Premier Construction 15-6

Roma Publications

Volume 15 - Issue 6

Savoy re-opens

Three-year wait over for London landmark

Heritage

Restoration across the UK

Rox Hotel

Aberdeen’s answer to the Savoy

Fleetsolve

Sit back, relax and let the CHP experts take care of your sustainable energy requirements

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Contents PREMIER CONSTRUCTION

Volume 15 • Issue 6

Dear readers, Get excited if you aren’t already, because this issue of Premier Construction is a special one indeed. We begin with a tour of the North West, where our continuing theme of heritage in construction begins with a visit to Cumbria’s Furness Abbey, where a restoration project is keeping the building alive. Down the road in Accrington, the latest of Tesco’s green revolution stores is opening to much fanfare.

Waving a sorrowful goodbye to the North West, we pop over to the North East for news of more restoration at Nostell Priory.

Next, after pausing briefly to look up the word ‘bastle’ in the dictionary, we find out what it takes to restore and protect one in an interview with two restoration specialists who take a dim view of this new-fangled cement malarky.

Passing through the Midlands, we take in a charming revival at Snape Maltings, where artists are among the hip new residents of a restored former barley works, before pooping in at the new National Breeding Centre for guide dogs to coo at the hundreds more puppies being bred thanks to a new expansion.

The South West section brings you news of English Heritage’s involvement in a new theatre at Cheltenham Ladies’ College and the latest on works to protect the captivating Devon town of Shaldon from the encroaching sea.

London and the South East grab their usual lion’s share of the headlines: Westminster Abbey’s Chapter House is yet another skilled conservation of an historic landmark, while the new opening of the Savoy represents a restoration of great cultural significance.

We bring you words from Historic Scotland and Cadw on their input into conservation in Scotland and Wales, before crossing to Ireland for news of the painstaking craftsmanship behind the revival of Derry Cathedral.

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.

Meanwhile, it’s business time. Read on for this issue’s feast of construction on sites both old and new.

Graham Schulz, Editor

North West Furness Abbey…..................................................................................................4 Tesco Accrington.................................................................................................5

North East & Yorkshire Shittleheugh Bastle.............................................................................................10 Nostell Priory.......................................................................................................16

Midlands Snape Maltings...................................................................................................18 National Guide Dog Breeding Centre...............................................................28

South West Cheltenham Ladies’ College.............................................................................32 Shaldon & Ringmore Flood Defences..............................................................36

London & South East Chapter House, Westminster Abbey................................................................38 The Savoy............................................................................................................40

Wales Cadw...................................................................................................................62 Jackson’s Quay...................................................................................................64

Scotland Historic Scotland................................................................................................66 Rox Hotel............................................................................................................68

Ireland Derry Cathedral..................................................................................................86 Carlow Town Drainage Scheme........................................................................88

Associations Mortar in Restoration and Conservation..........................................................90 UK Timber Frame Association........................................................................109

Managing Director: Marcus Howarth Editor:

Graham Schulz

Contributors:

Lesley Coward

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

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Vital works keep valued landmark standing One of the North West’s most recognisable landmarks is being preserved in a project designed to protect its crumbling walls using modern technology.

Furness Abbey is actually the impressive remains of an abbey founded in 1123 by Stephen, later King of England, including much of the east end and west tower of the church, the ornately decorated chapter house and the cloister buildings.

The abbey sits within a secluded steepsided valley in the Furness Peninsula in the south of Cumbria.

At the height of its influence, Furness Abbey was one of the richest and most powerful Cistercian monasteries in the country – second only to Fountains Abbey in Yorkshire. Set in the ‘vale of nightshade’, the atmospheric red sandstone ruins were celebrated by Wordsworth in his ‘Prelude’ of 1805 and Turner later produced several valuable etchings of the site. Wordsworth described the abbey as ‘a mouldering pile with fractured arch’ and was so charmed there by the song of a single wren that he professed, ‘I could have made my dwelling-place and lived for ever there’.

English Heritage is leading a programme of emergency conservation works to stop the ruined abbey church sinking into the soft ground. This follows earlier routine inspections which revealed serious cracks in the ‘antique walls’, which inspired poet William Wordsworth and painter J M W Turner. Medieval masons used large pieces of oak in the foundations and, after 500 years, this timber is now gradually giving way.

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To ensure that the 12th century abbey, where Wordsworth wrote that he could ‘have lived forever’, continues to inspire future poets, painters and visitors, English Heritage is installing an intricate metal frame to support the walls of the romantic ruin.

A vast steel frame weighing some 30 tonnes will be lifted into place with the help of a 100-tonne crane. Over the next few years, while the building is being underpinned and stabilised, the framework will be visible. However, when it is removed there will be no noticeable impact on the building. The public will still see cracks in the walls, but the building will be secure for future generations to enjoy.

Oxford Archaeology has been involved in the project, which will eventually underpin the whole presbytery structure and prevent its demise. The first phase of this is to shore up and make safe the walls by implementing a restraining system. This will take the form of massive concrete rafts held in position by raking piles to considerable depth, two positioned to the north and two inside the presbytery, which will form the stanchions onto which the galvanised steel framework will be erected to brace the walls to each other as well as anchoring them to the ground.

Archaeologists began excavating the large holes required for the concrete rafts at the end of last year. The two situated to the north of the presbytery, within the abbey cemetery, were excavated first. A mixture of cists and inhumations were found throughout four burial horizons.

The earliest levels contained exclusively cist burials through which a number of

stakes had been driven. These appeared to be evidence of the scaffolding from a 15th century presbytery extension. The extreme muddy conditions, which occurred around the same time as nearby Cockermouth was being inundated, didn’t deter the team on site. As the water cascaded through the trenches, using the cist burials in section as culverts, the monitoring structural engineer halted the works – concerned by the particle movement and its effects on the rather overbearing walls.

After some temporary stabilisation works on the walls over Christmas, the holes required for the two internal concrete rafts were begun at the beginning of February.

English Heritage was under the impression that extensive excavation in the late nineteenth century had disturbed this area and there would be little to see and record. The earliest phases have so far revealed intercutting graves, of which one was a cist containing a lead coffin.

Subsequent phases revealed the remains of a geometrically-laid stone floor associated with the first of three altars and a wall post-dating the 12th century church but pre-dating the 15th century remodelling and extension.

The last major programme of works was carried out in the 1930s but extensive underpinning measures taken in that period have failed to guarantee the stability of the remaining structure for much longer. Archaeological works continue at the site, while the underpinning project, which could take up to 18 months, is now under way.

Accrington Tesco moves towards opening Hundreds of jobs are set to be offered to the longterm unemployed after Tesco bosses recently began a recruitment drive for the new Accrington store, which is to open on 22nd November 2010 once work is completed by main contractor Bowmer & Kirkland.

The £32 million Eagle Street based Tesco Extra is creating up to 400 jobs. The local council and the supermarket giant have signed a ‘Regeneration Partnership’, giving priority interviews to those jobless for over six months.

Council leader Peter Britcliffe said, “It was part of an agreement we made with Tesco at the time that local people would get the opportunity to get jobs. I am delighted they have honoured that pledge and they are guaranteeing people from this area are granted an interview. That’s extremely good news and will be a boost to Hyndburn because it will put more money in the economy”.

With building work drawing to a close, Tesco has also contributed over £850,000 towards a landscaped open space and other improvement schemes. This includes a financial contribution towards a proposed new bus station, subject to the Pennine Reach scheme being reviewed by the new government.

Councillor Britcliffe added, “There’s money in the pot as part of this deal for the town centre in general, whether or not the bus station goes ahead. It will go towards town centre improvements so, whichever way it is spent, it will be a boost for Accrington”.

Tesco has also pledged to reduce traffic problems with scheduled deliveries to the store and signal improvements at Blackburn Road’s junctions.

Fuelling Tesco’s green ambitions The Accrington store represents an extension of Tesco’s strategy to boost its green credentials. Under the ‘Greener Living’ scheme, the retailer is backing a wave of initiatives, including encouraging more people to sign up to its loyalty card scheme with the promise of extra reward points for re-using bags. At the ROMA PUBLICATIONS

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same time, a number of green moves are being made when it comes to store building.

The new store in Ramsey, Cambridgeshire, is Tesco’s first zerocarbon store as of January 2010. It generates its own renewable energy on-site using renewable fuel, producing more than it needs and selling the excess back to the grid. The store is made from timber, uses sun-pipe lighting and collects rainwater to flush the toilets and run the car wash. The brand new eco store is all part of a plan to be a zero-carbon company by 2050 and halve the carbon footprint by 2020.

The Ramsey store also incorporates a number of environmentally friendly design features and technologies, including: sustainably sourced timber frame; roof lights and sun pipes that allow natural daylight into the sales floor and staff areas; energy-efficient heating and air conditioning systems; a combined heat and power (CHP) plant to generate electricity using renewable fuel; no harmful refrigerants in the refrigerators, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems; the first LED-lit car park in the UK; solar-powered streetlights; and energy-efficient equipment, such as low-energy bakery ovens.

The Accrington store follows in the Ramsey footsteps with a plethora of carbon-saving initiatives; both stores benefit from CHP systems designed by Fleetsolve, the Wirral-based renewable energy specialists.

A spokesperson for Tesco said, “CHP systems have become standard on our stores now, with each store benefiting from a particular system to suit it. That is just one of the many ecofriendly measures we’ve introduced, alongside initiatives such as switching all our distribution vehicles to bio-diesel and ensuring

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Exciting Lancaster development replaces cinema with shops, hotel Sisk and architects AEW have teamed up in Lancaster to demolish a former cinema and replace it with a thrilling new £6 million development containing a Tesco and a Travelodge. Sisk beat back a number of smaller contractors bidding for the job.

Located in the historical heart of Lancaster city on the main A6 trunk road to Morecombe, the project involves the design and construction of a six storey mixed use development with retail at ground and first floors and a 115 bedroom Travelodge hotel at 2nd to 5th floor.

Tesco Express will occupy one ground and first floor retail unit on King Street.

The construction is steel frame up to the 2nd floor and timber frame thereafter. The façade

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that site deliveries on projects like this one involve the minimum of travel”.

Tesco store development manager Paul Raftery, who has led the project for Tesco, said, “The Accrington project sits alongside the new eco train station, a project that benefited from contributions from Tesco and represents the ‘Gateway to Accrington’. We’re proud to be a part of it”.

He continued, “Tesco prides itself at being at the heart of the community. By being at the centre of the regeneration of Accrington, we’re doing exactly that”.

Fleetsolve managing director Keith O’Connor spoke enthusiastically to Premier Construction about his firm’s involvement in this and similar projects. He said, “Accrington is a very exciting project to be involved in, what’s particularly pleasing is that, with this project and others we’ve installed is that we are helping, companies like Tesco, to raise the bar for sustainable buildings”. With our CHP system and elements like the PV panels that are being introduced to the Accrington site and others, the store effectively becomes its own mini power plant. The fact that it’s renewable is encouraging for the future growth of the industry”.

Explaining the way the system was designed, Keith said, “Most of our systems run on biofuel that we can supply ourselves.

However, wherever there is an available source of suitable fuel on-site or nearby, it obviously makes a lot of sense to make use of it. At some locations, we can take waste products that come as a by-product of processes such as cooking done on-site and filter them in situ to produce clean, sustainable fuel”.

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will be clad in traditional Lancaster stone.

The building is on footprint site with major roads and shops surrounding it. With a local conservation consent required prior to commencement of any works, there is a keen interest in the site from the local archaeologists, who have a watching brief.

The timber frame has now progressed to the fourth floor level. The internal fit out of these rooms has commenced, with the installation of bathroom pods to 2nd, 3rd and 4th floors. M&E and dry lining are progressing on the 2nd and 3rd floors.

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The development is expected to be finished in time for Christmas 2010, when plenty of people will be shopping and staying in hotels.

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Meet the conservation specialists

Shittleheugh Bastle

Mike and Gary Simpson, a father and son team, run a specialist conservation firm called Heritage Consolidation from their base in Northumberland. Their specialities include stonemasonry and lime-based mortars, plastering and render, and recent years have seen them take the admirable and, some would say, bold decision to focus entirely on heritage restoration work.

The duo have done restoration work with both English Heritage and Natural England, experiences which helped them to come to the conclusion that not only is a conservation-focused business an extremely viable enterprise, but also that their traditional skills are lacking across the UK. And that’s without mentioning their love for the work.

Gary told Premier Construction, “I just love restoring old buildings. I love working with stone and, although the work can be difficult and requires a lot of patience, nothing gives me more satisfaction than knowing that, thanks to our work, the buildings will still be around for the foreseeable future for others to enjoy

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too”.

Gary and Mike started off doing barn conversions before moving in to heritage restoration. They bought Blenkinsopp Castle, which is on the Hadrian’s Wall site and dates from the 14th century. As the castle is listed, they became involved with English Heritage, who paid to top up their historic trade skills and advised them on the restoration project. Mike now proudly calls part of the restored castle his home.

As Gary puts it, “When English Heritage told us the work on Blenkinsopp needed to be done and that we’d have to get someone in to do it, my father told them he’d do it himself. In the end, we both spent 18 months on the job with funding from English Heritage, who gave us a project on Hadrian’s Wall just after that.

That’s when we realised our skills were rare and that there were other offers coming in, so we began doing it full time”.

Since then, the pair have won awards for their work and taken on four employees.

Recognising that their knowledge could be passed on to a wider audience, they have become involved with the Heritage Skills Initiative and conducted training

days, as well as regularly visiting the Scottish Lime Centre to exchange know-how.

Gary said, “In our business, young lads we take on often start off with two year apprenticeships which are an ideal start but aren’t always enough. I still feel it takes five years of practice, especially with lime, before you can claim to be fully confident. That’s why teaching and learning is something we look to make the most of”.

Much of the firm’s work involves removing cement pointing and replacing it with lime. Gary explained, “People are realising that cement is not a material that will help the building last. It doesn’t allow moisture to escape and encourages damp, which is particularly damaging to sandstone and basically causes it to rot.

That’s why there is plenty of work for people with our skills, even if you take away restoration work”.

If you’ve visited an historic building in the area, you’ve more than likely seen Mike’s work. The majority of it, he says, has been carried out the way it was always done. According to the restoration expert, who began learning his trade in 1963,

“The thing about traditional skills is that my generation has no risk of being obsolete as new technology comes in. In fact, some of the manuals that Scottish Lime uses are almost identical to ones from the 1950s that I remember using. It definitely helps to add in a lot of the new qualifications and knowledge that Gary has, though!”

Case study – Shittleheugh Bastle

Shittleheugh Bastle is one of several ancient fortified farms around the border between Scotland and England. The word ‘bastle’ is thought to have descended from the French word ‘bastille’, meaning ‘fortified castle’ or ‘fortress’. Shittleheugh Bastle and its like served to protect the interests of farmers in the region from cross-border raiding parties. Many still stand and, like Shittleheugh, many have fallen into ruin.

Gary and Mike’s work at Shittleheugh involved protection and maintenance of the remaining structure, which was re-pointed and galletted using 3.5NHL lime mortar. Since work was carried out

during one of the coldest recorded winters, the structure had to be covered with hessian sheeting (a ‘sock’, as Gary calls it) to keep the worst of the chill off while the lime cured.

Work also included re-bedding loose stone. Gary says, “Some of the stones are huge – as big as a fridge freezer and weighing tonnes – and the photos don’t always get that across. The remaining walls are also three scaffold lifts high as well, so it’s a bigger job than you’d imagine.

“In keeping with the conservation aspect of the work, everything was done very carefully. For example, the work schedule was made to fit the breeding cycle of bats in the area and we alternated our route up to the bastle to avoid scarring the moor with pathways”.

The bastle, which was previously on the ‘at risk’ register with English Heritage, has now been safeguarded for the foreseeable future.

Find out more about Gary and Mike at www.heritageconsolidation.co.uk and visit www.english-heritage.org.uk to find out about dozens more successful conservation projects

I just love restoring old buildings. I love working with stone and, although the work can be difficult and requires a lot of patience, nothing gives me more satisfaction...

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N o r th E a s t & Yo r ks h i re Construction News

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Lovell to build 122 new Six Streets homes A major milestone in the ongoing Six Streets project has been reached as mayor Peter Davies and his cabinet have approved affordable housing developer and regeneration specialist Lovell as the preferred developer for

the proposed 122 new-build properties at Six Streets Hyde Park.

Lovell is aiming to have full approval for the development in place by January 2011.

As part of this process, Doncaster Council is proposing to change the use of certain roads and remove some gating orders. This relates to the cleared site area only, and should not affect any of the remaining properties. It is part of the legal process to allow the new road and housing layouts to be approved as soon as possible, as part of the planning process.

Councillor Patrick Wilson, cabinet member for housing, said, “I can assure you both Lovell and the council are working to a strict timetable and are extremely hopeful that work

on site will commence

by March 2011.

“We will continue to keep residents informed as we move into the next stages of redeveloping the Six Streets area for both existing and new residents alike”.

Lovell regional director Noel Adams says, “We are delighted to have been chosen as preferred developer for this scheme which is set to transform the Six Streets neighbourhood, creating high-quality homes for people already living in the area, as well as attracting new residents.

“As a company, we have extensive experience of carrying out this type of major new-build regeneration project and are committed to working closely with the council and the community”.

Refurbishment Programme Six Streets resident Mary Kottig says she’s delighted with her new front door and windows, replaced under the ongoing refurbishment arm of the project. Mary was the first person to benefit from the latest phase and the improvements were done in time for her 80th birthday.

Mary, who has lived in the area for 43 years, used to work at the nearby Parkinson’s

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Butterscotch factory packing sweets. She said: I’m really pleased with the door and windows.

“My new door is black and shiny - my family say it looks just like the Prime Minister’s!

“I think the Six Streets Project has improved the neighbourhood, it looks more like it used to when I moved here in the 1960s”.

Councillor Patrick Wilson said, “It is a happy coincidence that Mary was first on our list for the improvements and that it was done in time for her big celebration. ”We are working closely with residents like Mary, driving forward these important improvements which will make a real difference to people’s lives”.

The Six Streets external refurbishment project started in early June 2010 under main contractor Hobson & Porter. The scheme covers Cooper, Palmer, Childers, South and North Streets as well as St Andrews Terrace.

Scarborough hospital juggles patient placements to allow refurbishment programme The new 28-bedded Maple Ward at Scarborough General Hospital opened its doors to patients as a surgical ward on 10th October. The addition of this ward has enabled the hospital to look at its ward configuration to assess what types of beds are needed at the hospital to meet current and future demands, and as a consequence a number of ward changes will take place.

Scarborough and North East Yorkshire National Health Service Trust engaged main contractor Elliott Fastrack to work with architects Robinson Lloyd.

Peter Kennedy, interim director of operations, said, “We are delighted that Maple Ward is ready to open. This really is a fantastic facility which will offer surgical patients a state-ofthe-art environment. The addition of this new ward has enabled us to look at what type of wards and beds are needed at the hospital and to make changes to accommodate current and future demand.

“These changes will enable us to provide our patients with a better environment and patient experience”.

As part of the programme to review its same-sex facilities, the trust was given £2.4 million of government funding, most of

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which was spent on the new 28-bed unit.

Capital projects manager Malcolm Miller told Premier Construction, “Although conceived as a modular structure, the final product has a conventional reassuring feel. The architects are particularly known and recognised for their hospital design experience and the new ward is designed and constructed with patient well being foremost in mind. The building has been designed to enable a first floor to be constructed as part of a future phase”.

The new ward features three-bedded bays with en-suite facilities and seven side rooms. This means that patients who are admitted to the hospital will only share the room where they sleep with members of the same sex and same sex toilets and bathrooms will be located close to their bed.

Sharing with members of the opposite sex will only happen by exception based on clinical need, for example within intensive care.

A statement from the NHS trust read, “We are committed to providing patients with same-sex sleeping areas, bathrooms and toilet facilities because protecting patients’ privacy and dignity is an essential part of delivering high quality care. The trust is making a number of improvements to achieve this. We

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are currently making physical improvements to the hospital to ensure that we can provide same-sex accommodation, toilets and washing facilities. Toilets and washing facilities are being correctly signed and all wards and units are being surveyed to ensure that they provide same-sex accommodation”.

Teresa Fenech, the trust’s director of nursing, said, We are committed to protecting the privacy and dignity of our patients and the extra funding will enable us to make a number of improvements to achieve this, including: building changes; installation of fixed partitions, curtains and screens; private bathrooms; better signage; and patient information.

“We also want to encourage our patients to get involved and we are setting up a focus group so that members of the public can make suggestions as to how we can improve their hospital experience”.

Deputy chief nurse Dianne Swiers continued, “Early works to improve signage and introduce better bathroom and toilet facilities have been well received by staff and patients. The patient forum is also helping us to better understand the concerns people have regarding privacy and dignity and how improvements to the environment can make a difference to their experience”.

“We have also produced a privacy and dignity comment card which invites patients to comment on whether they feel their privacy and dignity has been respected during their hospital stay.”

The facilities at the hospital’s Beech Ward were relocated to Maple Ward on 10th October to enable Beech Ward to close for a minor programme of refurbishment. Now work on Beech Ward is finished, 15 patients from Chestnut and 19 patients from Graham Ward have been moved to Beech Ward; this has enabled Graham Ward to close for maintenance work until 13th December.

About the contractor Elliott Fastrack has been delivering design and build projects to the health and education sectors for over 45 years and has successfully completed over 540 projects since the company was formed, ranging from early years centres, primary and secondary schools, special needs education, universities, colleges, health centres, hospitals, sports and performing arts facilities. The company specialises in providing fast track design and build services.

Local Council Provides Multi-Million Solution to School Flood Threat Inmans Primary School, a fledgling new school building in the idyllic town of Hedon, which is situated in the East Riding of Yorkshire, has been attracting much attention in recent months.

The project, funded by the local council to the tune of around £6.9 million, has incorporated many revolutionary techniques in order to meet the requirements of this new building. The overriding concern throughout the project was the need to prevent devastating flooding, which had occurred twice since 2000.

The logistical challenge was undertaken by architects from the local council in conjunction with George Houlton & Sons acting as main contractor.

Firstly, a solid platform from which to construct the main building was required. The design solution was to raise the floor level by 900mm, thus reducing the susceptibility to flooding.

This was achieved using pre-cast piles, caps and ring beams to create an ‘entablature platform’.

Furthermore, George Houlton & Sons were able to speed up the project, in order to allow use from the start of the 2011/12 school year. For this, structural insulated panels were placed in

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the floor and walls. Not only did this offer efficiency, but also unrivalled acoustic and air tightness, both of which are essential in cost-cutting for the new school.

However, such intriguing techniques are also to be found elsewhere in this project. The ground source heat pumps

increase efficiency using ‘intelligent’ controls and the sedum roof to restrict rainwater run-off are to name but a few.

Hemsec Installations were appointed by George Houlton & Sons to design, supply and install a SIPS structure to the new primary school. Hemsec provided an array of solutions throughout the design process and were able to provide a solution that was significantly quicker to install over traditional products and methods.

The project is expected to be completed for the summer of 2011.

Beginning in January 2010, it is a three-phase program. Firstly, enabling works such as the raised platform were undertaken.

The second phase involved the construction of the high-tech new building. Finally, the demolition of the previous school building will go ahead in order to replace the playing fields that have been temporarily sacrificed for the new building.

The whole project has created a sense of anticipation around the community and especially the children of Inmans Primary School. As head teacher Sally Morgan said, “We’re very lucky to be getting a brand new school with minimum disruption. The children have been very excited about going into the building next year”.

“The devastation caused by the floods took its toll on the pupils who lost work and time in school when the building wasn’t open. This new building, which has been designed with many sustainable features, will help us all to appreciate the lessons we have learned from the flooding and the climate change agenda and provide continuity of education for all our pupils”.

Durham students get tanked up in new rowing facility Durham University’s Graham Sports Centre at Maiden Castle has recently been undergoing a £6.7 million refurbishment and extension project as part of a wider scheme to refurbish and develop the university’s sports facilities.

Main contractor ISG Regions won the £4.4 million principal contract to extend and refurbish the centre, work which includes the construction of a new reception area, cafeteria and an indoor rowing tank. The rowing tank is one of only three in the UK and works by generating a current for rowers in training to combat.

Once complete, the tank will use powerful electric pumps to simulate smooth moving water and have rowing frames set up to mimic a boat so that athletes can develop their technique. There will also be indoor rowing machines, virtual racing facilities to enable individual training and a dedicated ergo room, which will provide rowers with dry training conditions.

New facilities at the centre also include a world-class fencing piste complete with under-floor sensors used to calculate points; indoor cricket nets; and a performance analysis suite. There will also be new facilities for use by disabled athletes and a new-look, extended sports hall and changing rooms.

