Work has already started on the £100 million expansion project for McCain Foods. The popular frozen potato product manufacturer is carrying out a range of construction work in order to expand their Scarborough facility. The groundbreaking ceremony took place at the Eastfield site in order to mark the progress in
A leading residential property sales and development consultancy in London and the South East, SiteSales Property Group has revealed that they have completed on the sale of 99 shared ownership units. This sale illustrates SiteSales’ commitment to marketing housing on a wide range of tenures. The new shared ownership units
Site owner RWE confirmed the recovery operation has been stopped after contractors reached the 50 m exclusion zone around the remaining standing structure of the boiler house, which is being treated as unstable. A spokeswoman was today unable to confirm a timetable for the demolition and said that the project
Category: Construction Industry Today | Subscribe to Construction Industry Today Feed Published Thu, Mar 31st 2016 One of Wales’ largest schools features glazing systems by Kawneer. Posted via Industry Today. Follow us on Twitter @IndustryToday Architectural aluminium systems from Kawneer were specified for a record-breaking school in Wales for
The world of the production of blocks and cobbles never ceases to surprise us, and at the moment has opted to offer machinery of professional block that adapts to any type of need that the client has, all this to be able to help to hasten the work so that
On the 21st of August, construction work began on the new zero carbon business centre at the Elmsbrook development in Bicester. The development in Bicester that has broken ground is a part of the PERCH Bicester development. PERCH is one of two new co-working sites that have been brought to
31 May 2016 | James Richards Workplace lifts are burning 36 per cent more energy within office buildings than predicted by manufacturers and standards, according to a study. The report, Smarter Buildings: Real-world energy use of lifts/elevators in contemporary office buildings, released on Monday, was complied by lift consultants SVM
RICS: July house price growth at three year low The latest data from RICS has shown that house price growth continued to slow in the UK in July while key indicators covering price expectations, buyer enquiries, agreed sales and new instructions all remained firmly negative. Simon Rubinsohn, RICS Chief Economist,
20 August 2016 – by Jess Harrold Businesses could be forced to pay up to 20% higher business rates than they should, without any right of appeal, under new government proposals. As a result the biggest ratepayers could be tens of millions of pounds out of pocket. The plans
London Southbank University seeks development partner for £1.5bn Elephant and Castle campus revamp Source link
Work has already started on the £100 million expansion project for McCain Foods. The popular frozen potato product manufacturer is carrying out a range of construction work in order to expand their Scarborough facility. The groundbreaking ceremony took place at the Eastfield site in order to mark the progress in the development plans. A number of figures were at the ceremony including Councillor Derek Bastiman, and Jim Dillon the chief executive of Scarborough Borough Council. The council members attended the event alongside the senior leaders of McCain GB and the McCain project team. The facility used by the food manufacturer in Scarborough was first established nearly 50 years ago. The Scarborough production site is one of the most successful sites for McCain, making the £100 million into its expansion a sound investment. This planned investment will take place with the intention of expand the facility and to safeguard jobs. As part of the investment there will be a series of equipment upgrades and renewals that will include a new state-of-the-art odour reduction technology. There will also be investment in to landscaping the perimeter of the factory. Construction work on the site is now officially taking place following the groundbreaking ceremony. The plans to renew the Scarborough facility will make sure that the site continues to flourish into the future. The expansion will also allow the site the capacity for the increased demand for McCain products. The upgrades will add environmental benefits and illustrates the company’s commitment to Scarborough and the jobs in this area. As the work is being carried out it is thought that there will be an increase in activity around the John Young Training Centre which is located just off Osgodby Lane. This increased activity is expected to take place over the course of the next few weeks.
