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INSIGHTWINTER 2015
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
5 VINCI Chairman visits Hounslow
9 BEAR's bridges by Glenfinnan
12 Volunteers take on Himalayan task
19 New construction in South West
24 Rugby World Cup success story
magazineNews from Eurovia UK
STEPPING UP First managers graduate in two divisions, p6 & 11
Excellent awards haul, p10 & 14
Fast-tracking the Raceof Champions, p3
24/1.qxp_Layout 1 01/12/2015 18:05 Page 2
INSIGHTCOMMENT
2
Eurovia Surfacing is completing amajor resurfacing programme inBuckinghamshire after winningtwo out of three works packagesin a market testing exercise. The work involves 29 separate
schemes with a total value of£4m. This work is in addition toaround £5m of other resurfacingwork delivered by Eurovia outsideof the tender competition.“These successes demonstrate
the benefit of the long-termcollaborative working relationshipbetween Eurovia, Ringway Jacobsand Buckinghamshire CountyCouncil in delivering high-qualityworks efficiently and at best value
to the residents ofBuckinghamshire,” says RingwayJacobs’ David Stewart, SchemeDelivery Manager for Transportfor Buckinghamshire (TfB).The programme began in
September, runs to December,and may be extended into 2016with additional works enabled bythe cost savings realised onEurovia schemes.“Eurovia is working to
programme and budget, and hasbeen generating positivecomments regarding the qualityof work and engagement withthe public and residents,” David adds.
Surfacing teampasses Bucks test
Festive greetings!
Festive greetings to all ourInsight readers!I hope you enjoy reading this
edition of Insight, which reflectsthe broad range of skills andtalents in our various service,contracting and productionbusinesses in the UK.Our front cover really
embodies this in the message –“Design, Build, Race”! Whenyou consider that the formerOlympic stadium was handedover to our Eurovia Contracting and Surfacing teams withjust seven days to build a racing track for the Race ofChampions – and then, immediately after the trophyceremony and thousands of fans went home on theSaturday night – the team removed the circuit in just 25hours for hand-back the following Monday morning: thisis an amazing performance, as well as being safe. Jean Lefebvre (UK) designed the racetrack pavement
and Eurovia Roadstone produced all the asphalt andarranged the onerous logistics. Great teamwork and atrack that was fit for Sebastian Vettel, Jenson Button,David Coulthard and Susie Wolf to race on!The key is rigorous forward planning, assessing the
risks and contingencies, with good communication, nomatter what the task. We have all had a much safer year and made a
positive step forward financially in our ROPA% andstayed cash-positive. Our focus for 2016 is to maintainthis discipline and further improve by planning,anticipating and acting to keep all our people safe andour business ever more resilient and sustainable.I wish everyone a safe and healthy New Year!
Scott WardropChief Executive, Eurovia UK
“We have hada safer year and made astep forwardfinancially”
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INSIGHT NEWS
Masters of the realm in Hull
3
OWL AND ITS QUARRY:
This Little owl, perched on a
disused cement silo in a Wight
Building Materials quarry, was
snapped by sharp-eyed
Operations Manager Steve
Burton. The photo won first
prize in the Institute of
Quarrying’s competition for its
2016 calendar. “There was no
zoom lens. I just used the
point-and-shoot camera we
use for our activities here at St
Georges Down quarry,” he
says. The owl (Athene noctua)
let Steve get quite close. He
adds: “They’re not uncommon
in this part of the world” –
the Isle of Wight – though
hunting owls tend to watch a
different type of quarry.
TWENTY YEARS: Ringway
Milton Keynes may only have
been 20 months into its new
term contract in October, but
the division’s roadshow
marked a significant milestone
for several key members of
staff. Divisional Director John
Upcott congratulated four
people on completing 20
years’ service to the company.
Accounts Assistant Ruth
Sanders, Business Manager
Suzanne Seaman, Contract
Agent Darren Tovey, and
Shane Wilding, Contract
Manager (Stilton: Private
Works), were each presented
with a certificate and
shopping vouchers.
Hull city centre is to be
transformed by Eurovia
Contracting North in one of the
coming year’s largest and most
high-profile public realm
schemes.
This £10.3m contract was
won in competition, based on a
quality and price submission,
under the YORcivil construction
framework agreement for the
Yorkshire and Humber region.
The project involves paving a
42,000m2 area in the heart of
Hull in Yorkstone and granite in
time for its reign as UK City of
Culture 2017.
“It is testament to our
growing reputation as the
market leader in city centre
enhancements and large-scale
public realm schemes that
Kingston upon Hull city council
has the confidence to entrust
such a strategic and high-profile
project to Eurovia,” says
Divisional Director Kevin
Graham.
“After a lengthy tender
exercise it was fantastic to be
selected for a contract of such
importance,” adds Neil
Huntington, Eurovia Contracting
Regional Director. “The
Contracting North team has
now cemented its place as the
number-one trusted contractor
for local authorities looking to
deliver high-quality city centre
improvements of this type. I look
forward to seeing that
reputation amplified further as
the scheme moves to
completion at the end of 2016.”
It took just a week for a Eurovia
team to build the motor racing
circuit for the Race of Champions
held in London last month.
The knockout tournament, in
which the world’s best drivers
compete head-to-head in identical
cars, was staged in Queen
Elizabeth Olympic Stadium in
Stratford at the end of November.
Parent company VINCI had hosted
the annual event in the Stade de
France, Paris, in 2008.
Having won the tender to
construct the track, Contracting
Manager Dave Boswell’s project
team – managed by Andrew
Tomlins with Mark Moody as
Logistics Manager – had just four
weeks to complete trials and
mobilise.
Eurovia’s Contracting &
Surfacing and Roadstone
divisions, Jean Lefebvre (UK) and
several supply chain partners were
also involved.
They used recycled road
planings, aluminium trackway
panels, and bituminous surfacing
paved in Echelon to build the
circuit. And, just as impressively, it
was cleared within 25 hours after
the two-day event.
Fast track for Race of Champions
BEFORE
AFTER
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INSIGHTNEWS
4
An initiativeempowering localpeople to monitorthe highways serviceon the Isle of Wighthas been shortlistedfor a 2015 VINCIInnovation Award.
The Island Roads ‘lay Assessors’ scheme was
introduced in the first year of the 25-year PFI
contract to upgrade the island’s sub-standard
network and then maintain it to a high standard.
The novel idea was conceived as a way of
demonstrating the new company’s commitment
to being a ‘considerate contractor’ sensitive to the
concerns and priorities of the local community.
The Assessors are volunteers trained by Island
Roads to act like ‘secret shoppers’ providing
feedback on its services.
“This was crucial as the scale of investment and
the works programme were stretching for our
people, so we needed to upskill our teams and
obtain feedback from our customers on how we
perform,” explains Paul Herbert, Ringway Service
Director.
Public suspicion about the switch from a public
sector provider and the ambition of the contract
also added to the need for transparency.
The 23 Assessors come from a wide range of
backgrounds, providing a true cross-section of the
community. They were drawn from parish
councils, cycle groups, ramblers, the retired and
other groups.
After a two-hour taster session, volunteers are
offered two days’ training covering key aspects of
highway work – from safety and customer care to
work quality and environmental protection.
The Assessors give the sites an overall score
from a customer’s perspective and also inspect
after completion. They have direct contact with
Island Roads through the Customer Service
Manager, and also meet as a group every quarter
to review progress and highlight any problems.
“By opening up the service to get honest and
open feedback, we have raised our game and the
Assessors act as ambassadors for Island Roads in
the community,” Paul adds.
Hounslow Highways has also adopted the
innovative scheme for its Public Private
Partnership project in the west London borough.
Island Roads won the Community special prize
in the 2014 Eurovia UK Innovation Awards. The
winners of the 2015 VINCI awards are announced
on December 10.
Praise forschemethat puts'public'into PFI
Graduate Engineer Jean Lefebvre (UK)
JOB: “My role includes pavement design and failure investigation,in addition to research and development work alongside thelaboratory. I wanted to work for JLUK because of this link toR&D between the consultancy and lab, and I enjoy the widerange of projects. I’m undertaking a research PhD at theUniversity of Nottingham on skid resistance.”
BY THE WAY: “I enjoy sport, especially sailing, triathlons and Ihave a run a number of marathons in support of Guide Dogs.”
SERVICE: Joined the graduate scheme in2010 while in first year at the Universityof Surrey. After a 2011/12 placementwith Eurovia Contracting North (ninemonths) and in the JLUK lab (threemonths), returned to JLUK for summer2013 and joined the consultancy full-timeon graduation in 2014 with an MEng inCivil Engineering.
