The lead contractor on a new £50 million fire safety framework is Kier, who will serve as the leader for construction management on Hyde’s four-year framework. “We are delighted to be appointed to this very important framework and to be working with Hyde to help them ensure residents continue to be
Plans to launch a landmark apprenticeship bursary have been announced by Kier Construction. The ‘Kick-Start’ Bursary is the first to be offered in the built environment, and will support apprentices who may benefit from additional financial support to enter or continue their journey in the workplace. New and existing apprentices across all
Major public realm improvements and upgrades around Prescot train station are due to commence, along with walking and cycling routes to the £26 million Shakespeare North theatre. The 350-seat, 30,000 sq ft Jacobean court-style theatre also includes a study centre, education, and exhibition space. Knowsley Council is set to formally
The Heatherwood Hospital in Ascot is to receive a £98 million transformation from Kier. The new 11,500 sq m site will specialise in planned, non-emergency procedures, while offering state-of-the-art outpatient and diagnostic facilities for cardiology, radiology, lithotripsy, children’s clinic, physiotherapy and orthodontics. “This latest win is a hugely important milestone for
The new £98 million Heatherwood Hospital in Ascot has officially received green light and construction work is on its way. The project leader is Kier, aiming to replace the ageing Heatherwood Hospital with a new state of the art facility, located in woodland behind the current site. “We are delighted that
The first phase of the design and construction of the new £45 million Northstowe Education Campus in Cambridgeshire will be carried our by Kier. The teaching facilities will be a part of the new sustainable Cambridgeshire town Northstowe and address the lack of school places in the county. The 133,203
A £39.5 million hospital transformation programme for the Cheltenham General and Gloucestershire Royal Hospitals will be delivered by construction firm Kier. Secured through the Procure22 framework, the project is set to modernise hospital buildings to underpin service transformation and provide the next generation of care at the country’s two main
The windows supplied by the leading UK architectural glazing systems supplier, Kawneer, have helped meet a host of complex criteria for the UK’s first dedicated healthcare facility for adults with autism. The Mitford unit at Northgate Hospital in Morpeth, Northumberland, where fenestration was led by architectural glazing specialists Polar NE,
Kier has celebrated the completion of the first phase of the University of Wales Trinity Saint David’s (UWTSD) pioneering SA1 development by providing tours of the site to industry experts as well as teachers and lecturers. In partnership with the Forum for the Built Environment (FBE), the tours took place
Before being sold to Kier, McNicholas Construction recorded a £36 million pre-tax loss in accounts. When buying the civil engineering firm for £24 million, Kier also acquired its debt in July last year. Latest private accounts for McNicholas, which were extended to cover a 15-month period to June 2017 to
BDC 319 : Aug 2024
The lead contractor on a new £50 million fire safety framework is Kier, who will serve as the leader for construction management on Hyde’s four-year framework. “We are delighted to be appointed to this very important framework and to be working with Hyde to help them ensure residents continue to be safe in their homes. This appointment builds on the strong partnership approach we have established with Hyde delivering fire safety projects,” commented David Mawson, executive director of Kier specialist services. Launched in March 2019, it will provide safety works to homes in the Hyde portfolio and other external users across the country. Works included in the framework range from the installation of fire doors, emergency lighting and sprinkler systems to fire proofing, electrical works and business continuity planning. Kier will fulfill a construction management role to Hyde and/or framework users who wish to utilise works or services from any of the framework lots. “Fire safety is a really important issue and we are really proud to have established this framework with excellent partners and to have made it available to all public sector organisations to use. Resident safety has always been our priority and through this framework we can deliver quality services, ensure that we can manage and address fire safety issues accordingly and get better value for money,” added Jake Le Page, Fire Safety Taskforce Lead at Hyde.
Plans to launch a landmark apprenticeship bursary have been announced by Kier Construction. The ‘Kick-Start’ Bursary is the first to be offered in the built environment, and will support apprentices who may benefit from additional financial support to enter or continue their journey in the workplace. New and existing apprentices across all of Kier’s business will be able to benefit from this opportunity, as long as they meet the key criteria of a household income of below £17,000. For those that get accepted, the bursary will provide support of £1,000 per year for each apprentice for the duration of their apprenticeship. The announcement comes during National Apprenticeship Week, 04-08 March, which celebrates apprenticeships and the positive impact they have on individuals, businesses and the wider economy. “We’re excited to be the first company in the built environment to launch an apprenticeship bursary. Starting your career and embarking on an apprenticeship should be an exciting time but, our experience has shown us that, for some people, the costs of entering the workplace itself can become a barrier. We wanted to take action that would have a direct benefit at an individual level, hopefully with this bursary we can open up access to our apprenticeships even further,” commented Jan Atkinson, talent and organisational development director at Kier.
