NEWS DIGEST FROM CECA NORTH WEST, 28 JANUARY 2015

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: [email protected] or mobile 07703 585027.

Civil Engineering Contractors’ Association North West news

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)  Hot desk facilities at the Daresbury  Training Park office – call Guy Lawson for  Tendering support details  Market intelligence  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 [email protected] 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.

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 Vision 2015 will take place at the Manchester Hilton on Friday 2 October 2015. Further details will be issued shortly.To book your tickets, please contact Alison Young at Aldercross: [email protected]

CECA NW Flyer 2015 I am now collating material for the next edition of the CECA NW flyer, for 2015. If you would like a project to be featured, please see the attached and send details to Guy Lawson in the same format with a high resolution image. http://www.ceca.co.uk/media/130806/ceca-north-west-flyer-may-2014.pdf

CECA NW launch of The Infrastructure Decade, 23 January 2015 The Infrastructure Decade was launched at The Lowry with Rt Hon Hazel Blears MP. A round table discussion focused on transport and infrastructure, and Ms Blears gave a detailed and very positive response to the document, commenting, ‘Planning a modern transport system is absolutely vital, so I was delighted to speak at the launch. If we get it right there can be real economic, social and environmental benefits, and some fantastic opportunities for young people to learn new skills and embark upon rewarding careers in areas like engineering and construction. CECA's policy vision includes some really sensible ideas to meet our future business and leisure needs, and I look forward to seeing local and national investment in sustainable transport schemes in the years ahead.’ http://www.ceca.co.uk/media/143491/ceca-the-infrastructure-decade.pdf

Thursday 5 February 2015. Supply chain event, The Emirates, Lancashire Cricket Club CECA NW will host a major supply chain event, in conjunction with and supported by the UK Commission for Employment & Skills, on Thursday 5 February 2015. We are inviting all of the North West’s leading civil engineering client organisations to meet supply chain contractors from across the region. Major contractors will have the opportunity to develop their supply chains, while SME members will be able to book 15-20 minute appointments to meet potential clients and understand what opportunities are in the pipeline. Alison Young of Aldercross will be co-ordinating the event, and can be contacted on: [email protected] tel: 07766 931531. The event is free of charge and refreshments will be provided. More details will be issued shortly.

Thursday 5 February 2015. Dinner to welcome new Chief Executive of CITB, Adrian Belton, The Emirates, Lancashire Cricket Club CECA NW will be hosting a dinner for the new Chief Executive of CITB, Adrian Belton. Kate Green MP will be in attendance. A limited number of places are available, and will be allocated to CECA NW members on a first come, first served basis. Interested parties should contact Guy Lawson in the first instance.

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.

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: [email protected] Make sure you include CECA on the title of the email, so that they can include CECA NW members in all suitable packages.

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

J Murphy to present at Bridges 2015, Manchester, 25 March 2015 J Murphy and Sons Ltd is presenting and exhibiting at Bridges 2015 in Manchester on 25th March 2015. http://www.bridges.surveyorevents.com/ Also, following the completion of some recent projects involving FRP structures J Murphy and Sons Ltd have joined the National Group for Composites in Construction (NGCC) www.ngcc.org.uk and they look forward to working in collaboration with fellow CECA members, client organisations and industry to develop and promote the wider use of composite materials where the benefits of doing so are deemed appropriate.

ACS develops innovative BIM solution Cheadle Hulme-based ACS Construction Group Ltd, a member of the Civil Engineering Contractors Association NW (CECA), has introduced an innovative new software package for the construction industry, called Sitedesk. http://www.ceca.co.uk/media/142778/ceca-north-west-media-release-ceca-nw-member-develops- innovative-bim-solution-27-october-2014.docx

Training & Development

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 CECA NW members). 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: [email protected] Please could members advise their Training Managers of this opportunity.

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:  Water Industry contracts. Please note this has been postponed – further details shortly.  A guide to liquidated and delay damages, 08.00 for 08.30, Tuesday 10 February 2015  Mock adjudication, Tuesday 10 March 2015 – timings and venue tbc To book your place, please contact Jemma Carmody: [email protected]

CECA NW Co-ordinating Streetworks breakfast seminar 08.00 for 08.30, Wednesday 11 February 2015, Daresbury Park Hotel, Warrington (free of charge) Please note, this has been postponed due to insufficient numbers, and will take place later in the year.

CECA NW Insurance for civil engineering projects breakfast seminar 08.00 for 08.30, Wednesday 18 February 2015, Daresbury Park Hotel, Warrington (free of charge) This seminar will be delivered by O’Connor’s, the insurance law specialists, and will focus on: • explanation of the different types of insurance relevant to civil engineering projects (and how they work; including claims made v claims occurring) • an overview of the insurance requirements of standard form construction contracts and subcontracts • bespoke amendments to insurance policies • the link between construction contracts and insurance (risk retention v risk transfer) • case studies • claims process To book your place, please contact Jemma Carmody: [email protected]

CECA – Senior Commercial Managers’ Forum, Manchester, 24 February 2014 A half day event is being planned for senior commercial managers – more details to follow.

