CBD, Author at Howard Civil Engineering

Howard Civil Engineering’s £3.9m package to widen over 600m of road in Keighley is now complete!

Our work has seen two pre-existing lanes on Hard Ings Road widened into a dual carriageway and an additional lane constructed on Beechcliffe Roundabout.

Hard Ings Road was a renowned pinch point for commuters travelling between Keighley and Bradford, with road users frequently experiencing delays along the route. Howard Civil Engineering were awarded the contract from the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council to undertake improvement works in February 2019, with work commencing on site in May 2019.

In addition to widening the road, we have remodelled traffic islands and central reservations, installed new street lighting, pedestrian crossings, and road signage, and established a new drainage system.

Tony Kilbane, contract manager, said: ‘This was a very high-profile scheme in which the local community were deeply invested. There are a number of businesses along Hard Ings Road for whom we had to maintain access and hundreds of commuters who use the road daily.

‘Howard Civil Engineering’s community liaison programme has proved very successful; our fortnightly newsletter reached over a thousand subscribers and has received numerous compliments from readers who are grateful that we ensured they were informed of progress on the scheme and traffic management measures.’

Initial responses to the completed scheme have been overwhelmingly positive. Former Keighley town mayor Graham Mitchell has used the road multiple times since it reopened and noted ‘the reduction in traffic congestion and the high standard of the infrastructure is quite amazing.’

One local resident said the widened road has ‘transformed’ their journey to work and another commented that the increased road capacity is ‘beyond amazing and makes such a huge difference.’

In our final community newsletter, Howard Civil Engineering announced we have contributed over £7,900 in fundraising and donations and over 160 volunteer hours to the Keighley community since work commenced on the scheme.

*Howard Civil Engineering contracts manager Tony Kilbane (left) and Bradford Council project manager David Aspinall (right) oversaw the completion of the scheme.*

Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Regeneration Planning and Transport, said: “The improvements which have been carried out at Hard Ings Road are aimed at easing congestion, increasing road capacity, enhancing safety for road users, and boosting investment opportunities in the Keighley area. I’m delighted that it’s been so well received by members of the public.”

The scheme for Hard Ings Road was developed by the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council. The scheme received investment through the West Yorkshire Plus Transport Fund as part of the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) Growth Deal – a £1 billion package of government investment to accelerate growth and create jobs across Leeds City Region.

We are pleased to say that Howard Civil Engineering now have three fully qualified Mental Health First Aiders within our ranks!

Pre-construction coordinator Sophie Henderson has recently completed her Mental Health First Aid training and is now able to provide additional support and wellbeing advice to other members of our workforce both in our offices and on-site.

Sophie joins health and safety advisor Wanda Curtis, who completed her training last February, and HR & payroll manager Emma Wallbank, who completed her training last month.

‘I am pleased to be able to play in integral role in breaking down the stigmas which surround poor mental health within the construction industry,’ said Sophie. ‘This qualification means I am now equipped to build on the fantastic work already underway at Howard Civil Engineering, and ensure that my colleagues feel comfortable approaching me with concerns about their own mental health or the mental health of another team member.’

Whereas Wanda and Emma both attended two-day sessions to complete their training, Sophie opted for virtual training which fit easily into her working day.

‘I would like to give my thanks to Bill Ford who delivered the course on behalf of Workplace Mental Health Training,’ she said. ‘He was very knowledgeable and made my feel very comfortable. Although the course was online, I certainly felt that I got the most out of the sessions and feel very confident in utilising my training in the workplace.’

Sophie has certainly come a long way from the Health and Safety apprentice who joined us six years ago! Well done Sophie, and keep up the good work.

If you are experiencing poor mental health or have concerns about a colleague’s mental health and would like further advice, please contact any of Howard Civil Engineering’s Mental Health First Aiders who will be able to help privately and sympathetically.

Howard Civil Engineering have been awarded a £3.6m contract to deliver multiple products at the new Gateway 36 development in Rockingham for our new client, Harworth Group.

Gateway 36 is a new, high quality mixed-use development residing on the former site of Rockingham Colliery, just off Junction 36 of the M1. Totalling 127 acres, the new development will boast 198,000 sq ft of commercial space and 65,323 sq ft of unit space, over 2,000 jobs estimated to be created.

