Zoe Price, ISG’s group director of public sector frameworks, has shared her thoughts on the future of public sector procurement at Women in Property’s most recent industry debate – an event sponsored by ISG and Burgess Salmon. Working to create opportunities, expand knowledge and inspire change for women within the
The Considerate Constructors Scheme National Site Awards have confirmed the UK and Ireland’s best performing construction sites. Recognising the the highest-performing construction sites against the Scheme’s Code of Considerate Practice which monitors how considerate the site is being towards their local community, environment and workforce, the Awards took place at iconic venues
Phase two and three of the Newham development has secured support from London developer Mount Anvil that has teamed up with ExCel London. A resolution to grant planning permission has been secured from Newham’s Strategic Development Committee for phases two and three of its development. “Securing resolution to grant planning
Wates Construction has submitted a planning application for a new Cruise Terminal Hotel in Liverpool, which forms part of Peel Land and Property’s Liverpool Waters, the city’s major waterfront regeneration scheme. Following the consultation held in September 2018, which gave residents and businesses the chance to view plans and provide comment on
A £15 million Capital Grant Fund has been allocated to develop an additional 21 community hubs and learning centres throughout Wales, confirmed Education Minister Kirsty Williams. Part of the 21st Century Schools and Education Programme, the fund is a small part of the total of £3.7 billion that aims to replace and
Work to resurface a major link road in Sheffield has been started by construction firm Amey, part of the highway resurfacing programme which is being rolled out by Streets Ahead. Work to prepare and resurface Europa Drive and Europa Link has now started and will continue, during night-time hours, for
Willmott Dixon has won a £34 million council house building contract to deliver 266 new homes on a site in Wolverhampton. The company will be completing the project for WV Living on the site for the Wednesfield High School on Lakefield Road, Wednesfield. The new development, named ‘The Marches’, will
Price comparison website MoneySuperMarket has looked at what people could do to get their homes green and sustainable. The company looked at the costs and savings associated with the most readily available renewable energy sources and efficiency-improvers around the home. The data collected showed that renewable energy offers the greatest
Four new appointments have taken place at This Land™, who appointed established property leaders as Non-Executive Directors. Susan Freeman, David Meek, Jeremy Miller and Richard Steer join the company with significant experience in various aspects of the property industry. Susan Freeman is one of the UK’s foremost property lawyers, with
GuestReady, a global short-term rental company, has acquired BnbLord, the largest Airbnb management company in France, to form the GuestReady Group. The combined company will be the leading provider in Europe managing more than 2,000 properties with a wide range of services to property owners, agents, and developers. GuestReady has
Zoe Price, ISG’s group director of public sector frameworks, has shared her thoughts on the future of public sector procurement at Women in Property’s most recent industry debate – an event sponsored by ISG and Burgess Salmon. Working to create opportunities, expand knowledge and inspire change for women within the property and construction industry, the Association of Women in Property aims to maximise opportunities to actively engage with influential media outlets and be seen and heard at key industry events. The sold-out event featured a panel of industry experts discussing the state of procurement within the public sector with an audience of 100 delegates. The panel featured: • Zoe Price – Group Director of Public Sector Frameworks, ISG • Simon Toplass – CEO, Pagabo • Ann Bentley – Global Board Director, Rider Levett Bucknall (also a member of the UK Government’s Construction Leadership Council) • Helen Baker – Director of Procurement, UWE • Laura Wisdom – Senior Associate, Burgess Salmon • Deborah Vogwell – Senior Manager, Homes England. Pierre Wassenaar, director at Stride Treglown, hosted the discussion, prompting debate around the benefits of the framework route, the role of SMEs and how they can compete, transparency, relationships and the future of public sector procurement, before the panel took questions from the audience. “In the last 18 months we’ve developed a new strategy on how to target and position ourselves on frameworks and it is really important to us as a business,” started Zoe. “It is a strategy that I’m very passionate about and we can evidence the added value and development of long term relationships. The best frameworks are mutually beneficial to both client and contractor, helping bring projects to site quicker and more efficiently, whilst enabling all delivery partners to share best practice and improve productivity. This was a great event with a lot of audience engagement, and it certainly showed that there is a lot of uncertainty around public sector procurement, which I believe could be supported by the use of frameworks to provide transparency and add value to the process,” she continued.
