BDP replaced as architect on £600m new Leeds hospitals
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has replaced BDP as architect of its £600m children and adults hospitals at the Leeds General infirmary site.
BDP was confirmed as preferred bidder for the scheme last month when initial designs were unveiled – but has now been replaced by a rival team.
The trust said: “Following a period of preferred bidder engagement the Trust has not been able to progress these discussions and in line with procurement best practice, started preferred bidder conversations with the Perkins & Will team, led by Penoyre & Prasad with Schmidt Hammer Lassen, who have now been appointed as the preferred bidder and will design the new hospitals in a once in a generation development opportunity for Leeds and the wider region.”
Simon Worthington, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Director of Finance and Senior Responsible Officer for the Hospitals of the Future Project, said: “We were unable to proceed with one of our tenderers but, in accordance with good procurement practice the right thing to do was to follow due process and this has resulted in the Perkins and Will team being appointed as the Trust’s Preferred Bidder to take forward this design opportunity.
“The competition process to appoint an architect was very strong with a number of international practices taking part which meant we received some exceptional concept designs. The Perkins and Will concept design is very exciting and will create a fantastic landmark for the hospital and the city of Leeds and we are delighted to be working with them to create the new hospitals.”
Perkins & Will Managing Principal, Mark Rowe, said: “It’s obviously a huge privilege to be entrusted with the design of such a prominent site in one of the country’s most important cities.
“Working closely with the Trust, we believe we can deliver an outstanding building that not only supports exemplary clinical care and treatment but that over time can become as cherished a part of the Leeds cityscape as George Gilbert Scott’s exemplary original hospital.”
The Trust is planning to start construction in 2023, enabling it to align with the Government’s New Hospital Programme and benefit from the collaborative approach of working at scale, allowing it to share its experience with other less developed schemes, in areas such as digital technology, sustainability and modern methods of construction.
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£25m Cardiff coastal defence bid contest starts
Contractors are being invited to bid for a £25m coastal defence scheme to save large parts of Cardiff from floods.
Cardiff Council is planning to replace existing defences along the mouth of the Rhymney River, due to erosion and growing risks of flooding from climate change.
The plans include putting 100,000 tonnes of rock on the coastline, raising the riverbank behind and raising embankments next to a highway.
Works could begin on site by next Spring, and finish by October 2023. The Welsh Government will fund 85% of the works with the council paying the rest.Firms wishing to express an interest in bidding can click here.
Government starts race for £30bn mega framework
The Crown Commercial Service has started the tender race for its ProCure23 and major project framework for public spending departments.
The fourth-generation ProCure23 element for the NHS will be split into three lots, while two other lots in the bundled tender will cover MoD airfield works and major construction projects valued at more than £80m.
The final major projects lot will account for the majority of total forecast spend over the 56-month lifetime of the frameworks at £20bn.
These last two lots are effectively a partial refresh and expansion of the Government’s Construction Works and Associated Services framework to provide extra market capacity and usher in principles in the Construction Playbook.
A webinar is planned for 4 October to launch the contest.
Framework lots
P23 value-based lots:
1. projects under £20m; split into seven regions (Value £3bn)
2. projects £20-£70; 8 places (£3bn)
3. projects over £70m+: 8 places (3bn)
Construction Works and Associated Services 2
4. Airfield Works – national lot; 6 places (£1bn)
5. General construction over £80m; 20 places (£20bn)
Building on past iterations, P23 is hoped to bring the latest best practice in construction methods to the NHS and focuses on delivering greener facilities, reducing carbon emissions and promoting social value.
The present P22 arrangement is shared by six firms: BAM, Galliford Try, Graham, Tilbury Douglas, Kier and Vinci/Sir Robert McAlpine joint venture IHP.
In its 19 year history, the ProCure framework has successfully delivered more than 1,200 projects across England, with a cumulative spend of £9.7bn, and ProCure23 will build this heritage into a third decade.
For more information click here.