Following the successful delivery of the first phase of the development, permission has been granted for two subsequent phases to be developed including units suitable for light and general industrial use in addition to storage and distribution.

Howard Civil Engineering are assisting towards the delivery of the second phase with the construction of offsite highway works, onsite roads, and infrastructure, and the provision of major cut and fill earthworks, drainage, new utilities, and existing utility diversions.

This site is situated adjacent to Dearne Valley Parkway and there are a number of residential areas in close proximity to the site and the site entrance. These works must be conducted with the utmost sympathy towards our local community.

Read more on our scope of works for this project here.

We have successfully delivered a £1m groundworks package for Bader Academy, a new SEN (Special Educational Needs) in Edenthorpe, Doncaster!

Bader Academy is a 34,000 sq ft school which will offer provision for up to 100 pupils aged 5 to 19, and 50 members of staff.

Howard Civil Engineering were awarded the package from our client, Willmott Dixon, in August 2019 after providing numerous value engineering solutions and developing a robust build programme throughout the tendering process.

Included in the £1m package of works were the foundation and drainage works, the installation of services and reinforced ground floor slabs, the creation of a road and car park area and, finally, topsoiling and hard landscaping.

We also undertook an extensive archaeological investigation in advance of the main works in addition to caveating numerous potential environmental risks.

Doncaster SEN was our fourth project for Willmott Dixon following the successful delivery of works such as University Centre Rotherham and The Futurist, Scarborough.

Howard Civil Engineering are thrilled to continue our support for League One rugby team Keighley Cougars over the coming season with an upcoming match day sponsorship!

Keighley Cougars chairman Mick O’Neill (left) commented: ‘Match day sponsorships help us look after the players and keep the club running as it should. After what has been a very difficult year, we are very grateful for Howard Civil Engineering’s sponsorship. Donations such as these help us to continue playing rugby whilst also supporting our local community.

‘It is our hope that eventually we, alongside our neighbours Keighley Cricket Club, can transform Keighley into the sports hub of Bradford in the same way Headingley is the sporting hub of Leeds. Club sponsorship goes a long way to making this a possibility.’

Over the past 18 months, we have worked hard to establish positive relationships with members of the community local to our Hard Ings Road improvement scheme in Keighley, including the Keighley Cougars Rugby Club and Crossflatts Primary School.

‘We have developed a good relationship with Keighley Cougars throughout the duration of the project at Hard Ings Road due to the location of our works and its impact on the club,’ explained Howard Civil Engineering contracts manager Tony Kilbane (right). ‘The club has been very helpful and amenable the whole way through the project, so we are very glad to return their kindness by sponsoring a match.’

Howard Civil Engineering have also donated cricket covers to Keighley Cricket Club and built new playground equipment for nursery pupils at Crossflatts Primary School as part of our community engagement initiative at Hard Ings Road.

The scheme for the Hard Ings Road is being developed by the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council (CBMDC). The scheme has received investment through the West Yorkshire Plus Transport Fund as part of the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) Growth Deal – a £1 billion package of government investment to accelerate growth and create jobs across Leeds City Region.

Another Howard Civil Engineering team member has successfully completed their Mental Health First Aider certificate and is now qualified to provide support and advice for mental health both in our offices and on-site.

HR and payroll manager Emma Wallbank (right) embarked on a two-day course in Leeds with HR Training last week in order to enhance Howard Civil Engineering’s support of our employees’ mental wellbeing.

‘I am really glad to be able to provide greater mental health support for our workforce,’ said Emma. ‘The company is certainly keen for more team members to receive mental health training and encourage awareness and greater understanding of mental health across the business. In the current climate, it is more important than ever to look after our collective mental health and wellbeing.’

Emma joins health and safety advisor Wanda Curtis (left), who completed her MHFA accreditation last February.

Mental health in the construction industry has been an increasingly hot topic, with 57% of construction workers reporting poor mental health in a study published by Construction News in 2018. Howard Civil Engineering are committed to increasing awareness of poor mental health, including educating our team members on the warning signs and encouraging team members to discuss mental health openly in the workplace.

‘We are raising awareness of the support available to employees and the response so far has been very positive,’ commented Wanda. ‘In addition to assisting employees who approach us directly, we are also gathering information on how we can build on our positive work culture even further to alleviate some of the stressors faced in the workplace.’

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