Category: News

O’Brien win a place on PAGABO Civils and Infrastructure Framework

Following the award of a place on the ‘National Framework for Demolition and Land Remediation’ on the 10 May, the company is delighted to be awarded a place on a second PAGABO framework.  After a rigorous tender exercise we have now won a place on the  ‘PAGABO National Framework for Civils and Infrastructure’.

The PAGABO framework place will provide O’Brien’s clients with the confidence that we have proven high standards of health and safety, commitments to social value, and net zero targets, proven expertise, and financial stability as well as a proven track record of completed projects.

The framework will allow our clients who utilise the PAGABO frameworks to appoint us to carry out works through direct award or invite us for further competition for their projects.

Director Tom O’Brien commented “we are delighted to have secured a place on a second PAGABO framework. We are now able to offer a straightforward procurement route for our clients, whilst giving them the confidence to place orders with us as an approved contractor with a proven track record. We look forward to working in collaboration with clients to deliver schemes through the frameworks.”

Better Procurement

The PAGABO frameworks makes procurement quicker, easier, and more effective. They help public sector organisations across the UK, by providing EU compliant framework agreements, – delivered and backed up by a team of MCIPS qualified procurement professionals with a vast range of experience who support clients throughout the procurement of projects and beyond.

Simpler Procurement

The PAGABO system provides a simplification of the procurement process, which is less onerous, less costly and time consuming, whilst making the processes more transparent, simpler, and faster.

Embedded Social Value

Pagabo aims to embed Social Impact and Social Value through every procurement and guide suppliers of how to deliver more Social Value through their contracts, as well as provide Social Value guidance to suppliers.

https://www.pagabo.co.uk/news/pagabo-reveals-winners-for-l1-56bn-civils-and-infrastructure-framework

https://obriencontractors.co.uk/obrien-win-a-place-on-pagabo-demolition-and-land-preparation-framework/

World Bee Day – Concentrating on the Solitary Bee Species Today

Having done some research on Bees for World Bee Day, I found that there were bees that lived solitary lives, with no hives (I was a poet etc…), so decided to concentrate on the solitary bees for todays awareness day!

We love bees at O’Brien so much we have beehives in our garden at the office for our honeybees!

Over 200 out of 275 bee species in the UK are solitary bees, the rest are bumble bees and we have just one species of honeybee.  That surprised me!

Solitary bees do not produce honey and don’t live in a hive, however they are very important! Female solitary bees are prolific pollinators, carrying out the majority of pollination in Britain, (the males are purely for breeding and then unfortunately, they kick the bucket after completing the task)! They are also quite small in size, with an extremely weak or ineffective sting – even more reason to welcome them into your garden.

Let’s Get Planting for the Bees!

Bluebells, hellebores, forget-me-nots, crocuses, grape hyacinth, mahonia japonica and rhododendrons, hollyhock, snapdragon, aquilegia, aster, delphinium, foxgloves, fuchsia, geraniums, heather and lavender abelia, anemone sylvestris, dahlias, salvias, sedum and  verbena bonariensis, alliums, astrantia, deutzia, erysimum, lavender, pulmonaria. They particularly love blue, yellow and purple flowers! Let’s get planting!

Bee Bombs are Great for the Bees, Throw it and Grow it!

 

Let’s Get Building for the Bees!

Building a bee hotel is one of the ways you can help or using just one Bee Brick in your building project is the other.  We are installing a bee hotel on one of our current projects and will update you on this when the project is completed!

Build a bee hotel and involve the kids!

Bee hotels can be made for pretty much pennies, with most of the materials lying around the average garden or a good rummage in the local woods or park, so a great project to involve the kids in.

Use a plant pot or old tin can and put pieces of cut cane inside, or one full of leaves, an old fence post with drilled holes or use some basic carpentry skills,  or you can buy some luxurious style ones.  Whatever you decide the bees will love you for it!  A couple of links below for simple bee hotels.

