New housing can be well designed, sustainable and affordable. Clockwise from top left; Royal Road by Panter Hudspith (c) Morley von Sternberg, Exhibition Mews by Ash Sakula Architects (c) Gareth Gardner, Abode, Great Kneighton by Proctor and Matthews (c) Tim Crocker, Brentford Lock West by Duggan Morris Architects (c)
The design-and-build contract is being carried out with AHR Architects for Eastleigh Borough Council. It will be built next to the existing leisure facility that will remain open during the 85-week build programme. The old leisure centre will be demolished after the new building is handed over. The new centre
Our world and everything in it is developing at such a rapid speed that it is often hard to keep abreast of all the latest developments. New technologies in the trucking industry are concentrating on efficiency, autonomy, and safety, especially as far as driver fatigue is concerned. It is estimated that
The first tenants of the ‘FitHome’ village in Dalmore, Alness, have been welcomed. The Saltire Award-winning concept that unites the priorities of healthcare, housing provision and tenant welfare was delivered by Albyn Housing Society, in partnership with Carbon Dynamic and NHS Highland. As a concept, the ‘FitHome’ aims to help
Connect38 on the Ashford Commercial Quarter site has been officially opened by Quinn Estate, marking the beginning of an exciting new chapter in the town’s story as the economic powerhouse of Kent. Connect38, designed by Canterbury based Clague Architects, is the largest office block to be built in Kent for
Network Rail’s £5 billion ‘next generation’ track works contracts is inviting bids through a contract notice. The suite is the largest of its kind being undertaken in the upcoming funding period, control period 6 (CP6), which runs from 2019 to 2024. The contracts cover 10 years of railway track works
Fly-tipping incidents are causing people headaches throughout the UK, with those with farm land facing problems in particular as those breaking the law see the space as an opportunity to illegally dump waste instead of seeking out authorised methods. Are you a victim of fly-tipping? Lycetts, a specialist farm insurance
ceda are proud to announce the launch of their latest catering equipment industry technical document, ‘Interface between fire-fighting systems and other systems in commercial kitchens’, jointly published by the Fire Industry Association (FIA). The document is intended to offer guidance to suppliers of catering equipment who are often required to
BDC 319 : Aug 2024
New housing can be well designed, sustainable and affordable. Clockwise from top left; Royal Road by Panter Hudspith (c) Morley von Sternberg, Exhibition Mews by Ash Sakula Architects (c) Gareth Gardner, Abode, Great Kneighton by Proctor and Matthews (c) Tim Crocker, Brentford Lock West by Duggan Morris Architects (c) Jack Hobhouse The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has today set out its key recommendations for dealing with the UK’s dire housing crisis. With a new government and the leave result of the EU referendum, it’s more vital than ever to ensure design quality isn’t comprised as we ramp up the construction industry to keep Britain’s economy growing and build much needed new homes. The new policy document, ‘Housing Matters: #20ways to tackle the housing crisis’, advocates better use of public resources and public sector land, more locally-made decisions, greater focus on good design, increased support for new types of housing development, sustainable and resilient homes and a more transparent housing market. The #20ways, which are explained more fully in the policy document, are: Housing policy should be added to the remit of the National Infrastructure Commission and future infrastructure schemes should include details of their impact on housing supply. The Government should adopt the RIBA and House of Lords’ Select Committee recommendation for the establishment of a Chief Built Environment Adviser. The cap on Housing Revenue Account receipts should be lifted to allow councils to borrow to build social housing. Central and local government should set up public sector investment vehicles and a national housing investment bank to issue bonds and ISAs, recycle right to buy receipts and attract long-term institutional investment. Local authorities should set up Local Housing Development Funds, with initial capital for investment provided by local authority pension funds. Once such schemes are up and running, they would be able attract secondary institutional investment. Local leaders should be empowered to shape their local housing market by taking control over requirements for affordable housing, including the tenure composition for new developments (affordable rent, social rent, living rent, shared ownership, Starter Homes) based on local housing need, rather than fixed national targets. The Guiding Principles of the Estates Regeneration programme should be strengthened to ensure that engagement with local communities is at the heart of the process and the rights of existing residents to remain after regeneration is complete– including those who exercised the right to buy – is protected. Sufficient resources must be made available to identify land and for the management and promotion of the custom build register. The Government should ensure Design Review Panels are an integral part of the planning process – particularly for larger and more complex schemes. Local and neighbourhood plans should include design review to help drive high quality design in new housing developments. Key factors that affect quality of life and affordability of housing like space, access and environmental standards should be subject to regular review to ensure that the highest possible standards are adopted. The value of social return should be given equal consideration to economic return and the long-term impact of a proposal on the public sector should be taken into account to ensure that inappropriate development is avoided. Local authorities should consider partnering arrangements where land and ownership is retained by the authority, possibly in the form of Community Land Trusts, to ensure long-term best value for those assets. The removal of stamp duty when moving to a smaller home should be piloted in the Autumn Statement. A distinct, clear planning use class should be introduced for housing for older people that is designed to Housing our Ageing Population: Panel