rodgers leask

EARLY AND OFTEN: THE ROADMAP TO COLLABORATION

With the construction industry at a crossroads when it comes to tackling big ticket issues such as net zero, it is clear that old methods of working are no longer passing muster. Kriston Harvey, director at national engineering consultancy Rodgers Leask, believes that the best way to put projects in

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BDC 321 : Oct 2024

rodgers leask

Framework success as Rodgers Leask appointed to university framework

Framework success as Rodgers Leask appointed to university framework

NATIONAL engineering consultancy Rodgers Leask has been awarded a place on a procurement framework with the University of Cumbria, achieving the highest score of any of the bidders in the chosen lot. The opportunity was secured by the team at the firm’s Liverpool office – which specialises in civil and structural engineering – led by director Chris Pollett. The ‘Estates Multi Lot Consultancy Framework’ seeks to support a range of projects with the university including upgrades and refurbishments across students’ residences, academic buildings, public realm, sports facilities and commercial units. The four-year framework is divided into seven lots, with Rodgers Leask successful on Lot 5; structural and civil engineering. Chris Pollett, regional director at Rodgers Leask, said: “This framework brings together a bespoke list of high-level suppliers within the built environment that we are proud to be a part of. We are keen to support the university in building towards their goals for the future, and driving forward our own portfolio of public sector work especially in the north west. “The team worked hard to produce this bid in what was a rigorous tender process. We expect a good mixture of smaller and larger projects across a range of the university’s diverse estate, which will be great experience for the team. We are looking forward to bringing our expertise on board for the next four years.” The University of Cumbria is a multi-campus university, offering high quality, research-informed academic studies to around 10,000 students. The university recently outlined its ambitious 2030 strategy which includes new campus developments in Carlisle and Barrow, as well as improvements to its Lancaster campus. The university’s vision is to transform lives and livelihoods through learning, applied research and practice – for now and for our future generations. For more information on civil, structural, geo-environmental and transport engineering consultancy Rodgers Leask, visit rodgersleask.com.  Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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Suds, Sabs and Statutes: How England can tackle its Surface Water Problem

Suds, Sabs and Statutes: How England can tackle its Surface Water Problem

FLOODING is an age-old consideration when it comes to urban development, but it has historically been most commonly associated with rivers, the sea or groundwater. However, recent research has shown just how big a threat surface water is, making up the lion’s share of the UK’s flood risk. Dave Bathurst, regional director at Rodgers Leask, says that a wider implementation of sustainable urban drainage systems (SuDS) is the most natural remedy to the issue, and that the latest government review into existing legislation could be the catalyst for increasing their usage in urban planning. As a country with more than its fair share of rainfall, flood risk assessment has traditionally been a key part of the planning process, but the sheer scale of the UK’s surface water problem has only really come to light in the last decade or so. When the summer of 2007 saw England and Wales suffer 414mm of rainfall – more than in any period since records began in 1766 – more than 55,000 properties were damaged by flooding. When these figures were analysed, the findings showed that two-thirds were understood to be flooded by surface runoff overloading drainage systems. This was backed up by the government including it on its national risk register in 2016, and subsequently by the Environment Agency, with its chief executive Sir James Bevan stating that more than three million properties in England are at risk of surface water flooding. While it took a historically wet period for this to be identified as an issue that is as, if not more, threatening than fluvial flooding, dealing with the drainage of surface water is a long-standing problem that needs creative approaches to solve. This is where sustainable urban drainage systems (SuDS) come in. Prompted by the 2007 floods, the SuDS Manual was first published to provide guidance on planning, design, construction and maintenance of sustainable urban drainage systems. SuDS are generally accepted to be the most efficient way to implement successful surface water drainage, minimising run-off in an environmentally friendly way by mimicking natural water systems such as ponds, wetlands, swales and basins. While engineers often disagree about the approach to a lot of different challenges, almost all would agree that integrating SuDS at the earliest opportunity of a scheme is crucial to its success. CHALLENGING THE APPROACH Despite the obvious benefits of SuDS, it has been a long journey to inform and educate on their virtues, especially as the enforcement of legislation supporting their use – especially in England – hasn’t been especially forthcoming. Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 provides a framework for the widespread adoption of SuDS and gives local authorities the role of sustainable drainage approval body (SAB), with responsibility for checking compliance and approving their use. Despite this, there has been a real reticence in England to push beyond a planning-led approach – where the use of SuDS is recommended but not enforced – to a more legislative one. Previous efforts to implement Schedule 3 met particularly strong resistance from the National Housing Federation. However, this has not been the case in Wales, where the devolved government has taken strong action in commencing the enforcement of Schedule 3. Since 2019, all new developments in Wales of more than one dwelling, or with a construction area of 100 square metres or more, must include sustainable drainage systems for surface water, and these must be designed and built in accordance with statutory standards. The success of this approach – along with the findings of David Jenkins’ report into responsibilities around surface water and drainage – have prompted Westminster to belatedly reconsider its approach to Schedule 3, leading to the decision earlier this year to implement it across England – essentially making it the default for almost all new developments. This process is being led by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) in consultation with the Association of SuDS Authorities, with an initial consultation set to take place this year ahead of implementation in 2024. RIGHTING THE WRONGSThere is a feeling across the flood risk assessment community that this decision is a case of “better late than never”, but there is still a long way to go. If you look at a 2012 Defra consultation, the results show that while government policy actively encouraged developers to build SuDS, only an estimated 40% of new developments were drained by them.   New plans appear to outline that SABs will check that detailed design of SuDS comply with the principles agreed at the planning stage, and if they are approved for adoption inspections will be carried out by SABs at key stages of construction – such as backfilling of underground attenuation tanks. Developers I have spoken to recently have voiced concerns that where there is ambiguity there is going to be further delays to an already slow approvals process, which favours nobody but at present is merely speculation. Though uncertainty over who is responsible for maintenance and the fees that will be charged for the application process to get SAB approval will also create a sense of unease in the build-up to legislative change. Furthermore, from a local authority perspective, recruitment will be required to help process applications and carry out inspections, but not knowing the application fee makes it difficult to budget. Currently, most local authorities only have the resources to respond to surface water drainage proposals for major planning applications, but Schedule 3 will require them to respond to all proposals above a 100m2 threshold – so there is clarity needed as far as in advance possible to make the transition smoother. Time will tell, but the implementation of Schedule 3 in England could well be the catalyst that pushes SuDS up the list of key masterplanning components. Getting everybody on board with a new statutory standard, which is expected to include a couple of amendments from the current non-statutory standard, begins with education, and developers need to be advised by engineers who

