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BUILDING DESIGN &

CONSTRUCTION THE MAGAZINE FOR THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

JUNE 2013 ISSUE 186

JUNE 2013

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EDITOR’S COMMENT

PARTY TIME IN SOUTH WALES t’s all happening in South Wales. Cardiff City have been

League. Now, with a cup win and a close-run battle for

promoted to the Premier League to renew their rivalry

European football, Wales’ top team have lodged a formal plan-

with fellow Welsh team Swansea, prompting a swathe of

ning application to the City and County of Swansea to increase

celebrations in the capital. The party reminds us of the

the capacity of the ground by 11,000 seats.

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smiling faces just down the road when Swansea won the

League Cup in February.

The expansion would see the extension of the North, South and East stands of the stadium in phases over the next three to

While Swansea’s cup win brought home their first major

five years. The proposals seek to capitalise on the success of the

piece of silverware, fans may now see further evidence of the

football club during their first two seasons in the Premier

club’s rise to prominence as plans are in place to improve the

League, help consolidate this status and remain part of the top

stadium.

flight for many years to come.

Swansea play at the Liberty Stadium, a 20,700-seat capacity

The plan proposes three stages with the first stage expand-

stadium, that was officially opened in 2005. The new ground

ing the East Stand providing an initial capacity increase of 3,844

replaced their historic but deteriorating Vetch Field following a

spectators. Phases two and three would then increase the total

developer-led consortia, alongside the local council, proposing a

capacity of the stadium to 32,000.

sustainable bowl-style venue financed through a 355,000 foot retail park located nearby. The final value of the stadium was around £50m.

During the summer of 2012, Swansea began planning for

DANIEL STEPHENS EDITOR

stadium expansion based on a successful season in the Premier

MAGAZINE MANAGER: KEN BOOTH TRAINING MANAGER: JONATHAN SEALE FEATURE MANAGERS: VAUGHAN WILKS LUKE ROBINSON ADAM PATCHELL ALEX MITCHELL WESLEY DAVIES JOHN HENSON EDITOR: DANIEL STEPHENS ART EDITOR: STEVE WILLIAMS DESIGNER: KATE WEBBER

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CONTRIBUTORS: JEFF SENIOR ROB SAMUELS MATT WARING PRODUCTION: VICKI LINDSAY LISA POLLINGER ACCOUNTS: NICK CHARALAMBOUS ADMINISTRATION: CHARLOTTE LEWIS BUILDING DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION IS PUBLISHED BY: CPL (HUDDERSFIELD) LTD 3 Brook Street, Huddersfield HD1 1EB TEL: +44 (0)1484 411 400 E-MAIL: info@bdcmagazine.co.uk

Building Design and Construction magazine is published

by CPL (Huddersfied) Ltd. Company registered in England & Wales. All material is the copyright of CPL (Huddersfied) Ltd. All rights reserved. Building Design and Construction magazine is the property of CPL (Huddersfied) Ltd. This publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form whole or part without the written permission of a director of CPL (Huddersfied) Ltd. Liability: while every care is taken in the preparation of this magazine, the publishers cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of information herein, or any consequence arising from it. In the case of company or product reviews or comments, these have been based upon the true and honest opinion of the Editor at the time of going to press.

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CONTENTS

INSIDE...

SECTIONS:

NEWS CIVILS, TRANSPORT AND UTILITIES EDUCATION SECTOR SOCIAL HOUSING LOCAL AUTHORITIES LANDSCAPE INDUSTRIES BUILDING SERVICES INTERIOR FIT-OUTS

4 8 34 50 66 78 88 108

SUPPLEMENTS AND SPECIALS:

FMtoday

THE MAGAZINE FOR FM PROFESSIONALS FM NEWS This month’s top stories

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THINKFM Book early for the THINKFM Conference 2013

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SKANSKA FACILITIES SERVICES Client committment BRAYBORNE CLEANING SERVICES “We don’t just clean, we care” RICS The home buying ‘time bomb’ THE CRABTREE PROPERTY GROUP Innovation is the driving force EVENTS Some dates for your diary

VIII XXVI XXVIII XXX XXXVI

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CONTENTS

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LONDON BOROUGH OF NEWHAM

FEATURES: NEWS This month’s top stories

CIVILS, TRANSPORT & UTILITIES LONDON ARRAY London array reaches full capacity FOREFRONT UTILITIES The forefront of utility solutions FIRST HYDRO Flexible, fast and reliable MCNICHOLAS ‘s’ is for sustainability MAY GURNEY ENGINEERING SERVICES On time delivery for Network Rail

EDUCATION SECTOR

NEWS This month’s top stories UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD Investing in Salford THE SHEFFIELD COLLEGE Modern, efficient and carbon neutral CENTRAL COLLEGE NOTTINGHAM Exciting times SOUTH TYNESIDE COLLEGE Dedicated to your success

SOCIAL HOUSING SECTOR

BEDROOM TAX A tax too far?

BRENT HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Building on excellence LONDON BOROUGH OF BARKING & DAGENHAM Social and economic regeneration

LOCAL AUTHORITIES

PLANNING All in the planning?

FIFE COUNCIL Exciting times ahead LONDON BOROUGH OF NEWHAM Regenerating Newham

LANDSCAPING INDUSTRIES

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MCNICHOLAS

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CENTRAL COLLEGE NOTTINGHAM

BRITISH ASSOCIATION OF LANDSCAPE INDUSTRIES ...and the winner is TURNEY LANDSCAPES Steady growth PRO-SCAPE LTD Setting the scene NT KILLINGLEY Award winners

BUILDING SERVICES

B&ES Fresh approaches BRIGGS AND FORESTER GROUP Meeting energy requirements ROYCE GROUP Excellence in climate control NICEIC Home of electrical contracting excellence LANTEI COMPLIANCE Peace of mind FULCHER EDWARDS ELECTRICAL SERVICES Quality service PROGRAMME MANAGEMENT LTD Always available, always exceptional ESI ELECTRICAL Flexibility and quality

INTERIOR FIT-OUTS PJH GROUP Making a difference

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34 36 42 44 46

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66 68 74

78 80 82 84

88 90 96 98 100 102 104 106

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NEWS

JOBS BONANZA IN SUBSEA INDUSTRY

Subsea UK says sector needs 10,000 new people in the next 12 months THE INDUSTRY body which represents over 250 companies across the UK has revealed that 10,000 jobs could be created in the sector in the next 12 months.

Following a survey, Subsea UK has found that almost one fifth of its membership will need over 2,000 people in the next 12 months to cope with the growth in the industry. The 43 companies who responded to the survey are already seeking to fill 800 vacancies.

Subsea UK, chief executive, Neil Gordon, said: “The respondents to the survey represent a cross section of the supply chain so we can assume that if one fifth need 2,000 people, there are potentially 10,000 new jobs across the sector.

“With the UK economy still fairly fragile, it is fantastic that our industry, which is outperforming other sectors and helping lead the country’s economic recovery, is creating so many new jobs. The challenge for us is finding suitably qualified people to meet immediate demand and attracting new people into the industry to fulfil future demand.”

The British subsea industry which generates £6billion in revenues and already supports around 50,000 jobs is expected to grow by 40% in the next two years, capturing over a third of the current global subsea oil and gas market worth £20billion.

Over 50% of survey respondents said that recruiting suitably qualified people was very difficult with 14% believing it was almost impossible. Recruiting semi-qualified people is slightly easier but 45% still believe it is difficult.

Engineers, project managers and technicians are the most sought after positions with ROV (remotely operated vehicle) operators and sales and marketing positions also in demand.

Extracting the remaining world’s reserves will increasingly fall to the subsea industry – already almost 45% of UKCS production comes from subsea wells with new developments soon to take this up to 70%. Subsea is therefore of vital importance to the security of the world’s energy supply.

E-LEARNING AVAILABLE A NEW set of e-learning courses have been launched by the British Safety Council.

The e-learning courses can be used by employers in all sectors of business and industry to provide managers, supervisors and team leaders with a thorough understanding of how to carry out both general health and safety risk assessments and specific assessments for fire safety, manual handling, display screen equipment and the control of substances hazardous to health (COSHH).

John Phillips, director of qualifications and standards at the British

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Safety Council, said: “Effective risk assessments are the cornerstone of good health and safety in the workplace, allowing employers to identify hazards and decide on the best ways of eliminating or controlling the risk of harm and accidents.

“These new e-learning courses are fully interactive, teaching the essential stages in the risk assessment process. They are also flexible, since risk assessors can study at a time and place that suits both them and their employer without the need to attend face-to-face, classroom training.” www.britsafe.org

BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE

Approximately one third of the total revenues generated by the sector is centred on manufacturing and an impressive £3.3 billion (56%) is directly attributed to export sales.

Mr Gordon added: ““Much of the growth has been driven by exports which are increasingly important to the health of the sector. While the manufacture of technology and equipment represents around half, we are also strong in the export of our skills, knowledge and expertise.

“This industry, which was born and has grown up in the North Sea is no longer dependent on this mature province. To capitalise on the increasing global demand, now is the time to robustly promote the sector at home and abroad. If the UK is to continue to dominate globally, we need Government to acknowledge the importance of the sector and support us in our drive to develop the new technologies the industry needs to recover the remaining reserves and to help us attract new talent, particularly young people into the sector to meet the skills gaps.”

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NEWS

LOFT DOOR SETS NEW STANDARDS MANTHORPE, the Derbyshire based manufacturer of plastic building products, has announced the launch of a new loft door to replace its best-selling GL250-03.

The new GL250 has many innovative features that improve the ease of installation and the products’ insulation values. There is virtually no air leakage at all. In BRE tests, the new GL250 was the only door that passed requirements. All competitors’ doors tested failed the tests carried out.

Homeowners will quickly appreciate the new design because it makes loft access even easier and the airtightness of the fitting saves valuable energy.

RIXONWAY KITCHENS WINS £3.2M CONTRACT

CARILLION CONSORTIUM FOR AIRPORT CITY SCHEME A consortium of Argent, Greater Manchester Property Venture Fund and Carillion is believed to have won the £650 million contract to develop the Airport City scheme, which involves redeveloping 65 acres at Manchester Airport.

The contact includes the creation of 1m sq ft of offices, 382,639 sq ft of advanced manufacturing, 2,400 new hotel beds, and 1.4m sq ft of logistics space. The project is part of the 150-acre Manchester

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Airport City Enterprise Zone. A spokesman for client Manchester Airports Group told the Manchester Evening News: “No party has yet been selected for the final stage in our joint venture partner selection process. We are pleased with the level of interest shown to date by a number of parties in relation to the Airport City Project at Manchester Airport; as a number of bids have come from a range of international developers and funders.”

RIXONWAY KITCHENS has won a five year contract worth £3.2m to supply new kitchens to West Lancashire Borough Council as part of the biggest ever housing regeneration programme to take place in the area.

Rixonway will supply 3,788 new kitchens which will be installed in council homes by Lovell and Wates across the borough after the Council pledged to invest £55m over five years to transform its social housing stock.

Thousands of tenants stand to benefit from the improvements that will also see 4,864 bathrooms replaced, new doors and windows fitted to properties and the installation of new energy efficient heating systems during the same period.

Rixonway’s team of onsite designers have begun to visit tenants

to help plan the layout of their new kitchens. In total 1,400 kitchens will be installed in the first year. Tenants will be able to talk to designers about how they want their new fully fitted kitchen to look and will have a choice of five options for replacement doors, door handles, worktops, wall tiles, flooring and decor.

The contract was awarded to Rixonway following a competitive tendering process through the national Fusion21 Supplier Framework run by procurement organisation Valueworks which will ensure the smooth-running of the contract.

During the tendering process, Rixonway were recognised for the company's strong track record in social housing as well as competitive products, pricing and a commitment to environmental practices.

RAMBOLL TO ADVISE BULGARIA ON WASTE-TO-ENERGY Ramboll has been commissioned to assist Sofia’s energy supplier with a waste-to-energy scheme for the Bulgarian capital.

The contract for Toplofikacia Sofia is part of Bulgaria’s overall strategy to make itself less dependent on gas supplies from Russia and reduce CO2 emissions.

Ramboll has been commissioned to provide technical assistance in

connection with the development of a combined heat and power producing waste-to-energy facility.

The City of Sofia is in the process of implementing a new waste strategy, which includes a mechanical biological treatment plant to produce about 150,000t of refuse-derived fuel (RDF) annually and a waste-to-energy facility, which will use the RDF as fuel to produce heat and power.

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NEWS

NEW SOLAR CLUSTER ‘AMONG LARGEST EVER’ MARTIFER Solar, a subsidiary of Martifer SGPS, has developed a cluster of utility scale photovoltaic plants totaling 28.1 MWp in the UK. This is one of the largest clusters of utility scale solar PV plants ever built and the construction of the cluster was completed in 15 weeks.

The solar PV plants were constructed in Cornwall, Hampshire, Devon and Wiltshire, regions which boast the highest solar radiation levels in the country.

Martifer Solar has entered into an agreement with Lightsource Renewable Energy, who has purchased all five projects, already commissioned.

The entire cluster of 28.1 MWp will be added to the Lightsource asset management portfolio in the UK, while Martifer Solar will be retained under an operations and maintenance contract to ensure all five plants perform at optimal generation levels.

“With these projects, Martifer Solar assumes, in a very expressive way, a commitment to the solar and renewables industry in the UK,” said Martifer Solar country manager João Cunha.

“Following a first stage in which we completed the projects’ development/licensing, we are very proud with the conclusion of another challenging period, for the construction and commissioning of the plants.”

TESCO WANTS MORE TIME FOR SELBY STORE CONSTRUCTION A MAJOR supermarket chain has applied for more time to begin construction of a new, expanded store in Selby.

Plans to demolish and expand the Tesco store in Portholme Road were first announced by the supermarket chain in 2011, with plans to move on to the site of the former Selby District Council civic centre, which the council sold to the company for £2.5 million.

It was hoped the replacement store would bring 100 jobs to the area, and planning permission was granted by the council in June 2011.

But work has still not started at the site, almost two years after the deal.

Earlier this year, Tesco announced it was shedding hundreds of jobs from its distribution centres around the country, and January saw the company lose £300 million from its market value in the horsemeat scandal, leading to concerns the promised improvements in Selby would not go ahead.

A report submitted with the extension request said: “The replacement retail development will provide a much-needed modern retail facility for residents of Selby and the surrounding area.”

A decision is expected on the extension in June

SKANSKA LONDON MONUMENT OFFICE JOB APPROVED SKANSKA’S development arm has got the planning green light for a 9storey office building next to the Monument in London.

Skanska Construction will start work in late Summer on the new building block, expected to cost around £20m to build.

An existing building on the site will be demolished and Skanska plans to re-use its existing basement retaining walls to reduce the amount of concrete used. The new building

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planned at 11-19 Monument Street was designed by Make with Arup as M& E Consultants on the job.

Skanska Project Development’s Neal Pickering said: “The site was acquired last year with the intention of delivering 85,000 sq ft of Grade A offices.

“Around 40,000 sq ft of the office space is being occupied by Skanska UK and the remainder of the space being let to occupiers looking for offices upwards of 10,000 sq ft in a prime city location.”

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MARK PRISK ANNOUNCES FIRST 45 PROJECTS TO USE £1BN BUILD TO RENT FUND HOUSING minister Mark Prisk has today announced the first 45 projects that will take advantage of the £1bn Build to Rent fund which is expected to provide 10,000 new homes in the private rental sector by 2015.

A quarter of the projects will be in London, however, the Department for Communities and Local Government is unable to provide a detailed breakdown of where the rest will be built. It says it expects to release more details in May. The first 45 projects will receive a share of £700m with a second round of bids for the remaining fund expected to be opened later this year.

CROSSRAIL OPTS FOR COSTAIN A PAIR of Crossrail contracts has been awarded to joint ventures set up by Maidenhead-based Costain.

By far the largest is a £300m agreement for ATC – representing Costain, Alstom and TSO – to design and install the railway systems in Crossrail’s 21km-long tunnel network.

This will involve conceptualising and fitting out tracks, mechanical and electrical equipment, and overhead lines. Also confirmed is a £15m contract for its joint venture with Alstom to design and build the system providing traction power for

trains in Crossrail's central tunnel.

Andrew Wyllie, chief executive of Costain, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded these contracts, which follow on from other Crossrail projects we are involved in, including the construction of the Bond Street and Paddington stations and work at Eleanor Street and Mile End Park.

Earlier this month, the company revealed that it had started work on a four-year contract with the Welsh government to maintain IT assets on major roads across Wales.

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NEWS

The Build to Rent fund, which was initially set at £200m until Chancellor increased the size of the fund to £1bn in last month’s Budget, is designed to help developers invest in homes built specifically for private rent by the Government offering bridging finance to allow schemes to be built, managed and let.

Prisk says: “We have seen overwhelming demand for the fund, and it’s become clear that there is a real appetite for rental investment. We want to support that, which is why we’ve made a £1bn budget boost to the fund.

“Now, these new projects will help us map this almost uncharted market, bringing in new blood to improve rental quality and choice, and building the new homes that this country wants and needs.”

Mayor of London Boris Johnson says: “With London’s population expanding at record pace, we need to build around a million new homes in the next 25 years to meet demand and avert a possible housing crisis. Increasing supply in the private rented sector has a massive part to play in this.”

THORPE PARK DEAL NETS £6.5M THREE buildings at Thorpe Park in Leeds, which are home to such wellknown names as IBM Balfour Beatty and Republic, have been sold for £6.5m.

Balfour Beatty Group is based at the newly refurbished 2,200 building and recently signed a ten-year lease to occupy its ground floor.

Mitie Facilities Services occupies 16,000ft2 of space at 1,175, while Republic’s head office is based at 2,100.

Richard Corby, partner and head of the Leeds office of Edward Symmons, said: “The acquisition of buildings 1,175, 2,100 and 2,200 represents a sound investment as these properties

currently command a total annual rental income in excess of £1m.”

