Drax, the UK-based power plant, has become the first in the world to capture carbon dioxide from the burning of wood fuel. It has started a demonstration of a new technology that will capture 1 t/day of CO2 from a 100% biomass feedstock. The £400 000 project brings the prospect of
Mace Interiors has been appointed to deliver Woolwich’s new Creative District, which will see a historic military complex transformed into a major cultural destination. Mace’s fit-out will work alongside architect Bennetts Associates and creative consultancy The Chase and Land Design Studio on the project. Phase one of the project has already
PJ Plumbing Heating & Maintenance Ltd benefited from a total floor solution from Gaia, including insulation and screed works, to a new sports facility in Norwich. The sports hall, built at the Hewett Academy, is expected to be used by Jane Austen College, the Hewett Academy, Charles Darwin Primary, and
The word ‘office’ has long been heavily associated with skyscrapers and modern complexes. These days, however, many businesses have expanded their geographical reach – with many opting to work outside of the city. Firms located in rural areas can avoid high rent costs, busy commutes and –unsurprisingly – can enjoy
UK’s leading supplier of ironmongery to the trade, IronmongeryDirect, has been named as one of the top internet retailers in the UK. The company has appeared, for the first time, in the Internet Retailing UK Top 500, entering within the first 350 businesses. The IRUK Top 500 report ranks retailers
East Grinstead, 19 February 2019: The Facilities Event, the leading exhibition dedicated to the UK’s facilities and workplace industry, has announced top FM experts who will be tackling the industry’s biggest challenges during a packed seminar programme at this year’s event held at NEC, Birmingham on the 9-11 April 2019. The
Drax, the UK-based power plant, has become the first in the world to capture carbon dioxide from the burning of wood fuel. It has started a demonstration of a new technology that will capture 1 t/day of CO2 from a 100% biomass feedstock. The £400 000 project brings the prospect of a carbon-negative power plant closer to reality, according to Drax. It is the first of several planned bioenergy carbon capture and storage (BECCS) projects planned at the site. “Proving that this innovative carbon capture technology works is an exciting development and another important milestone in our BECCS project. Climate change affects us all so this is of real significance – not just for us at Drax, but also for the UK and the rest of the world,” said Will Gardiner, Drax Group CEO. “The successful deployment of BECCS requires us to identify ways in which the carbon dioxide we’re now capturing can be stored or used in other processes and we’re working with the government and other businesses on that. We’re focused on working together to make the progress required for us to tackle climate change and enable a zero carbon, lower cost energy future,” Will added. The demonstration started by Drax uses a solvent-based technology developed by UK-based C-Capture. The system started being commissioned by engineers in November 2018. The data that is obtained about the CO2 capture process will continue to be analysed throughout the pilot to fully understand the potential of the technology and how it could be scaled up at Drax. Identifying and developing ways to store and use the carbon dioxide being captured is part of it. “Working at this scale is really where the engineering gets interesting. The challenge now is to get all the information we need to design and build a capture plant 10 000 times bigger,” concluded Caspar Schoolderman, Director of Engineering at C-Capture.
Mace Interiors has been appointed to deliver Woolwich’s new Creative District, which will see a historic military complex transformed into a major cultural destination. Mace’s fit-out will work alongside architect Bennetts Associates and creative consultancy The Chase and Land Design Studio on the project. Phase one of the project has already commenced and it involves the redevelopment of five Grade II listed buildings, the delivery of a 1200-seat venue, three professional studios, two community studios, three professional/educational studios, two reception spaces, public spaces and a café/bar. It is expected to be completed some time during 2020. Woolich Creative District will bring a significant boost to local development, with 400 long-term jobs expected to be created as a result of the work. Mace Interiors will also be supporting the local area, offering a number of construction apprenticeships and graduate placements on the project. “The development of Woolwich Creative District begins a new chapter in this history of Woolwich and will make the town a destination for Londoners and visitors from across the country. Punchdrunk is a truly world class organisation and I’m thrilled that so many internationally renowned artists and companies are making Woolwich their home; cementing its position as a new cultural hub, which will benefit communities across the wider borough. We are absolutely committed to ensuring local people feel the effects of this development by embedding community benefits into leases and contracts across the board,” commented Cllr Danny Thorpe, Leader of Royal Borough of Greenwich. Other important announcements included Punchdrunk as a resident company for the Creative District and the appointment of Valerie Vaughan-Dick as the Chair of the Woolwich Creative District Operating Trust.
