Worcester tops Which? boiler survey for seventh year running Published: 29 September, 2016 For the seventh consecutive year, Worcester, Bosch Group, has come out top in the Which? boiler report having achieved Which? Best Buy status across every boiler it makes. The results were calculated from the views of 10,859
The reduction in central bank interest rates from 0.5% to 0.25% could exacerbate the problems that builders face with late payments. Above: The Bank of England The National Federation of Builders (NFB) says that yesterday’s decision by the Bank of England’s monetary policy committee to cut base interest rates will
Castle Building Services Organisation has nearly doubled its annual turnover to £38m and booked £11m of new contracts in the past two months. Castle is a building services design and installation specialist based in East Kilbride. It has been appointed by main contractor Morrison Construction to provide mechanical and electrical
Proposals to create a new £120 million cancer treatment centre and hospital in Aberdeen have been given preliminary approval. Aberdeen City Council planners have backed plans to develop the Baird Family Hospital and the Anchor Centre at Foresterhill Health Campus. At least 10 buildings are set to be built for the
Manchester’s skyline is set for a major new arrival after the news that plans to build a 52-storey skyscraper at the former Granada studios site in the city centre have been given the green light. Plans to build 387 apartments as part of the new £1.35 billion St John’s neighbourhood
Steelwork contractor Cleveland Bridge UK has completed a recruitment drive to strengthen its building structures team. Gary Kipling has joined as production manager of structures from Hambleton Steel, completing five appointments of key personnel since the spring. The new line-up to focus on structural steelwork for large buildings features: engineering
Severfield has been lined up by Multiplex to replace William Hare on its 22 Bishopsgate project. William Hare was previously in line to build the 62-storey tower steelwork, but main contractor Multiplex has now made the decision to go with Severfield for the job. It is believed that Severfield is set
A £320 million fund has been launched to help boost the development of the self-sustaining heat network sector throughout the UK. The funding is being provided by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), a new department created by Prime Minister Theresa May earlier this year. The Heat
A three-year programme to encourage innovation within businesses throughout the Sheffield City Region (SCR) has now begun as part of a joint venture between Sheffield Hallam University and the University of Sheffield. The Sheffield Innovation Programme allows SMEs from across the region to access academic expertise, facilities and resources at both
Worcester tops Which? boiler survey for seventh year running Published: 29 September, 2016 For the seventh consecutive year, Worcester, Bosch Group, has come out top in the Which? boiler report having achieved Which? Best Buy status across every boiler it makes. The results were calculated from the views of 10,859 Which? members and 601 members of the public, as well as a total of 179 Which? Trusted Traders who were surveyed about boiler manufacturers they’re not affiliated with. The Greenstar range achieved the maximum star rating in five of the seven categories, including brand reliability, build quality and availability of spare parts. Martyn Bridges, director of marketing and technical support at Worcester, Bosch Group, said: “We are delighted that every gas and oil boiler we make has now achieved Which Best Buy Status, which is a very reassuring endorsement for homeowners and heating engineers alike. Although we take pride in saying we manufacture some of the most reliable boilers on the market, we realise that the people who fit them are just as vital in upholding our outstanding reputation. “The Which? boiler report represents the real thoughts and opinions of homeowners and how likely they are to recommend the brand. The fact we are the only manufacturer to achieve this status for a seventh successive year is a real testament to quality and reliability we consistently achieve.” Source link