“Since joining JLUK ayear ago, James has provento be a confident, eloquentand valued addition to theteam. It is evident to me
that James is an example ofhow the combination ofappropriate recruitment,academic training and jobexperience can address the
increasing skills gap.”Jonathan Core,
Divisional Manager, Jean Lefebvre (UK)
JAMES STOKES
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The roll call of statistics and milestones passed in two and a half years is
impressive. It includes:
• 1,006 schemes planned, programmed and delivered (571 carriageways and
435 footways)
• 13,934 new street lights installed
• 11,200 signs replaced (by end 2014) out of a total 22,000 in the borough
• 430km of road markings laid
• 26,000m2 of anti-skid surfacing installed
• 270,000 inventory assets updated
More than a thousand highway schemes had beendelivered by Hounslow Highways as it reached themid-point of the PFI contract’s crucial five-year coreinvestment period (CIP) this summer.
Hounslow stays aheadas milestones pass
A trio of senior managers fromEurovia UK’s parent companiesvisited Hounslow last month andsaw first hand some of the workbeing done to transform thewest London borough’s highwaynetwork.The Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of VINCI,
Xavier Huillard, was accompanied by Pierre Anjolras
and Patrick Sulliot – CEO and International Director
respectively – of Eurovia SAS.
The delegation met Scott Wardrop, Bill Taylor and
Simon Willis to discuss market conditions for the UK
Eurovia services, contracting and production
businesses.
Hounslow Highways Service Director Rob Gillespie
then briefed the guests on the PFI delivery model and
introduced the staff in Jubilee House, including its
operations hub.
The site visit focused on a surfacing scheme
delivered as part of the 25-year contract’s core
investment programme. Core Investment Manager
Martin Clack and Eurovia Surfacing colleagues Paul
Kidd and Kevin Vowles described the integrated
service provided by the companies as they laid UL-M
produced by Eurovia Roadstone for a pavement
solution designed by Jean Lefebvre (UK).
The VIP visit concluded with a presentation by
Brendon Walsh, the council’s Executive Director for
Regeneration, Economic Development and
Environment, who explained its vision for the
borough, its infrastructure and bold investment plans.
5
The team working from the
network hub has been monitoring
and managing performance, and
driving improvement on these and
other fronts.
Public liability claims are falling year
on year as more improvement works
are done and inspection improves.
Street cleansing services are also
improving and enforcement action
against ‘envirocrime’ and other
highway offences is being stepped
up.
An acid test for Hounslow
Highways is the annual independent
analysis of the condition of roads and
footways. This shows the ‘Network
Performance Gap’, which is the
difference between current condition
and the contract target level of 0.5.
At the start of the contract in
January 2013 the NPG was 4.75. At
the end of Milestone 5 (in June 2015)
it was 1.48 and on course towards
the 0.5 level specified for Milestone
10 at the end of the CIP.
“Our top priority is to deliver ahead
of the milestones set out in our 25-
year contract and we’re achieving
that,” says PFI Service Director Rob
Gillespie. “On the PFI projects we
have the ability to deliver a wide
range of our own Eurovia products
and services, through our own teams.
This is a great advantage because we
have the technical knowledge and in-
house materials with proven track
records.”
Xavier Huillard (centre) with UL-M crew
VINCI chiefviews progress
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COMPOSING THE SQUARE: A brand-new public space celebrating EdwardElgar is being created in Worcesterfollowing site clearance and roadconstruction by Ringway.One of the local composer’s music
scores will be illustrated in the paving and street furniture ofCathedral Square when it’s completednext year.For now, this prime real estate is
being redeveloped to provide retailand leisure amenities. Waiting in thewings, Ringway will be centre-stagein summer reconstructing and
extending the square’s publicconcourse.Site clearance, which began in
February this year, involved anarchaeological dig thatuncovered numerous artefacts.The pre-existing cellars werethen lined and protected beforeRingway infilled with foamedconcrete and installed surface
drainage in the reconstructedroadway.In August, Eurovia Surfacing laid
1,450t of road materials at night asthe new and old roads wereconnected. Traffic signals were alsoreconfigured and granite kerbs andpaving setts installed.Careful planning with the city and
county councils and stakeholdersensured rapid progress againstprogramme as local media sang theirpraise. The value so far of the works,which complement earlier schemessuch as Angel Place, is £1.9m.
EXTENDED TESTING: The laboratory of technical
consultancy Jean Lefebvre (UK) has been accredited for
an extended range of tests. Its recent UKAS accreditation
increases the scope of work to more than 25 different
tests. These cover bitumen and aggregate conformity,
design and testing of bituminous materials, high-
modulus and cold-recycled bound material designs, and
pavement surface testing and assessments. “JLUK is now
unique in offering accredited testing for the full range of
high-modulus EME2 performance testing,” says
Divisional Manager Jonathan Core. The extension
includes submerged wheeltracker testing to determine
the stripping point of a bituminous material for enhanced
durability performance and water sensitivity analysis.
INSIGHTNEWS
6
The big challenge for Ringway in Bracknell Forest is to maintain “the knowledge, valuesand partnership” created over many years as the contract and council budgets evolve,says Chris Edwards, the new Divisional Manager.Chris (pictured) took over responsibility for
the West Unitaries division, which includes
Bracknell Forest and DBFO contracts in
Newport and Gloucestershire, in September
as Ian Thorpe retired (see 17).
One year into a new £10m-a-year
Bracknell term contract that could extend to
2028, Chris relishes its “interesting mix of
traditional term maintenance and capital
works ranging from junction upgrades to
major network changes”. For the first time it
also includes streetlighting.
From South Wales, Chris is the second
‘home-grown’ Divisional Manager to come
through the company’s development
programme. His appointment followed just
weeks after Worcestershire’s Lewis Bridgman
(see page 11).
Chris joined Ringway in 2006 after
completing a Building Engineering Degree at
the University of Wales. The previous
summer, working on a Ringway contract in
Gloucestershire, he had decided on a career
in highways.
Much of his graduate training was with
Ringway Jacobs – from mobilisation on its
Transport for London contract to site agent
for highway works in Knightsbridge for the
One Hyde Park development.
“It’s an excellent training programme for
people who want to take on new
challenges. You are given responsibility and
accountable, but well mentored,” says
Chris.
“And it’s flexible. You can have an MSc
in Civil Engineering and develop as an
engineer or focus on the engineering
underpinning you need as a manager.”
Chris went on to work as a Contract and
Operations Manager in Euromark, as the
business was
overhauled for
divestment,
securing its
future, and
also honed his
design
expertise with
sister
company
Jean Lefebvre
(UK).
Now his
focus is firmly on Bracknell, and Cirencester
where work has begun on £4m of highway
improvements for the town centre’s long-
awaited redevelopment. A fellow graduate,
Site Agent Will Orr is managing the team
that will deliver its five schemes over the
next 18 months in Bracknell Forest.
New challenges in Bracknell ...
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Council chiefs have praisedRingway’s excellent performancefollowing a national survey thatputs Bracknell Forest among theleading local highway authoritiesin the UK.
The National Highways and Transport Network’s
annual survey measures public satisfaction with
services and helps councils benchmark performance.
In the 2015 NHT Public Satisfaction Survey,
Bracknell Forest tops the league table for no less
than five indicators related to the term maintenance
contract. The Berkshire council also achieved the
biggest year-on-year improvement for two other
benchmarks.
Steve Loudoun, Chief Officer for Environment &
Public Protection, said the survey highlighted “some
excellent performance. These are great results for a small team
working in difficult circumstances during challenging times.”
Thanking the Ringway team, Mr Loudoun added: “These results
are only possible with combined effort and effective partnership
working.”
• Bracknell Forest was the best performer for highway maintenance,
the condition of pavements, signposting for pedestrians, and two
other indicators for pavements and footpaths.
• The two benchmarks showing the biggest rise in public
satisfaction both related to winter maintenance: cold weather
gritting and providing information on the service.
Nick Goddard, Ringway’s Regional Director, also thanked the
team. “This survey recognises the excellent service everyone on the
contract gives to the council on a daily basis.”
... as locals put highways tops
7
SERVICE: 15 years with the company
JOB: “I’ve been carrying out surfacing since I leftschool when I was 16. I went into my Dad’s gangand now have my son, Jack, following in myfootsteps. With my team, who’ve been together for17 years, I’m responsible for running surfacing sites.I enjoy making the customer happy with good-quality work and am motivated by this. I am veryhappy with Eurovia; it’s one of the best moves I
have made.”
