CHX 2013 p1 52 online by DMMonline

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COVER STORY

CONTENTS Sustainability in Roofing This issue’s front cover features the stunning array of solar panels gracing the roof of The Crystal in London’s Royal Victoria Docks. The project won a first prize for Prater Ltd in the Solar section of the Sustainable Roofs category at this year’s Roofing Awards. Sustainability in roofing has long been a feature of the awards and in this issue we look in depth at this rapidly expanding sector of the roofing industry. read more from p9 NEWS 5 5 7 7 8 8

Front cover image courtesy of the Roofing Awards 19

Crossrail excavations hit the million tonne mark Quality of service and integrity are paramount for Guild membership Commission seeks views on buildings and the environment New dual voltage Master heaters for UK market Seminar will aid in delivery of SuDS New catalogue set to inspire specifiers and contractors

20 20

21 22 23

9 10 10 11 12 12

CompetentRoofers can now be ‘green’ roofers The essential guide to green roofing: GRO code is coming soon Sustainability a major theme at annual awards NFRC – benefit by being a member Crystal roof shines out among the winners New investment will boost recyclable roof production Sustainable roofs could power the cities of the future

23 24 24 25

Trade body members train a majority of award-winning apprentices Change is on the cards in the scaffolding world New centre is first for UK in South Korea Scaffolding apprentices show off their skills New PASMA chairman puts training top of agenda Solar installer with no training injured in fall Water safety training for the construction industry

13 14 14 15

27 29 29

DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE 33

Standard practice for this old hand in the fastener industry

CONCRETE 36 37

Get the right environmental advice before you start Agencies combine to offer advice and guidance Goodwill and collaboration create a wildlife haven Natural England sets the standard Bats and development

Fraser Bruce puts seal on Edinburgh Zoo penguins rock revamp UK Concrete Show moves forward a day to NEC’s largest hall

South east – and Essex in particular – leads housing recovery NHBC fires starting gun for Pride in the Job competition Early bird offer aims to attract H & S award entries Profiling the award winning managers – and their sites

CONSTRUCTION SUPPLIES 48

Classified supplies listing

BOOK REVIEW 50

Confidential Workplace Audit addresses negative culture

CE MARKING

WORKING AT HEIGHT 17

How assett finance works Ready for Retrofit brings funding for south west’s social landlords Cashflow solutions for construction companies Workplace pensions – don’t fall foul of auto-enrolment!

HOUSING

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT 13

FINANCE

TRAINING

SUSTAINABLE ROOFING 9

XERVON Palmers has unparalleled access to transport routes Extended Ladder Exchange runs to New Year Birmingham swansong features access safety debates

Construction Environmental Manual – constructed by experts for experts

Three wise men appointed to NASC regional chairs Eurosafe Solutions plays its part in Olympic legacy Prosecution for unsafe scaffolding

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For all other enquiries: Tel: 0161 710 3880 Fax: 0161 710 3879 Email: editorial@dmmonline.co.uk Suite 2, 61 Lower Hillgate, Stockport SK1 3AW Editor: Chris Stokes Copyright Construction National. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced or transmitted in any form without prior permission of Construction National. Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher.

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Crossrail excavations hit the million tonne mark

Quality of service and integrity are of paramount importance for Guild membership ‹ IT IS NOW 21 years since The Guild of Builders and

Contractors was formed by just 14 builders. Their aim was to create a Guild consisting of reputable firms and individuals, actively involved in the building industry, who were experienced and knowledgeable and traded with integrity. They also aimed to provide appropriate services to members and ensure that the costs of membership were, and remained, considerably less than other trade organisations. These objectives have been fulfilled by a careful and consistent attention to management and costs and by monitoring applicants and members. References are always taken up and applicants are only granted membership where the comments made by their referees indicate knowledge, competence and integrity. In addition, the Guild are vigilant in following up complaints about members – the Membership Committee will terminate membership if a member conducts business improperly or dishonorably or in a way which is prejudicial to the interests of other members. All members have access to advice and assistance on a wide range of subjects via the ‘helpline’. Members of the Guild take pride in being members of a building trade organisation where quality of service and integrity are of paramount importance. q

‹ ANOTHER MILESTONE HAS been reached in the giant Crossrail

project. In September the one millionth tonne of earth to travel by rail left the tunnel entrance at Westbourne Park in London en route to the RSPB’s nature reserve at Wallasea Island in Essex. The material came from Crossrail’s western tunnels between Royal Oak and Farringdon, which are being excavated by two 1,000-tonne tunnel boring machines. Over the past 15 months, more than 860 train loads of excavated material have been transported to Northfleet in Kent by GB Railfreight. The material is then transferred to ship and transported to the nature reserve. The earth will be used to create a new wetland on Wallasea Island off the Essex coast. A total of 4.5 million tonnes of excavated material from Crossrail’s new tunnels and stations will be used to create the UK’s most ambitious man-made coastal nature project. Andy Alder, Crossrail’s western tunnels project manager, said: “One million tonnes of excavated material has now been transported from Crossrail’s western tunnels by rail, removing thousands of lorry journeys from London’s busy streets. Crossrail will not only deliver a new railway for London and the south east but will leave the legacy of a new nature reserve that will be enjoyed for generations to come.” John Smith, the managing director of GB Railfreight, added: “We are making excellent headway with our Crossrail work and I am pleased that we have reached this important point in the process.” Crossrail will excavate about six million tonnes of material during the construction of stations and its 21km of twin-bore tunnels. Close to 100% of the excavated material is expected to be clean, uncontaminated and reusable elsewhere. q www.constructionnational.co.uk

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Commission seeks views on buildings and the environment ‹ THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION has embarked on a consultation

to gather views on how to reduce the environmental impacts of buildings. The start point of the exercise, launched in July, is the large amount of resources buildings use when they are designed, built, used and demolished, and their impact on the environment, energy consumption and climate change. Improving construction techniques is therefore important to help Europe become a more sustainable economy, says the EC. The consultation asks citizens, businesses, non-governmental organisations and public authorities for ideas on how to reduce the impact of the construction sector, make buildings more sustainable and create green opportunities for businesses. The environmental impacts of buildings go beyond energy consumption for heating, cooling and lighting. In the EU, buildings account for: • 42% of final energy consumption (during their use phase) • 35% of greenhouse gas emissions (during use phase) • 50% of all extracted materials are used in building (during • construction and use) • 30% of water consumption (during construction and use) • 30% of total generated waste (during construction, demolition and • renovation)

Those figures show how existing EU policy initiatives in the area of environmental performance of buildings, which mainly target energy efficiency, could be complemented with policies for resource efficiency looking at a wider range of resource use and environmental impacts, across the life-cycle of buildings. At present there are no common criteria to measure the environmental performance of buildings. That makes it difficult for stakeholders in construction to factor environmental aspects into their business and purchasing decisions. Contributors to the consultation, which ends on 1 October, are asked for their views on the main environmental issues for the buildings sector, availability of data, systems to assess and communicate environmental performance of buildings, how to stimulate demand and how construction materials could be used more efficiently. Various routes to respond to the consultation, depending on whether they are from individuals or organisations, can be accessed from ec.europa.eu/environment/consultations/buildings_en.htm. q

New dual voltage Master heaters for UK market ‹ MASTER CLIMATE SOLUTIONS, a leading

manufacturer of portable space heaters and dehumidifiers, has expanded its heater range with the launch of new dual voltage devices dedicated to British customers. Due to high interest in the UK market, as well as a part of its commitment to offer innovative solutions adjusted to clients’ needs, Master Climate Solutions includes in the offer three new dual voltage indirect oil heaters: BV 77, BV 170 and BV 290. Additional improvements, such as a stronger cone or a waterproof plastic box for electrical components, prove it is the most advanced range of indirect heaters now available to professional users in the construction industry and related areas. The new dual voltage Master products range also includes two bestsellers in the UK: B 150, a direct oil heater and BLP 103, a gas heater. In the new version of the oil heater some of the components have been replaced for easier maintenance and to be more responsive to the needs of users. The 103 kW gas heater is the result of long design work by Italian engineers who, tracking the current market demand, have created a device adapted to the UK market in the best way. The dual voltage Master heater range also perfectly complements the existing offer for UK rental companies, giving them more opportunities to create attractive business offers with high quality tools.

All the devices mentioned are already available from authorised Master dealers and rental companies across the country. q • Master Climate Solutions is a world leading manufacturer of machinery for air processing. It manufactures oil, gas and electric heaters and dehumidifiers – all under the Master brand. The Master machines are widely used in construction, agriculture and logistics. Master Climate Solutions Group operates in Italy, Poland, Russia and China. Distribution around the world is based on the network of authorised dealers. For more details visit www.masterheaters.co.uk. www.constructionnational.co.uk

Seminar will aid in delivery of SuDS ‹ A free seminar at Susdrain’s new

headquarters near London’s Barbican on 15 October will focus on the Technical Delivery of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS). The event aims to provide an understanding of the principles and technical design criteria of SuDS good practice as well as promoting a useful insight into how to deliver SuDS schemes. According to Susdrain – the community for sustainable drainage – delivery of high-quality SuDS and compliance with the National

Standards for Sustainable Drainage requires a good understanding of designing and evaluating drainage systems that meet design criteria for flows, volumes and water quality as well as amenity and biodiversity. The seminar will be delivered by a mixture of experts that have been advising Defra on the development of national standards, supporting CIRIA on the update of the SuDS Manual or designing good schemes. There will be specific presentations about approaches to delivering

SuDS in accordance with the national standards and good practice that reduce whole life costs, manage flows and volumes, manage water quality and deliver schemes that are attractive places for people to live, work and play. Tickets for the event – one of a series being organised by Susdrain – are available from www.susdrain.org/events. They are limited to two from any organisation and priority will be given to local authorities. q

New catalogue set to inspire specifiers and contractors ‹ HECKMONDWIKE FB, THE UK’s leading specialist in heavy contract fibre bonded carpets and

carpet tiles, has released a new catalogue containing its latest designs and additions to its popular range. The new catalogue also includes Heckmondwike’s new range of specialist carpets, tiles and mats which provide versatile flooring solutions for both education and commercial environments. Abby Chandler, marketing manager of Heckmondwike FB, said: “We regularly update our ranges to help specifiers make the most of current design trends and we hope that our new catalogue will inspire them to explore new design opportunities.” Heckmondwike FB carpets and carpet tiles are available with full technical support, as part of the service, and the company’s new brochure includes valuable guidance on installation and maintenance. All fibre bonded products are manufactured by Heckmondwike FB at its facilities in West Yorkshire, where the company is fully certified to ISO 14001 as part of its commitment to sustainability. Sample cards are available on request by calling 01924 406161 or visiting the company’s website at www.heckmondwike-fb.co.uk. q

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CompetentRoofers can now be ‘green’ roofers ‹ ON 12 JULY IT was announced that CompetentRoofer – the

competent person scheme for the roofing industry – had been fully audited by UKAS and has become an ‘accredited body’ for Green Deal and Energy Company Obligations (ECO) work. It is another significant step for the roofing industry since the scheme was approved in October 2010. The accreditation means that CompetentRoofer can now audit its members against the requirements of PAS 2030 and the Green Deal Code of Practice and register them as Green Deal Installers for roof insulation work, in addition to being able to self-certify that their roofing refurbishment work is compliant with Building Regulations in England and Wales. CompetentRoofer members who register will also be able to display the Green Deal Installer mark on their vans and promotional materials. It means members will be well placed to undertake Green Deal and ECO work in the coming years. CompetentRoofer is already seeing an increase in the number of projects demanding PAS 2030 certification and it is expected that will increase and in time perhaps become the norm. Chief executive of CompetentRoofer Ray Horwood said: “This is a big step forward and potentially a huge business advantage for companies in the future as homeowners, social housing providers and businesses seek to reduce the cost of their energy bills and comply with legislation. “CompetentRoofer is open to all roofing companies and allows them, in

one neat package, to compete for future sustainability projects.” CompetentRoofer is the Government-authorised ‘competent person’ scheme for England and Wales that allows professional roofing contractors to self-certify that their roof refurbishment work complies with Building Regulations. The scheme encompasses all roofing types for domestic, industrial and commercial properties. Many jobs undertaken need to be notified to and authorised by Local Authority Building Control (LABC) and in many cases that includes work done to a roof. By using a CompetentRoofer member, property owners will save not only time and money, but will also have the added reassurance that the work carried out meets the exacting standards of the Building Regulations. The scheme has its own ‘3 Rs’ in terms of the areas of work it covers: • Regulation: CompetentRoofer members are compliant and up to date with Building Regulations • Reliability: CompetentRoofer members are professional contractors who are thoroughly inspected prior to acceptance and undergo regular inspections thereafter • Reassurance: Domestic roofing work automatically receives a 10-year warranty. Warranties are also available for commercial and industrial work. R

