Construction ireland v18 no5 by BIP Solutions

V18 NO05

WILL YOU HAVE THE SKILLS TO BE A PRINCIPAL DESIGNER? Industry recognised advice, guidance & training FIND OUT MORE AT

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COMMENTS 14 Sheridan Gold, Peter Sheridan 15 Thomas Eggar, Mark Clinton

16 Powered Now, Benjamin Dyer 18 Women in the Construction Industry 19 ICE, Professor David Balmforth 20 Energy Saving Trust, Bob Saynor 22 NHBC, Diane Marshall

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Publications Editor Victoria Lee Designer James Ormerod Publications Officer Robert Atherton Approvals Beka Patterson Sales Administrator Alecia Rowe Credit Control Carol Ryan

24 Chairman’s Arch Redevelopment 28 GPO: Witness History Interpretive Exhibition Centre 36 Portadown People’s Park

PROFILE 30 Weslin Construction Limited

CIVIL 32 Irish Water 36 Culmore Landfill Restoration

LEISURE 37 Dunmanway Swimming Pool

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Who is the Principal Contractor after Handover? It is relatively common that a facility is handed over to the client operations before all snagging on a construction project, or even the main construction scope, has been completed, resulting in the client’s management systems taking precedence over the principal contractor’s. As the client is now ‘in control’ of the facility, can the principal contractor, appointed under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM2015) remain as the principal contractor? Historically the construction project has been deemed to be completed at handover, even though is wasn’t, and the client’s management systems were operated as for any work undertaken within the facility. CDM2015 defines the principal contractor as follows: “principal contractor” means the contractor appointed under regulation 5(1)(b) to perform specified duties in regulations 12 to 14; The duties referred to that a principal contractor must perform are: Reg.5(1) Where there more than one contractor will be working on a project at any time, the client must appoint in writing a contractor as principal contractor. Reg.12 Before setting up a construction site, the principal contractor must draw up a construction phase plan. The construction phase plan must set out the health and safety arrangements and site rules taking account activities taking place on the construction site and, where applicable, must include specific measures concerning work which falls within one or more of the categories set out in Schedule 3. Throughout the project the principal contractor must ensure that the construction phase plan is appropriately reviewed, updated and revised from time to time so that it

Reg.13

continues to be sufficient to ensure that construction work is carried out, so far as is reasonably practicable, without risks to health or safety. During the project, the principal contractor must provide the principal designer with any information in the principal contractor’s possession relevant to the health and safety file, for inclusion in the health and safety file. The principal contractor must plan, manage and monitor the construction phase and coordinate matters relating to health and safety during the construction phase to ensure that, so far as is reasonably practicable, construction work is carried out without risks to health or safety. The principal contractor must take into account the general principles of prevention. The principal contractor must organise cooperation between contractors (including successive contractors on the same construction site) and coordinate implementation by the contractors of applicable legal requirements for health and safety. The principal contractor must ensure that employers and self-employed persons apply the general principles of prevention in a consistent manner, and comply with the provisions of Part 4 and the construction phase plan. The principal contractor must also ensure that a suitable site induction is provided, steps are taken to prevent access by unauthorised persons to the construction site; and that facilities that comply with the requirements of Schedule 2 are provided throughout the construction phase.

CDM2015 requires a Construction Phase Plan for all construction work and a principal contractor appointed to manage the health and safety of the project if more than one contractor is involved in the project. As snagging will almost inevitably involve more than one contractor

and the snagging is still part of the original project, the full requirements of CDM2015 still apply. It is difficult to envisage the original principal contractor being able to manage the health and safety of the snagging work when the client’s management systems take precedence and the likely event of the original principal contractor not being present at the facility when all of the snagging work takes place. It should also be appreciated that at the latter stages of most, if not all, construction projects is when the greatest risks for accidents occur. This is due to a number of factors, as follows: • The client’s pressure to get the project finished • The construction personnel’s desire to get onto the next project • The fact that snagging is re-work that is costing the contractor money • The relatively small nature of snagging tasks and the resultant lack of planning • The potential interfaces with other contractors’ and client’s personnel

The most relevant issue to be considered for who should be the principal contractor during snagging after handover is who is in control? The client will certainly have to some extent control of the work areas, which even as far back as the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974 places legal obligations on the client, particularly as require by the following Sections: 2. General duties of employers to their employees. 3. General duties of employers and self-employed to persons other than their-employees. 4. General duties of persons concerned with premises to persons other than their employees.

Section 4 of the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974, states: (1) This section has effect for imposing on persons duties in relation to those who(a) are not their employees ; but (b) use non-domestic premises made available to them as a place of work or as a place where they may use plant or substances provided for their use there, and applies to premises so made available and other non-domestic premises used in connection with them. (2) It shall be the duty of each person who has, to any extent, control of premises to which this section applies or of the means of access thereto or egress therefrom or of any plant or substance in such premises to take such measures as it is reasonable for a person in his position to take to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that the premises, all means of access thereto or egress therefrom available for use by persons using the premises, and any plant or substance in the premises or, as the case may be, provided for use there, is or are safe and without risks to health. The management of health and safety post-handover, with construction snagging still taking place, is complex, with not sufficient consideration given to this phase of a project. It is likely that the most effective, and possibly legal, option is for the client to appoint themselves as principal contractor for any work undertaken after handover, but there are other options, dependent on the facility layout, timescales and the extent and complexity of the snagging work. This subject is further discussed in the Callsafe Services Limited October 2015 ebook.

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NEWS

GSA Group awarded planning permission for state-of-the-art student accommodation in Dublin

Global Student Accommodation (GSA) Group has received detailed planning permission for its first student accommodation development in Dublin’s South Inner City. The submitted plans for the site, in Mill Street, Newmarket, Dublin 8, will see the area transformed into a 400bed student development also featuring shops, a restaurant and commercial space for occupation by local businesses. The site will be developed in a partnership between GSA Group, which has recently opened its Dublin base on Leeson Street and The Creedon Group, the property investment and management group. GSA will fund and develop the student accommodation and once completed it will operate it under the brand name Uninest. GSA estimates that some 150 new jobs will be created during the construction

and refurbishment phase and will place the main construction contract with locally based main contractors. GSA is also planning for a further 15 full time positions once the student property opens in September 2017. On completion, the scheme will be known as Uninest Mill Street and will deliver an extensive new public realm and landscaping to Mill Street and Warrenmount Lane. In addition, the refurbishment of a dilapidated historic townhouse at No 10 Mill Street will be refurbished to provide a centrepiece for Mill Street. The reinstatement of No 10 will be hugely beneficial to the area, due to its historical significance. It was built in 1720’s as the Earl of Meath’s townhouse and remains one of the oldest buildings in Dublin.

Archaeological work has already started on the site and a number of historic tanning pits have been discovered. GSA has committed to retain artefacts, offer them to local museums and display others in publicly accessible areas once the project has been completed. The approved plans for Mill Street, which rises to four to seven storeys and will contain a range of study bedrooms and student community spaces, were passed by An Bord Pleanala. The Mill Street site forms part of GSA’s plan for continued growth of its global purpose-built and managed student accommodation portfolio, concentrating on major international student destinations. Aaron Bailey, Development and project manager for GSA Dublin said:

NEWS

“We’re delighted to have received planning permission for our inaugural development, which we intend to act as beacon of regeneration and development in the Newmarket area. We aim to make a real difference to our student residents’ lives providing a great student living experience which helps students study, live well and get the most from their time at university. “We see a clear demand for our type of accommodation in Dublin and we are encouraged by the initiatives of both central Government and Dublin City Council in promoting Dublin as an international student city. We will invest some €250M in the city in the next five years, so gaining planning approval for Uninest Mill Street represents a real milestone and more

importantly an exciting new choice for students as well as local businesses and the surrounding community.” Dublin is a booming centre for higher education. There are currently some 80,000 full time students studying in Dublin’s nine higher education institutions and a further 100,000 students coming to the city to study English language courses each year. Both central government and Dublin City policies strongly support the promotion of Dublin as an international student city and the provision of good quality purpose-built student accommodation is seen as a key element in meeting this objective.

UK where they are relatively mature markets. The development of student accommodation in Ireland, apart from direct development by colleges, has traditionally been driven by tax incentives and in most cases involved the breakup of the development into individual unit sales to private owners. Uninest Mill Street is different and involves the long-term retention of the entire asset by GSA Group and will be one of the first large scale developments of its type in the city. This development also will provide a further step in the rejuvenation of Newmarket as well as the greater Liberties area.

Purpose built student accommodation is regarded as an asset class in its own right, particularly in the USA and

NEWS

Ministers announce £980,000 funding for Seamus Heaney project Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness and Culture Minister Carál Ní Chuilín have announced funding of £980,000 towards the construction of the Seamus Heaney Arts and Literary Centre in Bellaghy, County Derry. Speaking at the announcement the Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said: “The new Seamus Heaney Arts and Literary Centre in Bellaghy is a fitting way to celebrate the contribution of a literary giant. Through this centre the work, writings and life of Seamus Heaney will continue to enrich all our lives and move us deeply. “People will travel from near and far for this unique insight into the world of Seamus Heaney. Within the centre his first writing desk, books and manuscripts will be on display. To be able to see these items first hand offers a personal and powerful connection to Seamus Heaney which has only been made possible by the support and generosity of the Heaney family. Heaney’s work resonated with people across the globe and this centre will be a major tourism draw and an important cultural asset to the north of Ireland. “The writings of Seamus Heaney transcended all generations and boundaries and will be a fantastic

resource for everyone in the community to use and enjoy. The people of Mid Ulster should be truly proud as through this centre they continue to honour the inimitable Seamus Heaney.”

acclaim, Seamus Heaney never forgot his roots and his humility was something to behold. As his headstone reads, ‘Walk On Air Against Your Better Judgement’.”

