Premier Construction Magazine Issue 17-2

Roma Publications Volume 17 - Issue 2

GoogleOne of the funkiest workplaces in London is completed

McLaren Production CentreDavid Cameron praises new state-of-the-art centre

MediaCityUKEmbracing a future that

isn’t London-centric

Jubilee 2New health centre

makes exercise facilities available for all

4 P R E M I E R C O N S T R U C T I O N

5R O M A P U B L I C A T I O N S



Managing Director: Marcus HowarthEditor: Charlotte Emily Brazier Assistant Editor: Alex WigganProduction Manager: Nicola OwenAdvert Co-ordinator: Joanne Murphy Published by: Roma Publications Ltd. t: 01706 719 972 f: 0845 458 4446 e: [email protected] w: www.romauk.net

Graphic Design by: www.marcusmacaulay.co.uk

© Roma Publications Ltd. All contents are copyright. All rights are reserved. No part may be stored in any retrieval system or transmitted in any form without prior written permission from the publishers. Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy, no responsibility can be accepted for inaccuracies however caused. Contributed material does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the publisher. The editorial policy and general layout of this publication are at the discretion of the publisher and no debate will be entered into. No responsibility can be accepted for illustrations, artwork or photographs whilst in transmission with the publishers or their agents unless a commitment is made in writing prior to the receipt of such terms.

PREMIER CONSTRUCTION Volume 17 • Issue 2

Contents

North WestMediaCityUK.....................................................................................................12

Bidston Moss Viaduct.......................................................................................14

North East & YorkshireManchester Road..............................................................................................17

Elland Road stadium........................................................................................20

Metro: All Change.............................................................................................25

Midlands & East Anglia Harper Adams University College...................................................................27

Jubilee 2............................................................................................................31

A1073 Spalding to Eye Improvement Scheme...............................................33

South WestTwin Sails Bridge...............................................................................................39

London & South EastGranville Road Tower Blocks...........................................................................42

McLaren Production Centre............................................................................47

Crossrail Limited...............................................................................................51

Google Engineers HQ......................................................................................60

WalesA487 Glandyfi Improvement............................................................................70

Pant Y Wal Wind Farm......................................................................................72

ScotlandSt. John’s Church, Dunoon..............................................................................74

The Beacon........................................................................................................77

Port Glasgow.....................................................................................................78

IrelandESB....................................................................................................................88

Gibbet Hill Wind Farm......................................................................................94

Overseas EWEA Offshore Energy 2011...........................................................................96

Butendiek Offshore Wind Farm.......................................................................98

Dear readers, When reading the newspaper, it has become the norm to read stories of unemployment, state handouts and benefit fraud. In an age where those who don’t work are rewarded more than those who do, it is often the case that people who work hard every day are left ignored.

Theodore Roosevelt once said: “Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.”

In this issue of the magazine, we celebrate the work of inspirational companies as they set about changing the ways in which we work and live.

We now invite you, readers, to join us as we applaud those who are working hard to build our future.


Ever since the UK Government introduced the solar PV Feed-in-Tariff (FiT) scheme in April 2010, the solar photo-voltaic industry has experienced a roller coaster of highs and lows. As the industry got to grips with new opportunities that the

scheme presented, the first unexpected fast track review took place in April 2011. This resulted in installations larger than 50 kWp receiving dramatic reductions in FiT rates, including a re-duction of over 70% for systems of 100 kWp. A further review in October 2011 led to smaller community and residential schemes seeing FiT rates reduced by over 50%. Notwithstanding the Government’s budgetary concerns, many

within the industry justifiably criticised the FiT scheme manage-ment as being unreliable for business planning and investment processes. However, Wirsol Solar UK Limited is proud to count itself as one of the organisations that has enjoyed success throughout this period and is keen to continue with solar PV in the UK for the long-haul. Part of the German based Wirsol Solar AG group, Wirsol Solar

UK Limited is Europe’s largest privately owned solar PV group. The company is internationally recognised as an experienced and professional provider of cutting-edge technical and financ-ing solutions for solar photovoltaic projects and its aim is to deliver an impressive first year of operations in the UK industry to rival any other PV company. Proud of their status as solar specialists, Wirsol provide con-

sultation, design, planning, installation, maintenance, support and financing for all types of installation. This includes residen-tial, commercial, large scale solar parks and wholesale distribu-tion. By coordinating all of these aspects, Wirsol has been able to act as a one-stop shop for its customers, providing efficient solar energy production and the best possible financial returns.Founded in January 2003 by current Chief Executive Markus

Wirth and his co-founder Stefan Riel, Wirsol began life focused upon residential solar installations in and around Waghäusel in the Rhine Valley, Germany. As the appetite for renewable energy in Germany increased, Wirsol proactively met this demand by

expanding its business from residential to commercial projects and eventually into solar parks.This expansion soon grew beyond Germany and Wirsol now

have offices in Spain, France, Italy, Turkey, Benelux, Switzerland, the USA and Canada. Its concentrated presence in Europe has allowed the company to achieve a current installation total of over 5,000, ranging from 2 kWp domestic systems up to 35 MW for industrial scale solar parks. To date, over 250 MW has been installed and operated.Some months after the UK FiT was introduced, former Group

Business Development Director Peter Davies took on the role of UK Managing Director in order to establish a regional business unit for the company. After 20 years as a property developer working in the USA and Germany’s energy sector, Peter quickly set out to build a team that would drive the UK business forward. This eventually became the Wirsol Solar UK directing board.A decision was made very early in the life of Wirsol Solar UK

Limited to focus on residential sales and commercial rooftop projects. Every project is bespoke and designed to deliver the best and most appropriate installation for the customers’ re-quirements. Early success was achieved locally with installations at

Sharnbrook Upper School in Bedfordshire and Witham Garage in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire. These early installations proved to be a valuable learning experience for the then small installation team, however it was another long-standing re-lationship that was to prove instrumental in Wirsol Solar UK’s success. The company partnered with Rugby based Stepnell Limited for a fast track assault into the industrial scale solar park market.From a pipeline of 28 projects, an unexpectedly reduced win-

dow of opportunity meant that Wirsol and Stepnell decided to focus on attacking just four 5 MW projects in Northamptonshire, the Cotswolds, West Sussex and Hampshire. None of the pro-jects were gift wrapped and involved various planning, con-nection and land owner issues. These had to be managed and resolved within 27 days to ensure full compliance with planning

Spotlight on a successful year for Wirsol Solar UK



consents, DNO requirements and ultimately the FiT legislation for accreditation of installations. This all had to be completed before the eligibility cut-off date for higher FiT rates was reached.After undertaking a swift project analysis and selection pro-

cess, the projects in the pipeline were prioritised to those which the company felt were feasible. Despite this, there was still no guarantee that the projects could be delivered as grid connec-tivity, supply chain and key item deliveries, project management and finance were all still deciding factors in order for everything to proceed.Thanks to a good working relationship between Wirsol Solar

UK Limited and Stepnell Limited, all four solar parks were deliv-ered as planned to be awarded full FiT accreditation.Wirsol UK provided all design, procurement, supply chain

logistics and project management for all solar specialist sub-contractors, installing piles, modules and electrical works at the sites. Its partner and principal contractor Stepnell provided site operations management and general contracting services across the portfolio. Stepnell Limited Director, Richard Wakeford, said: “The coor-

dination and logistics of delivering and installing thousands of piles, tens of thousands of panels, and kilometres of cabling in a very short timeframe using national and foreign contractors was quite challenging.”Richard and his brother, Managing Director Mark Wakeford

have led Stepnell’s advances into renewable technologies to support their construction and development work in the educa-tional, medical, retirement and care sectors. More recently, they have worked with Peter Davies on specific stand-alone solar projects. Richard added: “Our capabilities in the successful delivery of

these large solar schemes with our partner Wirsol UK demon-strates a good understanding of both the technology and our management strength, and also adds to our diverse portfolio of experience.”Within the short timeframe Wirsol Solar UK and Stepnell Limited

installed 84,632 solar PV modules totalling 19.813 MW over 151 acres in four counties. Wirsol’s industrial rooftop customers were pleased to see large scale installations commissioned and accredited ahead of the FiT deadline, with the largest believed to be the UK’s largest single commercial rooftop installation in Coventry. This development includes approximately 5,000 pan-els and an installed capacity of 1,176 kWp.

Not content with delivery of these significant projects, Wirsol UK Limited has maintained a steady flow of residential system installations, including work for the NHS and Local Authorities. Peter Davies has also established and built a thriving e-com-merce platform as the hub of the team’s UK wholesale opera-tion, Solar4Trade.Building the UK business so quickly has required good and

trusted advisors who understand and can work easily with fast moving business entrepreneurs. This includes receiving advice from Midlands based corporate and renewables team, DFA Law Solicitors.DFA Law Solicitors Partner, John Keeble, said: “Solar PV is

relatively new to the UK and we have had to re-write the rules in some areas. This project was no exception and it threw up some interesting challenges, not least being the co-ordination of legal advisers in different countries during the construction process, and for various re-financings afterwards.”DFA Law has built a portfolio of green sector clients and ad-

vises in the fields of wind, solar and sustainable construction. It has recently provided advice on fundraising, joint ventures, property leases, EPC/O&M contracts and general commercial matters. John Keeble added: “2011 was a busy year for the renewables

sector and despite the general gloomy economic outlook and the recent furore surrounding changes to the Feed-in-Tariff, we expect this to continue into 2012 and beyond. It has been an extraordinary first year of trading for the Wirsol

UK business, during which time 23 MW has been installed and managed on behalf of Wirsol AG.Wirsol Solar UK Managing Director, Peter Davies, said: “It is genuinely an honour to have been given the responsibility

of a blank sheet of paper, a mandate and the authority to estab-lish and build this UK business from zero. We have been able to build upon the already established strong Wirsol European brand to deliver a new, profitable and successful UK enterprise. “As ever, success demands team work and we have achieved

ours this year with great partners and advisors, who have all played an important role in our success. I have to thank my fel-low directors, management and staff, as well as our partners, advisors and colleagues in Germany for supporting us in deliv-ering our successes in 2011.”For more information, visit www.wirsol.co.uk



Nor th West

The creation of MediaCityUK in Salford Quays marks the innovative concept of embracing a future that isn’t London-centric, according to BBC North director Peter Salmon. The vision of the scheme is to create a globally significant new

media city that will be capable of competing with similar emerg-ing developments in locations as varied as Copenhagen, Seoul and Singapore. The intention is to create a modern digital city for the UK, where creative talent is nurtured by an innovative environment and an exciting mix of people. A new headquarters for BBC North will be established, en-

compassing: BBC Sport, Children’s, Radio 5 Live, Learning and parts of Future Media and Technology. Some of the BBC’s most iconic shows, including Match of the Day, Blue Peter, Dragon’s Den and Question of Sport will now be broadcast from MediaCityUK. All content for the TV channel BBC 3 will be produced from

the Salford Quay’s site, whilst ITV Granada will move to Media City in 2012. The Greenhouse is the latest addition to MediaCityUK,

providing office space on short lease contracts for small pro-duction companies. A new production centre for Coronation Street is also being built on Trafford Wharf, next to Imperial War Museum North. In addition, dedicated officers have also been earmarked within MediaCityUK’s Orange Tower, which will house ITV Studios’ production and management teams and ITV regional news. The £650m project – owned and managed by The Peel

Group, one of the UK’s leading infrastructure, real estate and investment enterprises – will see the relocation of 1,500 BBC staff from London or the BBC’s existing North West head-quarters in Manchester. This includes the 25% of Marketing, Communications & Audiences and 33% of Connect & Create staff that are prepared to relocate. The BBC said that in total,

55% of the staff affected by the move have now agreed to re-locate, including volunteers from outside those departments going to Salford. The move from London reflects the growing opinion that me-

dia giants such as the BBC and ITV need to widen their scope and develop exciting new media outside of London. In 2007, Sir Michael Lyons, who heads the BBC Trust, told the Royal Television Society that the loyalty of viewers outside of London was dwindling as a result of their perception that the BBC fails to reflect their communities or interests. Greater Manchester is certainly an excellent place to relo-

cate: it is acknowledged as a leader in the creative and digital industries, boasting more than 20,000 companies and almost 150,000 employees. Indeed, it was reported that between 2002 and 2007, there was an 88.5% increase in productivity (Source: NWDA). The project has engaged with numerous public sector bodies,

including the Northwest Regional Development Agency, Salford City Council and the Salford Urban Regeneration Company. So far, 2,000 people have been involved in construction and 7.3 million man hours have been spent on site. The intention is to establish MediaCityUK on approximately 220 hectares of land in and around Salford Quays and Trafford Wharfside, with the 14.8ha Quays Point site at its core. The area covered is bounded by Eccles New Road, Trafford Road, Ordsall Lane, Trafford Park Road and the Manchester Ship Canal. Phase One of the development – which is spread over 36

acres and has the potential to develop up to 200 acres over the coming years – has included: 780,870 sq ft of commercial office accommodation spread across 6 buildings, 60 000 sq ft of retail, a 250,000 sq ft studio complex, 378 apartments across 2 buildings, a 218-bed Holiday Inn hotel, a 2,300 space multi-storey car park, a 5-acre piazza including a hard standing area

Embracing a media future away from London: MediaCityUK


for events, The Greenhouse (office accommodation) and The Pie Factory (sound stages and office accommodation). MediaCityUK is the first scheme in the world to become a

BREEAM-approved sustainable community by incorporat-ing leading-edge design into the individual buildings and elsewhere across the campus. The tri-generation power plant helps to minimise CO2 emissions by centralising heating and cooling equipment for the buildings by utilising water from the Manchester Ship Canal before returning it cleaner than before. The project has also developed strong links to the neighbour-

ing community. Salford University is creating a new higher education centre at MediaCityUK, which has been designed to accommodate 1,700 students and staff and offers 40 courses from journalism, animation and TV documentary-making to technology-based programmes. It has also recently signed a sponsorship deal with the Salford City Reds; their logo will be the main sponsor on the kit from the start of the 2012 season, providing additional branding for the media complex throughout the new £26m Salford Community Stadium. MediaCityUK has already played host to a range of events,

including the Manchester International Festival, Rugby League World Cup Launch and the BBC Philharmonic Presents festival. Those involved on the project have hit back at criticism levelled

at MediaCityUK. Indeed, the striking architectural design has been put forward for a Carbuncle Cup - an award for the ‘worst new building of the year’ - whilst documents drawn up by BBC managers express the concern that the move north ‘could turn out to be an £877m white elephant responsible for a decline in programme quality’. Peter Salmon has in turn urged the critics to: “take a step back and look at the bigger picture, to stop their hectoring and begin to embrace a future that isn’t London-centric.”


Nor th West

The early completion of strengthening works for the M53 Bidston Moss Viaduct on the Wirral has enabled historic weight restrictions to be removed. The early completion has signalled a triumph for the early

contractor involvement (ECI) procurement route. The integrated ECI team comprises the Highways Agency (who are also rep-resenting Merseytravel and Wirral Council), main contractor Costain and architects Amey. In addition, Cleveland Bridge UK was contracted for the strengthening, Denholm for the access/blasting/painting and VVB for the power and electrical works. Highways Agency North West Director, Andrew Watson,

said: “The fact that it has been achieved three months early is evidence of how well the project is being delivered. Everyone involved in the project – organisation and individual – should take a great deal of credit in getting this 11-year old problem on the network solved.”Opened in 1970, the Bidston Moss Viaduct is the main route

into the Kingsway Tunnel under the River Mersey. The 730m long box girder bridge carries the M53 over the A554 roundabout and the Birkenhead to New Brighton railway and is used by over 50,000 vehicles daily, including 3,000 heavy goods vehicles. It is jointly owned by the Highways Agency, Wirral Borough Council and Mersey Travel. After completing a range of technical surveys, studies and as-

sessment, it was concluded that online strengthening would be the best option. The complex critical strengthening work has required 100km of new weld in extremely confined conditions in order to strengthen the 3.7km of steel box girder. Over one million man-hours have been spent working on the

project, which has included the strengthening of 62 boxes, pier repairs, highway deck replacement and the replacement of lighting and electrics. Works began on site in March 2009 and the £89.9m project

remains on target to be the first scheme of its type to be com-pleted on time and below budget in spring 2012. Costain Project Manager, Simon Ellison, said: “Equally satisfy-

ing to delivering the main scheme objective early was the way in which it’s been delivered. It’s been a focused integrated team effort from day one. The fact that the strengthening has been handed over completely defect free and without any lost time or accidents demonstrates the capability and commitment of all those involved. In line with our original promise, we have maintained the M53 motorway at maximum capacity during all peak times and we haven’t had a single traffic delay complaint throughout the life of the project.”

Lean Division The Highways Agency (HA) formed a Lean Division in April 2009, focusing on improving performance both internally and across their supply chain’s operations. Costain and the HA have introduced collaborative planning

through onsite daily meetings which are attended by senior management and a supervisor from each subcontractor. In these meetings each representative sets out a plan for the ac-tivities that they wish to complete the next day. If a task is not completed, the reason is recorded in order to identify trends and ensure that the root causes of any problems are addressed.

Bidston Moss viaduct is completed ahead of schedule


Nor th East & Yorksh i re

Doncaster’s economy continues to go from strength to strength as work on the first phase of the town’s £300 mil-lion Civic and Cultural Quarter (CCQ) gathers pace.This major regeneration project is being delivered by Doncaster

Council and development partner Muse Developments and it has already begun to transform the skyline in the Waterdale area of Doncaster’s town centre. The first phase includes the construction of new civic offices, a

much awaited new performance venue and a new civic square. New town centre housing, a refurbished multi-storey car park and new road layouts are also included in the ambitious plans. Wates Construction is responsible for the construction of the

civic offices, which will become the new headquarters for the Council. Overlooking the new public square, the new offices are on track to be completed in September 2012 and are expected to help to encourage people back into the Waterdale area. The new public square is progressing well and North Midland

Construction is on schedule to complete this and the various other public spaces in the spring. Five raised terraced lawns and attractive areas of tree planting

will frame the main square, whilst natural and robust materials like yorkstone, sandstone, granite and cast stone will feature throughout the classic design. In order to create a space that can be used both during the day

and at night, modern character lighting will serve to highlight key routes. The flexible space will also include a piece of public art and a water feature to provide animation and a source of play.VINCI Construction UK started work on the new £20million

performance venue in September 2011, with the 18-month build expected to be completed in spring 2013. The modern building is the focal point of the development and

will comprise: a 600 seat main auditorium, 200 seat/400 stand-ing flexible performing space, drama studio, dance studio, edu-cation spaces, foyer, bar, box office, dressing rooms, circulation and ancillary spaces and a café. With so many uses available, the venue will offer something for everyone.Mayor of Doncaster, Peter Davies, said: “The new perfor-

mance venue will be the cultural heartbeat of the development and promises to be another wonderful addition to Doncaster’s growing portfolio of attractions. Doncaster has much to look forward to.”Muse Developments Projects Director, Michael Broadhead,

added: “The Civic and Cultural quarter is really taking shape. The next piece in the puzzle - the NPV will put the culture into the Quarter, attracting top class performers and artists to Doncaster and providing public areas for visitors to enjoy.”The £2.5 million refurbishment of the 850-space southern

multi-storey car park was carried out by Muse’s sister company, Morgan Sindall. The new Civic Quarter Car Park has benefited from an extensive range of improvements including upgrades to the CCTV system, the installation of better lighting, new lifts, repairs to the concrete parking levels and an extensive repaint-ing programme.In November 2011, the car park received the prestigious

Park Mark® award from the police and the British Parking Association. The CCQ has been supported financially by Arts Council

England and the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund will play an important role in Doncaster’s economic future. The town is benefiting from significant levels of private sector investment, whilst jobs are being created and the town’s image to the wider world is being improved.

A boost for Doncaster’s economy



After almost four years, motorists in the North East are finally able to make use of the fully operational New Tyne Crossing. The aim of the project was to dual the A19

beneath the Tyne by constructing a second road tunnel. The new road tunnel provides southbound traffic with two lanes, whilst the

original refurbished tunnel consists of two lanes of traffic for northbound travellers. Elected Mayor for North Tyneside, Mrs. Linda

Arkley, said: “This is a pivotal event for North Tyneside, and for the region as a whole. Now that we have two vehicle tunnels carrying traffic under the Tyne - supported by the initial improvements to the junction at Silverlink - we will see a transformation of traffic flow on the A19, making a huge difference for drivers who use the route.” She added: “The TT2 project has provided us

with an enviable link to the south of the region, which can only encourage more

people to live, shop and do business here - and that is fantastic news for the borough.” As the flow of traffic

has almost quadrupled from 24,000 vehicles to an estimated 80,000, the implementation of two road tunnels will help to reduce congestion dramatically. It is only the third project of its kind in Britain and has already saved motorists both time and money on their daily commute. This is welcome news for motorists, as a May

2011 Inrix Traffic Services survey previously identified the Tyne Tunnel as the fourth worst traffic hotspot in the UK. Chairman of the Tyne and Wear Integrated

Transport Authority, Councillor David Wood, said: “I look forward to not hearing the Tyne Tunnels mentioned on every traffic bulletin as a pinch-point on the region’s roads!“This milestone is the culmination of a lot of

hard work by thousands of people. I pay tribute especially to the contribution made by the Concessionaire TT2, by the contractor Bouygues and all of its sub-contractors, and by the Transport Authority’s team in enabling the project to be delivered ahead of schedule. “I also look forward to the tunnels

contributing to the economic growth of the area, and improving the links between people

and job opportunities.”

Merit Group The Merit Group operates across a number of leading sectors, including pharmaceutical, healthcare, process technologies and the nuclear industry. For the New Tyne Crossing project, the

company provided the prefabrication and installation of pipe work systems, including fire main and drainage. The Merit Group worked on the new tunnel for six months, with an additional eight months spent on the refurbished tunnel.Merit Group Managing Director, Anthony

Wells, said: “The Merit Group prides itself on delivering a quality, on-time and competitively priced product.“The company is diverse, can handle

technologically challenging projects and is always adaptable.”

Construction News Call our news team on 01706 719972 www.romauk.net

Transforming traffic with the New Tyne Crossing

The picturesque town of Todmorden in West Yorkshire has a long history of flooding from the River Calder and Walsden Water. In June 2000, almost thirty hours of continuous rain caused the

River Calder to burst its banks, flooding the town. Approximately eighty families had to be evacuated from their homes, whilst several drivers had to be rescued from cars stranded by the flood waters and hundreds took refuge in public buildings. The £13m Lower Todmorden and Walsden Flood Alleviation

Scheme Phase 3 will drastically improve the standards of flood defence in the area, reducing the risk of damage to homes and properties in Todmorden. The first two phases of the scheme were designed to reduce

the risk of flooding to properties from the River Calder and were completed in 2007. Works included flood storage areas at Centre Vale Park and Millwood and the construction of new flood walls along Sackville Street, River Street, Key Syke Lane, Commercial Street and Hall Royd Crescent. Construction of Phase 3 began in early 2011 and will see main

contractor VolkerStevin construct a 500m long flood wall be-tween Shade Primary School and the Morrisons supermarket. The wall will be built in sections, with heights ranging from 1.2m to 2.8m. In addition, the existing culverts will be repaired and flap valves fitted to the pipes discharging into the Walsden Water to prevent flood water backflowing into the surface drains.

Project Manager at the Environment Agency, Will Benedikz, said: “To date we have installed approximately 60% of the flap valves within the culverts and we will be installing the remaining valves next summer when we are able to work in the water-course again. “In addition, we have installed 23m of twin concrete box culvert

under the Market Hall to protect the existing culvert structure from the increased volume of water resulting from the improved standard of defence. “We are currently constructing the stone headwall at the down-

stream end of the culvert. Weather permitting, this section of work will be completed by Christmas.”Todmorden has a rich industrial history and through the years,

the streams from the surrounding hills provided water for corn, cotton and fulling mills. As a result, several of the existing cul-verts are hundreds of years old. The land immediately south of the Morrisons supermarket was

part of the previous site of Waterside Mill. This is of archaeologi-cal importance as in 1829 it was purported to include the largest weaving shed in the world, housing 800 power looms. An initial excavation has allowed West Yorkshire Archaeological

Service to record any findings. These have included founda-tions, walls, mill goits and cobbled courtyards. The area will now become part of the new access road for deliveries to the supermarket.

Todmorden welcomes flood alleviation scheme


Throughout the project, the Environment Agency has worked closely with local commu-nity groups and both Calderdale MBC and Todmorden Town Council. There is a large number of pub-lic interest groups in Todmorden – in-cluding Incredible Edible Todmorden, Todmorden Civic

Society, Todmorden in Bloom and Todmorden Pride – and each of these have been consulted throughout the construction pro-cess. The Environment Agency and partner companies VolkerStevin

and Halcrow have worked with the planning authority and public interest groups to reduce the visual impact of the works. This has included working with the community to develop landscap-ing plans for the reinstatement of the working areas, whilst the flood defence features stone cladding over the concrete wall to sympathise with the surrounding area. Will Benedikz said: “Works are progressing well, although we

have been hampered by the weather whilst working in the cul-verts. The increased depth of water in the channel has meant that we have been unable to continue working in order to pro-tect the workforce. “As we are working in a constrained site within an urban envi-

ronment, the project has of course created impacts. However, one of the most important aspects of the scheme is the level of community engagement. We believe that this will be the key to success.”

An exciting new project in West Yorkshire is expected to benefit more than 85,000 people. The Bradford Living Street Project was developed to provide

new and attractive walking and cycling routes to connect the major communities of Marshfields and West Bowling the St Luke’s Hospital, the Learning Quarter, City Centre and local schools and shops. One of the key aspects of the Living Street Project is the

establishment of a suitable, convenient and safe route across Manchester Road. This innovative scheme has been designed by Bradford City Council and is part of a national project being delivered by charity Sustrans that is delivering local walking and cycling routes right across the UK. As the third busiest radial route within Bradford, the road ex-

periences a traffic flow in excess of 37,000 vehicles on a typical weekday. The existing bridge is nearly forty years old and no longer

meets the requirements for combined pedestrian/cyclist use. With steep 1:10 gradient access ramps on the southern ap-proaches, steep steps to the north and a narrow width of 2.4m, the overall design of the bridge discourages popular use. As an elevated section of the Living Street and a gateway fea-

ture for Manchester Road, the proposed walking and cycling bridge will offer a more gentle 1:20 approach from an area of green space adjacent to Newby School near the junction of Ryan Street with St. Stephens Road. The 3.7m wide bridge

will then travel over Manchester Road to join with both Hutson Street and Roundhill Street via routes that will be constructed through a recent public park open space. Over 350 tonnes of steel will be used for the construction of the

Manchester Road bridge. The 210m long bridge will reach over 17m high and will have two main spans over Manchester Road of 24m and 22m respectively. It will be supported by almost 100 piles, which will be carefully engineered in order to avoid under-ground services and Bradford Beck.

Manchester Road project paves the way to success



Before works began in October 2011, extensive investigations were carried out on site to identify services within the ground. Numerous uncharted services were discovered, including un-derground watercourses, redundant gas pipes and tram lines. As a result of the investigations the design team were able to carefully engineer around these services, in the process saving both time and costs for the ongoing works. Although the works will involve some disruption to vehicular

traffic and pedestrians, the effects of the construction will be carefully managed. It is expected that there will be approximate-ly seven weekend closures of Manchester Road throughout the construction period and some additional closures of the gate-way. However, traffic will be directed to alternative diversionary routes during the periods of closure and temporary crossing facilities will be made available for pedestrians. So far, all of the piling foundations for the new columns have

been completed and the new bridge is on track to be erected later this year. James Williams, Bradford City Council, said: “Works are pro-

gressing well so far and the project is both on programme and on budget.”

