23 May 2016 | James Richards Security, cleaning and environmental protection service provider Kingdom has announced that its contract with Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire has been extended for a further five years. According to a statement released today, Kingdom won the renewal at Drax, the UK’s largest power
Norway’s $860bn oil fund will no longer put money into 52 companies for being too reliant on coal in one of the biggest ever fossil fuel-related divestment by a single investor. The world’s biggest sovereign wealth fund is no longer able to invest in a number of companies including Drax
ashleySavills is celebrating its 20th anniversary in Manchester after first opening its doors in the city in 1996. From an initial team of three, comprising Mark Ridley who is now CEO Savills UK & Europe and senior directors Peter Mallinder and Patrick Joynson, staff numbers have increased to more than
The Electrical Industries Charity’s first ever Dragon Boat 2016 is fast approaching and what better way to spend some time with your family, friends and colleagues than by signing your team up for the fastest growing water activity in Britain. Dragon Boat 2016 takes place at the
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a founding member of a new international coalition that will develop the first set of globally-recognised ethics standards for real-estate and related professional organisations. The International Ethics Standards (IES) Coalition currently comprises 48 member organisations with professionals working in a diverse range
Network Rail is set to be stripped of its full control of railways in England’s as part of a major government shake-up. Chris Grayling, Transport Secretary, has announced that he intends to bring track and train operations back together, handing train operators greater influence over the work that takes place
Citygate Construction (CGC), based in Paisley, is set to launch a new initiative to help housing associations combat loneliness and isolation among their older tenants. Starting at the beginning of next year, the ‘Afternoon Tea with CGC’ scheme will encourage housing associations and housing co-operatives in Scotland to apply for
Construction services company J Tomlinson has appointed Tony O’Toole as managing director of its M&E operation. The position is a new post and reflects the company’s plan to grow the M&E side of the business. “J Tomlinson is experiencing a continued period of expansion, and Tony’s appointment reflects our commitment
British Steel is celebrating the 10th anniversary of rail production at its Scunthorpe plant today (Wednesday 7 December 2016) with the news it has secured another contract in Europe. On December 7 2006, the company replaced the old rail facility in Workington with a new one in Scunthorpe. It has
A landmark court ruling means that basement extensions must have planning permission if they require engineering and excavation works. A High Court judge has ruled that the London Borough of Camden wrongly allowed a basement designed by North London practice Strange Associates under permitted development rights. Brought to court by
23 May 2016 | James Richards Security, cleaning and environmental protection service provider Kingdom has announced that its contract with Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire has been extended for a further five years. According to a statement released today, Kingdom won the renewal at Drax, the UK’s largest power station, after “a challenging tender process”. The firm has been providing security to Drax Power Station since 2011, with guarding, CCTV and mobile services. Martin Sloan, group head of security at Drax Power, said he was not surprised that Kingdom was successful in extending its contract. He added that the renewal has delivered “additional stability and helped to reinvigorate the entire team”. According to the company’s statement, its personnel at the site undertake a range of high-risk security services, such as protester management and business continuity planning. Source link
Norway’s $860bn oil fund will no longer put money into 52 companies for being too reliant on coal in one of the biggest ever fossil fuel-related divestment by a single investor. The world’s biggest sovereign wealth fund is no longer able to invest in a number of companies including Drax in the UK, AES, Dynegy and FirstEnergy in the US, Reliance Power and Tata Power in India, and a string of Chinese groups. More On this topic IN Investment Strategy The move comes four months after a landmark global agreement on climate change in Paris and highlights how seriously investors are now taking the debate on fossil fuels and potential stranded assets. The Norwegian fund’s decision is all the more striking because it derives its funding from petroleum revenues. Norway’s parliament last year ordered the oil fund to sell out of companies in which more than 30 per cent of revenues or activities are derived from coal. The oil fund said it had already sold out of 28 of the 52 companies last year as part of risk-based divestments. The oil fund on Thursday warned that “several more” rounds of exclusions would follow this year as it analysed all of its nearly 10,000 holdings. It added that it had written letters to 50 affected companies and only received five replies. “We expected more replies than that,” a spokeswoman said. The latest decisions almost double the number of companies the oil fund is not allowed to invest in. Previous exclusions have included tobacco companies, nuclear weapons producers, and individual cases such as Walmart for serious violations of human rights. The oil fund has long been seen as one of the pioneers of responsible or ethical investing and it has stepped up its work in recent years. It now plays a more active role in the selection of board directors in many European countries and has begun to publish some of its voting intentions ahead of annual meetings, instead of just disclosing its votes afterwards. But its most visible symbol of responsible investing remains exclusions, as dictated by its owner, the Norwegian people via the local parliament. Among the exclusions on Thursday was Peabody Energy, the coal miner that this week filed for bankruptcy protection. Other exclusions include: China Coal Energy, China Power International Development, China Resources Power Holdings, China Shenhua Energy, Datang International Power Generation, and Yanzhou Coal Mining. Exxaro Resources from South Africa, Coal India and Gujarat Mineral Development from India, Hokkaido and Okinawa Electric Power from Japan, New Hope and Whitehaven Coal in Australia were also excluded. Norway’s parliament considered whether to stop investing in all fossil fuel companies — including oil and gas producers — but decided against it. Some opposition parties have called for it to ban investments in tax havens following the release of the Panama Papers. 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
ashleySavills is celebrating its 20th anniversary in Manchester after first opening its doors in the city in 1996. From an initial team of three, comprising Mark Ridley who is now CEO Savills UK & Europe and senior directors Peter Mallinder and Patrick Joynson, staff numbers have increased to more than 200 making Manchester the firm’s biggest office outside of London. James Evans, head of Savills Manchester, comments: “Just as Manchester has evolved significantly over the last 20 years, Savills has grown and prospered within the city. The scale of the commercial and residential property markets within the city region have accelerated dramatically over this time period and we are proud of the fact we have been able to grow our service provision in response to the ever-changing needs of our clients. However, despite our growth in head count I am also proud that we have been able to retain our unique culture and continue to ensure Savills is a fun business to be part of.” Over the last two decades, Manchester has changed dramatically and firmly established its profile on a global level. When Savills opened in the city in 1996, ownership of prime offices was dominated by UK funds and local property companies such as P&O Properties, Bruntwood, CWS and the Greater Manchester Pension Fund. Today, such has been the growth and appeal of the region that the landlord base is made up of a diverse blend of investors from across the globe. For example, Germany’s Union Investment Real Estate recently purchased XYZ in Spinningfields while German fund Deka acquired One St Peter’s Square. Peter Mallinder, investment director at Savills, comments: “The quality of buildings, maturity of the market and availability of truly prime stock means Manchester now competes on an international scale. Just as the investment market has flourished over the last 20 years, the occupational market, whether it be retail, offices or industrial, has also grown and become much more sophisticated.” Manchester’s office market has undergone significant change. Demand from occupiers comes not just from a diverse base of sectors with a notable spike within the ever maturing TMT sector but also from global businesses who recognise the benefits of the city’s economy and its attributes. The wider offer now consists of a burgeoning leisure sector and an ever growing city centre residential market that has grown exponentially over the last decade. Savills Manchester now has an established, multi-service offer including investment agency; office and industrial agency; retail and leisure agency; building and project consultancy; property management; hotels agency and valuation; valuation; residential and planning. The firm also has three residential offices in the North West (Chester, Wilmslow and Clitheroe.) Source link
