HS2 embraces off-site manufacturing for first three ‘pre-fab’ green tunnels
HS2 today confirmed that Derbyshire-based Stanton Precast Ltd, has been awarded a major contract to deliver three innovative ‘green tunnels’ for the high-speed rail project in a move that is set to create up to 100 local jobs.
Four miles worth of tunnel will be built in thousands of sections at the Ilkeston factory before being shipped to site and assembled at three locations in rural Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire, to reduce disruption and improve efficiency.
The first green tunnel will stretch for one-and-a-half miles (2.5km) past the village of Chipping Warden in Northamptonshire with assembly due to begin on site early next year. Once complete, the structures will be covered with earth and landscaped to blend in with the surrounding countryside.
For the Chipping Warden tunnel more than 5,020 individual tunnel segments will be produced by Stanton as part of the contract awarded by HS2’s main works contractor, EKFB – a team made up of Eiffage, Kier, Ferrovial and BAM Nuttall. They will work with specialist engineers Matière who have been appointed to install the tunnel segments on site.
The contract win is a major boost for Stanton Precast Ltd, which employs around 180 people at their Ilkeston factory and has enabled the firm to increase their workforce by around 50%. New production sheds, casting and storage areas are also being built at the factory to accommodate the new work. In total Stanton will produce more than 13,290 tunnel segments to form the three green tunnels.
HS2 Ltd’s Project Client Rohan Perin, said:“Our green tunnels are a great example of what we’re doing to blend the new railway into the landscape and protect communities living close to the line. But it is also a major boost for Stanton Precast and their supply chain, showing how HS2 is creating jobs and opportunities across the UK right now.”
EKFB Director Peter Bimson, said:“This is an exciting opportunity for all involved to demonstrate engineering excellence and leave a legacy that improves people’s lives. The Chipping Warden ‘Green Tunnel’ is a demonstrable feat. It combines a myriad of innovative techniques, from promoting safety by taking the construction process off site to delivering an end-product that will benefit the surrounding environment.
“This off-site manufacturing is the result of the collaboration between some exceptional teams, using international engineering expertise.”
Stanton Precast Ltd’s, Managing Director, Colin Richardson, said:“We are extremely pleased to be involved in this major project and with the opportunities it delivers for both us and those in our immediate supply chain. Having targeted the HS2 project over 4 years ago as an opportunity to not only grow our business but also provide a legacy for future manufacturing in the East Midlands, this contract delivers on both and is the culmination of a lot of hard work”
Designed as a double arch, the tunnel will have two separate halves for southbound and northbound trains. Five different concrete precast segments will be slotted together to achieve the double arch – one central pier, two side walls and two roof slabs. Each one will be steel reinforced, with the largest weighing up to 43 tonnes.
The Chipping Warden tunnel will be built in sections, with construction expected to be fully complete in 2024. A relief road has also recently been completed, which will take HS2 vehicles – and other local traffic – away from the centre of the village.
The Chipping Warden tunnel will be followed by two similar structures at Wendover in Buckinghamshire and Greatworth in Northamptonshire. All of the tunnels will have specially designed ‘porous portals’ at either end to reduce the noise of trains exiting the tunnel.
New head of finance for Brady Solicitors
Property management law firm, Brady Solicitors, has appointed experienced finance professional Mark Short following a record year that saw the company grow its revenue by more than 60 percent.
“We’ve experienced an incredibly strong year despite the challenges of the pandemic and the associated impact on the court system,” Colin Hussey, director at Brady Solicitors says.
“Through the hard work and agility of our team and staying close to our property management clients throughout the pandemic, we have been able to kickstart a powerful period of growth. Mark’s appointment as head of finance reflects our ambition to further build on this recent growth.”
A chartered accountant with more than 20 years’ business experience, Mark Short joins Brady Solicitors from Dawsongroup Temperature Control Solutions where he was financial controller managing a team of 12. Mark first qualified as a chartered accountant at Nottingham firm, Lemans, before joining glass manufacturer T4 Design, with his most recent role being finance director.
At Brady Solicitors, Mark leads the finance department and is focused on business intelligence, forecasting, and automating business processes to drive the company’s five-year growth plan.
Mark says: “I am delighted to have joined the expert team at Brady Solicitors. My role at the firm is the perfect fit and provides me with the opportunity to make a real impact by applying the insights I have gained through my experience at many different types of organisations, which has equipped me with the expertise to help businesses achieve real growth. By driving efficiency and agility through delivering enhanced business information and accurate forward forecasting, I hope to play a key role in Brady Solicitors’ continued growth and success.”
