the established team that problem solves on a range of intricate and sometimes frustrating projects! Ongoing demand for our consultancy services. WFBA Director Nick Groves, who founded the company in 1995 with Managing Director Bill Brown said; “We are fortunate to be recommended by existing clients across a diverse range of market sectors which has contributed to the strong ongoing demand for our consultancy services. The scale of projects can vary from a £15,000 private home extension to a £30 million commercial development.” Anyone who joins the £1,000,000 turnover company will not only work with architects and developers within Hampshire, but on construction projects throughout the UK. These range from new Travelodge Hotels, retirement homes across the south for McCarthy and Stone, housing developments, complex refurbishments and one off prestige projects. Visit www.wfba.co.uk for information.
Sellafield Ltd has awarded the Morgan Sindall and Arup joint venture an extension of the Infrastructure Strategic Alliance (ISA) contract for a further five years. The ISA is one of a number of long-term strategic supply agreements aligned to the Sellafield Ltd acquisition strategy. Awarded to Morgan Sindall and Arup in a joint venture in 2012, the ISA is responsible for a £1.1 billion contract to provide essential infrastructure assets to the Sellafield site. This is the first renewal of a contract that has the potential for further extension periods, subject to performance, up to a total life of 15 years. The ISA contract provides Sellafield Ltd with the capability and capacity to deliver a growing programme of infrastructure projects required for an aging asset portfolio. The contract is primarily aimed at utility assets, such as the on-site provision and distribution of steam, electricity, water supply and compressed air, bulk chemical storage and distribution, civil infrastructure, the site’s drainage networks and other facilities including roads, bridges, car parks and general buildings (such as canteens and laundry facilities). It also includes some non-utility assets such as analytical services facilities, transport systems, flask maintenance plant and emergency management systems. Alongside the delivery of key infrastructure projects to the Sellafield site, the ISA contract has placed a great emphasis on socio-economic contributions across Cumbria. Throughout the duration of the contract, the ISA delivery partners have invested in local employment, skills development and apprenticeships. Currently over 12% of the ISA workforce are graduates, apprentices or trainees. Through the Creating Careers in Cumbria programme, the ISA delivery partners have given twenty previously unemployed local people the chance to gain full time employment. The programme focuses on providing work experience and employment skills for long-term unemployed local people. The scheme has an 80.5% success rate, which reflects the ISA delivery partners’ commitment to the people of Cumbria. Simon Smith, Morgan Sindall Arup joint venture board member said: “The extension of the ISA contract builds on our commitment to deliver the most complex and challenging infrastructure projects for our customer. The alliance is not only a key vehicle for delivering infrastructure improvements on site at Sellafield; it is also driving wider socio-economic benefit across Cumbria. Through a combination of our leading construction and innovative design knowledge, we will continue to develop a strong programme of work to tackle the unique challenges at Sellafield.”
The preferred contractor teams have been named by London Underground for the £350 million Future Stations’ Civils and Tunnelling Works framework. Joint ventures between Taylor Woodrow/Bam Nuttall and Morgan Sindall/BeMo have secured places on all three lots covering tunnelling, civils and combines civils and tunnelling. Hochtief also won a contract but only secured a place on the third combined civils and tunnelling lot with the other joint ventures. The eight year framework is part of the plan from London Underground to upgrade its stations, including Paddington, Elephant and Castle and Camden. Included in the work packages will be the construction of new ticket halls, station entrances and platforms including associated shaft works and tunnelling. Manging Director of Major Projects at Morgan Sindall, Paul Gott, commented: “Our joint venture has a strong working relationship having already worked together on a number of complex projects in the capital and we are looking forward to deploying this expertise on this framework.” The joint venture between BAM Nuttall and Taylor Woodrow Construction has a long track record having previously worked on the massive Tottenham Court Road and Victoria Tube station revamp revamps. Morgan Sindall and Austrian tunnelling specialist BeMo previously worked together with Balfour Beatty during the Whitechapel and London Liverpool Station phases of Crossrail. Last month, Morgan Sindall secured a £24 million contract to work on Southampton Ports. Port owner Associated British Ports commissioned two five-deck car storage facilities to enable the port to handle greater numbers of cars, which are shipped to meet overseas demand. Morgan Sindall’s appointment is a key element in ABP’s £50m investment to transform and expand vehicle handling facilities at Southampton. The scheme at Southampton’s Eastern and Western Docks will see the Morgan Sindall construct multi-level storage facilities, Deck 6 and Deck 7, with capacity for 8,670 car parking spaces for the port.