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2020/04/how-to-build-a-bee-hotel/

https://friendsoftheearth.uk/bees/make-a-bee-house

Use a Beebrick in your construction project

Bee Bricks come in all sorts of colours, with each brick containing cavities in which solitary bees can lay their eggs before sealing the entrance with mud and chewed-up vegetation, which will hatch the next spring with no further involvement from the queen.

O’Brien will be encouraging our clients to include a bee brick in their construction projects, to be used in replacement of a standard brick, adding an ecologically friendly twist to their project .

 

 Some of the Solitary Bee Species

• Carpenter Bees – found in logs and tree stumps
• Masonry (or mason bees) – found in mortar joints or brick walls
• Miner Bees – found in the ground
• Leafcutter bees – nest in soft, rotted wood, thick-stemmed pithy plants
• IVY bee – nest suitable sloping sandy banks
• Flower Bees – nest in the soil, & high-up sites.

 

Following a robust competitive tender exercise, O’Brien are delighted to have been awarded a place on the brand-new £1.1 billion demolition and land preparation framework.

The framework has been developed to provide clients with confidence that the  organisations on the framework are monitored and audited, ensuring that they maintain a high level of safety and provides clients with compliant access to suppliers with expertise, allowing the client to redevelop existing estate stock and develop on brownfield sites.

Director Tom O’Brien commented “we are delighted to announce we have successfully secured a place on the PAGABO Demolition and Land Preparation Works Framework and look forward to working in collaboration with clients to deliver schemes through it”.

https://www.pagabo.co.uk/news/breaking-things-down-pagabos-l1-1bn-demolition-framework-awards-announced

The framework is now live.  If you have schemes that you want to procure via this Framework, please get in contact.

It’s award time again!

Owen Keogh has been awarded our quarterly ‘Outstanding Employee Award’ for the first quarter 2022, for his hard work on our Shire Lodge Cemetery Extension project in Corby.  Owen was presented with an award certificate and will also receive a cheque for £500 in recognition of his hard work.

Project Manager Kevin Brennan said “I would like to nominate Owen due to always working diligently and safely on all tasks asked of him on the Shire Lodge Cemetery Project”.

The project that Owen is working on involves extension of the grass cemetery, construction of internal roads, footpaths, drainage, visitors car park, hard and soft landscaping and an amenity building.

O’Brien values the skills, experience and dedication of our site teams.

In recognition of this, we have for many years run the ‘Employee Outstanding Achievement Award’. The award goes to a member of one of our site teams each quarter to coincide with our quarterly newsletter.

Project Managers nominate the operative that they think has gone above and beyond for the previous quarter and the candidate with the most recommendations wins the award. In recognition of their outstanding contribution, the winner gets a £500 cheque and a certificate in recognition of their hard work.

O’Brien Contractors are delighted to be working with St Modwen, Wakemans, and Rodgers Leask on one of the largest regeneration schemes in the UK, at their exciting West Longbridge mixed use development site, next to the River Rea. Longbridge is a long-term £1 billion initiative to breathe new life into one of Britain’s most famous industrial areas. As home to ‘The Austin’, Longbridge was once Europe’s largest car factory and gave birth to visionary automobiles including the iconic Mini. Today, a new identity is being forged for an thriving mixed-use hub of workplaces, homes, shops, cafes, event spaces and parkland, where residents, businesses, students and visitors can live, work, study and play.

Our works include S38, S104 which consist of earthworks, full carriage/cycleway, utility services, storm/foul water drainage, and landscaping works to form green areas for public use. These works unlock building plots to allow future development to commence which will bring additional employment to the local area.

For more information on the development at Longbridge

https://longbridgebirmingham.co.uk/work/work-space/

Using the latest machine technology on site.

https://obriencontractors.co.uk/the-latest-technology-on-board-our-two-brand-new-ec220-volvos-in-action-in-the-midlands-this-week/

 

Bedford Town Park Project Vision Continues to Shape Up Nicely!

