The successful Manor Vale Lane Flood Relief team at the CECA (Yorkshire & Humber) Awards

The scheme, delivered by Mott MacDonald Bentley (MMB), a joint venture between JN Bentley and Mott MacDonald, was recognised for its health and safety record, levels of innovation, workforce involvement, interaction with general public and participation with client Yorkshire Water.

The judges were particularly impressed with the 24 letters of praise the team received from local residents (versus no complaints), and the accident frequency rate of zero.

Flood relief works at Pasture Terrace in Beverley, East Yorkshire, were also shortlisted by CECA in the Contract of the Year category.

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This is the second time in three years that JN Bentley has won the Linda Grant Health and Safety Award after reservoir works at Riding Wood in West Yorkshire secured the same prize in 2011.

For a comprehensive list of JN Bentley award success in recent years, please click here.

The Centenary Trophy awarded annually to the best civil engineering project constructed within the region, was presented to representatives of MMB and Yorkshire Water by the President of the Institution, professor Barry Clarke, at a Gala Dinner held at the Majestic Hotel in Harrogate.

The successful Rivelin Water Treatment Works Team

Rivelin Water Treatment Works has a treatment capacity of 75MI/day and serves customers to the west of Sheffield. The £7millon project included the design, construction and commissioning of six manganese contractors, together with associated pipework, chemical dosing and treated water holding tank.

A portion of the existing pipe network was re-used and significant financial savings were made on the original scheme by liaising with the Rivelin Valley Conservation Group and the planners to substitute timber cladding in place of stone. 3D Building Information Modelling (BIM) has been used by MMB for some time but the Rivelin model had the greatest level of detail yet, used to produce drawings and in virtual tours. Savings were made through the efficient design which minimised the building footprint.

Commenting on the award, John Bowes, chair of the judging panel said, “The effective design led to considerable cost savings and the site had an exemplary safety record. The whole team committed to collaborative planning and doing what they said they would do. This approach led to the scheme finishing on time and within budget.”

There was further success for MMB when the Flood Relief Scheme at Pasture Terrace for Yorkshire Water and the East Riding of Yorkshire Council was commended by the ICE.

During June 2007 homes in Willow Grove and Pasture Terrace, Beverley were engulfed by metre-high flood water, with damage to a number of individual properties. The Flood Relief Scheme combined a new flood wall with increased sewer network storage. The judges praised this dual approach, commenting that, “The project demonstrated a high degree of collaboration between the various stakeholders and resulted in an efficient solution to the common problem of flooding, benefiting the community greatly.”  

The scheme at Pasture Terrace was commended by the ICE

MMB parent company JN Bentley was also successful at the awards ceremony, receiving a certificate of commendation for its project restoring Linton Falls Hydroelectric Power Station in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The project scored highly on sustainability and care for the environment, with the comments particularly focusing on the community involvement including the educational opportunities offered to numerous schools.

More details can be found on the ICE website here.

The awards presented at the CECA (Midlands) Annual Dinner at the Hilton Metropole Hotel, Birmingham, recognised entries which demonstrated the Site Managers had a ‘real impact’ on the overall success of the project.

Alastair Sayers’ project at Shifford’s Bridge for client, Severn Trent Water involved the upgrade of an existing Water Treatment Works, which required MMB to construct and install a new Nitrate Treatment Plant, housed in a new steel frame and clad building.  

Work gets under way at Shifford’s Bridge

Not only was the project delivered ahead of schedule and on budget due to the efforts and dedication of the whole site team, Alistair ensured everyone had an excellent approach to health and safety and successfully managed any environmental risks, including thrice daily checks for potential pollution. One of the greatest achievements of the scheme has been the level of innovation and the promotion of sustainability throughout the project.

Stewart Bowmer, Area Manager East and West, for Severn Trent said “I am impressed by the collaboration and team working and your personal approach in dealing with stakeholders’ and Operators observations, opinions and requirements. I think Shifford’s Bridge is one of the best managed and tidiest construction sites I have seen.”

