Post Apprenticeship Progress

The apprenticeship format works well for our business and for the students we take on. Real life work scenarios partnered with a wealth of experience from our teams help nurture and support their learning. The site working environment facilitates the acquisition of knowledge that a classroom is unable to offer.

We caught up with Cameron and Jack to hear how the last 12 months have rolled out since finishing their engineer apprenticeships.

    

Cameron – Level 4 Construction and Built Environment at York College: July 2021-23

Since starting my apprenticeship with Moortown, I have worked on two large scale sites in the York area. Over the last 12 months, I have been based at a high security prison site called HMP Millsike where there is currently a huge extension being constructed. This project is set to be the UK’s first all-electric prison, and witnessing the scale of resources has been mind-blowing. With so much daily activity moving at a rapid pace, there’s never been a dull moment. Post apprenticeship, my continuation of learning and knowledge has grown so much more by remaining on a site which I first arrived on as an apprentice. Being surrounded by a collaborative hub of teams and a mixture of several sub-contractors and trades, has been incredibly insightful.

My role as an engineer has steadily expanded. Doing things such as setting out for bases, ducting and drainage around site and delegating work for others. I’ve become much more familiar with recording quality assurance and making sure things are done correctly to a high specification. These are just some examples that have helped me increase my confidence levels over the past year and gain a stronger sense of professional acumen.

It’s a personal highlight to see the progression of this project. When I first arrived at HMP Millsike, the site was a large empty space, and now, as I move onto my next site at Huddersfield University, it gives me much pride to see it move nearer to completion and to have been part of this project.

    

Jack – Level 3 Civil Engineer technician at Leeds College of Building: July 2021-23

I started my apprenticeship back in 2021 for a duration of two years, where I was initially based at a big Next Distribution Centre in South Elmsall for 18 months. Following this, I have been working on a mixture of sites and locations for varying lengths of time. This includes the HMP Millsike prison, Halifax Bus Station, Montagu Hospital in Mexborough, Parkgate Park & Ride in Rotherham and I’m now currently at the North Lindsey College in Scunthorpe.

All these projects have presented me with endless learning opportunities, working amongst different site teams and contractors. It has expanded my learning very quickly, and I have felt the benefit of increasing my responsibilities in the last 12 months, as it’s shaped and boosted my confidence levels.

On a daily basis, I am tasked with setting out on site, surveying the work done and sourcing the correct and latest drawings to ensure that everything is done to a high standard. A key moment for me which stands out is embracing more responsibility at the Mexborough hospital project, as this meant I was working independently for some of the time but also acquiring new skills and knowledge from others when setting out. Overall, this has really helped me to advance my engineering capabilities.

We are extremely proud to see our apprentices develop and thrive as they pave out their own route into their chosen career journey and establish a well-earned, qualified role. We invest a significant amount of our time and resources to finding students who have lots of potential and are passionate about a future in engineering in the construction industry.

New Appointment Finance Director

We are delighted to share Greg Akroyd has been welcomed onto the board of directors as Group Finance Director on the retirement of Graham Hunt.

Greg joined in May 2023, and in the short time that Greg has been with the business has demonstrated the same values and ethics upon which the business relies. Whilst the appointment is new, Greg has essentially performed the function of the role since earlier this year and has been instrumental in modernising the accounting processes of the business. He has also overseen the successful introduction of new auditors for the group which cannot be underestimated.

Greg commented,

Having been welcomed into the business last year I’m delighted to have joined the Board of Directors and excited by the opportunity to provide support to assist with the continued success of the Group.

Congratulations Greg, onwards and upwards!

3 Years of Transformation at Aire Park

After three years of continuous work in the South Bank area, we thought we’d take a moment to reflect on this city centre regeneration project, by taking a closer look at the visible transformation that has risen out of the ground at the former Tetley Brewery site.

Appointed as the Principal Contractor for Vastint UK, the developer behind the scheme, we first arrived on site back in July 2021. Since then, the project has progressed substantially, and we’re delighted so see the recent completion of 1 and 3 South Brook Street, the first phase of this project. To emphasise the large scale of this development (when it reaches full completion), there will be over one million sq ft of mixed-use office, retail, leisure and commercial space with an eight-acre public park.

As part of our PC role, we’ve kept a critical eye over the plan, control and management of the logistics, health and safety elements of the project, ensuring the site runs smoothly and efficiently at a peak of 300 workers.

Our works to date have included an array of groundworks, drainage, services, and external hard landscaping to three buildings. In addition, there has also been the construction of a new 260m long road including new foul and surface water drainage, incoming gas, HV, LV, data and comms, ducting ready for feeding future buildings, tarmac, kerbing and paving ready for public use.

