Premier 16-6

Roma Publications

Volume 16 - Issue 6

St Paul’s Cathedral £40 Million Restoration Marks 300th Anniversary of London Icon

London Array Project Moray Housing Profile

Lisagallon Construction

Civil Engineering & Cable Installation “A reputation built on quality and efficiency”

Contents PREMIER CONSTRUCTION

Volume 16 • Issue 6

Dear readers, From heritage projects involving buildings of national importance, to a dramatic construction boost which will raise the curtain on world-class facilities for young performing artists - and an imaginative scheme to create a dramatic new green space through a ‘root and branch’ transformation - this month’s Premier Construction keeps you bang up to the minute with all the hottest happenings in the building sector.

On the heritage front, we look in on the recent multi-million restoration of St Paul’s Cathedral, completed in time for the cathedral’s 300th anniversary and restoring the building inside and out for the first time in it’s entire history. We see how state of the art conservation techniques by a multitude of contractors over the 15 year life of the scheme have brought about a transformation that is nothing short of miraculous.

Hopping from one end of the country to the other, we discover how the roof of one of Dundee’s finest heritage buildings (comprising no less than 70 pitches) was restored in a challenging project which tested the project team’s skills to the limit.

Still in Scotland, but moving on to Glasgow, Premier Construction provides a snapshot of a £9.2 million project to breathe new life into the 133-year-old former Burgh Halls complex at the heart of Maryhill. The project will recapture the splendid historic beauty of this treasured building, and provide the local community with a host of modern facilities.

Changing the subject entirely, we see how an £18 million scheme is creating a superb new performing arts centre for aspiring young stars of the future in a project to create the Performance Hall Hub at......

And on the green front, we marvel at the difference made by a £2 million makeover at the Ladywell Fields Park in Lewisham, forming an exceptional new green space in the local area. New backwaters, wetlands, boardwalks and viewing platforms, steps and gently sloping banks have been added to an existing river, as well as a host of major new park facilities, creating a major new resource for the whole community to enjoy.

All this and much more besides awaits you in this our very latest edition - so make sure you’re in the know, this month, and every month - with Premier Construction!

Follow Premier Construction on: Twitter: twitter.com/PCbyRoma Weblog: http://premierconstruction.wordpress.com

Managing Director: Marcus Howarth Editor:

Lesley Coward

Production Manager: Kelsie Howarth Advert Co-ordinator: Nicola Owen Contributors:

Rebecca Chamberlin

Charlotte Brazier

Published by:

Roma Publications Ltd.

t: 01706 719 972 f: 0845 458 4446 e: admin@romauk.net Graphic Design by:

www.marcusmacaulay.co.uk

North West Lancashire County Cricket Club ......................................................................8

North East & Yorkshire Driving Ahead at Premier Motor Auctions ......................................................11

Midlands First Class Facility at Wolverhampton University ..........................................14 MCD Developments ........................................................................................19

South West Fading Forches Estate Given New Start ........................................................23 Equine Hospital takes Shape ..........................................................................25

London & South East Full Speed ahead for Brighton and Hove FC..................................................27 Iconic New London Landmark ........................................................................34

Wales Maldron Hotel in Cardiff ..................................................................................41

Scotland Merchant City ..................................................................................................43 Maybole Parish Church ...................................................................................46

Ireland Londonderry Peace Bridge ............................................................................56

Heritage St Pauls’ Cathedral ..........................................................................................62 Lead Contractors Association ........................................................................69

Associations Lightning Protection Systems .........................................................................80

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Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy, no responsibility can be accepted for inaccuracies however caused. Contributed material does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the publisher. the editorial policy and general layout of this publication are at the discretion of the publisher and no debate will be entered into. No responsibility can be accepted for illustrations, artwork or photographs whilst in transmission with the publishers or their agents unless a commitment is made in writing prior to the receipt of such terms.

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I N D U ST RY N E WS

Network Rail unveil Kings Cross square plans Plans for the creation of a new public square at Kings Cross station have been unveiled, and are set to be completed to finish the overall development by 2013. Planning permission will be applied for later this year.

Paddington Crossrail contract slashed in bidding process The bidding has been so fierce for the Paddington Crossrail contract, that the original price tag of £250 million has been reduced down to £150 million.

The Costain-Skanska joint venture was named preferred bidder for contract C405 earlier this month. At the time, Crossrail said that the contract value was £250m. But now that the deal has been signed, it has emerged that CostainSkanska agreed a price of just £150m – a 40% reduction.

Crossrail programme director Andy Mitchell said that “very competitive bids” had been received for the Paddington contract. It may be that similar savings will be seen when the other five station contracts are awarded. Next up, later this year, are the Farringdon and Whitechapel station contracts.

The remaining contracts for Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road and Liverpool Street will all be awarded by spring 2012.

Chief Executive of Costain, Andrew Wyllie, said: “We are delighted to have secured our fourth Crossrail contract, reflecting our ability to consistently deliver valuable solutions in the rail sector utilising our broad range of capabilities and depth of expertise. We look forward to working with Crossrail to deliver this landmark station and to playing our part in enhancing London’s transport infrastructure.”

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The new King’s Cross Square will be 50% bigger than Leicester Square, spanning 7,000 square metres. The project will involve opening up the space currently occupied by the 1970s concourse extension, revealing the Grade I listed Victorian station façade for the first time in almost 150 years.

Architects Stanton Williams were chosen to work with Network Rail on the new square following an international design competition.

Stanton Williams director Alan Stanton said: “King’s Cross Square is a unique opportunity to create a new public space for London and a response to one of the most exciting urban challenges in the city. The scheme will become a focal point at the heart of the wider King’s Cross development bringing together major urban and transport improvements.”

Network Rail programme director Ian Fry said: “The redevelopment of the station is well under way and will see a stunning and spacious new concourse opening in spring 2012. After the Olympics we will then remove the outdated green canopy in front of the station to create the space for this fantastic new square, revealing the original Victorian façade of King’s Cross station for the first time since the 1860s.”

Institution of Civil Engineers is enthusiastic for high speed rail network Responding to the consultation that closes this week on the proposed High Speed Two link between London and the West Midlands, and a wider network, the ICE has said that the delivery of such a project would bring great benefits throughout the UK. They have said that producing a high-speed rail (HSR) network will free up capacity on the existing network and help regenerate and boost the economies of city-regions.

Steven Hayter, Chair of ICE’s HSR working group, said: “The opportunity should be taken to invest in growth by providing a new railway that is fit for the 21st century – significantly increasing capacity, strengthening connectivity between Britain’s city-regions and linking up with the Trans-European rail network. The time to invest is now, and we endorse the Government’s strategy.

“In addition to better connectivity between regions, the benefit of improved

connectivity to the capital should also not be understated,” he continued. “Faster, more reliable connections to London could propel a city-region’s economic competitiveness and act as a catalyst for regeneration as city developers, planners and businesses alike take advantage of the opportunities – especially in the Midlands, the North and Scotland.”

He also urged that further consideration should be given to further potential expansion, emphasizing the greater benefits of extending the network to include links to other major cities than those already proposed for Manchester and Leeds.

Morgan Sindall awarded £8.1 million sports centre contract Keepmoat

and Apollo announce merge

Scheduled for completion by February 2012, the Mayesbrook Park Sports Arena in Dagenham will be the biggest sports hall in the UK and second largest in Europe.

The project, designed by LRK Associates, features a 5,000m² sports hall, a 1,000m² gym and changing facilities. It is intended that the sports centre will initially be used as an official training venue by 2012 Olympic handball and wheelchair rugby teams, and could become the focal point for the development of handball in the UK. Morgan Syndall Regional Managing Director Peter Jacobs said: “Being involved in an Olympic build process is all about leaving a legacy for the local community, which is what Mayesbrook Park Sports Arena will do. It will help to put the area on the global map, as it plays host to some of the world’s leading athletes in 2012.”

Paul Goodwin is chief executive officer of the British Handball Association whose teams will be training at the facility during the Olympic Games. He was enthusiastic about the role the centre could play in boosting interest in

handball in the UK, where it is currently little played: “Mayesbrook Park Sports Arena will provide one of the best handball training facilities in the UK, rivalling the best in Europe. Having a world class facility within a stone’s throw of the Olympic Park will greatly enhance our preparation, reduce our travelling time and cost and provide a competitive advantage to our teams.

“The British Handball teams and the Olympic Games will be the catalyst for the growth of handball in Britain, and London will be at the forefront of the sport’s growth. I believe that Mayesbrook Park Sports Arena will become synonymous with handball after the Olympic Games and many young people from east London will not only be able to take up the sport at Mayesbrook but potentially become the next GB handball players.”

Government pledges £22 million injection over three years Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude has told the Construction Procurement Conference that the government pledges to spend £22 million in the construction industry over the next three years.

He said that the government will help the construction industry better plan and prepare for projects by publishing a full pipeline of projects from the autumn, along with confirmed spending figures. This is part of a new drive by the Cabinet Office to help the construction industry plan workload.

Mr Maude said: “The government’s construction strategy is reducing costs by up to 20% by reforming the way we procure construction projects across all sectors.

However, we are still investing billions of pounds annually; with the same money we will procure more schools, hospitals, courts and prisons. Despite an incredibly difficult economic climate we are investing in and prioritizing our construction industry.

“The government and the construction industry have a shared obligation to cut waste and find new and better ways of doing business. This is especially important when we are talking about creating first class, modern, fully functioning public service delivery buildings like hospitals and schools.”

These figures are part of the Government Construction Strategy, which will be implemented until the end of this Parliament, with the aim of stimulating growth across all sectors and reforming the way that the government procures construction projects.

Two major social housing maintenance contractors announced in July that they are planning to merge by the end of this year.

With Keepmoat’s strength in the north and Apollo’s presence in the south, the directors of both companies see the deal as a good fit - creating a group with enhanced scale and financial strength, with revenues in excess of £1bn.

Keepmoat and Apollo directors said that their enlarged group would benefit from cross selling opportunities with little geographical overlap, while delivering financial synergies. Apollo will help to strengthen Keepmoat’s maintenance capabilities in the north and Keepmoat will boost Apollo’s new build offering in the south. The combined companies would have the repairs and maintenance contracts for over 600,000 homes, becoming a market-leader in community regeneration and social housing services.

The merger is subject to permission from the competition authorities.

Although they are set to be rebranded as ‘The Keepmoat Family’, the two companies would retain individuality with regional focus.

Allen Hickling will be responsible for the northern regions and Apollo CEO Dave Sheridan for the southern regions.

Mr Sheridan said: “Operationally this deal is a very positive step forward for both companies.

Together we will be able to offer our customers an unrivalled service that truly differentiates us from the competition. I am very confident in our future prospects together and look forward to reporting on our progress in due course.”

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N o r th We s t

It’s far from over at Lancashire County Cricket Club Following months of uncertainty due to legal challenges the redevelopment of Lancashire’s Old Trafford stadium, is at last given the go-ahead.

The planned £32 million regeneration of the cricket ground is intended to re-establish Lancashire County Cricket Club (LCCC) not only as a powerful, growing club on the British cricket scene, but also as the best choice of hosts for the 2013 Ashes matches.

For this to be the case the club’s facilities need a major overhaul, and the £32 million to be pumped into the efforts will be spent on projects such as new pitches, two new grandstands and refurbishment of the pavilion, which will bring the permanent capacity of the ground up to 15,000. New temporary seating will also be installed, creating the possibility of a 25,000 spectator capacity. But quality will certainly not be compromised for the sake of quantity. When it is completed, crowds in the new ground will be able to watch action replays on a new screen, and new floodlights will be installed which may enable longer hours of play.

Set back from the main pitch, the cricket school on the site will be given a revamp including an extension, hopefully tempting more young talent and enthusiasm to take up the sport and train with Lancashire County. Current players are not forgotten, with player facilities also being updated amongst other public and private areas.

These developments are Phases Two and Three in the redevelopment of Old Trafford, Phase One being the creation of a new conference centre The Point.

BDP are architects and master-planners on all of these stages, also offering lighting and interior design services in Phases Two and Three. The brief to the architects included requests for new educational and training opportunities for local residents, and for a new thousand-seat events venue Chairman of BDP’s Manchester studio Gavin Elliott said, “We have worked very closely with the Club to develop the design, which complements and extends the unique ‘post-industrial’ aesthetic already established with The Point.

“We didn’t want to do a poor man’s version of Lord’s with white tents on the top of every building, and perpetuate that romantic notion of cricket on the village green, complete with cycling vicars and warm beer. Cricket isn’t like that up here in the North West. It’s more of a blue collar game, there’s a different demographic and a different atmosphere. We wanted our design to reflect that.”

The distinctive design of The Point draws on the industrial history of Old Trafford and incorporates a range of environmental

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innovations. These influences and concerns are carried forward into the next stages of the development. Particular emphasis has been given to sustainability. The new ground design integrates a number of energy and resource efficiency measures including rainwater harvesting, solar collectors, and low energy lighting, all of which will contribute to the new ground’s outstanding environmental performance.

The club’s decision to reorient the wicket, which will now run north-south for the first time in 150 years, unlocks massive new potential, creating additional international and county wickets along with a larger playing area (which facilitates more cricket at Old Trafford) whilst simultaneously improving the cricket arena for both players and the watching media.

It is clear that the club has no wish to be sidelined after its hundred and fifty years of play, putting itself forward as a progressive institution focussed on world-class standards for the future of cricket.

The legal challenges which were brought against the planned developments concerned a new Tesco store which will be built on nearby ground. Derwent Holdings, which owns the neighbouring White City retail centre, had similar plans for a rival supermarket which were rejected by the authorities.

After the ruling in favour of the cricket club, the chief executive for LCCC said they had always been confident that they would win the challenge, but were ‘happy’ that the process was over.

The combination of the new retail and sports ground developments are expected to bring approximately £70 million to the area in investment and also around five hundred jobs, so LCCC hopes that the development will be positively received by local residents.

While some work has already begun at the cricket ground, the main building work is expected to commence in September, with a projected completion date in 2013, in time for the Ashes.

Walney wind workers forge ahead Remarkable progress is being made on DONG Energy’s Walney Offshore Wind Farm in Cumbria. During 2010 to 2011, Walney (UK) Offshore Wind Farms Ltd. have been constructing phases I and II of the Walney Offshore Wind Farm, which is located approximately 15km off Walney Island, Cumbria, in the East Irish Sea. Each of the two phases consists of 51 turbines with a total capacity of 367.2MW. The development includes: foundations, turbines, export and array cables, offshore substations and onshore connection to the power grid.

Walney Offshore Wind farm is located away from the coast, which results in relatively low visual impacts. The turbines will be located approximately 15km from the coastline of Walney Island in a north west to south-easterly direction covering an area of approximately 73km2.

In the first phase, the wind farm consists of 51 turbines supplied

by Siemens Wind Power – each with a capacity of 3.6MW – and in total the annual net energy for Walney I is estimated to be approximately 663GWh, which will make the wind farm one of the biggest of its kind in the world.

The Irish Sea is characterised by high tides, waves and windy weather. The difference between high tide and low tide is approximately 8 metres. The wind speed is estimated to be an average of 9.3 m/s at 80m. The construction of the foundations and installation of the wind turbines involves a number of work boats, crane barges and support vessels sourced for their ability to work under challenging conditions.

The wind farm turbine array consists of a number of rows of wind turbines connected by cables to one substation, where the voltage is stepped up from 34 kV to 132 kV, before the export cables on the seabed carries the power to shore.

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

Turbines are currently being installed for both phases.

The wind farm will contribute to handling the issue of climate change. With a power capacity of 370MW (phase 1 + 2), possibly increasing to 600MW, Walney Offshore Wind Farm will make a substantial contribution to British renewable energy production.

Towards the end of 2010, the 51 turbines comprising Walney 1 were completed. Weather conditions have been average for the area - a situation which has been planned for and which, from time to time, results in delays.

All offshore operations are fully dependant on the weather conditions and require thorough planning in order to utilise the weather windows suitable for installation activities. Wind and waves determine the progress in the installation. For wind turbine installation, the operational crane limit is typically a wind speed of 10 m/s, however, only about 8 m/s can be tolerated during installation of the blades.

DONG site manager Lars Alber told Premier Construction, “The first phase of the works went well and we are looking forward to completing the second phase with the same success”.

to be placed in the sea. Hiring this second vessel is expensive, so time-efficiency is crucial.

Many different factors were in play to affect the construction of the wind farm – these included tide, wave and weather conditions. All of this information was combined by Systems Navigator to create a tool that could be used in the planning process to model and animate potential situations at all stages throughout the construction operation.

Having this technology also allows the construction firm to model the impact of decisions made throughout the process, before actually implementing those decisions in reality. This maximises the efficiency and safety of construction processes.

Systems Navigator was founded in 2003 by Rienk Bijlsma, who has sixteen years of experience in simulation modelling.

Using simulation technology to model construction logistics is a recent innovation, and the company are the leading experts in the field, delivering services on projects throughout the world.

Systems Navigator demonstrate logistical solutions at Walney Netherlands based firm Systems Navigator provided a simulation model for the logistical processes involved in constructing the Walney offshore wind farm.

The construction process is complex: pillars or so-called monopiles are shipped into port, landed and then re-loaded onto transportation tugs to be towed to a specialist crane vessel ROMA PUBLICATIONS

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

New lease of life for Leeds Eastgate Quarters Developers Hammerson have been given the all-clear for their proposed regeneration of the disused Eastgate Quarters in the north east of the city.

The Eastgate Quarters have been largely disused for a long time, with some buildings unoccupied for last forty years.

But when the new plans for the area went before Leeds City Council’s planning committee in early July, the site was found suitable for a major regeneration project, in accordance with the Council’s 2001 Unitary Development Plan, which stated promotion of ‘the city centre as the regional shopping centre’ as one of its main aims.

The new scheme will unite Kirkgate Market, Vicar Lane and the Grand Arcade to form a new retail hub in the city, with over a million square feet of new retail units being created. Integration into the rest of the city has been considered thoroughly through the design process, and the new Eastgate will incorporate both old and new buildings, preserving and revitalising listed buildings such as Templar House and Templar Hotel. The new buildings and open spaces have been designed to complement and highlight the existing structures.

Transport links have also been high on the agenda, with planned improvements to surrounding roads, and the creation of a two thousand seven hundred-space multi-storey car park for visitors. The centre itself, however, will be largely pedestrianised, with pavements in the surrounding area also being repaired. In addition, new cycle paths will be laid, and at least one hundred cycle-locking spaces will be available on the new retail park, with the aim of ensuring a safer environment for cyclists, and contributing to better routes throughout the city centre.

The development will see the creation of 4000 new jobs in retail and leisure at the site. Major retailers Marks and Spencer and John Lewis have already confirmed that they will be moving into

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the new site. Jeremy Collins, Property Director for John Lewis said: “We welcome the news that Hammerson has been granted planning permission for Eastgate Quarters, which will bring John Lewis one step closer to having a retail presence in Leeds.

We firmly believe the development will successfully regenerate the area and lift the city to a new level in the hierarchy of UK shopping destinations.”

While it will generate many jobs and draw many more people, and much more business, into the city centre, retail is only one aspect of the rejuvenation process.

Approximately twenty percent of the site will be open spaces, including a new Eastgate Square. Hammerson intend this to become a new venue for street performances, as well as an attractive shared space for local residents and visitors. This will be a significant addition to the amount of civic space currently in Leeds City centre.

The planning applications for the scheme included an individual application for a new power plant on the site, which has recently been approved. The low-carbon energy centre will provide heating, cooling and electricity required by the development, with the opportunity to also support neighbouring homes and businesses.

