Matlock Cycling Club Hilly Time trial sponsored by BSP Consulting.

Matlock CC's Open Hilly time-trial sponsored by bsp Consulting took place on Saturday on what turned out to be an extremely windy afternoon. A very strong westerly wind made the going hard with all the competitors posting slow times except for the winner Julian Ramsbottom who seemed impervious to the wind.

The westerly wind was so strong that most riders were almost brought to a complete standstill up Moor Lane and along Long Rake. However, on the homeward leg from Newhaven the tailwind was so strong that most riders ran out of gears and were recording speeds in excess of 45mph!

There were 39 entries with only 4 did not start and all 35 competitors successfully completed the course. BSP Consulting contributed to the prize fund.

BSP expands its Leicester operation.

Six months after setting up an office in Leicester, structural, civil and transportation engineers BSP Consulting has expanded its workforce in the city to cater for demand.

The firm, which opened its third office in the region in De Montfort Street in December 2007, now has a seven-strong team working out of the office, and has secured contracts with fees valued at around £275,000 since setting up in the city.

Senior transportation engineer Jo Posnett and graduate civil engineer Greg Cunningham have joined the five employees who launched the office.

"Jo's move to Leicester, from our Nottingham office, means that we now have experts in the core disciplines of civil, structural and transportation engineering working out of this office," said Paul Elphick, BSP's senior structural engineer at Leicester.

"Greg's secondment from Nottingham has strengthened our civil engineering team. It's very good news that within such a short space of time BSP's Leicester office has expanded."

The team has gained a string of contracts since launching its office in the former Leicester Housing Association building. These cover the commercial, industrial, social housing and residential sectors.

Derbyshire Building Society 10k Sunday 20th April 2008.

Eight people from bsp took part in the Derbyshire Building Society 10k Run on Sunday 20th April on what turned out to be a wet and cold morning but excellent for running. From the Derby Office Clive Roddick, Tim Wilson, Craig Noonan, Rob Jones, Rich Swinhoe, Carol Fox and Chris Sharp all participated with Mathew Viggars the sole representative from the Nottingham Office. Clive, Craig and Carol were doing the race for the second time and had times to aim for from the previous year.

SWAN CONTRACT AWARDED.

BSP Consulting is working on its largest ever housing redevelopment project.

Over 1,000 new homes will be built on the estates in south east Sheffield, replacing older, non traditional housing, and aiming to achieve 50% affordable homes across the scheme.

The £135m redevelopment is a partnership between Sheffield City Council and Home, one of the UK's leading providers of affordable housing.

"SWaN is one of the largest regeneration projects of its kind in the UK, and the largest that BSP Consulting has been involved in," said Jef Todd, Associate Director at BSP, which also has offices at Nottingham and Leicester. "It's an innovative housing project, where sustainability is one of the key features, and BSP is delighted to be part of the large team that's working on this ambitious project."

BSP is the civil and structural engineer for all three estates, contracted by Home on Newstead and Scowerdons and by Leicestershire-based constructor William Davis Ltd at Weakland.

The company has designed the roads and sewers, and the foundations for the houses, as well as carrying out ground work investigations and drawing up green travel plans.

BSP predicts it will be working on the SWaN scheme for the next five years alongside other organisations and businesses that are part of the project, including constructor Mansells and architects Halsall Lloyd Partnership who are working out of East Midlands offices.

HOW WONDERFUL

There was a surprise visitor to the BSP stand at the Derby Property Show held at Derby County's Pride Park ground. Although this type of event is crucial for BSP in terms of generating new business leads, establishing new client relationships and strengthening existing ones, the appearance at this year's show of Wonder Woman was something of a surprise to those at the BSP stand at the time. However, after a brief chat about the services BSP could offer, (which she was obviously impressed with!) she unfortunately had to leave for a prior engagement. However, the photograph is proof that even super heroes take time out to visit us.

BSP Consulting looking after your health

BSP Consulting are involved in the design of a number of Primary Care Centres across the UK. BSP are employed by LSP, a Midlands based developer, to assist with the often complex civil and structural aspects of the projects.

The completed facilities provide modern and spacious accommodation for local GP practices and can include dentistry and a pharmacy. The designs are completed and a planning application granted following a large amount of third part consultation, including a CABE assessment.

The new schemes are generally situated within town centres and can act as catalysts and benchmark developments for future projects and regeneration proposals for the area.

Completing the triangle.

BSP Consulting has completed the triangle by opening its third office in the East Midlands in Leicester.

BSP Consulting launched in Nottingham in 1999, opened a second office in Derby in 2004, and has continued its expansion by opening a third office in Leicester.

Five staff will work from the new office at 24 De Montfort Street in the city - making it more convenient for clients the firm already has in the area, as well as making it easier for staff to work on the current projects it is involved in locally.

