Biggin Hill War Memorial Museum in London has opened its doors to the public, with spitfire aircraft and previously unpublished photos of World War 2 pilots and Winston Churchill being available for at the public display. The museum aims to creating an environment where people can learn about the Battle of
Crest Nicholson has announced that its pre-tax profits for the year ending October 31 2018 slipped 15% to £176.4 million, with the London sales and higher priced homes being the main challenges in the year. Revenue was up 9% to £1,136.1 million and unit sales up 3% to 3,020. “The
With mounting public pressure and increasing legislation placed on large businesses to reduce their carbon footprints Energy Performance Contracting (EPC) is fast gaining traction as a viable financial instrument to fund and fast track large scale energy improvement projects. “Aging buildings in both the public and private sector, either through
Annette Forster has been appointed as Group Marketing Director at Ibstock plc. Joining the company at the start of the new year, Annette is a well-known and widely respected industry figure having served as Marketing Director at Wienerberger UK. She will be responsible for the strategic development of marketing, innovation
London’s super prime residential real estate more than held its own against the overall Brexit-plagued market last year, according to a report Thursday from Savills. The exclusive portion of the market where properties cost more than £15 million (US$19.5 million) saw transactions soar 43.1% in 2018 compared to 2017, data
Biggin Hill War Memorial Museum in London has opened its doors to the public, with spitfire aircraft and previously unpublished photos of World War 2 pilots and Winston Churchill being available for at the public display. The museum aims to creating an environment where people can learn about the Battle of Britain and those who lost their lives in the conflict. “The museum offers a new way of telling for what some people would be a familiar story,” said director of the Biggin Hill War Memorial Museum, Jemma Davey. Other artefacts on display include objects that reflect the lives of those who worked at RAF Biggin Hill and those that reflect the personal stories of service men and women that operated at the airfield. “The history of Biggin Hill goes so much further back than the Battle of Britain. It is one of Britain’s oldest aerodromes and was instrumental to the development of wireless communication technologies,” added Jemma. Called by Winston Churchill his “strongest link” during the Battle of Britain, RAF Biggin Hill is an airfield in South London. Pilots from the airfield took down 1,400 Luftwaffe aircraft during World War 2. Construction work on the £5.3 million (US$6.9m, €6m) museum started in Q4 2017 and the project received funding from the UK Government, the National Lottery, the local Bromley Council and private donors. The historic airfield site is also home to St George’s RAF Chapel of Remembrance, where those who died working from Biggin Hill sector are commemorated.
Crest Nicholson has announced that its pre-tax profits for the year ending October 31 2018 slipped 15% to £176.4 million, with the London sales and higher priced homes being the main challenges in the year. Revenue was up 9% to £1,136.1 million and unit sales up 3% to 3,020. “The business has had a good year operationally, with an increase in the number of new homes delivered. However, we have faced some challenges in London and with sales at higher price points where political and economic uncertainty has adversely impacted customer demand and this is likely to continue pending Brexit resolution,” said Crest Nicholson CEO Patrick Bergin. “Our forward sales are strong, boosted by our strategic partnerships and our new channels to market. Pricing is stable, build cost inflation has moderated and we have implemented plans to mitigate margin pressure, which will take effect progressively over the next few years. Our revised business strategy and focus on cash generation underpins our confidence in generating sustainable shareholder returns,” he added. In order to offset build cost pressures, Crest has taken a number of actions in its supply chain, as well as making improvements to build quality management and performance and investing to improve operational efficiency. The firm has developed a new range of designs for both houses and apartments which offer cost efficiencies through “some standardisation” making procurement and construction easier. The firm is also expanding its use of offsite manufacture (OSM), where house components, typically pre-insulated cold-rolled steel frames, are built in a factory and then erected on site. Looking ahead Bergin said that in the context of an unresolved Brexit, he expects the first half of 2019 to be difficult but that Crest is equipped to deal with any challenges it faces. “We are optimistic about the longer term prospects of the sector, we continue to remain vigilant and responsive. Our focus on the south of England housing markets remains a long-term strength, land remains in good supply and we have strong plans in place to meet the demand for affordable housing,” concluded Mr Bergin.
