IKEA is officially moving to Dartford after it was revealed they are behind a deal to secure a 450,000 sq ft ‘powerhouse’, but the unit will sadly not be a customer-facing store. The Swedish giants have confirmed they have signed a 15-year lease with developers on a pre-let agreement for
Recognising that the UK must build more homes, quicker, while reducing carbon emissions, the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for the Timber Industries has launched with a new report that aims to provide solutions to the UK’s housing and climate crises. The report, titled ‘How the timber industries can help solve
Research by the nationwide buy-to-let specialist, Sequre Property Investment, has revealed that the tide of pandemic rental arrear woes that have impacted one in five landlords could be starting to turn, as the majority are now seeing a reduction in the level of late rental income owed to them. The
More than four years following the tragic fire in the Grenfell Tower, we are still waiting for the full legislative response from the government. While it is accepted that the public inquiry has yet to complete its work, are there measures, perhaps including some of those contained in Dame Judith
When you think of artificial intelligence, what springs to mind? In days gone by, “artificial intelligence” probably thought of autonomous robots slowly taking over the world. In reality, in 2021, artificial intelligence (AI) is the technology that powers digital assistants such as Amazon’s Alexa. Consumers can benefit from the convenience
IKEA is officially moving to Dartford after it was revealed they are behind a deal to secure a 450,000 sq ft ‘powerhouse’, but the unit will sadly not be a customer-facing store. The Swedish giants have confirmed they have signed a 15-year lease with developers on a pre-let agreement for the massive warehouse, located at the former Littlebrook Power Station site on the south bank of the River Thames. They will be joining Amazon at the site after they recently moved into a 2.3 million sq ft ‘Mega Box’ distribution centre right next door, with the entire park undergoing fierce redevelopment to become a “critical last journey location inside the M25.” However, IKEA will not be opening a new store for customers as part of the plans, instead developing a massive new distribution centre which will “meet our customers wherever and whenever they need us.” The distribution centre in Dartford is set to serve IKEA’s stores across the UK and south east – including Greenwich, Croydon and Lakeside. A spokesperson for IKEA said they were “delighted to confirm” they would be moving into a unit at The Power House project in Dartford. “This exciting investment forms part of our ongoing transformation to become even more affordable, accessible and sustainable, accelerating our omnichannel approach to meet our customers wherever and whenever they need us, irrespective of where they live or whether they visit us in-store or online.” The ‘450@thepowerhouse’ unit is currently under construction, and it is not yet know when the site will be opening or how many jobs will be created. Adjacent to the IKEA site, Amazon have just moved into their own distribution centre at the old Littlebrook power station site, a vast £200 million build on a 45-acre plot of land. The move is part of an expansion for the retail titans, with around 1,3000 new jobs created locally in a welcome boost for the area. Workers are even being offered a £1,000 starting bonus amid worker struggles. With IKEA and Amazon m the former Littlebrook power station next to the Dartford-Thurrock River Crossing, The impressive unit in Dartford has been pre-let to IKEA by Bericote and Titrax Big Box who are leading the major regeneration of the area located adjacent to the QE2 Bridge and Dartford Tunnel on the south bank of the Thames. Titrax Big Box say the location will mean it’s project, a “rare asset so close to the heart of London,” will benefit from “exceptional transport connectivity via motorway, rail and water, excellent infrastructure, significant power provision and a robust labour market.” Jonathan Maher, development director at Bericote, said: “This letting underpins Bericote’s ongoing commitment to creating highly specified, modern and adaptable industrial and logistics solutions in strategic locations across the UK. “The pre-letting during construction of this speculative development underlines the strength of the market and the very attractive attributes of the site and we look forward to repeating the same success for the next phase of the development.” Charlie Withers, director of development for Tritax Management, added: “Securing a 15-year letting at thepowerhouse to another high quality occupier, further validates our strategic focus on development. “The new tenant, will join Amazon at what is becoming the preeminent logistics location in the UK’s South East.” Plans were submitted in June for the third phase of the project, and developers of the park also say they have allocated 30% of the overall Littlebrook site for permanent open space and habitat creation for wildlife. IKEA added: “As we continue to step up our sustainability commitments, guided by our established strategy to become People & Planet Positive by 2030, we were also attracted by the site’s significant biodiversity enhancement and habitat creation plans, which have informed the UK Green Building Council’s Nature Based Solutions best practice guidance for the industry.”
