©Getty EDF’s Hinkley Point nuclear power site in Somerset, England A group of more than 100 engineers at French utility EDF have come out in support of the company’s contentious plans to build a flagship nuclear power station at Hinkley Point in the UK, after some of their counterparts said
Weekly rents increased by a mere 0.2% in Australian capital cities in March but overall they are down 0.2% year on year, the latest rental index shows. In the last 12 months Melbourne recorded the biggest increase in rental rates at 2%, followed by Sydney at 1.4%, Canberra at 1.2%
Balfour Beatty has been awarded a £170m contract to upgrade baggage screening and handling systems at Heathrow Airport. Balfour Beatty will install new baggage screening and handling systems at Heathrow’s eastern baggage facility. The contract was awarded through the Heathrow Airport Limited Delivery Integrator Framework to which Balfour Beatty was
The £47 million redevelopment plan at a former high school in Cheshire has been approved. The plan will see a housing development made up of a mix of 401 private and council homes built by developer Keepmoat at the old Woodford Lodge High School site in Winsford. The new housing
The National Grid is preparing for a 400MW spike in demand this Saturday (August 13) as people up and down the country tune in to watch a huge night of Olympic action. The rise in demand is expected for ‘Super Saturday’ as viewers stay up until 3am to watch Mo
Interserve has revealed that it lost £33.8 million before tax for the first half of the year, after the company wrote off £70 million on a Glasgow waste contract. The company is now set to quit the energy from waste industry after the huge loss made on the contract with
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is to revert back to in-house catering after the contract was outsourced for several years. Since 2011, Centerplate (formerly Lindley Venue Catering) had been the catering partner of the South Yorkshire club. The catering services range from the concourses around the Hillsborough stadium to the many
The campaigning trade body for Scotland’s electro-technical industry, Select, has re-appointed Eric Rae as its president. Rae has had a great influence in Select activity in the North East and Aberdeen for a number of years and was first elected to the post last year, now entering his second year
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has opened prequalification to find a contracting firm to build the new Wigan bus station. The new bus station is planned to be constructed on the site of the existing one and will provide a new gateway to the town, with better facilities that will
©Getty EDF’s Hinkley Point nuclear power site in Somerset, England A group of more than 100 engineers at French utility EDF have come out in support of the company’s contentious plans to build a flagship nuclear power station at Hinkley Point in the UK, after some of their counterparts said the project should be delayed. An internal note to company employees by the EDF engineers, which was issued this week, said: “We are convinced that EDF is able to build and deliver the two Hinkley Point reactors on time . . . Hinkley Point is politically, economically and industrially, one of the most significant projects of our era.” The Financial Times reported last week that some senior engineers at EDF had written a policy paper calling for at least a two-year delay to the £18bn project, which involves two reactors and is meant to be operational by 2025. The paper said that the “realistic service date was 2027” due to the size of the project, continuing design modifications and the “very low” competency of French supplier Areva in making some of the large components. The contrasting visions from the two groups of EDF engineers point to a wider battle going on inside the company over whether to make the much-delayed final investment decision on Hinkley at a board meeting on May 11. Last month Thomas Piquemal, EDF finance director, resigned over concerns that the project could threaten the company’s future. The group’s €37bn of net debt dwarfs its €19.1bn market capitalisation. This week, FO, one of the unions with employees at EDF, threatened to go on strike if the utility goes ahead with Hinkley, saying they would call for industrial action if management even schedules a board meeting on the issue. Ségolène Royal, the French energy minister, told a radio station on Wednesday that delaying the project was “still up for discussion”, adding that it needed to provide “further proof of its worth”. She added there should be proof the investment would not hinder renewable energy development. This was in contrast to comments from Emmanuel Macron, the French economy minister, who said last month that he expected the final investment decision on the project to be taken by “early May”. EDF has also said the project will go ahead as planned. Critics, including Mr Piquemal, said Hinkley was too big a risk for EDF because of technological problems with the Areva-designed EPR reactor technology and because the company’s balance sheet is already stretched. DEBT The CFE-CGC union, which represents managerial staff at EDF, has been the most critical of Hinkley. Late last month, Christian Taxil, EDF board member for CFE-CGC, said in a letter to employees he would vote against Hinkley. The CGT, EDF’s most powerful union with three seats on the board, has also asked management to delay the project. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2016. You may share using our article tools. Please don’t cut articles from FT.com and redistribute by email or post to the web. Source link
