SHOWCASING its commitment to educational development, multi-disciplinary consultancy Pick Everard has revealed it will be helping deliver more than 2,500 school spaces across the Bedford region over the next two years. Having worked with Bedford Borough Council for the past decade, Pick Everard is on track to assist the needs
NORTH Ayrshire Council Planning Committee has granted full planning permission for XLCC’s HVDC subsea cable manufacturing operations in Hunterston, Scotland. The decision paves the way for construction to commence and follows outline planning permission granted last year. Having received essential management and design support from leading independent construction, property, and infrastructure consultancy Pick
IT IS clear that the pandemic has exacerbated equality problems that already existed in many areas, meaning that levelling up is arguably even more important in those places, which construction has a key part in driving. With this in mind, levelling up cannot be on the back burner for the
LEADING independent property, construction, and infrastructure consultancy Pick Everard has doubled its ground investigation team in the space of just three months. The move follows its appointment as the only new supplier to be awarded a place on Severn Trent Water’s AMP 7 framework this year. The framework is expected
PLANNING permission has been granted on a new manufacturing facility in Scotland – producing HVDC cables for what will be the world’s longest subsea infrastructure for the Morocco – UK power project. The infrastructure forms part of an ambitious initiative that will power seven million UK homes by 2030. Leading
Pick Everard announces ambitious business strategy to become the first-choice consultancy in the industry Collaboration forms a key part of all five of the firm’s strategic pillars Key commitments include achieving net carbon zero by the end of the year and a pledge to invest five per cent of turnover
CHESHIRE West and Chester Council, together with its partners, has taken possession of a new transformational £16m public services hub to complete the first phase of redevelopment in Ellesmere Port town centre. The building, named The Portal, was designed by leading independent property, construction and infrastructure consultancy Pick Everard. The
WORK on a three-storey, specialist training facility for those in the healthcare sector has now been completed at Nottingham Trent University’s (NTU) Clifton Campus. The renovation of existing NTU buildings and the completion of a new building will serve as a base for the Institute of Health & Allied Professions,
TWO leading construction consultancies have formed a brand-new consortium to add to their procurement portfolios with the appointment to one of Crown Commercial Service’s (CCS) major public sector frameworks. Pick Everard and Wood hold reputations as being among the UK’s leading providers and working together will lead to greater success and
PICK Everard has added two key public sector frameworks to its portfolio following a successful appointment to two of Crown Commercial Service’s (CCS) frameworks, allowing it to expand and diversify its service offering for the public sector. Both the Management Consultancy Framework Three RM6187 (MCF3) and the Estate Management Services
BDC 319 : Aug 2024
SHOWCASING its commitment to educational development, multi-disciplinary consultancy Pick Everard has revealed it will be helping deliver more than 2,500 school spaces across the Bedford region over the next two years. Having worked with Bedford Borough Council for the past decade, Pick Everard is on track to assist the needs of an ever-growing and diverse population. The programme has a projected construction cost of more than £100 million, and includes one of the largest SEN schools in the country, the Rivertree Free School, which is set to complete in August. Delivering 200 SEN spaces, the project runs concurrently with the construction of Willow Grove Primary School in Wixams, providing 840 new primary spaces when released. An extension to Wixams Academy secondary school will also be welcomed to the community in September, delivering 900 additional spaces. Sean Conneely, director at Pick Everard, said: “We’re immensely proud of the work undertaken with Bedford Borough Council to improve school facilities and increase the number of pupil places in the region. The programme’s success has been greatly influenced by a collaborative approach with the entire delivery team, combined with our shared dedication to delivering community value.” Two further projects are also on track for completion in 2025. These include Bedford Academy creating 300 additional places and Wootton Lower School, which is undergoing conversion into a primary school; with an extra form of entry creating 300 additional places. Moving into 2026, there will be further works on Wootton Upper School turning it into a secondary school with an additional 450 pupil places. Further school extensions are in the feasibility phase. Pick Everard’s work with Bedford Borough Council has included a package of services, consisting of project management, cost management, NEC supervisor