Lords reject decision to scrap zero-carbon homes Published: 05 May, 2016 The House of Lords has blocked the government’s efforts to scrap the zero carbon homes standard. The government’s decision not to proceed with the scheme was announced in July 2015, but was met industry-wide concern. In response to its
Research carried out in partnership with CITB has found that construction work in the Nottingham and Derby area set to get off the ground by 2020 could be worth more than £10 billion. The research was undertaken with D2N2, the local enterprise partnership for Derby and Nottingham. It found that
Glasgow City Council has agreed to share ownership of its construction business City Building Glasgow with Wheatley Group in a 50/50 joint venture worth £3.7 billion. The partnership between Scotland’s largest council and the country’s biggest social landlord will secure thousands of local jobs over the next 30 years. Under
Plumbers may be missing out on trade because of a poor online presence, according to UK digital marketing provider Yell. The company has found that a significant majority of plumbers (90%) have inconsistent or incorrect information online, including basic details such as correct email and phone number. Yell analysed the
Breedon Aggregates has reported a rise of 19% in interim profits as part of a solid performance in the first half of the year, while sales have remained the same as last year and debts have been eliminated. For the first six months to June 30 2016, the company’s revenue
The Scottish government has pledged £1.2 million in funding a new smart control energy system that will link wind generated energy to home heating systems. The Scottish government’s Local Energy Fund has given the money to the Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre Development Trust (REWDT) for its Heat Smart Orkney project.
Byrne Group will replace Dunne Group on the construction of the 100 Bishopsgate and One Blackfriars projects after the firm went into administration earlier in the week. The prevent the schemes from being delayed, Brookfield Multiplex, which has used Dunne Group’s services on a number of schemes, is understood to
OFTEC says that heating firms should now start thinking about how to make the most of the new Apprenticeship Levy to help them recruit the best new talent and help towards stemming the skills shortage in the industry. The new Apprenticeship Levy will come into play in April next year
Cheval Property Holdings has employed Skanska as the primary contractor for the demolition of a building in Knightsbridge, London. The contract will run until October next year and will see the building removed down to basement level, ahead of a scheduled redevelopment. The contract will also see the Skanska team
Lords reject decision to scrap zero-carbon homes Published: 05 May, 2016 The House of Lords has blocked the government’s efforts to scrap the zero carbon homes standard. The government’s decision not to proceed with the scheme was announced in July 2015, but was met industry-wide concern. In response to its cancellation an amendment was tabled at report stage of the Housing and Planning Bill 2105-16 in the House of Lords. The House of Lords voted 237 to 203 in favour of the amendment, which would introduce a “carbon compliance standard” for new homes built after 1 April. The Hot Water Association (HWA) has welcomed what it described as a display of common sense from the House. “The House of Lords has demonstrated common sense in voting to re-introduce the zero carbon homes standard,” says Isaac Occhipinti, head of external affairs, HWA. “The UK needs more housing but there is no justification for building homes with a permanent legacy of high energy bills. We already have some of the most energy inefficient homes in Europe we need to break the vicious cycle of costly retrofit programmes. New buildings need to be ‘future proofed’ enabling them to benefit from new technologies. “One way of achieving that is to make them ‘hot water ready’. If the UK is to increase its use of renewable technologies then storage of some sort will be necessary. Currently hot water storage is the only practical solution for turning the energy produced into something useful and banking it for when it needs to be used. “If we are serious about cutting our carbon emissions then we need a long term plan to improve our homes – the zero carbon standard is a way of doing just that.” Remaining stages of the Bill, where the amendment could be removed, are underway in the House of Commons currently. Source link
Research carried out in partnership with CITB has found that construction work in the Nottingham and Derby area set to get off the ground by 2020 could be worth more than £10 billion. The research was undertaken with D2N2, the local enterprise partnership for Derby and Nottingham. It found that of the 943 construction works poised to get under way in the area, around 180 are classed as “significant” projects worth £8.65bn. A large chunk of these are slated for the centre of Nottingham, as well as the area around Nottingham University. Further schemes in the planning pipeline include housing projects valued at around £800m. In addition, there are £791m of private commercial schemes and £514m of infrastructure projects. Concerns were raised in the research, however, about the shortage of skilled workers in the region to carry out the work. It found that in 2016 alone, there were demands for around 60,000 workers. Over the coming months, it is thought that some of the most in-demand positions will be bricklayers and roofers, as well as those in the wood trades. D2N2 has said it is now working in partnership with Derby College to help tackle the skills shortages. The findings come after the CITB’s Construction Skills Network (CSN) report for the East Midlands found that the region’s construction sector is set to grow by 1% by the end of the decade. This will create a total of around 3,110 jobs every year in the region by 2020. The CSN report cites the £1bn conversion of Willington C Power Station and the £476m retail-led redevelopment of Nottinghamshire town centre as particularly exciting projects. Source link
Glasgow City Council has agreed to share ownership of its construction business City Building Glasgow with Wheatley Group in a 50/50 joint venture worth £3.7 billion. The partnership between Scotland’s largest council and the country’s biggest social landlord will secure thousands of local jobs over the next 30 years. Under the deal, City Building will undertake all repair work for Wheatley’s social landlords in the west of Scotland including Glasgow Housing Association (GHA). As well as securing 2,000 jobs and more than 2,000 apprenticeships over the next three decades, the joint venture will also sustain employment for disabled workers at City Building, which has returned over £50 million to the council since it was established 10 years ago. Councillor Frank McAveety, leader of Glasgow City Council, said: “This is the biggest deal of its kind in the UK. When the joint venture was originally proposed, it was valued at £2.7bn over the next 30 years, however significant additional value has been identified as the detailed business planning has been undertaken and refined, with an additional £1bn of value created. “A range of other significant opportunities have been identified in the expanded business plan – for example, RSBi, City Building’s specialist manufacturing division, which employs more than 260 local people, around half with disabilities, will undertake a range of additional work for Wheatley Group subsidiaries. Importantly, the JV will also invest £180m in training its people and improving skills over the 30-year period. “The positive impact on our communities and on the wider Glasgow economy will be enormous. Securing 2,000 jobs and 2,000 apprentices is a fantastic legacy for the people of Glasgow, not to mention the thousands of tenants of Glasgow Housing Association who will enjoy an industry-leading range of services for many years to come.” A shadow board will now be created and work will start on formally establishing the new 50/50 JV from 1st January 2017.