In recent months, Edward Symmons sold three further buildings at the park with vacant possession to owner-occupiers. Sovereign Wealth and Boost Drinks each acquired a 4,100 sq ft property and Help-Link UK purchased a 10,000ft2 building.

Corby added: “There has been much interest in the park since the beginning of the year and that looks set to continue. Of the 100,000ft2 of space in the three buildings purchased just 18,000ft2 remains vacant.”

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CIVILS, TRANSPORT AND UTILITIES: LONDON ARRAY

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CIVILS, TRANSPORT AND UTILITIES: LONDON ARRAY

LONDON ARRAY REACHES FULL CAPACITY

The London Array is now officially the largest offshore windfarm in the world

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ull capacity has now been reached at the 630MW first phase of the world’s largest offshore wind farm, the London Array.

The commissioning of the 175th and final turbine happened at 16.09 on Saturday, 6 April.

With all turbines now exporting power to the national grid, London Array is expected to produce enough green electricity to power nearly half a million homes a year.

Turbine installation was completed in December 2012; since then the project has focused on fully commissioning and putting into operation all 175 of the 3.6MW Siemens turbines by this spring.

“This is the final major milestone of the construction phase and the culmination of more than two years’ offshore construction work which began in March 2011 with the installation of the first foundation,” said Project Director Richard Rigg.

“It has been a complex operation but I am delighted that the commissioning of the wind farm has now been completed on schedule, despite the worst of the winter weather.”

The project has started handing over to the Operations and Maintenance Team.

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This will be completed in the summer when the last shallow array cable has been buried.

Benj Sykes, Country Manager for DONG Energy’s UK Wind business, said: “Building London Array, the world’s largest offshore wind farm, is a great achievement.

“As we now look to our pipeline of future projects, DONG Energy is determined to drive down the costs of our offshore wind farms to €100 per megawatt hour for projects we’ll be sanctioning in 2020.

“What we have learnt at London Array, together with our continuing focus on innovation in technologies and techniques, will help us achieve that.”

Tony Cocker, Chief Executive Officer of E.ON UK, commented: “London Array is a significant achievement in renewable energy. The world’s largest operational offshore wind farm will be capable of generating enough energy to power nearly half a million homes and reduce harmful CO2 emissions by over 900,000 tonnes a year.

“It’s been a tough time for the team working on site. The recent bad weather and north easterly winds have whipped up the waves preventing access to the site so

this milestone is true reward for their hard work.”

Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Chief Executive Officer of Masdar, said: “Just over two years ago, we celebrated the first of 177 foundation installations in this massive undertaking. Today, after overcoming challenges on both land and at sea, we celebrate the commissioning of the final turbine.

“As a partner in some of the world’s most sophisticated and large-scale renewable energy projects, Masdar recognises the value of robust collaborative efforts as exemplified by the London Array. Masdar is proud to be contributing to the United Kingdom’s clean energy mix and remains committed to growing offshore wind capacity in the UK and worldwide.”

London Array is being built around 20km off the coasts of Kent and Essex on a 245km2 site. Phase One covers an area of 90km2 and includes 175 turbines with a combined capacity of 630MW. A possible second phase could add enough capacity to bring the total to 870MW. The project consortium partners have the following shareholdings: DONG Energy owns 50%, E.ON has 30% and Masdar has a 20% stake.

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CIVILS, TRANSPORT AND UTILITIES: FOREFRONT UTILITIES

THE FOREFRONT OF UTILITY SOLUTIONS Forefront Utilities offer a comprehensive utilities solution including gas mains installation, repair and maintenance, replacement and specialist drilling services.

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CIVILS, TRANSPORT AND UTILITIES: FOREFRONT UTILITIES

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he number of awards you receive is often a good measure of how well you’re doing on the health and safety front. With four RoSPA golds and two silvers in the last seven years plus a British Safety Council Merit last year after previously winning their International Safety Award, the only conclusion is that Forefront Utilities is doing extremely well. And the awards are on top of Achilles audits that consistently score in the high nineties while operating in a particularly dangerous part of the construction industry.

“The industry is high risk but its accident rates are really low,” comments Health, Safety and Environment Manager Colin Wilder. “That’s because of all the safety systems that we put in place.”

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The company’s main activities are gas mains installation, repair and replacement as well as reinstatement work and specialist drilling services. That means it’s constantly working in potentially dangerous situations and so has not only a full safety management system, auditing and staff training, but also has a number of initiatives to ensure a safe operation.

Although it works in the gas industry, one of the biggest dangers is hitting live electric cables when excavating and that’s countered in a number of ways. The first of these is a Permit to Dig that has to be signed by a supervisor to confirm the team has properly marked the site to identify the location of all utilities based on supplied drawings and a thorough survey with a cable locator and genny. Only then is the team allowed to start excavating. This

procedure has reduced cable strikes from seventeen annually on average to four last year.

Colin says: “We really stress that Gennys are to be used at all times when scanning and excavating.

We’ve really had a big push on that and we make sure they rescan every 300 millimetres and they’re continually scanning while they’re excavating. That’s the only way to get cable damage down.”

Safety when excavating is also helped by the use of a vacuum excavator that reduces even further the risk of cutting through high voltage cables, water and sewerage pipes and telecommunications cables. “There’s no danger at all because you’re literally just sucking the dirt out,” explains Colin. “You use an air lance to loosen the ground by blowing air through it and the vacuum excavator then sucks it straight up.”

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CIVILS, TRANSPORT AND UTILITIES: FOREFRONT UTILITIES Avoiding the cables is only part of the problem because Forefront deals with live gas mains and has to do it in a way that prevents gas escapes. The answer is to work free of gas, which is achieved by the use of a bag stop where balloons are inflated inside the main, either side of where work is to be done, so that the gas in the middle section can be pumped out.

Among the more conventional health and safety activities are monthly team talks where accidents, incidents and policy changes are discussed, employee forums and regular toolbox talks. The company also has its own training facilities, including a mock street works site, where employees and others can obtain a gas safety passport and where NVQ courses are soon to be run. All employees go through a full induction process and receive a health and safety handbook while every team has a full safety manual.

Forefront also attends safety forums held by clients and participates in brainstorming sessions that, as Colin recounts, prove beneficial: “Most really good ideas don’t come from people sitting at the top; they come from those in the workplace doing the work on a daily basis. By not just having managers sitting around a table, but by having team leaders and labourers there as well, we’re striving for innovation and we’ve made several changes over the years as a result.”

Participation with clients also includes an Injury Free Environment initiative with Skanska that aims to get employees of all levels of experience to discuss issues more openly. This has reduced near miss reporting from 30-40 a month two years ago to ten now.

Colin’s responsibilities also extend to environmental issues and he’s helped by the availability of the company’s recycling plant where excavated spoil is treated and then used as backfill. An initiative last year was to fit a filter sock to pumps when dewatering excavations, which filters out the silt so it doesn’t end up in the drainage system.

It’s that attention to detail that enables Forefront to not only reduce its impact on the environment but also operate safely in a dangerous business.

“Safety in the gas industry is really a top priority,” confirms Colin. “But there’s no luck involved; it’s just purely through hard work that our safety record is as good as it is.” www.forefrontutilities.com Tel: 01702 507440

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First Hydro:feature 2 21/04/2013 10:25 Page 14

CIVILS, TRANSPORT AND UTILITIES: FIRST HYDRO

FLEXIBLE, FAST AND RELIABLE First Hydro Company is one of the UK’s most dynamic electricity generators

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he Dinorwig Power Station in North Wales is both a magnificent feat of construction engineering and a fascinating example of pumped storage hydroelectricity generation. The sheer scale of Dinorwig – in both its physical size and the amount of electricity it produces – distinguishes the power station as one of the UK’s most attention-grabbing, and more importantly, dependable sources of energy.

Indeed, as a pumped storage facility, where water from two reservoirs placed at different altitudes produces energy when released (the resulting downflow turning turbines which then power the generators), Dinorwig is the biggest pumped storage energy producer in the country.

Operated by First Hydro Company (FHC), which is jointly owned by multinational energy company GDF SUEZ and Mitsui & Co., Dinorwig produces electricity on a daily basis for the UK’s National Grid.

Through its six generating units, the

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power station can provide a combined output of 1728 MW. Dinorwig was fully commissioned in 1984. At the time of its conception in the early 1970s it was considered one of the world’s most imaginative engineering and environmental projects. Even today, the operational characteristics and dynamic response capability of the power station is acknowledged across the globe. Unsurprisingly, the visitor centre, named Electric Mountain, and bus tour through the labyrinthine tunnels, has become a popular place for school educational trips and a renowned tourist destination.

A PHYSICAL PRESENCE The largest of its kind in Europe, Dinorwig is a physical presence that cannot be ignored. Indeed, it took 2,000 people at the peak point of construction (ninety percent of which was locally-sourced labour) to build over a ten-year period at a cost of £420m.

That would be the equivalent of £1.2bn today.

The power station saw one million tonnes of concrete, 200,000 tonnes of cement and 4,500

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tonnes of steel go into constructing it.

Furthermore, to protect the natural beauty of the outlying area in Snowdonia’s majestic national park, Dinorwig was built deep within the mountain of Elidir Fawr. This meant an incredible amount of excavation had to take place. In fact, 12 million tonnes of slate, granite and limestone rock was removed to create the interior caverns and lower reservoir. In the biggest cavern, known as the machine hall, its dimensions are equivalent to two football pitches laid end-to-end with a ceiling at around sixteen storeys high. Incredibly, all this was accomplished through drilling and blasting.

RELIABLE ENERGY BACK-UP Dinorwig was conceived as a potential support mechanism to the National Grid (the CEGB), providing reliable energy back-up when demand for electricity suddenly increases or when other power stations witness an outage. The pumped storage system had proven both flexible and reliable at nearby Ffestiniog (also part of FHC), the UK’s first large-scale pumped storage power station, and the

National Grid saw this form of energy generation as the ideal alternative system support to traditional sources of power such as nuclear, gas or coal-fired.

To maintain its statutory responsibility of keeping grid frequency within 49.5Hz and 50.5Hz, Dinorwig was designed in such a way that it could provide the required amount of energy to the grid within ten seconds of demand. It is therefore a key provider of ancillary services – acting in response to short term rapid changes in power demand or sudden loss of power stations.

FLEXIBLE, FAST AND RELIABLE Station Manager Mike Hickey believes pumped storage is an extremely flexible, fast and reliable form of energy generation. “If you are delivering ancillary services to the National Grid, the system operator has to have extreme confidence that you can deliver when required. Therefore, pumped storage’s extreme reliability is what sets it apart from say thermal plant, because it is a relatively simple process when compared to thermal plant technology, and it is extremely robust.”

As a closed-loop pumped storage hydroelectric generating facility, Dinorwig generates energy by taking water from Marchlyn Mawr reservoir (which holds around 7.7 million cubic metres of water) to a lower altitude receiving reservoir through high-pressure shafts linked to turbines.

The downflow creates the energy which is generated into electricity. When demand is low, usually during the night, off-peak electricity is used to pump water back to the upper reservoir.

Dinorwig's reversible pump/turbines are capable of reaching maximum generation, from a spinning standby mode, in less than sixteen seconds.

Evidently, pump storage generation offers a critical back-up facility during periods of excessive demand on the national grid system.

“Dinorwig can deliver 300MW, that’s the size of a single unit, in ninety seconds from standstill,” says Mike. Incredibly, the power station has to accelerate 500 tonnes of turbine to 500 revolutions per minute while simultaneously accelerating three kilometres of water and synchronising the whole process within that same timeframe.

“IF YOU ARE DELIVERING ANCILLARY SERVICES TO THE NATIONAL GRID, THE SYSTEM OPERATOR HAS TO HAVE EXTREME CONFIDENCE THAT YOU CAN DELIVER WHEN REQUIRED” MIKE HICKEY STATION MANAGER

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CIVILS, TRANSPORT AND UTILITIES: FIRST HYDRO “In comparison, a thermal power station, if hot, would generate that level of electricity, from standstill, in one hour.”

7.7 million cubic metres of water is transferred from the bottom lake to the top and then back down on a daily basis. That equates to moving twice the amount of water the UK uses for domestic purposes in a single day. part of a team of around 130 staff who ensure Dinorwig continues to run at optimum capacity throughout the year. It is a huge task given both the importance of the power station to supporting the National Grid and the ominous size of its caverns, tunnels and operating equipment. For example, there are sixteen kilometres of tunnels, all large enough to accommodate a double-decker bus. It helps, therefore, that most of the servicing and maintenance is carried out in-house.

Staff have an intricate knowledge of the systems, equipment and processes they are dealing with.

While automation has aided efficiency over the years, the technology has remained much the same meaning service staff have vast experience of the operating infrastructure. That not only means any problems can be quickly rectified but potential issues can be monitored and proactively dealt with.

Indeed, machines can be isolated from the system, repaired and back in place within one hour.

The knowledge within the in-house team has also played a crucial part in Dinorwig’s storage capacity increasing from 9.2GWh to 10GWh. “We accomplished that by increasing the volume of the upper reservoir. All the concept and outlining engineering was done in-house alongside specialist consultants. That’s something we are proud of: our ability to develop and improve through ideas generated in-house,” explains Mike.

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CIVILS, TRANSPORT AND UTILITIES: FIRST HYDRO A number of maintenance policies ensure the power station remains primed for service. For example, key pieces of plant are refurbished or replaced based on set timetables of useable life, while other pieces of equipment, based on their individual operation, follow a planned maintenance schedule.

“We do about 30,000 operational mode changes per year across the six units and over the years we have built a good understanding of when equipment needs maintenance. In addition, every three years the generating plant is removed from service and any maintenance that is required is carried out. Through experience we have cut down the amount of time it takes us to do this, ensuring there is no impact on the overall power-generating capacity of the station.”

Of course, looking after a power station like Dinorwig, with hundreds of tonnes of plant operating simultaneously, safety is also a key area for the staff. Mike acknowledges that safety has vastly improved in recent years, importantly viewing risk in a proactive rather than reactive way. Training and toolbox talks have improved awareness while risk assessments are conducted by all staff. In addition, performance is monitored by a health and safety management team with targets in place to drive and encourage improvement.

Dinorwig has also tried to innovate by introducing various initiatives such as what it terms “Fresh Eyes”. This is where two members of staff observe a working process they are not familiar with to see if there are ways safety can be improved.

As the energy industry in the UK continues to change and adapt, there is an even more important role to be played by Dinorwig. The increasing attention placed upon renewable energy, much of it focused on wind and solar power, is taking away some of the burden on traditional forms of energy generation. With its capability to provide huge amounts of energy, alongside its reliability and dynamic credentials, Dinorwig will continue to play a vital role in serving the UK’s demand for electricity. www.fhc.co.uk Tel: 01286 870166

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John Roberts (Ffestiniog) Ltd

Haulage • Plant Hire • Civil Engineering

John Roberts (Ffestiniog) Ltd has been in business for 50 years. The company was incorporated in 1964 and celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2005.

John Roberts (Ffestiniog) Ltd Bont Newydd, Ffestiniog, Gwynedd LL41 4PT Tel: (01766) 762768 Fax: (01766) 762403 Email: enquiries@johnrobertsffestiniog.co.uk Web: www.johnrobertsffestiniog.co.uk

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Sustainability is ingrained in the way McNicholas do business and they have now launched ‘The ‘S’ Word’, to demonstrate their belief that sustainable growth is good for the company, good for the environment and good for the communities in which they work

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he ‘S’ Word is the McNicholas strategic approach to being sustainable. The document was created, as confirmed

by Sustainability Manager Emma Ward, “to demonstrate McNicholas’s belief that sustainable growth is good for the company, good for the environment and good for the communities in which we work. It isn’t something we pay lip service to; we are seeing genuine benefits from the strategy being in place and are proud to be making such commitments.

“Sustainability is about something called the triple bottom line; social responsibility, environmental protection and company performance. What sustainability promotes is the inclusion of social and environmental risks in a business strategy and, because it hasn’t lost sight of the ‘company’ and the importance of the pound signs, it is also carrying weight in the boardroom. From our point of view, it

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CIVILS, TRANSPORT AND UTILITIES: MCNICHOLAS has to be part of our business plan. There isn’t a large successful company in the world that hasn’t got sustainability on its agenda.”

DEFINING THE STRATEGY The 2012-2015 strategy was launched in May 2012, building upon McNicholas’s previous goals to embed sustainability into ‘The McNicholas Way’.

Although an existing strategy was in place, it was agreed it needed to be given new focus and a fresh set of objectives for its next phase of implementation. “The initial stage was to create the new document in the first place,” explains Emma. “So it was essential for us to consult with key people and departments internally and also with some of our clients to find out where their ambitions lie. This allowed us to create a document that people felt responsible for internally and allowed us to align our goals with our clients.”

“The ‘S’ Word” commits McNicholas to 34 actions around three pillars; Environmental Protection which incorporates the Natural Environment and Community, Social Responsibility, including People and Compliance, and Company Performance capturing Company Ethos and the Supply Chain. Each action is owned by someone within the organisation whose responsibility it is to both implement and monitor progress towards achieving our goals. “We report monthly to the Board of Directors on achievements and then we prepare a sustainability update on a quarterly basis for the whole company,” remarks Emma.

“That’s just a snapshot of some key achievements we’ve made within the last three month period.

LET’S HAVE A CHAT… “The challenge we set ourselves with ‘The ‘S’ Word’ was to translate sustainability into something that is meaningful for everybody in the business, collectively and individually”, explains Emma. “We’ve done this by talking with people, not at them, encouraging a conversation about what sustainability means to them.”

