Akela Group moves into England with new Leeds hub

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Scottish civils contractor Akela Group is moving into the English market with the opening of a new division in Leeds.

The new North of England hub will lead expansion plans outside of Akela’s traditional Scottish base.

The firm expects its business to grow by 10% over the next two years as a result of the move.


The new Leeds team will be led by Construction Manager, Martin Leahy, who brings over 15 years industry experience having previously worked with the Robertson Group and Laing O’Rourke.

Group company Akela Ground Engineering has secured its first contract at Knaresborough in the North of Yorkshire and is currently tendering for a variety of new housing and commercial build contracts throughout the county.

Across Scotland the Akela Group currently employs 300 staff providing civil engineering, construction, piling and training services.


Mark Markey, Akela Group Managing Director, said: “We are delighted to see our long term ambition to expand and grow the company in front of a UK audience come to fruition. We are seeing increased levels of demand for the wide range of ground engineering and civil engineering services, particularly in the North of England and we are well placed to meet that growing demand.

“The opening of the Leeds hub presents an excellent growth opportunity for the Akela Group and it will bring an abundance of employment opportunities and economic benefits to the region and beyond.”

Leahy said: “It’s an exciting time for the Akela Group and there is a huge opportunity to grow the business in the North and I am delighted to be leading the team at the new Leeds hub.

“I am passionate about collaboration and delivering insightful solutions for clients and l look forward to working on a wide range of projects as we realise the growth ambitions in the North of England.”

Inquiry starts into construction of Scottish hospitals

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The independent Inquiry into the construction of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital Campus (QEUH) in Glasgow and the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People and Department of Clinical Neurosciences (RHCYP/DCN) in Edinburgh starts today.

The Scottish Hospitals Inquiry will hear from affected patients and families when the first oral hearings begin on Monday.

The inquiry will determine how issues relating to adequacy of ventilation, water contamination and other matters impacted on patient safety and care and whether these issues could have been prevented.

It will also examine the impact of these issues on patients and their families and whether the buildings provide a suitable environment for the delivery of safe, effective care. It will make recommendations to ensure any past mistakes are not repeated in future NHS infrastructure projects.

The inquiry was ordered after patients at the Glasgow hospital died from infections linked to pigeon droppings and the water supply, and the opening of the Edinburgh site was delayed due to concerns over the ventilation system.

Lord Brodie, Chair of the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry said: “No other group has been more affected by these issues than the patients and families from whom we will be hearing in the next few weeks.

“Their experiences will help inform future lines of investigation as we turn our attention to subsequent phases of the Inquiry.

“This first diet of hearings is the culmination of a year of preparation, providing us with a foundation to ensure that the Inquiry is led by the evidence it uncovers during the course of its lifetime.

“Ultimately, our role is to understand what went wrong with the construction of these hospitals so lessons can be learned to prevent the recurrence of such issues in the future.”

The following organisations have been designated as core participants by the Chair:

Currie & Brown UK LimitedGreater Glasgow Health BoardIBI Group (UK) LimitedIHS Lothian LimitedLothian Health BoardMott MacDonald LimitedMultiplex Construction Europe LimitedNHS National Services ScotlandScottish Futures TrustThe Scottish MinistersTÜV SÜD Limited

 

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Thompsons blow down iconic Dorman Long tower – video

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Thompsons of Prudhoe successfully brought down the iconic Dorman Long tower at the former Redcar steelworks in an explosive demolition over the weekend.

The building was brought down in the early hours of Sunday morning in a series of 10 second controlled explosions which saw four major structures demolished at once.

The project went ahead after new culture secretary Nadine Dorries overturned a decision by Historic England last week to grade II list the concrete coal silo, which campaigners were battling to save as a symbol of Britain’s industrial heritage on Teesside.

An independent report by engineers Atkins showed “ongoing and irreversible” damage to the structure meant it could cost between £7m and £9m to secure and maintain.

Concrete cracking and weakening saw concerns raised about demolition costs rising further in future years.


Structures before being brought down in controlled demolition by Thompsons

The demolition, which was carried out at night in order to avoid disruption to train services, paves the way for a mammoth new factory to manufacture wind turbine blades.


Wind turbine manufacturing and assembly facility at Teesworks

The huge 800,000 sq ft facility, in the South Bank zone of the Teesworks site, will sit alongside a new 1km heavy lift quay, creating the UK’s premier location for offshore wind.

