Leica Geosystems, a Hexagon company, announced today its Leica Ready machine control kits will now be offered on excavators by JCB, an equipment manufacturer for construction, agriculture, waste handling and demolition. The JCB generation X Excavator 131X, 140X, 150X and 220X will now be supported with a new cable kit
The Hillhead trade fair for quarrying and construction machinery has been postponed by a year due to the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak. With Hillhead taking place in 2021 instead of 2020, the organisers of the PlantWorx trade show have agreed to move their event forward by a year also,
New industry research suggests half a million people could be living in unsafe buildings With government support limited to one specific type of cladding, these residents could be left with excessive bills to make their homes safe Resident groups form an unprecedented coalition with managing agents and building owners to
Office rents in Oxfordshire have risen by 24.3 per cent over the past year, according to research by property consultant Bidwells. Bidwells recorded more than 1.1 million square foot of office and laboratory space in Oxfordshire and found that only 569,500 square foot of space was available, which was less
UK storage group SureStore is moving forward with plans to expand its business across the nation. A contract has been agreed which will see a new £4 million storage facility built for the company in Wigan. Triton Construction has signed on for the project, which involves the development of a
The property website www.localsurveyorsdirect.co.uk reports that it has seen a 30 per cent increase in activity in the UK housing market when comparing the months of January and February 2020 with January and February 2019. JJ Heath-Caldwell, managing director of the business, says: “It is quite incredible to see 2020 starting off with
By deciding on a freestanding kitchen design, you can look forward to cooking in a more creative and relaxed kitchen environment. While a contemporary under-counter sink in a modern fixed kitchen gives an attractive appearance, a freestanding design offers flexibility, allowing you to rearrange your freestanding units whenever you like.
For the most part, there are two reasons for travelling from one place to another. The first is pleasure: we want to see the world, sample new tastes and sensations, and take a break from working life. The second reason is business. In today’s interconnected world, businesses which operate internationally
Leica Geosystems, a Hexagon company, announced today its Leica Ready machine control kits will now be offered on excavators by JCB, an equipment manufacturer for construction, agriculture, waste handling and demolition. The JCB generation X Excavator 131X, 140X, 150X and 220X will now be supported with a new cable kit for the Leica iCON iXE1D, iXE2D and iXE3D machine control solutions for excavator guidance. The kit for these models has been designed for simple and clean factory installation with cables developed between JCB and Leica Geosystems. “Offering such integrated solutions advances the industry and the construction professional,” said Leica Geosystems Machine Control Director of Product Management Kris Maas. “Our strong working relationship with JCB brings added values to users worldwide.” Complete control for excavators With the Leica iCON excavator system, high precision GPS monitors the excavation position with a 3D model. The Leica iCON iXE3 is used for point collection and stake out activities on projects, such as large road and infrastructure construction, subdivision building, industrial sites and dereliction works. The built-in GSM modem quickly supports and transfers files while the 3D system enables detailed monitoring of any site project. Leica Geosystems – when it has to be right With more than 200 years of history,Leica Geosystems, a Hexagon company, is the trusted supplier of premium sensors, software and services. Delivering value every day to professionals in surveying, construction, infrastructure, mining, mapping and other geospatial content-dependent industries, Leica Geosystems leads the industry with innovative solutions to empower our autonomous future.
The Hillhead trade fair for quarrying and construction machinery has been postponed by a year due to the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak. With Hillhead taking place in 2021 instead of 2020, the organisers of the PlantWorx trade show have agreed to move their event forward by a year also, to 2022, to avoid clashing. Hillhead, which tales place every two years, had been all set for 23–25 June 2020 at Hillhead Quarry, near Buxton in Derbyshire with a record 550 exhibitors booked. It has now been postponed to 22–24 June 2021, at the same usual location. Hillhead event director Richard Bradbury said: “The health and safety of exhibitors, visitors, contractors and employees is our number one priority and with the peak of the epidemic predicted to coincide with the show in June, this would be severely compromised. “Following an extensive consultation process, the decision has been taken to delay the event by a year to allow market conditions to stabilise and to best support the construction and quarrying industry during this challenging period.” Rob Oliver, chief executive of the Construction Equipment Association, which owns PlantWorx, said: “Of course we didn’t want to postpone our show, but after discussions with the Hillhead management we concluded that it would be in the best interests of our exhibitors and the wider construction and quarrying industries if we reset the clock and allowed Hillhead the diary space in 2021. Few people expected the impact of coronavirus just a couple of weeks ago, so we thought it best to make a quick decision so the industry had some clarity. As a trade association now, we need to focus our resources on helping our members through the unprecedented challenges arising from coronavirus which affects both lives and livelihoods”. Hillhead and PlantWorx are just two among myriad industry events, meetings and exhibitions – not just in the UK but around the world – to be rescheduled or cancelled because of the pandemic. Vertikal Days, the lifting equipment exhibition, has also been postponed. It had been planned for 13-14 May at Donington Park, Leicestershire. A new date has yet to be set. Also postponed is the Commercial Vehicle Show, which had been scheduled for 28-30 April at the Birmingham NEC. This has been put back a year to 2021.
