Leading independent construction, property and management consultant, Rider Levett Bucknall UK (RLB UK), has announced today the appointment of industry expert Steve Gillingham as Partner and National Head of Public Sector, with immediate effect. Steve joins RLB from Mace where he was most recently Regional Director responsible for strategic and
Power Control has appointed Greenville Electrical as its key Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) representative in Northern Ireland. Greenville will offer PCL’s range of UPS systems to its customer base. Greenville is now trained across PCL’s complete product offering of three phase solid state, modular and single
25 June 2016 – by Alexander Peace The uncertainty created by the EU referendum has provided a welcome distraction from many of the problems facing the UK residential market. But slowing global demand, tax changes, liquidity and affordability issues have not gone away. It is time to get back to
The latest research from Co-operative Insurance has revealed that more than 2.5 million households in the UK – over half (66%) – have been the victim of green fingered thieves in their gardens at least once. Nowadays, it’s not just a few stems of your prized roses that may be
Willerby Lifestyle, a division of Willerby Innovations, has signed new deals with four holiday home dealerships. The agreements are set to bring its wide range of off-site modular solutions to holiday parks throughout the UK from next year. After a successful show season, Southern Counties Leisure, Harrison Leisure, Salop Leisure
Hard working learners throughout the North East have been recognised at the North Tyneside Adult Learner Awards. Organised by North Tyneside Council, the ceremony celebrated the achievements of adult learners and praised their hard work. A total of five awards were available, with the winners taking home a glass trophy
Foster & Partners has been selected for a £7.1 million overhaul of Cedric Price’s pioneering 1965 Snowdon Aviary at London Zoo. The firm is set to transforms the Grade II listed building, which was recently added to Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register. It will be transformed into a new
Construction firm Beard has been awarded a £1.6 million contract to build and refurbish the existing facilities at Guildford Cricket Club’s pavilion. The pavilion, which was built in 1938, will be upgraded to create new larger, more contemporary changing rooms and a modernised events space, connected to a viewing balcony.
Asian investors have agreed a deal to invest billions of pounds into East London construction over the next five years. The deal was signed in London yesterday with Chinese developer ABP pledging to invest £1.7 billion over the course of the next eight years in its Royal Albert Dock project.
Construction specialist Stepnell has begun construction work on a £9.1 million project to build 57 single-storey timber frame lodges at Center Parcs Woburn Forest, Bedfordshire. Stepnell is building a mix of two, three and four-bedroom lodges on a sloped forest clearing to the north of the development, west of the
Leading independent construction, property and management consultant, Rider Levett Bucknall UK (RLB UK), has announced today the appointment of industry expert Steve Gillingham as Partner and National Head of Public Sector, with immediate effect. Steve joins RLB from Mace where he was most recently Regional Director responsible for strategic and operational management in the North of England and Scotland. Alongside his National Head of Public Sector role, Steve will support the continued rapid growth of RLB’s regional business in Manchester. Commenting on Steve’s appointment, Dean Sheehy, RLB UK Board Director, said: “We are delighted to welcome Steve as a Partner to RLB. Having worked across many sectors, from commercial and residential to urban regeneration, his appointment as National Head of Public Sector will continue to strengthen our relationships with local authority clients across our UK business. Joining our senior management team in Manchester, Steve’s extensive experience and knowledge, including his role on the board of the Northern Powerhouse, will be a fantastic addition for RLB.” Steve Gillingham, added: “RLB’s exceptional growth over the last few years attracted me to the business. I am looking forward to driving customer service and delivery with our Public Sector clients across the UK, and adding to our strong presence in Manchester.”
