Developer Ballymore has secured funding for its £200m Three Snowhill development in Birmingham. Above: Three Snowhill Three Snowhill is a 420,000 sq ft office development in Birmingham city centre and is billed as the UK’s largest speculative city centre office scheme outside of London. It is an enterprise zone site
Lawyer Oliver Scoullar-Greig explains the implications of the new Public Procurement Regulations. Above: Oliver Scoullar-Greig This year has seen the introduction of the new Public Contracts Regulations, bringing many changes to public procurement, including the introduction of two new award procedures. Under the new regulations, the open and the restricted
The ‘concordat’ was established by his predecessor Boris Johnson in 2014, and secured support from more than 50 developers, who said they would give priority to local homebuyers and stop advertising homes to overseas buyers before they were offered for sale in London. But Mr Khan said the concordat had
The future of smart controls Published: 24 June, 2016 In November 2015, Honeywell ECC hosted a round table of industry experts who discussed their views on the future of smart heating controls in the UK. This video is a snap shot of the discussions held on that day. Source link
Looking for a Christmas gift that’s a little different? Give somebody a RIBA Friends of Architecture subscription and they’ll enjoy a year of exclusive events, special RIBA Friends magazine, café and bookshop discounts and more at RIBA. As part of a special gift pack this Christmas, each new subscription will
The FSA Awards will be presented at Ifsec’s Security & Fire Excellence Awards in NovemSix organisations in the fire and security industry have confirmed their support for this year’s Fire & Security Association (FSA) Awards, which are open for nominations until 21 September. The industry bodies backing the awards
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is calling for applications for the RIBA Part 2 Bursary scheme. In 2017, an additional £18,000 worth of funding is available, increasing the number of Part 2 Bursaries from five to eight – including the Rosenberg bursary, made possible by the generosity of
Savills jointly with Fisher Hargreaves Proctor, will be selling 26-28 St James’s Street in Nottingham at the next Savills regional auction being held atNottingham Race Course on 1st September 2016. The freehold property is available at a guide price of £475,000 to £500,000. The lot comprises two properties, 26 St
APHC launches new online learning centre Published: 15 August, 2016 In line with its commitment to help plumbing and heating organisations develop successful and profitable businesses, The Association of Plumbing and Heating Contractors (APHC) has launched its new Online Learning Centre. The new online facility offers learning products tailored specifically
Book Course HSL is to run a 1 day course on Pressure Systems Awareness. 16 June 2016 Pressure systems have been synonymous with industry since the age of steam. Today it is almost impossible to name an industry sector that does not make substantial use of pressure systems
Developer Ballymore has secured funding for its £200m Three Snowhill development in Birmingham. Above: Three Snowhill Three Snowhill is a 420,000 sq ft office development in Birmingham city centre and is billed as the UK’s largest speculative city centre office scheme outside of London. It is an enterprise zone site and within Birmingham’s Snowhill Masterplan. BAM Construction, named preferred contractor back in June 2015, can now start work and is expected to complete its £90m contract by the end of 2018. M&G Real Estate has now agreed to fund the project. The deal follows M&G Real Estate’s acquisition of Two Snowhill in 2014. Ballymore chief executive Sean Mulryan said: “Ballymore is delighted to announce a start on the third and final phase of our Snowhill scheme. Working with the City, our funding partner, M&G Real Estate, and our main contractor, BAM, we will deliver a landmark building and the final element of what is one of the largest and most prestigious commercial developments in central Birmingham.” He continued: “Ballymore committed to Birmingham and the Snowhill scheme over 10 years ago. That long term commitment has resulted in the successful transformation of Snowhill into a new and thriving business district – already home to some of Birmingham’s largest office occupiers, including KPMG, Barclays, Gowling WLG (formerly Wragge & Co) and the HS2 construction headquarters. “Three Snowhill will enable us to continue building and letting large floorplate workspace of the highest quality and complete the Snowhill Estate.” M&G Real Estate chief executive Alex Jeffrey added: “Demand from both domestic and international businesses to secure high quality office space in Birmingham has significantly increased, and this is set to rise further with planned infrastructure improvements such as HS2’s Phase One confirmed to start in 2017. While occupier demand continues to outstrip supply and push prime rents upwards, Three Snowhill will benefit from low vacancy rates and support our strategy to provide our investors with long-term income-driven growth.” The concept architect for Three Snowhill is Sidell Gibson, project architect is Weedons. WSP is the structural engineer, Arup for buidling services and Gleeds is project surveyor. Further Images This article was published on 16 Mar 2016 (last updated on 16 Mar 2016). Source link
