August 5, 2016

What are the top ten Great British garden must-haves?

Manicured lawns? Flower beds? Maybe once, however the latest research has revealed traditional garden features have fallen out of favour, with more lavish features such as hot tubs, swimming pools and tennis courts taking prime position on garden bucket lists. According to a survey of 1,000 UK adults by garden

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BP shuts Shetlands platform after spill

BP has shut one of its platforms near the Shetland Islands following an oil spill that will attract more unwelcome attention to the UK group’s environmental record. A “technical issue” was blamed for the spill of an estimated 95 tonnes, about 665 barrels, of oil at BP’s Clair platform on

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ISS gets on track at Hitachi Rail Europe maintenance centres

23 August 2016 | Herpreet Kaur Grewal ISS has been selected by Hitachi Rail Europe to provide integrated facility services to its maintenance centres in London, Swansea, Bristol, and Doncaster.  The agreement is for three years, with an option of an additional two years.  The new contract will see ISS deliver

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No Brexit blues for construction product manufacturers

Despite reports of a construction industry slowdown before and after the EU referendum, sales of building products appear to have continued growing unabated. The latest Construction Products Association (CPA) state of trade survey reports continued growth in sales in the third quarter of 2016. Sales have now increased for 14

Read More »

Jack Wills to open at the Galleries, Bristol

The owner of the Galleries, InfraRed Capital Partners, working in partnership with asset managers Hark Group and advised by Savills, is pleased to announce the letting of the former ‘Almshouse’ space to Jack Wills. The British clothing brand will take occupation of the unit for fitting out, by the end

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Hitachi Secures Deal with Amey to Look After 8,500 Fleet

Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions has been appointed by infrastructure and utility service provider Amey to look after its fleet of over 8,500 vehicles. The exclusive six year vehicle leasing deal will see Hitachi provide Amey with vehicle management and funding for its whole fleet of over 8,500 vehicles and specialist

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Scottish Farmland Remains Static in H1 2016

The latest sector index has revealed that the value of farmland in Scotland has largely remained static for the first half of this year, down by just 0.2% to £4,357 per acre. The data from the Knight Frank Scottish Farmland Index states that year on year values have fallen by

Read More »

New Zone A Rental Record Set for Oxford Street

A new Zone A record rent deal has been set for London’s Oxford Street thanks to Hong Kong based Circle Group letting 409 Oxford Street to Polish cosmetics retailer Inglot. Circle Group was represented by Savills in the process and the cosmetics firm has secured a new 10 year lease

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Ipswich Bridges Design Contest Launched

A design contest has been launched by Suffolk County Council for two new bridges over the River Orwell in Ipswich. The Orwell Crossings Project is set to cost around £77 million and will see two new crossings built near the town’s waterfront area, along with the refurbishment of the existing

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Latest Issue
Issue 324 : Jan 2025

August 5, 2016

What are the top ten Great British garden must-haves?

