Recent correspondence from the Homes & Communities Agency (HCA) has signalled a great deal of reason for optimism, with 80 public land websites coming in at over 600 acres being put up on the market to speed up home construction. However, with the EU Threshold in place, a lot of
The spending plans for the Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc) and the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) reveal ambitious five-year objectives for their £3.3bn and £2bn annual budgets. Their goals, detailing policy priorities for energy and environmental activity between 2015 and 2020, will address the challenges
Last month’s takeover of Interlift by Hewden has seen a management makeover that has installed Mike Omond, Edward Carr and Kevin Chalmers in key operational roles. Omond arrives from Speedy to take up a brand new position as plant operations director, Carr leaves Select to come on board as operations director
Most recently, it has been announced that SSE will provide £12m of support to its most vulnerable customers, helping them with their energy bills and thus supporting customers most in need, not only of maintaining SSE’s services, but also of being able to manage their own finances at the same
The Crossrail team at Bond Street got a royal visit from Her Majesty who ventured 28 metres underground via an industrial lift to say hello to staff and apprentices working on London’s most ambitious transport infrastructure project. The Queen, who in 1969 became the first reigning monarch to ride the
A brand new division launched by BAM FM, dubbed BAM Energy Limited has recently been launched with the intention of assisting clients in cutting back on their power consumption through the design and installation of sustainable power systems (comparable to biomass heating methods, CHP systems, photovoltaics and heat pumps) on
Spring is looming which often triggers the nation to get rid of all the unwanted belongings collected over the last 12 months. Whether it’s in homes, businesses, schools or factories, the better weather is known to create an urge for clearance. However, depending on how serious the clear out is,
Recent correspondence from the Homes & Communities Agency (HCA) has signalled a great deal of reason for optimism, with 80 public land websites coming in at over 600 acres being put up on the market to speed up home construction. However, with the EU Threshold in place, a lot of SMEs are struggling to compete within tendering as a result of restrictive financial controls. The House Builders Association (HBA) is working with the HCA to assist in this are by offering a list of smaller websites with a less complicated tendering course of for smaller housebuilders, in addition to facilitating access to much-needed finance. Speaking on the behalf of the House Builders Association (HBA), Policy Advisor Rico Wojtulewicz stated: “Access to finance has improved but many developers have difficulty drawing it down due to a lack of planning permission. The Government has recognised this fact and as well as communicating with the HBA to find a solution the HCA is making a strong effort to identify small sites and support SMEs. This will surely help but the HBA remains staunch in its opinion that fixing planning and giving small sites and infill the same focus as large sites would not only improve the housing crisis but begin closing the gap between ‘affordable’ and realistically affordable.” Alongside housebuilders, SMEs working within the North of England stand to learn considerably from authority asistance, because the Northern Powerhouse plan begins to indicate extra tangible advantages for smaller development corporations. Supported by the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, North England Build 2016 shall be held at Manchester Central in April, and has positioned itself as a key platform for SMEs to find alternatives inside the housing sector on account of the Northern Powerhouse initiative. Chris Fletcher, Marketing & Policy Director at Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, stated: “We are really pleased to be able to support North England Build and it’s great that Manchester has been chosen as the venue for this event. There is a lot of discussion and talk around the Northern Powerhouse at present and also a lot of differing views over what business opportunities will come about as part of this. There’s no doubt that the construction sector will play a major part in the Powerhouse and events like this will help set the scene for many as to what the benefits will be.”
