Miller Homes and Wates Developments are teaming up for building houses in southern England. Above: Martin Leach and Tracey Lee The two companies have begun working in joint venture on developments in Didcot, Oxfordshire and in Southwater, West Sussex. At Didcot, Miller Homes and Wates have started a 163-unit development.
British Telecom has been prosecuted yet again for dangerous and disruptive roadworks in London. It is the second time in three weeks that Transport for London has brought action against British Telecom (BT) and the 41st time since 2010. BT’s latest prosecution follows work carried out on Victoria Street close
The construction industry is increasingly favouring arbitration over other methods of resolving cross-border disputes, according to a new survey. The research by Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) in partnership with global law firm White & Case found that 90% of respondents prefer international arbitration to resolve cross-border disputes. The
Mortgage Trust has announced today that it has revamped its entire buy-to-let range, announcing 24 new products and five product refreshes. The specialist BTL mortgage provider has launched a new range of products, including two five year stepped fixed rates. The products can either increase in rate each year until
Smart lighting and controls expert, Helvar, is delighted to announce its UK Sales Director, Alastair Uren, will be speaking at Electrical Review’s newly launched Smart Lighting Summit at 12.00 on Tuesday 19 April at The Crystal in London. This will be the first ever Smart Lighting Summit,
A Cumbrian lead crystal manufacturer has been fined after an employee suffered a serious hand injury while using machinery. Laura Ponsford, who was 21 at the time of the incident in February last year, had the middle finger of her right hand torn off while operating a drill to widen
20 June 2016 | Herpreet Kaur Grewal Veolia Environmental Services has been fined £750,000 after it was found guilty of breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The waste and energy management services provider was also ordered to pay £11,981 in costs after a worker was crushed to death
Plumbers and solicitors worst for online customer service Published: 27 April, 2016 Plumbers, solicitors and online marketing businesses come bottom of the list for online customer service, while hotels and B&Bs come out top, according to new research by online search platform Intently.co. The team analysed data from over 16,000
The contractor has reched financial close on the project, which will include integrated clinical and research spaces including labatories, lecture theatres and offices to be used by research teams from the Institute of Food Research, the university of East Anglia and Norfolk and Norwich University Hopsitals NHS Foundation Trust. The
The latest research and report from Land Registry has found that the flurry of activity ahead of April’s stamp duty hike failed to lift UK house prices, which fell by 0.5% between February and March. According to the report, London and the East experienced the only monthly price rises with
Miller Homes and Wates Developments are teaming up for building houses in southern England. Above: Martin Leach and Tracey Lee The two companies have begun working in joint venture on developments in Didcot, Oxfordshire and in Southwater, West Sussex. At Didcot, Miller Homes and Wates have started a 163-unit development. At Southwater, a reserved matters application has been submitted for 193 properties in the village, which is south of Horsham. Wates Developments managing director Martin Leach said: “We have been steadily building our relationship with Miller Homes over the last year. Having sold a piece of consented residential land to them at Bracklesham in West Sussex, we are delighted to have taken this further step, establishing these initial joint ventures and look forward to working on many more together. As the Wates Development business grows, we are delighted to increase the scope of our HBJV partners, including financially strong, high quality firms such as Miller Homes, alongside our established relationships.” Miller Homes Southern regional operations director Tracey Lee said: “We are pleased to be working in partnership with Wates Developments, combining the strengths of both organisations through an innovative business model to bring forward new residential development in southern England. We are confident this will provide a platform for developing further opportunities together.” This article was published on 23 May 2016 (last updated on 23 May 2016). Source link
British Telecom has been prosecuted yet again for dangerous and disruptive roadworks in London. It is the second time in three weeks that Transport for London has brought action against British Telecom (BT) and the 41st time since 2010. BT’s latest prosecution follows work carried out on Victoria Street close to Victoria Station on 26th January 2016. On 6th July BT pleaded guilty to four offences at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, these were: conducting street works without a permit unsafe execution of works failing to serve necessary statutory works notices before commencement failing to serve necessary statutory works notices following completion. BT was fined £3,250 and ordered to pay £1,800 in court costs. In passing sentence the judge said: “This is not a one-off breach. I can see from records before me that these are regular occurrences despite the large number of fixed penalty notices issued by TfL. I understand no injuries occurred on this occasion but clearly more needs to be done to avoid these embarrassing prosecutions.” Last month BT was fined £4,500 plus £3,916 costs for dangerous streetworks on Brixton Road