Following the tour of the site Culture Minister Carál Ní Chuilín said: “Mid Ulster District Council, and previously Magherafelt District Council, have shown tremendous vision and enterprise in aiming to create a timely, lasting and educational tribute to this famous son of Derry. It is appropriate that it is to be located in his beloved Bellaghy and I know it will be a lasting symbol in an area that has previously suffered from under investment.

Chair of Mid Ulster District Council, Councillor Linda Dillon, welcomed the funding announcement. She said: “This project has huge local, national and international significance and will be a focal point for arts, cultural and educational activity, right at the heart of the place which so defined and inspired Seamus Heaney. The substantial funding announcement is testament to the facility’s value culturally and economically and is a very welcome investment.”

“I am today pleased to commit almost £1M of funding for this magnificent project which honours a man who is undoubtedly amongst the greatest literary exponents ever to have come from these shores and who, like his fellow Nobel laureates Shaw, Yeats and Beckett, has done so much to ensure that the richness of Irish literature has received true recognition on the world stage. “Today’s announcement is a significant milestone in the Council’s plans to celebrate the life and works of Heaney. Despite his international

Councillor Kim Ashton, Vice Chair of the Council, also welcomed the commitment of funding from the DCAL Minister: “To receive financial support from central government is a boost to the Seamus Heaney project, and to the Mid Ulster region. We are committed to raising the profile of this area as one with a rich and unique cultural heritage. I have always believed that DCAL had an important part to play in supporting this project and the funding commitment now means that ratepayers are not the sole funders.”

NEWS CI

Public participation invited for draft Dublin City Development plan 2016 – 2022 Dublin City Council has published the Draft City Development Plan 2016 – 2022. This Draft Plan sets out a shared vision and direction for the future development of the city over the next 25 to 30 years. Owen Keegan, Chief Executive of Dublin City Council said: “Public participation at this stage is vital and we welcome your views so that the final plan can address our aspirations for the city. I would encourage you the citizens, the communities and organisations you represent, businesses and stakeholders, to become involved and help us plan for the future of Dublin as a great city to live in, do business and enjoy.” A key challenge in the new draft Plan is to provide for the housing needs of a growing population. A range of policies and objectives to enhance the supply of housing to meet the needs of the city whilst maintaining a high quality of development is included in the plan. For the first time the City Development Plan identifies Climate Change as a key challenge for the city, the country and globally. In relation to the City Economy and Enterprise, policies are set out to boost employment growth and economic development. Policies are also set out for enhancing culture and heritage, parks and open spaces; and creating sustainable communities and neighbourhoods. Proposals are set out for improving facilities for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport throughout the city. The Draft Plan is available at www. dublincitydevelopmentplan.ie. Submissions should be made as early as possible. The deadline for submission is Friday 11th December 2015.

Healy Kelly Turner & Townsend to cost manage Paediatric outpatient department and Urgent Care Satellite Centres Healy Kelly Turner & Townsend, the global programme management and construction consultancy, has been appointed to provide cost management services for two Paediatric outpatient and Urgent Care Satellite Centres being developed by the New Children’s Hospital in Dublin. Set to complete in 2017 and subject to planning approval from An Bord Pleanala, the satellite centres will be located in Tallaght in Dublin 24 and Blanchardstown in Dublin 15. The model of care for the Paediatric OPD and Urgent Care Satellite Centres will guarantee the provision of high quality, safe clinical care to every child being treated there. This appointment is a result of Healy Kelly Turner & Townsend’s strong track record in the Irish healthcare sector. The consultancy is currently acting as cost manager on some of Ireland’s most significant health projects, including the radiation oncology centres in Cork University Hospital and University Hospital Galway, and the National Rehabilitation Hospital, County Dublin. Mark Kelly, Managing Director, Healy Kelly Turner & Townsend, added: “We pride ourselves on being a trusted partner to Ireland’s healthcare providers. “We understand the importance of becoming an extension of the client, providing tangible cost alternatives and maximising cost efficiencies without compromising design. “I look forward to bringing our

extensive experience to bear in the provision of highly tailored and responsive cost management services to the Paediatric OPD and Urgent Care Satellite Centres.” Phelim Devine, Design Director/Deputy Project Director of National Paediatric Hospital Development Board, comments: “We confirm that Healy Kelly Turner & Townsend is an integral part of the Design Team for both the proposed new children’s hospital on the St James’s Hospital Campus and the Paediatric OPD and Urgent Care Satellite Centres located on the Connolly and Tallaght Hospital Campuses. “We would like to congratulate Healy Kelly Turner & Townsend and the Design Teams in reaching the milestone of an integrated planning application for the new children’s hospital and satellite centres with associated research, education and family accommodation within an ambitious timeframe. “We look forward to working with Healy Kelly Turner & Townsend beyond planning to the completion of the project, and to act as a strategic partner in delivering our vison that the new children’s hospital and satellite centres are designed, built and equipped taking a child centred, family friendly, high quality, and sustainable approach to ensure that future paediatric services are delivered in an efficient and effective manner that improves clinical outcomes for our children and young people.”

NEWS

Irish construction picking up at fast pace After suffering a contraction during the economic crisis, the Irish construction sector is now rebounding with a more optimistic future outlook. In real terms, the industry’s output value recorded a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of -2.5% during the review period (2010-2014). Factors – such as weak business confidence and consumer demand, high unemployment and a large budget deficit – lessened demand for construction during the past five years. Timetric has predicted that the industry’s output is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.8% in real terms, and to pick up from a total of US$15.7Bn in 2014 to reach US$20.8Bn in 2019. The growth will be supported by growing investment in social housing, new

commercial and infrastructure projects; as well as improving consumer and investor confidence as regional and global economic conditions pick up. Residential construction was the largest segment in the Irish construction industry during the review period, accounting for nearly 40% of the industry’s total value in 2014, and the market is expected to follow a similar trend over the next four years. The country’s growing population and decreasing unemployment along with the government’s strategy to improve the supply of social housing will back the market. Commercial construction was the second largest segment, which due to stagnant levels of economic activity recorded

negative growth rates during the review period. Over the next few years, growth is expected to return, driven by positive developments in domestic and regional economic conditions, investment in office and retail buildings, combined with an increase in disposable income and also by the prosperous tourism sector. In order to meet the demand generated from the process of urbanization, the country’s transport infrastructure system requires large investment. As a result, in its 2015 budget, the government increased its capital expenditure on infrastructure development by 6.3%, from €3.3Bn in 2014 to €3.5Bn in 2015 – investment that will support the infrastructure market over the forecast period.

Minister Humphreys announces new €2M investment scheme for built heritage The Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Ms Heather Humphreys, TD, has announced a new €2M investment scheme for the repair and conservation of protected structures. This fund will operate on the same model as the very successful Built Heritage Jobs Leverage Scheme (BHJLS), which ran in 2014, and is expected to support a significant number of projects across the country and create employment in the conservation and construction industries. Speaking today the Minister said: “This investment is possible thanks to the increase in funding for my Department in the recent Budget. The €2M fund will encourage the investment of private

capital in small-scale, labour-intensive projects to repair and conserve historic structures. This will improve the appearance and structure of historic buildings across the country and will also support jobs in the conservation and construction industries. “Well maintained historic buildings contribute positively to the vitality of our cities, towns, villages and countryside. Local communities have a great sense of pride in their built heritage, which in turns can help to provide an important source of local employment by boosting tourism. “This new scheme will operate on the

same model as the BHJLS, which was a great success in 2014. It will help to regenerate urban and rural areas and will come as a welcome boost to the custodians of heritage properties. “Our heritage is one of the main attractions for visitors to Ireland and within Ireland and its conservation reinforces and promotes our growing tourism and recreational industry. Our heritage is also an extremely important element in our cultural landscape and I am pleased that, thanks to the economic recovery, we are once again in a position to invest in the heritage sector.”

NEWS CI

New boutique hotel development a real boost for Belfast Subject to planning and other statutory approvals, the redevelopment of the vacant site at 38 - 42 Bank Street in Belfast will see a significant investment which will result in a four-storey boutique hotel with accommodation for 33 people in 17 en-suite rooms. The hotel will also have a ground floor restaurant. Appointing the developer, MM Developments (NI) Ltd, Minister Storey said: “The developer’s proposal for a boutique hotel will be the final piece in the jigsaw of regenerating Bank Square in Belfast City Centre, and will complement the £3M regeneration work recently undertaken in the area by my Department.

“This is an exciting time for Bank Square area, with events such as the weekly Folktown Market and other planned activities now bringing increased footfall to the area. The time is right to move forward with the development of this site and I believe that a boutique hotel will fit well into this up and coming area. I wish MM Developments (NI) Ltd every success with this venture.” Mark Matthews, MM Developments (NI) Ltd commented: “I am delighted to be

selected as the preferred developer for the Bank Street site to continue the rejuvenation of the Bank Square area, building on DSD’s recently completed refurbishment of the streetscape. “I look forward to working closely with the Department to deliver the boutique hotel project, which will complement the existing hospitality offered in the Square and create new jobs and much needed economic activity in this unique part of the city centre.”

“The hotel development will provide an active frontage for Bank Street that will further enhance the new streetscape and contribute to the physical and economic renewal of the area. It will create job opportunities and attract tourists, which will benefit businesses both locally and in the wider City Centre.

