The government must make a prompt decision on its support for the Hinkley Point C nuclear project or risk putting off infrastructure investors from the UK. NIA chief executive Tom Greatrex Nuclear Industry Association (NIA) chief executive Tom Greatrex has warned that a delay beyond early autumn, as
BCA Pulse has found that the average price of used cars has remained steady over the course of May. These levels are currently at a record high for BCA and it looks as though professionally buyers are still bidding strongly on a wide range of different vehicles. BCA the British
Poets, a landmark housing development in the Swinton area of Salford, will soon make its first wave of properties available for purchase. The first six homes for off-plan sale at the 160-property mixed-tenure development have been announced by Salix Living. The development is part of a wider project to develop
As part of a fundraising initiative to benefit the Alzheimer’s Society, Johnny Rhodes, the Yorkshire Housing Independent living officer, is set to have his head shaved by elderly residents at Rye Court in Helmsley. Johnny has worked in care and support for 10 years, working with many people living with
Forticrete will be showcasing its innovative range of precision engineered concrete building products at the Build Show, part of UK Construction Week (October 9-11 2018). Amongst the products on display will be its Low Pitched Roof Window System and SL8® large format roof tile. Forticrete’s low pitch roof window system
SME house builders are to be given help in navigating the development finance process and accessing the funding they need, following the publication of a new guide by UK Finance and the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). The guide offers practical advice on how small house builders should present their
The new headquarters for community safety in Cleveland, designed by McBains, the leading consulting and design agency, has reached completion, with the latest photographs of the completed state-of-the-art building released for the first time today now that it is fully occupied. The new £9.7m building has been constructed on the
The government must make a prompt decision on its support for the Hinkley Point C nuclear project or risk putting off infrastructure investors from the UK. NIA chief executive Tom Greatrex Nuclear Industry Association (NIA) chief executive Tom Greatrex has warned that a delay beyond early autumn, as set out by the government, could harm the UK’s wider infrastructure ambitions. Speaking to Utility Week, Greatrex said: “The danger is if the delay is prolonged, it is not just this project that is undermined, but everything in terms of infrastructure.” Within hours of EDF giving the 3.2GW nuclear power plant the go-ahead, business and energy secretary Greg Clark issued a statement saying the government needs to “consider carefully all the component parts of this project” and will make a final decision in the autumn. While the NIA chief is eager for the decision to be promptly made, he is not concerned about the future of the project. “Don’t underestimate the importance of the decision by EDF. The commitment has been made for EDF to go ahead with it, and as far as they are concerned they have signed the contract. “Greg Clark reiterated the government’s support for new nuclear, and it is understandable that the new team in place will want to take their time with the deal.” The Energy and Climate Change committee chair and SNP MP Angus MacNeil also praised the government for postponing the signing-off of the Hinkley Point C deal, commending it as “a sensible move”. However, he slammed the agreement between the government and EDF, which will see EDF received £92.50/MWh when Hinkley is operational, as a “bad energy deal” and one “people would get out of if they could”. Shadow energy secretary Barry Gardiner also attacked the government’s handling of the deal, saying it is in “chaos”. “Delaying the decision on Hinkley at the eleventh hour shows a disregard for 25,000 British jobs that depend on it and it sends out a disastrous message to the investor community that this government is incapable of managing large-scale infrastructure projects.” Source link
BCA Pulse has found that the average price of used cars has remained steady over the course of May. These levels are currently at a record high for BCA and it looks as though professionally buyers are still bidding strongly on a wide range of different vehicles. BCA the British car auctioning business has been operating since 1946, formerly as Southern Counties Car Auctions in order to provide a marketplace to buy and sell used cars. Over around 70 years the company has managed to grow and now sell in excess of one million cars each year. BCA is known for being the largest vehicle remarketing business throughout Europe. The company also works with fleet operators and OEMs and dealers in order to remain a prominent part of the vehicle supply chain in the UK. BAC also offers logistics and technology services for the new vehicles as well as refurbishments and restoration of logistics services in used cars. This business is an important part of the vehicle supply chain therefore the indication that car values are remaining high and stable is surely good news for the rest of the rest of the sector. The figures that have been released for fleet, lease stock, and vehicles that have come from dealer part-exchanges have seen a slight drop month on month. In contrast to this the values for cars that are nearly-new have seen a slight increase. The values reached a record level of £9,090 was reached in April of this year, however May has seen this figure fall by £229, or 2.5% and now sits at £8,861. This is still a high figure and when looking at year on year values, there has been an average rise in values of £600 or 7.2%. It is thought that the increase in value has come from the consistent amount of demand for vehicles and the BCA providing a wide range of stock for buyers to choose from. The sector has also seen more stock that is being sold with lower age and mileage, which will appeal to a wider audience.
