Oil remains cheapest home heating fuel Published: 25 May, 2016 New industry figures from the Sutherland Tables show that despite a slow increase in heating oil prices since the start of 2016, the average annual cost of heating a home on oil has fallen again, providing welcome news for the
Robert Goodwill MP visited a college redevelopment yesterday (Tuesday 2 July), to meet the next generation of construction talent and experience what it’s like to work in the industry. Mr Goodwill visited the Scarborough University Technical College (UTC) – which is being constructed by Willmott Dixon – designed for students
Rise of fuel poverty must be tackled more effectively, says Elmhurst Energy Published: 08 August, 2016 Energy performance specialist Elmhurst Energy has expressed its disappointment at the latest government statistics, which show that the number of households in fuel poverty has risen from 2.35 to 2.38 million. Following the release of the
Greenshields JCB has taken a £35 million order from A-Plant for 1,200 machines. It is one of the biggest orders JCB has received this year but is not as big as A-Plant’s JCB order last year, which was a £50 million order for 1,500 machines. The 2016 order includes a
A major North East infrastructure scheme has been nominated for a national award. People of the North East are being asked to vote for the Crag End Landslip Stabilisation project in Northumberland, which is one of the possible winners of the UK’s most popular civil engineering project. Voting is now
The £300 million Meadowhall major leisure expansion plan has been submitted by British Land. The new leisure hall will span 330,000 sq ft of space and will be covered with a striking undulating glazed roof structure. This will allow the developer to increase the shopping centre’s dining and entertainment offerings
Willmott Dixon Partnerships, the property repairs and maintenance specialist, is set to change its name to Fortem. Fortem is a Latin word for strength and prudency. The rebranding from Willmott Dixon Partnerships comes as part of a fresh approach. The company is looking to provide the senior management team with
Conlon Construction has begun working on a ground-breaking £40 million Hertfordshire hospital. The firm has kicked off the 65 week project for the new private hospital in Hatfield, Hertfordshire. The two storey facility is being built on a four acre site close to the University of Hertfordshire’s College Lane Campus.
Oil remains cheapest home heating fuel Published: 25 May, 2016 New industry figures from the Sutherland Tables show that despite a slow increase in heating oil prices since the start of 2016, the average annual cost of heating a home on oil has fallen again, providing welcome news for the oil heating industry and homeowners alike. According to the latest quarterly data from the Sutherland Tables, an independent source of comparative UK domestic heating prices, oil remains by far the cheapest of all major home heating fuels. The cost of heating an average three bedroom home in Great Britain with an oil condensing boiler is now just £690 per year. That’s 31% less expensive than mains gas, the second cheapest option which costs £1,007 per annum; 52% cheaper than an LPG condensing boiler at £1,448 per annum and 56% cheaper than electric storage heaters at £1,588 per annum to heat the same average home. An oil condensing boiler is also substantially cheaper to run than any renewable heating option, according to the Tables. With average annual heating costs for oil users falling every quarter for the last three years, consumer confidence in oil heating has greatly increased. This is reflected by rising boiler sales which, for January to April this year, stand at the highest level since 2007. OFTEC director general Jeremy Hawksley said: “With three years of sustained falls in the average annual heating costs for oil, the industry has experienced a sustained period of sales growth. Consumers are sticking with oil as the cheapest home heating fuel by far, while homeowners on LPG or electric may consider switching to oil heating as the running costs are currently over £700 per year cheaper. “As a result, sales of oil condensing boilers have reached a nine year high and we are receiving an increasing number of enquiries from Gas Safe technicians looking to expand into the oil market. The outlook for the oil heating industry remains positive.” Although the sustained fall in kerosene prices may be about to end as prices begin to slowly rise, there’s good evidence to suggest the cost of heating oil will remain low for the remainder of 2016 – and quite possibly beyond. Mr Hawksley added: “An OPEC meeting last month ended without agreement to reduce oil production and, with Iran keen to regain its former market share, it’s likely that the current world over-supply will continue. “However, low prices have had some impact on production from US fracking and with increasing demand from China, there could be enough pressure to set prices rising, although probably not to anywhere near the highs we saw in Spring 2013. “Technicians, manufacturers and consumers look set to benefit from low oil prices for some time to come.” Source link
Robert Goodwill MP visited a college redevelopment yesterday (Tuesday 2 July), to meet the next generation of construction talent and experience what it’s like to work in the industry. Mr Goodwill visited the Scarborough University Technical College (UTC) – which is being constructed by Willmott Dixon – designed for students between the ages of 14-18 studying engineering. More workers are urgently needed in the industry, as CITB predicts over 230,000 new construction jobs will be created in the UK over the next five years. Robert Goodwill, MP for Scarborough and Whitby, said: “I thoroughly enjoyed my visit. It just proves how successful and rewarding a career in construction can be. I would encourage everyone to visit Go Construct and find out more about a career in construction.” Jeremy Wright, CITB Partnership Manager, said: “Site visits like this are an excellent way of inspiring more people to consider a career in construction. It is a great opportunity to showcase just how rewarding a career in the sector can be. “There is no better time than now, with over 16,000 new construction jobs expected to be created over in Yorkshire over the next five years.” The Scarborough UTC site recently opened its gates to the public as part of Open Doors 2016 – a joint initiative between the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) and Build UK. Source link