Those interested in attending the webinar session please express your interest by emailing [email protected]
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Balfour lands latest £52m deal to ‘rewire London’
Balfour Beatty has been awarded a £52m contract by National Grid to deliver essential cabling works as part of the London Power Tunnels 2 project.
Balfour delivered the cabling works for phase one of the project, north of the Thames, in 2017 and will now start on the second phase of the scheme to ‘rewire London and connect with the capital’.
Works will include installing 200km of 400kV cables within a 32.5-kilometer tunnel network, deep below the ground between Wimbledon and Crayford.
Connecting several substations across the city, the cables will run through an underground tunnel network to minimise disruption to local communities and the travelling public when future maintenance and repair works are required.
Balfour Beatty will deploy the second generation of its Automated Cable Installation Equipment (ACIE) machine.
Developed in-house and utilised on the first phase of the scheme, the second-generation machine features laser sensors and cameras to improve the speed and quality of the works.
The ACIE has also revolutionised the safety of tunnel cable installation works by reducing the number of people required within the underground tunnels manually installing the cables.
Ian Currie, Managing Director of Balfour Beatty’s Power Transmission and Distribution business said: “We are delighted to be working with National Grid once again. Our world leading expertise and innovation in tunnel cable installation, combined with our deep sector knowledge, makes us ideally positioned to successfully deliver this critical piece of national infrastructure.”
Cable installation work will begin in January 2023 with the full package of works expected to be completed in 2026. At peak construction, Balfour Beatty will employ a workforce of around 150 people, as well as approximately eight apprentices.
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Glasgow launches £30bn ‘Greenprint for Investment’
Glasgow City Council has set out a £30bn portfolio of investment projects designed to aid the city’s ambition of becoming net-zero by 2030.
The green plan pinpoints key projects to transform the city. These include building a Glasgow metro to service the city and wider region, construction of a ‘green cap’ above the M8 at Charing Cross to open public realm over the motorway and a city-wide £10bn retrofit programme.
Cllr Susan Aitken, Leader of Glasgow City Council said: “A core element of Glasgow’s Green Deal our ‘Greenprint’ brings together transformational, investable and shovel-ready projects.
‘From an entire new transport system better connecting citizens to opportunities, generating renewable energy from the River Clyde and upgrading hundreds of thousands of homes across our city region, the Greenprint projects will deliver the infrastructure necessary for a low carbon, climate-resilient future.”
10 featured projects in the Greenprint
Glasgow City Region Home Energy Retrofit Programme
A ten-year £10bn programme to upgrade the insulation of all homes in the Glasgow City Region to achieve net zero carbon emissions. The project explores the use of innovative renewable technologies to deliver clean energy.
Glasgow’s District Heating Network
Build a wider district heating network. Two key projects in Polmadie and Gorbals Districts act as testbeds and a unique and innovative proposal to harness the power of the River Clyde for the city’s heat demands is underway.
Climate Neutral Innovation District
The University of Strathclyde is leading an ambitious project to make the Glasgow City Innovation District 100% climate neutral and climate resilient.
Charing Cross M8 Green Infrastructure Cap
Revitalise and re-green the city’s public realm including a cap over a major interchange of the M8, the busiest motorway in Scotland.
Glasgow Metro
A new transport provision that will improve connectivity within Glasgow and the wider City Region encompassing a population of 1.8 million.
Scottish Event Campus (SEC) Expansion
£180m expansion plans including an ambitious energy concept aim to turn the SEC into one of the world’s most sustainable campuses and includes several globally competitive and cutting-edge conference and exhibition innovations.
Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland
With outline planning permission and on-site enabling works, around £150m will be invested in an emerging centre of excellence and innovation as part of Scotland’s answer to balancing manufacturing requirements while meeting net zero commitments.
Micro Park Apparel Project
Micro Park will aim to create a new location for fashion production in the UK, embedding circularity across all areas of activity including resource use, textile and fibre reuse and packaging.
Green Regeneration and Innovation District
As Scotland’s first Green Regeneration and Innovation District, Clyde Gateway offers investment opportunities in this regeneration areas across all sectors including commercial, residential and hotel, will encourage circularity in the built environment.