Transforming local travel across the UK In December 2007, Sustrans was successful in winning a pub-lic vote for a £50m grant from the Big Lottery Fund’s ‘Living Landmarks: The Peoples Millions’ competition to support their nationwide project, which is bringing the National Cycle Network into the heart of local communities. The project will enable millions of people to make everyday, lo-

cal journeys by foot or bike through the extension of the National Cycle Network. Transforming everyday travel for local people in

communities across the UK, the project will create new bridges and crossings to overcome busy roads, rivers and railways. Bradford Living Street is part of the national project and

Sustrans has been working closely with Trident and the Council. In addition to the creation of the new Manchester Road bridge, the Bradford Living Street project includes the conversion of some existing footways for pedestrians and cyclists, the crea-tion of traffic free or traffic safe routes and upgrades to street lighting.

QSP Construction Group has almost completed a new of-fice and warehouse development for Ortho-Care (UK) Ltd in Chandler’s Wharf, Shipley. Established in 1982, Ortho-Care UK Ltd is a specialist supplier

of orthodontic products to orthodontic practices, laboratories, hospitals and dental dealers throughout the UK and around the world. Around 15 per cent of sales are from exports to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Ireland and Australia. Richard Garford, Managing Director of Ortho-Care (UK) Ltd,

said: “We considered a number of possible sites but this suits the needs of the business and our staff. It provides a vastly improved working environment. We’re making this investment when the outlook for the business here in the UK - which is our core market - and abroad remains promising.”

The £2.5m project began in March 2011 and is expected to be completed in January 2012. Most of the work is now complete, with just the floor finishes, painting and decorating and final commissioning to take place. The 280,000 sq ft development was designed by Robinson

Architects and covers three floors. The materials used during the construction phase comprise a mixture of architectural ren-der and plastisol cladding to walls and plastisol cladding and sarnafil elastomeric to roofs. Other features include external walling stone, zinc cladding and aluminium windows. The building includes a conference room with video confer-

encing, which will enable Ortho-Care (UK) Ltd to increase its training and transmit overseas lectures for dental nurses and technicians. In addition, there is a staff room and a gymnasium.

New Ortho-Care (UK) Ltd development is ready to sparkle


Each area of the building is zoned according to function – warehousing, manufacturing, offices and staff facilities – and the development features mixed mode heating and ventilation solutions. Furthermore, the majority of the building, as well as the external feature lighting, will be entirely lit by second genera-tion occupation controlled light diodes. The light diodes are not only extremely energy efficient, but they are also very low main-tenance, with 50% energy loading across a 15-year life span. Architecturally striking, the building has been designed in the

shape of a ship. Situated on a tight, triangular site with roads along two sides and a canal on the third side, the building fits into a triangle and then comes out into a wedge, before return-ing to a more uniform, rectangular structure. Martyn Brown, Director of QSP Construction Group, said: “We

have been delighted to be associated with this prestigious and futuristic building, which has provided many construction chal-lenges along the way. “The combination of numerous external materials, the build-

ing’s futuristic shape and the location of the building - which has been shoe horned in between two busy roads and the Leeds/Liverpool canal - has tested our expertise to the full. “We are delighted with the end product and we wish to pass

on our best wishes to Richard, Kelvin and their team for many happy and fruitful years to come at this location.” Andrew Walker, Director of QSP Construction Group, added:

“The team has been successful in dealing with all challenges in a sympathetic manner. Although the project did initially provoke some resentment from the adjacent properties, these concerns were quickly appeased by close communication and great ef-forts on our part to clean up after ourselves and avoid impinging on boundaries. “In addition, we could only park so many vehicles on the road

– the rest we had to park in an adjacent office space and pay additional fees for. “However, all of these issues have only made the project more

interesting. The complexities of the building, the unusual site and the wide range of external materials that have been used have made this an exciting and unique project that everyone is proud to have been involved with.”

QSP Construction Group Whether your construction project is straight forward or highly complex, large or small, the personal commitment and exten-sive experience of QSP Construction Group is invaluable. The company delivers projects on time, on budget and to your

exact specification as standard – and they are known for pull-ing out all the stops to ensure that even the most logistically challenging projects are delivered with minimum disruption and maximum cooperation. Clients say that they value the no nonsense approach and pas-

sion for perfection, whilst architects and surveyors choose QSP Construction Group time and time again as they stick to their deadlines, budgets and promises.



A £7.5m redevelopment project at Leeds United’s Elland Road stadium is nearing completion.The Leeds United East Stand – Phase 1 project has been de-

signed to increase the size of the existing stand and will see the installation of over 20 new executive boxes as well as the creation of additional hospitality areas. This will in turn increase the capacity of the stand and provide better match day facilities. Redevelopment work at the 13,300 capacity stand began in

March 2011 and the project is due to be completed in February 2012.Works have included the creation of new executive boxes with

increased concourse size for Leeds United fans. This will be achieved through the reconfiguration of the upper tier to the existing East Stand in order to create a new Executive Box level.New dining and kitchen facilities and a new general specta-

tor upper concourse are also being constructed, as well as a new reception area and a brand new club museum. The lounge areas will be accessed from a new central core where the main reception is located, whilst other internal works will include new finishes, bars, toilets and four passenger lifts. Externally, there will be a revised turnstile arrangement and the

existing stand will be extended to accommodate new floor slabs to the lounge areas and the new central core.

The redevelopment was designed by KSS Design Group and main contractors for the project are Caddick Construction Limited. Halcrow Yolles is the consultant for all structural, me-chanical and electrical works. Leeds United CEO, Shaun Harvey, said: “The new develop-

ment increases our corporate and hospitality areas, which will not only benefit us on a match day, but will also strengthen our conference and events business.“The new boxes will generate increased commercial income

and the increased concourse sizes will benefit the fans that use the stand.”As the work has taken place on an existing stand in the stadium,

the upper tier seating area has remained closed throughout the construction phase. However, fans have been able to access the lower tier. Special consideration has been made throughout the redevelopment so that there has been as little disruption to club events and match fixtures as possible. Due to the noise of extensive demolition works, office staff

at Leeds United Football Club were temporarily relocated to the South Stand. In addition, alternative dining facilities were introduced until the kitchens were completed. The Elland Road Superstore has remained open during the entire programme of the work.Shaun said: “We’re delighted with the progress that has been

made and the work that has taken place so far.“What is important to remember is that it has taken place in

difficult circumstances, with the club requiring use of the stand for home matches throughout much of the construction period.”Work remaining on the redevelopment includes the creation

of museum space, finishes to the reception area, final service commissioning and completion of the central entrance land-scaping works.

Elland Road redevelopment nears its goal


With the rise in fuel prices a hot topic of the day, invest-ments in a secure future for the fuel industry are beneficial to everyone. One such company working towards this goal is Vivergo Fuels,

who are behind a £200 million bioethanol plant based in the Saltend area of Hull, Humberside. Vivergo Fuels is a combination of Associated British Foods plc,

DuPont and BP. Both BP and ABF own an even share in the plant, whilst DuPont has a 10% stake in the company. The European Investment Bank has injected £60 million into

financing the project and once operational, it will become one of the largest biofuel production plants in Europe. Approximately 75 new jobs are expected to be created as a result of the scheme. The Vivergo Fuel plant will convert 1 million tonnes of wheat

into 420 million litres of bioethanol. In addition, it will also pro-duce 500,000 tonnes of high protein animal feed. Bioethanol is a biofuel that is produced from agricultural feed-

stocks. The fuel is derived from the process of fermentation and is an alcohol made mostly from carbohydrates found in crops containing starch or sugar, such as sugar beet, corn or wheat. These biofuels are then mixed with fossil fuels in order to reduce the amount of oil that is being used, in the process making it a hugely beneficial and renewable source of energy. With petrol prices continuing to rocket, the production of bioethanol there-fore provides an important stepping stone between the oil and agricultural industries. A planning application for the plant was submitted in late 2007

and approval was granted the following summer. Construction began in 2008, with approximately 900 people working on the site. BioCnergy - a joint company consisting of Praj Industries and

Aker Solutions – has helped to develop the plant with Vivergo Fuels since 2007, providing equipment, engineering, construc-tion and project management services. The Humberside plant comprises a steel frame structure

with aluminium framed windows. Wall cladding is made from reconstituted stonework and the roof has profiled sheeting with aluminium standing seam panels. Housed within the plant are eight 4400m³ fermentation tanks,

six silos to store 1500 tonnes of wheat, four cooling towers, a storage warehouse, dryers and a tanker loading bay. In addi-tion, there is a process water treatment plant that condenses, collects, cleans and recycles all of the water used at the plant. These facilities are set out across three different departments, comprising the mill, the brewery and the distillery. Alongside the main plant is a pilot plant, which has been con-

ceived to focus on the development of biobutanol, which is a second generation biofuel.Around 1.1 million tonnes of wheat will be used at the Saltend

plant each year, with the wheat being sourced locally from around the Yorkshire and Lincolnshire area. This wheat would have previously been exported outside of the UK, so the plant both makes use of British products and retains them for use in the UK. The wheat will be milled into wholemeal flour, mixed with wa-

ter, cooked, treated with enzymes and yeast and then distilled. During the process the starch is transformed into ethanol, whilst the protein becomes animal feed.At the moment, only 3% of fuel at UK service stations is derived

from the more sustainable ethanol fuel. Vivergo Fuels estimate that its use is the equivalent of taking 180,000 cars off the road per year.

Fuelling the future with vivergo’s bioethanol plant



Although bioethanol has been around since the start of the 20th century it was overshadowed in the early 1900s by oil, which was deemed a much cheaper fuel. However, this percep-tion has diminished in recent years and the USA and Brazil are now two of the leading users of bioethanol. It is believed that Vivergo Fuels’ Saltend plant will help to raise

the profile of bioethanol across Europe. New directives and legislations have been in place since the beginning of the 21st century and when the plant commences production in 2012, it will be the next step forward for a new generation of sustainable biofuels in the UK.

The UK’s largest carbon capture plant has opened at SSE’s Ferrybridge Power Station in West Yorkshire. The exciting development was designed by Doosan Power

Systems and is the result of a collaboration between SSE, UK based Doosan Power Systems and Vattenfall. Supported by the Technology Strategy Board, DECC and Northern Way, it is the first carbon capture plant of its size to be integrated into a live power plant in the UK. Each day, the plant will capture 100 tonnes of carbon dioxide

from the equivalent five megawatts (MW) of coal-fired power generating capacity. Jean-Michel Aubertin, Chief Executive Officer at Doosan

Power Systems, explained: “The CCPiolot100+ plant which we have designed, built and commissioned using our advanced amine scrubbing technology is an essential step in the optimisa-tion and proving of post-combustion capture of CO2, and will be the most significant project of its kind in the UK.”Mark Bryant, Director of Carbon Capture for Doosan Power

Systems, added: “I am very proud that we have been able to complete a project of this nature – the first of this kind – at the scale that we have. It is a major step forward for carbon capture and I think that whilst everyone who has been involved has rec-

ognised that it has been a difficult project, it is one that we are all very proud to see in operation. We see this exciting project as a stepping stone for larger, commercial-scale projects in the future.”The plant represents a major step forward in proving that

carbon capture technology is viable on a commercial scale, bridging the gap between various ongoing pilot-scale trials and the commercial-scale demonstrations envisaged by the UK government.SSE Chief Executive, Ian Merchant, commented: “The devel-

opment of viable carbon capture technology is central to the UK’s climate change and energy security objectives. We believe projects such as this will be absolutely crucial in establishing when and how the technology can be developed. What we have here today at Ferrybridge will provide an invaluable source of reference and learning for the industry as a whole.“This pilot project is all about carbon capture on coal; how-

ever, if we are to be successful in reaching our carbon reduction targets, we also need it on gas, which is why SSE is seeking to develop a larger, commercial scale demonstration at our Peterhead gas-fired station.”Industry regulators including the Environment Agency and the

‘Leading the way across the world’: UK’s first carbon capture plant opens



Health and Safety Executive will also be able to learn from the project, enabling the UK to move closer to widespread deploy-ment of CCS. MP Chris Huhne, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate

Change, said: “This flagship test programme at Ferrybridge represents an important milestone in the UK’s plans to develop CCS and provides a critical bridge to meeting our long term aim of cost competitive CCS deployment by the 2020s. “This is the first operating carbon capture plant attached to a

power station at this scale in the UK and has benefitted from more than £6 million in public money. This investment will be invaluable to the wider commercial scale deployment of CCS by reducing uncertainty, driving down costs and developing the UK supply chain and skills.”Local MP, Yvette Cooper, added: “This is a pioneering project

supporting high skilled jobs here at Ferrybridge. Developing carbon capture is critical to cutting carbon emissions and this plant, supported by £6m announced by the last government, could lead the way across the world. This state-of-the-art tech-nology is a vital opportunity for protecting the environment and for developing British science and technology.” The original concept for the project was created in 2008 and

the project formally started on 1st January 2009. Doosan Power Systems designed, constructed and commis-

sioned the plant and are now completing the final tests of the process performance. The EPC power company provides both after-market and new build service for the power industry, sup-plying a full range of products from boilers to air quality control systems and turbines.


£385m will be invested in the modernisation of the Metro system in Tyne and Wear over the next eleven years. The Metro: All Change scheme has been introduced by Nexus

- Tyne and Wear’s Passenger Transport Executive - and will see the modernisation of trains and stations in order to improve journeys for passengers. The Metro system is over 30 years old and serves 40 million

passengers per year. The aim of the project is therefore to mod-ernise and replace out-of-date systems and provide exciting new transport facilities. Nexus has predicted that without the scheme, the Metro sys-

tem would be no longer viable by 2018. This would have a direct effect on traffic, as without the Metro system Tyne and Wear’s roads would see an increase of 15 million more cars a year.The first phase of Metro: All Change is currently underway and

will include the replacement of 225 ticket machines and the installation of 91 ticket gates. This phase began in 2011 and will continue through 2012 at a cost of £25m. As part of the project, over two hundred new ticket machines

will be installed across sixty Metro stations. The machines will be compatible with credit and debit cards, as well as bank notes and coins. In addition, thirteen key Metro stations will receive electronic ticket barriers. These barriers will be similar to those used on the London underground and will utilise ‘smartcard’ technology, allowing passengers to either insert their tickets into machines or swipe a card reader.Ninety Metro trains will be upgraded and train interiors in will

be refitted in Doncaster. It is estimated that the interior upgrades

will take five years to complete.The rail infrastructure - including signals, level crossings, over-

head lines and tracks - will benefit from the scheme, whilst the majority of the 60km of track will be entirely replaced.A number of underground stations in Newcastle city centre will

receive a contemporary makeover and subsurface and station platforms will also be transformed by new floors, walls and ceil-ings.Five construction companies have been awarded framework

agreements to help deliver the project: BAM Nuttall, May Gurney, Balfour Beatty Rail Limited, Serco and Morgan Sindall. Funding for the project will be supplied by the government. Nexus Director of Rail and Infrastructure, Ken Mackay, said:

“These are exciting times for the Tyne and Wear Metro network. “We are pressing ahead with our modernisation plans, which

will yield a steep change in quality for the 40 million passengers that use Metro every year.“We are investing in Metro’s long term future to ensure a

brighter, cleaner and more modern transport system for the 21st century.”He added: “The Government has committed capital funding of

£350m over the next 11 years, with a local contribution of £30m to the project. There is an enormous amount to be done and it is a big challenge, but everyone at Nexus is ready to meet that challenge head on.“The inward investment that Metro: All Change represents for

the region is also protecting and securing jobs whilst improving the quality and benefits of public transport.”

All change for Metro


Midlands & East Angl ia

An exciting transformation of science provision is under-way at Loughborough Grammar School. The Loughborough Endowed Schools (LES) are among the

region’s most respected academic institutions and have played a central role in the education of the East Midlands for over 500 years. Over the last 30 years, the Governors have followed a con-

tinuous programme of capital investment in site facilities across the three schools. Steady growth in recruitment and prudent fi-nancial management has enabled the LES Foundation to invest in developments that have enhanced core teaching subjects, humanities, sports, music and the arts. In 2008, Loughborough Endowed Schools embarked on one of

the largest building projects in its history: a complete overhaul of the Science buildings in both senior schools. Providing the most up-to-date teaching and learning environment for science, the new and enhanced facilities will enable the schools to up-hold their formidable reputation for high levels of attainment and a passion for the sciences. Phase One of the project was the construction of a new

Chemistry Building at the Grammar school, and comprised six new laboratories and support areas on the west side of ‘The Walks’. The £3.2m phase began in August 2008 and was com-pleted in autumn 2009. The second phase for LES began in the summer of 2009 and

extended and refurbished the High School’s existing science block. Opened in 1964 and extended in 1981, the building housed all three sciences and was originally designed to cater for a maximum of 150 students. However, the development could no longer accommodate the number of girls who now take science at GCSE and A Level – over 70% of girls now take a science subject at A Level – and therefore it needed to be extended. As a result, three new laboratories were created on each floor, along with adjacent areas and offices. Phases Three, Four and Five of the project will transform

the Biology, Physics and Mathematics buildings. The existing Biology Building has doubled in size, whilst the Mathematics Building will be completely refurbished. One of the most exciting aspects of the project is the transfor-

mation of the existing Physics Building. The £1.6m phase began in August 2011 and will see main con-

tractor Hallam (Contracts) Ltd completely refurbish the building; indeed the only remaining items will be the roof, first floor and portal frame. External works will include drain connections and a limited amount of paving work. Architects Stephen George and Partners have designed the

refurbishment scheme, whilst the mechanical and electrical consultant is Pick Everard of Leicester and the structural son-sultant is Diamond Wood. With a scheduled completion date of July 2012, the project re-

mains on programme and dry lining, mechanical and electrical works are currently in progress. Ian Keogh, Contracts Manager, said: “Whilst there were no

particular restrictions or special considerations that had to be taken into account, it is important to note that this is a live

environment with school children and teachers. However, the construction work has not created any problems due to forward planning with the school.”

Hallam (Contracts) Founded in 1922 by John Henry Hallam, the company is one of the oldest established construction companies in the East Midlands. Still family owned and controlled, Hallam (Contracts) is based

in Oadby, near Leicester and undertakes projects across the Midlands – ranging from £100K to £25m. The Hallam motto is ‘together we build’. With a non-adversarial

attitude, the company strives for 100% client satisfaction and offers a first-class ability to deliver value for money to their cli-ents with experience gained through extensive value engineer-ing and their accredited supply chain. For more information on Hallam (Contracts), visit www.hallam-

group.com

J Hallam (Contracts) has construction down to a science


An anaerobic digestion plant at Harper Adams University College’s Edgemond campus scooped big at a recent awards ceremony. The £3m plant was awarded the title of Renewable Electricity

Facility of the Year at the Renewable Energy Infrastructure Awards. BiogenGreenfinch CEO, Richard Barker, said: “This is very

rewarding for all the partners who have been involved in the project.“We are absolutely delighted that Harper Adams has been

recognised for the work they are doing to produce renewable energy by making good use of agricultural and food waste. Of course, BioGreenfinch is thrilled to be part of this successful partnership.”He added: “This plant further confirms our credentials as the

leading integrated designer, builder and operator of food waste AD plants in the UK.”The anaerobic digestion plant opened on campus in sum-

mer 2011. It was commissioned, designed and built by BiogenGreenfinch, who worked closely with E.ON and Adonis Construction. The plant processes slurry from commercial food waste and

the university’s own dairy herd. This slurry is then used to pro-duce renewable electricity for both the campus and the national grid, generating 24,000 tonnes of green energy a year. The two-storey steel framed building houses the front end of

the plant, with five process tanks including a 14m x 14m digester tank located on specially reinforced external foundations to the rear. The process tank area is contained within a specially constructed 2m high bund and the biogas produced fuels a Jenbacher CHP unit which produces 11MWh/day of electricity. The building features external elevations in metal cladding and

has incorporated aluminum framed windows. It has a special hard standing area for the digester tanks, a large turning area for deliveries and a weighbridge. Internally, the building houses a visitor centre and a reception hall where food waste is delivered. In addition, there is a first floor viewing gallery where visitors

can see the award-winning anaerobic digestion process in ac-

tion. Its dual role as a demonstration facility provides farmers and other businesses with an example of how they can use their existing byproducts to generate power in addition to an extra source of income.The anaerobic digester is a highly effective waste management

system that works its magic as soon as food is fed into the plant. The facility helps businesses in the food industry - producers, processors, distributors, retailers, caterers and hoteliers - by cutting costs and reusing resources in order to meet their envi-ronmental objectives.Harper Adams Estates and Facilities Manager, Paul Moran,

said: “Anaerobic digestion (AD) is fully supported by Defra as an excellent method of generating renewable energy in rural areas.“This waste-to-energy project met many of the criteria set out

in the Government’s 2007 Energy White Paper and has greatly benefited both Harper Adams and the wider community.“Instead of being left to degrade in landfill or elsewhere,

leaking methane into the atmosphere, food and farm waste is now digested in the AD unit and recycled into three useful by-products.”The first of the by-products is biogas, which fuels a unit that

produces both heat and power. When combined with the output from the biomass unit and photovoltaic (solar power) array, it makes the northern half of the campus entirely self-sufficient for heat and power. This scheme will protect the facility from fluctuating energy prices for at least a decade. The other byproducts of the process are a liquid fertiliser and

compost, which are used for the college’s farm and ground op-erations. This has in turn lowered the reliance on manufactured fertilisers. Paul Moran added: “Our calculations show that the project has

created ongoing carbon saving of 11,229 tonnes a year - which is 3.4 times the current emissions from campus buildings. This means that Harper Adams has become more than three times carbon neutral.”Don Leiper, Managing Director of E.ON’s Energy Services

business, said: “The way we create and use energy is changing and projects like this have helped us develop new, sustainable

Successful win for college project




energy solutions for the future.“Smaller, community scale, renewable energy projects have

two benefits; they provide a secure, reliable and low carbon en-ergy supply whilst also making use of a valuable waste resource that would otherwise be sent to landfill.”Food waste is a serious problem in the UK: approximately 18

million tonnes is produced every year, of which around 6 million tonnes has to be collected by local authorities. Treating food waste in an anaerobic digester is cost competitive

with landfill and other alternatives and is more environmentally sustainable. The method is recognised by the UK government, Defra, the Welsh Assembly, the Scottish Parliament, Friends of the Earth and the National Farmers Union.BiogenGreenfinch is a national company with offices

in Bedfordshire and Shropshire, and specialises in designing, building, owning and operating commercial-scale anaerobic digestion plants for processing food waste. Company CEO, Richard Barker, said: “BiogenGreenfinch is

unique. It is the only specialist British anaerobic digestion com-pany that can design, build and operate large-scale anaerobic digestion plants with a proven track record. “Disposing of food waste to landfill is no longer acceptable

because of the damage it does to the environment and its con-tribution to climate change through methane and other gases escaping into the atmosphere. Increasingly it is prohibited by regulations and made expensive through the imposition of spe-cial landfill taxes.”He added: “We took what everyone else threw away – waste

from the UK food chain – and in a low carbon process, we re-cycled waste food in our anaerobic digestion plants to make re-newable energy. All that remained was a liquid, rich in nutrients, which we returned to the land as a biofertiliser to grow crops, replacing fossil fuel derived fertilisers.“Our digesters are filled with food waste from homes, shops,

pubs, restaurants, hotels, offices and factories producing and processing our food. “Nothing is wasted: it is the truly green alternative to landfill.

Our AD plants are helping to make landfill history. No other al-ternative can match the environmental credentials of anaerobic digestion.”Adonis Construction, one of the companies behind the plant’s

development, is known for its ability to ensure that every project it is involved in offers exemplary quality. The company is experi-enced in the nuances of their specialist sectors and has worked on projects for a wide range of private and public organisations. Even when conditions are against them, the company perse-veres until the task is complete. John Greaves of BiogenGreenfinch said: “The contractors did

very well, despite challenging weather, and everyone still tried to keep things moving when temperatures failed to exceed minus 10 degrees for 11 days during the works. “In fact, based upon their performance, we have since dis-

cussed future plant builds with them.”

Since its foundation in 1901, Harper Adams has had a long and proud tradition of working closely with the rural sector providing the best possible facilities for its learning, teaching and research activities. It does this by addressing the issues that matter in the rural sector so that the communities and businesses in the field flourish. The college university has strong industry links that add business relevance to the college’s role in higher edu-cation and encourage lifelong learning. In order to begin the project, Harper Adams received £10 mil-

lion in funding from the Revolving Green Fund. This was set aside by the Higher Education Funding Council for England and Salix Finance for the express purpose of helping ‘transforma-tional’ projects. In order to maintain its vision, Harper Adams participates in

activities that are closely related to the needs of the rural econo-mies and industries reliant upon those economies. This relates to a specific commitment to farming for sustainable environ-ments and re-establishing connections between food produc-ers and consumers. The college develops the abilities of both national and interna-

tional students from a wide range of backgrounds with associ-ated course and pedagogic developments, providing a strong learning environment and promoting a student culture that enhances employability and personal development. Despite its success at the Renewable Energy Infrastructure

Awards, the processes involved in the plant are continually be-ing improved by incorporating in-house recommendations and by taking advice on how to improve this winning formula. Most importantly, BiogenGreenfinch listens to comments received through customer feedback, which means that no matter how many trophies are on its shelves, it continues to work towards a better future for students and the local community.



An impressive new health and wellbeing centre has opened its doors to existing members in Newcastle-under-Lyme. When it opened to the general public on January 2nd 2012, the state-of-the-art Jubilee 2 centre made important ex-ercise facilities more accessible for the local community. The £10.5m centre was designed by the WM Saunders

Partnership and Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council (NBC) worked alongside NHS Staffordshire and Sport England. Main contractors for the project were Morgan Sindall. Funding for the project came from three main sources. The

majority of the project was funded by the council via a capi-tal programme, whilst the local primary care trust donated £500,000 and Sport England donated £400,000.Named by the local community, the centre is the result of

close interaction with residents and businesses. Morgan Sindall employed 52% of its workforce from local businesses and scored an impressive 36 out of 40 points in the Considerate Constructors scheme. Their efforts included communicating with nearby residents and businesses, daily litter picks, regular road sweeping and sociable working hours. The three-storey centre features an impressive glass facade

and has incorporated a number of sustainable features, includ-ing the use of wood from sustainable Scandinavian forests for the glulam beams. In addition, the centre features waterless urinals, underground heat pumps and photovoltaic cells. On the first floor, there are two swimming pools. One of these

is a 25m eight-lane pool with a seating area for 200 to 250 people and the other is a learner pool with an adjustable floor. Depending on the requirements of the learner, the floor may be adjusted from virtually nothing to 1.5m. In addition to a 100-station fitness suite, there is a large flexible

space that can be divided into two multiuse studios for classes such as Zumba and boxercise. Further facilities include an aqua sauna, foot spa and juice bar. Interestingly, the project has also incorporated an impressive

exhibition space named ‘Perspectives’, which will be turned over to local artists to create art with a health and wellbeing theme. Exterior landscaping has included tree planting along the

frontage of Brunswick Street, which lies in part of the town cen-tre conservation area. Perhaps the most exciting feature is a 14m climbing wall, which

is estimated to be the highest wall in Staffordshire. There is also a 4m bouldering wall with more than seventy different routes and grades. Phil Jones, Head of Communications at the borough council,

joked: “It’s terrifying; I really can’t understand why anyone in their right mind would want to do anything like that. “On a serious note, the key aim of this project is to try and

improve the health and wellbeing of the local community. Sadly, there are some parts of the borough where people have a sig-

nificantly shorter life expectancy than those living just a few miles away. “What the council and its partners want to do is make exercise

and healthy options available to everyone. This isn’t just about elite athletes - it’s about residents, which is why the council has invested such a significant amount of money in this project. “There won’t be a formal opening – instead, we will be holding

something called a ‘Come and Try’ event on the 7th of January. Double Olympic medallist Nick Gillingham will swim with the community, whilst the former 5000m world record holder Dave Moorcroft will also be attending. “We want to talk to people about the Olympics and their aspi-

rations, but also about how facilities like this can help people in their general lives. It’s not all about people who want to compete professionally; it’s about the community too.”