Poets, a landmark housing development in the Swinton area of Salford, will soon make its first wave of properties available for purchase. The first six homes for off-plan sale at the 160-property mixed-tenure development have been announced by Salix Living. The development is part of a wider project to develop the Poets Estate, also known as Beechfarm, and is the first of Salix Homes since becoming a stand-alone registered housing provider in 2015. As part of the ambitious redevelopment scheme, 146 properties are being demolished that had suffered historical structural damage with 160 brand new homes being built – 40 of which will be made available for outright sale, with the remaining 120 being homes for social housing. “This is a very exciting time for Salix Homes, and we’re very proud to announce our very first properties for sale and play a major role in providing much needed housing in the area. By transforming the Poets Estate, we are helping to make Swinton an even more attractive place to live and work. Poets is just the start for us, and by 2020, we aim to have 400 new homes either developed or in development,” said Jonathan Drake, service director for Salix Living. Throughout the development process, the residents on the estate have been involved to ensure there was minimum disruption to the community. Those affected by the demolition of existing properties on the estate were temporarily rehoused nearby, and are being given priority to move back into the new-build properties. A range of two and three bedroom properties will be available with prices starting at £144,995 for a two-bedroom home and £159,995 for a three-bedroom property, with four-bedroom homes available to buy in the later phases of the development. The homes all feature integrated appliances in the kitchen, Porcelanosa tilling in the bathrooms plus off-street parking, turfed garden areas and a timber garden shed. Interested buyers are urged to get in touch to register their interest in anticipation of the homes being in high demand. For further details, click on this link: https://poets-swinton.co.uk/.
As part of a fundraising initiative to benefit the Alzheimer’s Society, Johnny Rhodes, the Yorkshire Housing Independent living officer, is set to have his head shaved by elderly residents at Rye Court in Helmsley. Johnny has worked in care and support for 10 years, working with many people living with Alzheimer’s during this time. He has found that it can be hard for them to find local support groups and by doing this event for the Alzheimer’s Society, he hopes he can increase awareness of the condition and let people know what support is available. “I am really pleased that this sponsored head shave will help to raise awareness of Alzheimer’s. The residents who are living with Alzheimer’s will shave a bit of my hair off first, then the hairdresser will be finishing the job off,” said Johnny Rhodes, Yorkshire Housing independent living officer. “Residents have been really busy making cakes and events like these show how the residents at this Yorkshire Housing sheltered scheme can pull together,” he added. So far Johnny has raised £120 and if you would like to contribute to Johnny’s campaign, you can do so at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/johnny-rhodes. Yorkshire Housing is a charitable housing association that owns and manages more than 18,000 homes, while developing thousands more across Yorkshire. The association also provides a range of services to help people live independently.
Forticrete will be showcasing its innovative range of precision engineered concrete building products at the Build Show, part of UK Construction Week (October 9-11 2018). Amongst the products on display will be its Low Pitched Roof Window System and SL8® large format roof tile. Forticrete’s low pitch roof window system has been specifically developed to enable roof windows to be installed at pitches as low as 10° – much lower than many other systems, when used with Forticrete’s Centurion roof tile. Designed primarily for single storey extensions, the revolutionary system includes a patented two-piece tray drainage flow system. This stops water pooling and leaking by collecting water running under the tiles, dispersing it and controlling its flow into the guttering with no overshoot. The SL8 roof tile is another innovation designed to meet the increasing demands of the roofing market. With just 8 tiles per square metre needed it provides greater coverage with approximately 20% less tiles required per roof. It also has the visual characteristics of natural slate with benefits that no other interlocking tile can match. John Lambert, Managing Director of Forticrete, says the Build Show is the ideal opportunity to discover Forticrete’s range of products. He comments: “With well documented waiting times for popular building products, and margins being squeezed, we’re actively encouraging everybody in the supply chain to look at the alternatives, such as products made from concrete. Our precision engineered range includes products which are revolutionary in design and meet the growing demands of the construction sector. By considering materials that are sustainable, durable and have a more competitive price point, it provides a win-win for everyone in the supply chain.” Forticrete, part of Ibstock plc, is a leading manufacturer of concrete roof tiles, architectural masonry and walling and cast stone. Visit Forticrete at Stand B642 or visit www.forticrete.co.uk.
