August 15, 2019

Regeneration Plans in London Revised

Regeneration plans for the Bishopsgate Goodsyard in east London have reduced in height and scale following extensive consultation. The new revised plans were submitted for the 10 acre mixed-use scheme in Shoreditch, which also include the addition of new streets and a building for cultural space on Brick Lane. Hammerson

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What Brits Choose to Do with Their Child’s Bedroom

Two thirds of Brits (66%) say they will be repurposing their child’s bedroom as soon as they leave for university, according to a new study from AA Financial Services – nearly a third admit they can finally realise their dreams of turning the empty space into a guest bedroom (29%).

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Why Get Building Maintenance Services

A building is a place where you do business, work, live, or play. Read more about buildings in this link. This is an asset that will serve you for a lot of years if proper maintenance or preservation is followed. When you are doing business, you will make the impression

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Latest Issue
Issue 323 : Dec 2024

August 15, 2019

Regeneration Plans in London Revised

Regeneration plans for the Bishopsgate Goodsyard in east London have reduced in height and scale following extensive consultation. The new revised plans were submitted for the 10 acre mixed-use scheme in Shoreditch, which also include the addition of new streets and a building for cultural space on Brick Lane. Hammerson and Ballymore are leading the development to deliver 500 homes, 1.4 million sq ft of workspace in five buildings, and a high line-style public park sitting on top of the restored railway arches.  The revisions for the site will see half of the homes delivered be affordable, an increase on the 15% previously outlined, along with a 25% increase in the number of public realm space. The six-acre public realm will cover over 50% of the whole site. These regeneration plans were shaped following an extensive public consultation and constructive discussions between the joint venture, the GLA, Hackney Council, Tower Hamlets Council and other key local stakeholders. “Bishopsgate Goodsyard is a highly challenging site with a large number of constraints but offers an incredible opportunity. We have listened very carefully to feedback on our original application and aspirations of the local community and our revised plans provide for a more balanced development that preserves and showcases the site’s heritage. Our proposals will create an exemplary urban quarter, with a mix of housing types, half of which will be affordable, as well as workspace, shops, cafes and restaurants, exhibition space, a cultural building and a new public park,” said Nicola Zech-Behrens, Senior Development Manager, Ballymore. “We are excited to bring forward these revisions to our plans, which promote a more sensitive scale of development for this strategically important site. These revisions include a focus on the delivery of a wide range of new workspace opportunities, including one of the largest ever provisions of affordable workspace in London. Our revised proposals will generate thousands of jobs and support local economic growth, creating a vibrant urban quarter that respects the heritage of its location,” added Tony Coughlan, Development Manager at Hammerson. The scheme is expected to make a significant contribution to the local area and London, supporting over 8,300 jobs worth over £600 million to the economy.  The revised plans will be available on the GLA’s website shortly.

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What Brits Choose to Do with Their Child’s Bedroom

Two thirds of Brits (66%) say they will be repurposing their child’s bedroom as soon as they leave for university, according to a new study from AA Financial Services – nearly a third admit they can finally realise their dreams of turning the empty space into a guest bedroom (29%). Savings and disposable cash are two biggest ways they will be financing the improvements (48% and 42%). With the next round of 18-year-olds bracing themselves for A-level results day this week, the findings suggest their parents may already have their minds on other matters. The nationally representative survey asked 2,091 British adults to imagine if they had a child who was planning to leave home later this summer to start university, what plans, if any, they had to convert the space into something new. More than a third (34%) said they would do absolutely nothing and would leave the room untouched for when their kids came home from university, keeping it as a shrine for their child. The other 66% of respondents have other plans they intend to put into action. A time for friends  Brits in the South West were the most likely (40%) to dream of turning the space into a guest room, suggesting that parents in the region will be seizing the opportunity to invite old friends over as soon as their children fly the nest. In contrast, only 25% of Brits in the West Midlands said they would transform the room this way – they were more likely to let their kids keep their room for when they come home to visit from university.  Desk job Turning the room into a study space was a top consideration for many (17%) – especially those in East Midlands who were thinking about how they would make the most out of the free space (25%). Apparel lovers As the prospect of university looms, respondents in Wales were twice as likely than the national average (12% vs. 6%) to repurpose the space to fit a walk in wardrobe. Fitness first At a time when there is a priority on health and fitness, with the average Brit spending more than £65,000 in their lifetime to stay in good basic shape[1], it seems people in the South East are leading the way, with around one in ten admitting they would convert the room into a gym and workout from home (9%).  Families of 5 Remodelling these empty rooms for gyms, studies and walk in wardrobes all seem like appealing ideas to utilise this new space. However, the AA Financial Services research shows that families with three children or more are the most likely to rent out the room in order to pocket some extra cash to go towards the household (11%).  Ways of re-purposing the empty room National Average Region with the largest percentage Turn it into a walk-in wardrobe 6% Wales 12% Turn it into a gym 5% South East 9% Turn it into a study 17% East Midlands 25% Turn it into a hobbies/ games room 13% East Midlands 22% Use it as a junk/ store room 10% South West 13% Scotland 13% Rent it out to make some extra money 5% London 7% Wales 7% Offer the room to my parent(s) to stay in (i.e. so they can move in) 1% London 4% Turn it into a pet room 2% South West 5% Turn it in a guest bedroom (e.g. for friends or family staying over) 29% South West 40% Loose the room altogether (e.g. knock through the walls and combine it with another room) 2% London 3% West Midlands 3% Have it as a separate bedroom for me 5% Wales 8% None of these 11% South East 15% Don’t know 8% London 12% Not applicable – I would not do anything to the room 34% North West 37% How they are financing their home improvements Using my savings 48% Using cash or disposable income 42% Putting it on my credit card 11% Taking out a personal loan 5% Borrowing money from friends or family 3% Warren D’Souza, head of insight at AA Personal Finance comments: “Many families will soon be waving goodbye to their kids as they go off to university later this summer. Whilst this is a difficult transition for many, our findings suggest that many people have alternative, and potentially exciting, ideas on how they will repurpose the empty rooms left behind. For many parents, the sad departure of their child is a signal for the start of a new DIY undertaking or similar project to focus on.  “We have personal loans and products that make this transitional period slightly easier and gives homeowners one less thing to worry about during this busy time. See what we can offer you.”