The approach taken by McNicholas was to take each stakeholder and look at what aspects of sustainability meant most to them, accepting that what the Board of Directors needed was very different to 75% of their workforce which carry out the physical operational work. Emma explains how this process was executed: “Even though an existing strategy was in place, it needed to be given fresh focus with the boardroom and the senior management team so the roll-out commenced with a round of awareness presentations. The presentations needed to go further than the basic definition of sustainability, but define what it meant to McNicholas. We did this by applying sustainability to our core values; safety, reliability and responsiveness. This presented it as something that fitted perfectly with our growth plans as well as a tool to enable us to offer something different to our customers; something more ‘sustainable’ than just looking at the numbers, something that recognised that risk management extends to our social and environmental obligations too. This revived awareness of the real meaning of sustainability and has given our board and senior

“THE CHALLENGE WE SET OURSELVES WITH ‘THE ‘S’ WORD’ WAS TO TRANSLATE SUSTAINABILITY INTO SOMETHING THAT IS MEANINGFUL FOR EVERYBODY IN THE BUSINESS, COLLECTIVELY AND INDIVIDUALLY. WE’VE DONE THIS BY TALKING WITH PEOPLE, NOT AT THEM, ENCOURAGING A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT SUSTAINABILITY MEANS TO THEM.” EMMA WARD SUSTAINABILITY MANAGER www.bdcmagazine.co.uk

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management team confidence to talk about our commitments to our clients.”

Emma continues: “75% of our workforce is directly involved with physical operational aspects of our business. We had to be careful about the way we communicated sustainability; too much theory would mean it would be seen as something solely for the boardroom, which most definitely isn’t the case. Our LOOKOUT for Safety initiative is our behavioural safety campaign. It is our belief that a lot of accidents and incidents are attributable to behaviours. If we can change the culture of the way people perceive safety and environmental issues, we teach them to become their own safety and environmental advisors and LOOKOUT for themselves and each other.

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“Each year the LOOKOUT committee devise a road show whereby operatives attend a series of presentations on pertinent subject matters. This year, sustainability featured in the form of “Sustain-a-What?!”

The delivery team helped to define the ‘triple bottom line’ and then moved onto a conversation about how everyday activities are part of sustainability; for example, waste management, supporting charities, employee morale and preventing pollution. We were cautious of how it would be received but the overall feedback has been very positive.”

There’s a regular newsletter, called ‘The Mac’, that reports the activities of the LOOKOUT group and features a ‘Pat on the Back’ initiative that

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rewards employees for performing well, having good ideas, taking pride in what they do or simply working in line with ‘The McNicholas Way’.

Cultural surveys cover the baseline culture and how it can be improved, with a maturity matrix measuring progress.

For supply chain members, participation isn’t a contractual obligation. However, as Emma point out, involvement is welcomed and encouraged: “We’re asking them to do it because it sustains their future as much as ours. We’ve got communication channels in place and from the conversations we’ve been having, they’re open to what we’re trying to achieve and are getting involved within many of the initiatives we have in place, such as the LOOKOUT Road show.”

CHANGING BEHAVIOUR McNicholas is really seeing the benefits from sustainability. For example, applying sustainability to a campaign to increase the number of near misses reported has meant it donates £1 to charity for every near miss reported. Since the start of this initiative, over 1600 near misses have been reported, the equivalent of every employee taking the time to help prevent an accident from occurring.

“Our chosen charity is The Lighthouse Club, the construction industry’s charity that provides financial assistance to families linked to construction who lose an income through illness, injury or death,” says Emma. “The Lighthouse Club charity has also benefited with the donation of over £500 from the sale

THE COMPANY McNicholas is an experienced service provider that was formed in the late 1940s. It is a tier one contractor that delivers a comprehensive range of utility infrastructure services to the public and private sectors through five business units — rail, communications, energy, water and renewables.

For rail, it works on the main rail network and the tube system. It provides a full turnkey and structural service, working on projects such as Cross Rail and the West Coast Mainline route modernisation.

The company’s large workforce of multi-skilled telecommunications engineers and in-house teams provides a whole range of communications installation and management services. Energy covers the electricity and gas markets, encompassing feasibility, planning, design, construction and maintenance.

The company has delivered a number of innovative solutions to the water industry, being fully involved from design through to project management and construction. Renewables is a growing part of the business, with McNicholas handling the design and construction of several wind farms representing over 400 megawatts of installed capacity.

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of a 2013 calendar, with illustrations by employees’ children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews based around themes of safety and sustainability.

“Our social commitment isn’t just about how we can do our bit with the wider community though; it has to start in-house. The health and wellbeing of our employees is vital so we have been corporate members of Constructing Better Health since 2011.

CBH is a not for profit organisation that sets occupational health standards for the construction industry. Each one of our safety critical workforce attends a health assessment, in line with CBH recommendations, which helps confirm their health isn’t being adversely affected by work. In addition, drop in clinics and a management referral service are provided to all other employees.”

Things are also moving forward with other initiatives. “Since 2008, our carbon footprint has been certified to ISO 14064-1 under the Achilles Certified Emissions Management and Reduction Scheme (CEMARS),” says Emma. “We were one of the first seven companies in the UK to achieve certification and are committed to continue reducing

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our emissions in line with our management and reduction plan. With nearly 90% of our emissions being generated from fuel (white diesel, red diesel and petrol), it has been a main area of focus. One project that has seen significant benefits is the capping of emissions for vehicles in the company car scheme to 120 grammes of CO2 per kilometre.

Since December 2011, average emissions from the fleet have reduced by 10%. A simple exercise, which has helped us reduce our CO2 emissions per £1 million turnover from 92.54 tonnes in 20082009 to 85.19 in 2011-2012.”

GOING FORWARD The effort has made McNicholas a finalist in the Construction News Awards 2013 in the Sustainable Company of the Year category but doesn’t mark the end of the line. The current version of the strategy has a long way to run, with much still to do. Even when the existing strategy has run its course, another will follow and the process will just go on. “When we are communicating our strategy, there is one common message,” says Emma. “Be proud of our commitments, lead by example and encourage others to do the same. There is no such thing as being 100% sustainable. It’s a journey and, once we hit all these targets, we’ll develop more to make it even better. It is about raising the bar and that’s what our clients want to see.” www.mcnicholas.co.uk Tel: 0208 953 4144

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May Gurney :feature 2 15/04/2013 15:22 Page 30

CIVILS, TRANSPORT AND UTILITIES: MAY GURNEY ENGINEERING SERVICES

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CIVILS, TRANSPORT AND UTILITIES: MAY GURNEY ENGINEERING SERVICES

ON-TIME DELIVERY FOR NETWORK RAIL May Gurney look to expand their railway maintenance business

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ealth, safety and the environment are major concerns within the construction industry. When you’re working on operational railways and have to plan your projects around local wildlife, however, they can be even more of a pre-occupation.

May Gurney Integrated Services is structured into Public Services and Regulated Services divisions, the former providing highways and environmental work for councils and similar bodies. Regulated Services covers work regulated directly or indirectly by government departments and is split into Utility Services dealing with gas, electricity, water and some specialist capability and Engineering Services handling rail, waterways and professional services for design, inspection and testing.

INTEGRATED SERVICES Within that are specialist companies manufacturing street lighting, signage and similar products for other parts of the business. This integration, believes Operations Director for Engineering Services Peter Hodges, gives advantages to May Gurney and particularly to the rail operation for which he is responsible. “Often a rail bridge goes over water and the water authorities may put restrictions on it. We have the necessary expertise inhouse through our waterways and design capability plus our signalling expertise, which is directly under our control and not available to many competitors.”

A core activity is station refurbishments and rebuilding, which includes the buildings, signalling, platforms and footbridges. Central to many of these schemes is the provision of safe ‘access for all’ initiatives for disabled people. New footbridges are a particular source of work currently due to a push to improve public safety around the railways. The replacement and refurbishment of major rail ‘over’ or ‘under’ bridges is also a large proportion of the overall workload. In addition, extensive embankment and groundwork schemes complete the overall portfolio of services on offer.

Around 90% of the work is for Network Rail, with the balance from train and freight operators plus support services needing specialist design work.

As Peter explains, relationships with Network Rail have been long-term but the current economic situa-

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tion is forcing a change: “We’re a tier one principal contractor and we’ve just concluded a fourteen year framework on London North East for bridges, highway, earthworks and everything related. We have also completed a four year framework for the properties within the station confines and have a share of the ongoing Building and Civils Delivery Partnership. We are focused on long term relationships but it’s become a fierce competitive marketplace within which there is compulsion to procure competitively in many areas.

This has presented us with a welcome challenge to develop and innovate new ideas and techniques.”

PLANNING AND PREPARATION May Gurney is involved at the planning stage through an Early Contractor Involvement arrangement and welcomes the opportunity because it helps to deliver the best solutions. Projects vary from £20-30 million for major station work through to £30-40,000 for maintenance projects. However, given the nature of the work, as Contracts Manager Rob Marshall confirms, preparation is critical: “We have access arrangements where work is often undertaken during evenings and weekends while the railway is closed down.

“You sometimes need to plan two years in advance and, if you haven’t got the two year lead-in, you have to work around Rules of Route Possessions where you might have as little as three hours for the work. An extra five minutes can make a massive difference but these possession periods are very strict and, if we don’t get finished in time, there are huge penalties.”

Safety is a prime concern so a lot of time is spent in preparation and double-checking every arrangement.

All train movements are controlled by the signalling systems that ensure trains are kept apart. Providing access for maintenance or refurbishment creates a manual interference with the system so it’s vital to ensure there are no mistakes.

SAFE WORKING Training is a crucial part of safe working on the railways, with all workers having to achieve at least a minimum level. “They have a PTS card, which is the basic rail safety requirement, and they have specific training for their

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various tasks,” comments Rob. “There are lookouts and controls for site safety and everybody needs PTS as a minimum. Then there’s control room site safety, engineering supervisors, ICOPS and more, and they’re all absolutely critical to gain access.”

A recent safety initiative is the Making A Difference (MAD) programme that provides a behavioural safety approach, with supply chain and client representatives attending consultations and seminars with May Gurney’s staff. Added to the focus on safety are environmental issues that include the usual construction activity of recycling materials but also, as Peter points out, other concerns: “Wildlife occupies the surrounding areas to the rail tracks, with bats, newts and birds in various structures. There are environmental issues at the

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front end of every project. Badgers tend to get into embankments and one project was delayed several months due to the presence of great crested newts.”

Previously, the rail work has largely focused on the London and North East region with the company also becoming established in the Western region over recent years. The aim now, as Peter explains, is to expand geographically: “We’re currently building up our Southern region so we’re going to be a rail business focused around four regional hubs — Eastern, Scotland, Western and Southern. From main offices located within these regions, we will be offering a fully integrated rail service across the whole network.” www.maygurney.co.uk Tel: 01603 727272

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education news:feature 2 23/04/2013 11:47 Page 34

EDUCATION SECTOR: NEWS

LONDON NEEDS 88,000 MORE PRIMARY SCHOOL PLACES NEXT YEAR MORE than a third of all new primary school places required by next year are needed in London, with the capital’s suburbs the worst hit, new figures reveal. A report by the National Audit Office shows an impending crisis for the capital if more classroom capacity is not created in time.

Across the country 240,000 new primary places are needed, 37 per cent of them in London. Seventeen London boroughs, mostly outside the centre of the city, face a “severe” problem, with a shortfall of more than five per cent.

Barking and Dagenham, Barnet, Sutton, Enfield and Croydon and Newham are among the areas at risk of running out of places, according to the spending watchdog.

New free schools, which are popular in London, are only offsetting part of the primary places shortfall, the report found.

The number of groups bidding to open free schools is three times higher in London than other parts of the country, but these are mostly for secondary schools. Last year 24,500 places were created at free schools across the country, but just 9,000 of them were at primary level.

The report noted that some free schools may end up opening in areas with surplus places. It said the Department for Education’s free schools initiative will increase the number of places available, but said “it is not primarily intended by the department to deliver places in areas of shortage”.

One of the first primary free schools to open was St Luke’s Church of England school in Camden, but the borough is not listed in the report as being in severe need of places.

It comes after the Evening Standard reported that groups wanting to set up free schools in London are now struggling to find buildings to house them.

London Councils said at least 90,000 more classroom places are needed to cope with demand in both secondary and primary schools.

Schools Minister David Laws said: “This report confirms that this government is dramatically increasing funding for new school places, with double the level of investment compared with the previous parliament.

“We have already created 80,000 new places to deal with the shortage of places left

LABOUR WARNS OVER SCHOOL REPAIRS BACKLOG FIGURES suggest that the amount of money set aside to rebuild state schools in England will cover less than a quarter of the real costs.

Data published following a series of Freedom of Information requests suggests that local councils are facing a significant repairs backlog because of budget cuts.

But the Government dismissed the claims as “nonsense” and insisted it was spending more than Labour put aside in its first eight years in power.

Labour obtained figures from 89 authorities in England – around six-

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in-10 – and found they had £3.6bn worth of outstanding maintenance work to bring local schools up to scratch.

It comes after the Coalition cancelled Labour’s Building Schools for the Future programme claiming it was hugely bureaucratic and resulted in the taxpayer spending much more for schools than the market rate.

Stephen Twigg, the Shadow Education Secretary, said a decision to slash the school buildings budget would leave some children being taught in substandard surroundings.

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by the last government and there will be more places to come.”

Shadow schools minister Kevin Brennan said: “David Cameron’s government needs to address the crisis in school places they have created. They have cut funding for school buildings by 60 per cent, twice the Whitehall average and wasted £1 billion through mismanaging academies.”

The Government announced £1.6 billion of funding for new school places on March 1. London received more than a third of that pot, £576 million.

Munira Mirza, Deputy Mayor for Education and Culture, said: “The lack of school places is a crisis for London that requires immediate action. The Mayor has set up a new unit that is helping free school groups find suitable sites.

"The Government has doubled the funding for school places. But we also urge the boroughs to play their part. Whilst some are rolling out the red carpet for free schools, others are selling off potential sites and causing severe planning delays.

"We must pull together to address this serious problem facing London’s children.”

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EDUCATION SECTOR: NEWS

THIRTEEN TECHNICAL COLLEGES APPROVED A TOTAL of 13 new University Technical Colleges have been approved in England – including one proposed by Tottenham Hotspur FC – and are set to open from September 2014.

Partners for the projects include Galliford Try, Laing O’Rourke and Rolls-Royce.

The projects will move to preopening stage, specialising in technical subjects ranging from engineering to biomedical science.

More than 8,000 people are to study at the colleges, which are backed by more than 140 major employers and universities.

The 13 UTCs will join 27 that are preparing to open and five that have already opened.

Schools minister Lord Nash said: “I am delighted with the very strong field of UTC proposals we are progressing to the next stage.

“The growing number of top employers and universities involved in UTCs underlines the importance of making rigorous technical education an option for young people.

“It is vitally important that young people have the skills and experience wanted by employers, both for their own prosperity and to help us compete in the global race.”

SIX CONTRACTORS FINALLY SHORTLISTED

GB BUILDING SOLUTIONS WINS KINGS COLLEGE SCHEME GB BUILDING Solutions has been awarded a £34m student accommodation scheme for Kings College London.

The part new build, part refurbishment project, located close to their Denmark Hill Campus, will provide 74 bedrooms within an existing Grade II listed building and 643 bedrooms within four newly built buildings.

It has been designed to target BREEAM ‘Outstanding’.

The scheme is a fabric first approach

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which will be highly insulated, decreasing the need for bolt on technology and reducing the consumption of energy.

The design is being carried out using BIM technologies that will give Kings College London a full working model to manage its assets on completion, transforming the design, construction and operation of the building way beyond current practice.

Work is due to be completed next summer.

SIX contractors have been shortlisted by the Department for Education for the £2bn Priority School Building Programme. However, local authorities have hit out at delays to the programme, and many schools are still none the wiser when their approved work will actually start.

The government set up the £2bn Priority School Building Programme after it scrapped the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) project set up under Labour.

Ten months have now passed since the DfE named the 261 schools selected for funding out of the 587 schools that applied but no work has started.

Meanwhile, research by the Local Government Association has revealed that many local authorities are having to embark on a programme of emergency repairs to keep schools open while waiting for work-proper to start.

Devon County Council has estimated it will need to spend £2.5m on ‘urgent health and safety works’ for eight of its schools that are due to receive Priority School Building funding, while North East Lincolnshire has already had to spend £1.4m on maintenance works in 2011/12.

Suffolk County Council has spent £1.1m on essential works for the two worst school buildings in the county.

Bury Council has set aside a £2m contingency from its emergency

fund to cover the potential cost of essential repairs at three of its schools while it awaits news on essential government support.

Cllr David Simmonds, chairman of the LGA’s children and young people board, said: “The announcement of much needed funding to fix hundreds of the country’s most crumbling schools was as a positive move, but that was last summer and many parents are still none the wiser about when their child’s school will be brought up to scratch.

“This situation is now unacceptable and threatens to severely impact on our children’s education. Councils are stepping in to keep schools running while government struggles to get its act together. Local government is already carrying out basic repairs but we could deliver so much more with funds that are currently tied up in government red tape.

“In the current tough economic climate we know it’s not going to be possible to rebuild every school from scratch and councils aren’t asking for gold-plated taps and state-of-the-art luxury staffrooms. But heads and parents are telling us that the condition of some schools is so bad its getting in the way of providing a good education. Despite the hard work of teachers, the possibility that children could excel in such poor surroundings is a challenge too far.”

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University of Salford:feature 2 19/04/2013 09:20 Page 36

EDUCATION SECTOR: THE UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD

INVESTING IN

SALFORD

Salford is an ambitious university at the heart of a fast-developing community

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University of Salford:feature 2 19/04/2013 09:20 Page 37

EDUCATION SECTOR: THE UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD

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he University of Salford caters for approximately 20,000 students at its campus located a couple of miles outside Manchester city centre. In recent years the university has witnessed major investment with, most notably, the opening of MediaCityUK in 2011 becoming its most iconic addition. This learning, teaching and research space provides 1,500 students with opportunities to work near media professionals (with major media broadcasters including the BBC and ITV housing many of their functions here) using the latest industry specified equipment, studios and laboratories.