NEWS

Workday opens new office for European headquarters in Dublin Workday – a leader in enterprise cloud applications for finance and human resources – has announced the opening of its new European headquarters office in Dublin 7, as well as plans to create another 200 highly skilled jobs for the city over the next three years. Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD and Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton TD joined Workday Chief Technology Officer of EMEA Annrai O’ Toole to welcome the Company’s plans for continued expansion and job creation in Dublin. The new headquarters comes just 16 months after Workday originally committed to create 200 new jobs in Ireland over three years – a target it achieved due to the Company’s continued success and growth in Europe. Workday also recently reached an important customer milestone as more than 100 companies with headquarters in Europe have selected Workday. Workday’s Dublin office, the Company’s headquarters in Europe, was established in 2008 following the acquisition of Cape Clear – an industry-leading enterprise

services bus (ESB) provider. The new office will serve as a major centre for key roles in product and technology development, customer support, services, data centre operations, and sales. Recruitment for the new positions on those teams is currently underway.

see it spread right across the country.”

Workday has more than 4,500 employees today, with more than 650 based in Europe and nearing 400 in Dublin. In 2015, the Great Places to Work Institute ranked Workday fourth on its list of Ireland’s best workplaces in the medium-sized company category.

Annrai O’Toole, Chief Technology Officer, EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa), Workday said: “Culture, technology, and talent are key ingredients in making Workday a great place to work for employees and to ensure we continue delivering the highest levels of customer satisfaction in the industry. Dublin is a growing hotbed of highly motivated, highly skilled technologists and we are actively expanding our team to drive our growth and customer success.”

Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD said: “I am delighted to be standing here with Workday in their impressive new offices to announce another 200 highly skilled job opportunities in Ireland. The continued investment in our economy by the likes of Workday is a vote of confidence in the Irish economy and our talented workforce. We will continue to enhance Ireland’s attractiveness to the tech sector through the Action Plan for Jobs so that we can secure the recovery and

Minister for Jobs Richard Bruton TD, who has met senior Workday executives at their California HQ to discuss expansions in Ireland, said: “This is more great news for Dublin and for Ireland. Cloud computing is a sector which we have targeted as part of our Action Plan for Jobs, and Workday’s continued drive to create jobs in Dublin related to this area, and building on its previous commitments, is a major boost. I wish Annrai and his team every continued success.”

NEWS

Queen’s contractor O’Hare & McGovern take top award O’Hare & McGovern was announced as the ‘Overall Winner’ of the Construction Excellence Awards 2015 in recognition of its work on The Wellcome-Wolfson Building, Centre for Experimental Medicine, at Queen’s University Belfast. The new centre is part of an investment of £350M in buildings and facilities over the next ten years to support the University’s vision. It provides accommodation for 330 staff specialising in researching cures for eye disease, respiratory disorders and vascular complications linked to diabetes. Hosted by the Construction Employers Federation in partnership with Specify magazine and in association with Ulster Business, the award was presented on 8th October at the Culloden Estate

& Spa to O’Hare & McGovern, longterm partners of Queen’s, by guest of honour, Dame Mary Peters.

building. Environmental sustainability is integral to the University’s objective of reducing carbon emissions by 2020.”

Congratulating O’Hare & McGovern, Damien Toner, Director of Estates at Queen’s, said: “We congratulate O’Hare & McGovern in delivering this world class facility at Queen’s. The new Wellcome-Wolfson Building, Centre for Experimental Medicine, is an interdisciplinary research facility and is designed to enhance our internationally recognised excellence in education and research.”

O’Hare & McGovern has been winning quality and partnership awards with Queen’s University Belfast for the last 25 years. But this latest accolade – overall winner of the Construction Excellence Awards 2015 – is probably the most special of them all, according to Managing Director, Eamon O’Hare.

“The building will achieve an environmental BREEAM rating of ‘Excellent’, as it incorporates a range of measures to deliver a more sustainable

Eamon said: “This was an outstanding achievement by a special team involved in a very unique project. It required massive effort and total commitment. We are immensely proud of the building and it strengthens our long partnership with Queen’s University Belfast.”

Belfast Grand Central Hotel gets the go-ahead Planning permission has been granted to convert one of Belfast’s tallest buildings into a four-star luxury hotel. Belfast City Council’s Planning Committee approved the application from Hastings Hotel Group for the refurbishment and extension of Windsor House in Bedford Street into a 200-bedroom hotel with restaurant and bar facilities. The Belfast Grand Central Hotel will also include 16 serviced apartments and new ground floor retail units, as well as refurbished office space on the upper floors of the 24-storey building. It is the third major hotel application that the committee has approved since the council became responsible for planning in April, under Local Government Reform.

Committee Chair Councillor Matt Garrett said the approval reflected the growing demand for hotel bed space, made possible by recent investments in the city centre.

It is understood the Belfast Grand Central Hotel development could create up to 150 new jobs in the hospitality sector when it opens in 2018.

At 80m high and over 122,000sq ft in size, Windsor House is the second highest building in Belfast, and was built in 1975. Under the proposals, the ground to 15th floors of the landmark structure will be converted into new hotel accommodation, with the serviced apartments taking up the 16th and 17th floors. Existing office units on the 18th to 22nd floors will be retained and extended, while part of the ground floor podium at the front and side of the existing building will be demolished and rebuilt to form a new entrance to the hotel.

COMMENT

Fitness for Purpose and Contractual Interpretation Frequently contract documents have both provisions requiring reasonable skill and care (a lesser obligation than a warranty of a result and often set out in the contract conditions) and other more detailed performance requirements, often set out in more technical specification documents. There can be a tension between these different contract documents; the recent Court of Appeal decision MT Højgaard A/S v E.On (2015) is an illustration. The issue was whether the contractor had warranted that foundation structures for an offshore wind farm would have a service life of 20 years, or whether the contractor was subject to a somewhat less stringent obligation. The design was done with reasonable skill and care but the service life of 20 years was not achieved. The contractor had complied with specifications and standards, but one of these (J101, an international standard for the design of offshore wind turbines) contained a significant error. The foundation structures (monopoles driven into the sea bed) which the contractor designed and installed failed shortly after completion. The Court of Appeal accepted that there are contracts that require a contractor (a) to comply with particular specifications and standards and (b) to achieve a particular result. The design and build agreement in IBA v EMI (1980) was a contract of that character. There a contractor undertaking design and build was found to be subject to a fitness for purpose obligation. What the Court of Appeal had to address in MT Højgaard was whether the contract there was one of that character. That involved applying the rules of construction to the “diffuse contract documents” in the case (which included conflicting provisions). The case is therefore a recent illustration of the courts’ approach to the interpretation of contracts. The context was a dispute as to whether the contractor was subject to a strict

obligation to achieve a result (a fitness for purpose obligation) or a less onerous obligation to design with reasonable skill and care. The contract documents were “of multiple authorship” and contained “much loose wording”. There was accordingly scope for the court to apply the rules of contractual interpretation (considered in the writer’s previous article) to arrive at the correct meaning. Interpretation in this context is an iterative process, which involves checking each of the rival meanings against the other contractual provisions and investigating its commercial consequences. There undoubtedly was a term of the contract, in the Technical Requirements (TR) which, taken alone, was a warranty of a service life of 20 years, i.e. a strict obligation. All the other terms of the TR, however, suggested that what was required was a design life of 20 years. A design life is not absolute: the structure will not inevitably function for 20 years (although it probably will). The contract conditions took precedence over other documents and the requirement there was reasonable skill and care. The TR were a detailed were a detailed document which came fourth in the order of precedence. If there were an absolute warranty of quality, one would expect to see it in the contract conditions and not tucked away in the TR. The factual background was relevant in the following way. A reasonable person in the position of the parties in this case would know that the normal standard required in the construction of offshore wind farms was compliance with J101 and that such compliance was expected, but not absolutely guaranteed, to produce a life of 20 years. Adopting an iterative approach to the construction of the strict obligation provisions found in the TR, it did not make

sense to regard them as overriding all other provisions of the contract and converting it to one with a guarantee of 20 years life. Put another way, there was inconsistency between those TR provisions on the one hand and all the other contractual provisions on the other hand. Jackson LJ stated that the court must not be led astray by that inconsistency. The conclusion of the Court of Appeal in this case was that the sub-paragraphs in the TR which indicated the strict obligation were inconsistent with the remainder of the TR and J101 and were too slender a thread on which to hang the warranty of 20 years life for the foundations. The trial judge had reached the opposite conclusion, which illustrates the uncertainties of contractual interpretation of inconsistent documentation. For more information, contact Peter Sheridan Partner at Sheridan Gold LLP T: 01737 735088 E: psheridan@sheridangold.co.uk W: www.sheridangold.co.uk Peter Sheridan

Enforcing payment The Construction Act has given rise to many and varied issues for the courts to consider. One area that rears its head from time to time is the relationship between the Act and insolvency law. If a contractor has the benefit of a payment notice in respect of which no pay less notice has been served, his employer is likely to have no defence to a claim for payment of the sum stated in the notice. The Act gives the contractor a relatively quick means of enforcing payment by means of adjudication. For some however, even that process is too slow and expensive and they prefer to try to force payment by threatening or taking winding-up or bankruptcy proceedings. Several issues thrown up by the use of insolvency proceedings to force payment under a payment notice came under the spotlight this month in Wilson and Sharp Investments Ltd v Harbour View Developments Limited. The Act was amended in 2011 to provide that where a sum is due under a payment notice and the payee becomes insolvent after the deadline for giving a pay less notice, the payer will not be required to pay. Standard form contracts, including the JCT forms have been revised to reflect this arrangement. Wilson and Sharp raised a novel question. Does the clause in the JCT contract saying that payment need no longer be made after insolvency, apply if the contract has already been terminated before the insolvency occurs? Harbour View managed to persuade the judge at first instance that it did not. However, the Court of Appeal took a different view and held that the termination did not affect the position. Wilson and Sharp still had

the benefit of the provision that said they need not pay if (as was the case) Harbour View became insolvent after the deadline for the service of a pay less notice.

challenge that particular notice but it was open to them to challenge the valuation later or to claim repayment. The Court of Appeal accepted that argument.

