Framework focus
October 2008
Ashe’s special works department is responsible for carrying out projects under the framework agreements the company has with a growing number of local authorities. With this years award of agreements with Cambridgeshire County Council, and SMARTE EAST, the collaboration of Essex, Hertfordshire and Suffolk County Councils, Ian Robbins and Sheridan McKnight who run the department have their work cut out for them. As construction manager and commercial manager respectively, the two have been busy recruiting new staff to deal with the demands of the eight current contracts under way with Hertfordshire County Council in collaboration with project manager MACE, and in readiness for the work within the two new frameworks.
Daniel Carey has been appointed contracts manager, Rory Ingle takes on the role of surveyor and surveyor Kim Bewley has moved from Ashe’s main projects department to special works. Also in the team are Neil Harrison, senior surveyor and Ryan Atkinson buyer, and with new appointments in administration, the department will be fully resourced to carry out all the challenges they face.
Work has already started on four projects in Essex. At Fordham School, work started in August on an £740k sports hall and canteen. In Stansted, Bentfield School will have a new sports hall and an existing hall refurbished in a year long project, and at Stock School, a library extension and class rooms will be provided in a £730k package. At Danbury School they will have four new classrooms with all works planned to avoid term time. This maximizes the amount of work carried out during the school holidays and minimizes disruption to the schools which remain operational during the projects.
Ian Robbins said: “Not only have we expanded the department, but we’re putting in to place new site managers and are pleased to promote staff from within where ever possible. For example, we’re delighted to announce that Mark Ephgrave has been promoted to site manager and is joined by Chris Stancombe and Justin Howard as new special works site managers.“ Ian and the team will spend a lot of time spreading the safety message at the schools sites they are working on by running competitions and speaking at assemblies to make sure children, teachers and parents know of the dangers and risks posed by construction activities at their schools.
Other framework projects include a £1.1m refurbishment of an existing library in Oxhey, near Watford and starting on site soon is a £300k school extension at Spring Common, and a £1.2m children’s centre at Nene School both in Cambridgshire. A further 12 children’s centres are scheduled to start during 2009 including a centre at Westbury School and a two classroom extension at Graveley School, near Stevenage where a new prefabricated Eco Canopy modular system will be used to minimize the impact construction will have on the environment. More about modern methods of construction and Eco Canopies in our next issue.
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