Morgan Sindall has been appointed to deliver a £1.8 million project to ready the new Enterprise Zone at Scottow Enterprise Park in Badersfield, for increased occupation.

The project for Norfolk County Council is already underway and involves the installation of a new water main to supply clean water to the site, which recently received Enterprise Zone status and will house businesses in the creative digital and low carbon sectors.

Enterprise Zones deliver a wide range of benefits to companies including a business rate discount of up to £275,000 over five years, simplified planning and access to superfast broadband.

Norfolk County Council took ownership of the former RAF Coltishall airbase in 2013 and is transforming the new Enterprise Zone site as part of a long-term project to boost businesses and create jobs in Norfolk.

The site will act as a powerful magnet to attract new businesses, particularly overseas companies looking to capitalise on the county’s expertise in these sectors.

Norfolk County Council’s Chairman of the Economic Development Sub-Committee, Stuart Clancy, said: “This investment to provide more infrastructure is very important for the Enterprise Park and will attract more businesses to be based in Norfolk, generating significant income for the future.”

Morgan Sindall is currently delivering a number of projects for Norfolk County Council including the expansion of Queen’s Hill Primary School in Norwich and the expansion of Southtown Primary School in Great Yarmouth. Both projects are already underway and will be completed by spring 2017.

More customers are set to benefit from BIM on projects after Willmott Dixon became the first contractor to achieve company-wide BRE Certification for use across its entire construction, residential and interiors activities.

As more public and private sector clients seek to use BIM (Building Information Modelling) to enhance efficiency on their capital projects, Willmott Dixon has made a significant investment to equip it with experts based in every office that are certified to provide BIM Level 2.

The company is using BIM on an increasing number of projects, including delivering £100 million of projects for Birmingham City University, the National Space Technology Centre in Oxford and three secondary schools in Liverpool creating nearly 5,000 places.

It is currently using BIM to build a new home for the Met Office’s supercomputer in Exeter as well as national colleges for High Speed Rail in Birmingham and Doncaster.

This will expand with a network of BIM experts in every Willmott Dixon office who can advise and guide clients who are keen to embrace the visualisation technology at an early stage in the project cycle.

Garry Fannon, Head of BIM for Willmott Dixon’s construction business, said: “BIM provides huge benefits that enable all teams to work better throughout the construction process to achieve the high quality finish we expect.

“Being a recognised provider of BIM Level 2 means we are also well positioned to meet the Government mandate for BIM use on public funded projects.”

Morgan Sindall has held a topping out ceremony to celebrate reaching a key milestone in the construction of a £9.7 million care home in North East Enfield.

The Enfield Care Home development will include 70 bedrooms, 17 community rooms, a landscaped garden, hairdressing salon and a modern kitchen and will be equipped to the highest regulation standards with hoists, various aids, lifts and safe storage for medication.

The development will replace Coppice Wood Lodge and Bridge House, and residents from these two neighbouring care homes will be the first to be welcomed into the new building in November 2016.

The new building will be fitted with excellent personal and en-suite facilities in every room and will increase nursing care capacity in Enfield, offering more accommodation than the previous homes.

Cllr Alev Cazimoglu, Enfield Council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care, said: “The new care home will be a bright modern building with excellent facilities, specifically designed to meet residents’ needs.

“It will be fully equipped with adapted en-suite bathrooms, activity rooms and a landscaped garden complete with seating areas and wheelchair accessible paths.

Neil Franklin, area director for Morgan Sindall, said: “We’re very pleased to be taking part in this ceremony which celebrates a key milestone in the construction of Enfield Council Care Home.”

The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama’s provision has announced plans to go ahead with the next phase of development on its site in Swiss Cottage.

The new North Block building will improve the campus’s provisions and provide access to cutting-edge arts facilities for both students and the local community, further cementing the School’s reputation as a North London cultural hub.

GRAHAM will construct the new eight-storey building that will be connected to the existing West Block via mezzanine walkways on floors 1, 3 and 5 creating 2,400 sq m of new space.

The works will extend the school’s teaching, rehearsal and performance spaces, and will include the addition of studios with a focus on training for film/ media and a new public, courtyard theatre.

