Category Archives: Construction

Construction, News

News from WMCA: Experts in Advanced Manufacture in Construction to help drive house building

The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has formed an Advanced Manufacture in Construction (AMC) advisory group to support the delivery of much needed, high-quality housing at pace and scale.

AMC involves manufacturing building components in factories away from building sites and then assembling the parts more quickly and efficiently to produce quality homes.

The WMCA believes AMC can help the West Midlands bounce back more quickly from the coronavirus pandemic. The need to build more homes faster is a key priority for the region’s post-Covid-19 economic recovery plans.

Led by Mark Farmer, the Government’s champion for modern methods of construction in homebuilding, the expert group consists of industry specialists from Homes England, Mace, Lendlease, the University of Wolverhampton, CITB, Walsall Housing Group, Accord, Construction Innovation Hub, UK Finance and West Midlands Combined Universities.

Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street said: “The formation of an AMC advisory group gives us the opportunity to capitalise on the rich heritage of manufacturing and innovation in the West Midlands.

“The new approach to construction in the West Midlands will help deliver a more inclusive economy, providing high quality, sustainable and affordable homes, as well as more secure jobs.

“The use of AMC can help us to build back better as we recover from the current crisis and also help us construct the 215,000 new homes we need by 2031 to meet future demand.”

The focus on AMC will support a wider WMCA programme around modern construction, including skills training, links to local R&D specialisms and local supply chain growth.

This is in line with the WMCA’s Single Commissioning Framework, exemplified by pioneering projects such as Port Loop in Birmingham which uses off-site manufacturing to build architect designed, sustainable homes.

Cllr Mike Bird, WMCA portfolio holder for housing and land and leader of Walsall Council, said: “The opportunity here is to connect the WMCA’s focus on advanced manufacture as a driver for regional specialisation and growth and to remove the current barriers in the sector.”

Central to the adoption of advanced manufacturing is skills training partnerships with leading universities which will ensure the region remains a centre for excellence and embeds ground-breaking modular building techniques for the next generation of manufacturing experts.

Bespoke training courses commissioned by the WMCA will also equip local people with the AMC skills needed to build the new-style homes.

Prof Mohammed Arif, AMC advisory group member and professor at University of Wolverhampton, said: “Given the housing shortage and the technology we have at our disposal, we should be looking closely at AMC.

“One major issue has been a skills shortage. Both higher education and further education providers have a significant role to play. Currently the portfolio of courses offered nationwide in areas related to AMC is small.”

The expert panel will build on the commitment of the WMCA to become a national leader in AMC.

The Accord Groups’ Modular and Innovare Systems are already being rolled out in the region and new collaborations are being set up across the public and private sector to make the adoption of AMC more cost effective.

The news follows the announcement that Urban Splash will prioritise modular building methods to deliver 10,000 homes in partnership with the WMCA over an 11-year period.

Many of these homes will use the ‘House’ modular home by Urban Splash, which lets customers specify layout based on their needs and lifestyle.

Mark Farmer, chair of the AMC advisory panel, said: “The WMCA will be prioritising not only AMC but true forms of digitally-led advanced manufacture.

“It is clear that as the country emerges from the Covid-19 crisis more resilient models of construction and supply chain management will be more important than ever, and through this project the WMCA will be very well-placed to move quickly and drive that change.”

Earlier this month the region set out its 10 priority areas for a post-Covid economic recovery plan. One of the key goals is to build more homes faster as well as re-shaping town centres.

The adoption of AMC across the region extends into the WMCA’s Covid-19 recovery plan, as factory manufacturing makes it easier to enable social distancing.

Construction, News

Mecalac announces unbeatable finance package to support UK customers

Working in conjunction with Mecalac Financial Solutions, Mecalac Construction Equipment UK has launched an unbeatable Buy Now… Pay Later finance package across its entire range of excavators, wheel loaders, site dumpers, compaction rollers and backhoe loaders.

For all new models ordered and delivered before 31 July 2020, customers benefit from zero repayment instalments and zero interest for three months.* Twelve weeks later, payments recommence, spread over either 36, 48 or 60 months (as per individual finance agreements).