Power Control has appointed Greenville Electrical as its key Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) representative in Northern Ireland. Greenville will offer PCL’s range of UPS systems to its customer base. Greenville is now trained across PCL’s complete product offering of three phase solid state, modular and single phase UPS solutions. To support Greenville’s product knowledge, the company will be fully supported by PCL’s service and maintenance teams and has 24 hour access to the company’s technical and project support departments. The two companies have already supplied and commissioned Borri Ingenio 50kVA & 100kVA UPS solutions. Commenting on the new alliance, Greenville’s business development manager, Simon Murray, said: “As suppliers of critical equipment, much of which form the basis of electrical infrastructure, we have been looking for a power protection partner to complete our portfolio. PCL is the perfect fit for us. Delivering on performance, efficiency and resilience, the company’s UPS technologies and expertise are incredibly desirable for the Irish market. “In addition, PCL offers an unparalleled level of technical and service support and I have already been thoroughly impressed with the expertise and professionalism demonstrated by the complete PCL team from product sales through to engineering and maintenance. “Greenville is extremely excited about this new partnership and we are confident that we will be able to help PCL become a leading UPS authority in Northern Ireland.” Source link
25 June 2016 – by Alexander Peace The uncertainty created by the EU referendum has provided a welcome distraction from many of the problems facing the UK residential market. But slowing global demand, tax changes, liquidity and affordability issues have not gone away. It is time to get back to worrying about the regular problems. Pricing and affordability The pricing and affordability of assets lies at the heart of many of the housing market woes. From rising land costs to mortgage regulation, slowing demand for UK housing from across the world and stretched affordability, different aspects are affecting individual markets around the country. In London, weakening sales to international buyers and buy-to-let investors are taking a toll on new-builds. “One of the greatest threats to investment and development stems from the sustainability of prices being paid in some markets and how much further there is to run on sustainable yield compression,” says Richard Donnell, director of research at analysts Hometrack. Outside of London, while house prices are more reasonable, slow wage growth and mortgage regulation are still stretching the bounds of affordability, which Susan Emmett, residential research director at Savills, sees as a risk to future growth. “What we need is to wait and see whether the interventions announced, like starter homes or the beefing up of shared ownership and Help To Buy in London, will help address that,” she says. Meanwhile, land prices and construction costs are pushing up the price of building – for all modes of development. While build-to-rent might be booming, viability is not just a concern in London. “Land supply remains a huge challenge, not least because, as build-to-rent developers, viability is modelled differently from housebuilders,” said Tony Brooks, co-managing director at developer Moda Living. All the content from this weekís magazine, including this article, is available in the new app. Policy Amid wavering demand, policy changes, rather than inspiring the market, have added to the uncertainty. “There is a lot of policy that has a big effect on the market, regardless of what happens with the vote,” says Emmett. “Changes affecting buy-to-let investors are significant. If we see that part of the market calming, the question is will other parts of the market surge to replace it?” Concerns are not restricted to tax changes. Housing association regulatory changes announced over a year ago are now starting to bite in housebuilder models. According to Donnell, the knock-on effect of the 1% rent cut for housing associations and its impact on demand for Section 106 on schemes is a big issue. Similarly, how starter homes will affect viability is open to interpretation. By replacing all affordable housing with homes for sale, schemes are more vulnerable to shifting market sentiment and lose out on upfront contributions from housing associations for affordable units. “Government has not helped by putting all of its incentive eggs in one basket: for the for-sale model,” says Simon Rawlinson, head of research and insight at design consultancy Arcadis. He says the lack of diversity in the UK’s delivery model and the resultant cyclicality in the market is the source of many of the UK’s housing woes. “The fact we have only one housing development model for direct sale to owners is the biggest weakness, as it gives no other forms of delivery,” he says. Affordable housing Of course, concerns are not just centred around economics: other social issues are emerging as affordable housebuilding totals take a tumble. “Due to the widening of the definition of the term ‘affordable’, in recent years there has been a significant element of displacement activity with a major drop in the development of social rented houses, being replaced by the new ‘affordable rent’ housing,” says Tim Shaw, head of London development at Carter Jonas. In London, Sadiq Khan won the mayoral race with a ticket that put a heavy emphasis on the provision of real affordable housing. Other councils could start to do the same, as starter homes encroach further on affordable build numbers. Back to reality While the supply imbalance in the residential market remains, political, regulatory and financial factors can all still take their toll on the UK residential market. None are new threats, but they have been quietly pushed to the back burner ahead of the referendum. Now it is time to get back to reality. • To read more about the property industry and the EU referendum, click here. Source link