The essential guide to green roofing: GRO code is coming soon ‹ THE PAST DECADE HAS seen a steady increase in the number of green, brown and biodiverse roofs being installed across the UK. Installed during both new build and refurbishment work, the addition of planted and growing material to the roof provides a wide range of benefits to the building and the surrounding environment. That includes the replacement or replication of habitats lost through decades of construction. As the industry has developed, a number of roofing system manufacturers, green roofing contractors and academic organisations recognised the need for clear UK guidance that would support the growth of a quality industry and provide clients, specifiers and the wider construction industry with confidence in what many see as new technology. That recognition led to the foundation of the Green Roof Organisation (GRO) in 2008. The following year GRO issued its initial Guidance Document and embarked on creating The GRO Green Roof Code 2011, in conjunction with Sheffield University and Livingroofs.org. This Guide to Best Practice is the most downloaded document to date on the NFRC website and is widely distributed by GRO members and allied organisations. Following a 12 month review, this year will see the release of a revised GRO Green Roof Code. All the sections are expanded, but particular regard is paid to design, plant selection, installation and maintenance. The updates help ensure that the GRO Code remains the ‘Bible’ for the industry until the next update in 2015. R

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Sustainability a major theme at annual awards ‹ ENTRIES ARE NOW BEING invited for the 2014 Roofing Awards,

the deadline for which is 24 January. Finalists will be announced in March and the winners will be revealed at the Roofing Awards Congress luncheon on 16 May at the Hilton London Metropole. Announcing the opening of entries, the organisers said: “If you have a special project or one you are particularly proud of, we encourage you to

This year’s ceremony was hosted by BBC Breakfast presenter Susanna Reid

Benefit by being a member ‹ IT GOES WITHOUT saying that a roof is one of the most

important structural elements of a building. Ensuring a roof is watertight is imperative and clients and homeowners are becoming increasingly aware that this type of work needs to be undertaken by a reputable contractor. Using an NFRC member gives the client peace of mind that there is a back-up, should there be a problem with a contractor. Being a member of NFRC will lead to more enquiries, more work and better margins through a host of membership benefits. q • For more information please visit www.nfrc.co.uk or call 0207 638 7663.

enter these awards and gain the recognition that your company deserves. The application form is simple and straightforward to fill in.” They reminded manufacturers and architects entering projects to ensure that the roofing contractor is a member of one of the Roofing Awards supporting trade associations, listed below. This year’s award ceremony took place on 17 May, also at the Hilton Metropole in central London. Over 600 guests from across the roofing industry came together to congratulate the winners at an event hosted by BBC Breakfast presenter Susanna Reid. Formerly the NFRC Awards, the support base has expanded over the years to create an industry-wide competition that recognises and rewards outstanding standards of workmanship and safety in the roofing industry. Writing in the ‘Winners Supplement’ to the awards programme, the chief executive of the NFRC, Ray Horwood CBE, said: “What was originally a single trade association event to celebrate roofing, has now grown and matured into a pan industry event consisting of 10 different associations. “The awards recognise the most dedicated and inspiring individuals and excellence in all the roofing disciplines. The finalists in these awards have produced some of the best work and projects within the roofing industry and can truly hold their heads high.” The competition covers the full spectrum of roofing disciplines, divided 12 categories. Entries open in September each year and close the following January. A number of projects in each category are shortlisted and in May, at the Roofing Awards Congress, the winners are announced along with other award winners, including those in the fields of health and safety and training. First among the winning projects listed in the programme were those categories grouped under the general heading of Sustainable Roofs, which are covered in some depth on the opposite page and one of which, The Crystal in central London, features on the cover of this issue. Sustainability in roofing has long been a prominent feature of the awards and has taken various forms – reflecting the rapid advance of technologies and materials involved. In addition to the programme of roofing awards, the promoters of that most recyclable of roofing materials, the Lead Contractors Association, used the occasion to present their Murdoch Award and Murdoch Sponsors Award. Special congratulations went to Mike Long, who was presented with Honorary Life Membership of NFRC by NFRC president Graeme Millar. The honour was given to Mike for his prolific work in the industry and his on-going commitment. He continues to be involved in the most recent NFRC initiatives, including solar, management and green roofing. q • The trade associations involved with the awards, in addition to the NFRC, are: CompetentRoofer, the Liquid Roofing and Waterproofing Association (LRWA), the Roofing Tile Alliance (RTA), the Lead Contractors Association (LCA), the Lead Sheet Association (LSA), the Green Roof Centre, the Single Ply Roofing Association (SPRA), the Federation of Traditional Metal Roofing Contractors (FTMRC) and the Metal Cladding and Roofing Manufacturers Association (MCRMA).

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Crystal roof shines out among the winners

‹ THE FRONT COVER of this issue features

the stunning array of solar panels gracing the roof of The Crystal, the sustainable cities initiative by Siemens at London’s redeveloped Royal Victoria Docks. The project won the Sustainable Roofs: Solar category in the Roofing Awards for Prater Ltd. Prater installed 1,250 Sanyo high-efficiency hybrid photovoltaic panels plus 300 bespoke Albarino matching glass infill panels as well as installing the complex composite roofing system and high level glazing elements. The Crystal combines the world's largest exhibition focused on urban sustainability with office accommodation for Siemens in the UK. The solar energy produced, together with the energy generated by a ground source heat pump, mean the building uses no fossil fuels and is entirely self-sustaining in terms of energy generation. Designed by award winning architects Wilkinson Eyre, this iconic building draws inspiration from the many sides of a crystal. Chris Wilkinson said: “The crystalline geometry of the architecture derives its inspiration from nature. The building responds to its location, visually contrasting the curve of the O2 centre beyond.” Prater was selected as it could offer the required in-house capability to bring the architects’ design to fruition and install

the complicated composite roof and solar photovoltaic (PV) system. It was the complexity of the roof design, with its differing slopes, rooflights and requirement for solar PV that meant Prater was ideally placed to design and install the composite roof and PV system. Gavin Hamblett, pre-construction director at Prater Ltd declared: “We were thrilled to win this award for The Crystal. It is a fantastic testament to the project team and also to the main contractor, ISG.” In contrast to the high-tech, futuristic look of The Crystal, the traditional cedar roof of Sophie House – a care home for young disabled people at the Martha Trust in Hereford – was awarded the prize in the Sustainable Roofs: Shingles and

The traditional cedar roof of Sophie House

Shakes category for John Brash & Co working with Attley’s Roofing. The roof comprises cedar shingles, battens and counter battens by John Brash, with SikaSarnafil membrane and stainless steel staples supplied by them. The project was described in the awards programme as: “A large scale project with sweeping internal and external curves as the main features. Large areas of vertical shingling, detailed verge work and double pitched roofs add to the aesthetics.” The line-up of sustainable award-winners was completed by the Kanes Foods factory in Evesham, Worcestershire, which won the Sustainable Roofs: Green Roofs category for Sky Garden Ltd. The standing seam metal roof sports 80 different species of wild flower over a new low-energy production unit. It is thought to be the UK’s largest bio-diverse wildflower grass roof, which is domed to blend in with the stunning Cotswold landscape. TV presenter and botanist James Wong was invited to perform the official opening ceremony, laying the final turf on the green roof. The awards programme said: “The building was constructed in order that the walls and roof did not create a negative impact, enabling the structure to sit within the surroundings of the landscape.” R www.constructionnational.co.uk

New investment will boost recyclable roof production ‹ PRODUCTION OF ENVIRONMENTALLY-FRIENDLY roof tiles was

given a boost in September with the news that Burton-on-Trent company Russell Roof Tiles has invested £250,000 in its Lockerbie factory in Lochmaben, one of three manufacturing sites in the UK. The 10 acre Lockerbie site was established in 1964 as the Annandale Tile Company and the latest upgrade follows a £2m investment to install a new line in Burton 12 months ago. The investment in upgrading the Lockerbie plant will allow Russell Roof Tiles to extend its product offering to a wider geographic area. Russell Roof Tiles manufactures a range of concrete roof tiles and fittings and an extensive range of dry fix and dry ventilation products suitable for use on both new and refurbishment projects for the commercial and housing markets that are designed to meet current building regulation requirements. Andrew Hayward,managing director at Russell Roof Tiles, comments: “When we became independent we said we would continue to invest in the business and this latest upgrade is proof of that commitment. This investment will allow us to respond to the increases in housebuilding stimulated by a number of factors, including the Government’s Help to Buy scheme. “New product development is at the forefront of our business and we are continually looking at ways to improve our portfolio to meet the evolving needs of our national customer base. Having two manufacturing sites means we can maximise production to meet the growing demand for our whole portfolio, and this upgrade will add the popular slate-like Galloway tile to the factory’s product range.” The company’s portfolio also includes the innovative award-winning Russell Envirotile, the first fully sustainable interlocking roof tile. It is

An example of the Galloway tile manufactured from recycled polypropylene – mainly from car components such as bumpers that are normally destined for landfill – and is also fully recyclable at the end of its life. The innovative product was launched in collaboration with the Green Roof Tile Company, and offers a serious response to the Code for Sustainable Homes – the Government owned national standard intended to encourage continuous improvement in sustainable home building. q

Sustainable roofs could power the cities of the future ‹ THE SOLAR ARRAYS on suburban

roofs could in the future provide the energy resource to replace dwindling fuel supplies and power our cities, according to research carried out by the University of Lincoln in collaboration with the University of Auckland in New Zealand. It is commonly assumed that compact cities, with built-up central business districts and densely-populated residential areas, are more energy efficient than the low-density suburban sprawl that surrounds them. However, in a future with photovoltaic solar panels on suburban roofs, suburbia will adopt a valuable new role – changing from a prolific energy consumer into a vital power provider for the city. That role becomes more prominent when the solar roofs are used to power electric vehicles to replace the internal combustion engine. The researchers have found that detached

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suburban houses are capable of producing ten times the amount of energy created by skyscrapers and other commercial buildings. The findings also reveal that lower density housing in suburbia has the greatest surplus after its own energy uses have been taken into account to help out city centre peak electricity loads. Professor Hugh Byrd, from the University of Lincoln’s School of Architecture, said: “While a compact city may be more efficient for internal combustion engine vehicles, a dispersed city is more efficient when distributed generation of electricity by photovoltaic installations is the main energy source and electric vehicles are the principal mode of transport. “However, if this energy contribution is to be effective, controls of new suburban development may be needed that require the installation of photovoltaic roofing, along

with smart meters and appropriate charging facilities for vehicles. City planners will need to make the changes necessary to control suburban development. “Photovoltaics on rooftops, of course, also have all the advantages of renewable energy systems, such as reduced carbon emissions, offsetting dependence on the electricity grid and long-term energy security, all of which will only become more important in cities of the future.” q

Get the right environmental advice before you start ‹ ALL NEW DEVELOPMENT is likely to either have some impact on the local environment or be

affected by the existing environmental conditions. And although formal environmental assessments are only needed in certain circumstances, proper cognisance needs to be taken of the effects of the development. Environmental considerations are also in the financial interest of the developer/builder. Who would want to be suddenly faced with a huge bill for clearing a site of Japanese knotweed, for instance? The bill for clearing the Olympic Park site in London ran to hundreds of thousands of pounds. In the last issue of Construction National we reported on a bridge renovation in Lancashire (pictured) that had to be stopped to allow jackdaws to fly the nest, while in this issue Martin Bailey, ecological facilitator at Wildlife and Countryside Services, discusses the problems that can arise when a bat survey is not carried out properly. Many species are protected and it is an offence to disturb their habitats. Forewarned is forearmed, and it is always a good idea to take advice to find out if there are likely to be any issues. Fortunately there is a wealth of advice and consultancy available. R

Agencies combine to offer advice and guidance ‹ DEVELOPERS CAN NOW FIND essential

planning advice from the Environment Agency, Natural England and the Forestry Commission in one simple to use document. Building a Better Environment, which is available to download at www.environment-agency. gov.uk/research/planning/147852.aspx, has been produced by the three conservation agencies to help the industry deliver sustainable developments which contribute to economic growth whilst protecting the natural environment. Outlining the organisations’ roles in the development process, the guide provides a ‘firststop shop’ for information, explaining how we can help and where to find more technical advice such as additional consents and permits that might be needed. Topics covered include: green infrastructure; sustainable design and construction; managing waste; woodlands and trees; protected sites, biodiversity and geodiversity; and landscape character. Users of Building a Better Environment will

gain access to simpler, more comprehensive advice which should make it easier for them to plan their developments in sympathy with the natural environment. This resource is primarily for developers across England. It will also be of interest to those involved in the wider development process, for example architects, town planners, surveyors, engineers, landscape architects and consultants. The Environment Agency, Natural England and the Forestry Commission want to encourage developers to approach them as early as possible when planning a new development. That way they can discuss the environmental issues that need to be considered from the outset, and help make the whole process run as smoothly as possible. The advice is part of the agencies’ continuing commitment to enhance their service to those who operate within the planning system. Their aim is to increase the likelihood of planning applications being processed swiftly and efficiently, with clear long-term benefits for the natural environment. R

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Goodwill and collaboration create a wildlife haven ‹ A 300-HOME DEVELOPMENT with a 24-hectare country park is

a shining example of what can be achieved when developers, councils and Natural England combine their expertise. The sustainable neighbourhood of Edenbrook, which is being created on the edge of the town of Fleet in Hampshire, marks the culmination of a 15-year project. The driving force behind the scheme has been a fruitful partnership between housebuilder Berkeley Homes, Natural England and Hart District Council. The collaborative approach has enabled a number of hurdles to be overcome and has been documented in a leaflet designed to help other developers enjoy similar benefits. At the heart of the development is Edenbrook Country Park. Containing four hectares of seeded meadow, two hectares of ponds and reed beds, nearly 5km of footpaths and 2.7km of hedgerows, it is becoming a haven for wildlife and residents. Boardwalks, bat roosts, a bird hide, a picnic area and an amphitheatre are also among its attractions. The story of the development began in the late 1990s when Berkeley put the site forward as a potential housing allocation. While plans were being drawn up, the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area (SPA) was designated nearby. This gave protection under European law to more than 8,000 hectares of heathland that was home to groundnesting birds such as the Dartford warbler and nightjar. It meant that any new development – such as Edenbrook – would run the risk of causing increased disturbance to the SPA by residents visiting the site.

