N G Bailey raids SES for new London director
Building services contractor NG Bailey has hired former SES building services director Matthew Towner as regional director for London.
Towner has worked as operations director for the London region of SES Engineering Services for the past three and a half years.
He has also previously held senior operational roles at Balfour Beatty Engineering Services and Lorne Stuart.
Towner said: “I’m excited to be joining the team in London after admiring the work they’ve done on projects such as Wood Wharf and London Bridge Station.”
NG Bailey also appointed Andrew French as director of ICT. He joins after three years as technology and IT director at MWH Treatment.
His role will see him overseeing the continued development and modernisation of the company’s ICT systems and infrastructure to maintain its position as an industry leader.
ISG starts work on electric car battery gigaplant
ISG has started enabling works this morning on a battery gigaplant for manufacturer Britishvolt in Cambois, Northumberland.
Sources estimate the 2.7m sq ft factory project, which has been designed by Italian architect Pininfarina, could be worth approaching £300m.
Richard McDonell, Britishvolt Project Director, said: “Today is a historic day as it marks the start of construction on the UK’s premier Gigaplant, Britishvolt – a landmark event for UK manufacturing and the automotive industry on the road to zero.
“It is a pleasure to see our tier one construction partner ISG, and its world-class workforce, commence preliminary works on site ahead of the main construction programme, which we anticipate will start in late autumn/early winter.
“This initial phase will see the site cleared and preparatory work carried out for the services and infrastructure that will support construction activity.”
Main construction work will see more than 2,500 people involved in the project.
Peter Millett, High Tech Managing Director for ISG’s Engineering Services business said: “The positive momentum, passion and sense of genuine excitement that underpins this nationally important project is driving the entire team forward at pace, and this significant construction milestone demonstrates our collective commitment to UK manufacturing and to supporting communities across Northumberland.
“This is the starting point for the transformation of a disused site in Cambois with a legacy in the industrial past, that from today will become a beacon for innovation and advanced manufacturing right here in the North East.”
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C Spencer runs up loss after revenue drops 30%
Hull-based multi-engineering contractor C Spencer Engineering Group has recorded a loss for the fourth year running after revenue plunged 30% to £46m.
The business suffered a £1.7m loss in the year to April 2021 as a result of the pandemic.
But a post year-end contract dispute settlement for £3.8m for unpaid works gave the business a major boost in funds enhancing working capital.
The successful outcome of the legal case believed to be with MW High Tech Projects UK over the Energy Works (Hull) incinerator plant should also release a further £1.25 of cash held as security for bonds on ongoing contracts.
The group entered the new financial year with secured work of £53m and a pipeline of £188m.
Chairman and founder Charlie Spencer said: “While there has been a short term, sharp disruption in activity in 2020 as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic, general market activity is expected to remain positive in all sectors with Government’s committed spending in transportation, particularly the rail sector and the enhancement of existing provision of new rail infrastructure and maintenance providing significant future construction opportunities for the group.
“The structural repair, refurbishment and maintenance of bridges also provides a strong future pipeline of opportunities in a sector where the group has earned an excellent reputation for providing innovative access solutions that provide a competitive advantage.”
He added that the group’s subsidiary Slipform Engineering was undertaking concrete core construction for several high-rise projects throughout the UK with the board expecting significant growth as its market presence develops.
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Labour shortages could last for next two years
Business leaders are warning that labour supply problems could last for up to two years and will not be solved by the end of the furlough scheme.
CBI Director-General Tony Danker called on government to to get a grip on the situation as shortages hit construction and all other industries.
He said: “Labour shortages are biting right across the economy. While the CBI and other economists still predict growth returning to pre-pandemic levels later this year, furlough ending is not the panacea some people think will magically fill labour supply gaps.
“These shortages are already affecting business operations and will have a negative impact on the UK’s economic recovery.
“Other European countries are also experiencing staffing shortages as their economies bounce back. In the UK, many overseas workers left during the pandemic and new immigration rules make replacing those who left more complex.
“Building a more innovative economy – coupled with better training and education – can sustainably improve business performance, wages and living standards. But transformation on this scale requires planning and takes time.
“The Government’s ambition that the UK economy should become more high-skilled and productive is right. But implying that this can be achieved overnight is simply wrong. And a refusal to deploy temporary and targeted interventions to enable economic recovery is self-defeating.
