Mitie has been selected as a supplier on the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) agreement for Covid community testing sites. The appointment extends Mitie’s key role as a supporter of testing services and covers new Covid test sites to be opened as needed by local authorities for short periods – up to
The chairman of property management and surveying practice Scanlans is handing over the reins as he embarks on a new career as a mediator. Ian Stanistreet, 61, has been a partner at Scanlans for 31 years and its chairman since 2016, when he succeeded David McKee. Ian has also continued
The shareholders at Readie are selling all shares to an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) Shareholders selling their business to an EOT are exempt from capital gains tax Business will be operated for the benefit of all employees The basic premise of an EOT is that it operates the business successfully,
The UK’s net-zero carbon target for all homes by 2050 is unlikely to be met without a major overhaul of the current system, warn MPs. The House of Commons environmental audit committee estimates decarbonising UK homes by 2050 will cost £342bn – way above the government’s estimates of between £35
Study Inn Group, the luxury hotel-style student accommodation owner, developer, and operator, has joined forces with the UK’s student mental health charity, Student Minds, to enhance student mental health support across its centres. The partnership will see Study Inn’s residents access mental health and wellbeing resources and engagement activities. The
Yourkeys has appointed Dario Scimeca as Head of Housebuilder Product as it continues to expand its reach in the residential new build sector. Yourkeys has developed an online platform for progressing new homes sales which involves all stakeholders, brings transparency to the process, and accelerates the time to exchange on
The rollout of the Next Generation Cat® D5 Dozer has well and truly begun, with customers in Wales setting the pace. Plant hire and construction firms including Gravelle Plant Hire, Locke Brothers, Hywel Llewellyn Plant Hire and Alun Griffiths (part of the CRH Group) took deliveries from Finning UK &
Staffordshire-based handrail and balustrade specialists, SMART Balustrades, has expanded its team as it works towards its ambitious 35% year-on-year growth target for 2021 – following a record year in 2020. Set up by brothers David and Jonathan Hough in 2017, SMART Balustrades has experienced a sustained demand for its specialist
Savills has expanded its building & project consultancy team with the appointment of David Wharton who joins as a director at the firm’s Margaret Street head office in London. David has more than 25 years’ experience in the property industry as a project manager specialising in industrial & logistics. He
As we approach the thought of a release from lockdown it’s important to consider what may have changed in the dormant buildings whilst we have been away. Whilst the Alpine Service Team have remained 100% operational across the UK some businesses may have taken the decision to pause their planned
Mitie has been selected as a supplier on the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) agreement for Covid community testing sites. The appointment extends Mitie’s key role as a supporter of testing services and covers new Covid test sites to be opened as needed by local authorities for short periods – up to 12 weeks. Mitie will potentially offer test site management and support services to local authorities across 11 regions: Yorkshire and Humber, North West, North East, West Midlands, East Midlands, South West, South East, London, and an option to add Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Mitie will be providing registration assistants, processing operatives, security officers and test assistants, as well as cleaning at the sites along with any additional services required by the local authorities. Mitie has been supporting the country directly in its Covid-19 response since the beginning of the pandemic, through community testing centres, the first of which opened in Inverness on 25 April 2020, and essential services for hospitals, including the Nightingale Hospital London and the Ysbyty Calon y Ddraig – Dragon’s Heart Hospital as it is known in English – in Cardiff. More widely, Mitie now operates over 150 testing sites for public and private sector clients, and its colleagues have continued to provide key services at critical sites, such as ports and airports, across the country. Simon Venn, Chief Government & Strategy Officer, Mitie, said: “I am delighted to be extending our vital work at the heart of the UK’s Coronavirus response to support local communities with their testing programmes. I am proud of the commitment of our Mitie colleagues in delivering these critical services, they truly are frontline heroes. We continue to play our part in keeping the country running and also supporting its recovery.”
