News: Plans approved for major Rotherham link road project

Plans have been given the green light for a £10m+ transport scheme that aims to improve the area around Parkgate Shopping in Rotherham.

The South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE) submitted plans for the works last year following a period of consutation.

A proposed new 800 metre Parkgate Link Road between Aldwarke Lane and both Stonerow Way and Stadium Way is set to provide a second access route to Parkgate Shopping, via a roundabout between the two railway bridges. It is designed to relieve existing congestion on the A633 around Parkgate Shopping and improve traffic flow and bus journey times on the corridor and wider road network.

£11.52m is required from the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority Transforming Cities Fund towards project costs of £12.86m. £7m is for the new access route and £3.4m for a new Park & Ride facility. £1.7m is needed for upgrades to Taylor's Lane roundabout nearby - a seperate part of the scheme.

Planners agree that the proposed link road will result in the redistribution of a portion of the existing arrivals and departures from Parkgate Shopping. "This redistribution will result in shorter and more time efficient journeys to and from the site and will deliver higher level benefits to congestion and air quality" their report states.

Parkgate Shopping has annual visitor numbers of 6.9 million.

The report adds: "Parkgate Shopping Park provides retail and employment within the general area of Rotherham. The popularity of this district shopping area has the effect of creating trip generated congestion on Great Eastern Way and Rotherham Road. This is especially apparent at weekends where congestion occurs beyond traditional peak travel times.

"In conjunction with Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (RMBC) and Stadium Developments, SYPTE have identified an alternative route into Parkgate Retail Park via a new link road between A6123 Aldwarke Lane, Stonerow Way and Stadium Way. The proposed route will be built to a standard that RMBC will be willing to adopt and maintain in perpetuity."

The brownfield land was allocated for mixed use in the borough's Local Plan which recognised that further infrastructure may be required to address wider highways and public transport issues, in the form of a link road.

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The report states: "From a planning policy perspective this link road development would potentially make the wider site more attractive for the land owner to bring forward. This is a large site within the urban area which has potential to contribute towards employment land provision plus other uses. The site is close to the Tram-Train pilot scheme station, and offers potential for supporting uses, such as a park and ride facility."

Plans show a roundabout in the centre of the link road with a potential junction to the land to the North.

The proposals also include a new 300 space Park & Ride facility for the tram-train to be located on land close to the existing Matalan store. 42 spaces are electric vehicle bays.

After changes to the vehicular access into the parking area, Rotherham Council's transport planners are happy with the plans. Agents for Parkgate Shopping had expressed concern over a potential increase in commercial vehicles driving through their retail park but "overall, they are supportive of the scheme."

Following an objection, a revised ecology study was submitted and the biodiversity improvement plan was revised. Planners conculde that "the benefits of the link road and parking area outweigh the any potential detriment on onsite ecology" and highlight that the area will also benefit from new landscaping proposals.

Approved without going in front of the council's planning board, planning permission comes with a number of conditions relating to things like drainage, land contamination and working close to the railway.

Rothbiz reported in March that Tilbury Douglas was to undertake the construction of the link road and construct the park and ride facility at Parkgate.

The contract, worth £8,420,930, is subject to securing planning permission, securing funding, and completion of legal documentation with landowners, Stadium and the Parkgate Rotherham Unit Trust.

Tilbury Douglas is a remaining division of British construction company, Interserve, that collapsed into administration in 2019 before being saved by creditors.

Interserve's recent work in the area includes the £12m contract for the refurbishment and upgrade of Rotherham Interchange.

SYPTE website

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News: Contractor lined up for new Rotherham link road

A national contractor is in line to take on the multimillion pound transport scheme that aims to improve the area around Parkgate Shopping in Rotherham.

Rothbiz reported in November that South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE) had submited plans for the works following a period of consutation.

Plans show that the proposed new 800 metre Parkgate Link Road between Aldwarke Lane and both Stonerow Way and Stadium Way will provide a second access route to Parkgate Shopping, via a roundabout between the two railway bridges. It is designed to relieve existing congestion on the A633 around Parkgate Shopping and improve traffic flow and bus journey times on the corridor and wider road network.

As a decision is awaited on the application, the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) has gained board approval to release the funds.

£11.55m from the Transforming Cities Fund towards total project costs of £12.86m will be used for the new link road, a new 268 space car park specifically for the tram-train service and the widening to the southern entry and exit arms of the nearby Taylors Lane roundabout.

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Approval has also been sought to appoint Tilbury Douglas to undertake the construction of the link road and construct the park and ride facility.

The contract, worth £8,420,930, is subject to securing planning permission, securing funding, and completion of legal documentation with landowners, Stadium and the Parkgate Rotherham Unit Trust.

Tilbury Douglas is a remaining division of British construction company, Interserve, that collapsed into administration in 2019 before being saved by creditors.

Interserve's recent work in the area includes the £12m contract for the refurbishment and upgrade of Rotherham Interchange.

The corridor is the main arterial route from Rotherham town centre to the conurbations to the north including Parkgate, Kilnhurst, Rawmarsh, Swinton and the Dearne Valley. The road also passes through an area of dense retail and the only access to Parkgate Shopping is from a single roundabout.

