SCAPE, one of the UK’s leading public sector procurement authorities, has appointed Rachel Sudlow as its R&D Lead in a newly created role designed to increase digital innovation across public sector construction. Rachel joins SCAPE following more than 10 years at Balfour Beatty, where she started as a quantity surveyor
Mark Robinson, group chief executive at SCAPE, one of the UK’s leading public sector procurement authorities, said: “Despite the sustained recovery of order books in the first half of the year, June’s fall in output is a sign that the long-term challenges facing the construction industry are starting to bite,
PEPPERMINT Junction, a road scheme representing the first stage of Peppermint Park – a 60,000 sq m food enterprise zone (FEZ) in Lincolnshire – has officially opened, celebrated at an event to showcase the opportunities available at the site on Friday (9 Feb). The scheme is being delivered by Perfect
BDC 319 : Aug 2024
SCAPE, one of the UK’s leading public sector procurement authorities, has appointed Rachel Sudlow as its R&D Lead in a newly created role designed to increase digital innovation across public sector construction. Rachel joins SCAPE following more than 10 years at Balfour Beatty, where she started as a quantity surveyor but was most recently focused on innovation and research, working with bodies such as Innovate UK to drive improved digital standards in the construction industry. The new role will see Rachel work closely with SCAPE’s clients and delivery partners to develop, encourage and apply new technologies and building methods to create more innovative, sustainable buildings. Rachel will also collaborate with various private and public sector partners outside of the construction industry, including funding bodies, research institutions and academia, as it continues to help shape the public sector’s response to the climate emergency. This includes a significant focus on BIM modelling utilised by SCAPE projects across the UK, ensuring that data from partners and clients is collected and used effectively to enhance strategic decision-making, improve efficiency and environmental performance at every stage, from procurement through the full life cycle of the building. Her appointment follows the launches of SCAPE’s latest suite of net-zero-ready construction and consultancy frameworks – SCAPE Construction, SCAPE Scotland Construction, SCAPE Consultancy and SCAPE Scotland Consultancy – which incorporate dedicated tools to help public sector organisations procure projects in a way that meets their sustainability and climate ambitions. SCAPE’s suite of construction and consultancy frameworks is used by more than 1,200 public bodies across the UK. The framework provider currently operates with a buying power of £18bn. Rachel Sudlow, R&D Lead at SCAPE, said: “At a time of significant regeneration across the public estate, it’s critical that the next generation of public sector buildings and infrastructure sets new standards for construction. Innovation will play a critical role and ultimately be supported by continually striving for better outcomes through the application of R&D. “Working with our clients and partners, and the wealth of data their projects produce, we have an outstanding opportunity to stimulate truly impactful innovation and ensure that the UK continues to be seen as a centre of excellence for construction.” Rachel will report directly to Chris Clarke, Director of Performance and Improvement at SCAPE. He said: “There’s little doubt that a combination of ingenuity and resource is needed to help address the complex needs of the public sector, including the climate emergency that has been declared by organisations across the UK and the world. Rachel’s addition to the team signals our commitment to both and will further set our clients’ projects apart in terms of adopting market-leading R&D in addition to best-in-class procurement. Through digital innovation, we can ensure an even greater legacy for the wave of public sector regeneration that is currently driving the UK’s economic recovery.”
Mark Robinson, group chief executive at SCAPE, one of the UK’s leading public sector procurement authorities, said: “Despite the sustained recovery of order books in the first half of the year, June’s fall in output is a sign that the long-term challenges facing the construction industry are starting to bite, with material and labour shortages inflating costs and extending project timelines. Inflation is tipped to continue rising until the end of the year at least, which has the potential to hamper the impact of increased government spending, as it looks to modernise infrastructure and stimulate a construction supercycle. “The support provided to SMEs in the coming months will be key to mitigating any negative long-term effects – particularly for those businesses with restricted buying power or weaker order books post-Covid. Larger contractors can play a key role by ensuring SMEs are able to plan effectively whilst supporting their cashflow through fair payment practices.”
PEPPERMINT Junction, a road scheme representing the first stage of Peppermint Park – a 60,000 sq m food enterprise zone (FEZ) in Lincolnshire – has officially opened, celebrated at an event to showcase the opportunities available at the site on Friday (9 Feb). The scheme is being delivered by Perfect Circle – a consortium comprising Pick Everard, Gleeds and AECOM. The three innovative industry leading firms were appointed for the scheme via Scape Group’s National Built Environment Consultancy Services (BECS) framework, which provides the broadest range of consultancy services available to the public sector. The consortium has completed the master planning proposals which will transform this strategically important site – located adjacent to the A17 and A151 in Holbeach, Lincolnshire – into a residential and commercial space. The proposals also include the expansion of the University of Lincoln’s enterprise site. “We’re delighted to be involved in the emerging plans for Peppermint Park in South Lincolnshire – with Peppermint Park now making excellent progress, with the land being unlocked thanks to the completion of the £5 million roundabout and road project. We recognise that this is a really important scheme for the area and one we are very pleased to see making progress,” said David Shaw, associate at Pick Everard. “As well as creating commercial space and an estimated 2,000 jobs for the local area, plans include highways improvements and the provision of approximately 900 new homes for the south of the county. “Thanks to funding secured through the Great Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership’s (GLLEP) Growth Deal Programme, the FEZ is starting to become a reality,” continued David. The scheme will focus on work in the food technology sector, supporting the farming county’s £2.5 billion agri-food contribution to the economy. It’s a sector that’s continuing to grow and is an area seeing significant investment, earmarking it as an industry of great importance for the future. “With Greater Lincolnshire’s third largest sector being agri-food and food manufacturing this development will really make a huge difference to the county – and the UK’s food economy,” added David. Ursula Lidbetter MBE, Chair of the Greater Lincolnshire LEP, said: “Greater Lincolnshire is at the heart of the UK’s food sector and we’re a nationally important cluster for food and agricultural technology, innovating in robotics and automation of the food chain. To support the sector our LEP is investing £6.8m to drive forward its three emerging Food Enterprise Zones. “A provisional allocation to the University of Lincoln of a further £2.4m will enable development of an Agri-Food Centre of Excellence at Peppermint Park later this year, building on the success of the National Centre for Food Manufacturing at Holbeach.” Victoria Brambini, managing director of Scape Procure, said: “It is great to see the development at Peppermint Park starting to take shape. Through the use of our unique framework, Greater Lincolnshire have been able to take advantage of the efficient engagement of the Perfect Circle team, starting the transformation of the area so as to achieve the huge community benefits as early as possible.”
