Business Update October 2024

Business Update October 2024

Preston Animate nears completion

What’s Inside: Shorlistings at the Insider Lancashire Property Awards

Chancellor of the Exchequer visits Lightbody Street

Two new purchases for Portfolio

Water install a new nature based treatment solution

Welcome

Welcome to our October Business Update. Autumn certainly feels to have arrived and with that comes an increase in our focus on 2025.

All our businesses are now starting to pull together their business plans for next year.

Growth has been a defining feature of 2024 in some of our core businesses and many of the recent work winning successes will help shape what we hope will prove another very successful year for the Group in 2025. Another feature of 2024, which we can reflect on with some pride, is the quality of the work both secured and delivered in the period. This is a huge credit to the talented teams across all our businesses and sets us up extremely well for the coming year. We will, of course, share all our plans with you in more detail as they take shape over the next few months.

Since our last update, we have continued to see achievement, progress and recognition across the business. In Construction, our team at Lightbody Street had a visit from the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves. This was a great opportunity to shine a media light on the considerable work we are doing on a significant project which will help reshape an historic part of Liverpool docklands. Alongside this, work also started on a specialist education facility at Seashell Trust. This is a £22m facility providing support for young people with complex disabilities and communication needs.

Elsewhere in the Group, our Civil’s team completed the transformation of Elland Town Centre and commenced the replacement of Preston’s Old Tram Bridge over the River Ribble. This iconic structure had been structurally unsafe for many years and our team, working with both Preston and Lancashire County Council, are now well underway with the replacement which will preserve the memory and heritage of this local landmark.

In Maple Grove, our scheme to deliver the Animate Leisure Complex in the centre of Preston nears completion and when open, it will transform both the day and night time economy in that part of the town centre. As one scheme draws to a close, another one also makes a start with the team acquiring a 19 acre industrial site just off J41 of the M6 near Penrith. More details will be provided in future updates as this site progresses.

Across in our Water business, our customers are continually looking for more innovative and environmentally friendly solutions to an infrastructure which remains under relentless pressure. Our team has certainly played a part in responding to this challenge, recently completing the implementation of a nature based treatment solution for Yorkshire Water.

The successful delivery of this high profile scheme reflects the depth of capability we have in the business enabling us to adapt to the changing and, often complex, needs of its clients.

On the awards, we are very pleased to see Construction, Applethwaite and Maple Grove shortlisted at the Insider Lancashire Property Awards. Fingers crossed they get the recognition they deserve!

Lastly, and certainly not least, we are well underway with the refresh of our branding and the next significant milestone will be the launch of our new website. A big thank you to everyone who is supporting this and we will be able to give you a launch date soon.

Thank you again for all your support and commitment. Plenty to be very proud of.

Jeremy

Jeremy Hartley CEO Eric Wright Group

Business

Work starts on site for specialist education facility at Seashell Trust Our Construction team have commenced the building and fit out of a new £22m college building for Seashell Trust, who provide support for young people with complex disabilities and communication needs.

The new building will deliver 12 classrooms and six specialist teaching spaces, along with a cafe, activity hall with an extended climbing wall, fitness suite, rebound room, a sensory integration room and a suite of flexible multi-purpose rooms.

Read more here.

Chancellor of the Exchequer visits Lightbody Street The Lightbody Street team recently welcomed the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves.

The development is being delivered for Torus as new affordable homes and apartments. Rachel met with James Eager, our construction director, and enjoyed a tour of the site whilst also talking to apprentices working on the scheme.

Work at the development continues to progress with scaffolding being taken down from around five of the town houses along with apartment block A. The roof and brickwork is nearing completion on apartment blocks B and C.

Start on site at Seashell

Work begins at Rumworth School site Construction has started at Rumworth School with the team working to deliver a new, two-storey teaching block. The building will have 14 additional classrooms and several large rooms for group activities.