This case and other recent decisions have reminded us that there are potentially other difficulties faced by solvent contractors who try to use insolvency proceedings to force payment. Windingup or bankruptcy proceedings can be pursued where an undisputed debt has not been paid. If the employer wants to argue that the debt is disputed, he will have to persuade the court that it is genuinely disputed on substantial grounds. Where there is a payment notice and no pay less notice, the employer is unlikely to be able to satisfy that test. However, all is not lost for the employer.

A contractor who has the benefit of a payment notice is in a strong position. How he presses home his advantage requires careful thought. The insolvency may look like a straight sprint to a result but in reality there are hurdles to jump. What might have looked like a quick process in this case ended up with a lengthy and no doubt expensive detour via the Court of Appeal.

If the contract contains an arbitration clause, the courts have indicated that the employer may have another avenue for avoiding winding-up or bankruptcy. The test for whether there is a dispute for the purposes of arbitration is much easier to satisfy than the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;genuinely disputed on substantial groundsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; test normally used in insolvency. The insolvency courts have indicated that where there is an arbitration clause they are likely to apply the lower arbitration test. This may be another factor to weigh up when deciding whether to provide for arbitration in your contract. The other way for the employer to show that the debt is disputed is to demonstrate that he has a serious and genuine cross-claim. Wilson and Sharp argued that they had such a cross-claim. They said the payment notice was for an interim payment. As they had not issued a pay less notice, they could not

Mark Clinton Partner Thomas Eggar LLP

Mark Clinton

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Managing cash flow in a small construction business Benjamin Dyer of Powered Now muses on how to avoid the tank trap of running out of cash. People want to be paid on time so as soon as a construction business runs out of cash, it is likely to descend rapidly into chaos and bankruptcy. For that reason, keeping a keen eye on the money is critical for anyone running a business and is worth thinking about how prevention is better than cure. ´ •

Cash flow basics Up-front deposits for significant jobs, or even getting customers to directly buy materials under your direction (which may keep you under the VAT limit if you’re small) is a must. It shows that the customer is serious and they have some skin in the game too.

• Don’t have too much stock on

hand as it ties up money. Excess stock can end up being stolen, damaged or lost and may deteriorate, so it’s not just about cash flow.

•

If you can get a business credit card it can help to smooth things out. However, don’t let the balance keep rising as that’s a big red flag for pending problems.

•

Don’t miss out on retention payments, they are pure profit. The same applies to recording CIS. If you don’t have a system that tracks retentions, put a note in your phone diary to reminder you when to collect.

•

Look up invoice factoring on Google if you don’t know what it is. It could be the saviour of a fast growing business with good margins.

• Paying suppliers on time is good practice because you may need a

critical favour one day. However, that’s no reason to pay early which is nearly always bad. A trade account can provide credit as well as discounts, so make sure you have one where you can.

´ Timely collection The key to timely collection of cash is raising invoices correctly. The following are some ideas related to this: • Make all invoices for residential work “Due on receipt”. • Agree payment terms in advance when working for another business. •

Invoice regularly on larger projects. It seems like more work, but it hugely helps cash flow and also flushes out any possible payment problems as early as possible. Guy Hands, Screwfix regional tradesman

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About the author Benjamin Dyer is CEO and co-founder of Powered Now. Powered Now’s mobile app aims to take the pain out of paperwork for individual builders and small construction companies, as well as other trade businesses. www.powerednow.com

of the year explains: “On longer jobs, I ask clients to pay in instalments with payments at the end of each week.”

•

Softly chase invoices as soon as they become overdue. Don’t train your customer that it doesn’t matter by letting things slide.

•

Collect money in cash, with cards (PayPal Here is a useful new service) or bank transfers. Unlike cheques, none of these bounce.

´ Hidden perils There are two perils that lurk for successful builders. The first is where rapid and profitable growth reduces your bank balance rapidly as many jobs with work in progress eat into your working capital. The result is that you suddenly can’t pay either staff or suppliers. It’s the worst way to go bankrupt because it comes from success.

The second peril is over-dependency on one customer. If you fall out or they get problems, it can kill your business. Again, this is heart breaking as often it comes following rapid growth and a tremendous feeling of achievement. ´ Plan the future As you grow, it gets harder and harder to keep track of the cash. As soon as you start to feel that you might be losing control, is the time to start cash flow forecasting. You almost certainly want to get your accountant to help. Matthew Stevenson of The Landscape Company sums up the pertinent point well: “It’s worth having a good accountant.” ´ Sourcing capital By keeping some cash aside, you hugely reduce the probability of problems.

The simplest and least painful way to achieve this is to have a policy of always drawing slightly less than your profit, so a balance builds up over time. Leasing is probably the best source capital for major purchases, although a bank loan could be appropriate here to. Remember that when you are small most loans will need a personal guarantee. This means that the bank makes the profit but you take the risk. It’s something I have always managed to avoid. ´ Crisis, what crisis? Cash flow issues are about the worst problems to hit in your construction business as they generally come with little time to find a solution. That’s why preparation is key. It’s much better to prepare properly than to have to endure years of remorse if things go wrong.

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Women in the Construction Industry It is the 21st century and women’s right are bigger and more prominent than ever, meaning you would expect an even gender distribution in all industries. Unfortunately, this is not necessarily trueparticularly in the case of manual trades. Within the construction industry, women only represent a meagre 12% of workers, with the number of women working as roofers, bricklayers and glaziers so low that it is unmeasurable. As well as the percentage of females in the industry being at a low, their pay is also less, at 12% fewer than their male counterparts, even those who do the exact same role. As of December 2012, the Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians (UCATT) has represented over 84,377 workers in the construction and allied trades, and as part of this, conducted a Union Modernisation Fund project “Building a Stronger Union.” Within this, they surveyed women construction workers to find out more about the challenges they face and to raise awareness of the issues amongst

its male membership. The survey found that over half of the women were treated worse at work simply because of their gender, with the top three issues being a lack of promotion prospect, lower pay and feeling generally isolated from their male colleagues. Forty percent of those questioned identified bullying and harassment by managers as a problem, with 30% too afraid to complain about poor treatment. As well as the above issues, a quarter complained of having to share toilet facilities with men and 15% of being unable to find properly fitting protective equipment. However, there is beginning to be a shift in direction for women within the sector, with a number of programmes and organisations in place to try and increase the awareness of available positions. Companies such as this are “Class of Your Own” which is a programme to raise awareness of how young people can learn about and become involved in construction careers.

The Construction Youth Trust is another initiative set up to help young people and particularly women in the construction industry. The charities vision is “of a construction industry which inspires and enables young people to overcome barriers and build better futures.” A recent campaign set forth by the department for work and pensions was all about reiterating the importance of breaking down the gender barrier in male-dominated careers. The hashtag #notjustforboys went viral on social media sites with many companies professing their support. Nickie Brooks, MD for Alternative Route said “What with being in what can be perceived as a male-dominated industry myself, it is refreshing to see such a positive rise in the number of females adopting careers in these areas.”

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Young civil engineers call on industry to step up to innovation challenge If the construction industry is to respond to the rise of the digital economy, improve productivity and meet the ambitious cost and emissions targets set out in Construction 2025, it must kick start a culture where innovation is embedded at every level, according to a group of young engineers. In their Innovation: Stepping up the Industry report published today, the seven apprentices of Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) President Professor David Balmforth, highlight examples of infrastructure projects with innovation at their heart, such as Crossrail and the London 2012 Olympic Velodrome. But they say the industry on large has grown used to a risk averse culture and is lagging behind other industries such as manufacturing and aerospace. The report stresses that there is no “silver bullet” when it comes to creating an innovation culture, instead a collection of changes are needed. It sets out eight “building blocks” that could enable transformation – covering diversity of teams, choice of contracts and knowledge sharing, right through

to embracing technology and boosting investment in Research & Development. Tako Hove, ICE President Apprentice and report co-author commented: “While some leaders have taken the plunge to embed innovation and are reaping the benefits, our industry as a whole has not yet embraced it. “With the challenges facing us, we simply can’t afford not to – and ‘business as usual’ will not deliver the change required. There has never been a better time to innovate – so we become smarter, faster, more productive, more sustainable and exploit the unique talent across our industry. “One of the biggest blockers to innovation can be ascribed to our industry culture, and while there is no overnight fix or “silver bullet” here, we can all play our part in kick starting a culture where the value of innovation is recognised across all levels and people are empowered to take forward good ideas.

“Our report sought to identify what was hindering innovation and set out a collection of changes, which if made together, could influence organisations and our ability to innovate. They are the ‘building blocks’ which could turn barriers into drivers and unlock innovation across our sector.” ICE President, Professor David Balmforth, added: “We talk a lot about innovation in our industry, we celebrate it in awards ceremonies around the world, and there are plenty of examples of innovation in the projects we deliver. Yet innovation is not routine - we struggle to build the processes that lead to innovation into our day to day work, even though we know that we must innovate more if we are to secure the success of the industry in the future. “At the start of my presidential year I set my seven apprentices the task of understanding why we find innovation elusive and how we might better embed it. Their report findings are informative and practical and by adopting them we can all help to drive forward innovation.”