Manicured lawns? Flower beds? Maybe once, however the latest research has revealed traditional garden features have fallen out of favour, with more lavish features such as hot tubs, swimming pools and tennis courts taking prime position on garden bucket lists. According to a survey of 1,000 UK adults by garden and conservatory furniture etailer, Alfresia.co.uk, 74% of Brits dream of owning a swimming pool, whilst over half (53%) have hopes of a relaxing after a hard day in a hot tub.   Also high on the wish lists of would-be landscapers are water features (67%), followed by decking or patio areas (61%), vegetable patches (43%), and summer houses (24%).   Brits also have outdoor style aspirations, with oriental water garden (32%) topping the list of dream garden themes, followed by cottage garden (21%), contemporary modern (19%), Mediterranean terrace garden (16%), and low-maintenance garden (12%).   31% would use their dream garden for throwing parties, whilst an optimistic 16% plan to use their outdoor space for sunbathing.   1 in 10 (9%) sporty Brits dream of having their own tennis courts, and 5% fantasise about a putting green on their dream garden wish list, showing spaces for active leisure are also a high priority for British adults.   Built-in BBQ and outdoor cooking area topped the list for those aged 18-24, whilst 25-34 year-olds chose vegetable patches as their top pick, illustrating the rise in popularity of gardening among young homeowners.   Respondents admitted their aspirations were being inspired by television shows such as Big Brother, and celebrities such as the Kardashians, many of whom have lavish feature filled gardens. Craig Corbett, marketing manager at Alfresia.co.uk, said: “The findings are interesting, and show that most of us aspire to have some element of water in our gardens, whether it’s in the form of a bubbling hot tub, or tranquil and calming water feature. It’s great to see the fun and quirky features the British public’s choose when collating their garden bucket lists.   Dream landscapes don’t have to cost big money – improvements can be made on a conservative budget and scale. Beginning garden renovations with a single smaller size project, such as tidying existing patio areas, or planting some seasonal pots is recommended – sowing seeds and garden maintenance can be done in smaller manageable sessions.” Top 10 dream garden features 1.    Swimming pool – 74% 2.    Water feature – 67% 3.    Decking/ patio area – 61% 4.    Hot tub – 53% 5.    Vegetable patch – 43% 6.    Summer house – 24% 7.    BBQ and outdoor cooking area – 23% 8.    Tennis courts – 9% 9.    Putting green – 5% 10.   Topiary – 4% Source link

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BP shuts Shetlands platform after spill

BP has shut one of its platforms near the Shetland Islands following an oil spill that will attract more unwelcome attention to the UK group’s environmental record. A “technical issue” was blamed for the spill of an estimated 95 tonnes, about 665 barrels, of oil at BP’s Clair platform on Sunday. While the leak was limited in scale — it was halted within an hour of the problem being spotted — the timing could hardly have been worse for BP. The release last week of Deepwater Horizon, a big-budget Hollywood dramatisation of BP’s 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, has thrust the risks of offshore exploration and production back into the public spotlight. Sunday’s spill was nowhere near the 3m barrels released after the deadly blast on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig. However, WWF, the environmental group, said it highlighted “the dangers posed on a daily basis by oil and gas operations off the coast of Scotland”. BP said the oil “was released to the sea from the Clair platform as a result of a technical issue with the system designed to separate the mixed production fluids of water, oil and gas”. It added: “We are investigating the cause of the technical issue and the field will remain offline for the time being.” Related article Account of oil spill highlights Hollywood’s ability to influence corporate reputations “At present, we believe the most appropriate response is to allow the oil to disperse naturally at sea, but contingencies for other action are being prepared. “Oil has been observed on the sea surface and we are monitoring its movement. Both direct observation and oil spill modelling indicate the oil to be moving in a northerly direction away from land.” The Clair platform, 75km west of the Shetlands, is on the frontier between the Atlantic and the North Sea. The area has some of the UK’s biggest remaining reserves of oil and gas but deeper water and hostile weather make it more difficult and expensive to extract compared with shallower parts of the North Sea. Simon Boxall, an oceanographer at the University of Southampton, said the “lumpy” seas off the Shetlands meant the oil should disperse fairly quickly. BP was “no better, no worse” than other companies in its safety and overall industry standards were improving, he added. “Technology has improved, companies are more aware of the risks, and the repercussions of spills have become more severe in terms of fines and prosecutions and also in terms of public image,” Mr Boxall said. Lang Banks, director of WWF Scotland, urged BP not to restart operations at Clair until it was fully understood how much oil had been released and what caused the leak. BP said it was working with Oil Spill Response Limited, an industry-funded co-operative which responds to oil spills around the world, and the UK government to assess the environmental impact and agree the best way to respond. Royal Dutch Shell, the other UK oil major, was fined £22,500 last year by a Scottish court for the leak of about 1,300 barrels of oil from its Gannet Alpha platform in 2011. This was on top of £45m of clean-up costs incurred by Shell and a further £100m spent replacing the ruptured pipeline. Sample the FT’s top stories for a week You select the topic, we deliver the news. Source link