The Electrical Industries Charity’s first ever Dragon Boat 2016 is fast approaching and what better way to spend some time with your family, friends and colleagues than by signing your team up for the fastest growing water activity in Britain. Dragon Boat 2016 takes place at the picturesque Peterborough rowing lake on Saturday 6 August 2016. This exciting summer event will offer great entertainment for everyone and make a perfect family day out this summer. This fun-filled event will allow industry professionals to re-ignite their team spirit and compete against their rivals while having fun with their families, friends, and colleagues. Families can also look forward to a fun day out with plenty of entertainment to choose from including a funfair with children’s rides and stalls. Managing director, Tessa Ogle says: “We are very excited to host our first ever Dragon Boat event this summer that will bring our industry professionals and their families and friends together. We believe that spending time with family is crucial for everyone, and what better way to do this than by joining us at our fantastic summer event.” Sign your team up today for as little as £1000. For more information contact, Vicky Gray: vicky.gray@electricalcharity.org www.electricalcharity.org Source link
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a founding member of a new international coalition that will develop the first set of globally-recognised ethics standards for real-estate and related professional organisations. The International Ethics Standards (IES) Coalition currently comprises 48 member organisations with professionals working in a diverse range of countries including China, Brazil, Dubai, Russia and India. Coalition partners, many of which already have their own codes of conduct focusing on qualities like trustworthiness, integrity and respect, will work together to align ethics principles through a new international standard. Speaking today, RIBA President Stephen Hodder said:“The RIBA has its own robust standards and codes and is committed to working with our fellow global professionals to develop a common ethics standard. I strongly believe establishing this important standard across the entire supply chain will enhance transparency, consistency and trust in the services being offered by professionals in the global and interconnected marketplace.” The IES Coalition was first proposed during a meeting of a number of the founding organisations at the United Nations (New York) in October 2014. It is hoped that the new International Ethics Standard will be ready in early 2016. More information at http://ies-coalition.org/ ENDS Notes to editors 1. For more information contact: RIBA Press Office pressoffice@riba.org 020 7580 5533 2. RIBA’s International Task Group, led by RIBA Vice President International Peter Oborn set out a detailed plan for RIBA’s role in engaging with international communities, including signing up to the Coalition, in December 2014. The full report: http://www.architecture.com/RIBA/Aboutus/Whoweare/RIBACouncil/InternationalTaskGroupreport.aspx 3. RIBA is hosting Designing City Resilience 2015, a two-day international summit on disaster prevention and resilience in June 2015. The summit is supported by the Commonwealth Secretary General, the Government Office for Science and the Rockefeller Foundation. www.designingcityresilience.com. 4. The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) champions better buildings, communities and the environment through architecture and our members www.architecture.com Follow us on Twitter for regular RIBA updates www.twitter.com/RIBA Posted on Wednesday 13th May 2015 Source link
Network Rail is set to be stripped of its full control of railways in England’s as part of a major government shake-up. Chris Grayling, Transport Secretary, has announced that he intends to bring track and train operations back together, handing train operators greater influence over the work that takes place on the rail lines throughout the country. At present, the UK’s track infrastructure is solely owned and maintained by Network Rail, which is publicly owned, with trains and services operated by private train operating companies such as Virgin and Southern. However, Mr Grayling has called for a change, with both track and trains to be managed by “one joined-up team of people”. Under the changes, Network Rail and train operating staff will be integrated into operating teams for renewal and maintenance work. It is not yet clear how much control Network Rail will have over the tracks – as is the make-up of the teams. Mr Grayling is also expected to reveal plans to create a organisation, separate to Network Rail, called East West Rail. This will oversee the construction and operation of a rebuilt multi-million-pound train line linking Oxford to Cambridge. This will be the first fully integrated rail operation created since the end of British Rail in 1994, and will be tasked with securing private sector design, build and management of the route. The move will be a step away from the way major enhancement projects, which are usually delivered on the UK’s rail lines through Network Rail’s Infrastructure Projects Division. Last month, the chancellor Philip Hammond gave £100m to the speed up the delivery of the western section of East West Rail between Cambridge and Bedford, and a further £10m to develop a preferred route from Bedford to Oxford. Network Rail chief executive Mark Carne has welcomed the changes, saying more needed to be done to align incentives between the organisation and train operating companies.
