Multi-million pound funding to transform the UK’s coastal communities through investment in jobs, skills and local businesses opened for bids this week announced Coastal Communities Minister, Jake Berry.

500 new businesses supporting 5,500+ plus jobs have been created thanks to the government’s Coastal Communities Fund.

The opening of the next £40 million round of applications was announced by Coastal Communities Minister, Jake Berry, while visiting Barrow-in-Furness to see first hand how the fund has delivered major economic benefits for the Cumbrian town and wider coastal area.

Coastal Communities Minister, Jake Berry, said “I’m delighted to announce that applications are now open for the next round of the Coastal Communities Fund.

“Coastal Communities up and down the country from Barrow-in-Furness to Brighton have been boosted by this funding which has spurred inward investment, sustainable growth, new jobs and exciting economic opportunities for local businesses.

“By 2020, we’ll have invested nearly a quarter of a billion pounds in our seaside areas, providing thousands of jobs, training places and opportunities along the Great British Coast.”

The Coastal Communities Fund (CCF) supports the economic transformation of UK coastal communities by giving funding to create sustainable economic growth and jobs.

Since 2012, the government’s CCF has awarded grants to 295 projects across the UK, totalling over £174 million. Analysis shows this has been money well spent, with every £1 invested having the potential to create an up to £8 boost to our coastal economies. Successful projects have included:

  • Cornwall council receiving a £1.95 million grant in 2014 to repair and re-launch the Grade II Listed Art Deco ‘Jubilee Pool’ in Penzance to create an all year round visitor attraction sustaining existing jobs and creating new positions (including much needed apprenticeships in an area with higher than average youth unemployment).
  • In January 2015, Blackpool city council received a £2 million CCF grant towards the “Lightpool” project to deliver a radical transformation of the iconic Blackpool Illuminations, creating a compelling new visitor experience and a major boost to the local economy. The project is forecast to have increased visitor numbers by 2.6 million.
  • The Tate St Ives was awarded a £3.87 million grant in 2015 to refurbish and extend the Tate Gallery in St Ives. The new facilities include a new apse gallery connecting the existing gallery to the new extension; a new suite of learning and event spaces; increased capacity for visitors in the reception, cloakrooms, café, new exhibition space, staff accommodation and training space.
  • Amble – the seafood town – Northumberland. Northumberland county council was awarded a £1.8 million CCF grant in 2014 to improve the economy of Amble through infrastructure works to transform the town into a visitor destination promoting seafood, attracting new visitors and creating jobs. The project has provided two new restaurants, improved facilities incorporating a Harbour Village with retail space, and enhanced access along the shore.

Barrow-in-Furness has also benefitted from multiple rounds of coastal communities funding which has completely revolutionised business support in the coastal area from north of Millom across the Furness peninsula to Grange.

This has included:

  • £900,000 in CCF round 1 (2012) being granted to Furness Enterprise Limited to create an innovation network which seamlessly connects local businesses with each other to streamline their supply chains. The funds also supported marketing of key sites, formation of 70 new start-up businesses and help to SMEs in providing training opportunities for unemployed residents to gain the skills they need to find a permanent job.
  • £865,000 in CCF round 3 (2015) to Furness Enterprise Limited to accelerate regeneration in Barrow and the surrounding areas by strengthening supply chains and transforming skills as well as attracting inward investment and helping to provide specialist businesses support to local companies to up-skill and grow.
  • A pilot scale internship scheme placing young people in high tech firms. This led to the OGDEN Trust agreeing to fund 60 placements from 2018 to 2020.
  • Participation in the Manufacturing Forum and revolutionary proposals for a pan-Northern supply chain initiative connecting Northern businesses with manufacturers and service providers
  • A new Furness Energy Forum bringing local businesses together to capitalise on energy supplier opportunities
  • £444,000 in CCF round 4 (2017) to Barrow and Furness Coastal Communities Team to transform visitor facilities on Walney Island and covert an old, derelict built into a community run visitor hub.

Altro has been ranked 83 in the coveted Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For 2018 list. This is the 11th time the family-founded, Letchworth-based company has featured in this prestigious list.

