©Bloomberg RWE’s nuclear power plant at Emsland in Germany Shares in Germany’s big utility companies surged on Wednesday after a government commission said they should pay €23.3bn towards the cost of storing nuclear waste — removing an uncertainty that has weighed on the groups for months. But despite the market’s positive
Six people have been sentenced for their involvement in a conspiracy centred on corrupt payments for mechanical and electrical contracts in London’s royal palaces. Above: Buckingham Palace As deputy property manager within the Royal Household, Ronald Harper had an annual budget of £2.3m and was able to authorise orders worth
2.59% two-year fixed rate at 90% LTV with no product fee Yorkshire Building Society has announced today that it has cut rates on its fee-free mortgages at 90% and 95% LTV by up to 0.15%. According to a statement from the society it will now be offering a 2.59% two-year
Construction services company J Tomlinson has appointed Richard Ball as the head of the company’s growing safety, health, environment and quality team. The move brings all the firm’s health, safety and compliance operations in-house for the first time and is designed to support the company’s expansion. An ex-serviceman who spent
Hiab, part of Cargotec, has received an order for several HIAB L-HiPro 145 cranes from Wincanton Plc, a leading third-party logistics and supply chain solutions provider in the UK and Ireland. The value of the order is around EUR 1 million and it has been booked into Cargotec’s 2016 fourth
Off-site construction specialist, the Portakabin Group, has been appointed to the Southern Modular Building Framework – a new framework which has been launched to facilitate the procurement of modular buildings for public sector projects across London, the South East and South West. Operated by Hampshire County Council, this new initiative
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is pleased to announce on Thursday 15 December 2016 that Murphy House in Edinburgh by Richard Murphy Architects is the 2016 RIBA House of the Year, sponsored by Hiscox Home Insurance. This five-level house is a surprising addition to an otherwise conservative sandstone
The Design Museum has chosen Julius Rutherfoord as its specialist cleaning and soft FM services contractor for its new home in West London. The contract incorporates a broad range of cleaning and FM services including front-of-house gallery and facilities cleaning, back-of-house office cleaning, security, waste management, grounds maintenance and window
Colliers International has acquired Vision Asset Management, one of Europe’s leading hospitality asset management companies. The business will be rebranded as Colliers International and integrated into Colliers’ existing hotel property services operation. Following the acquisition, Colliers’ combined hotels property services team will now total more than 35 professionals offering agency
The UK Green Building Council (UK-GBC) has introduced a “radical new approach” to inspiring innovation in the built environment, after launching its first Innovation Lab that will offer workshops and collaborative opportunities to develop new solutions in the construction industry. Announced on Thursday (5 January), UK-GBC’s Innovation Lab brings in
©Bloomberg RWE’s nuclear power plant at Emsland in Germany Shares in Germany’s big utility companies surged on Wednesday after a government commission said they should pay €23.3bn towards the cost of storing nuclear waste — removing an uncertainty that has weighed on the groups for months. But despite the market’s positive reaction, RWE and Eon — the country’s two biggest utilities — immediately rejected the proposal, saying it “placed too much of a strain . . . on their economic capacity”. More On this topic IN Utilities They said that in dismissing the deal they were acting “out of a sense of responsibility to their employees, customers and investors”. For the past six months, a 19-strong commission of experts has been trying to work out how to divide the costs of Germany’s multibillion-euro nuclear clean-up between the utility companies and the state. Its aim was to find a compromise that did not impose too heavy a financial burden on Germany’s utilities — which are already suffering the effects of low electricity prices and a boom in wind and solar power — while achieving a fair deal for German taxpayers. Shares in Eon and RWE, Germany’s two biggest utilities, have slid sharply in recent months, in part due to the uncertainty over the nuclear costs. After Wednesday’s announcement, however, they rose: Eon’s shares 3.95 per cent to €9.44 and RWE’s 7.5 per cent to €13.40. “It’s a relief rally, in response to the partial lifting of the nuclear overhang,” said Deepa Venkateswaran, a utilities analyst at Bernstein Research. She said the €23.3bn figure was a “worst case scenario” which the power companies would probably not end up paying in full. Germany decided to close its nuclear power stations after the 2011 Fukushima disaster in Japan. Initially, the plants’ operators were made liable for all clean-up costs and so far they have put aside about €38bn. But the government has been eager to move those funds from the companies’ balance sheets, concerned that taxpayers could end up footing the bill if the utilities were to run into financial difficulties. Under the proposals unveiled on Wednesday, the utilities’ nuclear