O’Brien started on site late 2021 to carry out works, including earthworks, multiple bridge constructions and hard and soft landscaping to create a brand new and very impressive town centre park and a greenway recreational area.

The scheme is really starting to take shape on this project site with the works on The Town Park and The Greenway showing massive progress on site.  The Town Park and The Greenway will connect the 4 new village communities together on this wonderful development when completed!

Our Project Manager said “The project is progressing well and we are beginning to see signs of the finished product. We have recently installed a new playground and the bulk of the planting works have been completed site-wide, the site team continues to work hard towards our completion.”

We have had some great weather in recent weeks, which has been of great importance for progressing the works on site.

It will certainly be very exciting to see the finished project completed in the next few months!

Our two brand new EC220 Volvo’s in action out on site in the Midlands this week.

O’Brien Contractors have once again invested in the latest state of the art GPS X-53x Auto Machine Control System which guarantee accurate dimensional and level control.

This ensures our right first time approach is achieved, with minimal engineering input.

Integrated power

The X-53x system features fully integrated, multi-constellation GR-i3 receivers for precise positioning of the boom, stick and bucket. The GR-i3 is designed as an integrated GNSS receiver and antenna, providing powerful performance in harsh environmental conditions. The automatic option includes custom joysticks and an integrated hydraulic control valve.

Accurate and Efficient Systems with Remote Technology

O’Brien’s use of these systems alongside our centralised IT systems and mobile communications allows our engineers to remotely monitor, measure, and make changes quickly in ‘real-time’ as a response to changing conditions or any changes in design.  The system also allows our engineers to provide remote support to drivers, helping them deal with any problems which may arise.

As part of National Apprenticeship week, we decided to put the spotlight on our apprentice Bradley Walters who is currently working on our Shire Lodge Cemetery Extension project in Corby.

At O’Brien, our apprentices get on the job experience and training and spend 1 day per week at a training centre or university so will come away with an industry recognised qualification or degree. There are no limits or boundaries in terms of progression within the company and we encourage everyone to take an initiative-taking approach to their job, to put themselves forward for training that will develop their skills and discuss ways in which they can advance their career.

We asked Bradley some questions on his apprenticeship with O’Brien Contractors:

Bradley came on board with the company in 2019 age 25 after a member of staff recommended the commitment of O’Brien to its apprenticeship scheme and also told him about the company’s values and commitment to staff training and progression. Bradley has been working on various sites for the last 3 years for four days a week to gain practical experience and studying one day a week at Solihull college for his qualifications.

Collaborating with different staff members on site, for around 6 months at a time, he has found this helpful to gain different experiences and approaches to the tasks he conducts on site.

Bradley has so far completed his HNC Civils and is currently working on his NVQ Level 4 in Construction Management and HND Civil Engineering. He has also received Buried Services, Cable Detection qualifications and is a qualified First Aider on site, as well as having his CSCS card. Bradley gets about in his company van to attend site and his college courses.

Bradley said “I really enjoy working at O’Brien as everyone is friendly, helpful and they make me feel involved and included. I find it easy to approach all members of staff including the Directors, who are involved with the projects. If I need someone to speak to or need assistance everyone is extremely helpful, and nothing is too much trouble.”

His long terms plans are to complete his NVQ 5 & 6 as well as SSMTS qualifications, and a selection of other courses that are available through the O’Brien training programme to eventually become a Project Manager.

See our careers page for details of apprenticeships: https://obriencontractors.co.uk/careers/

For further details on NAW2022 see: https://neaan.org.uk/naw2022/

Following formal inspection of our project sites  by SAPCA, O’Brien Contractors Ltd are delighted to have gained formal recognition and approval from SAPCA (Sports and Play Association) for the construction of natural turf pitches.

O’Brien have been members of SAPCA (Sports and Play Association) for a number of years for artificial turf pitches and MUGA’s, and decided it was time to request formal recognition and approval for natural turf pitches which we have been constructing for many years.