The chairman of property management and surveying practice Scanlans is handing over the reins as he embarks on a new career as a mediator. Ian Stanistreet, 61, has been a partner at Scanlans for 31 years and its chairman since 2016, when he succeeded David McKee. Ian has also continued to head the firm’s property management division alongside partner Ian Magenis. He will stand down as chairman and retire as a partner at the end of March, but will remain with Scanlans as a consultant. In that role he will continue to manage a portfolio of commercial properties across the north west, carry out landlord and tenant work such as rent reviews and lease renewals, and handle compulsory purchase claims, some of which relate to HS2. Ian Magenis will assume responsibility for the day-to-day running of the firm’s property management operations in the north west and Yorkshire, and the administration of the entire business. Neil Inman will continue to be the lead partner for the Midlands operation. Partner Tony Mancini will continue to oversee and administer Scanlans’ building surveying functions. Ian Magenis said: “While we are all extremely sad to see Ian retiring as a partner, we are pleased he will be remaining with us as a consultant. “He has been an intrinsic part of the growth of Scanlans Property Management, taking it from a department of three people to over 40. “Without his hard work, commitment, knowledge and enthusiasm, this level of success would not have been possible.” He added: “While Ian will be missed as chairman, we are looking forward to working closely with him in his new role as a consultant. “Although in one sense it represents the end of an era, we do not anticipate the change to have any impact on our existing client base, and it’s business as usual across our operations. “We have continued to provide all ongoing management services over the last 12 challenging months. “Indeed, we’ve seen growth in a number of areas, including new property management instructions in the Yorkshire and Midlands regions, and we anticipate considerable expansion for our building surveying department in the coming months. “We look forward to an exciting future for Scanlans, having also invested in new technology to facilitate our growth strategy.” Ian Stanistreet said his Scanlans career highlights include overseeing the growth of its residential block management division from a standing start in 1996 to achieving current turnover of more than £2m. “While there have been staff changes over the years, the culture of Scanlans has remained intact,” he added. “The development of many employees from junior roles and apprenticeships to become accomplished property managers and team leaders has been very rewarding. “Many people describe Scanlans as a family, and the culture of the firm is what I have enjoyed the most.” Ian’s new venture is IHS Mediation, which will specialise in resolving civil and commercial disputes. He said: “Mediation is an area that has always interested me. Having qualified as a civil and commercial mediator, I will be looking to resolve all types of property and business disputes, drawing on my experience as a chartered surveyor and as a partner of a nationwide surveying practice. “I’m also looking forward to spending time with my family, including five grandchildren, and pursuing my hobbies of cycling and hill walking.”
The shareholders at Readie are selling all shares to an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) Shareholders selling their business to an EOT are exempt from capital gains tax Business will be operated for the benefit of all employees The basic premise of an EOT is that it operates the business successfully, for the benefit of all employees Being owned by an EOT will enable tax free bonuses of up to £3,600 to be paid to all eligible employees Eligible employee criteria is simply completion of one year’s employment Transaction completed without external debt/finance The selling shareholders have agreed to defer payments for their shares to enable the shares to be purchased from future profits of the business Management buy outs are normally externally financed with funding from banks, venture capitalists or private equity. Usually involving the management giving up some degree of control with new board members representing third party investors. There would also be significant interest and loan repayments for the business to service In this case the transfer of ownership will be funded from future company earnings enabling the business to be sold without any external debt or finance Existing management team continues Strategic direction of business is unaltered One of the strengths of the management team at Readie has always been the ability to take the long-term view for the benefit of the business, this will naturally fit with the new ownership structure The high-level strategy for some time has been continuing, sustainable growth to create career opportunities for our valued staff, this approach will continue Our clients, clients consultants and our supply chain partners will continue to see the same consistent, positive, pro-active approach to our projects What is an EOT Introduced in 2014, an EOT is a from of Employee Benefit Trust which holds shareholding in the company on trust for the benefit of all employees. An EOT provides indirect (trust) employee ownership of the company Employee owned businesses achieve higher productivity and greater levels of innovation and are more resilient to economic turbulence. They