The pilot will see schools benefit from new low carbon heating solutions, as well as improvements to the buildings fabric to make the school more thermal efficient, all procured through Fusion21 frameworks.

Energy bills and carbon emissions in the public and higher education sectors shows that schools and universities represent 36% of total UK public sector building emissions.

The transformational work to reduce carbon emissions to make those schools selected as part of the pilot, significantly more energy efficient has recently got underway.

Where necessary, the schools’ building fabric will be improved with upgrades ranging from new electrics, roofs and ceilings to new doors and windows amid a government drive to make educational buildings greener.

The contractors were appointed via Fusion21’s Decarbonisation and Heating & Renewables frameworks which ensures housing, local authority, education, blue light and health sectors maximise social value in contracts. All Fusion21 contractors are committed to ensuring social value is embedded into their work ranging from employing locally where possible to apprenticeships and community projects.

Schools involved in the pilot and the estimated makeover value:

Today, Oliver Mooney, Head of Category at Fusion21 said: “It is fantastic to have been involved in such an important Department for Education project and to support the schools who used our framework to appoint the contractors for these transformational, multi-million pound improvement works which will vastly improve the buildings, bring huge energy savings and carbon emission reductions and ensure pupils, teachers and parents are playing an important role in decarbonisation and Net Zero ambitions”.

The UK government is committed to climate action and has set out targets in its strategy to 2050. This project will support the drive for existing school buildings to be adapted and new ones designed adequately to respond to climate change and reduce emissions.

The pilot will provide a valuable opportunity to learn more about alternative greener heating solutions and to use the learnings to consider how this can be scaled up to accelerate decarbonisation in the future.

Research found that in 2019 schools alone were spending around £630m per annum on energy – with today’s figure expected to be much higher.

The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme will provide £1.425 billion of grant funding for public sector bodies to fund heat decarbonisation and energy efficiency measures, including schools over the financial years 2022-2023 to 2024-2025.

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HMP Fosse Way, which was named following extensive consultation with the local community, forms part of a UK government plan to deliver 3,360 additional prison places by 2023 at Fosse Way and the recently opened HMP Five Wells in Wellingborough.  

The £286 million project will initially house 1,715 prisoners across a 16-acre site, with an additional cell block and ancillary building extension approved by Blaby District Council and Oadby and Wigston Borough Council last December, extending capacity further. 

Leading independent property, construction, and infrastructure consultancy Pick Everard was appointed as lead designer for the project, providing architecture, interior design, civil engineering, building engineering, sustainability and energy, structural engineering, landscape architecture and interior design services. Its team has closely collaborated with the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and prison operator Serco. 

In total, seven houseblocks and six ancillary buildings come together under a vision from the MoJ to transform prisoner rehabilitation in the UK. Prisoners have access to a central services hub, which includes a gym, library, educational classrooms, faith halls, as well as workshops and external horticultural areas, with the potential for Serco to work closely with local employers to deliver on-the-job training opportunities. 

Tim Irons, operations director at Pick Everard, said: “This is a multi-purpose, free-flow prison, that has been closely modelled on our baseline design of HMP Five Wells and will continue to be the blueprint for a further four new build prisons under the MoJ estate.  

“It has been planned to promote supervised interaction between prisoners, as well as several initiatives that allow them to gain new skills that will boost employment opportunities upon their release. 

“The interior design has been closely considered, applying biophilic and salutogenic principles to support wellbeing and strengthen the identity of each space. It is a modern, sustainable custodial estate, working to BREEAM excellent standards, which, following its planned extension, will become one of the biggest prisons operating in the UK.  

“We’re incredibly proud to deliver this exciting vision, which continues our long-standing relationship with the MoJ and the wider justice sector.” 

HMP Fosse Way has been built on the old HMP Glen Parva site, a former young offenders’ institution that closed in 2017.  

Its design has included several sustainable considerations, with offsite construction maintaining product quality, whilst helping reduce capital and operational costs. In addition, air sourced heating powers elements within the northern compound, while solar panels have been installed on ancillary buildings. 