With mounting public pressure and increasing legislation placed on large businesses to reduce their carbon footprints Energy Performance Contracting (EPC) is fast gaining traction as a viable financial instrument to fund and fast track large scale energy improvement projects. “Aging buildings in both the public and private sector, either through fabric or design, waste significant amounts of money. Typically, 46% of an organisation’s operating costs is spent on energy and utilities with approximately 33% of that expended on wasted energy,” commented Mark McLoughlin, Siemens Industries and Markets. EPCs are appealing as they are sold on the premise of zero-upfront costs and the savings made on energy consumption can be offset by the cost of installing any conservation measures. “Limited access to funds or expertise can often stifle projects at an early stage and any mechanism that unlocks the cash reserves to help organisations’ meet their efficiency, sustainability and infrastructure targets is massively welcome,” continued McLoughlin. McLoughlin: “Energy costs are also forecast to rise over the coming years and anything organisations can do to reduce usage will have a positive impact on finances. EPCs are an efficient capital and cashflow tool; preserving valuable capital for core business assets and other priorities.” A comprehensive audit of an organisation’s power consumption is undertaken to provide the insight to help develop, design, build and, if necessary, finance modernisation projects to cut energy consumption and improve efficiency. Analytics help to develop a robust business case for the EPC outlining the conservation measures, costs and quantifiable savings and energy consumption expected. To date Siemens has helped multiple global organisations reduce their carbon emissions and provided them with the newest technologies and expertise across the entire spectrum of energy management. Improvements include HVAC and lighting management, renewable or storage energy opportunities, retrofit and upgrade/replacement, smart IoT deployments to energy purchasing strategies and water efficiency measures. While mostly found in the public sector i.e. education, healthcare, etc EPCs are also deployed in retail, industrial, commercial building, airports and other sectors. “The UK is already legally bound by the Climate Change Act to reduce emissions 80% by 2050 and large UK businesses bear a responsibility to meet some of that ambition. EPCs will help the environment and deliver world-class sustainable environments built for future generations,” concluded McLoughlin. EPC in action: Hvidovre Hospital in Denmark reduces its heat consumption by 41 percent and electricity usage by 23 percent through an EPC programme. Officially opened in March 1976, Hvidovre Hospital in the Danish city of Hvidovre was built between 1968 and 1979. Comprised four main buildings each three stories high Hvidovre is one of Denmark’s largest hospitals with more than 40,000 patients admitted each year. Siemens conducted a power consumption analysis of the 245,000 m2 hospital and identified measures to reduce its energy consumption and CO2 emissions. With hospitals operational 24/7 there was significant scope for major energy efficiency upgrades. Close cooperation with clinical staff enabled the project to be executed without major disruption to the day-to-day care of patients. The measures implemented at Hvidovre included expanding the photovoltaic system, installing geothermal storage systems and wind turbines, and modernising the building management system. This EPC project is the largest of its kind in Denmark with Siemens financing the costs in advance over a payback period of ten years for the hospital. Improvement measures included: replacement of existing air handling units, installation of 14,770 LED light tubes, replacement of pumps, and migration of the existing building management system to Desigo CC™ building management platform with 4,500 I/O and 409 Total Room Automation (TRA) controllers. The project also included renewable energy from five wind turbines, 1,500 kW of photovoltaics and borehole thermal energy storage (BTES). The hospital has reduced heat consumption by 41 percent and electricity usage by 23 percent with an overall energy saving of 33 percent. The EPC project has helped Hvidovre Hospital make genuine progress towards achieving its environmental goals over a short period of time and has improved a world class healthcare facility. EPC in action: Museums Victoria, Australia achieves a 31.6 percent reduction in utility costs, reduces its water usage by 6 percent and cuts emissions by 35 percent via EPC improvement programme Museums Victoria is the largest public museum organisation to adopt the Victorian Government’s Greener Government Building programme (GGB). It spans six sites: Melbourne Museum, Immigration Museum, Scienceworks Museum, Royal Exhibition Building, Moreland Annexe and the Simcock Avenue storage facilities, each with a unique set of efficiency optimisation requirements. Siemens was selected to undertake a detailed facility study of the museum’s entire real estate pool. The goal was to significantly reduce operating costs and emissions by implementing energy and water efficiency retrofits in government-owned buildings. Siemens’ improvement proposal offered the best outcomes for Museums Victoria in terms of maximising project value and energy savings within the required seven-year simple