Trevor Armour, deputy director of projects, said, “The project involves removing areas that are no longer fit for purpose and improving the assets we already have. The rowing tank is a particular highlight and will greatly benefit our world-class rowers. Their coach now has the option of walking around them as they train and using HD video equipment to analyse their performance”.

He continued, “We have a full community outreach programme

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Durham University head rowing coach and former Olympic rower Wade Hall Craggs, said, “Rowing is the most successful performance sport at Durham, and we’ve won the British Universities Rowing Championships for the last seven years. We have a consistent record of producing athletes for GB selection at both Under-23 and senior level and as such need to ensure our facilities continue to support this programme. The tank will allow us to take the performance rowing programmes to a new level.

Work began on the project in June 2010 and the new facilities will be in use as of March 2011. The project has been funded through a combination of benefactor donations, Sport England grants and the university’s own funds.

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Over-55s facility slotted into Edwardian residential area Work has now entered into the final stages on a the £3.6 million 29 bed care home in Harrogate for MHA Care Group under main contractor Termrim and architects West & Machell.

The 70 week project started on site in October 2009 and involves the renovation and conversion of the existing 19th century property and associated out buildings into 6 apartments and 2 cottages. In addition, a further 19 new apartments and 2 bungalows

are being built at the rear of the main building.

The development for people aged over 55 will provide communal facilities including lounge, restaurant, hair dressers and therapy room.

The contract is due for completion in March 2011 and the properties will be available for sale, shared ownership and rent. Currently, the roof is on the main building and scaffolding has been dismantled.

Internally, fit-out works are ongoing.

Berwick Grange is located within the built up area of the town, to the southwest of the town centre, and comprises a former residential home for the elderly. Prior to recent alterations, the premises were based on an original Victorian villa situated nearby. The main building had been substantially altered and had a large modern (1970s) two-storey

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bedroom block extension to the rear.

The residential home had recently closed and the main buildings were vacant before the extensive refurbishment began. The surrounding area is predominantly residential and is characterised by large Victorian and Edwardian houses. Project architect Robin Machell said, “Given the residential and mainly Edwardian feel of the area, our design is sympathetic and includes matching stone and slate within its traditional and contemporary mix”.

Nostell Priory to become “more visitor-friendly” Leeds-based contractor Irwins Ltd. is carrying out refurbishment work at Nostell Priory, near Wakefield, a project which includes upgrading a stable block and providing new car parking facilities.

The 18th Century Palladian house, which is owned by the National Trust, will also include a new visitor meet and greet centre and an improved drainage system when work is completed on the £6 million refurbishment programme in April 2011.

Works complete include restoration of the clock tower and weather vane. Currently, the roof of the stable block is being restored to allow internal works to commence. One of the most important parts of the scheme is to deal with minor structurethreatening subsidence caused by the mining which is typical of the region’s past.

Irwins projects manager Steve Fawcett said, “The most

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challenging aspect of the job is to replace materials like for like, and that includes traditional trade techniques with minimal invasiveness. There are no ‘hot works’ allowed, so that means lead work, grinding etc. has to be done using traditional methods.

Openings are being formed in walls using hammers and chisels, and we have plenty of skilled specialists on site, including some of what I call ‘good, old-fashioned, traditional joinery’. It would be untrue to say it doesn’t take longer to work this way, but given the importance of the building, you have to make sure the work is done sympathetically and properly. Work is on schedule and will go towards preserving the building and making it more visitorfriendly”.

Home to one of the largest and most diverse collections of Chippendale furniture in the world, Nostell Priory takes its name from the 12th Century Augustinian Priory, dedicated to St Oswald.

Now in its place is the 18th Century house built by James Paine and Robert Adam for Sir Rowland Winn in 1733, which sits within 300 acres of parkland and was purchased from Lord St Oswald by the National Trust with funding from the Heritage Lottery

Fund.

Dennis Wright, speaking for the National Trust, said, “Nostell is such a grand property with so many stories to tell. We’re delighted that the trust is able to invest in the facilities”.

New supermarket opens in Filey The new Tesco store in Filey is fully operational as of 1st November. The store about half the size of the large Tesco in nearby Scarborough and is bringing 120 jobs to the smaller town.

Pre-fabricated timber cladding has been fitted to the building, with special insulation sandwiched between wood sourced from forests in Austria. Among its other environmentally-friendly features are solar heating panels, low-powered lighting, sun pipes and renewable materials. Even the water drainage tank, which sits under the car park and is designed to protect the site from the floods to which the area is prone, is made from recycled plastic crates.

Employees are being encouraged to save carbon by cycling to the store, with secure bicycle parking and showers available for staff.

The retail giant has been making moves to consider locals’ opinions as part of the development process. A spokeswoman for Tesco said, “We’re really pleased with the response we had to the public consultation. It was very clear people were leaving Filey to do their shopping and that they would welcome the opportunity to do it locally.

“From the [public liaison] event we did and our freepost comment cards, 87 per cent of people were supportive of the scheme, with five per cent undecided”.

Project manager Ian Frith, of main contractor Simons Group, recently said, “We’ve had a good response from the public. We send out a newsletter every month for people living in the immediate area and we’ve taken on board what people tell us.

For example, we’ve lowered the boundary wall for the neighbours”.

The developers have refurbished land in front of the store as part of the planning agreement, landscaping the surrounding areas as well as improving paving and public toilets.

New store manager Andy Dunn said, “One part of my role is to ensure that we meet energy consumption targets, and I’ll be keeping an eye on even the smaller details such as closing doors, windows and fridges”. He added, “We’ve had a fantastic response to our recruitment efforts, and we received over 1,000 applications for the 120 jobs here. We’ve made every effort to

hire within the town and to have a positive impact on the local economy. There are some very good small businesses in the area and we have no intention of taking that away”.

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DOVECOTE AND CAFE TERRACE (c) PHILIP VILE

Snape Maltings remains at the heart of East Anglian culture Built by Newson Garrett in the mid-19th century, Snape Maltings is an impressive complex of grade II listed buildings and was, until it closed in 1965, one of the largest barley maltings in East Anglia.

Though one of the maltings has been used as a concert hall by Aldeburgh Music since this time, and other structures have been converted into shops and holiday accommodation, the majority of the buildings on this massive four hectare site remained redundant and in desperately poor condition until recently.

English Heritage was invited to join local authority, developer and architect in extensive pre-application discussions to help devise a scheme that acknowledged and responded to the heritage values of the existing buildings and their relationship with the landscape.

These values lay in the buildings’ layout

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and relationship to each other, in the mass and design of the individual structures and in the way they tell the evolving story of the maltings process over the 19th and 20th centuries. English Heritage used unique understanding of the site to help identify the opportunity for possible interventions: for example, identifying where internal fabric had been lost and therefore where a greater level of change could be accommodated. Changes to the external fabric were kept to a minimum in order to retain the character of the individual buildings.

The motivation of the owner and developers and the desire of all parties to see the buildings repaired and re-used, kept momentum going. The condition of the buildings was at tipping point.

Balanced decisions were made by the local authority that wouldn’t compromise either the historic fabric or the financial viability of the project.

Without a constructive approach to conservation, the project might have

foundered and the historic buildings would have been lost. The resulting proposals for conversion and re-use will bring people to live and shop in the area, and will enable Aldeburgh Music to expand their operations and generate a new creative centre for music and the arts.

Consent has now been granted and works have begun on site.

Jonathan Reekie, chief executive of Aldeburgh Music, said, “The process of designing and converting these beautiful, historic buildings has involved many stakeholders and advisers, including English Heritage and Suffolk Coastal District Council. The building work is now very advanced and it is clear that new life is being successfully brought to this site, whilst maintaining its unique character”.

Paddy Dillon, of project architects Haworth Tompkins, said, “Converting the buildings to new uses without destroying their unique character presents a whole range of challenges and our dialogue with English Heritage and Suffolk Coastal

MAIN FOYER AND STAIRS (c) Philip Vile

planning officers has been central to the project. Together we have developed a response to the Maltings which gives them a new future while preserving the simple and harmonious relationship between the industrial architecture and the powerful landscape of the coast”.

The new neighbours

The Dovecote Studio forms part of the music campus at Snape Maltings. The studio inhabits a ruin and expresses the internal volume of the existing Victorian structure as a Cor-ten steel ‘lining’ – a monocoque, welded structure that was built next to the ruin and craned in when complete.

The building is welded in a single piece to achieve weather-tightness, and then fitted with a simple plywood inner lining.

A large roof window provides even light for artists, while a small mezzanine platform with a desk incorporates a fully opening glazed corner window that has long views over the marshes.

According to Haworth Tompkins, “Only the minimum necessary brickwork repairs were carried out to stabilise the existing ruin prior to the new structure being inserted. Decaying existing windows were left alone and vegetation growing over

the dovecote was protected, to allow it to continue a natural process of ageing and decay.

“Prior to the Cor-ten structure being inserted, a new drainage channel was cast to fall at base level, ensuring water running down between the old and the new structures is channelled to accessible drainage points at the door thresholds.

“The Cor-ten structure itself is fabricated from full size 1,200 x 2,400mm sheets with regular staggered welded joints, into which door and window openings were cut in locations dictated by internal layout.

The framed wall and roof panels were pre-fabricated off site. These were then welded together in a compound next to the ruin, and the finished Cor-ten shell was craned into place in the course of one day.

The interior walls and ceiling of the space are insulated, sealed with a highperformance vapour control layer, and lined with spruce plywood to create a timber ‘box’ within the Cor-ten shell.

Laminated plywood sheets also form the stairs, balustrade and mezzanine structure”.

Find out more about the project at www. snapemaltings.co.uk

Changes to the external fabric were kept to a minimum in order to retain the character of the individual buildings.

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Over 150 years of “unparalleled construction” from family firm “Offering an unparalleled building construction and maintenance service which exceeds our client’s expectations” is the ethos of the family owned business of John Youngs Ltd, building on over 150 years in the industry from their foundation in 1851.

The Norwich-based company is now the oldest building concern within the R G Carter Group, which it joined in 1967.

John Youngs Ltd has sustained its approach to meeting the particular requirements of its clients, bringing together traditional and modern practices, whilst retaining consistency of services through its highly trained management and directly employed workforce.

Recent examples of the company’s construction expertise include projects at: The Narthex, Norwich’s Roman Catholic cathedral; Victory Hall, a new ‘Eco’ Village Hall in Neatishead; a new CT scanner room at Norwich and Norfolk Hospital; and a scheme involving the conversion of a listed building to create an Open Youth Venue in Norwich.

The Narthex John Youngs began work on The Narthex project at Norwich’s Grade 1 listed Roman Catholic Cathedral in February 2009.

Architects for the 45 week £1,675,818 scheme were Russell Taylor Architects; quantity surveyors were Philip Pank & Partners (Norwich); structural engineers were Scott Wilson.

The main part of the contract involved the construction of the new visitor facility known as The Narthex. The new 400 sq m building is faced with Clipsham stone with a lead roof to match the cathedral’s existing structure.

The Narthex is home to an interpretation gallery, a function hall, a gift shop and café. There is extensive paving linking it to the Cathedral House garden, and providing disabled access from an existing car park.

Another aspect of the scheme involved the extension and refurbishment of an existing community hall and linking it to the new-build.

New CT Scanner Room, Norfolk & Norwich Hospital John Youngs commenced work on a new CT Scanner Room in January 2010. This means that the hospital now has three machines instead of two, so more patients can be treated each day.

The £238,000, 14-week project designed by architects Ingleton Wood involved the conversion of existing accommodation to create consulting rooms, changing and seating areas, and a separate room for the scanner.

The construction team successfully operated within what remained an active scanning unit and had to work around

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medical professionals, outpatients, and people visiting in the hospital.

Victory Hall John Youngs began work on Victory Hall - the new ‘eco’ village hall for Neatishead on the Norfolk Broads - in February 2009.

Architects were James Bond Architects; quantity surveyors were Philip Pank & Partners (Norwich) and structural engineers were J P Chick.

The 26-week, 510,000 project replaced the old Victorian hall which will be sold on. The works involved construction of a 153 square-metre main hall and a 29 square-metre meeting room, as well as a kitchen and toilets. Also included was the creation of a car park for up to 26 cars, as well as a play area.

The building is one of the most environmentally friendly village halls in Britain, constructed from timber frame with straw bales and shredded newspaper as the primary means of insulation.

Open Youth Venue, Norwich The 56-week, £6,099,000 project was developed following consultation with a group of local teenagers about the type of facilities they would use.

Architects were Hudson Architects; quantity surveyors were Andrew Morton Associates and structural engineers were Millard Consulting.

The works comprised the conversion of a grade II listed banking hall, previously occupied by Barclays Bank. The new facility includes a climbing wall, nightclub, performance area, recording studios, a cafe, internet zone and health centre. The building also accommodates services such as Jobcentre Plus, the local NHS Primary Care Trust and Norwich City College.

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Midlands Angiography Suite Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital An approximately £800,000 project involving both extension and remodeling has resulted in the creation of a new angiography suite and offices at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital in a project which won praise from clients Octagon Healthcare for the work of main contractors John Youngs.

The project was carried out in two phases - Phase 1 ran from 4th of January to 30th April 2010 and Phase 2 ran between 4th May and 27th August 2010. Architects for the scheme were LSi Norwich.

The total area covered by the new facilities is approximately 164 sq m. A 20 x 12-metre single storey extension was built on the flat roof of an adjacent building to serve as offices, which allowed for the creation of a new angiography suite, which deals with the treatment of hardening and blocking of the arteries.

The new single storey extension is a lightweight steel framed structure, with external elevations in Kingspan panelling and a single pitch roof incorporating sunlight tubes and a natural ventilation system. Internal facilities include office accommodation, interview rooms, clinical storage facilities and disabled clinical staff changing facilities.

The new angiography suite was created through the conversion and extensive remodeling of former office areas within the cardiology department (the former occupants of the offices moved into the new extension).

The works commenced with a comprehensive strip out, taking the area back to bare brickwork.

The new facility includes an operating procedure room with enhanced mechanical and electrical systems to maintain surgical treatment equipment. This room, together with some others in the suite, is a ‘clean’ room with easy clean tiled surfaces.

Other facilities include a control room where staff control the angiography machine, a ‘scrub clean’ room, a ‘dirty utility’ room and three rooms to serve as treatment and recovery areas.

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“There were always challenges in attempting to break into the existing structure whilst working in the cardiology area. But Youngs worked very well with both Serco, the facility, managers on site and the various hospital departments, with shut-downs being co-ordinated to cause minimal disruption. This close cooperation with all parties helped ensure a successful contract.

John Youngs delivered the project on time, which was a great credit to them and the hospital are very pleased with the work”, said Chris Hatch of Octagon Healthcare Services.

Eyre Electrical Ltd In the new Angiography Suite project at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, Eyre Electrical carried out works comprising the refurbishment of areas to Level 3 and roof to form the new suite. These works were carried out in two phases, whilst keeping the existing services operational within the adjacent live hospital areas.

Phase 1 included the offices and ancillary rooms, and Phase 2 the new procedures room and ancillary rooms, including the installation of a new double-stacked supply and extract airhandling unit with recuperator and two chillers on the roof of the angiography area.

Generally, the works consisted of removal and co-ordinating new services with existing services to facilitate: above ground cast iron and plastic drainage and cast iron RWP installation; domestic hot and cold water services; sanitary ware and specialist stainless steel sink installations; low pressure hot water installations; chilled water installation from new air-cooled scroll roof mounted chillers; general ductwork and ventilation from the new AHU on the roof and special medical gas installation.

Further services facilitated by these works included: monodraught windcatcher and sun tube installation; thermal insulation to all duct and pipework services; air, water and specialist commissioning services; specialist ductwork cleaning services; chemical cleaning of chilled and LPHW installations; chlorination of domestic pipework services and controls and building management installation.

3 St James Court, Norwich Eyre Electrical also carried out extensive works in a separate project involving a three-storey premium multi-let office development at 3 St James Court, Whitefriars, in the centre of Norwich. The landlord’s core area is fitted out to a high standard with the office areas being fitted out to Cat. A standard.

Eyre designed, installed, commissioned and set to work mechanical and electrical services for the project.

Mechanical services included: simultaneous VRF heating and cooling to office areas and atrium; fresh air supply and extract systems to office areas; central extract system to toilets; BMS automatic controls; domestic hot and cold water services; plumbing, and a rainwater down-pipe system.

Electrical services included: a landlord and tenant electrical distribution system; low energy lighting to the office areas with

automatic control and daylight linking; low energy lighting to the landlord’s areas with automatic control; low energy lighting to the external areas; small power to the landlord’s areas; an analogue addressable fire alarm system; an intruder alarm system; a CCTV camera system; an access control system; a disabled refuge emergency voice communications system and toilet alarm systems, and a lightning protection system.

New block system speeds up Corby care home development A new £3 million care home is under construction in Corby, Northamptonshire, in a project led by main contractor Baxter & King Construction Limited, the Peterborough-based general contractors who specialise in healthcare developments, on behalf of Seagrave Care Developments Ltd. The home will be known as Seagrave House.

Contracts manager Patrick Harris told Premier Construction, “We came to this project on a recommendation after completing two other care homes for the same end operator, Avery Healthcare. This current project is an interesting one for us, as it’s an opportunity to be one of the first companies in the UK to use a new thin bed clay block system, called Porotherm.

It’s made by Wienerberger and imported by EH Smith, who is confident it will take off in the UK. We’d certainly use it again - It’s not necessarily cheaper than other methods, but it’s quicker and cleaner with less wet cement needed on site”.

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The home is spread across two floors of an L-shaped structure which partly encloses and partly conceals a courtyard. There are 75 bedrooms, of which 42 are to be dedicated to patients with dementia, and all feature en-suite wet room facilities, and there are two dedicated assisted bathrooms per floor. The site contains a total of five communal lounges, dining rooms with serveries, a treatment clinic, an aromatherapy suite, a hair salon and administration offices. Some bedrooms are also designed as companion rooms, with adjoining doors for couples.

A full demolition of the site, which was formerly home to a nightclub, created a level site of approximately 1.2 acres in total.

Patrick added, “Works are going well – currently, we’re in the middle of the second fix and ongoing works include ceramic tiling, general decoration and external works. The scaffolding is down and the rendering is complete”.

Asked whether there had been any particular obstacles to overcome on site, Patrick said, “Nothing springs to mind. We’re lucky with the location, as with sports clubs surrounding most of the site, we only have neighbours – a block of flats – on one side. We’ve had a great relationship with them so far and there has been plenty of contact to let them know who we are and what we’re doing. As always, we’ve offered local residents the chance to work on the site if they have any relevant skills. In fact, we have a policy of hiring locally wherever possible, except in certain cases when we have long-standing relationships with nationwide suppliers and sub-contractors”.

A Seagrave Healthcare statement reads, “Seagrave House is currently proceeding faster than anticipated and we are therefore keen to embark upon our next project. The key to this is identifying prime locations, which is essential in obtaining local authority backing and also the support of local residents. We are interested to hear from anyone who has a site which may offer potential for development”.

Work began on site in February 2010 and is expected to be complete in March 2011. On completion, the development will be

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managed by Avery Healthcare, a firm with extensive experience in the day to day running of large care homes for the elderly and people with disabilities.

ARC Engineers ARC Engineers provided all civil and structural engineering design services for the project. This is the third care home ARC Engineers have undertaken with Baxter & King, and the seventh that ARC director Andrew Rimmington has been involved with.

Plans are developing for two further projects with Baxter & King in other parts of the country.

ARC provides consulting engineering services to a broad spectrum of clients all over the UK from the Isle of Wight to the north of Scotland. Typical projects involve healthcare schemes, hotel structures and various commercial, industrial and retail projects.

Construction News

Call our news team on 01706 719972

Heralding a new age of independence Replacing old outdated cottages is a project comprising the construction of 31 bungalow cottages designed for the elderly, together with a chapel with ancillary office at the Bethany Homestead care home site at Kingsley Road, Northampton. The project is being carried out for Bethany Homestead. Main Contractors are Wright and Smith Ltd; Architects are J. Harris.

The old cottages, most of which were built in 1926, had undergone considerable modernisation over the years. However, the size, layout and fittings had become increasingly incompatible with the current requirements of potential tenants. Additionally, the escalating costs of regular maintenance would have caused a financial strain on Bethany Homestead.

The new cottages will provide environmentally friendly custom built homes for the elderly, but allowing for self help, self reliance and dignity

in old age. the design of the new homes replicates the appearance the old cottages, but includes more two bedroom dwellings, all on one level. The revised site segregates pedestrians and vehicles and provides additional car parking spaces and improved security features.

The new cottages allow for all facilities to be wheelchair friendly, with electrical sockets positioned at suitable heights, wet rooms to replace baths, grab rails where appropriate, slip resistant floor coverings and internet access.

Heating will incorporate solar panels and insulation will be to the latest standards.

The project is being carried out as a phased

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development, with the first phase, comprising enabling works and the construction of two cottages, now complete.

Phases two and three comprise the construction of seven cottages and the chapel, and the other phases will follow when funding has been secured.

Graham rescues retendered Oswestry project Irish contractor Graham Construction has been awarded a £5 million completion contract for clients Shropshire Council. The site at Oswald Park Active Lifestyle Leisure Centre on Shrewsbury Road in Oswestry will see construction of a 25 metre main swimming pool with a balcony, a learner pool, a main sports hall, a crèche, a cafÊ, a foyer, a hall, a function room with a roof terrace, a fitness gym, ancillary accommodation, village style changing rooms and offices. The facility replaces a

predecessor from 1975. Works began on site in August 2010 after design work by architects Michael Hyde & Associates.

Oswestry Borough Council is situated in the North West of Shropshire on the border with Wales, and is one of the smallest districts in the country. The Community and Operational Services Directorate of Oswestry Borough Council has developed an initiative to improve the health and well-being of the people who live in the borough; Oswald Park Active Lifestyle Centre is the

Courtesy of Michael Hyde & Associates

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key project through which councillor have planned to achieve this.

The council recognised that the existing Oswestry Leisure Centre was coming to the end of its useful life; the development of the Oswald Park Active Lifestyle Centre will provide alternative sport and leisure facilities integrated with health facilities for the benefit of the local community.

The centre will provide additional facilities particularly targeted at encouraging young people to participate in sport and recreation by enabling the borough to increase the range of activities available, thereby broadening the opportunities for the local population to take part in sport and physical and cultural activities.

Shropshire County Council leisure facilities manager Peter Davis told Premier Construction, “The work originally began on site in March 2009. Our previous main contractor, Frank Galliers, ended up going into administration in January 2010 but not before completing a sizeable chunk of the works – the shell and some roofing had been completed before they folded. Graham Construction came to the site through a competitive re-tendering process and they’ve so far done a fantastic job for us”.

He continued, “The site has been back to its busiest over the last few weeks, with roof cladding, plastering and remedial works all ongoing. We’re on track for completion in spring”.

News of the new contractor was welcomed by Whittington councillor Steve Charmley, who is Shropshire Council’s cabinet member for culture and leisure. He said it was great news for Oswestry and the county that the development was back on track. “The centre will be a wonderful facility and demonstrates a clear commitment by the council to bring top-class sports and leisure facilities to residents”, he added.

Michael Graham, executive chairman of the Graham Group, said he looked forward to “delivering a first class facility for the people of Oswestry and the wider community”.

Construction News

The total cost of the project, which has been funded mainly out of council coffers with a contribution from the big Lottery Fund, is around £9.2 million; work is expected to be completed in May 2011, and proposed additions to the facility during further construction phases, for which funding must yet be secured, include new football pitches, a multi-use games area and a BMX park.

About the contractor Graham Construction originates from Dromore in Co. Down but has worked extensively throughout the UK and recently opened an office in Manchester. The company specialises in leisure centres, schools and civic amenity buildings.

Graham’s Gerry Rowe told Premier Construction, “This kind of work fits perfectly into our area of expertise and I’ve been delighted with the skill and professionalism the clients and architect have shown, so I’d say we have the perfect team. The building itself is going to look phenomenal once it’s complete: it really makes an architectural statement”.

The wider Graham Group is a privately owned company operating not just in construction, but also in the asset management and project investment sectors. The company has grown to have a turnover in excess of £266 million and employs over 1000 people.

The move to custom built new premises in Hillsborough in December 2009 became the latest stage in the company’s exciting development. Graham’s new head office, designed

by BDP Architects, was recently awarded ‘Most Sustainable Building 2010’ at the Energy, Environmental and Waste Management Awards held on Wednesday 15th September 2010 at the Ramada, Belfast.

Find out more at www.graham.co.uk

Call our news team on 01706 719972

Refurbished building embodies West Suffolk College expansion plans Architects Pick Everard have continued working relationships with West Suffolk College and main contractor Barnes Construction in the college’s latest development.

