Oldham-based DCT Civil Engineering has been awarded a £6.1m contract by United Utilities to design and build a new foul water pumping station at Bewsey Bridge, Warrington.

A report last year identified 2,000 homes at risk of flooding in Warrington.

United Utilities is investing £10m to improve the town’s Bewsey wastewater pumping station.

A £9m contract to design and construct a new free school in Bradford has been awarded to BAM Construction.

As its name suggests, the new Kings Science Academy will specialise in science. It is run independently of local authority control by the Kings Free Schools and Academies Trust and supported by Hartley Group chairman Alan Lewis. It will hold about 800 pupils.

BAM says that it will deliver “exceptional value for money” by using elements of the existing industrial site infrastructure.

Work is due to start on site in March, with the students relocating from their current location in September 2012 into the first phase of the new building. The whole development should be completed in spring 2013.

 BAM Construct director Steve Wheller said that the school design provided a value for money solution, with the budget focussed on educational benefits rather than structural solutions. ‘We have worked closely with the principal, Sajid Hussain, to come up with a solution which maximises the use of the existing structures resulting in less money and time being spent in the ground and allowing the redirection of funds on the areas which will make a difference to teaching and learning, such as efficient use of space, and effective integration of IT.’

 The building is designed to be easy to maintain and, with natural light and ventilation, low running costs.

BAM was selected for the job after a rapid procurement process through the Partnerships for Schools academies framework. It follows BAM’s recent success elsewhere with Academy wins for Kearsley Academy in Bolton, Aylesbury Vale Academy in Bucks, and Hackney UTC in London.

Alder Hey Hospital has confirmed that it has selected Laing O’Rourke’s Acorn consortium to build its new £288m Children’s Health Park.

Acorn, which also includes Interserve and architects BDP, was selected ahead of Balfour Beatty Healthcare.

Construction will start in July, with completion scheduled for June 2014 and an opening date in October 2014, to coincide with the hospital’s centenary.

Although overall scheme cost is £288m, estimate capital value is £175m, says the client, Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust.

Work involves demolition of most of the existing Edwardian hospital buildings and reconstruction of the hospital set in parkland.

Engineering contractor Wood Group PSN has secured a £75m contract extension from Shell in the UK to deliver midstream engineering and construction services to the St Fergus and Mossmoran gas plants in Scotland.

The two-year contract includes an option for a further two-year extension. The award marks a continuation of the previous contract awarded to Wood Group in 2007.

Wood Group PSN will provide project management, engineering, construction, commissioning and maintenance support as well as fabric maintenance and supply chain management services.

Robin Watson, UK managing director at Wood Group PSN, said: "We have an established working relationship with Shell that spans two decades and the award of this extension demonstrates Shell's ongoing confidence in Wood Group PSN. The contract enables us to develop our midstream onshore plants business and provide employment for over 500 people.”

Wood Group PSN will draw on its teams in Aberdeen, Glasgow and Runcorn to deliver this contract. Across the UK, Wood Group PSN has a workforce of almost 8,000 personnel with approximately 3,000 onshore and 5,000 offshore workers.

The Shell Northern Plants consists of St Fergus gas terminal, Mossmoran natural gas liquids plant and Braefoot Bay marine loading terminal, all of which process gas from both the UK & Norwegian sectors of the North Sea. St Fergus removes ethane, propane and liquids and delivers gas to the national grid. Mossmorran extracts natural gasoline, ethane, propane and butane. The ethane is piped to the Exxon Mobil Fife Ethylene plant, whilst the propane, butane and gasoline are shipped to market via the Braefoot Bay Marine loading terminal.

Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) has unveiled its plans for the future provision of facilities management across the English regions, and is inviting contractors to submit expressions of interest in three new regional prime contracts.

Developed under the Next Generation Estate Contracts (NGEC) programme, the contracts have an estimated combined value of up to £4.35bn over a minimum of five years and a maximum of 10 years. Individual contract values range between £500m and £1.8bn, depending on potential contract extensions.