Recognising that the UK must build more homes, quicker, while reducing carbon emissions, the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for the Timber Industries has launched with a new report that aims to provide solutions to the UK’s housing and climate crises. The report, titled ‘How the timber industries can help solve the housing crisis’, calls on the Government to support the use of wood in construction through policy and procurement, as well as introducing legislation to regulate embodied carbon – starting with mandatory, standardised carbon measurement on all government projects. Launched today (16 September) at the inaugural general meeting for the APPG, the report makes a series of key recommendations devised to help the Government reach its target of building 300,000 more homes per year, while also significantly boosting the trajectory towards net zero carbon. Crucially, the recommendations call for a new focus on whole life carbon emissions within the Building Regulations and the introduction of thresholds for embodied carbon within construction. The report urges the Government to give preference to low carbon materials and building solutions for all government projects, pointing to the economic benefits that scaling up the timber and forestry industries would bring. Calls are also made in the report for a more joined-up approach to working with the timber industry to develop an industrial strategy that can align with government policy. Finally, the report highlights that while the Government has – quite rightly – made building safety a top priority in the wake of the Grenfell fire, the regulations around combustible materials have not always reflected the realities of safe construction using timber. A fundamental differentiation must be made between cladding and structural elements, and the report points towards an evidence-based approach to safety regulations. David Warburton, MP for Somerton and Frome, and chair of the APPG, commented: “We are at a vital junction, where the imperative to build more homes is converging with the urgent need to reduce carbon across all of our markets. Now is the time to put forward policies that will enable us to build a more productive and low-carbon housing sector. “By levelling-up the existing timber and forestry supply chain, and making greater use of modern methods of construction, we can deliver more quality homes – and we can do this sustainably and at pace.” Over the next Parliamentary session, the APPG for the Timber Industries will undertake a programme of activity to enable the timber industries to work with Parliamentarians to raise awareness of the vital contribution that the industries make to the UK economy and UK trade. It will also focus on the importance of the timber industries achieving net zero 2050 and the opportunities which exist to support sustainable timber construction in the UK. For more information and to download the report ‘How the timber industries can help solve the housing crisis’, please visit the CTI website.
Research by the nationwide buy-to-let specialist, Sequre Property Investment, has revealed that the tide of pandemic rental arrear woes that have impacted one in five landlords could be starting to turn, as the majority are now seeing a reduction in the level of late rental income owed to them. The survey of nearly 4,000 UK landlords commissioned by Sequre Property Investment found that nearly one in five (17%) have experienced rental arrears as a result of the pandemic. For a third (27%), this has been a marginal inconvenience to the tune of one month’s rent. However, a further 23% have been out of pocket between one and two months rent, with half have seen these arrears accumulate to two or more months of rental income. With the government moving to ban tenant evictions while increasing eviction notice periods to six months during the height of the pandemic, landlords have had little choice but to sit tight in hope that this lost rental income can be recouped further down the line. The good news is that this tide of pandemic rental arrears does seem to be turning, with many landlords reporting a reduction. While 36% stated that the level of arrears owed to them has remained the same since the height of the pandemic, 37% have seen a reduction and just 28% have seen a further increase. Sales Director at Sequre Property Investment, Daniel Jackson, commented: “The pandemic has posed problematic for tenant and landlord alike but while the nation’s tenants have been afforded a great deal of