Welsh Slate, part of the Breedon Group and the UK’s leading manufacturer of natural slate, has grown its sales team with the appointment of a specification sales manager for the South Wales and South-West region. John Steadman brings more than 25 years of natural slate sales experience to the position
Graven Hill is the UK’s most exciting custom build community, designed for those who want a home that is extraordinary. Self-build becomes possible through Graven Hill, who focus on the bespoke and the unique, creating communities that are suited to the needs of the individual, their lifestyle and their taste.
Tansun, the infrared heating manufacturer and expert, has pioneered infrared heaters capable of completely heating an outdoor area, encouraging diners to eat outside all year round. This range is designed to enable outdoor areas to become an extension of an indoor area and consequently provides extra revenue for the bar
The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) have stated that the Chancellor of the exchequer is right to make the Apprenticeship Levy more flexible, in a bid to ensure it works for strategic industries such as the construction sector. That being said, they aren’t convinced his reforms have gone far enough.
A new, revolutionary fire extinguisher – MultiBlaze – has been launched by Meritas. The lightweight extinguisher deals with all types of fires, removing all risk, doubt and confusion and making firefighting a lot safer and easier. Moreover, it allows you to spray an escape path for yourself, while the cooling
In nearly six months’ time, on 29 March 2019 at 11pm UK-time to be more exact, the Brexit is expected to happen and the UK will leave the EU. The construction industry has already started to feel the impact of Brexit, and has ongoing concerns about, amongst other things, skill
The binding of an oral contract does not match that of a paper one, but there is hope. Despite best intentions, there are occasions where companies can find themselves caught up in a commercial relationship without a formal written contract. This could be due to the need to get underway
The average British homeowner has seven DIY projects that need doing in their property, either projects that were left unfinished or not even started, according to a new research. What’s more, over two thirds of Britons say that they have tackled a home-improvement task themselves before having to hire a
The design contract for the new £12.5 million extension for Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) has been awarded to Watson Batty Architects. “We are delighted to cement our partnership with Leeds Bradford Airport with our biggest project to date. We have worked closely with the team at LBA over the last
Ballymore continues to be celebrated for its pioneering approach to creating places where people live and thrive. Putting quality of life and a rooted connection to arts and culture at the core of the business, Ballymore take great seriousness in their role as a place maker. Standing proudly as one
Welsh Slate, part of the Breedon Group and the UK’s leading manufacturer of natural slate, has grown its sales team with the appointment of a specification sales manager for the South Wales and South-West region. John Steadman brings more than 25 years of natural slate sales experience to the position after periods in regional and national sales with both UK and European manufacturers, some of which also involved manufactured building products/tiles. John considers he has reached the pinnacle in natural slate specification with Welsh Slate which is headquartered at its main Penrhyn Quarry near Bangor in North Wales. “I have been in natural slate sales for a long time and it’s great to have joined Welsh Slate who produce the best natural slate in the world,” he said. “I don’t think many people could argue that it’s not top of the range material. So I feel very positive, especially joining the company under the new Breedon Group ownership.” An avid Arsenal supporter and a six-times grandfather, John also joins the Welsh Slate sales team following the appointment earlier this year of former operations director Mark Hodgkinson as managing director.
Graven Hill is the UK’s most exciting custom build community, designed for those who want a home that is extraordinary. Self-build becomes possible through Graven Hill, who focus on the bespoke and the unique, creating communities that are suited to the needs of the individual, their lifestyle and their taste. The minister of housing, Kit Malthouse MP, paid Graven Hill at visit on the 18th of September to get a first hand look at how the largest self-build community in the country is progressing. “It has been marvellous to be here and wonderful to see the energy at Graven Hill. This is an infectious, ambitious project providing the housing needed for growth and success of the town.” “We are extremely proud of this development; we’re creating a place to live, delivering the homes that people need and helping them to see their grand designs become a reality,” commented Cllr Barry Wood from Cherwell District Council, which hosted the visit, showcasing the exciting and innovative Garden Town project. Standing proudly as pioneers of self and custom build, Graven Hill enable individuals to design inspiring homes on pre-prepared plots that offer the chance for the house of dreams to be created across a range of budgets. Each house can be as imaginative as the buyer chooses and fit their requirements perfectly. Up to 1,900 unique homes will be build over a ten year period, surrounded by open, green spaces inclusive of woodland, allotments and a network of footpaths and cycleways. Alongside planning consent for the new builds, a new primary school will be created, a new pre-school nursery and a new community centre. The Garden Town project will also feature cafes, shops and a local pub. “The development could revolutionize the future of home building,” concluded Managing Director of the Graven Hill, Karen Curtin.
