The SD Group, one of the largest cosmetic finishing groups in the UK, has launched its brand-new Claims service for buildings and home insurance claims. SD Claims will provide insurers with a dedicated team of hard surface repair technicians who can repair damaged household and commercial items to original standard
The construction of three existing schools, which will accommodate an additional 990 students in Sandwell, has just been started by Willmott Dixon. The £23.8 million projects include Q3 Academy Langley, West Bromwich Collegiate Academy and Bristnall Hall Academy, all three being able to provide school places from September 2021. Designed
The redevelopment of a historic Newcastle building into a new hub for engineering and innovation is being supported by a new funding. The grade II*-listed Neville Hall, which was built between 1869 and 1872 to provide a headquarters for The North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers, is
Building materials supplier CEMEX has expanded its mortar range by adding 25kg bagged options to two of its dry mixes, in order to provide customers with increased flexibility of supply. CEMEX’s M4 and M12 Natural Mortar are now available in 25kg bags, as well as 1 tonne bags alongside the
New ways of thinking will be ‘essential for economic and social success post-coronavirus’, according to Pete Cohen, keynote speaker at the upcoming Think Differently virtual event, hosted by Association for Project Management (APM) and sponsored by Fujitsu. Think Differently: redefining diversity in projects is a five-day virtual event taking place between Monday 21
In anticipation of the arrival of its disruptive and unique, long-teach telescopic leader rig, the TM 20 LR, the UK’s leading specialist sheet piling expert, Sheet Piling (UK) Ltd, is whetting the appetite of various Tier-1 construction and engineering contractors, by issuing an in-depth explanatory animated video of the rig
The development of almost 100 homes on York City FC’s Bootham Crescent ground has received planning permission. The joint application, from Persimmon Homes and York City Football Club, outlined a 93-home scheme on the 4.25-acre in York city centre. The plans also include a memorial garden and a retained section
Harvey UK, a commercial decoration company, has completed a contract to carry out the decorating and finishing of a £62 million student accommodation project on the Warwick University campus. The work had been carried out during lockdown under Covid-safe working practices. The Cryfield Village development will provide more than 800
The purchase of the Pleasure Island theme park site in Cleethorpes has been completed, allowing for the £57 million redevelopment plans to move forward. YPG Fab 2, owned by Adrian Smith and Ming Yeung, is now set to submit a planning application for the project within weeks. “The vision is
Following the award of planning permission, Oakapple Group is set to start work on a new North Yorkshire housing development. The Leeds-based developer is set to start work this month on 15 homes in the village of Rainton, five miles from Ripon and close to the A1 and A19. “We
The SD Group, one of the largest cosmetic finishing groups in the UK, has launched its brand-new Claims service for buildings and home insurance claims. SD Claims will provide insurers with a dedicated team of hard surface repair technicians who can repair damaged household and commercial items to original standard – saving time and money on claims that might otherwise have required brand-new replacements. The service will be established by Shaun Mulvey, who joins the SD Group as Head of Insurance after 15 years in the claims handling industry, formerly working with The Be Group and Magic Man. On launching SD Claims, Shaun said: “I’m delighted to have the opportunity to build something new for SD that will have such an enormous benefit both to the SD Group itself and to the insurance market. “For insurers, being able to repair fittings and fixtures rather than replacing them can have a massive impact on the cost of handling claims, as well as the time taken to resolve them. I really believe there is no team more trusted to provide this service – and to the high standards that are required – than the hard surface repair technicians at SD.” Insurers will be able to arrange for hard surface repairs to be carried out on a range of household and commercial claims, including window, tile and brick repairs as well as kitchen fittings, bathrooms, flooring and metalwork to name but a few. The service will be available UK-wide and will include a two-year warranty rather than the industry-standard one-year guarantee. Shaun added: “We wanted to create a service that benefits the end-customer who is making the claim as much as the insurer, and that really comes down to the time taken