How much can bad eviction advice really cost? According to a recent survey of landlords, the average cost to a landlord of their tenant being advised to ignore an eviction notice stands at nearly £7,000. Private tenants are often advised by local councils and agencies to ignore eviction notices served
Browser does not support script. Contact us The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has responded to the ‘Building better places’ report published today (Friday, 19 February 2016) by the House of Lords Select Committee on National Policy for the Built Environment. A number of key RIBA recommendations have been
Last month saw John Brells take the helm of the Driver Group operations across the Asia Pacific region. Based in Perth Australia, John is a highly regarded delay and disruption expert with an impressive CV and an eye on the future. John shared his thoughts whilst talking about the biggest
Ingleton Wood, a property and construction consultancy that has been in operation since the 1930s has announced the appointment of a new Senior Associate for the company’s Structural Engineering sector. Ingleton Wood have appointed a Andrew Wright to the position. Andrew will be based out of the company’s London office
The construction on the former site of Smithfield Primary School in Aberdeen is taking a step forward. Phase 1 of the work has been completed at the site for the primary school which will be located in the Middlefield area of Aberdeen and a part of one of the largest
Essential Projects, a Nottingham based bespoke metal and glass manufacturer has been awarded a contract for work to be carried out at the Westgate Shopping Centre in Oxford. The business will install a range of glass and metal work that has been crafted especially for the Next Retail store in
Contract number 100 has been signed under the Scape Group’s National Built Environment Consultancy Services framework. The framework was signed, the 100th contract to be made as part of this framework. The Driver Vehicle Standards Agency, or the DVSA, is the organisation that has awarded a contract under this framework
A third man has now died as a result of a tower crane collapse in Crewe six weeks ago. A tower crane being assembled by hire company Falcon at a new-build care home development in Crewe toppled over on 21st June. David Newall, aged 36, and Rhys Barker, 18, were
Leica Geosystems, industry leader in measurement technology, announced in May its Leica iCON excavate machine control solutions now support tilt rotator control systems manufactured by SVAB, a leading developer of ergonomic and user-friendly control systems for industrial vehicles and equipment. The SVAB technology enables the Leica iCON excavate iXE2 and
Rental company A-Plant has placed an order for more than 1,200 machines and a range of generators worth more than £55m. The order includes more than 600 JCB Loadall telescopic handlers and more than 450 mini and midi excavators, as well as JCB rough-terrain forklift trucks, site dumpers, backhoe loaders
How much can bad eviction advice really cost? According to a recent survey of landlords, the average cost to a landlord of their tenant being advised to ignore an eviction notice stands at nearly £7,000. Private tenants are often advised by local councils and agencies to ignore eviction notices served by their landlords – and to wait until evicted by bailiffs – in order to qualify as homeless and thus eligible for rehousing. The latest findings from the National Landlords Association (NLA) reveal that the mean total cost of a tenant being advised to remain in a property is £6763. In addition, half (47 per cent) of tenants who have been served a section 21 eviction notice by their landlord say they have been told to ignore it by their local council or an advice agency such as Shelter or the Citizen’s Advice Bureau (CAB). The news comes as the National Landlords Association (NLA) is due to give evidence to the Communities and Local Government (CLG) Select Committee today (Wednesday 14 September) on the Homelessness Reduction Bill. The Homelessness Reduction Bill, as introduced by Conservative MP Bob Blackman, amends the Housing Act 1996 to expand councils’ duties to prevent homelessness by: • Providing that Section 21 Eviction Notices are proof an applicant is threatened with homelessness • Doubling the definition of threatened with homelessness from 28 to 56 days The NLA has long campaigned against councils advising tenants to ignore eviction notices and in March, 2016, the then Housing Minister Brandon Lewis wrote to all local councils in England to clarify homelessness guidance. Richard Lambert, Chief Executive Officer at the NLA, said: “We have consistently campaigned on this issue, but despite many warnings to councils and agencies, this damaging advice is still being given out to tenants. Possession cases can take a very long time to resolve, and aside from putting an unnecessary strain on everyone involved, not to mention the Courts, these findings demonstrate just how costly the advice can be. Bad, or incorrect, advice hinders rather than helps landlords and tenants who are often already in a desperate situation. It will inevitably damage landlords’ confidence in the local authority and tenants may be put at much greater risk of having nowhere to live. We hope that this Bill will achieve its aims of reducing homelessness by giving tenants the support they need while incentivising the good work that landlords already do in communities across the country.” Source link
