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BP has agreed a 20-year deal with Eni of Italy to buy liquefied natural gas from a big new field off the coast of Mozambique in a step toward the south-east African country’s emergence as a force in global energy production. By guaranteeing a customer for the entire output of
Law firm Howard Kennedy has strengthened its Real Estate team with the appointment of partner Martha Grekos. Martha joined the firm as a Partner and Head of Planning on 5 September from Irwin Mitchell, where she led its planning and infrastructure team. She was previously at Eversheds, Herbert Smith and
A self-employed contractor has been sentenced after an employee was killed when the trench he was working in collapsed on him. Swansea Magistrates’ Court heard how William Ryan Evans was contracted to construct a drainage field comprising of infiltration pipes laid at the bottom of deep trenches. He employed two workers
Now celebrating its 50th anniversary, One Housing can trace its origins all the way back to 1966 when it was originally founded as a housing association – a point from which the company has grown and developed over the years. Unique to the evolution of One Housing’s infrastructure, however, is
In times of economic uncertainty, it is of incredible importance to the modern leaseholder that they are able to monitor how their properties are being managed and then, in turn be able to control their own destiny and where they live. Understanding that only through transparency and communication can this
Increasingly there are levels of pressure being placed upon industry organisations to operate in a more responsible manner, with great encouragement from government, industry associations and peers alike to display role model conduct on areas of corporate responsibility. Yet, with the very concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) being such
Presently it could be argued that a lot of pressure is placed on property developers and local councils to deliver on residential housing schemes, bring about further affordable housing for residents, and do so quickly. Yet, often overlooked when considering the housebuilding arena is the widely reported skill shortages for
Once again, the housing market has shown strong, positive growth signs, with the average UK house prices increasing by a further 7.9% in the 12 months building up to this January, signalling a notable increase on the 12 months up to last December, recorded at 6.7%. Additionally, in the index
This March, it has been revealed that Bellway has now sold its interest in its JV organisation alongside the Greater London Authority. The partnership, called Barking Riverside, has seen such interest pass to L&O New Homes, as Bellway now looks to utilise the funds acquired to reassess the strategic focus
To read the rest of this article… This article is only accessible to Utility Week subscribers. Please sign in or choose a subscription option Not a subscriber? Register for free access to up to 5 articles per month: Click here to register a new website account orClick here to sign in as an existing user Subscribe now for full access to all our exclusive subscriber content Click here to visit the Utility Week subscriptions site Already a subscriber? Existing website users: Click here to sign-in for full access to all our exclusive subscriber content New website users: If you are an existing subscriber to Utility Week magazine and have not yet created your website account, you will need to click here to register a new website account. We will attempt to automatically match your account to the existing subscription on our database – if this does not work, please contact us on +44 (0)208 955 7045 or email fhcustomerservices@abacusemedia.com for more assistance. Source link
BP has agreed a 20-year deal with Eni of Italy to buy liquefied natural gas from a big new field off the coast of Mozambique in a step toward the south-east African country’s emergence as a force in global energy production. By guaranteeing a customer for the entire output of the Coral South field in the Indian Ocean, the BP contract clears the way for Eni to make its long-awaited final investment decision on the multibillion-dollar project. It could also add impetus to efforts by Eni to sell a stake in its Mozambique assets, with Exxon widely touted by bankers and analysts as the most likely buyer. Eni has been at the forefront of several big gas discoveries off the Mozambique coast, raising hopes of a natural resources boom for one of the world’s poorest countries. Development has been delayed — and projections for the economic windfall trimmed — since the collapse of oil and gas prices two years ago. However, Tuesday’s deal between BP and Eni will reinforce confidence that investment will soon begin to flow. Eni holds a 50 per cent stake in the Area 4 block involved in the contract. The other half is owned by CNPC of China, Galp Energia of Portugal, Kogas of South Korea and Mozambique’s national oil company, Empresa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos. Claudio Descalzi, Eni chief executive, has previously said the company was on course to give the final go-ahead for development late this year. He is also aiming to reach agreement on the planned sale of a stake in its Mozambique interests by the end of 2016 or early next year. Eni is looking to bring in a partner with financial strength and industrial expertise to help build the infrastructure needed to bring Mozambique gas on stream. Exxon has declined to comment on reports that it is close to a deal with the Italian company. The development