Meeting schools in Harrogate as part of National Careers Week 2016

Our team enjoys getting out and about into the Harrogate community, meeting local residents and updating people with progress on-site at Knapping Mount. This week as part of National Careers Week 2016, our Group HR Director Phil Harris has been getting to know some local schools in Harrogate, introducing them to the project and promoting careers in Construction. Here he is meeting young people and their parents at St Aidan’s High School 

As the project progresses we are keen to engage local schools in the construction of this landmark project. If you are a Harrogate based school interested in finding out about how you can get involved, from bringing students for a site visit to gain an insight into the different roles of workers on the site, to assemblies hosted by our team, then please get in touch with our schools liaison officer Chloe Greenwood at chloe.greenwood@harryfairclough.co.uk

Meet the Buyer event success

Our Meet the Buyer event at Harrogate International Centre on the 18th February 2016 was a great success and we were delighted that so many local businesses came along to find out how they could get involved in this landmark project.

We along with Harrogate Borough Council and our team of subcontractors exhibited at the event, informing local businesses of the packages of work still to be let on the build and the process for getting involved. Exhibiting businesses included, Waterman Group, Bardsey Tree Services, Browne Civil Engineering, PHI Group, Comet Steel and Rotary.

The event kicked off with a presentation, introducing the scheme from Richard Cooper the Leader of Harrogate Borough Council, followed by the architect on the project, David Morland of Farrell & Clark, showcasing the vision for the new building and our Managing Director, David Jones, giving an update of progress on-site. This was followed by networking and over 100 local companies were invited along to introduce their businesses to our project team.

Harrogate College/ HCUK Training and CITB (Construction Industry Training Board) also attended to highlight the ways in which local young people can get involved, from work experience opportunities to apprenticeships and how businesses can access funding and support with taking on apprentices in the future.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all local businesses who took the time to attend the event.

 

Countdown to Meet the Buyer event 18/02/16

Our team is looking forward to hosting the ‘Meet the Buyer’ event this Thursday (18th February 2016) at Harrogate International Centre, 4-6pm. There are still places available so please sign up here if you are interested in coming along and finding out more about the project, the local businesses that we are working in partnership with, how we are engaging young people in the project and future opportunities to get involved in this exciting build.

Historic discovery at Knapping Mount!

As we near the end of the final phase of demolition onsite, we are pleased to have salvaged this huge stone from above the doorway of Knapping House, that bears the initials of its original resident William Henry Baxter.

Our site team was interested to know more about this impressive artefact and the man behind its construction and after a little digging of a different kind, unearthed the following interesting facts:

Born in Leeds in circa 1844 Baxter was a civil engineer, and author who lived in Harrogate with his wife and children. Owner of a road building equipment firm in Leeds, he is famous for patenting the ‘Knapping Machine’ which was used to break stones to make hard-core for roads. When he died Baxter was a pioneer in modern road construction and stone-breaking machinery and thanks to his success, was one of the first residents in the Harrogate district to own an electric car, which he used to commute to Leeds.

The stone featuring William Henry Baxter’s initials will remain where it belongs and be incorporated into the new building. We are proud to be part of Knapping Mount’s new phase of development creating an important civic hub for Harrogate for years to come whilst also maintaining a little bit of its history along the way.

Media release: Meet the Buyer event for the construction of council’s new civic headquarters

DATE PRESS RELEASE ISSUED: Tuesday 19 January 2016

 Meet the Buyer event for the construction of council’s new civic headquarters

Local businesses keen to be involved in the construction of Harrogate Borough Council’s new civic headquarters can find out more about the project at a ‘Meet the Buyer’ event next month.

The event which is being hosted by Harry Fairclough Construction, the Yorkshire based contractor behind the build, and Harrogate Borough Council, will take place in the King’s Suite at the Harrogate International Centre on Thursday 18 February from 4.00pm to 6.00pm.

The construction networking event will provide the opportunity for companies from across the Harrogate district, North Yorkshire and the Leeds City Region, to meet the main contractors, principal subcontractors and council officers,  and discover which contracts are available and how they can become involved.

Currently, there are a range of packages still to be let including:

• bespoke and specialist joinery
• suspended ceilings
• plastering
• partitions
• architectural metal work
• painting and decorating
• soft flooring
• fixtures and fittings
• signage
• catering and
• office furniture

Businesses already engaged in the project include architects Farrell & Clark, engineering and environmental consultants Watermans, Rotary Building Services, retaining solutions specialists Phi Group, Harrogate Scaffolding, Comet Steel, Browne Civil Engineering, Otis Elevator Company, and Bardsey Tree Services.