government protection, little has been done to aid those landlords facing a backlog of unpaid rent. With the government all but blocking the ability to evict tenants who can’t pay, the only option on the table has been to sit tight and wait for this storm of rental arrears to blow over. The good news is that many now seem to be weathering this storm and having shown faith in their tenants during hard times, the majority of landlords are now starting to have this faith repaid in the form of overdue rent. Of course, there are some tenants who are not yet out of the woods, as well as those who seek to take advantage of the system, but the rental market certainly seems to be rebounding in the right direction. Despite these tough times of late, as well as a string of legislative changes to buy-to-let profitability, the buy-to-let sector remains a lucrative business and continues to attract attention from the amateur landlord, right through to the institutional investor.” Survey of 3,842 UK landlords carried out by Sequre Property Investment via consumer research platform Find Out Now (15th September 2021). As a landlord, have you experienced rental arrears as a result of the pandemic? Answer Respondents No 83% Yes 17% To what extent? Answer Respondents Two months or more 50% Up to one month 27% Between one and two months 23% How has your level of rental arrears changed since the height of the pandemic? Answer Respondents Reduced 37% Remained the same 36% Increased 28%
More than four years following the tragic fire in the Grenfell Tower, we are still waiting for the full legislative response from the government. While it is accepted that the public inquiry has yet to complete its work, are there measures, perhaps including some of those contained in Dame Judith Hackitt’s report from 2018, which could have been introduced already? The Door & Hardware Federation (DHF) is convinced that there are initiatives which could be undertaken today, without pre-judging any findings of the public inquiry. For example, chief among these would be the introduction of a legal requirement for third-party certification of fire-resisting doorsets. The Hackitt report calls for third-party certification of safety-critical construction products and it is clear that fire doorsets at Grenfell failed to protect the landings and the stairwell from smoke and fire spreading from the flats. This failure to protect the escape route had fatal consequences. Fire door certification could be introduced without affecting requirements relating to other components or structures which may be still under consideration. There are several certification schemes in existence today covering manufacture, installation and inspection of fire doorsets, but, even so, some time would inevitably be required for existing facilities to be expanded. This makes it all the more important to begin the process now, without waiting for decisions to be made in other areas. “Fire-resisting doorsets are obviously safety-critical and should therefore be subject to third party certification, at least when the intended use is in high-risk buildings,” explains DHF’s General Manager and Secretary, Michael Skelding. “There really should be little need for discussion on this. If we wait for all the other issues raised by Grenfell to be debated before dealing with this one, we are missing a golden opportunity to make a significant improvement in fire safety in high-risk residential buildings”. DHF’s recommendations come on the cusp of this year’s Fire Door Safety Week, a national safety awareness campaign that was first launched in 2013 and is, this year, taking place from 20th – 26th September. DHF has been a long-standing supporter of the objectives of Fire Door Safety Week, and as always, the federation will be putting its weight behind the campaign’s objectives to raise awareness of the critical role that fire doors play in saving lives and protecting property. “We are very pleased to be able to support Fire Door Safety Week once again this year, and applaud its efforts to increase the public’s understanding of the role that fire doors play,” says Michael. “We continue to stress that the use of fire doorsets, correctly installed and with robust fire door maintenance procedures, are a vital part of fire safety and urge those in positions of responsibility to seek the correct training with regards to installation and maintenance. Equally important is that companies carrying out the manufacturing, installation and repair of these doorsets are also certified.”