and health and safety services. The work undertaken has been procured through the SCAPE Consultancy Framework, operating under the Perfect Circle banner. Along with contractor Willmott Dixon, Bedford Borough Council and Pick Everard will take part in the Build UK Open Doors event in March, in partnership with the Construction Industry Training Board and the Construction Skills Certification Scheme. The programme of works undertaken by the trio has been imbued with social value, with pupils helping design a ‘Shedspace for your Headspace’ wellbeing area at Grange Academy in Kempston last September. Sustainability has also been key, aligning with the council’s declaration of a climate emergency, with all new school buildings now being designed as net zero carbon in operation. In addition to the educational work, the relationship between Pick Everard and Bedford Borough Council has also seen it undertake cross-sector operations in the region, with healthcare centres, heritage works, residential, and commercial projects amongst its portfolio, alongside the new railway station in Wixams. Mayor of Bedford Borough, Tom Wootton, said: “We are making significant strides in addressing the need for school places in Bedford, thanks to a collaborative effort that includes the team from Pick Everard. We are focused on creating inclusive, innovative environments that will inspire learning and nurture talent. These schools are set to make an enormous difference to so many children and families for many years to come.” Matt Hall, national director at Pick Everard said: “We have a longstanding relationship with Bedford Borough Council, who have ably committed to developing and meeting community need in a number of areas. Local authorities are under immense pressure amidst cuts in spending power over the last decade, so to be able to provide our expertise and assistance, through quick-to-market and value for money procurement models, is of huge benefit. The future looks bright for the community in Bedford.” Stewart Brundell, managing director at Willmott Dixon said: “We are proud of our collaborative, ongoing relationship with both Pick Everard and Bedford Borough Council. This unified partnership has allowed us to utilise our individual expertise, knowledge and skills to deliver together a number of fantastic projects which will benefit the local community for many years to come.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
NORTH Ayrshire Council Planning Committee has granted full planning permission for XLCC’s HVDC subsea cable manufacturing operations in Hunterston, Scotland. The decision paves the way for construction to commence and follows outline planning permission granted last year. Having received essential management and design support from leading independent construction, property, and infrastructure consultancy Pick Everard, work on the site will start in early 2024 with cable production slated for 2026. Development of the brownfield site will create a new UK industry to support global decarbonisation targets. By 2025, the facility will support 900 jobs in the area, with thousands more in the wider supply chain. Santosh Patel, director at Pick Everard who has been working closely on the project, said: “We’re proud to be involved and at the forefront of this project, helping to create a new high tech green industry for the UK. Reaching this milestone and securing full planning permission is a huge step in realising this cutting-edge project’s potential. “We want the HVDC cable factory to be a beacon for others and an example of commitment to supporting our country’s drive to net zero. To reach our goals, expanding our solar and wind infrastructure is crucial, and this factory will help massively in accomplishing this.” Demand for high-voltage cables is set to increase six-fold over the next seven years, as many countries look globally to expand their sources of renewable energy. XLCC’s first order is for four 3,800km long cables to connect solar and wind renewable power generation in the Sahara to the UK for the Xlinks Morocco-UK power project. XLCC has also secured additional MOUs for domestic projects. XLCC CEO, Ian Douglas, said: “To deliver the energy transition and achieve net zero, the improved global transmission of electricity is critical. Put simply, there can be no transition without transmission. As demand for HVDC cables continues to boom, we are excited to bring such a significant project to an area with a proud industrial pedigree. “We thank the local community and North Ayrshire Council for their constructive engagement and support during the process, and we look forward to working with them and other local partners to ensure the factory delivers maximum benefits to Hunterston and the wider region.” To learn more about Pick Everard, visit its website here: www.pickeverard.co.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
