Built Environment Magazine - Issue 02

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BUILT ENVIRONMENT MAGAZINE ISSUE 02 APRIL 2016

CONNECTING THE MIDLANDS CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY | WWW.BUILTENVIRONMENTMAGAZINE.CO.UK | £4.95

THE BIRMINGHAM REGENERATION RENAISSANCE Playing a part in the economic recovery

BIRMINGHAM DEVELOPMENT PLAN The challenges of delivery

THE MIDLANDS ENGINE Playing its part in the British economy

HS2 COLLEGE For high speed rail

THE MIDLANDS CONSTRUCTION SUMMIT Image - Productivity - Skills

Contractor of the Year

WINNER

2015

WELCOME TO THE SPRING ISSUE OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT MAGAZINE Much has changed in the industry since the last Magazine back in the Autumn of 2015.

THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT MAGAZINE IS PRODUCED IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT HUB A PROGRESSIVE MEMBERSHIP ORGANISATION COMMITTED TO IMPROVING BUSINESS PERFORMANCE

BY DRIVING INNOVATION AND BEST PRACTISE IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY.

Built Environment Hub www.builtenvironmenthub.org

The Midlands Engine Strategy is now in full swing and the pipeline of work remains strong. However there are still issues that must be addressed – the skills gap, coupled with an aging workforce, is an ongoing concern and the image of the industry is still in need of rejuvination. Government posts have been altered with the role of Government Chief Construction advisor being axed and the appointment of new Leader of Birmingham City Council.

This issue of the Built Environment Magazine includes some of the most challenging industry matters that the Midlands faces today. These include addressing the skills shortage and targeting an increase in employment in the region with projects such as the new HS2 College, as well as reaching out to a new generation through apprenticeship opportunities. It will also explore the current housing crisis and how offsite construction can assist in reaching the ambitious targets set out by Government.

New Government strategy will be addressed with information on devolution deals surrounding the West Midlands Combined Authority and the Midlands Engine.

The Midlands was one of two regions that fared best during 2015, along with the North. The East Midlands, was one of three areas in the UK to record growth over the year. The annual Construction Skills Network report forecasts that employment is set to rise at an annual average rate of

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1% in the West Midlands between 2016 and 2020, with the labouring trades seeing the largest expansion at a rate of 3.7%, followed by bricklayers (3.2%), steel erectors (3.1%) and civil engineers (3%).

Construction output in the region is predicted to grow at an annual average rate of 1.7%, fuelled by major investment in regeneration such as Paradise Circus and Arena Central in Birmingham and the Friargate scheme to create a new business district next to Coventry station.

Although the sector is currently facing challenges, there are promising times ahead for the Midlands. Since the economic downturn the industry has manage to pick itself up and look to the future with advances in technology and modern methods of construction. By recognising the areas in need of improvement we will surely be able to make the necessary adjustments to thrive, not only in the region but throughout the UK. I hope you enjoy this issue. Remember that you can also access the magazine online at: www.builtenvironmenthub.org/ built-environment-magazine and you can follow us on Twitter under the handle: @BuiltEnviroHub Julie Price Editor

EDITORS NOTE

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CONTENTS NEWS Making Headlines

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FEATURES Birmingham Development Plan UK Inflation Barratt Developments Regeneration Skills & Training

10 12 14 17 28

CASE STUDIES Park Regis Hotel

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INDUSTRY UPDATE INDUSTRY INNOVATORS The Regions Own Power House

Get in touch:

18 Peter Hansford

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TECHNICAL TALK Regulation Update Overheating in UK Buildings

EDITOR Julie Price julie.price@builtenvironmenthub.org

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ADVERTISING & PR Harriet Pennant-Williams harriet@builtenvironmenthub.org

AROUND THE REGION The Midlands Engine Birmingham’s Regeneration Renaissance

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SKILLS & TRAINING HS2 College BIM College Modern Slavery Act

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EVENTS 22 24 26

Celebrating Construction Awards Midlands Construction Summit & Expo

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FOCUS

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Challenges of Becoming a Midlands – Wide Contractor Asset Owners: The Real Winners in Increasingly Favourable Debt markets Montague House, Rugby – A Return to Concrete

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CIRCULATION MANAGER Sue Barlow sue.barlow@builtenvironmenthub.org

CALL US if you would like to enquire about contributing content or advertising please call: 01743 290001 PUBLISHER: Radar Communications Ltd, 5 Darwin Court, Oxon Business Park, Shrewsbury, Shropshire. SY3 5AL T: 01743 290001 | www.radar-communications.co.uk

Built Environment Magazine is produced and published by Radar Communications: ©Radar Communications Ltd. DISCLAIMER: The publisher accepts no responsibility in respect of advertisements appearing in the magazine and the opinions expressed in the editorial material or otherwise do not necessarily represent the view of the publisher. The publisher does not accept any liability of any loss arising from the late appearance or non-publication of any advertisement.

COVER IMAGE: Courtesy Marketing Birmingham

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CONTENTS

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NEWS BROWNFIELD CLEARANCE PAVES THE WAY FOR £20M REGENERATION PROJECT Independent building group Construction Partnership UK has completed work clearing a disused steelworks site in Wolverhampton, paving the way for a £20m regeneration project. The £1.5m clean-up at Pantheon Park was undertaken by the West Lancashire-based group’s specialist CPUK Civils & Remediation division.

It has made the site, a disused portion of the existing Acenta steelworks at Willenhall, suitable for future ‘cost-effective’ commercial development. The contract included demolishing existing buildings and undertaking extensive remediation work and ground levelling on the Wednesfield Way site, which is next to Bentley Bridge Retail Park. The 18-acre site has detailed planning permission for 412,000 sq ft of manufacturing, warehouse and distribution space with 24/7 operations.

The development is a joint venture between Stoford and Bridges Ventures.

Jack Rowley, managing director, CPUK Civils & Remediation, said: “The undeveloped section of the site contained areas of contamination and needed to be treated and geotechnically re-engineered with bio remediation soil stabilisation and modification to provide a surface suitable for redevelopment.”

The Wolverhampton project is the latest in a series of contracts being delivered by the firm, which enjoyed first year turnover of £4.6m.

The company is now working on projects across the North West and the Midlands as it looks to grow its order book over the next 12 months.

£6BN PLAN TO DELIVER 45,000 HOMES IN THE BLACK COUNTRY An ambitious plan to build 45,000 homes in the Black Country and transform it into a Garden City has been proposed to international property investors in France.

This concept is the brainchild of a local group of built environment professionals working within design agency MADE. They suggest that by developing brownfield land and enhancing the infrastructure already in place, the ‘unprecedented demand’ for local housing will be met. Expected to be one of Britain’s biggest brownfield site regeneration schemes ever, work would need to begin this year due to estimates that completion would take over 10 years.

Greg Clark, Secratary of State for Communities and Local Government said that: “Schemes like this are a vital part of the work this Government is doing to rebalance the economy and build the homes our country needs. House building is at a seven year high, but we’re determined to go even further and deliver on our pledge to build over one million new homes.”

SEE LINK: http://bit.ly/1Px1doq

£38M BUSINESS PARK SET FOR FURTHER EXPANSION Multi-million pound plans for the construction of three new speculative-build units at a Staffordshire business park have been submitted by the partners for the site. Development partners Stoford and Liberty Property Trust plan to build units of respectively 102,000 sq ft, 31,500 sq ft and 27,000 sq ft built at the £38m Liberty Park in Lichfield.

The detailed planning application will be submitted to planners later this month and could see construction start in the summer.

The development already has an outline planning consent for a total development of 441,000 sq ft.

SEE LINK: http://bit.ly/1odkLYR

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Andrew Blevins, Liberty’s managing director, said: “Our investment in three speculative units is in response to demand in an undersupplied market and to our belief in Liberty Park’s excellent location adjacent to the A38 and close to the M6 Toll.”

Tony Nash, director at Stoford, added: “It is great news that we should be able to start on site at Liberty Park soon. Units of this size are in high demand and we have purposely made the two small units easily dividable to enable further accessibility for growing businesses in the area.

SEE LINK: http://bit.ly/22CSjCJ

CLEGG BREAKS GROUND ON WOLVERHAMPTON TECHNOLOGY CENTRE The Science, Technology & Prototyping Centre will provide 4,000 m2 of laboratory and workshop space for science and engineering businesses in Wolverhampton.

The three-storey building has been designed by the Fairhurst Design Group.

The project has been funded through a £4.8m grant from the Growth Deal to the Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership, with the remaining £5.3m coming from the University of Wolverhampton.

University Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Ian Oakes said: “This exciting new development will be the only facility of its type in the Black Country and will build on the University’s investment in science and engineering in the last two years. We already have around 80 businesses based at the Science Park and this new centre will attract another 30 science and technology-based companies right to heart of Wolverhampton.”

The centre is due to be completed in spring 2017.

SEE LINK: http://bit.ly/1XJXMBm

SEE MORE REGIONAL NEWS AT: www.builtenvironmentnews.org

COUNCIL-OWNED HOUSING COMPANY IN PIPELINE FOR WOLVERHAMPTON The City of Wolverhampton Council is preparing a detailed business case to set up its own housing company. The city currently has sufficient land identified to meet projected housing targets but the council is eager to increase the rate of delivery.

The proposal was approved by the council’s cabinet recently, and the full detailed business case will go before a future cabinet for further consideration.

Councillor Peter Bilson, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s cabinet member for city assets, said: “Wolverhampton currently has sufficient land identified in the local plan to meet projected housing targets.

“However, the rate of delivery remains relatively low. Current housing market conditions in the city and challenges

regarding private sector development generally, being market led, is unlikely to lead to a substantial increase in the delivery rate without intervention by the council, both in terms of improving the supply of housing, and improving the demand and business model for market sale and rent in the city.

“There is a strong belief that a council-owned housing company is both viable and offers the best outcome for the council in terms of both strategic housing and income generation.”

One of the options being considered is to establish the housing company as a subsidiary of Wolverhampton Homes - an established and high performing Arm’s Length Management Organisation (ALMO) for the council - rather than as a direct subsidiary of the council.

It is proposed that the council provides loan funding to the company on a commercial basis to comply with state aid requirements.

SEE LINK: http://bit.ly/1oExPaW

NEWS FORT DUNLOP FACELIFT GIVEN THE GREEN LIGHT A former Dunlop tyre factory in Birmingham, reborn as a mixed-use complex, will undergo its first major facelift since reopening in 2006.

Designed by Sidney Stott and WW Gibbings, its principal use was for the storage of tyres but it was derelict for two decades until its redevelopment by Manchester-based group Urban Splash a decade ago.

Tristan Capital, which acquired the 375,000 sq ft building in Castle Bromwich in 2014, has now won planning permission for this latest regeneration work which will include a new enclosed glass conference area on the roof, overlooking the M6.

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MAKING HEADLINES

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NEWS

“We are considering a number of potential strategic development opportunities for the property in the medium term,” it said.

A total 473 spaces will be added to the car park via new decking and additional parking in front of the hotel.

The group does not mention it in the results statement, but recently it submitted plans for a new retail park in Oldbury, which would revitalise a brownfield site on the fringe of the town centre.

There will be two new garden walkways in a bid to improve public realm in front of the building while the Travelodge will undergo its first facelift since opening.

Fort Dunlop underwent some renovation work last year including a new reception area with a digital wall and touch-screen tenant directory and space for two additional units for food and beverage operators to join existing tenants Scoff and Duet.

SEE LINK: http://bit.ly/1SPGG5T

Like-for-like net rental income across its UK retail parks portfolio increased by 2.6% in 2015, compared to 2.4% in 2014. The growth is due to a year-on-year increase in surrender premiums associated with proactive tenant rotation at sites in Bristol and Kirkcaldy. It said these were partly offset by vacancy costs ahead of redevelopments at the Battery Retail Park in Birmingham and a site in Swansea.

SEE LINK: http://bit.ly/1TwwSMS

HAMMERSON SET TO DISPOSE OF HALF SHARE IN GRAND CENTRAL TO BULLRING JV PARTNER IN £175M DEAL Retail property investor Hammerson has said it remains committed to Birmingham for the long-term, especially following the massive inward investment in the city in recent years. The group, which is half owner of the Bullring shopping centre, acquired the new Grand Central scheme above New Street Station in January.

The company intendeds to sell a half share in the shopping centre to the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board for £175m.

CPPIB is the group joint venture partner in the Bullring. It says in the annual results statement: “The acquisition (of Grand Central) supports our long term commitment to Birmingham which is benefitting from significant inward investment.”

This is not the extent of the group’s involvement in Birmingham. In March, it took 100% ownership of Martineau Galleries by acquiring the stakes of its two joint venture partners.

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PROPERTY CONSULTANCY SEES YEAR OF GROWTH AS IT BEATS AMBITIOUS TARGETS Leading Nottingham-based property consultancy Bruton Knowles is celebrating its most successful year to date.

James Bailey, office partner at Bruton Knowles Nottingham office, is delighted with the business’ success and is looking forward to continuing to contribute to its significant growth in 2016.