A leading residential property sales and development consultancy in London and the South East, SiteSales Property Group has revealed that they have completed on the sale of 99 shared ownership units. This sale illustrates SiteSales’ commitment to marketing housing on a wide range of tenures. The new shared ownership units purchased by the property group are located at the newly regenerated Walthamstow Stadium site. The units consist of two to four bedroom houses as well as one to three-bedroomed apartments that have a range of values from £280,000 to £590,000. SiteSales was appointed in March 2016 by London & Quadrant to manage the sales of the properties at Walthamstow Stadium. The development that has taken place on this site is unique in terms of its appearance and a great deal of the original Art Deco facade and features have been maintained through the construction work. The original features of the site are a tribute to the Stadium’s 75-year heritage as a racing track. In order to celebrate the history of Walthamstow Stadium, the old kennels and the iconic stadium sign and the medal podiums have been retained. When designing the development, there was an emphasis on the maintenance of the nostalgic exterior while also putting the site to good use and delivering a number of modern and affordable homes. This is an innovative way of maintaining the building, a piece of local heritage, while also meeting a demand for new homes. SiteSales delivers a range of services to a range of businesses. Working with developers, housing associations, local authorities and registered charities, SiteSales Property Group delivers successful solutions for housing schemes, acting as an extension of their client’s management team as opposed to an outside organisation. SiteSales also builds their own homes for sale under the Regenta brand.
Site owner RWE confirmed the recovery operation has been stopped after contractors reached the 50 m exclusion zone around the remaining standing structure of the boiler house, which is being treated as unstable. A spokeswoman was today unable to confirm a timetable for the demolition and said that the project team is working on draft plans to bring down the remainder of the boiler house. In April, RWE said the standing structure needed to be brought down with a “controlled explosive demolition”. Brown and Mason took over the recovery operation from Coleman and Company this week. In an interview with Construction News during the week of the incident in February, Coleman and Co managing director Mark Coleman said he did not believe the structure was at risk of imminent premature collapse. He added that “initial feelings are clearly that there has to be a risk because of what’s happened adjacent to it”. The missing men: Ken Cresswell, John Shaw and Chris Huxtable, were all employees of Coleman and Company. Another worker, Michael Collings, was found dead shortly after the incident on 23 February. In a statement, RWE said: “Our contractors have now reached the 50 m safety exclusion zone, which is in place as the remainder of the structure is currently considered unstable. “Sadly, this means that, until the remaining standing structure can be safely brought down, we have restricted access to the recovery area. “We understand that the time it is taking to recover these men is deeply distressing for their families, and we are in contact with them. Our absolute priority is to recover their loved ones as quickly and as safely as possible.” Source link
Category: Construction Industry Today | Subscribe to Construction Industry Today Feed Published Thu, Mar 31st 2016 One of Wales’ largest schools features glazing systems by Kawneer. Posted via Industry Today. Follow us on Twitter @IndustryToday Architectural aluminium systems from Kawneer were specified for a record-breaking school in Wales for their “reliability”. Kawneer’s AA®100 capped curtain walling and low/medium-duty swing and series 190 heavy-duty commercial entrance doors were specified by frequent Kawneer users architects Scott Brownrigg throughout the Gateway to the Valleys (Coleg Cymunedol y Dderwen) secondary school in Bridgend. These are complemented by AA®541 top-hung BRE Green Guide A+-rated and Secured by Design casement windows. The new secondary school and community campus represents one of the largest single investments in a shared community and education building in Wales. The new community campus, on an existing 39-acre site, incorporates a 1,570-place comprehensive school for pupils aged 11 to 18 and a 604m2 dedicated community facility which includes a café, a multi-agency hub and child care unit. The school is conceived as a series of “colleges” grouped around a community heart space rotunda, the geometries derived from existing axes and from specific references to elements found within the existing context. The scheme won the BREEAM Education Award 2013 and is the first BREEAM Outstanding high school of its type in the UK. It was designed and delivered through BIM, which brought clear benefits to the client, design and construction team alike. The Kawneer systems were installed over 15 months by approved specialist sub-contractor Dudley’s Aluminium for main contractor Bouygues UK Scott Brownrigg director Jon James said: “We have used Kawneer’s systems many times before. They are a reliable product and BREEAM Outstanding buildings require the majority of materials to be A or A+ Green Guide rated. The curtain walling was used to provide quality light in and views in and out of the building. Headteacher Andrew Warren added: “The design itself is truly stunning. Scott Brownrigg had a very real and deep understanding of how the space could be used to support educational innovation and transformation. “Much more than this has been the truly exceptional level of engagement that Scott Brownrigg has had with the whole of the school and the wider community. Without this level of real engagement, real partnership and real energy we would not be where we are now, occupying a most iconic and world-class building. There is no doubt we have the best school building in Wales and quite probably the UK.” ENDS Source link