Paul Macpherson, UK Sales and Marketing Director at Mecalac Construction Equipment UK, commented:

“During such exceptional times, we wanted to give something back and provide construction professionals nationwide with a simple, affordable way to purchase the latest Mecalac models.

“Our Buy Now…Pay Later finance offer has been designed with the customer firmly in mind. Available through your local Mecalac dealer, the package offers a risk-free revenue source for three months before the first payment is due.”

A global leader in the design and manufacture of compact construction equipment, Mecalac boasts a comprehensive portfolio of site dumpers, backhoe loaders, compaction rollers, excavators and wheel loaders. The latest, Stage V-compliant models feature a number of highly innovative technologies and capabilities to improve on-site efficiencies and performance.

For more information about the Buy Now… Pay Later finance package, or to find your nearest dealer, visit www.mecalac.com/en.

*Business users only, subject to status and De Lage Landen Leasing Limited approval. All applicants must be over 18. No cash alternative is available. A fee may be charged. The Scheme will run until 31st July 2020. Alternative profiles are available, please ask your dealer for details.

Charity & CSR, Construction, Education

Bodmin school voted as Community Fund winner

Bodmin’s Beacon Ace Academy has been voted as the latest winner of RGB Building Supplies’ Well Built Community Fund and will receive £1,000 to spend on timber and landscaping materials.

The school received the most votes following a public poll that began before the country went into lockdown. It was one of nine charities, schools and community focused groups that RGB chose as finalists in its last Community Fund before the initiative is refreshed and relaunched next year.

To encourage outdoor learning and sustainability, the school developed a vegetable garden, which was unfortunately damaged by a storm at the beginning of the year. Once the current situation comes to an end and school life returns to normal, Beacon Ace Academy will use the donation to buy materials to make essential repairs to the growing areas

Simon Rowe, Science Leader at Beacon Ace Academy and who nominated the school, commented:

“Pupils plant, grow, harvest and cook what is produced in the garden, so we hope we’ll be able to get to work and make the repairs soon. Thank you to RGB Building Supplies and to everyone who voted for us.”

Steve Best, Branch Manager at RGB Bodmin, is looking forward to being able to visit the school and learn more about what they have planned. He added:

“Normally we visit our Well Built Community Fund winners as soon as possible and give them advice on what materials to purchase for their project. That can’t be done at the moment, but we’re delighted to at least give them the good news that the public voted them as the winner, and I look forward to visiting once the school reopens.”

Image shows students from Beacon Ace Academy in the damaged garden area prior to the coronavirus lockdown.

Construction, COVID-19

How has UK Construction been impacted by COVID-19? East Midlands Consultancy gives an insider view

How has the nationwide lockdown impacted on those working in the construction industry?  Dan Bailey, partner at East Midlands consultancy, Howard Wards Associates, gave us a quick insight in this Q&A session:

1. How has the public health pandemic affected HWA?
As these are unprecedented times for businesses across all sectors, it was important that we initially took a step back to evaluate the sectors we work in, and examine which ones were slowing down and which were maintaining momentum. From the outset we wanted to be on the front foot and adjust our business strategy accordingly. As business-owners we are all used to managing and adapting to change.
We then acted quickly to equip our team with what they needed to work from home, so when government guidelines came into force, we were ready.

Since then we are lucky that we remain mostly busy and our services continue to be needed. Like many businesses, we have had to place some of our team on Furlough Leave due to some sector work being placed on hold, but we are as confident as we can be in the current situation that this is a short-term measure.

The key is to keep looking forward and those businesses who plan and prepare for post lockdown will reap the rewards. As a team we remain positive and think that that business will catch up as movement increases when government restrictions are lifted, which we believe will be gradual.

We will continue to be agile in our approach as we navigate the current crisis.

2. Are your construction sites largely still active?

Like many businesses, we did experience a quiet period whilst sites adapted to the new social distancing and hygiene measure, however for the majority of our active sites, work is progressing.

Construction material supplies have been the most challenging aspect to contend with during this time, but contractors do seem to be working through solutions well and supply is increasing with time, which will benefit the whole supply chain.

We are fortunate to have a number of substantial projects in pre-construction phases that are continuing through this, and are largely unaffected as various distance meeting and collaboration tools have been used to keep momentum going, and this has really helped us as a business.