The latest research from Co-operative Insurance has revealed that more than 2.5 million households in the UK – over half (66%) – have been the victim of green fingered thieves in their gardens at least once. Nowadays, it’s not just a few stems of your prized roses that may be lifted from your garden, digging up entire garden plants, such as shrubs, trees, hanging baskets and even turf top the list of most sought after items, as a quarter (25%) of households admit to having these stolen, followed by garden machinery (18%), garden furniture and pots (16%), and even Chimeneas (7%) and Koi Carp (4%). You can get go to Globo Surf to replace these items or buy new ones for your garden. Top 10 garden items at risk of being stolen 1 Plants, shrubs, trees, hanging baskets, turf 25% 2 Garden Machinery, such as lawn mowers, strimmer’s and hedge cutters 18% 3 Garden furniture 16% 4 Pots 16% 5 Children’s toys, such as playhouses, slides, swings, battery operated cars 14% 6 Sculptures 8% 7 Barbecue 8% 8 Chimenea 7% 9 Sports equipment, such as goals, golf clubs, cricket set, fishing rod 7% 10 Koi Carp 4% With people investing more time and money in their outdoor spaces, it’s not surprising to see that since 2011 the average cost associated with a garden theft has risen by almost half (48%). According to Co-op claims data the average total claim now stands at £208, putting a total of £517m worth of garden items at risk. Despite this, over three quarters (77%) of adults didn’t claim for the items on their home insurance, whilst (5%) had no home insurance in place. As The Royal Horticultural Society warns that generation rent are neglecting their gardens, it seems they are also neglecting their home and garden’s security measures, as Co-op research also reveals that homeowners are more likely to take extra security measures, than those who rent accommodation. Over a quarter (26%) of renters admit to neglecting the security of the garden in their homes, by having no security measures in place at all, in comparison to (18%) of homeowners. Caroline Hunter, Head of Home Insurance at The Co-operative, said: “As summer approaches, now is the perfect time to spruce up your garden and clean off the outdoor furniture ready for enjoying the sun. However, relaxing days shouldn’t lead to lax security. Unfortunately garden items are desirable to thieves so make sure that things are locked away or taken inside when you aren’t in the garden. Also don’t leave items outside such as bikes which could entice thieves or items, such as ladders, which could assist a thief in entering your property. Nowadays, the garden is increasingly becoming an extension of the home. As people expand their living space outdoors, they are undoubtedly spending more on their gardens however many probably don’t consider just how much they are spending and we’d advise them to update their insurer about their al-fresco purchases.” Jim Maddan OBE, Chair of Neighbourhood Watch, said: “We want people to enjoy their summer without becoming a victim of garden theft. After a day in the garden it’s important to make sure all your valuable items are put away again and any sheds and garages are properly secured with a heavy duty padlock. Make sure you lock your garden gates too – particularly your side gates – as we know that thieves will always go for the easiest option when looking to steal and much prefer an unlocked gate.” If you have trees in your garden, get Riverside tree experts to check your trees. Analysing insurance claim stats from 20011 to 2015, July and August see a peak for such thefts which is almost twice as likely to happen (45%) than the month of February The Co-operative Insurance offers the following top tips for protecting your garden against crime: Check your insurance: Check you have adequate insurance cover and make sure you are clear on what is covered. Most household policies will be covered up to a certain amount, but insurers may specify that items should be locked in a shed, garage or brought into the house. If you have left your items unlocked and outside, insurers may refuse to pay out. Don’t advertise to thieves: Lighter evenings mean all your expensive power tools, bikes and children’s toys are more visible to opportunist criminals, be sure to keep any valuable items out of sight and wherever possible, keep them locked away or indoors. Mark your valuable items: If possible, tag items, such as patio furniture, BBQ’s, expensive pots and garden machinery with your postcode using invisible ink. In addition to this take photos of your valuable items should an insurer want proof of ownership. Remove climbable items: One of the most common pitfalls is making climbable items accessible to thieves, items such as ladders and wheelie bins can be used by burglars to get into a home, therefore it is important to store them where they can’t be seen or reached by thieves, or lock them up so they can’t be moved. Lock up your valuables: Secure sheds with a padlock attached to a strong hasp and staple. Ensure shed hinges are secured with coach bolts. Always ensure gates, garages and outbuildings remain bolted with a secure lock. If you have a tree or plant that is valuable, invest in an automatic alarm that wakes you, should anyone try to remove it. Source link
Willerby Lifestyle, a division of Willerby Innovations, has signed new deals with four holiday home dealerships. The agreements are set to bring its wide range of off-site modular solutions to holiday parks throughout the UK from next year. After a successful show season, Southern Counties Leisure, Harrison Leisure, Salop Leisure and Skegness Caravan Sales have all become dealers of Willerby Lifestyle products. All four were already dealers of Willerby Holiday Homes and the new Willerby Lifestyle products will complement the product range they already offer. Southern Counties Leisure is a sole distributor of Willerby lodges and holiday homes, and serves over 120 holiday parks across the South West from Devon and Cornwall to Gloucestershire and Somerset. SCL now offers the full Willerby Lifestyle range, which includes the brand new Rutherford and Hive Collection. Recently, Southern Counties Leisure has supplied Woolcombe Bay Holiday Park in Devon with the Reef from Willerby’s Hive Collection, to become one of the first holiday parks to offer the new glamping pod for short breaks from next March. Across the Midlands and Wales, Salop Leisure, which has expanded its offering in recent years to cater for a more varied range of holiday homes, has also added Willerby Lifestyle products to its range. The Salop Leisure team was impressed by the whole range, taking both Willerby’s Freeport and Montana units to demonstrate to holiday parks at its own trade show in September. Both Harrison Leisure, which owns several family operated caravan parks across the North West, and Skegness Caravan Sales will also be adding Willerby Lifestyle products to their core offering. Following the new deal, Harrison Leisure will be supplying Willerby Lifestyle products to holiday parks throughout the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales as well as Lancashire and North Wales while Skegness Caravan Sales will cover the east of England from Lincolnshire and Norfolk right down to Bedfordshire and Essex.
