NEWS DIGEST FROM CECA NORTH WEST, 22 OCTOBER 2014 Welcome to this round up of news from CECA North West. If there are any items you wish to include, please let me know. If you would like to contact me, or wish to arrange a meeting, I can be reached via email: guy.lawson@virginmedia.com or mobile 07703 585027. Please note that from 1 October 2014, we will be transferring to a new server – and all emails should be sent to guy.lawson@cecanw.co.uk Given the teething troubles we had last time we tried to do this, I will be most grateful if you will bear with us during the next few weeks. Contact details: The address is: CECA NW, Cinnabar Court, 5300 Daresbury Park, Daresbury, Warrington WA4 4GE Tel: 01928 248735. Although the office is not manned full time, I can be contacted on the above email and mobile number. Free and discounted services for members We are always looking for ways to enhance the services CECA NW offers to members, which currently include:

Legal services (see below)

Training

Tendering support

Market intelligence

Hot desk facilities at the Daresbury Park office – call Guy Lawson for details

Lobbying

But, please contact Guy Lawson if there are any specific areas where we can be of assistance. Capacity & Capability survey My thanks to all of you who have submitted details to be included in the Capacity & Capability Survey. It is a very useful promotional tool that I will be forwarding to client organisations. It has now been uploaded onto the CECA website, but if any member would like their details including, please contact Guy Lawson: http://www.ceca.co.uk/media/103136/ceca_north_west_capacity_survey_-_may_2013.pdf

Tendering workshops Members are invited to contact Guy Lawson for 1-2-1 tendering workshops, where he will advise on PQQs and ITTs, eg on how to present socio-economic and CSR data as effectively as possible. This is a free service to CECA NW members. Please contact him at the above number or email. CECA NW Legal Advice Service Willow Contracts has provided very high quality advice to CECA NW members over the last year – and their support and expertise for legal and contractual matters is highly recommended. The email address exclusively for members is CECAsupport@willowcontracts.co.uk and this will automatically contact Chris Hutchinson and his colleague. For the telephone service, the dedicated number is 01924 919392. In the event that the call cannot be taken any voicemail left is automatically routed to Chris’s mobile phone. Call costs I am advised are at standard rates. Industry news and events: CECA NW Vision 2014 Copies of the presentations at CECA Vision NW 2014, by Jon Lamonte of Transport for Greater Manchester, Peter McDermott of University of Salford, Iain Taylor of Peel, Steve Moore of the Environment Agency, Matthew Atherton of Costain and Ed Procter of the Northern Hub can be accessed via the attached link: http://www.ceca.co.uk/regions/north-west/news/ceca-north-west-awards-2014.aspx CECA NW Flyer 2014 The new CECA NW flyer is now available on the website, and hard copies are being sent out: http://www.ceca.co.uk/media/130806/ceca-north-west-flyer-may-2014.pdf

CECA NW Awards 2014 At the CECA Vision NW 2014 event on Friday 10 October, awards were presented to the following. Project of the Year was won by Buckingham Group for the remediation, construction and infrastructure works for the City of Salford Stadium. Highly commended was William Pye Ltd for the Whalley Community Hydro Scheme. Young Professional of the Year was Jack Edwards of Bury-based Cheetham Hill Construction Ltd. Jack has progressed from trainee to Site Agent in 15 months, recently working on a £1.8 million project for United Utilities. Highly commended for the Award was Nathan Crabtree of J N Bentley Ltd. The winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award was Gill Steele of Eric Wright and Training Officer for the NW Contractors’ Training Group. Gill has devoted her career to playing a central role in the training and development of civil engineers. With capacity and skills shortages affecting the industry, this was a particularly timely award for a well-known and well-respected professional. DXI Regeneration Ltd CECA NW welcomes DXI Regeneration Ltd as an associate member, following the last Executive Committee meeting. Their details are as follows: DXI Regeneration Limited, Brooklands House, Rose Hill, Wigan Road, Ashton in Makerfield, Wigan WN4 0BS. Tel: 01942 513288, e-mail info@dxiltd.co.uk NW Contractors Training Group – don’t miss this opportunity to reduce your training costs The Group provides access to CITB funding to support training, and its members receive free or substantially discounted training, for a nominal membership charge (£100 per annum - £50 for the remainder of 2014). For any CECA NW member that joins before 31 December 2014, at a cost of £50, membership of the Group in 2015 will be free of charge. In order for it to succeed, the Group needs as many members as possible. If you are interested in joining the Group, please let Gill Steele know: gills@ericwright.co.uk Please could members advise their Training Managers of this opportunity. NW Contractors Training Group – autumn courses Course & Date Cost Risk Assessment, 28th October, 2014 £25 SMSTS 30th October, 6th, 13th, 20th & 27th November 2014 £250 Please book your places with Gill Steele – gills@ericwright.co.uk With your Company Name and Contact details, plus CITB Registration Number. CECA NW/TfGM meeting, Wednesday 29 October 2014 A meeting has been arranged with Peter Molyneux and colleagues from Transport for Greater Manchester. As numbers are limited, it’s on a first come, first served basis: Time 11:00-12:00, 1st Floor Room 1a, TfGM offices, 2 Piccadilly Place M1 3BG Please contact Guy Lawson to book your place. CECA NW/Merseylink Consortium meeting – follow up We have been advised that Merseylink Consortium, due to time pressures, will be unable to host the 121 meetings they offered at our meeting in July. Instead, they have suggested that CECA NW members email them at: thechest@merseylink.com Make sure you include CECA on the title of the email, so that they can include CECA NW members in all suitable packages. CECA NW/Knowles legal breakfast seminars The following topics will be covered in the next round of legal breakfast seminars. They are free to attend, and will take place at Knowles’s offices (unless otherwise stated), 3200 Daresbury Park, Warrington WA4 4BU: • Managing defects, 08.00 for 08.30, Tuesday 4 November 2014 • Water Industry contracts, Tuesday 13 January 2015 – timings and venue tbc • A guide to liquidated and delay damages, 08.00 for 08.30, Tuesday 10 February 2015 • Insurance – details tbc • Mock adjudication, Tuesday 10 March 2015 – timings and venue tbc To book your place, please contact Jemma Carmody: Jemma.Carmody@ceca-yorks.co.uk