The new contracts are expected to be awarded in early 2014.

The contracts are:

• Regional Prime Central (North of England, Wales, the Midlands and East Anglia)
• Regional Prime South West (Southwest England)
• Regional Prime South East (Southeast England)

The successful bidders will provide maintenance and repairs to the Defence estate. Other services will include a 24/7 helpdesk for estate-users, a regional energy management bureau, grounds maintenance, and snow and ice clearance. Each contract also includes options for land management services and construction projects valued below £3.93m.

Major sites covered by the contracts include:

• Central – Catterick Garrison, Beacon Barracks Stafford, RAF Shawbury and RAF Valley training bases, DST Leconfield, Wattisham Airfield, RAF College Cranwell, and the intelligence and security centre at Chicksands
• Southeast – RMA Sandhurst, DMRC Headley Court, HQ Land Forces Andover, Hyde Park Barracks, Woolwich Barracks, Horse Guards, RAF High Wycombe and RAF Northolt
• Southwest – various Royal Marines bases, RNAS Yeovilton, RNAS Culdrose, Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) headquarters

Regional Prime Central will replace two separate regional prime contracts – RPC Central and RPC East – currently in service. The other two contracts will replace arrangements over comparable geographical areas.

NGEC programme director Steve Rice said: “Supporting our Armed Forces as they prepare for operations is the top priority for DIO, and the stewardship of first-class facilities is central to fulfilling that aim. In each of these regions we are determined to find the right industry partner to manage these facilities to the standards expected by our military customers. Successful bidders need to be armed with innovative ideas and a willingness to respond flexibly to the evolving needs of the Defence frontline.”

Senior NGEC project manager Gill Hodson added: “This is an important milestone in the NGEC programme with our foremost regional prime contract – for Scotland and Northern Ireland – having paved the way for procurement of the remaining three regional contracts. We look forward to widening our procurement work across these three regions for England and Wales, and hope the contracts will generate a healthy response from supply chain businesses and prime contractors alike.”

Under the NGEC programme, all prime contractors will be required to operate project bank accounts (PBAs), ensuring prompt payment to all suppliers and subcontractors.

The closing date for expressions of interest is 23 March 2012.

Following expressions of interest DIO will issue pre-qualification questionnaires, and will host an industry day at a venue and date to be confirmed.

London South Bank University (LSBU) has given Mansell a £4.7m contract to design and build a new student centre within the bottom two floors and undercroft of a multi-storey building on the university campus known.

Some 2,000 square metres of new floor space will be formed by installing glazed facades to both open elevations of the existing undercroft and refurbishing the lower floors of the Tower Block building.

The development will be a new home for the LSBU students union and non-academic services such as welfare and careers advice.

Works will also include landscaping to the surrounding public realm.

Throughout the duration of the project the rest of the university campus, including the Tower Block and adjacent buildings, will remain occupied.

The project is aiming to achieve an overall BREEAM “Good” rating.

Work starts on site this month and the building is expected to be ready for occupation when the new academic year starts in September 2012.

ISG has won a £1.9m contract to fit out Wakefield Council’s recently built Wakefield One office block.

The new five-storey building in the Merchant Gate development in Wakefield brings together 1200 employees from several council departments, enabling the disposal or redevelopment of several other properties.

Due to complete in June, the fast-track project sees ISG carry out an extensive mechanical and electrical fit out with most of the services located in the floor voids. This installation includes provision of power and data supplies to individual work stations within the building. While the office areas will be mostly open plan, the fit out also includes construction of partition walls to create a number of individual offices and meeting rooms.

North Midland Construction has won a £2.2m contract to carry out regeneration work for Bridgend County Borough Council.

NMC’s highways and special projects division will resurface the whole of Bridgend town centre with Pennant sandstone paving from the Forest of Dean. Work will also include upgrading drainage, street lighting and soft landscaping. The town centre will also feature specially commissioned artwork.

