Yorkshire and Lincolnshire construction firm, Hobson & Porter has carried out more than £3.5 million pounds worth of specialist refurbishment works in the education sector, whilst schools and colleges were closed for the summer holidays. Alongside a strong work bank of new-build education works across the region totalling more than
A piece of Hull’s timekeeping history is now rising and falling again after 100 years following a major restoration by Yorkshire construction firm, Hobson & Porter. Hull’s Time Ball has reclaimed the city’s skyline, situated on top of The Guildhall’s clock tower, 196ft (60m) above ground level. It is just
Yorkshire based construction firm, Hobson & Porter, has landed an internationally recognised award in recognition of its exceptional health and safety standards. Hobson & Porter has been presented with the prestigious RoSPA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents) President’s Award, in recognition of the company being awarded 10 consecutive
Yorkshire and Lincolnshire construction firm, Hobson & Porter has landed a place on the largest part of a £415m, five-year design and build framework for ports. Associated British Ports (ABP) has named 11 partner contractors to deliver an ambitious building programme at its 21 ports, across five regions of the
Yorkshire and Lincolnshire-based construction firm Hobson & Porter has completed the £12 million construction of the Aura Innovation Centre at the Bridgehead Business Park in Hessle, East Yorkshire. The centre will deliver ground-breaking low-carbon projects and accelerate new ideas by bringing together experts at the University of Hull with businesses
Yorkshire and Lincolnshire construction firm, Hobson & Porter has carried out more than £3.5 million pounds worth of specialist refurbishment works in the education sector, whilst schools and colleges were closed for the summer holidays. Alongside a strong work bank of new-build education works across the region totalling more than £25m in the previous year, the business has had a hugely successful summer period in its dedicated minor works division, delivery a huge portfolio of rapid-delivery, complex refurbishment projects in education assets across the region. One of the projects included the creation of a new multi-use games area (MUGA) at St Hugh’s School in Scunthorpe. The sheltered MUGA will enable students to utilise the area in most weather conditions, transforming an area which was previously unusable for the special educational needs (SEN) students at the school. Jonathan Kenyon, who is the head teacher at the school, said: “We would like to share our heartfelt gratitude for the exceptional work that has gone into the construction to the school MUGA. The result is truly outstanding and a testament to the dedication and expertise of everyone involved. “The MUGA is a massive, valuable addition to our school, and it will undoubtedly benefit our students for years to come and enrich their learning journey. It’s thanks to the team from Hobson & Porter, who go above and beyond that we can provide such enriching opportunities for our students, and we are truly fortunate to have had such a committed team working on our project.” For East Riding of Yorkshire Council, Hobson & Porter has refurbished four science classrooms, a prep room and office, as well as replacing pipework, cabling and mechanical ventilation at Beverley High School. It has also refurbished both flat and pitched roofs, as well as tennis courts at Howden School and a timber framed extension at Hornsea Primary School. At Swanland Primary School in East Yorkshire the company has upgraded the heating and hot water systems, boilers, hot water storage and distribution pipework. For York County Council, Hobson & Porter has worked at three schools over the summer – Clifton Green Primary School, Huntington Primary Academy and Yearsley Grove Primary School. The works included building a new, secure lobby at Clifton Green Primary School, with a revised access ramp and a relocation of the reception and visitor counter. Internal alterations included an upgraded meeting room, head office and new offices with replacement windows. The firm has also extended a meeting room and refurbished the car park, with three new access gates and overhead lighting. At Huntington School, Hobson & Porter has re-roofed a building and made modifications to the drainage system, and at Yearsley Grove Primary School the firm has also carried out re-roofing works, as well as upgrades to the heating and electricity supplies. Sam Robertson, from Hobson & Porter’s minor works division, said: “When it comes to the education sector, we have more than fifty years of experience of mobilising our teams for a huge uplift in education refurbishment and repurposing work over the summer months. We appreciate how important it is to work to a set timeframe so that we can have everything handed over and ready for the start of term. These projects are often incredibly intricate and require a real hands-on approach to deal with the unforeseen challenges which arise. Thankfully we can rely on our hugely experienced, directly employed team of management staff and operatives to deliver to our steadfast standards in these circumstances. “We’ve worked across a huge portfolio of primary, secondary, further and higher education buildings in the Yorkshire and Lincolnshire region and we value our relationships with a diverse set of clients in the education sector. Creating an inspiring environment for pupils to learn and thrive in is something we are hugely committed too, and our proven track record for delivering on our promises means that we always have a very busy schedule of works to carry out not only in the summer break, but also during all academic holidays throughout the year.” As well as refurbishment works, Hobson & Porter is also highly skilled at delivering new build projects for schools and colleges in the region. The firm has recently broken ground on a new £7m primary school in Northallerton for North Yorkshire Council and Dales Academies and has recently handed over a £6m new-build project at Fulford School in York, where it has built a new English, drama and art centre for the South York Multi-Academy Trust. Hobson & Porter is also building a £5m technical, engineering and construction facility at York College and recently completed projects for The University of Sheffield and Humber Engineering Training Association (HETA). The firm has also recently broken ground on the pioneering £10m Horizon Youth Zone in Grimsby. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A piece of Hull’s timekeeping history is now rising and falling again after 100 years following a major restoration by Yorkshire construction firm, Hobson & Porter. Hull’s Time Ball has reclaimed the city’s skyline, situated on top of The Guildhall’s clock tower, 196ft (60m) above ground level. It is just one of a small number still working in the country and one of the last remaining examples of this type of timekeeping in Britain. Funded by Hull City Council and The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Time Ball and its significance has been saved for the city and its residents. Restoration includes the Time Ball returning to full working order, renovating the clock tower as well as installing a new internal mechanism, maintaining history whilst adding a modern twist. Councillor Mike Ross, Leader of Hull City Council, said: “It is great to see the city’s Guildhall Time Ball in full working order again after over a century of not working. Residents can now learn about this nationally significant timepiece and the important role it played for sailors on the Humber. “It is important to continue to tell the story of the Guildhall Time Ball and ensure this maritime story lives on for decades to come.” Helen Featherstone, Director, England, North at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “It’s wonderful news that the Guildhall Time Ball, a timepiece of such great heritage significance has been restored to full working order. “We’re thrilled that thanks to money raised by National Lottery players we have played a key role in keeping the story of this historic landmark alive and ensuring this unique aspect of Hull’s heritage can be enjoyed by future generations.” Joe Booth, Business Development Director at Hobson & Porter, said: “The Time Ball is a very special part of Hull’s Maritime Project and the restoration of The Guildhall. To see it working again is hugely rewarding for the city as a whole and everyone involved in this intricate project. “The feedback from both local people and Hull visitors passing the site has all been extremely positive, with people genuinely happy to see this famous landmark restored to its former glory, and it’s fantastic to see the Time Ball taking pride of place on the city’s skyline once more.” The Time Ball was last in operation in 1922 and is a rare historic timepiece. It played a key role to help ship’s navigators tell the time on the Humber and River Hull by dropping at 1pm in the summer. Hull’s Time Ball is the highest Time Ball in the UK and one of the last to be built. It is the only timepiece of its kind on a municipal building and one of only a few nationally. Installed between April 1915 – November 1916, it is a very late example of this method of timekeeping. As well as the restoration, musician and Director of Music at Hull Minster, Mark Keith, worked with Year 4 classes at Oldfleet Primary School and at Priory Primary School, both members of Hull Museum’s Magical Museums membership scheme. The two classes of children worked to create a new piece of music to be played on the Guildhall carillon. Pupils created their original compositions on glockenspiels and these compositions have been combined to create the final piece that will be played on the Guildhall’s carillon bells. This piece will be showcased at the Time Ball launch and at special events in the future. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Yorkshire based construction firm, Hobson & Porter, has landed an internationally recognised award in recognition of its exceptional health and safety standards. Hobson & Porter has been presented with the prestigious RoSPA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents) President’s Award, in recognition of the company being awarded 10 consecutive Gold Awards for health and safety performance over the past decade. Organisations receiving a RoSPA Award are recognised as being world-leaders in health and safety practice. Every year, nearly 2,000 entrants vie to achieve the highest possible accolade in the UK’s longest-running health and safety industry awards. Richard Hunter, managing director at Hobson & Porter, said: “We are always committed to working hard to ensure our team, our contractors and our supply chain are safe at work and return home to their families at the end of every working day. Receiving this accolade is a major achievement for our entire team and supply chain, who all take health and safety seriously and make it the number one priority every day.” Julia Small, RoSPA’s achievements director, said: “This is a fantastic and well-deserved accomplishment. All our award entrants demonstrate their unwavering commitment and passion for keeping people safe at work. By receiving this, Hobson & Porter join like-minded businesses and organisations worldwide, who represent the very best in their approach to health and safety. I would like to add my personal thanks for all the work that it has taken to secure this well-deserved award – congratulations to all those involved, who champion and drive-up health and safety standards every day. You are a fantastic example to others in your sector.” This latest accolade follows Hobson & Porter being recognised for its people development practices at last month’s Constructing Excellence in Yorkshire & Humberside (CEYH) awards, which are organised by the School of Built Environment, Engineering and Computing at Leeds Beckett University. The firm, which employees more than 120 people, was crowned winner of the ‘people development award’ and was also highly commended in the ‘SME of the year award’ category. For more information about the RoSPA Awards visit www.rospa.com/awards
