Your Housing Group (YHG) has announced plans to build a 30-storey apartment building on Liverpool’s waterfront. Above: Location of Hive-City Docks at Princes Dock YHG is planning to build the 276-apartment tower block at Princes Dock on Peel’s Liverpool Waters development site. It has been designed by Brock Carmichael Architects.
The number of mortgages in arrears in the UK continued to fall in the second quarter of this year and is now at its lowest level since records began more than 20 years ago, the latest data shows. At the end of June 2016 there were 92,500 mortgages in arrears
Building materials supplier Aggregate Industries UK has signed a five-year deal with Eddie Stobart as its concrete products division’s new logistics partner. Above: Aggregate Industries’ concrete products director Simon Marriott and Eddie Stobart CEO Alex Laffey From October 2016, deliveries for Aggregate Industries’ concrete products division will transfer to Eddie
©Bloomberg Bovis Homes Group has reported record profits for 2015 as it looks to step up construction amid a favourable climate for UK housebuilding. The FTSE 250 group, which focuses on southern England, said pre-tax profit rose 20 per cent to £160.1m in the 12 months to the end of
18 July 2016 | Herpreet Kaur Grewal Office take-up across the ‘big nine’ office markets during the second quarter was 3 per cent below the five-year quarterly average for both the city centre and out-of-town, according to data from Bilfinger GVA. In the city centre markets there were a number
Topps Tiles, the UK’s leading tile specialist, ordered 14 MOFFETT truck mounted forklifts from Hiab, part of Cargotec. The order includes Hiab’s pioneering MOFFETT E-Series, which is the world’s first lithium-ion powered truck mounted forklift, as well as a total repair and maintenance contract, Hiab ProCare. “MOFFETT E-Series truck mounted
Metsec plc, the UK’s largest specialist cold roll-forming company, has launched its innovative new range of steel framing systems (SFS) products, following months of research, product design and stringent fire testing. The company recognised that there was a need to increase the efficiency of SFS, while reducing both the environmental
The British Safety Council will be presenting two special individual awards: the ‘Health and Safety Champion of the Year’ and the ‘Young Health and Safety Champion of the Year’ at the Gala Dinner of the International Safety Awards, taking place at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London on the 27th
Story Homes, the award-winning housebuilder, had been listed in The Sunday Times BDO Profit Track 100 for the fourth consecutive year, breaking a record by being listed for the seventh time overall. The annual league table is in its 19th year and it ranks Britain’s top 100 private companies with
National Flooring Equipment, the surface preparation equipment manufacturer, will be hosting two one-day training sessions on the 11th and 12th of April in Warrington, to help contractors in the UK. The sessions will take place at Multi-Hire Power Tools and anyone that would like to register for one of the
Your Housing Group (YHG) has announced plans to build a 30-storey apartment building on Liverpool’s waterfront. Above: Location of Hive-City Docks at Princes Dock YHG is planning to build the 276-apartment tower block at Princes Dock on Peel’s Liverpool Waters development site. It has been designed by Brock Carmichael Architects. The proposed £48m development would be YHG’s third build-to-rent development, although the first in Liverpool, and would be marketed under its Hive brand. YHG expects to submit a planning application for what it calls Hive-City Docks in early 2017 and begin work later in the year, subject to consent. News of the plans comes just a month after developer Moda Living received consent for a 34-storey tower on an adjacent site. Peel development director Lindsey Ashworth said: “Hive-City Docks represents a major milestone in our vision to create a stunning waterfront for Liverpool which will be a vibrant place to live, work and visit. There is now significant momentum behind our plans as investors realise the potential and opportunity which this site offers.” This article was published on 20 Oct 2016 (last updated on 20 Oct 2016). Source link
The number of mortgages in arrears in the UK continued to fall in the second quarter of this year and is now at its lowest level since records began more than 20 years ago, the latest data shows. At the end of June 2016 there were 92,500 mortgages in arrears of at least 2.5% of the balance, 0.84% of the total, down from 95,900 at the end of March, according to the figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML). The number of mortgages in arrears was 13.4% lower than a year ago, when the total stood at 106,800, and is now at its lowest level since the run of figures began in 1994. The number of properties taken into possession also fell in the second quarter, to 1,900, down from 2,100 in the first three months of the year. There was a decline in both the numbers of owner occupied and buy to let properties taken into possession. The CML says that if the present trend continues, the number of mortgaged property repossessions this year is on course to be the lowest since 1982 when there were 6.5 million mortgages, compared to 11.1 million today. A more detailed breakdown of the data shows that there was a fall in the number of borrowers in each band of arrears, apart from those owing more than 10% of the mortgage balance. The number in this category edged up from 23,500 to 23,700, the same number