BY THE WAY: “I’m a keenEverton supporter andenjoy watching themwhenever I can, and
spending qualitytime with thefamily.”
SERVICE: “I’ve been working in my Dad’s gang nowfor around a year and I’m on the screws learningthe trade.”
JOB: “I started off by making the tea, which I stilldo, but I now go on the screws on most of the jobs.It’s good to feel part of the team. In the future Ihope to get all my tickets to be able to drive all ofthe plant, and eventually take over the gang. I’drelish the opportunity going forward to become aSupervisor for Eurovia.”
BY THE WAY: “I also enjoywatching Everton, andgoing to the pub, tosocialise with my friends.”
OPERATIVE, EUROVIA SURFACINGSURFACING FOREMAN, EUROVIA SURFACING
“It’s a real pleasureto have both Andy andJack working for Eurovia,
and the whole gang bring awealth of experience to the
division having workedtogether so long. The
quality of their surfacing issecond to none – the praisewe have received from ourclients is a real credit to the
whole team. It is alsopleasing to see Andy’s
experience being handeddown to his son. We do
need to develop and bringour younger people
through to build a strongerteam for the future.”
Brett Coupland, Operations Manager,
Midlands & North West
ANDY MORGAN JACK MORGAN
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INSIGHTNEWS
8
PHOTO: Jon Watt
More than21,000 sodiumstreetlightsacrossHertfordshireare beingreplaced withenergy-efficient lampsin phase II of amajor invest-to-save project
Phase I focused on A-roads, linking
12,600 LED lamps to a new central
management system (CMS) to save the
county more than £0.5m a year.
In August work began converting all-
night lamps on minor roads at high-risk
junctions and primary footways.
Converting these units is far more
complex as they are not in any pattern or
sequence, says Jon Watt, Ringway’s Project
Manager.
Working in close collaboration with
client officers, his team devised a mapping
system that has hugely simplified
surveying, management, administration
and control of the works.
Colour-coded dots on desktop
computers and hand-held devices show
the live status of columns and guide crews
to exact locations. They can view or
capture a photo of the cut-out, record
details on drop-down menus, and scan
barcodes to record the components fitted.
This eliminates reams of paperwork and
hours of administration, and associated
errors. “Combined with design and CMS
data, we and our client have a powerful,
customisable tool to monitor sites,
manage teams, and control cost inventory
and payments,” says Jon.
“The clarity it brings to the works has
also brought teams together in new ways
of collaborative working. No one is in the
dark and response times are faster.”
The 80-week programme, valued at
£7.5m, is on time and budget.
Ringway is also running dimming trials
for the council. The CMS makes it possible
to gauge the savings in energy, carbon,
light pollution and longer LED life to be
gained by varying lighting levels and
locations.
More potholes and other defects onlocal roads in Hertfordshire will befixed first-time and for good as part ofa planned evolution of the county’shighways service.
The initiative to shift maintenancespending from reactive to proactiveplanned works is the product of
collaboration by county council officersand Ringway staff.
The cost of reactive works in
Hertfordshire has spiralled as the
volume of defects reported by thepublic rises unsustainably by around10% each year.
A recent facilitated joint workshopexplored innovative responses to thischallenge and ways to integrate them
into overall service delivery.
The agreed approach is to repair themost urgent defects while reducing thereactive spend and improving theunderlying condition of highways. Thisshould also release up to £2m in
additional savings that could be
invested in planned or cyclical
maintenance.
Bringing tight response times intoline with similar authorities will help,but most gains will come from
classifying reported defects more
accurately. An enlarged team of 10inspectors triaging all defects willreduce abortive visits and enable betterdecision-making on treatment options,improving works planning. Repairs can
then be done more efficiently, freeingup budget for proactive prevention ofdefects.
“We are moving to a much moreproactive service, spending money toimprove the asset, and away from areactive, sticking-plaster approach,”says Kevin Carrol, Divisional Manager.“People will soon see more first-time
permanent repairs and larger-scaletreatments. And over time there will bea steady improvement in the county’shighway assets.”
The Hertfordshire contract is
designed with service evolution inmind, and this is the first in a series ofproposed joint service improvements tobe developed over coming months.
Collaboration lightsthe way to savings...
...as partners plot service evolution
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INSIGHT
The Society of Road Safety
Auditors (SoRSA) held its
first event in Scotland in
September. Organised by
BEAR Scotland Road Safety
Senior Engineer Eric Hill, the
one-day conference on
‘Road Safety Planning and
Road Safety Audits’ took
place at the AK Bell Library
in Perth.
More than 60 delegates
from across Scotland
attended the event, which
explored various aspects of
road safety strategy.
Expert speakers included
representatives from
Transport Scotland, local
authorities, trunk road
operating companies, cycling
charity Sustrans, and the
Institute of Advanced
Motorists. Safety planning
for strategic and local roads,
average-speed cameras,
road safety policing and
auditing
were among
the topics
explored in
what
delegates
agreed was
an insightful
discussion.
BEAR Scotland completes the six-monthconstruction of Utha and Garbh bridges thismonth. The new structures provide a widenedcarriageway and increased safety barrierprotection to improve traffic safety.
Nine bridges in all will be replaced or renewedunder the Transport Scotland programme over thenext few years.
Dearg Bridge was the first to be re-built, inJanuary 2015. Due to the narrow width of theA830, temporary bridges were installed as adiversion for traffic whilst the new bridges wereconstructed. The temporary bridge used at Deargwas re-used for the diversion during the Garbhworks, and will again for future projects.
The A830 runs parallel to the famousGlenfinnan Viaduct that has featured in the HarryPotter films. Its Garbh and Utha bridges are,respectively, two and five miles west ofGlenfinnan.
Their design recycled as much of the oldstructures as possible while resolving the complexenvironmental challenges posed by each location.They are low-maintenance bridges designed tolast for many years to come.
BEAR engineers are designing the next twobridges in the replacement programme.Construction of the new Ranochan and ArieniskillBridges, six and nine miles west of Glenfinnan,respectively, is programmed for next year.
Pupils from schools across the northof Scotland have named seven newmega-spreaders in BEAR Scotland’s45-strong winter fleet.
The competition was run by
Transport Scotland as part of its trunkroad winter campaign launch for
2015/2016. Transport Minister DerekMcKay made the final selection fromthe children’s suggestions.
The seven spreaders, which are
among 22 brand-new vehicles in thetrunk road fleet this winter, have now
been branded with their new names:Sprinkles, Rumble, Sir Grits-a-Lot, MrsMcGritter, Mr Plow, The Ice Destroyerand The Winter Explorer.
Members of the company’s WinterTeam took a huge 32-tonne spreaderto each of the schools selected fromacross the North West, North East andM80 areas served by BEAR. They
explained how the state-of-the-artvehicles play a key role in helping tokeep people safe each year on
Scotland’s trunk roads.
Nine bridges for the A830
Arise, Sir Grits-a-Lot!
Auditors'safetysummit
Dearg Bridge: first of the new structures
9
Two bridges on one of Scotland’s most scenic routes have been replacedas part of a £10 million bridge replacement project along the A830.
PHOTO: Arthur Clark
RINGWAY NEW 8/9.qxp_Layout 1 01/12/2015 18:09 Page 2
10
Responsibility for maintaining
roads and streetlights in Central
Bedfordshire will pass to Ringway
Jacobs next spring as the joint
venture consolidates its strong
position in south-east England.
The new contract, which begins
in April 2016, is worth £20-25m a
year to 2023, with the option to
extend for up to seven years.
Most of the existing Amey
workforce will transfer under
TUPE with some other staff
moving back onto the council
payroll to help strengthen client-
side monitoring and
commissioning.
Central Bedfordshire is
strategically significant as it is
surrounded by contracts already
held by Ringway Jacobs (in Essex
and Buckinghamshire) and
Ringway (Milton Keynes,
Hertfordshire and Bracknell
Forest).
The bid team drew on the
expertise of the commercial
department in Horsham and this
local knowledge – notably within
Ringway’s Milton Keynes division
and also Eurovia Contracting,
which has delivered schemes for
Central Bedfordshire through the
Eastern Highways Alliance
framework.
Scott Wardrop, Eurovia UK
Chief Executive, hailed “another
major milestone for Ringway
Jacobs”. Mike Notman, Managing
Director of the joint venture,
stressed his team’s pride in
building long-term relationships.
“We will take this learning
into our new contract with
Central Bedfordshire Council,”
Mike adds.
Beds win is Central
Ringways Jacobs and its partners in Essexand Cheshire have won a clutch ofawards, cementing the company’sreputation for innovation and partnering.