Tim added: “Our focus was on reducing operational energy demand, with a design that moved away from direct fossil fuel energy sources to clean, onsite renewable generation. 

“These principles directly support net zero objectives and builds on our identified carbon reduction plan that will be carried forth throughout the MoJ prison programme.”  

Work on the planned extension is expected to commence in August, with the project currently at RIBA Stage 4.  

For more information about Pick Everard, please visit https://www.pickeverard.co.uk/  

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Commissioned by the Secretary of State for Education, McAvoy has embarked on the construction of a new 8,610sqm secondary school. With construction underway, the school will have the capacity for up to 1,200 pupils aged 11-16 in its 3-storey accommodation. The new secondary school will showcase innovative internal design features including a double-height dining area, spaces for students to collaborate and share ideas, and a performing arts hub.

Externally, the brief includes extensive hard and soft landscaping, parking areas for cars and bicycles, outside lockers, playing fields and the installation of a Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA).

Works started on site in May with the school due to be completed in Summer 2024.

The project has been described as a “very exciting” development for children and families in Thurrock and will replace the temporary accommodation where students are currently learning with a brand new, state-of-the-art secondary school.

Positioned in close proximity to the Thurrock Rugby Club and Thurrock Harriers Athletics Track, the academy is poised to strengthen its existing partnerships and will support the development of a thriving sports hub in Thurrock. The prime location will foster development pathways for pupils and the wider community at all levels.

McAvoy has been at the forefront of the UK and Ireland’s offsite industry for more than 50 years, with significant experience in the education sector. It has recently delivered projects including Merstham Park School, a pioneering ‘Low Carbon Pathfinder’ project, and The Cavendish School, the world’s first International Baccalaureate special free school for Department for Education, as well as 2 SEND classroom blocks at Great Oaks School for Southampton City Council.

McAvoy CEO, Ron Clarke said the awarding of the Orsett Heath Academy project reflected the confidence in offsite manufacturing as a preferred solution within the education sector.

“Our team has significant experience of delivering high-quality accommodation within the education sector to demanding programmes and we are delighted to be appointed for this major project by the Department for Education. We have invested heavily in our manufacturing and delivery infrastructure in recent years with a view to securing projects of this nature where sustainability, quality and delivery within budget and programme are essential.”

The new building will provide a much-needed permanent building and cater for the growing demand for secondary school places at Orsett Heath Academy. The school has a specialism in sports, the arts and a strong international approach to languages, and will remain in joint use with the interim site for educational and sports provision, creating a lasting legacy, enhancing education, sport and recreation as a ‘Thurrock Institute of Sport.’

Steve Munday, CEO of SWECET, said: “Our community, students and families have eagerly awaited this state-of-the-art facility that will allow us to continue to provide an exciting and ambitious ethos of high expectations and achievement to more students in our local area. We’re so pleased that building work is underway and would like to thank all those who have supported us in our community during this time.”

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• Road danger reduction experts Agilysis commissioned to develop GM’s Vision Zero strategy  
• Vision Zero has the potential to prevent up to 3,800 deaths and serious injuries on GM’s roads by 2040  

Active Travel Commissioner, Dame Sarah Storey has set out Greater Manchester’s intention to eliminating deaths and serious injuries on the city-region’s roads through ‘Vision Zero’. 

In 2021, 858 people were killed or seriously injured in collisions on Greater Manchester’s roads. 

Vision Zero is the next step in Greater Manchester’s mission to reduce the number of deaths or serious injuries caused on the city-region’s roads, and in turn make it a safer, healthier and more sustainable place for pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and motorists.

By taking decisive action, around 3,800 unnecessary deaths and serious injuries could be prevented by 2040.  

On Monday (5th June) Dame Sarah was joined by Greater Manchester’s Transport Commissioner Vernon Everitt and other key stakeholders at the Big Active Conversation in Tameside to announce the start of a detailed programme to fully develop Greater Manchester’s Vision Zero approach, with the aim of presenting a unified strategy with a shared ambition of zero deaths and serious injuries on Greater Manchester’s roads. 

