Building Briefs – August 10th

• Pick Everard nominated for multiple national industry awards

Director of HR, Elizabeth Hardwick-Smith, has been shortlisted for this year’s ‘Leading in Talent Management’ award, which looks to recognise those that are investing in the long-term development of staff through lifelong learning and actively seeking to bring new talent into the sector. 

Marie Hodgson, principal transportation engineer, has been nominated for the ‘Excellence in Concept Design and Planning’ award - which recognises firms doing the most to help get projects off the ground by working with owners and operators to conceive and refine the concept, help secure the financing and funding, win public support and gain planning approval.

Director Peter Chappell has also been shortlisted in the ‘Impact in Water’ category, which focuses around evidence of firms tackling water scarcity through better demand management and the creation of new resources. 

Due to the impact of COVID-19, the 2020 awards will take place on Friday 26 February 2021 at The Brewery in London and will bring the UK civil engineering community together to celebrate the outstanding achievements accomplished across the sector this year.  

• Aggreko to appoint new chair

Power generation company Aggreko has appointed a new chair of the board.

Mark Clare will join the Glasgow-based business as a non-executive director and chair desginate, subject to shareholder approval.

He will success current chairman Ken Hanna effective from October 1.

• Lockdown DIY increase boosts orders for Perth glazing firm

Mcleod Glaziers has benefited from people investing in their properties as they spend more time at home.

Chief executive Derek Petterson said people having to forego foreign holidays this year meant they had more savings to invest on new windows and doors.

Mcleod recently started installing protective screens in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The company has also made a couple of internal promotions for longstanding members of staff.

Katie Mcintosh has been named company secretary and Susie Cunningham is group finance director.

• Angus secures further £629,000 in Spaces for People funding

Angus Council’s focus on supporting public health, active travel and road safety has been boosted by a further £629,000 in funding.

The grant from the Scottish Government’s Spaces for People fund was confirmed by Sustrans this week and brings the total secured by Angus Council to £789,000.

Angus Council secured £50,000 for a consultant to carry out necessary feasibility studies and options appraisals for the “lives-changing” project. This was followed by a further successful bid for £110,000 to install temporary 20mph speed restrictions in all seven Burgh towns in Angus, and in the villages of Edzell, Friockheim and Liff.

As work to boost active travel and road safety continues to shift through the gears, this latest Spaces for People funding of £629,000 will be channelled towards further temporary 20mph speed restrictions in at least six villages (Glamis, Hillside, Kingsmuir, Letham, Newbigging and Newtyle) and physical intervention measures in all Burgh towns. This is in the form of signage to promote physical distancing within the new areas where temporary 20mph speed restrictions are operating and in every school cluster in Angus.

The use of barriers and widening footways in all Burgh towns was considered but, following discussions with elected members, not progressed to avoid reducing on-street parking spaces and any adverse impact on our High Street retailers. Consideration may still be given to widening footways with the use of barriers at some locations where there are pinch points in pavements, but only where this will not impact on parking, and to one-way systems.

Part of the latest Spaces for People funding will also be allocated to Vehicle Activate Signage to reinforce temporary 20mph speed restrictions in Angus villages and for the introduction of cycle storage facilities in our towns and villages.

• Electrical training routes launched by TESP

A series of recommended training routes have been developed by The Electrotechnical Skills Partnership (TESP) to provide clear direction on the right paths to becoming a qualified electrician.

Skills, qualifications and competence are firmly at the top of the agenda following the Hackitt Review recommendations, ongoing reforms to building regulations and the sharp focus on the skills needed by the construction and built environment sector as it recovers from the coronavirus pandemic.

With over 150,000 UK redundancies made to date by businesses affected by COVID-19, TESP hopes these routes will help individuals make informed decisions about how to spend their time and money to re-train as there are many electrical qualifications on offer, but not all provide the skills needed by employers.

Hosted on the Electrical Careers website, the routes are also designed to educate school leavers and those looking to upskill within the industry. The advice given to all is that an apprenticeship is the preferred route into the industry, for learners of all ages, as it provides the essential work-based experience needed to develop knowledge, skills and competence over a period of time.

• Contractor helps West Lothian charity in run up to new school year

Almond Housing Association’s new contractor Turners Property Services has helped with the installation of some new shelving units for the Association’s long-standing partner The School Bank West Lothian.

The School Bank West Lothian is a charity which makes a real difference to children and parents across the region. The group of volunteers help families who are experiencing financial hardship by providing brand new uniforms and equipment required for the school day.

Almond announced its new reactive maintenance contract with Turners Property Services in May 2020 and as part of the community benefit element of the contract, it reached out to help The School Bank install its newly funded shelving units.

The new shelving allows The School Bank to store its equipment which will be given to families in the new school year.

The School Bank distribute uniforms based on referrals from organisations working with families. It accepts referrals from professionals in the community such as head teachers, social workers, housing officers, Women’s Aid, health visitors and more.

The uniforms and equipment it provides help children to feel included, reduce the stigma of poverty and allow children to focus on learning rather than appearance.

Almond Housing Association said that it is delighted to have brought the two organisations together and looks forward to future projects that can benefit the community.