CECA NW/HSE meeting, Thursday 4 December 2014, 08.00 for 08.30, Daresbury Park Hotel A breakfast meeting is being arranged with Neil Jamieson, HM Principal Inspector of Health and Safety. Interested parties should contact Guy Lawson in the first instance. Further details will be issued shortly. North West Coast Connections Project A meeting for CECA NW members will be arranged with the project in 2015. The attached information booklet sets out details of the project: http://www.northwestcoastconnections.com/docs/ConsultationDocs/NG-NWCC%20Project%20Info%20Booklet.pdf CECA Signs Up to USAG Charter - Why Don't You Consider It Too? As part of CECA's work to improve the detection and avoidance of buried services CECA has signed up to the Utility Strike Avoidance Group (USAG) Charter. USAG wishes to encourage contractors to participate in its work and sign on if they agree with its Charter. Details of USAG and its Charter can be found on: http://www.utilitystrikeavoidancegroup.org The Utility Strike Avoidance Group Charter is very short and succinct: We will: 1. Ensure that all work carried out by us or on our behalf is properly planned and that those responsible are aware of their responsibilities and how to carry them out. 2. Ensure that all people working on our behalf are assessed to ensure they are competent and capable of carrying out the task given to them and that at least one person in each work team is competent in the use of cable detection equipment to its full potential. 3. Ensure that excavations, including those undertaken by anyone excavating on our behalf, are carried out in accordance with safe systems of work, company or USAG procedures. 4. Ensure that the equipment provided for the detection and avoidance of services is inspected, calibrated and tested in accordance with the manufacturer’s requirements and that records are kept, including a daily check to ensure that the equipment continues to operate as expected. 5. Ensure that all those working, including those on our behalf use the correct protective equipment and are trained in its use. 6. Ensure that relevant latest utility asset drawings are available to people excavating, that our work is inspected and audited and that failure to achieve the expected standards is recorded. 7. Ensure that where damage to utility assets occur, a suitable and sufficient investigation takes place, that learning is shared and that action is taken to reduce the risks to those carrying out the work. Shared apprenticeships I met Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce’s Construction Group Training Association (GMCGTA), which runs a shared apprenticeship scheme, as this is a topic that several members have raised, and I was asked at the last Executive Committee meeting to explore how this could be developed to benefit CECA NW members. GMCGTA does not currently work with civils contractors, but is very keen to provide a shared apprenticeship scheme for CECA NW members on any projects taking place within the ten districts of Greater Manchester. In short, they will handle the recruitment, safeguarding and related HR arrangements, and act as the employer (CECA NW, with a turnover of less than £150,000 is simply too small to do that). They will provide each apprentice with a contract of employment, and arrange for the individual’s day release and to be moved from project to project for the duration of their apprenticeship. A further benefit to members is that this will provide powerful evidence of supporting the local economy in future tenders in the Greater Manchester area. I am keen to know if this is a scheme that members would support. If so, the next steps would be to collate a programme of forward work from interested parties, identifying where they would be willing to take on apprentices. Regional Growth Fund Round 6 bid - amendment CECA NW is working with two of the region’s universities to support an engineering training facility in the North West, which will include a centre for bespoke civil engineering training. It was originally envisaged that this would involve submitting a Regional Growth Fund Round 6 bid. It has since been decided that this is probably not the optimum approach, and further details will be circulated as the proposal is developed, but if you would like to know more, please contact Guy Lawson.