Tansun, the infrared heating manufacturer and expert, has pioneered infrared heaters capable of completely heating an outdoor area, encouraging diners to eat outside all year round. This range is designed to enable outdoor areas to become an extension of an indoor area and consequently provides extra revenue for the bar or restaurant. When an outdoor area is equipped with adequate heat coverage, customers prefer to sit outdoors, found Tansun. However, more than 90% of outside areas are not being heated effectively, resulting in areas now only being unused, but also a wasted investment for bars and restaurants. The Merchant House or the ‘Museum Brasserie’ in Jersey installed Tansun’s Sorrento heaters on its terrace to create a better and more profitable outdoor dining experience. Installing a more effective heating solution resulted in the restaurant receiving more bookings and seeing a noticeable increase in its sales. “With a large outside space and with British weather being as it is, it was clear to us that adequate heating was crucial to our business model. While they added a certain ambiance with the flames, the gas heaters we were using were ineffective, unreliable, expensive to run and bad for the environment. Having looked across the market at both local and international suppliers, the sleek look, anti-glare properties, range of products from Tansun and the reasonable prices seemed like the obvious option for us,” said Alex Dolan, Business Development Manager, Dolan Hotels Jersey. “We saw Tansun at the Restaurant Technology and Restaurant Design Expo in ExCel London, liked their products and chose to install six Sorrento heaters. We are so pleased that we will definitely be choosing them when we eventually refurbish our other restaurants. Our clients regularly comment on how they like the new found warmth of our terrace and this can be seen in the sales. As a matter of fact I posted a picture on Facebook and got a call for a table of eight under the heaters five minutes later,” Alex added. Tansun’s range includes a selection of energy-saving switches and heater controls designed to suit almost any situation or need. All of its products are made in the UK and are designed using premium components. The company has been established for 35 years and pioneered the concept of infrared electric heaters alongside Philips technology.
The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) have stated that the Chancellor of the exchequer is right to make the Apprenticeship Levy more flexible, in a bid to ensure it works for strategic industries such as the construction sector. That being said, they aren’t convinced his reforms have gone far enough. “The Chancellor has, in part, listened to the concerns of businesses by making the Apprenticeship Levy more flexible. However, he needs to go much further,” said Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, and former Head of Uk Public Policy for the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) as a response to the Chancellor’s speech at the Conservative Party Conference. As it stands 10% of Levy vouchers can currently be passed down through the supply chain from larger firms to smaller ones, but now Chancellor Philip Hammond, has stated that figure should instead be 25%. “This is important, in construction its the small firms that do the bulk of the training while the large firms don’t tend to directly employ or train tradespeople. Since the Apprenticeship Levy was introduced last year, apprenticeships stats have fallen in the construction trades by more than 10%,” added Brian Berry. Given that the construction industry is already suffering from an acute shortage of skills, Brian Berry called this, “very worrying indeed.” He went on to say: “If the Chancellor is serious about ensuing the Levy has the desired effect, and increases meaningful training across all sectors, it should go further and make 100% of the vouchers transferable from large to small companies.” The FMB is non-profit making and independent, it works as a lobbying for members’ interests at both a local and national level. It stands as a source of knowledge, support and advice for members, while offering a range of modern and innovative building services to help members succeed and achieve. Committed to continuously keeping quality high and forever raising the bar on standards, they even offer a free service to consumers titled: “Find a builder.” Operating by constantly lobbying the Government to boost output and raise standards of both safety and professionalism in conduct at all levels, the FMB strive for a fair, safe and well structured construction sector at all times. The FMB is the largest trade association in the United Kingdom construction industry, and represents thousand of firms across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Established in 1941, the aim of the FMB is to protect the interest of both medium and small sized construction firms.