Major public realm improvements and upgrades around Prescot train station are due to commence, along with walking and cycling routes to the £26 million Shakespeare North theatre. The 350-seat, 30,000 sq ft Jacobean court-style theatre also includes a study centre, education, and exhibition space. Knowsley Council is set to formally sign off £8.2 million funding for this project. Shakespeare North, which is currently being built by contractor Kier, will benefit from better links, which are set to transform the area around the railway station and features a shared-use walking and cycling route from the station to the town centre and on to the theatre. The project also includes a remodelled car park to up the number of spaces from 38 to 48, additional lifts to provide step-free access to the station and platforms and better wayfinding and signage to direct visitors to the town centre and towards Knowsley Safari Park. Liverpool City Region’s Strategic Investment Fund offered £7.9 million and the majority of it will be drawn down between 2019 and 2021. There is also a local contribution of £186,000 to take the total funding package up to nearly £8.2 million. Knowsley Council is set to sign off the funding at a meeting next week. Tarmac and SSE are the chosen contractors for the scheme. They will deliver all the public realm works, while Network Rail will deliver the new lifts and station access. Meanwhile, Kier is set to complete the theatre by December 2020, after beating rival bidders Morgan Sindall and Wates to the job last year. The public realm works are also likely to be completed around the same time. The theatre has been backed by £5 million from the Government, which was first announced by then-chancellor George Osborne in May 2016. The council is also providing £6 million towards the scheme, with the remainder coming from a £14 million contribution from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Single Investment Fund.
The Heatherwood Hospital in Ascot is to receive a £98 million transformation from Kier. The new 11,500 sq m site will specialise in planned, non-emergency procedures, while offering state-of-the-art outpatient and diagnostic facilities for cardiology, radiology, lithotripsy, children’s clinic, physiotherapy and orthodontics. “This latest win is a hugely important milestone for healthcare delivery in the south of England. It is testament to the drive, energy and passion of the team at Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust that this new build hospital will help transform delivery of healthcare to residents of Ascot and the surrounding area,” said Jonathan Payne, managing director for Kier Construction Thames Valley and director at Kier Buildings. Kier was awarded the build contract by Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust through the ProCure21+ framework. “Working collaboratively with the trust over the last three years, we have also delivered a new maternity unit and emergency assessment centre for Wexham Park Hospital. Alongside our local supply chain, we have extensive experience delivering healthcare projects and we look forward to playing a pivotal role in the transformation of Heatherwood Hospital,” added Jonathan. The new hospital is expected to double the services of the existing facility within its first 10 years, offering six operating theatres and 48 inpatient beds, plus 22 day case cubicles. A primary care hub and private patient unit will also be located on site. “We are delighted that we can now deliver our vision for the Heatherwood site. The new hospital will ensure we can offer local patients the best care in the best environment and it is a key part of our strategy to remain an innovative and outstanding trust well into the future. We can’t wait to get started,” commented Frimley Health chief executive Neil Dardis. The transformation work is due to begin on site this month, with completion scheduled for the end of 2021.
The new £98 million Heatherwood Hospital in Ascot has officially received green light and construction work is on its way. The project leader is Kier, aiming to replace the ageing Heatherwood Hospital with a new state of the art facility, located in woodland behind the current site. “We are delighted that work to build a new hospital can now begin on the Heatherwood site. This will be a fantastic hospital fit for the 21st century, offering state-of the-art care for our patients and a first class working environment for our staff,” said Dr Tim Ho, medical director at Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust. Specialising in planned, non-emergency procedures such as orthopaedics, general surgery, urology, gynaecology and endoscopy, the new facility will have six operating theatres and 48 inpatient beds, plus 22 day case cubicles. Moreover, it will also include space for the Trust’s private patient unit. In addition, the facility will offer a range of outpatient and diagnostic facilities, including cardiology, radiology, lithotripsy, children’s clinic, physiotherapy and orthodontics and space for a primary care hub with GPs, community nurses and other healthcare specialists. “We are delighted that we can now deliver our vision for the Heatherwood site. The new hospital will ensure we can offer local patients the best care in the best environment and it is a key part of our strategy to remain an innovative and outstanding trust well into the future. We can’t wait to get started,” commented Frimley Health chief executive Neil Dardis. The new Heatherwood Hospital is the latest major development in Frimley Health’s £200 million capital investment programme, expected to be complete by late 2021.