Awards recogniseinnovative partners
The team picked up two
Highways Magazine Excellence
Awards in October. Essex
County Council and Ringway
Jacobs won the Highways
Maintenance Efficiency Award
for the improved customer
service and sustained savings
achieved by their integrated
team. The judges praised the
collaboration for
“demonstrating year-on-year
efficiencies and
improvements”.
Its second triumph was for
making best use of new
technology. The ITS (UK)
Award went to a traffic
management app developed
for Cheshire East Council in
partnership with Elgin (creator
of the roadworks.org
information hub). It allows the
team “to create road closures
and diversionary routes in a
matter of minutes using one
seamless process,” the judges
noted.
In the summer, the
Chartered Institution of
Highways & Transportation
also honoured Ringway Jacob’s
three-year collaboration in
Essex with its prestigious CIHT
Effective Partnerships Award.
This partnership was one of
the first to achieve the British
Standard for collaborative
business relationships
(BS11000).
CIHT Chief Executive Sue
Percy praised it as “a model of
effective partnership working
built on shared objectives and
problem-solving”.
The awards testify to the
Ringway Jacobs commitment
to collaboration and
innovation, says Managing
Director Mike Notman. “We
pride ourselves on delivering
our clients’ objectives for their
local community. It’s
wonderful to see the industry
recognising our excellent
work.”
Teamwork: RJ staff with Cheshire colleagues
September saw the tenth
anniversary of Ringway Jacobs as
the joint venture completed a
decade of spectacular growth.
Its workforce has multiplied ten-
fold to 1,100 people in that time,
while turnover has leapt from
£13m to £232m, with over
£300m projected for 2016.
As the joint venture prepares for
yet more expansion, it has further
strengthened the management
team.
Andy Denman (pictured), who has become Operations Director
for Essex, joined from Skanska, where he was Business Director
for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.
He succeeds Phil Skegg, who now focuses on the ever-
expanding London Highways Alliance (LoHAC) framework
contract and Transport for London.
The company’s third Operations Director, John Sunderland, is
responsible for the Cheshire East, Buckinghamshire and Central
Bedfordshire contracts.
Finance Director John McGrath completes the senior team
reporting to Mike Notman.
New decade dawns
INSIGHT
RINGWAY NEW 10/11.qxp_Layout 1 01/12/2015 17:58 Page 1
NEWS INSIGHT
11
Ringway Worcestershire may be providinga first-rate service but the team know theyneed to continue raising the bar, saysLewis Bridgman, Divisional Manager sincethe summer.
‘Preserve and Evolve’ – a joint
initiative launched by his
predecessor Dave Rowley, now
Regional Director, and Highways
Manager Ian Bamforth –
embodies that commitment to
continuous improvement.
The aim is to drive excellence
by identifying aspects of the
service that are working well,
consolidate that performance
and then extend it where
possible.
“This involves taking a long-
term approach, minimising
process and constraints, and
exploiting the benefits of true
partnership working to achieve
a common goal – serving
Worcestershire better,” says
Lewis (pictured).
“The challenge for us is to
continue delivering an improved
service so that we earn each
annual extension to our tenure
in the county.”
The civil engineer from
Cambridge was the first
graduate to be appointed to
manage a division, soon
followed by Chris Edwards (see
page 6).
Lewis joined Eurovia on a
scholarship programme in 2006
while a student at
Loughborough University.
Before graduation he had
already completed 18 months
on placements with Eurovia
Roadstone, Ringway Jacobs and
Construction South.
Secondments after graduation
included specialist fields such as
Airport Services and the Jean
Lefebvre (UK) technical
consultancy, as he trained for his
IEng professional review.
Having completed the
graduate programme, Lewis
returned to Eurovia
Construction North as Site
Agent responsible for a number
of multi-million pound public
realm schemes.
“The graduate programme
has been a springboard for my
professional development,
taking my academic
qualification to the next level of
becoming professional
qualified,” says Lewis.
“This new position is a great
opportunity to build on and
diversify my experience while
working towards chartered
status in a first-class team.”
October marked the tenth year of Ringway’s partnership with Worcestershire County Council.Numerous innovations in highways and vehicle maintenance services have been delivered since the
first term contract began in October 2005.
This helped Ringway retain the new contract, which is worth £20-30m a year and started in April2014. It runs for an initial term of 6.5 years with the option to extend by up to six years, based onperformance.
Dave Rowley (pictured) ran the contract for the last seven yearsbefore taking on the additional responsibility of the Shropshiredivision last December as Regional Director.
“During Dave’s tenure we established an excellent level of serviceand client relationship, which helped us secure the re-bid,” says BillTaylor, Term Services Managing Director. “Now we are exploiting thesynergies between the two contracts.”
Dave Rowley adds: “I am delighted to take on the RegionalDirector’s responsibility for Worcestershire and Shropshire, and relishthe challenge of developing the Shropshire contract.”
Evolution is the aimas Lewis steps up
Exploiting regional synergy
FROM RURAL IDYLL…With three friends, Clare
Habbin (below) completed a
10k run amid the sunny
autumnal woodland of
Nottinghamshire’s
picturesque Clumber Park.
The HSE Department’s
Coordinator clocked up a PB
of 48 minutes, raising £1,200
including matched funding
for Rotherham Hospice.
Eurovia Contracting North
has raised around £3,000 this
year for the hospice through
a series of events ranging
from supermarket bag
packing to cake-making and
raffles.
…TO MUD AND NUTSA keen runner, Lee-Ann Pert
set herself a new fundraising
challenge after losing a
beloved aunt to cancer. The
Reporting Accountant signed
up for The Nuts Challenge –
a 7km mud assault course in
Surrey – and roped in two
colleagues from Horsham:
Sam Lydford and Tracey Elms.
“It was the hardest thing I’ve
ever done. But knowing the
money we raised for cancer
research could save lives in
the future was very
humbling. All our lives have
been touched by cancer. We
encouraged each other all
the way round and finished
as a team!” The trio raised
£1,595, making a grand total
of £2,495 with Eurovia
matched funding.
RINGWAY NEW 10/11.qxp_Layout 1 01/12/2015 17:58 Page 2
INSIGHTVOLUNTEERING
12
Goingnative
As employees of the Eurovia UK
group, we are each entitled to take two
days’ paid leave a year to volunteer on
worthy projects, writes SiobhanRiordan, Group Sustainability &Corporate Responsibility Advisor.
Around the country, many
colleagues have joined together to
spend this time and their energy
tackling a serious threat to our
environment.
Invasive weed species are plaguing our
countryside, out-competing
native vegetation and
stripping the soil of nutrients.
Japanese knotweed, Rhododendron ponticum and giant hogweed are
among the culprits. But one of the most serious invaders is Himalayan balsam.
Introduced by explorers back in the 19th century, this is a fast-spreading plant that
colonises river banks and rural pathways where flowing water and animals spread its
seeds.
Our volunteers have been rooting out balsam at various sites around the country.
And as they’ve found first hand, the only other plant that seems to thrive amid the
balsam boom are stinging nettles.
But, as wildlife conservation charities have told us, there is very little government
funding available for clearance work. So the spread of invasive species will be relentless
without help from volunteers like us.
Invasive species of weeds are threatening the UK’snatural environment, but people are bandingtogether to do something about it. This yearEurovia UK volunteers have joined in this and arange of other green projects from goat herdingto cleaning up fly-tipped alleyways.
RINGWAY NEW 12/13.qxp_Layout 1 01/12/2015 17:59 Page 1
In July nine employees of Eurovia Contracting and Surfacing
divisions volunteered in Lea Valley Park. The team, including
senior managers, spent a day removing Himalayan balsam
from the linear park, which stretches from north-east London
through Essex to Hertfordshire.
Lee Valley Park Ranger Chris Apsin expressed his
appreciation for their efforts: “Thank you and your team for
coming out last Wednesday. It was a pleasure working with
such an eager and hardworking team. They achieved so
much. I hope no one ached too much from our green
gym. There’s always a lot to do in the winter!”
The volunteers got a lot out of the experience too:
• “It was an excellent example of team work – all
sharing the load and working well together across a
good mixture of talents!”
– Dave Boswell, Business Manager
• “It was good to be amongst other people in the
organisation that I wouldn’t normally interact with.”
– Damon Miles, Target Cost Estimator
• “With a few more people we could have made
even more of an impact, but the staff at Lee Valley
Park were impressed with our work ethic and the
amount we achieved on the day.”
– Sue Cormack, Administrator
Eurovia hopes to stage another
volunteering day at the park next year, says
Chelsey Paden, Directors’ Secretary and the
division’s Corporate Responsibility Champion.