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Ecodriving The yawning gap between test cycle and real world emissions is front page news these days thanks to some very poor judgement from someone – no doubt just a junior technician! - at VW. At the Energy Saving Trust it’s nearly ten years since we spotted that driver training was the piece of the jigsaw that we were missing. Up until then our work promoting cleaner transport had focussed on cleaner vehicles and mileage management. But it’s abundantly clear that regardless of what a vehicle achieves on paper, its real world emissions depend a great deal on the driver. In terms of ‘air quality’ emissions (i.e. emissions that directly affect human health) , the big emerging story over the last couple of years has been that in real-world driving even new diesels still frequently emit far more particulate matter (PM) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) than they’re supposed to. Five or six times the official figure is common across the board, not just with VW who have acknowledged fitting the now notorious ‘defeat devices’ to some of their diesel engines. For fuel consumption and CO2 (the two go hand-in-hand) the story is similar: in the mid-2000s we at the Energy Saving Trust had robust data from a fuel card

supplier showing that fleet vehicles’ fuel consumption and CO2 was approximately 15% higher than the manufacturers’ official claims. The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) reports that if you look back a bit further to 2001 the gap between test cycle and real world emissions was a more modest 8%. But according to the ICCT, whose findings are based on reported actual fuel consumption from more than half a million vehicles, by 2013 the average gap between official and real-world fuel consumption and CO2 had grown to a massive 38%. So what’s to be done? Clearly there’s a need for a more representative test cycle and the good news is that this is on its way, with the coming of the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedures (WLTP). This is being developed by the EU, Japan, India and the UNECE and is expected to be in use from around 2017. It also seems clear that however good this test cycle may be, it needs to be backed up by some form of significant real-world emission testing programme. But in the short term, encouraging more efficient driving techniques is the best way to narrow or close that gap between vehicles’ stated and actual fuel consumption.

The Energy Saving Trust’s early involvement with ecodriving focussed on information and advice but after evaluating various approaches we concluded that if you want to influence a driver’s behaviour, there’s no substitute for onthe-road training. The other conclusion we reached early on is that if training just focusses on efficiency, a driver can make good progress in a short time. So between 2009 and 2014 we trained nearly 40,000 fleet drivers, each with just over an hour’s ecodriving training. Drivers saw an average of approximately 14% reduction in fuel consumption on the day of training and long term studies show between 3 and 6.2% savings in the 12 months following training. The key to effective short-duration ecodriving training is focussing on the few main points that make a big difference to most drivers. In practical terms this means better anticipation to avoid unnecessary acceleration and braking; early gear changes when accelerating; stepping off the accelerator as early as possible but remaining in gear when decelerating; and slowing down at higher speeds. It’s certainly not rocket science but our experience is that you can talk about these techniques in a room full of drivers all

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apparently understanding and agreeing, but then get those same drivers out on the road with a good fleet trainer and you’ll still find there’s plenty of room for improvement! Crucially, that improvement comes very quickly with a bit of coaching. Ecodriving also brings safety benefits: There’s good evidence from the UK and from Germany of around 30% reduction in ‘at fault’ accidents and 18% reduction in total accidents in the year following fleet ecodriving training even though in both cases the training was entirely focussed on efficiency, not safety. The explanation for this is simple, since better anticipation is the key to both safety and efficiency. In fact there’s a lot of crossover between ecodriving and advanced driver training and if you want to try to maximise the long term savings following training I’d suggest trying to convey the idea that ecodriving is about being a better driver, rather than about doing the right or the worthy thing. At the Energy Saving Trust we now run a subsidised fleet ecodriving scheme in England funded by the Department for Transport (www.est.org.uk/businesses/ ecodriving). We no longer train drivers ourselves, but most of the country’s main fleet training companies are involved in the

scheme and they claim a subsidy from us for each driver trained. The scheme has been going for 18 months and is working well. Its key strength is the diversity of training available, from stand-alone shortduration ecodriving training, to longer training usually focussing on safety but also including our requirements on efficiency. Returning to the figures mentioned earlier, there’s quite a gap between the 14% reduction in fuel consumption on the day of training and the 3 to 6.2% savings in the following year. Good fleet management can go a long way to ensuring a fleet is near the top of that range or perhaps exceeds it. At its core this means the fleet manager being on top of his or her vehicle data so that efficient drivers can be rewarded, perhaps financially, and poor drivers can be spotted and offered extra support or training. There are also some great technological solutions including telematics systems that give feedback to the driver, the fleet manager or both. Most telematics systems access the vehicle CANbus for data such as engine speed, throttle position, fuel consumption etc and combine this with location data provided by GPS. Some even add mapping data as an input, for example to advise the driver to lift off the accelerator

if he’s approaching a junction at speed. Training and technology are entirely complementary approaches to efficiency, since each addresses the other’s weakness: Technology doesn’t yet help a driver to read and anticipate other road users’ actions, nor can it understand, challenge and influence a driver’s assumptions and beliefs as effectively as a good trainer. But training suffers from fade, so if the technology is there consistently reminding the driver about efficient driving techniques that he’s been introduced to on a good training course, then this can be a powerful combination. And with the potential benefits of fewer accidents, reduced emissions and lower fuel bills there’s surely a strong case for investing in the two.

www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/businesses/ecodriving e ecodriving@est.org.uk t 020 722 0101

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Spotlight on NHBC Building Control – celebrating 30 years and looking ahead to the new building regulations NHBC has grown to become the largest single Building Control Body in the UK and this year celebrates its 30th anniversary. Diane Marshall, the organisation’s Head of Technical Services, looks back over the last 30 years and ahead to how the changes implemented by the Housing Standard Review, which came into effect on October 1st, will impact the house building industry. In 1985, NHBC launched its Building Control service as the UK was on its way to producing record housing levels by the end of the decade. From the very beginning, the service has helped to raise standards of new homes via comprehensive design checks and site inspections and now carries out upwards of 400,000 inspections each year for building control. It has also helped NHBC’s builder customers to build quality homes that comply with the Building Regulations across England and Wales for the hundreds of thousands of new home owners over the last three decades. Rewind to the mid-80s when NHBC launched its building control in England

and Wales, the service was limited to three story houses. However, there have been several significant changes during this time, as the service has developed to cater for a wider range of properties – from single plots, to large scale mixeduse developments, London skyscrapers, landmark commercial projects and even the conversion of the Grade II listed Roald Dahl Museum. 1985 also saw the introduction of NHBC’s innovative Type Approval system. As the name suggests, Type Approvals are a useful tool if builders propose to build standard house types and details. Type Approvals of a repeat design, can helpfully speed up subsequent sites as it will always be accepted by NHBC throughout England

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and Wales. Recent changes to the Type Approval system now also allow specific Type Approvals for house types used exclusively in England or Wales. Additionally, Building Regulations have evolved over the years from prescriptive requirements to a more open system of functional requirements which give the designer greater choices. Early involvement of NHBC Building Control in a project therefore allows designers to consult building control professionals on their innovative solutions and ensure that they meet the requirements early on. Another major change was the increase in popularity of timber frame construction in the late 1980s, which has further evolved to a rise in the use of prefabrications and MMCs. As a result, keeping our technical staff up-to-date with regulations if of key importance; the last 30 years has seen an ever increasing rate of change as well as some of the approved documents becoming specialist in nature, such as Approved Document B – fire Safety and L – Conservation of Fuel and Power. ´ New century, new developments In 2000, NHBC became the first Building Control body to invest heavily in a state of the art IT system, which made the business paperless and transformed the way the organisation interacted with customers. New initiatives have continued over the years, with the launch of NHBC’s customer portal to make submission of information even faster, while this year has seen the introduction of a new TechZone, an online technical resource which includes Building Control Plus; a fully interactive platform which includes all Building Regulations and supplementary resources in one place. Looking ahead, the industry is now in the process of embracing the challenges set by the Housing Standards Review. Earlier this year in March, shortly before the dissolution of Parliament, the then coalition government issued the final results of its wide ranging review of the many statutory and non-statutory standards that house builders were being asked to design and build to. Running to just over 4,000 pages of legislation, regulation and guidance, the comprehensive package completely changes the basis for building regulations that have been in place as far back as the 1667 London Building Act, i.e. to set the minimum standards for all new buildings. The review, which was commenced

in 2013, was launched as a ‘tidying up’ exercise to deal with ‘complex, overlapping or contradictory housing standards’, replacing over 100 different policies and standards into a single set of national standards, most of which are published in the Building Regulations.

are to be consolidated with Lifetime Home Standard being replaced by ‘Category 2 – Accessible and Adaptable Housing’ and Wheelchair Housing Standards to be replaced by ‘Category 3 – Wheelchair User Dwellings in Part M (Access to and use of buildings)’.

The final results of the review sees the introduction of Optional regulations in Part M – Access and also Part G – Water as well as a new mandatory regulation for all new housing Part Q – Security as well as a National Space Standard which has not been placed in the building regulations.

• Security

´ How will it work?

A new mandatory security requirement (Part Q) has been introduced for all new dwellings. The new standard intends to introduce a level of consistency across different areas and consolidate around cost effective measures to reduce the incidence of burglary.

The system has been implemented since October 1st. From that date, Local Planning Authorities’ (LPA) can impose optional higher standards on space, water and access to residential developments in their area provided that they have set policies in their local plan. The ability to impose these standards is dependent on the LPA demonstrating a local need and also the viability of developments if the new higher standard was required.

• Space**

The developer must then inform their selected building control body (BCB) if an “Optional” requirement has been imposed on their development and it is then the job of the BCB to enforce these as if they were the minimum standard for that development in the usual way.

The new nationally described space standard has not been incorporated into Building Regulations. Instead the standard may be imposed by local planning authorities as a planning condition.

Guidance for local authorities on how to apply the optional higher standards has been issued to all LPA’s.

Having spent the last six months digesting the new regulations and understanding the complexities of what lies ahead, we hope that the industry will adopt the changes relatively seamlessly, but we are here to help builders adapt.