provisions will be split. They would keep about €20bn to cover the cost of decommissioning their reactors and transfer sums earmarked for nuclear waste storage — about €17bn of the €38bn — into a state-controlled fund. In addition, the commission proposed that the companies pay a “risk premium” of 35 per cent to cover any gap between their provisions and the actual costs of intermediate and final storage. That took the total amount to be transferred into the fund to €23.3bn. In exchange, the companies would no longer be liable for any future costs. Some members of the commission had sought a risk premium of 100 per cent, while the companies themselves balked at paying such a premium at all. Matthias Platzeck, one of the three heads of the commission, said it had to deal with a basic question: “Is it better and safer for the future to leave everything as it is now, that is, let the companies retain these provisions in the hope they will still be there in 50 years, or to secure them for the future?” He added that the commission was “firmly convinced” that the solution it had come up with would be “safer for the taxpayer”. Its proposals will now be sent to the German government and are likely to become law by early next year. 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
Six people have been sentenced for their involvement in a conspiracy centred on corrupt payments for mechanical and electrical contracts in London’s royal palaces. Above: Buckingham Palace As deputy property manager within the Royal Household, Ronald Harper had an annual budget of £2.3m and was able to authorise orders worth up to £30,000. During his employment, Harper personally received more than £100,000 in kickbacks from companies that were awarded lucrative and prestigious M&E contracts in Buckingham Palace, the Queen’s Gallery, St James’s Palace and Kensington Palace. One company renewed its Royal Warrant during the period of the conspiracy. In sentencing, the judge commented that Harper’s offences were aggravated by the fact that he proudly displayed an award for excellence, given by the Royal Household, in his office. Christopher Murphy and Aseai Zlaoui were found guilty of conspiracy to make corrupt payments. Steven Thompson and Glynn Orridge pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud. Crown Prosecution Service head of special crime Nick Vamos said: “This was a complex scam but by working in close liaison with Leicestershire Police, CPS prosecutors were able to meticulously piece together a case that laid bare the extent of the defendants’ corruption. “It was a long-running, sophisticated and well-planned fraud in which they exploited the good name and status of the Royal Household to enrich themselves at the taxpayers’ expense.” Harper was found guilty of conspiring to receive corrupt payments from the former owners of Melton Power Services (MPS) and BSI Nordale. During two trials at Southwark Crown Court, the court heard that the payments were made to maintain good relations with Harper and to obtain or retain the valuable contracts the companies had with the Royal Household. Evidence put before the court showed that the tender processes and payment systems were manipulated, invoices were fabricated and that a Royal Warrant was granted to MPS on the recommendation of Ronald Harper. As a consequence of the conspiracies the Royal Household was overcharged for the necessary work which was undertaken at the Royal Palaces. Both MPS and BSI inflated the price of contracts and the additional amounts were then used to create a fund from which the bribes were paid. Thompson, the former owner of MPS, also kept some of the additional money himself. Thompson pleaded guilty to his role in the making of corrupt payments to Harper. He and Orridge – a subcontractor to MPS – also pleaded guilty to defrauding MPS. Murphy, who had worked with Harper in a similar role at Harrods department store, and Zlaoui were found guilty of conspiring with Harper to make corrupt payments at the time their company BSI Nordale was awarded large contracts to work at Buckingham Palace and St James’s Palace. Some of the payments by BSI Nordale to Harper were disguised using his brother-in-law Alan Rollinson, who was convicted of money laundering. Harper received £55,000 in covert payments from MPS and £20,000 from BSI Nordale. In addition unexplained cash deposits into Harper’s bank account in the region of £30,000 were also uncovered. This article was published on 29 Sep 2016 (last updated on 29 Sep 2016). Source link
2.59% two-year fixed rate at 90% LTV with no product fee Yorkshire Building Society has announced today that it has cut rates on its fee-free mortgages at 90% and 95% LTV by up to 0.15%. According to a statement from the society it will now be offering a 2.59% two-year fixed rate at 90% LTV with no product fee, free standard valuation for borrowers with a 10% deposit, with £250 cashback on completion for those buying a home and free standard legal fees for those remortgaging. For borrowers with a 5% deposit, the Society is offering a 3.84% two-year fixed rate, or a 4.49% five-year fixed rate, with no product fee, free standard valuation and £250 cashback on completion. Brendan Gilligan, Mortgage Product Manager at Yorkshire Building Society, said: “As one of the UK’s largest mutual lenders, we understand how important home ownership is to young people, with our research showing that most adults under 40 prioritise buying a property over important life events such as getting married and having children. We also know how expensive buying your first home can be, so we’ve cut our rates on fee-free mortgages to help those trying to get onto the property ladder to minimise their upfront costs.” Source link