Hard working learners throughout the North East have been recognised at the North Tyneside Adult Learner Awards. Organised by North Tyneside Council, the ceremony celebrated the achievements of adult learners and praised their hard work. A total of five awards were available, with the winners taking home a glass trophy and shopping vouchers. Cabinet member for Children, Young People and Learning, Cllr Ian Grayson, commented: “North Tyneside has a great reputation for offering high quality adult education and helping people to reach their full potential. “I am delighted we have been able to recognise the achievements and efforts of these learners and I’d like to say congratulate everyone who was nominated in this year’s awards.” This year’s winners included: Sandra Girvan Adult Learner of the Year (aged 19 years and over): Emma Wilson studied Functional Skills English. Emma achieved this award by overcoming many challenges in her personal life. She showed outstanding motivation during the course and supported her peers with difficult tasks. Dean Ash was also nominated and won this category after studying a Diploma in Practical Horticulture level 1. He was nominated because he had grown in confidence during the course and had selflessly supported other learners on programme. Young Learner of the Year (aged 16 to 18 years): George Dixon who undertaking a business admin apprenticeship with North Tyneside Council. George won this category due to his determination to challenge himself above and beyond the requirements of the programme. Apprentice of the Year: Sarah Godlington is working towards a business admin apprenticeship with the council too. Sarah won the category due to her being an outstanding role model for other apprentices. Group/Class Learners of the Year: This category was won by the Introduction to Hospitality group. The group was nominated by their tutor who said the group worked hard to overcome a variety of challenges to develop an outstanding work ethic and demonstrated the importance of working as a team. Volunteer of the Year: Paul Ward was nominated by the tutor he supported, who said that Paul worked with young people in the construction department.
Foster & Partners has been selected for a £7.1 million overhaul of Cedric Price’s pioneering 1965 Snowdon Aviary at London Zoo. The firm is set to transforms the Grade II listed building, which was recently added to Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register. It will be transformed into a new walk-through colobus monkey enclosure, which will provide visitors with an ‘up-close experience of the stunning primates’. Conceived by Antony Armstrong-Jones (Lord Snowdon, who studied architecture at Cambridge) and delivered by architect Cedric Price and engineer Frank Newby, the structure next to the Regent’s Canal has four large tetrahedral frames and became Britain’s first walk-through aviary when it opened 51 years ago. It is one of the zoo’s 13 listed structures. The client, the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) described the appointment of Foster & Partners as ‘symbolic’, given Price’s manifest influence on Foster’s work. Director David Field commented: “It’s fitting that a structure with such a unique history should be given new life by a world-class firm with such a strong heritage. “Our most ambitious project to date, the new aviary will reflect our decades of animal expertise and delivering innovative visitor experiences. “London Zoo has a long history of leading the way in architecture and design and has many listed buildings that have stood the test of time.” Norman Foster added: “The Snowdon Aviary [is] a rare example of a completed work by Cedric Price. I have a particular personal affection for it as it shows most strongly the influence of our mutual friend and mentor Buckminster Fuller.” “The redevelopment of the aviary is a unique opportunity to preserve this exceptional structure and the legacy of pioneering architecture at ZSL London Zoo. It will be a great privilege to be able to contribute to the tradition of contemporary architectural additions at one of London’s most cherished institutions.”
