GRAHAM Construction’s ‘visionary’ approach to whole person development has been celebrated at the prestigious Highways England Health, Safety & Wellbeing Awards. Seeing off a host of industry-leading competition, GRAHAM’s CONNECT personal development programme was named the ‘Health and Wellbeing Initiative of the Year’ at a glittering ceremony on Wednesday (7th
Leeds based Cameron and Declan Christie, the owners and minds behind UK Trade Furnishings, were named on the Forbes 30 under 30 list, winning the FSB Young Entrepreneur of the Year award 2018. This award is thought to be the first of many to follow this year. “We’re beyond excited
The employees from engineering solutions provider, Boulting Group, have worked really hard and managed to raise £14,683.31 for cancer centre The Christie, the largest single-site cancer centre in Europe, treating more than 44,000 patients a year. The money raised will help fund the important work and support the facilities provided
Retailers across London could see their business rates bills increase by anything between 25% and 435% as a result of the Business Rates Revaluation set to come into effect on 1 April 2017, new analysis from Savills has revealed. By estimating the rental movement from 1 April 2008 to 1 April
William Hare was previously in line to construct the 62-storey tower’s steelwork, but main contractor Multiplex has now chosen to go with Severfield for the work. It is understood Severfield is due to start work in mid-December, subject to final contracts being agreed. Other subcontractors working on the project include
A spate of security breaches related to internet connected devices has been welcomed by the UK government with new guidelines that seek to ensure the software is automatically updated, the passwords can’t be reset to factory defaults and that any sensitive data transmitted by apps is encrypted. However, James Fenner,
Knauf Insulation and Veolia have officially opened a new high-tech glass recycling facility in St Helens. Each year, over 60,000 tonnes of used glass bottles and jars will now be given a new lease of life as the partners join forces to clean, separate and refine household glass, before transforming
PEPPERMINT Junction, a road scheme representing the first stage of Peppermint Park – a 60,000 sq m food enterprise zone (FEZ) in Lincolnshire – has officially opened, celebrated at an event to showcase the opportunities available at the site on Friday (9 Feb). The scheme is being delivered by Perfect
Leading infrastructure services company FM Conway has been working with Trime UK limited to develop a smart lighting tower that sets a new bar in health and safety. In line with its focus on innovation, the business – which operates across London and the south of England – identified the
BIM Awards 2018, part of BIM Show Live in Newcastle upon Tyne, has announced Space Architects as the winners of the ‘Doing It: Architect’ category. Space Architects have been using digital construction methods to improve their workflows since 2001 when they purchased their first copy of Revit and now they
GRAHAM Construction’s ‘visionary’ approach to whole person development has been celebrated at the prestigious Highways England Health, Safety & Wellbeing Awards. Seeing off a host of industry-leading competition, GRAHAM’s CONNECT personal development programme was named the ‘Health and Wellbeing Initiative of the Year’ at a glittering ceremony on Wednesday (7th March) in London’s Connaught Rooms. CONNECT is an innovative whole person wellbeing programme, which has been developed and championed by GRAHAM – a privately-owned company, ranked 16th in the Sunday Times Grant Thornton Top Track 250. Based on cutting-edge research across performance, health and wellbeing, CONNECT has already produced eye-catching results, as GRAHAM’s Managing Director – Civil Engineering Leo Martin explains. “Since the initial pilot programme, we have seen employee turnover for participants fall to just 1 per cent, while 85 per cent of participants have rated the programme as ‘excellent’ on an independent survey,” said Leo. “CONNECT has been an unparalleled success and as a result we are extremely proud to have been awarded this prestigious accolade by Highways England. As a business, we understand the importance of health and safety performance across the construction industry, particularly in the Highways sector. This award is further validation of our deep expertise and understanding.” The awards are dedicated to health, safety and wellbeing achievements, excellence and innovation across Highways England’s supply chain and road users. Indeed, the prestigious accolade follows GRAHAM’s recent attainment of Investors In People’s Platinum and Wellbeing accreditations. As a measure of GRAHAM’s belief in CONNECT’s ground breaking impact, it will invest over £1m throughout 2018-19 to roll out the programme to all of its 2,200+ employees spread across the UK and Ireland. “We are now beginning a full roll out across the entire business. Our commitment to driving excellence in health, safety and wellbeing led to the development of the CONNECT programme, and we are now reaping the benefits of its implementation,” continued Leo. “CONNECT is a valuable tool, which can significantly impact the attraction and retention of talent within our industry. It is adaptable to other construction companies and has the potential to be a unique, breakthrough model programme for wellbeing in the UK workforce.” Jim O’Sullivan, Chief Executive of Highways England said: “It’s well known that safety is our first imperative and I am delighted that these awards highlight that. The camera system, for example, will ultimately save lives. The submissions show how innovative ways of thinking will make things safer for those working on and using our strategic road network and these awards also highlight the mental health and wellbeing of staff is as important as feeling safe in the workplace. I look forward to seeing more achievements in years to come.” GRAHAM is continuing to develop its partnership with Highways England following the successful delivery of a number of contracts over the last few years, including the Chelmer Viaduct valued at £21 million, as well as the completion of the Great Howard Street bridge replacement scheme for Liverpool City Council (£8 million), procured through the Highways England CDF Lot 2 Framework. Last month the company completed a milestone beam lift at the A47 Saddlebow Interchange in King’s Lynn as part of a £3.5 million bridge strengthening project. GRAHAM is also currently undertaking a scheme to install conventional noise barriers on the M40 motorway as part of a series of improvements between Junctions 3 and 8 of the motorway, with the ultimate goal of reducing noise pollution along the route.
