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July 12, 2022

Jargon busting the new-build homebuying process

Kenneth Booth July 12, 2022

Warwick Estates has created a jargon-busting guide to the complex and often confusing vocabulary and language used when marketing and selling new-build homes in the hope of giving buyers more confidence and knowledge while navigating their purchase.  While there are some pieces of new-build jargon that most people will be

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EARLY AND OFTEN: THE ROADMAP TO COLLABORATION

Kenneth Booth July 12, 2022

With the construction industry at a crossroads when it comes to tackling big ticket issues such as net zero, it is clear that old methods of working are no longer passing muster. Kriston Harvey, director at national engineering consultancy Rodgers Leask, believes that the best way to put projects in

Read More »

GRAHAM records ‘strong and sustainable’ financial growth figures

Kenneth Booth July 12, 2022

GRAHAM has reported “strong and sustainable” financial growth in its latest published accounts for the financial year (up to 31st March 2022) as revenue reached £948m.  This marks a £141.9m (17.6%) increase in the leading contractor’s turnover from the 2021 reporting period (2021 – £808.1m). In the same period, profit

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What is Environmental Compliance and Why is it Important?

Nick Child July 12, 2022

Every company has a duty to comply with environmental regulations and requirements. They need to adhere to the local or national environmental regulatory requirements in all aspects of their business, including their operational activities, and the products or services that they offer. Many organizations choose to work alongside environmental compliance

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3 Reasons Why You Need To Hire Rendering Services

Nick Child July 12, 2022

The exterior of a house forms part of its curb appeal. It’s the first thing people and potential buyers will notice before getting to your living space. However, the exterior of a property has to withstand the everyday stresses of the weather conditions. These weather conditions and other factors can

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Issue 323 : Dec 2024

July 12, 2022

Goodman to transform brownfield site into 1.2m sq ft prime sustainable logistics development+

Kenneth Booth July 12, 2022

Goodman to redevelop Vauxhall aftersales warehouse in Luton, Bedfordshire Proposals for up to 1.2 million sq ft of high-quality industrial and logistics space Strategically-located site ideally placed to serve Greater London and the Midlands, with 27.7 million consumers within a two-hour drivetime* Pre-let opportunities from 200,000 sq ft up to 1.2million sq ft Vauxhall’s aftersales warehouse in Luton, Bedfordshire, is set to be transformed into a 1.2 million sq ft industrial and logistics park. Goodman plans to redevelop the 60-acre brownfield site into a state-of-the-art commercial park, providing space for customers operating across the manufacturing, distribution and logistics sectors. Adjacent to Junction 11A of the M1 and just 17 miles from the M25, the site’s strategic location makes it ideally placed to serve Greater London and the Midlands, with 27.7 million consumers accessible within a two-hour drivetime*. The scheme can offer bespoke property solutions of scale and flexibility within a market which has limited availability of large-scale space. Customers will also benefit from the Borough’s local talent pool. With transportation and logistics accounting for 10.8 per cent of jobs in the area, compared to the national average of 5.1 per cent, Luton provides a large available workforce and strong skills base.** Goodman’s vision for the site is to deliver a high-quality commercial park, combining sustainably-designed warehouse space with extensive landscaping to provide customers with modern facilities in an attractive workplace environment. Goodman will take a circular approach to construction, minimising waste and use of resources. This will include reusing existing materials wherever possible, from the recycling of metal roof and wall cladding to the use of recycled aggregates on-site. The development will also utilise renewable energy sources, including full rooftops of solar photovoltaic panels, rainwater harvesting and electric vehicle infrastructure. This latest commitment builds on Goodman’s wider investment in the Bedfordshire region. It has recently completed the second phase of Bedford Commercial Park, a 45-acre development and joint venture with Bedford Borough Council. Nigel Dolan, Development Director at Goodman, said: “Luton’s excellent connectivity, large labour pool and strong performance across sectors including technology, research and development, transport and logistics, makes it an ideal location for investment. “In line with our brownfield development strategy, Goodman will redevelop this site and create a highly sustainable business and employment destination of exceptional quality, while placing our customers close to large consumer populations and a readily available talent pool. We look forward to driving supply chain efficiencies for our customers in this prime location.” Work is expected to start in 2023, subject to planning. For more information, please visit the website for further details. *Source: Esri & Michael Bauer Research **Source: ONS

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Jargon busting the new-build homebuying process