to repair or replace. For example, replacing a damaged bathroom, ordering a suite and fitting can take two weeks to complete, in comparison to as little as five days when you’re talking about a hard surface repair. Add to that the environmental impact of repairing goods rather than sending them to landfill, and the benefits of a service like this are clearly evident.” In preparation for its launch, SD has developed a network of qualified repairs experts, based across the UK, to assist with claims at short notice. Nick Jones, Managing Director of The SD Group, said: “We are incredibly proud to be launching SD Claims this August, particularly with Shaun’s expertise at the helm. He brings with him former colleague Zara Weller, who between them have over 25 years in the business so we have every faith that our newest branch of SD is in the right hands. “What we initially thought would be a service that sees a gradual increase in interest has exceeded all of our expectations already. We have really hit the ground running with claims already coming in three months ahead of schedule. “SD’s technicians are known for their work ethic and an unrivalled level of skill when it comes to repairs, and so it’s fantastic to see that our services are in such demand from an industry in which we are relative newcomers. I’m very much looking forward to seeing how things progress.” Launched in 1973, SD originated as a family run business in Somerset that specialised in the supply and application of sealant. Since then, the business has gone from strength to strength, becoming one of the UK’s largest repairs and sealant companies, with nine offices across England, Scotland and Wales.
The construction of three existing schools, which will accommodate an additional 990 students in Sandwell, has just been started by Willmott Dixon. The £23.8 million projects include Q3 Academy Langley, West Bromwich Collegiate Academy and Bristnall Hall Academy, all three being able to provide school places from September 2021. Designed in conjunction with Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council and ADP Architecture, the facilities are being built as part of the authority’s Schools Capital Programme 2019-2021. “We are very excited to be on-site at these three prominent developments within Sandwell – these schemes will provide much-needed school places for the local community throughout its period of rapid expansion,” said Michelle Cotterill, operations director at Willmott Dixon. “We have experience within the education industry and a proven track record of working in live education environments. We are delighted to be providing Sandwell Council with a trio of high-quality education facilities,” Michelle added. The specifications for the development, which have been procured via the Constructing West Midlands Framework, include the following: extending the existing teaching accommodation including providing a theatre, new multi-use hall and completion of all external spaces at Q3 Academy Langley, the completion of a new specialist teaching block, a sports hall and a new sports pitch at West Bromwich Collegiate Academy and the provision of a new stand-alone building comprising of teaching, kitchen and dining facilities at Bristnall Hall Academy.
The redevelopment of a historic Newcastle building into a new hub for engineering and innovation is being supported by a new funding. The grade II*-listed Neville Hall, which was built between 1869 and 1872 to provide a headquarters for The North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers, is due to reopen in spring 2021 as The Common Room. “Thanks to the National Lottery and its players, we can continue with the restoration and also with our programme of learning activities which has already engaged almost 2,000 children and young people. Covid-related delays to our building programme have been able to be mitigated by this support,” said Liz Mayes, chief executive of The Common Room. The project has recently received an additional funding of £170,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund Emergency Grant Scheme, set up to support organisations through the Covid-19 pandemic. The historic spaces within the building – including its Victorian Library, Edwardian Lecture Theatre and Arbitration Room, where mine owners and workers would meet to settle disputes over working conditions – will be restored for use as events spaces for educational workshops, meetings and weddings. “We’re delighted to have secured this vote of confidence in our project, much of which will feed directly to our supply chain of small businesses for the common good,” added Liz. “When we reopen next year, The Common Room will become a place for the next generation of engineers to learn about the heritage of mining and engineering, and to be inspired about the future.”