Rise of fuel poverty must be tackled more effectively, says Elmhurst Energy Published: 08 August, 2016 Energy performance specialist Elmhurst Energy has expressed its disappointment at the latest government statistics, which show that the number of households in fuel poverty has risen from 2.35 to 2.38 million. Following the release of the figures by the Department of Energy & Climate Change (now the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy BEIS), another report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has claimed that poverty costs the UK £78 billion a year. The report states that living in cold, damp or unsanitary housing has a clear a link to poverty. “Elmhurst Energy has long campaigned for the eradication of fuel poverty, which is growing according to these recent reports,” says Martyn Reed, managing director of Elmhurst Energy. “Our society must ensure that homes are warm and people can afford to heat them adequately. Government, through BEIS, is funding the Energy Companies Obligation (ECO), scheme to tackle fuel poverty. However, while we welcome this policy, we note that the pot of money in ECO has been reduced from £870 million to £640 million.” Although BEIS estimated that between 2017 and 2018, 160,000 households will have measures installed under the fuel poverty aspects of ECO funding, it is proposing to remove the connection to Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) and RdSAP. “We are campaigning to ensure that the reduced sum of money in the ECO Policy is directed towards those families in greatest need. We must target E, F and G rated homes first and put the families at the heart of the funding,” continued Mr Reed. “ECO is not currently targeting these E, F or G rated properties which, in the light of these reports, is fundamentally wrong.” “Only by measuring energy performance with EPCs can you manage any given process. If the measurement is removed, how will the policy meet the targets and genuinely remove people from fuel poverty and help save the nation substantial costs? We will continue to campaign on these points with the new department.” Image courtesy of Shutterstock/Monkey Business Images Source link
Greenshields JCB has taken a £35 million order from A-Plant for 1,200 machines. It is one of the biggest orders JCB has received this year but is not as big as A-Plant’s JCB order last year, which was a £50 million order for 1,500 machines. The 2016 order includes a fleet of 13 tonne JS 130 tracked excavators along with Loadall telescopic handlers and mini excavators. A-Plant is also purchasing a fleet of JCB branded site dumpers. South East regional dealer Greenshields JCB is to supply all the machines. For the first time, A-Plant is also set to invest in in a series of UK produced generators for the rental market from JCB Power Products. The range – produced by the former Broadcrown business acquired by JCB last year – is fitted with the ‘JCB LiveLink for Power feature’. A-Plant has bought nearly 40 sets. A-Plant has now purchased over 11,000 machines from JB over the course of the last 25 years. Dan Thompstone, Sales Director at JCB UK & Ireland, commented: “JCB has a long-standing relationship with A-Plant and we are delighted to cement that with this huge order. Winning business like this is testament to JCB’s continued introduction of innovative products supported by unrivalled parts and service back-up from the JCB UK dealer network.” A-Plant marketing director Asif Latief said: “This order is part of our investment programme to ensure our customers continue to get the most advanced, reliable, safe and environmentally friendly equipment. This year’s investment also includes JCB generators developed by the former Broadcrown business, which is a first for A-Plant and recognises our commitment to offering quality new products to our customers. “Our investment programme is unrivalled in the industry and coupled with the high levels of customer support we provide, ensures we are firmly positioned to be the obvious choice for rental equipment whether our customers are local builders, events suppliers or national contractors.”
A major North East infrastructure scheme has been nominated for a national award. People of the North East are being asked to vote for the Crag End Landslip Stabilisation project in Northumberland, which is one of the possible winners of the UK’s most popular civil engineering project. Voting is now open online for the ICE People’s Choice Award, which allows everyone who uses infrastructure to select the greatest civil engineering achievements of the year in the UK. The Crag End Landslip Stabilisation scheme, which repaired and future proofed a stretch of the B6344, is one of 12 nominated projects from throughout the country. The public has until November 30 to choose its favourite project. The winning infrastructure scheme will be revealed in January 2017. The £9.5 million scheme saw the reconstruction of a 300 metre section of road that was previously closed by a huge landslip in December 2012. Not only did it deal with the direct impact of the 2012 landslip, but also addressed the underlying causes of ground instability, which ensured the residents of Rothbury will no longer have to take lengthy detours to reach the town. In achieving this, civil engineers from the VBA Joint Venture, who were commissioned by Northumberland County Council, designed and built an anchored bored piled retaining wall to support the road. An innovative passive dewatering system was also constructed to reduce groundwater pressure. Civil engineers working in local communities across the North East and throughout the world are always finding new ways of providing practical solutions to the everyday problems encountered by society, and will propel nations in the future with new, ever-improving infrastructure. ICE North East Regional Director, Penny Marshall, commented: “Civil engineers create, maintain and operate almost everything between and under our homes. The infrastructure they build connects, nourishes and improves the lives of everyone it serves.”