Lovely Jubilee



Refitting and refurbishment work has recently taken place in King’s Lynn in order to bring retail giant The Range to the Hardwick Retail Park.Works began on the project in July 2011 and the home and

leisure outlet opened in October 2011 following a 13-week re-furbishment phase. Main contractor for the project was CDS Group Services Ltd and the architect was Design Time. Internal work included the installation of a lift and escalators,

along with new shelving and display stands. In addition, a full sprinkler system was fitted throughout the unit and a mezzanine floor was constructed.External work included fitting new signage and re-facing clad-

ding to the front of the building. The addition of new cladding was a particularly important visual feature, as it brought the unit in-line with other buildings on the busy retail park. A sprinkler pump house and tank were also installed and as the unit previ-ously belonged to another retailer, no alterations were required to extend car parking facilities.Stuart Green was the mechanical consultant, whilst Ivan Hunt

was the electrical consultant and Steve Brewster was the struc-tural consultant. As well as housing The Range, existing retailer Jollyes Pet

Superstore also shares part of the building. The company re-mained open and maintained full trading hours throughout the entire refurbishment programme. As a gesture of goodwill, CDS also fitted front face cladding for the pet store. CDS Group Services Ltd Contracts Manager, Adam Dunn,

explained: “When we undertake our work with any company, we try to cause as little disruption as possible. “Having a tenant behind the next door on this project meant

that all efforts were made on our part to ensure that we weren’t getting in their way.”Work on the site was phased and all deliveries to the 24-hour

retail park were pre-booked in order to alleviate any problems with accessing the site during busy times. Due to the location of the site within the retail park, work was able to be undertaken without presenting too many challenges.Additional work included rerouting gas and water supplies and

upgrading electrical supplies.The Kings Lynn store certainly isn’t the first time that CDS

Group Services Ltd has been involved with The Range, as they have previously been involved in setting up over half of their existing stores.Adam Dunn said: “The Range will source the unit and then our

end designers will liaise with The Range’s planning department and its company director.“They will then inform us of what everyone would like to see

and this is what we will work towards until the job is completed.“When it comes to the time for us to handover the unit to the

retailer, we will then work closely with The Range’s merchandis-ing team and our site agent will remain onsite to ensure that the client’s needs are met.“Any requests for additional works are dealt with quickly and

are completed prior to opening.” He added: “So far we’ve covered forty out of The Range’s sixty

stores, as well as providing maintenance for the units. With an-other three or four in the pipeline, we continue to move forward.”

Extending the retail range in King’s Lynn


The £80m A1073 Spalding to Eye Improvement Scheme has been designed to provide an alternative route for heavy vehicles and other motorised vehicles. Narrow and accident prone, the accident rate on the former

A1073 was well above the national average. In addition, the traffic on the route had a severe environmental impact on the surrounding residential areas. With the improvement scheme completed in October 2011, the A1073 will now provide a safer and more reliable journey for road users.As an important strategic link between Lincolnshire and

Eastern England, the A1073 serves as both a local commuter route and a pathway for the distribution of agricultural and food processing freight. The completed road replaces the existing A1073 road and has been classified as the A16. The existing A16 between Spalding and Stamford has become the A1175, whilst the former A1073 is now an unclassified road. The project began in 2008 and has comprised 21.5km of

7.3m wide single carriageway road with 1m wide hard strips and 2.5m wide verges that will run between the existing A47 (Peterborough) to Spalding (Lincolnshire). A short section of the A47 towards the south of the project has been dualled and three bridges have also been constructed, including a 73.5m span ‘bow stringed’ arch bridge over the Scheduled Ancient Monument at Car Dyke. Other works have included the construction of five rounda-

bouts with street lighting and the planting of 98,000 plants and trees. The scheme was developed by the Lincolnshire County

Council in partnership with Peterborough City Council and re-ceived approximately £70m in funding from the Department of Transport. Lincolnshire County and Peterborough City Councils granted planning permission for the new route in 2003 and 2004 respectively. Main contractors Morgan Sindall were awarded the £62.5m

contract in November 2007. In May 2009, Corus Construction & Engineering Products (CEP) was awarded a contract to provide

Lincolnshire sees great improvements with their A1073 Spalding to Eye



Vetex highway safety barriers for the scheme. The barriers are manufactured using galvanised steel, which provides higher protection whilst requiring lower levels of maintenance. In ad-dition, the distance between the two posts was kept at 5m in order to reduce both the number of components and the instal-lation time. P.J Thory supplied the imported materials, whilst Lancaster

Earthmoving completed the earthworks and Hansons were re-sponsible for the surfacing. Fairfield Mabey carried out the Car Dyke structural steelwork, Caulfields completed the drainage and ERH installed the street lighting and road signs. The new A1073 was originally scheduled for completion in au-

tumn 2010; however, stability issues arose on the embankment approaching Car Dyke Bridge, within the Peterborough section of the scheme. Unfortunately, the embankment required further work in order to ensure the long-term durability and safety of this section of the road. As a result, only the Lincolnshire section of the road was opened to traffic in August 2010. Car Dyke bridge spans a Scheduled Ancient Monument site

and as a result of temporary works within the Monument, 586 sq m of turf was preserved within a purpose built enclosure until work was completed and it could be returned to its original position. Other challenges included dealing with the soft local fenland

ground conditions and working around limited access points.

A brand new restaurant has opened in the heart of Derby on the site of the Raynesway Commercial Park, a 180-acre development located behind Derby’s Pride Park football ground. The Blue Jay pub is the latest restaurant in a successful chain

of eateries from Marston’s PLC and has created approximately fifty new jobs. The area was formerly a waste transfer site and the training ground home of Derby County Football Club. It is currently undergoing extensive redevelopment. Currently the park houses a number of industrial units however

the land is being sold to create new developments including of-fices. Works carried out so far in the surrounding area include the construction of a new road to extend the route through to the A52 and the inclusion of a new roundabout. Work began on the £1.7m Blue Jay project in April 2011. The

26-week project reached completion in September 2011. The only difficulties encountered on the site were associated with ground conditions caused by waste material. This was due to a recycling facility that had previously existed on the site. This had an influence on the early construction phase and the ground was deep piled to create an even surface for the Blue Jay to be built on.Despite this initial process, work remained on schedule and

the restaurant opened without a hitch in October 2011.Marston’s Inns and Taverns Estates Director Ed Hancock said:

“We’re extremely excited about our latest pub, which we hope will build a great reputation locally, offering top quality pub food and an unrivalled selection of drinks, including cask ales from our own breweries across the country.”Sheffield’s White Design was the architect on the Blue Jay;

Wildgoose Construction was the main contractor. Both compa-nies have partnered together on previous projects for Marston’s PLC and will continue to work on the company’s expansive programme of new pubs.The Blue Jay was constructed using traditional brick and

block, with a timber frame and roof. It was designed specifically with a mix of materials to create a unique look amongst future developments around the site.White Design UK Limited Director Chris Head explained: “Our

intention was to use those three materials to give the impression that The Blue Jay has been extended over recent years.”“However even on a project like this one for Marston’s we still

look at the surrounding area of the site so that it fits in with the landscape. It’s a principle that we adhere to at each site when we are looking at the local brickwork and the local vernacular architecture. This means the footprint can still change, to maximise key

features and particular aspects of the site, such as sunlight and ecological constraints. “We always try to maximise the orientation by directing win-

dows, patios and gardens on the southern aspect to pick up the sun. All the service areas are situated to the north of the building.”Although classed as a single-storey building, the site includes

upstairs accommodation for the use of the live-in manager. The inside of the pub was built to a set model agreed by Marston’s PLC, making the layout similar in style to other traditional public houses in their portfolio of inns and taverns. This includes an internal ‘Kids Zone’ play area - designated for the under 5’s age group – situated in the family area of the pub. An additional formal area has been created with full height tim-

ber panelling. This creates a distinction between the different aspects of the pub and includes a carvery style dining area. The restaurant provides covers for 250 diners. The exterior finish of the Blue Jay Pub is brick with a rendered

front entrance and a traditional tiled roof. Photovoltaic solar panels are included on the roof. The site also features an out-side play area for older children. External works included the creation of a car park and a road-

way to link the development to a nearby roundabout.

Feeding a new development for Derby



One of the final touches added to the site was the inclusion of a time capsule, buried within the surrounding grounds of the Blue Jay Pub. Wildgoose Construction Marketing Manager, Phil Hughes,

said: “Children from a local Derbyshire school were involved in burying the time capsule on the site and this is something that Marston’s PLC incorporates as part of all of its new builds.“The capsule will then be unearthed in 50 years, so it is some-

thing of real interest to the local kids in the community and cre-ates a lasting piece of history for the area.”In addition to working on this restaurant, Wildgoose

Construction has worked on a number of other establishments for Marston’s PLC - leading to the formation of a successful partnership. Phil said: “We are one of three framework contractors building

public house restaurants for Marston’s and this is the third that we have completed. “Although people would technically call them pubs, projects

like this are built to be dining experiences for the whole family. “Over the next two years we will be working with Marston’s

on a number of new restaurants and we are currently at various stages on another half a dozen sites around Carlisle, Preston and Stoke. As it stands at the moment, we are currently under-taking work on a new site in Hull.”Wildgoose Construction Managing Director Tim Walker added:

“Marston’s is both a leading name and brand within the industry and it is a testament to their brand strength that they are un-dertaking this investment and we are proud to be part of that success.”



A brand new luxury four-star hotel and skyline Marco Pierre White restaurant has opened at The Cube, in the heart of Birmingham. Marco Pierre White’s Steak House Bar & Grill and Hotel Indigo

have opened at the site, boasting an impressive new dining and living experience.The £13m project began on the Commercial Street site on 4th

January 2011. Works included the construction and fit-out of the 1,319m₂ 300-seat restaurant and the 52-bedroom luxury hotel. The project also included the construction of a health club and spa, located on the ground floor of The Cube. The Steak House Bar & Grill is situated at the top of The Cube

on floor 25 and offers 360 degree views of the city. The res-taurant features a private dining room, an open-air terrace and Laurent Perrier Champagne bar. Hotel Indigo is directly below the restaurant on the 23rd and 24th floors.Hotel Indigo is a boutique brand by InterContinental Hotels

Group (IHG) marrying the intimacy of a boutique hotel with the flexibility of a major hotel brand. The vibrant design of its bed-rooms reflects the geometric exterior of The Cube, with themed decoration depicting vivid images of cubes, mosaics, square patterns and bold colours. DBK Partners LLP was the project manager and was ap-

pointed to provide fund and development monitoring services for the project. Sanguine Hospitality operates both the hotel and the res-

taurant, whilst its in-house construction company, Denizen Contracts LLP completed the fit out.

Sanguine Hospitality Managing Director Nick Taplin said: “The scale of our investment and the calibre of venues we are

bringing to Birmingham aim to provide a defining shift in how people spend their free time. “I was astounded to discover that Birmingham did not already

have a sky bar or rooftop restaurant, given the range of magnifi-cent buildings in the city. “We have definitely redressed this now.”Hotel Indigo is a contemporary boutique hotel and boasts 52

bedrooms, including Executive, Deluxe and Feature rooms. The Feature rooms are located on the 24th floor and each of the exclusive suites is fitted with a balcony. All rooms include Cloud 9 beds, flatscreen LCD satellite TV’s, iPod docking stations, air conditioning and complimentary mini bars and wireless facili-ties. Approximately 100 rolls of wallpaper were flown in espe-cially from Holland to decorate the hotel bedrooms.The hotel also includes a luxury salon with celebrity hair stylist

Adee Phelan.General Manager Mark Nesbitt said: “The level of demand has been astonishing. When I came here

I thought the venues would be popular addition to The Cube, but we have actually created a new destination.” He added: “This is very much the place to be.”In an event to celebrate the opening of the hotel and restaurant,

a glitzy function took place on Thursday 12th January. Hosted by Marco Pierre White the event included a number of celebrity names on its guest list.Marco Pierre White said: “I always enjoy hosting these kinds of

Prestigious hotel and restaurant opens in Birmingham



events as it’s a great opportunity to meet local foodies and res-taurant goers. It’s also a good way of gauging feedback about the venue.”White has worked with Sanguine Hospitality since 2009 and

together they have four Steakhouse Bar & Grill’s with a fifth due to open in Newcastle in May this year. Described as ‘the ultimate experience’, Marco Pierre White’s

Steakhouse Bar & Grill is envisioned as the focal point of The Cube and brings Marco’s “affordable glamour” concept to Birmingham. The final phase of the project included the completion of the

health club and spa. Although it is an exclusive members-only club, it is also accessible to guests at Hotel Indigo. The club houses a gymnasium which comprises three group fitness studios, a large functional training zone, an 8m climbing wall and a dance studio. In addition, the gym also contains UPTV driven machines, Vibration Training and assorted TechnoGym equipment. Personal training and personal fitness programmes will be available, whilst members will be granted internet access and complimentary beverages and energy drinks.The spa comprises ten treatments rooms. This includes ther-

mal rooms, a vitality pool, a bio sauna, spray tan booth, mud and salt rooms, a steam room and a Laurent Perrier champagne nail bar. A wooden Kelo sauna is an additional feature of the spa. The club and spa opened on 1st January 2012. The Cube Director, Neil Edington, said: “All three elements bring a huge boost to the city, both for its

residents and for tourists visiting the Midlands and we’ve really looked forward to watching it take shape right here in the heart of Birmingham.”“Marco’s restaurant and the boutique hotel represent The

Cube’s crowning glory.“The Cube has already made a name for itself as an iconic

building and landmark destination at the heart of Birmingham, as over the past 12 months our vision for this unique venue has

come to life.”The Cube is a 25-storey mixed-use building, designed by ar-

chitect Ken Shuttleworth of Make Architects. It opened on 1st December 2011 and is situated within the Westside district of Birmingham, alongside the city’s The Mailbox. The development is located near to the M5 and M6 motorways

and comprises offices, cafes, retail outlets and a car park, along with the new rooftop restaurant, health club and hotel. The strik-ing design includes a glass clad roof that was constructed using 666 panels. The Highways Agency was the first tenant to take residence

at The Cube, acquiring commercial office space for 3,000 staff. The Cube also houses nine floors of residential apartments.

Denizen Contracts LLPEstablished in 2007 by the Monetier/Sanguine Hospitality Group, Denizen Contracts is an in-house construction company. The company’s goals are to deliver developments on time and on budget and to always exceed the expectations of its clients.In 2010, the company featured in the Top 20 national

Construction Contract Awards table produced by Barbour ABI. It was the second time Denizen Contracts appeared in the list within the same year and served to highlight that the company had been awarded £16m in new contracts.Denizen Contracts LLP is no stranger to working on projects

associated with the Marco Pierre White name. The company has previously worked on a number of fast track schemes to convert existing venues into Marco Pierre White restaurants. These projects have included Bar & Grill Restaurants in Chester and Bristol and The Swan Inn in Aughton. Amazingly, work on the Bristol restaurant was completed whilst the site remained open for a twice-daily breakfast and evening meal service.Denizen Contracts LLP is currently working on a number of

additional restaurants across the UK under the Marco Pierre White brand.


South West

A £37m project is underway in Poole to create the world’s first twin triangular lifting bridge.The Twin Sails Bridge will stretch from Wilkins Way in Poole to

Hamworthy, allowing travel across the Backwater Channel. It will become the second harbour crossing in the area.Designed to look like a yacht, the bridge consists of two trian-

gular shaped lifting leaves and comprises two carriageways, two footpaths and two cycle lanes. The lift spans are pivoted through 88 degrees by two hydraulic rams and early estimates predict that the bridge will lift fifteen times per day. When the bridge is not in operation, small vessels will pass freely underneath. The 20-month project was designed by Wilkinson Eyre

Architect and follows an extensive campaign (including a 10,000 signature petition by local residents) to get an additional har-bour crossing in the area. When completed, the bridge will ease congestion and allow access to many areas of underused land.Main contractors for the project are Hochitief (UK), whilst

Gifford is the consulting engineer and Bennetts is the mechani-cal engineer. The Department for Transport (DfT) approved a £15.34m

grant to help fund the construction costs and the South West Regional Development Agency provided £9.96m as part of its Regional Infrastructure Fund. The remainder of funding came from the public and private sector. Liberal Democrat Councillor, Mike Brooke, said: “This scheme

will open up great opportunities for the town, helping to create

much needed employment in these recessionary times.”Hamside Residents Association Secretary, Ann Smeaton, add-

ed: “Hamworthy’s residents have been actively campaigning for a new bridge for nearly forty years. For me, the official opening of the Twin Sails Bridge will be like ‘a dream come true’.”The conception of the Twin Sails Bridge dates back to the

1980s when Dorset County Council conducted preliminary investigations and design work. It was a slow development process and it wasn’t until 2000 that the bid for a new harbour crossing was first made in the Local Transport Plan. In 2002, the Twin Sails Bridge was the winning entry in an

international design competition. The concept was chosen in order to provide an unobtrusive crossing that was aesthetically pleasing to the community. The installation of the bridge is a vital step in Poole’s continued

regeneration plan, which includes the redevelopment of 26 hec-tares of brownfield land. Once completed, the Twin Sails Bridge will help to connect the areas of land that are currently not in use. This land is one of the largest regeneration areas in the South

West and will provide the region with 5,000 jobs and 2,000 homes. Improvements will also be made to transport links and public areas in order to ensure continued growth for local busi-nesses. The continued increase of traffic in Poole is also a factor in the

bridge’s construction. The Twin Sails Bridge will work with an existing bridge to allow unrestricted passage for boats, which will in turn significantly reduce congestion on the roads. Newly installed signs will divert traffic to whichever of the two bridges is open, solving any problems caused by the operation of the bridges. The Twin Sails Bridge is scheduled to open in early 2012.

Bridging the gap in Poole’s regeneration


London & South East

The High Knocke to Dymchurch Sea Defence – Frontage A project is now complete, offering peace of mind to the thousands of residents who live directly behind it. The Environment Agency funded refurbishment scheme has

ensured that the standards of protection provided by the sea defence are significantly higher than those of the previous de-fence, which required frequent repair. Taking into account the anticaipated sea level rise for the next 100 years, the project will offer substantial protection for the next century. Works commenced on site in February 2009 and were com-

pleted in June 2011. Under the £29m project, a new wave return wall and primary defence wall have been created, along with a stepped revetment to provide easy visitor access to the seaside. The sea defence was constructed using reinforced concrete

and stands at approximately 2.2km long by 8m high. Although some of the concrete was cast-in-situ by the main contractor, Birse Coastal, most of it (around 44,000 tonnes) was precast by Macrete in Northern Ireland and then transported by sea on a three-week delivery schedule from Belfast to Rye Harbour. Interestingly, the precast concrete access step units at the

town centre and in-situ concrete promenade surfaces have a deliberately exposed aggregate finish in order to provide extra grip underfoot. This effect was achieved by applying a retarder to the finished surfaces and washing out unset laitance the next day. The project team has received various awards for their ef-

forts. This includes a British Construction Industry Award in

September, with the team being successful in winning in the Civil Engineering £3-£50m range. In addition, they have won an ICE South East Excellence award and their engagement with the community led them to win a Considerate Constructor Gold Award.

Refurbished sea defence will protect thousands of homes


Peter Richardson, Environment Agency Project Manager, said: “Because we were working close to a residential development, this made building extremely difficult. “Effectively, we ended up having to build a haul road along

the seaward side of the existing defences, which ultimately became encapsulated within the permanent works to provide a lower promenade. The promenade now exists over two levels: the high level, which has always been there but is now greatly improved; and the lower level promenade, which was used as a haul road and crane platform during the construction process. “We undertook constant noise and vibration monitoring

throughout the entire process. We were set some extremely stringent standards and, as a team, were able to meet these

throughout the course of the project. “It was a very interesting project to be involved with, particu-

larly due to the difficult environment and the fact that access was restricted. We were also working in a busy tourism area and so had to ensure that this industry was not impacted by the works that were being carried out. As a result, we made every effort to keep as much of the area open as possible. “During the project, we built up very strong relations with the

local parish council, district council and local community groups and we are extremely grateful for their support. Everyone is delighted with what we’ve achieved, and the awards speak for themselves.”

Leading developers Fairview Homes are celebrating yet another success at their Pulse development in Colindale, North London. Located only 22 minutes from central London, Pulse has be-

come a landmark development and provides desirable residen-tial living in a relaxed and well-connected area. Following the sell-out success of Block A, Block H has a selection of one, two and three-bedroom apartments available. The new homes are set in thirteen stunning acres of land, and

many come with balconies or terraces. Residents can also ben-efit from the communal landscaped gardens and the sense of community created by open green spaces, courtyards and a central public piazza. Designed by John Pardey Architects, Pulse apartments are the

perfect blend of contemporary architecture and the stunning historical façade of the newly refurbished Victorian Colindale Hospital. The interiors have been designed to a very high specification and all of the new homes are fitted with Symphony Kitchens and integrated washer-dryers. In addition, all of the homes feature a combined HD television and satellite connec-tion point in the living room. The development has its own residents’ car club and several of

the properties have underground parking facilities. Jim Holliday, Sales Director of Fairview New Homes, com-

mented: “The location of these new homes makes Pulse the ide-al choice for commuters. Residents can reach central London quickly on the tube network and the journey is made even easier because Colindale tube station is right next to the new homes.” With easy access to all of London›s major road, rail and airport

Fairview Homes have their finger on the Pulse


terminals, Pulse is situated less than an hour away from all of the city’s national and international travel hubs. King’s Cross and St Pancras are less than 30 minutes away on the tube, giving access to the rest of the UK and abroad via the Eurostar. The development will also benefit from transport works carried out by Colindale Council, which will include increasing and extend-ing public transport connectivity and new pedestrian and cycle routes. Pulse is five minutes on the tube to Brent Cross shopping mall,

which features over 120 shops, restaurants and cafes including John Lewis, M&S and a Waitrose.One-bedroom studio apartments are available in Block H

at Pulse with prices starting at £204,950, and two and three-bedroom apartments start at £268,950.

Fairview HomesFairview Homes continually work in partnership with local au-thorities and English Partnerships to achieve long-term sustain-able developments for our generation and for future generations. Over the last 25 years, the company has been involved in the

reclamation of over 200 brownfield sites, transforming unsightly and potentially hazardous areas into exceptional living environ-ments.

Fairview Homes is also committed to the environment and implements nature conservation policies in order to ensure that flora and fauna are safeguarded. Their impressive portfolio features an extensive range of devel-

opments, including: one, two and three bedroom-apartments; two to five-bedroom houses and penthouses with a river view.

London & South East

A community is being brought back together, thanks to a £9.46m makeover at three residential tower blocks at Granville Road in London. The Design & Build project, titled Granville Road Tower Blocks,

involves the refurbishment of Granville Point, Templewood Point and Harpenmead Point. The work has been funded by Barnet Homes and the main contractor is Apollo Property Services Group.The project aims to provide residents with a safe, secure and

more desirable place to live. Work commenced in summer 2009 and the refurbishment will affect 180 residential units across the site. Kitchens, bathrooms and brand new boilers will be installed in

the majority of units, whilst a number of homes will benefit from brand new central heating systems. All of the front doors have been replaced - including those belonging to 44 lease holders - in order to make them Secured by Design 30 minute fireproof (FD30). In addition to new glazes screens and doors in the lift lobbies,

hardwired smoke alarms and fire doors are being installed in each of the flats. The water mains are to be renewed or up-graded and electrical meters are being repositioned, whilst further improvements include the remodelling of entrance lob-bies, improvements to lifts and staircases and the upgrading of safety signage. In addition, floor coverings are being renewed.External work on the tower blocks includes the installation of

aluminium rainscreen cladding for floors 2 to 15. As well as the visual impact for the surrounding area, the rainscreen also pro-vides increased thermal efficiency and weather protection for the buildings. Due to the importance of this feature, the design has been decided by the local planning office, Barnet Homes, HDA Architects, the structural engineer and the immediate and surrounding residents. A brick cladding system will be added to the ground and first

floors. Each block will subsequently receive new insulated roofs with a safe access system and new windows and balconies. Landscape work will include new paving for the entrances and

the implementation of motion sensor lighting to make the site more energy efficient. As the site has remained occupied for the duration of the pro-

ject, it was important to involve the local residents. This has included the organisation of community fun days, setting up a nearby communal garden and the introduction of an on-site residential area. A Facebook page was also created for the project, giving residents a platform to express their opinions on the ongoing work. Apollo Property Services Group Divisional Manager, Kevin

Jones, said: “It is always important for us to get involved with residents. “This makes project life less fraught and it is undeniably more

rewarding when residents are involved in a positive way.”Another important aspect of the project was the implemen-

tation of Apollo Property Service Group’s apprentice scheme, which was introduced to provide residents with employment opportunities. Kevin Jones said: “Apollo has a very strong community sup-

port ethos on all of our projects and a key part of this is our drive to tackle the ‘back to work agenda’.“We do this through training, work placements, job opportuni-

ties, local labour initiatives and apprenticeship schemes.”“Part of the tender bid on this project was to implement a range

of activities for the community and Apollo has followed through by taking on apprentices themselves.”Contracts Manager for Barnet Homes, Kieran Ryan, added:

“We also have a new apprentice working at Barnet Homes who was a resident on the selection panel for the contractor, so it’s been very rewarding for everyone involved.”“Overall the vibe has been really good on this refurbishment

project and it really has brought the community together.”Currently all internal work has been completed on the project

with finishing touches currently being added to communal ar-eas. External cladding is 70% complete and work is set to finish in early 2012.

ETEC Contract Services LtdEstablished in 2005, ETEC Contract Services Ltd is a refurbish-ment contractor that specialises in refurbishment and electrical contracting. This involves property maintenance across all in-dustry sectors including industrial, residential and commercial.On the Granville Road Tower Blocks project, ETEC Contract

Creating a community at Granville Road



Services Ltd conducted painting and general building works in each tower block. This involved the application of a specialist fire resistant paint to all communal areas. ETEC Contract Services Ltd Director, Michael Smith, said: “At

ETEC Contract Services Ltd we pride ourselves on the level of service and professionalism that we provide to our customers.“Our aim is to always deliver a first class product on time, every

time.”