SEE LINK: http://bit.ly/1p02P4U

O’BRIEN CONTRACTORS ADOPTS SKILLSIGHT TO HELP MAINTAIN ITS’ INDUSTRY-LEADING HEALTH AND SAFETY STANDARDS The safety of employees, sub-contractors and members of the public is top priority for O’Brien Contractors, a groundworks and civil engineering specialist appointed to work on the Midlands’ leading projects. By implementing SkillSight, the free skills management software from Reference Point, O’Brien Contractors has been able to improve the way it raises awareness of health and safety throughout the business and protect employees by ensuring people attend the necessary training courses, providing them with the relevant skills to carry out their jobs on site safely and efficiently.

Bolstering its client base by more than 20% and increasing turnover by 10% in the last year, Bruton Knowles has exceeded their ambitious targets and is now on course for another bumper year in 2016.

SkillSight allows construction companies to add training and qualifications to the chip on CSCS cards and securely edit the information online at any time. Then the card can be read on site, in the office or anywhere it needs to be, using a card reader or NFC enabled android or Windows smartphone.

The firm, which is based on Castle Gate in Nottingham’s city centre, has built an impressive client base throughout the East Midlands advising The Co-Operative Stores, HS2, NET and Network Rail in the last year.

Graham Wren, CSCS Chief Executive, said: “It’s encouraging to see that forward thinking contractors like O’Brien are taking advantage of the many benefits that using CSCS smartcards can bring.”

Since this time last year, Bruton Knowles has expanded its team to 15 staff members as part of its continued growth plans.

Associates and partners at the firm have also worked on a number of highly successful deals including the sale of The Westminster Hotel and the development of new bar and restaurant The Loom in the Lace Market area of Nottingham city centre.

O’Brien’s Training Coordinator, Kelly Davis, said: “Following a successful office-based trial we are rolling SkillSight out onto sites with a view to implementing it on a company-wide system over the next few months. Already it is making managing our training records much easier and quicker and more accurate.”

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SEE LINK: http://bit.ly/1p01uv4

NMC WARNS ON PROFITS North Midland Construction’s long-running problems with legacy contracts have nearly all been resolved, but not in a good way.

In a trading statement to shareholders, North Midland Construction said that it was having to take another £3.1m hit on the contracts but it still expected to report a profit for 2015.

NMC is no stranger to profits warnings. It lost £6m before tax in 2013 and £3m in 2014. However, for the first half of 2015 it made a pre-tax profit of £136,000 on £107m of revenue.

In its statement the board said: “The resolution of certain previously referred to legacy contracts across the group has now been concluded and the settlement figures expected have not been achieved, resulting in additional total losses of £3.1 million.

This leaves only one problematical legacy contract to conclude.

“Despite these negative settlements, due to strong underlying trading, management still expects an unadjusted profit for the full year, albeit significantly below previous management expectations.

“The order book for completion this year currently stands at £195m and the board is confident about the outlook for the year.”

SEE LINK: http://bit.ly/1KGuTV2

LEP LAUNCHES £9M FUND TO UNLOCK STALLED HOUSING SITES Housing developers in the Greater Birmingham, Solihull, South Staffordshire and North Worcestershire areas can now access a new £9m fund to unlock stalled housing sites.

Launched by the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP), the Unlocking Housing Sites Programme will help to bring forward at least 500 new

NEWS homes in the area, it is suggested.

Designed to deliver targeted assistance to stalled sites which are ready for development, the funding is available as grant, loan or equity. Consideration will also be given to funding for site specific feasibility studies.

The programme is intended to support mixed tenure schemes of between ten and 100 homes.

The programme is open to private sector developers, local authorities and registered providers for developments in the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership’s geographical area.

Expressions of interest must be submitted by 6th May 2016 at the latest.

SEE LINK: http://bit.ly/1LDRUCI

SEE MORE REGIONAL NEWS AT: www.builtenvironmentnews.org

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FEATURE THE CHALLENGES OF DELIVERING THE BIRMINGHAM DEVELOPMENT PLAN The Birmingham Development Plan (BDP) sets out the levels of growth for the City in the period to 2031, with provision for... ...51,100 additional homes; over 300 hectares of employment land; 745,000 sqm. gross of office floor space and raft of other transport, environmental, sustainability and site-specific proposals.

The Plan also includes major Green Belt proposals for a 6,000 dwelling sustainable urban extension and a 71 hectare strategic employment site. Birmingham City Council are currently awaiting the Inspector’s report and the Plan should be adopted later this year.

Driven by the need to accommodate a projected increase in population of 150,000 additional residents by 2031, which generates a need for 89,000 additional homes, and the Council’s ambitions for Birmingham to become a world-class City, the scale of growth is challenging. In fact the City is unable to accommodate all of its growth requirements with nearly 38,000 homes to be provided outside of Birmingham.

Working with other authorities in the Birmingham Housing Market Area, through the Duty to Co-operate, to accommodate the City’s unmet housing need will therefore be vital to delivering a successful strategy and ensuring that the economic growth potential of Birmingham and the wider area is maximised.

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While the high level deliverability of the Plan has been tested through the public examination, an element of uncertainty will always exist due to the long-term nature of plans and the fact that delivery can very easily be influenced by external factors. The Council, however, has been proactive in recognising and tackling the obstacles to the delivery of development, - namely issues around land, infrastructure and finance.

It has led the way in projects such as Paradise Circus where £87m of Enterprise Zone funding has helped kick-start the £500m scheme, which will provide 180,000sqm of office-led mixed-use floor space as well as 10,000 jobs. At the Advanced Manufacturing Hub (AMH) in Aston, the Council has used its CPO powers to acquire, assemble and remediate land; adopt a LDO to extend permitted development rights; and accessed external funding to implement highway works to improve accessibility to the site and provide remediated development plots to the market. This has led directly to companies like HyrdaForce and Guhring, world-leading advanced manufacturers, locating to the AMH and bringing along with them high quality jobs and skills which are critical to the growth of the local economy. We are also increasing housing delivery through the

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Council’s own Birmingham Municipal Housing Trust programme which is currently the largest provider of new homes in the City.

Fostering an environment that stimulates business and the delivery of development will continue to be a key function of the Council across departments. Helping to unlock and de-risk sites through infrastructure improvements, provision of business support, skills support, access to finance, clustering, and identification of suitable development land are some of the ways the Council is active in facilitating and enabling development.

The challenge for Birmingham, however, is not only the delivery of physical development, but also the development of a skilled workforce upon which businesses can draw upon. A shortage of skilled workers will ultimately hinder growth. If we are to deliver the planned growth set out in the BDP we will also need to significantly raise the skill levels and employability of the City’s residents. Across Birmingham 20% of the population between 16-64 years old have no qualifications - twice the national average.

OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS THERE WILL BE A GREATER FOCUS ON ALIGNING SKILLS, TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT, PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT, AS WELL AS FOR MORE COLLABORATION AND ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN BUSINESSES, SCHOOLS AND FURTHER EDUCATION ESTABLISHMENTS.

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FEATURE

COST INFLATION STATE OF THE NATION Following the economic downturn, the UK’s construction industry is in of a state of flux as it attempts to shed the shackles of the recession.

OUR ECONOMIC CYCLES IN THIS COUNTRY TENDS TO BE ONE OF BOOM AND BUST, WHICH HAS A HUGE KNOCK ON EFFECT IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY, MAKING IT VOLATILE. THE ISSUE IS NOT SO MUCH ONE OF COST INFLATION BUT MORE ONE OF A LACK OF STABILITY WITHIN THE INDUSTRY THAT CAUSES A REACTION AND ASKS QUESTIONS AS TO HOW WE DEAL WITH THAT BOTH INDIVIDUALLY AND COLLECTIVELY.

SKILLS SHORTAGE The skills shortage in the industry has been a hot topic for some time following the loss of talented workers who were forced out during the recession. Development and infrastructure projects are firmly back on the menu across the country, and particularly within the South East, but this is set to a backdrop of a massively depleted industry where staffing levels are considerably less than ten years ago.

It’s a double-edged sword. More work is clearly a positive, but delivery has become increasingly difficult. Particularly at critical periods, the lack of specialist firms that can see a project through to completion has proved difficult – and is an issue affecting the supply chain in its entirety.

Whilst apprenticeship training schemes are in places across the industry, helping to address the shortage in years to come, the immediate issues still remain largely without solution.

ALASTAIR HAMILTON, PARTNER AT MULTI-PROFESSIONAL CONSTRUCTION FIRM PICK EVERARD, SHARES HIS THOUGHTS.

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As well as the obvious challenges of servicing workload and the struggle to recruit, particularly within senior roles, we are also faced with a productivity issue. As demand for materials such as bricks increases, often rapidly, the inability to produce sufficient materials also serves to hinder progress – and ultimately causes a rise in price, which has a knock on effect throughout the industry.

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PRICE RISES As recession hit, we saw more larger contractors entering the market for smaller, sub-£10m jobs as they looked to keep their schedules full, but as economic conditions have improved, servicing those contracts has become challenging.

A great many projects that are currently underway were tendered for and priced during the recession, where costs were markedly lower. Now, in a more stable financial environment, costs of staff, materials and so on have increased, which in turn sees risk management become more important than ever before as margins are squeezed. This, in turn, creates challenges with the supply chain which need management.

Frameworks have also provided contractors with consistent work albeit generally at lower margins, which have been essential during the economic downturn. However, as private sector and non-framework public sector work becomes more prevalent with potentially higher profit margins, the competition for securing a contractor is heightened.

FEATURE

With work now in higher supply, the type of work becomes a real driver in determining price. For example, a new build project will be more attractive than a refurbishment or extension scheme and therefore a price premium is associated with the latter to make it desirable.

To counteract this, we ensure that the procurement process is geared towards solutions that facilitate collaboration and mutual cooperation and so making it commercially attractive. We also gear the PQQ process to identify the right bidders and ensure that tender packages are clear and concise, defining what is required and what we expect from the contractor.

Combined with a robust risk process, which removes uncertainty about the scheme, we are able to make tenders desirable.

RISK MANAGEMENT Managing risk effectively is essential and the way we do that is evolving. By moving away from a generic percentages approach to a more analytical one we are able to operate a detailed process of risk identification and quantification.

The process should be holistic and collaborative with the end goal of producing a quantified schedule of project risks that can then be proactively managed effectively, rather than drawing from generic risk pots until the money is all gone.

WORKING SMARTER We are all being forced to think more cleverly about how we work as we look to overcome those challenges presented to us by the industry.

Can buying be undertaken in a smarter way? Is standardisation the answer?

How can we provide sufficient training opportunities for apprentices to fill that skills gap? These are all questions facing firms in the construction industry that do not necessarily have answers that are clear cut.

ALL OF THESE KEY ISSUES WILL BE EXPLORED IN DETAIL AT THE MIDLANDS CONSTRUCTION SUMMIT TO BE HOSTED AT THE RICOH ARENA IN COVENTRY ON 20TH SEPTEMBER 2016 - FOR FULL DETAILS VISIT: www.midlandsconstructionsummit.co.uk

The early application of BIM is one good example of how working smarter allows us to de-risk projects. Working in the BIM environment is increasing collaboration across the supply chain, driving down costs and removing risk. Whilst this has taken away some of the traditional estimating functions of the quantity surveyor, it has also freed us up to focus on maximising opportunity to drive down costs and bring real value into projects as we spend more time in collaboration with the design team and supply chain.

The free exchange of information facilitated by the BIM environment also brings much greater transparency to both time and cost implications of a chosen design option which in turn reduces price risk.

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FEATURE

DELIVERING MORE HOMES BY WORKING TOGETHER BETTER The housing crisis is an issue that has been developing for decades and one that is high on the political agenda.

Housebuilder, Barratt Developments, enjoyed a 9.4% rise in completions in the final six months of 2015, with its homes selling for around 10% more than in 2014. Here, Oliver Novakovic, Technical & Innovation Director of Barratt Developments and Built Environment Hub Board Member, speaks about how they are leading the way in housebuilding.

Few issues are more important than housing to our new Government. Emboldened by election success, they have embarked on a radical agenda of change with an overriding target of a million new homes over the course of the Parliament.

First signs are encouraging in that housing numbers seem to be rising. In November last year new figures from the DCLG showed the highest annual percentage increase in homes for some 28 years - the supply of homes in England was 25% up on the previous year to stand at 170,690.

This tallies with our experience at Barratt.

Our completions are now running at their highest level for seven years and we have built nearly 45,000 homes over the past three years. Last year (FY 2015) we boosted completions by 11% to almost 16,500 homes, despite well publicised labour shortages. Help to Buy, a recovering land market and reform of planning are all having an impact.

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But there is clearly a long way to go. If we have any chance of reaching a million new homes every lever will have to be pulled.

That includes revitalizing the smaller housebuilder sector as well seeing further growth from larger players. As Communities Secretary Greg Clark said: “The eight biggest firms accounted for 50% of the housebuilding market – there is a need to involve smaller and medium sized builders.