for Innovation (HAPPI) principles. Local authorities should be required to address the principles of inclusive design in internal and external environments and the needs of older people in plan-making and land allocation. Research into concerns around viability, build quality and overheating should be commissioned to help guide future standards. The metrics currently used to calculate energy efficiency and CO2 reduction should be reviewed; learning from other European countries such as Germany and Denmark. A VAT rebate scheme should be made available for the renovation and improvement of homes with poor energy efficiency. The Neighbourhood Planning and Infrastructure Bill should be amended to ensure that viability assessments used in Section 106/CIL discussions are public documents – with no commercial confidentiality restrictions. RIBA President Jane Duncan said: “The actions we’ve set out are achievable and realistic steps the government can take now to tackle the housing crisis. Everyone has the right to live in a well-designed, sustainable, affordable home – we must work together to realise new solutions to make this a reality for the majority, not just the wealthy few. High quality design that offers better value for money in the long term is a key solution. Without better spending, the homes we build now will not be built to last and are simply storing up further challenges for the future.” Alex Ely from RIBA’s Housing Group said: “Demand for new homes continues to outstrip supply and successive governments have failed to keep up. In particular, there is a huge shortage of genuinely affordable new homes to buy or rent in many parts of the country. Housing policy alone won’t be enough to solve a housing crisis with roots that are as complex as they are varied. The only solution lies in bringing together the public and private sector to promote, enable and finance new homes, and improve the quality of the homes we already have and are already building.” Housing Matters: #20ways to tackle the housing crisis can be found here: www.Architecture.com/HousingMatters ENDS Notes to editors: HomeWise: Space standards for homes HomeWise: The way we live now HomeWise: The case for space The policy document has been developed with RIBA’s Housing Group, a member group comprising of housing experts. The group consist of,
The design-and-build contract is being carried out with AHR Architects for Eastleigh Borough Council. It will be built next to the existing leisure facility that will remain open during the 85-week build programme. The old leisure centre will be demolished after the new building is handed over. The new centre will include a sports hall with room for 15 badminton courts; an eight-lane, 25 m swimming pool; a learning pool with adjustable floor depth; three multi-purpose studios; and other leisure facilities. The building will be constructed with a steel frame and pre-stressed concrete floors, while the pool will be made with reinforced concrete. Externally it will be clad in brickwork, aluminium and zinc rainscreen. Eastleigh Borough Council leader Keith House said: “Interserve has shown a great understanding of the project and brings with it a depth of experience in building leisure centres. “Interserve has a very good knowledge of, and relationship with, the local supply chain and is keen to work with us to ensure the new building achieves economic benefits locally. Interserve also wishes to work with us on recycling the old centre and believes it could recycle around 95 per cent of it.” Interserve Fleming Park Leisure Centre outside The new centre will be built next to the existing leisure facility Source link
Our world and everything in it is developing at such a rapid speed that it is often hard to keep abreast of all the latest developments. New technologies in the trucking industry are concentrating on efficiency, autonomy, and safety, especially as far as driver fatigue is concerned. It is estimated that approximately 40% of truck crashes in the UK are related to driver fatigue, reiterating the importance of having systems in place that can not only monitor fatigue but notify the driver when he is in danger. The following developments are all contributing towards reducing the number of fatigue-related accidents that occur on the roads of the UK every year. Fujitsu develops ground-breaking IoT device At the beginning of the year Fujitsu launched a new and innovative IoT (internet of things) powered wearable with the aim to drastically reduce fatigue-induced trucking accidents in the United Kingdom. The device, known as the Driver Drowsiness Detector or DDD is a lightweight device that is worn around the driver’s neck with a tiny sensor clip which attaches to the earlobe, detecting pulse waves. The purpose of the device is to keep track of the driver’s pulse, evaluating fatigue levels and notifying the driver when his risk of possible compromised alertness increases. The system can also be linked to various fleet-management systems to enable managers to also monitor the state of their drivers in real-time. Logistics company DHL is currently testing the DDD in 60 of its trucks, hoping to improve driver accuracy and accountability, while decreasing cover premiums as well. What other technologies can help detect driver fatigue? New advances are constantly being made in terms of wearable technology to monitor trucker fatigue. Wristwatches and fitness trackers like those manufactured by Apple, Garmin and Fitbit can help detect fatigue by measuring the sleep quality the driver is accustomed to as well as track biometrics such as blood pressure and heart rate. There have been significant technological breakthroughs as far as caps and hats are concerned. Mining giant BHB Billiton makes use of such caps to monitor the brainwaves of their drivers for signs of fatigue. Other technologies that have been around for some time but are constantly being subjected to improvements are dashcams, GPS systems and lane departure equipment. If Fujitsu’s DDD is anything to go by, the future of wearable devices to detect driver fatigue looks very bright indeed. Even if only a single truck accident can be prevented in any given year thanks to a detection device it will be enough as one life lost is one too many. When technological advancements are coupled with responsible human driving practices, the outcome can only be good for all concerned, saving not only lives but substantial amounts of money as well.