Plumbers may be missing out on trade because of a poor online presence, according to UK digital marketing provider Yell. The company has found that a significant majority of plumbers (90%) have inconsistent or incorrect information online, including basic details such as correct email and phone number. Yell analysed the online presence of almost 5,000 plumbers in the UK throughout a number of sites including My Local Services UK, Facebook and Bing, and also asked customers throughout the country about their online expectations and habits. The findings revealed some basic and common errors in the approach of small businesses to reaching potential online customers, for example having different phone numbers listed on different sites. The feedback found that 89% of customers would try contacting a different firm if the details listed online for a particular company are not correct, which suggests that many small firms, including plumbers, are missing out on a considerable amount of potential custom. Some of the key findings from the investigation were that 54% of people rely on positive online reviews when deciding on a new local business or service, while just over half (51%) of customers said when they were looking for a new service, the most important source of information was a website. Marketing Director at Yell, Mark Clisby, said that if a company’s online information is incorrect, then it could be argued that this is worse than not being online at all. He added: “Not only is the company effectively invisible to customers, it can also seem careless or even untrustworthy. “This often happens because companies don’t always know all the listings sites where they appear, or when they move they forget to update their information. It’s easily done, but can be incredibly damaging for business.” Yell has launched Connect to support small businesses, which is a service that recognises the importance of connections and word of mouth referrals and recommendations.
Breedon Aggregates has reported a rise of 19% in interim profits as part of a solid performance in the first half of the year, while sales have remained the same as last year and debts have been eliminated. For the first six months to June 30 2016, the company’s revenue rose by 2% up to £163.0 million (2015: H1: £160.5 million). In the first half of the year, the firm sold 0.5 million m3 of ready-mixed concrete (2015: 0.4 million m3), 0.9 million tonnes of asphalt sold (2015: 0.9 million tonnes) and 4.6 million tonnes of aggregates (2015: 4.5 million tonnes), while profit before tax for the period went up by almost 20% to £20.9 million (2015 H1: £17.5m). At the same point last year, the company had a net debt of £58.3 million, but a year later it had a net crash of £17.6 million. These results are likely to be revealed by the firm ahead of its £336 million acquisition of Hope Construction Materials, which is due to be complete on August 1 2016. Peter Tom, Executive Chairman of Breedon Aggregates, said that the company has delivered an excellent operating performance in the first half of the year, with both of their businesses improving revenues, making strong contributions and EBIT margins. Tom added: “Whatever the prognosis for the UK economy, we remain confident that we can continue to generate value for our shareholders. “We have some major contracts which will help to underpin our performance during a period of uncertainty, along with a strong balance sheet and a record of strong cash generation in challenging markets.” He also said that the company has shown its ability to deliver a strong performance through determined self-help and that they will maintain this discipline regardless of market conditions, while he also commented that the company remains confident of meeting its market expectations for the rest of the year.
The Scottish government has pledged £1.2 million in funding a new smart control energy system that will link wind generated energy to home heating systems. The Scottish government’s Local Energy Fund has given the money to the Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre Development Trust (REWDT) for its Heat Smart Orkney project. The new scheme will be trialled by around 100 residents in the Orkney Islands, with the scheme diverting excess renewable electricity that cannot be fed into the grid from wind turbines to newly installed heating devices in their homes. Michelle Koster, Project Manager at REWDT, said that Orkney is home to Scotland’s highest fuel poverty levels and the electricity grid has to be curtailed, resulting in the community-owned turbine in Rousay being turned off. Koster added: “Providing the ability to divert otherwise curtailed energy into secondary heating devices installed in homes seems an obvious solution.” The energy efficient heating devices are linked to a cloud control centre and the cloud control centre is switched on when the turbine receives a curtailment signal. The heating devices and the additional electricity used by the devices will be recorded on a meter and a rebate will be paid to the householder from the additional income received by the turbine. The funding for the scheme has come as part of the Scottish government’s wider aim of developing local energy systems, as it has awarded over £10 million to support nine large-scale, low-carbon energy projects across the country. Last month, a report by utility firm SSE and the University of Edinburgh found that a combined heat and power (CHP)-based district heating network in Scotland has led to significant reductions in energy costs for poorer residents. The heat network was installed in 2013 at the 1800-home Wyndford Estate social housing complex in Glasgow. Vital Energi Project Manager, David Raley, said: “The Wyndford project’s biggest success is demonstrating how retrofit projects in social housing help alleviate fuel poverty.”