Responding to this – the government announced in January that it will directly commission small and medium sized developers to build 13,000 homes on public land to help boost total numbers.

This is part of a wider package to arrest the decline in small housebuilders which now dates back a generation.

Big or small the one thing that unites housebuilders is the desire to do more – to rise to the challenge. To achieve this we need to understand more about the barriers to do more. As an industry we need to explore whether traditional methods of construction can be supplemented by different approaches.

One area in particular we have looked at is offsite construction. Last year we held discussions with over 100 offsite suppliers, trialing and rolling out three separate solutions and have a further five scheduled for this year.

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However, in doing this we found some of our supply chain didn’t fully understand what we were looking to achieve and, as importantly, we didn’t understand their drivers and constraints. To get around this we organised ‘sandpits’ with 50 of our leading suppliers where we used workshops to share insights into each other’s businesses and challenged them to come up with innovative improvements to the supply chain. We also sent out a challenge with the Construction Products Association for the supply chain to come up with products and processes that will help us deliver more volume, with the winning suppliers to be trialed on live sites.

We have a clear target that by 2020, 20% of our homes will have an offsite construction component. Through setting such bold targets we believe we are playing an important part in understanding the barriers to delivering increased volumes and coming up with solutions with our suppliers.

The government’s own Construction 2025 strategy has set challenging targets for the sector: 50% less carbon emissions, 50% quicker and 33% less cost. These are ambitious targets, ones we should strive for but, as always, we need to be mindful that to deliver them we need to work together as a sector better. We need to challenge the norm, be robust in our approach and take account of all the nuances of development.

We need to make sure that the solutions we develop now can last through the next recession! This is important because through every cycle, the skill/material shortage and requirement to deliver more homes becomes ever more acute.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON OFFSITE CONSTRUCTION SOLUTIONS FOR RESIDENTIAL APPLICATIONS VISIT: www.offsitehub.co.uk AND CLICK ON THE PROJECT GALLERY

Trusted civil engineering specialist appointed to the Midlands leading projects

Established in 1958, O’Brien Contractors is a Midlands-based provider of civil engineering, design and build and groundworks services, as well as turnkey sports pitch solutions.

Receiving the prestigious five star rating for Achilles BuildingConfidence accreditation in 2014 means O’Brien sits alongside leading names in the construction sector as suppliers of excellent quality work with a commitment to growth and sustainability.

Key projects and customers include the Nestlé factory with John Sisk & Son; Longbridge Town Centre regeneration with Morgan Sindall; and Primark’s retail distribution centre with Sir Robert McAlpine.

A successful diversification programme to offer new services and deliver projects in new sectors has delivered significant growth in recent years with O’Brien now delivering contracts up to £12m and having turnover of £32m in 2015/16. Alongside this revenue growth, the company has invested both in new plant and in ongoing training and development programmes to ensure that its people and equipment are the best in the business, so that its customers benefit from the best service at the best price possible.

The results of O’Brien’s success have it named as:

Tomorrow’s Company

When planning a construction project, make O’Brien Contractors your first choice.

01926 423 918 or e: info@obriencontractors.co.uk or www.obriencontractors.co.uk O’Brien Contractors, Manor Cottage, Church Lane, Leamington Spa, CV32 7JT.

A WINNING REPUTATION FOR CONTRACTING EXCELLENCE

Design and build contractors Specialists in: Civil Engineering Pre-Construction Services Groundworks Infrastructure Developments Sports Pitch Construction Plant Hire

RUUKKI PARK REGIS HOTEL

CASE STUDY

FIVE WAYS, BIRMINGHAM... ...is an area that has been in need of regeneration for a number of years – particularly with the investment seen over recent years at the opposite end of Broad Street’s commercial area of the city.

Severn Capital acquired the buildings, which sits above a busy shopping centre, in December 2011. This 2.8 acre site is ideally situated and the spacious former office block lends itself perfectly as a premium hotel and leisure complex.

facades where the client demands high standards for thermal insulation and visual appearance.

Colmore Tang was appointed as Construction Manager along with London based 5Plus Architects to oversee the development project, which on completion has been opened under the prestigious hotel brand, Park Regis. The Hotel is the first Park Regis to be based in Europe. The brand is owned by the Australian hotel management business, StayWell Hospitality Group, who has further plans to open hotels in London, Manchester and Edinburgh.

The SP2D PIR UK panel is LPCB LPS1181-1 approved and energy efficient due to its low thermal conductivity and concealed fixing joint design. The research and development phase for this project included Ruukki’s commitment to large scale fire tests to ensure compliance with British Standard BS8414, Fire performance of external thermal insulation for walls of multi storey buildings. Ruukki’s compliance with BS8414 means that the panels are approved to be used on structures over 18 metres high and meet with strict BR135 classification.

Ruukki’s SP2D PIR Sandwich Panels were specified for the hotel complex. The composite panels with flat Ruukki HIARC metallic silver finish are ideal for external

The hotel opening under the brand of Park Regis, is aimed to attract the four-star market place. The final build comprises, 253 deluxe bedrooms, and a suite

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CASE STUDY: RUUKKI

comprising five individual meeting or conference rooms. Leisure facilities include Beauty Treatment & Spa Rooms and a fully equipped gymnasium, available for guests and non-guests to use. An exclusive rooftop restaurant and cocktail lounge is positioned on the top floor of the hotel, guests will enjoy panoramic views of the city from the top floor restaurant and bar and also the meeting room suites conveniently situated directly below on the 15th floor. Hotel guests will also benefit from onsite parking with an extensive 150 space car park being built as part of the development, further adding to the hotel’s appeal in the City.

This hotel comes as part of a much larger regeneration project. StayWell have committed £1m to the urban regeneration of the surrounding public space. This investment is hoped to improve the feel of the community surrounding the new hotel, with the development and investment of new seating areas, pavements and the planting of new trees and shrubs.

The area is a main gateway to the City, with over 65,000 vehicles passing the Five Ways roundabout each day, this position coupled with access to the city and onsite parking lends the Hotel complex ideally to be a meeting place for leisure and business use.

The hotel is also situated for commuters and visitors to the city, next to Five Ways Train Station and within a short 5 minute taxi journey from New Street Train Station.

DEELEY REGENERATION FEATURING PROJECTS QUEENSWAY, LEAMINGTON AND BERMUDA

FEATURE

When MP Chris White paid a visit to a building site in Leamington Spa in the spring of 2014, it was described as a ‘model of brownfield regeneration’.

Now, 18 months on, the former factory site between Queensway and Tachbrook Park in the town has been transformed into homes, retail and trade units by Coventry’s construction and development firm, the Deeley Group. It is very much living up to that ‘model’ billing.

“The whole circle was completed by the fact that we developed a new home for the company who vacated the industrial site to make way for the regeneration at a purpose-built property in Southam, Warwickshire,” added Pat.

Pat Moroney, Director of Deeley Properties, said: “It was formerly an industrial site but had become unsuitable in terms of location and layout – we saw the potential early on for a mixed use scheme. That was back in 2010 and it has taken a great deal of work to bring it forward to this stage but, as a company based in the West Midlands region, we stay the course and deliver on schemes that bring benefits to the local community – in this case jobs, amenities and homes for local people. By working alongside the local authorities and our clients, we have brought a mixed-use development which will benefit the whole community. Throughout the entire process we have been sensitive to the diversity of the community and the surrounding stakeholders of the development.”

THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS, THE LOCAL COMMUNITY HAS BEEN AT THE HEART OF EVERYTHING.

A supermarket (Aldi), a trade counter (Travis Perkins), affordable homes (Waterloo) and a 178-home Extra Care development by Orbit have been conceived and executed by Deeley Construction, the contracting arm of Deeley group.

Deeley Construction paid a visit to a local school, St Patrick’s Primary, to give a talk on safety and their local environment, highlighting the importance of regeneration and reuse. The pupils from the school returned the favour by helping to fill and bury a time capsule on the retirement living site of Orbit Homes.

Martin Gallagher, of Deeley Construction, said: “If you have the local community on board from the outset, it makes such a difference throughout the build process.

Regeneration is very much about what you are bringing to the local community especially when it is replacing an outdated building. So community involvement is something we actively pursue because the build process is very much part of the regeneration.”

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The Deeley Group, which celebrates its 80th anniversary in 2016, is no stranger to regeneration and engaging the community.

The firm has a 40-year involvement in the Bermuda area of Nuneaton where it has delivered thousands of new homes and new employment space in that time. The project continues even today, with Holland & Barrett now doubling the size of its headquarters there – using Deeley Construction to deliver the design and build contract.

On top of that, the Deeley Group also stayed true to its word by creating new community facilities that include a brand new community centre, a football pitch and recreation area for local people to use.

Peter Deeley, whose father founded the company in 1936, said: “People are, sometimes understandably, suspicious of developers. They think you want to go into their areas, put up a building, make money and then leave without a care of how it affects the area. I maintain that it makes both good business and ethical sense to involve the community at every stage. After all, it’s the local people who will benefit from the jobs, the homes and the additional facilities regeneration brings. I visited the Bermuda site recently and a local man recognised me and went out of his way to shake my hand for the work we have done there. I don’t think you can get a better endorsement than that.”

REGENERATION

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technologies, materials and products and resulting in the creation of new business opportunities.

MIDLANDS ENGINE

THE REGIONS OWN POWERHOUSE The Midlands has been reported as the beating heart of the UK economy.

VALUED AT £222 BILLION OF OUTPUT PER ANNUM, THE REGION IS HOME TO OVER 11.5 MILLION PEOPLE. SINCE THE RECESSION, THE MIDLANDS HAS CONTINUED TO PLAY A HUGE PART IN THE ECONOMIC RECOVERY. Throughout 2015, private sector employment in the region grew over three times faster than London and the South East. In order to continue this momentum, the Government has launched The Midlands Engine – designed to challenge private, public and educational sectors to continue to thrive within the region. The Midlands Engine prospectus - the first of its kind in the country - is the result of the collaboration of 11 Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) and their plan to boost productivity, attract inward investment, increase connectivity and build a regional tourism offer. The aim of the Midlands Engine is to position the region as a globally recognised driver of the economy. According to the Government, the Midlands has the potential to grow by £34 billion by 2030 if it tracks the predicted growth rate of the UK. There is potential for a further 300,000 jobs to be created in the region by the end of the current parliament.

SAJID JAVID

still need to be resolved within the region.

Although the Midlands is performing above average in terms of employment in the private sector, there are still areas to improve on in order to reach the Governments desired growth. Productivity is a key area for improvement – the UK not only falls behind all but one of its G7 partners in this aspect, but the Midlands is currently falling behind the UK average by 10%.

Advanced manufacturing plays a significant part in the improvement of productivity within the region. The Midlands is home to a strong manufacturing base – employing 637,400 people and accounting for 19.7% of the UK’s manufacturing output.

Supported by Business Secretary Sajid Javid, key Midlands Engine focus areas for the construction industry are growth, productivity, advanced manufacturing, connectivity, knowledge base (R&D), skills development and inward investment. These factors will help to address the issues that

In order to achieve the ambitions mapped out by the Midlands Engine prospectus, the Midlands knowledge base will play a significant role. Universities and research translation centres will work closely with businesses to bring forward a pipeline of initiatives – turning science into new

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INDUSTRY UPDATE

The Midlands Engine comprises 25 Universities – supported by a network of 50 Further Education colleges. The combination of the Universities fundamental and applied research base, coupled with the research translation centres, brings innovation to the priority sectors within the Midlands. It is clear that skills development is not progressing at the same pace as the demand of key sectors such as manufacturing, something of particular significance to the construction sector.

The region is calling out for a supply of newly trained and re-tuned employees with advanced manufacturing skills to meet with the growth needs. Through the Midlands Engine a regional network of Specialist Advanced Manufacturing Hubs, based on the concept of Institutes of Technology, will be formed to deliver routes into the new Hubs. In order to enhance skills across the region, a high profile employer-led apprenticeship marketing programme is to be established around academic and vocational education linked to employment opportunities within the manufacturing sector. This will deliver a high quality, increased supply of recruits for advanced manufacturing jobs.

The strategy will be enhanced though emerging Combined Authority models and the devolution deals that accompany them – providing further opportunities for experience and partnership. The West Midlands Combined Authority Productivity Commission will support the development of clearly focussed plans to address the productivity gap across the Midlands.

The brains behind the Midlands Engine recognise that an increase in collaboration and the identification of unique strengths will be vital to the success of the strategy.

Connectivity throughout the Midlands involves maximising the location of the East Midlands at the centre of the UK including an increase of exports and the support of HS2.

FUTURES

EXPLORE THE FUTURE OF OFFSITE CONSTRUCTION

CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION NEC, Birmingham 24 - 25 November 2016 The need for faster, leaner and smarter construction is becoming more and more apparent in the UK and with only 63% of site based developments completed on time and an even smaller 49% delivered on budget, it is clear that traditional build fails to meet the major challenges facing construction today. This presents the opportunity for offsite construction to play a major role in the coming years across a range of sectors.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND? The event is aimed at attracting construction clients; construction professionals: architects, surveyors, engineers; facilities managers; building product manufacturers and suppliers.