The spending plans for the Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc) and the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) reveal ambitious five-year objectives for their £3.3bn and £2bn annual budgets. Their goals, detailing policy priorities for energy and environmental activity between 2015 and 2020, will address the challenges we face while taking chance of new opportunities as they arise. Both departments continue to act proactively with Decc saying it will deliver “an energy infrastructure fit for the 21st century” that offers value for money while helping families and businesses keep their bills as low as possible. Decc is also pressing forward with its international climate change action plan to protect the UK’s “long-term economic and national security”. Decc has already highlighted key technology to advance its endeavours with its immediate focus on the adjustments it has made to its Renewables Obligation (RO) and Feed-in-Tariff (FiT) subsidy schemes. These form a key component of the range of measures the government claims will significantly cut the projected costs of its environmental commitment on the average annual household energy bill in the next couple of years. Following a recommendation from Lord Oxburgh’s CCS Advisory Group, Decc’s plan states it’s going to explore its future approach while acknowledging the potential of government support on the development of offshore wind farms. It clarified this by adding that technology needs to move quickly and must be cost-competitive. There’s “untapped potential” says Decc for energy savings across the business sector, highlighting new opportunities following the Business Energy Tax Review. Decc expects to cut energy costs and save carbon to free up resources for other priorities with £295m set aside to do so. Standing in its way is cutting carbon from the UK’s heating supplies. £300m has been earmarked for local heat infrastructure projects between now and 2020 while an increase in funding will be freed for the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI). Decc’s plan extends overseas as well as it continues to work with the EU on the development of the Energy Union with £2bn set aside to help the world’s poorest countries adapt to climate change through the International Climate Fund. Defra, on the other hand, wants to unlock the economic potential of the UK’s food and farming capability, championing the environment as it does so and helping communities to protect against floods, animal and plant diseases. Activity will seek to increase its natural capital while £2.3bn will be set aside to address flooding problems nationwide. A further £3bn will seek to enhance the English countryside under the Common Agricultural Policy while £100m will go towards a number of smaller, but no less significant, schemes such as restoring important peatland habitats, remediate contaminated land and increase woodland planting.
Last month’s takeover of Interlift by Hewden has seen a management makeover that has installed Mike Omond, Edward Carr and Kevin Chalmers in key operational roles. Omond arrives from Speedy to take up a brand new position as plant operations director, Carr leaves Select to come on board as operations director for cranes and Chalmers, former Interlift owner and director, is the new operations director for lifting solutions. The trio bring to Hewden a broad range of experience and knowledge which CEO Adrian Murphy is clearly delighted about. He said: “Mike, Edward and Kevin all bring a tremendous amount of expertise, innovative thinking and leadership qualities to Hewden. There’s never been a more exciting time to be involved in this business. We’re investing in our people, our processes and our products to be the leading on-site solutions provider in the UK. With these new appointments, we’re in a better position to achieve those strategic goals.” Omond, for example, has worked in plant hire since he was 16 years old. He’s been previously employed by a number of blue chip companies before leading Speedy Services as its managing director. Carr, a mechanical engineering graduate, specialised in tower crane operations with Laing O’Rourke before joining Hewden and will now look after mobile crane operations in his new role.
Most recently, it has been announced that SSE will provide £12m of support to its most vulnerable customers, helping them with their energy bills and thus supporting customers most in need, not only of maintaining SSE’s services, but also of being able to manage their own finances at the same time. Of those eligible for the support, SSE will be personally identifying those most in need of this line of support and, as a result, those customers will then receive credits to their account automatically, keeping the process simple and targeted towards those of the greatest need. Specifically, the £12m fund is redirected money left for up to seven years by former customers who have moved, cancelled direct debits and failed to provide forwarding addresses and will see SSE utilise these funds in a responsible, socially recognisable manner. And, although SSE has actually worked tirelessly to locate the customers in question over the course of a number of years to process their refund, including using search agencies and checking against new customer accounts as well as through media and marketing campaigns, limited to no success has been achieved in contacting those remaining and, as such SSE is now in a position to utilise these funds for the benefit of others. SSE’s Director of Domestic Retail Stephen Forbes noted: “We know that some customers, for a variety of reasons, may have difficulty with their bills which is why we are providing debt assistance to tens of thousands of customers this year alone… We want to do more and we hope that this additional funding will make a difference for customers by freeing them up from energy debt and helping them start afresh.” SSE has already started the process of advising customers of the payments, aiming to continue to do so over the course of the next few months, but will also allow former customers to claim back credit fit they come forward and request as such. Regardless, utilisation of this £12m, in one manner or another, is nigh.