The Flooring Company LtdSince 2006, The Flooring Company Ltd has specialised in the provision of commercial floor coverings. This includes the instal-

lation and subfloor preparation for both new builds and refits. On the Granville, Harpenmead and Templewood Point project

The Flooring Company Ltd installed new floor coverings on all lift lobbies and stairwell landings. This involved the application of a latex smoothing compound, followed by linoleum flooring. The company also installed entrance matting.The Flooring Company Ltd Director, John Butt, said: “At The

Flooring Company Ltd we pride ourselves on our communica-tion skills with our clients and we always aim to meet deadlines on time and to a high standard.“This allows us to work efficiently alongside any team involved

on a project, to achieve an end result that is satisfactory for all.”

London & South East

Work is underway on a £89.2m project to construct the second longest busway in the world. At 13.4km, the Luton Dunstable Busway promises to revolu-

tionise public transport by providing passengers with a faster service. Specially adapted buses will be given priority at junc-tions and buses will travel at 50mph.Upgrades will also be made to more than 250 bus stops away

from the main route. These stops will include real time passen-ger information and raised pavements for level boarding, whilst stops along the main corridor will benefit from CCTV and help access points. In addition, a new cycle route will also run along-side the length of the busway. The Luton Dunstable Busway is being implemented through

a partnership between Luton Borough Council and Central Bedfordshire Council. Main contractor for the project is Bam Nuttall, whilst Atkins Ltd is providing project management sup-port and site supervision. Approximately 200 people will be employed throughout the development of the project.Preparation work on the project began in 2009 with the relo-

cation of local wildlife from the surrounding area. In late 2010 detailed design work took place and six disused railway bridge decks were removed.On 21st November 2011, the first concrete beam - weighing 4.8

tonnes and measuring 6m x 480mm - was laid on the project in Church Street, Dunstable. Approximately 4,700 concrete beams will be used during construction of the busway, with each of the beams precision built and accurate to within 2mm. Luton Council Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Councillor

Roy Davis, said: “This is an exciting landmark in the delivery of the Luton Dunstable Busway and confirms the excellent pro-gress that is being made on the ground.“The busway will offer all the connectivity of a bus, with the

speed of a train.“Buses will not only run along the main corridor itself, but also

reach out into the community to serve 265 bus stops away from the main route across Luton and Dunstable.“The busway offers an unrivalled opportunity to change peo-

ple’s local travel habits by providing a high-tech public transport service that will reach deep into our communities.”There will be seven main stops along the busway: Houghton

Regis at Portland Ride, White Lion Retail Park in Dunstable; and Toland Close, Maple Road, Luton Station, Stirling Place and London Luton Airport.Eight access points will also serve surrounding local com-

munities. These include Houghton Regis at Blackburn Road; Church Street in Dunstable; Skimpot Road, Chaul End Lane, Manchester Street, Guildford Street, Church Street and London Luton Airport in Luton.Around 10.4km of the busway will consist of a two-way seg-

regated route between Blackburn Road in Houghton Regis through to Kimpton Road, whilst a new bus lane will continue the route to London Luton Airport. As part of the development, a new junction at College Drive,

Dunstable, has been constructed. A further junction will be in-stalled at New Bedford Road, Luton. Central Bedfordshire Council Executive Member for Sustainable

Communities Services ,Councillor Brian Spurr, said: “We are building the busway in order to reduce congestion and

dramatically reduce journey times across Luton and Dunstable and we’re delighted that the scheme is making good progress.“Our contractors have been busy for many months, preparing

the route and clearing major structures.“It’s wonderful to be able to see the busway itself taking shape

before our eyes.”Further work throughout 2012 will include the demolition of the

bridge at Telford Way and modification works at Old Bedford Road. In addition, earthworks will be carried out along the length of the busway corridor.

Luton Dunstable Busway scheduled to arrive


A new interchange and passenger drop-off zone at Luton Station will also be introduced in 2012, and will have the capac-ity for 14 buses.Luton Borough Council Environment & Regeneration Corporate

Director, Colin Chick, said: “The Luton Dunstable Busway will be an impressive engineer-

ing accomplishment, but more important than that it links four of the poorest wards in the conurbation with the station, busi-nesses, work, education, health and leisure facilities.“For the young and for people with disabilities it’s no exaggera-

tion to say it will deliver life-changing opportunities.”Early estimates predict that the Luton Dunstable Busway will

cut journey times between Houghton Regis, Dunstable, Luton town centre and London Luton Airport by half. The project will be completed in 2013.

Construction of a second 120,000 sq ft hangar is underway and progressing well at TAG Farnborough Airport, Europe’s leading business aviation airport. The new hangar complements the existing buildings and three

bay wave hanger at the airport, allowing TAG Farnborough Airport to offer its customers even more aircraft hangarage space and additional facilities, including new office accommo-dation.The state-of-the-art three bay wave shaped hangar has been

built by Inseen Construction and designed by 3D Reid.Commenting on the new development, TAG Farnborough

Airport CEO, Brandon O’Reilly, said: “The new hangar will further enhance the airport’s dedicated

business aviation product facilities and give our customers greater choice and flexibility. The new building complements the existing hangar and terminal and underpins the success of TAG Farnborough Airport as Europe’s leading business aviation facility.” TAG Farnborough Airport is Europe’s leading all-business

airport and is a key gateway for prominent business decision makers flying to and from the UK. The airport is the biennial host to the world’s leading airshow, the Farnborough International Airshow. The town is the birthplace of British aviation and was home to the country’s first powered flight in 1908.Due to a recent planning decision, the airport is now permitted

to increase aircraft movements from 28,000 to 50,000 per year. This increase will be phased in through to 2019.

Brandon O’Reilly said: “This means that TAG Farnborough can meet more of the growing demands for business aviation - in-cluding overseas trade, inward investment and the generation of local jobs. “The airport is taking an industry leading stance on noise

mitigation and climate change. It continues to engage with the Farnborough Aerodrome Consultative Committee and the local community to tackle important environmental issues.”

Construction high-flyers in airport expansion



Within easy reach of London, TAG Farnborough Airport has direct motorway and rail connections. London Heathrow is within easy reach and helicopter shuttles from Battersea to Farnborough take just ten minutes. TAG Farnborough Airport is part of TAG Aviation. The other

companies within TAG Aviation include: TAG Aviation Europe, TAG Aviation Asia and TAG Aviation Services (UK). TAG Aviation is part-owned by the TAG Group, which has a worldwide portfo-lio of enterprises including Formula One motor racing (McLaren Mercedes) and commercial real estate.Led by Simon Horsley, Farnborough Airport’s in-house con-

struction department managed the construction of the TAG Farnborough Airport Terminal Building. The success of the project - completed both on time and below budget - led to the formation of Inseen Construction.

Inseen Construction LtdEstablished in 2011 Inseen Construction Ltd specialises in air-port infrastructure within the aviation industry; including work on hangars and associated facilities. It delivers high skilled services within the construction and refurbishment sector that enhance and support the needs of its clients. The company employs 15 experienced members of staff who are all pas-sionate about using their skills to enhance the reputation of the construction industry.On TAG Farnborough Inseen Construction Ltd delivered all

construction packages on the hangar. This included installing standing seam roof cladding, featuring high quality polycarbon-ate ribbons; large built-up wall cladding; slab hangar doors; and four inset two-storey office pods.Inseen Construction Ltd Design Manager, Mike Dempsey,

said: “We are proud to support TAG Farnborough Airport with the ongoing development of their world class Business Aviation Facility.”Inseen Construction Ltd continues to work on a number of

high-profile buildings at Farnborough Airport and is currently working on the three-bay hanger 2 project. The project is be-ing completed ahead the London 2012 Olympics due to an ex-pected surge in visitors to Farnborough.The company prides itself on developing and maintaining its

high level of standards and is committed to creating and de-veloping sustainable solutions for all of its business activities. Its services include hangar conversion and refurbishment work, apron and taxiway construction and re-cladding and facelift projects.

The new state-of-the-art McLaren Production Centre (MPC) hit the headlines in November 2011 when it was opened by Prime Minister David Cameron. The prime minister was given a tour of the site by McLaren chair-

man Rob Dennis and took the time to speak to MPC employees. He also met the British drivers Lewis Hamilton and Jenson. Speaking during the event, David Cameron said: “I can tell you,

I’ve been to a few factories. I’ve been to a few car manufacturing plants in my time. I’ve never been to anything quite like this – it really is inspiring what you do.“We all want this to be a country where we’re respected once

again for what we make as well as the services and finance we provide – vital though they are. “And there are people out there who say that can’t happen be-

cause the base has gone – the skills aren’t there; Britain doesn’t make enough things any more upon which to build. And so they conclude that our glory days of science, engineering and manufacturing are behind us, and that from now on it’s going to be about buying from the world rather than selling to the world. “What McLaren does here in Woking is a powerful rebuke to

that view. And one of the things that has so impressed me today is it’s not just about the extraordinary Formula 1 cars that you make or, indeed, the incredible new cars we’ve just been look-ing at – it’s the technology, the invention, it’s the patents, it’s all of that innovation that is going to lead to so many other great businesses in the future.” The £50m McLaren Production Centre now houses the assem-

bly of McLaren Automotive’s range of high-performance sports cars, including the recently launched MP4-12C. It is expected to support up to 800 jobs and manufacture approximately 4,000 cars by 2050. Main contractors Sir Robert McAlpine and architects Fosters

+ Partners carried out the project in conjunction with McLaren. As an Official Partner, Pastorelli provided a staggering 200,000 floor tiles for the construction – enough to stretch from this site to McLaren London’s new home in Knightsbridge. Fosters + Partners also designed the award-winning McLaren

Technology Centre (MTC), which is located to the north east of the new development. The two buildings are connected by a subterranean walkway and share a common language of details and materials. The 34,500m² MPC is a flexible two-storey structure with a

linear design that mirrors the flow of the production line. One of the most striking features is the entrance, which comprises a circular glass drum beneath the overhang of the roof canopy. Designed to be highly efficient, the new McLaren Production

Centre features a range of sustainable technologies. The building has incorporated a low energy system of displace-ment ventilation, whilst the roof collects rainwater and has been designed to integrate photovoltaic cells in the future. No soil was removed from the site during construction and all ex-cavated material has been used to conceal the building within the green-belt landscape. Chairman of McLaren, Ron Dennis, said: “We have long held

the dream of building a range of McLaren high-performance sports cars that take the raw elements of Formula 1 principles, processes and performance and forge them into a unique pack-age: one that offers customer-focused requirements of quality, efficiency, comfort and reliability. “Investment in the new facility confirms our intention to chal-

David Cameron applauds new McLaren Production Centre



lenge convention at the highest levels of automotive design, from a high-tech home that I am proud to say will deliver jobs, expertise and innovation in manufacturing and engineering.“During the entire design and build phases of the McLaren

Production Centre, we were acutely aware of the need to create a space to complement the existing structure of the McLaren Technology Centre. “Finding a solution that could function within the existing land-

scape was particularly challenging, but I’m pleased to say that Foster + Partners ensured a seamless continuity between the two buildings, while also allowing the MPC to exist indepen-dently as its own unique space. “It is a legacy of our partners’ commitment, passion and

adaptability that we were able to commute this shared vision into such a striking, unified and functional piece of design and architecture. The efforts of Pastorelli have been essential in bringing such a lengthy design and build process to a hugely satisfying conclusion.”

A new Hampton by Hilton hotel is under construction in Kimpton Road, Luton. Hampton by Hilton boasts hotels in a number of fantastic

locations across the UK, including Birmingham, Derby and Liverpool. The chain seamlessly combines the global power of Hilton Worldwide with Hampton’s leadership in the popular value sector. As a result, Hampton by Hilton is able to offer out-standing service and amenities – including a free hot breakfast and free high speed internet access – at a price that customers can appreciate. The Ability Group is carrying out the £17m project, which be-

gan in September 2011 and is due to be completed in October 2012. Main contractors for the project are Bowmer and Kirkland and the architects are EPR. The new development is situated adjacent to the Luton railway

station and within one mile of Luton Airport, just 50km from central London. Luton Airport is the second largest airport after Heathrow for business travel and receives upwards of 9 million passengers each year. The Ability Group will provide their own shuttle service to transport people to and from the hotel and airport. The 7,400m² hotel comprises 188 guestrooms over four floors,

along with a further two floors of office space. The ground floor public areas include a reception, meeting rooms and breakfast zones, together with a bar, 24/7 snacks facility and a gym/fit-ness room. The upper office floors are set back with roof terraces and a

fully glazed facade to provide a pleasant and bright working office environment. Whilst the structure of the development in-cludes both concrete and steel, the upper floors predominantly feature precast concrete to the walls, floors and stairs. The exterior will comprise full height glazing to the ground

floor public areas with a combination of render and punched windows to the four floors above. External landscaping will include the creation of 270 car park

spaces for guests, visitors and office tenants. As well as benefitting from excellent access to the airport and

major roads, the current programme of works to open pedes-trian links to the adjacent main line station will make the hotel location ideal for visitors across the UK. The Ability Group The Ability Group are the owners and developers of the new hotel, which Hilton will manage on their behalf. The company was founded in 1996 by Chairman and Chief

Executive, Andreas Panayiotou. After selling the bulk of his

9,000 unit private portfolio in 2006, Andreas Panayiotou diverted his interests towards the hotel and leisure industry. Following a move into the hotel business in the latter part of 2007, he subse-quently developed a portfolio of seven hotels and began to look at further hotel development opportunities. The Ability Group also comprises Ability Shipping and Ability

Leisure, whilst their extensive portfolio includes £100 million worth of property on Bishop’s Avenue in London.Head of Hotel and Leisure, Lionel Benjamin, said: “We looked at various operators and around five years ago, we

decided that we wanted to work with one particular operator. Ultimately we chose Hilton and they now manage five hotels across the UK on our behalf. “Hampton by Hilton is a very interesting brand with a lot of

opportunity within the economy market. Furthermore, Luton continues to move forward - particularly with regards to private airlines and private jets flying from Luton Airport. “We are delighted to be associated with another new develop-

ment in Luton. There is a lot of regeneration planned for the area and we see ourselves as a major part of that redevelopment opportunity.”

Bell & WebsterEstablished over 63 years ago, Bell & Webster is a leader in the design, manufacture and construction of precast concrete hotel and student accommodation rooms. Some of their past projects include 24 student accommoda-

tion developments for nationwide universities such as Reading Phase 1 & 2, University of Essex (Southend) and Mile End Road, London. In total, they have provided their RoomSolutionsTM for almost 16,000 student accommodation facilities and 11,100 rooms for hotel projects. In conjunction with their room products, Bell & Webster have

also manufactured and delivered over 65,000 precast concrete retaining walls and manufactured the precast concrete terracing for 10 UK stadia projects. For the Hampton & Hilton Luton project, Bell & Webster liaised

with the architect and the main contractor very early on and aided with the design of the main concrete frame. A spokesperson for Bell & Webster said: “It was great working

with Bowmer & Kirkland as we have previously worked together on many projects and we understand each other’s needs and priorities. Ultimately this enabled the project to progress seam-lessly.”

Hampton by Hilton is ready to take over the UK



Crossrail Limited (CRL) is a subsidiary of Transport for London and is responsible for delivering the Crossrail pro-ject, Europe’s largest civil engineering tunnel project.The project is the most significant work of its kind since the

Jubilee Line Extension and Channel Tunnel Rail Link and will see new Crossrail stations built along the central route of Paddington, Tottenham Court Road, Bond Street, Farringdon, Whitechapel, Liverpool Street and Canary Wharf. The stations will link routes from Maidenhead and Heathrow in the west to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east.As part of the project, station platforms will be constructed

to cater for the 200m-long trains that will operate from the sta-tions. The project also includes provision for future platform extensions, which will enable the Crossrail stations to cater for longer trains as the number of passengers using the service in-creases. Between Paddington and Whitechapel, up to 24 trains per hour will operate during peak periods. It is predicted that the new route will increase the travel capac-

ity of the capital by 10%. Once completed, an additional 1.5 million people will be within 45 minutes commuting distance of London’s key business areas. Tunnelling is due to commence in March 2012 and it is estimat-

ed that a total of 21km of twin-bore tunnel will be constructed under London. The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “This crucial pro-

ject that I fought for will be of huge importance to the future of our city and these contracts will provide an immediate boost to employment in the UK.”It is expected that the project will generate up to 14,000 jobs

during 2013 and 2015. Crossrail’s central section will be deliv-ered in 2018 and a phased introduction of services along the Crossrail route will follow.

Liverpool Street and WhitechapelLocated underneath London Underground’s existing Liverpool Street and Moorgate station, Liverpool Street Station will soon serve London’s major financial centre – the City of London. Once the project is complete, the station will provide in-

terchanges for Northern, Central, Circle, Metropolitan and

Hammersmith & City lines. In addition, there will be connec-tions to Stansted airport and links to National Rail services. A new ticket hall will be constructed in order to provide step-

free access from street level to Crossrail platforms, whilst a stairway will also be constructed directly beneath an existing escalator adjacent to the Northern Line. As a result, a connec-tion will be provided between Crossrail and the Northern Line at Moorgate. Other improvements include a replacement Communications

Equipment Room, a new Powerlink substation and the creation of a number of switch rooms. Mott Macdonald is the lead design consultant on the project

and is responsible for mechanical and electrical systems, ena-bling, civil and structural works, passenger modelling, space-proofing and architectural work. The main construction contract for Liverpool Street station will

be awarded during 2012.At Whitechapel, the new Crossrail station will be located to the

north of the existing station and will use the existing Whitechapel Road entrance to the underground and overground stations. In addition, a new ticket-hall will be created in order to provide step-free access to Crossrail, London Underground and London Overground. The main construction contract was awarded during 2011 to

Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering, Morgan Sindall and VINCI Construction UK.

Thames TunnelThe Thames Tunnel will be built underneath the River Thames and will significantly improve journey times from south east London to central London. Built 15m below the existing river bed, the tunnel will be

2.6km long. Portals will be constructed at either end of the tunnel at North Woolwich and Plumstead and the first Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) will be launched in late 2012. Following construction work in 2011 on the Plumstead Portal, the North Woolwich Portal construction will begin in early 2012.Hochtief Construction AG and J Murphy & Sons Ltd have been

awarded the prestigious contract.

Connecting the capital through Crossrail

Main contractor VINCI Construction UK Limited has been awarded the contract for the refurbishment of the Connaught Tunnel. With a history that dates back to 1878, the Connaught Tunnel al-

lowed the railway to be diverted under the Connaught Passage, a water link which connected the Royal Victoria Dock and Royal Albert Dock. The tunnel came under the spotlight in 2008, when it was featured in Guy Ritchie’s film ‘RocknRolla’. Unfortunately, the central sections of the Connaught Tunnel

became weaker after the Royal Victoria Dock was deepened in 1935 in order to allow larger ships to enter the dock. As part of the works, the central section of the Connaught Tunnel was narrowed, the brickwork was removed and cast iron segments were installed. This resulted in the roof of the Connaught Tunnel below the dock being exposed.

The prestigious project will include enlarging the existing tun-nel so that it can accommodate Crossrail trains and overhead line equipment. As sections of the existing tunnel are in poor structural condition, approximately 100m of tunnel wall will be removed and replaced with a new tunnel lining. In addition, the existing brick arches and part of the tunnel approaches will be retained and repaired. Crossroads Project Manager, Linda Miller, said: “In 20 years of

digging tunnels, this is the most fun and fantastic opportunity. It presents all sorts of problems but that’s what I love. “There are some beautiful arches and the original plan was to

take them away, to cut them out and to replace them with the modern equivalent but I’m happy to say that a decision was taken by Crossrail to preserve them and clean them up to bring them back to the way they looked 150 years ago.” One of the first phases of work to be carried out is the rein-

forcement of the central section of the Connaught Tunnel, which lies at the bottom of the Royal Victoria Dock at the border with the Royal Albert Dock. The reinforcement stage will include the installation of a large

concrete base, which will in turn ensure the safety and stability of the tunnel. A wide passageway will be dredged between the Royal Albert Dock and Royal Victoria Dock and then a 1m thick reinforced concrete protection slab (measuring 100m³) will be

vINCI wins starring role in Connaught Tunnel project


London & South East

installed on the bed of the passageway, which is located just west of the Connaught Road Bridge. This slab will be placed using marine pontoons and a team of specialist divers. Following this phase, the cast iron linings in the Connaught

Tunnel will be removed in stages. In order to ensure the integrity of the existing tunnel, the remainder of the brick-lined tunnel will be grouted and filled with a low strength foam concrete. These tunnels will subsequently be enlarged by boring through the foam to create binocular tunnels which are large enough to al-low Crossrail trains to pass. Precast concrete tunnel segments will then be installed in this section of the tunnel. Piling and concrete works to construct the track slab at the

west end are expected to be completed in July 2012, followed by the same process at the east end. The refurbishment of the tunnel itself will commence after July 2012 and is expected to be completed in October 2013.

Abwood Contract Support LtdSince it was established in 1997, Abwood Contract Support Ltd has been a leading specialist in marine and underwater engi-neering & construction, term maintenance and diving services. Abwood provide services across London and the South East,

whilst their extensive wealth of experience has been required nationally and in places as far away as the Middle East. The company has been involved in two Crossrail projects.

For the Canary Wharf project, Abwood surveyed the proposed cofferdam’s pile line for obstructions and then assisted the con-tractors with the removal of the obstructions. They were also involved with tying in the cofferdam with listed heritage dock walls, the installation of an underwater concrete base slab prior to the drain down of the cofferdam and various other tasks throughout the marine construction phase.For the Connaught Tunnel project, Abwood carried out an ini-

tial survey of the walls and dock bed of the dock passage above the tunnel. They then returned to remove the dock sediment and

debris from the dock slab, in order to facilitate a detailed bed and wall survey for the client. Drew Allan, Abwood Contract Support Ltd, said: “In addition to works on the Olympics project, we are fortunate

enough to be involved with two of the main construction pro-jects in London at the moment. We are delighted to be working on this project, both with VINCI and all of the relevant site and management teams.”

Tunnelling east with Crossrail Crossrail Limited will begin the East Running Tunnels phase of its Crossrail project in the third quarter of 2012. The operation is divided into three sections: Limmo Peninsular

to Farringdon east (Drive Y), Pudding Mill Lane to Stepney Green (Drive Z) and Limmo Peninsular to Victoria Dock (Drive G).The first tunnel to be constructed will be the Limmo Peninsular

to Farringdon section, which at 8.3km will be the longest tun-nel drive for Crossrail. Two Tunnel Boring Machines (TBM) will be launched from the shaft at Limmo Peninsular and the TBMs will then move towards Farringdon east, through Canary Wharf, Whitechapel and Liverpool Street stations. This section is expected to be completed in the third quarter of

2014. Following this, the final sprayed concrete lining works at Whitechapel and Liverpool Street station will be implemented. The next stage will see the boring of a 2.7km tunnel from Pudding

Mill Lane to Stepney Green (Drive Z). TBM will be launched in the fourth quarter of 2013 and once the two TBMs from Drive Y pass Stepney Green, a separate pair of TBMs will move from Pudding Mill Lane Portal towards Stepney Green. This section is due to be completed during the third quarter of 2014.



London & South East

During the second quarter of 2014, TBM will launch at Limmo Peninsula to Victoria Dock. This section is expected to reach completion in the third quarter of 2014 and nderground struc-tures and station tunnels will be built prior to TBMs passing through locations. Rail Minister, Theresa Villiers, said: “We have taken an im-

portant step forward in one of Europe’s biggest infrastructure projects.

“These tunnels will help boost rail capacity across London by 10 per cent, relieving overcrowding on the other hard-pressed services. “Crossrail is a critical project for this country which has the

potential to generate up to £50bn in wider economic benefits for UK GDP and will allow the creation of tens of thousands of jobs.”Joint contractors for the project are Dragados S.A and John

Sisk & Sons (Holdings) Ltd.

The Crossrail project includes a planned phase to cover the Western Running Tunnels. The Western Running Tunnels phase covers Royal Oak to

Farringdon west (Drive X) and the length of drive is approxi-mately 6.4km. It is the first of five drives required to construct the Crossrail tunnelled section and will provide the access point for rail services from the west of the capital. The first Crossrail Tunnel Boring Machines (TBM) will be

launched from Royal Oak in March 2012 and TBMs will pass through the stations at Bond Street, Paddington, Tottenham Court Road and Farringdon east. At its final destination the cut-ter heads will be removed from the TBM and the machines will be dismantled. TBMS will be launched towards east of Farringdon and will pass

under Bond Street, Paddington, Tottenham Court Road and Farringdon stations - creating the running tunnels. Following this, the area surrounding the running tunnels will be enlarged. As the main tunnelling works progress, Spray Concrete Lining

(SCL) works will be implemented at Bond Street and Tottenham

Court Road. As the TBMs pass Bond Street, a cross-over tun-nel will be installed in order to allow this work to be completed. Material that is excavated by TBM will be diverted through

one tunnel to allow for a SCL station at the other. This exca-vated material will be moved out through Royal Oak Portal and transported by rail to a transfer dock in order to be re-used on further development sites. This new strategy for tunnelling in the western section reduces the amount of material transported through London’s streets by over 85%.Transport Advisor for the Mayor of London, Kulveer Ranger,

said: “London is a step closer to making this all important rail-way a reality. “With contracts in place we can begin burrowing beneath the

city’s streets to forge the line which will make zipping from east to west even quicker and easier for Londoners, commut-ers and visitors.”BAM Nuttall Ltd, Ferrovial Agroman (UK) Ltd and Kier

Construction are the joint contractors and the phase is due to be completed in the third quarter of 2013.

Crossrail goes west



London & South East

A former hotel in Kensington is currently being redeveloped to create luxury accommodation for the prime residential market.The project will transform the former 50+ bedroom John

Howard Hotel at 4 – 6 Queens Gate into eighteen apartments. Two independent mews houses are also being created.Work commenced on the site in May 2010 and currently the

apartments are undergoing structural alterations, including the removal of two lifts, a restaurant and a commercial kitchen housed in the basement. Westgreen Construction is the main contractor and their in-

house team RIBA Chartered Architectural Practice, Westgreen Studio, is the architect. MPA Construction Consultants is the contract administrator and quantity surveyor, whilst Environmental Engineering Partnership (EEP) is the mechanical and electrical consultant. The structural consultant is Jenkins & Potter Consulting Engineers. Interestingly, Westgreen Studio was not the original architect

appointed for the project. Following a competitive tendering process, Westgreen Construction was employed as the main contractor. Westgreen Studio was brought onboard afterwards.Westgreen’s Managing Director, John Gilsenan, explained: “The client was looking to change architects for the delivery of

the project, so they approached us about finishing the executive architecture work on the project. It is a rather unusual situation as we are contracted for the building element of the project and we also hold a separate appointment as the architect, but it has several advantages.“We identified an opportunity to create additional floor area in

the basement of the mews buildings – situated to the rear of the

property – as well as improve layouts. “Our in-house architectural team then compiled a presentation

offering the client revised layouts and a generous percentage increase of the floor area, which was then agreed.“For the client to come to us with a scheme that already has

a plan in place and then for us to deliver a one-stop solution that combines architecture and contracting is, for us, a fantastic achievement that offers advantages to the client and the overall project.”Following the structural alterations windows will be fitted and

plastering work will be conducted. The internal walls will receive a mix of painted plaster finish and fabric coverings, whilst bath-rooms will feature ceramic tiles and natural stone.The conversion of the stable mews is a significant aspect of the

project and will provide options for the transformation of subter-ranean rooms into small cinemas, gyms and/or living quarters. 4 – 6 Queens Gate will be completed in December 2012.