Road danger reduction experts, Agilysis, has been commissioned to develop the strategy in the coming months, with a first draft expected in Autumn. As part of this work Agilysis will identify and engage with key stakeholders, including Greater Manchester Police and other emergency services, with a view to consulting with members of the public next year. 

The strategy will then be adopted subject to agreement with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

Active Travel Commissioner Dame Sarah Storey said on Monday: “Any death or serious injury on our roads is one too many, and these collisions are already devastating people’s lives. 

“It’s heart-breaking to learn of a fatal or life-changing collision and sadly there has been some horrendous incidents very recently right on our doorstep. These incidents are neither acceptable or inevitable, and we should all be doing everything we can to prevent them. 

“Back in November I launched a refreshed mission for Greater Manchester’s active travel programme and within that I recommended the region adopt Vision Zero.  

“Today’s announcement is the first step on making that a reality and I hope the work that now follows will pave the way in making everyone feel safe when they take to the roads, whether that be in a car, on foot or on a bike. 

“Getting it right will require a collective effort and commitment by everyone, which is why I am delighted to have Agilysis on board as we start our journey today.”  

As well as stamping out serious injuries and deaths on Greater Manchester’s roads, Vision Zero will help tackle the impact on the emergency services and the cost to public finances, with the potential to save the city-region’s economy more than £4.5billion over the next 20 years.   

The strategy will draw on best practice from other cities around the world and across the UK with Vision Zero strategies in place, including Stockholm, Oslo, London and Bristol. Some of the effective measures to have been introduced include 20mph speed limits, safer junctions and segregated lanes for people to walk, wheel and cycle and increased enforcement for speeding vehicles. 

Greater Manchester’s Vision Zero plan will also build on the existing work of the city-region’s Road Danger Reduction Advisory Group and Greater Manchester Police, which has already been bolstering operations to keep people safe when they are using the region’s transport and highways network. 

Transport Commissioner Vernon Everitt said: “Commitment to Vision Zero in cities and regions across the UK and overseas has resulted in a significant reduction in death and serious injury on the roads.  

“We look forward to the outcome of the work by our road danger reduction experts to see the potential for similarly positive outcomes in Greater Manchester, building on the work already undertaken by districts, TfGM, the police and other partners.”  

Greater Manchester is already taking steps to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads, with improved walking, wheeling and cycling infrastructure as it builds the largest active travel network in the country as part of the Bee Network.

In addition, GM boroughs have been trialling new schemes to boost active travel participation in a safer environment, such as the School Streets pilots and the introduction of 20mph zones. 

In Greater Manchester there were 28 pedestrians killed and 217 serious injuries as a result of road collisions in 2021. Meanwhile, there were five cyclist fatalities and 129 serious cyclist casualties in the same period, plus 10 motorcyclist deaths and 106 serious casualties. 

In addition there were 29 fatalities amongst car occupants (which includes drivers and passengers of private vehicles, taxis and minibuses) along with 305 casualties suffering serious injuries.

Drivers failing to look properly remains one of the top contributory factors recorded for collisions between a person cycling and drivers, as well motorcyclists. In the top five driver manoeuvres which cause injury to Greater Manchester cyclists, three are associated with turning, and not looking and seeing properly including; turning right; driving ahead right-hand bend and turning left.   

Superintendent Gareth Parkin of GMP’s Transport Unit added: “We are committed to Vision Zero for Greater Manchester. Every life lost on our roads is a tragedy that deeply effects our community.  

“With our growing Roads Policing team, we will continue to increase our capability to enforce, educate the public, and work with stakeholders to eliminate preventable collisions.” 

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The building will accommodate over 5,000 civil servants and enable the Home Office to migrate from three current locations in Croydon to the building in the summer 2024.

Following the completion of Cat A construction, funded by Pensions Insurance Corporation (PIC) and developed by Stanhope in partnership with Schroders and Lendlease, the GPA will now take on the lease and work in partnership with Wates Smartspace, to fit out and complete the building to the Government Workplace Design Standards. 