Kenneth Booth July 12, 2022

Warwick Estates has created a jargon-busting guide to the complex and often confusing vocabulary and language used when marketing and selling new-build homes in the hope of giving buyers more confidence and knowledge while navigating their purchase.  While there are some pieces of new-build jargon that most people will be aware of and understand, such as Showhouse and Freehold/Leasehold, there are others that are less familiar albeit no less important. Understanding their meaning will make the process of buying a new-build home much easier and less stressful. Off-plan If you’re buying off-plan, it means you’re buying a new-build home that has not yet been built, so you’re literally buying it based on the plans and blueprints alone. You will usually be shown a show house so you have a good idea of what your property will eventually look like.  Reservation fee To secure a new-build home, even off-plan, you have to pay a reservation fee so that nobody else can buy it while you get your finances in order to pay the deposit. This fee will be paid back to you when you pay your deposit.  Deposit Just like with any house purchase, the deposit is how much money you have to pay at the point of exchanging contracts. The rest of the money is then paid through a mortgage.  Schedule of works Before the building process even starts, you might be able to request a schedule of works from the developer. It will tell you all of the details about the building process, including timelines and who is responsible for each stage. Anticipate legal completion date (ALCD) This is the date that the developer anticipates the building will be completely finished. First fix Refers to the first stage of construction, usually the structural element of the build before plastering and decoration takes place.  Second fix Second fix is when all plastering or plaster boarding is complete, appliances have been installed and connected, plumbing is complete, and things like skirting boards, doors, baths, and sinks have been installed.  Shortstop / Longstop date Two important dates along the new-build timeline. The shortstop date is an estimate of when the developer hopes to finish the build. The longstop date is when the developer must finish the build.  Completion on notice As a buyer, completion on notice means the building is fully completed and you have ten days to complete your purchase, pay the money you owe (including legal fees), get your keys, and move in.  Defect liability period When you move in, the developer is liable for any defects or problems with the building for a set period of time. This is called the defect liability period and will be detailed in the smallprint of your contract.  Ground rent (England and Wales only) If you’re buying the property on a leasehold contract, you will likely have to pay annual ground rent to the freeholder. Snagging This is the process of identifying and fixing minor issues with the new-build property, such as poor door hanging, shoddy painting or plastering, and poorly fitted windows. The developer will be liable to fix these issues for a set period of time after purchase. Aftercare Some new-build developers offer aftercare which means you can call them for help with any problems you have with the property. Alternatively, the developer will put you in contact with an external aftercare provider. Some developers offer no aftercare at all. 

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EARLY AND OFTEN: THE ROADMAP TO COLLABORATION

Kenneth Booth July 12, 2022

With the construction industry at a crossroads when it comes to tackling big ticket issues such as net zero, it is clear that old methods of working are no longer passing muster. Kriston Harvey, director at national engineering consultancy Rodgers Leask, believes that the best way to put projects in a place to succeed is through a collaborative approach, both with clients and throughout the supply chain. The idea of taking a more collaborative approach to construction is not exactly revolutionary – Sir John Egan’s Rethinking Construction white paper laid a blueprint for it nearly a quarter of a century ago – but in an industry with deeply entrenched behaviours, old habits die hard. For the industry to get into a scenario where collaboration is truly valued in achievement of issues such as net zero, there needs to be a seismic shift away from a “lowest price wins” mindset. While it is understandable for clients to sway towards the cost factor, it can permeate throughout the supply chain, so it is the responsibility of all within the supply chain to rethink our approach of how we work together – once one supplier starts putting price before progress, the domino effect begins. Key to this is valuing relationships between supply chain partners and holding each other to a high standard. For Rodgers Leask, the strength of our relationship with a certain partner is valued significantly higher than the cost of working with them, and it’s the same with clients we work for. This is proven through 90 per cent of our work now being repeat business and our level of service proving that there is an alternative framework for success achieved by offering quality over lowest cost. Whether it is an old or new client, forming strong relationships is an absolute cornerstone of working in a collaborative way, and that starts with early engagement. Key engineering constraints can be missed unless picked up right from the start, so having that early conversation can save clients significant amounts of time and money by preventing them from being led down the garden path. It’s fairly common practice for multi-disciplinary consultancies to be asked for high-level advice at the very start of a scheme, so having that open and trusting relationship means that clients quickly understand all the things they need to be thinking about and make informed decisions moving forward. It really comes down to a simple case of earlier engagement creating a better result all round. A MULTI-DISCIPLINARY APPROACH Collaboration from a supply chain perspective is especially important when you are dealing with projects that span the whole breadth of engineering disciplines. The vast majority of projects Rodgers Leask works on – such as the Becketwell regeneration in Derby city centre and our continuing work with Rolls-Royce Submarines – have multiple disciplines involved, and this is where clients can unlock some value in terms of collaboration by bringing everything under one roof. From a client’s perspective, this minimises the external points of contact and brings an ease of communication that can help projects run more succinctly. Meanwhile, the consultant can leverage economies of scale, meaning that a multi-disciplinary firm can give clients more bang for their buck while overseeing a collaborative approach in the supply chain. This is particularly pertinent with private sector clients, where the absence of more formal procurement routes mean that relationships are forged more strongly and repeat work is more common. TOGETHER, EVERYONE ACHIEVES MORE While collaboration in the supply chain may be easier to achieve with private sector clients, it is arguably more important to achieve in the public sector, where every penny is monitored and every process is scrutinised. With public sector procurement routes dictating how projects are awarded, there is often a significant weighting towards cost when it comes to consultant appointments via a traditional tendering process. However, there are ways in which consultants can work collaboratively before entering the procurement process to ensure that local authority clients are getting the best of both worlds. Consortiums are becoming increasingly popular, and Rodgers Leask has recently found success on the ESPO 2664 Property, Building and Infrastructure Advice and Management Services framework by leading a cross-disciplinary group of four consultants. Working as one collaborative group – featuring project manager and cost consultant Bentley Project Management, architect Whittam Cox and mechanical and electrical engineers CPW –   will mean that that public sector bodies can rapidly access all four practices’, bringing better value for money, fewer contact points and – crucially – a more efficient way of working. With the Construction Playbook and Mosey Report pointing firmly towards more collaborative approaches being the construction industry’s future, the time has never been more right for consultants to look at their attitudes towards working with both clients and the supply chain. Only by doing this can we look to not only tackle the big challenges of the day, but also deliver best value for clients looking forward. For more information on Rodgers Leask, please visit https://rodgersleask.com/.

