Ever-increasing Length of Compliance Checks into Large Companies Causing Uncertainty. One of the UK’s leading tax experts today weighed into the debate emerging from news that HMRC investigations into large companies have increased in length over the last financial year. David Redfern, an expert in tax preparation and founder of
The partnership between Total People and Manchester City Council and Manchester Life Development Company offered apprentices in the construction industry the chance to contribute to some of the most high-profile construction projects in the Greater Manchester region. The participants in the scheme will gain a Construction and Building Services Management
Europe’s first eco mosque will be based in Cambridge and is due to be completed by November 2018. It will also be the highest value mosque in Europe, worth approximately £24 million when finished. Ashtons’ Commercial Property Partner Charles Webb acted for the Muslim Academic Trust in the original purchase
Abundance and ShareSolar have launched a £10 million green cashback scheme for households who adopted domestic solar panels before April 2012. The initiative will mean that solar panel owners can effectively convert their future feed-in-tariff (FiT) payments into a single payment averaging around £11,000. Investors in the
©PA Artist impression of the proposed Hinkley Point C station For anyone who thought Britain leaving the EU would mean pivoting closer to China, Theresa May, the new prime minister, has at least a partial answer — not so fast. Her government’s decision to delay approval for the Hinkley Point
Comic book fans from Keyline, the UK’s leading specialist supplier of civils and drainage solutions and heavy building materials, have helped to raise a whopping £102,000 for Prostate Cancer UK during a superhero and villain themed car rally from Northampton to St Tropez. Twenty-four cars made up of teams from
The oil giant Shell confirmed that its new North Sea project will be creating jobs for 300 to 400 people in the UK and will unlock 80 million barrels of oil. The majority of those jobs will be in the north-east of Scotland and will be in areas such as
UK-wide apprentice scholarship launched Published: 10 June, 2016 A new apprenticeship scholarship programme has been launched to give two construction firms the chance to benefit from the placement of an apprentice, who will be completely funded to work for them for 12 months. The initiative is being launched by construction
Hyde Group announced yesterday that the proposed merger with L&Q and East Thames would not be going ahead due to “practical issues” that “cannot be overcome without disproportionate effort”. Although ending merger plans was a mutual decision, it is understood by Construction News that both housing associations held different views
Hong Nguyen has been appointed by Unispace to act as the Chief Finance Officer for the European region. Unispace is a global design firm that uses integrated project delivery capabilities in order to offer their clients innovative and bespoke strategy, design and delivery to alter the way they work, learn
Ever-increasing Length of Compliance Checks into Large Companies Causing Uncertainty. One of the UK’s leading tax experts today weighed into the debate emerging from news that HMRC investigations into large companies have increased in length over the last financial year. David Redfern, an expert in tax preparation and founder of DSR Tax Claims, highlighted the negative impact and financial uncertainty that prolonged HMRC investigations can have on businesses and called for HMRC to commit more resources to ensure that tax enquiries are completed at a swifter pace. Noting that the average enquiry into a large business had risen to nearly 3 years in the previous tax year (34 months up to March 2017), Redfern stated that “even though these investigations can be expected to take some time, due to the size and complexity of the businesses being inspected, the uncertainty that these businesses will face in terms of their business planning and financial reporting will impact upon their ability to do strong business”. He added that although larger companies could often cope with such prolonged compliance checks, he was disappointed to note that investigations into smaller businesses could still take up to 16 months, sometimes longer if appeals were made. He stated that “it can be devastating to small businesses to be plunged into financial limbo for such a length of time, often spanning well over a tax year, and very often without the resources that large companies have to manage such uncertainty”. Redfern acknowledged that he accepted that there were resourcing issues at HMRC, not just within the Large Business Directorate which is tasked with investigating the tax affairs of the UK’s 2,100 largest and most complex businesses, but also with the departments responsible for dealing with smaller businesses and individuals. However, he stated that he believed that it was unreasonable that businesses should bear the brunt of the lack of HMRC resources. He added that “it is absolutely appropriate to expect that all businesses, large and small, should be paying exactly what they owe in terms of taxes and HMRC have the right to investigate those they believe aren’t playing by the rules, but in such times of job insecurity and business hardship, they shouldn’t be actively making things difficult for businesses and should commit the resources to make the taxation system work properly and equitably for all”. He finished by asserting the importance for companies and individuals of getting their taxes correct in the first instance.