as at the end of last year. Ministry of Justice figures also continue to reflect a pattern in which the number of mortgage possessions is significantly lower than in the rental sector. Those figures showed, for example, that there were 42,729 rental evictions in England and Wales in 2015, compared to 5,592 mortgaged property repossessions, even though the rented sector accounts for only around one third of the housing stock. CML data also shows different patterns of arrears and possessions in the owner occupied and buy to let mortgage markets. As before, arrears rates are higher among owner occupiers than among buy to let landlords, while rates of possession are lower. The CML says that this is because lenders try to avoid repossession wherever possible to help owner occupiers recover from a temporary period of payment difficulty, but may move more quickly to protect their position on rental properties as tenants move out in the more commercial buy to let sector. ‘Another welcome reduction in arrears and possessions shows that borrowers are continuing to prioritise their mortgage commitments and that lenders remain committed to helping them through a period of temporary difficulty, wherever possible,’ said CML director general Paul Smee. ‘As ever, the key to success in dealing with any payment problems is to address them as soon as possible. Any borrowers anticipating difficulty in paying their mortgage should therefore speak to their lender at the earliest opportunity,’ he added. Meanwhile, new figures from the Finance and Leasing Association (FLA) show that the number of second charge mortgage repossessions in the second quarter of 2016 was down 40.3% on the same quarter in 2015. ‘Second charge mortgage providers continued to support customers in financial difficulty in the second quarter of 2016, while meeting the demands arising from the implementation of new systems following the market’s move to the FCA’s mortgage regime in late March,’ said Fiona Hoyle, head of Consumer and Mortgage Finance at the FLA. Source link
Building materials supplier Aggregate Industries UK has signed a five-year deal with Eddie Stobart as its concrete products division’s new logistics partner. Above: Aggregate Industries’ concrete products director Simon Marriott and Eddie Stobart CEO Alex Laffey From October 2016, deliveries for Aggregate Industries’ concrete products division will transfer to Eddie Stobart’s manufacturing and industrial business unit. The haulier will carry Bradstone, Charcon and Masterblock products from 14 UK sites using a combination of specialist curtain-siders, flat trailers and mechanical off-load vehicles. Aggregate Industries, part of the LafargeHolcim Group, said that it needed a flexible haulage partner with specialist resources and equipment. Eddie Stobart’s in-cab telematics systems enable Aggregate Industries to monitor arrivals and deliveries for customers and to improve scheduling. Eddie Stobart CEO Alex Laffey said: “We are delighted to call Aggregate Industries our partner in the infrastructure sector. Our multimodal offering also presents a much broader opportunity for Eddie Stobart to support Aggregate Industries’ efforts in reducing the amount of product moved by road, and helping further our commitment to sector-leading sustainability.” This article was published on 21 Jun 2016 (last updated on 21 Jun 2016). Source link
©Bloomberg Bovis Homes Group has reported record profits for 2015 as it looks to step up construction amid a favourable climate for UK housebuilding. The FTSE 250 group, which focuses on southern England, said pre-tax profit rose 20 per cent to £160.1m in the 12 months to the end of December. Revenue was 17 per cent higher at £946.5m, slightly ahead of expectations. More On this topic IN Construction The company will increase its full-year dividend by 14 per cent to 40p a share. “We’ve seen the housing market move quite significantly in the past couple of years,” said David Ritchie, chief executive. “We are a bigger business with stronger volumes and stronger prices, which is generating stronger returns for our shareholders.” The Kent-based company built a record 3,934 homes during the year, lifting output 8 per cent; it sold its homes for an average price of £231,600 — 7 per cent higher than a year earlier. Bovis has battled with build cost inflation, however, saying costs rose 8 per cent per square foot. “There are a lot of people coming through our sites and they’re taking their opportunities in a rising market to ask for more money. We have to recognise that costs are rising,” said Mr Ritchie. But that is beginning to moderate, he added. “We don’t believe it will be as high as 8 per cent this year.” Bovis is seeking to increase output to between 5,000 and 6,000 units a year over the next few years but has struggled to improve margins, resulting in its shares trading more cheaply than the rest of the sector. It has split its operations into eight regional businesses in an effort to improve efficiency. The group’s operating margin rose from 17 per cent to 17.3 per cent in 2015. Forward sales were 14 per cent higher at 2,003. The company has also been seeking to expand its consented land bank as overall housebuilding continues to fall short of government targets. A Westminster drive to boost construction has aided companies such as Bovis through support for homebuyers — for example under the Help to Buy programme — and a rise in planning permissions. Mr Ritchie said Bovis was “cautious” ahead of June’s referendum on EU membership but had not so far seen any effect on the business. “The consumer continues to be very robust,” he said. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2016. 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