One of the busiest routes in South Yorkshire, the A633 Rotherham Road carries approximately 30 buses per hour in each direction. Traffic congestion in the area causes significant delays to bus services not only in the morning and evening peaks, but also at weekends.

Tilbury Douglas website
SYPTE website

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News: Rotherham Interchange reopens after £12m refurb

Rotherham Interchange has reopened following a £12m refurbishment scheme.

As part of plans to regenerate Rotherham town centre, Interserve has carried out work on the site which had associated public safety issues and suffered a fire in 2016 which caused significant damage.

The South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE) holds a lease agreement with owners Norseman Estates Limited to maintain and operate the interchange and car park. The Sheffield City Region Combined Authority (CA) agreed to borrow £12.5m so that refurbishment of the important town centre asset could be carried out.

The ten-month closure incorporated 150,000 hours of construction work, using 10,000 litres of paint, and installing 11,000 floor tiles, 10km of electric cables, 3,800 sq m of cladding, 350 sheets of glass and twenty-one crates of solar panels to provide the building's energy needs.

Paul Ellenor, regional director for Interserve said: "We are delighted to be handing over the first phase of the Rotherham Interchange refurbishment project. The new facilities will provide an improved passenger experience and make a real difference to local residents. We look forward to continuing our relationship with Rotherham Council as it continues to invest in the town as part of its regeneration programme."

The car park above has new surfacing, larger parking bays and better pedestrian routes. 3,800 sq m of external cladding has been replaced and ten electric vehicle charging points have been installed.

Bus services have relocated back from the temporary station on Forge Island, where flood alleviation work is now due to get underway before the leisure-led regeneration scheme will bring a cinema, hotel and food and bevarage outlets to the key site.

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Cllr. Chris Read, leader of Rotherham Council (pictured, centre), said: "This facility is one of the major gateways into the town. It will enhance where we live, and benefit people arriving into the town centre via public transport. The refurbishment of the interchange follows the opening of the University Centre last summer. Both projects are major components of the town centre Masterplan, along with promoting sustainable travel, so it's great to see the Masterplan progressing as planned."

Stephen Edwards, executive director at SYPTE (pictured, right), said: "The improved Rotherham Interchange will provide a better, brighter place for public transport users as well as those visiting, living and working in the town. Seventeen million people travelling through the Interchange each year, using 1,299 buses a day, will now benefit from new seating, lighting, information displays, electrics and flooring, CCTV and free public wi-fi."

Dan Jarvis, mayor of the Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield Combined Authority (pictured, left), said: "I'm delighted to be opening the £12m refurbished Rotherham Interchange. Public transport provides vital access to employment, education, public services and social activities, so it's great to see these huge improvements that will make a real difference to people travelling around our region each and every day."

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News: Halfway point in Rotherham Interchange refurbishment

To mark the halfway point of the £12m Rotherham Interchange refurbishment works and highlight the contractors reaching the highest point in the building, local councillors, directors and project managers were invited on site.

Interserve, the international support services and construction group, won the contract for the work on the site which had associated public safety issues and suffered a fire in 2016 which caused significant damage.

Ben Gilligan, Director of Public Transport at South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE), said: "We now have a good view of how the works are shaping up and it’s exciting to see what’s about to come. The stripping of the building has been completed, much of the new glazing has been installed and the building has been re-wired.

"The top floor of the car park has been resurfaced and weather-proofed and the wider parking bays and pedestrian route painted. Twenty-one crates full of solar panels are ready to be placed on the roof in the coming weeks, providing at least 70% of the building's energy.

"Whilst there is still a fair bit of work to do within the concourse areas it's great to know that the works are on track. A sample of the ceiling cladding and lighting fixtures was in place and it was good to see how they'll improve customers' experience at the Interchange. The refurbishment will deliver safer, brighter and lighter premises for all users.

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The SYPTE holds a lease agreement with owners Norseman Estates Limited to maintain and operate the interchange and car park. The Sheffield City Region Combined Authority (CA) agreed to borrow £12.5m so that refurbishment of the important town centre asset can be carried out.

Cllr. Chris Read, leader of Rotherham Council, added: "The new interchange is a key part of our plans to regenerate Rotherham town centre, as part of the town centre masterplan, and promoting sustainable transport is an important element of this. Good progress is being made, and I look forward to seeing the work completed on this fantastic new facility for people visiting, living and working in Rotherham."

Paul Ellenor, regional director for Interserve, added: "The topping out ceremony is an important milestone in the delivery of the Rotherham Interchange refurbishment. It's great to see progress being made in transforming the facilities as part of Rotherham Council's exciting regeneration programme.

"Interserve, together with the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive, is working hard to ensure we benefit the town by employing as many local people as possible, and by utilising its construction as an educational tool for various local schools and colleges.

"The team is looking forward to the next phase of works and ultimately delivering a sustainable Interchange facility that will serve the people of Rotherham for many years to come."

A temporary bus station is in place on the nearby Forge Island and the refurbished site is expected to re-open in early 2019.

