Proposals for a commercial scheme that is part of the £1 billion Mayfield masterplan have been submitted by Logik Developments. The plans would see the company transform the land on Baring Street – next to the Mayfield Park – to create 215,000 sq ft of commercial office space and a 170,000 sq ft hotel. Neil Spencer, managing director of Logik Developments, believes the plans are “in keeping with the Mayfield history”. “The scheme that is moving into planning depicts the appetite for development in which will be one of Manchester’s most sought-after locations. The building is in keeping with Mayfield masterplan encompassing of Mayfield’s history and in keeping with the SRF. This is a fantastic and exciting scheme to be involved in,” Neil continued. The office accommodation spans 12 storeys, with OBI appointed to market the site. “The scheme will appeal to a range of occupiers and there will be a great deal of interest in the commercial space at Baring Street. This is an exciting new neighbourhood and its great news to see the scheme moving forward,” added founder Will Lewis. Detailed discussions are currently ongoing regarding the hotel element of the scheme, with Logik having exclusivity talks with a new operator entering the UK market. Subject to approval, work would start on site in Q2 2021. Tim Groom Architects is leading the project design, with the wider team including RECOM Solutions, Hoare Lea, Roscoe and Deloitte.

A 3,500-capacity venue could be constructed in Derby, creating 200 jobs, according to new plans. A site in the Becketwell area has been earmarked for the scheme by developer St James Securities and Derby City Council. The new entertainment and conference venue would be located on the site of the former Pink Coconut nightclub. The applicants have said it is anticipated that the venue would hold hundreds of cultural and commercial events each year and attract an additional quarter of a million visitors to Derby. The scheme would generate more than £10m per year for the area, they added. “We are working together with experienced commercial sector partners to put the best venue option on the table. This is about creating a vibrant, thriving city centre, and rejuvenating areas that have seen a decline. A new venue like this will significantly aid our recovery efforts and boost business confidence by creating hundreds of jobs, putting millions into the local economy, and make a big contribution to Derby’s future prosperity,” said Deputy council leader Cllr Matthew Homes. The new music, entertainment and conference events venue would be housed in a purpose-built facility. It would be a fully flexible, scalable space, with a capacity of up to 3,500, with secondary space up to 400 capacity. The project, if panning permission is granted, would be delivered by St James Securities at a fixed priced to the council with the developer securing a national operator as tenant for at least 25 years. “We are tremendously excited to be working with Derby City Council on this ambitious scheme, which is set to bring an outstanding, modern performance venue to the city. We strongly believe that a new purpose-built city centre venue is the right way to deliver a new performance venue for Derby and are confident that the best location for that venue is as a key part of the Becketwell scheme,” commented Paul Morris, director of St James Securities. “Once the successful operator has been selected, they will help to inform the design, capacity and layout of the building and the mix of popular and mainstream shows, performances and events. We have created a great scheme which will fill a significant gap in the city cultural landscape.” The development team at St James Securities has already had “strong interest” shown from an excellent range of leading operators.

The European construction industry is gradually opening back up after months of lockdown following the recent pandemic. As firms face increasing pressure to get back on track and deliver against rising demand, it’s widely recognised that the construction industry has long suffered a reputation for regularly delivering projects later than expected, and often over-budget. Even though the sector is rebounding post-Covid, the industry remains cautious with furloughed staff, redundancies and supply chain disruptions, meaning that firms will need to do a lot more with fewer resources for the foreseeable future.  To reduce the further impact of the challenges the industry faces of time and project management, high speed, portable and reliable Internet connectivity can be installed so that the adoption of new technology and smarter processes can happen on site. Tangible benefits for construction firms can at last be delivered by deploying high performance units to provide Internet connectivity from day one at existing and new sites.  Instant internet connectivity on site Internet connectivity is a necessity for businesses in virtually every industry, and construction is no exception. Crucially, however, it remains a fundamental hurdle that the industry must overcome if it is to create a solid foundation for providing stable Internet performance on site and get sites ready to adopt and use all new, digital innovation. The latest technology, software and applications, that are essential for the industry to innovate and keep up with demand, function better with high speed, portable and reliable internet network connectivity. To overcome the challenge of getting connectivity enabled at sites, located in  Green or Brownfield locations where often there is no existing connection, portable wireless units can be installed. As internet connectivity is no longer restricted to fixed-line provision only, companies can invest in a communications resource that truly satisfies business Internet needs – irrespective of location. Advanced bonded Internet solutions enable organisations to add important resilience capability to their Internet connection and build in contingency by combining Internet connections from different carriers to create a single ‘virtual internet pipe’. Precise performance management of the unit can be included along with management of data usage, to ensure there is control over costs and quality. With combined bandwidth and enhanced reliable internet performance integrated into a portable solution, it is highly suitable for immediate deployment situations; especially if Internet services are required urgently. In many cases, communications infrastructure is either missing, needs repairing or may take several weeks to secure an install date. Foundations for change With rapid advances in technology and the advent of cloud based solutions, the way we work and interact has drastically changed. Technology innovation has led industries to continually strive to be more efficient, productive and cost effective. Yet, when it comes to the world of construction, investment in IT has remained low in comparison to other industries. The market has been hampered by technical challenges relating to projects that can be large, complex and geographically dispersed. Combined with varying proficiency and maturity levels of smaller subcontractors, advancing at scale has been difficult and has subsequently led to the slow progress of the digitisation of the construction industry.  Despite these challenges, the technology available to construction firms has advanced rapidly and we are now starting to see examples of how advances in digital technology can deliver efficiency and productivity opportunities at the start of all projects – truly revolutionising the construction sites of the past. Drones, robotics, 3D printing and augmented reality are no longer works of fiction but can be adopted by forward thinking firms looking to capitalise on the benefits that embracing innovation can bring to the construction site. All of these innovations require high quality, reliable internet network resources to function and deliver benefit in the field. Conclusion The construction industry must embrace digital advances and adopt smarter processes and technology to stay competitive. It must set aside outdated processes and management methods to make this a reality. To enable this digital operations future, the basics of site internet connectivity have to be in place.  So, how can construction firms ensure that a high quality, reliable Internet network connection is established quickly at a new site to ensure lack of connectivity does not negatively impact projects? By working with an ecosystem of experienced and trusted providers who can supply the connectivity solution and services that sites require. The industry will then be able to continually benefit from the opportunities that the latest advances in technology innovation for business operations present. The potential rewards to firms that capitalise on digitisation will be transformative.  – Nick Sacke, Head of IoT and Products, Comms365 

