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October 6, 2022

CHAS teams up with SafetyCulture to help members improve risk performance

Kenneth Booth October 6, 2022

CHAS, the trusted expert in supply chain compliance, has teamed up with SafetyCulture, the global technology company, to provide CHAS contractors with discounted access to SafetyCulture’s digital operations management platform. SafetyCulture’s platform empowers businesses to harness the power of observation to identify and reduce risk and save money while driving continuous

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Placefirst breaks ground at £13m Durham residential scheme

Kenneth Booth October 6, 2022

Leading and award-winning build-to-rent provider Placefirst has broken ground at its £13m residential development in Esh Winning. Located six miles west of Durham city centre, the scheme named The Oaks will deliver 89 high quality homes for long-term rent; a mix of 54 bungalows, the largest delivery in a generation,

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Issue 323 : Dec 2024

October 6, 2022

CHAS teams up with SafetyCulture to help members improve risk performance

Kenneth Booth October 6, 2022

CHAS, the trusted expert in supply chain compliance, has teamed up with SafetyCulture, the global technology company, to provide CHAS contractors with discounted access to SafetyCulture’s digital operations management platform. SafetyCulture’s platform empowers businesses to harness the power of observation to identify and reduce risk and save money while driving continuous improvement in safety and quality management.   The agreement includes the use of iAuditor, SafetyCulture’s flagship inspection management software which allows teams to capture data, identify areas of improvement, share reports and collaborate via a simple-to-use app. Using iAuditor, CHAS members can perform checks, report issues, automate tasks and communicate fluidly within a single auditable trail. CHAS members have access to an exclusive 10% discount on iAuditor and can get started for free for up to 10 users. CHAS members are also eligible for a 10% discount on EdApp, an all-in-one mobile training platform that gives workers the flexibility to train at any place, any time. The SafetyCulture discount is the latest in an ever-growing bank of CHAS membership benefits designed to help members’ businesses thrive and save them thousands of pounds a year. Other benefits include discounted cyber security support, access to a free legal helpline, 20% discount with Speedy Hire, TradePoint cards that give 10% off at B&Q, as well as discounted training courses and free access to e-learning resources. Commenting on CHAS’s partnership with Safety Culture, CHAS Managing Director Ian McKinnon says: “We’re really excited to be teaming up with SafetyCulture to offer our members an exclusive discount on access to this cutting edge platform.    “CHAS is committed to helping members strive for continuous improvement in their health & safety performance and SafetyCulture’s tools enable users to do just that.  “By harnessing these tools, CHAS members will have the potential to strengthen their risk management processes, reduce accidents and incident levels and build even better businesses.”   Niamh Keane, Head of UK, SafetyCulture adds: “SafetyCulture and CHAS share a vision to make the highest levels of risk, health and safety and quality management available as broadly as possible. Through the use of SafetyCulture’s easy-to-use tools like iAuditor and EdApp, CHAS members will be able to equip their frontline with market-leading technology and skills to deliver on this vision.” To find out more about how CHAS can help your business, call CHAS today on 0345 521 9111 or visit www.chas.co.uk

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Placefirst breaks ground at £13m Durham residential scheme