The partnership between Total People and Manchester City Council and Manchester Life Development Company offered apprentices in the construction industry the chance to contribute to some of the most high-profile construction projects in the Greater Manchester region. The participants in the scheme will gain a Construction and Building Services Management Level 4 NVQ and a HNC qualification, while gaining valuable industry experience. The M Futures programme will hold positions such as Developer, Designer, Project Manager, Quantity Surveyor, Contractor’s Team, Speciality Local Authority, and Consultancy for the apprentices. They will learn about briefing, design preparation, project management, planning and application, surveying, procurement of contractors, and the finishing stage of construction. “There are no fees, loans or debts on an Apprenticeship programme, and apprentices will earn a salary of £15,000, rising in-line with age related and performance pay structures. On completion, they can make over £20,000 and potentially obtain company sponsorship to complete a degree in their chosen pathway,” said Linda Dean, Managing Director at Total People. The programme includes the ‘Our Town Hall’ project which aims to redevelop the Manchester Town Hall. It will safeguard, repair, and partially restore the 140 years old building, which has started to show its age with many elements reaching the end of their natural lifespans. “Those who join M Futures will benefit from a fast-track route into paid work, resulting in academic qualifications which will open doors to a wide range of jobs in the future – while also gaining the opportunity to contribute to major schemes like the once-in- a-lifetime Our Town Hall project,” said Councillor Angeliki Stogia, Executive Member for the Environment and Skills.The project is open to those aged 18+ that hold a GCSE in English and Maths grade C or above, and a Level 3 qualification or A-level in a relevant subject area. The closing date for applications is the 22nd of April 2018.
Europe’s first eco mosque will be based in Cambridge and is due to be completed by November 2018. It will also be the highest value mosque in Europe, worth approximately £24 million when finished. Ashtons’ Commercial Property Partner Charles Webb acted for the Muslim Academic Trust in the original purchase of the land and then then moved to Cambridge Mosque Trust, who are the current owners. The Construction Associate was Sarah Duncan who assisted CMT Design and Build Limited in drafting the development agreement, warranties, appointments, and building contract, so that they see the first phase of the project completed. “We were delighted to work on such a prestigious and unique development which involved a wide cross section of professionals and disciplines. We are now looking forward to seeing the result of the project team’s hard work when the Mosque opens in November,” said Sarah Duncan. Corporate and Commercial Associate Mark Watson also helped Charles and Sarah deal with the board minutes and notifications which were necessary for both Cambridge Mosque Trust and CMT Design and Build Limited. Tim Winter, Chair of the Cambridge Mosque Trust also added: “This has been a complex multinational project involving many contractors and stakeholders, and we have been delighted by the dedication and astuteness with which Ashtons have supported our various legal needs”. Ashtons Legal employs 350 people across East Anglia in its offices in Cambridge, Norwich, Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds, and Thetford. It offers a full range of legal services to businesses and individuals, specialising in French property law, franchising, regulatory and road transport law, and injury services. Its commercial law solicitors are known as efficient, pragmatic, and approachable business lawyers with a flair for giving solutions how, when and where the customer wants them.
Abundance and ShareSolar have launched a £10 million green cashback scheme for households who adopted domestic solar panels before April 2012. The initiative will mean that solar panel owners can effectively convert their future feed-in-tariff (FiT) payments into a single payment averaging around £11,000. Investors in the project are provided with an effective rate of 6.5 per cent over a 20-year term and it is aims to raise between £400,000 and £1.3 million in its first tranche. Abundance co-founder and joint managing director Bruce Davis said: “The householders benefit from getting a cash sum upfront which they can then invest in battery technology, energy efficiency or maybe an electric car, while still enjoying all the benefits of free green electricity and keeping ownership of their panels. “Investors benefit from a stable long-term income at a rate better than any deposit account pays. It gives both sides a great deal – a real win-win arrangement – while helping to give positive outcomes to all those supporting solar energy.” ShareSolar founder Lawrence Buckley said: “Across the UK there are thousands of home owners who stumped up the cash to buy into the solar revolution. Share Solar lets those pioneers get an early cash back on their investment in a greener future.” The scheme follows a recent government cut to the FiT for domestic solar of 63 per cent in a bid to cut costs. Source link