UU AMP6 meetings with construction delivery partners United Utilities has named its construction delivery partners, which are: MMB (Mott MacDonald Bentley), C2V+ (CH2M Hill and VolkerStevin), Advance (Balfour Beatty and MWH), LiMA (Laing O’Rourke and Imtech, with support from Atkins). I am in process of arranging meeting with each of them for CECA NW members later in the year. NW Construction & Infrastructure Alliance – meeting with Cheshire & Warrington LEP Daresbury Park Hotel, Warrington, Tuesday 18 November, 17.30 CECA NW members are warmly invited to the following meeting arranged by the NW Construction & Infrastructure Alliance with Aidan Manley, Executive Director of Cheshire & Warrington LEP on Tuesday 18 November. The meeting will take place in early evening at Daresbury Park Hotel, Warrington, and is free of charge. Refreshments will be served. ICES NW events programme 18 November 2014 Update on recent case law in the construction industry https://www.cices.org/news/events/update-on-recent-case-law-in-the-construction-industry/ Local Transport Boards – forward plans for the North West The allocations to Local Transport Boards have been announced: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/local-transport-body-funding-allocations The following lists the forward plans for the five NW Local Transport Boards. Cheshire & Warrington: http://moderngov.cheshireeast.gov.uk/ecminutes/documents/b8440/To%20follow%20report%20-%20Strategic%20Economic%20Plan%2007th-Mar-2014%2014.00%20Cheshire%20and%20Warrington%20Local%20Trans.pdf?T=9 Cumbria: http://www.cumbria.gov.uk/eLibrary/Content/Internet/327/3172/3281/4181014486.pdf Greater Manchester: http://www.tfgm.com/journey_planning/ltp3/Pages/default.aspx Lancashire: http://www.lancashirelep.co.uk/media/9771/Item-5-Investment-Programme-Update.docx Liverpool City Region: http://moderngov.merseytravel.uk.net/documents/s9568/CopyofLCRprioritisedschemetemplateamended160813.xls.pdf Infrastructure Planning Portal Please see the attached for details of progress on major publicly-funded projects in the North West: http://infrastructure.planningportal.gov.uk/projects/north-west/ £1.1bn Government infrastructure fund for North West The government has announced a £1.1bn investment in the North West in a series of growth deals. In the first wave of investment, the North West will receive £329m for 2015-16 from a £2bn Local Growth fund pot. A further £783m of indicative funding was announced from 2016-17 onwards. Greater Manchester received £170m, the highest award in the country, for next year with an additional £307m expected in later years. Lancashire was granted £84m with £149.6m to come, Liverpool £46m with another £186.5m in the pipeline, Cheshire & Warrington £20m with a further £122m allocated and Cumbria £9m with a further £17.7m to be given. The government said the allocation of indicative funding was because the quality of the proposals was so high. Discussions are ongoing with Local Enterprise Partnerships to prepare for future negotiations on the next round of growth deals. In Greater Manchester, the first wave of funding will focus on transport investment, with 12 new trams, a bus route from Bolton to Manchester, and transport interchanges in Ashton-under-Lyne and Stockport town centres. Transport for Greater Manchester said that the government commitment will unlock a further £37m of local match-funding. In Cumbria, the initial £9m will go towards the development of an Advanced Manufacturing Technology Centre at Furness College, and in Cheshire & Warrington, 500 homes are expected to start on site in 2015 and a Life Science Investment Fund will be created to support business start-ups at Alderley Park. Cheshire East Council said its allocation would support the development of two new roads at Poynton and Congleton. In the Liverpool city region, £50m has been earmarked for investment in transport connections.

UK Guarantees scheme: table of prequalified projects https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-guarantees-scheme-prequalified-projects/uk-guarantees-scheme-table-of-prequalified-projects Code of Conduct for Operational PFI/PPP contracts The Code sets out the basis on which public sector bodies and their PPP partners (investors, lenders, construction contractors and service providers) agree on a voluntary basis to identify and deliver efficiencies and savings in operational PFI and PPP contracts. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/206613/Code_of_Conduct_for_Operational_PPP_Contracts.pdf Local Sustainable Transport Fund 2015-16 announced The successful projects will share over £64m in revenue funding. Each project has provided its own matched contribution; the overall total of this matched funding is over £375m. This includes over £100m sourced directly from the Local Growth Fund. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-sustainable-transport-fund-funding-decisions-2015-to-2016 NW Construction Hub – High Value Framework contractors announced The North West Construction Hub has appointed seven contractors to its high value project framework. The procurement body expects to let anywhere between £250m and £1bn of work through the framework over the next four years. It will be used on projects worth more than £9m covering Cumbria, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire. D&B • BAM • Galliford Try • Laing O’Rourke • Morgan Sindall • Shepherd Construction • Wates

