SDL Property Management explains what block management is… Managing a block of flats requires a professional approach, time and dedication. Block management is known by various names in the industry; leasehold management, property management and estate management to name a few. If you’re thinking of getting into block management, but you
The development of more than one million sq ft of new employment space on a site off the M1 in South Yorkshire has been granted planning permission. Harworth Group received approval for development of a site on either side of Dearne Valley Parkway, close to Junction 36 of the M1, at
Lifestyle Appliances Ltd, one of the UK’s largest independent suppliers of outdoor leisure products, has seen a surge in online sales during the recent lockdown period, which the company managed with the latest software, cyber security and remote working tools. The award-winning Redditch-based company was formed in 2001 and enjoys a strong
Construction and civil engineering specialist GRAHAM has secured its first two contracts on Network Rail’s Control Period 6 (CP6) Western Route framework. The workload which will consist of asset renewals covering design and construction of all rail categories, including building and civil engineering, electrification, power, signalling telecommunications and track, is
Together Has Changed is co-living and co-working experts, Cutwork’s manifesto about post-confinement architecture, design and living. Following the Covid-19 pandemic, it explores and acknowledges how physical distancing may transform how we live in the future and change our lifestyles for far longer than we might at first imagine. Divided into five core
In response to the further easing of lockdown restrictions, HAE EHA (Hire Association Europe and Event Hire Association) is to restart SafeHire Certification audits to help get the industry back on its feet – in line with recovery strategies of the UK governments and the Republic of Ireland. HAE EHA
Marine plywood is made with waterproof glue and has excellent quality. However, this type of plywood is not decay-resistant because it is not chemically treated. It is also a common choice for boat parts and constructing boats. It is used for outdoor furniture because of its durability, especially when it
Life is full of uncertainties. Things sometimes don’t always go as planned and if there are no plans on how to manage or tackle those unwanted occurrences, then inevitably, huge losses would be suffered by the parties involved. For these reasons and more, there is such a thing as insurance.
All large construction projects are legally required to make use of hoarding boards to keep the public away from the hazards of the building site – but beyond their basic function as an aid to site safety, hoardings also represent a great opportunity for branding and advertising. These large, prominent
SDL Property Management explains what block management is… Managing a block of flats requires a professional approach, time and dedication. Block management is known by various names in the industry; leasehold management, property management and estate management to name a few. If you’re thinking of getting into block management, but you aren’t sure what’s involved, here’s our guide to what it is and how it works: A quick introduction to leasehold Leasehold flats can be in purpose-built blocks, in converted houses or above commercial or retail premises. A leasehold usually includes everything within the four walls of a flat, down to the floorboards and plaster on the walls and ceilings. The freeholder usually owns the building, including the common parts (eg corridors, entrance way), the structure (eg roof, windows) and the land it stands on. The freeholder is, normally, responsible for the maintenance and repair of the building. If so, the costs for doing so are recoverable through the service charges and billed to the leaseholders. The freeholder or resident management company usually appoint a managing agent to manage their block. What are service charges? Service charges are payments by the leaseholder to the landlord for all the services the landlord provides. Details of what can (and cannot) be charged by the landlord and the proportion of the charge to be paid by the individual leaseholder will all be set out in the lease. What is block management? Block management is the process of managing the communal areas of residential properties through the service charge. Managing a block of flats requires a professional approach, time and dedication. Block management involves constant communication with various contractors in respect of maintenance and repairs, insurance of the building and, in some cases, provision of central heating, lifts, porterage, estate staff, lighting and cleaning of common areas. It also requires a good understanding of legislation and leasehold matters, preparation of budgets and annual accounts, as well as routine inspections to check that the property is in good order. A major part of a role in block management is ensuring that the landlord and leaseholders get value for money for their service charge payments, and the building is maintained in accordance with the terms of the lease. SDL Property Partners is a franchise network which enables you to become a managing agent and offer block management as part of your services. In a nutshell, we’ll get you up and running, providing training, support and back office systems. If you’re looking for a new opportunity and block management sounds like it could be for you, get in touch with our team. If you wish to find out more about getting your property managed by the experts, please visit – https://sdlpropertymanagement.co.uk/contact-us/