18 July 2016 | Herpreet Kaur Grewal Office take-up across the ‘big nine’ office markets during the second quarter was 3 per cent below the five-year quarterly average for both the city centre and out-of-town, according to data from Bilfinger GVA. In the city centre markets there were a number of sizeable deals agreed this quarter, with Cardiff, Bristol and Birmingham recording well above average take-up. Conversely, other city centres saw some slowing in activity, as was expected in the run-up to the referendum. Overall take-up figures have held up reasonably well during the second quarter of the year in spite of the referendum uncertainty. Some significant deals have completed in the public and insurance sectors and underlying demand across the nine – Birmingham, Newcastle, Glasgow, Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Bristol, Edinburgh and Cardiff – remains strong, particularly given the reorganisation of the public sector estate and a large number of private sector lease events. Carl Potter, national head of offices at Bilfinger GVA, said: “Some occupiers have been reviewing their position in light of Brexit and it is likely that this will impact on take-up for the second half of the year, but it is too early to judge how significant this will be. We expect any impacts on the value of grade A stock to be insulated by the subdued development pipeline.” Source link
Topps Tiles, the UK’s leading tile specialist, ordered 14 MOFFETT truck mounted forklifts from Hiab, part of Cargotec. The order includes Hiab’s pioneering MOFFETT E-Series, which is the world’s first lithium-ion powered truck mounted forklift, as well as a total repair and maintenance contract, Hiab ProCare. “MOFFETT E-Series truck mounted forklifts offer silent and emission free deliveries for urban night-time deliveries. Our customers can expand their business window and contribute towards environmental savings with electric MOFFETTs. When developing the E-series we wanted to ensure that this solution generates efficiency in our customers’ logistics, as well as improving the carbon footprint,” said Barry McGrane, Director, Sales and Product Business Management, Truck Mounted Forklifts, Hiab. Doug Bingham, Head of Supply Chain at Topps Tiles, also commented on the purchase: “The experience we have from the MOFFETT E-Series is very positive. We want to enhance our fleet to include more of this type of emission-free and silent equipment. This also offers us the opportunity to deliver stock outside of store trading hours more effectively.” In addition to the truck mounted forklifts, Topps Tiles decided to include in its order the Hiab ProCare maintenance contract: “Hiab ProCare is a flexible service contract to secure uptime for Hiab equipment. With scheduled and predictive maintenance, our customers’ equipment retains the high quality they have invested in from the start. Each piece of equipment receives professional care via our global service network. Also, with ProCare, the customer ensure the lowest total cost of ownership and highest resale value for the equipment”, said Barry McGrane. “ProCare agreement ensures that we can concentrate on our work. It offers us service inspections, emergency breakdown repairs as well as the replacement of worn out parts with originals designed specially for MOFFETT and gives us, as a customer, the same functionality and safety,” added Doug. The delivery of the Hiab equipment will take place in the second quarter of 2018.
Metsec plc, the UK’s largest specialist cold roll-forming company, has launched its innovative new range of steel framing systems (SFS) products, following months of research, product design and stringent fire testing. The company recognised that there was a need to increase the efficiency of SFS, while reducing both the environmental impact and cost to customers. The new range of products gives specifiers and installers a far greater choice of stud widths and gauges, while reducing the amount of wastage and providing cost savings on framing projects. In addition, provided the project is installed in line with Metsec’s guidance, it is covered under Metsec’s PI insurance. “We are taking a new approach to our range of SFS framing systems. Today’s buildings need to perform as efficiently as possible, structurally, acoustically and thermally and be a safe as possible in terms of fire performance,” said Ryan Simmonds, sales director of Framing at Metsec. “Our new products can offer improved design efficiency. Over specification is something to be avoided in any case, but in today’s cost-driven market the need to ensure that designs optimise the amount of material used is increasingly important.” The data collected from the stringent testing and assessing will support the overall system. “With the range tested, assessed and calculated to adhere to stringent fire and safety regulations and the introduction of more width and gauge options in order to reduce over-specification, Metsec’s new range is firmly putting its stake in the ground,” explained Ryan. The SFS range is available in a variety of options, including infill, continuous and high-bay walling and SFS load bearing system. SFS framing is now the most common form of infill walling used in the UK today. “Our objective is to combine best value and quality for installers and end users and make a substantial impact on sustainability and the green credentials of any project where Metsec’s SFS solution is implemented,” said Ryan.