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.

ICES training Please find a link to two ICES training sessions taking place: 11 February – NEC3 11 March – Civil Engineering Standard Method of Measurement http://www.surco.uk.com/training/suite/

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

Employers Breakfast Forum - Apprenticeships: your questions answered Warrington Collegiate, Friday 13 February 2015 from 08:00 to 10:00 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/employers-breakfast-forum-apprenticeships-your-questions-answered- tickets- 15302535295?ref=enivtefor001&invite=NzQ1Mzg4MC9ndXkubGF3c29uQGNlY2Fudy5jby51ay8w&ut m_source=eb_email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=inviteformalv2&ref=enivtefor001&utm_ter m=attend

Policy & Industry Affairs

Draft guidance from HSE on CDM regulations 2015 This draft Legal (L) Series guidance PDF is on the legal requirements for CDM 2015. It’s being made available before the Regulations come into force on 6 April to help anyone who has duties under the Regulations to prepare in advance. Please note the draft Regulations within the guidance have been amended following consultation. The Regulations and this draft Legal series guidance may be subject to change while the Regulations are awaiting Parliamentary approval. The final version of the Legal series guidance to support CDM 2015 will be available on 6 April 2015. What will change? Principal designer. The replacement of the CDM co-ordinator role (under CDM 2007) by principal designer. This means that the responsibility for coordination of the pre-construction phase – which is crucial to the management of any successful construction project – will rest with an existing member of the design team. Client. The new Regulations recognise the influence and importance of the client as the head of the supply chain and they are best placed to set standards throughout a project. Competence. This will be split into its component parts of skills, knowledge, training and experience, and - if it relates to an organisation - organisational capability. This will provide clarity and help the industry to both assess and demonstrate that construction project teams have the right attributes to deliver a healthy and safe project. The technical standards set out in Part 4 of the new Regulations will remain essentially unchanged from those in guidance related to CDM 2007. HSE’s targeting and enforcement policy, as a proportionate and modern regulator, also remains unchanged. http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/l153.htm

Markit/CIPS, Construction PMI: Slowest rise in UK construction output since July 2013 Key points:  Strong overall rise in business activity during December...  ...but the pace of growth eases for third month running  Residential construction remains best performing area of activity  Civil engineering activity decreased slightly, thereby ending a 17-month period of continuous expansion. http://www.markiteconomics.com/Survey/PressRelease.mvc/4e0ad45c3f4842918c8d159a335a80b7

Government tackles businesses’ concerns over holiday pay ruling The government has taken action to reduce potential costs to employers and give certainty to workers on their rights following the recent court decisions on holiday pay. Last month the Employment Appeal Tribunal ruled that holiday pay should reflect non-guaranteed overtime. The government recognises the decision of the court and is taking action to protect UK business from the potentially damaging impact of large backdated claims. Changes made to regulations under the Employment Rights Act 1996 will mean that claims to Employment Tribunals on this issue cannot stretch back further than 2 years. Workers can still make claims under the existing arrangements for the next 6 months which will act as a transition period before the new rules come into force. The changes apply to claims made on or after 1 July 2015. Following the recent Employment Appeal Tribunal ruling, government set up a taskforce of representatives from government and business to assess the financial exposure employers face and how to limit the impact on businesses. Employers and workers can also visit Acas website for the latest free Acas advice on holiday pay. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-tackles-businesses-concerns-over-holiday-pay- ruling

Government construction pipeline (December 2014 update) https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/390024/Pipeline_8_v2_ 8_12_14.ods

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.

Innovate UK to invest £2 million to address construction sector fragmentation Key features: Investment of up to £2 million in feasibility studies to explore new ways of increasing collaboration and improving the flow of information throughout the construction supply chain. Award: Up to £2m Opens: 09 Mar 2015 Registration closes: 15 Apr 2015 Closes: 22 Apr 2015 Support phone number: 0300 321 4357 https://interact.innovateuk.org/competition-display-page/- /asset_publisher/RqEt2AKmEBhi/content/supply-chain-integration-in- construction?p_p_auth=Be6Njmmg

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

Millions allocated to Local Enterprise Zones More than £410 million will be spent by local partners on major projects across the country, unlocking development and paving the way for tens of thousands of new jobs as well as providing a significant boost to the UK’s construction sector. This significant investment has been possible since the government gave councils powers to retain all business rates growth from their local enterprise zone and use the revenue generated to secure borrowing for infrastructure projects. In Lancashire, that includes: the county council securing more than £10 million to pay for public infrastructure works which will unlock the Samlesbury site of the Lancashire Enterprise Zone. The new A59 access and site road, which will also establish a new link with the A677, will allow the first phase of a £50 million private development to get underway. It is part of a comprehensive masterplan to create 3,000 jobs at the site. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/millions-of-pounds-to-be-invested-in-local-infrastructure-thanks- to-enterprise-zones

