Keyland Developments Ltd is the property training section of Kelda Group and its sister-company Yorkshire Water. The Development company has submitted an outline of planning application in order to regenerate the vacant 16 acre site that is in an ideal location in the Aire Valley of Leeds. The planning application
Two senior managers have been appointed by an independent project and cost management company. TowerEight has appointed the two new senior managers to their project management and cost consultancy departments. It has been announced that these two new appointments are two of six new recruits that have taken place at
In all developed systems of law the evidence of expert witnesses can be crucial to the outcome of a dispute. Nowhere is this more so than in the UK, where expert evidence has been used in court cases since at least the 15th century. Nowadays it may be required in
Award-winning UK construction, refurbishment and fit out contractor, Gilbert-Ash, has put the finishing touches to a £1m fit out project on the British Embassy compound in Nepal. In the wake of the Gorkha earthquake, the project included design, fit-out and seismic reinforcement. Within the British Embassy compound in Kathmandu, the
The Lighting Industry Academy has announced that they had named their most recent Academy Ambassadors. The largest trade association for the industry across Europe has announced that Telford & Wrekin Council and Enterprise Telford are the latest ambassadors for the Trade Association’s Academy. Telford & Wrekin Council focuses on attracting
Keyland Developments Ltd is the property training section of Kelda Group and its sister-company Yorkshire Water. The Development company has submitted an outline of planning application in order to regenerate the vacant 16 acre site that is in an ideal location in the Aire Valley of Leeds. The planning application has been submitted to Leeds City Council and the plans detail the creation of a 265,000 sq. ft. mixed-employment development that could have the see 500 new jobs created. The potential site to be developed by Keyland Developments Ltd is located just off Pontefract Lane on the trunk lane of the A63. The development site will be located between the Cross Green Industrial Estate and Leeds City Region Enterprise Zone. In this location there has been a range of new developments taking place. The location for the development will allow the inhabitants easy access via the M62 to Leeds City Centre. The proposal set out by Keyland is to create a brand new employment hub which can have access to the A63 East Leeds Link Road to Thornes Farm Roundabout. This new plan for development will hopefully complement the regeneration of the area that will assist the Leeds City Council as the try to increase their employment opportunities. The 265,000 sq. ft. B1,B2 and B8 industrial and commercial warehouse space on the plans have been allocated into 8 different units. If the plans are approved and the work goes ahead, the units will measure between 20,000 and 60,000 sq. ft. in order to reflect the space that is in demand in the market. The plans for the completed construction work is to make sure that the units and their inhabitants will have the best possible exposure to the A63. This key access will no doubt be a key selling point of the development when it is completed.
Two senior managers have been appointed by an independent project and cost management company. TowerEight has appointed the two new senior managers to their project management and cost consultancy departments. It has been announced that these two new appointments are two of six new recruits that have taken place at the project and cost managers business since the start of this year. The new appointments that have been taking place in are a part of TowerEight’s plans to expand and operate in a range of different sectors while also growing in order to carry out more work. The first of the two most recent appointments is Syed Maqbool who has been working for more than 20 years in the cost consultancy industry. Syed is joining TowerEight after previously working for Royal HaskoningDHV UK. In this previous position Syed was the Principal Quantity Surveyor. Syed Maqbool also has experience working as a part of the Real Estate, Infrastructure, Airport, Retail, Leisure, Renewable Energy, Waste to Energy and Marine Industries. The second appointment is Thomas Peters. In his previous position Thomas was a manger for Future54. Thomas has a wealth of experience in the residential, leisure and commercial sectors of the industry and has worked in the UK and in Europe while working for JLL, Davis Langdon and Gardiner & Theobald over the course of his career. Thomas Peters will be joining TowerEight as the cost manager. It is important to TowerEight to appoint new employees that have the right experience for their plans to diversify. The wealth of experience that both Syed and Thomas bring to TowerEight will make them assets to the company going forward. Thomas also has the experience of working with the founders of TowerEight at JLL and KHK. TowerEight are focusing on making sure that they have the right employees to give their clients the best experience and service throughout their operations. The experience of Syed and Thomas could also attract more recruits to the company, who currently has 85 team members working for the business across Construction project management and cost consultancy.