Interserve website
SYPTE website

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News: Drone checks progress of Rotherham Interchange work

The £12m revamp of Rotherham Interchange has been highlighted in new drone footage to give customers an idea of the scale of the works taking place.

Rothbiz reported that Interserve, the international support services and construction group, won the contract for the work on the site which had associated public safety issues and suffered a fire in 2016 which caused significant damage.

Plans were approved last year which focused on refreshing the concourses and include the installation of new lighting, glazing, seating, flooring, CCTV and Passenger Information Displays. The scheme will also involve repairs and upgrades to the car park including new cladding, surfacing, the provision of larger spaces for modern cars, electric vehicle charging points as well as improved pedestrian routes.

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Tim Taylor, director of customer wervice at South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE), said: "As captured in our drone footage, work is progressing well at Rotherham Interchange. In the Interchange itself, the old seating, lighting and other fixtures and fittings have been stripped out including all of the glazing, automatic doors, internal cladding and electrics. The disused toilet block on Platform C has been demolished to create what will be a more open and inviting area.

"External cladding on the car park has been removed ready for replacement, with the car park also due to be resurfaced and relined to take into account larger, modern vehicles. Electric vehicle charging points and improved pedestrian routes will be introduced too. Solar panels will also be installed on the car park, which will provide a low maintenance, renewable energy source for the site, reducing the operational costs for SYPTE."

The SYPTE holds a lease agreement with owners Norseman Estates Limited to maintain and operate the interchange and car park. The Sheffield City Region Combined Authority (CA) is set to borrow £12.5m so that refurbishment of the important town centre asset can be carried out.

A temporary bus station is in place on the nearby Forge Island and the refurbished site is expected to re-open in early 2019.

Images: SYPTE

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News: Interseve confirm Rotherham construction contract

Interserve, the international support services and construction group, has confirmed that is has won the contract for the £12m revamp of Rotherham Interchange.

Rothbiz reported last month that the firm, fresh from working on the £150m biomass plant at Templeborough, had moved on site at the bus station, which has associated public safety issues and suffered a fire in 2016 which caused significant damage.

Plans were approved last year which focused on refreshing the concourses and include the installation of new lighting, glazing, seating, flooring, CCTV and Passenger Information Displays. The scheme will also involve repairs and upgrades to the car park including new cladding, surfacing, the provision of larger spaces for modern cars, electric vehicle charging points as well as improved pedestrian routes.

John Gittins, divisional director at Interserve, said: "We are looking forward to building a long-term relationship with the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive as it continues to invest in its facilities to improve the passenger experience.

"At Interserve we are committed to investing in the communities in which we live and work; and we will look to maximise local supply chain involvement as well as creating new jobs for local people."

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Tim Taylor, director of customer services at SYPTE, added: "We're delighted to be starting the Rotherham Interchange refurbishment. We're looking forward to working with Interserve and we’re confident that together we’ll deliver an improved interchange, which will result in a better experience for our customers."

The SYPTE holds a lease agreement with owners Norseman Estates Limited to maintain and operate the interchange and car park. The Sheffield City Region Combined Authority (CA) is set to borrow £12.5m so that refurbishment of the important town centre asset can be carried out.

The works are a key part of the Rotherham Town Centre Masterplan adopted by Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council. The Masterplan aims to regenerate the town centre area and providing sustainable transport is an important element of this.

Cllr. Denise Lelliott, cabinet member for jobs and the local economy at Rotherham Council, said: "It's a really exciting time for Rotherham Town Centre, as we move forward with the Masterplan and look to regenerate the area. Sustainable transport will be an important part of these developments and I look forward to seeing work progress on the new interchange."

Interserve website
SYPTE website

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News: Interserve at Rotherham Interchange as £12.5m revamp begins

All signs are pointing to multinational support services company, Interserve securing the £11.5m contract to carry out the long-awaited revamp of Rotherham Interchange.

Plans were approved last year which focused on refreshing the concourses with upgrades to flooring, plinths and glazing. The main pedestrian entrances are also set to be revamped.

Partners decided to focus on refurbishing the car park and bus station rather than a large scale redevelopment. Opened in 1971, the multi storey car park has since developed widespread defects. It is underutilised and "nearing the point of being beyond economic repair."

The bus station, which has associated public safety issues, suffered a fire in 2016 which caused significant damage.

Led by the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE), which holds a lease agreement with owners Norseman Estates Limited to maintain and operate the interchange and car park above, began the tender process to procure a construction firm to carry out the work at the end of 2017.

The tender involves works to the car park and bus station. The car park works will involve soffit tie repairs, deck repairs, concrete repairs to structural beams and columns and waterproofing. The car park will benefit from new surfacing, bigger spaces for modern cars, designated walking routes and new cladding.

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The bus station works includes the upgrade of the fixtures and finishes, including a comprehensive review and refurbishment of the waiting areas, boarding points, customer service desks and information hubs to respond to opportunities offered by modern passenger information display systems and web-enabled information technology.

The Sheffield City Region Combined Authority (CA) is set to borrow £12.5m so that refurbishment of the important town centre asset can be carried out.

Construction work was programmed to start on Monday April 30 and the interchange has been wrapped in Interserve hoardings whilst company cabins were moved on site.