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Why Get Building Maintenance Services

A building is a place where you do business, work, live, or play. Read more about buildings in this link. This is an asset that will serve you for a lot of years if proper maintenance or preservation is followed. When you are doing business, you will make the impression to your customers, investors, and competitors that you observe proper cleanliness and hygiene when you regularly schedule cleanings. As a building owner you won’t to scrub several floors every minute of the day as you can always get the service of building maintenance companies to do those for you. Building maintenance is important because weather elements such as rain or ultraviolet rays of the sun can make the walls deteriorate easily. If you are a hospital facility, you need to pass the regular inspection of the government and other health organizations. You can prevent dilapidation, broken glasses, and loosened tiles when there’s regular maintenance. Maintenance is a necessary investment especially if you want to excel over your competitors, make your employees feel safe, and make a good first impression. You can also avoid unnecessary costs such as injuries due to damaged roofs or walls, repairs, and loss of profits when you have reliable maintenance staff working for you. Here are other reasons why maintenance is good for your business. Maintenance is important, but so are materials. If you go to the Materials Market, you will be able to get what you need. Why Get Maintenance? Save on Staff Employment Costs Asking your staff to scrub the whole facility on top of their work can be too much especially if you own a big building. They will be unhappy because they might need to do overtime. They will not perform well when they feel that they have to work for something that they did not sign up for. In addition to this, you need to pay them overtime wages, pay for the cost of training, and buy special equipment that is tailor-made for cleaning. This can blow up your expenses in a month. On the other hand, hiring building maintenance services that are in the business of cleaning huge facilities will help you a lot. You maintain cleanliness at all times. You don’t need to train them because they are already trained for the job, and they have their own equipment. When your employees see that you make an effort to have a clean environment, they can work more efficiently and will stay longer in the office. Outsourced Cleaning Companies have the Right Skills and Tools Whether it is for carpets, floors, or windows, outsourced companies have the right microfiber cloth or sanitizing wands that are great for removing allergens and germs. Expect to walk in an office where you can see gleaming floors, soft carpets, clear windows, and polished doorknobs. Some companies can guarantee you an excellent service whether you are in the manufacturing industry or you are maintaining an office space. The right skills of workers will save you lots of stress and hassles in the long run. Walking in a spotless lobby first thing in the morning will be worth the investment. The orderly and neat fashion that you can get from trained staff and a reputable cleaning company will allow your business to flourish. Daily Cleaning Service With building maintenance, you don’t have to worry about trash, dirty comfort rooms, or dusty chairs. The trash is removed every day, so you won’t have to worry about flies inside your establishment. They clean common areas such as lounges, dining rooms, elevators, stairwells, offices, and a lot more. Every corner is cleaned and there are inaccessible areas that they can reach through their tools. You can hire them to do the cleaning daily. This ensures that you will have welcoming lounges, spotless dining rooms, and vacuumed carpets every single day. You can read more about vacuums here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vacuum_cleaner. Your employees or the tenants will appreciate it a lot if the building is well-kept. The Bottom Line A clean working environment is what you need for your business to flourish. Maintaining your building will keep it looking new and it will last longer. An injury-free workplace is an advantage because it will invite clients, investors, and other people who are interested in what you have to offer in your business. You only have one space. Make it pleasing to the eye and boost your employee productivity while you are at it. Hire the best cleaning company today!

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