Too many buildings are unsafe, and too many residents feel trapped in their homes says chief executive Mike Robinson The chief executive of the British Safety Council has today written to the Housing Minister, Christopher Pincher, to ask the government to act to remove unsafe cladding from tower blocks. Three
The UK’s leading specialist sheet piling contractor, Sheet Piling (UK) Limited is in the process of once again setting the benchmark in its specialist field, to the benefit of all sectors of the construction industry. Having already shaken the sector up and provided new ways of managing sheet piling and
The proportion of UK small businesses predicting growth has almost doubled in just three months – from 14% to 27% – giving one of the first tangible indications that the Government’s easing of lockdown is having a positive impact on a key area of the UK economy. The quarterly tracking
In February 2018, MGM Cotai opened in Macau; however, it wasn’t a finished product at that time. In August 2019, MGM Cotai added to its mix, a theatre, additional restaurants, VIP gaming areas and other non-gaming amenities. Besides, when the Mansion opened in early 2019, the whole facility started to
Too many buildings are unsafe, and too many residents feel trapped in their homes says chief executive Mike Robinson The chief executive of the British Safety Council has today written to the Housing Minister, Christopher Pincher, to ask the government to act to remove unsafe cladding from tower blocks. Three years on from the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower it is estimated that 60,000 are living in homes with Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding similar to that which caused the fire and led to the deaths of 72 people in June 2017. Yesterday in the House of Commons, in a debate on Flammable Cladding Removal in the House of Commons, MPs lined up to demand action from the housing minister. The debate was secured by Labour MP Rushanara Ali. According to government figures, 155 of the 455 high-rise buildings identified as covered in ACM have had cladding removed, leaving 300 with dangerous cladding still in place. In his response the minister said that the government’s building safety programme will ensure that high-rise buildings are safe and that unsafe ACM must be removed from all high-rise residential buildings, at no cost to leaseholders. The minister conceded that “even with public funding available, the pace has been much too slow.” The government has promised that it will shortly publish the draft Building Safety Bill, described by Mr Pincher as “a once-in-a-generation change to the building safety regime.” Speaking from his home today Mike Robinson, the chief executive of the British Safety Council said: “I have today written to the housing minister to ask for an update on action to remove cladding from high-rise residential buildings. The statistics on the building safety programme are shocking. There are still 300 high-rise residential and publicly-owned buildings with the same flammable cladding which caused the fire at Grenfell Tower. I agree with his recent comments in parliament that the pace of progress has been far too slow.” He went on to say: “I am afraid that politely asking building owners to “do the right thing”, to remove cladding and not to pass the costs onto their leaseholders has not worked. Attempts to empower local authorities to enforce replacement of cladding have also failed – not least because years of underfunding of councils and the HSE mean that even if the will is there to step in, the resources simply are not there. We all want the same outcome – let’s get on with it!” About the British Safety Council The British Safety Council believes that no-one should be injured or made ill through their work. Since its foundation in 1957, the British Safety Council has campaigned tirelessly to protect workers from accidents, hazards and unsafe conditions, and played a decisive role in the political process that has led to the adoption of landmark safety legislation in the UK. Its members in more than 60 countries are committed to protecting and improving the wellbeing of workers, believing that a healthy and safe work environment is also good for business. As part of its charitable work, the British Safety Council leads health and safety networking forums for all sectors, facilitates and promotes best practice in Britain and overseas. It also offers a range of services and products, including training, qualifications, publications, audits and awards. The British Safety Council works closely with organisations, charities and individuals who share its vision of ensuring that every worker goes home at the end of the day as healthy as they were when they went to work. We would be grateful if you could use British Safety Council in full rather than abbreviating to BSC when quoting our organisation. British Safety Council’s networks: Website: www.britsafe.org Twitter: www.twitter.com/britsafe Facebook: www.facebook.com/britishsafetycouncil YouTube: www.youtube.com/britishsafetycouncil LinkedIn group: www.linkedin.com/company/british-safety-council Safety Management: https://sm.britsafe.org