A new, revolutionary fire extinguisher – MultiBlaze – has been launched by Meritas. The lightweight extinguisher deals with all types of fires, removing all risk, doubt and confusion and making firefighting a lot safer and easier. Moreover, it allows you to spray an escape path for yourself, while the cooling liquid will not reignite as conventional powder extinguishers frequently do. The MultiBlaze range of extinguishers comes with a trigger like a gun, instead of the traditional squeezable lever used on all standard fire extinguishers. Traditional extinguishers require you to use both hands to hold and simultaneously direct the extinguishing agent at the source of the fire, the MultiBlaze range of extinguishers have been designed so that they can be used with only one hand. In addition, the MultiBlaze extinguisher, unlike a traditional one, is Multi-directional at 360 degrees; therefore it can be held sideways or even upside down to enable fires in awkward areas to be put out easily. Another advantage is that no propellant or aerosol is used to expel the bio-degradable agent. After it has been used, the sprayed surfaces can be washed down with clean water, while the empty bottles can be easily disposed of in the household waste. Businesses and individuals reduce the cost of training, transport, storage and disposal as there is no danger of explosion or corrosion, as the canisters only operate between -20 degrees to 70 degrees Celsius. The MultiBlaze extinguisher works on multiple materials – paper, wood, textiles, cooking fats and oils, petrol, diesel and even electrical fires. They can cope with electrical fires from a minimum distance of 1 m in addition to dealing with other types of fire.
In nearly six months’ time, on 29 March 2019 at 11pm UK-time to be more exact, the Brexit is expected to happen and the UK will leave the EU. The construction industry has already started to feel the impact of Brexit, and has ongoing concerns about, amongst other things, skill and labour shortages, the increasing price of materials, potential import and export tariffs. Another area of concern for the construction industry has been how the system of advertising UK contracts for works, goods and services to EU companies would work post-Brexit and how businesses in the UK construction industry would be able to continue to bid for work, goods and services in Europe. This is important because many UK construction and consultancy businesses benefit and need to continue to benefit from smooth and open working relationships with EU businesses. The government’s position While the government continues to negotiate with the EU, in the hope of reaching agreement on a number of key points in the next few months, it is also starting to prepare for a ‘no-deal Brexit’. As part of that, a couple of weeks ago the UK Cabinet Office released guidance entitled ‘Accessing public sector contracts if there’s no Brexit deal’ which sets out how works, goods and services can continue to be accessed across the UK and EU in the event of the UK leaving the EU without an agreement in place. The current system At the moment, UK public bodies and authorities can procure certain works, goods and services for construction projects, including from EU businesses, by advertising them on the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) via Tenders Electronic Daily (TED). Equally, UK contractors, consultants, manufacturers and other construction businesses can bid to provide works, goods and services to EU public bodies through OJEU via TED. This means that, for example, a UK public authority procuring specialist offshore trenching and vessel services for a government-funded offshore renewables project can receive tenders from specialist construction companies throughout the EU. It also means that UK companies, for example a UK architectural business, can tender for a commission to design a high profile development project in Spain on the same basis as companies based in other EU member states. But post-Brexit, without a deal, this position would change. The government’s guidance There are two key messages in the government’s guidance ‘Accessing public sector contracts if there’s no Brexit deal’: First, the UK is aiming to accede to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA). The GPA is an international trade deal that the UK currently participates in by virtue of its EU membership, but in a No-Deal Brexit world the UK will need to become a member itself. Whilst this is not a new position it does confirm that there has been no change to the government’s position on the need to seek GPA membership. Second, the UK will develop a UK version of OJEU / TED, which it refers to as ‘a replacement UK- specific e-notification service’. The guidance states that: UK-based contract opportunities would no longer be advertised to the EU on OJEU / TED and would instead be advertised on the new replacement UK-specific free-to-use e-notification service This UK e-notification service will be available from ‘Exit day’ The requirement to advertise and ability to access other UK domestic systems will remain eg on Contracts Finder, MOD Defence Contracts Online, Public Contracts Scotland, Sell2Wales and eTendersNI UK businesses who wish to tender or bid for EU contract opportunities may continue to do so via OJEU / TED and To enable the above, some changes to how the current procurement rules operate may be necessary, and these will be made by amending existing UK legislation. The government has also said that further information will be provided nearer to the Brexit date. So, has the government provided clarity? In part, yes. The government has at least given some insight into its thinking about how works, goods and services can be advertised and procured across the EU in the event of a No-Deal Brexit. However, there is very little detail around how this will work in practice. In particular, while the guidance says that “Suppliers who wish to access contract opportunities from the EU may continue to do so via OJEU/TED”, it is not clear whether this position would be agreed to by the EU or whether they would have to access OJEU/TED as third country participants. UK public authorities, construction companies, construction industry professionals and other construction industry businesses may also be concerned that, during a period in which they dealing with other challenges that may arise for their businesses due to Brexit (such as skill and labour shortages), they will potentially also have to familiarise themselves with a new UK e-notification service. One thing is clear though, with no agreement yet reached with the EU, and with the Brexit date looming in a matter of months, the government should be working hard behind the scenes to flesh out its guidance, to provide certainty for UK public authorities and the construction industry before 29 March. We would hope to hear more on this by the end of this year.
