18 March 2016 | Jamie Harris ISS has won a contract to provide energy services at Aberdeenshire Council. The contract, which is to run for three years with an optional two-year extension, sees ISS responsible for energy management and monitoring, building management systems and water management across 930 council buildings in
Savills, on behalf of a private client, has sold Huntswood Golf Club on Taplow Common Road, Buckinghamshire, to a private leisure operator from a guide price of £1.75 million. The property is located between Marlow, Beaconsfield and Maidenhead, benefiting from easy access to the M4 and M40. Occupying a site
Healthcare workers can be at risk of exposure to blood borne viruses (BBVs) due to the nature of their work. Although rare, injuries from sharps contaminated with an infected patient’s blood can transmit more than 20 diseases, including Hepatitis B, C and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). We know the number
30 June 2016 | Herpreet Kaur Grewal The managing director of front of house services company Portico has apologised to receptionist Nicola Thorp for causing her “distress” after the company sent her home for not wearing high heels. Simon Pratt, managing director of Portico, appeared before the Petitions Committee and
Savills, on behalf of Leaderboard Golf, has sold the freehold interest in Chart Hills Golf Club in Biddenden, Kent to a private operator. The 18 hole golf course is set within a circa 198 acre (80 hectare) site and is located in a rural setting to the north of Biddenden.
Unlicensed landlords hit with heavy fines Fines of over £10,000 have been issued to a couple from north Wembley for failing to ensure the property that they had rented and were subletting was licensed. Daniel and Alima Borzos of Peel Road were ordered to pay a total of £10,334 by
11 October 2016 | Martin Read Female facilities managers took the top individual honours – either by winning or being highly commended – at last night’s BIFM Awards ceremony in London. The annual event saw the introduction of three individual categories – Newcomer of the Year, Manager of the Year and
A redevelopment programme in Sheffield has moved into the next phase as a deal is reached between the developers and a student accommodation provider. The Sheffield City Centre project would lead to the creation of over 800 student rooms as well as a range of shops and cafes. At the
The Trade Association dhf, or the Door & Hardware Federation have drawn further attention to the importance of training and maintenance when it comes to the proper installation and maintenance of domestic garage doors. The trade association has recently been called upon to provide their expert advice in the
Mick George Ltd is known for being one of the leading suppliers to the construction industry. Operating in East Anglia and the East Midlands, the company focus on delivering their professional and cost effective services to clients from a variety of sectors, including commercial, trade and residential. The Construction
18 March 2016 | Jamie Harris ISS has won a contract to provide energy services at Aberdeenshire Council. The contract, which is to run for three years with an optional two-year extension, sees ISS responsible for energy management and monitoring, building management systems and water management across 930 council buildings in the Scottish region. Aberdeenshire Council has set a target to achieve carbon-neutral status by 2030. The authority covers a community of more than 230,000 people. Aneysha Minocha, energy services director, ISS Technical Services, said: “We are very excited about this contract, which is a landmark project for the public sector. This type of programme is a prime example of why Scottish organisations such as Aberdeenshire Council are seen to lead the way in adopting green energy principles.” Source link
Savills, on behalf of a private client, has sold Huntswood Golf Club on Taplow Common Road, Buckinghamshire, to a private leisure operator from a guide price of £1.75 million. The property is located between Marlow, Beaconsfield and Maidenhead, benefiting from easy access to the M4 and M40. Occupying a site of approximately 102 acres (41 hectares), the 18 hole golf course features a putting green, practice hole for teaching purposes and greenkeeper’s building. There is also a spacious modern clubhouse which features a shop and recently refurbished bar and restaurant area that opens onto an outdoor terrace with views over the golf course. Originally Huntswood opened as a nine hole course in 1996 and was later extended in 2002. The freehold interest that was acquired includes the original golf course, clubhouse, car park and woodland areas. The area comprising the additional nine holes is held under a 21-year ground lease expiring in 2024. Huntswood currently operates as a proprietary members’ club, with a core group of members and further income is generated from green fee usage, and use as a venue for weddings and other functions. Ian Simpson, director of leisure and trading at Savills, comments: “The sale of Huntswood Golf Club close to its guide price demonstrates the continued demand for well located golf course assets, especially in the Home Counties.” Source link
Healthcare workers can be at risk of exposure to blood borne viruses (BBVs) due to the nature of their work. Although rare, injuries from sharps contaminated with an infected patient’s blood can transmit more than 20 diseases, including Hepatitis B, C and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). We know the number of sharps injuries each year is high, but only a small number are known to have caused infections that become serious illnesses. However, because of the risk of transmission, sharps injuries can worry the many thousands who receive them. An inspection initiative was carried out in 2015/16 to identify any common causes of non-compliance with legislation designed to protect staff from the risk of exposure to BBVs. A summary document, Prevention and management of sharps injuries: Inspection of NHS Organisations, report the findings. Summary of initiative The initiative was focused on 40 organisations; 34 from England (including 3 ambulance Trusts), 4 from Wales, and 2 from Scotland (one a dental hospital). This was not a random sample of NHS organisations. The visits were targeted to organisations where intelligence suggested there might be non-compliance, for example from reported RIDDORs and / or purchasing data. Key findings Health and safety breaches were identified in 90% of organisations visited. 83% failed to fully comply with the Sharps Regulations. Improvement notices were issued to 45% of the organisations visited An earlier inspection initiative was carried out in 2010/11 to assess how NHS organisations managed the risks of sharps injuries. A summary document titled Management and Prevention of Sharp Injuries: Inspection of NHS Trusts/Boards reported those findings. Source link