This potential obstacle to Edenbrook was overcome by Berkeley and Natural England, who together devised a strategy to mitigate the effect of the development. Work to create the country park began in earnest in 2008. Natural England provided advice on design and management, as well as guidance on what the country park needed to achieve to offer a suitable alternative to the SPA. Berkeley had a clear vision of what was required to build a successful community. Hart District Council sought to secure leisure, recreation and landscape improvements to enhance the quality of life for residents. The collaboration was enhanced by a staff exchange programme which saw Natural England’s land use adviser Sarah Armstrong-Stacey working alongside Berkeley. She also met ecological consultants and planners at Hart DC, in addition to co-writing the case-study leaflet. Originally a stretch of arable and pasture land with limited ecological value, the new park – due to be completed and handed over to Hart next year – is far in excess of what was required simply to satisfy European legislation. It provides a wide variety of habitats for wildlife, a network of waterways and recreational benefits for the wider community as well as a strong sense of identity. q

Natural England sets the standard ‹

IN AUGUST, NATURAL ENGLAND was awarded the Cabinet Office Customer Service Excellence Standard. The standard tests an organisation against 57 components, with a particular focus on delivery, timeliness, information, professionalism, staff attitudes and customer insight. Natural England is a statutory consultee on environmental assessment processes and many development proposals, including those of Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects and the transport network. It is also a statutory consultee on Development Plans, Local Development Frameworks, Neighbourhood Development Plans and Orders and Community Right to Build Orders. The agency has recently introduced new and improved services to provide non-statutory advice related to planning proposals, supported by the introduction of charges. Known as the Discretionary Advice Service (DAS), it is geared towards cases with the potential for significant impact on protected sites, landscapes and species, or those which could bring environmental gain. q

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Bats and development by MARTIN BAILEY, Ecological Facilitator, Wildlife & Countryside Services

‹ BATS ARE GENERALLY declining and

therefore they receive special protection under European legislation. This means that it is illegal to damage or disturb a bat roost or to disturb or harm a bat, of any of the 18 species found in the UK. Development that involves existing buildings or natural structures that bats might use should be undertaken carefully to ensure that the law is not broken and bats are not harmed. The penalties for not doing things properly can be severe. Most developments involving existing buildings will have a requirement from the Local Planning Authority for an initial bat survey. Not all LPAs require a bat survey in all circumstances, but it is worth considering whether it would be worthwhile having one even if it has not been requested. Any structure that has a roof and/or cavities within its walls may offer roosting potential for bats, and finding them part-way through the development can cause very costly delays and may involve legal issues if work has proceeded ‘recklessly’ without a proper survey. So, if you feel that a survey is advantageous or if the LPA has requested one, all you need to do is find an ecologist to undertake the work. Unfortunately, it is not quite as simple as this – it should be, but it isn’t. There are some ecologists out there who are not experienced or skilled enough to produce what you will need, which is a comprehensive report that will be acceptable to the LPA and Natural England or Natural Resources Wales. There is nothing worse than paying for a survey and report, and then having it thrown back by the County Ecologist as inadequate. You would expect it to be easy to find a

CASE STUDY

‹ I RECEIVED AN email from an architect, acting

on behalf of his client. They had had two bat surveys undertaken by an ecologist with many years’ experience, but required a third survey to satisfy the LPA and couldn’t get hold of the ecologist who had undertaken the previous surveys. With the end of the survey season approaching, they knew that they needed to move fast to get the third survey done, so they could resubmit the planning application before the autumn. The architect approached me to see if we could do the third survey for them in the time available. I said that we could, but would need copies of the previous reports, together with photographs and plans of the buildings requiring conversion. However, on reading the previous survey reports, it became very clear that they were not fit for purpose and were likely to be thrown back by the LPA. I had to advise the architect that we could not undertake a third survey for them, as there was little point because the other surveys had not been done properly, and it would likely be a waste of the client’s money. My advice was that a repeat of the initial survey should be undertaken before the end of the season, and if further surveys were required then they should be done next year. This effectively put the whole project back by 12 months with major inconvenience and costs, simply because the client was unable to select a competent ecologist. R competent ecologist, and there are many out there, but there are also a few who are either inexperienced, incompetent or unscrupulous. Even some of those who are members of the relevant professional body are not up to the required standard, although there are efforts underway to rectify this. You could try asking the LPA or County Ecologist if they can recommend someone, but most are reluctant to show any sign of favouritism. You could ask other developers or architects if they have used someone who has undertaken high-quality surveys and produced high-quality reports. The only other way is to talk to an ecologist and try to work out if they know what they are talking about – difficult if you don’t know the subject yourself, and still

no guarantee that they can produce what you need. The one thing you should not do is go for the cheapest ecologist you can find, as you are likely to pay for it later. Better to pay more for a proper job by someone who knows what they’re doing and will take you through the whole project, not just do the surveys, take your money and then leave you to it. The services of a competent ecologist are effectively free, as they will do everything needed to get your projects through to completion as quickly and affordably as possible, including any required mitigations and licensing issues, therefore saving you money on costly delays and possible legal issues. R

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Three wise men appointed to NASC regional chairs

Ian Wilson

‹ AT ITS LAST AGM the National Access and

Scaffolding Confederation (NASC) appointed three new regional chairmen. Stewart Savage of Rotor Scaffolding Services Ltd became chairman of the London and South East region, while Steve Gainey of SGS Ltd was appointed to chair the Northern region and Ian Wilson of Turner Access Ltd took over in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Each regional chairman is selected to represent the scaffolding members of their region. They bring regional scaffold and access issues to light within the NASC and represent the opinions of the members of their region, thereby influencing NASC policy and guidance. NASC’s managing director Robin James said: “The regional chairmen play a vital role in communicating information about scaffolding from our 200-plus members across the UK. It’s imperative to the success of the NASC and the implementation of our strictly audited guidelines that members in all regions are working to the same high standards, and the regional chairmen are important in facilitating this standard setting. “The primary role of these chairmen is to promote the high standards that NASC members have to achieve and maintain in order to keep their membership valid. We wish Ian, Steve and Stewart all the best in their roles for the NASC and look forward to working with them.” Commenting on his appointment, Ian Wilson said: “I am delighted to represent the Scottish and Northern Ireland members of the NASC on the National Council and hope that these members, through me, will be active within the confederation as we try continually to raise standards and make scaffolding one of the safest and most professional occupations within any industry.” Steve Gainey added: “It is a real privilege to be chairman of the NASC Northern region. I have been involved in the industry for 40 years and am passionate about scaffolding and the NASC’s work in continuously improving our systems of erecting scaffold structures. “Being a regional chairman allows me to give the industry something back by assisting existing members and helping new members

Stewart Savage

Steve Gainey

with their applications. The NASC has been of paramount importance over the last 13 years in promoting and supporting the changes and challenges in the scaffolding Industry and I am very happy to be a closer part of that.” Stewart Savage commented: “I am honoured to take over the role of chairman of the London and South East region and thank Mel Archer for all his previous efforts in the role. “As a region, we have unique issues and have a lot to offer the NASC as a whole. A visitor to London would think construction was doing fine by the number of tower cranes and amount of scaffolding, but with the continuing very difficult trading terms, now more than ever, ‘price is key.” He also mentioned the forthcoming implementation of the new TG20:13 technical guidelines for the industry, which were covered in depth in the last issue of Construction National. “I am looking forward to the release of the longawaited TG20:13 during my period as chairman. This revision to the 2008 guidance will be far more user-friendly, especially with the interactive e-guide. It means we will no longer have to waste time producing drawings for simple or standard

structures and will free up a lot of the designers’ time – already in short supply – and leave them to get on with the complex design structures where they are really needed.” • NASC is the national trade body for access and scaffolding in the UK. For information about becoming an NASC member or to find out more about the scaffold industry’s trade body organisation visit www.nasc.org.uk or email enquiries@nasc.org.uk. The new TG20:13 technical guidelines will be available as an interactive e-guide

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Eurosafe Solutions plays its part in Olympic legacy with exemplary health & safety record ‹ WITH ATTENTION TURNING TO

the Olympic Park once again for the recent Sainsburys Anniversary Games, the construction industry was reminded of the extraordinary feat achieved by the contractors involved in building the infrastructure for the London 2012 Olympic Games. Fall protection specialist Eurosafe Solutions is celebrating the part it played in the ‘exemplary health and safety record’ of the London 2012 Olympics, which has become a key part of the Olympic legacy. The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) identified health and safety as its number one priority in the construction of the venues, infrastructure and Athletes’ Village. Eurosafe Solutions played a key role in delivering on the ODA’s commitment to health and safety by providing a specialist fall protection system which allowed safe access for roofing contractors, Lakesmere, to install the iconic wave roof on the Olympic Aquatic Centre. Lakesmere was presented with a major challenge when safe access was required for engineers to install the Kalzip aluminum cladding system to the striking wave-form roof, which was designed to resemble a swimmer breaking the water. Eurosafe Solutions was awarded a contract to design and implement a fall protection system, using temporary Mansafe systems, to allow construction work to be carried out safely on the curved eaves of the roof. John Boyle, director of Eurosafe Solutions said: “It is a real honour to be associated with the impeccable health and safety record of the London

Prosecution for unsafe scaffolding ‹ A BOLTON BUILDING FIRM has appeared in court after two

workers were spotted replacing guttering on a house in high winds while using unsafe scaffolding. R Hamer Ltd was prosecuted after a concerned member of the public reported the work to the Health and Safety Executive. On 30 August Trafford Magistrates Court heard that, when an inspector visited the site on 1 February, he found the men on two badly-erected scaffolding towers with an unsecured board being used as a walkway between them. The court was told there was also no edge protection on the scaffolding, such as handrails or toe boards, and the workers were not using harnesses to prevent them being injured in a fall. One of the men was also seen climbing down the outside of the scaffolding rather than using an access ladder. The inspector immediately issued a Prohibition Notice, ordering the workers to come down from the scaffolding until it had been made safe. R Hamer Ltd received a 12-month conditional discharge and was ordered to pay £562 in prosecution costs after pleading guilty to a breach of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. R

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Olympics. We won the contract because of our expertise in designing and installing fall protection systems on many iconic buildings across the UK, Europe and worldwide. Now the restrictions on promoting supplier involvement with the Olympics have been relaxed, we are proud to be able to demonstrate our involvement with this iconic building.” The construction of London 2012 has been labeled a model of health and safety and the IOSH and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have since commissioned Loughborough University to carry out a study into how the safety techniques used for the London Olympics can be harnessed to benefit future construction projects. Eurosafe Solutions has over 20 years’ experience in the installation, testing, inspection and monitoring of fall protection systems. The company has amongst its customers some of the UK’s iconic buildings, including the O2 Arena, The Millennium Stadium, Manchester Evening News Arena, Gatwick and Heathrow Airports and the Emirates Stadium. The company also provides testing and inspection services to schools, commercial and residential buildings and shopping centres across the country. R • For more information contact Eurosafe Solutions Ltd on 0114 250 7411 or visit the website www.eurosafesolutions.com.

XERVON Palmers has unparalleled access to transport routes ‹ LEADING SCAFFOLDING CONTRACTOR XERVON Palmers has recently

completed work on two major contracts in London, both on projects to bring the capital’s transport links into the 21st century and beyond. The latest was an 18-month contract providing bespoke scaffolding and access services for Heathrow Airport’s state-of-the-art new Terminal 2 – to be known as The Queen’s Terminal. XERVON Palmers began work for main contractor Balfour Beatty on the site, known as T2B, in January last year. The contract centred around providing scaffolding services and access solutions for the construction of the new building at the airport in three phases, making way for the construction of a new, 600m-long and 35m-wide, split-level pier (T2B) and the proposed Heathrow East Terminal (HET). Some of the work has involved creating scaffolding underground to assist in the construction of connecting tunnels for rail services under the T2B building. A mix of traditional tube and fitting and modern Cuplok and Layher system scaffolding was used. It included the creation of large birdcage scaffolds in the construction of T2B’s atriums and escalator. Working on such a busy, sensitive site posed unique scaffolding and access challenges for the company, including not interrupting sight lines for the air traffic control tower or disturbing radar signals while working at height, gaining clearance for advanced security systems and organising BAA passes for all operatives. Furthermore, they had to adhere to strict risk assessments. All operatives had to be briefed on the airport’s extensive emergency arrangements and traffic management systems on site, and be up to date with COSHH and manual handling assessments.