Colin Hussey adds: “Mark’s appointment represents a significant addition to our senior team and he is an excellent commercial fit for the business. We have a focused growth plan for the next five years, and an experienced senior team is key to us executing this. Mark is already making a substantial impact by implementing new and innovative processes and enabling us to focus on continuously improving the experience for all our valued clients.”
Swedish environmental technology company swoops for Kettering firm
The Sweden-headquartered environmental technology company Nederman has completed a deal to acquire 100% of the shares in Kettering-based Energy Save System Ltd.
Energy Save System develops and sells unique software and hardware for monitoring and control of filter systems, that among other things reduces energy consumption, decreases environmental impact and improves filtration performance.
Energy Save System has developed technology for energy savings in industrial air filtration processes and the company’s product DESA is addressed to businesses who want to improve their air quality and decrease their environmental impact in industrial operations, for example in the wood, plastic, metalworking, food processing, pharmaceutical, welding and casting industries.
Through the acquisition, Nederman develops their offering within the environmental and climate area for both existing and new installations.
Energy Save System will be part of Nederman’s Monitoring & Control Technology Division.
“Through the acquisition we continue to develop our position as a world leading environmental technology company within industrial air filtration and further improve our product offering by meeting the market’s increased need for smart energy saving solutions,” says Sven Kristensson, CEO Nederman Group.
Director of electrical installation company banned for 5 years
The Nottingham-based director of an electrical installation company has been banned for 5 years after an over £100,000 VAT tax bill went unpaid.
Stuart Palethorpe was the sole director of On Form Electrical Ltd, which traded from early 2015 until November 2018.
HMRC petitioned to wind-up the business in 2018 due to outstanding VAT arrears, and the Official Receiver appointed as liquidator.
The subsequent investigation by the Insolvency Service found that for the last three years of trading, Palethorpe had failed to ensure that his business paid VAT returns.
At the point of liquidation in December 2018, On Form owed the public purse £102,417 in unpaid VAT.
However, because Palethorpe failed to maintain adequate accounting records, it is possible the business owed an even higher amount. The lack of records also prevented the Official Receiver from determining whether money disbursed from the business’s bank accounts was used for legitimate business expenditure.
As a result, the High Court gave Stuart Palethorpe a 5-year disqualification order, beginning on 30 November 2021.
The disqualification order prevents Palethorpe from directly or indirectly becoming involved in the promotion, formation or management of a company without the permission of the court.
Dave Elliot, chief investigator for the Insolvency Service, said: “Directors must ensure their companies pay the correct taxes but enquiries proved that Mr Palethorpe failed to do so while he ran the company.
“The electrician’s ban should serve as a warning to directors that if you fail to fulfil your obligations and seek to gain an unfair advantage over competitors, by failing to properly account and pay for your tax, you could lose the protection of limited liability.”
University of Nottingham spin-out company named best medtech start-up
University of Nottingham spin-out company Cerca Magnetics was named best start-up medtech company at the annual OBN awards.
Cerca Magnetics received the award in recognition of their achievements developing and bringing to market the first commercial, wearable brain MEG device.
The wearable brain imaging system was developed by researchers at the University of Nottingham and since the formation of Cerca Magnetics 14 months ago has already been installed at the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto for ground-breaking research into autism, and Young Epilepsy’s diagnostic suite where it is being used to improve how the condition is diagnosed and treated.
The prestigious awards, now in their 13th year, shine a light on companies at all stages of development, recognising inspirational leadership, exciting innovation, novel and exciting approaches to unmet clinical need, outstanding company progression and the delivery of real-life tangible results.
David Woolger CEO of Cerca said: “We’re delighted to have been awarded best start-up. Since we formed the company, we have had so much interest in this system and are delighted to already be working with Sick Kids and Young Epilepsy to improve the lives of children with brain disorders.”
This wearable brain imaging system is the result of years of research by scientists at the University of Nottingham who recognised the need for an alternative to the conventional MEG scanners that are very expensive, cumbersome, and rely on cryogenic sensors which are not viable for use in infants, and require patients to stay extremely still.
The new wearable system is based upon recently developed “quantum” sensors which use the fundamental properties of atoms to sense local magnetic fields. These new sensors, called optically pumped magnetometers or OPMs, do not require cryogenic cooling. They are also extremely small and lightweight (similar to a Lego brick). This means they can be mounted in a helmet which the patient wears. The helmet can adapt to any head shape or size, and because it is lightweight and moves with the head, it is completely motion robust, making this ideal for children and young people.