Mercer WeldingMercer Welding is a specialist in the fabrication and installa-tion of difficult structural steel work. Company founder Roger Mercer has twenty six-years experience in the industry and predominantly works on existing structures.On 4-6 Queens Gate Mercer Welding is responsible for the

supply and installation of reinforced steel. This includes trans-porting the material through two lift shafts and fabricating and installing it. Mercer Welding Founder Roger Mercer said: “At Mercer

Welding we are known as problem solving specialists and we always welcome a challenge when taking on our next job.”

Kensington hotel to become luxurious apartments


BAE Systems is carrying out an exciting £16m project to repair and restore HMS Victory. Best known for her role in the Battle of Trafalgar, the Victory

currently has a dual role as the flagship of the Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command and as a living museum to the Georgian navy. Work began to build HMS Victory in 1759 and the ship was launched from Chatham Dockyard in Kent in 1765. After serving as a warship from 1765 until 1889, the vessel was used as a Naval School until 1904.BAE Systems was awarded the five-year contract on December

1st 2011 and there will be an additional five-year option once this contract ends. The company will carry out the project with the aid of ‘Team Victory’, which comprises SSE Contracting for the rewiring, T Nielsen & Co for the structural timberwork onboard and Bell Rigging for the mast work. Designed by naval architects and design authorities at the

MOD, the project will be carried out in a number of stages, in-cluding the planned maintenance schedule and the restoration phase. The Victory Advisory Technical Committee, which has been overseeing the restoration and maintenance of the vessel since 1922, will also be involved in the work. Vice Admiral Charles Montgomery, Second Sea Lord and

Commander in Chief of HMS Victory, said: “HMS Victory is an icon for the Royal Navy and the nation as a

whole. This restoration project will enable future generations to experience for themselves a warship that has an enduring and far reaching effect on national and international history.”

John O’Sullivan, BAE Systems Project Manager, added: “Although this is a historic vessel, there are a lot of compari-

sons that can be drawn between this structure and a building. For instance, the electrical installation is the same as it would be in any building and we are currently in the process of rewiring the ship.“However there are also mast refurbishment works, which I

assume wouldn’t be found in a building. We will take the rest of the lower sections of the mast down from the ship and survey, refurbish them and put them back up again. Following this we will replace the upper masts, along with all the relevant rigging and blocks.“Another major job is the re-planking of the vessel, whilst the

cradle that actually holds the ship will also be replaced once the design and planning phase is complete.“This is a very exciting project and we are extremely pleased

to be working on it. Although the entire project is interesting, the mast work has proved particularly fascinating for me.” BAE Systems has supported HMS Victory for more than thir-

teen years at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. As well as support-ing the oldest warship in the Royal Navy’s fleet, BAE Systems also provides in-service support to the newest additions, the Type 45 destroyers.

SSE Contracting Rewiring a national maritime treasure is a job for the experts and one that SSE Contracting has taken great pride in completing.

BAE Systems leads the way to victory


The company, which is one of the largest electrical and me-chanical contractors in the UK, was awarded the competitive tender by BAE Systems. It has spent five months carefully over-hauling the famous vessel’s wiring to a 21st century standard, so it is now ‘ship-shape and Bristol’ fashion for generations to come. The SSE Contracting team from Portsmouth skillfully replaced

all power and lighting systems on board, installed new electrical switchgear, as well as a new lighting control system to allow the ship’s atmosphere to be altered at the touch of a button. Four hundred ‘lanthorns’, vintage naval lanterns, have even been upgraded to efficient LED technology.Electricians had the challenge of working across all six decks

including the great cabin (Lord Nelson’s quarters) and the quar-

terdeck, from where he directed the Battle of Trafalgar. Where possible, wiring was fitted using the original routes and holes. The Victory also remained open to the public throughout and great care had to be taken to protect the many artefacts kept out on display. Alan Bicheno, SSE Contracting Project Leader, said: “We

obviously have lots of experience in rewiring both old and new buildings but even for us this was a very different environment to work in, especially having to avoid bumping our heads on the low beams! “This unique project has been a perfect demonstration of how

skilful and dedicated our staff are and we’re very proud of the results.”

London & South East

Occupying an entire city block on London’s Oxford Street, the iconic new Park House is under construction in a flag-ship multi-million pound project. As the largest develop-ment on Oxford Street for 40 years, the exciting new nine-storey building will incorporate office space, retail units and apartments. Design and build contractor Mace Construction are carrying

out the prestigious project for Land Securities. The 500,000 sq ft building will incorporate three levels of retail

units with offices above to the west and 39 luxury apartments (including 13 one-bedroom, 13 two-bedroom and 13 three-

bedroom units) to the east, with their own dedicated entrance on North Row. The complex structure of Park House has incorporated a rein-

forced concrete substructure with a steel frame up to level two, at which point it divides into a continuing steel frame for the of-fice element and a reinforced concrete frame for the residential element. In addition, vibration isolation measures have been incorpo-

rated within the design of the development. This will protect the building from the vibration generated by road traffic and the nearby tube line.

The largest Oxford Street development for 40 years


Externally, the building features a striking fully glazed facade to all elevations. This has incorporated specially commissioned art features with a curved metal and glazed roof. The dramatic curves of the glass exterior have been compared

to a sleek racing car, whilst visitors are greeted by a glass prism of liquid light created by Carpenter Lowings and artist Walter Bailey has created extraordinary works in wood to adorn the exterior and reception.Another interesting feature of the development is the fact that

the retail units have shop fronts that are twice the average height for the area; a feature that is hoped to help draw in the estimated 200 million people who visit Oxford Street every year. Landscaping will comprise the enhancement of the public

realm, including the creation of additional public space. Mace Construction Director, Jonathan Foster, said: “A lot of

our projects are in central London and similar challenging sites - whether around live railway stations, busy retail areas or com-mercial offices. It simply means that we have to plan the works in a great deal of detail. In this case we have accessed the build-ing from the south side on North Row, avoiding Oxford Street.” With approximately 600 construction personnel on site, the

contract is currently progressing on programme. The building is now structurally complete and all of the external cladding is in place. Roof glazing is in progress, together with the internal mechanical and electrical works and the fitting out. Phased handover is scheduled from June to November 2012.

Trelleborg rises to the challengeEngineered polymers specialists Trelleborg played a major role in overcoming one of the main challenges in the Park House project - its proximity to Marble Arch Tube Station and resulting vibration and noise from the trains. Working with acoustic consultants Hann Tucker Associates,

Trelleborg formulated a strategy to provide individually engi-neered, specially manufactured rubber bearings underneath and within the building to alleviate the problem.At the Trelleborg Engineered Systems facility in Ridderkerk,

Trelleborg designs and manufactures engineered rubber prod-ucts to seal, damp and protect in demanding environments worldwide. As well as insulating buildings, their products are used in bridges and large civil structures such as storm surge barriers.


London & South East

Fit out and refurbishment specialist Cameron Black has completed a prestigious 40,000 sq ft high end fit out for the Google Engineers HQ at Belgrave House, Buckingham Palace Road, London. As the second largest engineering office in Europe (after

Google Zurich), Google’s UK office in London is a busy mix of technical Googlers, direct advertising sales and a variety of other essential business and administrative functions. Google Search is now the most-used search engine on the

World Wide Web, receiving several hundred million queries each day through its various services. Developed in 1997 by Larry Page and Sergery Brin, Google Search provides over twenty-two special features beyond the word-search capability. These include maps, film show times, time zones, weather forecasts and synonyms. As a result, the direct advertising sales teams offer support

across a range of industries including: media and entertainment, retail, finance, healthcare, business and industrial, technology and consumer products. Other areas include human resources, finance, legal, marketing and communications, business devel-opment and infrastructure engineering. Google engineers are dedicated to developing a range of

products including next-generation mobile applications, information-retrieval algorithms, systems software and innova-tive search products. One of their focuses is Adsense, which is an integral part of the Google advertising infrastructure as it is enables publishers to earn revenue by displaying relevant ads on their site. In addition, Google aims to match advertisers to operators and programmes, in order to deliver more relevant ads to viewers and provide more accurate and timely report-ing on TV viewership. This will in turn enable Google to create automated online services that will improve the efficiency of the marketplace.

In order for the Google HQ to reflect the exciting progress being made, Cameron Black was contracted to transform the office development. Duncan Taylor, Cameron Black, explained: “We’ve been involved with Google for a number of years now

and this is by far the most exciting project that we have under-taken for them to date. “The space was fully fitted out so we stripped it back to open

plan, reconfigured all of the services to match the new layout and installed the new partitions and ceilings. Following this, we installed the flight pods, VC booths, meeting rooms, state-of-the-art Tech Talk, flooring and signage.“Regarded as one of the funkiest workspaces in London, this

is one of the most high profile projects that our company has been involved with. Although we were faced with the normal pressures of high specification, fast-paced fit out, for Cameron Black it has been one of the most enjoyable projects that we have had the opportunity to work on. This was largely due to the team effort from everyone involved, including the client, architect and consultants.” Architects for the project, PENSON Group, produced a unique

design that incorporates high-tech features and the creative flair that has made Google so successful. The space works around the Googlers and not the other way around. Along with a range of collaboration and working spaces, the

development comprises an exciting mixture of spaces, gam-ing rooms, music studios and flight pods. In addition, there are lounges and kitchens, along with a park, coffee lab and an amazing auditorium labelled ‘Tech Talk’. One of the most exciting features is the installation of flight

pods, which PENSON Group invented especially for Google. These pods look amazing and solve a number of programme, landlord and technical problems by allowing for supersonic fit

Cameron Black Googles it






out speeds. They also appease acoustic issues and provide semi-private seating opportunities, providing an exciting alter-native to meeting rooms. Corridors are nonexistent due to the shrewd maximisation of

the existing footprint. In order to stop the areas from becom-ing blocked off, large isles of walkways feature interconnecting lines that create a joined-up approach, in the process breaking up the floors whilst keeping the space open. Most of the walls across the space are magnetic white board

laminated and allow scribbles across the entire floor. In addi-tion, all of the desks are fully height adjustable and screens are framed with self-illuminating Perspex. Another interesting feature is The Coffee Lab, which is made

from compressed sheets of spent fresh coffee shavings and overlooks the internal park. Also included in the space is the Android studio, which is responsible for all Android develop-ments. The space has electrically adjustable studio tables for working whilst standing or collaborating at low level, whilst magnetic walls feature throughout in order to allow for the pin-up presentations of software or new patents currently under development. Other schemes that have been considered include acoustics,

day-lighting, zoning and socialising. Lee Penson, PENSON Group, said: “This was a high profile, high class and quirky interior fit out

and design to a budget within normal high class perimeters. “This project for Google underlines our position within the me-

dia and office sectors, not only exposing our supersonic design flair, but also our delivery capabilities. Handing over 300,000 sq ft for Google in less than a year from start to finish to this level is no mean feat and as the remainder of the Google programme is released, the underline will simply get thicker. This is a good looking, functional, commercially and forward thinking project.”

Henrique Penha, Google, added: “Working with the team at PENSON was a pleasure; they truly understood the func-tional and aesthetic attributes we were after when redesigning Google’s new engineering offices in London. Together, we pushed the ambition of the project into every phase, giving the Engineering teams in London a place to incubate and execute on numerous Google projects and products.” In addition, Scott Brownrigg Interior Design has now complet-

ed two floors at 123 Buckingham Palace Road, in the process creating a combined 77,500 sq ft of innovative, inspiring office space for over 60 Google staff.Phase One of the project comprised the creation of a dynamic

and collaborative work environment on Level Three. Like many other Google offices worldwide, the office has a strong local theme. Joe Borrett and Jane Preston from Google, working with the Scott Brownrigg Interior Design Team, chose a theme of London-Brighton. Many iconic elements are incorporated into the office design.

For example, the meeting rooms are brightly coloured timber beach huts and giant colourful dice accommodate individual conference booths. In addition, original dodgem cars and traditional red telephone booths are all work spaces that are available to both staff and visitors. Open plan workstations for all staff are mixed with a few of-

fices, meeting rooms, open break out seating areas and sup-port spaces for printing and IT technical support. In order to accommodate for the health and welfare of Google staff, the development also includes a fully fitted gym and shower facility, massage and spa treatment centre, and an Asian Fusion/Sushi restaurant that is free for all staff. Ken Giannini, Interior Design Director of Scott Brownrigg,

said: “It is little wonder that Google is one of the most desirable places to work in the UK. We have enjoyed every minute of this


London & South East

exciting project. All of the Google staff are up for innovation, brilliant ideas and they like to be challenged. We also recognise that Google is a serious business and demands efficiency, value and solutions that can support their business practices. This project has it all – a fun working environment that also incorpo-rates lots of practical solutions.” Joe Borrett, Head of Real Estate and Construction for Google,

added: “The office was designed and delivered in a very fast timescale (four months) and the team of consultants and the contractor pulled out all the stops to get it done. It was an im-pressive effort.”Jane Preston, UK Facilities Manager at Google, said: “The first

impressions by visitors and our staff has been very positive. The project fits well with our real estate and HR strategy and will definitely help support our growth plans. We see the work environment as a major recruitment factor for us to compete for the best talent and this new office certainly does that.”Phase Two of the project continued with the London-Brighton

theme, but aimed to offer a more sophisticated design twist. The development contains both open plan and cellular spaces,

along with significant support and welfare space for over 300 staff. A variety of work settings have been created, including a 70-person events space, a mixture of meeting rooms to accom-modate 12-16 people, individual video conferencing booths and various huddle areas. Upon entering Level One, visitors are greeted by a 3D Union

Jack wall, which on closer inspection is composed of layers of postcards and overlapping transparencies. The adjacent entrance houses 120 scooter mirrors, which splay out from a central scooter parked on Brighton beach and catch the reflec-tions of people passing by. Punch and Judy themed meeting rooms have been stripped of

their classic design to create a modern offering of glazed inter-layer panels and graphics. In addition, the graphic of a swarm of starlings has been used on the office glazing throughout. All of

these elements create a dynamic sense of movement, making the space a more interesting place to work. The Pavilion Cafe is adjacent to the main entrance and is a nod

to the Mods and Rockers era, albeit with a decidedly modern attitude. The light enters via two black glass clad portals and re-flects against the dark, shiny surfaces. Interestingly, reclaimed flooring has been used under the seating area. Lightly sanded, the flooring gives the space a truly authentic look and a feel that is similar to walking on Brighton Pier. Level One has also incorporated a fully operational kitchen,

two micro-kitchens and a supporting cafe to seat 120 people. In addition, a Yoga/Pilates studio is available and has the ability to separate into two individual rooms for maximum flexibility. The ‘Creative Lab’ department worked closely with Scott

Brownrigg Interior Design to inform their unique space. In order to create a college reel, raw concrete wallpaper has been used and wrapped around the core and a large bespoke collaborative desk with edge lit acrylic has been installed. Sarah Simmonds, Senior Designer from Scott Brownrigg, said:

“The design has evolved from Level Three in the sense that we wanted to create a dynamic environment, but in a less obvious way. We made a conscious decision to not use the brand col-ours, but similar to Google, who are a layered organisation, look closely and you will discover more than what is on the surface.”

Scott Brownrigg Interior DesignScott Brownrigg has consistently been rated in the top 20 of the UK’s top 100 architectural practices, offering integrated architectural, planning and interior design services across a wide range of public and private sectors including education, transportation, business space, defence, regeneration, hospi-tality and leisure, residential and industrial.

James Johnson & Company Ltd James Johnson & Co. was established in 1991 and has achieved



London & South East

recognition as one of the leading specialists in bespoke joinery. The company provides blue chip clients, architects and interior designers with products of exceptional quality and reliability. For the Google Office project, James Johnson & Company Ltd

manufactured and installed meeting rooms, feature A/V walls, desks & ceilings, flight pods, magnetic writing walls, coffee lab, micro kitchen, games room and back-lit circulation node pan-eled lobbies.Company Managing Director, Mike Craven, said: “At James

Johnson & Company Ltd, we are experienced in dealing with fast-track fit-outs and we offer a quality of service that is second to none.”

Russell Property ServicesEstablished in 1986, Russell Property Services is a specialist

in the commissioning and validation of heating, ventilation and air conditioning. This includes implementing water flow, heating and ventilation systems.The company is experienced in working on projects includ-

ing large commercial buildings and developments for phar-maceutical companies in the south east of England. Previous projects include a number of high-profile developments, such as London’s landmark skyscraper the ‘Gherkin’. For the Google Office project, Russell Property Services pro-

vided validations prior to the fit-out and undertook commission-ing management once the project was completed. This involved providing reports and a full set of drawings for everything that was installed.Russell Property Services Managing Director, Stewart Russell,

said: “At Russell Property Services we always aim to complete


a job on time at a very reasonable rate.“We are always proud of the high level of customer satisfaction

that we provide and have years of experience in undertaking large-scale jobs.”

Pristine London Pristine London specialises in soft strip, strip-outs, clearance and demolition work. All operatives are trained to a high stand-ard and are adept at working in buildings with live services. For the Google Office project, Pristine London stripped out the

existing office in preparation for the new fit-out. This involved working in a live building around existing services and overcom-ing the difficulties encountered when the goods lift stopped working. During this situation, Pristine London worked closely with Cameron Black and the building management team in or-der to revise the schedule and deploy additional teams to help with the clearance of waste. These amendments ensured that the programme remained unaffected.Pristine London prides itself on its ability to meet tight dead-

lines in a controlled, safe and environmentally friendly manner and always leaves a site in pristine condition. The compa-ny consistently exceeds their clients’ recycling targets and is in the process of becoming carbon neutral across all of their UK operations.

Castleton Signs Ltd Castleton Signs are one of the longest established signage companies in the UK. They offer a full consultancy, design and manufacturing capability. This includes site surveys and way-finding audits, planning permission and specifications, installa-tion and maintenance.Castleton develop and produce all types of signs, whether for

commercial, functional or purely decorative purposes, with a focus on custom made solutions.On the Google Office project, Castleton Signs supplied all

architectural manifestations and signage. This involved consult-ing closely with main contractor Cameron Black and designers Pensen Group at every operational stage.Castleton Signs Ltd Managing Director, Robert Winterborn,

said: “Our team of designers, project managers and installers bring

a wealth of specialist knowledge, experience and technical expertise to every signage project we undertake. The Google project involved wonderfully innovative design concepts which we translated into effective signage solutions. The end result speaks for itself.”

Tremlett & Turner LtdBristol based company Tremlett & Turner Ltd is a shop-fitting contractor that specialises in joinery work for shops and offices

around the UK. For the Google Office project, the company con-structed internal meeting rooms, display cabinets and desks.Tremlett & Turner Ltd Director, Mike Tremlett, said: “Over the

past 18 years, Tremlett & Turner Ltd has established itself as a leading contractor that offers competitively priced high quality office and shop fit-outs. We have worked with Cameron Black for ten years and so it is great to work with them once again on a high-end project like this.”

PENSON GroupPENSON Group focuses on providing talented architecture, interior design, structural, civil and mechanical & electrical engineering consultancy services, specialising in all sectors of buildings and usesThe company is unique because their chartered architects,

designers and engineers collaborate to simplify communication whilst improving coordination and efficiency. PENSON Group works hard to create award-winning solutions whilst paying close attention to every project’s commercial and deliverable needs. Their quietly competent approach means that they receive

repeat business for large and small organisations in both public and private sectors. PENSON Group is currently undertaking a £1.2 billion project

in Australia, where they are creating a new media and leisure village.


Wales

A new 1.3km road widening scheme is currently underway along the A487 in Wales.Located just south of Machynlleth, the A487 Glandyfi

Improvement project has been designed to widen the stretch of road in order to significantly improve driving conditions for motorists. It is the first time a scheme like this has taken place on the A487 and will allow the road to reach the national speed limit – which, due to the limited width of the existing road, has previously proved unfeasible. The project is being implemented between the River Dyfi, the

local railway track and an existing hillside. The £10m scheme began in February 2011 and has been fund-

ed by the Welsh Assembly Government. Designed by Parsons Brinkerhoff, the project is being carried out by main contractor Carillon Engineering and managed by EC Harris and Gifford. Work so far has included the removal of approximately

80,000km of rock from the surrounding area. This has involved a rock cutting of 15m high by 500m in length, with the imple-mentation of reinforced concrete rock anchors to support the remaining structure. Interestingly, the rock cutting is completely clad in stone and therefore has the appearance of a large dry stone wall. One of the main materials used on the scheme is masonry fac-

ing for the retaining walls and structures. Structural backfill and subbase - a layer of aggregate material that is laid upon the existing layer of the road - has also been used. A second, smaller rock cutting is scheduled to take place in

2012, whilst a substantial effort has been made to recover most

of the materials from the excavation in order for them to be re-used. Carillion Civil Engineering Contract Manager, Julian Wilson,

said: “Technically when you excavate rock it is waste material,

but by using the WRAP protocol and working alongside the Environment Agency we have been able to reuse the rock at deposition locations near to the scheme. “We donated some of the rock to the local RSPB reserve,

which has helped with some of the reserve’s upgrades during its centenary year, and we also assisted a few local landowners.“These landowners have had planning approval for ground

improvements in their farm yards, so we’re trying to keep all of the material local.” He added: “The result of this is that none of the rock excavated

during the project has been sent to landfill.“This has proved beneficial to both us and the local area as it

would have taken a great deal of time and effort to transport the material to the nearest landfill site.”As the A487 is a very narrow road and fragmented rock has at

times proved difficult to break, all work conducted so far has been linked to traffic management. As a result, the widening project can only be developed in certain phases. However, work so far has remained on schedule. Julian said: “Carillion Civil Engineering has also come up with

a number of value engineering initiatives whilst working on the road’s development.“This has included amending designs to save the Welsh

New widening scheme brings Glandyfi up to speed


Assembly Government some money on the project, which is always welcomed when undertaking a development like this.”The A487 Glandyfi Improvement project is currently around

50% complete. The remaining structural work is to take place throughout early 2012, including the creation of three new

100m-long retaining walls against the railway. The construction of smaller retaining walls will follow, along with some finishes on the highway. Work is scheduled to be completed in July 2012.

A programme is underway in Neath Port Talbot to improve the quality of living for local residents.Better Homes for People in Wales is a scheme implemented

by the Welsh Assembly Government to bring homes - including all councils and housing associations - up to the Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS). The aim of the project is to meet all Welsh Housing Quality

Standards by 2017. An additional £694m investment programme has also been put in place to continue maintenance and repair work for the next 30 years.NPT Homes will invest approximately £220m in the planned

programme of improvements between 2011 and 2017. NPT Homes is a not-for-profit organisation that was set up to man-age council housing in Neath Port Talbot and it is owned by its members, which include tenants of NPT Homes. The organisa-tion actively encourages tenant involvement as it enables NPT Homes to improve the quality of services that it can provide. The Power Group is responsible for the planning programme,

including the prioritisation of work. Following the submission of the opinions of the tenants, improvement works began in autumn 2011. During the first six months of the programme, tenants in Melin,

Sandfields West and Pontardawe will receive new bathrooms and kitchens. New heating systems will also be fitted, along with rewiring work where necessary. Over the course of the six-year scheme, works will include the

installation of 9,000 new and upgraded kitchens, 7,000 new and upgraded bathrooms and 6,000 new central heating boilers. In addition, 4,000 homes will benefit from electrical works. Warmplan Ltd is the heating contractor, whilst Mears will fit

kitchens, bathrooms and heating systems and Jistcourt will fit kitchens in the Pontardawe area. Every home involved in the project will be dealt with on a case-

by-case basis. Residents are not expected to move out of their homes during the course of the project unless extensive struc-tural work dictates otherwise. If this situation does arise NPT Homes will discuss the situation with the tenant and examine options, including temporary accommodation.The scheme is expected to encourage resident participation

and it is hoped that improvements will also instil an increased sense of pride amongst the community.

Making a house a homeThe requirements of WHQS state that all Welsh households should be of a good quality, should be safe, secure and in a good state of repair. Moreover, homes should be adequately heated, equipped with modern kitchens and bathrooms and be fuel efficient. All homes should also be located in a desirable environment and be looked after by land-lords. Homes should also match

the requirements of their tenants. This includes con-sideration for the size of the household and any adapta-tions to homes for the inter-ests of independent living.The benefits of WHQS

include a wider range of services for tenants and im-provements to local neigh-bourhoods. This includes local level investment to generate much needed employment and training for residents. NPT Homes has an exten-

sive portfolio of 9194 prop-erties across the County Borough, including 465 properties in sheltered schemes. The organisation prides itself on remaining tenant-focused and committed to providing excellent levels of service to the sur-rounding community. NPT Homes works towards creating new employment opportunities and encourages apprenticeships throughout its projects. NPT Homes maintains an active working relationship with the

Council and tenants who help to shape all of its developments. The company also has its own Homes by Choice Scheme, which allows tenants to let homes across County Borough ser-vice areas. This is a service based on choice and provides the opportunity to for residents to choose their own homes.

Raising the standard of living


A new onshore wind farm project is underway in Wales. The £70m Pant Y Wal Wind Farm is located between Ogmore

Vale and Cwm Clydach Forest in South Wales and comprises 21 turbines. Once the wind farm is fully operational, it will produce enough energy to power approximately 36,000 homes. Work commenced on the project in late October 2011 when

construction began on a 4.5KM access road to the site. Foundations are scheduled for installation in mid-2012, whilst the turbines will be erected towards the end of 2012 and will continue through to the beginning of 2013. Works are currently progressing on schedule. Funding for the project has been provided by Lloyds TSB and

from an equity investment from Pennant Walters Holdings and its joint venture partners InfraRed Capital Partners. Walters UK is the civil engineering constructor and Powersystems Ltd is the electrical contractor.In 2005 the Welsh Assembly Government implemented a

planning exercise to concentrate wind farm developments within specific areas. Pant Y Wal Wind Farm is located within Strategic Search Area F (SSA F), which is eventually expected to host up to 430MW of wind farms. The existing RWE Npower Taff Ely Wind Farm is located outside SSA F, 5km to the south of the site.The site was selected due to a number of significant benefits,

including good wind speed, distance from residential proper-ties, location in SSA F and good access. There were also lim-ited ecological interests, no challenging ground conditions and a minimal number of trees that required felling. Before work commenced on the site, preparation works in-

cluded the implementation of trial pits. A full set of test holes were also drilled at each of the turbine locations and tests were also conducted at other locations around the site.As part of the Environmental Impact Assessment works, a

suite of studies were conducted on the site. Some of these recommendations were subsequently taken into consideration for the purposes of planning permission. Nordex N90 HS turbines were selected based on their solid

track record in the UK and Europe. German turbine specialist Nordex was awarded the contract following a rigorous tender exercise between major manufacturers and has also been granted a ten-year contract to operate and maintain the Pant Y Wal Wind Farm. The turbines have a hub height of 70m and a rotor diameter of

45 metres, giving them an impressive tip height of 115m. Due

to a grid constraint, the export capacity of Pant Y Wal will be 44MW. However, the installed capacity will be above this.Pant Y Wal Wind Farm is Pennant Walters Holdings’ second

wind farm construction project. The company completed its first site at Maesgwyn in April 2011 and the wind farm is now fully operational. Pant Y Wal Wind Farm is due to be completed by April 2013.