Clyde Climate Forest
The Clyde Climate Forest aims to plant 18m trees in Glasgow City Region over the next decade, significantly increasing the extent of atmospheric carbon fixation through tree growth in the region.
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Five in race for £1.9bn Lower Thames Crossing road deals
National Highways has confirmed the five companies shortlisted for two road contracts worth a combined £1.9bn to design and build routes north and south of the river on the proposed Lower Thames Crossing.
The bidders being invited to tender are:
Kent Roads (Lot 1 – £600m)BFV JV; comprising of BAM Nuttall, Ferrovial Construction (UK) Ltd and VINCI Construction Grands Projets CostainKier Eiffage (KEJV); comprising of Kier Highways and Eiffage Génie CivilSkanska Construction UK
Roads North of the Thames (Lot 2 – £1.3bn)
Balfour Beatty Civil EngineeringKier Eiffage (KEJV); comprising of Kier Highways and Eiffage Génie Civil
The £600m Kent Roads contract is a two-stage design and build contract for the part of the route from the A2/M2 corridor to 1km south of the southern tunnel entrance, with strategic utilities and environmental interfaces
The £1.3 billion Roads North of the Thames contract, is also a two-stage design and build contract delivering the route from 1km north of the northern tunnel entrance to Junction 29 of the M25. New link roads are required to connect the route with the M25, A13 and A1089
The shortlist for the £2bn tunnel contract connecting the two roads was revealed earlier this year.
The successful bidders will design and build a total of 14.3 miles of new roads that will connect the longest road tunnel in the UK to the strategic road network.
Matt Palmer, Lower Thames Crossing Executive Director, said “The Lower Thames Crossing is the most ambitious road project this country has seen since the M25 was completed 35 years ago.
“These contracts show our commitment to this project, which will support 22,000 jobs during its construction and provide a huge economic boost to the UK economy when it opens for traffic.
“Our challenge is to build a new crossing that not only supports the next generation of low carbon vehicles but also allows us to enhance the natural environment and leave a positive legacy for generations to come.
“We look forward to this next stage of the procurement process with the five shortlisted companies and hope the final bids match our aspirations.”
Mace confirmed for Mayfair super prime resi scheme
Property developer Caudwell has confirmed Mace as construction manager for its super prime Audley Square development in Mayfair.
The development by Phones4U entrepreneur John Caudwell will create 29 residences with completion scheduled for late 2025.
Caudwell’s ambition for Audley Square is to create the finest residential building in Mayfair to be built in recent decades.
The seven storey building has been designed by New York-based architect Robert AM Stern and the façade will be finely crafted with inspiration taken from Mayfair’s heritage.
PJ Carey has been working on the substructure and superstructure under a £60m contract, with specialist EDM also on board to deliver a Portland stone façade with balustrades, ornamental fretwork etched onto the frontage and curved balconies.
Careys has just started construction of the basement slab for the planned concrete frame
Audley Square is the second prime real estate appointment in Mayfair for Mace this year, following the successful award to deliver 38 Berkeley Square, a new prime commercial office building on behalf of developer Astrea last month.
Andy Jones, Managing Director for Major Projects at Mace, said: “Audley Square is a mesmerising residential development.
“Following successive super-prime project completions, Mace has a deep and rounded project and people experience in this niche delivery space.
“We’re confident that our technical expertise and Caudwell’s vision will further enhance Mayfair with this standout collection of residences at Audley Square. We look forward to working with Caudwell and delivering a true once in a lifetime project.
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Akela Group moves into England with new Leeds hub
Scottish civils contractor Akela Group is moving into the English market with the opening of a new division in Leeds.
The new North of England hub will lead expansion plans outside of Akela’s traditional Scottish base.
The firm expects its business to grow by 10% over the next two years as a result of the move.
The new Leeds team will be led by Construction Manager, Martin Leahy, who brings over 15 years industry experience having previously worked with the Robertson Group and Laing O’Rourke.