The Sunday Times Best Companies to Work For list is the annual ranking of ‘the cream of Britain’s happy and motivated workforces’. With more than 1,000 companies registered to take part, it is considered the most extensive research into employee engagement carried out in the UK.

Altro’s 350 UK employees were invited to take part in the survey, which asked questions about how the support they receive from the company, their training and development and opportunities for career growth, amongst others. The company again scored well, showing a continued commitment to employees.

Altro’s CEO, Richard Kahn, said “We are delighted to be selected for the eleventh time as one of the top 100 companies to work for in the UK. Since 1919 we have kept an ethos of family in the workplace, as we value our employees and the contributions they make. We are happy to see that our employees agree, which means we are continuing to provide a supportive and family-orientated environment that we have always committed ourselves to for nearly 100 years.

 

For more information please visit www.altro.co.uk.

Meyer Bergman’s £260 million shopping and leisure complex, The Broadway, in Bradford, UK, is being protected by industry-leading fire panels from Advanced.

The Broadway is the latest UK retail venture for Meyer Bergman, which also owns The Bentall Centre in Kingston upon Thames and London’s iconic Burlington Arcade. It is home to over 570,000 sq. ft. of retail and leisure units, plus 1,300 parking spaces. Advanced protects numerous retail destinations around the world, including Westfield Stratford City, in East London, and Harvey Nichols’ Birmingham store.

At the heart of The Broadway’s active fire protection system, which covers all areas of the shopping centre, is a network of 10 Advanced MxPro 5 intelligent multiprotocol panels. This is augmented with a TouchControl touchscreen repeater panel, a special evacuation zone control package, a BMS interface, and a bespoke PC-based graphical user interface. The network was designed, configured and commissioned by Carlton Fire Systems Ltd, a long-time Advanced partner, with the installation of equipment and cables being undertaken by Pitts Wilson Electrical.

Carl Purkiss, spokesperson for Carlton Fire, said “Advanced panels are well known for their performance, quality and ease of use. They are manufactured to a very high standard and their reliability is unrivalled. We needed a system that fulfilled all of the client’s requirements and the Advanced panels fitted the specifications, especially the new TouchControl panel.”

TouchControl is a fully functional remote terminal and repeater, with a 10-inch HD touchscreen, that delivers new and innovative solutions including Active Maps and zone plans, which are easily added to the system from almost any drawing or image, even Google Maps. As well as graphical control and indication, the unique TouchControl interface offers fire panel, network control and reporting right down to individual device level, allowing users to immediately identify the location of a fire alert. Devices in fire, fault, disablement and test status can be controlled using dynamic colour-coded status buttons. TouchControl panels can also run presentations or slideshows when not in active mode.

Ian Ward, General Manager of The Broadway, commented: “The Broadway represents a major investment by Meyer Bergman in the city of Bradford. We’re proud to develop the finest retail and leisure facilities for our tenants and customers, and this includes fire protection. The complex was the first in the UK to open without a fire marshal as the system was completed ahead of schedule, and we have complete confidence in the capabilities of the Advanced panels.”

MxPro is the fire industry’s leading multiprotocol fire solution, offering customers a choice of two panel ranges, four detector protocols and a completely open installer network that enjoys free training and support. With EN54 parts 2, 4 and 13 approvals, MxPro 5 panels can be used in single loop, single panel format or easily configured into high speed, 200 panel networks covering huge areas.

Advanced’s legendary ease of installation and configuration and wide peripheral range make it customisable to almost any application and it is found in challenging and prestigious sites around the world including western Europe’s tallest building, The Shard.

Neil Parkin, sales manager for Advanced, said: “We are delighted that Advanced products have been specified for such a high-profile installation. Meyer Bergman is one of the world’s largest development companies and it’s great to add them to our global client portfolio. MxPro panels are the ideal choice for this type of installation, combining proven reliability with innovation and ease of use.”