So, what are the key areas covered by the new regulations? • Water Minimum water efficiency standards were introduced into Building Regulations in 2010 and currently require that new homes are designed so that calculated water use is not more than 125 litres/person/day. This minimum standard is to be retained with an optional more conservative standard available locally ‘where there is a clear local need’. The new optional local standard of 110 litres/person/ day was introduced on October 1st. • Access The new 2015 regulations substantially change Approved Document M to allow for new optional access requirements to be available locally. Existing standards

As well as the introduction of a minimum gross internal floor area and built-in storage area dependent on number of bedrooms, the standard will insist that at least one bedroom in a two-bedroom home is a double (or twin) room. Minimum room sizes also apply as well as a minimum floor to ceiling height of 2.3m for at least 75% of the gross internal area.

´ The future

Looking ahead, this landmark year provides an opportunity to think about ways in which NHBC Building Control can further support its builder customers. Needless to say NHBC Building Control will continue to innovate and support builders, and homeowners, by providing a rigorous, independent third party check on the design and construction of the UK’s new homes. For further information please visit www.nhbc.co.uk/Builders/ Productsandservices/Buildingcontrol ** The Nationally Described Space Standard remains outside of the Building Regulations and where applicable will be enforced by LPA’s.

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Chairman’s Arch redevelopment complete The redevelopment of Chairman’s Arch is now complete with the creation of 11 new social housing units and the structural restoration to the Viking Triangle in historic centre of Waterford. The site is located in the historic core of Waterford City in the immediate surroundings of Christchurch Cathedral and centres around the junction of Henrietta Street and Cathedral Square and the laneway to the rear of Cathedral Square known as Chairman’s Arch. The site was identified by the housing department of the council as being a potential key contributor to the overall regeneration of the Viking Triangle area and being able to provide much needed social housing. The development site is situated in area of potential archaeological significance,

which presented a number of challenges for Waterford City and County Council and the design team. This involved working in and around protected structures and a national monument, No. 4 and 5 of Cathedral Square, which was found to contain 17th century timbers upon opening. Major archaeological surveys were also required due to the site location. The modern build element of the project saw the creation of new dwellings on a previously underused plot of land. Joe Sullivan, Waterford City & County Council’s Senior Housing Officer, said: We see the development as contributing to urban regeneration of an historic part of the city in the heart of the Viking Triangle, both in terms of archaeological resolution on the site and the protection of the architectural heritage of some of the oldest dwellings in the city.”

The project incorporates contemporary design with hints of traditional street architecture. This includes a white plastered façade with polished stone door surrounds, glazed canopies, and the more modern looking brightly coloured doors. The stone paving used in the Chairman’s Arch laneway matches those used in the recently completed Public Realm scheme in the adjacent Cathedral Square. Edward Delehanty, Waterford City & County Council’s Executive Architect commented: “The older buildings have been carefully refurbished with due respect to architectural features which had been modified or damaged over the years. Examples of this are the reintroduction of traditional up and down sliding sash windows, the reopening the laneway which now forms a pedestrian link from Greyfriars to Henrietta Street and the introduction of a traditional

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shop front along Henrietta Street and the introduction of a pediment to the principle façade to Cathedral Square.” The scheme consisted of six new twobedroom dwelling units in a three-storey new build structure; the refurbishment of the two-storey protected building at no.8 Chairman’s Arch to provide a threebedroom dwelling; the refurbishment of three-storey protected structures to provide four dwelling units on the upper floor, commercial space on the ground floor, and the reopening of the archway linking Henrietta Street to Chairman’s Arch. The prominent building on the corner of Henrietta Street and Cathedral Square had been subdivided and partially reconstructed in the 1990s. The other half of the building had suffered from severe fire damage and, as a result, this whole corner of the square was in a very dilapidated condition.

By purchasing this and other properties in the immediate vicinity, it was felt a housing programme financed by Capital Government Funds could both regenerate the area and provide much needed housing in this central city location. Mr Delehanty commented: “This section of the city had relatively few residents so it is hoped that a sense of community and pride in the neighbourhood shall be created in time.” The main construction cost on the project was in the region of €1.6M. The Main Contractor was Clancy Construction, who have been involved in construction and development since the 1940s and has grown steadily over the years and now constructs large-scale projects nationally for both the public and private sectors.

The Architects on the project were the City Council’s Architects in conjunction with CJ Falconer & Associates. Established in 1986, CJ Falconer & Associates work across all project sectors of all sizes for both public and private clients locally, nationally and internationally. In September, the development won a national regeneration award organised by the Irish Council for Social Housing. The judging panel described the project as “an exceptional example of regeneration in its totality, physical, social and economic), successfully rehabilitating the heart of the historic core of Waterford that benefits the social and historical fabric, in addition tot the repopulation of a derelict area of the city, providing much needed social housing through a sustainable urban model.”

MAURICE HURLEY Consultant Archaeologist D.Litt, MA, FSA, MIAI

Tel/Fax 021 451 8185 Mobile 086 2665885 Email mauricefhurley@eircom.net 6 Clarence Court, St Lukeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Cork

Our partnership approach allows us to drive and manage challenging and award winning projects such as the Chairmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Arch redevelopment project. These projects only happen through a carefully co-ordinated cooperative approach from all involved.

www.clancy.ie

Our business succeeds as a result of real partnership

Drangan, Thurles, Co. Tipperary, t: 052 915 2166 e: build@clancy.ie w: www.clancy.ie Tipperary Dublin Limerick

CIVIL STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING At Frank Fox and Associates, we carry out a wide range of civil structural engineering works for both commercial and industrial buildings.

INSPECTION & CERTIFYING Building inspection and certification from Frank Fox Associate Engineers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; helps you comply with national and local building regulations.

HEALTH & SAFETY MANAGEMENT Frank Fox & Associates provide a full and comprehensive service to our clients in the role of Project Supervisor for the Design Process (PSDP).

PROJECT MANAGEMENT We offer commitment at all levels of your building project, from preparing for construction to construction management services.

Nolan Construction Consultants was formed by previous partners of Nolan Ryan Partnership to meet new challenges in a changing construction economy. The principals Paul F Nolan, Robert Nolan and William Kee have recognised experience of working for over 40 years as Chartered Quantity Surveyors and construction cost consultants in the construction sector. In a period of unprecedented change and challenges we bring our wide experience to the fore to provide vision and initiative in partnership with Clients and fellow Design Team Professionals. Nolan Construction Consultants are committed to the idea of change in a different industry and to better serve the needs of the market that we are now in. a 10 Ormonde Street, Kilkenny a 9 Wallace House, Canada St, Waterford t + 353 (0) 56 7801201 t +353 (0) 51 841 719 e kilkenny@nolancc.ie e waterford@nolancc.ie

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GPO: Witness History Interpretive Exhibition Centre to be delivered on time In October 2014 it was announced that following a public tendering process, the contract for the construction works for the GPO: Witness History Interpretive Exhibition Centre been awarded to P.J. Hegarty & Sons. Construction began in November and will take 12 months at which stage the exhibition fit-out will commence. GPO: Witness History will officially open on Easter Sunday 2016. The overall development will cost €7.8M. Commenting on the contract signing, Minister for Communications, Energy & Natural Resources, Alex White TD said: “The GPO: Witness History Interpretive centre will form a centrepiece of the 1916 commemorations. Its Easter 2016 opening date is hugely significant historically but the centre will also be an enduring facility for the nation’s citizens to enjoy, and an impressive and informative visitor attraction that will help explain Ireland’s story to the rest of the world.” Dublin’s GPO has always been the

headquarters of the Post Office in Ireland but it has not always been located in O’Connell Street. The first recorded Post Office in Dublin was located near Dublin Castle, where the Government was, but as the postal service grew the main office in Dublin moved premises a number of times ending up for several years in College Green, opposite the Bank of Ireland. That building became too small and the Post Office decided to build a new GPO in Sackville Street, which was the old name for O’Connell Street. Building work began in 1814 and Francis Johnston, a well-known Irish architect, was asked to design the new GPO in Sackville Street. Johnston had

designed some fine private houses like Townley Hall in county Meath and also done work on public buildings like the Bank of Ireland and St. George’s Church in Dublin.The GPO was designed as a purpose-built General Post Office which would cater for the postal business and its customers. It was also to be a fine, distinguished building that would add to Dublin’s architectural beauty and

GPO Witness History will be an engaging, interactive visitor attraction bringing history to life through technology, video, sound and authentic artefacts – many previously unseen. The exhibition is designed to link the curricula and examine the events of Easter week 1916 using guides and reciting stories from this period in history. Its special effects, sound-scapes and heartfelt stories of real people in extraordinary circumstances will captivate students of all ages. Afterwards, students can digest and discuss while relaxing in the new cafe?, overlooking the historic courtyard at GPO or browsing the gift shop. Speaking at the GPO, Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht,

Heather Humphreys TD said: “The GPO interpretive exhibition centre is one of the flagship projects included in the €22M capital plan for the Commemorations. It is fantastic to be signing the contract for the construction works today, which will see the project being completed in time for the 100th anniversary of the 1916 Rising. The interpretive centre will bring to life the events of the Rising, which proved so crucial in our history. I have no doubt the centre at the GPO will add to Dublin’s tourism offering and prove immensely popular with local visitors too.” The Architect behind the design is Kavanagh Tuite.

AUDI Athlone

UCD Systems Biology Institute

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emphasise the important role of the Post Office in Irish life. Johnston’s design managed to do all these things. There was a fine public office for business at the front of the building, a courtyard for the mail coaches at the back and an imposing façade complete with classical columns and statues on the roof. The columns were of Portland stone and the rest of the stonework was granite County Wicklow. There was also some accommodation for staff in the GPO in those days. The whole building was completed in less than four years at a cost of about £50,000 or €65,000 in today’s currency which doesn’t sound too much for such a large and grand building.