Dr Elena Boto, Chief Scientist at Cerca Magnetics said: “It’s incredible to see how far the technology has come since our initial experiments in the lab five years ago. Seeing the system commercialised and installed to help children with neurological problems like autism and epilepsy is amazing and we are looking forward to developing and rolling the system out even further in 2022.” The University of Nottingham announces launch of a new £12m research centre for inclusive trade policy
A major new research centre on inclusive trade policy is to launch in early 2022. The Centre for Inclusive Trade Policy aims to be a centre of excellence for innovative trade policy research.
The UK has experienced a huge change in trade policy. Having left the EU, it is in the process of devising its own trade policy, one that will shape economic and welfare outcomes in all corners of the United Kingdom for generations.
At the same time, international trade is changing rapidly and becoming more complex with the world trading system facing major challenges such as COVID-19, trade wars, disruptive digital technology and climate change. Formulating an effective trade policy that delivers something for all parts of society in such circumstances requires an evidence-based interdisciplinary approach, which the Centre aims to provide.
The Centre for Inclusive Trade Policy, the first centre dedicated to trade policy to be funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), is built on the precept that trade policy should be inclusive in both policy formulation and outcome and focuses on four dimensions of inclusiveness: geography, political domains, society and generations. In addition, the Centre itself is inclusive with researchers in all four UK nations, in five disciplines and at all stages of their careers, and with a commitment to hear the voices of all parts of UK society.
In addition to the University of Nottingham, the Centre brings together researchers from all four UK nations – including from the University of Sussex, the University of Strathclyde, Queen’s University Belfast, Cardiff University and the University of Cambridge – and several overseas universities to create the UK’s first interdisciplinary research centre in international trade. The team comprises scholars from economics, law, business management, politics and international relations.
Led by Professors L. Alan Winters and Michael Gasiorek at the University of Sussex Business School with Professor Giovanni Facchini of the University of Nottingham as deputy director, the Centre is supported by an £8 million grant from the ESRC and by funding from its contributing universities. It is one of six new national centres funded by the ESRC designed to tackle urgent social and economic issues and provide robust research evidence to support government decision making.
The team based at the University of Nottingham, led by Professor Giovanni Facchini, includes Professor Facundo Albornoz, Dr Alejandro Graziano, Professor Giammario Impullitti, Professor Richard Kneller, Professor Andres Rodriguez Clare, Professor Cecilia Testa, Dr Yuan Tian and Dr Zhihong Yu. Researchers will work on a range of questions, such as: the long-term, general equilibrium effects of trade on the UK economy, the impact of multinational production on climate change, and the effectiveness of trade adjustment assistance programs on public support for trade liberalisation.
Professor Winters, Professor of Economics at the University of Sussex Business School, said: “International trade accounts for nearly a third of UK output and a third of what it consumes. Our research suggests that perhaps 6.5 million jobs are linked directly or indirectly to exporting. The country needs a ‘go-to’ location, both intellectually and for policy formulation. By bringing a diverse group of excellent researchers together, the Centre for Inclusive Trade Policy aims to equip the UK with the capability to formulate and implement a trade policy tailored to the needs of the whole of the UK.”
In addition to the universities, the Centre will work with nine partners including Ernst & Young LLP (EY), Fieldfisher LLP, the International Trade Group of the Professional and Business Services Council, the British Chambers of Commerce, the Trade Justice Movement and trade officials in all four UK administrations. It will undertake consultation and societal deliberation via citizen’s juries, to ensure that its programme is relevant to the needs of UK business, society and policymakers.
In particular, the Centre’s objectives include:
• Conduct frontier disciplinary and interdisciplinary research into international trade and policy
• Create a critical mass of expertise by integrating excellent scholars from several disciplines and all parts of the UK
• Create a body of data and innovative methods
• Apply research skills to pressing practical trade problems, including some identified by a broad societal consultation (citizens’ juries) among stakeholders and the public.
• Work extensively to inform public debate, so that the relevance of trade to economic management is clear and the trade-offs that it inevitably entails are more widely appreciated.
• Engage with a wide range of policymakers and stakeholders.
• Create a legacy in terms of a permanent wide-spread capacity to conduct first-rate research, analysis and policy-making practices in international trade in UK academia, officialdom and business.
The Centre will also run a competition for funds for early and mid-career researchers who are not part of the Centre team but who offer innovative proposals within international trade policy. This is a key part of the Centre’s plan to build long-term capacity for trade policy development and analysis.