BOOK Ticket prices for the event are listed below: PRIVATE SECTOR DELEGATES One day ticket - £125 + VAT Two day ticket - £225 + VAT

To book your place go to

www.exploreoffsite.co.uk/book

PUBLIC SECTOR DELEGATES One day ticket - £95 ++ VAT Two day ticket - £165 + VAT

MIDLANDS ENGINE In order to drive forward the skills and innovation agenda, public sector bodies will have to work with the Government and private sector to deliver the transport ambitions of Midlands Connect. Midlands Connect is a Government strategy that brings together a cross-LEP partnership to develop the strongest possible case for strategic transport investment in the Midlands.

The Midlands Engine will target the promotion of key markets and industries that already boast considerable expertise within the region – advanced manufacturing, transport technology, energy and digital and design. £14bn funding bid as Midlands Engine clicks into gear A bid has been launched to secure £14 billion from global investors to turn the Midlands into one of the world’s leading regional economies. For the first time ever, the Midlands has come together to showcase investment opportunities to key markets such as China and the US at the MIPIM property conference in Cannes.

As part of the Midlands Engine push, it has unveiled 33 major opportunities for investors, which combined can create 178,000 jobs, 32,000 new homes and 57.9 million sq ft of property space for the region.

The Midlands is the largest economic area outside London, and attracted 880 foreign direct investment projects between 2011 and 2015, more than any other region.

Business Secretary Sajid Javid said: “Foreign investment in the Midlands has more than doubled since 2011 and by embracing opportunities such as the MIPIM trade fair, we will capitalise on the Midlands’ natural strengths and make it an engine for growth.”

Download the Midlands Engine Prospectus here: http://bit.ly/1RJDxDB

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INDUSTRY UPDATE

So what is the next step for the Midlands Engine after the publication of the prospectus? A detailed Midlands implementation plan will be developed to take forward the key proposals outlined within the prospectus.

The core elements of the plan will include: • Completing a more comprehensive analysis of the Midlands Engine economy – this will be used to update the aim and objectives for the Midlands Engine.

• Developing a Midlands Engine Productivity Improvement Plan, based on best practice recommendations currently in development within parts of the region.

• Undertaking the first Midlands Engine trade mission and hosting the first senior inward investment visit.

• Developing an investment pitch book of investible propositions for use at MIPIM 2016.

• Building a regional business visitor and tourism offer.

• Developing the vision and strategy for transforming transport connectivity across the region through Midlands Connect.

• Building a stronger network of regional science parks as well as a higher education forum.

• Developing a JEREMIE based funds to finance business better together with evolving discussions with the British Business Bank regarding further regional finance mechanisms.

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• Developing a more comprehensive

demand led approach for skills development in the manufacturing and engineering sectors, based on increased provider collaboration and alignment.

• Undertaking a review of best practice relating to employment and skills.

This will be used to accelerate the take up of new and innovative ideas.

There have also been proposals set out for regular summits to be held, regarding the progress of the Midlands Engine. Similar to that of the Midlands Construction Summit – an annual event focused on the Midlands construction sector that explores new initiatives to enhance growth through a number of aspects including technology, leadership, people and sustainability. The Midlands Construction Summit and Expo 2016 will address key aspects of the Midlands Engine that relate to the built environment.

THE EVENT TAKES PLACE ON 20TH SEPTEMBER AT THE RICOH ARENA IN COVENTRY. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE EVENT, PLEASE VISIT: www.midlandsconstructionsummit.co.uk

Local Supply Chain

Local Supply Chain is ready to take off!

Where better to launch a new portal than the National Space Centre here in the East Midlands?

At the East Midlands Property Alliance (EMPA) Forum in February, clients, local authorities and contractors came together for a sneak preview of the Local Supply Chain (LSC) portal developed by Firefly Online Ltd. Firefly have been working with Scape and EMPA for many years having collaborated on the BuildEastMidlands portal. Using latest database and dashboard technologies, the new LSC portal is being rapidly adopted as the ‘go-to’ system for collaboration, data capture, monitoring and reporting through the entire construction supply chain.

With the construction industry in better shape and a focus on local engagement, clients need accurate and timely data from their local supply chain, in order to report local spend and labour to calculate impact via the Construction Local Economic Multiplier. Yet at the same time suppliers tell us that it can be hard to identify opportunities in the area, let alone get their name known as a supplier in the region.

LSC is bringing together the entire supply chain.

For clients it offers real, live data on supply chain engagement, and a means of sharing Pipeline projects with the marketplace. It can generate interest in contracts to be awarded and support management and visibility of the Pipeline.

Contractors have to meet client targets, but keeping this information up to date can be a real hassle. LSC enables them to connect with their suppliers, capturing target data at source. So live dashboards show real time information on local engagement.

Local suppliers can register on LSC and instantly become visible to all the contractors. They can search for work opportunities and express interest, which is designed with the aim of getting wider engagement in the supply chain, sharing out work packages and planning for growth in the industry.

‘Local supply chain is an amazing tool which helps us connect with our most important Subcontractor resources’ ASHE Construction Following the successful launch, contractors and clients are sharing project details. Suppliers are being notified, registering on the portal and are starting to benefit from finding new opportunities in their local area.

It might not be as technical as getting a rocket into space, but as witnesses to the launch found out, collaboration, data collection, and some clever technology can create an innovative, but simple and reliable solution to information sharing in the construction industry.

For further information on how your company can benefit from LSC go to www.localsupplychain.co.uk or contact us on 0800 197 6958

HS2 COLLEGE

THE NEW NATIONAL COLLEGE FOR HIGH SPEED RAIL (NCHSR)... ...is set to make significant strides in addressing the skills gap within the Midlands and the UK, as well as boosting employment.

THE THREE-STOREY, 5,700 SQ M BUILDING WILL BE LOCATED ON A FORMER BIRMINGHAM SCIENCE PARK SITE OFF THE A4540 DARTMOUTH MIDDLEWAY AND LISTER STREET. PREFERRED BIDDER WILLMOTT DIXON IS ON TRACK TO START WORK IN APRIL 2016. THE £22M FACILITY WILL CONTAIN WORKSHOPS, CLASSROOMS, A CAFÉ AND OFFICE SPACE ALONGSIDE A CAR PARK AND EXTERNAL TEACHING AREA.

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SKILLS & TRAINING

The college forms part of the government’s work with HS2 Ltd to ensure the new North-South railway delivers a tangible skills legacy with capabilities of serving the UK for the next century. Simultaneously it is set to continue the proud tradition the UK has for worldwide demand for its engineering expertise. The project accompanies the work of the Growth Taskforce, an independent group of experts across public and private sectors and academia. The Growth Taskforce produced a report for the government in March 2014 with guidance on how to maximise the potential benefits of HS2. It is expected that the college will be open by 2017, concurrent to the start of the construction of HS2.

Prime Minister David Cameron said: “The benefits of high-speed rail will not just be seen by those commuting between London and the North, but through the thousands of local jobs and apprenticeships created because of HS2. The opening of this National College will also ensure that we have a pool of locally-trained workers with the right skills to draw upon for future projects. The college will be located in Birmingham’s city centre Science Park and Doncaster’s Lakeside Campus. The governing board will be chaired

by Terry Morgan, who is also the chair of Crossrail, and will include representatives from Birmingham and Doncaster, alongside HS2 Ltd and leading industry employers.”

As the first fully incorporated college to be developed from scratch, the NCHSR will provide Britain’s workforce with the specialist training and qualifications required to build HS2 and other infrastructure projects in the future, helping to deliver a new generation of top class engineers for the rail and infrastructure industries.

Since the decision for the college to be jointly located two sites - one in Birmingham and an additional hub in Doncaster – the Birmingham team has since been working in partnership with Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council and HS2 Ltd to develop the plans, along with Willmott Dixon as the main contractor and Bond Bryan Architects.

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HS2 COLLEGE

The sites were selected following a consultation process which attracted a number of very strong proposals from across the country. All bids were assessed against a range of criteria including the size and availability of a suitable site as well as accessibility and the potential to develop strong links with employers and providers already operating in the sector.

Former Secretary of State for Business Vince Cable said: “The opening of this college demonstrates that the UK is advancing as a global leader in rail manufacturing - in line with the government’s Industrial Strategy.

This is the next step in building the highly skilled specialist workforce needed to develop the biggest infrastructure project this country has ever seen, and to enable our rail industry to compete in future global markets. This process has demonstrated a real commitment from all parts of the country to the development of a cutting edge training facility and a rail workforce which is the best in the world.”

The college has now been given the go-ahead after Birmingham City Council’s planning committee granted planning permission. Birmingham City Council has provided land independently valued at £4.2m for the development of the college, while Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise (GBSLEP) is also making a financial contribution to the tune of £6m.

Business Secretary and local MP, Sajid Javid said: “The National College for High Speed Rail will make Birmingham a hub of high-quality skills that the UK rail industry needs for years to come. The granting of planning permission takes us one step closer and is another clear sign the Midlands Engine is roaring.”

The new college will be led by employers from the sector – setting industry standards for training based on emerging technology and the use of cutting-edge facilities with trainers who are expert in their field. The specialist training at the college will be to NVQ Level 4 and over.

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Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: “We have brilliant engineers in this country, but there are not enough of them.

With the creation of a National College we can make sure we give young people the skills they need to build HS2 and other projects right across the country. The college will benefit from Birmingham’s location at the heart of the high speed rail network. HS2 Ltd also recently announced its construction headquarters will be based in the city and the new HS2 network control centre is planned to be Washwood Heath in Birmingham. Doncaster was also chosen as it has excellent links to established rail industry businesses. The High Speed Rail College is the first specialist National College to be developed and is in line with the government’s Industrial Strategy. This will help the UK economy and businesses to compete and grow as well as secure jobs and increase skills for future generations.”

SKILLS & TRAINING

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BIM COLLEGE

SANDWELL COUNCIL’S PIONEERING CENTRE SUPPORTS BUSINESSES WITH ADOPTING BIM Sandwell Council has become the first UK local authority to launch a state-of-the-art training suite to help businesses adopt Building Information (BIM) technology.

companies to provide high-quality goods and of course much-needed job opportunities.”

For three days per week, SBSC works with an expert to deliver BIM courses. BIM is set to transform the way the construction supply chain works, by creating a universal means for sharing digital-engineered designs and building efficiency data between clients and suppliers. From April 2016 all public-sector capital-build projects must comply with BIM Level 2.

With these mandatory requirements on the horizon Sandwell Council and the University of Wolverhampton are keen to give local businesses an affordable route to get to grips with BIM and a head start over competitors in their use of the technology.

Sandwell Business Solutions Centre (SBSC) in Smethwick was officially opened by Tom Watson MP in December 2015. Sandwell Council’s Business Growth Team developed SBSC in partnership with the University of Wolverhampton, with both parties praised for their pioneering approach.

The centre provides information and support to help large and small companies improve their performance through business development, upskilling, recruitment support, access to finance and procurement efficiency training. Its overall aim is to make a positive economic impact on Sandwell and surrounding areas.

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SKILLS & TRAINING

In a first for any council in the country, SBSC includes a training suite for hosting BIM courses. This is an innovation that is hoped will pay dividends for small manufacturing and engineering businesses keen to keep up with the emerging technology.

Sandwell Council leader Councillor Darren Cooper said: “[SBSC] is a very important project as the council is always striving to help local businesses to thrive and to support them to use the skills of local workers for the benefit of the area during these difficult economic times.

“The Sandwell area and the wider Black Country is famous for its manufacturing works and there have been many examples of start-up firms growing into larger

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The 12-workstation learning suite features a full range of BIM model viewing software, e-learning tools and affordable vocational training, including in basic CAD skills, software and 3D modelling. It also gives local business access to engineering design services and expert consultancy on BIM adoption, product design and BIM object creation.

“We are particularly anxious to help the smaller businesses in the borough to thrive by offering them top-quality advice and information,” said Councillor Cooper.

TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE WAYS IN WHICH SANDWELL COUNCIL SUPPORTS ITS REGION’S BUSINESSES, OR TO ACCESS DETAILS OF FORTHCOMING SESSIONS AT SBSC, VISIT: www.thinksandwell.com

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BIM IMPLEMENTATION AND SUPPORT

HELP AND ADVICE TO CONTRACTORS, MANUFACTURERS, SUPPLIERS AND CONSULTANTS

VISIT US AT THE CARILLION BIM SUITE The Cap Centre, Windmill Lane, Smethwick, B66 3LX

encourage organisations to take ownership of their response to modern slavery issues and further, that competition between organisations will drive up standards - as businesses will not want to be outdone by a competitor’s gleaming compliance programme. Additionally, these outward facing displays of compliance will be judged; by the public, NGO’s and stakeholders.