Edmund house is a new £1.2 million centre designed to accommodate a music technology and video production as well as a performance room for dance and drama students and as classrooms serving a variety of needs. The building has reached practical completion as of mid November 2010, after work began on site on 21st June.

The building is a single storey structure

originally conceived as a motor vehicle workshop. A series of alterations had been made throughout the building’s history until the decision was recently taken to breathe new life into a unit which no longer matched the college’s needs.

Pick Everard’s Ed Dale gave Premier Construction an overview of the works, saying, “The contract has involved a full internal strip out and a new layout, which we have achieved by removing old partitions and installing new, better-placed ones. The roof has been completely re-covered and insulated and there is a new efficient heat exchange ventilation system. All the doors and windows have been replaced, as has all the flooring – we now have a nice mix of carpet, vinyl and painted concrete as well as a compressable floor in the performance space”.

He continued, “We have a well-developed relationship with the college and have been providing an advisory service to its staff for at

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least ten years. We have also worked with Barnes on a number of projects locally, so we knew exactly what to expect from both our partners in this refurbishment and that’s one reason why the work has gone so well”.

Future expansion plans at the college include a possible £2 million investment in a building known as ‘Suffolk House’, funded through University Campus Suffolk by Suffolk County Council, and a new 3000m2 teaching block for 16-18 students , which will form the new main entrance to the college, funded from reserves and loan funding.

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Call our news team on 01706 719972

Contractors guarantee Anglian water supply with four-year hydrogeological project The Environment Agency has appointed engineering design consultancy Atkins and Entec to its Anglian Region Framework to deliver hydrogeological services and general water resources work.

The framework, which runs for up to four years, covers a range of technical support to help the Environment Agency ensure that water resources are managed sustainably and to meet drivers such as the Water Framework Directive and the Habitats Directive. It will draw on the expertise of the two companies in surface and groundwater modelling, hydroecology, impact assessment and catchment management. Mott MacDonald has been appointed to provide client-side support to the Agency and will help manage delivery of the framework.

Nathan Richardson, framework manager at Atkins, said, “The Anglian region is under pressure as one of the driest in the country and has one of the fastest population growth rates.

It is also home to some of our best agricultural land and wetland sites.

These factors together result in an area that needs careful environmental and water management and Atkins is looking forward to working with the Environment Agency and Entec to meet these challenges”.

Tim Haines, framework manager at Entec, said, “Entec has been working with the Anglian region of the Environment Agency since 1999 and has developed a series of comprehensive regional groundwater models that have been used amongst other things to help deliver the Agency’s commitments as part of the Habitats Directive. The new framework consultancy will allow Entec and Atkins to apply these models to meet the needs of the Water Framework Directive and growing water resource and water quality pressures”.

Mark Grout, project executive at the

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Environment Agency, said, “This framework consultancy has been very important to the agency over the years and has allowed the region to meet challenging workloads with regard to the Restoring Sustainable Abstraction Programme and particularly the Habitats Directive Review of Consents. The new framework will continue to provide technical support to the agency for all aspects of water resources work”.

National Breeding Centre to increase guide dog production Guide Dogs is striding towards achieving its 2010 – 2020 strategy aims as building work on its National Breeding Centre passes the half way point.

Pre-construction work began on Leamington Spa site in late February 2010 and it is anticipated the multi-million pound build will be completed by summer 2011 under main contractor Morgan Sindall.

The state-of-the-art centre will be a flagship centre for Guide Dogs, purpose built to keep up with both demand for new dogs and the charity’s high standards of dog breeding.

Finding the right service to meet a blind or partially-sighted person’s mobility needs is crucial; the charity hopes to increase the number of ‘guide dog partnerships’ in the UK from 740 per year to 900 by 2015 to meet these needs.

The centre will give the capacity to increase the number of puppies bred annually from 1100 to 1550, which is crucial if the charity is to meets its ambitious targets for new guide dog partnerships by the end of the strategy.

Stephen Kirk, Guide Dogs’ director of operations, said, “As we provide people with guide dogs for life - and a person could have eight dogs in his lifetime - we need to increase the 1,100 dogs a year we breed to around 1,500.

“The current facilities at Tollgate House are outdated and do not have enough capacity for expansion. The new centre will be world-class and allow us to meet our challenging new 2010 - 2020 Strategy aim to increase our guide dog partnerships substantially”.

The National Breeding Centre will also have visitor and education facilities to allow members of the public to see Guide

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Dogs’ breeding practices in operation.

Carol Warner, operations project manager, said, “We have always welcomed visitors to our current breeding centre, but there are restrictions due to infection risk and disruption to the operation of the site.

“We have always been very proud of our transparent and ethical breeding policies and the National Breeding Centre will allow people to see exactly what we are so proud of.

“It will also mean we can more easily share our knowledge and experience with veterinary professionals, other dog breeders, other guide dog schools and assistance dog charities”.

Breath of fresh air as Bury St Edmunds library re-opens Bury St Edmunds library has been warmly welcomed the public since a £2.4m refurbishment project was completed late this summer. The building, re-vamped by a site team led by Barnes Construction, features a new children’s centre, coffee shop, meeting facilities and a Learning and Enterprise Access Point (LEAP).

“It should be a hub for local life,” said Cllr Rosemary Clarke (Con) of Suffolk County Council. “We can cater for those who wish to read online to those with more traditional tastes. Libraries

are no longer just about books; they are a valuable community resource with a vibrant and welcoming atmosphere”.

“The contractors have done us proud”, said Suffolk County Council project manager Paul Booker, adding, “The site manager was very communicative within the site team and also with local residents, whose feedback has been overwhelmingly positive”.

He continued, “It’s a breath of fresh air to see the refurbished building, as nothing major had been done to it since the 1980s.

Now we have vastly improved insulation and lighting, energyefficient heating, better access and a general look and feel about the place that is far more welcoming than before”.

The library has 30 public computers, which can be booked in 2-hour sessions. LEAP tutors are on site to offer advice on using computers, maths, English and leisure learning facilities.

The Café Libra is a social enterprise, which means it employs people who usually face barriers to employment such as those with learning difficulties or those who have been long-term unemployed.

“It’s more of an event [to visit the library]”, said Lisa Elmer, libraries area manager for West Suffolk. “People will come in and get a book, maybe have a bite to eat and maybe join in one of the activities going on in the building”.

The library is one of the ‘top tier’ of libraries in Suffolk. It is situated in the town centre and is a heavily used community resource generating approximately 18,000 enquiries, 315,000 issues and 521,000 visits per year.

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Semi-pro footballers settle into Fitt-ing new stadium Wisbech Town FC’s new £900,000 stadium off Lynn Road has been standing up proudly to the challenge laid down by the dozens of supporters who have visited it since it opened for the start of the 2010-11 league season.

The project was funded mainly by the sale of the club’s former home at nearby Fenland Park and was carried out on land purchased from a private owner.

Work on the stadium was completed in late summer 2010 by a team led by Jeff Fitt of locally-based contractors Fitt Construction, who were behind the new 120-seat stand which is accompanied by goal-end terraces and faces a brand new clubhouse across the pitch.

A £50,000 grant from the Football Foundation helped towards the building of the modern clubhouse which contains a VIP and supporters’ bar. A new kitchen, a club shop and spacious dressing rooms offer excellent facilities for players and supporters alike.

According to Jeff Fitt, a die-hard fan of the club, “This is the first football stadium I’ve worked on as project manager and it’s great to see the stadium finished and in use. The club is well supported and it deserves such top quality facilities”. Jeff is in the running to be appointed to the club’s board in the near future.

Founded 30 years ago, Jeff’s family business was registered as a limited company in 2003. He told Premier Construction, “It’s important to us to keep the family orientation of the company – I’ve got two sons, a daughter-in-law and a nephew all working with me to great effect. We’re a small and flexible firm and we carry out all types of projects across England”.

Wisbech Town are currently gunning for promotion from the

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Ridgeons Premier League, which forms part of the ninth tier of the English league system. The new stadium was inaugurated fittingly in August 2010 with a 5-0 thrashing of St Andrews in the FA Cup. Follow the club’s fortunes at www.wisbechtown.co.uk

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Cheltenham Ladies revel in historic refurbishment English Heritage worked with Willmott Dixon and Cheltenham Borough Council to provide a new teaching and auditorium venue for Cheltenham Ladies’ College. The project was completed in 2009 and involved the refurbishment of a grade II* listed regency villa to provide front of house and teaching accommodation, combined with a new 325 seat auditorium built to one

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side and connected via a glass link building. The new theatre will also be available for community events as well as use by the college.

The auditorium comprises a gallery and stalls seating which can be modified to provide for a variety of stage layouts and an orchestra pit. Around the site, new landscaping has removed existing car parking and reinstated the original 19th century garden layout with perimeter

hedging and a carriage drive. The project involved careful negotiations with the conservation authorities and local residents to provide a scheme which is sympathetic to the listed building and the conservation area in which it stands. The project was selected by English Heritage as an exemplar scheme for their ‘Constructive Conservation in Practice’, which was published in 2008.

Cheltenham Ladies’ College was looking urgently for a site for a new performing

arts centre and consulted English Heritage prior to purchasing the Grade II* listed Bayshill House. English Heritage’s enthusiasm about the potential of the building gave both the College and Cheltenham Borough Council the confidence to push forward a major scheme to build a large new auditorium within the site.

The regency stucco villa, characteristic of Cheltenham, is among the top 7% of important historic buildings in the county.

However, English Heritage identified parts of lower historic significance that might be replaced. For example, the removal of a large 1970s extension could improve the heritage values of the site, provided its replacement made a positive contribution to the conservation area. As part of such a scheme, the historic fabric of the Regency part of the building could undergo much-needed restoration.

With advice from Cheltenham Borough Council, the college developed designs which, with minimalist contemporary detail, subtle classical proportions and thoughtful use of materials, will enhance this part of regency Cheltenham. The college bought the house in 2005.

Project architect Tim Foster said, “We enjoyed a positive relationship with both English Heritage and the local conservation officer, working together to develop a design which is both modern and at the same time respectful of the historic building and the wider conservation area”.

A college spokesperson said, “The drama department will finally have the resources to support the quality of the work being produced by our girls. This project has helped to return the villas to their former glory while maximising the efficiency of useful space for teaching, learning and enjoying a performance”.

The new facility offers: five teaching spaces, two of which are equipped for dance; a theatre studio in the roof space; an exhibition area for painting, sculpture and ceramics; a video editing suite; and offices and meeting rooms for staff.

The stage itself is large, occupying a semi-circular space which offers considerable flexibility achieved by varying the configuration of the fore-stage.

Acoustically, the auditorium is designed primarily for the spoken word but can be adjusted for musical performances and singing. The technical gallery includes a glass-fronted control room, large enough to teach technical skills to a group of students. Above the central auditorium space, a tension wire grid provides safe access to lighting positions.

The size of the auditorium and the seating capacity have been dictated by the footprint of the site but also by the desire to create an intimate performance space where young performers can gain confidence and develop their talents. On a practical level, the auditorium will hold a complete division of college girls with staff for lectures and events appropriate to

each age group.

The college already plays a significant role in the life of the town through participation in local festivals and an extensive community links programme.

The Performing Arts Centre will not be limited to the college use but will be made available to other local schools and arts community groups which may not otherwise have access to such facilities.

Sarah Delaney, head of speech and drama, explained why the college needed a new facility, saying, “The [collegeowned] Princess Hall, while a beautiful space, is only suitable for large productions and concerts. Acoustically, the hall is poor for use in drama. Girls find it difficult to project from the stage and although the use of radio microphones and the recruitment of an excellent theatre technician have helped to improve the quality of productions, the acquisition

of a purpose-built auditorium for theatre is the only viable, long-term solution”.

Between 2000 and 2006, Tim Foster Architects (now Foster Wilson) looked at various options for the location of the performing arts centre. Great care and deliberate consensus building was needed to obtain both planning permission and Listed Building Consent for the proposed extensions and alterations.

Turley Associates undertook a townscape analysis of the conservation area to inform development opportunities at the site and a historic building assessment to identify scope for future use including renovation and alteration works.

Planning Permission and Listed Building Consent was granted in December 2006 and the planning application package, approach and design were commended

by English Heritage as being exemplary.

The total project cost was £12.2 million.

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Call our news team on 01706 719972

WWU in extensive reinforcement scheme Wales and West Utilities (WWU) has teamed up with contractors AMEC and Morrison Construction to implement a programme of gas network reinforcements across Wales and West England. The project takes in low pressure

mains and is known as the ‘Below 7 bar mains reinforcement programme’.

Nick Day, lead project manager for work undertaken in the South West of England, told Premier Construction, “The project is necessary to maintain security of supply to existing and new gas consumers in the Wales and West region. It involves laying new gas mains to reinforce the existing gas network to maintain

capacity and ensure that gas pressures can be adequately maintained throughout the distribution network. The work is undertaken on all three pressure tiers operated below 7 bar known as the low, medium and intermediate pressure gas distribution networks”.

There are numerous sites throughout the South West where work has been undertaken or is in progress. The work is usually either undertaken either in public highway or across agricultural land.

Nick added, “Each location at which work is undertaken has its own specific considerations, for example: traffic management; environmental issues such as rivers or badger sets; or sites of archaeological interest. A survey is undertaken of the proposed pipeline routes at the planning stage to identify any issues and all specific considerations are then incorporated into a site specific method statement and any necessary consent applied for”.

He continued, “Wales and West Utilities Ltd.

www.romauk.net

have been awarded ISO 14001 and are constantly seeking to improve our environmental performance. Where possible, excavated material is recycled to be re-used as backfill material and cuts of pipe are also recycled to keep waste to a minimum”.

The current programme commenced on 1st April 2010. The specific workload detail was identified in October 2009 with individual projects within the programme planned and executed since. All work within the current programme will be completed by 31st March 2011 at a cost of around £7 million for the 2010/11 financial year.

Devon special school staff rewarded for hard work with new modern buildings Three new buildings are being added to Oaklands Park School by main contractor Midas after design work by architects NPS (South-West), in a project which is being handed over in stages throughout November and December 2010.

Oaklands Park is a special community school located in Dawlish, Devon. The school takes in children and young adults aged between 2 and 19, all of whom have learning difficulties and suffer from a variety of disabilities.

The £2 million teaching accommodation project represents the

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second of four phases of work which will eventually revamp a large section of the school’s facilities provided that funding can be made available by Devon County Council. The residential and respite represent a further £2 million investment in the school.

Residential and respite buildings The first scheme currently being completed is a pair of buildings – a four-bed residential building and a six-bed respite building - designed to extend and modernise residential and respite facilities at the school. According to project architect Michila

Wilks, “The home environment is essential to the project and we see these buildings as homes with added benefits for the children using them. Everything is of course fully DDA-compliant, with specialist bathrooms and sensory rooms designed to suit the pupils’ specific needs. The buildings are also especially robust and fit for boisterous children – we have designed in impact resistant plasterboard and deep skirting, for example, to increase the resistance to impact”.

“We have tried to make the buildings as sustainable as possible using timber frame construction, which is highly insulated, highefficiency under floor heating and PV panels. We are confident of a BREEAM ‘very good’ rating”.

Classrooms The second scheme is a school block, to be completed shortly after the residential and respite blocks. Almost a small school in itself, the new block features three classrooms, staff areas, IT, science and craft areas, a medical room, a sensory room and a caretaker’s office. According to NPS project manager Jane Baker, who has been overseeing the project since December 2008, “The work is progressing well despite a couple of minor delays – we had a sub-contractor go into administration, but luckily a replacement was sourced relatively quickly”.

She continued, “Otherwise, the project has been very pleasing.

We had done a lot of preparatory work with the school staff and Devon County Council, all of whom we have found to be great working partners, and we have been involved here as a firm for a number of years with previous projects”.

Her comments were echoed by Michila Wilks, who said, “We have built up a really good rapport with the care staff at the school and we’ve been able to add in our extensive experience with special needs buildings to make an important contribution to the school”.

According to the principal, Bob Pugh, “We are unique in South West England because we offer education and care to children and young people who have a range of special needs. The new building programme will give us state-of-the-art facilities for learning and for residence . Mr. Pugh expects the buildings to be fully operational and occupied by January 2011.

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Call our news team on 01706 719972

Work completed on new Cornish reservoir

A £1.1 million scheme to transform a former china clay quarry into a new reservoir supplying Cornwall for generations to come started in March 2010 and was completed in late summer under main contractor May

Gurney.

South West Water purchased Stannon Lake, on Bodmin Moor, from minerals extraction company Imerys in 2008. It was a working quarry until 2002. The lake, near Crowdy Reservoir on the northern edge of the moor, holds over 8 billion litres of water, equivalent to

3,200 Olympic swimming pools, and is around 60 metres deep.

Two new shore-based pumps now transfer up to six megalitres of water a day into the raw water network via a 1.1km pipe. The water is then treated at either De Lank Water Treatment Works near St Breward or Lowermoor Water Treatment Works near Camelford.

Project manager Nol Vincent said, “Our aim is to safeguard water supplies for our customers, whatever climate change throws at us. The development of Stannon Lake gives us significant extra reserves, without the cost and disruption involved in building a new reservoir – a process which can take 20 years. Stannon will be used to boost our water resources in Cornwall and will make a significant impact”.

Stannon is the second largest reservoir in Cornwall, behind Colliford. Now fully operational, Stannon takes its place after

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Roadford, Colliford and Wimbleball as the fourth largest reservoir in the South West.

Stannon is the second former china clay pit to become a reservoir. Park Lake, which is near Siblyback and Colliford reservoirs on the southern edge of Bodmin Moor, was bought from Imerys in September 2006. The 55-metre deep lake holds around 7.7 billion litres of water – or the equivalent of 3,080 Olympic swimming pools. It became operational in spring 2009.

Tidal defence scheme to protect over 450 South Devon properties The Environment Agency is heading towards a spring 2011 completion of an £8 million flood defence scheme around the Teign Estuary villages of Shaldon and Ringmore in South Devon.

Main contractor Interserve Project Services Ltd is joined by consultants Atkins, Peter Brett Associates, EC Harris and Stags working with the Environment Agency as an integrated project.

The works, which have been under way since January 2010, include raising 940 metres of existing foreshore walls, building 470 metres of new foreshore walls, and installing eight floodgates together with flood windows, steps and ramps at specific locations.

The project provides preventative flood defence measures designed to protect 453 residential and commercial properties against flooding from a combination of extreme tides and waves in the estuary, a risk which has been highlighted by a number of ‘near misses’ over the last decade.

Environment Agency project manager Andy Hohl told Premier Construction, “The properties at risk sit in a basin behind existing informal flood defences with a low standard of protection. These works represent the final stages of a scheme we have been

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planning since 2005, following a near miss in late 2004 which threatened extensive damage”.

He added, “We have worked with the local community to enable people to understand the flood risk and help in developing our plans. The Environment Agency and our suppliers are pleased to have established a strong relationship with members of the community, who have agreed to open and close the flood gates with our guidance once works are complete”. A team of volunteers managed by the local parish council will operate the defences once works are complete.

Mr. Hohl concluded, “We’re grateful for the positive support we’ve received from residents, and we’re pleased to have been able to help them to protect and enhance their community”.

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The Chapter House is a remarkable building and a very significant part of the 13th century monastic enclosure....

A new chapter in London’s heritage The future of one of London’s oldest buildings and a meeting place for the early House of Commons – the Chapter House at Westminster Abbey – has been secured following a major English Heritage repair and conservation project. Over the past 18 months, a team of 20 master carvers and stonemasons have painstakingly cleaned, repaired, and conserved the badly weathered gargoyles, stone floral friezes, flying buttresses and stained glass windows.

Now, the colossal scaffolding has come down to reveal the majestic exterior completely refreshed, revived and weather-tight.

In keeping with both the medieval tradition and the great Victorian reconstruction of the Chapter House in 1866 by architect George Gilbert Scott, today’s stone carvers have added 32 new heads to the building’s eight pinnacles, replacing those Victorian heads which had become unstable through erosion. There are 64 heads in total across eight pinnacles, and the new heads are portraits of the people involved in the ambitious project. They include the masons and architects, members of the Westminster Abbey clergy, and the project team from English Heritage. Four new striking gargoyles have also been created. The new carvings add a layer of 21st-century history to the Chapter House and are a testament to the outstanding quality of work of today’s carvers and craftsmen.

The significance of the Chapter House

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cannot be underestimated. Completed around 1255 and described as ‘beyond compare’, the octagonal chamber served not only as the daily meeting place for the monks of Westminster Abbey but as one of the venues for King Henry III’s Great Council and the Commons, predecessors of today’s Parliament. In the mid-16th century, the Chapter House became a store-house for the records of the Exchequer, eventually requiring massive alterations to create more floors for document cupboards, and to make the building stable: by the middle of the 19th century, its original form was unrecognisable. Between 1867 and 1872, Scott led the thorough restoration of the Chapter House, re-creating the medieval exterior and revealing the original tiled floors and wall paintings inside the building. It was opened to the public as a historic monument and today - given its royal past as a meeting place, parliament chamber and record office - the Chapter House is maintained by English Heritage on behalf of the Crown.

In the 140 years since Scott’s ‘makeover’, ivy, decades of smoke from Battersea Power Station, traffic pollution and the weather had all taken their toll on the building’s stone exterior. Nimbus Conservation was contracted by English Heritage to undertake the £3m programme of repairs. The Chicksgrove Quarry in Wiltshire has been their source for 60 tonnes of new stone - a type that most closely matches the Chilmark stone used by Scott’s masons and is remarkably resilient to weathering. Many hours have been spent in creating drawings and clay

models. The majority of the stone was carved on site by Nimbus’ team of masons and master craftsmen.

Simon Thurley, chief executive of English Heritage, said, ‘The Chapter House is one of England’s most interesting and significant monuments, witness to great events in our early history and repository of the nation’s history and memories for 300 years. I’m proud to say that English Heritage has been able to secure its future with one of our most comprehensive programmes of conservation ever”.

The Very Reverend Dr John Hall, Dean of Westminster, said, “The Chapter House is a remarkable building and a very significant part of the 13th century monastic enclosure, happily now open to all the abbey’s many visitors. It now once again looks strikingly beautiful as a result of the initiative and excellent work of English Heritage, with whom the Dean and Chapter of Westminster are delighted to be in partnership”.

Angus Lawrence of Nimbus Conservation said, “Nimbus has been able to assemble an unrivalled team of talented craftsmen and women covering a diverse range of skills. Everyone, from the labourer to the master carver, has made an important contribution to the conservation of this wonderful building and we are all extremely proud of the end result”.

The Chapter House is in the East Cloister of Westminster Abbey. Admission is free via the Cloister Entrance in Dean’s Yard. It is under the care and management of the Dean and Chapter of Westminster. For more information please visit www. westminster-abbey.org

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3-year refurb over as new-look Savoy opens The Savoy, a Fairmont Hotel, re-opened its doors on Sunday October 10th, 2010. Prior to what was one of this year’s most eagerly anticipated openings, the Savoy had been undergoing one of the most ambitious restorations in British history.

The hotel closed in December 2007 for a restoration program that encompasses the entire building from the iconic entrance and the American Bar to Savoy Grill and the 268 guest rooms and suites.

“We are very excited to reopen The Savoy”, commented Kiaran MacDonald, general manager. “It is fair to say that this project has not been without its challenges, but we are looking forward to unveiling the results of nearly three years of hard work and dedication. We are very aware of the place that The Savoy holds in many people’s affections and we firmly believe that the hotel will exceed people’s expectations and reclaim its position as one of the world’s great hotels”.

Established in 1889, The Savoy was the brainchild of the Gilbert and Sullivan impresario Richard D’Oyly Carte. Originally managed by Swiss hotelier César Ritz and chef Auguste Escoffier, the hotel quickly became known for its glittering parties and glitterati guests. Escoffier created dishes for Sarah Bernhardt, Lily Langtry, Dame Nellie Melba and the Prince of Wales, later Edward VII, while Ritz instituted the impeccable service, attention to detail and creativity that came to be the hallmark of the hotel.

For more than a century, Savoy Court was the stopping point for the Rolls Royces of royalty, prime ministers and Hollywood stars.

The hotel’s two main design aesthetics, Edwardian and art deco, have been carefully brought back to life under the direction of world-renowned designer Pierre Yves Rochon. More than 1000 craftsmen, artists and artisans have worked tirelessly to create interiors that are in keeping with the hotel’s original and much-loved spirit.

Thirty-eight new River Suites and guest rooms have been added, offering the same stunning views over the River Thames that inspired Whistler and Monet. Nine Personality Suites will pay tribute to a few of the artists and well known figures who made this legendary hotel their London home away from home, including Maria Callas, Charlie Chaplin, Marlene Dietrich and Frank Sinatra.

The suites contain artwork, literature, photographs and artefacts that evoke the time and spirit of that star including the 12 pink roses in the Marlene Dietrich Suite, flowers which the actress always requested on arrival.