Mark Green, our construction operations manager said: “It’s great to be starting on site with the delivery of these new facilities for Rumworth School. We’ve made good progress through the summer holiday period and are looking forward to working again with Bolton Council and Clear Futures.” Read more here.

Manchester City Council leader visits Laystall St Council Leader Bev Craig and Cllr. Gavin White, Executive Member for Housing and Development, joined Adam Pickford, our construction operations manager, and the Great Places Housing team for a site visit to Laystall Street, Manchester.

The £21m scheme is in the early stages of development and upon completion will deliver a nine-storey building with 89 one and two-bed apartments.

Laystall Street site

Rumworth School

Contract win: We’ve been appointed by Maple Grove Developments to deliver a new Lidl on Manchester Road, Burnley. The works are valued at £4m and will involve converting an existing cinema into a new Lidl supermarket.

Business

Out with the old, in with the new Zouch Bridge replacement Tram Bridge

gets off the ground

Preliminary works have began on the replacement of the 90 year old Ashby-de-la-Zouch Bridge, which spans the River Soar on the edge of the village of Zouch, Leicestershire.

The deteriorating state of the bridge means it needs to be replaced on safety grounds as there is currently an 18-tonne weight restriction in place.

Diane Bourne, managing director said: “We are really Start on site, Zouch pleased to have been appointed

by Leicestershire County Council. Our team has considerable experience in highways and infrastructure improvements, especially the design and installation of bridges. We are looking forward to starting the works and delivering this much needed, improved link for the area.”

Members of our Civil Engineering team met representatives from Preston City Council and Lancashire County Council to mark the next big milestone in the life of Preston’s Tram Bridge.

The Old Tram Bridge was demolished in just 14 days, ahead of the projected timetable, making way for a new bridge to be installed.

Tram Bridge, Preston

Elland public realm project completes

Devonshire Street, Carlisle opens

Our team have completed the transformation of Elland Town Centre for client Calderdale Council.

Following the completion of public realm works, Devonshire Street is open again.

The public realm works have delivered wider footpaths, new level crossings, new local stone flags, anti-skid surfaces, new benches and street landscaping to make the area more attractive and help drain rainwater for flood resilience.

Diane Bourne, managing director said “We’re incredibly proud to have delivered these significant upgrades to Elland’s historic marketplace as well as completing new community facilities for future generations to enjoy." Read more here.

Elland

The project makes up part of Cumberland Council’s city centre regeneration scheme which aims to improve the perception of the city centre, boost the economy and enlighten peoples’ experiences within these public spaces.

Contract wins: We’re working in collaboration with Wigan Council to deliver a new Wigan to Standish, multi-user cycleway and footpath - the works are valued at £1.2m.

We’ve been appointed by National Museums, Liverpool to deliver the redevelopment of the existing dry dock to form new space for the museum, with the works valued at £7.7m.

Business

Animate nears completion Two new Maple Grove’s Animate scheme in Preston city centre is nearing build completion, with our Construction team preparing to hand the building over to occupiers at the end of October.

The cinema operator will take possession before completion to enable them to get a head start with their extensive fit out works.

Scott Latta recently accompanied Maple Grove on site to give a social value briefing to the Leader and Chief Executive of Preston City Council. The council representatives heard how the site team had engaged with students, taken on apprentices and had hit local labour targets. The scheme which is due to open in February 2025 will create around 300 permanent jobs.

Animate site

purchases for Portfolio Our Portfolio team have purchased two new investment properties in Bredbury, Stockport and Holywell Green, near Halifax, West Yorkshire.

The Bredbury Property is let to HFD Limited who are a floor covering distributor, and the Holywell Green property is undergoing refurbishment works with strong occupier interest to take a new lease on completion of the works.

These new acquisitions support the Group’s strategy to grow the Investment Property Portfolio and maximise rental income.

Steel frame going up at Lidl

New site purchase in Penrith

Maple Grove Developments is delivering Manchester Road for Burnley Council. This is phase two of the project, following the delivery of Pioneer Place earlier in the year.

Maple Grove Developments have recently purchased a new site in Penrith, Junction 41.