Construct Only • Galliford Try • Kier • Laing O’Rourke • Morgan Sindall • Wates

£200 million in subsidies for renewal energy projects Renewable energy projects will be able to compete for a share of over £200 million in subsidies from this autumn after a key part of the UK government's electricity market reform (EMR) programme received EU state aid approval. http://www.out-law.com/en/articles/2014/july/uk-government-confirms-initial-contracts-for-difference-subsidy-budget-as-scheme-receives-eu-approval/ Manchester City Council announces £1bn ‘Big Dig’ programme The council expects £1bn to be invested in city centre transport and property development between now and 2017. The report's authors compared the current city centre development workload, collectively labelled Grow by the city's authorities, the biggest since that which followed the IRA bomb in 1996.Transport projects under the Grow umbrella include Metrolink's Second City Crossing, the rail renewal and expansion known as Northern Hub, Cross City Bus Corridor and the redevelopment of Victoria Station. Major property projects include Co-operative's NOMA, First Street, Spinningfields and the regeneration of St Peter's Square. http://www.manchester.gov.uk/grow A556 Knutsford to Bowdon highway improvement scheme given development consent The development consent is for the construction of a new section of highway and to make improvements to the existing A556 trunk road in Cheshire between M6 Junction 19, near Knutsford, and M56 Junction 7 near Bowdon, Greater Manchester. It also includes improvements to the M6 Southbound carriageway between M6 Junction 19 and Knutsford Services. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/a556-knutsford-to-bowdon-highway-improvement-scheme-given-development-consent Balfour Beatty JV wins £240m Sellafield contract A joint venture between Balfour Beatty, AMEC and Jacobs has been appointed to a nuclear framework contract worth more than £240m at Sellafield in Cumbria. The three-way equal partnership will be the sole contractor to build a Box Encapsulation Plant, a nuclear waste processing facility which will receive, segregate and encapsulate hazardous waste already stored on the Sellafield site.

The joint venture will be responsible for the complete life cycle of the scheme from design, engineering, procurement, installation and construction management through to commissioning and handover. The processing plant is part of Sellafield's wider programme to prepare hazardous nuclear waste for storage and disposal. The facility will also process waste recovered from other facilities on the Sellafield site once they are decommissioned. A joint venture between Atkins, Mace and Areva was named earlier this year as the preferred bidder for a £1bn contract to build a Silos Direct Encapsulation Plant, which will also deal with waste retrieval and hazard reduction. Work is scheduled to start on the Box Encapsulation Plant in the fourth quarter of 2014. Lean Construction Institute Guy Lawson met Derek Drysdale of the Highways Agency, who is also a director of the Lean Construction Institute (LCI-UK). With regard to the latter role, he is keen to work with CECA – primarily to lobby for and promote Lean Construction to our sector, and to the client base. LCI-UK’s annual summit will take place on 30 October 2014: http://leanconstruction.org.uk/events/lci-uk-summit-2014/ New faces at the helm of Mersey Gateway Paul Fenwick has joined the Mersey Gateway Crossings Board as construction director, along with Helen Dearden as finance director. Steve Nicholson, who has been project director and interim chief executive of the board until now, is stepping down but will retain a role as special advisor to the project on a part time basis. Subject to approval by the Halton Borough Council’s executive board meeting next week, council chief executive David Parr will become interim chief executive of the Mersey Gateway Crossings Board (while still running the council) and oversee the appointment of a full time chief executive who will be responsible for the day-to-day operation of the new Mersey Gateway from late 2016. Network Rail plans for Oxford Road and Piccadilly The national rail infrastructure operator has released a fly-through video showing the proposed changes to Oxford Road, the Whitworth Street West railway and Piccadilly station. The plans include extending the railway corridor over Whitworth Street West, reconfiguring platforms at Oxford Road along with a new footbridge and providing a pedestrian walkway. At Piccadilly, there will be elevated platforms 15 and 16 with canopies, a wider Castlefield viaduct on the southern side and a reconfigured electrical substation. http://www.networkrail.co.uk/improvements/northern-hub/projects/manchester-oxford-road-piccadilly/ Merseytravel launches £250m framework contest Liverpool city region's passenger transport organisation has started the formal procurement process for the multi-disciplinary framework for the next four years as it gears up for another development programme. A broad range of lots will cover jobs under project management, highways, surveying, architectural, engineering, urban planning, landscape engineering, scientific and technical consulting, testing and analysis services. Up to 100 firms are expected to be appointed in total to work on sites as diverse as tunnels, rail track, naval architecture, highways, buildings, bridges and other infrastructure. The deadline for expressions of interest and requests for documents to apply in full is 4pm on Friday 31 October. Oldham Council construction framework open for bids Oldham Council is inviting tenders for a £32m construction and highways services framework, with 14 lots set to be awarded. The works undertaken by the framework providers will be to schools, libraries and other community facilities, social services, health buildings and offices. The 14 lots include roofing works, asbestos remediation, building repairs and maintenance, highways surfacing, and electrical works. Deadline for receipt of tenders is 24 November 2014. Ineos gas storage plans enter statutory consultation Keuper Gas Storage, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ineos Enterprises Group, is launching statutory consultation on proposals to construct and operate an underground gas storage facility in Cheshire. The proposed Keuper Gas Storage Project would involve using specially designed underground salt cavities - created through solution mining - to store natural gas. Delivery of KGSP will represent a significant investment in the local economy, provide a long-term brine supply to meet the needs of existing customers and assist the UK in achieving security of energy. The statutory consultation started this week and is due to close on 27 November.

FINANCIAL CONTROLLER

This role will be working closely with the directors of the company; you will have a small team and be

responsible for the roles below. The company are also going through system implementation which you

will be involved in the transition. The successful candidate will need to be experienced in the

civils/construction industry, have excellent communication skills and experience in implementing systems.

