Premier Construction 18-4

Roma Publications

Volume 18 - Issue 4

Maindee Fire & Rescue Station

ÂŁ880,000 refurbishment project reaches completion

Denfind Stone

Boosting production at Scottish processing plant

Riverlight

Constructing a major mixed-use development scheme

Train. Develop. Perform.

Improve your performance on projects and develop your career with our nationally certified courses.

CDM, Project Management, Building Regulations, as well as Contract courses & more....

See our fold out or www.constructionstudycentre.com

Working with CDM 2007 28 January 2013 5 February 2013 11 February 2013 11 February 2013 18 March 2013 13 May 2013

Birmingham Bristol London Leeds Manchester London

COURSE BACKGROUND This 1 DAY COURSE highlights the legal duties of clients, design professionals, CDM Co-ordinators and contractors engaged in construction activities. In addition to the legal obligations, the course is intended to bring to attention the moral and sociological aims of the Regulations.

CDM 2007 shows a considerable shift in responsibilities and duties to those formally required under CDM 1994. This course will not only give a clear picture to those new to CDM, but will also detail the requirements and changes under the revised Regulations, which will assist those who had a working knowledge of the old Regulations.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND? All participants to construction projects, including client representatives, professional designers, contractors and facilities managers.

SPEAKERS’ PANEL The speaker for each course will be from a panel of Richard Allen, Peter Andrews, Paul Gray and David Jordan.

OVERVIEW Introduction Introduction to basis of health and safety legislation in the UK, with specific reference to the Health and Safety at Work etc Act, 1974 and other legislation, having particular application and bearing on construction activities.

20 May 2013 17 June 2013 18 June 2013 1 July 2013 15 July 2013

CDM 2007 for designers!

Manchester Bristol Leeds London Birmingham

CDM Regulations 2007 • Introduction to the Regulations • Notification – when it is required • Application of the Regulations to non-notifiable projects • Additional requirements for notifiable projects • Definitions – construction work, structure, demolition, etc Duties and responsibilities • The duties and responsibilities, during concept, feasibility, design, planning, construction and the lifetime of the structure of:• Clients • Designers • CDM Co-ordinators • Principal contractors • Contractors Detailed review • A detailed review of the CDM Regulations and guidance, including Approved Code of Practice, guidance manuals etc. The requirements regarding competence and resources.

• The pre-construction information • The construction phase plan • The health & safety file • The questions most often asked Workshop session • The programme includes a 20 question workshop session Case studies • Prosecutions relating to construction, including those made under the HASWA and the CDM Regulations Notes Delegates are advised that it will be helpful to bring a copy of the ACoP “Managing Health and Safety in Construction” L144 with them (available as a free download from the HSE website).

13 March 2013

London

COURSE BACKGROUND This 1 DAY COURSE is intended to clarify the role of designers under CDM 2007. The key messages from the HSE in their CDM 2007 references are: • If you design or specify building work, then you are a designer with new duties under CDM • Competent designers eliminate hazards and reduce risks – manage the risk, not the paperwork • Design for safety and health for those that build, use, maintain and demolish – it’s safer by design • Tell others about significant risks which remain – give the right information to the right people at the right time WHO SHOULD ATTEND? This course is aimed at people who carry out planning, conceptual, feasibility or detailed design of permanent or temporary works or who dictate or influence design decisions. It will elaborate the approach that designers can adopt and will include short films and pictures to generate discussion on various designer issues. The course is intended to be interactive to enable people to raise and discuss issues related to their own work as designers and the associated implementation of their duties under CDM 2007.

SPEAKER Paul Gray OVERVIEW H&S legislation and CDM 2007 • Brief overview of H&S legislation and the aims, application and content of CDM 2007 • Definitions of construction work and a structure and a review of the duties on all parties

• Appreciation of the pre-construction information, the construction phase plan and the H&S file • What is design and who are designers?

The expected approach by designers • Designers’ duties in detail and the approach by designers for their considerations of health and safety i.e. the elimination of hazards, the reduction of risks and the provision of information • The process of considering and recording health and safety • The process of the provision of information • Input into the pre-construction information and the H&S File Issues associated with • The general principles of prevention • The Workplace (Health, Safety & Welfare) Regulations • Co-operation and co-ordination • Suitability and compatibility of designs • Changes in design and design during construction • Suggested work methods and sequences • Giving collective measures priority over individual measures Elaboration of • Justification of competence as a designer • The relationship between the designer and the CDM Co-ordinator • Lead designer • Significant hazards and risks • Risk assessment and design risk management Notes • Delegates are advised that it will be helpful to bring a copy of the ACOP ‘Managing Health and Safety in Construction’ L144 (available as a free download from the HSE website).

Planning – negotiating the planning jungle. Including updates on current Planning Reforms, the Localism Act and National Planning Policy Framework 6 February 2013 28 February 2013

Manchester London

COURSE BACKGROUND This RECENTLY UPDATED 1 DAY COURSE is designed for property and construction professionals who wish to obtain a working knowledge of the planning system. It will emphasise a practical approach and will be of interest to all who require a greater understanding to aid their professional activities.

SPEAKER ALL VENUES Jeremy Flawn OVERVIEW Introduction • Where does planning fit into the development process?

• The key players • The roles of Government, Planning Authority, developers, advisors, statutory consultees • Third parties/objectors Regulatory background • Key planning legislation; The Planning Acts; Use Classes Order; General Permitted; Development Management Procedure Order • Listed buildings, conservation areas and protected trees rules • Environmental impact assessment rules • Major infrastructure procedures

The planning system • The statutory duties of the Planning Authority: • Spatial planning overview; The Development Plan/Local Development Frameworks; other guidance (SPG/SPDs/design guides etc); • Development management overview Planning reform • Reform of the planning system • Localism – what it means for planning; how will it affect me?

• The National Planning Policy Framework Planning applications • When and where to seek advice • Which to submit (full vs. outline; change of use; variation of condition; reserved matters etc) • Validation of applications; mandatory requirements; additional local requirements; other key information (surveys/plans, planning statements, design & access statements, transport assessment and environmental impact assessment); who to serve notice to/how/when • When to negotiate • Procedures (pre-application consultation and associated charges; other consultations; submission; meetings; planning committee/ delegated decision; timescales) • Application fees • Section 106 agreements/undertakings and planning conditions • Whether/when/who to lobby and general publicity issues • Called-in applications • Judicial review • Case studies

Other important factors (material considerations) • How to deal with these factors in the planning process: Protected habitats/species; heritage assets (listed buildings, conservation areas and archaeological sites); protected trees; amenity (noise, visual, vibration); landscape; contamination; traffic and transport; sustainable construction; sustainable drainage and the Flood & Water Management Act 2010 etc Permitted development rights • The national picture • Commercial, institutional and residential development • Changes of use and the Use Classes Order • Case studies Planning appeals • Deciding whether to appeal; the right type of appeal (written representations; informal hearing; public inquiry) • The cost of making an appeal; timescales; recovered appeals; when to involve counsel; cost awards; legal challenges; case studies Planning enforcement • What is enforcement? Who can enforce?

• Type of enforcement measure (Enforcement Notice; Breach of Condition; Injunction etc) • What rights does the landowner/developer have?

• Timescales/costs/outcomes Getting it right; getting it wrong • Lessons learned • Saving clients’ time/expense • What’s the worst that can happen?

Keeping up to speed with the latest Building Regulations 13 February 2013 5 March 2013 6 March 2013 19 March 2013

16 May 2013 21 May 2013 4 June 2013 6 June 2013

London Manchester Birmingham Bristol

COURSE BACKGROUND This 1 DAY COURSE will provide an overall update of the changes to the Building Regulations and Fire Regulations that have taken place over recent years, impacting on the building industry.

SPEAKER ALL VENUES Jim Goddard OVERVIEW Introduction • Summary of how Westminster and Europe are requiring changes to the Building Regulations Understanding Part L1a, L1b, L2a and L2b (conservation of fuel and power) new dwellings and extensions, new buildings and extensions other than dwellings • Review this new Approved Document • Implementation of EU Energy Performance in Buildings Directive (EPBD) • Four new Approved Documents covering new and existing dwellings and non-dwellings • Whole building compliance limiting CO2 emissions • Role of SAP and SBEM • Consequential improvements • Thermal requirements for building renovation projects Part F (means of ventilation) • Radical overhaul of the existing Approved Document F • Performance based approach

• Strategies based on extract, whole building and purge ventilation • Guidance on natural and mechanical systems • Guidance on ventilation of basements • Guidance on ventilation of offices and car parks • Requirements for commissioning systems including sound testing Part M (access to and use of buildings) • Main access issues discussed for commercial buildings and dwellings • Use of access statements • Relationship with BS 8300 2009 Part B (fire safety) • Review of main changes to the Approved Document involving commercial and domestic properties • Review the need for door closers to fire doors • Further guidance on smoke alarm provision • New requirements for sprinkler protection in residential care homes and other residential buildings • Review the changes involving means of escape provisions for commercial buildings • Review the requirements for effective means of escape for people with disabilities Part J (combustion appliances and fuel storage systems) • Review this new Approved Document • General provisions for all combustion appliances • Air supply and chimney/flue construction • Solid fuel appliance requirements • Gas burning appliance requirements • Oil burning appliance requirements • Liquid fuel storage and supply requirements

Procurement for construction and property professionals 5 February 2013 19 March 2013 16 April 2013

Manchester Birmingham London

COURSE BACKGROUND The plethora of construction contracts and associated procurement strategies now available makes it difficult for clients to identify which alternative best fits their needs. For example, client’s advisors are caught up in decisions on how to transfer risk, how to tie in specialists or whether a partnering option might be preferable.

This 1 DAY COURSE will demystify the choice and supplies a straightforward process and checklist for occasional and regular clients and their advisors to identify their procurement needs and select a contract that best fits their requirements.

WHO WILL BENEFIT? This course will be of benefit to occasional and regular clients in the public and private sectors, as well as consultants who advise clients on specific contracts and / or procurement strategies.

SPEAKER ALL VENUES Mike Rhodes OVERVIEW Client decisions • Differences in public and private sector client requirements • Information clients must consider in adopting a procurement route and contract option • When clients need to decide on the procurement route

Cardiff Birmingham Manchester London

• When clients need to decide on the contract options • Balancing price and risk Allocation of responsibilities • Risk • Cost • Programme • Quality • Materials Financial aspects • Liquidated and ascertained damages • Retentions • Remedies for non-performance Overview of procurement options • Cost, risk and value based procurement strategies including their respective benefits and pitfalls • Lowest price, best value and Most Economically Advantageous Tenders (MEAT) • Single and two stage tenders • Guaranteed / Agreed Maximum Price or Target Price • Contractor designed options • Innovative procurement and contract solutions including: • Early contractor selection on quality only (non-price) criteria • Project and strategic planning Contract suitability Simple matrix for assessing the suitability of standard contract forms including: • JCT family of contracts • GC Works • NEC3 and options • PPC2000 • TPC2005 Making the right decision Standard processes and matrices for selecting the appropriate procurement strategy and contract.

BS 9999 (Code of practice for the fire safety in the design, construction and use of buildings) • Review this new standard which replaces the existing BS 5588 series • Risk profiling • Managing fire safety • Designing means of escape • Access and facilities for fire fighting • Designing the building structure • Managing occupied buildings RRO Regulatory Reform (fire safety) Order 2005 • What is the RRO? • Where does it apply?

• Who is the responsible person?

• What are the main requirements?

• Guidance documents Part G (sanitation, hot water safety and water efficiency) • Review this new Approved Document • Cold water supply • Water efficiency and calculations • Sanitary conveniences • Hot water supply and safety systems Review of the remaining Approved Documents • Including Part A – Structure, Part C – Site preparation and resistance to contaminants and moisture, Part D – Toxic substances, Part E – Resistance to the passage of sound, Part H – Drainage and waste disposal, Part K – Protection from falling, collision and impact, Part N - Glazing, safety in relation to impact, opening and cleaning, Part P – Electrical safety, dwellings, Approved Document to support regulation 7, and the code for sustainable homes.

Summary and future changes

Premises & facilities management and maintenance 31 January 2013 13 February 2013 25 April 2013

London Birmingham Manchester

COURSE BACKGROUND This BRAND NEW 1 DAY COURSE is designed to help premises and facilities managers develop a full understanding of managing and maintaining facilities and premises and efficiently procure building and maintenance work.

Observe how effective management of premises and facilities achieves value for money, such as reducing energy consumption, how to effectively survey and inspect building condition, suitability and accessibility of premises.

Learn about current health and safety regulations including fire, water, electrical and gas safety as well as managing risk assessments in small businesses. This course takes a practical approach to statutory compliance and assessing health and safety risks SPEAKER ALL VENUES Malcolm Thomas

OVERVIEW Managing premises and facilities • Accessibility, suitability, design and layout • Building condition surveys and inspections • Leases, letting and sharing space • Reducing energy consumption and providing renewable supplies • Town planning, building regulations and boundary issues • Security and emergency plans Maintaining premises and facilities • Good practice in building maintenance • Common building defects – causes, remedies and prevention • Maintenance programmes, prioritising and budgeting • Benchmarking costs Procuring building and maintenance work efficiently • Negotiating with builders and consultants • How to organise repairs, maintenance and servicing • How to organise building alterations and extensions • Managing contracts for running the premises Managing key risks to health & safety • Health & safety in small businesses • Workplace risk assessments • Fire safety • Water hygiene and safety • Electrical and gas safety

CORPORATE IN-HOUSE TRAINING To find out more call 0845 3133 414 or email enquiries@constructionstudycentre.co.uk

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Contents PREMIER CONSTRUCTION

Volume 18 • Issue 4

Dear readers, Welcome to the final Premier Construction magazine of the year. Yes, 2012 may be drawing to a close but fear not, we still have time to offer up another fantastic array of construction projects from across the UK and overseas.

In this month’s issue, we showcase a number of new build and redevelopment schemes, including the refurbishment and modernisation of Maindee Fire and Rescue Station in Newport; the creation of the mixed-use Riverlight project in London; and a brand new processing plant and offices for Denfind Stone Ltd in Scotland.

The £880,000 Maindee Fire and Rescue Station Refurbishment project was completed in October 2012 and comprised the complete internal reworking of the existing station to cater for both male and female fire fighters. In addition to a number of improvements – including the installation of DDA Compliant entryways – the building was also made more energy efficient. The scheme was implemented

by South Wales Fire Service and is part of an ongoing scheme to update fire service provisions in South Wales.

South Wales Fire and Rescue Station Building Maintenance Manager, Stuart Howison, said: “A lot of our building stock dates back to between 1950 and 1975, so was constructed for a different time, when the fire service was primarily a male dominated environment. This station in particular was built during the 1950s so the purpose of the refurbishment was to make it more compliant, to meet the needs of our modern fire service.”

Meanwhile, the Riverlight scheme – currently under construction along Nine Elms Lane, London – is a mixed use development comprising 806 residential apartments – including 107 HA (shared ownership) units – along with a number of retail spaces, restaurants, bars and a crèche. Once complete, the development will also boast a 24 hour concierge, numerous leisure facilities, a business suite and basement-level car and cycle parking.

Finally, the Denfind Stone processing plant offices project is nearing completion in Denfind Farm. The new facilities are designed to boost production by 50% and once complete they will allow the company to meet the growing demand for sandstone.

Brian Binnie, Denfind Stone Ltd, said: “Everyone at Denfind is excited by the new development which will enable us to streamline the business, grow our production levels and increase our output to meet ever increasing demands.”

Join us now as we celebrate the developments that continue to shape our landscape.

Alex

South West Tipner.................................................................................................................11 Penzance Watersports Centre.........................................................................13

North West Everyman Theatre............................................................................................15 Lewis’s..............................................................................................................20

North East Durham Cathedral............................................................................................24 Chartford Homes..............................................................................................26 Bridon Neptune Quay.......................................................................................30 Lartington Hall..................................................................................................33

Midlands & East Anglia The Gregory......................................................................................................40 Staffordshire Energy Recovery Facility..........................................................42

London & South East Wivenhoe House..............................................................................................46 Montefiore Hospital.........................................................................................49 Green Man Lane...............................................................................................54 Rambert Dance Company...............................................................................68

Scotland Denfind Stone...................................................................................................74 Gartnavel Royal Hospital Chapel....................................................................77 Caledonian Hotel.............................................................................................79 St Ambrose High School.................................................................................82

Wales Maindee Fire and Rescue Station...................................................................86

Ireland Belfast Harbour D1...........................................................................................93

Overseas Gibraltar Air Terminal.......................................................................................96

Follow us on twitter.com/pcbyroma and www.premierconstructionnews.com

Managing Director: Marcus Howarth Editor: Alex Wiggan Assistant Editor: Siân Davies and Daniel O’Donoghue Contributor: Mark Hattersley Production Manager: Kelsie Howarth Advert Co-ordinator: Nicola Owen and Sarah Goater

Published by: Roma Publications Ltd. t: 01706 719 972 f: 0845 458 4446 e: admin@romauk.net w: www.romauk.net Graphic Design by:

McAleer & Rushe Group..................................................................................08 EMSc (UK) Ltd...................................................................................................10

© Roma Publications Ltd. All contents are copyright. All rights are reserved. No part may be stored in any retrieval system or transmitted in any form without prior written permission from the publishers.

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.

www.marcusmacaulay.co.uk ROMA PUBLICATIONS

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Class act for Chinese Studies building

A NEW low carbon £4 million academic faculty for Chinese studies, which mixes contemporary design with subtle references to Chinese culture and aesthetics, has just been completed for The University of Nottingham.

The Si Yuan Centre has been built to house the university’s School of Contemporary Chinese Studies (SCCS) – a leading national and international institute dedicated to research and degree programmes about the study of China.

Lewis and Hickey Architects (L&H) were appointed by the university to deliver the project following selection as part of a limited design competition.

Antony Phillips, design director at L&H Nottingham, who worked alongside board director Nick Riley on the successful design bid for the SCCS, said: “The chance to compete for this exciting opportunity at the University of Nottingham gave us the chance to showcase our skills in the designing contemporary university architecture, combined with low carbon and BREEAM rated environmental innovations.”

Professor Shujie Yao, Founding Head of the School of Contemporary Chinese Studies said: “Since the inception of the school over five years ago, our dream was to build the best centre of contemporary Chinese studies in the UK and Europe. This beautiful and inspiring building situated on this picturesque campus will provide the exact physical space to realise our ambition.

“I thank Mr Thomas Chen – a university benefactor – and our vice-chancellor Professor David Greenaway for their generosity and support for making our dream come true.”

“Ardmore Construction was a very deserving recipient”

Ardmore Construction wins at National First Aid Awards 2012 Ardmore Construction has been presented with the Construction and Maintenance Award at the St John Ambulance First Aid Awards.

The black-tie event was held on 19 November at the Lancaster London Hotel and was hosted by survival expert Ray Mears.

Ardmore Construction was up against three other organisations in the category but the judges commented that the company maintained high levels of training, embedding first aid into every new project.

The judges felt that first aid requirements were enshrined in Ardmore Construction’s company policy, with requirements written into the construction phase plan for each product, and essential information communicated to the team. Contact details and office location are clearly displayed on site hoardings, allowing members of the public as well as the workforce to easily access first aid assistance. Ardmore insists a sufficient number of first aiders are available to reach any incident within three minutes, wherever it occurs on site.

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Bryan Toone, Health and Safety Director at Ardmore Construction commented: “We’re delighted to have won the award. We partner with St John Ambulance, and all our first aid training is provided by them. They offer a brilliant service. We can run between 30 and 35 construction projects at any time, and we’ll always have at least three trained first aiders on each.”

Richard Evens, Chair of Judges for the St John Ambulance First Aid Awards, said: “Ardmore Construction was a very deserving recipient – going the extra mile in ensuring high standards. The awards were a brilliantly uplifting night that showcased some truly amazing individuals and organisations that have made a real difference in local communities, not only through selflessly helping others but also campaigning for better training and improving first aid standards. I’m thrilled that our awards give these local heroes special recognition; celebrating their achievements as well as inspiring other people to be the difference.”

The evening showcased first aid success stories across the country, giving special recognition to those companies that go above and beyond the legal requirements in providing exceptional first aid standards.

Full details on the awards can be found at www.sja.org.uk/ firstaidawards

Students honoured in National Construction Awards

Three students who achieved the Diploma in Construction and the Built Environment (C&BE) have been rewarded for their academic performance, in an awards scheme run

by CITB-ConstructionSkills and the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB).

At a national ceremony held in London and hosted by John Sisk & Son Ltd on Wednesday, 17 October, Eric Haskins from Dorset, Rhys Hooks from Woking and Calum Maynard from Guilford all received a trophy and prize money supplied by the CIOB, as part of the Rewarding Diplomas Awards.

Calum scooped £600 for achieving the highest grade in the country for the Advanced qualification, while Rhys and Eric collected £300 and £100 respectively for their achievements at the Higher and Foundation levels of the qualification.

Calum, who studied at Guilford College, was delighted with his prize. He said: “I’ve always fancied a career in construction, so studying the Diploma in C&BE was a great step towards achieving this goal. I learned a huge amount – not just the theory of how to go about different aspects of the industry, but loads of practical examples, too.”

The Rewarding Diplomas Awards were created by the Diploma in C&BE Partnership to demonstrate the qualification’s continued success since its inception in 2008. The Diploma in C&BE is a bespoke qualification for the construction industry, combining practical skills development with technical knowledge.

Roy Cavanagh MBE, chair of the Diploma in C&BE Partnership, explained: “The Diploma in Construction and the Built Environment has been vital to supporting young talent in the UK construction industry since its inception in 2008. As well as providing young people with the skills and knowledge they need to enter the construction industry, it has also been a valuable qualification for employers – ensuring they have an even bigger pool of talent to recruit from. All this helps bring new blood to the UK construction industry.”

To find out more about the Rewarding Diplomas Awards, please visit www. cskills.org.

WARM WALL PLUS Knauf Marmorit has introduced Warm Wall Plus, the third in its range of thermal external wall insulation systems.

Warm Wall Plus is an ideal system for use where fire protection is the primary design feature. Suitable for new build and refurbishment the Warm Wall Plus system uses mineral fibre insulation, to meet the highest demands on sound and fire protection.

Knauf Marmorit’s solutions significantly reduce energy costs and heat loss through the external façade in a cost effective way.

Warm Wall insulation is the simplest and easiest way to thermally upgrade buildings. With the superior range of associated components, render finishes and colours, Warm Wall ensures that whilst the focus is on producing energy-efficient dwellings for the future, the design of contemporary or traditional buildings is not constrained through technical advancement.

Knauf Marmorit’s Warm Wall Plus has made specification easier when construction methods are ever changing and there are increasing requirements for thermal sound and fire protection.

Knauf Marmorit are members of INCA, the Insulated Render and Cladding Association.

Further information is available from Knauf Marmorit on 0117 982 1042, by emailingsales@marmorit.co.uk or by visiting the company’s website www. marmorit.co.uk

IPPI Europe and PM David Cameron Promote British Business in the Gulf Prime Minister David Cameron joined the Improved Piping Products Europe team in promoting British business when he visited The Big 5 International Building and Construction Show in Dubai.

Grant Phipps, Managing Director Europe, said: “The Prime Minister attended the event in Dubai to promote British business to the region. It was an honour to meet him and the show was a great success, proving there is huge interest in British trade and industry.”

IPPI Europe, located near Cheltenham, is part of IPPI Inc, a Texan-based company and sole manufacturer of the breakthrough IPP Deltaflex® backup ring and slip-on welded flange.

The lightweight, low carbon, reliable pipe products have been used by major European piping companies since 1998, serviced by a central European distribution centre in Hamburg, and the new UK office builds on this success.

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McAleer & Rushe Group Established in 1967, the McAleer & Rushe Group is a leading Irish property development and investment company with expertise in the construction of design and build projects.

Based in Cookstown, Northern Ireland, the company is a specialist in high density mixed-use schemes with projects located across the UK, including: London, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Sheffield, Nottingham, Derby, Belfast and Dublin.

Over the past 10 years, McAleer & Rushe has completed over 40 hotel projects and has provided approximately 10,000 bedrooms for the UK and Irish leisure sectors. During this time, the company has built an enviable reputation for delivering high quality projects both on time and within budget. In addition, McAleer & Rushe also undertakes work for housing schemes and office developments.

Projects within the McAleer & Rushe portfolio include Aloft London Excel, Premier Inn Stanstead Airport and W London Leicester Square, whilst recently completed projects include a twin hotel development for Accor Hotel Group and a Premier Inn at London Gatwick Airport.

Completed in October 2012, the £30 million twin hotel development for the Accor Hotel Group, comprises one structure housing two hotels – a 4* Novotel and a 2* Ibis.

Novotel London Blackfriars comprises 182 guest bedrooms, 12

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business suites, 6 meeting rooms and a bar and restaurant. The hotel also includes a full range of leisure facilities, including a swimming pool. Meanwhile, Ibis London Blackfriars comprises 297 guest bedrooms and a bar and restaurant with a 24-hour snack service.

Commenting on the project, McAleer & Rushe Contracts Manager, Peter Devlin, said: “Accor Hotel Group is a very high profile hotel chain and it was great for McAleer & Rushe to be involved with this unique project.”

Following the completion of the twin hotel development, McAleer & Rushe completed the UK’s largest Premier Inn at London Gatwick Airport.

The £30 million project comprised the construction of a 250,000 ft² hotel, approximately 20,000ft² of private office space and a 400 space multi-storey car park (MSCP). The 13-storey Premier Inn was built for Arora Hotels and was constructed at the North Terminal of London’s busy Gatwick Airport.

Work began on the prestigious project in March 2011, with McAleer & Rushe Ltd as the main contractor and Urban Innovations as the architect. Once work on the site was complete, leading hotel operator Whitbread took over the operation of Premier Inn London Gatwick Airport.

The hotel also offers panoramic views which allow guests to look out over the airport as well as the surrounding countryside.

Premier Inn London Gatwick Airport was not the first Premier Inn site that McAleer & Rushe has been involved with during 2012, as earlier in the year the group successfully delivered a hotel at Stanstead Airport.

Premier Inn Stansted Airport was completed in April 2012 and was hailed as a “fantastic success” after construction reached completion 14 weeks ahead of schedule. The 303-bed hotel took advantage of an early trading period ahead of the London 2012 Olympic Games and was another great development for McAleer & Rushe.

Discussing the early completion of the project, McAleer & Rushe Construction Director, Martin Magee, said: “To deliver such a high quality finish that incorporated the latest Premier Inn brand standards 14 weeks early was no mean achievement.

“This was a particularly demanding site so close to Stansted Aiport and I would like to pay tribute to our construction team for delivering the site so early and also thank Whitbread and Grove Developments for their clear brief and straight forward, collaborative approach on the scheme.”

Martin added: “Completing the work ahead of schedule with no compromise on quality or health and safety was brilliant for McAleer & Rushe and demonstrated how much of a fantastic success this project was.

“Both Grove Developments and Whitbread were extremely delighted with our work and being open in advance of the London 2012 Olympic Games was a huge boost to the opening of the new site.”

For more information about McAleer & Rushe please visit: www.mcaleer-rushe.co.uk.

McAleer & Rushe Contracts Manager, Mark Elliott, said: “The site is right beside the drop-off zone for the North Terminal so it is located within a very busy section of airport and is extremely convenient for people with early flights.

“Guests are able to stay overnight just a couple of minutes from the North Terminal, which will make their departure a lot easier.

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The right solution equals better buildings Buildings are one of the biggest consumers of natural resources and account for a significant portion of carbon emissions – in the UK, the figure is around 45%. But implementing the right tools and technologies from the start will ensure that buildings are more efficient and sustainable, says Dr Alex Mardapittas, managing director of EMSc (UK) Ltd. The advantage of a new building – whether residential or commercial – is that every measure can be taken to ensure optimal energy efficiency; buildings are insulated and double glazed, solar energy is utilised and efficient lighting is installed.

However, one area that is often overlooked is the amount of energy consumed by the electronic equipment used in new buildings.

This is where voltage optimisation, an electrical energy saving technique in which a device is installed in series with the mains electricity supply to provide an optimum supply voltage for a site’s equipment, can add substantial value as it is commonly recognised as a proven and reliable way to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions.

Until recently, voltage optimisation systems appeared to offer fewer savings benefits than the other sustainability measures implemented in new build projects. But a new voltage optimisation system – specifically designed to meet the needs of new builds – has been introduced to the market.

Powerstar HV MAX, the third voltage optimisation system offered by EMSc (UK) Ltd, manufacturer of the Star® range of energy saving solutions, is the world’s first super low-loss HV transformer with an amorphous metal core.

Essentially, the super low-loss transformer coupled with electronic-dynamic intelligent voltage optimisation technology provides optimum voltage levels for buildings, reduces standing losses by up to 75% and offers significant savings on energy consumption.

While older transformers have high levels of standing losses and the majority of modern transformers used on commercial sites use Cold Rolled Grain Oriented steel (CRGO) within their core, which still provide significant losses for buildings in comparison to amorphous steel transformers, the system utilises electronic-dynamic intelligent technology to ensure that voltage is supplied to a site at a constant, stable level regardless of the input voltage instability – a vital feature for sites with critical

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loads, secure data and important operations that require high levels of reliability and security such as supermarkets, data centres, hospitals, hotels, education facilities and retail outlets.

Although it can be used to replace older transformers on existing sites, or on sites where physical space restrictions previously made voltage optimisation installations difficult to implement, the system’s true strength lies in its suitability to new build developments.

And suitability is a key point to consider when it comes to energy management systems – and voltage optimisation solutions in particular – as there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Selecting the right type of system for a building or site is essential to ensure that electrical equipment is running efficiently, and that real energy savings are achieved.

Speaking of savings, this new system can help achieve annual energy consumption savings of 12%. And in addition to benefits such as reduced carbon emissions, guaranteed savings, simple installation, and a payback period of less than five years, it can help new build projects achieve sustainability marks and high energy efficiency ratings through accreditations such as LEED and BREEAM. Furthermore, it is fully designed and manufactured in the UK to be 98% recyclable – another LEED and BREEAM measurement.

While any number of energy saving measures can be designed in during the planning stages of a new build project, no plan will be complete without an intelligent voltage optimisation system like Powerstar HV MAX. Not only will the building’s energy consumption and carbon footprint be reduced, but equipment will operate as efficiently as possible at all times, the lifetime of equipment will be maximised, and maintenance costs will be significantly reduced. The result? Better buildings.

EMSc (UK) Ltd is currently celebrating over 10 years of British design and manufacturing success – it has been manufacturing the market leading voltage optimisation solution Powerstar at its headquarters in Yorkshire for over a decade. The company is accredited with the Made in Sheffield accolade in acknowledgement of the quality of its manufacturing process, its expansion into international markets, and the overall success of Powerstar, which is exported to countries including Cyprus, Australia, UAE, South Africa, Greece, Malta, Bahrain and Spain. The company has been awarded with ISO9001 and is an NICEIC approved contractor.

S o u th We s t

Regenerating Tipner A £130 million scheme to regenerate Tipner, Portsmouth, is making great progress.

The area’s regeneration will bring major benefits to the city, most notably, freeing up the road network; encouraging sustainable transport; cleaning up former industrial land; creating new open spaces, parks, waterside walks and much needed homes and jobs.

The overall scheme will see Portsmouth City Council build a new motorway junction and park and ride as well as more than 500 homes being built on land owned by the Tipner Regeneration Company, the work currently taking place is being undertaken by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).

As part of HCA’s project, 80 affordable homes will be constructed on the former PD Fuels site, along with up to 613 sq m of commercial floorspace, associated parking and landscaping works. Onsite work is being conducted by the Tamdown Group, who is responsible for environmental monitoring and ensuring that the work has minimal impact on neighbouring residents.

Work began on Phase One of the project in June 2012. As the site was heavily contaminated as a result of activities which have historically taken place on the land, HCA agreed a £3 million ‘clean up’ project, designed to clear four plots for redevelopment.

