So far the Department for Communities and Local Government has released enough land for 8,580 homes, the NAO said. In the first 10 months since the new land disposal programme was launched, DCLG has only met five per cent of its commitment. It released an additional 3 per cent of
2016 is a landmark year in terms of the UK’s devolution agenda. The Cities and Local Government Devolution Act received Royal Assent and came into force as law in the UK on 28 January 2016. The law allows for ‘combined authorities’ to take on greater powers than under previous legislation,
Fast Lean Smart (FLS) is working with Royal Mail Property & Facilities Solutions (RMPFS) to implement a new scheduling software system to increase productivity and establish a site ownership model. Royal Mail Property & Facilities Solutions (RMPFS) provides facilities management services to 2,600 Royal Mail sites across the U.K. and wanted
The Health and Safety Executive in the UK states that it is a legal requirement for all employees who use computers, laptops, mobile devices and tablet computers for a continuous period of time to undertake DSE training. Individuals who fall into this category are referred to as users of DSE.
Award-winning urban developer Bildurn is a step closer to delivering an exciting new mixed-use development on Station Street in Nottingham. The city centre scheme’s development brief provides for the construction of new Grade A offices, in addition to residential accommodation, including student. The office element, designed by Franklin Ellis Architects,
DSU insurance is a safety net for project owners, developers and construction companies that protects parties from significant financial loss in circumstances where there have been extensive delays to a project. These delays can come in a variety of forms and can lead to loss of profits and revenue streams
GMI Construction Group has completed building works for the new £35 million St James Retail Park in Norton, South Sheffield. Acting as main contractor GMI has officially handed over the site to St James Securities and NFU Mutual who have already pre-let 100% of the 146,000 sq ft scheme ahead
With the reopening of the Temperate House at Kew Gardens this month, visitors to the UNESCO world heritage site will again have access to one of the most exclusive collections of tropical plants in the world. The event also has pertinence to Barnshaws Section Benders, a Tividale based metal bending
New Scene management app from Philips Lighting allows lighting managers to control a building’s façade lighting from anywhere, at any time using a smartphone or tablet. Philips Lighting (Euronext: LIGHT), the world leader in lighting, announced today the launch of a new cloud-based Scene management app that enables businesses to
Contractor J Tomlinson has completed a £2 million project to replace a former sheltered housing scheme with 12 new apartments and six new houses for affordable rent. The Gedling Homes development at Ernehale Court in Arnold, Nottingham, was completed on time and on budget. The redevelopment involved the design and
So far the Department for Communities and Local Government has released enough land for 8,580 homes, the NAO said. In the first 10 months since the new land disposal programme was launched, DCLG has only met five per cent of its commitment. It released an additional 3 per cent of land, although the Homes and Communities Agency – which is responsible for collecting information from government departments – has yet to find sufficient evidence to prove this additional land will be used for housing. The NAO said DCLG must dispose of more sites in each of the next four months than the best performing year in any of the previous land disposal programmes. The 160,000-home target was laid out in the 2015 Spending Review to help the government deliver one million homes by the end of this parliament. The government’s first land disposal programme was set up in June 2011 and ran until March 2015. It had a target to release enough land for 100,000 homes by 2015. In June 2015, an NAO report found the government disposed of land with enough capacity to build 109,590 new homes over 942 sites. However, the target measured the notional number of expected homes, not actual homes built. According to the latest report, government departments have so far identified additional land with capacity for a further 104,461 houses, or 65 per cent of the programme. However, a little over half of the housing capacity is on high risk sites. High risk sites, by the DCLG’s definition, have at least on issue preventing the exchange of contracts before 2020. The NAO said this included operational sites. The head of the NAO Amyas Morse said: “While progress has been made, DCLG still has a lot to do to meet the government’s commitment to dispose of land for 160,000 homes by 2020. “The current programme has had a relatively slow start.” She added: “At most, 8 per cent of the overall commitment has been achieved in the first full ten months of the programme, meaning departments must now dispose of more land in each of the remaining four years than they achieved in any year of the previous land disposals programme.” Source link