The Considerate Constructors Scheme National Site Awards have confirmed the UK and Ireland’s best performing construction sites. Recognising the the highest-performing construction sites against the Scheme’s Code of Considerate Practice which monitors how considerate the site is being towards their local community, environment and workforce, the Awards took place at iconic venues in Edinburgh, London and Manchester. The 2019 winners of the ‘Considerate Constructors Scheme, Most Considerate Site 2019’ title are: Carlisle Gas Holder Demolition Project – Northern Gas Networks (project value under £500k) Columbia Threadneedle Property Investments – Overbury plc (project value £500k to <£1m) Camden FRA Works – Mulalley (project value £1m to <£5m) University Centre, Rotherham – Willmott Dixon Construction (project value £5m to <£10m) Woodmansterne Secondary School – Willmott Dixon Construction (project value £10m to <£50m) One Blackfriars – St George City Ltd (project value £50m and over) In addition to the six Most Considerate Site Award winners, there were 336 Bronze, 252 Silver and 152 Gold, as well as 18 Most Considerate Site Runners-Up. “Congratulations to all the 2019 National Site Award winners. Each award winning site should be extremely proud of receiving this prestigious industry accolade, which recognises their invaluable contribution to improving the image of construction,” commented Considerate Constructors Scheme Chief Executive Edward Hardy. “Special congratulations must go to the highest performing construction sites winning the coveted title of ‘Most Considerate Site 2019’, which represent the very best of the construction industry in how they have raised their standards of considerate construction to the highest levels. We work with sites to push the boundaries of what is achievable and this year’s accomplishments by sites have certainly not disappointed, with over 764 sites receiving National Site Award recognition. We are always amazed by the increasing levels of performance on site across the country, and we look forward to performance continuing to increase through next year and beyond,” he continued. In addition, for the second year running, Ultra Sites, the Scheme’s highest attainment of registration, were also recognised for their outstanding commitment in collaborating with their supply chains, during the awards ceremonies.
Phase two and three of the Newham development has secured support from London developer Mount Anvil that has teamed up with ExCel London. A resolution to grant planning permission has been secured from Newham’s Strategic Development Committee for phases two and three of its development. “Securing resolution to grant planning permission for phases two and three of Royal Eden Docks is a landmark moment for the site. The success of phase one demonstrated buyer demand for homes in this part of London, and in a period when the capital is gripped by an acute housing shortage, it’s important that we are working in partnership with the GLA to bolster the delivery of new homes for Londoners,” said Emma Foster, Development Director, Mount Anvil. Royal Eden Docks adjoins Royal Docks West, phase one of the project and also a 19-storey tower, which was launched successfully to market in spring 2017 and is now 90% sold. Delivering 796 new homes, the two new phases will help amount the total to 901 units when combined with the homes delivered at Royal Docks West – and representing Mount Anvil’s largest ever scheme. With architecture by SOM, the development will comprise a selection of studio, one, two and three-bedroom apartments, with 35% affordable housing (by habitable room). “Phase one brought substantial investment in the community and surrounding infrastructure, and we look forward to building on that investment with the construction of phases two and three. The Royal Docks is one of London’s last pockets of regeneration, and Mount Anvil is proud to be shaping the area for future generations, with the delivery of high quality, tenure-blind new homes and amenities, and helping to establish it as a sought-after place to live,” added Emma.
Wates Construction has submitted a planning application for a new Cruise Terminal Hotel in Liverpool, which forms part of Peel Land and Property’s Liverpool Waters, the city’s major waterfront regeneration scheme. Following the consultation held in September 2018, which gave residents and businesses the chance to view plans and provide comment on the proposed new four-star hotel, the submission for planning application was sent. The new development is subject to planning and it will include a 200-bedroom accommodation complex, including a lobby bar, cafe, restaurant, business suite and back of house facilities as well as visitor and coach parking, and a taxi pick-up and drop-off point. The purpose of the new hotel is to support and supplement the city’s new cruise liner terminal at Liverpool Waters’ Princes Dock, which once built will accommodate the world’s largest cruise ships and create new jobs and generate wider economic benefit to the city region. The new cruise liner terminal, equivalent to the size of two football pitches, would be serviced by an off-site multi-storey car park and will enable the world’s largest cruise ships (up to 3,600 passengers) to embark and disembark at Liverpool. As part of the construction of the hotel, Wates has made a commitment to provide extensive training and employment opportunities for local residents as well as boosting the city’s economy through the appointment of local supply chain partners.