Advanced is a world leader in the development and manufacture of intelligent fire systems. The legendary performance, quality and ease of use of its products sees Advanced specified in locations all over the world, from single panel installations to large multi-site networks. Advanced’s products include complete fire detection systems, multi-protocol fire panels, extinguishing control, fire paging and false alarm management systems.

More details can be found on the website at www.advancedco.com or call Advanced on 01670 707 111.

SFS, the world’s leading manufacturer of fastener solutions for the building envelope, has published a new catalogue for its flat roofing product range which is presented in a user-friendly format.

Now available to download at www.sfsintec.co.uk and to request as a printed catalogue, the new 200+ page Flat Roofing Catalogue is a comprehensive update to the previous issue to reflect the extensive range of products and systems offered by SFS. The catalogue details the innovative solutions available for the three main SFS systems – the isofast® fully metallic system, the isotak® thermal break fastening system and the isoweld® induction welding system.

The easy-to-use format, makes finding the right SFS product quick and simple and encompasses fastener solutions for steel, concrete and timber deck, along with critical decks and a new section for flashings, upstands and termination bars. It also includes details of fasteners for metal deck to steel and timber structures, as well as information on SFS’s tools and accessories. The catalogue is also available on SFS’s interactive e-Literature platform at www.sfsliterature.com along with its Roofing and Cladding Catalogue.

Martyn Holloway, SFS Flat Roofing Business Unit Manager, comments: “The new catalogue provides an easy to follow guide to our market-leading range of fastening systems for flat roofing. This will assist customers to choose a reliable, fully approved and easy to install solution for fixing membrane, insulation and termination bar to every type of substrate.”

The new Flat Roofing Catalogue is part of SFS’s extensive programme of support for roofing contractors, specifiers and membrane suppliers. This includes UK-wide sales and technical teams who provide on-site pull-out testing, wind load calculations and resources including BIM data and project support where required, as well as training facilities to ensure the best possible result in the finished building envelope.

Expert technical support has been at the core of SFS’s success in serving the building envelope market for more than 30 years with a wide range of fasteners for flat roof, pitched roof and façade construction. Operating from its UK HQ in Leeds, the company is part of the Swiss-based SFS Group which has annual sales in excess of £1.1bn and a history dating back to the 1950s serving customers in the construction, automotive, electronics, industrial and medical products markets.

Download the new Flat Roofing Catalogue now at www.sfsintec.co.uk or use the e-Literature site to navigate the catalogue online – www.sfsliterature.com

Kalwall® translucent cladding has transformed the newly completed 4,200 square metre extension at Indiana’s South Bend Regional Airport.

Designed by architects Ken Herceg and Associates, the new terminal comprises five gates, restaurants, gift shops and break-out areas all housed under an architecturally exposed, steel-framed barrel vault structure that simulates the structure of an aircraft wing. This is covered with a curved Kalwall Skyroof® 10 metres wide and 180 metres long.

As passengers exit the dark and windowless TSA screening area, they are bathed in welcoming and natural daylight with unimpeded views across the runways. Kalwall eliminates shadows and glare and the stark contrasts of light and shade. The system also enhances simplicity by doing away with the need for blinds, curtains or solar control. Even on cloudy days, the interior is flooded with natural daylight, which means less artificial lighting and, because Kalwall is highly insulating, energy costs are reduced. The standard Kalwall 70mm thick panel offers insulation up to 0.28W/m2K – equivalent to a cavity filled brick wall, whilst still allowing for up to 15% visible light transmittance.

The architects made good use of Kalwall’s free daylight modelling service on this project. Daylight Modelling is the way to calculate the most effective daylighting for any type of building. It is calculated using five years’ worth of real world weather files at the exact location of the building together with information on day, time, position and weather patterns. This generates an in-depth report on interior lux levels, a glare pattern analysis and radiance Illuminance – a snapshot of the ambient lux level (light) at any given time on daylight penetration at any time of the day or on any day in the year.