also have more engaged, more fulfilled and less stressed workforces. There are also employee retention and recruitment benefits Further Information Readie is the largest employee owned construction business in the UK Readie is the 11th largest employee owned business in the UK Financial and Tax Advice was provided by FRP Advisory Legal advice was provided by Birketts Quote from Stuart Read, Chairman at Readie: Many of our staff have been with Readie throughout our rapid growth, the transition to employee ownership was the logical next step in the development of the company. The creation of an EOT enables us to preserve the legacy of the Readie brand and will help cement our status as a leading contractor in the Industrial & Logistics sector. This change safeguards the future of Readie for the benefit of its future leaders and employees, the transition to EOT status acknowledges their contribution to the company’s success and gives all employees an opportunity to share in its continuing success. By creating an ownership culture we can more effectively incentivise the employees and continue to deliver sustainable growth. Quote from Paul Stephens, Managing Director at Readie: The business has continually shown that it is truly committed to stability & growth. Key to our staff and our clients is maintaining continuity of the management team. To have the best team around me in the Industrial & Logistics sector and move into employee ownership is truly exciting. This change will provide career development and progression opportunities for all of our employees, this has been key to our success so far. Quote from Jon Dodge, Corporate Finance Partner at FRP Advisory: This transaction is an important milestone in the exciting story of Readie and we look forward to watching the continued growth and success of the business under its new ownership model. The growth in employee ownership as a sustainable business model has accelerated in recent months and is playing an important role in supporting already successful firms, preserving their cultures while providing viable and structured exit routes for those who have spent years building them. Quote from Lisa Hayward, Head of Employee Incentives at Birketts: For companies like Readie who want to safeguard the legacy created by its workforce, employee ownership offers a unique chance to reward those who helped build the organisation from the ground up. We have no doubts that moving to an employee ownership trust will boost job satisfaction and employee wellbeing amongst the Readie workforce – no small feat in the wake of an uncertain year for business.
The UK’s net-zero carbon target for all homes by 2050 is unlikely to be met without a major overhaul of the current system, warn MPs. The House of Commons environmental audit committee estimates decarbonising UK homes by 2050 will cost £342bn – way above the government’s estimates of between £35 to £65bn. Environmental audit committee chairman Philip Dunne, MP, said: “Realism needs to be injected into the government. A much better understanding of cost, pace, scale and feasibility of skills development is desperately needed for net-zero Britain.” About 19m homes need to be upgraded to reach energy performance certificate C rating and the committee heard in evidence this would entail an average cost of £18,000 in upgrades not including heat pumps. The committee’s Energy Efficiency of Existing Homes argues building renovation passports have the potential to provide more accurate data on energy usage unlocking green finance. It recommends the government develops an approved standardised methodology and data framework for the passports which would eventually replace energy performance certificates, EPC. “This will give confidence to businesses that they can invest in upskilling and green jobs,” said Mr Dunne. “This must be properly reflected in the system that assesses energy efficiency: EPCs are outdated and should be replaced with building renovation passports, which set a clear pathway to decarbonise homes.” VAT needs to be slashed National Federation of Builders housing and planning policy head Rico Wojtulewicz said reforming certificates rather than future homes standards was the way to go. “We hope they will also explore our recommendation to use stamp duty receipts to retrofit old homes and incentivise better new ones, as well as cut the VAT on the hardest to retrofit homes, our traditional builds.” The Federation of Master Builders called on the government to adopt the committee’s recommendations in full including cutting VAT on home improvements from 20 to five per cent. FMB chief executive Brian Berry said: “Local builders must be at the heart of plans to green our homes, and a national retrofit strategy would provide them with the confidence they need to invest in the necessary skills and training requirements.” Brokers Hank Zarihs Associates said a national strategy would motivate builders to go into green refurbishments and was something development and refurbishment finance lenders would support. The committee was critical of the green homes grant system, launched 16 months ago, where only £125m worth of vouchers out of the £1.5bn budget had been spent. It would also like to see the reinstatement of a reduced rate of VAT payable on energy-saving materials at five per cent while expanding its scope to cover energy storage, heat pumps and electric vehicle charging. Up until 2019, certain clean technologies were eligible for a reduced rate of VAT of 5 per cent.