A £15 million Capital Grant Fund has been allocated to develop an additional 21 community hubs and learning centres throughout Wales, confirmed Education Minister Kirsty Williams. Part of the 21st Century Schools and Education Programme, the fund is a small part of the total of £3.7 billion that aims to replace and refurbish education buildings throughout Wales. “Our 21st Century Schools and Education programme is already making a huge difference to pupils, teachers and local communities throughout Wales; giving them access to state of the art educational facilities. Schools play a vital role within a community, and I’m fully aware of the importance of ensuring that our schools are not only fit for purpose, but are able to cater to the needs of local communities,” said Kirsty Williams. “That’s why we’ve committed to introducing more community learning centres, and plan to make community focused projects a key aspect of the second wave of the programme,” she added. The £15 million fund will be primarily used for projects that cater for the local community. This could be through adapting existing buildings for wider use, such as increasing the size of a school hall, by providing specialist facilities that widen use or enhanced sporting facilities, which can be used by local people. In addition, funding will also be used to create spaces that meet a specific need within the local community, such as learning new languages or vocational skills.
Work to resurface a major link road in Sheffield has been started by construction firm Amey, part of the highway resurfacing programme which is being rolled out by Streets Ahead. Work to prepare and resurface Europa Drive and Europa Link has now started and will continue, during night-time hours, for the next six weeks. As well as being home to several businesses, Europe Link is a busy connecting route stretching from the Sheffield Parkway, close to the AMRC site, over to Shepcote Lane, Darnall. In recent weeks, Amey have worked closely with affected businesses to communicate their plans in advance, in hope of minimising disruption and enabling local workers to be fully prepared. “It’s been really beneficial to work with affected businesses ahead of works starting on this busy route. A number of them have agreed to close early or even close for the day to allow us to complete the resurfacing with minimal disruption, and we are really thankful for their co-operation,” said Andrew Staniforth, Assembly Steward for Amey. “Our works will start on Europa Drive, and then proceed onto Europa Link, from Wood Lane roundabout towards Shepcote Lane, over the next six weeks. Due to the sheer volume of traffic and the different needs of the businesses based there, including two large-scale distribution companies, we will be working on Sundays and overnight to complete the work,” Andrew added. The 4km route will be prepared first and then surfaced between now and early May. Some road closures will be in place during that period, and there are already diversion signs in place where the work has started.
Willmott Dixon has won a £34 million council house building contract to deliver 266 new homes on a site in Wolverhampton. The company will be completing the project for WV Living on the site for the Wednesfield High School on Lakefield Road, Wednesfield. The new development, named ‘The Marches’, will include 67 affordable homes and comprise of one, two, three and four bedroom homes for sale. “This is fantastic news for WV Living and for the city, The Marches will provide much needed quality homes to rent and high quality homes to buy. WV Living is continuing to support the overall house building programme in the City of Wolverhampton and in appointing Willmott Dixon we will also see real, long-lasting benefits for the local community,” said Kate Martin, Director for Housing, City of Wolverhampton Council. “Willmott Dixon’s business commitment to social value and sustainable futures is a real strength and we are confident this development will also boost local business and skills, and add further pace to housing growth across the city,” added Kate Martin. Willmorr Dixon is working with BM3 Architecture on this project and the first homes are scheduled to be ready for tenants by the end of the year. 67 homes out of the total of 266 will be affordable. “We are delighted to be working with WV Living to develop and build over 260 new houses and apartments, creating new housing stock for the people of Wolverhampton. At Willmott Dixon, we also believe we have a purpose beyond profit and that includes leaving a lasting positive legacy in the areas where we work,” commented Simon Liversage, Director for Willmott Dixon in the Midlands. The development is part of WV Living’s plans to deliver more than 1,000 new homes across the city over four years. WV Living is also developing three further sites as part of its phase one developments, with 52 houses on the site of the former Danesmore Park Primary School in Ashmore Park, 25 at the former Ettingshall Primary School site, and 40 at the former Prouds Lane leisure centre site.
Price comparison website MoneySuperMarket has looked at what people could do to get their homes green and sustainable. The company looked at the costs and savings associated with the most readily available renewable energy sources and efficiency-improvers around the home. The data collected showed that renewable energy offers the greatest monthly savings at £28.33 on average a month. However, the machinery needed, such as solar panels and wind turbines, have an average setup cost of £7,237. This means that despite the reduction in bills per month, it would take over 21 years and three months to pay off the installation before seeing substantial savings. On the other hand, efficiency measures, such as energy saving lightbulbs and reduced-water shower heads, offer an average of £6.92 in savings each month. With initial costs averaging at £762.59, it would take nine years and two months to pay for themselves. Here are some options that can make anyone’s homes greener and save them money too: Energy saving light-bulbs – Fitting a home with energy saving bulbs would cost around £51.80 and could result in financial savings of up to £27.13 a month, which means they’ll have paid for themselves after two months. Lagging jackets – An investment of £15 to insulate the hot water tank could save around £1.67 each month on heating – meaning costs will be covered after nine months. Solar ovens – Solar ovens use just the light of the sun to cook food, meaning no energy is required and could save £9.30 a month. They are a little more expensive at £188.64 on average, and will take a year and eight months to cover their own costs. Water saving shower head – Costing around £15.99, these shower heads help save 52 pence each month and they will be paid after two and a half years. Cavity Insulation – Over £10 per month could be saved on energy bills if a home is insulated correctly. With an installation fee of £466, a return on investment will be seen after three years and seven months.