SME engineering firms can apply for government skills funding to help their businesses grow Engineering companies with fewer than 250 employees will be able to apply for a share of the first £2.5 million of a £10 million match funding pot to develop innovative company-specific training. The funding is simple to apply for and successful bidders can receive their funding offer within less than 5 weeks of applying.The new fund forms part of a £30 million pound initiative that sees government and employers join together to invest in engineering skills that was announced as a response to Professor Perkins’ review of engineering skills. The first 2 tranches of funding were targeted at improving engineering careers and developing women engineers. The final tranche is specifically designed with small and medium sized businesses in mind. The funding will be more accessible to smaller firms and will see the minimum funding threshold being lowered from £40,000 down to £10,000. Companies will also be able to include staff wage costs as part of their project costs. Applications will remain open until 27 February 2015, or until funds are allocated.  This opportunity is only open to smaller companies who employ fewer than 250 people. Earlier in 2014 two other funding opportunities were made available to all sizes of company employing engineers  The remaining £7.5 million is expected to become available in the new year (2015), if existing funds are fully taken up. https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/using-industrial-strategy-to-help-the-uk-economy-and- business-compete-and-grow

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_Cond uct_for_Operational_PPP_Contracts.pdf

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

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

Constructing Equality – January newsletter http://constructingequality.cmail2.com/t/ViewEmail/r/5ED11BDFCC951CEA2540EF23F30FEDED/5B CE665532DAF21E3D3F7F9A22A6E02E

Lockton Industries Health & Safety Bulletin http://gamma.turtl.co/flipbook/54b3d0b8d1f6aa0700a9ebe4

North West

February start for SEMMMS The £290m development of the A6 to Manchester Airport relief road is due to begin next month, after Stockport Council received confirmation of compulsory purchase powers from the Secretary of State for Transport. The approval allows Stockport Council, on behalf of its partners Cheshire East and Manchester City Councils, to move the project to the construction phase which is being delivered by a joint venture between Morgan Sindall and Carillion. The scheme will provide 10km of dual carriageway linking the A6 at Hazel Grove to the eastern end of the existing A555 at Woodford Road, Bramhall and from the western end of the existing A555 at Wilmslow Road, Handforth to Manchester Airport. The aim is to ease congestion and assist the growth of Manchester Airport and Airport City as well as areas of Stockport, Manchester and Cheshire East. According to Stockport Council, it is acquiring 152 plots of land from 143 landowners through the compulsory purchase, with a £15m lands allocations for the purchase of land and relocation costs. The majority of land is agricultural and there is one party considering relocation. Environmental works could start before the end of February with the main contract works commencing in March 2015. The road should be open to traffic by autumn 2017.

£500 million infrastructure fund for Greater Manchester Up to £500million will be allocated to infrastructure projects following the announcement of a new partnership. The Greater Manchester Pension Fund (GMPF) and the London Pensions Fund Authority (LPFA) have announced the historic link-up today. The bosses of the funds said ‘the significant pot of cash’ will be thrown at infrastructure projects in Greater Manchester and in London. http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/business/greater-manchester-pension-fund-lpfa- 8491521?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+menews+(Manche ster+Evening+News+-+RSS+Feed)

Lancashire shale gas portal launched An online portal for businesses to find out about opportunities in Lancashire’s shale gas industry has been launched. Both Lancashire Chambers of Commerce have teamed up with Cuadrilla Resources to launch the online supply chain. The portal will allow companies to register their interest in becoming a supplier to Cuadrilla, keep up to date with the latest developments with the exploration programme including future contracting opportunities, and find out how to meet the quality and safety standards required. http://www.shalegaslancashire.co.uk/

Environment Agency grants shale gas permit for Preston New Road The Environment Agency has granted the environmental permits Cuadrilla needs to carry out operations safely at their proposed shale gas exploration site at Preston New Road, Plumpton in Lancashire. The Environment Agency has over the last 6 months conducted a rigorous assessment of Cuadrilla’s applications and carried out 2 periods of extensive public consultation.The permits set out the conditions Cuadrilla must follow to protect groundwater, surface water and air quality and to ensure the safe storage, management and disposal of waste. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pr4-3pj-environmental-permits-issued

