Building work has started this week on Vitalia House to redesign the property into a fully functioning training facility for the National Demolition Training Group. Vitalia House is located next to Resurgam House (NFDC HQ) and was purchased this year to keep up with the high demands of training that
Hamburg, 8th October 2015. The British Automatic Fire Sprinkler Association (BAFSA), the Fire Industry Association (FIA) and the International Water Mist Association (IWMA) have joined forces to organize the “UK Water Mist Seminar 2016”. The event will take place at BRE in Watford (near London) on 8th March 2016. There
Scottish Land & Estates has welcomed plans to simplify residential tenancies in new legislation introduced today – but warned that more needs to be done to maintain supply and attract new investment to the private rented sector in Scotland. The comments were made in response to the Scottish Government’s
Building envelope specialist, CA Group Limited, has announced that it has completed work on a 316,000 square foot distribution facility at London Gateway Logistics Park, one of the largest multimodal logistics hubs in Europe. The joint venture between Prologis and DP World, also comprises more than 10,000 square foot of
Lendlease, the integrated property and infrastructure group, is launching the first National Skills Academy for Construction in North Wales as part of its community engagement programme. The North Wales Prison project has been awarded the prestigious Skills Academy status from the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) enabling real employment and
As the first of its kind in Wales and costing a cool £48 million, Penarth Learning Community has been described as a new ‘super school,’ bringing mainstream and specialised educational needs together under one roof. A broad selection of paving products from world class manufacturer Tobermore, are showcased on the
The CITB has been dragged into a legal case against the Government over its levy raising powers. Stephen Radley, Director of Policy & Strategic Planning at CITB said: “A claim for a judicial review against the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills with CITB as an Interested Party was served
Building work has started this week on Vitalia House to redesign the property into a fully functioning training facility for the National Demolition Training Group. Vitalia House is located next to Resurgam House (NFDC HQ) and was purchased this year to keep up with the high demands of training that is required for the industry. This expansion means more courses can be held throughout the year and the demolition plant simulator will have a permanent home allowing better access to practical training for this equipment. For more information on the National Demolition Training Group, please click here to visit their website.
Hamburg, 8th October 2015. The British Automatic Fire Sprinkler Association (BAFSA), the Fire Industry Association (FIA) and the International Water Mist Association (IWMA) have joined forces to organize the “UK Water Mist Seminar 2016”. The event will take place at BRE in Watford (near London) on 8th March 2016. There will be no admission fee. Delegates can register via the FIA webpage. During this one-day seminar speakers will explain the meaning of this technology in the firefighting world. They will list fields of application and talk about systems in practice and maintenance requirements. Delegates will also be able to update their knowledge on standards, guidelines and approvals and listen to the insurances’ point of view. “Fire protection using watermist is a maturing technology. This conference aims to educate and inform on how, why and where watermist fire protection works, and advise on best available practice being adopted by the industry leaders and reflected in the new British Standards. Specifiers, designers, engineers, and auditors will benefit from the knowledge shared on the understanding of watermist fire protection technology and its effective application for domestic, residential, commercial and industrial applications” says Bob Whiteley, Chairman British Standard FSH18/5 Watermist Committee. The seminar will be accompanied by an exhibition during which manufacturers will show their products and explain their projects. The call for papers has just been released. The programme will be published in December.
Scottish Land & Estates has welcomed plans to simplify residential tenancies in new legislation introduced today – but warned that more needs to be done to maintain supply and attract new investment to the private rented sector in Scotland. The comments were made in response to the Scottish Government’s introduction of the Private Tenancy Bill earlier today. Members of Scottish Land & Estates are at the forefront of supplying rural housing across the country, many at affordable rents. The organisation said there were many positive elements to the Bill but that certain elements could impact on rural housing supply. Katy Dickson, Policy Officer (Business & Property) at Scottish Land & Estates, said: “We welcome the degree of clarity that the introduction of the Bill has provided and we can see that there are many positive elements to the government’s proposals. “The simplification of the tenancy regime is something that we have long argued for and it is pleasing that the Scottish Government has made a concerted effort to address the need for reform. “The introduction of a single notice to leave system, with robust and reasonable grounds on which to end a tenancy, is to be welcomed, and increased notice periods will hopefully address many of the concerns regarding security and certainty raised during the consultation. “As we have pointed out throughout the consultation process, the removal of the ‘no-fault’ ground for repossession would leave a significant gap where landlords may struggle to deal to remove tenants, especially where there are issues of anti-social behaviour that affect both the landlord and neighbouring properties. We hope the new system will address these concerns but we will need to study the Bill in more detail over the coming days. In particular we hope that the progressive repossession grounds for rent arrears cases will actually deliver an effective measure for the many landlords who routinely face this issue. “With our members providing much of the rented rural housing stock across the country, we also want to see a new regime that delivers for these areas, so are disappointed that the ground to recover possession because the property is required for an agricultural worker is not included “The Scottish rental sector has long faced issues with high demand, low supply and problems enforcing the current legislation. We hope the current legislation will not reduce supply or exacerbate the lack of investment in the sector.