Notable recent projects have been our Western Park Project Phase 1 and Phase 2 where we constructed several natural turf pitches as part of the project and our current project at Old Saltleians RFC where we are also constructing several natural turf pitches.

O’Brien’s Sport Facilities Expertise and Experience

O’Brien offer turnkey solutions for multiple sports facilities, ranging from rugby, football, hockey pitches to stadiums and arenas.

We have a wealth of experience in sports pitch construction and we are one of the first large contractors to be able to offer turnkey solutions for multiple sports facilities, ranging from rugby, football, hockey pitches to stadiums and arenas.

This capability is maintained in-house by our team of experts who have a proven track record of delivering a diverse range of design and build sports projects to exacting client specifications.

We offer a full range of sports pitch services, including:

• Full design and build construction projects
• Synthetic and multi-use games area (MUGA) pitches
• Pitch renovations
• Natural sports pitches
• Total solutions for sports pitches

The sports installations that we deliver include natural sports pitches, such as those used for rugby, football and cricket, and synthetic and Multi Use Games Area (MUGA) pitches with surfaces suitable for just about every sport and user, from professional sports teams to schools and communities.

We provide the total solution from concept to construction to design and build all Synthetic and Natural Sports Surfaces.

SAPCA Quality System

SAPCA’s Quality System ensures that only specialist companies that can consistently deliver high standards of sports and play facilities can join SAPCA and then remain as members. Members must have a proven track record and trading history, with SAPCA checking that contractors are able to offer clients the necessary high standards of workmanship and must also meet financial stability criteria.

Standards of design and construction

SAPCA has a series of Codes of Practice that set out the industry’s standards of construction. SAPCA members must comply with the required construction specifications and quality of completed work.

Inspection of contractors’ projects

In order to ensure that SAPCA contractors continue to deliver high quality facilities, the Association has an inspection programme, through which checks are carried out on a selection of members’ projects, both during construction and on completion.

https://sapca.org.uk/

The Old Saltleians RFC training ground development is progressing at a pace, with the steel frame for the new clubhouse taking shape this week and completed ahead of programme, providing a great start for the building works.

Since starting on site in November 2021 we have completed the cut and fill works, earthworks, the foundations for the building and under the guidance of ecologists, the works to the existing pond and a new pond has been formed on site.

Whilst the weather over the last few months has created challenges, these have been overcome to keep the programme on schedule.

Keeping it Local and Recycling

To date we have brought to site over five thousand tonnes of recycled material avoiding the use of primary aggregates and recycled material has been sourced locally to reduce transport distance and impact on road users and the environment.

Materials were used to create the access road onto site as the first operation to provide access for construction works and avoid carrying debris onto the surrounding roads.

We are providing local staff resources for this project, achieving reduced travel times to site, meaning a decrease in travel time for staff, contributing towards reducing our emissions.

Community Relations

Fundamental to the success of the project is our ability to minimise impact and disruption to the local environment given the site’s location within a busy residential area with housing adjacent to the site.

Keeping residents informed is important and with this in mind a pre-start meeting was held with the local parish councillors and letter drops conducted to keep residents up to date on the works.

No complaints have been received.

Old Salteians RFC Project Overview

Works commenced on the project with a formal ground-breaking ceremony on 25 November 2021, for a 12-month duration to deliver a fantastic new facility for Old Saltleians, who are relocating due to HS2.

O’Brien are using our in-house civil engineering & construction expertise, along with our extensive sports development experience, delivering a turnkey design & build solution for the client.

The scheme includes a brand-new club house, associated access roads, car parks along with seven natural turf pitches and associated infrastructure. This will be a fantastic development for the club, the rugby, and local communities for generations to come.

The scheme follows on from our hugely successful scheme at Aston Villa training ground, which has been testament to our skills and capabilities when it comes to providing outstanding turnkey sports facilities.

 

ilities.