premier 15-5 by PHIL AINLEY

Roma Publications

Volume 15 - Issue 5

What’s the secret to construction success? An interview with PGC’s Dean Hocking

Offshore Renewables We take a look at the growing number of projects powering Europe

LEADing the way in the construction industry

We meet a graduate of the LEAD management programme

Advantage West Midlands

How have government cuts affected the RDA’s plans?

Meet the latest addition to the City’s skyline Nomura move into new City premises

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Contents PREMIER CONSTRUCTION

Volume 15 • Issue 5

Dear readers, A hearty welcome to our latest overview of the construction industry, in which we begin with a focus the burgeoning offshore renewables industry, including such highlights as the rescued former Vestas facility in Campbeltown and the developing Walney offshore wind farm. In the North West, the LEAD management programme continues to benefit the construction sector. We meet a graduate whose role in the sector has been enhanced following his recent graduation from the scheme. In the North East and Yorkshire, the Leeds Arena project begins to overcome a difficult inception, whilst the Midlands region continues to profit from the ongoing stewardship of its Regional Development Agencies. In the South West, developers have been proudly surveying their work on SouthGate Bath as the project passes yet more milestones. In London and the South East, meanwhile, we feature the usual flush of news including works to develop London Southend Airport and a sympathetic strengthening programme on the capital’s historic Albert Bridge. Moving outside England, Welsh eyes are on the forthcoming Construct 2010 event, tickets for which are being snapped up with relish. Elsewhere in the principality, forces charity St. Dunstan’s is soon to unveil a new Llandudno base. In Scotland, the Portrait of the Nation scheme is pouring millions into Scottish culture. On the logistical front, plans to develop Montrose Port are advancing towards a goal of removing thousands of road journeys from the region’s carbon tally. Excitement is building in Ireland amongst transport developers, with news that the DART Underground scheme is subject to competitive bids from at least four heavyweight international consortia. Simultaneously, Dublin’s Luas extension is edging ever nearer to completion. We also review recent news of works carried out by two of the Channel Islands’ major contractors – Style Group and Charles Le Quesne. Finally, our usual roundup of the associations includes a word from Dr. Sally Mackenzie of the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, as well as advice from the Confederation of Roofing Contractors on choosing the right roofer. Our inbox has been full of comments, suggestions and contributions of late, and we encourage you to keep getting in touch by emailing editorial@romauk.net. For now, though, we hope you enjoy our latest issue. Read on!

Graham Schulz, Editor

Focus on Offshore Renewables Campbeltown offshore factory...........................................................................8 Walney wind farm................................................................................................16 Greater Gabbard wind farm..............................................................................27 Black Rock Hydro...............................................................................................33

North West LEAD Programme..............................................................................................38

North East & Yorkshire Leeds Arena.......................................................................................................42 Seasons, Barnsley.............................................................................................49

Midlands Advantage West Midlands.................................................................................51 Welbeck Estate...................................................................................................55

South West Southgate Bath..................................................................................................58 Bristol College of Law........................................................................................59

London & South East London Southend Airport..................................................................................62 Albert Bridge strengthening programme.........................................................69

Wales Construct 2010...................................................................................................76 St. Dunstan’s, Llandudno..................................................................................78

Scotland Scottish National Portrait Gallery.....................................................................90 Montrose Port.....................................................................................................92

Ireland DART Underground..........................................................................................102 Luas extension..................................................................................................106 Channel Islands Style Group........................................................................................................108 Charles Le Quesne............................................................................................111 Associations Constructed Wetlands.....................................................................................116 CORC.................................................................................................................131

Managing Director: Marcus Howarth Editor:

Graham Schulz

Contributors:

Lesley Coward

Production Manager: Danielle Burgoyne Advert Co-ordinator: Kelsie Howarth Published by:

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RenewableUK 2010: The UK’s premier renewable energy event 2-4 November 2010 Why not join more than 3,000 people at RenewableUK’s 32nd annual 3-day conference and exhibition. The event is to be held 2-4 November 2010 at the Scottish Exhibition Conference Centre (SECC), Glasgow. RenewableUK is the UK’s leading renewable energy trade association. It was formed in 1978 and now has more than 600 corporate members across the entire industry. Their primary purpose is to promote the use of wind, wave and tidal power in and around the UK. RenewableUk act as a central point of information for their members and as a lobbying group for the sector to government, industry, media and the public. The event features more than 200 speakers and 270 exhibitors. All the technologies RenewableUK represents are covered within the three days of conference sessions, including Onshore Wind, Offshore Wind, Small Wind Systems, and Wave and Tidal energy. RenewableUK 2010 also includes more technical content than in previous years, and a range of social and side events including a free-to-attend careers fair on Day 3. RenewableUk has been championing wave and tidal energy for over 5 years, with approximately one third of its members having interests in this sector. Day 2 (3rd November 2010) features a dedicated Wave and Tidal exhibition complemented by a series of Wave and Tidal conference sessions. The UK is Europe’s largest market for small wind systems and is set to grow by over 180% by the end of 2010. A dedicated Small Wind Systems event will take place on Day 3 (4th November 2010). This includes a dedicated exhibition complemented by a series of conference sessions and free public educational sessions. The Small Wind exhibition is perfect for farmers, landowners, the public and anyone else interested in small wind turbines and learning about new financial incentives. The Small Wind

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exhibition forms part of the public open day activities and is free to attend. Please note those wishing to attend the public open day activities still need to pre-register online. Over the 3 days more than 270 companies active in the UK wind, wave and tidal energy sector will be on display at the exhibition. Exhibitors include manufacturers, developers, contractors, suppliers/service companies, electricity generators/ utilities, financiers, insurance companies, research institutes, engineers, recruitment consultants and many more Key speakers at the event are:- Alex Salmond, First Minister, Scottish Government and Charles Hendry, Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change. Various ticket types are available, from full conference and exhibition passes, to one-day exhibition only passes, single session upgrades, Wave & Tidal passes, Small Wind passes and Public Day Passes. All prices are subject to VAT. Concessions are available. To find out more about RenewableUK 2010 and the various conferences and exhibitors please visit www.renewable-uk.

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Danish job saviours near completion of Campbeltown factory The extension to the former Vestas facility in Campbeltown is in its final stages and is nearing completion. The £9.6 million purpose-built facility is being extended by a team including Rok and architects ADF will allow Danish firm Skykon and sister firm Welcon Towers to treble tower production, increase the size range and turnover rate of its products and boost staff numbers at the plant from 100 to 300. Skykon vice-president Niels Brix recently told Premier Construction, “The project is going to plan, which is encouraging. The market is demanding, and this facility will help us to compete successfully by providing more capacity, larger-scale production, greater efficiency, more modern equipment and a better layout. We have been able to make savings by automating some processes that were not previously automated, but that doesn’t mean making people redundant since the bigger workload will mean hiring more local people and bringing extra employment to the area”.

Recent News At the start of October 2010, Skykon opened the factory for the day to allow locals to come and witness what the Danish firm had been up to and answer their questions about the future of the site. More than 800 employees, local stakeholders, honoraries and local families from the Machrihanish area attended to the event - around 20% of the inhabitants in the area. “It is the second time we open our factory. The reason for doing this is to raise awareness of Skykon and demonstrate openness about our plans for the future as well as our contribution to the local community”, said Skykon’s Johnny Skov. He continued, “The factory is being extended and we are moving into a phase where we have to attract additional talented colleagues. With this event we hope to create an understanding of our interesting business as well as the opportunities we are offering our employees in Skykon. Finally the open day was a good opportunity for our employees to spend a relaxed day with their families and friends showing them our workplace. Our hope was more than fulfilled as we have never counted on so much interest. This is absolutely not the last time we will arrange a day like this”. The Open Factory Day offered the visitors the possibility to see the facility on a guided tour as well as to hear more about the progress of the extension, the improved infrastructure in the local area and information on career opportunities in Skykon. The children were invited to have fun with bouncing castles and face painting.

Background Skykon bought the Campbeltown facility from Vestas in March 2009 amid much fanfare from the Scottish government, with first minister Alex Salmond flying out to the Machrihanish site for the photo opportunity. The closure of the Vestas facility had been mooted in August 2008, prompting the Scottish government, Highlands & Islands Enterprise (HIE) and Scottish Development International (SDI) to step in and help to find a buyer. SDI awarded a regional selective assistance (RSA) grant of £9.2

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million to Welcon Towers and HIE contributed about £500,000 in training support. The Danish firm also secured £35m of private capital investment to fund the expansion. When local suppliers and contractors are taken into account, the Scottish Government estimated that more than 450 jobs would be supported by the wind turbine plant. Road transport to the local harbour, and the harbour itself, are being upgraded to deal with exports from the improved factory. Neils Brix said, “The market for wind is growing here and the UK is the most exciting market for us. I think the agenda about wind energy is so clear and the government and public are supportive”. He explained that the UK had one of the strongest markets for wind energy, a fact that had influenced Skykon’s decision to buy the Scottish plant. The Scottish government’s energy target is to meet 50 per cent of electricity demand from renewable sources by 2020, with an interim target of 31 per cent by 2011. Scotland has been estimated to have 25 per cent of Europe’s wind energy potential, as well as a quarter of Europe’s tidal energy resources.

About Skykon The Danish wind farm specialists operate across Europe and have made strides into China (with a new facility in the city of Xuzhou) and the US with a workforce that has now grown to around 500. The former Vestas facility represents the group’s first activity in Scotland. The main products to be produced in Xuzhou are blade moulds including the plugs on which these moulds are built. “We are currently witnessing a booming market for blade moulds in China. Several newcomers are entering the Asian market, and they all need this strategic manufacturing equipment. In addition, many of the established companies are developing new generations of larger capacity and higher quality blades. These factors will drive the market in the coming years”, said Jesper Oehlenschlaeger, Skykon CEO, at the time of the facility’s unveiling. Skykon specialises in the production of a large variety of offshore solutions, including monopiles up to 800t, jackets up to 1,000t, transition pieces, towers, one section towers and floating foundations. Find out more by visiting www.skykon.com

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European Offshore Roundup A look at some of the stand-out offshore projects of the last 12 months Harnessing the wind at Gunfleet A new 48-turbine wind farm is in operation at Gunfleet Sands, approximately 7km south-east of Clacton-onSea, Essex. The project is the work of DONG Energy. The wind farm’s 48 turbines, each with a capacity of 3.6MW, give a total capacity of 172MW. The rotor diameter of the turbines is 107m, with a maximum height of 129m from blade tip to sea level. The total area of the development is 17.5km2. The turbines are positioned with a spacing of 435m x 890m. A temporary 500m safety zone was established around the Gunfleet Sands Wind Farm site during construction. Once the construction phase finished, both fishing and leisure craft were permitted to pass through the wind farm site. Now the project is completed, approximately 120,000 homes or approximately 90% of the households in Tendring district and Colchester City can be provided with clean electricity in the years to come. The project makes a considerable contribution to the domestic UK target of reducing CO2 emissions by 20% below 1990 levels by 2010. The electricity export cable from the offshore windfarm comes ashore at Holland Haven and connects to the existing Clacton substation at Cooks Green. Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) was required to install the cable ducting under the seawall at Holland Haven. In agricultural land and along roads, a conventional trench was excavated and ducts installed. Then the cables were pulled through the ducted section in approximately 400m - 800m lengths. After cable installation was completed, all the individual cable sections were joined together and the full cable system tested. When the testing is finished, final reinstatement will take place. The export cable runs from the offshore transformer station to landfall at Holland Haven and is buried in a trench approximately 2m deep. The cable installation barge, ‘EIDE-28’ installed the export cable during late autumn 2008. The array cables connecting the wind turbines and offshore sub-station were

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installed during 2009. The 48 monopiles were installed using the crane barge ‘Svanen’, working in deeper water, and the jack-up barge ‘Excalibur’, working in shallower water. Each monopile measuring up to 50m tall and weighing 400 tonnes, was driven up to 40m into the seabed by hydraulic hammer in a process taking between two and four hours per monopile. The total time to install a monopile and transition piece is under two days. The transition pieces are then mounted on top of the monopiles by crane, and are painted yellow to assist with navigation. Each transition piece weighs 230 tonnes and is 23m tall. The wind turbines generate electricity at a voltage of 33kV. The offshore sub-station collects the electricity from all the wind turbines and steps the voltage up to the local grid voltage of 132kV. The 3.6MW wind turbines arrived in large component form directly by barge from Esbjerg, Denmark. The main tower is assembled first, followed by the turbine nacelle and finally the three blades are fitted. The total weight of the turbine is 800 tonnes. Turbine installation commenced in spring 2009. The large cranes and jack-up barges were positioned using tugs which utilise state-of-the-art positioning systems for pinpoint accuracy. These tugs worked out of local ports in the Thames Estuary area. A number of smaller vessels worked out of Brightlingsea on the River Colne, carrying out surveys and continuing environmental monitoring studies. They were also used to ferry personnel to and from the wind farm. The wind farm was commissioned in phases as the turbines became available for energy production. Commissioning started during autumn 2009, and the wind farm reached full production during 2010.

Vattenfall completes Thanet project Vattenfall acquired the Thanet Offshore Wind Farm project in

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November 2008. Construction was completed in September 2010, bringing in 100 Vestas V90 wind turbines that have a total capacity of 300 MW. This is sufficient to supply more than 200,000 homes per year with clean energy. It is the largest operational offshore wind farm anywhere in the world and will make a significant contribution to the government’s national and regional renewable energy targets. The Thanet project is located approximately 12 km off Foreness Point, the most eastern part of Kent. Some elements of the onshore construction work commenced at the former Richborough power station in January 2008 where the onshore substation is located. Vattenfall is one of the biggest wind power operators in Britain and is the fifth largest energy producer in Europe. The Kentish Flats wind farm off Herne Bay/Whitstable, Kent is also owned by Vattenfall. An Environmental Impact Assessment has been prepared to determine the effects on the local environment. The scope of these studies has been agreed with the appropriate government and environmental bodies. A range of potential benefits are expected for the east Kent area from this development, including: The total investment for completing the wind farm is in the order of around £780 million. A proportion of this was spent locally with benefits for local suppliers and services. Local contractors and workers were used in support of the development. A local maintenance facility has been built in the Port of Ramsgate; 21 people have been hired and 20 of these are from East Kent. Tourism may be boosted. Many visitors have been attracted to both onshore and offshore wind farm developments in the past. Making a significant contribution towards the South East’s renewable targets to help tackle the problems of climate change.

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Horns Reef – what happens when the offshore giants get together Horns Reef Offshore Wind Farm is 60 percent owned by the Vattenfall Group and 40 percent owned by DONG Energy. The farm is located off the coast of Denmark and was first created in 2002 when 80 wind turbines were erected 14km out into the North Sea. It is one of the largest offshore wind farms in the world and is capable of producing an annual production of wind power that can correspond with the consumption of 150,000 households using 4,000 kWh per year. Now, since January 2010 and after a range of additions to the site, the farm is up and running. The Horns Reef Wind Farm represents the first phase of a large-scale Danish effort to produce non-polluting electricity from offshore wind turbines. In accordance with the Danish government’s targets, wind turbines with a total capacity of 4000 MW must be established in Danish waters by 2030. “When looking at the Danish onshore wind turbine market you have to conclude that it is one of the most mature markets in the world and there is little suitable space left to create these kinds of projects”, Henrik Lehmann of DONG Energy continued. “Consequently, the number of onshore projects in development compared with the amount of offshore projects is very small”. “There is an ongoing discussion about how to cope with the lack of space onshore in comparison to how many wind turbines are needed to bring the carbon emissions down. There is much larger potential to put wind farms up offshore in Denmark”. The Horns Reef project originally received planning approval in 1999 with a stipulation that the natural surroundings, the wildlife living in the reef and the coastal beauty remain as untainted as possible. An environmental monitoring programme began between 1999 and 2000 to scrutinise the activities of the marine life in this area of the North Sea to ensure that any intrusion into their natural habitat would be kept to an absolute minimum. An extensive range of visualisations and visibility studies were

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also conducted in order to assess to what level the view from the shore would be erected. Following all of these necessary research methods, it was determined that the development of the wind farm would not grossly affect its surroundings and the Horns Reef Wind Farm project began. Mr. Lehman concluded, “There is an ongoing discussion about how to cope with the lack of space onshore in comparison to how many wind turbines are needed to bring the carbon emissions down. There is much larger potential to put wind farms up offshore in Denmark”.

Proserv Engineers at Proserv-Offshore, part of the Proserv Group, have put their inventiveness to valuable use at a number of offshore wind farm construction sites including Walney 1. Proserv’s Mike Yeomans told Premier Construction about a new device which has already allowed various offshore developers to make massive savings in time and money: “We have a pile cleaner which can remove marine growth from the surface of a monopile in 90 minutes - an operation which would normally take diving teams around 30 hours’. He explained, “The piles are designed to receive as the next part in the construction process a ‘transition piece’, and the problem that can occur during assembly is that the pile can sit in the seawater for some time before the transition piece is put into place. Even a brief spell underwater attracts marine growth which can affect the integrity of the grouting process which bonds the transition piece to the monopile. “Our device works by being lowered into the open mono pile and located in place, a cleaning assembly is then lowered down the pile, and uses a combination of high pressure water jets and a spinning movement to completely clean the pile to a preset depth. It’s a unique piece of equipment, which is why we are looking at Patent protection. It’s been so successful on the three major installation contracts where it has been deployed to date that we believe that it could become standard procedure as part

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of monopile offshore wind generator construction”. Proserv’s R&D engineers are constantly coming up with innovations, of which this new tool is one of many. Mike added, “We are very aware of the need to bring new technology to the renewables energy offshore market that solves problems and is cost effective, operationally efficient and reliable. “This product, like many others in the Proserv range, demonstrates the firm’s commitment to the fast growing renewables market”. Find out more about the Proserv Group at www. proserv-group. com

GEO GEO provides Denmark’s most comprehensive geotechnical consulting services - onshore and offshore. The company covers all aspects of investigation, including surveying, CPT and drilling, advanced lab work and engineering. Internationally, GEO is a leading expert in offshore site investigation and geotechnical engineering, for wind farms, pipelines and jack-up structures. Recent contracts include, as well as Walney, Denmark’s Anholt wind farm, Belgium’s ELDEPASCO project and the Race Bank development near Skegness. GEO’s director of marine operations, Jens Brink Clausen, told Premier Construction, “At the moment, our marine division is seeing expansion in the offshore wind market as our work in the oil and gas sectors continues. We are also working on projects like the bridge linking Denmark and Germany, while our other divisions carry out a wide range of work including environmental, civil, housing and remedial projects. That shows our versatility”. Learn more about GEO and find out what the firm can bring to your project by visiting www.geo.dk (available in English)

MPI Offshore MPI’s flagship vessel, the MPI Resolution, has been hard at work at the heart of a successful collaboration with DONG on the Barrow Offshore Wind Farm. Resolution is the world’s first purpose-built vessel for installing offshore wind turbines, foundations and transition pieces. Her scope of works included: • Transportation of the foundation components from the fabricators in Belgium • Installation of the foundations in the field • Receiving the turbine components at an onshore facility with an element of sub assembly • Turbine installation in the field • Installation of turbine interconnecting array cables and installation of the single export cable • Load out and installation of the 480t offshore transformer structure, fully fitted out onshore In early May 2006, the last turbine and array cable were installed. The turbine construction period had run through the whole winter season to complete the project works. This track record proved Resolution’s capacity in such conditions, and opened to MPI the opportunity of continuous round the year operations. The new sister vessel to Resolution, the MPI Adventure, has been contracted to work on the London Array project, the world’s largest offshore wind farm. The MPI Adventure will be used for the installation of foundations and turbines for the first phase of what potentially will be the world’s first 1GW offshore wind farm. In future, the MPI Resolution will also be working with Dong on the Lincs Offshore Wind Farm. More information on MPI’s specialist vessels is to be had at www.mpi-offshore.com

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Walney wind workers forge ahead

Remarkable progress is being made on DONG Energy’s Walney Offshore Wind Farm in Cumbria. During the years 2010 to 2011, Walney (UK) Offshore Wind Farms Ltd. plans to construct phase I and II of the Walney Offshore Wind Farm, located approximately 15km off Walney Island, Cumbria, in the East Irish Sea.

cables on the seabed carries the power to shore. The offshore substation in Walney 1 is placed inside the area of the wind farm, and was placed on Tuesday 15 June 2010, as one gigantic 1,100-tonne lifting operation concluded that phase of the project

The project will be constructed in two phases. Each phase consists of 51 turbines with a total capacity of 367.2MW. The development includes foundations, turbines, export and array cables, offshore substations and onshore connection to the power grid. Walney Offshore Wind farm is located far from the coast, which results in relatively low visual impacts. The turbines will be located approximately 15km from the coastline of Walney Island in a north west to south-easterly direction covering an area of approximately 73km2. In the first phase, the wind farm will consist of 51 turbines supplied by Siemens Wind Power – each with a capacity of 3.6MW and in total the annual net energy for Walney I is to be approximately 663GWh – which will make the wind farm one of the biggest of its kind in the world. The Irish Sea is characterised by high tides, waves and windy weather. The difference between high tide and low tide is approximately 8 metres. The wind speed is estimated to an average of 9.3 m/s at 80m. The construction of the foundations and installation of the wind turbines involves a number of work boats, crane barges and support vessels. The wind farm will be connected to shore by two export cables buried in the seabed. Conventional techniques will be used to install the cables and will cause only temporary disturbance to the seabed. The wind farm turbine array consists of a number of rows of wind turbines connected by cables to one substation, where the voltage is stepped up from 34 kV to 132 kV, before the export

Impact

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The UK is in front when it comes to implementing wind power. In fact, the scale of offshore wind power currently envisaged in the UK energy system is far larger than in any other country in the world. The wind farm will contribute to handling the issue of climate change. With a power capacity of 370MW (phase 1 + 2), possibly increasing to 600MW, Walney Offshore Wind Farm will make a substantial contribution to British renewable energy production. Indeed, because of its size, Walney Offshore Wind Farm will make a noticeable positive contribution to a problem of global importance. The scale of the offshore wind farms currently envisaged in the UK is far larger than in any other country in the world. A development of this size will contribute significantly to a low carbon future, job creation, and an update of the energy infrastructure.

History In December 2003, DONG (since 2006 DONG Energy) was offered the Walney Offshore Wind Farm site as part of Round 2 Tender awards. In November 2004, the plans for Walney Offshore Wind Farm were presented at public exhibitions in Millom, Barrow, Morecambe and Blackpool. These exhibitions provided general information about wind energy together with more detailed information about the project. At the end of March 2006, Walney Offshore Wind Farm again held a series of public exhibitions in the towns of Walney, Morecambe and Fleetwood. Many councillors and citizens

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with calm weather conditions during the first half of 2010. A recent report from the wind consultancy Garrad Hassan has concluded that UK wind yields have dropped this year to perhaps a 1-in15-year low, and the experts say the weather’s clemency is due to stable high pressure. According to the report, energy levels from wind dropped 27.8% in the first quarter compared with the average and 18.3% in the second quarter compared with a 5% drop in the last quarter of 2009 and a 15.7% increase in the third quarter of 2009.

Bird surveys Bird surveys have been carried out at Walney Offshore Windfarm on a regular basis since the start of the project several years ago, and they continue during the construction phase. In July, August and September, environmental specialists CMACS Ltd. visited the Walney, Ormonde and West of Duddon Sands wind farm sites to carry out boat-based surveys. Preliminary results show that the number and species of birds have not changed during the construction period relative to previous years.

Current and future plans – testing of radar survey October 2010 has seen the implementation of a radar survey trial, using equipment on Walney Island to see whether migrating pink-footed geese and whooper swan can be detected in conditions of poor visibility and at night. If successful, the setup can be used next autumn to observe how these birds respond to the presence of the wind farms. Surveys using human observers have shown that birds react and avoid wind farms at good visibility. However, visual observations cannot be made at night and in fog, so here radar is almost the only option. visited the exhibitions. Also, it has been a part of the process at an early stage to ask approximately 150 stakeholders which environmental investigations they would deem necessary to assess the impact of the wind farm. In addition to the requirements of the authorities, the stakeholders’ suggestions were included in the planning of the two year-long pre-construction investigation programme. The final investment decision regarding Walney I was made by the DONG Energy Supervisory Board on May 2009. The project is planned to be constructed during 2010-2012 with the first year of commercial operation in 2011 (phase 1+2). Walney Offshore Wind Farm will assist Britain in fulfilling a target of 10% of electricity being generated by renewable sources by 2011.

The latest on site As of late September 2010, 12 of the 51 turbines comprising the Walney 1 had been installed. Weather conditions have been average for the area, a situation which has been planned for and which, from time to time, results in delays. All offshore operations are fully dependant on the weather conditions and require thorough planning in order to utilise the weather windows suitable for installation activities. Wind and waves determine the progress in the installation. For wind turbine installation, the operational crane limit is typically a wind speed of 10 m/s, however, only about 8 m/s can be tolerated during installation of the blades. Under average weather conditions, the installation vessel Kraken is able to install two turbines every week, maintaining a six to seven days’ installation cycle for the two turbine sets it can transport on each tour from the base at Mostyn. The progress of the installation is of course very much affected by the weather conditions. Based on the average weather conditions in the area, the expectations are that the installation sequence will be affected in the winter period, reducing the installation process to one turbine a week. Any opportunities to speed up that rate of installation will be seized upon with relish.

Average and real weather One thing is the statistical average; another is the real condition on the site, and the latter can vary a lot. The project was favoured

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Export cable The offshore cable is a single wire armour three core 132kV cable complete with a 48 core fibre optic cable. To date, the installation vessel Stemat Spirit has placed almost 20 kilometres of the 45-kilometre long cable, running the full distance from the offshore substation to the onshore substation in Heysham, and the export cable has been successfully installed over three gas pipes under its way to Heysham. During the process, the cable is placed approximately two metres below the seabed. On the route, the cable will cross some areas with extremely hard soil. As a fall back option, it will be possible to place the cable temporarily on the seabed in order to ensure that the cable is in place for the commissioning of the wind farm. The unburied cable will naturally be buried once commissioning has been completed.

Onshore cable for Walney 1 The onshore installation work for Walney 1 is now complete and the refitting of the fences is ongoing. However, a sizeable gang of operatives is still testing the systems as part of the commissioning. The major part of all commissioning is in place as of October 2010, though the energisation and the stage 2 commissioning are planned for 1 November 2010, when the export cable to the offshore substation is expected to be in place.

Onshore cabling and substation construction for Walney 2 The Walney 2 onshore cabling work and substation construction have begun at Cleveleys and will proceed for the coming months with expected energisation of the onshore substation on 1 August 2011. Installation of the ducting has started at four places on the cable route. In spring 2011, a cable barge will dock offshore at Cleveleys to lay the power connection or ‘export cable’ which joins Walney 2 to land. It will be laid in one piece underwater by a plough attached to the barge which places the cable approx 2m deep into the seabed. Boreholes are being excavated at important locations like the sea defence wall and the other locations where the ducts will be installed by HDD drilling rather than open-cut excavation. The borehole testing establishes ground conditions and the ground

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profile that the drill will have to go through and helps to establish a route and a suitable depth for the drilling. Construction of the onshore substation is ongoing with the excavation of soil prior to preparation for the piling works which is due to take place imminently. Overall, Walney 2 will follow an almost identical programme. However, the installation process will be more intense. The first signs of the installation will appear around mid- February 2011, when the first filter stones will be placed on the 51 turbine positions.

About DONG DONG Energy is one of Europe’s leading wind power generators. The firm has been part of the offshore wind industry since before it was fashionable and now has more than 19 years of experience in building and operating offshore wind farms. While the majority of |DONG’s wind capacity comes from Denmark, a growing quantity comes from the UK, where DONG has wind farms in production but also a series of projects under development, of which Walney is just one. A DONG statement read, “DONG Energy has been working on wind power for many years, but there is still extensive scope for development. Wind turbine size is being regularly enhanced, wind turbines are being installed offshore, and wind turbine location is being scrutinised in order to optimise wind utilisation - factors that make more stringent demands on turbines, foundations, access conditions, availability, operational control, management and maintenance. DONG Energy is putting a concerted effort into all these areas”. You can find out plenty more about DONG and the Walney project by visiting www. dongenergy.com/walney

NIRAS Danish engineering consultants NIRAS have been collaborating with DONG since the inception of the project, taking on a plethora of roles including site assessment, applications to local authorities and environmental consultancy. Project manager Helle Hegelund Knudsen spoke in particular about the environmental work she had overseen, saying, “We helped to put together an environmental impact statement and spent a lot of time with relevant bodies such as the RSPB to work out optimal timing for the work. One example of the many things we took into account is that the noise of piling can disturb wildlife. Accordingly, we planned to halt work at times when it would be disruptive”. Asked whether the need to spend countless working hours thinking about the environment represented a hindrance, Ms. Knudsen replied, “Not at all. It has been an encouraging process and it has helped us to stay pointed in the right direction. In any case, our vast experience meant that we were already wise to the proper techniques and additional experience like this only ensures that our success continues”. The NIRAS team has been involved in developing the aforementioned radar technology to monitor bird activity. Ms. Knudsen added, “Technology is at the heart of everything we do

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and both our technology and our accumulated knowledge can be applied to wider use in our marine activities”. NIRAS also helped to organise work vessels in a process which took up to two years of planning. The dozens of soughtafter large vessels employed require their own exclusion zones and any mistakes can be disastrous as the sector has not yet developed to the extent that replacement vessels are readily available. Discussing NIRAS’ wide-ranging responsibilities, Ms. Knudsen concluded, “One of our most important ‘selling points’, if you can call it that, is that the industry places a lot of trust in us. We have been involved in all of Denmark’s major offshore energy projects and dozens more outside of Denmark. We have a strong technical base and, basically, we know what we’re doing. “There are plenty of projects in our pipeline”, she concluded, “including the new base we are about to open in Cambridge, which we hope will allow us to enter into even more successful industrial and academic partnerships”. Plenty more information about NIRAS is available in English at www.niras.com

Specialist Marine Consultants SMC has supplied client representatives on the wind turbine installation of Walney 1. The reps have worked on the Seajacks Kraken. The firm has also completed several vessel audits and company audits of vessels and companies working on Walney 1, continuing a blossoming working relationship with DONG. With many years’ experience in vessel auditing and supplying professional marine personnel on a worldwide basis, SMC has grown since being established in 2006 and now employs 14 people working in both the renewable and oil and gas exploration sectors. All personnel are marine professionals with at least 20 years’ offshore experience. SMC operatives are looking forward to continuing working for DONG on Walney 1 & 2, and plans are afoot to collaborate with DONG on the London Array Project. To find out more about SMC’s services and areas of expertise, visit www.smchse.co.uk

Powerteam Once the project gets into full swing, Powerteam Electrical Services, a subsidiary of Viridian Group, will begin work on its 30th wind farm project and its 12th for RES. After a 4-6 week design stage, January will see the commencement of a 6 week on site construction phase followed by commissioning for a further 6 weeks. Powerteam’s managing director, Alastair Dawson, told Premier Construction, “This is our sixth year of constructing renewables projects. Year on year these projects have contributed to a larger percentage of our turnover and we anticipate this continuing as we look to grow our business across both Great Britain and Ireland. Although we work across the UK and Ireland, this particular project continues a relationship with RES and Alexander that’s already well established”. The company specialises in large-scale electrical infrastructure

construction and refurbishment work, including not only renewables but also substations, overhead lines for Distribution Network Operators such as SSE, Western Power Distribution and ESB and private network operators. Visit the company’s website at www.powerteam.eu.com to find out more.