Simon’s scheme at Barnhurst similarly impressed the judges due to the timely and financially successful delivery of the project and attention to quality, all whilst maintaining the highest standards of health and safety, teamwork and leadership throughout.

Barnhurst Sewage Treatment Works

The Site Manager of the Year Awards builds of JN Bentley’s recent success with CECA in November, which saw the company receive Commendation Awards for Selset Reservoir Hydroelectric Scheme and Horden Passive Mine Water Treatment Scheme in the CECA (North East) Project of the Year Awards 2012.

At the Project of the Year Awards, from left to right: Steven Ord (B&CE), Steve Collins (JN Bentley Ltd), Philip Bentley (JN Bentley Ltd) and John Dixon (CECA North East)

The schemes fought off strong competition from a number of other entries, as the judges looked for projects which demonstrated an excellent level of health and safety management, pro-active control of environmental issues and implementation of sustainable solutions, the management of any engineering challenges, quality, and craftsmanship, to name but a few.

For a full list of JN Bentley’s awards and accreditations, click here.

The Heritage Angel Awards, celebrate the effort and expertise individuals, groups and organisations from all over the country put in to saving derelict and severely damaged historic landmarks from being lost forever.

More than 200 award applications were received over 4 categories, which were narrowed down to a shortlist of just 4 in each –with heritage experts considering the passion, perseverance and imagination of each project alongside the scale of the challenge and how well it had been tackled.

Linton Falls before the restoration

JN Bentley carefully restored the turbine house at Linton Falls – situated in the Yorkshire Dales National Park – in 2011.  Two Archimedean screws were installed so that the site could once again produce hydroelectricity, something it had been originally built to do back in 1909. 

The original plant, which generated the first electricity for the nearby village of Grassington, ran until 1948, when the arrival of the National Grid made smaller power stations economically unviable. Exposed to the elements, the abandoned turbine house gradually fell into disrepair, losing its roof, windows and part of its masonry.

Jon Cain, Engineering Director at JN Bentley, said: “JN Bentley spent a number of years in talks with the Yorkshire Dales National Park, English Heritage, local residents and authorities and, thanks to everyone’s determination, Linton Falls is working again. We’re extremely pleased to have helped preserve such an important industrial monument. The site can tell us much about the early days of electricity generation – it was a pioneering site in the past and is again 100 years after it was first built.”

Members of the public visit Linton Falls during one of the open days

The English Heritage Angel Awards were presented at an awards ceremony at the Palace Theatre in London’s West End.  JN Bentley’s Linton Falls Hydroelectric Power Station narrowly missed out on securing the main award, which was presented to a restoration project on the Droitwich Canals, in Worcestershire.

Films of the Angel Awards finalists can be viewed here.

JN Bentley has recently held a number of open days enabling members of the public to visit the power station, with several more planned for 2013 as part of the Festival of British Archaeology and Heritage Open Days. Please click here for further details.

Barnhurst Sewage Treatment Works was first developed in the mid-1800s and now treats 1740 litres of water per second.  Severn Trent Water, keen to raise awareness of what happens at sewage works and to explain to customers what they should not flush and why, decided to hold a Heritage Open Day on site offering visitors the opportunity to take a guided tour and discover the history of the works.

JN Bentley provided extensive support for the event, including a presentation on the project and a viewing area for visitors which overlooked the construction site.  Over 150 visitors came to see the sewage works and JN Bentley was praised by Severn Trent for all their assistance, and feedback received after the event was excellent.

Simon Papiernik (second from right) with employees from Severn Trent

As part of the new works at Barnhurst, discussions were also held with Wolverhampton City Council to discuss any potential improvements that might be made to the local environment. As a result, council officers welcomed the opportunity to extend and replant an existing wild flower meadow in a nearby park. Site manager Simon Papiernik alongside employees from Severn Trent planted 2000 fritillaria meleagris (snake’s head fritillary) bulbs to enhance the local area. Simon and the rest of his site team also helped to erect bird and bat boxes in the local area.  