The café, shops and customer toilets will remain open whilst bus services use the temporary facility at Forge Island.

Ben Gilligan, director of public transport at SYPTE, said: "Having a temporary bus station means the building contractors will be able to work intensively on the interchange. The project is on track to be delivered by Spring 2019, as planned."

Cllr. Denise Lelliott, cabinet member for jobs and the local economy, said the work was an exciting development for Rotherham town centre. She said: "The new interchange is a key part of our plans to regenerate the area, as part of the town centre masterplan, and promoting sustainable transport is an important element of this."

Interserve is currently completing the construction of the £150m Templeborough Biomass Power Plant in Rotherham where the first wood firing recently took place.

The company recently announced its financial results for the year ended December 31 2017 which showed it had revenues of £3.25 billion but pre-tax losses had widened to £244m from £91.1m in the previous year. The company has over £500m of debt and put in place a transformation plan in October. Interserve is exiting the sector based around the construction of Energy from Waste (EfW) facilities such as Templeborough.

SYPTE website
Interserve website

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News: Construction phase complete at new Rotherham power plant

Lead contractor, Interserve, has completed the construction phase of the Templeborough Biomass Power Plant. Commissioning is underway and operators are planning to start generating clean, green electricity by the summer.

Construction began on the project in 2015. The Brite Partnership secured planning permission in 2010 for the development at the Firth Rixson Ickles Works at Templeborough where land and disused buildings where purchased in March 2011. The plant will generate heat and power from carbon-neutral renewable wood pellet fuel.

Also in 2015 it was announced that Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CI) had acquired 100% of the project for £150m and created Templeborough Biomass Power Plant Limited to take the development forward.

The wood reception and handling facilities are complete, this is where the wood fuel arrives as wood chips. The wood storage building is fully enclosed and the fuel cranes that will mix the wood and place it on the conveyor ready to go to the boiler are in place.

Stobart Biomass Products signed a 20 year contract to supply waste wood to the plant. It has taken on a former Rotherham Council depot to create a storage and processing plant.

The first supply of wood was received in January which was used to test and commission the cranes, making sure they are ready for use.

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At the weir on the River Don, a fish pass has been completed. For the first time in 150 years salmon have been seen as far up the river as Doncaster, and with the Templeborough weir pass completed there is only one more needed at Forge Island, and the Salmon will be able to return to their spawning grounds.

Babcock & Wilcox Vølund A/S, the Danish subsidiary of the giant US Babcock & Wilcox Company, designed and manufactured the plant and will also be responsible for its operation.

With the operations and maintenance team in place, commissioning is taking place in two parts - cold and then hot commissioning. Tubes, pipes, fans and conveyors have already been tested.

Hot commissioning involves steam blowing to ensure all the debris, dust and any other small contaminants from the construction of the boiler and all the pipe work have been cleaned out. This makes sure that the turbine will work safely and efficiently when operation begins.

Starting at the end of March, steam blows involve starting up the boiler, building up steam pressure and temperature in the pipe system before releasing the pressure via a temporary steam blow pipe, sending a plume of steam in the sky.

The plant is expected to generate first power to the grid by the end of April.

In an update, the operators said: "During this whole period, we will have carried out all the required tests to ensure the power generated is safe and reliable, then we can start generating electricity and sending it to the national grid for use in homes and businesses across the region in full commercial operation by the end of Summer 2018."

Whilst generating power, the plant also generates heat and discussions are underway over a network to serve parts of the borough.

A spokesperson for the company added: "We are currently working with the local council to look at the feasibility of building a local heat network to supply local communities with a renewable source of heat which could compete with their existing gas or electricity supplier."

Consultants, Green Directions has developed a proposal for a £16m heat network to serve the centre of Rotherham and major businesses including Liberty Steel and Steelphalt.

Templeborough Biomass Power Plant website

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News: Open doors in the Sheffield city region

Free intensive skills help for 2,000 people who have been made redundant, plus a hotline to job vacancies, is available across the Sheffield city region.

"Open Doors," a £2m programme, is available until March 2018 and provides training and skills and links jobseekers to employers with live, long-term vacancies. The service will include mentoring and any re-skilling, training, or up-skilling needed for the vacancies.

The programme has been commissioned by the Sheffield city region (SCR) through the Skills Funding Agency. Interserve Learning & Employment, one of the largest training providers in the UK, is administering Open Doors on behalf of the region.

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Nigel Brewster, vice chair of the SCR Local Enterprise Partnership, said: "This is a programme which will help people in a very intensive way at a time when they need expert support. It is something that the Sheffield City Region has seen a need for in line with its ongoing determination to do things that help the people of the city region."

Open Doors has been launched specifically to help jobseekers find longer-term, sustainable work and boost economic growth; it will also help employers who have a specific skills gap.

Sarah Loveday-Powell, operations manager at Interserve, said: "Our team of advisers are experienced at providing career advice and training and they're passionate about developing people to reach their full potential."

With its head office at Sheffield Business Park, Interserve Learning & Employment formed in December 2014 following Interserve's acquisition of the Employment & Skills Group and its subsequent merger with its existing employability operations, known as Interserve Working Futures.