Stradbally Library & Arts Centre

EST:1968

Morrison Hotel, Dublin

Electrical Engineers & Contractors Portarlington, Co. Laois

Cluain Lir Care Centre, Mullingar

T: 057 8623276 F: 057 8623916 E: info@fletcher.ie W: www.fletcher.ie

The Heritage Golf Club & Spa

Proud to be associated with the GPO Interpretive Exhibition Centre Project along with PJ Hegarty & Sons

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Weslin Construction Ltd Founded in 2000 by the current Managing Director, Aiden Boyle, Weslin Construction Limited is a building and civil engineering company, which operates within a broad range of sectors including education, residential, civil engineering, commercial, financial and industrial. Over the past fifteen years, the Company has grown significantly and has the knowledge and experience to work across such a wide range of construction disciplines. In 2014, the Company was acquired by Irish development and investment group, Ardale Property, with the intention of growing the core of the business in addition to expanding operations to include responsibility for on-site operations across group-wide development projects. Throughout its history, Weslin Construction Limited has formed strong relationships with key clients and enjoyed repeat business with many prestigious companies. Work has been undertaken on several filling stations for Maxol Ireland involving the installation of fuel systems and underground tanks, steel frame construction, canopies and surface works. Weslin also enjoy a strong relationship with the Bank of Ireland and are currently working on a roll out project across 72 different branches, with the aim of modernising the banks and making them more user friendly. The works are undertaken outside of office hours so not to cause any disruption to day-to-day operations.

Civil engineering works are also performed at Dublin Port with the use of heavy specialised plant machinery. The Company are currently renovating the holding cell area in Ballymun Garda station for the Office of Public Works, which involves the complete refurbishment of all cells including new plastering, resin paint and flooring, in-cell sanitation, specialised M&E, the installation of the new ‘Drugaloo’ and attention to anti-ligature finishes.

and processes to ensure clients receive the most on time and cost effective solutions.

Weslin also carry out fully compliant work for the Health Service Executive including the refurbishment of existing facilities and change of use to new care homes and general hospital accommodation.

In addition to its dedication to quality, Weslin can count experience as the one of the Company’s most valuable and unique assets. Work is carried out on a diverse range of project, both small and large, from minor works to major works. Many of the Company’s projects run concurrently, so it is vital that the right teams, with right experience are placed on the right jobs.

The Company can also count supermarket chain, Iceland, amongst its client base and undertakes complete re-fits of existing stores or shop fitting new shell and core units. Weslin Construction Limited has always believed in delivering a high quality service and build on time and as cost-effectively as possible. This desire has seen Weslin employ a dedicated programme of re-investment in people, systems

The Company are certified to ISO 9001:2008 and operations are conducted in the safest manner possible and with as little environmental impact as possible. This has been achieved in recent years through the implementation of safety and environmental management systems, which are certified to OHSAS 18001:2007 and ISO 14001:2004 respectively.

Wilson Controls Ltd. offers a wide range of electrical contracting and maintenance services. Working with Project Managers we ensure that all our work meets the highest possible standards of quality and safety. We offer a wide variety of Electrical and Engineering Services. Additionally we provide in house design and innovative solutions. This we provide with field engineering staff and in house design team.

01 2161565 wilsoncontrols.ie pat@wilsoncontrols.ie

COMMERCIAL CI

with the client in mind – everything from a client’s requirements are to the agreed specifications and budget – that Weslin commit to working collaboratively as a team with the client and design team. It is Weslin’s policy to recruit well-qualified, dynamic and ambitious employees and to create a working environment that allows them to use and develop their talents fully to produce projects of unparalleled quality and distinction. The current workforce has a well-proven balance of experienced knowledge and younger creativity and enthusiasm, which allows

the incorporation and application of new technologies quickly and effectively. The Company philosophy is to maintain and improve its record of providing work of the highest quality, on time and within budget. This philosophy has stood the test of time and Weslin are proud to have completed projects within both the public and private sectors. The future for Weslin Construction Ltd looks bright as the Company looks to expand further. Turnover next year is also expected to increase by €5M to €15.

The Company will look to focus on commercial and specialised fit-out works; care home construction and fit out works; and specialised civil engineering projects with values in excess of €500,000. Weslin has been shortlisted for the Independent Construction Project of the year in the Conservation Sector for work on the project at the Diving Bell on Sir John Rogerson’s Quay in Dublin, and is a reflection of the quality of work clients can expect from Weslin Construction Limited.

Established in 1987, Brian Scully services is a leading Irish Air Conditioning Company focusing on supply and installation of Air Conditioning Systems. We are an approved dealer with Mitsubishi Electric since 1993 and are the sole Mitsubishi Partner in Ireland that can offer a 7 year warranty on their products. Head Office Newcastle West, Co. Limerick 069 79200 Regional Offices Glanmire, Co. Cork 021 4802020 Nangor Rd, Dublin 12 01 6703000

CI CIVIL

Irish Water invest in wastewater infrastructure Earlier in the year, Irish Water – Ireland’s national water utility responsible for providing and developing water and wastewater services throughout Ireland – together with Kilkenny County Council, welcomed the official opening of Freshford Wastewater Treatment Plant. The Freshford plant is one of three new wastewater treatment facilities planned to serve the villages of Freshford, Johnstown and Goresbridge. Completion of the new plants will involve an investment of €3.3M in total, with capacity to serve between 600 and 1,100 PE (Population Equivalent), according to requirements. The existing plant at Freshford was built in the 1940s and provides primary treatment for a population of 300. The new facility will improve the quality of effluent being discharged into the Nuenna River and provide an increased long-term capacity to allow the surrounding communities to grow.

The Johnstown and Goresbridge plants, currently being constructed on the sites of existing plants, will also provide much needed wastewater treatment capacity in these areas. Response Engineering – one of the leading water and wastewater treatment companies in Ireland today – has acted as the main contractor to design, build and operate the three facilities. Overall completion of the remaining Goresbridge and Johnstown treatment plants is expected in November. Ger O’Leary, Regional Capital Delivery Lead for Irish Water said: “Continued investment in new and upgraded plants like those in Freshford, Johnstown and Goresbridge is essential to ensure that wastewater discharged into Ireland’s rivers and waterways is treated to a high standard, protecting our local environment. Irish Water is prioritising improvements to the wastewater treatment network to minimise localised

pollution from old or inadequate wastewater treatment systems.” Chairman of Kilkenny County Council Pat Millea, welcoming the opening said: “Providing a new Treatment Plant in Freshford has been the biggest priority in Kilkenny County Council’s Water Services Capital Programme for the last number of years. The opening of the new Freshford Wastewater Treatment Plant and the completion of plants at Johnstown and Goresbridge, along with contract signings for Castlecomer, Urlingford and Stoneyford Wastewater Treatment Plants signify a huge boost and much needed investment for County Kilkenny. I would like to thank Irish Water for completing the Freshford Wastewater Treatment Plant Project.” Irish Water has invested a further €31M as part of a major upgrade of one of the country’s largest wastewater treatment plants at Osberstown, County Kildare. This is the largest single investment to

CIVIL CI

date in the upgrade of a wastewater treatment plant by Irish Water. The newly upgraded plant will serve the many industries, local businesses and homes in Sallins, Clane, Prosperous, Naas, Johnstown, Kill, Newbridge, Kilcullen, Athgarven, Carragh and the Curragh. The existing infrastructure is currently under pressure and unable to support future economic and social development in the region. Irish Water has prioritised this project to significantly increase the treatment capacity of the plant and provide a scheme that is in line with modern practices and environmental standards. In July the project, which is currently under construction, achieved its first milestone to increase the treatment capacity from the current 80,000 PE to 88,000 PE. This milestone is critical in the provision of a modern, fit-for-purpose, water and wastewater infrastructure to ensure continued economic development

in the region. Upgrades such as this at Osberstown are being prioritised by Irish Water at a national level to ensure projects which can deliver the greatest social, environmental and economic development are progressed. Completion of all upgrade works at the plant is expected by the end of 2017, at which point the plant will have a final treatment capacity of 130,000 PE and a higher level of treatment in full compliance with environmental licenses. The Osberstown treatment plant discharges treated wastewater into the River Liffey making it one of the largest inshore discharge points in the country. Maintaining river water quality by providing improved treatment processes will be a key part of the upgrade work. Michael Tinsley, of the Wastewater Capital Programme at Irish Water said: “Many of our treatment facilities are operating under significant pressure with little spare capacity to cater for

increased demand. As the economy continues to recover it is essential that we have the infrastructure in place to meet the growth in demand from our industrial and domestic customers. This region has a thriving and growing agri -food sector and water services are vital to its continued development. By taking a national approach to maintaining and managing assets, investments such as this in Osberstown can be prioritised to deliver the maximum social, economic and environmental benefits.” Irish Water invested €340M in improving water and wastewater services in 2014 and will invest over €410M in improving water services during 2015. This spend will increase over subsequent years. Capital investment of an approximate €600M per year is required for a period of several decades in order to address the acknowledged deficiencies in the Ireland’s water infrastructure.

For more than 160 years, we’ve both been leading players in air and gas technology.

