May 4, 2017

New community energy farm-scale wind cooperative launched

A new community energy initiative focused on farm-scale wind turbines has been launched by Sharenergy and will combine projects in Scotland and Wales. Small Wind Cooperative is first to combine projects in different countries within the UK and will allow members to use the energy generated in

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ISG to convert Manchester Corn Exchange into hotel

Manchester’s historic Grade II listed Corn Exchange is being converted into a four-star hotel. Above: Manchester Corn Exchange ISG has been awarded a £13m contract by Queensberry Real Estate to refurbish levels two to five of the building, to create a 114-bedroom ‘aparthotel’ for operator Roomzzz. The scheme is the

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Hanergy warns on missing bond payment

Hanergy has warned bondholders that it will miss payment on a bond issued by its hydropower subsidiary, a first indicator of pain for mainland lenders after its Hong Kong stock was suspended 10 months ago. The rise and abrupt fall of Hanergy’s stock has become a symbol for the excess

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Kawneer appoints new marketing manager

Leading aluminium systems manufacturer continues to strengthen its sales and marketing team. Leading architectural aluminium systems manufacturer Kawneer UK has announced the appointment of Mark Hanson as marketing manager with additional responsibility for the development of products and services for the low-rise residential sector. Mark Hanson comes with a wealth of

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Specflue to offer comprehensive first-aid courses

Fully certified first aid training is being offered by Specflue, a leading supplier of flues, chimneys and renewable heating products based in Sudbury. Local facilities offering this type of training are very limited so the move is expected to be welcomed by local businesses as well as individuals. It is

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Issue 332 : Sept 2025

May 4, 2017

Savills highlights top commercial investment picks for beating capital growth slowdown

International real estate advisor Savills has highlighted four key opportunities for investors seeking higher yielding assets as capital growth in the commercial property market slows down.  With average returns expected to fall from 14% in 2015 to 8% this year, the firm points to small lot sizes, Scotland, high street retail outside of London and urban logistics as offering the best spread to other asset classes.  Savills analysis of deals by lot size found that assets in the £5-15 million bracket delivered the highest yields across retail, offices and industrial, with a spread to other lot sizes of between 50 and 200 bps.  The largest yield gap is for offices, which currently offer 7.37% for assets between £5-15 million compared to 5.08% for assets over £100 million.  In Scotland, the commercial markets missed out on yield hardening seen in England during the referendum campaign of 2014.  As a result, all sectors there offer yields circa 70-150 bps higher than in comparable English cities.  For offices in prime cities, investors can expect a 5.32% yield in Scotland compared to 4.75% in England.  Mat Oakley, head of commercial research at Savills, comments: “While slowing capital growth in the commercial property market will ultimately lead to lower total returns, there are still plenty of opportunities out there for investors willing to go higher up the risk curve.  Over the year ahead, there will be an increasing focus on areas where capital values have not corrected as well as asset management, development and rental growth opportunities.  Investors may also create portfolios of smaller assets to capitalise on the high yields available instead of targeting larger, single assets.” In terms of high street retail investment, Savills reports that the recovery is no longer confined to London and the South as investor confidence in the top regional cities continues to improve.  For example, a unit let to Lloyds Bank in Manchester city centre recently attracted strong interest from UK institutions and foreign buyers with the final sale price reflecting a net initial yield of 4.14%.  However, for now there remains an average yield spread of over 100 bps between prime retail assets in London and the South versus other regions. Finally, Savills highlights the investment prospects of urban industrial estates based on the continued growth of e-commerce or, alternatively, the high capital value which can be extracted by converting the land for residential use.  In London, the land value premium for residential over industrial currently ranges from 54% in the North West to 42% in the South West.  Across the capital, the supply of industrial land has fallen from 7.3 million sq ft in 2009 to 4.79 million sq ft in 2015.  James Gulliford, joint head of UK investment at Savills, adds: “The problem for a lot of value-add and opportunistic investors is that yield compression has largely disappeared and, looking ahead, there will be a rising dependence on income return.  For offices, Northshoring and core to fringe migration in London and other big cities will help to deliver this.  For retail, rental growth will be sporadic but is most likely to be seen in the experience-led malls, sensibly rented bulky goods schemes and convenience high street markets.” Source link