The XERVON Palmers divisional manager for airports said: “Working on such a sensitive, busy site provides us with plenty of challenges, but we are experts in aviation scaffolding and access. Sorting out the security, health and safety and logistic issues of working on large airports is something we do year-on-year and are well used to – particularly at Heathrow, where we’ve previously worked on all five terminals and other peripheral buildings. “The work itself, providing scaffolding and access to support Balfour Beatty’s T2B building work, has been exciting and challenging and we have enjoyed being part of such a large-scale, modern construction project. It’s just the sort of aviation contract XERVON Palmers love to do.” Earlier in the summer XERVON Palmers completed a £20m contract to deconstruct the train shed roof at the historic, busy London Bridge Railway Station, opening up the station to the sky for the first time in over 100 years. Crucially, the 14-month contract was completed without the use of major cranes and with all railway operations continuing as normal 24hours a day, with the station remaining capable of serving its 100,000plus daily passengers.

The huge project – which included creating a structurally-supportive 18,000m2 protection deck running 70m across the full span of the station – is part of a £600m, five-year refurbishment programme at London’s oldest railway station, carried out in partnership with main contractor Costain and Network Rail. In addition to the design and construction of the mobile protection deck – which was rolled into place using modern ‘cassette’ techniques – the project involved the sequenced, safe removal of the historic, crescentshaped train shed roof and the creation of a mobile access walkway in the side roofs to remove the roof cladding. More than 1,200 tons of steel was removed – all by hand – and asbestos has been removed from site, along with rare heritage material in the form of pre-1880, Georgian wrought iron and polished reinforced glass, which has also been recycled. A section has been donated to a railway museum in Aberystwyth. Ian McFarlane, director for business and project development at XERVON Palmers, commented: “Thanks to our design and execution, commuters would know nothing of the comprehensive work plan which allowed the roof to be deconstructed into manageable sizes and weights. The deconstruction sequence ensured that each piece removed was compliant with the detailed loadings allowed. Each piece was manually removed from site via loading paths created within the protection deck. We used all of our experiences from the past to develop this excellent, expert solution.” The London Bridge project adds to XERVON Palmers extensive transport scaffolding and access CV. Recent jobs have included St Pancras, Paddington, Waterloo, Waverley and King’s Cross stations in addition to work on the iconic Forth and Tay bridges. q www.constructionnational.co.uk

Extended Ladder Exchange runs to New Year ‹ THE LADDER ASSOCIATION has

announced that this year’s Ladder Exchange campaign will be extended by a month, running from 1 September to 31 December. The decision follows the success of last year’s campaign, which saw the number of ladders exchanged increase by 35%. According to Ladder Association chairman Cameron Clow, the aim of the extra month is to deliver a clear safety message to home users in the run-up to Christmas. Mr Clow said: “It will enable us to remind the public of the need to check and inspect ladders and stepladders before using them to put up Christmas lights and decorations and, of course, how to use them safely.” First introduced in 2007, the Ladder Exchange has already been responsible for removing thousands of dodgy, broken and bent ladders from the workplace. These can be exchanged for brand new ones – at a discount – at any of the campaign’s partner outlets. They can be found at www.ladderexchange.org.uk. Also new for 2013 is the decision to focus on four distinct ladder-related topics – one for each month of the campaign. Inspection will be the first topic in September, followed by

ladder training, then best practice and finally home use in December. A number of events and activities are also planned and details of these will be posted on the website shortly. This year will also see the return of the hugely popular ‘Idiots on Ladders’ competition. Introduced last year, when the association took over the running and development of the Ladder Exchange from the HSE, it prompted a wealth of sometimes ‘jaw-dropping’ images – such as the one pictured right – of dangerous practice! “We were amazed by the response,” said Michael Fern, whose job it was to sift through the entries at the Ladder Association. Throughout the campaign the aim will be to lift awareness and understanding of the need to check and inspect ladders regularly and to use them safely and competently. “The ladder is an invaluable piece of workplace equipment,” said Cameron Clow. “However, like everything else, some commonsense rules apply. Just remember that if it’s right to use a ladder, use the right ladder, in good condition, and make sure you use it properly. If you’re in any doubt, just ask a Ladder Association member for advice.” q

Birmingham swansong features access safety debates ‹ MAY SAW THE LAST Safety & Health Expo to be held at Birmingham’s NEC. The exhibition

has become a fixture on the work-at-height calendar and the presence of the Access Industry Forum (AIF) was once again a principal feature at this year’s show. A wide range of subjects were covered in this year’s Knowledge Base, including seminars from special guests outside of the Forum’s membership. Paul Cook, of the Health & Safety Executive, was among those speaking at the Knowledge Base. He discussed ‘the findings, the outcomes and the actions’ resulting from Professor Lofstedt's review into health and safety legislation. Also speaking was Paul Blanchard, a former construction worker who was paralysed when he fell through a roof and now speaks about his experiences. Mr Blanchard opened each day’s programme of seminars, with his talks among the most well attended in the Knowledge Base. Mind the Gap: Where do we still need to focus? was one of the most successful AIF seminars. The talk took the form of a panel discussion involving various AIF members. In addition to the seminars, which are available of the AIF YouTube channel at www.youtube. com/accessindustryforum, every member association was represented in the Information Centre, offering details on themselves and updates on their respective industry sectors. q • The market-leading annual exhibition for the health and safety industry moves to ExCel London next year from 17-19 June. For further information visit the website at www.safety-health-expo.co.uk.

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Paul Cook of the Health & Safety Executive

Trade body members train a majority of award-winning apprentices ‹ APPRENTICES FROM MEMBER companies of the National Access

and Scaffolding Confederation achieved considerable recognition in the National Construction College (NCC) Scaffolding Apprenticeship Awards in August. Over half of the 1st and 2nd-year nominees from across the whole of the UK work for NASC members. NASC apprentices did particularly well north of the border at NCC Scotland, where five of the six nominations went to NASC apprentices. Maritime Scaffolding of Aberdeen saw two of their employees – Kyle Norwood and Richard Moir – receiving runner-up prizes in the 1st-year Scaffolding Apprentice category, while Aaron Tracey from Interserve Industrial Services and George Thomson from Cape Industrial Services both received Year Two runner-up prizes.

Double success Struan Cunningham of MJD & Sons Scaffolding deserves particular praise after following last year’s 1st-year Scaffolding Apprentice award by taking the Year Two award this year. He was also nominated for – and only narrowly missed out on – NCC Scotland Apprentice of the Year, which is open to all of the trades across the college. Commenting on his success, MJD & Sons contracts director Michael Dore said: “I was delighted to be present as Struan picked up his award for the second successive year. The award was well deserved and an honour for the company. “It proves that by taking on and training your own people you can survive and prosper in these current difficult times and at the same time give new people an opportunity in the industry. We have taken on many apprentices over the years and have had many success stories. “Given the support the NASC provides to these events it was nice that a member company won the award for the second year running.”

Struan Cunningham of MJD & Sons Scaffolding receiving his award from ex-footballer and now TV pundit John Hartson

Olympic silver medallist and former world record-holder, Colin Jackson presents Marc Whitestone of JW Scaffolding with his award Other NASC member apprentices performed outstandingly well across the whole of the UK – receiving nominations and runner-up prizes for their regional awards, including: NCC London and South • Year One runner-up: Mark Finch (Alltask Scaffolding Ltd) • Year Two runner-up: Kamil Wlodarcyzk (TRAD Scaffolding Ltd) • Year Two runner-up: Marlon Jeffries (Harsco Infrastructure) NCC Midlands • Year Two runner-up: Daniel Northall (Safeway Scaffolding) • Year Two runner-up: Shawn Miller (Oxford Spires Scaffolding) Dave Mosley, NASC’s director of training, said: “It’s superb to see NASC apprentices continuing to shine at the latest NCC Apprentice Awards. The award ceremonies are always an excellent day out for the apprentices, their families and employers, and provide the opportunity for the apprentices to get the recognition they deserve. “NASC is a great supporter of the apprenticeship scheme and believes it is an excellent way of maintaining a young and highly-skilled scaffolding workforce. We have sponsored the NCC awards for many years, so it is always very pleasing to see scaffolders employed within the membership receiving nominations and winning awards – well done to all concerned and keep up the good work!” Speakers at this year’s NCC events were former footballer-turned pundit John Hartson (Celtic, Arsenal, West Ham and Wales) at NCC Scotland and Colin Jackson, Olympic silver medallist and former world record-holder for 110-metre hurdles, in all the other regions. q

Additionally, NASC member apprentices Billy Baldry from Seabro Ltd and Marc Whitestone of JW Scaffolding claimed the top spot in the Year One Scaffolding Apprentice category at NCC London and South and NCC East respectively. Marc edged to victory ahead of colleague James Wade, who claimed the runner-up spot at NCC East. www.constructionnational.co.uk

Change is on the cards in the scaffolding world ‹ THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY Scaffolders Record Scheme (CISRS) has recently introduced a mandatory New Entrant Trainee and Scaffolding Labourer course into the scheme. The new must-have CISRS training makes it a requirement for any new-entrant scaffolding trainee or labourer to complete a CISRS one-day course before a card will be issued. The new regime went live on 1 September. The new training courses will be carried out at CISRS-approved centres across the UK. Alternatively, they can be run ‘in-house’ by a suitably qualified member of staff – assuming the facilities exist to carry out the training. Any scaffolding company wishing to carry out in-house training will be required to make an application to CISRS and will have their eligibility assessed before being allowed to conduct the course. To accompany the new course, a training and assessment package will be available for applicants – including a Power Point presentation, manual handling DVD, a bank of test questions and papers, practical exercises, certificates and other material to assist with the training course.

Course modules The CISRS New Entrant/Labourer course will include various modules under a number of general headings. These include: • General responsibilities, relevant regulations, Codes of Practice and basic scaffold terminology • Use of equipment and tools – including servicing of tubes and fittings, boards and stock quality control, manual handling (including a practical element) and lifting equipment using a rope and wheel

A typical CISRS training centre set-up • Health, welfare, hygiene and housekeeping – including electrical safety, fire prevention and control, noise and vibration, accident prevention and reporting, PPE and site transport safety, including loading and unloading. Operatives wishing to apply for the New Entrant Trainee/Scaffolding Labourer card must also pass a CITB Health, Safety and Environment Test (or possess a recognised exemption). Applicants should apply for their card within two years of the test date or they will have to complete another test. CISRS scaffolding labourers will be required to repeat the course on a five-yearly cycle, as refresher training prior to renewing their card. Existing CISRS Scaffolding Labourer cardholders will be required to complete the course upon expiry of their current card before a new card can be issued, as part of a new CISRS Scaffolding Labourer Refresher Training scheme. CISRS training manager David Mosley said: “These new compulsory courses are a very welcome addition to the CISRS scheme – teaching all new entrants and labourers the basics of the industry and how to keep safe when working with scaffolding and access solutions, while also making sure existing operatives are up to date. And prioritising safe practices at work can only be a positive move. This also helps the scaffolding sector meet the UKCG requirement that every operative must have received some formal training before being allowed onto their sites.” q • Further information is available on the CISRS website at www.cisrs.org.uk.

