NEWS
INDUSTRY UPDATES Each month PSBJ rounds up the latest public sector construction updates, from new contracts to industry awards.
Council appoints hub South West to deliver new school
Henry Brothers hands over first net-zero building
Dumfries and Galloway Council has appointed hub South West Scotland, the construction and infrastructure-focused partnership that works with local authorities and private-sector enterprises in Lanarkshire, Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway, to develop the new Dumfries High School. One of 25 projects selected as part of phase two of the Scottish Government’s Learning Estate Investment Programme (LEIP), the new school will accommodate a school roll of 796 pupils with construction on the existing site. The project will deliver enhanced science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) learning, embedded within the curricular offering and facilities shaped to support this and enhance the pupil experience. Neil McIntyre, Project Management Lead for Phase 2 of Dumfries Learning Town at Dumfries and Galloway Council, said: “The new Dumfries High School will be recognised as a landmark community investment, which will enhance the learning experience of our young people and will be also a beacon of community sports and leisure activity.” Chief Executive of hub South West, Michael Ross, said: “The new school building will achieve the highest standards of construction in line with the Scottish Government’s key measures of energy consumption, condition, digital and economic growth, and we believe that, when completed, it will be a continuing source of pride for the people of Dumfries for generations to come.”
Contractor Henry Brothers has handed over its first net-zero carbon building, a new £4.4m nursery and forest school at Staffordshire University. The Woodlands Day Nursery and Forest School, a single-storey building, is timber frame with timber cladding and features an external timber canopy covered walkway for social interaction. It is highly energy efficient and airtight, and is targeting net-zero whole-life carbon. Other sustainable features of the building include REHAU earth tubes and air source heat pumps which use passive cooling/heating rather than mechanical ventilation; along with roof-mounted solar photovoltaic panels to offset carbon emissions. David Henry, Managing Director of Henry Brothers, said: “We are delighted to hand over our first carbon-neutral project, providing Staffordshire University with a futureproof building that will be sustainable for many years to come. With exceptional teamwork from Henry Brothers and the estates department at the university, we have overcome the challenges of the pandemic to deliver a superb modern nursery and forest school on campus.”
Prestigious Welsh Government commission for Bruton Knowles Prominent chartered surveyor firm, Bruton Knowles, has been commissioned to advise the Ystadau Cymru, the Welsh Government public assets network, as the public sector in Wales strives to fulfil its ambition to reach a target of net zero by 2030. Experts from Bruton Knowles’ National Building Consultancy Team, based out of the Cardiff office, are gearing up to support the Ystadau Cymru in their work to decarbonise the public estate. Specifically, the focus for Bruton Knowles will be to deliver a pilot study, focusing on the north Wales region. The team will help to identify those types of public buildings where quick wins can be achieved in the decarbonisation of assets, as well as those which are likely to be more problematic to retrofit measures. Ystadau Cymru will use this study to work with public-sector partners to find appropriate solutions. The objective of the work is to identify where investment can best be directed across the estate to ensure progress along the trajectory towards the netzero-by-2030 target is achieved. Bruton Knowles’ Managing Partner, James Bailey, said: “We’re delighted to be working with the Welsh public sector on their decarbonisation agenda as they set the pace in delivering their net-zero targets.”
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Beard marks new community premises with donation Bristol-based construction firm Beard has marked the completion of new premises for The Park Centre in Knowle with a donation to the community. The project included construction of two new buildings that will be home to a number of community groups, and the donation from Beard’s charitable foundation will provide £10,000 for new furniture. Commenting on the completion of the project, Matthew Cooper, Director at Beard Bristol, said: “The park is a central part of the local community. From football teams to tattoo artists, there are so many people who call the centre home. It was crucial for us to deliver a space that meets their aspirations. We are proud to have achieved this, and to have received very positive feedback from the community about the new buildings and facilities.” The project, which began in November 2020, has meant The Park Centre has moved from its previous site just metres away at the former Merrywood School on Daventry Road, which will be demolished to make way for a new 900-place secondary school. The old Merrywood School building was closed in 2000, and then turned into The Park Centre community hub, providing space for a variety of local businesses and groups, including a nursery, gym, an animal welfare group and a disability charity. It was also used as the location for a number television productions, including the Channel 4 comedy-drama series, Teachers.