Lawyer Oliver Scoullar-Greig explains the implications of the new Public Procurement Regulations. Above: Oliver Scoullar-Greig This year has seen the introduction of the new Public Contracts Regulations, bringing many changes to public procurement, including the introduction of two new award procedures. Under the new regulations, the open and the restricted procedures, as well as the competitive dialogue procedure, are retained. However, the new regulations add the innovation partnership procedure as well as the competitive procedure with negotiation. The innovation partnership procedure has been introduced for use where the goods, works or services required are ‘innovative’ and there is an intention to include both the development and the purchase elements in the procurement. This procedure has been set up to combine the research and development stage with commercial procurement of the product. Under the previous rules, these stages generally required a separate competition processes to be held at the two stages. The competitive procedure with negotiation, despite its new name, is actually similar to the old competitive procedure with negotiation. For most complex projects, the choice will be between the competitive dialogue procedure and the competitive procedure. This is due to there now being greater freedom to use these procedures under the new regulations. The competitive dialogue procedure can be used at an earlier stage of the development and procurement process than the competitive procedure with negotiation. The reason for this is that it permits the parties to enter into a ‘dialogue’ to work out the best ways of meeting the needs of the authority before any formal tender is issued. In this way, the authority and the market can work together to determine the scope and specifications of the project. In contrast, the competitive procedure with negotiation requires the authority to be more precise with its project objectives and specifications in order to prepare its tender with less involvement from the market. One of the problems with the competitive dialogue procedure, however, is that authorities are still required to set their award criteria before they formally enter into discussions with the market. This can mean that the criteria thought relevant at the start of the process may become less relevant by the end as the authority becomes better informed about the project and how it can best be delivered. There are of course other disadvantages and advantages associated with using each procedure and it’s important that your organisation chooses the right procedure for the project. Choosing the correct procedure is of course one of the fundamental decisions that must be made in any procurement process as a failure to do so can lead not only to unnecessary costs but also to legal challenge and the possibility of having to start the whole process over again if it is not planned correctly from the very outset. About the author: Oliver Scoullar-Greig is a lawyer with Thomas Eggar LLP This article was published on 31 May 2015 (last updated on 1 Jun 2015). Source link
The ‘concordat’ was established by his predecessor Boris Johnson in 2014, and secured support from more than 50 developers, who said they would give priority to local homebuyers and stop advertising homes to overseas buyers before they were offered for sale in London. But Mr Khan said the concordat had lacked any enforcement mechanism or penalties with the result that only one developer had ever been found in breach of it, an outcome he called “frankly embarrassing”. Mr Khan has asked officials to devise options to replace the concordat with a scheme that will be “meaningful whilst being mindful of the needs of homebuilders to raise project finance”. The mayor said: “We all know that Boris Johnson left the cupboard bare on housing in London, and it will be a hard and long process to fix his mess. “The previous mayor’s concordat is yet another housing failure we have inherited – a scheme that claimed to help Londoners get first dibs on new properties but in reality did nothing to stop the problem of London homes being sold off-plan as gold bricks to overseas investors.” Mr Khan’s deputy mayor for housing James Murray told Construction News this week that he would review the 25-strong London Development Panel housebuilding framework to try to increase opportunities for smaller builders, and intended to publish supplementary planning guidance on viability assessments. Sadiq Khan rejects London scheme to protect green belt London mayor Sadiq Khan has refused planning permission for a development in Chislehurst on the grounds that it would encroach on London’s green belt. The Flamingo Park planning application proposed a three-storey stadium for Cray Wanderers Football Club, as well as 28 flats without affordable housing. Mr Khan said: “I am determined to oppose building on the green belt, which is now even more important than when it was created.” The mayor said he would use his planning powers to protect green space sand encourage construction on brownfield sites. Source link
