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NEWS INDUSTRY UPDATES

Each month PSBJ rounds up the latest public sector construction updates, from new contracts to industry awards.

Green light for gamechanging £24m activities hub

A pioneering Warwickshire facility, which challenges the traditional notion of a leisure centre, has received planning permission thanks to sport and leisure specialist GT3 Architects. Located in Miners’ Welfare Park, the Bedworth Physical Activities Hub – delivered on behalf of Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council – has been designed to be welcoming and inviting for all user groups. The new hub will replace an existing centre, providing a new set of facilities that better meets the needs of the local community. The facility includes a 25m, eight-lane pool, learner pool with a moveable floor, 120-station fitness suite, two studios, a spin studio and associated changing areas as well as a cafe and multipurpose room. In addition, the surrounding park will undergo a major transformation with a focus on creating an active landscape that wraps around the new building. Matt McCreith, Project Architect at GT3, said: “We’re delighted to reach this important milestone of the project. The new hub is going to be a major asset for the borough and the landscape design for the park is truly transformational. The scheme aims to create an ‘active landscape’ that offers a variety of different activities and areas in a bid to promote movement and enjoyment of outdoor space. This includes exercise and play areas, walking routes and seating spaces.”

Contractor Henry Brothers has been appointed to Lot 2 of the YORbuild3 Minor Works Framework. The company has been successful for the south region of the framework, which covers local authorities, public-sector bodies and third-sector organisations in south Yorkshire, north Nottinghamshire and north Derbyshire areas. Henry Brothers has been selected for the lot that includes new-build and refurbishment projects valued between £1m and £4m. It is estimated that around £60m of work over four years will be procured for the south region of the framework via the lot. Managing Director of Henry Brothers Midlands, Ian Taylor, said: “This is great news for Henry Brothers as we continue to expand our portfolio. It is the eighth framework that Henry Brothers Midlands is currently on, meaning we have access to a significant pipeline of work in a range of sectors, including health, local authorities and education. We look forward to working in partnership with clients who procure via the YORbuild3 Minor Works Framework.” The south region of the framework is being procured by Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council and relates to the area covered by the Sheffield Local Enterprise Partnership. hub South West Scotland has handed over the new Prestwick Educational Campus project to South Ayrshire Council. Based at Sherwood Road in Prestwick, the new educational campus has been developed on the site of the existing Glenburn Primary School and will accommodate the school’s current intake, as well as the relocation of the nearby St Ninian’s Primary School and the creation of a new Early Years Centre and nursery. As the authority’s development partner, hub South West Scotland (hub SW) managed the development and delivery of the project and worked closely with construction partner Morgan Sindall, architect firm BDP, independent tester Capita and principal designer and cost consultant Gardiner and Theobald. The new campus consists of 22 classrooms and multipurpose rooms spread over two storeys, with an Early Years Centre and nursery facilities for children aged two to five. Incorporating leading sustainable methods into the project was key with the new campus running purely on electric power thanks to the installation of roof solar panels and air-source heat pumps for heating. In addition to a state-of-the-art sports hall, the new Prestwick Educational Campus will feature outstanding outdoor sporting amenities, including an all-weather pitch. A new allotment garden, willow garden and sensory garden will offer students and children from the surrounding community the opportunity to learn about local nature.

Plans to extend Leeds’ award-winning district heating network by 2500m will pass a major milestone as construction is set to begin. The extension marks the third major phase of the Leeds PIPES network and means that more buildings in new areas of the city will soon be able to enjoy the benefits of reliable, affordable and low-carbon district heating. The local authority secured £3m of grant funding from the Heat Network Investment Project, a Government funding programme, to enable the £7.4m upgrades to go ahead. By using heat and energy recovered from non-recyclable waste at the Recycling and Energy Recovery Facility (RERF) to provide hot water to buildings in the city, Leeds’ flagship district heating project helps businesses and residents to move away from costly fossil-fuel-powered heating systems. Last year, the network of insulated underground pipes, soon to stretch more than 28km in length, supplied 15,454 megawatt-hours of heating and helped reduce the city’s carbon footprint by more than 2000 tonnes. Leeds Combined Court Centre and Leeds Magistrates’ Court are the latest buildings to announce plans to connect to the scheme. The two buildings will connect as part of a wider programme of green upgrades over the next year. The project, delivered in partnership with Vital Energi, has also helped employ more than 430 people in the local low-carbon sector including 36 apprentices.