SAL Heavy Lift The logistical operation to transport the first 51 monopiles from Rostock to the Walney site is down to SAL Heavy Lift, the international marine transport experts based in Germany. From March 2010 to June 2010, SAL’s vessel MV “Annette” performed 11 consecutive voyages between Rostock and Barrow-in-Furness, carrying monopiles with a weight of between 480 and 550 mtons and dimensions of up to 55m x 6m. With a top speed of 20 knots, the vessel was able to perform each round trip between Germany and the UK within 10 days and thus accommodated DONG’s time-sensitive schedule. SAL’s Jan-Peter Esbensen told Premier Construction, “The vessel has a lifting capacity of 770 tonnes and is capable of carrying up to five of the monopiles per voyage. We manufactured bespoke cradles to support them on board”. In December 2010, SAL expects the delivery of the first new type 183 vessel from the Sietas shipyard. The second will be delivered by March 2011. This innovative ship type will be the first heavy lift vessel in the market featuring 2 x 1,000mtons capacity. Mr. Esbensen added, “We will be tendering for the second phase of the Walney project and it would be a pleasure to continue to supply such a prestigious project”. SAL, a company with roots in clipper transport in the 1860s, operates 24/7 across the globe. Find out more at www.salheavylift.com

Ballast Nedam Offshore Edwin van de Brug of Ballast Nedam Offshore said, “The offshore wind energy market is exciting and highly dynamic. Financial

developments, technological possibilities and the political climate together play a significant role in the construction of offshore wind. Over the next few years, the northern European wind energy market will witness the completion of many new projects. “Ballast Nedam Offshore offers its clients the convenience of a one-stop shop, culminating in the turn-key provision of foundations for offshore wind farms. We also offer assistance with project development, including financing and permits, design, construction and ongoing maintenance. “Ballast Nedam Offshore has designed and installed and is installing foundations at several offshore wind farms in the UK, The Netherlands, Belgium and Germany and in a European energy market where offshore wind energy is expected to be a significant force by 2020, we are more than ready to apply our broad experience in this area and create new successes; for ourselves, but chiefly for our partners and clients, long-standing and new”. Find out more at www.ballast-nedam.nl

C-bed C-bed is a Dutch company that has pioneered the specialist field of providing floating hotel solutions for those working on offshore wind power installations, or any other type of offshore construc tion work located far out at sea. Examples of past projects are Walney, Lynn and Inner Dowsing, Greater Gabbard and Horns Rev and past clients include contractors within both the wind and oil offshore industries. The company provides a comfortable on-site base for offshore engineers and technicians/managers or anyone who has advantage of being close to the project. The Flotels are equipped to be on-site with tools, workshops, storage, transfer, and accommodation, as well as being a place where workers can relax, unwind and prepare for the next day. C-bed provides offshore companies with vessels that are specially designed to function as floating hotels. The vessels are

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classed and approved to move around like any other ship, which means that they are able to anchor up anywhere in the world. Such solutions save the charterers considerable amounts of costly travel time – time that can then be spent on work, instead of on transfer to and from shore. The vessels are registered under first class flag states, and are subject to appropriate legislations. This means charterers can be sure they operate with the highest safety standards. The Flotels include dining areas, movie and TV lounges, game zones, fitness rooms, offices, meeting rooms and reception space, an on-board field hospital and, of course, accommodation – each single cabin has its own shower and bathroom. The vessels are crewed by 30-35 staff members who see to cooking and cleaning and provide a full hotel experience. For more information, visit www.c-bed.dk

Neil Martin The Neil Martin Group Ltd is a reputable family business which has been serving Cumbria and Lancashire over the past 25 years. The business has built its reputation from the vast knowledge and quality workmanship provided to both public and private sectors. Long term and short term contracts are carried out ranging from £50.00 to £10 million pounds. The Neil Martin Group Ltd has invested over the past years in a fleet of new CAT machinery ranging from 1 ton to 24 ton excavators and 16 ton to 18 ton PAT blade dozers including precision lazer/GPS levelling equipment. The fleet also contains 18 ton self propelled vibratory rollers, specialised tracked skid steer loader including fork and power rake attachments, lighting generators and fuel bowers. The Neil Martin Group Ltd has been working for both the hydrocarbon and wind energy sectors over the past 15 years and recently the first O&M building including roads and car parks was constructed for DONG Energy. The firm was also responsible for the £3 million upgrade of the DONG Energy Barrow Dock

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site, together with maintenance and contracts carried out for Ormonde, Areva and Associated British Ports. The Neil Martin Group Ltd is a true one stop shop catering for any construction need. Visit www.themartingroup.co.uk

Excel Marine A vital contribution to the project has come from Excel Marine Services, a firm of transport specialists which has provided a range of services. Excel’s aluminium catamaran, Vulcan, has been working for DONG Energy at Barrow to transport both crews (including VIP tours, divers, technicians and welders amongst others) and cargo (including anything from crane parts to oxygen tanks) on a 24h basis. Vulcan was launched in April 2010 as part of Excel’s ongoing expansion programme. The 59ft vessel can accommodate 12 passengers plus 3 crew members and has a maximum speed of 24 knots. She is equipped with the latest electronic equipment and even comes with a kitchen area and a shower. A sister vessel, Viking, is soon to be launched to match Vulcan’s capabilities but with larger engines and even greater speed. Excel’s Andy Goss told Premier Construction, “Our successfully managed contracts to date have meant we are in demand. Our expansion programme involves multi-million pound investments and will soon double our fleet. Our plans include more flexible space, cranes and vessels designed for specialist needs such as diving etc.” He continued, “What we offer above all is a high quality and dependable vessel with a fully trained and experienced crew – we don’t believe you can cut corners in those areas and that commitment is one of the main reasons our clients appreciate our services as a company that delivers what it promises. This in turn has led to our rapid growth in the offshore wind sector”. Find out more about Excel by calling Andy Goss on 07916 147675 or Adrian Goss on 07789 201881

Ormonde development well under way The much-anticipated Ormonde Offshore Wind Farm is currently being built in the Irish Sea, 10km off BarrowIn-Furness. On completion, the wind farm will comprise 30 RePower 5M wind turbines with the capacity of 150 megawatts and expected to produce around 500 gigawatt hours of electricity every year. This is sufficient to supply the equivalent of approximately 100,000 homes per year with clean power. The turbines will cover an area of 8.7km2. Developer Vattenfall has added Ormonde to over a dozen ongoing energy projects which extend its 100-year history in the energy industry. “The giant 5 MW turbines will make a substantial contribution to supply a large number of households with clean electricity. This supports EU and UK targets for renewable energy as well as our own ambitions to reduce harmful emissions and to reach climate neutrality by 2050”, said Anders Dahl, head of Vattenfall Wind Power. The wind farm is now in the construction phase with onshore works having commenced in autumn 2009. The development work is due for completion during 2011 and first power is expected later that year. The Ormonde Offshore Wind Farm project is helping to secure many jobs across the UK. Among the UK suppliers are Fife– based Burntisland Fabrications for its innovative steel platform and BiFab steel jackets, Harland & Wolff for the logistic and assembly services for the Ormonde Offshore Wind Farm as well as local contractors, for example the Neil Martin Group, Askam Construction, Agrilek and R G Parkins of Lancaster.

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Pelagian Justin Hawkins, general manager of submarine cable specialists Pelagian, spoke to Premier Construction about his firm’s role in the project and shared his thoughts on the future of the industry. He said, “Our role on both the Ormonde and Walney projects and others, is as cable consultants – providing cable route engineering services, which involves the analysis of seabed survey data, assessing marine hazards and designing a bestfit route for the cables between each wind turbine and back to shore. We provide expert personnel to support the client in engineering decisions both in the office and offshore during construction”. “Typically, we work with our clients to overcome the engineering challenges of the marine environment, such as complex seabed terrain and man-made hazards. Often, the datasets we need are incomplete. For example, the locations of shipwrecks, unexploded ordnance and post-war dumping grounds are not always properly recorded. I see us in the forefront of this type of data management and our work goes towards the knowledge base of what is still a young industry. As members of Renewable UK and the UK Cable Protection Committee we provide the expert interface between our clients and other seabed users to protect each other’s respective seabed assets. “As the offshore energy sector develops, I see there being increased development of deeper water installations, which is currently limited due to the difficulty of using standard wind turbine construction techniques in such waters. The most likely solution will be to use semi submersible structures as we already see in the oil and gas industry. In that case, the way we engineer and lay cables to connect them will be largely the same, and the key difference between the cable types we work with – be they fibreoptic, power, or flow line – will be cable handling constraints based on their size”. Find out more about Pelagian’s consultancy services by visiting www.pelagianinternational.com

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steer loader including fork and power rake attachments, lighting generators and fuel bowers. The Neil Martin Group Ltd has been working for both the hydrocarbon and wind energy sectors over the past 15 years and recently the first O&M building including roads and car parks was constructed for DONG Energy. The firm was also responsible for the £3 million upgrade of the DONG Energy Barrow Dock site, together with maintenance and contracts carried out for Ormonde, Areva and Associated British Ports. The Neil Martin Group Ltd is a true one stop shop catering for any construction need. Visit www.themartingroup.co.uk

The UK plays host to the world’s largest offshore wind farm under construction Greater Gabbard wind farm is a joint venture between Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) and RWE npower renewables and is the world’s largest wind farm currently under construction. The wind farm is being developed in a combined undertaking between Fluor International Limited and Airtricity, the renewable energy development division of SSE, and will include the installation of 140 Siemens 3.6 MW wind turbines located around two sand banks known as Inner Gabbard and the Galloper in the North Sea 25km off the Suffolk Coast. Upon completion, the wind farm will have a total capacity of approximately 500MW which will generate power to an estimated number of 530,000 households, equivalent to the domestic demand in Suffolk. Prior to receiving the engineering, procurement and construction contract, Fluor’s development responsibilities included the management of environmental studies, site surveys and engineering that culminated in the submission of an Environmental Impact Statement. Fluor also leveraged its supply chain knowledge and experience to support the joint venture in securing the project’s connection to the UK’s national grid, the supply of the turbines, heavy steel structures and other critical supply chain elements required for timely construction. Fluor and Airtricity worked closely with the local authorities, community and conservation bodies in the development of the project and, in particular, the sighting of the onshore substation. Fluor recognises and appreciates the communications, support and cooperation of the local communities and intends to maintain a high level of engagement throughout the construction phase. Work began on the onshore sub station significantly prior to the first phase of offshore construction which began in August 2009 and the entire project is due for completion and operation in 2012. The installation of the offshore transformer platform foundation located in the outer Thames Estuary is on schedule and the erection of the first turbines, in line with the beginning of the installation of three cables to export power from the site, began toward the end of 2009. Upon completion, the wind turbines will be mounted on steel monopiles and transition pieces in water depths between 24 and 34m and is expected to have a load factor of over 40% based on site-specific met mast data collected since 2005 and Scottish

Southern Electrics will take 50% of the output with RWE npower renewables receiving the other half. The wind turbines will be connected to the grid through an onshore substation at Sizewell in Suffolk. Buried cables will connect the turbines to the substation, while underground cables owned by National Grid Electricity Transmission will connect the sub-station to the National Grid. The entire development of the project, excluding the connection to the electricity grid, is expected to acquire a cost of around £1.3bn.

Alpha Marine Services Martin Lewis, M.D. of Alpha Marine Services, explained to Premier Construction how his consultancy venture can assist projects like Greater Gabbard. He said, “I and many of my colleagues combine a background of Royal Navy diving with marine and civil engineering know-how, putting that expertise into project management and consultancy for developments like this in the oil, gas and offshore energy sectors. At Greater Gabbard, our role was to provide a full management and engineering package for cable laying. “The service we provide encompasses diving (in which field we rely on the fullest accreditation, which extends to handling explosives), engineering consultancy for cable laying, project management and even related on-shore civil works. A particular advantage of coming to a firm like ours is that we can cut through red tape and legal compliance issues when it comes to diving. That is especially helpful for firms like Fluor which are relative newcomers – as are many firms now seeking to the recent boom in offshore energy markets. Our experience of techniques, suppliers and documentation is a valuable tool”. “As the offshore and sub-sea markets expand, we are already taking steps to continue our work with companies such as Fluor, Maersk, Bluewater, Costain and Technip, which has taken us all over the UK and beyond. With plans for supplying the wind industry already well-established and complemented by our vast experience, I’m looking forward to us becoming a major name in the sector over the coming years”.

Bond Air Services Bond Air Services are the first helicopter operator in the UK ROMA PUBLICATIONS

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to be awarded a contract to support an offshore wind farm. Bond’s primary function for the Greater Gabbard project is the transportation and delivery of turbine technicians by helicopter to wind turbine generators that require maintenance, scheduled or otherwise. The company has also been responsible for the planning, investment and development of a heliport which forms part of SSE’s operational facility. Sales and marketing manager David Bond said, “We have introduced a dedicated twin engine, winch equipped, EC135T2i helicopter on a 365 day a year operation. The EC135T2i is one of the most successful helicopters of all time and is a proven platform for this type of operation. It has the power and performance necessary to conduct hoist work and can cruise at 135 knots, making it fast too. “We deliver teams of technicians directly to a platform affixed to the nacelle whereby they can gain access to address any maintenance issues. This delivery method, coupled with the rapid transfer times from base, means that any lost production costs are minimised and the overall production of the wind farm is improved”. The wider Bond Aviation Group is a privately owned, family run business whose origins date back to 1962. Today, the group operates 41 light, medium and heavy category helicopters from 24 fixed bases across the UK and Ireland in support of on and offshore operations for the oil and gas industry, police and air ambulance services, marine and lighthouse operations and, most recently, the renewables sector. Find out what Bond can do for you at www.bondairservices. com

Jumbo Offshore Jumbo Offshore pioneered the transport & installation of Transition Pieces for the Greater Gabbard Offshore Windfarm, approx. 44 kms East of Harwich (UK). It was the first time that a heavy lift vessel was used for the combined transportation and installation of 131 Transition Pieces, each with a height of ROMA PUBLICATIONS

approx. 23 m, a diameter of 5.5 m and a weight of 280 tons each. The Jumbo J-Class heavy lift vessel with its Dynamic Positioning offered specific advantages with its 84 m long, 17 m wide and 12.5 m deep lower hold, compared to the more conventional method using a jack-up installation vessel and barge tug transport combination. With this vessel, Jumbo could load a total of nine Transition Pieces in vertical position in its lower hold and at the same time accommodate the grout batching plant and Ampelmann access system, in order to execute a safe and efficient transport and installation schedule. With only one Heavy Lift Vessel, Jumbo combined the transportation and installation of TPs. And managed to do the installation onto the monopiles a lot faster than otherwise, as time-consuming positioning and jack-up operations could be avoided, using the J-Class DP2 propulsion system and do the installation with a free floating heavy lift vessel.

SPEC Ltd SPEC Ltd is known to many blue-chip organizations as a complete and specialist substation support contractor to the power-generation industry, serving parties from OEMs to main contractors through to end users. SPEC carried out the 33000 volt terminations on the first initial 6 turbine substation transit pieces. These were the specialist terminations between the transformers and switchgear. Upon revised instruction, SPEC were instructed to plan and organise the specialist VLF testing to the first 6 TPs. SPEC was founded in August 2000 by a team of specialist HV engineers with an average of 25 years’ experience in the supply, assembly, cabling, testing, commissioning, maintenance and switching of transformer and switchgear substations up to

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33000 volts. The company now employs over 70 people and covers specialist works across the UK and beyond both on and off shore. Find out more at www.spec-ltd.com

Red7Marine Red7Marine is a leading provider of offshore, coastal and estuarial subsea engineering and marine construction, servicing clients from the offshore, marine renewables, framework and private sectors. The firm owns and operates a fleet of over 200 pieces of marine plant, with primary vessels consisting of classed jack-up barges, anchor and spud leg coastal barges, and a large range of modular road transportable connecting pontoons. Throughout its history the business has retained a large client base across a number of industry sectors, predominantly down to its superior range of services and its commitment to continuous improvement of its health, safety and quality standards. In each operation that Red7Marine carries out its experience and knowledge in marine construction is one of its distinguishing factors. This encompasses such areas as marine construction, sea defences and piling, all of which are carried out by capable and highly skilled marine construction engineers with proven expertise in the fields of piling, welding and fabrication, concrete works, steel erection and heavy timber work. Mike Jones told Premier Construction, “What I think sets us aside from our competitors is not only our range of plant and services, but the fact that we can provide the full range of accredited diving services for offshore projects.” Visit Red7Marine’s website to find out what the UK-based firm can bring to your project: www.red7marine.co.uk

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200,000 more households to run on wind power by 2012 Centrica and DONG’s £725 million Lincs offshore wind farm project is shaping up well, and is on schedule to go on line by the end of 2012. The Lincs offshore wind farm will be built in the Greater Wash area - a region which has been identified by the government as particularly suitable for large offshore wind farm developments. The wind turbines will be constructed 8 km off the coast, to the east of Skegness, at a water depth of 10-15 m. The wind farm, with a total installed power of up to 270 MW (up to 75 wind turbines each producing 3.6 MW), should generate enough electricity to satisfy the demands of 200,000 households. Lincs has planning consent for 250MW with an additional 20MW to be constructed in the footprint of the Lynn and Inner Dowsing wind farm development but connected to the Lincs transmission. Six of the turbines will be constructed adjacent to the Lynn and Inner Dowsing wind farms, which were fully commissioned in March 2009. As part of a grid connection contract, Siemens will supply an offshore substation platform, which will bundle the power generated by the wind turbines before it is transported via highvoltage cable to the mainland. The substation will be equipped with two 240MVA transformers, and 132kV high-voltage and 33kV medium-voltage switchgear. The requisite protection and instrumentation and control equipment will also be installed on the platform.

The transport operation The smooth running of a project of this scale relies heavily on the transportation system used. Paul Gaughan of Meridian Marine explained his firm’s role, saying, “We operate the only UK MCA registered hovercraft, put it to use 24/7 at Lincs to transport personnel and cargo at times and locations when water levels prohibited the use of other types of craft. We also made backup vessels available if required, such as a shallow draught landing craft, to ensure that all transportation needs were covered”. “In recent years we’ve worked with various major offshore contractors on projects such as this and Gunfleet Sands, and we have begun to establish a reputation as a provider of niche services for wind farm and survey work. Our product mix allows us to operate in all locations and conditions, and our ability to consult on marine safety and legal issues has proved vital for our clients”. Speaking about the future of the sector, Paul added, “Although it’s a niche product, there continues to be interest in the use of

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hovercraft for difficult jobs which cannot be done by any other vessel. In fact, Meridian Marine is actually looking to increase the hovercraft fleet to meet future demands, providing a larger vessel to provide more seating and thereby reducing the frequency of movements”. Find out more about Meridian Marine at www.meridianmarine. co.uk

Black Rock Hydro hits 3-month mark The Black Rock Hydro project, which will eventually provide energy for around 2,000 households thanks to a new hydroelectric generator on the lower catchment of the River Glass, between Redburn and Evanton, has passed the 3-month mark as construction gets into full swing.

has been good for the local economy and that looks like continuing. Jobs have been created – we have an average of 25-30 guys on site every day – and supplies have been sourced locally, including plant and materials”. He continued, “I think that is one of the reasons why we’ve had a lot of support from local residents. As part of the planning process, we had to demonstrate the long-term benefit we’d be bringing to the area. That is not difficult to do with a proven renewable energy source like this, and the planning process was reasonably straightforward as a result”.

The development is one of a number of significant projects being promoted in support of Scotland and the UK’s commitment to increasing the proportion of electricity generated by renewable sources. RWE npower renewables currently has 12 hydro schemes operating throughout Scotland, generating around 19 megawatts. The hydroelectric scheme will be capable of generating up to 3.4 megawatts of electricity, producing on average more than 10 gigawatt hours each year. The site will be a run of the river scheme, operating only when sufficient water is naturally present in the river. The development comprises a low-profile concrete intake weir, 3.5km of buried pipeline (1500mm diameter), a powerhouse, and underground power cabling to nearby existing power lines with existing overhead power lines thereafter. Also included in the programme of works are a buried pipe to convey water from the intake to the powerhouse, a pipe river crossing, a number of temporary access tracks and a track for permanent access. RWE npower renewables’ Andrew Bird, the project manager, told Premier Construction, “Currently, the pipe laying is ongoing and work has begun on the new weir. We’ll also shortly be commencing work on the powerhouse and pipe bridge. We’re on track for completion in autumn 2011”. Asked about the particular demands of the project, he said, “It’s not a typical project in comparison with other projects - we’re not out in the wilds. There are also distinct areas of varying ground conditions to take into consideration, but nothing we can’t handle”. Funding for the £8 million project comes from RWE npower renewables’ own coffers, and Andrew was keen to stress the impact of the cash injection on the area. He said, “The project ROMA PUBLICATIONS

Millennium Wind Farm extension sees first new turbines erected Plans to extend the Millennium Wind Farm in the Scottish Highlands are coming to fruition, as site workers oversee the erection of the first two of six new turbines established. The Scottish government consented under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 for the construction of a six turbine extension to the wind farm, which sits on elevated land to the west of Fort Augustus and north of Loch Garry in the Highlands of Scotland. The new turbine towers reach a maximum height of 80m, and have been designed to sit flush with their forerunners, which are installed on higher ground and stand at 70m from base to tip. Including the blades, the new towers stand at an imposing 125m and weigh 350t. Each of the new turbines has a maximum output of around 2.5MW, which will be transferred through the site’s existing control building. Two main cranes of a combined 750t capacity are facilitating installation. RJ McLeod and Nordex are collaborating on the project, which is being managed by West Coast Energy. Nordex’s project manager, Matthias Breu, gave Premier Construction an update on proceedings at the beginning of October, saying, “Currently, civil works and electrical cabling have been completed and all the turbines have been delivered to site. The second of the new turbines has gone up, and the new infrastructure [including around 2.4km of 5m wide access track] is ready. “This is an excellent site for wind – it’s actually the highest wind farm in the UK and I often find myself surrounded by clouds. Having surveyed the conditions in the area, we have predicted that the turbines will run at around 30% of full capacity as an average, which is a good return from this kind of installation”.

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With things seemingly moving ahead without fuss, Matthias took time to reflect on some of the challenges his team had overcome so far. Asked what was the toughest aspect of the job to manage, he replied, “Transporting the turbines is the first difficulty as the blades are huge and the vehicles used require a police escort. Then there is the issue of the peat in the ground, which is quite barren moorland. We have had an ecologist working with us and that has helped us to restore a lot of peat during the works. Luckily, we haven’t been held up by archaeological surveys as it’s

widely accepted that, historically, people haven’t lived this far up”. “Ironically, however, the biggest problem we can face is the wind itself. When the wind is too strong, we suffer delays as it can be dangerous to work high up in those conditions. Tower construction has to stop if the wind is stronger than 10m/s, and blade installation has to stop at 5m/s. There’s nothing you can do about that, so it can be frustrating”. He continued to say, “On the whole, the delays have been kept to a minimum and we’re on schedule to complete the work in March 2011”.

Making waves in Cornwall JDR Cables has been pushing forward a contract for the supply of subsea power cables for the UK’s ground-breaking Wave Hub project by the South West RDA (Regional Development Agency).

Wave Hub is a major marine renewables infrastructure project that will create an electrical ‘socket’ on the seabed in some 50 metres of water around 10 miles off the coast of Cornwall in South West England and connected to the National Grid via a subsea cable. Wave Hub will have an initial maximum capacity of 20MW (enough electricity to power approximately 7,000 homes) but has been designed with the potential to scale up to 50MW in the future. Wave Hub is being funded with £12.5 million from the South West RDA, £20 million from the European Regional Development Fund Convergence Programme and £9.5 million from the UK government. The scope awarded to JDR includes 25km of 33kV three-phase power cables which will provide the essential link between the Wave Hub and the onshore control room. The Wave Energy Convertors are connected back to the Wave Hub by four additional 300m three-phase power cables and dry mate connector sets. All cables include fibre optics and will be subject to rigorous integration testing. JDR also supplied the ‘Wave Hub’ assembly consisting of subsea terminations and a complete subsea protection structure. The package of equipment

was delivered in the second quarter of 2010 from JDR’s new deepwater quayside facility at Hartlepool Dock. The first wave energy devices are expected to be deployed in 2011. Wave Hub was lowered to the seabed using a crane on board the cable laying ship Nordica and touched down at 15.12 on ROMA PUBLICATIONS

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Friday September 3. Subsequently, the hub’s four 300m ‘tails’ have been positioned on the seabed and the vessel Tideway Rollingstone has started to place the first of 80,000 tonnes of rock on top of the 25km cable connecting Wave Hub to the shore to hold it in place. UK climate change minister Greg Barker congratulated the Wave Hub team on their achievement, saying, “The UK’s massive marine energy resources have the potential to supply millions of homes with renewable power, giving us security of supply and cutting greenhouse gas emissions. Wave Hub will fulfil a crucial role that complements our existing test facilities in the UK and will help companies bring forward the development of marine energy”. The RDA’s Wave Hub general manager Guy Lavender said, “Seeing Wave Hub lowered into the water was the culmination of more than seven years’ hard work by hundreds of people and the fact that it was designed and built in this country is testimony to the skills and experience that the UK already has in the fledgling marine renewables industry”. “The Wave Hub project draws on JDR’s wealth of experience in the design and manufacture of subsea cable and umbilical systems to produce a solution that will meet the demanding requirements of this innovative application”, stated Patrick Phelan, managing director of JDR Cable Systems Ltd, “Our new quayside facility at Hartlepool dock is ideally sized for the manufacture and load-out of this 1500 tonne cable system, and we look forward to supporting the installation process with our team of qualified offshore service technicians”. Mr Phelan told Premier Construction, “The contract was perfect for us as we offer the option of full onshore assembly and load-out, as well as development and qualification, as a complete package. Ours was not the only possible solution – it would have been possible to supply components separately and install on site – but our approach offered greater practicality and a significant saving in time and money”. He continued to say, “Ours is the only purpose-built facility for

this kind of project, and the package we offer is unique to us in the UK. There is a lot of innovation involved in what we do, and we’re seeing heads begin to turn as a number of governments have put in enquiries to see what we can offer at other potential sites. There is a lot of news in the pipeline”. JDR’s first involvement in the offshore renewable energy market in the UK came at the prototype Beatrice Wind Farm, which was completed in 2007 off the east coast of Scotland at a cost of €41 million. The move formed part of an ambitious overall strategy to move into renewables following the firm’s 30-year involvement in the oil and gas industries. Mr. Phelan said of the strategy, “What is especially encouraging for us as a company is that we worked hard to set out a viable business strategy for the renewables market, and put a lot of effort into convincing financiers to back our moves. Now, that hard work is beginning to pay off handsomely and we’re very positive about the future”.

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N o r th We s t

Participants in the programme come from a wide variety of industries, and the construction industry is no exception.

North West SMEs LEAD the way SMEs across the North West of England are basking in the communal warmth of shared business expertise as their directors soak up the benefits of the LEAD programme. LEAD is a ten month programme which has been specifically designed by Lancaster University Management School for owner-managers of small to medium sized businesses. The programme is run in association with Business Link, a business support, advice and information service funded by government and managed in the North West by the Northwest Regional Development Agency. LEAD concentrates on two areas of the business - the business itself and the personal development of the ownermanager - providing a framework to diversify, increase profitability and grow the business. The programme is made up of a number of elements which run alongside each other – an overnight experiential, whereby participants get to know each other and start to build trust; a series of masterclasses, which have been described as ‘revolutionary’ by participants; action learning sets, where owner-managers learn by sharing business experiences; one-to-one coaching; and work shadowing and exchanges. To date, LEAD’s organisers have worked with over 200 companies; 90% of them have seen an increase in sales turnover, employment, productivity and profits. On average, LEAD participants increase their turnover by £200,000. Indeed, Premier Construction’s own commander-in-chief and owner of Roma Publications, Marcus Howarth, is one of a growing number who have recognised the scheme’s potential and signed up.

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Adrian Mercer, of Joints & Points Healthcare, speaks from experience in his endorsement of the scheme, offering perhaps the most concise recommendation: “If you think you haven’t got the time, can’t afford to or the business can’t survive without you – then these are the reasons why you should go on LEAD”.

Case Study – The Architect

Participants in the programme come from a wide variety of industries, and the construction industry is no exception. One highly satisfied customer, Martin Howell, who came to the programme as associate director of Green Design Group, spoke to Premier Construction about his experiences. He said, “I was moving towards becoming a director at the firm and I wanted to be prepared. Essentially, I went into the scheme thinking about how I could improve myself as a manager and offer more to the firm and to my colleagues. It was at the very first meeting that I had a ‘light bulb moment’ and realised that it wasn’t about me at all: the question I should have been asking myself was, ‘How can I help my employees to get what they want out of the firm?’ “You do of course get the chance to look at yourself in the mirror and wonder, ‘Who am I as a manager?’, and that can be challenging, but the programme has helped me to go back to the office and learn a lot more about my colleagues than I knew before, as well as shedding some light on my own skills, my approach to management and so on. My staff say I’m a different person now – in a good way, they assure me!”

Martin is grateful for the way in which the scheme brings together leaders from a range of professions. He continued, “One of the programme’s major advantages is that it lets you reflect on matters you don’t think about from day to day, and that you can do so privately with peers who deal with similar issues. In my field, and in many others, as far as I’ve gathered, the leader can sometimes feel isolated in the sense that there is not necessarily someone within the particular firm who can discuss things freely and without reservation. “In my peer group I had, amongst others, a lady who works in the charity sector with young people, a man whose family firm makes and distributes pipe brackets, a man from a corporate training firm and a recruitment specialist, so it’s easy to move out of the enclosed world you work in and think about management as its own discipline, rather than a tool you apply just to your own business”. Martin’s practice has bases in Brampton and Cockermouth, both in Cumbria. Now enjoying its fourth successful decade, the firm consists of 13 employees and directors. Alongside a drive for personal development for company members such as Martin, the firm is moving with the times in its business practices, too. Martin added, “One particular way in which I’m hoping to pass my experiences on to the firm is in our marketing strategy – we’d like to make more of our commitment to sustainability in our work, for example, and I’ve been able to pick up some very useful advice from other participants which I’m confident will serve us well”. You can find out more about LEAD at www.businesslinknw.co.uk, and you are cordially invited to visit Martin and his colleagues at www.greendesigngroup. co.uk.

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A Facelift for Burnley Nearly 250 homes in Burnley are undergoing improvements totalling almost £2million as part of a regeneration scheme. The council’s ‘facelifting’ programme is targeting houses in South West Burnley, Burnley Wood and Daneshouse this year. The programme aims to improve the external appearance of blocks and raise house prices and demand in the area. Councillor Martin Smith, the executive council member for regeneration and economic development, said, “Facelifting in Burnley has been very successful so far. “It does improve the quality of the properties and gives a better impression to people coming into the areas. We are spending as much as we can on the programme”. Work is set to take place this year on properties in Cog Lane, Prince Street, Prestwich Street, Burdette Street, Brooklands Road, Todmorden Road, Barden Lane, Colne Road, Hebrew Road and Hurtley Street. Steve Rumbelow, chief executive of the council, said: “This is about changing the housing market in Burnley for the better”. The scheme is being run thanks to funding of £1.8million from East Lancashire housing agency Elevate and £133,000 from the council’s housing capital grant. A council statement declares, “The main purpose of facelifting schemes is to contribute to the transformation of the housing market, give confidence to the community in a neighbourhood through works to external elevations of sustainable homes

including works such as stone cleaning, siliconing, pointing and gutter replacement to front and gable curtilages. “Its objectives are to improve the external appearance of a block, to assist in raising the property values, to assist in stabilising the housing market, to assist in raising demand and reducing the number of empty properties and to encourage a complementary investment in the properties by their owners”. Under the current facelift policy, the priorities of improving key residential gateways, major thoroughfares and fire walling have been delivered. This has seen more than 1000 properties being facelifted, contributing to raising property values and reducing low demand in the affected areas. There is plenty of work still to be done under the scheme. Although the majority of residential properties situated on key gateways have been facelifted, there are several blocks that have not been eligible for facelifting work due to the number of commercial premises situated in those blocks. In the main, these blocks are situated on the Colne Road and Accrington Road gateways; many of the commercial premises are in a poor state of repair with poor quality shop fronts. These premises currently detract from the overall improvement of the gateway and do not create an inviting atmosphere for customers and visitors to Burnley. Main contractor Emanuel Whittaker continues to oversee the 2009-2010 stage of the facelift, and a new tender will soon be offered out for the 2010—2011 phase.

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N o r th We s t

Police HQ construction defies budget cuts Carillion’s work continues on the £45m contract to build the new Greater Manchester Police headquarters in east Manchester, despite fears over government spending cuts. Work on the 245,000 sq ft building, at Ask Goodman’s Central Park in Newton Heath, is due for completion in early 2011. The new HQ will accommodate around 1,500 staff and will replace the existing force headquarters building in Old Trafford and incorporate the Counter Terrorism Unit. The six-storey building is being made from pre-cast concrete and glass with a central atrium surrounded by open plan offices, which will be designed to encourage interaction between departments and strengthen communication, according to the force. The environmentally friendly design will also reduce running costs, according to police predictions. Carillion chief executive John McDonough said: “As a leader in sustainable solutions, we look forward to working to deliver first-class buildings, designed to high standards of sustainability”. GMP agreed a deal to move to the business park earlier in 2010 and the project is being funded by GMP and a government grant. The new development will offer excellent public transport links. A new £36.5m transport gateway is already in place, and there will be a dedicated tram stop - just five minutes away from Manchester City Centre, which is expected to be completed by spring 2011. Paul Lakin, director of land and property at the North West Development Agency (NWDA), said,

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“Central Park is a priority site for the NWDA and it is excellent that such a high-profile occupier will be relocating there. The quality of Central Park and the transport links have made it attractive to the market place and the move by GMP will raise the profile of Central Park even further. This supports our aim to attract high level private sector investment which will make a real difference to the regeneration of east Manchester”. Eddie Smith, chief executive of urban regeneration company New East Manchester, said, “This is another major milestone for Central Park and east Manchester. Not only does it strengthen Central Park as an office destination but it will bring more jobs, investment and significant regeneration benefits for local people. Central Park is located just a mile and a half from the city centre, and with its dedicated Metrolink station, is proving a very attractive location”. Deborah McLaughlin, Regional Director North West at the Homes and Communities Agency, said, “The HCA is a long term partner in helping to bring about the comprehensive regeneration of east Manchester. It is great to see that our original investment in acquiring this site is now leading to the development of such a key facility for the area”.