Construction firm Beard has been awarded a £1.6 million contract to build and refurbish the existing facilities at Guildford Cricket Club’s pavilion. The pavilion, which was built in 1938, will be upgraded to create new larger, more contemporary changing rooms and a modernised events space, connected to a viewing balcony. The project will see the creation of a new, wheelchair-accessible layout of the building, with a new ground floor lobby and a lift to the first and second floors. The building will also feature an additional second floor with an external seating area, a meeting room and bar. “This scheme will upgrade one of Guildford’s best-loved clubs,” Contracts Manager for Beard Guildford, Trevor Smallpiece, commented: “This scheme will upgrade one of Guildford’s best-loved clubs, providing modern new facilities which everyone will be able to access and enjoy. “We are pleased to be working with Guildford Borough Council on this fantastic new building refurbishment which is due for completion in July next year.” Architects practice Rolfe Judd says that the extention has been “sensitively designed to complement the current building and will incorporate smart timber cladding across the extended north front. Modern external stairs will replace the dated staircase. Robert Charles, chairman of Guildford Cricket Club, added: “This is a tremendously exciting project. The new pavilion will make Woodbridge Road into a superb cricket ground, worthy of hosting first class and top-level club cricket. It will also be a fantastic facility for the local community.” The new pavilion is expected to be completed at some point in 2017, and it is an exciting prospect for both the cricketers and fans alike as they await the new facilities. Earlier this year, Beard appointed David Sershall as managing director as it seeks to maintain its strong growth. Sershall joined the family-owned business from Hertfordshire-based engineering and construction company VolkerFitzpatrick, where he was managing director of the building division.
Asian investors have agreed a deal to invest billions of pounds into East London construction over the next five years. The deal was signed in London yesterday with Chinese developer ABP pledging to invest £1.7 billion over the course of the next eight years in its Royal Albert Dock project. This scheme will be supported by its partners CITIC Group and Thai company Charoen Popkhand Group (CP Group). The agreements were confirmed as part of the Chinese Vice Premier Ma Kai’s visit to the UK at the East London – China Investment Summit The £1.7 billion Royal Albert Dock investment will fund construction of up to six of the first phases of the project with work starting early next year. Chinese business CITIC is the main contractor on the job where Multiplex is also working on phase one. ABP, CITIC and CP Group have also set-up the The East London Development Group which will invest in other infrastructure and housing projects in the area. Mr Xu Weiping, Chairman of ABP, commented: “These major investments are a vote of confidence to the UK and London market following the Brexit vote. “East London is fast becoming one of capital’s most exciting places to do business and we are pleased that other Asian companies have seen the potential and are also now investing in the area.” Mayor of Newham, Sir Robin Wales, said: “The project will start construction early next year, and is designed as a comprehensive business-led mixed used development including up to 845 new homes. “It is expected to create 20,000 full-time jobs, which is great news for the people of Newham.” Britain’s relationship with China is still “golden”, the prime minister said as she welcomed a Chinese developer’s plans to build a £1.7bn business district in east London. Theresa May, who held talks with Ma Kai, China’s vice-premier, in Downing Street on Wednesday night, is keen to show Britain remains open to investment from China.
Construction specialist Stepnell has begun construction work on a £9.1 million project to build 57 single-storey timber frame lodges at Center Parcs Woburn Forest, Bedfordshire. Stepnell is building a mix of two, three and four-bedroom lodges on a sloped forest clearing to the north of the development, west of the Village Square. The lodges, designed by Jackson Design Associates, will be made from timber and stone cladding. This will keep in with the character of the village’s surrounding 643 lodges, which opened two years ago. The development is expected to be completed by next Autumn, and will see Stepnell building 15 of Center Parcs’ well-known open-plan woodland lodges, and 42 of Center Parcs’ executive lodges in Woburn Forest. Project manager for Stepnell, John Neill, commented: “We are delighted to be working with Center Parcs for the first time on this exciting and ambitious guest accommodation project which will be carried out in a ‘live environment’ with the short-break village, roads and footpaths remaining open throughout the construction. “Over the next 48 weeks, we will be liaising closely with Center Parcs to continue to deliver an excellent experience for guests.” Nestled in 365 acres of natural forest, Center Parcs Woburn Forest is one of five UK villages and is only an hour away from London. Center Parcs accommodation project manager, Fiona Owen, commented: “We are delighted to be working with Stepnell to help deliver additional accommodation at Woburn Forest. “The team has really understood our requirements for the project which will allow more families to experience Center Parcs.” Half-year revenue and profit has climbed at holiday park operator Center Parcs, despite a dip in occupancy due to ongoing upgrades. In the 24 weeks to 6 October 2016, turnover rose by 4 per cent to £208.3m, compared to £200.2m a year earlier. Accommodation revenue was up by 5.1 per cent while village revenue increased by 2.6 per cent.
