The Solar Trade Association has urged government to “move quickly” and “unlock the game-changer potential” of energy storage. The association says that the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) must prioritise the resolution of regulatory, economic and market barriers which prevent “fair treatment for storage
Savills, on behalf of a private client, has brought to the market Church Farm in Wirral, Merseyside. The property is being sold as a going concern from a guide price of £2.25 million. Set in approximately 60 acres (24 hectares) of land and owned by the vendor for over 24
House-builder Countryside Properties reports continued strong trading since its stock market launch in February 2016 and is on course to hit its target of topping a 17% operating margin. Above: Chief executive Ian Sutcliffe In a trading update for the six month period from 1st October 2015 to 31st March
The Solar Trade Association has urged government to “move quickly” and “unlock the game-changer potential” of energy storage. The association says that the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) must prioritise the resolution of regulatory, economic and market barriers which prevent “fair treatment for storage within the power system”. There is currently no legal definition of storage in the UK or the EU, which the Solar Trade Association (STA) said leads to double charging – where storage is charged for both importing and exporting power despite the benefits it offers. The STA’s comments come after a year of analysis by the association and the publication of its paper on the interaction between solar and energy storage. STA chief executive Paul Barwell said: “Storage is a game-changer for power systems and consumers around the world. Other countries are providing stimulus to their storage industries but we believe the priority in the UK is to move quickly to lay the foundations for the development of a strong, safe and sustainable energy storage industry, at all scales. “The costs of storage are moving rapidly downwards, and the economics could be compelling by the time fundamental regulatory & market barriers are resolved.” The paper was published ahead of the government call for evidence on the role of storage within smart power. The Solar Trade Association, Renewable UK and the Electricity Storage Network are bringing together experts from their respective industries to share knowledge on the practicalities and opportunities of building renewable-linked storage projects. Source link
Savills, on behalf of a private client, has brought to the market Church Farm in Wirral, Merseyside. The property is being sold as a going concern from a guide price of £2.25 million. Set in approximately 60 acres (24 hectares) of land and owned by the vendor for over 24 years, Church Farm is a well-established visitor attraction converted from a former working farm. The property is located in the village of Thurstaston on the Wirral peninsular, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with west facing views stretching across the Dee Estuary to North Wales. Facilities include a farm shop, outdoor attractions with animal enclosures, adventure playground, pedal go-cart area, mini-golf, picnic area, lavender maze, tractor rides, and glass house providing indoor beach and picnic area. Furthermore there is a café, office, equestrian facilities, Christmas tree plantation, caravan site and five bedroom owner’s house. Richard Prestwich, associate director of leisure and trading at Savills, comments: “This is a fantastic opportunity to acquire a well-established business that is generating income from multiple sources. The picturesque location of this substantial property, with it’s excellent views over the Dee Estuary, further adds to the attraction of this asset and we are expecting the sale to generate a high amount of interest.” Source link
House-builder Countryside Properties reports continued strong trading since its stock market launch in February 2016 and is on course to hit its target of topping a 17% operating margin. Above: Chief executive Ian Sutcliffe In a trading update for the six month period from 1st October 2015 to 31st March 2016, Countryside Properties said that completions were up 15% to 1,095 units (H1 2015: 949 units). Forward sales were up 4.3% at £205.3m (H1 2015: £196.7m). Most of the units are from the company’s Partnerships division, which completed 803 homes versus 716 homes in H1 2015, at an average selling price up 42% to £298,000. The private housebuilding division completed 292 new homes, up 25% on the 233 in H1 2015, at an average selling price of £782,000, up 18%. The land bank of owned and controlled plots has been maintained at 26,000 as at 31st March 2016, roughly the same as six months ago. Thanks to the £114m net primary proceeds from the IPO, net debt has been slashed from £131.9m to £15m. Group chief executive Ian Sutcliffe said that the company was firmly on track to achieve the medium-term targets of more than 3,600 completions a year, an operating margin of more than 17% and an improvement in return on capital employed (ROCE) to more than 28%. “Trading has been strong, with excellent growth in the first six months of our current financial year,” he said. “We are delighted with the progress we have made since listing on the London Stock Exchange in February and the support we have received from investors. We remain confident we are on track to make further progress for the full year and to continue to build on our success now as a public company.” This article was published on 13 Apr 2016 (last updated on 13 Apr 2016). Source link
