Willmott Dixon has been selected as contractor for the £34m Plymouth History Centre project. The project involves the restoration of a listed building to create a new heritage attraction for the city. Willmott Dixon sill transform the City Museum and Art Gallery, Central Library and St Luke’s Church buildings into
Ideal Standard appoints Jim Moore as managing director UK & Ireland Published: 07 July, 2016 Ideal Standard has announced the appointment of Jim Moore as managing director UK & Ireland. Mr Moore will oversee the Group’s activities in UK & Ireland and assume responsibility for the business development across the
20 September 2016 | Herpreet Kaur Grewal ESS Support Services Worldwide (ESS) Offshore recently secured three contracts to deliver hotel and catering services on the newly constructed Jack-Up drilling rig Maersk Highlander, as well as two floatels (accommodation vessels). The Maersk Highlander is currently operating in the UK sector of
Sellers in Spain are becoming more realistic about prices and have reduced asking values which is seen by experts as a good move in terms of keep in the real estate recovery going. Asking prices fell by 0.2% to €1,624 per meter in April, according to data from property portal
Drivers working for landscape products group Marshalls will stage a 24-hour strike on Monday 13th June in their long-running dispute over overtime pay. The dispute is about the disparity in overtime payments for the LGV drivers that deliver to customers from 14 manufacturing sites across the UK. Drivers receive time
JLL and CBRE have been appointed to lease Budapest ONE Business Park, which is an iconic office development project developed by Futureal Group in Hungary. Both advisors will be cooperating on a co-exclusive basis on the office complex. Budapest ONE Business Park will be located next to Etele square, an
Euan Haggerty has just been appointed by James Gibb Residential Factors as Finance and Acquisitions Director, as the firm seeks expansion into the Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Aberdeen markets. Euan is a Chartered Accountant and associate member of the Association of Corporate Treasurers and he comes with a wealthy experience, having
The construction industry will now benefit from a simple, end-to-end drug testing solution based on fingerprint sweat analysis. Intelligent Fingerprint is bringing new levels of convenience, hygiene, and speed to employee drug testing. The new system features an initial screening test that works by analysing sweat from a fingerprint to
The UK Construction Week (UKCW) has created a new guide that promotes equality, diversity, and inclusion. Media 10, the show organisers, have worked with a new committee that included representatives from all parts of the industry, such as Balfour Beatty’s senior planner and LGBT Network co-chair, and the Group HR
Construction work on the sports pavilion at the Willow Lade development in Milton Keynes has officially started. The sports pavilion of part of Taylor Wimpey’s planning obligations for the overall site to provide the local areas with a community sports facility. It will include outdoor sports pitches, changing rooms, a
Willmott Dixon has been selected as contractor for the £34m Plymouth History Centre project. The project involves the restoration of a listed building to create a new heritage attraction for the city. Willmott Dixon sill transform the City Museum and Art Gallery, Central Library and St Luke’s Church buildings into an interactive centre to attract visitors and tourists keen or curious to know more about the city’s rich naval history, including the first migrant sailings to America. The centre is set to open in spring 2020 as part of Plymouth’s 400th anniversary commemorations for the Mayflower ship sailing from Plymouth to America and will provide a new home for the city’s vast historic collections. Willmott Dixon will now work with Plymouth City Council through a pre-contract agreement to develop the building and construction elements of the project and prepare the site ready for a second-stage contract award later this autumn. Plymouth History Centre is only the working title of the new development. It will include exhibition and gallery spaces exploring subjects such as Plymothians who have been influential on the world stage, the city’s relationship with the Royal Navy, life in Plymouth below the waterline, Plymouth’s prehistoric landscape and the West Country’s artistic legacy, including Sir Joshua Reynolds, the Cottonian Collection and the Newlyn School of Artists. Plymouth City Council leader Ian Bowyer said: “Willmott Dixon was awarded the contract after a highly competitive tender process and we’re really pleased to have them on board. As well as in-depth knowledge of the sector they demonstrated how they would inspire Plymothians to build for Plymouth