When you think of artificial intelligence, what springs to mind? In days gone by, “artificial intelligence” probably thought of autonomous robots slowly taking over the world. In reality, in 2021, artificial intelligence (AI) is the technology that powers digital assistants such as Amazon’s Alexa. Consumers can benefit from the convenience of artificial intelligence on their mobile phones. Artificial intelligence is now making its way into a wide range of industries, promising lucrative commercial applications. The construction business has benefited substantially from artificial intelligence. The application of artificial intelligence in the construction industry allows construction businesses to be more productive than they otherwise would be. In addition, artificial intelligence increases the quality and safety of those initiatives. One such industry that is seeing massive benefits is the construction industry. In the construction industry, artificial intelligence (AI) can refer to anything from computers that manage massive volumes of data to data sensors on the job site to robots that perform manual labour. So, what is the current state of artificial intelligence in the construction industry, and what is the potential of this technology? McKinsey has recently commissioned a study into the future of AI in the construction industry and concluded that artificial intelligence in the construction industry’s next frontier. They quoted; “Stakeholders across the project lifecycle, including contractors, operators, owners, and service providers, can no longer afford to conceive of AI as technology that’s pertinent only to other industries.” However, simply implementing it because you feel you shouldn’t benefit from a properly installed system based on your needs. To ensure a fully personalised setup, you first need to find out precisely what AI is and what you can expect upon implementing it. Next, you need to consider the results you are hoping to gain from this and what benefits you will be looking to see. Take this information and start small. Get used to certain areas becoming automated and completed by this technology before fully integrating more parts to complete the setup. Much as you would with building structures if the foundations aren’t in place and secure, you won’t get the quality or stability required in the finished product. This applies to AI in construction too. This post looks at some of the ways AI supports and improves the construction industry. Geo Mapping and Land Surveys Using Geospatial Information Systems (GIS), Drones, and geospatial AI, you may drastically reduce the amount of time it takes to collect accurate survey maps and aerial pictures of a job site. Drones can be used to track project updates and issues on a construction site, and they are becoming increasingly popular. This provides more detailed information to aid in decision-making and the management of ongoing initiatives. Increased Productivity Many companies are emerging to offer self-driving construction machines that can execute repetitive operations more efficiently than human beings, such as welding, bricklaying, pouring concrete, and demolition. For example, in excavation and preparation work, autonomous or semi-autonomous bulldozers are being deployed. With the assistance of a human programmer, these bulldozers can prepare a job site according to your exact specifications. Not only does this free up your employees’ time so that they can concentrate on the actual building process, but it also allows you to accomplish the project in a shorter amount of time. Another example of artificial intelligence in real-time applications on a construction site can be as follows; When a construction worker needs a certain tool, say a hot saw, they simply ask the AI by typing into their smartphone: “Where is a circular saw not in use?” The AI then scans the images from the many cameras on-site and indicates the location of the closest hot saw. The construction worker then requests the AI to send authorised staff up to their location with the hot saw, and the AI does so. The advantage of AI over sensors/IoT is that it is much more flexible. Once the cameras are installed, every object can easily be found – whether or not it is IoT enabled. In the process, AI improves both the utilisation of tools and productivity, as construction workers do not have to walk around the construction site spending hours searching for tools and equipment. Real-life examples indicate the potential for a 40% increase in labour productivity combined with project completion at more than 10% below budget as the time of the construction workers and machinery can be used more efficiently. Improved Safety AI has enabled technologies such as numerous sensors on job sites that collect data on various topics, including structural health, location, weather, GPS, and IP cameras, among other things. With the integration of artificial intelligence, these technologies can evaluate data in real-time and forecast with a high degree of accuracy any difficulties, delays, or malfunctions that may occur in the future. It goes without saying that construction is fraught with dangers. Common risks include falls electrical hazards falling debris being stuck in a rut exposure to potentially dangerous materials. Artificial intelligence is assisting in the improvement of overall safety on construction sites. These systems have the ability to monitor what is going on around them without being distracted, are capable of identifying harmful activity, and can also serve as personal security. Predict Patterns One of the most noticeable characteristics of artificial intelligence is that it is incredibly adept at evaluating previous data to generate likely forecasts of future events. There is no other technology available now that can accomplish this. By integrating artificial intelligence (AI) with construction management software, the data from the app can train a machine to detect patterns in maintenance or other areas. It would be advantageous to consider the possibility of an artificial intelligence system that assesses hundreds of thousands of damage or issue reports for various types of buildings over time. The system might eventually learn to forecast when specific surfaces, fixtures, or materials would become damaged or worn, and it could inform maintenance staff when this occurs. Optimise Project Design Construction design is currently out of