“Using existing levers at the UK’s control – like placing drivers, welders, butchers and bricklayers on the Shortage Occupation List – could make a real difference.
“The Government promised an immigration system that would focus on the skills we need rather than unrestrained access to overseas labour. Yet here we have obvious and short-term skilled need but a system that can’t seem to respond.
“Great economies like great businesses can walk and chew gum. We need short-term fixes to spur recovery and long-term reforms to change our economic model.”
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Builder breaks back in fall from work platform
A building contractor and roofing specialist have been fined after an employee fell five metres from a first-floor extension breaking several vertebrae in his lower back.
Liverpool Magistrates Court heard that on 11 June 2018, Grayton Building Contractors Ltd was undertaking a first-floor extension to a residential bungalow in Aughton.
An employee was fitting fascia boards and soffits to allow roofers employed by Thomas Dean, who had arrived on site a week early, to commence work.
While stepping across a gap in the incomplete working platform to descend from the roof, the ladder, which was not tied, slipped sideways, causing him to fall. As a result of his injuries he was unable to work for eight weeks.
An HSE investigation found that both Grayton Building Contractors Ltd and the roofing contractor Thomas Dean failed to properly plan the work, to assess the risks and to provide appropriate supervision. Subsequently the work at height equipment selected was not suitable and the work was not carried out safely.
Grayton Building Contractors Ltd of Southport pleaded guilty to safety breaches and was fined £15,000 and ordered to pay costs of £3,742
Thomas Dean of Merseyside also pleaded guilty and was fined £400 and ordered to pay costs of £3,000.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Andy McGrory said: “The risks from working at height are well known. Those in control of the work have a responsibility to devise safe methods of working, which should include ensuring the use of suitable work equipment and adequate supervision.
“The incident could have easily been prevented with simple precautions including properly planning the work, undertaking a suitable risk assessment and by selecting, erecting and using suitable work at height equipment for the job.”
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Barratt ramps up MMC homes target to 30% by 2025
Britain’s biggest house builder is raising its target to build homes using modern methods of construction to 30% by 2025.
The firm previously targeted one in four homes using MMC by 2025 but delivered this early this year following the roll out a series of new housing types to allow a switch to greater use of offsite production and standardised product use.
Its success in switching to greater offsite production was revealed as it reported construction activity returned to near normal production in strong end-of-year results.
Over the year to June 2021, home completions returned to 17,243, just 3% down on 2019 levels and 37% higher than the 2020 shutdown impacted total.
This saw revenue return to £4.8bn, delivering a £812m pre-tax profit, 11% down on 2019.
David Thomas, chief executive of Barratt, said that during the year Barratt delivered 4,393 homes using MMC, equating to 25% of its total home completions (2020: 2,652 homes and 21% of total home completions).
“MMC provides opportunities to address the skills shortage facing the industry, diversify the types of materials we use and build with greater speed and efficiency.
“We will accelerate our roll out of MMC to deliver 30% of completions from MMC by 2025.
He said Barratt had now applied one or more MMC solutions to over 100 sites giving it confidence it could gear up to accelerate the rollout in the face of building costs expected to rise by 5% this year.
“This accumulation of knowledge and experience has allowed us to define the criteria needed to unlock the benefits of MMC and deliver a successful site in terms of build efficiency and sales.”
Thomas added: “As a result, we are now able to use MMC on the right sites to compete with traditional brick and block construction, mainly due to the time savings we have been able to obtain.”
Units delivered using MMC used during the year.
MMCFY21FY20Timber frame3,0032,031Roof cassettes696269Offsite ground floors360143Large format block334209Total4,3932,652Percentage of completions25%21%He added that timber frame homes were a key aspect of Barratt’s MMC and carbon reduction strategy.
Barratt aims to lift timber frame production after buying offsite specialist Oregon in 2019
“We recognise that there remains more research to be done in exploring the advantages of MMC, in terms of design, construction, and use through the whole life of a building.
“We recognise it is critical that the whole sector takes on MMC and delivers robust solutions, and the importance of knowledge sharing.”
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Surging demand sees JCB “sold out until next year”
JCB said most of its products are now sold out until next year as demand hits historic highs.
The machinery giant is recruiting another 100 new welders for its Staffordshire factories in a bid to keep up with orders.
So far this year JCB has recruited 1,350 new shop floor employees and handed permanent contracts to 1,000 agency employees.