Open Doors website

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News: Unions protest at Rotherham construction site

Engineering construction workers are protesting at a site in Rotherham today over "unscrupulous" construction companies they say are exploiting workers.

GMB members in engineering construction are holding three separate protest demonstrations in Wales, Scotland and Yorkshire against undercutting of workers on three energy from waste power station construction sites.

Construction began last year on the £150m biomass-fired power plant project at Templeborough where Babcock & Wilcox Vølund A/S, the Danish subsidiary of the giant US Babcock & Wilcox Company, will design, manufacture and operate the plant, with Interserve responsible for its construction.

The GMB Union claims that skilled workers on the site are being paid about £7 per hour and that the subsidiary has declined to follow National Agreement for the Engineering Construction Industry (NAECI) which covers infrastructure like power stations, oil refineries and transport installations. Under that agreement the rate for skilled workers is £16.64 per hour.

Under the EU Posted Workers Directive contractors employing labour from third countries are obliged to follow sector agreements like the NAECI agreement but increasingly employers are ignoring this legal requirement.

Bob McNeill, GMB Regional organiser, said: "GMB members have negotiated and honoured the Terms and Conditions of our National Agreement (NAECI) for decades and I support our members’ campaign for the National Agreement to be fully implemented on the Rotherham site.

"Interserve and Babcock Wilcox VØlund are undermining our agreement by exploiting non UK workers and paying inferior terms and conditions. This is nothing other than social dumping."

Phil Whitehurst, GMB national officer for engineering construction, added: "GMB members in the Engineering Construction Sector are being debarred from employment on energy from waste (EfW) facilities being built around the UK.

"Unscrupulous construction companies using spurious umbrella companies exploit non UK workers at rates of pay as low as £7 per hour rather than paying £16.64 per hour which is the applicable rate through direct employment and utilising UK collective agreements."

GMB and Unite intend to launch a major campaign to raise the profile of the issues.

Unite and UCATT Unions area also taking part in the protest and are also calling on the contractors to guarantee that workers on the projects will be employed directly to stop workers being exploited by bogus self-employment schemes run by sub-contractors, employment agencies and "umbrella" payment companies. Babcock & Wilcox Vølund awarded the Croatian company Ðuro Ðavokic the contract to manufacture and install the main boilers for all three energy plants.

GMB Union website

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News: Factory 2050 up for architecture award

Factory 2050, the revolutionary, glass-walled "reconfigurable factory" for the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing, has been shortlisted for a prestigious architecture award.

Growing on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham, the AMRC focuses on advanced machining and materials research for aerospace and other high-value manufacturing sectors. It is a partnership between industry and academia, which has become a model for research centres worldwide.

Designed by Bond Bryan, the £43m building is at the heart of the University's new advanced manufacturing campus on Sheffield Business Park, just over the Parkway. It is one of twelve new buildings to be shortlisted for a 2016 RIBA Yorkshire Award by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).

In the summer of 2013, Bond Bryan won an opportunity to design a unique facility: a factory combining cutting edge manufacturing and assembly technologies with "big data" capabilities; a factory easily reconfigured to allow rapid switching in production between multiple high-value components and one-off parts for customers from a wide range of sectors.

A circular layout was proposed for an AMRC project in 2005, but not achievable at that time due to budget and programme constraints. Factory 2050 demonstrates the suitability of a circular arrangement for a re-configurable environment.

The circular form has fully glazed elevations enclosing a totally integrated manufacturing environment. At its heart is a core of open plan desk space and meeting rooms; visually linking this "workspace donut" with production.

The rotunda will house reconfigurable, data driven assembly technologies whilst its long, rectangular extension will accommodate any commercially sensitive or larger footprint projects.

Construction group, Interserve handed over the keys at the end of last year and initial projects include a programme to take aerospace manufacturing technology into the construction industry, explore future digital factory technologies for building commercial aeroplanes and investigate digitally assisted assembly technologies which could help to fill a looming skills gap in the aerospace sector.

Chair of the Yorkshire Judging Panel, Caroline Buckingham said: "The judges were impressed by the variety and excellence of the shortlisted projects and are looking forward to visiting them in person to select the winners."

The list also included another University of Sheffield engineering facility - The Diamond. Designed by Twelve Architects, the £81m state-of-the-art building in Sheffield city centre provides space for specialist engineering teaching facilities, a range of lecture theatres, seminar rooms, open-plan learning spaces, library services and social spaces, including a café.

The shortlisted buildings will be visited by the judging panel in March, with the winners of an RIBA Yorkshire Award announced at a ceremony in April.

The jury will select one of the winners to receive the prestigious Building of the Year Award, sponsored by Marley Eternit, which last year was presented to Sheffield Cathedral. Other category awards include Project Architect of the Year, sponsored by Tarmac, The Sustainability Award, sponsored by SIKA, and The Small Project Award which is presented to the best building with a construction cost under £500,000.

Regional winners will also be considered for a highly-coveted RIBA National Award in recognition of their architectural excellence. The shortlist for the RIBA Stirling Prize for the best building of the year will be drawn from the RIBA National Award-winning buildings.