The first tenants of the ‘FitHome’ village in Dalmore, Alness, have been welcomed. The Saltire Award-winning concept that unites the priorities of healthcare, housing provision and tenant welfare was delivered by Albyn Housing Society, in partnership with Carbon Dynamic and NHS Highland. As a concept, the ‘FitHome’ aims to help people live safe, well and independently in their communities for longer by using cutting edge data-gathering technology and Artificial Intelligence to help detect the onset of ill health and potentially even prevent episodes such as falls. New tenant, 19 year old Dylan Bogue who lives with muscular dystrophy said: “This will be a life-changing concept for some individuals, including me, and importantly their extended families. Nobody will have to worry about their elderly relatives, or younger relatives for that matter, being on their own if they fall or have an accident. Most importantly, residents can stay in their home, in the community that they have grown with for as long as they feel able to.” The project has received support and official endorsement from Highland MSP Maree Todd. At a recent parliamentary event she spoke of the project saying: “This project is an exemplary showcase of innovation coming out of the Highlands that demonstrates how cross-sectoral working in areas such as housing, health, care, construction, education and training can lead to pioneering new approaches that keep Scotland at the leading edge.” The project concepts have been supported by a Scottish Government housing grant, funding from the Inverness and Highland City–Region Deal and finance from Triodos Bank, Europes’s leading sustainable bank that only funds projects that create positive social, cultural or environmental value. “Scottish innovations are globally renowned and the FitHome is a gigantic leap forward in social care. At Triodos, we work to make sure that projects like this get the funding and financial support they need to have a positive impact on the local community. The FitHome is a game-changer when it comes to helping people live independent and inclusive lives,” said Graeme Galloway, Relationship Manager at Triodos Bank UK. The Data Lab – the Scottish Innovation Centre charged with generating economic, social and scientific value from big data – is also supporting the project by funding research into predicting falls, which is being led by Professor Susan Craw, an Artificial Intelligence expert at Robert Gordon University.
Connect38 on the Ashford Commercial Quarter site has been officially opened by Quinn Estate, marking the beginning of an exciting new chapter in the town’s story as the economic powerhouse of Kent. Connect38, designed by Canterbury based Clague Architects, is the largest office block to be built in Kent for 20 years with 75% of the building let. The new building delivers 80,500 sq ft of office, restaurant and retail space with the creation of around 481 full-time jobs. Its first tenants have already arrived, with infrastructure consultants, Peter Brett, accountancy firm Wilkins Kennedy, and dental practice Pennypot Dental welcoming their new homes. “This project is one of my proudest achievements to date. Connect38 and Ashford Commercial Quarter is going to mark a new chapter for Ashford and sets the standard for office space in the South East,” said Mark Quinn, CEO at Quinn Estates. “Connect38 represents an extraordinary opportunity for businesses looking to relocate locally, or from London and further afield. The international train station is almost adjacent to the development site, making this an ideal commuting location.” Delivered by Quinn Estates in partnership with George Wilson Developments, the scheme was also backed by Ashford Borough Council, which sees it as pivotal to the town’s future economic success. To support the development, the council has underwritten the cost of two floors of the office block. “This building, and Ashford Commercial Quarter as a larger site, makes an important statement about the borough’s economic position, our can-do attitude as an authority, our sharp commercial focus and the confidence that key businesses and developers have in the town,” said Cllr Gerry Clarkson, Leader of Ashford Borough Council. “This borough has a rich heritage, but we are also embracing growth with ambitious plans for the future. Ashford Commercial Quarter marks a significant project within our ‘Big 8′ developments -major projects emphasising this ambition. These developments illustrate our intention to unlock major opportunities, while delivering new jobs, housing, retail and cultural facilities,” he concluded.