The development of more than one million sq ft of new employment space on a site off the M1 in South Yorkshire has been granted planning permission. Harworth Group received approval for development of a site on either side of Dearne Valley Parkway, close to Junction 36 of the M1, at meeting of Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council. The 95-acre site represents the second and third phases of the Gateway 36 development.The hybrid application includes outline plans for 1.1 million sq ft of space for business, general industrial, and storage and distribution space, together with associated internal access roads, landscaping and drainage. The indicative masterplan for the development shows ten units in a range of sizes. Detailed plans are included for earthworks and the creation of access points, including a new roundabout on the Dearne Valley Parkway, and link road. It has been estimated that the development could support the creation of about 2,500 jobs. The council’s Planning Regulatory Board unanimously voted to approve the scheme, subject to conditions, at the meeting. Gateway 36 is being developed on the former Rockingham Colliery site. Phase 1, comprising 198,000 sq ft of commercial space, was approved in March 2015. Barnsley Council has taken three units developed as part of the first phase for the R-evolution @ Gateway 36 scheme.
Lifestyle Appliances Ltd, one of the UK’s largest independent suppliers of outdoor leisure products, has seen a surge in online sales during the recent lockdown period, which the company managed with the latest software, cyber security and remote working tools. The award-winning Redditch-based company was formed in 2001 and enjoys a strong reputation in the retail, leisure and hospitality, and industrial sectors. In the past quarter, Lifestyle Appliances’ business has experienced growing online demand as more of us stay at home and many of its retail customers started buying online rather than visiting the showroom. The company already used a range of Managed IT services from its Kidderminster-based technology partner of 12 years, OGL Computer, including IT Support, Office 365, Cloud Recovery and Proactive Administration, to manage business processes. But it was OGL Computer’s ERP software that helped Lifestyle Appliances manage the online spike in sales. OGL’s integrated CRM, accounts and purchasing ERP (enterprise resource planning) solution combines data from all sales channels into one platform. By bringing together information from many different systems, Lifestyle Appliances was able to process orders more efficiently. Frank Spencer, Lifestyle Appliances Director, explains: “OGL Software really came to the fore as it enabled us to track stock movements quickly and keep our customers up to speed with the daily fluctuations in stock availability, so we could pass this accurate information on to our customer base.” While OGL Computer’s Cloud Recovery solution gave Lifestyle Appliances’ peace of mind with automated off-site backups of its data, Office 365 supported the company’s flexible remote working environment. Frank explains: “A small number of staff utilised mobile VPN set ups to work from home and this enabled them to access the OGL platform real-time from a remote location to process sales orders and purchase orders. This kept the flow of orders to be dispatched going into the warehouse so that delivery time promises for our internet customer base were maintained. “Our view on remote working has totally changed. We feel that as we transit out of the pandemic and return to what you might call the “new normal”, practices implemented during the pandemic and lockdown will be maintained as standard working practice as a result of them being recognised as a far more efficient way of conducting our business.” Lifestyle Appliances has also recently invested in technology from OGL Computer’s Cyber Security division, CyberGuard Technologies’ with next-generation anti-virus, Carbon Black Defense, to help protect its network via real-time monitoring and advanced security measures. A cost-effective first line of protection, Carbon Black Defense provides real-time monitoring of user behaviour to identify and report suspicious or malicious activities. By protecting user endpoints and offering a rapid response to suspected threats on mobile devices and BYODs, since implementation Carbon Black Defense has already reduced the amount of virus-attacks Lifestyle Appliances had previously encountered. Nick Davies, Head of Software Development at OGL Computer, concluded: “With our range of IT support services and security solutions in place around our ERP software, Lifestyle Appliances is better able to manage expectations of customers, partners and staff. We’re finding that more distributors, like Lifestyle Appliances, are coming to us wanting to improve or even set up e-commerce stores, so our e-commerce team is very busy. Using our services, those distributors are safe in the knowledge that their IT infrastructure is robust, secure and stable, so their teams can easily increase sales without any additional administration effort or cost.”