MSA

THE MODERN SLAVERY ACT... ...and what it means for the Construction Sector. Victoria Ball Associate at Trowers & Hamlin’s, shares her thoughts.

For many, the concept of “slavery” will conjure images of workers in shackles and chains. But “modern slavery” is a more subtle - but no less real - issue. Debt-bonded labour; delayed wages and withholding of passports are just some examples of the ways in which workers are exploited and deprived of their freedom. Sadly, this is happening both in the UK and overseas.

requirement are that it has an annual turnover of £36m or more, it supplies goods or services, and that it carries on business or a part of a business in the UK.

The introduction of the MSA has strengthened the law on slavery and human trafficking offences; but has also introduced a provision designed to pull on the moral compass of commercial organisations.

The organisations that will be obliged to produce this statement will include employers and tier-one contractors. The steps that those organisations will take in order to obtain confidence of ethical sourcing practices will be felt by all members of its supply chain.

In order to compel commercial organisations to take responsibility for the ways and means that their goods or labour are supplied, organisations meeting certain criteria must publish an annual statement setting out the steps it has taken to ensure that slavery and human trafficking is not taking place in any part of its supply chain and any part of its business.

However, any organisation not meeting that criteria should not simply presume this legislation will not have any impact upon them.

The MSA is purposely non-prescriptive as to the steps that organisations should take to achieve transparency in their supply chains but it suggests that those steps may include policies and procedures, due diligence processes, risk assessments and training of staff.

The criteria prescribed by the MSA for an organisation to be caught by this reporting

The government hopes that the lack of a defined list of tick-box procedures will

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SKILLS & TRAINING

Practically speaking then, what “steps” should those caught by the reporting requirement be taking in respect of its contractual arrangements with suppliers, and what can those further down the supply chain expect to see coming down the track?

If they do not do so already, qualifying declarations in invitations to tender regarding compliance with ethical legislation are likely to be extended to expressly cover the MSA and more rigorous due diligence should be instilled in procurement processes, especially surrounding the use of agencies sourcing labour. Suppliers may be asked to commit to observing prescribed policies and procedures (or evidence their own) and/or give warranties and undertakings as to compliance with the law. Importantly, contracts will – or should – include termination provisions in the event of a breach. Given the reputational damage that would follow by association with any malpractice, employers and contractors will be seeking robust protections in respect of this legislation.

Organisations with a financial year ending 31 March 2016 will be the first required to comply with the obligation to produce a transparency statement for their 2015-2016 financial year. But whether your organisation is in this category or not, don’t get left behind, take action now and be ready.

VICTORIA BALL IS AN ASSOCIATE IN THE BIRMINGHAM OFFICE OF TROWERS & HAMLINS’ PROJECTS & CONSTRUCTION TEAM. FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: vball@trowers.com

T R A I N P E O P L E

Great processes combined with the wrong people can have a huge impact on your project and your business.

Success Train People helps you build and develop the right teams and effective leaders. Our 1-to-1 senior manager coaching develops your leaders and managers and enhances their performance so they impact more positively on your teams and bottom line.

We will help you select the people with the closest match to your vacancies and promotions using specialist tools for selection or development, so you make a more informed decision when recruiting or moving people into different roles within your business.

Success Train People is run by an expert on personality and leadership with a long standing knowledge of the construction industry who will help your people and your business to achieve more.

Jackie Casey MSc MIoD ACIPD ANLP

Managing Director

M 07795 342329

T 01384 402592

WE HAVE OVER 20 YEARS EXPERIENCE SUPPLYING CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTORS WITH QUALITY PERSONNEL

Call Jackie Casey if you are ready to get the best from your people for your business.

E jax@successtrain.co.uk

W www.successtrain.co.uk

With over 20 years’ experience, Now Careers has an enviable reputation for delivering a personalised careers service to clients and candidates throughout the UK and Australia.

To date we have four UK branches situated in Birmingham, Cardiff, Edinburgh, and Newcastle. Alongside two established offices in Sydney and Brisbane. Each office is strategically placed to meet the needs of an ever expanding client base.

We supply temporary operatives upon request across the UK. All of our operatives are certified or accredited to industry standards

by CSCS, CPCS & CCDO. All of our personnel are referenced checked with 90%of our staff having worked for us previously with other contractors.

Overleaf is a list of estimated rates throughout the Midlands. If you are looking for a reputable trades & labour supply agency please contact us.

WE SUPPLY • LABOURERS • PLANT OPERATIVES • CARPENTERS

• BRICKLAYERS • PAINTERS • OTHER TRADES ON REQUEST

0121 452 4440 www.nowcareers.co.uk

FEATURE SERIOUS ABOUT SKILLS IN NORTHAMPTONSHIRE The profile of construction is moving up the agenda nationally, partly reflecting Government’s commitment to build one million new homes by 2020, which will require a serious step change in build out rates.

This scale up can only happen with a significant increase in skilled workers, as recognised by Steve Radley, CBI’s Director of Policy and Strategic Planning, who recently said “Our forecast shows that construction is experiencing a major comeback with a sustained period of growth set to make a positive impact on the wider economy. Leisure, infrastructure and housing are all driving growth but this brings with it new challenges in meeting skills demand. Employers will need to pull every lever available to them to meet the skills challenge they face.”

Delivering this step change will require real action at national and local level, and one area that is gearing up to meet this challenge is Northamptonshire, which has one of the fastest growing populations in the country.

This level of growth is creating significant demand for housing, with 37,000 new homes needed by 2021, coupled with increasing demand for employment sites and premises to meet high levels of business starts ups, expansions and inward investment.

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In addition to strong growth, Northamptonshire also has very high employment levels, with the number of people claiming Job Seekers Allowance at 1.3%, the lowest level since November 2004, and the number of 18-24 year olds at the lowest level for any month

since the current recording system began in January 2006. This is resulting in a very tight labour market with employers facing serious competition in attracting people into the construction industry and in recruiting skilled people to respond to their immediate needs. The competition for skills is being felt across the piece with professional, technical and trade skills in high demand.

Northamptonshire Enterprise Partnership recognised the challenge and the need to extend it’s ‘serious about skills’ campaign to the construction sector, to make sure that the ambitious housing and employment targets could be met. Jo Lappin, Chief Executive of NEP said “Here in Northamptonshire we are serious about skills as every one of our businesses tell us that the availability of skilled people is critical to their continued growth, with many businesses also facing replacement demand as their workforce moves closer to retirement. We recognised that the scale of building work planned for the next five to ten years was going to create particular demand for construction skills and we wanted to quantify that demand and make sure that the system was gearing up to meet this.”

A group of experts was brought together, including house builders, CITB, FE colleges, University of Northampton, TUC and construction training organisations to identify the scale of the gap and to develop a strategy to address this. John Lagan, Director, Lagan Homes, who chaired the group, said “Our work identified that over 8,000 additional workers would be required in the sector by 2022, but currently the skills system would only produce just over half of these, creating a significant shortfall between supply and demand. We also identified that not only was there a growing

FEATURE

gap in the availability of skilled people but also a lack of people with the right skills, who were currently in the industry or about to enter it, and that a more sophisticated approach was needed to address this.”

The expert group, supported by SQW, were clear that the current skills challenge had been caused by a number of factors, predominantly the loss of skilled people during the recession, a drop off in training post-recession and market, technological and policy changes. However, the important thing was to develop a strategy to respond to the current challenges.

Consultation with a wide range of stakeholders identified that the number one issue to address in the short term was the image of the industry, as it is not seen as attractive to young people, which was resulting in limited interest in careers in construction.

Jo Lappin at NEP said “Northamptonshire piloted the national Enterprise Advisers programme, which is about linking the world of education with the world of work to help teachers and young people to have a much better understanding of their local economy, businesses and employment. The construction sector in Northamptonshire provides excellent employment opportunities, given the scale of building planned over the next decade, so we really wanted to showcase the industry to our young people.”

Lappin added “Our construction sector is highly productive, outperforming national averages in terms of Gross Value Added (GVA) to the economy. Our forecasts show that GVA will grow by 29% and jobs by 12.2%, both of which outpace national growth projections. So there are excellent employment prospects, and that’s where our ‘not the usual suspects’ marketing campaign kicks in.”

Not the Usual Suspects The stereotypical image of the sector can be ‘insecure, dirty and outdoors’, which is a barrier to entry for young people. ‘Not the usual suspects’ looks to challenge these assumptions by presenting real people in professional, technical and trade roles, who are starting, building or have grown there career in the sector. It is part of the wider Love Bright Futures campaign lovebrightfutures.com, which shows real people, working in real businesses in major employment sectors in Northamptonshire, and provides local young people with an understanding of the great career opportunities on their doorstep.

A key feature of the campaign is to present high quality images on site, with billboards prominent at construction sites with major companies including Redrow, Persimmon Homes, Galliford Try and Bovis Homes signed up to displaying these. Their employees will also feature in the campaign with the individuals being showcased including a Trainee Quantity Surveyor, Trainee Engineer, Project Manager, Commercial Director and a bricklayer.

Post-forces career development NEP recognises that in order to meet current demand, career changers also need to be encouraged into the industry and it is working with the Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers Association (REME) Job Agency (RAJA) and the wider Forces Career Transition Partnership to encourage Ex-Forces personnel to resettle in Northamptonshire.

A dedicated website has been set up theplaceforconstruction.com to highlight careers in the sector and the wider lifestyle offer in Northamptonshire, which promotes the attractiveness of the county, affordability of housing, brilliant and accessible location

BUILT ENVIRONMENT MAGAZINE

and the high level of employment available to partners and family members. The site also contains details of the immediate vacancies that are available in the sector.

The work is not just about addressing the image of the sector, the group is also looking at developing more timely and detailed sector intelligence, incentivising companies to offer more training and local job opportunities, and making sure that local training provision meets the current and future needs of the sector.

IN CONCLUSION, JOHN LAGAN SAID “THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A BETTER TIME TO ENTER THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY AND WE HERE IN NORTHAMPTONSHIRE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUNG PEOPLE RECOGNISE THE FABULOUS OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE AND MAKE THEIR CAREER IN CONSTRUCTION.”

JO LAPPIN - CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF MEP, WILL BE PRESENTING AT THE MIDLANDS CONSTRUCTION SUMMIT ON 20TH SEPTEMBER AT THE RICOH ARENA COVENTRY FOR FULL DETAILS VISIT: www.midlandsconstructionsummit.co.uk

SKILLS & TRAINING

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INNOVATION

SKILLS

INNOVATION

PETER HANSFORD

Last year saw the role of Government Chief Construction advisor axed, with responsibilities assumed by the renewed Construction Leadership Council.

Peter Hansford finished his time under the title in November 2015. Nearly four months on, how does Peter see the industry progressing and will the Construction 2025 Strategy remain at the heart of it?

What were the most challenging aspects of your tenure as Government Chief Construction Advisor?

I think the most challenging thing for me was how many parties there are across the whole of the construction industry – different organisations, different trade bodies. I think the biggest challenge was bringing all of those many parties together.

We did that through the creation of the Construction Leadership Council and the delivery group that supported it.

PETER HANSFORD ADDRESSING THE MIDLANDS CONSTRUCTION SUMMIT

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In your view, what has been the impact of Construction 2025 on the sector?

I think it’s been good. Construction 2025 sets out a vision for the sector, sets out a change agenda. I think that the important thing is that the whole industry and Government buys into this agenda. In a way it’s been a great vehicle for engaging the whole industry.

How do you feel the Midlands construction sector compares to other regions?

Well it’s clear that the Midlands is a very active region. There are other active regions – the North West comes to mind – there is a lot happening in the construction sector in the North West and London of course. But I think the Midlands has got the advantage of being in the middle of the country – central to the country – and it’s got extremely good transport links to all parts of the UK, which I think is an advantage. It’s got very good conference facilities, particularly around Birmingham, so I think it compares favourably.

BUILT ENVIRONMENT MAGAZINE

PETER HANSFORD

How do you feel the UK construction industry is competing on a global scale?

I think it’s mixed. It depends which players you are talking about. UK Architects and Consulting Engineers are competing very well globally, they have done so for a very long time. Indeed, some of the best known Architects and some of the best known Consulting Engineers across the globe come from the UK. And there are UK suppliers and manufacturers who are sporting their products and services.

It’s the UK contractors who have got a very small market share overseas, which is a shame because the opportunities, globally, are significant. We were looking at forecasts of global construction growing rapidly over the next ten years. So it’s mixed.

In your opinion, how important is the role of such organisations as the Built Environment Hub? I think it’s really important to bring all parts of the industry across the region together.

Its only by working collectively that we can compete with other industries for investment, skills and influence. So the Hub plays a really important role in connecting the Midlands construction industry.

INNOVATION

SECTOR CONSTRUCTION 2025 What role do you think new system building technologies and offsite construction will play in the future of the construction industry?

I think they’ve got a big role to play in achieving the objectives of Construction 2025. When you look at things like offsite construction, you get the benefits of efficiency, of increased productivity, improved working conditions, safer working environment and reduced exposure to the weather. And all of that I think will help to improve the image of the industry, which is so important to attracting people into construction.