Portsmouth County Council Strategic Director for Regeneration, Kathy Wadsworth, said: “The dream of transforming Tipner is now becoming a reality.

This work is just part of the overall plan to regenerate Tipner, starting on the eastern side of the motorway. The regeneration of Tipner is vital for the future prosperity of the city. The Council’s plans include a new motorway junction and park-andride, which will open up the whole area for development.

“We worked with the HCA and the other major landowner, the Tipner Regeneration Company, to make sure the necessary clean-up and clearance work was done with the minimum of disruption to residents.”

Commenting on the importance of Phase One of the Tipner regeneration scheme, HCA Head of Area, Kevin Bourner, said: “This work signals a significant step towards creating a better Tipner that will benefit the whole of Portsmouth by providing new homes, employment opportunities and economic growth for the area. Our contractors are working closely with us and the local community to ensure that the project progresses smoothly and local people begin to see the benefits of this vital project.”

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S o u th We s t The Tamdown Group’s Technical Manager, Steve Jackson, added: “We are working closely with the HCA, its consultants and Portsmouth City Council in ensuring the project is delivered successfully and to ensure the impact on local residents is kept to an absolute minimum during the duration of the work.”

Current plans for the construction of the new dwellings and retail space focus on the land in the east of Tipner but form part of a much larger scheme including the west of the area.

Once complete this could deliver up to 1,600 homes and 1,500 new jobs.

Upcoming stages of the project will include the widening of Twyford Avenue for access to the new homes and a new sea

wall is being constructed to prevent flooding and aid drainage.

Car parking will also be provided, to reduce parking on nearby streets, whilst ample cycle parking will be included, along with enhanced pedestrian and public transport facilities.

Throughout the delivery of the scheme, local residents living close to the site are being kept informed of the continuing work and all disruption is being kept to a minimum. To facilitate the work, Portsmouth City Council, HCA and Tamdown are holding a number of informative events to provide a platform where residents can share their views on the development.

For more information about the regeneration scheme currently taking place in Tipner, please visit: www.portsmouth.gov.uk/ living/8781.html.

Adhering to the strict architectural and design ideals of Prince Charles, construction on Poundbury began in 1994.

Situated on Duchy of Cornwall land, the new town has come a long way since that first brick was laid – it is now a buzzing urban centre, home to 2,000 people and 140 businesses. Made up of town houses, cottages, shops and light industry, the town boasts a combination of traditional architecture and modern town planning in which people can work and live in close proximity.

Many people make a visit to Poundbury a must whilst they are on holiday along the Dorset stretch of the Jurassic Coast.

As a mark of confidence in Poundbury’s growth the Duchy of Cornwall have recently embarked on an ambitious new build in the town centre worth over £400,000.

Work began on the Buttercross earlier this year and the building is expected to be completed by March 2013.

On the project, Peter James who is the project manager for the Duchy of Cornwall at Poundbury said: “The building is hexagonally shaped and is a very tall structure, allowing for a lot of open space. It has traditional foundations, external brick work and internal bare faced concrete block.

There is also exterior seating and within the seating area there is some nice landscaping.

“The only problem that we have really had with the project so far is with the weather, the rain has hindered progress somewhat.”

On the Duchy of Cornwall’s developments, Peter added: “We are doing between £20 and £30million worth of work here every year, so it is a huge investment. So the Buttercross is quite a small part of our work, but every small part goes up to make an important development. You know, every part of the jig saw

is important – that’s the key to Poundbury, it has all got to fit together.”

A unique element of the build has been the construction of an anaerobic digestion plant, which will be used to power the Buttercross building. The plant which is one of the first to be used in the UK, converts the waste gases produced from the breakdown of biodegradable materials by bacteria into a renewable source of energy.

Once complete an agreement has been made to rent the building out to a business local to the South West region called Town Mill Bakery. The proprietor of which is Clive Cobb, who runs similar venues in Lime Regis, Plymouth and at the Eden Project.

Town Mill Bakery’s motto is ‘a place to gather’ and the cafe will offer traditional breakfast, lunch, dinner and supper using local produce.

The building itself is adjoining another Duchy of Cornwall development called the Butter Market which when complete will

Poundbury continues its expansion

be a collection of shops, adding more to the cosmopolitan feel of the town.

The main contractor on the build is JV building and the architect behind the design was Ben Pentreath from the Working Group.

Founded by Ben in 2004, the Working Group specialises in traditional architectural design and planning.

Best known for traditional designs, the firm also enjoys working in a more contemporary idiom where it is appropriate for the site or client. In this case the traditional outlook of the company has fitted the character of Poundberry as the initial drawings see Buttercross fitting the town with ease.

New watersports centre makes a splash A project to create a brand new watersports centre for Penzance has reached completion.

The Penzance Watersports Centre project comprised the demolition of a 1970s Penzance Canoe and Sub Aqua Clubs clubhouse and the construction of a new, modern watersports centre. With work complete on the project the centre will now become a central hub for sporting activities where young people from the local community will have the opportunity to learn a range of watersports.

The centre boasts changing rooms, improved storage for equipment, a kitchen and bar, as well as general clubhouse space that is to be used by the Penwith Partnership. A chairlift, providing access for disabled visitors was also installed on the site, whilst new equipment includes kayaks, rowing boats and paddle boards.

The ÂŁ 400,000 facility replaces the existing Penzance Canoe Club building, which was situated towards the end of the Grade II Listed Albert Pier at Penzance Harbour. The new centre has been developed and maintained by the Penwith Partnership of Cape Cornwall, Hayle, Humphry Davy and St Ives School,

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S o u th We s t Mounts Bay Academy and Penwith College.

Commenting on the new development, Director of Penwith College, Martin Tucker, said: “This facility enables young people within the partnership and the wider community to have opportunities to learn a range of watersports and make use of the fantastic natural resources available in West Cornwall.”

Cathedral Builders was the main contractor on the project, whilst Capita Symons was the project manager. St Ives based architectural practice Poynton Bradbury Wynter Cole was responsible for all architectural services on the site.

Cathedral Builders Managing Director, Robin Gulliford, said: “Our Work with Penwith College to date has mainly involved refurbishment and maintenance of their historic buildings, it was great to extend our relationship and demonstrate our ability to provide cost effective, high quality new build structures.

“The project was completed within the Colleges timetable and is the result of a fantastic team effort by all involved. We trust the building will prove to be a valuable asset for Penwith College and everyone using the facility. We are pleased to be involved with this interesting and visually striking project.”

The creation of the new centre has been viewed as a significant boost for sporting provision in the area, which not only increases club memberships, but will also stimulate interest in sporting events in Penzance.

The centre is home to Penzance’s already established canoe and sub-aqua clubs and is also being used to deliver a range of outdoor activities, alongside education programmes during term time. Penwith College will also use the facility for its surfing and kayaking academies.

Penzance Canoe Club Committee Member Richard Uren, said: “We have handed over the lease of the building to the partnership and we will continue to have access to it while contributing to the running costs.

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“It means we will have a first-class watersports facility in Penzance for the Penwith Partnership and for the clubs which will become a centre of excellence for watersports.”

Cathedral Builders Formed in 1996, Cathedral Builders is one of the South West’s most prestigious construction companies. Its diverse portfolio of projects includes residential, commercial, industrial and educational schemes, further details of which are captured on its website at www.cathedralbuilders.co.uk Cathedral Builders diverse client base also includes the Youth Hostel Association, The National Trust and Cornwall Council and have worked alongside most of the region’s major Architects and Engineers. The commitment to quality, both of the product and of the service provided is demonstrated throughout its team of highly qualified tradespeople and management staff.

Cathedral Builders continues to develop an enviable reputation amongst its peers.

Poynton Bradbury Wynter Cole Founded in 1973, Poynton Bradbury Wynter Cole is one of the largest architectural practices in the region, with projects ranging from £2 million through to £30 million. The company’s past projects include Portminster Hotel, Fistral Surf Centre, WCH Treatment Centre, Newquay Sports Centre and of course Penwith Watersports Centre.

Based in the Old Sail Lofts in St Ives Conservation Area, Poynton Bradbury Wynter Cole continues to invest in both training and equipment and prides itself on its wide range of skills which has made it an expert in masterplanning, conservation, sustainability and innovation.

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Image credit: Steve Aland

A theatre for everyone Liverpool’s iconic Everyman Theatre is currently undergoing a multi-million pound redevelopment to transform it into a theatre for the 21st Century.

The new theatre – which is set to open at the end of 2013 – will be fully accessible, environmentally sustainable building, that will boast a range of new features, including a 400-seat theatre, front of house catering and bar facilities and rehearsal space and production workshops. Additional features include allocated space for young performers and community groups, as well as a new incarnation of the legendary Everyman Bistro, which will be located within the site’s basement.

A dedicated workspace for writers is also being created within the building, so that the theatre can become a vibrant, creative hub for the next generation of scribes.

Commenting on the construction of the new theatre, Everyman and Playhouse Executive Director Deborah Aydon, said: “After 10 years of planning and many funding setbacks, we are absolutely delighted to reach this point.

“We are enormously grateful to the funders and to other supporters such as the city council, which have made this happen by working together. We are working to create an inspiring new Everyman for generations to come.

“The new building will be a wonderful thing, but it is not the end of the story: it’s the beginning of the next chapter.”

Gilbert Ash is the main contractor on the Everyman Theatre project, whilst leading architectural practice Haworth Tompkins is the architect. Mastercraft Construction Concrete is responsible for the framework as well as the joinery fit-out works on the project.

Mastercraft Construction Contracts Manager, Shane Moore, said: “Working on this project is very important to us. This is a very prestigious project in Liverpool and we are pleased to be associated with this redevelopment scheme.

“We have a lot of experience in this sector, having recently been involved with a number of theatre projects and we have a long standing working relationship with Gilbert Ash, which has lasted for more than 25 years.”

Funding for the project is being provided by the European Regional Development Fund, the Arts Council England and the Northwest Regional Development Agency.

Additional funding for the project has been provided through an extensive array of private investors, including the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, the Foyle Foundation, the Garfield Weston Foundation, the JP Getty Foundation and the Granada Foundation. Additional private investors include the Hemby Trust, the JP Jacobs Charitable Trust, the Monument Trust, the Oglesby Charitable Trust, the Oliver Stanley Charitable Trust, the Peter Johnson Foundation and the Wolfson Foundation. A number of anonymous donations have also been made in order

to aid the prestigious project.

Work began on the project in January 2012, following closure of the theatre in July 2011. The last major production to take place at the site was Macbeth starring David Morrissey and Julia Ford.

Actor David Morrissey, who started his acting career at the Everyman Youth Theatre, commented: “The Everyman provided me and many others with the courage to follow our dreams and pursue a career in the theatre. Now it can do the same for a whole generation and act as a creative heart in the city.”

Whilst work is taking place on the project decorative hoardings have been erected around the site to mask the work from public view. The hoardings feature artwork designed by students at

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the Liverpool School of Art & Design at Liverpool John Moores University and from leading design agency Uniform.

The hoardings feature photographic portraits of the city and are accompanied by quotes from a number of famous plays.

Commenting on the use of the decorative hoardings Sarah Ogle Everyman and Playhouse Communications and Sales Director, said: “In conversations with our creative partners, we explored how we might make a feature of the site hoardings. We wanted to celebrate the city, its creativity and its young people – vital elements of the new theatre.”

Michael O’Shaughnessy, Senior Lecturer in the Illustration & Design Department at the Liverpool School of Art & Design, added: “This was an opportunity to work with one of the country’s leading design consultancies and a Liverpool legend with an international reputation.”

The Everyman Theatre was founded in 1964 in the appropriately named Hope Hall – formerly a chapel and cinema – in an area of Liverpool noted for its bohemian environment and political edge. It quickly built a reputation for ground-breaking work. The theatre has also provided a starting point for some of the UK’s top acting talent, including leading names such as Julie Walters, Matthew Kelly, Bill Nighy and Jonathan Pryce. More recently the Everyman programme has ranged from classics such as Pete

Postlethwaite’s King Lear to Jonathan Pryce in The Caretaker.

Once work is complete on the project the site will be able to cater for the next generation of writers, actors and directors.

For more information about Everyman, including information on the progress of the new theatre, please visit: www.everymanplayhouse.com.

Metrolink: Connecting Manchester A multi-million pound scheme to triple Manchester’s Metrolink tram network continues to make good progress.

In 2009, a £1.5 billion fund was agreed for 15 transport schemes to take place in Greater Manchester. The fund included improving existing Metrolink services and extending the current service to nearby towns, including Oldham and Rochdale.

The 14 mile extension to Oldham and Rochdale runs along the Central Park railway corridor in East Manchester and joins the former Oldham loop rail line between Manchester, Oldham and Rochdale. During the works a number of new Metrolink stops are being constructed, including Monsall, Central Park,

Hollinwood, Derker, Newhey and Rochdale Railway Station.

In addition, brand new Park and Ride facilities are also being installed at Hollinwood and Derker, whilst existing facilities at Shaw, Crompton and Milnrow are receiving an overhaul. The improvement and expansion scheme will ensure smoother journeys, a more reliable service and access to towns not previously catered for.

Currently under construction, the Metrolink extension through Oldham town centre diverts the existing service from the Oldham Rochdale line near the Westwood business park to head north and run parallel to Featherstall Road. The route then ROMA PUBLICATIONS

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moves east, following Middleton Road, before heading south towards Manchester Street roundabout and joining the Oldham Rochdale line at Mumps.

The Oldham extension includes four new stops – at Westwood, King Street, Union Street and Oldham Mumps – and is currently scheduled for completion in 2014.

Meanwhile, work continues on the Rochdale line, taking the service from Rochdale Railway Station along Maclure Road towards a new Metrolink stop on Smith Street. Once complete, the extension will provide a link from the Railway Station to the town centre.

As part of the work to build the new Metrolink Oldham and Rochdale lines, almost 100 bridges and structures are being refurbished.

Laing O’Rourke and VolkerRail are delivering the civil and rail infrastructure requirements of the scheme. Thales UK is providing all the electrical systems and engineering works, including power and overhead line equipment and the tram management system.

Manchester’s Metrolink network opened more than 16 years ago and provides services to key locations around the city, including MediaCityUK – the new home of the BBC. At present the busiest section of the network is the city centre track, which accommodates up to 250 trams a day however this will increase to 400 trams once the new service is fully operational.

In addition to the extensions, city centre stops at St Peter’s Square and Piccadilly Gardens are to be upgraded. The Piccadilly Gardens stop is being widened to increase the passenger capacity, whilst the stop at St Peter’s Square is being lengthened to improve access for double-length trams.

During the works Manchester City Council has granted permission for 24 hour working hours in some parts of the city centre, in order to increase progress on the scheme. However all work is being carried out in accordance with the Construction Code of Practice and will not take place between 11:30pm and 7:30am, in certain areas of the city.

For more information about Metrolink, or the latest updates to the ongoing works, please visit: www.metrolink.co.uk.

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A UK first at Armstrong Point Armstrong Point is the UK’s first zero energy cost business park, located in Hindley Green, Wigan.

Nine industrial units have been constructed using 14 low and zero carbon technologies, offering tenants zero-energy cost with onsite energy generation. The technologies used include wind turbines, photovoltaic roof panels, rainwater harvesting and LED internal and external lighting.

The build has seen the redevelopment of 0.47 hectares of brownfield land which was formerly a derelict Britvic soft drinks factory.

The £2.3 million project began on 22nd December 2010, with construction beginning in June 2011.

The development, part- funded by The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Armstrong Properties (NW) Ltd, was completed in October 2012.

Dave Armstrong from Armstrong Properties said: “The development is expected to attain a BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ rating when the final inspection is completed, has achieved A+ rated EPC’s and incorporates 14 low and zero carbon technologies. Over 9,000 tonnes of C02 will be saved during the lifetime of the development based on a feasibility study by Carbon Consultancy Company.

“Now that the project is complete we will look to apply for any award that recognises the exemplar development, which has raised the bar in sustainable building ahead of its time. We have recently won our first award for Environmental Technologies at the Wigan Business Awards 2012.

“Carbon Consultancy Company held a residents meeting prior to the start of construction for Armstrong Point and any issues were discussed and satisfied at the time.”

The main contractors on the project were Carbon Consultancy

Company, WCP Associates, Tolent Construction, Virdian Consulting, Innov8, Wigan Council and Eco Environments. The architect on Armstrong Point was Jennings Design Associates.

It is hoped that the construction of Armstrong Point can encourage others to think about their responsibilities in reducing their carbon footprint in the future.

Dave added: “This is a completely new venture and believed to be the first of its kind in the UK. The project is a milestone for Carbon Consultancy Company & Armstrong Properties (NW) Ltd who have worked in energy consultancy and property development, looking to pass on their knowledge and expertise in this field.

“We feel the project has re-developed the community in the sense that prior to this the land was derelict and an eyesore.

Now that the project is complete we have an on-site demonstration centre where local schools, colleges and the general public can see for themselves how they work, showcasing other products for local companies who wish to further their business.”

Shelley Hughes, Business Support Co-Ordinator for Carbon Consultancy Company added: “As part of our continued support and commitment to providing knowledge and advice in Energy Reduction and Environmental Technologies, we can offer two days free support to any SME’s in the North West including Business Start-Ups. “With our support other businesses can benefit from an onsite Energy Opportunities Assessment, this will highlight were savings can be made with the possibility of investing in some of the Environmental Technologies that have been used in the development of Armstrong Point.”

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Liverpool resurgent continues at Central Village The former Lewis’s department store in Liverpool has long been regarded as part of the fabric of Liverpool life. After hitting hard times, the iconic building in the city is being given a new lease of life as part of a £160 million development, and the project is nearing completion.

The redevelopment of Lewis’s, which has been part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund is part of Merepark’s Central Village scheme – a six-acre site which is set to become home to a mixture of retail, leisure and office space.

As part of the project, leading European hotel brand Adagio – a joint venture between the Accor and Pierre Vacances hospitality groups – will operate the UK’s first Adagio Aparthotel in half of the redeveloped former department store, with the other half set to become some 75,000 sq ft of Grade A office space.

Phase One of the multi-million pound project began in September 2010 and comprised a programme of soft strip works. Once work on Phase One had reached completion the second phase got underway involving the complete remodelling and redevelopment of the nine-storey building.

Phase Two includes the installation of the 126-bed apartment hotel and office space, and the refurbishment of lower level areas to create new retail and leisure spaces. In addition, work includes the cleaning of the Portland Stone facade, the formation of the innovative cut-through, providing more natural light and making the huge floor plates in the building more useable. It also included the installation of new windows and the refurbishment and replacement of existing shop fronts as well as new service cores and delivery areas.

Merepark Construction is the primary contractor on the mixed-use development, whilst Manchester-based practice Aedas is providing architectural services on the site. Futureserv Consulting Engineers Ltd is the mechanical and electrical consultant and SWF Engineering is the structural consultant.

Central Village is Liverpool city centre’s largest regeneration development taking place at the moment and will include, in addition to the Lewis’s elements of the build, a new plaza which will be formed between Liverpool Central Station and the Lewis’s Building, housing further retail and leisure units. The Boardwalk,

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as it is known, is anchored by Odeon and once work is complete on the project, the site will not only be a focal point of the city and once more regain its landmark status, but will also be the talk of the North West.

Merepark Construction Operations Director, Alex Moore, commented: “The Lewis’s Building is grade II listed and is one of the most iconic structures in Liverpool. The building forms the gateway of the Central Village development and is an important part of the redevelopment works.

“Work on this scheme has been extremely challenging and complex but after several years of hard work and utilising our expertise in development, we are delighted to see both the hotel and offices taking shape in Lewis’s.

“Since the closure of the former department store in 2010, we have worked closely with English Heritage and Liverpool City Council’s conservation officer to make sure its unique character is preserved and blended properly with commercially successful uses to bring the building back to life. We’ve managed to successfully retain many of the existing features, including the famous and much loved Liverpool Resurgent statue, and the external façade.

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N o r th We s t “This is a major project for us. Merepark Construction is a vibrant, innovative construction company that was formed to compliment the vision of Merepark Project Management LLP. “Even at this stage in the build we have between 150 and 200 people working on the site per day and work is progressing well.”

The redevelopment of the Lewis’s Building is the latest regeneration project in a long line in the city, which in 2008 was named European Capital of Culture. Developments such as Liverpool One, The Bluecoat Arts Centre, the Mersey Ferry Terminal and Lime Street Gateway have all played an important part in the collective resurgence of the city in recent years.

Merepark Set up in 1992, North West-based Merepark is a property development and investment company, specialising in a range of schemes from residential and retail developments, to hotels, leisure facilities and office spaces. Current investment tenants include NCP, Nando’s, Costa Coffee, Network Rail and Granada, as well as KFC and Footasylum, amongst others.

Working within the North West, Merepark has completed many successful schemes including the Quadrangle - a large mixeduse project situated within the heart of Manchester. The site spans over 450,000 sq ft and has a GDV in excess of £60 million.

For more information about Merepark and its current projects, please visit: www.merepark.co.uk.

Stannah: A moving service in Liverpool Cathedral The installation of a Stannah, bespoke glass, through-car, MRL (machine room-less) passenger lift in Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral is bringing access for all.

The new eight-person, two-stop, lift has been installed by the North West England & North Wales branch of Stannah Lift Services into the beautiful lower-level Lady Chapel at the Anglican Cathedral.

With the new bespoke passenger lift’s assistance, people of all mobility levels can access the tranquil haven of the Chapel to sit for a period of quietness, prayer or reflective contemplation.

In addition, visitors can also view the reredos (altarpiece) and principal windows from a balcony directly opposite the altar, and the newly restored window – depicting the Presentation of Christ in the Temple.

Working in partnership with the Cathedral’s building company the bespoke passenger lift was supplied, installed, tested and commissioned by the Stannah Lift Services team to a specification by international consulting services company, Lerch Bates.

The specification of the lift demanded that the centre line of the top floor door was central to the point of the existing stone arch; the rear of the top serving entrance was cladded in plaster board; and the lower level was fully glazed – to include a glass landing door. This final specification ensured that the installation of the lift minimised impact on the surrounding architecture whilst at the same time maximised the sense of space.

The lift’s motor room-less feature economically houses the operational elements in the lift structure and, by positioning the lift counterweight to the rear of the shaft, persons on the lower level corridor can see through the glass lift shaft when the lift is on the upper landing. When not in use, the lift is programmed to relocate to the upper landing after a period of inactivity.

Stuart Haynes, Media Manager for Liverpool Cathedral, said: “Before the arrival of our Stannah bespoke passenger lift, access to the Lady Chapel was by stairs only, so many of our visitors missed out on its valued presence in this magnificent Cathedral. Not only has the lift brought democratic access to the Chapel, it is sympathetic to the Gothic Revival architecture,

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complementing the ecclesiastical environment to become an integral part of the building.”

The Stannah bespoke passenger lift is serviced by the North West England & North Wales branch of Stannah Lift Services, part of a nationwide network providing 24 hour, 365 days a year support. This level of service covers repair, modernisation and refurbishment of all types of lifts, stairlifts, escalators and moving walkways – not only those from the Stannah product range, but also other lift manufacturers’ equipment.

Stannah also offers a bespoke lifts service, custom-building lifts to meet customers’ specific requirements.

Since 1867, Stannah has continued a family tradition; to keep people and goods moving. With more than 30,000 new installs per year and over 220,000 site visits too, the company gives its customers expert support right across its portfolio.

For more information on Stannah please visit: www.stannahlifts.co.uk; call 01264 364311; or email liftservices@stannah. co.uk.

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Durham Cathedral Work on Durham Cathedral first began in 1093 and now, almost 920 years later, the way that visitors experience this magnificent building is set to be transformed.

The Open Treasure project plans to open up the space in the Cathedral’s Claustral buildings to allow visitors to appreciate more of the beautiful architecture. The development will include a sequence of linked exhibition spaces, a new shop and choir vestries, along with improved access for disabled visitors.

The £8 million project is split over several phases and Phase One was completed in September 2012.

Valued at £1.5 million, the phase saw the redevelopment of the area known as the Undercroft, which lies directly below the space known as the Monks’ dormitory located off the Cathedral Cloisters.

Phase Two of Open Treasure, the Monk’s Dormitory marks the start of a new exhibition route which will display both the Cathedral’s own treasures and to house temporary exhibitions, as Head of Property at Durham Cathedral, John Holmes, explained: “Before, the space was an underused area and contained display and exhibition areas which were inadequate. We are trying to get more people to the Cathedral and also provide a better experience. It’s a stunning place already and this will enable them to better enjoy the Cathedral’s treasures.”

This is a major project for the Cathedral and the subject of a major fundraising campaign. A grant application is being submitted to the Heritage Lottery Fund. A first stage pass has already been received for £3.5 million which means that HLF support the project in principle and will welcome a more detailed application for the amount proposed. A number of organisations are supporting the work already in progress including

the Friends of Durham Cathedral.

Main contractor for Phase One the project was SIMPSON (York) Ltd and the architect was Purcell Miller Tritton. The Cathedral’s own yard staff, comprising a dedicated team of stone masons and specialist joiners who continually maintain and conserve the building, carried out the enabling works.

Dunhouse Natural Stone is the stone supplier for the restoration of the Durham Cathedral project.

Dunhouse Natural Stone Managing Director, Paul Allison, commented: “Dunhouse Quarry is proud to have supplied the stone for the ongoing restoration of Durham Cathedral and we hope to continue to do so for the foreseeable future.”

SIMPSON is vastly experienced, having worked on numerous heritage and listed building projects throughout the past, including Bishopthorpe Palace, York and Bowes Museum and Barnard Castle. They also have a large construction arm and are one of the largest fit-out companies in the UK, having recently completed work for some of the most established retailers in the UK. Ockwells provided the site with temporary protection materials and has worked with SIMPSON (York) Ltd on a number of occasions.

Nigel Massey, Ockwells, said: “SIMPSON (York) Ltd is a contractor who specialises in Listed buildings and the work that they conduct is very prestigious.

We have worked with the company on quite a few jobs and we always aim to support them where we can.”

Nigel added: “At Ockwells the materials that we supply are insurance rated, flame retardant products. We have three regional branches,

covering the whole of the UK and we are most proud of the quality of our products and services that we provide.”

The project has involved taking down some of the more recently erected stone walls and lifting sections of the original stone flooring in order to install under floor heating. In addition, a new stone floor has been laid and the existing undercroft ceiling has been lime washed.

Further works will include the installation of a platform lift to help improve disabled access and the fixture of a number of feature glass screens for the retail and restaurant area.

John Holmes said: “Because the development is within the stone vaulted area of the Undercroft, everything has to be approved by the Cathedral’s Fabric Commission for England, a statutory body, as well as other consultative organisations, and has to be carried out in a very sensitive way. The stone needs to match what is already there, whilst woodwork and specialist joinery fittings have to complement the existing structure.

“We are also significantly improving the accessibility. As you can imagine with a Norman and medieval site, access has previously been very difficult. The Cathedral is looking to make all public areas fully accessible for disabled visitors and wheelchair users, which it has never been before.

“We aspire towards RICS, RIBA and heritage awards in the future and are designing it to the highest quality that we possibly can.”

Mark Cregan Operations Director of SIMPSON, spoke of their aim to make best use of the Cathedral’s amazing spaces: “This project is about improving the whole experience and making it better for visitors – for example the shop, cathedral and other facilities are currently tucked away in small rooms, whilst the café/restaurant is located in another area of the building.

“Access to the development has been difficult and it has been approached in a sensitive manner due to the historic fabric we are working on. However, we are professionals in this field so it hasn’t delayed our main schedule in any way. We have taken on the challenges a building of this nature produces into consideration, and have programmed the works accordingly.”

SIMPSON craftsmen are using traditional lime plaster, lime wash and oak for all the feature joinery, including the fit-out of the new vestry and choristers. The company is also fitting feature lighting to enhance the undercroft, with the feature glass

screens supplied by OAG - who carried out the glazing works on the recently completed St. Pancras Station in London.

Mark Cregan commented: “We are currently carrying out the ground works to allow the underfloor heating to be installed, whilst all of the bespoke joinery is currently being produced in our own joiners shop. There is an air of excitement amongst our directly employed joiners and apprentices working on the stunning furniture, but the real feature is the space itself- it’s amazing.

“It was a dark dingy place previously unsuitable for the exhibits to be displayed and we’re bringing it to life. Open the Treasures is all about walking around the space and being able to appreciate and absorb all the dimensions the cathedral has to offer. It’s a beautiful cathedral and we at SIMPSON are privileged to have been selected as the preferred contractor to carry out these works.”

Skippy Nationwide Part of the Cory Environmental group, Skippy Nationwide has been providing skip hire and waste management services throughout the UK since 1989.

General Manager of Skippy Nationwide, Claire Smith, said: “We have been part of the Cory Environmental group since 2004 which puts us in the unique position of having the flexibility of an independent national service backed by one of the UK’s top 5 waste management companies.

“We work with a wide range of clients from small construction and shop fitting companies to some of the largest companies in the UK, covering all kinds of varied projects.”

Most recently Skippy Nationwide have been working on the recycling of waste at Durham Cathedral- a World Heritage Site.

With this particular project in mind Claire added: “We have been managing the waste on the site since April 2012 and have so far removed 213.06 tonnes of waste, segregating at source with a recycling rate of 99%.

“Being Simpson (York)’s waste partner, it was important that we worked closely with them to ensure the efficient, compliant and sustainable delivery of waste management services for such a prestigious site.

“Our involvement in this project illustrates the quality of service and proactive partnership approach to waste management that we pride ourselves on.”

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Chartford Homes: Building a great reputation in Leeds As a leading name in the residential sector, Chartford Homes is involved with a large number of new build housing developments throughout Leeds. With a wealth of experience under its belt, Chartford aims to make purchasing a new home as straightforward as possible and amongst its vast portfolio of projects recently completed schemes include The Hawthorns, The Oval and Hazel Mews.

The Hawthorns was a £900,000 development constructed in Skelton Woods and comprised a mix of 14 two and threebedroom semi detached homes; meanwhile The Oval in Farsley, comprised 14 three-bedroom detached homes and overlooks the grounds of Farsley Celtic AFC. Finally Hazel Mews - also comprising 14 units - was a £1million scheme which reached completion in early 2012.

Although these projects reached completion throughout 2012, one of Chartford Homes’ most prolific projects which is currently still under construction, is The Park, an £18 million development in Cookridge. The Park comprises 156 units, with construction divided into six phases and is currently scheduled to reach completion in 2016.

Phase 1 of The Park is now complete and comprised the construction of 19 houses, featuring a mix of two, three and four bedroom properties. Work began on Phase 1 in May 2011 and reached completion in October 2012. Phase 2 is currently underway.

Chartford Homes Quantity Surveyor, Dan Saxton, commented: “The Park is a huge investment for us. For a local house builder to pick up a site of this size is fantastic and we often use this site as a showcase for the work that we can achieve.

“The project has been carefully designed after lengthy consultation with the Leeds City Council Planning Team and we believe that our scheme delivers much needed housing for the local community.”

Each home within The Park is carefully and thoughtfully designed by a team of professionals, ensuring a high quality finish.

The master bedrooms benefit from an en suite with a contemporary white suite, whilst kitchens and bathrooms are finished to a high standard with chrome fittings and stylish ceramics. All homes feature gas central heating and double glazing.

The development has been thoughtfully designed in conjunction with local authority design standards and careful consideration has been given to the landscaping and green space alongside the spine road which sweeps through the development.

Additional developments currently under construction for Chartford Homes include Micklewaite Lane in Bingley, Carlisle Road in Pudsey, Barley Hill Road in Garforth and Cranmer Gardens in Alwoodley.

Discussing the schemes, Dan said: “Barley Hill Road is quite a significant site for Chartford Homes as it is a development which we bought off of another developer back in 2008. The site had been under construction for quite some time before the developer went into administration so a lot

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of the planned units were quite far along when work suddenly stopped. Understandably, due to the length of time that the site stood still a number of the units were in need of some work, so along with the construction of 24 brand new units we are also refurbishing the six existing buildings. Local residents will witness a vast improvement once this scheme is completed in 2014.”