A Himalyan effort – and a day well spent
Other shades of green
13
BANK CRISIS: A short stretch of river bank could be teeming with as many as 25 different
native plant species. These include such beautiful plants as purple loosestrife, water mint,
meadowsweet and greater willow herb. Sadly, many if not all soon disappear amid the
advance of Himalayan balsam. As an annual, balsam dies back in winter, leaving our
riverbanks bare and vulnerable to erosion and increased flooding. The Wildlife Trust has
recently reported that this loss of plant diversity and bank erosion are also contributing
significantly to the decline of one of the UK’s rarest mammals, the water vole.
Employeesfrom theWestUnitariesA419/A417contractbuiltwoodlandtunnels andcleared anovergrowntreeplantationatNationalStarCollege in
Cirencester.
HounslowHighwaysvolunteers cutback over-hanging treesand removed20m3 of fly-tippedrubbish fromalleyways inFeltham.
Volunteers from RingwayMilton Keynes put in ahard day’s work clearingovergrown paths in FennyStratford linear park.
RINGWAY NEW 12/13.qxp_Layout 1 01/12/2015 17:59 Page 2
INSIGHTHEALTH & SAFETY
14
Eurovia UK’s industry-leading training course toprotect employees from aggressive behaviour inroadworks has been recognised with its thirdaward in 12 months.The conflict resolution course won the Site Safety Initiative category in the
2015 Highways Magazine Excellence Awards in October. This follows the Road
Surface Treatment Association’s health and safety award earlier in the year and
a Eurovia UK Innovation Award last year.
Developed in collaboration with ex-army trainers, the course was praised as
“an innovative approach to a long-standing issue”. The judges added: “The
company looked outside the box for a different provider to deliver a fresh
solution.”
The company’s workforce has faced growing aggression in recent years,
culminating in 52 cases of verbal abuse and 11 cases of physical assault in
2014.
Piloted that year before being rolled out company-wide, the conflict
resolution training has been well received by employees on the front line. The joint venture companies
have also started running the course and highway authorities are following suit.
“The value of this training is down to the skills set of RAM Training’s ex-military personnel,” says Dave Campbell, Health,
Safety & Environment Director, “and in turn they are building civilian careers. It’s a positive story for everyone.”
On the front line: Army-inspiredtraining wins industry award
The soldiers’ story
Awards presenter GabyRoslin with Dave Campbell
Initially RAM offered a military training experience for stag parties. Then in 2011, after reading
an article about an interactive theatre production called ‘How to survive a zombie apocalypse’,
Roy launched RAM’s most popular offering, the Zombie Boot Camp.
Roy met Dave Campbell at an event in 2013 and a chance conversation “sowed
the seeds of the course we now deliver,” says Roy.
His eldest son Max, a former Royal Engineer, leads the training team for
highways conflict management. The other trainers – Jack Mead and Conner
Ritter – are veterans of the Mercian Regiment who served as riflemen in Iraq
and Afghanistan, respectively.
Road workers seem to have a particularly good rapport with the trainers and
there is mutual respect, says Roy. “These young ex-soldiers take a fresh and vibrant approach to
instructing. We find that their experience and life skills greatly improve the instructor/learner
relationship.”
The highways industry required a bespoke training course, he explains. Roy studied the group’s
health and safety incident reports, visited a series of sites and talked to employees. This
underlined the challenging and ever-changing environments in which operatives work. “No site
is ever the same, be it a road closure, gate man using a stop/go sign or a pedestrianised area.”
Roy Fitter, who set up RAM Training in 2009, had served in the Royal Green Jacketsinfantry regiment and now holds the rank of major in the army reserves, with 11 Signals (West Midlands) Brigade.
14/15.qxp_Layout 1 01/12/2015 18:03 Page 1
Health and safety guidancedeveloped by the HighwaysTerm Maintenance Associationis having a positive effect, butit needs to be communicatedmore widely.
As 2016 looms, there is another Eurovia UK calendaron the horizon – and we hope that it will prove just aspopular as our 2015 version, writes Clare Habbin,HSE Coordinator.The 2015 calendar has been a
real success, with the change in
format from wall to desktop
proving an instant hit. A
thousand calendars were
ordered, including some for our
joint venture companies.
A lot of people signed up to
the ‘Look after your liver’
challenge by going dry for the month of January (including me).
A total of 93 teams took part in the Steps to Health competition, which ran for four
weeks in May, and tied in with National Walking Month.
In the run-up to August we heard that many employees were planning to follow the
seven-day diet plan. I hope they felt the benefit.
The calendar was also presented at a recent Road Worker Safety Leadership Summit in
a breakout session on occupational health and wellbeing. Delegates were enthusiastic
and many of our fellow members of the Highways Term Maintenance Association took
away copies.
The HSE team wishes everyone a happy and healthy new year.
HTMA sendsout message
Year of living healthily
15
These findings from a survey by the HTMA
Health Safety & Welfare Working Group were
presented at a recent workshop. It was
attended by more than 50 health and safety
practitioners from the across the industry,
including representatives from the
Government’s Health and Safety Executive.
The working group, which is chaired by
Eurovia UK HSE Director Dave Campbell, has
developed and published a series of guidance
documents.
These covered: smart motorways, traffic
management vehicles, extended all-stop TTM,
works on the centre of carriageways and a
road worker abuse toolkit.
The survey found that 80% of respondents
were aware of these guidance documents.
Almost two thirds (62%) had formally adopted
the guidance, and a similar proportion had
changed their way of working.
While just over 15% reported a reduction in
incidents and near misses, more than 42% said
workers felt that they faced lower risk as a
result.
“This was encouraging but more needs to be
done,” says Dave. “For future guidance
documents we are going to develop a
communication plan to encourage greater
take-up.”
The working group is also planning a number
of new task groups next year, when it has
completed its 2015 programme.
“Although HTMA guidance is not mandatory,
it is used by the HSE to assess standards when
incidents occur,” Dave adds. “The HSE view is
that ‘those who create the risk are best placed
to manage it’.”
The one-day course he developed with the HSE Department was piloted in
Hounslow Highways and at RAM’s base in Droitwich before being tweaked and rolled
out. It has three main elements: Defusing the situation, breakout techniques and
vehicle awareness.
Feedback from trainees has been very positive, and the awards have validated this
pioneering response to a growing problem in the highways sector.
Leicestershire County Council has commissioned RAM
to train road workers and their tree surgery teams. Roy is
also hoping to work with London Underground.
Other companies in the industry showed interest but
they have been slow to engage, says Roy. “It is slightly
concerning that one organisation can see the
value in enabling their staff to protect
themselves while others don’t, even as the
instances of abuse and violence are only
increasing. One told us that their
shareholders deemed such training
unnecessary and another had no recorded
statistics to justify funding the course.”
For now at least, it seems Roy’s skilled
veterans will be spending more time
confronting an imaginary apocalypse than a
very real menace on the highways.
14/15.qxp_Layout 1 01/12/2015 18:03 Page 2
16
New rolefor Ian
After a distinguished
managerial career within
Ringway, Ian Thorpe retired in
the autumn – and promptly
took up a new role as a part-
time advisor to the company.
The Divisional Manager for
the West Unitaries oversaw
ten successful years of the first
Bracknell Forest term contract,
and helped clinch another last
year.
Previously Ian played a
leading role in the company’s
landmark term contracts in
Kent and Wiltshire.
Paying tribute to his service,
Managing Director Bill Taylor
adds: “Ian’s wealth of
experience will be used across
a number of special projects
to promote consistency and
best practice across the
company”.
Ian is currently advising on
the supervisor training
programme.
Eurovia colleagues markduo's major contribution
Tributes for Robin as'master of detail' retires
Robin gave 15 years’ service to the
business, since its formation in 2001 as
Ringway Specialist Treatments. He began his
finance career with Gloucestershire County
Council, transferring to Ringway for the first
term maintenance contract. “Robin was well
known as a master of detail and governance
who would challenge operations and even
group rules whenever he felt it necessary,”
says Paul Goosey, Divisional Director. “He was
highly regarded by his peers and everyone in
the business.”
INSIGHT PEOPLE
The team at Eurovia Contracting North gave two highlyrespected colleagues a send-off this month as LindaHawbrook and Martin Sims retired.
Past and present colleagues gathered to mark the retirement ofRobin Gibbard, Divisional Financial Controller of Eurovia SpecialistTreatments in the summer.
Linda, who has been Divisional Financial
Controller since 2006, became part of Ringway
back in 1997 as part of the LCR Highways
buyout of the direct labour organisation at
Lincolnshire County Council.