The first phase of the design and construction of the new £45 million Northstowe Education Campus in Cambridgeshire will be carried our by Kier. The teaching facilities will be a part of the new sustainable Cambridgeshire town Northstowe and address the lack of school places in the county. The 133,203 sq ft Northstowe Education Campus will become Cambridgeshire’s largest education campus once completed. It will comprise a nursery, a 3FE primary school, a secondary school, Special Educational Needs (SEN) school and sixth form college. 3,000 students aged 0-19 years within the sustainable new development will benefit from teaching and learning facilities at Northstowe, which is expected to have a population of 24,000. A new secondary school, the seventh owned by Cambridge Meridian Academies Trust (CMAT), will be delivered by Kier, providing places for up to 600 pupils aged 11-16. The project will then be extended in two subsequent phases to allow for 1,800 pupils. It will feature a multi-purpose school hall/theatre space and drama studios, a large sports hall, a gym, two dance studios and all-weather floodlit football and hockey pitches. In addition, Kier will create a 110-place Special Education Needs (SEN) school. “Having previously constructed Pathfinder, Northstowe’s first primary school, we are delighted to now be delivering the next phase of education provision for the emerging Northstowe community. This addition to the school development further builds on our position as a leading UK provider of educational buildings and we are looking forward to starting the first phase of works on this project,” commented Mark Dady, managing director at Kier Eastern. Kier started enabling works on site in September with the first cohort of students starting in September 2019.
A £39.5 million hospital transformation programme for the Cheltenham General and Gloucestershire Royal Hospitals will be delivered by construction firm Kier. Secured through the Procure22 framework, the project is set to modernise hospital buildings to underpin service transformation and provide the next generation of care at the country’s two main acute hospitals. “Kier is delighted to have been chosen by Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation to deliver such an important healthcare development programme for the region, under the P22 framework,” said Ben Ramsay, operations director at Kier. “We understand this programme of building modernisation is vital to underpin important service transformation at both Cheltenham General and Gloucestershire Royal Hospitals. We’re looking forward to working with the Gloucestershire supply chain and local community to provide many employment opportunities and create a number of new jobs in the upcoming years. It also presents a great opportunity to support Shaping Your World™, an industry-wide campaign to inspire 11-15 year-olds to pursue careers in the built environment,” Ben added. The plans for both sites are being developed collaboratively by Kier and the Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, expecting funding that will be focused on theatre provision at Cheltenham General and acute care pathways at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. “We are delighted to be working with Kier on this exciting project; they have considerable experience of working with public sector partners to deliver innovative solutions and I am confident that with their help this investment will ensure both our hospitals are increasingly well placed to deliver the very best care for our patients and support our developing vision for Centres of Excellence,” said Deborah Lee, Chief Executive of Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
The windows supplied by the leading UK architectural glazing systems supplier, Kawneer, have helped meet a host of complex criteria for the UK’s first dedicated healthcare facility for adults with autism. The Mitford unit at Northgate Hospital in Morpeth, Northumberland, where fenestration was led by architectural glazing specialists Polar NE, uses a variety of Kawneer window and framing systems including a bespoke secure healthcare window specially fabricated for the £10 million project. This specialist window – based on the Kawneer AA®3110HW horizontal slider – has been used in the bedrooms and some communal areas alongside Kawneer’s AA®540 fixed casements in corridors, AA®541 top-hung casements in offices and reception, and 451PT framing in communal areas and corridors. Supplied in moss grey (RAL 7003), they were specified by Medical Architecture in conjunction with Kawneer dealer Polar who had a team of two specialist installers on site for 11 months. “Mental health inpatient windows are a very specialist product and we have developed designs with one of the few manufacturers/fabricators over a period of 11 years. Polar chose Kawneer’s AA®3110HW system components as a basis and we adapted the successful design to the particular needs of the autism unit,” said Medical Architecture director Paul Yeomans. The new BREEAM “Excellent” Mitford unit for Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust provides 24-hour inpatient support and treatment for up to 15 adults with severely complex autistic spectrum disorders. Built by Kier under ProCure21+, the accommodation comprises eight single-person and two and three-person shared flats within four fingers of accommodation linked at their southern end by a band of shared spaces interspersed with staff facilities. Patients typically stay 18 months to two years, during which time individual stimuli and appropriate therapies are used before they return to the community. The trust’s key objectives included incorporating best practice from around the world and becoming a leading-edge national autism service, enhancing the facilities for research and development to provide a national centre of excellence, and building a sustainable commercial model to ensure the capital costs of the building were recuperated over an eight-year period.
