Legal & General are trying to cope with the issues surrounding the current housing crisis which is putting many renters under a huge amount of stress and worry due to the unacceptable standards and the lack of scruples by landlords, who are imposing exorbitant rents and causing misery to the
The Bright Futures Charity located in the South Shields area of the United Kingdom is dedicated towards supporting young mothers and giving them the chance to do not put their work at risk when they have children. With more and more zero-hour contracts being issued and with job security at
A company known as Capita Local Government has been chosen by the EFA (also known as the Education Funding Agency) for a brand new contractual deal that will last it a total of three years. During this time Capita will be expected to oversee the collection of data on the
The region on the outskirts of the area of Uttoxeter is going through a major improvement period and Sykes Pumps are in the thick of the building and construction repairs that will enable the fixing to take place. Their presence is due to the intentions of Staffordshire County Council to
Increasing land values, funding uncertainty and a move towards more design-and build-procurement has continued to put the squeeze on architects’ fees. But cutting costs dismisses the wider benefits of good design and can compromise the end result. We spoke to firms across the UK to get their opinion on what
Legal & General are trying to cope with the issues surrounding the current housing crisis which is putting many renters under a huge amount of stress and worry due to the unacceptable standards and the lack of scruples by landlords, who are imposing exorbitant rents and causing misery to the lives of millions of renters around the country. Part of an initiative that the government wants to implement supposedly to tackle this issue is the BTR (buy to rent) scheme that it announced in its white paper recently, and L & G will be implementing the building and construction of the first of these BTR schemes in Salford on the outskirts of Manchester. The new site itself will be known as The Slate and is set to be opened to potential new residents early this summer, and the company has deployed the services of an enterprise known as “urbanbubble” in order to ensure that the dreams of better and more affordable renting for all is achieved as soon as possible in order to salvage the ruined experiences of many people living in rented properties at the present moment. Indeed, with the construction and building of buy-to-rent properties, it is widely hoped that the scheme will be able to be successfully implemented through this partnership between LGIM and “urbanbubble.” Dan Batterton of LGIM Real Assets hopes that the project will allow renters greater flexibility on the different services that they use and will be able to benefit from more reasonable standards and housing conditions than under the current landlord-tenant guidelines and policies that are in place. In a similar vein, Michael Howard of “urbanbubble” has explained that he is very pleased that the company, of which he is the MD, is partnering up with LGIM Real Assets in order to deliver this new housing project on time and on budget to the best of their ability.
The Bright Futures Charity located in the South Shields area of the United Kingdom is dedicated towards supporting young mothers and giving them the chance to do not put their work at risk when they have children. With more and more zero-hour contracts being issued and with job security at a greater risk for mothers going on maternity leave, it is becoming harder and harder for young mothers from less advantaged backgrounds to be able to juggle the work and family balance in equable measure. Through the support of property association Isos however, the Bright Futures charity organization has been financially aided with a total of £14,700 towards it to helping it to conduct its services to young mothers in the South Shields and surrounding area. The aim of the organization is to help women aged under 25 to get reintegrated into the workforce and to help them to settle themselves back into the challenging work environment. With such services as CV writing workshops as well as helping them with childcare options that are open to them through online internet services as well as other things such as interview guidelines, the “Young Mums and Mums to be Group” dedicates itself every day for up to 10 weeks by helping mothers of a younger demographic to cope with the many 21st Century challenges that working mothers still face on a daily basis in the United Kingdom. Indeed, the opportunities that the program offers are so broad and wide that they even enable young mums to bring their children with them to the various activity sessions that are on, showing that Bright Futures cares about reducing the stress levels of young mothers in the local area. Such initiatives as these also help to build confidence in young mothers who might want to consider other options in their lives: one young woman said that the program had given her the confidence to think about enrolling in a degree at the Open University. This is a wonderful testament to the hard work of Bright Futures in tackling issues that women face in this country.