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New centre is first for UK in South Korea ‹ A NEW SCAFFOLDING training centre has been established in South Korea by

CISRS-accredited training provider Safety & Access, in partnership with Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI), which has committed to an initial three-year period and plans to train more than 700 scaffolders over the next 18 months. They are the first CISRS UK-registered training provider to gain overseas accreditation for commercial scaffolding and access training in South Korea. It will primarily serve SHI’s business from its Geoje site in the south of the country. There will be an additional management training facility in the nearby city of Busan. To begin with, all the CISRS training will be delivered by UK registered instructors and successful completion of the training will result in the issue of the official Certification and Skills Cards. Before the accreditation of the centre, an independent CISRS audit took place at the sites in South Korea by CISRS training manager David Mosley, who said: “Whilst CISRS has been the recognised standard for scaffolding training and qualification in the UK for 40 years, the CISRS Overseas Training Scheme (OSTS) is still in its infancy. So we are extremely pleased to be working with a major international business such as Samsung Heavy Industries.” Rick Statham, joint managing director at Safety & Access, commented: “To be the first in South Korea to achieve CISRS status is a huge boost to the independent credibility of our delivery and one that will only strengthen the commercial position of all involved.” q

Scaffolding apprentices show off their skills ‹ THE CISRS TRAINING manager

David Mosley recently attended the annual Scaffolding Skills Challenge day at Newcastle College to congratulate personally the young scaffolding apprentices. The event – sponsored by NASC member Pyeroy – saw Years 1 and 2 scaffolding apprentices compete in front of an audience of north east employers to see who could erect the safest and most technically accurate structure. Many key employers in the region attended to support their operatives taking part in the event. The team taking home the trophy for the first-year were Chris Maddison from Sunderland, Danny Calvert from Boldon Colliery and Jonathan Wright from Prudhoe, while the winners from Year 2 were Wayne Napier from Blaydon, Daniel Long from Blyth and Chris Devlin from Sunderland. David Mosley commented: “It’s great to see NASC members such as Pyeroy supporting apprenticeship training in the north east. Congratulations to all the young apprentices who won awards. Days like these are extremely important to applaud success in scaffolding training and boost apprentice numbers.” Paul Watson, divisional manager at Pyeroy said: “Events like these are a vital way of highlighting the up-and-coming scaffolding talent we have here in the north east. While many areas of construction are still

experiencing a tough time, employers are crying out for new blood when it comes to scaffolding, particularly in the light of stricter rules around working at height. Employers now have a greater responsibility for the safety of their workforce.” Kevin Hartburn, CITB apprentice officer at Newcastle College, added: “The Scaffolding

Skills Challenge is a fantastic event that gives young apprentices the chance to impress employers in the region with their new-found skills and knowledge. It is our intention to take this challenge around the UK with apprentices from other colleges taking part, with the aim of bringing more trainees and employers together.” q www.constructionnational.co.uk

New PASMA chairman puts training top of agenda ‹ PASMA, THE ASSOCIATION that represents the mobile access tower industry has announced the appointment of a new chairman. Chris Blantern is to take over from Roger Verallo, who steps down after a period of four years in office. Managing director of Sheffield-based Hi-Point Access Ltd, a company he formed with his brother in 1991, Chris first joined the industry in the early 1970s as a trainee tower assembler. Throughout his career he has consistently advocated the need for the highest standards in training and safety for anyone involved in the work-at-height sector. Significantly, HiPoint Access was one of the first hire assembly

companies specialising in mobile access towers to appoint a health and safety director to its board. “In taking over I must first pay tribute to Roger Verallo, who has done an exceptional job as chairman,” said Chris. “I intend to follow his

example and build on his legacy. “I want tower users to know that when they specify a PASMA member organisation, they can do so confident in the knowledge that they are dealing with a competent, professional company that satisfies industry-recognised standards.” R

Solar installer with no training injured in fall ‹ A CHELTENHAM COMPANY HAS been fined for safety failings after a worker was

New PASMA chairman Chris Blantern

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seriously injured when he fell more than 11m through a barn roof while installing solar panels. Daniel Harvey of Winchcombe broke his back in three places, fractured his pelvis, broke several ribs, lacerated his liver and punctured a lung in the incident at a farm in Westburyon-Severn in December last year. He is still unable to work and is awaiting a further operation that will determine his longterm prognosis. Mr Harvey’s employer, BCL Renewables Limited, was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after an investigation identified concerns with unsafe work at height. Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court heard on 6 September that Mr Harvey was working with a colleague to install some 624 solar panels on the roofs of four barns. He was on a barn roof attaching fixing brackets for the solar panels when the part of the roof he was stood on gave way, sending him crashing onto the concrete floor below. HSE found there was nothing in place to prevent or mitigate a fall, such as edge protection, crawl boards or netting, and that the work was poorly planned and inadequately risk assessed. Magistrates were also told that Mr Harvey had received no formal training and had only worked at the company for five weeks. BCL Renewables Limited was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay a further £1,837 in costs after being found guilty in absentia of a single breach of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. The company has recently entered voluntary administration and offered no defence in court. R

Water safety training for the construction industry The Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) launches new water safety training partnerships

‹ EMPLOYERS IN THE construction and

maintenance sectors are now being offered innovative training partnerships to safeguard employees who work in or around water. Most people in the construction industry relate the term ‘Health and Safety’ to hazards such as asbestos, manual handling, machinery work equipment and working at heights. However, for projects near, on or in water, the water itself is a very real hazard – the severity of which can be overlooked or misunderstood, with fatal consequences. Apart from the cost of human suffering, uninsurable prosecution costs under the 1974 Health and Safety at Work Act for work-related drownings over the past two years exceeded £500,000. Additional costs include private actions, negative PR, legal and insurance costs.

Be aware These tragic events occurred despite the fact that all established health and safety laws and regulations apply as much to water-based environments and activities as they do to any other construction activity. In fact, Regulation 35 of Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 deals specifically with prevention of drowning. The Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS UK), the drowning prevention charity, now offers its flagship occupational water-safety training programme, the National Water Safety Management Programme (NWSMP) on a licensed ‘training partnership’ agreement. NWSMP is a suite of interlinked training awards which offers a flexible approach to water safety training. Courses have been specifically designed to help employers protect

employees working near, or close, to water. Cliff Nelson, course programme manager at the RLSS UK, said: “We’re delighted to be working with the construction industry. Most of the challenges presented by construction around water can be overcome with simple, straight-forward controls, underpinned by effective water-hazard awareness – which is what NWSMP delivers.”

“Most of the challenges presented by construction around water can be overcome” The NWSMP is progressive and begins with a half-day general Water Safety Awareness module and can develop, depending on the specific environment and planned work activity, through to River, Still-Water, Beach and In-Water Rescue or Aquatic First Aid. Special ‘bolt-ons’ are available which include Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Lifejackets. The training is designed to make sure people who might be exposed to water-based risk have a clear understanding of the nature of that risk along with a firm grasp of simple, effective prevention and response measures. A key issue is that, unlike in a controlled swimming pool environment, open water may be cold, murky, deep and very fast flowing. It can also be very difficult to find an exit route once submerged in it. In addition, when somebody finds themselves in water unexpectedly, their water logged clothing can hinder their movement and ability to keep their head above water. Typically,

construction workers can be wearing steel toe capped shoes and heavy PPE which adds to the risk of drowning once the water is entered. David Talbot, head of outdoor education and work based learning at TQ Pearson, said: “I believe the NWSMP is essential training. Not only is it geared towards those working directly in, or near water such as banksmen or plant operators, but it is also relevant to anyone in the industry who may come into contact with water, such as those in the building construction maintenance services or line managers. The course reduces risk at all levels and I cannot recommend it highly enough.” Course attendees are awarded a certificate on completion and the employer investing in this valuable staff training is awarded a plaque, provided by the RLSS UK, highlighting the organisation’s commitment to staff development and the maintenance of a safe, working environment.

“Drowning remains a very real danger” Cliff Nelson added: “Sadly, drowning remains a very real danger. Each year 450 people lose their lives in a water related incident, many of these fatalities could be avoided with better safety precautions and knowledge of how to effectively deal with an ingcident when it occurs.” The NWSMP is currently delivered at a number of training venues across the UK. The cost of individual awards range from £80 to £150, although within the partnership scheme, significant cost reductions can be achieved. q • For more information on the programme, its content and the various modules available contact RLSS UK occupational safety advisor Damian Hall on 07855 844598, email dhall@rlss.org. uk or visit www.rlss.org.uk. You can follow them on Twitter: @RLSSUK, visit their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/RLSSUK or call 01789 773994.

NWSMP Training

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How asset finance works As discussed in the last issue of Construction National, finding the right form of funding is crucial if construction businesses are to secure the equipment needed to capitalise on the economic recovery. In this issue, Ian Isaac (pictured), managing director (interim) of Lombard, the UK’s largest asset finance provider, talks about asset finance, how it works and the benefits that it can offer your business.

‹ IN AUGUST 2013, two major house

builders announced double digit rises in profits and the CBI revised growth figures in an upward direction. So, in general the outlook is much brighter. However, the caveat to this is that in order for the recovery to take a firm hold there needs to be a greater focus on business investment. John Cridland, director-general of the CBI, recently cautioned that it is “still early days – we need to see a full-blown rebalancing of our economy, with stronger business investment

and trade, before we can call a sustainable recovery.” However, the sceptical view on the need for investment held by a hard core of businesses is borne out by a survey conducted by Lombard in March 2013. The survey showed that over a quarter of businesses interviewed said that they are operating with equipment that needs replacing, and a third had turned down business because they hadn’t invested in the new equipment needed to fulfil orders. Business valued at millions of pounds, that could have come to the UK economy, has been lost because of a lack of investment in the right equipment to do the job. Common sense suggests that this needs to be overcome and that businesses need to progress out of survival mode by reinvigorating their ambitions for growth – otherwise we risk stunting the recovery before it has taken hold and putting thousands of jobs at risk. For many businesses in any sector there is a very simple and affordable solution to financing this growth and this can be found in asset finance. As we touched on in the

last issue, asset finance uses the asset as security, reducing risk while providing access to funding. Asset finance allows a business to release valuable cash rather than tying up working capital, so money can be borrowed over an asset’s working life. Asset finance also offers a great amount of flexibility and extends to almost any tangible asset, from IT and office equipment to specialist plant and works machinery. It allows the finance to be structured in a way that suits a business taking into account seasonality or flexible contracts where required. The solutions offered by asset finance are designed to meet specific needs. For example, using hire purchase enables a business to spread the cost of a purchase over an agreed period, at the end of which the business takes ownership. Or an operating lease that provides the benefit of funding an asset for a fixed period, without the risk of being left with an asset at the end of a particular contract. Generally we have seen that once a business has used asset finance they are more likely to use it time and again. Over the past two years we have seen the construction industry doubling its level of investment from £70m in 2010 to £153m in 2012. Barhale, a midlands-based civil engineering business, is just one of the construction businesses that Lombard has helped to realise its investment goals. “Our pre-lease facility means that we have the flexibility to match our IT investment with our workflow, rather than have cash tied up in stock that we may need for future contracts,” explains Mike Mackintosh, IT manager at Barhale. Barhale supports a large IT infrastructure, with 700 IT users who depend on reliable equipment that utilises the latest technology. When the company wins a large contract, it needs to respond quickly to meet its client’s needs. However, they want to avoid investing www.constructionnational.co.uk

in equipment that is not being fully utilised so buying outright isn't viable. In addition, the equipment is often on site and can be used in a rough environment so they require a full maintenance and care package, along with the option of replacing equipment at a three-year interim term if it has received heavy usage. Asset finance provided a solution that enables Barhale to fulfil these requirements, while having a pre-lease facility in place provides additional flexibility, supplying the assets as and when they are needed. This is a facility that is agreed up front and enables businesses like Barhale to spend an agreed amount so that equipment can be purchased over a period of time, the cost of which is then rolled into a single asset finance contract. The benefits of some forms of asset finance have been enhanced further since the Government temporarily increased the Annual Investment Allowance (AIA) which we mentioned in the last article. The temporary increase in the AIA limit from an £25,000 allowance to £250,000 means that any capital equipment purchased before the end of 2014 will receive a 100% allowance against taxable profits up to £250,000, making investment in key items of equipment much more attainable. As this is a time-limited increase, we would encourage you to find out more about how you can explore this as a means to support your investment needs. Lombard has recently

launched an AIA Tax Calculator that will enable you to see what you can potentially recoup through tax savings if you choose to invest before 31 December 2014. To access this calculator simply go to http://www.lombard. co.uk/our-expertise/aia-calculator.

Security may be required and product fees may apply. q • For more information log on to www.lombard. co.uk, phone 0800 502402 or text Relay 18001 0800 502 402.

Key Benefits of Asset Finance Minimises risks associated with ownership

By taking away the risk on how much value is left in the asset at the end of a contract

Releases cash tied up in existing assets

A sale and leaseback will free up capital previously spent on business equipment

Fixed costs will eliminate uncertainty

Because the rentals on an asset and the payable interest are fixed for the duration of the contract, customers can budget knowing what their fixed costs for the asset are throughout the contract

Funding over the lifecycle of the asset

The customer only needs to pay for an asset for as long as they plan to use it

Opens up additional credit lines

By providing extra facilities alongside cash resources and existing bank credit lines, asset finance opens up an additional option if a business already has borrowings

Businesses across a number of sectors can fund their assets through asset finance These include: • Agriculture • Aviation • Buses and coaches • Construction • Cars and Vans

• • • •

HGV Haulage Marine Medical

• • • •

Plant and Machinery Production Line Professional Services Technology

And you can use asset finance to fund almost any asset, including the following: • Agricultural Machinery • Air Compressors • Aircraft • Boats • Book Binding Equipment • Broadcasting Equipment • Buses • Cars • CCTV • Chemical Equipment • Coaches • Commercial Vehicles • Computer Hardware and Software

• Construction Equipment • Container Handlers • Crane • Dairy Equipment • Dental Equipment • Dry Cleaning and Laundry Equipment • Engineering Equipment • EPOS Systems • Exhibition Stands • Food Processing Machinery • Fork Life Trucks • Garage Equipment • Generators

Security may be required and product fees apply

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• Glass Manufacturing Machinery • Granulators • Healthcare Equipment • Helicopters • Incinerators • Industrial Knitting Machines • Injection Moulding Equipment • Internet Equipment • Labelling Machines • Laboratory Equipment • Lathes • Lifts and Lifting Equipment • Machine Tools

• Manufacturing Equipment • Microfilm Equipment • Nursing Home Equipment • Office Equipment and Furniture • Packaging Machinery • Petrol Pump Equipment • Plant and Machinery • Pressure Cleaning Equipment • Printing Machines • Projectors • Racking • Refrigeration Equipment • Remote Operated Vehicles – ROVs