Wales

Harnessing the wind in Wales


Tai Eryri Housing Association shows how much it cares The new Penucheldre Extra Care Housing development in the heart of Holyhead, Anglesey, will offer 54 new flats with care and support as needed, when it is completed at the end of the year. Exclusively designed for the over-60s, the Cymdeithas Tai Eryri

Extra Care complex replaces the old sheltered housing scheme that was on the site previously. These 34 self-contained flats were dated and the support and activities that could be offered were limited. The new Penucheldre scheme will subsequently ‘future proof’ the development so that people can stay in their homes for longer. K&C Construction is the main contractor for the project, which

has been funded by the Housing Association and the Welsh Government. Due to the need to relocate all the residents the Project was

split into two phases. The first phase began in March 2010 and the second phase is due to be completed in September 2012. Each of the 54 modern apartments is spacious and has its own

balcony and patio doors along with an all-in-one kitchen and liv-ing room area. The scheme will offer both one and two bedroom apartments, all of which will have en-suite wet rooms. Penucheldre is safe, secure and accessible. There is a lift to all

floors and residents have access to a community alarm link with 24-hour support. In addition, all of the flats have a door security system. Scheme Manager Natalie Parry from Tai Eryri Housing

Association said:“We have had a lot of interest in the development. I think what

people like is the fact that these are homes for life, which is the

idea that we’re trying to sell. “Unfortunately it is too often seen that people in ordinary

housing are forced to make adaptations; for instance they may have to take the bath out and put level access showers in, or have rails put in the home. Here at Penucheldre, the homes are already fully adapted for a disabled person.“We are offering an alternative to nursing or residential homes.

This way, they can remain in the new homes and we can bring care to them if they need it. “It is the first Extra Care home on the island and we hope to see

more being built in the future as the amount of residential homes by the Council decreases. She added: “We’ve already had application forms filled in, and

it isn’t even ready until September!” An important aspect of the scheme is the community hub,

which includes a restaurant, fitness room, hobbies room and hairdressers. Non-residents will be invited to join ‘Clwb Pen Llys’ so that they can also join the wide variety of social ac-tivities on offer. These will range from healthy living sessions to exercise classes and workshops on anything from crafts and hobbies to information technology. Local Assembly Member Ieuan Wyn Jones visited the new

scheme after the completion of Phase One in March 2011. Speaking after the event, he said: “I was delighted to meet the

new tenants at the new sheltered housing Penucheldre and to hear their positive reaction to their new home. “The Extra Care housing scheme for older people in Penucheldre

has received £4.76m of funding from the Welsh Government’s Social Housing Grant programme, and I am pleased to see that this funding will make a difference to people’s lives. “This is only the first phase in an impressive project at

Penucheldre that will not only allow people to live independently but will also offer facilities for the local community such as a restaurant and fitness room, giving tenants and local residents the opportunity to socialise and keep active.”


Scot land

The state-of-the-art Bleachingfields Community Centre will provide exciting new facilities for the Dunbar area when it opens in March 2012. The innovative project has seen the

demolition of the Countess Youth and Community Centre, which was established in 1982. To celebrate the end of an era, former members, youth leaders and parents took part in a celebration ceremony in October 2011. A memories book has also been created, which will allow people to write comments about what the community has meant to them over the years. Freda Kelly, youth leader and secretary of the

centre’s management committee, said: “The fundraising we all do will now go towards the children who come here rather than upkeeping the fabric of the building.”Main contractors McLaughlin & Harvey are

carrying out the £4m project for East Lothian Council, who also designed the scheme. The single-storey centre includes a new public

library, a large community area, public toilets, meeting rooms and office space for East Lothian Council. In addition, there will be a

sports hall in the centre with male and female changing rooms and spaces for the After School Club, Playgroup, Youth Group and Dunbar Scouts. Works so far have

included the installation of the roof and windows, whilst progress is now underway with the finishing plasterboard and painting. Although the large

timber-frame construction has not been built to any specific BREEAM standards, it has incorporated several sustainable features, such as photovoltaic cells on the roof. David Ferguson, McLaughlin & Harvey, said:

“The shape of the building itself is extremely interesting. The centre features a glass roof, whilst the south elevation is an S-shape. “Excellent progress has been made so far and

we have not encountered any difficulties, with the exception of bad weather. Everyone is very pleased with what we have managed to achieve.”

McLaughlin & HarveyOver the last 150 years, McLaughlin & Harvey has acquired a reputation for high quality building and civil engineering construction. The solutions based company works collaboratively with clients and the design team to ensure the project objectives are delivered. McLaughlin & Harvey are committed to

delivering quality, cost effective solutions within a safe, considerate working environment.


Bleachingfields Community Centre gets ready to shine

MAST Architects LLP have applied their award-winning formula to an exciting church refurbishment scheme in Dunoon, Argyll. The Category A listed St. John’s Church has been lovingly re-

stored to its former glory in a £200,000 project that was funded by Historic Scotland and the Heritage Lottery Fund. Built as the Free Church in 1876 by Robert Bryden, St. John’s

Church was patronised by many wealthy 18th century Glasgow industrialists who had settled there after the advent of steam-ship commuting to Glasgow. The refurbishment came as part of a £1.3m scheme by Historic

Scotland and the Heritage Lottery Fund to repair nine dilapidat-ed churches across the country. The Repair Grants for Places of Worship scheme was established in 2002 and to date the

Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded over £40 million to places of worship in Scotland. The tall French Gothic design of the church includes several

fascinating features, including a square tower with corner tur-rets and an octagonal spire. Internally, the church celebrates a stunning interior with cast iron columns, stained glass windows and an imposing organ. MAST Architects LLP were appointed to prepare a building re-

pairs study, including a photometric survey and a steeplejacks report. In addition, a detailed examination of the fabric included gaining access to all parts of the roof and roof spaces. Once the conservation value of the building had been carefully

assessed, the information from the surveys was costed and compiled in a report. This report was the main supporting docu-

Dunoon praises church refurbishment scheme


ment in application to the Heritage Lottery Fund and Historic Scotland for the Repairs Grant for Places of Worship. Matthew Holloway, MAST Architects LLP, said: “We are very

pleased to have had the opportunity to work with main contrac-tors ESB Construction Limited on this exciting project. “Over the years this beautiful church had fallen into disrepair.

In particular the gablets and sumps on the roof were letting in water, which had unfortunately spoiled the interior. “Our aim was to return St. John’s church to its original con-

dition using traditional materials that are in keeping with the vernacular. We also worked hard to meet the high standards of Historic Scotland. “Of course the project was not without its challenges: this was

a huge project and the exist-ing building was arguably quite complex. In addition, the spire was a challenge to complete – standing at 150 ft high, it proved rather difficult for the main con-tractors to scaffold. “However, through careful

preparation and an excellent working relationship between all relevant teams, all problems were overcome. Everyone is ex-tremely proud of what we have managed to achieve and hope-fully the congregation is just as pleased.” Historic Scotland is an ex-

ecutive agency of the Scottish government that is charged with safeguarding the nation’s his-toric environment. The agency is fully accountable to Scottish Ministers and the Scottish Parliament and to date has invested over £16m for the repair and maintenance of over 180 buildings.

Rainbow Glass Studios LtdRainbow Glass Studios Ltd specialises in the restoration and conservation of architectural stained glass windows within his-toric buildings. Company directors include a PDR accredited conservator and an accredited artist of the Church of Scotland.All work carried out by Rainbow Glass Studios Ltd is com-

pleted to the highest standards by skilled crafts people. The company employs traditional methods in its work and always uses high quality materials. Currently in its tenth year, the ICON accredited studio believes

in minimal intervention to achieve maximum retention of all ma-terials. It has recently experienced a degree of growth, increas-ing its employees as a result, and has moved to new premises in Prestwick.On the St. John’s project Rainbow Glass Studios Ltd provided

restoration to a number of high level windows. This involved replacing the lead in the windows and removing all previously mismatched repairs. It then installed wire guard protection for the future preservation of the windows.Rainbow Glass Studios Ltd Company Director, Moira Malcolm,

said: “We recommend to anyone requiring advice on architec-tural stained glass that they get in touch.“We cover all areas of Scotland but we always welcome any

enquiries from further afield.”

A £3m development to provide Lochyside with affordable accommodation is nearing completion.The Design & Build project, funded by Lochaber Housing

Association and the Scottish Government, involves the con-struction of 23 houses around Fort William’s Riverside Park area. Eighteen of these houses will provide affordable rented accommodation, whilst the remaining five houses will be shared equity.The residential properties have been built to increase the af-

fordable accommodation in the area, joining approximately 90 houses that have already been built on adjoining sites. The Riverside Park area itself has been in development since the mid 1990s and the Lochyside site was intended to be part of an additional 33 sites planned for the open market. However, in

light of the current economic climate, it is likely that a number of these sites will remain in the pipeline for now. Whilst the two and three-bedroom properties are predomi-

nately two-storey houses, two of the properties are bungalows. All of the homes have been built to provide optimum access and the majority have immediate parking to the front of the buildings. Planning permission for the site was granted in 2009 and

work began in December 2010, however the project hit an early stumbling block when the ground was deemed unsuitable to begin the initial work. Although main contractor R E Campbell Joinery Ltd had to remove a large amount of peat from the site at a substantial cost, some reclaimed peat matter was retained onsite for use in the landscaping work. R E Campbell Joinery Ltd Managing Director, Roddy Campbell,

Brightening up homes for Lochyside


Scot land

said:“As the main infrastructure was in place from earlier develop-

ments, we should have had a smooth beginning to the project – however, it took about three months before we could start building. “Nevertheless, once we got the initial difficulties on the site out

of the way it was the only major problem that we encountered and we were able to move forward very quickly.”The timber frame houses feature brick cladding, concrete

blocks, and roughcast and facing brick panels. The exterior comprises tiled roofs, timber windows and timber cladding. In order to create a bold statement, the porches were specifically painted in contrasting colours. Roddy said: “When deciding on the visual look of the site, we

went for a completely different colour scheme than what was being used in the area. “We used black tiles with a red ridge and went for slightly dif-

ferent shades of colours on the wood stain and porch linings. “This was to create a unique look to the houses and I’m


pleased to say that early indications have been positive about our choice of colours.”At the time of publication, the previously Greenfield site at

Lochyside remains untitled – however, names are currently under discussion. R E Campbell Joinery Ltd has worked on a number of projects

similar to Lochyside and is always keen to look towards the next development.Roddy said: “We are happy to be involved with Lochaber

Housing Association on this development and recognise the importance a project like this has on the local area.

“There are always housing shortages and so the work we are doing at Lochyside will be beneficial to everyone.”Construction of the houses is now complete and only the

groundworks remain. This phase of the project will include kerb-ing, pathways and planting shrubs and trees. It was hoped that the project would be completed ahead of

schedule, but a year of bad weather has caused delays. The project now remains on programme for completion in March 2012.

A brand new arts centre described as a ‘cultural hub’ is currently underway in Greenock, Inverclyde. The Beacon is a brand new development taking shape along

the riverside at East India Dock and will relocate Greenock Arts Guild Theatre Ltd from its current premises in Campbell Street to a more central location. LDN Architects designed the £9.4m project, which began

in October 2010. Main contractor for the scheme is Graham Construction, whilst the project manager is Faithful+Gould and the quantity surveyor is Thomson Bethune. The project has been funded by Creative Scotland, Inverclyde

Council, Riverside Inverclyde, Big Lottery and Greenock Arts Guild Ltd.The Beacon is being built on what was previously a mix of open

land and the Lamont’s dry docks, beside the Customs House on the open shore waterfront. The steel and concrete construction has metal decked floors, concrete roof coverings and perimeter masonry walls. Reglit Glass cladding surrounds the majority of the external concrete, which can be illuminated to alter the colour.Internally the Beacon will include a 500-seat theatre with a fly

tower and orchestra pit. Provisions for visitors include a glazed bistro bar with function and rehearsal rooms above. There is also an additional 130-seat studio theatre with flexible seating. Public and backstage access is divided over two floors. The

upstairs features rooms with north face glazing from floor to ceiling; however, architect Alex Liddell has angled the roof to allow illumination to enter from the south. Interestingly, the main foyer overlooks the river Clyde. The theatre box office will be based at the site and its operat-

ing hours will include weekends. In addition, the building will provide better access for disabled visitors, including disabled parking bays and ramped access. Full access throughout the new facility will be provided by internal lifts.The centre is fitted with sprinkler and alarm systems, including

security lighting and CCTV. Greenock Arts Guild Ltd Artistic Director, Julie Ellen, said: “The

existing building was built in 1950 and would need electrical re-wiring as well as plumbing and heating work, as it is no longer compliant with today’s standards.“In 2006 the Arts Guild raised the money for a design con-

sultancy to look at upgrading the existing building in Campbell Street. “After much consideration, the team concluded that the most

effective and affordable way forward would be to construct a new building instead of attempting to refurbish this one. “This gives us the opportunity to move from a residential area

to a more central site, where we can create a landmark project for the region in the process.” An early difficulty involved unexpected water ingress into the

Building a beacon for Greenock


foundations; however this was dealt with quickly and did not cause further disruptions. Extreme weather conditions experi-enced in December 2011 also hampered some activities. By developing a state-of-the-art centre it is believed the Beacon

will attract a much broader cross-section of the Inverclyde com-munity. Julie Ellen said: “It’s a rare treat to open a new arts centre in

Scotland, so it is a testament to all the partners and directors who have come together to provide a public facility of this kind.“The Beacon is aimed at everybody and we have a number

of initiatives in place to provide more for the young people of Inverclyde. “A project like this is a landmark development in Greenock

and we hope to create a huge impact with the building once it opens.”Work is progressing well on the site, with the project due to

reach completion in July 2012.

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A £24m housing project from River Clyde Homes will bring almost 200 new homes to Port Glasgow. The 28-week project comprises 195 housing units, covering

76.612m2 over three different sites. The houses will be available for purchase and for rent, with 102 units being constructed at Woodhall, 61 units at Oronsay Avenue and 32 units at Moray Road. Planning permission for the 195 units was given on 6th May

2009 and main contractor Lovell will carry out the project under a four-year framework agreement with River Clyde Homes. The development was designed by Hypostyle Architects.The houses are being built using timber from sustainable for-

ests, whilst special consideration is being taken for protected wildlife in the area. Additional work will include the improvement of community facilities, the relocation of an existing retail unit and the construction of two new play areas at Ornosay and Woodhall. Moreover, a previously open area of land on the site will be redeveloped and transformed into a park. Approximately 26,000 m³ of rock has been excavated as part

of the project. Where possible, the rock has been reused on the site and the remainder has been transferred to nearby dock projects to use as infill material. This has saved River Clyde Homes a considerable amount of money in transportation and disposal costs.Prior to work commencing on the project Japanese knotweed

had to be removed from the site. In order to minimise surface water from the project, a sustainable urban drainage system (SUDS) has also been implemented. The Woodhall site is seen as an important area for develop-

ment and has therefore been registered with the Considerate Contractors Scheme - a national scheme designed to improve the image of the construction industry. Site visits have been organised for children attending local nurseries and schools and an under 15s football team also benefited through sponsor-ship. In addition, quarterly newsletters are being issued to local residents to keep them updated on the project.The Port Glasgow project has created 43 jobs for local people,

including 15 apprentices. River Clyde Homes Head of Regeneration, Angela Spence,

said: “The contract provides not only housing which has been designed with local community input, but also brings much needed employment into the Inverclyde area. “The houses will have a positive outcome for the long term sus-

tainability of our tenants, whilst thermal insulation qualities of the construction will reduce fuel bills for the residents for years to come.”

River Clyde is a not-for-profit organisation and is one of the largest social landlords in Scotland. The organisation is moni-tored by the Scottish Housing Regulator and comprises a board of 15 members. It has an annual business plan that is approved by the board and is reflective of key commitments to its tenants. To date, it has invested £83m into housing stock and is working towards the provision of hundreds of new homes by 2015. Port Glasgow is scheduled for completion in March 2012.

Building up the area in Port Glasgow


A new state-of-the-art biomass combined heat and power plant is to be built at Markinch in Fife. Markinch Biomass CHP will replace the

existing coal-fired plant at papermakers Tullis Russel. The £200m plant will have an installed capacity of 50MW and will reduce the carbon footprint of the site by 72%, helping to reduce Scotland’s annual carbon emissions by 250,000 tonnes per annum. Approximately 400,000 tonnes of virgin and recycled wood diverted from the landfill will be used to power the plant. The development was announced in July

2008 and has received £8.1m in funding via the Scottish Government’s Regional Selective Assistance grant. Chris Parr, CEO of Tullis Russell Group, said: “This project heralds significant economic

and environmental benefits for Scotland. As well as helping to secure over 500 jobs at Tullis Russell, it will create over 50 permanent jobs in the operation of the power plant and a new biomass fuel processing facility and as many as 400 further jobs during the construction phase.

“The removal of 250,000 tonnes of fossil fuel CO2 each year from our local environment will make an enormous contribution to our relentless efforts to minimise the environmental impact of our operation on the local community.”Main contractors for

the project are Metso (Finland) and Aker Solutions (Norway). Metso will provide the site’s main biomass boiler, whilst Aker Solutions will project manage construction, procure some of the plant equipment and provide support services. Stephan Lohr, RWE Head of Biomass, said: “The combined skills and expertise of our

chosen contractors Metso and Aker Solutions will be a major asset during the construction of the new Tullis Russell biomass power plant. “This project is RWE’s largest investment to

date in biomass based power generation and part of our ongoing commitment to invest €1

billion per annum in renewable energy. In addition to this project, we are developing plans for a similar biomass plant in Lincolnshire, with an installed capacity of around 390MW by 2013.”RWE has over 15 years experience in

delivering combined heat and power projects and building, operating and owning 16 plants in the UK and the Republic of Ireland. Markinch Biomass CHP is scheduled for

operation in late 2012.


The biggest power plant in Scotland

As part of the CALA Group, CALA Homes offer exclusive de-velopments that combine traditional design features with contemporary home comforts. Generously proportioned and boasting light, bright living areas, these aspirational and award-winning homes are the foundation of CALA’s excellent reputation in the quality house building market. The company began building homes over thirty years ago and

today applies the same principles of exceptional design and build. CALA Homes insist on meeting stringent standards and offering value for money in a wide range of sought-after loca-tions. Whatever you’re seeking, be it a stylish waterfront apart-ment, a rural retreat or an urban pied-a-terre, CALA Homes offer an outstanding choice of properties across the UK. For CALA, the design of a home doesn’t stop at the door.

Their passion for creating vibrant and sustainable communities means that whether it’s an exclusive countryside development or a vibrant new ‘village in the city’, their homes are designed to look good, mature well over time and sit well within their in-dividual setting.

The CampusCALA Homes welcomed prospective buyers to Scholars Gate in November 2011 to celebrate in style at the champagne launch of the new Farquhuar Building. Staff, an independent mortgage advisor and an estate agent were on hand to answer any ques-tions. The development comprises eleven apartments – a unique

selection of one, two and three-bedroom properties. The three bedroom apartment is particularly spacious, measuring an impressive 1,152 sq ft. Each apartment has the added reassur-ance of secure underground parking and a lift that connects the four floors to the car park area. North Regional Director of CALA Homes, Mike Naysmith, said:

“The Campus is continuing to prove extremely popular with both homeowners and investors and this year has seen a fantastic amount of sales generated.

“The Farquhar Building includes mainly one bed apartments, of-fering another dimension to The Campus. Up until now, it has been two and three-bedroom apart-ments available so this release is sure to broaden the appeal of the development even further.”The Campus is in the heart of the

city and the exclusive development includes a mix of prime apartments, townhouses, mews homes and executive detached homes in the popular Hilton area. Located within easy reach of Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, the University of Aberdeen and the city centre, the development is popular with young professionals, investors and downsizers. An exclusive cache of just ten townhouses will be available, the

first six of which have been released and will be ready to move into by May 2012. Perfect for family living and entertaining, the spacious town-

houses at The Campus are spread across three floors and each extend to 1313 sq ft. The ground floor comprises an integral garage, hall, utility room, cloakroom and garden room with patio doors leading to the garden. On the first floor there is a lounge, kitchen/dining room, hall and bathroom. Finally, the top floor incorporates a master bedroom with an en-suite shower room, a second bedroom and a study. Set in the leafy grounds formerly occupied by Aberdeen

College of Education at Hilton, the homes offer the chance to live in a secluded environment featuring mature trees and grassy sweeps of lawn. The homes also enjoy the benefit of a driveway and path leading to the front and rear gardens. CALA Homes East Sales and Marketing Manager, Vivian

MacLean, said: “The beauty of The Campus is that it is a self-contained community with a diverse mix of properties and people.

CALA Homes lead the way


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“The release of these six beautiful townhouses with gardens - suitable for professional couples and young families - simply enhances that blend, which also includes apartments and mews homes.”

Aberdeen Technical Services LtdEstablished in 2000, Aberdeen Technical Services Ltd is a spe-cialist in installing electronic security and television distribution systems. The company provides a number of high-tech sys-tems, including CCTV, secure entry, satellite internet and televi-

sion distribution. Predominately working throughout Scotland, Aberdeen Technical Services also supplies hazardous area CCTV systems for oil rigs.Aberdeen Technical Services Ltd designed and installed tel-

evision distribution systems on the Carla Homes project. The company also provided security gates and barriers for car parks, to allow controlled access to properties.Company Director, Graham Porteous, said: “At Aberdeen

Technical Services Ltd we welcome a challenge and always re-spond to the requirements of our clients with practical solutions.”

Queen Margaret Grove CALA Homes recently celebrated the opening of a five-bedroom show home at one of its newest Edinburgh developments. The prestigious Queen Margaret Grove de-velopment comprises 20 four and five-bedroom detached homes, with prices starting from £495,000. The award-winning developer launched the 2,200 sq ft

Kennedy show home to demonstrate the flexible and stylish living on offer at Queen Margaret Grove, which is located in the beautiful former campus grounds of Queen Margaret University. As part of the exclusive Signature range, the show home boasts

interiors that have been designed by Jefferys Interiors. The first floor has incorporated a formal lounge and dining room with access to an open plan family area and a kitchen to the rear,

along with a double integrated garage. Upstairs, the stunning galleried landing leads to the spacious bedrooms - two of which are en suite - and a well equipped family bathroom. Jill Dugal and Abby Davy from Jefferys Interiors designed the


show home interiors. Jill said: “We wanted to create a comfortable, light and airy family home.

The ground floor incorporates soft colour palettes to produce a relaxing and welcoming environment as soon as the visitors walk through the front door. “Considering the leafy surroundings of Queen Margaret Grove,

we decided to use mulberry tree wall paper throughout the hall, stairs and landing to echo the beautiful grounds in which the homes are set. Upstairs, a mixture of smart, sophisticated décor in the master bedroom and colourful, lively interiors in the other bedrooms show the versatility that can be achieved in

these spacious rooms.” Located just five miles to the west of Edinburgh city centre,

Queen Margaret Grove enjoys its own secluded, safe and family-friendly setting. With speedy access to both the A90 and the City of Edinburgh Bypass, the development is conveni-ently served by local bus services and nearby South Gyle train station. In addition, Queen Margaret Grove is surrounded by a number of championship golf courses and public parks. Sales and Marketing Director for CALA Homes (East), Sarah

Stanger, said: “The development benefits from an unrivalled lo-cation for city centre workers and commuters, with close prox-imity to the capital and main transport networks. Surrounded by mature trees, Queen Margaret Grove offers a tranquil retreat yet is close to the city.“CALA has a strong track-record developing quality, spacious

family homes and we expect a high demand to continue follow-ing the opening of the show home.”


A new bottling plant under construction in Leven will ex-tend the operational facilities of one of the world’s largest drinks producers.Scottish based company Diageo is one of the world’s largest

drinks producers, with offices in over 80 countries worldwide. Its brands include Johnnie Walker, Baileys, Captain Morgan and Guinness. Funded by Diageo, Project Prairie will see the company relo-

cate its facility to the town of Leven in Fife. This follows the high-profile closure of its former bottling plant in Kilmarnock. Work commenced on the project in April 2010, with the first bottling line installed and made operational in June 2011. The brand new plant will house seven bottling lines and in-

cludes the relocation of a new filling operation and an on-site disgourging unit which empties casks of whiskey. New bulk storage tank farms and a tank loading bay are also being in-stalled, along with associated infrastructure. The main facility has been constructed purely for bottling and

is a single storey building which measures 203m x 64m.The south elevation comprises two storeys with offices and a wel-fare facility, whilst on the north elevation of the building, there is a two-storey ancillary area that has been designed to house the spirit processing facilities. The building is a steel frame construction with a standing seam

roof. The exterior finish of the building is composite self-span-ning insulated cladding wall panels with brick work and glazing. A number of green processes have been implemented during

the project. These include lime stabilisation to retain the existing materials on site, grey water harvesting for toilet facilities and wind catchers for ventilation in the welfare facilities. Ground Developments Ltd (GDL) is also working on the project

to introduce a cut and fill ground stabilising operation. As a spe-cialist in enabling works that use traditional soil stabilisation and solidification processes, GDL’s process minimises the need for external materials, resulting in an ecologically friendly and cost effective process.As part of the project, a new site entrance that incorporates a

roundabout was created. Temporary traffic lights were also in-stalled and managed in order to keep disruptions to a minimum. In addition, a new gatehouse and car park were created.In November 2011 groundwork commenced and new trees

were planted around the parameter of the site, with additional trees then being planted internally. This phase of the operation suffered a few delays due to temperamental weather conditions towards the end of 2011.Blyth and Blyth Ltd was the lead consultant for the construc-

tion work and the development was designed by architects Jacobsen French. Although Rok Plc was the original contractor for the project, international construction services company ISG took over when the company went into administration in 2010. Blyth and Blyth Ltd Managing Director, Mike Horner, said: “The administration of Rok halfway through the construction

process was an early set back. Fortunately with ISG’s help we managed to get the site back up and running within five and six weeks, which was a fantastic achievement.“We held a meeting with ISG and made alterations to the work

sequence to rearrange any work that didn’t affect production in order to ensure that the project continued without any further delays. “It was all about prioritising what was needed for production

so that everything could go live according to the original dates.”Unfortunately this wasn’t the only incident encountered during

the project. In August 2011 there was an on-site fatality with the death of a construction worker.Mike Horner added: “We have a good working relationship with

Diageo and have worked with the company for the past fifteen to twenty years. It is always good to work in partnership with Diageo and the other team members in order to deliver another successful project.” All of the building and infrastructure on the project is now com-

plete, along with the installation of all processing equipment. Three bottling lines are currently in place, with the remaining lines being moved from the Kilmarnock site in early 2012. The plant is scheduled to be fully operational in March 2012.

Scot land

Diageo extends its drinks production in Fife



Scot land

A brand new housing development in Cumbernauld will bring twenty-nine brand new affordable homes to the area.The North Road project is the latest stage in North Lanarkshire

Council’s ‘Building for the Future’ programme and will see twenty-one terraced houses and eight semi-detached houses constructed at the site opposite St. Maurice’s High School. One of these homes will be purpose-built in order to make it acces-sible for a young wheelchair user.The cost of the project is £2.7 million, with £652,000 of the

funding coming from the Scottish Government. Taking place over five years, the programme aims to see the construction of 500 new high-quality homes for rent across the local area.The houses on the North Road project are being built by Wates

Living Space, whilst Coltart Earley is the architect and Scott Bennett Associates is the Structural Engineer. Houses will be constructed to meet the requirements of tenants and will in-clude high quality kitchens and bathrooms.Convener of Housing and Social Work, Councillor Barry

McCulloch, said: “This is our first new build development in the Cumbernauld

area and it will see our 100th new home built, providing much needed housing in the area. Our £75 million Building for the Future programme will deliver a total of 500 homes across North Lanarkshire, underlining our commitment to providing high quality homes for our tenants.”