Construction is due to begin in October sustaining 2,250 construction jobs before the factory comes on line.

The first blade is expected to roll off the production line in 2023, with the factory serving Dogger Bank, the world’s largest wind farm located just 80 miles off the North East coast.

 

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Builders’ merchants merge to create 123-branch chain

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Grant & Stone Group and Independent Builders Merchant Group have merged to create a 123-branch chain across southern England.

The expanded IBMG will now boast revenues of over £500m and employ over 1,700 staff.

The latest deal comes after a spate of major merger and acquisition activity in the construction distribution sector.

The expanded group now covers Cornwall to Kent and comprises builders’ merchants, electrical wholesalers, plumbers’ merchants, kitchen and bathroom showrooms, roofing merchants, a timber processing site, and a dedicated ecommerce business.

With the support and investment from their strategic partner, Cairngorm Capital, both businesses have scaled-up in recent years.

IBMG has grown from 15 branches and revenues of £67m just over three years ago to 39 branches and revenues of over £200m.

In parallel, Grant & Stone has grown from 29 branches in the Thames Valley and revenues of £100m two years ago to 84 branches between London and Cornwall, and revenues in excess of £300m.

The merger creates the largest independent builders’ merchant group in southern England.

At a group level, the new combined company will be known as Independent Builders Merchant Group although existing trading names and brands will continue to be used for all customer-facing activity.

IBMG’s 12 brands

Buildit, Chandlers Building Supplies, Chandlers Roofing, CRS Building Supplies, Devondale Electrical, Fairalls Builders Merchants, Grant & Stone, Parkers Building Supplies, RGB Building Supplies, Stamco Timber, Total Plumbing Supplies, and Trading Depot.

Nick House, Group Chief Executive of Grant & Stone, will lead the new combined IBMG business, with Peter Cudd (Group Managing Director).

Nick House, group chief executive of IBMG, said: “This merger is the natural progression for both companies. Our branch networks and product ranges are highly complementary and our values, vision and commitment to customers are completely aligned, which creates exciting opportunities for us all.”

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First contractor fined after 316,000 HSE Covid spot checks

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A construction contractor has become the first firm fined following a Covid spot check at a site in Manchester.

The HSE revealed it has carried-out 316,000 Covid spot checks across all industries since the start of the pandemic – with only one prosecution so far.

Manchester Magistrates’ Court heard that on 9 July 2020, a safety inspector performed a proactive Covid-19 spot check at a construction site in the city.

During the inspection, a host of safety issues were identified including working at height, welfare, Covid-19, site security, and electricity. The principal contractor was served with a Prohibition Notice and two Improvement Notices.

A return inspection was made on the 17 August 2020, after very little communication from the principal contractor. Little or no improvements had been made regarding the issues and additional enforcement action was required, including a further Prohibition Notice regarding an unsupported excavation.

It was subsequently established that the contractor had failed to comply with any of the Improvement Notices HSE had served.

Principal contractor Umar Akram Khatab, now resident in Bradford, pleaded guilty to safety breaches and was sentenced to a 12-month community order. He was also ordered to pay £3,000 towards costs and a victim surcharge of £95.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Rebecca Vaudrey said: “HSE prides itself on being a proportionate and evidence-based regulator. Since the beginning of the pandemic HSE has carried out more than 316,000 Covid spot checks, with the priority to urgently make workplaces safe from transmission risks, rather than heavy-handed enforcement.

“These checks have demonstrated that the majority of employers want to do the right thing to ensure their workers go home safe and well.

“This is the first prosecution to arise from the Spot Check programme. We’ve repeatedly stressed that prosecution is a last resort, but this case clearly illustrates that where there is consistent disregard to Covid or other risks to employees’ health and safety, HSE will use its powers to take action.”

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Bourne hires new engineering director

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Steelwork specialist Bourne Group has appointed Denis McNelis as group engineering director to spread its reach into new projects.

Before joining Bourne, McNelis operated at a director and technical engineering manager level on significant projects across the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the UAE.

With over 16 years of experience working in design consultancy and a further 17 years in construction, he has worked on projects ranging from sports stadiums to bridges, to large scale industrial buildings and refurbishment projects including his two most recent projects, the new Abu Dhabi Airport Midfield Terminal and the iconic Museum of the Future in Dubai.


Denis brings a passion for construction across all forms of projects, while leveraging his strength in design and BIM.