IT IS clear that the pandemic has exacerbated equality problems that already existed in many areas, meaning that levelling up is arguably even more important in those places, which construction has a key part in driving. With this in mind, levelling up cannot be on the back burner for the newly appointed Prime Minister, Liz Truss, and her new cabinet office. Adrian Ceney, partner at leading independent property, construction and infrastructure consultancy Pick Everard, discusses the need to keep long-term challenges on levelling up and our journey to net zero front and centre. The UK is relatively small geographically, yet highly populated and very diverse concurrently, especially when it comes to economics with productivity and GDP still being very focussed in the south-east. LOCALISATION, ADAPTATION AND RATIONALISATION Throughout the country, lots of town centres have suffered through the pandemic due to low footfall – and now thanks to changing working practices, that footfall is not back at pre-pandemic levels. The drivers for bringing people into some towns have altered – meaning that more careful investment is needed in high streets. And business cases put forward today may need to look very different to pre-2020 to reflect the new normal – for example transportation patterns and requirements have changed, and thus infrastructure requirements along with them. Keeping a focus on levelling up creates opportunities for organisations to work together to deliver better for communities – with consultants like Pick Everard and the wider supply chain supporting local authorities and council bodies with the schemes they need to make a difference. And indeed, we can also be involved in their applications for funding packages, making sure they have the insight and information included in their bids to secure much-needed funds. Elsewhere, clients will be examining their assets and where they might need adapting to suit new ways of operating. This is particularly prevalent across the office sector, with rises in hybrid working meaning that many organisations have a reduced need for large physical spaces, but a greater demand for high-quality and flexibility. Meanwhile, in the public sector, lots of organisations are scrutinising and rationalising their estates to ensure they are managing their budgets – which in some cases are extremely tight – as best they can. As consultants, we make sure that valuable budgets – whether from allocated funds or not – are spent in the most effective way possible for any client. This goes beyond simple build costs to working on a whole-life cost basis – particularly as the country is facing inflation drive by rising energy prices, which impacts everything from operational overheads to material costs, which continue to rise thanks to inflated manufacturing costs. INVESTING IN THE LONGER-TERM In recent years, there has been a large effort to link London and the south-east with the rest of the country – largely focusing on the West Midlands – to bring job markets closer together in a time sense. These longer-term projects – particularly infrastructure-based ones – are going to have a really important role to play in the future. This does not just mean the finished developments will have that role to play. Large-scale infrastructure schemes are highly beneficial for the construction industry and its related sectors, providing a degree of stability over a longer period of time. They also have strong social value implications, with the benefits during the development and building process being also very valid to the end result. Whether it’s direct employment for people building the scheme, investment in training and skills, local spend on supply chains, materials and labour, or connecting people with more opportunities when complete, these large schemes allow project teams to collaborate to deliver the highest value possible to a client, end users and the local community. With large-scale operations comes even bigger opportunity to create change – social value is a hugely important part of this, allowing us to capture both quantitative outcomes, but also the qualitative ones that play into levelling up goals too. NET ZERO MUST BE AN ATTITUDE Our journey to net zero must also remain a key driver for us as an industry – but again this means working closely with clients on cost versus value elements, examining and advising clients on whole-life cost. A recent revision of the government’s Construction Playbook reflects this, with updates providing practical resources aimed at helping public sector clients and the sector at large manage carbon reporting and improve the environmental performance of projects and programmes. The revision also emphasises the importance of digital and offsite manufacturing technologies, which can go a long way in shortening on site programmes, feeding into further reduced carbon footprints. With the built environment creating a significant portion of the UK’s carbon output, consultants have a responsibility to embed sustainability at the heart of schemes. Sustainability is much more than a design function, and early engagement on projects positions us to advise on strategic sustainability elements – including a shift change when it comes to processes and practices. So, while the government is undergoing another round of leadership changes, we must as an industry keep our aims and goals firmly in the crosshairs to achieve better together.