Commenting on the decision Andrew Hilston, Project Director for Eastgate Quarters said: “I am delighted with the positive decision from Leeds City Council. Hammerson has been working hard over the past few years to develop the best possible scheme to put Leeds firmly on the retail map. The scheme will create thousands of jobs, boosting the local economy, and will strengthen Leeds’ status as a leading European city destination.”

The project is estimated to cost £600 million, and has been designed by ACME, with contractors yet to be announced.

Driving ahead at the Premier Motor Auctions April this year saw the arrival of a new addition to Cross Green Business Park in Leeds: the completed extension to the Premier Motor Auction Halls.

The extension was a £1 million investment for the owners of the company, Scottish Motor Auctions Group, and involved creating a number of new facilities to improve the business and its image. CBM Construction Group Ltd were appointed main contractors on the project, and were responsible for extending the administrational facilities in the existing building through the construction of an internal mezzanine floor housing offices. A new building was also erected to function as a vehicle repair and spray-paint unit.

The latter was a particularly interesting aspect of the building project, as a specialist spray-painting unit was imported from Europe. This operates in a different way to most spray-painting facilities, as a mechanism moves the car on tracks through the paint spray, rather than moving the sprays over the car. The new facility is hoped to speed up spray-painting processes at the premises.

The overall floor area of the Auction Halls is 3057 square metres; it is clad externally in profiled metal, and covered with a flat roof. DJ Curtis and Associates are the architects behind the design.

Externally, CBM were also contracted to create new parking areas for haulage vehicles and a new entrance to the site, where auctions of various different types of cars take place five days a week.

Speaking to Premier Construction on behalf of CBM, Mr Chris Gale explained that one of the most challenging aspects of the building work was carrying out the work safely while the auction halls remained fully open for business.

Speaking for CBM, Mr Chris Gale said “With it being an auction hall which was continuously open, it was an ongoing complication liaising with the Motor Auction administration and with the general public to ensure that everything was safe – we

were very health and safety conscious throughout.”

However he reported the project ran smoothly, commenting that “work is work: you go in and you get it done”. This echoes the focussed attitude that CBM has to all of its work, which makes the company successful.

CBM Construction are a locally-based firm, but they deliver construction projects throughout the UK for a wide range of clients - from petrol stations to hospitals, road-works to churches - and they have an annual turnover of around £12 million . They pride themselves on delivering quality, clientfocussed service and they have been involved in several prestigious developments. Mr Gale explained that “we utilise our own labour force, which allows us to maintain a level of quality control that is more difficult when employing subcontractors.”

CBM Construction were pleased to be once again working alongside the well-established DJ Curtis and Associates, an architectural practice with whom CBM have worked successfully for many years.

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Midlands & East Anglia

Revitaslising the heart of a historic city It has been nearly fifty years since the area around Cambridge station has been the site of any significant developments, but now £37 million is being injected into a 25 acre area, to create a new gateway into one of Britain’s greatest tourist attractions.

The city of Cambridge is second only to London when it comes to attracting tourists, boasting world-famous architectural landmarks, mainly buildings belonging to the eight hundred year old university. Yet the area around the station, the first part of the city that many of the 4.6 million visitors each year see, includes many buildings which have been falling into disrepair.

But now Brookgate Developments Ltd will see their masterplan for the area turned into reality, as works began on the site earlier in the Spring, beginning with the demolition of the derelict Eastern House.

Known as the CB1 development, the multi-use scheme will regenerate a roughly-triangular area which is currently the site of many disused buildings, though some of these will be

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revamped and incorporated into the designs, such as an old mill. The vision is a celebration of Cambridge’s architectural heritage by re-using some of these existing buildings, but also to create a new, modern city quarter.

The project as a whole has been conceived as a ‘European approach’ to development, creating areas which provide housing, employment and shopping facilities in the same place, while the master plan also addresses the demand for improved public transport links, and more affordable housing in the East Anglia.

Plans for the site involve construction of residential, commercial, leisure and retail developments, with several key funding deals announced over the past few months.

Hill Partnerships agreed a £20 million deal with Brookgate to regenerate the southern quarter of CB1, including the restoration of the former Rank Hovis flour mill. The development will provide one hundred and seventy apartments and 630 square metres of commercial space as well as the central park area, creating

a new, attractive green space at the heart of the scene. Under the agreement, Hill Residential will develop the scheme, with Brookgate retaining the commercial space and benefiting from a profit share.

There are also plans to build accommodation specifically designed for students on other parts of the site. An agreement was reached with LaSalle Investment Management in March for a £40 million funding deal for this aspect of the project.

LaSalle is acquiring the student accommodation for £40 million on behalf of an institutional client. It will be one of the first institutional funding deals in the student sector outside London and the buildings will be let to Anglia Ruskin University on a nomination agreement rather than a conventional lease. The ARU buildings will provide much-needed, purpose-built student accommodation for central Cambridge, allowing students to move out of multi-occupancy housing which can then revert to family dwellings.

The first five hundred bedrooms in the student accommodation development are set to be delivered lfor use in the academic year beginning September 2012. Designed by architects TP Bennett, the buildings will be constructed to achieve a BREEAM ‘excellent’ rating for sustainability.

The total of the new residential developments will cover 500,000 square feet, and the design also features a range of affordable housing and a 70,000 square foot hotel, in a prime spot for tourists and businessmen alike, as the station is the main transport hub for the city.

Four major blocks will be created to provide50,000 square feet of retail space, which could potentially be subdivided into smaller units. Two of these large blocks will line a major entrance onto the site from Hills Road.

Another significant funding agreement was reached in March for the plans for offices, as Brookgate made a tripartite agreement for £37 million with Orchard Street Investment Management LLP and Microsoft Research to provide a new 77,000 sq ft headquarters building for Microsoft Research at Station Road.

Sven Topel, Chief Executive of Brookgate, said: “This is a major step forward for the commercial development within CB1 and the arrival of Microsoft Research is a great testament to the project. The building is the first new city centre office building in Cambridge for more than 25 years. We are delighted to have the financial support of Orchard Street, with whom we have worked very well over the winter to conclude this complex tripartite deal.”

Construction of the building will begin immediately, with occupation expected at the end of 2012.

Looking outwards from the main triangle site of CB1 Development, the project also includes the redevelopment of Cambridge Station and the generation of a new, major transport interchange. This will provide better access into the city and will deliver a smarter initial impression of Cambridge to the many visitors using the railway and bus links.

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Midlands & East Anglia

First Class Facility To Open At The Heart Of University Proud of its track record in providing world-class modern facilities for students, the University of Wolverhampton looks forward to the imminent opening of its most recent, vibrant addition: The Performance Hub. Costing a total of £18m the project has been completed on an impressive 15 month timescale and is sure to be worth every penny. Begun by main contractors Vinci Construction in May 2010, the new facility on the university’s Walsall Campus will be used by the School of Sports, Performing Arts and Leisure, as well as the wider community. It will provide state of the art teaching resources, practice rooms for a variety of arts disciplines and also incorporate some staff offices.

The development will allow flexibility for teaching, learning and research provision, space efficiency will allow students to learn as they perform, thus providing an enriched student experience, enabling Wolverhampton to consolidate its reputation as an institute offering top class performing arts courses.

This development follows the opening of a new Education and Teaching building in 2008, and is set to live up to its name, becoming the new epicentre at the heart of the campus. It incorporates a new Learning Centre for the use of the entire student body, which incorporates several self-contained glass pods for one-to-one and small group study, in contrast to the large performing-arts work spaces.

Moreover, the University hopes that The Performance Hub will become a landmark focal point in Walsall, attracting the most talented applicants for the courses on offer. The University of Wolverhampton’s website describes the result of the project as a ‘major boost to the creative industries’, and speaks of its contribution to a ‘cultural regeneration’ in Walsall and the surrounding region.

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Architects on the projects were Birmingham-based Associated Architects, whose design utilises the basement area of the facilities which previously occupied the site. The Performance Hub is a steel-frame construction on a blue brick plinth. Its L-shaped footprint is divided into two main wings which are linked by a full-height atrium which is lit by an impressive, fully-glazed elevation. Bridges across the atrium and pre-cast concrete staircases link the different wings, while use of various flooring throughout the building suggests circulation, uniting the various spaces and functions of the structure.

Performance spaces are housed in the West Wing, including a modern, black-box theatre and other individual box-inbox constructions, a design which will allow a high level of soundproofing between the separate structures. One of the main challenges of the project was the inclusion of rooms for many apparently conflicting purposes in such close proximity to one another, such as recording studios next to music practice suites.

Balfour Beatty was awarded the £2.9m contract to provide mechanical, electrical and plumbing services. This included installing a specialist acoustic attenuation system in the 108seat theatre, and also fitted power supplies for a theatrical lighting rig as part of the contract.

The building is designed to inspire diverse uses of the larger areas. The main theatre contains retractable seating which can be set up in a variety of ways, while it is envisaged that the atrium will be used not only as a general entrance, information and vending point, but as an impromptu performance area, and walls are cladded in wooden slatting to optimize the acoustics for such an event. The idea of diversity is reflected throughout the building, by such features as the variety of lighting, including some large, naturally-lit areas, where the sunlight is maximized by light furnishings, but shaded in part by building signage to avoid over-heating. These spaces contrast with the darklypainted, artificially-lit studios.

Exterior landscaping by Gillespies included both soft landscaping and the creation of 50 new car-parking spaces on the site, which has been built where old 1960s residences and a teaching block have been demolished. Although the original building was deemed ‘iconic’ in the local landscape, the University of Wolverhampton hopes that this new building will soon gain a similar status and will be appreciated by the local community, on top of its use by students.

The construction has been built in line with BREEAM ‘excellent’ criteria.

Vinci Construction UK is a part of the worldwide VINCI Plc, the worldwide construction firm and supplier of concessions.

The firm sponsored a preview event on July 7th, ahead of the opening of the building in September.

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Contractor’s work is good as gold on major road scheme

Main Contractors Birse Civils have recently won a Considerate Constructors Gold Award for their work on Phase 2 of the Selly Oak New Road construction project – just being completed as part of a larger scheme to improve the A38 route through Selly Oak. In the awards, the scheme was commended as: “Well presented throughout, and with excellent safety scores, this outstanding site proved a model of environmental care.”

This phase is a vital part of the overall new road construction scheme geared to

regenerating the shopping centre of Selly Oak and the wider surrounding area.

The project is being carried out for Birmingham City Council.

Works being carried out in July 2011 include: paving of a footpath at Bournbrook Road; traffic signals loop cutting near to Tesco Express; the installation of a pedestrian guardrail, paving and traffic signals work and the continuation of the new University of Birmingham wall at the Tesco Interchange; the continuation of plaza paving works at Grange Road and surfacing and general ground works, fencing and the continuation of lighting column installation from Grange Road to New Fosse Way. Overall, the Phase 2 works include the construction of a new roundabout at the junction of Selly Oak New Road and Hospital Link Road to the west of the Birmingham and West Suburban Railway Line. From this

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roundabout, the new 10 metre wide single carriageway road will pass beneath the Birmingham and West Suburban Railway Line and the Birmingham and Worcester Canal. Two new bridges are being constructed to carry the railway and canal over the new road.

Running adjacent to, and north of Dale Road, the new road passes through former industrial land comprising the Binding Site, the Iron Mountain Storage Building and part of the vacant site owned by Victoria Hall Limited.

Combining the traditional and contemporary: Costessey’s new public house Due for completion early next year, Barnes Construction Limited is in the process of delivering a new public house for client Marston’s Inns and Taverns, on John Hyrne Way in Costessey Norwich.

The new building, which will be named The Copperbeech, includes a restaurant with a carvery and bar area, along with kitchens and staff accommodation.

The Copperbeech is situated amongst other recent commercial developments, comprising shops and houses. Though it is being constructed using convenient modern methods, it is built in the image of a traditional family pub, and is designed by JWA Architects Ltd.

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The exterior facing of the two storey building consists mainly of brickwork, with some rendering and wooden cladding.

Extensive landscaping is also involved on the 5500 square metre site, which will include an eighty-four space car park, a large garden and a children’s play area which will be in keeping with the family friendly atmosphere of the pub. Given the likelihood that more land around the plot will be developed, the garden of the pub is expected to become an attractive green space in an urban district.

Other external works include creating new road access and footpaths onto the site.

JWA Architects are highly experienced in building restaurants

and hotels and have designed new premises for major clients such as McDonald’s. Copperbeech is typical of their designs in that it is timber-framed and constructed in a modular system.

Damien of JWA explained the popularity of their modular design: “We mainly work on hotels and restaurants like this one, many of which are timber-framed modular constructions. Contractors like this method because it’s quick to put together and it’s costeffective as well.”

This particular £1.5 million new build for Marston’s is part of a roll-out of several new public houses across the country, which have also been designed by JWA Architects Ltd. Marston’s PLC are the largest builder of new public houses across the UK, and they plan to build sixty new pubs in the next three years. The Copperbeech stands out for being built on a larger model known as the ‘magna’ - than the standard Marston’s inn.

There are currently five Marston’s Inns designed by JWA Architects under construction nationwide. Marston’s PLC is an independent brewing and pub retail business which operates five breweries and over two thousand tenanted, leased and

managed pubs across England and Wales. Many Marston’s pubs occupy old and listed buildings, and the company is conscious of the role that public houses play in the culture and history of Britain. As such, the traditional design of The Copperbeech, though it stands out from the other modern buildings in the area, sits well within the company’s image.

The Costessey parish of Norwich has been expanding in recent years, and The Copperbeech is just one element of the redevelopment which has included the building of many new housing areas and commercial projects. In 2010 the local community also benefited from the opening of a new community centre, as well as new medical facilities.

The Norfolk Showground borders on Costessey and is home to a vast array of events throughout the year - including The Royal Norfolk Show, which is the largest two-day agrictultural show in the country. Events such as these put Costessey firmly on the map, providing great entertainment for locals and bringing in business for the hotels and retailers in the area.

World-leading dog rehoming centre takes shape Construction of a state of the art dog rehoming centre, designed to be one of the world’s most environmentally sustainable, is making good progress in Wymewold, Loughborough.

about safety around dogs and the importance of responsible dog ownership.

Dogs Trust Chief Executive, Clarissa Baldwin, said: “We are

The centre is being built for the Dog’s Trust by Main Contractors McPhillips Wellington.

MP Nicky Morgan hailed the new development: “I was delighted to hear Dogs Trust Loughborough will be opening next year. The centre will be a real boost for Loughborough, bringing with it the benefits of new jobs an education facility and a chance for local people to get involved by volunteering in the community. Dogs Trust do a fantastic job promoting dog welfare and I believe the centre will be a credit to the community”.

“Hosting the world’s most environmentally sustainable animal rescue centre will help establish Loughborough’s position on the map as a forward thinking, eco friendly town”, she said.

Featuring a biomass boiler, green roofs, under-floor heating, solar panels and a rainwater recycling system, the rehoming centre will be able to look after around 135 dogs at any one time. The sustainable design of the structure of the buildings and the use of renewable forms of energy will reduce the energy consumption of the centre by at least 30% compared to other similar sized rehoming centres. It is hoped that the building will achieve a BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ rating.

The centre will include: 64 rehoming, intake and puppy kennels (all angled and glass-fronted); under-floor heating for all kennels; dedicated training and rehabilitation centres; a sanctuary facility for up to 36 dogs that prefer canine company and on-site accommodation for three managers. There will also be: a “real life” behaviour suite to get the dogs used to household items; a vet suite; exercise paddocks and runs; a training barn and a grooming suite.

The building is designed in a combination of single and two storey levels and is structured in both steel and timber frame.

External elevations are in a combination of brick, timber, render and glazing and the building will have a ‘green’ planted roof.

The new rehoming centre will also create 25 new jobs ranging from managers, canine carers and maintenance staff. The centre has already employed a full time education officer who is visiting schools across the East Midlands to teach children ROMA PUBLICATIONS

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created on the site to encourage and increase the population of great crested newts in the new centre. AMPA Associates were also looking for any opportunities to enhance the ecological interest of the sites and encourage wildlife.

Dog’s Trust Roden has created an exciting, diverse wildflower meadow in the exercise area. The sight of barn owls foraging Napier and Company near the Loughborough site has enabled habitat creation to Chartered Building Surveyors support barn owls, and allowed AMPA Associates to design a barn owl nest box into one of the buildings. Proposed new Dogs Trust Centre, Hill Farm, AMPA Associates also designed provision Rehoming onLane, both Roden and Wide Wymeswold, Leicestershire Loughborough to encourage bats with roosting facilities built Rehoming Building Sections into the buildings. The upgraded habitat around the buildings will provide food and habitat, and it is hoped that these protected creatures will take up residence in the new buildings and delight 09318A/R/301 B staff and visitors alike.

AMPA Associates Ltd have assisted the Dog’s Trust in a costeffective manner to both retain the features of wildlife value, such as the wetland area and mature trees at Loughborough, and the ponds and hedgerows at Roden, and to create new habitat and encourage more species on the sites.

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pleased to be building our 19th Rehoming Centre in Leicestershire as this means we will be able to rescue thousands more dogs.

Last year there were 21,000 stray dogs in the Midlands area alone – with over 700 of those being destroyed because their owners could not be traced or new homes found for them.

By building this new centre with sustainability in mind, they will Section 3 also be reducing our carbon “pawprint.”

The centre is due to open in Spring 2012.

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RICS Building Conservation Accredited 4 Villa Cottage, Minsterley Road, Pontesbury SY5 0QJ Tel/Fax: 01743 792789 Email: surveyors@napierandco.org.uk www.napierandco.com

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AMPA Associates Ltd, ecologists The Dog’s Trust are very committed to sustainable development, and to encouraging wildlife in and around their rehoming centres.

2 smaller scale qualified and experienced AMPA Associates Ltd Section supplied highly ecologists to survey the sites, and identify any features of ecological interest or value that should be retained during the development. The company were also looking for any species of particular interest, or legal protection.

They surveyed the ponds around the Loughborough site for great crested newts to ensure that these protected amphibians would not be harmed during the works. Habitat has been 1 : 200

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£600 million station redevelopment will transform passenger experience

The £600 million Gateway project is redeveloping Birmingham’s New Street station to create a stunning 21st century transport hub for Birmingham and the West Midlands.

The project is being carried out by Network Rail alongside Mace who is the principal contractor and delivery partner. The project is backed by Network Rail, Birmingham City Council, Advantage West Midlands, Centro and the Department for Transport.

The project will see the current 1960s-built station become a bright, modern 21st century focal point for the city and will deliver the world class transport hub that passengers, the people of Birmingham and the West Midlands deserve.

The stunning designs for the station are the result of an international competition and will bring the vision of a better, brighter New Street station to life.

The project will provide: more space and

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better facilities for passengers to use the station in comfort; more accessible, brighter and clearer platforms serviced by over 30 new escalators and over 15 new public lifts; a grand concourse three and a half times bigger than the current station and enclosed by a giant light-filled atrium; the addition of a stunning new station facade, adding to Birmingham’s growing reputation for good design and better links to and through the station for pedestrians; new, comfortable, airport-style waiting lounges for passengers with eight new entrances being created.

The station will remain fully operational throughout construction, and Mace, working with Network Rail, is responsible for minimising disruption to rail passengers and shoppers and enabling operators to maintain uninterrupted train services. In addition to logistics management, the Mace team is coordinating more than 50 work packages involved in the development, New Street Gateway will make New Street station an icon for Britain’s second city. It will transform the experience for passengers; improve links to and through the city centre and act as a catalyst for growth for the local area’s economy.

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Andrew Skidmore, Programme Sponsor for Network Rail commented: “Once complete, the redevelopment of New Street station will transform the centre of Birmingham, providing a transport hub fit for the 21st Century and offering a wealth of further opportunities through our partnership with Birmingham City Council.”