plans for Coral South include a floating production facility with capacity for over 3.3m tonnes of LNG per year. The scheme was approved by the Mozambique government last February. “Through this agreement [with BP], the Area 4 partners have achieved another fundamental milestone for the execution of the Coral South development project,” Eni said in a statement on Tuesday. Paul Reed, chief executive of BP’s supply and trading business, said: “BP is pleased to play a key role in enabling Mozambique to be an LNG exporting country. The agreement adds to the diversity of our natural gas portfolio beyond the end of the decade, further enhancing our ability to meet the needs of our customers.” Development of Mozambique’s resources would demonstrate that energy groups are still willing to invest in new production when the opportunity is big enough, despite the sharp slowdown in capital expenditure since the crash in oil and gas prices. However, the deal could also increase industry concerns about the glut in global gas supplies after the opening of big new sources in the US and Australia in recent years, with further large reserves under development in Egypt and elsewhere. Sample the FT’s top stories for a week You select the topic, we deliver the news. Source link
Law firm Howard Kennedy has strengthened its Real Estate team with the appointment of partner Martha Grekos. Martha joined the firm as a Partner and Head of Planning on 5 September from Irwin Mitchell, where she led its planning and infrastructure team. She was previously at Eversheds, Herbert Smith and Berwin Leighton Paisner. Consistently ranked as one of the leading planning lawyers in the UK by Planning magazine, The Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners, Martha brings to Howard Kennedy expertise in all aspects of planning and environmental law, transport, energy and infrastructure work. She has a particular focus on the promotion and implementation of large complex regeneration schemes and major infrastructure projects. Her work includes redevelopment projects that are often politically sensitive, involving large environmental impact assessments, compulsory purchase orders, highway orders, planning agreements and appeal court proceedings. On joining Howard Kennedy, Martha said: “Howard Kennedy is an entrepreneurial law firm that collaborates with its clients to deliver a commercial outcome. Its 84-strong Real Estate department is behind some of the most exciting commercial, retail, leisure, residential and mixed use regeneration schemes in London and the South East, and I am thrilled to be leading its expanding planning team.” Julian Hindmarsh, Partner and Chairman of the Real Estate department at Howard Kennedy adds: “We are delighted with Martha’s decision to lead our Planning team. She has a first rate track record, acting on major development and infrastructure schemes across the country. She will be a terrific asset to the firm and our clients.” Source link
A self-employed contractor has been sentenced after an employee was killed when the trench he was working in collapsed on him. Swansea Magistrates’ Court heard how William Ryan Evans was contracted to construct a drainage field comprising of infiltration pipes laid at the bottom of deep trenches. He employed two workers and a subcontractor excavator to undertake the work at Longstone Farm, in Pembrokeshire. Hywel Glyndwr Richards, aged 54, entered the trench to remove a clump of soil that had fallen into the trench when it collapsed, burying him. He died at the scene. An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the incident which occurred on 26 June 2012 found that the work was not planned appropriately and the risk assessment was not suitable or sufficient. The workers were not appropriately trained and suitable equipment to a prevent collapse were not provided. At Swansea Crown Court on Monday 11 April, William Ryan Evans, of Blaenwaun Twr, Trelech, Carmarthenshire was found guilty of breaching Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was given a six month custodial sentence. HSE Inspector Phil Nicolle said: “This tragic incident could have been prevented by undertaking a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks, providing the correct equipment or safe working methods to the workers and managing and monitoring the work to ensure it was done safely. “Work in excavations needs to be properly planned, managed and monitored to ensure no one enters an excavation deeper than 1.2m without adequate controls in place to prevent a collapse.” Hywel Richards’ family said: “Dad was an integral part of our family, the glue that kept us all together. Our family was devastated by his sudden death. We have wondered so many times why this has happened to us, we were meant to grow up with Dad as our guide; the man we looked up to and loved so much. “Family gatherings and celebrations, once joyous occasions, are now ruined because dad is not there. Today, and for the rest of our lives, we are mourning the loss of dad, our best friend, our confidant and protector. Quite simply, he has left a space that will never be filled. We hope that lessons will be learned from dad’s death.” For further information on safety in excavations visit: http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/safetytopics/excavations.htm Notes to Editors: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to reduce work-related death, injury and ill health. It does so through research, information and advice, promoting training; new or revised regulations and codes of practice, and working with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement. hse.gov.uk More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: legislation.gov.uk/ HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk Journalists should approach HSE press office with any queries on regional press releases. Source link