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New community energy farm-scale wind cooperative launched

A new community energy initiative focused on farm-scale wind turbines has been launched by Sharenergy and will combine projects in Scotland and Wales. Small Wind Cooperative is first to combine projects in different countries within the UK and will allow members to use the energy generated in their homes and businesses as part of a deal with energy supplier Co-operative Energy. The project offers people the chance to support three community turbines, one in Wales and two in Scotland, with bonds or shares and a minimum of £100. The bonds offer a return of 4.5 per cent and will be repaid after 6 years and the shares a projected annual average return of 6.5 per cent over 20 years. Small Wind Coop director Jon Halle said: ““We know that people don’t trust the big energy companies, which is why we are a small co-operative, which is completely owned and run by our members – no ‘fat cats’ here. “And we know that people want to support renewable energy in the UK directly – so we set up the Small Wind Coop to make that possible.” Sharenergy community renewables adviser Leila Sharland said: “This could be one of the last chances to join a community wind cooperative following recent changes in government support. “And as well as supporting ordinary UK farmers in Wales and Scotland, we’re offering our members a new way to connect the energy they are helping to generate with the energy they use at home or work. It’s a really exciting opportunity to be part of a new UK energy democracy.” The project will generate a community fund of £3,000 per year for 20 years at each location, to support local projects bringing social, economic and environmental benefits to the area. Source link

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ISG to convert Manchester Corn Exchange into hotel

Manchester’s historic Grade II listed Corn Exchange is being converted into a four-star hotel. Above: Manchester Corn Exchange ISG has been awarded a £13m contract by Queensberry Real Estate to refurbish levels two to five of the building, to create a 114-bedroom ‘aparthotel’ for operator Roomzzz. The scheme is the second phase of a wider £30m investment to develop the building as a leisure destination. The ground and first floor levels have already been converted to restaurant and bar use, and will remain operational during work on the upper storeys. ISG will start work in mid-August. It will carry out remedial works to the roof structure and install a cantilevered scaffold system at first floor level. ISG will then make significant structural alterations to the building’s floor slabs to introduce new service risers to accommodate new mechanical and electrical infrastructure. Roomzzz Manchester Corn Exchange will use a combination of existing brick walls and new partitioning to create four room types, from apartments to penthouses, including a guest suite in the building’s turret, accessed via a new spiral staircase. Three architecturally listed stair cores will be restored to create a historical feature within the hotel. Andy McLinden, ISG’s Northern managing director, said: “The former Corn Exchange in Manchester is a very special and much-loved building and its latest evolution builds on the growing trend for hybrid guest accommodation in the city. This is a high-profile showcase of our capabilities delivering luxury hotel accommodation in a logistically challenging and busy city centre location, with the added complexity of working in an architecturally protected building. “It’s a great challenge and an environment where we positively thrive as a business and there is a great deal of anticipation to get underway with the transformation of this iconic Manchester landmark.”     This article was published on 25 Jul 2016 (last updated on 25 Jul 2016). Source link

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Hanergy warns on missing bond payment