Byrne Group will replace Dunne Group on the construction of the 100 Bishopsgate and One Blackfriars projects after the firm went into administration earlier in the week. The prevent the schemes from being delayed, Brookfield Multiplex, which has used Dunne Group’s services on a number of schemes, is understood to have wasted no time in securing a replacement contractor to carry out the work. At the 100 Bishopsgate project, Dunne Group had been on a deal worth £36 million over 92 weeks to provide concrete superstructure and substructure works. It is understood that Byrne Group has taken on the deal from Dunne Group, along with a number of its staff, while sources have claimed that the slipform manager and project manager have left the 100 Bishopsgate scheme. Meanwhile, at the One Blackfriars project, the contractor had been developing a 50 storey post-tensioned tower off podium level with inclined in situ columns including the central core. The substructure work had been carried out by Laing O’Rourke’s Expanded business, however Dunne Group took on the superstructure work for Brookfield Multiplex. It is also understood that work has ceased at Newington Butts as Mace looks for a replacement for the site after Dunne Group’s exit. This may mean the appointment of a replacement contractor for the scheme or Mace directly employing workers from the Dunne Group to complete the job. It is understood that Mace will make a final decision on this next week, once it has spoken to the administrator. One source said that suppliers are looking to reclaim equipment while Mace is still deciding the best way to replace the Dunne Group on the project. It is understood that the Dunne Group paid approximately £1 million for the piping and pump equipment at 100 Bishopsgate and that the assets of the group would “surely outweigh its debts.”
OFTEC says that heating firms should now start thinking about how to make the most of the new Apprenticeship Levy to help them recruit the best new talent and help towards stemming the skills shortage in the industry. The new Apprenticeship Levy will come into play in April next year and will see businesses with an annual wage bill of over £3 million pay a 0.5% tax on payroll. The move comes as part of the government’s aim of creating three million more apprenticeships in the UK in the next four years. During 2014/15, the number of young people starting apprenticeships in England went up by 14%, which is the first time the total has gone up in three years, a trend that the government hopes will continue for the rest of the year. At present, most apprenticeships (73%) are focussed in the services sector, however according to OFTEC, this pattern must change in order to provide opportunities in the most needed sectors, such as the heating industry. David Knipe, OFTEC Training Manager, said that he was encouraged to see an increase in the number of apprenticeships in England over the past year as the group sees quality apprenticeship schemes as a crucial part of further education which will give young people a great chance to start a secure and rewarding career in the industry. Knipe added: “With the Apprenticeship Levy coming in next year, heating businesses should be asking themselves now, could and should they draw upon the available funding to help them take on an apprentice? Recruiting young talent in this way can provide an affordable route to business expansion with the advantage of being able to train an apprentice to the high standards you expect.” After a government review, the old Specification for Apprenticeship Standards for England (SASE) framework has been replaced by ‘Trailblazer’ apprenticeships to provide a new style of apprenticeship which is more focused on employers.
Cheval Property Holdings has employed Skanska as the primary contractor for the demolition of a building in Knightsbridge, London. The contract will run until October next year and will see the building removed down to basement level, ahead of a scheduled redevelopment. The contract will also see the Skanska team retain and clean the front of the Grade II listed, early 20th Century mansion block site, which is part of the Hyde Park conservation area and Skanska believed that it is London’s biggest façade project of its type. The company believes that it won the contract thanks to its experience in logistics and traffic management, along with experience of demolition within tight constraints on site and façade retention systems. The site is situated opposite the French embassy and is bound by shops and offices, residential properties and two five-star hotels. Paul Heather, Managing Director at Skanska, said that their team has delivered on a number of similar projects and customers’ expectations have already been exceeded by their experience and knowledge. Heather added: “This latest project start confirms that the commercial development market in London remains active, and Skanska is playing a significant part in the sector. We have a strong pipeline of work and look forward to working with developers across the city to create their developments.” After a pre-construction service agreement, a competitive tender process was carried out which saw Skanska come out on top to secure the contract, where the team undertook enabling and investigative works and asbestos removal. Meanwhile, the Swedish construction firm has lowered its outlook for non-residential construction in the UK after the country’s vote to leave the European Union. Johan Karlstroem, Chief Executive Officer, commented: “Ahead of the Brexit vote, private developers were in a wait-and-see mode and refrained from starting projects – that cautiousness has continued after the referendum.”