Leeds based Cameron and Declan Christie, the owners and minds behind UK Trade Furnishings, were named on the Forbes 30 under 30 list, winning the FSB Young Entrepreneur of the Year award 2018. This award is thought to be the first of many to follow this year. “We’re beyond excited to have been given this award. Luxury Flooring and Furnishings continues to progress at every turning point and were looking forward to many great years of trading ahead,” commented on the achievement Cameron, Managing Director. Declan, Managing Partner, also shared his thoughts about the award: “Winning this award is just another step in the right direction for us. Having left school at 16, both myself and Cameron are proud to say we are following our dream. With more award nominations lined up, we hope to extend the achievements of UK Trade Furnishings even further.” Luxury Flooring and Furnishings is one of the UK’s leading online flooring retailers, offering a wide range of products. The business turns over in the region of £8 million per year at present. Deciding to expand their portfolio further, the duo launched in 2017 Tile Monkey and Rug Mountain under the UK Trade Furnishing parent company. The company is experiencing a growing demand for their services across Europe; therefore the website for Luxury Flooring and Furnishings has been translated to further increase their availability online. Similarly, both Tile Monkey and Rug Mountain are following in their predecessors footsteps and are becoming increasingly busier with every quarter. Cameron and Declan are cousins and they grew up locally in Harrogate. Having left school at the age of 16, both of them worked hard to pursue their dream of becoming business owners. After noticing there was a gap in the market for an online supplier of luxury wood floor, Luxury Flooring and Furnishings was created in 2013.
The employees from engineering solutions provider, Boulting Group, have worked really hard and managed to raise £14,683.31 for cancer centre The Christie, the largest single-site cancer centre in Europe, treating more than 44,000 patients a year. The money raised will help fund the important work and support the facilities provided for cancer patients and their families. “Cancer is one of the few remaining human diseases that scientists are yet to cure. Recent breakthroughs in stem cell research in particular means that we are closer than ever to overcoming cancer,” said Josh Groarke, deputy group managing director at Boulting Group, “This is why we’re proud of the determination of our staff and it means that, this year, we have presented The Christie with our biggest charitable donation to date.” Dave Jackson, Billy Ramsay, Matt Hemsworth and Kevin O’Hara took part in a 60 mile Manchester to Blackpool bike ride, while Victoria McWhirter competed in her first Pretty Muddy event and Sam Blair entered the Tough Mudder event. Staff who did not fancy getting muddy participated in a number of additional fundraising events throughout the year, including Boulting’s inaugural Summer Ball, which took place at the Principal Hotel in Manchester raising £7,400 as well as Easter and summer raffles and various dress-down days. “It has been an absolute pleasure being in partnership with Boulting Group over the past year. It has gone over and above to raise an incredible amount of money and we really appreciate its dedication and efforts,” said Danielle Carney, Corporate Fundraising Manager at The Christie. Located in Warrington, with additional sites across the UK, Boulting Group is a multi- disciplined engineering solutions provider, operating in a diverse range of industry sectors in the UK and internationally. Boulting provides a wide scope of project services from project management, design, fabrication and installation to commissioning and ongoing maintenance services and has strong in-house resources in all the major engineering construction disciplines, including mechanical, electrical and instrumentation, technology, HVAC/sophisticated environments.