The reduction in central bank interest rates from 0.5% to 0.25% could exacerbate the problems that builders face with late payments. Above: The Bank of England The National Federation of Builders (NFB) says that yesterday’s decision by the Bank of England’s monetary policy committee to cut base interest rates will affect how late payments are calculated. The Late Payment of Commercial Debts Regulations 2013 allows companies that are owed payments to charge interest at 8% of the debt plus the Bank of England base rate. If the Bank of England cuts interest rates, the amount of money that creditor businesses may claim will also fall. NFB chief executive Richard Beresford said: “The construction industry has the worst payment record of any sector, with 31% of all late payment in the UK. Construction SMEs are owed more than £30bn in unpaid invoices. “Although we understand the Bank of England’s decision takes a range of issues into account, we would ask the government to step up efforts to ensure late payment is tackled more aggressively throughout the construction industry. Avoiding paying subcontractors in the supply chain will not help attract new workers into the industry, especially at a time when we need to address the skills shortage, the housing crisis and convince the government that we can deliver on planned infrastructure.” This article was published on 5 Aug 2016 (last updated on 5 Aug 2016). Source link
Castle Building Services Organisation has nearly doubled its annual turnover to £38m and booked £11m of new contracts in the past two months. Castle is a building services design and installation specialist based in East Kilbride. It has been appointed by main contractor Morrison Construction to provide mechanical and electrical services on four major build projects across both the education and community facilities sectors. In North Ayrshire, Castle has been appointed to work on the new Largs Community Campus, a project being delivered under the Hub South West framework. The campus, which has been designed by JM Architects with building services consultant Ramboll, has the latest renewable energy technologies to achieve a BREEAM rating of Very Good. Castle will use building information modelling to achieve a project completion date early in 2018. In the primary education sector, Castle has been appointed to two new build primary schools to replace existing facilities in Tarbolton and Dailly. Finally, Castle will install M&E services on The Quay Zone, a leisure centre under construction at Girvan Harbour. “We have developed a well earned a reputation as a reliable and responsible local contractor that can be trusted to deliver schemes across many sectors, with much of our work coming from repeat business,” said director Derek Reid. “These latest wins allow us to further demonstrate the depth of in house resource and capability on major projects, as well as our commitment to the areas in which we work and the strength of our links with the local supply chain. “Each location we are required to work in presents us with challenges, whether it is the waterfront position of The Quay Zone or, for instance, the lack of a gas supply close to Tarbolton Primary. However, thanks to our innovative approach to both the design and installation of building services, we are adept at addressing and overcoming these challenges.” Largs Community Campus, which will be delivered in one phase, will complete March 2018, with Dailly, Tarbolton and Carrick Leisure all due for handover by March 2017. Castle is also on site with Morrison Construction at Greenfaulds High School in Cumbernauld. This article was published on 13 Sep 2016 (last updated on 13 Sep 2016). Source link
Proposals to create a new £120 million cancer treatment centre and hospital in Aberdeen have been given preliminary approval. Aberdeen City Council planners have backed plans to develop the Baird Family Hospital and the Anchor Centre at Foresterhill Health Campus. At least 10 buildings are set to be built for the hospital site over the next five years as part of a total investment of £150 million. The Baird Family Hospital, Designed by Archial NORR, will include maternity, gynaecology, breast screening and breast surgery services. A neonatal unit will also be constructed on site, along with an operating theatre suite and research facilities. A contractor and design team will now be appointed to carry out the work after the decision. NHS Grampian project director, Jackie Bremner, said she was delighted the proposals were approved. She commented: “Plans for two important new developments on the Foresterhill Health Campus have taken a step forward with planning in principle approval from the Aberdeen City Council planning department. “The project team is in the process of appointing a contractor and design team. “Once appointed later in the year, detailed planning for these exciting developments can get under way. “The initial agreement was approved by the board of NHS Grampian, the health and social care directorate and the Scottish Government in September 2015. “The next important stages for these developments scheduled during 2016 are the submission of an outline business case, full planning application and thereafter full business case.” Meanwhile, work on the long-awaited visitor car park is set to begin next week. The £10 million, 1,000 space facility at ARI was approved by the council last month and is due to be completed in July next year. Construction had been set to get under way earlier in the month but was delayed while the final appearance of the car park was agreed upon.