   

Overview:

Substructure to 1 & 3 South Brook Street

• Approx. 2,150m³ of foundation concrete including the formwork and reinforcement, 3x core bases constructed and fully tanked with Cetco products,
• Approx. 1,000m³ in ground floor slabs, including 2 large retail units with raised access floors,
• 320m³ of reinforced concrete upstands and columns formed and cast with 650 starter bars accurately placed ready for the precast construction method to fix to,
• Over 5,000m² of Kingspan insulation and over 8,000m² of Cetco waterproofing systems to foundations, slabs and slab perimeter,
• 1,550m of drainage for the building connected into the main S104 drainage system, 40+ manholes, 30 of which were rectangular shaped to allow space for services to fit under the hard landscaping footprint,
• Full hard landscaping package to plot area or circa 2,200m², including the supply and install of a 5-colour mix granite and a 3-colour mix Kellen all laid and grouted with Ultrascape products, Breedon Self binding gravel to nature areas and street furniture from Evans PCC Benches and walls down to Marshalls Cycle stands – all tied into the main infrastructure layout.

Installation of the New City Park areas

• Working in close proximity to the Tetley building, AQL and Bupa and maintaining their ability to stay open during the course of the works,
• In total over 7,000m² of paving split over several zones including 1,850m or kerbing and edgings, all bedded and jointed with Ultrascape products,
• Paving included a 5-colour mix granite and a 3-colour mix Kellen. Edgings including granite kerbs, granite edgings, AluExcel edgings and timber edgings,
• The entire park has a complex HVM strategy all supplied and installed by Moortown. This included 34 high spec ATG Bollards (SP40, SP400, SP1000), including hydraulicly operated bollards linked to the LCC system for operation and management. System also included 220m of gabion baskets coupled with HVM boulders to maintain both the defensive line to the park and the nature-based theme of the park,
• Installed circa 700m of ACO slot drains, 600m main drainage runs and 1,100m of land drainage with 9 soakaway tanks for dissipation,
• Prepare the main soft landscaped areas installing a clean stone layer to support drainage to circa 7,000m² and working closely with key trades such as Palmer Landscapes.

Site Wide Infrastructure

• Install foundations, services and tarmac to site welfare area with car park for 100 cars,
• Install foundations to substation to feed the current part of the project,
• 900m of S104 drainage up to 750mm dia pipes connected into the existing Yorkshire Water sewers system with a circa 950m³ adoptable attenuation tank with flow control device,
• 9000m of ducting installed under the South Brook Street, while also excavating trenches for gas and water utilities to be installed by others,
• Construction build-up of the road including kerbs and tarmac laid to falls,
• 8,000m of ducting under the park area with associated draw pits and chambers.

The project has seen a significant amount of ongoing activity and a substantial influx of resources that have seamlessly contributed to this stage of the project. The the next phase of offices (Mu4) is well underway, with more transformations soon to follow.

 

 

Meet More Apprentices

With the recent release of GCSE and A Level results last month, the spotlight is back on future career paths and employment opportunities for young individuals. UCAS data revealed a significant interest in apprenticeship programmes, with 430,000 students exploring these options in 2023. However, the limited availability of apprenticeships (as indicated by the Government website’s publication) shows only 189,430 opportunities in England last year. This highlights a persistent lack of openings, and despite efforts to promote apprenticeships, the current number of apprentices in England remains below figures from a decade ago, emphasising the need for more opportunities to bridge the skills gap in various industries.

An apprenticeship with Moortown Group is a good way into the industry. Apprenticeships are open to anyone over the age of 16. As an apprentice, you will be fully employed and expected to work a minimum of 30 hours a week. We look for people who love a bit of adventure in their work and enjoy working outside getting their hands dirty. It is important they are fascinated by learning new systems and tools and work well as part of a team. There’s no barrier to becoming an apprentice other than their enthusiasm for the job, and we welcome applications from people of all backgrounds.

It is evident that the apprentices we have value the guidance and support they receive, feeling a sense of belonging and recognition within our organisation. We are excited to introduce some of our new apprentices who have recently joined our team. Here’s a summary of some of the faces we caught up with:

John-Joe Fahy (Aire Park)

I have chosen civil engineering to learn as much as I can about the built environment. Working mainly outdoors with lots of skilled people will help me develop both personally and professionally. Being part of creating something that is long lasting and useable is an exiting prospect.

   

Oliver Barton-Gray (Millsike)

I chose engineering as I enjoyed looking into the built environment and wanted to be a part of it.

   

Leon Barrett (Millsike)

I want a career as a site engineer to that I can combine technical skills with hands-on work.

   

Big thanks to our site teams and mentors for their continuous efforts in training and supporting these young individuals.

HMP Millsike Awards Sweep

We are delighted to share with you our success as winners in 5 out of 7 categories! A fantastic result for the Moortown team at this year’s Annual 2024 Project Award Presentation with Kier Group over at HMP Millsike in East Yorkshire.