©PA Artist impression of the proposed Hinkley Point C station For anyone who thought Britain leaving the EU would mean pivoting closer to China, Theresa May, the new prime minister, has at least a partial answer — not so fast. Her government’s decision to delay approval for the Hinkley Point nuclear power plant this week has implications for Anglo-Chinese relations that reach far beyond the project itself. Already 10 years in the making, the plan was conceived to kick-start a nuclear “renaissance” as old coal-fired plants become obsolete. When the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) and China Guangdong Nuclear Power agreed to take a 33.5 per cent stake, Hinkley assumed additional importance. It was the initiative that cemented the “golden era” of relations proclaimed by the UK and China when Xi Jinping, the Chinese president, visited London last year. This was a central plank in one of the main foreign initiatives of David Cameron’s premiership. It too now appears to be under review as policy is reset at a furious pace by his unelected successor. For all the diplomatic and political ramifications, there have long been economic reasons to question the Hinkley project and whether it marries Britain’s energy needs with ambitious emission reduction targets in the most cost-effective way. Even EDF, the French utility leading the project, is split over the risks it entails. In addition, Downing Street fears that Chinese investment in such a sensitive sector could lay Britain open to future energy blackmail. Historic unease among some Conservatives at the degree to which the UK has turned a blind eye to human issues in China in the quest for commercial opportunity may too have played a part. Delays to the project will be a complicating factor at a time when Anglo-French relations are already under strain. For Paris it is imperative to prove that new technology to be built at Hinkley by EDF is viable after endless problems with reactors under construction in Finland and France. Export orders are also vital for the French nuclear industry at a time when Japan and Germany have both ended their nuclear programmes. For China, the project is no less strategic. If the deal does fall by the wayside, it will be a blow to Beijing’s ambitions. Ditching it would reveal the “golden era” as hyperbole and potentially set back not only UK-China diplomatic ties but also jeopardise other Chinese deals. The blow would be felt in terms of national pride as well as on the bottom line of the CNNC. Securing the Hinkley deal was seen in China as recognition of the country’s burgeoning technological prowess and as a springboard for CNNC to secure similar projects around the world. Any cancellation would also be seen in China as a slap to Mr Xi himself. CNNC is key to the military-industrial complex that forms part of his power base. His strategy of winning diplomatic friends around the world by building them large infrastructure projects would be affected. However, none of these strategic considerations makes the project necessarily a good deal for British taxpayers. When first mooted, Hinkley seemed an attractive proposition. Not only would the electricity produced, at £24 per megawatt hour, be competitive with other power sources. It would also help Britain meet ever tougher emissions targets without too heavy a burden on the public purse. A decade on, the price built into the deal is nearly four times as high. The costs of natural gas, solar and wind power have all been falling. British competitiveness is at stake. For this reason alone, it is prudent to press pause and take another hard look. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2016. You may share using our article tools. Please don’t cut articles from FT.com and redistribute by email or post to the web. Source link
Comic book fans from Keyline, the UK’s leading specialist supplier of civils and drainage solutions and heavy building materials, have helped to raise a whopping £102,000 for Prostate Cancer UK during a superhero and villain themed car rally from Northampton to St Tropez. Twenty-four cars made up of teams from Keyline’s staff, along with its suppliers, customers and representatives from the charity took part in the rally. Each team picked a superhero and villain theme for the journey across Europe, including favourites such as Thor, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Batman & Robin. After forming a partnership with Prostate Cancer UK in 2010, Keyline pledged to raise £25,000 in that first year alone. So far, through the fantastic efforts of staff and customers, this partnership has helped to raise more than £1.32 million for the charity. James Beeby, Director of Fundraising at Prostate Cancer UK said: “Despite our car not quite making it back to the UK, the rally was yet again a phenomenal success and I want to thank Keyline and everyone who took part for the incredible amount of money they raised. Currently one man an hour dies from prostate cancer in the UK. That’s 10,900 men a year. Based on current trends, if we ignore prostate cancer and do nothing, this number will rise to over 14,500 men a year by 2026. The money raised through the Keyline Rally is helping us push for real change, from more effective testing to better treatments for men.” Source link
The oil giant Shell confirmed that its new North Sea project will be creating jobs for 300 to 400 people in the UK and will unlock 80 million barrels of oil. The majority of those jobs will be in the north-east of Scotland and will be in areas such as project delivery and subsea activity, according to Shell. The project marks the construction of Shell’s first new manned installation in the northern North Sea in almost 30 years and the company’s intention to reshape its portfolio. Steve Phimister, Shell Vice President for upstream, UK and Ireland, thinks that the redevelopment will give them and their 50/50 project partner ExxonMobil access to 80 million barrels of oil. “This significant investment by Shell and ExxonMobil is further evidence of rising confidence in the future of the region and it will offer a significant boost to communities across the north-east of Scotland, along with boosting the wider Scottish economy,” said Scottish Energy Minister Paul Wheelhouse. The investment decision on the Penguins field redevelopment represents “a vote of confidence from two major global operators in realising the significant remaining potential of an existing asset,” said Andy Samuel, Oil and Gas Authority Chief Executive. The Penguins cluster was developed in 2002 and it produces via a subsea tieback to the Brent Charlie platform. This platform however, is getting old and it is expected to retire in a few years, so Shell will need another way of producing from Penguins. The US firm Fluor will be the construction contractors for the floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) vessel, while Sevan Marine will be providing the technology and the technical support during the design phase of the circular FPSO. An exact date for the project start-up is not known yet, but the FPSO should be delivered in the early 2020s.