The Savoy’s reopening will include the addition of a stately 325-square metre Royal Suite featuring two bedrooms, a study, a sitting room, a dining room, a master bathroom, a dressing room (with a specially ventilated shoe closet) and a master bedroom with a bespoke Savoir bed. The suite has been specially designed so that all the rooms enjoy one of the finest views of London.

The bars and restaurants of the Savoy have always played a major role in establishing the reputation of the hotel and a new life has been breathed into them. The legendary River Restaurant sees a contemporary interpretation of Art Deco décor while guests will welcome the reopening of the American Bar, refreshed but intact in spirit. In addition, Savoy Grill will return under the operation of Gordon Ramsay Holdings with chef patron Stuart Gillies and head chef Andy Cook.

New to the hotel will be the Beaufort Bar, a glamorous art deco bar built on the hotel’s original cabaret stage that will offer champagne, cocktails and cabaret and Savoy Tea, a bijou teashop selling Savoy tea, accessories and fresh patisserie.

Within the Thames Foyer, the re-introduction of a stunning gazebo beneath an ornate glass dome will provide the perfect

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ambience for afternoon tea.

The restoration has introduced environmental technologies and efficiencies wherever possible. For example, a combined heat and power (CHP) plant will reduce the hotel’s reliance on the national grid by approximately 50 per cent and an innovative system will reclaim the heat from all kitchen appliances to preheat domestic hot water. Cooking oil from the hotel restaurants will be recycled and turned into biodiesel, while waste management systems will recycle up to 90 per cent of waste from the hotel. The hotel also partners with the Thames 21 charitable organization to help maintain the stretch of River Thames in front of The Savoy.

HCE The highly specified kitchens throughout the hotel were supplied and installed by HCE, recognised nationally as a premier foodservice equipment specialist. As well as the main production kitchen, the contract covered five additional specialist kitchens

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Lo n d o n & S o u th E a s t and bars, a butlers’ pantry on each of nine floors and the luxury Royal Suite.

HCE project manager Nigel Phillips told Premier Construction, “A high-profile job such as this is carried out in the public eye.

Given the steady stream of VIP visitors and the size and scope of works required, we were happy to be able to uphold our professional standards of work at all times. It was a challenging contract that ultimately has given us and the client, a great deal of satisfaction”.

HCE was established in 1985 and employs 30 people. A change of ownership in 2006 has led to a change of direction, focusing on an engineered solution towards project-specific contracts such as the Savoy.

According to managing director Jon Greep, “In recent years

substantial investment has enabled significant developments to take place within the structure of the company. Relocation to purpose built offices incorporating 10,000 sq.ft. of warehouse space has given us the platform from which we have built a very professional and efficient team.

“The key to the success of any project is our ability to control the fundamentals of each aspect of the build process. We have an in-house project management team who will take ownership of the project. They are fully supported by our CAD, administration, logistics, and engineering teams. This, coupled with our stringent quality control and health and safety measures, gives us the ability to constantly deliver an efficient and accurate service”.

Find out much more about HCE’s services and other prestigious projects undertaken at www.hce-catering.co.uk

Surrey-based developer beats recession Recession busters The Oakwood Group are pushing ahead with a number of developments despite the gloom that still envelops many of us in the construction sector. Trading since 1992 and based since March 2010 in Cheam, Surrey, the firm continues to develop housing across the spectrum - from affordable to luxury – often securing planning permission in circumstances that would force others to abandon hope.

Mollison Drive Mollison Drive is situated in Wallington, Surrey, and is home to a new £7.2 million development. The Oakwood Group assembled this site comprising 6 semi detached houses with substantial back gardens via a series of Option Agreements with each of the registered proprietors, subject to planning permission.

The site presented a significant challenge in planning terms following refusal of the initial planning application on grounds of overdevelopment, excessive building height, non-conformity with building line, insufficient parking and perceived incongruence with the character of the area.

Detailed negotiations with the planning, highway and design officers informed a revised planning application. However, the local planning authority once again refused the scheme.

The Oakwood Group lodged a Public Local Inquiry against the decision and, following a complex and lengthy process, the Planning Inspectorate granted permission for 54 affordable apartments.

Oakwood is working in partnership with one of LB Sutton’s housing association partners, Hyde Housing, to deliver the buildings which will ultimately provide homes for people currently on the council’s housing waiting list.

The construction is being procured via a design and build contract, managed under a JCT Standard form of building contract. According to project manager Sam Duckett, “All the flats are currently at the second fix stage. Around 90% of the kitchens are in, and although there are still some external works to complete, we are heading for the agreed completion date in March 2011”.

Turpin Court The Oakwood Group purchased this former scaffolding yard, situated on Thornton Road in Croydon, with the benefit of detailed planning permission for twenty apartments.

The site was originally designed for the speculative housing market, but the extant permission failed to meet the conditions precedent to Homes and Communities Agency funding on a number of levels.

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The Oakwood Group co-ordinated process of obtaining a revised planning consent and negotiated the onward sale of the land to Metropolitan Housing Trust subject to planning

permission. Planning permission for the revised scheme was secured at local level.

The building has been constructed using timber frame technology with facing brick and render elevations. The site is extremely tight and fronts onto a busy highway, so careful coordination was central to the success of the scheme.

The homes meet BRE Code for Sustainable Homes Level 3 and 10% of the predicted annual energy consumption of the dwellings will be generated from on-site renewable energy sources, principally photovoltaic panels. The ÂŁ2.3 million project was handed over in October 2010.

Albion Road The Oakwood Group recently secured a ÂŁ1.2 million project on Albion Road in Hounslow.

The site was originally designed for the speculative housing

market and had the benefit of detailed planning permission, which had been won by the vendor at appeal. Again, however, the houses failed to meet the conditions precedent to Homes and Communities Agency funding on a number of levels .The Oakwood Group co-ordinated the planning process on behalf of PfP, who entered into an agreement with the vendors to purchase the site subject to the revised planning permission being secured.

The enabling activities comprise the demolition of various single storey buildings on the site and partitioning of several back gardens that make up the site assembly.

The new buildings are being constructed using timber frame technology with facing brick and render clad elevations.

Oakwood has registered with the Considerate Constructors Scheme and the buildings have been designed to attain Secured

by Design certification.

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The scheme features super insulation, low-e glazing, efficient water usage and grey water recycling.

The design enhances the ecological value of the site. In a drive towards carbon neutral development, 20% of the development’s annual predicted energy requirement will be self generated through the introduction of roof mounted photovoltaic panels.

Project manager Martin Lavelle said of the quick turnaround on site, “The timber frame erection began in March 2010 and the project is due to be completed early in 2011”.

Redhead Demolitions Bushey Arches, the former JR Tagger site in Watford was completely demolished by us using 360 and 450 Komatsu excavators with demolition attachments. The 70ft high structure from basement level was brought down safely. The basement area was broken out and the arisings crushed down to 75mm

by Redhead Demolitions’ crushing plant and left stockpiled for re-use on site.

Oakwood Group hard at work on Carshalton development The Oakwood Group is developing a plot at Butter Hill in Carshalton with a mixture of flats and houses. The 5 fourbed, three-storey terraced houses and a block containing a range of one, two and three bed flats are currently on site following a February 2010 commencement.

The story of the site is not straightforward, and a marathon planning battle has preceded recent developments. Oakwood Group was introduced to the site following failure by one of the group’s competitors to secure planning consent. The site had been dismissed at a Public Local Inquiry, prior to Oakwood’s involvement, and presented a series of very complicated challenges related to privacy and overlooking of neighbouring residential properties.

Oakwood worked very closely in conjunction with the planners and design officers, at the Local Planning Authority [LPA], to overcome the inspector’s concerns in dismissing the previous appeal. After several months of negotiation and following two separate detailed planning applications, the LPA finally recommended the scheme for approval. However, it was refused at committee level by members on grounds of insufficient parking, which had never previously been cited as a reason for refusal.

An appeal was subsequently lodged against the decision of the planning committee, and the planning inspectorate granted permission for the scheme. Full costs were awarded, by the inspector, on the grounds that the council had been unreasonable in its decision to refuse the application.

The scheme is being developed in conjunction with one of LB Sutton’s partnering registered social landlords, The Orbit Group, who will eventually manage the completed development.

Enabling activities comprised the demolition of a three storey reinforced concrete framed commercial building and two houses.

The site lies within an area of archaeological interest and Oakwood operatives were required to carry out a field investigation to assess and record the nature and importance of any archaeology on the site. These works were carried out in conjunction with the local authority and English Heritage.

The buildings have been designed using Modern Methods of Construction and are being manufactured ‘off-site’ using timber frame technology. The homes will meet the Building Research Establishment’s Code for Sustainable Homes Level 3 Rating and twenty per-cent of the predicted annual energy consumption of the dwellings will be generated from on-site renewable energy sources, principally photovoltaic panels. Water saving devices have been incorporated into the design, such as low flush cisterns in toilets, spray taps and low volume baths to reduce water wastage in the buildings.

The Orbit Group’s James Nicholson spoke to Premier Construction, giving an update on site developments: “The site is relatively tight, but the contractors have been able to use parking areas for storage, so there has been no disruption to the schedule. Currently, all the buildings are watertight and the first fixings are under way.

“The contractors are delivering the whole package for us, and

it looks like the end result will be attractive as well as affordable, with nice brick and cedar facades and plenty of neat landscaping.

“I’ve only been involved with the project for a short time, but I’ve already noticed that there is a determination to get the best out of the project and finish with something to be proud of. As contracts manager, I’ll be looking to do my bit to make sure that continues”.

The £3.8 million project is due to be completed in May 2011.

Orbit Group Orbit was established over 40 years ago, employs over 1,800 people, manages 33,600 homes (as at April 2008) and is one of largest housing groups in the UK. The group offers services including rented housing, affordable home ownership to buy or rent, new homes, supported housing, and services for older people such as care and repair services and sheltered accommodation.

The group has a strong track record in delivering sustainable communities for the future by investing in a range of quality services and homes and creating places where people want to live. Orbit Group Limited is an exempt charity and is a registered social landlord. Find out more at www.orbitfirststep.org.uk

The Oakwood Group The Oakwood Group is a major player in the affordable housing arena where it provides a ‘turnkey’ service for registered social landlords, offering purpose designed, affordable schemes in London and the home counties.

The group specialises in: public sector affordable housing schemes; direct development residential schemes for private sale; private developer residential and mixed use schemes; and site acquisition and planning.

The company was established in 1992, with a focus on house building. Oakwood’s business has diversified over the last five years and the lion’s share of the income stream now comes through direct development and partnering based activity. The company’s forecast turnover for the forthcoming year is £20m.

Find out more about the group at www.theoakwoodgroup.co.uk ROMA PUBLICATIONS

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Surrey Council invests in outdoor activity centre Surrey County Council is investing in a £2.5 million refurbishment of its outdoor activity centre near Dorking. The original 1960s premises of High Ashurst Outdoor Education Centre are being replaced with four accommodation blocks, a co-ordination centre and a 13m high climbing wall with help from the Big Lottery Fund in a project led on site by Kent-based main contractor GML Construction.

The accommodation blocks open up a range of possibilities for the centre, which previously offered no residential accommodation for people using the site other than camping areas, and was mainly frequented by day visitors. Each block contains four single storey, 4-person bedrooms, each of which has en-suite facilities. The blocks also contain room for four staff members. Whilst all the blocks are fully DDA compliant, the fourth block is designed specifically for disabled users with special hoists and easy access including automated doors.

High Ashurst is situated in 56 41 acres of wood and heath land on the North Downs, between Leatherhead and Dorking. There is a wide range of land-based activities on offer and groups can currently camp on site either in their own tents or in tents available from the centre. The new accommodation blocks are known as ‘bunk houses’ and will be available for groups to use all year round. Activities available at the centre include adventure walking, archery, climbing and abseiling, forest schools, orienteering, ropes courses, team tasks and trail biking.

GML Construction contracts manager Darren Warner spoke to Premier Construction about his firm’s work on the site, saying, “Things are moving ahead quickly and we have had around 40 people on site on an average day. There are actually two phases to the build, and the fourth accommodation block had to wait for separate funding before we could begin work on it. The initial opening was in August and our work has been of the highest standard”.

He continued, “There has been heavy use of timber across the project. Everything is timber frame, which is one of our major focuses as a company. The main building has a glulam portal frame with timber decking and the roof is covered with cedar shingles; the facades are a mixture of western red cedar featheredge and log roll cladding”.

There are a number of interesting aspects to the project, amongst which is an environmentally-friendly biomass boiler which runs on wood pellets to provide heating and hot water for the whole complex.

The council had to fight several battles on the road to gaining approval for the project, as senior project manager Bill Christie told Premier Construction. He said, “We were aware from the beginning that this was an area where sensitivity was required as it’s a green belt site - an ‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’and it adjoins a ‘Site of Special Scientific Interest’. Planning permission for the build was granted in 2007 but a challenge came in from a neighbour. The challenge proved successful and the planning permission was quashed by the High Court in May 2008. A revised planning application was submitted that proved successful with permission granted in July 2009.

Discussing the importance of external funding for the project, Mr. Christie added, “We had already had a generous commitment from the Big Lottery Fund towards the total cost of the project.

However, the Big Lottery Fund also allowed us to apply the unspent balances from other projects in the portfolio increasing the total grant towards the project to £1.8 million”.

Louise Edwards, Surrey outdoor learning and development manager, has followed the project closely from inception and commented, “This building project has transformed the centre

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and therefore the educational and developmental work we can now offer to a wider range of young people. There is no doubt that the new facilities will increase the quality and all year round capacity of the centre, which will ultimately have a hugely positive impact on young people from Surrey and their families”.

Work began on site in October 2009, and the first three accommodation blocks were in place for August 2010. Work continues on the fourth, with all works set for a completion date in January 2011.

About the contractor GML Construction Limited was established in 1991 as a privately owned, limited company with its head office located in Horsmonden in Kent. Originally the business specialised in the provision of full design and build modular building solutions, offering both sale and hire contract options. However, this quickly expanded to include timber frame construction, of which GML has over 15 years of experience.

Originally focused on the South East, GML has expanded its geographical coverage to include most of South and Central England. According to Darren Warner, “We’re not a huge company but we’re big enough to take on large contracts and small enough to offer a proper, personalised service. All projects benefit from involvement from our directors and there’s a lot of face time put in”.

Find out more at www.gmlconstruction.co.uk

Cliftonville Glass Cliftonville Glass came to the project continuing a well established relationship as glaziers to GML, providing glazing to internal hardwood screens with 11mm Pyroguard and safety backed mirrors with chrome dome head screws. The work was completed on budget within two weeks of the order.

The company was founded in 1979. Still a family business, Cliftonville Glass provides the full spectrum of glazing to domestic, commercial, office, retail and industrial projects. Find out more at www.cliftonvilleglassandglazingltd.com

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Call our news team on 01706 719972

Preserving our valuable railway heritage Work is ongoing at Sheffield Park Station on the Bluebell Railway in Sussex, where the existing museum is to be extended to create a new museum and interpretation centre. Main contractor Morgan Sindall is leading the site

work, which also includes a three berth carriage shed and benefits from a brigade of volunteers helping to reduce costs and enhance their beloved preserved railway.

One volunteer, project manager Tim Preston, told Premier Construction, “We have a range of skills amongst our volunteers, such as surveying, engineering and trade skills such as

carpentry. My role here is above all to help to make sure the design and work reflects as far as possible the historic fabric of the station.

The work is being done sympathetically with a part wooden facade and canopy over the platform, with a view to restoring the station to its original glory”.

He continued, “The works are vital for two reasons: first, we are greatly increasing the size of the museum and will now have much more space to properly display our historic artefacts and tell the story of the railway. Second, the carriage shed will create significant revenue savings by reducing the periodical repairs that have to be carried out when rolling stock is exposed to the elements. We have a collection of national importance, so the carriage shed is a fundamental part of the project”.

The project is supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Bluebell Railway Trust.

www.romauk.net

Over 70% of the £3 million plus project cost has been covered by lottery money, the rest coming from donations and the railway’s own coffers.

Work is currently at the stage of external woodwork and internal fit out and is around 80% complete, according to Tim, who expects the works to be complete by spring 2011.

The railway has its own extensive website – www.bluebell-railway.co.uk – where you can find out more about the works, as well as how to volunteer or make a donation.

Greenacre Homes continues London-wide development programme South East London-based residential developers Greenacre Homes are continuing to push forward a range of projects in the capital despite the recession.

According to construction director Simon Holmes, the company’s continuing success can be attributed to a number of factors.

Simon told Premier Construction, “We offer design and build projects with minimal fuss, high build quality and value for money. One of the main reasons for our success is that we are capable of taking on challenging sites, and then turning those sites into viable, in-demand housing projects”.

He continued, “Whilst planning permission is always a problem in London, we have a team geared towards making sites work.

Many of our team members have been here since the company began operations 20 year ago, so there is plenty of know-how in the company”.

Simon went on to add, “The majority of our work is carried out in conjunction with housing associations, and we pride ourselves on our reputation for meeting our clients’ expectations within the ever evolving regulations. We work with many Housing Associations through established partnerships and are constantly developing new ties with local housing providers”.

Mansfield Court Situated on Sumner Road in Peckham, Mansfield Court comprises a total of 39 flats including 11 units for Intermediate rent and four wheelchair units. The £4.4 million project is being

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carried out on behalf of London & Quadrant Housing Trust and should be completed in March 2012. The building’s lightweight steel frame is currently being erected on site which is a relatively new form of MMC to be used in residential developments.

Camberwell Station Road Alongside Wandle Housing Association, Greenacre is undertaking a project to install a mixture of 1650m² of commercial space and 83 residential units along Camberwell Station Road and the adjoining Warner Road. The £11.5 million project has been on site since October 2008 and is to be completed in early in 2012. The development will feature a communal heating system including Renewable Technology achieving Code Level 3.

One of the challenging sites on which Greenacre has built its reputation, the Camberwell development has required construction of a new electrical sub-station, demolition of a 25 meter high chimney, awareness of a number of boundary issues with adjoining properties and the close proximity of a rail line.

The development is situated on an old brown field industrial site that required extensive environmental soil remediation to remove contaminated soil to meet the strict planning guidelines of Southwark Council.

The site also includes underground parking in order to minimise the impact on local streets and residents, and provide flexible accommodation and amenities for residents.

gardens and was completed in summer 2010 and represents the first development to achieve Code Level 4 in the London Borough of Croydon.

Portland Road, South Norwood 18 houses and flats and commercial space make up this £2.7 million site, which again will be handed over to Wandle Housing Association once completed in 2011. First fix trades are currently on site with external render under way. Greenacre has achieved CODE Level 4 on this site while at the same time designing out bolt-on renewable technologies.

Harvey Gardens, Charlton Groundworks are nearing completion on this 14-house site, with beam and block floor to follow shortly. The development comprises 2 three-bed, 11 four-bed and one 5-bed property.

The client for the £2.6 million development is Gallions Housing Association.

The site was originally an old chalk quarry which was backfilled with made ground. Houses built during the 1970s subsided, damaging the main trunk sewer running through the site. The site was subsequently cleared.

Greenacre have engineered a complex design of piled foundations and ground beams to span over the trunk sewer and bear down on the deep, firmer ground.

Oak Gardens, Croydon

Carmichael Road, Croydon

The Oak Gardens development consists of 13 houses and bungalows being built at a cost of £2.2 million on behalf of Moat Homes Ltd. Rapid progress is being made on the site, where timber frames are complete and roofing tiling has commenced.

Elsewhere, plumbing and first fix electrical work is ongoing, as the project moves towards a completion date in October 2011.

According to Simon Holmes, “These are spacious family homes with large gardens and off-street parking; all are built to CODE Level 4. The site is in a well established residential area and we have had to ensure that we cause minimum disruption to the surrounding residents”.

12 flats, 9 houses and 8 maisonettes make up this Wandle site, which will be completed in the first quarter of 2011 at a cost of £4.84 million. The project involves retention of a listed facade of the existing building, as well as installation of a new electrical sub-station. Work is currently at the stage of tacking and plastering, decoration and second fix. Kitchens are being installed and rendering is being completed.

Selhurst Road, South Norwood Another Wandle Housing Association collaboration, the 10 flats, 5 houses and 1 maisonette combine to form ‘1-16 Four Acre Path’. The £2.47 million project features roof top terraces and

Cawnpore Street, Norwood This development consists of 54 flats and a commercial unit and will have cost £6.69 million by the time it is completed in summer 2011. The development is split into four blocks, one of which is already complete after work began on site in February 2008.

The development will be subject to a car club for residents, as well as underground basement parking and a bio-mass boiler to provide a communal central heating system.

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Sub-contractors Greenacre Homes relies on a host of trusted sub-contractors to complete site works to the required standard. Olivers Contracts, for example, are supplying flooring such as carpets and vinyls to Greenacre sites. PM Carpentry’s Peter Murphy has worked with Greenacre for 12 years and has recently congratulated the developer on its excellent site management. TF Queally shares some of the carpentry workload and is now continuing a 14year relationship with the firm. Meanwhile, electrical contractor Spartek has recently joined the team of Greenacre-approved contractors.

Metro Guard Ltd has been providing SIA licensed security personnel for many Greenacre sites, and currently 9 sites simultaneously. The security experts provide a professional and personally tailored solution for Greenacre, helping them not only to secure their construction sites, but to keep costs as low as possible without compromising on service.

About Greenacre Homes Greenacre is an independent, privately-owned business with a policy of building high-quality, functional housing to meet varying market needs at reasonable prices whilst keeping the need for customer and client involvement to a minimum. The business was founded by now-chairman George Aldersley in 1990.

Steady expansion over the following two decades has seen the company’s workforce grow to over 40 staff members, split broadly into two areas of discipline: land acquisition, planning and design; and construction and project management.

Since the beginning, Greenacre has focused on public sector projects and has established strong bonds with a great number of local authorities and housing associations across London and the South East. On behalf of clients, Greenacre’s land acquisition team has developed over 150 separate projects, taking advantage of a unique familiarity with the London and South East market. The form also acts as a land agent, approaching freeholders to ‘start the ball rolling’ through to negotiation and purchase wherever possible to reduce commissions and lead times.

A commitment to sustainability has led to a number of green features being used as recurring nods to the environment on Greenacre sites, including green walls for invertebrates, cycle racks, high-efficiency insulation and double glazing, low-energy light fittings and A-rated appliances. Some higherrated developments feature solar and PV panels, water run-off management systems and green sedum roofs.

You can find out more about the company at www.greenacrehomes.co.uk

New housing with the community at its heart A flagship housing development, now under construction, Sandringham Drive at Houghton Regis, Dunstable, incorporates 179 homes together with community facilities. Clean-cut design creating bright, light spacious properties will provide sustainable, comfortable homes to be enjoyed for years to come.

This new and exciting development, which will provide a mix of private, intermediate and affordable homes, is being built by main contractors Hill Partnerships for Aldwyck Housing Association.

The scheme is being carried out in partnership with Philip Pank Partnerships, PRP Architects, Hill Residential, the Homes and Communities Agency and Central Beds District Council The scheme includes open outdoor space for residents to relax and enjoy, including a linear park, known as The Parc and located in the centre of the development. With a focus on energy efficiency and innovative technology, The Parc will not only lead the way in uplifting its surrounding area, but be admired for years to come.

A large community building is under construction, part funded through EEDA grant, which will provide invaluable community space for the local residents to enjoy recreational activities, as

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well as ongoing training and learning opportunities.

Hill Partnerships Ltd is a long established trusted contractor and has delivered many high quality schemes for Aldwyck HA in the past.They look forward to Sandringham Drive - The Parc following in the same trend.

The development is due for completion in July 2011.

Aldwyck Housing Association is a not-for-profit social housing provider with an annual turnover in excess of £34 million.

Established in Harpenden in 1968, the association has a long track record of delivering affordable homes to rent or buy and providing supported housing and care services to their customers in communities across the south east and east of England.

The association provides homes and management services for over 20,000 people in a variety of tenures, from rented and part-owned homes to owner-occupiers.

They also offer specialist support and accommodation

for young people, those with disabilities and older people. Their supported housing and care services range from 24-hour a day care, to on-call support as and when needed.

In addition, the association supplies a wide variety of services to other organisations in the housing sector, from development, maintenance and housing management, through to finance and internal audit, human resources and customer services.

Aldwyck Housing Association has two subsidiary housing associations managing their services to customers: Aldwyck East covers Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire and North Londo, and Aldwyck West covers Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire.

The association’s vision for the future is one in which people can and will exercise greater choice over where they live and the services they can access, and that they will want to live in attractive, sustainable neighbourhoods.

The Hill group of companies, through Hill Partnerships, is one

of the leading names delivering affordable homes in the UK; creating communities, whilst embracing modern and sustainable methods of construction.