Secure Communications Rainford EMC Systems designed, manufactured and installed a shielded enclosure for secure communications in the headquarters. The Rainford ‘Smartshield’ is a modular construction that incorporates a steel and wood composite panel structure clamped together to provide a secure RF enclosure. Rainford EMC Systems is a market leader in shielded chamber design and screen-rooms and a world-leading provider of EMC, antenna measurement facilities and specialist RF-protected environments such as EMPP and TEMPEST – ensuring compliance with the highest quality international requirements. Find out what Rainford’s experience, expertise and adaptability can bring to your project by visiting www.rainfordemc.com

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Controversial arena finally moves into construction phase Leeds City Council has revealed the final blueprints and schematics for its planned 13,500-seater arena, which has been designed by Populous. The internationally-renowned green stadium designers have opted for a honeycomb design that uses a Voronoi diagram as its basis. The Leeds Arena will be the only arena in Europe to be designed this way. A Voronoi diagram is a mathematical concept that describes a space being split up by a set of points inside. Lines are drawn exactly half-way between two adjacent points and continue until they meet another line or the edge of the space. The points where several lines meet are equidistant between the surrounding dots. That creates a “cell” for each point that’s approximately proportional in size to the density of points around it. Populous’ design doesn’t quite follow the mathematical definition to the letter, but

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instead opts for a derivation that creates a mesh of shapes that will be seen when you approach the building. At night, it will be lit up with a series of changing colours, alternating in a pattern that the council claims will reflect the mood of the event taking place. The stadium has been designed with energy efficiency in mind. The roof collects rainwater that will be reused inside the building, the heating comes from air source pumps and one section’s roof will be covered with grass. A public consultation of 1,000 local residents shaped the designs. The stadium will be located on Claypit Lane in the city centre, and construction begins this year, to be finished before end of 2012. The hope, the council says, is to “bring about major regeneration of the northern quarter of Leeds city centre”. The Leeds Arena project team has some of the most experienced experts in arena design and operation: the operator, SMG

Europe, is the largest operator of sports and entertainment venues in Europe. The parent group, SMG, is the largest operator of arenas in the world. SMG will be responsible for the running of the arena, which will be re-named closer to its opening date. It is expected that SMG will sell the naming rights to a sponsor, as is the case with the MEN Arena in Manchester. Populous has a track record of delivering high profile and complex development. Previous work includes the Arsenal Emirates stadium, the O2 arenas in London, Dublin and Berlin, and Wimbledon Centre Court roof. John Barrow, senior principal of Populous, says, “Our design team at Populous, led by project architect John Rhodes, has worked in close collaboration with the city architect to respond to the outstanding vision of Leeds City Council. This facility will set new standards in England for sustainable multi-event

This facility will set new standards in England for sustainable multi-event arenas....

arenas, and I hope that it will become the new heart of the City of Leeds”. The council has filmed an interview with both Populous and John Thorp, the civic architect at Leeds City Council, which explains some of the motivations behind the project and how it has been designed with entertainment acts, and not sport, in mind. The video and other information about the arena are available on the official website: www.arenaleeds.com.

Controversy

The arena’s backers and advocates have met with a string of difficulties along the road to site inauguration. One of the main stumbling blocks is over funding, as major backer Yorkshire Forward, the local regional development agency, has of

course now been forced to make plans for its impending abolishment under the new government’s cutting spree. Even before the latest bad news for the RDA, its bureaucrats faced criticism of their financial management - in one year alone, they managed to wipe out £600,000 on expenses alone, including a spend of £26,000 on an awards dinner and £55,000 on hotels. Leeds City Council claims that the £55million construction project will add around £25.5m per year to the city’s economy and protect around 100 construction jobs. It will also, apparently, create an additional 100 jobs for local residents with potentially 90 apprenticeships. Yorkshire forward has contributed £10 million, after originally pledging £18 million, and the rest of the

funding is being provided by the local council. Further controversy is rooted in strong opposition to the arena from those who stand to lose out, the most out-of-pocket and indignant being those concerned with the nearby Sheffield Arena. “An arena in Leeds will seriously damage our business in Sheffield”, said Steve Brailey, chief executive of Sheffield International Venues, whose leisure empire includes the Sheffield Arena, which opened 17 years ago. Brailey feels the Leeds Arena should not benefit from RDA funding, as any economic benefits in Leeds will come at the price of falling revenues from the Sheffield venue. Yorkshire Forward representatives continue to claim that the arena will benefit the region as a whole. ROMA PUBLICATIONS

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Adding a new dimension to educational opportunity Adding a new dimension to educational opportunity is the construction of a new skills centre at Rastrick High School in Rastrick, Brighouse.

The project is being carried out for Calderdale Metropolitan Council by Main Contractors Torpoint Ltd. Architects are Langtry Langdon. Staff and pupils are already delighted with the new facilities taking shape “Everyone is utterly delighted with the new building - we think it will make such a difference to post-16 education here. The students are very excited about the new building too”, said Mr. Colin Meredith, Business Manager at the school, who commended the contractors for good co-operation in working with the school throughout the project. The project was initiated following an OFSTED report that highlighted a need for more subject choice for pupils in years 12 and 13, which was impacting on some pupils’ ability to achieve as highly as others. “We originally had a

traditional ‘A’ level offer and we decided to broaden this out to provide more vocational courses. The idea of the new skills centre was the original vision of head teacher Helen Lennie”, said Mr. Meredith. He added “We worked very closely with the architects to get as close as possible to what students would find in the workplace, but was also appropriate for teaching and learning.” The new skills centre will be geared to teaching subjects including manufacturing and product design, hospitality, construction and hair and beauty - all areas where the local authority had identified a need for skills locally. The centre will also be available to pupils of other local schools, as well as by the local community in out of school hours. The ground floor of the new two storey building incorporates a number of flexible multi-use training areas, including an internal and external space for construction training in subjects such as building, plumbing, electrical work, painting and decorating, and a manufacture and product design training area which will include computers and computer operated machinery. Both the construction and the manufacture and product design areas are double height spaces. The hospitality training section will include an industry-standard catering kitchen with a servery and cafe. Adjacent to the new building, a hair and beauty salon training area is also

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being created through the conversion a former caretaker’s bungalow. The building has been completely stripped out with new services being installed, together with new windows, new roofing, new fixtures and fittings and complete re-decoration to create a salon area and a study area containing 12 computers, allowing students to undertake academic study before moving on to practical training. The first floor of the building will incorporate two IT suites for 30 students and two other teaching areas. The building is structured around a steel frame with half of the external elevations in imitation stone, and half in steel cladding, with a metal roof. External works include the creation of a new car park area to compensate for parking spaces lost, as the new building is constructed on a former car parking area. The project is due for completion in October 2010, with the facility later being opened by local MP Craig Whittaker.

Well-oiled logistics operation drives rapid road widening scheme Determined efforts to improve rates of materials supply and carriageway construction are to thank for the remarkable progress being made on a £330 million widening scheme on the A1 in Yorkshire. The A1 Dishforth to Barton project is being carried out by Carillion Morgan Sindall JV on behalf of the Highways Agency. The contractors are working with design partner AECOM and converting the existing A1 dual carriageway between Dishforth and Leeming into a 22km, three-lane motorway with a local access road for non-motorway vehicles. A great deal of carriageway construction is involved in the scheme – 2.5Mt of earthworks, 1Mt of imported starter and capping layers and 980,000t of sub-base and asphalt. JV project director Chris Hayton said, “Logistics are a challenge on this

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project given the sheer volume of deliveries and the need to manage them safely. “We have 700 people working out here. Safety is our number one priority. Nobody is allowed to cross the A1 and we have 250,000 wagon loads on and off site to manage. When divided by the number of working days we have, it works out that we have to handle on average 60 vehicles an hour. It’s a massive issue because we cannot have vehicles queuing to discharge and backing up at access points”. To illustrate the level of care put into the logistics of the project, Chris said, “The project makes the best possible use of ‘sitewon’ materials to minimise the import of first generation stone. Stone brought to site is sourced locally to minimise our carbon footprint but balanced out amongst local quarries to minimise the impact of wagon journeys on the local population along the

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N o r th E a s t & Yo r ks h i re delivery routes”. He added, “We have banned works traffic from using many of the local roads and we are conscious of the volumes of imported stone, both dry and coated. We have worked with our suppliers to minimise our impact on the local population. Great effort has been made to inform the public in advance of our proposals in our effort to minimise disruption and accelerate completion of the project. “We have restricted working hours where possible to 07:00 - 19:00 Monday to Friday and have generally avoided working weekends. There have been some works for which night shift working has been necessary and, whenever such working might impact upon neighbours, they have been advised of the proposals in advance and offered alternative accommodation if appropriate”. Chris explained that his team had been using a ‘lean construction’ approach to streamline the work. He said, “We cannot afford for deliveries to be interrupted, so in addition to supply contingencies, plant maintenance is carried out at night. A time and motion study showed we could aim to lay 2000t in a day, provided the asphalt gang was kept working from 7AM to 5PM”. All pavement cuts are pre cut in the evening and there is no waiting around or checking of ‘dips’ in the morning. Levels are controlled from concrete safety barrier foundation slabs and surface water channel. Chris reveals, “The most we’ve laid in a day so far is 2160t and the average has gradually risen from 918t per day to 1700t per day in July and now 1976t. The team is working incredibly hard to reach the target. Currently, around 80km of drainage has been laid, a 5km concrete barrier has been constructed and 46km of fencing has been erected. 211,000 tonnes of blacktop have been laid and 10 km of communications cables installed. All reinforced concrete works to new structures have been completed except the second phase of one structure at Sinderby. Meanwhile, construction of various gantries and installation of associated structural steelwork has commenced, while a gas main at Healam has now been diverted.

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The project is ahead of schedule and could be completed by April 2012 – almost four months earlier than originally expected. Chris gave an update on the latest works on site, saying, “We’re now completing surfacing on the southbound side, from the north tie-in to Londonderry and from Gatenby to Street Lane on the north- and southbound sides ready for a traffic switch. “We’re about to close Street Lane to construct carriageway past the junction and then reinstate for temporary access. We’re also working towards opening Leases East roundabout southbound junction and preparing to close Gatenby northbound slip roads. Mainline construction is ongoing southbound from Leases Hall to Londonderry and there are night works from Leases to Street Lane until late October. Traffic is to be moved from the existing A1 onto the new southbound carriageway over the majority of the 22km site in November 2010 - three months earlier than originally planned.

Working with care The road passes through a Scheduled Ancient Monuments (SAM), site where considerable archaeological findings were during investigation and recording by a team of 35 archaeologists. There has been a considerable ecological input into the scheme to deal with various protected species – badgers, otters, bats, great crested newts and nesting birds - and the site team has had to deal with a number of noxious or invasive plants such as giant hogweed, Japanese knotweed, Himalayan balsam and ragwort. Chris added, “The drainage from the existing A1 issued directly to local watercourses. With the new scheme, all the water from the new road flows to balancing ponds, which attenuate the flow to watercourses and carry out initial settlement of solids as well as some treatment of pollutants through the action of reed beds”.

Bramall Construction secure a £7.4m contract to build new homes for older people and replace a residential care facility in North Yorkshire

Popple Well Springs extra care housing scheme in Tadcaster is a £7.4m project being built on the existing site of The Beeches elderly person’s home. The scheme is being built by Hanover Housing Association in partnership with North Yorkshire County Council, Selby District Council and the Homes Communities Agency. The scheme has been designed by Acanthus WSM Architects and is being built by Rotherham-based housing specialist, Bramall Construction. Paula Broadbent, business development officer from Bramall Construction said: ‘We are delighted to be delivering this exciting and important housing project for Tadcaster and its residents.’ In 1999 North Yorkshire County Council agreed its ‘Our Future Lives; policy which sets out to replace its elderly person’s homes with extra care housing schemes, providing accommodation and services for the whole community. The new scheme involved the replacement of North Yorkshire County Council’s residential care home, The Beeches, as part of the policy. The new scheme will provide attractive and accessible accommodation in a safe and secure environment. This will allow people to live independently, with appropriate care and support when they need it. Bramall Construction has been appointed by Hanover Housing to turn the existing 33-bed facility into 49 two-bed apartments and a single one-bedroom apartment. Each apartment will include a lounge, kitchen and bathroom and bedroom. There will be 24-hour/seven day a week care and support services on site. This will be tailored to individual needs and include a rapid response to emergencies service. There will also be a range of facilities, to provide services and activities for the whole community to access and benefit. The facilities available to the scheme will include: lounge and garden room; assisted bathroom; domestic bathroom; meeting room; guest suite; shop; hair salon; health suite; mobility scooter store; restaurant; cafe and coffee bar; and a multifunction room. Bramall are working around the existing 1980’s care home while the current residents continue to live there. From the outset ROMA PUBLICATIONS

N o r th E a s t & Yo r ks h i re plans have been implemented to ensure that work is completed with the minimum disruption to the residents. Teresa Snaith, Head of Extra Care Development for Hanover, said: ‘When complete, this development will offer a new choice in retirement housing that provides flexibility, independence and personal choice for older people within the community.’ Planning permission for the scheme was granted in September 2009 and work started on site in November 2009. The initial work on site involved the demolition of two wings of the existing elderly persons home. The superstructure build has progressed well and is now at the roof level. The masonry structure is complete and works on the timber roof structure have commenced. This allows the buildings shape and structure to be fully appreciated. Interior design boards have been made available to people currently living at The Beeches to choose colour schemes for their individual properties within the new scheme. The target completion date of the new building is March 2011. Bramall Construction in partnership with Hanover Housing has sponsored a minibus for use by people currently living at The Beeches. As the building works are currently being carried out around the existing building an eight seater minibus is on hire as a thank you to residents for their patience. This has proved beneficial, enabling people to get out and about to shops, parks, gardens, local events and attractions. This demonstrates

the commitment by Bramall to deliver the development with minimum disturbance to existing residents. Local consultation took place with schools and residents at The Beeches to search for a suitable name for the new scheme. ‘Popple Well Springs’, suggested by Riverside Primary School was chosen and approved due to its historical links to the area.

Hull high-rise refurbishment set for March completion Work to meet the Decent Homes standards at Cambridge Street flats in Hull, a pair of identical towers containing a total of 224 homes, is on track for a March 2011 finish. The £6.125 million project started on site in January 2010. The project has been led by Bullock Construction and architects NPS. The latter’s project manager, Jim Holmes, spoke to Premier Construction: “It has always been an issue – whether to demolish and rebuild or refurbish buildings of this nature. In this case, it was deemed much more practical and feasible to refurbish, especially in a tight mixed urban area. “The work has been done with residents in place. As can be expected, some have been frustrated by the intrusion. However, the vast majority have welcomed the work and appreciated the benefits it brings. As part of our plans to deal with their presence, a full risk register was carried out to give us 100% knowledge of the situation. We have had a lot of comments from residents, all of which have been taken into account, and most of which are very positive”. As well as the full range of Decent Homes improvements, the buildings have benefited from improvements to communal areas such as stairways, corridors and lifts, and works such as new lighting, windows and insulation. Earlier in 2010, Hull City Council took the laudable decision to help residents to prepare for the work by helping them to cut their unneeded clutter. Elizabeth Ormerod, the council’s customer liaison officer based at the flats, was on hand to help. She said, “Some residents are having a lot work carried out in their homes, including a new kitchen and rewiring. This is a chance to give their homes a whole new look, and some of the items they have kept for years no longer have a place. So, we arranged for a skip to be delivered and residents seized the chance to “de-clutter”. “Some of the unwanted items were fairly large items of furniture, so representatives of Dove House Hospice came along and collected those they could offer for sale in their shops”. Janine Drury, regional sales manager for Dove House, said, “We are grateful for all donations. Every item donated is turned into funds to help with the operating costs of the hospice. We

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wish to thank the residents of Cambridge Street flats for their support. Without donations we wouldn’t be able to continue to run the hospice”.

Construction News

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Seasons bring change to Barnsley housing Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council (BMBC) has selected Keepmoat Homes as developer to build around 875 new homes over the next 15-18 years as part of the £90 million housing led regeneration programme for Thurnscoe.

The Seasons development, now on site, will provide Barnsley’s housing market with a variety of housing types and tenures in an attractive, well maintained neighbourhood. The first phase of the project involves building 161 homes, of which 55 will be affordable housing under the ownership of Chevin Housing Group, to be managed by Berneslai

Homes - an arm’s length management organisation (ALMO) which is already responsible for managing just under 20,000 homes on behalf of BMBC. Partners in the scheme also include Watson Batty Architects, SLR Environmental Consultancy, Transform South Yorkshire and the Homes & Communities Agency. Taking ideas from all three local schools whose pupils were asked for their input during planning, the decision reached was for the redeveloped Reema Estate to be known as ‘Seasons’, with the first phase taking the name ‘Springside’. Street names and further phase names will be developed along the same theme again with the involvement of local children. BMBC’s programme manager, Andrew Osborn, told Premier Construction, “Keepmoat Homes were selected due to their good track record in housing-led regeneration. They care about people as well as the job in hand, and their way of involving the local community is

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an example of the added value they bring to the contract”. As part of the regeneration project, Keepmoat Homes and BMBC have established a stakeholder board, which will oversee the regeneration and provide a forum for decisions on community focused investment. The board’s stated primary aim is to maximise local opportunity from the benefits arising from a large private sector investor in the area by utilising local knowledge to achieve the best possible outcomes for Thurnscoe over the next 18 years.

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Midlands

Advantage West Midlands show goes on despite funding cuts Recent government cuts have hit regional development agencies hard, and yet as their operations draw to an end, the fruits of Advantage West Midlands’ (AWM) investments continue to ripen. Particularly in the construction sector, investment planned well in advance of recent events is changing the face of the region and, according to director of development Stuart Kirkwood, the RDA’s work will not readily be forgotten. Mr. Kirkwood told Premier Construction, “I think that people will definitely look back at our work and say we’ve left a strong legacy. A study of RDAs in May 2010 concluded that our projects were controlled and managed well, and we scored 9 out of 9 in terms of the targets we were aiming for. So, on that basis, I’d say that we’ve been a success. Our remit has been to invigorate the local economy, not just with construction projects, and we’re already seeing signs that our work has been very worthwhile. Asked whether AWM would rush through projects as funding begins to dry up, Mr. Kirkwood replied, “Despite the cuts we’ve faced, our mission has been to ensure that our budget is used to good effect. There has been a particular focus on what we have deemed to be ‘key strategic sites’, and we intend to see to it that work on them is not left half-finished. There will be a transition from the current set-up to a new one, which is still to be finalised, and it’s important for there to be an orderly transition”. Explaining the review process, Mr. Kirkwood said, “Our project review put into place methodology which allowed us to score projects and decide whether to continue with them or put them on hold. We looked at criteria such as the scale and the ‘deliverability’ of each project, and we tried to be pragmatic. If, for example, a project was determined to be less important than others, but was already 90% finished, then of course we took the decision to maintain funding to see it through”. Amongst AWM’s ‘key strategic sites’ is the new £130 million Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), which is set to open in summer 2011. AWM has joined forces with the East Midlands Development Agency (emda) to invest £40 million in the project, while the remaining £90 million will be brought in from public and private sources over the

next ten years. Building work commenced in April 2010 at the Coventry site, and the facility is beginning to take shape at a remarkable rate under main contractor Morgan Sindall. The MTC is designed to bring together experts from manufacturing and academia to turn new manufacturing ideas into reality. Once completed, it will allow businesses to test new techniques and manufacturing methods prior to full-scale

Stuart Kirkwood

production. It will be staffed by between 100 and 150 highly qualified technical specialists. Industries which will benefit from the MTC include aerospace, automotive, energy, electronics, and heavy duty construction equipment companies. According to Stuart Kirkwood, “The idea behind the MTC is that although we’re very good in the UK at innovation, we sometimes fall short when it comes to following through with an idea. One identified reason for this is that we lack research and development facilities. This facility will go a long way towards filling a void”. Initial economic impact assessments show that investment in the project will return £46 for every £1 invested. In addition, over ten years, the MTC is expected to create or safeguard 2,100 jobs, support 625 businesses, and generate around £5.5 billion for the UK economy. The MTC will be operated by a partnership made up initially of four leading UK research organisations: the University of Birmingham, the University of Nottingham, Loughborough University, and TWI Ltd. – the operating division of The Welding Institute. Founder industrial

Initial economic impact assessments show that investment in the project will return £46 for every £1 invested. members of the MTC are Rolls-Royce, Aero Engine Controls and Airbus UK. Jeff Moore, chief executive of emda, said, “Manufacturing is vitally important to the economies of both the East and West Midlands. The MTC will enable manufacturers to utilise the expertise of our leading universities, helping to transform innovative ideas into products and processes that will give them a competitive edge in the global market”. Dr Hamid Mughal, Rolls-Royce executive vice president for manufacturing, engineering and technology, said, “We are delighted to see progress being made on the construction of the MTC, which joins the network of advanced manufacturing research centres we are championing. “Work has already started with our partners on exciting research projects which will help the competitiveness of manufacturing in this country and we look forward to these transferring to the MTC next year”. ROMA PUBLICATIONS

Midlands

Work underway on new homes in Minsterley As part of its commitment to providing quality, affordable homes, Severnside Housing is building 19 new energyefficient homes on Callow Lane in Minsterley, a village near Shrewsbury. Work began on the £2.4 million development, which will be known as Orchard Meadow, in March this year and is due for completion in March 2011. The project has been funded by Severnside, with £1.2 million from the government’s Affordable Housing Grant programme. Shropshire Homes Ltd has been awarded principal contractor status. The development is a mix of 17 two- and three-bedroom houses, and 2 two-bedroom bungalows, which all feature full gas central heating and supplemental solar panels for hot water. Four of the properties will be offered on a shared ownership basis, with an initial purchase of a 50 per cent share. The remaining 15 are to be offered for general rent. All of the homes, which are both designed and built by Shropshire Homes, have been designed to be wheelchair accessible, and will also meet a number of stringent standards, including Code for Sustainable Homes Level 3, Lifetime Homes, and Secured by Design. Sepp Sargeant, Head of Investment Services at Severnside Housing, said, “After consulting closely with the local parish council and the wider community, Severnside is building this development in Minsterley to address the local need for affordable housing. It will be a mix of houses and bungalows, for shared ownership and general rent.

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“This forms part of Severnside’s larger development programme to deliver 150 new homes in the local area by 2010”. Developers are currently building new affordable homes at four development sites around Shrewsbury, including a £2.7m regeneration scheme in Sundorne.

Severnside Housing Severnside Housing, one of Shropshire’s largest social landlords, manages 5,320 homes in and around Shrewsbury following the transfer of stock from Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council on October 1, 2001. The association is currently working through a five-year, £27 million improvement programme. The in-house property services team - Severnside Housing Property Services (SHPS) is undertaking a large proportion of the refurbishment project work and all of the responsive repairs. The SHPS team has also won work from other Registered Social Landlords (RSLs). The association employs around 240 people, with over half of staff directly employed in the repairs and maintenance team, responsible for maintaining housing stock and carrying out adaptations. Since 2001, workers have installed 10,695 new kitchens, bathrooms, windows and central heating systems to make sure the association reaches the government’s Decent Homes targets by 2010. A not for profit local housing company, Severnside Housing is committed to making a positive difference by providing affordable housing and services to support the customers who live in its homes.

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Butterfly Hospice dream takes wings An inspirational self-build project funded by dedicated volunteers, the construction of the first phase of a new hospice for the Butterfly Hospice Trust is making good progress on a site at Rowan Way, Boston, Lincolnshire. The new building is being constructed by the Butterfly Hospice Trust itself, with Mr. Graham Myers of Graham Myers, Construction and Project Management Services as the project manager. Taking shape on a four acre greenfield site, the new single storey building will incorporate a range of facilities including six single bedrooms, each with an en suite wet room and patio windows allowing each patient’s bed to be pushed into the garden area outside; a kitchen for the use of nurses and patients; a hydrotherapy room; office areas for hospice nursing staff; plus ancillary facilities including linen rooms and toilets. The building, which measures 47m long by 15 m wide, is of traditional construction with concrete strip footings and brick and block external elevations, uPVC windows and a pitched tiled roof. The first phase is due to be completed at the end of December 2010, with further phases being scheduled according to available funding. External works include the creation of a car park; hard landscaping outside the bedrooms, and extensive landscaping of the surrounding meadowland, including the laying of walkways to create an idyllic environment for patients. A log cabin incorporating bedrooms is also being constructed to provide accommodation for patients’ relatives staying overnight.

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Currently the building is constructed and watertight, with the windows soon to be installed and the first fix electrical and mechanical works underway inside, together with the installation of external drainage and the laying of paving. “Considering the project only started in May, construction has gone well. We have used all local trades as sub contractors from in and around the Boston area and have had a very high standard of workmanship from them” said Mr. Graham Myers. “It is a very interesting project to work on and is totally different to anything I have done before. There is a real need in the area for this hospice and I am working with a really good team - particularly the Butterfly Hospice who are so dedicated to this cause, running the whole project and raising funding. I have even helped with fundraising myself, by setting up a ‘have a go’ archery event to help raise money for the scheme. I personally feel that a hospice is a much better place for someone to spend their last days, rather than in a hospital” he added. The Butterfly Hospice Trust was initiated at a public meeting in the millennium year and was later established as a charity and a company limited by guarantee. During past 10 years, the trust has worked tirelessly with the help of local communities, businesses and an army of volunteers to raise sufficient funds to build the first phase of the hospice. The new hospice will be the first of its kind in this area to provide in-patient beds for people with a life-limiting illness. Once a full in-patient service is provided, in addition to nursing and medical care, the hospice will be providing counseling and carer support. Hospices deal with the whole person and spiritual multi-faith care by a team of skilled and professional qualified volunteers will be provided according to patient need. Speaking as he laid the cornerstone of the new building earlier this year, Boston and Skegness MP Mark Simmonds said: “This is a significant achievement on behalf of all those who have been involved in both raising money and working extremely hard to deliver this facility to Boston. “It demonstrates what can happen when people come together in a community.” Hospice founder member Sue Wray said: “This marks the beginning of the end of the first phase and means that once we can get the funds in we can start the second and third phases.”

Welbeck Estate developers fit office space into 150-year-old structure A £2.2 million project completed in October 2010 after a 12-month on-site period has seen 7 office units incorporated into an 1860s building known as Carriage Court. The building is located within the Welbeck Estate, just outside Worksop and Sherwood Forest, and was originally designed to house both horses and carriages during the Victorian era.

to specialists we trust, whilst remaining open to the client and being able to work with the client’s interests at heart”. The new offices are set to come onto the letting market in late October 2010.

The new development, comprising over 9,000 square feet of office space, has been sympathetically restored and updated to incorporate the features a modern office needs. Built in 1860 from Ashlar stone, one unique feature of the grade II listed building is the historic carriage doors, which open fully onto the large cobbled courtyard at its heart. Sitting behind the retained doors are glass screens which open into the new reception area and office units. Project manager John Kilsby of Austin Newport told Premier Construction, “Originally, the doors opened inwards. Our proposal to retain and reverse them is what allowed us to fit the glazed entrance directly behind the carriage doors, and doing so has added more lettable area”. The two-storey building now features full IT capability, smart low energy lighting, a lift, two new staircases, kitchenettes, improved roof insulation, new ventilation systems and a modern boiler and heating system. In recent decades, the building had been leased by the Ministry of Defence, employed variously as a medical facility and a vehicle workshop. According to John, “A lot of the work involved stripping out to prepare for the new use of the building, but we provided a full project management package and supervised external repairs and the relaying of the courtyard”. The 820m2 courtyard was lifted and re-laid over a period of months. John added, “Sourcing the stone for the external repairs and for the new flagstone floors was actually one of the biggest difficulties to get past as we had to locate the same type and quality of stone, which was originally taken from the grounds of the estate but was no longer available”. John also outlined the benefits of project management. “The advantage of coming to project management and restoration specialists like us instead of general contractors is that there is much less risk of the kind of collapse we’ve seen recently with Connaught. There is also the advantage that we can re-tender ROMA PUBLICATIONS

Midlands

Housing21 to bring Extra Care apartments to Birmingham housing market Housing21’s latest residential development is to bring 87 new extra care apartments to Birmingham’s housing market in October 2010. The Meadway development, located in Birmingham’s Yardley area, consists of a range of self-contained apartments spread across a 2/3-storey building. Each apartment is designed for wheelchair access and has its own sitting room, fully fitted kitchen, walk-in shower and non-slip flooring to the kitchen and bathroom. An on-site team will provide care and support, tailored to meet individual needs. Communal facilities at the site include a residents’ lounge, an IT suite, a restaurant, a hairdressing salon and landscaped gardens with greenhouses. There is also room for 40 parking spaces, which will be allocated to residents on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. The restaurant, IT suite and salon are to me bade available to the public during normal working hours, while the rest of the building remains private and is subject to a secure access system for residents. The new build development, which has been carried out by Willmott Dixon (as part of the main contractor’s framework agreement with Housing21) after design work by architects Calford Seaden, makes use of land which had been unused

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since two tower blocks were demolished in the 1980s. Housing21 project manager Ian Wormwell told Premier Construction in early October, “We’re at the stage of tying up loose ends with Willmott Dixon before we reach practical completion in mid to late October. The letting process has begun and is being carried out according to local authority regulations – the building is not aimed at the general public, so applicants have to meet certain criteria in order to register”. Unlike other construction projects across the country, which suffered crippling delays during the tough winter of 2009-10, The Meadway was not held up. Instead, contractors were able to move through the winter virtually uninterrupted and the result is a project completed ahead of schedule. Mr. Wormwell explained how time was saved: “We made a decision to make the ground floor watertight as soon as possible, and we achieved that within a few weeks of the start. Then, as we progressed, we would make each floor watertight and used it as a temporary roof while carrying out internal work underneath. One of the advantages of the lightweight steel frame we used is that delays due to weather are much less likely”.

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S o u th We s t

Debenhams joins in at Southgate The opening of the Debenhams anchor store in SouthGate Bath in early September represented the completion of the main retail element of the scheme, which has opened in three phases starting in November 2009. The redevelopment of the southern end of Bath was first discussed in the late 1980s. Demolition began on the site in early 2007 and construction of the new SouthGate Bath complex was completed in January 2010. With the exception of the upper floors, SouthGate Bath is constructed in reinforced concrete – the upper floors are of structural steel. In order for the architecture of the scheme, which reflects that of wider Georgian Bath and which was created by architects Chapman Taylor, to segue seamlessly with the rest of the city, the structure is clad in Bath stone panels. These were factory made and prefinished. They were erected on site and allowed the construction process and timetable to be maintained throughout the building period. In fact, constructor Sir

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Robert McAlpine was able to hand over the site to the development partnership of Multi Development and Aviva Investments in January of this year, two and a half months ahead of schedule. This gave retailers who were committed to Phase Two of the development and Debenhams additional time to fit out their stores. The walkways within the SouthGate Bath development are finished in high quality pennant stone throughout. The main square includes hidden electricity supplies for outdoor events. The scheme includes retail, residential and transport elements. There are 55 retail units within the SouthGate Bath development and over 85 per cent of the retail space is let. As well as the 125,000 sq ft Debenhams anchor store there are currently a carefully selected range of retailers and restaurants within the scheme including: All Saints, Animal, Apple, Azendi, Boots, Build A Bear Workshop, Caffe Nero, Cake Café, Calvin Klein, Carenza, Cult, Currys Digital/PC World, Fat Face, Game, Giraffe, H&M, Hotel Chocolat, Kurt Geiger, Jimmy Spices, Jones Bootmaker, New Look, O2, Pizza

Express (opens end of August), Quiksilver, La Senza, PizzaExpress, Plain Lazy, Republic, River Island, Sainsbury’s Local, Thoughts Cards, Timpson, Tommy Hilfiger, Topman, Topshop, tReds and Urban Outfitters. Opening in October is Little SouthGate, an enclosed arcade concept designed to attract high end boutiques and independents. Marketed under the title “The Residence at SouthGate Bath”, the residential element includes 99 one and two bedroom apartments. The first apartments within St. Lawrence House will soon come on the market, with the remaining apartments in Philip House, Marchant House and Southgate House becoming available later this year and throughout 2011. The residential offering within SouthGate Bath is a mixture of private apartments and social housing. Integrated transport is key to the SouthGate Bath development. It includes a newly constructed bus station (constructed by BAM) opposite the main retail site and a below-ground 860-space three storey car park. The redevelopment

of Bath Spa Railway Station will begin later this year with major works at the station itself and the redevelopment of the area around it to incorporate public space and a restaurant quarter. The development of the car park, a three-storey 11 metre deep basement, created its own challenges, not least adherence to the Avon Act that protects the hot water springs for which Bath is world famous. It comprises three levels, the lowest level of which contains a dedicated car park for Bath Spa Railway Station and will be available for rail travellers when redevelopment work at the station is complete. A boon for a city where parking is at a premium, the SouthGate Bath car park has quickly become one of the city’s most favoured car parks by those driving into the city. SouthGate Bath’s 860 space car park is proving increasingly popular with shoppers and visitors to the city, with over 20,000 vehicles using it each week. It has achieved a Park Mark® Safer Parking award under the Safer Parking Scheme, an initiative of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO). The award is granted to parking areas that have passed the requirements of a risk assessment carried out by the Police. SouthGate Bath has been recognised for putting in place measures that help to deter criminal activity and anti-social behaviour, and for doing everything that the management of the centre can to prevent crime and the fear of crime in the SouthGate Bath car park. As well as receiving an award which will reassure visitors to the car park of its safety, the Park Mark® Safer Parking award also gives SouthGate Bath management access to ongoing support

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and advice to ensure that the car park remains a safe and crime-free environment. It also makes the car park part of a network of other car parks in the scheme, enabling SouthGate Bath management to share innovations and best practice with other car park managers across the UK. The development of SouthGate Bath has involved hundreds of individuals. The number of people working on construction peaked at 750 and, because of the historical significance of Bath as a World Heritage Site, up to 80 archaeologists were working on site at any one time. The combination of design and construction skills and expertise has combined to create for Bath a development in SouthGate Bath that completes the circle

for the city. The scheme replaces a tired 1970s development that was not complementary to the rest of the city and that did not perform for the people of Bath and its visitors. Since the opening of the first phase of SouthGate Bath in November last year more than 10 million people have visited the scheme. The annual footfall target of nine million visitors was surpassed three months ahead of schedule and the development has integrated perfectly with the rest of the city. It is a perfect example of what can happen when architects, builders, developers and local partners work together to create a resource that complements and benefits the city in which a new development is created. More information is available at www. southgatebath.com.