The improvements in Bridgend are part of a £10m transformation of the town centre. Work  starts this month and is due for completion in August.

NMC executive director of special projects Geoff Poyzer said: “We’re delighted to have been awarded this contract and be involved in such an important regeneration project. NMC saw steady growth throughout 2011 in public realm projects and our specialist skills and expertise is allowing us to build on this success throughout the UK. The improvements in Bridgend will further enhance the environment in the town centre providing a vibrant and attractive place for residents and tourists alike.”

London Underground has awarded Birse Metro a deal to provide air conditioning at Oxford Circus Underground Station.

The Balfour Beatty-owned contractor will install a water cooling system to serve 14 new Passenger Air Handling Units (PAHUs) on six platforms at the station.

It is part of the accelerated ‘Cooling the Tube’ programme and considered priority works for the London Underground Rail infrastructure.

The contract includes the supply of new mechanical and electrical equipment which will be installed and commissioned by Balfour Beatty Engineering Services.

Existing equipment on the roof of Western House, which is located directly over Oxford Circus Station, will be decommissioned and removed before structural steel strengthening works are carried out to accommodate the new chiller units. New pipework will connect the chillers to the new plant room via existing ventilation shafts.

On completion of the structural steelwork, the floor space below the roof will be refurbished for use as an office. A new plant room will be constructed and fitted out within Western House which will pump the chilled water from the roof chillers down to the station PAHUs.

Enabling works are required to facilitate spaces at platform level to allow the new PAHUs to be installed and this will involve relocation and diversions of existing signage, lighting, fire and communication equipment.

Existing station fabric will be removed temporarily to allow the new installations to take place, with new architectural finishes installed to cover M&E equipment. Some of the new pipework and electrical supplies feeding the new PAHU’s will be positioned within the running tunnels.

All new M&E, communications and fire equipment will require testing and commissioning in time for completion in summer 2012.

EDF Energy has signed a £100m+ contract with a Kier BAM joint venture for site preparation works at Hinkley Point C nuclear power station.

The agreement is the first major construction contract for preliminary works at Hinkley Point C in Somerset, the site of EDF’s first two planned nuclear power plants. The initial activities in relation to these works are expected to begin this spring.

The contracts were signed on Friday as part of a wider Anglo-French nuclear co-operation agreement signed between the two governments.

Kier BAM was announced as preferred bidder for the work in December 2011. Work includes excavation, earthworks, terracing, installation of construction site infrastructure and formation of roads and networks to allow main construction to begin. It will create an estimated 350 jobs.

Kier Group chief executive Paul Sheffield said: "Both Kier and BAM have an excellent track record in the nuclear industry and enjoy a long-standing relationship built over many years of working together in joint venture. The Kier BAM team is looking forward to supporting EDF in its plans to deliver the first new nuclear power station in the UK for over two decades."

Morgan Sindall has been awarded a £9m project to install a cooling for the platforms at Green Park tube station.

The project is being undertaken for London Underground and involves the installation of eight air handling units on the station platforms. The units will be fed from a series of boreholes in Green Park. Once completed, the project will make life more bearable for passengers in hot weather.

This is the first time that the installation of this type of system has been undertaken on the London Underground. Work is being hurried through to get it done by summer, when – with the Olympics in town – the network is expected to be extra crowded.

Jag Paddam, managing director of infrastructure at Morgan Sindall, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded this project. Morgan Sindall has previously worked on similar Cooling the Tube projects for London Underground and we will be applying this past experience to ensure this project is completed on time and for the benefit of the travelling public.”

Three contracting groups have been shortlisted to design, build, finance and operate the £600m Mersey Gateway bridge.