Network Rail’s £5 billion ‘next generation’ track works contracts is inviting bids through a contract notice. The suite is the largest of its kind being undertaken in the upcoming funding period, control period 6 (CP6), which runs from 2019 to 2024. The contracts cover 10 years of railway track works and will introduce three new geographically-focused alliances between Network Rail, designers and construction suppliers. The alliances include: the North Alliance (Scotland Route); Central Alliance (London North West, London North East and East Midland routes) and the South Alliance; (Anglia, South East, Wessex, Western and Wales routes). Each alliance will combine the development, design and delivery of plain line track and switches and crossings, as well as associated infrastructure works for each area. The step sees plain line and switches & crosses brought together operationally and commercially as a means of delivering infrastructure works more efficiently and effectively for customers, said Network Rail. This move is a key part of the Rail’s Infrastructure Projects CP6 procurement strategy, which aims to promote collaborative arrangements with the supply chain that offer better value for money for devolved route customers. “Combining our plain line expertise with that of switches & crossings will bring huge benefits to both our route customers and the wider supply chain. The proven alliance model offers a flexible and cost effective solution with a greater focus on each route’s specific requirements and needs,” said Steve Featherstone, Network Rail director for track. The pre-qualification period for the tender will start in June. Network Rail owns and operates the railway infrastructure, including 20,000 miles of track, 30,000 bridges and viaducts and thousands of tunnels, signals, level crossings and points, in England, Wales and Scotland on behalf of the nation. It also manages rail timetabling and 20 of the largest stations in England, Scotland and Wales.
Fly-tipping incidents are causing people headaches throughout the UK, with those with farm land facing problems in particular as those breaking the law see the space as an opportunity to illegally dump waste instead of seeking out authorised methods. Are you a victim of fly-tipping? Lycetts, a specialist farm insurance provider, aims to assist as they have put together this comprehensive guide about what to do when someone has fly-tipped on your land… Understanding what is meant by fly-tipping Fly-tipping is when large items or rubbish is dumped onto land illegally as it is not licensed to receive them. There are many items which can be defined under the banner of fly-tipping, including a bin bag filled with rubbish, tyres, waste which has come from construction activities, mattresses, beds and garden waste. Allison Ogden-Newton, the chief executive at Keep Britain Tidy, has gone as far as to claim that fly-tipping has reached “crisis levels” across the UK. However, this much is indeed evident when analysing the results of a freedom of information request that was submitted by ITV News and reported on by The Daily Telegraph. In some of the nation’s council regions, the FOI request has found that the number of fly-tipping incidents has risen by more than a fifth year-on-year. For example, almost 40,000 reported incidents were recorded in the North London district of Haringey between November 2015 and December 2016, with more than 30,000 incidents also reported in Manchester over the same period. There are some council regions where fly-tipping cases have actually decreased. Unfortunately, the problem is nowhere near being completely solved in any UK region though. In Birmingham, for instance, the number of fly-tipping cases are down by 13 per cent between November 2015 and December 2016. However, the figure during this period was still recorded at 21,000 offences. “Fly-tipping is an epidemic, it’s reached crisis levels and something needs to be done about it,” points out Ms Ogden-Newton. “Local authorities are overwhelmed with instances of criminal fly-tipping and we need to address this urgently.” Scotland in particular is facing many problems with fly-tipping, adds James Cuthbertson, an account executive at Lycetts. Near to 61,000 fly-tipping incidents are recorded in this country every single year, Mr Cuthbertson has found. He commented: “The culprits tend to think of this practice as a victimless crime; but estimates put the cost to Scottish tax payers at £8.9 million a year to clear and dispose of tipped rubbish from council land. Farmers and other countryside custodians must meet the cost of clearing rubbish from private land themselves, at an average of £1,000 a time.” The punishment for fly-tipping Attempts have been made to try and stop those committing fly~tipping incidents from going ahead with the crime. According to figures obtained from the BBC, a total of 1,602 prosecutions for fly-tipping were carried out across England between 2016 and 2017. What’s more, 98 per cent of prosecutions made resulted in a conviction. During the same time period, councils across England served 56,000 fixed penalty notices in regards to cases of fly-tipping. The maximum penalty for fly-tipping is up to five