Construction began in 2010, with the first platform being refurbished and the construction of the new concourse commencing in the old NCP car park. Work to clad the station in its reflective steel facade began in 2011 and Phase 1 of the project is due to complete in 2012, when the new station concourse will open for passengers and work switches to transform the existing station concourse. Phase 2 of the project is scheduled for completion in 2015, when the station fully opens.

MCD Developments: raising the bar for residential developments MCD are an award-winning development and investment company that specialises in mixed-use regeneration projects.

Their twenty-strong in-house team have all the skills necessary to take a comprehensive approach to new schemes, using detailed research to come up with creative solutions that

maximise new property value, even in the toughest of economic climates. Founded in 1996, the company’s experience in the market has lead to carefully honed, controlled strategies and an attention to quality which makes their developments highly sought-after.

Among other schemes, MCD is currently showcasing its

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Midlands & East Anglia commercial and residential product at two sites in Coventry and Bristol.

Upon City College Coventry’s relocation into the Swanswell Education Zone, MCD have been regenerating one of the college’s old sites. In Phase One, the company created 65,000 sq ft of BREEAM excellent, prime office space in July 2009.

This phase also included car parking, leisure facilities and an impressive 3,000 sq ft reception area - all of which are now occupied by the UK government’s Department for Education.

The scale and value of this acquisition made it the largest city centre transaction in five years.

Using their expertise in complex and sensitive sites, MCD has committed to restoring and refurbishing the existing Neoclassical building as the next phase of development - due for completion in November 2011. The top two floors of the building will be a 100-bed Premier Inn with offices, leisure and retail on the lower floors.

The much loved community theatre will also be retained and restored to take its rightful place at the heart of the scheme.

The remaining phases of the 7.5 acre site will comprise a lively mixed-use development, including a retirement scheme, family homes and apartments (almost 50 of which have already been completed and are occupied), as well as further high quality office accommodation, restaurants and bars. Meanwhile in Bristol’s Cabot Circus, MCD is heading the residential aspect of a £500 million regeneration project. Bristol Alliance, a joint venture between Hammerson Plc and Land Securities Plc, selected MCD as the residential partners on the scheme.

One hundred and ninety-five city centre apartments will be created in two developments. ‘Horizon’ is a podium-level structure benefitting from a courtyard garden, and will contain a hundred and nineteen apartments. The remaining apartments will be housed a stone’s-throw away in ‘Eclipse’, a seventeen-

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Anglia Ruskin’s first class new additions

Over the last few years, Anglia Ruskin University has been developing its outstanding facilities in both Cambridge and Chelmsford, and has further projects in the pipeline to consolidate the appeal of its courses and campuses.

Between 2003 and 2009, numerous new faculty buildings were built on the Chelmsford Rivermead Campus, including the Civic Trust Award-winning Michael Ashcroft Building, designed by Wilkinson Eyre architects. These architects also master-planned the extensive works on the site, which curves gracefully along the River Chelmer and comprises several buildings designed to actively encourage high environmental performance.

The most recent addition to the campus is the Postgraduate Medical Institute. This building houses the research institute, including appropriate laboratory facilities, and is also home to the two largest lecture theatres on the

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storey tower with a striking presence on the city skyline.

The base of ‘Eclipse’ will be home to the Harvey Nicholls flagship store, whilst the five blocks of ‘Horizon’ also contain ground-floor retail units. Situated on a new piazza amongst the vibrant new shopping area, these high-spec residences offer an edgy new take on city living.

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campus. The building was up and running in spring this year.

Meanwhile, the main Cambridge campus has undergone major regeneration, ensuring that its facilities rival those found in Chelmsford. The site on East Road, close to the city centre, has had a new building constructed surrounding a courtyard at the very heart of the campus, opening for the 2011/12 academic year. The new Lord Ashcroft Building, which interfaces with the buildings around it, includes many flexible teaching spaces, a rehearsal room, lecture theatres, and a large open access study area adjacent to the library. Partly funded by a £5 million donation from Anglia Ruskin’s Chancellor, Lord Ashcroft, the building houses the Lord Ashcroft International Business School, and is designed to be a flagship centre for entrepreneurial study and development in the East of England.

The next project awaiting the green-light in Cambridge, is a plan to accommodate the Faculty of Health and Social Care nearer to the main campus, as it is currently housed in facilities several miles out of town. A proposed regeneration of land on Young Street – just five minutes’ walk away from the facilities available

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on the East Road campus, is in the final planning stages, following public consultations.

Phase One would involve the creation of a new building comprising mock-up hospital wards and several teaching areas. Around the perimeter of the site, the proposed building elevations – designed by Richard Murphy Architects – reflect famous architecture along the city centre Trinity Lane, including rows of tall chimney stack, which would be used for natural ventilation. The overall site layout is in keeping with the traditional college style, as the buildings are mainly accessed from a central courtyard.

The disused Victorian primary school, known as The Ragged School, would also be restored as part of the programme. Anglia Ruskin will soon apply for planning permission for the Young Street site.

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New bus route is just the ticket for Kings Lynn!

A new public transport route for buses has been completed in King’s Lynn, as a key element of the town’s Nar Ouse Regeneration Area (NORA) project.

The 750 m route, which runs between South Lynn and King’s Lynn town centre, is geared to help ease traffic congestion in the town centre. As part of the scheme, a new three-metre wide shared use footpath and cycleway was also constructed to follow the same route.

The project was delivered by May Gurney Ltd through the Norfolk County Council Strategic Partnership.

The works were designed by both Norfolk County Council’s in-house team and Mott MacDonald through the partnership.

Linking Wisbech Road in the south with Boal Street in the north, the two-way route follows the line of an existing cycle and footpath (Harding’s Way), crossing the sluice that controls the River Nar outlet to the Great Ouse. The route is intended to reduce bus journey times by up to four minutes during the rush hour and is initially being used by an average of 13 buses an hour travelling in each direction. The route is also available for use by emergency vehicles.

The scheme was funded by the Government’s Community Infrastructure Fund and

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construction was completed in April 2011.

The project is part of a larger package of transport improvements that are planned in King’s Lynn, following a successful bid by Norfolk County Council and the Borough Council of King’s Lynn & West Norfolk for £5.3 million from the Government’s Community Infrastructure Fund (CIF).

The improvements will ease traffic congestion faced by people who live, work and shop in the town and improve air quality on some of its busiest streets. The improvements will give King’s Lynn the road network and public transport services it needs to develop and will facilitate the development planned in the Nar-Ouse Regeneration Area (NORA), including the construction of 900 homes on NORA land.

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Leadbitter leads NHS-Exeter University development When the original contractor on the project went into receivership in November, Leadbitter were called upon to step into the breach in order to ensure the delivery of the new Mood Disorders Centre at the Streatham Campus of Exeter University.

Costing £3.6 million, the new Sir Henry Wellcome Building for Mood Disorders Research is named after the Wellcome Trust, which awarded funding for the project in 2009 as one of its Capital Awards In Biolmedical Science initiative. It was originally due to open in Spring 2011, but the completion date has had to be pushed back to the end of 2011.

At the stage when Leadbitter was asked to take over the construction work, the steel framework had been put in place, leaving a great amount of work left to do. The Group has previously worked with the University, delivering both administration blocks, teaching facilities and research laboratories for its medical school and student accommodation. The Leadbitter group is also currently working on university complexes for the University of Plymouth and University College Falmouth, among other projects at universities across the South of England.

Rob Bradley, Regional Director of Leadbitter’s Western Construction division, said: “Despite the external economic circumstances which initially delayed the project, we are pleased to once again be working with the University of Exeter and we look forward to building a high quality environment for research and learning.”

The new centre is a joint venture between the NHS and the University of Exeter, designed to be a facility for specialist research into some of the least-understood psychological disorders. There will also be a clinic, named the AccEPT clinic, developing new therapies and offering services for patients who

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will be referred to the centre by GPs and hospitals.

Professor Ed Watkins of the Mood Disorders Centre, part of the Discipline of Psychology within the University’s College of Life and Environmental Sciences, said how pleased the university was that the building work was again underway, and that they were looking forward to the centre being opened by the end of the year.

The new centre will facilitate ground-breaking research which will have benefits reaching far beyond the university, by enabling scientists to conduct research into the underlying psychological mechanisms behind disorders. It is hoped that this will lead to the development of specifically targeted, effective therapies, tested through controlled clinical trials in the purpose-built facility.

The centre is just one of several major construction projects currently going on at the university, including multiple projects on the Streatham Campus, where the university announced plans for a £48 million investment in new facilities in 2009.

Being marked out as one of the UK’s major construction sites has lead to the opening of a National Skills Academy for Construction on the campus in 2010. This academy is one of fifty five which the government intends to create across the UK by 2012, as part of an initiative to ensure that more construction workers have the chance to gain formal qualifications. The government has established this strategy in conjunction with ConstructionSkills and the construction industry’s Sector Skills Council. The students will benefit from being based at the centre of large-scale construction operations.

You can find more information about ConstructionSkills initiatives in the feature in the Heritage section of this magazine.

Fading Forches Estate Given New Start Post-war housing estate, Forches in Barnstaple, is to undergo a complete reinvention as part of the North Devon Council’s Barnstaple Regeneration Programme.

A typical example of the cheaply produced, prefabricated housing which sprung up around the country as a response to the post-war housing shortage, the pre-cast reinforced concrete dwellings which currently constitute Forches are falling into disrepair. Now it is one of three sites in Barnstaple where the Council has pledged to demolish over two hundred homes and build three hundred and fifty high-quality replacements.

Work on Phase 1 of the project commences this year, with a provisional completion date of January 2013, which will see sixty-five two- and three-bed family homes constructed for the social landlord, although the contractor has indicated that it may be possible to finish earlier. The programme is being delivered by main contractor Frank Haslam Milan (FHM, a delivery company for regeneration specialists Keepmoat) for North Devonshire Council in association with North Devon Homes Ltd. (NDH). Design services were provided by the Trewin Design Partnership.

James Trewin, Partner at the design firm, said that despite the tight time-frame and the challenges presented by the regeneration sites, the planning stages were completed to high standards. Clearly for this all-new Forches, though being delivered under time and economic pressures like the original estate, quality and pride in the project will be at the top of the agenda.

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North Devon Homes and FHM are committed to creating these new homes to eco-friendly standards, fitting solar panels and air-source heating. Rob Gort, Project Manager at FHM, said: “We are proud of the environmental aspects of the scheme as the homes have been built to Code 3 under the Government’s Code for Sustainable Homes.”

Being environmentally-friendly is another way in which the Forches estate is set to be rebranded as leading-edge social housing, in which tenants can be proud to live.

For this regeneration project will, it is hoped, have a far deeper impact than simply delivering a better standard of housing on the estate. Ever since its original construction, Forches has suffered from being branded as a lower-class estate, the home of the unemployed and a place renowned for anti-social behaviour, a reputation dating back from its initial use as a rehousing area specifically for those branded ‘difficult families’ in the post-war slum clearance.

The new plans for the estate incorporate open communal spaces and new roads which will provide a better transport link into the main town. Devonshire Council also pledges to refurbish the Whiddon Valley Community Centre on the site.

The project will also bring employment and possibility of apprenticeship schemes to an area with limited opportunities for young people. With this in mind, Frank Haslam Milan and North Devon Homes held a local labour day in the existing Community Centre before work began. At this event, FHM described the potential apprenticeship schemes and also spoke about how they would be supporting the local economy in their choices of sub-contractors and suppliers.

NDH chief executive Martyn Gimber said the plan would create a new community, and it is hoped that this will indeed be a fresh start for an entire social group. He said “We are succeeding in creating a community for people which closely matches their aspirations. The new housing will offer residents an even better choice of high quality homes including shared ownership options.”

Petroc is a tertiary education provider and has campus’ is located throughout the South West, providing specifically the North and Mid Devon area with training and assessment in a wide range of vocational programme areas. One of Petroc’s key aims is in serving local communities and to make education available to all. The School of Architecture, Construction and

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the Built Environment offers a wide range of courses to suit the needs of companies and individuals to support career development. Programmes include; Decorative Occupations; Architecture & Surveying; Electrical Installations; Environmental Technologies; Plastering; Plumbing and Mechanical Engineering Services; Trowel Occupations and Wood Occupations

Petroc Petroc is currently working in partnership with FHM and North Devon Homes, as the preferred training provider supporting the multi million pound Housing Association Regeneration Project at Forches estate, Barnstaple. A key part of the project is a commitment to provide Apprenticeship opportunities and jobs for local people. In addition, Petroc will be proactively supporting contractors and sub-contractors to ensure that their workforce is appropriately qualified, by providing advice, guidance, education, training and assessment. Petroc has supported two recent advice and guidance events at the local Community Centre. Petroc staff have been impressed by the enthusiasm and motivation demonstrated by FHM and the local community to make this project a success.

Nick Welch, Deputy Head of School at Petroc said “We are delighted to be supporting this initiative with training opportunities for local people, Apprenticeships in particular are an ideal way of addressing skills, training and workforce needs so that the industry is prepared for the economic upturn”.

To further support this initiative, Petroc has secured £400,000 of funding from the European Union on a project entitled iLAEBOR; the project aims to promote, in an innovative way, the connection between the labour market and vocational education, for people in the community who, for many reasons, are currently unable to engage in employment.

Petroc has also received European funding working with partners from Belgium; the Netherlands; Germany; Denmark and France to address competence profiling and deliver identified training in the Renewable Technologies sector. This is a growth area in Housing Association development and refurbishment as Renewable Technologies play a major part in meeting the Government Carbon Reduction Commitment, to reduce carbon emissions within the UK by 60% by 2050 (in comparison to 1990 levels).

Equine hospital takes shape Work is underway on a state of the art equine hospital that will offer the best horse treatment facilities in the South West.

The new hospital, in Breadstone, near Berkeley, will include a MRI scanner and CT scanner - which horse owners currently have to travel to London to use.

The hospital is being built by Halsall Construction for client B&W Equine Group, which was formed through the merger of Bushy Farm Equine Clinic, based in Breadstone, Cardiff and Failand, and Willesley Equine Clinic, in Tetbury.

As one company they have managed to raise the £1.8 million for the project, which will see them become the top providers of horse treatment in the South West and Wales.

Ian Camm, who founded Bushy Equine Clinic in Breadstone over 20 years ago and is one of nine directors of B&W Equine Group, said the project was “extremely exciting”.

“It is just terrific to see it going up, this is what we have been working towards for 18 months,” he said.

The hospital, which is on six acres of land behind Bushy Farm, will include an X-ray suite, five examination rooms, operating theatre, intensive care unit and the MRI and CT scanners.

Equipment will be extremely specialised with beds needing to take the weight of a 750 kilo (110 stone) horse and corridors made extra wide for animals to move around.

Vets from anywhere in England will be able to refer horses in their care for specialist treatment at the hospital, but most importantly it will mean that horse owners from the South West will not have to travel far to get the services they need; the next nearest MRI scanner s currently in Newbury.

Work on the site is expected to be complete by September this year.

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From mining tin to harvesting the sun Over 5,600 solar panels have transformed the site of an old Truro tin mine to generate electricity for 400 homes when the South West’s first solar farm - and one of the biggest in the UK to date - was connected to the grid in Cornwall recently.

The project was carried out for UK-based solar developer Lightsource Renewable Energy, working with solar energy company Solarcentury. Local contractors were employed to carry out the work, preparing the land, supplying fencing and installing the solar panels. Electrical Contractors were Arun Construction Services. The project is funded by Octopus Investments.

On the site of a disused tin mine, the 1.4 MW farm covers a 7.2acre plot at Wheal Jane, and is the first of many renewable energy projects planned at the reclaimed mine. The farm’s 5,680 solar panels will generate 1,437 MWh of electricity a year, enough to power the equivalent of 430 homes in the area and save over 737 tonnes of CO2 emissions a year.

The installation of the panels involves piling, mounting a frame and then mounting the solar modules which are then connected to a connection box and the grid.

Conor McGuigan, Head of Planning, Lightsource Renewable Energy said that the project had gone well - especially considering that it was rare for the company to construct a scheme such as this on a brownfield site. “The weather, ground conditions and topography of the site, which required piling, made this a challenging project, particularly as we had to get the solar panels angled at exactly 27 degrees.

“It’s fantastic to see our first solar farm in the South West operational. It’s been a race against the clock to get it connected to the grid.

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“Cornwall Council, Western Power Distribution, Wheal Jane Group, 35 Degrees, Solarcentury and the local suppliers have all played a significant role in making this happen. They were all excellent. Caron Construction who carried out a lot of the site works were fantastic.

“While it’s been disappointing that the Government has decided not to support the large scale solar sector going forward, the solar farms developed this summer will play a critical role in the supply of green energy in the UK. We look forward to helping building owners develop solar projects from this point.”

Derry Newman, CEO, Solarcentury added: “To see a tin mine diversify into producing 21st Century clean solar energy, provides an optimistic glimpse of where we’re now heading for our energy production. Wheal Jane’s solar farm demonstrates that solar technology can contribute to our clean energy future, and quickly. Solarcentury designed and constructed this site in less than two months. Solar is not to be underestimated; it is the fastest growing energy technology in the world, simply because it is clean, reliable and a readily available alternative to fossil fuels.”

Julian German, Cornwall Council cabinet member for the Environment, said: “It’s great to see the UK’s biggest solar farm opening in Cornwall where we are well placed to take advantage of the significant potential of solar power. Wheal Jane solar farm demonstrates how these developments have been sensitively sited, maintaining the balance of our need for clean energy and maintaining our landscape. Despite the Government’s change in policy on Feed-in tariffs, we are determined to ensure that solar energy brings great benefits to businesses and communities throughout Cornwall. Those with roof space for solar should see it as not only as helping to contribute to our clean energy future but a rewarding investment.”

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Full Speed Ahead for Brighton And Hove FC With structural work on Brighton and Hove’s new American Express Community Stadium complete, the football club is ready to kick off the next season.

The construction work has been carried out by main contractor the Buckingham Group, who have stuck rigidly to the original schedule and completed the works on time, even in the face of challenging weather conditions and additions to the original plans, which have been made during the building stages.

Albion chief executive Martin Perry and construction director Derek Chapman have praised this excellent achievement by the Buckingham Group.

Perry said, “The reason we chose the Buckingham Group at tender stage was because we knew from their track record that they would be able to manage this complex project, and they would also achieve the high-class finish we wanted at the Amex.

“They have not disappointed; they have done superb job and given us a first-class stadium, which I believe is unrivalled in the UK and one the club and fans can rightly be extremely proud to call home.”

On July 7th the new Station Bridge, a pedestrian bridge linking Falmer station to the stadium,providing very convenient access for supporters. This was the final stage of the main construction works by the Buckingham Group, described by club officials as the culmination of four years hard work and negotiations with Network Rail and Southern Railways Ltd. The new footbridge also improves public transport access to the University of

Brighton, a vital link in an important part of the town.

At the time of writing, £3 million worth of internal furnishing work were being completed in the American Express stadium, to prepare it as a venue not only for Britain’s best footballers to show off their skills, but for a wealth of different functions such as weddings, which will take place in the conference facilities.

Throughout late June, the football club laid on exclusive preview events, allowing fans access to their new home.

The first match to be played at the stadium was the final of the Sussex Senior Cup, between Brighton and Hove’s reserves and an Eastbourne Borough side. The first team will kick off their 2011-12 season campaign at their new stadium, against Doncaster on August 6th.