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GRAHAM records ‘strong and sustainable’ financial growth figures

Kenneth Booth July 12, 2022

GRAHAM has reported “strong and sustainable” financial growth in its latest published accounts for the financial year (up to 31st March 2022) as revenue reached £948m.  This marks a £141.9m (17.6%) increase in the leading contractor’s turnover from the 2021 reporting period (2021 – £808.1m). In the same period, profit before tax was recorded at £19m – a 54% increase from 2021 (2021 – £12.33m) – while the corresponding profit before tax margin rose by half a percent to 2% (2021 – 1.5%). Cash at bank and in hand also increased to £127m (2020 – £118.9m). This figure has enabled GRAHAM to further improve its supplier payment statistics and to continue to invest in the training and development of its 2,200+ staff cohort. Each business unit, comprising of building, civil engineering, interior fit-out, facilities management and investment projects, remained profitable throughout this latest financial year. Looking forward, GRAHAM has also secured a record work pipeline of £1.9bn, expanding its portfolio of major projects across the UK and Ireland, and earning selection to a number of leading national frameworks. The strong financial performance has been achieved despite the very many challenges faced by the construction industry as a whole, not least the reorientation of market conditions resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic and rising inflationary pressures. Concerted efforts Commenting on the latest figures, Andrew Bill, GRAHAM Group Chief Executive Officer, emphasised the disciplined approach to work winning, the continued cultivation of long-term client relationships and the concerted efforts of the workforce as instrumental to the Group’s performance. He said: “GRAHAM is pleased with these latest published accounts, which demonstrate our commitment to strong and sustainable financial growth in the face of considerable economic challenges for the construction industry and wider society. We have adopted a pragmatic, sensible and selective approach to winning work, coupled with a focus on risk management. Real collaboration with our clients and partners, based on trust and transparency, has also been central to realising our Group objectives. It goes without saying that the immense efforts of our staff, supply chain and subcontractors, who continue to innovate and strive for excellence, is the platform that underpins our continued high performance.” For more information on GRAHAM, please visit: www.graham.co.uk

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What is Environmental Compliance and Why is it Important?

Nick Child July 12, 2022

Every company has a duty to comply with environmental regulations and requirements. They need to adhere to the local or national environmental regulatory requirements in all aspects of their business, including their operational activities, and the products or services that they offer. Many organizations choose to work alongside environmental compliance and consulting services to ensure they comply with the legal regulations. Since environmental compliance can be complicated, gaining help from an expert company can be helpful. Who Defines Environmental Compliance Regulations? Ultimately, environmental compliance lays out a set of rules that every company must follow to reduce the negative impacts that their operations might have on the environment. These rules are determined by regulatory bodies, such as: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) enforces many federal environmental laws and regulations for environmental and community benefits. Department of the Interior implements federal laws that are associated with public lands management, conservation regulations, mining, and natural resources. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration regulates the transportation of hazardous materials, such as radioactive substances, oil, and natural gas. There are many more regulatory bodies, all of which are involved in creating the laws around environmental compliance. Creating an Environmental Compliance Report Larger organizations can hire a team of staff dedicated to generating environment compliance reports. Smaller companies may outsource their environmental compliance reports to a third-party company or an environmental regulator. The following information may be included in an environmental compliance report: The overall impact of the business on the environment Strategies and policies that the business plans to implement to reduce or eliminate their environmental impact Any relevant permits or licenses Details of when and where the business has handled hazardous materials Details of how the business disposes of hazardous waste materials Why is Environmental Compliance Important? Companies have both legal and ethical responsibilities to protect the environment in as many ways as possible. By implementing policies to be compliant with environmental regulations, businesses can also gain a positive reputation and widen their customer base. More customers are now searching for organizations and brands that are making a conscious effort to protect the environment. Consumers are now choosing to support brands that are trying to mitigate harm to the environment over companies that aren’t making the same efforts. There are several additional benefits of environmental compliance. It enables a company to: Identify the environmental issues that are impacting business operations or stunting business growth Identify where their current business operations might be negatively impacting the environment Create and implement strategies or policies to mitigate any negative environmental impacts and reduce the environmental footprint associated with their daily operations Mitigate the risks of non-compliance Recognize the required environmental permits and licenses, and apply for them if necessary Identify the most cost-efficient and resource-efficient ways of maintaining environmental compliance Define the process of getting rid of hazardous waste materials or substances