In all developed systems of law the evidence of expert witnesses can be crucial to the outcome of a dispute. Nowhere is this more so than in the UK, where expert evidence has been used in court cases since at least the 15th century. Nowadays it may be required in civil, family and criminal proceedings, as well as in arbitrations, before specialist tribunals, and for public or parliamentary inquiries. Within the construction and engineering industries claims are commonplace, and expert witnesses play an important role in settling disputes and enabling projects to move forwards. The construction and engineering industries represent two significant sources of expert witness work, with claims centring on standards of workmanship, materials selection, costs, time delays, contract infringement, etc. The role of expert witness is a natural yet challenging extension to any consultant’s practice… so long as the necessary personal skills and knowledge of relevant legal processes are in place. If you are unsure about what’s required, contact the UK Register of Expert Witnesses for access to all the essential support and guidance for getting started as an expert witness or keeping up with the changes. Let’s take a look at what’s involved in tackling this specialist role. Experts and expert witnesses An expert is anyone with knowledge or experience of a particular field or discipline beyond that to be expected of a layman. An expert witness is an expert who makes this knowledge and experience available to a court to help it understand the issues of a case and thereby reach a sound and just decision. There is, currently, no precondition imposed by English law on the qualities required of an expert witness. It is for the courts, on a case by case basis, to make a judgment of the individual’s qualities and to weigh the expert’s evidence in accordance with this judgment. What is expert evidence? The fundamental characteristic of expert evidence is that it is opinion evidence. Good quality expert evidence must provide as much detail as is necessary to allow the judge to determine that the expert’s opinions are well founded. It follows, then, that it will often include: factual evidence obtained by the witness which requires expertise in its interpretation and presentation factual evidence which, while it may not require expertise for its comprehension, is inextricably linked to evidence that does explanations of technical terms or topics, as well as opinions based on facts adduced in the case. Duties of an expert witness The overriding duty of an expert witness is to the court – to be truthful as to fact, thorough in technical reasoning, honest as to opinion and complete in the coverage of relevant matters. This applies to written reports as much as to evidence given in court. At the same time, the expert assumes a responsibility to the client to exercise due care with regard to the investigations carried out and to provide opinion evidence that is soundly based. To fulfil these duties adequately, it is vital that the expert should also have: kept up to date with current thinking and developments in his or her field familiarity with the provisions of the various court rules1. Qualities required of an expert witness Expert evidence should be – and should be seen to be – independent, objective and unbiased. In particular, an expert witness must not be biased towards the party responsible for paying the bills. An expert’s evidence should be the same regardless of who is paying for it. Clearly, too, an expert witness should have: a sound knowledge of the subject matter in dispute, and, usually, practical experience of it the powers of analytical reasoning required to fulfil the assignment the ability to communicate findings and opinions clearly and concisely the flexibility of mind to modify opinions in the light of fresh evidence or counter-arguments the ability to ‘think on one’s feet’, especially important on those rare occasions one is faced with cross-examination, and a demeanour that is likely to inspire confidence, particularly in court appearances. Lastly, an expert should be wary of expressing any opinion on whether allegations of negligence on the part of anyone, professional or otherwise, who may be involved in a dispute have been proved. The opinions given should relate solely to the facts of the case: it is for others to apportion blame. Fees The fees experts charge are, in large part, market driven. However, fees charged in cases that are paid for from public funds are subject to Ministry of Justice (MoJ) caps (see Table 1)2. This means they are around half those charged habitually in civil cases. The UK Register of Expert Witnesses3 conducts a biannual survey on expert fees (next survey due summer 2017) amongst its members. Its current average hourly report writing rates for non-legal aid work (2015 data) in construction and engineering are shown in Table 1. Table 1 Hourly report writing fees (£) Professional group Report writing in civil claims (£/hour)a Suggested MoJ maximum rates for publicly funded cases (£/hour) Non-London London Engineering 142 (n = 51) 72 54.40 Surveying & Valuation 188 (n = 20) 85/40b 115/40b Architecture & Building 150 (n = 23) 79.20 72 aValues for n relate only to the 2015 fee survey conducted by the UK Register of Expert Witnesses3 (www.jspubs.com). MoJ figures have no value for n published. Indeed there is no clear indication as to how these figures were defined in the first place! bFirst value is for housing disrepair claims, second is for non-housing disrepair claims2. Conclusion Expert witness work can be a rewarding adjunct, both intellectually and financially, to an existing professional workload. However, anyone considering entering the fray should take care to understand the nature of the role and the expert’s duties and ethical considerations therein. For free access to lots of expert witness support and guidance, visit www.ukrew.org.uk and subscribe to the UK Register of Expert Witnesses’ free e-wire service. There are more than 100 issues to browse through, as well as monthly updates. About