How do you think the Government and educational organisations can help overcome the skills shortages in the construction sector?

I think Government’s got a role to play but I think the real solution lies with industry itself. We’ve got to improve our image – that’s really important and pretty urgent – but we also need to engage with schools to a far greater extent than we currently do.

I challenged every construction company in this country to adopt a school, get to know the Head Teacher, make sure the Teachers understand what they do, show children – and I’m talking about children from quite a young age from the age of nine upwards – some of the exciting things that are happening in construction. And we really must get that message over to children that the construction industry, literally shapes communities. I think it’s only us that can do that, so I think we overcome the skills shortage in the medium to long term, by far greater school engagement and I’m pretty passionate about that subject.

What are the biggest challenges for the sector in the future and what are our key priorities?

We’ve got lots of challenges. We have to close the skills gap and by that, I mean we’ve got to attract and retain the people we need for construction. We’ve also got to improve our image – I think these things are connected. We’ve got to increase productivity and efficiency. We have to increase profit margins – I don’t think the current profit margins we have are sustainable. We’ve also got to compete with market entrants as we’ve got market entrants coming in from overseas and perhaps people from other sectors coming into our sector, so there will be a lot of challenges. And on top of that, we’ve got the challenge of reducing carbon emissions – greening the industry – so there’s a lot to do.

I think the two big priorities are image and innovation. Improving our image with the public and with the next generation I think is crucial. I think embracing innovation – the use of new technology – new processes; BIM, offsite construction, robotics, all these things. That’s the way that we’re going to make construction more productive and more efficient. Actually I think that will also help us improve our image. Image and innovation – I think they unlock the rest.

DOWNLOAD A COPY OF THE CONSTRUCTION 2025 STRATEGY HERE:

How do you see the industry developing in the future - will Construction 2025 remain at the heart of it?

I think we’re going to see fewer players in construction – larger players. Consolidation is already happening in parts of the industry and I think we’re going to see more of it reasonably soon. I know that might seem like a bit of a threat to some of our successful mid-sized players in the regions but it’s not meant to be a threat – I think it just reflects reality. I do think that Construction 2025 is going to remain as the driving transformation agenda for UK construction.

Speaking personally, that would be very rewarding.

What are your plans for the future?

Well, I’m not going to work full time, that’s for sure. But I do want to keep my hand in somewhere in the industry. For now I’m rather pleased to have a bit more time to relax, going to be doing some travelling – the sort of things I want to do. And then we’ll just have to wait and see how this develops.

Industrial Strategy: government and industry in partnership

Construction 2025

www.gov.uk/government/publications/ construction-2025-strategy July 2013

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INDUSTRY INNOVATORS

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TECHNICAL

REGULATION UPDATE Recent new and updated British Standards in Fire Safety are supporting alternative appropriate Fire Safety solutions to that of Approved Document B for the growing trend of open plan living in our homes, apartments and independent living premises.

SALUS APPROVED INSPECTORS PROVIDE AN EXTRACTED UPDATE SUMMARY OF SOME OF THE ASPECTS FROM THE INTRODUCTION OF THE NEW BRITISH STANDARD ON WATER MIST INSTALLATIONS AND FIRE SAFETY ENGINEERING DESIGN GUIDANCE FOR RESIDENTIAL PREMISES.

BS 8458:2015 - Fixed fire protection systems - residential and domestic watermist systems - code of practice for design and installation This British Standard came into effect on 30 November 2015 and supersedes DD 8458-1:2010, which is withdrawn.

Fire Suppression systems, such as domestic and residential systems are now supported by Watermist, importantly now verified by the accompaniment of the new British Standard, all of which have an outstanding track record of preservation of life in fire scenarios.

Watermist fire suppression systems for residential and domestic applications are designed to provide an additional degree of protection of life and property, above that to be achieved by the installation of smoke and/or fire detectors and systems.

The British Standard presumes that the watermist fire suppression system will form part of an integrated fire safety system as part of the building design.

The advent of watermist nozzles that operate at an earlier stage in the development of a fire, together with the recognition that the largest numbers of deaths from fire occur in the home, have led to the introduction of watermist fire suppression systems specifically designed for residential and domestic occupancies.

Within England there is currently no specific water suppression requirement, other than in high rise apartments over 30m high, whereas from 01 January 2016 the Welsh Government extended the requirement for the provision of fire suppression systems to cover new and converted dwellings and flats, moving on from the 30 April 2014 requirements applied to care homes, children’s residential homes, boarding house, halls of residences and hostels.

It is a full revision of the Draft for Development, and incorporates the following principal changes: • Clarification of the application of residential and domestic building categorizations based on occupancy and risk • Change to building height limit (from 20m to 45m)

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TECHNOLOGY TALK

Changes to fire test protocols: • Removal of one ventilation fire test • Addition of two optional “open room” fire tests • Changes to the limits of application dependent on fire tests successfully completed • Increase in maximum nozzle spacing • Expanded guidance on water supplies • Additional measures for vulnerable people • Additional recommendations for components

A correctly designed, installed and properly maintained watermist fire suppression system can detect, suppress and control a fire at an early stage of development, and activate an alarm. Operation of the system rapidly reduces the rate of production of heat and smoke, allowing more time for the occupants to escape to safety or be rescued.

They can have features such as smaller bore waterways and they generally operate at higher pressures, producing smaller droplets of water.

TECHNICAL

The provision of a watermist fire suppression system does not negate the need for other fire precautions or practical measures, which can include structural fire resistance, escape routes, smoke or fire detectors and safe housekeeping practices. Even with the installation of a watermist fire suppression system, normal actions on the discovery of a fire need to be taken, such as immediate evacuation and the calling of the fire and rescue service.

BS 9991:2015 – Fire safety in the design, management and use of residential buildings – Code of practice This British Standard which came into effect on 31 October 2015, superseding the 2011 version gives recommendations and guidance on the design, management and use of the following building types, to achieve reasonable standards of fire safety for all people in and around: • Dwellings (single-family dwelling houses, self-contained flats or maisonettes) • Residential accommodation blocks (e.g. for students or hospital staff), with individual bedrooms and the provision of kitchen/sanitary facilities constructed within a fire compartment • Specialised housing Residential care (also known as care homes) fall outside the scope of BS 9991. A new development will be specialized housing if it does not fall within the mainstream housing or the independent living residential care category.

This is a full revision of the standard, and introduces the following principal changes: • Change from “sheltered or extra care housing” to “specialised housing” • and expansion of related recommendations • Expanded recommendations for escape from basements • Updating of recommendations relating to lifts • Inclusion of new recommendations for power supplies • Inclusion of new recommendations for cluster accommodation • Inclusion of new guidance on the management of additional needs and disabilities General update to take into account new and revised standards published since 2011.

Amongst the factors that need to be taken into account in establishing a minimum package of fire protection measures are: • The potential users of the building • The hazard posed by one occupancy to another • Provision for giving warning in case of fire, including any automatic fire detection • The provision of automatic fire suppression systems and smoke control arrangements • The overall management and control of the building or development, from a fire safety point of view • Structural fire protection and compartmentation • The security of and access to the building

All fire safety measures, procedures, etc. need to take into account the particular circumstances of the individual building or complex concerned.

BS 9991 provides recommendations and guidance on the provision of measures to control or mitigate the effects of fire.

The primary objective is to ensure that an adequate standard of life safety can be achieved in the event of fire in the building.

Combined with automatic water suppression it can offer considerable design flexibility by controlling a fire to a small size, reducing the production of smoke and toxic gases and preventing the fire from spreading beyond the room or dwelling of origin. This means that there can be flexibility achieved in the design of the building. It would also provide a good standard of protection for property.

In both new construction and upgrading existing buildings, the various aspects of fire precautions are interrelated and weaknesses in some areas can be compensated for by strengths in others.

A higher standard under one of the areas might be of benefit in respect of one or more of the other areas.

BS 9991 provides a level of flexibility that allows the fire protection measures and the risks to be assessed to enable reasonable practical solutions to be designed.

SALUS REGULARLY OFFER THEIR CLIENTS CPD PRESENTATIONS ON CHANGES TO REGULATIONS, FOR FURTHER DETAILS PLEASE CONTACT PAUL MEADOWS, DIRECTOR: paul.meadows@salusai.co.uk

The standard complements BS 9999.

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TECHNOLOGY TALK

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TECHNICAL

ENERGY RATING SERVICES

OVERHEATING IN UK BUILDINGS...

A few years ago this statement would not have been taken seriously, and probably the thought of some extra heat might have been welcome, considering we spend large sums of money every year seeking hot destinations.

But with increasing temperatures and changes in our construction methods and design, overheating in domestic and non-domestic buildings can reach dangerous levels, resulting in serious health issues such as heart attacks, stroke and dehydration, especially for our most vulnerable people; the elderly and babies.

Thermal comfort is not only linked to air temperature of the space, it also relates to humidity levels, radiant temperature, air speed, and the level of activity and clothing of people. Not forgetting that our thermal comfort on one day depends on the temperatures we were experiencing within that period. Hence, linking overheating to a specific temperature is not possible. From here, we can define overheating as follows: when the actual indoor temperature for any given day exceeds the upper limit of the comfort temperature band for that day by enough to make the majority of people feel uncomfortable.

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So how do our buildings overheat?

Buildings overheat due to the build-up of heat from gains that are not being reduced or removed. These heat gains are external from solar radiation and heat transmission through the building fabric, and internal from the occupants, lights and equipment.

Overheating in new build flats seems to be an escalating problem, this is due many factors, such as the lack of cross ventilation, excessive southern and western glazing, and in some cases the lack of ventilation due to noise and air pollution. But one of the main reasons of overheating in new build flats is the communal heating systems installed, pumping heat all year long without sufficient insulation or proper design.

Before considering any form of comfort cooling, we can introduce simple measures and passive strategies to reduce or eliminate the overheating, such as; reducing the area of glazing, using low solar transmittance glazing, adding external shading, window positioning and window types to allow more air flow. The eco house image of fully glazed southern facades to harvest the winter sun needs to be considered carefully, and when sizing windows, daylight should be the main consideration and not the winter heating demand.

BUILT ENVIRONMENT MAGAZINE

EXTERNAL SHADING IN DWELLINGS TO REDUCE SOLAR RADIATION

Thermal mass can help to reduce overheating in buildings, but thoughtful consideration of positioning thermal mass and allowing for night cooling is a must, otherwise it will result in making the thermal condition even worse, which brings us to security issues when opening windows and the window types installed. Designers need to look into all these elements to ensure that occupants will be able to open those windows and that the window design and location would allow sufficient air to pass through to cool the place.

LESSONS CAN BE LEARNT FROM TRADITIONAL AND VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE IN HOT CLIMATE COUNTRIES; WIND CATCHERS, SHUTTERS AND COURTYARDS WITH A CENTRAL WATER FEATURE, NOT FORGETTING VEGETATION, WERE ALL USED TO CONTROL THE THERMAL ENVIRONMENT WITHIN A BUILDING.

CPD BIM and pipework training BISPA is a collaboration between the School of Civil and Building Engineering, Loughborough University and industrial partners, such as Tata Steel and its Tubes business.

• Established to support the building and industrial services industry, and improve the awareness of BIM (Building Information Modelling) and pipework related issues and innovations.

• We offer a range of networking opportunities as well as CIBSE CPD approved courses, providing both classroom and hands on training on the principles of BIM and the construction of 3D objects, as well as pipework specifications, service life issues and the benefits of Tata Steel’s Install® Plus 235 hot-finished carbon steel tube.

• Visit our website or contact us for further details.

www.bispa.org VENUE Sir Frank Gibb Building, School of Civil and Building Engineering, Loughborough University, Leicestershire LE11 3TU CONTACT N Dr Mahroo Eftekhari E m.m.eftekhari@lboro.ac.uk T +44 (0)1509 222606 W www.bispa.org

WEST MIDLANDS

PLAYING ITS PART IN BUILDING THE MIDLANDS ENGINE Exciting times for the West Midlands, as the emerging Combined Authority for the region starts to gather pace.

HISTORICALLY THE WEST MIDLANDS WAS THE ‘WORKSHOP OF THE WORLD’.

NOW LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND LOCAL ENTERPRISE PARTNERSHIPS ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO ONCE AGAIN PLAY THEIR PART IN BECOMING THE ENGINE OF THE BRITISH ECONOMY, DRIVING JOBS, PROSPERITY AND ECONOMIC GROWTH.

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And the good news is that in a recent survey into the proposed West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) between 60% and 72% of people agreed or strongly agreed that: • by working together local authorities in the West Midlands would deliver improvements in economic development, regeneration and transport • better coordination of these areas would mean more effective and convenient local government and services • the region’s Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) would ensure businesses have a strong voice moving forward, and • neighbouring local authorities should be invited to participate in the WMCA

BUILT ENVIRONMENT MAGAZINE

Councillor Bob Sleigh, Chair of the Shadow WMCA, explains: “DCLG required us to undertake the survey and the responses we received show there is good support for a combined authority. It’s great news that respondents were so positive about our proposals and also that businesses and organisations across the region continue to work alongside us and offer strong support.