The project involves the conversion of the existing cinema into a new Lidl supermarket, with Eric Wright Construction delivering the build works for Maple Grove. The project is progressing well with the steel frame nearing completion and the roofing works due to start mid-October.

The site is set over 19 acres, with circa.

250,000 sq ft of development space.

Detailed planning consent is in place for the site access and the team is working through the technical detail with the Local Highways Authority.

Lidl Steel Frame, Manchester Road

Power has also been secured and the detailed design around the site infrastructure is also being worked up.

The team is working towards a start on site in early 2025.

Business

3G pitch renovation at Fleetwood High Working in collaboration with our Facilities Management team, Partnerships have transformed Fleetwood High School’s 3G pitch over the summer.

The team safely removed the old, damaged turf and installed a brand new 50mm 3G surface, complete with football pitch markings.

The pitch was finished with high performance sports-grade silica sand and SBR infill, which is a rubber material that boosts shock absorption and durability, ensuring better player safety and long lasting performance. The new pitch brings a benefit to students at the school as well as the local community.

Work completed at Fleetwood High

Partnerships visit Accrington Acorn and Pals Health Centres Our Partnerships’ Healthcare team recently visited two health care centres in Accrington alongside the new Community Health Partnerships, director Jeanette Leach.

The team are working collaboratively with colleagues from Lancashire and South Cumbria trust, Community Health Partnerships and Integrated Care Board to see how they can optimise the space and expand health care provisions.

Healthcare Consultancy set out 10 year plan for Infrastructure Strategy Our Healthcare Consultancy team, in collaboration with Community Ventures, recently released their 10 year infrastructure strategy which supports the delivery of NHS England's long term plan.

Dan Stevenson-Lenard, strategic estates advisor commented “This project underscores our ability to deliver complex, large-scale strategic solutions within tight deadlines. Drawing in on our existing relationships made it easier to know who to contact and which stakeholders would be the most appropriate to discuss the development of the strategy with. This enabled us to move forward with efficiency and develop a strategy that would deliver what the key stakeholders need now and in the future.”

One Partnerships launch new brand and website The team has worked alongside an agency to refresh their brand and modernise their website’s security and functionality. The website redevelopment brings clarity on their offerings, helps streamline messaging and highlights the 23 health centres that they manage. Check out the new website here.

Contract Win Our Facilities Management team have won a new contract with Wirral Community Health Care Trust. The contract is to the value of £1.2m per year, for five years and the team will be providing TFM services to 10 of their health centres – including Marine Lake Health Centre which Eric Wright Construction built.

Business

Development update Following the success of the first two phases of it’s Ribblesdale, Worsthorne development, Applethwaite has now commenced on the third and final phase of this scheme of 38, two and three bed bungalows.

Sales Advisor Louise Holmes commented “It has been great to see such strong interest in the development and it’s been a delight to see the new residents settle into their bungalows”.

The development is due to be completed in the summer of next year.

Thank you Applethwaite!

The Applethwaite team have received handmade thank you gifts from a resident at their Pendlevale development in Barnoldswick.

The homeowner has made the plaques, tables and gifts from the Ash tree that the team removed from their garden.

They expressed how happy they are in their new home and grateful for the support they’ve received from the Applethwaite team during the whole process.

Charity football match Members from across the Group recently participated in a charity football tournament organised by PWA Planning to raise money for Heartbeat north west cardio care.

The Preston based charity is the North West's leading cardiac prevention and rehabilitation charity, providing services for nearly 1,000 people each week. Great work and well done to everyone who took part.

Group colleagues

Business

Water install a new nature based treatment solution Eric Wright Water recently completed the implementation of a nature based treatment solution at Yorkshire Water’s Bishop Wilton site.

This project is a significant achievement for our Water team and Yorkshire Water as it marks the first time this innovative technology has been successfully implemented.

Bishop Walton, York

A nature based treatment consists of two new Media Beds, which are designed to remove phosphorus and other pollutants from the final effluent before it is discharged into the environment.