Four new appointments have taken place at This Land™, who appointed established property leaders as Non-Executive Directors. Susan Freeman, David Meek, Jeremy Miller and Richard Steer join the company with significant experience in various aspects of the property industry. Susan Freeman is one of the UK’s foremost property lawyers, with a wealth of knowledge and influence in the real estate sector as recognised by her ranking as “The Woman Who Knows Everyone” in Bisnow’s ‘The 51 Most Influential Women in UK Real Estate’. Susan’s breadth of experience and extensive property industry network will be a welcome asset for This Land™. She joins as a Non-Executive Director by David Meek who holds over 30 years of senior executive and board experience in Tier 1 global financial institutions, real estate and technology companies, such as JP Morgan and Citi, currently serving as a Non-Executive Director in the Middle East on the Board of one of the region’s leading retail banks and asset managers. Led by Chairman Steven Norris, This Land’s™ Board will also be bolstered by the appointment of Jeremy Miller and Richard Steer. Jeremy has served as Non-Executive Director and Chairman for a raft of innovative businesses related to property and finance, including Countryside Properties and Centerview Partners, whilst acting as a trusted advisor to many FTSE100/250 companies. Richard Steer is renowned for having spearheaded the growth of property consultancy, Gleeds, into a major global brand, increasing UK turnover more than six-fold in the process. Richard was recognised in 2017 as Building Magazine’s Personality of the Year. “I am both delighted and incredibly excited that This Land™ has secured the services of such an established group of industry leaders as we continue to grow and develop the business. Susan, David, Jeremy and Richard are all towering figures in their respective fields, bringing a breadth of top–level experience and their own invaluable specialist insights to support This Land’s™ growth ambitions,” commented David Gelling, Managing Director of This Land™. “As Managing Director it will be of immense value to me to be able to call on such a high level of expertise to the business as we forge an exciting future for the company. We believe in long term value and seek to fulfil our mission to deliver new homes and neighbourhoods that will reinvigorate the quality and reputation of UK housebuilding,” he added.
GuestReady, a global short-term rental company, has acquired BnbLord, the largest Airbnb management company in France, to form the GuestReady Group. The combined company will be the leading provider in Europe managing more than 2,000 properties with a wide range of services to property owners, agents, and developers. GuestReady has been setting an unprecedented pace in the property management industry quickly rising to the top in the complex area of short-term rental management. Since its launch in the summer of 2016, GuestReady acquired three competitors with BnbLord marking the last and largest acquisition to date. Founded in 2015, BnbLord operates across several cities in Europe with a dominant presence in France and Portugal. Last year the company generated more than EUR 10M in revenue for its clients. This acquisition follows the deals announced by GuestReady last December when the company acquired Oporto City Flats, the leading short-term rental operator in Northern Portugal, and took over the management of the portfolio of French Airbnb manager We Stay In Paris. Switzerland-based GuestReady Group now serves more than 2,000 properties through its brands GuestReady, BnbLord, Oporto City Flats, and Easy Rental Services. The offered services include everything that is required to turn a vacant home into a thriving listing on Airbnb, online and offline. Since this year, GuestReady is also offering business-to-business services to property developers and property agents, allowing them to tap into this fast-growing market. “We are extremely excited about this acquisition because it allows GuestReady to propel forward and become the largest service provider in the vacation rental industry. Since we started, we have been very focused on operational excellence and building a property technology system that allows us to automate non-core processes. We can run our large portfolio of properties efficiently thanks to a sophisticated tech platform that we have built in-house over the past years. Without much additional added complexity we can scale our portfolio multi-fold over the coming years,” said Alexander Limpert, Co-founder & CEO of the GuestReady Group. The whole team of BnbLord will join the GuestReady Group and all jobs will be maintained, with the founding team of BnbLord taking senior management positions at the GuestReady Group. “We have been friendly competitors of GuestReady for the past couple of years and we are excited to now join forces. The industry is maturing quickly and we are happy to become part of the technology leader in this space. With our shared experience we will be able to further accelerate growth,” said Léo Bonnet, Co-Founder & CEO of BnbLord.