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ISS gets on track at Hitachi Rail Europe maintenance centres

23 August 2016 | Herpreet Kaur Grewal ISS has been selected by Hitachi Rail Europe to provide integrated facility services to its maintenance centres in London, Swansea, Bristol, and Doncaster.  The agreement is for three years, with an option of an additional two years.  The new contract will see ISS deliver a variety of services including security, building maintenance, waste management, janitorial, landscaping, and winterisation, pest control, help-desk support and cleaning. The relationship between ISS and Hitachi Rail Europe began with the provision of security services at the North Pole site in London during its construction phase. After a competitive tender process, ISS has extended the service delivery to Hitachi Rail Europe’s four UK maintenance centres delivering a diverse range of integrated services. The rollout will begin at the North Pole and Swansea train maintenance centres, followed by additional facilities in Bristol and Doncaster once construction has been completed.   Source link

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No Brexit blues for construction product manufacturers

Despite reports of a construction industry slowdown before and after the EU referendum, sales of building products appear to have continued growing unabated. The latest Construction Products Association (CPA) state of trade survey reports continued growth in sales in the third quarter of 2016. Sales have now increased for 14 consecutive quarters. In the first survey after the EU referendum, manufacturers moved from a pessimistic stance to an optimistic one regarding near-term prospects. However, they have yet to benefit from the weak pound with any increase in exports. CPA senior economist Rebecca Larkin said: “Construction product manufacturers reported an increase in sales during Q3, suggesting that construction activity remained resilient following initial uncertainty in the run-up to, and immediately after, the EU referendum in June.” ‘Balance’ means the percentage reporting positively minus the percentage reporting negatively. She continued: “A balance of 26% of heavy side firms reported a quarter-on-quarter rise in sales in Q3, although this was lower than the balance of 52% recorded in Q2.  Quarterly sales rose according to half of manufacturers on the light side, which was the highest balance since 2015 Q1 and an increase from 38% in Q2.  “In contrast to pre-referendum pessimism evident in manufacturers’ forward-looking views in last quarter’s survey, expectations for near-term sales turned markedly higher in Q3.  On balance, 45% of heavy side firms and 67% of those on the light side anticipated rising sales over the next three months and this optimism extends for performance over the next 12 months. “Interestingly, the sharp depreciation in sterling does not appear to have translated into an increase in export sales in our sector.  Instead, the effect of the weak currency has been manifested in rising costs for imported raw materials and higher fuel bills, adding to the existing inflationary pressures on wages created by skills shortages.  Nevertheless, manufacturers anticipated a pickup in overseas sales over the next 12 months.”   Key survey findings include: •         A balance of 26% of heavy side firms and 50% of light side firms reported that construction product sales rose in the third quarter of 2016 compared with Q2 •         On an annual basis, sales rose for 68% of heavy side firms and 60% of firms on the light side, on balance •         On balance, 45% of heavy side manufacturers anticipated a rise in sales in Q4, improving from a balance of -13% in Q2 •         On the light side, 67% of firms expected an increase in product sales in the next quarter, compared to a zero balance in Q2 •         42% of heavy side firms and 40% of light side firms anticipated an increase in export sales over the next year •         Annual cost increases were reported by 57% of heavy side manufacturers and 56% of those on the light side.       This article was published on 10 Oct 2016 (last updated on 10 Oct 2016). Source link

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Jack Wills to open at the Galleries, Bristol

The owner of the Galleries, InfraRed Capital Partners, working in partnership with asset managers Hark Group and advised by Savills, is pleased to announce the letting of the former ‘Almshouse’ space to Jack Wills. The British clothing brand will take occupation of the unit for fitting out, by the end of July. This new deal follows a number of recent lettings over the past year at The Galleries. The Galleries, part of the Bristol Shopping Quarter, is located in the centre of Broadmead and has 335,000 sq ft (31,122 sq m) of retail space with brands including Argos, Boots, Peacocks, WHSmith and TKMaxx. In 2015 footfall at the Galleries reached 10.2 million, and the year-on-year figures outperformed the national average by 2.5% . Chris O’Mahony, retail director at Savills in Bristol, comments: “We’re delighted and very excited about the fact that Jack Wills has chosen The Galleries for its first store in the centre of the city. This deal further expands the retail offer and highlights the re-establishment of the centre as a key shopping destination in Bristol.” Jack Wills was advised by Montagu Evans. Source link