Kenneth Booth October 6, 2022

Leading and award-winning build-to-rent provider Placefirst has broken ground at its £13m residential development in Esh Winning. Located six miles west of Durham city centre, the scheme named The Oaks will deliver 89 high quality homes for long-term rent; a mix of 54 bungalows, the largest delivery in a generation, and 35 three-bedroom houses. The start of construction was marked by a ground-breaking ceremony which was attended by key members of the Placefirst project team and representatives from Durham County Council. Placefirst has worked with architect POD Newcastle and landscape architect Southern Green to design a scheme which will transform the two-hectare brownfield site. Placefirst’s commitment to placemaking and sustainability is showcased through the masterplan which is landscape-led with the retention of high value oak trees and a network of shared green spaces for residents to enjoy. As a multigenerational community, the development will provide a boost to the village, benefitting local services, businesses and amenities. The site’s proximity to the open countryside and green space will be attractive to new residents, and the site is also well connected to surrounding towns and Durham city centre. The Oaks represents Placefirst’s continued dedication to providing quality homes to the single family rental market, and builds on its strong track record of creating communities in the North East region including The Green in Hartlepool, which transformed three streets of Victorian houses, and Scholar’s View, a new build neighbourhood of 116 homes in Hetton-le-Hole, Sunderland. Placefirst is responsible for every aspect of the home and neighbourhood. Each development has a dedicated resident services manager and renters are guaranteed a characterful, fully maintained, high-quality home for as long as they like. Work at The Oaks is expected to complete in late 2024. James Litherland, planning and development manager at Placefirst commented: “We are proud to commence work at Esh Winning, a project that will bring new life to the site and deliver 89 high quality homes for rent to the North East. The team have worked hard to bring this development together and we’d like to thank them as well as Durham County Council who have shown great enthusiasm throughout. “With a proven track record of placemaking and regeneration, we are pleased to be bringing new single-family rental properties to the area which will make a lasting positive impact on the community. We look forward to work completing in late 2024.” Cllr James Rowlandson, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for resources, investment and assets, said: “We are pleased to see work getting underway on this development and look forward to its completion. Having access to good quality housing is vital to the wellbeing of our residents. “With a mixture of bungalows and houses for single families and new homes for rent, this scheme will help to meet local needs”. Cllr Jean Chaplow commented: “I have been campaigning for the delivery of bungalows on this site for a long time so I am delighted to see work start.  On behalf of the ward councillors I’d like to thank Placefirst for their commitment to this project.  We are pleased they will be maintaining the existing oak trees as part of the landscaping, and I look forward to seeing the neighbourhood complete in 2024.”

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Boutique property developer doubles workforce to support sustained growth

Kenneth Booth October 6, 2022

Boutique developer Life Less Ordinary has created five significant new roles, further expanding its workforce to deliver more homes.  The move comes as it looks forward to continued growth with an appetite to see its output increase to a residential development value of over £50 million next year. In what amounts to an almost total re-structure of the construction team, Life Less Ordinary head hunted James Cross into the role of Head of Technical.  James joins from Persimmon Homes and over a career that spans almost 40 years, he has gained experience with leading industry names that include Barratt Homes, Crest Nicholson, and Berkeley Homes.  A member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, James is experienced in all aspects of residential development and has built an enviable track record of delivering complex residential and mixed used schemes. Life Less Ordinary has also strengthened its commercial team with Paul Litherland who arrives from Inland Homes to assume the role of Head of Commercial.  Sponsored through his university degree by Taylor Woodrow Construction, Paul has gone on to gain experience with Kier Construction and Tolent Construction.  Completing the commercial team line-up will be Ben Revel who joins as Assistant Surveyor to support Paul and develop the businesses procurement processes. Darren Breen, meanwhile, left Boshers to join Life Less Ordinary in the construction arm as Operations Manager. After working at Ballymore and Inland Homes, his experience and expertise in construction will allow the business to enhance its product offering with a closer eye to detail and the ability to scale up to a larger number of homes. Commenting on the new appointments, Hinesh Chawda, Director at Life Less Ordinary said: “We have a hugely ambitious appetite to deliver more quality, desirable homes and to do that it is vital that we have the very best senior experience within our team. “The combined experience and enthusiasm of James, Paul, Ben and Darren will allow us to ensure that we continue building quality, desirable homes and a consistently exceptional product as we move through a period of sustained growth.” Life Less Ordinary has also appointed Danielle Chevannes to the role of Customer Service Manager.  As a business committed to delivering the strongest customer experience from initial enquiry through to sale completion and follow up, these appointments underscore the team’s focus on providing a customer focused full-service offering.  Hinesh concludes: “We have witnessed the positive impact that controlling the entire development process has for the end user and the value that it brings to our customers in their new homes.  Danielle will be the principal point of contact for all our buyers and ensure that our customer care matches the quality of the homes that we’re selling.”  