Five seaside projects share £4m Blackpool, Morecambe Bay, South Ribble, Furness and Copeland are among the coastal areas across England to benefit from a £36m programme. The following projects in Lancashire and were successful with their applications to the Coastal Communities Fund. Blackpool City Council, £1.9m to create new visitor experience around Blackpool Illuminations. LightPool will bring new light shows, events and features into the town centre, including digital mapping projections onto the iconic Blackpool Tower. Morecambe Bay Partnership, £297,500 to improve visitor facilities and create a cycle way with electric bikes, café and visitor centre at Sandy Gap on Walney Island, near Barrow-in-Furness, bringing a derelict building back into use. South Ribble Council, £131,700 to regenerate an under-used stretch of Ribble coastline near Preston, with a village market and events at Longton and Western Parishes, increased car parking, signage and amenities. Furness Enterprise, £864,890 for business support and training to improve the capability of supply chains of local companies, allowing them to take advantage of future business opportunities Copeland Council, £900,990 to improve the local cultural offer and benefit tourism by developing the Beacon Museum in Whitehaven, Cumbria to include a conference and learning centre. The Coastal Communities Fund was created in 2012 to invest in seaside towns to help them achieve their economic potential, reduce unemployment and create new opportunities for young people in their local area. Today's announcement brings the total of the Coastal Communities Fund spending to £116m across the UK, funding 211 projects.

New investment in Omega Omega Warrington has agreed a £23m forward funding arrangement for a 260,000 sq ft facility at Omega South. The agreement is understood to be part of the deal with French manufacturer Plastic Omnium which will occupy the warehouse. The unit will include 20,000 sq ft of offices, and 300 car and truck parking spaces on a 20-acre site. Plastic Omnium is part of the Jaguar Land Rover supply chain. JLR operates a manufacturing facility in Halewood. The premises are within Zone 7 of Omega South which was granted outline planning consent in May 2014 for 2.1m sq ft of logistics and manufacturing space, a new access road and a 35-acre green space.

Preston, Blackburn and Wirral shortlisted to become national housing zones Speaking at a joint event with the chancellor George Osborne, David Cameron referred to the shortlist published of 29 areas outside London bidding for the special status, where "it will be easier and quicker to build new homes on brownfield land." North Bank East at Peel's Wirral Waters is named as the Wirral contender. Cllr Maureen Bateson, executive member for regeneration at Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: "A housing zone bid was submitted in October by Pennine Lancashire authorities with separate zones in Blackburn with Darwen, Hyndburn, and joint Burnley/Pendle zone. The bid was based on land already earmarked for development in local plans but a successful bid would help accelerate housing development through access to infrastructure loan funding and support from the Homes & Communities Agency. Though we have been shortlisted it is early in the process and there are a lot of details that still need to be clarified." The Preston bid is understood to contain city centre and city fringe sites. Housing zones are expected to be large enough to contain between 750 and 2,000 homes but bigger schemes will also be considered. Successful bids were submitted by councils working with developers, and were invited to bid for a share of £200m for infrastructure and land remediation to get their ideas off the ground. Successful zones will have access to cheaper borrowing from the Public Works Loan Board and priority access to expert planning and technical support from the ATLAS service run by the Homes & Communities Agency. The 29 shortlisted bids will go through an assessment process which will include looking at value for money and commitment to delivering high quality homes quickly. Also announced yesterday, another 37 councils will receive a share of £5m funding in this financial year to help bring large-scale sites forward for development. In the North West, Carlisle will receive £83,000, Cumbria £20,000, Liverpool £130,000, Manchester £475,000 and Preston £102,000. This funding will provide capacity support for local authorities to enable them to undertake planning, project management and technical activities necessary to bring sites to the point of delivery. Each council has identified schemes capable of providing at least 1,500 homes, and will now use this funding to speed up preparatory work.

Trams for Stockport? Stockport Council and Transport for Greater Manchester have today published a vision for rail travel that calls for tram-trains linking Marple with Piccadilly - but this remains a "longer-term project" says TfGM. The plan calls for the existing Marple to Manchester Piccadilly service to be converted to a tram-train system, and in turn connected to Stockport town centre. This would be the start of a southern orbital network for Metrolink, connecting the east of Greater Manchester to Manchester Airport, via Stockport town centre.

Alderley Park masterplan released A draft development framework and indicative masterplan for the 400-acre Alderley Park in Cheshire has been released, with surplus sites highlighted for demolition to make way for residential, hotel, office and leisure uses. Cheshire East Council and Manchester Science Partnerships have put together the document to guide future planning applications at the site to support the continued use of Alderley Park as a life sciences research base. MSP acquired the 400-acre Alderley Park, formerly occupied by AstraZeneca, in March 2014. A six-week consultation period on the draft development framework for the 400-acre Alderley Park in Cheshire will begin on Friday 30 January.

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/CopyofLCRprioritisedschemetemplateamend ed160813.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.

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

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

Transport Secretary presses ahead with rail improvements in the north Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin and transport minister Robert Goodwill visited the north of England on 5 January 2015 to look at how rail improvements could transform the region into a ‘northern powerhouse’ of connected cities. During visits to Liverpool and Leeds, they met leaders from across the region to discuss their vision for future improvements. The visit came after the government gave its backing to northern leaders to create Transport for the North (TfN), a new body made up of the main northern city regions. TfN will work with government to develop transport plans – including proposals for an improved east-west rail link connecting the north’s major cities – that will strengthen the region’s economy.