This experience will ensure the smooth running of both the department and accounts team.

The ROLE will consist of:

• Analysing

• Preparation of annual statutory Accounts

• Oversee all tax and regulatory compliance issues

• Liaise with external advisors on the preparation of statutory financial information

• Cash flow statements

• Develop the forecasting models (P&L, Balance Sheet and Cash flow)

• Review company internal controls

• Annual Budgeting

• Prepare reports for board meetings

• Cost Accounting

• Negotiating costs

Financial Controller REQUIREMENTS

• Over 5 years’ experience as a Financial Controller

• Good commercial acumen

• Knowledge covering all areas of a finance department

• Management experience essential

• Experience in the Civils/ Construction industry is essential

• Good knowledge of taxation

Additional information

You will directly support the directors in all areas of the business. This role is a newly created position

within the division that has the fastest growth rate. If you are a driven, bright and ambitious qualified

accountant that wishes to take the next step in their career to join a rapidly growing and dynamic

organisation then please apply. Experience is pivotal for this role however other important factors are

ambition, ability and desire to learn and develop.

Short listing will take place immediately with interviews to take place as soon as possible this role has

already gained a high response rate, if you are interested in this we urge you to apply immediately.

PACKAGE:

Salary negotiable on previous experience and job description match.

22 days holiday exclusive of Bank holidays

On Site Parking

Hours: 8am - 5:30pm Monday to Friday

Interested parties should contact Guy Lawson in the first instance.

Quantity Surveyor (Intermediate Level) Position Role Description/Purpose To join established management team and perform vital role in winning and delivering work, predominantly in the public sector and utility industry across the North West. Due to significant recent growth, 60 year old business is now looking to strengthen their commercial department. Requirements Essential - Minimum degree standard in quantity surveying - Minimum 8 years industry experience - Background in small and medium sized contracting - Technical understanding of broad range building, minor civil engineering and landscaping work Advantageous - Utility background/experience - Mechanical and electrical engineering knowledge Package - Starting salary £35-45k (proportionate to knowledge and experience) - Bonus scheme Projects Manager, Temp – Perm Position Role Description/Purpose To assist in leading and managing work, primarily on multi-year frameworks for North West utility providers, with responsibility for budgeting, client satisfaction, cost control, safety and quality. To estimate minor works and thereafter forward plan and programme to meet budget requirements with efficient resource usage (typical budgets based on labour, plant and material build-ups in accordance with the terms of contracts for minor works). To supervise and monitor work to deliver value with the highest standard of workmanship. Requirements Essential - Minimum 6 years construction industry experience - Technical understanding of broad range building and civil engineering work - Ability to produce estimates and manage multiple projects (ranging typically from 1 day to 2

weeks duration) - Identify, allocate and manage relevant internal trade labour resources to undertake work - Procure materials, plant and equipment - Identify, engage and manage sub-contractors where required - Manage quality of work and projects to time and budget - Select and produce relevant H&S documentation Advantageous - Utility background/experience - Mechanical and electrical engineering knowledge - Water industry and process knowledge Package - Starting salary equivalent £27.5k - £37.5k, proportionate to knowledge and experience

This company is looking for a suitable Bid & Contract Co-ordinator to assist in seeking new clients and contracts from alternative market sectors whilst supporting the Managing Director and Commercial Team. The Role and Responsibilities: To support the Managing Director and Commercial Team to ensure that it is responsive to business requirements and opportunities. To support sales and technical leads in identifying and winning work through innovative and proactive marketing and business development activity. To further develop and maintain an excellent understanding of business capabilities, key personnel and business development activity; becoming a key source of information To manage and maintain processes and procedures integral to the enquiries and contracts Primary responsibility as Bid & Contract Co-ordinator: Bid management /production: Lead and coordinate the preparation and organisation of bids, proposals and tenders; Undertake client / competitor analysis and identify critical success factors and development of the bid strategy / winning themes / action plan with the Managing Director and Commercial Team; Implement the corporate and local bid process and external training/accreditation intelligence to ensure that commercial, legal and resource requirements are met; Development of quality and engaging bid / tender documents; Non-technical authoring. Marketing: Sourcing of quality marketing materials to support strategic business development activity; Development and maintenance of the company website including case studies Trade event coordination / attendance PR General: Coordinate, attend and contribute to internal meetings;

Provide dedicated support to key sector leads by developing and maintaining a strong understanding of

service offering, market trends and sector activity,

Support and promote best practice and knowledge sharing through national and regional relationships

Administrative support in relation to contracts, sub-contractor appraisal and company accreditations

where necessary

Essential Experience/Skills

Objective Qualities:

Experience within a bidding environment;

A minimum of 1 years’ experience in the professional construction industry is essential;

A team player with a 'can do' attitude and the ability to influence people at all levels of the business;

Knowledge of the highways & construction industry;

Experience of working in a similar environment;

Experience of some or all of the following IT packages: MS Word, MS Excel, MS Power Point, MS Publisher,

MS Project

Ability to adopt a flexible approach and work in high pressured environments is a must Desired Experience/Skills Subjective Qualities: Excellent organisational skills; Excellent communication and interpersonal skills Creative flair Interested parties should contact Guy Lawson in the first instance.

