IWFM welcomes the draft Building Safety Bill and hopes this development will provide some comfort to those affected by the Grenfell Tower fire. We believe the new statutory role of Building Safety Manager (BSM) is key to avoiding any repeat of such a tragedy and we are pleased to continue
A 40-acre development site in North Wales, which has planning permission for holiday lodges of which more than ten have been constructed, has been sold to Darwin Leisure Development Fund. Plas Isaf Lodge Park, which is located in a woodland setting to the south of the Flintshire town of Caerwys,
Following the agreement of major funding and contractor deals, a £185 million scheme in the heart of Manchester city centre will start on site next month. A major institutional investor will forward fund the 450,000 sq ft residential phase of New Victoria for an undisclosed sum. Elsewhere, VINCI Construction UK
Sealants and adhesives retailer SPC Supplies has seen its online sales rise by 700% during the UK national lockdown, following unprecedented demand from domestic households. The company, which primarily supplies materials to commercial businesses and contractors has shipped a record number of domestic orders this quarter, as homeowners around the
IWFM welcomes the draft Building Safety Bill and hopes this development will provide some comfort to those affected by the Grenfell Tower fire. We believe the new statutory role of Building Safety Manager (BSM) is key to avoiding any repeat of such a tragedy and we are pleased to continue to help with developing the competence framework for the role. The importance of the BSM in ensuring the safety of buildings and the people occupying them cannot be understated. Where previously there often was a lack of both clarity on who was responsible for building safety and competence to ensure that safety, a BSM with oversight should ensure that all of the updated safety requirements are met, residents have a clear point of contact, and lives are protected. We urge facilities managers to engage with the Bill and provide feedback to us via: policy@iwfm.org.uk. Professionals in FM will be at the front-line of this Bill’s implementation, being those most likely to be assigned or hired to the BSM role; it is therefore critical that our profession is knowledgeable of the contents and its implications for the future of building and people safety. We must never face a repeat of that tragic night and, while there is still work to do, we are much closer to that goal with this draft Bill. Further information: The BSM can be an individual or organisation whose principal role is to support the Accountable Person in the day-to-day management of fire and structural safety in the building. In either circumstance, the individual or a nominated individual must have the competence (or skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours) to carry out the statutory functions. The skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours are not detailed in the draft Building Safety Bill, which is a high level Bill; instead, the detail of the competences will be outlined in future statutory guidance and a Publicly Available Specification.
A 40-acre development site in North Wales, which has planning permission for holiday lodges of which more than ten have been constructed, has been sold to Darwin Leisure Development Fund. Plas Isaf Lodge Park, which is located in a woodland setting to the south of the Flintshire town of Caerwys, has permission for 57 holiday lodges of which 12 have already been constructed. It was sold for an undisclosed price, which was agreed prior to lockdown and will join the ‘Darwin Escapes’ portfolio of 22 lodge resorts and holiday parks around the UK. “The completion of the sale of Plas Isaf, at a price agreed pre-lockdown without any adjustment, confirms confidence in the UK holiday parks market as an alternative asset class. This is a sector that was already showing impressive growth prior to the outbreak of Covid-19, and it now looks set to bounce back strongly following the disruption caused by lockdown,” said Ben Jones, director in the parks and leisure team at real estate firm Colliers International, which acted on behalf of the private vendor. “Holiday parks are ideally suited for maintaining social distancing measures, as they provide self-contained accommodation that is subject to minimum spacing requirements, and are surrounded by plenty of fresh air and recreation space.” Darwin Leisure Development Fund is a specialist fund that focuses on investing in holiday parks. Investors include a number of UK local authority pension funds. “Plas Isaf is a beautiful lodge resort in an idyllic setting and we are delighted that it will join the four other Darwin Escapes locations in North Wales. “Whilst the past few months have been challenging for all operators, demand for UK staycations has surged and confidence in the market is strong. “We intend to invest in the Plas Isaf site to maximise the planning permission that is already in place and ensure that Plas Isaf becomes one of North Wales’s leading luxury lodge resorts.”
Following the agreement of major funding and contractor deals, a £185 million scheme in the heart of Manchester city centre will start on site next month. A major institutional investor will forward fund the 450,000 sq ft residential phase of New Victoria for an undisclosed sum. Elsewhere, VINCI Construction UK has also signed to build the scheme – which will be completed within current government guidelines over a three-year period – on behalf of project partners. “VINCI Construction UK is absolutely delighted to be delivering this landmark scheme with Muse and it’s been a great team effort throughout the preconstruction stage to finalise the design, agree the contract and secure the project start on site date. VINCI will utilise our key skills in civil engineering, railways interface and high-rise construction on this project as we further develop our position within the Manchester market,”commented Gary Bowker, regional director for the North West at VINCI Construction UK. Earmarked for a site adjacent to Manchester Victoria train station and being brought forward by Muse Developments in partnership with Network Rail and Manchester City Council, New Victoria will comprise 520 homes over two 20 and 25-storey buildings. Morgan Sindall is also attached. “These latest two deals mark a significant achievement for all partners in bringing forward this innovative gateway development, which also highlights investor confidence in our long-term vision to transform an underutilised site in the heart of the city centre into a vibrant new community. We look forward to continuing to work with our investor and Vinci to deliver this first-class scheme,” said David Burkinshaw, development director at Muse. John Morgan, chief executive of Morgan Sindall Group, also added: “We are pleased to have agreed our second major forward funded deal in recent weeks, which further reinforces our regeneration strategy. We look forward to working with our partners to deliver a transformational scheme on an underutilised site in the heart of Manchester’s city centre.”
Sealants and adhesives retailer SPC Supplies has seen its online sales rise by 700% during the UK national lockdown, following unprecedented demand from domestic households. The company, which primarily supplies materials to commercial businesses and contractors has shipped a record number of domestic orders this quarter, as homeowners around the UK take on DIY and garden projects. “These last few months have been really testing for businesses across every industry, and to have so much interest in our products at a time that could have been really difficult for us has been amazing,” said Henry Blunt, Sales and Marketing Manager at SPC Supplies. In the weeks since national lockdown was introduced at the end of March, SPC have seen a surge in customer orders for products designed for paving, patios and decking projects in particular, as people across the UK make the most of the warm weather and take on garden DIY. “The uptake has really been nationwide so we’ve taken on additional freight firms in England, Scotland and Wales to make sure we meet the extra demand, and to allow us to continue to provide unrivalled levels of customer service,” Henry continued. SPC Supplies is owned by SD Sealants, the UK’s leading sealant and cosmetic repairs company headquartered in Caldicot, Wales. “We could not be happier with the increased interest we’ve received in SPC Supplies since the lockdown began. We’re very fortunate to have had such a successful few months and on top of that its fantastic to see so many people taking on DIY jobs at home, as well as commercial businesses slowly regaining momentum with their construction projects,” Managing Director of SD Sealants, Nick Jones, commented. SPC Supplies has over 40 years’ experience in the adhesive and sealants sector. As an official Sika UK retailer, SPC holds a unique understanding of the needs of a wide range of construction industries, offering expert product knowledge and a 24-hour delivery service.