Dan added: “Micklewaite is being built along the side of the canal in Bingley and is located within a conservation area. The site comprises 27 units, which includes a mix of two, three and four-bedroom properties and all of the buildings include natural stone, slate roofs and timber windows.

“Meanwhile, Carlisle Road is an 18-month scheme, which got underway in September 2012 and includes 23 units, containing a mix of two, three and four-bedroom houses. Prior to work taking place on the site, the land was occupied by a mill, which was demolished ahead of the construction of the new units, but is being reconstructed as part of the project.”

Finally, the most recent project for Chartford Homes is Cranmer Gardens, a £1.1 million scheme comprising 14 three-bedroom semi-detached properties. Cranmer Gardens got underway in November 2012 and is currently scheduled for completion in 2014.

Dan said: “Here at Chartford Homes, we consider every detail of our developments to be special. We focus on the requirements of each purchaser to create quality living space and seek to add that special ingredient which makes it a home.

“From classic new build homes inspired by solid traditions of architecture, through contemporary apartments offering stylish interiors and design, to the refurbishment of existing buildings restored to the highest standard.

“With years of experience behind us, Chartford make buying a new home a straightforward and stress-free experience.”

For more information about Chartford Homes, please visit: www.chartfordhomes.com.

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

Call our news team on 01706 719972

Revealing York Minster

also see access to Chapter House improved through the provision of DDA compliant wheelchair ramps.

Arrol & Snell Ltd Managing Director, Andrew Arrol, said: “During World War II the glass in the Great East Window was removed and then subsequently replaced.

However some of the glass was installed incorrectly, whilst other areas of the window have been damaged.

“The glaziers will strip back the lead, reassemble the glass and protect the window against future damage using a technique called Isothermal Glazing which will place the window behind an additional layer of glass.

“As the Cathedral Architect I have a lot responsibility for the fabric of the whole building so it’s great to see the work that is being conducted on York Minster.

“It is very exciting to see work progressing on a project that will make the cathedral more accessible and enjoyable. The work will create a greater understanding of the building for visitors and will subsequently increase the number of people who get to see the building.

“Projects of this level don’t come along very often, so it’s a great privilege to be involved with this one.”

York Minster Revealed is scheduled for completion in summer 2016.

An extensive restoration project to conserve and transform the visitor experience continues to make progress at York Minster.

York Minster Revealed is five-year project that

is currently taking place at what is the largest Gothic cathedral north of the Alps. Work commenced in earnest in early 2011 and is the largest restoration and conservation project of its kind in the UK, having received a £10.5m grant from The Heritage Lottery Fund.

The project has been divided into smaller projects, including the Chapter House project and the Great East Window project.

William Anelay Ltd is the main contractor for the Chapter House project, whilst York Minster Stoneyard and York Glaziers Trust are the main contractors for the Great East Window.

Conservation specialist Arrol & Snell is the architect for the entire York Minster Revealed project.

The Great East Window is the largest window of its kind in the UK and is therefore a significant feature of the cathedral. The £9 million Great East Window project comprises of conserving and restoring the medieval window and associated masonry work across the whole east front of the cathedral. In order to complete the work, careful and considered restoration will take place to correct damage to the window, whilst the original lead work will be replaced.

Meanwhile the £750,000 Chapter House project comprises the conversion of rooms into public toilets and staff facilities. The project will

The York Glazier’s Trust Founded in 1967, The York Glazier’s Trust which specialises in the conservation of historic stained glass is the oldest and largest of its kind in the UK.

www.romauk.net

Director of the Trust, Sarah Brown said: “Over the years the Trust has worked on many scores of famous sites.

“Our principal responsibility lies in the care of the glass of York Minster, but we’ve worked in many of the parish churches in the city of York and we’ve also worked on historic glass in many of Oxford’s Colleges.”

As part of the York Minster Revealed project the Trust is currently conserving the Minster’s great east window, which is the largest medieval stained glass window in Britain.

On the project Sarah added: “It is the biggest window in Britain and therefore logistically one of the largest conservation projects of its kind in Europe.

“Historically of course the window is of international significance because it is by a named artist, John Thornton, and of course it’s a very complex window as it is about the beginning and end of all things.”

When asked what it is that the York Glazier’s Trust prides itself on, Sarah said: “Meticulous attention to detail, the highest standards of craftsmanship and a considerable level of experience, so we therefore believe that we achieve work of unparalleled quality.”

Finley Structures – a firm on the up While many firms in the construction industry struggle, County Durham-based Finley Structures goes from strength-to-strength.

With a turnover now approaching £12 million, the family-run outfit, based on Aycliffe Business Park, boasts a client base that includes major contractors such as Balfour Beatty, Howard Russell, Shepherd Construction, Carillion, Willmott Dixon and Sir Robert McAlpine.

Managing director John Finley – pictured with Sedgefield MP Phil Wilson, who led Hitachi’s campaign to bring its Intercity Express Programme to the North-East– says the company’s strength in the market can only be described as a testimonial to the hard work and dedication of his team, who continue to strive in order to be the best in the business.

“We continue to build on our recent success with a string of contract wins and positive developments,” says Mr Finley, who last year supported his local Northern League football club, Newton Aycliffe, by erecting a new stand for the first division

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club.

“This further underlines our strong position in the market, thanks largely to significant investments over the last two-tothree years. We are completing jobs within the agreed time scales and the majority of contracts within budget, this enhancing our reputation and giving our clients the confidence that we can deliver and providing us the opportunity to work on much larger contracts.”

Finley Structures was formed by Mr Finley in August 2000.

Whilst providing a wide range of structural solutions, the company specialises in the production of portals, trusses, beams and columns. They invested more than £1 million in their production facility in 2008, with a second saw and drill line and robotic coping line as well as an SA2.5 shot blast facility.

The decision to invest by the board of directors has paid dividends – while some firms in the industry struggle to survive, Finley Structures hasn’t looked back.

“It remains a very difficult and gloomy time for some people,”

Dixon Group.

More than £290 million is being spent in the Borough to regenerate the area, while an estimated £4.5 billion of private investment is expected to create around 14,000 new jobs and 600 new businesses.

A total of £40 million is being spent on Redcar seafront, including £30 million on new sea defences and enhanced landscaping, and £8.3 million on ‘The Hub’, a Creative Industries Centre on the site of the old Palace Theatre.

Andy Braid, construction manager for Finleys, said: “It was a pleasure to work on an exciting project which will have such an obvious impact on Redcar seafront. It’s also further testament to our versatility and the diverse range of projects we’re capable of delivering to high standards.

added Mr Finley. “We’re in a strong position, but the market is becoming increasingly competitive and we have to work even harder to win contracts.

“We’re doing more than just keeping our head above water, and if we can do that during this current climate, then that can only bode well for the future.”

More details about Finley Structures can be found at www. finleystructures.com

Award-winning Finley Structures has been awarded a Values Award by building corporation Carillion Plc for its community engagement.

Carillion operations director David Kennedy praised the familyrun firm, saying: “More than 130 children have visited Finley Structures to see their schools being built and they make sure it’s a fantastic experience for the youngsters. We take the young people to see the steel being made and we’re also taking them to see the bricks being produced, so they get a real insight into how it all comes together, so when it’s completed they’ll feel they’ve been involved in it every step of the way.”

John Finley added: “It’s a pleasure to see youngsters come to our factory to get an insight into the world of work as well as seeing their own new school being built almost from scratch. It’s always nice to involve young people wherever we can and it’s rewarding to see them come in and learn so much about our operations. Our door is always open.”

Innovative Finley Structures has completed the steel framework for the Vertical Pier, due to open later this year as part of Redcar and Cleveland Council’s multi-million pound redevelopment programme. The company was selected to complete the steel fabrication and installation work by major construction firm Willmot

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Bridon Neptune Quay A project to construct a brand new facility for Bridon International Limited has reached completion.

The £30 million Bridon Neptune Quay project, which took place on Newcastle’s Tyneside, comprised the construction of a new plant – which included 7,400 sq m of manufacturing space and 300 sq m office space – as well as associated works. The project was implemented by Bridon International Limited and now that work is complete the facility enables Bridon International Limited to produce multi-strand ropes in gross package weights of up to 650 tonnes.

Tolent Construction was the main contractor on the project, whilst architectural services were provided by Ian Belsham Associates.

Commenting on the importance of the new facility, Bridon Group CEO, Jon Templeman, said: “The ropes produced at this state-of-the-art facility will expand the boundaries of what is possible for customers across the sector. Bridon Neptune Quay has been built to help us solve our customers’ most significant technological challenges.

“This factory, which is the most advanced of its kind ever built, is a crucial part of Bridon’s work to become the global technology leader in wire and rope solutions for applications in a number of key sectors.”

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, added: “Bridon is a global technology leader in the manufacturing of steel and wire rope, and this state-of-the-art facility is a valuable asset in strengthening the local and regional economy. We are proud to see the facility furthering the region’s reputation as a global manufacturing base.”

Work began on the project in July 2011, with construction work on the new building reaching completion in May 2012. The official launch of the facility took place on November 15th 2012.

The new plant is a traditional industrial building, built from a

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steel frame construction, with double-glazed windows and a combination of composite and built-on cladding. A significant feature of the new facility is the closing machine, which is capable of producing the largest, most complex steel ropes in the world.

Discussing the new development, Senior Project Manager, Alexander MacConaill, said: “There are a number of pits inside the building to accommodate the machinery, with depths of up to six metres. In addition, a great deal of piling was included, especially around the machinery, to hold the weight of the machines and to cope with the high tensile forces.

“As well as the construction of the new plant, we were also involved with a number of works along the quay side of the site.

Originally there was some remediation works, partly funded by the developer and partly by the government to effectively flatten the site, removing the old buildings and debris. We straightened the quay edge and then laid some tracks down for the heavy products and a heavy load pad for cranes.

“We also worked with Shepherd Offshore Ltd & Newcastle City Council to upgrade the hammer head crane on Walker Quay, taking it from a capacity of 250 tonnes to a 325 tonne capacity.”

Alexander added: “For Bridon International Limited this was an important project and an investment like this extends the capability of not just the company, but the industry. There is a lot of interest in the capability that it will give off-shore oil and gas companies, so it was extremely important for Bridon International Limited to get this project right.

“Work ran quite smoothly on the project and although we encountered a few short delays due to the temperamental weather conditions during 2011/2012, there were no serious problems.

“Products will start shipping in late 2012.”

Enhancing patient care at Doncaster Royal Infirmary A brand new, £2 million state-of-the-art education centre has opened in Doncaster.

Situated at Doncaster Royal Infirmary (DRI), the new centre boasts videoconferencing facilities, a 140-seated lecture theatre and four training rooms. The creation of the centre has boosted patient care within the hospital and allows junior clinicians and students to access in-depth, live footage of operations which take place in DRI’s Theatre Six, which is used for keyhole surgery.

RH Fullwood Ltd was the main contractor on the project, with funding for the project provided by Doncaster & Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s capital programme.

Steve Brunyee, who was the project manager on the build said: “RH Fullwood was a great company to work with on this project which ran very smoothly.”

Speaking on the importance education centre at the hospital, the Director of Postgraduate Medical Education at Doncaster & Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Dr Joanne Sayer, said: “The new centre marks an exciting opportunity for the Trust to improve support for education and training of all staff groups, including doctors. The enhanced training will improve multiprofessional team working and be of great benefit to patient safety and comfort.”

The focal point of the new centre is the 140-seated tiered lecture theatre with state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment to enhance audience/presenter interaction. Meanwhile, the four training rooms can be interlinked to the lecture theatre, acting as an overspill to view presentations, whilst a dedicated suite provides easy access to e-Learning programmes.

As with all new build projects at the Trust, energy efficiency was a key focus of the centre’s design. Both the walls and the roofing was insulated to the highest specifications, whilst LEDs and smart technology lighting was installed throughout and solar panels on the roof.

Waveform Services Ltd was responsible for the electrical installation works on the new education centre at Doncaster Royal Infirmary.

Discussing the importance of the project, John James, Managing Director of Waveform Services Ltd told Premier Construction: “Projects such as the new education centre at Doncaster Royal Infirmary are very important to us as they are the core focus of our work. Waveform Services Ltd has a longstanding history with Doncaster Royal Infirmary and we previously completed work on an orthopaedic facility at Montagu Hospital.

“In addition, around 25 years ago I worked as the mechanical and electrical engineer at Doncaster Royal Infirmary, so this is a site which I am very familiar with.”

John added: “At Waveform Services I am very proud of the work that we conduct. Many of our members of staff have been with us for a considerable amount of time and we continue to up skill them, in order to improve what we have to offer.”

Doncaster & Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides a range of acute medical services at three hospitals – including Bassetlaw Hospital in Worksop, Montagu Hospital and Doncaster Royal Infirmary – as well as at a number of community locations. In addition, the Trust provides outpatient services at Retford Hospital.

For more information about Doncaster & Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust please visit: www.dbh.nhs.uk.

GW Dawes & Son (Heating & Plumbing) Ltd GW Dawes & Son Ltd are a commercial heating and plumbing contractor based in Sheffield. Established in 1899, the company specialises in plumbing and mechanical installations in hospitals, health centres, schools, public buildings, prisons, churches and factories.

Michael Thew, Managing Director from GW Dawes & Son Ltd said: “Having been established for over 100 years, we have a portfolio of satisfied clients without whom we would not be here today.

“With regard to National Health Service work, I think it would be fair to say that we have been involved in some way in every single hospital within the South Yorkshire area. Some staff have been with us over 30 years and were involved in the initial plumbing and mechanical installation works of the hospitals when they were first constructed. Understanding the way the hospitals operate allows us to work quickly and efficiently in live working environments with minimum disruption.

“This is why we are the chosen specialist by the health authorities and the principal contractors who work with them.”

GW Dawes & Son Ltd worked on the complete mechanical engineering services installation in connection with the refurbishment and upgrading of the Post Graduate Centre at Doncaster Royal Infirmary.

Michael said: “For the main installation we provided new steam and condense mains from the existing hospital infrastructure system to new steam / LPHW plate heat exchangers. This included LPHW

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N o r th E a s t & Yo r ks h i re heating systems, ventilation services, domestic hot and cold water services, trace heating of all pipework at risk of freezing and the provision of new direct expansion refrigeration installations. All water treatments, testing and commissioning, and insulation works were supplied prior to hand over, together with the automatic control system to manage the installation.

“These important works gave us the opportunity to be involved

in a project that is of lasting significance to the hospital and the local area. It reinforces our strong relationship with the community.

“We pride ourselves upon our loyal and highly trained work force. This gives us the knowledge and expertise to deliver a quality product and service that meets and exceeds all the client’s expectations.”

Roomzz Newcastle City Roomzzz UK have launched a 14 suite luxury aparthotel in Newcastle City Centre.

Formerly known as Friar House, Roomzzz Newcastle City is a grade II listed building which dates back to around 1780. Friar House once belonged to a 19th Century celebrity socialite Sir Robert Hopper Williamson who as Recorder of Newcastle and chancellor of Durham was considered amongst the elite of the North East and one of the most important men in the area.

Head of Roomzzz Aparthotel UK Mark Walton said: “Roomzzz Newcastle City dramatically improves luxury hotel stays in the North – there are some fabulous hotels in the area but the transformation of Friar House really raises the game.

This hotel experience is pure luxury but with the Roomzzz affordability factor.”

thing that is becoming very popular especially in city centres.

Every room has its own kitchen and living space, providing people with the personal space that is sometimes lost in ordinary hotels.

Will added: “The communal area in the hotel is proportionally small to the size of the building with the majority of the space is given over to the apartments which are much bigger than usual hotel rooms.

The feedback we’re getting is that this is a really popular move.

“This project is incredibly important to us because we are quite a new firm and it is one of our first commissions. For us it has been really good to see the building brought back to life because if it was left for another five or ten years it may well have been lost.

“The building across the road – a Presbyterian church – collapsed while we were working on this project so we have seen a very historical building of a similar age disappearing. Also, even though is in the city centre, it’s a bit off the beaten track so it will bring that part of Newcastle back into use again.”

Hastie Burton Joinery Ltd Established in 1903, Hastie Burton Joinery Ltd specialise in

The £5 million project began in March 2012 and was completed in October 2012. The main contractor was Brims Construction and the architect was Mawson Kerr.

Will Mawson, Project Architect from Mawson Kerr said: “The building was essentially a country house when it was built but now it is in the centre of Newcastle – it fell into disrepair over time so we had quite a lot of work to do when we took it over. It was basically a derelict building but it had a lot of historic fittings like the coving, staircase, fireplaces, and old kitchen ranges.

However once it was opened up we found it was also full of wet and dry rot.

“We’ve tried to keep everything we possibly could and anything new we’ve put in has been modern so you can see the new against the old. The planners were also keen that we kept the rooms in their original proportions so we’ve put in as few partitions as possible.

“We’ve used quite a lot of glass in the new parts of the design and also stained timber which is quite modern and dark.

Externally we have also used micaceous painted steel which is quite a modern look but it’s something which plays back against the old building.”

The aparthotel design is quite a modern concept and some-

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the manufacture of all types of bespoke joinery and have established a reputation as one of the leading specialist joinery manufacturers in the North East.

Hastie Burton Joinery Ltd have worked on projects including the display cabinets for Tyne & Wear Museums, the reception counter at the RICS Award-winning Toffee Factory for Brims, along with other specialist items for a number of North East based construction companies, architects and house builders.

Adrian Brunton, Managing Director for Hastie Burton Joinery Ltd said: “Our first job for main contractor Brims was 3 Acre Park, Gateshead, which involved manufacturing and fitting doors and

windows to a tight deadline that other companies could not meet.

“On the current project, Friar House, we have provided doors, screens and panelling; and refurbished all the windows which included manufacturing replacements as well.

“We wanted to be involved in this project because it was transforming an important listed building and bringing it back into use and we knew it would be a high profile job. We pride ourselves in providing a quality service and for our excellent attention to detail.”

The restoration of Lartington Hall A £1 million project to return Lartington Hall to its former glory is currently underway.

The Grade II* Listed building is undergoing an extensive refurbishment to transform the historic structure into an exclusive private hire venue. In addition to the extensive refurbishment works –which will all reception rooms, the ballroom, Grand Corridor and en-suite bedrooms receive a significant makeover – a new kitchen and washroom facilities are also being installed.

Commenting on the work taking place on the Grade II* Listed building, Lartington Hall owners, husband and wife John and Shona Harper-Wilkes, John, said: “About nine years ago we decided to begin the search for a property we could use to start our next business. We viewed many buildings, up and down the country and by chance we stumbled upon Lartington Hall in June 2010.

“Lartington Hall dates back to around the 1600s and roughly every 100 years or so, the then owners carried out significant work on the house and grounds. This work has created a num-

ber of different styles to the building covering Tudor, Georgian and Victorian periods carried out by notable individuals of their time, Joseph Hansom (The Hansom ‘Black’ Cab) and Ignatius ROMA PUBLICATIONS

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N o r th E a s t & Yo r ks h i re Bonami which in turn has created a lot of history within the site.

Lartington Hall has a lot of very unique character and as soon as we saw it, we knew that this was the perfect place for us.

“We are refurbishing the property to as high a standard as we can and then moving forward we aim to make the hall an exclusive private hire venue in order for it to earn its keep.

“Around 90% of the building will benefit from the refurbishment in the first phase of works.”

Work began on the restoration project in March 2012 with Phase One scheduled to reach completion in May 2013. Richard Pinkney is the main contractor on the project, whilst Kevin Doonan Architects is providing all architectural services on the project. Caroline and Nile Hardie, local archaeologists, are also involved in the project including the excavation works.

Mechanical engineering specialists TW Steam & Heating Services Ltd are installing the site’s heating, plumbing and engineering systems.

TW Steam & Heating Services Ltd, Company Director, Alison Kirkham, commented: “It is great to be involved with this project. For us it is easier to be involved right from the beginning as we can help with the design and we have been working closely with John about the type of boiler system to install, to ensure that the building remains heated for many years to come.

“My father was a founder of TW Steam & Heating Services Ltd, and I am very proud of the longevity of our business which has allowed us to be a part of a project like this.”

Ornamental plaster restoration specialists Decorative Plaster Company are currently involved with the refurbishment works at Lartington Hall, including the restoration of the ball room ceiling, along with a number of key areas that required their specialist skills.

Decorative Plaster Company Managing Director, Barry Hunter, said: “We have been in operation since 1926 and have completed

work on most of the prestigious projects within the North East.

We always take pride in our work and we are very proud to be associated with the work at Lartington Hall.”

Inspire Commercial Kitchen Solutions Ltd is designing, supplying and installing the new kitchens at Lartington Hall, including the extract systems.

Inspire Commercial Kitchen Solutions Ltd Director, Chris Stoker, said: “It is great to be a part of this refurbishment project. John is a great guy and this is a very prestigious site, so knowing that we are here, helping to transform this building, is fantastic.

“We have worked on many projects in the past and our aim is to always give the client exactly what they require to get the job done.”

In addition to the internal work, external work is also taking place including the restoration and repair of the roofing, chimneys and guttering. All of the sash windows have been refurbished on the building and three window lights have been restored.

John Wilkes said: “We have stripped the whole site back to the bare walls – literally so we can get a better understanding of how the building was constructed and therefore sympathetically restore it. We have had a lot of plaster work repaired and we have corrected numerous ornate parts of the building. Rewiring, plumbing and stone masonry works are also being undertaken, along with a programme of decoration works using heritage palettes by Farrow & Ball, Little Greene and Zoffany. The site also includes some stunning stained glass windows and these are also being sensitively restored.”

John added: “When we first looked at the building we could tell that Lartington Hall had once been a grand structure. It was also apparent that in its present state it was ready for its next stage of rejuvenation following the great work carried out in saving the building by previous owners, Robin and Clare Rackham.

“From working on a similar site in the past we had gained some experience in restoration and repair so we knew that this was the right project for us. We are working closely with the contractors and I am project managing the overall project so there is someone on site at all times. This is quite an important building for the area so we have ensured that we use local skilled trade’s people on the project whenever possible.

“Both Shona and I are very proud of the work that we are conducting on Lartington Hall.”

New ward for Northgate Hospital The work on Tyne, a new build that replaces an existing ward at Northgate Hospital in Morpeth, is nearing completion.

Ian Tyrens from Northumberland Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust spoke to Premier Construction about the project.

He said: “The project involves the delivery of a 24-bedroom low secure forensic facility which provides longer term continuing care, treatment and rehabilitation for our male service users.

The main contractor is Laing O’Rourke and the architect is Maap Architects. Enabling works began on the project on 28th November 2011, the main construction began on 9th January 2012 and the project is due to be completed by the 1st February 2013.

The value of the project is approximately £8 million, with the funding coming from the NHS Trust’s capital programme.

Ian said: “Northgate is a fully operational hospital but the area where Tyne is being built was unused land, the location was carefully considered to align with the Trusts strategic plan for the development of the site.

“The gross internal floor area is around 1400 sq m. It is predominantly a single storey building but it does have a first floor service walkway above the bedroom areas – that’s really designed to allow for as much off-ward maintenance as possible, this is important as it helps keep disruption to a minimum in the patients private settings.

“The structure of the building is timber frame which allowed for accelerated construction, the timber being FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified. The exterior of the development is predominantly a brickwork facade with elements of render in certain areas, the windows are aluminium- a combination of fixed and horizontal sliders – and the roof is a mixture of Kalzip and flat roof construction. There is also timber cladding along the front face of the building which is an architectural feature

designed to fit in with the surroundings at our Northgate site.

There are various facilities within the ward including 24 individual bedrooms all with en-suites, social and group areas, access to external space all of which is complimented by an array of staff facilities.

Ian said: “There are two internal courtyards, one in each block, and then there is a secure central garden where the buildings come together. The internal courtyards are not heavily landscaped as they are quite hard to get to in terms of necessary maintenance, it is more an area for contemplation and incorporating a tiny bit of horticulture if that is what the ward would like to do with the patients. The central garden feeds off from the main group room – the idea is that one or two wards could come together in this area and utilise the external space. This garden is easier to maintain because it is more accessible and as such contains a greater element of landscaping.

“There are patient, staff and visiting areas, laundry, treatment rooms and clinics – everything you’d expect to see in this type

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N o r th E a s t & Yo r ks h i re of facility. The content and finish of all rooms in Tyne have been designed with a great amount of clinical input involving both staff and patients. A vast amount of time has been invested in lessons learnt and incorporating best practice so all rooms function as operationally required.”

The project is currently around 80% complete, with the installation of flooring and fixed furniture now the main focus on site.

Ian is proud of the project and eager to see the ward be used to provide a first-class building for the Trust’s service users. He said: “It’s massively important and quite personal to me – it’s the largest scheme I’ve project managed in my time with the Trust and I’ve worked extremely hard on it from day one to create a team ethos that the project requires and deserves.”

“The project has been about listening to clinical needs and understanding how to work in terms of Trust departmental requirements. The project has also highlighted how important the time spent at the start of a scheme is, getting it right on paper before work commences on site.

“This is a very specialist, first-class building which will provide a therapeutic and pleasant environment for our service users. From those at Project Team level to the operatives on site, including a massive Trust input everyone has strived for a common goal, we’ve seen a great collaborative approach and an extreme amount of hard work.”

KJB Flooring KJB Flooring has been in business for the last seven years, providing hospitals, care homes and domestic households throughout the North East with floor coverings.

Having previously worked on St Nicholas’s Hospital, South Tyneside Hospital and Weymouth Hospital the company were selected to work alongside Laing O’Rourke on in Villa 19 of Northgate Hospital.

KJB has fitted marmoleum flooring to the corridors and bedrooms, whilst fitting vinyl in the en suite toilets.

When asked what the company prides itself on, KJB Director Kevin Balmain, said: “We are very proud of the quality of our workmanship and out reliability to clients.”

A mission to restore Britain’s ancient peatlands A little known project to save Britain’s answer to the tropical rainforest has been underway for some six years now.

The North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Partnership’s Peatland Programme began work in the North Pennines in 2006 with the aim of restoring the largest peatland bog in England.

Peat is a type of soil that contains a high amount of dead organic matter, mainly plants that have accumulated over thousands of years. It is estimated that a typical peatland will grow by a staggeringly small amount of just 1mm every 10 years.

So why is it important? Peatland Programme Manager, Paul Leadbitter, explained its significance: “People know more about rainforests and barrier reefs than they do about peatlands and these eco-systems are at the same level of importance.

“You know, there is twice as much Carbon stored in peatlands as there is in the Earth’s atmosphere or there is three times as much Carbon stored in peat as there is in forests.”

In addition to housing an enormous volume of Carbon, the peat bog in the North Pennines peatland is also a massive store for water that is available to several million people in the North East.

In light of these facts a sum of £3.1 million has been spent by the North Pennines AONB Partnership repairing the damage done to the peatlands over the last 60 years.

Speaking on the damage in the North Pennines, Paul said: “In 2006 when we first analysed the peatlands we found that there were 10,000km of drainage ditches or grips that had been cut. These had been cut from the end of the Second World War until around the 80’s or early 90’s.

“They were cut to try and dry out and drain the peat to make the soil more productive, to have more grasses to support more livestock.

“Unfortunately peatlands don’t really drain very well that way, what it did do was to dry out a little bit of peat each side of the drain, causing erosion.

“We now realise how important peatlands are and there has been a movement to restore them.”

In a similar way to a National Park an AONB is a protected area, yet AONB’s do not receive funding in the same way. It therefore falls to the North Pennines AONB Partnership, which is an alliance of statutory agencies, local authorities and voluntary or community organisations to raise funds in order to carry out the

needed restorative work.

Having worked with Natural England and the Environment Agency, the Peatland Programme has now successfully blocked around 7000 km of drainage ditches- leaving only a few thousand in need of restoration.

Over the next few years the Peatland Programme will be turning its attention to the 5,000 bare and eroding peat sites

“Furthermore, as we carry out the work from November to April there can also be issues with the weather, as two winters ago for example we had a lot of snow and therefore couldn’t carry out the work- fortunately the weather is holding up this year and we are on track so far.”

The work provides a lot of business for local contractors in the North East and it is projected by Paul Leadbitter that the restoration of the peatlands in the North Pennines will continue for quite some time yet.

JW Bainbridge Contractors Ltd

in the North Pennines. The programme was recently granted a £500,000 Biffa Award to tackle this very problem.

Speaking of some of the challenges involved in the work, Paul said: “The lands that we are working on are privately held, and it’s always an interesting discussion when negotiating permission to do work. We work with the landowners and try to convince them that this work is important and needs to be carried out. We also make sure that the landowner is a part of the restoration plan so the work fits their needs as well.

JW Bainbridge Contractors Ltd is an agr-environmental based contracting company working mainly on SSSI Moorland based projects, but also carrying out groundworks and some construction work.

Director of JW Bainbridge Contractors Ltd, Jonny Bainbridge said: “Most of our work is moorland based but we do some construction work. For example we work for uplands estates building things like grouse butts and repairing moorland access tracks. One of the biggest construction projects we have been involved with was The Hub at Barnard Castle.

“Over the last four years we have been involved with a grip blocking programme and we have also been involved with the Peatlands Restoration Programme. We’re harvesting the heather brash for them and the heather seed that is to be spread on the bare peat.

“We try to leave the sensitive moorland sites as undamaged as we possibly can- to make it look like we’ve almost never been there. We pride ourselves in doing a good job and this is shown through the contracts we have been awarded.”

Taylor Wimpey’s Mick Burgum takes Bridgewater View to the top A stunning development of two and three-bedroom homes is rapidly taking shape in Middlesbrough. Taylor Wimpey’s £15 million Bridgewater View project is situated on the former Longlands Campus site at Middlesbrough College and will offer a range of modern homes for savvy buyers.

Taylor Wimpey (formerly Taylor Woodrow plc) was founded in 1921 by 16-year old Frank Taylor, who borrowed some money to build two houses in Blackpool. Since then, the company has continued to use their quick thinking and aptitude for building high quality homes to become one of the largest British based housebuilding companies.

The company now looks set to establish this reputation further after one of their site managers was awarded a prestigious NHBC Pride in the Job Award for their work on the Bridgewater View site.

Situated in the bustling town of Middlesbrough, Bridgewater View offers easy access to a wide selection of entertainment venues, along with numerous museums, parks and galleries.

In addition to the close proximity of Middlesborough College and Teesside University, commuters can also benefit from easy access to the A66 and A19. Durham Tees Valley Airport is just a short drive away, whilst Middlesbrough train station offers services to York, Leeds and Manchester.

In total the Bridgewater View site comprises 148 private dwellings and 6 sheltered housing units, with the two-storey homes featuring a traditional palette of materials that includes bricks, blocks, concrete slabs and roof tiles. The homes have also inROMA PUBLICATIONS

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N o r th E a s t & Yo r ks h i re corporated a range of sustainable features, including combined boilers and UPVC windows.

One of the house types – The Ripley – is an attractive threebedroom semidetached property that boasts a spacious lounge and dining area and French doors that lead to an immaculate rear garden. The first floor has a master bedroom with en suite facilities, along with two further bedrooms and a family bathroom. Further facilities include a downstairs cloakroom and allocated parking space.

Mick Burgum, Site Manager for Taylor Wimpey, commented: “This has been a very enjoyable project. We’ve been on site for 18 months so far, and there’s another 18 months to go. It really is a lovely estate, and it is very pleasing on the eye – I am over the moon with the way it’s turning out and winning an NHBC Pride in the Job Award is just the icing on the cake.”

This certainly isn’t the first time that Taylor Wimpey North

Yorkshire has won a prestigious NHBC Award. In 2011, three site managers – Paul McLachlan, Lee Dawson and Jeff Watson – scooped a coveted NHBC Pride in the Job Quality Award for their work on the Bridgewater View, Mill Gardens and Scholars’ Rise developments.