Professor Gasiorek, Centre co-director and Professor of Economics at the University of Sussex, said: “Our aim is to help to equip the UK with an effective and equitable trade policy. The Centre will build permanent capacity by developing a community of scholars and practitioners with the knowledge, skills and mutual understanding to develop robust trade policy in a changing world. Its work will benefit the whole of UK society, enhancing environmental sustainability and social equity.”
“The new Centre fits perfectly into our strategic plans, exemplifying research with impact in making research accessible in order to solve the grand issues of our time, and building on strengths in enhancing and building upon Sussex’s long-held reputation for specialism and expertise in international trade.”
The centre includes researchers from:
University of Sussex
University of Nottingham
University of Strathclyde
Queen’s University Belfast
Cardiff University
University of Cambridge
European University Institute
Georgetown University
Tel Aviv University
University of California, Berkeley
Space Park Leicester opens doors to community
Science was brought to life for children from two schools during an open day at Space Park Leicester aimed at inspiring the next generation of space pioneers.
Youngsters watched experiments, did some 3D printing, played a carbon footprint game and experienced thermal imaging at the event held on Friday, November 26, to celebrate the £100million research, innovation and teaching hub home to space-related high-tech companies and researchers.
Members of the public also attended an open evening featuring presentations, guided tours and stands from organisations, including the National Centre for Earth Observation and the nearby National Space Centre.
Leicester West MP Liz Kendall, who was also given a tour of the building, said: “This centre is really important for Leicester, Leicestershire and the country too because there is a huge growth potential in space science and jobs in this sector. If we want to grow our country and give everyone a chance of a better life, investing in something like the Space Park is really important.”
Space Park Leicester is led by the University of Leicester in partnership with Leicester City Council and the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP).
Dr Suzie Imber, Associate Professor in Space Physics at the University of Leicester, led a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) outreach workshop involving a water rocket experiment. She said: “You don’t have to be a scientist to be in the space industry, we need a whole range of people, such as engineers and technicians. We need people thinking about how we design the spacecraft of the future and how we keep people alive in space. It’s about the broader aspect of the space community.”
More than 70 Year 6 pupils from the local Inglehurst Junior School and over 60 Year 5 children from Queensmead Primary Academy, also located nearby, attended a series of workshops to put science into practice and learn about space exploration.
They also got the opportunity to learn about Leicester’s role in the development of the James Webb Space Telescope, NASA’s largest and most powerful science telescope ever constructed which is set to launch in December.
Elizabeth Peutherer, a teacher at Queensmead Primary Academy, said: “We are learning about space at school and the visit was about how those skills are used in reality and to broaden their learning. Letting them see and give them some ambition, showing them that that science isn’t just something they learn about at school, can really make a difference. Space Park Leicester is only 10 minutes down the road from where we are and it’s amazing to be so close.”
Most of the children said launching water rockets 50 metres into the air was the best experiment.
Pupil Keanna Ngwenya, aged nine, said: “I thought it was amazing. It was so exciting, I will tell my mum about everything I did. My favourite part was launching the water rockets outside.”
Nine-year-old Arjun Singh added: “Launching the rockets was the best bit. I learned that the water bears can live in boiling water or freezing water or in space.”
In the evening, the centre opened its doors to the local community, with residents having the chance to learn about the projects being conducted and visit the labs that will be used for satellite design and build.
John Sharpe and his wife Val, who lives in nearby Sudeley Avenue, attended the evening. He said: “It’s absolutely brilliant. I have watched it from the start. Our children attended the old John Ellis School, which used to be there before. It’s amazing to have this on our doorstep.”
Derbyshire firm to create 100 jobs after winning major HS2 ‘green tunnels’ contract
Derbyshire-based Stanton Precast Ltd has been awarded a major contract to deliver three innovative ‘green tunnels’ for HS2 in a move that is set to create up to 100 local jobs.
Four miles worth of tunnel will be built in thousands of sections at the Ilkeston factory before being shipped to site and assembled at three locations in rural Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire, to reduce disruption and improve efficiency.
The first green tunnel will stretch for one-and-a-half miles (2.5km) past the village of Chipping Warden in Northamptonshire with assembly due to begin on site early next year. Once complete, the structures will be covered with earth and landscaped to blend in with the surrounding countryside.
For the Chipping Warden tunnel more than 5,020 individual tunnel segments will be produced by Stanton as part of the contract awarded by HS2’s main works contractor, EKFB – a team made up of Eiffage, Kier, Ferrovial and BAM Nuttall. They will work with specialist engineers Matière who have been appointed to install the tunnel segments on site.
