News reports located on this page = 2.

Hugh Baird College selected to 'fast track' the next generation of Bricklayers

THE Construction Industry Training Board has (CITB) has chosen Hugh Baird College in Bootle to launch a new Brickwork Academy to help:- 'fast track' the next generation of bricklayers. The aim of the Academy, which is also working with students and College's from across the UK, is to improve the chances of Brickwork students in gaining employment at the end of their course and help fill the current skills gap in the Liverpool City Region.

The CITB has identified that 59% of those who unsuccessfully applied for construction jobs since finishing their course said it was because they lacked the work experience that employers required. The high demand for more Bricklayers in the Liverpool City Region was identified in the 2018 Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Construction Labour and Skills Research Report.

Vicky Edwards, Hugh Baird College Assistant Principal - Technical Skills, said:- "We are delighted to have been selected by the CITB to pilot the new Brickwork Academy initiative. This development compliments our commitment to address the skill gaps in the Liverpool City Region's workforce and our strategic vision to ensure our students progress to successful careers upon completing their studies at Hugh Baird College."

A cohort of Hugh Baird College students have been chosen to take part in the academy in partnership with participating local employers and are completing an additional 7 weeks of practical skills training. They will undertake their work experience and additional pre-site training together at the Knowledge Quad, construction company Morgan Sindall's multi purpose learning space located on site at the City's landmark Paddington Village site.

Barry Roberts, Morgan Sindall Construction's Managing Director for the North West, said:- "In order to successfully tackle the skills gap and develop the workforce our industry needs to thrive in the decades to come, innovative approaches to education and learning are needed. Brickwork Academy represents just that, and also mirrors the work we've undertaken in recent years in focusing on the importance of enabling new entrants into the industry to gain onsite experience early in their training."

Following this, the group will undertake their 24 week placements with 3 projects the company is delivering for Liverpool John Moores University and Merseyside Police. In addition to developing their practical trowel skills, the extra training will support the students to be prepared for a career in the construction industry, covering topics such as employability skills and self employment.

Steve Radley, CITB Strategy and Policy Director, said:- "We're really encouraged by the enthusiasm shown by the colleges and employers involved in the Brickwork Academy. We hope that its results will make the case for expanding the Academy approach with more employers and into other trades, to join together with other CITB initiatives to help more learners become site ready for employment."

For more information about the Bricklaying and Construction courses available, at Hugh Baird College, visit:- HughBaird.AC.UK/Construction. For more information about the Construction Industry Training Board, visit:- CITB.Co.UK.

City vision for Upper Central to be talk of the Town

A major public consultation on plans to upgrade the traditional heart of Liverpool City Centre will launch on Monday, 15 July 2019. Running from Central Station to Liverpool Science Park and Lime Street to Bold Street, Upper Central is seen as key to the future development of the City's blossoming Knowledge Quarter (KQ Liverpool) which currently employs 7% of the City's workforce.

Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson, said:- "Upper Central is vital to this City's economic future and such is the scale of its potential it will be a huge employer for generations to come. This gateway project is now the final piece in the jigsaw to connect the site to the rest of the City Centre and complete the wider regeneration of Lime Street, Mount Pleasant and Brownlow Hill. Its impact cannot be underestimated and I'm sure this draft SRF report will create a much need debate about how we ensure the future growth of this hugely important area."

Liverpool City Council wants it to be an international standard gateway site to the ₤2bn flagship regeneration scheme, and has today approved that a public consultation can begin on a draft Spatial Regeneration Framework (SRF) to help shape the future direction of the 56 acre site.

The 8 week long consultation will be supported by a new website for people to provide feedback online and will feature 4 public events:-

► Monday, 15 July 2019, from  12noon to 5pm at 2a Franceys Street, L3 5YQ (access from Brownlow Hill)

► Thursday, 8 August 2019, from 1pm to 6pm at FACT, Wood Street.

► Tuesday, 20 August 2019, from 10am to 3pm at Central Station.