Kalwall is frequently specified for this type of prestige project where high-end performance and quality need to be coupled with aesthetics, practicality and a long life cycle. Not only does Kalwall provide a neat and cost-effective solution but it also offers complete line-of-sight protection and is highly vandal and impact resistant. It is also ideal for areas considered as a high value target not only because is it FM (Factory Mutual) approved but also because its unique fabrication means that any blast is mitigated. Unlike glass, splintering and serious injury are greatly reduced in the event of an explosion as Kalwall is shatterproof.

Case studies and technical information are available from Structura UK Ltd on tel: 01233 501 504 or by visiting www.structura-uk.com/kalwall.

Vortice has launched its new website for the UK market at www.vortice.ltd.uk. The site is mobile-friendly and in keeping with the group’s corporate websites around the world. Customers can order online, view technical details for each product and compare different products by specification.

Finance and Marketing Manager Hayley Powell said “We hope our customers find our new UK website easy to access, navigate and to purchase from. It contains a mine of information about all of our products as well as details about our CPD programme and BPEC installers training course.”

The new website includes details of distributors around the UK as well as downloadable product catalogues and details of how best to obtain technical and design advice.

For more information please visit www.vortice.ltd.uk.

Unite, the UK’s largest union, has accused the government of failing to fully protect workers left in limbo following the collapse last month of Carillion.

This follows a Westminster Hall debate this week called by Eleanor Smith MP, into the TUPE (transfer of undertakings protection of employment regulations) provision for Carillion workers.

As the majority of the Carillion companies went into compulsory liquidation, the normal TUPE provisions which ensure that pay and conditions are protected, when workers are transferred between companies, do not apply.

However despite MPs from all sides of the House of Commons calling for workers, especially those on public sector contracts, to have their pay and conditions protected through a “voluntary TUPE arrangement,” Andrew Griffiths MP the junior minister at the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy, declined to do so.

Instead Mr Griffiths merely said “wherever practical and possible” the working conditions of Carillion workers having their contracts transferred would not be on detrimental terms and conditions.

In winding up the debate Labour MP Eleanor Smith, said that with the jobs of 11,800 Carillion workers still hanging in the balance: “She was disappointed that the Government couldn’t assure me on TUPE protection.”

Unite assistant general secretary Gail Cartmail said “Thousands of Carillion workers remain in limbo and while there have been plenty of warm words from government ministers that public sector contracts will be protected, there are still no assurances that the terms and conditions of the workers will be protected.

“MPs from all parties called on the government to introduce voluntary TUPE procedures to ensure that workers who were entirely blameless in Carillion’s collapse have their pay and conditions protected.

“It is to the government’s discredit that they have refused to introduce this minor and simple measure which would provide some reassurance to these workers.”

Originally built in 1941 as a special decoy target for German bombers, The Decoy Bunker is tucked away in the rolling hillsides of Monmouthshire and has been fully restored as a unique holiday home.

As the bunker had to blend directly into the hillside, a highly durable waterproofing system was needed to provide full protection against water travelling down from the surrounding landscape: a green roof waterproofing solution that would provide the desired ‘camouflage’ effect by using the existing soil and grass from the surrounding landscape.

Alumasc’s Registered Contractors Span Roofing installed Blackdown Greenroof Drainage Layers, Intensive Substrate and Washed Pebble Ballast to finish the green roof. A Derbigum Black Anti-Root Built-Up System sits below the green roof and provides a highly reliable waterproofing solution and maximum peace of mind for the future, as the Derbigum system holds 40-year durability certification with the BBA (British Board of Agrément).

Further details about Alumasc’s full range of waterproofing systems can be found at www.alumascroofing.co.uk or call the Alumasc technical team on 03335 771 500.

Easy to install Cembrit Moorland Blue/Black slates have been used on phase two of St Modwen’s new build housing development in Dursley, Gloucestershire. Chosen for their attractive appearance, and following a successful phase one, the Moorlands were once again supplied by Willis Westcott and installed by Mcdonnell-Price, a local roofing contractor.