Construction and civil engineering specialist GRAHAM has secured its first two contracts on Network Rail’s Control Period 6 (CP6) Western Route framework. The workload which will consist of asset renewals covering design and construction of all rail categories, including building and civil engineering, electrification, power, signalling telecommunications and track, is part of the framework’s strategic plan to deliver 140,000 more trains every year by 2024. The framework runs for five years and can be extendable for a further three. The contract wins will see GRAHAM deliver works at Stocks Overbridge and the River Avon Evesham bridge and Kelston Park. Stocks Overbridge is a single span elliptical masonry road over rail arch structure between Kingham and Moreton-in-Marsh in Gloucestershire. The project will involve the demolition of existing masonry arch to be replaced with a new superstructure which will be installed by GRAHAM’s project team over the course of three 30-hour rail possessions. River Avon Evesham bridge is a two-span rail underbridge spanning the river. The work involves structural repairs to both abutments and the central pier and scour protection works in the river with associated works. The second project at Kelston Park, which comprises a 1.75-mile-long embankment that is situated on the flood plain of the River Avon, is to install a cantilevering kingpost wall at the toe of the embankment on both sides of the railway. Network Rail’s Western route stretches from London Paddington to Penzance, through Bristol and up to the boundaries with Wales, Worcester and Basingstoke. It has re-organised into a Route-based delivery organisation, fully focused on customer outcomes. It is seeking to work with organisations that have the right culture, behaviours and ethics and are committed to delivering a safer, sustainable, better performing and more efficient railway. Leo Martin, Managing Director for the civil engineering division at GRAHAM, said: “We’re delighted to have been awarded our first two schemes on the CP6 Western Framework and are determined to ensure they are delivered successfully in every respect to demonstrate our capabilities further in the rail sector. “Both GRAHAM and Network Rail are committed to creating a safe and inclusive workplace, one which recognises and respects differences between people and facilitates a culture which embraces innovation and change and where collaborative working practices are passed down through the entire supply chain, generating mutual benefit to the industry as a whole.” Leo added: “These contracts will build on the great work we have achieved so far on the Crossrail project and enhance our presence in the West of England on the back of our work at Marsh Barton in Exeter. They also provide the opportunity to develop our rail team further and increase our profile with Network Rail which is an important and very valued customer for GRAHAM.” Works will commence at both projects in August this year.
Together Has Changed is co-living and co-working experts, Cutwork’s manifesto about post-confinement architecture, design and living. Following the Covid-19 pandemic, it explores and acknowledges how physical distancing may transform how we live in the future and change our lifestyles for far longer than we might at first imagine. Divided into five core subjects and accompanied by studio co-founder, Antonin Yuji Maeno’s beautiful illustrations, Together Has Changed examines the more typical topics of office and home working but also how this may even affect our intimate relationships such as attitudes towards monogamy and how we might prepare for life within a future pandemic. i) Liquid Territory “The rising costs of rent and shrinking size of spaces are exposing systemic weakness of our cities. How good are our cities if they only become more and more exclusive? How good is a city if it is a system that increasingly deepens inequalities?… The call for open space and fresh air is not just a trend that reflects those conditions. New forms of flexibility and distance in our ways to live and work may bring a shift to a decentralized living – blending lifestyles between urban and rural in emerging ‘liquid territories’.” ii) Fiction of Together “Our cities are built on fictions of exclusivity and division of our differences. Yet, collaboration is at the heart of what makes us human. Large-scale flexible cooperation is exclusive to our species and is what allowed us to expand from small tribes into moon-landing civilisations.Why should we only fall back on our astonishing ability to collaborate in times of crisis? How can we re-imagine today’s habitats to be inclusive to our differences, encourage interactions, and comfortably make space for our vulnerabilities?” iii) End of Work “The ability to work from everywhere has already impacted the home, public spaces, and offices, but also mindsets: deciding when and where to work is a cultural shift that reflects a will to question the importance of work in our lives, as well as the notion of productivity.At the core of our contemporary system, one’s productivity is proportional to their financial retribution. With structural unemployment, AI peering over the horizon, and more and more jobs disappearing, this current conception of work seems illusory at best.How can we design our spaces to help us adapt to work from anywhere? What