UK-wide apprentice scholarship launched Published: 10 June, 2016 A new apprenticeship scholarship programme has been launched to give two construction firms the chance to benefit from the placement of an apprentice, who will be completely funded to work for them for 12 months. The initiative is being launched by construction audit, contract and payroll provider Hudson Contract, to celebrate its 20th anniversary and also provide opportunities to two young apprentices hoping to take their first steps on the construction career ladder. Hudson Contract will sponsor the apprentices by covering their salaries for up to a year. Firms can be in with a chance of gaining one of the apprentices by visiting http://www.hudsoncontract.co.uk/scholarship and describing in up to 100 words how an apprentice can benefit their company. With the scholarship scheme designed to help support the future of the construction industry, recent government figures reveal that there has been year-on-year growth in apprentice starts across England. There was a record 18,290 construction apprenticeship programme starts in 2014/2015, compared to 15,890 in the previous year. Ian Anfield, managing director of Hudson Contract, said: “Having worked in the construction industry for 20 years, we’re a business that is passionate about investing in apprenticeships. The building trade is one of the biggest apprenticeship employers, and with a serious skills shortage impacting the sector we really wanted to give something back to construction firms of all shapes and sizes. Hopefully it can also provide the perfect platform for two apprentices to kick-start their careers.” The new scholarships coincide with Hudson Contract’s ongoing apprentice support. Through its successful Apprenticeship Scheme, the company has part-funded over 70 apprentices since 2011. Mr Anfield added: “The scheme was put in place after discovering construction students were struggling to find companies willing to take on apprentices, particularly small firms that couldn’t afford to do so. We’re now building on this heritage of supporting apprentices by completely removing the financial headache for two more firms through our 20th anniversary scholarship programme.” The winning apprentices will be starting their scholarship in Autumn 2016, and will be producing a video diary of their experiences throughout the year. For further information on the new apprenticeship scholarship programme, please visit http://www.hudsoncontract.co.uk/scholarship. Source link
Hyde Group announced yesterday that the proposed merger with L&Q and East Thames would not be going ahead due to “practical issues” that “cannot be overcome without disproportionate effort”. Although ending merger plans was a mutual decision, it is understood by Construction News that both housing associations held different views on timings, with L&Q wanting to move faster than Hyde Group. Hyde Group offered no further comment on its reasons for walking away from the deal. L&Q and East Thames will instead move towards a two-way merger. In a statement released yesterday, L&Q said that the two housing associations “remain committed to merging” and will continue to work towards providing 100,000 new homes across London and the South-east. The merger was expected to save £50m a year within five years through back-office changes, flexible working, “growth through development” and combined purchasing power in procurement. Both L&Q and Hyde Group said that they will “continue to work collaboratively to our mutual benefit” and wished each other the best for the future. Source link
Hong Nguyen has been appointed by Unispace to act as the Chief Finance Officer for the European region. Unispace is a global design firm that uses integrated project delivery capabilities in order to offer their clients innovative and bespoke strategy, design and delivery to alter the way they work, learn and live. The company works worldwide in 18 different countries and partners with their clients in order to help develop environments that express the unique culture of each organisation while also working to support their local and global business objectives. Hong Nguyen will be joining the design firm from Knewton, the revolutionary global education technology company. Hong has more than 20 years of experience working as a senior executive for a wide range of technology companies. Throughout his career, Hong Nguyen has worked as a senior executive for companies like MySpace, Vevo and Rdio. The Managing Director of Europe at Unispace, Anthony Hazell has expressed his delight at the appointment of Hong to the Chief Finance Officer position. Hong will bring his wide ranging and extensive knowledge to the company, and will be an asset in the demanding business environment in which the media sector functions. Hong’s appointment will bring a new perspective to Unispace during a period of time when the business has grown by more than 40% in a year, just in the European region. The specialist knowledge that Hong Nguyen will bring to Unispace will be of great benefit when working with tech start-ups and will greatly assist in the further progression of Unispace. During his career, Hong has held senior finance and operational roles on three different continents. Hong is responsible for the creation of the London office of the International brand Vevo, which is one of the largest video streaming services around the world. No doubt Hong Nguyen will be equally as successful in his new role at Unispace.