Study Inn Group, the luxury hotel-style student accommodation owner, developer, and operator, has joined forces with the UK’s student mental health charity, Student Minds, to enhance student mental health support across its centres. The partnership will see Study Inn’s residents access mental health and wellbeing resources and engagement activities. The Group will also invest in Student Minds’ Student Mental Health in Accommodation Settings training course for its Guest Relations and Centre Managers team, as well as fundraising campaigns. Furthermore, Study Inn is currently recruiting for a Student Experience Manager role which will focus on developing and delivering initiatives and strategies to further boost its resident students’ experience. Study Inn Group has focused on resident wellbeing since its inception in 2009 and its latest generation of properties re-affirm the Group’s deep-rooted focus on student wellbeing and life experience. The Group’s state-of-the-art communal facilities include wellness spa; sauna and steam room; hot beds; gym and yoga studio; cinema room; pool and table tennis, which contribute to students’ wellbeing and facilitate interaction amongst residents. Study Inn also runs an industry leading monthly social events programme with plenty of opportunities to learn something new and de-stress. Due to the current pandemic, these events are taking place virtually with a wide range of themes including fitness workouts; yoga and meditation classes; craft classes, cooking lessons; climate change webinars; and poetry reading to name a few. Study Inn’s residents also benefit from extra services including weekly welfare checks; 24/7 on-site management; pastoral care; and superfast Wi-fi to support online learning at no additional cost so that students feel safe and supported throughout their stay. The group currently ranks #1 for best student accommodation provider in Bristol, Nottingham and Loughborough on student community platform Student Crowd, a website that helps students make informed decisions based on trustworthy reviews. Commenting on the partnership, Matt Shakespeare, Managing Director at Study Inn said: “Students have been faced with unique challenges to university life during the coronavirus pandemic and we are focused on increasing our support so residents can thrive during their university years. We chose Student Minds as our official charity partner because their expertise and experience in student mental health will guide us in this important mission.” Alice Cooper, Corporate Funding Officer at Student Minds commented, “We are delighted to welcome Study Inn on board as part of our corporate partnership family. We’re very grateful for Study Inn’s support and look forward to shaping our partnership over the next year to champion student mental health together. Thank you to the Study Inn team for your support!”
Yourkeys has appointed Dario Scimeca as Head of Housebuilder Product as it continues to expand its reach in the residential new build sector. Yourkeys has developed an online platform for progressing new homes sales which involves all stakeholders, brings transparency to the process, and accelerates the time to exchange on sales. Dario joins from London Square, where he was Sales Manager. He started his career with Barratt, working in sales administration, before moving to a sales progression role incorporating the David Wilson Homes brand. He went on to be a sales advisor with Bellway in the West Midlands before relocating to London and progressing his career with London Square. Dario’s role at Yourkeys will involve sharing insight from the perspective of the housebuilder to create new products within the platform. He collaborated with the Yourkeys team in the early development of the software during his time at London Square. He continues to work closely with the London Square team as one of Yourkeys’ longest-standing clients. Dario said: “I’ve been using the Yourkeys platform for a year now. This newly-created role provides an opportunity to get involved at an early stage with a company which is transforming the way new homes are sold. This is an exciting new sector, and a new challenge at a time when the prominence of technology in the industry is growing. “I will be focusing on ensuring Yourkeys offers the best possible user experience as it expands into new areas and offers more features for housebuilders and sales agents.” Yourkeys has recruited from the housebuilding sector since its inception. Co-founder and CEO Riccardo Iannucci-Dawson is a former new homes sales director. He left that role to set up the company in a bid to refine and replace outdated processes in the industry. Riccardo said: “Dario has a strong background in the new homes industry and he knows the Yourkeys product inside-out. He will help to drive further innovation as we seek to simplify more of the processes involved in property transactions. “Yourkeys has become established as the go-to sales progression platform for new homes. Following a successful first year, the software will continue to evolve and provide new solutions to challenges faced by housebuilders.” For more information see Yourkeys.com.