payback period. HVAC, lighting and water efficiency improvement measures are being implemented over 15 months and financed with Energy Performance Contracting. Efficiency improvements included Desigo CC™ building management platform at Melbourne Museum, Demand Flow™ chilled water system optimisation at Melbourne Museum, lighting upgrades across all six sites, chiller replacement at the Immigration Museum, HVAC control optimisation strategies, water efficiency upgrades across all sites, cogeneration system and subject to approval: the implementation of Navigator – the cloud-based energy and sustainability platform that monitors all buildings. The projected 31.6 percent utility cost reduction exceeded the initial 20 percent target, water usage was down by 6 percent and emissions cut by 35 percent. For further information on the Building Technologies Division, please see https://www.siemens.com/uk/en/home/products/buildingtechnologies.html Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a global technology powerhouse that has stood for engineering excellence, innovation, quality, reliability and internationality for 170 years. The company is active around the globe, focusing on the areas of electrification, automation and digitalization. One of the world’s largest producers of energy-efficient, resource-saving technologies, Siemens is a leading supplier of efficient power generation and power transmission solutions and a pioneer in infrastructure solutions as well as automation, drive and
Annette Forster has been appointed as Group Marketing Director at Ibstock plc. Joining the company at the start of the new year, Annette is a well-known and widely respected industry figure having served as Marketing Director at Wienerberger UK. She will be responsible for the strategic development of marketing, innovation and brand strategy for Ibstock plc and its operating companies. Her position as Group Marketing Director will see her join Ibstock’s Executive Leadership Team, reporting to Chief Executive Officer Joe Hudson. Annette brings with her a wealth of international and cross-functional experience. She has previously held high-profile roles at a number of global brands including Victrex plc and Sappi plc. In each role, her customer facing strategic and analytical approach have been the catalyst for commercial growth and elevated brand awareness. Annette is an award-winning marketer. Her education includes a B.Com (Hons) in Marketing from the University of Pretoria and an MBA achieved with distinction, from the University of Manchester; she is also a Chartered Marketer (CIM). Annette is an industry expert; she sits on the Construction Products Association’s Marketing Integrity core team and she has held the position of Chair on the Brick Development Association’s Promotional Working Party. Of her appointment Annette commented: “I am absolutely delighted to join the team at Ibstock plc. This is a business with a long and enviable heritage, unrivalled skills and expertise and an exciting future ahead. I am absolutely determined to drive customer focus and remind people that Ibstock plc is at the heart of Britain’s building solutions market.” Mr Hudson commented: “This is a key appointment to support our drive in the market-led transformation in our sector. The landscape for product marketing is evolving and we need to ensure our family of brands is well presented. Annette is just the person to help us achieve this. Her commercial experience will allow us to build on the Ibstock brand and maintain our market leading position.”
London’s super prime residential real estate more than held its own against the overall Brexit-plagued market last year, according to a report Thursday from Savills. The exclusive portion of the market where properties cost more than £15 million (US$19.5 million) saw transactions soar 43.1% in 2018 compared to 2017, data from the U.K. real estate agency show. The high-end transactions translated to a total sales volume of almost £2 billion, up 41.2% from 2017 and the highest figure since 2014, when the government introduced its new stamp duty rates resulting in much higher transaction costs at the top end of the market. Driving the increases are the relative bargains that can now be found in the prime London market. Some of the most expensive boroughs in London, dogged by political uncertainty, are seeing prices plummet, according to a report Monday from estate agency Your Move. Kensington and Chelsea, the most expensive borough in London where the average price in December was £1.7 million, saw prices drop more than a fifth in 12 months, down 21.2% from £2.25 million in December 2017. The capital has carried the brunt of the U.K.’s Brexit wariness, unsurprisingly, given the influence of immigration and overseas buyers on the market. “The price falls we’ve seen in the central London market, when combined with the depreciation of sterling, means the trophy properties of central London look relatively good value in an international context,” Lucian Cook, head of residential research at Savills, said in the report. “Despite the backdrop of political uncertainty and a less welcoming tax environment, these figures are clear evidence that London remains an attractive place for a growing pool of international high net worth individuals to live and conduct business,” he added. Values in prime central London peaked in June 2014 and have since fallen by 19.4%, with a 4.1% fall in 2018, Savills said.