The three shortlisted bidders for the new six-lane toll bridge over the River Mersey between Runcorn and Widnes are:

• Balfour Beatty, Bouygues Travaux Publics, Egis Projects consortium
• Merseylink consortium, comprising Macquarie Capital Group, Bilfinger Berger Project Investments, Vialia Sociedad Gestora de Concesiones de Infraestructuras and FCC Construcción
• MGL consortium, comprising Galliford Try Investments, Hochtief PPP Solutions and Iridium Concesiones de Infraestructuras

Halton Borough Council drew up the shortlist from the six expressions of interest received in December 2011. Council leader Rob Polhill said: “We have attracted world class construction groups that have come together to compete for this prestigious contract. I look forward to announcing the eventual winner and the commencement of construction later next year.”

Mersey Gateway project director Steve Nicholson said: “We were delighted with the quality and the quantity of the submissions we received. Each of the six groups we evaluated met our requirements but we set out to limit the procurement process to three bidding groups and we have maintained this approach so that we can reduce bid costs whilst running an effective competition.” 

He added: “During the next year the project team will work with the shortlisted bidders to develop proposals that deliver quality and value for money on behalf of the taxpayer.”

Wisbech-based Foster Property Maintenance has been awarded a £43m contract by a consortium of 11 East Anglian social landlords to carry out home improvement works for four years.

Foster’s work will range from decorating and installing new kitchens and bathrooms, to external concrete repairs and roofing work to tenanted social housing properties.

The family-run contractor was selected from six shortlisted bidders, evaluated 70% on price.

Skanska has been awarded the main contract for the latest landmark building in the City of London.

6 Bevis Marks, designed by Fletcher Priest Architects, is set to be completed in September 2013. The 170,000 sq ft speculative office scheme is being developed by AXA Real Estate in partnership with private equity real estate investment advisory company MGPA. Total development cost is estimated at £115m.

Skanska’s appointment follows its completion of the project's demolition phase.

The design includes floor plates ranging in size from 6,000 sq ft to 13,000 sq ft, making the development suitable for a broad range of clients either on a single or multi-let basis. It is targeting a BREAAM ‘Excellent’ rating and is designed to be 80% more energy efficient than the building it replaces. It also reuses more than 50% of the original structural mass that is part of an extensive sustainability agenda that shortens the construction programme, and helps avoid risks in the ground, the developers say.

Harry Badham, AXA Real Estate’s UK Director of Development said:  “This development, with its spectacular sky-garden on the 16th floor, will provide one of the most exciting additions to the skyline in the City’s tower cluster, alongside the Gherkin and the Heron Tower. We believe Bevis Marks will provide an exceptional workspace and is being delivered at a time when new build space will be in short supply, further emphasising our ability to source innovative assets which have the potential to create significant value for our clients.”

Skanska managing director Paul Heather said: “To be appointed as principal contractor for the construction phase of this innovative 170,000 sq ft new build development is a challenging prospect, but one that we relish and we are confident that, alongside AXA Real Estate and MGPA, we can deliver an outstanding and highly sustainable new office property onto the market.”

Graham Construction has been awarded a £19m contract to design and build new roro terminal facilities to enable the Port of Grimsby to handle more cars.

Port owner Associated British Ports signed a long-term deal with car manufacturer Volkswagen in November that has enabled it to invest in expansion of facilities.

Specialist car-carrying ships currently berth in Grimsby’s Alexandra Dock, which is accessed through the port’s original Royal Lock, built in 1852. The lock entrance limits ship size to a maximum of 800 cars. The new Grimsby River Terminal will offer lock-free access for two vessels carrying up to 3,000 vehicles, significantly increasing the port’s capacity.

The scope of Graham's work includes two jetties, a floating pontoon and a bridge.

First ships are expected to berth at the new facility in autumn 2013.

A £300m housing development scheme in the Earls Court district of west London has been approved by the Hammersmith & Fulham council.

Developer Capital & Counties Properties plans to turn a 7.5 acre car park site on Seagrave Road into a development of 808 new homes covering a million square feet.