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Balfour Beatty Secures Planning Approval for £120m Sussex University Scheme

Balfour Beatty has been given planning approval to begin work on the ambitious £120 million East Slope student accommodation project at the University of Sussex. The firm is to redevelop part of the campus which will see the creation of 2,100 new bedrooms along with a new Students’ Union building and social facilities. The new project will see the replacement of the existing East Slope student accommodation, which was constructed in the 1970s and is currently home to around 600 students. In conjunction with the university, Balfour Beatty will finance, build, design and operate the scheme under a 50 year contract. The first stage of the £500 million investment programme to improve and modernise the university’s campus will involve new bedrooms. The university was last year granted outline consent for its campus scheme, which will include most of this new student accommodation. The work on the site is to be carried out in phases, the first of which is expected to commence in January 2017 and should be ready by around September or October 2018, with all work expected to be completed by 2020. To make sure that the architectural legacy of the campus is not compromised, the university has been working in conjunction with Brighton & Hove City Council, Historic England and other local bodies. The university’s original architect, Sir Basil Spence, created a series of highly distinctive signature buildings, including the newly refurbished Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts, the Meeting House and Falmer House. University of Sussex Registrar, John Duffy, commented: “We will be renewing the original Spence vision with the creation of new and equally distinctive signature buildings, as well as better pathways and movement through the campus, sustaining lines of sight to the South Downs.” He added that the choice of building materials to be used will also fit in with those favoured by Spence.

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Hitachi Secures Deal with Amey to Look After 8,500 Fleet

Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions has been appointed by infrastructure and utility service provider Amey to look after its fleet of over 8,500 vehicles. The exclusive six year vehicle leasing deal will see Hitachi provide Amey with vehicle management and funding for its whole fleet of over 8,500 vehicles and specialist assets. Including the utilities, waste management and highways sectors, Amey has over 300 contracts, many of which call for a fleet of specialist vehicles that must always be available. Amey’s Fleet and Plant Director, Tom Lawless, commented: “We need a fleet of specialist vehicles that are provided and managed to the standards of operational safety, compliance adherence and optimum availability that are also fit for purpose when considering required customer outcomes.” Lawless believes that Hitachi is “uniquely placed” to deliver the full support for Amey’s operations, adding that the new partnership will mean its business can make better use of its fleet of dedicated assets which will result in a better service for its customers. Meanwhile, Managing Director of Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions, Jon Lawes, said that the appointment shows the company’s ability to manage and fund the most complex and mission critical fleets that operate in the UK. The deal came into effect last month and will run until 2022. Meanwhile, last month it was confirmed that Atkins has been awarded with the contract to supply Hitachi in the delivery of Network Rail’s Thameslink programme. Atkins will conduct several assessments which are designed to make sure that the TMS meets the standards set by Network Rail for being compatible with the rail network in the UK. Practice Director of Transportation at Atkins, Conor Linnell, commented: “It is very exciting for Atkins to be able to bring its extensive experience in the delivery of large-scale infrastructure projects to bear on a ground-breaking programme such as TMS for Thameslink, which marks the beginning of the digital age of the UK railway.”