Hanergy has warned bondholders that it will miss payment on a bond issued by its hydropower subsidiary, a first indicator of pain for mainland lenders after its Hong Kong stock was suspended 10 months ago. The rise and abrupt fall of Hanergy’s stock has become a symbol for the excess in China’s stock market, which began its slide shortly after. The slide has exposed corporations and executives who borrowed against rising shares. Hanergy, which manufactures thin solar film, used its rising stock as well as its physical assets as collateral for heavy borrowing. Public documents show that the company borrowed against shares in its Jinanqiao dam in Yunnan Province — China’s largest privately owned dam — as well as against the rights to revenues from those shares. Hanergy issued the Rmb1bn PPN001 instrument in 2014 at interest rates of 7.8 per cent through the Pudong Development Bank, one of China’s midsized lenders. Caijing magazine on Friday reported that holders of the instrument had received a notice saying that payment would not be made on time. Two other notes totalling Rmb1.4bn are due next year. Hanergy founder Li Hejun often referred to Jinanqiao as his cash cow that allowed the company to take a bet on thin film solar power. The company confirmed the report, but said it would issue a clarification later. Meanwhile, trading in shares of China Yurun Food Group, a sausage maker, was suspended on Friday pending a statement on the potential impact from the default on domestic short-term financing notes issued by its subsidiary Nanjing Yurun Food. FT investigation How an obscure toy maker was transformed into Hanergy Thin Film, a solar group whose value touched $40bn before a dramatic fall back to earth The Hong Kong-listed company gave no further details in a filing to the Hong Kong bourse announcing the suspension. Nanjing Yurun on Thursday defaulted on a Rmb500m short-term financing note repayment, the company said. Additional reporting by Ma Nan and Reuters Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2016. All rights reserved. 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

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Kawneer appoints new marketing manager

Leading aluminium systems manufacturer continues to strengthen its sales and marketing team. Leading architectural aluminium systems manufacturer Kawneer UK has announced the appointment of Mark Hanson as marketing manager with additional responsibility for the development of products and services for the low-rise residential sector. Mark Hanson comes with a wealth of experience within the industry, having spent more than 20 years at Ultraframe where he was instrumental in growing, developing and promoting a range of aluminium-based conservatory and roof glazing products in the residential sector. Mark commented: “I am excited to start a new challenge within Kawneer and look forward to working with the team to further develop their already extensive product and service suite. I am fortunate to be joining such a respected and forward-thinking company.” Mark Clemson, Kawneer’s sales and marketing director added: “Mark’s wealth of experience and industry knowledge will make him a key addition to the team at Kawneer. His appointment is a sign of our drive for continued growth and commitment to being the leading company in our industry. “Our new products, combined with the growth in the use of aluminium-based glazing systems in the residential sector has led us to look for an addition to our team who will fit in with our ethos of innovation and service excellence. “We are very fortunate that we were able to find someone of Mark’s calibre to fulfil this role. I’m confident that Mark will play a key role in helping us deliver growth in this important sector.” ENDS About Kawneer: Kawneer offers a comprehensive range of architectural aluminium building products and systems which include curtain wall, windows, commercial entrance doors and framing systems. Since its beginnings over a century ago, Kawneer has been recognised as an innovator. Through the years, the company has balanced experience with innovation. It has listened to its customers and is dedicated to providing the tools its customers need to succeed. Kawneer’s global design expertise, combined with aluminium’s flexibility and recyclability, makes the company’s our building systems and products the right solutions for today and tomorrow. Kawneer products are made from materials of the highest quality and designed with the benefit of many years of construction experience. As the company controls every stage of the process, from mining the bauxite ore through to designing individual systems, it offers a unique resource to architects and contractors.   Source link

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Deep Soil Mixing Ltd Completes Runcorn Soil Stabilisation Project Using Cutter Soil Mixer