• Telephone Systems • Testing Equipment • Tooling • Vans • Vending Machines • Weighing Scales • Welding Equipment • Wood Working Machinery • X-Ray Apparatus ...and much more

Ready for Retrofit brings funding for south west’s social landlords ‹ THE NEXT APPLICATION ‘window’ opened in September to allow

social landlords in the south west of England (excluding Cornwall) to apply to a £2.3m funding pot to improve the energy efficiency of their stock through the Ready for Retrofit scheme. The programme, which is co-ordinated by the Energy Saving Trust, is aiming to ‘improve properties, boost the local economy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions’. More than 750 measures will be eligible, encompassing energy efficiency, renewable heat and renewable electricity. Described by the Energy Saving Trust as ‘a great opportunity to deliver lasting improvements for residents and local businesses’, Ready for Retrofit’s funding is focused on more expensive refurbishments that can deliver significant improvements to harder to treat properties. Cheaper measures such as easy cavity wall and loft insulation and basic draught proofing are not eligible. Applicants and their partners will need to provide match funding, and can use Ready for Retrofit to match other existing sources of funding. However, measures funded by Ready for Retrofit will not be able to claim payments from FIT or RHI tariffs. The selection criteria for eligible schemes will include: • Number of social housing and vulnerable households present

• Availability of match funding • Range of house and community types across the programmes, and therefore renewable energy and energy efficiency solutions, to maximise learning and opportunities to drive innovation • Suitability for business support delivery • Other opportunities for learning and innovation. The Trust is encouraging delivery by local SMEs, as well as active communication of any procurement processes. They expect social housing providers to manage the work themselves, but project management costs may be included so that a lead provider can work with a range of SME sub-contractors. Schemes must also include support and advice to tenants. September is the third of four application ‘windows’ for funding, the last being January next year. Social housing providers can start by sending in an expression of interest form, which will then be followed by feedback on the likelihood of success and areas for improvement. Applicants will then need to submit detailed scheme proposals, which will be assessed by an independent panel of technical experts, chaired by the Energy Saving Trust. Technical support by email will be available at all stages. q

Cashflow solutions for construction companies ‹ IT LOOKS LIKE construction companies

are going to be pretty busy over the next few years – the National Infrastructure Plan, and the fact that there’s an urgent need for a huge programme of house building, suggests there will be no shortage of work. The bad news, however, is that many sub-contractors will struggle to capitalise on these opportunities due to lack of finance. Ultimate Finance, a leading independent provider of cashflow solutions to SMEs, has come up with a solution – they’ve created a team of experienced professionals with a specialised understanding of the construction industry, working in partnership with a longestablished quantity surveyor, to help building firms overcome these challenges.

Tim Wilkinson, sales director of Ultimate Construction Finance Limited, explains: “We are principally aiming to fund interim payments for first tier sub-contractors with a minimum turnover in excess of £2m and at least two years’ filed accounts.” “Despite being a new player in the construction finance market, we can provide something genuinely different. We will fund an application for payment, prior to certification. This takes a huge amount of financial pressure off contractors during the course of an extended project and gives them more working capital to take on fresh contracts. Our thorough understanding of the sector and the way the contracts work mean that we can take a much more

flexible approach than traditional financial institutions. “The arrangement is fully confidential, while our fee and pricing structure is highly transparent and communicated upfront. Right from the outset our clients know what level of funding they will get, when they will receive it and what fees they will be charged, which truly sets us apart from existing players in the market.” q • Ultimate Construction Finance Limited is a leading provider of financial solutions to SMEs across the UK. The company is headquartered in Bristol with offices in London, Manchester, Norwich and Lutterworth. www.ultimatefinance.co.uk.

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Don’t fall foul of auto-enrolment plan ahead and save yourself! The new Workplace Pensions Legislation and auto-enrolment are here and many employers are finding themselves ill-prepared. You must make sure you are ready when your time to join the scheme arrives – or face the consequences, writes MIKE JENKINS, Business Development Manager at Welplan Pensions.

‹ THE PENSIONS REGULATOR (TPR)

has recently issued its first non-compliance notice to one employer who failed to meet their auto-enrolment responsibilities. Action against all who breach regulations has been promised by TPR and a recent report has shown 89 investigations have begun into possible cases of non-compliance by large employers – with 28 warning letters issued for minor breaches of regulation at the date of writing. Repercussions can stretch much further than a warning letter though – so don’t make the mistake of thinking TPR a toothless body. They have been granted powers by parliament under the Pensions Act (2008) which allows them to enforce regulation to the full extent of the law. Compliance Notices can be issued by TPR and these are backed by statutory powers enabling them to levy fines, dependent on the size of the business and severity of the breach in regulation, ranging from £50 to £10,000. Further non-compliance could see fines issued to individuals responsible at a maximum of £5,000 and to businesses at £5,000 a day or a fixed £50,000 penalty. This then is a stark reminder of just why it’s so important to ensure your business is up to date with all auto-enrolment regulation. The most important – and I think best – piece of advice we can give is simple: planning ahead is important. Be prepared and you’ll find you eliminate the risks associated with noncompliance. A little work now will ensure a lot of hassle – and perhaps financial loss – can be avoided in the future. Auto-enrolment commenced as of October 2012, with different staging dates for varying sizes of business based on the number of employees they employed in April 2012. The scheme is being rolled out now and started with businesses with over 120,000 employees at the end of last year. All employers will need to comply by April 2017 when businesses employing fewer than

30 members of staff will need to become compliant. Every company with two or more employees will be legally obliged to automatically enrol all eligible job-holders within their company. Those eligible are those working in the UK, aged between 22 and the state pension age and earning more than the threshold of £9,440 per annum. This new workplace pension scheme will also see those employers who previously did not contribute to the private pensions of their employees now legally responsible for doing so. In our research we have found that 62% of employers began planning at least 18 months prior to staging and as a result found the switch relatively stress-free. The remaining 38% invariably found things a lot tougher than they needed to be, some even falling victim to the measures mentioned at the beginning of this article. Welplan Pensions has plenty of experience working with companies from the construction sector and can assist in meeting the statutory obligations placed on employers by the government’s autoenrolment requirements. It may sound easy – and that’s because it can be. Welplan can assist employers with the implementation and administration of the scheme, all the while making sure you are kept in the loop with updates regarding any changes to regulation which you need to know in order to stay on the right side of the law. Welplan Pensions is designed to provide a bespoke solution for your company and can cover all employees, whatever position they may hold. Welplan can assist employers to manage the process and reduce the stress of compliance

and regulatory burden, providing a simple administrative system and dedicated support. The next step you need to take as a business is to remain diligent, and ensure you are aware of how this new legislation affects your business and remain mindful of your timeframe – don’t get caught short for time. q • For more information on auto-enrolment visit www.welplan.co.uk or call on Freephone 0800 195 80 80.

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Confidential Workplace Audit addresses negative culture ‹ FOLLOWING ON FROM the summer issue of Construction National, in which we outlined CSI’s

range of workplace drug and alcohol testing services, this article introduces the company’s Social Science Division. This division, headed by Ronnie Bage, identifies the demographic social norms within society and companies across the UK. Negative and positive workplace cultures may develop at a single location, across multiple locations or even within shift patterns or particular trades. The CSI ‘Confidential Workplace Audit’ allows CSI, in partnership with any company, to map that company’s range of regional issues with regard to drugs and alcohol, smoking, workplace criminality, health and safety, whistle blowing, occupational health support and more. The ‘Confidential Audit’ can be electronic or by ballot box and will help employers identify their staff’s behaviour, perception and opinions. It will further examine attitudes toward a variety of issues but is designed predominantly for drug and alcohol abuse within any industry. This development within CSI has many advantages for companies, including: • Helping companies engage more appropriately with their employees in order to identify appropriate budget allocation, quantifiable cost effective company initiatives, proportionate and appropriate interventions with maximised return on investment. • Helping employees engage with the company and providing quantifiable feedback on a wide variety of management strategies or regional issues that may be site specific or even shift / trade specific. • Helping specific industries bench mark practices and procedures that assist in the wellbeing of the workforce by the provision of a safer working environment and a fast track method of identifying positive behaviour and managing more efficiently the identified negatives on a rolling programme. Too many industries think that drug and alcohol testing is an avoidable cost when, in fact, it is widely legislated for and eliminates avoidable costs elsewhere. It is widely accepted that the abuse of drugs and alcohol impacts both workplace and society – the employer now has a means to challenge those beliefs and manage them to measurably reduce that impact. Being an employer of choice – as opposed to an employer of chance – is a high priority to most employers and, increasingly, also with employees. Attracting a higher calibre of employee into a safer working environment has a great many benefits to any company. CSI Drug and Alcohol Testing Ltd is an innovative company with a pragmatic approach to a wide variety of issues that impact both the workplace and society. The CSI approach is being delivered to the market with an ability to change and constantly monitor the UK’s workplace culture. In so doing there is a clear ability to help address any negative workplace culture and ultimately the behaviour, perception and opinions of the country’s employment pool. R • For more details of CSI’s services tel 0800 121 8994, email info@csi.gb.net or visit their website at www.csidrugsandalcohol.co.uk.

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CE Marking is standard practice for this old hand in the fastener industry

‹ ONE COMPANY THAT HAS no worries

about the impending Construction Products Regulation is leading fastener supplier Bapp Group. Bapp Group’s range of structural ‘CE’ Marked Fastener Assemblies, specifically for the structural engineering sector, have been approved since 2011. Bapp are renowned as a market leader in quality assurance measures that continue to provide the highest levels of confidence throughout its worldwide customer base. Bapp Group was founded in 1972 as a family business and has continued to grow steadily over the ensuing four decades to become the UK’s largest independent supplier of fasteners into the structural engineering, construction, general engineering, renewable energy and offshore sectors. The company is fully approved by Lloyds Register to supply ‘CE’ Marked products to BS EN 15048 Non Pre-Load and BS EN 14399 Pre-Load Structural Bolting Assemblies to the European Harmonised Standards. In addition to the requirements of ‘CE’ Marking, Bapp Group continues to apply its own stringent quality standards to all its products throughout the range. Bapp Group Chairman Mr Dean Cook writes: “Our manufacturing philosophy is a major facet of our business that continues to differentiate us from our competitors. All of our partner factories are annually audited, supplying components only in strict compliance with our 136 page Purchasing Handbook which details everything from the stringent testing requirements we demand to the world class packaging and documentation for which we are well known”.

One of the major benefits of dealing with Bapp Group is the packaging and marking of ‘CE’ assemblies, which is simple, clear and above all identifiable. Because of the packaging and documentation this assures full traceability to the client ensuring that the goods and paperwork arrive in pristine condition. All of Bapp’s extensive systems provide further evidence that traceability is 100% assured throughout its supply chain. This constant attention to detail has been the hallmark of the company for many years and allows Bapp to offer valuable advice to both designers and buyers alike. Bapp’s technical team are available 24/7 to offer clients advice not just on fastener standards, but also on tightening procedures and coating finishes best suited to prevent corrosion in difficult and testing environments. As a quality orientated company, Bapp Group has a number of approvals, apart from Lloyd’s Register approval for its ‘FPC’ and ‘CE’ Marking Structural Assemblies. They are also Highways Agency Sector Scheme 3 and Link-Up Rail approved. Bapp Group products are to be found in a myriad of different environments, but its main expertise is within the structural steelwork sector and as such they are represented on many industrial bodies helping to both shape and drive innovation. Following the company’s foundation by a highly qualified mining engineer, Bapp also have a major involvement in both the civil engineering and tunnelling sectors which also

provide major markets within which the group has unparalleled experience. Bapp also play a major part in supplying the UK’s rail industry which like the structural engineering sector, is a very demanding environment. Bapp Group supply a wide and varied range of standard rail parts and also offer bespoke solutions as part of its Link-Up approval. Another market in which Bapp have become heavily involved is renewable energy where wind turbine manufacture is very closely linked to structural engineering. This too is an extremely demanding market due to the constant new innovations and the aggressive environment that these projects require. Bapp have seen both the onshore and offshore wind sectors as an extension of its standard offshore business, where it has been highly successful for many years in supplying safety critical parts on a daily basis. With such a range of demanding structural applications that require comprehensive support and advice, Bapp have now proved they are the team to trust with all of your demanding requirements. q

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Fraser Bruce puts seal on Edinburgh Zoo penguins rock revamp ‹ WHEN THE WORLD-FAMOUS Penguin Park at Edinburgh Zoo was

found to be leaking more than 50,000 litres of water every day, a reliable and high performance structural repair and waterproofing system was required. Concrete repair and waterproofing specialists Fraser Bruce Group turned to a comprehensive range of products and systems from Sika to create the new ‘Penguins Rock’ – a 21st century enclosure for the zoo’s iconic colony of penguins. Home to thousands of penguins over the last 100 years, the existing pool was closed for a £750,000 maintenance and upgrade programme. Appointed to carry out a survey to establish why water was being lost and identify the pool’s structural condition, the Fraser Bruce Group discovered a total of eleven separate layers dating back to the 1914 original. The company commenced a programme of works including almost fully rebuilding the older original pool and repairing the newer section of the pool. All poor quality concrete was removed, contaminated ground excavated and the base substrate reformed to create a slide, paddling area, vertical cliffs and a series of undulations and slopes – all completed by a team of highly skilled operatives using free-hand installation. The specialist contractors then prepared the substrate by grinding to remove all traces of the existing fibreglass membrane. Following this, they applied a range of waterproofing, repair and Image courtesy of Ivon Bartholomew coatings products from the Sika range. A 2mm thick application of SikaTop Seal-107 waterproofing cementitious slurry was applied over the entire pool. Once cured, the pool was coated with two layers of Sikagard 62 coloured epoxy resin