The additional space will also provide the School with opportunities to expand its youth work and to contribute more comprehensively to cultural offerings in the local area.

The new facility will be traditionally-clad and painted stucco to integrate with the surrounding architecture of the Belsize Conservation Area.

Sustainable design solutions including photovoltaic panels and natural ventilation methods will be installed to reduce the environmental impact of the running of the building.

GRAHAM Construction’s London Office Director, Rob Joyce said: “The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama’s vision to provide high quality, bespoke teaching and performance spaces that meet its students’ needs and uphold its world-leading reputation, will be further realised with this development.

“Distinctive, fit-for-purpose theatrical and performing arts facilities will integrate with local architecture and contribute to the surrounding cultural quarter, creating a long-term sustainable solution.”

Skanska and the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) celebrated the topping out of Worthy Down’s new College Building for the Ministry of Defence (MOD) in Hampshire.

The new building, which has reached its highest point in construction terms, will be home to the Defence College of Logistics, Policing and Administration.

It will cover areas including catering, supply, transport and military human resources.

Skanska Managing Director, Terry Elphick, said: “We are delivering this large project on time and on budget. Our collaboration with our customer, the DIO, and the MOD as end customer, is positive and productive.

“We are also working with local suppliers and employing local people to benefit the community and local economy.”

The College will also enable the MOD to train personnel more efficiently and effectively so that they can provide the best possible support for military operations.

On completion, the developed site will also provide high-quality accommodation in a series of ‘villages’ – one for junior ranks, one for officers and one for senior non-commissioned officers (SNCO).

Trainees will also enjoy sports and recreation facilities, bars, officers’ and SNCO messes, as well as other supporting amenities. There will also be a Royal Logistics Corps museum.

Leo O’Shea, Chief Operating Officer, DIO, said: “DIO supports service personnel by providing a fit-for-purpose estate and accommodation so we’re happy to be undertaking this project with Skanska.

“The new world-class buildings, such as the College, being delivered by the DIO for the MOD, will replace outdated buildings and provide our Services personnel with opportunities to learn from each other in facilities fit for the 21st Century.”

Morgan Sindall has started the £12 million transformation of Ridgeway High School in the Noctorum area of Birkenhead.

The project is one of 12 schools being rebuilt by the company under the Education Funding Agency‘s (EFA) Priority School Building Programme (PSBP) which aims to provide purpose-built school buildings to those in most need of urgent repair.

Owing to the site’s profile in Birkenhead, the buildings are arranged around three terraces and are set within the existing playing fields which are retained for sports and recreation use.

New utilities, including an electricity substation which supplies power to local homes and the school, will also be built.

Morgan Sindall’s contracts manager Richard Potts, said: “Starting on site is a key milestone in any project and it is great to get underway at Ridgeway. We have delivered many new school buildings around the region and we are sure that the local community will be very proud of the new school which will emerge over the coming months.”

Cllr Tony Smith, Wirral’s Cabinet Member for Children and Lifelong Learning, said: “Ridgeway is one of 260 schools in urgent need of repair that are being rebuilt or refurbished under the national Priority School’s Building Programme.

“This ambitious scheme will help the Wirral Partnership meet its 2020 pledges towards supporting academic achievement in Wirral by providing students, staff and the local community with cutting-edge facilities and technology to support students’ learning.”

Through the national PSBP programme, 261 schools will be rebuilt or have their condition needs met by the EFA, the first of which was completed in 2014. All schools within the programme will be delivered by the end of 2018.

Regeneration work is underway on Tree Top Village in Walker, the East End of Newcastle, which will create a brand new community that will help economic growth and boost the trades.

The development is part of Newcastle City Council’s Older People’s Housing Delivery Plan to provide a range of affordable housing options for older people.

This £13 million project is being funded by the council with a £2.3 million contribution from the Homes and Communities Agency.

The project is being delivered by Your Homes Newcastle (YHN) who is working with national developer, Wates Living Space Homes.

Resident involvement has been at the heart of the project and YHN has carried out consultation with local residents as well as local school children who took part in a competition to name the development.

The development is being delivered in two phases. The main building will create a total of 75 new homes and will have warden support available for residents.