He added: “The homes here in North Road will be modern, energy efficient, accessible and built to the highest standards.”During the construction of the North Road project, The Wates

Group has worked closely with the council, the local community and nearby Motherwell College in order to support unemployed people in the Cumbernauld area. Indeed, a number of unem-ployed residents have been given work on the project and The Wates Group has also taken on a new trainee. The Wates Group has also been involved in a project to upgrade

the lecture theatre at the nearby St. Maurice’s High School. This project has been conducted by The Wates Group as part of its commitment to help deliver projects for local communities and work includes removing existing furniture, repairing the ceiling and general decorating works. In addition, all timber benches and chairs removed from the lecture theatre will be recycled in the school’s wood shop. During the project, Wates Living Space and Coltart Early have provided work experience placements for four pupils at the school.Wates’ Business Unit Director, Ronnie Bennett, said: “Not

only are we creating twenty-nine affordable family homes, our involvement to date has brought numerous additional benefits such as the recent Building Futures programme, mentoring and work experience placements for St. Maurice’s students, along with a wide range of other community-focused activities.”

Community developing on North Road

A dual hydro electric scheme is in the final stages of devel-opment at Dowally Burn and Lochbroom Burn, just north of Dunkeld. When completed, the combined sites will generate approxi-

mately 3000MWh of renewable energy - enough to provide power for 450 homes in the Perthshire area. Main contractors for the project are Lancaster based Askam

Construction Ltd, whilst the design consultant and supervising engineer is Inter Hydro Technology. The turbine was supplied by Gilkes of Kendal. The £1.7m development is the brain child of Atholl Estate, who

took the project from its conception through to a commissioned scheme. The Edinburgh office of Gardiner and Theobald have provided cost and project management expertise, whilst further

New hydro electric schemes will give Perthshire the power


support for the project has come from a team of sub-consult-ants, including Atmos, Ash and Waterman. The project began in April 2011 and works carried out so far

include the construction of the pipelines, each of which are ap-proximately 2km in length and have a diameter of 600mm. In addition, power houses have been built at both Dowally Bur and Lochbroom Burn. The power houses are 70 sq m x 5m and have been constructed using locally sourced larch timber cladding and smooth render. The scheme has also incorporated minor landscaping, which

serves to screen parts of the buildings from adjacent properties.

As the project nears the final stages of de-velopment, all that remains is the installation of the mechanical and electrical equipment.Inter Hydro Technology Associate, David

Bond, said: “The project was carefully con-sidered to ensure that we got the most energy production out of each site whilst remaining at a reasonable cost.” He added: “Upon completion, the entire

pipeline was buried and all of the landscape was reinstated in order to restore the site to how it looked previously.”As Atholl Estate has been a part of the area

for generations, the installation was under-taken with the surrounding area in mind. Inter Hydro Technology therefore made every effort to ensure that disruptions to the local community were kept to a minimum. David Bond said: “The project has not

been without its challenges: the Lochbroom Burnthe site is adjacent to an area of conser-vation and at the Dowally Burn site there were some areas of archaeological interest.” However thanks to a carefully considered

plan of action, this situation didn’t prove too problematic and Inter Hydro Technology was able to work around the situation quickly and effectively.David added: “Thankfully we had good planning and leading

times so everything was pretty much resolved before we actu-ally started construction. If you have a plan to begin with then at least you can identify when something could go wrong and do something about it.”Both sites will begin to generate renewable energy for the

first time in March 2012, providing benefits for more than 400 Scottish homes.




I re land

ESB is Ireland’s leading energy utility company and has business interests spanning generation, transmission, distribution and supply. The company has over 2 million customers and employs over 7,800 staff. ESB’s business strategy involves the decarbonisation of its

power generation activities by 2035. Indeed, it is estimated that one third of ESB’s electricity will be generated from renewable sources by 2020. In order to facilitate sustainability targets and economic growth, ESB is developing an advanced smart networks system. At the end of 2010, ESB acquired Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) - a company with a regulated asset base of €1.2 billion. In Britain, ESB has ownership interests and operates two

gas-fired power plants at Corby in Northamptonshire (350MW) and Marchwood in Hampshire (842MW). In addition, the company has an 85% shareholding in the proposed 860MW Carrington CCGT plant near Manchester. ESB owns and operates the West Durham Wind Farm– a

12 turbine, 24MW wind farm located near Tow Law, County Durham. The project was developed, financed and constructed by The Banks Group and started generating power in May 2009.The company’s most recent UK acquisition is the Myndd Y

Betws project in south Wales. The project was acquired from Welsh developer Eco2 in 2010 and is currently under construc-tion. Commercial operation is planned for early 2013. ESB sees the future of the Irish and British energy markets

as one integrated trading market. For this reason it has con-structed generation plants in both Northern Ireland and Britain. Within its portfolio, ESB owns ESB International (ESBI) - a

multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy specialising in the electricity sector. The company has acted as project manager, engineer and CDMC/PSDP for all ESB-constructed wind farm projects. Sean Hegarty, a wind energy specialist and manager of ESBI’s

wind energy solutions group, said: “All of ESB’s wind farm projects present challenges which re-

quire the expertise of engineering professionals. In ESBI, our specialist knowledge of design, stakeholder man-

agement, planning and grid connections as well as electricity generation and transmission mitigates much of the risk associ-ated with these challenges. “Challenges arise in every project, but we always overcome

them safely and successfully.”This view is endorsed by Ken Boyne, who is the Project

Director of Wind Construction for ESB Wind Development, the company’s renewable asset development group. He said: “We rely heavily on the ability of the ESB International team to

deliver our projects safely and to maximise the long-term value of our investments by ensuring the quality and indeed the timely completion of the projects through our preferred multi-contract model. This has become more important in recent years as sites become more challenging and the funding environment more difficult.”ESB International provides services to energy asset owners

and investors in wind farms, thermal power plants and electric-ity transmission and distribution systems. This includes an end-to-end engineering and project management solution for the development, construction, operation and maintenance of wind farms. The company has been in operation for 35 years and employs

1,100 staff in 20 countries around the world. As well as serving international clients, ESBI is supporting ESB’s multi-billion euro strategy to establish itself as a modern, highly efficient and sus-tainable utility. This is being achieved through the development of wind farms, new power stations and the refurbishment and upgrading of transmission assets. ESBI’s expertise in the wind farm sector is a key enabler of ESB’s strategy to become one of the first carbon neutral utilities in the world. ESBI has taken an active role in the construction of wind farms

for over twenty years. This includes the first commercial wind farm in Ireland. It has worked on over 35 wind farms in locations including Ireland, the UK, Spain, Poland and South Africa. Their most recent projects include Fullabrook Wind Farm in

North Devon, the largest on-shore wind farm in England to date, and the 59.5MW Derrybrien Wind Farm in Co. Galway. In the UK and Ireland ESBI has worked on grid connection applications with a combined capacity exceeding 2,000 MW.ESB International Marketing Manager, Bevin Cody, said: “At ESB International we offer an end-to-end engineering and

project management solution, incorporating all of the services necessary for wind farm design, assessment, construction and operations and maintenance.“This includes specialist in-house services, such as initial wind

resource evaluations, wind data analyses, wind farm modelling

Providing energy for the future: ESB powers ahead





I re land

and optimisation, site selection and grid connections, as well as civil works such as geotechnical site assessments and turbine foundation design.“As an engineering consultancy with a utility background, ESBI

has a unique insight into the technical, commercial and opera-tional challenges facing our clients in the electricity sector. This helps us to minimise project risk and provides assurance to project investors and lenders.”ESBI provides a structured approach to project manage-

ment. This is designed to ensure that risk is fully understood and mitigated and wind farm owners are aware of all of a site’s operational needs throughout its life time.Bevin Cody added: “Our understanding and in-depth knowl-

edge of all aspects of the entire electricity sector, means that ESB International can advise clients not just on their individual wind farm project, but on the best way to optimise its perfor-mance within the wider context in which it will be located.”ESBI offers a full range of services including: engineering,

project management, operations and maintenance, strategic consultancy and carbon solutions.

CurryfreeThe Curryfree wind farm in Northern Ireland is part of a cluster of three wind farms alongside SSE’s Slieve Kirk and ESB’s own Carrickatane wind farm. The project was acquired and built by RES - one of the leading renewable energy companies in the world - on behalf of ESB. The wind farm was completed in August 2011 and generates

15MW, providing enough power for 7000 homes. The turbines are Nordex N80 and were selected to maximise the full lifecycle return of the wind farm.The development consists of six wind turbines with a hub

height of 60m, a rotor diameter of 80m and a total height of 100m. Each octagonal shaped turbine base is 17m and founda-tion of each turbine is filled with 400m³ of concrete.The main civil works were undertaken by local contractor W&H

Alexander. Due to weather conditions during winter 2010, the construction

of Curryfree the site experienced a three-week closure. Water quality sampling and breeding bird surveys were also carried out as part of the project.The turbines are maintained under contract by Nordex and

the wind farm is operated by ESB’s specialist Wind O&M team. ESB’s supply company Electric Ireland purchases the energy for onward supply to customers.

CarrickataneConstruction of the Carrickatane Wind Farm commenced in late 2011. The site was selected due to its financial viability and the availability of good wind speeds, grid connection and acces-sibility. The Carrickatane site boasts 9 turbines with a combined

capacity of 20.7MW. The energy will be supplied to Electric Ireland and will generate power for approximately 9000 homes. The turbines used will be Siemens SWT 2.3-93 and they will

have a hub height of 63.5m, a blade tip of 110m and a rotor diameter of 93m.Following discussions with the local council, access roads

have been modified as part of the initial construction works. This will allow large machinery to safely access the site. Carrickatane is due to be completed by the end of 2012.

Grouse LodgeCompleted in 2011, the Grouse Lodge Wind Farm in Ireland provides 7000 homes with power. Although other wind farms are located in the area, Grouse Lodge is not a cluster site like the Curryfree and Carrickatane sites. The site was selected due to the close proximity of Foynes

port and good wind speeds and ground conditions, including a minimum level of peat. The development comprises six Nordex N90 turbines, each

of which has a 90m rotor diameter and a hub height of 70m. Energy from this site will also be supplied to Electric Ireland. In order to offer easy access, site roads were installed 18

months prior to the main construction work taking place. Although the project suffered some challenges due to weather

conditions in 2010, the project was completed on schedule ex-actly one year after construction commenced.

FullabrookThe Fullabrook site in Devon is the largest on-shore wind farm in England. Although the site was originally scheduled to be developed by

The Baker Group, ESB acquired it in July 2009 and construction work began in October 2010. The Fullabrook development comprises 22 Vestas V90 wind

turbines with a rotor diameter of 90m and a hub height of 65m. With an impressive capacity of 66MW, the wind farm will pro-vide 30,000 homes with power and will save 75,000 tonnes of annual CO2 emissions.The output from the wind farm will be exported from the new

on-site substation via an underground high voltage (132kV) ca-ble to a network substation in Barnstaple, approximately 6.3km away. Vestas will maintain the turbines under contract to ESB and a

PPA is in place with Centrica.Pulverised Fuel Ash (PVA) was used in the construction of the

structures. This is a recycled material from power stations and forms approximately 70% of the raw material used in the foun-dations.All grid connection works, including securing way leave agree-

ments, were the responsibility of Western Power Distribution (WPD) - the local Distribution Network Operator.Completed at the end of 2011, the development posed a num-

ber of challenges. Temporary ‘passing bays’ were constructed on narrow roads near to the site, whilst main civil contractor



I re land

JSSL set up a temporary concrete batching plant in order to reduce the transportation of materials. 93km of cables operating at 33kV were installed in three circuits

and were ducted rather than directly buried. This was designed to minimise the need to remove hedging as it was important to protect the Devon Banks.Regular water monitoring took place on the River Knowle and a

temporary settlement pond was developed at the substation. A landowner interface was particularly crucial during the develop-ment of Fullabrook as turbines are co-located with intensive farming activities. As a result, ESB appointed a full time landowner and community liaison officer in order to create a positive working relationship with the local community. Presentations, newsletters and a website were all implemented as part of this process.ESBI’s Sean Hegarty said: “We were very pleased with how

construction of the wind farm progressed and we look forward to our continuing involvement at a local level during the opera-tional life of the wind farm.”

Myndd Y BetwsESB recently began a new project in Myndd Y Betws, Wales. Work began on the site in October 2011 and the development consists of 15 turbines, which will generate 35MW to power 16000 homes. The Siemens SWT 93 2.3MW turbines have a 110m tip and a

63.5m hub height. Construction of the foundations will include Pulverised Fuel Ash. At the moment, enabling works are in place and an access

road is being constructed. Based on the success of a similar initiative in Fullabrook, ESB has appointed a full time landowner and community liaison officer to proactively liaise with the local community and engage with a wide range of local representa-tive groups.As stipulated in the planning permission of the site, ESB is

required to monitor and mitigate a number of measures during

construction. A Habitat Management Scheme has to be sub-mitted, which includes management of grazing livestock, plants and animals. In addition, a warden will be appointed to oversee the scheme.Myndd Y Betws is scheduled for completion in 2013 and the

wider community will benefit from a fund that will be adminis-tered by a representative group for the lifetime of the project. There are already operational wind farms in the area, with fur-

ther wind farms in the pipeline.

CrockagarranCrockagarran Wind Farm is located in Sixmilecross, Co. Tyrone and commenced operation in August 2010. The development comprises six Nordex N90 2.5MW wind turbines with a 15MW output and produces energy for 8,400 homes, in the process reducing CO2 emissions by 32,000 tonnes. Civil works were completed by ADMAN and the electrical works were delivered by Powerteam.

Hunters HillESB’s 20MW Hunters Hill Wind Farm in Co Tyrone is currently generating electricity for 11,200 homes per year. Located 10km from Omagh, the site consists of 8 Nordex N80 2.5MW turbines with a total installed capacity of 20MW.Hunters Hill was developed by RES UK & Ireland Ltd and was

granted planning approval in January 2008. Construction work started in September 2008 and the site was purchased by ESB from RES in February 2009, with the construction works being completed under an EPC contract by RES Construction. ESB Wind Development Project Director, Ger Keenaghan,

said: “Hunters Hill is a significant boost to Northern Ireland’s renewable energy generation capacity. “The project is another example of the strong relationship be-

tween ESB and RES and it further underlines both companies’ strong record in leading renewable development on this scale.”

A new wind farm will soon be taking shape in the south east of Ireland.Project developer ABO-Wind has purchased the Gibbet Hill

Wind Farm project in order to develop and build a brand new wind farm in County Wexford. The project is being designed in-house by ABO-Wind, whilst Nordex is manufacturing the N90HS turbines. Planning permission has been granted and a grid connection

agreement has been signed with ESB. The grid connection includes construction of 20KV underground cables, which will

have to be built to the specifications of the Electricity Supply Board (ESB). The ESB substation at Lodgewood to facilitate the 13.8km

connection to substations is already in place and operational, whilst approximately 3km of the external ducting works have already been finished. The project has yet to commence tendering; this process will

start once REFIT II has been approved by the EU and announced by the Irish government. Permitting REFIT II commencement of electrical and civil works will follow in the second quarter, with

Harnessing Ireland’s power with ABO-Wind


the turbine delivery set for September/October 2012. The turbines will be commissioned and operational during the

fourth quarter of 2012 and will have a capacity of 2.5MW. The turbines have a hub height of 80m and the rotors are 90m in diameter. ABO-Wind Director, Ute Schulmeister said: “Our intention is

to take over the commercial and technical management of the Gibbet Hill Wind Farm for the entirety of its operational life.“Usually we would calculate the life of a wind farm like Gibbet

Hill would be at least twenty years, but if after this time period it is still operational we would look to continue running it. “The planning permission for the site allows for between a 20-

25 year life but if after 15 years technology has advanced, we would then consider repowering and re-plating the turbines to improve its capacity.”Construction work will begin in early 2012. In addition to the

creation of the wind farm, minor adjustments will be made to nearby roundabouts in order to improve accessibility to the previously Greenfield site. As the area was has already been identified by Wexford County Council as a suitable site for the wind farm, there are no conservational concerns. Ute said: “We have been undertaking wind measurement on

the site for over a year now. “The site was specifically designated by Wexford County

Council as the distance to residential buildings is sufficient, so there will be no problems caused by noise pollution or shadow-ing from the turbines. “If we break the potential output down to an average of four

people per household, once operational the wind farm will pro-vide power for 13,750 customers.“The energy output of the wind farm will be approximately 55

GWh, which will save 41,150 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year – in the process protecting the climate and creating ecological benefits.”ABO-Wind has a number of wind farms in its portfolio. The

company acquires site locations, arranges financing and or-ganises technical planning and it is one of the most successful developers of wind energy projects with domestic and interna-tional operations. ABO-Wind has to date connected over 303 wind energy turbines with a total capacity of 524 megawatts, and currently has further wind farms in the pipeline. In addition to managing its own projects developed after com-

missioning, ABO-Wind takes on the commercial and technical management of wind farms on behalf of international operators. In total, ABO-Wind manages 250 wind farms and 4 biogas plants.


Overseas

Hosted by the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) from 29th November to 1st December 2011, the largest off-shore wind energy event broke records when over 8,200 participants and 480 exhibitors arrived to celebrate 8000m² of exhibition space at the Amsterdam RAI. The EWEA is the largest and most powerful wind energy

network, with over 700 members from almost 60 countries. Actively promoting the utilisation of wind power in Europe and worldwide, the organisation boasts the leading share of the world wind power market and works closely with research institutes, national wind and renewables associations, devel-opers and electricity providers. Since the event began three years ago, Offshore Energy has

enjoyed an explosive growth from 70 exhibitors in 2008 to 231 exhibitors in 2010. The event has previously been held at the Old Navy Yard Willemsoord in Den Helder, however the Amsterdam RAI is more easily accessible for international exhibitors and visitors. The EWEA Offshore Energy event attracts an international

audience of engineers, technical specialists, industry leaders and subcontractors. The companies debate the issues of the moment and create common agendas for the future of wind energy industries. The EWEA Offshore Energy 2011 was extended to two days

in order to allow visitors more opportunities to visit the entire exhibition. This meant that the visitors and exhibitors had the opportunity to participate in one of more parts of the confer-ence, which was run parallel to the exhibition. Jorg Schroder, Head of Project Financing for PNE Wind, said:

“For us, it was good to meet so many people in one place. It’s a well organised conference and exhibition. I can’t see how you could do it better.” The Offshore Energy conference focuses on the offshore, oil,

gas and wind sector and the EWEA are committed to includ-ing representatives from the entire offshore value chain, from outside the Dutch borders and beyond Europe. During the conference, spectators heard how the 141 giga-

watts (GW) of offshore wind energy capacity that is planned, built or under construction in Europe is enough to power 130 million average EU households and provide 13.1% of Europe’s total electricity production. In 2009, EWEA increased its 2020 target to 230GW wind

power capacity, including 40 GW offshore wind. By 2030, it is expected that 400 GW of wind power will be installed in Europe, 150 GW of which will be located offshore, producing 562 TWh of electricity and representing an annual investment of €17.1 billion. In a video presentation, the EU’s Energy Commissioner,

Günther Oettinger, said: “Offshore wind represents a powerful domestic answer to Europe’s energy supply and climate chal-lenge.” The increased electricity is expected to create up to 400,000

jobs in the EU offshore wind energy sector by 2030. Wind energy also has significant environmental benefits.

According to EWEA calculations, wind energy decreased CO2 production by 126 Mt in 2010. By 2020, it is expected that the CO2 production will be decreased by 342 Mt and by 2030 by 646 Mt. An important outcome of the conference was the unanimous

agreement that financing for offshore wind farm projects is still a possibility, despite the ongoing debt crisis. Sean Klimczak, Managing Director of the Blackstone Private

Equity Group, said that he was “relatively optimistic about the opportunities” that are available for raising money for European offshore wind farms. Blackstone raised €1.2 billion in financing for the 288 MW Meerwind project off Germany’s coast.

EWEA Offshore Energy 2011


His view was echoed by Jerome Guillet of Green Giraffe Energy, who said that there is enough financing money avail-able for the offshore wind sector. She added: “The market is growing and the money is there for it to continue to grow.” With the event proving a resounding success, Malgosia

Bartosik, EWEA’s Membership and Events Director, said: “It’s amazing to go around the exhibition and see people do-ing deals and making business and seeing all the exhibition stands packed. “The feedback showed that the atmosphere was good and

you couldn’t really see an industry affected by the financial cri-sis. Everyone’s very positive about the future of offshore wind.” The EWEA 2012 Annual Event will be held from Monday 16th

to Thursday 19th April 2012 in the Bella Centre in Copenhagen, Denmark. There will be over 12,000m² of exhibition space and an expected 450 exhibiting companies and 10,000 profes-sional visitors.

A prestigious multi-million pound project to construct a new headquarters for the United Nations is underway in Denmark. The project is being carried out for CPH City and Port

Development. An EU tender was held between six pre-qualified contractors from 15 March 2010 until 17 May 2010 and E. Pihl & Søn A.S. won the turnkey contract working with Architects 3XN Arkitekter. Pihl & Søn A.S. went on to win the second phase in a tender competition process and will therefore see the project through to completion. When completed, UN City will be amongst the six biggest UN

Cities in the world. The £60m development is based on a partnership between

the Government of Denmark and CPH City & Port Development and will accommodate the United Nations’ six organisations on its own specially constructed island section of the new Marmormolen (Marble Pier) on the waterfront in Østerbro, Copenhagen. The six organisations comprise: UNOPS (United Nations

Office for Project Services), UNDP (United Nations Development Programme), WHO (United Nations World Health Organisation), UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund, WFP (United Nations World Food Programme) and UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund). UN representatives say there are a number of reasons for

building the new office in Copenhagen. They highlight the very well-educated Danish work force, a comprehensive and modern infrastructure, a well functioning society and a high level of security.In January 2009, the detailed planning of UN City commenced.

Copenhagen’s prestigious new UN City building will house the United Nations


The first phase of the building project began in December 2010 and nine months later CPH City and Port Development held the topping-out ceremony for the construction of the first five wings of the UN City. The second phase of UN City began in November 2011 and is

scheduled to be completed in January 2014. Whilst most of the works on the first phase were carried out on an independent island specially constructed for the UN City, the three wings of the second phase will be built on the site of UNICEF’s old relief famine depot. A new depot, also built by Pihl, will be con-structed in the same area. UN City comprises two campuses. Campus 1 – part 1 con-

tains the largest office component (approximately 28000 sq m) whilst Campus 2 is primarily UNICEF’s warehouse facility.The six-storey UN City will incorporate around 33,000 sq m of

internal space, including 28,000 sq m of well equipped office space for 1059 employees and a 4,900 sq m basement storage area. In addition, there will be a meeting centre, an auditorium with seating for 450 guests, a fitness centre and a catering kitchen and canteen dining area. The eco friendly building has a number of ‘green’ features.

These include a district heating system, a rainwater recycling system, a cooling system using seawater, roof mounted pho-tovoltaic panels and Sedum roofing. In addition, it is designed

to achieve an American LEED Platinum standard of energy ef-ficiency rating in a system similar to BREEAM in the UK.The star-shaped building is of pre-cast concrete construction

and is built on piled foundation, with flat roofing and external elevations in an aluminium curtain walling system. Externally there will be a concrete apron/promenade around the build-ing and there will be no car parking on site due to security considerations.Marmormolen gives the quarter of Østerbro a new access to

the harbour and to the waterfront. It is formed as three islands, adding 1.3km to the length of the whole wharf system. A bridge will connect Østerbro and the new neighbourhood and there will be a much stronger connection between Langelinie and Nordhavn. With two towers and a 65m tall bridge as land-marks, the plan for the development of Marmormolen will be an asset for the whole city.Lars Hormann is an international civil servant of the UN and

is in charge of overall planning for the UN City in Copenhagen. He said: “The construction activities at the UN City have made a good start in the New Year and are well underway. Time flies - it is hard to believe how far we have come during the last nine years, since the idea of UN City was born.”Construction started in November 2010 and is due for com-

pletion in December 2012.

Overseas

WPD Group has signed a deal to bring the Butendiek Offshore Wind Farm to construction in 2013. The €1.2 billion Butendiek Wind Farm has been in the works

for over a decade, following previous ‘unworkable’ attempts to move forward with the project. When completed, the scheme

will be one of the most advanced offshore projects in German waters. The development is located in the German North Sea, 34km

west of the island of Sylt in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) near to the German-Danish border.

Butendiek powers through


Butendiek Offshore Wind Farm will comprise 80 turbines with a combined capacity of 288 MW. In total the wind farm will power 161,035 homes, reduce CO2 emissions by 325,452 tonnes per year and decrease annual SO2 emissions by 7,569 tonnes. Siemens will supply the 3.6 MW offshore wind turbines, which

have a rotor diameter of 107m, a turbine height of 133.5m and a hub height of 80m.The substation platform will be supplied by Fabricom GDF Suez JV and Visser Smit Marine Contracting will provide the inter-array cabling. Power generated from the wind farm will be supplied through Dutch network operator TenneT.WPD Offshore GmbH Managing Director, Achim Berge, said: “In Autumn 2010 we took over the Butendiek project, a vener-

able project which at that time was regrettably stranded. After a new start through WPD, it is now one of the most interesting offshore projects in Germany.“The low-risk profile of the project is supplemented by a set

of agreements with especially seasoned and successful com-panies like Siemens and Ballast Nedam, with whom WPD has already built another offshore wind farm.SSE Finance Director, Gregor Alexander, added: “We have a flexible approach to the development of our wind

energy capacity, with acquisitions and disposals both being considered to optimise the portfolio.“Our strategy means we prioritise investments in the UK and

Ireland. As a supporter of EU renewable energy targets we wish WPD AG well in taking the Butendiek development forward.” The construction of Butendiek will begin with the installation

of foundations 35 miles off the west coast of Sylt. In September 2011 Ballast Nedam signed a €250m contract

with WPD to supply, engineer and install the foundations, which are made from steel tubular piles called monopiles. The monopiles weigh 400 tonnes each and have a total length of

50-60m. Ballast Nedam will install the monopiles 25-30m deep in the ground using their Heavy Lift Vessel Svanen. Design and fabrication of the foundations will begin in 2012

and the installation is scheduled for 2013. Construction work will continue through 2013 and the wind farm is expected to start generating power towards the end of 2014.The WPD Group is an operator and developer of wind farms

and owns approximately 1,600 wind turbines, with wind farms in 20 countries. In addition to Butendiek, WPD Group have a number of additional international projects in the pipeline.

