CEW ran one of its most successful events on Tuesday to update construction professionals on the CL:AIRE Definition of Waste Code of Practice  – find out what was discussed.
Constructing Excellence in Wales (CEW), Natural Resources Wales (NRW) and CL:AIRE held a session that looked at the various scenarios for material reuse in the CL:AIRE Definition of Waste Code of Practice (DoWCoP), the operational boundaries and its interaction with other industry initiatives.

CL:AIRE or Contaminated Land: Applications in Real Environments is something everyone -  builders, developers, architects and engineers need to gain a knowledge of and the delegates were provided with an understanding of the headline considerations when using, or working alongside the DoWCoP.
The DoWCoP provides a clear, consistent and efficient process which enables the reuse of excavated materials on-site or their movement between sites. It can be used by individuals involved in development activities ranging from general earthworks to complex land remediation projects and is applicable to both Greenfield and Brownfield sites. The DoWCoP is summarised in CL:AIRE Guidance Bulletin 3 available to download here

The DoW CoP enables:

• the direct transfer and reuse of clean naturally occurring soil materials between sites
• the conditions to support the establishment/operation of fixed soil treatment facilities
• the reuse of both contaminated/uncontaminated materials on their site of origin and between sites within defined Cluster projects

When successfully applied the DoWCoP can bring about significant cost savings to those who have formerly used waste management exemptions and is a quantifiable indicator of sustainable development.

Since its introduction in September 2008, use in the industry has steadily grown. This has primarily been driven by increasing landfill costs, a growing emphasis on sustainable development (including earthworks) and the removal of familiar and widely used waste exemptions. It is also regularly being referenced in Planning Permissions and waste policy documents

CL:AIRE keep a Register of Materials and services which might fall within the DoWCoP. This helps to link material holders with projects requiring materials.

CL:AIRE hold  training courses enabling attendees to be confident in using or working alongside the DoWCoP.  Attendance on a recognised training course is also one of the requirements for individuals to register as a Qualified Person. There may be a possibility of holding this course in Cardiff dependent upon numbers. If you would be interested in attending such an event then please contact Constructing Excellence in Wales to register your interest.

Are you up to speed with the forward programme of planned local authority capital works? If not then you need to be, so find out how.

Visibility of work is crucial for everyone in construction to allocate resources, people and simply to be able to plan. It was also a critical element within the No Turning Back recommendations and the actions of the Construction Procurement Task Group.

Constructing Excellence in Wales (CEW) produced the ‘No Turning Back’ report in October 2010. The Minister of Finance subsequently endorsed its recommendations and set up the Construction Procurement Strategy Steering Group under Value Wales to take the report forward. The first of the recommendations was to improve the visibility of the forward  programme in Wales.

CEW already produces an annual all-Wales local authority forward programme and recently ‘piloted’ a sectoral programme of local authority projects  based on the Wales Infrastructure Investment Plan (WIIP) pipeline. As part of the objective of increasing the scope and detail of forward programmes of work in Wales, CEW is pleased to now release a sub-set for Wales of the UK Government’s Construction pipeline. This is essentially the programme for activities that are not devolved to the Welsh Government. It covers five sectors, namely: the Coal Authority, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Justice, Police Forces and Energy.

The total value for Wales of the 62 projects in the programme is £500m.

A prestigious residential development in Mumbles, near Swansea is soon to be complete giving the construction company - Gravan Construction Limited – the opportunity to fuse cutting edge construction techniques with ambitions for sustainability in this impressive project with prime coastal views.

The Amy Dillwyn Close development consists of a range of residential dwellings that feature magnificent views over Swansea Bay so it is not surprising that over 80% of the homes were sold off-plan.   The scheme was designed to blend modern and traditional design and features south or west facing gardens to maximise the sea view. 

Gravan Construction Limited, established in 1996 and based in Swansea pride themselves on delivering quality and best value.  This construction company operates with a positive and innovative approach and in line with the UKAS accredited management systems (ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System, ISO 14001:2004 Environmental Management System and OHSAS 18001:2007 Health & Safety Management System) they are continually improving their performance and seeking ways to adopt best practice.

Kevin Fitzgerald, Site Manager at the Amy Dillwyn scheme liaised with Recipro Wales, a collaborative project between Constructing Excellence in Wales, Swansea Care and Repair and the inventors of Recipro-UK to arrange the donation of surplus materials  from the site (that may otherwise be disposed of at landfill) to charitable organisations and community projects.

The company has corporate goals to minimise waste and maximise recycling so the decision to work with Recipro Wales to donate small quantities of construction and insulation materials was a natural fit.

Kevin explains:  “Sustainability is one of our corporate pillars and we have a long-term strategy with annual action plans.  Being able to donate small quantities of quality surplus materials is a real advantage, meaning that waste bills are reduced and we know that a community project will benefit from access to great quality materials accelerating their success.

“Gravan Construction Limited prides itself on awareness of current and future legislation and best practice in environmental management so making the connection with Recipro Wales was hugely beneficial”.

The materials donated to Recipro Wales as well as an extensive range of construction materials are now available for not-for-profit organisations to access at heavily discounted rates for use in projects – giving useful materials a second chance and avoiding costly disposal.  You can view items available for use here: Recipro-UK

If you are interested in finding out more and joining a growing network of businesses who are reducing site waste and supporting local communities, make direct contact with the Constructing Excellence in Wales representative, Jim Owen on 07913 993280 or email

Construction is one of the most traditional sectors within the UK’s economy; often regarded as male dominated, sexist and sometimes a very harsh environment to survive within – so is the notion of equality gaining any traction?

From arguments about lack of opportunities for women through to bullying behaviour of colleagues on site and a culture of risk and a lack of respect for rules, construction’s own culture has often left a lot to be desired. Whilst things have improved as society continues to demand higher standards in terms of performance and behaviour, just how far has the theme of equality progressed in construction?

The ICE is organising this topical discussion, taking place on 5th November between 5:30pm and 7:30pm, chaired by Joyce Watson AM, chair of the All Party Group on Construction. The speakers will give presentations explaining how issues of respect, fairness and inclusion are being addressed within their own organisation and how they intend to deal with the opportunities and problems presented by a diverse workforce.

The four speakers are –

• Cath Schefer – UK managing director, MWH
• Professor David Kennedy – deputy director of the Cardiff School of Engineering and professor of structural engineering, Cardiff University
• Alun Davies – business executive, Alun Griffiths Contractors Ltd
• Dawn Turner – head of pension fund management, Environment Agency
• David Rowlands, Chair ICE Wales Cymru will give the welcome and Cynnal Cymru (Sustain Wales) is co-hosting this event.

Light refreshments will be served at 5.30pm before the lecture, which starts at 6.00pm. After the presentations, the speakers will take questions from the audience.

Please book your place online here

The discussion takes place at Trevithick Lecture Theatre (T2/09), Cardiff School of Engineering, The Parade, Cardiff, CF24 3AA