The Magna Science and Adventure Centre in Rotherham won the RIBA Stirling Prize in 2001 when Wilkinson Eyre architects transformed the redundant Templeborough steelworks into the UK's first science adventure centre.

AMRC website
Bond Bryan website

Images: Interserve / Bond Bryan

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News: AMRC steps into the future as Factory 2050 opens

The Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing has taken possession of Factory 2050, the revolutionary, glass-walled "reconfigurable factory" at the heart of the University of Sheffield's new advanced manufacturing campus on Sheffield Business Park.

Growing on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham, the AMRC focuses on advanced machining and materials research for aerospace and other high-value manufacturing sectors. It is a partnership between industry and academia, which has become a model for research centres worldwide.

The AMRC is now installing the state of the art technology that will be used in research programmes designed to revolutionise UK manufacturing after construction group Interserve handed over the keys to the £43m building, designed by architects Bond Bryan.

Last year, the AMRC signed a deal to secure 50 acres of land at Sheffield Business Park, paving the way for the expansion of the AMRC and building on its success on the AMP, just over the border in Rotherham. Factory 2050 will be the first building on a new Advanced Manufacturing Campus, which could see the University build up to a million square feet of new research facilities on the site over the next seven to ten years.

AMRC executive dean, Professor Keith Ridgway CBE, said: "We aim to make Factory 2050 the most advanced factory in the world, built to carry out collaborative research.

"It has been designed to ensure the UK's advanced manufacturing supply chain can access the expertise it needs to make the most of new challenges and opportunities, and that our region retains its international lead in high value manufacturing."

Hopes are that Factory 2050 will repeat the success of the AMRC by attracting advanced manufacturers and well-paid engineering jobs to the new Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District (AMID), being created in the Sheffield City Region as part of the Government's Northern Powerhouse initiative.

Factory 2050 will be home to the AMRC's Integrated Manufacturing Group (IMG), which is installing the cutting edge manufacturing and assembly technologies, advanced robotics, flexible automation, next generation man-machine interfaces and new programming and training tools that will drive its research.

Ben Morgan of the IMG, said: "Factory 2050 will allow us to explore the techniques and technologies that are vital to achieving the mass customisation of products now being demanded by companies and consumers.

"We will be helping manufacturers respond to increasing requirements to rapidly change product designs and switch between making high-value components and one-off parts for customers from diverse sectors.

"And, we will be developing systems that enable machines and process equipment to automatically modify the way they work, in order to maximise production rates and quality, minimise tool wear and respond to any breakdowns."

Factory 2050's landmark, glass-clad rotunda will house reconfigurable, data driven assembly technologies whilst its long, rectangular extension will accommodate any commercially sensitive or larger footprint projects.

Initial projects include a programme to take aerospace manufacturing technology into the construction industry, explore future digital factory technologies for building commercial aeroplanes and investigate digitally assisted assembly technologies which could help to fill a looming skills gap in the aerospace sector.

The £43m development is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Higher Education Funding Council for England, each of which have contributed £10m to the project.

It could employ up to 70 people and is expected to contribute almost £2m directly to the local economy every year.

Installing equipment will take several months and Factory 2050 is expected to be fully operational by spring 2016.

AMRC website

Images: AMRC / Bond Bryan

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News: Construction underway on £150m Rotherham biomass plant

The £150m biomass-fired power plant project at Templeborough in Rotherham is starting to take shape.

The Brite Partnership secured planning permission in 2010 for a biomass development at the Firth Rixson Ickles Works at Templeborough where land and disused buildings where purchased in March 2011. The plant will generate heat and power from carbon-neutral renewable wood pellet fuel.

Earlier this year it was announced that Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CI) had acquired 100% of the project for £150m and created Templeborough Biomass Power Plant Limited to take the development forward.

Babcock & Wilcox Vølund A/S, the Danish subsidiary of the giant US Babcock & Wilcox Company, will design, manufacture and operate the plant, with Interserve responsible for its construction.

After six months focussing on cleaning up the site, which was an operating steel works from 1871 until recently, the required remedial work has all now been completed. There were also several redundant buildings on site that have been demolished, with much of the concrete and other building materials being recycled.

The next step in the development of the plant is the construction of the new buildings. The piling has taken place and the new buildings have now started to take shape, with cranes and the first sections of wall emerging over the top of the site boundaries.

Tim Forrest from Templeborough Biomass Power Plant Ltd, said: "The construction teams have been working hard since March and they have now progressed the project to the point where we are starting to see the buildings take shape right across the site, which is really fantastic. We have also received great support and advice from Rotherham Investment & Development Office and also the council’s planning team, who have assisted us right through the planning and consenting process.

"We're still on course for an opening in late summer 2017 and hope that everyone in the community around the site will be as excited as we are to see the plant progressing and to make sure we all benefit from this new local industry."

The team has launched a dedicated project website to provide information on renewable energy, how biomass plants work and answer some of the most frequently asked questions.

Forrest added: "We are really pleased to be launching our new dedicated website which we hope will put people at the heart of our construction. It will keep them up to date with our activities and answer their questions as well as enabling them to watch the plant take shape over the coming months. It is an exciting time for us and we want to make sure that our community feels involved with our project as it develops."