The future of smart controls Published: 24 June, 2016 In November 2015, Honeywell ECC hosted a round table of industry experts who discussed their views on the future of smart heating controls in the UK. This video is a snap shot of the discussions held on that day. Source link
Looking for a Christmas gift that’s a little different? Give somebody a RIBA Friends of Architecture subscription and they’ll enjoy a year of exclusive events, special RIBA Friends magazine, café and bookshop discounts and more at RIBA. As part of a special gift pack this Christmas, each new subscription will come with a free print from the RIBA Collections. RIBA Friends is a great way for anyone with a passion for architecture and design to get the most out of our jam-packed season of exhibitions and events. From only £45 RIBA Friends gain access to our exclusive events programme, including architecture walking tours, exhibition previews, curator-led tours and much more. Plus they gain discounts on all our seasonal exhibition events including talks, debates and film screenings as well. So whether you have a keen interest in architecture, want to learn something completely new, or get out and about with our expert guides, RIBA Friends of Architecture is the perfect Christmas gift. You’ll receive a welcome pack including their Friends card, a copy of the latest A Magazine for Architecture and a special free RIBA print so you’ll have something to sneak under the tree this Christmas. The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is the home of British architecture and manages the drawings and photographs collections of the RIBA British Architectural Library. Its headquarters at 66 Portland Place is a rare art deco building which hosts 3 exhibitions each year in the new Architecture Gallery. It also curates two displays per year at the V&A. The RIBA manages the RIBA Stirling Prize and manages architecture tours of new and old buildings. For more information about RIBA Friends and to purchase your gift visit www.architecture.com/friends ENDS Notes to editors: 1. For further press information contact Beatrice Cooke in the RIBA press office: beatrice.cooke@riba.org; 020 7307 3813 2. Images of the RIBA Friends pack can be downloaded here: https://riba.box.com/s/e6y5ooib07c2tbxudm6ogk7k2lfg4hs7 3. For further information about RIBA Friends of Architecture and to purchase your subscription go to www.architecture.com/friends 4. RIBA champions better buildings, communities and the environment through architecture and our members. www.architecture.com Follow @RIBA on Twitter for regular RIBA updates www.twitter.com/RIBA 5. The RIBA is a registered charity and it relies on the generosity of individuals, companies, trusts and foundations to preserve its world-class collections, to maintain free public access to its exhibitions and develop a diverse and exciting public events programme. Posted on Tuesday 18th August 2015 Source link
The FSA Awards will be presented at Ifsec’s Security & Fire Excellence Awards in NovemSix organisations in the fire and security industry have confirmed their support for this year’s Fire & Security Association (FSA) Awards, which are open for nominations until 21 September. The industry bodies backing the awards are as follows: · Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA) · Select – The Scottish electrical trade body · National Security Inspectorate (NSI); · Security Systems and Alarms Inspection Board (SSAIB); · The Fire Protection Association (FPA); and · British Approvals for Fire Equipment (BAFE) Following a partnership deal, the two FSA Awards will be presented for the first time at this year’s industry-leading Ifsec ‘Security and Fire Excellence Awards’, being held on 23 November in London. Representatives from the FSA, Select, NSI and SSAIB will be among the judges assessing the nominations for the two individual FSA Awards, which are as follows: • The Peter Greenwood Security Award – recognises individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the security systems industry. Last year’s winner was Simon Banks of CSL Dualcom. • The Ian Marsh Fire Award – recognises individuals who demonstrate enthusiasm and selfless concern for the fire and emergency systems industry. Last year’s winner was Geoff Teader of Amalgamated Ltd (pictured: – Teader in the centre, alongside FSA Chairman Pat Allen on the left, and comedian Ed Byrne on the right). • The winners of both FSA Awards (plus one guest each) will be given free places on the FSA’s table at the Security and Fire Excellence Awards, which is being hosted by top comedian Jimmy Carr. • The deadline for FSA Award nominations is Wednesday 21 September at midday. For more details, or to nominate an individual for either award, please visit www.eca.co.uk/fsa-awards. Source link