PJ Plumbing Heating & Maintenance Ltd benefited from a total floor solution from Gaia, including insulation and screed works, to a new sports facility in Norwich. The sports hall, built at the Hewett Academy, is expected to be used by Jane Austen College, the Hewett Academy, Charles Darwin Primary, and the new Wherry School, an independent specialist free school. “This is a great new facility for both our students and those from Hewett Academy, and a great example of how our schools work together across the Inspiration Trust,” said the head of Jane Austen College David Thomas. The company supplied tamper-proof room thermostats, a popular product in schools and public areas to the new facility. Named after Eileen Ash, a pioneering female test cricketer who lives in Norwich and is now 107 years old, the facility was officially opened in Autumn last year. Since then, the sports hall has been kitted out with new equipment, supporting a range of sports offered at the schools including netball, cricket, trampolining and basketball. “The Hewett Academy already has some of the best sports facilities in the city and we regularly welcome pupils from nearby schools for swimming, hockey and football. This brilliant new centre is a great way to continue that tradition,” commented Academy Principle Rebecca Handley Kirk of Hewett Academy. The system installed was Gaia Wet Underfloor Heating into screed, and placed in the changing facilities and lobby areas. “We worked closely with a trusted screeding contractor to deliver the total package including screed laid to falls in the shower areas. The project was a joy to work on, and there was great communication from PJ Plumbing and the main contractor from start to finish,” concluded Senior Account Manager William Theobald, who oversaw the project for Gaia.
The word ‘office’ has long been heavily associated with skyscrapers and modern complexes. These days, however, many businesses have expanded their geographical reach – with many opting to work outside of the city. Firms located in rural areas can avoid high rent costs, busy commutes and –unsurprisingly – can enjoy major health benefits. Those based in the countryside typically work from converted buildings, like barns and lofts. As with any indoor area, safety compliance is key. If you want to transform an old building into an office, look no further: our guide can help you to achieve this. Determine Property Age Do you seek to convert an old building – like a barn – into a working space? If so, it may be worth determining its age before you decide to buy. Often, it can be slight harder to obtain planning permission for properties that were built before a certain period than more modern constructions. Farm buildings pre-dating July 1948 may be determined by the same rules that are applied to the updating of listed buildings. To avoid any legal disputes, it could be worth identifying its approximate age. Census returns, local history societies, and online sources can help with this. In doing this, you can make sure that any space older than 71 years old will apply to all safety compliancy laws once it has been modified. Consider Company Type What kind of business do you own? Do you provide face-to-face customer service? Or does client work happen outside of the office? In the UK, Health and Safety regulations are universal. But particular ones can apply to certain workplace environments. On-Site construction may entail additional regulations that are specific to that industry, for example. If craftwork – like carpentry – will take place within your desired barn or coach house, you must consider how its layout can protect workers from harm. Single story buildings with a wide surface area often present a less hazardous environment. To maximise the safety of your converted space, identify any industry requirements regarding safety laws. Guarantee Consistent Safety Safety compliance is an ongoing task. But with the right equipment, you can easily maintain a comfortable, healthy space. Devices like automatic smoke ventilation systems can detect any issue before it arises. As a result, you can confront it quickly and effectively. Additionally, health and safety compliance involves comfort. If it is not dealt with, discomfort can seriously affect our emotional and physical wellbeing. Exposure to intense cold may lead to hyperthermia and confusion. Equally, without proper ventilation, heat exhaustion can occur in offices. A manual window opener can enable you to eliminate either of these risks. With this tool, everyone in your converted business space can manage heat levels directly. Therefore, you can all work together to make it as comfortable and safe as possible. A business relocation to the country could heighten the overall performance of your team and firm. Better still, it will deliver fantastic views. It may even improve staff members’ health. Now that you know how to optimise safety within your new office, you can create the ideal home for your company.