if we decoupled our traditional relationship between money and productivity? What if we adopted whole new systems and relationships to work?” iv) After the Family “In the US, over 20% of people have attempted some form of non-monogamy at some point in their lives. For Esther Perel: “our partner’s sexuality does not belong to us. It isn’t just for and about us, and we should not assume that it rightfully falls within our jurisdiction.”We have entered the era of exploration. The family as we knew it, based only on bloodline bonds, is being replaced by the chosen family – a response to individual choices, economic constraints, and life accidents. These dynamic and new liquid relationships are challenging our whole conception of home. They have pushed us to reinvent our shared habitats and the relationship between access and ownership.” v) Confronting Nature “How can our cities act as conduits for the natural blossoming and proliferation of life? How to conceive buildings like trees that could activate biodiversity in our cities? How to design our shared habitats … toward other (non-human) living beings?”
In response to the further easing of lockdown restrictions, HAE EHA (Hire Association Europe and Event Hire Association) is to restart SafeHire Certification audits to help get the industry back on its feet – in line with recovery strategies of the UK governments and the Republic of Ireland. HAE EHA took the decision to resume safety audits as construction workers and those involved in the hire sector make their way back to work, though to address members’ concerns a ‘Point of Work Risk Assessment’ will be conducted to ensure that there is an agreed and safe method of conducting the audit process. During the coronavirus pandemic, HAE EHA had provided a three-month extension to members who’s SafeHire Certification had expired or was about to expire. Now that many businesses in the tool, plant and equipment hire sector are reopening their operations for customers, the team at HAE EHA is urging members to book dates for audits as the service resumes as near to normal as possible. The trade association’s Director of Certification Services, Carl Bartlett, acknowledged that things will have to be done differently for the foreseeable future but the need to provide the safest possible working environments when hire operations reopen is crucial for a sector that plays such a vital role in the wider UK economy. He added: “In order that we continue to support our members to maintain the highest of standards in the hire and rental industry we are recommencing our audit services from July. We will of course observe any safety requirements implemented within an organisation and communicate these to our team whilst conducting the desktop and site audits.” In response to the interruption of services due to Covid-19 the association has been hosting webinars and produced updated practical guidance for hire centres which can be accessed through the HAE EHA website. HAE’s SafeHire Certification Scheme was formalised into a private standard by the British Standards Institute, and HAE is now working to raise awareness of the SafeHire scheme at local and national governmental levels. In order for hire firms to achieve certification, participation in the SafeHire scheme requires that businesses are inspected annually and everything from paperwork, day-to-day operations, staff training and environment is checked for continued compliance with the scheme’s rigorous standards. SafeHire Certification allows customers to approach event, tool and plant hire companies with confidence, as it proves a firm’s competence in upholding high standards in health, safety, environment and quality of equipment as well as a well-trained workforce to support customers as fully as possible. For more information visit www.hae.org.uk
Marine plywood is made with waterproof glue and has excellent quality. However, this type of plywood is not decay-resistant because it is not chemically treated. It is also a common choice for boat parts and constructing boats. It is used for outdoor furniture because of its durability, especially when it gets a solid protective finish. What Is Marine Plywood? Almost all marine plywood is made from peeling a massive sheet of veneer from a spinning log – imagine a tissue paper coming off its roll. There are two species of plants used for marine-grade plywood: Douglas-fir and western larch. All plies shouldn’t have knotholes but may have knots. Marine plywood come in different grades: Cases of Use Marine plywood is preferred in the construction of boats and docks thanks to its waterproof nature. It is proven to perform longer in wet and humid conditions. It can also resist fungal attack and delamination. It can also be used for kitchen and bathroom walls. These two areas in the house are prone to moisture; that’s why you need waterproof plywood. Using marine plywood for your kitchen floor will prevent it from deforming and rotting. Woodworkers also love using marine plywood in making outdoor furniture such as: What makes it Special? Marine plywood is super strong because: Whether you are planning to DIY or work with a professional, you need to use high quality materials for your home construction/renovation. Luckily, Sheet Materials Wholesale got your backing. Here you will get quality class 3 plywood at the most competitive prices.