Citygate Construction (CGC), based in Paisley, is set to launch a new initiative to help housing associations combat loneliness and isolation among their older tenants. Starting at the beginning of next year, the ‘Afternoon Tea with CGC’ scheme will encourage housing associations and housing co-operatives in Scotland to apply for funding from CGC to host their own traditional afternoon teas – with the aim of providing companionship for those in later life. Managing director Leo Reilly said the project is in keeping with CGC’s strong commitment to social justice. He commented: “We remain committed to our social justice principles of helping communities where we can in innovative and worthwhile ways. Major business like ourselves must clearly understand the need to use our profitability to give something back.” The announcement came as CGC announced it is on track to surpass £14 million in turnover this year. The company said the record turnover figure had been boosted by securing a large number of contracts south of the border, with more in the pipeline after opening its inaugural English base in Preston. Since spring this year, the 13 year old company has taken on more than 20 staff to boost the number to 123. CGC has also given an undertaking that it is “100 per cent” committed to its apprenticeship programme to give young women and men a helping hand onto the employment ladder. Currently there are eight apprentices with the firm – two of whom are adult apprentices in their 20s and 40s. Most remain with CGC on completion of their apprenticeships. Leo Reilly added: “This has been a remarkable year for the business – much of this can be attributed to the commitment and hard work of our staff. Of great significance has been the contracts won south of the border in addition to our widespread activity in Scotland. “We have won many orders across the United Kingdom thanks to a combination of good value, performance and our hard-won reputation.”
Construction services company J Tomlinson has appointed Tony O’Toole as managing director of its M&E operation. The position is a new post and reflects the company’s plan to grow the M&E side of the business. “J Tomlinson is experiencing a continued period of expansion, and Tony’s appointment reflects our commitment to building on our M&E services. Nationally the M&E sector is starting to show signs of growth, and by strengthening our M&E team we aim to be best placed to expand this division,” said J Tomlinson CEO Mark Davis. Tony, who was previously operations director at Balfour Beatty Engineering Services for the North West and Midlands delivery unit, is based in J Tomlinson’s head office at Beeston near Nottingham, working across the East Midlands, West Midlands and Yorkshire. This is an exciting time for me. He said: “This is an exciting time for me to be joining J Tomlinson Ltd and to contribute to the strategic goals which will see a sustained growth in both the turnover and profitability of the J Tomlinson Ltd group.” With more than 30 years of experience within the M&E business, Tony began his career as an apprentice electrician and has since held senior positions within both PLC and privately owned national M&E contractors. “Tony is a proven leader with hard-core engineering and construction skills, industry vision and the ability to unite people behind that vision, and I am very pleased to welcome him to the J Tomlinson team,” added Mark. J Tomlinson provides a range of integrated building solutions including construction, refurbishment, repairs and maintenance, mechanical and electrical services (M&E), and facilities management. The company employs more than 400 people, and has been growing steadily and sustainably in recent years, with turnover increasing from £54 million in 2014 to £74 million in 2016. Recently, the firm opened a new West Midlands headquarters after experiencing expansion in the region – transferring its West Midlands base from a site in Birmingham to larger offices in London Road, Canwell, near Sutton Coldfield. For more information about J Tomlinson, visit www.jtomlinson.co.uk
British Steel is celebrating the 10th anniversary of rail production at its Scunthorpe plant today (Wednesday 7 December 2016) with the news it has secured another contract in Europe. On December 7 2006, the company replaced the old rail facility in Workington with a new one in Scunthorpe. It has since rolled more than 1.5 million tonnes of rail – enough to lay track between London and Delhi. And the landmark has been made even more significant by the announcement the Finnish Transport Agency (FTA) has chosen to use rails made by British Steel for the sixth consecutive year. Peter Smith, British Steel’s Managing Director Rail, said: “This is an important contract for us in a very competitive market place. “The full contract will be split 50/50 between British Steel and another supplier, with our half of the contract seeing 5,500 tonnes of steel being delivered by April 2017. “This will be produced at our Scunthorpe Rail and Section Mill, which is now 10 years old. The first deliveries will be made to the FTA over the coming weeks and the fact they have chosen us again is testament to the high standards we set. “This is a major exporting contract for one of our target markets and it comes as a boost against strong European competition. There