30 August 2016 | Herpreet Kaur Grewal Infrastructure group Balfour Beatty has announced the combination of its engineering services and engineering construction businesses to create Balfour Beatty Kilpatrick. Balfour Beatty Kilpatrick, a circa £300 million revenue business, will be “at the forefront of the industry and will better serve
Ofgem has laid out in detail the competitive selection process it plans to introduce to the ownership of onshore transmission assets. The regulator will use the late competitively appointed transmission owners (CATO) model, comprising of three evaluated tender stages to assess a bidder’s suitability, experience and expertise
Some 1.6 million UK home owners have bought home insurance from their lender and many mistakenly believe they cannot switch for a better deal, according to a new survey. Some 30% or 466,200 households believe their home has to be insured with their mortgage lender as a condition of the
Aviva Investors, represented by international real estate advisor Savills, has sold a retail warehouse let to The Range in Truro to Ridge Hill Investments Ltd for £7.25 million, reflecting a net initial yield of 6.22%. The home, leisure and garden retailer occupies the unit, which compries 37,152 sq ft (3,451
The expanding foam range from Everbuild – a Sika company – is growing once again with the addition of Constructa-Pro; a high strength adhesive foam designed for use in a multitude of applications. Developed to be fast curing, Constructa-Pro is ideal for small jobs which require a quick fix, as
Security technology has come far, but in terms of how it’s integrated with modern building design, it’s going even further. This is especially true for the intelligent buildings which are on the horizon; although the term “intelligent building” dates back to the 80s, it now encompasses compatibility with the Internet
A team of London designers and a Guardian living scheme have teamed up together to develop a radical new design concept which is set to provide young people with an alternative to high rental rates in central London locations and re-assesses how vacant space can provide a sustainable approach to
The specialist recruitment company, Hays has formed a collaboration with the BIFM after hosting a series of talks at the BIFM Careers Zone which took place as part of the Facilities Show 2017. The collaboration that has been formed between the two companies have released an extensive guide designed to
45 global organisations have joined together in order to release a new measurement system that is expected to reduce the risk encountered on construction projects. The newly created International Construction Measurement Standards intend to reduce the infrastructure investment risk. A range of different organisations were a part of the 45
Spie UK has been awarded an £8 million contract by Kier in order to carry out the mechanical and electrical, or M&E, work on a new secondary school campus. Kier is constructing the William McIlvanney Campus in Kilmarnock, a project that has been valued at £45.3 million and will combine
30 August 2016 | Herpreet Kaur Grewal Infrastructure group Balfour Beatty has announced the combination of its engineering services and engineering construction businesses to create Balfour Beatty Kilpatrick. Balfour Beatty Kilpatrick, a circa £300 million revenue business, will be “at the forefront of the industry and will better serve its customers through drawing on the strength of expertise that already exists within the two businesses”, according to the organisation. In a statement the company said the move would help it to “be in a strong position to leverage economies of scale in local markets and provide added value for its customers around cost, quality and efficient delivery”. Balfour Beatty Kilpatrick will be led by managing director Simon Lafferty, who has more than 30 years’ experience in the mechanical and electrical sectors. He will continue to report to Dean Banks, managing director of Balfour Beatty’s UK Construction Services. Banks said: “The mechanical and electrical engineering sector is dynamic and requires breadth and depth of expertise, quality of delivery and significant capability. This move ensures we can fully leverage the huge experience and unrivalled scale we have within Balfour Beatty.” Lafferty added: “Balfour Beatty Kilpatrick will be one of the largest organisations of its type in the UK, offering a range of services and capabilities unique in the mechanical and electrical market.” Balfour Beatty Kilpatrick’s capabilities will span the nuclear, power, infrastructure, process and defence, transport, healthcare, education, residential and commercial sectors. It will offer additional capabilities through its in-house modular manufacturing facility, Modular Systems +, which delivers “innovative and value engineered solutions, and its industrial mechanical pipe fabrication facility, which manufactures and installs large, complex, low and high-pressure fabricated piping systems”. The company’s current contract portfolio includes works on the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers project, Urenco’s Tails Management Facility project, Crossrail’s Woolwich and Whitechapel stations, the Gatwick Airport Framework and three major projects within the Nuclear Decommissioning Agency’s Sellafield site. The company also has preferred bidder status for the Hinkley Point C Nuclear power station main electrical package. Balfour Beatty Kilpatrick employs a direct workforce of 2,200 across the UK. Source link