Having completed her AAT accounting
qualification, Linda joined Ringway
Infrastructure Services in 2006 and supported
the transition to Eurovia in 2010.
“Linda has been a stalwart of the business for
over 25 years, helping to develop the company
through bad times and good – to the heady
heights of today,” says Kevin Graham,
Divisional Director.
Martin, who has been Business Development,
Quality & Performance Manager since 2004,
has more than 40 years’ experience in the
construction industry.
A Chartered Civil Engineer, Martin was
instrumental in the development and
implementation of the data management
systems used today, including The Way We
Work (TWWW).
He also managed the employment and skills
training KPIs used across the Midlands Highway
Alliance frameworks.
“Both Linda and Martin will be sorely missed
by the team at Wath upon Dearne and across
the wider company,” says Kevin. “We wish
them well in their retirement.”
Robin with (from left) Sunita Sowkee, Penny Teal, Wendy McCormick and Joanne Banks
RINGWAY NEW 16/17.qxp_Layout 1 01/12/2015 18:00 Page 1
17
But many of us are missing
out. We all lead busy lives, so it’s
easy to forget to check your website.
And after your visit, you may not always
remember the discounts you’ve seen, especially as there are so many
offers available.
So to make sure you never miss out on the latest deals and hottest
discounts, we can deliver the details direct to your email address.
Our provider, Personal Group,
will send you tips on how to
save money on seasonal events
and holidays, family birthday
gifts, and on other updated and
brand-new offers – not just at
Christmas, but all year round.
Some of your colleagues are
already taking advantage of
these discounts. So sign up for
this gentle reminder service – it
never hurts to know what’s
available and you could bag a
bargain that’s just right for you.
This was the fifth time
we’ve surveyed employees
and we received the highest
response ever. Almost three
in four employees (71%)
took the time to reply to a
series of questions designed
to capture their views on
what it is like to work in our
company.
The responses are being
analysed and we hope to
have the headline results by
Christmas.
To ensure they are as
relevant and useful as
possible, the results – which
are completely anonymous –
are being collated for each
part of the business in which
employees told us they
worked.
So each division or shared
services department will
receive its own report,
summarising the findings,
including trends in people’s
opinions.
The HR team and Directors
will also examine the key
trends in the reports to
identify what works well and
what we need to improve.
Wherever you work within
the Eurovia UK business, the
relevant lessons and
objectives arising from the
survey will be included in the
2016 business plan and
shared with you in divisional
briefings.
Thank you to everyone
who took part.
injured on the roads in Buckinghamshirethrough education and engineering methods.Our most recent achievement was winning aPrince Michael Award for the most improvedroute in the country.”
BY THE WAY: "I enjoy spending my sparetime with my two-year-old grandson, andalso riding my Harley Davidson motorcycle."
SERVICE: “I have been with Ringway Jacobs forthe last two years, having been TUPE’dacross from Buckinghamshire CountyCouncil where I joined as a Road SafetyOfficer in 1996.”
JOB: “Currently I am leading a team ofdedicated people who are all passionateabout reducing the number of people
More than 1700 people across Eurovia UKtook part in our 2015 employee survey,
writes KristinePollock, Group HumanResources Director.
All employees areentitled to choosefrom more than8,000 discountson a fantastic andcompletely freebenefits website.
Record response to group’s 5th employee survey
Beat January's sales– all year round!
IT'S EASY TO DO• Simply visit:
www.personalgroupbenefits.com/ringwayeurovia and log in
with your username and
password.
• Follow the link to 'My
Account', update your account
preferences and get ready to
receive updates by email.
And if you’ve never visited the
site, do take the time to have a
look and see the deals and
discounts that await you.
SUE BROWN Network Safety Team LeaderTransport for Buckinghamshire
“Sue and her team have awealth of experience in
managing and implementingsuccessful road safety
initiatives. Sue’s passion andcan-do attitude mean she isa key contact for the client,staff and members alike in
addressing road safety issuesacross the network.”
Martin Heeley, NetworkStrategy Manager
RINGWAY NEW 16/17.qxp_Layout 1 01/12/2015 18:01 Page 2
INSIGHTNEWS
18
Delivery of schemes in Cheshire West and Chesterhas improved significantly following a switch fromtraditional depot-based to activity-based teams.This fresh approach, begun in
September 2014, has improved cost
certainty for both Ringway and the
council, as well as delivery times, says
Kevan Rudd, Divisional
Manager.
October marked the
third anniversary of
Ringway’s six-year term
maintenance contract,
which can be extended by
a further four years.
“We’re using larger
teams and we are
planning our works
better,” Kevan explains.
“So over the last 6-9 months we have
seen a reduction in the time taken to
deliver schemes.”
Ringway provides a quotation to
client officers during the pre-planning
of these works, valued between
£5,000 and £250,000. Though based
on the design brief, this also allows
Ringway to put forward options for
improving delivery timescales,
minimising disruption through evening
works, and innovative materials or
techniques that could be used.
Reactive and cyclical works (valued
under £5,000) have also been
streamlined. “Our small maintenance
gangs are area-based and respond to
client requests more rapidly using their
core skills and local knowledge,”
Kevan adds. “Our joint branding
means they are perceived as being part
of the Cheshire West and Chester
‘family’.”
Ringway has reorganised street
lighting too, incorporating a ‘find and
fix’ approach. The two-man teams on
40mph routes and sole operatives
deployed in towns and villages deal
immediately with any faults after
approval by phone from the client.
Changes in Cheshire streamline services
Kevan Rudd: “rapid response”
friendly and helps me when I go wrong so I learnfrom them. And I’ve done two weeks in Exeterfor my NVQ Level 2.”
BY THE WAY: “I played in a football team for sixyears but I’ve stopped; I didn’t think I’d have theenergy after working all day and the early starts.
I meet up with my mates and we spend ourmoney, mainly on clothes.”
SERVICE: Started his two-yearapprenticeship on September 1 straight fromschool, aged 16. “I really wanted to dosomething practical and physical that’d Ienjoy, rather than working in an office.”
JOB: “It’s been a real mix of work: patching,drainage, putting signs up, tree and hedgecutting. It’s really good. Everyone is very
TICKLED PINK: A Chester landmark – the city’s
Eastgate Clock – was one of a score across the
UK to change colour for Breast Cancer
Awareness Month’s ‘Wear it Pink’ day in
October. The Ringway street lighting team in
Cheshire West and Chester commissioned four
pink LED units from supply chain partner
Carbon Reduction Technology, and installed
them behind the clock face. “We had upgraded
the clock’s lights from fluorescent to LEDs only
the month before,” says Foreman Gary Pollitt,
“so we temporarily installed pink lights with the
help of our supplier.”
NEW FOUNDATION: Eurovia and VINCI have
teamed up to create a new foundation that will
support local community projects and charities.
The UK VINCI Foundation, which follows the
success of the Isle of Wight Foundation,
launches in 2016. It will support organisations in
the regions where Eurovia employees work and
harness their skills and commitment. The
foundation has four main aims – to promote:
access to employment, integration of people
through housing, inclusive mobility, and the
building of better communities. Watch out for
details explaining how to get involved and
advice on applications for support.
AIDAN BROOME ApprenticeRingway Bracknell Forest
"Aidan has integrated intothe team and the highwaysindustry very well. He has
shown a keen wish to learnfrom his colleagues anddevelop into his role. It is
excellent to see this level ofenthusiasm."
Chris Edwards, RingwayDivisional Manager, West
Unitaries
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HSPVQINSIGHT
Next year sees the formation of a new company asSWH celebrates the 21st anniversary of SouthWest Highways.
Over the last 15 years, the team at
SWH has grown its civil engineering
contracting activities to become a
major regional force.
Complementing its contracting
activities, SWH added a building
division in 2004. Since 2009 its
growth has accelerated, taking SWH
Build into schools, colleges and
latterly, healthcare settings.
This diversification has proceeded
in parallel to delivery of the highway
maintenance service for Devon
County Council. Held continuously
since 1995, the term contract that
gave birth to the company is once
more being re-tendered.
From January 2016 both
construction brands – SWH Civils and
SWH Build – will come under the
wing of a new subsidiary company,
SWH Construction Ltd.
At the same time the existing
company will be renamed SWH
Group Ltd. It will provide central
services to SWH Construction Ltd and
to its second subsidiary, South West
Highways Ltd.
“This new structure will help us
continue driving the development of
all areas of the business,” says David
Lee, SWH Chairman. “It will also
overcome any reluctance on the part
of clients to appoint a ‘highways
contractor’ to build their new
classroom or refurbish a hospital
ward.”