The company’s reputation is built on close working relationships with their housing association and public sector clients, where they create added value through an innovative approach to product and process, great project management and efficient supply chain partnering. Through long term sustainable partnerships, the company aim continually to improve their service, by embedding modern and sustainable methods and lean construction techniques within their core business.

By taking a customer-focused approach, Hill Partnerships are able to deliver flexible answers tailored to meet individual projects. The company offers practical solutions, drawing on their many years of experience - listening to and understanding the concerns of the residents they work with, as well as appreciating the constraints faced by their clients and supply chain partners.

Wreningham homes already snapped up Five new homes in the village of Wreningham, near Norwich, have been snapped up in advance of a project completion date in March 2011. Main contractor Ingram Homes is carrying out the work on behalf of King Developments following design work by architect Ross Powlesland.

The site, known as Glebe Close, consists of two 3-bedroom bungalows, two 4-bedroom detached houses and a further 5-bedroom detached property.

Project manager Jerry Fuller of Iceni Developments told Premier Construction, “The site was chosen as it has a number of advantages: proximity to the centre of the village; quiet semirural surroundings, friendly neighbours; a 0.5 acre paddock to the side; and the chance to appeal to a wide range of potential buyers, which is one reason why the properties have been sold well in advance of completion. We have a mixture of retired or semi-retired couples and young families coming in”.

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He continued, “The site has a long history and it was originally owned by the local diocese as glebe land – hence the name.

There had been long-standing permission to build four 2-storey units on the site, which we were able to extend to five homes once we acquired the land.

“We have worked with the architect on other projects and he was trusted to put in a high-quality design with a lot of attention to detail. Everything is high-spec, and there are good ecological credentials in the build. Amongst other features, there are ground source heat pumps and rainwater harvesting to provide water for toilets, washing machines and hosepipes”.

The £0.9 million project is heading for a completion date in March 2011, and has been on site since January 2010.

About the contractor Ingram Homes builds exceptional quality new homes in Norfolk and Suffolk. The company is a family run business and was established in 1972. The NHBC A1 rated company offers the maximum claim free period of 15 years.

With close to 100 years combined technical experience, Ingram’s management team includes: • Richard Buck - site manager - 29 years’ experience in house building • Chris Dye - foreman - 25 years’ experience in house building • Dale Gardiner - site manager - 25 years’ experience in house building

•

John Ingram - managing director - 16 years’ experience in house building and engineering.

According to a company statement, “We employ the majority of our tradesmen directly and this ensures a superior quality product. Our firm is embracing the use of renewable technologies and we believe we are well ahead of the competition in this sector. We know of no other house builder in the region who has worked at becoming MCS Accredited for the installation of solar thermal, solar PV and heat pumps”.

Find out more about Ingram Homes at www.ingram-homes. co.uk

Joint venture relieves M1 congestion A joint venture between Carillion and Costain is behind a programme of works designed to relieve congestion, reduce delays and lead to more reliable journeys along the M1. The contract is an Early Contractor Involvement scheme worth in excess of £300 million to the CostainCarillion JV. The M1 is a heavily used route that connects London with the Midlands and the North. It was designed and built in the 1950s and currently operates well over capacity, resulting in queues and delays at peak times.

Improvements to the M1 between Junctions 10 and 13 (between Luton and Milton Keynes) are required to cope with then high volume of traffic. Now these works are nearing completion, workers are moving further along to junctions 12 and 13.

The project is known as a ‘hard shoulder running scheme’.

Hard shoulder running is a motorway improvement scheme that combines a number of new technologies and existing motorway features to provide reliable journey times, reduced congestion,

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enhanced information to drivers and quicker response times to incidents.

Extensive earthworks have been required in order to convert hard shoulders into strips of motorway capable of handling heavy loads of traffic. Equally, refuge areas have had to be constructed from scratch in a programme which will move millions of tonnes of earth and secure it using weight efficient AZ steel sheet piles from ArcelorMittal for superior structural performance and longterm design life Drivers using the stretch will see a number of changes such as the addition of driver information signs, speed limit signals, emergency refuge areas, new emergency roadside telephones, hard shoulder running if necessary and new congestion and incident management systems.

The section of motorway is 25km long and is used by over 135,000 vehicles every day. There will be over 70 gantries and 37 emergency refuge areas (located approximately every 800 metres) once work is complete. The three year construction

How the new system will work

period began in autumn 2009. During construction works, three lanes of traffic are being maintained at peak times.

As part of the M1 improvements, new features to manage congestion will be introduced: • Control centre operators and equipment will be monitoring the M1 scheme 24 hours a day, 365 days a year • A comprehensive CCTV camera system will be brought in so that operators in can easily view this section of the M1 • Full motorway lighting will allow the control centre to see the motorway easily using the CCTV system. This also provides a safer driving environment at night.

• Sensors in the road will detect traffic and congestion.

• A built-in system alerting the control centre operators to increases in traffic will allow them to immediately manage the situation.

These features allow improved responses to increases in traffic with the aim of reducing congestion. They also allow quicker reaction in the event of an incident. If an incident occurs, the control centre operator and automatic system will change the signs and signals to alert road users to the conditions ahead.

The signals can also be used to open and close lanes where necessary.

This means the control centre can provide access to the incident for on-road help, in the form of emergency services and Highways Agency traffic officers, who will manage the incident.

The control centre can also open the hard shoulder under controlled conditions as an extra running lane to reduce the impact of incidents by providing extra space for the traffic. This will help to keep the traffic flowing and to minimise delays.

When congestion is expected on the motorway, the automatic system will change the signs and signals to alert road users to the conditions ahead. The system automatically calculates the best speed at which to keep the traffic flowing and this is then displayed on the speed limit signals overhead.

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First Wessex continues sterling work on the Velmore Estate The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) has provided more than £15m of investment to enable First Wessex, Eastleigh Borough Council and Lovell to create 189 new and affordable homes on the Velmore Estate in Eastleigh,

Hampshire.

The regeneration scheme, with an investment of over £20 million, requires the demolition of 100 1960s-built very small one bedroom bungalows and their replacement with 189 new energy-efficient homes built to modern standards.

First Wessex also completed the remodeling and extension of 18 bungalows on Somerset Crescent towards the end of 2009.

The nine new two bedroom bungalows on Somerset Crescent are part of a large regeneration scheme taking place on the

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Velmore estate, which will include: 53 bungalows, 41 threebedroom houses, 13 two-bedroom houses, 2 four-bedroom houses and 80 two-bedroom flats with twelve homes designed for residents who use wheelchairs and who have support needs.

Paul Jenks, chairman of First Wessex’s Local Management Board, visited the site as the first of the homes was completed in August 2010 and said, “First Wessex is very proud to be able to celebrate the completion of the first much needed affordable new homes on Velmore. This regeneration project is a real boost to the area and we would like to thank our partners Lovell Partnership Homes, Eastleigh Borough Council and the Homes and Communities Agency for their support and hard work since the project began”.

Steve Coombs, Lovell’s regional director, said, “This is a very exciting project which will result in nearly 200 high-specification homes being made available to local people.

“Lovell has very recently completed a similar project in Hertfordshire which won fulsome praise from the housing association and residents for the build quality and the lack of inconvenience caused to residents. Our aim has been to bring the same high standards to this project in Velmore.

“The completion of the first home on any project is always a very exciting landmark and never more so when it involves the regeneration of an area such as Velmore, which is clearly very affectionately thought of.

“Lovell is looking forward to continuing to work with First Wessex to ensure the completed project lives up to everyone’s high expectation”.

Kevin Bourner, head of area at the HCA, said, “The new homes are just part of the exciting regeneration of the Velmore estate.

The homes are designed and built to a high environmental standard and the HCA is pleased to have been able to assist partners to deliver this key project for the local community”.

Residents have been closely involved in the scheme to redevelop their homes through an extensive programme of community consultation. First Wessex is currently consulting with local residents on community projects and a local travel plan for the estate.

The new housing will meet Level 3 of the Code for Sustainable Homes. This may involve a combination of solar panels for hot water, photo-voltaic panels for electricity generation and excellent insulation to the properties which would enable a typical home to reduce its CO2 emissions by 25 per cent. Homes are also being installed with low-energy lighting, water-saving low-flow appliances, recycling bins as well as facilities for bicycle storage.

As part of the regeneration program, First Wessex and Lovell are working in partnership to provide job and training opportunities, including construction apprenticeships, for local people.

Kent economy boosted by new access road Volker Fitzpatrick has moved into the second phase of a major upgrade to Kent’s road infrastructure on the East Kent Access Road.

Phase 2, which is currently on site, is the improvement of the A299 between Minster roundabout and the Lord of the Manor junction, as well as improvement of the A256 between Lord of the Manor junction and connecting with phase 1 at the old Richborough power station site.

Phase 1 was the earlier improvement of the A256 southwards to connect to Sandwich bypass, including a link road around the south side of the Pfizer complex.

The purpose of the scheme is to improve accessibility and

safety. According to Kent County Council, it will help support the economy of east Kent and connect the ports of Dover and Ramsgate and Kent International Airport. This will complete improvements of the A299 Thanet Way and A256 that were started in the 1980s.

Phase 2 is an improvement to dual carriageway standard.

Features include taking the road in an underpass beneath Foads Hill and the railway at Cliffsend, and over the railway at Cottington Lane.

It was not possible to improve the existing A299. Houses at Cliffsend would have needed demolishing and it would have reached into Pegwell Bay, which is an internationally recognised site of environmental importance.

Phase 2 earthworks are nearing completion, and a council spokesperson has recently declared, “We remain confident that the scheme will be opened to traffic in autumn 2012 as we are currently running slightly ahead of that date”.

Funding was approved by the Department for Transport in August 2009. The total cost of the scheme is £87 million. The Department for Transport is providing £81.25 million and Kent County Council the remaining £5.75 million.

A contract for construction of the road was awarded to a jointventure of Volker Fitzpatrick and Hochtief on 27th August 2009.

Kent’s biggest archaeological dig along the route of the new road is complete. During the past year, the dig has revealed how people were living on the Isle of Thanet from earliest times.

Among 10,000 finds were two gold Bronze Age bracelets. Other remarkable discoveries included the remains of prehistoric burial monuments, Iron Age enclosures and a village which would have watched the Roman invasion, Saxon cemeteries, tracks and the remains of a shellfish processing site.

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BUPA continues to expand with new Kent care home Solihull-based contractor Greswolde Construction is carrying out a £3.6 million healthcare project in Kent on behalf of BUPA. Warren Lodge is a brand new purpose built dementia care home located on the outskirts of the market town of Ashford, Kent. The home is in walking distance of the local high street amenities and is conveniently located on local transport to the town centre and main transport links to London. The town also boasts a number of museums and interesting churches and mills.

The facility is due to open in March 2011 and has been designed and built to provide specialist dementia care and facilities.

Specialist features include memory triggers such as eyecatching pictures, reminiscence activity areas, sensory gardens and memory picture frames for resident photographs.

A BUPA statement explained, “Our care teams consist of qualified nurses and highly-trained care assistants who are dedicated to providing specialist and personalised 24-hour care for people with dementia. Residents can continue to use their own GP if they wish, and our staff can also arrange other services such as chiropody and physiotherapy if required”. Dementiarelated conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease, affect 1 person in 20 aged over 65, and 1 person in 3 aged over 95. Dementia is the term used to describe the deterioration of brain function that results in loss of memory, reduced language skills, impaired reasoning and loss of daily living skills. Over 700,000 people in the UK are currently affected by dementia.

The 64-room facility contains a number of advantages for residents, including: wide corridors for ease of movement; profiling beds; assisted bathrooms and shower rooms; large communal areas including hospitality rooms, a sun lounge and a dining room; private dining facilities for family use; a separate family room and overnight accommodation for relatives; ergonomically designed furniture and fixtures for ease of dexterity; an open plan kitchen for residents to use if they are comfortable still preparing their own beverages and snacks; colour-enhanced decor to provide a vibrant environment; secure landscaped gardens with raised flower beds, seating and a water

feature; a roof terrace with secure access; and a purpose-built cinema room with a large screen and cinema seating.

Warren Lodge forms part of a wave of new dementia care homes being built for BUPA, and is accompanied by a simultaneous development at Freelands Croft, near Fleet in Hampshire.

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

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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.

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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 ÂŁ1.3bn.

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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

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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 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.

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.

Architectural bronze casements with single-glazed, traditionally-leaded glass by bronzecasements.com

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.

St Gredifael’s Church, Penymynydd, Llangefni, Anglesey

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

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.

“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”.

To find out more about Cadw’s structure and activities, as well as many more projects benefitting from Cadw’s funding and expertise, visit www.cadw.wales.gov.uk ROMA PUBLICATIONS

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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”.

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 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 requires 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 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 was appointed by the Welsh Health Estates framework to project manage the infrastructure works at the hospital.

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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.

Social housing scheme spreads construction skills 70 housing units destined to be socially rented are being developed on behalf of Newydd Housing Association at Jackson’s Quay in Barry. The sizes of the units include 51 flats (1 and 2 bedrooms) and 19 houses (2, 3 and 4 bedrooms) and will be developed to energy efficiency level 3 of the Code for Sustainable Homes. A local lettings policy will be introduced on the site for the first lettings.

This £6.7million development, started 7th July 2009 by the developer Mi-Space, is estimated to be completed

by March 2011 with a phased handover expected to start in December 2010.

Newydd carried out an initial review of housing requirements for the Vale of Glamorgan and established a need for affordable new homes in the Barry area. The mix of units decided upon reflects the findings of the Local Housing Market Assessment whereby the highest need for affordable housing is for single parents and single non pensioners.

The site was a strategic priority for the Vale of Glamorgan Council, both because of the ongoing regeneration of Barry Waterfront and the findings of the Local Housing Market Assessment. Of the 652 housing units required to meet the existing need, 40.6% are in Barry. The site was formerly owned

by Charles Church Homes who obtained the original planning permission for 96 new homes including 12 affordable homes.

However, due to the economic downturn, Charles Church Homes decided, for commercial reasons, not to develop the site and

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sold it to Newydd. Newydd subsequently modified the planning consent to include a higher number of family homes to reflect the need in the area Of the workforce at the development, 60% are from Barry or within 5 miles of the area. There are also five trade apprentices living in Barry who are currently learning trades such as bricklaying and carpentry skills at the development; this has been achieved by working in partnership with Mi-Space using the Inform to Involve (i2i) project and the Can Do Toolkit. Students at Barry College have also been using the site on a regular basis as part of their studies; for example, twenty-five construction design technology students have been able to experience ‘tool box talks’ which involve visiting a site at all stages of construction to see the development at first hand.

Case study: David’s experience After a difficult period in his life having given up his job due to a work related injury, David approached Mi-Space asking for work experience during the early stages of the Jackson’s Quay development. Mark, the project manager, agreed that if he obtained a Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card he would happily give him an opportunity to work for a few days on site for the following weeks. David has thoroughly enjoyed his experience and has developed a great working relationship with Mark. He has proved a valuable asset to the team and shown to be able to complete specific tasks allocated to him, for example drawings management, with excellent commitment and attitude.

This positive experience in David’s life has led to further career development with other partners including a placement with Tony King Architects Ltd performing CAD design.

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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Training and skills development is integral to caring for the built environment The Conservation Group at Historic Scotland – the government agency tasked with protecting the historic environment in Scotland, takes a strategic approach in working with key industry and sector partners to further the needs of the traditional sector. It works in partnership with others to raise the profile of the sector and has facilitated the development of new specialist vocational qualifications.

Scotland has a long tradition of building with stone and lime stretching back to Roman times. A large proportion of Scotland’s buildings constructed prior to 1920 used lime mortars in both construction and finishing. From the mid nineteenth bentury the use of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) mortars became increasingly common. In the Twentieth Century it became the norm for new construction, and became increasingly used to repair traditional buildings originally built using lime mortar. This had a negative visual and practical impact, and can also have a serious effect on the condition of the building. In recent years, the industry began returning to the use of lime mortar and was having to re-learn the skills to use it effectively.

It was against this backdrop that Historic Scotland began looking to develop a new national qualification which would provide expert advice on this important skill, and provide a benchmark for quality across the sector.

The result was the National Progression Award (NPA) in conservation of masonry, which was developed with the NPA Steering Group, Scottish Qualifications Authority and the Professional and Operational Validation Boards.

Delivered in partnership with Scotland’s colleges, including Glasgow Metropolitan, Edinburgh’s Telford, Moray and Orkney, the award consists of six modules including the principles of conservation, the selection and application of traditional

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lime mortars, re-pointing stone walls in lime mortar and lime harling.

Launched in November 2007, the award is open to contractors, and over 150 qualified and new entrants have successfully completed the award. 250 are expected to have been through the course by 2011.

Ian Walker, head of traditional building skills for Historic Scotland, explains: “The current stonemasonry apprenticeships didn’t feature a lot of lime mortar work. It was evident that the industry needed a benchmark which would help teach and safeguard this important skill in Scotland.

“The idea was to offer this to new apprentices as well as giving qualified masons who were interested in entering this field the opportunity to develop new skills. We also offer the training to other people who have relevant craft skills such as brick work, plastering, and roofing”.

Following a £1.45 million award from the Heritage Lottery Fund to the Technical Conservation Group and further funding from other bodies (Historic Scotland, Scottish Enterprise Glasgow), The HLF Training Bursary Scheme was established.

170 training opportunities were divided up into one month satellite training bursaries to take up the new National Progression Award (NPA) Award in conservation masonry, and one year placements with other partners.

Applicants require suitable vocational skills or craft skills development potential.

Interested parties should contact anne. steadman@scotland.gsi.gov.uk.

A key part of the Heritage Lottery Fund bursary scheme is offering candidates the chance to work on projects. Recent activity has included the lime washing of the Great Hall at Stirling Castle and restoration of the original lime mortar at Eilean Donan Castle with John MacLean Stone Masons.

Historic Scotland has had two bursary placements working on the bridge leading to the castle over the last two winters.

These placements with John MacLean

Stone Masons have provided invaluable experience for the two bursary holders, working on the parapet walls of the bridge and also the piers of the bridge.

Sharing information with other likeminded parties is also a key element of Historic Scotland’s work. For example, earlier this year two Historic Scotland stonemasons, Kenny McCafferty and Malcolm Hutcheon travelled to the United States to visit the Virginia Lime Works.

The stonemasons, who are both adult apprentices, spent time working with a leading US expert in the use of limestone, James Price at the works which provides lime mortars for historic preservation, new construction and ecologically friendly building. The company offer basic mortar analysis, for clients with an interest in the original design of their mortar, custom mortar replication and custom coloured mortars.

The pair travelled to the US after winning the Scottish Stone Masonry Competition sponsored by Historic Scotland and run by the Scottish Stone Liaison Group. As part of the trip they also spent time training young people in Harlem, New York working on the ‘Youthbuild’ project which looks to rejuvenate the physical environment of communities through teaching skilled trades to ‘at risk’ youths.

Ian said, “We aim to offer as comprehensive training as possible. It was a fantastic opportunity to give this year’s masonry competition winners the chance to visit one of the leading lime work companies in the world and also work in New York with the young people in Harlem. The guys gained a lot out of this trip, not just in terms of their masonry skills, but also sampling real life in New York.

“They are already using the knowledge gained on the trip in their work and we hope that the trip will form the foundation for successful partnership working with these projects moving forward”.

Anyone interested in finding out more about the work of Historic Scotland should visit www.historic-scotland.gov.uk.

“The idea was to offer this to new apprentices as well as giving qualified masons who were interested in entering this field the opportunity to develop new skills

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River Clyde Homes build programme the largest for 40 years In what is the largest new build project for rent in the area since the 1970s, River Clyde Homes is collaborating with main contractor Lovell to build a range of new homes in Port Glasgow.

The 195 units will be constructed over three sites at: • Woodhall - 102 units • Oronsay Avenue - 61 units • Moray Road - 32 units

The commission for the first phase of housing at Woodhall also included a master plan proposal for the whole site for which a multi-tenure development is envisaged. The Woodhall site is a challenging one given the topography of the site and the excavation requirements to create the level plateaus which are needed to meet River Clyde’s commitment to providing housing for varying needs. The design solution is to construct largely split level

units on this site. In order to meet need in the area, five wheelchair units are being built across the three sites. The provision on this type of house is limited in Port Glasgow and the plans for the houses have been well received by the prospective tenants who will soon take up occupancy from November 2010 onwards.

The master plan sets out proposals for a further 82 houses for rent or new supply shared equity (NSSE) and 162 houses for open market sale. The master plan also provides for community facilities and the re-location of an existing retail unit. River Clyde Homes intend that the development of the Woodhall area includes improved community facilities and amenities to ensure long term sustainability.

River Clyde’s head of regeneration, Angela Spence, said, “This build programme is a promise we made during the stock transfer from Inverclyde Council in 2007. We have consulted with residents to find out their major concerns, some of the main ones being play areas (which we are providing at the two larger sites), fuel costs (which is why we’re putting in high-specification thermal insulation and high exposure timber double glazing) and security (which is why all the units are fully Secured by Design compliant). Another important issue for us was to boost the local economy by obliging

Hot new venue brightens Aberdeen’s Market Street Work at the stylish new Rox Hotel on Market Street in Aberdeen was completed in time for a late October opening under local main contractor Aberdeen Fabrications (A-FAB) and architect David Murray.

Aberdeen’s newest city centre hotel with 32 unique bedrooms, this modern boutique hotel is a relaxing oasis in the city centre.

The ‘B’ listed building, once home to the Metro Hotel and before that the Bon Accord, was completely refurbished in a project which began on site in the summer of 2009.

Work involved a full internal soft strip across the eight storeys of the building. The floors of the rear section of the building were removed, as was the roof over the ballroom (although listed ornate ceilings below it have been retained) and a new three storey high atrium has been formed through existing floors in the centre of the building.

The four star hotel now contains a meeting room known as the St. Andrews Room and a fitness suite (gym), both of which are

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the contractor to provide employment opportunities as part of their contract terms. To date, over 30 full time as well as 15 trade apprenticeships have been created. Local residents in Port Glasgow have been able to input into design options and influence the final designs”.

It is envisaged that this initial £23 million project will be completed by March 2012.

Future Plans Woodhall Phase 2 consists of 82 units of which 76 are for rent and 6 are for NSSE. The Phase 2 site is towards the north west of the master plan area from Woodhall Terrace to the Pleasantside Avenue area. The phase 2 site includes several amenities which are yet to be acquired. These are the Riverview Centre and the Gate of India shop. Initial discussions have taken place with the proprietors. Woodhall Phase 2 is in line for a site start in 2012/13.

situated in the sub-basement. The basement itself is home to a bar and breakfast room combo with an external courtyard.

On the ground floor, another external terrace joins a reception and seating area. On the next floor up is the centrepiece of the hotel: a grand ballroom which moonlights as a boardroom and has its own adjoining external terrace. The rest of the hotel is home to 32 double and twin bedrooms, all of which have en-suite facilities.

All bedrooms, meeting rooms and public spaces benefit from air conditioning and are linked by not one but two lifts.

The exterior granite facades have been left intact and improved with a programme of cleaning and re-pointing. The roof was replaced simultaneously as it had fallen into disrepair due to water ingress. Across the building, single-glazed windows were

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replaced with double glazed aluminium and redwood windows.

The bar is fully licensed to the newly-appointed hotel manager, while guests have the option of visiting the adjoining funkilymonikered Restaurant21. “I think it will be a great asset for Aberdeen”, said licensing board convener Muriel Jaffrey.

According to architect David Murray, the project was a straightforward affair. “The planning permission was easy to gain and the works were carried out with no delays”, he said.

Peter Medley, chairman of Aberdeen City and Shire Hotels Association, said, “We’ve seen an increase in occupancy and rooms yield since May, mainly driven by corporate business, with rooms on our busiest nights of Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday almost 100% occupied. There has also been an increase in leisure visitors at weekends and an increase in tourism, notably from Italy, Germany and France”.

Alastair Rae, a partner in the real-estate and hospitality sector at consultancy and accounting specialists PKF, recently said of the hotel sector in Scotland, “Investors clearly see the profitability of the market in the medium term and are continuing to invest in

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Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow to ensure that they are well placed to benefit from the upturn in the economy”.

About the contractor A-FAB specialises in fabricated steel and pipe work for the offshore oil and gas sector, as well as marine and steel fabrication industries.

Based in Aberdeen but operating globally, A-FAB offers a comprehensive fabrication service including welding, installation and maintenance.

According to a company statement, “Since our establishment in 1983, we have become one of the main fabrication and service companies in the North-East of Scotland. However, we have plans for further growth into new global markets and our move into new purpose built premises underlines our desire for continuous development, both in terms of our business and our service to clients”.