Although it is not yet properly open for business The American Express Community Stadium is already making its mark on the architectural scene. It has been named one of four winners in this year’s Structural Steel Design Awards. Also chosen were the Marks & Spencer distribution facility in Bradford; Cannon Place, London; and Antony Gormley’s 26m-high ‘Exposure’ sculpture in the Netherlands.

Judges’ chairman David Lazenby said: “The old saying ‘when the going gets tough, the tough get going’ is well illustrated by the entries for this year’s Structural Steel Design Awards.

The skill, imagination and determination of these project teams is remarkable, at a time when the steelwork industry has inevitably been affected by the current economic climate.”

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Park transformation creates exceptional new green space Recently transformed and re-opened after a £2 million makeover are the Middle and Southern fields of Ladywell Fields Park in Lewisham, forming an exceptional new green space in the local area.

The project was funded by the London Development Agency (LDA) and carried out for the London Borough of Lewisham

by Main Contractors J Breheny Contractors Ltd. Landscape Architects were BDP. The makeover means the park now has a cleaner, healthier river, with new backwaters, wetlands, boardwalks and viewing platforms, steps and gently sloping banks. Other improvements include water pumps, a new play area, an orchard, new footpaths, cycle paths and lighting, new tennis courts and petanque pitches, as well as meadow areas with wildflowers, new riverside planting and an adventure playground.

The park’s regeneration has focused largely on revealing it’s greatest natural asset the River Ravensbourne. The scheme has in particular concentrated on: improving biodiversity and access to the river, including building a series of timber viewing platforms along the riverside and a number of new paths and bridges; improving the quality of the river, with new meanders, pebble ‘beach’ areas, deeper pools and backwaters; carrying out work to existing and new entrances, to connect residential areas with the green space; installing new lighting and street furniture to help make the park more user-friendly and accessible, and planting an orchard for community use.

In addition, a new children’s playground has been installed at the Catford end of the park; the tennis courts at the northern and southern ends of the park have been resurfaced and a

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Walk4Life one mile signed walking/running route around the park has been created. New signage has also been installed for the Waterlink Way which is part of the National Cycle Network and in Lewisham runs from Deptford Creek to Beckenham Place, following the Ravensbourne River.

Mr Mehron Kirk of BDP Landscape Architects said: “We considered how to improve the river in terms of access and flood attenuation, biodiversity, ecology, hydrology, and make it a better asset within the park - this required large scale land improvements in terms of re-shaping the river corridors of the park, adding backwaters, swales and riffles, re-grading the banks, and creating other land forms around the park. We also added new bridges, added new paths and new lighting and street furniture - in short, a thorough makeover.

He added that the improvements were required in order to realize the full potential of the park and the river running through it was hardly visible due to over-vegetation and ran in a uniform channel, with sections in a concrete culvert. “Working with the Environment Agency and Design for London we needed to determine how to make much better use of this park and make the river a more prominent feature, which now it really is.” he added. “It is now much more visible and accessible and the water is a much better quality too.”

“The contractors did a really good job and we have had a lot of positive feedback” he said. The Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: “Brighter, cleaner and greener parks are essential to the quality of life in London. The rejuvenation of Ladywell Fields means the area is now an oasis of calm for people to socialise and relax in. The project is the second phase of works

at Ladywell Fields, following on from the first phase carried out three years ago in the Northern Field.

CTS Bridges CTS Bridges of Huddersfield were subcontracted by J Breheny to design, manufacture and install two steel and timber bridges at Ladywell Fields. Having previously supplied the three footbridges and a Viewing Deck in the first phase in 2007, CTS were delighted to be involved with J Breheny and BDP for the second phase.

Two 24m long x 4m wide and 23m long x 4m wide steel and FSC timber footbridges were designed by CTS Bridges and manufactured at their factory in Huddersfield before being transported to Lewisham for installation onto prepared abutments.

All the timber used in the manufacture of the bridges is from sustainable sources and FSC accredited. Although the bridges have steel main beams, a timber fascia fitted to the beams gives the appearance of an all timber bridge.

Ermine Engineering Company( Ermine Engineering Company Limited was involved in the major landscaping overhaul of Ladywell Fields by manufacturing and installing three ‘play water pump platforms’. The platforms have been designed as a feature and measure approximately 4 metres by 3 metres and an impressive 3.5 metres tall. Constructed from a galvanised mild steel support frame with timber decking and a corten feature roof/sail, the platforms are located in the ‘middle field’ area of the landscape.

Blakley Electrics The FACTA certified Ground Mounted Distribution Assemblies (GMDAs) were specially designed and manufactured to provide three 16A and 0ne 32A 230V socket outlet for use when events

that require electrical power are taking place in the park. The sockets and distribution assembly are IP67 rated and contained within the GMDA enclosure. The enclosure is mounted in the ground and fitted with a chequer plate hinged lid. The sockets and distribution assembly are readily accessible when the lid is open and a hinged window is provided to allow the RCBO’s s to be operated.

A big benefit of the units is that the lid need only be open for the purpose of inserting or removing the load plugs. It can be closed and locked shut at all other times, even whilst in use.

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Hotel’s classic and modern fusion set to wow guests A former budget hotel is being given a major £6.5 million makeover that will fuse 21st century modernism with traditional Georgian architecture in order to give guests the ultimate timeless experience.

The Eccleston Square Hotel, situated in the heart of Central London’s swanky Belgravia district, will be the epitome of urban funk and high-end boutique luxury when the Grade II listed building opens its doors later this year.

Contractor Urban Fabrik is responsible for handling the hotel refurbishment.

Hotel director Olivia Byrne said that the improvements will include stripping back the hotel’s interior and the repositioning of bedrooms into a more practical and manageable space.

The floors of the five-storey hotel have been leveled and the layout reconfigured, so that all the bedrooms are the same size.

Under floor heating, air conditioning, and fresh air pumped into each room will ensure the perfect environment for guests.

There is cutting-edge technology in every room, while high ceilings and enormous original windows dominate throughout the building.

The 39 bedrooms of the hotel are divided into five categories.

Every room is equipped with 3D LED televisions and 3D Blu Ray DVD players with 3D glasses, adjustable massage beds by Hästens and Hästens and a Mind Spa TV. The rooms will also feature iPads that will help control various functions in the room including lighting, curtains to wake-up and bedtime settings, along with an iPad2 to help with a range of activities like spa bookings and shopping. The rooms will allow glimpses of either the city or garden, with a number of them having private courtyards or balconies.

The hotel will boast marble bathrooms with smart glass walls, which will turn opaque at the touch of a button, and a TV installed into a heated, steam-proof mirror. The wet rooms will incorporate rainfall showers, and high-pressure massage heads.

The hotel lobby features a black crystal chandelier and herringbone patterned floor tiling, with the lounge comprising custommade studded tub chairs, an open fireplace and silk finished walls to give it a sumptuous effect.

The exterior of the Georgian façade has been refreshed and the roof refurbished.

The interiors have been rewired and redecorated and two new lifts, featuring a bank of six TVs, have been installed into the core of the building.

The hotel also has a delightfully tasteful feel to the public areas - which include a reception, drawing room, media lounge, bar and restaurant.

A new restaurant called Bistro on the Square will be a key feature to the hotel, adding French verve and style to its menu, whilst afternoon teas, evening tapas, and an American brunch will offer hungry guests an amazing array of choices.

As part of the renovation project, the hotel’s former kitchen has been relocated.

Ms Byrne said: “The restaurant is a series of rooms all interconnected to give a convivial atmosphere in a lounge setting; It will be a meeting place for people and offer a great atmosphere.” The bar is supplemented with a massive 103in Panasonic TV. She added: “We are moving along quite nicely and heading towards our grand opening. We are finalising the finishing touches in order to offer guests a stylish and contemporary, but comfortable stay.

“I think it will look fabulous once we are completely done and we can really visualise it. It will be quite an amazing place and we are getting excited as the opening nears.”

The building is located on an award-winning, pristine garden

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square, surrounded by creative and chic fashion shops, galleries and a myriad of stylish restaurants and bars.

Maximum Air Conditioning Ltd Working with the project in the final stage of the supply and installation of all the Daikin air conditioning and ventilation systems within the hotel, are Maximum Air Conditioning Ltd. The company installed 8 x Daikin VRV S Heat Pump outdoor Systems connected to the 39 bedrooms and 7 public areas indoor units - which is all controlled by an I-Touch controller coupled up to a state of the art BMS system. The whole Hotel is then ventilated by VAV system with Flak Woods supply and extractor fans, together with kitchen supply and VES extract systems and boiler ventilation, controlled by Swegon actuators. The systems are inverter driven to meet part L building regulations and they also incorporate heat recuperation, to be energy efficient and environmentally responsible.

The state of the art inverter driven air conditioning and ventilation systems are controlled by a total BMS system. This allows the start up and shut down of all services after a time period when the room is booked for occupancy, and switch off on exit of the key card - this allows for energy conservation and makes the hotel environmental friendly, together with cost savings for the hotel management.

Established in 1997, Maximum Air Conditioning is an accredited Daikin D1 Installer and operates throughout London and Southern England. The company specialises in the design, installation and service of these types of projects from start to completion.

Landmark building will run the world’s largest offshore wind farm A £ £4 million contract to construct a landmark Operations and Maintenance Base Facility for the London Array Project - the world’s largest offshore wind farm is nearing completion at the Port of Ramsgate on the east Kent coast, on a 8,000m2 site.

The purpose-built facility, which has been designed by award winning Midlands based BBLB archiiects LLP, and will accommodate up to 90 staff, is being constructed by Mansell Construction Services. Project Managers are BBLB Architects; Structural and Civil Engineers are Curtins Consulting and Mechanical and Electrical Engineers are The Engineering Practice. Janes Lathwood is the Client’s Quantity Surveyor The distinct architectural concept has been designed by BBLB architects specifically around the exposed marine conditions and driven by positive sustainable measures. The building will achieve BREEAM (BRE Environmental Assessment Method) ‘Excellent’ status. It will also have BREEAM grade A+ internal finishes and will be built using the latest building methods and using materials that are sustainable and recyclable.

“This is a landmark building of high quality design - which reflects the status of this exciting project” said Mr Ed Baverstock of BBLB architects.

The two storey main building is divided into two distinct elements - 15,000 sq ft of state of the art open plan and cellular offices for monitoring the operations of the wind farm, and a 10,000 sq ft warehouse to store everything needed for wind farm’s maintenance. These two elements will be separated by a three storey full height glazed atrium incorporating the building’s main entrance and an internal ‘street’ linking the office and

warehouse areas.

The building’s sustainable design features include: maximising the available natural light through passive design measures; an extensive specially designed green roof seeded with planting typical to the area on the warehouse element of the building to provide ecological value, good insulation and water attenuation, and a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) facility.

The building is structured around a steel frame with external elevations of the office element in Sto-render, with a flat Sarna roof, whilst the warehouse element will feature Kal-Zip cladding to the elevations.

External works include the construction of a concrete service yard, and car parking to the front of the building.

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Lo n d o n & S o u th E a s t Currently the project is progressing on schedule, with the building now watertight, the green roof being fitted and the mechanical and electrical installation, internal finishes and external works underway. The project is due to be completed in October 2011.

London Array is arguably the most widely known UK offshore wind farm. Its sheer scale and proximity to Greater London mean it’s often referred to by politicians and in the press. At 1,000MW, the project is currently the world’s largest consented wind farm and is being built in two phases.

The London Array could eventually power up to 750,000 homes – about a quarter of Greater London – and reduce harmful CO2 emissions by 1.4 million tonnes a year. So it’ll make a big difference to the environment as well as helping provide a reliable electricity supply to south east England.

Construction on the new onshore substation at Cleve Hill started in July 2009 and offshore construction commenced in March 2011, when the first of 177 foundations was installed for the project. Construction of Phase One should be fully complete by the end of 2012.

London Array will be commissioned in phases as groups of turbines become operational. Each turbine will be energised, commissioned and tested individually and in groups to make sure they’re working correctly.

It is expected that the whole of Phase One to be commissioned by spring 2013, after which the site will be handed over to the Operations and Maintenance team.

London Array’s turbines are designed to run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for over 20 years. Each turbine will be serviced regularly by technicians, who will normally travel to the wind farm by boat.

Estate upgrade breathes new life into homes A project mainly comprising window replacement plus various other works to 263 flats and houses is underway on the Queens Road Estate in Richmond-Upon-Thames, Surrey, for London & Quadrant Housing Association.

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Main Contractors for the project are The Art of Decorating Ltd. The properties include a mixture of flats, maisonettes and

houses and are of 1980s construction.

Several thousand powder coated aluminium framed windows fitted with Pilkington K glass will be installed over the life of the project, with the works ranging from approximately 4 to 13 windows installed per property. The project also includes the replacement of rear external doors to houses.

Initially a surveyor visits each property to measure up, then scaffolding is erected after the old windows and doors are removed and the replacements installed. The replacement units are designed to match the originals as closely as possible.

In some cases the installation includes floor to ceiling height windows, or fully insulated wooden panels with double glazing above – for example over worktops in kitchens.

The project is being carried out in three phases, with the first phase of 91 properties located within a conservation area being largely complete. Phase 2 is also largely complete and comprised works to approximately 75 homes, with the remainder of the properties now being completed in Phase 3.

Also to be completed are works to four flats in phase 2 and the flats and maisonettes in phase 3 (this is due to the project awaiting imminent discharge of planning permission).

Additional works in the project include ground maintenance repairs such as taking up, levelling and re-bedding brick paviours which have sunk over the years, and the erection of post and rail heavy duty fencing, as well as associated path and brickwork repairs.

Further works include staining/repainting/repairing all remaining timber front entrance doors, as well as garage doors, gas meter cupboard doors and bin store doors. Other works include carrying out roof inspections and carrying out any repairs required to guttering and downpipes, as well as installing Leafguard mesh to gutters to prevent blocking.

The project is expected to be completed just before Christmas 2011.

The Art of Decorating have carried out contracts for London & Quadrant Housing Association for many years and were presented with the organisation’s Maintenance Contractor of the Year Award in 2010, beating off competition from much larger companies.

Phase One of seaside regeneration dealt out in Kent A development of thirteen houses and three apartments is being completed in the seaside town of Deal, Kent.

This is the first phase in a programme by Mildvalley Developments LLP, a consortium of local firms aiming to enhance the town. In total, the development programme will see the construction of forty-three houses and twenty-six apartments.

The development is on a site between Cannon Road and Golf Road, and has included the construction of a new road called Outdowns. Several derelict buildings had to be demolished to make way for the construction work, including an old timber yard, and a yearlong decontamination process was necessary to make sure that the land was fit to build on.

These new homes are built in a traditional design to complement the architectural style of the surrounding area, while offering the latest in contemporary living. Roger Lewis of Dudley Marsh Architects explained that the homes are faced in a mixture of wooden cladding, StoRend Flex Cote through colour render, with real slate pitched roofs, in keeping with existing housing in the area.

An Estate Service Charge paid by occupants, will cover maintenance of outdoor area and furniture, ensuring that the development continues to present a high-quality finish.

The houses are built to a high eco-friendly specification, which goes beyond standard regulations. Various features combine to ensure that the homes all have a 25% improvement in emissions over current building regulation requirements.

These features include enhanced insulation and double glazing, energy-efficient boilers and Worcester Bosch solar panels.

Heat-recovery ventilation systems and a high proportion of lowenergy lighting are also standard throughout the build.

A new GP’s surgery and community centre have also just been completed and handed over, and it is planned that the next phase of housing will be begun in September 2011. The GP’s surgery is rated ‘good’ by BREEAM requirements, and the community centre is built to the same ‘green’ standards, although it has not been officially rated.

The main contractor is local construction firm WW Martin, who have a hundred years’ experience in the industry and employ their own craftsmen from a wide range of disciplines for the

greatest quality control.

Dover based Dudley Marsh Architects is a well established firm who have designed a wide range of projects from home improvements up to community centres, offices and residential developments.The Golf Road GP surgery is the first they have designed. Currently they are working on a town-centre project in Dover and a further development on a site adjacent to Outdowns.

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Iconic new London landmark rises to become Britain’s tallest building

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are open and the shards do not touch, allowing the building to ‘breathe’. In turn the glass surface visually fragments as it rises, and the tower appears to dissolve into the sky.

The central core is now complete. April 2011 saw steady progress in construction and cladding had enveloped half of the building’s exterior. Pouring of the concrete floors had reached level 50 and progress on the towers cladding had picked up pace once again with cladding reaching level 38.

Stephen Pycroft, chairman and CEO of Mace commented: “There is a lot of hard work to do, but the speed with which the Shard has risen out of the ground and the quality of the construction is testimony to the determination, innovation and team spirit of all those working on the project.”

Completion of the entire London Bridge Quarter development is anticipated during the first quarter of 2013.

Coopers Fire: protecting The Shard Coopers Fire have been awarded the contract to install more than sixty Fire and Smoke Curtains throughout the seventy-two floors of The Shard.

Currently, the barriers are being installed in three areas.

Eleven curtains, each 13.5mx6.5m, protect the three-storey facade connecting with London Bridge station, preventing fire spread between the two buildings. The viewing gallery is being fitted with two curtains, in a simple design negating the need for fire doors. Finally the three-floor restaurant is fitted with curtains to prevent fire spreading between floors, as well as curtains specially designed to fit around atrium balconies and balustrades.

The curtains deploy automatically from where they are stored in the ceiling, lowering part way so as to keep escape routes clear, and lowering fully after a pre-programmed length of time.

Coopers Fire are the world leader in fire and smoke safety systems, having invented and patented the Gravity Fail-Safe Smoke and Fire Curtain, which has set the standard for such products sold around the world.

The Shard in Southwark’s London Bridge Quarter soars skyward, pinpointing the location of this mixed use development, which is being carried out as part of the area’s £22m regeneration programme.

The Sellar Property Group - which is developing the scheme on behalf of LBQ Ltd - are working with architects Renzo Piano Building Workshop in collaboration with Adamson Associates and principal contractors Mace.

Renzo Piano, the architect, described the design as a ‘shard of crystal’. He explained that the sophisticated use of glazing and expressive facades of angled panes are intended to reflect light and the changing patterns of the sky - the form of the building will therefore change according to the weather and seasons.

When taken to the 244 metre level recently, Boris Johnson said: “If you want a symbol of how London is powering its way out of the global recession, the Shard is it, rising confidently up to the heavens. Once complete, this huge engineering feat will be the tallest building in Europe, and is destined to become as iconic a landmark on London’s cherished skyline as the Gherkin, St Paul’s or Big Ben”.

The variable size of the floor plates is ideal for a mixed use development. At the bottom, the large deep floor plates are for offices; the middle floors incorporate an apartment hotel and the top floors comprise apartments. The building will incorporate: 595,000 sq ft of office space, a collection of high quality restaurants and bars occupying three floors at the mid levels, a five star de-luxe Shangri-La hotel and spa, exclusive residences and a high level viewing gallery. Conceived like a small vertical town in which ten thousand people will work and more will commute to and from, the tower is a holistic response to the sustainable development of the European city.

The building will be 310 metres tall with a total floor area of 90,000 square metres and it will have 72 floors, plus 15 further radiator floors in the roof.

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Historic landmark restored to create dramatic new arts venue A multi-million pound project to refurbish and restore the historic listed landmark St George’s Chapel in Great Yarmouth into a multi-purpose arts venue is forging ahead.

The project is led by Great Yarmouth Borough Council, with RG Carter as Main Contractors, and Hopkins Architects responsible for the design.

Modeled on the church of St Clement Danes in London and painted in reds and golds, St George’s Chapel fell into disuse in 1971. It was then turned into a theatre, which closed around five years ago when it was declared unsafe.

The project is being carried out in consultation with English Heritage - with grant funding from CABE Seachange programme, the Heritage Lottery Fund, the East of England Development Agency, Norfolk County Council and English Heritage.