South West Highways will soon be
bidding not only for the latest Devon
contract but also, through a
coordinated bid, for term
maintenance
work in Plymouth
and Somerset.
Having already
secured the
maintenance of
the A30/A35 to
2026 through its
joint venture
with Balfour
Beatty, 2016 is
sure to be
another exciting
year for SWH,
says David.
Plymouth is to have a new coach station designed and
built by SWH, which won the city council’s £3.9m
contract following a competitive tendering process.
It will see an outdated coach station in the city’s
West End replaced by a modern facility with: seven
coach stands for National Express and Megabus
routes, real-time passenger information systems, drop-
off bays, customer help points, ticket machines,
toilets, cycle stands, CCTV and ornamental lighting.
The contract includes a new car park also with
lighting and CCTV systems to ensure the security and
safety of all users.
“We are delighted to have been awarded the
contract which will transform the welcome Plymouth
gives to passengers arriving by coach,” says SWH
Construction Director Peter Davies. “SWH has
considerable experience of complex projects and will
ensure that we enjoy good relationships with our
neighbours during the building process.”
Planning permission for the scheme was granted last
March with final programming details to be agreed in
coming weeks.
Councillor Mark Lowry, Cabinet Member for Finance
and Assets and City Centre Champion, says: “For a
long time we’ve wanted to make the entrance to
Plymouth more welcoming and more in keeping with
a modern, thriving city that wants to attract many
more visitors.”
The award is one of a series of significant contracts
for Plymouth City Council won by SWH as it prepares
to bid for the highways contract to be tendered
shortly.
SWH has recently completed several significant
projects from its Plymouth
office at Crownhill. These
include a new helipad at
Derriford Hospital and the
highly successful
renovation of Laira Bridge
for the city council. The
company also constructed
a new bridge over the
A38 earlier this year, and
is undertaking
infrastructure works to
open up a new settlement
at Sherford.
Construction wingready for take-off
Welcome toPlymouth
Hospital helipad: built by the Plymouth team
19
s
n
f
RINGWAY NEW 18/19.qxp_Layout 1 01/12/2015 18:01 Page 2
• Installing telematics across the commercial fleet
and better monitoring of in-house fuel tanks will
help identify opportunities to economise on fuel use.
• Motors are a heavy power user in industrial processes
including our asphalt plants. Improving motor speed
management would reduce energy use.
• Upgrading lighting systems could potentially cut
electricity bills at every site in our portfolio – not just
with LED lamps, but also smarter controls, such as
motion sensors and dimmers.
• Fitting the latest energy meters in our buildings will
provide a wealth of data to analyse consumption levels
and patterns, identify potential savings (eg, in overnight
use) and attract suppliers offering lower tariffs.
• Renewable energy generation and low-carbon
technologies (like solar panels, heat pumps and
biomass heating) can be considered for our long-
term properties
INSIGHT SUSTAINABILITY
20
Siobhan Riordan, Group Sustainability & CorporateResponsibility Advisor, explains why it’s time to focus onsaving energy – and note how you handle waste.
The energy used by businessesacross Eurovia UK has beenaudited and the focus now is onreducing consumption.
Around 60 properties were assessed as part of
our responsibilities under ESOS – the Energy
Saving Opportunity Scheme. The ESOS
Regulations – set out by the Government last year
– require all large businesses to review energy use
across their property portfolio, transport fleet and
processes.
The final report, which I prepared as Eurovia
UK’s in-house energy assessor, was signed off by
Eurovia UK directors David Campbell and Scott
Wardrop and the Environment Agency was
informed before the December 5 deadline.
Now the challenge is to review the findings of
the audit report and start implementing
recommended actions to reduce energy
consumption across the business.
Fuel used by our fleet of vehicles and plant
makes up just over half of our energy
consumption. So this is a priority area where we
need to improve monitoring of distances travelled
and fuel used by our commercial fleet and
company cars.
Gaining a better understanding of fuel
consumption will leave us better prepared for
future fuel price fluctuations as well as helping us
plan for savings.
ESOS is designed to reduce carbon emissions
that drive climate change but it can also have a
valuable impact on our costs and the bottom line.
WASTE:5 thingsto noteThere’s no such thing anymore
as waste. ‘Waste’ materials are
either a resource – to be
reused, recycled or converted
into energy – or a risk to the
environment or health. And
sometimes both.
How we manage waste is a
business risk, so it’s critical
that we do so safely and
within the strict rules of the
law.
Here’s a quick reminder of
our duties:
1. When moving waste from
one place to another – even
from worksite to the depot –
we must have a fully
completed waste transfer note
(WTN).
2. The WTN has ten sections
that must all be completed to
be compliant.
3. A copy of the WTN must be
kept for two years.
4. If we use another business
to move, treat or dispose of
our waste, they must be
licensed to do so.
5. Movement of all hazardous
waste requires a consignment
note, rather than a WTN.
Even in our offices, it is
important that waste is placed
in the right bins as disposing
of contaminated waste
streams costs us much more.
If you are unsure or need
further support with waste
compliance, please contact
your HSE Advisor.
After the audit, the action
SOME OF THE ENERGY-SAVING IDEAS
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NEWS INSIGHT
Slick solutionfor the A419
On the radar
21
n WWII DISCOVERY: Gravel
excavations on the Isle of Wight
this summer revealed a forgotten
secret from World War II. What at
first appeared to be a military
‘pillbox’ structure turned out to be
the remnants of an army radar site.
Investigations by the county’s
archaeologists confirmed that the
Wight Building Materials site at
Macketts Lane had housed an
underground bunker with 32 radar
masts. These provided an early
warning of incoming enemy
aircraft to gun operations rooms at
Newport and Fareham. Just three
feet below the farmland surface,
the concrete base and brick-clad
walls had lain undisturbed since
the war.
n SAFETY AWARD: An initiative
to protect Eurovia Roadstone
employees working near mobile
plant has won an award for Emma
Barnard, Laboratory Technician at
its Ipswich facility. Emma’s idea was
to use a sensor system that sounds
an alarm in the cab when
pedestrians, fitted with electronic
ID tags, are within a specified
distance. Called Zone Safe, it was
supplied by a local firm, Safety
Industrial Maintenance.
“After a successful trial on loading
shovels at Dagenham, it was
extended to Ipswich and an order
has been placed for the North Kent
Roadstone joint venture. External
companies have shown interest in
the radar system too,” says David
Jones, Technical & Recycle
Manager. The Mineral Products
Association honoured Emma for an
exceptional contribution to health
and safety, and made Roadstone
runner-up for its innovation award.
A key link road in Wiltshire now boasts a super-smooth surface following a slick resurfacingoperation using advanced equipment and materials.
The southbound section of the A419 dual
carriageway between Cricklade and
Marston Meysey is part of the privately
operated A417/A419 route linking the M4
and M5.
DBFO operator RMS Ltd, and its principal
engineers Mouchel, commissioned Eurovia
to deliver the same innovative surfacing
solution successfully applied on the
northbound section last year.
Value-engineered by pavement design
consultancy Jean Lefebvre (UK), the scheme
involved planing into the structurally sound
40mm surface course and laying a 23mm
layer of 10mm UL-M thin surfacing.
Our supply chain partner Power Plane
used a fine milling planer to remove the
final 5mm, producing a ‘billiard-table’
surface for the UL-M. This thin surfacing
significantly reduces material use and lorry
movements, along with noise and water
spray from the finished surface.
Eurovia’s Vogele 1800 Sprayjet integrated
paver ensured a uniform application of
bond coat at low pressure during the laying
process, maximising the bond between
layers.
Optimum compaction was achieved with
intelligent Hamm DV65 rollers that
graphically show temperature profiles to
highlight areas requiring further passes.
The works were completed on time and
to the £490,00 budget during night-time
closures.
Echoing Mouchel’s satisfaction at the
quality of the scheme, Eurovia Operations
Manager Mike Carr praised the highly
skilled machine crews: “It was pleasing to
be invited back by the client to
demonstrate again the standards Eurovia
can achieve using our group’s state-of-the-
art equipment and expertise.”
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INSIGHTNEWS
22
Three Acklea specialist traffic
management units have been ordered for
delivery in 2016. Two of the vehicles, built
on Iveco Daily 7.2t long-wheelbase chassis,
will operate on the Milton Keynes term
maintenance contract. The third will be
based at the Stilton Depot for use on the
A1(M) contract and other traffic
management works.
Another two TMUs will be ordered In
2016 for the Marks Tey Depot, to deliver
traffic management works for Ringway
Jacobs.