Building materials supplier CEMEX has expanded its mortar range by adding 25kg bagged options to two of its dry mixes, in order to provide customers with increased flexibility of supply. CEMEX’s M4 and M12 Natural Mortar are now available in 25kg bags, as well as 1 tonne bags alongside the original dry silo option, to ensure all masonry requirements can be met – whatever the size of the site or requirements of the job. Both sizes of bags are fully waterproof to make storage even easier; perfect for sites which are too small for a silo or need the mortar to be moved to different areas throughout the job. A bagged product also allows for a more efficient use of labour. Readymixed, CEMEX’s M4 and M12 Natural Mortar is easy to use; customers simply add water until the required workability is achieved. It is available as both natural and in a wide range of colours. CEMEX M4 and M12 Natural Mortar is suitable for brick laying, block laying, repointing, general masonry repairs and for laying patio and paving slabs. Additionally, M12 Natural Mortar is specifically designed for below ground and DPC environments where increased durability is required. Both mixes are factory made for guaranteed consistency, using dried, constituents, accurately blended to approved mix designs to produce M4 and M12 mortars that comply with the requirements of BS EN 998-2. Michael May, Sales Manager for CEMEX Mortars Europe, commented: “It is important that we continually adapt our product portfolio to provide increased flexibility for the customer, which is why we have included two bagged dry mortar options in the range. Bulk and 25kg bags are suitable for smaller sites where storage is a challenge, or making good where the volume required on site doesn’t lend itself to a silo. “This means that whatever the size of the site or the needs of a job, we can provide a high quality, easy to use and consistent dry, pre-blended solution, compatible with a wide range of bricks and blocks.”
New ways of thinking will be ‘essential for economic and social success post-coronavirus’, according to Pete Cohen, keynote speaker at the upcoming Think Differently virtual event, hosted by Association for Project Management (APM) and sponsored by Fujitsu. Think Differently: redefining diversity in projects is a five-day virtual event taking place between Monday 21 September and Friday 25 September, and aims to promote diversity of thought, creative problem-solving and new ways of working, to enable businesses and individuals to deliver ever better benefits to society through projects. The event will take place online, with different themes being explored each day through live sessions delivered by handpicked speakers, sharing a wealth of creative ideas, experiences and practical tools. In addition, there will be virtual networking sessions for project professionals of all backgrounds and experience levels and a virtual exhibition area where delegates can interact with sponsors and take part in activities. The event will also include APM’s Women in Project Management (WiPM) virtual conference, which will tackle some of the most relevant topics affecting project professionals today. Daily themes will include: Thinking differently about organisations How project organisations are developing to embrace a more diverse culture and how people can influence positive change in their organisation. Thinking differently about people How approaching team diversity from a different perspective contributes to greater project success, how to build personal skill sets and improve wellbeing in project teams. Thinking differently about projects How challenging traditional thinking on project processes means better and longer lasting benefits for the end user. Thinking differently about women in project management This virtual APM Women in Project Management conference day will inspire people to forge a new path and create their own adventure through the project profession. Think differently takeaway day The final day of the event will feature digestible summary sessions to clarify key takeaways and messages from the week. Pete Cohen, expert in human behaviour and performance, will be the event’s opening keynote speaker. Pete, who has coached numerous world-class sporting stars and was the resident life coach on ITV’s GMTV for 12 years, will kick off the week with a practical and inspiring talk on how to ‘think differently’. He said: “Changing mindset to view things from a different perspective requires skills, patience and practice – but it can be very rewarding! My session will give the audience a ‘brain warm up’, offering valuable tools and techniques to help them approach the week ahead with an open mind – and get much more out of it as a result.” Debbie Dore, Association for Project Management’s chief executive, said: “Whether responding to the global pandemic or the climate change crisis, it’s essential for organisations and individuals to embrace new ways of working, new people and new thinking. “Now is the time for change, but we recognise change also brings challenges. This event will look at what ‘thinking differently’ truly means for organisations, individuals and projects to inspire people to embrace and celebrate the kind of diverse thinking that will result in greater project success and better outcomes for society.” Registration for Association for Project Management Think Differently Week is open now. Individual members of APM can register for free. Employees of APM Corporate Partners can register for £15. Non-members can register for £25, which includes access to the full five-day event.