The UK’s leading specialist sheet piling contractor, Sheet Piling (UK) Limited is in the process of once again setting the benchmark in its specialist field, to the benefit of all sectors of the construction industry. Having already shaken the sector up and provided new ways of managing sheet piling and infrastructure widening, following the introduction of its unique long-reach telescopic leader rig, the TM 12/15 LR in 2018, a second, even more powerful rig has been commissioned. This agile machine, created to bespoke specifications set by Sheet Piling UK, is set to arrive in the UK in August 2020. Sheet Piling (UK) has the full details under wraps at present but is promising to revolutionise sheet piling in the UK, with a rig with capabilities that are peerless. In the two years since the arrival of the TM 12/15, Sheet Piling (UK) has proven how the long reach rig can deliver massive savings to Tier-1 contractors, in terms of both time and money. The sheet piling specialist has been delivering such benefits on smart motorway emergency rescue area projects, on HS2 groundworks and on a variety of other projects. Whilst designed to optimise works where its long-reach capacities can come into their own, the TM 12/15 has proved to be equally effective when used in standard, rather than long-reach mode. The new and capability-enhanced rig, again commissioned from ABI GmbH in Germany, will be as useful on port and harbour, or commercial and domestic construction projects, as on road or rail infrastructure widening works. Sheet Piling (UK) Ltd’s managing director, Andrew Cotton, says: “Our new rig will surpass the TM 12/15 LR in a number of ways, to become the ultimate steel piling rig in the construction sector, with the TM 12/15 LR a close second. With these two rigs in our fleet, we will be able to deliver impressive financial and operational benefits to a wide variety of projects across the UK, making a tangible and irresistible difference to the cost control that Tier-1 contractors can achieve.” Sheet Piling (UK) Ltd is already booking in projects for this second long-reach rig and briefing contractors on a one-to-one basis when it comes to what it will be able to accomplish, when working in situ.
The proportion of UK small businesses predicting growth has almost doubled in just three months – from 14% to 27% – giving one of the first tangible indications that the Government’s easing of lockdown is having a positive impact on a key area of the UK economy. The quarterly tracking study by Hitachi Capital Business Finance goes beyond sentiment and confidence – it examines the percentage of small businesses that actually predict growth in the next three months. Following last quarter’s report, which saw the percentage of small business owners predicting growth plummeting from 39% to just 14%, the new findings show the highest quarter-on-quarter rise in five years. With 27% predicting growth overall, there were significant rises in the percentage of small businesses predicting moderate expansion the next three months (up from 10% to 23%) or no change (26% to 43%). This meant there has been a huge reduction in the percentage of businesses that fear contraction (down from 31% to 19%) or collapse in the next three months (down by almost two thirds from 29% to 11%). By sector, the IT/telecoms sector had the highest proportion of small businesses that predicted growth for the three months to 30th September (44%). The biggest rises in confidence since lockdown were evidenced in and transport and distribution (up from 8% to 34%) and manufacturing (9% to 30%), where the resurgence of growth forecasts was striking. There were also significant rises in sectors hardest hit by lockdown: In retail, the percentage of small businesses predicting growth rose from 21% to 27% – and in hospitality growth forecasts rose from 11% to 16% in the three months since April. The research also suggests that smaller, more agile enterprises will be the fastest to adapt to the UK’s re-emergence from lockdown: Small businesses that had been trading for less than five years (35%) and those that employed 10-49 employees (37%) were most likely to predict business growth for the next three months (to 30th September). Gavin Wraith-Carter, Managing Director at Hitachi Capital Business Finance commented: “The latest Hitachi Capital research findings are remarkable for both the scale and the speed of the revival in small business confidence. We knew last quarter that small business confidence would fall as lockdown started and the scale of the fall was a concern, particularly the steep rise in the number of business owners fearing for their survival. Our new research – just in – shows what an immediate and positive impact the easing of lockdown has had on the small business community. Whilst bigger businesses are having to adjust and adapt at a slower pace, small business confidence across the UK has bounced back and as the engine room of the British economy, today’s figures can give us confidence that small businesses will lead the nation’s effort to rebuild the economy and secure growth.”