Now that Howden incorporates the original Roots® blower company, we’re an unbeatable team. In 1854 James Howden established a consulting engineering business in Glasgow, an enterprise that grew steadily into a leading global concern specialising in air and gas handling equipment. In the same year, but 3,681 miles away in Connersville, Indiana, the Roots brothers developed and began manufacturing a completely new type of positive displacement blower and in the process gave their name to a whole technology. For over 160 years, each company has been at the leading edge of technological innovation, building individual reputations for applications expertise, high quality engineering and excellent service. Now, together at last under one banner, Howden and Roots offer more than 320 years of collective expertise and experience to customers. Original, tried and tested Roots quality, with the added advantage of Howden’s network of local service centres. It’s a natural fit, but we didn’t want to rush it.

www.howden.com

Already providing robust service throughout Ireland, our Roots® positive displacement blowers are the optimum choice for waste water processing and other water treatment applications. The EasyAir package, developed through close analysis of the needs of the industry, offers excellent performance and reliability with good turndown capabilities, low noise and low maintenance demands. The EasyAir package is available in a wide range of sizes, all combining a compact footprint and light weight with exceptional reliability. Built around a bi- or tri-lobe splash-lubricated blower, each package is fitted with a high efficiency motor in a TEFC enclosure as standard, although we are happy to fit other motors on request. The package incorporates inlet and discharge silencing, a robust acoustic enclosure, vibration isolation and all the required valves, connectors and gauges.

The Howden Roots advantages Installation is fast and straightforward, with small footprint and side-by-side positioning options. Our acoustic enclosure provides up to 22dBA free field attenuation, meeting local noise regulations as well as enhancing working conditions for site personnel. Automatic counterbalanced belt tensioning system leads to extended belt life and reduced maintenance. Simple, secure access reduces the time and complexity of procedures such as filter maintenance, and access to electrical components can be achieved through either the floor or the rear panels. Front-to-rear airflow offers improved on-site safety. The shaft-mounted cooling fan dramatically reduces the temperature inside the enclosure, extending component life. Ergonomically-positioned gauges, including an external oil sight glass, provide a real-time indication of equipment status.

For more information about Roots® blowers, or to discuss your present or future needs for water treatment equipment, please contact: Lee Meredith, European Sales Manager – small rotary Howden Process Compressors, Suite 15, Moss Lane View, Skelmersdale, Lancashire WN8 9TN m: +44 (0) 7711 929 588 e: lee.meredith@howden.com

CI COMMUNITY

Culmore Landfill Restoration Land restoration is now complete in Derry on a site that will greatly benefit the local and wider community. Culmore Landfill was a 30-hectare site that involved the installation of a capping system consisting of a metre of compacted soils on geomembrane and geosynthetic liner along with a gas venting layer. A landfill gas management system ensures that landfill gases collected through a series of boreholes on the site power an electrical generator plant and the electricity used by the nearby NI Water treatment plant. Work was required because Derry City Council was beholden to restore Culmore landfill site to the requirements of The European Landfill directive and The Northern Ireland Landfill (2003) Regulations so as to reduce as far as possible, any pollution to the environment or harm to human health. A treatment plant on site will provide primary treatment of collected leachate prior to pumping to NI Water for secondary treatment. In addition to this, the Council carried out structural and environmental monitoring of the site and provides aftercare and maintenance services for a period of 60

years following completion of this project. The masterplan in place ensures that the site is developed as a district park with a local centre, sports pitches, changing facilities, paths bird hides, car parking and landscaping works. The restoration process has taken a significant amount of time to agree upon, and has included agreeing details with the NIEA, the River Agency and other planners, as well as consultation with local residents and the wider communities to guarantee the site meets current environmental standards and the aspirations of the local community. Cllr Dobbins said: “This is an issue I have been involved in for many years both as a resident of the area and as an elected representative. I have listened to the concerns of my constituents and neighbours and I am delighted that something positive will

replace what has always been a blight on the Culmore landscape and village. “The residents of this area have long suffered adverse disruption associated with the dump, the noise of heavy vehicles serving the site and the unpleasant odours which were relentless and particularly intense during warm weather.” RPS Consulting Engineers is the Project Managing Engineer for the project, which is being built by a joint venture of PC McWilliams and McLaughlin & Harvey. Work on the £7.2M site completed in Septemberber 2015.

Civil Engineering Contractors, Plant Hire and Heavy Haulage. Proud to be associated with McLaughlin & Harvey.

Portadown Peoples Park re-opens The People Park of Portadown in Northern Ireland is a park richly steeped in history. Originally dating back as far as 1610 when King James I gave 2,000 acres of land to William Powell of Staffordshire, the plot formed part of the Obins Castle estate for many years before a population spike in the mid 1800’s saw the land developed as a public park for the leisure needs of the local townsfolk. On Friday 9th October the people of Craigavon gathered to witness the unveiling of a rejuvenated People’s Park, following Craigavon Council securing £5.5M worth of funding from the Shared Process and Community Engagement Project (SPACE). The 16 months of redevelopment have seen a number of improvements to bring the park back to an including a state-of-the-art play park, themed gardens, a pond area, two bridges, two grass soccer pitches, a grass multisports pitch, as well as a seven-a-side 3G synthetic pitch and five-a-side multi-use games area, both of which are floodlit. “A lot of consultation, planning and

hard work has gone into how the Park should look and the features it should contain as well as a lot of extremely successful community engagement to ensure that the people of Portadown can come together and enjoy this superb Park. I would encourage everyone to take some time to check out the Park and to take advantage of this fabulous facility right on your doorstep,” commented the Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, Councillor Darryn Causby. The Park will now see a number of events over the coming months to encourage a feeling of community centred on

the redevelopment. The most recent of these events even saw a Halloween themed gathering on October 27th, where interactive tours told of the park’s history and a wide range of activities and workshops catered for families and younger children. www.armaghbanbridgecraigavon.org

13 Drumnacanon, Maghera Co. Londonderry, BT46 5TD 02879 644412

LEISURE CI

Contractors dive into Dunmanway Swimming Pool April 2015 saw contracts being exchanged and construction commence on the long awaited Dunmanway Swimming Pool. Speaking at the time Councillor Hurley said: “Construction is expected to commence in early April and consists of the construction of a new stateof-the-art municipal swimming pool, which will replace the existing swimming pool with a modern green architecture building including a 25m x 10.5m swimming pool, toddlers pool, hydrotherapy pool, gymnasium, sauna and steam room along with provisions for office space and cafeteria. “The new swimming pool is scheduled

to take 15 months to complete construction and will be a vital piece of infrastructure for the town of Dunmanway. Its development into a state of the art amenity acknowledges the need to deliver excellent sports facilities for the people of Dunmanway and the surrounding area. “The construction of the new pool will be a huge boost for our local community as well as a huge attraction to the town. I believe it will act as a catalyst for the town and will put Dunmanway at the centre of West Cork for recreation, sport and competition,” concluded Cllr. Hurley.

We supply a range of products in the Cork area to the building trade, the farming industry and the once off housing sector. These products include readymix concrete, trowel ready mortar, stone and aggregate products. We have a construction company, Keohane Construction Ltd. specialising in farm buildings, retaining walls, industrial and commercial buildings.

Dromkeen, Innishannon, Co. Cork T 021 4775599 F 021 4775474

Ballygurteen Co. Cork T 023 8838710 F 023 8838944

The Minister of State for Tourism and Sport Michael Ring T.D, announced that the Tender Report had been approved and a grant of €3.8M had been allocated to Cork County Council for the replacement facility. Minister Ring said: “I am delighted to be in a position to approve the grant allowing construction of this replacement swimming pool to commence. This facility will greatly enhance the leisure facilities for the people in Dunmanway and the surrounding areas.” The Main Contractor on this project is MMD Construction.

Swimming Pool, Spas, Saunas, Hot Tubs, Service, Maintenance, Chemicals & Accessories

Old Dublin Rd, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford Tel 053 9239923 Fax 053 9239927 Web www.poolandspa.ie

CI COMMERCIAL

Terex manufactory enhanced by Henry Brothers Construction gathers pace in Dungannon as Henry Brothers finalise the second of two sizable extensions to Terex GB’s Coalisland Road manufactory. From the Company’s Dungannon and Omagh plants, Terex GB – the UK arm of the US multinational Terex Corporation – manufactures an assortment of mobile materials processing equipment under the Business’ Powerscreen and Terex Finlay brands. Significant in scope, this most recent development is indicative of Terex Corporation’s aspirations for Northern Ireland. The project, valued at an approximate £2.9M, will see Terex GB’s existing production facilities extended to bolster the capability of both the Company’s operations and its Powerscreen brand. The expansion has been driven in part

by a previous £21.7M investment from Terex Corporation, made in autumn 2013, to create 300 additional jobs across both campuses – 260 in Dungannon and 40 in Omagh. Of that sum £19.2M has been allotted to improve company infrastructure and equipment over the coming years – the Dungannon extension being a prime example of this. The build, which began in September 2014, has been overseen by Henry Brothers – a leading privately-owned construction and civil engineering contractor. First established by Jim Henry in 1976, the Magherafelt-based construction specialist now forms an integral part of the Henry Group – an employer of more than 500 industry professionals, with operations throughout the UK, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa, and an annual turnover in excess of £110M.

In redeveloping Terex GB’s Coalisland Road facility, Henry Brothers has brought their considerable industry experience and construction expertise to bear. A comprehensive construction schedule has been maintained throughout the build, with minimal disruption to ongoing operations. Of the redevelopment Kieran Hegarty, President of Terex Materials Processing, said: “This significant reinvestment in Northern Ireland marks an exciting chapter in Terex Corporation’s 13 year history in County Tyrone and will be a major step in our long-term growth plans. We expect our turnover to increase further over the coming years and we will need to expand our factory space and workforce to cope with projected demand.” Overall completion is due for November of this year.

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If the answer to any of the above questions is no, you need to consider training and advice to achieve legal compliance and develop best practices. Contact the experts David Carr PgD, FIIRSM, DipSM, RFaPS, Managing Director Callsafe Services Limited. Yardley House, 11 Horsefair, Rugeley, Staffordshire. WS15 2EJ Email: enquiries@callsafe-services.co.uk Web: www.callsafe-services.co.uk