Paul McLachlan, winner of seven consecutive NHBC Pride in the Job Awards, said: “Since joining Taylor Wimpey 10 years ago, my team has remained the same and has continued to take great pride in what they do and work extremely hard to ensure the homes we build are completed to the highest possible standards.”

Sales and Marketing Director for Taylor Wimpey North Yorkshire, Debbie Whittingham, added: “Our commitment to maintaining the highest levels of quality, service and customer care has ensured that we continue to be an NHBC award winning house builder year after year.”

Piecing together a £30 million sea wall A £30 million scheme to create a 2.7 kilometre sea wall in Redcar is nearing completion.

The scheme is being implemented by the Environment Agency in order to reduce the risk of flooding to nearby houses and businesses. The new wall will replace an older sea wall which previously existed on the site and forms part of a much larger scheme to regenerate Redcar.

The Environment Agency has contributed £25.5 million to the scheme, with an additional £4.6 million of funding being provided by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council.

Birse Civil is the main contractor on the site.

Commenting on the project, Redcar and Cleveland Council’s Cabinet Member for the Environment and Rural Affairs, Councillor Christopher Massey, said: “The flood defence scheme, due to be finished in spring 2013, will significantly reduce the risk of flooding and erosion along the Redcar coastline. With sea levels predicted to rise in the future I am sure the long term benefits of this scheme will far outweigh the short term inconvenience to residents and visitors to the town.”

Redcar and Cleveland Council’s Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Councillor Mark Hannon, added: The new sea wall was the catalyst for the £75 million regeneration of Redcar, designed to stimulate economic growth in the area. As well as investing in the renewal of Redcar seafront, the Council are also delivering some significant schemes in the town, including the Tuned In! youth facility, the Palace Hub , the Redcar Beacon and the Redcar Leisure & Community Heart.

The regeneration of Redcar’s seafront is a key aim of the scheme, alongside reducing the risk of coastal flooding and erosion. Work began on the project in February 2011 and is currently on schedule to reach completion in spring 2013.

When work first started on the project one of the initial tasks was to drive 900 steel piles into the bedrock beneath the beach, in order to support the new sea wall. During this phase of works seafront artwork was removed, however this will be reinstated

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as part of the new promenade.

During the installation of the wall’s concrete blocks an eleven storey high crane – using vacuum lifting equipment – was employed to lower individually shaped pre-cast pieces into place.

In total, 1,555 concrete pieces have been used to form the wall, with each weighing up to 28 tonnes.

The concrete blocks that form the wall have been specially designed and include a curved wave return section which will reduce the power of the waves, which in turn will reduce the risk of flooding to the town. Each block has been slotted into place

like one life-size jigsaw puzzle.

Commenting on the project, Donna Robinson of the Environment Agency, said: “When the Redcar scheme is complete it will reduce the risk of flooding to 978 homes and 209 businesses. We estimate that the sea will rise by around 85cm over the next 100 years, and without the wall a further 184 homes and 98 commercial properties would be at risk, along with key roads and underground utility services.”

Birse Coastal Senior Site Agent, Simon Kirtlan, added: “Works are now well advances and on schedule for completion in spring next year.”

Once construction of the wall is complete there is still some work remaining on the scheme, including the reinstatement and improvement of the promenade and additional work on the Stray.

For more information on the progress of the new sea wall in Redcar, please visit: www.environment-agency.gov.uk.

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Midlands & East Anglia

From Pub to Student Palace Having two top Universities, Nottingham is home to more than 40,000 full time students – meaning that student housing is in ever increasing demand.

Just outside the city centre, The Gregory Hotel in its previous life had been one of Nottingham’s oldest pubs, providing pints for the locals of Radford for over 100 years. However since June, renovation work has been taking place on the old pub – transforming it into six vibrant student flats, with a total of 24 rooms available for rent.

The design work on The Gregory has been carried out by Architectural Design Consultancy ltd, which was set up by Nick Kirkland in 2002. With 20 years of previous experience behind him, Nick had the aim of providing a personal architectural and development consultancy service to both the public and private sectors.

Since then the company has gone from strength to strength, working on healthcare, residential, industrial and commercial projects – most recently completing work renovating and converting The Gregory into new purpose built student accommodation.

With fully furnished bedrooms and en suite, new dining and kitchen areas, televisions, wi-fi access and with good transport links, ADC’s latest project has gone from pub to student palace.

Although the company’s first attempt at student accommodation, they have had considerable experience of residential projects in the past. Having previously designed apartments and flats across Staffordshire the project at The Gregory was always in safe hands.

As a mark of quality, ADC ltd has been retained by a number of housing developers and associations in order to prepare feasibility studies, planning and working drawings. The design team at the company have a detailed understanding of the Code for Sustainable Homes, Buildings for Life and Lifetime Homes.

Describing the beginning of the project at The Gregory, ADC ltd Director, Robin Hathaway said: “The biggest hurdle at the planning stage of this project was meeting planning policy and justifying how we were going to improve the area for the neighbours.

“I think the residents will certainly benefit from new student accommodation, the pub was open late, it was noisy and encouraged a certain amount of antisocial behaviour. This new use will complement the neighbourhood” Talking of the build itself, Robin added: “In terms of the build, probably the trickiest element was trying to find a suitable structural solution to best create the necessary

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space required and without it being too costly. After finalising the design, we undertook a value engineering process in house and managed to work up the best solution in the end.

“The majority of the work carried out on The Gregory was internal and mainly involved the fit out of the existing space.

Careful space planning was key. New mechanical and electrical systems were installed throughout and the design had to work with these new systems” “The system was a bit different in that it wasn’t a heating system individually per flat, it was centrally served which was more efficient, more secure and this approach meant we could retain the attractive building facade without unsightly flues” “On top of the structural alterations the building fabric also received a facelift. External walls were thermally lined and existing floors treated to improve the sound insulation qualities.

“The building also had a previous stairwell extension that was poorly built and had signs of subsidence. With the assistance of the consulting engineers we managed to repair and retain the stairwell as part of the means of escape for the new student apartments “The building had also undergone some crude alteration of the rear elevation in the past where windows had come out and poorly matched windows had been put in. We took the opportunity to reinstate previously bricked up openings with windows that matched the existing and made good previous alterations.

This helped the building regain its original appearance” Work began on The Gregory in June this year and was completed in October- ready to welcome the next crop of students into Nottingham with new accommodation.

ADC ltd was able to deliver this project quickly and smoothly due to its specialist experience and creative design team. The in house team is split into two specific sections, the concept and design team and the technical team- both overseen by directors.

Supported by the very latest and most advanced 3D CAD software available, the design team can ably present clients with a virtual model in order to maximize understanding and achieve satisfying results. Clients are invited to take a walk through the building or fly around the development, resulting in a seamless progression from the design to table to the project completion.

In addition, the technical team at ADC ltd prides itself on an expert knowledge of the build process and construction techniques.

Speaking of the technical team, ADC ltd Director, Robin Hathaway said: “They constantly strive to provide effective and concise construction information that not only ensures a

Midlands & East Anglia smooth build but also within budget.”

Whilst ADC ltd covered the design side and project management, Uptown Property Developments carried out the building works.

A subsidiary of Downtown Property Developments ltd, Uptown Property Developments was founded in 2009 and is based in Leicestershire.

For more information on Architectural Design Consultancy ltd and their projects then visit www.adc-limited.co.uk.

New Energy Recovery Facility will save Staffordshire £250 million A former wasteland in Staffordshire will be the location for a new waste recycling facility.

The Staffordshire Energy Recovery Facility on Four Ashes Industrial Estate in South Staffordshire will treat around 300,000 tonnes of household waste a year, generating enough electricity to power 38,000 homes per year. It is expected to save the county up to £250 million over the next 25 years as the waste will no longer have to go to landfill.

Veolia Environmental Services are overseeing the PFI project in partnership with Staffordshire County Council. Main contractor for the scheme is CNIM Clugston, whilst the architect for the original concept design was URF Planning Ltd. Construction began in June 2011 and is expected to be completed by December 2013.

The building measures 40 metres at its highest point, whilst the chimney stacks will be 80 metres tall. The length of the building is 156 metres and the width of the building will be 81 metres.

Facilities will include offices, a control room, meeting rooms and a visitors centre.

Christopher Swanwick, Project Manager from Veolia Environmental Services commented on the structure of the facility: “For the building envelope itself, we’re using stone filled gabion baskets for the bottom half of the building – which itself reaches 9 metres in height. For the rest of the building we’re using insulated cladding. The building will have a living roof with grass, moss and flowers that are ecologically friendly.

“The main bunker has already been constructed. We’ve ex-

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cavated 12 metres deep, and the bunker wall is concrete and reaches 20 metres in height. The steel work is all going in too now, including the steel work for the administration building, turbo hall and boiler support.”

Veolia also plans to engage with the local community and local schools in order to teach them about resources, recycling and the environment.

Chris Swanwick explained: “We are working very closely with BREEAM at the moment and we have achieved a very good rating for the facility. The most obvious environmentally friendly feature is the roof, whilst we

are also water harvesting all of the water from the roof for the toilets using siphonic drainage.”

“We’re fortunate to be in quite a rural area and we hold a community liason group every three months. We invite them down for a site tour and an update on the progress, and monitor all activity on site for noise and dust. When we won planning permission we said we would endeavour to use local labour and local companies for work on site, and at the moment 88.6% of the companies and workforce used live within a 30 mile radius.

“We are also doing a lot of tree planting in the area and the Veolia Trust has also awarded some money to the community to re-do their church hall and carry out some landscaping and groundwork.

“This is an important project for me as this is the largest power station I have built up to now and it will be one of our largest facilities in the UK. We have a very good relationship with South Staffordshire Council and Veolia are bidding for other works within the region. These facilities are a very good idea and are much more beneficial than sending waste to landfill.”

Weighbridge specialist, Shering Weighing Ltd is to supply three weighbridges with traffic management as part of this project. All three bridges will be used to weigh vehicles as they travel in and out of the recovery facility.

Shering Weighing Ltd Chairman and Managing Director, Douglas Shering, advised: “Shering Weighing Ltd is a family business focused on designing and manufacturing the world’s finest weighbridges.

“Veolia Environmental Services recognise the quality and reliability of our weighbridges and we have enjoyed a good business relationship with them for over 25 years. We are delighted to be involved in working with them again on this new and exciting project.”

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Wivenhoe House: Putting education into practice A £10 million project to refurbish Wivenhoe House – in order to create a boutique hotel and world class training facility – has reached completion.

Based in Colchester, Wivenhoe House is a Grade II* Listed hotel building sited on the University of Essex’s Colchester campus. In addition to the grand 18th Century building the site houses the Edge Hotel School – the UK’s first hotel school.

The hotel school is a new concept and is modelled on similar schools in Europe and the USA. Based alongside a sustainable commercial hotel, The Edge Hotel School offers world class education and training facilities, designed to educate the future leaders of the hospitality industry.

The Wivenhoe House refurbishment project comprised the extensive reworking of the site, which included the creation of 16 period suites and a signature restaurant, as well as the installation of 24 bedrooms, a bar and brasserie within the new Garden Wing.

Leading building and civil engineering contractor John Paul Construction was the main contractor on the project, whilst Bond Bryan Architects provided all architectural services. A.P.C Interiors & Flooring Ltd was responsible for the interior and flooring works on the site.

A.P.C Interiors & Flooring Ltd Director, Steve Preston, said: “We are a company which bases its self on being a high end suppler and installer of all types of floor coverings, from domestic dwellings, though to the commercial sector. We have over the years played a big part in undertaking international projects as well as our domestic UK market, in countries such as; Turku

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Finland (Crystal Symphony, California Cruise), Al-arts Hotel in Barcelona Spain for the Olympics, and secured 5 year flooring projects in Kiev Ukraine via Noble Construction, Meridian Hotel Kuwait City.

“We take on the projects all the others can’t do and we make them happen.”

A key feature of Wivenhoe House site is the Edge Hotel School.

The hotel school is a unique facility in the UK and provides students with the opportunity to learn important people skills – a key tool for the hospitality industry – alongside the opportunity to achieve degree qualifications.

A full range of vocational training programmes are on offer, including further education, foundation and undergraduate degrees.

In addition to their academic studies, students work alongside industry professionals whilst operating in ‘Butler Teams’ to experience all operational aspects of a commercial hotel.

Students will then leave the Edge Hotel School after two years with a fast track qualification in hotel management or culinary management alongside invaluable ‘work ready’ skills.

The Edge Hotel School is a partnership between Edge – a lead partner in the National Skills Academy for Hospitality – the University of Essex and their academic partner Kaplan. The unique initiative has been widely supported by the hospitality industry, which has been heavily involved in the development of the curriculum.

Commenting on the unique site, Vice Chancellor Professor Colin Riordan, said: “This innovative partnership provides new opportunities for top class vocational training in Colchester, as well as providing a superb facility for University visitors.”

His Royal Highness The Duke of Kent KG officially opened Wivenhoe House and the Edge Hotel School on Thursday 20th September 2012 by. During the official opening the Duke of Kent took a tour of the site and met site partners and students, along with Wivenhoe House General Manager Stephen Mannock.

The first students to attend Edge Hotel School arrived in July and were involved in the grand opening of the new hotel. The next student intake for Edge Hotel School is January 2013.

To find out more about studying at the Edge Hotel School please visit: www.edgehotelschool.ac.uk. Alternatively, if you would like more information about staying at Wivenhoe House, please visit: www.wivenhoehouse.co.uk.

Centrepiece to Henry VIII’s naval fleet, the Mary Rose was completed at Portsmouth Docks in 1511 and saw a 34-year-long career at sea.

The warship was ultimately sunk in battle just off Portsmouth in 1545 and was lost to the world for well over 400 years.

Rediscovered in the 19th century, the ship was eventually raised from the seabed in 1982.

Since then the Mary Rose has resided in the place of her birth, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. She was moved into No 3 Dry

Dock in December 1982 and, soon after, construction was completed on a ship hall to house her.

Conservation of the Mary Rose since her recovery has been a massive task; she has had to be continuously sprayed, initially with chilled water, and since 1994 with special chemicals, in order to preserve the mighty warship for future generations.

The spraying of the ship will be completed early next year when the hull will commence its drying phase in highly controlled environmental conditions.

The Mary Rose gets a new home

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Image credit: Wilkinson Eyre

Down the years various maintenance works have been carried out on the temporary ship hall but in October 2010 the main works began on a permanent museum – allowing the ship and artefacts to be displayed together for the first time for over 500 years and provide the Mary Rose collection with a fitting home.

The project has cost £35million, with the build itself making up £20million, the fit out £4million and the conservation of the ship and thousands of artefacts £8m. The museum is due to be opened to the public in 2013.

Speaking on the construction of the new museum, Robert Lapraik, who is the Deputy Chief Executive to the Mary Rose Museum, said: “We had practical completion of the building in August this year and since then we’ve been starting the fit out which will include the display cases, IT, audio/visual displays, shop and cafe etc.

“The building itself is a lovely elliptical shape which sits com-

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Image credit: Steve Foote

fortably beside HMS Victory. Inside there are three levels to the galleries with the ship as the jewel at the centre, surrounded by six galleries and three walkways which run the length of the ship giving amazing views of the objects laid out just as they were before the ship sank.

“To the south facing HMS Victory it has an entrance pavilion which houses reception, a gift shop and the Mary Rose Cafe.

“On the north side, we have the learning suite, consisting of a classroom for 35 students and a large teaching laboratory which will support our very active education programme spanning Key Stage 2 to postgraduate students.

“After the ship’s conservation is complete in five years time the internal wall in the museum will be taken down and visitors will be able to walk into the display case along with the ship.”

Robert went on to speak about what the facility will provide when it is open to the public, he said: “The Mary Rose Trust does a tremendous amount of educa-

tion, it’s really a key strand to what we do- and it’s not just history. We also specialise in science and we use the Mary Rose as a vehicle to teach mathematics and the history of medicine.

“Another massive step of this project is that a vast number of objects that will go on display, up to 10,000 in the new museum, most of which will now be on display to the public for the first time.

“Of course, bringing the ship and the objects together also adds context and provides for a richer historical experience, we have personal belongings of the crew allowing their stories to be told. It really will be a stunning insight into lives of people in Tudor times.”

Speaking of some of the challenges along the way, Robert added: “It is quite a technological exercise because the ship and objects have to be kept at a very precise temperature and relative humidity.

“The building is extremely well insulated with a high tech roof, enabling the environment inside the ship hall to be fairly unaffected by outside conditions.

“We have to be so careful with the environmental control, as the items displayed in the museum spent over 400 years under the sea and therefore getting the temperature and relative humidity right is paramount to their preservation.”

The main contractor on the build was Warings and in closing Robert congratulated them on their contribution, he said: “Warings successfully redesigned the foundations of the building which enabled us to get underway with the construction.

Without that redesign it would have been very difficult for the Trust to carry out the work as we have a very strict budget.”

Expert healthcare at Montefiore Hospital A £35 million project to bring a brand new hospital to Brighton and Hove has reached completion.

Montefiore Hospital part of Spire Healthcare, is a brand new facility that brings 21st Century healthcare to East Sussex. The hospital opened its doors for the first time in November 2012 – following a two-year redevelopment scheme – and boasts a range of features, including three state-of-the-art fully-integrated theatres, 20 bedrooms and an admin suite.

In addition, the new facility – situated on the corner of Davigdor Road and Montefiore Road – is providing employment to more than 100 nurses, radiographers, administration workers and cleaners.

Mansell Construction Services Ltd was the main contractor on the project, whilst Nightingale Associates provided architectural services on the site and A F Pilbeam conducted enabling works.

Discussing the importance of the project, Montefiore Hospital Director Andy Wood, said: “The Montefiore Hospital delivers the best care available anywhere in the country, right on the doorstep of the city’s 250,000 residents. It is a tremendously exciting development that makes the city an even more desirable place to live and work.

“The aim was to make this a centre of excellence for private healthcare. We provide a broad range of diagnostic and treatment services including outpatient clinics, the carrying out of MRI and CT scans, and we perform a broad variety of operations.”

Andy added: “We are committed to supporting the local economy, so we

chose Brighton based architects Nightingale for the design work and A F Pilbeam in Southwick to strip out the former office block.”

Nightingale Associates Director, Richard Ager, added: “Spire wanted us to focus on quality, innovation and sustainability. The interior design of the hospital was influenced by some of the city’s top boutique hotels to give patients an exceptional visual experience.”

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Lo n d o n & S o u th E a s t creation of the modern facility, the site was formerly an office building which housed Legal & General. The building, which is owned by Scottish Widows Investment Partnership (SWIP) is now managed by award-winning healthcare provider Spire Healthcare who are ensuring that this building provides the most up to date health services possible.

Spire Healthcare Commercial Manager, James Dempster, said: “Spire Healthcare took over the building when it was no longer in use by Legal & General with the aim of transforming it into a modern private hospital. As part of the works we stripped back the internal areas of the building, reworked the space into a comprehensive diagnostic suite and then restored the exterior of the site back to its former glory.

“Montefiore Hospital, part of Spire Healthcare, was a very significant project which has transformed a redundant office block into a major hospital and this is something which is quite unique.

In fact the hospital is a one of a kind facility. We are the only hospital in the local area which offers an entire diagnostic suite in one location and as we are situated within the centre of Brighton and Hove the site is the perfect location for local residents.

“Now that the building is open it will continue to attract many high calibre consultants from in and around Sussex, which will provide residents with access to high quality medical care that was not previously available to them. All of the site’s facilities were designed specifically with patient care in mind.”

Gerry Ferguson, Head of Wholesale Real Estate Funds at SWIP, added: “As property fund managers, we were delighted to fund an innovative project of this quality. The hospital is a prime development in a prime location, which attracted a high-calibre tenant in Spire Healthcare. Our research of the Brighton economy, its demographics and also the business model of Spire Healthcare made us confident that this was a successful investment for SWIP.” During the works on the site the building was fitted-out with leading medical equipment, including MRI scanning systems, and given a complete internal makeover. As there were no significant alterations to the exterior of the building, disruption to neighbouring businesses was kept to a minimum.

Throughout the project, Chartered Land Surveyors 3 Sixty Measurement Ltd provided on-site engineering surveying and setting out services, on behalf of main contractor Mansell Construction Services Ltd. 3 Sixty Measurement Company Director, Roland Thompson, said: “We have a long standing relationship with Mansells who are a regular and valued client and we were very pleased to be involved with this project.

Mansells instructed us as part of their mobilisation to verify the pre contract survey information, then to establish a Primary Construction Grid and Datum’s on all floors throughout the building and to undertake additional dimensional and level surveys as required.”

Roland added: “At 3sixty we offer a broad range of measurement surveying and have extensive experience in the Construction Sector. We are dedicated to helping and advising our Clients and fully understand the need to be responsive and flexible when working on a project such as this.

“Now that work is complete on the project, Montefiore Hospital part of Spire Healthcare is open to the public and has already provided services to patients.”

James Dempster commented: “It is quite rare to design a hospital from scratch and all of the work was undertaken on this project to provide the best services for the patient. The project ran to schedule, with no major problems and for me it was a major learning curve that has really expanded my role at Spire.”

James added: “The first patients have already been treated within the building,

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which is great to know, and we have won a Business Acumen award for the building’s renovation, achieving a BREEAM rating of ‘very good.’”

Spire Healthcare With 37 private hospitals throughout the UK, Spire Healthcare is a leading provider of private healthcare. The company was formed in 2007 through the sale of BUPA hospitals and the subsequent purchase of Classic Hospitals and Thames Valley Hospital and currently employs over 7,600 people nationwide.

Since its inception, Spire Healthcare has won numerous awards for its clinical quality, financial performance, leadership and environmental policies and has provided care to over 930,000 patients per year.

As a dedicated health care provider Spiral Healthcare is committed to the highest quality of patient care.

For more information on the services provided by Spire Healthcare, please visit: www.spirehealthcare.com.

Rivercrest ltd Estabilshed in 1988, Rivercrest ltd is an organisation specialising in flat and pitched roofing for new builds and refurbishments.

The company has received some of the highest honours in the business, coming first place in the Roof Slating Category at the Best Roofing Awards 2012 for the works undertaken at Folkington Manor, East Sussex.

Rivercrest has also had the highest accolades for its health and safety record, receiving the Gold Award from the National Federation of Roofing Contractors in April this year.

Slating, Tiling, Reinforced Bituminous Membranes, Single Ply Systems, Liquid Coatings, Green Roofs, Leadwork, along with other associated trades are all offered by the company- in addition to a free advice service which deals with any roofing enquiries.

Speaking on the latest project at Spire Hospital, Managing Director, Richard Soan said: “This contract proved to be very demanding, interesting and challenging due to the nature of the works involved and the vast amount of material that required removing from the original roof deck, prior to the application of the new roof system - the total roof area exceeded 1500 m².

“Considerable adverse weather was received during our site operation and we were also faced with site restraints and expectations placed upon us by Mansells who had their own target dates to meet.

“We are extremely proud of the finished roof system and have submitted this project in conjunction with Bauder for consideration at the Best in Roofing Awards 2013.”

When asked what Rivercrest prides itself on, Richard added: “We are a Heritage Approved and Competent Roofer Approved

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Lo n d o n & S o u th E a s t Roofing Contractor and a lot of our work is undertaken following recommendations received from previous clients.

“Quality workmanship is what we endeavour to produce, no matter the size of the project.”

Cetco Europe Ltd Cetco Europe Ltd specialise in a manufacturing a range of Bentonite waterproofing membranes for use across a range of projects within the construction industry. The company has been in operation for more than 25 years and in this time has been involved with Crossrail, Drax power station, Bradford College, York University and Pontefract Hospital, amongst others.

Working on Montefiore Hospital, Cetco Europe Ltd waterproofed approximately 2000 sq m of floor and walls. Throughout the course of their involvement on the project Cetco Europe Ltd monitored their work to ensure the waterproofing was sound and complete.

Cetco Europe Ltd UK Commercial Manager, Lee Gillman, said: “We have worked on a number of significant projects throughout the UK and this was another very important project for us.

We believe in completing each job correctly and we have a very close working relationship with a number of the contractors who were involved with this project.”

Lee added: “A lot of our work comes through contractor recommendations and we always strive to complete each task to the highest quality. It is important to us that the job is completed well and that the client is happy. We live on our reputation and we go that bit further than others in our market.

“In the UK we have six area managers who hold a technical knowledge second to none, and an experienced contracting team lead by Colin Taylor.”

Former Victorian asylum receives intensive treatment units and three community spaces. In addition, 220 new build units are being built within the grounds by developer Linden Homes, which is part of the Galliford Try Group.

The staged project began at the beginning of 2012 and will continue over the next three to four years.

After extensive consultation with the landscape department, plans were drawn up to reinstate the walls, gardens and airing court, where patients of the former facility would sit. Wherever possible, period features such as windows and internal timber panelling have been kept and refurbished in order to respect the historical importance of the building.

The project is also highly sustainable and the units by Thomas

An exciting project to transform the Grade II listed Fair Mile Hospital into flats and houses is well underway in Cholsey, Oxfordshire.

The Fair Mile Hospital was originally opened in 1870 as the County Lunatic Asylum for Berkshire and the main hospital, lodge houses, chapel, and landscaped gardens are listed.

The plans by the landowner Homes and Community Agency (HCA) and developer Thomas Homes will transform the Victorian hospital into 95 residential units, 39 social units, 11 commercial

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Homes have achieved standards of Eco Homes Very Good and Building for Life Silver.

Paula Foxley, Technical Director of the Thomas Homes part of the project, said: “It is an extremely interesting project. The former hospital is in a beautiful setting, with landscaping right down to the River Thames. It has also been a challenge: in essence we are trying to convert and upgrade a very old building up to modern standards, which has made the project very unique.

“There has been extensive consultation with the local community throughout the process. The aim of the project is to bring the hospital back into the heart of the community and there are plans for the hall to hold community events, and the possibility of a crèche. There are also plans for commercial development, including cafes and restaurants in the old farm yard area.

“This is not a standalone project, the hospital is an intrinsic part of the village of Cholsey and we aim to bring it back to life.”

Go West: Improved dining experience at West Quay A project designed to improve and enhance dining facilities at a Southampton-based shopping centre has reached completion.

The West Quay Shopping Centre project comprised the refurbishment of an existing food court, located within the upper floor area of the shopping centre. The project was implemented by the Hammerson Group in order to expand the number of retail units on offer and to update and improve the existing facilities.

ISG Ltd was the main contractor on the West Quay Shopping Centre project, whilst London-based retail design consultancy Rawls & Co provided all architectural services on the site. Rawls & Co has been in the industry for over 20 years and in this time has provided services for many high profile sites, including Luton Airport, The Centre:MK and Manchester’s The Avenue at Spinningfields.

Work began on the project in Easter 2012 and reached completion in November 2012.

Commenting on the need for improved dining facilities at West Quay, Rawls & Co Director, Paul Sherwood-Rogers, said: “The aim of the project was to improve the dining environment for both visitors and tenants, as well as to attract the correct number of tenants at the site; reflecting the growing trend for casual dining over kiosk dining.

“Prior to work taking place on the project there was an existing seating area that was not being utilised to the best of its ability.

The area was a little out of the way and not so popular with visitors, so the idea was to improve access and create space for new tenancies, so that the space was not just restricted to seating.

“Although, in total, we have only added three new tenancies to the centre, the new tenancies have greatly helped to define the site’s food offering.”

In order to improve access to the upper level, a large internal bridge and accompanying stairwell was installed on the site. As well as providing important access, the new bridge also creates a terrace seating area, providing diners with views of the nearby docks, as well as a view of a new external green roof – complete with ‘gnome’ lights.

The main materials used on the project include cedar cladding – included to create a warmer finish – along with glass, steel, granite and black oak flooring. The design also reflects the site’s rich maritime history.

Paul said: “The bridge creates a dramatic centre piece for the site and to date this is something that we have not seen in any other site

that we have worked on. It provides a practical and aesthetically pleasing area within the centre.”

Whilst work took place on the site the existing food court remained open to the public at all times, so site staff had to conduct work in phases to facilitate the operational hours of the busy food court.

Paul commented: “One of the main challenges of the project was to conduct the work whilst the tenants remained trading at all times. It was a very demanding arrangement and with the exception of a few key elements, contractors worked during the evening to avoid impacting on anyone’s trade.”

Paul added: “Currently businesses are investing in their properties in order to maximise value and deliver growth. Instead of building new sites, many are working with existing assets and this is not the first project like this that we have been involved with to update an existing site.

“We have a lot of experience on projects like the refurbishment at West Quay Shopping Centre and I am pleased to say all of the work on the project ran according to plan. The feedback has been very positive with both customers and investors alike and there has already been a very significant increase in like for like sales.”

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£130 million scheme to regenerate Green Man Lane A long-term scheme to regenerate Green Man Lane in Ealing continues to make good progress.

The £130 million Green Man Lane project comprises the construction of 853 flats along with associated landscaping works.

The project, which is divided into six phases, is a joint venture between Rydon Construction and A2Dominion Housing Group Ltd and is being seen as an important step in revitalising a key area of Ealing.

Director of Regeneration & Housing for Ealing Council, Pat Hayes, said: “The Green Man Lane project is one of the last projects to receive Social Housing Grant which has been largely abolished by the current Government – though it is a commercially sustainable scheme with new build homes for sale subsidising the provision of homes for social rent at existing target rent levels.

“Green Man Lane is the first of Ealing’s projects to replace its most problematic large estates and as such has been the path finder for six other similar projects which are now on track.”

Pat added: “The development partners were selected by the Council following an extensive process which had a considerable tenant and leaseholder involvement. The winning proposal being selected on a combination of financial viability, design and ongoing management proposals.

“Ealing Council is selling the estate via a development agreement to a consortium of A2 Dominion Housing Association and house builder Rydon, whilst Brighton-based practice Conran & Partners is providing all architectural services on the scheme.”

Work began on the project in February 2011 and is currently

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scheduled to reach completion in 2019. The units are being constructed from a concrete framework, with some units incorporating a timber frame.

Currently work is taking place on Phase One of the project which comprises construction of 153 apartments, and once work is complete on this stage of the project Phase Two will get underway with a similar number of dwellings being constructed.

All of the buildings will include a range of modern features, fixtures and fittings that will greatly transform the amenities that were previously available on the site.

As part of the programme of works Phase One also includes the construction of a Central Heating Plant (CHP) which will provide heat and power to all of the apartments across the scheme.

Once all of the buildings are constructed each phase will be linked via communal gardens.

Pat commented: “The challenge for Conran & Partners is to create a place which houses twice as many people as on the old estate, but with a mixture of property and tenure types. Conran & Partners were selected by both the Council and tenants for the quality of their design proposals.

“The redevelopment has been designed to not just create a better physical place, but to revitalise the local high street area by changing the social mix and replacing an area that has a negative reputation with a thriving residential community.”

Discussing the project Rydon Construction Project Manager, Nick Brasier, said: “As the existing estate was in such a bad state of disrepair, the former buildings which existed on the site are being demol-

ished. Ealing Council gave permission for the area to be rebuilt in a more modern and contemporary style and once complete it will feature three different types of accommodation – rented, private and shared ownership.

“The site works on quite a complex decant strategy, so all of the work that we are conducting has to be completed within certain timeframes so that we can move the existing residents to their new homes. Once each phase is delivered we will be decanting residents from their previous dwellings into their new homes and then demolition work will take place on the older buildings.

“We will continue to demolish buildings after each phase is completed and during the entirety of the scheme we are keeping all residents up to date so they are aware of what is taking place around them. To facilitate this important part of the project we have employed a Resident Liaison Officer (RLO) who is working with A2Dominion to meet the requirements of the existing residents.”

Nick added: “For the local community the Green Man Lane project is very important. Some of the families who live in the area are in need of housing and the quality of the housing that was previously on offer was not quite up to current standards. With this scheme these residents can now benefit from a fully modernised, energy efficient property which is wonderful.