There will be 45 two bedroom and 30 one bedroom apartments built around a central courtyard, where a range of services will be provided that will be open to everyone.

Features being considered include a restaurant, IT facilities and a hair salon, and will encourage residents and the wider community to come together and socialise in a friendly, relaxed environment.

David Langhorne, Director of Property Services at YHN said “This is the largest new build scheme we’ve embarked on in a number of years and it’s really exciting to be involved.

“We are extremely pleased with the standard of accommodation being provided and are now working with potential partners to secure a range of local amenities and create a real community feel.

“This is a unique opportunity to build on previous regeneration in the Walker area, and build modern, high quality homes for the city’s older residents”.

Employment levels in Scotland have reached a record high in 2015, new figures revealed.

The figures follow a report from Ernst & Young which shows that Scotland secured a record number of investment projects in 2015, making Scotland the most successful UK region outside of London for overseas investment.

Cabinet Secretary for the Economy, Jobs and Fair Work Keith Brown welcomed the statistics, but emphasised there was “much work to do” to create and protect jobs in light of challenging economic conditions.

From January to December 2015, employment rates for women also increased to the highest level since comparable records began and the gender employment gap also fell to its lowest level.

Youth employment rates increased, although the number of 16 to 19 year olds who were NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) in 2015 increased slightly over the year.

Mr Brown said: “In Scotland, the gender employment gap is now at its lowest ever level and below that of the UK, but we know it remains a persistent problem and I will take forward work to ensure that we can end the gender pay and employment gaps as soon as possible.

“The Scottish economy has a number of fundamental strengths that will be crucial for the future. Increased inward investment, combined with a resilient labour market and talented workforce, is positive news for our jobs market and our economy as whole.”

Two multi-million pound deals that will see over 1,000 new homes built in the capital specifically for private rent have been welcomed by Housing Minister Brandon Lewis.

The 2 schemes are the latest deals under the government’s innovative Build to Rent scheme and are being supported with more than £150 million of funding.

The 1046 new homes to rent support a package of government measures to deliver 1 million new homes to boost housing supply and help local economic growth.

The schemes help provide more choice for Londoners, and are located close to underground stations. Each site will include a mix of 1, 2 or 3 bedroom homes.

Housing and Planning Minister Brandon Lewis said: “As a global city filled with opportunity and links to the rest of the world, there is a real demand for good quality homes available to rent on flexible terms in the Capital.

“These 2 new deals will provide a big boost to housing and help meet the needs of tenants well into the future.”

The Build to Rent fund is designed to accelerate housing provision and to help developers produce large scale, quality homes, specifically for the private rented sector.

To date over 5,800 homes have been contracted through Build to Rent with investment totaling £661 million, supporting the delivery of rented homes for tenants.

HCA-I Head of Transactions Gareth Blacker said: “This is good example of how the Homes and Community Agency is able to support major cities to create successful places for people to work and live.

“This investment in the capital helps to meet local priorities for housing and growth, supports a wide range of construction professions working on the scheme, and gives greater choice to people who want to rent a high quality home in London.”

Wates Construction is using its role on the East Midlands Property Alliance framework to boost prospects for job seekers and help the building trades.

In the two years since its appointment to the framework, Wates has engaged a total of 5,215 pupils and students across the region to encourage young talent into the sector, as well as over 250 individuals at careers fairs.

The news comes as the UK Commission for Employment and Skills reports that the East Midlands is currently facing the largest skills gap in the United Kingdom, which stands at 16 per cent of the regional workforce lacking the skills required for their role.

Wates’ presence in the region has included the transformation of Dakeyne Street and the construction of Heathfield Primary School, which join the portfolio of empa projects where 95.7 per cent of sub-contractors appointed have been SMEs.

Work in the region has also seen the contractor provide 1,097 training days in health and safety, professional development and sustainability, as well as 253 days worth of on-site skills training.

In addition, a host of professional and academic qualifications have been awarded to apprentices and employees at Wates, including nine NVQs and three degrees.

Regional business manager, Paul Windle at empa, said: “In 2015 alone, Wates and its partners helped secure almost 250 construction jobs in the industry, through the academy alone.

“I would like to thank them for their continued commitment to the scheme which will help see more talented workers pursue a career in construction over the next few years.”