Plan submitted for 30-floor Salford resi tower
Manchester-based property developer CERT property has submitted plans for a 30-floor residential tower on Salford’s Clippers Quay.
The vertically zoned tower block, designed by OMI Architects, will offer a range of private living experiences from lower level affordable to top-floor luxury.
Local Manchester builder Domis Construction has been lined up for the project.
The lower brick-clad 9 floors will be set aside for co-living studios for people who want to try out the lifestyle available in the building with an affordable rental cost.
Above will be 15 floors of one and two-bedroom flats with high specification kitchens, bathrooms and all bills included.
In the top section of the building will be 15 luxury penthouse apartments with views Salford Quays and a top floor skybar.
In its consultation CERT said: “Successful urban areas such as Salford are seeing an influx of talented people from across the world.
“Cities have responded by delivering more city-centre residential accommodation, but these are often focused on the luxury areas of the market, meaning adults at the earlier stages of their career, or on lower incomes, may be forced to live in a less convenient and desirable location.
“Not with community living, our Clippers Quay development provides a variety of private living options for all.”
Project team
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Ameon lands £10m M&E package on twin Leeds towers
Building services specialist Ameon has landed a £10m mechanical and electrical contract from John Sisk & Son at Latitude Purple – the Hub Group’s twin-tower residential development in Leeds city centre.
Ameon will start on its 72-week phase of the contract next November and will deploy up to 80 operatives at peak on the projec.
Work will involve design and installation of the services infrastructure serving 463 residential apartments and communal areas in the 17 and 21-storey towers and the single-storey podium deck, linking the taller structures.
Ameon contracts director, Rod Bunce said: “We’ve demonstrated our capabilities on many high-rise residential tower blocks, particularly in the development hotspots of Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds in recent years; therefore I believe we’re a perfect fit for Latitude Purple, which will be a fantastic addition to the skyline of city centre Leeds.
“We’re also delighted to be working again with Sisk, with whom we have enjoyed excellent working relationships on previous projects and look forward to helping to bring Latitude Purple to life.”
Alan Rodger, Managing Director for UK North, John Sisk & Son, added: “I am delighted that we will be working with Ameon on this prestigious development for Hub Group, which will expand the city centre, and provide hundreds of quality homes for the local community.
“We have a brilliant working relationship with the company, forged on previous high-quality projects, and I am excited that we will get to strengthen that relationship further on Latitude Purple.”
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Firms on notice for 20-year Suffolk highways upkeep deal
Suffolk County Council is calling up firms for market engagement feedback ahead of inviting bids for a long-term highways maintenance deal worth up to £1bn.
Kier currently holds the contract, which is a 10-year deal expiring at the end of September 2023.
The council is enticing contractors with the prospect of a long-term 20-year deal for the highways maintenance services, worth around £50m a year.
The initial contract length is anticipated to be 10 years from October 2023 to September 2033 with the option to extend for up to a further 10 years.
Suffolk council said that it recognised the challenges involved in delivering highways services as well as the many possible approaches, lessons learned and improvements that it wanted to adopt in developing its own strategy.
A key part of the procurement the council aims to embed social benefits and the council’s aim to be carbon net zero by 2030.
Interested parties should contact the council for a copy of pre-market engagementus questionaire ahead of the Project Launch Session and/or one-to-one discussions to be held on 27-28 January.
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Midas wins new £23m warehouse for power tool giant STIHL
Midas Construction has been appointed main contractor for a new warehouse and headquarters for power tools company STIHL.
Work will see the creation of a new 11,285m2 purpose-designed facility off the A331 in Camberley, Surrey.
Construction information specialist Barbour ABI has the project valued at £23m.
The deal will allow STIHL and its local workforce of 95 employees to move from their existing premises nearby in the Yorktown area of Camberley which the company has now outgrown.
The Southampton-based Southern Division of Midas Construction is expected to begin preparatory work on site this month.
The project will deliver an automated industrial warehouse for storage of machines and spares with ancillary office and workshop space, as well as a retail display area and staff facilities such as canteen.
New road access will be constructed from the A331 into the site, together with associated parking, earthworks and landscaping.
Steve Lee, Director of Midas Construction’s Southern Division said: “We are delighted to be working with STIHL GB and to have been entrusted to deliver this important project for the company.
“As well as being a high-profile international brand, STIHL has been an important local employer in Surrey for the last four decades and we are pleased to be playing a role in this major investment by STIHL which secures its future in the area and will allow the business to continue to thrive and grow.”
Kay Green, Managing Director of STIHL GB, added: “Our new purpose-built headquarters represents a significant capital investment and is a commitment to the future for our local workforce.
“This cutting edge facility will allow us to plan for many years of future growth which will continue to benefit the local economy. We are looking forward to working with Midas Construction on this vital project.”