are only four other approved bidders competing to supply the FTA, reflecting their strict requirements for service and quality.” The steel will be used for the agency’s annual maintenance work, which will see the British Steel rails used across multiple sites. British Steel’s Scunthorpe Rail and Section Mill (SRSM) opened in 2007 after the rail production plant in Workington was deemed incapable of producing the length of rail needed for future market demands. Premium equipment for the new mill was sourced from across the globe and Peter said: “The plant was designed to service UK rail demand, specifically long rail for Network Rail, but over the years we’ve seen our range of profiles, products and markets grow to meet demands from across the world. “Our Scunthorpe rails are now in track networks from Finland to Algeria and then down to Chile, and in locations as diverse as South Africa, Saudi Arabia and Singapore. “Our major domestic customer is Network Rail and I’m proud to say our relationship with them has gone from strength to strength. “We’re able to deliver 100% on time, week in, week out. This is critical as we supply the vast majority of their rail requirement, so the performance of the country’s rail network depends on successful operations at SRSM. “As we look forward we continue to see a great future in rail, it’s exciting the Government is talking about an industrial strategy and talking about improving transport infrastructure, particularly in the north of the country with projects like HS2, for which we expect to be a significant supplier.” About British Steel British Steel is our new company, created with a proud heritage and a passion to build stronger futures. Our past has always been important to us but now we’re looking to the future, maintaining world leader status in steel production. Our steel has been, and continues to be, fundamental in creating iconic, awe-inspiring structures around the world. It helps people travel, work, eat and socialise every day. More importantly, it helps keep us safe. As British Steel, we are more agile and easier to do business with, meaning we’re more responsive, adaptable, competitive and proactive in our markets and for our customers. We know we have passionate, hard-working, ambitious and dedicated employees and together we are creating a future we are all proud to be part of. We produce more than 2.8 million tonnes of steel every year. From this, we manufacture more than 1,450 different specifications of steel that gets rolled into wire rod, sections, special profiles and rail. British Steel employs 4,800 people (4,400 in the UK, 400 in France). The business is made up of the following facilities: Scunthorpe integrated steelworks Teesside Beam Mill, Lackenby Special Profiles, Skinningrove Hayange Rail Mill, north east France Immingham Bulk Terminal (port terminal) Engineering business, Workington National design consultancy Associated distribution facilities in the UK and Ireland Global sales offices Landmark railways that contain British Steel products The vast majority of Network Rail’s steel rail is made by British Steel Crossrail, London Borders Railway – longest UK railway to be built in over 100 years TGV high speed lines, France Mecca-Medina line, Saudi Arabia
A landmark court ruling means that basement extensions must have planning permission if they require engineering and excavation works. A High Court judge has ruled that the London Borough of Camden wrongly allowed a basement designed by North London practice Strange Associates under permitted development rights. Brought to court by a neighbour, the case is the latest round in London’s ‘basement wars’ between disgruntled neighbours and householders developing underground extensions. Landmark Chambers, representing neighbour Michael Eatherley, made the following statement: “This is the first time that the High Court has directly dealt with whether a residential basement extension, involving significant excavation works, is or can be within the Class A right. “The judgment clarifies a controversial topic in planning law and provides much-needed guidance to authorities, who have hitherto adopted divergent approaches.” Class A permitted development rights apply to projects to enlarge, improve or alter domestic homes. Last December, Eatherley’s neighbour, James Ireland, applied for a certificate to excavate a single-storey basement under his terraced house in Belsize Park, North London. This latest judgement found that Camden’s planning committee erred by approving the application because it did not consider the excavation and removal of soil, as well as the structural support works, as a separate activity from the creation of the basement. Justice Cranson, the presiding judge, commented: “In the context of an original “two up, two down” terrace house in suburban London, it seems to me that the development of a new basement, when there is nothing underneath at present, could well amount, as a question of fact and degree, to two activities, each of substance. “There is the enlargement, improvement and alteration aspect, but there is potentially also an engineering aspect of excavating a space and supporting the house and its neighbours.” He added that, even though engineering works may be indivisible from the aim of the developer, they still need planning permission.