New industry research suggests half a million people could be living in unsafe buildings With government support limited to one specific type of cladding, these residents could be left with excessive bills to make their homes safe Resident groups form an unprecedented coalition with managing agents and building owners to call on the new Chancellor to establish a fund to make these homes safe Following new evidence that the scale of the cladding crisis may affect up to half a million people, cladding campaigners, residents, property managers and the UK’s largest freeholders have formed an unprecedented coalition to request a multibillion-pound fund to remediate unsafe buildings. In an open letter to the new Chancellor, the group has called on the Government to step in following failures in the building safety regime that have dated back decades. Without support, leaseholders may be left having to pay the price, which is likely to run into the billions. The Association of Residential Managing Agents (ARMA), which represents the largest property managers in the country, has conducted an analysis of apartment buildings in the UK and found that over half a million people may be living in unsafe buildings that passed building control when they were built. Materials now deemed to be unsafe include High Pressure Laminate (HPL) – which has been found to be at least as flammable as the ACM cladding that was used on Grenfell Tower – but the Government’s existing fund is limited to ACM cladding. The freeholder signatories are coordinating remediation work on buildings with ACM cladding in every major city in the UK, but the process has revealed numerous additional safety issues and there are concerns that the cost of fixing these problems will fall on to residents unless the Government steps in. Given the scale of the task, the group is calling for a multibillion-pound, government-backed fund to be established so that these buildings can be made safe as soon as possible. Nigel Glen, Chief Executive Officer, The Association of Residential Managing Agents (ARMA) said: “The Grenfell tragedy highlighted the dangers of ACM cladding, but it has also revealed a much wider building safety crisis which could affect over half a million people. These buildings are being fixed by building owners and managing agents as quickly as possible but, without Government support, the process could take decades and leave leaseholders with life-changing bills on top of the anxiety that has already been caused.” Martin Boyd, Leasehold Knowledge Partnership said: “Nearly 1,000 days after the Grenfell tragedy there is a huge amount of worry among leaseholders that the problems are getting worse, not better. The government must help find solutions rather than just telling everyone these are complex problems.”
Office rents in Oxfordshire have risen by 24.3 per cent over the past year, according to research by property consultant Bidwells. Bidwells recorded more than 1.1 million square foot of office and laboratory space in Oxfordshire and found that only 569,500 square foot of space was available, which was less than at the end of 2018. David Williams, partner at Bidwells, said: “Ensuring the world’s best can flourish in Oxford is critical for our region’s economy, but ensuring an adequate supply of correctly located offices and research labs is equally important to ensure our most successful businesses can develop and expand in Oxfordshire. There is now just 173,000 square foot of grade A space available to expanding businesses. “We are emerging from a period where demand has outstripped supply, but we are now entering a new and exciting stage in Oxford’s evolution as major new campuses like Oxford North and regeneration projects in the city centre deliver significant floor space. There is no shortage of interest in Oxford. Total Oxford office take-up for last year was 225,300 square feet, with science and technology businesses taking 60 per cent of lettings by floor space. Of those still seeking space, half of requirements by size are for space of more than 30,000 sq ft.
UK storage group SureStore is moving forward with plans to expand its business across the nation. A contract has been agreed which will see a new £4 million storage facility built for the company in Wigan. Triton Construction has signed on for the project, which involves the development of a new 50,000 sq ft building on a vacant site on Pitt Street in the town centre. The contractor will begin work on site next month with clearance of the existing foundations for the former building occupied by furniture maker, Latham Jenkins. Construction will be carried out on the four-storey facility over a phased period due to tight restrictions around that site that is circled by the Pitt Street one-way road system. Paul Clarkson, Managing Director at Triton Construction said: “We are pleased to secure our first contract with SureStore as it progresses its expansion in the UK. Our credentials in building storage and warehouse facilities that stand out from the ordinary are strong and we are hoping to secure more projects with SureStore with three further projects pending in the North.” Mike Wilson, Managing Director at SureStore added: “We were already familiar with Triton Construction due to its good working relationship with our architect C4 Projects and we are also aware of its good credentials in constructing striking buildings for operators in the self-storage industry. In particular Triton has shown great flexibility, allowing us to have early access for fit out during the build programme, and thus speeding up the process for us to become operational. We hope to be able to work with Triton on more of our pipeline projects.” SureStore has major plans to expand further across the UK and expects to be managing over 20 stores in the next 18 months.