Building envelope specialist, CA Group Limited, has announced that it has completed work on a 316,000 square foot distribution facility at London Gateway Logistics Park, one of the largest multimodal logistics hubs in Europe. The joint venture between Prologis and DP World, also comprises more than 10,000 square foot of office space, and has been designed to achieve BREEAM ‘very good’ accreditation, and the best possible Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) for its size. Stuart Brown, Development Director for CA Group, who manufactured, supplied and installed the building envelope, commented: “The distribution facility at London Gateway Logistics Park has been constructed using the latest innovations in building envelope design. This ensures that it can be adapted for multiple-uses so that, whatever the future tenant’s requirement – be that chill store or ambient, general use, data storage or retail to name a few – the building stands ready to meet that need. “High levels of air tightness and robust thermal detailing are built in to ensure the EPC rating is not only very good on completion but its credentials, in terms of thermal efficiency, stand the test of time, even as regulations change. “The Twin-Therm built up roof and wall system provides a great deal of flexibility enabling the architect to vary between profiles. In this case three complementary cladding choices were installed side by side: trapezoidal, half round and micro rib. Together the resulting finish is striking and provides a great example of today’s architectural aspirations.” The building envelope on the distribution centre, is fully guaranteed for 30 years, as well as being fully walkable and Non-Fragile, measures geared towards minimising any long-term risk to the building owner.
Lendlease, the integrated property and infrastructure group, is launching the first National Skills Academy for Construction in North Wales as part of its community engagement programme. The North Wales Prison project has been awarded the prestigious Skills Academy status from the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) enabling real employment and skills opportunities to happen on site throughout the duration of the build. Launching October 7, the National Skills Academy will help create jobs for the local workforce, creating high quality apprenticeships and delivering industry-led, first-class training in real-life environments. A dedicated Project Skills Co-ordinator, funded by CITB, will ensure that employment and skills opportunities are tailored and delivered on site at the right time and in the right place. A purpose built Learning and Ambition centre, will also be launched on October 7 and will be based on site during construction of the North Wales Prison. Developed and co-funded by Lendlease and the North Wales Economic Ambition Board (NWEAB), the centre will specialise in essential construction training that will benefit both the locality, and the wider region. A qualified team of industry-focused instructors will also provide Health & Safety, leadership, management and sustainability training. Commenting on the new National Skills Academy for Wrexham, Simon Caron, Lendlease Project for Director North Wales Prison, said: “We are very proud to have received National Skills Academy for Construction status, the first project in North Wales to receive the prestigious accolade. As one of the largest leading employers in the country, we are committed to maximising the benefits of this major project for the local community.” Iwan Thomas, Regional Skills & Employment Coordinator, on behalf of NWEAB added: “We are really pleased to be working with Lendlease on behalf of our regional partners, to now be in a position that this is the first Academy in North Wales to receive this status. The donation of this facility to the region will certainly make a difference to sustainable skills and learning both now, and as we also look forward to other large construction projects across North Wales once the Prison build is complete.” Mark Bodger, Strategic Partnerships Director for CITB Cymru Wales, said: “The North Wales prison development will provide a substantial boost to the industry in North Wales and we want to ensure that the local community and construction sector maximise on the benefits from this landmark project. The granting of Skills Academy status will help Lendlease and its contractors give young people a wide range of opportunities through the project, including developing skills that will last them a lifetime.” This latest initiative builds on the strong progress already being made with the Employment, Skills and Engagement Symposium. The Symposium is also indicative of Lendlease’s wider commitment to providing significant employment and business opportunities for the immediate community and wider North Wales region. The commitments include 100 new apprenticeships and 500 work placement days per year.
As the first of its kind in Wales and costing a cool £48 million, Penarth Learning Community has been described as a new ‘super school,’ bringing mainstream and specialised educational needs together under one roof. A broad selection of paving products from world class manufacturer Tobermore, are showcased on the expansive school grounds. The landscape design is one of the many unique features of the school as a combination of Tobermore’s Shannon and Tegula block paving and Textured Flags have been installed in a variety of vibrant colours, with some areas even designed with interesting mixed colour patterns. Installed by Churngold Construction, the incorporation of bright colour projects the positivity and ambition of the scheme beautifully. Gareth Woodfin, HLM Architects’ lead architect on the project, has noted that there were several architectural challenges in bringing different schools together as each have their own requirements and their own unique approach. By implementing the inclusive design style across the campus, pupils are brought together in the same classrooms and extra-curricular elements of the campus. Gareth Woodfin believes that “the design is pioneering in the sense that it allows pupils to learn and interact by using shared facilities with adjoining specialist ones adapted for specific disabilities.” All pupils and the wider community have access to first-class health and well-being facilities, such as the sports hall, activity studio, hydro-therapy pool, physio-therapy suites, and trampoline room, constructed by Leadbitter. The school additionally contains life-skills flats which enable SEN pupils to learn to live independently, and a detached respite facility to accommodate pupils who stayed overnight at their previous SEN school, as well as providing respite for those in the local community who need it. Gareth continues, “The new school is something we are immensely proud of and it presents an opportunity for the innovative delivery of education which pushes the boundaries of traditional teaching and learning.”
The CITB has been dragged into a legal case against the Government over its levy raising powers. Stephen Radley, Director of Policy & Strategic Planning at CITB said: “A claim for a judicial review against the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills with CITB as an Interested Party was served in June 2015, regarding the Levy Order. “To avoid prejudicing the outcome of the legal process, we are unable to comment further. “While the review proceeds, the Levy and Grant system will continue to operate as usual.” The department for Business Innovation and Skills declined to comment while the case was ongoing. The CITB is facing an uncertain future following Government plans to revamp the way employers pay for training. A planned levy on all large employers to fund training from April 2017 could spell the end for the current CITB system and the proposals are currently out to consultation with the industry. The CITB’s annual report also revealed that staff numbers are still rising at the training body with 1,457 people employed at the organisation in 2014 compared to 1,438 the previous year. The CITB is currently spending £5m of levy cash on a construction careers campaign fronted by fashion designer Wayne Hemingway.