Find out more at www.afab.co.uk

Dumfries sport centre work reaches practical completion Main contractor Ashleigh Scotland is about to hand over the newly-refurbished Dumfries Ice Bowl, a centre for ice hockey, skating and curling, after a £2.5 million investment by Dumfries and Galloway Council with help from SportScotland.

In April 2009, councillors were presented with a hard-hitting report which said the 18-year-old ice sport facility might have to be closed down unless money was spent on it. That news prompted a £1.6million makeover plan and approval was also given for another £900,000 worth of work to turn the indoor carpet bowling area into a second ice pad dedicated to curling.

The project was considered essential to both improve the activities available from a business case point of view and to provide more cost effective and efficient use of a refurbished facility. These works will “prolong the useful life of this building for a minimum of 20 years”, according to the council.

The first phase of the project involved installing new ice production plant and renewing the facility’s reception and offices. A specialist ice sports shop has been completed to serve the needs of the centre’s users.

The project’s second phase, which is being completed over the course of November 2010, included the alterations to what is now the curling rink. New ice production plant and ice grid have been installed, while ancillary elements of the project include a gallery, a meeting centre and new toilet facilities.

Project architect Alan Hewitt, of Dumfries & Galloway Council, told Premier Construction that his team had faced a new challenge during the works. Speaking at the beginning of November, he said, “The project is currently being finalised with the second fix electrical work ongoing and final touches being put to the decoration. It has been interesting for many of us to work with what is new technology to us, and as such we have had a consultant on board and have relied heavily on our ice specialists, Icetech UK”.

Staff are to be trained and integrated into the altered facility during the final days of November in time for full operation as of December.

Project background As a result of the works, Dumfries Ice Bowl will become the only facility in the south and west of Scotland with an ice surface to be used exclusively for figure skating and ice hockey throughout the year, something previously enjoyed in Scotland only at Murrayfield in Edinburgh. It is hoped that the move will strengthen Dumfries as a venue, not only as the base for the Scottish Skating Championships since 2001, but also as a centre of opportunities for development. This project is further strengthened by news that Dumfries is set to become a regional centre for the Scottish Institute of Sport.

Although there was some concern at the plans raised by a nearby private curling facility in Lockerbie, Dumfries & Galloway

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Council has undertaken an in-depth study to assess the impact of the second pad proposals and is confident that all ice sports in the region, including curling, will benefit from the development at Dumfries.

Other concerns against the plans reported in the local press were that the Dumfries Ice Bowl operated at a substantial annual loss (circa £300k) prior to refurbishment plans being finalised.

However, through these plans the facility would divest itself of the heavily loss making indoor bowls activities (membership has dwindled in recent years from over 1,000 to just a couple of hundred), to concentrate on providing continuous opportunity for curling, skating and ice hockey, all of which have been demonstrating considerable growth potential. As for figure skating, Sk8scotland claims that it alone is responsible (through the annual Scottish Skating Championships) of generating between £250 - 300k for the local Dumfries & Galloway economy each year, and has done so for the past eight years.

Alan Hewitt agreed with the case for the works, saying, “The case for this project was sound, as it was clear that indoor bowls was in decline in the area and that the public, not only in the immediate area but also in Scotland as a whole, could be better served by a curling facility”.

Honda to increase presence in Scotland with new Edinburgh location A new Honda dealership in Edinburgh has reached practical completion under main contractor Talbot Construction, a specialist in automotive dealerships.

Located on Whitehill Road, the unit features a motor showroom and an adjoining workshop offering MOT and valet services as well as repairs. Once fully up and running, the dealership will be let out to a local dealer and will provide up to 50 jobs for the area.

site in October 2009, while practical completion was reached in early November.

Honda is the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles as well as the world’s largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than 14 million internal combustion engines each year. Honda surpassed Nissan in 2001 to become the second-largest Japanese automobile manufacturer. As of August 2008, Honda surpassed Chrysler as

A Talbot Construction statement read, “Having successfully completed the Honda development at Silverlink, Newcastle, we were awarded the contract to deliver the Edinburgh showroom.

Talbot’s worked closely with the client and their design team during the pre construction period to ensure we met the necessary budget targets”.

The £3.2 million, 20,000 sq. ft. project includes a number of sustainable and energy saving features such as passive ventilation and rainwater harvesting, which have contributed to a ‘very good’ BREEAM rating.

Gordon Hunt, property manager for Honda Europe, told Premier Construction, “This move is part of our ongoing desire to deliver first class premises into our dealer network. I’ve been very pleased with the way the unit has developed right from the start, when we had a very co-operative relationship with local planners. With up to 75 people on site, things have progressed quickly and we’re now close to opening”.

The land on which the new dealership is built has been leased through Standard Life. Preliminary work began at the green field

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Honda is now the sixth largest automobile manufacturer in the world.

Exterior Decking Exterior Decking were responsible for the supply and expert installation of Exterpark™ decking to the project, using deck, joist and beam span tables. The project was completed over five days.

The decking specialist has been working with Talbot Construction to supply and install all of the Exterpark™ hardwood decking for Honda garage refurbishments.

Exterior Decking holds exclusivity on the UK for the distribution of Exterpark™ hardwood, which, with its superior quality and patented invisible fastening, is considered to be the most exclusive of hardwoods in the UK. Exterior Decking is also a distributor of Millboard™ replica wood, which offers replica oak flooring that looks in every way like real wood but is maintenance free.

Find out much more about Exterior Decking at www. exteriordecking.co.uk

Opening doors for muchneeded homes in the Highlands Providing much-needed new housing for rent in the Scottish Highlands, Global Construction (Scotland) have completed one scheme and are constructing two others for Lochalsh & Skye Housing Association.

The projects are at Burnside, Dornie and Kyleakin.

Burnside At Burnside, Plockton, a scheme comprising 15 rented and nine shared equity houses has been completed. The scheme, which was built with £2.3m of Housing Association Grant, is the first significant affordable housing to be built in Plockton for many years. The houses, all of which have front and rear gardens, have been built to high standards of design, making use of traditional materials such as slate, timber cladding and natural stone. High levels of energy efficiency have also been built in, and all the properties feature exceptional levels of insulation and have air source heat pumps.

The new homes are much needed in the area - for example one new tenant, Lennie Eardley, previously moved to a caravan at the airstrip in Plockton on the first of April 1978. He worked locally and lived in a succession of caravans, getting electricity installed only when he got his most recent caravan in 2007.

Having suffered a stroke on the 13th of March last year, life in the caravan for Mr. Eardley became very much more difficult. So he is very pleased to be in his new home.

Speaking at the handover of the scheme, Charlie MacRae, Chair of Plockton and District Community Council said: “We

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are delighted with the houses and pleased to welcome the new residents. We are particularly pleased to welcome young people into the community and hope that this will boost the numbers at Plockton Primary School.”

Lachie MacDonald, Chief Executive of Lochalsh and Skye Housing Association said, “The high cost of property in the

Plockton area has made it very difficult for local people to secure a home in the area and this development will go a long way towards addressing housing needs. We would like to thank everyone who has contributed towards the successful completion of the development”.

Minister for Housing and Communities Alex Neil, welcoming the new development, said, “This new development is great news for people looking for a high quality, low cost home. The Scottish Government is determined to increase the number of affordable homes and this is why we provided funding to help deliver this development”.

Kyleakin A scheme comprising 12 one and two bedroom flats for rent within a three storey building is under construction at Kyleakin Youth Hostel and the properties are scheduled to be completed on April 2011.

The new three-storey building features rendered masonry external elevations on the north, east and south elevations and larch cladding on the west elevation. Homes on the second and

third floors will have balconies with french windows and the building has a natural slate roof.

Dornie At Dornie, eight two bedroom four-person semi detached houses providing special rented accommodation, together with a day centre are under construction in the first phase of a larger development. The estimated completion date of the first phase is mid-December 2010, and the properties should be occupied early in January 2011.

Future phases of the scheme comprise 10 two bedroom flats, eight two bedroom semi detached houses and 11 three-bedroom semi detached houses. The development includes a play area, landscaped amenity areas and parking areas.

Lochalsh & Skye Housing Association was set up in 1983 as an independent non-profit making housing organisation to develop, manage and maintain housing for rent.

Since then there has been a tremendous growth in the size and the geographical spread of the association’s own housing stock and they have considerably extended the range of housing solutions they provide to meet the needs of a wide range of clients.

As the association has evolved, they have adopted new and innovative approaches to meeting their objectives and are totally committed to working in partnership with individuals, groups and organisations for the benefit of all concerned. They are also committed to regularly reviewing their operations to ensure that they are delivering services which are responsive to the needs of their customers and which provide value for money.

Peterhead Harbour extended to grab bigger share of UK shipping market A joint venture between contractors RJ McLeod and Westminster Dredging is to thank for an extension to the facilities at Peterhead Harbour.

The new Smith Embankment adds an easily accessed 200-metre berth with a 10-metre depth to more than 3 kilometres of existing alongside berthing, together with a working area of 16,000 square metres - including heavy-lift and module skidding capabilities - and full quayside servicing. The £33.5 million project will create up to 60 full-time jobs and contribute an estimated £12 million a year to the local economy.

Smith Embankment’s 10-metre depth and impressive heavylift capabilities are also expected to attract business from the growing oil and gas decommissioning sector. Lifts of over 500 tonnes are possible from the quay’s heavy lift pad, while modules of up to 2,500 tonnes can be skidded ashore.

A high-capacity electrical connection point allows vessels to connect to a 350Kva supply and turn off their main engines, so saving on fuel costs and reducing emissions.

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RJ McLeod took care primarily of the shore side works including piling and concrete works. Fugro Seacore Ltd, a large marine drilling contractor, drilled the rock sockets for the nineteen piles and grouted using their jack up barge Deep Diver and their Teredo 8 pile top drill. Westminster Dredging’s role in the project was to oversee marine works including blasting and land reclamation.

Project engineer Gavin Noble of Peter Fraenkel & Partners told Premier Construction, “There were two particular concerns during the project which you might not find elsewhere. The first was environmental: it was vital to protect the marine life around the port, the most vulnerable of which included porpoises and the common harbour seal. As the seal’s name suggests, it lives in numbers around areas such as this and can be particularly threatened if proper care is not taken during operations like blasting.

“Secondly, this is the biggest white fish port in Europe and at no point could our work interfere with the fisheries, which are the backbone of the local economy. The boats featured in the TV series ‘Trawlermen’ work out of this area, so anyone who has seen it will know the volume of traffic involved, as well as the way fishermen can suffer if anything gets in the way of their livelihood”.

Weather, however, presented only minor and infrequent problems to the construction team. Gavin added, “There were only one or two occasions on which we had to down tools. We know what the weather can be like in the area and we were prepared for it. Luckily, there was nothing out of the ordinary.

The only incident we suffered was the loss of some piles which

were swept away by waves, but we were able to replace them and carry on as normal”.

Peterhead Port Authority chief executive John Wallace said, “The completion of Smith Embankment is an exciting development for the port of Peterhead and allows us to further strengthen our ties with existing clients while also targeting new markets.

“I congratulate my team and board, the contractors and the engineers for their dedication and workmanship in delivering this legacy development for Peterhead.

“Smith Embankment represents a state-of-the-art facility for the pelagic fishing industry and commercial interests. The deep water, all-weather berths with supporting infrastructure elevates Peterhead to a prime position to capitalise on the opportunities that lie ahead”.

Fisheries Secretary Richard Lochhead said, “This hugely ambitious infrastructure project is exactly what the North East and Scotland needs at this time and it will help secure a bright future for one of our key industries for many decades to come.

“Peterhead is a vital port for Scotland’s fishing fleet and requires significant investment to help our fishermen maximise the potential of North Sea and other stocks.

“The improved harbour will increase berthing facilities and ensure it can cope with the largest, most modern pelagic vessels”.

Work on the project began in April 2009 and was completed by the beginning of October 2010. A follow-up project to complete onshore paving is to be completed by Christmas 2010.

Construction expertise creates new landfill The construction of a new landfill cell and the permanent capping of part of an existing cell is nearing completion in a project at Nether Dallachy Landfill site in Spey Bay, Fochabers, Moray.

Main Contractors Priority Construction are carrying out the scheme for Moray Council. Consulting Engineers are aecom.

Construction of the new, approximately 18,000 sq m cell (the sixth cell on the site), is taking place in a former sand and gravel quarry. Initial works included the construction of an approximately 2 metre high subsoil bund wall comprising a mixture of imported material and material graded and screened from the site. Other preliminary works comprised initial landfill of approximately half a metre of bentonite enriched sand to form a geological barrier.

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topped with a protective fleece of geotextile integral drainage lattice.

The lattice is being overlaid with 100 ml of drainage sand, and a drainage layer of between 500 ml and 750 ml of aggregate, incorporating leachate collection pipe work, is being installed above this.

The new cell has been divided into three sub-sections, to minimise the fill areas for leachate management purposes.

The permanent capping of approximately 12,000 sq m of an existing cell includes the laying of a regulating layer to ensure that no sharp objects are protruding. This is then covered by a l ml thick high density polyethylene capping which is welded onto the cell’s bund wall and overlaid by protective geotextile material, which is then topped with 100 ml of drainage sand. Finally, 650 ml of topsoil is laid over the sand, forming a restoration layer.

Completion of the new cell is imminent, with approximately 30 per cent of the capping works also having been completed.

Currently construction is over-running by about four weeks, due to adverse weather conditions, as some of the works are weather-critical.

On completion of the capped cell, Renewable Power Systems Ltd will install permanent gas wells to extract landfill gas, which will be used for electricity generation, producing around 1MW of power.

Priority Construction is an environmental and civil engineering company based in Ireland, with 40 years of experience in both public and private works, as well as design and build contracts.

Priority Construction is committed to the highest standards of quality and customer service from start to finish. This is borne out by continuous investment in experienced personnel and highly

Swimming pool work almost Dun

efficient equipment, coupled with flexible and innovative work practices designed to guarantee a seamless contact delivery.

The company has carried out contracts for a large number of public and private clients involved in the disposal and transfer of waste in Ireland.

New lined landfills have been constructed, and existing landfills have been capped for numerous local authorities and private clients, including Westmeath, North and South Tipperary, Cork, Carlow, Kilkenny, Fingal, Limerick and Clare.

Our fitness room will nevertheless be a valuable addition to the project, and it will be used for activities such as spinning, tai chi and kickboxing. The committee room is also designed to be flexible and we will be using it for both meetings and staff

At Duns Swimming Pool in Berwickshire, developers are finalising a project to extend the available floor space at the facility and provide a fitness room, a flexibleuse committee room and some new toilets. The main contractor for the project is Perth-based design and build firm Algo.

Built in 1972, the pool was in desperate need of refurbishment so that it can continue to deliver health and education benefits to around 3000 users per month from the local area and sustain the jobs of eight employees. The upgrade project has benefitted from grants of around £663,000 following a successful application to the Scotland Rural Priorities Fund.

Pool manager Kirsty Inkpen said, “After thirteen years of running the pool hand to mouth it is great to know that the maintenance and repairs, always a huge problem for us, will be taken care of, giving us a brighter future. Our enthusiastic team of staff is both loyal and committed and really deserves the security this will bring”.

Karen Morrison, Rural Priorities case officer, commented as funds were made available for the project, saying, “We are delighted that the Scotland Rural Development Programme grant of 663,417 to upgrade and extend Duns Swimming Pool will help to secure its future for the benefit of all local people.

“The swimming pool is a vital part of the Duns sporting, recreation and educational life and it is great that the community group have worked hard to make sure that current and future generations learn to swim, keep fit and enjoy the water”.

Project manager Rosalyne Gresham told Premier Construction, “We considered putting in a full gym, but eventually decided that one wasn’t needed as we already have a gym in the town.

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Discussing the decision-making process, she added, “The local council has been very supportive throughout the process and our planning application was very straightforward. It was nice to find that our plans had so much local support since the time had definitely come to upgrade the facility”.

About the contractor Algo was founded in the 1980s and specialises in design and build projects, focussing especially on agricultural sheds and storage, industrial units, commercial buildings and educational facilities. The business grew out of a steel fabrication enterprise; steel products are still manufactured at the firm’s Blairgowrie base. Find out more about Algo at www.algo.co.uk

A new boost for the construction industry in Scotland Heralding a new boost for the construction industry in Scotland, a state of the art construction training facility has been completed at Aberdeen College’s Altens site in a project carried out by main contractors Mansell.

The new facility, which is the first phase of the college’s Estates Development Strategy, has been built alongside the current Altens campus. It contains workshops and classrooms for joinery, brickwork, painting and decorating and plumbing

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courses, as well as a new library, learning resource centre, fitness suite and eating area.

The new building also incorporates CO2-reducing measures including the installation of solar panels, a 25KW wind turbine, natural ventilation, modulated lighting, insulation levels higher than building regulations, and radiant heat in the workshops in place of blown heat. Rain water is also collected from the roof for use in the toilet cisterns.

The college has consulted widely with industry representatives to ensure that the facility meets the needs of students and employers, and provides appropriate education and training opportunities for years to come.

Aberdeen College vice principal Roddy Scott, said, “The Construction Training Facility is an important investment in the local economy and should benefit an industry which has felt the effects of recession.

“As Scotland’s largest college of further and higher education, Aberdeen College plays an important role in meeting the educational and training needs of individuals, firms and communities in the North-East. The new training facility aims to encourage students back into the construction industry, helping to create a skilled workforce ready to take advantage of the opportunities available in the economic upturn”.

George Hood, divisional managing director at Mansell, said, “This was a significant and exciting project for Mansell to have been awarded, and I was delighted that we were chosen to construct what is an extremely important new facility for Aberdeen College, and indeed the city in general.

“This facility can help play a major role in encouraging more young people to take up a career in construction, which will be of real benefit to the industry, not just in the North-East, but throughout the whole country”.

Director and secretary of the Scottish and Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers Federation (SNIPEF), Robert Burgon, said, “The plumbing industry places a great deal of importance on training and, in particular, apprentice training. We have worked closely with Aberdeen College over a number of years in delivering quality training for new entrants into our sector.

“Modern apprenticeships are the cornerstone of delivering competent tradesmen and with Aberdeen College’s investment in new training facilities, we are confident that they can continue

to assist in supplying the industry with well-trained and motivated plumbers of the future”.

ConstructionSkills apprenticeships manager for Scotland North, Sandy MacGillivray, said, “We congratulate the board of management at Aberdeen College for their vision and commitment to training within the construction industry.

“In order to train the construction workers for the future, it is essential that investment like this is made and the college maintains their strong links with local industry at all levels”.

Construction courses, which were previously delivered at the college’s Gallowgate Centre, have relocated to the new building.

The project was funded by a £12 million grant by the Scottish Funding Council.

Aberdeen College is Scotland’s largest college of further and higher education and vocational training, with around 30,000 annual enrolments, and around 5,500 full-time students.

With its service area spread out 65 miles north and south, and 60 miles west, and around 30,000 annual student enrolments, the college’s Estates Development Strategy is based on the ‘dispersed college’ model, with learning centres established throughout Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire.

Through this model, the college aims to provide students with easier access to college services and to learn using ways that are tailored to their individual needs, by using new technologies and innovative approaches to education and training.

The college delivers 7.1% of total activity in Scottish colleges, and is at the forefront of innovation in the use of new technologies in learning and teaching. Its success has been recognised by the many national awards that have been received from organisations including, Beacon, BSI, Quality Scotland, Customer Service Excellence (Charter Mark), RoSPA, British Safety Council and Scotland’s Health at Work.

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Call our news team on 01706 719972

Lambhill Stables to remedy ‘post-industrial 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

www.romauk.net

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”.

Manor kingdom opens doors to the diplomat in west linton Arguably Scotland’s most impressive new showhome has just been unveiled by luxury housebuilder Manor Kingdom at the select Rutherford Castle development, West Linton.

The development comprises just six, detached new villas and four sympathetic conversions set against the backdrop of the scenic Scottish borders, within commuting distance of the capital city.

Carefully set amidst the exhilarating rural scenery is a beautifully kept, 18 hole golf course. The manicured greens and rolling fairways were lovingly laid out here just ten years ago by a local landowner, whose dream it was to have a golf course

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on his doorstep. Beside the course, tucked discreetly away at the end of a tree-lined lane sits this magnificent development each luxurious home as spacious as one would expect in such an expansive landscape.

The magnificent new Diplomat style showhome has been expertly designed by interior designer Eileen Kesson with bold yet inviting colours to create a house which any buyer would be proud to call home.

The Diplomat’s fabulous entrance hallway is spacious and bright with a feature staircase leading to the upper “minstrel” style gallery landing.

The generous kitchen, with separate utility room and boot

room, is designed in a striking red with a separate free standing unit, with space for an informal dining area, and incorporates a range cooker, American style fridge freezer and wine cooler.

The formal dining room has a bold feature wall with dark brocade wallpaper, a fabulous mirror and stunning chandelier over an elegant, eight seater dining table.

Upstairs, four double bedrooms, three of which enjoy the privacy of their own ensuite, and a luxury family bathroom are designed around the landing with another unique chandelier positioned above the handcrafted staircase.

The master suite is the epitome of luxury with steps leading down to the opulently designed room, which features an ensuite bathroom with free standing bath and a separate dressing room incorporating fitted wardrobes. A fabulous chaise longue sits in the window with a Juliet balcony offering a beautiful design feature for buyers to enjoy.

The three further bedrooms are each bright and airy with individual designs. One boasts a classic black and white Audrey Hepburn design, another has French style cream furniture, and the third bedroom is designed with trendy denim highlights.

An upstairs drawing room on the first floor incorporates a feature fireplace and two balconies which offer commanding views over the Diplomat’s landscaped back garden. The back garden offers plenty of space for enjoying the surrounding countryside and entertaining family and friends in the summer. All of the timber fencing for these developments is provided by JDR Fencing Ltd.

Estelle Dougan, sales manager for Manor Kingdom, said: “The Diplomat is an extremely impressive house style, particularly the new showhome at Rutherford Castle as the interior design gives each room the wow factor. The striking combinations of colours highlight the generous space and unique features of the property while creating a fabulous family home.

“Visitors to the showhome can’t fail to be impressed by the house style which offers an enviable amount of space for all the family in a wonderful semi-rural location.”

An education in sustainable design Under construction to a highly sustainable design is the new Colmonell Primary School in Colmonell, Girvan, Ayrshire.

The project is being carried out for South Ayreshire Council by main contractors Ashleigh. Architects are ARPL Architects Ltd. The school has been designed to offer flexibility for education and enjoyable spaces within a secure and efficient layout. The building makes use of different sizes and heights of spaces to make rooms suitable for children of all ages.

The school features a top lit open area at the heart of the building with classrooms opening to outdoor teaching areas. All spaces are naturally lit and naturally ventilated. The high-level roofs of the building are covered in turf, sheltering the naturally ventilated teaching spaces, insulated with recycled newspaper and heated by air source heat pumps.

Councillor Hywel Davies, South Ayrshire Council’s lifelong learning portfolio holder, said, “This is an important part of the council’s school investment programme. The new school building will provide a bright and exciting learning environment for the children and staff as well as a modern community resource for Colmonell and surrounding district”.

“Costing £1.5 million, the single storey building will fit into the landscape of the village. The school will be environmentally friendly, with different spaces in the building designed to accommodate small and large groups of children to meet all their needs - and outdoor space too”.

ARPL Architects Ltd director Gordon Fleming commented, “Everyone is greatly looking forward to completion of the one of the greenest buildings in the south-west of Scotland towards the end of the year”, Ashleigh are achieving a sustainable level of turnover of £60m.

Their non-adversarial commercial approach continues to be a welcome and attractive ethos to their client base.

The company have taken a positive, pro-active approach to the current business challenges and, over the last two years, have successfully altered the balance of work undertaken. This level of stability has been achieved through focus on quality workmanship and investment in skills and training - which have

been crucial in attracting new business opportunities in the public sector.

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An Suidhe project manager has finish line in sight The new RWE npower renewables wind farm at An Suidhe is developing at pace under German wind turbine manufacturer and main contractor Enercon. Enercon is a global leader in the production of wind energy plants with headquarters in Aurich, Germany.

An Suidhe is located five miles west of Inveraray and will have a generating capacity of up to 19.3 megawatts (MW) producing enough green electricity to meet the average demands of 10,400 homes.

It is an excellent location for a wind farm and was chosen because it benefits from high wind speeds, a location outside international, national and Highland Council designations for landscape and ecology, an absence of dwellings near the site, proximity to the electricity grid and good access from the nearby A83.

“We were pleased to see [the first tower] go up smoothly and ahead of schedule”, said RWE npower renewables’ project manager, Mark Godding. “This was no doubt helped by the good site conditions and excellent transport routes, some of the key reasons that this site was chosen for the wind farm”.

He added, “The area is rocky and there are patches of peat and various water courses, over which we’ve built a bridge as part of the access routes, but in many cases the area has been to our advantage. The local rock is of good quality, for example, so we were able to use it during the access road construction process”.