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/

£800 million for nine new road schemes in the NW Highlights of the announcement are:  investing £170 million on the A57, A628 and A628 trans-Pennine route, including a bypass for the village of Mottram - in addition, we will begin a study into the feasibility of building a trans- Pennine tunnel to address the strategic gap between Sheffield and Manchester, and would transform capacity and reduce congestion whilst still preserving the tranquillity of the Peak District  funding to upgrade the A5036 Princess Way, which links Liverpool’s ports to the motorway network - this was a key ask of the Liverpool City deal, providing support to the Atlantic Gateway development and helping to strengthen Liverpool’s status as an important global port  funding is being provided to upgrade the M53 to a smart motorway which will help to ease journeys into Birkenhead and support new housing and office space at the Wirral Waters development  further investment on the southern access to Manchester, joining up previously announced schemes to provide better access to the city and to Manchester Airport  a strategic study to examine the case for dualling the A66 and A69, will further improve trans- Pennine capacity and connections in the north of England  a further strategic study to look at long-term options for capacity around the north and west of Manchester to make sure the M60 does not become a barrier to the further growth of the city https://www.gov.uk/government/news/major-roads-investment-in-the-north-west

Rail electrification for Cumbria Transport Minister Baroness Kramer confirms £16 million of government funding to electrify the Windermere branch line in Cumbria. The 10 mile line, which runs between station on the and Windermere station in the National Park, will be upgraded to allow electric trains to run on the route. Once completed, the line will form part of a direct electrified route between key destinations in the region, including , , Staveley and Manchester. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/rail-electrification-plan-for-lake-district

£158 million for NW flood protection schemes The new flood defence scheme in Rossall, just one of 162 schemes in the North West getting the green light, is worth more than £47 million and will protect 5,600 properties in the area. Some other examples of schemes funded in the first two year ‘construction’ phase in the North West include:  The restoration of Morecambe Wave Reflection Wall which will be rebuilt in three phases and ensure more than 8,000 homes and businesses will be protected.  The construction of a flood storage basin in Salford is due to start in 2015 which will prevent flooding to 1,400 houses and 500 businesses costing approximately £14 million.  A £3.5 million scheme in Town Beck, Ulverston will reduce flood risk to almost 300 local homes and businesses.  A flood scheme in Northwich, part funded by the local authority will protect 700 homes and businesses and will cost £4.7million. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/158m-to-be-spent-on-new-flood-defences-across-the-north- west

IGas hits Wirral shale UK onshore specialist IGas Energy has struck a 400-metre shale sequence at its Ellesmere Port well in the North of England. IGas said the well, which was completed on Friday, contained "significant gas indications", and that the data was being sent away for further analysis."Preliminary analysis suggests both the Sabden shale and Bowland shales have been encountered and cores have been acquired across these intervals," IGas said in a statement to the London Stock Exchange on Monday. IGas began drilling the well on 15 November, having drilled two previous wells in the area. http://interfaxenergy.com/gasdaily/article/14466/igas-hits-significant-uk-shale-sequence

£39 million road improvements for Lancashire The £39 million represents a figure for schemes the Highways Agency is already committed to delivering with even more investment before the end of the decade as part of the Government’s £24 billion Action for Roads programme by 2021. A total of 78 projects, including 7 major economy- boosting Pinch Point projects, will have been delivered in Lancashire by the end of March. Large stretches of the motorway and major A road network in the county will also see safer and smoother journey improvements involving bridge and drainage repairs, replacement safety barriers, resurfacing and renewal of signs, road studs and road markings. Significant repair and maintenance schemes scheduled to be completed in Lancashire by the end of March include:  £1.4 million to renew safety barriers along the M58 around junction 4 at Skelmersdale  £400,000 to replace safety barriers between junction 33 and 34 of the M6 near Lancaster  £530,000 drainage repairs along the A585 near Mains Lane near Poulton  £135,000 resurfacing for Huncoat roundabout along the A56 near Accrington  £155,000 for new road markings along the M6 around junction 31 near Preston  Resurfacing 10 miles of carriageway along sections of the M65, M61 and M6 https://www.gov.uk/government/news/39-million-road-improvements-for-lancashire

£30 million on road improvements for Cumbria Drivers in Cumbria are to benefit from at least £30 million worth of road improvements over the next few years with some significant improvements to the county’s motorways and major A road network over the next few months. The £30 million represents a figure for already-planned schemes the Highways Agency is already committed to delivering - with even more investment before the end of the decade as part of the Government’s £24 billion Action for Roads programme by 2021. Around £13.5 million will have been spent on repairs, maintenance and improvements by Easter alone. As well as an extensive maintenance programme, work to deliver economy-boosting Pinch Point projects – along the A595 at Mirehouse and along the A590 at Barrow and the M6 at Crooklands - will have been delivered, improving safety and tackling congestion around key junctions. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/30-million-road-improvements-for-cumbria

Hit for Waterman at Manchester Airport Waterman Group has been appointed by Manchester Airports Group to design a 100,000 sq ft logistics centre and an office building as part of the masterplan for the £800m Airport City development. The identities of the occupiers has not yet been confirmed. Last week, a development plan was announced for six industrial units at Airport City containing up to 130,000 sq ft in total. Alpha will be built next to the new DHL Express facility. Airport City has consent for 1.4m sq ft of logistics space and 1m sq ft of offices. The development is being delivered by MAG, Argent Beijing Construction & Engineering Group, Carillion and Greater Manchester Property Venture Fund. The letting agents are CBRE and JLL.