The rollout of the Next Generation Cat® D5 Dozer has well and truly begun, with customers in Wales setting the pace. Plant hire and construction firms including Gravelle Plant Hire, Locke Brothers, Hywel Llewellyn Plant Hire and Alun Griffiths (part of the CRH Group) took deliveries from Finning UK & Ireland and quickly put their new machines to work. It’s been just over a year since Caterpillar launched the all new D5 Dozer, the successor to the popular Cat D6N, and the benefits are already clear to businesses across the UK. The new machine offers superior performance, backed by a broad choice of technology features, so operators can really get the most from their bulldozer. With harness added weight and horsepower of 170, it is equipped to take on a wide range of dozing and grading tasks. Improvements to the steering, transmission and balance make it easier than ever for operators to perform high quality work more quickly. One happy customer is Locke Brothers, which bought a new D5 after being impressed with the technology offered as standard and has successfully put it to work. Having purchased its first D4 from Finning in 2004, the D5 marked its first investment in a brand new Dozer. After hiring the machine for a week from Gravelle Plant Hire, who were the first company to purchase the D5 in Wales, Locke Brothers took the plunge and purchased a machine for itself. “The technology blew competitor models out of the water,” said Keith Locke, Director at Locke Brothers. “The value add from Caterpillar and Finning including the five year, 5000-hour warranty, VisionLink connectivity and a Customer Value Agreement that included five services, sealed the deal. We’ve fallen in love with the D5, it has supported us through extremely busy periods of agriculture work.” “We’ve chosen Cat Dozers since 1978 when my late father founded the company — and we still love them today,” said Peter Gravelle, Director of Gravelle Plant Hire, the company that took the first D5 delivery in Wales. “We’ve had great driver feedback on the D5, with operators preferring the larger cab and benefitting from the increased power. We’ve found it is excellent on fuel consumption too.” “The D5 brings all the advantages of the D6N, and then some,” said Iwan Jenkins, Territory Account Manager for the Wales Region at Finning UK & Ireland. “It offers incredible technology, better performance and more durability and uptime, so operators can do more work in less time. It is exciting to watch the D5’s domination of the market taking off in Wales and see how beneficial our Customer Value Agreements are.” The Cat Dozer range is gradually being renamed from smallest to largest — D1 to D11 — so that there is one model per class size. For more information on the D5, click here. If you are interested in hearing more about Finning’s Customer Value Agreements, click here.
Staffordshire-based handrail and balustrade specialists, SMART Balustrades, has expanded its team as it works towards its ambitious 35% year-on-year growth target for 2021 – following a record year in 2020. Set up by brothers David and Jonathan Hough in 2017, SMART Balustrades has experienced a sustained demand for its specialist services – both in the commercial and residential sectors, and the firm’s investment in its team is testament to its commitment to its growth strategy Sukhi Bassi joins SMART Balustrades as a CAD technician and will be responsible for delivering creative and compliant solutions to difficult design challenges, innovative product development and order processing. With an undergraduate degree in Building Survey and a master’s degree in Building Information Modelling for Integrated Construction, Wolverhampton-based Sukhi is well equipped for the role following six years in the balustrades industry. Paul Heston joins the manufacturing arm of the business as production operative and will be working at the firm’s inhouse production facility in Burntwood. With over 20 years of experience in manufacturing, Paul will be producing a range of SMART Balustrade products including bespoke glass and stainless-steel balustrades, Juliet and platform balconies, and handrails. On her new role, Sukhi said: “Joining SMART Balustrades at such a pivotal time for the business is very exciting for me. The company is impressive and I like that it has big ambitions for the future. “As its new CAD technician, I’m looking forward to working with the team to streamline our business processes and maintain the high level of customer satisfaction that SMART Balustrades is known for.” Paul said: “As a growing company with excellent standards, SMART Balustrades is a leader within the balustrade industry, and being part of such a high-quality manufacturing team is amazing. I can’t wait to take on this new challenge and part of the journey.” Specialists in handrail and balustrade systems, SMART Balustrades manufactures and installs a range of products for sectors such as education, retail, leisure, and housing. David Hough, managing director of SMART Balustrades, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Sukhi and Paul to SMART Balustrades as our team continues to grow. “With Sukhi in the design team and Paul in the manufacturing team, we can better serve our growing volume of customers and work towards our growth targets. Welcome to the team both.” SMART Balustrades is part of the Unitech Group, and it designs and manufactures its products at Unitech Group’s 75,000 sq. ft. production facility in Burntwood, Staffordshire.