The new building has been designed by architects Hale to combine contemporary materials with modern and simple detailing, creating a high-quality appearance. Extensive landscaping will include habitat creation and significant tree, native shrub and wildflower planting.
The first stage of works will see Midas Construction carry out site clearance and levelling of the former Thames Water Utilities site, in readiness for a start on the main build project in February 2022.
The project is scheduled to be completed in December 2022.
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Worker loses leg after demolition roof collapse
A self-employed builder has been fined £20,000 after a contractor working for him had to have his leg amputated after a single-story roof he was demolishing by hand collapsed at a site in Cobham, Surrey.
Brighton Magistrates’ Court heard that, on the 15 April 2019, the contractor was standing on the roof of a partially demolished single-story extension of a domestic building undergoing refurbishment.
While he was on the roof, it collapsed and the worker suffered significant injuries to his right leg including a fractured tibia and fibular. Due to the damage sustained, his leg was later amputated above the knee.
An HSE investigation found there was no safe system of work in place and the demolition work had not been adequately planned. The stability of the structure during the demolition work had not been assessed, and there were no measures in place to prevent falls from the roof.
Patrick Sheehan of Walton-on-the-hill, Surrey, trading as Mastercraft Building Services, pleaded guilty to safety breaches and was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay costs of £4,383.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Leah Sullivan said: “The contractor’s injuries were life-changing and he could have easily been killed. This serious incident and the devastating effects on his life, could have been avoided if basic safe systems of work been put in place.
“Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”
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Gove declares war on construction companies
Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Michael Gove is getting tough on construction companies four-and-a-half years after the Grenfell Tower tragedy.
Gove has turned his ire on Rydon Homes and blocked them from the government’s Help to Buy home ownership scheme with immediate effect.
It means they no longer have government support and cannot market their properties to first time buyers, with the offer of government backed loans.
He thundered: “It is in the public interest to exclude Rydon Homes from the Help to Buy scheme with immediate effect given the extremely concerning evidence heard by the Grenfell Tower Inquiry about its sister company.
“The development and construction industry should be in no doubt: I will continue to go after those who put lives at risk, are responsible for the building safety crisis and are failing to play their part in fixing it. The Grenfell community and innocent leaseholders deserve better.”
Rydon was the main contractor on the refurbishment of the Grenfell Tower which was destroyed by fire in June 2017 with the loss of 72 lives.
Gove has also warned the construction industry “there will be consequences for those who are responsible for the building safety crisis and those who are failing to help fix it.”
A government statement on the ongoing Grenfell inquiry said: “The Grenfell Tower Inquiry is considering worrying evidence of potentially unacceptable practices by Rydon Maintenance Ltd – the lead contractor for the refurbishment of the Grenfell Tower – before the tragedy that occurred in 2017, in which 72 people lost their lives.
“Rydon Maintenance falls under the same parent company as Rydon Homes Ltd and has directors in common.”
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Cabinet Office review calls time on ‘wasteful’ frameworks
An independent Cabinet Office review into the proliferation and use of frameworks in construction has called for a complete overhaul of the system to end wasted time and costs for bidders.
The review conducted by a top construction legal expert reveals contractors on average are spending nearly £250,000, and some as much as £1m, on individual framework bids.
It concluded that significant cost and time is being wasted bidding for multiple, speculative construction frameworks, often not connected to specific pipelines of work.
Professor David Mosey Centre of Construction Law, King’s College London also sets out terms for a new ‘Gold Standard’ for frameworks and framework contracts.
His report published by the Government said this would drive the strategic actions needed to improve value and safety, manage risks, meet Net Zero Carbon targets and support a profitable construction industry.
Mosey scrutinised public sector construction frameworks with a combined value of £180bn and considered more than 120 written submissions and 50 interviews.
His analysis found evidence of waste, confusion and duplication in processes as well as too strong a focus on achieving the lowest price, rather than best value.
He said: “Review participants report average bid costs for each major framework of over £247,000 for contractors and over £130,000 for consultants, with a maximum of up to £1m in each case.”
On average one in four bids by contractors were successful in securing work, meaning that up to £4m would have be recovered before a supplier delivered any value at all.
“These costs, and the procurement costs incurred by clients, will be substantially reduced if government and industry clarify the scope of each framework and if they adopt a new Gold Standard for selection questionnaires, evaluation criteria, framework contracts, outcome-based performance measures and incentives,” he said.
The new ‘Gold Standard’ for frameworks and framework contracts drives the strategic actions that will improve value and safety, manage risks, meet Net Zero Carbon targets and support a profitable construction industry.
He said that employing the Gold Standard principals offered a dynamic and strategic medium for implementing Construction Playbook policies in ways that break the cycle of lost learning and deliver faster, better, greener construction.