The firm said “demand for JCB machines has reached historic highs with most products now sold out until next year.”
Mark Turner, JCB Chief Operating Officer, said: “We are delighted to be building on that success with the creation of 100 permanent new welders’ jobs.
“We offer some of the best conditions and pay rates in the region and with opportunities for nightshift work and overtime, this is great news for welders in the area looking to join a successful global company.”
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Vistry bags share of £5.2bn affordable homes funding – list
Homes England has selected its 31 new strategic partners to deliver grant-funded affordable homes over the next five years.
Under the Affordable Homes Programme 2021-26, Homes England is committing almost £5.2bn in affordable housing grant to 31 strategic partnerships.
Vistry is one of the new private sector partners bagging £83m to build nearly 1,500 affordable homes. Retirement specialist McCarthy & Stone and new modular housing entrant Legal and General are also among the new faces securing direct funding.
Homes England’s strategic partners will deliver nearly 90,000 grant-funded affordable homes across the country. London has decided its own extra £3.46bn funding allocations focused on councils and housing associations to deliver nearly 30,000 affordable homes over the next five years.
It is the first time that councils and for-profit providers have been able to access strategic partnership funding after a change to the rules that previously allowed only housing associations to apply.
Homes England Affordable Homes Programme grantsOrganisationGrant fundingNumber of homesAbri£250m3,218Accent£210m3,305Aster£114m1,550Bromford£240m4,000Clarion£250m4,770Curo & Swan£160m2,425EMH & Midland Heart£172m3,551Flagship£93m1,500Great Places£241m4,920Greensquare Accord£213m3,755Guinness & Stonewater£250m4,180Hyde£250m3,000Karbon£132m2,200Legal & General£126m2,121LiveWest£124m2,550Longhurst & NCHA£230m3,935McCarthy and Stone£94m1,500Metropolitan Thames Valley£623m1,500Onward£152.m3,208Orbit£104m1,500Places for People£250m4,403Platform£250m4,680Riverside£81m1,530Sage£74m1,750Sanctuary£100m2,000Sovereign£167m3,338Thirteen£191m3,270Together£250m4,047Torus£140m2,736Vistry£83m1,474Vivid£106m1,550
Peter Denton, chief executive officer at Homes England, said: “These strategic partnerships give our new partners the funding, flexibility, and confidence they need to build much needed affordable homes across the country, it also establishes a large network of organisations looking to share their skills and capabilities to expand the affordable housing sector and transform communities.
“By forming strategic partnerships with a wide range of public and private organisations, we are creating the conditions needed for institutional investment to catalyse affordable housing supply and in future give local authorities more of the tools they need to plan and act strategically, shaping their communities and building new homes.”
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KPMG facing formal complaint over Carillion audit
Accountant KPMG is facing allegations of providing “false and misleading information” during audits of collapsed contractor Carillion
The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has delivered a disciplinary Formal Complaint against KPMG LLP, a former KPMG partner and certain current and former KPMG employees.
The FRC’s investigation was opened in November 2018 after KPMG had self-reported certain matters relating to the review of the 2016 Carillion audit.
A Disciplinary Tribunal has been convened to hear the Formal Complaint and determine whether or not the respondents have committed misconduct.
The hearing is scheduled to commence on 10 January 2022.
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Wernick buys Danzer to boost site cabin production
Modular specialist Wernick has bought smaller Manchester-based rival AVDanzer to boost production of site cabins in the face of rising demand from contractors.
The new acquisition means that Wernick will add additional manufacturing capabilities and increase its fleet with more than 2,000 cabins and modular bays.
AVDanzer, also known as Danzer, supplies major infrastructure and development projects including the London Power Tunnels Project and the nuclear power station at Hinkley Point in Somerset.
Following the acquisition, Danzer will continue to operate as usual from its sites in Manchester and Langley Mill.
Danzer 60-unit welfare complex for Barking Riverside development
The manufacturing of anti-vandal steel that is currently based at Langley Mill will continue trading as AVDanzer. But its Brentwood depot will merge and become a part of Wernick’s depots in Essex and Kent.
Wernick’s Group Chairman, David Wernick, said: “We have strong admiration for Danzer’s manufacturing capability and products, and after initial discussion it quickly became apparent that both family-owned businesses share the same values of excellent customer service, outstanding product quality, focus on safety, and keeping things simple.”