Since 2004, the University of Salford has invested £150 million in developing the campus with new buildings and major refurbishment works being carried out. Projects have included the £22 million Mary Seacole Building, which opened in 2006, to provide a purpose-built five-storey facility for the College of Health and Social Care, as well as the £10 million Lady Hale Building for the Salford Law School. This building is noteworthy because it uses a system known as Termodeck allowing the build-

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ing to act as its own night storage heating and cooling system. Other new buildings include the £10 million Innovation Forum, and the Joule Physics Laboratory which provides a suite of new, purposebuilt physics teaching laboratories and is named after James Prescott Joule, whose former home is situated opposite the Peel Building.

In addition, a new building for the university's College of Arts, Media and Social Sciences was opened in 2011 on the MediaCityUK site which will also be home to five BBC departments. Further investment has gone into IT facilities, with the setting up of wireless networks in many buildings across campus, while significant improvements and refurbishments have been made to facilities for the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Environment.

As well as creating exciting new spaces, the university is committed to developing and revitalising its existing facilities. The major extension and refurbishment of the Chapman Building, which was completed in 2012, completely transformed the outdated 1960s building into a stylish and modern space with excellent green credentials. Students

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EDUCATION SECTOR: THE UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD

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EDUCATION SECTOR: THE UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD

now enjoy six lecture theatres equipped with the very latest technology and large screen displays, a series of learning and breakout spaces, plus a Fairtrade cafĂŠ with views across the campus.

The poor energy performance of the building has also been tackled to significantly reduce carbon emissions and energy bills while providing a huge improvement in the student experience.

The building was modernised to improve its internal and external appearance. Environmental benefits include the halving of gas consumption, a twenty percent reduction in electricity use and build-

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ing insulation with a 30-year lifespan. Real-time displays of energy use are shown on walls by the entrance, and technical information and a cut-away section of the insulated wall in the reception will be used as a teaching resource by students in the School of the Built Environment.

The refurbishment marks the delivery of the first phase the University’s Campus Plan which is transforming Salford into a state-of-the-art university. The next phase includes the construction of the new Gateway Building for arts subjects which will have a theatre, studio space, tuition and practice space and

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EDUCATION SECTOR: THE UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD social learning areas. New student accommodation overlooking Peel Park will also be built.

It was announced in April that Bam had been appointed as preferred bidder for the £30 million Gateway Building. The new arts building, designed by architect Stride Treglown, forms the next phase of the major revamp of the university. The 16,000 square metre, seven-storey building will be at the gateway to a new pedestrian route through the university called “Broadway”. This will link the university with a student village as well as a nearby railway station.

The BREEAM ‘excellent’ project is seven storeys and has around 185,140 square feet of floor area.

BAM will shortly commence the second stage of the procurement process with works due to take place between August 2013 and August 2015. The project team includes structural design by Ramboll, project quantity surveying by Appleyard and Trew and Davis Langdon as project manager.

The university feels its Campus Plan will benefit Salford in numerous ways. It will directly improve the learning environment for the benefit of staff, students, businesses and local people. And, it will help make Salford a competitive choice for students looking for an excellent higher education experience.

More specifically, the new student residences will help bring Peel Park back to active public life – increasing security and transforming the environment into a welcoming and pleasant green space. Students will be living in one central location at the new student residences – with the university providing 24-hour site security, including

keeping the surrounding area tidy, quiet and free from disturbance.

The refurbishment and extension of Chapman Building, and the construction of the new Gateway Building for arts subjects, will create new and improved flexible and modern academic spaces for the benefit of students, staff and local people. In addition, a series of new public spaces – starting with Chapman Square – will improve connectivity across the university, as well as providing valuable outdoor spaces where everyone can come together to share ideas.

Environmental considerations will be built into all designs, helping the university to remain a sustainable institution, while people in the local area will benefit economically from the development.

Significantly, the university is already one of the area’s biggest employers, and makes a major contribution to the local economy.

Other developments at the University of Salford include the university’s new Energy House – a fullsize traditional Coronation Street-style terraced house built in a laboratory to study domestic energy consumption. In a world first, the house is fitted as a typical working home, built in the same style as a pre-1920 UK home, with fully functioning water, gas and electricity supplies. Salford University academics are conducting tests inside the house to gauge how its energy consumption varies depending on variable factors and conditions.

THE REFURBISHMENT AND EXTENSION OF CHAPMAN BUILDING, AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW GATEWAY BUILDING FOR ARTS SUBJECTS, WILL CREATE NEW AND IMPROVED FLEXIBLE AND MODERN ACADEMIC SPACES FOR THE BENEFIT OF STUDENTS, STAFF AND LOCAL PEOPLE

www.salford.ac.uk Tel: 0161 295 5000

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University of Salford:feature 2 23/04/2013 12:16 Page 41

sheffield:feature 2 06/05/2013 10:36 Page 42

EDUCATION SECTOR: THE SHEFFIELD COLLEGE

MODERN, EFFICIENT AND CARBON NEUTRAL

The Sheffield College’s aim is to develop environmental and energy-efficient buildings, with the ultimate goal of making them carbon neutral

H

aving invested £100 million in the estate over the last ten years, Sheffield College is now aiming to run modern, efficient and carbon neutral buildings.

The Sheffield College is a federated further education college with various colleges working under it — Sheffield City, Hillsborough, Peaks and Norton.

It covers the whole of Sheffield, is a major A-level provider and prepares students for university and work. “We are a large training provider,” comments Estates and Service Manager David Battell. “We train across the construction, engineering, electrical, plumbing, heating and ventilation sectors. So we’re not just a big estate, we’re a big trainer.”

VARIOUS PROPERTIES Merging several colleges for increased efficiency has produced 60,000 square metres of property across three main campuses, various satellite buildings and some leaseholds. They have differing ages

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and conditions, Hillsborough being built in 2005, City in 2010/11, Peaks in 1998 with an extension in 2011, the Olive Grove Engineering Centre acquired in 1997 and Norton, a 1930s secondary school, due for redevelopment.

Previous projects were part-funded by selling surplus land. David says: “When we developed the Hillsborough campus, we shut two sites and moved to a new one. We undertook a transport study to put the building where people can get to it. Now, instead of running 26,000 square metres of 1970s property, we have 14,000 square metres of modern building.”

The aim is to develop environmental and energy-efficient buildings, with the ultimate goal of making them carbon neutral. For Hillsborough, that wasn’t possible due to insufficiently mature technology but the situation has since improved. “At City, we installed PV panels, water recycling, sustainable drainage and turbines,” recalls David. “We use the building as a thermal wheel and we’re on district

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EDUCATION SECTOR: THE SHEFFIELD COLLEGE

heating so that’s completely carbon free. The Peaks building has a green wall, turbines, solar hot water, PV panels and grey water recycling.”

The developments led to the college being a finalist in the Green Gown Awards and winning a Sheffield Clean Air Award. There have also been efforts to upgrade existing buildings, with the introduction of LED lighting producing significant savings. Other changes are afoot, with the possibility of car park charging based on vehicle excise duty to encourage better commuting.

EFFICIENT BUILDING USE Building costs are the next biggest expense after pay and so David believes efficient use is crucial: “If we only teach thirty people in 10,000 square metres, that’s not good estate use, no matter how efficient the building. I need to report that to my colleagues so to hopefully influence their behaviour.

Our environmental credentials are good because we work hard on reducing our buildings waste and recycling. I’ve ambitions to get smart meters and to measure business activity for CO2 output. If we can make CO2 a currency, people will understand that opening buildings is going to cost us so many tonnes per head.” www.sheffcol.ac.uk Tel: 0114 2602600

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Central College Nottingham:feature 2 15/04/2013 15:16 Page 44

EDUCATION SECTOR: CENTRAL COLLEGE NOTTINGHAM

E

EXCITING

TIMES

mbarking on a new development project can be an exciting time but the period leading up to it may be frustrating. That’s the situation Christopher Punter finds himself in as Head of Estates at Central College Nottingham. “The vision is to build a new, iconic £70 million state of the art hub development in Nottingham city centre,” he says. “There are discussions taking place and the authorities are involved regarding the funding, planning and logistics of the site. It’s gone out for wider public consultation and the project is going to take 3-5 years from now to complete, if it comes off, depending on funding.”

Development is necessary because the college’s formation through the merger of South Nottingham College and Castle College resulted in it having sixteen sites. The aim is to dispose of some of the older and smaller sites, either when leases come to an end or by selling them off. Sites that remain will include two of the newest sites, Highfields and Ruddington that are both automobile training centres, the main Beeston campus that is a mix of old and new buildings and the proposed new development.

The new development is part of the Southside Gateway regeneration of Nottingham and is to be sited on a vacant plot of land with the tram line alongside to link it to the Beeston campus.

Christopher says: “The new site is about 30,000 square metres and will have teaching accommoda-

Central College Nottingham’s vision is to build a new, iconic £70 million state of the art hub development in Nottingham city centre

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Central College Nottingham:feature 2 15/04/2013 15:16 Page 45

EDUCATION SECTOR: CENTRAL COLLEGE NOTTINGHAM tion and sports facilities for about 4,000 students.

There’s going to be a focus on STEM subjects — science, technology, engineering and maths — and there will be workshops, science laboratories and emerging low carbon technology facilities.”

As preparation for the rationalisation of the sites, the college’s strategy includes space management planning that aims to free up the smaller properties by moving people to the larger ones. At the same time, although any major redevelopment is on hold pending decisions being made, existing properties have to be maintained. That’s particularly challenging at some of the older, high maintenance sites and is handled by a combination of in-house and contract operatives.

MAINTENANCE WORK Reactive calls go through central administration management that comprises an administration manger plus four facilities managers. Jobs are prioritised and allocated to premises technicians and trades people or, depending on their nature, put out to contract staff. All preventative planned work apart from boiler maintenance is handled by approved contractors, with premises technicians monitoring work quality.

The possible development project doesn’t mean all refurbishment work is on hold although there’s a natural reluctance to invest in sites that may not be retained. “We have to maintain standards until we get further down the line and see what’s happening,” confirms Christopher. “We still have to adapt to change so, if some curriculum areas are expanding

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“THE VISION IS TO BUILD A NEW, ICONIC £70 MILLION STATE OF THE ART HUB DEVELOPMENT IN NOTTINGHAM CITY CENTRE” CHRISTOPHER PUNTER HEAD OF ESTATES or shrinking, there could be a change of use for a room. But, we do it properly and, rather than doing a basic refurbishment, we do the full job. We’ve found that works better rather than just tidying up areas. It’s a strategy that seems to work quite well and we can incorporate all the sustainable features.”

There is, in fact, a big emphasis on sustainability for any refurbishment work. That involves looking at the three elements of insulation, ventilation and lighting as part of the design. Any refurbishment that provides access to the external wall is likely to include improved insulation while ceiling replacements result also in LED lighting being installed.

The tendency on ventilation is to move away from air conditioning in favour of natural ventilation.

That’s not only simpler and cheaper in terms of repairs and running costs but has been proved to be just as effective if done correctly.

Various measures and initiatives have been put in place, including getting students involved by appointing energy champions to raise awareness

and try to change people’s habits. The outcome is that most of the low cost or no cost measures have been completed, resulting in significant savings.

Renewable energy has been looked at and there’s the potential to install photovoltaic panels at the Beeston site. However, as Christopher recounts, anything else that involves capital investment is unlikely in the short term until the situation around the proposed development is resolved: “With the Carbon Trust, we produced a full ten-month management plan and we set ourselves a significant 40% saving over five years. That included the rationalisation of the estate and losing a lot of these smaller sites. Our problem comes back to this property strategy because we don’t know how long these buildings are going to be around. If the payback is more than three years, we can’t justify it at the moment because they might not last that long.” www.centralnottingham.ac.uk Tel: 0115 9146414

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South Tyneside College:feature 2 23/04/2013 11:09 Page 46

EDUCATION SECTOR: SOUTH TYNESIDE COLLEGE

DEDICATED TO YOUR SUCCESS

South Tyneside College has been embarking on a four phase refurbishment programme

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A

history of over 150 years makes South Tyneside College quite unique among further education colleges.

And in addition to the more usual learning facilities, it has a motor vehicle training centre and a renowned marine school that attracts students from around the world, generating some 45% of its income from outside businesses and countries. That makes it a very diverse and multi-cultural college, which provides for local education needs and also has much overseas investment.

The college is spread over three main locations — the Westoe Campus at South Shields, the Motor Vehicle Centre at Jarrow and the Marine Safety Centre on the riverside that provides maritime safety training internationally as well as regular safety training and recertification for locals. The varying nature of courses means there are specialist areas that include a ship simulator, safety pool, a tower representing an offshore wind turbine and workshops where students work on cars. Added to that is a 204-bed hall of residence for residential students.

Like many colleges, South Tyneside College had a planned rebuilding programme that didn’t go

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EDUCATION SECTOR: SOUTH TYNESIDE COLLEGE ahead due to a lack of funding. Instead, it embarked on a multi-phase refurbishment programme that concentrated on different areas of the college. “The plan is to bring the old, underutilised and underinvested site up to a modern day facility, the best we can to meet the needs of our students,” recounts Head of Estates Eddie Beckett. “The first application was in 2010 and the first phase was completed that academic year.

“We did the second phase in the last academic year. We’ll be taking on this third phase this year and we hope to finish the fourth phase as soon as we’re able within our budgetary limitations. Wherever possible, we’ve tried to work outside of the teaching term because it would be unfair to impose all the noise and disturbance on present day students when it’s next year’s students who are going to benefit from it. Everything we do has to take into consideration our existing learners as well as the future learners who will come through the door.”

CONCENTRATED RESOURCES Phase one covered the front of the college, providing a new entrance and reception area, student services, a training restaurant and salons plus improvements to classrooms, workshops and student accommodation at a cost of £4 million. The second phase provided covered links between buildings and refurbished two blocks to the rear. At the same time, the 12,000 square metre Hebburn Campus was closed and everyone moved to Westoe to make better use of the facilities there and concentrate resources at one location.

Phase three, recently approved for funding, is to upgrade a four-storey block that has seen little invest-

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ment in the last twenty years, making it suitable for modern teaching methods. That’s likely to include a ‘super lab’ to be used for all science subjects and flexible areas that can be adapted to different group sizes and uses, avoiding the need for students to constantly move between rooms. The fourth phase will then revamp the workshops of the college.

Each phase is subject to a tender process in accordance with government procurement guidelines.

Eddie says: “We’ve been fortunate that, for the first

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EDUCATION SECTOR: SOUTH TYNESIDE COLLEGE three phases, the same project management company won the tenders. The same architect has been involved so there is continuity rather than a series of projects with a different look. There is a corporate scheme running through the whole process and, if a different firm wins the next phase of work, we’ll have to ensure that corporate scheme is followed.”

ENVIRONMENTAL FOCUS A common feature of every phase has been a focus on the environmental aspects of the buildings.

Phase one included the removal of a lot of single glazing to the frontage of the college, replacing it with a new double glazed curtain walling system.

There was also new heating provision with better BMS support and ventilation systems with heat recovery units incorporated into them.

“The same was true when we did the second phase,” recalls Eddie. “We had an old, badly heated block with single glazed lower ground floor windows. They were taken out, double glazing put in and a new heating system installed throughout.

We’re very hopeful that phase three will go ahead and, if it does, we’ll be putting a 45 kilowatt photovoltaic system on one of our flat roofs and ensure it has safe access for students. We can then use it as an energy saving device and a teaching area where our mechanical students will be shown how to service this type of installation. We’re also looking at the possibility of a wind turbine on our riverside site but all of these ideas are subject to affordability.”

The on-going maintenance of the sites is handled through a combination of in-house resources and third party companies. All reactive calls come through an internal help desk and, depending on the skills required, the work is undertaken by the college’s own operatives or is allocated to a facilities services company. Most of the preventative work is also outsourced, with specialist providers for the security and fire alarms, lifts and BMS. They’re all on fixed term contracts, with the college currently retendering some services.

A COMMON FEATURE OF EVERY PHASE HAS BEEN A FOCUS ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS OF THE BUILDINGS

ECONOMIES OF SCALE In the same way the rebuilding and refurbishment programmes have been affected by funding or the lack thereof, on-going maintenance is undergoing a change to reflect the restricted finance. However, as Eddie points out, that can deliver benefits: “We are getting involved with a shared service if we can, where various northeast colleges buy into the same contracts. The successful candidate will get much more business but we hope to benefit from our increased purchasing power. That already applies for the grounds maintenance contract where the company is the same one running the local authority contract. We benefit from economies of scale because the same rates apply to our small contract as to the local authority for a much larger contract.” www.stc.ac.uk Tel: 0191 4273900

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bedroomtax2:feature 2 16/04/2013 13:36 Page 50

SOCIAL HOUSING: BEDROOM TAX

A TAX TOO FAR? The ‘bedroom tax’ aims to encourage households to downsize if they have spare rooms, but many organisations say that it will penalise groups such as the disabled and foster parents

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elfare reforms set to come into force in April targeted at what officialspeak calls “under-occupation” but what detractors have termed the bedroom tax are understandably dividing opinion. These measures under the Welfare Reform Act 2012 will cut the amount of benefit people can get if they are deemed to have a spare bedroom in their council or housing association home.

The amount of money people lose will depend on their individual situation but is based on a fixed percentage that will take into consideration the make-up of a family in a home. For example, children will be expected to share a bedroom if they are the same sex and under sixteen. Children under ten years of age will be expected to share a room regardless of gender. Others that could be negatively affected by the changes include separated parents who share custody of children, carers and those living with disabled tenants, and parents whose children visit but are not part of the household.

The fixed percentage penalty for spare bedrooms is set at fourteen percent for one bedroom and twenty-five percent for two bedrooms. This is expected to cut housing benefit on average between £14 and £16 per week per household.

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SOCIAL HOUSING: BEDROOM TAX

THE PRIME MINISTER IS OUT OF TOUCH Ed Miliband, Labour Leader “The only people he listens to are a small group of rich and powerful people at the top … that's why he has come up with a policy that is unworkable and unfair. He is a prime minister who is weak, incompetent and totally out of touch.”