30 June 2016 | Herpreet Kaur Grewal The managing director of front of house services company Portico has apologised to receptionist Nicola Thorp for causing her “distress” after the company sent her home for not wearing high heels. Simon Pratt, managing director of Portico, appeared before the Petitions Committee and Women and Equalities Committee at the House of Commons. This took place after a petition, started by Thorp in protest of forcing women to wear high heels in corporate environments, reached more than 137,067 signatures – allowing for it to be debated in Westminster. Pratt started by telling the committee: “Firstly I’d like to apologise to Nicola on behalf of Portico for causing this distress. It was never our intention to do so. When we learnt of this we very quickly took the decision to change the policy which was outdated.” He was asked by Helen Jones, chair of the Petitions Committees, why Portico’s dress code included specific items of make-up, such as blusher and lipstick, which women were required to wear, and how was it supposed that it helped them do their job. “In what way does that make one more efficient at their job?” asked Jones. Pratt replied: “It does in no way at all do such a thing. We are a professional front of house services business where appearances and appearing professional on behalf of the sectors and the market we operate within require one to look the part day to day.” Jones said “clean, tidy and efficient” were acceptable expectations for an employer. But asked: “What is puzzling us as a committee is why that includes blusher, high heels, regularly applied lipstick? I can think of a number of very powerful women in this world who would not fit into your dress code…did it not occur to anyone in your company that these might be discriminatory?” Pratt replied: “These were an outdated set of guidelines and when it was brought to our attention, yes absolutely….The reality was the market and the industry has driven standards to date and now this situation has allowed us all to step back and review and get rid of these guidelines.” Source link
Savills, on behalf of Leaderboard Golf, has sold the freehold interest in Chart Hills Golf Club in Biddenden, Kent to a private operator. The 18 hole golf course is set within a circa 198 acre (80 hectare) site and is located in a rural setting to the north of Biddenden. Included with the property is a modern 27,889 sq ft (2,591 sq m) club house, greenkeeper’s building, 743 sq ft (69 sq m) of converted office space, driving range, bag drop / service hut, putting green, short game practice, car park and two adjacent grass paddocks. Ian Simpson, director of leisure and trading at Savills, comments: “Having launched Chart Hills in June this year, the speed at which we have successfully completed the transaction reflects the prime quality and location of the golf course, and the opportunity for future development.” Chart Hills is a championship golf course, which was designed by Sir Nick Faldo and has been a European Tour Qualifying school and also hosted the Ladies European Tour and the Ladies English Open Championship. In May 2017 the course is scheduled to host the prestigious Brabazon Trophy. Source link
Unlicensed landlords hit with heavy fines Fines of over £10,000 have been issued to a couple from north Wembley for failing to ensure the property that they had rented and were subletting was licensed. Daniel and Alima Borzos of Peel Road were ordered to pay a total of £10,334 by Willesden Magistrates Court. The defendants rented the four bedroom property from a letting agency after telling staff that they and their small child would live there. They then sublet the property to a group of other tenants; when Brent enforcement officers raided the property in April, they found a total of 16 mattresses in the house, and it’s thought that over 20 people were living there. The court found them guilty of failing to provide evidence of their tenancy and fined Mrs Borzos £7,000 and Mr Borzos £2,000, while each must pay costs of £497 and a victim surcharge of £170. They have now left the property. Their prosecution means that a total of 35 rogue landlords have been successfully convicted since January 2016, under a licensing scheme which aims to improve standards in the private rental sector in Brent. Cllr Harbi Farah, Brent Cabinet Member for Housing, said: “This case once again demonstrates the importance of Brent’s private sector licensing scheme. While there are many good landlords in Brent who have licensed their properties, there’s still a minority who haven’t, who are operating illegally and exploiting people for profit. We will always push for the strongest penalties against unlicensed properties in Brent, so we’re pleased to see rogue landlords likes the Borzos’ receive a substantial punishment.” Since the start of this year, the council has considerably increased its enforcement activity, with between two to five prosecutions each week and many more raids and prosecutions expected in the coming months. Source link
11 October 2016 | Martin Read Female facilities managers took the top individual honours – either by winning or being highly commended – at last night’s BIFM Awards ceremony in London. The annual event saw the introduction of three individual categories – Newcomer of the Year, Manager of the Year and Leader of the Year – to replace the single ‘Facilities Manager of the Year’ title. Pleun van Deurssen, facilities manager with Incentive FM, took the Newcomer award with Sodexo’s Charlotte Miller highly commended. The first recipient of the Manager of the Year award was Suzanne Beck, facilities general manager for Carillion’s Barts NHS Trust contract. Highly commended in the same category was Cova Montes, contract manager for the National Theatre with Emprise Services. Finally, Skanska’s managing director Katy Dowding was awarded the inaugural Leader of the Year title. In the lifetime achievement category, ISS operations director Keith Glenister was recognised for his many achievements spanning forty years in the profession. Glenister is set to retire at the end of this year. Source link