Ofgem has laid out in detail the competitive selection process it plans to introduce to the ownership of onshore transmission assets. The regulator will use the late competitively appointed transmission owners (CATO) model, comprising of three evaluated tender stages to assess a bidder’s suitability, experience and expertise alongside their proposals for the project. Ofgem will consult with industry on its proposals for the tendering of CATOs, as well as how their revenue will be structured, risk allocation, and obligations and incentives, with a view to being ready to run competitive tenders from mid-to-late 2017. Ofgem decided through the integrated transmission planning and regulation project which reviewed the arrangements for planning and delivering the onshore, offshore and cross-border electricity transmission networks in Great Britain to introduce competition to onshore assets. It is also currently reviewing responses to an earlier consultation on the identification process for where a competitive tender can be run and proposals for conflict mitigation measures. Ofgem said it will set out its decisions based on the consultations at the end of 2016 or early 2017. It will also publish outline draft tender documents, with a view to developing a draft CATO licence by Spring 2017. It is also simultaneously progressing assessments of specific projects to establish how to apply the generic regime to specific cases. Ofgem will outline its initial view by the end of the year on whether to tender the North West coast connections project. The consultation closes on September 29. Source link
Some 1.6 million UK home owners have bought home insurance from their lender and many mistakenly believe they cannot switch for a better deal, according to a new survey. Some 30% or 466,200 households believe their home has to be insured with their mortgage lender as a condition of the loan and 6% were told by their lender that it was a mandatory purchase. On top of this 24% think switching away from their lender’s insurance will invalidate their mortgage, according to the survey from Gocompare Home Insurance. Overall it found that 14% of home owners arranged their home insurance through their mortgage lender and 30%, almost half a million home owners, believed that they had to arrange their home insurance through their mortgage lender as a condition of their mortgage deal. And 24% of borrowers who arranged their insurance with their lender think that switching their insurance to another provider will invalidate their mortgage while 12% say they felt under pressure to buy their lender’s home insurance and 6% said they were told by their mortgage provider that they had to. Protecting a property with adequate buildings insurance, typically against fire, flooding, subsidence and storm damage, is as a requirement made by all mortgage lenders. Buildings insurance provides financial protection for the borrower, and ultimately the lender, from damage to the main structure of the home. While most lenders offer home insurance, borrowers are not obliged to buy it for them. However, the practice of compulsory home insurance tied-in mortgage deals was never formally outlawed despite promises to do so in the late 1990s. When questioned why they had opted to buy their lender’s home insurance, the survey revealed a mixture of misunderstanding, misplaced trust in their mortgage lender and consumer apathy. For example, 14% thought buying their lender’s home insurance might help with their mortgage application, 9% said they didn’t realise they could buy cover elsewhere, 22% said that their lender gave reassurances that the product was good value, 50% think that their mortgage lender provides the best value cover for their home insurance and 49% had opted to do so out of convenience. The survey also found that 72% hadn’t compared products and prices offered by other providers and 34% of home owners who arranged cover through their lender didn’t check cover levels and excesses to make sure they were buying the right policy. According to statistics published earlier this year by the Association of British Insurers, the main reasons for household insurance claims being rejected included the claim value being below the policy excess and the incident not being adequately covered by the policy. ‘We were shocked to find that so many people still think that their mortgage offer is conditional on buying their lender’s home insurance, and that a significant minority are essentially in a mortgage linked insurance trap, believing that switching away from their lender’s insurance will invalidate their mortgage,’ said Ben Wilson from Gocompare Home Insurance. ‘We were also concerned that a handful of lenders could be exploiting their relationship with their customers by pushing them to buy their insurance cover. If you have a mortgage on your home, then your lender will require you to protect your property with buildings insurance but it’s up to you where you buy that cover from,’ he explained. ‘While buying cover offered by your lender alongside your mortgage may seem an easy option, you might find you’re paying well over the odds. And over the lifetime of a mortgage, failing to regularly shop around for a good deal on home insurance could cost £1,000s in lost savings,’ he pointed out. ‘As well as finding a good value policy, you also need to make sure it covers all the things that are important to you, plus any minimum cover levels your lender may require, and comes with excesses that you can afford,’ he added. BOOKMARK THIS PAGE (What is this?) Source link
Aviva Investors, represented by international real estate advisor Savills, has sold a retail warehouse let to The Range in Truro to Ridge Hill Investments Ltd for £7.25 million, reflecting a net initial yield of 6.22%. The home, leisure and garden retailer occupies the unit, which compries 37,152 sq ft (3,451 sq m) of ground floor space and a 15,000 sq ft (1,393 sq m) mezzanine, for a rent of £481,227 per annum on a lease with 15 years unexpired. The property is situated within the main retail warehousing hub of the Cornish city of Truro, between Threemilestone Retail Park and Treliske Retail Park. Andrew Coles, asset manager at Aviva Investors, comments: “This sale is in line with our investment strategy and demonstrates the continued ‘post-Brexit’ appetite in the market for long term, secure income.” Ridge Hill Investments Ltd was represented by Strutt & Parker. Source link