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3 Reasons Why You Need To Hire Rendering Services

Nick Child July 12, 2022

The exterior of a house forms part of its curb appeal. It’s the first thing people and potential buyers will notice before getting to your living space. However, the exterior of a property has to withstand the everyday stresses of the weather conditions. These weather conditions and other factors can accelerate how fast they deteriorate. Although the property’s location can affect how quickly its exterior will deteriorate, it’s essential to understand that weather conditions can cause significant damage. For this reason, it’s crucial to identify ways to buffer and protect your house from weather conditions. Hence, the need for rendering services. The following article discusses what you need to know about rendering. You’ll learn what rendering is, why you should consider outsourcing these services, and more. Read on.  What Is Rendering? As mentioned above, having a buffer zone between your home exterior and weather conditions is crucial. Rendering involves installing protective material over your property’s building bricks and blocks. Thus, the exterior won’t be in direct contact with the extreme weather, saving it from deterioration and other risks. Apart from protecting your exterior, rendering will significantly improve your home appearance, which could boost your home value. Why Should You Hire Rendering Services? Although you might prefer to render the house by yourself, it’s advisable to outsource the services from a reputable vendor. However, getting a reputable service provider can be challenging due to the many options you can choose from. For this reason, it’s crucial to conduct enough background checks to gauge the reputation of a service provider, ensuring you get quality services at affordable prices.  In choosing a service provider, Rock cote specialist say you must opt for one that can deliver quality and personalized services to their customers. That said, you should take your time when gauging a service provider and ensure that they will meet your needs and expectations, giving you the value of your hard-earned bucks.   The following are the benefits of hiring rendering services. They include: Access To Quality Services This is one of the reasons why you should consider outsourcing your rendering services. A reputable service provider has enough skills and know-how to ensure they deliver quality services. If you decide to do the rendering project by yourself, you might not have enough tools and know-how to finish the project, and you might lose your investment. Apart from experience, reputable service providers are certified to undertake such projects. Thus, they’ll ensure you comply with the building codes in your locality. This doesn’t only save you from non-compliance fines and penalties; it’ll also ensure quality results, giving you value for your money.  Stay In A Budget An expert will make it easier for you to stay within the budget. An expert with market knowledge will ensure you access affordable materials within your budget. They’ll also deliver quality services, ensuring you get the most out of the service fees charged.  On the other hand, doing everything by yourself might make it hard for you to stay within the budget. You might pay more for materials if you don’t have the skills and market knowledge. This may affect your saving margins, and you find yourself with insufficient funds to finish the project.   Insurance Coverage Rendering is not a cheap investment and might leave a huge dent in your hard-earned savings. For this reason, it’s essential to ensure it’s protected and insured in case it happens to it. If you undertake the project and anything happens to it, you risk losing your entire investment. On the other hand, a service provider will provide a liability coverage policy. The policy will ensure the project is safe in case anything happens. However, it’s essential to go through the provided coverage to understand what is covered and what is not. With such information, you can consider including add-ons to guarantee you’ll be fully compensated in case of anything. What To Consider When Looking For A Rendering Service Provider?  It would be best to consider the following factors to ensure you get a reputable service provider to cater to your rendering needs. They include:  Experience  This is one of the things you should look out for before hiring a vendor. An experienced vendor will have enough skills to undertake the project. Additionally, they must have undertaken a similar project; thus, avoiding mistakes will be easier, ensuring you get an outstanding result. Price  The cost of rendering services will vary from one vendor to another. Paying a high amount of money doesn’t guarantee you get quality services. On the other hand, ridiculously low prices aren’t the best idea either. That said, it’s important to visit more than one service to know the average price in your area. This ensures you get quality services at pocket-friendly prices, improving your return on investment (ROI).   Wrapping Up As mentioned above, weather conditions might accelerate the deterioration of your property’s exterior. However, you can outsource rendering services to protect the exterior, improving their outlook and shelf life. Conduct extensive research to ensure you choose a reputable vendor in your locality, giving you value for your money. 

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