and Clapham Road in south London earlier this year. (See our previous report here.) Garrett Emmerson, TfL’s chief operating officer for surface transport, said: “This is the second time in three weeks BT has been prosecuted for undertaking dangerous work and failing to provide required streetworks notices. Ensuring that roadworks are carried out safely is vital, especially in a busy city such as London. BT is a repeat offender – having failed to manage roadworks properly on a number of occasions. We will always push for the strongest possible action in order to ensure London’s streets are safe and free from unnecessary congestion.” The table below sets out the number of times Transport for London has prosecuted utility companies since 2010: Company Number of prosecutions British Telecom 41 Thames Water 13 Infocus 11 Virgin Media 10 Fulcrum 9 UK Power Network 5 National Grid Gas 5 Cable & Wireless 3 Vodafone 3 Abovenet 2 McNicholas (of behalf of Virgin Media) 1 O2 1 TOTAL 104 This article was published on 14 Jul 2016 (last updated on 14 Jul 2016). Source link
The construction industry is increasingly favouring arbitration over other methods of resolving cross-border disputes, according to a new survey. The research by Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) in partnership with global law firm White & Case found that 90% of respondents prefer international arbitration to resolve cross-border disputes. The result marks a significant increase from QMUL’s first international arbitration survey in 2006, where the figure was 73%. International arbitration is now conclusively the industry’s preferred form of dispute resolution for cross-border disputes, found the study. “When the typical value of construction related claims average £100m but can be well over £1bn, it has never been more important for those in the industry to choose the right method of dispute resolution,” said Michael Turrini, a White & Case construction partner based in the Middle East. Construction companies and project sponsors now favour international arbitration thanks to benefits including the greater enforceability of arbitral awards, the inherent flexibility of the process, and the ability to avoid specific legal systems yet choose arbitrators. Turrini said: “As this research reveals, it is the ability to harness specific construction industry expertise that makes international arbitration particularly appealing to the sector. Construction is a particularly technical area of law, constantly evolving and often involving complex design/engineering defects and delay and disruption claims. As such, it sits at the apex of some very complex disciplines. “Companies which choose litigation therefore run the risk of having a court-appointed judge to hear their case and who may not have a construction background. However in international arbitration, where parties can select arbitrators with the specialist technical knowledge and industry expertise, there is a likelihood of achieving a more considered result which better reflects the specifics of the issue. London and Paris continue to be the preferred venues for international arbitration, ranked by respondents as the two most used seats over the past five years (45% and 37%, respectively) and the two most preferred seats (47% and 38%). However, reflecting the growing importance of Asia for investment in large infrastructure and construction projects, the study shows that Hong Kong and Singapore are gaining momentum, coming in third and fourth. Singapore is perceived to be the most improved seat for international arbitration over the past five years, with Hong Kong following closely behind. Turrini added: “The growth of emerging markets in Asia has created a flow of capital between west and east – often to fund mega-infrastructure and construction projects. But these types of projects inevitably create issues over access to resources, finance and funding. In addition, because these projects are so large, they are extremely costly and often result in disputes. As such, we are seeing more Asian parties involved in large construction disputes and, as this research shows, Singapore and Hong Kong are becoming increasingly important as centres for international arbitration.” When respondents were asked to choose their three preferred institutions, just over two-thirds (68%) included the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in their answer, and more than one-third (37%) included the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), mirroring the results from the 2010 International Arbitration Survey. The Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC) and the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) came in third and fourth (28% and 21%, respectively). The survey revealed that institutions are primarily chosen due to their high level of administration, neutrality/internationalism and ability to administer arbitrations worldwide. The research was conducted earlier this year by the School of International Arbitration, Queen Mary, University of London. It was led by Professor Loukas Mistelis and Rutger Metsch and was conducted in two phases: the first quantitative and the second qualitative. Phase one involved a questionnaire of 80 questions which was completed by 763 respondents between March and June 2015. The respondent group included academics, arbitral institutions, arbitrators, expert witnesses, in-house counsel, private practitioners, judges, third-party funders, mediators and government officials. Phase two included 105 face-to-face or telephone interviews, ranging in duration from 15 minutes to 2 hours, which were conducted between April and July 2015. This article was published on 12 Oct 2015 (last updated on 12 Oct 2015). Source link
