£40m Preston leisure scheme funding deal

Construction Management No Comments

Long-awaited plans to revamp Preston city centre with a £40m cinema and leisure complex will finally move to construction after councillors agreed a funding package for the project.

The new development, called ‘Animate’, will be located on the site of the former indoor market and will feature an eight-screen cinema and bowling alley along with five new restaurants and bars, a street-food hub, a car park, and new public square.

The scheme is being developed in partnership with Maple Grove Developments, part of the Eric Wright Group.

Negotiations with anchor operators for the cinema and bowling alley are at an advance stage, alongside strong interest for the restaurant units.

Subject to planning permission being granted, it is anticipated construction work on the project could begin in 2022 with the complex opening in spring 2024.

Councillor Matthew Brown, Leader of Preston City Council, said: “This is a really positive step forward in our plans to bring this exciting development to Preston. The new development will breathe life into the city centre and reinforce the Harris Quarter as a premier cultural and leisure destination in Lancashire.”

Andrew Dewhurst, director of Maple Grove Developments, said: “We look forward to taking the development to the next stage and submitting a planning application this autumn.”

The development is one of six major projects planned under Preston’s Harris Quarter Towns Fund Investment Programme, for which the city was awarded £20.9m from the government’s national Towns Fund initiative in March.

Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.thegraduatemag.com/?p=175

Seven win £14bn next-generation Scape frameworks

August 24, 2021

Construction Services No Comments

Scape has named its seven favoured contractors to deliver up to £14bn of projects through its next-generation suite of construction frameworks.

Graham, Kier, McLaughlin & Harvey, Mace, Morgan Sindall, Sisk and Willmott Dixon have been appointed to deliver the Scape Construction framework for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, worth up to £12bn.

In addition, Morgan Sindall, Kier and McLaughlin & Harvey will also deliver the £2bn Scotland Construction framework. Each partner will be supported by an extensive local supply chain.

The overhaul of Scape frameworks sees previous incumbents Lendlease, Robertson and Wates drop out, making way for new commers Mace, Sisk and Graham

Scape frameworks – total spend £14bn

England, Wales & Northern Ireland – Project value £75m+

Mace, John Sisk

England & Wales – Project value: £7.5m – £75m

Morgan Sindall, Willmott Dixon

England & Wales – Project value: up to £7.5m

Kier, Morgan Sindall

Northern Ireland – Project value: £7.5m – £75m

McLaughlin & Harvey

Northern Ireland – Project value: up to £7.5m

Graham

Scotland – Project value £7.5m-plus

McLaughlin & Harvey, Morgan Sindall

Scotland – Project value up to £7.5m

Kier, Morgan Sindall

The four-year net zero-ready public works frameworks will accelerate the delivery of new-build and refurbishment projects of all values from September 2021 and 2025.

With close alignment to the government’s Construction Playbook and a focus on climate action response via the built environment, the suite of frameworks is intended to offer a better way to build and refurbish the public estate, whilst stimulating local economic activity.

The frameworks have been carefully designed to enable clients to benefit from industry transformation, with consideration towards digital construction, platform design and modern methods of construction.

Clients to benefit from several innovative features

A unique parallel lotting structure, offering a choice of two contractors while retaining the free early engagement and direct award.A new lifecycle contract form, supporting clients with energy conservation and the operational efficiency and performance of their assets beyond the construction phase for up to five years. The new feature, which completes the frameworks’ ‘net zero ready’ offer, will help to build and validate a client’s business case for low carbon buildings, and address the historic performance gap between design and in-use building performance.A new commercial model that includes a standard pricing template for greater transparency. Contractors will also commit to 19-day (or better) payment terms for their supply chain partners.Enhanced tailoring of project KPIs and success criteria for every project, leveraging the Construction Innovation Hub’s Value Toolkit to define success for the client.Support from SCAPE’s dedicated framework management team, with performance in delivery measured against market-leading benchmarks for environmental performance, sustainability, social value and the use of local supply chains.

Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.thegraduatemag.com/?p=170

Cost of skilled site labour jumps 3.6% in one month

August 24, 2021

Construction Management No Comments

The cost of skilled labour on site increased by 3.6% last month as inflationary pressures cranked-up in the construction supply chain.

New payroll data from Hudson Contract show average weekly earnings for self-employed tradespeople rose to £904 during July, handing them an extra £124 over the month.

In the East Midlands labour costs hit an all-time weekly high of £1,014 with demand driven by new regeneration, housing and infrastructure projects.

Ian Anfield, Hudson managing director, said: “The housing market is booming with the price of the average UK home increasing by nearly £25,000 over the last year.

“We expect strong demand for new housing and renovation schemes to continue for the foreseeable future. The government is committed to big infrastructure investments as part of its ‘levelling up’ agenda, which is adding to confidence in the sector.

“The challenge for construction firms will be in managing rising costs caused by shortages in building materials and skilled labour.

“We encourage ministers to consider how the industry can increase access to skilled freelancers from Europe under the new immigration system. Self-employed subcontractors make up the most productive and flexible pool of resource in the industry and Britain needs them to deliver these projects on budget and on time.”

Hudson Contract is the UK’s largest provider of tax status and employment contract services to the construction industry and supplies more than 2,500 companies across England and Wales.

Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.thegraduatemag.com/?p=163

Midgard wins £70m Manchester private rental tower

Construction Management No Comments

Build to rent specialist Packaged Living has picked JRL-owned main contractor Midgard to build its high-rise scheme of 352 flats in the developing Piccadilly East area of Manchester.

‘The Castings’ scheme consists of four stepped building elements rising to 25 storeys with smaller components at 7, 14 and 20 storeys.

Each building element will have a different coloured brick envelope

The 32-month project to be built on a one-acre site on Heyrod Street near to the planned HS2 station has been designed architect CallisonRTKL, with support from Arcadis, M&E engineer Crookes Walker and Curtins.

It will include a mix of studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, as well as 10,000 sq ft of retail and amenity space, a public square and car park.

Hertfordshire-based Midgard will soon start site clearance of two low-rise brick warehouses following approval of its demolition plan.

Mark Woodrow, joint managing director of Packaged Living said: “The Castings is the next exciting BTR scheme in our pipeline, which is now delivering over 3,000 homes in the multi-family sector across the UK.

“The scheme represents a fantastic opportunity to create next-generation homes developed by an experienced team, at a time where vital investment is needed into our city centres.”

Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.thegraduatemag.com/?p=149

Midgard wins £70m Manchester private rental tower

Build to rent specialist Packaged Living has picked JRL-owned main contractor Midgard to build its high-rise scheme of 352 flats in the developing Piccadilly East area of Manchester.

‘The Castings’ scheme consists of four stepped building elements rising to 25 storeys with smaller components at 7, 14 and 20 storeys.

Each building element will have a different coloured brick envelope

It will include a mix of studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, as well as 10,000 sq ft of retail and amenity space, a public square and car park.

Hertfordshire-based Midgard will soon start site clearance of two low-rise brick warehouses following approval of its demolition plan.

“The scheme represents a fantastic opportunity to create next-generation homes developed by an experienced team, at a time where vital investment is needed into our city centres.”

Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.thegraduatemag.com/?p=149

Groundwork vets hit by white finger outbreak

Civils contractor Peter Duffy Ltd has been fined £40,000 after multiple employees were diagnosed with Hand Arm Vibration (HAVS).

Leeds Magistrates’ Court heard that the company reported seven cases of HAVS between November 2016 and August 2018.

All of the workers involved had been carrying out ground works involving vibrating tools. Many of them had been working in the industry for over 20 years.

An HSE investigation found that in 2016 the company contracted a new occupational health provider to replace their existing one.

The diagnosis of the workers’ conditions resulted from these changes. Prior to the new company taking over the contract, there was no suitable health surveillance in place to identify HAVS.

Peter Duffy Ltd of Wakefield pleaded guilty to safety breaches and was fined £40,000 and ordered to pay £3,919 in costs.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Chris Tilley said: “The company should have undertaken a suitable and sufficient risk assessment to identify the level of vibration employees were exposed to throughout their working day and then put in place appropriate control measures.