"BSP Consulting has grown from four staff to 54 staff since it was launched eight years ago, and it has always been our intention to expand across the East Midlands," said BSP Consulting director Dave Sumner. "We are delighted to open our latest office in Leicester. It's a city where we already have a number of clients, have strong links to architects, contractors and project managers, and where we have worked on several projects, including the refurbishment of apartments in Colton Street, Leicester."

The Leicester office for BSP Consulting - in the former Leicester Housing Association building - is headed by Paul Garton and Paul Elphick.

To contact them call 0116 2047766

Plum jobs, as company goes for the healthy option.

BSP ditching the biscuits for organic fruit as part of the Shape Up Notts campaign. Staff are now tucking into healthy apples, bananas and pears rather than munching their way through chocolate cookies and custard creams.

The move is just one of a number of initiatives BSP have introduced after chatting to staff about ways they could encourage a healthier workforce.

Other initiatives under BSP Consulting's healthy living campaign for staff include a company policy to subsidise gym membership for employees, the installation of covered secure cycle parking, lockers and showers, which mean staff can cycle or jog to work or during lunchtimes, and the provision of filtered water. There are also rewards for staff loyalty.

Graduates under training - Down Under.

BSP Consulting are in preliminary discussions with an Australian Contractor, Broad Construction, based in Perth, Western Australia, with a view to establishing an exchange of staff scheme. Meetings with representatives of Broad Construction in Perth have already taken place.

'We see a weakness in the present training requirements of the Institution of Civil Engineers regarding site experience' commented David Sumner (MD). 'Our idea is that our graduates under training could spend 12-24 months seconded to Broad Construction to gain vital site experience aswell as the lifetime opportunity of working in a different country'.

At the same time, BSP will offer design experience in this country to graduates of Broad Construction.

'We are keen on this initiative, for many reasons' stated David Sumner. 'Our longer term goal would be to establish an office base in Perth. We see this as an attractive recruitment pitch aswell'.

FRAMEWORKS - THE WAY FORWARD FOR HOUSING ASSOCIATIONS

As publicly funded bodies, Registered Social Landlords (RSL's) are having to comply with new EU legislation, requiring them to demonstrate competitiveness in the procurement of construction works for projects over a certain value. These generally have to be advertised Europe-wide in accordance with prescribed protocol.

BSP Consulting are very aware in these changes in the affordable housing sector of the construction industry. A number of RSL's have chosen to achieve compliance with this legislation by selecting a framework of consultants, contractors etc by a competitive process. In this way they can choose the most appropriate consultant/contractor for a particular project.

BSP have experience of these processes. They can be long, protracted affairs, often involving initial expressions of interest, financial tenders, presentations, interviews and office visits etc. BSP consider it crucial for future business security to be successful with selection as the framework agreements themselves can last upwards of four years.

BSP's concerted effort in this market has resulted in a number of successes, culminating most recently in being selected on the Riverside Framework which includes over a dozen RSL clients in total.

FUN ON THE RAPIDS!

On the 30th September 2006, (a mostly bright sunny day until the BBQ started), an 8 person team from BSP Consulting took part in a charity White Water Rafting competition organised by Lace Market Properties. The competition had in total 15 teams and raised £4,000.00 for two of Nottingham's local charities, Skylarks and the British Canoe Union.

BSP & WIP

BSP have joined the Midlands branch of the Association of 'Women in Property'. This is a unique organisation with a multi-disciplined membership from across the property and construction industry which provides the opportunity for women to enhance business opportunities through cooperate events, gain knowledge through seminars, exchange views and network at the members only events. Events attended so far include chocolate & cosmetics, fashion by coast, seminars on the eastside development and disputes in the construction industry, a clay pigeon shooting corporate event and the RICS Dinner. For information please see www.wip.propertymall.com

BSP QA ACCREDITATION

The quality administration systems of BSP Consulting were assessed and approved by Quay Audit Ltd to BS EN ISO 9001:2000 in June 2004. This certification expires in June 2007 but we are required to be externally audited on an annual basis to ensure our quality systems are continuing to meet the rigorous standards demanded by BS EN ISO 9001:2000. We are delighted to announce that the results of the recent audit carried out by Quay Audit Ltd in our Nottingham office in the beginning of July 2006 were excellent and our QA accreditation can continue for another year.

BSP SPONSOR AWARD

BSP consulting teamed up with New College Nottingham by sponsoring their Construction Award Ceremony.

BSP sponsored the Lawrence Cup which is awarded to the Best Student in Construction on the BTEC Certificate & Diploma.

The picture shows Martin Breakwell (Director at BSP) presenting the Lawrence Cup to Neil Farmer. Neil achieved eleven Distinctions out of twelve units completed to date and will be the first student to achieve a DDD qualification on the National Diploma in Construction.

12 Oxford Street, Nottingham NG1 5BG T: 0115 840 2227 F: 0115 840 2228
5 Pride Point Drive, Pride Park, Derby DE24 8BX T: 01332 374 880 F: 01332 374 889
Suite B, Floor 3, 24 De Montfort Street, Leicester LE1 7GB T: 0114 204 7766 F: 0116 204 7769