Leading Chartered Surveyor firm, Bruton Knowles, has played a fundamental role in enabling two significant flood defence schemes to progress. The firm has been retained to deliver land agent support by Natural Resources Wales (NRW) and Conwy County Borough Council for crucial flood alleviation schemes in both South and North
Barhale has landed a duo of new contracts from South Holland Internal Drainage Board (IDB) to install, reinforce and renovate key drainage works in Lincolnshire. The infrastructure and civil engineering specialist will undertake works at two locations across the southern part of the county: First, at Fleet Haven Pumping Station,
The construction industry continues to be defined by collaboration; the length of the supply chain often proves critical when it comes to contractors’ ability to carry our quality workmanship, and in a safe and conscientious manner. Adept in design, construction, installation and maintenance, appropriate across industries, Alliance Group Solutions quickly
Leading Chartered Surveyor firm, Bruton Knowles, has played a fundamental role in enabling two significant flood defence schemes to progress. The firm has been retained to deliver land agent support by Natural Resources Wales (NRW) and Conwy County Borough Council for crucial flood alleviation schemes in both South and North Wales. NRW’s £10m Stephenson Street Flood Scheme seeks to protect 2,000 homes and businesses in the Liswerry area of Newport from increased River Usk flood risk. Planning permission was granted last November, with work on site due to progress in the coming months. Experts from Bruton Knowles’ National Utilities and Infrastructure Team, based out of the Cardiff office, have been conducting the necessary landowner negotiations on behalf of NRW. The land agency works have been ongoing for two years, and land rights are or will shortly all be in place to enable the commencement of site activity. This will come as welcome news to local Newport residents, who have been on high flood alert in recent weeks as a trail of winter storms have battered the UK. The same team of Bruton Knowles’ experts has recently also undertaken landowner negotiations and compensation support to Conwy County Borough Council on a Flood Defence scheme in Abergele. The firm acted on behalf of the council during the first phase of the flood alleviation scheme worth £1.1m. Planning permission was secured in December 2020 for the Eldon Drive Flood Alleviation scheme in Abergele, and contractor Griffiths Civil Engineering recently completed work on site to put in place drainage, a new lagoon and two bridges over an existing waterway. This area continues to be susceptible to flooding and has been identified under the Welsh Government’s £36m allocation to local authorities and Natural Resources Wales (NRW). Additional phases are planned to areas downstream of the initial phase of works. Speaking about these landmark schemes, Bill Simms, Partner at Bruton Knowles and Joint National Utilities and Infrastructure Team Head, commented: “There has never been a more significant time for infrastructure projects such as these to come to fruition. “Wales is one of the first countries in the world to have written climate change flood risks into new planning policy for developments, showing it is at the forefront of future-proofing its infrastructure. “NRW and Conwy County Borough Council are playing a pivotal role in driving this forward through environmental schemes which seek to reduce flood risks. “We’re delighted to be working closely with both organisations as a core delivery partner on these much-needed schemes which will protect local communities going forward.” A survey conducted last year highlighted only a small proportion – just 15% – of Welsh people believed climate change would impact significantly on the area in which they live. Yet by 2050 and 2080, projections indicate that in Wales, it will become 6% and 13% more rainy in winter respectively, exacerbating current flood risks. At present, 60% of Welsh residents live in coastal areas, and significant national infrastructure is located along the country’s coastline. Around 12,000 properties are thought to be at high risk from coastal and river flooding, rising by 260% by the 2080s if defences are not preserved. Bill continued: “Any project which demonstrates to local people how small changes can bring significant environmental benefits and mitigate against climate change will be instrumental in changing attitudes. “Responsible surveying has an important part to play in this process, because it sits at the heart of sustainable and socially conscious development. “This is something Bruton Knowles prides itself on and that our National Utilities and Infrastructure Team is fully geared up to deliver.” Bruton Knowles offers a one-stop-shop for clients, with its four National Teams – Valuation, Commercial, Utilities & Infrastructure and Building Consultancy – providing a point of contact to deliver an entire project to the exacting standards required. National Teams have been significant for Bruton Knowles’ business portfolio over the past year, and there are plans to launch more in due course. Bruton Knowles has extensive expertise and in-depth market knowledge of local and national property markets throughout the UK. Utilising its team of motivated resourceful surveyors, the firm can provide the very best commercial property advice. www.brutonknowles.co.uk.
Barhale has landed a duo of new contracts from South Holland Internal Drainage Board (IDB) to install, reinforce and renovate key drainage works in Lincolnshire. The infrastructure and civil engineering specialist will undertake works at two locations across the southern part of the county: First, at Fleet Haven Pumping Station, Barhale will renovate the inlet, outfall and surge chamber. The station removes water collected by the drains to the sea and is essential for the protection of the surrounding land and villages which typically lies one metre below high sea level. Unusually, because of its location next to RAF Holbeach, the site will undergo “sweep and watch” protocols for unexploded ordnance before and during any excavation work. Second, a renovation programme at Westmere Pumping Station/Sluice will address the poor structural condition of the outfall into the River Nene, ensuring the continued operation of the station, which caters for the discharge of surface water from the village of Sutton Bridge and the surrounding agricultural area. Keven Stobbs, general manager at Barhale, explained that at Fleet Haven and Westmere the pumping stations are in the first line of defence for the low-lying land behind the seawall and both locations provide operational challenges. “We obviously have to work around the elements – not least a significant tidal range,” he said. “To ensure we deliver the works as quickly as possible, we are planning on using some innovative approaches. They will include installing a Portadam system at Fleet Haven Pumping Station and using a specially-designed scaffolding which can be submerged at high tides at Westmere Pumping Station.” Barhale regional director James Haddon sees the company’s selection for both South Holland IDB contracts as an endorsement of its expertise and reputation at a time when water management is a high priority. “Long-term changes to the climate will continue to place a greater burden on water infrastructure,” he said. “Only in the last 18 months have we seen the impact of storms Ciara and Dennis and it is vital that we make sure that we are in the right shape to deal with future challenges. “South Holland IDB is taking steps to improve the resilience of this important agricultural area and we are delighted to have been chosen as the partner to deliver their programme.”