Construction services company J Tomlinson has appointed Richard Ball as the head of the company’s growing safety, health, environment and quality team. The move brings all the firm’s health, safety and compliance operations in-house for the first time and is designed to support the company’s expansion. An ex-serviceman who spent 22 years in the Corps of Royal Engineers, rising to the highest attainable position of Regimental Sergeant Major as a non-commissioned officer, Richard is based at J Tomlinson’s Nottingham head office but will spend time in the West Midlands office in Canwell, as well as at sites across the East Midlands, West Midlands and Yorkshire. He said: “J Tomlinson has an excellent reputation and I am pleased to have been appointed to head up and develop the SHEQ operations. “Health and safety was an integral part of my military life, during which I was required to deliver on time in what were the most arduous of environments and still meet legislative requirements. After witnessing and experiencing loss which was accepted it only seemed natural that becoming a safety professional would be a rewarding career. In the work place we don’t sign up to take risks, as you do in the military, this was the main motivation for moving into this sector after completing my military service in 2013.” Richard’s department is responsible for standardising quality control of the procedures, policies and compliance across the business, with particular focus on health and safety, environmental, and technical compliance such as gas or electrical installations and maintenance. Steve Kirkland, J Tomlinson’s managing director responsible for health and safety, said: “J Tomlinson offers integrated building solutions and to support that, we have invested in integrating and developing our management systems so that they are now fully in-house. “Richard joins us with an impressive background of having worked both within the construction and associated professions while in the military, as well as having expertise within the field of health, safety and compliance during his time in the services and since. “We’re very pleased to have welcomed him to this new role, at a time when J Tomlinson is continuing to expand sustainably.” Richard, who trained as a draftsman while in the military, has seen active service in Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia, Kosovo and Northern Ireland. He joined J Tomlinson after working for a number of companies in the construction sector since completing his service in 2013. Based at Beeston, near Nottingham, the company provides a range of integrated building solutions including construction, refurbishment, repairs and maintenance, mechanical and electrical services (M&E), and facilities management. It operates across the East Midlands, West Midlands and Yorkshire. For more information about J Tomlinson, visit www.jtomlinson.co.uk
Hiab, part of Cargotec, has received an order for several HIAB L-HiPro 145 cranes from Wincanton Plc, a leading third-party logistics and supply chain solutions provider in the UK and Ireland. The value of the order is around EUR 1 million and it has been booked into Cargotec’s 2016 fourth quarter order intake for plant machines. The HIAB L-HiPro 145 belongs to the HIAB medium range of loader cranes and is a new model which is tailor-made for building material supply. The HIAB L-HiPro 145 cranes have a lifting capacity up to 15tm. The cranes are painted according to the high-tech nDurance(TM) painting process to safeguard a long life and a good looking crane over time. Three of the cranes will be equipped with Crane Tip Control (CTC), a software feature which Hiab brought into market in September 2016. With the CTC feature the crane operator controls the behaviour of the crane tip instead of each crane function (slewing, first boom, second boom, extensions). We need to have plant equipment that we can trust to deliver. “Our market-leading construction team delivers over 400,000 loads to construction and building sites across the UK and Ireland every year. To ensure the operational improvements across our customers’ supply chain we need to have plant equipment that we can trust to deliver. HIAB loader cranes have answered to this need over the years,” says Mr Carl Hanson, Fleet Director, Wincanton Plc. “We have been Wincanton’s supplier for loader cranes and maintenance since 2006. Over the years we have built up a first-class business partnership, in particular the UK Engineering team who have worked closely with Wincanton to deliver solutions to their operational requirements which have resulted in the delivery of a large number of HIAB loader cranes. We are pleased to be able continue this cooperation with this latest valuable order,” says Mr John Bailey, Director, Global Key Accounts, Hiab. The new HIAB loader cranes will be delivered during the first quarter of 2017. Hiab offers its loader cranes customers a five-year warranty on structural components as well as a general warranty of two years. The extended warranty covers all HIAB loader crane models delivered as of 1 October 2016.