“CHILDREN WHO COME INTO CARE NEED THEIR OWN BEDROOM, EQUALLY, SOME FOSTER CARERS NEED A SPARE BEDROOM WITH NOBODY IN IT, AS SOME CHILDREN COME INTO CARE IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS, WE NEED TO FIND HOMES FOR THEM AT THE LAST MINUTE.” HARVEY GALLAGHER, chief executive of the Nationwide Association of Fostering Providers

IT WILL EASE OVERCROWDING Conservative MP Mark Field “Each and every day, I receive enquiries from constituents living in overcrowded properties and temporary accommodation who have been waiting for years for a family-sized property. Meanwhile many properties in our borough are severely under-occupied.

“To give you a better idea of the problem, in 2010 when the housing benefit changes were being drawn up, 10 per cent of the four-bedroom properties within the social housing portfolio of Westminster City Council were occupied by one person and 15 per cent of their 3-bed properties. As such, I welcomed the introduction of incentives for tenants to downsize.”

The ‘Bedroom Tax’ uncovered Single Person = 1 Bedroom (16yrs+)

2 Children aged 10yrs & under expected to share 1 bedroom (regardless of sex)

2 Children aged up to 16yrs expected to share 1 bedroom (same sex)

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Couple = 1 Bedroom

CASE STUDY Mr and Mrs Smith live in a three bedroom house with their two daughters aged 6 and 14. This household would be seen as having one ‘extra bedroom’ as a bedroom would be allowed for Mr and Mrs Smith but their daughters would be expected to share a room. They would have a deduction of 14% of their weekly rent made from their housing benefit because they would seen to have one ‘extra’ room.

“WE GENUINELY NEED SEPARATE BEDROOMS. BUT THEY SAY I'M A HUSBAND, NOT A CARER. I LOOK AFTER MY WIFE 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. I THINK IT IS UNFAIR WITH ALL THE WORK THE HOUSING PEOPLE HAVE DONE TO ADAPT MY HOUSE. IF I MOVE THEY WILL HAVE TO DO IT ALL AGAIN.” TONY SHARMAN, husband and carer of his wife who is unable to walk or speak

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Brent Housing:feature 2 23/04/2013 08:28 Page 52

SOCIAL HOUSING SECTOR: BRENT HOUSING PARTNERSHIP

BUILDING ON EXCELLENCE Brent Council completed its Decent Homes programme in 2007. Now it’s moving on to other aspects that are guided by the council’s thirty-year business plan.

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SOCIAL HOUSING SECTOR: BRENT HOUSING PARTNERSHIP

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hilst some local authorities and ALMOs are still finishing Decent Homes, Brent completed its programme in 2007. Now it’s moving on to other aspects that are guided by the council’s thirty-year business plan.

Brent Housing Partnership (BHP) was set up as Brent Council’s ALMO in 2003 and looks after 13,000 properties that include 3,500 leaseholds.

“Most are smaller flats rather than houses so there are a lot of high rises,” recounts Chief Executive Garry Doherty. “They’re classified as non-traditional housing and our biggest estate is 900 properties, so the stock is spread across a multitude of small estates across the borough. But Brent’s not too big geographically; it’s only seven miles from one end to the other so it’s not too bad for management.”

PARTNERING AGREEMENT The Decent Homes programme ran for four years and was under a partnering agreement that was a relatively new type of arrangement at the time. The strategy was to phase the project by type of work, split into separate kitchen and bathroom work packages with an initial concentration on internal work.

That led to BHP completing 7,500 kitchens and bathrooms, although some 500 remained due to tenants refusing the work.

The challenge now is to keep properties up to scratch and BHP has recently embarked on a fire safety programme for its high rise properties. Gerry says: “We’re going through all the common parts, upgrading communal doors, fire escape doors, fire break doors and replacing the resident’s flat doors with a minimum thirty minute fire safety door. We undertook research on fire safety and took doors to the British Research Establishment in Watford to put them through burn tests under laboratory conditions.

“For suppliers to be on the approved list and have their doors considered for the programme, we asked if they were willing for their doors to undergo a burn test. We’re spending about £7-8 million in the next financial year on the programme so we want to make sure we have the right doors in it.

We’ve had two or three rounds of fire risk assessment surveys done and plenty intermediate works such as maintenance, tenant advice, warning signs, lighting and door closers but the capital programme is an upgrade to thirty minute fire doors and even sixty minutes through really good smoke seals.”

LONG-TERM CONTRACTS The partnering approach that Brent championed during the Decent Homes programme is continued through the repair work where there are long-term contracts with contractors to promote stability. The old arrangement of three-year contracts didn’t give new contractors time to get properly bedded in before the next renewal was due so the principle now is to have ten-year contracts instead.

There’s a separate contractor for each type of work, with one handling all reactive repairs plus separate ones for gas, lift servicing, water testing and remedial works, and a small direct labour organisation that competed for and won the voids work that includes the residual Decent Homes upgrades

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Brent Housing:feature 2 23/04/2013 08:28 Page 54

SOCIAL HOUSING SECTOR: BRENT HOUSING PARTNERSHIP

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SOCIAL HOUSING SECTOR: BRENT HOUSING PARTNERSHIP

refused by tenants at the time. All contracts have break clauses in case of problems but none have been activated since the ten-year contracts were introduced. That’s partly due to the better arrangement but also results from BHP’s willingness to work with contractors and resolve difficulties.

The new arrangement resulted from a review of the responsive repair service in line with lean and systems thinking techniques. That transformed the service from a traditional schedule of rates contract to a fully open book basis where BHP pays all costs plus an agreed profit level for work done. Other changes, as Gerry recounts, have also resulted: “Rather than the old fashioned way of giving out several orders on paper every morning to each operative, they get one order at a time electronically on a PDA. They go to each property and can undertake all repairs up to a value of £500 without further authorisation. If it’s above that value, they

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ring us for clarification about whether to proceed or if the work is put into a planned programme. It’s transformed the responsive repairs service; satisfaction levels have gone up massively and the reputation of the service has increased tremendously.”

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION A similar principle applies for preventative work, with contracts based on an agreed annual fee and any at risk work up to a certain value undertaken without additional authorisation needed. And because every job is allocated and progressed using PDAs, there’s complete control of each one. “Before an operative gets the next job, they have to complete details of the previous one on the PDA,” remarks Gerry. “It then appears on our system as completed and we call the tenant immediately for a quick chat to establish the level of customer satisfaction. It’s almost realtime feedback and the contractor is rated on five key

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SOCIAL HOUSING SECTOR: BRENT HOUSING PARTNERSHIP performance indicators that include getting the job right first time, customer satisfaction and the average time to complete repairs.”

The whole arrangement is designed to simplify the service and make it more effective. That effectiveness extends to health and safety, which is largely the responsibility of the companies doing the work but is a big priority of BHP, especially given the involvement of tenants. That’s all tied in with regular gas servicing, Legionella prevention through water testing, fire safety evidenced by the current programme and overriding responsibilities arising through corporate manslaughter concerns.

Risk management is therefore always high in the agenda but success in this area is shown by the organisation winning the British Safety Council’s gold award and its entry for two RoSPA awards for gas servicing and fire safety.

Gerry says: “Although contractors are ultimately responsible, we have a dedicated health and safety officer, a staff health and safety committee that meets regularly, a health and safety report that goes through our board and subcommittees on service delivery that discuss the subject. So health and safety is at the forefront of BHP, not something that’s always somebody else’s job. I’ve talked to the board repeatedly about corporate manslaughter and the risks, our responsibilities and what we have to do.

All staff and board members are fully informed and aware, which is the real test of its importance to us.”

RESIDENT INVOLVEMENT BHP is currently seeking Investors in Diversity accreditation, which is based on its approach to equality and diversity and how it delivers services to its customers through employment. It’s also reapplying for partner status with HCA for future development opportunities and is aiming for TPAS accreditation in resident involvement.

The latter is particularly relevant to BHP because tenant involvement, as Gerry points out, is a huge

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SOCIAL HOUSING SECTOR: BRENT HOUSING PARTNERSHIP

priority: “ALMOs are different from other types of housing provider due to the role tenants play. They are involved in the strategy of the organisation and are the decision makers. Tenants have been involved for well over ten years, before the ALMO was formed in Brent. They’re on our procurement panels and are involved in reality testing, scrutiny of the contractors and we have tenants trained as resident inspectors. Resident involvement is integral to BHP and is one of the main reasons why Brent Council, unlike a lot of organisations, decided to

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retain its ALMO and give us a ten-year management agreement.”

The ALMO status was considered in 2010 along with the whole future of Brent’s housing stock. The eventual positive decision was helped by the selffinancing review that means the maintenance of the housing stock will be affordable over the long term.

As a consequence, Brent has embarked on a further detailed review and asset management plan to establish the standard to which the stock should be maintained, with an initial ballpark figure of £80-

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SOCIAL HOUSING SECTOR: BRENT HOUSING PARTNERSHIP 100 million being the likely spend over the next five years.

That’s in addition to some energy projects, where ECO funding is being sought. “We’re in discussions with British Gas regarding programmes of over-cladding to solid wall properties,” recounts Gerry. “We’re trying to target the harder to insulate properties and have three large tower blocks where we’re going to over-clad and install new windows and heating.”

SUSTAINABLE AWARD An energy saving programme two years ago won the organisation a sustainable FM award. Around ninety non-traditional concrete homes were clad to improve insulation and re-roofed with integrated solar panels. Not only did the roof tiles reduce carbon emissions from the nearby North Circular Road but they also cut each tenant’s electricity bill by an estimated £150 annually and earned BHP £70,000 through the feed-in tariff.

There remains a large catch up programme of external works, with around 30% of the housing stock still having single glazing and a backlog of internal decorations and planned maintenance.

That’s likely to be the main concentration of capital spending over the next five years, with the five-year plan of actual works evolving from Brent Council’s thirty-year business plan for housing. In effect, the level of funding determines what can be done and also affects any finance available for new build.

BHP’s own 330 properties are a mixture of tenures and it is working with the council to review existing estates and identify possible infill developments.

The biggest challenge now facing BHP is the effect that the new welfare reforms will have. It is setting up a team to help tenants with budget planning and provide debt management advice to try to alleviate the impact. “Around 65% of tenants are on full or partial housing benefit,” explains Gerry. “If the rent doesn’t get paid, none of the business plans stack up. We don’t want anyone to have to suffer due to evictions and we’re helping our tenants to avoid that happening.” www.bhphousing.co.uk Tel: 020 89372363

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Barking & Dagenham Council :feature 2 18/04/2013 10:33 Page 64

SOCIAL HOUSING SECTOR: LONDON BOROUGH OF BARKING & DAGENHAM

SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC

REGENERATION

Housing is an extremely important part of the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham’s regeneration

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egeneration, according to Barking & Dagenham’s Director of Housing Strategy Ken Jones, isn’t just about investing in property and infrastructure: “Besides the physical regeneration of town centres and estates, it’s about social and economic regeneration. Housing is an extremely important part of the borough’s regeneration in all forms.”

Barking & Dagenham chose, after consulting residents, to retain control of its housing stock. That comprises around 19,000 council homes and the situation is helped by the HRA self-financing scheme allowing a long-term asset management strategy comprising three main strands within housing investment — Decent Homes, estate renewal and new build.

The borough didn’t complete its Decent Homes programme due to insufficient funding but the availability of self-financing and an agreement with the Greater London Authority meant it could start a

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programme to clear the backlog over eight years.

“We considered whether it would be better to do everything inside and then outside as separate phases,” explains Manager of Capital Programmes Ola Laniyan. “For some, we’ve done everything together to see what impact it made.”

Estate renewal has concentrated on estates that have been expensive to maintain and unpopular due to a variety of reasons. The solution was to decant existing tenants, demolish properties and then redevelop with a mixture of tenures and income levels as part of the area’s social and economic regeneration.

The final strand is new build, with the borough contracted to deliver 762 new homes by April 2015.

It’s currently on target to comfortably exceed that, partly due to Barking & Dagenham having more building land than most London boroughs. It’s also, as Ken points out, due to a special delivery vehicle it set up for the work: “We had a Local Education

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Barking & Dagenham Council :feature 2 18/04/2013 10:33 Page 65

SOCIAL HOUSING SECTOR: LONDON BOROUGH OF BARKING & DAGENHAM Partnership to deliver Building Schools for the Future but it also has housing and regeneration within its scope. When we were looking to develop homes, we knew the LEP worked well with its main partner Laing O’Rourke. So we started Barking & Dagenham Reside as a vehicle for developments.”

ENERGY EFFICIENT All properties are constructed to a minimum Sustainable Homes code level 4. That’s part of an emphasis on energy efficiency that also applies to existing properties. “We’re finishing a block where we have funding for external wall insulation,” remarks Ola. “There’s a whole raft of work to make that block more energy efficient. We’ve saved around £12 million working with GLA and with some funding for climate change issues.”

The council’s efforts won it the Environmental Sustainable Project of the Year 2012. There’s also ongoing tenant involvement that includes giving choices and consultation through residents’ forums.

The aim is all residents will ultimately live in new or completely refurbished properties that are energy efficient and meet modern standards. But that, as Ken confirms, takes time: “It’s an ongoing process looking at remaining stock condition and issues.

Over time, we’ll be redeveloping and putting in some higher quality new council property with different income groups in those sites.” www.lbbd.gov.uk/AboutBarkingandDagenham/ Pages/Home.aspx Tel: 020 82153000

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Local authoritive:feature 2 21/04/2013 15:16 Page 66

LOCAL AUTHORITIES: PLANNING

ALL IN THE PLANNING? Local authorities go to war over development proposals

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lanning rows are often portrayed as pitched battles between councillors and profit-seeking builders, bent on concreting every quarter of countryside. But this year has seen the appearance of another, new and powerful foe: the fast-growing local authority with good reasons to beef about its neighbour's intentions to curtail development.

In what is being viewed as a precedent, a government-appointed inspector this month declared Coventry's long-term planning blueprint illegal for a significant reason. It had failed to engage “constructively” with nearby authorities, including Birmingham – Britain’s second largest city – before slashing its house building targets from 30,000 to 11,000.

The Coventry decision is important because it indicates how inspectors will expect councils to construct passable plans and development goals under the coalition government’s new planning regime, the national planning policy framework (pdf). The framework came into effect one year ago with an aim to “secure a swift return to economic growth”.

As previous regional targets disappear, the Coventry case indicates that inspectors are turning to the new “duty to co-operate” rules as an alternative method to force councils to look beyond their

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LOCAL AUTHORITIES: PLANNING Waheed Nazir, Birmingham’s director of planning and regeneration, indicated that Coventry should reinstate a 30,000 target set in the West Midlands spatial strategy, one of the goal-setting plans the government is ripping up. Such “flawed top-down targets” from the Labour years fuelled only resentment and threatened the green belt, communities secretary Eric Pickles thundered this month after revoking two more.

But as regional strategies are incinerated, inspectors will still expect authorities to set targets that reflect market areas rather than their individual wishes. Councils such as Birmingham, with little hope of meeting its own needs, can reasonably expect neighbours in its market area to take the city’s huge population growth into account. Authorities must build their own evidence bases for their plans to be passed as sound by the inspectorate.

TROUBLE IN SALFORD Compiling such evidence is no easy task for authorities with dwindling resources, as Salford discovered at considerable cost last year. The city was forced to withdraw its development plan unceremoniously after an unrelenting attack by Peel Holdings, a major landowner and developer which wants to expand its port scheme into a significant stretch of the city's green belt.

Peel argued successfully that Salford had failed to allocate “sufficient levels of housing and employment development, of the right type and in the right

locations”. It claimed also the authority had used an “unreliable” means of predicting growth. The planning inspector agreed with some of Peel’s reasoning, criticising Salford’s plan for failing to provide “an adequate and realistically deliverable supply of housing land”.

In the light of the Salford and Coventry, councils face two tough challenges when attempting to hold back the bulldozer: authorities must keep their neighbours’ demands in mind – a significant ask with a rapidly expanding city like Birmingham on your doorstep – and they must also contend with an aggressive development trade whose growth ambitions are likely to find favour with politicians hungry for economic growth. (TheHome Builders’ Federation pledged this month to take “decisive action” against any authority it considered to be shirking planning responsibilities, as it beefed up its own expert team.)

Councillors have begun to fight back against what they see as centralised planning control returning via the planning inspectorate's door. Almost 200 have signed an e-petition calling for its powers to be reviewed.

One signatory, Robert Long, a Conservative councillor and former chair of Maldon district council in Essex, is in little doubt about what the outcome of any review should be. “I would suggest that the planning inspectorate is scrapped and a new system organised by local government itself,” he wrote.

Given the duty-to-co-operate rules, such an idea may well come back to bite him.

own borders when drawing up plans. Colette McCormack, a planning partner at Winckworth Sherwood, a law firm, says she has noticed a definite emphasis on the duty as the coalition's reforms bedded in.

“It has become more important and definitely came to prominence in the last six months,” she says. “What the inspector is doing is ensuring that there is engagement, and what you can’t do is the old school way. It isn’t about talking to your neighbouring authority and completely ignoring them; it is key to demonstrate it.”

COVENTRY V BIRMINGHAM Under this duty to co-operate, councils must properly consult with those they share “strategic housing market” areas with. These footprints are determined in part by commuter journeys, often breaching administrative boundaries. In Coventry’s case, they stretch at least 25 miles down the M6 to Birmingham.

As one of the country’s economic powerhouses, Birmingham had warned that Coventry’s low development target was unjustified and would pile unacceptable pressure on its own housing market. The city expects a population explosion of 150,000 over the next 18 years, but has enough space for only 43,000 homes.

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Fife Council :feature 2 17/04/2013 15:39 Page 68

LOCAL AUTHORITIES: FIFE COUNCIL

EXCITING TIMES AHEAD Exciting times lie ahead for residents and businesses of Fife as the council surges ahead with groundbreaking regeneration plans

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here are exciting times ahead for residents and businesses of Fife in Scotland as the council surges ahead with groundbreaking regeneration plans. For both homes and businesses, the local authority is passionate and committed to shaping the economic future of the area.