years imprisonment and an unlimited penalty. It is also important to note that those who permit fly-tipping to take place on their land or any land that they rent will also be committing a fly~tipping offence. Mr Cuthbertson was keen to note though: “Fines of up to £40,000 can be imposed but, given budgetary constraints, the pursuit of fly tippers is well down the list of priorities of councils and the police. Furthermore, it is hard to gather evidence to bring a successful prosecution.” The approach to take when a fly-tipping victim First things first — you are responsible for cleaning up any rubbish which appears on your private property, with this being the case whether the items are from a fly-tipping incident or otherwise. Be cautious when handling waste that has appeared due to someone fly~tipping on your land though, as it might be hazardous. Therefore, bags and drums should not be opened and piles of soil should be a cause for alarm bells as the material could be contaminated or hiding dangerous material. Instead, aim to make a record of every detail you can about the waste you’ve discovered. This includes where you located the waste, as well as taking photographs if possible. After all details have been recorded, report the case of fly-tipping to your local authority: Those in England and Wales should head to this GOV.UK page and report fly-tipping by first entering the postcode where the waste has been discovered. Those in Scotland should report fly-tipping waste by either filling in a simple online form on DumbDumpers.org or contacting Stopline directly by calling 0845 2 30 40 90. Those in Northern Ireland should head to gov.uk and find details for their local council, who will be able to advise on the waste disposal sites and recycling centres based nearby for the safe and legal recycling or disposal of unwanted items. Secure all waste in a manner where it cannot be interfered with or added to once reported. There are some steps to take when the waste is taken away too. First and foremost, do not take the waste to a licensed site yourself unless you’re registered as a waste carrier. If hazardous waste has been identified, it should only be carried and then disposed of by someone who is licensed to deal with hazardous waste. Using someone else to remove the fly~tipping waste? Be sure to get appropriate documentation — it should include details about the waste and those who are taking it away — and keep all information about clearance and disposal costs safe, as these can be recovered in the event a successful prosecution is made against the crime committed. Mr Cuthbertson also advised: “In the event you wake one morning to find the midnight cowboys have paid you a visit, if the problem is severe, it is worth consulting with your
ceda are proud to announce the launch of their latest catering equipment industry technical document, ‘Interface between fire-fighting systems and other systems in commercial kitchens’, jointly published by the Fire Industry Association (FIA). The document is intended to offer guidance to suppliers of catering equipment who are often required to provide fire protection systems and regularly have problems in ensuring that connections are made between the controls of the fire protection system and other systems, such as building management systems, kitchen extract fans and fuel supplies. There is a concern that the suppliers of other systems are reluctant to make the connections for several reasons including, fear of setting off the fire protection system, fear or reluctance to work in another contractor’s control box and communication, resulting in a lack of understanding of the relevance and importance of inter-connections between systems. ceda’s technical support advisor, Peter Kay wanted to provide ceda members with a guidance document that they can incorporate as part of their contracts not only with fire suppression system subcontractors but also their contracts with their clients. He explains, “Fire Suppression Systems are normally supplied with volt free contacts to trigger other systems such as fire alarms, gas interlocks, etc., however, it is not uncommon to find that these are never used simply because it was unclear as to who was responsible for making the connections.” “After some investigation it was felt that we should involve the Fire Industry Association with a view to publishing a jointly branded document. “This is the first time that ceda has worked in partnership with the Fire Industry Association and I find it encouraging that they welcomed our suggestion of a joint document”. Most suppliers of Fire Suppression Systems as well as Fire Alarm Systems and Building Management Systems are members of FIA and therefore will be advised to operate in accordance with the guidelines. The document is available as a download from the “Standard Documents” page on the members’ section of the ceda website, along with a guidance document that has been issued to ceda members which gives guidance on good practice relating to the provision of Fire Suppression Systems and also on the use of the ceda/FIA document. Non-ceda members who wish to view the document can request a copy from the ceda office by emailing fiona@ceda.co.uk.
