Following on from the unfortunately incident last Tuesday, it has been confirmed that emergency services are presently working hard on the recovery operations at the Didcot A Power Station, with the differing subsections of the emergency services each working together to maintain the safety of workers while trying to complete
In a recent report, it has been stated that social goals must be outlined in a clear and concise manner before then being integrated into FM contracts. Nodding to clear best practice methods and encouraging a manageable approach to corporate social responsibility with respect to communities, the report, published by
Two businesses have been named to work with the BCIA in a bid to support the delivery of its highly-regarded training courses to a broader, far-reaching audience. The companies, British Gas and Sontay, are both members of the BCIA and have been officially appointed as training partner organisations – then
Speaking for the clients of Triangle Investments and Developments, it has been recently announced that Savills has confirmed the new letting in 36 Dover Street, W1 for Integration Management Consultancy, which will then increase the occupancy level of the Mayfair building up to its maximum potential; a great piece of
Manchester’s Northern Quarter will see work begin on new commercial office space of around 6,000 sq ft as part of the wider £30m Port Street mixed-use development. Work will begin next month on the commercial office space with developer Mulbury and architect Tim Groom getting the green light in November
Towards the end of last year, the Solar Trade Association (STA) launched an emergency rescue scheme to prevent the solar industry going into turmoil. Despite the government promising a vote by 2016, STA’s “£1 solar rescue plan” remains up in the air. Within its proposal, STA promised a rise of
BDC 319 : Aug 2024
Following on from the unfortunately incident last Tuesday, it has been confirmed that emergency services are presently working hard on the recovery operations at the Didcot A Power Station, with the differing subsections of the emergency services each working together to maintain the safety of workers while trying to complete the operation now described as the “recovery of the bodies”. Recognising the difficulty and stress which is placed upon the families with loved ones still missing, Scott Chilton, Assistant Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police stated: “Our priority remains to return them to their families and we continue to support the families as needed.” And although hope may still yet be maintained as the rescue of those still missing, rescue teams commented it to be “highly unlikely” that those still missing will be found alive, in contrast to the positive outlook previously maintained. The first demolition worker to be named as deceased in the unfortunate situation was Michael Collings, age 52. The remaining three missing persons yet to be retrieved from the site have yet to be named. Partnering with the emergency services, the HSE is working alongside to establish the potential cause of the unfortunate accident. Although news is still being awaited on the recovery of those still missing, emergency services have thus far been praised for their reactive response to the incident and the hard work undertaken by the combined emergency services in the recovery of those affected. While the cause of the incident still remains unknown, the support offered in the aftermath, both from emergency services and from RWE, the client of demolition contractor, Coleman & Co has been notable, with a clear community forming around the incident to support the loved ones of those still tragically missing. For further updates on the progress being made at the site and the associated rescue operations, check back for the latest developments as and when they are reported.
In a recent report, it has been stated that social goals must be outlined in a clear and concise manner before then being integrated into FM contracts. Nodding to clear best practice methods and encouraging a manageable approach to corporate social responsibility with respect to communities, the report, published by Acclaro Advisory, has been created from correspondence with twenty seven leading FM providers, local councils, literature review and survey undertaken online. Nodding to the importance of assessing the requirements for social value to be made unavoidably apparent in the contract itself, project commissioners highlight the way in which additional security can be provided as to the potential benefits and opportunities to be fostered over the course of the project. Yet, the report outlines a potential lack of understanding as to the potential social value which FM providers can actually offer during projects, with both such FM providers and clients acknowledging that fact. Aiming to adapt the communication between project commissioners and FM providers, the report also provides insight into how the two parties can better discuss the potential for social value and come to realistic, achievable goals for social benefit; this is highlighted trough the provision of best practice case studies and practical examples. In addition to stressing the importance of communication on social goals and the way in which contracts are arranged, the report also discusses the important requirement for having clearly defined measurement criteria for the social value. Recognising, however, that there are individual, unique, contributing factors towards how this much be measured in each contract, the report then nods to the construction sector as an example where criteria for such goals has already been put in place. Of course, the report, while something which organisations on both sides of the fence would need to take heed of, is, in effect for the benefit of all those involved and will support the culmination of greater social value on individual projects – a positive future to strive towards.
Two businesses have been named to work with the BCIA in a bid to support the delivery of its highly-regarded training courses to a broader, far-reaching audience. The companies, British Gas and Sontay, are both members of the BCIA and have been officially appointed as training partner organisations – then becoming the only businesses other than the BCIA to be able to provide much-sought-after Building Controls courses, from BC0 to BC6. With a growing demand for the courses in the wider industry, the move is a direct response to member feedback where a need for supporting the continued delivery of the courses on a larger scale has been highlighted. Of course, the nature of the courses is not to change whatsoever, and the BCIA will maintain its position in issuing any and all certificates for the completion of the courses, but the move will see an increased infrastructure for the delivery of the training at more locations around the UK. As a company with a noted invested interest into training, Sontay, one of the two businesses, nods at the first-class training programme available at its academy, established in 2014, which offers a varied range of courses for the continued professional development of people and businesses. The integration of BCIA courses will see a step forward in the level of training offered by Sontay, whose Managing Director, Sandy Damm, stated: “Partnering with the BCIA is proof of our commitment to training and we are looking forward to a bright working relationship.” Additionally, British Gas has also expressed its excitement to be working with the BCIA on training and, already providing building control management systems, has a keen, invested interest in the industry’s standards, benchmarks and processes. As such, British Gas’ Head of Training Services, Lynsey Partlow nodded to the company’s wider commitment to raising these standards and added: “These new courses allow us both to enhance the training of our own engineers and provide additional support to thousands of others we train each year.”