Life is full of uncertainties. Things sometimes don’t always go as planned and if there are no plans on how to manage or tackle those unwanted occurrences, then inevitably, huge losses would be suffered by the parties involved. For these reasons and more, there is such a thing as insurance. What Is Insurance All About? When mishaps and accidents that generally result in damages, be it to the body or to property, occur, the means through which recompense or indemnification is paid to the victim of such an occurrence Is what is known as insurance. The idea is to try to restore the victim of such an occurrence to the status such a person (both legal and natural persons can be in this category) was before the damage or loss was suffered. It is basically a contract given as a policy by an insurer (this might be a company, an individual an underwriter etc.) to another for a small amount with the promise of reimbursement in the event of any loss or damage. You can read more about it here. However, while it is advisable to be covered by one policy or the other, there are those who by virtue of their engagements, business routines and the services they render, are more prone to the occurrence of these contingencies. These contingencies leave them susceptible to many actionable claims which can lead their organizations to bankruptcy and thus incapable of rendering their services. One group of people that such situation can affect a lot are contractors. Contractor’s Liability Insurance This specific policy is primarily targeted towards contractors who have people under their employ or who function on their behalf and who would be held responsible for the acts of their employees. This policy shields them from the financial liability they would have incurred from such occurrences. It is a necessity for them because of the responsibilities that come with their line of work thus, for them, it is required that they have a contractor insurance policy for the following reasons: To Protect them From Claims: This is necessary to protect them from cases of vicarious liability which is the liability of an employer for acts or damages caused by an employee in the course of duty. This principle holds true in law because, as an employer they are responsible for the actions of all that work for them in the course of rendering services. To Protect their Employees: Accidents do happen in work environments that might result in serious injuries to employee(s) who would be rightly entitled to some recompense as a result. Again, some jobs are more accident prone than others thus making it imperative that employers get this policy for their workers. They also benefit from it. To Pay Legal Fees: This policy ensures that the legal fees are paid in the event that there is a claim against the employer in court. Without this policy, an employer will be hit hard by the legal cost of these claims in court and these costs can be crippling for a business. Boosts their Reputation in Commercial Circles: unlike in the past, one of the ways that people evaluate a smart business owner or contractor is from the insurance coverage that the business has. This improves their chances of getting contracts as it tells potential clients that their business is adequately covered and in doing business with them, theirs will be well covered as well. Relaxed Mind: The daily struggle that most contractors have to endure is already a big load on its own. To now add to it thoughts of probable law suits in court or claim(s) to settle can be quite disconcerting. But by getting this policy, an employer frees him or herself of this burden. It Is a Requirement In Some States: In some states, getting this policy is a mandatory requirement in order to carry on your business in that state or city. An example is the state of California. Sites like https://www.contractorbond.org/california-contractors-general-liability-insurance/ will provide more details regarding this. Conclusion There are smart steps that every smart contractor or business owner in this field that wants to thrive should take in order to successfully run their business. One such step is getting a contractor’s liability insurance policy This is important because they are ultimately in the best interest of the business owner or the contractor.