3. How have you and the team adapted – home working/virtual calls/interaction with clients etc.?

We are a close team so from the outset we wanted to ensure that we remained in regular contact, not just for project work but also morale. We use Microsoft Teams for communication with the team and our clients so maintaining regular internal and external communications has been fairly seamless. I do wonder post lockdown how many shorter meetings will become virtual now we are all so comfortable with it.

Some of our virtual video meetings with the team have given us some light entertainment – with many of us juggling work, parenting and home schooling! It’s a welcome distraction, not to mention the impact lockdown has had on hair styles!

We have been proactively seeking and attending online networking events to maintain and build new professional relationships and look forward to when we can do these again face to face.

4. How are you preparing for when the lockdown restrictions are lifted?

In terms of HWA, the senior team are always looking ahead and planning our strategies for the future. While business plans have had to adjust or be paused during the COVID-19 pandemic, we know who we are as a business and where we want to be in the next 2-5 year. This extra time has enabled us to further fine-tune those strategies.

In terms of projects, our preparation for post-lockdown involves keeping a close eye on our sectors, and keeping open and regular communication with our team members, clients and supply chain partners, so we are ready to move swiftly when restrictions are lifted.

It is difficult to predict exactly what the landscape will look like for our industry in the coming months, but we believe that we will move past it, with a flexible and adaptable attitude. We look forward to returning to the office, seeing familiar faces, networking and of course the office banter, which has been terribly missed!

5. How do you think this will affect the construction industry over the next 6 to 12 months and beyond?

The construction industry is especially good at adapting to challenges. After a month or so of things slowing down, the industry seems to be gaining pace again.

We think the biggest impact will potentially be the length of time that attitudes to investment are affected in the private development sector. Public sector procurement doesn’t seem to be significantly affected at present in comparison.

We hope that the sourcing of materials and products in the UK will see a positive boost, as a result of any challenges this situation presents for importing goods from overseas.

6. What are you missing most both professionally and personally during the lockdown?

Professionally, I am missing the networking side of the business – getting out there and making valuable connections in the industry. I am of course missing the team, the office energy and working life.

Personally, I really miss caramel donuts and holidays!

7. Any positives for you and HWA that have come during these challenging times?

As a team we’ve experienced first-hand some of the benefits of remote working, and this is something we will likely integrate into our working routines moving forward for the benefit of the business and staff. It’s also shown us that we can certainly adapt and be flexible and that we are resilient in times of uncertainty, which will only make use stronger as a business and a team.

This new pattern of working has given me and my follow directors more opportunity to reflect on the business and to make plans for the future.
For me individually, more time spent together as a family has been really nice and my back garden looks a lot better than it normally does! I’m also liking how we are seeing more of our neighbours than we would usually do.

Construction, News

Yanmar welcomes Taylor & Braithwaite to UK dealer network

Yanmar Compact Equipment EMEA has appointed Taylor & Braithwaite to its UK dealer network. The construction, quarrying and recycling specialist will be responsible for distributing Yanmar’s class-leading portfolio of excavators, carriers and wheel loaders to professionals across Cumbria, Northumberland and Durham (including Tyneside and Teesside).

With more than 50 years’ experience in equipment sales, servicing and maintenance, T&B is committed to providing its customers with state-of-the-art products from the world’s leading manufacturers. Headquartered near Appleby, Cumbria, the business prides itself on delivering expert advice, honest counsel and building strong, collaborative relationships.

David Cockayne, UK & Ireland sales manager at Yanmar CEE, commented: “As a leading equipment sales specialist, renowned for delivering exceptional service and impartial product advice, appointing T&B to our UK dealer network will help to significantly expand our presence across Cumbria and the North East of England.

“Over the coming months, we’re looking forward to working in close collaboration with the team to bring Japanese design and European innovation to construction professionals across the region.”

Ian Burton, director of sales at Taylor & Braithwaite, added: “With a wide range of loaders, carriers and both tracked and wheeled excavators, Yanmar’s product portfolio will prove an excellent fit for our loyal customer base. There is real demand for quality products, innovative technology and stylish design in Cumbria and the North East, so we hope to play a key role in gaining stronger market penetration over the coming months.”