Manchester’s skyline is set for a major new arrival after the news that plans to build a 52-storey skyscraper at the former Granada studios site in the city centre have been given the green light. Plans to build 387 apartments as part of the new £1.35 billion St John’s neighbourhood were given the go ahead by the city council this week. The tallest building in Allied London’s redevelopment at St John’s will stand at 168.4 metres, which is just half a metre shorter than the iconic Beetham Tower in Manchester’s Deansgate. Nadler Hotel plans to operate from the 18 lower storeys of the skyscraper with private rented flats in the storeys above. The 3.2-acre site around the former Granada Studios site is part of the wider 13-acre St John’s £1.3 billion regeneration project, which includes many more high rise buildings. Four new buildings are also scheduled to be built, ranging in size from three to 51 storeys, featuring a mix of residential, leisure and workspace. It is set to include approximately 400 new flats, shops and class A office space, along with a mix of restaurants, bars and cafés. Public spaces also feature in the design, with access to rooftop gardens, riverside walkways, car and cycle parking and landscaped green spaces. The developer now has to meet around 50 recommendations that were made by the council for the plans to go ahead, including provisions for cycling and electric vehicle charging stations. There are also provisions to be met with regard to the local labour agreement. Manchester City Council planning committee member councilor, Chris Paul, commented: “I strongly welcome this application and it is really good but I would like to see it tied in with as many job creation opportunities as we possibly can. We certainly could work in creating as many apprentices, in particular for under 24-year-olds, as is humanly possible.” Once finished, at the end of 2018, St John’s Neighbourhood will be made up of 1,450 homes, 2.8 metre square feet of workspace, public realm, hotels, arts venues including the £110 million Factory arts centre and independent shops, cafés, and restaurants.24
Steelwork contractor Cleveland Bridge UK has completed a recruitment drive to strengthen its building structures team. Gary Kipling has joined as production manager of structures from Hambleton Steel, completing five appointments of key personnel since the spring. The new line-up to focus on structural steelwork for large buildings features: engineering manager Patrick Jackson, senior projects manager Andrew Limbert, construction manager Guy Laws and proposals manager Steve Quinney. Together they bring in experience from a wide range of projects such as The Shard in London and the Emirates Towers in Dubai. International sales director at Cleveland Bridge UK, Tim Outteridge, commented: “Alongside our broad experience in the design and production of bridge structures, Cleveland Bridge has extensive experience in building structure and infrastructure developments. “Expanding our Building Structures Team with experienced engineering professionals from both the UK and international will enable us to increase our presence in this growing marketplace.” Jackson joined from William Hare UAE where he worked as engineering manager on high profile schemes ranging from the extension to the Mall of the Emirates in Dubai and Zayed University in Abu Dhabi. Limbert joined in May, having previously worked with Severfield UK on the redevelopment of Kings Cross Station in London. Proposals manager Steve Quinney, who formerly worked for TEMA Engineering and Rowecord Engineering, has been involved in steelwork elements of developments at the British Museum, The Cardiff City Stadium and Swansea City FC’s Liberty Stadium. Guy Laws also joined Cleveland Bridge as construction manager back in the spring having worked as site manager for Severfield. Last month, Cleveland Bridge UK (CBUK) installed a 228-tonne, 50m skewed, steel road bridge over the line in Newport, which was needed to accommodate the increased height required for new OLE systems. A geometrically-challenging structure, the bridge was fabricated in Darlington and, following a complete trial assembly, the steelwork was loaded onto trailers and transported 280 miles by road to Newport where it was assembled in a trackside temporary works compound.
Severfield has been lined up by Multiplex to replace William Hare on its 22 Bishopsgate project. William Hare was previously in line to build the 62-storey tower steelwork, but main contractor Multiplex has now made the decision to go with Severfield for the job. It is believed that Severfield is set to begin work in mid-December, subject to final contracts being agreed. Other subcontractors working on the scheme include Keltbray, which has been carrying out demolition and excavation work in the building’s basement, and Careys, which is building the tower’s concrete core. Since the vote to leave the European Union in June, the main investor behind the project asked the scheme’s remaining backers whether they wanted to proceed with construction of the tower. According to Bloomberg, Axa Investment Managers-Real Assets gave the project’s co-investors three options: start construction this year as planned; delay; or sell it. The other investors supporting the scheme include Singaporean Temasek Holdings Pte, Canada-based Public Sector Pension Investment Board, and British Columbia Investment Management Corp. The contentious skyscraper has also been subject to potential right-to-light legal claims, which has prompted the City of London to buy a stake in the project to stave off concerns. The local authority sanctioned its acquisition of interest in the development at a council meeting on April 5 this year, using sections 227 and 237 of the Town & Country Planning Act 1990, overriding certain rights of third parties where land is acquired by a local authority for planning purposes. This effectively prevented nearby property owners from blocking the project in the courts and allowed work to start on the project. The 22 Bishopsgate design replaced the previous Pinnacle scheme, for which construction started in 2008 before being suspended in 2012 because of the economic downturn. The new designs include a 278 m-tall tower – 10 m lower than the previously approved scheme – with 130,000 sq m of office space. The high-rise office tower will also feature a restaurant and bar, retail space and a public viewing gallery.