The binding of an oral contract does not match that of a paper one, but there is hope. Despite best intentions, there are occasions where companies can find themselves caught up in a commercial relationship without a formal written contract. This could be due to the need to get underway with a job as quickly as possible, leaving a contract till a later date, or due to an administrative error. If this happens, one party may fail to perform their promised part in the agreement, leaving a disappointed and aggravated party to pick up the pieces, and more so, unable to cover any losses suffered from the lack of written communication. There is however, a potential for business who have been unrightfully let down, be it intentional or not, to recover losses. Regardless of Samuel Goldwyn’s famous maxim that a verbal contract “is not worth the paper it is written on,” there could be a chance that an oral agreement will stand up in court, as recent cases have been considering contract establishments that take place in person, rather than on paper. The afflicted party could have the chance to establish their right to claim through the legal system if they can prove a breach of an oral contract has taken place. The aggrieved member must also show that the non-performing party did not follow suit in relation to duty of care systems. Levels of compensation and chances of success in claiming are dependant on the aggrieved parties ability to prove acts of tort from the other party. If a wronged party can establish a contract’s basic terms and intentions, that did not go through as discussed, precise terms and breaches can be considered without the official paperwork in place. A duty of care in the tort of negligence can be proven by undergoing two tests that will need to satisfy a court of wrongdoings. The first is the Threefold Test, in which the court will obtain knowledge of whether the loss was reasonably foreseeable, if there was a sufficient relationship of proximity between both parties and if the circumstance was/is fair/reasonable. The next text is titled the Assumption of Responsibility, in which it is determined whether the non-performing party has undertaken any form of responsibility towards the other party to exercise any reasonable care. If it comes to light that the non participating party did not provide a duty of care service, and this can be established as fact, the afflicted party will, in principle, be able to claim. Professional negligence is being taken seriously, with a no contract, no fee, no problem, type of attitude coming forth. A recent example of a successful court win from no contract sufferings comes from a duty of care in tort case between Burgess & Anor vs Lejonvarn. Mr & Mrs Burgess were made a promise by an Architect friend, who agreed to provide them with free architectural services with no need for a contract in place. The project failed which has lead to the Burgess’s claiming £265,000 for economic loss from the Architect. The claim was successful due to the Architect owing the Burgess’s a duty to exercise reasonable skill and care in tort but failing to do so, a duty of care has been imposed on the Architect despite the problems being arguably foreseeable. Various other examples of no contract, no problem claims are coming forth which means that there is hope for aggrieved parties. Samuel Goldwyn was partly right in his speech and a written contract is the best way to ensure business can run smoothly, with legal, documented plans that will ensure courts know the facts much easier than with an oral contract. The binding of an oral contract does not match that of a paper one, but if you have suffered negligence from a party who didn’t deliver the services you were assured, you can pursue a claim if you are able to prove your case.
The average British homeowner has seven DIY projects that need doing in their property, either projects that were left unfinished or not even started, according to a new research. What’s more, over two thirds of Britons say that they have tackled a home-improvement task themselves before having to hire a professional in. The study, conducted by the team at www.MyJobQuote.co.uk, polled 2,689 Britons over the age of 18, with all respondents revealing they owned a property in which they had lived with a partner for a minimum of 5 years. The participants were first asked if their home has any DIY jobs that needed doing, to which the majority (84%) responded with ‘yes’, while 16% said there wasn’t anything that needed attention. When asked if there were any serious repairs that needed desperate attention, 34% said that there were. After that, the participants were asked to estimate how many DIY or home-improvement jobs needed doing in their house, and the average number was revealed to be seven. When asked what jobs required attention in the home (participants could choose multiple answers) the most common jobs were ‘painting and wallpapering’ (68%), ‘laying new flooring’ (52%) and ‘fixing a leak’ (46%). All respondents were then asked if they had attempted a DIY job in the home before ending up having to call in a professional, to which 68% said that they had. Of those that had attempted DIY jobs before hiring someone in, just under half (43%) revealed that they had made the job worse initially. The average amount spent per failed DIY job was revealed to be £86. Relevant participants were asked for the reasons why they had DIY jobs outstanding, and the top answers were ‘I can’t afford the repair’ (49%), ‘I don’t have time to do it myself’ (32%) and ‘I keep putting it off’ (21%). Relevant respondents were asked when they thought they would be able to get the jobs completed; only 31% thought they would be able to complete the jobs in the next 12 months, whilst 14% said they thought they would never complete all the outstanding DIY jobs in their home. “It’s a shame that so many British homeowners feel that they don’t have enough time or money to complete the outstanding DIY jobs in their homes. It’s a good idea to set aside some time every now and again to complete some jobs around the house, or hire a tradesman for those that you can’t, especially as some people end up costing themselves more by attempting jobs themselves,” commented on the findings Lisa Evans, spokesperson for www.MyJobQuote.co.uk.