To celebrate joining the Yanmar dealer network, T&B is offering five years’ 0% finance and five years’ warranty on all new Yanmar loaders, carriers and excavators delivered before 30th June 2020.

For more information about Taylor & Braithwaite, or the company’s introductory sales promotion, visit www.t-and-b.co.uk. To find out more about the latest Yanmar product range, visit www.yanmarconstruction.co.uk.

Awards, Construction, News

G F Tomlinson celebrates triple win at the RICS Social Impact Awards

Midlands contractor G F Tomlinson is celebrating a triumphant triple win as two of its recent projects received three accolades, including ‘Project of the Year’, at the 2020 RICS Social Impact Awards.

RICS (Royal Institution for Chartered Surveyors) announced winners of the RICS Social Impact Awards for the East Midlands via a virtual ceremony last week (6 May), hosted by British tv presenters Phil Spencer and Emma Jesson.

The inaugural awards recognise the built environment’s positive and transformational contribution to society.

The Dorothy Goodman Special Needs School took home the headline award for ‘Project of the Year’, as well as receiving the winning spot for the Education category.

Construction to improve facilities at the school was completed by G F Tomlinson in late 2018, and involved the creation of a new specially-equipped school building.

The contractor worked collaboratively alongside the school, Hadland Manning Bullock Quantity Surveyors, Grayling Thomas Architects and Ian Harban Consulting Engineers to ensure that the needs of the pupils, staff and the local community remained the focus for the design and delivery of the new building.

The specialist school in Hinckley, Leicester caters for 110 pupils aged between 11 and 19 years with a wide range of learning disabilities.

On the Dorothy Goodman SEN School’s award, RICS Social Impact Awards head judge for the East Midlands, Sally Walters commented: “As a project dedicated to the support of pupils with special educational needs, the Dorothy Goodman School excels in providing social value not only to the young people who attend, but also the wider community.

“The open and honest design approach promotes the facility and assists with the pupil’s development, whilst integrating them throughout their education into the wider world.

“The design is innovative and centres on a wide range of special and challenging needs that allow users of the facility to further themselves.”

Winner of the Leisure category was the Tower Gardens Community Pavilion, which was completed by G F Tomlinson at the start of 2020, with the project team including global property and construction consultancy Gleeds and Lincoln-based Core Architects.

The new £1.6m mixed-use community building was delivered through the Scape Regional Construction framework for Skegness Town Council, and was built to bring new inclusive community facilities to Skegness to transform the town into an inclusive environment and workplace, as well as a vibrant place to visit.

On the Tower Gardens award, judge Sally Walters commented: “The Tower Gardens Pavilion has breathed life back into a previously neglected area of Skegness town centre. The new Pavilion will provide easier access to crucial town council services, as well as providing flexible spaces and a café for the community to access all year round.

“The enthusiasm from the team behind the project, as well as the support from the local community is impressive and the judges believe this project will have a positive social impact for both residents and visitors to the area.”

Chris Flint, director at G F Tomlinson, said: “We’re delighted that two of our projects have been winners at this years’ RICS Social Impact Awards, with one of the accolades including the prestigious ‘Project of the Year’.

“With a company that has social value rooted so deeply in our ethos, these awards are testament to what we stand for as a business. We’re proud to be able to deliver projects which have had such a positive impact on the communities we work in, and we couldn’t be more pleased with the results.

“Although we couldn’t be there to celebrate this incredible triple win, we’re pleased that the awards could still go ahead virtually. We’d like to thank the project teams for their work on both of these developments, including our supply chain partners. Congratulations everyone, this is well deserved.”

Construction, News, Property

‘Do I need planning permission for my conservatory?’ – questions answered by home improvement experts

Homeowners thinking about making improvements to their property whilst stuck indoors can consider a range of enhancements to improve and maximise available space, including conservatories, orangeries, and solid roof extensions.

With many factors to take into account, one of the main hurdles to consider is being granted planning permission before starting any home modifications. To help inform this decision, the experts from home improvements company, Stormclad, have compiled this handy guide to planning permission, answering frequently asked questions.

