Four new appointments have taken place at This Land™, who appointed established property leaders as Non-Executive Directors. Susan Freeman, David Meek, Jeremy Miller and Richard Steer join the company with significant experience in various aspects of the property industry. Susan Freeman is one of the UK’s foremost property lawyers, with
An England football legend has helped ArtificialGrass.com greet visitors to its display at a major industry event held in Coventry. Former Leicester City and Liverpool star Emile Heskey joined forces with the leading artificial turf company for this year’s National Merchant Buying Society (NMBS) exhibition, which took place at the
Rope and Sling Specialists (RSS) will test 24 jibs and runway beams, in addition to related hoists, during three site visits at the Wheelabrator Parc Adfer facility in Flintshire, North Wales this month (April), ahead of commencement of waste-to-energy operations later in the year. A major challenge separated the project
Horbury Property Services, part of the Horbury Group, has been selected to provide fire safety services for over 55s accommodation managed by Sheffield-based Arches Housing. The contract involves Horbury Property Services providing fire door replacement and fire compartmentation upgrades, which will be completed within a four-week schedule, as part of
A new form of cleaner and cheaper temporary power, utilising the latest gas microturbine technology from California, is being launched by SSE Enterprise and Pure World Energy. The semi-permanent power solution will help developers cut costs and emissions – thanks to its modular gas micro-turbine technology capable of providing onsite
Manchester Airport has celebrated the completion of the first major phase of its £1bn transformation programme. Passengers flying out of the UK’s third largest airport were welcomed onto a new pier, which connects to Terminal 2, for the first time last week. Construction of the 216m long structure commenced on
Four new appointments have taken place at This Land™, who appointed established property leaders as Non-Executive Directors. Susan Freeman, David Meek, Jeremy Miller and Richard Steer join the company with significant experience in various aspects of the property industry. Susan Freeman is one of the UK’s foremost property lawyers, with a wealth of knowledge and influence in the real estate sector as recognised by her ranking as “The Woman Who Knows Everyone” in Bisnow’s ‘The 51 Most Influential Women in UK Real Estate’. Susan’s breadth of experience and extensive property industry network will be a welcome asset for This Land™. She joins as a Non-Executive Director by David Meek who holds over 30 years of senior executive and board experience in Tier 1 global financial institutions, real estate and technology companies, such as JP Morgan and Citi, currently serving as a Non-Executive Director in the Middle East on the Board of one of the region’s leading retail banks and asset managers. Led by Chairman Steven Norris, This Land’s™ Board will also be bolstered by the appointment of Jeremy Miller and Richard Steer. Jeremy has served as Non-Executive Director and Chairman for a raft of innovative businesses related to property and finance, including Countryside Properties and Centerview Partners, whilst acting as a trusted advisor to many FTSE100/250 companies. Richard Steer is renowned for having spearheaded the growth of property consultancy, Gleeds, into a major global brand, increasing UK turnover more than six-fold in the process. Richard was recognised in 2017 as Building Magazine’s Personality of the Year. “I am both delighted and incredibly excited that This Land™ has secured the services of such an established group of industry leaders as we continue to grow and develop the business. Susan, David, Jeremy and Richard are all towering figures in their respective fields, bringing a breadth of top–level experience and their own invaluable specialist insights to support This Land’s™ growth ambitions,” commented David Gelling, Managing Director of This Land™. “As Managing Director it will be of immense value to me to be able to call on such a high level of expertise to the business as we forge an exciting future for the company. We believe in long term value and seek to fulfil our mission to deliver new homes and neighbourhoods that will reinvigorate the quality and reputation of UK housebuilding,” he added.
