Blog Archives
December 2011
Milton Keynes: Retail Development (MK1)
As many of you know, we are based near to Milton Keynes and we are glad to hear that yet more construction work is about to happen at Stadium MK (the home of the MK Dons football team).
This is very good news for local businesses as the £56 million investment will bring much needed jobs along with leading retailers like M&S, Primark, Arcadia and River Island making this a vital new area for shoppers. This in turn should bring further investment into the surrounding area.
Milton Keynes seems to be the new 'place to be' at the moment with further construction going on in Central Milton Keynes, with its direct links to London and The North it is becoming a very popular place to be. Even Network Rail have decided to build their new central office here, so watch this space!
Get Britain Building Programme - Get Involved!
The Homes and Communities Agency has issued detailed guidance for developers seeking a slice of the £420m Get Britain Building programme. The Get Britain Building fund hopes to unlock up to 16,000 new homes by December 2014. It will operate by making loans available to projects on commercial rates, or taking equity stakes to share risk.
We believe this is exiting news and we hope that this new programme will give the British Construction Industry a welcome boost.
Developers and builders have until 30 January 2012 to submit a expression of interest, which will be assessed by the HCA liaising with local authorities through February and early March. If you are interested, download the Get Britain Building Prospectus.
Short listed projects will be invited to enter a due diligence process with final decisions and contracts expected from May with work anticipated starting up on sites across the country from June.
To read more on this news item visit Bidding opens for £420m Get Britain Building loans.
Source: The Construction Enquirer
London Bridge Revamp
The London Bridge re-vamp work has finally been approved by Southwark Council. The contractor, Osborne, will start initial non-disruptive preparatory work in 2012 under a £10m-plus contract.
The work will involve removing and transferring key station services and assets, such as telecoms cabling, around the station by 2013. Work will continue after the Olympic Games next summer, with major work on its £400m contract due begin in 2013. The station will remain operational throughout the redevelopment and will be complete in 2018.
David Higgins, Network Rail's chief executive, said: "London Bridge is one of the busiest stations in the country and this investment is vital for passengers who want more space, less congestion and better services"
Further details and architecht's impressions of the new station can be found on the London Bridge redevelopment pages of Network Rail's website.
A video is also available:
HSE: Plan of Work 2012
On the HSE web site we found an interesting document which outlines their plan of work from 2011 through 2012. In particular we noted their target sectors include:-
- Asbestos
- Small Sites/Projects
- Refurbishment
- Major clients/projects
We think that covers most of our readers! it will be interesting to see how they will achive this.
If you are interested in reading more about the HSE's plan go to HSE Work Plan 2011-12.
New Water and Environment Management Frameworks
The Construction Enquirer reports that the Environment Agency has started the search for a new line up of contractors and consultants for its next generation supplier arrangements. The agency said the new set up would help it achieve greater focus on outcome and performance specifications.
The asset delivery partner contracts will be worth up to £750m in total, covering inland and coastal flood defence work, water resources, river restoration, habitat creation and mechanical, electrical and instrumentation control.
This is an interesting article; it seems like more and more collaborative alliances are happening which means best use of resources and knowledge. Along with this we believe that the Environment Agency will get 'value for money' as well as providing more sustainable fresh water and coastal protection work.
For more on this story see Bids called for £1bn Environment Agency deal.
Source: The Construction Enquirer
Quality and Safety pays through expert supplier assessment
SGP Property and Facilities Management is saving more than £100,000 per year and improving quality and safety standards through outsourcing its supplier assessment.
The company, which last year managed more than £1 billion of property spend and £170 million of maintenance spend on behalf of its customers, partners with Altius Vendor Assessment (www.altiusva.com) to ensure contractors are fully assured. This minimises risk and liability for both SGP and its clients.
By contracting out this key service, SGP estimates that it is saving at least £100,000 per year on direct employees. The rigorous assessment procedures undertaken by Altius have also contributed to a £20,000 reduction in SGP's bill for professional indemnity and Employers' liability cover.
"While these cost and time savings are very welcome, the major benefit of using professional vendor assessment services is the peace of mind and protection it offers both us and our clients," said Peter Hall, Director of Risk Management for SGP and Deputy Chairman of the International Institute of Risk and Safety Management. "We are confident that every contractor we deal with has been through a transparent and robust assessment process, pertinent to the activities they may undertake, and that they are well equipped to provide the stringent, professional standards we require."
He continued: "Our accident rate has reduced since we have used the services of Altius, which speaks volumes for the value of robust supplier assessment. But it's not all about health and safety. Contractors are also assessed on their financial health, adequacy of insurance cover, and other competences, as required by individual clients. They can also choose to achieve elite vendor status by demonstrating excellence in areas such as customer service, quality management, environmental performance and corporate social responsibility."
The Altius service is free to client companies, with a small fee applied to contractors to cover the assessment process, and support in helping them gain compliance and to raise their performance. Membership offers contractors access to significant new business opportunities through Altius' client company network, including: Airbus, Arcadia Group, Punch Taverns, Wolseley, Selfridges, Superdrug, and other leading UK organisations.
In addition, the service also helps suppliers to ease the burden of tendering for work outside the Altius network, as they can share their online information to prove their credentials to other clients or assessment providers, often avoiding duplication in completing pre-qualification procedures twice. This is a two-way process as through its membership of Safety Schemes in Procurement (SSIP), Altius recognises other approved bodies' health and safety assessments.
The Altius Vendor Assessment system has recently won the British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM) Award for Innovation in Technology and Systems.
The BIFM judges recognised the Altius system's success in reducing the risk profile for the client while easing the burden on administration for contractors. They praised the high visibility of health and safety competence and financial health, together with the constructive feedback and support provided to suppliers to enable them to make improvements to meet stretching client requirements.
For further information contact Altius Vendor Assessment on 08445 616515, enquiries@altiusva.com, www.altiusva.com
HSE Updates: Asbestos
At a meeting in early December it was announced that the HSE has been given government clearance to recommence the Health and Safety Executive's award-winning 'Hidden Killer' asbestos campaign which was put on hold due to a freeze on government-funded campaigns.
This is good news for 2012; we believe this particular campaign was excellent, warning construction workers, particularly those involved in maintenance and refurbishment work, of the dangers of asbestos.
For more on the HSE and other updates go to Asbestos - The Hidden Killer.
Christmas Puzzle 2011 - Snakes and ladders
This year's annual Charity Christmas Puzzle has now been posted, and is available to download.
This, the 21st annual Puzzle that Gordon Gray has set, has a theme designed to help completion and will appeal to people who enjoy doing Crossword puzzles, such as in the Daily Telegraph (though it is not a Crossword puzzle). Puzzlers have plenty of time to find the answers and Puzzles should be returned, with donation, by 22nd January 2012.
Four winners will each receive a £30 prize.
Everyone who enters will qualify for a £30 prize draw.
So what are you waiting for, give it a go and download the Christmas Puzzle now.
Newsletter - December 2011
The December 2011 edition of the Ai Solutions Newsletter is now available: December Newsletter.
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