The properties at Littlecombe have been built using a blend of modern and traditional materials which gives the development a timeless appeal. The Moorland Blue/Black slates provide a contrast with the light coloured fascia materials and surrounding greenery. This clean appearance is enhanced by the first class installation work carried out by McDonnell-Price across the development, which features roofs with Velux windows and many vents and valleys, alongside several pitch variants of between 30 and 45 degrees. Brandon McDonnell, of McDonnell-Price is very satisfied with the end result:

“I’m pleased with the way the project came together – everything just seemed to click into place. We like Cembrit’s Moorland slates and with a project like this, one that involves a lot of detail, it was good to have a slate that is lightweight, as well as easy to cut and fix. I also like the way dark Blue/Black colour stands out and nicely defines the roof lines against the surroundings.”

Moorland 600×300 slates were supplied by Willis Westcott, a large roofing supplies merchant in the region, as well as ‘doubles’ for the verges. The slates are fixed with two copper nails at the top of each slate with a copper rivet supporting the bottom of each slate. Moorland slates have an appearance close to that of natural slate. Their smooth surface and authentic dressed edges lend themselves to all manner of prestigious applications. They are manufactured to the highest European standards and are lightweight, pre-holed, suitable for all types of projects, easy to handle and install, durable and an economic alternative to natural roofing materials.

Moorland slates are manufactured using Portland cement together with a non-asbestos formulation of superior blended synthetic and cellulose fibres. Moorland slates are pigmented during production and are fully compressed. They are finished with a high quality, semi-matt acrylic coloured coating to the top face and edges and a tinted, high performance binder to the back face.

For further information visit www.cembrit.co.uk, email sales@cembrit.co.uk or tel: +44 0208 320 1184.

(Photo caption: the recently completed new Alchemist bar and restaurant at Salford Quays, which features a striking golden building envelope installed by Longworth, created using fastening systems by SFS. Courtesy of Artez / James Andrews.)

Global group sales growth of 13.7% in 2017 for fastening systems manufacturer SFS, reflects the growing customer demand here in the UK for high performance fixing solutions for the building envelope, which the company is set to support further with its unveiling of the industry’s first complete package for rainscreen systems.

In addition to an expanded range of SFS-branded products and services being readied for launch in 2018, the company now offers Nvelope rainscreen support systems after the manufacturer joined the SFS family in 2016. This enables SFS to provide high performance Nvelope bracket and rail systems for rainscreen cladding and SFS-branded fasteners as one package, offering important warranty benefits and a simplified supply chain.

An extension to this package is also available to customers seeking to incorporate a working at height safety system as part of their envelope project. This is provided by SFS with its industry-leading Soter Safety Systems solutions, giving specifiers and contractors the assurance that key elements of the building envelope’s construction and installation are provided by a market-leader renowned for its technical excellence.

Across the globe, SFS provides fastening solutions in a diverse range of industries, including medical equipment, automotive, electronics and industrial. In the UK, SFS is synonymous with high performance fasteners for roofing and cladding, as well as other structural applications, and its range of precision-engineered door hinges. Over the last 12 months, its organic sales have grown strongly by 7.4%, to achieve overall sales of around £1.24bn (CHF 1.633bn Swiss Francs).

David Wigglesworth, UK Managing Director of SFS, said: “The SFS brand stands for quality and engineering excellence, so our customers can be confident that every solution we provide meets the highest expectations. Nvelope and Soter Safety System are, therefore, perfect additions to the SFS family as architects seek greater certainty on building envelope quality and performance, and installers look to solutions that help them work quicker, more profitably and safer.

“With our new family of systems, SFS is unique in the market in providing a complete solution that is underpinned by quality and reliability. Customers of SFS fasteners have long benefited from the extended life of our superior A4 stainless steel fasteners, often with powder coated colour finishes for outstanding visual appeal, and our innovative flat roofing systems, but they can now access so much more for projects incorporating rainscreen and where a reliable safety system is required.”

Superior quality products backed by expert technical support has been at the core of SFS’s success in serving the building envelope market for more than 30 years with a wide range of solutions for pitched roof, façade and flat roof construction. The company is part of the SFS Group which has annual sales in excess of £1.1bn and a history dating back to the 1950s serving customers in the construction, automotive, electronics, industrial and medical products markets.

Find out more about SFS at www.sfsintec.co.uk.