The property website www.localsurveyorsdirect.co.uk reports that it has seen a 30 per cent increase in activity in the UK housing market when comparing the months of January and February 2020 with January and February 2019. JJ Heath-Caldwell, managing director of the business, says: “It is quite incredible to see 2020 starting off with such a high level of activity. During 2019, the market was fairly static, as people held off making decisions until the Brexit situation was resolved and the result of the UK election was announced.” The company, which offers a property services price comparison engine, helps people source local property professionals, connecting home owners and home buyers with surveyors, architects, estate agents, conveyancers, domestic energy assessors, drainage contractors and other property-related professionals. These services are provided over the whole of the United Kingdom by a comprehensive network of suppliers which has been steadily built up since the website first started operating in 2005. JJ says: “Across our sites, we have seen a strong increase in activity, which would coincide with national statistics that property marketing is moving in the upward direction.” Nationwide announced in February 2020 that the average price of a home has increased 2.3% year on year to £216,092, which is the strongest growth rate in 18 months. JJ adds: “It’s great to see the property market gaining momentum after a such a lull. There are some uncertainties in the future with the COVID-19 virus hitting the UK, and we will be monitoring the situation closely.”
By deciding on a freestanding kitchen design, you can look forward to cooking in a more creative and relaxed kitchen environment. While a contemporary under-counter sink in a modern fixed kitchen gives an attractive appearance, a freestanding design offers flexibility, allowing you to rearrange your freestanding units whenever you like. Ten flexible ideas to bring fresh fashion and stylish flair to your freestanding kitchen design include the following: 1. Natural Country Cottage Style Charming country cottages have always posed a problem for designing workable fixed kitchen designs. With their attractive nooks, crannies and unusual shapes and angles, these interiors are ideal for freestanding kitchen designs. Once you select your free standing cupboards for kitchens and other separate units, you can arrange them any way you like. You can move them around as needed to accommodate several home chefs at work at the same time or when you prepare holiday meals or party food. Rustic antique pieces in beautifully grained natural timbre or painted in charming distressed white style can lend timeless charm when combined with some free standing kitchen cabinets. A freestanding island, double-sink unit or roll-away trolley may be ideal and you can find a variety in Murdoch Troon bespoke kitchen store. 2. Spacious Open Shelving You may like the look of fixed kitchen cabinets while preferring the freedom provided by an unfixed room interior. By choosing a fixed floor-to-ceiling cabinet or cupboard and some hanging wall-mounted units, you can enjoy both the visual appeal and casual, movable design that you like. These shelves add great storage space while making the room seem larger. With free standing cupboards for kitchens plus appealing wall-mounted shelves, you will have plenty of space for storing china, cookery, glassware, small kitchen appliances, utensils and jars of condiments or spices. By adding colorful vases and other arty ceramic bowls, hand-carved wooden items and decorative teacups, you will brighten and enliven your entire kitchen decor with its stand alone kitchen units. 3. Add Character with Natural Wood By using freestanding kitchen units made of natural wood, you will add character and a sense of natural enchantment to your cooking spaces. A handsome oak, cherry or maple wood movable sink unit, kitchen island, wheeling serving cart, beverage cabinet or wine rack can add warm, glowing surfaces and textures to enhance your kitchen interior. Including creative handcrafted freestanding units in a farmhouse kitchen design will provide pleasing rustic style and the perfect amount of casual comfort for your new or renovated interior. You may be amazed at the number of different stylish kitchen designs you can create just by rearranging one or two units of your versatile free standing kitchen designs. 4. Create a Pleasing Central Island Focus For a central kitchen island, you may choose an intriguing antique wooden kitchen island with a polished butcher’s block countertop as one of your stand alone kitchen units. An ornate shabby chic design restyled from an antique mahogany chest-of-drawers and topped with a lustrous marble slab can also produce a stunning kitchen centerpiece. By choosing a movable kitchen units island for your free standing kitchen designs, you will add welcome versatility to your food preparation and cooking areas. Since kitchen islands are often moderate to large in size to provide adequate prepping and serving space, the option of moving them when needed can be a great benefit. These islands as free standing furniture for kitchens are usually frequent gathering places for family and friends for casual chats over drinks and snacks. Often designed to include bar stools or tall chairs, an island can be wheeled to one side of the kitchen to double as a relaxed dining table as well. 5. Timeless Popularity of Butcher’s Block The use of butcher’s block counters and benchtops is popular in all design modes, from traditional to shabby chic, farmhouse, cottage and contemporary casual. Even basic minimalist and industrial interiors for kitchens may feature smooth, appealing and functional butcher’s block for food prepping and chopping surfaces in your furniture kitchen design. You can add some free standing kitchen cabinets as well if you like. Butcher’s block is especially popular for use in any design of free standing kitchen furniture with strong rustic or handcrafted emphasis. For kitchens that have adjoining breakfast nooks or charming café style tables and booths, butcher’s block tabletops can be attractive and practical. If you find a vintage butcher’s block tabletop at a local auction or antique sale, you may want to paint it to match or enhance your kitchen cabinets or overall colour scheme. 