An ever-increasing number of the contractors working on the multi-leisure Xscape project in Castleford - on the site of the old Glasshoughton Colliery - are turning to Nationwide for powered access solutions. The development incorporates a ski slope and snow zone, an ice climbing wall, a 14-screen cinema, nightclub, skateboard park, Hollywood Bowl bowling alley and a health club, plus restaurants, bars and shops. The project is being carried out by Shepherd Construction and is currently utilising a wide selection of Nationwide's booms and scissor lifts.

Nationwide has been on site since steel erection commenced on the £57 million project, the second of its kind in the UK. Specialist steelwork contractor and long-time Nationwide customer, Wisconco, is using a total of 15 Nationwide self-propelled booms for the steel erection, while Apollo Cradles is hiring five booms for the installation of the guard rails and edge protection. Pro-Net UK, which has a national agreement with Nationwide, is undertaking the safety netting and opted for two Nationwide booms for the task, as did Roofdec, which is carrying out high level cladding installation.

Among the companies using Nationwide scissor lifts is Horbury Building Systems, which currently has 16 on hire to carry out the fire protection installation, with an expectation to hire a further eight machines.

Boom lifts are proving particularly popular on the Xscape project, which is due for completion later this year [2003], because of their ability to provide quick and safe access through the complex structural steelwork, a task for which articulating booms, in particular, are more than proving their worth. Among the boom lifts being supplied is the 40.1-metre working height, 24.4-metre outreach Genie S125, introduced into the Nationwide fleet especially for use when erecting steelwork.

The S125 offers a turning radius and degree of manoeuvrability that is said to be unsurpassed by any boom in the 24-metre plus category, thanks to an innovative four-wheel steer feature that includes front, rear, crab and coordinated steering functions. By activating a selection button, the control panel automatically adjusts the wheel position to match the selected mode, while the operator continues driving.

To date, over 24 Nationwide boom lifts have been hired for the project. In addition to the S125, these have included the 27.9-metre working height Genie S85 telescopic boom, the 20.3-metre working height Genie Z60 articulating boom and the Genie Z45 15.7-metre working height articulating boom. The scissor lifts on the project are the electric-powered, 11.75-metre working height Upright X32.

While the project is being managed from Nationwide's Leeds depot, units are also being supplied from the Sheffield, Leicester and Scunthorpe depots. Phil Thompson, who is based at the Leeds depot, is overseeing the project and says that Nationwide's success has been due to a number of factors.

He says: "The ability to meet every powered access challenge as it arises is vitally important on a project with this timescale and complexity. Contractors simply do not have the time to deal with several organisations." He continues: "The ready availability of a machine with the capabilities of the S125 was another major consideration in Nationwide's favour, as was the ability to offer a single point of contact throughout the project and provide operator training to the highest approved standards."

Nationwide is part of the publicly-quoted Lavendon Group plc and is headquartered in Lutterworth, Leicestershire. In addition to being the UK market leader with a hire fleet twice the size of its nearest competitor, the Group is also the European powered access market leader, trading under the name Zooom in Germany, France, Spain and Austria. All of Nationwide's depots comply with the company's ISO 9002 accreditation.

END

February 2003 Nat3.076a