Weekly rents increased by a mere 0.2% in Australian capital cities in March but overall they are down 0.2% year on year, the latest rental index shows. In the last 12 months Melbourne recorded the biggest increase in rental rates at 2%, followed by Sydney at 1.4%, Canberra at 1.2% and Hobart at 0.3%. Rents fell by 11.5% in Darwin, by 8.4% in Perth, by 1% in Adelaide and by 0.7% in Brisbane. The March Rental Review from CoreLogic RP Data analysts also shows that house rents averaged $489 per week in March 2016 while unit rents were $469 per week. Over the past month, house rents have increased by 0.1% and unit rents by 0.4% and over the past three months, house rents rose 0.5% compared to a 0.9% rise in unit rents. The March results show that recent rental increases are likely to be seasonal which is further highlighted by the fact rents are lower over the year. Over the past 12 months, house rents were 0.5% lower while unit rents increased by 1.5%. ‘It is important to note that a much higher proportion of total unit stock is rented compared to housing stock. We have been tracking the annual change in capital city rents since 1996 and this is the first time we have seen rental rates falling,’ said research analyst Cameron Kusher. ‘The extra accommodation supply, as a result of the current building boom, along with the recent record high levels of investment purchasing is adding substantial new dwelling supply to the rental market at a time when the rate of population growth is slowing from quarter to quarter. Furthermore, wages are increasing at their slowest annual pace,’ he explained. He also pointed out that the results also highlight a swift easing in rental market conditions over the past year. ‘We’ve attributed this ease to a variety of influences such as falling real wages, excess rental supply in certain areas and lower rates of population growth which have impacted on demand for rental accommodation,’ said Kusher. He explained that with dwelling approvals recently at record highs, construction activity set to peak over the next 24 months and many new properties still to settle, the rental demand weakness is expected to persist. ‘In all probability, there won’t be much scope for landlords to lift rental rates given current conditions have given greater negotiation opportunities to those in rental situation,’ he added. While rental rates remain at record highs in Sydney and Melbourne, rents are lower than their previous peaks in all remaining capital cities. Rents in Brisbane are down 0.9% from peak, down 1.2% in Adelaide, down 12.8% in Perth, down 0.1% in Hobart, down 15.6% in Darwin and down 7.4% in Canberra. BOOKMARK THIS PAGE (What is this?) Source link
Balfour Beatty has been awarded a £170m contract to upgrade baggage screening and handling systems at Heathrow Airport. Balfour Beatty will install new baggage screening and handling systems at Heathrow’s eastern baggage facility. The contract was awarded through the Heathrow Airport Limited Delivery Integrator Framework to which Balfour Beatty was appointed in 2014. Balfour Beatty group chief executive Leo Quinn said: “This contract award is testament to the strength of the partnership we have developed with Heathrow Airport Limited over the last 17 years. The UK aviation sector is a core market for Balfour Beatty and we are delighted to play our part in helping Heathrow maintain its position as a leading travel hub and supporting local employment.” This article was published on 5 Jul 2016 (last updated on 5 Jul 2016). Source link
The £47 million redevelopment plan at a former high school in Cheshire has been approved. The plan will see a housing development made up of a mix of 401 private and council homes built by developer Keepmoat at the old Woodford Lodge High School site in Winsford. The new housing scheme is called Woodford Grange and spans 30 acres of brown field, providing first time buyers and home hunters with access to a collection of two, three and four bedroom properties under the Help to Buy scheme backed by the government. Within the development, there will be 130 affordable properties built on behalf of Chester Council and Cheshire West, which will be the first local authority houses built in the Borough for almost 40 years. Keepmoat’s North West Regional Managing Director, Gareth Roberts, commented: “Working in partnership with the Council, we have identified key ways to regenerate a surplus piece of land and really invest in Winsford while creating housing solutions – particularly for first time buyers.” Work on the development is set to begin later in the summer. The firm is also set to transform the old Barr’s soft drink factory site in Wigan into a £35.5 million new housing development. Work on this project is set to commence later in the month to deliver 194 two, three and four bedroom properties for sale. The new scheme will also deliver two children’s play areas and brand new public open space. The development will be Keepmoat’s first new housing scheme in Wigan and has confirmed that they plan to continue their plans to work closely with Wigan Council to explore the best ways of regenerating more areas in the region. Roberts said: “We very much specialise in providing homes for the first time buyer market and so we’re excited to be bringing our offer to Wigan.”