A redevelopment programme in Sheffield has moved into the next phase as a deal is reached between the developers and a student accommodation provider. The Sheffield City Centre project would lead to the creation of over 800 student rooms as well as a range of shops and cafes. At the moment, the site is occupied by the former Stokes Tiles Centre and a collection of other surrounding properties. The plans will lead to a 12-story construction that so far has been progressing well, with an exchange of contracts taking place between Litton Buccleuch (Moore Street) Ltd and a provider of student accommodation. The plans for the site involved four interconnection building blocks that will offer flats, retail space and cafes on the ground floors of the buildings. More detailed planning discussions have been scheduled to take place with Sheffield City Council and it is thought that the full planning application will be completed and ready to be submitted soon. The project is expected to begin in May 2018, subject to the plans receiving approval, with the redevelopment of the Sheffield location planned to take 24 months to complete. The scheme of works shows that the project will be complete and ready to accept students for the Autumn 202 term. Litton Buccleuch is carrying out this redevelopment project as a joint venture with the Bakewell-listed Property Group and the Edinburgh based Buccleuch Property. Sheffield City Council hope that the plans for this redevelopment will lead to more residential developments going forward, especially in the adjoining Devonshire Quarter of the City. The finished development will deliver student accommodation that has been finished to a high specification and located in between the City’s two Universities, Sheffield Hallam University and the University of Sheffield. The development will also be located within the inner ring road of the city. It is thought that this high spec development will appeal to the increasing number of students becoming more selective about their living accommodation, a trait most common in postgraduates.
The Trade Association dhf, or the Door & Hardware Federation have drawn further attention to the importance of training and maintenance when it comes to the proper installation and maintenance of domestic garage doors. The trade association has recently been called upon to provide their expert advice in the BBC show Watchdog, getting involved in the voice over commentary of the improper fitting garage door which then fell on and injured a person. The Technical Expert at dhf expressed that is was essential that the proper training is carried out for operative fitting domestic garage doors and also highlighted a number of safety issues that could occur with incorrect installation. The Chelmsford based operatives carrying out the installation were the same family who have in the past operated as Essati, Vecelli and Roman. The company changing names has meant that the Guarantees issued to the consumers are worthless if an incident occurred. The dhf ensure that every single member of their garage door group must undertake their one day garage door safety diploma training course. This course forms a part of the association’s Code of Conduct in order to ensure the training and maintenance standards of their members. The Trade Association was first founded in 1897 in order to represent the leading UK manufacturers and installers of garage doors. More recently, Essati made headlines on the 31st of July, after the story of Charlie Ricketts was published. The consumer, Charlie, spent £800 on a domestic roller garage door and the extended guarantee, only to find himself out of pocket and without a garage door when the door broke, and repairers removed the garage door and failed to return. For consumers looking for more information about the proper installation and maintenance procedures for Automated Garage Doors, dhf have a consumer leaflet that is available for download on their website.
Mick George Ltd is known for being one of the leading suppliers to the construction industry. Operating in East Anglia and the East Midlands, the company focus on delivering their professional and cost effective services to clients from a variety of sectors, including commercial, trade and residential. The Construction and Waste Management company has been looking into different ways to raise money for their charities of the year. As a part of this, Mick George Ltd has come up with the ‘Challenge Yourself’ scheme which has been levelled at all of the company’s employees, with management and directors included in order to see how much can be raised over the course of the year. Going above and beyond, and truly embracing the idea of the challenge is Mick George’s Finance Director, Jon Stump, who embarking on the epic challenge of a trek across Costa Rica. Jon will carry out a coast-to-coast expedition, travelling from the east Caribbean side of the island to the west Pacific side. Joining him on this daunting mission is a team of 19 other people including the former England Rugby Captain LewiS Moody MBE. This momentous journey will see the team travel a total of 300 km over the course of 8 days in order to raise money for a collection of charities. The journey will involve walking, kayaking, mountain biking and rafting across the massive distance while enduring changeable weather conditions including extreme heat and humidity, cold fog and sudden downpours that will take the team through the wilderness of Costa Rica. As if the expedition wasn’t challenging enough, Jon has also set a fundraising target of £12,000, to be split between a number of organisations such as Macmillan Cancer Support, the British Heart Foundation, and the Lewis Moody Foundation. As part of the trip, the Lewis Moody Foundation has a separate fundraising target of £75,000 which will go towards helping those diagnosed with brain tumors and the award-winning HeadSmart campaign.