Henry Brothers YORbuild appointment to procure £60m of work Prestwick Educational Campus officially handed over to South Ayrshire Council

Construction begins on the extension of Leeds’ low-carbon heat network

Brownfield Housing Fund applications now open for new homes to be built in South Yorkshire

The South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) has announced that the Brownfield Housing Fund, which currently stands at circa £35m, has opened for applications from private sector developers, housing associations and other housing developers, between Monday 5th September and Friday 28th October 2022. In June 2020, the Government launched ‘A New Deal for Britain’, which is said to be the first step in the strategy to rebuild Britain following COVID-19 and fuel economic recovery across the UK. As part of this strategy, £53m of capital in total has been allocated to the SYMCA for supporting the development of over 3300 new homes on brownfield land and through conversions, to be started on site within South Yorkshire by March 2025. This funding builds upon the previous South Yorkshire Housing Fund, enabling SYMCA to support the delivery of a greater number of new homes to meet local needs, which would otherwise not be brought forward by the market. SYMCA will prioritise schemes based on how well they deliver against the principles of Stronger, Greener, Fairer, set out in its Strategic Economic Plan. The risks and overall deliverability of schemes will also be evaluated. All schemes will be assessed in accordance with the MCA Assurance Framework to ensure due diligence and value for money.

Experts and consultancies in a number of specialist areas, including property maintenance, water safety and radon and asbestos services, are being encouraged to register their early interest for an upcoming £90m public sector asset safety and compliance framework launching next year. The Asset Safety and Compliance (ASC1) framework from not-for-profit public sector framework provider LHC will cover all five LHC Group areas including Scottish Procurement Alliance (SPA), Welsh Procurement Alliance (WPA) and South West Procurement Alliance (SWPA), Consortium Procurement Construction (CPC) and London and South East (LSE). The framework will give all public sector bodies, including local authorities and housing associations, the opportunity to source expertise in a wide range of fire, gas and building safety, property protection and maintenance services for their asset stock under one framework. It is now open for suppliers to register their interest and participate in early market engagement. ASC1 brings together LHC’s existing Asbestos (AS2), Fire Safety (FS1), Vacant Property Protection (V7) frameworks under one umbrella, as well as introducing additional workstreams, to make it easier for contracting authorities to procure a variety of compliance services. After undergoing extensive roof and structural restoration assisted by a scaffolding structure weighing more than eight blue whales, the team behind the transformation of Derby’s iconic Market Hall has revealed that the first phase of work has now completed. The Grade II Listed Victorian market hall, which has been trading since 1866, will be transformed into a contemporary and vibrant cultural and retail destination. Wates Construction has been leading an expert project team of local architects and engineers on the flagship project, comprising Latham Architects, Rogers Leask and Clancy Consultants. The work completed includes masonry repairs to the building envelope, internal cleaning of the roof structure, and lead paint removal before the challenging and extensive heritage glazed-roof replacement works. This included increasing ridge height to accommodate natural ventilation for the building, copper roof replacement, gutter and rainwater works, access equipment, localised electric works, lightening protection and decoration. John Carlin, Regional Director at Wates Construction, said: “It has been a privilege to work on the restoration and transformation of such an iconic and unique building, maintaining its historic charm but also bringing it into the council’s overall modern vision for the revitalisation of the wider city centre.”

£90m public sector framework opens for early interest from asset safety and compliance experts Derby Market Hall marks completion of roof restoration

United Living Property Services awarded £3.2m contract to renovate social housing

United Living Group, a provider of infrastructure, housing and property services, has announced it has been awarded a £3.288m contract for the Earlesfield Estate Capital Works Project by South Kesteven District Council in Lincolnshire. The local authority has identified 152 post-war properties with Asbestos Containing Material (ACM) in Grantham, Lincolnshire. A number of the properties to benefit from the works are ‘Wimpey No Fines’ design, a typical post-war construction. In addition to removing the ACM, replacement kitchens and bathrooms will be fitted in 143 of the homes, accompanied by electrical, heating and door upgrades in a similar number. During the works, around 112 households will be temporarily rehomed during the renovations to minimise disruption. A property on the estate will become a dedicated information hub where residents can find out more and keep up to date with progress. Simon Will, Managing Director of United Living Property Services, commented: “We are absolutely delighted to have been selected to work on this important project with South Kesteven District Council. As a local contractor working in areas, such as Wolverhampton and Walsall, the scheme is perfectly positioned to fit in with our local delivery model. We look forward to working with both the council and residents to ensure they have a home that is greatly improved at the end of the scheme.”