2016 is a landmark year in terms of the UK’s devolution agenda. The Cities and Local Government Devolution Act received Royal Assent and came into force as law in the UK on 28 January 2016. The law allows for ‘combined authorities’ to take on greater powers than under previous legislation, provided they have an elected metro mayor in place. As a result, seven UK cities/areas are planning to elect mayors in May 2017, according to Centre for Cities. Metro mayors will have the authority to manage their area with a far more localised approach than was previously possible. Their powers exceed those of regular councillors and they can thus have a wider impact. Ray Withers, CEO of Property Frontiers, offers investment properties such as The Divine Collection in cities like Birmingham, which will fall under the leadership of the West Midlands metro mayor when elected next year. He comments: “The appointment of metro mayors could mean a significant boost to the property sectors in certain areas of the UK. The correlation between those areas electing mayors and the property hotspots of 2017 definitely bears watching. London is a prime example. We’ve seen mayors in the capital push through housing programmes that other cities could definitely benefit from. Sadiq Khan’s affordable housing programme is precisely the kind of move that can stimulate a local property market and it’s exciting that Birmingham and other large cities will soon be able to benefit from similar measures.” As such, Birmingham is one property hotspot to watch in 2017. Liverpool, which will also be benefitting from an elected mayor, is another. Metro mayors will be able to set the strategic direction of their city/area in a way that knits together local housing, transport and skills. Managing Director Jonathan Stephens, of Surrenden Invest, is excited about Liverpool’s potential under such an arrangement, with developments such as Strand Plaza looking to reap the benefits. He explains: “The election of a metro mayor for the Liverpool City Region is excellent news. We’re anticipating a strong local impact, particularly as the mayor will be able to make joined up decisions about housing. Rather than relying solely on national decision makers or the whims of individual local authorities, Liverpool will be able to take a strategic approach to its own future. It will be a great time to be part of the property sector there – we’re definitely hoping for a mayor-inspired boom in this region.” Stephens’ comments are echoed by those of Jean Liggett, CEO of visionary property investment consultancy, Properties of the World. With investment properties available in cities including Sunderland, Hartlepool and Manchester, all of which will fall under the remit of directly elected mayors come 2017, she is keen to see the impact that the new metro mayors will have. Liggett comments, The devolution of power to metro mayors could spell excellent news for local UK property markets. I’ll be watching all of the metro mayor regions closely during the latter half of 2017 to see what the mayors there can achieve in terms of creating local property hotspots. Ultimately, metro mayors should be able to make their cities more powerful and better cities are a good choice for housing investment. Smart investors will certainly be buying with metro mayor regions in mind as we head towards the elections in May.” Source link
Fast Lean Smart (FLS) is working with Royal Mail Property & Facilities Solutions (RMPFS) to implement a new scheduling software system to increase productivity and establish a site ownership model. Royal Mail Property & Facilities Solutions (RMPFS) provides facilities management services to 2,600 Royal Mail sites across the U.K. and wanted to upgrade its current scheduling and route planning software to achieve new levels of efficiency and productivity from its service operations. The company’s existing system is over 10 years old and no longer meets its needs. “We looked at several scheduling and route planning systems providers, FLS being one of them,” says Scott Maddocks, project manager for RMPFS. “After the initial demonstration, we carried out a number of FLS customer site visits to see the software in action. We engaged our management teams, our engineers and our unions because we wanted them all to be happy that the software would work.” In the end, FLS came out on top. “We chose FLS for a number of reasons,” says Scott. “The user front end was better than the other products we looked at and FLS gave us confidence that their software could be integrated with our existing service management system. We also thought that FLS would be good to work with, more agile and better able to deliver what we wanted than the other suppliers.” One of RMPFS’ goals was to plan jobs more efficiently. FLS’ ability to plan optimised routes in real time will help it do this. FLS software takes into account specific business priorities, traffic-based driving times and countless other variables for both planned and reactive work. RMPFS also wants to reduce the number of return visits its engineers have to do. FLS will give them a portal where they can see four weeks of planned work in advance and allocate the necessary resources to each job. Engineers will be able to request job assists and equipment hire in advance of the job using the new portal. Another key requirement for RMPFS was the establishment of a site ownership model, i.e., the allocation of tasks to preferred engineers according to a set of criteria to ensure that the right skills are in the right place at the right time. “We wanted software that could navigate several tiers of engineer choices, to allow them to build their site knowledge and relationships and reduce their travel time,” says Scott. “FLS proved that its system was up to the challenge and could enable our engineers to work at preferred sites in preferred regions based on an extensive and complex series of rules.”