The planting gets underway

Krishan Birhah, asset optimisation manager for Severn Trent said,  “For me this is a very good example of the successful working relationships we have with our contract partners, not only delivering a £1.1m scheme to improve our assets and provide better discharge into our canals, but working well with Wolverhampton City Council and improving our local environment and conservation”.  

The works at Barnhurst Sewage Treatment Works have been delivered as part of Mott Macdonald Bentley’s AMP5 framework with Severn Trent Water. The works have been completed to an exceptional standard with numerous client personnel making positive comments on the quality and the standards the site team had set.

Barnhurst Sewage Treatment Works

Lee Bailey, Sam Bainbridge, Tom Clayton, Jordan Garside, Matthew Handley, Ross Lacey, Kyle Lister, Jake Meredith and Alex Simkins have all joined JN Bentley’s in-house programme, which will last approximately two years.

The company’s first in-house apprenticeship scheme, launched in 2010, came to a successful close in late 2011 and all four apprentices that completed the programme now work full time for JN Bentley.

Following on from this success, the step was taken to continue the scheme allowing a larger number of apprentices to participate. This attracted a number of applicants to the scheme, principally via family links to existing employees. 

The nine new apprentices will be based across the country on sites in Yorkshire, Durham and Shropshire.

Each apprentice has been paired with an experienced JN Bentley mentor, and will work to achieve a Level 2 QCF Diploma in Construction and NVQ Level 2 in General Construction. 

The new apprentices meet the JN Bentley team in the new training centre at Head Office, Skipton.

As the scheme has been designed 100% in-house it enables the apprentices to obtain additional ‘tickets’ and experience that is linked directly to the type of work JN Bentley is involved with, alongside learning about JN Bentley’s core competencies and values.

The scheme also sees JN Bentley maintain its link-up with Craven College, who work closely with the company to monitor the apprenticeship programme. 

Susan Ramsden, Apprenticeship Co-ordinator at Craven College, said, “The apprenticeship link with JN Bentley has been very successful so far.  After four candidates completed the last scheme in 2011, we are now looking forward to seeing nine apprentices progress through the programme this time around.”

All nine apprentices have begun in the right manner – each already having passed their first assessment just two weeks into the course.  The CITB-ConstructionSkills’ Health, Safety and Environment Test ensures that workers have minimum levels of awareness before going on site.  Two apprentices even achieved full marks.  

Pictured above is JN Bentley’s group of four apprentices, who completed their course in late 2011.

The beginning of the 2012 apprenticeship scheme also signals the completion of a new training centre at JN Bentley’s Head Office in Skipton. As well as providing a learning centre for the new apprentices, the training centre will accommodate a range of further in-house training, including NVQs and company inductions.

JN Bentley is also working with external training providers to develop bespoke training courses to be delivered in the new training centre – designed to cover JN Bentley-specific standards and procedures.

Peter Brodie, Jamie Boswell and Richard Grayshon, joined by Matt Tickner, covered the 912 miles in only 9 days.

Enjoying a well-deserved refreshment break!

The team set off from Land’s End on Saturday 18^th August 2012 and, cycling an average of 100 miles a day, battled against a variety of ferocious weather conditions.  Their route saw them pass through Oakhampton, Bristol, Lancaster and Dumfries, to name but a few.

Peter, Jamie and Richard all regularly participate in sporting events to help raise money for charity. In 2011, all three completed the Great North Run raising funds for WaterAid, whilst Peter also completed last year’s Vitruvian Triathlon for ActionAid.

After completing the 912 mile cycle ride. (From left to right: Peter Brodie, Jamie Boswell and Richard Grayshon)

The total raised to date from the cycle ride is £1386.00. And if you would still like to make a donation there is still chance by visiting the team’s fundraising website:  http://www.justgiving.com/LeJoG-for-Martin-House-Childrens-Hospice.