To tackle these issues, the Gold Standard puts in place 24 recommendations, which must be met by both developers and the public sector.
Cabinet Office Minister, Lord Agnew, said: “The new Gold Standard will make sure that vital public sector developments have rigorous measures in place to make sure public money is spent well and that projects are delivered successfully.
“This will be welcomed across the public sector, the construction industry and by the public, who have a right to expect the best possible public sector projects.”
Director of Operations for the Civil Engineering Contractors Association Marie-Claude Hemming said: “We are delighted that Professor Mosey has taken on many of our members’ recommendations in his review, which will enable future frameworks to be established that will deliver improved value for money, efficiency, safety, and social value.
“Moreover, he recommends that future frameworks must focus on net zero carbon and whole life value, delivering both better environmental outcomes and value for money for our members’ clients.
The review is a result of the Construction Playbook, which was launched by the Cabinet Office in 2020 with the aim of making sure the public sector and construction industry work together better to deliver key infrastructure projects.
Click here for the ‘Constructing the Gold Standard report’.
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Breyer headhunts United Living COO
Social housing contractor Breyer Group has raided rival United Living for its new managing director.
Daren Moseley joins the Romford-based contractor after nearly nine years at United Living. most latterly in the last 18 months as chief operating officer.
As Breyer managing director he will take full day-to-day executive responsibility of the £75m turnover group with Tim Breyer moving into the role of chairman.
Chairman Breyer said “This appointment strengthens our Board and is vital to our succession planning. I am delighted to be working with such a high calibre individual as Daren and look forward to him taking us through the next phase of our growth”
Founded 60 years ago, Breyer has grown from a roofing contractor to a social housing contractor employing over 400 people.
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Ibstock fined £530,000 after worker loses hand
Ibstock Brick Ltd has been fined £530,000 for safety breaches after a worker lost his hand.
North Staffordshire Justice Centre heard how, on 28 February 2020, a maintenance engineer was in the process of polishing a metal shaft as it rotated in a manual lathe, using an emery cloth directly by hand while wearing gloves.
The cloth became entangled around the rotating shaft and dragged the engineer into the lathe resulting in his hand being severed in the machine. The engineer subsequently underwent surgical amputation below the elbow.
An HSE investigation found that there were failures in the arrangements and controls for the task performed. The risk assessment in place was not suitable and sufficient in that it did not properly assess or address entanglement risk associated with the direct manual application of emery cloth to the workpiece or the use of gloves.
There was inadequate training, instructions and supervision to ensure that the risks from entanglement with gloves or the emery cloth were prevented.
Ibstock Brick Ltd of Newcastle under Lyme pleaded guilty to safety breaches and was fined £530,000 and ordered to pay costs of £4,548.20
After the hearing, HSE inspector Marie-Louise Riley-Roberts said: “Those in control of work have a responsibility to assess risk and devise safe methods of working in which their employees should then be instructed and trained.
“If Ibstock Brick Ltd had, had effective managerial arrangements in place for the task undertaken and ensured their employees were following a safe system of work, based upon risk assessment, safe systems of work, supervision, information, instruction and training, then the life changing injuries sustained by this worker could have been prevented.
“Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards”.
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Scape puts firms on alert for £4bn net zero civils deal
Procurement body Scape is preparing to open bidding in February for spots on its third generation civil engineering framework.
The new enlarged format puts net zero carbon construction and work for local SMEs at the heart of delivery of an estimated £4bn pipeline over four years.
The re-procurement includes a £3.25bn framework for England, Wales and Northern Ireland and a separate £750m framework for Scotland, managed and operated by SCAPE Scotland.
Scape’s existing frameworks were both secured by Balfour Beatty. More than 250 projects have been commissioned to date for public sector clients, are due to expire in January 2023.
It new frameworks will allow public bodies access to net-zero ready specialist contractors to help them achieve their aims around climate change.
Local businesses will sit at the heart of the new frameworks, with the successful principal contractor expected to engage with an extensive supply chain of SMEs.
This allows better access for small businesses to major public sector contracts they might otherwise not have been able to bid for, while also allowing clients to procure locally-sourced specialist services.
They will also benefit from being able to agree termed service options following any major works, allowing contractors to form long term relationships with clients and local supply chains.
Contractors will also be able to agree cost reimbursable contracts through the addition of NEC Option E.
Scape plans to hold virtual market awareness days for prospective bidders on 17 January 2022 for Scotland and 19 January 2022 for England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
A contract notice will be published in February 2022 with preferred bidders announced in November 2022.
Mark Robinson, group chief executive at Scape, added: “Through the addition of a termed service agreement option, the four-year frameworks will allow contractors to build long-term relationships with clients and supply chain partners, helping them to grow their business and employ new staff from the local communities they serve.”
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