The British Safety Council will be presenting two special individual awards: the ‘Health and Safety Champion of the Year’ and the ‘Young Health and Safety Champion of the Year’ at the Gala Dinner of the International Safety Awards, taking place at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London on the 27th of April 2018. This year represents the sixth year that the British Safety Council will be presenting the awards. These accolades recognise exceptional individual performance of non-health and safety professionals who have played a significant role keeping their work colleagues safe and healthy. The Health and Safety Champion of the Year Award will go to a nominated employee aged 25 or over, while the Young Health and Safety Champion of the Year Award will be given to a worker aged between 16 and 24. This year, organisations were also allowed to nominate for two new categories: the Award for Employee Wellbeing Initiative, which recognises and rewards organisations which have implemented initiatives promoting and demonstrating a proactive and effective approach to improving worker wellbeing, and the Award for Innovation to Improve Occupational Health and Safety, which recognises and rewards organisations that demonstrated a fresh and innovative approach to improving health and safety at work. “This year we have introduced two new award categories which reflect the changing nature of workplace health and safety. The nominations for the Award for Employee Wellbeing Initiative show the growing commitment and investment companies are making in workplace wellbeing. We are also delighted to introduce the Award for Innovation to Improve Occupational Health and Safety that rewards businesses demonstrating fresh thinking in their efforts to improve health and safety of their workers,” explained Mike Robinson, Chief Executive of the British Safety Council. In 2018, 143 organisations nominated individual employees for these awards. The applicants come from organisations operating in a wide range of industry sectors and countries, including the United Kingdom, Africa, Asia and the Middle East. The winners of the awards will be announced at the Gala Dinner on Friday, 27th of April.
Story Homes, the award-winning housebuilder, had been listed in The Sunday Times BDO Profit Track 100 for the fourth consecutive year, breaking a record by being listed for the seventh time overall. The annual league table is in its 19th year and it ranks Britain’s top 100 private companies with the fastest growing profits. Apart from being mentioned in this year’s ranking, Storey Homes received recognition in other high profile league tables in recent years, including the Virgin Fast Track 100 and Grant Thornton Top Track 250. In addition, the housebuilder has also retained the maximum five-star rating for customer satisfaction for the fifth consecutive year in the Home Builders Federation (HBF) annual survey, with a customer satisfaction score of 94%. “I am very pleased that we have again made the list of the 100 companies with the fastest-growing profits in the UK, in a year when we have seen the most significant growth in the company’s history as well as various challenges in the construction industry,” said Founder and CEO Fred Story. “We are moving into a year of consolidation for 2018/19, making operational effectiveness our priority to ensure we remain focused on building high quality homes, providing an excellent sales journey to customers and ensuring that customers are fully satisfied and supported once they move into their new homes,” he continued. Story Homes is an award-winning property developer with more than 35 schemes in Cumbria, North West and North East England and southern Scotland. Renowned for building high specification homes of excellent quality, Story Homes is committed to sustainability and contributing to the communities in which it builds. The company has been consistently recognised in the prestigious UK Property Awards since 2011. In 2017, Story Homes won three awards in the ‘Best Residential Development’ category, with Strawberry Grange in Cockermouth, Oakland Park in Morpeth, and D’Urton Manor in Preston all receiving accolades. Story Homes was also named Housebuilder of the Year at the Insider North West Property Awards 2017.
National Flooring Equipment, the surface preparation equipment manufacturer, will be hosting two one-day training sessions on the 11th and 12th of April in Warrington, to help contractors in the UK. The sessions will take place at Multi-Hire Power Tools and anyone that would like to register for one of the training days can contact the distributor. The first day of the training will focus on a range of National Flooring Equipment’s shot blasters, which can strip, clean and profile concrete in a single step, while on the second day attendees will work with a range of walk-behind and ride-one strippers that remove original coatings and prepare concrete for new coverings. As the company’s first large-scale training event in the UK, National Flooring Equipment hopes that all those participating will gain more knowledge, will understand what to consider when choosing the right equipment for each job and will have the opportunity to experience hands-on the company’s machines. “We want to support our customers across the world and this will be the first of many training sessions we host in the UK,” explained Nick White, UK and Ireland country manager at National Flooring Equipment. “Our employees all have years of expertise in the field and these training days allow us to pass on that understanding and knowledge to contractors. As their equipment understanding increases, it will also improve job efficiency.” During the training sessions, contractors will learn the basics of proper machine set up and how to operate each machine to get the desired results. Moreover, they will also learn how to properly clean and maintain machinery and the main health and safety considerations when using surface preparation equipment. Cutting concrete releases silica dust in the air, which is harmful when inhaled, therefore contractors must know how to reduce dust exposure in the workplace. National Flooring Equipment has manufactured equipment for over 50 years. It offers bespoke training to all its customers to suit their needs, with group, personal and online training offerings.