LEADING independent property, construction, and infrastructure consultancy Pick Everard has doubled its ground investigation team in the space of just three months. The move follows its appointment as the only new supplier to be awarded a place on Severn Trent Water’s AMP 7 framework this year. The framework is expected to run over the next four years and will focus on the delivery of a range of capital projects across wastewater, water treatment and pipeline services in the Midlands and mid-Wales. Pick Everard was the most recent addition to the £2 billion programme from Severn Trent, which the firm’s associate for environmental engineering, Emelye Kenyon, described as a catalyst for change for her team and the business. Emelye said: “At Pick Everard we have provided a strong environmental offering for more than six years, while our relationship with Severn Trent has been present for over a decade, delivering valued structural survey services across its UK-wide network. “The decision to expand our team was a natural one in line with this newest framework, which will further establish our presence in the ground investigation sector over the next four years or more. We look forward to continuing recruit and strengthen our offering, whilst maintaining our close relationship with Severn Trent, which will help improve the services it offers to its customers across the country.” Pick Everard has already delivered four projects on the AMP 7 framework, including Litchfield Sewage Treatment Works, Bulkington surface water management infrastructure, Rampton Sewage Treatment Works and Stoney Houghton Delivery Service Reservoir. It currently has four further live projects, and three in planning stages. The growth of its site investigations team, which currently sits under Pick Everard’s environmental discipline, has seen it appoint graduate, engineer and technician roles, with ambitions to formulate the ground investigation team as its own department in the near future. Discussing the appointment of Pick Everard to the AMP 7 framework, Joseph Turner, category manager at Severn Trent said: “We’re pleased to be continuing our relationship with Pick Everard on this exciting new venture. At Severn Trent, we are always looking at more efficient ways to invest for the future and make our services even better. We value the expertise our partners can provide to make us the most efficient water operation in the UK.” The Severn Trent AMP 7 framework is set to conclude in 2025, with the option of an additional two years under its agreement plan. Pick Everard employs more than 650 staff across its 15 offices, providing a range of project, cost, and design consultancy services. For more information, please visit http://www.pickeverard.co.uk
PLANNING permission has been granted on a new manufacturing facility in Scotland – producing HVDC cables for what will be the world’s longest subsea infrastructure for the Morocco – UK power project. The infrastructure forms part of an ambitious initiative that will power seven million UK homes by 2030. Leading independent property, construction and infrastructure consultancy Pick Everard has been acting as lead consultant on the project, appointed by HVDC subsea cable manufacturer XLCC. The new facility, in Hunterston, North Ayrshire, will produce four 3,800km long cables, connecting solar and wind energy all the way from the Sahara to the UK, as part of the Xlinks project. Once operational, the brownfield site is expected to support up to 900 jobs, with thousands more generated in the wider supply chain. Santosh Patel, director at Pick Everard said: “We’re excited and proud to be involved in creating a new high tech green industry for the UK and supporting the drive towards Net Zero.” “From a manufacturing perspective, it will see undersea cables created to a length not previously seen, while consumers will be able to benefit from a much lower unit cost for their energy once the project is fully implemented. Net zero requires huge expansion of solar and wind to be a success, and XLCC stands to help deliver in this respect.” XLCC’s manufacturing operation in Hunterston will meet the UK’s growing demand for high-voltage, direct current (HVDC) power transmission. Landowners at Hunterston have thrown their support behind the scheme, with work transfer opportunities expected to be provided for local employees, following the decommissioning of Hunterston’s B power nuclear station after 46 years. As well as acting as lead consultant, Pick Everard has provided complete design services, as well as health and safety consultancy, BIM coordination and BREEAM assessments. Now, the firm is expected to continue to act in a technical advisory capacity, with construction on the new factory expected to commence in early 2023. Mark Colby, partner at Pick Everard, said: “We are focused on delivering better together with our cross-industry partners, achieving excellence in everything we do. This particular project sees us – together with the wider project team – delivering a scheme that benefits everyone from the local community through jobs to the whole planet through its sustainable elements.” Project director for XLCC, Alan Mathers, added: “We look forward to delivering a factory of great local and international importance for HVDC subsea cable. The UK will be positioned as a world leader in the green economy, with the site at Hunterston playing a key role in connecting cheap, green energy from renewables projects around the world.” Pick Everard employs more than 600 staff across its 15 offices, providing a range of project, cost, and design consultancy services. For more information, please visit https://www.pickeverard.co.uk.