As well as driving forward development and regeneration of town centres across Fife by improving the aesthetic value of these environments and making them more appealing, the council is investing heavily in infrastructure improvements such as car parking, pavements, signage and street lighting.

This will improve the region’s attractiveness to new business while making the visitor experience more memorable thus encouraging repeat business and long term relationships. Fife Council is eager to create a place to explore, shop, socialise and do business in, time and time again.

Last year’s completion of the Housing Innovation Showcase was the ideal project to high-

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light Fife Council’s innovative approach. The scheme was designed to trial new alternative methods of construction and has quickly gained recognition for its green credentials. The key aims of the Housing Innovation Showcase were to test, evaluate and promote different house systems and to mainstream the different house systems across a wider affordable housing programme. Environmental conditions included evaluation of cost, energy performance and flexibility of a number of new systems as well as trialling sustainable housing products.

The acclaimed project, which won a Scottish Green Apple Award for environmental best practice as well as a VIBES award for its environmental vision, has most recently been shortlisted for two prizes in the prestigious Homes For Scotland 2013 awards. Each year the HFS Awards recognise best practice and help to further raise standards across the home building industry. This year the Housing Innovation Showcase, a joint initiative by Kingdom Housing Association and Fife Council, which pro-

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Fife Council :feature 2 22/04/2013 14:18 Page 69

LOCAL AUTHORITIES: FIFE COUNCIL

Council has drawn on the skill of local labour to achieve its aims.

Most recently, it announced a £4.3 million housing investment for the Dunfermline area to improve council homes. A total of 942 different jobs will be carried out in the next year to deliver a range of improvements including 146 improved heating systems, 275 new kitchens, and 262 new sets of windows and doors. This will bring the council closer to achieving its target of 100% compliance with the Government’s Scottish Housing Quality Standard by 2015.

Committee Chair Mike Rumney said, “The improvements will make real differences for tenants in the Dunfermline area and allow us to offer more fit for purpose, comfortable homes.”

This work is part of a Fife-wide investment of almost £62 million in council houses over the next year. Over £37 million of this budget will be used to continue to carry out maintenance work on homes to bring them up to the Scottish Housing Quality Standard.

Over £8 million will be spent on wider investment works such as improvements to high-rise

housing, the conversion of bedsits to one and two bedroom properties and decommissioning of sheltered housing to provide general needs homes as well as property extensions due to overcrowding, disabilities and for children with special needs.

An investment of over £13 million will be made to deliver on policy options including the new build projects to build new council homes, energy efficiency projects and estates initiatives.

While council house residents benefit from these upgrades, businesses are also seeing the fruits of Fife Council’s endeavours through the Invest in Fife initiative. This programme offers two distinct services to businesses. Firstly, it provides a one-door approach for companies considering location or expansion in Fife. Secondly, it promotes the benefits of doing business in Fife that make it a "world class" business location.

Invest in Fife has a proven track record of attracting the attention of potential investors and helping to make their projects happen. This is done by CONTINUED ON PAGE 724

duced twenty-seven high quality houses at a site in Dunlin Drive, Dunfermline has been nominated in two categories --- Best Green Initiative and Best Partnership In Affordable Housing Delivery.

Last year over 2,500 construction and housing professionals visited the Fife showcase to see the new homes which were built by ten different construction partnerships which used modern methods of construction to build energy-efficient houses. The project, which was recognised in the Fife Partnership Excellence Awards, cost approximately £3.3 million and received funding of approximately £2 million from the Scottish Government and Fife Council.

Working alongside a number of key partners and preferred suppliers, Fife Council is surging ahead with plans to bring about great change to the quality of living in the area and the potential for new and current businesses to grow. Working with companies such as Industrial Services, a local business which provides a range of services including fuel tank installation, servicing and maintenance, Fife

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LOCAL AUTHORITIES: FIFE COUNCIL working closely with a number of organisations. The council’s Economic Development staff have excellent working relationships with Scottish Enterprise, Scottish Development International, Fife Chamber of Commerce and Enterprise and other key stakeholders in Fife to provide a comprehensive investment promotion service.

Invest in Fife, which acts as the council’s investment agency, has a number of strategically important development areas, which are seeing a considerable level of investment and expansion activity and the emergence of future development opportunities.

These areas include Rosyth Waterfront which will see extensive construction activity over the next ten years as the New Forth Crossing is built as well as aircraft hangars for HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales by Babcock. The former navel dockyard, with its waterfront area, is ideal for multimodal transport and as the site for Scotland’s gateway into Europe.

On the eastern side of Dunfermline, where major businesses have set up home such as BskyB and Scottish Water, there will be further development work to encourage further companies to the

area. Elsewhere at Kirkcaldy, the John Smith’s Business Park now offers one of Fife's premium business locations. Extending to approximately 60 acres, the park offers great potential for businesses looking to expand or relocate to Fife. Already home to one of Fife's largest employers MGt, the financial and business services company, the site offers outline planning consent for up to 400,000 sq ft office developments and leisure and hotel opportunities.

This is in addition to the Glenrothes Gateway and Glenrothes Central Business parks.

Located on the Methil Waterfront, Energy Park Fife is a nationally important project providing high quality infrastructure that supports the offshore marine renewables sector. Already home to one of the UK's largest renewables companies, BiFab, Energy Park Fife is expanding and now provides opportunities for Research and Development, Innovation Space, and Testing and Demonstration as well as its traditional engineering and manufacturing. www.fifedirect.org.uk Tel: 08451 55 11 22

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Fife Council :feature 2 17/04/2013 15:40 Page 73

LOCAL AUTHORITIES: FIFE COUNCIL

Fuel equipment supply & installation 4Complete fuel installations from inception to completed site including civils works 4Servicing, repair & maintenance of fuel tanks and pumps 4Retail & commercial fuel site renovations including civils works 4Supply, installation and replacement of petroleum electrics, carried out by certified electrical engineers 4Degassing of fuel tanks, tank infilling and/or excavation & removal 4Decommissioning of fuel sites including removal of fuel and waste to the requirements of SEPA

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Fife Council :feature 2 22/04/2013 16:07 Page 73

LOCAL AUTHORITIES: FIFE COUNCIL

Fuel equipment supply & installation 4Complete fuel installations from inception to completed site including civils works 4Servicing, repair & maintenance of fuel tanks and pumps 4Retail & commercial fuel site renovations including civils works 4Supply, installation and replacement of petroleum electrics, carried out by certified electrical engineers 4Degassing of fuel tanks, tank infilling and/or excavation & removal 4Decommissioning of fuel sites including removal of fuel and waste to the requirements of SEPA

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Newham Council :feature 2 17/04/2013 14:14 Page 74

LOCAL AUTHORITIES: LONDON BOROUGH OF NEWHAM

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LOCAL AUTHORITIES: LONDON BOROUGH OF NEWHAM

REGENERATING

NEWHAM The 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games put Newham and East London in the international spotlight, helping to propel change and ideally placing Newham to accommodate much of London’s eastwards growth in the 21st century.

H

aving been seen as one of the most deprived areas in London, Newham is now known as the home of the 2012 Olympics through staging the event in Stratford. Nevertheless, it still has significant deprivation issues that require to be tackled.

The coming of the Olympic Games was, believes Cllr Conor McAuley, Executive Member for Regeneration and Strategic Planning, partly due to the borough’s good transport links. These include a connection to the Jubilee Line in 1999 that enabled several sites to be opened up. “Without the transport links to Stratford, the Olympics wouldn’t have come here and may not have come to the UK,” he remarks.

“There’s nowhere else in London we could have that level of connectivity without disrupting the city.”

The end of the Olympics has left a legacy of sporting venues, a new royal park and a platform for new housing, business and development. It’s also created name recognition that attracts developers and has numerous benefits for the area. Cllr McAuley says: “Developers are working on sites adjacent to the Olympic Park but wouldn’t have come if it hadn’t been for the recognition. The River Lea area was an industrial corridor that’s suffered dereliction and the developments will knit together this part of east London.”

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Developments are part of the Stratford Master Plan that covers sites around the Olympic Park.

These include the Carpenters Estate where there’s the real prospect of bringing academic institutions into the area. There’s also, as Cllr McAuley explains, the ‘Arc of Opportunity’ that starts at Stratford and works through the Lea Valley into the Royal Docks: “There are numerous key developments and an ambition to build 11,000 homes in Canning Town.

“We’re on site in three of the areas in partnership with developers. As you go further south, you come into the Royal Docks where we already have the Excel Exhibition Centre and the Sphere. We’re creating a cluster of developments around the Royal Docks, which are largely economically based but with some residential elements. Some major developments are already in the pipeline to complete the Royal Docks and we have the University Of London campus and a growing city centre airport.”

PROVIDING JOB OPPORTUNITIES The airport was the borough’s largest private sector employer until the Westfield Stratford shopping centre created 10,000 jobs, 2,000 of them for local residents. That’s important since the closure of the Royal Docks led to the disappearance of much industry from the Lea Valley and Stratford. “Our

“WE’RE CREATING A CLUSTER OF DEVELOPMENTS AROUND THE ROYAL DOCKS, WHICH ARE LARGELY ECONOMICALLY BASED BUT WITH SOME RESIDENTIAL ELEMENTS”

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LOCAL AUTHORITIES: LONDON BOROUGH OF NEWHAM

aim is to bring jobs back to this part of East London,” states Cllr McAuley. “It isn’t just about homes because jobs are just as important to us.

We see our role as providing the opportunities and training for residents to get work and that’s been crucial to our economic and regeneration strategy.”

It is a jobs-led regeneration that has been helped by the council forming property partnerships with developers and providing them with quick decisions, clear guidance and information.

There’s also Workplace, the council’s job brokerage service which provides advice and training, making it easier for residents to find work and help employers source suitable staff.

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The efforts are succeeding and have led to the borough being nominated for the Council of the Year in the LGC Awards, winning the Efficiency, Tackling Fraud and Best Front Line Team categories and being highly commended for its Our Every Child programme. But the council’s Economic Development Strategy runs to 2027 and there’s still a lot to do. Cllr McAuley says: “We want to see an impact and the real issue for us is getting people to work by creating job opportunities. If we can ensure the current developments progress and get them working economically, that would be a real progress over the next five to ten years.” www.newham.gov.uk/regen/regeneration Tel: 020 84302000

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Newham Council :feature 2 06/05/2013 10:42 Page 77

LOCAL AUTHORITIES: LONDON BOROUGH OF NEWHAM

A Winning Team in Gas Detection All the staff at GMI would like to congratulate London Borough of Newham Council for their recent achievements in the regeneration activity in Newham and their commitment to delivering new homes for local residents.

We’re proud that our close relationship with Newham Council has led to a much safer environment for their residents.

GMI have been involved with the project, from selecting the appropriate gas detectors, to our dedicated service team - still ensuring that everything is in perfect working order.

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Bali:feature 2 17/04/2013 15:47 Page 78

BALI AWARDS 2012: BRITISH ASSOCIATION OF LANDSCAPE INDUSTRIES

AND THE WINNER IS...

The BALI National Landscape Awards were first introduced in 1976 and are held annually to recognise BALI members who have demonstrated exceptionally high standards of professionalism and skill in the execution of a wide variety of landscaped schemes.

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P

ublic open space schemes triumphed at this year’s spectacular 36th BALI National Landscape Awards, in association with Horticulture Week. Both the Grand Award and the unique BALI 40th Anniversary Commemorative Award for Outstanding British Landscaping Excellence went to schemes that will enhance public enjoyment of this country’s cherished open spaces and promote British professional landscaping at its very best.

The Awards ceremony, hosted by BBC newsreader and presenter Huw Edwards, was a magnificent celebration of the achievements of BALI registered designers, contractors and, for the first time, Affiliate (supplier) members, for whom the Affiliate Exceptional Service Award was created and drew entries from a broad range of companies.

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT Winning a BALI National Landscape Award is an outstanding achievement and demands unequivo-

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BALI AWARDS 2012: BRITISH ASSOCIATION OF LANDSCAPE INDUSTRIES

cal levels of professional excellence by those BALI members brave enough to enter. The Awards judging panel was chaired by Greg Allen, a senior lecturer in landscape studies at Writtle College and a BALI vetting officer and dispute adjudicator. His fellow judges this year were retired industry experts Michael Chance and Steve Roberts, well known landscape designer and lecturer Robin Templar Williams, RHS Associate of Honour, show judge and MD of Hillier Landscapes Richard Barnard, and John Melmoe, Commercial Director of multi award winning Willerby Landscapes and Honorary Member of the Kew Guild.

KUDOS The standard set by these leading lights of the landscape industry is such that they declined to make Principal Awards in the Hard Landscaping Construction, cost under £300,000, in the Interior Landscaping, and in the Design Excellence categories. This speaks volumes for the integrity of the judges and only adds to the kudos of the awards

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themselves. The decision to recognise the singularly monumental achievement of the four BALI contractors responsible for the Olympic Park landscape with the 40th Anniversary Commemorative Award for Outstanding British Landscaping Excellence rather than the Grand Award was unanimous amongst the adjudication panel.

Chairman of the panel, Greg Allen said: “The scale and complexity of delivering the Olympic Park landscape was way beyond any other scheme that has come before or that we are likely to be asked to judge in the future. This, together with the fact that it was a joint submission by the four contractors responsible for its completion, meant that it fell outside the criteria for the Grand Award.

However, having the opportunity to create the 40th Anniversary Commemorative Award to recognise the best in British landscaping over the past 40 years is unparalleled and we warmly congratulate Frosts Landscape Construction, Gavin Jones, Whitehorse Contractors and Willerby Landscapes on their incredible achievement.”

This year over 115 entries were visited by the judges and the Principal Award winners were announced at the Awards ceremony, which culminated in the announcement of the winner of the BALI Grand Award – the project that, above all Principal Award winning schemes exemplifies outstanding professional landscaping excellence. This year the accolade went to P Casey (Land Reclamation) Ltd for the restoration of the historic parks that form the central green open space of Lichfield in Staffordshire.

GRAND AWARD On receiving the Grand Award from Awards headline sponsor Rigby Taylor, Mike Cafferky, Director of P Casey, said: “We are delighted to be the winners of The BALI Grand Award for our Lichfield Parks Restoration Project. The national recognition of our specialist knowledge and experience of this type of work is especially gratifying and we would like to thank all those involved in the project team who helped us achieve this fantastic result for our company.”

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Turney Landscapes :feature 2 18/04/2013 17:18 Page 80

LANDSCAPE INDUSTRIES: TURNEY LANDSCAPES

STEADY GROWTH T

urney Landscapes was founded by three brothers in 1982. The trio continue to control various sectors of the business nearly thirty years later. Adrian Turney is responsible for highways and arboriculture, Dave Turney is responsible for grounds maintenance and Steve Turney is responsible for hard and soft landscape construction.

The company has continued to compete vigorously in what is a challenging economic climate and a highly competitive market place. It aims to be the best at what it does and always strives to provide the highest level of service possible to its customers.

Most recently it fended off bids from some of the UK’s major contractors to announce it had successfully retained its position as the preferred contractor to work with Rushden Town Council in Northamptonshire.

Several companies were shortlisted to tender for the grounds maintenance contract, and each bid was subject to a robust and thorough evaluation process under the OJEU process of procurement.

Rushden Town Council selected Turney Landscapes to maintain their grounds and associated services until 2017 with the option of a two-year extension.

The new contract started in August last year and includes the maintenance of parks, highways, hous-

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Turney Landscapes have now been in operation for over two decades and has seen steady but competitive growth

ing estates, sports facilities and cemeteries. The scope of works includes grass cutting, sports field husbandry, cemetery maintenance, interments, bedding schemes, hedge cutting, weed control, tree surgery, litter picking and shrub pruning.

Turney Landscapes enjoys a broad variety of clients, ranging from local authorities, housing associations and various other corporate customers to multinational building contractors. It is able to undertake all types of tree works, large scale grounds maintenance projects, highways maintenance and hard and soft landscaping.

Over recent years the company has set itself a green target of being able to recycle all of its waste products. Wherever possible it tries to source its materials locally to reduce transportation distances

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and attempts to purchase recycled goods when they are suitable.

Turney Landscapes has also implemented a policy within the offices of using recycled paper for printing and stationary. A majority of quotations are now done via email and the company competes for most jobs via an electronic tendering system.

The company also tries to use the latest and most efficiently powered equipment to restrict emissions and fuel use and to complete jobs in the shortest possible time, again cutting down on the use of fuel.

Turney Landscapes supports the local economy by using locally-based, environmentally aware suppliers, recognising the need to try and support smaller businesses in these economic hard times.

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LANDSCAPE INDUSTRIES: TURNEY LANDSCAPES

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Proscape Ltd :feature 2 23/04/2013 11:44 Page 82

LANDSCAPE INDUSTRIES: PRO-SCAPE LTD

SETTING THE SCENE

Pro-Scape Ltd is a family run business and was founded in 1999 with the combined skills of horticultural and landscape construction backgrounds

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ounded in 1999, BALI member ProScape Ltd is a family run business with the combined skills of horticultural and landscape construction backgrounds.

Through a process of careful management the company has built upon its areas of expertise to become one of the regions top landscape companies. Pro-Scape’s commitment to continuous improvement means it is dedicated to the highest possible standards.

In addition, by continuing investment in equipment and people ensures it can continue to serve the needs of clients even in today's competitive environment.

Services include a wide range of landscaping and maintenance, from domestic design and build projects to large scale commercial schemes.

Domestic schemes range from the smallest lawn to £500,000+ projects with a range of skills and experience in house to carry out a variety of tasks. From initial consultation through to design, installation and after-care, Pro-Scape takes on both hard and soft landscaping projects using only the finest qual-

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ity materials and plants. Work includes water features, planting, paving, turfing, fencing, ground works and lighting.

Pro-Scape has also been very active in the commercial market, carrying out projects ranging from £1000 to £1m. Since its formation in 1999, ProScape has built long standing relationships with some of the largest and best known developers, contractors and landscape architects in the UK. As a result of this, the company has significant resources, enabling it to manage and complete commercial landscape construction and maintenance projects of all types and values.