The Media Beds use natural materials such as sand, gravel and plants to filter and absorb the contaminants, resulting in cleaner water and reduced chemical usage.

The team received positive feedback from the client for delivering the project on time, on budget and to a high standard of quality and safety.

In addition the team were highly commended for their proactiveness and collaboration when engaging with the local community, stakeholders and regulators to ensure a smooth and successful delivery.

Water Duckling Rescue Our Yorkshire Team have rescued a duckling that had become trapped in a liquor return pump station. Without the teams intervention it was a certain tragic outcome.

The duckling was taken to the site office to recover before being reunited with its family at a location not far from site.

Yorkshire site

Business

Divisions shortlisted at the Insider Lancashire Property Awards Eric Wright Construction, Applethwaite and Maple Grove Developments have all been shortlisted at the upcoming Insider Lancashire Property Awards which is taking place at the Blackpool Winter Gardens in November.

The awards recognise businesses that are shaping Lancashire and building new communities. The event showcases companies with a vision to further elevate the region, driving growth and prosperity. Good luck to all those involved.

Categories shortlisted: Construction Business of the Year - Eric Wright Construction Residential Developer/Housebuilder of the Year - Applethwaite Homes Commercial Development of the Year - Pioneer Place, Burnley – Burnley Council and Maple Grove Developments

Fleet Manager of the Year shortlisting Steve Openshaw, Group fleet and transport manager and Sue McGuigan, Group fleet coordinator recently attended the Business Car awards in London following Steve’s shortlisting for Fleet Manager of the Year.

Speaking on his shortlisting, Steve said “It was a great event and we met up with many like-minded fleet people new and old.

I am happy and proud to be highly commended in a very strongly contested Fleet Manager of the Year category, thanks to my team and the strong support from our directors.”

Business

Refreshing our brand and website Throughout September, we have been rolling out our new brand. Hopefully, you’ve seen it in a few places such as email signatures, presentations and internal templates.

Our new logo combines a modernised symbol which builds on the rich heritage of our previous identity, along with a contemporary typeface for our company name. Each division remains under a brand umbrella of the Eric Wright Group with consistent identities.

We’ve created a new section within our Management System on WrightBox – Corporate Documents, which hosts guidelines, logo files and templates for you to use within your role.

We need your support to roll out our new identity so when physical items come to their end of life and you are creating new digital items such as presentations or bids, please ensure you use our new brand.

If you have any questions or are unsure of anything after reading our Brand Guidelines, we are here to help. Please come and speak to the Marketing and Communications team for guidance and/or to provide us with practical feedback.

Our new identity will be supported by a new brand narrative. This will help us tell our story alongside our values consistently across the Group by using themes and messages to tie us all together in everything we do. You’ll see this being used over the next few months.

Finally, we are progressing well with the development of our new Group website, having now met with the divisions and begun the process of content planning. The new website will bring everything together, providing a window into our work both across the Group and within the divisions. It will showcase our values, and the best of what we do both in terms of our projects and our people.

Water Park day Water Park recently hosted Group colleagues and their families for their annual ‘Summer Group Water Park Weekend’.

Around 60 people attended Water Park across the weekend, participants enjoyed a range of activities such as kayaking on the water, high ropes in the trees and the climbing wall. The weather was kind for the Saturday team so they enjoyed a BBQ, whereas Sunday’s team were not so lucky and ate inside.

Feedback from those who attended was positive and we’ve had some great pictures sent in.

Social Value

Civil Engineering donate £2,000, as wild flower garden blooms

Social value on Civils Tram Bridge project

Our Civil Engineering team, as part of their Clyde Bridge project, have donated £2,000 to Pettinain Community Hall to support them in running a range of events for the local community.

As part of our drive towards achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions, our Tram Bridge project is using solar panels on top of the cabins to provide renewable energy for the site.

Local residents have also been sowing wildflower seeds to increase biodiversity around our newly opened Clyde Bridge project.