Award-winning UK construction, refurbishment and fit out contractor, Gilbert-Ash, has put the finishing touches to a £1m fit out project on the British Embassy compound in Nepal. In the wake of the Gorkha earthquake, the project included design, fit-out and seismic reinforcement. Within the British Embassy compound in Kathmandu, the project builds on Gilbert-Ash’s international expertise with work completed for the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office in a total of 41 countries to date. Nepal has been rebuilding since the devastating Gorkha earthquake which took place two years ago killing 9,000 people and causing widespread structural damage. The fit out team at Gilbert-Ash worked closely with Nepalese construction companies to assist in sourcing local materials and labour to support the refurbishment. Having had little exposure of working in earthquake zones, they worked closely with local structural engineers for whom earthquakes are a common occurrence and have excellent knowledge of seismic projects. In contrast to the UK, Nepal has seen an increasing number of females taking up more prominent roles in the building trade since the earthquake due to a local labour shortage that has seen many male construction workers leave for work in the Middle East[i]. Ian Fisher, Contracts Manager, Gilbert-Ash Fit Out said: “This was a humbling project as our team saw first-hand the impact of the 2015 earthquake on the everyday lives of the people in Nepal. The local response to the earthquake to rebuild their country has been inspiring and we are pleased to have supported the recovery efforts.” “The refurbishment of the British Embassy in Nepal for the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office included retrofitting to increase the safety of the buildings and our team worked closely with local structural engineers to meet earthquake building regulations. This project was complex due to its location but having worked in so many countries, our fit-out team are now highly skilled in undertaking projects in a wide range of culturally diverse and environmentally challenging locations.” He continued: “We travel with an open mind and are constantly learning and adapting to local cultures. Everywhere we work we take away something new. It was particularly inspiring to see the construction skills, knowledge and standards of craftsmanship practiced by the local industry in Nepal; with the advances in modern technology, many of these traditional skills have been lost in the UK. Also while we are one of many actively involved in encouraging more women to join the construction industry in the UK, it was really incredible to see so many in the workforce in Nepal who are playing such a key role in rebuilding the country.” To help the Kathmandu construction companies involved in the project, the Gilbert-Ash team donated building tools and materials alongside the transfer of new health and safety skills. Highly detailed design, advanced logistical planning and development goes into every Gilbert-Ash fit out project, with the team skilled in delivering the finest quality projects on a global scale. To meet exacting specification standards befitting the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office, the company ships many of its fit out materials around the world. The leading construction company has specialist fit out expertise in a range of sectors including workplace, retail, leisure and restoration. For more information on Gilbert-Ash visit www.gilbert-ash.com
The Lighting Industry Academy has announced that they had named their most recent Academy Ambassadors. The largest trade association for the industry across Europe has announced that Telford & Wrekin Council and Enterprise Telford are the latest ambassadors for the Trade Association’s Academy. Telford & Wrekin Council focuses on attracting more investment and jobs to their area in order to create more jobs and raise the living standards of those who are living in that area. The Council is known for being business winning and supportive of businesses in the area, while making effort to get more business into the area. Enterprise Telford is a facility for the Telford & Wrekin Council to display how they intend on improving and expanding the levels of enterprise and innovative companies working in the area. By promoting more enterprise and innovation in the area, there will be an increase in the number of major businesses that are attracted to the area. Enterprise Telford also delivers a level of practical support to the community by tackling the skills shortage that is apparent in the industry as well as gaining grants that will help to support any levels of growth that could take place in the future. The Trade Association is also based in Telford and has close connections to the area, making the selection of the new Ambassadors of the Academy more significant. The Deputy Mayor, Councillor Stephen Reynolds was on hand to officially open the Lighting Industry Academy when it first started operating in 2016. The Trade Association use the Academy in order to bring more skilled workers to the area through education. The Academy also works to serve the wider lighting community by offering skills development and education. The Academy Ambassadors work to contribute skills and learning opportunities to the whole lighting community. These opportunities will help the industry move towards a bright future.