Set to generate 41MW of energy, more than the nearby biomass plant at Blackburn Meadows, around 80 personnel are currently on site. This number will increase as the site grows and develops, peaking at about 350 as the construction process progresses.

Templeborough Biomass website

Images: Templeborough Biomass Power Plant Ltd

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News: First Factory 2050 projects announced

Plans are being drawn up for the first projects at the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing's revolutionary Factory 2050.

Currently under construction on the old airport runway at Sheffield Business Park, the £43m development is set to keep the Sheffield city region at the cutting edge of advanced manufacturing. Factory 2050 will be the UK's first fully reconfigurable assembly and component manufacturing facility for collaborative research, capable of rapidly switching production between different high-value components and one-off parts.

Located on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham and a partner in the HVM Catapult (the government's strategic initiative that aims to revitalise the manufacturing industry), the AMRC focuses on advanced machining and materials research for aerospace and other high-value manufacturing sectors. It is a partnership between industry and academia, which has become a model for research centres worldwide.

In 2014 the institution signed a deal to secure 50 acres of land at Sheffield Business Park, paving the way for the expansion of the AMRC and building on its success on the AMP, where it already operates from 300,000 sq ft of accommodation within seven separate buildings. A masterplan has been submitted which highlights that the development could lead to the creation of 1,494 – 1,881 jobs directly related to the proposal.

Factory 2050 is the first development on the new site and Interserve Construction began work at the end of last year. The roof and cladding is almost complete, mechanical and electrical services are being installed and the entrance roadway is being laid. Building work is on schedule to complete early in November.

Factory 2050 has been designed to help advanced manufacturers respond to increasing demand for high levels of flexibility and will be home to the AMRC's Integrated Manufacturing Group (IMG).

The facilities will be at the heart of a £1.6m research project that will develop advanced, flexible manufacturing systems which will be used by construction and engineering group Laing O'Rourke in a new factory manufacturing modular systems for new homes and other buildings.

Factory 2050 will also be home to a project to explore future digital factory technologies for one of the world's largest independent producers of commercial aeroplane structures, Spirit AeroSystems. Securing £6.4m, the ambitious project aims to have a fully functional automated production line demonstrator that reduces assembly cost and increases repeatable quality of major structural aerospace components.

Professor Keith Ridgway CBE, executive dean at the AMRC, said: "We want Factory 2050 to be the most advanced factory in the world and part of our long-term development of high value manufacturing - an area where this region has an international lead.

"The development will ensure that the UK's advanced manufacturing supply chain can tap into the expertise it needs to make the most of increasing requirements to make rapid changes to product design, as a result of ever-changing customer demands."

AMRC website

Images: AMRC

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News: Factory 2050 could be here in 2015

Rapid progress is being made at the site of The University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing's revolutionary Factory 2050, where construction workers start to erect the structural steelwork.

The £43m development is set to keep the Sheffield city region at the cutting edge of advanced manufacturing. Factory 2050 will be the UK's first fully reconfigurable assembly and component manufacturing facility for collaborative research, capable of rapidly switching production between different high-value components and one-off parts.

Designed by Bond Bryan, the circular building, behind the Sheffield Business Centre and on the old airport runway at Sheffield Business Park, will combine a range of technologies, including advanced robotics, flexible automation, unmanned workspace, off-line printing in virtual environments linked to plug-and-play robotics, 3D printing from flexible automated systems, man-machine interfaces, and new programming and training tools.

Factory 2050 has been designed so that machines and manufacturing modules can easily be moved around the shop floor. Sophisticated monitoring systems will generate large volumes of information, which will be used to develop technology that allows machine tools and processes to change the way they are working, maximising production rates and minimising tool wear, while maintaining quality.

Interserve Construction began work at the end of last year and fitting out of both the research block and workshop could begin as early as May, with completion of the whole project scheduled for the end of 2015.

Last year, the AMRC signed a deal to secure 50 acres of land at Sheffield Business Park, paving the way for the expansion of the AMRC and building on its success on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP), just over the border in Rotherham. Factory 2050 will be the first building on a new Advanced Manufacturing Campus, which could see the University build up to a million square feet of new research facilities on the site over the next seven to ten years.

Professor Keith Ridgway CBE, executive dean at the AMRC, said: "We want Factory 2050 to be the most advanced factory in the world and part of our long-term development of high value manufacturing – an area where this region has an international lead.

"Factory 2050 will be the UK's first totally reconfigurable, digital factory, built to respond to an increasing requirement for advanced manufacturers to be able to make rapid changes to product design, as a result of ever-changing customer demands.

"The development will ensure that the UK's advanced manufacturing supply chain can tap into the expertise it needs to make the most of those trends.

"Factory 2050 has also been designed to make young people enthusiastic about following a career in advanced manufacturing. We want to see hundreds of kids noses pressed up against Factory 2050's glass walls as they marvel at what is going on inside and want to be part of it."

A conference is being held at the AMRC in March to discuss Factory 2050 and the advanced technologies and systems that it will contain.