The Health and Safety Executive in the UK states that it is a legal requirement for all employees who use computers, laptops, mobile devices and tablet computers for a continuous period of time to undertake DSE training. Individuals who fall into this category are referred to as users of DSE. Typically this would involve people who work in an office such as administrators, marketers and IT professionals to name a few. If an employer fails to provide DSE training, this is a breach of regulations which means that an employer can face prosecution and a fine. Providing this training also helps to protect employers from suffering liability claims from employees. As an example an employee may decide to pursue a claim for back pain because of their working position. Employees find that there are multiple benefits to participating in training for Display Screen Equipment such as reduced problems with vision and posture and fewer reports of stress or fatigue. When employees are more comfortable within their work environment, both employee satisfaction and productivity increase. What is DSE Training? As employers need to carry out display screen equipment training, it is important to understand what this is. DSE training should outline the best ways to use equipment and the most effective way to use workstations. Training will include: How to set up and maintain a comfortable workstation for desktops and laptops Recommended time lengths for continuous use of these devices The regulations state that all staff who use DSE should complete the training. In addition, refresher training should be carried out whenever there is a change in the workstation, the employee has been on a long period of absence or if the place of work changes The DSE regulations require employers to undertake a number of things: Evaluate workstations and users who work with DSE to assess and reduce risk Verify that workstations meet the minimum requirements and suitable controls are in place Establish an effective plan so that the work day includes breaks or activity changes Provide employees with eye tests when requested Deliver DSE training Monitor the working environment and review DSE policy when there is a change in staff, workstations or workplaces At the very least, employers should undertake an assessment for each employee where DSE appears in their role. A DSE self assessment can be carried out to encourage staff to take ownership of their own health and safety. Employees should be able to assess their own workstations which can be achieved by equipping them with the necessary knowledge and skills during training in the use of DSE. Poorly designed workstations, difficult working practices, repetitive activities and health limitations can result in sickness absence and ill health. As a result employers need to be aware of these risks and employees need to understand how they can adapt their workstations to reduce stress and fatigue and improve posture. Only through suitable DSE training can this be achieved.
Award-winning urban developer Bildurn is a step closer to delivering an exciting new mixed-use development on Station Street in Nottingham. The city centre scheme’s development brief provides for the construction of new Grade A offices, in addition to residential accommodation, including student. The office element, designed by Franklin Ellis Architects, is set to deliver 50,000 sq ft of accommodation, including car parking and roof terraces, in what will be one of the most strategic office buildings delivered in the city to date. Moving the scheme on a step, Bildurn has now signed an agreement with Vita Group to bring forward the residential element under its Vita Student brand, subsequently, Planning applications for both buildings have now been submitted. The site, which is over an acre in size, is a prime location in Nottingham city centre. Situated opposite to the entrance to Nottingham’s train station – which has undergone a multimillion pound facelift – Station Street is at the heart of the city’s public transport network and the best-connected scheme in the city centre. The planning applications follow the start of demolition works on site last year, including the removal of the old employment office building which will be completed this month (May). Managing Director at Bildurn Sean Akins said: “We’re thrilled to be able to submit a comprehensive planning application to Nottingham City Council for Station Street. For many visitors to Nottingham, these buildings are the first that they see when they step out of the train station – and as our images show, our vision for the site is quite dramatically different to what has stood there for years previously. “Our scheme will see Grade A offices and high quality residential accommodation reinvigorate the first approach to our city centre, regenerating a large chunk of currently disused and unattractive space in this prime location. “The two buildings are next to each other, backed by the canal and fronted by a pedestrianised highway, which presents a challenge for the sequence of construction. Following completion of demolition, the residential phase is planned to start in September of this year, followed by the construction of the office block next door at