PSG's Spring Newsletter

Shropshire Council sent this bulletin at 17-05-2018 09:06 AM BST

PSG's Spring Newsletter

Welcome to our Spring edition newsletter which we hope you will find interesting and informative.

Following a more traditional winter, the demands that the snow, wind and rain brought are now a distant memory. The focus now is to plan and procure the vast array of projects for 2018/19.

PSG’s growth and continuous improvement is a credit to our loyal and dedicated staff. Their hard work and commitment ensures our clients continue to receive a high quality service.

It has been really reassuring to see our new recruits quickly settle into their new jobs, aided by more experienced team members.

Part of our continuous improvement is to constantly challenge our systems and processes to make us more responsive and efficient. We regularly seek feedback from our clients so we can adapt to the changes in the market.

Our unique team spirit and positivity is recognised far and wide and as a team we continue to thrive on the challenges that come our way, despite tough financial pressures. We have embraced culture change and remain a flagship and focal point for other service areas within the council.

Hopefully I will get the chance to meet with some of you over the coming year but if you have anything of an urgent nature or you just require a general catch up, then please let me know. Roll on the summer!

Best wishes, Steve Carpenter, PSG Manager

Condition Improvement Funding (CIF) Bids

The Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) is an annual bidding round to which academies can apply for capital funding. The core priority for CIF is to address significant condition need, keeping academy buildings safe and in good working order. This includes funding projects to address health and safety issues, building compliance and poor building condition.

PSG worked closely with several academies to submit bids for the 2018/19 bidding round and has been successful with four bids, securing funding in the region of £800,000. PSG will now be working with the successful academy schools to design, procure and manage the improvement works on site to completion.

Academy schools considering future condition improvement works are encouraged to contact PSG who can advise on the viability of the project for future funding rounds.

Salix Bids

A new Salix fund was announced recently for maintained schools and 6th form Colleges to improve the energy performance (of various types) of their buildings. In total £25M is being made available and Roshni has written to maintained schools informing them that we are available to assist with schemes. This is a loan rather than a grant. We can assist with assessing the efficiency and suitability of schemes and can also submit a bid on your behalf so get in touch. https://www.salixfinance.co.uk/news/new-%C2%A325-million-fund-maintained-schools-and-sixth-form-colleges

When thoughtful design can give the best result for less cost

When components become faulty the knee-jerk reaction is so often replacement, but further thought can sometimes pay dividends.

The main trading floor of Shrewsbury’s iconic Market Hall is circled by a perimeter floor drainage channel which has ten cast iron gullies at the head of downpipes with traps. The channel collects cleaning and wash-down water which often contains debris which would block the traps at the bases of the downpipes.

To intercept the debris the original designer, the nationally famous architect David du Rieu Aberdeen, had specified integral cast iron gullies fitted with special strainers which were removeable for inspection and cleaning. Unfortunately over the years these strainers had corroded and partly disintegrated allowing debris to enter and block traps – this was becoming expensive to clear.

The obvious answer was to replace the traps, but to fit a modern equivalent would be very expensive with a risk of compromising the concrete structure and would not visually or functionally integrate with the existing channel.

Instead, PSG retained the original cast iron bodies and designed new stainless steel strainers so they will last the life of the building. This allowed a painless, non-disruptive installation, with no visual impact on the appearance, important in a landmark building, and all at a small fraction of the cost of replacement gullies.

Changes to permitted development

Up until April 2017 permitted development has allowed an extension to premises up to:

25% of the gross floor space of the original school, college, university or hospital buildings; or
100 square metres,

whichever is the lesser.

These limits, in respect of the cumulative gross floor space of any buildings erected, extended or altered have now been changed to:

250 square metres in the case of a school; and
100 square metres in all other cases.

These limits are restricted by a set criteria which can be viewed at The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) (Amendment) Order 2017 and are applicable to all properties which have been in-situ on or before 1st July 1948.

For more information contact Nick Morgan on 01743 281019.

Some of our Projects

Long Mountain Primary School

Work commenced in December 2017 to extend the school to provide a new nursery, classroom, entrance and associated external works. Pave Aways Ltd are due to complete works at the end of July.

Shifnal Primary School

PSG were commissioned to design and deliver a new reception classroom along with a new GP room, PPA room and toilets. Shrewsbury based contractors Bow Construction Ltd completed the work in March 2018.

Access to the site was difficult and resulted in the Keystage1 playground being out of use until work was completed, but this approach enabled much better management of many H&S issues.

The finished extension provides high quality accommodation for children and staff alike and although further expansion of the school is already underway, this extra space has taken the pressure off the school for the moment.

Adderley Primary School

The School had poor access to the forest school area and concerns had been raised regarding safe access for pupils and staff. The lower playground often became slippy due to mud etc from the slope up the forest school.

Work was carried out during the half term holiday quickly and to everyone’s satisfaction by Great Outdoors Contracting.

The children and staff now have safe access with no issue with debris entering the playground.

Staff corner

Steve conquers the Coledale Challenge

On Friday 20th April, Steve Carpenter took part in the Coledale Challenge in the Lake District. It consisted of walking 10 fells over 13.5 miles with over 6,000 feet of climbing. Steve completed the distance in an impressive 6.5 hours.