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Scottish Farmland Remains Static in H1 2016

The latest sector index has revealed that the value of farmland in Scotland has largely remained static for the first half of this year, down by just 0.2% to £4,357 per acre. The data from the Knight Frank Scottish Farmland Index states that year on year values have fallen by 1.7% but are still 26% up over the last five years, while over the last 10 years they have increased by 169% and over the last 20 years they have risen by 174%. The figures also illustrated that high quality arable land has stayed at £9,046 per acre, while there was a fractional fall in the price of permanent pasture to £2,719 per acre and overall there has been a relatively small amount of market activity so far this year despite a hold up in prices. Head of Scottish Farm Sales at Knight Frank, Tom Stewart-Moore, said that this year has seen a small number of farms sold, with less than normal launched around the time of the Royal Highland Show, which is traditionally the point when the market kicks into action. Stewart-Moore added: “Combined with the continued slump in commodity values, many people were expecting a rush of farms to the market in 2016 and a subsequent drop in prices,’ he pointed out, adding that low interest rates mean there have been very few forced sales so far.” He also stated that demand for livestock and good quality arable is outstripping supply, while demand has stayed strong for amenity and supporting estates. Recently, Knight Frank sold the 6,500 acre Kinnaird Estate in Perthshire for more than its guide price of £9.6 million along with an 8,000 acre stalking estate in Sutherland, which will be launched soon and will provide another good test of the market. Stewart-Moore also said he is expecting more interest from buyers from overseas.

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New Zone A Rental Record Set for Oxford Street

A new Zone A record rent deal has been set for London’s Oxford Street thanks to Hong Kong based Circle Group letting 409 Oxford Street to Polish cosmetics retailer Inglot. Circle Group was represented by Savills in the process and the cosmetics firm has secured a new 10 year lease for the 600 sq ft unit with an annual rent of £625,000. The new store will be the company’s third in the UK after successful openings at Westfield Stratford City and Westfield London. The deal will see the continuing trend of international brands establishing a West Ends presence, with 10 new global retailers opening their first London stores this year, including GH Bass, Ron Dorff and APM Monaco. By the end of this year, another 13 international retailers are expected to open their first capital stores, including Maiyet, Ellie Saab and Philip Plein. Savills’ Oxford Street specialist, Sam Foyle, commented: “We are pleased to have secured another hugely successful global brand for Oxford Street.  Competition among retailers for the best locations remains aggressive, as reflected by the record rent agreed with Inglot.” Meanwhile, Savills’ Head of Central London Retail, Anthony Selwyn, said that Oxford Street will continue to act as a strong pull for new brands wanting to make their mark in London. He added that given the influence of Crossrail and the discussions about the potential plans to make Oxford Street a pedestrian zone, the company is expecting to see an increase in the number of new entrants setting up in the new street during the next two years. During the process, Inglot was represented by BC Retail, while Savills has also secured the previous rental record for Oxford Street with the let to Swatch Group Ltd in July last year which cost £1,010 Zone A.

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Ipswich Bridges Design Contest Launched

A design contest has been launched by Suffolk County Council for two new bridges over the River Orwell in Ipswich. The Orwell Crossings Project is set to cost around £77 million and will see two new crossings built near the town’s waterfront area, along with the refurbishment of the existing swing bridge across the lock which gives access to the Wet Dock and its marina facilities. The scheme aims to reduce traffic congestion in the town and improve connections between the town centre and the waterfront, while also acting as a catalyst for more regeneration projects on the wider waterfront area. The county council is looking to hire an architectural team and has contacted the services of the Royal British Institute of Architects (RIBA) Competitions to search for the suitable team. The existing project team led by WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff, which is to have responsibility to provide civil and structural engineering input to the project, will be joined by the appointed architectural team. It is also expected that the scheme will look to use early contractor involvement to help develop the design concepts. Guy McGregor, Suffolk County Councillor, commented: “We want to open up the design competition to find the most suitable architectural expert team to work with Suffolk County Council in the crucial design of this major project for the county town of Ipswich and Suffolk. “We are getting some really positive feedback through our current consultation on this project and we look forward to working with the winning architectural team to realise a design that fits with Ipswich ambitions and continued success in the future.” More project background and selection process details are available to be viewed in a Memorandum of Information available from: www.architecture.com/riba/competitions/enteracompetition/livecompetitions.aspx A pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ) and scope for procurement of architectural services can be received by registering with Suffolk County Council’s e-Tendering system at: www.suffolksourcing.co.uk

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