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

Cheshire West & Chester Council releases rail investment aspirations Cheshire West & Chester Council has released a map of 11 major rail infrastructure projects that it says are needed to support high speed rail in the North West and North Wales. At a council meeting on Thursday 11 December councillors gave unanimous backing to the HS2 recommendations included in Sir David Higgins' 'Rebalancing Britain' report published in October, which asked for more work on improving east-west services in the North. CWAC leader Cllr Mike Jones called for the delivery of "integrated and modernised rail structure" in the region to prior to the arrival of HS2 and cited "massive under-investment" in rail infrastructure. He said that he had been meeting with councils from North Wales, Merseyside and Manchester to lobby for major change. The required improvements are:  Crewe - Holyhead - electrification  Line from Chester to Liverpool via  Wrexham - Chester - track re-doubling Halton Curve (already confirmed)  Line from Hooton via Ellesmere Port to  Wrexham - Bidston - line Liverpool and North via North upgrade/electrification Cheshire Line  Halton Curve - upgrade to passenger  Line conversion from freight and new use/bi-directional station at Middlewich  Chester - Manchester (Mid Cheshire  Chester - Warrington - line Line) line/frequency upgrade upgrade/electrification  Manchester Airport - link to Mid  Winsford and Hartford service Cheshire line enhancement http://www.placenorthwest.co.uk/assets/_files/documents/dec_14/pnw__1418741823_CWAC_rail_as piration.pdf

BAe Systems announce Barrow framework winners BAE Systems has picked Costain, Morgan Sindall and Shepherd as framework contractors to redevelop its submarine base in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria. The £300m programme involves the redevelopment of the Barrow site in preparation for the building of a replacement for the Vanguard class submarines, as part of the renewal of the UK’s nuclear deterrent. Works will include a mix of new build projects and the refurbishment of existing facilities in what is the most significant redevelopment of the Barrow-in-Furness site since the 1980s. Over the course of the 8-year programme the firms will help to upgrade operational sites and deliver the integration of works into existing submarine build programmes. Work will commence in early 2015.

250 acre MoD site, Solway 45 goes on the market A former Ministry of Defence site in Cumbria, the Solway 45 scheme, has come to market as a development opportunity. The 250-acre site lies a mile from Junction 45 of the M6 close to the border of Scotland, and provides direct access to the West Coast Main Line as well as a number of ports. There is already significant infrastructure in place. Lambert Smith Hampton, which is marketing the site, said that it was inviting interest from developers, rail operators, the logistics and energy sectors and industrial companies.

Peel makes Ince Park deal with BWV Peel Environmental has signed an agreement with Babcock & Wilcox Volund to progress the first phase of the 126-acre Ince Resource Recovery Park in Cheshire. The deal will see Peel and BWV pursue the development, construction and operation of an Energy from Waste plant which will service local needs and industry. Located near Ellesmere Port, the plant would take household and commercial and industrial residual waste from the region. Construction is planned to start in 2016 with the first line operational by 2019.

Government sign-off for Walney wind farm expansion An extension to Walney offshore wind farm in Cumbria has been given consent by the government. If built, the development by Dong Energy could triple the size of the current wind farm, already one of the biggest in the world. The Walney extension would have a capacity of up to 750MW with up to 207 turbines, creating enough electricity to power half a million homes. Construction would last for four years, between 2016 and 2019. The site would be located to the North West of Walney I and II offshore wind farms, 19km west of the Cumbrian coast. For the project to go ahead, developers will need to make a final investment decision.

Go ahead for Warrington’s Bridge Street redevelopment Warrington Council has approved the £52m regeneration of the Bridge Street retail area in the town centre, which will see the temporary relocation of the market to a building in Time Square. The project has been driven and will be delivered by Warrington & Co, on behalf of Warrington Council with development partner Muse. The scheme is designed by Leach Rhodes Walker, with How Planning the lead planning and environmental consultant. When completed in 2019 the scheme will provide a market hall, multiplex cinema, restaurants, a new council office building and public square. Demolition site works are scheduled to commence early in the New Year although a main contractor is yet to be appointed. Construction will be delivered in two phases to minimise disruption for the market traders. The first building will be a 30,000 sq ft block on the site of Time Square to act as a provisional home for the market, to allow the current hall to be demolished and a new hall built in its place.