An England football legend has helped ArtificialGrass.com greet visitors to its display at a major industry event held in Coventry. Former Leicester City and Liverpool star Emile Heskey joined forces with the leading artificial turf company for this year’s National Merchant Buying Society (NMBS) exhibition, which took place at the Ricoh Arena. The ex-striker was on hand to meet and greet, as well as sign footballs for NMBS members visiting ArtificialGrass.com’s stand. More than 280 exhibitors and 850 delegates came together for the annually-held trade show, which is the largest buying and selling event for independent builders, as well as timber, roofing, plumbing and heating merchants. Delegates were also given the chance to speak to the firm’s experienced team of grass experts, who offered their advice and tips on everything from how to install artificial grass to promoting new products in the range, as well as exclusive deals on the day. Andy Driver, Sales and Marketing Director for ArtificialGrass.com, said: “It was fantastic to join industry colleagues at the NMBS exhibition once again this year. “The event proved to be a huge success for us. We had lots of positive discussions and our team are excited to help grow the landscaping businesses for our merchant base. “Having Emile join us on our stand was a great honour and encouraged lots of people to come along and say hello for photographs and autographs. “ArtificialGrass.com has established itself as the go-to brand for the independent builders’ merchants, thanks to our ongoing investment in product development and our comprehensive service and training packages that we are able to offer.” For more information, go to www.artificialgrass.com or call 0843 224 7878. You can also follow ArtificialGrass.com on Linked In www.linkedin.com/company/artificialgrass and Facebook or Twitter @merchantgrass.
Rope and Sling Specialists (RSS) will test 24 jibs and runway beams, in addition to related hoists, during three site visits at the Wheelabrator Parc Adfer facility in Flintshire, North Wales this month (April), ahead of commencement of waste-to-energy operations later in the year. A major challenge separated the project from other similar testing works. Eventually, post-recycled waste will be treated to create energy and recyclables, providing clean, sustainable energy for more than 30,000 local homes. Operations and associated activities will rely on a variety of overhead lifting equipment, including the aforementioned beams, the final six of which were still being installed at the time of going to press. RSS received a scope of work to proof load test the beams from Lyon, France-based Lab SA, which constructed the building where the majority of them are installed. The remaining three beams are on a nearby stack and residue silo respectively. RSS, a lifting and rigging equipment specialists, will complete the works over two three-day visits, the first of which has been completed, and an additional two-day visit. The main stack beam was 26m high, the same height as the cantilevered beam that protruded from the top of the filter bag house; the residue silo stood 3m taller. Other heights of lift varied between 3m and 10m. RSS delivered all required test weights for the initial visit but will hire a larger beam to complete testing on two of the beams, likely to be completed on 16 April. Gary Coleman, site engineer at RSS, said: “We need to complete the tests in line with the stringent requirements of the site. The beams within the penthouse area of the building were required for installing filler bags and a separate contractor required certification of the hoists and beams so they could use them. The contract included the inspection of chain blocks and trolleys as they were installed. Remedial works will be handled as required.” Coleman also pointed to the project’s biggest challenge: “The client specifically stated that no pulling of the steel structure is allowed anywhere on site. This meant we had to adopt a more complex testing method from start to finish, adding time, cost, and manual handling. We were recommended for the project following our success at a previous waste recovery project, but the two turned out to be very different.” He added: “We carried out testing by using live loads (or weights). We transported weights in our vans to site—a 625kg [weight] and a little basket tare weight [weighing 34kg]. We also bolted a 5t SWL [safe working load] bracket into the concrete floor, held in place with four M12 x 120mm through bolts. Once we had completed testing, we used a grinder to cut off flush to the floor and hammered the remainder below floor level to ensure no trip hazard remained.” Contact for editorial enquiries: Steve Hutin, steve@rssgroup.co.uk
Horbury Property Services, part of the Horbury Group, has been selected to provide fire safety services for over 55s accommodation managed by Sheffield-based Arches Housing. The contract involves Horbury Property Services providing fire door replacement and fire compartmentation upgrades, which will be completed within a four-week schedule, as part of enhancing fire safety for residents. Richard Sutton, General Manager at Horbury Property Services, said: “This is our second major contract with Arches Housing and we are very pleased to be working with them again to enhance fire safety in one of their sheltered housing schemes. Fire safety is an essential requirement in all buildings, and we aim to ensure that the residents of Arches Housing are offered the best possible fire protection.” Luigi Iantorno, asset compliance & reinvestment officer at Arches Housing, said: “Horbury Property Services secured this contract as a result of a rigorous competitive tender. The upgrade to fire doors and fire compartmentation is an important part of our planned maintenance works as we aim to ensure our homes are as fire safe as possible.” As well as fire door and fire compartmentation services, Horbury Property Services provides a full range of works, which can form part of planned maintenance programmes. This includes ceiling and dry wall partitioning inspection, installation, repair and maintenance of fire doors, joinery works, fire stopping, sealing, fire compartmentation, fire alarm and emergency light testing, portable appliance testing, electrical testing and installation work, building fabric repairs as well as external cladding and render repairs. In addition, the wider Horbury Group provides painting and decorating, flooring refurbishment and installation, amongst others. The company has its head office in South Yorkshire, plus regional offices in London and South Wales, ensuring a truly national capability. This regional presence enables its teams to successfully deliver responsive repairs or large planned refurbishment and maintenance programmes. Arches Housing is a community-based social landlord, which was established in 1975 and provides more than 1,200 affordable homes in Sheffield and Rotherham. For more details, visit www.horburypropertyservices.com or call 01709 917555.