Browser does not support script. Contact us The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has responded to the ‘Building better places’ report published today (Friday, 19 February 2016) by the House of Lords Select Committee on National Policy for the Built Environment. A number of key RIBA recommendations have been adopted by the Committee, including: The appointment of a Chief Built Environment Adviser, a recognised expert appointed from within the sector to lead this work at an official level The Government publishing, consulting and adopting a high level policy for architecture and place quality in England The Government making design review mandatory for all major planning applications The Government reversing its decision to remove the requirement for new homes to generate no net carbon emissions (known as the “zero carbon homes” policy) and its decision to remove the Code for Sustainable Homes. The Government taking steps to ensure that local authorities are able to fulfil their potential as direct builders of new mixed tenure housing. This should include reviewing the impact of borrowing restrictions and proposed social rent reductions. RIBA President Jane Duncan said: “I welcome this important report by the House of Lords. The RIBA will now get to work with our members and other professionals in the built environment to ensure these important policies are adopted by Government.” ENDS For further information contact Howard Crosskey howard.crosskey@riba.org +44 (0)20 7307 3761 The full report will be available at 00.01 on Friday 19 February 2016 here: http://www.parliament.uk/built-environment The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) champions better buildings, communities and the environment through architecture and our members www.architecture.com Follow us on Twitter for regular RIBA updates @RIBA Posted on Friday 19th February 2016 Source link
Last month saw John Brells take the helm of the Driver Group operations across the Asia Pacific region. Based in Perth Australia, John is a highly regarded delay and disruption expert with an impressive CV and an eye on the future. John shared his thoughts whilst talking about the biggest challenge facing the construction dispute industry over the next decade: “From my perspective, I think it is staying on the cutting edge of technology in all aspects. We are now working in a world of “big data” and shorter delivery periods. In order to maintain quality deliverables for our clients, we need to do it better, faster and more cost efficiently.” John joins Driver Group and its global Expert Witness team, Diales, from Turner and Townsend where he led the contract services team in the delivery of commercial, contractual, and Expert Witness advisory services. His move to Driver was influenced by various elements including the calibre of the Asia Pacific team, many of whom he worked with previously, and the ethos and operational approach of the management team. John added: “Driver and Diales have a strong reputation as a premier Expert Witness service provider. The management approach and vision for the future is refreshing and it sits well with my own viewpoint and approaches of always adding value and delivering solutions for clients.” He continues: “The people at Driver are world class and I’m enjoying getting involved in the business, renewing old relationships and discovering the new treasures that the Asia Pacific team yields.”
Ingleton Wood, a property and construction consultancy that has been in operation since the 1930s has announced the appointment of a new Senior Associate for the company’s Structural Engineering sector. Ingleton Wood have appointed a Andrew Wright to the position. Andrew will be based out of the company’s London office and will fill a new role in the company. Ingleton Wood has created the role of Senior Associate in order to allow the property and construction consultancy the opportunity to diversify in the future. The ability to offer advice to more areas of the property and construction industry will help the practice boost growth in some areas of the business. Andrew will be a great asset to the company as he has spent over 20 years working in the sector. It is thought that in his new role, Andrew will be required to manage the development of existing teams in the consultancy company and then expanding the current offering of services to include commercial property. The company will be focusing mainly on property in central London. With the change that is taking place at Ingleton Wood makes the company an exciting organisation to be apart of. The London Ingleton Wood office has built up a very good reputation and it is great news that Andrew will been adding the experience he has gained over the course of his 20 year experience. There is a great deal of potential in the property and construction consultancy sector to expand. With Andrew in the role of Senior Associate for Structural Engineering, he should be able to recognise opportunities for the company to grow while still offering the same level of service to their clients. In the past Andrew Wright has worked as a loss adjustor at DWF, the law firm and has also been a structural engineer for Clarkebond, the engineering consultancy company.