Wyre Council selects Sitedesk for £53m BIM coastal defence scheme at Rossall Wyre Council has selected Sitedesk under a 5 year contract, to support the delivery of Level 2 BIM throughout the construction and operation of the Rossall coastal defence scheme which is part of the £73 million Fylde Peninsular Coastal Programme. Predominately funded by the Environment Agency, the Rossall scheme covers approximately 2km of coastline and will protect 7500 low lying properties from flooding. The area is subjected to some of the largest waves and the strongest currents on the Fylde coast. This is a significant step by Wyre Council who are one of those leading the UK public sector push towards BIM adoption by 2016. Balfour Beatty, the main contractor on the programme is fully utilising BIM to deliver the project. Sitedesk’s technology provides Wyre Council with the ability to capture and utilise any additional data that they require to optimise the operation and maintenance of the coastal defences at any stage from construction to end of life and can be used when working in the field or in the office. For more information on Sitedesk: http://www.sitedeskconstruct.com/ Wigan Council seeks bidders to deliver the £21 million A49 Link Road project. The new dual carriageway will provide a new high-capacity route into Wigan town centre from the south of the borough. The proposed A49 Goose Green to Westwood Park Link Road project includes three major structures to bridge existing watercourses, canals and a primary road. The upgrade scheme will improve two junctions along the A49 and pave the way for housing projects at Pemberton Park and Wigan Arc. Firms have until 24 November to complete PQQs and can obtain more information from the Chest website. £2 million upgrade for Wigan and Leigh Wigan Council is investing £2m to improve and modernise three public areas across Wigan and Leigh. In Wigan, Market Place will be refurbished with the current walls and benches removed and replaced with a water feature, an open seating area and trees. The redesign will cost £1.3m and will be paid for by the council who have made supporting town centres a top priority as part of its new "deal for business". According to the council, Market Place in Wigan is currently unsuitable for large scale events as the surface is uneven and constrained by a network of stone walls. Under the plans, the walls would be knocked down, the whole area would be resurfaced. Nearly £1m is to be spent on Leigh's main shopping street. The outdoor market will be moved from Albion Street to a central strip on Bradshawgate - giving it increased visibility and improving access to stalls. No contractor has been appointed as yet. HS2 pledge support for subcontractors HS2 procurement bosses will set in place special measures to protect tier two and tier three suppliers on the massive high-speed rail project. Procurement chiefs are gearing up to start prequalifying firms for tunnelling and surface line frameworks in the first half of next year. The £14bn phase one project will be carved up into nine vast tunnel and surface contract packages, to be let as early contractor involvement deals worth between £500m-£1bn. Commercial director Beth West has vowed to pay the supply chain direct where Tier 1 contractors fail to pass on payment promptly and ensure performance incentives are cascaded down the supply chain. HS2 is also looking closely at the radical idea of calling on its ECI contractors to enter into similar stage one agreements with their supply chains to protect design input and ideas. Around 25% of the the 230km route will be in tunnels with another third running in cuttings. Liverpool announces draft local plan sites The city council has published a list of 280 sites which could be used for housing and employment developments over the next 15 years. The draft list follows a consultation aimed at identifying areas that could provide space for housing, business, industrial units, open space and infrastructure. The final list of sites will become part of Liverpool's local plan. The plan will set out how housing and employment demand, estimated at more than 40,000 new homes and 750 acres of land for industrial and commercial use, can be delivered by 2028. The council received around 330 representations covering 280 sites with a combined area of 2,500 acres. A total of 60 of the representations were about protecting existing sites from development or change. http://councillors.liverpool.gov.uk/documents/s139511/Appendices.pdf Deloitte Manchester Crane Survey 2014 http://www.deloitterealestate.co.uk/cmspages/getfile.aspx?guid=d9f4e727-8b8c-4612-acc7-ea592c141d57

Earthworks & Remediation Skills Training Course Offer Managing and Delivering Safe Bulk Earthworks and Remediation Schemes Can CECA NW members let me know if you would be interested in this course. The Training Course covers: Earthworks and Remediation Methods, Procedures, Materials Classification and Understanding the Specification for Highways Works Series 600 ( SHW) including the Use of Recycled Materials, Lime and Cement Modification and Stabilisation and Managing Weather Risks. Course Units Understanding Trial Hole information Materials Classification and Testing Compliance with SHW Recycled Products and Re- Use Controls Earthworks Plant , Methods and Outputs for Specific Conditions

Remediation Plant , Methods and Outputs Lime and Cement Modification and Stabilisation Compliance with SHW Earthworks and Weather Risks