Pick Everard announces ambitious business strategy to become the first-choice consultancy in the industry Collaboration forms a key part of all five of the firm’s strategic pillars Key commitments include achieving net carbon zero by the end of the year and a pledge to invest five per cent of turnover into innovation and new technology PICK Everard has today announced its new business strategy, which outlines a commitment to creating a collaborative, prosperous and sustainable future for all to benefit from, along with ambitions to be the most highly regarded consultant in the property and construction industry. The announcement comes after the firm’s most successful year to date, having achieved a turnover of £58.8m and a 17 per cent growth in its staff body. The multi-disciplinary consultancy now has more than 600 employees across its national network of 14 offices, with further growth set over the coming years. Managing Partner Duncan Green said: “Despite the worldwide challenges faced over the past year, together we have made it one of the most significant and successful in our 156-year history. It is the agility and determination of our people that has allowed us to navigate the national challenges of the last two years and come through stronger than ever – and with new ways of working that benefit our people, our clients and the wider industry too. “We have been enjoying a period of sustained growth, and with a strong pipeline of work and continued success in projects and frameworks appointments, we have examined our business strategy to outline the vision that underpins our journey. Collaboration forms a key part of all five of our strategic pillars, focusing on ‘delivering better together’ for our teams, our clients, communities and for the planet.” Pick Everard places huge value on fostering excellent company culture, with regular staff engagement shaping its approach as a business. The firm strives to be an industry leader in diverse recruitment – driven by its attitude to individuality and openness. Focused on building a talent density that perpetuates success and a commitment to train the industry leaders of tomorrow, the strategy includes the implementation of practice-wide award-winning career support mechanisms, including the Pick Everard Professional Map. This provides the pathway of the technical skills, behavioural competencies, role expectations and core values needed for personal progression, which together with the firm’s RISE mentoring programme will give staff the tools needed to achieve their career aspirations. To reflect its collaborative and client-oriented attitude, Pick Everard has evolved its internal structure to increase efficiencies and better meet the requirements of its clients. This evolution includes the creation of strategic account director roles to ensure even closer collaboration between the firm’s multi-disciplinary services to collectively. focus on the consistent delivery of excellent results for its clients. Pick Everard aims to achieve third party certification to support its strategy – namely ISO44001, which centres on collaborative business relationships. This accreditation seeks to build and support long-term partnership approaches that will increase project delivery success, manage risk, and promote best practice. The firm will also continue to build on its strong track record of outperforming competition in providing the best consultancy, choice, and services for its clients, aided by appointments on key national frameworks including Crown Commercial Services, ESPO, NHS Shared Business Services, Pagabo, and SCAPE. Duncan said: “Continuous improvement is embedded deeply in our culture, making sure that not only are we a leader in promoting new industry best practice, but also an early adopter of technology and innovations that enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of our actions. Our pledge to invest at least five per cent of annual turnover in innovation and technology will ensure we push forwards with the best solutions to meet clients’ needs on every scheme. “Our open attitude to sharing expertise allows us to upskill and inform our clients and key stakeholders, leaving a legacy of best practice and understanding wherever we work. This, along with our ambitions to be a leader in supply chain management and SME engagement, ensures that the projects we deliver provide communities with the high-quality assets that will have a positive impact on the way they, and future generations, will live, work, learn, and play.” Building on an excellent reputation for its approach to sustainability within project work, Pick Everard has been on a journey to drive down its own carbon footprint. It now pledges to become carbon neutral by the end of 2022. Duncan said: “We place sustainability and tackling the climate crisis with carbon neutral solutions central to any project, so there is no question that we must lead by example when it comes to the environment. On our own journey to net zero, we have been making great strides but will go even further, becoming a carbon neutral business by within 2022. “Delivering better together’ is not just a phrase, it’s a definition of our culture and the way of life at Pick Everard. It defines our approach to our people, our teams, our clients, and the communities and environment in which we live. We pride ourselves in our aim to create a better future and leave a positive and lasting legacy wherever we work.” For more information, please visit www.pickeverard.co.uk.