The construction on the former site of Smithfield Primary School in Aberdeen is taking a step forward. Phase 1 of the work has been completed at the site for the primary school which will be located in the Middlefield area of Aberdeen and a part of one of the largest council house developments to take place in well over a decade. The Smithfield development is expected to be finished next year and will offer 99 different sized homes that will range from two-bedroomed apartments to four-bedroomed houses. Lippe Architects, a firm that is based in the North East and CHAP Construction set out strict requirements in regards to the materials used on the construction of the homes and the school for the council estate. Because of this, when the contractor and architect came to tendering the bids on the project, Duncryne was selected. The company is known for being the only supplier of Econic Boards in the UK. Econic Boards are well known for being robust and fire resistant as well as being adaptable and able to be used for a wide range of purposes. One of the uses for Econic board is as an excellent substrate to be used for the application of render as the product is known or being adherent and able to cope with the strength required for render applications. Econic Boards can also be used for the curving designs as well, demonstrating an excellent bending strength. These boards were used on the Smithfield project for the complete external board requirements of the larger buildings as well as for some of the internal flooring. By the time the development is finished it is thought that more than 7,000 sq. m. of Econic product will have been used. The Smithfield project will be a much needed addition to the housing available in Aberdeen when the development is finished in 2018.
Essential Projects, a Nottingham based bespoke metal and glass manufacturer has been awarded a contract for work to be carried out at the Westgate Shopping Centre in Oxford. The business will install a range of glass and metal work that has been crafted especially for the Next Retail store in the newly constructed Shopping Centre. Westgate Shopping Centre is located in the middle of Oxford city centre and is thought to have cost £440 million. The Westgate development has gone ahead in order to rejuvenate and transform the already established shopping centre. The construction work will create a retail and leisure destination that will be spread across 800,000 sq. ft. and include a range of different facilities. There are plans for 100 new retail stores as well as 25 different restaurants and cafés and a boutique cinema. There will also be a rooftop dining space and a wealth of new public spaces to be enjoyed by visitors to the city. In order to fund the over £400 million pound planned work, the Westgate Oxford Alliance has had to acquire investments through a joint venture between Land Securities and the Crown Estate. This joint venture has also seen Laing O’Rourke nominated as the principal contractor for the Oxford project. The plans for the Westgate development were approved by Oxford City Council, and the preparatory works first began at the site in February 2015. The the extension of the shopping and leisure centre is expected to be complete in Autumn this year. Essential Projects has been contracted by Laing O’Rourke as part of the ongoing work on the site to design, manufacture and install a range of tailor made metal and glass staircases as well as make some structural alterations. Essential Projects has also been tasked with the manufacture of a range of unique features that are needed for the new Next Plc store is being built as part of the development.
Contract number 100 has been signed under the Scape Group’s National Built Environment Consultancy Services framework. The framework was signed, the 100th contract to be made as part of this framework. The Driver Vehicle Standards Agency, or the DVSA, is the organisation that has awarded a contract under this framework The DVSA are working with Perfect Circle as there is the potential for a number of benefits including access to the wide ranging BECS framework, with a large offering of services as well as a well established supply chain. Scape Group, a public sector company that focuses on delivering consistent efficiency and social value within the built environment. Perfect Circle was formed as a joint venture by Pick Everard, Gleeds and AECOM. This venture has been chosen by Scape to offer the wide range of consultancy services that are available as part of the public sector and through the BECS framework. As part of the frame work a range of different projects are being completed. This includes the DVSA however there has also been work carried out for clients such as the London Borough of Lewisham, The University of Edinburgh and the City of London Corporation. There have been 14 projects delivered successfully so far. These projects have also been completed in time and on budget. Where possible as part of this framework, local resources have been used, and 41% of all of the work that has been carried out so far has been carried out by workers that live within 20 miles of the clients’ offices. The clients of Scape Group work to provide excellent services and facilities for the public, but during the tighter and more austere times it is important that built environment projects are delivered on time and on budget as well as delivering on the maximum level of social value. It is also vital that the projects set an example for the rest of the industry by offering more work experience placements and education opportunities.
