Strike threat by cement drivers adds to materials woes

Lorry drivers employed by Hanson on the Castle Cement contract are holding a strike ballot in a dispute over pay.

The 200 plus lorry drivers and engineers, who are members of Unite, have rejected a pay offer of 2.5% for this year.

Unite added that “the workforce is deeply unhappy about the high handed management style and a marked lack of dignity at work.”

Drivers deliver dry cement to major sites and merchants across the country.

The ballot will open on Friday 10 September and close on Friday 23 September If members vote for strike action industrial action could begin this October.

Unite national officer Adrian Jones said: “Our members are simply not going to accept a pay offer which amounts to a pay cut in real terms.

“With the ongoing driver shortage, our members are seeking a pay increase which recognises their hard work and dedication.

“If strikes do occur then it will have major implications for the construction industry. Supplies of cement will quickly run out, which will result in projects being delayed.”

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Farrans starts 20-storey Leeds student block

Farrans Construction has started work on a 20-storey student accommodation block in Leeds city centre for client Infinity Construction Enterprises.

The development, which will be known as Live Oasis: Strato, will provide 210 studio apartments and is expected to complete in September 2023.


New tower, designed by Rio Architects, is being built on the site of Commerce House on Wade Lane

Cathal Montague, regional director for Farrans Construction, said: “This is an exciting project for Farrans, in one of the most ambitious and energetic cities in the UK at the moment, and it further cements our portfolio in the midlands and north of England.

“We are about to complete a similar multi-storey project in Coventry called Elliott’s Yard, and our client was able to see that we are experienced in delivering technically challenging projects of this nature, in a central location, with a small site footprint and using Modern Methods of Construction.”

Omar Al-Najafi from Infinity Construction Enterprises, said: “We have been operating in Leeds for many years and we know that this part of the city has been evolving from a typically office- based environment to one of high residential demand, particularly from the growing student population.

The development will push the boundaries in terms of the experience students can expect in Leeds.”

 

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Vital Energi lands deal to save City of London money

Vital Energi has been awarded a contract by the City of London Corporation to guarantee energy savings of over £480,000 a year and annual carbon savings of over 1,000 tonnes.

The project will be delivered through the Greater London Authority’s Retrofit Accelerator framework designed to help make London’s non-domestic public buildings and assets more energy efficient, and the works will to be funded via the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS).

Vital Energi will deliver multi-technology solutions through Energy Conservation Measures, which will improve energy performance within five of the City’s most iconic buildings, including the Barbican Centre, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and the City Corporation’s Guildhall headquarters.

Energy Conservation Measures will include pipe distribution repairs, ventilation distribution repairs, pipe insulation, Air Handling Unit EC fan retrofit, LED lighting, and metering, to reduce energy use, unnecessary heat loss and help improve comfort conditions for building users.

As well as upgrading and optimising Building Management Systems (BMS), Vital Energi will also install Vital View, which is a BMS performance monitoring system. This will help deliver continuous improvement and drive energy efficiency, carbon reduction and help enhance future projects through gaining a detailed understanding of building operations and usage characteristics.

Rob Callaghan, Managing Director of Vital Energi for the London and Southern Division, said: “Vital Energi employ a talented team of designers, engineers and financial model specialists to deliver clients real carbon savings through commercially viable solutions in terms of payback against capital spend. We don’t just do the work and hand back the building, each year we will monitor and verify the savings.

“We are delighted that the City of London Corporation has appointed us as its contractor of choice to carry out these essential works which will help decarbonise its corporate estate and build a robust zero carbon roadmap.”

City of London Corporation Finance Committee Chairman, Jamie Ingham Clark, said: “This partnership with Vital Energi will enable us to take practical, positive, sustainable steps to make our buildings more energy efficient, delivering the twin benefits of reducing carbon emissions and saving money.

“The project will play a significant role in enabling us to achieve the ambitious targets set out in our Climate Action Strategy, which commits us to achieving net zero carbon status in our buildings by 2027 and across our investments and supply chain by 2040.”

N G Bailey raids SES for new London director

Building services contractor NG Bailey has hired former SES building services director Matthew Towner as regional director for London.

Towner has worked as operations director for the London region of SES Engineering Services for the past three and a half years.

He has also previously held senior operational roles at Balfour Beatty Engineering Services and Lorne Stuart.

Towner said: “I’m excited to be joining the team in London after admiring the work they’ve done on projects such as Wood Wharf and London Bridge Station.”

NG Bailey also appointed Andrew French as director of ICT. He joins after three years as technology and IT director at MWH Treatment.

His role will see him overseeing the continued development and modernisation of the company’s ICT systems and infrastructure to maintain its position as an industry leader.