The design contract for the new £12.5 million extension for Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) has been awarded to Watson Batty Architects. “We are delighted to cement our partnership with Leeds Bradford Airport with our biggest project to date. We have worked closely with the team at LBA over the last six years, assisting with detailed collaboration and consultation, to support a series of enabling projects, both airside and landside. It is rewarding to know that our transport expertise is helping to build the future of a critical northern hub,” commented Peter White, Managing Director at Watson Batty Architects. As part of the plans, LBA’s terminal building will be extended, adding to it a transformed international arrivals process, with immigration, baggage reclaim and customs, as well as improved departure gates, seating areas and new retail, food, and beverage outlets. Once completed, construction work will move to the existing terminal building, remodelling it and adding a new centralised security search area and a more intuitive departure lounge layout, with an expanded new retail offer. Work on the extension is expected to be complete in late 2019, while for the existing building it is scheduled for completion by the summer of 2020. A future phase will include the completion of the departure pier, replacing the current passenger walkway. The planned extension works will deliver additional job opportunities at the Airport for local people, including apprenticeship roles in key operational areas. Watson Batty has previously assisted Leeds Bradford Airport to improve circulation and flow of passengers around the terminal. It designed the new departure lounge extension last year which provided an additional storey and mezzanine floor to Gate Five.
Ballymore continues to be celebrated for its pioneering approach to creating places where people live and thrive. Putting quality of life and a rooted connection to arts and culture at the core of the business, Ballymore take great seriousness in their role as a place maker. Standing proudly as one London and Dublin’s most active property developers, Ballymore have over 5,500 people engages with them on every level throughout current projects. Current projects include that of new headquarters for the English National Ballet and London Film School, on London City Island. Previous work has seen the business work alongside the US Government, moving their embassy from Grosvenor Square to Embassy Garden, Nine Elms, a project which established a new riverside cultural district for the city. Recently, Royal Wharf has been presented with the Seal of Excellence at the NHBC Awards. An honour presented to Joe Cashman, Director, after the joined the top 450 UK Site Managers to win a Quality Award for the projects Phase 2B Development. Joe Cashman is now part of an elite and recognised group of site managers who have showcased dedication and commitment, leading to a representation of the top 100 site managers in the country. An initial 16,000 enter the NHBC Awards in the hope of being granted the honour of Seal of Excellence. The award stands as a testament to Ballymore’s continuous commitment to the creation of homes of outstanding quality, that are built with the benefits of the client in mind. The NHBC judge Site Managers on six key areas: attention to detail, leadership, consistency, technical expertise, interpretation of drawings and specifications, and health and safety measures. The Pride in the Job Award has been presented by the NHBC since its launch in 1980 and has since helped businesses to showcase their ability and performance, driving the standards that new builds should meet a certain criteria to be the very best they can be. NHBC standards are integrated into the culture and heart of Ballymore, which stands as a company that is forever looking to improve and innovate, to offer the very best in modern home design and construction. Joe Cashman has expressed his pride in being awarded the esteemed honour and is happy to have received recognition on behalf of the Royal Wharf project and Ballymore. Despite the award being granted to individuals, it is an overall representation of the company and every individual involved in a recognised project. “For the company, the awards from the NHBC mean we’re doing something right,” remarks Joe. “For me at Royal Wharf, it is the result of all the team’s efforts. We’ve been here on site as principal contractor for the last three and a half years, and the award represents the successful accumulation of a lot of hard work.” Ballymore offer an ability to not only continuously deliver homes to the highest of standards but have build an established reputation that show a willingness to constantly seek improvements through constant dedication.