“This CAPEX approval will boost our
ability to self-deliver a range of services
across the region,” says Keith Miller,
Plant & Fleet Manager.
In addition, three 18t Acklea TMUs, which
include IPV (impact protection vehicle)
‘crash cushions’, have been ordered. Two
will be deployed on high-speed grid roads
in Milton Keynes, with the third going to
Marks Tey.
Two 26t Barrier Rigs, with a lifting crane
and hammer for specialist barrier work,
have been ordered.
These will follow two 26t traffic
management vehicles, for Marks Tey Depot
and Stilton, which were ordered through
2014 CAPEX and are currently in-build.
Specialist trucks aid self-delivery
A Eurovia Specialist Treatments team will be heading back to Jersey next year followingthe success of a summer Gripfibre microsurfacing trial.
Some 10,000m2 was laid in July
– the first time in 20 years any
road surfacing other than
conventional asphalt has been
used on the island.
The operation, which required
the shipping of materials and
plant, was two years in the
planning. The EST crew and
managers had full technical
support from Jean Lefebvre (UK),
and used local firms for minor
civil works. More than 40 local
stakeholders viewed the works
and on-site presentations by the
team. “The feedback from the
States of Jersey staff has been
excellent and next year’s order
has doubled in value,” says Paul
Goosey, Divisional Director.
Jersey says 'au revoir' to Gripfibre crew
Significantinvestment in adozen specialistvehicles for RingwayEast Midlands willallow the division toprovide more trafficmanagement andvehicle restraintworks in-house fromnext year.
MARATHON AND A HALF: Two Roadstone employees hit the road in aid of worthy
causes. Dominic Adams cycled more than 300 miles from Colchester to Brussels – via
Harwich and Amsterdam – on behalf of St Helena Hospice, which serves north Essex.
A Production Operative based in Ipswich, Dominic raised just under £2,000, including
£1,000 match funding. Meanwhile, Plant Operative Gavin Handley from North Kent
Roadsone completed a half marathon, raising £1200 towards a new roof for his son’s
nursery. The joint venture sponsored Gavin £400.
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The arrival of 20 new gritters in North Yorkshire ensureddepots across the county were geared up in good timefor this year’s winter season.
In a bumper year for capitalinvestment, Eurovia UKspent over £11 millionupgrading and replacingvehicles and equipment in2015, writes ChrisDixon,�Transport & PlantOperations Manager.
Built by local supplier ECON to replace ageing stock, the gritters are part of an 89-
strong fleet. They will help reduce maintenance costs as well as boosting the
effectiveness and efficiency of the county council’s winter service.
Drivers should also find it easier to operate the vehicles, given their more consistent
chassis and spreader design.
All are powered by the latest Euro 6 engines and have ECON low-throw salt delivery.
Fifteen are 4x4s: 13 of 18t plus two 7.5-tonners. Three 26t gritters are 6x4s. The
remaining two gritters, both 26-tonners, have 6x6 drives.
“The nature of winter operations in North Yorkshire requires a substantial fleet of
gritters to meet the demands of the service,” says John Nicholson, Regional Director.
“These new vehicles demonstrate our commitment to delivering the consistently high
level of winter service that the council and local people expect.”
Winter fleets accounted for a large share,in the form of 28 gritters with ECON bodiesand a range of chassis, most deployed inNorth Yorkshire (see left).
Other additions include six pavers: aSprayjet, a Volvo P6870C, two Vogele 1803-3 and another two ex-rental Vogele1803-2s, each a year old. All are to Euroviaspecification, including windscreen/fumesextraction systems. We also bought aBristowes M95 chipspreader, a Volver L110loader and a Volvo L150 loader.
No fewer than 58 vans were purchased,ranging from Fiesta to 3.5t vehicles, alongwith 23 trucks between 7.2t and 18t. Three5t mobile elevated work platforms joinedstreetlighting fleets. Meanwhile, our trafficmanagement teams in the East Midlands(see page 22) and elsewhere will benefitfrom five specialised 18t units, three 26-tonners, another seven weighing 26-32t,as well as crash barrier and grab lorries.
Gritters arrive in timefor Yorkshire winter
Plant spendtops £11m
23
RICKY ANDERSON M80 DBFO ManagerBEAR Scotland
aspect. My team and I gain great satisfaction fromovercoming the day-to-day challenges inproviding a high-quality service – so nofinancial penalties are served and, mostimportant, the public has a safe motorway totravel on.”
BY THE WAY: “I enjoy all genres of music, andwatch live bands on a regular basis. I
have interests in transport,watching sports and gettingoutdoors whenever I can.”
SERVICE: Joined BEAR in 2004 after a career in localgovernment and contracting. “I have workedmostly within Operations in the North West andSouth East – and on the M80 DBFO since themotorway began construction in 2009.”
JOB: “I manage Operations & Maintenance aswell as Network Management, and I’mresponsible for BEAR’s Chryston Depot.Engaging with all stakeholders toensure their expectations areachieved is a particularly enjoyable
“Ricky has been anintegral part of the M80
DBFO since the early days ofthe project. His effectivecommunication and
attention to detail are a keyfactor in maintaining goodrelations between all partiesinvolved in management of
this contract.”Andy Thompson, OperatingCompany Representative for
the North East.
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INSIGHTNEWS
24
PHOTO: Aaron Toon
s
Home fans may have felt let
down by the Rugby World
Cup but Eurovia companies
were cheered for their role in
the tournament’s success.
Eurosigns designed and
manufactured more than
3,000 signs for the 13 match
venues. The signs were
needed for directing traffic,
managing flows around the
stadia, car parking and
pedestrian guidance.
All were supplied over a six-week
period. Worth more than £135,000, the
contract was won in partnership with
Intelligent Traffic Solutions (ITS).
“Our capacity to supply large
quantities of quality signage on a short
turnaround was crucial,” says Sean
Marshall, Eurosigns Regional Sales
Manager for the South-East. “Both ITS
and Eurosigns received excellent
feedback from the organisers for the
high level of service we provided.”
Eurosigns also worked closely with
Ringway Milton Keynes to deliver
additional signage for their network to
a tight timescale despite late client
changes.
Ringway developed a traffic
management plan, including routes for
shuttle buses, closed roads and
deployed temporary signs and cones for
three Stadium MK games – when traffic
flowed better than on normal
matchdays. Milton Keynes Council
praised Ringway’s and Eurosigns’
“fantastic” contribution.
Meanwhile, in west London,
Hounslow Highways provided additional
cleansing and improvements on walking
routes to Twickenham, following joint
planning with Hounslow and Richmond
councils. A direct link to its Operations
Hub from the RWC control room
helped ensure a rapid response to
incidents as they were reported.
Trio's teamwork clinches World Rugby success
Paving for children's hospice
Villagers have praised a street-scene team from
Ringway Shropshire for their role in securing the
top Britain in Bloom award.
Norton in Hales won the coveted 2015 Champion
of Champions accolade amid stiff competition from
better-known towns around the country.
Thanking the team, who are based in the north-
east depot in Hodnet, the Norton in Bloom Group
stressed that the streets’ cleanliness was a key
factor in the village’s bid. “This is the highest award
that can be given and is the one that Shrewsbury
achieved last year. For a village our size to win
against other
places like Bath,
Truro and Usk
who we were up
against, is quite
an achievement.”
The team
comprised Alistair
Henderson, Chris
Liddell, Roy
Cartwright and
Steve Neville, led
by Richard Smith.
“They ensured
the streets were immaculate, removing litter,
weeds, detritus, dog fouling, so that channels and
carriageway were swept spotless,” says Aaron
Toon, Supervisor in Hodnet.
Volunteers from Eurovia
Contracting North helped lay a
new car park for a children’s
hospice in Sheffield in time for
its annual open day in
September. Work had begun late
in 2014 to level the area and lay
Type 1 stone. Recycled road
materials were delivered over
time before block laying on the
volunteer day at Bluebell Wood
Hospice in the summer. A crew
completed the job, and laid
coloured stone on the second
half of the car park. “We all
worked extremely well as a
team, learnt new skills and
enjoyed the day,” says Judith
Hampson, Divisional Financial
Controller. Spare paving went to
the home of one of the hospice’s
registered young adults so he
could access his family’s garden
for the first time.
Bouquets forstreet team
Insight is published by Eurovia UK Ltd, Albion House, Springfield Road, Horsham, West Sussex RH12 2RWFeedback to: Tracey Elms, Group Marketing & PR Manager. E: [email protected]
Edited & produced by Silke & Co. W: www.silke.co.ukDesigned by Tom Thompson Design. E: [email protected]
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