Speaking for the clients of Triangle Investments and Developments, it has been recently announced that Savills has confirmed the new letting in 36 Dover Street, W1 for Integration Management Consultancy, which will then increase the occupancy level of the Mayfair building up to its maximum potential; a great piece of news for Savills and all those involved. Integration Management Consultancy, a leading provider of management consultancy services has confirmed a new, ten year lease on the office space, measured in at 2,567 square feet and sitting across the second floor of the property. They are to sit alongside those already occupying the building, which includes Victoria Beckham’s famous boutique on the ground floor, and Mercer Real Estate Advisors also. Nodding to the way in which its client has successfully managed to refurbish and increase the value of the property on Dover Street, Savills’ Director in the West End Agency Team, Mark Gilbart-Smith expressed his enamour at the confirmation of the new letting, regarding its status as now fully-let as testament to the quality of the refurbishment. In the Mayfair area, a traditional vacancy rate sits at about 3.8%, with the location considered to be highly sought after. The present average occupancy currently sits at the lowest figure on record since Q3 2007, as reported by Savills. Of the property in the area, the firm estimates take-up in Mayfair for 2015 to total in at 586,022 square feet, which is some 14% beyond the long-term yearly average of 505,000 square feet. As for Savills extensive role in the property, the organisation had previously advised with regard to the procurement of the property, and is now responsible for the management of the property as a whole – a clear nod to Savills expert advice, reputation and ability to delivery on such high-value properties in prime locations. Search OfficeSpace was the representing party for Integration’s deal.
Manchester’s Northern Quarter will see work begin on new commercial office space of around 6,000 sq ft as part of the wider £30m Port Street mixed-use development. Work will begin next month on the commercial office space with developer Mulbury and architect Tim Groom getting the green light in November last year. High-quality apartments will form the cornerstone of the development, and will see Mulbury enter the private rented sector for the first time. 134 new homes will be built ranging in size from 400 sq ft studio apartments to 900 sq ft multi-bedroom apartments. Mulbury’s work begins as it reveals plans to build a further 1,200 private rented sector properties in Manchester, tapping into a blossoming market that is currently worth around £250m in value with £150m worth of construction contracts. Significantly, the new scheme will emerge close to completed redevelopment in the New Islington area, further highlighting the ambitions of Manchester City Council’s proactive investment. The development marks a “significant contribution” to the area’s regeneration says Mulbury director Martin Bury. He called the project a “flagship scheme” for the private rented sector in the city and noted his excitement about getting involved. Architect Tim Groom was also thrilled about working on the project. He said the design of the scheme was very much about bringing together what had become a disjointed place that was rundown in places. Both Mulbury and architect Tim Groom entered into extensive consultation with the council, Heritage England, and other bodies while holding a public consultation on the plans for the Northern Quarter. The development gets underway next month with an expected completion date of summer 2017.
Towards the end of last year, the Solar Trade Association (STA) launched an emergency rescue scheme to prevent the solar industry going into turmoil. Despite the government promising a vote by 2016, STA’s “£1 solar rescue plan” remains up in the air. Within its proposal, STA promised a rise of just £1 on household annual fuel bills as of 2019, thus supporting solar businesses and the government simultaneously. The scheme was geared toward finding a way forward for the renewables industry in light of government cuts to the Feed-in-Tariff which are widely reported to have discouraged stakeholders and clients from investing in solar energy. In its place, STA submitted a four strand procedure hoped to protect business while safeguarding the cost control measures required by the government. The organisation vowed to make solar energy more attractive by setting higher initial tariffs that lead to bigger returns (8p domestic to 4p stand-alone). Under its advisement, the market would also benefit from more relaxed caps while the government would retain the power to control investment and tariff rates. It would add just £1 per year on average household energy bills from 2019 while generating enough electricity to power the equivalent of 875,000 homes. A number of MPs across all of the UK’s major political parties emerged to express support for the scheme though talks, it appears, failed to yield any real consequences. The future of the renewables sector thus remains uncertain despite the government’s increasing emphasis on sustainability. At the publication of STA’s proposed “£1 solar rescue rescue plan”, Leonie Greene, Head of External Affairs at the Solar Trade Association was keen to stress that the market was in “crisis” and that the plan was an “affordable solution”. The association suggested it would need £95m over the next three years to realise the scheme, a somewhat inflated figure compared with the government’s pledge of £7m. In view of the sector’s current struggles, STA’s warnings and failed bid for investment is a look at what could have, perhaps should have, been.