Retailers across London could see their business rates bills increase by anything between 25% and 435% as a result of the Business Rates Revaluation set to come into effect on 1 April 2017, new analysis from Savills has revealed. By estimating the rental movement from 1 April 2008 to 1 April 2015 (the dates used for the 2010 and 2017 rates revaluations) on the capital’s key retail streets, Savills has calculated the notional increase in rates payable for units, both with and without the application of transitional relief to cap increases. According to this analysis, Mayfair is set to see the highest proportional rates increases: Dover Street rates could rise by 435% if there is no transitional relief applied (50% with relief), Conduit Street by 195% (33% with relief) and Mount Street by 180% (32% with relief). Click here to see London Prime Retail Business Rates – Analysis by Savills rating team The revaluation of business rates is taking place to bring them in line with rental values of commercial property, which have grown substantially since the last valuation cycle in 2010. Ratepayers will be able to find out what their new rateable values will be when the Valuation Office Agency publishes the draft 2017 rating list on 30 September 2016. David Parker, head of rating at Savills, comments: “Although any rise in business rates is very likely to be phased in incrementally, the mechanics and timing of the phasing are yet to be formally announced, and hence we don’t know what the cap on any increase will actually be. This leaves many retailers in limbo as to how much exactly they can expect to pay. The topline, however, is that in most locations in Central London rates bills are set to soar, with phasing cushioning the initial impact, but not for long.“ London‘s West End, including Oxford Street, New Bond Street and roads around Covent Garden, are also set to see a substantial rise in rates, reflecting the fact that rental values in these locations increased by up to 20% year-on-year between 2008 and 2015. However, future rental forecasts put likely annual rises at approximately 5% in prime locations, with rates increases therefore outstripping gains in value. Rental value growth on the Kings Road and Kensington High Street, meanwhile, has been among the lowest in Central London, which will be reflected in much lower rate rises compared to other locations. Anthony Selwyn, head of Central London retail at Savills, adds: “As London has grown as a visitor destination, tremendous value has been unlocked in recent years so we don’t expect retail rents to rise as quickly over the next five years as they did in the previous five. The prospect of significant business rates increases on the horizon will create a cost challenge to some retailers and landlords may find themselves having to allow for a little more flexibility on deals to capture quality tenants. “It will be prudent for owners, where possible, to look at ways of improving their offer to retailers. For example, this could include creating better configured stores and more attractive shopping environments to ensure they attract interest from retailers who in turn will have more options to consider. The rate rise will also contribute to a fall in premiums which will affect retailers’ recent ability to walk away from underperforming stores with substantial sums. Areas which see a much lower increase in rates may well show better rental growth over the next five years as they become more attractive from a cost base. “Fundamentally, if Central London continues to attract high volumes of tourist spend, the rates change in part will be absorbed. However, it would be wrong for landlords and tenants to not be acutely aware of the changes and look at ways of best protecting their positions”. Source link
William Hare was previously in line to construct the 62-storey tower’s steelwork, but main contractor Multiplex has now chosen to go with Severfield for the work. It is understood Severfield is due to start work in mid-December, subject to final contracts being agreed. Other subcontractors working on the project include Keltbray, which has been carrying out demolition and excavation work in the building’s basement, and Careys, which is constructing the tower’s concrete core. The 22 Bishopsgate design replaced the previous Pinnacle scheme, for which construction began in 2008 before being suspended in 2012 due to the economic downturn. The new designs include a 278 m-tall tower – 10 m lower than the previously approved scheme – with 130,000 sq m of office space. Severfield has been contacted for comment, while Lipton Rogers, Multiplex and William Hare declined to comment. Source link
A spate of security breaches related to internet connected devices has been welcomed by the UK government with new guidelines that seek to ensure the software is automatically updated, the passwords can’t be reset to factory defaults and that any sensitive data transmitted by apps is encrypted. However, James Fenner, founder and managing director at Silk Road, argued that by only issuing guidelines, and not making them legally binding, the government has fallen short in its care of vulnerable homeowners. “The Internet of Things is expanding at an incredible pace and there is much that smart tech can do to enhance home life. However, the pace of introduction means that the government has been left scrabbling to keep up and has been left wanting when it comes to matters of security,” said James. “Where vulnerable groups such as the elderly are using this technology in their homes in order to boost their independence, it is particularly important that security concerns are addressed swiftly and robustly.” Instead of using locks and burglar alarms to protect their homes, people have started turning to technology to achieve that. In the US, 73% of millennial women see smart home technology as a way to keep their homes safe. But despite the proliferation of these technologies, many consumers are concerned about their smart home data being hacked by cybercriminals. For this reason, many companies have started developing security devices to protect the connected homes. But it is the government that should be doing more about the possible cyber-attacks because if it doesn’t, then it will be those with money to spend who will benefit from the best protection. “Smart tech has an important role to play in the way that we live in and enjoy our homes. We just need to ensure that security matters are addressed at the same pace as innovations are achieved,” concluded James Fenner.