The main space of the chapel provides a natural performance space. The scheme will enhance this character and provide flexibility for different function types. The unsympathetic interventions of a 1970s conversion are being removed and new insertions containing the dressing rooms, WC facilities, storage and plant spaces are being formed beneath the north and south galleries to respect the formal layout of the chapel. They are set back from the column line to allow the original freestanding structure to be read.

A split level is being introduced at the galley level, which originally would have been raked seating. The change in level permits the original floor alignment at the front of the gallery with the balustrade, and at the rear to the ground floor window head and first floor window sill levels.

The change in level aligns with the front of the new insertions below the galleries that are being installed behind the line of the columns. This permits a row of seats to be installed behind the existing balcony balustrade.

The ground floor will accommodate a maximum seated audience of 240 persons with acceptable aisle widths for escape purposes. The capacity for a standing audience is 400.

The population of the gallery is limited to 60 persons so that the existing stair arrangement does not need to be supplemented.

A simple fixed stage is being installed at the east end of the chapel.

The secondary glazing required for noise insulation is being set within the window reveals, approximately 200 mm from the existing windows to retain the wall depth in incidental views.

The chapel’s existing copper sheet roof is being replaced with a traditional roll detailed lead sheet roof and the existing steel frame supporting the cupola is being repaired. The blockwork walls beneath the south gallery are being locally strengthened so that a pier can be formed to the footprint of the original column, permitting the remainder of the blockwork to be removed. These piers and the structural timber columns on the north side are being clad.

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The new pavilion being constructed adjacent to the chapel complements the setting and function of the chapel, accommodates the box office and café and provides a break out space for the theatre with a bar and further toilets. Plants for the chapel will also be principally contained within the pavilion as there is little suitable available space within the chapel.

The building is placed to engage with the chapel but at a respectable distance from it, allowing for an external performance space to the south. The structure of the new building responds to the existing geometry of the chapel; the new timber columns on the glazed elevation align with the chapel’s external pilasters.

A defined palette of materials responds to and complements the chapel. The curved plan maximises site lines around the new building towards the chapel. The pavilion features solid curved ends in brickwork that empathise with the chapel both in plan and material - brick being the prevalent building material within the old town. The building will have a shallow pitched lead roof which is ‘floated’ over by the device of a continuous louver.

A brise soleil provides weather protection on the south side.

Horizontal sliding glass screens between the timber columns form the elevations between the solid ends.

Internal lighting will be provided by downlights. The lighting will be balanced with the external sources in order to compliment the historic environment at night.

The overall project is due to be completed in early 2012.

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Ready for anything: new depots for the South East Coast Ambulance service The South East Coast Ambulance service (SECAmb) is looking forward to the completion of two new facilities in Kent, which will help the service to run as efficiently and effectively as possible.

These new depots are purpose-built Make Ready Centres on Eldon Way in Tonbridge, and in the Orbital Business Park in Ashford.

Work began on the Make Ready Centre in Ashford began in April 2011, and is due for completion in December. It has been designed by Murphy Philipp’s Architects and the main contractor on the project is Kier South East (who also put in a bid for the design and build contract for the Tonbridge depot).

The building at Ashford is a flat-roofed, two-storey structure, which will also house a training centre and related staff facilities and offices. Additional outside facilities will include sixty carparking spaces and fuelling facilities. Outer facing is in brickwork with aluminium-framed windows and steel roller-shutter doors and glazed doors.

In the 1990s it was found that the site of the new Ashford depot held some interesting secrets, as trial-trenching unearthed evidence of Bronze and Iron Age settlements. In line with a subsequent planning condition from Ashford Borough Council, a more extensive archaeological excavation and investigation was carried out in 2010. SECAmb have said that the completed depot building will contain references to this important findings.

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Meanwhile, work on the Make Ready Depot in Tonbridge commenced in January 2011 and is set to be completed this October. The structure will house thirty-six vehicle parking bays, associated offices, staff facilities and storage.

Response posts in both new depots will provide a base for staff with suitable facilities.

These Make Ready centres are an award-winning initiative for the SECAmb NHS Foundation trust, which is designed to allow specialist staff to use their skills more efficiently. Traditionally it is the task of the ambulance crew to re-stock and clean ambulances at the beginning and ending of every day. However, under this new scheme, ambulances will be returned to a Make Ready Centre at the end of every shift, where it will be handed over to specialist cleaning staff who will prepare the ambulance for its next use.

It is hoped that this new system will mean that ambulance clinicians can spend the maximum amount of time treating patients in the very best environment. Efficiency and cleanliness will be maintained to a high standard, with the ambulances being regularly swabbed for micro-organism contamination such as the so-called superbug MRSA. The depots have been located according to patient-demand in the area and will serve ambulance crews from Ashford, Dover, Folkstone and Lydd.

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Grand Plans For Penrhos Planning permission will soon be applied for by Land And Lakes, for a major project to provide Penhros with a new residential site and a quality leisure village.

The scheme would see the regeneration of a three hundred and sixty acre site in Anglesey, which was owned by Anglesey Aluminium Metals who closed down operations on the site in 2009. Since then, the land has been run as a country park. But if this new development goes ahead it will do more than simply use the land, as the proposed leisure village would create employment for up to six hundred people, offsetting the loss of six hundred jobs which occurred with the scaling back of the aluminium works.

The site will be split into three areas to be known as Kingsland, Penrhos and Cae Glas under the development proposals which will come forward in two planning applications.

One application will be to build a 62-acre residential development at Kingsland and the other will be for a 308-acre leisure village at Penrhos and Cae Glas to include lodges, apartments, restaurants, retail units and various sports and leisure facilities.

Land and Lakes is controlled by Richard Sidi and Brian Scowcroft, who were the developers behind the Kingmoor business park in Carlisle. That was another significant construction project which saw the redevelopment of another site which had fallen into disuse, having been a Ministry of Defence Storage site closed ten years before the arrival of Sidi and Scowcroft in 2008. Their regeneration of the area created more than 2 million square feet of business spaces including offices and warehouses, set in a four hundred acre, landscaped site.

For their new Anglesey project, Sidi and Scowcroft have appointed Manchester-based consultancy HOW Planning, to provide management services on the planning and environmental aspects of the build. HOW Planning area specialist planning

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and environmental consultancy who pride themselves in being able to work on a project right through from its initial planning stages to the completion of construction work. They have previously worked on large-scale redevelopment projects, including the building of a residential property development on the former Chesterfield FC Recreation Ground, a scheme which was named as the fiftieth largest regeneration programme by Regeneration and Renewal magazine.

Together these firms will bring a wealth of experience to the project, which will also be designed by the North West firm Planit IE, based in Altrincham, who are a young design practice, who claim to have a strong track-record on challenging or controversial schemes over their short history.

Rival plans for the Anglesey site include new recycling, energy and waste-treatment works.

“Excellent” project to build Cardiff’s newest and largest hotel completed Construction of Cardiff’s newest and largest city centre hotel, the Maldron Hotel, has recently been completed on St Mary Street in the heart of the city centre.

The project was carried out for Dalata Ltd by Main Contractors Mcaleer and Rushe. Developers, Project Managers and Quantity Surveyors were Rush Central.

“The project was excellent - one of the best we have ever done. It was a really good experience - McAleer & Rushe were excellent, the tenant was very constructive. This was a dream scheme.” said Mr Ian Jones of Rush Central.

Prominently located only minutes walk from Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Central Rail Station as well as St David’s 2 Shopping Centre, the 12 storey fully air conditioned hotel was constructed on the previous site of a hotel which was demolished some years ago.

Facilities include 216 four star standard spacious guest rooms, a bar and restaurant, wi-fi throughout, two lifts and a state of the art business centre occupying a full floor and including eight dedicated meeting rooms. The meeting rooms accommodate up to 115 delegates, theatre style. Meeting rooms have complimentary Wi-fi and built-in AV. There is also an internal mezzanine and breakout area.

Each of the bedrooms has a luxury bathroom and a seating area. All rooms have a work desk and flat-screen TV, and tea and coffee facilities are also provided. The hotel’s Stir Bar serves a

range of beverages and snacks in contemporary surroundings.

The Maldron Restaurant has an international menu and wine list, and full English breakfasts are served daily The building is of concrete frame structure, with external elevations in a combination of stone and ceramic, with aluminium framed windows and a flat roof with enclosed plant area. Dalata Ltd. was established in 2007 and launched the Maldron Hotels brand on 1st September 2008 comprising ten three-star and four-star hotels in key locations throughout Ireland. The group is headed up by Pat McCann, CEO, and provides solutions for asset owners across all functions including; finance, I.T., operations, purchasing, distribution, revenue, sales and marketing.

The core strategy of the company is to continue to develop the Maldron brand in both Ireland and the U.K. The Group is also developing a portfolio of Partner Hotels which currently totals 11 properties from the 3*, 4* and 5* sectors. These properties are operated under a Management Contract and will continue to trade under their existing brand name.

Dalata Ltd. now operates 24 hotels in Ireland and the U.K. with over 3500 bedrooms with 1500 employees, through Maldron Hotels and its Partner Hotels, making it Ireland’s largest hotel group.

The group’s expansion into the U.K commenced with the opening of the Maldron Hotel Cardiff.

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Dumfries to receive new Primary Care Centre The Scottish Government’s Capital Investment Group have given the go-ahead for a new, £6 million Primary Care Centre on Lochfield Road.

Charlotte Street GP Surgery, Cairn Valley GP practice Dumfries branch will be accommodated in the new structure along with a podiatry clinic, community nursing facility and health visitors. Several more specialist primary care services will also be housed in the centre, including the Cameron House Adult Specialist Drug and Alcohol Service, and the Integrated Substance (ISS) Service for Children and Young People.

Cameron House and the ISS have welcomed the decision.

The relocation and grouping of services into one specific place will, it is hoped, make it easier for the public to access local care, and the new building will be designed specifically to house these particular services. The modern facilities should also be a great step forward in general patient care, and staff at Charlotte Street Surgery are looking forward to moving into the permanent new building from their current temporary facility.

Cairn Valley GP practice also welcomed the news.

Scottish Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon expressed her support for the scheme: ‘I am pleased to say that over the next year £2.4 million will be invested as part of a total funding package of £5.4m to support this project. The centre is set to be a real benefit to the area and patients will be able to access more vital services locally.

‘Despite the significant cuts to Scotland’s capital budget, the Scottish Government is continuing to prioritise spending

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on improving facilities in our NHS. Not only will this improve buildings and equipment, it will support vital sectors of the economy such as the construction industry.’

BAM have been given the design and build contract for the new centre, with subcontractors yet to be announced. Speaking for BAM, Allen Cunningham commented that the firm was excited to be working on the new project.

RSP have been appointed as consulting engineers on the Dumfries project, with JM Architect, Grontmij and Turner Townsend also awarded contracts.

BAM has also been appointed by NHS Dumfries and Galloway on a similar project to build a new health centre in Dalbeattie, Kirkcudbrightshire. Designed by Anderson Bell + Christie, this project is currently awaiting planning permission which, if granted, will commence the removal of an existing health practice to purpose-built premises at Netherplace Farm. The current services in the town have outgrown their facilities, and so the intention is to move nurses, midwives and GPs into a building which will accommodate expansion of services on offer.

Subject to planning permission, BAM are set to start work on the Dalbeattie site later this year.

Initial preparatory works on the new £6 million plus facility in Lochfield Road will commence with immediate effect, and work on the project will begin in earnest by October this year with anticipated completion around late Autumn 2012.

Regenerating Glasgow’s historical and cultural hub The Merchant City Initiative is a major programme of public and private sector development, now nearing completion and geared to driving and supporting the physical, environmental, economic and social regeneration of the Merchant City and Trongate area Glasgow’s historical and cultural hub.

The vision of the initiative has been to ensure that underused spaces and buildings are developed and regenerated using the highest standards of design and sustainability and that the streets are calmed of traffic and greened using traditional salvaged materials to become a haven for pedestrians and cyclists. The creative and cultural industries are also given the best opportunities to flourish hand in hand with commercial, retail and businesses that are good neighbours to the vibrant residential community.

“The Merchant City initiative makes a lot of projects viable which would not otherwise have been so, and brings a lot of cash and development into the area,” said Mr Ewan Curtis of the Merchant City Initiative. He added that an important element of the scheme was to attract creative and cultural industries to the area and to establish a ‘creative hub’.

He said that the current Phase two of the scheme, that commenced in 2006 and is now nearing completion, follows on from the initial phase started in 2000.

Current works on site in the programme include: Hutcheson Hall and King Street South block, being carried out by CBC Stone, and Tollbooth Steeple and Merchant Steeple by City Building/ CBC Stone; 45 and 49 High Street shop fronts by DH Allan; Ramshorn Church by Laings Traditional Masonry Ltd; Public Realm works in Virginia Street and Wilson Street by JRB Construction; public realm works in New Wynd by McLays and public realm improvements in Merchant Wynd by John McGeady.

Works to the ‘A’ listed Hutcheson Hall have just been completed in a £450,000 programme carried out by Glasgow Building Preservation Trust on behalf of the owners, National Trust for Scotland. The works have encompassed repairs to the roof with new flashings and cast iron rainwater goods; repainting in Keim mineral; repairs to timber windows, doors and louvres and repainting and gilding of the clock faces and weather vane.

The building is now resplendent at the top of recently completed public realm works to Hutcheson St. It is currently unoccupied although NTS and the City Council are actively pursuing a longterm use. Funding for the works was secured from Scottish Enterprise, Glasgow City Council, Glasgow City Heritage Trust, ERDF, Scottish Arts Council and a commercial loan.

The Tollbooth and Merchant steeples in the area are some of the last medieval buildings in the city. A grant of over £200,000 was made by the Initiative (match funded by Glasgow City Council) for restoration works now on site. Both steeples are iconic in the city and these works should ensure that their future is assured.

The project at South Block King Street is a very exciting conversion of a C listed warehouse by WASPS (www. waspsstudios.org.uk). Works are now on site with a £275,000 grant from the Initiative as part of a £3.5 million programme of repairs and conversion.

At 45 and 49 High Street, works are almost complete on the reinstatement of the original shop fronts to two units on the High Street, which are currently occupied by two charities (Friends of the Britannia Music Hall and Impact Arts (a leading community arts based charity www.impactarts.co.uk).

At Ramshorn Church, the THI has awarded a grant of £75,000 to £200,000 for a programme of works to carry out repairs to the roof and stonework alongside paint removal and repairs to the railings.

The phase 2 works are due to be completed in August.

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£9.2 million restoration returns historic halls to the heart of the community A £9.2 million project is underway to breathe new life into the 133 year old former Burgh Halls complex at the heart of Maryhill. The scheme will save the iconic Halls for the community and create a thriving centre for business.

Maryhill Burgh Halls were the seat of municipal government in the days before Maryhill was a part of Glasgow. Built in 1878 and designed by renowned architect Duncan McNaughtan, they have lain derelict for the past eight years and are listed on the Buildings at Risk register.

The Halls and adjoining former police station were purchased

by Maryhill Burgh Halls Trust in November 2009, and an ambitious programme of building immediately began. It is scheduled for completion in September 2011.

The Main Contractor for the project, Graham Construction, has secured employment opportunities within the local community by creating three apprenticeships in joinery to work on the Halls restoration. John McHugh, Contracts Manager at Graham Construction said: “We have a strong commitment at Graham to employing young apprentices and ensuring they acquire all the skills they need for a rewarding and enjoyable career.”

Maryhill Burgh Halls Trust raised the remarkable amount of funding required to secure a bright future for the treasured Halls and in doing so recapture the splendor of one of the city’s best loved buildings. More than seven years of hard work has been put into developing the proposals for the project, and raising the money needed to bring it to life. The Board of the Trust comprises local people and representatives from partners Maryhill Housing Association, Cube Housing Association, and Glasgow City Council.

Once restored, the Halls will recapture the splendid historic beauty of this treasured building, and provide the local community with: a modern public hall, a cafe and heritage exhibition space, 11 offices, a commercial and community recording studio, nursery, and meeting rooms - all situated around a courtyard garden.

The building’s architectural appeal and historic merit is further enhanced by a unique series of 20 stained glass panels depicting the various trades and industries of Maryhill in the late 19th century. They were designed and manufactured by Stephen Adam, one of the leading stained glass artists of the time. The panels have been held in storage by Glasgow Museums, and the

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building restoration will allow a number of them to be conserved and returned to the building. Many of the panels feature varied trades and industries of the area.

Most are easily identifiable images such as a gas worker, iron moulder, joiner or boat-builder.

Mr Hunter Reid of the Maryhill Burgh Halls Trust said: “The project represents the fruition of seven years of work by a large number of people. It has allowed the building to be transformed into a series of dynamic spaces that will once again make it the heart and soul of the community.

“The main contractors are doing a very good job on what has been a very complex project with a lot of structural, remedial and new build works on what is a very constrained site. Not only does the project include a lot of restoration work, there is also a significant amount of new build involved, and we are very happy with the progress being made and the standards of quality that have been achieved.”

He added that a series of historic trades workshops have been held at the site, focusing on traditional work such as slating and leadwork, masonry, pointing and joinery. These have been attended by people from the local community and schools.

He added that the Hall is already receiving many bookings for weddings, birthday parties drama performances, dances and conferences, as well as enquiries from potential tenants of the new office units - well ahead of any advertising.

Scotcourt Scotcourt are delighted to have completed the masonry conservation works on all phases of the Burgh Halls project which included the initial removal of cement rich rendered coatings and the subsequent steam removal of painted coatings prior to the replacement of carved, moulded and plain masonry to all elevations. Lime re pointing, and dressing were also carried out during the project to enable this important local historic listed building to have continued use under the imaginative and community based scheme initiated by the Burgh Halls Trust.

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Excitement builds as town awaits new church and community facility Excitement in the community is building as construction of the new Maybole Parish Church and Carrick Centre progresses on a site located in the heart of Maybole, Ayrshire.

The project will create new community facilities and will incorporate a modern church, with a separate dedicated youth facility.

The scheme is being carried out for the Church of Scotland by Main Contractors Fleming Building; Architects are ARP Lorimer and Associates.

The brief to the architects asked for a flexible multi use building that will provide comfortable modern facilities for the activities of the church and local residents. A range of spaces will be provided from a large hall down to small private meeting rooms.

Local interest will be supported by the presence of the Maybole Historical Society and a Drop-in cafe for all.

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A substantial car park will be built to serve the new building, but this will also benefit the local health centre, railway station and the town centre providing a much-needed resource for Maybole.

Within the building the smaller spaces are arranged along the Culzean Road frontage providing a lively façade to the street, with the more internal spaces of the large hall and worship space being positioned towards the railway.

All the spaces are accessed from welcoming entry courts

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that lead into a well lit central gathering place. The variety of facilities and flexible furnishing arrangements will allow for the accommodation of a wide variety of functions, from private meetings to conference and cinema functions. The design of the building allows this range of activities to take place alongside the worship requirements of the parish.

The building will provide a centre of great presence in the town, a modern landmark building for the future.

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‘Ground-breaking’ new Eco-Education Centre arises in Fife

Designed by architect Richard Atkins and built

by Muir Construction, the new TREE (Tullis Russell Eco-Education) centre in Glenrothes is being built on the former site of Tullis Russell’s social club and later employee training centre.

It was commissioned by Tullis Russell Papermakers (TRP) in partnership with local Community Councils and marked the firm’s bicentenary. Sustainability is at the heart of TRP’s business, both in its products and in the way it operates.

Funding comes from a £497k Climate Challenge Fund grant and £350k from the The Russell Trust and the Tullis Russell Group, who are also providing the land and future maintenance for the new centre.