The world of the production of blocks and cobbles never ceases to surprise us, and at the moment has opted to offer machinery of professional block that adapts to any type of need that the client has, all this to be able to help to hasten the work so that the constructions can be done in a shorter span of time but with the quality and strength it requires. Having a good blocking machine is very important, since it is the one that will guarantee the speed with which you can lift the constructions and the good thing is that it is nothing more in the scope of big constructions but also for houses, Local, business and if you want to create your own company concrete blocks, having a good block machine is completely indispensable for you. Whether it is to produce concrete blocks, curbs, cobblestones or double-layer elements, Rometa Block’s machines will always provide you with all kinds of semiautomatic or fully automatic professional blocking machines, so you can choose the one that best suits your type of work. All the machines incorporate an online technical assistance system so that at all times you are well informed of the correct use that you must give these machines so that your work is perfectly and as you are looking for it. If you have never heard of this type of machinery you probably are not clear how it works; So to give you an idea we break down the production figures: There are block machines that produce 500 blocks an hour (at a lower price), and others that can produce up to 3000 blocks an hour. This type of machinery can be adapted to any type of project, everything will depend on the needs that the client has. For example, block machines can be installed in concrete plants with planetary mixer for large productions, or in plants for the manufacture of blocks, curbs, pavers, pipes and beams. The star of block machinery: Rometa 2010 There are many block making machines related to the production and distribution of blocks and pavers, however there is one that stands out above the rest due to the excellent performance it presents. The Rometa 2010 is an automatic blocking machine capable of producing 900 blocks an hour, all with the same quality. It has capacity for 5 blocks or 6 vaults, and is perfect for the manufacture of pavers per cycle. If you want to know more about this great block machine, consult here more information. This type of blocking machine can be accompanied by something else, such as an exit table with a 3-tray manual trolley, or an 8-tray lift / descender. In addition with it, we can carry out the manufacture of different types of pieces like pavers, blocks, vaults or curbs. Its ease of installation and assembly will leave you fascinated, and even more its ease of use. Rometa 2010 is able to withstand a press weight of more than 6000 kg, making it ideal for jobs with large loads of weight. In addition the block is fully automatic and always guarantees the same quality. Installation based on Rometa 2010 machine, with tray of 1200 x 600 mm, with capacity of 5 blocks of 20 x 20 x 40, or 6 vaults of 16. They work for the manufacture of 0.5 m2 of pavement per cycle. It has vibrators of 10 Cv, for filling and compression of the mold. Types of machines block Rometa 2010 To know more about this machinery, you must know with total luxury of detail all the characteristics of the machine of block Rometa 2010. And is that there is not a single type of Rometa 2010, depending on the type of work that we are going to play we can choose one of the following settings: Rometa 2010 configuration 10. This type of machine is compressor and vibrocompressor, and incorporates a table of exit. With it can be transported up to 3 trays with manual trolley, and perform drying functions of the pieces. The palletizing in this case is manual, while the mixer is automatic. The loading of aggregates and cement is also carried out manually. Rometa 2010 configuration 30. This type of machine is also vibrocompressor and automatic. It incorporates a pneumatic elevator of 6 trays, and allows you transporting the material to the zone of drying through a motor car. Its palletizing is semi-automatic, while the dosing of the cement is done manually. Rometa 2010 configuration 50. Finally, there is this automatic and compressor vibrocompressor, which incorporates an elevator / descender and a drying zone of the parts, which can be accessed by wheelbarrow through the work of some operators. In this type of machine you can choose the type of palletizing, which can be semiautomatic or automatic. It also incorporates an automatic mixer, an automatic cement scale and an automatic aggregate dosage. If you have a company dedicated to working with concrete blocks, curbs, pavers, pipes and beams, Rometa 2010 may be the type of production machine you were waiting for. So do not think about it anymore, and take a closer look at the spectacular features offered by this block machine. On the other hand, Rometa has another line of block’s machines which are as good as this machine that we have just presented, for example is the Rometa 2030 block’s machine which is prepared to work two shifts a day, suitable for working in hot countries. It has large structure. It is a medium capacity, high quality installation with a vibrating compressor of great resistance, with vibration of 20 Cv, with internal agitator, hydraulic equipment of 2 pumps, extraction of the trays with variador of speed, with 2 columns of 100 mm. In contrast, the Rometa 2050 block’s machine is a high capacity, high quality installation with a high resistance vibrator compressor, with a structure of 200 mm with vibration of 20 + 20 Cv, with internal stirrer, hydraulic equipment of 2 pumps, variation of vibration.