Yorkshire and Lincolnshire construction firm, Hobson & Porter has landed a place on the largest part of a £415m, five-year design and build framework for ports. Associated British Ports (ABP) has named 11 partner contractors to deliver an ambitious building programme at its 21 ports, across five regions of the UK. The work will be focused on the design and build, as well as construct-only agreements, of buildings at the ports. Hobson & Porter, which operates throughout Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, has been selected for the framework’s Humber region, which covers ABP’s largest port area including Hull, Immingham, Grimsby and Goole. The news follows Hobson & Porter recently securing a place on two new regional medium works YORbuild frameworks, which are expected to account for over £640m of spending over the next four years. These cover the YORhub east region led by East Riding of Yorkshire Council, and the west region led by Leeds City Council. These complement Hobson & Porter’s growing portfolio of frameworks including North Lincolnshire Council, Pagabo Medium Works, Efficiency North, Brierley Homes, Lidl and North East Lincolnshire Council. Joe Booth, business development director at Hobson & Porter, said: “Securing a place on the ABP framework follows a rigorous selection process and it is a fantastic achievement for both Hobson & Porter and our valued supply chain across East Yorkshire and North East Lincolnshire. “It has the potential to shape the future development of the main ports on the Humber, which will ultimately benefit global trade for the UK and the local economies in the areas surrounding these ports.” Hobson & Porter has a wealth of experience in industrial, logistics and distribution projects throughout the region, which includes recently extending Ørsted’s flagship £9m East Coast Hub, at the Royal Docks in Grimsby, to create the largest offshore wind operations and maintenance facility in the UK. As a vital part of the supply chains of businesses throughout the nation, ABP’s 21 ports support 119,000 jobs and contribute £7.5 billion to the economy every year, handling approximately a quarter of the nation’s seaborne trade. Building Design and Construction Magazine | The Home of Construction & Property News
Yorkshire and Lincolnshire-based construction firm Hobson & Porter has completed the £12 million construction of the Aura Innovation Centre at the Bridgehead Business Park in Hessle, East Yorkshire. The centre will deliver ground-breaking low-carbon projects and accelerate new ideas by bringing together experts at the University of Hull with businesses in the Humber region and beyond. The aim is to provide a ‘front door’ for the university, giving businesses easy access to advanced facilities, specialist funded support and a space to innovate and collaborate with academic and industry experts. Despite not being officially launched until early next year, the university’s Programme Manager Sarah Clark says there’s been a lot of interest in the building. She said: “As the global economy shifts towards a low-carbon future, the green energy transition opens up a myriad of challenges and opportunities for businesses of all shapes and sizes. “More than 200 dynamic, high growth businesses have already engaged with the Aura Innovation Centre to find out how the University of Hull and Aura can help them accelerate their sustainable innovation projects. “13 funded projects are currently live and are being delivered with colleagues across the University of Hull, with over 26 more in the pipeline before the centre has even opened.” From the very outset of the project, Hobson & Porter and University of Hull set out to create a sustainable building, which exceeds environmentally-friendly standards. The centre has already been recognised for its excellence in sustainability. It is positioned within the top 10% of sustainable UK new non-domestic buildings, thanks to its clever design, and construction, sustainable materials sourced and local supply chain used where possible – achieving an ‘excellent’ standard in BREEAM, the world’s leading sustainability assessment for buildings. The AIC was also awarded an A-rated Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) of 18, considerably higher than most new buildings of a similar scale (which would expect to achieve a rating of 31). The ten-month project is the latest in Hobson & Porter’s growing portfolio in the renewables sector. In the last five years the firm has seen a total revenue from the sector totalling more than £22 million. This also includes: New onshore operations base and warehouses for Ørsted to service its Westermost Rough Wind Farm. The creation of the East Coast Hub – the UK’s largest offshore wind operations and maintenance facility. Richard Hunter, managing director for Hobson & Porter, said: “We’re delighted to have completed the construction of the Aura Innovation Centre, which will play a huge role in strengthening the region’s reputation as a leader in offshore wind innovation, bringing together the major players in the industry. “The construction has gone very well, with our team completing the project on time, on budget and to an extremely high standard. “It’s been a real team effort and down to the hard work of everyone involved – from the onsite team, planners, the consultants and the supply chain partners who supported the project. This building will have a really positive impact, not just on this area, but nationally, so we are proud to have played our part in it.” Whilst carrying out the construction work, Hobson & Porter also made time to engage with local school children. Pupils from All Saints’ CE Federation in Hessle were taken around the site, with students also designing posters which were put up around the Aura. Staff also went into schools to teach them about the work and the construction industry. Mr Hunter said: “We’ve really enjoyed engaging with local school children. They are our future and it hasn’t just taught them about the construction industry, but also about the renewables’ sector.”