Shortlist out for Oxford Road station A joint venture between Capital & Centric and Carillion, alongside Bruntwood, First Step, Valad and Muse, have put forward proposals for the Manchester city centre site. and Manchester City Council appointed DTZ in August to find a developer to bring forward a mixed-use scheme on the land around the train station including the outgoing Cornerhouse cinema. Site plans and designs will be produced as part of the next stage of the tender process in 2015. The site has the potential for up to 500,000 sq ft of development including offices, hotel and residential, together with leisure and retail, on the Oxford Road and Whitworth Street West frontages.

Stobart to build £110m Widnes biomass plant Stobart Group has reached financial close on a £110m project to construct a combined heat and power biomass plant at its site in Widnes. Stobart Infrastructure is making an equity investment of £7.5m for a 40% interest in the plant's holding company, Mersey Bioenergy. The Green Investment Bank will provide 49% of the equity and Burmeister & Wain Scandinavian Contractor, the project's engineering, procurement and construction contractor, will take an 11% stake. BWSC will manage the facility under a long-term operation and maintenance contract. The plant will be built on four acres of Stobart Infrastructure's 90-acre logistics hub in Widnes.

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

Construction awards opens for entries The Centre for Construction Innovation and the School of the Built Environment at the University of Salford have opened the applications process for the North West Regional Construction Awards 2015. Now in their ninth year, the awards celebrate outstanding examples of best practice within their field of the built environment. Entries to the 2015 Awards are welcomed from all organisations and project teams involved in delivering buildings and civil engineering projects in the North West including developers, clients, contractors, specialist and sub-contractors, engineers of all disciplines, members of the design team, any other associated consultants The award categories are:  Leadership and People Development  Sub-Regional Project of the Year Award Awards  Integration and Collaborative Working  Consultant of the Year Award - Value in Construction  Contractor of the Year  Sustainability - Our Legacy Award  SME of the Year  Business Innovation Award  Client of the Year  Health and Safety Award Heritage  Young Achiever of the Year Award  Project of the Year  New for 2015: BIM Project of the Year

All entries will be considered by an independent panel of judges. The deadline for submissions will be 5.00pm on Friday 13 February 2015. To apply, please register your details at www.constructionawardsnw.co.uk and you will be sent an application pack which will include the application form, criteria and guidance notes. Please only register once even if you are applying for more than one Award.

Sectors

Environmental Audit Committee calls for a halt on fracking Shale fracking should be put on hold in the UK because it is incompatible with our climate change targets and could pose significant localised environmental risks to public health. Report overview The report warns that only a very small fraction of our shale reserves can be safely burned if we are to keep global temperatures below 2 degrees. And that considerable uncertainties remain about the hazards fracking poses to groundwater quality, air quality, health and biodiversity. It points out that continually tightening carbon budgets under the Climate Change Act will have significantly curtailed the scope for fossil fuel energy by the time shale gas is likely to be commercially viable on a large scale. Infrastructure Bill The Committee is also calling for other changes to the Infrastructure Bill. Proposed changes to trespass law that would grant companies automatic right of access to land at depth should be removed from the Bill because they seriously undermine citizens’ rights and are not supported by the public. Fracking should also be prohibited outright in nationally important areas such as National Parks, the Broads, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, SSIs, ancient woodland. http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/environmental-audit- committee/news/environmental-risks-of-fracking-report/

£2 million funding awarded for safe and sustainable shale energy projects The winning projects will explore everything from water treatment and monitoring techniques to well drilling and design technology, including:  glass-based beads to keep fractures open, removing need for high-volume water use  new ‘photocatalyst’ technology for safe water treatment  non-intrusive geophysical techniques to probe to depths of up to 3,000 metres  new sensors to detect methane leaks while drilling  automated systems to guide exploratory drilling processes https://www.gov.uk/government/news/funding-awarded-for-safe-and-sustainable-shale-energy- projects

Transport for the North announces priorities Transport for the North, an alliance of the North's key authorities and agencies, was set up by the Government in October. It is led by the city regions that made up One North: Greater Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield and Newcastle, together with Hull and the Humber, working in collaboration with the Department for Transport, Highways Agency, Network Rail, and HS2. Transport for the North will jointly produce an interim report in March 2015. Proposals that Transport for the North is considering include:  More trains, more seats and quicker journey times on faster, more frequent interconnected rail services running on electrified lines. Currently, east-west journeys take almost twice as long as equivalent journeys in the south  A high-speed east-west railway linking Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield, Leeds, Hull and Newcastle  Improved access to Manchester Airport  Building in sustainable connections with other proposed schemes such as HS2, Atlantic Gateway, the East Coast Mainline and Northern Hub. Liverpool's planned superport will almost double in handling capacity by 2030, all of which will need to be distributed around the UK  Providing additional capacity on the North's roads for both freight and personal travel through extended managed motorways, addressing gaps in the network, reliance on the M62 and improving links to ports  A digital infrastructure enabling real-time information, greater network resilience and faster connections between key areas to personal and business users.  Improved access to enable efficient freight movements by rail, road and water including ports, rail links and distribution centres  Building HS2 early, extending phase one to Crewe and bringing forwards the delivery of HS2 between Leeds and Sheffield  Improving east/west rail freight capability across the Pennines, linking major ports to north/south rail routes.