Luckily he was blessed with amazing weather, as you can see from the photograph which was taken at Fell No 8, Grassmoor at 852m.

3 Peaks was a challenge for Ian

PSG's Mechanical Surveyor, Ian Pengilly completed the 3 Peaks Challenge in April.

They walked the 25 miles in just over 10 hours and the team's age ranged from 13 to over 60.

Ian is on the right of the photo which was taken at Whernside, the highest mountain at 736m.

Spotlight on Sarah Hesketh, Business Support Assistant

Sarah joined the Business Support team in April 2017, having previously worked in the Council’s payroll department for 5 and a half years.

She provides admin support for the surveyors, including loading projects onto our online portal Delta for quotations/tenders, and acts as a first point of contact for customer/client queries. She has completed an NVQ Level 3 in Business Admin, and hopes to complete further qualifications in the near future.

Sarah married her long-term partner Graeme Hesketh on 10th February this year at the Albright Hussey Manor Hotel and they are in the process of buying their first house together.

Welcome to....

Peter Allen, Team Leader. Peter is an Architect with over 40 years of experience, working in Ghana, private practice in Canada and the UK but mostly in Local Government. Peter was Head of Property at Crawley Borough Council and responsible for a full range of property related services. A change of life style opportunity arose in 2014 and Peter took the opportunity to move to Shropshire. Peter has just come from working for Staffordshire University acting as Project Manager / Client Liaison on a £20m enhancement and new build programme.

George Nutter, Building Surveyor. George has worked with architects and private practices within Shropshire and more recently working within the Housing Association as an Asset Surveyor.

He graduated with a Degree in Architecture from Bristol Polytechnic and spent several years working in the private sector. George’s industry knowledge is varied from general domestic work, new build individual houses to large scale speculative sites, offices, conservation and historic buildings and including void and tenant inspection works.

Paul Friswell, Building Surveyor. He has over thirty years’ of eclectic experience within the construction and property industry. Since qualifying as a Carpenter and Joiner he has developed and managed his own bespoke joinery and construction business specialising in the building, design and repair of traditional and historic buildings, particularly oak timber frame and vernacular buildings in and around South Shropshire.

He graduated from Reading University with a first class BSc (Hons) degree in Building Surveying and is an accredited Domestic Energy Assessor. As a holder of the Diploma in Home Inspection, Paul has been producing the SAVA Home Condition Survey for homebuyers which has been his speciality for the past ten years.

Wendy Bradley, Business Support Assistant. Wendy joined us on the 8th May 2018. She provides support to team leader, Phil Brown and his team of surveyors, designers and clerk of works.

Prior to this, Wendy spent 16 years working for Severnside Housing so comes with a wealth of knowledge and experience of dealing with property issues.

Goodbye to...

Electrical Surveyor, Neil Castle and Building Surveyor, Bethan Humphreys have left us recently to pursue careers in the private sector. Mechanical surveyor, Nick Breeze, also leaves us at the end of June. If any were your dedicated surveyor, dont worry, replacements have or will be allocated to you shortly. We will write to you soon to confirm the changes. In the meantime should you require any assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Nick Morgan our Trainee Building Surveyor is moving to Germany in June to join his wife and children.

Business Support also said goodbye to Di Le Gallia-Pound and Jo Clarke.

We wish them all good luck for the future.

Congratulations to...

Alistair Jones our Mechanical Engineer who proudly announced the safe arrival of his first grandchild, Alexander on the 24th April.

Promotions

Well done to Nathan Davies who has become a fully fledged Electrical Surveyor and Dom Evans, Building Surveyor who is tasked with developing our new 3D scanner.

Luke Blakeway and Martin Ellis have also been promoted to Senior Surveyors and will be leading the way on improving the group's compliance, specifications, processes and procedures.

Step Up To Feel Good Challenge

From Monday 16th April to Friday 18th May, the Business Support team will be taking part in the Council's Step Up To Feel Good Challenge.

It is part of the Council's Feel Good Employee Wellbeing project, designed to promote and encourage the improvement of mental and physical wellbeing of employees.

Fundraising

Severn Hospice Dragon Boat Race

After reaching the finals last year, we are delighted to announce that we will once again be taking part in the Dragon Boat Festival, which returns to Shrewsbury School Boat Club on Sunday 8th July 2018.

Our fancy dress theme this year is ‘Horse Jockeys’ and our team name is ‘Hold your Oarses’.

We are committed to raise a minimum of £1,000 in sponsorship and details of our just giving page is below. Donations would be most welcome. https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/psg-jockeys

Wear it Woolly for Age UK

The winter months can have a devastating impact on the health of many older people. 24,000 older people in the UK are expected to die prematurely from the cold this winter, approximately 300 of those in Shropshire. One in three people couldn't afford to heat their homes properly last year and with continuing high fuel costs, that figure could be even higher this year.

That's why Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin was asking everyone to Wear It Woolly in February to help Spread the Warmth in Shropshire.

PSG did just that and raised £43!

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