The expanding foam range from Everbuild – a Sika company – is growing once again with the addition of Constructa-Pro; a high strength adhesive foam designed for use in a multitude of applications. Developed to be fast curing, Constructa-Pro is ideal for small jobs which require a quick fix, as well as large applications including fixing plasterboard and insulations board, fixing skirting boards or as a mortar substitute for building rough garden walls. Once cured, it is also rot-proof and moisture and temperature resistant from -40˚C to +80˚C. Gun-applied and available in 750ml tins, Constructa-Pro can be used on stone, brick, concrete blocks, wood, plasterboard, metal and much more, making it a truly multi-purpose adhesive foam for the trade. For more information on Constructa-Pro or any other product within the Everbuild and Sika ranges, contact your local sales representative. Call the sales office on 0113 240 2424 or visit www.everbuild.co.uk Everbuild Sika expanding foam Constructa-Pro Constructa-Pro is a high strength adhesive foam designed for use in a multitude of building applications. Constructa-Pro adheres well to most common building materials including stone, concrete blocks, brick, wood, plasterboard, insulation board, metal and much more! Once cured, it’s also rot-proof, and moisture and temperature resistant from -40°C to +80°C. Constructa-Pro is suitable to use for a wide range of applications, e.g. as an adhesive for fixing plasterboard and insulation board, fixing skirting boards or a mortar substitute for building rough garden walls, planters etc, making this a truly multi purpose adhesive foam for the trade.
Security technology has come far, but in terms of how it’s integrated with modern building design, it’s going even further. This is especially true for the intelligent buildings which are on the horizon; although the term “intelligent building” dates back to the 80s, it now encompasses compatibility with the Internet of Things. With the arrival of smart locks, is it possible that physical security, like door locks, will be phased out in favour of a convenience-enabling electronic counterpart? What is an intelligent building? The Intelligent Buildings Institute defines an intelligent building as “one which provides a productive and cost-effective environment through optimisation of four basic elements: structure, systems, services and management, and the interrelationship between them.” In other words, intelligent buildings are optimally matched to the needs of the users, with an emphasis on the technology that makes the interrelationship between the user and building possible. What are the high-tech security solutions already in use? The buildings and campuses of today support a wide range of control systems, including security-based systems such as access control. Intelligent building technology like this has proven to be effective for enhancing the environment of the building for its users. Indeed, access control systems are also not only used for security purposes. Access control systems can provide information to help a company establish its own access trends, such as peak times. Access control systems can also track how long employees have spent in the building and specific areas of the building for attendance purposes. These insights can be used to make the building better for its users. How has crime enhanced the need for the intelligent building? Unfortunately, as TechCrunch has proven: crime evolves alongside technology, and continues to bring new challenges to building security. They have published an article shedding light on ‘smart’ locks, and the relative ease with which hackers were able to get past them. To stay ahead, businesses have no choice but to invest, because when a building is targeted, the cost of crime impacts the individuals and the business in three ways: In anticipation of crime (cost of security) Consequence of the crime Responding to the crime To avoid the second and third reasons, it is best to secure a building to the best of your ability. For intelligent building developers, that means looking beyond high-tech security options that are most compatible with their vision for convenient living conditions. Physical door locks from established security companies like Banham, founded in 1926, have been accredited by Secured by Design (the official UK Police flagship initiative) and in their guide to lock types, they cite the importance of getting the right lock fitted based on a security survey. Conducted by a security industry professional, such surveys are likely to demand locks that comply with BS3261 (the industry standard for locks on external or entrance doors accepted by the Association of British Insurers). Will other forms of security become obsolete? For many buildings, gone are the days of having to physically sign the visitor book when entering and leaving the building. However, moving away from tried-and-tested security is nothing to be proud of unless there’s an effective transfer to an equally effective security solution. While security measures that can be controlled remotely, like smart locks, aid convenience, ‘traditional’ locking systems will always provide a greater degree of protection. This doesn’t mean that ‘smart’ security is useless; instead, it is advisable to understand what your various security needs are, and combine different forms of physical and digital security.