No.11.” Agents for the scheme JLL have reported how pleased they are with interest in the scheme to date. Director at JLL James Keeton said: “The submission of a planning application for both elements of Station Street, following commencement of demolition, is a real positive for the south side of the city and regeneration of this area. “Securing Vita Group, subject to planning, to bring forward high quality student residential use on the scheme is vitally important in kick starting the wider development. Its Vita Student brand will also compliment the proposed adjacent office use and boost the wider vibrancy of the area. “Alongside this, we are pleased with the initial response from occupiers to the office element following commencement of marketing. Offering up to 50,000 sq ft of space, 11 Station Street really will raise the bar in terms of office space delivered in Nottingham to date with a large feature reception, open plan modern floor plates, balcony areas and external ground floor space, all combined with first class on-site staff amenities. “It will be fantastic to hopefully see commencement of construction on the site this year and the transformation of this highly prominent and important scheme for the city.” Tim Witt, Development Manager at Vita Group, added: “We’re very pleased to be part of this exciting development for Nottingham. Vita Group’s ethos is all about our commitment to creating connected communities, innovatively bringing together work, leisure and living. We’ve done extensive research about this prime location in Nottingham city centre and concluded it fits perfectly with our aspirations as a business to develop trusted and respected communities, bringing vitality and vibrancy to the area.” The office space which faces the new pedestrianised area on Station Street will offer secure basement parking and cycle storage, 24-hour access, electric car charging points and high quality contemporary finishes as well as backing on to a waterway aspect. The building will also feature a roof garden – which would be one of Nottingham’s first dedicated office developments to offer a terrace for employees overlooking the city. Privately owned and based in Nottingham, Bildurn has experience in developing commercial and mixed-use schemes, both new build and refurbishment, for a range of occupiers. Notable Bildurn schemes in the city include The Pod, Lace Market Square and 1-9 Bridlesmith Gate. http://www.stationstreet.co.uk/
DSU insurance is a safety net for project owners, developers and construction companies that protects parties from significant financial loss in circumstances where there have been extensive delays to a project. These delays can come in a variety of forms and can lead to loss of profits and revenue streams that were contingent upon the completion of the project. In these circumstances, everybody involved is affected – from the developers themselves to contractors, suppliers and all the way back to investors. All of these parties lose out if progress is postponed, leading to the procurement of extended contracts to complete the project and additional funds to cover other requirements such as key equipment. In recent years, financial markets have become more cautious in funding large projects due to the uncertainties associated with projects at every stage of the construction process. More so than in the past, delay resulting in financial loss poses more of a threat to the survival of developers. It’s no secret that – sometimes debilitating – schedule and budget overruns are considered the norm for construction projects. Construction work requires reliable delivery of equipment and necessary materials – now, if there is an unexpected event that affects a critical piece of equipment or machinery, then there can be disastrous implications for the developer. Project delays are just the start of the issue, as the damage can extend to further expenditures, excessive loss of profits and revenue, financial penalties and damage to the reputation of the company heading the development. To combat this, DSU coverage helps to build close links between developers and insurers to minimise and manage risk factors to hopefully pave the way for a successful project that reaches completion on time. If a physical damage event does occur and the cover is triggered, the insurer will need detailed and organised scheduling of progress, deliveries, changes in plans or designs and any other vital documentation. The more thorough the evidence, the easier and quicker it is for insurers to assess, pinpoint and attribute the root causes of delay. Delays can cause significant, irreparable damage to developers. Companies that utilise debt financing to rent construction equipment may not be able to cover the payments if their project is not complete on time and revenue streams are put on hold. In public projects, such bridges, airports, and tunnels, the delays can affect multiple businesses in a wide geographic area. The knock-on impact of these delays, as a result, can be devastating. Project monitoring can help to combat any potential pitfalls – regularly reviewing how the project changes and tracking each setback to quantify which part of the process caused damage to the development. For this to be achievable, the insured parties need to provide access every three to six months to progress reports and updates. Cover may also be taken out for the suppliers of vital equipment so that there is adequate protection in the event of an accident at the supplier’s premises, or there is prevention of access to the project site for delivery, which will, again, have knock-on consequences. In taking out DSU cover, project owners benefit by gaining clarity so that they can move forward with their project, as well as receiving reimbursement for the damage event(s). Going forward, plans can be put in place to mitigate further potential losses. TO LEARN MORE ABOUT DSU INSURANCE AND WHY DEVELOPERS NEED IT, CHECK OUT OUR INFOGRAPHIC HERE