Specialist ground engineering and soil stabilisation company Deep Soil Mixing Ltd has successfully completed a soil stabilisation project in Runcorn, Cheshire, for client Wildgoose Construction Ltd using the innovative Cutter Soil Mixer. Deep Soil Mixing Ltd introduced the Cutter Soil Mixer to the UK when the company worked on the Mersey Gateway project in 2016 so using it at this Runcorn development meant it is only the second time this bi-rotational mixing head has been used for soil mixing in the UK Using their controlled soil mixing technique, Deep Soil Mixing transformed the challenging site, ensuring the extensive project could be finished to a high standard – the soil had to be stabilised and any chemicals contained in the ground locked in, before Contractors Wildgoose Construction could start work on the construction of the site which would contain a public house, restaurant, coffee house, car park and access roads. Prior to commencement on site as with all projects Deep Soil Mixing Ltd undertake rigorous testing and assessment of the ground and its suitability for soil mixing. Laboratory tests are also undertaken using samples of the soil to be treated mixed with different proportions of a wide selection of binders to select the most appropriate mix. From these results, Deep Soil Mixing Ltd then prepare a detailed specification. On the Runcorn project, Deep Soil Mixing Ltd installed soil mixing panels across the site as well as a soil mixed mattress and soil mixed wall next to a Major Accident Hazard Pipeline (MAHP), to lock in chemicals and prevent leachate to ensure the ground was stabilised for the building works to commence. “The site was heavily contaminated and situated in close proximity to a MAHP and an adjacent canal embankment which was unstable, so we had quite a challenge on our hands,” says Colin Critchlow, Director at Deep Soil Mixing Ltd. “On this project, we used a cutter soil mixing head as well as a soil mixing bucket.” A cutter soil mixing head is a machine used to mix the ground, particularly when needed at greater depths and in densely consolidated soils. It achieves a greater level of density compared to other soil mixing methods and is highly effective. In addition to installing the soil mixed panels, mattress and wall, the company also soil mixed the building foundations. “We needed to lock in chemicals within the original site as well as reduce the levels of vibrations to a nearby gas pipeline and an adjacent canal embankment which was unstable,” adds Colin Critchlow. “Thanks to our wide range of experience, we’re used to working on challenging sites like this one. “The high-pressure gas mains pipe was charged at 30 Bar and was located within two metres of the site – we used vibration monitors throughout the project to measure the frequency transfer to confirm all met National Grid safety requirements. “We’re proud of everything we achieved on this project, especially given how heavily contaminated with an assortment of chemicals the site was – not to mention unstable. Thanks to the different soil mixing techniques, we secured the site and enabled the complex of restaurant, pub and coffee shop to be built alongside a car park and access roads.”

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Tallest Light Steel Frame Has Reached Its Full Height This Week in the UK

The tallest light steel frame in the UK has reached its full height this week. The construction company working on the project, Robertson, have celebrated this milestone with a topping out ceremony which took place on the highest roof of the building. The project is being undertaken by Kier Property and the finished building will serve as a student accommodation scheme. It is thought that the building will stand at 12 storeys tall and will, when finished, become the tallest light steel frame structure in the UK. The building is being constructed for Kier and will form one of three ongoing developments for the company that will go towards Student accommodation. This means that the company has an expanding portfolio of student accommodation that now stands at more than 1,000 beds. The new record breaking building can be found opposite the listed John Dobson House, which is on New Bridge Street in Newcastle. This project will offer 329 bedrooms that, when completed, will be a combination of studio and cluster flat accommodation. The topping out ceremony of the building marks a significant step forward in the development process. Also involved in this project is the architectural firm, Ryder and the engineering and M&E consultancy company, Cundall. These two companies have helped to design a building that is of high quality while maintaining high levels of best practice when managing the design. The lightweight steel frame idea was put forward by Robertson. Originally the building was going to have a concrete frame system. The lightweight Kingframe that was used on the project is thought to improve the programme and the buildability of the structure. This alternative also lowered the overall pile foundation loading’s by around 40% in certain parts of the building. Robertson also offered a modular bathroom pod solution that has led to a lower carbon footprint of the building as well as reducing the levels of waste as well as fewer deliverables and lowering the fuel consumption and disruption on site.