Knauf Insulation and Veolia have officially opened a new high-tech glass recycling facility in St Helens. Each year, over 60,000 tonnes of used glass bottles and jars will now be given a new lease of life as the partners join forces to clean, separate and refine household glass, before transforming it into high performance, energy-saving insulation solutions. Veolia’s world-first facility uses the latest technology to sort and separate glass at a micro-level with exceptional accuracy, delivering an ultra-pure glass cullet. The state of the art machinery includes vibrating screens for size sorting, magnets to extract ferrous materials and eddy current separators[i] for non-ferrous materials. The new facility enables Knauf Insulation to secure its glass supply and maximise the use of recycled materials instead of virgin minerals. Also the proximity of the new facility will save approximately 375,000 miles of road journeys. The glass collected equates to over 350 million bottles thrown out yearly – which could otherwise end up in landfill or pollute our environment. With a £10M investment and a decade long commitment from Knauf Insulation, both companies are demonstrating their dedication to sustainable and circular manufacturing. John Sinfield, Managing Director at Knauf Insulation Northern Europe, said: “Our insulation solutions play a key role in helping reduce carbon emissions and benefit the environment. “This is also a real boost for the circular economy and the fact we have delivered this in partnership with Veolia demonstrates what can be achieved when two leaders in their respective fields work together to achieve mutual goals.” Estelle Brachlianoff, Senior Executive Vice-President at Veolia UK & Ireland, said: “This innovative new facility is a £10 million investment in the UK green economy which is good for jobs, good for the community and good for the planet. [i] The Eddy Current Separator is an advanced metal sorting unit that is capable of separating non-ferrous metals, (such as aluminium and copper) from dry recyclables
PEPPERMINT Junction, a road scheme representing the first stage of Peppermint Park – a 60,000 sq m food enterprise zone (FEZ) in Lincolnshire – has officially opened, celebrated at an event to showcase the opportunities available at the site on Friday (9 Feb). The scheme is being delivered by Perfect Circle – a consortium comprising Pick Everard, Gleeds and AECOM. The three innovative industry leading firms were appointed for the scheme via Scape Group’s National Built Environment Consultancy Services (BECS) framework, which provides the broadest range of consultancy services available to the public sector. The consortium has completed the master planning proposals which will transform this strategically important site – located adjacent to the A17 and A151 in Holbeach, Lincolnshire – into a residential and commercial space. The proposals also include the expansion of the University of Lincoln’s enterprise site. “We’re delighted to be involved in the emerging plans for Peppermint Park in South Lincolnshire – with Peppermint Park now making excellent progress, with the land being unlocked thanks to the completion of the £5 million roundabout and road project. We recognise that this is a really important scheme for the area and one we are very pleased to see making progress,” said David Shaw, associate at Pick Everard. “As well as creating commercial space and an estimated 2,000 jobs for the local area, plans include highways improvements and the provision of approximately 900 new homes for the south of the county. “Thanks to funding secured through the Great Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership’s (GLLEP) Growth Deal Programme, the FEZ is starting to become a reality,” continued David. The scheme will focus on work in the food technology sector, supporting the farming county’s £2.5 billion agri-food contribution to the economy. It’s a sector that’s continuing to grow and is an area seeing significant investment, earmarking it as an industry of great importance for the future. “With Greater Lincolnshire’s third largest sector being agri-food and food manufacturing this development will really make a huge difference to the county – and the UK’s food economy,” added David. Ursula Lidbetter MBE, Chair of the Greater Lincolnshire LEP, said: “Greater Lincolnshire is at the heart of the UK’s food sector and we’re a nationally important cluster for food and agricultural technology, innovating in robotics and automation of the food chain. To support the sector our LEP is investing £6.8m to drive forward its three emerging Food Enterprise Zones. “A provisional allocation to the University of Lincoln of a further £2.4m will enable development of an Agri-Food Centre of Excellence at Peppermint Park later this year, building on the success of the National Centre for Food Manufacturing at Holbeach.” Victoria Brambini, managing director of Scape Procure, said: “It is great to see the development at Peppermint Park starting to take shape. Through the use of our unique framework, Greater Lincolnshire have been able to take advantage of the efficient engagement of the Perfect Circle team, starting the transformation of the area so as to achieve the huge community benefits as early as possible.”