We would like to thank Kier for taking the time to access and acknowledge our team’s relentless hard work, who have consistently gone the extra mile whenever possible and excelled in several areas of specialism.

Being part of a collaborative environment has helped ensure efficiency and drive positive outcomes. Congratulations is also in order to all the other subcontractors on this innovative project.

🏅 Contractor of the Year

🏅 Health & Safety – Contractor of the Year

🏅 Sustainability – Contractor of the Year (second year running)

🏅 Social Value – Contractor of the Year (second year running)

🏅 Contractor of the Month

We look forward to the following months ahead and seeing the project progress even further.

Up and running at Halifax Bus Station

Drone image courtesy of Calderdale Council

Last month marked the completion of the £20 million project in Halifax town centre – the redevelopment of the Bus Station for West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) and Calderdale Council.

We arrived on site in September 2021 and have been working alongside Willmott Dixon to help deliver this transformative project. We’re thrilled to see it is now in full operational use.

This new modern facility was constructed with a strong focus on increasing accessibility, safety and connectivity in order to improve the existing passenger experience.

With an addition of 40 trees being planted around the station, it further features several other environmentally friendly components such as electric bus charging points, bike parking, solar panels and a green roof of living plants.

As part of this multi-million-pound project, our works package included:

• Drainage and attenuation tank installation
• External services
• Construction of foundations and slab
• External works to the Bus Station but also extending to Northgate, Winding Road and Wade Street
• Supply and install of 19x DIRO bus barriers
• In-situ concrete walls
• 100m gabion retaining wall
• Various elements of contribution towards the refurbishment of the Sion Chapel

Due to the phased construction, temporary works were put in place where required in order to keep the bus station operational whilst works were commencing on site.

It has been a pleasure to be part of this latest milestone in the major regeneration work and transport improvements happening across Calderdale.

North East Project Recap

The start of the year saw several North East projects reach their full completion. Working predominantly in the Defence and Health sectors, we deployed a handful of various teams and kit to begin works on these sites.

Sunderland Magistrates Court

At three locations within the existing Magistrates Court building, we undertook basement infill concrete works. This meant there was restricted working room, and extra considerations were required when working in a live building environment.

• Value: £100k
• Duration: 6 weeks
• Client: Galliford Try

HMP Northumberland

As part of the Government’s ongoing Rapid Cell Deployment Scheme, our works package included the foundations, drainage and services works to facilitate new modular prison cell units. Working in a prison environment with restricted access and shorter working days, was a logistical and time keeping challenge for the programme. Extensive works installing the drainage and services around already existing services were achieved using through specialist kit, our Vac Ex machine. Not only did this save on man hours and accessibility, but also enhanced safety measures.

• Works value: £2m
• Duration: 40 weeks
• Client: Galliford Try

   

Sunderland Eye Infirmary

As part of the City’s ambitious Riverside masterplan, we are currently on site at the Sunderland Eye Infirmary with Kier Group. This is a four-storey concrete frame construction; inclusive of all new concrete foundations, ground floor slabs, upper floor slabs, columns, walls and lift / stair cores, including all associated below ground drainage and services works; plus a new associated Energy Centre compound including foundations, ground floor slabs, eternal yard slabs and associated below ground drainage & services works.

• Value: £9.7m
• Duration: 50 weeks
• Client: Kier Group

    

More updates to follow over the coming months.

Large Scale RC

We have an extensive track record in the delivery of significant reinforced concrete works throughout the UK.

Over the last ten years, we have delivered reinforced concrete yard slabs on several new build ALDI Distribution Centres.

These schemes all have more than 50,000m² service yards.

Other project examples include:

• ALDI Goldthorpe (Barnsley) – Concrete Service yard = 52000m²
• ALDI Chelmsford – Concrete Service Yard = 50,000m²
  
• ALDI Cardiff – Concrete Service Yard = 54,000m²
• ALDI Isle of Sheppy (Kent) – Concrete Service Yard = 55,000m²
• Aldi Sawley (Notts) – Concrete Service Yard = 52,000m²

Regarding our expertise in the reinforced concrete sector, we have a significant track record of delivering substantial RC works including RC Frames.

We have a dedicated division within the group, as well as owning Leeds Acro – a specialist supplier of formwork to the RC Sector.

Careers Talk for Primary School

It’s Careers Week at Tranmoor Primary School in Doncaster and we were kindly invited to deliver a presentation to all of their Key Stage 2 group.

Big thanks to our guest speakers Kev Baker and Tanisha Wyatt, who walked the children through an engaging and insightful presentation on working in the construction industry.

As well as talking about groundworks and reinforced concrete, further conversations were had around many more roles available over the duration of a building project.