“Our intention is to work together on matters that cross council boundaries.

Through the proposed devolution deal, the WMCA will unlock an overall £8 billion investment package for skills, infrastructure and businesses across the region. It will focus on the issues that really matter to the people of the West Midlands; growth, jobs, skills, transport and homes. It will also recognise that economic growth for the region is part of the wider Midlands Engine and that we will be able to play a major part in rebalancing the national economy.”

A centre-point where the Midlands construction industry network and information is exchanged and distributed.

Membership of the Hub is open to companies operating in the East and West Midlands – so if you are a contractor, manufacturer, architect, client, consultant or engineer then why not join?

www.builtenvironmenthub.org

MEMBER BENEFITS: The primary objective of the Hub is to deliver tangible benefits to our members, to support business objectives and maximise network opportunities. The Built Environment Hub brings practical support by providing members with: • Access to a range of focused Forums

• Online member listings & profiles

• Participation in Meet the Buyer events

• Procurement & economies of scale initiatives

• Comprehensive marketing & PR activities

• Discounted marketing & communication support initiatives

• Networking & knowledge exchange

• Discounted exhibition, conference & seminar activities

• Access to research & participation in research projects

• Access to annual Awards events

To enquire about membership, please contact the Hub on: Regional Partner of:

01743 290001 or email info@builtenvironmenthub.org

WEST MIDLANDS

The WMCA’s devolution deal with government focuses on a number of key areas.

These include: • Local control of investment plans and funds for West Midlands priorities, like transport and land reclamation for housing and employment • Local control of adult skills provision • A local employment service • Control over a more integrated local public transport system and influence over strategic road network planning • A devolved business support and inward investment system • An integrated locally led approach to public sector land and property – in effect one public estate

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Perhaps one of the most important things for the emerging WMCA is that devolution means it will get the power to make its own decisions about investments in the region.

In effect it will move power from Westminster to the West Midlands. This means that there will be a balance and region-wide benefits for communities and businesses alongside effective targeting of resources on strategic priorities.

So the WMCA will be working hard to: • Ensure there is maximum benefit from the £4.4bn HS2 growth strategy, so that nowhere in the West Midlands will be more than 40 minutes from an HS2 station • That brownfield land will be brought back into use for housing and employment through the £200m land remediation fund • That new homes will be brought forward through the £500m housing investment fund • That the £1bn collective investment vehicle will help companies invest and grow

BUILT ENVIRONMENT MAGAZINE

COUNCILLOR SLEIGH SUMS UP THE VISION: “BY CREATING A COMBINED AUTHORITY WE AIM TO CREATE AN ECONOMY THAT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO SUPPORT THE CREATION OF OVER 500,000 NEW JOBS. IT WILL BE A REGION PROVIDING GOOD QUALITY HOUSING AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT WILL BENEFIT OUR RESIDENTS, CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE FOR YEARS TO COME AND A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE WILL WANT TO SPEND TIME AND DO BUSINESS.”

MANY OF THE EAST & WEST MIDLANDS LEPS WILL BE EXIBITING AT THE MIDLANDS CONSTRUCTION EXPO ON 20TH SEPTEMBER AT THE RICOH ARENA IN COVENTRY - ENTRY IS FREE FOR FULL DETAILS VISIT: www.builtenvironmenthub.org/events

Success Train’s business writing expertise helps companies to promote the everyday things they do and take for granted into winning submissions for tenders and awards.

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Offering all types of site based and managerial health and safety, specialising in the construction industry, Wenlock Health & Safety Ltd can assist with establishing, developing and maintaining your Company’s H&S systems.

Having been established in 2002, we have seen the Construction (Design & Management) Regulations in practice through the years, undertaking various roles, and now CDM Advisors under the new Regulations. Wenlock H&S Ltd can assist all duty holders whether you’re a Client or Principal Designer, Principal Contractor or one-man-band, aiding a safer and smoother project.

We also offer a range of training courses including CITB Site Managers Safety Training Scheme (SMSTS) and Site Supervisors Safety Training Scheme (SSSTS), as well as many classroom based health and safety courses, all from our new offices in Telford, Shropshire.

For more information, please contact us: Tel: 01952 885885 Email: enquiries@wenlockhs.co.uk The Mill Building, Jackfield Tile Museum, Salthouse Road, Telford, TF8 7LJ

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BIRMINGHAM

BIRMINGHAM’S REGENERATION RENAISSANCE WINS NATIONAL PROPERTY AWARD Birmingham won the coveted City of the Year title at the MIPIM UK Awards, held at London’s Olympia. A judging panel of 50 senior industry figures and journalists selected the winners.

The awards recognise the work of the private and public sectors to revitalise cities and towns across the UK. MIPIM UK is the largest national conference for the property industry, which is attended by 4,500 delegates including international investors and several UK locations.

Birmingham underwent a significant transformation in 2015, with milestones including the £600 million reopening of New Street Station, £150 million launch of Grand Central shopping centre and its flagship John Lewis store, plus the £50 million redevelopment of The Mailbox and £150 million opening of leisure complex Resorts World Birmingham.

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Birmingham has also been named the ‘Most Investable City in the UK’ by PwC and the Urban Land Institute. The city was ranked as having the best investment prospects in the UK, and sixth most investable in Europe, by senior international investors. It is also the most entrepreneurial UK city outside London with over 14,000 new companies registering in the city during 2015, according to StartUp Britain.

Neil Rami, Chief Executive of inward investment agency, Marketing Birmingham, commented: “Judged by national property experts, the MIPIM UK awards demonstrate how Birmingham has become a UK hotspot for investment and economic growth. The city’s £1 billion regeneration is attracting more interest from international and domestic firms than ever before, reflecting its growing profile as a highly competitive and welcoming location for forward-thinking companies and investors.”

BUILT ENVIRONMENT MAGAZINE

More foreign businesses invested in Greater Birmingham & Solihull during 2014/15 than any other LEP region, according to UK Trade & Investment. It attracted 73 new FDI projects, with investors including world-famous brands such as Jaguar Land Rover, extraenergy, HydraForce and Deutsche Bank.

In 2015, Chinese automotive firm Changan and German manufacturer Guhring have both announced significant investments into the region – while global bank HSBC is locating the head office of its UK ring-fenced bank in Birmingham. HSBC has forward purchased the city’s 210,000 sq ft 2 Arena Central site on a 250-year lease, demonstrating its long-term commitment to the city.

COMMENTING ON THE AWARD WIN, ANTONIO SIMOES, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF HSBC BANK PLC, SAID: “BIRMINGHAM CITY COUNCIL HAS WORKED HARD TO REVITALISE THE CITY AND ATTRACT INWARD INVESTMENT, MAKING IT AN ATTRACTIVE AND DYNAMIC HOME FOR UK BUSINESSES AND THEIR EMPLOYEES. MARKETING BIRMINGHAM PREPARED A FANTASTIC PITCH BUILT ON PARTNERSHIP AND ITS ONGOING SUPPORT HAS BEEN INVALUABLE AS WORK GETS UNDERWAY TO CREATE HSBC UK’S NEW HOME IN BIRMINGHAM AND WE MOVE MORE THAN 1,000 HEAD OFFICE ROLES HERE FROM LONDON.”

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18/04/2016 14:58:59

EVENTS&AWARDS

THE CELEBRATING CONSTRUCTION AWARDS CELEBRATING THE BEST IN THE MIDLANDS REGION The 2016 Celebrating Construction Awards will recognise the best construction projects, products and innovators across the East and West Midlands.

These prestigious Awards provide a highly effective platform for promoting the regional construction sector while presenting the ideal opportunity for leading brands to maximise their industry exposure and penetrate this economically important market.

The Awards are organised by the Built Environment Hub – in association with the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) West Midlands Branch, Acivico Building Consultancy, Scape Group and Salus Approved Inspectors. Winners of the regional Awards categories are automatically entered into the National Constructing Excellence Awards.

More than 350 construction professionals will gather at the Nottingham Belfry in 03 June for the East Midlands Celebrating Construction Awards, while the West Midlands Celebrating Construction Awards will see over 750 leaders and innovators from across the construction sector gather at the ICC, Birmingham, on 13 May. These prestigious annual award ceremonies recognise the Midlands’ most inspiring construction projects, products and people across 13 categories.

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Head of the East Midlands Judging Panel, Alan Coole of Scape Group said: “The inaugural 2015 East Midlands Celebrating Construction Awards were hailed as a great success by both entrants and judges, generating widespread interest from the sector with an impressive number of entries.

There are many pockets of excellence in the East Midlands and we are proud to have showcased the skilled people who work here to the Region and subsequently at a National Level.”

The inaugural 2015 East Midlands Awards were hailed as a great success by both entrants and judges, generating widespread interest from the sector with an impressive number of entries.

Matt Humphrey, Project Manager, Anglian Water – winner of the 2015 Integration and Collaborative Working East Midlands Award: “The awards ceremony was a great night out for the team and provided a real focal point to celebrate the success of the project team. Having the award to go back to the office with was a boost for the team and the wider organisation.”

BUILT ENVIRONMENT MAGAZINE

The 2015 West Midlands Celebrating Construction Awards also received a great response. Head of West Midlands judging panel, Mark Wakeford, Managing Director of Stepnell and Chairman of the Built Environment Hub, said: “The standard of entries were outstanding and it was a hard task deciding the winners. The depth of expertise and talent across all sectors was impressive, and the exceptional number of entries clearly demonstrates the upturn in the industry - placing the Celebrating Construction Awards as a high point in the construction calendar.”

THERE HAS ALREADY BEEN A LARGE AMOUNT OF ATTENTION FOCUSED ON THE 2016 CELEBRATING CONSTRUCTION AWARDS. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ATTENDING THE AWARDS OR THE SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE, VISIT: www.celebratingconstructionawards.org OR CONTACT THE ORGANISING TEAM ON: 01743 290001.

www.celebratingconstructionawards.org

CELEBRATING CONSTRUCTION SUCCESS IN THE MIDLANDS

Book your place alongside hundreds of leaders and innovators from across the Midlands construction sector www.celebratingconstructionawards.org

WEST MIDLANDS

EAST MIDLANDS

13 May 2016 The ICC Birmingham

03 June 2016 The Nottingham Belfry

FOCUS CHALLENGES OF BECOMING A MIDLANDS-WIDE CONTRACTOR

Starting up in a new area involves building new networks in all fields – supply chain, contract opportunities, operational teams and so on. It’s not an overnight process, but one that needs to develop and grow steadily.

Expanding into new geographical areas opens up a wealth of opportunities, but it also has its own set of challenges.

Sustainable growth is important - teams need to be in place to fulfil contracts. It’s worked out well for J Tomlinson, as we’ve secured a strong order book with plans for organic and controlled growth across the Midlands. We have identified a number of key opportunities which we would like to secure over the next 12 months across the Midlands and have built our operational teams around this business plan.

This is something that contractor, J Tomlinson Ltd, has experienced and overcome after spreading its operation westwards from its East Midlands base, having built up a highly regarded reputation over more than 60 years.

In more recent times and on the back of its success in the East Midlands, the company took the decision to expand into the West Midlands with services in construction, refurbishment, repairs and maintenance, mechanical and electrical engineering, and facilities management. As any other operator who has trodden the path can testify, such a move brings a range of challenges which need to be tackled and conquered.

Key in all of this was setting up a West Midlands office to give us a base, which has helped us to procure locally and deliver locally. Our local direct employment philosophy supports the area’s economy, and I think this has been important in helping us to become established.

Following on from that, was a process of brand awareness, identity and recognition.

We’re very well known in the East Midlands, having been established for so long, and have built up a good reputation. Moving into a new area meant almost starting from scratch to raise awareness about the company, although our wealth of experience in another region did help us with this and illustrated our capabilities.

Nikki Foreman, head of business development at J Tomlinson, shares some of these trials and explains how they have been overcome: “The cornerstone of any company is its people – its workforce – and this was a priority for us but, as everyone in the construction sector knows, the industry is experiencing a labour and skills shortage and has been for some time. Therefore our first challenge was to recruit and select excellent local people, which we did by advertising, through jobs fairs and other means, with our focus very much on local labour in the West Midlands area.

We found that networking, PR opportunities and other channels were crucial in helping us to start the process of building our name in the West Midlands. Important in all this has been the appointment of business development manager Andrea Jones, who is based in the West Midlands and who has developed relationships with West Midlands clients and professional services. She’s attended local conferences, exhibitions, and met clients, along with members of the senior management team who have supported her proactively.

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J.TOMLINSON

In spite of being a relative new comer to the region when compared to others who are more established in the area, J Tomlinson’s approach of offering ‘integrated solutions’ has been another plus point in helping the business to settle down and flourish in the West Midlands.

Devolution offers a significant opportunity for the whole of the Midlands, and the company is pleased to be well placed to take advantage of this.

WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER TO ATTRACT AS MUCH INVESTMENT INTO THE WHOLE OF THE AREA FOR THE BENEFIT OF EVERYONE LIVING AND WORKING HERE. WITH THE WEST MIDLANDS COMBINED AUTHORITY AND PLANS FOR A NORTH MIDLANDS COMBINED AUTHORITY (NOTTINGHAMSHIRE AND DERBYSHIRE), WE BELIEVE, AS A MIDLANDS-WIDE CONTRACTOR, THAT THERE ARE GREAT OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE AREAS AS A WHOLE TO BETTER COMPETE WITH THE NORTHERN POWERHOUSE OR EVEN LONDON.

Awarded 2014

Gold Awarded Awarded 20142014

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DOCK College - Leicester Court - Leicester

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Sustainable development

College Court - Leicester

• Experts in construction, residential development and property support services • £2.4m invested each year on training staff

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ely owned • One of the largest privately owned • Employing nearly 100 management trainees • Employing nearly 100 management trainees City Hall,and Leicester City Council cialising in Loughborough companies in the UK specialising in andCollege 64 apprentices 64 apprentices nt and support construction, development and support services • First Carbon Neutral construction and • First Carbon Neutral construction and DOCK - Leicester College Court - Leicester support services company in the UK support services company in the UK on training staff • £2m invested each year on training staff (Carbon Trust standards) (Carbon Trust standards)

the Midlands with he last year with across the region

• Over 1000 in the Midlands with • Over £1memployees invested each year in Research 100 new jobs created in the last year with and Development plans to recruit 200 more across the region in 2014

year invested in gh the Willmott

• Equivalent of over £1m a year invested in local communities through the Willmott Dixon Foundation

• Over £1m invested each year in Research and Development

www.willmottdixon .co.uk privately owned @willmottdixon www.willmottdixon .co.uk @willmottdixon @WDMidlands • One of thelinkedin.com largest • Employing nearly 100 management trainees companies in the UK specialising in and 64 apprentices construction, development and support services • First Carbon Neutral construction and support services company in the UK • £2m invested each year on training staff (Carbon Trust standards) • Over 1000 employees in the Midlands with 100 new jobs created in the last year with plans to recruit 200 more across the region in 2014

• £2.27m invested into local communities • 1,854 young people mentored • 6,000 training places created through the Willmott Dixon 4Life Academy • First Carbon Neutral construction and support services company in the UK (Carbon Trust Standards) • 1,632 of our supply chain partners have gained learning and skills through the Supply Chain Sustainability School, of which we were one of the founders

www.willmottdixon.co.uk

• Over £1m invested each year in Research and Development

• Equivalent of over £1m a year invested in local communities through the Willmott Dixon Foundation

Allen Archaeology is an independant archaeological contractor and linkedin.com www.willmottdixon .co.uk @willmottdixon consultant that specialises in providing safe, innovative and cost-effective solutions to heritage planning throughout the UK. We work closely with our clients from an early point in the design and construction RIBA plan ofwork stages to manage risk and ensure no time delays or unexpected cost issues.

A Registered Organisation within the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists and a member of the Utilities Vendor Database (UVDB), providing the following services: • • • • •

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FOCUS

ASSET OWNERS: THE REAL WINNERS IN INCREASINGLY FAVOURABLE DEBT MARKETS The benign interest rate environment, improving strength of bank balance sheets, the growth of alternative debt providers and the relative lack of domestic M&A activity has created the most favourable debt market in a decade. Borrowers are currently able to take advantage of high liquidity and some of the cheapest debt in history.

The real winners in these debt markets are those companies that can offer asset backing.

Those capital intensive businesses that were so constrained in the credit crunch like housebuilders and property developers are, increasingly, the darlings of the lending marketplace. The security of bricks and mortar backing, coupled with high operating margins has made these sectors a real target for debt providers, especially when you consider how relatively easy it is to lend large sums of money to quite small businesses.

As debt advisors, we have seen a marked and growing uptick in appetite for development risk with some lending approaching, and even exceeding, 90% loan to cost ratios.

The growing confidence of lenders is beginning to unlock projects that have laid dormant since the credit crunch and is facilitating the roll out of growth strategies that have previously been hampered by the availability of capital.

There are a growing number of bank and non-bank lenders who are supporting companies to achieve their objectives with increasing leverage and flexibility. Their appetite is supported by strong current or projected interest coverage, growing confidence in demand dynamics and a willingness to take ultimate recovery from liquidating the underlying asset.

However, asset owners should spare a thought for borrowers further down the supply chain, where the debt markets can feel very different. Margin pressure and performance volatility has had a significant impact on lender appetite in the construction sector. For example, businesses in the sector that have relied on their profitability and cashflow to support their borrowings continue to struggle to attract debt for much more than meeting their working capital needs.

IT WOULD BE REMISS TO NOT END WITH A NOTE OF CAUTION ON VERY RECENT EVENTS AT A MACROECONOMIC LEVEL. WHILST GLOBAL GROWTH WORRIES TAKE A WHILE TO FEED THROUGH TO LOCAL LENDER BEHAVIOUR, CAPITAL MARKETS’ VOLATILITY, COMMODITY PRICE UNCERTAINTY AND THE THREAT OF BREXIT MAY UNSETTLE OTHERWISE ROBUST SUPPLY DYNAMICS IN THE DEBT MARKETS.

John Miesner Director, KPMG Debt Advisory John.miesner@kpmg.co.uk

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FOCUS MONTAGUE HOUSE, RUGBY – A RETURN TO CONCRETE Back in the summer of 2011, design work began for a new purpose-built head office for regional solicitors firm Brethertons. The idea of the project was to combine all three of their Rugby tenancies into one new building with the key drivers being to create a modern, environmentally conscious building that is economical to run.

Working on a constricted site meant that there was little room for space hungry air conditioning and ventilation equipment.

This led to the concept of using exposed concrete to act as ‘thermal mass’ – thereby avoiding comfort cooling in most general office areas. In-house M&E and Sustainability Manager of Stepnell, Glen Irwin, worked with HB Architects, who are local to the area, as well as M&E Consultant Qoda to develop the strategy. Dynamic thermal simulation modelling was used to test the concepts and to optimise the built form and facade design. The 1,616 m2 three-storey building is designed to complement the local Rugby School Conservation Area – featuring polychromatic brickwork as a nod to local historic architecture. The building comprises an open-plan, flexible design with break-out rooms and individual client

meeting rooms. The building encompasses a concrete frame, with concrete floors and roof, including cast insitu pitched roof sections along with masonry walls, which incorporate elements of structural glazing, with high performance glass.

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STEPNELL

As painted concrete was to be the final finish this represented a challenge and needed much attention to detail in terms of formwork. The facilities team were involved from the moment work started on site, with regular tours of the location to gain knowledge of the building and systems being installed.

The building’s exposed concrete elements absorb heat during the day, with automated motorised louvres purging the stored heat at night. Concrete has an enormous

capacity for heat absorption but also has a relatively high resistance, so it absorbs heat very slowly. Heat gains have to be reduced in naturally ventilated buildings, in order to achieve this a brise soleil was added to provide shading to south-facing windows. Mature deciduous trees were also retained by the building to provide shade to west-facing glazing in summer, whilst allowing good daylighting in winter after leaves have fallen.

In order to meet the sustainability requirements of the building, the roof has been fitted with photovoltaic cells. The cells produce an output of 8,500 kWh per year, which is sufficient to power all 100 PCs for a total of six months of the year. In order to meet high standards of water conservation waterless urinals were incorporated into the

build. This also proved very economical in operating costs.

The internal environment of the structure is light and airy, with good daylighting, coupled with energy saving daylight controlled lighting. Due to exposed concrete soffits, all cabling and pipework is concealed below a fully flexible 300mm deep timber raised floor.

Many complexities in controls were purposely stripped back – making systems easier to understand and defaulting to robust and comfortable internal conditions.

Manual override facilities are provided on the simple BMS and the building is also regularly monitored remotely. These factors help to enable the fine tuning of controls settings as the building stands through the seasons. Some spaces such as conference rooms do have comfort cooling, however, the use of thermal mass and natural ventilation is still provided in these rooms to limit its use to the hottest days. Some of

the less densely occupied meeting rooms use the natural cooling effect of the below floor concrete, with simple low energy fans, triggered by PIR, drawing air direct from the floor void.

The internal temperatures of the finished build have been proven to be comfortable – on the hottest day in 2015 when it reached 34.5 oC externally in Rugby, the internal temperature peaked at 28.5 oC. The building incorporates the main IT infrastructure for Brethertons, however, despite the relatively significant loads from the IT servers, a high ‘B’ EPC Rating has been achieved, meeting the shared objective of a low energy building with reduced complex maintenance issues.

FOCUS MONTAGUE HOUSE SURPASSED THE BRIEF IN TERMS OF PRODUCING A MODERN, CLEAN, BRIGHT AND AIRY BUILDING WHICH IS ECONOMICAL TO RUN AND MINIMISES ITS CARBON FOOTPRINT. THE BUILDING IS SHORTLISTED FOR THE CELEBRATING CONSTRUCTION AWARDS UNDER THE VALUE AND SUSTAINABILITY CATEGORIES. GLEN IRWIN CHAIRS THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT HUB ENERGY EFFICIENCY FORUM.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ATTENDING THE AWARDS OR THE SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE, VISIT: www.celebratingconstructionawards.org

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Technical expertise and innovative thinking enables us to develop solutions that support complex projects where clients require a construction partner who understands their business and shares their aspirations.

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EVENTS THE MIDLANDS CONSTRUCTION SUMMIT AND EXPO – BRINGING TOGETHER THE MIDLANDS CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY The Midlands Construction Summit is to be held on 20th September 2016 at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry.

FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE SUMMIT WILL BE HELD ALONGSIDE THE MIDLANDS CONSTRUCTION EXPO. THE COMBINED CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION WILL BRING TOGETHER A RANGE OF SUPPLY CHAIN SPECIALISTS AND INDUSTRY LEADERS TO DISCUSS TOPICAL ISSUES IN THE MIDLANDS CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY. THIS YEAR’S SUMMIT IS TO BE BASED AROUND THREE KEY THEMES: 1. IMAGE Image is an ongoing concern for the UK construction industry. There is a growing need for the sector to change perceptions in order for it to become appealing to the younger generation. For an industry that is making such huge advances in technology through the use of Building Information Modelling (BIM) and offsite construction, the sector is often still viewed as high vis jackets, muddy boots and cold construction sites. It is crucial that the industry demonstrates emerging opportunities that relate to technology and factory based construction. The proportion of women has also recently reached a three year low with women now only making up 11.2% of the construction workforce. It is clear that the industry is crying out for new workers and that it must try to embrace and attract a broad, more diverse, working population.

2. PRODUCTIVITY Productivity is directly affected by a wider range of factors, including; skills, resource, planning, logistics and supply chain efficiency. The global digital revolution offers much to the construction sector in terms of fostering innovation and improving productivity within the sector. BIM and the Internet of Things (IoT) are the two most obvious areas which are beginning to encourage more innovative ways of working. Collaboration throughout supply chains and addressing the efficient use of new technologies will both help towards the improvement of productivity.

3. SKILLS Skills in construction are linked directly to image. The UK’s construction industry is facing its greatest skills crisis since 1998, according to a survey released by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). Bricklayers and quantity surveyors are currently in the shortest supply. With the industry growing steadily through an increase in construction projects, particularly in private housing and commercial, it is crucial that the skills gap is addressed and young, talented individuals are trained and brought into the sector.

These three issues and more will all be discussed at this year’s Midlands Construction Summit with additional focus being on the innovative, new Midlands Engine strategy set out by the Government with the view for regional stakeholders to work together more closely to achieve greater regional economic growth and productivity improvement.

TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE MIDLANDS CONSTRUCTION SUMMIT AND EXPO PLEASE VISIT THE WEBSITE: www.midlandsconstructionsummit.co.uk

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BUILT ENVIRONMENT MAGAZINE

20 SEPTEMBER 2016 - RICOH ARENA, COVENTRY

MIDLANDS CONSTRUCTION SUMMIT

In its third year, the Midlands Construction Summit will be an informative and interactive day, where the Midlands construction industry and associated supply chain will gather to address three key themes:

• PRODUCTIVITY • SKILLS • IMAGE

Tickets just £95 plus VAT and include;

MIDLANDS CONSTRUCTION EXPO

New for 2016, the Midlands Construction Expo is taking place alongside the Midlands Construction Summit – making this the most important event on the Midlands construction calendar dedicated exclusively to the region.

The Expo is a full day brimming with the latest products, innovations and developments across the Midlands.

Exhibitor packages cost just £600 plus VAT for a 3m x 1.5m space only.

entry into the conference and exhibition, parking, lunch and refreshments throughout.

To book your package call: 01743 290001

To book your place, visit:

Entry into the Expo ONLY is FREE – register online at:

www.midlandsconstructionsummit.co.uk

www.midlandsconstructionexpo.co.uk

Event Partners:

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