John Evans, managing director at Stormclad explains:

“Being confined to your abode can really make you think about the existing space you have with your property and what you can do to transform it. In most cases you will not need planning permission for a standard single storey extension as it is considered ‘permitted development’, and therefore exempt from planning permission.

“When considering a home improvement, it’s important to know some key planning permission and building regulation guidelines.”

1. What size is it allowed to be?

The most up to date regulations state that a single-story extension generally won’t require planning permission as long as it doesn’t exceed a certain size. The conservatory or extension cannot take up more than half of the area around the ‘original house’ – which is the house as it was first built, or as it stood on the 1st July 1948, if it was built before that date.

The maximum height limit is four metres for a single storey extension, but the length depends on the property:
• If the house is detached, the conservatory is restricted to a four-metre projection
• If the house is semi-detached or terraced, the projection limit is three metres

2. What if my property is in a conservation area?

These conditions vary slightly, if a building is on ‘designated land’ which includes national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty, it will most likely need planning permission. Each planning application considers an area’s unique, special character and whether the redevelopment proposals will preserve or enhance the character or appearance of that conservation area.

3. What about building regulations?

Different to planning permission, building regulations ensure that buildings are designed and constructed so that they are safe, energy efficient and accessible. New conservatories must adhere to the below rules.

  • The conservatory must be built at ground level and must be smaller than 30 metres squared

  • It must be separated from the main house by substantial walls, doors and windows, and have its own separate heating system.

  • Building regulation approval is required if fixed electricity points or a toilet or sink are going to be installed.

  • If your new conservatory spans the whole width of the property or home, it must be ensured that it won’t restrict ladder access to any upstairs windows so that a fire escape route is maintained.

Most reliable home improvement companies will have extensive knowledge of building regulations, so will ensure a conservatory is designed to fit the criteria.

4. How do I apply?

The first point of contact is your local council’s planning department, which can be easily accessed online. A pre-submission form will need to be filled out detailing what the project entails. From this, you will then be able to get an idea about what permissions are required. The next step is to complete an application form along with drawings demonstrating exactly what is being built. At this point, you will be required to pay a fee to cover the administrative costs. The size of this fee will depend largely on the scale of the project and where it is being completed.

Construction, Midlands News, News

Midlands contractor appointed to Pagabo Major Works Framework

Regional contractor G F Tomlinson has been appointed as a partner for the Pagabo Major Works Framework, which is launched on 19 April.

In its second iteration, the Major Works Framework is open to all public and private sector organisations and will see the delivery of projects in sectors such as education, healthcare, government and leisure.

28 contractors have been appointed to the framework to deliver projects starting from £5million across the UK.

G F Tomlinson has been assigned to deliver projects from £5million to £15million across the East and West Midlands and is one of only four SME’s chosen for the framework – as part of Pagabo’s ongoing commitment to supporting SMEs and ensuring access to major projects.

In order to be successful, G F Tomlinson’s bid demonstrated strong finances, relevant experience and echoed Pagabo’s passion for social value, supporting SMEs and innovative technology. Ability to provide value for money for clients through quality, timely and on-budget delivery and solid supply chain management was also assessed and rated at the highest standard.

G F Tomlinson is also partnered with Pagabo through three other frameworks – the National Framework for Refit and Refurbishment Solutions, the Dynamic Purchasing System for Small Works and the National Framework for Medium Construction Works.

Most recently, the contractor delivered the £1.2million Thythorn Hill Community and Sports Centre for Oadby and Wigston Borough Council under Pagabo’s Dynamic Purchasing System framework.

Carl Wiltshire, Pagabo Framework Lead at G F Tomlinson said: “We are delighted to have been appointed to the Major Works Framework, our fourth framework agreement with Pagabo and we look forward to working on significant projects in the years to come.

“Now, more than ever, it is important that public sector procurement is efficient in bringing together contractors and clients to deliver projects which provide vital services in the region. Pagabo offer clients EU/UK compliant framework agreements to make public sector procurement quicker, simpler and more effective. With our experienced management team, commitment to high-quality project delivery and provision of social, economic, environmental and sustainable benefits for local communities, we are ideally placed to serve public sector clients across the Midlands region on projects between £5million and £15million.