and invest in the communities that support culture. This makes their appointment a great fit for the History Centre.” Councillor Glenn Jordan, cabinet member for culture, said: “Willmott Dixon has a wealth of experience in helping to create buildings that are both functional and iconic. We were particularly impressed with their recent regeneration of a former Grade 2 listed building into a new home for the Gwent Records Office. This was a project that breathed new life into a property of more than 100 years old – so much like our ambitions for the History Centre.” Willmott Dixon’s heritage project experience also includes fitting out a new home in London for the Design Museum and refurbishing Alexandra Palace. John Boughton, operations director at Willmott Dixon, said: “The new History Centre will be a major transformation for the City of Plymouth, supporting and preserving Plymouth’s history and culture for future generations as well as providing an iconic attraction for visitors. It’s much more than a construction project – it’s an opportunity to bring Plymouth’s past into the present and create a legacy for the future. We will also ensure our work benefits the local economy as much as possible by using local companies for work packages.” Further Images This article was published on 21 Jul 2016 (last updated on 21 Jul 2016). Source link
Ideal Standard appoints Jim Moore as managing director UK & Ireland Published: 07 July, 2016 Ideal Standard has announced the appointment of Jim Moore as managing director UK & Ireland. Mr Moore will oversee the Group’s activities in UK & Ireland and assume responsibility for the business development across the Group’s brands Armitage Shanks, Ideal Standard and Sottini. The appointment will be effective from 1 August 2016. Mr Moore has spent the last 12 years in senior management positions with the Vaillant Group. He has a successful track record in the creation of high growth strategies and in developing close value-creating partnerships across the customer base. Mr Moore succeeds interim managing director David Barber, who has been responsible for the operational activities in UK & Ireland since his appointment in January. Mr Barber will continue in his prior position as finance director ensuring a smooth transition and continuity of operations. Torsten Tuerling, the Group’s chief executive officer, said: “I could not be more delighted to announce Mr Moore’s appointment and welcome him to Ideal Standard. He brings a wealth of industry experience, deep customer understanding and leadership gravitas. He will be instrumental to shape the next phase of evolution of our company.” Klaus Jesse will take over from Mr Moore at Vaillant, having worked for Vaillant Group in several leading positions since 1985. Before he took over the management of Vaillant Group’s international export activities, he was responsible for Vaillant in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. As regional director for UK and Ireland, Klaus will report directly to the Managing director for sales, marketing and service, Dr Andree Groos. Source link
20 September 2016 | Herpreet Kaur Grewal ESS Support Services Worldwide (ESS) Offshore recently secured three contracts to deliver hotel and catering services on the newly constructed Jack-Up drilling rig Maersk Highlander, as well as two floatels (accommodation vessels). The Maersk Highlander is currently operating in the UK sector of the North Sea. Built this year in Singapore, the unit has a capacity to hold 150 personnel, which will include 18 ESS Offshore staff. The contract will run for three years. ESS Offshore will be responsible for catering for all personnel in the canteen, mess room and recreational areas as well as the maintenance of the cabins, an on-site gymnasium, and recreational rooms. The floatels – the Safe Boreas and COSL Rival vessels – are predominantly used in the industry to provide support related to the maintenance and modification of installations on fields already in production, or the hook-up and commissioning of new fields, while also operating gangway connections to the installation they support. The Safe Boreas vessel, also built in Singapore, is named after the Greek god of the north wind, and can accommodate 450 people in single-person cabins, while the COSL Rival floatel has a maximum capacity for 400 people in the UK in addition to containing a cinema, gymnasium and internet café at both sites. The combined £3.5 million contract for the provision of hotel and catering services, operated from the North Sea, will see ESS Offshore station at least 80 staff across both vessels. Source link