Clive Anderson, Director of Capital Projects at the GPA said: 

“Today marks the end of three years of hard work by the integrated delivery team, led by the GPA in partnership with PIC, Stanhope, Schroders, Lendlease and their excellent supply chain, who have designed and built this extraordinary building to meet the Home Office needs . I am delighted with the CAT A base build completion earlier than planned ready for the GPA to complete for our Home Office customers in late summer 2024.”

Home Office Permanent Secretary Matthew Rycroft said: 

“This is an exciting step towards the completion of the new Home Office Croydon Hub. The site will play a major role in our work to keep the country safe, secure and prosperous. It will provide a modern space that is sustainable and which offers a collaborative and enjoyable working environment. 

“I would like to thank all those who are working hard to make this innovative building a reality. I very much look forward to its completion next year.”

2 Ruskin Square represents the second purchase by PIC of a GPA hub within the past 12 months following the purchase at Manchester, First Street, in 2022.

James Agar, Head of Long Income at Pension Insurance Corporation (PIC), added:
“Government let commercial property assets are an important, on-going area of specific focus for PIC, and we are pleased to make this long-term commitment to supporting the greening and modernisation of the UK Government’s estate. 2 Ruskin Square is a best-in-class development and joins the First Street Hub in Manchester as part of PIC’s expanding partnership with the GPA.”

The building, rated BREEAM Outstanding, is highly sustainable with fully decarbonised power and all electricity procured from renewable sources. Once complete, it will offer an effective mix of flexible and hybrid work spaces to support neuro-diversity, collaboration and wellbeing, along with fully inclusive refreshment hubs, home zones and meeting rooms.
The new Hub in Croydon will be the area’s second, creating a government campus with excellent sustainable transportation links.
It will form part of the nine-acre Ruskin Square scheme and is located adjacent to East Croydon train station. It sits alongside One Ruskin Square, HM Revenue & Customs’ (HMRC) regional centre which opened in 2017.

The Government Hubs Programme has so far supported regeneration and economic development in 17 locations throughout the UK including; Glasgow, Belfast, Newcastle, Leeds, Manchester, Nottingham, Cardiff, Birmingham, Peterborough and Bristol to support around 60,000 civil servants and in so doing create a smaller, better and greener public estate.

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The research will gather wider data on the effectiveness of different types of infrared heating, to produce recommendations for future infrared heating evaluation field trials. The project is led by Professor David Glew, Director of the Leeds Sustainability Institute (LSI) at Leeds Beckett University, and is a collaboration with the University of Salford.

Professor Glew explained: “Infrared heaters are electric panel heaters which emit a proportion of their heat in the infrared frequency. The theory is that the user can heat the whole house to a lower temperature than normal but still feel comfortable. The aim of this project is to provide robust evidence to investigate if this theory turns to reality in people’s homes, which could result in less energy use, lower fuel bills and fewer carbon emissions”.

The researchers are conducting laboratory tests with 120 volunteer members of the public at the Salford University Energy House, a test house set within an environment chamber. The volunteers are trialling different types of infrared heating systems and describing their experiences of comfort.

Alternative heating systems include air source heat pumps, hydrogen boilers, night storage heaters and electric radiators, and a combination of these may be needed for the UK’s transition to net zero.

The research has received funding of £160,000 from the Department for Energy, Security and Net Zero through its Net Zero Innovation Portfolio/Energy Innovation Programme.

Professor Glew said: “It is important that the Government gets robust, fair, data on all options available for low-carbon heating. We cannot keep using gas – and it is the Government’s aim to stop installing new gas boilers from 2035.

“We are very proud to have been chosen by the Government to lead this project and help the UK answer its Net Zero challenge. We are pleased to be recognised as leading experts in the field of low carbon heating.”

The research will also include a plan for what a large-scale field trial would look like. Using the findings from the first phase of the project, the Government will decide whether to embark on a UK-wide field trial as phase two.

This project builds on the extensive research by the LSI’s Sustainable Behaviour research team, investigating the range of potential future low carbon heating systems.

Research led by Professor Fiona Fylan has investigated what reassurances people want before accepting hydrogen boilers into their homes – alongside a series of hydrogen heating trials. Research by Dr Martin Fletcher has evaluated people’s experiences of switching to using heat pumps. Current research by Dr Kate Morland is exploring whether people would be willing to exchange their boilers for heat pumps, and attempting to understand how to encourage people to use heat pumps more efficiently in their homes.

