Bellway Site Manager George Carty has won one of the building industry’s highest honours. He picked up the Regional Award in the Large Builder category at the NHBC’s Pride in the Job Quality Awards Scotland Region lunch on 2nd October in the Hilton Hotel in front of an audience of
Managed Services has donated time, money and materials to a number of community projects across Wales. Managed Services, part of Travis Perkins plc, which provides maintenance materials and supply chain planning for public sector organisations, has joined in with several community projects and created multiple employment opportunities in Wales.
Crosslane Student Developments, part of the Crosslane Group, successfully unveiled its latest student accommodation development, Glassworks, at 36 Vauxhall Road, Liverpool on 30 September 2015. The opening ceremony was conducted by Liverpool MP Louise Ellman; Cllr Malcom Kennedy; James Metcalf, Co-founder and Director of Crosslane, and Andy Whatson, Director of
With Screwfix’s recent announcement of the potential opening of a further 200 UK stores, bringing the total to 600, the multi-channel retailer continues to focus on delivering convenience for busy tradesmen through its expanding network. Screwfix also reports how the trade is increasingly adopting the use of mobile technology
A letting scheme to help tenants find social housing in Salford and Trafford has launched a new facility, which will help tackle homelessness in the region. Salford and Trafford Home Search, an online tool which advertises social housing available in the area, has recently introduced ‘ready to let’ properties. The
VPS Site-Security designs a best-fit, cost-saving solution that combines human guards with innovative technologies On the eve of Construction Week, a £150 million Costain construction site along 14 kilometres of highway has provided material for a model-practice case study issued by VPS Site Security, the UK’s leading security solution
Bellway Site Manager George Carty has won one of the building industry’s highest honours. He picked up the Regional Award in the Large Builder category at the NHBC’s Pride in the Job Quality Awards Scotland Region lunch on 2nd October in the Hilton Hotel in front of an audience of 500 industry peers. George, from Cumbernauld, was entered for the honour after winning his fourth Pride in the Job Award in June. He was one of only five Scottish Regional Award winners and will represent Scotland in the UK Supreme Awards in London in January in the large builder category. He was also awarded a Seal of Excellence Award for excellence in on-site management. The awards were presented for his work on The Marches, a development of three, four and five bedroom stylish properties in Stepps outside Glasgow. George, who has been with Bellway for 12 and a half years, has been managing the site since 2013 and also recently won an NHBC Health and Safety Award. He said: “It was phenomenal to win the top award in Scotland for a large builder, words can’t really describe how I feel. It was a real team effort – every member of the team has to be 100% dedicated to even be in running for this kind of award and I am so proud of them all for their hard work.” Pride in the Job is the house-building industry’s most prestigious awards programme. Running for 35 years, Pride in the Job is dedicated to recognising site managers who achieve the highest standards in house-building. Fraser Conn, Sales & Marketing Director, Bellway Homes Ltd (Scotland) added: “George is a real star and a worthy recipient of this award. His enthusiasm is infectious, it inspires everyone around him to work harder and the quality of homes and the environment of The Marches is an enduring testament to his hard work. “I am sure George will have a few sleepless nights in the run up to the Supreme Awards in January but we will all be willing him on, he deserves every success.” The Marches is a family focused development with a range of three bedroom semi, three, four and five bedroom detached homes with prices currently from £187,995. Further information is available from www.bellway.co.uk
Managed Services has donated time, money and materials to a number of community projects across Wales. Managed Services, part of Travis Perkins plc, which provides maintenance materials and supply chain planning for public sector organisations, has joined in with several community projects and created multiple employment opportunities in Wales. Managed Services supports the local community around its branches by creating job and apprenticeship opportunities. 17 year old Osian Craig, joined Managed Services Gwynedd branch straight from school, following in the footsteps of his father who works for Travis Perkins plc. He says: “I am still learning something new every day particularly around customer service and operations. During my time on my apprenticeship, I have learnt how important it is to be part of a team and to work together. “Once I have completed my apprenticeship,” he adds, “I would like to continue to progress my career with Managed Services and Travis Perkins plc and eventually be in charge of my father!” Managed Services also makes a difference in the local community by supporting various projects and good causes, donating both money and materials, such as the recent £3,000 donation towards new playground equipment for the children’s oncology ward at Gwynedd Hospital in Bangor. In partnership with Wrexham Council, Managed Services has donated funds towards Plas Pentwyn Community Gardens and undertaken the renovation works on the Coed Y Poeth Football Academy changing rooms. Managed Services has also donated materials to a number of housing associations, from Morfa Cadfan in Tywyn to Halton Housing across the border in Chesire, helping to build everything from sheltered housing to community planters. Stuart Hough, Managing Director of Managed Services says “It is fantastic to be able to work with so many different community projects across Wales. We are really looking forward to continuing our work on a wide range of initiatives as well as providing employment and training opportunities.”