Tullis Russell’s marketing director Malcolm Sinclair commented: “The Tullis Russell Environmental Education Centre will be a great way to engage with people in our local

community concerning the importance of protecting the environment.”

Facilities in the centre will include a laboratory, lecture theatre and an exhibition area to deliver first-class information about sustainable living. A stated aim of the project is that ‘local community groups will be encouraged to use the building for specific events related to the locality, nature of the building and the wider environmental aspects of the project’.

Recycled and low-carbon materials used in the environmentally friendly build include timber and concrete aggregate salvaged from the demolition of existing buildings on the site.

Insulation includes newspaper and wood fibre, whilst the shell will be clad in insulating lime-coated straw bales and Scottish timber.

Electrical energy needs will be met by a new biomass plant, which will replace Tullis Russell’s existing coal and gas-fired power station.

Space heating is provided by a state of the art biomass boiler. Additional electricity will be generated by a photovoltaic panel and a wind turbine, which will run intermittently.

Simple measures will ensure inside efficiency - including the installation of thermostats throughout the building, along with monitoring points for CO2 levels. These will control the

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heating and ventilation systems, avoiding unnecessary use of any of the electrically run systems.

A rainwater-harvesting system will be supplemented by a borehole, and hot water will be heated by solar energy.

The building design should explain its functionality: visitors will leave with a better idea of carbon reducing strategies, from passive solar to energy efficient appliances and management, helping them to understand which of these they could adopt in their homes and businesses.

Malcolm Sinclair explained the wider impact that the biomass plant will have on carbon emissions: “The new power station ... will reduce the company’s fossil fuel carbon emissions by 250,000 tonnes per year, making a major contribution to Scotland’s renewable generation targets.”

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Moray Council commences largescale increase in housing stock Moray Council in North East Scotland is overseeing the progress of a large scale council house-building programme, which involves developments on three separate sites: Linkwood East in Elgin; Barhill Road, Buckie and Alexandra Road, Keith.

These developments are designed to tackle the shortfalls of housing in Moray which have been identified by the Housing Needs Study of 2002 and various other assessments published by the Scottish Government. There are currently almost 3,000 applicants on the Council’s waiting list.

The findings from the Housing Needs Study in 2002 concluded that there would be an under supply of 219 affordable units per year in the area between 2007 and 2010. According to the council, “If this is addressed over a long period, the under supply is 160 units per year”. Taken with other housing needs assessments published by Communities Scotland, the report underlines the shortfall of affordable housing in Moray and identifies that the level of need for affordability related housing in Moray has increased since 2001. Sensitivity analyses were carried out and indicate that the minimum level of shortfall until 2015 would be in the region of 100 houses per year.

The council’s efforts to tackle the shortfall have resulted in several areas of concern being identified in the local housing market. These include: recession; the lack of affordable housing throughout Moray; pressure from homeless households; disrepair in the private sector; fuel poverty and social exclusion; demographic change leading to an ageing population and smaller households; and the increasingly complex housing needs of elderly and disabled people.

A wide range of sizes and styles of accommodation is therefore being created on all three sites - providing affordable homes and suitable housing for the elderly, or those with ambulant disabilities. Besides family houses - many of which feature a ground floor bedroom for easy access - there will also be bungalows made specifically for less-able, retired tenants.

These include ‘C-type’ bungalows with adapted kitchen and

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bathroom facilities including level-access showers, and wider doorways designed with wheelchair users in mind.

The new housing at Linkwood East began last year, with Phase One being delivered by December 2010. Phase Two began in February 2011, and the overall completion is set for February 2013.

The first phase of housing was funded collaboratively by the government and council, with a smaller grant from Community Energy Scotland enabling the houses to be built with groundsource heat pumps and underfloor heating. Not only does this make the houses more eco-friendly, but incorporating energy saving features is also an innovative way to reduce bills, making the houses more affordable.

Springfield Properties are the main contractors engaged for all three of the major developments currently underway, having been employed at the beginning of the Linkwood East programme. “Part of the government’s stipulation was that the funding for Linkwood East should be used within a certain period,” explained Graeme Davidson, housing strategy and development Manager at Moray Council. “We therefore needed a contractor who could demonstrate during the tender process that the work would be done on schedule, as well as on budget, and to proper standards.”

The property firm proved ideal for the job, as they were already the owners of the fields on which the Elgin housing was to be built, and have extensive experience in the affordable housing market. They have built other affordable housing in the same area, including for the Grampian and Langstane Housing Associations. Their involvement on these projects with Moray Council represents part of a surge in their business in the ‘affordable’ market. That fact that they have now been entrusted with the new developments in Buckie and Keith as well as Phase Two of the Linkwood East project is testament to the quality and efficiency of their building work.

Commenting on the reliability of Springfield’s work, Mr Davidson praised the good quality standard that the developers

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The hundred and twenty-eight Moray Council houses that will eventually be on the site are actually just one component of a much broader development of the Elgin South region.

Elgin South development will comprise seven hundred and fifty homes, a mixture of council housing, Housing Association homes and private homes. Springfield are also building the infrastructure to connect the new housing district into Elgin city.

Phase Two of the Moray Council housing programme will deliver eighty further council homes to the development.

Meanwhile, around twenty miles from Elgin, a smaller development is taking place on the outskirts of the coastal town of Buckie, on a site which was already owned by the council.

Thirty houses are again being built by Springfield Properties, in the same housing styles as those at Linkwood East. This development also began in February and is due for completion in February 2013.

The site has planning permission for approximately one hundred and seventy-five houses. Fifty of these have been built by a Housing Association. Following the thirty houses that Moray Council is already building, they hope to be given the funding from the Scottish Government to expand the project.

“We have submitted an application to the Scottish Government to build a further twenty,” Mr Davidson told us, “so we are awaiting a decision on that.”

In Keith, fourteen houses are being delivered by Springfield, of the same types as in Elgin and Buckie.

Graeme Davidson was pleased to report that all of the projects are running both smoothly and to schedule, and when complete the combination of these developments will greatly reduce the previous shortfall in affordable housing.

It is also hoped that the developments will have a positive effect on the local economy, providing people with the affordable housing that will help them to get back on their feet after the economic crisis. Meanwhile, the construction industry in the

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area will thrive on the opportunities offered by the projects, just as Springfield is proving its worth.

Springfield is a family business which was founded in 1956.

Fast growth saw successful specialisation in development and construction, and more recently the firm created a civil engineering division to enable faster progress on their building projects through the provision of necessary developments in infrastructure. Springfield also has sister companies to deal with asbestos removal and landscaping, and the company is pleased to be able to take this all-encompassing approach to its projects, operating both economically and efficiently.

Several local companies also provided supplies and services to the builds for Moray Council, demonstrating the wider positive impact that the project had on the local economy.

Richard Lochhead, MSP for Moray, said of Linkwood East and other simultaneous developments in the area: “The number of potential developments and their scale certainly illustrates an increase in the level of confidence in the Moray economy. The mere fact that several multi-million pound proposals are being presented against the current economic backdrop illustrates resilience in the local economy”.

Scotland taking Stepps to connect its roads Transport Scotland, an agency of the Scottish government, has been handed the responsibility of delivering an upgrade of the A80 Glasgow to Stirling Trunk Road between Stepps and Haggs to motorway standard.

in phases, offline and online, which are being completed simultaneously. An existing section of the A80 must be detrunked once the offline phase is complete.

The DBFO contract is between the Scottish ministers and the appointed consortium, HMC (Highway Management Construction), which is a joint venture between John Graham Ltd, Farrans Ltd, and Bilfinger Berger AG civil. The company has employed BEAR to take on the operation and maintenance; the project is currently being site managed by Jacobs Engineering.

The upgrade will see approximately 8km of new motorway through green field sites, and 10km of upgrade work on the existing A80. The Stepps and Haggs route will connect via the Auchenkilns grade separated junction, an existing section of road that was built prior to the new contract and opened in 2006. The junction was designed under a separate design and build contract and has served to mitigate the traffic disruption caused by the current work. Isis Total Cleaning Solutions are pleased to be involved with the M80 upgrade project, cleaning all the offices, houses, portacabins and welfare cabins for the workers on site.

The M80 contract is valued at approximately £320 million, which includes a 30 year road maintenance plan.

Progress so far Development of the A80 road upgrades has made significant progress in the past three months with a spokesperson from Transport Scotland stating, “The scheme is progressing well and works are on target to be completed on time.” The Hornshill Junction (Stepps) to Mollinsburn was completed in November 2010. Following suit with regards to completion are: the new Hornshill Junction over-bridge, Lindsaybeg road over-bridge, the Auchengeich road over-bridge, the Mollinsburn to Gartferry link road over-bridge and the North road over-bridge to name a few. All were completed in the second half of 2010, meeting their assessed schedules, and are now open to traffic.

Still in progress is the Mollinsburn Interchange, the Dullatar road under-bridge, Forest Road under-bridge and Kilsyth road under-bridge. They are due to be completed this month and open to traffic shortly after. Overall, work is being approached ROMA PUBLICATIONS

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Glasgow’s newest £74 million attraction opens

Glasgow’s £74 million new attraction, the Riverside Museum - home for Glasgow’s collection of transport and travel - was opened by Glasgow City Council leader Gordon Matheson in June 2011.

Construction of the museum was carried out for Glasgow City

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Council by Main Contractors BAM Construction. The project has been commended as one of the most responsible construction sites in Britain.

The museum, at 100 Pointhouse Place, has 7,500 square metres of public space, which is located mostly on the ground floor.

The Zaha Hadid-designed building houses around 3,000 exhibits in approximately 150 displays. It is the third home for the transport museum since Glasgow first opened it in the 1960s.

Riverside Museum is the first purpose built transport museum in Glasgow and is the first major museum Glasgow has built since The Burrell Collection opened in 1983.

The new museum has a deep wall and roof makeup and triple thickness glass that help to stabilise the environment within the building and conserve heat. The glazing is heavy filtered to contain solar-gain, particularly on the south-facing façade.

Because high light levels damage materials such as textiles, wood and paper, light levels will be set low enough to reduce damage, but high enough to make it easy for visitors to get around. The cold cathode lighting chosen is energy efficient and has very long life.

Much of the display lighting uses innovative low-power LED technology to reduce power consumption and further stabilise the environment inside the building.

The museum is one of the most complex structures built in the UK. Its self-supporting roof is made up of a latticework of structural steel (weighing over 2,500 tonnes) and beneath the museum is 1.2km of underground trenches for the services.

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The outer ‘skin’ of the museum consists of 24,000 zinc panels, weighing around 185 tonnes. Most of them are bespoke and were engineered on site due to the building’s flowing, undulating design.

In January 2010, the project was given a 5 out of 5 inspection by the independent Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS). The CCS’s report highlighted Riverside Museum’s considerate use of building materials, which included recycling wood rather than sending it to a landfill. The CCS grading, which also looked at cleanliness and safety, means that Riverside Museum was one of the most responsible construction sites in Britain.

Buro Happhold are the exhibition designers for the project, which now displays more than three thousand artifacts, from skateboards to locomotives. The exhibition features a recreated 1900s street for visitors to walk down, where they will be able to interact with characters and take part in the happenings that will explain Glasgow’s maritime history. High tech, hands-on displays are set up to appeal to all the family, examining the past but also encouraging visitors to look forward to what the future may have in store for the city.

An exciting recent addition to the attractions on offer, the Tall Ship Glenlee is now moored at the Riverside Museum, and it has been welcoming the public on board since June.

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Contractors get on with the business of high quality construction

A new high quality business centre is taking shape on the site of the former Grange bingoall in Stevenston, Strathclyde.

The former bingo hall was demolished in December 2009 to make way for the new business centre, which will provide flexible business, retail and workshop space in small unit size.

The project is being carried out for the Irvine Bay Regeneration Company. Main Contractors for the £1.6 million project are Maxi Construction. Cost Consultants are Doig + Smith Structural Engineers are Scott Bennett Associates Ltd, Mechanical and Electrical Consultants are Harley Haddow, and CDM Co-ordinators are Harley Haddow.

The new two-storey building will provide 1025m2 of flexible, quality accommodation, including offices and workshops for small and start-up businesses, as well as retail space. The

steel-framed building will feature zinc, natural stone and facing brick cladding and will incorporate costeffective innovation, sustainability and green technology.

Patrick Wiggins, Chief Executive of Irvine Bay, said: “The development is going ahead in response to the need for good quality business accommodation to stimulate the local economy, encourage new businesses to start and to attract business relocation into the area.”

A group of first year pupils from Auchenharvie Academy have passed on knowledge on the history of the site of the new business centre to local primary school-children.

The group of four pupils delivered presentations on the site’s days as a cinema to its more recent use as a bingo hall.

They then presented the results of a survey they carried out asking what type of businesses should be attracted to the new building. The pupils did the work for an Irvine Bay school project, and also took part in the company’s Annual Public Meeting The group, with teacher Martin Holmes, presented first to a P5 and P6 class at Ardeer Primary, followed by a presentation to a P5/6 group at Glencairn Primary who will be carrying out an Irvine Bay Regeneration Company schools project next school year.

Irvine Bay Chief Executive Patrick Wiggins said:

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“We often say that regeneration is about more than just bricks and mortar, and our innovative and developing programme of work with local schools is testament to the holistic approach we are taking to regenerating the area.

“The visits will help the leadership, communications and teamwork of the first year pupils and hopefully inspire the primary pupils to get involved in following the development of the new business centre and how it will impact on their town.”

Maxi Construction Limited is a building contractor who provides a safe, high-quality, cost-effective service to clients in most market sectors including commercial, community, education, industrial, local authority, residential, retail and sports and leisure.

The company is confident in delivering successful projects which meet or exceed clients’ aspirations in terms of cost, time and quality.

They are well placed to service the needs of their growing client base throughout central and southern Scotland.

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Major new redevelopment progresses at Anstruther Caravan Park A large-scale new housing development worth £20 million is under construction at the now disused Anstruther Caravan Park in Cellardyke, Fife.

More than three hundred homes are being built in a wide variety of sizes and styles on the site, which has been re-named Silverdyke, including flats, bungalows, terraces, semis and detatched accommodation.

This huge project neighbours the historic fishing village of Anstruther, which holds many tourist attractions, but has a relatively small population. Cellardyke is an eastern extension of Anstruther, and the many new houses being built at Silverdyke will form a significant addition to the area.

However, Site Manager Danny Robin explained that the development had been planned with considerable consultation between the developer Muir Homes and the local community, since Muir Homes bought the site around ten years ago. “There’s a local community committee,” he said, “which meets with the developers on a monthly basis”. He

also told us that the new housing was proving popular with the locals, with several of the new houses being bought by current residents of the town who were looking to upgrade.

Mr Robin also explained that the wide range of housing types available mean that there was no single specific market at whom the homes were aimed.

Interest in the housing was coming from many different types of people, including senior citizens looking for retirement bungalows, families and those who had kept caravans on the site and were now investing in a permanent holiday home.

Despite its large scale, the development has been designed to be unobtrusive, and in keeping with the local architecture. “We’ve kept the blocks of flats down to two storeys, rather than making them high-rise, because there are no high-rise blocks in the Fife region.” said Mr Robin. “Nothing’s going to be sticking out too offensively in the landscape.”

The houses also showcase Muir Group’s commitment to reducing the carbon footprint of

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new houses, and helping owners to keep down running costs. These are the first Muir Homes to incorporate solar panels as standard in the bungalows and houses, which will be used for heating water.

Besides houses, the site has been built with two units which will become a convenience store and a chemist, and in the middle of the development there will be a large green-space.

The council will also be providing several concrete obelisks to be placed decoratively around the site.

The architects on the project were Roy Mitchell Design.

The first phase of the development is due to be completed in spring 2012.

Challenging project preserves roof of one of Dundee’s finest buildings A highly challenging conservation project is drawing to a close after a major repair of the roof of one of Dundee’s finest buildings.

The stately Camperdown House, set in the magnificent 395acre Camperdown Park, has been described as “at the very highest rank of Scottish country houses.”

And it was Main Contractors Muirfield Contracts and Simpson and Brown Architects who were given the task of repairing the complex roofing of the country residence, in a commission from Camperdown’s owners, Dundee City Council.

Camperdown House was erected by Admiral Duncan’s son and heir, Robert Dundas, 2nd Viscount Duncan of Camperdown.

It was constructed between 1824 and 1828 using designs by leading Edinburgh architect, William Burn (1789-1870).

The family of Robert Dundas, 2nd Viscount Duncan of Camperdown, was actually created an Earl by King William IV in 1830, a retrospective honouring of Admiral Duncan.

The title only lasted three generations, as both the third and fourth earls of Camperdown were brothers, and the fourth Earl died childless in 1933.

The last occupant of the house was their cousin, Georgiana Wilhelmina, Dowager Countess of Buckinghamshire, who died in 1937. The house contents were sold in a four day auction in 1941 and the house and estate were purchased by Dundee Corporation in 1946.

Burn’s finest design for a neo-classical mansion, it was built in beautiful lemon white sandstone from Cullalo on the north shore of the Firth of Forth.

The magnificent hexastyle (6 columns wide) Ionic portico on the short east side of the house is a perfect expression of the

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“Greek Revival” spirit. The main south facade is plainer with engaged pilasters which allows unrestricted enjoyment of the view over the gardens and the river Tay beyond.

It also allowed an uninterrupted sequence of sumptuous interconnecting ‘state’ rooms - the dining room, library and drawing room - along the south front.

The glory of the interior is the double height central hall or Saloon with an elegant Georgian fireplace and ‘scagliola’ pillars richly coloured to look like marble, the hole covered and lit with a painted glass cupola featuring in the centre Admiral Duncan’s coat of arms proudly showing his gold medal.

The complexities facing Simpson and Brown in restoring the

roof of such a fine example of Scottish architecture were multifaceted.

Simpson and Brown’s Rachel Mayhew said the main house roof was designed so that the roof pitches were hidden behind the parapet walls, meaning that rain water was channelled into the building instead of away to the eaves. In order to protect the important interiors whilst large areas of the roof coverings were lifted, a large temporary roof was constructed over the house.

A total of 39 pitches on the main house and 31 on the vernacular roofs of the north ranges were stripped and reslated. Humidity in the roof spaces of the house was discovered to be high due to the existing non breathing roofing felt, so that was also stripped out and replaced before reslating.

One of the main areas of work involved the large central cupola over the saloon.

To get light into the centre of the building Burns designed a double height saloon space with a balcony walkway at first floor level around the saloon, topped with a fine double skinned cupola. The cupola has plain external glazing and the inner dome is made from leaded sliver stained, fired glass panels.

When fired this sliver stain gives colours ranging from pale lemon to nicotine browns and reds.

The inner glass is made from kelp glass, so called due to the incorporation of seaweed ash to the glass during the melting process. This glass was noted for its ability to take a stain well, even the difficult darker reds. The works included the removal and restoration of the inner panes by specialist glass conservators Different Glass.

Their work involved the painstaking removal of the cupola’s 41 glass panels, which were transported to the company’s premises before being restored and then replaced. The whole process (including cleaning off the glass) was an extremely delicate process, as the particular glass used is only 1mm thick.

The panels had been in place since 1850, shortly after the building had been completed. Some of the damage to the panels had been caused by repairs carried out in around 1946 when the property was owned by the council.

The restoration work included the repair and in some cases complete replacement of some of the panes - which had been crudely restored in the 1940s by replacing them with plastic, and then been painted with household paint. The remaining original glass was expertly and delicately cleaned.

Construction News

A lecture on the restoration of the glass was later given at King’s College Aberdeen by Mr Keith Hynd Of Different Glass and was very well received. “Camperdown House is one of the most important stately homes in Scotland and in my view it’s crowning glory is the cupola,” he said.