“G F Tomlinson has delivered in excess of £500million projects through public sector frameworks to date and we embrace the opportunities this provides in leaving a positive legacy in our local communities. We are looking forward to building on these achievements in the East and West Midlands through this framework to increase the community benefits we provide.”

The Pagabo frameworks provide simplicity, transparency, flexibility, support and stability, supporting the public sector to achieve value for money and added social value for local communities.

Simon Toplass, chief executive at Pagabo, said: “We were delighted by the quality of the responses to tender last year, and we’re really excited to see the second iteration of our Major Works framework going live. The first iteration of this framework saw the delivery of £833m worth of construction projects for the public sector in 2019 alone, and to date we have enabled the delivery of more than £2.6 billion of social value through works procured via our frameworks.

“We’ve made it our mission to simplify procurement process with technology and innovation, and we place social value at the heart of everything we do. We truly believe the framework’s success is down to our customer-focused approach – and we’re pleased to see that this is something that G F Tomlinson has recognised and responded to. We’re looking forward to working with the team over the coming years.”

Charity & CSR, Construction, Coronavirus

South West hospitals receive protective equipment from builders merchant

With people and companies across the country pulling together to support NHS staff working hard during the Covid-19 crisis, South West-based RGB Building Supplies has donated personal protective equipment to Royal Cornwall Hospital and North Devon District Hospital.

RGB’s Bodmin branch gave 12 boxes of gloves and 2 boxes of face masks to be used by Royal Cornwall Hospital staff working in the Emergency Department.

The builders merchant’s Barnstaple branch, together with product suppliers RODO Ltd and Toolbank Exeter, was able to donate more than 1,000 goggles, face shields, masks, and full face visors to North Devon NHS staff.

Lee Kift, Branch Manager at RGB Barnstaple, commented: “People and companies across the region have been working together to do all they can to help each other, so a huge thank you to RODO Ltd and Toolbank Exeter for responding so quickly and helping us donate protective equipment.”

Steve Best, Branch Manager at RGB Bodmin, added: “It really is times like these that bring out the best in people and we’re happy to join others in our area by doing what we can to support our local NHS employees.”

Construction, News, North of England

Increased demand for healthcare facilities sees modular building firm make key appointment

Cheshire-based firm, ModuleCo Healthcare (MCH), has appointed a new business development manager in response to rising demand from the NHS for the hire of its modular healthcare facilities.

Richard Henry has joined the company to oversee daily communications between the organisation and its array of healthcare clients, including multiple NHS Trusts across the UK.

He joins the team with more than 30 years of experience working in business strategy and development and will play a key role in supporting MCH’s clients with the supply and maintenance of wards, theatres and other clinical facilities.

Alan Wilson, managing director of MCH said: I’m thrilled to welcome Richard to the team at what is an incredibly busy time for ModuleCo Healthcare. I’m confident we can make a real difference to the healthcare estate within the NHS in the coming weeks and months, and Richard will play a big part in that.

“We are uniquely placed to provide services to NHS Trusts that will allow healthcare professionals to continue delivering their vital work – whether that’s through the supply of new critical buildings or facilitating the transformation of existing ones to meet demand, without affecting capacity.

“COVID-19 means there’s never been a more crucial time to provide assistance to the NHS, who are working tirelessly every day to keep us all safe. Richard’s appointment will allow us to increase our resources and provide more support to hospitals across the country.”

Speaking of his new appointment, Richard said: “Joining the MCH team is a significant career move for me and I’m thrilled to be bringing my skills and experience to a role where I can make a real difference to communities.

“Helping the NHS to operate as efficiently as possible has never been more important than it is right now, so I’m keen to hit the ground running and start delivering healthcare facilities that will benefit NHS professionals, patients and wider society.

“The modular construction marketplace is continually growing and improving, and our products are unique in that we have flexible hire and procurement options to work in line with a hospital’s needs, budget and available space.”

Established in 2002, MCH has worked closely with NHS Trusts across the UK to deliver more than 100 bespoke facilities for hospitals. The company’s flexible rental solutions require no upfront capital, and its modular construction method ensures delivery in a matter of weeks.

Most recently, the firm has delivered an Acute Medical Unit extension for Maidstone Hospital in Kent and a two-storey modular theatre and ward complex for the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in Birmingham.