Crosslane Student Developments, part of the Crosslane Group, successfully unveiled its latest student accommodation development, Glassworks, at 36 Vauxhall Road, Liverpool on 30 September 2015. The opening ceremony was conducted by Liverpool MP Louise Ellman; Cllr Malcom Kennedy; James Metcalf, Co-founder and Director of Crosslane, and Andy Whatson, Director of Crosslane Student Developments. The total development value is approximately £18.5 million. Glassworks is a high specification development featuring 323 purpose-built rooms in a mixture of en-suite flats and self-contained studio apartments. The property offers the fastest student broadband in the city. All studio apartments come with their own private kitchen and en-suite bathroom, as well as ¾ sized bed, study desk, chair and flat screen TV. Whilst the en-suite flats have their own shower rooms these are perfect for students wanting to make new friends, having a large shared living room and kitchen with leather sofas to socialise. Directly opposite the Avril Roberts Library, and within walking distance of John Moores University, Liverpool University and the city centre, the contemporary high quality development offers the ideal home for a modern student lifestyle. With four popular higher education institutions, Liverpool has a student population estimated to be over 50,000. With such a strong history of popular culture, Liverpool is an attractive and vibrant city for students and a significant and established tourist destination. The development will be operated by Crosslane’s operational platform, Prime Student Living, which provides management, marketing and letting services for student accommodation assets throughout the UK, and has recently signed a Nominations Agreement with Liverpool John Moores University for 180 beds for the 2016-2017 academic year. Crosslane Student Developments bought the site, a former glassworks factory, in March 2014 and immediately engaged Pochins Construction Limited as the main contractor for Glassworks who successfully developed the property according to Crosslane’s specifications. Commenting on the opening, Andy Whatson, Director of Crosslane Student Developments, said: “According to Liverpool council’s recently published student accommodation review up to 34,000 students need accommodation in Liverpool every year. We are pleased that we are able to help meet that demand with our newly opened site at Vauxhall Road and are keen to explore other opportunities in this vibrant city.” Louise Ellman MP who officially opened the event said: “I am delighted to have officially opened Glassworks, the first property to be completed in Liverpool by Crosslane Student Developments. Liverpool is a booming student city and an attractive place to work and invest. With 50,000 students spread across four higher education institutions we have huge demand for quality student accommodation which is why we’re delighted that Crosslane has developed Glassworks for students in our city.”