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EARLY AND OFTEN: THE ROADMAP TO COLLABORATION

With the construction industry at a crossroads when it comes to tackling big ticket issues such as net zero, it is clear that old methods of working are no longer passing muster. Kriston Harvey, director at national engineering consultancy Rodgers Leask, believes that the best way to put projects in a place to succeed is through a collaborative approach, both with clients and throughout the supply chain. The idea of taking a more collaborative approach to construction is not exactly revolutionary – Sir John Egan’s Rethinking Construction white paper laid a blueprint for it nearly a quarter of a century ago – but in an industry with deeply entrenched behaviours, old habits die hard. For the industry to get into a scenario where collaboration is truly valued in achievement of issues such as net zero, there needs to be a seismic shift away from a “lowest price wins” mindset. While it is understandable for clients to sway towards the cost factor, it can permeate throughout the supply chain, so it is the responsibility of all within the supply chain to rethink our approach of how we work together – once one supplier starts putting price before progress, the domino effect begins. Key to this is valuing relationships between supply chain partners and holding each other to a high standard. For Rodgers Leask, the strength of our relationship with a certain partner is valued significantly higher than the cost of working with them, and it’s the same with clients we work for. This is proven through 90 per cent of our work now being repeat business and our level of service proving that there is an alternative framework for success achieved by offering quality over lowest cost. Whether it is an old or new client, forming strong relationships is an absolute cornerstone of working in a collaborative way, and that starts with early engagement. Key engineering constraints can be missed unless picked up right from the start, so having that early conversation can save clients significant amounts of time and money by preventing them from being led down the garden path. It’s fairly common practice for multi-disciplinary consultancies to be asked for high-level advice at the very start of a scheme, so having that open and trusting relationship means that clients quickly understand all the things they need to be thinking about and make informed decisions moving forward. It really comes down to a simple case of earlier engagement creating a better result all round. A MULTI-DISCIPLINARY APPROACH Collaboration from a supply chain perspective is especially important when you are dealing with projects that span the whole breadth of engineering disciplines. The vast majority of projects Rodgers Leask works on – such as the Becketwell regeneration in Derby city centre and our continuing work with Rolls-Royce Submarines – have multiple disciplines involved, and this is where clients can unlock some value in terms of collaboration by bringing everything under one roof. From a client’s perspective, this minimises the external points of contact and brings an ease of communication that can help projects run more succinctly. Meanwhile, the consultant can leverage economies of scale, meaning that a multi-disciplinary firm can give clients more bang for their buck while overseeing a collaborative approach in the supply chain. This is particularly pertinent with private sector clients, where the absence of more formal procurement routes mean that relationships are forged more strongly and repeat work is more common. TOGETHER, EVERYONE ACHIEVES MORE While collaboration in the supply chain may be easier to achieve with private sector clients, it is arguably more important to achieve in the public sector, where every penny is monitored and every process is scrutinised. With public sector procurement routes dictating how projects are awarded, there is often a significant weighting towards cost when it comes to consultant appointments via a traditional tendering process. However, there are ways in which consultants can work collaboratively before entering the procurement process to ensure that local authority clients are getting the best of both worlds. Consortiums are becoming increasingly popular, and Rodgers Leask has recently found success on the ESPO 2664 Property, Building and Infrastructure Advice and Management Services framework by leading a cross-disciplinary group of four consultants. Working as one collaborative group – featuring project manager and cost consultant Bentley Project Management, architect Whittam Cox and mechanical and electrical engineers CPW –   will mean that that public sector bodies can rapidly access all four practices’, bringing better value for money, fewer contact points and – crucially – a more efficient way of working. With the Construction Playbook and Mosey Report pointing firmly towards more collaborative approaches being the construction industry’s future, the time has never been more right for consultants to look at their attitudes towards working with both clients and the supply chain. Only by doing this can we look to not only tackle the big challenges of the day, but also deliver best value for clients looking forward. For more information on Rodgers Leask, please visit https://rodgersleask.com/.

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