Course Details and Costs This can be a 1 day light touch approach, or, 2 day full in-depth course. The latter includes pre course home work of min 4 hours. The cost per person is £325 for 1 day and £460 for 2 days. Max attendance per course is 16 people. Preston seeks contractor for Fishergate next phase Lancashire County Council and Preston Council are inviting tenders for the second stage of the Fishergate central gateway project, with works from Lune Street to Lancaster Lane planned. The Fishergate scheme aims to improve the main gateways into the city, including the route from Preston railway station to Lune Street, part of Corporation Street, and Ringway to the Friargate crossing. The first phase of works is now complete, and saw improvements to the railway station and Corporation Street and the relocation of bus stops from outside the Fishergate Shopping Centre to the railway station bridge. The second phase of the gateway project will focus on highway improvements, with a contract value of £2.5m. National Grid starts consultation on the North West Coast Connections Project National Grid has started a 12 week consultation exercise on plans to connect new sources of electricity generation into ‘the grid’ in Cumbria and Lancashire. http://www.northwestcoastconnections.com/docs/news/NWCCPressRelease03September2014.pdf CITB: Free Business Awareness Workshop across the North West CITB’s Business Awareness Workshops have been developed to help you to sustain, improve and retain your business success, addressing issues that include: cash flow, pricing, legislation, tax and NI and understanding markets. Workshops are suitable for any new business, or anyone who wants to develop their own business awareness. To book a place on any workshop, email Deborah.madden@citb.co.uk detailing which date and venue you would like to attend.

29th October – Ramada – Haydock

26th November – MCC Conference Centre - Middlewich Greater Manchester Spatial Framework The initial consultation stage of the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework runs from Friday September 26th to Friday 7th November 2014. AGMA is working to produce a joint plan to manage the supply of land to support jobs and new homes in Greater Manchester. The Greater Manchester Spatial Framework (GMSF) will be the overarching Development Plan Document (DPD) within which the ten local planning authorities identify and manage the supply of land for jobs and new homes in Greater Manchester. AGMA is now seeking views on the technical evidence base it has prepared to identify the levels of growth it should be planning for. In particular, AGMA is seeking to test:

whether Greater Manchester is an appropriate geographical area for assessing employment floorspace and housing needs;

whether our analysis of Greater Manchester’s competitive strengths is sound and comprehensive;

the appropriateness of the assumptions we use to underpin our approach;

the methodology we have used to carry out our assessment of employment and housing land requirements to 2033;

whether the evidence base should be developed further to support our objectives, and if so what form this should take;

the conclusions that we have reached in light of the evidence; and

whether there are any other issues that will be relevant to the future development of the GMSF

http://www.agma.gov.uk/what_we_do/planning_housing_commission/greater-manchester-spatial-framework/index.html EU needs more infrastructure investment to boost grid links and energy trade, says report More investment in Europe’s energy infrastructure is needed, particularly to end “gas market isolation” in the Baltic States and connect electricity grids across the continent, according to a new report. http://ec.europa.eu/energy/gas_electricity/doc/2014_iem_communication.pdf Cities demand powers to generate economic growth of £79 billion Jim O'Neill's City Growth Commission has released its final report, with a set of recommendations for national and local government on how city-regions can take on a new role in the political economy. According to the Unleashing Metro Growth report, if the UK's top city-regions, or 'metros', were to realise their potential, they would generate an additional £79bn growth. http://www.citygrowthcommission.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/City-Growth-Commission-Final-Report.pdf How support for renewable energy projects will be awarded under new scheme Developers of renewable energy projects will have their first opportunity to apply for a share of government support under the new electricity market reform (EMR) package between 14 and 27 October, the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has confirmed. http://www.out-law.com/en/articles/2014/september/uk-government-confirms-how-support-for-renewable-energy-projects-will-be-awarded-under-new-scheme/ UK plans ‘common principles’ for best practice in infrastructure procurement Plans by the UK government to improve public sector infrastructure procurement with the introduction of a set of ‘common principles’ have been unveiled in a new report. The report by the Infrastructure Client Group (ICG) said plans to pursue principles of best practice for the procurement of construction and infrastructure included “avoiding unnecessary expense and waste” and “improved client understanding of how to improve the procurement process”. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/359854/ICG_2014-15_work_programme.pdf Setting the Scene for Growth – Warrington, Thursday 6th November (7.30am – 9.00am) This breakfast event on using green infrastructure to add value to development, hosted by Warrington & Co and The Mersey Forest, will reveal the results of a brand new study undertaken by BE Group on behalf of The Mersey Forest, demonstrating the financial and tangible benefits of incorporating green infrastructure within development projects. Key speakers will include Jonathan Wallis (Director, Miller Developments), Iain Taylor (Partnerships Director, Peel Property), and Sami Sayda (BE Group). This free business networking event is principally aimed at developers, architects and development influencers. Register your attendance at: http://mersey-forest.eventbrite.co.uk Westinghouse supplier website Following the Westinghouse meet the buyer event, there is a supplier website to enable contractors to register their interest in becoming a supplier for the Moorside nuclear project: https://supply.westinghousenuclear.com/Main/Welcome.aspx There was a large amount of information presented on the day, and all of the presentations are now available for download from a dedicated registration website the details of which are provided below: https://conference2.westinghousenuclear.com/Login.aspx?ConferenceID=70&RedirectTo=%2fConference.aspx%3fConferenceID%3d70 The password is: Industry New assisted areas list released The government has revealed which parts of the UK have been awarded assisted area status, with 308 wards named across the North West. Assisted area status forms part of a European Union scheme which focuses on opportunities to drive growth in less advantaged economies. Businesses in the area will be eligible for extra funding and tax breaks to grow, invest and ultimately create new jobs. Regional aid can be accessed through programmes such as the Regional Growth Fund, the