Off-site construction specialist, the Portakabin Group, has been appointed to the Southern Modular Building Framework – a new framework which has been launched to facilitate the procurement of modular buildings for public sector projects across London, the South East and South West. Operated by Hampshire County Council, this new initiative aims to minimise procurement time and generate cost savings by reducing costly and resource-intensive competitive tendering. It offers public sector clients a full turnkey service for modular projects, from design to handover, including building manufacture, installation, fitting out, testing and commissioning. The appointment of Portakabin to the framework is for projects in excess of £100,000 through to multi-million pound schemes, requiring a design life of more than 60 years. The accreditation follows a rigorous and independent assessment of Yorkon off-site solutions and services from the Portakabin Group, as well as performance for on time and on budget delivery, customer service, quality management procedures, and regulatory compliance. Commenting on the new framework, Mark Thomas, Framework Manager at Hampshire County Council, said, “Our aim is to promote and encourage collaborative working to improve the design, procurement and construction of public sector projects across the South East. Our experience has shown that choosing a modular approach can offer significant benefits over site-based building methods – better quality, rapid delivery, and cost certainty – by moving the construction process into a carefully-controlled factory environment.” “Over 200 public sector bodies across the region now have access to the framework and can have confidence in the contractors’ performance following our robust selection process. And we are delighted that Portakabin has been selected to join the framework.” Applications for permanent modular buildings that can be procured through the framework include education facilities, healthcare schemes, offices, and community buildings. Organisations making use of the scheme could include local authorities, universities, fire and rescue services, charities, healthcare providers, schools and academies, colleges and doctor’s surgeries. Portakabin is a market-leading supplier of off-site building solutions across the public sector. Among its recent contracts are: The successful completion of the £9 million first phase of a £44 million school campus for the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, which will be the UK’s largest free school campus. The handover of a new special educational needs school has doubled its capacity in time for the start of the new academic year. A £2 million, four-storey scheme for office support staff at the University Hospital Southampton, built in less than five months on a highly constrained site. A state-of-the-art laboratory scheme at the University of Cumbria – the second project delivered by Portakabin at the Fusehill Campus in Carlisle. Modular buildings can be rapidly installed in enclosed courtyards, on the roofs of existing buildings and on steel platforms to help public and private sector clients increase capacity and optimise their use of space. For further information about Yorkon off-site solutions from the Portakabin Group, call 0845 2000 123, email info@yorkon.co.uk or visit www.yorkon.co.uk.
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is pleased to announce on Thursday 15 December 2016 that Murphy House in Edinburgh by Richard Murphy Architects is the 2016 RIBA House of the Year, sponsored by Hiscox Home Insurance. This five-level house is a surprising addition to an otherwise conservative sandstone terraced street in Edinburgh’s UNESCO-listed New Town. Built on an awkward plot at the end of a terrace, Richard Murphy has designed for himself a deeply personal space filled with tricks, surprises and references to his own design heroes. From a hidden bath in the master bedroom and a folding corner wall, to sliding bookshelf ladders that glide around the subterranean library, this house is filled with a unique and spirited charm. Murphy, inspired by the work of the late Carlo Scarpa, a 20th century Italian architect has created a house full of pure, beautiful craftsmanship. The Murphy House is this year’s best example. RIBA President Jane Duncan said: “The Murphy House is this year’s best example of how to overcome challenging constraints – from planning restrictions and an awkward site in an urban location – to build a stunning house. Plus the architect overcame one of the biggest obstacles: a demanding client – himself! “Nearly a decade in the making, this house is a true labour of love for Richard. Part jigsaw puzzle, with its hidden and unexpected spaces, and part Wallace and Gromit with its moving pieces and disappearing walls, this is a model house of pure perfection and a worthy winner of the RIBA House of the Year 2016.” Richard Murphy said: “We celebrated our 25th birthday last month and to receive this award is a wonderful present with such astonishing levels of public interest. It’s our 21st RIBA award, and takes its place in a long line of awards for buildings small and large and for whole variety of types including domestic, educational, health, arts and a new British Embassy. It emphasises yet again that the practice demonstrates both great versatility and consistently high quality in all its work current and past. It’s been a huge pleasure to develop a lifetime’s themes and now it gives me great pleasure to live there.” House of the Year judge, Philip Thorn from Hiscox said: “Murphy House was a real box of tricks with a unique, playful character. Although a small property, it was deceivingly large inside due to the clever use of space. Every room contained a surprise and the attention to detail was exceptional. The roof terrace was a real oasis of calm and I loved the long list of environmentally friendly touches. A true pleasure to visit and I would imagine a lot of fun to live in.” Also announced this evening was the seventh and final home shortlisted for the RIBA House of the Year: Tin House in west London by Henning Stummel Architects. The full shortlist for the 2016 RIBA House of the Year award is: Ansty Plum, Wiltshire by Coppin Dockray Covert House, Clapham, south London by DSDHA Garden House in Hackney, east London by Hayhurst and Co Modern Mews in central London by Coffey Architects Murphy House, New Town, Edinburgh by Richard Murphy Architects Outhouse, Forest of Dean by Loyn & Co Architects Tin House in west London, by Henning Stummel Architects The RIBA House of the Year is sponsored by Hiscox Home Insurance and Paint and Paper Library. Please use @RIBA #HouseOfTheYear in your social media. If you wish to keep your household Odor free – visit the Odordude on the 20 Common Household Odors and How to Remove Them Fast.