The event will also provide the opportunity for local businesses to build connections with other Yorkshire construction businesses for future projects.

In November 2015, work began at the council’s Knapping Mount site to demolish the current building ahead of construction of its new, purpose built offices. Construction of the council’s new headquarters will start early this year with a scheduled completion date of spring 2017.

The new headquarters will see council services operating from a single site rather than five separate locations. This will allow the council to offer better customer services and maximise staff efficiency by reducing duplication, sharing resources and streamlining processes and management arrangements. Moving to the new offices will see annual efficiency savings of around £1 million.

Councillor Graham Swift, Harrogate Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Tourism, Economic Development and Enterprise said: “The council is committed to working with local businesses in the delivery of this project and this networking event is the ideal opportunity for businesses to come along to see how they can become involved.

“It will provide the chance for businesses to learn more about the council’s plans, speak to a number of the contractors and subcontractors who will be in attendance, and discuss the packages which are on offer.

“We look forward to welcoming businesses to our ‘Meet the Buyer’ event and seeing how they can be involved in one of the most interesting construction projects to be taking place in the district this year.”

 David Jones, Managing Director, Harry Fairclough Yorkshire, said: “Our Meet the Buyer event is an opportunity for local businesses to find out more about how they can get involved in the build of this exciting project. We are committed to working with local businesses and have already engaged a number on the build so far.

 “We have also developed a partnership with Harrogate College to ensure that local young people are given the opportunity to experience construction in a live environment. Our team is looking forward to meeting new contacts on the day and showcasing the project to the local business community.”

 Businesses wishing to attend the event or find out more about the packages of work available can email jo@engagecomms.co.uk. Businesses can also register their attendance here 

Progress update: 14/01/16 back to the build!

Our team started back on-site in early Jan and we are now in the final stages of the demolition of Knapping House. We have salvaged an important piece of history that will be incorporated into the new building and will reveal more on this shortly! We are also pleased to welcome Leeds based excavations firm Moorhead to the site team and our focus for the next phase of activity will be on levelling the site in preparation for the installation of foundations and retaining walls. Don’t forget, for an up to date view of the site you can access our live site cam and view a time lapse video featuring progress so far.

w/c 21/12/15: Residents’ Christmas Newsletter from the Harry Fairclough site team December 2015

Dear Neighbour,

With the end of the year fast approaching we wanted to send you a quick update to let you know about some recent developments on the build of Harrogate Borough Council’s Civic Headquarters and what you can expect from us in the New Year. We would also like to say a big thank you to all residents who have made us feel welcome during our time at Knapping Mount so far and we look forward to continuing to be a part of your community in 2016.

Christmas site hours

 The site will officially close down for Christmas on Wednesday 23^rd December and we will be back in action on the Monday 4^th January 2016. If you have any questions or concerns about the site during this time please feel free to comment on this blog which will be monitored over the festive period.

 Watch us live!

 We now have a camera set up on the site that allows you to view the action ‘live’ and also features a time-lapse of works to date. This will provide a lasting record of our time spent building this important civic building. If you are interested in seeing what activity has taken place to date then take a look at: http://harrogatecivichq.com/live-site-cam/

 Our commitment to ‘keeping it local’

Our main focus for the last few weeks has been on the tree pruning/protection work and the demolition phase of the project, which has so far taken place at Brandreth House and the annex building. After Christmas we’ll also be making a start on the demolition of Knapping House. Working with local businesses is a major priority for us and we have worked with a number already, including Bardsey Tree Services, RGS Demolition, Harrogate Scaffolding and Browne Civil Engineering. We are also keen to develop future talent in the construction industry and have teamed up with Harrogate College for the duration of the project to offer local young people work experience and apprenticeship opportunities on this exciting build.

 Keep informed

We are continuing to update this project blog where you will find regular updates on the construction work and will also be able to ask questions and leave comments for our site team to respond to.

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,

Julian and the Harry Fairclough site team

Health and Safety update at Harrogate College

To kick off our partnership with Harrogate College, our Safety Manager Brian Goodacre was made very welcome by the College yesterday when he delivered a Health and Safety presentation to a group of construction students.

Brian’s talk covered important points about health and safety legislation, accidents, ill health stats and enforcement, providing students with a real understanding of the importance of adopting and adhering to safe working practices on a construction site.