The entrance portico on the east side of the building had at some point been covered with lead sheets fixed into stone.

However, due a lack of fixings, the heavy lead sheets had ripped away from their fixings and slipped down the portico into the gutter and stopped rainwater running off the roof.

It was decided to strip the lead completely and apply a layer of plywood so that the lead could be secured properly to the plywood using the numerous fixings recommended by the Lead Sheet Association, thus avoiding damaging numbers of fixings into the dressed stone portico roof.

Call our news team on 01706 719972

Delivering a boost to Dunfermline Main Contractors Winvic are building a new Amazon distribution centre in Dunfermline - a development that will bring seven hundred and fifty permanent jobs to the local area.

This will be the largest Amazon distribution centre in the UK. Situated next to the M90 and A92, it will cover an area the size of fourteen football pitches. From the warehouse, deliveries will be made across the UK and Europe.

Amazon has predicted that at peak times, a further one and a half thousand temporary jobs may be created at the centre. Dunfermline West MSP, Jim Tolson, has spoken about the positive effect that this will have on the local economy, saying that the announcement of the new centre was “excellent news”.

The new centre has been partly funded by Scottish Enterprise, who have provided a grant of £2 million in Regional Selection Assistance and £500,000 in training grants. The First Minister for Scotland, Alex Salmond SMP, explained that the funding provision is part of

the drive by The Scottish Government, Scottish Development International and Scottish Enterprise to encourage new investment and business in the area.

The centre is being built for clients Graftongate Investments, and has been designed by architects Frank Shaw Associates. It will comprise a warehouse covering 955,120 square feet, with associated offices and social room spaces covering 61,730 square feet. External works will include the creation of car parking, hardstandings and drainage facilities.

Northampton based Winvic is a multidisciplinary contractor who delivers projects around the UK. They are known for being the leading ‘shed’ specialist, and are prominent in

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the industrial and commercial distribution sectors. Due to client demands, Winvic’s growth strategy has seen them move into a number of other different sectors, including education, retail, healthcare and infrastructure.

Work is currently underway and the project should take forty-two weeks to complete. It is expected to be open and fully operational by the end of this year.

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Londonderry Peace Bridge A new bridge across the River Foyle is re-connecting a divided city.

Built by Graham Construction for Derry’s Ilex Urban Regeneration Company, the Peace Bridge spans a 312 metre point on the river which runs through the centre of the city, and will, it is hoped, symbolise a united community. The project cost £14.7 million, and will carry pedestrians and cyclists between the Guildhall and Ebrington.

The structure is 36 metres high and the width varies between 3.5 and 4.5 metres at different points in the snaking pathway.

It comprises three sections, supported on two pylons and incorporating a self-anchored suspension bridge. There are also two approach spans over the land, to take pedestrians over the Derry and Castle Rock railway line, and a planned approach road.

It has been a complex structure to deliver, in the difficult environment of a fast-flowing, tidal river, offering plenty of challenges to the team, particularly regarding the insertion of the two load-bearing pylons into the riverbed. However, a top design team brought together by Graham Construction included AECOM (feasibility studies, design and erection engineering), Wilkinson Eyre (architects)and Faber Maunsell (structural engineers) came up with an innovative design, balancing forces to achieve a high-level of stability.

Pre-cast concrete sections were shipped over from Wales to construct the bridge decking, as were the thousand tonnes of steel used for various aspects of the project, such as the suspension and anchoring cables. The concrete sections

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required one of the UK’s largest sea-faring cranes to lift them into position. All the steel was manufactured by Welsh company Rowecord.

The Peace Bridge has been funded by the European Union’s PEACE III Programme. The aims of the programme are to find ways of creating shared spaces for divided communities in large-scale infrastructure developments. This particular bridge will provide better access between separated parts of the community, and to the commercial centre of the city.

Other perceived benefits of the build number among them the expectation of greater development along the adjoining riverbanks and streets, regenerating the river as a leisure facility both on and next to the water. The new bridge has been designed to give enough clearance from the surface of the river for leisure craft to pass beneath safely, even at high tide.

While serving several practical purposes, it is envisaged that the bridge will become a recognised feature in the architecture of the city. Part of the design involved lighting along the bridge, which will form a spectacular feature during hours of darkness, forming an ever-visible bond linking the city together.

The light also symbolizes the regeneration and renewal of the city, and a spark of promise for the future of the city, an idea which was celebrated at the opening ceremony earlier in July.

Members of the local community lined the bridge with torches, and a firework display heralded the arrival of the much-anticipated crossing. The bridge has been likened in significance – if not scale – to Sydney Harbour Bridge – and its opening is indeed a truly monumental chapter in Londonderry’s history.

Project gives Belfast’s built heritage a new lease of life A Grade B listed former primary school is being transformed into an impressive £5 million residential development - comprising 30 stylish apartments for social housing - in a challenging project at Mersey Street, Belfast.

Now nearing completion, the project is being carried out for Connswater Homes by Main Contractors Connolly Fee, and will result in the creation of 28 two-bedroom apartments and two one-bedroom apartments.

The project has presented a number of challenges: the entire site is grade B listed and is located in one of the development control zones in relation to the George Best Belfast City Airport.

The association and its design team liaised with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA—Historic Buildings) and the Ulster Architectural Heritage Society in order to develop a sensitive design solution that resulted in minimal intervention to the historic character and fabric, and ensured that all the main elevations remained intact.

The design of the project allows most of the old classrooms to be directly converted into apartments with minimal internal reconfiguration. Agreement with NIEA Historic Buildings allowed the development of the existing roof space of the building to accommodate apartment bedrooms on a mezzanine level, which fronts into an internal courtyard, thus allowing the original historical façade to be retained.

The apartments have been designed with advice from the PSNI Crime Prevention Design Advisor to ensure that residents feel safe and secure. All apartments are built to Eco Homes specification

with high levels of energy efficiency.

Given the nature of the building, many of the other original features have been retained - this includes the assembly hall, which was converted to be used both to provide offices for Connswater Homes and as a community space.

The works include: the replacement of the windows in the style of the originals, the refurbishment of the original slate roof, the installation of all new building services and apartment fixtures and fittings, and complete redecoration.

External works include the creation of a new road to serve the building, together with the creation of two parking bays and the extensive landscaping of the building’s courtyard to provide an attractive communal space.

The scheme is excellent news for the people of East Belfast - an area of high housing need - and will deliver a housing solution that will give this part of Belfast’s built heritage a new lease of life.

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Roma Publications

Volume 16 - Issue 6

the expression of time

Heritage Special Edition www.premierconstructionmagazine.co.ukÂ

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Heritage The works in Derby c.1930s

Time waits for no man!

There are few names in the world of grand horology that carry the reputation and heritage of Smith of Derby Limited.

Harmony Clock

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Light at Royal Derby Hospital

Our greatest strength is in the understanding of restoration and conservation work

St. Pancras International Station, London

As the UK’s leading clock repairers, restorers and conservation specialists Smith of Derby is proud to have been serving the church and heritage community for over 150 years. For this time their passion has been creating and caring for the world’s greatest public clocks; from small parish church clocks to some of the most celebrated cathedral, commercial, private and station clocks.

Annually, the Company’s team of service engineers maintains some 5000 of the best known iconic and public timepieces across the country and further afield. From St. Paul’s Cathedral to the Shanghai Customs House to the recently refurbished London St.Pancras International Station, their pieces are enjoyed the world over.

Bob Betts, Managing Director, says “We understand that a clock lies at the heart of a community and take the preservation of its longevity very seriously to enable future generations to enjoy.

Our greatest strength is in the understanding of restoration and conservation work. Skills are passed down from generation to generation while we have kept pace with technology, material and practice developments.”

One of the most celebrated Cathedral clocks, St Paul’s Cathedral, was installed in 1896 and is today as reliable as ever. The Smith of Derby clock mechanism, which was built in 1893, incorporates a design of escapement by Edmund Dennison Beckett, similar to that used by Edward Dent on the ‘Big Ben’ mechanism in 1859. At 5.8 metres long, St Paul’s clock mechanism is in fact larger than the one in the Big Ben tower, and the most recent of the clocks which has been introduced to St Paul’s Cathedral over the centuries.

Other than routine maintenance and minor repairs, the clock has worked continuously since 1893.

Since 1969 it has been electrically wound with equipment designed and fitted by Smith of Derby – this being our patented ‘autowind’ system – which relieves the clock custodian from the work of cranking up the heavy drive weights.

In the busy workshop, one of the quirkiest contracts Smith of Derby has gained at present is to refurbish the famous Automaton Glockenspiel Clock which was presented to the British Nation by the Swiss in 1968. This forms part of the redevelopment of the former Swiss Centre in Leicester Square, London, home of the Swiss National Tourist Board, and is being undertaken in partnership with Westminster City Council.

The stand alone, 10m high, steel structure will be installed in late October 2011 in the centre of Swiss Court, just in time for the Christmas lights switch-on. The 3.2m diameter drum will be 3.8m off the ground with a glass screen which descends to reveal the rotating animated wooden, Tyrolean men in their lederhosen and ladies in their dirndls. On top of this sits a cruciform bell tree supporting the clock.

The family company is also committed to combating church crime, including lead theft, and a number of seminars are being carried out, in conjunction with the Dioceses, local Police Authorities and the Ecclesiastical Insurance Group. ChurchCAM is their cost effective, specially designed system that provides peace of mind and protection from the risk of fire and theft.

So, whether traditional clock skills, conservation, restoration, or combating church crime is demanded, Smith of Derby is able to help.

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Heritage

£40 Million Restoration Marks 300th Anniversary of London Icon One of the largest and most impressive restoration projects ever undertaken in the UK - the restoration of St Paul’s Cathedral - has been completed in time for the cathedral’s 300th anniversary.

The St Paul’s Cathedral programme of cleaning and repair has taken 15 years and numerous highly skilled contractors, who have comprehensively restored the building, inside and out, for the first time in its history. The project was led by Martin Stancliffe Architects and Purcell Miller Tritton.

Since the project of cleaning and repair commenced, the exterior and interior of the cathedral have been beautifully restored. Once blackened and damaged, the west front now rises majestically at the top of Ludgate Hill. The interior of the cathedral has been transformed by state of the art conservation techniques and the light that now floods the space highlights the Portland stone used in the cathedral’s construction - bringing mosaics, carvings and sculpture to life. More than 150,000 blocks of the cathedral’s white Portland stone were cleaned on the outside alone.

Other work included repair of the interior, redesign and

landscaping of the south churchyard gardens, restoration of the grand organ and adding wheelchair access to the crypt. The American Memorial Chapel, built in the 1950s to commemorate US forces who died in the second world war, has also been cleaned and restored.

“One of the main elements was the comprehensive treatment of all the external stonework to make sure that it was clean and watertight. Another major element was the extensive cleaning programme throughout the interior of the cathedral, which was a six year project in its own right,” said Mr Martin Stancliffe, of Martin Stancliffe Architects.

“A whole sequence of projects stretching over around 15 years have been carried out in the crypt - all geared to making the space more useable and including the creation of a conference facility, a refectory, shop, and education and choir practice facilities. Improving accessibility was also key to the project,” he added.

Martin Stancliffe, Surveyor to the Fabric, who has overseen the restoration project, said: “It has been a privilege – and an extraordinary experience - to have led the team of professionals, craftsmen and conservators who have contributed so much to this transforming project.

“This great building is now in a sound state and probably looks better than at any time since its completion in 1711,” said Mr Stancliffe.

C.E.L. Ltd St Paul’s Cathedral from the perspective of most specialists in the restoration sector must be the most iconic of buildings. The lead dome of St Paul’s is known both nationally and internationally and the building that it proudly stands above possesses equal notability. To have been involved in the project of restoring the external fabric of St Paul’s has been both an honour and a pleasure.

Working over so many years with a group of such skilled tradesmen and in such a honoured environment has been both a pleasure and an education which has been at the heart of C.E.L Ltd and the ethics of repair they have fostered ever since they commenced work alongside the cathedral works team in 1996.

Although the works of C.E.L. Ltd have never been as prominent as those of the stonemasons, the company have always endeavored to ensure that their works which cap the stone, have matched, if not complemented, this exceptional work that has been completed, and C.E.L. Ltd will always feel that they have been honoured to be allowed to be a part of the team.

Geometric Staircase Doors Dulled by an accumulation of dirt and successive layers of old varnish, Wren’s impressive glazed oak screen and door case at the head of the geometric staircase in the south west tower had lost much of their original impact and

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Heritage were in need of conservation cleaning and repair. Commissioned to carry out the work, Hugh Harrison engaged Richard Lithgow in providing initial treatment tests to determine the cleaning procedure to be adopted before repairs and re-waxing.

The tests established that the earliest layers of varnish had been clear, but were unable to confirm whether these were original, suggesting that the doors were at first left plain.

The cleaning process exposed many interesting details concerning the original construction, damage repair and colouring.

For example, the meticulous matching of grain and medullary rays in adjoining pieces of oak was indicative of the high quality of joinery and finish, as was the selective colour varnishing of parts of the woodwork to achieve a balanced overall wood colour.

An interesting 19th century repair was found to have been the result of damage sustained by falling bell weights from above.

Cleaning also revealed several examples of apotropaic daisy wheels often seen on vernacular buildings of an earlier age, but more rarely on woodwork of this date or in such an important metropolitan building like St. Paul’s. Another form of graffiti was noticed etched onto the glass panels above the doors, recording the cleaning of the glass in 1789 and again in 1841 together with the operatives’ names.

Selective retouching and replacement was carried out following cleaning and before waxing, thus restoring the doors to an appearance very close to the original.

Sussex firm add quality seal to St Paul’s Asphalt and felt-roofing specialists Sussex Asphalte undertook the task of restoring the north elevation, mid and upper cornice of St Paul’s Cathedral.

This was a vital part of the restoration process, which the company carried out using Permaphalt recreational duty mastic asphalt.

Matthew Coulter spoke for the company, saying: “It was a very interesting job, requiring lots of intricate detailed asphalt work. It was something different and there were roofing features that you rarely see.”

Sussex Asphalte is a family business established by the grandfather of Matthew and Julian Coulter, who now run the business. The firm operates throughout London and the South East, taking in work on a whole range of scales, from residential extensions to top prestigious landmarks such as the Brighton Bandstand; The Metropole Hotel, Brighton; and Canterbury Cathedral. The firm is also dedicated to bringing youngsters through on apprentice schemes in connection with the CITB and Hackney College in all aspects of Flat roofing, including single ply and green roofs.

Matthew said, “Our company has been trading continuously for 63 years and it’s great to work on a premier building like St Paul’s.”

Speirs + Major sheds light on St Paul’s Lighting designers Speirs + Major were appointed to the project in 2002, and although installation of new lighting came at the end of the clean-up operation, it was a key part of the overall success of the project.

Mark Major explained the importance of light in the cathedral:

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“It’s a building that has always been connected with light. Wren’s concept was all about the way that light enters the building.”

One challenge was how to illuminate a space which was never designed to be seen under electric light. Mark described his approach: “You have to realise that what you’re doing is essentially placing an interpretation on the building.”

But Speirs + Major were conscious that aesthetics were only one aspect of the project. “It’s important that the lighting grows out of the use of the building,” Mark said, and this shows in the approach the designers took in creating ‘layers of light’.

“First, we thought about how light would be used to reinforce worship. The primary task was to create means of highlighting areas of the cathedral when they were the focus of worship.

Taking into account that many different spaces are used for worship over the course of the week, a central control system allows lights to be turned on and off as appropriate, so that, for instance, the altar is not the focus when services take place in side chapels.”

Mark explained how the cathedral required light for a range of different activities: “When it’s packed out with thousands of people for a state occasion you need a lot of light so people in every corner can see. But at smaller services, creating a sense of intimacy is important.”

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Heritage Low-energy maintenance lighting was installed so that cleaning and repairs could be carried out in the night.

Speirs + Major also restored several chandeliers to the cathedral in conjunction with Martin Stancliffe, including in the nave. “It was very obvious to us that the source of the light was missing,” commented Mark.

So the team had a traditional craftsman make replicas of the original chandeliers which had been removed over time. Mark called them ‘the important missing part’, fitting naturally in the setting and holding the spaces together.

Architectural lighting was minimal: “All the decoration is already there,” said Mark, “All you need to do is make sure that people see it under the right conditions.”

Finally, theatrical lighting was installed for use in events and performances.

Throughout the project both Speirs + Major and the Dean and Chapter at St Paul’s made low energy-consumption a priority.

Mark Major said, “Obviously it’s a very special building, so when we first won the contract we were very proud. St Paul’s held a lot interesting challenges with which we enjoyed working.

“The architectural and iconic value of the building, its long and remarkable history and the complex mix of worship, tourism and spectacle combined to make it a monumental task.”

Speirs + Major work globally on a wide array of different projects. Currently they are redesigning the lighting for Canterbury Cathedral and are working on a range of public and commercial projects in China, India and Australia. They are also the Lighting Design Advisors for the London 2012 Olympic Park.

Roebuck & Holmes Ltd Roebuck & Holmes Ltd were responsible for carrying out a number of projects within the cathedral - including the construction of the cathedral’s reserve collection store for archiving artifacts. The works included the formation of a new

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storage area, which comprised offices, storage areas and toilets within the triphorium area of the cathedral and included the construction of walls, internal partitions, doorways and floors.

Other projects carried out by the company include the construction of the library room screen, the OBE Chapel screens, the dome dais, the Light of the World dais and fitments, the choir school improvements and alterations, the cathedral shop, alterations and improvements to doors, installing new oak treads to over 200 steps leading to the Whispering Gallery and installing temporary steps and a ramp at the north entrance for the Battle of Britain Commemorative service last September.

Britannia Cutting & Drilling Taking on a truly mammoth task involving works to every single one of the thousands of steps within St Paul’s in order to satisfy health and safety requirements, were Britannia Cutting Services Ltd of Dartford Mr Patrick Southin of Britannia Cutting Services said: “Health and safety requirements specified a need to identify very clearly the edge of each step. White lines on the edges of the steps were not practicable for some areas such as Nelson’s tomb for example, which is surrounded by black polished granite. So our architects came up with the idea of drilling small diameter holes 50mm from the edge of each step and 100mm at centre, and grouting a cylindrical brass slug into the hole. Accuracy in drilling was paramount as every hole had to absolutely precise - so the work could not be rushed. The idea is that when polished, the brass will shine, delineating the edge of each step for partially sighted people.”

The whole process had to be carried out with the cathedral fully open and operational, which presented quite a challenge to the contractors. However the entire task was accomplished without any disruption to the smooth operation of the cathedral.

“We were proud to be part of such a prestigious project,” said Mr Southin.

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Revealing hidden treasures deep below dynamic Dover Castle Dover Castle cuts a striking and ominous figure, perched on the famous white cliffs. But there is more to this place than meets the eye. A little-known network of tunnels is now being presented to the public as it appeared in World War II, when it was the headquarters for one of the most renowned military operations of all time: Operation Dynamo.

Known more commonly as the evacuation of Dunkirk in May and June 1940, the event has captivated the imagination of generations, and many remember the ‘little ships’ that were mobilised in such a heroic effort. But now an exhibition, which has been two years in the making, aims to elevate the event above mythic status by inviting visitors into the fantastic labyrinth where the rescue operation was masterminded by Vice-Admiral Bertram Ramsay.

Historically, Dover Castle has been the fortress overlooking the English port nearest to the mainland, which it has been guarding for nine centuries.