6. Use Kitchenware for Cheerful Colour Pops Even white, black, dark or neutral kitchen decor can benefit from small pops of colour to enhance your free standing furniture for kitchens. By hanging kitchenware and utensils on the walls above your splashback or beside your cabinetry, you can add some welcome spots of brightness. Copper pots and pans along with copper, iron, stainless steel and enamel-coated stirring spoons and ladles in bright, cheerful hues can do wonders to create a unique sense of style in your kitchen. You can also display these colourful cookery items and utensils on open wooden shelving or on your freestanding cupboard shelving. Many home dwellers also install cookery hanging racks suspended from the ceiling above their kitchen island areas. Your bright, attractive pots, pans and cooking tools also add warm and casual style as decorative decor on exhibit for your new free standing kitchen. 7. Save Space with Wall-Mounted Cabinetry If you have an older home with high ceilings, wall-mounted cabinets are ideal as space savers in your furniture kitchen design that includes free standing kitchen units. Some homeowners even install rows of cabinets stretching up to the ceiling and reachable by a folding or detachable track ladder. Even in kitchens with low ceilings, there is usually plenty of space to install a single row of wall-mounted cupboards and cabinets for your new design of kitchen furniture. Especially in kitchen interiors with irregular shapes, a combination of wall cabinets
For the most part, there are two reasons for travelling from one place to another. The first is pleasure: we want to see the world, sample new tastes and sensations, and take a break from working life. The second reason is business. In today’s interconnected world, businesses which operate internationally cannot silo their various branches away – they must occasionally send representatives from one place to another. Of course, the opportunities to do this are being heavily limited by the effects of the unfolding coronavirus pandemic, and it remains to be seen what effect this will have on the way international business operates. It is likely that alternative means of payment will be considered for employees less sure of the hours they need to be in the office – carnet tickets represent a flexible option that is likely to be popular. But why was it that we travelled for business in the first place? Why we travelled for business Network If you’re at a trade show or conference, you’ll have a unique opportunity to interact with your peers – and doing so is near-essential. This is where representatives with social skills will help to get your brand out there. Opportunity The rate at which prospects can be converted into customers vastly increases with the help of a face-to-face meeting. Some larger companies would not even think of signing a contract unless some form of real-world contact has been established. And if you’re signing international contracts, then some form of travel is always necessary. Human Interaction Face-to-face contact is advantageous for several reasons. It allows us to put a face to what might be a name on an email, and help individuals to endure for longer in the memory. Another plus side is that it will reduce the chance of a miscommunication. Business Travel Spend Through the Years According to Statista, business spending on travel has steadily increased in Britain over the last decade, from just under forty billion in 2010 to just over fifty billion in 2017. It remains to be seen whether the current nosedive in business travel represents a fundamental change, or a temporary blip before business-as-usual is restored. Effects of Brexit While Brexit might seem like a bit of a sideshow now, there’s no doubting that the effects it will have on business will still be consequential in the long-term. They just won’t be anywhere near as seismic as those of Covid-19. Freedom of movement across Europe will be restricted, and thus travellers may need to seek documentation prior to travelling to the mainland. Moreover, delays along the way are possible. For those travelling frequently, these might amount to a nuisance, and a drain on the scarcest of resources: time. But documentation isn’t the only thing that will drain your precious time. Other things like carrying heavy luggage and queuing to store them can also waste this scarce resource called time. While you may have no control over the effects of Brexit on business travel, you can at least ensure that minor things do not waste your time. Regarding luggage issues, for example, you can opt for luggage storage solutions. For example, if you’re in London, you’ll find options like left luggage Waterloo very helpful if you need to leave heavy luggage behind.