Martin House Children’s Hospice is based in Wetherby and provides care and support, free of charge, to families in which there is a child or children with a short life expectancy. Its aim is to provide a home from home with a lively friendly atmosphere where children and their families can enjoy the best quality of life.

National Engineering and Construction Company JN Bentley has been working with Esk Energy since 2008 during which time Esk Energy have secured funding towards the cost of the project through a community share issue along with the necessary planning and license permissions.

The Archimedean screw turbine arriving at the River Esk, Whitby

JN Bentley, as principal contractor, has been on site since May 2012 after completing the design for the scheme as well. Work to date has also included the refurbishment of the existing Environment Agency fish pass and its conversion to a Larinier-type fish pass to help increase salmon and sea trout stocks in the River Esk.

The arrival and installation of the screw turbine signifies a key milestone for the project, which is now on target to generate power by the end of October 2012. The Archimedean screw is so-called because it relies on a device invented in Ancient Greece by mathematician, physicist and engineer Archimedes of Syracuse. Archimedes is credited with inventing the screw originally to move water upwards from the hold of a ship. This technology has been adapted at Ruswarp to reverse the principle and move water down the weir.

The turbine is lifted into position

The River Esk can send up to 4 tonnes of water down the Archimedean screw every second – forcing it to rotate. A generator extracts the energy made by the turning of the screw, turning it into electricity. The size and shape of the screws mean that smaller objects – like leaves or fish – can pass downstream through the screws easily and safely.

JN Bentley has many years’ experience working on hydropower schemes – including hydro-scheme development, run of river schemes, clean water and wastewater screw generators as well as turbine refurbishment and turbine decommissioning. JN Bentley’s own hydropower scheme at Linton Falls near Grassington in the Yorkshire Dales was recently awarded Contract of the Year by CECA (Yorks and Humber) and has been shortlisted for an English Heritage Angel Award.

Paul Luxton, Simon Kerr, Angus Ridge and Chris Glover, along with two colleagues from MGJV, completed the 171 mile route in only one day.

The team (from left to right): Paul Luxton (MMB), Chris Glover (MMB), Simon Kerr (MMB), Angus Ridge (MMB), Martin Perry, Dom Burland (MGJV) and John Martin (MGJV)

The Way of the Roses cycle route, which starts in Morecambe, passes through Settle, Ripon and York before finishing in Bridlington – a challenging route which would normally be completed over two days. 

The team, based at Yorkshire Water’s Asset Delivery Unit office in Leeds, also held a dress down day for colleagues, raising a further £174 for the Candlelighters charity. Both MMB and MGJV also contributed towards the team’s fundraising efforts, bringing the total amount raised to over £1000.

The team in action

Established over 40 years ago, Candlelighters is a Yorkshire based charity which provides essential services and support to children with cancer, and their families. It is run by the parents of children who have, or have had, cancer as well as former patients and the medical staff who treat them.

The team in Bridlington after completing the route

For more information on Candlelighters please visit their website at www.candlelighters.org.uk

Her Majesty the Queen switched on the rapids (Picture provided by Dave Charnley)

Philip Bentley, General Manager, and Jason Corrigan, Contracts Manager, were invited to attend the ceremony for this world-class facility which included a display of canoeists who travelled two of the water courses – named “Diamond” and “Jubilee” – after Her Majesty the Queen switched on the rapids. 

JN Bentley’s role on the White Water Course project involved civil engineering works to upgrade the main channel; the construction of the new short course and conveyor belt system; and the unique addition to the course – the design and installation of the four Archimedean screws, which are 12m long and 3.1m in diameter.

The Completed Tees White Water Project

The site is the only installation in the world where Archimedean screws are used as both pumps (to recirculate water and enable the course to operate at any state of tide) and generators (to export electricity into the National Grid).  The barrage offers white water rafting, white water kayaking and power-boating – and, following the recent £4.6m redevelopment, it is one of just a few Olympic standard courses available to competitors in the run up to the London Olympics 2012.

Notably, the project was also commended recently in the prestigious Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) Robert Stephenson Awards for technical engineering excellence and ingenuity in design.