Now celebrating its 50th anniversary, One Housing can trace its origins all the way back to 1966 when it was originally founded as a housing association – a point from which the company has grown and developed over the years. Unique to the evolution of One Housing’s infrastructure, however, is that the organisation has not only solidified its position as a leading housing association, with a reputation to suit, but also branched out into a multivarious raft of associated property offerings, the most prominent of which are Citystyle and One Direct. With over 15,000 units across London and the South East, One Housing is positioned as a modern social enterprise dedicated to the provision of high quality homes able to facilitate a better standard of life. Its well established housing care and support arm is, a keen provider of care and support projects as well as senior living accommodation and the current development of high-end care homes is a prime example of this. In recent years it has developed specialist service offerings, including Citystyle and One Direct , which offer comprehensive property management and in-house maintenance respectively. “Like any property company we see our position as managing people’s homes, but we also take a broader view in terms of the well-being of a community as a whole. This means takinglong-term decisions that will benefit them. We also have a more comprehensive offer than many of our competitors due to the wide range of expertise within our control. This is where One Direct comes in.” explains Matthew Saye, Director of Citystyle. Serving as a core area for the organisation’s future progress, One Direct signifies an integration of further in-house services to support the daily operations of the wider company and provide a far more proficient end-to-end service to residents and clients alike. Undertaking a wide assortment of works, the One Direct service portfolio includes: day-to-day responsive repairs, gas servicing, mechanical and electrical works, all the way through to planned work, decorating and more. Though a relatively new arm to the business, One Direct has operatives on the ground and represents the opportunity to be a driving force for the business in times to come. Noting the importance of One Direct in supporting the ambitions, goals and ethos of the wider One Housing Group, Saye illustrates further: “It’s important for a number of reasons. Quality is one of the main drivers in terms of our customer service and what we can offer. We think that people’s expectations around how their properties are managed, the way that services are provided and the quality of competencies of workers, have come on a long way. We need to continually anticipate our customers needs and respond to them – that’s very much the initial focus in this year where we’re rolling One Direct out.” Yet, in addition to supporting the group’s historic position as a housing association, One Direct is also regarded as a means by which the company can expand its property management capability, bringing more of the associated, yet essential services in-house. Now able to offer a far more complete service, it is effectively One Direct that will allow Citystyle to spread its wings and target a growing number of external clients whilst simultaneously ensuring a high degree of quality across all elements of the service. As a managing agent, One Housing, through Citystyle, offers a flexible service to cover a wide range of properties, including multi-use and multi-tenure properties of varying scheme sizes. Yet where the company’s unique capabilities come into the fold are in the way in which this service is provided, and the company’s understanding of people’s needs and wants from a housing perspective, attributed to the company’s history of operation. As Saye further says: “We understand how to engage and involve our residents, as well as how to overcome some of the more challenging issues that a managing agent might not be used to looking at. When you have a large mixed-tenure development in the centre of London, we’re well equipped to deal with some of problems that could arise such as anti social behaviour. We have the skills already to deal with this and, part of what makes CityStyle a strong offer is that we can be the one point of contact to deal with any issue that happens to occur.” But of course, plans for expansion and diversification don’t stop with One Direct and Citystyle, as the organisation looks to develop an increasing raft of associated property services, notably including a complete gas service. Looking to the future, we can only see this integration of in-house services growing further and, combined with the organisation’s approach to resident care and handling, the company’s stability, integrity and prospects surely look good. Say’s final comments are clear: “We’re not going anywhere. We’re incredibly financially robust and when it comes down to a residents level, the service they get is absolute. We are always there, we are always capable and we are a unique contractor, always available, always a presence which other competitors can’t always match. Property management is all about being a reactive issue and letting the resident know that if something goes wrong that they can get hold of someone and it will simply be resolved. They can always engage with us, and in a meaningful way.”