He concluded, “It’s been a successful project so far and major

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milestones been achieved either on time or ahead of schedule, so I fully expect the works to carry on in the same way”.

RWE npower renewables has delivered a range of community benefits in association with its operating wind farms. These measures benefit those communities living closest to each wind farm and have to date included energy efficiency schemes, school education programmes, local event sponsorship, equipment for schools, youth groups and sports clubs. At An Suidhe, the company is providing a community fund paid for by the revenue of the wind farm and passed to local communities annually for the life of the development.

History of the project Construction of the wind farm began in January 2009 under initial main contractor I&H Brown with the construction of turbine and ancillary foundations, crane hardstandings, a new bridge and around 22 km of access roads. Civil works were finished by early 2010. Balfour Beatty Engineering Services Ltd carried out the installation of the electrical infrastructure.

RWE npower renewables took control of developing the consented project in May 2005. It was originally proposed in 1995 by another developer and received consent following a public inquiry in 2003. The company erected the first 80 metre Enercon turbine in April 2010 - two months ahead of schedule.

In April 2008, RWE npower renewables submitted to Argyll and Bute Council a variation to the original number of turbines, reducing it from 24 to 23, and increasing the hub height from 50m to 56m, as well as extending the project’s switch-on date to 31 March 2011 following extensive commissioning. Enercon is charged with seeing the project through to completion as principal contractor.

South Lanarkshire school programme reaches significant landmark Fifty new schools have been built across South Lanarkshire as part of South Lanarkshire Council’s £850 million Primary Schools Modernisation Programme.

Udston Primary School in Hamilton and St Joseph’s Primary School in Blantyre are the latest to open.

The new Udston Primary School was constructed by Morgan Sindall at a cost of £6.8 million. It includes eight classrooms, an assembly and gym hall, a stage, a dining room, a library area and an ICT suite and opened to pupils on October 18th.

St Joseph’s Primary School, which welcomed pupils for the first time on October 21st, boasts 12 classrooms, an assembly and gym hall, a stage, a dining room, a library area, an ICT suite and a nursery class. The schools were built by construction partner Kier Construction at a cost of £9.8 million.

Additionally, the new schools will each benefit from a Multi Use Games Area (MUGA) to utilise as an outdoor space for PE. St Joseph’s MUGA will be completed after the demolition of the old school.

Craig Gray of RMJM, architects on the St Josephs project, told Premier Construction, “We have tried to achieve quite a reserved look on the exterior, so as not to be too bold and brash in what is otherwise a nice, quiet residential area. On the inside,

however, we have filled the school with vibrant colours that are more typical of a primary school.

“These and other measures are part of a new policy we’ve recently adopted for educational buildings: to reduce costs when it comes to externals and turn the saving to good use internally”.

Leader of South Lanarkshire Council Eddie McAvoy expressed his enthusiasm at the latest additions to the schools modernisation programme.

He said, “The completion of these primary schools is a further illustration of our investment in education. It is exciting to have reached the 50 mark. It means that nearly 11,000 pupils – almost half of the primary aged population in South Lanarkshire – are being taught in bright, modern and inspiring buildings.

“These new schools will enhance the learning environment and enrich the academic experiences of pupils and teachers. The wider community will also benefit from the new schools when they take advantage of the all-weather pitches which will be available for public use in the evenings and weekends.

“The completion of the Secondary Schools Modernisation Programme also means that almost 20,000 secondary age pupils are in new or refurbished high schools. This is proof positive of this council’s commitment to delivering first-class education and to giving our youngsters the very best start possible”.

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Master craftsmen restore Derry cathedral

The second phase of a restoration project at Saint Columb’s Cathedral in Derry is beginning to bear the fruits of significant funding from the Northern Ireland Tourist Board and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency. Specialist conservation practice Mullarkey Pedersen Architects have collaborated with main contractor Woodvale Construction on the project.

Phase 2 of the cathedral restoration is now well under way having commenced in February 2010 and work is progressing according to plan. The major part of the restoration is to the interior and exterior stonework along with the final stage of new heating and new technology LED lighting. The work will also include restoration of the bell tower and stained glass windows. The organ has already been replaced and a new organ loft, which allows the organist to sit above the choir, has been added at a combined cost of £500,000.

Internally, the bulk of the work was completed in September 2010 as the main nave and north aisle works were finalised. Currently, workers are

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concentrating on the chapter house and south aisle, and hope to be finished in time for Christmas celebrations.

Externally, the whole cathedral is being re-pointed and the north elevation scaffolding is soon to be dismantled. Work continues on the south elevation, which will also be completed by Christmas.

Phase 1 was completed in May 2008 at a total cost of £570,000 of which there is a shortfall of £150,000 and with a minimum shortfall of £150,000 from Phase 2, the cathedral will still have to find partnership funding possibly in excess of £300,000.

This will require continued support not only from the congregation but other possible funders and this search will continue. If you would like to contribute, you can start by visiting www. stcolumbscathedral.org The proposed completion of the first two phases is February 2011. Despite the major works, the cathedral is still open for all services and visitors. Remaining phases, which include refurbishing the car park and the gravestones, have just been approved. Future phases, which involve the creation of an interpretative centre to the basement of the deanery, which would serve as a first point of call for tourists visiting the city, are currently

being developed for funding approval.

According to project architect Karl Pedersen, “This project had been in planning for a number of years before work started, and our work has involved extensive surveying and reporting on the condition of the stone before the actual restoration began. It was about time for the work to be carried out, as some of it had decayed to the extent that it would break away in our hands. You can imagine the danger that would pose to people during stormy weather.

“Since the building was in such dire need, the repair work has been well received. It’s not ideal to have such a landmark wrapped in scaffolding, but people have recognised that it’s for the good of the cathedral.

“Usually, we will aim to leave projects like this as if we or the contractors were never there. This project is different in that anyone familiar with the cathedral can see instantly what kind of work has been done, and in this case I prefer it that way.

Not only can you see that the money invested in the project has been well spent on some marked improvements, but also aspects of the cathedral that weren’t visible before are becoming apparent. For example, there are intricate wooden

carvings around the interior, of which no two are identical.

Thanks to the LED lighting, they are now illuminated for all to see.

“It’s a pleasure to be doing this kind of work and I’d hope to say that we’ve contributed to improving not only a beautiful and important building, but also the experience of people coming to visit it. The hope is to make the cathedral the gateway to the area. It is the jewel in the crown of the Walled City of Derry”.

Saint Columb’s has stood on its prominent site inside the famous walls of Derry since 1633 and is dedicated to the name of Saint Columba (Columb) who established a Christian settlement there in the sixth century. Construction work began in 1628 and the stone which records completion is still to be seen in the porch of the cathedral. This and other attractions pull in over 100,000 tourists a year. According to figures published by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, the cathedral is actually the second most popular destination in the country.

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€20 million investment in infrastructure for the sustainable development of Carlow Town The Carlow Town Surface Water Drainage Scheme, Flood Relief Scheme Phase A and Water Main Rehabilitation Project is currently under construction in Carlow, Ireland. The project is essential to Carlow’s sustainable development and is being carried out for Carlow County Council and Carlow Town Council, who secured funding of €20 million for the scheme.

The project is primarily funded by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, with the main sum for the flood relief scheme funded by the OPW (Office of Public Works). Main contractors are Wills Brothers Ltd Civil Engineering Contractors from Mayo, Ireland; engineers are RPS Consulting Engineers and Ryan Hanley Consulting Engineers.

The scheme contains five separate projects: surface water drainage; water main rehabilitation; a flood relief scheme; construction of an urban relief road and construction of the Kernanstown SLI (Serviced Land Initiative). Carlow’s existing surface water drainage network is being replaced with an improved network. The work will include construction of 20kms of new combined sewer pipeline, combined storm overflow chambers, pumping stations and rising mains. The new drainage network being installed will improve flow capacity in the town and prevent surface flooding caused when pipes in the existing network surcharge onto the street during periods of intense rainfall.

Water main rehabilitation works are also being undertaken and will assist in reducing leakage by identifying and replacing old water mains that have outlived their usefulness. Approximately 8kms of water main pipelines are to be constructed. Due to the age of the network, many of the pipes are in such poor condition that they are prone to bursts, leaks and low water pressure, and so must be replaced.

The flood relief scheme will enhance protection from the type of flooding which caused damage in the town in November 2009. Construction of Phase A of the flood relief scheme includes works on the east bank of the River Barrow, north of the confluence with the River Burrin as well as along the northern

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bank of the River Burrin. The works involve the construction of flood relief walls and embankments to protect against the 1 in 100 year flood event.

A new urban relief road is being constructed along the Barrow Track between Montgomery Street and Cox’s Lane. It will be 300m in length, with a mini-roundabout at either end of the road and a tow path adjacent to the River Barrow. The urban relief road adjoins the flood relief scheme and will comprise of flood protection. The new road is also being constructed above the 1 in 100 year flood event.

The contract was awarded to Wills Bros. Ltd. in April 2010, and construction started in May 2010. The project is scheduled for completion in October 2011. Construction is ongoing within the town and the project team actively informs people affected by the scheme about planned works through the project website www.carlowmaindrainage.ie, and through local radio stations and newspapers. Construction work is also carefully planned not to coincide with events taking place in the town to minimize disruption.

Major 2009 road scheme nears anniversary of completion The new €23.2 million Ballycoolin to Cappagh road improvements have boosted the transport system west of Dublin over the last year, since a re-alignment scheme was completed by main contractor Roadbridge on behalf of Fingal County Council.

The contract comprised re-alignment and full reconstruction of 4km of single carriageway in four phases including construction of five new roundabouts with associated infrastructure and services. The majority of works were built on-line, requiring extensive traffic management in an urban environment with an AADT of 14500 for the Ballycoolin Road and 9500 AADT for the Cappagh Road.

Diversion of multiple existing services, including a 38inch concrete, a 24inch cast iron and a 24inch asbestos water mains, a 450mm gas transmission main and blown fibre-optic cables.

Construction of 2.4km of 1000mm diameter ductile iron water main and 4.0km of 400mm diameter ductile iron water main added to the programme.

Extensive boundary treatments, fencing and safety barrier systems along both sides of the new road were required, with landscapign work carried out by Mitchell & Associates.

The provision of the road was a transportation objective of the Fingal Development Plan. The road is an integral part of the distributor network in the Blanchardstown catchment area and is essential to the development of infrastructure for rapidly expanding residential, industrial and commercial zones within the catchment.

The scheme is in accordance with the primary road transport objectives outlines in the National Development Plan and the

recommendations of the strategic planning guidelines for the greater Dublin area. The scheme has been designed to take account of pedestrians, cyclists, public transport and private vehicular traffic – a vast improvement on the prior situation, according to Fingal County Council’s Tom O’Connor: “The road has opened up the area for development and we are already seeing benefits. Previously, there was only a substandard country road that had to deal with traffic from the industries in the area, as well as private traffic. Now, in its place, we have a faster, safer connection to the wider area”.

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Restoration and conservation mortars

By Ugo Spano, St. Astier Limes Liaison Office Today all of us are charged with ensuring the survival of our historical and vernacular built heritage through careful and considered conservation, restoration and renovation.

All too often, buildings are repaired with inappropriate materials and poor skills.

Many are the subject of interventions that in time lead to their total loss. Others are simply changed out of all recognition.

In most cases, the mortar used for repairs, restoration or conservation contains cement. In these buildings, the use of cement mortars promote condensation build up, salt reactions and, generally, drastically affects the long term survival of the building.

St. Astier natural hydraulic lime mortars provide a valid alternative to cement mortars or cement/lime mixes and, if applied properly, they will have a much longer life. Environmentally, they offer far greater efficiency than cementicious mortars by re-absorbing CO2 and not compromising the recyclability of the building materials.

We work with what we call the ‘ten commandments’ when judging the suitability of mortar: Compatibility • Low capillarity and shrinkage • Adequate Ca(OH)2 or free lime content • Resistance to frost • Resistance to salts • Vapour permeability (breathability) & good sands • Early setting, good elasticity/ workability/re-workability • Suitable compressive and bonding strength • Environmental considerations • Correct working and site practice

Rule 1: Compatibility

We prefer to look at compatible mortars rather than like for like. The reason for this is that today in most cases, it is not possible to reproduce exactly the mortars of the past.

The binders are different; the sands might not be the same. In the EU, a lot of sand pits have closed and some of the historic pits no longer exist. Compatibility should be both chemical and mechanical..

Mortars introduced into existing structures must not react chemically with existing mortars and surrounding masonry

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by introducing soluble salts such as sulphate (gypsum) or aluminates causing sulphate attack; or alkalis (potassium and sodium) causing a reaction with the sand (alkali-silica reaction).

In mechanical terms, mortars should not be too dense to impede breathability or have poor elasticity resulting in cracks that will allow water/moisture penetration.

Rule 2: Look for low capillarity and shrinkage

These are both properties affecting the durability of the mortar. High capillarity allows moisture penetration and, if a mortar has poor breathability (such as cementicious mortars), there will be condensation and associated problems.

The main causes of high capillarity are poor sands and void structure and high quantity of free lime in the binder. Free lime crystallises in the voids, reducing their size and therefore increasing their capillary action.

Poor building details and drainage increases the amount of water in touch with the masonry which can be absorbed by capillary action.

High shrinkage is also a source of cracking and it is to be avoided.

Shrinkage is caused by: • Inadequate suction control of the masonry units. If suction is not controlled by adequate wetting or dampening of the masonry, water in the mortar will be sucked into the masonry. The mortar is therefore deprived of the water necessary for hydration and the mortar becomes friable as its matrix has not formed properly.

• High free lime content. This is because free lime is very fine and demands more water at the moment of mixing the mortar. The evaporation of this water leaves micro cracks in the mortar (shrinkage).

• Wrong dosage in the mortar mix.

Commonly occurring when too much binder is used. Over-binding produces a heave effect, causing cracks.

• Poor mixing of the mortar can cause over-binding in certain areas and low binding in other with cracks as a result.

• Poor protection from drying wind, direct sun, driving rain and frost when the mortar is still fresh will also cause cracking and shrinkage.

So will poor curing: mortars,

•

especially lime mortars, need time to cure. So, depending on the weather conditions, mortar needs to be dampened for few days in warm weather or in the presence of drying wind.

In cold rainy weather and when frost is expected, fresh mortars have to be covered to prevent damage. This is normally done with hessian sheeting.

Rule 3: Adequate Ca(OH)2 or free lime content

Free lime, high calcium lime, available lime, air lime, hydrated lime, portlandite, fat lime and slaked lime are basically all the same and consist of calcium hydroxide - Ca(OH)2.

The trade uses all these denominations and sometimes people do not know that they all refer to the same element. They are classified in BS/EN 459 Standard as CL (calcium limes) and are differentiated by the percentage of Ca(OH)2 content.

Free lime makes mortars more workable and this is liked by the mason. However, free lime affects a number of important properties in mortars such as: Setting and hardening time: an early set and a relatively quick hardening are important to be able to build with some speed. Initial setting of a hydraulic mortar is within one or two hours; the final set is within 24 hours. The final set determines the moment when the mortar cannot be re-worked.

Hardening takes longer. It is the time that the calcium silicates and other hydraulic components in a mortar take to become insoluble. In the European norms, both properties are taken into consideration and the definition of NHL 2, NHL 3.5 and NHL 5 is based on the hardened strength at 28 days expressed in Newton per mm2.

Free lime is not hydraulic and needs contact with air to re-absorb CO2 and reconstitute itself to CaCO3 or limestone.

This process called carbonation may take a very long time. Damp environment, rain, and the location of the mortar (exposure to air) contribute to slowing and in some cases even stopping carbonation. The result is that the mortar does not harden.

Free lime will dissolve in water at a ratio of 1 to 6 and this is the reason why leaching occurs. Leaching not only is an unwanted visual effect but also deprives the mortar of some of the binder with the result that you have a different mortar in the structure from the one specified.

Free lime, because of its fineness, increases water demand in the mortar.

This is one of the causes of shrinkage, as already discussed.

It also increases capillarity by crystallising in the voids, reducing breathability.

The reduction of the void size affects also the frost resistance, as we will shortly see.

High free lime mortars such as 1:1:6 and 1:2:9 mixes or hydrated (powder or putty) lime mortars might not be as suitable as they are supposed to be. Careful judgement has to be made in relation to their use. This also applies to lime mortars made with hydraulic lime with very high free lime content now being sold in the UK market.

Rule 4: Resistance to frost

The reduction in void size - by free lime crystallisation or a poor void structure caused by poor sands and the slow carbonation of free lime - makes the mortar more susceptible to frost damage.

Frost starts always from the surface and goes inward. Frozen water particles in the surface voids push the water in the voids behind further in and so on. If there is a good void structure accommodating the water movement, this process will not generate a pressure and the mortar will resist frost.

The size of the voids is also important: ice has a volume of 8% greater than water so it will exercise pressure if the voids cannot contain more that the water they already contain. This is the case in saturated mortars where the water absorbed during

rain before frost occurs is occupying all the voids.

Hardened mortars with a good void structure will resist frost. St. Astier NHL Mortars have been successfully used in areas of extreme cold such as Canada, Alaska, Norway, Finland, Denmark and wet/cold areas as part of Ireland and UK. The basic principle is to avoid saturation of the mortar when still fresh, so protection at this stage is of extreme importance.

Rule 5: Resistance to salts

The same mortar will also resist the outward migration of salts contained in the masonry. A macro void structure in the mortar will accommodate the pressure exercised by salts when moving or crystallising.

When structures contain salts, it is almost impossible to control them if they become unstable. Their behaviour is linked to the relative humidity which is typical to each salt. A lower RH will cause crystallisation; a higher RH will cause the salt to go into a solution and migrate.

If the void space is sufficient, these phenomena will not cause a damaging pressure. If crystallisation occurs, they stay in the wall and if there is no space in the voids the pressure can be great enough to crack the mortar. If they go into solution, they will eventually come out and can be cleaned off the wall.

Lime is hygroscopic: it attracts water and

by doing so a new lime mortar used for re-pointing or rendering might attract moisture contained in the structure and therefore change the RH of the wall in which the salts are contained, causing their movement. So a high free lime mortar will absorb salts. This is fine if we are using a lime mortar to diminish the salts content in the wall. Once the lime mortar is saturated with salts, it can be removed and the salts with it. It is not so good if we wish to keep the mortar. In this case, a NHL mortar with less free lime and a good void structure will obtain the required result.

The same type of mortar will not suffer from salts ingress promoted by external agents such as is common in marine environments.

The re-pointing of the harbour wall in 2000 at Atlantic College in Wales is still in perfect condition 10 years later. The mortar is an NHL 5 with very coarse sharp sand (pictured).

Rule 6: Vapour permeability (breathability) and good sands

A breathable mortar is essential in the control of condensation. No damp; no rot; a much better living environment.

It also helps in consuming less energy in heating. If a room is damp, a lot of the heating will go in drying out the damp before heating the room.

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A s s o c i ati o n s mortar. Saturation of the mortar is well reduced and so is the risk of frost damage.

St. Astier NHL mortars if compared to cement/lime mortars have a better breathability by 200%.

The two main factors in achieving good breathability are: • A relatively low free lime content in the binder to avoid too much crystallisation in the mortar voids and the use of well graded sands in the mortar.

• The choice of good well graded sand is of paramount importance in obtaining a breathable mortar.

Rule 7: Good setting, elasticity and workability

Setting and hardening determine the work rate. They are also related to the mortar dosage, the water addition and the weather conditions during execution of the work. Protection and curing methods are directly connected with setting, hardening and curing mortars.

Therefore, it is important to have a good idea of the setting and hardening properties of mortar to be able to determine whether it will be suitable for the work, what particular precautions to use and for how long.

Elasticity determines the amounts of movement that the mortar will take before cracking. It is also relevant in calculating the positioning of joints. A good elasticity will help in accepting thermal movements.

Workability of a mortar is in many cases left to the mason executing the work and, almost invariably, this results in excessive water addition to obtain the “plasticity” that masons like. This is wrong as too much (or too little) water can have serious effects on setting time, shrinkage, capillarity and so on.

Information on the correct water addition should be given to the mason and supervisors should check that the instructions are followed.

Rule 8: Suitable compressive and bonding strength

It is no good to look just at quick setting and hardening. A very hard mortar, especially when made with cement, is not the solution to all requirements.

Quick setting and strong hardening have become synonymous with “a good mortar” since the advent of cement but in restoration and conservation, setting and hardening should be only part of the evaluation to be made on the most suitable mortar for the job.

Of course we need setting and hardening, especially in adverse climatic conditions and seasonal work. But this should never be to the exclusion of all other considerations made up to now such as compatibility, breathability, elasticity and so on.

In restoration and conservation, St. Astier NHL mortars comply with all requirements.

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They set and harden faster and stronger than lime putty or hydrated lime without the use of pozzolans ( a “dear” word to many but essentially a poorly known subject, open to uncertain results) or cement.

Many producers state that their product contains “pozzolanic” additions. This is in most cases cement. Just ask the question about re-working the mortar within 24 hours. If the answer is no, the mortar most likely has a cement content.

The compatibility and other properties of NHL mortars ensure that performance and durability are achieved without the use of cement. They represent a logical and natural choice in the restoration and preservation of our built heritage.

Rule 9: Consider the environment Lime mortars re-absorb CO2. St, Astier NHL mortars will re-absorb between 38% and 49% of the CO2 emitted in production. NHL mortars are also non toxic and, once hardened, they will not increase the water pH. Cementicious mortars can contain chromium VI (directly related to skin allergies) and, depending on the type of cement used, components like pulverised fly ash (PFA), granulated ground blast furnace slag (GGBS) and others that contain a number of dangerous elements such as heavy metals and many other toxic elements.

NHL mortars will also be easily removed from masonry units, allowing them to be re-cycled.

The breathability of St. Astier NHL mortars eliminates condensation and contributes to a better living environment for people with breathing difficulties (asthma, for example).

Rule 10: Correct working and site practice

Good materials can become useless if the correct site practices are not followed.

Good workmanship and supervision are essential.

If mortars are not dosed or mixed properly, if they are not cured and protected correctly, if they are applied badly, if the application surfaces are not properly prepared, if suction is not controlled, if salt

movements are not taken into consideration and so on, the result will be a failure.

Architects, engineers – specifiers in general – should work with the contractor to ensure that he has the necessary comprehension and skills to apply the mortars and follow the necessary site practice.

Ii is, however, the responsibility of the mortar manufacturer to give specifiers all the information they require for the evaluation of the mortar to be adopted.

St. Astier Limes not only provide this information but also, when required, the technical staff actively work with the specifier giving technical advice to establish the most appropriate mortar for the proposed intervention.

For more information, clarification or for any query please contact: technical@ stastier.co.uk Or ugo.spano@btinternet.com

Construction News

Call our news team on 01706 719972

Choosing the right roofing contractor

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.

Today’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

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 doorknocker; 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

www.romauk.net

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

Advising clients about Site Waste Management The introduction of the Site Waste Management Plan Regulations 2008 has brought to the fore a number of issues relating to Construction Waste Management, Site Waste Management and the UK sustainability agenda.

For some time clients have been demanding that their project teams consider, reduce and manage site waste, sometimes to reduce costs of waste to landfill and sometimes to secure ratings or compliance with schemes that necessitate consideration of Site Waste Management – indeed there are now consultants who have made this arena their specialisation. But now the new regulations in England (and Best Practice Guidance in other parts of the United Kingdom) have made it necessary for many more clients, who may have differing perspectives on sustainability and Site Waste Management, to grapple with demands made of them by these regulations and Best Practice Guidance. The Site Waste Management Regulations 2008 do not, however, offer any guidance or assistance for clients. Clients are therefore asking their project consultants to tell them what is required of them – and asking for help in dealing with the regulations.

Whilst there is no requirement in the regulations for anyone to advise clients, (or anybody else involved in a project), about Site Waste Management, there is clearly a need for this to happen and a clear business opportunity for someone to provide such a service.

A consultant’s guide to the provision of services relating to the Site Waste Management Plans Regulations 2008 and Best Practice Guidance has now been published by the Association for Project Safety and is available for those who wish to offer the additional service of ‘Site Waste Management Plan Client Adviser’ to their clients or who wish to know more about the whole subject of Site Waste Management.