Sellafield opportunities announced at CECA Nuclear Forum, 27 November Stuart Wilson’s (SW) presentation focused on procurement at Sellafield Ltd (SL), skills gaps, and decommissioning and new build. With regard to procurement, he acknowledged that SL had been difficult to work with and was committed to making the process easier, via the Major Projects Delivery Model (MPDM). He also advised potential bidders to look at best practice examples of delivering return on investment (in terms of skills, socio-economic impact, use of local supply chains etc) achieved elsewhere on the nuclear estate and for similar clients (e.g. the oil and gas industries in Aberdeen). In the SL Performance Plan (PP14), currently with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), £2.6 billion has been identified to deliver 16 major projects up to 2025. SW also referred to three potential procurement structure models that are being assessed. With regard to opportunities for civil engineering contractors, SW outlined the following:  BEP – a £240-335 million project over four years, which will be led by AMEC/Jacobs/Balfour Beatty  SDP – a £1.2 billion project led by Atkins/Mace/Areva  BEPPS/DIF – a £150 million project led by M&W Group

Highways England update The Highways Agency is to be renamed Highways England when it switches over to a Government- owned company from April next year. This week, the Highways Agency launched its first strategic business plan setting out how the new body will deliver the Government’s £15bn road investment programme over the next five years. In it Highways England has signed up to delivering £1.2bn of efficiencies through innovation, smarter working and better planning. Highways England will operate and improve the motorways and major A roads in England. When the Infrastructure Bill currently being considered by Parliament receives Royal Assent, Highways England will assume responsibility for the Strategic Road Network, and for delivering the Government’s vision for that network, from April 2015. The Company has a clear brief set out in the Government’s Road Investment Strategy (RIS) and will have committed funding for a five year period to meet the performance expectations set out in that strategy. Spending targets:  £11bn of capital investment  £5bn to replace worn out roads  £1.2bn efficiency savings Delivery targets:  Building 400 miles of extra capacity by creating a spine of smart motorways  A safety programme that builds towards the vision of no-one harmed on the strategic road network  A new standard for A roads known as ‘expressways’ with modernised junctions, refuge areas and advanced technology to keep traffic moving  Substantial resurfacing of the network and reducing noise at 1,150 locations  Producing a National Cycling Strategy by the end of 2015  Target to clear 85% of motorway incidents within one hour  Creating a new company with the right capabilities and effective working with suppliers. The business plan is attached: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/384977/141209_Strate gic_Business_Plan_Final.pdf

£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/

Highways Agency Collaborative Delivery Framework announced 26 companies across 4 lots have been appointed to the Collaborative Delivery Framework (CDF). The framework provides a cost effective way for the Agency to procure up to £5 billion of investment in England’s motorways and major A roads over the next five years. The framework award is the next step in the delivery of £24billion investment in England’s major roads in this parliament and the next and represents the government’s firm commitment to investing in infrastructure to boost the economy.

Lot 1 - Professional design and engineering services Lot 3a - High value construction work (scheme Amey values between £25m and £100m, may be Atkins Limited extended to £300m) CH2M HILL United Kingdom Amey Hyder Consulting (UK) Limited Galliford Try Infrastructure Limited Jacobs U.K. Limited HOCHTIEF (UK) Construction Limited Mott MacDonald Limited/Grontmij Limited JV John Sisk & Son Ltd/Lagan Construction Mouchel Ltd Group Ltd JV Ove Arup & Partners Ltd Kier Infrastructure & Overseas Limited URS Infrastructure and Environment (UK) Ltd VINCI Construction UK Ltd (trading as Taylor WSP Civils Limited/Parsons Brinkerhoff JV Woodrow) / Vinci Construction Grands Projects JV Lot 2 - Medium value construction work (scheme values up to £25m, may be extended Lot 3b - High value construction work (scheme to £50m) values between £100m and £450m) EM Highway Services Limited Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering Ltd Geoffrey Osborne Limited BAM Nuttall Ltd / Morgan Sindall Plc JV Interserve Construction Ltd Carillion Construction Ltd John Graham Construction Ltd Costain Limited VolkerFitzpatrick Ltd Skanska Construction UK Ltd https://www.gov.uk/government/news/collaborative-delivery-framework-awarded-to-deliver-5-billion-of- highways-investment

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=%2fConfer ence.aspx%3fConferenceID%3d70 The password is: Industry

….and finally

Decommissioning of Dungeness A is being broadcast live on the Magnox website as the turbine hall is knocked down: http://www.magnoxsites.co.uk/2015/01/dungeness-demolition-broadcast-live/