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Immortalised in the Beatles’ song Penny Lane, Allerton Fire and Police Station has been redeveloped by contractor HMS with the former Fire Station being transformed into two 3-bedroom and three 4-bedroom townhouses, two 3-bedroom semi-detached homes, all of which are available via shared ownership.  The Torus owned development will also see the conversion of the former police station into a 40-unit independent living scheme for over 55s, with all apartments available via affordable rent.  A key design feature is the mansard roof which required an offsite manufactured ‘room in roof’ solution with the contractor specifying Smartroof as the company able to deliver and meet their requirements.

Whilst a Smartroof system typically averages 100m² in size, the contractor HMS required a roof 25 times larger at 2,500m². Initially this raised concerns for the Smartroof team in terms of logistics of the roof within the scale of the project.  The old police station was refurb and new build, which added challenges for the Smartroof team due to different slab levels throughout the building.  The team also had to work with the existing structure of the building, such as steel that was not previously considered. This resulted in a numerous site visits to reconfigure the design to make it possible. Smartroof’s nationwide contracts managers are site based and work closely with Site/Project Managers.The advantage of the Smartroof system is that everything is produced in a factory control environment so the challenges experienced at this redevelopment can be overcome in the factory, instead of operatives working at height when a roof is being built.

Commenting, Tom Wright, Design & Technical Director at Smartroof said “We worked very closely with the HMS team and also developed a great working relationship with the architect and engineers in order to overcome these design challenges. Such was the success of the system and our involvement, our Smartroof solution saved 16 weeks compared to if HMS used traditional methods of construction.”The Smartroof system is a complete roof solution, designed to offer housebuilders and developers a way to exploit a new home’s full potential by creating rooms in roofs. Comprising a series of factory produced panels incorporating insulated roof panels, spandrel wall panels, dormers, roof windows, decorative chimneys, soffit and fascia, it is delivered to site and craned into place. The system has many benefits – less waste, better control of quality, safer to install – and meets the industry’s demand for solutions that allow us to build better quality homes, more efficiently.The controlled environment of the Smartroof offsite fabrication facility meant the technical team could achieve the mansard roof design with millimetre precision both in terms of cutting and fabrication.Manufactured at the Smartroof factory in Derbyshire, the prefabricated ‘room in roof’ systems were then delivered to the Allerton site, craned into place and installed by the Smartroof team.

At a time when housebuilders need to embrace new and faster methods of construction as well as comply with more stringent energy efficiency demands, the offsite fabrication of the roofs at the Allerton Police Station redevelopment offered huge benefits in terms of health and safety, speed of construction and quality control.John Barrow, Construction Director at HMS said: “Allerton is the second large-scale refurb and new build project HMS has undertaken and as a team, we were keen to implement learnings from previous developments in order to progress the build quickly, yet efficiently. Smartroof and their team offered a complete solution that not only saved us time but embedded greener technologies into the heart of our development programme and one which is now leading the way for how we use innovative build techniques going forward.”Smartroof has fabricated and installed a complex and high-performance roofing system which has enabled the developer Torus to reduce costs and build times as well as health and safety risks on site.   The room in roof system has also ensured this iconic police station development remains on track for completion in the spring of 2023.To find out more download the Smartroof brochure or contact info@smartroof.co.uk

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A new government hub in Peterborough has officially opened by Cabinet Office Minister Alex Burghart last week.

The Hub is in Fletton Quays, an area undergoing a £120 million regeneration, and will house more than 1,000 government staff from a number of departments and agencies. Staff from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and the Home Office’s Passport Office will be based there permanently, with room for more roles which may relocate to the city from London.

Cabinet Office Minister Alex Burghart said:

“It’s fantastic to be in Peterborough to open our brand new Government Hub. This is a very important day for the city.”

“As today shows, this Government is investing in Peterborough and the East of England to create jobs and opportunities for the long-term.”