The £300 million Meadowhall major leisure expansion plan has been submitted by British Land. The new leisure hall will span 330,000 sq ft of space and will be covered with a striking undulating glazed roof structure. This will allow the developer to increase the shopping centre’s dining and entertainment offerings as it looks to become an experience led destination. Featured in the expansion plan, British Land said that a new cinema will be included in the plans to replace the current one, along with a gym, and flexible leisure space that could be turned into a ten pin bowling site or an indoor golf centre. The expansion is the next phase of the evolution of the shopping centre and will come after a £60 million refurbishment which is now underway, with an expected completion date of the end of next year. Sheffield City Council is due to make a planning decision in spring next year. If the proposals gain approval, British Land is hoping to start work on the site in 2018 that will see the creation of more than 500 jobs during construction. Head of Retail and Leisure for British Land, Charles Maudsley, commented: “Understanding and anticipating our customers’ needs is a key strategic focus area and the Meadowhall Leisure Hall proposals respond to the changing way people live their lives. “The exciting £60m refurbishment completing next year, the continued leasing success and Leisure Hall plans combined reinforce our commitment to ensuring Meadowhall remains an outstanding place for modern consumer lifestyles.” Executive Director of Sheffield Chamber of Commerce, Richard Wright, said: “The Leisure Hall will be a jewel in the Sheffield City Region’s crown, set amongst other equally important investments in this great city. “We therefore welcome British Land’s exciting plans and lend them our wholehearted support. They will reinvigorate Meadowhall and serve as a catalyst for further investment in the region.”
Willmott Dixon Partnerships, the property repairs and maintenance specialist, is set to change its name to Fortem. Fortem is a Latin word for strength and prudency. The rebranding from Willmott Dixon Partnerships comes as part of a fresh approach. The company is looking to provide the senior management team with more operational freedom to grow the firm outside its core social housing market. Earlier in the year, Willmott Dixon outlined plans to sell the business. However this sale was abandoned when a suitable buyer could not be found. The business, which has a turnover of £145 million, provides maintenance and repairs services to housing associations and local authorities throughout the country. Its team of 1,400 directly employed engineers undertakes more than 400,000 repairs every year. It also provides planned cyclical work to support estate renewal programmes and property asset investment. Mick Williamson, Managing Director at the newly named Fortem, said: “We have strong ambitions for growth and this means that now is the right time to create a new stand-out brand to become recognised as a leader in property maintenance across all sectors, not just housing. “Fortem reflects these aspirations by heralding a new era for our business as we continue to invest in ensuring we are ‘best in class’ for our existing customers, while giving us flexibility to plan ahead for expansion with new customers.” At present, the company is responsible for maintenance, repairs and cyclical work on more than 110,000 homes. It works as a key partner for local authorities such as Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council and Birmingham City Council, along with housing associations such as Paragon, Orbit, Metropolitan and Midland Heart. Coinciding with the new name, the sister company of Willmott Dixon Partnerships, Willmott Dixon Energy Services, will be drawn into the Fortem brand to expand the business’ services and skill sets.
Conlon Construction has begun working on a ground-breaking £40 million Hertfordshire hospital. The firm has kicked off the 65 week project for the new private hospital in Hatfield, Hertfordshire. The two storey facility is being built on a four acre site close to the University of Hertfordshire’s College Lane Campus. It has been commissioned by One Healthcare and was designed by Manning Elliott. The hospital will have spaces for 21 beds, three of which will be designated for critical care three ultra clean ventilation (UCV) theatres, 14 day-case pods, two treatment rooms and 10 outpatient consulting rooms. Furthermore, it will also have a high tech imaging suite, which will offer MRI, UD, CT and digital XR scans. One Healthcare was established in July 2014 for the development and operation of private hospitals throughout the UK. One Hatfield Hospital is due to open by the end of next year, in the second of 10 planned facilities. Adrian Stevenson, Chief Executive, commented: “We are committed to providing the very best care, with outstanding consultants and state-of-the-art, purpose-built facilities ideally located across the UK. With a main aim to optimise patient experience, One Hatfield Hospital has been modelled on innovative surgery and diagnostic centres in America and Australasia in order to provide unrivalled design features, service and technology. “We are delighted that our vision is coming to life with the help of our contractor and are looking forward to seeing the plans come to fruition.” In March this year, Conlon Construction finished the same developer’s £30 million One Ashford Hospital. Chairman Michael Conlon said: “Having already delivered a number of healthcare facilities across the UK, most recently the private hospital in Kent for the same client, we understand the intricacies of such projects and have devised a build programme that will ensure One Hatfield is delivered on time and within budget.”