All large construction projects are legally required to make use of hoarding boards to keep the public away from the hazards of the building site – but beyond their basic function as an aid to site safety, hoardings also represent a great opportunity for branding and advertising. These large, prominent expanses of wood are a natural fit for messaging and advertising, and a construction company that fails to take advantage of the medium in this way might be missing a trick. If the boards have got to be there, why not put something on them? However, not all forms of large printed advertisements are created equal. While some billboard advertisements turn heads, others may fail to capture the public’s attention – so what makes construction hoarding graphics succeed or fail? In this article, we’re going to look at some ways of designing your site hoardings for maximum effectiveness – all the while complying with the rules and regulations for construction projects. What are the rules? As with so many decisions in the world of construction, awareness of the legal requirements has to come first. There’s plenty of room for creativity, but we must also bear these constraints in mind: The hoarding graphics can’t have a total area exceeding 38m². They can’t be installed more than 4.6m above ground level. It’s not allowed to have the graphics up for more than three months before the start of construction work – and they can’t be on display for more than three years in a row. It’s mandatory that you submit written notification to the local authority to let them know you’re planning to display hoarding advertisements, along with a detailed copy of your planning permission. This has to be done at least two weeks before you start displaying the graphics. There are also rules for large-format public advertisements in general, which also apply to hoarding graphics: The ad graphics have to be kept clean, tidy, and in a safe condition. You have to get permission from the owner of the site to display the advertisements. You’re not allowed to obscure essential signage associated with road, rail, waterway or aircraft signs (or otherwise make using these forms of transport more dangerous in any way). You must be prepared to carefully remove the advertising graphics if asked to do so by the planning authority. With all that said and understood… what should you put on your site hoardings? What makes for effective hoarding graphics? The first step in the process of designing a great advertising graphic for construction site hoardings is identify your priorities and what you hope to achieve. Is your goal to communicate a specific message? To get passers-by to take a specific action? To raise general brand awareness of your company name and logo? To inform the public about the project being undertaken? It’s also very important to consider the context of the installed hoardings. What kind of environment will they be seen in, and from what kinds of angles? For all types of outdoor graphics, you have to plan for the surroundings – if you intend to be noticed, it’s not a good idea to put a green and brown design next to a group of leafy trees! Timing can also be a key factor for consideration, both in terms of daylight and the passing of seasons. If it’s important that the messaging on your hoardings remains legible in the dark, dark text on a black background may not be the way to go – and knowing whether the boards will be up over the winter or during the summer months might influence your choices for typography, imagery, and more. Choosing the right design elements Once you’ve decided on the ultimate goal of your hoarding advertisements, it’s time to pick the right colours and typefaces to do the job. Colour psychology is probably too broad of a topic to be covered in this article, but in essence, the colours we see associated with a certain brand have a subconscious effect on how we feel about that business. That’s why McDonald’s uses sunny red-and-yellow colours to encourage you to feel warm and happy, and why so many technology companies use shades of blue to put you in mind of science and progress (such as Facebook, Twitter, HP, NASA, LinkedIn, and dozens of others). By identifying the kind of ‘mood’ you would like to cultivate around your brand (trustworthiness? Sophistication? Safety? Modernity?) you can pick the right colour scheme to suggest it – and the same is true for typography. When it comes to written messaging, the words you use are equally important to the font they’re displayed in. For example, serif fonts (like Times New Roman or Georgia) might communicate old-school reliability and traditional values, or a sans-serif font (like Arial or Futura) can suggest modern sensibilities and forward thinking. One more key consideration when designing your hoarding graphics is readability. These site boards will likely be seen from a distance, when travelling past in a vehicle at speed, in bad weather, and more. Text that doesn’t stand out with good contrast in a clear font is likely to pass unnoticed in many scenarios. At the same time, it’s important to remember the sensibilities of those members of the public who will be particularly affected by the construction work (nearby residents, perhaps, or people who work in the area every day). It might be tempting to make an attention-grabbing neon sign to ensure you get your point across, but it’s unlikely to go down well if the locals all consider it a giant eyesore. Construction hoardings represent a huge opportunity for branding and advertising, and as long as the rules and regulations are followed there’s a great wealth of creative things that can be done with them. By carefully selecting the most effective fonts, colours and other design elements, your site boards can act as giant billboards to spread almost any message you like – allowing your company to effectively