The project is part of the government hubs programme, which has also seen the announcement of new hubs across the country including Glasgow, Belfast, Newcastle, Leeds, Manchester, Nottingham, Cardiff, Birmingham and Bristol.

These hubs will support the government’s drive to move 22,000 government roles out of London by 2030, moving them into communities across the United Kingdom.

Lord Murray, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Home Office, said: 

“Being part of this new Government hub continues to reinforce HM Passport Office’s long-term commitment to the city of Peterborough.

“Quay House offers brand new, purpose built, facilities that will help us to deliver increasingly high standards of service for our customers in the East and Midlands for many years to come.”

To date, more than 900 roles have been relocated out of the capital and into the East Midlands and East of England, with departments including the  Ministry of Justice expanding their presence there.

The government will also launch a civil service recruitment campaign in the region in April as part of the drive to offer roles previously located in Whitehall to people in the East of England and East Midlands, ensuring the government is maximising use of the area’s vast talent pool.

 The new Hub is part of a £120m regeneration of the Fletton Quays site led by the Peterborough Investment Partnership and the site’s developer, Bride Hall, which is expected to generate over £340 million of private sector revenue for the area.

Clive Anderson, Director of Capital Projects at the Government Property Agency, said:

“Quay House in Peterborough is the Government Property Agency’s first new build Hub. It will provide inclusive, flexible, digitally-connected workspaces to support greater productivity, create cost efficiencies and enhance carbon reduction. This has been achieved by consolidating four remote sites into one new city centre building, with 1,000 civil servants now supporting local businesses.

We are all extremely proud to deliver this new Hub in Peterborough, and to be delivering the Government Hubs Programme in support of key government initiatives such as Levelling Up, Civil Service Reform and Net Zero. I welcome our clients and customers to their new place of work.”

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Leading midlands-based contractor G F Tomlinson has been appointed through Scape’s Beyond the Public Sector framework to complete pre-construction design and planning, with the state-of-the-art centre expected to be completed and fully operational by autumn 2024.

Working alongside SCAPE, one of the UK’s leading public sector procurement authorities, has enabled the client to accelerate the delivery of the scheme through early contractor involvement with G F Tomlinson.

The development will transform a disused underground Victorian reservoir, which was dug in the 1880s, into an education centre for school and group visits, and will feature an exhibition hall, classrooms, a café and meeting rooms, as well as the state-of-the-art planetarium.

The reservoir will have a new structure built above it, to increase the useable space and transform the existing structure into a habitable and unique building. The scheme aims to inspire interest and careers in STEM learning, as well as increasing footfall to the local area.

Plans were submitted to Ashfield District Council by Mansfield and Sutton Astronomical Society, in November, following aspirations to increase annual visitor numbers from 3,000 to 20,000.

Funds for the project have recently been awarded through a contribution of £3.1 million from the government’s Levelling Up Fund Round 2. Further funds were also secured through the council’s £62.6 million Towns Fund.

Craig Stopper, framework construction manager at G F Tomlinson, said: “We feel very privileged to have been chosen as the main contractor, by Mansfield and Sutton Astronomical Society, to lead on such an exciting and unique project, and what promises to be a pivotal tourism and educational attraction.

“The multi-million-pound scheme will attract thousands of visitors to the region and raise not only awareness of the local area and the history of the site, but STEM career opportunities for future generations. We very much look forward to bringing the vision for this planetarium to life.”

Mark Robinson, group chief executive at SCAPE, said: “The Sherwood Observatory will not only breathe new life into the local community but will provide exceptional social value by inspiring interest in STEM learning careers.

“We are, therefore, delighted to be working closely on such a special project with our partner, G F Tomlinson and Mansfield and Sutton Astronomical Society, via our SCAPE Beyond the Public Sector Framework. Our delivery teams will be instrumental in ensuring efficiency, time and cost savings throughout.”

Dr Steve Wallace at Sherwood Observatory said: “We have been eagerly anticipating this moment for several years and it’s great to have reached the point where we are able have G F Tomlinson join the team. We believe that the young people in our area should be afforded the same opportunities for extracurricular enrichment as those from more affluent areas. 