AMRC website

Images: Interserve / AMRC / Bond Bryan

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News: Interserve land Factory 2050 contract

Interserve Construction has been appointed to build Factory 2050, the state of the art, £43m development that is set to keep the Sheffield city region at the cutting edge of advanced manufacturing.

Work is already underway on the site of the former Sheffield City Airport where the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing recently signed a deal to secure 50 acres of land at Sheffield Business Park, paving the way for the expansion of the AMRC and building on its success on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP), just over the border in Rotherham.

The first development at the new location, sited directly opposite the existing developments on the other side of the Parkway, Factory 2050 will be the UK's first fully reconfigurable assembly and component manufacturing facility for collaborative research, capable of rapidly switching production between different high-value components and one-off parts.

Designed by Bond Bryan, the circular building, behind the Sheffield Business Centre and on the airport runway, will combine a range of technologies, including advanced robotics, flexible automation, unmanned workspace, off-line printing in virtual environments linked to plug-and-play robotics, 3D printing from flexible automated systems, man-machine interfaces, and new programming and training tools.

John Gittins, Yorkshire divisional director of Interserve, said: "This isn't just another project for Interserve, it is the opportunity to work on a truly world class project that will help to ensure the region remains at the forefront of the advanced manufacturing sector. The building design is unique and the completed project will provide a superb environment for both researchers and engineers."

Professor Keith Ridgway CBE, executive dean of the AMRC, said: "The start on site for Factory 2050 represented an important milestone in the continuing development of cutting edge technology in the region.

"Our ambition is for Factory 2050 to be the most advanced factory in the world.

"Over the last ten years, our initial vision of creating a centre where engineering research is translated into real practical applications for world-leading industries has been hugely successful. Factory 2050 is a vital next step in ensuring we can maximise the opportunities and benefits to the Sheffield City Region and secure our place as an international centre for excellence in advanced manufacturing, and it will be very exciting to see the development take shape over the coming months."

The government confirmed £10m funding from Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) last year with the remainder of the cost coming from industry. Manufacturers including Boeing, Airbus, Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems and Spirit AeroSystems are committed to supporting the project.

An independent survey of the economic benefits has shown that, during construction, the building will directly contribute £6.4m to the local economy and create 162 jobs – and once operational, it will directly contribute £2m annually and employ 75 people. Expected to be completed in 2015 it is anticipated that the site will then be developed out for other AMRC research centre activities, fostering further economic growth and attracted more manufacturing firms and inward investment.

Professor Ridgway was called upon by the Government Office for Science to lead on a study into what the factory of the future will look like as part of the Foresight report into the Future of Manufacturing. Next March, the AMRC's Knowledge Transfer Centre on the AMP will host a conference focusing on the technologies and systems which will feature in the Factory 2050.

AMRC website
Interserve website

Images: Bond Bryan / AMRC

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News: Community work placements in Rotherham

Interserve Working Futures has secured the government contract to help the long-term unemployed in South Yorkshire gain valuable work experience.

The new scheme – Help to Work – will give Jobcentre staff a new range of options to support the hardest to help get off benefits and into work.

Starting from June 2014, Community Work Placements will be one of three intensive options that Jobcentre Plus advisers can consider for Jobseeker's Allowance claimants who return from the Work Programme.

Claimants who lack work experience - and where this is felt to be holding them back from finding a job - may be asked to undertake a placement, which will also benefit their local community. This would include a range of roles in the voluntary and community sector that will give the claimant skills and experience within the work place. This could include gardening projects, running community cafes or even restoring historical sites and war memorials.

The placements will be for up to six months for 30 hours a week and will be backed up by at least four hours of supported job searching each week to help turn the experience into full time employment.

It will be for claimants who encounter multiple barriers to work and who would benefit from relevant and current work experience to help them back into sustainable employment.

Prime Minister David Cameron said: "A key part of our long-term economic plan is to move to full employment, making sure that everyone who can work is in work. We are seeing record levels of employment in Britain, as more and more people find a job, but we need to look at those who are persistently stuck on benefits. This scheme will provide more help than ever before, getting people into work and on the road to a more secure future."

Bob Vince, developments director at Interserve, said: "We are delighted to have been awarded these contracts, which will enable us to use our experience in this area to help job seekers add relevant skills to their CV's and provide sustainable employment opportunities for many people. We have strong relationships with many voluntary sector partners who can assist us in the delivery of this."

The cabinet at Rotherham Council recently discussed a local review into the government's Work Programme, which provides support, work experience and training for up to two years to help the long term unemployed (over three months) find and stay in work.

The report raised the issue of sanctions and stated that communication with claimants needed to be improved; a degree of local flexibility should be introduced; vulnerable claimants should be able to access one to one support; and a local working protocol should be established with the aim of ensuring complete fairness in the process of implementing sanctions in Rotherham.

The two Work Programme prime contractors for South Yorkshire – Serco and A4e - were invited to take part in the review either by giving evidence at meetings or answering written questions. Both turned down the opportunity to provide evidence and to have their input considered by the review, with A4e taking the view – based on advice from their Department for Work and Pensions account manager - that it would be inappropriate to respond to the panel's questions.



Images: Department for Work and Pensions

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