To support its project work Pro-Scape provides comprehensive maintenance coverage. Through its dedicated teams of maintenance managers and operatives the company carries out maintenance contracts for private customers, local authorities, housing developers, schools and national utility companies.

Its teams are committed maintenance operatives and are trained in simple landscape maintenance such as grass cutting right through to Japanese Knotweed eradication and complicated water

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LANDSCAPE INDUSTRIES: PRO-SCAPE LTD

systems. Each maintenance contract will be given a personal contracts managers that will see the work through at every stage.

Part of Pro-Scape’s success is due to its in-house experience. The management team is built up of people with a wide range of qualifications, and a wealth of knowledge meaning that no landscaping project is beyond the company’s capabilities. ProScape has a number of contracts managers and estimators who work with architects, developers, local authorities and the private sector to achieve results on time and within budget.

In addition, Pro-Scape’s directly employed labour team are fully trained, qualified and equipped to undertake all landscaping operations. They have varying qualifications including CSCS, CPCS, PA1 and PA6 spraying certificates as well as first aid training. Although the teams have different specialities, they all share the same focus on providing quality workmanship in a safe and efficient manner. www.pro-scape.co.uk Tel: 01284 735779

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N T Killingley:feature 2 06/05/2013 11:14 Page 84

LANDSCAPE INDUSTRIES: NT KILLINGLEY

AWARD WINNERS Established for over forty years, N.T. Killingley Ltd offer an award winning commercial landscape and earthworks contracting service

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LANDSCAPE INDUSTRIES: NT KILLINGLEY

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T Killingley added other prize to its already accomplished portfolio of awards when it was named winner in the small project category of the ICE East Midlands Merit Awards 2012. The project, which saw the construction of a new canal basin on the Chesterfield Canal at Staveley, was designed by Derbyshire County Council and carried out by NT Killingley between June 2011 and March 2012.

The multi-award winning commercial landscape and earthworks contractor provided bespoke solutions to complete the construction of the new canal basin using large-scale reinforced concrete retaining walls, clay lining and natural stone cladding. NT Killingley’s comprehensive range of in-house skills allowed it to oversee the entire installation as well as carry out major earthworks, seeding, fencing, footpaths, surfacing and planting.

The end result has restored a 400-metre stretch of canal with a new road entrance, a new parking area, multi-user trail and towpath, and new public area for hosting events.

The award judges noted the project’s sustainability, through the use of traditional design and construction techniques and by using locally sourced materials, as being particularly impressive. NT Killingley can proudly list the top prize alongside several other high profile accolades achieved in recent years including the Principle Award from BALI, a number of Considerate Constructors awards, and a CEEQUAL award, which it won for a £1 million project on a 67-hector site for Carillion Ltd. “It was great to receive the ICE award,” says managing director Matt Killingley. “It is motivating for the people that have been involved, as well as

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encouraging for the entire company. It also gives customers, new and old, peace of mind that they are dealing with a capable company, one which can be relied upon to do it right.”

Part of NT Killingley’s success over recent years is due to its forty years’ experience in bulk earthworks, groundworks and landscaping. Operating predominantly throughout the North Midlands, the company has the capability to carry out a variety of projects of all sizes. Over the years it has developed its services by specialising in niche areas such as re-bed installations and refurbishments. It has expanded its grounds maintenance division, and has created a specialist surface dressing department to install emulsion, bitumen emulsion and resin-bonded and resin-bound surfaces.

This expansion has seen turnover increase by almost 100 percent to £10 million.

IN-HOUSE SKILLS Employing a full time staff of 100, crucially NT Killingley has all the required skills in-house. This has seen complex projects become an area of particular expertise with all trades in hard and soft landscape projects, earthworks, sports pitch construction, play areas, fencing and grounds maintenance work, found internally. This not only allows NT Killingley to carry out a range of projects but also guarantees a high level of service quality is always evident.

Matt feels the integration of NT Killingley’s management systems – accredited to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 – allows it to maintain standards and further develop staff skill. Through weekly toolbox talks, the company carries out a range of training that includes health and safety awareness and environmental consideration. As an “Investors in People” accredited

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LANDSCAPE INDUSTRIES: NT KILLINGLEY

business, NT Killingley is constantly looking at ways to help its staff progress their careers. Therefore, consistent health and safety training is used as a springboard to encourage further development in such areas as attitude and values, service standards and sustainable, efficient methods of working.

“The result of that is everything is truly integrated.

So, for example, if we educate somebody on the safe operation of an excavator, we will also be talking to them about how we protect the environment while we are operating it, and at the same time how that complies with our quality standards,” explains Matt.

Significantly, the company also takes on regular apprentices. “We like apprentices because it allows us to work with them to develop their skills in line with the way we work and the company’s ethos.

They then know what we expect of them and we can trust them to perform.”

These initiatives have not only seen NT Killingley become a forerunning contractor in the North Midlands but have secured its reputation as one of the best.

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“We are very technically capable of carrying out complex and difficult projects where we have a wide variety of disciplines all of which can be found in house,” says Matt. “That is supplemented by the fact we are highly programme driven – we finish work on time, and provide a reliable product and service on each occasion.”

A 100 percent increase in turnover speaks for itself but Matt wants to consolidate the company’s recent growth to ensure it is providing the best possible service in all aspects of the business. However, the demand for NT Killingley’s services continues to remain high. It is currently carrying out bulk earthworks on the new A57 road between Sheffield and Worksop for Ringway, landscaping and restoration at a £850,000 project in Leicester, and re-bed installations for Severn Trent Water. It has also just completed a surface dressing resin-bound project at the William Morris Gallery in London. www.killingley.co.uk Tel: 01246 859 666

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LANDSCAPE INDUSTRIES: NT KILLINGLEY

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BSES:feature 2 15/04/2013 15:37 Page 88

BUILDING SERVICES: B&ES

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BUILDING SERVICES: B&ES

FRESH APPROACHES:

HVCA BECOMES B&ES The B&ES is the premier professional body for building engineering services contractors

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he Heating and Ventilating Contractors’ Association (HVCA) has rebranded and is now known as the Building & Engineering Services Association (B&ES).

The HVCA, established in 1904 as the National Association of Master Heating and Domestic Engineers, adopted the HVCA name in 1963. Bob Shelley, President of the HVCA comments, “Back then, of course, that’s exactly how the majority of the members would have described themselves – as h&v contractors – with the result that the name of their representative body accurately reflected the services they provided to the marketplace.

“These days, however, things are very different.

The term ‘h&v’ barely scratches the surface of the diverse, sophisticated and highly complex nature of the work our members now undertake.

“Nor does it even hint at the increasingly central role they play in the integration of engineering services in buildings – and especially in the incorporation of the renewable technologies that are clearly here to stay in our increasingly environmentally-conscious age.

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“It is also the case that, today, our membership embraces many other specialisms – ventilation hygiene, heat pumps and facilities management, to name but a few – all of which sit comfortably under the ‘building and engineering services’ identity”.

Looking to the future, Mr Shelley said, “Rebranding is just one element in a re-positioning exercise that will enable this Association to provide its members with a wider range of services, enhance its influence with Government, and provide a natural home for all building engineering services specialists.

I am convinced that, as B&ES, we shall be ideally placed to become just such an organisation”.

The B&ES identity was formally adopted in March.

The organisation’s membership comprises over 1,500 companies with 2,000 offices throughout the UK, a combined turnover of in excess of £4 billion and a workforce of 55,000. Association members are subject to regular, third-party inspection and assessment of their technical competence and commercial capability. www.b-es.org Tel: 020 7313 4900

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Briggs:feature 2 22/04/2013 16:23 Page 90

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BUILDING SERVICES: BRIGGS AND FORESTER GROUP

MEETING ENERGY REQUIREMENTS Low Energy Consultancy (LEC) Ltd is an established energy consultancy in the UK and was formed to focus purely on the low carbon and energy driven works involved on development and refurbishment projects

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nergy is such an expensive commodity these days, with the situation certain to get worse, that companies can’t afford to be wasteful. That’s where Low Energy Consultancy can help because this latest member of the Briggs and Forester group aims to ensure buildings are as energy-efficient as they can be.

“We deal with client’s energy strategies, BREEAM, code levels and provide advice for projects,” recounts Director Adam Alexander. “We make sure they’re meeting energy requirements in terms of renewables, help them get through planning and provide consultancy and design, looking at M&E and thermal assessments. We’ll go through all the new

build aspect and for existing buildings we do energy audits, energy appraisals and compliance work. We make they’re energy efficient buildings, producing reports and making recommendations.”

ASSESS AND REPORT LEC’s role is largely to assess and report, which it does in an independent manner or as a form of two-way integration with the rest of Briggs and Forrester, where the three core companies provide engineering services in different forms and there’s a separate company that provides maintenance. That means it can potentially give those other companies the opportunity to tender for project work that results from its consultancy and can also assess their

MAYESBROOK ARENA A newly constructed Sports Arena. Services include heating, ventilation, air conditioning and domestic services, small power and lighting access control and data provision. LEC Ltd modelled and verified Part L compliance and Energy Performance Certificate, achieving a B rating.

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BUILDING SERVICES: BRIGGS AND FORESTER GROUP MOONRAKER POINT A new 674 bedroom development providing first year student accommodation.

The scheme includes CHP and Gas boilers, linked into a LTHW distribution system to student room clusters. Working on passive measures for solar gain reduction with Brise Soleil. Mix-mode ventilation to bedrooms to help reduce summertime overheat.

LEC Ltd completed the Part L compliance, thermal modelling and EPCs for the overall accommodation and ground floor commercial spaces.

tenders and proposals to ensure they’re compliant and energy efficient.

Any advice results from both theoretical and practical knowledge, with the emphasis always being, as Adam confirms, to put forward realistic solutions rather than blindly following environmental guidelines: “We may look at a scheme that’s dominated by PV when in reality it more likely needs a CHP or solar thermal option. Although it’s compliant, we may make alternative recommendations that work better. However, if there’s a planning commitment for a set percentage of renewables, that will affect the outcome.”

Clients include building owners wanting EPCs, insurance inspections, reports on the efficiency of existing services and, unsurprisingly, those needing to reduce energy consumption. Recent projects include helping get new Lidl stores and some Premier Inn hotels through planning. There’s also a lot of work coming from the NHS, including a West Sussex Trust with three hospitals and extremely large gas usage.

“They asked us to conduct a full audit and suggest energy saving measures,” recalls Adam. “We’re working our way through that and running an energy awareness campaign. It’s a soft approach where operational methods are the first thing to look at; how people use space and the building, turning off lights and machines, which all help. We get behavioural and operational sorted first before we look at fabric and the large plant elements.”

BRIGGS AND FORRESTER GROUP Low Energy Consultancy Ltd is part of the Briggs and Forrester Group. The group has established itself as a leading player in the field, providing a comprehensive suite of services that includes engineering design, installation and maintenance services to the construction industry.

Originally formed in 1947, the company has witnessed impressive expansion over the years, building a reputation second to none. Remaining privately owned, annual turnover exceeds £100m, highlighting why

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the group remains at the forefront of the building services industry, and has done for over 60 years.

Briggs and Forrester aims to provide an innovative and cost effective solution while maintaining a commitment to quality and customer service. Working closely with clients in an ever-changing marketplace, the group adapts to individual requirements and business objectives.

Client relationships are enhanced by a partnership approach and a spirit

BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE

of co-operation in which every effort is taken to exceed expectations, getting the job done on time and within budget. This is underpinned by the group’s dedication to customer service, where individuals are encouraged to take a pro-active role and personal responsibility to achieve the highest possible standards.

Together Low Energy Consultancy Ltd and Briggs and Forrester offer a complete service from feasibility study to design, installation, commissioning and continued maintenance.

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BUILDING SERVICES: BRIGGS AND FORESTER GROUP

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BUILDING SERVICES: BRIGGS AND FORESTER GROUP

The approach is essentially to make some quick savings initially at little or no cost and then move on to bigger things requiring some investment. Much of this is about creating awareness so there are campaign days and energy champions tasked with changing people’s behaviour. That often means simply turning things off and using the BMS properly.

With energy being historically 2-3% of overheads for many firms, the cost wasn’t a big problem.

Now it is, and even more so for manufacturing companies with much higher levels of consumption.

So there is urgency to cut down and that, combined with the economic situation and the growing emphasis on sustainability, has aided LEC’s cause.

MONITORING SERVICE Energy saving is helped by technology and, as Adam explains, LEC keeps up with developments: “We have a new energy monitoring service this year that’s using Automatic Meter Reading and tying that back into an electronic dashboard so building occupiers can see what they’re using almost as live data. It will show weekly, monthly and annual trends and we can put alarms in to show variations. These may be

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due to production increases or other changes or, if not, they can interrogate further to find the reason.

That’s something we’re rolling out to clients.”

LEC is setting a good example by looking at its own waste management and installing an energy monitoring system at Briggs and Forrester’s headquarters. That will ultimately be rolled out to its other locations and will act as a nice demonstration unit for visiting clients. It’s all part of information sharing and getting the message out, typified by LEC running a Part L seminar to set out changes and the way it works.

Having only been operating since 2011, LEC is still getting established but this is helped by its innovative and practical approach. Adam says: “We’re building up a very big and strong client base, a mixture of one-off projects and clients constantly coming back to us for further work. We’re trying to add further services, to build up this team and then start developing smaller teams around the country. My main goal is to get our client list as big and as strong as possible.” www.lowenergyconsultancy.co.uk Tel: 0845 1291188

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BUILDING SERVICES: BRIGGS AND FORESTER GROUP

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Royce Group:feature 2 22/04/2013 09:56 Page 96

BUILDING SERVICES: ROYCE GROUP

EXCELLENCE IN CLIMATE CONTROL With over 28 years experience Royce Group pride themselves on the ability to deliver high quality HVAC installations and the technical knowledge to service and maintain those installations for many years afterwards.

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any people in business, and construction in particular, are looking for the green shoots of recovery.

Well Royce Group seems to have seen them as orders increase. “This year we’re probably going to be the busiest we’ve been for years,” remarks Director Steven Waight.

“We’ve picked up a lot of new work and it’s unusual to have an order book this full so early in the year.”

Royce Group is an air conditioning, ventilation and plumbing contractor that provides a complete service from design through sourcing, installation and maintenance. Most work is in the commercial sector, with several high profile clients that include end users and main contractors, and a lot of education projects currently. It’s a mixture of new builds and refurbishments, mainly within the M25, East Anglia and Hertfordshire, with a big proportion in London.

Recent projects include the installation of new mechanical services in the Barbican Centre in London. A £900,000 project at Capital Radio took nine months to complete and covered the refur-

BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE

bishment of 24 VRF systems and the installation of 25 DX split systems. The contract had a very restrictive timeframe, requiring overnight crane lifts and shift working to complete on time. There’s also an on-going contract at the former Mercedes Benz F1 engine development site. The work initially comprised the installation of gas, water and electricity meters but has expanded to include the servicing and recommissioning of all mechanical and electrical services.

MAINTENANCE Around half the turnover comes through maintenance and Steven reckons any reputable contractor should have confidence in its ability to service its own installations and those of others. He says: “We have service contracts all over the country and we’ve been looking after some equipment for thirty years.

Sometimes we’ve rectified installation problems or just taken on a contract. Mostly it’s nine to five cover but we look after server rooms and other installations requiring two hour response times.”

The ability to maintain effectively is based on the knowledge and experience of the workforce but

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Royce Group:feature 2 22/04/2013 16:16 Page 97

BUILDING SERVICES: ROYCE GROUP also the quality of equipment Royce Group installs.

For air conditioning, that’s always from Mitsubishi and Daikin where a five year warranty is provided.

Other equipment is of equally high standard and there’s a focus on local sourcing where possible for better logistics.

CLOSE RELATIONSHIPS In all cases, there’s a close relationship with suppliers to keep in touch with new developments. That’s particularly important for suppliers such as Mitsubishi and Daikin, where operatives have to complete training courses before installing new products. And many of those products, as Steven recounts, meet with environmental requirements: “It’s a fact that air source heat pumps are the most efficient way of heating and cooling a building, so that’s what we tend to use.”

Building and Engineering Services Association membership also helps to keep up with the latest developments, with Royce Group particularly interested in process cooling and similar technologies due to its involvement with server room installations. However, the free legal advice service has been especially useful in difficult economic times, with one major customer going out of business and causing problems due to unpaid bills and acquired materials for planned jobs.

Nevertheless, Steven believes the worst is behind us. Although he admits that money is tight and margins aren’t what they used to be, he sees plenty work around and is acquiring orders from existing and new customers. “I honestly think things are picking up,” he remarks. “There’s much more building work than there has been and, if there’s building work, there’s work for us. The bigger the pie, the more for everybody.” www.roycegroup.co.uk Tel: 01440 712345

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NICEIC:feature 2 22/04/2013 09:35 Page 98

BUILDING SERVICES: NATIONAL INSPECTION COUNCIL FOR ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION CONTRACTING

NICEIC is the UK electrical contracting industry’s independent voluntary body offering leading certification services, building regulations schemes, products and support to electrical contractors and many other trades within the construction industry

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he National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting or NICEIC is one (of a number of organisations) which regulates the training and work of electrical enterprises in the UK. The NICEIC is one of only a few providers given Government approval to offer Competent Person Schemes to oversee electrical work within the electrical industry. It is worth noting that the NICEIC are a privately-owned body (the owner being the Electrical Safety Council, a Registered Charity) and not a Government organisation, as often incorrectly assumed.

NICEIC is the UK electrical contracting industry’s independent voluntary body. It offers leading certification services, Building Regulations Schemes, products and support to electrical contractors and many other trades within the construction industry.

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BUILDING SERVICES: NATIONAL INSPECTION COUNCIL FOR ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION CONTRACTING

heat. DECC claims the RHI will provide an incentive to increase number of industrial, commercial and public sector installations by seven times to 2020.