The National Grid is preparing for a 400MW spike in demand this Saturday (August 13) as people up and down the country tune in to watch a huge night of Olympic action. The rise in demand is expected for ‘Super Saturday’ as viewers stay up until 3am to watch Mo Farah, Jessica Ennis-Hill and Greg Rutherford go for gold. The predicted spike in demand is lower than that of the London 2012 Super Saturday but the National Grid has attributed this to the time difference in Rio. A ‘TV pickup’ occurs when demand for electricity increases during advert breaks or at the conclusion of the UK’s most popular programmes as consumers turn on lights and electrical applicances. If Andy Murray makes it to the final of the tennis event which begins at 8pm, the National Grid is expecting a 500MW pickup, while a 250MW spike is expected if Team GB’s women’s gymnastics team make the final round. When Tom Daley claimed his bronze medal on Tuesday night, Britain saw a pickup of around 169MW, however this was much below the expected 350MW spike. When the coverage switched to the gymnastics, a further 50MW increase was seen. Jeremy Caplin, Energy Forecasting Manager at the National Grid, explained that pickups during this year’s Rio Olympics have been significantly lower than London 2012, which he believes is because of the time difference as the majority of events have been taking place overnight. Caplin added: “As always our team of experts in the control room are working hard to ensure our predictions are as accurate as possible and we are expecting to see an increase in demand of 200MW overnight during ‘Super Saturday’ as people tune in to watch stars such as Jessica Ennis-Hill and Mo Farah.”
Interserve has revealed that it lost £33.8 million before tax for the first half of the year, after the company wrote off £70 million on a Glasgow waste contract. The company is now set to quit the energy from waste industry after the huge loss made on the contract with Viridor for the Glasgow Recycling & Renewable Energy Centre. Interserve blamed issues related to the installation, procurement and design of the gasification plant for the loss. The exited business is made up of six contracts with £430 million in aggregate whole life revenues that were entered into between mid-2012 and early last year. The work is expected to finish next year and the impact of these contract will be contained within the £70 million exceptional loss provision that was announced in May at a trading update. For the six months up to June 30 2016 show a 2.4% increase in turnover to £1,632.9 million, while the business otherwise performed as anticipated. Headline operating profit also increased by 2% to £62.9 million. In the last six months, the UK Support Services business, which now accounts for the majority of earnings, has won £1 billion of new work. Included in this new work is a five year deal to support the US Air Force bases in the UK, which are worth £230 million over the term. Meanwhile, the UK Construction business says that trading in the building and fit out areas remains strong, while the International business has grown by 43% in support service and by 17% in construction. There has not yet been a resolution of the strategic review being undertaken at the Equipment Services division and RMD Kwikform. Chairman Glyn Barker said that a conclusion is expected later in the year, although there was no suggestion as to whether he meant that it is to be sold.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is to revert back to in-house catering after the contract was outsourced for several years. Since 2011, Centerplate (formerly Lindley Venue Catering) had been the catering partner of the South Yorkshire club. The catering services range from the concourses around the Hillsborough stadium to the many executive boxes and hospitality suites within the South Stand area of the ground. The club’s Chief Operating Officer, Joe Palmer, explained that the catering branch of the business is an important part of the matchday and non-matchday experience offered by Sheffield Wednesday to both supporters and clients alike. Palmer continued: “Although only the front end product as it were is visible, there is a huge amount of organisation and resource required behind the scenes on a daily basis. “With this is mind, and after an ongoing period of diligence and customer feedback – particularly at the club`s Steering Group meetings – we have taken the decision to bring the catering back in house.” By taking the catering back in-house, this will give the club full control of the whole catering operation and will make both commercial and logistical sense. Palmer also explained that he personally oversaw a very similar process during his time spent at Fc Shakhtar Donetsk, where all parties who had an interest in the club’s catering benefitted in both the long term and the short term. However, the switch back to in-house catering will not be an instant one and the club has asked for supporters and clients to be patient while the transition takes place. He concluded: “In the meantime, Sheffield Wednesday wish Centerplate nothing but the best for the future.” Meanwhile, Gillingham Football are currently contesting a legal case with former caterers Centerplate. At the time the company pulled out the Gills claimed they were owed a “significant amount of money.”