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Speedy refurbishment allows new Bristol educational facility A £1.5 million refurbishment programme completed within 6 months has paved the way for the College of Law to expand into Bristol. Opened in time for the 2010 intake, the college’s share in an office building located on Temple Way has room for 300 budding legal eagles. Works on the building, originally erected in 2006, have created a new ground floor reception and library as well as a first floor containing an open-plan tutorial office, ten teaching rooms and a vital breakout space. Main contractor Midas collaborated with architects from Gaunt Francis Associates on the project. Lead architect Ben Minifie told Premier Construction, “It was a quick turnaround as the client only decided in late 2009 to make the move. In order to avoid having a hectic site

during the fast-paced build programme, we put a lot of planning and detailed design into the project”. He continued, “In the end, the work was completed on programme, which was no mean feat. The entire space was subject to an IT review and, even though the building is less than ten years old, a lot of extra work had to be done in that respect to facilitate the array of PCs in the library and the projectors used in the teaching rooms. “Elsewhere, the two most striking features are the feature staircase, for which we cut through the existing first floor slab, and which combines satin stainless steel, glass balustrades and slate

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inserts; and the feature timber wall, which is visible from the reception”. Work on the refurbishment began in February 2010 and was finished in time for the handover the following September.

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Essex reduces energy bills with new LED technology In partnership with SA2000, a joint venture between traffic technology company Siemens and leading consultants Atkins, Essex County Council has recently started the second phase of a retrofit programme to replace traffic signals with newly developed LED technology from Siemens. Aimed at reducing carbon emissions and power consumption, the project involves replacing over 750 signal heads with new LED technology at 47 junctions on a range of major routes across the county including sites in Colchester, Braintree and Chelmsford town centre. According to Andy Champ, senior ITS specialist, representing Essex County Council, the new technology is expected to deliver considerable carbon and energy savings, reduced costs and enhanced safety. “With the advantage of a strong working relationship with SA2000 contract partners, the retrofit programme represents another major ITS improvement in Essex and, more importantly, is highly sustainable. Based on a typical, medium-sized site, the annual power saving per site is estimated above 4,000KWh and the annual carbon saving over 2 tonnes per site”, he said. Cost effective traffic control is of growing importance and plays a critical role in the future of Essex County Council’s transport networks, in particular addressing congestion and improving traveler information and safety on the county’s roads. Siemens’ low-power Helios retrofit solution enables both existing Siemens Helios and Peek Elite signal equipment to be upgraded to the latest Siemens CLS LED technology, whilst maximising the re-use of existing roadside infrastructure. Without compromising functionality or infrastructure investment, the additional future benefits include further carbon savings as a result of a reduction in the number of maintenance visits to regularly replace and clean traditional incandescent lamps that consume large amounts of power. Enabling existing signals with incandescent lamps to be upgraded to LED technology, Siemens’ retrofit option provides significant savings without compromising the same excellent optical performance of existing Helios signals. Easy to install and offering full lamp monitoring compatibility, the low-power

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retrofit provides a sustainable solution with minimum waste and both high optical brightness and outstanding phantom performance. As they consume an average of just 9W across a typical dim/bright cycle, the latest Helios retrofit modules offer power and carbon savings of over 75%. Thanks to the continued use of the well-proven SIRA lens, the optical performances of the signals remain excellent, providing both high brightness and outstanding phantom performance. For new installations, Siemens signal heads are available already fitted with the latest LED modules which are fully compatible with the latest controllers.

About SA2000

Extended in 2006, the SA2000 partnership contract is set to run until 2013 to assist Essex County Council in meeting the objectives of the Council’s local transport strategy and public service agreements. Local Transport Plans place a strong emphasis on the use of advanced technology in monitoring traffic and providing real time information for motorists and users of public transport. Both Siemens and Atkins work closely with Essex County Council to develop further improvements and investment to provide cutting edge transport systems and such technologies which will lead to greater reliability of journey times, traveller information and improve the safety of drivers across Essex. Siemens and Atkins have been working with Essex County Council since 2000 delivering traffic control and information systems covering CCTV and urban traffic control. Joint initiatives have resulted in Essex becoming one of the UK’s leading authorities in delivering traffic control and information systems.

The scheme spreads

The retrofit bug is contagious, it seems, as a Manchester project gets under way. The project involves upgrading Siemens’ pedestrian controllers to enable the replacement of incandescent lamps in around 600 signal heads at 120 pedestrian crossings with LED technology across all ten districts of Greater Manchester. According to John Rice, Greater Manchester Strategic Transport Manager, as part of securing efficiencies through

collaboration in service improvement and procurement, one of the authority’s clear aims was to maximise the number of incandescent lamps replaced for a fixed budget and within a restricted timescale before the end of the year. “Low-power retrofit technology helps Manchester save additional energy and costs from reduced lamp replacement and maintenance visits”, he said. The majority of the nominated installations required engineering work to be carried out by Siemens on the controller’s processors and phase drivers to provide lamp monitoring of the new LED signals. On completion of the development work, the sites will be upgraded with Peek Elite retrofit signal equipment. The scheme is also spreading to Medway, part of the Thames Gateway area, where communications equipment is also being upgraded with the deployment of new UG405 outstation transmission units (OTUs) from Siemens. According to Alan Hawker, Medway’s traffic signal engineer, the unitary authority plans a major shift towards Extra Low Voltage (ELV) technology over the next year. “ELV will make a significant contribution not just in reduced power consumption but also in ongoing maintenance. We have even looked at how much time is taken up travelling with a vehicle to replace a lamp or attend a lamp failure – this is a green issue too”, he said.

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Crawley masterplan to reach November landmark The Langley Green area of Crawley is abuzz as locals prepare to take advantage of a new £2.15 million community centre which includes

a Sure Start centre and crèche, meeting rooms, a surgery, and a community hall, all of which adjoin an improved reception for the neighbouring school. Main contractors Westridge Construction have carried out designs by architects Re-Format on behalf of Crawley Borough Council. The building is part of Crawley Borough Council’s Langley Green Regeneration Plan. The

area has suffered the unwelcome tag of ‘deprived’ in recent times, yet councillors’ ambitions mean the tag may finally be shed. Councillor Bob Lanzer, leader of the council, said of the plan, “All of this work is being carried out to improve Langley Green and make it a better place to live and work. It will enhance the environment, community facilities, parade, open spaces, recycling, roads and parking”. Project architect Matt Swanton spoke about his creation with justifiable pride, saying, “I’m hopeful that the building will be seen as a local landmark. The client has shown a determination to make the building work hard, which is why it has become a one-stop-shop for community services and the internal spaces – especially the hall – are designed to be flexible. Externally, we hoped to create the feeling of a park pavilion, setting the building in green space and making it interact with its

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surroundings”. He added, “The building will be in use in November 2010 and work is actually a month ahead of schedule. I’d put that down to Westridge’s management – the team has worked hard and planned well, doing a particularly good job of dealing with the initial ground conditions which required extensive drainage to clear what was basically a mud field”. The impressive design has been touted as a possible candidate for industry awards, so watch this space as we follow the building’s fortunes in Premier Construction.

Transport and logistics high fliers deliver airport redevelopment Stobart Group is one of the UK’s leading providers of multimodal transport and logistic solutions. The company provides road, rail, sea and air transport services and employs more than 5,000 people in the UK, Ireland and Europe. Today Stobart Group delivers outsourced transport and logistics solutions for a wide variety of manufacturing, retail and public-sector customers across the industrial, consumer, food and defence sectors; working in partnership to transform their supply chain structures and optimise their efficiency. In December 2008, Stobart Group took over as owners of London Southend Airport, under the name of Stobart Air. This was a big step forward for the airport and the region, as Stobart brought with it the financial backing and infrastructure expertise needed to help deliver a new future for the airport. London Southend Airport now forms a strong part of the company, alongside road, rail and sea. Importantly for the airport, Stobart has rail and civil engineering infrastructure expertise in-house. The group is now delivering new facilities for the airport including a new state-of-the—art air traffic control tower and additional car parking, and as well as a new railway station and numerous other facilities, as part of a major redevelopment programme. The long-awaited new £5 million air traffic control tower replaces one erected in the 1960’s as a temporary measure. Constructed by Essex firm Readie Construction, with Stobart Developments as Project Managers, the new control tower will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology and radar systems, and gives much-improved views of the runway. The new 27m high control tower is a multi-storey building, with ground floor offices, meeting rooms, training rooms, workshops

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and two large plant rooms - one housing the building plant and the other housing electronic equipment which serves the airport navigation equipment. The floors above mainly incorporate the stairwell and storage areas, with a sub-equipment room housing equipment needed by the air traffic controllers, occupying the floor below the control room. Also on this floor is the new Radar Room where the operators track all aircraft movement in the locality. The control room itself is a large glass encased room incorporating workstations for the controllers. The building is structured around a steel frame with concrete floors on metal decking and external elevations in composite metal cladding. The control room area is glazed on all sides and topped by a specialist fibreglass roof. External works include the creation of a new eight-space secure gated car park with access control, as well as a large tarmac surfaced car park for the new train station, also under construction at the airport. The car park will have barrier access and a pay-on-foot system. The works include the installation of lighting, signage and CCTV. This element of the scheme is due

Flagship rail project makes tracks towards completion Construction of a new railway station is approaching completion in a £12 million flagship project at London Southend Airport.

to be completed in October 2010. Currently snagging work is underway, and the tower’s specialist equipment is soon to be installed. “It is an unusual project but it has gone well and the quality of the workmanship is good” said Mr. Steve Chambers, of Stobart Developments, who is project managing the scheme. The construction project, which commenced in January 2010, is just being completed, with the building due to commence operation in early 2011, once all the specialist equipment has been installed. Airport Managing Director Alastair Welch says: “The new air traffic control tower is another stage in the investment and development programme to enhance the airport - providing the opportunity for local people to fly to a range of holiday and business destinations across Europe.” He added: “I’m especially delighted that its construction is being carried out by an essentially local firm - this just goes to prove that the airport development programme is creating local jobs and playing a major part in helping to regenerate the area.” acting as principal contractor working in partnership with Stobart Rail to deliver various phases of the development. The building works include construction of an architecturally striking, contemporary style building with a footprint in the form of two wings and structured around a steel portal frame, with composite steel clad elevations and a Trocal roof. The side elevation overlooking the airfield incorporates two large windows and the building has a large glazed entrance canopy. Internally, the building includes an upper concourse and incorporates facilities including two 12-car platforms. A ticket hall, a cafe and passenger welfare facilities, as well as an enclosed bridge link between the station’s two platforms. Other works include the construction of platform shelters, the installation of a CCTV security system, a fire alarm system and all associated mechanical and electrical works. The scope of works has also encompasses embankment widening, modifications to

The new station, which is on the National Express East Anglia Southend Victoria to London Liverpool Street line, will provide airport passengers with fast and frequent train services direct to Stratford (for Docklands and Canary Wharf) and to central London’s Liverpool Street Station, with a journey time of 45 minutes. The project, part of a wider redevelopment programme at the airport, is being carried out by Birse Rail, working with Stobart Rail, part of the Stobart Group, who own the airport. Key to the success of the project is Steve Harker from Stobart Rail and Jason Ludlow from Birse Rail. Birse Rail was originally engaged by Stobart Rail in March 2009 to manage the design and approvals process under a management contract. This new contract involves Birse Rail

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signaling, realignment of the track, the erection of fencing, and the installation of drainage. One of the challenges faced by the contract team was undertaking the construction works over an existing live railway line, requiring special health and safety measures. Paul Copeland, Managing Director of Birse Rail said, “This contract is great news for the business. We have worked closely with the Stobart Rail to deliver this important enhancement to

Demand sparks expansion of popular school Geared to providing extra pupil places in order to cope with increased demand, is a project to expand Somerhill Junior School in Somerhill Road, Brighton. The project is being carried out for Brighton & Hove Council by Main Contractors Westridge Construction, with the council also acting as architects for the scheme. The works include the extension and refurbishment of the school, as well as internal remodeling. The project will provide a new secure reception area and a remodeled administration area, including a new head teacher’s office, an administration/bursar’s office and a community meeting space. The works will also provide additional and remodeled circulation space, a refurbished staff room, a modified kitchen, improved changing facilities and new disabled access to the first floor via a platform lift. Further works include the construction of a first floor extension to provide four new classrooms, a shared activity space, two group rooms and toilets. External works include hard and soft landscaping and the upgrading of access to the school. The project is part of a larger scheme designed to accommodate larger numbers of children growing up in Hove over recent years. In another contract, Davigdor Infant School, which shares the site with Somerhill School, is also being expanded in a similar project. Speaking of the project to expand both Somerhill Junior and Davigdor Infant School, Brighton & Hove City Council Cabinet Member for Children & Young People Vanessa Brown said: “The numbers of children growing up in the city has increased significantly and this has put pressure on many schools. This expansion aims to help ease that pressure and ensure that more

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Southend Airport, which is without doubt a major asset to the Thames Gateway Regeneration Zone.” Alastair Welch, Managing Director of London Southend Airport, says “The regeneration of London Southend Airport is gathering momentum and we are finally starting to see everything we have planned and worked for taking shape. I’m delighted to say, we’re on course for our target of playing a pivotal role in the 2012 Olympics.” He adds: “This investment and development programme will provide the opportunity for local people to fly to a range of holiday and business destinations across Europe, as well as creating local jobs and playing a major part in helping to regenerate the area. These are very exciting times for London Southend Airport.” Birse Rail is one of the UK’s most experienced railway civil engineering and building contractors offering a full multidisciplinary service to the rail market. It operates as part of Balfour Beatty Rail, the leading international rail engineering, design and construction business. Birse Rail has an in-depth knowledge of the UK’s railway infrastructure and expertise in defining, developing and delivering the best possible solution for every project. The company works closely with each client’s delivery teams and supply partners to identify and implement innovative techniques and methods of working. This ensures successful project delivery with maximum efficiencies, whilst minimising disruption to the network user. Being part of Balfour Beatty means that the Birse Rail are also able to draw on expertise from across the group, so that their clients benefit from innovative techniques and new developments pioneered in other parts of the business. local children go to their local schools.” “We want to ensure children attend school with pre-school friends, parents don’t have to travel long distances and extended services offered by schools are tailored to meet the needs of the whole community.”

Westridge Partnership was formed in 1988 by three of the current Directors. Westridge Construction Ltd began trading in 1993 when they enjoyed a modest turnover of £78,000. This was made up of a pub refurbishment and a couple of extensions. Since that time, the company has grown rapidly, so that by 2009, their turnover was over £28 million. Westridge Construction now undertakes all forms of main contracting, and over the years have built an excellent reputation for quality, reliability, service and innovation. It is the company’s intention that reputation continues to be enhanced and they recognise that this can only be achieved through the knowledge, skills and attitude of their staff. The company gained Investors In People status in October 200, thanks to the commitment and hard work of all their employees, and have been successfully re-accredited three times since then. Last year alone, they invested over £160,000 in training.

Kier near completion of Uxbridge sports complex Work is nearing completion on a state-of-the-art £6m sport and leisure development at Uxbridge College. A new sports hall is to replace the existing facilities which are in the oldest part of the college and are around 40 years old - and other improvements to the site are included in the works. The development is being led by Kier Group at the campus in Park Road, Uxbridge, and will include: • A hall with facilities for sports including 5-a-side football, cricket, basketball, netball and volleyball, and a full-size electronic scoreboard. The hall will be 50% taller and 50% bigger than the original building. • An outdoor ‘Multi Use Games Area’ (MUGA) which will include a basketball/netball court of around regulation size, and a 5-a-side pitch. • A new fitness suite which is 50% larger than the old one. • Sustainable materials and construction processes.

of the last of our original buildings to get a complete upgrade, and the development will ensure we have the best possible facilities for our students, staff and community. Plans for the new hall include options for community use, such as 5-a-side football, basketball and netball. The new hall will also be used for Uxbridge College’s Sports academies in football, basketball and cricket, and enable the college to expand its range of sport coaching qualifications. The sports hall has been constructed using sustainable materials and construction processes, including pre-fabricated timber panels from sustainable forests. All construction traffic

Development start on 4th May, following Hillingdon Council’s decision to grant planning permission on 13th April. Snatching a break from his busy site to update Premier Construction as October began, Kier project manager Iain Burnett said, “We’re on schedule for practical completion in time for the autumn half-term holiday, which allows time for staff to get used to the new facilities before the students come back”. Laraine Smith OBE, principal of Uxbridge College, said, “We are really looking forward to Uxbridge College’s fantastic new £6m sports facilities being completed in the autumn. The sports hall is one ROMA PUBLICATIONS

Lo n d o n & S o u th E a s t has been funnelled through the Park Road entrance to Uxbridge College, minimising disruption to local residents and users of nearby Hillingdon Sport and Leisure Complex. Contractors Kier are part of the Considerate Contractors Scheme.

Warding off the winter Under Floor Heating energy in the new facility comes from a ground source heat pump system designed by ISO Energy. Although a recent controversial report by the Energy Saving Trust (EST) has questioned the performance of heat pump installations, ISO’s Bean Beanland has much to say in defence of the technology: “Heat pumps can fail to meet performance standards, but this is almost exclusively when the technology is badly understood and the system is poorly conceived. It’s all down to design. There is no substitute for a full investigation of the site geology as we carried out at Uxbridge College in conjunction with our research partner, ESI Ltd. of Shrewsbury. Understanding the thermal properties of the strata under the site and the underground water

systems is essential. If the borehole collector array is then sized and laid out accordingly, a system that not just works, but that delivers long-term sustainable and optimised performance, will result. “ISO has been called out to rescue sites that were frozen solid and has seen correspondence from contractors saying, in effect, “Dear Sir, we regret to inform you that your ground is exhausted”. That’s an avoidable disaster, and proves that, in the rare case of a system failure, it’s more often the workman - not the tool - who is to blame”. Extensive consultation, design and even education are part of ISO’s process, the success of which can be seen on a host of projects carried out so far across England and Wales. Bean, who combines his background in pure physics with his colleagues’ expertise in design and engineering, added, “Anyone can claim to be renewable, but only with painstaking design will the project turn out to be truly sustainable”. Find out more about ISO Energy’s wide range of truly sustainable products and services at www.isoenergy.co.uk

Praise for contractors on college upgrade Substantially upgrading four buildings on a site which is to become the College’s new headquarters, is the first phase, now approaching completion, of a £17 million project being carried out at Ruskin College in Oxford. The college is based on two sites - one in the centre of Oxford and the other at Old Headington, which is where the works are taking place.

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Phase 1 of the project is being carried out by main contractors, Beard Construction, who have won praise for their work on the scheme. “We are very pleased with Beard Construction, who have worked very well with us” said Professor Audrey Mullender, Principal of Ruskin College, adding “I am thrilled with the outcome of the project - it’s amazing how much different it makes to have

everything looking fresh and new with consistency of colour schemes and design throughout. Previously the buildings were worn out and shabby and it was interfering with people’s ability to study at the College. Now we have been able to give all the blocks another 20 or 30 years of life, which is another generation of use, and I think that everyone will be very comfortable and happy in them”, she said. The scheme involves the refurbishment of four buildings - one a Grade II listed former stable block, known as the Smith Building, which had previously been converted into offices. The building had fallen into disrepair, had damp problems, and had been ‘mothballed’ for some time. The renovation of the building is now complete, with the refurbishment providing bright, modern accommodation including offices for 12 people on the ground floor and a teaching space upstairs. The works involved complete modernisation of the building, including the upgrade of building services, the installation of new doors, windows, and roof repairs, compete re-decoration and minor structural changes to make the building more usable. This includes the replacement of a single oversized window in one of the offices with two smaller windows more in keeping with the scale of the building. The rear of the building, which forms part of the college’s boundary wall, has also been repaired and presents a much smarter exterior to the public passing by. “The building has been transformed, it really is looking lovely” said Professor Mullender, adding that former Deputy Prime Minister, Lord Prescott, whose life was changed by two years of study at Ruskin College, occupied one of the rooms in this building for 12 months of his stay. The other element of Phase 1 of the project involves the refurbishment of three other buildings on the site which date from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s - all of which will be for residential use, with one being used for short courses and the other two for long-stay students. All are nearing completion and will be ready for the start of the new academic year in October this year. The works involve complete upgrading of all the buildings, including the refurbishment or replacement of all building services, as and where required. One of the buildings, known as the Beatrice Webb Building, has had ensuite bathrooms installed (including one fully accessible bathroom for a disabled person), and a number of former common areas converted into bedrooms, which has increased the provision of bedrooms from 24 to 28. A former storage space has been converted into a kitchen for the students and a canopy covered walkway has been installed, leading to the building’s

seminar room. “We are very pleased with the refurbished building - we now have more rooms and more facilities” said Professor Mullender. The third and fourth buildings being refurbished are the Biko Building and the Bowen Building. Both are residential blocks with shared bathroom and kitchen facilities. The works include the provision of an additional kitchen and more toilets. The buildings have been completely repaired, upgraded and redecorated throughout, including the installation of new sanitary fittings and the replacement of building services. The Bowen Building in particular presented challenges, as areas of plaster were crumbling off the walls and the floor screed had lost its integrity, which added extra time and work to the contract programme yet a fixed deadline when the students were due back. The success of the project is down to teamwork by all concerned, confided the College Principal. The second phase of works, currently out to tender, involves the construction of a two- and three-storey academic building, which will form the centrepiece of the Old Headington site once it is completed in 2012. Anyone wanting to know more about Ruskin College and the second chances it offers in education should go to www.ruskin.ac.uk . There are courses of all lengths and at all levels – something for everyone who didn’t complete their education or fulfil their potential first time round. Thanks to this major redevelopment project, they will now be learning in an environment fit for the twenty-first century.

Whitbread raises the green bar with latest low-carbon hotel A new Premier Inn is under construction at Burgess Hill in West Sussex following Whitbread’s ‘Good Together’ policy, which focuses on six key themes, setting targets for achievement and behavioural change in each. These themes are: environment, people, sourcing, health, community investments, brand and customers. Good Together targets include: • Reducing CO2 emissions by 26% by 2020 • Achieving a relative 20% reduction in water consumption within the hotels and restaurant portfolio against a set baseline by 2020 • Achieving 80% of waste diverted from landfill from Whitbread Hotels & Restaurants sites by February 2012 • 100% of all Costa Coffee production to be Rainforest Alliance certified • Launching the purpose built ‘green hotel and restaurant’ at Burgess Hill • Raising £1 million for WaterAid

From 2007 to 2009, Whitbread improved its carbon efficiency by 4%, which is equivalent to saving 8,562 tonnes of CO2 – or taking 2,446 cars off the road. In recognition of this achievement, the company has been awarded the Carbon Trust Standard More than 300 Whitbread hotels and restaurants now participate in an anaerobic digestion waste recycling scheme. This method of recycling sees waste materials broken down by microorganisms, before being transformed into green electricity and biofertiliser for local crops. This is widely recognised as one of the best methods for the sustainable management of food waste.

Tamworth - the UK’s first green budget hotel Whitbread’s pioneering green hotel in Tamworth, Staffordshire – the UK’s first green budget hotel which opened its doors to guests in December 2008 – was conceived as a pilot to explore new approaches to design, construction and operation within the hotel sector. Its ambition was to test what is possible – to look at the impacts and benefits of a different approach, a much higher performing ROMA PUBLICATIONS

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building envelope, local and more sustainable materials sourcing, alternative plant and building management systems, and a totally integrated use of sustainable technologies. The result is that Tamworth has highlighted new ways of building hotels. Whitbread has proved that it can significantly reduce energy consumption and reduce overall demand on resources and many of these technologies and learnings are now being applied to other areas of the Whitbread estate, most recently at Burgess Hill..

The latest evolution in sustainable leisure development The 60-bedroom Premier Inn at Burgess Hill is due to open in autumn 2010 and will adopt the best-performing green technologies trialled in Tamworth to deliver 70% carbon and 60% water savings. Adjacent to the hotel, Whitbread is developing its first low-carbon restaurant – a 220-cover Beefeater Grill restaurant. The Burgess Hill development is under the site management of Speymill Contracts and includes: • Ground-source heat pumps to provide heating and cooling as well as hot water • Rainwater harvesting and grey water recycling providing 100% of the hotel’s toilet water use and saving 20% of the hotel’s entire water use • High-efficiency thermal insulation • Low-flow showerheads delivering the feel and effect of a powerful shower without the associated water consumption • Heat-recovery shower systems • Automated light controls with intelligent sensors • Sun pipes reducing the need for artificial lighting by increasing natural light Both the Premier Inn hotel and Beefeater Grill restaurant use timber frame construction methods from sustainably sourced wood. Timber frame has the lowest carbon content of any commercially-available building material and its flexible design allows for high levels of insulation to achieve maximum energy efficiency.

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Delighted tenants express 100 per cent satisfaction with housing refurbishment Things are looking good on the home front for housing tenants in Colchester, whose homes are benefiting from a long-awaited Decent Homes refurbishment scheme, which is progressing well and currently achieving 100 per cent tenant satisfaction. The scheme is being carried out for Colchester Borough Council and is being administered by Colchester Borough Homes - an ALMO set up and owned by Colchester Borough Council, and tasked with providing tenancy management and maintenance services for council homes. The organisation was granted an extension from 2010 to December 2012 to achieve 100 per cent decency in its council properties. The project, which commenced in April 2010, is being undertaken by two main contractors - Apollo (London) Ltd and Mears Group. The scheme is scheduled to run for four years with the option to be extended for a further two years. “The project is going well - it had been long awaited by the tenants and we are currently achieving 100 per cent satisfaction in tenant feedback. The end product has been really good, so the tenants are really happy and so are we” said Mr. Matt Armstrong of Colchester Borough Homes. “Tenants have commended the courtesy of the contractors and the fact

that they are kept well informed about what is going on in the scheme” he added. “Collaborative working is also going well between us and the contractors - in fact Apollo is voluntarily running a community day of games and activities for residents of sheltered housing which is being refurbished” he concluded. The scheme is split into three contracts - two comprising internal refurbishment and a third involving external works, including the installation of new windows and doors. The internal contracts include kitchen and boiler replacements, the installation of new central heating systems, electrical re-wiring and loft insulation, with the works to each home varying according to the need specified in an earlier survey of each property. Apollo (London) is carrying out the external works contract and one of the internal refurbishment contracts in the north of Colchester, with Mears carrying out the other internal refurbishment contract in the south of the borough, with the internal works contracts being evenly split between the contractors. In each case, all the works required by every

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property are being carried out at once to ensure minimum disruption. Both the contractors and Colchester Borough Homes are maintaining daily liaison with the tenants through tenant liaison officers. This year, 900 properties are being refurbished in the scheme, with the works involving the installation of 226 boilers, 28 heating systems, 736 kitchens, 280 rewires, 274 new doors, and new window installation in 38 properties. In the case of new kitchens, tenants are offered a choice of six styles of new kitchen units, six colours of flooring, and a choice of tile colours. To date approximately 170 homes have been completed and the project is progressing on schedule.

Albert Bridge strengthening programme surges forward The grade II* listed Albert Bridge has is undergoing upgrade works under main contractor Interserve Project Services Ltd. Hyder Consulting are the consulting engineers for the project. ROMA PUBLICATIONS

Lo n d o n & S o u th E a s t The work involves grit blasting all structural elements back to bare metal, strengthening the wrought iron deck beams, replacing bridge deck timbers, repainting the bridge and relighting the whole bridge. Strengthening work includes bolting new steel plates flush with the top and bottom flanges of the wrought iron cross girders, new steel tension angles added to all cross girder connections, and installing new longitudinal timber joists to support the footway. Following discussions with English heritage, a plate bonding solution was developed for the localised strengthening of the outer girder web panels adjacent to the towers. This solution avoided drilling new holes in the web panel for a bolted connection. Further work includes repairs to existing metalwork, a new drainage channel section with new flashing to provide an effective waterproof seal to the deck and replacement of defective deck timbers with matching material. The £7 million project is due for completion in August 2011.

Lumisphere Recent developments at the site have seen the third Lumisphere Products Ltd low voltage, low energy, efficient system to be installed on the bridge.

There are 3,640 light units housed within individual luminaries, utilising Nylon 66 lampholders and UV stabilized polycarbonate globes attached to the special cable, using the Lumisphere Products Ltd patented design luminaries to waterproof. The units are pressure tight to IP68. The system is encased within a marine grade stainless steel trunking with 68 Lumisphere Products, weather proof transformers mounted on special saddle brackets that straddle the trunking. All the cabling is contained within the trunking, reducing the vandal risk. Additional guards were fabricated from clear polycarbonate and stainless steel to protect the lower festoons from vandalism. Special consideration was given within the design so as to make the guards virtually invisible. The 2010 refurbished scheme follows the design criteria of the previous (2001) scheme with new luminaries, cable and transformers being installed, utilising the 2001 bespoke 316 grade stainless steel trunking system and protective guards by Interserve Site Services’ electrical division, the appointed electrical installers. Find out more about Lumisphere at www.lumisphere.co.uk or call Kim Knight on 01245 329999

Rydon takes on Wandsworth window challenge Rydon has been awarded a 52 week, £1.25m refurbishment contract by the London Borough of Wandsworth for major refurbishment works including window replacement with residents in their homes at Badric Court in Clapham, for both the council tenants and leaseholders.

The project will involve removing existing wooden framed and asbestos panelled windows and replacing them with new PVC tilt and turn windows. The contract also includes door replacements, electrical upgrades to communal areas and minor structural repairs to the building. There are 171 units at Badric Court requiring new windows and the work is expected to be complete by the end of March 2011. All of the units are labelled ‘maisonettes’ and are intended for general use. The pilot flat was completed first, with works on the remaining units starting in early April 2010. Andrew Sharp, Pre Construction Manager at Rydon, comments, “Rydon is currently undertaking a number of refurbishment and maintenance contracts across London and the South East. Winning this contract with this new client further strengthens our position as one of the leading specialists in refurbishment works on properties with residents in their homes”. Adrian Spink is the project manager for the London borough of Wandsworth. He took time out of his busy schedule to speak to Premier Construction, saying, “This was originally intended to be a contract running from March to March, but it is possible that the work will be done ahead of schedule”. Recently, Wandsworth Council organised an event in collaboration with the police, London Fire Brigade and energy efficiency grant supplier Warm Front, which aimed to help improve the housing conditions for people living in poor quality privately rented accommodation. The plan was to offer advice and support to people on issues ranging from overcrowding, repairs and unsuitable conditions to dangerous gas and electrical services, dampness and inadequate fire precautions. Warm Front discussed energy efficiency at home and offered information to both landlords and tenants on a number of government grant schemes worth up to £3,500 for improving insulation and central heating systems.