Mortgage Trust has announced today that it has revamped its entire buy-to-let range, announcing 24 new products and five product refreshes. The specialist BTL mortgage provider has launched a new range of products, including two five year stepped fixed rates. The products can either increase in rate each year until the end of the term, or decrease depending on the landlord’s preference. With a continuing preference among landlords for fixed rates, there are 20 new fixed rates available, including a two year fix at 3.05% at 75% LTV and a five year fix at 3.50% at 75% LTV. The new range also includes two, two year trackers and a term tracker, available for purchase and remortgage. All products in the range include free valuation and a £150 application fee. The range also features products exclusively for Scotland. John Heron, Director of Mortgages, said: “The new Mortgage Trust range includes a mix of products to suit a variety of landlords’ needs. Our research among brokers has consistently shown their landlord customers have a strong preference towards fixed rates, which is why our new range includes 20 new fixes with a range of terms available. Last month we released several stepped rate fixes through Paragon Mortgages, these proved to be popular, so we have now launched two stepped rates through Mortgage Trust too.” Source link
Smart lighting and controls expert, Helvar, is delighted to announce its UK Sales Director, Alastair Uren, will be speaking at Electrical Review’s newly launched Smart Lighting Summit at 12.00 on Tuesday 19 April at The Crystal in London. This will be the first ever Smart Lighting Summit, hosted by Electrical Review magazine. The event is an opportunity to meet and network with an estimated 250 others in the electrical industry who wish to learn and gain insights about smart controls. The summit is set to focus on the controls aspect of lighting, looking at LED lighting control, energy efficiency, electrical compliance and protocol, and emergency lighting. As well as working in lighting controls for over eight years, Uren spent a considerable time in the fast paced global electronics industry, where change is expected, driven and embraced. During Uren’s talk, he will discuss the evolution lighting controls, controlling LED fixtures, tuneable white & human centric lighting, the importance of the user interface, the Internet of Things (IoT) and the use of open standards in lighting control. Oren commented: “With the advent of LEDs for lighting, the market is now entirely an electronics industry, with all the opportunities and challenges that brings. Together with wireless technology and the Internet of Things, lighting and lighting controls are changing faster than ever before. We need to be at the forefront of the industry to ensure we can offer solutions that fit our customer’s ever evolving lifestyle, and events such as this help us to do just that.”For more information, or to book your place, click here. Source link
A Cumbrian lead crystal manufacturer has been fined after an employee suffered a serious hand injury while using machinery. Laura Ponsford, who was 21 at the time of the incident in February last year, had the middle finger of her right hand torn off while operating a drill to widen the neck of a glass bottle. Preston Crown Court heard the investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the incident at Greatdale Ltd (trading as Cumbria Crystal) found the firm had failed to prevent operatives from accessing dangerous parts of machinery. Mrs Ponsford, 21, had only been working at the defendant’s premises at The Lakes Glass Centre, Ulverston, for one year and has since left the company. The court heard on the afternoon of 20 February 2015, she was using a ‘pillar drill’ to widen (or ream) the neck of a glass bottle. The chuck and reamer were unguarded. Mrs Ponsford was wearing latex gloves while performing this task, however the glove on her right hand became entangled within the rotating parts of the reamer resulting in the middle finger of her hand being severed. She underwent 10 hours of surgery to reattach the finger but unfortunately she was later told the operation had not been successful and had to undergo a further operation in March 2015 to have the finger surgically amputated to below the second knuckle. HSE told the court the incident could have been prevented if a suitable and sufficient risk assessment had taken place with regard to the drill and practicable control measures to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery had been in place. Greatdale Limited (trading as Cumbria Crystal) of The Lakes Glass Centre, Oubas Hill, Ulverston, Cumbria, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 and was fined £15,000. After the hearing HSE inspector Leona Cameron said: “This incident could have been prevented simply by providing guarding to prevent access to dangerous parts of the machine. “The need to guard dangerous parts of machinery is well known with established industry guidance available, and in this case, the result of that guidance being ignored is a serious injury to a young woman.” For further information on working with machinery visit: http://www.hse.gov.uk/work-equipment-machinery/puwer.htm Notes to Editors: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to reduce work-related death, injury and ill health. It does so through research, information and advice, promoting training; new or revised regulations and codes of practice, and working with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement. hse.gov.uk More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: legislation.gov.uk/ HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk Journalists should approach HSE press office with any queries on regional press releases. Source link