A team of London designers and a Guardian living scheme have teamed up together to develop a radical new design concept which is set to provide young people with an alternative to high rental rates in central London locations and re-assesses how vacant space can provide a sustainable approach to affordable living in city centres. Lowe Guardians is a property management company providing quality, affordable, inspiring accommodation for London’s young professionals by making the most out of vacant buildings and providing a place to live and thrive. At the same time, it provides property owners with a low-cost, professional and reliable solution to keeping their building secure. Lowe Guardians currently occupy many forms of vacant space; from offices, warehouses and pubs to police stations all on a short term basis. Teaming up with Studio Bark, a pioneering architectural practice that delivers cost conscious environmental architecture, Lowe Guardians has developed a modular SHED concept which can be constructed in a day within an otherwise abandoned property, creating a high quality, affordable accommodation unit for young professionals, keyworkers and creatives. Studio Bark first came into the public eye when their sustainable, private home ‘Periscope House’ was featured on Channel 4’s Grand Designs. Recent research conducted by Lowe Guardians found that there are currently 600,000 empty properties across the UK that could be used for temporary residency using the new SHED solution. This includes thousands of prime sites in central London. Tim Lowe, Director, Lowe Guardians, said: “The vacant buildings we assess can vary hugely in both condition and function. Sometimes the sheer or size or layout of properties means we are unable to take them on. Derelict warehouses remain a huge, untapped potential for us that could benefit Guardians and property owners alike. “However, the reality is that turning vast, open spaces into private rooms for Guardians has always been both tricky and time consuming. Our aim is to help London professionals and keyworkers as much as we can and this means taking on larger vacant buildings that offer huge potential for providing quality accommodation. “The SHED concept provides a safe, sustainable alternative for workers seeking short-term accommodation. In every site we occupy, we fit the spaces out to a habitable standard but this has historically created a considerable amount of waste; both financially and environmentally. We were looking for a solution which allowed us to much more creative with the space, and take everything with us when we went onto the next site.” Each SHED takes one day to build and is made of lamb’s wool insulation, oriented strand board (OSB), and recycled polyester. The SHEDS come in varying sizes but start at around 120 sq ft. As a flexible solution for the short term, and a responsible solution for the long term, the SHED provides an environmentally friendly, self-contained solution for each individual Guardian. It takes a day to build and dismantle and can be rebuilt on another premises which minimises waste. It can also be decorated or changed by Guardians that are passionate about the space they occupy. Tim Lowe, said. “Many of our Guardians live fast-paced, transient lifestyles. In some ways, this makes it even more important that at the end of a busy day, they have a private space that is entirely personal to them. Our Guardians want to have an impact on the space they live and the bespoke nature of the shed allows them to do that.” “Although our primary focus is on housing property Guardians in the vacant sites, there are multiple areas where the SHED concept can be used in and we see real scale in being able to use this system to make a genuine change in housing in London, the UK and the rest of the world, helping to alleviate homelessness and providing a solution to the refugee crisis.”