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NW London’s New Skyline

Through a network of close associates, LH2 is able to arrange local crew, catering assistants, runners, riggers, along with hotel accommodation for touring crew and band needs, and any transport that may be required during residence there. As part of the set-up, LH2 has access to a fully equipped workshop and an on-site technician to aid with any fabricating requirements. There are also a visiting production office, a large meeting room and three dressing rooms (with en-suite toilet and shower facilities), all with fast internet access. Large wide screen TVs and comfortable soft furnishings are also provided for visitors’ comfort. LH2’s designers have conceived a large

North West London has a new skyline. Just off the A40 at Park Royal, there is a new purpose built large-scale production rehearsal facility. LH2 is a side project of production lighting specialists Neg Earth, and LH2’s Scheduling Manager, Derek Fudge, sees in it a chance to appeal to a huge cross-section of the entertainment and leisure industries: “There are a lot of ways in which you can use a big, empty space, especially one which has been purpose-built and equipped to be able to have great weight hanging from the roof like ours. LH2 can be used as a rehearsal space for concerts, arena tours and theatrical shows, as well as for TV shows and filming commercials. You could even use it, with its high ceiling, for model helicopter flying”. With construction work now completed, LH2 is positioned to meet the needs of modern day touring productions by the vision of over 30 years of practical experience in meeting the needs and demands of designers, productions and artists alike in the touring and performing arena. And with a vast rehearsal area of 1,668.8sqm/17,693sqft, easy access and a private, secure location close to London, Derek is confident that he will be able to meet every need of his clients. An intelligently designed rigging grid scales the impressive height of 18 metres and is capable of holding 50 tonnes. It is designed to ensure versatility in the studio, and allow it to be employed to its maximum potential.

Woolwich School reaches anniversary of rebuild programme

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kitchen area and dining room to seat 40 or more people in consultation with touring catering companies. Derek told Premier Construction, “Historically, we’ve seen large-scale rehearsals carried out in places like TV and film studios. Those spaces are generally big enough, but crucially they lack things like enough height, enough rigging capacity, the right kind of access, the right office space or the right fittings. The whole point of this project is to have something that is designed for rehearsals or productions, and is thought out well enough to be able to adapt comfortably to almost anything we ask of it”. Main contractor Galliford Try collaborated with architects McCurdy Russell on the project, which opened in the second week of September 2010.

with a sedum roof. Lakehouse are building out the designs of architects Pellings, whose representative Donald Proud told Premier Construction, “One of the main challenges has been to achieve the amount of accommodation required on such a confined urban site whilst still retaining direct access to external space from the classrooms”. The school is located in a densely-populated area with a growing need for school places and increased residential developments in the area; the project will contribute to Greenwich Council’s programme to increase the availability of school places and offer parents more choice and diversity when choosing a primary school. When complete, St Mary Magdalene will be a two-form entry primary school with an associated nursery. The project will be complete in spring 2011, when current pupils will be looking forward to vacating their temporary accommodation that they have occupied since October 2009.

October 2010 marks a year since work began to rebuild and enlarge St Mary Magdalene Church of England Primary School in Woolwich, SE18. The project is being undertaken by Lakehouse Contracts, an Essex-based firm which recently scooped the 2010 Building Awards Contractor of the Year award. The new building has been designed to BREEAM ‘excellent’ standards and replaces an outdated Victorian building with a modern, 3-storey steel frame facility clad in brick and timber and topped ROMA PUBLICATIONS

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Oxford Academy awaits Christmas gift Willmott Dixon continues to make progress on a £33 million project to build Oxford Academy’s new home on Sandy Lane West, in Oxford. A significant part of the project is to be completed in time for the Christmas holidays and should be occupied in time for the new term. Willmott

Dixon has teamed up with architectural designers White Design, with whom it has won national awards for producing exemplary education facilities. The new building will be built on the grounds of the former Peers School, which was replaced by Oxford Academy in September 2008. There will also be a special educational needs school on the campus. Willmott Dixon will complete

the entire project in autumn 2011, having demolished the old buildings and carried out landscaping work. Integral Engineering Design Integral Engineering Design were the consulting civil and structural engineers for the project. The company’s main brief was to produce an exemplar design which could be built while keeping the existing school live. Integral’s Tim Mander told Premier Construction, “The site is located in Sandy Lane West and this gave a good indication of the soil on the site - we had visions of building this project on a beach! The problem with digging in sand is water getting into the excavations and collapsing the holes. We overcame this by using very shallow foundations, minimising the amount of digging required. Sand is not an ideal subsoil for supporting large buildings and the density was improved by passing a vibrating poker into it. The effect is a very similar to vibrating a packet of breakfast cereal and watching it shake down”.

Extra care housing scheme for older people in Eastbourne gets funding boost A £10m state-of-the-art housing complex for older people is underway thanks to a grant of just over £6m from the Homes and Community Agency (HCA). The funding was secured in a joint bid by East Sussex County Council, Saxon Weald, a charitable housing association and Eastbourne Borough Council (EBC). The site is on land owned by the County Council and Eastbourne Borough Council (EBC) at Pembury Road and Faversham Road in Langney and also includes the development of Derry Court, a former EBC sheltered housing scheme. Saxon Weald is working with extra care specialist architects PRP and Denne Construction to develop the site. The strikingly-designed four storey building will include 62 high-quality self-contained apartments for older people who want to live independently but have an assessed care need and require support with daily living. The extra care housing scheme will include a range of communal facilities including a restaurant, lounge and multi-purpose activity rooms. Care and support will be available from on-site staff at all times and the scheme will be managed by Saxon Weald. Some of the facilities will be available for use by the wider local community. David Standfast, Chief Executive of Saxon Weald said ‘We are delighted to be working with East Sussex County Council

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He added, “We have carried out numerous projects with Willmott Dixon and we enjoy working with them particularly due to their proactive approach and their understanding of sustainability”. Integral Engineering Design, founded in 1999, work throughout the UK on projects of a value of up to £50M. The consulting civil and structural design engineers work in all sectors and pride themselves on their knowledge and experience of education projects and sustainability. Find out more at www.integral-engineering. co.uk

and Eastbourne Borough Council on this project. It will provide older people locally with the care and support that they need, a restaurant and other facilities – and in the privacy of their own front door’ This is Denne’s third extra care project with Saxon Weald in East Sussex. The build programme has started on this extra care development, with enabling works, which included the demolition of an old day care centre and flats that where on the site. The project is due for completion by the end of 2012. Graham Brown, managing Director of Denne, said ‘We are delighted to be working again with Saxon Weald on such an important project. The team at Denne has tremendous experience in delivering extra care developments of the highest quality, and will bring all this experience to bear to deliver the best possible outcome for Saxon Weald and the future residents of this superb retirement scheme.’ David Standfast, Chief Executive of Saxon Weald, said ‘We know from experience that Denne will build these much needed extra care homes to a very high standard, with excellent customer service.’ The new building remains unnamed at the moment, however

there is speculation that it will be called ‘Cranbrook’. It is the latest of the extra care partnership projects for the elderly in the area which include Downlands Court, Roundhay Avenue, Peacehaven which were completed in 2009 and Margaret House, lealands Drive, Uckfield that are due to open later this year. Extra care housing enables older people with care and support needs to live independently. It provides residents with their own apartments, either rented from Saxon Weald or privately owned on a shared equity basis with the housing association. The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) is the single, national housing and regeneration delivery agency for England. Its role is to create opportunities for people to live in high quality, sustainable places. The HCA provides funding for affordable housing, bringing land back into productive use and improving the quality of life by raising standards for the physical and social environment. Kevin Bourner, head of area at the HCA said ‘The grant for this development from the HCA demonstrates their commitment to providing new and affordable homes for communities that need it most. We hope to continue to support our partners in Eastbourne and the local community in creating affordable sustainable places that people want to live and work in.’

The latest Dorchester Collection development has been completed and named Coworth Park, located close to Ascot and bordering on Windsor Great Park.

stables and cottages in the house grounds to provide additional accommodation. The hotel has a total of 70 rooms, of which 30 lie in the main house while the remaining 40 are located in the converted stable block and adjacent cottages. The space also includes an ecoluxury Spa, a bar, a fine dining restaurant and a casual restaurant with an open air terrace located in the separate converted barn.

Coworth Park reaches completion The construction of Coworth Park, which has been undertaken by project management group Buro Four, main contractor Galliford Try and architect EPR Architects Ltd, forms the rebuilding of an 18th Century manor house and the conversion of

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Lo n d o n & S o u th E a s t Coworth Park has been developed to five-star environmental specifications. To reduce energy consumption, the project includes a biomass boiler within an underground Energy Centre, which is fuelled by burning willow grown on the estate and on nearby land. The grounds of Coworth Park have acres of willow and, with a three-year growth cycle, this will help to ensure that the hotel is able to produce its own carbon neutral fuel supply. Additionally, cooling for the hotel is provided through a ground source water circulation system of underground pipes buried under four acres of meadowland within the estate. Known as ‘slinkys’, these underground pipes are buried in

approximately 100x150 metres of meadowland. Water is first passed through a chiller (fitted with turbocol compressors) and then constantly circulated via the slinkys and then via energy efficient water chillers to provide chilled water for the airconditioning process. This process is significantly more efficient than conventional air-cooled or water-cooled chilled water. The stables and spa utilize heat pump technology for both heating and cooling. Using ground source water (via the slinkys), heat pumps improve the system performance as the temperature of the under soil is relatively constant all year round compared to the air temperature. The eco-luxury spa is also at the forefront of the project and has been constructed two thirds underground to limit its footprint. It also includes various sustainable materials such as glulam beams which are an environmentally friendly alternative to concrete and steel members with comparatively lower embodied energy. Ray Pask, chief engineer in charge of the project, said, “This hotel is a sympathetic redevelopment of a country house using leading-edge technology and traditional methods. We’re delivering in excess of 40% sustainable technology, which far exceeds the 20% target now set by most councils. Of course, an added bonus is that not only is it greener, it is also far more cost effective in the longer term. At The Dorchester we installed the same chiller that we are using at Coworth Park and this led to a significant reduction in annual energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions and consequently a major reduction in annual fuel costs”.

3,000 staff moved into new Nomura base Final touches are being put to London’s Watermark Place, the new waterfront building now occupied by Nomura and renamed ‘One Angel Lane’ by the Japanese investment group. The building is now occupied by 3,000 Nomura staff during the final stages of the fit-out contract, led by Como, a fit-out specialist and subsidiary of Mace. The whole scheme is part of Nomura’s ‘Project Shinkyo’ – its overall infrastructure plan. The fit-out contract follows the initial construction carried out by Sir

Robert McAlpine, and Nomura has taken sole occupancy of the building. To reduce the risk of flooding of the site, the entire building has been constructed on a raised plinth 5.2 metres above sea-level. The pixelated facade has been created by taking a photograph of rippling water and running it through several Photoshop filters to create what the architect calls “a dot matrix interlayer” that will vary the appearance of the building as well as providing solar shading for the insides. The structure also incorporates

innovative features such as triple-skinned façades, motorised sun-tracking louvres and brise-soleil to minimise solar gain. The building’s trading floor benefits from further innovation, with water-cooled servers for trading desks, which remove the need to blow cool air around the space and improve comfort levels for workers. At the same time, a massive 1.4km of LED lighting with a life span of 10 years reduces running costs by up to 15%. Watermark Place was the replacement for Mondial House, a former British Telecom Headquarters. The new building actually reuses 31% of the basement of Mondial House. In its new guise, the building is 525,000 sq ft of highly specified, flexible and efficient commercial office space in an architecturally distinguished new development in the largest area of open riverside space in the City. Tony Bartle, project director for the new building, spoke to Premier Construction: “We see the remaining work as two phases – the first being the staff relocation we have just completed in only nine months, which I was particularly proud of. Now that people in the building and able to work, we’re concentrating on the following phase, which entails finishing off areas like the auditorium, the restaurant floor, and what we call the wellbeing centre, which includes a gym and a medical centre with an in-house dentist, a G.P service and so on. Once the work is complete, the building will be home to up to 4,660 workers. “We went directly to Como for the fit-out as we had contacts there and we knew they would be able to deliver a full package with a ready-made team. That way, we shaved a lot of time off by avoiding the tender process. It’s important to remember that the business is rolling on and on during the project, so it has been important to avoid uncertainty and delays. The same goes for disruption from noise, dust and so on, and we’ve been able to reach agreements with the contractor that allow both parties to work virtually unhindered”.

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Wales is also now home to The Low Carbon Research Institute, which, since its launch in April 2008, has secured around £50m to support research in Welsh universities...

How green was my valley Tony Watts reports on the forthcoming Construct 2010 It’s a nervous time in construction, with falling order books, ever-stricter carbon targets in the offing and growing demands to cut costs. No better time then, for a one-day conference for top names in the industry and the environment to come together to develop new ways of working that will deliver better value for clients – and a sustainable future for the sector. No one in construction will pretend that the last ten years have been easy. But the fact that so many of the biggest contracts have come from the public sector in that period makes this a particularly worrying time. There have been job cuts and profits warnings in many part of the sector. Now Whitehall is blithely talking about 40% cuts in budgets. Then there is the ‘zero carbon’ agenda which can, surely, only increase costs... In Wales, they pride themselves on doing things differently, and here the ‘carbon agenda’ is well ahead of the rest of the UK. Good news for the environmentalists, but the tough strictures of the Welsh Assembly Government have got many builders west of the Severn Bridge decidedly hot under the collar. Take new housing for instance: where targets under the Code for Sustainable Homes currently only apply to developments of five properties or more, now every new house will shortly have to meet the criteria of ‘code level three’ – effectively cutting the 2006 rate of carbon emissions by a quarter.

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Further hikes in standards are expected when building regulations are devolved to the Assembly at the end of 2011 – with ‘zero carbon housing’ the oft-stated, longer-term goal. But is such an ambitious agenda simply pie in the sky when going ‘zero carbon’ (or code level six) could add anything between £30,000 and £50,000 per unit onto the price, according to some estimates? Who will foot that cost – in either the private or the social housing arenas? The Welsh Assembly Government’s riposte is that add-on costs will radically reduce – perhaps to £6,000 to £7,000 per house as the new technologies become ubiquitous. Add into the mix the fact that this will be amortised over the lifetime of a house during which time fuel bills will be radically reduced, and the sums start to look more attractive. But the fact remains that this ‘squaring of the circle’ will not happen overnight, and that it will take closer working between everyone involved in setting and achieving the targets if the way forward is to be found. The rush to go green in Wales also applies, of course, to every other form of construction – schools, hospitals, factories and offices included. The tensions between the regulators and the regulated also apply here: just how are these new targets to be met, and how big a role can the public sector play in ensuring that the construction industry can make the transition smoothly? For the past six months and more, Mike Edmonds – an Associate Director at Arup’s

Cardiff office - has been working on a major new report at the behest of Constructing Excellence in Wales: “Obtaining Best Value from Public Sector Procurement of Construction”. What CEW wanted out of this was a way forward that wasn’t simply about building in environmental targets and driving down costs but, in CEO Milica Kitson’s words: “A means of getting delivery right – for everyone involved”. “I was tasked with asking the industry in Wales for their input,” says Mike Edmonds. “And that has meant talking to clients, consultants, contactors, sub-contractors… the whole supply chain. “In Wales that is a relatively easy thing to do because the industry here works closely together, everyone knows each other and there is already an unusually high degree of co-operation. We started off from the premise that lowest price tendering is not the way forward as, in effect, it just means building to the lowest common denominator. Lowest price tendering is not sustainable long term, and it certainly won’t deliver the green agenda. “Best value rather than lowest price has to be the right approach and that can only mean collaborative procurement. What we have generated takes the Latham and Egan reports onto the next stage. “You cannot have companies tendering at below cost, simply to win business. How can those businesses invest in the future and in skills development? You cannot have tenders being won on the basis of lowest price and, as regularly happened in the past, the end price

coming out significantly higher, with relationships strained through an adversarial claim based approach”. This new report is launched in October at a conference in Cardiff – a new event designed to bring the industry together and find the path through to a new way of working. As well as leading names such as Costain and Balfour Beatty giving their feedback, leading environmentalist Jonathan Porritt will be setting the scene for why ‘zero carbon’ is no longer a luxury but a necessity, while Mark McCarthy of the Met Office will spell out the official view on climate change. The two Assembly ministers most involved in setting the agenda - Jane Davidson, Minister for the Environment, Sustainability and Housing and Jane Hutt, Minister for Budget and Business – will set out the Government perspective. In Davidson’s words: “Wales has an opportunity to not only achieve its ambitious carbon targets ahead of the rest of the UK, but establish working practices that the rest of the UK can follow to ensure that its construction industry is profitable and sustainable”. And what the new report is bringing into the spotlight are the ways in which the future has already arrived. “The report isn’t a series of complaints,” says Mike Edmonds. “It focuses far more on how collaborative working is already happening… and succeeding”. “Newport High School shows what can happen when the whole team works together to achieve government targets on sustainability and waste,” says CEW’s

Milica Kitson. “It was our 2010 Project of the Year because they didn’t just build a great school; they helped regenerate a whole community. Done right - adhering to best value principles and respecting the surrounding local needs - construction does not just create landmark buildings. It helps build communities. Rogiet School in Monmouthshire, built by Willmott Dixon, is another great example of what can be achieved by working together and not taking an adversarial, lowest-price approach”. Public and private sector in perfect harmony? With so much of the GDP in Wales determined by either the Assembly or local authorities, the Principality does have an opportunity to control its own destiny, and develop models which other parts of the UK can observe and learn from. One of the conference speakers is BRE Director Nick Tune who will present the experience of the Heads of the Valleys Programme at Ebbw Vale where he acts as an advisor. Here ‘zero carbon’ homes with heating bills of a projected £50 a year are now being built out of locally-sourced materials – including ‘passive houses’ which retain solar heat. “Yes, one-off houses like this will always cost more,” he says.” But we can drive that cost down significantly with volume – and homes could even be returning power, and so actually making money”. Jane Davidson believes the new houses will be “a catalyst for major changes in the way we design and build homes in Wales”. And by promoting local sourcing, Welsh jobs will be retained while the

carbon footprint is reduced. The availability of new products, designs and construction techniques represents another, important strand to the debate in October - led by Professor Phillip Jones, chair of Architectural Science at Cardiff University and (even more pertinently) chair of the European COST C23 ‘Low carbon Urban Built Environments’ network. And while Jones will be taking a global look at what is now available to help the industry meet its new targets, there’s no question that this is an area where Wales already punches above its weight – helping to keep a high level of procurement local. Wales has history on green technology, with its Centre of Alternative Technologies setting a global lead back in the 70s and helping to spawn a welter of companies ever since. Wales is also now home to The Low Carbon Research Institute, which, since its launch in April 2008, has secured around £50m to support research in Welsh universities to help the indigenous environmental sector to develop new products, technologies and services. So, all in all, Cardiff seems the right setting for a debate, which – if it lives up to its promise says Milica Kitson, “can provide a template for the rest of the UK”. Places at the event, which takes place on the 26th October at the Holland House Hotel and is supported by the Welsh Assembly Government and CEW, are £95. To book one of the 250 places available, or to find out more about the event, including exhibition and sponsorship opportunities, go to www.constructevent.com. ROMA PUBLICATIONS

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New office space at refurbished Neath site Work is nearing completion on a £2million office refurbishment of Neath’s Hind House, which has recently been renamed Market Chambers due to its location on the site of the Old Market.

The refurbishment is being carried out by Office Image Ltd after design work by 1010 Architects, and will provide over 14,000sq ft of office space in a prime location in the centre of the town. The new development, which is due to be completed by the end of October 2010, is supported by Neath Port Talbot Council and funded through the Welsh Assembly

Government. The redevelopment of the building itself will achieve a high BREEAM rating for use of environmentally friendly and sustainable materials. The modern design and internal fittings of the building include a state-of the-art heat recovery air conditioning system, and a WiFi and VOIP phone system. The exterior of the building will have new cladding to provide a sleek modern facade, with a new roof covering an extra floor with roof terrace that extends the building to four storeys. It will also have a new entrance to the offices opening onto The Parade and the shop fronts will be redesigned at ground level. Project architect Tasos Asprou told Premier Construction, “The new facades make the building look like a new build project, which was one of the goals from the beginning. I feel we’ve achieved a lot for the budget we had, especially when you consider the scale of works that have been carried out – extensive

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stripping, structural remedial works, new lifts and roofing, re-insulation and new windows. “It was never an option to demolish the dilapidated 1950’s structure and re-build since the ground floor retail units have been in constant use. Market Chambers is a good example of how dilapidated buildings such as Hind House that still line our town centres can be successfully renovated and transformed into modern and stylish buildings by incorporating current building standards with the correct design intent”.

St. Dunstan’s sets up new Llandudno base St Dunstan’s, the national charity supporting blind exservice men and women, has appointed local contractors Wynne Construction to carry out the £6m refurbishment of the former North Wales Medical Centre in Llandudno to convert it into a new centre for the organisation.

The centre is due to be up and running in autumn 2011. Robert Leader, Chief Executive of St Dunstan’s said, “We are delighted to be underway with the refurbishment. The new facility will help ensure that we are reaching more blind ex-service personnel in need of our specialist assistance. It will enable them to access bespoke services and support, equipping them with the skills to lead full and independent lives. We have been overwhelmed by the welcome received from the people of North Wales and look forward to becoming part of the local community”.

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The new centre will provide rehabilitation and training, teaching independent living skills, such as getting around safely, navigating a kitchen and IT skills. It will also include specially adapted leisure, dining and accommodation facilities catering for everything from residential training weeks, to nursing and respite care. Chris Wynne, managing director of Wynne Construction, said, “As an established firm in North Wales we are delighted to have been awarded this prestigious contract. Our proven experience in this field equips us to deliver the project to a high standard. The project will also enable us to offer employment to a number of skilled workers in the area, as well as affording valuable opportunities for the future”. Project manager Mick Byrne told Premier Construction in early

October, “We’re now erecting steel for the extension, and the ground and base works and retaining wall are all complete. There is ongoing work to external stone, chimney stacks and windows, and electrical work and plumbing is under way across the site”. He added, “A lot of the later work will involve improving access – widening corridors and installing a new lift, as well as rails with tactile signals to help with orientation. We will end up with a building perfectly suited to its users”. Lance Haldane of Linney Cooper Ltd, who are supplying and fitting flooring and carpets throughout the building, echoed the thoughts of many of his fellow sub-contractors by saying, “It’s always a pleasure to work with Wynne and this job is no exception, especially as we’re working for a good cause”.

24-hour support housing for Welsh seniors Construction work is well advanced on a property scheme which allows older people to remain living independently in their homes whilst able to access support 24 hours a day. This scheme is being created in partnership by Denbighshire County Council and Cymdeithas Tai Clwyd and is funded through a Welsh Assembly Government Social Housing Grant. K&C Construction, based in Kinmel Bay, are the main contractors on the £3.5 million extra care housing development which will see 21 one and two bedroom apartments being created on the current Awelon Residential and Day Centre in Ruthin. Awelon will continue to function as a residential home, but with the current communal area (dining room) being refurbished and opened up to the extra care housing tenants, making joint communal facilities which will include, hairdressers and treatment room, restaurant and communal lounges with a coffee station for both the extra care home and Awelon Residents and Day Care. Councillor Pauline Dobb, cabinet lead member for health, social care and well-being, said, “Extra care housing is very much the way forward in Denbighshire. We have one of the highest populations of older people in Wales and the trend is that people are living longer. This in turn means that we need to adapt our services to meet a growing demand. That is a key priority for us in Denbighshire. “‘Older people tell us that they want to continue with their ROMA PUBLICATIONS

Wa l e s independence, with the knowledge that help is on hand 24 hours a day if they need it. Extra care housing provides that solution and we are delighted that the work due to commence later this month will see that dream become a reality in Ruthin”. Alwyn Llwyd, chief executive of Cymdeithas Tai Clwyd, said as work began, “We are delighted to see months of planning and organising coming to fruition as K&C Construction begins the task of developing the site. The building will be built to a high standard with green environmental credentials playing a major part in the work. “Our partnership work with Denbighshire County Council will bring great advantages to older people wishing to live independently in their local community. This project and another Extra Care housing scheme development at Y Bala are both innovative projects for us at Cymdeithas Tai Clwyd and we look forward to co-ordinating and developing the building work with our partners over the coming months”. K&C site manager Aled Roberts told Premier Construction, “A lot has gone on already on the site, and we now have foundations, brick and block work, drainage and the timber frame all in place”. The new facilities will be up and running by summer 2011.

Newydd HA continues development programme in Barry The Court Road development in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, is the first chapel conversion for Newydd Housing Association. The need for this scheme in Barry was identified by the housing needs survey commissioned by the Vale of Glamorgan Council, with the survey identifying Barry as having the highest housing need in the county. The views of the local communities were considered whilst designing the scheme and subsequently ensured that Bethel Chapel was retained in the development. Court Road is therefore a combination of new buildings, extensions and works to the chapel. Construction on the site is well underway having started August 2009, and works will be completed by Maesteg-based main contractor Tremlett & Griffiths. The contract is due to finish by November 2010, when all properties will be available for rent. Bethel Chapel is being converted to provide 8 two bedroom

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flats, and the adjacent land will accommodate 4 four bedroom houses, all of which are built to the EcoHomes good standard that preceded the Code for Sustainable Homes. Two of the flats will be adapted to ensure that they are suitable for people with mobility difficulties and will include features such as level access showers, grab rails and additional charging points for mobility scooters. The houses are 2½ storeys in height and have an additional bedroom in the roof space. They have been designed to be consistent with the eaves level, building lines and vertical/ horizontal emphasis of the adjoining buildings. Each house will benefit from between 42 and 45 square metres of private and enclosed south facing gardens. The scheme also includes a courtyard area, additional planting, cycle storage and a communal

private amenity area for the future occupiers of the flats.

About Newydd Housing Association Newydd is one of the leading housing associations in Wales, providing 2,500 affordable homes for sale and rent. As a charitable housing association, Newydd provides landlord and housing related services across a number of local authorities including the Vale of Glamorgan, Cardiff, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Neath Port Talbot, Torfaen and Powys. Also available is sheltered housing accommodation and opportunities to own a home through a shared ownership scheme. Housing is developed for families and individuals in areas where needs are greatest, working in close partnership with local authorities and the Welsh Assembly Government. As a housing provider, Newydd HA ensures that its homes are accessible, energy efficient, and meet modern sustainability standards. Find out more by visiting www.newydd.co.uk

Corporate leisure group saves historic buildings A £13.5 million scheme to renovate historical properties around the St. Davids peninsula of North Pembrokeshire is well under way, involving the Retreats Group and contractors Carreg Construction and Welsh Heritage Construction, as well as architects Acanthus Holden. The scheme takes in Roch Castle, Penrhiw Priory and Twr-Y-Felin Hotel. The Retreats Group Ltd operates and manages the properties held by The Retreats Group Trust. The trust fund was pledged to the trustees in order to purchase and restore significant historic buildings and heritage properties to their original intended glory. The idea is the brainchild of Keith Griffiths, chairman of Aedas, the world’s largest architectural practice. Roch Castle, the project led by Welsh Heritage Construction, stands proudly on a rock outcrop commanding panoramic views over Pembrokeshire and the sea. The 13th century Norman castle’s 6 en suite bedrooms, dining and conference facilities are designed for enchanting, intimate retreats. Major restoration work was undertaken on the castle a century ago using reinforced concrete and cement render, both of which were new to the industry at the time. During recent works, it has been discovered that the salty sand from local beaches that was used in the render has led to water being trapped and reinforcing bars rusting away. Twr-Y-Felin was run as an eco hotel until 2008, when it was acquired by the Retreats Group Trust. Plans are for the building to become a boutique retreat, as well as the Retreats Group’s biggest development so far and its base of operations. It will boast a bar and a restaurant, as well as conference rooms and

luxury bedrooms and suites. The hotel will be the last of the three properties to open – in 2013 – although a main contractor has not yet been appointed. Penrhiw Priory will be the first project completed, in November 2011. Formerly a vicarage and a nunnery and latterly a retreat of lesser luxury than it is soon to exude, the building is currently being restored to its original footprint and design by Carreg Construction. Carreg managing director Andrew Phillips told Premier Construction, “We’re stripping and removing some quite ugly

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Wa l e s additions that had been made to the building over the years and, as well as carrying out general repairs to the exterior such as repointing the stone and installing cast iron gutters and new lead work, we’re fitting out the interior with top quality installations. “There are extensive new services, and that has been a major part of the work, and all the windows have been replaced. The six bedrooms are all en suite and have been fully tiled – it’s all real high end stuff – and we’ve installed water storage tanks for the high pressure showers. “Pren Joinery, our sister company, have been looking after the woodwork. We had to create a new workshop in the area specifically for the job – there are oak floors and panelled doors throughout – and now that we have in place all the new equipment we needed for the job, it makes sense to keep the workshop. “We have also worked on the former stable building that adjoins the priory. It had been joined to the main building and we’ve actually ‘re-separated’ them as part of the work to remove unsympathetic additions. The stable will now serve as a standalone apartment and take the number of bedrooms to seven”. Away from the buildings themselves, the contractors have been busy making the exterior match in terms of quality, as Andrew explains: “There’s a new drainage system and we’ve put in natural stone

paving all the way around the buildings with a granite sett driveway. Additionally, there is now a completely new lighting system for the exterior, which extends to the woodland on the site”. Carreg are now finalising fittings and decorations in the main building, and Andrew expects to be finished by mid November, whilst the priory will officially open as a retreat in May 2011.

Welsh heritage in safe hands ‘Cadw’ is a Welsh word meaning ‘to keep’, and the organisation of the same name has as its mission to protect, conserve and promote the built heritage of Wales. Many of Wales’ great castles, bishops’ palaces, historic houses and ruined abbeys are now in the care of Cadw.

Cadw is committed to developing and highlighting the history of Wales and, in May 2009, the Heritage Minister, Alun Ffred Jones, announced that £19m had been secured to develop Heritage Tourism in Wales. The project, which has been largely funded by the Welsh Assembly Government and EU Convergence Funds, will maximise the economic value of heritage through an increase in the volume, length and value of visits individuals make to Wales. Cadw made a successful bid under the Environment for Growth objective of the EU Convergence Funding framework and, as a result, £8.5m will be provided by European funding which will account for 45% of the total project costs with the remaining monies provided through the Welsh Assembly Government including Cadw and the Targeted Match Fund and various other delivery partners. Within the project, which will run until December 2014, Cadw’s work with communities, heritage partners and the tourism sector across the country to develop heritage tours, trails and events packages to present visitors with a more integrated range of heritage tourism products and to ensure that the project benefits the wider community and the tourism industry. Heritage minister Alun Fred Jones said: “I’m delighted with the European funding received. The historic environment of Wales is diverse and striking; it is one of the main reasons why so many people like to visit Wales”. In more recent developments, the minister has demonstrated Cadw’s commitment to restoration with a £1 million pledge to be shared between 24 historic buildings under his organisation’s patronage. The funding will be shared across Wales between the following projects, amongst others:

The Savoy Theatre, Church Street, Monmouth, Monmouthshire The Savoy Theatre in Monmouth is the oldest theatre in Wales

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and has exceptional interest as a rare and little altered example of a small cinema from the intra war period in Wales. A grant of £39,300 is now offered towards repairs to restore the front elevation of the building.

for its connection with the Tudor family of Plas Penmynydd, closely related to the Tudor royal dynasty. A grant of £78,400 has been offered towards a scheme of repairs to the historic fabric of the church.

Golden Grove, Llanasa, Flintshire A complete Elizabethan house which incorporates a smaller, 17th century secondary house, Both have important interior detail from the late 16th to 17th centuries. A grant of £3,703 has been offered towards repairs to the chimneys and gables.

Animal Wall, Castle Street, Cardiff One of the best loved Cardiff landmarks, the wall was designed by William Burges as part of the Cardiff Castle complex. A grant of £62,922 goes towards the repair of the wall to include re-pointing and restoration of metal railings and famous stone animals.

Tabernacle Chapel, Morriston, Swansea Listed grade I, Tabernacle Chapel is perhaps the largest, grandest chapel in Wales with striking exterior presence, and a virtually unaltered interior and fittings. A grant of £100,000 is offered towards a scheme of works to refurbish the chapel’s historic exterior.

St Gredifael’s Church, Penymynydd, Llangefni, Anglesey

St Anno’s Church, Llananno, Llandrindod Wells, Powys A small 19th century parish church, St Anno’s is notable for many of its fine features including its exceptional rood screen. (A rood is a screen that appears in some Victorian churches between the alter and pews. They are often highly decorated and rarely seen today.) Grant of £18,400 offered towards works to the roof and stonework repairs. To find out more about Cadw’s structure and activities, visit www.cadw.wales.gov.uk

St Gredifael’s Church is an unspoilt medieval church of charming rural style which has immense local and national historic interest

Gee Construction lead Neath park restoration Neath’s Victoria Gardens is undergoing a £1.5m makeover after a lottery funded grant. New visitor facilities are being added while its bandstand is being restored and other features including the bronze statue of Howell Gwyn cleaned. Gee Construction is leading the project from its South Wales base in nearby Bridgend on behalf of Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council.