The contract win is a major boost for Stanton Precast Ltd, which employs around 180 people at their Ilkeston factory and has enabled the firm to increase their workforce by around 50%. New production sheds, casting and storage areas are also being built at the factory to accommodate the new work. In total Stanton will produce more than 13,290 tunnel segments to form the three green tunnels.
EKFB director, Peter Bimson, said: “This is an exciting opportunity for all involved to demonstrate engineering excellence and leave a legacy that improves people’s lives. The Chipping Warden ‘Green Tunnel’ is a demonstrable feat. It combines a myriad of innovative techniques, from promoting safety by taking the construction process off site to delivering an end-product that will benefit the surrounding environment.
“This off-site manufacturing is the result of the collaboration between some exceptional teams, using international engineering expertise.”
Stanton Precast Ltd’s Managing Director, Colin Richardson, said: “We are extremely pleased to be involved in this major project and with the opportunities it delivers for both us and those in our immediate supply chain. Having targeted the HS2 project over 4 years ago as an opportunity to not only grow our business but also provide a legacy for future manufacturing in the East Midlands, this contract delivers on both and is the culmination of a lot of hard work.”
Designed as a double arch, the tunnel will have two separate halves for southbound and northbound trains. Five different concrete precast segments will be slotted together to achieve the double arch – one central pier, two side walls and two roof slabs. Each one will be steel reinforced, with the largest weighing up to 43 tonnes.
The Chipping Warden tunnel will be built in sections, with construction expected to be fully complete in 2024. A relief road has also recently been completed, which will take HS2 vehicles – and other local traffic – away from the centre of the village.
The Chipping Warden tunnel will be followed by two similar structures at Wendover in Buckinghamshire and Greatworth in Northamptonshire.
Midlands manufacturers join forces to inspire national manufacturing revolution
Over 50 of the Midlands’ leading manufacturers met in Leicester today (30 November) to discuss the sector’s role in levelling up the UK. Boosting manufacturing has a key role in creating regional growth, reducing geographical inequality, leading to higher productivity and better wages for all.
The Midlands is the leading location for UK manufacturing, with 25,270 businesses and 555,820 existing jobs in the sector, equalling 12.5% of total employment – a much higher percentage than the national average.
Key themes emerging from the conference included:
- The UK has been allowed to become too regionally unequal, in large part due to the decline of regional manufacturing
- Revolutionising manufacturing will bring growth, productivity and better jobs to regions like the Midlands, and also the whole country beyond London and the South East
Engineering consultancy expands team with double hire
Nottingham-based engineering consultancy, Howard Ward Associates (HWA), has expanded its team with two new hires.
Theodora Francis joins the firm as a senior civil engineer, alongside Nadeem Chaudhry as senior technician.
From its office in Nottingham, HWA delivers construction engineering consultancy services across the country, and works in a range of sectors and specialities including education, residential, healthcare, emergency services and solar PV.
In her new role, Theodora will be providing detailed civil engineering design solutions including securing approvals from governing bodies in response to development proposals. She is a graduate member of ICE and has a BEng (Hons) degree in civil engineering from Plymouth University.
With 14 years’ experience in the industry, Theodora specialises in designing private and adoptable highways, external works and drainage schemes for residential developments, care homes and commercial schemes.
Newly appointed senior technician Nadeem Chaudhry will be involved in handling large scale projects within HWA’s portfolio and will utilise his technical skills and knowledge to successfully deliver schemes in a range of sectors.
Nadeem has more than 30 years of experience in his field and has developed a great expertise in 3D building modelling and coordination for multiple types of structures and buildings.
The new hires are joining the team as HWA’s portfolio of work continues to expand locally and nationally including housing, residential and commercial schemes including some worthwhile city centre regeneration.
Dan Bailey, director at Howard Ward Associates, said: “We’re thrilled to welcome Theodora and Nadeem to the team, they each possess a wealth of experience and talent in their own field of expertise which will be hugely valuable to the company. We work together as a close-knit team and view our staff as our greatest asset.
“Our work is extremely varied and we’re proud to have successfully delivered projects which call on our technical expertise and have supported both our local communities in the East Midlands and further afield.
“We’re pleased to be introducing Theodora and Nadeem to the exciting projects we are currently working on, and wish them every success in their new roles.”
The firm was recently appointed by Ineco Energy to deliver a major solar PV project at 41 sites across Coventry, as part of a wider decarbonisation scheme which will deliver carbon reductions and renewable energy generation improvements at various council-owned sites; such as sports facilities, schools, office buildings, cemeteries and country park visitor centres.