A new form of cleaner and cheaper temporary power, utilising the latest gas microturbine technology from California, is being launched by SSE Enterprise and Pure World Energy. The semi-permanent power solution will help developers cut costs and emissions – thanks to its modular gas micro-turbine technology capable of providing onsite temporary or medium-term power that is ultra-low in NOx (Nitrogen oxides) and Sox (Sulphur oxides) emissions – especially compared with diesel generation. The technology comes from US company Capstone, which is a leading manufacturer of clean micro turbine systems which has deployed over 9,000 such units globally. Capstone’s microturbines have been developed to pass strict California emissions levels, and have already provided power in varied locations such as remote oil fields and mines. There is currently a great deal of government focus in the UK and Ireland on tackling air pollution in cities, London is leading the way by introducing an Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) from April 8th. Capstone microturbines are ideally positioned to meet the new emissions thresholds. Likewise, these intermediate power solutions will also help in cities where the Grid is ‘constrained’ ie where the electricity transmission system is unable to transmit power to the location of demand due to congestion at one or more parts of the transmission network. In Dublin for example, the current high levels of development and consequent demand for power is putting pressure on the Grid, causing potential delays to projects in the city. Neil Kirkby, Managing Director of SSE Enterprise, said the units would offer “total flexibility” to the user, in terms of modular load matching and financial proposition for power requirements from 30kVa to 30MVa. He said: “We believe that the ability of our product to reduce emissions from generation is potentially game-changing. Until now construction companies, developers and manufacturers have had to rely on diesel generation to meet their onsite needs. New tough emissions targets make this hard for developers, who still need to meet demand for their temporary generation. “Demand for new city infrastructure has never been greater. But constrained power networks are now effectively becoming a barrier to development, not least because it can take two years for a Grid connection to be delivered. This means potentially large energy users can’t access readily the energy they require to meet demand. “We’re looking to solve both these issues by providing a cleaner source of electricity from temporary generation tailored to meet the demands of the customer and the regulator. This is a new application of containerised micro-turbine gas technology in the UK that is already proven across the globe.” Sean Fitzpatrick, CEO of Pure World Energy (PWE), added: “PWE is delighted to partner with SSE to launch our semi-permanent power solution. Our Capstone micro turbine technology offers a clean, efficient and effective model for medium-term electricity supply. We are offering a hybrid ESCo model that will give customers cost certainty and greater reliability. “Given the amount of focus we are seeing in the UK & Ireland on reducing pollution in our cities we think this is a very timely market intervention. We hope that many businesses will be able to benefit from these units – especially when they face constrained grid issues.” The new service will also transform how customers pay for their temporary generation. Traditionally, customers pay for the cost hire of the plant, fuel and other services but now they will simply pay for the energy they consume at an agreed price for a set period. The units can run off other types of all fuels and will run effectively off a mains gas line or tanked source. Four Key Benefits of the new microturbines are: Cleaner – It beats traditional onsite diesel generation on emissions, noise and space Cheaper – It’s up to 20% cheaper than the equivalent cost of diesel generation Simpler – Customers only pay for the energy they consume, and no back-up generation is required More flexible – The modular configuration of the microturbines means they can be scaled up or down to match demand, making the technology suitable for multiple industries
Manchester Airport has celebrated the completion of the first major phase of its £1bn transformation programme. Passengers flying out of the UK’s third largest airport were welcomed onto a new pier, which connects to Terminal 2, for the first time last week. Construction of the 216m long structure commenced on site in July 2017 with the build completed in late January 2019. The facility was then trialled before transitioning into operation on 1 April. The Pier which provides 11 jetty served “contact” stands has more than 1400 seats in a fully glazed upper departures level offering panoramic views of the airfield. A separate, segregated arrivals level provides passengers with a travellator-assisted walking route to the main terminal arrivals facilities. It will be used by all airlines currently operating out of T2 and was constructed from 14,000 steel pieces, 47,184 bolts and painted with 2,600 litres of paint. In preparation for the pier, the apron was