CHESHIRE West and Chester Council, together with its partners, has taken possession of a new transformational £16m public services hub to complete the first phase of redevelopment in Ellesmere Port town centre. The building, named The Portal, was designed by leading independent property, construction and infrastructure consultancy Pick Everard. The three-storey building provides a range of services to the public from several different agencies, as well as providing accommodation that meets the demands of the council’s modern workforce strategy. The new space will be home for 580 staff employed by the council, DWP and other service providers. The scheme also incorporated a new bus facility and extensive public realm works to improve transport links and facilities for the public. Pick Everard – operating under Perfect Circle’s unique collaboration – was appointed to provide architecture, interior design and landscape services through SCAPE’s Built Environment Consultancy Services (BECS) framework. Andy Robinson, director at Pick Everard, said: “Cheshire West and Chester Council has a fantastic new facility in the heart of Ellesmere Port. We promised to deliver a scheme that places greater emphasis on the use of the space and The Portal’s 4,000 square metres and surrounding external areas truly accomplish this. “Value for money is essential for our public sector clients and this has been achieved to great effect on this project. Through close collaboration and consultancy, we’ve been able to ensure that the completed scheme represents the priorities identified by the council.” The Portal is a single shared hub that facilitates agile working, therefore reducing the demand for space and enabling the council and other agencies to consolidate their presence into a smaller footprint. As a result of this, money is being saved and carbon emissions are being reduced while also providing a much-improved work environment. With the intention to improve access to public services and bring all the disparate arms and services of local government into a single shared hub, The Portal is a regeneration project that serves its practical purpose and acts as the catalyst for regeneration in the town. Importantly, the building is designed to improve the customer experience enable them to access a wider range of services in one location. This includes employment, skills and learning, welfare and benefits support, advice and information, community safety and prevention, health and well-being and housing support. The building contains public art that is on permanent display. Consultation with the local community during the design stage led to creations that represent the purpose of the space, which has been developed in the interest of the local area and not only those who use the on-site facilities. Civic Way was a critical element of the scheme. Road priorities have changed with Civic Way now only accessible to buses and service vehicles, reducing traffic on a previously busy thoroughfare. The area is now a much more pedestrian friendly environment as a result of the careful public realm design its relationship with the new bus facility. The widening of the street to allow for bus lay-bys and new bus stands enabled the opportunity to relocate the old poor quality bus interchange and create space for The Portal. Public realm improvements did not stop with Civic Way. The Port Arcade entrance from Wellington Road has been made more pedestrian friendly, with accessibility and enjoyment of the space receiving attention due to the high footfall. Councillor Louise Gittins, leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council, said: “The opening of The Portal is an exciting moment for the community as it is providing a versatile building for a range of stakeholders. “The project team has completed a scheme to be proud of following an important consultation process and we can’t wait to share the newly improved space with the people of Ellesmere Port.” The importance of the project to the local workforce and wider community meant that public engagement was maintained throughout. To create learning opportunities, contractor Vinci Construction engaged with The West Cheshire College to make site visits and construction talks a possibility for students. David Nisbet, partner at Pick Everard, said: “We’re pleased to have supported Cheshire West and Chester Council on the development of The Portal, as it adopts the government’s One Public Estate programme. “The Portal marks another project within our portfolio that has achieved BREEAM Very Good certification, proving the growing opportunity for sustainable solutions in towns likes Ellesmere Port that are undergoing regeneration.” For more information on Pick Everard, visit www.pickeverard.co.uk/
WORK on a three-storey, specialist training facility for those in the healthcare sector has now been completed at Nottingham Trent University’s (NTU) Clifton Campus. The renovation of existing NTU buildings and the completion of a new building will serve as a base for the Institute of Health & Allied Professions, which offers a range of specialist courses such as adult and mental health nursing and paramedic science. The whole facility is focused on equipping the healthcare providers of the future with the knowledge and hands-on skills required for modern healthcare. Leading independent property, construction, and infrastructure consultancy, Pick Everard provided architecture, interior design and principal design services from concept to completion, working with main contractor Henry Brothers during the construction period. Devika Parmar, director of architecture at Pick Everard, said: “We are delighted to have provided services for such an important scheme for the university and its healthcare students. We won this project via a competition under the NTU consultancy framework, where we put forward our concept proposals to create a gateway building to the campus that would be visually striking, functional and inspirational for anyone hoping for a career within health services. We’re thrilled that the completed building aligns very closely with our original concept sketch. “Blending our healthcare and HE knowledge, we designed a building that caters to nursing, paramedical, and other healthcare professionals. It accommodates a variety of clinical simulation spaces that support teaching, assessments, and learning opportunities. “Underpinning our design approach was a modular grid and a simplicity in design to create flexibility and standardisation in space planning and construction delivery. Working closely with university stakeholders, we meticulously planned the building to meet user requirements and allow for new educational technologies to support the evolving learning demands.” With flexibility of use in mind, multi-use spaces have the potential to provide students with fully immersive experiences. The new building also provides a welcoming gateway building to the campus with the external façade treatment and quality materials providing aesthetic interest. One floor of the new development is dedicated to realistic simulated healthcare environments for the training of healthcare students. This includes hospital wards, consultations and counselling rooms and a mock flat for home and emergency care