Construction National

Bull Products races ahead with Silverstone Circuit project win

Bull Products, a manufacturer of life-saving fire protection equipment, has been contracted to supply its Cygnus Wireless Alarm System during the construction of the first hotel at Silverstone Circuit.

The Hilton Garden Inn will be the first hotel to be built at Silverstone Circuit. Due for completion before the Grand Prix in June 2020, the £30 million hotel will have 197 bedrooms, offering a range of standard rooms, suites and executive boxes overlooking the track. Built on Silverstone’s International Pits straight, with extensive views of the circuit, the new hotel will offer year-round hospitality to guests.

Read more: Bull Products races ahead with Silverstone Circuit project win

Stay safe at height with CISRS scaffolding awareness training

A new one-day scaffolding awareness course aimed at non-scaffolding operatives and other construction workers is now being offered at a range of CISRS training centres across the country.

The course is open to any operatives who have cause to work on scaffolding – such as painters, bricklayers, electricians and plumbers – or those wanting to gain a better understanding of scaffolding operations which could include site supervisors, engineers, procurement and health and safety professionals and principal contractors.  

Read more: Stay safe at height with CISRS scaffolding awareness training

Wales reforms construction qualifications

Major Shake-Up

A ground-breaking change to qualifications for people planning to work in the Construction and Built Environment sector in Wales has been announced. In the biggest shake-up to qualifications in the sector for a generation, a complex market with hundreds of existing qualifications will be simplified by eight new qualifications that will help reshape education and training for the industry in Wales.

Flexible Comprehension

The new qualifications will offer learners more flexible and comprehensive progression routes into employment. Assessment will be streamlined but more robust, making sure that young people have the skills and knowledge they need to get ahead in their careers.

Read more: Wales reforms construction qualifications

New Trailblazer Apprenticeship assigned £14K funding for delivery

FIS is proud to announce that we have secured £14K funding for the delivery of the new Interior Systems Trailblazer Apprenticeship in collaboration with a host of industry partners. 

This flagship project has been a culmination of three years of work resulting in the development of a Level 2 Apprenticeship. The Interior Systems occupations are both skilled and very diverse in their needs and hence it was very important to develop a model that is fit for purpose and simple for sector delivery. The end result is a Level 2 Apprenticeship that provides a core and two pathway options across a minimum of 18-month delivery. 

Read more: New Trailblazer Apprenticeship assigned £14K funding for delivery

Mick George Ltd make Stabilisation appointment

Having announced the appointment of two new Senior Stabilisation Managers at the back end of 2018, as well as a six-figure investment in Stabilisation equipment earlier this year, Mick George Ltd continue to enhance their Stabilisation division with the addition of more experienced personnel within their ranks. 

Alastair McDermid, or ‘Al’ as he is more fondly recognised arrives with 25-years background in the Construction Industry and more specifically 21-years in Soil Stabilisation.

Read more: Mick George Ltd make Stabilisation appointment

Stopping the rot at Morpeth’s 170-year old railway station

Morpeth Railway Station is currently undergoing essential restorative work to repair extensive damage to the building’s structure. First opened in 1847, technicians from Peter Cox are treating the historic station for dry rot and rising damp so that the building can continue to serve as an important travel hub for the region. 

Highly regarded as a classic example of Victorian railway architecture on the East Coast Mainline, work is being carried out in a sensitive way to ensure the building retains its heritage and unique features. Morpeth Railway Station is a key transport link for Northumberland residents - and has a bright future with its empty rooms being converted into an enterprise centre for small businesses.

Read more: Stopping the rot at Morpeth’s 170-year old railway station

New shared ownership homes get first time buyers on the property ladder

Recent reports published by Hamptons International suggested that the average first-time buyer could take around 10 years to save enough money for a house deposit, and in London the wait could be as much as 16 years. Specifically, in Surrey, the average deposit saving time for an individual is 13 years and 6 months, and for a couple five years and 9 months. Those keen to jump onto the property ladder within Surrey will be pleased to hear about a brand-new set of homes within the area, supported by a shared ownership scheme. Housing association Aster has recently launched its latest edition to the market, comprising a range of brand-new stylish home options including a set of one-bedroom apartments, two- and three-bedroom semis and a range of three-bedroom detached homes. 

Read more: New shared ownership homes get first time buyers on the property ladder

Harnessing that satisfaction that only building can give you #iBuiltThis2019

The #iBuiltThis2019 competition is open for entries. The competition, run by FIS, now in its third year, is a visual campaign that draws on the pride construction workers take when they see finished projects that they have worked on - harnessing the “I Built This” feeling to promote construction as a career choice. 

The competition platform goes live on 13 June and entries will close on 15 September with the winners announced at the awards ceremony at UK Construction Week on 8 October 2019. 

Read more: Harnessing that satisfaction that only building can give you #iBuiltThis2019

Mick George Ltd go ‘Down South’

Having made no secret of their plans to expand geographically and having already delivered contracting services as far North as Arbroath, Mick George Ltd has now landed their most Southernly job to date, in Southampton, on the Adanac Park development.

The business has established itself in the East Anglian and East Midlands regions but having secured works 513 miles apart, literally from one end of the country to the other; and into Scotland, the business really can now be recognised as a national Contractor.  

Read more: Mick George Ltd go ‘Down South’

SafeSite Facilities bolsters team with new management appointments

Construction safety and security specialist SafeSite Facilities has strengthened its operations team with the appointment of Raj Paul as Contracts Manager - Perimeter Security and Tony Wheeler as Operations and Transport Manager.

Mr Paul joins the company having held senior commercial roles at Royal Mail and Arcadia Group. He was also previously Deputy Head of Retail Commerce at Advance Security Ltd, where he spent eight years specifying security systems for businesses. Whilst at Royal Mail Mr Paul built a multi-million-pound sales pipeline which saw the company’s head count increase by almost 100 team members to deliver new business. He delivered a raft of efficiency measures at Arcadia Group to keep one of its leading high street brands buoyant during a challenging retail financial climate.

Read more: SafeSite Facilities bolsters team with new management appointments