“The length of the programme of works, plus the importance of the project adds up to a major scheme for us and we are very proud to be involved with a development which will change the face of Ealing.”

Feature Architectural Fabrications Feature Architectural Fabrications manufacture and install architectural glazing systems, including curtain walling, windows,

brise soleil, canopies and automatic doors, for use in the construction industry. The company has been providing services to the South East for over 20 years and in this time Feature Architectural Fabrications has been involved with a wide range of projects from schools and hospitals to residential schemes and more.

Recent projects for Feature Architectural Fabrications include Hastings Academy, Hove Town Hall, EDF Portland and Uplands Community College. Working on Green Man Lane project, Feature Architectural Fabrications are installing all of the windows and doors on the site.

Feature Architectural Fabrications MD, Neil McKee, said: “The Green Man Lane project is a great scheme to be involved with and it allows us to make use of the skills which we have built up over the years. We have worked with Rydon Construction on many schemes in the past and it is good to be working with them once again on this project.”

Lo n d o n & S o u th E a s t

Bromley Travelodge opens its doors What was previously a Rolls Royce garage has been developed into a brand new Travelodge at the heart of Bromley.

The £5 million hotel project began construction in March 2011, as contractors Skillcrown Homes LTD developed the land into a prime location for tourists visiting or passing through the southeast London district.

The development comprised the complete demolition of a snooker hall into a four storey hotel complex, including a 33 space underground car parking area.

Fiona Richardson, development manager at Skillcrown Homes said that it was the location, situated alongside the bustling London road that made this addition to the popular hotel chain so important for the brand.

The brand new building, which opened its doors in October 2012, now spans an area of 1,437 square feet. The interior boasts a range of stunning features, including bar and dining facilities, along with 92 guest rooms and a main reception area.

The site is also DDA compliant, providing extensive access to disabled guests.

In addition to the construction work on the site, the project also included a programme of landscaping works which took place around the surrounding area. The landscaped sections of the site included associated paving and the planting of shrubbery towards the rear.

DB Architects took charge of the design of the hotel. Darren Bland, Director at DB Architects, described the project as a very significant site for the company, which was very important to be

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a part of.

Darren said: “A significant project such as the new Travelodge in Bromley widens our portfolio considerably. As a company, DB Architects specialises in designing buildings for residential living, and to date this is one of the largest ventures for us.

“The design was a challenge: the complex brief of Travelodge was extensive and we had to ensure all of the rooms were compliant in terms of furniture requirements. There were a lot of particular requirements for each room, so each unit needed its own individual attention and architectural drawings to make it work.”

Darren added: “In addition, the details of the design created some interesting challenges. The mix of materials needed for the build, the Zinc rain screen and Metsec cladding combined with the lead-work meant that in practice it was difficult to apply to the building. So this was something we had to pay close attention to, in order to make this just right.”

A combination of pitched and flat slate roofing, constructed by MID Kent Roofing, and aluminium skylights and windows allow the admission of natural light. As the majority of guests will be visiting the hotel at night, the lighting concept inside is paramount. DB Architects worked closely with Travelodge to ensure this was up to the design standards that have already been set by the hotel chain’s other locations.

Founded in 2004, DB Architects is an award winning design practice, based in Kent. The practice has a reputation for excellence and works on bespoke residential schemes throughout

Maidstone, London, and Kent.

Darren Bland added: “The site was very tight spatially and revised permission was required to get the building to regulation height, but overall the project ran smoothly and we encountered no major problems.

“The Bromley Travelodge project offered a welcome challenge, which we were very pleased to be involved with. Now that we have completed the work and the hotel is open it looks fantastic.”

Skillcrown Homes Recognised for its superior customer care, attention-to-detail and innovative design, Skillcrown Homes is a leading property development company. Offering an unrivalled combination of style, practicality and an exemplary finish, Skillcrown Homes has been constructing properties throughout the South East for over 20 years.

A privately owned, family run organisation, Skillcrown is committed to positively impacting the environment and communities in which it operates.

For more information on Skillcrown Homes please visit: www. skillcrownhomes.co.uk.

HH Aluminium Since being established in 1997, HH Aluminium has worked with many large construction groups and local authorities-delivering quality aluminium framework and glass fittings.

Having worked on many schools, hospitals and premier inns in the past HH Aluminium were awarded the contract to work on the newly opened Travelodge in Bromley.

When asked what HH Aluminium prides itself on, Managing Director, Peter House said: “Most companies in this sector have a lifespan of around eight years; we have now been doing business for close to 16.

“I believe that our continued success has been down to having the right work ethic and our ability to successfully achieve the aims of our clients.”

Great expectations for £10m school plans Gad’s Hill Place, the former home of world renowned author Charles Dickens is to be transformed into a museum and world heritage centre.

The Grade One listed Georgian property where Dickens penned such classics as ‘Great Expectations’ and a ‘Tale of Two Cities’ is expected to attract visitors from across the globe.

Since the 1920s the building has served as an independent school and has seen a period of significant growth and progress over the last ten years- being named the country’s top independent school by the BBC and The Times in addition to ranking eighth in the overall league tables.

With the successes of the last decade Gad’s have been able to invest in the construction of a new school building, reopening Dickens’ house to the public.

School Headmaster Mr. David Craggs said: “While it is a real, and extremely rare, honour to be able to learn English in what was Charles Dickens bedroom, it’s no longer practical for our growing number of pupils to use this building.

I will miss the unique privilege of running a school from the great man’s own study, but eagerly await the completion of the new school buildings as they will provide a cornerstone for future success and will be better suited to educating children in the 21st century.

“There will be better resources and facilities for pupils, with cutting edge technology and up-to-date learning rooms. We should all look forward to being in our new home by 2012.”

Andrew Clague, of Clague Architects which has been deeply involved in the scheme since the outset of the project in 2006, said:

“The new school will set a milestone in creating exceptional educational space with unique features for this historic school.

“One of these being the all-day café space for staff meetings, informal gatherings and so on.

“When all is completed the school will have exceptional premises and the public in Gravesham area will have access to a house that ‘creaks’ with its Dickens’ history.

“The architectural idea is that the school will always be closely linked with the mansion and it forms part of the key view on entering the school. The mansion environs will be cleared of

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Lo n d o n & S o u th E a s t buildings that spoil its relationship with the countryside and it will be available to the public.”

Others involved in the new school project include Leo Hickish from Batcheller Thacker, Planning and Development Consultants.

Leo said: “Having been involved in this project since its inception it is wonderful to know that building work will start soon on this major educational and historic development.”

The heritage centre is due to open in 2012 to coincide with the 200th anniversary of Dickens’ birth, giving the School’s current and next intake of pupils the chance to learn in illustrious surroundings.

L.Kattenhorn and Partners ltd Trading for just over 50 years, L. Kattenthorn and Partners ltd is a family firm primarily providing road surfacing services.

No job is too big or too small for the company as over the years they have done work ranging from private drive ways to football stadia and major supermarket car parks. Clients are greeted by a workforce that is full of experience and very knowledgeable about the industry.

Most recently L.Kattenhorn and Partners did tarmac work for Gads Hill School, which has recently embarked on a new school build.

When asked what the company prides itself on, Director David Kattenhorn, said: “Delivering high quality product and completing on time are our chief objectives. We know that clients are pleased with our work as we often get repeat business.”

Teampol Teampol specialise in external wall insulation, anti-crack rendering, concrete repairs, cladding and light steel framing systems.

In the past the firm has carried out work on residential blocks, offices and schools, the latest project of which has been the new Gads Hill School build.

Working between July and August the firm has fitted the new school building with all external wall insulation.

Tomasz Talaska of Teampol said: “Our philosophy is to provide the highest quality service to the customer satisfaction with a full value for money.

“We are working on parenting basis and are always happy to hear your opinions or suggestions. With a professional team of renderers you can get the required result safe and in time.”

Lewisham welcomes Renaissance The regeneration of Loampit Vale in Lewisham has led to more awards for Barratt Homes.

The Renaissance development comprises the construction of 778 flats within eight buildings ranging in height from nine to 25 storeys. There will also be a leisure centre, which includes two pools, fitness suite, a climbing wall Dance Studio and spa, together with a cafe; there will also be a series of commercial units and community facilities including a new venue for the Lewisham City Mission.

The site won an NHBC Pride in the Job Award in 2011, and has now achieved an NHBC Pride in the Job Seal of Excellence 2012 Award for the work of Project Manager David Levy. The site has also won a national NHBC Health and Safety Award.

Working with Barratt on the design of the residential buildings is architect Assael.

Located opposite Lewisham Station in South East London, the project began in April 2010 and is due to finish at the end of 2016.

David Levy, project manager at the Renaissance development said: “As part of the development we have built an energy centre which feeds the 788 flats, the swimming pool, leisure centre and the new school that has been built nearby and that reopened in September.

“The buildings are all concrete framed and mostly brick clad with block G lower tower clad in panelling whilst the main tower is completely encased in glass, then we have roof gardens with trees and plants in them on the 9th, 13th and 25th floors.”

The Renaissance development also includes many energy saving features which will reduce potential carbon emissions by 44%, helping to make it one of the first mixed-use develop-

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ments in the UK to reach Code 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes together with 11 town houses constructed to code 6.

David said: “I found out about the Seal of Excellence in September and was really pleased. I’ve always worked for contractors who don’t deal with the NHBC. I’ve worked on hospitals, schools, MOD establishments and the refurbishment of The Royal Festival Hall, but this is my first foray into development.”

The contract we have with London Borough of Lewisham, our partner in the scheme, meant that Barratt Homes wanted more than just a house builder, which is why I was asked by Barratt to come and work on this project.

“We’re all very pleased on site about the awards. In terms of the Health and Safety Award, the best bit has been that we’ve only had one accident on site – in September 2010 – which

wasn’t serious. Since then we’ve completed 1.6 million man hours without any accidents at all. We’ve had over 400 men on the site and from our point of view we want them to go home in exactly the same state that they come to work in.”

Pellikaan Specialising in the design and build of leisure facilities, Pellikaan are a construction company that have been working in the UK since 1984.

The company was originally founded in 1947 in Holland and currently undertakes construction work across Northern

Europe.

Most recently the company were one of the main sub contractors on the Renaissance Development, which saw Loampit Vale in Lewisham receive an award winning regeneration. Pellikaan designed and are currently building the leisure centre at the facility.

As an experienced and unique company, Pellikaan look to work closely with clients in order achieve the best results. The company brings together technologies, trends and innovations from different countries in each tailor-made project.

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New community development takes off Drayton Garden Village is a 32-acre site that consists of 773 residential properties, an 80-bedroom care home, a 10,000 square foot medical centre, a community centre and a 3,000 square feet energy centre with a combined heat and power station (CHP). The development also includes retail and office units, along with several public spaces.

A number of additional off-site highway improvements have also been incorporated, including new roads and upgraded traffic signals.

The community development is being constructed on the site of RAF West Drayton, formally the home of the National Air Traffic Services (NTAS). The site is located at Porters Way on land that was previously used for NTAS operated traffic control services for both civil and military aviation.

As the site will host a number of different facilities, construction work is being conducted in phases. The entire scheme is expected to be completed in 2016.

Inland Homes Plc purchased the site from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in December 2008 and immediately began preparation work for the planning application. This was followed by a strip-out and demolition operation throughout 2009, which involved the demolition of over half a million square feet of existing structures by Inland Homes Plc.

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The total cost of the Drayton Garden Village project is £75 million and funding has been provided by a combination of share holder investments, bank financing and third party funding. Architects for the project are London based architects Metropolis and Inland Homes Plc’s in-house Planning and Design Director, Mark Gilpin.

The main infrastructure contract for the residential properties is being managed by Inland Homes Plc associate, Howarth Homes. The company is responsible for project managing the delivery of all key infrastructures on the site, such as roads, open spaces, footways, pedestrian and cycle links.

The energy centre is a joint venture between Inland Homes Plc and E.ON and involves the construction of a combined heat and power energy centre that has been designed to provide heating and hot water to all properties and facilities across the scheme.

Gold Care Homes took over the development of the 80-bedroom care home and construction began on the facility in early 2012.

Inland Homes Plc Land Director, Paul Brett, said: “In terms of a text book site, Drayton Garden Village would probably be a prime example. In terms of size it is one of the largest Brownfield sites in the M25 and although Inland Homes Plc is involved with a number of other regeneration sites in the southeast, we regard this as our flagship site.

“In 2011 we received a Land Award at the Sustain Magazine Awards for our sustainability work on the site and we’re extremely proud to see this becoming a high-achieving development for us and everyone involved. Hopefully Drayton Garden Village will receive more accolades in the future.”

Phase One included the construction of the first set of affordable housing on the site, with the homes being provided by Howarth Homes under a Design & Build contract for Catalyst Homes. Of the 59 houses that were released in March 2012, 40 were made available for rent, whilst the remaining 19 were offered to shared-ownership purchasers.

The houses consist of three, four and five-bedroom units that have been traditionally constructed using load bearing brick and block work. Some of the houses have been built on piled foundations and others have been built on trench strip foundations, with the majority of the homes featuring a brickwork exterior.

The architect for the first phase of housing was Ashby Design, whilst engineering works were conducted by MJA Consulting Engineers.

As part of Phase One, core infrastructure roads and services were completed. In addition, landscaping and street lighting works were carried out along with the construction of a new state-of-the-art energy centre that houses a combined power and heat station. The power station produces electricity on site, which is in turn redirected back to the national grid. The heat that is produced is captured on site and redistributed to the whole of Drayton Garden Village in order to provide heat and hot water for the residential and commercial units on the site.

The CHP system has been provided by E.ON and reduces the carbon footprint of Drayton Garden Village. Through the utilisation of the CHP system and the installation of 700 square metres of PV solar panels, it is estimated that Drayton Garden Village will see a 43% carbon dioxide reduction each year.

In total, 773 homes will be built at Drayton Garden Village.

These homes will comprise a mixture of studio, one, two and three-bedroom apartments, whilst a number of these homes will be wheelchair compliant. In addition, there will be a range of two, three, four and five-bedroom houses.

The majority of the homes will be constructed using traditional brick and render. However, once an area of land is sold to a third party developer, it is down to the developer to choose the materials for construction.

Howarth Homes Technical Director, Brian Nason, said: “Howarth Homes has carried out a number of functions on the site, including project managing the on-site remediation and infrastructure works and building Drayton Garden Village’s energy centre.

“We worked closely with Inland Homes to provide and implement the initial design of the development and we installed the entire infrastructure for roads and services. This was to facilitate the division of the site into serviced plots so that all of the other developers could build different phases.

He added: “The main infrastructure was designed with energy efficiency in mind and although all of the houses on Phase One were built to Code 4 standards, the inclusion of the district heating system made compliance relatively easy.”

As well as the inclusion of the CHP energy centre, a number of additional environmentally friendly practices are being introduced at Drayton Garden Village. These include a dedicated eco zone and the introduction of water conservation techniques.

In addition, Inland Homes Plc has set a zero waste target across the whole of the site and as a result only 0.3% of waste from Drayton Garden Village has gone to landfill. The rest of the on-site waste material has been reused and recycled during the construction work, which is the equivalent of taking 3,000 lorry loads of waste of off the local roads.

The zero waste target also applies to the bio-remediation work that Inland Homes Plc is conducting on the site.

When Inland Homes Plc took over the site, the company discovered that eight diesel generators which had previously pro-

vided electricity to the site had caused ground contamination to the northwest corner. This needed to be remediated before work could commence, therefore a strategy of bio-remediation was implemented. Bio remediation involves excavating a contaminated area of land and adding bacteria to the area to assist the natural breakdown of the hydrocarbons. This material can then become self-cleaning and be reused on the site.

A large proportion of the remediation work has already been conducted at Drayton Garden Village, the majority of which has involved the movement of thousands of cubic feet of material.

As this process can take up to six months to be completed, careful planning was undertaken in order for on-site staff to be able to manoeuvre around the site at all times.

With Phase One complete, Phase Two is already underway with the construction of 89 private tenure houses from Weston Homes.

In April 2012 the construction of the 80-bedroom nursing home began, and this was followed in May by the medical and community centre. A new phase of 85 apartments started construction during the second half of 2012, whilst further phases will begin when older phases near completion.

Howarth Homes Technical Director, Brian Nason, said: “A project like Drayton Garden Village is really where the partnership between Inland Homes Plc and Howarth Homes can excel, with each party playing to their particular strengths. The scheme has allowed Inland Homes to acquire a Brownfield site and revive its use, with Howarth Homes delivering the on-site expertise and management to make it happen.

“We’ve worked in conjunction with Inland on a number of projects like this and there’s a great sense of accomplishment as the planning and design and construction all comes together.

When Drayton Garden Village is completed, a very desirable environment for families will have been created from what was otherwise a derelict site.”

Lo n d o n & S o u th E a s t

Gatwick runway undergoes improvements Gatwick’s 3.3 km runway is undergoing rehabilitation work.

During the London Gatwick Airport Runway Rehabilitation Project an area of around 400,000 sq m will be resurfaced with 68,000 tonnes of asphalt. In addition, around 2,000 runway and taxiway lights, fed by 530km of electrical cabling, will also be replaced.

The main contractor on the £45 million project is Volker Fitzpatrick and the design engineer is Halcrow.

Derek Hendry, Construction Director at Gatwick Airport explained the project to Premier Construction. He said: “Gatwick is the busiest single runway commercial airport in the world and obviously the runway is one of the most critical aspects for the success of our business. Every 12 to 15 years we need to go in and do some major rehabilitation work, replacing the asphalt as well as all the lighting, systems and cabling.

“On the project, we carry out the work between 9.30pm and 5.30am – our priority is to do it safely and to make sure we minimise disruption to the airlines and the passengers. We have a standby runway at Gatwick, so at 9.30pm the aircraft switch to the standby runway which allows us to work on the main runway.

“The standby runway is just that – it’s shorter than the main runway and it doesn’t have the same operating capabilities.

We only close the main runway if the operating conditions are favourable and will allow flights to take off and land on the standby runway.”

The work commenced on site on 1st March 2012 and is due to be completed at the end of November 2012, with work taking place overnight to minimise the effects on both customers and airlines.

Derek said: “The weather isn’t even a surprise, it’s a challenge. With the weather this summer, one of the challenges we had was that we lost considerably more shifts than we had anticipated. To deal with this, in agreement with the airlines, we moved to a 6pm start on Saturday evenings to make up for the time lost due to bad weather.

“Our key objective was to have the surfacing on the runway and the lighting on the runway finished by 1st October because after then you start to get into the winter season when working around the weather becomes much more difficult. I’m pleased to say we achieved that objective.

“We are nearing the end of the project – the runway has been resurfaced and of the 15 taxi-ways that link into the runway, two are still to be resurfaced. We will then replace lights on those taxi-ways and finish off some of the painting, drainage work and landscaping.”

As a result of the work, Gatwick Airport will have a runway with a new surface fit for operation for the next 10 to 15 years.

Derek added: “With the new light fittings and cabling we can be confident we’re not going to have any unplanned problems on the runway.

During the course of the project we got approval to fit LED lights on the runway, it didn’t come quite quick enough to fit them from the beginning of the project but we will by next summer.

“Whenever you resurface a runway, and this will be the fourth time I’ve been involved on this type of project, it is quite a significant logistical challenge. The key to success is planning, even on a nightly basis you have to plan each activity very carefully and you have to stick to that plan because you have to make sure that the runway re-opens at 5.30am.

“As part of this project the main objective was to resurface and

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relight the runway, but we also took the opportunity to improve the runways capabilities to handle A380 aircraft. We put some improvements in the taxi-ways to make it easier for them to handle A380 services and we are actively marketing ourselves for new services and A380 operations. We are doing some work with one of the aircraft stands to make sure it is A380 compliant by next summer.”

PAD 5 Airport Consulting Ltd PAD 5 Airport Consulting Ltd specialises in providing expertise and practical support to a wide range of aviation stakeholders. During the London Gatwick Runway Rehabilitation Project, the role primarily focused on providing a crucial communications link between project construction teams and the airport client’s operational duty teams.

Operations Director Phil Davey said: “The Gatwick Runway Rehabilitation Project has been particularly challenging due to a combination of factors. Being the world’s busiest single runway operation, Gatwick is always busy, even at night. A significant amount of project activity took place directly beside the active northern runway, so I had to ensure that site staff- some of whom had not worked at an airport before- fully understood and appreciated the potential hazards of working in such an environment. Allied to that, airport operational duty staff cannot be expected to possess a detailed understanding of construction issues. Therefore I carried out a role akin to a language translator, helping each side gain a

“My primary airport relationships were with GAL Airfield Operations & External Security, but the Airport Fire Service and Airfield Engineering would also make information and access requests as required.”

“I think my 20 years previous experience in airfield operations and latterly, major airside projects, has been put to very good use at Gatwick. I have the tools, knowledge and experience to deliver significant operational benefits on any airside project large or small.”

Pinnacle Recruitment ltd

better understanding of each other’s challenges, and helping to resolve a plethora of issues along the way.”

“It was a tactical role where I become involved with any project related situation that may have impacted on a successful runway hand back at shift end, or conversely any airport related incidents which could affect the smooth running of the project.

Invariably, a fast and effective resolution was required, so the role demanded the ability to work well under pressure.”

Finchingfield Guildhall restored

“We pride ourselves in finding the right people for the job- we’re not based on quantity we’re based on quality”- the words of Nick Kirby, Senior Head Hunter at Pinnacle Recruitment ltd.

In business for over a decade, the company specialises in the recruitment of white collar staff within the civil and construction industry.

Pinnacle recently placed the Framework Director, David Fraser, on the Gatwick Airport Rehabilitation project.

In addition to placing David, a senior planner, a project manager, a sub agent and a senior agent were all cherry picked by Nick at Pinnacle for the project.

Speaking on the Gatwick Rehabilitation, Nick added: “It was quite a successful project for us as we managed to place a lot of people particularly on the operational side of the project.”

needing the roof repairing to doing a complete overhaul, carrying out a complete renovation to restore the building and return it to the heart of the community; it has been unusable for several years.

“The Guildhall has been completely stripped down to its timber skeleton and is being repaired – it leans around 400mm in the middle and some of it was rotten. Many of the 1470 timbers are

Finchingfield Guildhall, a 15th century timber-framed building in the centre of the village of Finchingfield in north Essex, is being restored.

The project is being driven by the trustees of the Finchingfield Guildhall Trust, supported by a group of local volunteers.

Discussions started on the restoration of the hall in 2006.

Building work began on site on the Grade I listed building on 12th December 2011 and should be completed in spring 2013.

The project is being supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund and English Heritage as well as a range of other trust, corporate and private donors.

Jackie Bargman, a trustee of Finchingfield Guildhall Trust said: “We had a survey because I was looking through the insurance for the Guildhall and thought how low the rebuild value was – it was lower than my own house.

“The surveyor told us we were under-insured by five- and- a -half times. He also said the building needed work doing to it quite urgently – the roof was bad, the walls and floors needed replacing and we needed new doors and windows.

“He also said not to do it bit by bit and to go for one project.

English Heritage was consulted and put the Guildhall on the “At Risk” Register. We have been working on this project since 2006 and have raised over £1.6 million.”

Fairhurst Ward Abbotts is the sole contractor working on the project; FWA’s conservation group is a specialist heritage builder and the company is a royal warrant holder. The architects are Kay, Pilsbury Thomas, a local company of conservation accredited architects. Both FWA and KPT are passionate about historic buildings and bring a wealth of experience to the project.

Jackie said: “We employed our architects in 2006 and they have been superb. The project has developed from a fairly modest scheme of ROMA PUBLICATIONS

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Lo n d o n & S o u th E a s t pretty good but fairly extensive oak repairs were required and the roof has been completely re-done.

“There will be an enlarged museum and library – once we finish, the museum will be about five times larger than it was.

Upstairs in the Guild Room we shall have created a beautiful multi-purpose space that will be used for seminars, functions, lectures and exhibitions.”

Electrical Connections Ltd Established in 1983, Electrical Connections Ltd is an electrical contracting company and carry out design, lighting and power installations, IT cabling and the installation of fire alarms and security systems.

The company has worked on numerous projects nationwide for companies such as BMW, Morgan Stanley, Barclays, Texaco, Pitney Bowes, Interserve, Defra, Watford FC, Financial Times and Samsung.

On Finchingfield Guildhall, Electrical Connections Ltd is the electrical contractor on site.

Terry Froud from Electrical Connections Ltd said: “All our jobs are important to us for different reason we carry out a high quality installation for all clients.”

Developing Innova Park Situated in Enfield, Middlesex, Innova Park is a 4 hectare residential scheme which forms part of a much wider mixed-use regeneration development. The scheme was approved in April 2005 and includes commercial/business use, a new London academy school and a hotel.

The site delivers 423 residential properties, which includes one-bedroom apartments to four-bedroom houses and a community centre. The multi-phased scheme was designed to meet the Code of Sustainable Homes Level 3, and five homes during the first phase of the project were upgraded to achieve Ecohomes excellent rating.

The mixed-use development was implemented by Circle Housing Group, one of the UK’s largest providers of affordable housing with more than 65,000 homes. Galliford Try is the main contractor on the development and RMA Architects is the architect. Galliford Try is a leading name in the construction of housing developments, whilst RMA Architects specialise in the design and regeneration of waterside and urban Brownfield sites.

The homes are being constructed to incorporate a range of contemporary styles – to suit the requirements of modern living – and include a stunning array of fixtures and fittings. The scheme design is specific to both the local area and the development and provides affordable homes in a safe and secure

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environment.

Oak effect laminate flooring is used throughout hallways and living areas within the residential units, whilst master bedrooms boast built-in wardrobes. Meanwhile, kitchens include integrated appliances, stainless steel sinks and gloss units and bathrooms include white Roca sanitary ware, chrome fittings and ceramic tiles.

The main materials being used during construction include traditional brick and blockwork, precast concrete and timber frames. The exterior of the units includes rendered and brick facades, with a mix of tiles, timber and glass. The buildings also include steel balconies.

Environmentally friendly features of Innova Park include photovoltaic (PV) panels, rainwater harvesting, solar water heating panels and underfloor heating.

As a major development for Enfield, integrating Innova Park into the local community is a key focus of the scheme, so whilst work is taking place on the site students from nearby Oasis Academy School have been encouraged to learn about the construction of the new development. Galliford Try has also implemented an initiative to include local labourers on the scheme, which also saw the contractor take on eight new apprentices.

In addition to the new buildings on the site, Innova Park also includes landscaped communal areas, rear site car parking and

associated public spaces. All homes on the site also include an NHBC 10-year warranty.

Innova Park is located close to junction 25 of the M25, Enfield Lock Station and is just 28 miles away from Stansted Airport.

With customer satisfaction at 99%, Innova Park is proving to be a huge success for residents.

RMA Architects RMA Architects are a medium sized practice based in Hampstead in North London. The practice’s client base consists of top UK housebuilders, housing associations, smaller developers, health care facilities, charities, community groups, commercial businesses and private individuals.

RMA Architects offer a broad range of in-house services but are especially skilled in the regeneration of urban brownfield sites with mixed use and residential projects for both affordable and private sectors. Most of its projects are situated in Greater London but it has also completed major projects nationally in Cardiff, Ipswich and Birmingham.

RMA Architects is a design led practice committed to key urban design principles when masterplanning new sites. The practice carefully interprets the particular constraints and opportunities of individual sites in order to deliver maximum value for its clients with a cohesive and individual design solution.

RMA Architects believes strongly in developing inclusive relationships throughout the planning or construction process by consulting with all key stakeholders at an early stage.

RMA Architects’ success within the planning process stems from an intelligent understanding of the physical context of sites and the unique aspirations of its clients. At construction phase RMA Architects has developed a carefully planned approach to production information which together with its experience of project delivery makes it uniquely qualified to fully contribute to a successful build.

Riverlight: Riverside living A brand new mixed-use development is currently under construction along Nine Elms Lane, London.

The Riverlight scheme comprises the construction of 806 residential apartments – including 107 HA (shared ownership) units – along with a number of retail spaces, restaurants, bars and a crèche. Once complete, the development will also boast a 24 hour concierge, numerous leisure facilities, a business suite and basement-level car and cycle parking.

The plans for the site are divided across six pavilions, ranging from 12 storeys on the western side, to 20 storeys to the east and as over 60% of the development is accessible to the general public landscaped areas will include extensive landscaping, including a pocket park and a new river walk way.

The Riverlight scheme is being delivered by award-winning regeneration experts St James – a proud member of the Berkley Group. RSH+P is responsible for the master plan and design of the residential led development, with EPR as the architect.

The overall floor area of the private apartments is approximately 620,000 sq ft and notable features include glass lifts, whilst the pavilions create a unique ‘saw tooth’ design. The complex has been designed to incorporate a range of apartments, from suites to three bedroom units and each apartment includes at least one balcony.

Phase One of Riverlight is currently underway. At present there are over 160 members of staff working on the site and this is

Lo n d o n & S o u th E a s t “When you look at the scale of construction works currently being undertaken on the site it is really exciting to see how far Riverlight has progressed since we first launched the scheme in September 2011. I have been very lucky to be involved with such a great team.”

IFTech Ltd

expected to increase to approximately 200 in early 2013.

The interior design work for the apartments is being provided

by Johnson Naylor. Future tenants are being offered a choice of colour options for the bespoke bathroom and kitchen suites and additional features include underfloor heating, oak flooring, carpets and comfort cooling throughout.

Discussing the site, Operations Director, Matthew Higgs, said: “The land was purchased in December 2009, whilst the submission of the Planning Application followed in September 2010. We achieved planning consent in March 2011 and signed the s106 one month later. Following this St James started on the demolition of the existing industrial estate.

“The occupation of Phase One (R1 & R2) is scheduled from August 2014 and the completion of the total development is 2017.”

Matthew added: “The development is being delivered in five phases. Phase One, which is currently underway, is the basement and R1 & R2 and this phase continues to progress on programme. R3 is scheduled to commence in June 2013 and is currently scheduled to reach completion in July 2015.

“R4 is scheduled to commence in April 2014 and will be completed in May 2016. R5 is also set to commence in April 2014 but will reach completion in October 2016. Finally, R6 will commence in May 2015 and is due for completion in March 2017.

“Riverlight is a member of the voluntary Considerate Contractor Scheme and we seek to minimise disruption to the local community. A key point we agreed with the residents was the working hours on the site. We also issue a bi monthly residents newsletter which provides an update of progress and what works to expect.”

Riverlight is designed to meet the Lifetime Homes criteria and Level 3 of the Code for Sustainable Homes (CfSH). All of the buildings within the site include green roofing – designed to improve the thermal performance of the development – as well as a range of safety features, including fire alarms, smoke detectors, entrance intercom systems and CCTV within the basement car park, lobbies and throughout the estate.

In addition to the construction of the new accommodation, landscaping is a key aspect of the project and is being incorporated to set Riverlight apart from similar riverside developments.

Materials that will be used throughout the landscaping scheme include natural stone setts, black granite pavers, resin bound gravel, shade trees and a water wall.

Commenting on the importance of the project, Matthew said:

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IFTech Ltd specialises in the design and build of ground source heating and cooling systems for a range of projects, from large residential schemes and museums to offices and universities. The company has been in operation for more than six years, however IFTech Ltd’s parent company – based in the Netherlands – has over 20 years experience within the industry.

IFTech Ltd has provided heating and cooling systems to a number of high profile projects including the Wandsworth Riverside Quarter, 50 Grosvenor Hill in Mayfair and the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich.

At present IFTech is installing a system that will provide the Riverlight development with heating and cooling via a ground source system. The system comprises eight deep water wells all linked to specialised heat pump equipment, and will provided cooling for the entire development.

IFTech Ltd Managing Director, Nick Boid, said: “Riverlight is a very important project for us and once complete, this will be the largest open loop ground source system in the UK.” Nick added: “What sets IFTech Ltd apart from its competitors is the technology that we use, along with the quality of our work. We undertake a number of high profile projects and we have a great reputation for delivering high quality work.