Sellers in Spain are becoming more realistic about prices and have reduced asking values which is seen by experts as a good move in terms of keep in the real estate recovery going. Asking prices fell by 0.2% to €1,624 per meter in April, according to data from property portal Fotocasa, compared to a year ago. Meanwhile the latest house price index from the Government shows that prices were up 2.4% in the first quarter of 2016 year on year and up 0.2% quarter on quarter. The Fotocasa asking price index has been fairly stable for the last year, with prices never varying more than 1% either up or down. ‘House prices will continue to go in different directions during 2016,’ said Beatriz Toribio, head of research at Fotocasa. ‘Whilst in some areas of the country prices are stabilising or even rising, in others they continue to fall hard. This is a consequence of the crisis the sector has lived through, which has left a market of two or more speeds that is ever more obvious,’ Toribio added. Since the peak of the market in 2007 average house prices have fallen by 45% but there is some regional variation. Peak to present prices are down by 50.5% in Murcia, 47.5% in the Valencian Region, 47% in Catalonia, 43.9% in Madrid, and 42.6% in Andalusia. The Government figures, however, show that house prices are down 29% since the peak which it outs at the first quarter of 2008 and it adds that price bottomed out in the third quarter of 2014. Prices have increased the most in the Balearics with growth of 9.6%, followed by Catalonia up 4.9%, Madrid up 4.2%, Extremadura up 3.7%, Galicia up 2.6%, the Valencian region up 2.4% and the Canaries also up by 2.4%. The latest mortgage figures show that lending volumes are also up which means more people can buy a home. The data from the National Statistics Institute on Friday reveals that the number of new mortgages listed in the property registers in Spain stood at 22,983 in March, up 4.5% over the same month in 2015. In more good news for the Spanish property market the latest report from the General Council of Notaries show that foreign demand rose by 12.9% in 2015. More than half, 52%, were people buying a holiday home while 48% were foreigners living in Spain. The British were the biggest group of foreign buyers with 21% of the market, followed by the French at 9%, Germans at 7.5%, Belgians at 6% and Italians at 5.5%, the data also shows. The Balearics is the most popular part of Spain with overseas buyers with foreign purchases amounting to 44% of the market, with the Canaries at 39%, Valencia at 37% and Murcia and Andalusia both at 25%. Foreign demand growth was strongest in regions with small markets, where even a modest increase in foreign demand translates into a big increase in percentage terms. Growth was biggest… Source link
Drivers working for landscape products group Marshalls will stage a 24-hour strike on Monday 13th June in their long-running dispute over overtime pay. The dispute is about the disparity in overtime payments for the LGV drivers that deliver to customers from 14 manufacturing sites across the UK. Drivers receive time and a third for overtime worked, while manufacturing employees get time and a half. The drivers are represented by Unite, the country’s largest union, which warned that industrial action could escalate if the issue was not resolved. Unite warned that Marshalls’ two biggest customers, Travis Perkins with 1,900 outlets and Jewson with more than 600 branches, were liable to face disruption from the strike. Marshalls said it had contingency plans in place to prevent this happening. Unite national officer for construction and allied trades, John Allott said: “This vote for industrial action demonstrates a sense of anger among drivers at Marshalls over pay and the increasingly belligerent attitude of management. “The last thing our members want to do is to take industrial action and cause disruption for the two biggest customers of Marshalls – Travis Perkins and Jewson. But faced with an increasingly hostile management, our members have clearly signalled they are prepared to take industrial action to achieve pay justice. “We would urge the company to engage meaningfully with Unite to resolve the dispute and improve industrial relations for the long-term.” A spokesperson for Marshalls said: “Naturally we are very disappointed that our HGV driver Unite members have taken the decision to move to strike action, particularly when we have been actively communicating with them over the issues under discussion. “Marshalls believes it offers a very competitive driver’s package, with rates far in excess of the industry average, and attractive working patterns. As a result, in a sector where there is a national shortage of HGV drivers, Marshalls has had no difficulty in attracting quality drivers into the business and the company enjoys very low attrition, with the majority of our drivers being with the company for many years. “Only around half of Marshalls’ drivers are union members, and many have also stated that they do not want or intend to participate in strike action. Furthermore, Marshalls is well positioned to supplement the existing fleet with external haulage providers and has detailed contingency plans in place to support our customers should the action continue. “As ever, Marshalls remains committed to working with our Unite members to attempt to resolve the issue.” Adding fuel to certain drivers’ sense of grievance is the 87% increase in chief executive Martin Coffey’s remuneration package last year, taking it to more than £2m a year, Unite pointed out. The 24-hour strike will start at 1am on 13th June. This article was published on 8 Jun 2016 (last updated on 8 Jun 2016). Source link