scenarios. Meanwhile, a further two floors provide office and flexible teaching space to accommodate creative learning approaches. David Shaw, national design director at Pick Everard, said: “The architecture of the new development has been designed for maximum visual impact on arrival to the campus. We wanted to ensure this new addition to an evolving campus would be complimentary but also distinctive both externally and internally. “The whole consultant team worked closely to deliver this project to ensure the architecture, interior design and engineering has been holistically considered. We were intent on combining the existing building into the project, with the atrium space connecting the refurbished and new accommodations to bring people together in a central collaboration space. “With such unique requirements for its end use, this development provided room for a number of innovations to be adopted. This included the inclusion of virtual reality training spaces that completely immerse students into situational experiences, which is an incredibly valuable experience for their training. “The pandemic has reaffirmed the need for training facilities like this to make sure that the healthcare professionals now and tomorrow have the best quality teaching experience possible. We very much look forward to seeing the building fully occupied by students and professionals and seeing them make the most of their new teaching spaces.” Dr Anne Felton, head of the Institute of Health & Allied Professions at NTU’s School of Social Sciences, said: “We’re incredibly excited that our new teaching centre is now open. The courses we’re providing will directly increase the supply of professional qualified staff into the NHS and related services, as well as providing a dedicated facility to allow greater opportunities for Continuing Professional Development for existing health practitioners within the local area. “The virtual reality training facilities that will provide students with fully immersive situational experiences are a demonstration of NTU’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of the learning experience, while the audio-visual recording equipment installed within the simulation suites will enable feedback and reflection on students’ performances, creating a truly modern learning experience.” Ian Taylor, managing director at Henry Brothers Midlands, the contractor for the development, said: “It’s great to see this project reach completion and I look forward to seeing it full of students. Despite being a challenging project delivered during difficult times, I’m really pleased with how the whole team came together to deliver a great looking building for the university’s students and staff.” For more information about Pick Everard, please visit www.pickeverard.co.uk Building Design and Construction Magazine | The Home of Construction & Property News
TWO leading construction consultancies have formed a brand-new consortium to add to their procurement portfolios with the appointment to one of Crown Commercial Service’s (CCS) major public sector frameworks. Pick Everard and Wood hold reputations as being among the UK’s leading providers and working together will lead to greater success and greater benefits for clients. The formed consortium will bring together the firms’ collective expertise, resources, and skills to support the public sector throughout the whole of the UK – and internationally. Together, the firms have been appointed to five of the six available lots under the RM6165 Construction Professional Services framework covering: Lot 1 – Built Environment and General Infrastructure Lot 2 – Urban regeneration Lot 3 – International Lot 4 – High Rise Lot 6 – Environmental and Sustainability Technical Services The Construction Professional Services framework is the UK’s largest public sector framework of its kind, with a total value of up to £1.7bn. It replaces CCS’s Project Management and Full Design Team Services framework, to which Pick Everard and Wood Group were both previously appointed. Under the new consortium, clients will benefit from the two organisations’ combined forces now serving the appointed lots in collaboration. Crown Commercial Service supports the public sector to achieve maximum commercial value when procuring common goods and services. In 2020/21, CCS helped the public sector to achieve commercial benefits equal to £2.04bn – supporting world-class public services that offer best value for taxpayers. This latest appointment follows a raft of successful framework wins for Pick Everard, including two other CCS frameworks – namely the Estates Management Services and Management Consultancy Framework Three. Managing partner Duncan Green said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be announcing this consortium agreement with Wood, another industry heavyweight. “When working in such close collaboration with another organisation, the cultural alignment is of utmost importance. We have worked closely with Wood throughout recent years and this consortium appointment is the next step in the evolution of our relationship. The complementary expertise and shared client-focussed approach across our businesses will position us well to tackle any project in the public sector, providing the best possible solutions and services for any client. “We’re also really pleased to see the appointment mark us within the top consultancies being successfully awarded more than four lots on the framework, backing up the excellent industry reputations of both businesses. We look forward to continuing our collective work to deliver the excellent, high-quality services and developments for the public sector that we are known for.” The lot appointments will see the two organisations able to support public sector bodies in delivering a wide and varied range of major and minor building and civil engineering projects throughout the UK, as well as internationally under lot 3. This will cover projects that include infrastructure, urban regeneration, and high-rise accommodation typically more than 18m in height, along with the provision of environmental and sustainability technical services. Ian Cromie, senior vice president at Wood, said: “Adding this major framework to our portfolio alongside an industry leader like Pick Everard is excellent news for us at Wood. It brings significant opportunities for our combined and complementary business expertise to create benefits for the wider public sector through our development schemes. “Being appointed to five of the six available lots is a brilliant result, seeing our solutions made available across a wider breadth of the sector through an excellent, compliant and respected procurement route. We very much look forward to working in close collaboration with Pick Everard through this consortium, and to working with our clients on schemes procured through the framework.” Wood is a global leader in consulting and engineering across energy and the built environment, operating in more than 60 countries and employing around 40,000 people. For more information, please visit www.woodplc.com. Pick Everard employs more than 600 staff across its 13 offices, providing a range of project, cost, and design consultancy services. For more information, please visit www.pickeverard.co.uk.