20 June 2016 | Herpreet Kaur Grewal Veolia Environmental Services has been fined £750,000 after it was found guilty of breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The waste and energy management services provider was also ordered to pay £11,981 in costs after a worker was crushed to death by a refuse collection vehicle. Preston Crown Court heard that, on 17 May 2014, during a refurbishment task at John Fowler and Son Limited in Chorley, an operative using the controls within the vehicle’s cab closed the tailgate on Rick Calsen, who was at the rear of the vehicle, fatally crushing him to death. Veolia, in addition to John Fowler and Son Limited, pleaded guilty. The latter was fined £65,000 and ordered to pay £12,443 in costs. The investigation from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the injury occurred due to a “poor system of work” and John Fowler and Son, which it explained “derived from a lack of a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks”. HSE also said Veolia failed in its inspection regime, which did not systematically review the functionality of a designed safety function in the vehicle. The vehicle was supplied with in-cab controls, where it ‘should not have been possible’ for the tailgate to completely close. The investigation found that the switch had become faulty. After the hearing, HSE inspector Rohan Lye said: “This tragic incident was entirely preventable. “It is important for organisations to maintain safety critical devices so they function correctly. Additionally, if a company utilises a system of work which does not rely on the effectiveness of that safety device, but then employs a contractor to work on the machine, there should be an effectively communicated handover so both are aware of any limitations and how the machine could function. “Veolia’s failure to include the functionality of a manufacturer-stated safety critical device on its RCVs (refuse collection vehicles) in its maintenance regimes resulted in an inability to relay information to any third party about its presence and condition. Therefore it exposed non-employees to unnecessary risk and ultimately contributed to this appalling loss of life. “Similarly, John Fowler and Son’s failure to implement a safe system of work for the maintenance of the RCV meant that any of its employees were exposed to the same risk. The lack of an adequate assessment of the risks of working around RCVs enabled the hazard of the non-functioning switch to materialise in the worst possible manner.” Other recent fines include British Telecom plc, which was fined £500,000 after an engineer fell seven metres from a loft in London, sustaining severe back injuries. The HSE’s investigation found that the employee was working alone and there was inadequate planning of work taking place. BT was also ordered to pay costs of £98,913.51. John Pointon and Sons Limited, a food waste disposal and recycling business, was also fined £250,000 after three employees were affected by toxic gases at an animal waste facility in Stoke-on-Trent. Source link
Plumbers and solicitors worst for online customer service Published: 27 April, 2016 Plumbers, solicitors and online marketing businesses come bottom of the list for online customer service, while hotels and B&Bs come out top, according to new research by online search platform Intently.co. The team analysed data from over 16,000 service providers covering 160 business sectors to find out which professions offer the best online consumer experience. The average response rate for plumbers was just 11% – this means that a customer would need to contact around 10 plumbers in order to get a single response. In contrast, the top performers were hotels and accommodation services with 33%, and cosmetic surgery companies coming in with 32%. All the emails sent to these businesses were requests for work to be undertaken, so service providers should have been motivated to respond quickly. “These results are very revealing and show us the business sectors that really need to up their game into today’s online marketplace,” said Intently’s chief executive officer, Neil Harris. “Home Services includes builders, plumbers and electricians and, just as is the case in the offline world, trying to contact these providers online can be frustrating.” Worst five industries for customer service: 1. Technology Services e.g. web design and development, SEO services, online marketing and social media (5%) 2. Delivery Services e.g. couriers, flower delivery (11%) 3. Home Services e.g. plumbers, builders and electricians (15%) 4. Vehicle Maintenance e.g. car servicing and tyre replacement (15%) 5. Legal Services e.g. solicitors and lawyers (16%) Best five industries for customer service: 1. Holiday accommodation and services e.g. hotels, B&Bs and self catering cottages (33%)? 2. Cosmetic Surgery (32%) 3. Pet Services e.g. dog grooming, dog walking, kennels and catteries (28%) 4. Beauty Services e.g. beauticians, hair and make up artists (26%) 5. Venue Services (25%) Intently http://intently.co is an online consumer services marketplace. Source link