GMI Construction Group has completed building works for the new £35 million St James Retail Park in Norton, South Sheffield. Acting as main contractor GMI has officially handed over the site to St James Securities and NFU Mutual who have already pre-let 100% of the 146,000 sq ft scheme ahead of opening. Occupiers include Next, M&S Foodhall, Aldi, TK Maxx, Superdrug, Homesense, Wilko, Pets at Home, Mountain Warehouse, Shoezone, Card Factory, Specsavers, Greggs and Costa. GMI Construction created 124 jobs on the scheme during the 56 weeks construction period. Works involved full demolition of the former Norton College building and new infrastructure works for more controlled access to the site. This included adjustments and widening of the existing Meadowhead roundabout and a new traffic light system at Bochum Parkway. GMI delivered 13 high specification units, with features including live ‘green’ walls and colour coded aluminium cladding, yard space and 420 car parking spaces.” Andy Bruce, Managing Director of GMI Construction Group said, “We are delighted to complete this project working closely with St James Securities and delivery partners Whittam Cox Architects and Rex Procter & Partners. We completed the project exactly to schedule despite the challenges of working in a live environment, close to a main road, leisure centre and school, where pedestrian and traffic management were critical.” St James Securities is now working with occupiers for fit out with an official opening planned in July. A further 250 full time jobs will be created when the park is in full operation. Dan Murray, Construction Director at St James Securities, said, “The project has been a huge success achieved through a lot of hard work by all the team who should all be very proud of what we have delivered here. We have raised the bar when it comes to out of town Retail Park design making the scheme stand out against other schemes up and down the country. The first class design together with the Park’s superb ring road location has made the development very attractive to tenants allowing us to fully let the scheme ahead of Practical Completion.” Established in 1986, GMI Construction Group is a highly reputable building and construction services company offering expertise across all sectors including office, retail, leisure, industrial, residential, automotive, education and health. GMI Construction Group directly employs 80 people with 65 located at its Leeds headquarters and 15 at its new offices in Manchester. GMI is also currently delivering the new 300,000 sq ft retail and leisure park at Thorpe Park Leeds for Scarborough International Property Group and the 137-bedroom Dakota Deluxe Hotel in Manchester for Evans Property Group. @GMIConstruction
With the reopening of the Temperate House at Kew Gardens this month, visitors to the UNESCO world heritage site will again have access to one of the most exclusive collections of tropical plants in the world. The event also has pertinence to Barnshaws Section Benders, a Tividale based metal bending company that has supported Kew Gardens with high quality curved steel in the past. While the Temperate House maybe the largest jewel in the crown of this Victorian garden, the Palm House is arguably its most iconic. As much a symbol of the endeavours of the British Empire as a place of leisure for London’s inhabitants and visitors, the Palm House served as the place where British explorers collated flora gathered on their adventures from all over the world. Designed by Decimus Burton and constructed by Richard Turner in 1844, the 110.5 metre long structure borrowed wrought iron rolling construction techniques from the ship building industry of the time, with its curved exterior offering close aesthetic parallels to an upturned hull. The curved construction maximises the light exposure for the plants inside, and when it came to maintenance of the Grade 1 listed structure in the 1980s, also ensured that Barnshaws was the primary choice to replace these elements. Barnshaws was required to deliver 10,000 metres of curved stainless steel extrusions to form new glazing bars for the Palm House. Each required bending within extremely stringent tolerances, as otherwise the 16,000 glass panels that comprise the structure would not fit. However, boasting one the largest and most multi-faceted bending capacities in the world, Barnshaws was able to deliver the extrusions on time and to project specification, which enabled subsequent renovation work to be completed.