► Thursday, 5 September 2019, from 1pm to 6pm at RIBA North West, Mann Island.

The focus of the draft SRF will be how Upper Central can become a magnet for digital, tech and creative sectors with the aim of providing 3 key goals:-

To maximise the opportunities of 2.5million sq.ft of new developments (larger than Liverpool ONE), with potential to create up to 7,000 new jobs.

A new sustainable, walkable and recognisable gateway location within the City, promoting pedestrian movement, increased dwell time and a positive 1st impression to millions of residents and visitors arriving into the City Centre at Lime Street or Central Stations.

Neil Lucas, Director at Avison Young said:- "We are pleased to be able to share our vision and ideas for Upper Central. The SRF area represents the new heart of the expanded City Centre and is a key part of the ongoing regeneration of the City. The SRF sets out an ambitious framework to return this area to its former glory through positive placemaking with exceptional new public realm, infrastructure, and exemplary architecture, and we look forward to receiving feedback from the public."

To ensure high quality public realm that creates a place that is distinctly Liverpudlian and attractive to occupiers, residents and investors.

Led by a team of independent planning experts, the draft SRF has looked at how best to redevelop the Lime Street area around the Adelphi Hotel, Central Station and Mount Pleasant whilst dovetailing Liverpool John Moores University's Copperas Hill site, plans for the Fabric District and various private sector schemes such as Circus Liverpool at the old Lewis's building.

Peter Swift, managing Director of Planit-IE, said:- "The Upper Central project enables the connection between the City core, Knowledge Quarter and the communities beyond to happen in a focussed and imaginative way. Through a network of repurposed streets and new public spaces, this key City District will further reinforce the gateway to the City and its ambitions for future growth."

To achieve this future development the draft Upper Central SRF is focused on 8 key themes:-

► Creation of a true gateway for Liverpool.

► Improving linkages to the rest of the City Centre and pedestrian experience.

► A mix of uses to create a quality of place and identity.

► Striving for high quality design, appropriate massing and landmark buildings.

► Provision of high-quality infrastructure.

► Holistic view of development context and creating a new City district.

► Preserving and enhancing heritage assets.

► Delivery and collaboration.

A major aspiration identified in the draft SRF is how to create a super crossing at Ranelagh Place, a new pedestrian experience along Renshaw Street and to promote a new pedestrian route to Lime Street Station from Copperas Hill to allow for improved access to the Fabric District and Paddington Village

Liverpool City Council, which recently acquired Central Station shopping centre and is overseeing public realm proposals for St George's Plateau, as part of the ₤45m City Centre connectivity scheme, has also set out an ambition to redevelop the Mount Pleasant Car Park area.

Colin Sinclair, Chief Executive of KQ Liverpool, commented:- "The phenomenal growth of KQ Liverpool, along with the ongoing regeneration of Lime Street, has shone the spotlight on Upper Central. It represents 1 of the greatest development opportunities in the UK and, alongside Paddington Village, will have a major impact on the City's economy, creating thousands of jobs, in science, tech, health, education, retail and leisure. The SRF will truly allow us to plan a world-class development, enabling Liverpool to continue to compete with any City in Europe."

The Council is also currently developing the ₤1bn Paddington Village scheme in the heart of the development zone and has identified the need to ensure development continues apace through to the retail district of the City Centre.

Once the final version of the SRF is approved by the Council's cabinet, it will be adopted as a Supplementary Planning Document to guide all future planning applications in the area and provide developers with detailed information of design and build issues including height, scale and massing of buildings.

Liverpool City Council, which is overseeing an unprecedented ₤14bn of development activity, has already adopted an SRF for the 10 Streets Creativity District and is looking to adopt further SRF's for the Baltic Triangle, Williamson Square and Mathew Street and is currently consulting on a draft SRF for the Commercial Business District.

The Upper Central SRF team consists of:-

► Avison Young – Strategic Planning and Consultation lead.

► K2 Architects – Masterplanning and Architecture lead.

► Planit-IE – Place-making and Landscape lead.