“The new Centre greatly increase the capacity of the observatory, to deliver outreach, and will help to inspire a new generation of scientists and engineers from across the region, thereby supporting jobs growth and prosperity.”

Cllr Matthew Relf, executive lead member for regeneration and corporate transformation, said: “This is such a fantastic project that will help supercharge the astronomical society’s brilliant work on engaging young minds with STEM subjects, lighting a fire in our next generation of scientists and engineers.

“It’s one of the many interconnected projects – covering health and wellbeing, tourism, skills and jobs and urban regeneration – that are coming to Ashfield over the next few years as part of our ambitious regeneration programme to turn around decades of neglect. These projects will benefit not just Ashfield but the broader region too. Yet another great reason to Discover Ashfield.”

To find out more about G F Tomlinson and its projects, please visit: https://gftomlinson.co.uk

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Kier has created two unique JVs with external offsite manufacturing partners McAvoy and Metek, who are both experts in their method of construction, bringing high quality, innovative design, manufacturing and installation ability.

The two JVs will allow Kier to deliver on every Lot in the OCS framework, which provides public sector organisations with all elements of offsite construction solutions, from design, fabrication, construction and installation, through to direct access to manufacturers.

• Kier with manufacturer McAvoy, known as Kier McAvoy, will deliver projects using pre-manufactured 3D primary structural systems*
• Kier with manufacturer Metek, known as Kier Metek, will deliver projects using pre-manufactured 2D primary structural systems**

The OCS framework consists of six Lots. 3D Lots within the framework will be delivered by Kier McAvoy, and 2D Lots by Kier Metek. The Lots are:

1. Built Estate (including education)
2. Healthcare
3. Residential
4. Justice
5. Defence
6. Thermal efficiency upgrades

The appointment to the OCS framework builds on Kier’s award-winning cross-sector work in MMC and offsite construction, including HMP Five Wells prison, NHS Golden Jubilee surgical centre, Lewis Cubitt Square, as well as its innovative Choice Factory solution.

Stuart Togwell, Group managing director at Kier Construction, said: “Building on the ambitions of the Construction Playbook of using MMC and offsite solutions to drive improvements is a core imperative for Kier, and securing a place on all Lots means we are well-placed to support the delivery of vital new infrastructure in the UK.  

“Our forward-thinking JVs with McAvoy and Metek will allow us to provide more capacity and high-quality end-to-end solutions for our public sector clients and to continue to deliver the best value through innovation across the wider industry.” 

Ron Clarke, CEO, McAvoy, from the Kier McAvoy consortium, said: “This is a significant milestone for McAvoy, and we are delighted to be combining our leading-edge, high-quality precision manufacturing capabilities with Kier’s scale and expertise.

“We have been innovators and market leaders for more than 50 years. Our team is firmly focused on delivering consistently high-quality product and customer service across the UK and Ireland.

“With significant experience of MMC we are very much focused on helping our clients meet their ESG goals. We look forward to working in partnership with Kier to deliver on that commitment within the OCS framework.”

Oliver Rogan, managing director of Metek, from the Kier Metek consortium, said: “Winning this OCS framework has demonstrated the importance of working as a team. Metek and Kier have been working closely together for the past 12 months, driving a strategy to build projects in a more energy efficient and cost-effective manner, whilst maintaining the very highest health & safety standards. This ground-breaking collaboration unlocks Metek’s manufacturing and installation potential, whilst enabling us to grow, learn and develop alongside a formidable Kier team.

“Here at Metek, we have been at the forefront of light steel framed Modern Methods of Construction for over 23 years. I feel that this new alliance is a game changer in terms of adding components to the manufacturing process. 

“Working with the Kier team on this bid has been inspiring and the whole Metek team are excited to be embarking on this journey and committed to delivering the key requirements of the agreement, whilst continuing to champion UK manufacturing.”

Crown Commercial Service supports the public sector to achieve maximum commercial value when procuring common goods and services. In 2021/22, CCS helped the public sector to achieve commercial benefits equal to £2.8 billion – supporting world-class public services that offer best value for taxpayers.

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