Business Premises Renovation Allowance, and the Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative. There are 308 wards that have been granted assisted area status, with 61 in Greater Manchester, 88 in Liverpool city region, 87 in Lancashire, 62 in Cumbria, and 10 in Cheshire West. On 31 July 2013, the government launched a consultation on updating the assisted areas map for 2014 to 2020, in response to new European Commission guidelines on regional aid. The last time the assisted areas were reviewed was in 2007. The full list is here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/assisted-areas-map-2014-to-2020-stage-2 Manchester Policy Week to debate if northern cities can compete Leading thinkers from the world of politics and policy will grapple with key issues around inequality at the flagship Policy Week event from 3-7 November. Policy Week 2014 will include lectures, debates and workshops organised by researchers across the University, featuring expert academics, high-profile figures and policy influencers. On 6 November, there is a debate on whether or not northern cities can compete: http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/manchester-policy-week-london-vs-the-restcan-our-northern-cities-compete-registration-13179860317 New board appointments at Atlantic Gateway Kate Willard, corporate affairs director and company secretary at Stobart Group and board member of the Liverpool Local Enterprise Partnership, is one of three new appointments to the Atlantic Gateway partnership. Willard has replaced Geoff Muirhead, former chief executive of Manchester Airports Group, as chairman of Atlantic Gateway. The board was established in 2012. The board membership will be further revised at the start of 2015 to reflect increasing importance of LEPs and review of priorities", a spokesman sai. The other new board members, all on three-year terms, are Carmel Booth, a management consultant formerly at regeneration specialist Amion Consulting, who takes up an executive director role at Atlantic Gateway, and new government representative, Stephen Dance, head of Infrastructure UK, which is part of the treasury. Leaving the board are Sami Istephan, formerly BT partnerships director who left Atlantic Gateway after joining Vodafone, and Baroness Williams of Trafford who has now taken up a broader portfolio at the House of Lords. Atlantic Gateway encompasses major infrastructure and property development projects along the River Mersey and Manchester Ship Canal from Liverpool to Salford. CBI business manifesto – People & Prosperity Please find a copy of CBI’s business manifesto for the next election, People and prosperity: The business vision for a better Britain, which has been published this week setting out the challenges the UK faces and the ideas needed at election time so that opportunity and prosperity are shared by all. These include a roadmap for increasing capital spending – once the deficit is eliminated – as a percentage of UK GDP in the next parliament, building on the success of the R&D tax credit and the existing industrial strategy, establishing an independent body to determine infrastructure need, creating vocational A-levels and making the case for the UK staying in a reformed EU. http://www.cbi.org.uk/media/2876601/cbi_people_and_prosperity_-_the_business_vision_for_a_better_britain.pdf CBI – Great Business Debate There’s a lot of talk about business. Does it pay enough tax? Are its leaders paid too much and its employees too little? Are customers being ripped-off? These are just some of the questions that have knocked confidence in business…. in fact, the CBI has found that only around half of people in the UK think that business makes a positive contribution to society. CBI thinks that’s a problem, and that’s why it has started The Great Business Debate campaign. CBI wants to set out the facts and combat the myths about what business does and the contribution it makes whilst giving everyone the chance to put across their views about what it does well, and where it should do more. http://s1043207703.t.en25.com/e/es?s=1043207703&e=734&elq=4dc54f37e3f64ef691c89143a109db4d Knowles NW NEC Half Day seminars Please note: these seminars are different from the ones organised by CECA NW (see above): https://s5.newzapp.co.uk/t/gtp_pg.aspx?LID=OSw1NjQ4NDEzOTAsMw

Businesses encouraged to claim £3000 grants for better broadband Government grants of up to £3000 for better internet connectivity are available to small businesses in 22 cities across the United Kingdom. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/businesses-encouraged-to-claim-3000-grants-for-better-broadband News from ACAS http://northwest.cmail2.com/t/ViewEmail/r/FE4422085E2334B82540EF23F30FEDED/3E7BF563C93E8440A10BC276F201ED4B CITB Connect CITB would be grateful for your support regarding CITB Connect, the new alumni (former customers) programme that it is launching to coincide with 50th anniversary celebrations. Information on this is below – if you are interested in signing up, please email: Deborah.madden@citb.co.uk CITB Connect is for: Past apprentices, employers who’ve claimed Grant, past course trainees / attendees from NCC, past CITB colleagues. Sign up and you can:

1. Contact people that you may have trained with 2. Get involved in industry conversations 3. Keep up-to-date with industry news that may affect your business 4. Get back in touch with past Colleagues