In February 2018, MGM Cotai opened in Macau; however, it wasn’t a finished product at that time. In August 2019, MGM Cotai added to its mix, a theatre, additional restaurants, VIP gaming areas and other non-gaming amenities. Besides, when the Mansion opened in early 2019, the whole facility started to move on all cylinders. Like its cousin from Las Vegas, the Mansion caters to the most prominent gaming venue, and just like in Las Vegas, there is no map on the property. Entertainment & Relaxation to the Next Level The Mansion is designed in such a way that it is tucked away from prying eyes and assures privacy for its special guests. The venue features 27 ultra-luxury villas that range from 215 square meters to 570 square meters. All of the villas come with dining lounges, balconies and separate entrances, and elevators that give direct access to the rooms. The Mansion offers 1.390 guestrooms and suites that include 1.248 standard rooms, 99 suites, and 16 Skylofts, besides the 27 Mansion Villas. The casino features approximately 175 table games, such as poker, roulette, blackjack, and around 1.500 slot machines. Other amenities include meeting and convention space, a ballroom that can accommodate up to 1.000 people, and the property’s Sky Lounge that provide a meeting place for residents of Skylofts. Besides, the guest will also enjoy a high-end spa that features male, female, and VIP pools along with thermal experiences of Saltstone Saunas, Herbal Steam Rooms, and treatment rooms of Spa Heaven facilities. Business Opportunity The chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts, James Murren, said that with the opening of The Mansion, the company is becoming a significant player in the premium-mass market from Macau. He added that they needed everything up and running, and he told his investors that The Mansion is open, and all the villas are now available. The received answer was definite, and the venue helped them move into another segment that was hard before. The Mansion helped to add value to that segment. The CEO of MGM Cotai, Grant Bowie, said that The Mansion has a special significance for the property, and they are excited to see that MGM Cotai ramped upwards. The venue offers exclusive luxury, which is the next level and helps the company in the premium segment. Murren added that because of The Mansion, they could continue to grow the premium mass segment while also boosting the Macau market share. All they want is to focus on making sure that the final product is right. Innovative Design Because of the design, MGM Cotai continues to receive international kudos. Kohn Pedersen Fox designed the building and won the top spot in the Emporis Skyscraper Award program. Besides, MGM Cotai, the enormous casino-hotel-resort in Macau, has been designed in collaboration with Wong Tung & Partners Ltd and was selected as the best new tall building by the jurors. The judges also cited that MGM Cotai has an innovative design. They said that the unique structure is based on the idea of nine Chinese jeweller’s boxes stacked upon each other and can form two interconnected towers. The asymmetrical design and gold colouring can create a dynamic and glamorous appearance, which fits the Macau atmosphere. Also, the MGM Cotai is offering the Spectacle, which is a multi-functional area with the world’s largest free-span, grad-shaped glass roof. In other words, MGM Cotai has a glittering jewel-like facade that towers over the Cotai Strip, and MGM Cotai is Macau’s icon of innovation. Visitors are invited to step inside a cutting-edge, multi-sensory realm where they can discover Asia’s first genuinely adaptive and dynamic theatre. Or, immerse themselves in the mesmerizing Spectacle. This atrium is significant as a football pitch where they can admire one of the world’s largest sensory digital art collections on display. Visitors can also experience nine unique restaurants and bars, sophisticated retail, and engaging offerings. Digital Art Collection of the Spectacle In the heart of MGM Cotai, there is an immersive multi-sensory experience that uses innovative technology and living artistry that showcases unparalleled natural wonders. The Spectacle has a space that breathes with life beneath the glass canopy, which continues to evolve, grow, and respond to change with direct visitor interaction, weather, time of day, and seasons. The result is a captivating experience. Within the Spectacle, there is the world’s largest area of permanent LED screens that showcase an exclusive array of digital art collected from the world. It is also the setting platform for world-renowned artists and photographers such as Joel Sartore, Madga Indigo, Garth Willians, Rob Kesseler and Wolfgang Stuppy. The Spectacle is a combination of nature, art, music, language, and culture that inspires guests to perceive the world around them in a rational way. The Spectacle also has an indoor garden called Nature’s Art, where it holds over 2.000 species and over 100.000 plants that are native to Macau, Mainland China, and 18 other countries. The value of the plants is embraced; it doesn’t matter if it is rare or common. Here, with the aid of seed banks based in Hong Kong and Europe, extinct species were brought back to life. For The Love of Nature & Art The interior landscape of Nature’s Art looks like a natural landscape that evolves by perpetuating changing textures, colours, and even scents that allow these works of art to inspire anew. Minghu Nerval designed Nature’s Art, and through the deliberate use of botany, horticulture, and design, the place is a journey of history, culture, and art. Besides, the art doesn’t stop here. MGM Cotai has an Art Discovery where visitors are invited to step into spectacular and wonder through their guided art tours. The art features at MGM Cotai are available on request every day, and they can be arranged at the hotel’s lobby. Art enthusiasts are invited to admire a multitude of abstract paintings, sculptures, tapestries, photographs, and graphics.