“Advising clients about Site Waste Management” provides consultants with information and procedures that they can use to help clients and design teams meet the challenges of effective site waste management on projects. The guide: • Gives a concise background to Site Waste Management • Outlines the costs of site waste and the environmental benefits of Site Waste Management Plans and planning ROMA PUBLICATIONS

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A s s o c i ati o n s • • • • • • • •

to increase recovery, recycling, and re-use of materials and to reduce site waste Provides an overview of the Site Waste Management Plans Regulations 2008 and Best Practice Guidance Explains the implications of the Regulations and Best Practice Guidance Outlines “who does what” in different parts of the United Kingdom Suggests services that consultants can provide to help clients and design teams deal with their Site Waste Management obligations Demonstrates the synergies between these services and CDM processes and requirements Provides a step-by-step guide to working as a client adviser dealing with Site Waste Management Plan issues

This ‘Advise and Assist’ process often parallels the duties of the CDM co-ordinator under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007. The Association for Project Safety, which has in-depth knowledge and experience of CDM co-ordination practice, has used its experience to help develop this ‘step-by-step’ guide so that this additional service to clients can be offered by CDM co-ordinators, as well as other consultants. They will then be acting as an adviser to clients on Site Waste Management - a ‘Site Waste Management Plan Client Adviser’ - a clumsy term but it says exactly what is in the tin!

Because the Site Waste Management Plans Regulations and Best Practice Guidance also directly, or indirectly, require clients

to make sure that others carry out certain duties, clients will expect assistance from designers and certainly designers will need to consider their obligations in supplying the information required in the Regulations. It is clear that in many instances clients will need a specific adviser to ensure that their duties are properly discharged and that all parties work together to comply with these new Regulations (in England) or the Best Practice recommended in other parts of the United Kingdom. The CDM co-ordinator, who, for most construction projects valued at £300,000 or more will already have been appointed, is in an admirable position to provide efficient and targeted advice to the client on all of these matters and this is the basic premise upon which this guidance is based. On the other hand consultants who wish to provide a separate advice service to clients will also find that this guide helps them deliver that service consistently and effectively.

“Advising Clients about Site Waste Management” shows that there are simple ways of harnessing the benefits of the Site Waste Management Plans Regulations 2008 (and Site Waste Management Best Practice) that will help clients with their obligations and duties, assist them in reducing the costs of project waste and enable them to maximise environmental gains – all of which can be compelling concerns in contemporary project realisation.

Copies of the Guide, priced at £34.00 incl P&P for members and £44.00 incl P&P for non-members, can be obtained by contacting the Association for Project Safety, Stanhope House, 12 Stanhope Place, Edinburgh, EH12 5HH, T: 08456 121 290, E: info@aps.org.uk, www.aps.org.uk

ATLAS

The Association of Technical Lightning & Access Specialists Established in 1946, ATLAS is the national representative employers’ organisation for companies which engage in the steeplejack, lightning conduction, earthing design, installation, demolition and restoration of high rise and historic buildings, industrial chimneys, churches, off shore rigs and other important tall structures.

The association is the leading, independent professional voice of this very specialist sector and arguably one of the most proactive trade associations in operation, driven by the goal of sharing and promoting specialist knowledge and expertise. ATLAS endeavours to set professional standards, support professional development and represent the interests of the profession. Its 60-strong membership accounts for the majority of the UK’s professional industry workload and members’ expertise are becoming increasingly recognised in Europe and the Far East.

ATLAS also provides a superb open forum for the discussion and resolution of industry issues that cause concern to members.

Members can discuss issues of common interest, share their experience and find solutions to common problems. Many members find this open forum one of the most valuable benefits that ATLAS has brought to the industry, as it facilitates dialogue between members, organisations, industry and government.

ATLAS members also benefit from the promotion and exposure of common interests and common complaints and over the

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years have seen a series of improvements made to the quality of services offered, health and safety standards, training, and technical standards.

The safety of operatives is a huge priority for ATLAS which prides itself as a pioneer in this area.

Atlas has been involved at the forefront of industry topics for many years and has been providing expert comment and feedback on important issues that effect specialist construction industries. Added to this, ATLAS works tirelessly to improve and enhance industry technical and safety practices and this enables member companies to keep up to date with all enhancements and developments.

Membership of ATLAS requires all companies to adhere to the standards set by the association at all times and strict enforcement of these standards is a key pillar of the association.

Due to this, strict membership criterion must be met to maintain association credibility at all times.

Atlas members have approved a written Code of Conduct, thus setting a professional benchmark for members’ behavior and a minimum level of service clients can expect. Atlas and its members are ever striving to offer and deliver the best professional service to the steeplejack and lightning protection industry.

ALAS Code of Conduct Membership of ATLAS is not given automatically.

On application, each company is required to supply three references.

Applicants are visited by the association’s membership committee to ensure they meet requirements.

These include a comprehensive health and safety policy, public liability insurance and records of accidents and training given.

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A s s o c i ati o n s Full members must have been trading for minimum of two years and are asked to comply with the following code of conduct: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

Conduct their business lawfully, comply with all relevant legislation and trade fairly and responsibly Give assurance of the best possible service to all customers Offer products and services within relevant British, European and international standards Give assurances of fully trained staff and operatives within the business Give assurances that advertising/sales promotions/public relations should comply with current advertising standards Display Information relating to products, services and prices in an easy to understand form, complying with current price legislation Give assurances that all information given to customers should accurate, truthful and based on full product knowledge Carry out all work to the best of their ability, advising the customer of any delays or problems Provide an assurance that services should be undertaken at an agreed time and date Give customers adequate guidance on the use, care and maintenance of products Deal quickly and courteously with any complaints from customers

For further information, see: www.atlas.org.uk

The Steeplejack and Lightning Protection Training Group Geared to raising standards through systemic training within the lightning protection and steeplejack industry, the Steeplejack and Lightning Protection Group (SLPTG) was formed in August

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1974 and was initially known as the ATLAS Training Group.

The group works closely with ATLAS to formulate a national apprenticeship scheme and to expand training availability in association with CITB/CSkills at the National Construction

College, Bircham Newton, Norfolk.

SLPTG training ranges from courses for new construction apprentices to covering all industry related training right through to bespoke supervisory and management courses. The SLPTG is run by an elected council of up to 12 people drawn from member companies.

Mr Anthony Colley, SLPTG member, says, “The training group demonstrates that we fully understand the commitment and consequent investment that is required for training because adaptable, skilled people are vital to the success of our industry”.

“The training group can provide cost effective access to a full range of college courses, apprenticeships and work-based training options. The group can identify and guide you through the full range of courses provided by CITB/CSkills and any number of specialist private sector trainers and consultants. We are an advisory body which rigorously reviews the industry’s training and development requirements by gathering information from specialist employers and training providers.

“The SLPTG was formed to organise and review training for our industry. However, since the introduction of CSCS cards throughout the construction industry, there is an important need

for the training and development of the people within our industry.

Therefore the training group has worked tirelessly with CITB/ CSkills to manufacture and implement the National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) for young people and experienced skilled workers”.

“There has been a considerable marked improvement over the last couple of years in relation to the achievement rate of the NVQ 2 for lightning conductor fitters and steeplejacks. Any person carrying out this type of work should have a CSCS card clearly stating his personal CSCS registration number on the front and any NVQ level achieved, as either a lightning conductor engineer or steeplejack, on the reverse”.

“The training group needs to develop training for our industry by working closely with all the training providers and our members to ensure that the training delivered to our workers is improving the quality of our workforce in all areas. This will mean the introduction of more dynamic forms of training which will elevate the industry”.

For further information, please contact Lynne Fletcher on 01625 664500, e-mail info@slptraininggroup.org.uk or visit the website at www.slptraininggroup.org.uk

Construction students lay foundations for success with Diploma awards The construction industry has been hit recently due to the global economic slowdown with knock-on effects contributing to a precarious outlook. However, there is hope for the future, with construction business forecasts expected to pick up from 2011.

But companies across the UK are being urged to think about their own futures, as well as the future of the next generation of construction workers, by getting involved with and having a better understanding of the Diploma in Construction & Built Environment (C&BE).

The diploma is a new type of qualification that listens to businesses and incorporates its philosophy into the curriculum.

It has been heavily influenced by industry representatives to ensure that the approach to work required by employers in their young recruits is fostered at an early age.

Skills shortages caused by the drop off in training during the last recession were felt years later, therefore it is crucial that this current downturn does not create similar problems. Diplomas have been developed in collaboration with employers to ensure their relevance and value and, that they provide flexibility and choice for all learners through a unique mix of traditional and work-relevant learning. They are valued by employers and higher education institutions, as their combination of essential skills, relevant experience and applied learning provides an excellent grounding for careers.

Diplomas offer a qualification equivalent to GCSEs and A-Levels. The Foundation Diploma is equivalent to five GCSEs at grades D-G; The Higher Diploma to seven GCSEs at grades A*-C and the Advanced Diploma to three-and-a-half A levels.

Students gain an excellent grasp of English, mathematics and IT skills, while learning how they relate to the construction industry.

They also develop the skills that employers seek, such as how to think creatively, problem-solve, communicate effectively and work both independently and as part of a team and study a range of topics, from understanding the importance of health and safety issues to the management challenges involved in construction. Increasingly important industry issues like sustainability and the impact of the built environment on the community, and professions such as architecture, planning, civil engineering, surveying and building services are also explored.

Having been developed by employers, schools, colleges and universities, the Diploma aims to help young people aged 14 to 19 realise their potential and gain knowledge and skills in a ‘real world’ environment. It has the flexibility to be taken instead of or alongside GCSEs, A-levels and vocational subjects and aims to

equip students with skills they can apply to the next stage of their development, be that university, college or the job marketplace.

The hard work and success of the inaugural year was recognised recently at an innovative Bolton vocational centre as the first C&BE students were given awards after successfully completing their first year of study. The 16 students were the first group at the Powerwave Centre in Horwich to study for the diploma. The ceremony was attended by opportunistic former secretary of state for education and Bolton West MP, Ruth Kelly, and the budding youngsters also gave demonstrations of their construction abilities and skills.

Special awards were also given to six students in recognition of their outstanding academic and practical achievements. All the students will now move on to a second year of study before completing the course in 2010.

Nick Gooderson head of education, training and qualifications at ConstructionSkills commented, “By investing so much time and energy into delivering the Diploma in C&BE companies are helping to provide the next generation of highly-skilled construction workers. Positive employer action such as this is exactly what the diploma needs: dynamic and enthusiastic companies who can engage with and develop young people who are looking to start a career in construction”.

One thing guaranteed with students is plenty of untapped creativity. Businesses that work with students enjoy the fresh ideas and new perspective that young people bring, which will also help motivate existing staff.

Working with the diploma is a fantastic way of developing new

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A s s o c i ati o n s recruitment channels. This could not only reduce HR costs dramatically but it also means companies get first pick of the best young people coming into the job market. Similarly, young people are more likely to work for a company if they have had positive work experience there or have heard good things about the company from other young people.

Unfortunately, the diploma will only succeed with industry-wide buy-in, providing the kind of pragmatic knowledge and skills that only employers can. So it really is extremely important that businesses both small and large in all sectors of the construction industry get involved with the diploma in C&BE to ensure a skilled, safe and enigmatic workforce for the future.

The New ‘3 Rs’ – how do they sound?

A look at schools, acoustics and the construction industry

by Andrew Parkin BEng(Hons) CEng FIOA FIHEEM, Technical Director at RPS, member of the IOA Building Acoustics Group and Chair of the ANC Schools Committee.

Where we are now With the recent decimation of funding for public sector projects, schools have been particularly hard hit. Whilst many academies have come away unscathed, Building Schools for the Future has been scrapped, with many live school projects being cancelled and LEPs being disbanded.

Despite the huge cut in spending, schools still need to be brought up to scratch, with much of the existing stock being well below even the minimum standards set out in the School Premises Regulations.

In this context, we need to look at new ways of making the best of the existing school stock, in the recognition that there simply isn’t enough money around to rebuild every school, despite aspirations and commitments made by the previous government.

Smarter, leaner, greener, more cost effective solutions need to be found.

R is for Refurbishment Refurbishment of schools is nothing new. This has always been the least costly method of breathing new life into the existing school stock and, in a lot of cases, is perfectly adequate.

However, this does rely on the existing building being in a reasonable condition and of a decent standard to start with.

When it comes to compliance with Building Bulletin 93 (BB93), there appears to be a wildly varying approach for refurbishments.

In theory, as soon as works that require a Building Regulations application are carried out, Part E should be invoked and, as a means of compliance with Part E, BB93 should come into force. However, wording within BB93 is often not strong enough and contain such phrases as ‘it is desirable’ and ‘should aim to meet’; these phrases hold little or no contractual obligation to upgrade the acoustics of schools spaces through refurbishment.

Sadly therefore, BB93 is often ‘derogated’ from refurbishment projects. Budgets are often so low that it is simply not possible to bring existing buildings up to the latest acoustic, thermal, ventilation etc. standards and tough decisions need to be made.

In these situations, there are three main options, as follows: Choose which aspects get upgraded (e.g. acoustics, thermal etc.) and spend the money concentrating on these, to the exclusion of other aspects Rather than refurbish the whole school, determine what proportion could be upgraded ‘properly’ and set about doing this. The school then have the option to manage and timetable teaching accordingly Based on full surveys of the existing building, make an informed choice as to how far each aspect (e.g. acoustics, thermal etc.) can realistically be upgraded with the given budget

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and make incremental improvements.

The risk here is that, whilst improvements could be made, if the starting point is particularly poor then, even after refurbishment the school still not be suitable for its intended use

R is also for Remodel In a similar vein to Refurbishment, Remodelling involves working within the confines of the existing building. However, instead of making improvements to existing elements (e.g. walls, doors etc.) there will be a removal of existing elements and construction of new ones to suit the required teaching styles and operational policies of the school.

When introducing new walls and doors within an existing school shell, it would be very difficult to argue that these should not meet with BB93 targets. The complication comes, however, when the existing shell can not adequately control flanking of sound. In these cases, although a new partition or floor may be capable of achieving BB93 targets in isolation, the weaknesses of the existing building would prompt a failure; in these instances this should be highlighted as a risk and included in the Alternative

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Performance Standard register.

In addition to new ‘hard’ construction elements to control sound insulation, use of absorbent finishes to optimise reverberation times will also need to be considered. Careful design will be required to see that any new absorption measures will not interfere with daylighting, natural ventilation or thermal mass requirements. Although the most cost effective solution is often to use a suspended ceiling, the numbers of schools taking this approach is decreasing, with wall panels and suspended baffles/ rafts becoming increasingly popular.

And R is for Re-Use This is possibly the most radical solution and is yet to hit the UK in any significant volume. However, the major drive towards free schools and academies, together with significant rebates involved with taking on vacant buildings, paves the way for this approach.

As with many things, the Scandinavians have been doing it for years! Across Sweden and Denmark, old buildings have successfully been converted into schools. In the UK, it is not just historic buildings and old warehouses that are being looked at with a view to creating schools, especially as many of these have already been turned into housing. What we have in the UK, partially due to the economic climate of the past few years, are vacant retail, industrial and commercial spaces. Many of these are well serviced in terms of transportation and infrastructure and have plenty of land. The challenge is to make these spaces suitable for a new generation of learning environments.

So, how do we turn a former factory or B&Q into a school?

Looking at many of the academies designed and constructed in recent years, there has been a trend towards large, voluminous shells with cellular spaces constructed around central open areas. This same principle can be easily replicated in a portal frame shed; granted, the external appearance may not win many awards but the internal environment (arguably the most

important aspect) can be just as good.

In order to achieve good sound insulation between spaces, we need to be looking at modular (off-site) constructions, SFS or timber frame buildings-within-buildings and secondary structures. If designed correctly and complimented with good dri-lining and internal glazing a superb quality environment can be achieved, matching and even bettering that normally expected from more traditional constructions.

Within cellular teaching/learning spaces, the same principles to reverberation control as in a ‘standard’ classroom can be adopted, e.g. ceilings, suspended absorbers, wall panels etc.

The challenge comes in the large open spaces. Whilst many of these will be utilised for dining, circulation and LRCs, they are also likely to be used for teaching/learning. High floor to ceiling heights will invariably cause problems with long reverberation times, poor speech intelligibility and significant build-up of noise. We therefore need to investigate ways of combating this, which may include suspended absorbers (e.g. traditional baffles and rafts, or feature shapes); one approach used in large call centres is to create ‘Acoustic Piñatas’ (pictured) formed by suspending large acoustically absorbent objects within netting or a cage. Alternatively, absorbent canopies could be suspended from the roof over sensitive spaces. Careful selection of FF&E items will also need to be made to assist in the overall acoustic environment.

Summary We can not expect to design and construct schools in the same we have been and need to adapt to new financial and building stock constraints. We must treat this as a challenge, not a problem, though. There is significant scope to make tomorrow’s schools exciting projects to work on and environments suitable for their intended use of teaching and inspiring the next generation, in addition to being a good workplace for teachers.

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 builders’ 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 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 as it is prevented from drying out. Only when ROMA PUBLICATIONS

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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.

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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 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

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The BEST Show’s first year As the doors at the NEC Birmingham closed on the final day of the Built Environment Solutions & Technologies (BEST) Show and the Infrastructure Show, those who attended were able to reflect on an eventful three days during which they heard from some of the leading speakers from a wide variety of sectors.

The show opened on the first day with Paul Morrell, chief construction adviser to the government, outlining what he saw as the five challenges the construction industry faced in getting to zero carbon. Against an impressive timber frame structure constructed by Glen Howells Architects, Mr. Morrell stated that the challenges the industry face come in terms of integration of sectors, what could be a major skills shortage, misleading data on the industry, product innovation and good leadership.

The show continued at a pace with a list of high profile speakers including Wayne Hemingway of Hemingway Design, John Armitt, chairman of the Olympic Delivery Authority and Steve Morgan, BAA’s capital director all speaking on the first day.

Tuesday and Wednesday proved just as busy, with speakers continuing to pack out the seminar areas and deliver stirring presentations encouraging the industry to seize the opportunity afforded to them by the new low carbon economy. Jonathon Porritt, speaking on the last day of the show, described BEST as an amazing exhibition and said he was heartened by the enthusiasm and commitment shown by the industry in gearing up for a low carbon future.

Speaking before the government’s spending review, Jonathon Porritt’s confidence in the private sector is not matched by faith in the government, who he believes continue to demonstrate complacency and inertia in dealing with the issue, highlighting the absence of a single mention of climate change in leader speeches made by the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister at their recent respective party conferences.

It wasn’t just a show for talking or listening though; the floor of the NEC was busy with self-builders, contractors and specifiers networking with exhibitors who were demonstrating some of the latest technology at the show. From flooring to roofing and everything in between, there was a product for everyone at the show.

Talking at the conclusion of the event, David Pierpoint, event director at Emap, said, “I’m delighted at the response. One of the most pleasing aspects is seeing packed seminars with standing room only and exhibitors talking with new contacts who are gathering information about the latest innovations and leaving the show with ideas for their projects. The seminars I’ve managed to sit in on have been great: there’s a wealth of knowledge here that people can tap into and I’m already looking forward to next year’s show”.

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Exhibitors around different areas of the show echoed the comments. Frank Kelly from Flood Angel, who were awarded four kitemarks and BSI approval for their in-house testing system while at the show, said, “Our objectives were to put the company and ourselves out there amongst the attendees. It was absolutely excellent for awareness and there were well respected people from the industry present”.

Flood Angel were just one of the many exhibitors who signalled their intent to attend next year. With a solid start to the BEST Show, next year’s event at the NEC, Birmingham will take place from the 17th to 19th October 2011. For more information, see www.best-show.co.uk

Futureproofing with Fabric First With its endless sustainability credentials it’s no wonder timber frame is immensely popular. With the obvious ‘green’ argument won, Joe Martoccia, director of the UK Timber Frame Association, explains why the emphasis of any self build should be on putting the fabric first.

For many it’s a long-term dream and the chance to own their ‘forever home’; for others it’s a sound investment and a fast track way to climb the property ladder. Little wonder that more and more people are turning to self build with timber frame fast becoming the preferred construction method of choice, thanks to its many proven advantages.

However, self builders constructing their dream homes want somewhere to live for the rest of their lives. Once they have moved in, they certainly don’t want to be hit with high energy bills and ongoing maintenance costs – it’s got to be manageable, not just for now but also for the future. When it comes to timber it’s time to think about how it works in real world situations (its thermal performance, the financial benefits, and its installation time) if we are to truly understand why timber frame is not just the future of the self-build industry, but the here and now.

The Code for Sustainable Homes (CfSH), a compulsory environmental impact rating system for housing in England, which includes self-builds, is helping to shape this agenda thanks to the government’s target to see all new homes reach Code level 6 by 2016 – the zero carbon home.

For self builders, the decisions they make when selecting their build method will be pivotal in minimising on going energy consumption. Luckily the answer is timber frame and it’s something that can be proven with hard, cold, indisputable facts.

A two year continuous assessment of timber frame homes built at the BRE Innovation Park has shown unequivocally that timber frames homes are ideally suited to the CfSH. It is no surprise that the first homes reaching Code level 6 were timber frame buildings. With its inherent thermal efficiency, timber frame is a perfect fit with the low carbon agenda. Not only is it much easier to achieve very high insulation levels, it also has fewer defects and increased air tightness, all with extremely low embodied energy.

To achieve code compliance, the priority is getting the fabric of a building right first and foremost, which is great news for timber frame. Forget about sourcing fancy renewable energy systems to bolt onto leaky, poorly built buildings with high-embodied carbon - the emphasis should be on putting the fabric first.

By using timber within the fabric of your building, you can not

only reduce energy consumption, but also achieve a greater return on investment by increasing your home’s appeal to design and environmental conscious buyers in the future – that’s if you ever want to sell it, of course. Let’s also not forget the wider implications for the global community and the need to focus all our efforts on using sustainable building products for the benefit of the entire planet. It’s time to think fabric first.

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RenewableUK 2010: The UK’s premier renewable energy event exhibits the winds of change More than 3,000 people attended RenewableUK’s 32nd annual 3-day conference and exhibition. The event was held from 2-4 November 2010 at the Scottish Exhibition Conference Centre (SECC) in 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. The association’s primary purpose is to promote the use of wind, wave and tidal power in and around the UK. RenewableUK acts as a central point of information for its members and as a lobbying group for the sector to government, industry, media and the public.

The Glasgow event featured more than 200 speakers and 270 exhibitors. All the technologies RenewableUK represents were covered within the three days of conference sessions, including onshore wind, offshore wind, small wind systems, and wave and tidal energy. RenewableUK 2010 also included 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 five years, with approximately one third of its members having interests in this sector. Day 2 (3rd November) featured 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 took place on Day 3 (4th November 2010).

This included 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 exhibition formed part of the public open day activities and was free to attend.

Over the three days, more than 270 companies active in the UK wind, wave and tidal energy sector were on display at the exhibition. Exhibitors included manufacturers, developers, contractors, suppliers and service companies, electricity generators and utility bodies, financiers, insurance companies, research institutes, engineers, recruitment consultants and many more.

Key speakers at the event were Alex Salmond, First Minister of the Scottish government and Charles Hendry, Minister of State in the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

If you missed out on this year’s event, fret not as there is plenty of information on future events and much more at www. renewable-uk.com

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Eco-friendly credentials RenewableUK is committed to making its events as responsible as possible and a number of efforts were made in this respect.

RenewableUK encourages its delegates to use public transport by selecting venues that are easily accessible by public transport.

RenewableUK asks its delegates to consider compensating for CO2 emissions emitted when travelling to its events by supporting the renewable energy programme of Renewable World – £5 for those travelling within the UK and £10 for others.

Renewable World is the chosen charity of RenewableUK. Also on show at the Glasgow event was Smartwire, the biggest breakthrough in exhibition electrical installations for over 20 years. Designed to fit seamlessly into the Octanorm shell scheme system (the walls of the exhibition stands), Smartwire uses a unique plug and play system that allows all of the cabling to be reused, thus eliminating any cable wastage. Smartwire also uses low energy 35w lamps that reduce consumption without compromising light quality.

Even the carpet used during the conference was recycled.

Once the show was over, the carpet was collected and taken to a processing plant where it was then broken down, baled and shredded and then formed into plastic pellets. These pellets are next melted down and moulded to form plastic products such as drainpipes and guttering accessories.

The lanyards (the ribbons that hold name badges) are made from PET, which comes from post consumer recycled plastic bottles. Similarly, the plastic body of the pen distributed by RenewableUK is a minimum 95% recycled UK waste material.

Osiris Marine Services One company making waves in the offshore renewables industry is Osiris Marine Services, a specialist engineering firm which has recently performed a variety of roles at Vattenfall’s Thanet Offshore Wind Farm and DONG’s Gunfleet Sands project, to name but a few. Osiris also contributed one of the most outstanding exhibitions at the recent Glasgow show.

Osiris’ services meet the needs of both onshore and offshore projects and include thefull range of works: cable installation and de-installation; diving; ROV operation; confined space work; subsea engineering and design; and specialist equipment hire.

Osiris was founded over 15 years ago with a base in West Yorkshire, and now employs 25 people from a recently-acquired new HQ in the region. With an £11 million turnover in 2009-10 alone, Osiris is going strong despite the recession.

Find out more at www.osirismarineservices.com

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