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coating – offering high chemical resistance and approved for use in contact with potable water. A third coat of resin was blinded with decorative aggregate sand and applied to the side walls and perimeter feature to create an attractive beach-effect aesthetic finish. The interface between the original ‘old’ pool and the most recent pool was excavated and reinstated using a Sika Hydrophillic Sealing Joint on both faces (Sikaseal 2010). As there was a considerable chance of movement at the two created joints a Sika Hypalon Bandage (Sika Combiflex) was laid over both joints and bonded using Sikadur 31 Epoxy adhesive as a ‘belt and braces’ procedure. Where new screeds were required a Sikatop 77 SBR Screed was used and bonded with Sikadur 32 Epoxy Bonding Aid. For concrete repair the Sika Armorex Armocrete System, a flowable micro-concrete, was utilised. Sika’s waterproofing and repair systems are backed by a highly experienced technical team, as well as one of the specialist contractors approved under Sika Ltd’s Registered Contractors Scheme. Offering expert specification advice and support, each product is also manufactured and tested to the highest standards and is certified by the British Board of Agrement (BBA). Re-opening to the public last March, the new-look ‘Penguins Rock’ welcomed back almost 100 of the zoo’s iconic and much loved animals to a state-of-the-art enclosure. It holds 1.2 million litres of water and will deliver exceptional levels of concrete protection and waterproofing performance for years to come. q

UK Concrete Show moves forward a day to NEC’s largest hall ‹ THE UK CONCRETE SHOW 2014 will

now be held in Hall 5 of the NEC on Thursday 27th and Friday 28th of February, 2014. According to organisers Marwood Events’ show director, Steven Callaghan: “The show’s resounding success and rapid growth since launching in 2011, means we need a bigger hall for 2014 and they don’t come any bigger than Hall 5 at the NEC. “To fit in with the NEC’s schedule for Hall 5 we’ve had to move the show forward a day, so open days change to Thursday 27 and Friday 28th of February. This means we can expand the show, not just in terms of stand capacity, but with features such as indoor and outdoor

live demonstration areas, something our visitors tell us they want at the show,” continues Callaghan. Another big decision for Marwood has been to convert the show to an entirely paperless, BYOD (Bring your Own Device) format and introduce the new Noodle Live data engine to power the show app, registration and data handling – building on the introduction of the app at the 2013 show when it was subscribed to by almost 12,000 people. “A richly featured technology package, Noodle Live is being introduced at a UK exhibition for the very first time and functions by channeling everything through to a visitor’s smartphone,

tablet or laptop computer,” explains Callaghan. “This means no printed showguide or floorplan and using RFID technology, every visitor and exhibitor has a Cloud account and using the free in hall Wifi, a simple swipe of the entry badge on a specially configured tablet swipe on each stand, both uploads the visitors details to the exhibitors cloud account, and the exhibitors promotional material in PDF format to the visitors account with both sets of data being immediately accessible.” With over 50% of stands already taken and 200 plus exhibitors and over 5,000 people expected to attend, the concrete industry’s specialist event seems set fair for 2014. q

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South east – and Essex in particular – leads the housing recovery ‹ THE LATEST REGISTRATION figures from the NHBC show that

housebuilding levels in the UK continue to show improvement on recent years, with figures for July 19% higher than the same month last year. Figures for the rolling quarter May to July reveal a 30% increase compared to the same period last year – at 37,738 compared to 28,951. The private sector reported the highest number of registrations for over five years, with 10,300 new homes registered in July. That is the highest since February 2008, when 10,465 homes were registered. The largest increase by far – over 50% of the total – was seen in London and the south east, which also accounted for over 40% of registrations. A major driving force is the amount of development taking place in Essex and the neighbouring counties. One developer well placed to take advantage is Bellway Homes. Its Essex-based division has no fewer than 16 developments on sale in the county, in a wide variety of locations from virtually the East End of London to Ashingdon near Southend-on-Sea and the old Roman capital of Colchester. The sites themselves range from whole new communities of commuters to exclusive developments of luxury homes. The latter includes the stunning Mulberry Lodge, which comprises just 12 immaculate four and

five-bedroom family homes in a village location in Tiptree. As can be expected in such an exclusive location, only two properties remain. In contrast, the Vega development in the New Town area of Colchester offers a full range of coach house-style apartments and two, three and four-bedroom houses priced at just £169,995 to £199,995 – although with the Government’s Help to Buy scheme that can fall to £135,996. One satisfied customer said: “We came across Bellway’s Vega development and really liked their Montrose home. It was just what we were looking for – we liked the layout of the home and the space it offered. Also, having an allocated car parking space and its own garage was a bonus.” Across the border in Suffolk, two Bellway developments demand attention. In the heart of Constable country is the village of Great Waldingfield. There, Bellway has just opened a new showhome at its Cromwell Fields development – a collection of two, three and fourbedroom homes. Meanwhile, one resident of Juniper Walk in Stowmarket said of their three-bedroom Carnegie home: “We really liked the look of the development and fell in love with the town house design. At Juniper Walk we have found a larger home with a garden and three bedrooms including an en suite – it’s absolutely perfect.” Juniper Walk’s site manager Chris Meadows won a NHBC Pride in the Job Quality Award for the site. More winners of the prestigious awards are featured in the following pages. q The Tayberry – one of the family homes at Mulberry Lodge

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NHBC fires starting gun for the Pride in the Job competition ‹ ON 21 JUNE the National House-Building Council

(NHBC) announced the first-round winners of its annual Pride in the Job awards – the competition that recognises the personal achievement of UK house-building site managers in creating homes of outstanding quality. The awards are given in five categories. They recognise managers who work for large developers (those who register 1,001 or more new homes with NHBC each year), medium builders (between 51 and 1,000) and small builders (between 2 and 50), those building multistorey accommodation of five storeys or more and – since last year – those building a single home on a plot. The NHBC recognises that site managers are uniquely positioned to influence the quality of new homes, being responsible for managing a site from beginning to end. The 450 individuals shortlisted for a Quality Award or Single Home Commendation can justifiably claim to be in the top few percent of their profession. Mike Quinton, chief executive of NHBC, the UK's leading standards setter and warranty provider for new UK homes, said: “Winning a Pride in the Job award is a major achievement for any site manager. These people are at the top of their game, ensuring that the homes they help create are of the highest standards. Each of our award recipients can be truly proud of this accolade. “For over three decades, Pride in the Job has been a foundation of NHBC's work to improve housing standards, encouraging best practice on site. The homes these individuals have built are without doubt among the best in the UK.” Steven Boyes, chief operating officer of Barratt Developments Plc, which won a record 102 Quality Awards this year, said: “Site managers play a pivotal role, and to win this record number of awards demonstrates their dedication and commitment to building new homes of the very highest standard.” The winners were shortlisted from around 13,000 site managers working on NHBC-registered sites, having excelled in a comprehensive year-long judging process, assessed against the stringent criteria defined by NHBC’s Technical Standards for building new homes. Regional winners will be announced at awards ceremonies being held throughout the autumn, with the victors progressing to the Gala Final in London in January, hoping to become their category's Supreme Champion. q

Early bird offer aims to attract H&S award entries ‹ THE OTHER MAJOR awards scheme run by the NHBC is the

NHBC Health and Safety Awards: the UK’s only health and safety awards scheme exclusively for home builders. Primarily designed to recognise and reward the very best in health and safety, the awards also help to drive up safety standards in the industry by showcasing and sharing best practice. Entries for the 2014 awards opened on 2 September and, as an incentive for early entry, the NHBC has frozen the 2013 entry fee until 29 November. The awards are open to all NHBC-registered builders and the categories mirror the Pride in the Job awards, with the exception that there is not as yet a Single Plot category. Awards are given to site managers who demonstrate an outstanding level of health and safety management – from planning through to execution.

As with the PiJ awards, the competition goes through a number of stages. The top-scoring sites in each category, based on the multiple inspection visits carried out by NHBC health and safety advisors, will be ‘Commended’. Stage Two results in the ‘Highly Commended’ classification. All Commended sites are re-visited by the NHBC health and safety management team who carry out a further inspection visit to choose the Highly Commended winners in each category. All Highly Commended sites are then reviewed and judged by the independent judging panel. The panel chooses three Regional Winners (North, South and Central) in each category and from these the ultimate National Winners across the four categories are selected. Those wishing to enter a site can find more information at www.nhbc. co.uk/HSAwards/Howtoenter. q www.constructionnational.co.uk

Clive claims another PiJ for social sector

VIVA, STANWELL

‹ JUNE SAW THE launch of the final phase of apartments at Viva,

the major redevelopment project by A2Dominion in Stanwell, a suburban village in Surrey. Denise Stewart, sales and marketing director (south east) at A2Dominion New Homes said of the launch of Oak House: “Our previous collection of apartments here at Viva proved popular among local buyers – particularly first-time buyers looking to take that initial step onto the housing ladder. With incentives such as stamp duty paid being offered over the launch weekend, I would encourage anyone looking for an apartment in the area to come along and take advantage of our launch event offer.” Oak House joins the successful Elm House (pictured) and Beech House as a collection of one and two-bedroom apartments for sale and shared ownership at the Viva development. Viva also includes a larger range of three and four-bedroom houses, which have proved incredibly popular with new buyers. The launch event for Oak House took place just a fortnight before the announcement of the NHBC Pride in the Job awards. In the London and South East Regional category, Clive Pollock of the group’s developer arm

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Dominion Developments (2005) Ltd won a Quality Award, becoming one of a select group of PiJ award-winning site managers from the social housing sector. Viva forms part of the Stanwell New Start regeneration project, which also contains further housing developments and a housing scheme for older people. One of the features of the development is its community identity. One new buyer explained: “There is a real sense of community spirit at Viva – everyone has really been very welcoming. When I viewed the development, I knew it was the right place for us. With so much space and the living accommodation spread over three floors, the property gives us the flexibility that we need.” In addition to Clive’s PiJ, Stanwell New Start has won a Considerate Constructors Award. Cllr Suzy Webb of Spelthorne Borough Council said: “The Council has worked in partnership with A2Dominion from the very outset to make sure that the Stanwell New Start scheme delivers housing, community facilities and areas of open space suitable for the needs and wishes of local residents.” q

THE GRANGE, HAILSHAM / REGENCY PARK, EASTBOURNE

East Sussex’s dynamic duo scoop awards ‹ THE RESPECTABLE AND dignified surroundings of East Sussex are

not the kind of place you would associate with super heroes, but Taylor Wimpey has its very own dynamic duo of award-winners in the county. Two contrasting developments have scooped Quality Awards for their site managers in this year’s NHBC Pride in the Job awards. In Hailsham, the largest town in the Wealdon District of the county, the company is currently building The Grange, a varied development of properties that range from one-bedroom coach house-style apartments to five-bedroom luxury homes. The site is looked after by site manager Joe McGinley. The quality of Joe’s development has so impressed residents there that a number have expressed their satisfaction in print. One purchaser said: “The property we’ve bought is spread across three storeys and we really like the layout because we’ve got an en-suite bedroom tucked away on the top floor, and there’s plenty of space in each of the rooms. “We love living at The Grange – our house is great and the development is close to everything we need in Hailsham.” Another enthused: “As soon as we moved in we realised how big the house actually is – our daughters love it and are so excited. They have the entire top floor to themselves, with a bedroom each and their own bathroom. They think they’re living in their own apartment! “Downstairs is wonderful, with a large open-plan kitchen which leads through to a garden room, and we have a big lounge – there’s so much space for everyone, and for visitors. “The garden is bigger than we thought we’d ever get and we have a wonderful view over green fields and a lake, which really was the icing on the cake for us.” The peace and tranquil nature of Hailsham itself was a further plus point for that resident. “I get a seat on the train for my commute into London, and when I step off it after a day’s work, I instantly notice how much slower the pace of life is down here.