SME house builders are to be given help in navigating the development finance process and accessing the funding they need, following the publication of a new guide by UK Finance and the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). The guide offers practical advice on how small house builders should present their finance applications to lenders to improve their chances of success, as well as listing the alternative options available if an application is turned down. It also offers SME house builders advice on how to make the most of the diverse range of finance options available to them including challenger banks, private equity, crowd funding, finance brokers and Government-supported funds. It follows the announcement of several schemes to increase funding for SME house builders, such as the Housing Delivery Fund and the Housing Growth Partnership, which have been backed by the finance industry in partnership with Homes England. The guide, which will be available on both the FMB and UK Finance websites, was launched today at the FMB’s Eastern Business Conference in Chelmsford, Essex. Stephen Pegge, Managing Director of Commercial Finance, UK Finance, said: “The range of finance options available to SME house builders is now greater than ever, from traditional high street lenders to challenger banks and government-supported schemes. But too often, SMEs are deterred from applying for finance because they are unsure about where to look or whether they’ll be successful. “This guide is designed to help smaller housebuilders navigate this diverse landscape and find the right form of finance for them. Through close cooperation between UK Finance, the FMB and the Government, we are determined to help SME builders grow their business and build the homes the country needs.” Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, said: “Over the past decade, for many SME house builders, development finance has been difficult to access. Although there have been improvements in this picture in recent years, nearly half of SME house builders still view lack of access to finance as a major constraint on their ability to build new homes. We will continue to work with the Government and UK Finance to identify ways to improve this situation by enabling lenders to lend more to this sector. “However, it is also the case that the process of obtaining development finance can be complex and difficult to navigate, especially for new entrants or those without recent experience of the market. It is important that SME builders and developers understand what to expect when seeking development finance, the options available and the process they will go through. That is what this guide is designed to achieve and we are really pleased to have joined forces with UK Finance to develop some practical advice for builders. We believe it will open doors and play a part in helping more new homes get built.” Small Business Minister Kelly Tolhurst said: “Smaller house builders in particular face challenges accessing the finance they need and this new guide provides useful, practical information on the available options that will help them build the homes the country needs. “As part of our modern Industrial Strategy, the Government is working with the construction sector to boost skills and foster modern building techniques to help the sector reach its full potential.”
The new headquarters for community safety in Cleveland, designed by McBains, the leading consulting and design agency, has reached completion, with the latest photographs of the completed state-of-the-art building released for the first time today now that it is fully occupied. The new £9.7m building has been constructed on the edge of land at Hemlington Grange in Middlesbrough, an area that will be transformed over the coming 10 years with significant residential accommodation, associated community facilities and employment opportunities. The bespoke, 3,000 square-metre Community Safety Hub has been designed as an innovative, efficient, and technologically capable building, providing a workspace for policing and community partners. As well as providing open-plan flexible office accommodation, the building contains Cleveland Police’s 999 call centre and Senior Management Team, as well as the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Cleveland. The building is designed as a Community Hub, which provides works space for not only the headquarter functions of the Cleveland Police but also for community partners and as such includes a community café space for use by building users, visitors to the building and the local community. The design balances the need for security and providing an open, civic environment for visitors and members of the community. Mark Baseby, Director at McBains in charge of the project, said: “The central concept behind the building is ‘one force under one roof’, represented conceptually by a single roof forming a protective shell, enveloping all of the force’s core functions. “The design is intended to change the working culture of the police force through the implementation of an agile working model, providing facilities which are more flexible to changing operational requirements and which allow for a reduction in the overall floor space, leading to inherent cost savings.”