Leading infrastructure services company FM Conway has been working with Trime UK limited to develop a smart lighting tower that sets a new bar in health and safety. In line with its focus on innovation, the business – which operates across London and the south of England – identified the need for a safety feature to guard against towers becoming unstable in a site environment. Paul Cerexhe, Head of Plant and Workshops at FM Conway explained, “We are aware that most lighting tower suppliers offer a safety system that prevents a tower light unit being moved whilst the mast is in the upright position. However, in keeping with our ultimate site safety ethos, we wanted to create an additional system, just for our own use, that would only allow the mast to be erected if the stabiliser legs had been properly deployed.” Paul and his team approached leading lighting manufacturer, Trime UK and outlined its specific requirements. To comply with this request, Trime engineers set about developing a series of sensors attached to each of the stabiliser legs that relayed back to the control panel confirming that the legs were in position prior to the lifting of the main mast. Following several successful trials, FM Conway confirmed an order for 16 of Trime’s X-ECO LED lighting towers fitted with this individual accessory. Another deciding factor why FM Conway decided to invest in the X-ECO is its market leading environmental benefits. X-ECO LED is an energy saving lighting tower with many sustainable features built-in as standard. Trime has calculated that the X-ECO uses approximately £336.00 less in fuel each month, when compared to many lighting sets currently available. These savings equate to a reduction in C02 output by around 888kg per month. Thirteen X-ECOs can be loaded on one single truck which potentially means less traffic on the already busy UK highway network and potentially reduced delivery costs for users of Trime sets. “Keeping an open mind when we receive specific requests from organisations is just one of many factors that have pushed us on as a market leader in the manufacture of site lighting towers,” says Paul Hay, Trime (UK) Limited, Managing Director. Paul Hay continued, “We were pleased that we could work with FM Conway to satisfy their particular requirement. It is a testament to their focus on providing added safety features on the equipment they supply to site.” Trime has significant knowledge in the lighting tower market with individuals completing over 50 years of experience in developing and marketing environmentally sustainable lighting sets for the construction and rental markets. Trime UK is headquartered in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire. Based in Sevenoaks, Kent, FM Conway delivers construction and maintenance services for roads, buildings, structures and public spaces across London and the south east. The business has over 50 years’ experience in championing innovation to drive cost efficiencies for public and private sector clients.
BIM Awards 2018, part of BIM Show Live in Newcastle upon Tyne, has announced Space Architects as the winners of the ‘Doing It: Architect’ category. Space Architects have been using digital construction methods to improve their workflows since 2001 when they purchased their first copy of Revit and now they are seen as pioneers in the digital construction industry. “BIM is changing the way we design, construct and manage buildings. At Space Architects we have always strived to stay ahead of the curve and lead the way with regards to innovation and best practice. To be recognised for our achievements at the BIM Awards is an honour and a compliment to the team here at Space Architects,” said Paul Broadfoot, Director at Space Architects. All of Space Architects’ projects follow the principles of the Government’s strict Level 2 BIM mandate and, in addition, the company has also established a specialist consultancy called BIM.Technologies that has worked on high profile projects such as the Vauxhall Sky Gardens, London Design Museum and Centre Court 2 at Wimbledon. Back in 2005, they were believed to be the only practices in the UK adopting the BIM technology when they completed the design of Washington School using 3D modelling in Revit. Five years later, BIM became their central strategy and Space Architects has gone from strength to strength since then. They have been active in the promotion of BIM for over 15 years and have effectively encouraged others to adopt the practice to raise the standard across the industry. Space Architects is part of Space Group and were founded by Arnold Waring and Leonard Netts in Newcastle-upon- Tyne in 1957. The practice was recognised for its quality social housing and, as a result, its work grew steadily in size and scope. Today they are known for their specialist knowledge and experience in the design of buildings for education, commercial and health sectors and cemented its reputation with an award-winning portfolio.