Savills has expanded its building & project consultancy team with the appointment of David Wharton who joins as a director at the firm’s Margaret Street head office in London. David has more than 25 years’ experience in the property industry as a project manager specialising in industrial & logistics. He joins Savills from multi-disciplinary construction consultancy Lysander where he was a director and key account manager for GLP, project managing more than 10 UK schemes for the global logistics developer including G-Park Northampton, Magnitude and Altitude at Magna Park Milton Keynes and G-Park Bedford Wixams. Prior to this he also held positions at Aecom, Jacobs and WSP. At Savills David will join the London development project management team working alongside Will Cooper to bolster its industrial & logistics capability and utilise his connections and expertise to win new business for one of the division’s most significant sectors. David Wharton, director in the building & project consultancy team, comments: “I am very much looking forward to joining the team, which already has an excellent reputation within the industrial & logistics sector. I have worked alongside many of my new colleagues on projects for key clients, including GLP, over the years and it will be great to finally join them on the same side of the table.” Simon Collett, head of building & project consultancy, adds: “We are very pleased to welcome David to Savills. His experience and expertise in the industrial & logistics sector will undoubtedly help to further strengthen our capability and ensure we can continue to offer a best in class service to our clients.”
As we approach the thought of a release from lockdown it’s important to consider what may have changed in the dormant buildings whilst we have been away. Whilst the Alpine Service Team have remained 100% operational across the UK some businesses may have taken the decision to pause their planned maintenance schedules whilst the facilities are empty. We have gathered the thoughts of our in house technical experts for advice on some considerations to be given where sites have not been fully maintained, tested or checked. Here are 5 issues that may arise from a pause in the regular tests and checks advised by LPS 1048 and could potentially compromise the operation of a fire sprinkler system. Seized Pressure switches – unless regularly exercised pressure switches can stick causing a number of issues with the sprinkler system. Pressure switches installed on the pump initiation lines would not detect a drop in system pressure and would therefore not start the fire pump(s) preventing the sprinkler system from operating. The pressure switches on the alarm line of the control valves would not send a signal to the main fire alarm, impairing the detection of any issues, either accidental damage or fire related. Water Motor Alarms could be seized – although seen by some as outdated technology the mechanical aspect of a water pressure driven alarm cannot be overlooked as this should still give an audible signal if there was ever a problem with the building fire alarm system. It also enables a hard check on the alarm valves operational effectiveness during regular checks, this would not be possible with an inoperable alarm motor and gong due to failed or seized components. System valves could be stiffer to operate or seized – water flow control valves that are seized or at least stiff would be much more difficult to close in the event of an accidental discharge, potentially leading to excessive water damage if the flow of water cannot be stopped. Individual test valves seized will prevent the normal testing procedure being carried out. However the worst case is that the alarm valves may not open correctly preventing water from flowing into the main sprinkler system in the event of a fire situation. Fire pumps could be seized – As above, if the fire pump is not able to deliver water to the sprinkler system then the effectiveness of that system is eliminated. The ability to provide a continuous flow of water at required pressure based on the design parameters is paramount in the operation of the overall fire suppression system. Undetected frost damage – we have endured some of the coldest days on record in the UK during lockdown. There is a risk within closed sites that there may be frost damage to parts of the system, which could lead to impaired components that could fail on returning to standard operation. These components may not operate as designed and impair their ability to control a fire or at the minimum could cause water damage within a facility in the event of failure. So, as we all look to Spring for a return to something more like the life we remember, we recommend that your fire sprinkler systems are checked for impairments and correct operation by a competent engineer before reoccupation of buildings takes place. For more information on our design, project management and aftercare solutions please contact Louise Plant on 0161 791 4500, or l.plant@alpinefire.co.uk or visit www.alpinefire.co.uk