The Design Museum has chosen Julius Rutherfoord as its specialist cleaning and soft FM services contractor for its new home in West London. The contract incorporates a broad range of cleaning and FM services including front-of-house gallery and facilities cleaning, back-of-house office cleaning, security, waste management, grounds maintenance and window cleaning. Services provided by Julius Rutherfoord will include cleaning, provision of a logistics team and traffic marshals, full-time porters and additional cleaning for special events. It was evident that Julius Rutherfoord demonstrated both the experience and genuine understanding. Brian Reeves, head of FM at the museum, said: “Following a competitive tender process, it was evident that Julius Rutherfoord demonstrated both the experience and genuine understanding of our design values required to deliver the planned and reactive services expected by the Design Museum during both the transition from practical completion and beyond.” Following a long search for larger premises to expand its activities, the Design Museum selected a unique landmark from the 1960s – a grade II* listed building in Kensington High Street, West London – as its new home. Opened to the public on 24th November, the facility has been transformed into a 21st century museum, and will have three times more space than the previous location. The museum includes the new Swarovski Foundation Centre for Learning, the 202-seat Bakala Auditorium and a dedicated gallery to display its permanent collection, which will be accessible free of charge. Begun in 1989, The Design Museum’s collection is an important record of the key designs that have shaped the modern world. It tells the history of mass production, from the manufacturing innovations of the nineteenth century up to the digital revolution of the last few years. The collection spans all aspects of design including architecture, fashion, furniture, product and graphic design, digital media and transport.
Colliers International has acquired Vision Asset Management, one of Europe’s leading hospitality asset management companies. The business will be rebranded as Colliers International and integrated into Colliers’ existing hotel property services operation. Following the acquisition, Colliers’ combined hotels property services team will now total more than 35 professionals offering agency and valuation advisory, as well as asset management services. Colliers’ head of hotels and resorts consulting Marc Finney will lead the expanded team, working with new directors Ben Godon and Allan Davidson who will continue in the roles they held at Vision. Davidson said: “Having built a significant market share within the hospitality sector, we have found the right international partner to help us take the next strategic growth step for our business. “For us, this is the beginning of a new chapter and we are looking forward to combining our local and sector expertise with Colliers’ global platform to better meet our clients’ needs.” Founded in 2001, Vision advises clients in the UK and across EMEA and has managed more than 100 assets. Colliers’ chief executive Tony Horrell said: “Vision is well regarded by investors, owners and funders looking to increase investment performance in the hospitality sector. These market leading professionals will enhance our existing team of hotels experts; as well as complement our investment property asset management service. “The addition of asset management brings a new dimension to the hotel and hospitality services that we provide to our clients across the country.”
The UK Green Building Council (UK-GBC) has introduced a “radical new approach” to inspiring innovation in the built environment, after launching its first Innovation Lab that will offer workshops and collaborative opportunities to develop new solutions in the construction industry. Announced on Thursday (5 January), UK-GBC’s Innovation Lab brings in Canary Wharf Group, Land Securities and Marks & Spencer (M&S) as lead partners in the initiative’s overall aim to foster innovative sustainability solutions and explore future trends of the built environment. UK-GBC’s head of leadership and innovation Cat Hirst said: “Research and Development levels across our industry are painfully low; the UK currently only spends £43m on construction R&D. The risks to a single company of investing in developing a solution for such a high-cost industry is often seen as prohibitive. But we desperately need to find ways of working together to achieve radical change if we are to challenge business as usual and transition to a sustainable way of working. “At UK-GBC we’re seeking to catalyse this change by using our unique position to convene our member organisations to work together to address the issues our industry faces. We want to ensure there is the time, space, and structure for open innovation to occur for the built environment.” The Innovation Lab officially began last month with a workshop aimed at identifying “breakthrough challenges” that will form the basis for the next nine-months of workshops and programmes; Thursday marks the official announcement from UK-GBC. The initial workshop highlighted the key challenges that the industry will face in regards to climate resilience, resource efficiency and technological advancements. The next workshop will be held on 1 February and the open format allows members to collaborate to share both risks and rewards. Land Securities head of sustainability Caroline Hill said: “The Innovation Lab will provide us with an exciting opportunity to work and collaborate with businesses in the property industry, to explore innovative sustainable solutions. Most importantly we want to see how sustainability can help to break through some of the challenges our sector is currently facing.” Read more here.