With Screwfix’s recent announcement of the potential opening of a further 200 UK stores, bringing the total to 600, the multi-channel retailer continues to focus on delivering convenience for busy tradesmen through its expanding network. Screwfix also reports how the trade is increasingly adopting the use of mobile technology to keep stocked-up and meet business demand. Its Click & Collect service, which allows goods to be ordered over the phone or online and collected from store just five minutes later, has hit a milestone of more than 6 million orders since launching in 2011 and Screwfix.com receives 2 million unique visits every week. Andrew Livingston, CEO of Screwfix, says: “Time is money for our customers and they constantly tell us how crucial it is that they can get the products they need, when they need them, so the continued expansion of our store network is designed to do just that. 90% of the UK population is within 20minutes of a Screwfix store and we plan to open a further 200 stores so even more tradesmen and women can pick-up what they need as quickly as possible. “As tradesmen are busier than ever, we’ve seen how services such as Click & Collect and Sunday deliveries are going from strength-to-strength as they minimise time off the job; something which tradesmen say is essential in keeping pace with demand and growing their businesses. What’s more, 70% of all our Click & Collect orders are from mobiles, as tradesmen use their phones to save valuable minutes every day.” Screwfix’s convenient service is supported by an award winning 24 hour contact centre and next day deliveries seven days a week. Last year, it also launched a dedicated website in Ireland to make shopping even easier for our Irish traders by offering convenience and local prices. Screwfix now has 412 stores across the UK and a range of more than 14,000 products available for collection seven days a week. For more information visit www.screwfix.com, call 0500 41 41 41 or mobile-friendly on 03330 112 112.
A letting scheme to help tenants find social housing in Salford and Trafford has launched a new facility, which will help tackle homelessness in the region. Salford and Trafford Home Search, an online tool which advertises social housing available in the area, has recently introduced ‘ready to let’ properties. The move enables home-seekers to move into a property immediately without having to wait to get to the top of the housing waiting list – which can often take years. Mike Wright, head of housing choice at Salix Homes, which manages the service, said: “By introducing this new way of working it’s a win-win situation for both tenants and landlords. “People who are considered to be of ‘low housing need’ can be waiting years for a home, but with this new system there’s no bidding process and properties are allocated on a first come, first serve basis. “Not only is it helping to reduce the number of homes stood empty in the area, but crucially it’s helping to reduce homelessness, create social mobility and reduce costs to the public purse. And landlords know that they can re-let their properties immediately to reduce their void costs.” ‘Ready to let’ properties include homes that may have previously been refused by potential home-seekers under the ordinary lettings system – known as Choice Based Lettings – or homes that may have been recently vacated and the landlord is keen to ensure the property doesn’t stand empty. There are currently 12,500 people on the housing waiting list in Salford and a further 5,200 in Trafford, but with the new system, anyone can apply for a ‘ready to let’ home and doesn’t have to be on the housing register. To search for properties in your area go to www.salfordhomesearch.co.uk or www.traffordhomesearch.co.uk
VPS Site-Security designs a best-fit, cost-saving solution that combines human guards with innovative technologies On the eve of Construction Week, a £150 million Costain construction site along 14 kilometres of highway has provided material for a model-practice case study issued by VPS Site Security, the UK’s leading security solution provider for large and remote sites. The ‘Heads of Valleys’ road follows the southern boundary of the Brecon Beacons National Park in South Wales and is undergoing a major improvements scheme. It presents a significant engineering and environmental challenge to secure safely, including heavy traffic, remote and difficult terrains with numerous access points, and an ascent of more than 400 metres with limited radio communications. VPS Site Security has developed a fully integrated protection and monitoring solution using a combination of its award-winning mobile CCTV product, the JCB Smart Tower®, and human guarding services. The objectives are to protect a number of construction storage sites and materials as well as monitor the traffic flow over the length of the highway being developed. Deploying an innovative connectivity network, using wireless fluid-mesh communications, 18 JCB Smart Towers are supported by VPS mobile patrols to compliment the security and monitoring service. The design plan has benefited both security and the construction operation, with not only the materials and compounds protected, but also early traffic flow alerts to help meet Costain project schedules and social capital goals. Costain’s Sarah Jane Waith, Head of Supply Chain, Highways, Power & Nuclear New Build says: “The JCB Smart Towers not only keep the compounds and plant secure from theft or vandalism, but also give us an early warning of motorists whose vehicles break down along the route and require help. CCTV towers monitored remotely are far safer and less expensive than having more guards patrolling the roads; a solution that combines safety and environmental benefits, with high quality 24/7 security, and a cost-effective result.” A copy of the case study can be downloaded from the VPS Site Security website. Contractors can meet VPS Site Security specialists at The Build Show this week on stand B3/616 at the NEC, Birmingham.