The campaigning trade body for Scotland’s electro-technical industry, Select, has re-appointed Eric Rae as its president. Rae has had a great influence in Select activity in the North East and Aberdeen for a number of years and was first elected to the post last year, now entering his second year in office. He will maintain his full schedule of strategy discussions and branch involvement, along with a focus on areas of interest such as public sector procurement, health and safety, employment affairs and training. Rae said that he is delighted to extend his time in the role of president and will seek to carry on the body’s mission of influencing legislation that will benefit the industry in the long term. He continued: “Select has done, and continues to do, sterling work to create industry conditions which enable member firms to both provide a quality service to their clients and to maintain the high standards that characterise electrical installation in Scotland and, of course, Select.” Select’s Managing Director, Newell McGuinness, said that Eric has proved his ability as a conscientious and able president and has always put the interests of the industry first. McGuinness added: “We are very pleased that he will be in post for another successful year, directing his energies to seeking and securing outcomes which create the infrastructure for a sustainable future not only for the industry but for the Scottish economy as a whole.” Meanwhile, Select’s Head of External Affairs, David Wright, also welcomed the news as he stated that Rae has brought experience and influence to the role of president. Wright believes that Rae will continue to serve the interests of the industry and the body looks to carry on its campaign for statutory regulation of the industry in order to protect Scottish householders from poor quality work carried out by those who are not qualified to do so.
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has opened prequalification to find a contracting firm to build the new Wigan bus station. The new bus station is planned to be constructed on the site of the existing one and will provide a new gateway to the town, with better facilities that will encourage more people to travel by bus. TfGM Committee Chair, Councillor Andrew Fender, commented: “We’re excited to open prequalification to potential tenderers. This is a fantastic £15.7m project to improve Wigan bus station. “We aim to provide a better waiting environment, improved facilities for passengers and a more modern gateway to the town for both residents and visitors.” Central government are supporting the development through the Greater Manchester Local Growth Deal Programme. In April this year planning approval was given for the new bus station, with construction set to begin in June next year with an expected construction period of 18 months. The main construction contract is estimated to cost £9 million. TfGM has already constructed new transport interchanges in Rochdale, Altrincham and Wythenshawe, while a new interchange in Bolton is currently under construction. Electronic access to the pre-qualification information and requests to participate in the tender process is at http://procontract.due-north.com/register until 5th September 2016. Meanwhile, TfGM has also confirmed that the next phase of Manchester’s Oxford Road cycleway is underway. Work has started on upgrading the cycling infrastructure, although campaigners have warned that “watered down” plans may put both cyclists and pedestrians at risk. The first section of the Oxford Road bike lane commenced in February and was part of a £1 billion bus priority scheme aimed at reducing pollution and traffic congestion. Sections of the partially kerb-protected route are now complete. This next phase of the scheme will see Oxford Road between Booth Street and Hathersage Road closed to two way traffic while cycle lanes are built.