“At IFTech Ltd we can provide services for any medium to large scale project that has a heating or cooling demand.”

Easton Grange wedding venue nearing completion Easton Grange has recently received a new lease of life.

The conversion of a Grade II listed farmhouse and a collection of 16th Century agricultural buildings into one of the most stunning wedding venues nestled in the English countryside. Situated on the edge of the village Easton next to the River Deben in Suffolk, you couldn’t get more “English countryside” if you tried.

The venue is a collection of converted old buildings complimented by a new Oak barn which has been carefully designed to create the perfect space for ceremonies and celebrations.

This is linked to the traditional buildings via the conversion of the old dairy, which now plays home to the bar, which enjoys views over the water meadows with a fully glazed side opening out onto a York stone courtyard. The jewel in the crown is the conversion of the original barn, with views and a front lawn running down to the river Deben.

Accommodation is provided in the renovated Suffolk longhouse (The Farmhouse) and the original bakehouse (The Bakehouse cottage). All the rooms in the farmhouse are en-suite with their own individual design.

The bakehouse has been turned into a luxurious bridal suite – complete with lounge, a spacious bedroom and a generously sized luxurious en-suite bathroom.

The build phase is now nearing completion having started in January 2012. The main contractor on the project has been Hills Building Group, whilst Needham Electrical is responsible for the design and installation of all the electrical work on the site.

Needham Electrical Managing Director, Martyn Dew, said: “Working on the site we are responsible for a range of electrical installations, from the lighting, power and sub mains, through to the installation of PA systems, heating controls and fire alarms.”

Martyn added: “At Needham Electrical, we have a lot of experience in the industry and we enjoy working on high profile projects such as this. We pride ourselves on our client focus and although we are

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Lo n d o n & S o u th E a s t large enough to cope with each challenge, we are still a small company at heart.”

Speaking about the new venue, Daniel Tucker, Hills Building Group contract surveyor, said: “We are currently laying oak flooring and completing decorations inside the venue. The beautiful oak beams within the ceremony barn integrate a stunning minstrels’ gallery, which provides an elevated position for musicians and or photographers.

“All the renovations have been carried out carefully to maintain all the original features and protect the heritage of the buildings whilst combining the new and the old. The walls and floors are very uneven therefore fitting skirting and hanging radiators is quite an art, it has been very satisfying seeing the whole site come together to provide a stunning wedding venue.”

Peter Wells of Peter Wells Architects based in Woodbridge has overseen the build. Peter has extensive experience in commercial and residential sectors across East Anglia and the South East with current projects ranging from £20k to £3m.

Aquaheat Ltd Having been in operation for 13 years, Aquaheat Ltd specialise working in bespoke projects carrying out the design, installation and keeping the building maintained once in operation.

Installations range from small commercial mechanical packages, heat pumps, underfloor heating, solar thermal, through to domestic bespoke bathrooms.

We have worked closely with Hills Construction on a number of projects over the years and enjoy a good working relationship.

John Mills from Aquaheat Ltd said: “On Easton Grange we carried out the design and installation of the full mechanical package.

“We are always interested in working closely with both the builder and client, and this project gave us that opportunity.

“We pride ourselves in attention to detail and in executing a project to exact requirements.”

Carltons Wood Floors and Doors Carlton Wood Floors and Doors have been in business for 18 years. They are a specialist supplier and fitter of wood flooring and doors.

Alan Fare from Carltons Wood Floors and Doors said: “We have worked in residential properties in London- in areas such as Chelsea and Knightsbridge. We have also worked on local restaurants, but we are not a big contract company, we are more of a specialist company.

“At Easton Grange we supplied and installed 20 mm engineered oak flooring- engineered because it was fitted on top of under-floor heating.

“We pride ourselves in quality of workmanship, attention to detail and the type of product that we sell- we look to supply something that will give the correct sort of look to the environment that’s being installed and our main focus is always quality.”

Work begins on Rambert’s new home Work has begun on the new home of the Rambert Dance Company in the heart of London’s South Bank.

The project began in Rambert’s 85th Anniversary year and the company will move into its new South Bank building in 2013.

Founded by Marie Rambert in 1926, Rambert Dance Company has sustained her pioneering commitment to choreography and developing dancers as artists.

The project has been in development for over nine years, with the contract being awarded to VINCI Construction UK Ltd. The main construction work began in December 2012.

Award winning architects Allies & Morrison have designed an accessible world-class facility which comprises three large dance studios, set and costume workshops, offices and archive.

The total cost of the project is £19.6 million, £7 million of which was awarded by Arts Council England. Rambert has raised the remainder of the fundraising target from private and public sources.

The South Bank is already a home to some of the country’s leading cultural institutions such as the Royal Festival Hall, National Theatre, Tate Modern and Southbank Centre.

By bringing dance to join music, film, theatre and the visual arts, Rambert believe that they will complete the artistic circle in the UK’s major cultural hub.

Rambert’s Artistic Director, Mark Baldwin said: “This is an incredible milestone for the Company and it is a great relief to know that more than 85 years after we were founded we will finally have access to facilities that have been so desperately lacking in our current premises.

“This new purpose-built home will provide state-of-the-art working, training and rehabilitation space for our dancers, and will enable us to become a centre for choreography that feeds the contemporary dance sector and generates bold new work that excites and engages our audiences all around the UK.” The new building will allow Rambert to expand the services they provide in various ways, including opening an archive of the Company’s history which is currently hidden in cramped storage rooms.

Larger studios will allow choreographers to create work in areas that are as big as the stages they perform on and for the first time the dancers and the Rambert orchestra will have the

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space to rehearse together.

In addition, new physiotherapy and fitness facilities will provide the expert care that dancers need given the tremendous pressure the work has on their physiques.

Rambert’s Chief Executive, Nadia Stern said: “At the heart of this move is a desire to open up the creative process and inspire audiences with the ideas, excitement and joy of this contemporary and collaborative art form. We want to establish an open house for dance that helps to break down barriers and preconceptions by inviting people to the heart of the artistic process to see first-hand how contemporary dance is created.

“Alongside this we will open up Rambert’s extensive archive for the first time in the Company’s history. This is a fascinating collection of national significance dating back to the late 19th century, recording the development of dance, the most ephemeral of art forms.”

The plot of land for the new building has been made available to Rambert by Coin Street Community builders, one of the UK’s leading social enterprises. In return Rambert has committed to lead a significant community dance programme in the local area and pay rent of one pair of ballet shoes per year.

The Company currently works with 14,000 children and young people and 6,000 adults each year and this purpose-built home will serve to double levels of public engagement and allow the company to significantly expand its education and outreach activities to meet the needs of the local community in Lambeth and surrounding boroughs.

Colin Street Community Builders Chief executive, Iain Tuckett said: “Rambert has world class dancers who deserve world class facilities and I am delighted that they are now going to get them.

We look forward to welcoming them to London’s South Bank where they will be an active participant in our great and growing mixed community.”

Chair of Rambert’s Board of Directors, Howard Panter added: “In these financially difficult times it is a testament to the generosity of individual and institutional donors who have helped us sustain the lifeblood of our Company. The partnership between the leading social enterprise, Coin Street Community builders,

Lo n d o n & S o u th E a s t ©Allies and Moorison Architects

and a cultural organisation like Rambert has genuinely given us a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to share our passion and expertise in dance with a huge number of new people.”

Harlequin Floors Harlequin Floors is the world leader in advanced technology flooring for dance, the performing arts, entertainment and display.

For over 30 years, Harlequin has been manufacturing and supplying specialist sprung and vinyl flooring to the performing arts industry. Firmly established worldwide, the Harlequin Group has offices in the UK, Europe, the USA, Asia and Australia.

Harlequin Floors will be providing Rambert Dance Company with their Harlequin Activity sprung floor system as well as two vinyl top surfaces – Harlequin Cascade and Harlequin Studio; both of which are hardwearing dance surfaces suitable for all types of dance. They will be permanently laid to give a seamless finish.

Harlequin Floors Sales Manager Rebecca Conway, said: “Rambert Dance Company has been a customer of ours for many years now so when they told us they were moving to a new facility, a selection of Rambert dancers were invited to our premises to conduct a ‘blind test’ on a range of Harlequin sprung floor systems and dance surfaces in order to make an informed choice. The result of the blind test showed that they had chosen the exact same flooring system that they had previously used in their former studios.”

Rebecca added: “At Harlequin we supply flooring to many of the world’s leading dance companies including the Royal Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet and New York City Ballet to name a few. Our experience and reputation are founded on many years spent working closely with the dance community.”

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©Construction photography

Grand design for Regal Homes A project to construct a brand new development at De Beauvoir Crescent, Islington is nearing completion.

The Grand Canal Apartments project comprises the construction of 76 flats within two housing blocks – comprising 51 private residential units and 26 social housing units – together with B1 ground floor units, a 50 space car park and associated landscaping. The project is being implemented by London property developer Regal Homes and is currently on schedule to reach completion in February 2013.

Work began on the project in November 2010. Prior to the site’s transformation into Grand Canal Apartments, the land housed a warehouse storage facility. Regal Homes’ construction team, Eurobuild is the main contractor on the project, whilst all architectural services are being provided by Duggan Morris Architects (DMA).

The housing blocks on the site will include a mix of one and two bedroom flats, as well as three bedroom penthouse suites. The blocks are being built from traditional methods of construction and include a mix of reconstituted stone, Metsec, Alucobond, glazing, curtain walling and a green and brown roof.

Internally the apartments boast a range of stunning fixtures and fittings and both the private and social housing sides of the development are being constructed from the same high quality materials.

Once work is complete on the apartments associated landscaping will take place, which will incorporate York stone and tree planting.

Although work is still ongoing on the Grand Canal Apartments project, the hard work being conducted by Regal Homes and its team is not going unnoticed. To date the project has already won an award – achieving the much coveted title of Best Development of Multiple Units at the International Property Awards – and has already been nominated for a second accolade.

Throughout the construction of Grand Canal Apartments, Regal Homes is also making considerable contributions to nearby parks and amenities.

Discussing the importance of the project, Regal Homes Marketing and Communications Manager, Hannah Lewin, said: “Across our whole portfolio, Regal Homes always incorporates interesting designs with high specifications and this is something which we are currently replicating on the Grand Canal Apartments project.

“Both our private housing units and social housing units are being constructed using the same materials and this is something which is very important to Regal Homes. We maintain our high standards across the whole of our developments and do not downgrade our specification for the shared ownership apartments, which is rare in the industry” Regal Homes Partner, Simon De Friend, added: “Grand Canal Apartments is a very important project for Regal Homes. When work first got underway on the scheme it was one of our largest projects and as soon as we received our planning consent we were able to achieve 100% off plan sales, which was a fantastic achievement for us. This project also demonstrates our ability to construct a development which sits comfortably alongside a canal, which is something that can create quite a number of challenges in itself.”

Simon added: “Our main aim for the remainder of the work is to maintain the high standards of this site which we have already achieved and this is something which we are completely committed to.”

For over 14 years Regal Homes has been developing some of London’s most admired and respected properties, from exclusive luxury homes to fashionable waterside apartments.

For more information on Regal Homes or the Grand Canal Apartments development please visit: www.regal-homes.co.uk.

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Linden Homes’ £55m housing development A £55m project to create 194 new build houses and apartments in Guildford, Surrey, has reached completion.

Completed in December 2012, Linden Homes carried out the scheme, which was designed by award winning architects John Thompson and Partners.

Under the project, a wide range of high quality housing comprising one-storey to four-storey builds was constructed at Boxgrove Gardens. The homes range from 495 sq ft to 2,550 sq ft and comprise traditional brick and block masonry with exterior facing brickwork, render, tile hanging and oak detailing.

The homes are contemporary in style and functional by design. All of the homes were designed to meet the Code for Sustainable Homes Level 3 and have a minimum of 75% energy efficient lighting. Internally, the homes are finished to the highest possible standards.

The new Boxgrove Gardens are situated just a short walk away from the picturesque Guildford town centre, which is rated as one of the premier shopping areas in the South East. The town centre is arranged around a cobbled high street that offers stunning views of the surrounding countryside, whilst behind the historic buildings and cobbled alleyways are all of the amenities one could need from a city. There are a huge range of shops, cafes and restaurants, including high street brands such as Monsoon, Whistles Boots, WH Smith and Reiss.

Guildford is also a flourishing market town steeped in history. The town offers locals and visitors a variety of shopping experiences, from art and jewellery to cool funky brands and

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modern games and technology. There are beautiful boutiques, bustling markets, smart ‘covered’ shopping centres and small independent stores.

Close to the town centre there are a huge variety of places to eat and drink and parking couldn’t be easier as Guildford offers over 20 car parks and a Shop Mobility as well as a ‘Park and Ride’ scheme. Sainsbury’s and M&S are conveniently located near to the Boxgrove Gardens development, whilst both Leatherhead and Woking are just a short drive away.

As well as the many historical buildings, Guildford offers beautiful gardens, opportunities for boating, theatre visits and trips to the cinema. Guildford town centre also caters for all sports & leisure needs and boasts an extensive leisure centre and a huge variety of bars, pubs, hotels, nightlife and much more.

From Boxgrove Gardens it is only a short walk away to the River Wey where you will find the contemporary Electric Theatre and the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre. The historic Guildford House Gallery holds many exhibitions and the peaceful Castle gardens and The Downs are all just minutes from the High Street.

Guildford Cathedral consecrated in 1961, is England’s most recent Cathedral and is just minute’s drive from the new housing development.

Guildford is situated just 30 miles drive from London and has excellent train links to the capital. The main train station is adjacent to the town centre and less than five minutes walk, with trains from London, Portsmouth, Reading and Gatwick. Regular trains run from Guildford (operated by South West Trains) to London Waterloo (operated by Network Rail) making commuting to the capital easy.

Linden Homes Linden Homes is a leading new homebuilder with a truly impressive brand, offering a distinctive and diverse product range of new homes and properties both in terms of house styles and specification. They are currently building houses and flats throughout the South East, South West, East Midlands and North East.

Linden Homes has been part of the Galliford Try Group for many years, and previously the Group traded regionally with different brand names- Stamford Homes, Midas Homes, Rosemullion Homes and Gerald Wood Homes.

In order to gain a national benefit from their regional expertise, Linden united all of their companies under the Linden Homes name with a new brand identity. This will help the company to further improve their customer service and homes, based upon a better understanding of what local communities want. Their combined years of local and regional knowledge and experience will help them to be better at what they do best.

Improving the University of Essex As part of a £250 million investment programme to modernise and improve facilities, the University of Essex is currently undertaking works to update its existing Wivenhoe Campus. As part of the programme, Phelan Construction has secured a £750,000 measured term contract to provide building refurbishment and maintenance services over a three year period.

All of the work that is taking place on the Wivenhoe Park Campus is being carefully co-ordinated with staff to avoid interruption to the academic programme and some of the noisier operations are being undertaken out of hours.

Describing the works that are taking place, Ian Hack, Building Surveyor for the University of Essex, said: “There are two main building departments working on the site.

One is the Maintenance Department – which is what I am involved with – and we deal with maintaining the upkeep of the existing facilities. Meanwhile, the other department is the Capital and Development Department and this department deals with the major projects that are taking place around the campus.

“The maintenance work that is being undertaken on the university campus is a mix of planned and urgently required schemes.

We submit plans which cover a range of works, from concrete cleaning and repairs, to corridor refurbishments and drainage works. We are currently completing a few low-key schemes which include the refurbishment of toilet facilities and office spaces.

“On the maintenance side of the works these projects are major improvements to enhance the site. The Capital and Development Department however is currently dealing with a number of projects which are either on-site at the moment or are gearing up to begin shortly. These projects include the

installation of a new multi-decked car park and the creation of a new business centre.

“One of the major projects was the conversion of Wivenhoe House into a boutique hotel.”

Ian Hack added: “The work that is being conducted on the site is very important for the day-to-day upkeep of the University, so it is vital that there are plans in place. We have in-house joiners and builders who respond to repairs on a daily basis and the aim is always to ensure that the Campus look its best. This maintenance work sits perfectly alongside the work conducted by the Capital and Development Department, who conduct new schemes to enhance the University.

“Throughout all of the work conducted on the Wivenhoe Park Campus we plan the timeframe of our work, we introduce health and safety measures and we always work hard to reduce the impact that the scheme has on student life.”

A company involved with the improvement works on the University of Essex’s Wivenhoe Park Campus is specialist mastic jointing contractor, Hunts Mastics Ltd. Hunts Mastics Ltd Co-Owner, Keith Hunt, said: “Based in Halstead, Essex, Hunts Mastics has been in operation since 1980. We are mastic jointing specialists, specialising in all aspects of mastic jointing work. This work ranges from doors and windows to the internal silicon for bars and kitchens.

“We started working with the University of Essex three years ago and we value our continued working relationship with the site.”

For more information about the University of Essex please visit: www.essex.ac.uk.

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Airdrie Police Station As part of the Strathcylde police capital building work, Airdrie Police Station is being given a little more than a lick of paint.

The station based in the Airdrie town centre has long been in need of a serious upgrade and in May this year work began to bring the station up to standard.

Gardiner and Theobold are managing the project and the main contractor is Morris and Spottswood.

Worth near to £1 million, the project is based within an existing sub-divisional police office and is due to be completed by early 2013.

On the refurbishment, Alistair McKenzie from the Strathclyde Joint Police Board said: “Effectively what we’re doing is replacing the electrical infrastructure and amending the layout to provide a more efficient space, taking all the opportunities to upgrade everything to current standards.

“All the electrical wiring is being replaced and we’re doing brickwork and plasterboard partitions internally.

“We’ve also knocked down a number of external buildings to create more parking, it’s all about trying to make more efficient use of the space that we do have.

“We had a very cellular building previously with lots of people working in different rooms so we’ve tried to create a more open plan space, as far as possible, within the building.

“In the end, it will allow better communication with the staff within the building and the facilities will be much improved with new toilets

and showers.”

A key element within the project has been to try and reduce carbon emissions, as police stations do fall under the carbon reduction scheme and can therefore face penalties if their carbon footprint is large. Therefore insulation has been brought up to the highest possible standards in addition to a modern ventilation system being installed.

Speaking about the strains of having a working police station host an ambitious refurbishment, Alistair added: “There has had to be quite a close working relationship between the contractor and the police officers, I wouldn’t call it a problem but it’s been a difficulty.

“It’s just cooperation between the two parties – it’s been a difficult thing to achieve but it’s been done very well.”

On the benefits to the local community, Alistair said: “For the community this project will mean happier police officers.

“With the police reform going on in Scotland just now there might be concern that some of the police stations might be closing, but because we are spending a significant amount

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of money it will show the community a commitment to the area.

“I think there is that reassurance that we are not going anywhere.”

On the contractors he added: “Gardiner and Theobold have been excellent and the service they have provided for us has been particularly good, and we have dealt with Morris and Spottswood on many occasions and find them to be an excellent contractor, they have lived up to that expectation.”

Gardiner and Theobold are an independent global consultancy offering a range of services to the construction and property industry.

Morris and Spottswood offer fit-out, housing and maintenance work, bespoke joinery, flooring, mechanical and electrical works.

State-of-the-art facility for Denfind Stone A Managing Director of an Angus quarry has just announced the centrepiece of his £1 million vision for the future. Brian Binnie – who created Denfind Stone Ltd 8 years ago alongside wife Alison – is about to introduce an innovative system that will increase their production by around 50%.

The state of the art processing plant and offices currently nearing completion within the rural setting of Denfind Farm and adjacent to Pitairlie Quarry, can be found about 10 miles North East of Dundee. A bespoke piece of machinery recently installed

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within the new facility will, said Brian, allow the company to better meet its growing demand for sandstone which has already attracted developers across the UK as well as supplying numerous Jewsons branches across Scotland.

Brian said: “Everyone at Denfind is excited by the new development which will enable us to streamline the business, grow our production levels and increase our output to meet ever increasing demands.”

The extracted stone will pass along an individually designed

picking line and will enable selection of stones destined for dyking stone, guillotined stones, copes and corners. This bespoke grading station will enable more efficient production by eliminating the need to stop in order to empty skips. Significant increases in production will be achieved by using this new method alone.

The purchasing of two high-tech saws will allow new stock products to be introduced in the New Year including 30mm cladding, flag stones and slates, amongst others.

Innovative procedures have been used within the build for example a bio mass boiler has been installed to heat the building and is fuelled by straw, a by-product of the farm enterprise.

Alison Binnie commented: “The introduction of the bio mass boiler means that we are utilising a by-product from our farm which minimises the environmental impact that our new stone production facility has.”

As well as its ambitious seven figure investment the award winning company is also looking to safeguard the next generation of stone masons and dykers. The firm is working towards becoming a centre of excellence for training helping to ensure that the art of drystone dyking will endure over many years and help retain a skill that has been around for centuries.

Historic Scotland have recognised this commitment and also the uniqueness of the business by awarding Denfind Stone two bursary placements which will help massively to offset the costs the company will incur in setting up a training facility.

The new venture was due to open late October 2012 but recent bad weather pushed back the schedule and it is now expected to go into production in December 2012.

Denfind Stone

of high-profile organisations, including The National Trust for Scotland and Historic Scotland.

Denfind Stone is operated by the husband and wife partnership of Brian and Ali Binnie, and in addition to supplying an extensive range of stone and masonry products, Denfind Stone boasts an expert team of stone masons and dykers.

Family-run business, Denfind Stone, is a Scottish natural stone company based in Angus. Denfind Stone is one of Scotland’s premier stone companies and supplies materials to architectural practices, private clients, leading contractors and a number

Since the company was first founded, Denfind Stone has not changed its business ethos and is still dedicated to providing customers with the best quality products and services possible.

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Transforming Bridgegate House A £9.3 million project to refurbish Bridgegate House is currently underway.

The project, which is currently taking place in Irvine town centre, is being implemented by North Ayrshire Council. Work began on the project in June 2012 and comprises the introduction of a modern, user-friendly Customer Centre for Council Services in Irvine, the creation of open plan offices and the refurbishment of shop fronts, roller shutters and associated signage.

The Council’s new Customer Contact Centre – which will provide an effective one-stop shop for Council customers – is being constructed at the High Street entrance to Bridgegate House.

Services, such as Housing, Social Work, Benefits and Trading Standards are expected to operate from the centre when it officially opens.

Once work is complete on Bridgegate House, the building will be a much cleaner, brighter, and more attractive development and will complement other town centre regeneration projects which are currently taking place in Irvine.

North Ayrshire Council is investing £8.5 million in the project, whilst Irvine Bay Regeneration Company is providing the

additional £800,000 for all the external work on the site.

Councillor Marie Burns, a spokesperson for Economic Development and Regeneration, said: “The Council has been working very hard, along with our partners at Irvine Bay, to plan the ambitious regeneration of Irvine Town Centre.

“However, it is only now that the people of Irvine will begin to see these plans begin to take shape. The whole of the town centre will benefit from the much-needed modernisation of Bridgegate House and the streetscape over the next year or so.

“While there is inevitably some disruption, much of the planning has gone toward ensuring this is kept to a minimum. We believe the end result will be a positive one – one which gives local people increased pride in their town, while making it a more attractive destination for visitors and businesses looking to invest in the town.”

GRAHAM Construction is the main contractor on the Bridgegate House project and North Ayrshire Council is providing all architectural services.

GRAHAM Construction Contracts Director, Gary Holmes, said: “The refurbishment of Bridgegate House is a major undertaking and one we are committing a significant manpower resource to.

“Bridgegate House occupies a prominent

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position in Irvine and local people can look forward to a much more visually appealing and eye-catching design once the project is completed, with a modern glass fascia replacing the existing 70s-style frontage.

“We will also work to radically improve the interior of the building. Once completed, we are confident the new Bridgedate House will prove to be a welcome and much-used community facility for the people of North Ayrshire.”

The Bridgegate House redevelopment project is just one part of a much larger, £30 million Irvine Town Centre project, sitting alongside the Bridgegate streetscape, new leisure centre and Trinity Church refurbishment schemes.

The initiative is a partnership led by North Ayreshire Council and supported by Irvine Bay Regeneration Company and is being undertaken to kick-start the local economy.

Other partners in the initiative include Rivergate Shopping Centre (ING), Historic Scotland Trinity Trust and SportScotland.

New Visitor Centre for Abbotsford A new Visitor Centre has opened at Abbotsford House near Melrose in the heart of the Scottish Borders.

Abbotsford House is located on the banks of the River Tweed in the heart of a beautiful landscape that inspired the poetry and novels of its creator, Sir Walter Scott.

The Visitor Centre is a new building within the grounds of the original 19th Century house and includes exhibitions, conference areas, a shop, café and function room.

Sir Walter Scott was one of the leading literary figures of his day and the first to have a truly international career in his lifetime. His novels and poetry are still read, and many of his works remain classics including Ivanhoe, Rob Roy, The Lady of The Lake, Waverley, The Heart of Midlothian and The Bride of Lammermoor.

Scott’s 26 novels came to be known as The Waverly Novels, which were the world’s first real historical novels and the world’s first best-sellers. These books paved the way for the great popular novels of the Victorian age – influenced Pushkin, Tolstoy, George Eliot and Dickens – and earned him the money to buy land and to build Abbotsford.

The building gives visitors a chance to see interpretations of

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Scott’s life and achievements and also has a balcony with stunning views across the walled garden to the main house.

The visitor centre is part of a multi-million pound overhaul of the property which is currently under way.

The main house is currently closed for an extensive programme of restoration and refurbishment and is scheduled to reopen next year.

The Visitor Centre is timber framed and opened in August 2012. More than 2,000 went to see the new Visitor Centre at Abbotsford House within the first two weeks of opening.

The main contractor was Border Construction and the architect was LDN Architects LLP. The project manager was Gardiner and Theobold.

Martin Sinclair from Gardiner and Theobold said: “The new build has included a two-storey visitor centre and car park. The building is timber framed with exhibition and information areas downstairs and a spacious café area upstairs.”

The Visitor Centre has been a great success since it opened in August and those at Abbotsford House are looking forward to the completion of the restoration of the main house, to be opened early 2013.

The centre contains exhibitions charting Scott’s life, influences and literary and cultural legacy as well as objects, books and works of art – many of which will be on display for the first time.

Among the items going on show are old visitors books, which including names such as Dickens, Oscar Wilde, Charlotte Bronte and former US President Ulysses S Grant.

Abbotsford Trust chief executive Jason Dyer said: “Visitors have told us that they have learned a great deal about Scott and his significance that they hadn’t previously appreci-

ated, which is one of the main aims of this beautiful new building and its exhibition on Scott’s life and legacy.

“We’re delighted with this extremely impressive start for the Visitor Centre.

It’s extremely exciting to see the new Abbotsford Visitor Centre taking shape and we’re confident that it will help us to attract more people to the Scottish Borders to see the beautiful home and countryside that Scott loved so much.”

The restoration of Gartnavel Royal Hospital Chapel The B-listed Gartnavel Royal Hospital Chapel in Glasgow has been conserved and transformed into a complimentary therapy centre for the charity Cancer Support Scotland after being unoccupied for 13 years.

In 2008 it was decided that the Arts & Crafts Chapel would be the ideal base for Cancer Support Scotland, because of its proximity to the West of Scotland centre for cancer treatment.

After several years of fundraising by the building conservation charity Glasgow Building Preservation Trust work started on site in 2011. The work at the Chapel was completed in October 2012 when it opened its doors to patients and their families.

The chapel was built in 1904, originally created for patients and families of patients within Gartnavel Royal Hospital as a place of worship and friendship but eventually became redundant and a ‘building at risk’. However its restoration has seen it now become a flagship cancer support centre.

Within the bespoke Therapy Centre there are modern facilities including two complimentary therapy rooms, two dedicated counselling rooms, a discreet hairdressing and wig fitting salon and disabled facilities.

Many of the original features have been carefully retained such as the bell, stained glass windows, a stone cross, wooden panelling, wood trusses and pews.

One of the most impressive pieces of work within the chapel is the conservation of the five original stained glass windows two of which were designed and made by Robert Anning Bell. Whilst the Anning Bell windows were in very good condition requiring hardly any repairs, the three other stained glass windows had suffered considerable deterioration. Stained glass conservators, Rainbow Glass Studios spent months researching and recreating the detail on the figures in these three windows.

The main contractor was Stewart & Shields and the architect was Austin-Smith: Lord.

Stewart & Shields are based in Helensburgh, and have worked on a range of private and public projects, including four major Glasgow churches and the construction of a £4.9 million apartment block.

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Austin-Smith: Lord is a multidisciplinary practice that provides architecture, urban design, landscape architecture, interior design and conservation services to a very wide range of clients. Past projects include Liverpool Central Library and The

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Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester.

David Millar, Head of Conservation at Austin-Smith: Lord Architects said: “Breathing new life into any derelict historic building is always an enjoyable challenge to be involved with. This project was all the more enjoyable as we have worked closely with Glasgow Building Preservation Trust since 2006 to create the new Calman Cancer Support Centre, now providing yet another superb facility at Gartnavel Royal Hospital” Gill Stewart, Senior Project Development Officer for the Gartnavel Royal Hospital Chapel project said: “This partnership project led by Glasgow Building Preservation Trust, together with Cancer Support Scotland, has been 6 years in the making. For GBPT it has been well worth while and illustrates that with care and attention, our treasured heritage can be sympathetically reused for the enjoyment of future generations to come. It gives us extra special pleasure to complete this building in our 30th Anniversary year.”

Funding on the project came from a number of sources including Historic Scotland, Robertson Trust, Glasgow City Council Better Glasgow Fund, Heritage Lottery Fund, William Grant & Sons, Landfill Communities Tax Fund, Wolfson Foundation, Architectural Heritage Fund, Barcapel Foundation, Trades House, Glaziers Trust and NHS Endowments.

Cancer Support Scotland Chief Executive, Colin Graham said: “The new facilities will allow the charity to provide more extensive support for people with cancer and those closest to them at a critical time. The new centre allows our clients to use our services in pleasant surroundings where our staff and volunteers can offer the support they want when they want it.

“Moving into these new premises has allowed us to treble our capacity, especially as more people are coming to us for support. The work by GBPT has been fantastic and we would like to thank them for their dedication and expertise.”

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40 new homes for Laburnum Road A £4.4 million project to build 40 new homes in North Lanarkshire is continuing to make good progress.

The Viewpark project comprises the construction of 38 mainstream homes and two purpose-built wheelchair accessible homes on Laburnum Road. All of the houses are being constructed to meet Housing for Varying Needs and form part of the Building for the Future programme.

To date, the Building for the Future programme has delivered 20 units at Holytown, 18 two and three-bedroom semi-detached houses, and 20 bungalows and cottage flats at Kirk Road. Meanwhile, in March 2012, tenants moved into 59 new council houses at Clarkston in Airdrie, North Road in Cumbernauld and Coshneuk Road, Millerston, bringing the total number of new build homes in the area to over 100.

In addition to the Viewpark project, North Lanarkshire Council have a number of other housing schemes in the pipeline, including North Biggar Road, Corsewall Street, Fisher Avenue and Gartferry Road.

Work began on the Viewpark project in February 2012, with Lovell Partnership as the main contractor on the housing scheme. The

houses are being built on the site of the former St Gabriel’s and Burnhead Primary Schools and Hozier Children’s Nursery.

Councillor Barry McCulloch, Convener of the Housing and Social Work Services Committee, said: “Our £150 million Building for the Future programme will deliver 1,000 houses by 2020 which is very positive news for local communities and for the local economy.

“The 40 properties here in Viewpark will provide much-needed high quality, affordable homes for local people. Tenants who have already moved into our new properties at other locations in North Lanarkshire have said how pleased they are with the standard of build and fittings and with their new homes overall.”

Notable features of the housing units include step free access from the road, wide door openings, low-level electric switches and sockets and twin handrails for staircases. Meanwhile safety and security features include 1.8m high

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fences in the rear gardens and smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

All of the units will be fully decorated throughout and are being built to meet Secure

by Design standards.

The Viewpark project is currently scheduled to reach completion in April 2013.