In times of economic uncertainty, it is of incredible importance to the modern leaseholder that they are able to monitor how their properties are being managed and then, in turn be able to control their own destiny and where they live. Understanding that only through transparency and communication can this degree of confidence be assured to leaseholders, this is where the Ringley Group enters, offering a service which revolves around the core principal of 100% transparency and the development of clear and achievable property ambitions. Originally established in 1997, the Ringley Group is one of the UK’s leading providers of property solutions, maintaining a diverse service portfolio which includes, but is not limited to: surveys, valuations, legal services, property and facilities management, and sales and lettings. Based in Camden Town, Ringley manages circa 10,000 properties and is nationally recognised for its responsible and green approach to business. Preferring to restore rather than replace, a sustainable business approach maintains a solid position within the Ringley ethos, alongside that of its notable dedication to transparency. “See what we do. Understand what we do, and then, we’ll help you to build a strategy,” explains Mary-Anne Bowring, Director & Owner of Ringley Group. Through the collation, management, analysis and feedback of a vast wealth of property data, Ringley covers all the bases to keep owners informed help them understand both the position of their property today, and what needs to be achieved tomorrow. Then, by engaging Clients in intelligent discussion the right strategy for the block Ringley works to build common purpose for the benefit of all, Ringley is placed not only as a responsible manager of property assets, but also as an innovative company one keen to partner with owners as an incredibly important, but sometimes overlooked, stakeholder in the future of the property. In facilitating this partnership it is undeniably essential, however, that Ringley is able to maintain a clear view of the challenges and opportunities which leaseholders must have an understanding of to develop these strategies. As Bowring furthers: “We believe that the problem in our industry is that a lot of the problems are intangible. If the customers aren’t seeing what’s going wrong, or what’s happening every day then they might think that not much is going on. However, if you’ve got a block of 500 leaseholders, you’ve got a lot of people you will be interacting with, yet you still have that one who doesn’t know what you do. We have a lot of strategies to make what we do more transparent, for example: every time we go to site we email everybody to say we’re coming, primarily to open a channel of communication where they can ask us to look at things specific to them, and we send them our report afterwards.” Providing clear connections on all contractor works orders, checking, visual inspection, and before and after photos represents just one customer wish implemented. As such, Ringley’s approach to keeping the leaseholder informed is notable, however, this isn’t the only way in which Ringley inspires an informed approach to business. Being one of the most well established and innovative agents within the property services arena, Ringley also participates at industry events and round table forums so is definitely abreast of the latest changes and developments, in addition to being an influencer of these too. Consequently, the company professes expertise beyond the bricks and mortar of a single property, and can develop client strategies after also taking into consideration the industry developments most relevant to them. Nodding to the company’s position at the forefront of the industry, Bowring furthers: “We are involved in high-level arenas, which underpins our kudos in terms of being a thought-leader. People would rather work with a progressive company; our industry participation serves as a sign that we’re up to date with best practices. Most consumers, however, are possibly unaware of enough of what goes on in the industry due to the diversity of our remit – one day you’re a politician, the next day you’re a company law expert, the next you’re a building pathologist, then you’re an accountant; it’s the sheer range of what we actually do that is quite confusing for some consumers. “Part of our core mission is 100% transparency, because we believe a Managing Agent can only be fully valued and appreciated when people actually understand what we do. It’s not just about doing, but also helping people to see and understand the what, the why and the when of all aspects of our role.” Positioned as one of the most well-equipped agents in the sector, Ringley is one of the few providers of property services both willing and able to tackle many of the most interesting and difficult challenges which the modern leaseholder has to deal with. Seeing each and every new client as an opportunity to overcome these challenges and develop a leaseholder’s ambition into reality, the group is one with a clear capacity and willingness to work across projects of all shapes, sizes and archetypes. For those with property ambitions, yet bereft the technical know-how to reach them effectively, there’s the Ringley Group. Then looking to the future, Ringley has it’s own clear and decisive plans for growth and, through expansion into brand new extra office space and associated capabilities, the company looks to take the next natural step to grow, expand upon its service portfolio and adapt to the changes in the market itself.
Increasingly there are levels of pressure being placed upon industry organisations to operate in a more responsible manner, with great encouragement from government, industry associations and peers alike to display role model conduct on areas of corporate responsibility. Yet, with the very concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) being such a vast and nigh-on all-encompassing sector, it can be considered quite easy for organisations to get bogged down in the million and one ways to move forward; effectively, where to start? Now, of course most organisations recognise some of the key areas of corporate social responsibility, which traditionally revolve around sustainability, environmental concerns, health and safety, local community works, providing benefits around those works being performed, providing personal development and opportunities for workers, and also supply chain transparencies. But with so much included in the CSR agenda, it can be very difficult for organisations to push the envelope on each of these areas simultaneously, or so it may seem. Increasingly, key players in the construction industry have been perceived to try and meld different aspects of CSR temporarily, creating and undertaking projects where multiple boxes in the corporate responsibility agenda can be ticked all at once – and then being singular in nature, making this far more easy for organisation’s to manage. For example; when undertaking projects in a community, interaction with that community is highlighted as being of considerable importance, yet it’s key to address the form of communication and channels thereof. Through interaction with local educational establishments, such as schools, construction companies have been seen to partner and work across the CSR spectrum most effectively: examples may include talks on environmental best practice, the importance of safety around construction sites and more. What this means effectively is that, while it can be difficult for organisations to arrange complete strategies for CSR, especially in those organisations with smaller operational teams and controls, this does not mean that progress cannot be made in the field. Through thinking small-scale and creating targeted CSR-relevant projects, even the smallest of organisations can make a difference in a controlled, easy to manage environment.