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Developers needed for a £100m commercial complex on Greenwich Peninsula

Kenneth Booth October 6, 2022

An opportunity to build a £100m industrial or logistics scheme on land in a prime spot south of the river Thames is up for grabs. The Greater London Authority, GLA’s development arm, Land & Property, is looking for a developer-led team to build on two freehold sites on 75 Bugsby Way on Greenwich Peninsula. London’s mayor Sadiq Khan said: “The site has the potential to deliver three-storeys of industrial accommodation. Soft market testing has demonstrated a strong interest in the site from potential partners.” Scheme to offer jobs boost for area The multi-storey development would need to have a wide range of unit sizes and types including SME space providing employment opportunities for the local community. A façade design reflective of the innovative nature of the building would be needed as well as sustainability during and after construction. Achieving the commercial value of the site as well as meeting prospective tenants’ demands are among the key procurement objectives. Menzies Distribution centre is currently based on the 3.38-acre site, but the GLA believes there is potential for more intensive industrial or logistic activity. Khan said a preferred development partner would be selected in spring next year and would be invited to negotiate a 250-year leasehold to the land. A target start date of the summer of 2024 is expected for the project. The successful developer would need to find tenants to generate a return and would be asked to pay at least half of the total £106,943,267 value upon completion. The remaining amount would be due as a variable payment to be settled within five years of finishing the scheme. Development finance intermediary Hank Zarihs Associates said the spot was in a key London location with strong links to central London and the M25 making it attractive to development finance lenders to back.

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Prologis announces major speculative developments across three strategic locations

Kenneth Booth October 6, 2022

Following a recent flurry of acquisitions within the UK, Prologis, a leading owner and developer of logistics real estate, has announced three strategic developments across the Midlands and the South East. The projects at Prologis Park Midpoint, located in Birmingham, Prologis Park West London and Prologis Park Brooklands in Weybridge , bringing the total amount of land under development by Prologis UK for the logistics industry to 2.4 million sq. ft. Ground has been broken at Prologis Park Midpoint, one of the UK’s most successful logistics parks, with the new unit, DC6, under construction as part of a speculative development project. On completion, the new 163,754 sp. ft. distribution centre will bring the total floorspace of logistics properties at the park to over 1.6 million sq. ft. Prologis Park Midpoint is situated in the logistics “Golden Triangle” in the Midlands – a prime location to support growing supply chain needs. The park is situated just eight miles from central Birmingham and has access to 11 motorway junctions within five miles, providing vital accessibility for national and urban distribution.  As demands within the ecommerce sector continue to grow, there has been an increased focus on the need for more high-density urban hubs to provide greater last-mile capabilities. In response to the growing needs of the industry, Prologis has broken ground on two key development areas within Greater London. Strategically positioned to ensure access the major consumer markets within West and Central London, and Thames Valley, Prologis Park West London is located on the doorstep of Heathrow Airport and within four miles of the M25. The two new units, DC5 (195,719 sq. ft.) and DC6 (143,849 sq. ft.), are due to finish construction in Spring 2023. Likewise, Prologis Park Brooklands DC1 is situated in a proven last-mile delivery location, serving Central and South London, with easy access to the M25, M3 and A3. The new 124,401 sq. ft. logistics facility draws upon a large and skilled labour pool from Weybridge and surrounding areas. Both Prologis Park West London and Prologis Park Brooklands are designed and built to meet the demands of high-performance operations. As well as being Grade A logistics and manufacturing facilities,all three developments will be certified net zero carbon in construction, with the new facilities targeted to achieve BREEAM-rated ‘Excellent’, a mark of Prologis’ ongoing environmental credentials. In addition, the units will be kitted out with EV infrastructure for the benefit of customers with green fleets. Paul Weston, Regional Head at Prologis UK, said: “Our development projects benefit from the excellent support of local councils and other stakeholders right from the start. Not only do these speculative developments show the strength and confidence we have in the sector, but also the exemplify the innovative ways in which the industry can support its ongoing growth. We’ve listened to the market, and to our customers, and are actively pushing forward development plans to support areas of growth, such as last-mile and urban delivery. “We’re immensely proud of the development projects that are ongoing across the country, and these new units are expected to generate a high level of interest and bring an array of benefits for the local economy and communities.” 

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