extended by 49,000sqm to accommodate new aircraft parking stands, along with the construction of a new taxiway and associated infrastructure and services. The opening marks the next phase of the airport’s multi-phased transformation programme that will see Terminal 2 become the focal point of its operations. More than 1,800 people are currently working on the project which recently welcomed its 100th apprentice as work gathers pace. Over the coming weeks more and more flights will gradually move over to the new pier as it becomes fully operational. The main design and build contractor for the pier was Laing O’Rourke with Arcadis engaged to support MAG as Project and Programme Managers. Pascall and Watson were the Architects behind the pier’s design. The main airfield works design and build contractor is Galliford Try with Jacobs providing the airport with client Project and Programme Management support. The 11 airbridges that have been fitted to the pier are provided by Adelte. Andrew Cowan, CEO of Manchester Airport, said: “This is a significant milestone for Manchester Airport as we deliver the first phase of the biggest investment we have made in our 80 year history. “Over the coming years we will transform the airport for all of our customers, giving the North the world class airport it deserves. The investment we are making and the range of destinations we connect to, in all corners of the world, underlines the vital role Manchester Airport plays in creating jobs and driving growth across the North of England. “Since putting the first spade in the ground in July 2017, a huge amount of work has gone into getting our new pier, its stands and the multi-storey car park ready to open today and I would like to thank all of our colleagues and delivery partners for their efforts.” Peter Jones, Operations Leader for Laing O’Rourke, said: “It is a significant achievement to have the pier, link bridge and multi-storey car park ready for airport guests within 18 months. The project’s design, construction methods and logistics were all planned digitally before construction on the edge of the live airfield began. Our digital engineering approach meant we, and our project partners were able to work together efficiently; putting productive solutions in place to minimise disruption to passengers and staff, while delivering new facilities for Manchester Airport on time. “We are now looking ahead to the completion of the Terminal 2 extension which is due to be handed over to the Manchester Airports Group next year.” Colin Abbott, Aviation Director Galliford Try, said: “We are incredibly proud to have played such a key role in the first phase of this exciting transformation project. We’re delighted to see aircraft using the new apron and stands, which is testament to the hard work and dedication from our team of experienced colleagues. Commencing this project 24 months ago, our team has worked over 400,000 hours, constructing and resurfacing around 65,000 sqm of apron and installing 28,000m of AGL lights and power amongst other services. “By working successfully in collaboration with other contractors; we have now realised the first phase of the airport’s vision for the future, whilst cementing further our long-standing relationship with MAG. We are very much looking forward to completing the next phase of the project.” Graham Mallett, Programme Director, Jacobs, said: “We are delighted that Jacobs has been involved in the development of the Manchester Airport Transformation Programme from concept design through to the achievement of the first major milestones of opening pier one and the multi-storey car park. “In our role managing the delivery of the Airfield works, our focus, and that of our supply chain partners has been to ensure everyone working on the airfield has gone home safely every day. We believe that this approach has played a key part in the successful delivery of the airfield works. “This has been a massive team effort across the whole of the project whilst working closely with the airport’s operations team to give our airlines and passengers visible improvements in the service delivered. We look forward to supporting Manchester Airport’s future growth plans through the achievement of further milestones.” Julian Carlson, Director at Pascall+Watson, said: “We are delighted Manchester Airport has seen pier one become operational and acknowledge the great team effort in both design and delivery that made the first major phase of the transformation programme such a success” Arcadis’ Program Director, Richard Walker, said: “The opening of the first two major developments, pier one and the 3,800-space multi-storey car park, is a huge achievement against a very ambitious design and 17-month construction programme. It has been a pleasure to see true team collaboration with the Airport and across the supply chain, and exciting to develop efficiencies from the latest digital technologies. “Our focus now centres on the new terminal extension, which is in its fit-out stage and opens next year, and the design of future phases involving reconfiguration of the existing terminal and more piers.” The next phase of the £1bn transformation is the extension to the existing Terminal