Dating back to 1897, the gardens in the heart of the town centre are a grade II registered park. Describing Victoria Gardens as “a quintessential Victorian urban public park”, council leader Ali Thomas said the project would support the wider town centre redevelopment. “Victoria Gardens is a source of pride and is the focal point of the community”, he added, opining, “The restoration will mean that the gardens can continue to be enjoyed by families for years to come.” Dame Jenny Abramsky, chairwoman of the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), said, “The HLF has a track record of providing muchneeded support for public parks across the UK. Without it, many of them would revert to how they were 20 years ago - run-down, neglected and often unsafe. “We continue to champion parks, not just because they are an important part of our heritage, but also because they make a huge difference to the quality of so many people’s daily lives”. The HLF has allocated well over £4 billion to this and other good causes to date. Council leader Ali Thomas said, “Victoria Gardens is a source of pride and is the focal point of the community. The restoration will mean that the gardens can continue to be enjoyed by

families for years to come. Thanks to the grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, we can now progress our plans not only to restore its heritage, but to bring back the glory and charm of Neath’s most important landmark”. Gee’s contracts manager, Steve Rees, told Premier Construction, “It’s always a pleasure to work for this client and this current project follows on from work we did recently at Victoria Park in Barry. In fact, we have plans for similar work in the future. “The visitor centre is what will hold the park together. It’s a single storey building and it includes a canteen and kitchen, a display area, a reception and offices as well as toilets. Elsewhere, the new landscaping and footpaths are what will make this a nice place for the public to visit. He added, “We’ve been on site since March 2010 and, with between 20 and 30 people on site on an average day, we’re expecting to have the work done by the end of November”.

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Major electrical infrastructure project at Ysbyty Gwynedd Hospital Nearly £19m is being spent modernising the electrical infrastructure of Ysbyty Gwynedd Hospital in Bangor, Wales. The funding for the project from the assembly government has allowed the electrical infrastructure – the majority of which is over 25 years old – to be replaced. The North West Wales NHS Trust has welcomed the ‘essential investment’ to update the hospital that opened in 1984. Health Minister Edwina Hart said ‘The care that the staff provide is of the highest quality and this investment will mean that the facilities where patients receive care will meet those same standards.’ Ysbyty Gwynedd is the largest hospital in north west Wales and since it opened the floor space has expanded by 75% as new services have been developed and new departments established. This has put an increased pressure on the electrical infrastructure and caused concern over the ability of the original system to support both current and future electrical demand. Elfed Roberts, chairman of the North West Wales NHS Trust, said ‘we welcome this essential investment in updating the electrical infrastructure at Ysbyty Gwynedd. The demands on the original hospital have greatly increased since it was opened in 1984, and the constant expansion of its facilities on site require ongoing investment to ensure it is able to continue to provide a high level of service.’ Main contractors Laing O’Rourke will renew the high voltage system at the hospital. This will involve the construction of new electrical sub stations, known as pods, within the hospital

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quadrangles which will house transformers and switchgear. The project is being coordinated through the Designed for Life Wales Framework. Designed for Life aims to improve how health care facilities of every type are designed and delivered for use by current and future generations. Mace Group have been appointed by the Welsh Health Estates Framework to project manage the infrastructure works at the hospital. The construction and installation work has been completed on the roof and the external quadrangles of the building using two 30 metre cranes. This has allowed materials and equipment to be hoisted into place without excessive disruption inside the building. Craig Barton, Executive Director of Operations and Service Improvement at the North West Wales NHS Trust says ‘We are working closely with our contractors Laing O’Rourke to ensure that every day services at the hospital are disrupted as little as possible. This project will provide us with the infrastructure to develop the hospital services well into the future as more technological developments take place and an increase in demand is made on our electrical supply. It is expected that all of the electrical infrastructure work at the hospital will be completed by January or February 2012.

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Mother of all Sculptures Arrives in Cumbernauld A controversial 10-metre-high steel sculpture which aims to transform the image of the Scottish New Town of Cumbernauld was unveiled on 24th August. The £250,000 statue stands taller than two double decker buses and is the work of international public artist Andy Scott – the international artist behind the Heavy Horse on the M8 and the Falkirk Helix Water Kelpies. Overlooking the A80 northbound, north of Auchenkilns Junction in Cumbernauld, the sculpture is of a female form. Taking almost a year to construct, it incorporates two large swooping arcs, inspired by the original name for Cumbernauld, “comar nan allt”, which means “coming together of waters” in Gaelic. Its proximity to the motorway means more than 70,000 commuters will see the sculpture every day. Arria was revealed as the name of the iconic sculpture. The name was selected following a competition asking locals to suggest a title for its new resident. Arria is based on Arria Fadilla who was the mother of Emperor Antoninus. Cumbernauld lies two miles from the line of an ancient Roman monument, the Antonine Wall and the town’s new £40m shopping centre is called the Antonine Centre. The name also alludes to the word aria, which means song. The sculpture looks as if she is raising her arms in song. Part of the Cumbernauld Positive Image Project, the sculpture is the brainchild of Campsies Centre Cumbernauld Ltd (CCCL) – a North Lanarkshire Council company set up to facilitate the redevelopment of the town. Cllr Gerry McElroy, chair of CCCL, said, “After almost a year of waiting she is now

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complete and looks fantastic. We are delighted with Arria and Andy has done an amazing job as we knew he would. “The local community are at the heart of what we are trying to achieve at the Cumbernauld Positive Image Project so we hope they will welcome her. We’re all really looking forward to driving by her on the main road that bisects Cumbernauld and hope that she becomes an iconic landmark for the town”. The sculpture met a mixed reception from locals, however. One gentleman, who did not wish to be named, said, “I’d rather they’d spent the money on something constructive, like schools or roads. This isn’t the nicest area in the world and it could do with some investment. I don’t know who came up with the idea to waste so much money on a statue, but it’s clearly someone who doesn’t understand what the area really needs”. Others, however, have been impressed. One local lady said, “I like the look of it. It takes some getting used to, but it’s something that you remember and I think it will get the area a lot of attention. It’s like the Angel of the North – you see it on TV and it’s something for the people to be proud of”. Arria reaches out toward Cumbernauld town centre and artist Andy Scott was inspired by the idea of drawing on the past and looking towards the future in a figurative motif. In details such as its hair, the artwork draws inspiration from the 1960s when Cumbernauld was seen by many as an urban utopia. Andy Scott said: “I am pleased to get to this last stage of the project and finally install her on site. It has been a long and arduous commission for us, with months of very hard work fabricating the form of the sculpture and working with the

extensive team of suppliers and contractors. The installation is the culmination of all that effort and we are pleased to see her take pride of place”. The name Arria was suggested by Pete Reid and his two daughters Louise Reid (age 14) and Bethany Reid (age 11) from Cumbernauld. A poem penned by award-winning Scottish poet Jim Carruth, is on display at the foot of the sculpture, encouraging visitors to walk round it and appreciate different aspects of the public artwork. His four-verse poem, named Watershed, aims to “capture the pride local people have in their town and the importance of listening to their voice”. The aims of the Cumbernauld Positive Image Project are four-fold: create a distinctive image of Cumbernauld; increase residents’ pride in their town; raise awareness across Scotland of Cumbernauld’s attractiveness as a destination to live, work and play; create a sense of place and provide a positive statement about the town. The town of Cumbernauld has recently undergone an economic transformation, gaining a reputation for innovation, business growth and successful external investment. Cumbernauld’s population now exceeds that of two of Scotland’s six cities, Stirling and Inverness. It even has its own airport. Andy Scott’s proposal to build an iconic landmark for Cumbernauld beat off stiff competition from creative agencies, multi-disciplinary consultancies, architects, planning consultants and a host of other bodies to be appointed by Campsies Centre Cumbernauld Ltd.

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Refurbishment paints a rosy picture for gallery’s future A £17.6 million project known as Portrait of the Nation is transforming the Scottish National Portrait Gallery (SNPG), in an ambitious project geared to forging an innovative and exciting new gallery.

Starting from an urgent need to restore the building, the project involves the repair, conservation and creative adaptation of the SNPG, a magnificent arts and crafts building which opened in 1889, as the first purposebuilt national portrait gallery in the world. The scheme is being carried out by main contractors BAM Construction; architects are Page \ Park Architects. The aim of the project is to conserve and enhance the building designed by the celebrated architect, Sir Robert Rowand Anderson, in 1882. Page \ Park has been charged with preserving the integrity and

coherence of Anderson’s design, which remains relatively unscathed. Twentieth-century interventions, including partition walls and lowered ceilings, are being removed and essential new interventions have been designed with a thorough understanding of Anderson’s original concept. The project will increase by 50 percent the amount of gallery space within the building, as well as creating a range of new visitor facilities. Portrait of the Nation will also reinvent the way in which the national collection is displayed, illustrating the richness of Scotland’s history and culture with a dynamic programme of exhibitions and placing a new emphasis on photography and Scottish art. The works will include the addition of education facilities such as a multi-purpose education suite, a seminar room and a new resource and learning centre, and will also create a visitor hub with a new shop, café, entrance desk and information point. Other new features include an introductory gallery, a major space dedicated to the Gallery’s world-renowned collection of photography, and a Contemporary Scotland gallery. New media interpretation facilities will be installed throughout the building.

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In addition, a new mezzanine level will be added in the south east and south west wings of the building and a new glass feature lift will operate from the ground to the top floor. Rainbow Glass Studio LTD carried out the restoration / conservation of the historic stained and leaded glass windows throughout the National Portrait Gallery. This work began with simple cleaning of the glass, through to removal and full conservation of any required windows. We also re-conditioned all original metal openers to allow them to function once more. All work carried out followed CVMA guidelines, which promotes minimal intervention and maximum retention of original materials. Rainbow Glass Studio LTD found the project extremely rewarding and enjoyed working with all those involved. The refurbished Gallery is due to re-open in autumn 2011.

Buyers are sold on new homes development Amounting to over £3 million worth of advance sales, reservations at the recently released first phase of CALA Homes’ eagerly awaited Longacre, Kirkliston site in West Edinburgh have already bucked the housing trend. Over 50 per cent of the 16 four- and five-bedroom detached homes have been reserved pre-launch - proving the resounding success of the development. Th homes range from 1,402 - 2,225 sq ft, boasting galleried landings and spacious bedrooms with high quality fittings and flexible living spaces. The development is ideally suited to commuting professionals or a growing family with beautiful rural surroundings and Edinburgh city centre within easy reach. Sarah Stanger, Sales and Marketing Director at CALA Homes (East) said: “Our Kirkliston development has been heavily anticipated. There is a requirement for good quality detached family homes in Edinburgh and our pre-launch sales are testament to that. “As with all CALA developments, the attention to detail at the site is impeccable, with high quality fittings and finishes throughout. To receive reservations for over 50 percent of the first phase before it is launched demonstrates overwhelming demand and we are confident that sales will continue to flourish at the site.” The Kirkliston development is the first time CALA’s ‘Signature

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Collection’ house type has been built in the East of Scotland. Nine brand new styles from this collection will be included on the site. The Signature Collection was devised based on customer surveys and tailored to suit the needs of modern family living. CALA architects and product designers held a series of focus

groups as part of the ‘Signature Collection’ design phase which led to CALA integrating the traditional styling, synonymous with the brand, while incorporating contemporary interior spaces to suit modern ways of life. Sarah Stanger commented: “In the development of the Signature Collection, CALA took buyer feedback into consideration. We reviewed the drivers in the Scottish house building market and what they mean for the future of our homes. The Signature Collection has been born out of this process and we are confident buyers in the East of Scotland will be as impressed as our customers have been at other sites.” The Signature range typically features separate formal living and reception areas on the ground floor while, in most cases, offering an open-plan layout in the kitchen and family living area,

which has proved highly successful. In addition, each stylish kitchen has been individually studio designed to maximise both workspace and storage and incorporates high quality integrated appliances including a stainless steel cooker hood, stainless steel oven,integrated fridge/freezer and integrated dishwasher. Bathrooms feature sanitaryware from the Laufen range, in white, and complemented by Hansgrohe taps and fittings. Silver finished shower enclosures, with white shower trays, have Hansgrohe shower valves and heads. Chrome towel warmers are fitted as standard to bathrooms and master en suites which have Porcelanosa tiling. Internal walls are finished in magnolia emulsion paint and ceilings are finished in white. Internal pass doors will be oak veneered, with contemporary lever style handles. Skirtings and facings are finished in white gloss paint, with pre-finished crafted timber stair balustrades and handrails. A ‘direct dial up’ security system offers added safety and security for each home and mains wired smoke detectors in ground and upper hallways are also included for added peace of mind. The homes have also been carefully designed to reduce CO2 emissions through improved insulation properties of the building fabric and the provision of renewable energy in the form of solar panels. All homes at Longacre will be fitted with solar panels and associated boiler technology to generate hot water for domestic use. Located on the outskirts of Edinburgh, the small village of Kirkliston has a variety of local amenities readily accessible from the Longacre development. Steeped in history, the oldest surviving building in the village is Kirkliston’s 800 year old church, and historically called Temple Liston, the village originally belonged to the order of Knights Templar. Close to the famous Forth Road and Rail Bridges, Edinburgh Airport and the M9 motorway, Kirkliston is ideal for commuting to Edinburgh, Glasgow or indeed further afield. Add to that one of the world’s most captivating cities being just down the road, and you can appreciate how convenient Longacre’s village setting is.

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Heritage Lottery Fund boosts King’s Theatre restoration The King’s Theatre, Glasgow has been awarded development funding of £51,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund for its six year restoration project Long Live the King’s. The project is set to restore the building’s exterior and front of house areas back to their original 1904 layout and decoration. The restoration project is valued at £7.2m Colin McLean, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in Scotland, commented: ‘The King’s Theatre is interwoven with the history and cultural traditions of Glasgow and has delighted, educated and entertained audiences for over 100 years. Through its outreach programme, the theatre also inspires and involves people of all ages in memorable and rewarding experiences which enrich their lives. The Heritage Lottery Fund is delighted to be able to show its initial support in restoring this well-loved treasure.’ The King’s Theatre is renowned as one of Scotland’s best loved theatres and as one of the most outstanding remaining examples of theatre architect Frank Matcham’s work. It has remained in continuous use for over a century by Britain’s top touring theatre producers, attracting audiences of up to 400,000 each year. The programme of restoration works to the historic fabric will reinstate spectacular lost features, remove unsightly alterations made since the Second World war and restore original features. The six year restoration project of the King’s Theatre began in 2008 and is scheduled to be completed in stages with the overall completion date set to coincide with the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. Phase one involved the replacement of all seats in the Grand Circle and Stalls levels of the theatre as well as preparatory work for installation of auditorium air conditioning. The orchestra pit was substantially increased in size and a new raised fire proof timber floor fitted to the main auditorium. A removable steel deck flooring system was also fitted to the orchestra pit which allows the theatre to maintain its current seating levels for normal productions but can easily be removed to allow

for a full orchestra performance. Phase one also involved a specially designed carpet bearing the Glasgow Coat of Arms being fitted to all walkways and entrances and a new hardwearing floor covering to all areas under the new seats. Specialist restoration works were also carried out on the existing marble columns and new end of row floors. Trident’s role as project Managers ensured delivery of the first phase on programme and within budget. Simpson and Brown are the architects for the restoration of the historic King’s Theatre. Phase one was completed in seven weeks during the summer recess and was finished in time for the opening show of the new season. Phase two was completed in July 2010 with the replacement of the entire seating in the Upper Circle. In addition to the lottery funding the King’s has already raised over £630,000 for the project by channelling £1 from each ticket sold into the building’s restoration since mid-2008. Fund raising has also been further supplemented with the Seat Dedication Scheme which was launched in 2009 and has so far raised over £30,000. Recently a second stage of the scheme was launched. For £150 people will be given the opportunity to dedicate a seat in the newly restored Upper Circle.

Farrans resurrect Montrose Port Farrans are leading a resurrection of Montrose Port, which is designed to clear up the 2003 wreckage of a collapsed quay once and for all, whilst introducing two deep water berths for large vessels with up to 8m draft. The project’s backers envisage a considerable carbon saving as transport in the region switches from land to water. On a visit to Montrose Harbour earlier this year, transport, infrastructure and climate change minister Stewart Stevenson announced a £3.2million Freight Facilities Grant had been allocated to the port authority from the Scottish government, along with a further £5million from the Royal Bank of Scotland. The money is now being used to construct the new 225m deepwater berths, which will replace the large section of quay on the south side which collapsed into the river in 2003. The £8.2million will enable additional shipping services to be operated between Scotland, England and mainland Europe. Announcing the funding, Mr Stevenson said, “This significant investment will enable the Port Authority to upgrade the facility and allow local businesses to switch freight from road to water. “In taking more than one million lorry miles off our roads every

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year – equivalent to almost 130 lorry journeys a week – this project will cut emissions and noise and boost local tourism by removing lorries from scenic routes. This project will generate more than £6.6m of environmental benefits over eight years. “We are committed to getting more freight off Scotland’s roads and onto water and rail. Initiatives such as this can make an important contribution towards achieving our 2020 target to reduce emissions by 42 per cent and I would encourage more Scottish businesses to think about their freight priorities and

how these impact upon the environment. “The freight industry can play its part by taking advantage of our grant schemes and moving more freight away from the roads”. Mr Stevenson added he was delighted the Scottish government had been able to support the efforts of Montrose Port Authority. He said, “I think it’s important to send the message out that Montrose is very much open for business, and looking for new business”. John Paterson, chief executive of the Montrose Port Authority, said the board were “extremely pleased” to have the minister

make the announcement. He said, “We’ve been working very hard for the last couple of years in piecing together the major plan for the future of the port and this is not the finish of it, but this is the major building block for further improvements to the port in the future, particularly with the onslaught of the offshore wind opportunities”. Mr. Paterson told Premier Construction, “Farrans are now commencing piling on the site, and extensive excavations have been carried out to remove debris from the old quay. The work is going well and I’m happy to say we’ve found the right contractor for the job. I expect the process to take until May 2011. He added, “The grant was welcome but it was awarded for a reason – it’s an environmental grant. Once the work is complete, the impact on the environment will be significant and positive”. Agriculture and oil related businesses already committed to using the new facilities include Carrs Fertilisers, John Lawrie (Aberdeen) Ltd, Reid Fertilisers, Openfield and Schlumberger. Openfield will begin work on its £14 million quayside grain store and drying centre in October. Peter Scott from Carrs Fertilisers said it was committed to the port and happy to see the building of the new berths. He said, “Over the last four or five years, we’ve invested a significant amount of money on our own site and continue to do, so to see the port investing is giving us confidence”.

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Green energy on the Horizon Horizons Environment, part of Scottish Water, has almost completed work on a cutting-edge anaerobic digester that will turn food waste into energy at its Deerdykes Organics Recycling facility in Cumbernauld.

The facility, which already recycles commercial and industrial food waste into compost, is currently feeding the digester, a process which began in June 2010, with energy being produced from late September. With landfill tax set to escalate by £8 per tonne each year until at least 2014, Horizons Environment provides a cost effective alternative for food waste. The new £7.5 million anaerobic digestion unit will recycle 30,000 tonnes of solid and liquid food waste turning it into around 8,000 megawatts of power each year - enough electricity to power up to 2,000 homes. Chris Banks, Chairman of Horizons and Scottish Water Commercial Director, said: “The unit harnesses biogas produced by the

breakdown of organic materials. The biogas will then be used in a combined heat and power engine to produce electricity and heat. “This electricity will be used at Deerdykes and any surplus will either be used to power the neighbouring industrial estate or delivered back to Scottish Water, via the national grid, as part of Scottish Water’s vision to become a low carbon water company. A scheme to export the heat to local homes and businesses is also being investigated”. The process also produces nutrient rich digestate which can be used as a liquid fertiliser to improve the nutritional content of agricultural soil resources. WRAP, which is part funding developments at the Deerdykes site, estimates that food waste in the UK is currently around 18 - 20million tonnes, with commercial and industrial producers amounting to over 10million tonnes. Iain Gulland, WRAP Director for Scotland, on his recent visit to the site, said: “Having invested £1.7m in the Deerdykes Anaerobic Digestion project, it is great to see that it is on track. This is clearly going to be an impressive, high-quality facility which will play a key role in diverting food waste from landfill and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The construction work at Deerdykes has been

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completed, with a hydrolysis tank, digester unit, liquor treatment tank and grey water storage tank all operational. The digester is a massive 16 metre-high, 20.5 metre diameter tank which holds food waste for 15-20 days and convert it to biogas. This steel tank has been surrounded with insulation and profiled sheet cladding to maintain internal process temperatures. As well as waste from the food industry, household food waste collection trials from customers in Central Scotland are also currently being conducted at Deerdykes. The anaerobic digestion process runs alongside the existing composting facility at Deerdykes which has turned more than 120,000 tonnes of food and garden waste into 60,000 tonnes of environmentally friendly compost since 2005.

Grant-funded church repairs to go ahead A £0.25 million funding boost is behind a restoration programme at Lanark’s St Mary’s Church, as parishioners and clergy alike celebrate its centenary year. The Roman Catholic church, one of Lanark’s largest and most impressive buildings, has long been in need of a major refurbishment. Parishioners had already started a huge fundraising effort to raise the money needed as a fitting celebration of the 100th anniversary of the opening of the building in 1910. A huge boost to their efforts has come by way of two large grants, £167,500 coming from the Scottish Government’s Historic Scotland agency and a further £82,500 from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The welcome donations go towards plans for vital upgrades to the church’s roof and masonry as well as its associated buildings, such as the priest house and clubrooms, which need a total of £2.5million worth of work. Despite good news on the funding front, a shadow of doubt hung over the project during the summer of 2010, as the main contractor, Glasgow stonemasons Hunter & Clark Ltd., entered administration and ceased work on the church. However, Lanark’s parish priest Father Joe Brannigan told Premier Construction he remains confident that work will

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continue as before under Glasgow’s Sim Building Group, which has taken over as the project’s lead contractor. Nevertheless, news of Hunter & Clark’s collapse leaves 170 now ex-employees out of work after the company went into administration. Father Brannigan has paid tribute to their

craftsmanship, stating that they had done a “superb” job before their employer hit cash flow problems recently, causing the rate of work to wind down towards a complete halt. Architects Wylie Shanks have been lending their expertise to work on the ‘Grade A’ Listed church, originally built in 1859, which burnt down in 1907 and was reconstructed then to designs by Ashlin and Coleman of Dublin. Wylie Shanks has provided full design team services for St. Mary’s, as well as assisting in obtaining grants. In preparation for the centenary celebrations, a programme of alteration and fabric repairs was instigated in 2008 involving internal glazed screens and floor restoration to the church, rearrangement of the presbytery to suit the priest`s living accommodation and meeting rooms, and alterations and modernisation of the club rooms as a function suite. The courtyard was re-laid out to facilitate parking, disability access, and pedestrian circulation. Fabric repairs include roof and stonework remedials, and the works were tendered in two contracts to suit the centenary

deadline, protracted local authority consent periods and the `lime window` for re-pointing works.

Project works miracles on historic cathedral A £4 million project is transforming the oldest Catholic church in central Scotland - St Andrews Cathedral in Glasgow, which was constructed in 1815. The church was constructed by Highland immigrants and the current scheme is the biggest renovation in its 200 year history. The project is being carried out for the Archdiocese of Glasgow by main contractors Hunter Clark, who have been reported to be “doing a great job” by Mr Ronnie Convery of the Archdiocese of Glasgow. He added, “Hunter Clark are a very long-established Glasgow company founded in 1900 and it was thought fitting that the cathedral, which has been the spiritual home to generations of east-end Glaswegians, is being refurbished by a company which retains its headquarters there and is providing work for local people”. Award winning Architects for the scheme are Page\ Park. The works, which commenced with a comprehensive internal strip-out, include the installation of new flooring, heating, seating, lighting, and plumbing, renovation of the main altar area and the installation of new artwork (including a painting commissioned from the famous Scottish Artist Peter Howson, depicting the martyrdom of St John Ogilvie). External works include stone repairs and a major repair programme to the roof. Glasgow City Council will also fund comprehensive public realm works, introducing high quality external paving, to all the areas surrounding the Cathedral. A new white marble baptismal font and a new altar are also being installed. ROMA PUBLICATIONS

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Also being carried out as part of the same project is the creation of a cloister garden for the cathedral. Located to the eastern side of the building, the footprint of the new cloister garden will be the same as that of the cathedral and will comprise the construction of a 10 ft high wall surrounding the garden and landscaping of the internal courtyard. The centrepiece will be a monument designed by Rome-based architect Giulia Chiarini which will commemorate a wartime tragedy involving the sinking of a ship named the Arandorra Star which was carrying Italians who were being deported from the UK during the Second World War. The ship was heading for Canada before being torpedoed off the coast of Ireland. A stream will run through the centre of the garden recalling both the maritime tragedy, and the religious image of the water of life. A mature olive tree transported from Tuscany will also be planted in the garden: a sign of peace and reconciliation. The garden is due to open in November 2010. Archbishop Mario Conti said, “The work being carried out will benefit generations to come and restore the Cathedral in a way that is fitting for the mother church of the Archdiocese”. Hunter Clark’s managing director, Richard Bennie, said, “Over the last century we have nurtured our traditions of craftsmanship and developed modern apprenticeship programmes to ensure

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that we are uniquely placed to resource major restoration and conservation projects such as this and we are proud to play a significant role in restoring one of Scotland’s iconic and muchloved local landmarks”.

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Dunfermline kids escape temporary classrooms The Victorian home of Townhill Primary School in Dunfermline is undergoing a £1.5 million extension project as part of the Building Fife’s Future scheme. Then new classrooms will finally move children out of the temporary ‘teaching village’ – the field of cabins that occupies part of their playground. The extension includes four new classrooms across two storeys, which are linked to the existing single-level building by a ground floor link corridor. Each pair of classrooms has its own cloak room, toilets and storage space. The upper level is accessible by lift. The latest addition to the school is a steel frame structure with smooth masonry and render to the exterior, interspersed with timber cladding. The pitched roof features natural slate.

Main contractor Hadden has been on site since March 2010, and the firm’s land and development manager, Stephen Lynas, told Premier Construction, “The ground conditions on the site were not the best, which is probably down to the mining that was carried out in the area historically. There has been extensive piling to combat that. “We came to the site after a traditional tender process, and this project continues our track record of working for local authorities across Scotland – we’ve now worked for 11 or so of the 32, and that gives us a strong sense of what to expect. “This site has been a tight one and we’ve had

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to shut off part of the playground, but we’ve been able to avoid closures and make the most of the holidays to get work done. The extension actually takes up part of the playground, but eventually the teaching village will be removed to free up space on the other side. We expect to be done by November”.

Arran hotel resurrected Developers are working on a £3 million project to restore the dilapidated Douglas Hotel in Brodick, on the isle of Arran. Main contractor Thomas Johnstone, a specialist

fit-out contractor working across the leisure, retail, commercial and public sectors throughout the UK, is carrying out the works on behalf of Douglas Hotel Management Ltd., whose backers have experience in the leisure industry across the globe. Work involves selective demolition of ad-hoc additions to the original structure, and the number of available rooms will actually decrease as a result of the works, albeit with a vast improvement in luxury in the remaining, improved rooms. Project architect David McMillan of Tektonika Architects told Premier Construction, “Historically, the hotel was used by the Duke of Hamilton for his guests. Since its early days, the building developed into a hotel proper and has seen the town grow up around it. The new developers are looking to adapt the hotel to the way it can be used in modern times. “One of the most interesting aspects of the development is the specialist whisky bar, which will tie in with the hotel’s relationship with the area. The hotel is a short distance away from the island’s ferry terminal, and it will be an ideal stepping stone for people coming over to sample the local produce”. Asked what the principal contractors were bringing to the project, David said, “They came recommended due to their good reputation in fit-out work; it was important to make up a

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team of people who were capable of carrying out a sensitive job on a protected building”. The building is C(s) listed with Historic Scotland. There is a new lift being installed, and the hotel will be fourstar quality across its four storeys, with en-suite facilities in each room. David added, “The envelope is super-insulated, and it actually doubles the stipulated specifications for quality of insulation”.

New stone work matches the original red sandstone used on the hotel. David explained, “Originally, stone was taken from the local areas for the building. It wasn’t possible to do that for this project, but we were able to import stone from a quarry in Dumfries, which is actually part of the same geological structure and produces the same quality of material. Work began in spring 2010 and is set for a Christmas 2010 completion date, with a view to accepting the first guests as the 2011 season opens.

Work continues on LSHA’s Home Farm Work on a further wave of homes recently commenced at Lochalsh and Skye Housing Association’s development at Home Farm, Portree. Home Farm in Portree is a large mixed tenure development of over 200 new homes which Lochalsh and Skye Housing Association (LSHA) is developing with main contractor Rok. Portree has been identified as one of the most ‘housing stressed’ areas in the Highlands and this scheme will provide up to 219 new affordable homes. Work on site currently encompasses 12 flats which will be available for sale on a shared equity (LIFT) basis. The flats are distributed across two blocks to be finished in June 2011. The flats are of traditional construction and currently sit at the foundation stage. Eventually, the three-storey blocks will be hooked up to the biomass heating programme that serves the whole development. Senior development officer James Stephenson of LHSA told Premier Construction, “The flats were commissioned after a design competition. We wanted something that would stand out as the gateway to the development from the existing village. We were looking for something different, especially given the

prominent location of the site. We ended up opting for Anderson Bell Christie, who are award winners, and we’re very happy with their proposals”. Elsewhere on the development, Robertson Homes has an option to develop a number of plots for the private market.

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About LSHA

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timber cladding to stair enclosure contrast render colour

Lochalsh and Skye Housing Association was formed in 1983 to provide good quality affordable housing options to the Skye and Lochalsh area. The registered social landlord is managed by a committee of volunteers. Recent news sees the launch of a new energy advice service

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1 & 2 precedent - contemporary approach based on traditional design; 3 precedent; gla spoke design for this location to be confirmed) 4 Portree; variation in render colours 5 (see drawings nos SK(0)153 and SK(0)151 for location 6 diagramatic 3D visualisation to

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for all householders in Lochalsh and Skye. Unlike telephone and internet based energy advice services that cover the area, members of LSHA will be focusing on giving people free advice in their homes so that they will be more able to identify the individual circumstances of householders. The service, which has funding from the Climate Challenge Fund and the Highland LEADER programme, was set up by

LSHA to deliver advice and information on a range of energy issues, energy efficiency, the availability of grants, energy supplier tariffs and referral on to schemes such as the Scottish government’s Energy Assistance Package. Find out more about Home Farm and the rest of LSHA’s work at www.lsha.co.uk.

£180M James Watt Dock development moves ahead Riverside Inverclyde and Peel are behind one of the largest-ever individual regeneration projects yet seen in Scotland, with Greenock’s iconic Grade “A” listed Sugar Warehouse at its heart. The £180M redevelopment of Inverclyde’s historic James Watt Dock by Riverside Inverclyde and Peel, one of the UK’s leading property and transport companies, sees the creation of stateof-the-art commercial, marina and leisure facilities set alongside modern residential and retail space. Over a ten year period, the redevelopment of the 107-acre dock will: • generate over £180M of public/private investment • create some 1,700 jobs • build in excess of 750 residential units • provide in excess of £10M-worth of social housing, of

which the first phase (85 units) is being developed by River Clyde Homes • establish 45,000 sq ft of retail space • create 145,600 sq ft of commercial space • enhance some 480 metres of waterfront • develop a 400+ berth marina The project is being delivered via a new Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) between Riverside Inverclyde and Peel. Speaking on behalf of Peel, Euan Jamieson said, “The James Watt Dock site is a huge opportunity, both from the point of view of location and potential, and it is important for the regeneration of Inverclyde. It is also a major challenge, with historic issues of low demand and infrastructure, and has resisted development for over two decades. “However, it has been demonstrated that enormous strides can be made in social and economic regeneration when the public and private sector work together. We believe James Watt Dock will further demonstrate this”.

Riverside Inverclyde Riverside Inverclyde is an Urban Regeneration Company (URC) that is committed to changing the face of Inverclyde. Along the A8 corridor, from Port Glasgow to Greenock, the development of outstanding riverside locations will replace an area that has previously suffered as a result of a decline in industry. With a £400 million capital investment of public and private funding, Riverside Inverclyde is a joint partnership between Inverclyde Council, Clydeport, and Scottish Enterprise. The partnership has the full support of the Scottish Government and been designed to secure and enhance the long-term economic growth and prosperity of the area. Find out more at www.riversideinverclyde.com ROMA PUBLICATIONS

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World-class research centre opened in July 2010 Rok have recently completed a bespoke Advanced Forming Research Centre (AFRC) near Glasgow airport. This world-class research centre will create state of the art manufacturing technologies for the UK’s aerospace, energy, marine and automobile industries.