Presently it could be argued that a lot of pressure is placed on property developers and local councils to deliver on residential housing schemes, bring about further affordable housing for residents, and do so quickly. Yet, often overlooked when considering the housebuilding arena is the widely reported skill shortages for the construction industry; a concept which, by inherent nature holds back the construction industry from delivering housing schemes as frequently; something which we may see the CITB making great ground on resolving. In support of filling the skills gap, and facilitating the sector’s ability to deliver more housing, the CITB and Home Builder’s Federation have teamed up to offer a £2.7m initiative to deliver essential training for 45,000 new housebuilding workers by 2019. The first scheme of this sort, the partnership, the newly dubbed Home Building Skills Partnership will look to reign in organisations of all shapes and sizes to ensure that the industry is well equipped with skilled workers. To achieve on its ambitions, the focus will then include individual initiatives to promote collaboration for key skill areas from the top to the bottom of the supply chain, thus placing the industry in a much stronger position to plan for the future. And with considerable targets set out for the housing sector thus far, this support is expected to be quite well received. Aiming to support greater than 3,500 businesses in the building industry, the partnership not only aims to ensure that the aforementioned 45,000 entrants are equipped with the housebuilding skills needed to support the industry, but will also see additional training provided to circa 1,000 experienced workers in the industry, offering them brand new housebuilding training schemes and associated qualification. Providing his thoughts on the scheme and its role, Brandon Lewis, Housing and Planning Minister commented: “The Home Building Skills Partnership is an important initiative and will help deliver the training of skilled workers we need to get the job done and to improve quality across the industry.”
Once again, the housing market has shown strong, positive growth signs, with the average UK house prices increasing by a further 7.9% in the 12 months building up to this January, signalling a notable increase on the 12 months up to last December, recorded at 6.7%. Additionally, in the index provided by the Office of National Statistics, it has also been shown that prices actually increased by some 8.6% in England, in Scotland 0.1%, 0.8% in Northern Ireland and a fall of 0.3% in Wales. With the average house price rising to circa £292,000, it is clear that the demand of housing, and also the investment potential within housing is still on the rise as we slowly break out of the recessionary periods. As to the pockets of England in which the growth has been most evident, a yearly increase of approximately 11.7% has been seen in the South East, with growth of approximately 10.8% in London and 9.8% in the East of England. Excluding the hotspots of London and the South East however, the average rise in prices has still been cited as 5.1% in the 12 months up to January, with an actual increase of approximately 0.9% between December and January – a notable increase in what is considered to be a relatively small period of time. Whilst the figures, as aforementioned due signal a very strongly performing housing market as a whole, industry experts have highlighted the density of change seen in certain geographic pockets; in effect ,this meaning that, whilst progress is being seen in the housing market, the degree reported may show slightly skewed figures from what can Is represented in many geographic areas around the UK. Most specifically, the lack of geographic spread in progress can be seen most aptly in the areas of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland where, while certainly not performing altogether badly, have not shown a great deal of progress or change as a whole.
This March, it has been revealed that Bellway has now sold its interest in its JV organisation alongside the Greater London Authority. The partnership, called Barking Riverside, has seen such interest pass to L&O New Homes, as Bellway now looks to utilise the funds acquired to reassess the strategic focus of the company’s accounts and shareholder returns. In the sale, Bellway received £17m up front, with a further £43.5m expected to come to the company over the course of the following three years. And while this is already a significant amount of funds for the company to now play with, additional savings will also been seen as the organisation no longer sees its costs inflated in the provision of infrastructure and maintenance for the site. Looking at where the company will utilise the funds in a manner deemed best for the continuity of the company, Bellway intends to invest the disposable proceeds into a number of new land opportunities, with the hopes of securing considerable returns which can then create further financial value and returns for shareholders. Providing example to such sites the company will be looking at, Ted Ayres, Chief Executive of Bellway nodded to the company’s site in Horsham, originally contracted this march for 165 residential houses – most notable with this project is the provision of an outline planning permission, highlighting projected returns of greater than 20%. Yet, not completely stepping away from the site, Bellway has also entered into another, optional deal whereupon it will be able to purchase some 2,600 plots for development in the remainder for the Barking Riverside site, which is on top of the 438 plots already owned by the partnership. Of course, the deal comes at a good time for Bellway also, with the company already making great ground in securing enviable revenues and profits for shareholders. In fact, half-year revenues up to this January have showcased a 40% jump in profit, and a 30% rise in revenue achieved. As such, it can only be hoped that the recent development will see these figures rise yet further for the company as it continues to strategically plan for further financial success.