The specialist recruitment company, Hays has formed a collaboration with the BIFM after hosting a series of talks at the BIFM Careers Zone which took place as part of the Facilities Show 2017. The collaboration that has been formed between the two companies have released an extensive guide designed to help those who are looking for a successful career within the facilities management sector. Both BIFM and Hays have worked together to create the guide as a resource that can be utilized as a part of the job hunting process and covers the basics such as setting out your CV to more detailed advice about how applications can then be tailored to a particular role in the Facilities Management sector. Another sector of the guide refers to how social media can be used for job searching as well as how they can have a negative impact on your job search. The guide focuses on recommending platforms that can be used to promote personal branding and the different ways of making sure that your social media can be used to showcase your skills and career interests. Also available in the Hays and BIFM guide is thorough advice for the interviewing process and how best to follow up afterwards. The Facilities Management field is diverse and offers a wide range of different job roles, the partnership between BIFM and Hays will hopefully promote this as well as the constantly changing nature of the sector in order to attract more people to start a career in this sector. The Guide: ‘ Finding a Job in Facilities Management; Your Guide to Success’ is available online and will aid people as they try and navigate the job hunting process during a period where demand is getting more and more fierce and the process of finding work at all is getting more and more complex.
45 global organisations have joined together in order to release a new measurement system that is expected to reduce the risk encountered on construction projects. The newly created International Construction Measurement Standards intend to reduce the infrastructure investment risk. A range of different organisations were a part of the 45 that formed a coalition to create the standards. Among the number was the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors as well as the Chartered Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors, the Indian Institute of Quantity Surveyors and the International Cost Engineering Council. Infrastructure projects that are carried out around the world all have different ways to forecast the cost of construction. This inconsistency means that investment can be risky and lead to confusion as investors find themselves unable to compare schemes. The creation of the International Construction Measurement Standards works to form a standard high level presentation of costs for projects. This standardisation shows the cost of construction at a project, regional, state national or international level and offers a consistent measurement on a global scale. This newly created system will also be beneficial to the construction industry as it will make investment decisions more simple and remove one of the barriers for investment in this industry. This could lead to improved global construction project benchmarking, which means that investor confidence can also be built, appeal more to private sector investors. Arcadis is one of the companies that has committed to making sure that the new measurements are used in The UK. Arcadis also works in 40 different countries, with projects in 70 different countries. One standard cost measuring systems will incredibly beneficial, removing the need to convert the costs into the for required format for the country. This standard will remove the inconsistency experienced by companies working internationally as well as the helping the companies offer a better value for money service.
Spie UK has been awarded an £8 million contract by Kier in order to carry out the mechanical and electrical, or M&E, work on a new secondary school campus. Kier is constructing the William McIlvanney Campus in Kilmarnock, a project that has been valued at £45.3 million and will combine Kilmarnock Academy, James Hamilton Academy, New Farm Primary, Silverwood Prim and an Early Childhood Centre. There will also be a third new school created that will replace the provisions that was offered at Onthank Primary School and Grange Academy. As part of the construction project, Spie UK will supply a range of services to the site. These include: low temperature hot water, heating systems that include underfloor heating, domestic water services, syphonic drainage, data-voice, LV Switchgear, stand-by generator, lighting and power, combined heat and power unit, ventilation, fire sprinkler system, fire alarms and security systems. Spie will also be fitting a daylight-linked PIR lighting control system. A part of this feature will be an absence detection in classrooms. When this project is completed it is thought that the school will have the capacity for 1,465 secondary students, 383 primary pupils and 160 early years places. This means that the construction will be able to accommodate children from 2 to 18 when the William McIlvanney Campus is completed. In the past Spie has worked for Kier in order to carry out a multi technical services worth £7 million at Garnock Community Campus for North Ayrshire Council. Spie was selected for the work as they have a great deal of knowledge in the mechanical and electrical sectors as well as being known for their energy management, which will be useful for this new Kilmarnock Campus. The tam at Kier are pleased to be working with Spie again and knows that their expertise will allow the company to deliver an innovative solutions for the modern school construction.