UK’s leading supplier of ironmongery to the trade, IronmongeryDirect, has been named as one of the top internet retailers in the UK. The company has appeared, for the first time, in the Internet Retailing UK Top 500, entering within the first 350 businesses. The IRUK Top 500 report ranks retailers by revenue, store networks and website traffic as well as undertaking in-depth analysis into an organisation’s approach to customers. Wayne Lysaght-Mason, Managing Director at IronmongeryDirect, said while they had experienced their best financial year to date, the Basildon-based wholesaler was not resting on its laurels – with further expansion planned in 2019 and beyond. He said: “We are thrilled to have made it into the IRUK Top 500 internet retailers. To be included in a list of companies that consist of the likes of Amazon, John Lewis and Argos is a great reflection of our achievements and is an indication of the positive direction that IronmongeryDirect is heading in. “In the digital age where the standard 9-5 working hours are becoming less applicable, IronmongeryDirect is leading the way and continually evolving our business strategy, placing our customers firmly at the centre.” IronmongeryDirect has recently completed a major expansion of its warehouse and is preparing to celebrate its 50th anniversary later this year. Wayne continued: “The expansion has enabled us to improve our service offering whilst continuing to grow our product range, bringing the total range to over 17,000 products. This further cements our position as the leading supplier of ironmongery and related products to the trade in the UK. IronmongeryDirect is the UK’s largest specialist ironmongery supplier, with over 17,000 products in stock, available for next day delivery when you order by 8pm Sunday to Friday and by 4pm on Saturday. Free delivery is available on orders over £45 together with free returns. For more information, visit IronmongeryDirect.com or call their team of specialist advisors on 0800 168 28 28.
East Grinstead, 19 February 2019: The Facilities Event, the leading exhibition dedicated to the UK’s facilities and workplace industry, has announced top FM experts who will be tackling the industry’s biggest challenges during a packed seminar programme at this year’s event held at NEC, Birmingham on the 9-11 April 2019. The free-to-attend programme will be hosted from a central theatre, The Facilities Hub, and will consist of 18 sessions featuring 30 of the most knowledgeable professionals in the UK’s FM industry today. All session content is CPD accredited and will be delivered across what the organisers are calling the ‘Five pillars of FM’. These five streams cover key elements within the FM profession and include cleaning services, security, catering, property management and support & technology services. “Our aim has been to design a programme which appeals to all levels of FMs working in the UK today. We know that there are many time pressures on those who are keen to attend The Facilities Event. This year our focus has been to deliver valuable training sessions with very practical take-aways with content that attendees can use to improve working practices at their organisation.” says Rachel Godfrey, Event Manager, The Facilities Event. Those attending The Facilities Event 2019 will also get free access to its co-located events; The Fire Safety Event, The Health & Safety Event and the brand-new The Security Event. Each event features its own professional seminar programme and a host of global brands demonstrating their technology and services. From legislative trends in health & safety to essential fire safety and security updates, the four events provide the ultimate opportunity for FMs at every level to update themselves on vital business knowledge. Godfrey explains “By attending the sessions and meeting with this year’s exhibitors, FMs will have the opportunity to create a personalised event experience and find real solutions to the issues that facing their business. We guarantee that those who attend will learn skills, experience and touch innovative technology and meet new industry colleagues.” Free visitor registration is now open, visit www.facilitiesevents.com to claim your free badge. Interested in exhibiting? Contact Rachel Godfrey on 01342 333714 or email rgodfrey@western-be.co.uk.