Kier has celebrated the completion of the first phase of the University of Wales Trinity Saint David’s (UWTSD) pioneering SA1 development by providing tours of the site to industry experts as well as teachers and lecturers. In partnership with the Forum for the Built Environment (FBE), the tours took place earlier this month to showcase the project and all that has been achieved so far. The SA1 Swansea Waterfront Development, consists of IQ, the new home for UWTSD’s Yr Athrofa: Institute of Education and the Faculty of Architecture, Computing and Engineering, as well as the Construction Wales Innovation Centre. It also consists of Y Fforwm, the University’s library and learning resources centre. SA1 Swansea Waterfront represents an exciting new chapter for the University as it relocates from the Townhill and Mount Pleasant campuses into state-of-the-art facilities in the heart of Swansea’s waterfront. “This event provided a perfect opportunity to discuss our innovative learning approaches at IQ with industry peers. I would like to thank the Forum for the Built Environment (FBE) West Wales branch and their members for this opportunity. Several of the FBE members were integral in the new SA1 development, it was my pleasure to present to them how this new build will shape the learning and teaching environment within the Faculty of Architecture, Computing and Engineering (FACE),” said Professor Mike Fernando, Dean of the Faculty of Architecture, Computing and Engineering. IQ offers 10,000 sq m of flexible teaching space, computer labs, recreational space, and specialist engineering labs over four floors. Y Fforwm, consists of three floors, providing study space, learning commons, and book collections. Both buildings are fitted out with the latest Sony technology, and contemporary furniture installed by local companies Momentum and Bridgend Office Furniture. “These tours mark an important milestone for the SA1 development and it was brilliant to be able to showcase what we have achieved. Phase 1 has been completed on time and with a fantastic team who have shown care and passion throughout the two years that we have been on site,” said Howard Monsen, senior project manager for the site was on hand to answer questions. “The University, as a client, has been working very closely with Kier on the project, which is an incredibly large and complex scheme. Whilst much of their day to day attention, and certainly most of mine is focused on delivering on time and to a high standard, I have been overwhelmed by the commitment to a whole range of other initiatives from the diverse Kier team,” added Mike Bessell, UWTSD senior estates manager, who also provided a speech to all attendees.
Before being sold to Kier, McNicholas Construction recorded a £36 million pre-tax loss in accounts. When buying the civil engineering firm for £24 million, Kier also acquired its debt in July last year. Latest private accounts for McNicholas, which were extended to cover a 15-month period to June 2017 to bring it into line with Kier reporting, reveal underlying profitability from ongoing contracts remained strong in line with expectations. However, a detailed review of outstanding debtors and work in progress saw the firm book provisions on jobs where final accounts still needed to be agreed. In addition, the loss also took into account changes to estimates used in some long-term contracts and one-off costs in relation to the sale of the business. This re-evaluation of the contracts resulted in the firm’s net assets of £6.8 million in the prior year becoming net liabilities of nearly £32 million, including a £10.9 million pension liability. Over the 15-month period revenue rose £68 million to £248 million, due partly to the extended reporting term, while the average monthly turnover increased 10% to £16.5 million, driven by increased volume from ongoing contracts. McNicholas has secured three contract wins since being acquired by Kier, such as a five year £31 million ‘Gas to the West’ network distribution operation for SGN Natural Gas in Northern Ireland. Other contracts include a £40 million extension until 2022 to the Phoenix Natural Gas contract in Northern Ireland and a one year £30 million contract extension until 2020 for the Network Rail CP5 High Voltage and Electrification and Plant framework. Head of Kier’s strengthened utility division is now former McNicholas chief executive Barry McNicholas, who holds high hopes of securing more work in the upcoming rail and water capital spending period framework renewals.