Employers up and down the country are planning to welcome back employees to the workplace, and they must bring in strict COVID-safe plans as lockdown measures ease. But British workers should confirm with their employer the steps that are being taken to make it safe and compliant to return to work. All UK businesses who ask their staff members to return to work have been informed that they need to undertake a risk assessment and put in place various measures to protect their staff from contracting the virus. Employees need to feel safe, and depending on the specific industry, certain unions have claimed that employees can even refuse to go back to the office if precautions aren’t taken. Health and safety experts at CE Safety have made it easier for Brits to understand what their employers should be doing to comply with new safety rules. A spokesperson for CE Safety says: “There are countless sensible measures to take when it comes to a safe return to work. “The Coronavirus guidelines and measures are fast-paced, so all employers and employees need to follow the latest developments. As it stands, if Brits can work from home, then they should continue to do so. “But this could change by August. Retail, hospitality, service and leisure industries are reopening from 4th July, it’s important to look at what employees need to know ahead of a return to the ‘new normal’. “It’s worth mentioning that Brits should not return to work if they have been advised by the Government to shield. This will apply only to those in receipt of a letter, who are in the extremely vulnerable category.” Here is a need-to-know checklist when it comes to returning to work. Has the employer carried out a COVID-19 risk assessment? Sounds simple, but before reopening the office, employers should ensure the safety of the workplace by carrying out a risk assessment. This might result in reorganising the office layout to give employees more space between work stations and/or install sneeze guards between spaces. A phased return might also be an option to employers. Check employer’s cleaning, handwashing and hygiene procedures Employers should encourage staff to wash hands regularly, and provide hand sanitiser around the workplace as well as the washrooms. There also needs to be a schedule that allows frequent cleaning and disinfecting of surfaces and objects that are touched regularly. Clear use of toilets may sound too particular, but employers need to outline cleaning guidance for the toilets, as well as providing adequate hand drying facilities, either paper towels or hand dryers. Ask the employer to clarify working from home stance Employers have been advised by the UK government to take all reasonable steps to help people work from home. Has there been internal discussing home working arrangements? Do employees have the correct equipment to allow effective working from home such as remote access work systems? Employees who have family members that are at greater risk from COVID-19 will understandably be concerned about returning to work. Hence the need for employers to consider employees working work from home. For employee physical and mental wellbeing, this is an important step for employers to help look after their staff. Mental health issues that can arise from periods of isolation, and employers need to allow the best possible working conditions for their staff. What is there in place to ensure social distancing? Where possible, social distance between colleagues should be maintained. Employers need to put up signs to remind workers and visitors of social distance guidance. Workstations should not be shared. Floor tape is a cost-effective way to visualise social distancing guidelines. Employers may need to look at their processes too, and perhaps switch to visitors by appointment only, or do meetings via video service platform such as Zoom, or Google Hangouts. What to do if British workers aren’t happy? If you have raised concerns or requested clarification with your employer, but you don’t feel they have been addressed, you can consider whether to contact the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) about your concerns. They are the Government body with responsibility for safety in the workplace and can take enforcement action against employers who are lacking.