A company known as Capita Local Government has been chosen by the EFA (also known as the Education Funding Agency) for a brand new contractual deal that will last it a total of three years. During this time Capita will be expected to oversee the collection of data on the conditions of a roundabout total of 5,500 schools located around the country. This is so that the EFA will be able to find out exactly the size as well as the various demographics and education conditions of educational establishments located in the United Kingdom. Whilst Capita will be in charge of collecting forms of this data for 5,500 schools, the EFA plans to be able to find out more about a grand total of 22,000 schools in the country and this will undoubtedly aid it in assessing the various conditions of schools around the United Kingdom. This will be a first for the EFA who are hoping that the implementation of these plans will be a success so that it will be able to see the various compositions of schools all around Great Britain in what is essentially a giant, three-year long survey to find out what things need to be implemented into various schools in order that they can improve their overall performance in the future. This is something that Capita themselves are used to, having already in the past conducted assessment surveys on 5,000 educational establishments located in the Yorkshire and Humber region of the country. This scheme is all part of the Property Data Survey Program (PDSP) that is organized by the EFA in order to determine which schools require more funding in the future and it is hoped that the long-term plans of this initiative will mean that they will have a better idea of what needs to be done to improve the conditions of schools in this country than they do now.
The region on the outskirts of the area of Uttoxeter is going through a major improvement period and Sykes Pumps are in the thick of the building and construction repairs that will enable the fixing to take place. Their presence is due to the intentions of Staffordshire County Council to try and improve the often congested and oft-used A50 motorway that runs not far off from Uttoxeter, and Sykes Pumps have been commissioned to ensure that the water that the repairs produce during the digging up and refurbishments to the land do not ruin and swamp the project. In order for this to happen, an efficient pumping system needs to be put into place and it is evident that Sykes Pumps’ wide range of experience in the field of water circulation makes them perfect for the job. Indeed, their work is vital to the successful running of this enterprise which is aimed to improve the economic infrastructure of Uttoxeter and the surrounding Staffordshire environment. Indeed, it is widely hoped that this will result in the creation of over 1,000 employment opportunities that will breathe life into the local economy as a result of the building and construction works that are currently under way. One cannot dig up 11,000 meters cube without causing a little groundwater to flow, and that is what Sykes Pumps have been hired to deal with, and they have so far managed to get rid of the groundwater that could have proved detrimental to the project’s success. In fact, they also succeeded furthermore in their implementation of the pumping system, which ensured that they were able to pump the excess water successfully without causing too much noise pollution. Through this, the £27 million enterprise is still successfully under way, is not causing too much of a heartbreak for the quiet Staffordshire community, and furthermore is set to be finished by the winter months of next year.
Increasing land values, funding uncertainty and a move towards more design-and build-procurement has continued to put the squeeze on architects’ fees. But cutting costs dismisses the wider benefits of good design and can compromise the end result. We spoke to firms across the UK to get their opinion on what developers and contractors should consider when choosing their architect. Value for money When budgets are tight, the value of design can be put under the spotlight. However, an investment in high-quality architecture ticks more than just the aesthetics box as Paul Miele from Lewis and Hickey explains: “Clients must trust their professional team and the architect is no exception. Although competitive fees are often a driving factor in decision making, these are a relatively small part of an overall development. It is more important to consider how the design will maximise value for money long term rather than just the cheapest price.” Graham Hickson-Smith of 3DReid agrees: “Cutting architect’s fees can be a false economy. Saving one or two percent in fees may mean the difference between success and failure through planning or the final quality of the project and the potential rental income or end value. “Well-designed buildings have greater value and marketability. If the qualitative aspects of a scheme are stripped out to reduce construction costs, schemes will struggle to let or sell as well.” Creativity Another factor impacting design is a focus on volume but this can be at the expense of creativity. John Tehan from Smallwood Architects, says clients should take a longer-term view. “Commercial clients need to allow space for imaginative solutions. Too often the focus is on volume to try and maximise returns, but long-term a more imaginative, creative design could prove to be a better investment.” Collaboration A good architect will listen to both the client’s design and commercial needs, improving the outcome for both parties, so David Hills from RH Partnership Architects advises clients to look beyond traditional scoring systems: “While any commercial client needs to carry out due diligence and check compliance matters, scoring systems should be led by the architect’s experience, quality and a focus on the client’s needs. “Working with the right architect based on these factors will be more rewarding commercially and as a project experience, as the client is more likely to get a building that meets their specific needs.” Intelligent planning Securing an effective and transparent working relationship from the outset can also help to plan projects more efficiently as Graham Hickson-Smith of 3DReid explains. “By working in partnership with concept architects we can add value without reducing quality through better planning and reducing the unseen elements of a scheme such as utilities and structure.” The bigger picture Design fees will always be scrutinised, but it’s clear that there are many other factors for commercial clients to consider. Investing in architects that are willing to collaborate and that can create creative designs offering value for money will maximise returns in the long run. Ultimately a good architect will always save much more than they cost. Sarah Reay is Managing Director of Construction Marketing Experts, a specialist marketing consultancy for the built environment.