The tunnels were first dug into the chalk below the castle in 1797 by army engineer Lieutenant Colonel William Twiss, in answer to the need for more barrack in the area. At the time, England was at war with France and the area around Dover was full of troops anticipating a French invasion. Cutting the seven main tunnels – known as Cliff Casemates -, and the linking communication tunnels, took until 1810. Although the living quarters were not exactly comfortable, they were well-provided with ventilation shafts, a well, water tanks and service rooms, besides being safe from bombardment.

Between the end of the war with France and the beginning of the Second World War, the tunnels (despite being declared unfit for human occupation), were used intermittently as barracks for the headquarters of the Coast Blockade Service, who had the task of tackling smugglers. They were also used as a gunpowder store. It is likely that during World War I the tunnels were used as Barracks for the many thousands of troops who passed through Dover during the course of the war.

In 1941 a second layer of tunnels – the ‘Annexe Level’ – was created as a medical centre for wounded troops. Then in 19423, a third, deeper complex was excavated, with the intention that it would serve as the headquarters for the planned Allied re-invasion of Europe, Operation Overlord.

Although Portsmouth ended up becoming the headquarters for Overlord, the tunnels played a crucial role as headquarters for many other landmark events during the war. Deception operations coordinated from Dover Castle convinced the Germans that the D-Day landings would occur many miles away from the Normandy beaches, whilst a couple of years earlier Vice-Admiral Ramsay coordinated the Dunkirk rescue mission from his offices in the tunnels.

When Ramsay first arrived at the castle, he described the situation to his wife: “Here we are struggling with the difficult problem of trying to set up a naval base and at the same time trying to operate it as though it was already established. We have no stationary, books, typists or machines, no chairs and few tables, maddening communications.”

But against the odds, Ramsay performed a vital role in the survival of the Allies. His leadership and driving energy in the unique command centre was applauded at the time by contemporary press correspondent David Divine, who actually manned one of the hundred and eighty-eight small boats which went to the military’s aid. “It is given to few men to command a miracle,” he wrote. “It was so given to Bertram Home Ramsay, and the frail iron balcony that juts from the embrasure of the old casemate in the Dover cliff was the quarter deck from which he commanded one of the great campaigns in the sea story of Britain.”

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The exhibition, “Operation Dynamo: Rescue from Dunkirk”, opened in June 2011. It combines original news reels and recordings, two years of painstaking research, testimonies from veterans of both the beaches and the tunnels, and state of the art special effects to deliver a vivid account of what Sir Winston Churchill called a “miracle of deliverance”.

The main contractor carrying out the repair and refurbishment works was Kier South East, whilst Carden and Godfrey were the architects on this remarkable project. Kvorning Design and Kommunikations also provided services on the project.

Simon Thurley, Chief Executive of English Heritage, said: “Helping people to understand the history of this nation through our historic buildings lies at the heart of English Heritage.

There is no better place in England to learn about the Dunkirk evacuation than Dover Castle. With “Operation Dynamo”, you’ll step into the tunnels and onto the beaches, boats and command centre during one of our darkest yet greatest hours.”

What’s The Point?

2009 - The major players in the Heritage Sector of the construction industry challenged contractors to sign up for an initiative which would spell the end of unqualified, inappropriately skilled contractors working on national heritage sites.

For once making sure a job was done the right way was being made a priority over trying to get the job done for the cheapest price 2010 - the members of the Lead Contractors Association (LCA) rose to that challenge and more than 300 signed up (at a cost)

to be recognised as Heritage Skills Specialist Leadworkers and receive the newly conceived CSCS card, believing the major client base involved would be approving exclusive use of this carded workforce on heritage projects.

April 2011 - we are still waiting for a commitment to this quality standard initiative from the sector’s major client group – English Heritage.

Whilst all the right supportive noises have been made at various senior levels within EH, what has been the biggest push in recent times for meaningful recognition of the heritage specialist is in danger of failing because of prevarication by the organisation that stands to benefit the most.

The problems at English Heritage have been widely documented, with the national economic crisis requiring drastic cut backs in the public funding of EH budgets, threatening widespread redundancies at all levels.

Of course this is a painful and difficult time for many organisations and businesses, including English Heritage, but also including all those contractors, suppliers and manufacturers involved in UK construction.

The National Heritage Training Group has been supported by Construction Skills, UNITE the Union and the NHTG member craft organisations in rapidly developing the Heritage Skills CSCS card initiative.

Once again, specialist leadwork has been at the fore as the craft which has quikcly succeeded in achieving the required “critical mass” of qualified cardholders registered for heritage work and is now being used as a test case in challenging English Heritage to make their own commitment to quality standards.

The NHTG, flanked by UNITE and the Lead Contractors Association is seeking urgent talks with EH at the highest levels to persuade them to act now, to announce a change in procurement policy to exclusively use Heritage Skills Specialist Leadwork CSCS cardholders on English Heritage projects and thereby: Recognise the overall commitment of the craft sector to maintaining quality standards.

Recognise the specific commitment of the specialist leadwork sector in rapidly achieving a critical mass of registered contractors.

Send a message to all craft trades that supporting this initiative will be a worthwhile and justified commitment.

Remove the threat of untrained, unqualified, inexperienced and insufficiently knowledgeable tradesmen from vulnerable heritage projects.

Prioritise historically correct working practices and long term value for money over short term, cut price expediency.

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Heritage Protect and preserve today’s heritage for future generations.

Despite their frustrations, the LCA believe EH will eventually do the right thing, perhaps simply because any alternative course will put the integrity of the entire heritage sector at risk.

The ground is therefore already being prepared for those that did not register for the Heritage Skills card during the “grandfather rights” window which closed in September 2010, yet many are skilled and experienced craftsmen who will be prevented from working on heritage sites.

In conjunction with the Lead Sheet Association, the LCA are pressing Construction Skills to recognise an Experienced Worker Practical Assessment (EWPA) route to gaining a nationally recognised Level 3 qualification in Heritage Skills which would then enable contractors to apply for their Heritage Skills CSCS card.

As well as providing the EWPA assessment venue, Nigel Johnston at the LSA is also exploring the potential for providing an on site facility for the “Health & Safety – Working at Heights” test, thus providing a more convenient single venue to process applicants and minimise the time lost from site.

Once again the leadwork sector has taken the initiative to press others to recognise the level of quality standards which they have worked so hard to achieve and are determined to maintain.

The standards of the leadwork sector – their years of policing, quality control, comprehensive reference literature and technical support – are the envy of every other roofing trade, but it comes at a long term price, both financially and in terms of commitment.

There is a very real danger that if this craft skills initiative stalls, we risk the prospect of our built heritage being vandalised and iconic buildings such as the dome at St Pauls being covered in a lead sheet look-alike in the future because all the traditional lead craftsmen have disappeared.

There is also the danger that when English Heritage and others next seek support from contractors for future important “initiatives” they risk being met with a simple response.

“What’s the point?”

Apprentices needed as construction sector faces potential retirement time bomb Due to an ageing workforce and a limited injection of new blood, the construction industry now faces a potential retirement time bomb, says Mark Farrar, Chief Executive of CITB-ConstructionSkills, the Sector Skills Council and Industry Training Board for the construction industry.

“When you look at the age profile demographics across the whole construction industry, there is a tendency towards older employees - certainly a significant number are coming up to retirement age in the next five to 10 years. Coming through behind them are fewer people - due to the recession in the early 1990s where the industry lost many people who never returned.

“Statistics indicate that in the next 10 years there will be around half a million fewer 16 - 24 year olds in the country as a whole, and this at a time where firms may start to fight hard for good quality young people in the shape of apprentices or undergraduates coming into their sectors. So the construction industry does have a fight on its hands to make sure that it accesses good quality people - and from a smaller pool of talent.

“The sectors ageing workforce will need replacing and hence one of our main focuses is on promoting the entry of new talent into the industry and trying to assist the industry is driving young people to us for training.”

To this end, CITB-ConstructionSkills have organised a series of events which have successfully driven a 47% increase in take-up of apprenticeships.

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Sixty-five more savvy employers signed up to get their hands on the UK’s best young talent following these events run as part of the CITB-ConstructionSkills’ Positive Image campaign.

With over 200 employers now committed to offering apprenticeships in areas ranging from carpentry to craft masonry, CITB-ConstructionSkills, is calling on companies to follow suit and invest in the skills today that will drive future growth.

CITB-ConstructionSkills ran a programme of employer breakfast meetings, construction challenges, careers events, and one-to-ones with its staff and staff from the National Construction College (NCC) as part of National Apprenticeship Week (NAW). The events brought employers face-to-face with over 600 young people interested in the sector.

Well over a quarter of the employers who attended an event have committed to take on apprenticeships.

Martyn Price, from CMC Ltd, one of the employers attending the event, said: “I am delighted to be associated with National Apprenticeship Week to support the benefits that apprentices can bring to any business. The pledge demonstrates our ongoing commitment which in turn we anticipate will continue to benefit our business for many future years. The Positive Image campaign’s drive to recruit the brightest and best talent is really paying off”.

Mark Farrar added: “These events helped show employers

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the wealth of keen young people who are eager to work in the construction sector. We were delighted to see so many firms sign up to offer apprenticeships. However, there is an opportunity for many more employers to get involved and leave a lasting legacy for the construction industry. It’s only by investing in the workforce of tomorrow that we will survive.”

In July, further research indicated again that employers feel there are significant gaps in their employee’s skills, which could seriously limit the potential for growth in the industry in the coming years. In a CITB survey of 1450 employers in the sector, specific skills gaps identified included understanding the implications of green issues (43%), identifying potential new business (39%) and not having sufficient IT skills (43%).

A further 32% also stated that their management team’s ability to identify the training needs of staff was an area that needed improvement.

South Coast Roof Training Ltd Several years of discussion with CSkills regarding a roofing Heritage NVQ has now led to the establishment of a Heritage Skills Specialist Apprenticeship Programme.

The pilot course of the Heritage Skills NVQ Level 3 Specialist Apprenticeship Programme (SAP) was recently completed at South Coast Roof Training Ltd, comprising 30 days in the training centre in Littlehampton, followed by some on-site visits before final qualification. This was the first course to be run in the country. The Heritage Skills NVQ Level 3 SAP programme is endorsed by English Heritage. After visiting the training centre, Chris Wood and John Edwards from English Heritage said: ‘We were very pleased to observe the high quality training at South Coast Roof Training centre. Initiatives such as this are desperately needed and we hope more roofers will attend and

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similar training be provided in other parts of the country’.

The course covers aspects of clay peg tiling, random diminishing course slating, stone slates (e.g. swept and laced valleys, curved roof details, eyebrows, decorative elements) and the use of lime mortar and torching techniques. The candidates also learn how to record a roof so it can be put back in its original format. Field trips are included to, for example, the Weald & Downland Open Air Museum, West Sussex; Keymer tile factory; Trevillett slate quarry, Cornwall; Goldhill stone quarry in Gloucestershire, and local historic towns and buildings.

The second Heritage SAP is currently under way, a further course will commence towards the end of the year. For more information about this course, or other roofing courses on offer, visit www.southcoastrooftraining.co.uk or call 0845 678 0065

Arboricultural show a resounding success

The biggest event of its kind in the UK, this year’s ARB show for the arboricultural industry, held in early June, was a resounding success at its new showground on the Bathurst Estate, in Cirencester.

The new venue offered a variety of superb trees to host the practical demonstrations and the popular 3ATC tree climbing competition that so many visitors enjoy.

Run by the Arboricultural Association, the show’s fresh,

inspiring and varied demonstration program offered something for everyone - from the absolute novice to the most experienced practitioner. Show visitors were also able to get advice on anything from climbing and work techniques to the latest products and climbing kit from over 70 trade stands.

The arbjobs.com sponsored 3ATC (Arboricultural Association Arborist Tree Challenge), another popular attraction that ran this year. Open to all levels of competitor, the 3ATC was divided into three categories of competition - from novice through to expert and premier climber.

This year’s practical demonstration sessions included the safe configuration of rigging equipment, dismantling techniques, and work positioning on and aerial rescue from pole.

The workshop sessions included the design of arborists’ hardware, competent hand splicing, the ARB Approved Contractor scheme and exploring Borneo’s rainforest canopy.

Also of interest was the launch of the new Stihl MS201 T chainsaw and the Tree Climbers’ forum.

Another major event in the arboricultural world is the association’s 45th National Amenity ARB Conference 2011, which is being held on Sunday 18th to Tuesday 20th September 2011 at the University of Warwick.

The largest and most established annual conference dedicated to arboriculture, this event is the focal gathering of amenity arboriculture managers in the UK, consultants, local government managers, contractors and educators.

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Heritage With new regulations and standards directly relevant to arboriculture appearing more frequently, Arboricultural Association Conferences provide vital information to help those attending keep ahead - including formal lectures and seminars -plus networking and a great social environment.

About the Arboricultural Association Since 1964, the Arboricultural Association has been the national body in the UK and Ireland for the amenity tree care professional in either civic or commercial employment: at craft, technical, supervisory, managerial or consultancy level.

There are currently 2,000 members of the Arboricultural Association in a variety of membership classes. The objectives of the Arboricultural Association are to: advance the study of arboriculture; raise the standards of its practice; foster interest in trees through publications, exhibitions and the stimulation of research or experiment; assist in the training of students in disciplines where arboriculture is a major subject and to cooperate with other bodies having similar aims.

People able to care for trees are generally either consultants (tree advisors or arboriculturists) or contractors (tree surgeons or arborists).

Consultants provide specialist opinion on tree health, safety, preservation, trees and buildings, planning and other law.

Consultants use their training and experience to form opinions about arboricultural issues. Subjects on which arboricultural consultants will commonly advise include: • Assessing trees for hazard and where appropriate specifying remedial work • Investigating cases where trees are alleged to be involved in structural damage to buildings • Providing advice in relation to tree preservation law and where necessary, expert evidence to the planning inspectorate • Providing advice in relation to trees and development and

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when necessary, expert evidence to the planning inspectorate • Formulating tree and woodland management plans • Investigating accidents caused by tree failure Services typically required of an arboricultural contractor are: • Tree maintenance (pruning, bracing or fertilising operations) to a relevant British Standard • Tree felling including dismantling of dangerous trees or trees in confined spaces.

• Pest and disease identification and control.

• Advice on the above.

For further details, see the Arboricultural Association’s web site: www.trees.org.uk

Ensuring a bright future for the past English Heritage exists to protect and promote England’s spectacular historic environment and ensure that its past is researched and understood.

English Heritage is the government’s statutory advisor on the historic environment. Officially known as the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England, English Heritage is an executive non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

The powers and responsibilities of English Heritage are set out in the National Heritage Act (1983) and today they report to Parliament through the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.

Although sponsored by DCMS, English Heritage works with a range of government departments - notably CLG and Defra - to help realise the potential of the historic environment.

English Heritage is funded in part by the government, and is also part funded from revenue earned from their historic properties and other services.

English Heritage works in partnership with central government departments, local authorities, voluntary bodies and the private sector in order to conserve and enhance the historic environment, broaden public access to the heritage and increase people’s understanding of the past.

The organisation meets these responsibilities by: acting as a national and international champion for the heritage; giving grants for the conservation of historic buildings, monuments and landscapes; maintaining registers of England’s most significant historic buildings, monuments and landscapes; and advising on the preservation of the historic environment.

English Heritage also encourages broader public involvement with the heritage, promotes heritage-related education and research, cares for Stonehenge and over 400 other historic properties on behalf of the nation, maintains the National Monuments Record as the public archive of the heritage and generates income for the benefit of the historic environment.

English Heritage is currently running a five-year investment programme for its properties. Based on an audit of all the organisation’s properties, £30m is being targeted at those sites with the most commercial potential, in order to make as many sites as possible self-financing.

In the construction sector, English Heritage has joined forces with ConstructionSkills to call for concerted action across the construction industry, the built heritage sector, educational establishments, careers organisations, funding bodies and

government departments to tackle the continued shortage of heritage building skills.

English Heritage has also published research demonstrating the shortage of craft skills across the country and a Skills Action Plan which they are now implementing. This includes raising the profile of vocational training and the built heritage construction sector and attracting more young people to pursue careers within it.

The plan is also geared towards encouraging the use of suitably skilled and qualified people, and developing qualifications to ensure that traditional building knowledge and skills can be attained from GCSE to Master Craft level.

Find out more at www.english-heritage.org.uk

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A s s o c i ati o n s

Lightning Conductors & Lightning Protection Systems SLPTG (Steeplejack & Lightning Protection Training Group) can provide clients or customers with all the necessary information on specialist lightning protection companies regarding training, qualifications and experience. This is to ensure that any contractor or sub-contractor they are considering working with can demonstrate that they and their workforce are competent and have the correct qualifications, knowledge and experience to carry out tasks on their lightning conductors or lightning protection systems.

Under the HASAW Act you have to provide a ‘Duty of Care’ and to ensure that operatives can provide proof of competence and demonstrate experience & knowledge to carry out a task, a Photo ID CSCS Smartcard is a direct but simple and very effective way to check that someone working on or testing your lightning conductor or lightning protection system can prove this, check the card matches the operative and on the rear of the card it clearly states that they are either NVQ II or NVQ III Lightning Conductor Engineers, if they cannot provide this do not let them continue until they or the company can demonstrate competency to your satisfaction, if something were to happen it may eventually come back to you and this simple but very effective measure is there to assist.

We are seeing throughout the UK at this moment that other professions are completing Two Day lightning protection test & inspection courses available through accredited learning centres and including this facility to their range of services, this is only one of many official training units/certificates that is required for a lightning protection engineer to gain their specialist NVQ qualification, this unit/certificate does not provide the operative with the experience & knowledge, it is a certificate of training. Do not accept this as proof of competence on its own, as detailed above the minimum you should be looking for is that the operative holds an in date Photo ID CSCS Smartcard stating clearly on the rear they are NVQ II or NVQ III Lightning Conductor Engineers, do not let them continue until they or the company can demonstrate competency to your satisfaction.

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PROTECT YOURSELF – CHECK THE PHOTO ID CSCS SMARTCARD Working closely with ATLAS (the Industry Federation), National Specialist Accredited Centre (NSAC), CITB (Construction Industry Training Board) and Construction Skills at the National Construction College (NCC, Bircham Newton, Norfolk), the SLPTG has formulated and developed the lightning conductor engineer national apprenticeship scheme along with adult learning and continues to expand training availability for this very specialist industry.

According to the SLPTG’s Colin Sanders, “The SLPTG 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 and to also provide our clients with the confidence that the training, experience and skills given to our operatives can demonstrate the competence required to allow then to carry out their tasks”.

Richard Diment, director general of the Federation of Master Builders, says, “The FMB, as the leading trade association representing SMEs in the British construction sector, supports and promotes all aspects of craft management and health and safety training. It recognises CSCS as a vital means by which its members can record and provide proof of the skills and competency of their

workforce and sub-contractors”.

Julia Evans, chief executive of the National Federation of Builders, says, “CSCS provides a base line standard which is broadly accepted by the majority of the construction industry. It enables workers to demonstrate important proficiencies and companies to demonstrate a commitment to safe and efficient working”.

Alan Ritchie, several secretary of the Construction Union, says, “A fully carded workforce is a safer and better trained workforce”.

Full information on the on the above statements and the CSCS Card Scheme can be found at www.cscs.uk.com The SLPTG needs to develop training for our industry by working closely with clients and customers, main contractors, 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.

Please remember: if an operative cannot provide a CSCS card which states his NVQ II or NVQ III qualifications for on the rear, do not let them carry out the works!

For further information, contact Lynne Fletcher (GTO) on 01625 664500, e-mail info@slptraininggroup.org.uk or visit the website at www.slptraininggroup.org.uk ROMA PUBLICATIONS

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