One of the new homes at The Grange “Everybody seems more relaxed – it’s peaceful here, we’re surrounded by countryside and not far from the coast. It’s just what we wanted.” An altogether different way of life is the norm in the grandiose seaside town of Eastbourne. Typified by its annual tennis tournament – the precursor to Wimbledon – Eastbourne has a long and distinguished history as an upmarket resort that dates back to the Regency period. That history is reflected in Regency Park, a Taylor Wimpey development whose latest phase, Royal Parade View, already has every apartment reserved off plan. Regency Park is in the capable hands of site manager Andy Jacobs. Andy certainly has one of most inspiring environments to build his new homes. The world-famous bandstand and the Italianate Devonshire Park Theatre are both a short stroll away, and the cliffs of Beachy Head are adjacent to the town. Perhaps Miss Marple will book a viewing one day! q

Royal Parade View at Regency Park

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FUSION, TOOTING

Gary mixes some bubbly with his cocktails ‹ LAST YEAR BELLWAY Homes started work on its new Fusion

apartment development in Tooting. It proved an immediate hit, with 25% of the first phase being sold off plan within a very short space of time. Bellway’s sales director Nicky Morton explained: “Tooting has come a long way since it was made famous by the BBC and actor Robert Lindsay in the popular comedy series Citizen Smith. Today it is an eclectic mix of

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trendy cafés, bars and designer brands that is attracting buyers who want to take advantage of the area’s up-and-coming profile. Tooting lies just one stop down the Northern Line from Balham, where house prices have boomed during the past 10 years as people were priced out of Clapham and Wandsworth. Now the same is happening to Tooting.” Fusion comprises a range of studios and one, two and three-bedroom apartments on four floors. There are sixteen in all, in a range of designs named after well-known cocktails. One-bedroom apartments include the Margarita, Mojito and Daiquiri, while two-bedroom styles range from a Tequila Sunrise or Pina Colada to a Bucks Fizz. For a three-bedroom apartment try a Manhattan. Perhaps Bellway should have included a Champagne design in the range, to celebrate the NHBC Pride in the Job award won by site manager Gary Jebb. Gary has certainly made his mark on the capital’s housebuilding scene. This is Gary’s first PiJ and he is one of a trio of Bellway winners for sites in London – the others being old hands Mark Lisi and Jamie Smith. Tooting is particularly well placed to access all parts of the capital. Residents of Fusion are within easy reach of Tooting Broadway and Tooting Bec stations on the Northern line. Tooting train station on the southern edge of the area has services to Waterloo and Blackfriars. For buyers struggling with a deposit, Bellway is offering the low deposit New Buy scheme which enables a buyer to take advantage of a 95% mortgage. q

THE FAIRWAYS, BEDFORD

It’s a hat trick for Avtar on The Fairways ‹ DAVID WILSON HOMES site manager Avtar Bahra just can’t stop

winning awards! He has won a Pride in the Job award for every site that he’s worked on as a site manager for David Wilson Homes. Now he is polishing his third PiJ on the run for his current site, The Fairways in Bedford. It is his sixth in total and the second for The Fairways development. Avtar has worked for the company for 13 years now, having originally joined as a carpenter.

BEN BAILEY HOMES

Ben Bailey’s magnificent seven take on the big boys ‹ BEN BAILEY HOMES continues to fly the flag for

outstanding construction in Yorkshire, as well as making inroads into the Eastern region. Site managers at seven of its developments won NHBC Quality Awards. Six were in the North East region and were for sites in Yorkshire. They were: Steve Baldwin for Astley Park and Mick Nunn for Greencroft – both in Barnsley – Dean Scargill for Wentworth Grange in Rotherham, Dave Smith for Harvest View in Garforth, Aaron Stocks for Melton View in Mexborough and Lee Vickers for Lofthouse Park in Lofthouse. They joined Mark Cole for The Locks in Retford, Nottinghamshire, who won his award in the East region. All Ben Bailey developments feature a wide variety of properties that have been thoughtfully designed to offer living spaces which meet the needs of today’s modern lifestyles. Many properties also boast the recently introduced range of innovative new house styles, each designed to reflect how people live today. Ben Bailey Homes undertook extensive market research and studied home living trends to enable them to develop the selection of properties designed around contemporary lifestyles, which has paid handsome dividends in the scale of recognition in the PiJ competition for the size of the developer. The research also emphasised the importance homebuyers attach to the kitchen and bathroom, which encouraged the company to invest in redesigning both spaces and developing the specification within them. q

Located next to the Bedford Golf Club, from where it derives its name – the address is Greenkeepers Road – The Fairways is currently into its third phase, which comprises nearly 60 properties. They are sited among broad avenues and boast impressive facades and classic house styles in the sought-after area of Great Denham. The development contains its own primary school and provides a country park with river walks alongside the Great Ouse. Avtar Bahra told reporters: “Each of these awards is just as important as the previous one, but it is always great to receive this kind of recognition. All of our work is completed to the highest standards and it is fantastic that this is something highlighted by an award such as this.” Together with his assistant Noel, Avtar is keen to make himself available to prospective buyers and one or other are on hand to show buyers around their new home during the various stages of the build. q

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New showhome brings PiJ reward at former loco works ‹ NEWLANDS GRANGE, NEWTON-LE-WILLOWS

The Daresbury at Newlands Grange

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IN NOVEMBER LAST year north west regional housebuilder Jones Homes unveiled a new showhome at its Newlands Grange development in Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside. It has proved to be a good move, with site manager Alex Bedson scooping a Quality Award in the Pride in the Job awards for the site. This latest design is the double-fronted Langley 3. It joins the range of two, three and four-bedroom homes at the development. Jones Homes sales and marketing director Denise Caldwell said: “We have been delighted with the response from potential purchasers to the properties at Newlands Grange and especially pleased with their reaction to the new showhome. It is stunning, and it seems everyone who views it loves it, which is very promising. “We expect the new showhome to continue to attract visitors to Newlands Grange, which has proved popular with homebuyers locally, as well as from wider afield, including Liverpool, Manchester and Warrington.” Newlands Grange is a long-term project for Jones Homes, which operates principally in the north west, but also has developments in Yorkshire and the south east. The first residents moved into their new home in July 2011. The attractive prices of the homes there enabled

that first family to raise their sights to a fourbedroom home whereas they had originally been looking for three bedrooms. Said Paul Bretherton: “We visited a few other showhomes in the area, but when we viewed The Newark we were sold. We were able to move in within a couple of months of reserving the property.” Newton-le-Willows is a thriving commuter town situated between Manchester and Liverpool. Newlands Grange is situated off Wargrave Road in the town and is playing a part in a new vision for the area, which is set to transform the site of the historic Vulcan Foundry locomotive works. The factory was founded in 1830 by none other than Robert Stephenson, in collaboration with a local man Charles Tayleur – after whom its first locomotive was named. It produced locomotives for the newly-established railway system in the north west, although it soon began building locomotives for export to India and China. One of its giant exports became a main exhibit at the National Railway Museum in York (pictured). A new residential community is planned which will create further new housing and the provision of a host of facilities right on the doorstep including floodlit sports pitches, a heritage trail, an existing fishery, play areas and shops. q

JASMINE PARK, MACCLESFIELD

Simon’s customers have turned their houses into showhomes

‹ MACCLESFIELD RESIDENTS HAVE certainly been forthcoming with positive stories of the

Jasmine Park development by Taylor Wimpey. And it has earned a Pride in the Job accolade for site manager Simon Davies. Some residents have even turned their new home into a showhome for the site. One said: “We moved onto Jasmine Park in October and have been delighted with the Taylor Wimpey service. So much so, that we wanted to help the team out in return. As there is no showhome for our style of house, we have been offering potential buyers the chance to look around our own home to help with their decision-making.” Another echoed their sentiment: “"We are extremely glad that we made the decision to move to Jasmine Park and have been impressed with the Taylor Wimpey service from start to finish.” Jasmine Park is that kind of community. The local primary school benefited from a donation from the housebuilder to purchase new gym equipment. The head teacher said: “We neighbour the Taylor Wimpey development at Jasmine Park, so one of our association members suggested we speak to them about a donation. They were only too happy to oblige and we’re very grateful for their input. We’ll be buying new equipment such as climbing frames, mats and benches for the children.” Anthony Mansfield, sales and marketing director for Taylor Wimpey Manchester said: “We are keen to get involved with the local community in the areas we build, especially when it is such a worthy cause. The new gym sounds like it will be great and I hope the children enjoy using the equipment.” q

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One-off virtuosi are now recognised in Single Plot awards â&#x20AC;š LAST YEAR SAW A further innovation in the NHBC Pride in the

Job awards, with the introduction of a fifth category: the Single Plot Commendation. Over 30 awards were made in the new category, which recognises sole traders with site management responsibilities or site managers employed by a company who are building one home on a site. From those first-round recipients of the awards one was selected from each region to contest the final in London. Simon Morganti (pictured) of Royalton Ltd became the first-ever national winner in the category, for managing the build of Red Lodge in Englefield Green, Surrey. The category was introduced in order to make Pride in the Job truly open to all of NHBC's registered builder customers, and Simon took the inaugural award for his work on a very complex project in creating a luxury home in an exclusive area. This year the popularity of the category has been confirmed, with the first-round awards once more topping the 30 mark. That means a further batch of hopefuls will be looking forward to the regional award ceremonies to see who will be progressing to London. The difference with the Single Plot category is that they are likely to be joined in the nail-biting by the proud owners of the properties concerned, equally anxious to see their own pride and joy named best of all. q

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Sumptuous Surrey provides backdrop for award winner STRAWBERRY FIELDS, VIRGINIA WATER

‹ It can come as no surprise that one of

the award-winning sites in the Single Plot category of the Pride in the Job awards this year is to be found in the sumptuous Wentworth Estate in Virginia Water, Surrey. Strawberry Fields was built by Bridgewater New Homes – a collaboration which has seen property auctioneer Guy Charrison and his interior designer wife Julie team up with Paul and Sandra Seymour to produce some fabulous one-off creations. The £3m Strawberry Fields is probably the most fabulous yet. Construction director Paul took the nomination for his running of the site. Its Cotswold stone construction was inspired by Julie’s love of the area, while the many outstanding features are aimed at the very top of the market. Said Guy: “It’s a craftsman-built home. The orangery has a beautiful glass roof through which you can see the Cotswold stone walls. It is stunning. “It could appeal to an international buyer or equally someone from the City, as it is just a five-minute walk to Virginia Water station.”

Beyond the gated grounds, according to Barton Wyatt, delightful walks can be enjoyed around Virginia Water Lake which leads up to the polo at Smiths Lawn, adjacent to The Savill Garden and Windsor Great Park beyond for riding. q

Once-in-a-career opportunity Selling agent Barton Wyatt described it as having been built to exacting standards using the finest materials throughout. The agent continued: “The property has been extremely well thought out and combines character looks and Cotswold style with a skilful blend of modern contemporary living. The house offers the latest in technology, appliances and bathroom suites and is well suited to entertaining on a grand scale, with the magnificent kitchen/ breakfast/family room leading out to the landscaped garden. “Rarely, in a career of approximately 30 years in property, have I had the opportunity of offering for sale a double award-nominated home. Strawberry Fields is an elegant Cotswold manor home which has been built by the current owner with much flair and design for their own occupation.”

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BUILDING CONTROL

DRILLING & SAWING

DUST MONITORING

ECOLOGICAL CONSULTANTS

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HEALTH & SAFETY

STEEL FABRICATORS

TRAINING & ASSESSMENT JAPANESE KNOTWEED

LANDSCAPING

SCAFFOLDING

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BOOK REVIEW

The Construction Environmental Manual constructed by experts for experts ‹ CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

PUBLICATIONS (CIP) has re-launched its popular Construction Environmental Manual. The new manual has been written by leading environmental managers and advisors who represent a cross section of the UK’s top construction companies. It includes seven new sections on Training, Procurement, Design, Materials, Climate Change, Greenhouse Gas Mitigation and Energy and Incident Management. The manual is aimed at site managers and supervisors of main contractors and subcontractors. In particular, it should help project managers, site agents, site foremen and engineers address environmental issues in a practical way. Reviewed by the Environment Agency and an SME representative, the manual aims to provide those engaged, at all levels, in construction activity with a useful and pragmatic tool to help them comply with their legal duties and protect the environment through simple, informative guidance on the key environmental issues and the application of accepted good practice. It is a tool that can be used to help enhance current environmental performance and this, ultimately, will help to achieve a more sustainable industry. Andrew Kinsey, head of sustainabilityconstruction, Mace Group commented on the new Training section: “It’s packed with practical examples of how to effectively engage personnel and operatives to take action on sustainability, with reference to best practices developed and used on some of the UK’s foremost exemplar sustainable construction projects and concepts translated from other industries.” Andrew Pears of Kotuku CIC said the new Contaminated Land section was “...very clear and well written” and the Environment Agency commented: “A simple overview, but useful and with a clear steer on using relevant expertise and guidance. It acknowledges preapp discussions with relevant regulators.” Brian Handcock, head of sustainability at Morgan Sindall Group plc said: “Key to success is a clear understanding of the legislation, the options and best practices, and

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how to get it right. This manual sets out both the legislative context of waste and materials use, as well as detailing best practice alternatives that you might want to consider.” In summary the manual: • outlines the principal applicable • legislation • details what must be done in order to • comply • describes best practice – both in the • planning and construction phases • is packed with practical real-life, onsite • examples • provides checklists and sources of • further information • has full colour illustrations throughout. q

• The manual is available from Construction Industry Publications and costs £150 for a hardcopy or CDROM. Online subscriptions start from £189. You can order by calling 0870 078 4400, emailing sales@ cip-books.com or visiting the CIP website www.cip-books.com. To register your interest and receive a FREE set of checklists go to the CIP website and click on the Environmental Manual banner.