The construction industry continues to be defined by collaboration; the length of the supply chain often proves critical when it comes to contractors’ ability to carry our quality workmanship, and in a safe and conscientious manner. Adept in design, construction, installation and maintenance, appropriate across industries, Alliance Group Solutions quickly puts to rest the age-old dilemma and, by maximising its construction capabilities, offers clients minimal risk. With three specialist strands dedicated to contracting, flood defence and consultancy, the Kirkby-in-Ashfield based company is well-versed in the interdisciplinary approach and, defined by its plurality, can effectively carry a project from inception to sign-off. With an array of services, Alliance Group Solutions is capable of a great many feats and perhaps adds the most value as an end-to-end service provider. It’s with the interaction and collaboration between each of its distinct, subsidiary businesses that the company is able to deliver on quality as well as cost. With quality and cost the principal deciding factors for any client, Alliance Group Solutions continues to attract a great variety of customers in both the public and private sector, on a one-off and long-term framework agreement basis. For clients looking for flexibility and cost competitiveness, there is little to rival the company’s spectrum of services and, it’s with that, Alliance Group Solutions secures contracts with major, blue chip organisations and high profile clients. A recent project saw the company work with a client working on behalf of the Ministry of Defence (MoD), its raft of services adding significant weight to its initial contract. John Mattinson, Marketing and Development Director at Alliance Group Solutions details further: “What began as a contract centred on a vehicle wash facility subsequently became a showcase of just what we’re capable of. In the first instance, we had to meet a number of challenging criteria to win the contract, and were charged to ensure the site was serviced to the highest degree. The contract also incorporated major water and drainage construction and saw us conduct lighting installation work, install interceptors on the vehicle wash, a waste water treatment plant and create a large, vehicle manoeuvring facility to provide better access and mobility for the client’s heavy-duty vehicles. Worth £750k, the job also allowed us to flex our consultancy muscles and make use of the new surveying technologies we’ve recently developed.” Indeed, over the last six months, Alliance Group Solutions has developed in-house surveying services and, with the aid of pioneering software, is now equipped to carry out land, property-level, flood, topographical and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) surveys. This latest addition comes alongside the company’s prolonged investment in highway design and terrain modelling software as well as hydraulic modelling software, developments which have seen Alliance Group Solutions go from strength to strength and the company now boasts a breadth of consultancy services, including: project management, procurement and technical reporting, cementing its lead in project delivery. Committed to minimising partnership with sub-contractors from the very beginning, Alliance Group Solutions has only solidified its identity as a one-stop-shop further which provides both competitive edge and significant advantage to clients: “Our ability to deliver a total project without recourse to third parties allows us to control quality as well as ensure our strict codes of practice are being adhered to. For us, health and safety will always come first. One accident, serious or worse, can spell the end of a company as well as being totally unacceptable from a people point of view. By taking on a whole job, we prevent the risks associated with interfacing and operating to multiple standards, and require significantly less operatives on site therefore reduce the opportunity for accidents to happen.” In rare cases where the company works alongside others (during projects that require specialist services that Alliance Group Solutions is unable to support), partners are fully-briefed from the outset, undergo induction, are provided daily instruction, and are audited by the group’s site management team. Also vetted at a procurement stage, third parties are considered against Alliance Group Solutions’ health and safety and environmental standards, alongside proposed costs. Despite undergoing major investment, diversification and expansion over the years, Alliance Group Solutions’ dedication to safe contracting has remained and the company has retained OHSAS 18001 accreditation and membership with CHAS. Though, by and large, expressing its will to do better by its operatives, membership with the leading health and safety association has, too, rapidly sped up the tendering process and bestowed the company nationally-recognised esteem. “The robust framework and criteria you have to meet make it a badge of honour for contractors like ourselves”. “With the support of accreditation, we’re able to come into our own during bidding. All our investment is geared toward penetrating the marketplace and membership with CHAS is very much a part of that drive.” With a holistic approach to service delivery, Alliance Group Solutions continues to demonstrate its understanding of the market and regularly outstrips rival companies on account of its all-encompassing capacity, each stage imbued with quality and transparency. Enjoying organic growth, the company is looking to widen its customer base and, as it does so, will look to increase its expertise. John Mattinson states “We are a growing company working up and down the country across a great range of projects”. “There are a number of opportunities to come and join us for people at all stages of their careers, particularly new trainees, apprentices, graduates and experienced site operatives. People are our biggest asset and, for anyone as excited about the industry as we are, the message is very much to come and talk to us.”