A third man has now died as a result of a tower crane collapse in Crewe six weeks ago. A tower crane being assembled by hire company Falcon at a new-build care home development in Crewe toppled over on 21st June. David Newall, aged 36, and Rhys Barker, 18, were killed in the collapse. David Webb, 43, was injured and taken to hospital. All three were Falcon employees. Cheshire police, investigating the incident with the Health & Safety Executive, said on 2nd August that Mr Webb had now also died as a result of his injuries. His family said: “Dave died from doing a job that he loved and was very passionate about. Dave was a fun loving character who lived his life to the full. He was known for his large personality and sung his way through life. “He will be sadly missed by his partner Nathalie, children Maisy and Charlie, his mum Jenny, his sister Julie, his brother Mark, their families and his many friends. It’s a heartbreaking time for the family as we lost Dave’s beloved father Alan six days before Dave passed away. Cheshire police said that they were continuing to work alongside the HSE and local authority building control to establish the full circumstances of the incident.
Leica Geosystems, industry leader in measurement technology, announced in May its Leica iCON excavate machine control solutions now support tilt rotator control systems manufactured by SVAB, a leading developer of ergonomic and user-friendly control systems for industrial vehicles and equipment. The SVAB technology enables the Leica iCON excavate iXE2 and iXE3 multifunctional 2D and 3D control systems to read the rotation value through the SVAB MACS software. Designed to make excavating easier and more productive, iCON 3D can read and calculate the bucket’s rotation and accurately guide the operator to the desired grade. The Leica Geosystems and SVAB partnership brings additional productivity enhancing solutions to the heavy construction industry,” said Marcus Grevelshoej, Product Specialist Excavating and Wheel Loader Solutions at Leica Geosystems. “SVAB and Leica Geosystems are exploring further cooperation in a number of areas to offer contractors innovative technology solutions for excavators.” Expanding the possibilities With this partnership, Leica Geosystems and SVAB help customers increase their work efficiency and meet their performance goals. Driven by a focus on the customer, quality and service, this new partnership with SVAB, expands Leica Geosystems’ international and commercial business strategy. “We look forward to working with Leica Geosystems to lead together the transition from traditional solutions to innovative technologies in the machine control industry,” said Fredrik Eriksson, CEO, SVAB. “With this partnership, we are able to deliver to our customers’ unique and innovative capabilities and an unmatched value proposition.” To learn more about the Leica iCON iXE2 – 2D System and Leica iCON iXE3 – 3D System, visit http://leica-geosystems.com/products/machine-control-systems/excavator/ To learn more about the SVAB MACS control system, visit: http://svab.se/en/produkter/styrelektronik/macs/ Leica Geosystems – when it has to be right Revolutionising the world of measurement and survey for nearly 200 years, Leica Geosystems is the industry leader in measurement and information technologies. We create complete solutions for professionals across the planet. Known for innovative product and solution development, professionals in a diverse mix of industries, such as surveying and engineering, building and heavy construction, safety and security, and power and plant trust Leica Geosystems for all their geospatial needs. With precise and accurate instruments, sophisticated software, and trusted services, Leica Geosystems delivers value every day to those shaping the future of our world. Leica Geosystems is part of Hexagon (Nasdaq Stockholm: HEXA B; hexagon.com), a leading global provider of information technology solutions that drive productivity and quality across geospatial and industrial landscapes.
Rental company A-Plant has placed an order for more than 1,200 machines and a range of generators worth more than £55m. The order includes more than 600 JCB Loadall telescopic handlers and more than 450 mini and midi excavators, as well as JCB rough-terrain forklift trucks, site dumpers, backhoe loaders and tracked excavators. The deal is good news for JCB’s factories in Rocester, Uttoxeter and Cheadle, as well as Hixon, Staffordshire-based JCB Power Products, which is manufacturing a total of 162 generators ordered by A-Plant following its first-ever purchase of JCB units last year. The volume of generators bought is enough to power eight hospitals or 4,000 homes. They will all be fitted with JCB’s LiveLink telematics system as standard and will be available through A-Plant’s Mather & Stuart Power Solutions division. It means that in the last three years A-Plant has placed orders with JCB worth more than £140m. All the latest purchases are being supplied through JCB dealer Greenshields JCB. The equipment will be distributed throughout A-Plant’s network of over 175 service centres. A-Plant’s marketing director Asif Latief said: “The latest products are more innovative, productive, safer, greener and more sustainable. We are delighted to have placed this latest order with JCB, which demonstrates our commitment to working with leading brands. It is part of our continual fleet investment programme which has seen the plant hire company invest over £300 million during the last two years.”