The Crossrail team at Bond Street got a royal visit from Her Majesty who ventured 28 metres underground via an industrial lift to say hello to staff and apprentices working on London’s most ambitious transport infrastructure project. The Queen, who in 1969 became the first reigning monarch to ride the London Underground after opening the Victoria Line, took the chance to see how work was progressing on the Crossrail section that will be named Elizabeth in her honour. The route will connect parts of Berkshire and Buckinghamshire to Essex. London’s mayor Boris Johnson said the naming of the line was a fitting tribute to Her Majesty. “Crossrail is already proving a huge success for the UK economy and, as we move closer to bringing this transformative new railway into service, I think it’s truly wonderful that such a significant line for our capital will carry such a significant name from our country.” He adds: “As well as radically improving travel right across our city, the Elizabeth line will provide a lasting tribute to our longest-serving monarch.” The Queen’s visit also coincided with the unveiling of the new purple line logo that will signify the Crossrail network when it begins operation in December 2018. When Crossrail becomes operational it is expected that half a million passengers every day will use the service as a fleet of 200m-long trains make their way through 26 miles of tunnels. Present during the Queen’s visit, transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin said that given Her Majesty’s “long association with UK transport, it is very fitting that this vital link across our capital will be named the Elizabeth line in her honour. This is an example of British engineering at its best and will transform the way people travel across London and beyond from 2018.”
A brand new division launched by BAM FM, dubbed BAM Energy Limited has recently been launched with the intention of assisting clients in cutting back on their power consumption through the design and installation of sustainable power systems (comparable to biomass heating methods, CHP systems, photovoltaics and heat pumps) on behalf of a client over the course of the construction cycle of a brand new development; the value is then recovered over an agreed time period by means of a power purchase agreement, where the client then purchases its energy from BAM Energy at a competitive price.Reid Cunningham, Interim Managing Director of BAM FM, stated: “The purpose of establishing BAM Energy is to broaden our services and offer customers more choice…We find that clients are often unaware of green energy options or daunted by the upfront capital investment. Using our expertise, we can help them find the best energy option and facilitate its implementation.” Cunningham then also explained: “Our aim is to be able to offer clients the best energy options to suit their needs, regardless of budget restrictions.” Measures to cut back on power usage then include the changing of present lighting installations with LEDs, utilizing sensors to regulate lighting or the usage of sensible meters to manage heating systems.
Spring is looming which often triggers the nation to get rid of all the unwanted belongings collected over the last 12 months. Whether it’s in homes, businesses, schools or factories, the better weather is known to create an urge for clearance. However, depending on how serious the clear out is, it may need for more than a dustbin. Skips are the ideal solution when it comes to de-cluttering your property but there are still some frequently asked questions upon acquiring this service. Here is a run down of some of the most common questions asked when acquiring skip services. How Do I Choose the Right Skip Size? This is kind of like asking ‘How do I find the right car?’ it’s down to the needs and what it’s being use for. If it’s a clear out of fewer items but of larger size, such as furniture, a larger skip will be required, but if it’s paperwork and general waste, then a smaller size may suffice. Many companies have a size guide and will provide advice depending on the needs of their customers, but it’s always helpful to know what type of clear out is going to be underway. Where Can I Put a Skip? There are some general rules regarding the placement of a skip including; Not blocking an emergency exit Not blocking public entrances Accessible for collection Public land placement requires a permit from the Local Authority Convenient place for filling It comes down to common sense but there ensuring that a skip doesn’t cause inconvenience for others, or damage to public property is of the highest importance. What Can Be Put in a Skip? To ensure there is no cross contamination of hazardous chemicals and the maximum amount of waste can be recycled, it’s important to know what can be put in a skip and what needs separate disposal. This guide created by A&A Skip Hire is a great example of understanding what waste is acceptable for your skip. What Happens to My Waste? A responsible skip hire company will aim to recycle as much of the contents of a skip as possible to help meet the Government standards of reducing the content’s in landfill – including garden waste, wood, plastics and metals. The HSE have a really useful guide on general waste disposal which can be applied to skips; you can read their guide here. The rest of the waste will be disposed in the most environmentally sound way as possible, making it even more crucial that items that shouldn’t be included aren’t. So, apart of pricing and sizing, everything to know about hiring a skip is right here. Look out for the above when choosing a company can ensure that all of your waste is in appropriate hands.