Steve Govier, CEO for Bourne Group, said: “Denis has built a well-earned reputation and his appointment is aimed at ensuring that all of the Bourne Group companies remain at the forefront of the latest engineering and technology practices and are well placed to support future growth and diversification into new products and markets.”

McNelis said: “I am looking forward to working with the very experienced team at Bourne, to help expand the areas of work that the Bourne Group operates within

 

HSE shuts M6 job after excavator topples into trench

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Health and Safety Executive investigators have shut down a section of the M6 smart motorway widening after a 13 tonne excavator was upended in the central reservation last Friday.

The excavator operator is understood to have escaped without injury but shaken after his machine toppled backwards into a central reservation drainage trench on the Costain project just north of junction 21A.

Thomas Plant had the short radius excavator on hire, which was being used by Manchester drainage contractor SGC Civil Engineering for drainage works in the central reservation area.

HSE inspectors are now understood to have shut the site down for the rest of this week to carry out an investigation into the incident.

 

Manchester crane driver rescued after falling ill in cab

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Emergency services rescued a tower crane driver in Manchester on Friday after the man fell ill in his cab.

The Falcon crane driver had to be lowered down in a stretcher by emergency services at the Northern Quarter site in Manchester.

The man was then quickly admitted to hospital, where he is in stable condition, Greater Manchester Police have said.

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said: “We were called at around 9.15am this morning (17 September) following reports that a man had fallen ill while inside a crane on Oldham Street, Manchester.

“Emergency services are attending and police are assisting with road closures.”

Four fire engines along with the Technical Response Unit was involved in the rescue operation. They used used specialist height equipment, including an open air platform and turntable ladder, to reach a 42 year old man who was then assessed by North West Ambulance Service .

A fire services spokesman said: “The man was lowered to the ground using specialist rope equipment before being conveyed to hospital by NWAS.”

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Taylor Wimpey MD joins Weston Homes

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Weston Homes has appointed Peter Gore as Group Operations Director.

Gore joins from Taylor Wimpey where he has been managing director of the London region for the last three  years.

He has previously worked in senior delivery and construction director roles at Barratt Homes and Mount Anvil on projects ranging from traditional housing through to complex multi-storey scheme.

Over the last five years Weston Homes has purchased land sites that will deliver £2.13bn worth of residential and mixed use development across outer London and the South East which includes 20 current active sites and over 7,500 new homes in the pipeline.

Gore said: “I am delighted to be joining the group at an exciting time of major growth and expansion. The business has a highly diverse range of developments, including a series of major landmark schemes commencing and many others in the pipeline.”

Bob Weston, Chairman and Manging Director at Weston Homes added: “Peter Gore brings with him a wealth of construction, team development and customer satisfaction experience which will be instrumental as Weston Homes undertakes the delivery of our sizable portfolio of developments, as we work to meet the rising demand for housing in London and the South East.”

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Plans in for Lancashire 1,700 inmate prison

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Plans have been submitted for a major new prison in Lancashire adjacent to HMP Garth and HMP Wymott near the town Leyland.

The prison is one of four planned as part of the Ministry of Justice’s £1bn New Prisons Programme.

This is being delivered by a framework of preselected contractors: ISG, Kier, Laing O’Rourke and Wates.


HMP Wymott 2 will be located between two existing prisons

The new prison to be known as HMP Wymott 2 will be a category C prison with over 1,700 inmates.

They will be held in seven new house blocks rising to four storeys, each and containing around 245 prisoners.

The 74,500 sq m prison will be delivered in several phases. The site will initially need

demolition of existing buildings and structures, together with associated engineering works.

Due to the new prison’s proposed location, the relocation of an existing energy centre and bowling club form part of the overall scheme.

Phase 2 and 3 will require construction of the replacement bowling green and club house, a new boiler house and car park for the new prison.

The main prison blocks will be constructed in the fourth phase.

MoJ designer Perfect Circle is to develop site-specific design proposals for Garth Wymott 2 to RIBA Stage 3.

The prison is targeting net-zero carbon operation, a minimum 20% biodiversity net gain. and at least BREEAM Excellent with the possibility of achieving an Outstanding rating.

Other prisons in the pipeline include Full Sutton, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, another new category c prison planned on land adjacent to HMP Grendon and HMP Springhill in Buckinghamshire.

Mace has conducted the feasibility studies for the prison programme and locations.

 

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