In anticipation of the arrival of its disruptive and unique, long-teach telescopic leader rig, the TM 20 LR, the UK’s leading specialist sheet piling expert, Sheet Piling (UK) Ltd, is whetting the appetite of various Tier-1 construction and engineering contractors, by issuing an in-depth explanatory animated video of the rig that is set to revolutionise their project methodologies. The 5-minute instructive video demonstrates just how much of a game-changer the new telescopic leader rig will be, with its capabilities being even more impressive than Sheet Piling UK’s 2018 long-reach telescopic leader rig, the TM 12/15 LR, itself peerless in terms of its functionality. The animated video explains how the massive success of the TM 12/15 LR, and its own clear advantages over any other leader rig in the market, have paved the way for the TM 20 LR. This is another rig manufactured exclusively for Sheet Piling UK, by the world’s leading rig manufacturer, ABI Group, as the sheet piling specialist continues its mission to deliver innovative and best-value solutions for its construction and civil engineering clients. The animated video homes in on four core sectors in which the TM 20 LR is set to eclipse rigs using traditional methodologies and deliver significant programme and cost benefits – rail infrastructure, ports and harbours, road infrastructure and commercial and residential construction. Within each, the TM 20 LR promises to remove any need for enabling works or the creation of temporary structures built solely to facilitate sheet pile-driving. The TM 20 LR builds on the unique facets of the TM 12/15 LR, extending that rig’s benefits still further and including various enhancements. This ‘big daddy’ of telescopic leader rigs boasts the same 8.1m horizontal reach, from the centre of the machine to the pile line but has a maximum driven or extracted pile length of 20 metres, rather than 16 metres. The maximum below-platform driving depth is 3.4m and the rig comes with a powerful MRZV-30VV, variable moment, variable frequency vibratory hammer, with hydraulic rapid-charging docking station. A heavy-duty, hydraulically extendable undercarriage has a unique infrastructure mode that enables the machine to operate to a reduced footprint in restricted areas. 900mm-wide trackpads reduce ground-bearing pressure and additional vertically stacked counterweights enhance its stability. Its Euro Stage-V engine is fully environmentally compliant, whilst a state-of-the-art Sennebogen and F-series base carrier, has a bespoke boom hinge, for long-reach capability. When operating in long-reach mode, the TM 20 has a maximum load capacity of ten tons and a maximum crowd and extraction force of 180 kN. Sheet Piling (UK) Ltd’s managing director, Andrew Cotton, says: “This extraordinary sheet piling rig will further the revolution begun by our unique TM 12/15 LR rig and become the most talked-about piece of equipment in the sector. At a time when public spending in some areas needs to be restrained, to recoup some of the money borrowed to cope with the coronavirus pandemic, but when infrastructure and construction projects need to simultaneously be rolled out quickly, this telescopic leader rig is the solution all Tier-1 contractors should be turning to. “We have no hesitation in saying that the TM 20 will revolutionise thousands of projects, whether we are talking about smart motorways, HS2 projects, renovations to Victorian port and harbour quays or domestic and commercial building programmes striving to meet Government targets. “Furthermore, for those construction and engineering companies under financial pressures, this rig brings welcome and extensive cost savings, also slashing the time required to complete sheet piling project stages. It is no exaggeration to call our unique rig a game-changer, in every sense of the word. We cannot wait to unveil it in August.”