“Furthermore, the company should have put in place suitable health surveillance to identify HAVS in their workforce.”

Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.thegraduatemag.com/?p=143

Homes England pumps £40m in Watford retirement scheme

Construction Services No Comments

Homes England has injected £40m of funding into retirement homes developer Audley Group’s planned Watford Riverwell scheme in Hertfordshire.

The loan is one of the first for the older living sector from the £4.5bn Home Building Fund and will accelerate the construction of 255 mid-market retirement homes.

Balfour Beatty has secured a £68m contract from Audley Group for the mix of one- and two- bedroom apartments.

The firm will also lead the delivery of communal facilities that include swimming pool, restaurant, a health club and a multi-purpose village hall that will be surrounded with green spaces and parking.

Balfour Beatty will manufacture 180 apartment balconies offsite, thereby reducing the risk of working at height and improve the overall project efficiency.

The early works at the site are already underway and the main construction works are slated to be completed in 2023.

Peter Denton, Chief Executive at Homes England, said: “Our loan directly addresses market funding challenges due to the pandemic and highlights our commitment to ensuring diverse communities.”

Nick Sanderson, CEO, Audley Group said: “The transaction with Homes England is an important milestone for the retirement living sector.

“A coming of age. Government backing underlines the importance placed on increasing provision in the retirement living sector and developing more innovative housing solutions.

“Our aspiration to transform retirement is shared with both Homes England and BlackRock Real Assets and this will be the focus as we look to the future.”

Mayfield’s first Retirement Village will be built near Watford General Hospital.

The development is a cornerstone to the wider Riverwell regeneration scheme in what is a priority location for the agency, allowing it to help deliver more ambitious plans.

The project also incorporates elements of Modern Methods of Construction, covering build and project management activities.

Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.thegraduatemag.com/?p=138

Keltbray brings down 198 metre power station chimneys: Video

Keltbray completed the latest major demolition job at the former Ferrybridge ‘C’ Power Station in West Yorkshire on Sunday.

A single ‘blowdown’ saw the removal of the two chimney stacks, the main boiler house, and Bunker Bay.

At 198-metres high, the two chimney stacks were the tallest structures at the Ferrybridge site. This blowdown follows the successful demolition of a cooling tower at the site in July 2019 and four further cooling towers in October of the same year.

Keltbray carried out the blowdown using controlled explosives, with a 250-metre exclusion zone being put in place to ensure safety. In addition, nearby homes were evacuated for a short time with Keltbray and site owner SSE engaging with residents throughout.

Bobby Ellis, Keltbray Senior Project Manager, Demolition & Construction said: “This morning’s blowdown was a success. The demolition was months in planning and marks another major milestone in history, not only in Ferrybridge but in the UK in general.

“Keltbray is committed to being considerate to the communities in which we operate. As well as engaging with local residents, we put in place comprehensive ground monitoring to ensure the surrounding structures were unaffected by the blowdown, and we’re pleased to report that the activity went ahead safely and efficiently.

“The demolition activities are part of SSE and Keltbray’s ongoing commitment to be low-carbon and focus on renewable energy, in line with the UK’s ambition for net zero carbon emissions by 2050. I’d like to say a massive well done and thanks to the project team for all their hard work. Also thanks to the local community for their patience and cooperation.”

SSE Group Energy and Commercial Director, Martin Pibworth said:“This blowdown represents a major milestone in our decommissioning of Ferrybridge ‘C’ and is another special and poignant moment for the local community, with the power station playing a major role in so many people’s lives.

“As the UK looks to lead by example in tackling climate change, SSE is committed to driving the transition to a net zero future with a core focus on renewable energy, backed up by cutting-edge, low-carbon power stations.

“This latest blowdown was many months in planning, and we have worked closely with local residents, Wakefield Council, West Yorkshire Police, the Highways Agency and the Civil Aviation Authority to ensure a safe and efficient demolition.”

Highways England gets new name and CEO

August 20, 2021