Myth buster topics included:

• Construction is NOT just for men…
• Construction is NOT just building houses…
• Construction is NOT an outdated job…
• Construction is NOT unskilled and anyone can do it…
• You need to be big and strong to work in construction…

After a Q&A session, various PPE was given to willing volunteers to wear, along with guessing day-to-day tasks from photos and naming various kinds of plant equipment.

Andrew Mynett, Year 6 and Assistant Headteacher commented:

Thank you so very much for all of the time and effort that you put into delivering such a fantastic presentation. There was a real buzz among the children and staff about the business and the opportunities that are available in the industry. Also, a thank you for all of the lovely gifts and prizes, which the children definitely responded positively to. A huge credit to the company for doing this – it really does make a difference and I hope that in the room today there will be some quantity surveyors and project managers of the future.

It was a joy to attend and we hope the the children felt encouraged and open minded about any previous perceptions regarding what a person looks like or speaks like, highlighting that anyone can aspire to be any kind of professional. Such a warm welcome from the staff and children.

Employing the Vac-Ex

We’ve been delighted with last year’s new addition to our Plant fleet. Our Vacuum Excavator Truck has been put to work non-stop since, and this has further supported our two tracked vacuum excavators which have already been in use across the business awhile now to help manage the associated risks with buried services.

There are many advantages of using this machine compared to the traditional method of manual excavation. Our team at the HMP Bullingdon project were first to get their hands on it and have been very impressed using this efficient piece of kit.

Our model is the ESE 6 RD 10000 RSP Suction Excavator, which offers a 6.10-m-long articulated hose carrier and a collecting tank of up to 8 m³ with optional pressure or high-pressure water systems.

What can they do:

A designed machine that uses the power of suction to remove earth and ground materials safely and quickly. The suction tube draws the material up and into the holding tank within the excavator and are then able to excavate up to 4m³ per hour without requiring any manual labour.

These machines can vary in size, with smaller excavators being used in hard to access areas, and larger machines being employed for open spaces. The large suction arm is then remotely operated from a safe distance.

Excavation techniques such as Vacuum Excavation provides a safer and reliable way to excavate. Trenching or excavation is included in the remit of HSE, and they have regulations relating to excavation. Excavation can be a dangerous process, due to collapsing earthworks and by using the vacuum excavation method it will carry out the excavation in line with the latest regulations and standards.

    

What are the environmental benefits of Vacuum Excavation? 

• Using excavator results in fewer vehicles on-site, ensuring the carbon footprint is much lower than if traditional digging methods were used.
• Vacuum excavation creates far less dust than other methods. Our excavators suck all the spoil directly into the skip. This allows the site to be kept tidy for the workers, as well as the public if working in a residential area or city centre.
• Through the use of a vacuum excavator, the size of the excavation size can be reduced by up to a third, compared to the traditional methods. This not only uses less energy but also creates a smaller footprint on the site.
• As an efficient method, vacuum excavation targets precise areas and reduces spoil to a minimum. With less spoil produced, there is less mess, less tipping, and less to recycle, providing cost and environmental benefits to the project.
• With excavation being a quicker and more thorough process than hand digging, Safe Excavation will ensure the project is completed within project deadlines.

Top 3 Advantages of using a Vacuum Excavator:

1. Quicker method to get the task done / cost effective

• A vacuum excavator can clear a large area of ground in a short space of time.
• Manual excavation is notoriously slow, but an excavator will quickly and efficiently remove large quantities of earth and other extraction materials. This efficiency is reflected in the reduced cost per cubic metre.
• The comparative cost of vacuum excavation services when compared to manual excavation is impressive. To clear a cubic metre using the suction method costs £44, whereas using manual extraction costs £75.
  

  Image courtesy of RSP

 

2. Safer process to achieve results / less danger posed to the workforce

• Cable strikes are a major risk during excavation and can be lethal. Vacuum excavation can remove earth from around utilities and cables without damaging them, significantly reducing the associated risk.
• Another benefit of using the vacuum method is that it reduces the amount of dust produced during excavation. With more traditional forms of excavation, workers are at risk from increased dust in the air, which can have long-lasting health implications.
• When using a vacuum excavator, the dust is sucked inside the excavator helping to maintain healthy air quality. To prevent air contamination, the vacuum uses a 42-filter system that ensures no dust will escape.

Image courtesy of RSP

 

3. Precision of tool application / less harmful to the environment / minimal disruption and damage to surroundings

• A skilled operator can excavate earth from around tree roots without damaging the roots or tree. This allows work to be carried out around tree roots, or even move large trees with substantial root formations.
• This same precision is important in heavily built-up areas, where there are many structures close by which could be affected by earth movement.
• Using vacuum excavation compared to traditional digging open excavation reduces the amount of earth that needs to be removed.