For more information on the progress of the Viewpark project on Laburnum Road, please visit: www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk.

Caledonian Hotel back on the A-List From Charlie Chaplin and Laurel and Hardy to Elizabeth Taylor and Sir Sean Connery, The Caledonian Hotel in Edinburgh has played host to many of Hollywood’s A-listers down the years.

Acquired by Hilton Hotels in 2000, The Caledonian has now been transformed and restored to the A-list of Edinburgh’s hotels with a £24 million investment from Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts.

Placing a strong emphasis on luxurious accommodation, fine dining and exceptional service, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts currently has more than 20 hotels in landmark destinations around the world on its books.

The company’s latest project, The Caledonian, boasts 241 rooms, seven elegant suites, two gourmet restaurants and a spa. The hotel is also centrally located on Edinburgh’s Princes Street- with stunning views up to the imposing castle that dominates the city.

Established in 1903, The Caledonian was originally a railway hotel- a theme which is ever present in this redevelopment.

The reception and lobby have been stripped back to their former glory, giving a grand sense of arrival with marble flooring, sweeping staircase and a glittering chandelier of fine amber and crystal droplets dusted with gold.

Continuing the subtle railway and station references, bespoke luggage inspires the furniture, with luxury leathers, bronze metalwork, dusted gold and warm rosewood joinery.

John Vanderslice, global head of luxury and lifestyle brands for Hilton Worldwide, said: “The successful launch of The Caledonian, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel underscores our commitment to grow our portfolio of one-of-a kind properties in a variety of leading destinations across the globe.

“The Caledonian has been carefully restored and perfectly showcases our world renowned Waldorf Astoria brand, with fine culinary and spa experiences.”

Simon Vincent, European President of Hilton Worldwide, added: “Edinburgh is a truly international city and we are delighted to have the opportunity to showcase Waldorf Astoria, at a hotel with over 100 years of tradition in Scottish hospitality.

“I would like to congratulate everyone involved in delivering this new luxury vision for The Caledonian, which I am sure will quickly be established as a leading luxury hotel in Scotland and our European portfolio.”

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Rebuilding East Plean Primary School

only the admin buildings remained.

“The new building is timber framed with brick exterior and we used Parklex on some of the upper areas of the school, it has a natural timber veneer so gives a natural look to those sections of the building.

Externally we added some landscaping to the front play area and also car parking.

“Overall we have managed to create a new 1850 sq m primary school with extension potential, increased parking and play areas, community facilities and external amphitheatre into an extremely tight, steep site and keep this below budget.”

The value of the project was £3.6 million.

Work started on site in December 2011 and was completed in October 2012.

Eugene added: “One of the key things when we were designing the building was to include bright open spaces and bright colours. We took the teachers along to some other schools we’ve designed and they were blown away by the

A new school has been completed on the site of a Victorian building dating from 1874.

East Plean Primary School was subject to an arson attack in November 2010 which destroyed the central core of the building and all the classrooms, leaving 156 pupils without a permanent school.

The remains of the building were left in a bad state with water and smoke damage – they were also unsafe. Therefore Stirling Council were keen to see the old school buildings demolished and a new school built in its place.

The main contractor was Robertson Group Ltd and the architect was Aedas Architects Ltd. Eugene McAleenan from Aedas Architects said: “The school was badly damaged – the nursery and teaching accommodation were destroyed,

Building a campus for the future As the largest project in Glasgow Council’s plan for secondary education in Inverclyde, the new £44 million Shared Campus in Port Glasgow is expected to provide a wealth of state-of-the-art facilities when it opens in 2013.

The development will be located on the current Port Glasgow High School site and the shared campus will comprise: Port Glasgow High School, St Stephen’s High School and an Additional Support Needs (ASN) School.

Whilst the project is underway, the two secondary schools have moved into temporary shared accommodation at the St Stephen’s complex.

Once the Shared Campus is complete, Port Glasgow High School and St Stephen’s will each have their own distinct entrances and a separate foyer that leads to the teaching spaces.

However, whilst the schools will function as standalone institutions, they will share the common facilities – including an Enterprise Centre and sports, music and performance arts spaces.

The ASN school will comprise nursery, primary and secondary blocks and will cater for both moderate and complex learning difficulties. In total the school will have the capacity for 8 nursery pupils, 60 pupils with complex learning difficulties, 30 primary pupils with moderate learning difficulties and 50 secondary pupils with moderate learning difficulties.

Leisure facilities will include a multi-use games area (MUGA), a fully equipped gymnasium and fitness suite and two all-weather pitches.

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potential so they fed into the design and informed us about the things they liked.

“It’s been a really nice building to work on and some of the teachers were in tears when they moved in. We’ve built some lovely spaces and it provides a different way for pupils to learn, the school had just been classrooms and corridors previously and now there is a lot of open spaces and the pupils are really enjoying it. If they are enjoying themselves when they go to school they are more likely to learn.

“We are very pleased with the outcome and so are the council, it came in under budget so everyone’s happy which is perfect.”

The Enterprise Centre will be an important community learning facility and will also serve the needs of the schools during regular school hours. As a result, it will have its own entrance and reception which can be securely accessed from the campus internally.

Main contractor for the project is GRAHAM Construction and the architect is Ingenium Archial Architects Ltd. Education and Lifelong Learning Convener, Councillor Terry Loughran, said: “When it is completed in summer 2013 it will be a centre of educational excellence and a prized asset for the local community. The new Enterprise Centre will also offer opportunities for adults.

“We are continuing to deliver on our promise of new and refurbished schools for all of our children and young people, despite the squeeze on public sector budgets. I am particularly pleased that this project puts those with additional support needs at the heart of our schools estates strategy, where they belong.”

Council Leader, Stephen McCabe, added:

“I am delighted at the way the two schools have settled into their temporary surroundings and the feedback from the pupils, staff and parents has been very positive. I think everyone recognises what an exciting time this is for secondary education in Port Glasgow and Inverclyde in general. The new campus is the single most ambitious project in our £220 million schools estate strategy.

“This has been a real team effort and I thank all of those involved and in particular the school communities for the invaluable contribution they have made to getting us to where we are today. Without their support, this project would not have been possible.”

Michael Graham, Executive Chairman at GRAHAM Construction, said: “The new shared campus at Port Glasgow is one of the most significant education projects we have ever been involved with.

This will be a unique, showpiece structure when it is completed in 2013 and GRAHAM is tremendously proud to be playing a part in such an iconic, keenly-anticipated facility.”

Robertson complete £110 million hospital in Aberdeen A £110million state-of- the-art emergency care centre, one of the largest in Europe, is bringing new health services to people living in Grampian and the surrounding areas.

Marking the culmination of a three year construction project by Robertson – the infrastructure, support services and construction group – the new centre has been delivered on time and within budget.

Located at Foresterhill, the new facilities will bring emergency and unscheduled care services under one roof and provide 350 inpatient beds, replacing accommodation at Aberdeen Royal infirmary.

Although the ten-floor hospital building is now fully operational to staff and patients one final stage of the project remains – the demolition of the existing Accident and Emergency Department and the construction of a new entrance foyer.

Project Director for Robertson, Andy McPherson, said: “Finishing the centre on time and on budget stands testament to not only the drive and determination of the Robertson team but also to the strong collaborative culture within the overall project team.

“By any measure; safety performance, budget, programme, quality, client satisfaction, the project has been a major success.

All the people involved are proud of what has been achieved over the last few years and will reflect fondly on being part of a successful project team.”

NHS Grampian Chief Executive Richard Carey added: “This building will transform healthcare for people in the North East. I would personally like to thank Robertson for their very hard work over the last 3 years. We have had an excellent working relationship throughout their time on site. The hard work of our own project team should also be recognised.”

During the course of construction, Robertson was awarded a ‘Safety First and Foremost’ UK award which celebrated safety excellence on the site. The project has provided jobs for hundreds of workers and contractors across the region and now complete will become an invaluable asset to the local community.

Robertson Group CEO, Andrew Cowan, said: “I am delighted that we have handed over the new Emergency Care Centre on time and within budget to NHS Grampian. This was a challenging project that involved tight deadlines in a live hospital setting. Our innovation, experience and the dedication of our team allowed us to rise to these challenges.

“Robertson is a leading operator in healthcare construction with an excellent reputation for the development of innovative, high quality builds. This was significantly demonstrated with the ECC project which was completed on time and budget despite the unprecedented bad weather experienced during the last two winters. We look forward to continuing our working relationship with NHS Grampian as we progress with the redevelopment of two further hospital buildings on site.”

Following the successful completion of the project, Robertson have now been contracted to lead on the redevelopment of two adjacent hospital buildings, which currently occupy inpatient facilities and operating theatres. The £21million project starts on site in December 2012 and is due for completion in August 2014.

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St Ambrose High School A £44 million project to construct a new school at Drumpellier Park has reached completion.

St Ambrose High School has been built on Townhead Road and replaces a previous facility which was located on Blair Road.

St Ambrose High School is a co-educational Roman Catholic school catering for pupils from stages S1 – S6 and in addition to replacing the former site it also houses Drumpark Secondary School as well as a number of community facilities.

Earlier in the year staff and pupils – including School Leader Nicole Mulholland, House Leader Jaskaran Singh and SixthYear Pupil Michael Vallely – were given a tour of the building whilst work was still taking place on the site. The pupils were very impressed with the work, describing it as ‘amazing’ and ‘huge compared to the current building’, which gave a good indication of how well the building was shaping up.

Commenting on the new school, Head Teacher Ellen Douglas, said: “It really looks amazing and it’s hard to single out one favourite space as there are improvements across the board.

“Once you get inside the building you really appreciate the scale of the place.”

Ellen added: “We’ve given a lot of feedback on the design and all that’s come through; it’s nice to see the results of our input and to feel we’ve been listened to as we can see that all over the building.”

Learning and Leisure Convener Councillor, Jim Logue, said: “It’s highly impressive; this investment is about improving teaching and learning and getting first-rate community and leisure facilities for the area.”

St Ambrose is divided into two main areas, the main building and the extension. The main building accommodates a number of departments, including English, maths, science and business education, whilst the extension includes space for music, history, art and design and modern studies.

Features of the development include an oratory, an open-plan art department with floor-to-ceiling windows and an assembly hall complete with a stage and a professional lighting control area. Meanwhile sporting facilities include six sports pitches, four-court games hall, gym and changing and referees’ rooms.

As the development has been built with the community in mind a separate entrance has also been included for community users.

Balfour Beatty was the main contractor on the St Ambrose High School project and amongst the hundreds of workers on the site was former St Ambrose pupil Cieran McGuinness. Cieran worked on the site as a bricklaying apprentice and has learned his craft through the construction of the new development.

Discussing his involvement with the project and the subsequent progression of his post-St Ambrose career, Cieran commented: “During construction I spent half of my time at college and half on site, and every time I came back from college I could not believe how much had been achieved – the building looks so impressive.

“We didn’t even have our own pitch when I was at St Ambrose, but the new building has one grass, four artificial and one for Gaelic football, so I hope the pupils who’ll go to this school will realise how lucky they are.”

Cieran added: “I still keep in touch with my teachers and they are always asking how it’s progressing.”

St Ambrose plays an important role within the community – something which was recognised in both 1992 and 1999 when the school was awarded the Schools Curriculum Award – and regularly participates in community events. With the new development now complete St Ambrose aims to continue this important association with the community as it continues to provide education to the pupils that pass through its doors.

£25 million water improvements bring clear benefits to Scottish Loch Scottish Water’s £25 million Loch Ryan project is now at an advanced stage, bringing a modern waste water treatment system to Stranraer, Leswalt, Kirkcolm and Cairnryan.

The scheme is necessary to satisfy the legal requirements of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive and Shellfish Directive, and will deliver significant improvements to the water quality and shellfish environment in Loch Ryan. The scheme is being carried out by a Leslie MWH joint venture.

The project involves the demolition of the existing waste water treatment works (WWTW) at Port Rodie and the retirement of three WWTWs at Cairnryan, Leswalt and Kirkcolm. New facilities replacing the old treatment works include a new pumping station being built at Port Rodie which serves Stranraer. From Port Rodie, the flows will be pumped to another new treatment works being constructed at Smithy Hill near Leswalt, after which the flows will undergo secondary biological treatment before being pumped to Larbrax Bay to be discharged into the Irish Sea. The secondary treatment works includes an inlet works with screening, screening handling and grit removal processes, primary settlement; a plastic structured media biofilter; sludge management comprising holding tanks and thickening processes; final settlement facilities and a pumping station to discharge treated effluent.

Stephen Hepburn, Construction Manager, Scottish Water, said:

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Interplan Panel Systems complete project at St Ambrose and Buchanan High St Ambrose and Buchanan High is a £44million new build development comprising the amalgamation of two existing schools and Townhead Community Centre in Coatbridge to accommodate around 1300 pupils. North Lanarkshire County Council appointed contractors Balfour Beatty who in turn selected Interplan Panel Systems to supply and install their robust Splash washroom cubicles.

Interplan’s Splash range is ideally matched to high traffic areas. Deputy Head teacher of St Ambrose Mr Michael Mckeown commented ‘the feedback from teachers and pupils alike has been very positive towards the toilets specifically the design… but they still maintain a robust look which we feel is important in a school environment’.

Interplan understand the need for forward thinking and space optimisation which is why Splash is available in standard height or floor to ceiling, providing the client with high quality, flexible products which meet design aspirations. Mr Michael Mckeown felt that Interplan’s cubicle design and layout ‘is beneficial for gentle supervision of the pupils without being too obtrusive’.

Mr Mckeown was asked whether he would use Interplan again he replied ‘I would certainly recommend the products as they are simple, look good and work well in the school environment. He also added ‘We see the fact (Interplan) are a Scottish based manufacturer as a bonus as we are keen to support local companies’.

Ewan Rabey of Balfour Beatty Construction commented ‘Interplan performed extremely well on the project and throughout the installation’. This high performance, strong product design and functionality lead Ewan to emphasise he ‘would definitely use Interplan again’.

If you require any information regarding Interplans products or services please contact their helpful and friendly team on 0141 336 4040. Or visit the website www.interplanpanelsystems.com

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S c otl a n d eners and control panels to suit the requirements of Scottish Water.

Huber Technology Marketing Co-ordinator Hannah Ryan, said: “We have a great reputation within the industry and supply high quality products for all of the industry’s water treatment needs.

“It’s very important for us to be involved in projects like Loch Ryan. We have a lot of experience in working with Scottish Water and the water industry.”

Central Industrial Services

“This is great news for the area. After years of studies and surveys to assess the best option for an extremely difficult civil engineering challenge, Scottish Water is removing the permanent discharge of waste water to Loch Ryan.

“The waste water from the surrounding communities will receive a greater level of treatment than is currently provided.”

Work at the Port Rodie site to construct a new pumping station is entering the next phase now that the large excavation for the station is completed and covered.

The pumping station building will be constructed on top of this and has been designed in consultation with local planners to be in harmony with other buildings in the area.

Work on the new treatment works near Leswalt is also well advanced. Major excavation works have been completed for the new tanks which will process the waste water from Stranraer and the surrounding villages of Kirkcolm and Leswalt.

Construction of the new Cairnryan Waste Water Treatment Works (WWTW), a joint project with Stena, was completed in October. The original plan was to construct a pumping station to carry Cairnryan’s waste to the new Loch Ryan WWTW, but the ongoing energy costs and maintenance made the option of a shared facility with the ferry terminal a preferable option.

This facility will offer a three-tier level of water treatment that will protect and enhance the natural environment in Loch Ryan.

The next stage of this improvement programme involves laying a new section of sewer from the Pumping Station at Port Rodie to the new works at Smithy Hill near Leswalt.

Stephen Hepburn said: “For this work we will be using the traditional open trench method which involves excavating the entire length of the sewer from ground level to the full depth required.

“In order to ensure overall safety temporary road restrictions will need to be put in place. This will include local control by temporary traffic lights, restriction of on-street parking and in some areas temporary road closures.

“Part of this work is located on Seabank Road, Sheuchan Street, Foreland Place, Leswalt High Road and Spring Bank Road.”

Stephen continued: “Our Loch Ryan project will provide the first ever modern waste water treatment solution for Stranraer and surrounding villages.”

Huber Technology For over 20 years Huber Technology has provided state-of-theart stainless steel equipment for municipal and industrial waste water treatment. This includes supplying water companies with inlet screens, sludge screens, thickeners and dewaterers and tertiary treatment along with a comprehensive line of stainless steel equipment.

Huber Technology works closely with all of the major water companies, as well as their main contractors and consultants.

Along with the current longstanding frameworks that they hold with the water companies, Huber Technology has just been awarded a further two frameworks for the supply of sludge thickeners and dewaterers.

On Loch Ryan Huber Technology UK supplied sludge thick-

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Established in 1990, Central Industrial Services specialise in industrial cleaning, liquid waste removal and high and ultra-high pressure water jetting in the petrochemical, Gas and utilities industries.

The Loch Ryan project required the supply of a large fleet of tankers to remove a significant amount of liquid off site. Central Industrial Services was also involved in the decontamination of the internal works and supplied equipment and operators to undertake the specialised cleaning services that were required.

During this process confined space personnel and Central Industrial Services’ own in-house rescue squads were utilised.

Throughout all of the tasks Central Industrial Services undertake, the company conducts itself with the utmost integrity and provides exceptional standards of health and safety.

Sales Marketing Manager, Paul Durning, said: “We are very proud of each and every one of our employees.

When they are working on our customers’ site they conduct themselves with professionalism and have a fantastic understanding of what it takes to get the job done safely and efficiently.”

Paul Durning added: “The majority of Central Industrial Services employees have at least fifteen years service experience and in the current global working environment that is pretty impressive. We believe a good workforce equals a good job.”

Cambeltown New Quay helps the renewable energy industry Work has reached completion on the £4.6 million New Quay in Campbeltown.

The contract was carried out on behalf of Argyll and Bute Council and was part of the Kintyre Renewables Hub project which will see Campbeltown and Machrihanish develop as a centre for the renewable energy industry in Scotland.

The area already has strong links with the renewable energy sector and the works has assisted in creating a national “hub” for the renewable energy industry. The completion of the project will create significant employment opportunities and will promote sustainable economic development at the local, Argyll and Bute and Scottish levels.

The project began in February 2012 and reached completion in October 2012. The contract is being carried out by BAM Nuttall Limited.

South Kintyre Councillor Rory Colville said: “I was delighted to see this work get underway. It will make a real difference to Campbeltown. I’m confident it will encourage more business to the area. This project was just one of a number which will soon reach implementation stage.

“Elsewhere in Campbeltown work has already begun on the construction of 32 new flats and terraced homes at the Kinloch Road regeneration site. It’s expected this will be finished in early 2013. A tender is also out for the construction of passing places between the Machrihanish junction and Campbeltown also in connection with the Kintyre Renewables Hub.”

The work involved putting new piles along the length of the New Quay on the inner harbour side, constructing a new concrete ground slab over the Quay, dredging the adjacent sea bed and widening the road at the Old Quay head by reclaiming a small part of the inner harbour. This makes it easier to transport wind turbine components and other freight.

Allan Finlay, Technical Officer at Argyll and Bute Council said: “In essence the works were designed to help future proof the port of Campbeltown for changes in both vessels and equipment, particularly for the renewables sector.

“Whilst the improvements are not necessarily visible there is enhanced capacity for deeper draughted ships and the quayside is specifically designed to accommodate crane loads up to 1000t.

With the prospect of major renewable projects in the waters off the west coast of Argyll, these improvements place the port of Campbeltown in a strong position to help service the proposed schemes.”

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Refurbishing Maindee Fire and Rescue Station An £880,000 project to refurbish and modernise a fire and rescue station in Newport has reached completion.

The Maindee Fire and Rescue Station Refurbishment project was completed in October 2012 and comprised the complete internal reworking of the existing station to cater for both male and female fire fighters. In addition to a number of improvements – including the installation of DDA Compliant entryways – the building was also made more energy efficient.

The scheme was implemented by South Wales Fire Service and is part of an ongoing scheme to update fire service provisions in South Wales.

South Wales Fire and Rescue Station Building Maintenance Manager, Stuart Howison, said: “A lot of our building stock dates back to between 1950 and 1975, so was constructed for a different time, when the fire service was primarily a male dominated environment. This station in particular was built during the 1950s so the purpose of the refurbishment was to make it more compliant, to meet the needs of our modern fire service.

“Our aim was to ensure the building is a well maintained property that conforms to our diversity and equality agenda.

“We also wanted to encourage community interaction, so we made the property more accessible in order for members of the public to engage with staff through a number of communitybased schemes.”

Stuart added:

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“The work conducted on Maindee Fire and Rescue Station is in support of our overarching capital refurbishment programme.

Maindee Fire and Rescue Station is one of two stations which we have undertaken work on in the last 15 months, and moving

forward we are effectively looking at refurbishing two sites a year.”

Work began on the refurbishment project in February 2012.

Newport-based company, Davlyn Construction was the main contractor on the project, whilst architectural services were provided by the in-house design team at Monmouthshire County Council.

During the refurbishment works, Maindee Fire and Rescue Station received a complete internal makeover, with ground floor and first floor accommodation modified to provide new dormitory spaces, along with the installation of new male and female shower facilities. Washrooms, offices and new kitchens were also included in the refurbishment scheme, whilst two redundant compliance bays were converted into a gymnasium and fitness equipment area.

External work included the replacement of hard landscaped areas, along with the installation of a security entrance system with an automated gate.

To complete the project lighting and heating systems were

upgraded, whilst the exterior of the building benefitted from a full redecoration.

All of the work ran smoothly on the project however the site team did encounter one particular challenge, as Stuart explained: “As a result of the strip-out works we identified some asbestos which hadn’t been picked up during the preliminary surveys.

However we addressed this very quickly and removed it completely from the building.”

Stuart added: “In order to facilitate the ongoing refurbishment we phased the project. The work was divided into three phases and completed a section at a time which allowed services at the site to remain fully operational. Davlan Construction liaised with staff on a daily basis, which ensured that there were no disruptions and they did a fantastic job.

“We’ve taken a fire station which was constructed in the ‘50s and furthered it to such an extent that it meets all the needs of modern fire fighting.”

The ‘poet’s playground’ to be refurbished To coincide with the centenary of Dylan Thomas’ birth in 2014, the park of his childhood is to be given a large scale restoration.

Opened in 1874, Cwmdonkin Park in Swansea is a Grade II listed ‘garden of historic interest’ and armed with a rich Victorian character the park has charmed numerous generations throughout its life. However after nearly 140 years of use some TLC was

needed and in 2007 the wheels were set in motion to begin the restoration of the park to its former glory.

Ian Beynon who is the Development and Outreach Manager for the City & County of Swansea and leading the project explained: “The park was becoming a bit of an eye sore; the perception was it was unsafe and that there was vandalism and anti-social behaviour. In reality there wasn’t a huge amount, it was just a perception problem as the park was looking a little bit tired.

“Some key Victorian features are being restored such as entrances, railings, a water feature, the bowls pavilion and in addition to these restorations modern facilities are being incorporated. There will be new play areas, including an adventure playground, a multi use games area and we are actually going to open up the bowls pavilion as a tea room so it’s available to members of the public.

“Also there’s the Dylan Thomas shelter in the park that will be improved and used as a performance space as well as a shelter.

“We’ve had to be careful though because of the listed status of the park; any new additions have to be in keeping with the listed status of the buildings. But we have included as many environmentally friendly enhancements as we possibly could, ROMA PUBLICATIONS

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Wa l e s in line with the current conservation guidelines and legislation.”

On the famed Welsh poet from Swansea, Ian added: “There’s a key link to Dylan Thomas, the park was his playground when he was young. There’s going to be a massive celebration of the centenary of his birth in 2014 and the park will be ready in time for those celebrations.

“Thomas is one of the UK’s most celebrated poets and being his local park and one of the first public open spaces that Swansea had the park was an ideal candidate to receive funding for restoration work.”

After considering the park for funding in 2009, the Heritage Lottery Fund awarded £820,000 in December 2010 for the restoration. In addition to this as part of the ‘Sustainable Tourism Project’ £256,000 was granted by the European Union and with local authority funding taken into account, a total of £1.39million is being invested.

In closing Ian said of the park: “We’re creating a sense of place again and making people feel proud that Cwmdonkin is an asset for the whole of Swansea.

“It’s really about preserving the past, but making it fit for future use as well, we want old and young to be able to enjoy the park for generations to come.”

The main contractor on the restoration project is Andrew Scott limited and they commenced work on site in June 2012.

The Welsh company has been in business for well over a century and continues to provide quality and innovation in the fields of construction and civil engineering.

Tumble Forge Tumble Forge specialise in hand forged ironwork keeping alive the old skills of blacksmithing. The company also uses modern plant and machinery to produce high class ornamental gates, railings, balconies and staircases as well as bespoke items.

Tumble Forge have a CAD design office and modern workshop facility, with a five ton gantry lifting capacity to cater for structural steelwork.

The business has been in existence in the same family since 1947 and previous clients include county councils, town coun-

cils, civil engineering contractors, crown estates, celebrities and show business people, National Trust, CADW and the general public.

Roger Thomas from Tumble Forge said: “Our involvement with Cwmdonkin Park was the manufacture and fitting of new boundary railings, entrance gates, handrails and arched gateways in the traditional style of the replaced ironwork.

“It was important for our company to be involved with this project because of the historical background of the park, which is set in the Victorian style. Also the world famous poet Dylan Thomas lived nearby and spent a lot of his time there, mentioning Cwmdonkin Park in one of his poems.

“We pride ourselves in maintaining quality and craftsmanship to a high standard and maintain a skill our grandfathers would have been proud to call their own.”

Ebbw Vale Sports Centre takes shape A £15,212,155 million project to bring a brand new sports centre to Ebbw Vale continues to make great progress.

The Ebbw Vale Sports Centre project comprises the construction of a 6000 sq metre centre to provide sporting facilities to the adjacent schools – the Ebbw Fawr Learning Community – and the surrounding community. Once work is complete on the project the centre will boast a range of sporting facilities, including swimming pools, a fitness suite and four multi-use games areas (MUGA).

Willmott Dixon is the main contractor on the project, whilst Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council, Technical Services Division – the original concept architect – is providing architectural services up to stage D of the project and Building Design Partnership is the architect from stage E onwards.

The project is being funded by the Welsh Government and

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Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council.

Work started on the Ebbw Vale Sports Centre project in April 2012. The two-storey building is being built from a steel frame construction, with a kalzip standing seam roof, curtain walling and a mix of terracotta, Kalzip and Alucobond rain screen cladding. The building is being built to meet BREEAM standards of ‘excellent’ and Secure by Design.

Internally the new centre will include a 25m six-lane competition pool, a leisure pool with associated spectator area, a sauna and changing village, an eight-court sports hall with storage space, a 65-station fitness suite and a sports lab. Additional features include a dance room, a cafe/kitchen area, reception, a number of flexible spaces and associated auxiliary areas.

External features of the site include a full sized 3G pitch, full sized grass pitch, four 3G MUGAs and on site accessible park-

ing. In addition, external landscaping will include steps, seating, public gathering space and a bus drop off zone.

Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council Project Architect, Simon Jennings, said: “Prior to work started on the project the site was an industrialised piece of land known as the Steel Works, so before we could start construction of the new centre we had to get the land back into shape. There was no infrastructure, no road links whatsoever and the land contained many existing obstacles and constraints such as basements, which provided a few challenges.

In addition we are also working amongst a number of live buildings which inhabit the site, including a college (Learning Zone), Gwent Records and a general office, which opened in 2012. The main infrastructure works were also being carried out during the earlier stages of construction.

“To date, the frame of the building is now 99% complete, the roof is 80% complete and the glazing and cladding is currently being finished off. We are also going through the first fix phase of the mechanical and electrical works and the pool is being tested prior to tiling.”

Simon added: “Our existing sports centre was nearing the end of its life before we started on this new centre, so the creation of this facility is vital for the continuation of sporting provisions in the community. If this building is not built then the community and learning community will not have a sports centre.

“Other future development is also planned for this site, so once the sports centre is complete it will become a central hub that will attract all different members of the community and inject life into this area.

“One of our main objectives is to make Blaenau Gwent a better place to live and work, and the creation of this centre goes a long way to achieving this goal.”

The Ebbw Vale Sports Centre project is currently on schedule and is due to reach completion in August 2013.

Repairing Cardigan Castle The medieval stonework of Cardigan Castle, in the Welsh town of Ceredigion, is currently undergoing some crucial structural rejuvenation.

Since the mid-70s the wall, situate at the Castle, has been propped up from street level – partly by steel stanchions and partly by wooden props. In the summer of 2012, the longoverdue work to strengthen the outer-walls began, under the supervision of contractor Andrew Scott LTD. Cardigan Castle dates back to 1176, when it was constructed into the stone structure seen today. Over the following centuries it changed hands numerous times, was stormed by the armies of Oliver Cromwell in 1645, and quickly fell into disrepair.

Discussing the historic site, Education Officer at Cardigan Castle, Rhian Medi, said it was the embattled history of the castle that had left it in need of such repair.

She said: “Parts of the wall of Cardigan Castle are older than others, but the entire outer wall is being renovated. The castle has had a unique past so different sections of the site are much older than others.

“There is a low part of the wall that Oliver Cromwell’s men climbed over to storm the castle, so you can imagine these are areas of historical importance.

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Wa l e s “The repairs have to be done carefully; they were supposed to be finished by December 2012, but that seems unlikely now. But we’re in no rush, we would rather it be done in the right way.”

The £1 million project is being undertaken by Andrew Scott Limited of Swansea – a company with a history of repairing historical buildings.

The renovation and repairs were made possible by European grants as well as additional grant funding from the Prince’s Trust – a UK youth charity which has been in operation since 1976.

The site was the location of the Eisteddfod festival, one of the oldest and largest cultural events of its type – the first ever Eisteddfod festival was held on the year that the castle was built, now it is an annual event for locals and tourists around the world. With the rejuvenation of the wall, this year’s festival should be very significant.

The major regeneration work taking place at Cardigan Castle will also include the creation of a Welsh Language and Learning Centre, visitor destination holiday cottages, craft units and a cafe/restaurant.

Commenting on the importance of the project, Ceredigion’s Welsh Liberal Democrat MP, Mark Williams, said: “The refurbishment of the Cardigan Castle is a fantastic project, the amount of support it has garnered from so many different organisations just goes to show how important the restoration of this historic site is.

“The project has received fantastic backing. The funding and investment will not only benefit Cardigan Castle and its visitors, but will also benefit the Cardigan area as a whole. The Cardigan Castle project is set to attract visitors to the local area for years to come.”

For more information about Cardigan Castle, or to keep up to date with the ongoing works at the site, please visit: www. cardigancastle.com.

Falcon Structural Repairs Falcon Structural Repairs Limited, founded in 1986, has over 25 years experience in underpinning and structural repairs and the repair of cracked brickwork and masonry.

With an impressive record in mind the Cadw – the official guardian of the built heritage of Wales – have entrusted the strengthening of some of Wales’ best loved monuments to the company.

After completing structural support and strengthening works on Conwy Castle, Caernarfon Castle, Montgomery Castle and Chepstow Castle, Falcon has most recently been asked to install anchors to stabilise stonework on Cardigan Castle.

Managing Director of Falcon, Ifor Roberts said: “We were invited to undertake this latest project at Cardigan Castle because we’re an approved installer of the Cintec anchor system which is used internationally and approved by Cadw and English Heritage.

“I believe we were selected because at Falcon we pride ourselves on the quality of the work that we undertake and the high standards demonstrated by our staff and operatives.”

When talking about what challenges a heritage site brings, Ifor added: “We are sympathetic to the requirements of any heritage project. The aim is to preserve the monument in its existing condition whilst providing structural stability to the fabric.

“At Cardigan Castle construction is underway and running smoothly but minor variations to the scheme have been necessary as the project evolves and the construction and condition of the stonework become evident. It is necessary to proceed with such works in a carefully controlled manner as heritage projects are sometimes very delicate.”