Ballast Nedam Offshore Ballast Nedam Offshore is the offshore construction subsidi-ary of Ballast Nedam. Working on civil and marine engineering contracts, the company provides design and construction services for offshore foundations. On the Offshore Windpark Butendiek project Ballast Nedam

Offshore is supplying the foundations for 80 wind turbines, which includes all designing, engineering and installation work. Construction will begin in mid-2012 with installation in March/April 2013. All of the foundations will be installed by the end of 2013.Ballast Nedam Offshore Project Manager, Sander Dekker,

said: “At Ballast Nedam Offshore we consider ourselves to be a very reliable and innovative company. We are pleased with the level of service that we provide and can proudly boast that when working with our offshore wind farm partners we have completed all of our projects on time. “Our greatest strength is that we have a number of in-house

operations, including engineering, installation and mainte-nance departments, which allow us to provide a full service for all of our clients.”For more information, visit www.bnoffshore.com

The largest wind farm in Canada is currently under con-struction.The Lac-Alfred Wind Farm in the Gaspésie area of Quebec will

comprise 150 turbines with a combined capacity of 300MW. It is estimated that when completed, the development will pro-vide enough power for 48,000 homes. The project is valued at £380m (approximately $600m) and

has been funded by EDF EN Canada. Boréa Construction is the main contractor.Work began on the project during winter 2010, when trees

were cleared on site. Following this, construction commenced in July 2011. During the outset of the construction, several improvements were made to local roads and a nearby inter-section in order to accommodate for the transportation of components to and from the site via heavy goods vehicles. The first 150MW will be connected to the Hydro-Quebec con-

nect network in December 2012 and the second phase will be connected in December 2013. For the first two years of the site’s operation, REpower

Systems will manage the energy yielded by the wind farm. After this period Enxco will take control of the operation.Manufactured by REpower Systems, the turbines are made

from steel composite materials and each has an output of 2MW. The turbines stand at 80m tall and weigh 254 tonnes each. There are two different models, with 96 turbines featuring 46m blades and the remaining 54 featuring blades 41m in length.The wind farm makes use of a number of ‘climate aversion’

turbines which are specifically designed for use during winter

Building big in Canada


conditions. These turbines are also more robust than standard turbines. As these are the first REpower turbines to be installed in

Quebec, specific attention has been required for installa-tion. Interestingly, 40% of the turbines are also being built in Quebec. The foundations are a mix of 50 tonnes of concrete and 320

tonnes of steel and they have a diameter of 60m. The connec-tor network cables are made from aluminium and copper. Three different cranes are being used on the site to unload

components, lift the first power section and assemble the ro-tor. The largest of the three cranes weighs 11 tonnes. A batch plant has been set up on the site using gravel from

local quarries. The batch plant uses the gravel in order to pro-duce concrete which can be used in the construction process. The Lac-Alfred site was selected due to several factors,

including excellent wind resources; the site’s distance from residential areas and the proximity of the hydro connect power line. Unsurprisingly, it is not the only wind farm in the area and joins a range of developments that have taken place over the last ten years. EDF EN Canada Public Affairs Manager, Daniel Giguére, said:

“This is a very important project for us as Lac-Alfred project is currently the biggest wind farm in Canada and it’s quite pos-sibly the biggest wind farm in construction.“However next year we expect to top this one, by constructing

an even bigger wind farm in Quebec with 175 wind turbines.”

Overseas



Her i tage

Restoration, Conservation and Preservation are intrinsically linked and it is not often the 3 are employed separately. Faced with a broken piece of stained glass can involve several

methods of treatment:-

• To retain as much of the original glass as possible (con-servation)

• To replace any missing fragments that are either too many or too small to make viable repairs (restoration)

• To protect all the collected fragments once a cohesive piece has been made from them (preservation)

A set of 5 stunning windows made by Mayer & Co. of London and Munich in the 1860’s had suffered some damage, but mostly a thick coating of soot from a fire in a nearby wooden screen. The windows depict the relevant greats of the age such as Tyndale and William Shakespeare; the main window depict-ing Caxton presenting his new printing press to the King.

STATIONERS HALL, LONDON (2011)

A missing fragment

requires replacement

The new piece is painted and

edge- bonded together with the

remaining fragments. All fragments

must be flush on the back to

allow for a back-plate to sit flat

against the repaired piece.

Once fitted back in position, the repair work is

visually lost amongst the decorative details

This edge-bonded piece was back-plated with 1mm float glass and sealed round the edges with acid-free silicone before reinstatement into the window.Although on a small scale, these frag-

ment replacements are imperative to the ‘legibility’ of the window’s design. Modern resins and methods have ena-bled the eradication of myriad straps of lead to hold together small fragments of glass. New inserts (as seen above) can be carefully cut and painted to fill the missing gaps which, from the distance most windows are viewed, are lost to the eye amongst all the detail of the design as a whole.

Inferior RestorationUnfortunately, not all restoration is good restoration. As we can see from this image of the 2 heads of the King and Queen, the Queen’s head has been replaced with a new piece of glass painted by an infe-rior hand, which sits uncomfort-ably next to the superb work of the Mayer & Co painter’s handiwork. This is why it is important not to accept the cheapest price for such work – do so at your peril!


Stealing lead from a church roof is no longer the victimless crime traditionally portrayed. Record metal prices have re-sulted in regional / national organised gangs that methodi-cally strip vulnerable sites, with the lead easily distributed through the UK network of metals reclamation merchants. Increasing demand world wide for lead acid batteries has also spawned large scale thefts by the container load to be shipped directly abroad from UK ports.More often than not the “vulnerable sites” are church prop-

erties in remote locations where access is open and visitors are encouraged. This has meant the repeat targeting of some churches with the thieves simply waiting for the lead sheet to be replaced before stripping it off again.Although perhaps involving relatively few people directly, the

damage caused to the external building structure and internal decoration, as well as its precious, often irreplaceable contents is heartbreaking to those locals affected.It is reported that between January and August 2011, the cost

of lead stripped from ecclesiastical properties had exceeded £3.5M - more then the whole of 2010. More than 5,000 churches in the UK have now suffered from a theft of lead and this is not a problem which is going away. Although lead thefts have been escalating chronically over the

past three or four years, it affects relatively few. Ironically it has been the recent increase in the theft of copper cable and result-ing massive inconvenience to thousands of rail commuters and cost to transport, power and communication companies (and their insurers) which has dramatically raised the public aware-ness of “metal thefts” and led to demands for action. Now there are investigations into security systems, alarms,

lighting and lead theft deterrents such as Smartwater and Led-Lok. Neighbourhood watch schemes such as Church Care and National Church Watch have quickly become a focal point for the community. The entire UK metals reclamation network (colloquially “scrap metal merchants”) has come under the mi-croscope, with calls for changes to legislation, stricter regula-tion, licensing, banning of cash scales, improved identification procedures, record keeping, Certificates of Origin, etc.Demands for the skills of the experienced lead craftsmen in-

creased to the extent where LCA members undertook to work to an agreed schedule of rates and an organised system approved by Ecclesiastical Insurance which meant the rapid response by a leadwork specialist when a theft occurred. It also meant an installation carried out in accordance with the UK Code of Practice (BS6915) and which was sympathetic with the de-mands of the original roof design.In the hands of a skilled and experienced craftsman, lead

sheet can be shaped by hand to fit the most complex and ornate details which are found on our historic properties, in or-der to provide comprehensive and maintenance free weather protection that (untouched) will consistently perform for more than 100 years. Because it is a soft metal, lead sheet reacts to temperature

changes by expanding and contracting. The specialist lead-worker knows exactly how to allow for this thermal movement in the sizing and fixing of each individual detail. However also because it is a soft metal which moves, lead cannot be sealed down on all sides and still perform, so increasing its vulnerability to theft.Installing lead sheet properly is therefore a specialist craft

Hidden cost of lead thefts threatening our heritageRay Robertson, Secretary, Lead Contractors Association –



that requires a degree of skill and knowledge which the general roofing contractor is unlikely to have, regardless of their compe-tence in other materials. When a lead theft occurs there is an increasing temptation to

change materials. Even when lead sheet is re-installed, there is the mistaken belief that money can be saved by using a non specialist. These two consequences of lead theft have resulted in a sharp

fall in demand for the services of the specialist leadworker, at a time when the entire UK construction industry continues to

suffer from the economic downturn. When metal prices ease (as they will), when lead thefts decline

(as they will), when demand for lead sheet revives (as it undoubt-edly will because of its unrivalled long term maintenance free performance), where will the specialists be to make sure it is fitted with the skill, knowledge and careful attention to detail it deserves? For more information on the Lead Contractors Association:

www.lca.gb.com

The 2011 ARB show was heralded as a huge success when it was held at its new showground on the Bathurst Estate in Circenster in early June. The exciting new venue offered a variety of superb trees to

host the practical demonstrations and the popular 3ATC tree climbing competition that has proved so popular with visitors.Run by the Arboricultural Association, the show’s fresh, inspir-

ing and varied demonstration program offers something for everyone - from the absolute novice to the most experienced practitioner. Show visitors were also able to get advice on any-thing from climbing and work techniques to the latest products and climbing kit from over 70 trade stands.The arbjobs.com sponsored 3ATC (Arboricultural Association

Arborist Tree Challenge) was another popular attraction that ran this year. Open to all levels of competitor, the 3ATC was divided into three categories of competition, from novice through to expert and premier climber. This year’s practical demonstration sessions included the safe

configuration of rigging equipment and dismantling techniques. The workshop sessions included the design of arborists’ hard-ware, competent hand splicing, the ARB Approved Contractor scheme and exploring Borneo’s rainforest canopy. Another interesting feature was the launch of the new Stihl MS201 T chainsaw and the Tree Climbers’ forum.Another major event in the arboricultural world was the associ-

ation’s 45th National Amenity ARB Conference 2011, which was held at the University of Warwick from Sunday 18th to Tuesday 20th September 2011.As the largest and most established annual conference

dedicated to arboriculture, this event is the focal gathering of amenity arboriculture managers, consultants, local government managers, contractors and educators in the UK. With new regulations and standards directly relevant to arbo-

riculture appearing more frequently, Arboricultural Association conferences provide vital information to help those attending keep ahead - including formal lectures and seminars, network-ing and a great social environment.

About the Arboricultural AssociationSince 1964, the Arboricultural Association has been the national body in the UK and Ireland for the amenity tree care professional in either civic or commercial employment - at craft, technical, supervisory, managerial or consultancy level.There are currently 2,000 members of the Arboricultural

Association in a variety of membership classes. The objectives of the Arboricultural Association are to: advance the study of arboriculture; raise the standards of its practice; foster interest in trees through publications, exhibitions and the stimulation of research or experiment; assist in the training of students in disciplines where arboriculture is a major subject and to co-operate with other bodies having similar aims.

People able to care for trees are generally either consultants (tree advisors or arboriculturists) or contractors (tree surgeons or arborists).Consultants provide specialist opinions on tree health, safety,

preservation, trees and buildings, planning and other law. Subjects on which arboricultural consultants will commonly advise include: • Assessing trees for hazard and where appropriate speci-

fying remedial work• Investigating cases where trees are alleged to be involved

in structural damage to buildings• Providing advice in relation to tree preservation law and

where necessary, expert evidence to the planning inspec-torate

• Providing advice in relation to trees and development and when necessary, expert evidence to the planning inspec-torate

• Formulating tree and woodland management plans• Investigating accidents caused by tree failure

Services typically required of an arboricultural contractor are:• Tree maintenance (pruning, bracing or fertilising opera-

tions) to a relevant British Standard • Tree felling including dismantling of dangerous trees or

trees in confined spaces.• Pest and disease identification and control.• Advice on the above.

For further details, see the Arboricultural Association’s web site: www.trees.org.uk

Arboricultural show is a resounding success




Assoc iat ions

It has been announced that prob-lems could arise in the construc-tion industry due to an ageing workforce and a ‘limited injection of new blood’. Mark Farrar, Chief Executive of

CITB-ConstructionSkills, the Sector Skills Council and Industry Training Board for the construction industry, said: “When you look at the age pro-file demographics across the whole construction industry, there is a tendency towards older employees.

Indeed, a significant number are coming up to retirement age in the next five to ten years. “Fewer people are coming through behind them because of

the recession in the early 1990s. During this difficult time, the industry lost many people who never returned.“Statistics indicate that in the next 10 years there will be around

half a million fewer 16 - 24 year olds in the country as a whole, and this at a time when firms are starting to fight hard for young apprentices or undergraduates to come into their sectors. As a result, the construction industry does have a fight on its hands; it has to make sure that it accesses good quality people from a significantly smaller pooler of talent.”

He added: “The sectors’ ageing workforce will need replac-ing; therefore one of our main focuses is promoting the entry of new talent into the industry and driving young people to us for training.”CITB-ConstructionSkills has organised a series of events which

have successfully increased the take-up of apprentices by 47%.The events were run as part of the CITB-ConstructionSkills Positive Image campaign and led to 65 employers signing up to get their hands on the UK’s best young talent. With over 200 employers now committed to offering appren-

ticeships in areas ranging from carpentry to craft masonry, CITB-ConstructionSkills calls on companies to follow suit and invest in the skills today that will drive future growth.CITB-ConstructionSkills ran a programme of employer break-

fast meetings, construction challenges, careers events and one-to-ones with its staff and staff from the National Construction College (NCC) as part of National Apprenticeship Week (NAW). The event brought employers face-to-face with over 600 young people interested in the sector.Well over a quarter of the employers who attended an event

committed to take on apprenticeships. One employer who attended the event, CMC Ltd’s Martyn

Price, said: “I was delighted to be associated with National Apprenticeship Week to support the benefits that apprentices can bring to any business. The pledge demonstrated our ongo-

Apprentices needed as construction sector faces potential retirement time bomb



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ing commitment which we anticipate will continue to benefit our business for many future years. The Positive Image campaign’s drive to recruit the brightest and best talent has really paid off.”CITB-ConstructionSkills’ Mark Farrar added: “The events

helped show employers the wealth of keen young people who were eager to work in the construction sector. We were de-lighted to see so many firms sign up to offer apprenticeships. “However, there was an opportunity for many more employers

to get involved and leave a lasting legacy for the construction industry. It’s only by investing in the workforce of tomorrow that

we will survive.”In July 2011 research indicated that employers felt there were

significant gaps in their employees’ skills, which seriously lim-ited the potential for growth in the industry. In a CITB survey of 1450 employers in the sector, specific gaps in skills that were identified included understanding the implications of green is-sues (43%), identifying potential new business (39%) and not having sufficient IT skills (43%). A further 32% also stated that their management team’s ability to identify the training needs of staff was an area that needed improvement.

The construction industry’s future employees are highly ambitious, clued-up and are keen to quickly climb the career ladder, according to the findings of a CITB-ConstructionSkills’ survey hosted on its youth website ‘bconstructive’ last month.Those born after 1985, nicknamed ‘Generation Thumb’ be-

cause of their renowned enthusiasm for texting and gaming, cited ‘the opportunity to become your own boss’ as the most appealing factor about working in construction. This was fol-lowed closely by the variety offered by working on different projects and the opportunity to become a master craftsman in a specialist area. Surprisingly, the potential financial rewards were low down the priority listing for youngsters but the major-ity thought that earnings in construction were about the same (41%) or higher (35%) than other careers. When choosing an organisation to work for, the respondents

cited a company’s ‘commitment to training and development’ as the most important consideration. This was almost matched by the organisation’s ‘reputation as a fair employer’. However, a company’s size, location, reward package and its commitment to the green agenda were not rated highly in the pecking order. ‘Teamwork’ topped the poll as the aptitude, ability or skill

the participants thought most useful to bring to the industry. Project management and organisational skills however, were not rated highly with most reckoning that technical ability, confidence and physical fitness were of more value to a pro-spective employer. The gaming generation also placed ‘hand to eye co-ordination skills/good motor skills’ higher in the skills stakes than people skills.Commenting on the survey, Janette Welton-Pai, Sector

Strategy Manager for Careers at CITB-ConstructionSkills, said: “It’s clear from the survey that young people interested in con-

struction are driven, ambitious and ready for tough challenges. This is exactly what construction needs - quality candidates who are keen to raise the bar and meet the future needs of an ever changing industry. “As an industry we need to pay close attention to the expecta-

tions and asks around training and development. Opportunities for up-skilling and continuous improvement must be an integral part of our sector’s offering or we risk losing talented young-sters who will bring their skills and energy elsewhere.”

Other survey findings include:• Three quarters of respondents (76%) thought that

20 – 30% of the construction workforce were female. According to latest stats women make up only 13% of the workforce, 12% in non-manual positions and just under1% in manual roles although the industry is actively trying to raise awareness of opportunities for females in the sector.

It’s not about the money: Construction’s ‘Generation Thumb’ want a whole lot more

• The qualification or training most associated with con-struction were Apprenticeship, BTEC Diploma, NVQ / Diploma.

• Over half (52%) thought apprenticeships was the most im-portant way to help secure a career in the industry. Only 1 in 10 thought higher qualifications such as a Postgraduate Qualification or a Higher National Diploma were important to getting into the industry.

The Generation Thumb survey was conducted as part of the CITB-ConstuctionSkills’ Positive Image campaign which has been working on behalf of industry to attract new blood into the sector.

CITB-ConstructionSkills achieves consensusCITB-ConstructionSkills will continue to use the statutory levy/grant system to support skills and training develop-ment after the industry returned a positive vote on its con-sensus consultation, outlining that the Industry Training Board has an important role to play as firms continue to struggle with economic uncertainty.Thirteen consensus federations pledged their continued sup-

port for the levy and grant system with levy-paying employers giving the current system a 69% approval rating - a level that has remained unchanged since 2007.The positive vote came after extensive consultation with

employers and industry federations around levy, grants and funding issues. CITB-ConstructionSkills has committed to step up engagement with industry around key issues to understand


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the concerns of the industry and adopt solutions to support the development of skills and training for economic growth, both nationally and locally. Mark Farrar, Chief Executive of CITB-ConstructionSkills, said:“We are delighted to have received the support of the industry

for its Levy/Grant system. We’ve put employers at the heart of our work, listened to their views and shaped our strategies to make sure we support industry at this difficult time, but we recognise that there is still much to be done. “Economic uncertainty is still a cause for concern, and we

know that next year will be tough – that’s why it’s important for us to work closely with employers and trade bodies to provide quality information, advice and guidance to increase produc-tivity, develop the right products and services to meet current challenges and work to recruit the best and brightest talent into industry – so that we have a sustainable skills base once we emerge from the recession.

“We will continue to provide training grants for federation members to assist skills development in different parts of the industry. By investing in training now, the industry will be ready to meet future skills needs for the upturn.” Alasdair Reisner, Head of Industry Affairs at the Civil

Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) said:“CECA is in full support of CITB-ConstructionSkills and the

renewal of the statutory Levy Order that will enable it to carry on supporting the development of skills and training. “The last few years have certainly been challenging for the UK

industry. However, we believe that CITB-ConstructionSkills’ work is as important now as it has ever been. To ensure the industry moves forward into the future, we need to give CITB-ConstructionSkills our continued support.”The Levy Order will pass through Parliament for approval in

early 2012. For more information of CITB-ConstructionSkills’ three year Levy Order and the work being undertaken to deliver the right skills and knowledge for the construction industry, visit www.cskills.org.

A tough 12 months for the UK’s construction sector have kept confidence at low levels, with around one in ten em-ployers fearing that their business won’t survive the reces-sion, new research reveals.In the Employer Attitudes and Motivations report by Sector Skills

Council and Industry Training Board, CITB-ConstructionSkills, results show that nearly half (47%) of all businesses suffered a decrease in turnover in the last year – with income falling by an

Confidence low as half of construction firms report income fall


average of 29%. Sole traders were hardest hit, with 54% report-ing a drop in trade, followed closely by small firms employing between two and nine staff, at 48%. Furthermore, for many in the industry, the immediate future of-

fers little consolation. Nearly three fifths (56%) of respondents said that either the next 12 months provided no business oppor-tunities (29%), or that they didn’t know where the opportunities would come from (27%).These trends have taken their toll on employment levels

across the sector, with over a third (36%) of employers sur-

veyed claiming to have laid staff off. Britain’s woodworking in-dustry was the most adversely impacted, with a quarter (25%) of the affected jobs being carpenters or joiners, just ahead of labourers at 24%. However, the impact on employment has not been restricted to the trades, in larger firms – those with over 100 employees – it was managers (23%) who were more likely to be made redundant.Mark Farrar, Chief Executive of CITB-ConstructionSkills, said:

“It has been another testing year for the construction and built environment industry. Times are tough and businesses need as much support as possible. “Through listening to employers we know that their main chal-

lenges are reducing their expenditure, increased competition for contracts and preparing for new environmental legislation. “We are further developing training packages to address these

concerns, consulting with central and local Government to ensure that the public money which is being spent is done so transparently with a positive impact on the industry’s skills and continuing to speak with central and local governments about the positive impact construction has on local jobs.“We’ve also implemented initiatives such as our Cut the

Carbon campaign, which help to prepare the industry for new ‘green legislation’ and give them the skills they need to be as competitive as possible.” On a regional level, there were mixed fortunes for different

areas. In the South East, for example, indicative figures show that there was a 13% spike in overall staff numbers, compared to a reduction of between 16-18% in Northern Ireland, London and the South West.The impact of the current economic climate has also seen

training levels in the industry fall – with almost a third (29%) of businesses reducing their outgoings in this area. This pattern looks likely to continue into 2012, with a fifth (20%) of employers planning to scale training budgets back even further.Mark Farrar continued: “When budgets are tight, training is

sadly often one of the first areas to be reined in. This is particu-larly concerning given that one in six workers will retire in the next ten years, leaving a gaping hole in the industry’s skill base.“We add value to employers in this area through a number of

ways, such as our Management & Supervisory Development Programme which was introduced to improve the sector’s lead-ership attributes. But we’ll also continue to provide new, innova-tive solutions that respond to the industry’s changing needs.“Only through swift action can we start to generate the right

skills for future growth, locally and nationally.”


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Employers of building maintenance and repair workers are required to carry out a risk assessment before undertaking any work which exposes, or is liable to expose, employees to asbestos. They must take the appropriate steps required by the Asbestos Regulations to prevent or reduce these risks. However, in many cases, the employers and their workers

have little or no information about the premises where they will undertake work and are not aware if materials containing asbestos are present. Consequently, it is difficult for them to consider the risks, or decide if precautions may be needed. A duty to manage the risk from asbestos in non-domestic

premises was therefore added to the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations in 2002 to address this issue. These require-ments have since been brought forward unchanged in the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 as Regulation 4.

Those who own, occupy, manage or have responsibilities for premises that may contain asbestos, will either have:

• A legal duty to manage the risk from asbestos material; or

• A legal duty to co-operate with whoever manages that risk

They will be required to manage the risk from asbestos by:• Finding out if there is asbestos in the premises, its extent

and what condition it is in• Presuming the materials contain asbestos, unless you

have strong evidence that they do not• Making and keeping up to date a record of the location

and condition of the ACM’s or presumed ACM’s in their premises

• Assessing the risk from the material• Preparing a plan that sets out in detail how they are going

to manage the risk from this material• Taking the steps needed to put their plan into action• Reviewing and monitoring their plan and the arrange-

ments made to put it in place; and• Providing information on the location and condition of

the material to anyone who is liable to work or disturb it

In the United Kingdom, work on asbestos has by law to be carried out by a contractor who holds a licence under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006, although there are exceptions. Normally, non-licensed work includes work on asbestos-containing textured coatings, asbestos cement and certain work of short duration on asbestos insulating board. The duties imposed by regulation 4 of the Control of Asbestos

Regulations 2006 supplement the provisions of some of the duties imposed by other sets of regulations, in particular the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 which require the client to provide designers and contractors who may be bidding for the work or who they intend to engage, with the project’s specific health and safety information need-ed to identify hazards and risks associated with the design and construction work.Asbestos awareness training is a legal requirement for most

employees and supervisors working in the construction indus-try. In addition to initial training, the Approved Code of Practice which accompanies the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 also states that refresher training should be given at least every year. Therefore, there is an ongoing annual legal requirement for refresher training to be carried out for the identified em-ployees.ARCA is the leading supplier of asbestos awareness training

aimed at building and maintenance workers. To find out more or to arrange a no obligation meeting to discuss your employ-ees asbestos awareness training needs, please contact ARCA on 01283 531126.

Taking measures to protect you from asbestos


SLPTG (Steeplejack & Lightning Protection Training Group) can provide clients or customers with all the necessary information on specialist lightning protection companies regarding training, qualifications and experience. This will ensure that any contractor or sub-contractor they

are considering working with can demonstrate that they and their workforce are competent and have the correct qualifica-tions, knowledge and experience to carry out tasks on their lightning conductors or lightning protection systems.Under the HASAW Act you have to provide a ‘Duty of Care’.

In order to ensure that operatives can provide proof of com-petence and demonstrate the experience and knowledge required to carry out a task, a Photo ID CSCS Smartcard is a simple yet very effective way to check that someone working on or testing your lightning conductor or lightning protection system is fully qualified. To prove this, check the card matches the operative; on the

rear of the card it clearly states that they are either NVQ II or NVQ III Lightning Conductor Engineers. If they cannot provide this, do not let them continue until they or the company can demonstrate competency to your satisfaction - after all, if something were to happen it may eventually come back to you. This simple but very effective measure is there to assist.Throughout 2009 and 2010, there were Two Day lightning

protection test and inspection courses available through ac-credited learning centres. Certain companies have used this to include the testing and inspection of lightning conductors to their range of services, and this is only one of many official training units or certificates that are required for a lightning protection engineer to gain their specialist NVQ qualification.Indeed, this unit/certificate does not provide the operative

with the experience and knowledge, it is merely a certificate of training. Do not accept this as proof of competence on its own, as the minimum requirements you should be looking for is an in date Photo ID CSCS Smartcard that states clearly on the rear they are NVQ II or NVQ III Lightning Conductor Engineers. Protect yourself and check the Photo ID CSCS Smartcard.

Understanding training Working closely with National Specialist Accredited Centre (NSAC) and the CITB (Construction Industry Training Board)

and Construction Skills at the National Construction College (NCC, Bircham Newton, Norfolk), the SLPTG has formulated and developed the lightning conductor engineer national ap-prenticeship scheme, along with adult learning opportunities. Colin Sanders, SLPTG, says: “The SLPTG demonstrates that

we fully understand the commitment and consequent invest-ment that is required for training because adaptable, skilled people are vital to the success of our industry. We also aim to provide our clients with the confidence that the training, expe-rience and skills given to our operatives can demonstrate the competence required to enable them to carry out their tasks.”Richard Diment, Director General of the Federation of Master

Builders, says: “The FMB, as the leading trade association representing SMEs in the British construction sector, supports and promotes all aspects of craft management and health and safety training. It recognises CSCS as a vital means by which its members can record and provide proof of the skills and competency of their workforce and sub-contractors.”Julia Evans, chief executive of the National Federation of

Builders, says: “CSCS provides a base line standard which is broadly accepted by the majority of the construction industry. It enables workers to demonstrate important proficiencies and companies to demonstrate a commitment to safe and efficient working.”Alan Ritchie, Construction Union, says: “A fully carded work-

force is a safer and better trained workforce”.Full information on the on the above statements and the

CSCS Card Scheme can be found at www.cscs.uk.comThe SLPTG needs to continue to develop training for our

industry by working closely with clients and customers, main contractors, training providers and members in order to en-sure that the training delivered to our workers is improving the quality of our workforce in all areas. This will require the intro-duction of more dynamic forms of training, which will serve to elevate the industry.Please remember: if an operative cannot provide a CSCS

card which states their NVQ II or NVQ III qualifications for on the rear, do not let them carry out the works!For further information, contact Lynne Fletcher (GTO) on

01625 664500, e-mail [email protected] or visit the website at www.slptraininggroup.org.uk

Lightning Conductors & Lightning Protection Systems

Documents

Premier Construction Magazine Issue 17-2