Plans for an advanced manufacturing training hub in Shropshire have been announced, with the aim of supporting ‘2020 learners by 2020’. The Marches Centre of Manufacturing & Technology (MCMT), which is led by a consortium of Classic Motor Cars, Grainger & Worrall, Salop Design & Engineering and training provider In-Comm, will provide a “high-tech environment for individuals to learn from engineering experts on the latest technology”, which will involve working on real life manufacturing situations. Supported by the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership, work will start on fitting out the 36,000 sq ft building on the Stanmore Industrial Estate in January 2017, with plans in place to create dedicated fabrication, foundry, lathe, metrology, milling, robotics and vehicle trimming sections, as well as a specialist CNC Zone and spray booth/mixing capabilities. There will also be an auditorium lecture theatre, bespoke learning environments, five vehicle ramps and a rolling road test facility. It will look to support 2020 learners between now and 2020 and this will largely involve developing apprentices in advanced manufacturing and engineering, giving employers a strong pool of skills to tap into as they continue to compete globally. In addition to this, there will also be capacity to work with 400 companies on developing existing manufacturing professionals up to Level 7 qualifications, covering business improvement techniques, team leadership, vehicle body repair and paint, vehicle body building, technical development, quality and continuous improvement. Matthew Snelson, director of Grainger & Worrall and managing director of the MCMT, said: “We believe the MCMT is critical to closing the skills gap for Shropshire businesses, but we are under no illusions that we will need the rest of local industry, education and training to play their part. This could be through informing how the provision develops, using the services and even offering time and expertise to help with delivering some of the learning.”
Network Rail is set to be stripped of its full control of railways in England’s as part of a major government shake-up. Chris Grayling, Transport Secretary, has announced that he intends to bring track and train operations back together, handing train operators greater influence over the work that takes place on the rail lines throughout the country. At present, the UK’s track infrastructure is solely owned and maintained by Network Rail, which is publicly owned, with trains and services operated by private train operating companies such as Virgin and Southern. However, Mr Grayling has called for a change, with both track and trains to be managed by “one joined-up team of people”. Under the changes, Network Rail and train operating staff will be integrated into operating teams for renewal and maintenance work. It is not yet clear how much control Network Rail will have over the tracks – as is the make-up of the teams. Mr Grayling is also expected to reveal plans to create a organisation, separate to Network Rail, called East West Rail. This will oversee the construction and operation of a rebuilt multi-million-pound train line linking Oxford to Cambridge. This will be the first fully integrated rail operation created since the end of British Rail in 1994, and will be tasked with securing private sector design, build and management of the route. The move will be a step away from the way major enhancement projects, which are usually delivered on the UK’s rail lines through Network Rail’s Infrastructure Projects Division. Last month, the chancellor Philip Hammond gave £100m to the speed up the delivery of the western section of East West Rail between Cambridge and Bedford, and a further £10m to develop a preferred route from Bedford to Oxford. Network Rail chief executive Mark Carne has welcomed the changes, saying more needed to be done to align incentives between the organisation and train operating companies.
Carillion, a subsidiary of Wolverhampton-based support and construction services group, has been chosen as the preferred bidder for a power transmission contract worth £120 million. Manitoba Hydro has chosen Rokstad, a division of Carillion Canada, as the preferred provider for the next phase of its Bipole III high voltage transmission line scheme. The project will involve clearing rights of way, installing access roads, anchors and foundations, the assembly of towers and the stringing of cables for three packages of the Bipole III project, which will include 1,384 km of transmission lines and two converter stations, beginning at Keewatinohk in Northern Manitoba and will end at Sandy Bay Ojiway First Nation in Southern Manitoba. When the Bipole lll project is fully completed, it will deliver renewable energy to the United States and Southern Manitoba. Carillion said it expected to agree final terms and achieve contract signature shortly to enable work to begin before the end of the year, with completion scheduled for 2018. Carillion chief executive, Richard Howson, said: “We are delighted to have been selected for this important project, which further demonstrates the quality and strength of Rokstad’s offering and the success of our strategy of expanding our infrastructure services activities in Canada into the power transmission and distribution market, with the acquisition of Rokstad in 2014.” The announcement was made at the same time as a full year training update was published by the parent group, in which it said performance was meeting expectations with strong growth expected to be reflected in increased operating profit and total revenue. It showed that revenue growth continued to lead the performance, along with a strong margin in support services. The group has also forecast that net borrowing is expected to reduce from the half-year level. New orders plus probable orders in 2016 are expected to reach £4.5bn, with total orders plus probable orders of approximately £16 billion (December 2015: £17.4 billion) by the end of the year.