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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

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.”

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.”

Henry Brothers hands over first net-zero building

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.”

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.

Beard marks new community premises with donation

GRAHAM appointed to £40m West Cumberland Hospital redevelopment

GRAHAM has been appointed through the ProCure22 (P22) framework to undertake phase two of works at the West Cumberland Hospital (WCH) in Whitehaven for North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust. GRAHAM will be responsible for the design and build of a new extension to the existing hospital. Phase two will deliver upgraded facilities for both patients and staff to create a much-improved environment while retaining bed capacity and services. Once complete, the hospital will accommodate a new paediatric ward and assessment area, a care of the elderly ward, specialist palliative care ward, and a stroke and rehabilitation ward. Peter Reavey, GRAHAM Construction Director, said: “We’re looking forward to working with the trust to help deliver this latest phase of development, which will improve the provision of healthcare services locally. Using up to 70% modern methods of construction, an area we have embraced and worked hard to integrate with proven benefits and results, our team has the skills and experience to bring this development forward to timescale and budget.”

Working in collaboration with ISG, ARUP and Austin Smith Lord, HLM Architects has developed a design concept for a new joint education campus in the Fairwater area of Cardiff, Wales. Capturing Cardiff Council’s vision, the Fairwater Campus will co-locate Cantonian High School, Woodlands Secondary Additional Learning Needs (ALN) School and Riverbank Primary ALN School, all onto the existing Cantonian High School site in Fairwater. The development will form a fully-inclusive state-ofthe-art campus for over 2000 pupils and staff, which will also offer comprehensive facilities to the wider community outside of school hours. It will be the largest project delivered under the Cardiff Council and Welsh Government’s Band B Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme to date, in terms of scale and investment. Leading the way with its sustainability credentials, the project will significantly reduce its embodied carbon during the build stage and, once complete, it will be the city’s first school campus to be operationally net-zero carbon. To achieve this, the campus has been designed to be rich in biodiversity and integrate renewable energy sources, to significantly improve energy efficiency.

HLM develops pioneering design concept for new Cardiff education campus Soho Estates brings new affordable homes to central London

Soho Housing, soon to celebrate 50 years of providing social and affordable homes in the capital’s West End, has announced that it is letting eight new homes in the heart of Soho. As part of the Ilona Rose House development, Soho Estates has developed these contemporary two-bedroom apartments set in historic Greek Street, which will have a range of new amenities nearby. Each flat offers a modern living and dining area, a separate kitchen and access to private outdoor space and has been constructed with high-quality fittings and fixtures. The properties range in size from 72 to 84m2 and are accompanied by an accessible lift, bicycle storage and a secure access system. Environmental sustainability, a key feature of Soho Housing’s development standards, also sits at the heart of the project. The development will be highly energy efficient, with key measures including an air-sourced heating system, ensuring that every flat is EPC rated C or above. Now the project is complete, all eight homes will be let at a sub-market rent to ensure affordability for local working people. Soho Housing is partnering with Pinnacle Letting Agents to identify tenants who meet these criteria.

Guinness to build more affordable homes on land gifted by Glastonbury Festival Founder

Housing Association, The Guinness Partnership, has held an event to celebrate breaking ground on the second phase of its development in Pilton, Somerset. Michael Eavis, the Founder of the Glastonbury Festival, has donated part of his land to help meet local housing need. The first phase of 19 social rent homes at Margaret Bondfield Close was completed in 2018 and planning consent has now been granted for an additional 20 homes, which will also be for social rent. Mr Eavis has donated the land on condition that the homes will serve the local community in perpetuity. The development is supported by Strategic Partnership funding from Homes England and, as well as donating the additional land, Michael Eavis has also contributed £275,000 to the scheme. Guinness is working with the contractor EG Carter & Co which has commenced works on site. Mathew Vye, Associate Director at EG Carter & Co, said: “We are delighted to be working on the second phase of this development alongside Guinness and Glastonbury Festival. These new homes will not only be built to the highest quality but also provide much-needed homes for residents with strong connections to the village of Pilton. We are looking forward to working with both Guinness and Glastonbury Festivals as we continue to change people’s lives.”