The development of almost 100 homes on York City FC’s Bootham Crescent ground has received planning permission. The joint application, from Persimmon Homes and York City Football Club, outlined a 93-home scheme on the 4.25-acre in York city centre. The plans also include a memorial garden and a retained section of the west stand, as well as a replacement for the flagpole at the stadium. “We respect and understand the importance of designing a development that is in keeping with Bootham Crescent’s history and believe our approved planning application reflects this,” said Scott Waters, deputy managing director for Persimmon Homes Yorkshire. “With planning now approved we will continue to work closely with York City Football Club to establish a feasible progression for the next stage of the much-loved ground’s development.” Planning permission for the development was granted by City of York Council at a meeting. York City are set to relocate to the LNER community stadium, which is currently nearing completion. “It is good news for the club that the planning application has been approved. After being a baseball pitch, cricket ground and a football ground, Bootham Crescent will now start another new chapter as a prime location for city centre homes,” commented YCFC board member Ian McAndrew. “It is time for the club to move to a new stadium which is better equipped to allow the club to grow, with excellent facilities for fans, staff and the team. The club will continue to work closely with Persimmon Homes and Historic England to ensure that the history of Bootham Crescent as a football ground is represented at the new housing site.” In 2004, York City chairman Jason McGill agreed a deal to buy back Bootham Crescent, with a condition that the club would move to a new stadium within an agreed timeframe.
Harvey UK, a commercial decoration company, has completed a contract to carry out the decorating and finishing of a £62 million student accommodation project on the Warwick University campus. The work had been carried out during lockdown under Covid-safe working practices. The Cryfield Village development will provide more than 800 extra student rooms on campus, made up of townhouse-style apartments and studios. The development also includes a central hub with a theatre, shops and cinema. The Henley-in-Arden-based decoration company has been carrying out all of the painting, decorating and finishing work on the apartments which are being built by Kier Central. “Cryfield village is probably one of the most colourful projects we have worked on, with apartments, stairwells and facilities painted in some very bright colours. The results are stunning, as well as providing a modern and attractive university home for the students. This work was carried out under strict Covid-safe working and social distancing practices, but was still finished on schedule,” commented managing director Tony Harvey.
The purchase of the Pleasure Island theme park site in Cleethorpes has been completed, allowing for the £57 million redevelopment plans to move forward. YPG Fab 2, owned by Adrian Smith and Ming Yeung, is now set to submit a planning application for the project within weeks. “The vision is for a spectacular development with all-weather facilities which will offer year-round appeal to attract thousands of visitors and bring hundreds of jobs. We estimate it will attract £13.2m of new visitor expenditure per annum,” commented Adrian Smith. “As people who have spent all our lives in Grimsby we are dedicated to improving the area. We have a strong track record of regenerating key local sites and we have already committed millions of pounds to this project even before submitting the planning application.” The proposed Pleasure Island development would comprise 250 holiday lodges in lakeside and beachfront locations, a 146-bed hotel, restaurants and leisure facilities including a family gaming centre. Smith led the conversion of a former brewery into apartments at The Cooperage and the renovation of The Imperial Hotel. Yeung was behind the redevelopment of the former Birds Eye Wall’s site in Ladysmith Road to provide 250 new homes as well as multimillion-pound regeneration projects in Liverpool, including the Hilton Garden Hotel, Russell Hotel and Magistrates Boutique Hotel as well as a series of stylish dockside residential developments. The investors are partners in a specialist leisure sector business Seaside Getaways Ltd, which is based in Liverpool. National planning and development consultancy Lichfields has previously been appointed to progress the plans.
Following the award of planning permission, Oakapple Group is set to start work on a new North Yorkshire housing development. The Leeds-based developer is set to start work this month on 15 homes in the village of Rainton, five miles from Ripon and close to the A1 and A19. “We have all adapted to a new way of working during the pandemic. We are not missing the daily commute into the office and have seen that splitting our working week between office and home working is a more effective use of our time,” said Sean Mayes, from Oakapple Group. “Oakapple recognised the need to design houses to accommodate people continuing this balance of limiting their commutes to the office and working more from home.” The four- and five-bedroom detached homes will offer ‘home office’ packages and super-fast broadband to meet increased demand for rural living and home working. “Property professionals are predicting significant growth in demand for rural living, with demand likely to outstrip supply. Through careful design and choice of excellent locations, we believe our houses will be future proofed for the new normal whilst offering a great lifestyle choice,” Sean added.