The centre - the first of its kind in the UK - is a collaborative venture between the University of Strathclyde, Scottish Enterprise, and engineering firms including Boeing, Mettis Aerospace and Rolls Royce. The £25m AFRC will develop forming and forging technologies to support the design and manufacture of new products, including components and structures for aircraft wings and body parts, engines, cars, ships, medical devices, power generation and wind turbines. Professor Jim McDonald, Principal of the University of Strathclyde, said: ‘We are very proud of our history of working side-by-side with industry and commerce and the Centre is

a good example of how universities can work with global companies to bridge the gap between fundamental research and industrial application. The investment by the University, Scottish Enterprise, the Scottish Government and our partner companies highlights the importance of engineering to the wider economy.’ Located in Inchinnan and forming part of Strathclyde University’s extended campus, the AFRC will be a beacon for engineering and manufacturing excellence. The building includes top-of-the range equipment including hot and cold presses and metrology, metallurgy and material testing equipment. The high quality, purpose built facility has been designed to meet the client’s aspirations. The design by Hpostyle architects was to create a high quality flexible space that would encourage collaborative team working. Sustainability issues such as passive ventilation and lighting along with high performance fabric were significant factors in the design process. A key requirement from the client was also to achieve a BREEAM ‘excellent’ rating. The building met the cost and programme targets along with the clients aspirations for sustainability. For Rok, the project marks a continuing relationship between the company and the University through a framework agreement

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that has seen several other projects completed. The University selected Rok for this development to ensure that the research centre came within budget as early designs had exceeded it. At the launch of the AFRC in June, keynote speeches were given by the University Principal, Professor Jim McDonald, Executive Vice President Manufacturing Engineering and Technology, Hamid Mughal of Rolls-Royce and Jim McFarlane of Scottish Enterprise. The launch event was attended by over 80 delegates from both academic and industrial organisations. The new centre highlights Scotland’s commitment to being at the forefront of developing new technologies and will enhance Scotland’s global reputation for excellence and have a significant impact on the Scottish economy. For more information about the Advanced Forming Research Centre, visit: www.strath. ac.uk/afrc

Shewalton landfill site enters phase 4 The latest phase of works is under way at the Shewalton landfill site in Irvine under main contractor Wills Bros., in what is the Irish firm’s first project for North Ayrshire Council. The works comprise of the development of part of the Shewalton Site for use as a new landfill containment cell, capping an existing filled cell, construction of a surface water drainage system and construction of an access road. Wills Bros are responsible for overseeing excavation and land forming, re-profiling of existing waste, mineral layer and HDPE liner installation, leachate collection pipework and sump, leachate drainage blanket, LLDPE capping membrane installation, geocomposite drainage layer installation, placement of restoration soils, a 350m access road, a clay lined surface water ditch, and associated top-soiling and planting. According to site manager Darragh Quinn, “The project is around 75% complete as we move into October, with approximately six weeks left to run. We’ve been carrying out extensive earthworks with around 150,000 tonnes of material processed, imported and placed to date. The earthworks and lining are two of the main aspects of this job that require a lot of experience, given the geometry and nature of the site”.

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He added that his team may well make themselves regular visitors to the area, saying, “We’ve been working well with the client and the project has benefited from that. It would be pleasing to develop our working relationship and I’m sure we’ll tender for any projects that arise in the future”.

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Cumbernauld industrial park greets newest neighbour Cumbernauld’s Drum Mains Park is about to welcome a new resident as electrical distributors MacLean Electrical group move into a refurbished building in what represents a considerable expansion of the firm’s external lighting facilities. Robertson Group’s role as main contractor on the £2.4 million project has seen the programme of works completed within a brisk 14 weeks, after design work by ADR Architects on the modern building, the already sound structure of which explains the no-nonsense approach to its makeover. Work has involved creation of a bespoke workshop and an active yard with adjoining office and warehouse space. Additionally, the firm will use part of the building as a seminar

facility which, according to MacLean’s Steve O’Donnell, is a first for the firm’s sector. Steve spoke enthusiastically about the project to Premier Construction, saying, “The option of being able to hold seminars is one of the main reasons we chose this building”. He added, “There has been a lot of planning behind this move and we’ve been looking at this particular building for a number of years. The time was right to acquire it recently, and now it’s complete it should be a springboard for our ambitions. The facility further benefits from a purpose built display area which will allow us to showcase the latest lighting technology. The

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additional yard and warehouse space will help broaden our stock profile and the new location is ideal in terms of providing a more efficient distribution service”.

Lambhill Stables to remedy ‘postindustrial paralysis’ The 180 year old Lambhill Stables is currently undergoing renovation under principal contractor HBS Construction. Once the £2.8 million building is completed, it will become a facility for the lucky residents of North Glasgow. The aim is to develop the Lambhill Stables as a landmark canal restoration project linked to the Green Corridors such as Forth and Clyde Canal and the Kelvin Walk Way. It is hoped that he site will be a productive space and provide relevant occupational training such as landscaping, gardening and traditional building techniques and a range of activities including healthy living cookery courses, woodworking, history and heritage groups, photography, arts and crafts and walking groups around the local marshes. In addition to members of the public, Lambhill Stables will be a place for schools to visit, providing and stimulating educational environment that will be an interactive, enjoyable way for children to learn about both the natural and cultural heritage of the area and gain a better understanding of environmental issues. The building opens in January 2011. Currently, workers are celebrating the final stages of the first build phase, which has involved restoration of the existing B-listed sandstone and slate building originally built to house canal barge horses. Further phases will introduce a ‘social corridor’ of ‘breakout space’ and exhibition rooms to the back of the development and an SSSI viewing tower that will overlook the nearby marshes and gardens. David Cruickshank, director of the stables, brings a background in community and environmental work to his role. He told Premier Construction, “This area has been seen as a backwater recently, and one of the reasons is what you can call ‘post-industrial

paralysis’. A lot of industry has dried up in the area since the 1970s and people are stuck on benefits. “I hope the centre will be able to give people aspirations and teach them skills such as walling, masonry, hedge work and a lot more – traditional skills that are still practical and can form the basis of a trade. The eventual plan is to open the facility out to a wider geographical area so that more people can benefit”.

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Four major consortia compete for DART Underground project Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail) has announced that four major international consortia have entered the pre-qualification phase in the Public Private Partnership procurement process for DART Underground. The consortia are: BBI Consortium, City Connect Consortium, NascRail Consortium and Toto Consortium, all of which are made up of major international heavyweights in the fields of construction, finance and infrastructure. Iarnród Éireann’s assessment process will be completed over the coming months. DART Underground will provide an important stimulus for the Irish economy - on the employment side alone creating up to 7,000 jobs during each year of construction and thousands more indirectly as a result of the significantly improved access that the project will deliver to retail, commercial, leisure and tourist destinations in Dublin. DART Underground will run underground through the heart of Dublin City Centre. The tunnel will be approximately 7.6km in length and will connect the Northern and Kildare rail lines, with underground stations at Spencer Dock, Pearse, St. Stephen’s Green, Christchurch and Heuston as well as a new surface station at Inchicore. It will, for the first time, link all rail systems together into an integrated and cohesive network - DART, Commuter, Intercity, Luas and Metro. DART Underground is set to be developed with a capacity for up to 20 trains each direction per hour, allowing up to 64,000 commuters to use the line hourly. With capacity for DART services to operate up to every 3 minutes, the line will complete the transformation of Iarnród Éireann’s Greater Dublin area rail service capacity from up to 33 million passenger journeys annually now to over 100 million passenger journeys. The twin tunnels will be constructed using two tunnel boring machines, launching from the docklands, at an average depth of 24m (80ft) below ground level. The underground stations will be constructed using techniques that will minimize the intrusion for the local residents, communities and environment. There is potential for more than 75% of the spoil from the construction of the project to be removed by rail. This in turn has the potential to reduce the traffic impacts during the construction phase. The new line will dramatically increase frequency and capacity for commuters on

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DART Northern, Maynooth and Kildare lines - the three fastest growing population corridors in the country - and relieve the current congestion at Connolly Station. Development plans also include the extension of the DART network to Maynooth, Hazelhatch/Celbridge and the Northern line.

Connections

DART Underground provides the missing link that that will deliver a fully integrated rail network for the Greater Dublin area, linking all modes and ensuring that journeys can be made by a frequent, high capacity public transport network. DART Underground will open up a web of new rail connections, including: • •

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Spencer Dock Station with the expanded Luas Red Line Pearse Station will become a central transport hub as both DART lines interchange there, opening up a variety of new rail connections and options. Pearse will also link with outer commuter services. St. Stephen’s Green will have convenient access to the Luas Green Line and the proposed Metro North to the airport and Swords. Christchurch with the future Luas City Centre-Lucan line. Heuston Station links to Intercity services from the south and the west, outer Commuter trains and the Luas Red Line. Inchicore with the Kildare DART line and the planned Luas City CentreLucan line.

PPP Process and Cost Benefit Analysis

The response from consortia seeking to engage in the PPP process confirms the findings of a recently completed business assessment of the DART Underground project, which concluded that the economic case for this key infrastructure scheme is strong and that overall the completion of the system is crucial to the future economic development of Dublin. It forecasts that DART Underground will generate almost 2.5 times more benefit than it will cost to build and will deliver significant wider economic benefits. The formal procurement process for the PPPCo commenced on 12th May with the publication of the contract notice and the four submissions from the international consortia were received in advance of the deadline of 20th July. Under the PPP contract the successful

on the employment side alone creating up to 7,000 jobs during each year of construction

private partner will be responsible for the design, construction, financing, commissioning and maintenance of the tunnel, stations and associated facilities over the period of the PPP contract. At this stage, the contract is envisaged to last for between 25 and 35 years, including the design and construction stages. In return, the private partner will receive an annual availability and performance based payment. Iarnród Éireann will at all times retain responsibility for the operation of DART services through the tunnel, which will be handed back to Iarnród Éireann at the end of the concession period. The project intends to have the PPPCo contract awarded by mid 2012 and construction completed and passenger services commenced through the tunnel by end of 2018. Keep an eye on Premier Construction for updates as we follow the project’s development.

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Limavady’s cultural hub nears completion Featuring a 200-seater theatre, the imposing two storey Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre (in Irish ‘Ionad EalaÍon agus Cultúir Ghleann na Ró’) has become an anchor feature of Limavady’s Main Street over the past few months.

Located on the site of the old Alexander Hall, the centre will become a key part of the artistic and cultural life of the entire borough, providing a much needed regeneration for the physical townscape of Limavady. Other aspects of the centre include art workshop rooms, event spaces, exhibition space, galleries, a visitor information centre and a gift shop. This centre isn’t just there for official meetings - the community can also book space for events, meetings and activities. Limavady Borough Council’s director of development, Valerie Richmond, spoke with pride about the project. “Since December 2005, when I joined the council, a considerable amount of the preliminary planning for the project had already been completed. I have worked closely with the culture, arts and tourism officer and the senior management team to develop the project further. “Previously, Limavady Town Hall provided the focal point for the local community. However,

over time the building either needed a complete refurbishment or to be replaced. Eventually, the old building was demolished and the façade of the town hall was retained in the new build”. The new facility has cost close to £3m (including FFE). The build period was 18 months and has been completed on schedule without any major obstacles. The contract has so far been completed within budget. Mrs Richmond continued, “The project will have a great impact on not only the town of Limavady but also the whole borough. For so many years now the area has been without a focal point. “The town now has an external space with a small stage area which can be used for a wide variety of activities. Internally, we now have a number of flexible spaces including an auditorium which can accommodate approximately 215 on tiered seating. In addition, the building offers a dance studio, two arts and craft workshops, three exhibition galleries and two large community meeting rooms”. The council’s tourism information office will be moving from the council offices into the ground floor of the new building and the new centre is viewed as an excellent location to market the borough’s beautiful environment and tourist product. This will be complemented by a retail outlet which, amongst other things, will provide a showcase for local arts and crafts. The centre will also provide a base for museum collections and a location for temporary museum and heritage based exhibitions.

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Mrs Richmond added, “Two new retail units have also been attached to the building and we are currently in the process of seeking tenants. We are looking for activities which will complement the range of activities which will be on offer within the centre. “The centre is seen as a great opportunity for town centre regeneration. We would hope that it will bring help to improve the evening economy in the town and of course contribute to tourism. The council is also currently working with the Department for Social Development on a regeneration plan for the town. “We hope that local schools, arts and cultural groups will seize every opportunity to make use of this superb facility. The success within the North West region by Derry City Council in achieving City of Culture status has also come at an opportune time and great opportunities will present themselves for Limavady to raise the profile of Roe Valley Arts & Cultural Centre at regional and national level”. Internal fit-out is now close to completion and council developers and contractors Heron Bros. are looking forward to the building opening to the public in October.

Ballymena Bypass to cut accidents A new bypass has been opened to improve traffic flow around Ballymena, and the new development will go some way to reducing an unacceptably high number of accidents around the area.

The scheme will divert strategic north-south traffic using the A26 Antrim to Ballymena Dual Carriageway and the Ballee Road East Dual Carriageway onto a new 2.1 kilometre long dual carriageway underneath the Larne Road Roundabout to join the M2 Ballymena Bypass North of the roundabout, the Ballymena Bypass is a dual 2-lane motorway carrying in excess of 25,500 vehicles per day. South west of the roundabout, Ballee Road East is a 2-lane all purpose dual carriageway carrying more than 22,500 vehicles per day. About 15,000 of those vehicles represent long distance strategic north-south traffic, which were previously passing straight through the roundabout. This long distance traffic conflicted with local traffic and resulted in queues and delays at peak times. The

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Moore concrete blocks in situ on the Ballymena Bypass.

high speeds on the large roundabout were a contributory factor in the number of accidents at this junction. The new scheme leads traffic onto a 2.1 kilometre long dual carriageway allowing the strategic north-south traffic to continue uninterrupted underneath the Larne Road Roundabout. The scheme will now: Deviate from the existing Ballee Road East dual carriageway east of the Ballee Roundabout. Continue underneath the Larne Road Roundabout. Connect to the southern end of the M2 Ballymena Bypass. East of the new road, the Liminary Road from Kells leads traffic onto a 0.9 kilometre long single carriageway road connecting directly to the Larne Road Roundabout. Contractors FP McCann and Magherafelt collaborated on the £12.1 million scheme, which was led by Ronnie Faloon of the Northern Ireland Roads Service, who spoke to Premier Construction, saying that work on the scheme “progressed well, thanks to a team drawn mainly from the local area that has a good work ethic”. He added, “The main aim of the scheme is reduction of accidents, so it’s pleasing to know that your work will benefit the thousands of people who use this route”.

length but with a width of 2.8m and an internal height of 1.5m. “The final part of the order comprised a 52m section of box culverts, each 2m in length with both a width and internal height and a width of 1.2m. In order to complete the project we were also asked to manufacture a much smaller section of culvert with units of width 2.5m and internal height of 1.8m. Again the unit length was 2m”. John continued, “All the box culverts were made with high specification concrete in specially commissioned steel moulds. All deliveries on site were well ahead of schedule and we hope that our proven ability to meet all the required specifications on time will help develop further what already is a strong working relationship with F P McCann”. As well as box culverts, Moore Concrete offers a wide range of precast elements for road and railway bridges, including crib walls, Asset BEBO arches, parapets and deck beams. Visit www.moore-concrete.com to see Moore Concrete’s full range of civil engineering solutions.

Moore Concrete plays its part FP McCann was aware from the outset that the project would throw up a number of snags, chief among them being the need to culvert a number of rivers, whose path crossed the route agreed for the new stretch of road. Accordingly, the company turned to the Ballymena based pre-casting business Moore Concrete. “We manufactured the box culverts required to a number of agreed specifications”, Moore Concrete’s John Parkinson confirmed. “This included a 58m stretch of culvert which contained 27 units - each 2m long, 3.5m in width, with an internal height of 1.5m. We also produced a 52m stretch of culvert, again with units 2m in

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Luas A1 extension project gathers pace Great progress has already been made on the extension of Dublin’s Luas Red Line (Connolly - Tallaght) from Belgard to Saggart. It will serve existing communities and developments underway in Fettercairn, Cheeverstown (Brookfield and Ard Mor), Citywest, Fortunestown and Saggart. The line is a Public Private Partnership between the Railway Procurement Agency (RPA), South Dublin County Council and private developers. Luas Citywest is part of the government’s Transport 21 capital investment framework and was the first project for which RPA sought under the provisions of the Strategic Infrastructure Act 2006. Recent developments Area 1 (Outer Ring Road to the N82) Paving works at Cheeverstown and Citywest Stop are nearing completion. The erection of OCS support poles is well advanced, as is the construction of the park and ride and the substation at Cheeverstown with these woks expected to finish in the coming months. Landscaping works will also commence in this area later in the year. Area 2 (N82 to Saggart) and Area 3 (Cookstown Way to the Outer Ring Road) Boundary works have been completed in these areas. The construction of the platforms at Fortunestown and Saggart Stops and the adjacent electrical sub-station is progressing well.

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Road markings, signing and lining will commence at the road junctions in the coming months. Landscaping works will also commence in this area later in the year. Area 4 (Works at Belgard and Cookstown) Works are well underway at Belgard Stop on the existing Red Line. The construction of the new tracks and the two new island platforms are complete and this will allow the canopy to be installed in the next month. Once the canopy is installed, paving works will begin. There will be further adjustments to the current access/exit arrangements at Belgard and passengers will be informed in advance. A word from the RPA Premier Construction spoke to the RPA’s director of design and construction, Pat O’Donoghue, who said, “The project has so far gone well. I’d put that down to the nature of the sites being developed – they’re largely green field sites. Usually, the main headache we face is congestion and the presence of the public, as traffic is difficult to control and divert, but there has been very little of that on this project. In all, I expect this project to succeed as previous ones have, and I expect it to pay for itself”. In agreement with the RPA, a consortium of local developers is responsible for delivery of a substantial part of the works for this extension as well as providing land and making a capital contribution. The consortium of private developers, Citywest Luas Ltd, comprises Davy Hickey Properties, Harcourt

Development Limited and HSS (Mansfield Group). In February 2009, BAM were awarded contracts for the civil and track works. Construction of the new spur is expected to be completed in spring 2011 with services operating on the line by May. Efacec The Portuguese giant’s worldwide exploits have extended to Ireland as part of the project. Efacec’s senior project manager, Ricardo Santos, told Premier Construction about his role on the new Luas lines: “We were sub-contracted by the SBS JV in 2007 for the B1 and C1 project, and were responsible for power supply, signals and telecoms, substations, road traffic signalling, video, sound, ticketing, PA systems, displays and management. For the A1 line, we signed a direct contract with RPA for the same scope, under the Systems Contractor option foreseen in the B1 contract. “Our work is vital to the project, and one of the most challenging tasks we’ve undertaken was the replacement of the existing monitoring software with our own modern management system. We did it without disrupting operations and it was a very sensitive migration project, but it was achieved without problems”. Efacec uses 90% of its own technology, developing its own products, services and solutions, constantly introducing innovating characteristics and cooperating with a large number of technological institutions. Ireland is one of 60 countries in which Efacec has now

operated, and the company has as one if its objective to make the UK and Ireland one of its major markets. Now over 100 years old, the company’s humble beginnings in electric motors and transformers has evolved into ten distinct ‘business units’, of which transportation is just one. The group’s in-depth website is available in English at www. efacec.com

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Developing Jersey in Style

Recent times have seen economic downturn in Jersey as elsewhere, and yet the island’s construction industry has survived the worst of the recession thanks to the committed and expert efforts of firms like AC Mauger, part of the Style Group – a major player on the Channel Islands’ construction scene. Master of a hatful of trades, the firm has been involved in a range of projects including residential, leisure, airport and highrise over the last twelve months. One recently completed project is the island’s airport control tower – a new feather in the company’s cap, as managing director Joe Kent explains: “We successfully used slipforming techniques, which is something we haven’t been used to as a firm, so it was a new badge on the lapel for us. It was a challenging project as we were on occasion working in foggy and windy conditions in an airport environment with all the associated health, safety and security concerns that entails. “In the wider sense, the airport work proved that as a company we’re not only capable of taking on some of the most prestigious contracts but that we’re adaptable – you have to be on Jersey, because the island is too small for there to be as much specialism as you might see on the mainland”. Also on site recently has been a £2.75 million project to install holiday lodges at Les Ormes, a leisure retreat that Joe compares to Center Parcs. The lodges are timber framed and cedar clad, and include exterior swimming pools. As for more permanent residential units, the company has been even busier. Joe told Premier Construction, “There is very little high rise on the island and it’s notoriously difficult to get planning permission. That doesn’t stop us working on existing buildings, however”. The company recently oversaw a

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refurbishment project at The Cedars, a residential apartment block managed by the States of Jersey Housing Department, and used Alumasc’s innovative Acrylic Brick Slips for their ability to retain the tower block’s unique appearance. The Cedars is the first high-rise project where the Brick Slip system has been used so extensively. Joe added, “I was particularly proud that we were able to put new glazing in over 70 units across 15 storeys whilst keeping all the residents in situ”. Elsewhere, June 2010 saw the completion of a new development of 15 luxury private apartments on the site of a former hotel overlooking St. Brelade’s Bay. Meanwhile, Joe is particularly happy with recent developments at Le Squez, a residential scheme where the firm had previously been involved in a mixed refurbishment and new build project in 2008, and which has just seen the beginning of a new phase of development. Joe told Premier Construction, “It’s good news that, despite the current climate, construction projects are still going ahead on the island. We’re in the same boat as our rivals, who have seen a reduction in their workloads, and yet here we are plugging away and looking forward to the recovery. “Everyone has worked harder during the recession, taking on more roles and trying to remain positive about the future. It has helped that the States have recognised the situation and contributed stimulus funds to the industry. As one of the major firms on the island, and one which has done well to avoid the worst of the recession, we’ll be looking to come out of it strongly”.

Awards AC Mauger walked away from September’s Jersey Construction Awards with two of the most coveted awards Project of the Year Over £1 million for the new airport control tower and Industry

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Achiever of the Year for contracts manager Tim Marsh, who led the project. In addition, The Cedars won the Sustainability Award for Morris Architects. The project was recognised for the effort made to ensure that the environmental impact of the refurbishment was minimal from start to finish. Speaking about his award, Tim Marsh commented, “Working on the airport control tower was an amazing opportunity for me and one I thoroughly enjoyed. We learned new and complex techniques which the team then had to implement in one of

Guernsey hospice redevelopment An essential redevelopment and expansion project is now underway at Les Bourgs, the only independent hospice on Guernsey, with a fundraising target of £4 million to enable outdated facilities to be replaced and a lack of space and privacy for patients and their families to be improved. A shortage of beds can mean, at times, that terminally ill patients have to be turned away – and some of them have little time left. Plans have been drawn up to enable seven rooms with private facilities to replace the current three-bedded mixed sex bay and two upstairs rooms, which have limited use because of access and mobility issues. The new development is being led by main contractor RG Falla and will also include a much-needed day hospice for respite care and treatments. The original building was a series of developments converting an old Guernsey farmhouse and hall into a care home however with very limited space but the new building will be light, airy and large enough to meet the island’s needs. A commitment to providing care in a home-like atmosphere, rather than one resembling a hospital, has also prompted the development team to design a purpose built ‘house’, which will

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the most sensitive sites any of us had worked on. We had to be constantly aware that our work must never have an impact on the daily operations of the airport, which was live throughout the project”. He added, “I am overwhelmed to have won this award, especially given the standard of the competition in the category. I have always made it clear that I don’t want to stand still and have set high targets for myself”. provide rooms of sufficient size and will hold within it all of the high-tech medical equipment and facilities needed to provide the highest level of care. RG Falla’s project manager, Paul Mason, told Premier Construction, “The original hospice was in need of a lot of work, as it was a very impractical building. It was converted into a hospice from old Guernsey dwellings and had many different levels which made it totally impractical for both resident mobility and specialist care. During the design stage it was deemed simpler to demolish and re-build, which is what we’re doing much of it within the original footprint. “It’s a small community on the island and there are a lot of links between people working on site and the hospice, so I haven’t been surprised to see that extra 10% of care going into the work, which will be especially visible from the finishing trades”. Paul added that his team was working towards a completion date in September 2011.

About the hospice Guernsey’s Hospice has helped thousands of terminally ill people and their families for 18 years. The building was acquired by its founders, Greville and Lisa Mitchell, in 1990. It is the island’s only independent hospice and relies entirely on public support. No charges are made for accommodation and anyone is able to apply for care there. To find out more about the hospice or to help out with fundraising, visit www.lesbourgshospice.org.gg

Jersey contractors put wet winter behind them as residential project completion approaches Charles Le Quesne’s Jersey division is continuing its reputation for luxury exclusive homes with a demolition and re-build project at Cedar Cottage, after one of the wettest winters on record did its best to disrupt the project at a vital stage. Quantity surveyor Nic Michel, whose team began work on the site in October 2009, told Premier Construction, “Last winter [2009-10] was one of the wettest we have ever seen on the island. “There was a lot of snow on the mainland and thankfully we avoided the worst of it here, but the rain nevertheless caused us a few problems. We were at the stage of ground works during the bad weather, and unfortunately when that happens, no matter how keen you are you keep things moving, there’s only so much you can do. “We also faced one or two difficulties with the frame of the building, which is a steel and timber composite, due to the different tolerances of the materials. All the timber was cut off site, but if we work on this type of frame again, I’d prefer to use timber panels on site to get the sizes right and so on”. Despite early setbacks, the project has developed into a stunning private residence that now looks like being completed before the end of 2010. The five bedroom house has three bathrooms, one of

which adjoins the master bedroom as an en suite. The same room features a walk-in office area. The property has high ceilings throughout, and the ground floor areas are of interest, according to Nic, who says, “The lounge, dining and kitchen areas are all painted brilliant white and make up virtually one large open space, except that there is a huge fullheight stone fireplace feature in the middle that grabs your eye, and a very large set of glazed doors at one end of the living room”. Externally, the house features a mixture of insulated render and imported Cornish stone to one of the elevations. Solar panels for water heating accompany a heat exchange system, both of which plug into a central energy management system which has provisions for further connections. All of the property’s heating is under floor. The contract does not include landscaping within its remit, as the private client has decided to have that work done separately once the house itself is complete. However, Charles le Quesne’s contract has included completion of a stand-alone garage to the side. Work on the house is now at the stage of electrical fit-out and Nic expects work there to be complete by Christmas 2010.

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Charles Le Quesne teams up with social housing providers The Guernsey Housing Association is working closely with the States Housing Department and main contractor Charles le Quesne on a programme of new developments to provide new affordable and social housing. Mont Beauvoir, at Clos de Mont Arrive, St Peter Port is the site of 15 new two bedroom bungalows which are under construction and due to be finished in October 2010. The chalet -style bungalows are designed for older people, with no steps, shower rooms and everything available on the ground floor, but with a second bedroom in the large roof space if needed, for a carer or a more able partner. The £2.5 million project is due to be handed over at the end of October, and is currently at the stage of landscaping and decorating. Charles Le Quesne’s project manager, Shaun Sale, told Premier Construction, “We’re using Kingspan SIPs on the bungalows, which are still relatively new for Guernsey, and they’re good for insulation. Add that to the solar panels on the roof for hot water, the internal air conditioning and distribution units and the storage heaters, and the units are nice and warm. “There are grab rails throughout the properties, not just on the stairs, and the ground floor shower rooms are in fact like wet rooms, with everything draining centrally. There is also level access to both the front and rear”. Speaking about Guernsey Housing Association’s planning and design requirements, Shaun, who hails from England, said, “Things are different here to the mainland in that there is not the same strict level of compliance enforced by local authorities when it comes to buildings. There are mandates, of course, and things like the solar panels on this project show that the authorities here are looking to keep with the times, but the rules and regulations are not as stringent”. The timber frame units follow a trend, as Shaun explained: “There’s a lot of timber build on the island at the moment and there has historically been very little brick work due to the cost of importing bricks. There are also virtually no bricklayers, in fact, so SIPs are ideal for our purposes”.

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Recent News Guernsey Water’s new depot looks set to be completed on time and on budget. Work began at the former St Andrew’s Quarry site in April 2010 and Charles Le Quesne is due to hand over the completed project next August. Director of water services Andrew Redhead said the company had wanted to centralise its operation since the early 1990s. It bought the former Best’s Brickfield site in 2002 for £2m., but it took seven years to secure planning permission for the £5m project. Funding came through the sale of company property, including sites at South Esplanade, La Hure Mare and Baubigny. The firm is also alongside Guernsey Housing Association at the heart of an extension to Hougue a la Perre, originally 77 units of residential accommodation built on a brown field site on the outskirts of St Peter Port. The original design is notable not only for the quality of the external materials, but also because it is the largest multi- storey timber frame project in Guernsey.

About the contractor Charles Le Quesne have been at the forefront of the Channel Islands construction industry for more than 125 years. The company was founded by Charles John Le Quesne in 1881. To date, his successors have completed numerous building projects across all sectors, incorporating a wide range of designs, and including many of the landmark buildings in the Channel Islands. From offices in St Helier (Jersey), and St Peter Port (Guernsey), Charles Le Quesne work across the retail, leisure, industrial, commercial, residential and public sectors. Visit www. charleslequesne.com/aboutus for more information

Guernsey Housing Association Guernsey Housing Association was set up in March 2002 and is an independent not-for-profit company limited by guarantee (LBG). The association was sponsored by the States Housing

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Channel Islands Authority - now the Housing Department - as part of the States Corporate Housing Programme, to help provide new additional social housing to meet the needs of local Guernsey people. The association is also now providing newly built key worker housing for nurses, in partnership with the States Health and Social Services Department and the States Housing Department. Currently, GHA has 308 homes rented or leased to local people, all built or refurbished since 2002, and a further 92 homes being built. The Association is controlled by a board of experienced professionals drawn from the community who serve on a voluntary basis. The association employs staff to carry out the day to day running of the company. All new social housing we build is funded through a combination of States grants via the Housing Department and private finance borrowed from the Banks, currently The Royal Bank of Scotland

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International and HSBC Bank plc. The grant is required in order to provide housing which can be rented or offered on a partial ownership sale basis at less than market rates. The majority of our homes are for rent, however we are now building an increasing number for partial ownership sale to local first time buyers. The grant provided by the States is calculated to enable the association to charge rent for its homes at broadly similar rents to equivalent States properties. GHA generally requires one third grant and two thirds private finance. This strong support from the States ensures that 75% of new occupants will be nominated by the States Housing Department and will qualify for rebate as if they were States tenants. The remaining 25% of homes will be offered to people on the Association’s waiting list dependent on their current circumstances and the availability of accommodation.

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Water Protection with Constructed Wetlands By Dr. Sally Mackenzie, Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust The water environment is in a state of decline. For many years our rivers, lakes, coasts and wetlands have been used as natural sinks - a repository for sewage, slurry, and industrial effluents – in fact almost anything which was either too difficult or too expensive to get rid of in any other way. Water quality is an issue for even the most progressive countries and how to deal with the polluting effect of growth and economic development is an on-going problem. Constructed wetlands offer a sustainable, low energy technological treatment solution. They’ve been used in the UK and Europe since the 1980’s and there are now over two thousand systems in place. They can treat a range of effluents including domestic wastewater, agricultural and industrial effluents. They’ve a wide range of applications from a single home to a large town or city to a brewery or a paper mill. Compared to more mechanised conventional treatment systems they’re generally lower capital and operational expenditure. Holistic design of constructed wetlands can bring a wealth of additional benefits which don’t compromise functioning for water quality improvements. Some benefits, for example flood storage, recreation and habitat creation may be the drivers and incentives for the creation of a constructed wetland as a water quality solution. The CWA was formed 11 years ago to promote the application of constructed wetland technology in wastewater management and water pollution control. We visualise an industry in which best practice is shared and standards upheld. The CWA is a professional association, representing all those who are interested in, and practising in, the field of constructed wetland technology. Our aims are twofold: To provide quality assurance, establish and maintain the highest standards of design, installation, performance and maintenance of these systems through, research, training, seminars, conferences, peer review and accreditation. To promote the use of constructed wetlands for pollution control including wastewater treatment, surface water run-off management, habitat enhancement and protection of our natural water resources by the application

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of good environmental practice. Our Values The Constructed Wetland Association aims to act as: • A centre of excellence • Spread good practice • Set industry standards • Maintain a global network of bona fide practitioners involved in wetland design and construction • Provide information and advice to all interested parties • Provide awareness and training in wetland design and application through online courses, workshops and seminars • Maintain a database to identify all constructed wetlands and record their details • Provide members with technical and commercial data • Promote members’ services through the website. • Membership categories range from Corporate to Charity to Student and our members include representatives from: • Water companies • Design Consultants • Constructors • Academic researchers • Plant Suppliers • Operators • Multi-site users

• NGO’s • Engineers • Ecologists • Regulators • Database A central feature in the establishment of the CWA was the creation of a database of constructed wetland systems. The purpose of the database is to show how a properly designed and constructed system would perform and as an indication of what type of effluents could be treated. We now have information on over 1100 sites. All members receive a copy of the database and are encouraged to contribute performance data. CWA Accreditation We are in the process of creating an industry standard for constructed wetland practitioners through an award process for our Corporate Members. Benefits of this would include quality assurance, marketing value, professional indemnity cover and publicity. For more information on the accreditation process please see our website. Training We will shortly be offering on-line courses as part of a CIWEM training module, this will be suitable for contributing to CPD. Visit www.constructedwetland.co.uk to find out more.