Rejuvenating Blaenau Ffestiniog A £4 million project designed to put Blaenau Ffestiniog back on the map has reached completion.

The Blaenau Ffestiniog Regeneration project was implemented

by Gwynedd County Council, working in partnership with the Welsh Government and local community group Blaenau Ymlaen (Blaenau Forward). The scheme was designed specifically to rejuvenate the area and improvement works were carried out on existing retail units, public realm areas and to key gateways into the town.

As part of the scheme public transport was also improved, with the creation of a transport hub that caters for rail, coach, buses

and bikes. Meanwhile, the town’s unique creativity was reflected through the installation of new pieces of public art.

Pryderi Rhisiart, Gwynedd County Council, said: “The aim of the project was to ensure that the town is a great place to live and visit and the scheme celebrates the unique culture and heritage of the town, maximising its most important assets – its people, language and landscape.

“Along with the physical works, the project supports 13 businesses – with grants towards new shop fronts – and was designed to develop a brand for the area which is backed by a strong marketing campaign.

“Social benefits feature as a strong part of the scheme with five pathways to apprenticeships also being created.”

Work began on the Blaenau Ffestiniog Regeneration project in November 2011 and reached completion in November 2012.

Sion Williams of Capita Symonds Ltd was the project manager, whilst Balfour Beatty Regional Civil Engineering Ltd was the

main contractor on the project.

Miller Research Group and Macgregor Smith Landscape Architects designed and developed the concepts on the scheme.

During the course of the regeneration project existing businesses, which were included as part of the scheme, remained open to the public, so site staff worked closely with the business community to ensure that work did not interrupt trading hours.

Community involvement was key throughout the project, with over 15 events held to update residents and gather opinions on the work.

Commenting on the importance of the project, Pryderi said: “The vision was to create an exciting, vibrant and attractive

place to live, work and to visit, that is renowned for culture and the arts, as well as a strong sense of community and the stunning environment.”

Pryderi added: “The project is a key strategic project for Gweynedd County Council as Blaenau Ffestiniog has been recognised as having huge potential for regeneration. By developing the infrastructure of the town and working with other key developments such as the Antur Stiniog downhill cycling facility we believe that the project will be a catalyst for private sector involvement in the area.

“The Blaenau Ffestiniog Regeneration project goes beyond bricks and mortar; it raises confidence and pride in the town.”

Pilot Line Phase One reaches completion Phase One of a £1.1 million project to convert three empty industrial units into a pilot production facility has reached completion.

The Pilot Line Project is a joint venture between Swansea University and Tata Steel and comprises the construction of a cleanroom facility and associated office space. Phase One of the project comprising construction of the cleanroom facility, including two pilot production lines, reached completion in October 2012.

Phase Two, which includes the creation of associated office spaces and laboratories – designed to solve manufacturing challenges during production – will get underway hopefully during the first quarter of 2013.

Phase One of the project was implemented to provide SPECIFIC – an academic and industrial consortium led by Swansea University and Tata Steel – with a state-of-the-art class 10,000 (ISO7) cleanroom facility to house two pilot production lines.

The production lines will create a range of innovative coated steel and glass products, including sheet steel, glass, polymer substrate based technologies, 350mm wide coil materials, as well as other flexible and non-flexible materials.

All of the products that will come off the production lines have been designed to revolutionise the construction industry, and will help reduce CO2 emissions, create new jobs and helping to meet the UK’s total target of renewable energy by 2020.

John Weaver Contractors is the main contractor on the scheme, whilst Greenbuild Consult is the lead consultant.

Work began on Phase One of the project in July 2012. The pilot line is housed below a steel frame, concrete mezzanine floor and surrounded by stud partitions, plasterboard walls and viewing panels.

Commenting on the construction of the cleanroom, Greenbuild Consult Company Director, Jonathan Ridd, said: “The production line is designed to create a coating on the sheet metal that can harvest electricity and produce heat which in turn will have energy saving benefits. This is a pilot scheme, but if it works in the way that it is designed to, then the next step will be to put this small scale operation into large scale production.

“During Phase One of the project we fitted out two industrial units and constructed an industrial cleanroom environment class 10,000 (ISO7). The project has a large electrical distribution board and this has been included to facilitate the required amount of incoming supply that is being brought into the building in order to run the pilot production line.

“One of the main aspects of the work was completing the mechanical installation works on the cleanroom which were very important and a large part of the first phase. We employed a specialist contractor to install the fan filters and the mechanical equipment and this aided us in creating a facility of such a high

classification.

With Phase One of the project now complete, site staff are now looking towards the second phase of the project in order to complete the pilot scheme.

Commenting on the completion of Phase One, Jonathan said: “Due to the nature of the project, trying to create an industrial environment such as this produced many challenges. The mechanical systems had to be integrated into the construction programme of the cleanroom; which required careful planning and attention to detail in order to bring everything together.

This coordinated approach ensured no major problems were encountered. The main contractor and their sub- contractors work extremely hard to meet a very tight programme.”

Jonathan added: “We became involved with the project as it falls within the remit

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of the work we undertake. Greenbuild Consult is a Sustainable Construction Consultancy offering practical services to enable clients to identify the benefits of incorporating sustainable and environmentally friendly practices into the construction of their projects.

“Greenbuild specialise in undertaking environmental assessments of new buildings, under the BREEAM umbrella. What attracted us to the pilot line project was its great potential to make buildings far more sustainable than they have been before; this is an area we have a passion for and we are excited to have been involved in such a project.

“The creation of this facility is the next step in innovation for the steel coatings industry and we believe this will drive sustainability forward, defining new ways in which energy can be produced.”

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School refurbishment project makes the grade A £15 million project to completely redevelop Strathearn School in Northern Ireland continues to make good progress.

The Strathearn School redevelopment project comprises an extensive reworking of the school campus to create a new facility, complete with improved classrooms and sporting provisions.

As part of the project two buildings are being retained on the site – a sports hall and a technology block. The sports hall is being completely refurbished and extended, whilst the technology block will benefit from an extension to incorporate it into the new main school building.

McLaughlin & Harvey is the main contractor on the site, whilst Samuel Stevenson & Son is providing all architectural services for the project. JCP Consulting is the Mechanical & Electrical Engineer, Albert Fry Associates the structural and civil engineers, Braham Electrical is the electrical sub contractor and the mechanical subcontractor is MM Building Services. EC Harris is the project manager on

the scheme.

The Strathearn School Redevelopment project is being funded by Department of Education, along with additional funding provided by Strathearn School.

Work began on the project in March 2011.

The new facility is a steel frame construction, with brick walls and a composite insulated panel roof finished with concrete roof tiles. Elements of zinc cladding are incorporated in the main approach elevation.

Discussing the development of the site, Samuel Stevenson & Sons Company Director Suzanne McCoy, said: “The accommodation we are providing includes a range of different facilities, from general classrooms, specialist subject rooms including science, art and information technology, together with a main assembly hall and school kitchen and dining facilities, in addition to all of the traditional areas that would be associated with a school.

“As for the two existing blocks that are being retained, the sports hall has been extended to include a fitness suite and external changing facilities, and will eventually be expanded to include a smaller gymnasium. In addition, the Department of Education acquired some adjoining land from Belfast City Council which

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has allowed us to extend the sports facilities to include two all-weather hockey pitches and an Astroturf pitch complete with floodlighting.”

Suzanne added: “We’ve recently completed and delivered the first phase of the project to the school, which included general classrooms and science facilities and we are now gearing up to begin work on the second phase.

“Samuel Stevenson & Sons are delighted to be involved with this project.

“The feedback so far has been very positive, and despite a few teething problems the School have occupied the first phase and ongoing work on site remains on programme.”

The Strathearn School Redevelopment project is currently scheduled to reach completion in September 2014.

Belfast leads the way for renewable energy The UK’s first purpose-built offshore wind logistics facility has reached completion at Belfast Harbour.

The Belfast Harbour D1 development consists of a 480-metre deepwater quay supported by a 50-acre hinterland.

The £50 million project was entirely self-funded by Belfast Harbour Commissioners, the port authority that manages and operates Belfast Harbour. Now complete, the leading Danish Utility, DONG Energy, will use the facility to assemble turbines and foundations for use in a number of its wind farm projects in the Irish Sea. The first of these projects is the West of Dutton Sands Offshore Wind Farm, located off the coast of Cumbria.

Main contractor Farrans Construction carried out the Belfast Harbour D1 project, which was designed by Doran Consulting.

Construction began in August 2011 and reached completion in October 2012.

Belfast Harbour Commissioners Commercial Manager, Michael Robinson, said: “The offshore wind industry has two key requirements when looking for new sites: large areas of land and immediate access to an unrestricted deep water shipping channel. Belfast Harbour D1 is one of the few sites in the whole of the British Isles that ticks both of these boxes and DONG Energy quickly saw that we had a huge advantage over other highly competitive sites across

the UK, even though geographically we’re not the closest to its wind farm locations.”

He added: “We were also able to demonstrate to DONG Energy that we had a very streamlined planning process with a number of existing stakeholder relationships already in place. As a result, we ROMA PUBLICATIONS

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were able to turn the planning element of the project around within six months.”

Approximately 1 million tonnes of aggregate was used on the site to create the hinterland section of the development that will store wind turbine components. The aggregate was placed on top of a layer of geogrid, which is a geosynthetic material that is used to reinforce soils and materials whilst providing load bearing capacity. A stone base was also constructed on the seabed in order to offer protection to quay structure when the installation vessels jacked up at the quay.

Michael Robinson said: “The turbines and components that we handled were huge in size and weight, so the loading requirements of the quayside relieving slab were substantial. A standard quay at most harbours would have a loading capacity of approximately 5 tonnes per square metre; however the D1 relieving slab will support loads of up to 15 tonnes per square metre, three times the strength of a usual dockside.”

He added: “With so many projects in the Irish Seas within the D1 site’s natural catchment area, we have great aspirations for this development and with DONG Energy being the world’s number one offshore wind developer, we couldn’t have worked with anyone better to realise those aspirations.

“The work that took place here included a number of firsts for the industry, meaning that Belfast is now well positioned to become a leading hub in the UK for renewable energy.”

ABI Equipment Ltd ABI Equipment Ltd was proud to have been selected as the key supplier of specialist pile driving equipment to Farrans

Construction Ltd for the high profile Belfast Harbour D1 project.

The equipment supplied included two crane-suspended Delmag D100-13 diesel hammers for the impact driving of the large diameter steel combi-wall tubes (Ø1620mm x 32m long), plus a purpose built piling rig designed to install both vertical and raking piles. This equipment utilised a Delmag D46-32 diesel hammer to impact drive the 30m long tubular anchor piles - Ø762mm and Ø660mm raking at an angle of 1:3.

The equipment and services provided ensured Farrans Construction Ltd completed piling works within a very tight time frame over what were challenging winter months, with adverse weather and limited daylight working hours.

Glen Road development takes shape A £26 million project to bring new accommodation and retail space to Belfast is nearing completion.

Situated on Glen Road, Clanmil Housing’s Caffrey Hill is a mixed-use development comprising 119 houses, 46 apartments, seven retail units, an office and a children’s play area.

The site has been under construction since March 2010 and once complete, the development will replace the former brewery which had its home on the site for almost 100 years.

The construction of the scheme is a joint venture between Colleen Construction and T & A Kernaghan, with architectural services provided by McGirr Architects. The site has been designed to meet a number of specific design requirements, including Lifetime Homes, Secured by Design, and Level 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes.

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Commenting on the need to meet these requirements, Clanmil Housing’s Director of Property Services, Carol McTaggart, said: “We are very proud of this scheme. Currently, 44% of Northern Ireland households are deemed to be in fuel poverty, so the focus of meeting Level 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes was our attempt to make the dwellings as thermally efficient as possible.

“It is our view that by meeting these specific design requirements our tenants will reap the benefits and soaring energy costs will not be a drain on their disposable income.”

In addition to meeting very high standards of design, where possible, building elements of the original brewery buildings have been incorporated into the new development to maintain the unique history of the area.

Carol commented: “Glen Road is a key arterial route into the city of Belfast and is a highly populated residential area. The land was a former industrial site which housed the Bass Brewery, which was originally owned by the Caffrey family. For more than 100 years the brewery was a major presence in the area and as a legacy to this, following a naming competition among local school children, the name Caffrey Hill was chosen. We believe this is a fitting tribute to the site’s heritage.

“During its peak the brewery was a key employer in the area, providing jobs for many local residents, so for us it was very important that we acknowledged this when creating the next chapter in the site’s history.”

The buildings are being built using a timber frame construction and include environmentally friendly features such as triple glazing, increased insulation – exceeding the minimal building control requirements – and air tightness. In addition, the development will benefit from solar water heating, mechanical house

ventilation and heat recovery systems.

Carol added: “For Clanmil Housing, Caffrey Hill is a flagship scheme. Work has progressed very well on this development and some tenants have already moved into their new homes.

“Clanmil’s core ethos is about providing high quality housing for those who need it most and we’ve provided a fantastic design solution at Caffrey Hill. Caffrey Hill will take people in urgent need of housing off the waiting list and provide them with a great place to live.

“We want our scheme to be an integral part of the wider community and by including retail units and office space we are providing a sustainable development. We have brought the site back into use for the local community, and we hope this will add to socioeconomic activity in the area by providing a vibrant place to both live and work.”

Caffrey Hill is currently on programme and is scheduled to reach completion in spring 2013.

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New Terminal for Gibraltar Airport The new Gibraltar Air Terminal has opened to the public.

The Terminal replaces an old facility and cost around €84 million, with funding coming from the government of Gibraltar. The Terminal has two storeys- a total floor area of 19,700 sq m- and the development includes four code C aircraft stands and one code D aircraft stand. There is also additional parking for general aviation.

The new building houses three departure gates, 16 check-in desks, two baggage reclaim belts and a dedicated general aviation wing. It will also contain landside and airside retail and catering units. The external finish to the new Terminal is glazed facades.

There has also been some landscaping at the entrance to the main concourse and close to the exit from the boarding gates.

The main contractor is Dragados SA and the terminal was designed by British bblur architecture together with 3DReid. The Terminal also features pecial systems, airside engineering and functional architectural design by NACO, Netherlands Airport Consultants BV, led by bblur partner Daniel Bérubé. Buro Happold, UK carried out its building systems and structures.

Planning permission was granted in 2007 and the Terminal was completed in April 2012, becoming fully operational on 26 September 2012.

Air Terminal Director Terence Lopez said: “The Air Terminal in Gibraltar has always been very important to our community due to our strong ties with the United Kingdom.

“Our growth as a finance centre and in the on-line betting industry results is reliant on good air communications which can now be developed with the addition of the new facility.

“In addition, many Gibraltarians do their further education in the UK, or travel there for specialised medical treatment so the terminal will always play an important part in our community.”

Aquagib Ltd Aquagib Ltd is principally engaged in the provision of water supplies to the local community under a License Agreement with the Government of Gibraltar.

The water distribution system comprises two networks, one for the supply of potable water and the other for the supply of seawater. Fresh water is produced by desalination made potable, stored and conveyed to consumers via a gravity distribution system and subsequently sold through individually metered connections.

Raw seawater resources are pumped into storage reservoirs strategically located throughout the Rock’s periphery in order to be able to supply the ‘consumer’ via a gravity fed Distribution system. Seawater is used for fire fighting, street cleaning, flushing of sewers, flushing of toilets and other sanitary purposes where the use of potable water is not essential.

Aquagib Ltd also has contractual responsibility to operate and maintain sewage pumping stations and their associated rising mains and for the reading and billing of electrical consumption for the Gibraltar Electrical Authority.

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Image credit: Hufton & Crow

William McLaren from Aquagib said: “The company works on all public and private sector driven projects which have water supply implications for the water distribution network. As a water utility provider we are governed by the Public Health Act and Water rules and comply with the regulations on behalf of our client.

“Aquagib’s primary involvement on the project was to ensure that the designed water and sewage pumping infrastructure supplies for Gibraltar Airport were installed and tested in accordance to specification by the contractor, in order that these assets can later be added onto the Aquagib asset register and form part of the network.

“The company’s secondary involvement was to ensure that all existing pipework diversions within the build zone were carried out by the contractor in compliance with specification and recorded for future as built reference.

“Our Company prides itself on its mission statement which encompasses key steps to ensure we achieve our vision by ensuring a customer focus which exceeds expectations with our level of service.”

A s s o c i ati o n s

Learning new skills with the National Association of Chimney Engineers A Specialist Apprenticeship Programme (SAP) developed especially for chimney engineers has been set up to provide on-the-job and off-the-job training.

The SAP has been developed by the National Association of Chimney Engineers (NACE), working in partnership with CITBConstruction Skills (CSkills), and with the support of HETAS. The programme comprises 65 on-the-job training days and 25 off-the-job training days and includes modules specifically designed to provide apprentices with the required skills for chimney engineering.

The SAP modules for chimney engineers will cover all aspects of health, safety and first aid right through to an understanding of the principles of chimney and flue refurbishment. Apprentices will be able to learn the best ways to line chimneys, the correct ways to use hand and power tools, and basic chimney construction skills.

As qualified chimney engineers are expected to work on rooftops in a safe and secure manner, one module will even focus on the best ways to undertake work at a height. This module will demonstrate how best to work with PASMA scaffold towers and roof ladders, which will be invaluable for apprentices who come to rely on these important skills on a daily basis.

The use of flexible metallic lining systems, cast in-situ concrete lining systems, surveying and testing will also be taught as part of the programme.

Most of NACE’s off-the-job training takes place in Derbyshire at Sure Fire Technical Services and regular assessments will take place throughout the two-year duration of the programme.

The final assessment will take place on site and upon successful completion of the programme apprentices will receive the NVQ Diploma in Chimney Engineering level 2.

Currently 1 in every 5 employers is hiring an apprentice as they continue to work their way through the current economic climate. Apprenticeships provide businesses with motivated team members who are keen to get ahead in life, and schemes such as SAP help apprentices to achieve their goals with the correct set of skills. The content of each SAP module provides apprentices with the necessary formal training they require to forge a career in the industry and the programme is open to candidates of all ages.

At present SAP is limited to 8 places. However, there is scope to develop the programme beyond the initial placements if demand from employers is high. The registration fee for this SAP - including off-the-job training and assessment - is currently £4,590 + VAT and subject to conditions may be paid in instalments.

A substantial grant is available for those interested in taking part in the programme. The grant is available for businesses that are registered with CITB-CSkills and may exceed the training and assessment costs over the two-year period of the programme.

engineers and they conduct all building and repair work in line with Building Regulation Standards.

All NACE members are trained to carry out installations to the highest standards of quality and can provide quotes for repair work, undertake surveys and provide clients with the best possible advice.

All chimney engineers that take up membership with NACE are required to have an extensive knowledge of the industry and every chimney lined or installed by a member will include a NACE data plate stating the chimney’s compliance with relevant building regulations.

To become a NACE member please contact info@nace.org.uk or call 01526 322555.

For more information on grants and registration for the Chimney Engineers’ Specialist Apprenticeship Programme please visit www.cskills.org/apprenticeships

More about NACE The National Association of Chimney Engineers was set up in 1982 to maintain national standards of workmanship in the industry. The company promotes a high quality product and ensures that the safety of all UK and Ireland fuel users is the Association’s number one priority.

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Apprentices needed as construction sector faces potential retirement time bomb It has been announced that problems could arise in the construction industry due to an ageing workforce and a ‘limited injection of new blood’.

Mark Farrar, Chief Executive of CITB-ConstructionSkills, the Sector Skills Council and Industry Training Board for the construction industry, said: “When you look at the age profile demographics across the whole construction industry, there is a tendency towards older employees. Indeed, a significant number are coming up to retirement age in the next five to ten years.

“Fewer people are coming through behind them because of the recession in the early 1990s. During this difficult time, 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 when firms are starting to fight hard for young apprentices or undergraduates to come into their sectors. As a result, the construction industry does have a fight on its hands;

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it has to make sure that it accesses good quality people from a significantly smaller pooler of talent.”

He added: “The sectors’ ageing workforce will need replacing; therefore one of our main focuses is promoting the entry of new talent into the industry and driving young people to us for training.”

CITB-ConstructionSkills has organised a series of events which have successfully increased the take-up of apprentices by 47%.

The events were run as part of the CITB-ConstructionSkills Positive Image campaign and led to 65 employers signing up to get their hands on the UK’s best young talent.

With over 200 employers now committed to offering apprenticeships in areas ranging from carpentry to craft masonry, CITB-ConstructionSkills calls 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 oneto-ones with its staff and staff from the National Construction College (NCC) as part of National Apprenticeship Week (NAW).

The event 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 committed to take on apprenticeships.

One employer who attended the event, CMC Ltd’s Martyn Price, said: “I was delighted to be associated with National Apprenticeship

Week to support the benefits that apprentices can bring to any business. The pledge demonstrated our ongoing commitment which 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 has really paid off.”

CITB-ConstructionSkills’ Mark Farrar added: “The events helped show employers the wealth of keen young people who were eager to work in the construction sector. We were delighted to see so many firms sign up to offer apprenticeships.

“However, there was 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 2011 research indicated that employers felt there were significant gaps in their employees’ skills, which seriously limited the potential for growth in the industry. In a CITB survey of 1450 employers in the sector, specific gaps in skills that were 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.

Hewden Training Hewden Training is a leading provider of specialist training

courses for the construction industry. All of the company’s courses are industry accredited and cover such subjects as health and safety, crane operation and access training. In addition, Hewden Training also offers a bespoke training service whereby courses can be adapted to meet the requirements of contract customers.

Hewden Training has been in operation for more than 44 years – providing specialist training services to clients aged 17 and up – and has recently introduced a brand new online booking system. The new system allows clients to access information on all available courses and provides a one-stop-shop for customers requiring the company’s unique services.

Hewden Training Manager, Danielle Rigby, said: “In order to operate machinery, everybody in the industry needs some form of training. We fulfil our customers’ needs by providing a training service that allows everyone to be trained to the correct level and this is especially important for teams working on the same site.

“At Hewden Training we also provide a bespoke service which allows us to meet our clients’ requirements each and every time.

We are currently developing a brand new course for Barratt Homes – which is very specific to the way the company operates – and this is something we can do for other companies.

Not many companies offer this level of service and it certainly makes us stand out from the crowd.”

Hidden cost of lead thefts threatening our heritage Ray Robertson, Secretary, Lead Contractors Association – Stealing lead from a church roof is no longer the victimless crime traditionally portrayed. Record metal prices have resulted in regional / national organised gangs that methodically strip vulnerable sites, with the lead easily distributed through the UK network of metals reclamation merchants. Increasing demand worldwide for lead acid batteries has also spawned large scale thefts by the container load to be shipped directly abroad from UK ports.

More often than not the ‘vulnerable sites’ are church properties in remote locations where access is open and visitors are encouraged. This has meant the repeat targeting of some churches with the thieves simply waiting for the lead sheet to be replaced before stripping it off again.

Although perhaps involving relatively few people directly, the damage caused to the external building structure and internal decoration, as well as its precious, often irreplaceable contents is heartbreaking to those locals affected.

It is reported that between January and August 2011, the cost of lead stripped from ecclesiastical properties had exceeded £3.5M - more then the whole of 2010. More than 5,000 churches in the UK have now suffered from a theft of lead and this is not a problem which is going away.

Although lead thefts have been escalating chronically over the past three or four years, it affects relatively few. Ironically it has been the recent increase in the theft of copper cable and resulting massive inconvenience to thousands of rail commuters and cost to transport, power and communication companies (and their insurers) which has dramatically raised the public awareness of ‘metal thefts’ and led to demands for action.

Now there are investigations into security systems, alarms, lighting and lead theft deterrents such as Smartwater and Led-Lok. Neighbourhood watch schemes such as Church Care and National Church Watch have quickly become a focal point for the community. The entire UK metals reclamation network ROMA PUBLICATIONS

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A s s o c i ati o n s because it is a soft metal which moves, lead cannot be sealed down on all sides and still perform, so increasing its vulnerability to theft.

Installing lead sheet properly is therefore a specialist craft that requires a degree of skill and knowledge which the general roofing contractor is unlikely to have, regardless of their competence in other materials.

When a lead theft occurs there is an increasing temptation to change materials. Even when lead sheet is re-installed, there is the mistaken belief that money can be saved by using a non specialist.

These two consequences of lead theft have resulted in a sharp fall in demand for the services of the specialist leadworker, at a time when the entire UK construction industry continues to suffer from the economic downturn.

When metal prices ease (as they will), when lead thefts decline (as they will), when demand for lead sheet revives (as it undoubtedly will because of its unrivalled long term maintenance free performance), where will the specialists be to make sure it is fitted with the skill, knowledge and careful attention to detail it deserves?

For more information on the Lead Contractors Association: www.lca.gb.com

Associated Leadmills Ltd

(colloquially “scrap metal merchants”) has come under the microscope, with calls for changes to legislation, stricter regulation, licensing, banning of cash scales, improved identification procedures, record keeping, Certificates of Origin, etc.

Demands for the skills of the experienced lead craftsmen increased to the extent where LCA members undertook to work to an agreed schedule of rates and an organised system approved

by Ecclesiastical Insurance which meant the rapid response by a leadwork specialist when a theft occurred. It also meant an installation carried out in accordance with the UK Code of Practice (BS6915) and which was sympathetic with the demands of the original roof design.

In the hands of a skilled and experienced craftsman, lead sheet can be shaped by hand to fit the most complex and ornate details which are found on our historic properties, in order to provide comprehensive and maintenance free weather protection that (untouched) will consistently perform for more than 100 years.

Because it is a soft metal, lead sheet reacts to temperature changes by expanding and contracting. The specialist leadworker knows exactly how to allow for this thermal movement in the sizing and fixing of each individual detail. However also

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Associated Leadmills Ltd is one of the largest lead and hard metals distributors in the UK. The company supplies materials to both trade and domestic customers and lists SIG Construction Accessories and Travis Perkins Builders Merchants amongst its clients.

Presently Associated Leadmills Ltd is supplying hard metals for a brand new Tesco that is under construction in Woolwich.

Once completed the Woolwich branch will be the world’s largest site for the supermarket giant.

Associated Leadmills Ltd is ISO9001 accredited and also manufactures bespoke lead pipes and rolled lead for the roofing industry.

Associated Leadmills Ltd Business Development Manager, Andy Denham, said: “At Associated Leadmills Ltd we have two sides to our business. The first is the distribution of lead which we sell directly to merchants, whilst the second is hard metal which we sell to the public, merchants and fabricators. Amongst our hard metals we supply copper, zinc, stainless steel and all ancillary products.

“If any member of the public requires lead we can also put them in contact with a relevant merchant within our vast network.”

Andy Denham added: “At Associated Leadmills Ltd we offer a trusted and reliable service to meet the requirements of all our customers. Our staff are fully trained and with a wealth of experience we provide a high-quality distribution service that is well respected within the construction industry.”

Working at height? You can count on the ATLAS safety net The Association of Technical Lighting and Access Specialists (ATLAS) has been supporting its member companies in the working at height industry since 1946.

It has been continually striving to improve working practices, technical quality and accepted standards in the steeplejack and lightning protection sectors. The benefit is naturally felt by member companies, but also extends to clients of members who work within this specialist sector.

ATLAS was formed to promote the common interests of steeplejacking and lightning conductor engineering companies. By working to maintain a high standard of conduct, combat unfair practices and encourage safety and efficiency, it offers its members access to the best industry knowledge and advice available.

ATLAS is governed by a council elected annually by the membership which meets four times a year. Meetings are open to all ATLAS members to participate in discussions on industry topics, to pose questions and to meet with other member companies to further both their own development and that of the industry.

Outside the quarterly meetings, work continues throughout the year in the form of committee activity, ensuring that ATLAS remains at the forefront of all industry developments, influencing decisions, improving standards and reporting back to its members.

Membership of ATLAS is carefully monitored and all companies are obliged to abide by the association’s constitution and code of conduct.

held positions as contracts supervisor, contracts manager, contracts director, managing director, and company chairman until 2004, when the business assets were sold to Omega Red Group.

Graeme has been an active member of ATLAS since the 1980s, becoming heavily involved in lightning protection matters and representing ATLAS on BSI technical committees for lightning protection and earthing for over 20 years.

Find out more To find out how your company or organisation can benefit from ATLAS membership, visit www.atlas.org.uk

Association Objectives •

• • • •

To ensure high standards of safety, both for management and operatives, through a comprehensive range of training and qualification To protect others who may be affected by their operations To maintain a high standard of professional conduct and ensure members comply with current regulations To represent to clients a hallmark of quality and efficiency To secure equitable forms of contract with clients and to discourage unfair and unsafe work practises

Leadership ATLAS is fronted by figures who have built up years, if not decades, of industry experience, and who all share a belief and willingness to work for the benefit and betterment of the industry. The association’s presidency is currently held by Graeme Fisher. Graeme joined the established steeplejack and lightning protection company A.W. Elliott in 1974, and through the years ROMA PUBLICATIONS

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Heritage

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

English Heritage is the government’s statutory adviser on the historic environment. Officially known as the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England, English Heritage is an executive non-departmental public body that is 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. In 2008/09 the organisation’s public funding was worth £132.7 million, and income from other sources was £48.1 million.

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

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

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

English Heritage is currently running a five-year investment programme for its properties. Based on an audit of all the organisation’s properties, £30 million is being targeted at those sites with the most commercial potential, in order to make as many sites as possible self-financing. Projects range from major refurbishment and restoration works at Kenilworth Castle to relatively small but significant improvements to exhibitions and interpretation, catering and retail facilities.

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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

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

The duo has completed restoration work for both English Heritage and Natural England. Their experiences have helped them to reach the conclusion that not only is a conservationfocused business an extremely viable enterprise, but their traditional skills are lacking across the UK. And that’s without mentioning their love for the work.

Scotcourt Ltd Scotcourt Ltd is proud to have completed numerous traditional masonry contracts, both as principal contractor for masonry projects and as sub contractor for traditional lime works. This work includes re-pointing, lime repairs and masonry restorative cleaning along with replacement operations using traditional methods and techniques of conservation.

All work is carried out by trained operatives which ensures that our built environment continue to be in safe hands.

A spokesman for Scotcourt said: “Your building’s past is our future.” www.scotcourt-stonemasonsltd.co.uk

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Stewart & Hutchinson sees the light

Stained glass and leadlight specialist Stewart & Hutchinson has restored a historic piece of artwork to its former glory.

The company painstakingly restored four irreplaceable stained glass windows at St Cardoc’s Church in Glynneath after two of the window lancets were identified as requiring urgent attention.

The work was completed in January 2012 and has helped to revitalise an important area of the church.

Each window lancet measures 9ft high and contains two medieval stained glass panes surrounded by a section of Victorian glass. The medieval panes were painted in the 16th century and feature images of abbots, monks and saints. Previous attempts to repair the windows had left the historic glazing showing visible signs of wear and tear so specialised restoration work was therefore required to protect the artwork from further damage.

Stewart & Hutchinson removed all of the glass panels from the lancet in order to enable conservator Bryony Benwell to clean, repair and restore the medieval panes. To ensure that the hard work will continue to payoff for future generations, Stewart & Hutchinson then employed a technique called Isothermal Glazing to help preserve the life of the windows.

The Isothermal Glazing process involved repositioning the medieval panes so that they sit 30mm in front of the background glass. A sheet of plain glass was then placed in front of the medieval panes to create a space within the lancets where air could comfortably circulate around the frame. The external face of the medieval glass is now protected from acid erosion and other external damage.

Stewart & Hutchinson Managing Director, Gordon Stewart, said: “Once we had completed the project I really couldn’t believe the difference that we had made by restoring the windows.

“This was the perfect job and we couldn’t have completed it any better if we had tried. The work was finished on time, within budget and to a very professional standard.

“At Stewart & Hutchinson we really enjoy being involved in work of this nature. Projects like this come up only once every so often, so we were very lucky to be a part of the restoration of such an important piece of history.”

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