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is calling for applications for the RIBA Part 2 Bursary scheme. In 2017, an additional £18,000 worth of funding is available, increasing the number of Part 2 Bursaries from five to eight – including the Rosenberg bursary, made possible by the generosity of the Rosenberg Memorial Fund. The £6,000 bursaries aim to support eight Part 2 students for the academic years 2017/18 and 2018/19. Successful students will receive £1,000 a term throughout their Part 2 course (for up to a maximum of six terms). This scheme supports architecture students looking to embark on an RIBA-validated Part 2 course within the UK. The bursaries aim to support students experiencing financial hardship who otherwise may not continue with their architectural studies. It is the most generous award made to architecture students in financial need. RIBA President Jane Duncan said: “It is crucial that financial barriers to the profession are dismantled to ensure that future practitioners are diverse, successful and inspired. I am delighted that the generous support of the profession has enabled us to extend this scheme, and therefore help more students than ever before to continue onto a Part 2 course.” ENDS Notes to editors: 1. For further press information contact the RIBA Press Office: pressoffice@riba.org 2. For more information and details of how to apply, please visit www.architecture.com/Part2bursaries. The deadline for receipt of applications is Wednesday 7 December. 3. The RIBA Part 2 Bursaries have been made possible by the bequest of Walter J Parker, the RIBA Education Fund and the Rosenberg Memorial Fund, and build on the portfolio of postgraduate funding already available: the RIBA Wren Insurance Association Scholarships and the RIBA AHR Stephen Williams Scholarship. 4. The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a global professional membership body that serves its members and society in order to deliver better buildings and places, stronger communities and a sustainable environment. www.architecture.com Follow @RIBA on Twitter for regular updates www.twitter.com/RIBA Posted on Monday 3rd October 2016 Source link
Savills jointly with Fisher Hargreaves Proctor, will be selling 26-28 St James’s Street in Nottingham at the next Savills regional auction being held atNottingham Race Course on 1st September 2016. The freehold property is available at a guide price of £475,000 to £500,000. The lot comprises two properties, 26 St James’s Street, which includes a ground floor bar and cellar totalling 1,241 sq ft (115 sq m) and 26-28 St James’s Street, a bar and nightclub, which totals 5,773 sq ft (534 sq m). Trading as Bar Schnapps and Arriba Bar respectively, the combined properties generate an annual rental income of £71,625. Situated on the northern side of St James’s Street, an established leisure destination in Nottingham city centre, the premises benefits from footfall generated by the nearby Old Market Square. Victor Ktori, head of office at Savills Nottingham, comments: “This is a rare opportunity to acquire a high quality leisure venue in a top city centre location. Providing good rental income and the possibility for future asset management, 26-28 St James’s Street is likely to be extremely popular in the room.” Source link
APHC launches new online learning centre Published: 15 August, 2016 In line with its commitment to help plumbing and heating organisations develop successful and profitable businesses, The Association of Plumbing and Heating Contractors (APHC) has launched its new Online Learning Centre. The new online facility offers learning products tailored specifically for the plumbing and heating industry. Providing access to bite-size courses covering key business development areas, it has been designed to make learning accessible to all businesses, without the need to travel to a learning centre. There are currently four online learning courses available to purchase, detailed below. Understanding basic contracts Beginning with an explanation of exactly what contracts are, their purpose and the benefits they offer to installers, this course provides example scenarios to help businesses ensure they are on the right side of the law when drafting and signing contracts. Other areas covered include terms and conditions, business contracts and documents linked to pricing and payments. Developing a quality management system This course aims to provide installers with an understanding of the common elements of a Quality Management System (QMS) in terms of physical documentation and the key advantages of developing one for the workplace. The course also covers implementation