A £320 million fund has been launched to help boost the development of the self-sustaining heat network sector throughout the UK. The funding is being provided by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), a new department created by Prime Minister Theresa May earlier this year. The Heat Networks Investment Project (HNIP) aims to provide a financial incentive for developers to deliver heat network projects for towns and cities throughout the UK. According to the BEIS, the ‘central heating for cities’ scheme has the potential to reduce heating costs by more than 30%. Overall, the networks will allow cities to recycle wasted heat produced from places such as factories, power stations and even the London Underground to pump back into homes and businesses. Energy Minister Baroness Neville-Rolfe said: “Heat networks can significantly improve the efficiency with which heat is provided to our towns and cities, as well as helping to develop local infrastructure and reduce carbon. “The new scheme will help us to develop viable reforms to make the most of the heat we produce and use it effectively to bring bills down for people across the country.” In the pilot phase £39m is available to local authorities and public sector bodies who will submit applications for their projects by the end of November. Further funding rounds are planned to 2020. Mike Reynolds, SSE’s Director of Heat, welcomed the creation of the new fund and said: “The launch of the HNIP fund is well timed and comes at a crucial juncture in the development of UK heat networks where the market is predicted to grow between £2bn and £3.5bn in the next five years. In much of Europe heat networks are common place but they have all been developed with strong policy support and government investment so this bold position from BEIS is good to see. “The funding from BEIS is an important step in creating the right conditions for further heat networks to come to market and by bridging financial gaps and increasing the number of economically feasible projects. We now believe more needs to be done in parallel to encourage sustained growth in the sector and bring appropriate quality assurance to customers.” SSE has recently been selected as the preferred bidder for one of the UK’s largest regeneration projects, Barking Riverside. The development will consist of over 10,000 new homes built on a 443-acre brownfield site along 2km of the River Thames.
A three-year programme to encourage innovation within businesses throughout the Sheffield City Region (SCR) has now begun as part of a joint venture between Sheffield Hallam University and the University of Sheffield. The Sheffield Innovation Programme allows SMEs from across the region to access academic expertise, facilities and resources at both universities to stimulate innovation to deliver new products and services. Businesses can access a range of bespoke consultancy services with academic experts as well as a number of events and workshops to help boost business growth. Academic individuals involved in the project specialise in several areas including packaging design, advanced manufacturing, sports engineering, robotics and materials engineering. With an aim to support more than 200 regional businesses, the programme is jointly funded by both universities, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF). Professor Paul Harrison, Pro Vice-Chancellor for research and innovation at Sheffield Hallam University, said: “As one of the leading applied universities in the UK, Sheffield Hallam has a long tradition of working with local and regional businesses. “This new programme combines our own investment with EU funds, and shows our commitment to support business and enterprise within the region. “This project provides a channel for our academics and researchers to work in knowledge-exchange partnerships with industry, keeping our research relevant to the economy and also providing stimuli to our students through our taught programmes.” Professor Mike Hounslow, Pro Vice-Chancellor for engineering at the University of Sheffield, added: “As engineers we’re passionate about applying our research and innovation to create real solutions and to address pressing challenges with industry. We’re particularly pleased to be doing so with local companies in partnership with Sheffield Hallam. “The ERDF support for the Sheffield Innovation Programme allows us to support local SMEs with capabilities from across the breadth of our Engineering Faculty such as advanced manufacturing and materials, innovative designs through understanding structural dynamics, developments in infrastructure and robotics.”