Wildflower Gardens

This allows the site to use emission free power for its heating and lighting and significantly reduces the need for diesel consumption, which is one of our biggest emission sources as a Group.

Antony Mulligan, our Civil Engineering contracts manager commented “We are extremely pleased to make this donation to the local community centre that provides a valuable social, meeting and learning space within this small rural community.

“We first attended this community centre back in early 2023 when we held our first engagement session and we were impressed with the turnout from the local residents who were deeply interested in the project and raised some pertinent points.

Cheque presentation at Clyde Bridge

Partnerships tackle the Three Peaks Members of the Partnerships team undertook the National Three Peaks over 3 days on 3-5 October to raise money for their Charity of the Year, Wigan and Leigh Hospice. Climbing Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon on three consecutive days - a total of 25 miles, 11,000ft, the team have raised £2,350 but funds are still coming in.

Team: Lesley McGregor, Drew Hird, Darren Clayton, Tom Bailey, Oliver Godfrey, Rebecca Gleave, Julie Rogerson and Emma Holland (and Andrew Dewhurst from MGD). If you wish to add to their sponsorship total, you can do so here.

Cabins at Tram Bridge

If you’re local you may see a pink excavator on site. This is in support of Breast Cancer UK. A relative of one of our sub-contractors lost her battle and a percentage of what the machine makes will support research by the charity.

Social Value

Volunteering opportunities

If you would like to know any more information, dates or volunteer for any of these opportunities, please email Scott Latta.

Our Charitable Trust team works with charities to provide volunteering opportunities for colleagues.

Christie NHS Foundation Trust A festive 5K run/walk/jog in Christmas fancy dress.

We are looking for as many volunteers as possible to marshal the run and guide participants from one area to another, or come along to be a supporter on the day.

Event details: 24 November Heaton Park, Manchester Timings 9am-1pm

People

Key Health & People Wellbeing dates

Key Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Dates

October Breast Cancer Awareness Month World Mental Health Day - 10 October World Menopause Day - 18 October

October Speak Up Month Black History Month Baby Loss Awareness Week - 7-13 October

November Men’s Health Awareness Month - November National Stress Awareness Day - 6 November Anti Bullying Week - 14-18 November

November Disability History Month Remembrance Day - 11 November International Men’s Day - 19 November

People

Service celebrations Congratulations and thank you to our colleagues who are celebrating service anniversaries!

5 Years Service Richard Calderbank, Land Manager - Applethwaite Matt Friedmann, Senior Project Manager - EWC Michael Costello, Senior Quantity Surveyor - EWC Bren Peach, Head of Business Performance - EWFM Kane O’Connell, Site Supervisor - EWFM Unnati Chauhan, Business Data Analyst - EWFM Ben Drinkall, Quantity Surveyor - EWW Gareth Melling, Electrical Improver - EWW Jordan Rudd, Electrician - EWW Kev Cunniff, Mechanical Project Engineer - EWW Kian McKenna, Mechanical Fitter - EWW Laura Fuller, Procurement Business Partner - EWW Paul Ferry, Civils Supervisor - EWW Russell Collins, Electrician - EWW Lynsey Pennington, Technical Administrator - EWP

Lynsey Pennington

10 Years Service Ann Ainscough, Clerical Assistant - EWG Keith Brady, Group IT Support Technician - EWG Christabelle Jones, Site Engineer - EWC Greg Brett, Senior Project Manager - EWCE Laura Jones, Cleaning Supervisor - EWFM Hannah Watson, Senior Partnership and Property manager - EWP Ian Hinkins, Senior Instructor - Water Park

Ann Ainscough

15 Years Service Thomas Kerfoot, Site Manager - EWC Julie Sandiford, Cleaning Supervisor - EWFM Lesley Fitzgerald, Cleaning Operative - EWFM Michelle Kearney, Cleaning Operative - EWFM Keith Brady

20 Years Service Sarah Hooper, Waterpark Tutor - Water Park Jason Lowe, General Foreman - EWCE 25 Years Service Louise Snape, Finance Coordinator - EWFM

Hannah Watson

People

Welcome to the team Welcome to our new Facilities Management managing director, Ryan Pearce Speaking on his appointment, Ryan said: “It’s been great to meet so many of you and thank you for making me feel welcome. As I started my career as an apprentice electrician, it was a priority to get out and see what life’s like for the people delivering our FM services.