JLL and CBRE have been appointed to lease Budapest ONE Business Park, which is an iconic office development project developed by Futureal Group in Hungary. Both advisors will be cooperating on a co-exclusive basis on the office complex. Budapest ONE Business Park will be located next to Etele square, an ideal location next to the exit of M1-M7 motorway, the Kelenföld Metro 4 stop, the regional train station, and the regional and local bus stations. The first phase of this project will contain nearly 25,000 square meters of offices for rent and 2,600 square meters of commercial and service unit. It will also provide significant green space and underground parking space with 480 parking lots. The work is expected to be finalised by the second half of 2019. “We appreciate the assignment and I am glad that along with our expert team we have won the trust of the building’s owner. Our office portfolio has expanded with such a great addition that it can accommodate the needs of those tenants who are looking for a pleasant but not downtown location where modern services are easily accessible by the employees. Based on the strengths of the building and our professionalism, we are confident that we will successfully fill up the office spaces,” commented JLL’s head of office leasing, dr. Péter Würsching MRICS. Judit Varga MRICS, Head of Advisory & Transaction Services, Offices at CBRE also added: “We are delighted to be part of this fantastic development and advise the landlord on the leasing of this project. Considering its location and architectural design of the office park, it is a unique building in the submarket. There is a huge potential to contribute growth of this part of the city in addition to encouragement of business life. Therefore, we expect significant result of deals from this assignment.” Futureal Group has become the first property developer in Europe to receive the WELL Building Platinum Precertification™ at the same time for three of its office building projects including Budapest One Business Park. The office complex has been designed and will be operated to make a positive impact on employees’ health and wellbeing. Currently there are 34 WELL Precertified office buildings worldwide.
Euan Haggerty has just been appointed by James Gibb Residential Factors as Finance and Acquisitions Director, as the firm seeks expansion into the Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Aberdeen markets. Euan is a Chartered Accountant and associate member of the Association of Corporate Treasurers and he comes with a wealthy experience, having held previously the role of Finance Director at Miller Developments, a commercial property development business, and worked within corporate and operational finance roles at The Royal Bank of Scotland. “Euan is a fantastic addition to our board and I am delighted to welcome him to the team. He brings significant experience in terms of operational finance and will play a key role as we continue to seek merger and acquisition opportunities. I look forward to working together as we grow the business and continue to provide a first class service to customers,” said Douglas Weir, Chief Executive of James Gibb and Director of James Gibb’s parent Company, Strathspey Capital. “This is an exciting time for our industry where consolidation of existing factoring businesses will lead to improved resources and enhanced technological ability which will result in an enhanced customer service package,” he added. James Gibb Residential Factors is a trading name used by James Gibb Property Management Ltd and it focuses only on property factoring. This way, the business is able to concentrate all of its efforts into providing a first class service package to its customers, based on the good, honest, and traditional family values instilled by generations of the Gibb family since 1872. Since it changed its ownership in 2012, James Gibb has positioned strategic offices in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, and Glasgow, from which they deliver services that maintain the company’s core values: Integrity, Performance, Quality, and Clarity. James Gibb Property Management Limited is owned by Strathspey Capital Limited.