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Canterbury City Council Has Been Given Planning Permission For a New Building

Canterbury City Council has given planning permission for a new International College to be built. The building has been designed by the architectural firm, Walters & Cohen Architects. It is thought that the new college will become part of King’s School, an existing institution. Walter & Cohen have recently completed a project at King’s School where they carried out refurbishment works on the boarding accommodation. The planned College will teach student s that are aged between 11 and 16. The College will work as a stepping stone fort students that may be entering the English school system for the first time. This project will help those that have previously been educated abroad. The work will be taking place on Malthouse Road and the building will sit separate from the main estate of the school by St Stephen’s Road as well as the River Great Stour. A masterplan was created while designing the International College in order to make sure that the building will be complimentary to the smaller scale developments taking place in the cul-de-sac. The building will sit at three storeys and will be built around a courtyard that will be available for learning and socialising. The building plans that have been approved by Canterbury City Council also includes boarding and teaching accommodation for 80 students as well as a floodlit sports court and changing rooms as well as a terrace of five two bedroomed and one three bedroom houses for staff members. The design of the building project has made sure that the International College works alongside other proposed regeneration of the Malthouse. The new sport court that has been designed for the College will be open to other schools and the community. There will also be a larger civic square on the site that will be shared by Malthouse. It is thought that the work on the College will be finished in the Summer 2018.

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Specflue to offer comprehensive first-aid courses

Fully certified first aid training is being offered by Specflue, a leading supplier of flues, chimneys and renewable heating products based in Sudbury. Local facilities offering this type of training are very limited so the move is expected to be welcomed by local businesses as well as individuals. It is a legal requirement for companies to offer some first-aid provision because employers need to ensure that an employee who is injured or taken ill at work receives immediate attention. The Specflue first aid training is open to anyone over 16 years old who wishes to participate. Workplace welfare authority the Health and Safety Executive will always prosecute in cases where there is a significant risk, a disregard for established standards or persistent poor compliance with the law. Specflue can provide four levels of first aid training. The first – ‘First-Aid at Work’ – takes 18 hours and is delivered over three consecutive days. The course comprises practical and theoretical classroom work, as well as a practical assessment on CPR and first aid. It results in a qualification, valid for three years, by delivering the comprehensive set of practical skills needed by first aiders in most workplaces, enabling attendees to deal with first aid emergencies to the standards required to help comply with Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations. The course covers a range of content including head injuries; managing an emergency; resuscitation; burns and scalds; severe allergic reaction; chest pains; shock and eye injuries. The second course – ‘First-Aid at Work Refresher’ – is run over two days and enables attendees to requalify as a first aider. The aim is to update and refresh attendees’ knowledge of the First Aid at Work syllabus, while allowing time for revision and practice sessions in preparation for a written assessment. The third – ‘Emergency First-Aid at Work’ – is a six-hour course delivered in one day. The course comprises of practical work and theoretical classroom work, including practical assessment on CPR and first aid. It is designed to help attendees meet regulatory first aid requirements in smaller, low-risk workplaces. The course provides basic lifesaving first aid and workplace health and safety regulations, covering things like the role of the first aider; Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations; adult CPR; communication and casualty care; seizures; bleeding; choking, and using a defibrillator. Finally, Specflue will offer half-day first aid annual refresher training suitable for people who have completed either the three-day First Aid at Work or the one-day Emergency First-Aid at Work courses. Specflue’s David Ebbs, who will run the courses, has 29 years’ experience as a first aid trainer. He said: “It is strongly recommended that holders of a first-aid certificate should attend at least an annual update. The majority of first aiders hope that they are not going to be called upon to use the qualification, but, without practising the skills they will lose the knowledge and abilities they’ve gained. There will also be of changes in procedures to contend with. “Bearing in mind that it is a legal requirement to have first aiders at work, if nobody was available or somebody offered first aid incorrectly, then it opens up a massive potential for a law suit against the business.” Specflue can also offer paediatric first aid courses for nurseries and schools. Furthermore, automated external defibrillator courses are available at the Specflue training facility, either as standalone training or as a ‘bolt-on’ to an existing first-aid qualification. For more details, contact training@specflue.com or call 0333 9997974.

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