Group company Akela Ground Engineering has secured its first contract at Knaresborough in the North of Yorkshire and is currently tendering for a variety of new housing and commercial build contracts throughout the county.
Across Scotland the Akela Group currently employs 300 staff providing civil engineering, construction, piling and training services.
Mark Markey, Akela Group Managing Director, said: “We are delighted to see our long term ambition to expand and grow the company in front of a UK audience come to fruition. We are seeing increased levels of demand for the wide range of ground engineering and civil engineering services, particularly in the North of England and we are well placed to meet that growing demand.
“The opening of the Leeds hub presents an excellent growth opportunity for the Akela Group and it will bring an abundance of employment opportunities and economic benefits to the region and beyond.”
Leahy said: “It’s an exciting time for the Akela Group and there is a huge opportunity to grow the business in the North and I am delighted to be leading the team at the new Leeds hub.
“I am passionate about collaboration and delivering insightful solutions for clients and l look forward to working on a wide range of projects as we realise the growth ambitions in the North of England.”
New investors to drive growth at Nixon Hire
Site equipment specialist Nixon Hire has announced an investment by Pricoa Private Capital in the business.
Pricoa is the private capital business of Prudential Financial, Inc – one of the largest life insurance and financial services firms in the world.
This deal benefits customers, employees and industry stakeholders as the investment accelerates Nixon Hire’s growth strategy. The directors and senior management team will also be invested in the company alongside Pricoa.
The partnership with Pricoa was instigated to facilitate the exit of three Nixon Hire shareholders and consolidate the shareholding of Graham Nixon, CEO and his father, the founder of Nixon Hire, John Nixon.
Graham and John Nixon remain significant majority shareholders and are now looking to take the business to the next level following its 54 year history as a 100% family owned company.
Graham Nixon, CEO of Nixon Hire said: “We have significant ambitions for the business and this partnership will enable us to accelerate our strategic plans to retain and attract new talent as well as grow our product and depot network. We will look to serve our customers better than ever before, as we invest further in our business.
“It’s a great balance, we have the benefit of remaining a family business as well as access to the expertise of Pricoa.
“We warmly welcome Pricoa as a strategic partner and are excited to work with them to unlock the further potential of Nixon Hire.”
Ed Barker, Senior Vice President at Pricoa, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Graham and his team, and we match their ambitions to grow Nixon whilst remaining true to the heritage of the business.
“Pricoa’s strategy is based on close relationships with strong management teams and solid companies, and we hope to be able to help Nixon on the next step of its strategic journey. This investment is positive for all Nixon stakeholders and we look forward to continuing the business’ long-established positive presence in the UK equipment hire markets.”
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PERI lets engineers get hands-on
PERI has held its first CPD (continuing professional development) event to give engineers from Richter and 48.3 Scaffolding Design Limited an insight into its scaffolding range and applications.
The event was held at PERI’s new £15m facility in Brentwood, allowing attendees to get closer to the temporary works systems they are used to working with on screen.
The agenda involved a blend of product knowledge and practical exercises, which gave the engineers a better understanding of how scaffold and formwork designs impact the end user and the construction process on site.
Graduate Engineer at Richter, Huda Lohiya, said: “I found the workshop really useful; any time I had a question I didn’t feel embarrassed to ask it, which is really important, especially as a woman in engineering.
“Being able to implement the components and put them together during the practical exercise has helped me to understand some of the struggles on site. So now, when I think about designing a project, I’m thinking of ways to simplify the process and how I can make it easier for those building the system.”
Charles Stratford, Business Development Manager – PERI UP, added: “In today’s world, it’s really important that we share our knowledge and work collaboratively with the whole supply chain. The days are gone where you stand alone in winning major projects and promoting safe working practices.
“We feel it’s important that engineers have a full appreciation of weight, buildability, and the integration with other systems to be able to put the best design forward.
“We’ve had a lot of positive feedback around the event, and we look forward to hosting more days like this where we can support the next generation of industry workers as we strive to make the construction process more efficient and safer.”