A full system of RHI payments will be available to households from October 2012 and before that more than a quarter of the first year’s budget is to be guaranteed for up to 25,000 household installations through a “RHI Premium Payment” to encourage take-up.

“We are delighted that the government has announced this major incentive for renewable heat,” states Emma McCarthy, chief executive officer for NICEIC. “DECC believes 150,000 existing manufacturing, supply chain and installer jobs will be supported by the incentives and NICEIC believes any boost to the trade through promises such as this are vital in the current economic climate.”

“Renewable heat is a largely untapped resource and an important new green industry of the future,” says Secretary of State Chris Huhne. “This incentive is the first of its kind in the world. It’ll help the UK

shift away from fossil fuel, reducing carbon emissions and encouraging innovation, jobs and growth in new advanced technologies.”

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has a huge task ahead of it; meeting the UK carbon reduction targets of 2020. The Climate Change Act 2008 set legally binding emission reduction targets for 2020 (reduction of 34 percent in greenhouse gas emissions) and for 2050 (reduction of at least 80 percent in greenhouse gas emissions), and introduced five-yearly carbon budgets to help ensure those targets are met. Renewable energy is part of the government’s solution in meeting these targets.

“With householders now given the incentives to install renewable technologies, the opportunities for the electrical, heating and plumbing trades are significant and NICEIC will be at the forefront of this industry, providing certification, training and advice,” adds Emma niceic.com

Over 25,000 contractors are registered with us and take advantage of our products and services.

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Employing an NICEIC registered electrician is a householder's best way to ensure a safe job. NICEIC helps to protect householders from the dangers of unsafe electrical installations. It provides advice on the dangers of electricity and building regulations.

GREEN INVESTMENT NICEIC has welcomed the recent announcement by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) on the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI).

The announcement promises the £860m to increase green capital investment by £4.5 billion up to 2020, stimulating a new market in renewable

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Lantei Compliance :feature 2 22/04/2013 09:33 Page 100

BUILDING SERVICES: LANTEI COMPLIANCE

PEACE OF

MIND Lantei supply a specialist inspection and testing service (including PAT testing) throughout the UK

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reston-based Lantei Compliance is quickly developing an enviable reputation within the industry. The company recognised a niche within electrical testing in commercial and industrial environments, and set out from scratch to build a client base that could benefit from its comprehensive range of services. Extensive capability and passion for quality service and enduring customer relationships saw the company develop quite rapidly. Today, Lantei can list Crown Eyeglass PLC, Bolton and Blackburn football clubs, Assura Group, Costa Coffee and JD Sports alongside many other satisfied customers nationwide.

Highlighting the successes witnessed by founder and managing director Anthony Smith as well as fellow director, and wife, Leona, is Lantei’s double nomination in the 2012 Be Inspired In Business Awards.

“It was great to see the team that has been here since day one get the recognition they deserved,” said Anthony. “We have a mixed bunch of professionals here and it is quite a young workforce where everyone is eager to learn and find success. As a

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business we rely on that exuberance and passion to work hard and we reciprocate by investing in the staff to help them progress their careers.

“We’d never entered a business award before but we thought it was something worth trying. As a young company, we didn’t expect to get as far as we did, especially as the competition was very strong. To be named as one of the finalists was a real achievement and something we are very proud of. That has encouraged us to continue our growth.”

Principle to Anthony’s goals is sustainable development alongside the prerequisite – premier customer service. As such, Lantei is currently undergoing the process to receive accreditation for its quality and environmental management systems.

Clearly, the hard work is paying off as 2013 was welcomed by the news the company was nominated for three prizes at the Red Rose Business Awards.

“I’m amazingly proud of our team,” said Anthony of Lantei’s nomination in three categories. “None of the success we have achieved so far could have been possible without the continued commitment and belief of the people who work with us. Our staff are our most valued asset and it is with their drive and passion that we find ourselves being recognised for

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Lantei Compliance :feature 2 22/04/2013 09:33 Page 101

BUILDING SERVICES: LANTEI COMPLIANCE awards such as this.” Lantei is up for three awards – medium-sized business of the year, commitment to skills, and family business of the year.

Offering full compliance testing, Lantei’s services include electrical, emergency lighting and fire alarm testing, thermal surveys, power quality analysis and fire extinguisher servicing. This is in addition to maintenance and corrective works, fire risk assessments and CAD drawing services, all handled in-house.

Crucially, Lantei’s solutions are more in focus and important than ever before. Increased emphasis is being placed on a workplace maintaining a viable and auditable health and safety system. Dedicated to keeping its client’s workplaces safe, Lantei tailors solutions around individual requirements.

“Our approach involves us carrying out a site visit, examining what work needs to be done, and then working with the client to develop a programme of work that consolidates requirements into a single service solution which can be dealt with by a single engineer or a single visit,” says Anthony.

“This reduces our operating costs, it reduces the time spent processing various invoices, and ultimately gives the client better value for money.”

Indeed, Lantei Compliance not only provides the best possible service, it does so in a cost effective manner. “Especially during this uncertain economic climate, no one has a bottomless pit of cash.

If we can help our clients be more efficient in the way they manage their maintenance programmes and the way they spend their money, we are going to have very satisfied customers.” www.lantei.co.uk Tel: 0845 257 0305

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Fulcher Edwards:feature 2 23/04/2013 09:24 Page 102

BUILDING SERVICES: FULCHER EDWARDS ELECTRICAL SERVICES

QUALITY SERVICE Fulcher Edwards have been providing a high standard of electrical services, fire alarm and emergency lighting maintenance to domestic, commercial, industrial and property management clients for the last 30 years

‘L

oyalty’ is a word that is not often heard in modern business. With clients often looking for the cheapest option, little thought is taken about maintaining loyalty to certain companies.

However, Fulcher Edwards Ltd has managed to maintain their loyal customer base for over 20 years.

Established in 1981, the London based company, originally a “one man band” led by owner and Managing Director Michael Fulcher, has experienced a natural growth over the past two decades to get to where it is today. One of the main reasons for this, Operations Manager Claire Fulcher-Powell believes, is because of their relationships with their clients.

“For us the customer is where it starts,” she said.

“The first thing we discuss is what their requirements are, and then we do everything we can. So whatever it is, we work together and try to find a way to achieve what is possible for us to do for them.”

This enthusiasm, along with ensuring that they have the “best engineers that we can offer”, has, in Fulcher-Powell’s opinion, helped Fulcher Edwards stand out from their competitors over the years.

“The customers that we’ve had, some for 20 years, it’s because of the service we offer. It’s never been about price,” she said. “It’s very difficult to compete

Holland Park Mews – carrying out all aspects of electrical work on a residential refurbishment project in Holland Park alongside refurbishment company Saville Construction

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Fulcher Edwards:feature 2 23/04/2013 09:24 Page 103

BUILDING SERVICES: FULCHER EDWARDS ELECTRICAL SERVICES Office Lighting install – lighting installation at a London office

these days with certain individuals. The reason they’re doing well is because of the price that they’re charging. Ours has always been about the service and the quality that we offer with regards to our work. For us, customer service and quality management are key issues in terms of maintaining good relations with our customers.”

As well as continuing this strong tradition of customer service, Fulcher Edwards are also eager to raise awareness about the importance of using NICEIC registered companies. “For us, you feel like you’re part of something that is the real deal,” Fulcher-Powell explained. “It’s like Gas Safe, you know you should only use a Gas Safe plumber, and for us NIC is that same recognition. People will feel assured that they’ve got a good company.”

“We’d like more awareness of NIC and I think over the last couple of years it’s started to be more recognised. So hopefully that can continue and we can be a part of that going forward.”

As for their own goals for the coming years, Fulcher-Powell remained modest, saying that “surviving is key at the moment. We’re still part of this terrible recession, but we’re very lucky because of the customer base we’ve got. They’re very loyal and they’ve helped us through these difficult few years.”

Although there are plans for some expansion as well.

“We do a lot of safety systems and we want to grow that area of the business into its own department. We’ve got a very healthy client base and we want to grow on that, it’s just picking the right time because of how things are. But I’m hoping we can get back on track with that and keep growing the company.”

Web: fulcheredwards.co.uk Tel: 0207 922 6951

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PML:feature 2 30/04/2013 10:51 Page 104

BUILDING SERVICES: PROGRAMME MANAGEMENT LTD.

ALWAYS AVAILABLE, ALWAYS EXCEPTIONAL Programme Management Ltd is a team of professional Project Managers with extensive experience in Projects, Construction and Facilities Management

S

ometimes a company’s name indicates how it started. Programme Manage-ment Ltd. began as a team of professional project managers with the experience to oversee construction and facilities management programmes. Since then, it’s added mechanical and electrical divisions to deliver projects using its own engineers.

There has been a gradual build up of the company’s resources and Paul Martin’s responsibilities as Electrical Compliance Manager include looking after them. He says: “I’m responsible for the engineers, ensuring they work safely, within the PML description of work and terms and conditions, and they deliver to clients’ expectations.

I also helped to attain NICEIC membership, which allows us to tender for any contract work.”

Those contracts are mainly commercial and industrial, including planned preventative maintenance for Norinchukin Bank, a LED lighting installation for Wolseley and testing work for Caring Homes. The aim is to use PML’s resources to deliver work in an integrated manner, with the maintenance aspect crucial in building working relationships with clients. Reactive work is 24/7 while preventative, as Paul explains, covers both mechanical and electrical: “It’s from air conditioning to checking water temperatures and making sure there’s no deterioration of the electrical installation.”

Another important aspect of the business is PML’s growing relationships with other companies such as QE Global. “They use us as a preferred supplier to carry out LED lighting installs,” remarks Paul. “They supply the product, we supply the engineers and the programme of works and it dovetails quite nicely.”

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REDUCING ENERGY COSTS It’s about energy saving and PML’s initial task is often to assess existing electrical installations and report where savings can be made. That may be through adjusting a BMS or fitting more efficient lighting. Everything’s taken into consideration and included in the client’s report. Paul says: “We show actual usage and costs so we can establish the number of lamps needed and how to install them for maximum cost benefit.

Organisations can often get government grants if they can show payback within three or four years. Electricity is going up and we’re reducing that cost.”

Achievable savings have a knock-on effect, with property owners keen to achieve the level of savings attained through a combination of measures. Those measures, as Paul recounts, are specifically tailored to each site: “We work with the existing electrical installation to provide a retrofit so it’s not major disruptive works. It’s a minimal amount of work to save energy and money. A few pounds spent can save an enormous amount but we never install anything that’s not required. We look at the location and usage to deliver maximum cost benefit to the customer.”

Environmental improvement is something many companies strive for although they’re often not sure what’s involved. With a track record of making substantial savings, that’s where PML can help. “Going green for a potential client is often about making some quick wins,” comments Paul.

“We’re investing heavily in management, time and effort. We can inform them what their cost savings are by going green.” www.pml-uk.com Tel: 08454 137111

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PML:feature 2 30/04/2013 10:51 Page 105

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ESI:feature 2 22/04/2013 13:33 Page 106

BUILDING SERVICES: ESI ELECTRICAL

FLEXIBILITY

AND QUALITY ESI Electrical are a family owned electrical contractors covering the South East of England, established in 2001

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BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE

F

lexibility and quality, according to Business Development Executive Alex Ward, are the main reasons behind ESI Electrical’s continued growth. “Our bread and butter work is portable appliance tests, periodic inspection reports and maintenance for clients across the country,” he says. “The other side is design and consultancy where we help architects, chartered surveyors, interior installers or M&E contractors to go through the electrical design work. Our engineers can undertake the design work with them and then install it under the same package, which not many of our competitors are doing.”

ESI provides the complete electrical package, with around 95% of work being commercial and industrial, either direct or through main contractors.

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ESI:feature 2 22/04/2013 13:33 Page 107

BUILDING SERVICES: ESI ELECTRICAL

Amongst its services are supplying upgrades and connections to the utility network distribution system and undertaking thermal imaging to check for problems, which might be specifically requested by clients or arise as a need through property inspections. The design and consultancy includes power surveys that check the quality of the energy going through buildings to highlight issues such as faulty appliances as well as identifying potential energy savings.

Energy efficiency solutions are delivered in line with CIBSE and IET recommendations, based on power consumption and power quality data provided by the company’s dedicated energy surveying team. It’s part of an environmental commitment that includes ESI recycling its own waste, providing a recycling service for fluorescent tubes, lamps and batteries, having an environmental policy that meets

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BS 8555 requirements and working towards ISO 14004 accreditation.

That, as Alex points out, also fits in with its attitude to health and safety: “With any projects we are involved in, health and safety details are discussed at contract meetings and are double checked and changed as needed so everything’s right for our engineers. They’re provided with full PPE kit to be sure they’re comfortable and protected whilst working. Wee also ensure regular CPD and training throughout all areas of the business, such as asbestos awareness training for those affected.”

Strategic Partnerships A direct result of the difficult trading conditions in the UK construction industry is that ESI has evaluated the way it does business. That has led to a number of strategic partnerships with like minded companies, enabling it to deliver more complex and

detailed projects than it could previously handle, which in turn has resulted in the company building a stronger customer base.

“We feel 2013 is a year we can strengthen our position as an engineering practice and we want to bridge the gap between the architect and contractor on commercial projects,” recounts Alex. “To do that, we’re really targeting our marketing drive to develop long term relationships that benefit both parties mutually. We’ve been expanding and we’re trying to move up and become the company we want to be at ESI Electrical. So we’re striving to get new clients who we can work with regularly on projects and consultancy work to help them with any electrical issues.

That’s really where we’re looking to go.” www.esielectrical.co.uk Tel: 01580 392001

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PJH Group :feature 2 18/04/2013 15:39 Page 108

INTERIOR FIT-OUTS: PJH GROUP

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PJH Group :feature 2 18/04/2013 15:40 Page 109

INTERIOR FIT-OUTS: PJH GROUP

MAKING A DIFFERENCE The PJH Group is a leading European supplier of bathrooms, kitchens and appliances

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he PJH Group is a leading European supplier of bathrooms, kitchens and appliances to the home improvement market, servicing a wide spectrum of sectors including bathroom and kitchen studios, major retailers, building and plumbing merchants, and regional and national house builders. Over the years its success has been attributed to a highly customer-focused attitude, a continuous improvement philosophy and an innovative approach to business.

PJH is the UK’s largest supplier of bathrooms, kitchens and appliances with over 580,000 square feet of warehouse space and approximately £16 million stockholding. Established in 1972, the company is based in Bolton, operates throughout seven UK sites and employs over 700 people. Customers include over 4,000 independent retailers, builders merchants, house builders, developers and specifiers. Its own-brands include Prima (Kitchens & Appliances), K Kitchens, Ram Kitchens and Moods Bathrooms.

With over thirty-five years experience in the industry PJH recognises that all customers are different as well as dynamic, which is why it strives to “make a difference” by delivering excellence in customer service and offering uniqueness wherever possible. Its range of products across bathrooms, kitchens and kitchen appliances provides the highest levels of design, performance and quality.

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Enjoying continuous growth since its founding, the PJH Group has become one of the leading European suppliers to the home improvement market. It plays an integral part in a multi million pound global business and is a major supplier to a wide range of market sectors.

The group’s continuous improvement philosophy means it seeks to respond to new challenges as well as drive change in order to anticipate evolving customer needs. An innovative approach and abili-

ty to proactively find solutions for the market continues to distinguish it as one of the best.

A recent example of its innovation can be found within PJH’s Moods showering range. It has developed a patented all-in-one shower solution for the over-bath shower market, called the Integrated Shower Tower. As featured in its Bathrooms to Love Collection, the innovative and space-saving new design features a dual control thermostatic shower tower that is cleverly

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PJH Group :feature 2 18/04/2013 15:40 Page 110

INTERIOR FIT-OUTS: PJH GROUP integrated with the shower screen. The streamlined corner shower column comes complete with adjustable riser kit and is available in three versions suitable for an L-shape, P-shape or Straight shower bath design.

Perfect for adding a luxury shower to a small bathroom space, the Integrated Shower Tower, added to a bath, offers complete ease of installation. The sleek panel is integrated within the corner of the glass screen, so plumbing and installation is done underneath the bath meaning no channelling of walls or new tiling for pipes.

This all-in-one installation also allows for easy access for maintenance throughout the life of the shower.

“The clean and neat design of our unique Integrated Shower Tower seamlessly blends style with practicality,” explained Nick Platt, PJH Group’s Director of Bathroom Category.

Unsurprisingly, PJH products have drawn plenty of acclaim. The Lynton painted kitchen from K Kitchens, which is exclusively distributed by PJH, has been voted as the “Best Value Kitchen Under £15k” in the prestigious House Beautiful Awards 2012 and won a Gold Award at a glamorous event held at the Science Museum in London.

Judged by an impressive panel of experts including designers John Rocha, Sophie Conran and Oliver Heath, K Kitchens joined other winners in twenty-six hotly contested categories recognising excellence in the year’s best home products and retailers.

Up against strong competition in its category from the likes of John Lewis, Über and Wickes, the Lynton kitchen from K Kitchens was judged on a range of criteria addressing design, innovation, quality, performance and all round excellence, and came out with top marks, taking home the coveted Gold trophy.

Satisfying one of the latest trends in the kitchen industry - painted furniture - the Lynton kitchen is a high quality, solid timber ash door presented in the ever-popular shaker-style design. Available in fifteen painted finishes ranging from classic heritage shades to the bold and quirky, combined with a smart selection of coordinating accessories and storage solutions, the Lynton offers the consumer the widest choice of options for personalisation and a bespoke kitchen scheme. In addition, its natural wood grain finish is the perfect base to fully complement the palette of painted shades, adding real character.

Amanda Watson, kitchen product manager, K Kitchens, said: “We are delighted to have been recognised in this way and voted as the number one kitchen in our category from some of the leading designers in the interiors market! Our painted kitchen collection is proving popular with both our retail and merchant customers, despite tough industry conditions.

“This esteemed accolade is a terrific endorsement for a great product range so we urge all our stockists to communicate this achievement to the customer to help promote sales.” www.pjhgroup.com Tel: 01204 707070

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