New Scene management app from Philips Lighting allows lighting managers to control a building’s façade lighting from anywhere, at any time using a smartphone or tablet. Philips Lighting (Euronext: LIGHT), the world leader in lighting, announced today the launch of a new cloud-based Scene management app that enables businesses to quickly and effortlessly change a building’s architectural lighting using your smartphone or tablet. The app, specially designed for use on smart devices, further illustrates the company’s leadership in connected lighting and lighting for the Internet of Things. With a simple tap or swipe, the Interact Landmark Scene management app enables lighting managers to manage, control and change the lighting on bridges, buildings and monuments on the fly. Spectacular light shows can be remotely programmed to commemorate special events, holidays and important civic causes. For example, managers can now respond quickly to a request from the mayor’s office to paint a bridge in pink light to support World Breast Cancer Awareness or program. “Architectural lighting is increasingly being used by businesses and cities to create a unique identity and engaging experiences. The need to be ‘on call’ and responsive to last minute requests outside of the office is a pain point for lighting managers. The app now provides them with the flexibility to change lighting scenes at any moment and anytime. It also illustrates the power of Interact Landmark to support lighting managers, simplify the management of architectural lighting and help make cities smarter and more livable,” said Jacques Letzelter, Global Business Leader Public Segment at Philips Lighting. Controlling the light, whenever & wherever Site managers may personalize their user account settings and securely access their architectural lighting system while on the go. They can change colors, trigger light shows and view schedules. As the app works via the cloud, authorized users no longer need to first log in via a VPN connection. The app is part of Interact Landmark suite of capabilities and will be available in June 2018. Live demonstrations of the Scene Management app will be on display at the Philips Lighting booth #1402 at LIGHTFAIR International taking place in Chicago, May 8-10, 2018 at McCormick Place.
Contractor J Tomlinson has completed a £2 million project to replace a former sheltered housing scheme with 12 new apartments and six new houses for affordable rent. The Gedling Homes development at Ernehale Court in Arnold, Nottingham, was completed on time and on budget. The redevelopment involved the design and build of six two-bedroom houses and 12 one-bedroom apartments, with associated communal facilities, the ground floor flats being designed to full wheelchair standard. Martin Gallagher, J Tomlinson’s managing director (construction), said: “As a company, J Tomlinson has worked with Gedling Homes on a range of schemes and we were very pleased to have been appointed to build this development at Ernehale Court in Arnold which will provide local homes to those who need them. “We believe in working with and supporting local communities, and, as a Nottingham-based building services firm with strong roots in the city and its suburbs, we are proud to have helped enhance the housing provision provided by Gedling Homes.” During the project, the J Tomlinson team took time out to visit local schools Christ the King School, Frank Seeley School, and Arnold Mill Primary School to talk about careers in construction and help with interview preparation, as well as highlighting health and safety issues around building sites. In addition, five students from Christ the King School undertook work experience at the site. Gedling Homes development manager Deborah Higgins said: “J Tomlinson had delivered a number of smaller projects for us very successfully. This – coupled with their size and expertise – was the reason for putting them on the tender list. They won the tender against four other contractors. “My experience working with J Tomlinson on the Ernehale Court development has been very positive; J Tomlinson have been very organised and helpful when it comes to refining the specification on site, particularly with complex M&E solutions. “I have been impressed by the positive attitude of all the staff working on the project; they have a general can-do attitude, even when challenges have arisen. I would recommend J Tomlinson’s services to other housing groups and associations.” During the project, J Tomlinson was able to provide value engineering by identifying and procuring money-saving products of the same quality, which led to an estimated £30,000 saving on the project for Gedling Homes. J Tomlinson, which is based in Beeston, near Nottingham, offers a range of integrated building solutions including construction, refurbishment, repairs and maintenance, mechanical and electrical services (M&E), and facilities management. The company operates primarily across the East Midlands, West Midlands and Yorkshire. It works in all sectors, including social housing, industrial, commercial, care home, health, leisure and education. Gedling Homes has a stock of more than 3,300 homes across the Gedling district of Nottingham, in places such as Arnold, Carlton, Gedling and Netherfield, ranging from studio apartments to large family houses. For more information about J Tomlinson, visit www.jtomlinson.co.uk