The car park is currently used for the Earls Court Exhibition centre and as that is an Olympic venue work cannot start on the project before autumn 2012. Construction is expected to be divided into four phases over five years.

Capital & Counties has formed a 50:50 joint venture with one of Hong Kong’s biggest property tycoons to take the project forward, the Kwok family

Capital & Counties chief executive Ian Hawksworth said:"We are delighted by the Council's decision on Seagrave Road. It confirms our long term view of the value which can be unlocked from Capco's holdings in the area through a residential-led scheme. The site is an exciting opportunity to begin the transformation of the area, creating hundreds of new homes and jobs. We look forward pursuing our plans for the project within the joint venture with the Kwok family interests."

This is the second major development project approved by the council in as many weeks. Last week it approved outline plans for the redevelopment of Shepherds Bush Market by Orion Shepherds Bush Ltd. That scheme includes the construction of 212 apartments. Detailed plans are now being prepared. If approved, construction work is likely to start in summer 2013.

The Department for Transport has granted full and final approval for enabling works to begin on the Midland Metro extension.

The tram line is to be extended from Snow Hill station through the city centre to New Street station by March 2015. A new fleet of Spanish-made trams is also being brought in to run on the extended route.

The Department for Transport has promised £75.4m towards the £128m cost of the scheme, which is being led by Centro, the West Midlands’ transport authority, in partnership with Birmingham City Council and the Black Country district authorities.

Local transport minister Norman Baker said: “This scheme will bring trams back to the heart of Birmingham, which is great news for both the city itself and the wider West Midlands. It will provide a new, sustainable transport choice for those wishing to reach the city centre’s bustling shopping streets and the emerging business district in Snow Hill.

“The scheme will also cut carbon and create growth by getting more people onto public transport, create 1,300 new jobs and deliver a £50m boost to the local economy.”

Centro chief executive Geoff Inskip said: “We are delighted to get the final go-ahead from Treasury and ministers.

“Norman Baker has been a great advocate for this project and we will waste no time in pressing ahead with the construction of the extension which, together with the rebuilding of New Street Station, will transform our public transport network.

HS2 Ltd has appointed Arup, supported by URS Scott Wilson, for the provision of environmental overview services for the High Speed 2 London to the West Midlands rail project.

The £7m contract is the first to be awarded under Lot 3 environmental services of HS2’s professional services framework.

Lot 3 is made up of a total of five packages - the remaining packages to be awarded are for the environmental impact assessments (EIAs). Arup will coordinate the work of the environmental companies appointed to these contracts.

In this role Arup will provide technical leadership and oversight in the preparation of the EIAs for the route from London to the West Midlands. It will produce the environmental statement that will form part of the hybrid bill documentation for the Parliamentary approval process in 2013.

Morgan Sindall has been awarded an £8m contract to refurbish the subsurface platforms of Liverpool’s underground stations.

The programme of improvement works taking place on platforms at James Street, Lime Street and Central Stations will involve replacing wall claddings to tunnels, escalators and passageways as well as retiling the floors and platforms. Three escalators are also being replaced at Central Station.

Construction starts in April and the project is due for completion by August 2013.

Morgan Sindall infrastructure managing director Jag Paddam said: “We are delighted to have been awarded this project and look forward to applying our diverse experience gained on previous rail projects to ensure a successful end result.

“Our team is accustomed to working in live environments. On this project, whilst a number of the stations themselves will be closed, we will be undertaking a series of night time working schedules so that trains can continue to pass through and thus minimise disruption to the travelling public.”

Crossrail has published an invitation to tender for the £75m contract to provide power supply to the central operating section.

Contract C650 HV Power Supply comprises the design, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of the 22kV and 11kV non traction power supplies to Crossrail’s tunnels under London.

The Central Operating Section comprises the Crossrail route between Westbourne Park and Pudding Mill Lane Portal and from Stepney Green Shaft to Abbey Wood.

See our Contract Leads section for further details.