of the QMS, how to map it against external quality criteria, reviews and internal and external audits. Recruitment and selection of employees The APHC’s third course provides information on each stage of the recruitment process, from identifying a business need and writing up a job specification and advert, through to selection, interview preparation and process and what to do once you have decided on a successful candidate. Introduction to business finance The introduction to business finance course takes installers through the importance of proper bookkeeping and maintaining cash flow, how to measure and improve profit as well as an explanation of raising finance for growth. To purchase courses, simply visit the APHC website and follow the easy navigation process throughout each module. Courses will cost £25 + VAT for APHC members and £35 + VAT for non-members. On completion of each course’s end assessment, installers will be awarded a printable APHC certificate. Source link
Book Course HSL is to run a 1 day course on Pressure Systems Awareness. 16 June 2016 Pressure systems have been synonymous with industry since the age of steam. Today it is almost impossible to name an industry sector that does not make substantial use of pressure systems in some way or other. From tyre inflators through refrigerators to full blown industrial processes, pressure systems have become as indispensable to industry as the electricity that powers them. This informative and experiential course is aimed at raising awareness of the hazards associated with pressure systems as well as the relevant regulatory frame work. This course will offer delegates the unique opportunity to learn from real life case studies and forensic investigations into pressure systems failures, providing a first hand perspective of what can go wrong and why. Delegates will also benefit from a substantial afternoon session with the HSE Inspector responsible for the current revision of the Safety of Pressure Systems Regulations, during in which delegates will be able to discuss both general and specific issues directly with the regulator in an open forum setting. Pressure systems have been synonymous with industry since the age of steam. Today it is almost impossible to name an industry sector that does not make substantial use of pressure systems in some way or other. From tyre inflators through refrigerators to full blown industrial processes, pressure systems have become as indispensable to industry as the electricity that powers them. This informative and experiential course is aimed at raising awareness of the hazards associated with pressure systems as well as the relevant regulatory frame work. This course will offer delegates the unique opportunity to learn from real life case studies and forensic investigations into pressure systems failures, providing a first hand perspective of what can go wrong and why. Delegates will also benefit from a substantial afternoon session with the HSE Inspector responsible for the current revision of the Safety of Pressure Systems Regulations, during in which delegates will be able to discuss both general and specific issues directly with the regulator in an open forum setting. Pressure, the basics Case studies from real life incident investigations What constitutes a pressure system What are the relevant regulations What are my regulatory obligations Appreciation of common hazards associated with pressure systems Common methods of risk mitigation Open discussion forum On completion of this course delegates will be able to identify pressure systems in the workplace and have an appreciation of the regulatory requirements for the management of a pressure system portfolio. Delegates will also develop a firm understanding of the nature and significance of common risks associated with pressure systems as well as current risk mitigation strategies. This one day course can also be delivered at HSL as an in-company course. If you are interested in this and have a number of people to train please email training@hsl.gsi.gov.uk for a quote. This entry level open course is aimed at employers and employees from all sectors of industry that would like to develop an improved understanding of pressure systems and their associated risks and your regulatory responsibilities. The course will be run at the Health & Safety Laboratory in the spa town of Buxton. Buxton is in the heart of the Peak District and has good links to mainline train stations and Manchester International Airport. Details of hotels in the Buxton area can be found at www.visitpeakdistrict.com The cost of this course is £495 per person (includes course notes, lunch and refreshments). Book Course Please note the invoice option is not available within 4 weeks of the course date, or for overseas customers. For further dates and additional information email: training@hsl.gsi.gov.uk or contact the Training & Conferences Unit at HSL directly on +44 (0)1298 218806. Back to Health & Safety Training Courses Source link