The contractor has reched financial close on the project, which will include integrated clinical and research spaces including labatories, lecture theatres and offices to be used by research teams from the Institute of Food Research, the university of East Anglia and Norfolk and Norwich University Hopsitals NHS Foundation Trust. The five-storey Quadram Institute development will be built in Norwich Research Park and will accommodate 400 scientists and clinicians. Wates managing director Ian Vickers said the research centre will be a “vital facility” for innovation and advancing food and health research. He said: “This project is undoubtedly significant for the development of science but is also set to be an incredible catalyst for the region in terms of creating opportunities for local people.” Work on the five-storey Quadram Institute development is currently underway and the centre is expected to open in 2018. This is the latest in Wates’ line of science and research construction work around East Anglia. The contractors are currently working on the University of Cambridge’s North West Cambridge Development, a new district in the city which will provide accomodation for University staff and students, academic and research facilities, private houses for sale and education and community facilities. Other recent projects Wates have secured include a £30m campus development contract with Cumbria council and will help deliver the remainder of the multi-million-pound Wembley Park scheme along with Carillion, John Sisk & Son and McLaren. Source link
The latest research and report from Land Registry has found that the flurry of activity ahead of April’s stamp duty hike failed to lift UK house prices, which fell by 0.5% between February and March. According to the report, London and the East experienced the only monthly price rises with a movement of 0.2%. Yorkshire & the Humber saw monthly prices drop by 2.6%. However former RICS chairman Jeremy Leaf said that “the month-on-month fall in the average house price is not a surprise as the market is gearing up for a change”. He added: “However, bearing in mind the historic nature of these figures, we would have expected higher transaction levels as the stamp duty deadline approaches. But with the number of completed house sales in England and Wales falling by 5% in January compared with the same month last year, there does not seem to have been the stampede that many expected. It may be that investors and second homebuyers left it really late in the day and it is February and March’s figures that will show a significant uplift in transactions.” The annual price change now stands at 6.7%, bringing the average house price in England and Wales to £189,901. London remains the region with the most significant annual price increase at 13.9%. The North East saw the only annual price fall with a 0.7% drop. Stuart Law, CEO at Assetz for Investors, said: “The buy-to-let boom we saw in the first quarter of the year has helped create a staggering 13.9% year-on-year increase in London property prices. However there’s already been a drop in demand for buy to let property in London since the stamp duty surcharge was introduced in April, and we can expect price strength there to fall back quite a bit, where panic buying by investors has seen many pay over the odds. London capital growth has peaked and that’s causing buy-to-let investors to turn their attention to the North of England, where it is still possible to purchase a home with a great yield on a budget of £100,000, in areas such as Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool. We are already seeing very strong demand continue in April and it has increased from levels prior to the budget as Southern buyers look North. Following the budget announcement in March, it is clear the Northern Powerhouse will see rising prices in the year ahead, as UK and foreign investment accelerates, which means now it the time to invest. Savvy investors can get more bang for their buck, and the potential for capital growth far outweighs the cost of the extra stamp duty.” Andrew Bridges, managing director of Stirling Ackroyd, had this to say: “House prices across the country may be coasting in neutral, but the capital is speeding ahead. London’s lead is getting larger and the demand for life in the fast lane shows no sign of letting up. Such momentum in London also comes despite a few road bumps. Stamp duty surcharges have caused a slight slowdown at the top end of the market and particularly in the west of the capital. Gears are grinding in old ‘prime’ areas such as Kensington & Chelsea and Hammersmith & Fulham. And builders are touching the brakes on new homes in these old heartlands. Yet other parts of London are moving up the field to compensate. The new champions of the London property market are areas further east and further out.” John Eastgate, Sales and Marketing Director of OneSavings Bank, commented: “This monthly dip in house prices contrasts with what has been a red-hot property market in March, a month when mortgage lending shot up 47% as buyers rushed to move before the stamp duty deadline for second properties. In reality, once the dust settles on the March madness and activity returns to more normal levels, house prices are likely to return to their pattern of sustained increase.” Rishi Passi, CEO of Oblix Capital, added: “The stamp duty stampede of buy-to-let investors rushing to complete house purchases and sales ahead of April’s tax changes ramped up demand for properties across the country in March, but this heightened activity wasn’t enough to lift overall UK house prices, which fell by a modest 0.5% between February and March. This is good news for first time buyers, as will be the forecast that prices may well moderate further in the coming months as we witness the full effect of the new tax burdens on buy to let landlords.” Sarah Beeny, owner of estate agent, Tepilo, said: “Despite the rush by investors to beat the stamp duty rise which has now come into force, prices month-on-month have fallen somewhat. I don’t think this is anything to worry about as the market is correcting itself after some months of strong gains, particularly December and January. I really hope that what we’ll see now is more opportunities for first-time buyers to enter the market which would be a healthy development and would make the property market a lot more stable.” Source link