Brian comments: “Thank you to the students for being such an enthusiastic audience and to Harrogate College for inviting us, we are very much looking forward to taking this partnership forward in 2016 and to providing students with the opportunity to experience construction first hand on this exciting project.”

 

 

Introducing project architect: Farrell & Clark

We are pleased to be working in partnership with Leeds-based architects, Farrell and Clark on the Harrogate Borough Council new civic headquarters project and we are working closely with them to ensure that we deliver the vision for the Knapping Mount site.

Background

Farrell and Clark are inventive, energetic and dedicated architects, master planners and sustainable designers with studios in Leeds and London. The firm has an excellent reputation for delivering quality architecture in both public and private sector projects. The practice has been recognised for the quality of their buildings with success in many national and regional awards.

David Morland, architect and partner at Farrell & Clark, explains why the firm was selected, the design vision for the final building and how it will enhance the local area for those living and working in Harrogate.

What is your vision for Knapping Mount?

Our main vision for Knapping Mount is to create an enjoyable and vibrant place for people to work and visit.  Paramount to this vision is the concept of spaces which support modern working practices and allow the Council’s services to work cohesively on the same site.

Our design of the new HQ and surrounding landscape embraces the existing attractive mature wooded parkland environment into which they are set. We have given key consideration to the wooded and grassed space with the development being designed to retain the amenity value and promote ecology and sustainability. Designed to be a highly sustainable building, Knapping Mount will contribute to building a lower-carbon world and become a building Harrogate can be proud of and identify with.

How do you think the design of the building will enhance the local area?

Knapping Mount has been designed with a great deal of care, consultation and attention to the local conservation area in which the building sits.

The form and shape of the building are distinctive and unique whilst the scale, materials and proportion respect neighbouring structures and the wider conservation area.

The design enhances the public amenity spaces, creating a network of pedestrian routes with additional woodland planting being introduced throughout, creating swathe of spring flowers in areas which are currently bare. The addition of a central courtyard links the existing formal footpaths to the West and St Luke’s Avenue. The development will provide a potential civic space to host small gatherings whilst also providing access parking.

The community will benefit from a new public entrance and customer service centre, whilst retaining the existing wooded parkland and amenity grassed area to the South approach.  A new central courtyard will link the informal footpaths on the West to St Luke’s Avenue.

Overall the development encompasses facilities which in turn ensure the council is able to provide a better services for residents and visitors.

Press Release: Work starts on demolition of Knapping Mount annexe

DATE PRESS RELEASE ISSUED: Tuesday 8 December 2015

Demolition has started on Harrogate Borough Council’s old prefabricated annexe at its Knapping Mount site in Harrogate ahead of construction of its new, purpose built offices.

Yorkshire based Harry Fairclough Construction is the main contractor for the project. They have been working on site since October to prepare it for the demolition of the current buildings, which is taking place between now and the end of the year. Yorkshire based RGS Demolition, is undertaking the demolition work. The company is committed to recycling, and wherever possible reclaiming materials for re-use. Construction of the new council offices will start early in 2016, with a scheduled completion date of spring 2017.

The new energy efficient offices, which have been designed by Yorkshire based architects Farrell and Clark, will see council services operating from a single site rather than five separate locations. Moving to the new offices will see annual efficiency savings of around £1 million. The move will also provide a platform to drive further operating improvements in the future.The prefabricated buildings that formed the Knapping Mount annexe were erected in 1974, and were originally built to last 10 years. Now, 41 years later, they are coming down to make way for a new energy efficient, customer friendly council headquarters.

Councillor Graham Swift is Harrogate Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Enterprise. He said: “The new council headquarters will enable us to be more efficient, making it possible for us to improve the service we offer our customers as well as providing long term savings for council tax payers.The project has been a long time in development so it is exciting to be able to see the results of that work taking place on the site.”

Julian Crane who is Harry Fairclough’s Project Manager at the site comments: “Demolition is now well under way onsite, making way for the new build activity to start in the New Year. We have worked with a number of local sub-contractors already on the project and look forward to working with more as it develops.”

Paul Jagger, Partner at architects Farrell and Clark said: “It’s always an exciting moment when a project which has been imagined in your head and illustrated on drawings starts to be realised on the ground. We hope that the design will help to deliver the council’s vision to provide better services for the people of Harrogate.”

Next February will see a dedicated ‘Meet the Buyer’ event taking place in Harrogate. Local businesses will have be able to meet the council, Harry Fairclough and major sub-contractors to find out more about the project, the opportunities to be involved in the project and how to bid for work packages.

Subcontractors can sign up for the event here.

ENDS