The construction industry will now benefit from a simple, end-to-end drug testing solution based on fingerprint sweat analysis. Intelligent Fingerprint is bringing new levels of convenience, hygiene, and speed to employee drug testing. The new system features an initial screening test that works by analysing sweat from a fingerprint to determine if an employee has recently used cocaine, opiates, amphetamines or cannabis. Sample collection takes only five seconds, with simultaneous screening results for all four drug groups provided in just eight minutes. If an employee tests positive, then the tester would use the Intelligent Fingerprinting’s Fingerprint Collection Kit for Laboratory Analysis to collect samples for a confirmation test. The Kit contains everything required to securely send the collected samples to the testing laboratory, including a tamper-evident security bag, barcodes to maintain anonymous sample identity and a postage-paid returns envelope. “Under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, construction firms have a duty to ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of their staff, so an effective employee drug screening and testing service should be a critical element of any workplace drug policy,” said Dr Paul Yates from Intelligent Fingerprinting. He also suggested that a laboratory confirmation test should always be carried out in the case of someone testing positive. The laboratory will then provide the customer with a quantitative laboratory result in the form of a Certificate of Analysis. “With our non-invasive system, which combines the portable reader with the simple one-touch drug screening cartridge, and the unequivocal results offered with our Fingerprint Collection Kit for Laboratory Analysis, construction firms can enjoy all the benefits of fingerprint-based drug testing and be confident about the end-to-end reliability of their process,” added Dr Yates. Intelligent Fingerprinting’s portable Drug Screening System was launched in August 2017 and it is a non-invasive, fast and cost-effective system that screens for multiple drug groups simultaneously (currently amphetamines, cannabis, cocaine and opiates), with sample collection taking 5 seconds and results in minutes.
The UK Construction Week (UKCW) has created a new guide that promotes equality, diversity, and inclusion. Media 10, the show organisers, have worked with a new committee that included representatives from all parts of the industry, such as Balfour Beatty’s senior planner and LGBT Network co-chair, and the Group HR and diversity manager at Willmott Dixon. “We have benefited enormously from the input of many diversity champions and leaders within the construction industry over the last couple of years, and have published the videos from our Diversity in Construction panel discussions so that others can hear their advice as well,” explained Nathan Garnett, director of UK Construction Week. UKCW’s new guide sets out an exhibitor code of conduct that encourages companies to consider the mix of staff and representation present on their stands. It also covers issues such as the clothing worn by promotional staff and the activities available on stands. Nathan argued that the UKCW has always promoted diversity in its conference platform, however, this time they chose to look at the exhibition as well. “I think UK Construction Week can play a pivotal role in highlighting those who are making great strides in balancing out inequality in our industry, to demonstrate best practice and to inspire others. We should use this event as a celebration and an opportunity to challenge ourselves to make that commitment to achieving minimum requirements and demonstrating on-going progression.” Aaron Reid, head of sustainable procurement at Balfour Beatty, advised people in the construction industry to join together “to ensure that a career in construction is considered an attractive option and that we grow to become representatives of the communities in which we operate.” The UK Construction Week will house over 670 exhibitors and nine shows, all taking place at the Birmingham NEC from the 9th until the 11th of October.
Construction work on the sports pavilion at the Willow Lade development in Milton Keynes has officially started. The sports pavilion of part of Taylor Wimpey’s planning obligations for the overall site to provide the local areas with a community sports facility. It will include outdoor sports pitches, changing rooms, a small indoor sports area, and a place for the local community groups to meet. A ground breaking event to mark the launch of the development took place and The Mayor of Milton Keynes attended it as well. The design and the planning process received engagement from the local town council, local Residents Association, and Milton Keynes Council, to ensure the building offers the very best facility for the residents of Newton Leys. The work is due to be completed by September this year. “We are delighted to be working on this scheme. The new build will offer an excellent facility for the local community, and will act as a focal point for its users who are in need of a useful and practical space. Clegg Construction has a long history in the construction of community-based buildings, and we look forward to handing this one over later this year,” said Tim Walker, construction director of Clegg Construction, the contractor building the sports pavilion. Taylor Wimpey will be investing over £12 million in the local community under the Section 106 agreement with Bletchley and Fenny Stratford Town Council. The investment includes almost £1.6 million going towards a nursery and primary school and £3.3 going towards public open spaces. “We are so pleased to be starting the construction of the Sports Pavilion in Newton Leys. The facility will be a very welcome addition to the other provisions at the development. Willow Lake not only provides residents from around Newton Leys with a great selection of homes, but it also offers ideal commutable routes into Milton Keynes,” said Colin Radford, technical director at Taylor Wimpey South Midlands.