PICK Everard has added two key public sector frameworks to its portfolio following a successful appointment to two of Crown Commercial Service’s (CCS) frameworks, allowing it to expand and diversify its service offering for the public sector. Both the Management Consultancy Framework Three RM6187 (MCF3) and the Estate Management Services (EMS) framework from CCS are accessible to all public sector organisations in the UK. Pick Everard has been appointed to two lots on the MCF3, covering Business (Lot 1) and Environmental Sustainability and Socio-Economic Development (Lot 9). This framework agreement will run for four years. Lot 1 covers a diverse range of business services provision and will see Pick Everard delivering services including – but not limited to – business case development, business processes, change management, operational planning and improvement, programme and project management, and value for money reviews. Meanwhile Lot 9 will cover a wide range of environmental sustainability and socio-economic services, such as climate change adaptation, carbon management and reporting, natural resource management, pollution control, policy development, and social value. CCS supports the public sector to achieve maximum commercial value when procuring common goods and services. In 2020/21 CCS helped the public sector to achieve commercial benefits equal to £2.04bn – supporting world-class public services that offer best value for taxpayers. Alastair Hamilton, partner at Pick Everard, said: “We are thrilled to have secured these appointments and to be able to support the public sector through these key, central government-led frameworks that will undoubtedly benefit communities around the country. “Our appointment to MCF3, which is utilised by big players in the market and household names like HS2, will see us acting as cost and project managers in a much wider context, diversifying and expanding the services we offer beyond the property realm in which we have historically worked. “This secures us among the top project management suppliers in the UK – something we are very proud of – and opens new doors to us as a firm, along with the opportunity to bring the decades of public sector experience within the team to a new portion of the market. “Using this framework as a delivery vehicle for environmental sustainability services helps secure our continual commitment to sustainability and work towards net carbon zero. We understand how important this is to the public sector at the moment and look forward to supporting those clients in achieving their sustainability goals.” The firm has also secured Lot 4 of the Estate Management Services framework, namely ‘surveying and strategic advice’ with a term of three years (36 months) with an option to extend by a further 12 months. This multi-lot framework supports UK public sector bodies and future successor organisations, which includes central government departments. It is also available for use for the bodies and agencies connected with those departments as well as the wider public sector, including, but not limited to local government, health, education, emergency services, housing associations and charities. Services will be delivered primarily within the UK, with some limited requirements overseas. David Harris, partner at Pick Everard, said: “This marks a significant development in our on-going partnership with CCS, being the first time we have been selected to the Estate Management Services framework. It will allow us to maintain and develop existing relationships within CCS while building new ones within this specific area. “As well as extending our portfolio of work, these appointments will also solidify Pick Everard’s position in the market and will allow us to continue the growth in the strategic advisory, surveying and asset management areas of the business too. Our multi-disciplinary nature as a firm allows us to provide added value, being able to draw on our in-house expertise for all the commissions we deliver. And ultimately, this allows us to save costs, while maintaining a diamond standard of delivery.” Pick Everard employs more than 600 staff across its 13 offices, providing a range of project, cost, and design consultancy services. For more information, please visit www.pickeverard.co.uk.