John Webb kindly hosted me at Whitegate Health Centre and gave me the experience of a day-inhis-life which saw us complete a range of porterage and maintenance activities.

I plan to take the learning and my network from my previous positions to build on our solid delivery capabilities and further improve the current FM service that we deliver and further future growth. It’s refreshing to see how committed everyone is to delivering our services and our values, which are held proudly.” Read more about Ryan here.

A huge welcome to our new colleagues across the Group Eric Wright Group Jennifer Baker - Group Marketing and Comms Manager Robert Gavan - Group Planning & Reporting Manager Eric Wright Construction Benjamin Saw - Apprentice Site Manager Carl Mullen - Trainee Quantity Surveyor Nicholas Mannion - Apprentice Site Manager Stuart Haigh - Aftercare Operative Eric Wright Partnerships Scott Pennington - EWP Building Surveyor Eric Wright Water Alex Jones - Electrician Argyle Smith - Civils Operative Aston Williams - Apprentice Civil Engineer Barbara Leece - Document Controller Craig Gallatley - Q&E Advisor Dale Cooksey - Mechanical Fitter/Maintenance Declan Brookes - Civils Operative Dominic Woolfenden - Approved Electrician Edward Carthy - Project Engineer (Mechanical) Elwyn Williams - Skilled Operative Febin Kavumkal - Document Controller Gareth Edwards - Project Engineer (Civils) George Jones - Electricians Mate Kirandeep Cheema - Apprentice Quantity Surveyor Mark Latus - Project Engineer (Mechanical) Matthew Hunter - Fitters Mate Michael Johnston - Project Manager Natalie Williams - Assistant Quantity Surveyor Oliver McGonigle - Placement

Ryan Pearce

Eric Wright Civil Engineering Alexander Cuffin - Apprentice Estimator Chloe Reynard - Tender Assistant Goodwin Kirk - Lead Pre-Construction Planner Isabella Uppington - Apprentice Quantity Surveyor James Cowley - Apprentice Quantity Surveyor Lesley Davison - Public Liaison Officer Sa'ad Bariwala - Apprentice Trainee Site Engineer Eric Wright Facilities Management Albert Adeyemi - Cleaning Operative Amy Dix - Cleaning Operative Anita Cunningham - Cleaning Operative Christopher Hough - Cleaning Operative Claire Bursell - Cleaning Operative Craig Lee - Porter Elizabeth Nuttall - Customer Service Advisor Esther Thomas - Cleaning Operative Louise Roberts - Cleaning Operative Gary Kennedy - Cleaning Operative Gillian D'Arcy - Cleaning Operative Helen Hullock - Cleaning Operative Helena Jones - Cleaning Operative Jessica Williams - Customer Service Advisor Joanne Carpenter - Cleaning Operative Karen Deveraux - Cleaning Operative Lauren Jones - Cleaning Operative Liam Crofts - Cleaning Operative Liam Weatherley - Cleaning Operative Marie Fishwick - Cleaning Operative Megan Bywater - Cleaning Operative Ryan Flanagan - Caretaker Ryan Pearce - Managing Director Usman Odoffin - Cleaning Operative Vittorio La Mendola - Cleaning Operative Yvonnne Nagy - Cleaning Operative

People

Christmas Party If you would like to attend the annual Eric Wright Group Christmas Party please respond to Michelle Cross - mcross@ericwright.co.uk by the 31 October 2024

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Please contact us with any news you’d like to see in the next update: ewgcomms@ericwright.co.uk

Written and designed by Amy and Michelle

Thank you