Part of the rigorous testing which fire doors have to undergo to achieve CERTIFIRE

Repeated Opening and Closing

“Think Third Party Certification”, Says Fire Expert Leigh Hill, a leading fire technical expert and business development manager at Warrington Certification, highlights the importance of ‘third party certification’ for construction products in addition to CE marking, which will be mandatory in all European member States including the UK, Sweden and Finland if the Construction Products Regulation (CPR) is implemented in 2012. In the case of fire protection products and services, independent third party certification is critical to ensure that a product or solution is fit for purpose and will deliver the designated fire performance in a life or death situation. However, many manufacturers are under the impression that CE marking their products will remove the need for third party certification, but this could not be further from the truth! CE Marking was adopted by the European Union to establish a single market, allow free trade and foster economic development within the member states. In many cases CE Marking has allowed products to be imported from all over the world and this is where potential quality and performance issues can come in to play. In some areas products can be self-certificated to demonstrate compliance with the essential requirements of the Construction Products Directive (CPD). While CE Marking permits a product’s access in to the EU, it is not an approval or quality mark nor is it intended to be a marketing tool. CE is a “marking”, which demonstrates that the product has fulfilled the minimum requirements imposed through the CPD. In some cases there is no requirement for independent testing or verification of the factory production control. CE marking also does not address the issues of compatibility, for example on which doors a particular piece of hardware can

be used, and for which fire resistance period it is suitable. This can have serious consequences as a product will only give the desired level of fire performance if it is partnered with the correct sub-components and is installed by a competent installation contractor. Increasingly using third party certification allows manufacturers to demonstrate performance differentiation and gain a market advantage over their competitors. A CE marked product is immediately more attractive if it has the additional benefits of independent third party certification, such as CERTIFIRE, the well established product conformity scheme offered by Warrington Certification. CERTIFIRE was launched in 1988 to provide a third party certification mark for passive fire products and although voluntary, CERTIFIRE’s popularity has grown considerably since product manufacturers increasingly appreciate the benefits that independent product verification brings. The five key elements to CERTIFIRE take it far beyond CE marking and include inspection and surveillance of a factory production control system, initial type testing on independently sampled product, design appraisal against a technical schedule, assessment of a defined field of application and on-going audit testing. Fire performance is only one aspect of the performance that is evaluated under the scheme. The product must also be ‘fit for purpose’ and in addition to the fire performance and quality aspects, CERTIFIRE addresses the other essential characteristics relevant to the product to ensure maximum performance in a fire situation. ROMA PUBLICATIONS

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A s s o c i ati o n s Warrington Certification’s CERTIFIRE scheme enables a product manufacturer to distinguish his products from the rest. A good example of where CERTIFIRE is ideal is with doorsets that have fire or smoke resistance. With so many different types of doorset, ironmongery and glazing apertures for example available, it is very easy to specify a complete doorset that will not perform in a fire, even when it is assembled from tried and tested products from reputable manufacturers. The interaction of all the components of a fire door is critical to its ability to function satisfactorily and provide the intended fire performance. If each of the components have been approved to a recognised scheme such as CERTIFIRE, specifiers can be reassured that all the components will work together in a fire situation. In a nutshell, third party certification offers the specifier, architect, contractor, building owner, regulator or any combination of these confidence when purchasing or selecting the product. Choosing a product, which carries the badge or mark of a reputable third party certification body, will give safeguards as to the performance of the product in its end use application.

Firedoors make silent progress Leading door manufacturer Firedoors has launched ‘Silentdor’, a new range of acoustic doors and doorsets. Silentdor, has been

developed to offer customers high acoustic performance within new build and development schemes where noise reduction is a important. These doors and doorsets have been designed using the latest construction and seal techniques that support noise reduction and travel from room to room, and is able to achieve a decibel reduction rate of 43. The Silendor range continue to offer all benefits and performance characteristics of all Firedoor ranges including fire resistance, smoke containment, durability, strength and quality. The range has undergone intensive testing to ensure accordance with BSEN-ISO717-1:1997 and fire testing in accordance with BS476 part 22. As with all Firedoors products, Silentdor is pre-hung and factory assembled, ensuring that the correct tolerances are met during construction, rather than on site assembly where components may not be built to the correct tolerances. The doors are available in a number of finishes, designed to work well in a range of environments. Bleddyn Jones, managing director of Firedoors, said, “We are really pleased to bring the Silentdor to market and offer customers more choice when specifying the right product for their project. We aim to listen carefully to our growing customer base, in both the public and private sector, and believe that this latest product launch supports our bid to become the UK’s number one choice for quality fire doors and doorsets”.

How the FIRAS Scheme can help building owners comply with new fire safety legislation In October 2006, the long awaited and much discussed “Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) order 2005” came into force. This legislation places obligations on the “responsible person” to ensure the fire safety of a building. This person is responsible in law for conducting a fire risk assessment to ensure that all persons using the building can escape safely in the event of a fire, that fire precautions comply with building regulations, and that they are installed and maintained properly. Guidance on complying with the legislation is included in a series of 11 “Fire Safety Risk Assessment” documents covering different types of building from schools to shopping centres, hospitals, hotels, residential care homes etc. These documents are available as downloads from the government’s “Communities and Local Government” website. Failure to comply with this new legislation could result in the building owner or operator being subject to fines of an unlimited amount and/or a two year jail sentence should they be unable to demonstrate that they have taken all practicable steps to achieve a “fire safe building”. For 13 years, Warrington Certification Limited has, with the support of trade association partners (such as ASFP, BWF, DHF, GGF, BAFSA and others), promoted the third party certification of contractors and installers of fire protection in buildings through the FIRAS scheme. The aim of the FIRAS scheme is to certificate reputable and competent installers of “proven” fire protection products and systems to enable these installers to provide clients with confidence that the job is carried out correctly. A way of gaining this assurance is for the installation of fire protection products and systems to be installed by contractors and installers who are third party certificated as part of an industry scheme such as FIRAS, which enables the installer to provide a “meaningful” certificate of conformance supported by a UKAS accredited certification body who have expertise in the field of fire protection. Warrington Certification recommends that clients check the validity of the “certification” held by installers and what level of

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confidence this certification provides. • • •

•

• •

Is the installer’s third party certification issued by a UKAS accredited certification body? Does the certification body carry out periodic or annual audits of the installer’s ‘quality systems’? Does the certification body carry out periodic or random inspections of the actual installation work on site to check that it is done correctly using the appropriate tested and proven materials? Beyond any initial training of the installer, before issuing certification, is there any ongoing competence assessment of the installer or their employees? Does the certification body monitor the “Certificates of Conformance” being issued upon completion of work? Does the certification body monitor that the installer is not issuing “Certificates of Conformance” for work outside the scope of certification issued, (i.e. issuing C of C’s of intumescent coating when the installers certificated scope only covers penetration sealing)?

The FIRAS scheme criteria are based upon practical competence, supported by knowledge rather than making discipline training courses a mandatory component of the schemes. This approach has proved much less disruptive to the installer companies as this can be conducted at site. Underpinning this is the ongoing random inspection by FIRAS Inspectors of 15-20% of all installation jobs carried out by companies and the inspection of the installer company’s office system and maintenance of their project records. The scheme has grown in stature over the past years to a point where a number of major retail companies, health authorities and trusts, university estates management operations and mass transport organisations are now specifying that fire protection packages should be undertaken by FIRAS certificated

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A s s o c i ati o n s contractors. The FIRAS Scheme is a voluntary certification scheme and those installer companies who become certificated as part of the FIRAS Scheme pay an annual fee related to their activity level in fire protection installation. In view of this there is no cost to the specifier or client. The growth and industry recognition of the FIRAS Scheme has resulted in a company’s entry in the list of FIRAS Registered Installation companies becoming the criterion by which “Metronet” approve passive fire protection installation companies for carrying out fire protection works on the underground system, and other organisations are now following suit. The more recently introduced areas of the FIRAS scheme, the residential and domestic sprinkler installation scheme developed in 2003 to introduce a voluntary, controlled regime for contractors working in this relatively new area of fire protection and the commercial and industrial sprinkler systems installation scheme, are both continuing to expand.

The residential and domestic sprinkler installation scheme section of the FIRAS scheme was developed to provide reassurance to building control, fire officers and building owners that sprinkler installations in residential accommodation and domestic dwellings are designed and installed by competent contractors in compliance with appropriate industry standards. Here again the FIRAS scheme assists the building owner in demonstrating compliance with RRO. Part of the requirements of registration of this part of the scheme involves random system design review to ensure that the design of the fire protection (as well as its installation) is appropriate to the risk posed by the fire to the building. In conclusion, since the “Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order” has become legislation, building owners and operators are required by law to demonstrate compliance with its requirements, so why not allow the FIRAS Scheme to assist in this process? Those wishing to find a FIRAS installer to undertake passive or active fire protection installations can review the list of certified companies available at www.firas-database.co.uk

Traditional methods for traditional buildings When people began plastering, approximately 14,000 years ago, those professionals knew exactly what our professionals know now; from its early forms using earth plasters to slaked lime putties - a successful new plaster or repair project depends on an understanding of the materials and the science behind them.

Lime, as a plaster-render material and mortar, has its roots in the Middle East and can be traced back 140 centuries to northern Jordan. Indeed the plasterers tools used then remain the same to this very day. The earliest plastering which has survived shows great skill and excels in its composition compared to modern day materials. In Europe, historic plaster work denotes lime plaster from very early Greek and Roman times. We know of the existence of perfect plaster work in Greece dating from about five hundred years before the Christian era. In Britain, earth plasters ‘daub’ were used predominately during this period, amazingly up to 1900 commonly used repair ancient timber framed buildings still remain. Today, traditional lime plastering is seen as a specialist method predominantly associated with buildings dating pre 1919, which require original methods to ensure they can be brought back to life using a consistent process. The greatest advantage of using traditional lime plastering on older structures is the flexibility it gives dated buildings by allowing them to move without the damage that could be suffered by modern, more rigid materials. Traditional lime plastering also promotes breathing ability in buildings and allows the passage of moisture through the walls in contrast to modern materials that trap moisture within walls and, consequently, damage the timber frame structures. “Old buildings tend to be of a structure that moves slightly”, Marc Delea, from MD Plastering, specialists in Traditional Lime methods, commented. “If you then put modern rigid plastering on top of this, the building will move and cracks will form which will allow water to seep in and problems such as rotting and damp are likely to appear”. This traditional method uses time-honoured materials such as horse hair, animal hair, straw, earth plasters and, of course, lime. Slaked lime putty is unlike other cement and plasters that regularly have a chemical reaction when mixed with water and set hard. In contrast to this, lime putty undergoes a lime cycle through which it sets by absorbing oxygen, crystallising, and then returning to its original rock form. Limestone is taken from the rock and then powdered down before being added to water, when it then undergoes a chemical

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reaction, which turns it into putty which is then mixed with sand and hair. Once the plaster form is then applied to a structure, it begins to absorb the oxygen and crystallises back to its original rock state. It is then decorated using a lime wash which comprises watered down lime putty with pigment in it. This is washed over the plaster through which water evaporates leaving the pigment on the plaster with the putty.

Despite new technology, modern methods and quicker processes constantly coming through the industry, the requirement for traditional lime plastering has not dissipated. “On a lot of listed buildings you simply cannot use modern day materials because it would cause a bad reaction”, Marc Delea said. “As soon as modern day materials are used on an old building, the house is no longer compatible with what was originally there. You spoil the fundamental building design and create potential structural problems.

There are also only a few companies that have a reputation for working on historic buildings”, Marc Delea added, “and clients who require the use of traditional lime plastering seek out these specialist companies to complete the works. Companies or individuals tend to specialise in traditional lime plastering for their love of old buildings and because of a desire to preserve the old fashioned ways”, Marc Delea said. “We try to replicate how plastering was originally done and conserve beautiful buildings that the public enjoy all around the country”.

Ensuring a bright future for the past English Heritage exists to protect and promote England’s spectacular historic environment and ensure that its past is researched and understood. English Heritage is the government’s statutory adviser on the historic environment. Officially known as the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England, English Heritage is an executive non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). The powers and responsibilities of English Heritage are set out in the National Heritage Act (1983) and today they report to Parliament through the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. Although sponsored by DCMS, English Heritage works with a range of government departments, notably CLG and Defra, to help realise the potential of the historic environment. English Heritage is funded in part by the government, and is also part funded from revenue earned from their historic properties

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A s s o c i ati o n s and other services. In 2008/09 the organisation’s public funding was worth £132.7m, and income from other sources was £48.1m. English Heritage works in partnership with central government departments, local authorities, voluntary bodies and the private sector to conserve and enhance the historic environment, broaden public access to the heritage and increase people’s understanding of the past. The organisation meets these responsibilities by: acting as a national and international champion for the heritage; giving grants for the conservation of historic buildings, monuments and landscapes; maintaining registers of England’s most significant historic buildings, monuments and landscapes; and advising on the preservation of the historic environment. English Heritage also encourages broader public involvement with the heritage, promotes heritage-related education and research, cares for Stonehenge and over 400 other historic properties on behalf of the nation, maintains the National Monuments Record as the public archive of the heritage and generates income for the benefit of the historic environment. English Heritage is currently running a five-year investment programme for its properties. Based on an audit of all the organisation s properties, £30m is being targeted at those sites with the most commercial potential, in order to make as many sites as possible self-financing. Projects range from major refurbishment and restoration works at Kenilworth Castle to relatively small but significant improvements to exhibitions and interpretation, catering and retail facilities. In the construction sector, English Heritage has joined forces with ConstructionSkills to call for concerted action across the construction industry, the built heritage sector, educational establishments, careers organisations, funding bodies and government departments to tackle the continued shortage of heritage building skills. English Heritage has also published research demonstrating the shortage of craft skills across the country and a Skills Action Plan which they are now implementing. This includes raising the profile of vocational training and the built heritage construction sector and attracting more young people to pursue careers within it. The plan is also geared towards encouraging the use of suitably

skilled and qualified people, and developing qualifications to ensure that traditional building knowledge and skills can be attained from GCSE to Master Craft level. Find out more at www.english-heritage.org.uk

Promoting professional standards for security dog users Formed as a result of the work carried out by the founding directors, who discovered that there are no national standards in place for dog handlers within the Security Industry, the National Training Inspectorate for Professional Dog Users (NTIPDU) was incorporated as a company on the 23rd October 2002. The key aims of the Inspectorate include those to: promote the professionalism of security dog users; formalise a suitable policy for training security dogs; regulate security dog handlers in their operational duties; promote the training of security dog users; regulate and maintain the training of security patrol dogs and regulate and maintain the training of specialist dogs. Further key aims are to: ensure the safety and welfare of security dogs; detail strict licensing conditions; maintain set standards; assist the Security Industry Authority (SIA) in maintaining the PSI Act 2001 and promote equal opportunities throughout the profession.

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Training The NTPDU offers a wide range of important training courses including: Door Supervision; Security Guarding; National Award for General Purpose Security Dog Handlers; Award for Narcotic Detection Dog Handler; Certificate General Purpose Security Dog and Handler Team (5 Modules); Diploma General Purpose Security Dog and Handler Team (10 Modules); Local Authority Enforcement Officers Induction Course; Kennel Management; Training Assistant (Subject to prior knowledge); Control and Restraints; Pet Trainers and Personal Protection Dog Training. The organisation has implemented a set of standards attainable by all, by keeping costs to a minimum and enabling the handler to continue with training and retain employment concurrently. Each NTIPDU instructor has undergone a refresher course at one of the inspectorate’s national training centres and meets with the criteria laid down, this enhances the training of all new

handlers. Once trained, the NTIPDU handler always has the support necessary from the Inspectorate itself, the trainers and instructors. The NTIPDU has within its resources the ability to provide a ‘pool’ of trained dogs, to its members should their own dog be unable to continue for any reason, thus enabling the handler to continue with his/her employment. What does the Private Security Industry Act 2001 have to do with dog handlers? When the Act received Royal Assent, only certain sectors of the industry were specified as ‘Licensable Activities.’ Dog Handling was not one of those sectors, however following numerous consultation meetings between the SIA and industry bodies, the SIA took notice of NTIPDU concerns. From those initial meetings, the SIA convened a number of interested parties and augmented them into what is now known as the ‘Security Industry Dog Consultation Group’ (SIDCG), which was tasked with constructing a suite of national occupational standards. From these standards, qualifications that will sit on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) will be developed. The work of this group has progressed dramatically with the conception of both NVQ & VRQ qualifications for both handlers and dog and handler trainers. Although the work was instigated by the SIA, there are no immediate plans to amend the Act to include individual licenses for dog handlers within the industry, but by working together, and with a three year period between licensing, time is available for amendments to be made. As the Act stands, any security patrol (guard) dog handler MUST be in possession of an SIA Security Licence. For further information contact the NTIPDU on: 01686 640 781 (telephone/fax) or visit: www.ntipdu.org

Finding out more about lead LCA launch the next 25 Years More than 70 architects were among an audience of over 100 that attended the launch of the 2010 Directory of Specialist Leadwork Contractors. Organised by the Lead Contractors Association (LCA) and jointly sponsored by the Lead Sheet Association (LSA), the launch took place at the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining in Carlton House Terrace, London. 2009 saw the LCA celebrate their Silver Jubilee and Chairman David Martin opened the 2010 Directory launch by assessing the objectives he had set last year.

of workmanship in their specifications, but also to ensure a registered competent contractor was used to install. Joss Campbell, Chairman of the Lead Sheet Association welcomed the opportunity to put the case for lead sheet in modern day construction, emphasising the unique proven long term sustainability of the material that had now been in use in UK construction for centuries. He emphasised the green credentials of lead, its total recyclability and, given its low melting point and comprehensive national materials reclamation network, the minimal carbon “footprint” of producing and using lead sheet.

These are: • More specifications nominating LCA members for the lead work • Every leadwork project of historical, architectural or commercial significance to be carried out by a member of the LCA • Contractors involved in leadwork that thought they knew how to design and install the material to prove it by applying to join the LCA and having their leadwork standards checked. In looking back, Mr Martin considered that each objective had been addressed with varying degrees of success and he saw no reason why this momentum should not be continued as the LCA start their next 25 years. He closed his presentation by posing the question to the architects and specifiers in the audience as to whether they had a responsibility to not only cover materials and standards ROMA PUBLICATIONS

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Not least among the advantages of using lead sheet, he said, was the availability through the Lead Contractors Association of a quality controlled workforce to install the product, which maximised its long term performance credentials. Mr Campbell went on to explain the complexities of the London Metal Exchange which set the price for lead but which was nevertheless at the mercy of market speculators who had no interest in the industry other than to trade in metal warrants the same as they did in stocks and shares on the London Stock Exchange. Given the relatively small use of lead sheet in construction (some 200,000 tonnes world wide compared to 6M tonnes (and rising) in car batteries) the price of lead was therefore out of the hands of the UK sheet manufacturers and contractors. The recession and performance of the stock exchange had caused speculators to look for other markets in which to trade and the London Metal

Exchange had proved an easy target, resulting in the spectacular price surges in recent years of the metals, including lead, that were traded on the LME. The price surge in the LMA lead price in 2008 had led to the unwelcome escalation in thefts, particularly from vulnerable ecclesiastical properties. Thankfully, as a result of better site security, DNA type identification through using such as Smartwater and an improved accountability through the reclamation network, theft issues now appeared to be subsiding. Mr Campbell said now the general expectation was for a period of metals price stability, as the financial stock markets were recovering and traders were returning to them for the more varied options than were available on the LME. Carl Edwards, Managing Director of the CEL Group and Chairman of the LCA Promotions Committee then explained the differences between the three types of lead sheet available in the UK market, as there was often confusion among specifiers, or worse, a general assumption that they were all the same. Rolled lead sheet was the most commonly used, produced from a refined cast slab on a computer controlled rolling mill that achieved thickness tolerances of +/- 5% at any point on the sheet, as required by the European manufacturing standard BSEN12588. Traditional sand cast sheet is the oldest method of production (circa 16thC), where molten metal is poured onto a bed of sand, skimmed to the required thickness whilst still molten and then cut to size when cooled. Machine cast, or Direct Method (DM) sheet is produced by immersing a rotating, water cooled drum into a bath of molten lead. The lead solidifies on the surface of the drum and is lifted from the bath and peeled away in sheets as the drum rotates. For further information about the LCA phone 01342 317888 or Email rwr@lca.gb.com For technical or training information contact the LCA on 01622 872432

Is your timber FSC-approved? The Forest Stewardship Council is an international, non-governmental organisation dedicated to promoting responsible management of the world’s forests. It was founded in 1993 in response to public concern about deforestation and demand for a trustworthy woodlabelling scheme. There are national working groups more than 50 countries including the UK. FSC UK is a registered charity. It is supported by NGOs including WWF, Greenpeace and the Woodland Trust. Every year an area half the size of the UK is cleared of natural forests: temperate and tropical, North and South and on every continent. These forests, which once covered half of the planet, are irreplaceable and their loss has profound economic, social and environmental impacts. Sixty million indigenous people and countless species of plants and animals are wholly dependent on forests to live and forests support up to 1.6 billion of the poorest people in the world. The products of this illegal trade can be found throughout the UK, from building sites to private homes. We think this is unacceptable and we exist to make sure people can buy timber and wood products with the confidence that they are contributing towards safeguarding the world’s forests. The FSC runs a global forest certification system with two key components: Forest Management and Chain of Custody certification. This system allows consumers to identify, purchase and use timber and forest products produced from wellmanaged forests. The Forest Stewardship Council’s “tick tree” logo is used on product labels to indicate whether products are certified under the FSC system. When you see the FSC logo on a label you can buy timber and other wood products, such as paper, with the confidence that you are not contributing to the destruction of the

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world’s forests. FSC UK is legally and financially independent of FSC international. It sets forest management standards for the UK, promotes the system and provides an information service.

FSC certification in the construction industry FSC developed the Project Certification Standard in response to the construction industry’s wish to be able to promote their successful use of FSC timber and to help eliminate breaks in the chain of custody caused by lack of certification among contractors. It is a one-off certificate which covers only the specified project and does not relate to any other project carried out by any of the parties involved. It can be put in place speedily once contracts have been awarded and subcontractors can be included at short notice. There is no reason why a contractor should not achieve permanent Chain of Custody if there is demand for several projects using FSC timber. Project certification can be a useful ‘trial run’ and once the system you set up has been proven you will be well placed to apply for permanent COC. Project Certification is the ideal solution for ensuring that your site does not use any illegal timber, and for promoting your company’s environmental and corporate social responsibility policies. There are two options: Full Certification, with a minimum 50% of the cost or volume of FSC timber and/or verified post consumer reclaimed timber, with the balance meeting FSC Controlled Wood standard; and Partial Certification, where named elements only (such as doors or windows, cladding or flooring) are FSC certified, and there is no requirement for controlling the remaining timber.

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A s s o c i ati o n s The FSC timber in both cases can be either 100% FSC, mixed sources (produced under a chain of custody standard that allows the controlled inclusion of some non-FSC wood) or FSC Recycled (which must be verified as post-consumer reclaimed timber).

10 reasons to choose the FSC 1.

2. 3. 4.

You can buy wood products, from all types of forest, with a clear conscience when you see the FSC logo. FSC certified forests are managed with consideration for people, wildlife and the environment The FSC label guarantees that the trees that are harvested are replaced or allowed to regenerate naturally Parts of the forest are protected entirely, in order to protect rare animals and plants FSC protects the rights of indigenous people to use the forest. If they have sacred sites in the forest these are exempt from felling The forest owner must use local workers to run the forest,

and provide training, safety equipment and a decent salary. The forest owner is often obliged to support the community in other ways, such as through the development of schools 6. FSC is a market-based initiative which also ensures better conditions for the forest and the people whose livelihoods depend on it 7. FSC gives an assurance that future generations will be able to enjoy the benefits of the forest 8. All the wood is tracked from the forest to the store. Every link between the forest and the consumer is certified to make it clearly identifiable which wood is FSC certified and which is not 9. FSC is the only wood certification scheme endorsed by the major environmental charities, including WWF, Greenpeace and The Woodland Trust 10. The FSC label is not only available on wood for furniture. It can also be found on floors, decking, paper, printed matter, charcoal, kitchen utensils, even venison

Traditional buildings require traditional materials by Paul Watts of Mike Wye & Associates Ltd Many builders and building material supply companies are experiencing lean times on the back of the credit crunch. We hear of developers laying off tradesmen and the local buildersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; merchants can be rather lonely places these days. New building programmes up and down the country have been mothballed or shelved. It tends to be during economic times like these that decisions are often made to make do and mend rather than undertake new construction. There is a natural temptation more than ever to use the cheapest materials or accept the cheapest tender. The cheapness of the material may be down to the fact that it is mass produced or it may be that it is not like for like and that cement or hydrated lime is being quoted for rather than material compatible with the existing. Far too often, people still do not understand the need for a traditionally built property to have traditional materials used on it. From flooring or render to simple decoration or pointing, buildings made to older construction methods can suffer greatly if modern materials are employed. It cannot be emphasised enough that a building constructed with a solid wall needs to have materials used in repair and maintenance that allow the moisture within the building to evaporate. Modern acrylic based paints, cement render or cement pointing should all be avoided and products like Limewash, breathable

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emulsion, distemper, claypaint for decoration and lime for mortar and plaster should be used for pointing rendering and plastering. The thermal expansion rate of cement is far greater than that of brick, stone or lime. This makes hard cement mortar incompatible with more traditional materials. The cement mortar is also much more rigid than lime mortar and cannot cope with the greater movement associated with traditionally constructed properties with their soft mortar and limited foundations. All this means that cement render or pointing is always prone to cracking and delamination on an old building compared to when lime is used. Rain is likely to track directly into the cracks, saturate the walls causing poor insulation and premature rot in wood or even structural failure. Unfortunately for the novice, the world of lime and breathable paints can be a confusing one. There are different forms of lime and many choices for internal decoration. To add to the confusion there can be widely differing opinions on the best materials when talking to suppliers and practitioners. There are three types of lime available: Lime Putty is slaked from quicklime with an excess of water making it a wet product. Mortars based on lime putty are the most traditional and also the most breathable and can last indefinitely. In fact lime putty actually improves with age as long

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A s s o c i ati o n s as it is prevented from drying out. Only when dry can it carbonate and complete the hardening process. A Pozzolan can be added to create a chemical set making it a hydraulic lime and able to set in the presence of water if required. Hydrated lime is the most widely available form of lime as it is used as a fattening agent to mix with cement where the use of cement is appropriate. Although chemically the same as lime putty, it is slaked with an exact amount of water making it a dry powder. It should not be used as a binder for a lime mortar as it could be too weak due to carbonation within the bag and may not give you an adequate mortar for building or plastering. Natural Hydraulic Limes (NHLs) are slightly more complicated as they are normally sold in different strength bandings and chemical properties. Supplied as a dry powder, they come with natural Pozzolans as impurities within the limestone, hence ‘natural hydraulic lime’. These all have a limited life and in the same way that bags of cement will absorb moisture over a period of time, bags of NHL will do likewise and need to be stored well to extend useful life. Different NHLs are as follows: • NHL2 – The weakest, usually used on soft materials for internal plastering or repointing. • NHL3.5 – This is the general purpose NHL and can be used internally and externally for building and rendering. • NHL5 – NHL5 is the strongest and we only recommend this for flooring and underground work. A further complication to the banding is that different manufacturers can provide an NHL 2, or 3.5 with widely differing properties to another. As a general rule of thumb we suggest that English and German NHLs are used internally as they have a larger proportion of free lime, this means that they are much stickier and creamier but have a slower and ultimately weaker set. The French NHLs are stronger and set quicker so are

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better for building and external works. It is very important to note that with all work you must make sure that the mortar you make from them is weaker than the masonry that you are using it on. Pointing should be sacrificial and be allowed to erode away rather than the surrounding masonry. Before deciding on which type of lime to use the most important part of lime work is ensuring the breathability of the building, from the bare substrate through to the breathable paint applied to the plaster or render. It has been known for people who have applied a full breathable lime render and painted it with acrylic based masonry paint and therefore sealing the building. This will keep any moisture within the building and makes the breathable lime render largely a waste of time and money. If a material was not originally used in its construction then it is likely that it should not be introduced into the fabric of the building. The key phrase to remember is ‘like for like’ so if lime mortar was used to bed brickwork then lime mortar is likely to be the best material to be used to repair it. Not only it is important to research the type of materials used and source the most appropriate, it is vital to determine at an early stage if the property is listed or in a conservation area. If work is undertaken without the correct consents, this would be a criminal offence and may lead to prosecution. Mike Wye & Associates is a specialist supplier of natural building and decorating products and one of the UK’s leading lime specialists. They have been training people in the techniques needed to maintain and conserve traditional buildings for many years. In a further move to help those looking for advice, the company has an excellent free guide to the maintenance of a traditional building that can be downloaded from their website. In conjunction with a number of industry experts, the company is currently offering a series of one day seminars around the country. Contact the company for details of dates and venues for this essential day for anybody with a traditionally built property. Telephone 01409-281644, email sales@mikewye.co.uk or visit www.mikewye.co.uk

Choosing the right roofing contractor The local builder may be quite proficient at roofing, but then again he may not be. General builders are jacks of all trades: bricklayers, plasterers, window fitters and much more. A reputable roofing contractor is a specialist in roofing; he may specialise in all types of roofing, while some only work on flat roofs and some will only work on slate and tile. It is normally the larger company that specialises in industrial roofing and cladding. A reputable roofing contractor will know the pitfalls of the work he is contracted to do. He will also be able to explain to you in plain English why certain work has to be carried out to make the roof both safe and watertight.

Who is reputable? Unfortunately, the roofing industry is infested with rip off merchants; you only have to watch the news to see that when the tornado hit the south coast the police had to set up road blocks to keep the cowboy roofers out. It seems that these people are just waiting for a disaster to happen so they can cash in. Rule number one is never to employ a door- knocker; these are the worst of their kind. The usual type of people who will knock on your door are travellers, they are tarmac layers in the summer and roofing contractors in the winter. They will normally want cash payments and in extreme conditions have been known to forcibly take you to your bank to withdraw the cash. The Confederation of Roofing Contractors would advise you always to ring the trade association first to see if your contractor is an approved member. The yellow pages have dedicated two pages in the back of every book to trade associations; their telephone numbers and addresses are now published. In truth, the majority of roofing contractors are reputable; it is the minority that give the industry a bad name. How can I ensure that a roofing contractor is reputable? The Confederation of Roofing Contractors was formed in 1985

to protect the general public against unscrupulous roofing contractors. Since then, the confederation has expanded to become an elite organisation specialising in the provision of roofing services to all market sectors. Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reputable roofing contractors not only have to have a vast knowledge of roofing, they also have to be well versed in all aspects of health & safety, another reason why you should not employ a door knocker with a ladder on his shoulder. Gone are the days when a man could climb a ladder with his mate at the bottom holding it in position. Today, scaffolding is a vital part of the roofing contractors equipment, and erecting and dismantling it is also a skill. It is also your duty to provide adequate safety precautions to comply with current health and safety regulations. Your contractor should make you aware of this need. Members of the Confederation of Roofing Contractors are instructed to supply sufficient information at the commencement of a contract to satisfy client needs. This information should include rates/total price/extra over items, technical information and additional options, if relevant. What if my roof starts leaking and the contractor has ceased trading? By using a member of the Confederation of Roofing Contractors you need never worry about this happening to you. All members are able to offer an exclusive fully insured 10-year back up guarantee. This covers you in the event of the contractor ceasing trading for any reason whatsoever; it even covers you if the contractor retires. The insurance backed guarantee covers both domestic and commercial properties; there is no limit as to the cost of the contract. The Confederation of Roofing Contractors is available to assist you with any problems you may have with your roof, even if your contractor is not a member. They exist to protect you and will give you any advice you may need. Visit our web site on. www.corc.co.uk

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