On the 21st of August, construction work began on the new zero carbon business centre at the Elmsbrook development in Bicester. The development in Bicester that has broken ground is a part of the PERCH Bicester development. PERCH is one of two new co-working sites that have been brought to Cherwell District Council. The development is subject to European Regional Development Funding. The 1,400 sqm. planned space will be split over three floors and the completed building will have enough space for up to 125 people. The new Elmsbrook development will be a unique project that offers local office space for individuals as well as for small businesses. When the building is complete, the office space will be housed in a highly sustainable building and will meet the standards of the North West Bicester Eco Town. Architype is the Architecture practice who designed this new co-working site and have focused on making sure the building fits in with the innovative Eco Town master plan. The architecture and construction that have been planned have been designed to achieve BREEAM Excellent rating. PERCH Elmsbrook is being constructed in a very accessible location. This means that people will be able to travel to the site in a number of sustainable and environmentally friendly ways. Kier Construction has been working with Cherwell District Council in order to move the project forward and get the construction work started. The leading construction group will now be focused on building the concept and making sure that it is integrated into the Bicester Eco Town. Kier will also be engaging with members of the local community in order to make sure that all construction work is well communicated. Ensuring the communication is open during this construction work will also allow Kier make the most of opportunities to give back to the community.
31 May 2016 | James Richards Workplace lifts are burning 36 per cent more energy within office buildings than predicted by manufacturers and standards, according to a study. The report, Smarter Buildings: Real-world energy use of lifts/elevators in contemporary office buildings, released on Monday, was complied by lift consultants SVM associates and StepJockey, a corporate wellness business which encourages exercise in the workplace as well as reducing carbon emissions. According to the findings, lifts use significantly more energy than predicted by standards. Geared traction lifts are cited as being the worst offenders, with these systems using 36 per cent more than expected. The report says commercial buildings account for half of the UK’s energy consumption, and that lifts make up 8 per cent of an office building’s energy use, meaning “excess energy cost and associated carbon emissions is potentially enormous.” But the research does not suggest that lift manufacturers are manipulating data. Instead, “the problem seems to sit with international standards which use ideal rather than real-world lift/elevator traffic scenarios to estimate total energy use.” The report also speculates that changes in work patterns, such as flexible working, hot-desking, and a proliferation of breakout areas has also contribute to inflated energy consumption. This is because more inter-floor journeys are putting more pressure on lift provision and contributing to longer waiting times. Employees should be encouraged to take the stairs, which the report says would contribute to health and wellbeing. Source link
RICS: July house price growth at three year low The latest data from RICS has shown that house price growth continued to slow in the UK in July while key indicators covering price expectations, buyer enquiries, agreed sales and new instructions all remained firmly negative. Simon Rubinsohn, RICS Chief Economist, comments on the latest findings from the Residential Market Survey: “UK house price growth posted the lowest survey reading in three years in July. Just 5% more respondents nationally saw a rise rather than fall in prices, a downward trend that is evident across the UK. The London price indicator remains more downbeat (net balance of -33%) which is broadly consistent with an outright drop in prices in the capital. As price growth slows for now, near term price expectations across the UK were negative for the third month in succession with 12% more respondents predicting a decline in house prices over the next three months. As activity falters, interest from new buyers in the UK also continues to wane, with the results showing a fourth consecutive month of falling demand (net balance of -27). The need for more houses Lack of stock in the housing market continues to cause ripples, with new instructions falling again in the month of July. 33% more respondents to the survey have seen a fall in new instructions and supply is at or around record lows in most parts of the UK. In line with the dip in demand and the worsening supply position, sales declined sharply. Across the UK, 34% more respondents reported a fall in transactions, with the monthly pace of decline in both July and June at the fastest since 2008. This reflects a continuation of a trend that started back in April following the implementation of the tax surcharge on investment purchases. Anecdotal reports provided by contributors to the survey suggest both the tax change and the ongoing fall-out from the EU referendum are contributing to the current mood in the market. However, looking into the comments left by members suggests conditions vary markedly between agents. A large portion of respondents note, after an initial wobble, activity has returned to normal, while others feel Brexit has only had a very modest or negligible impact. Year ahead Significantly looking a little further out, key RICS indicators are up in July from June and show both sales and price expectations at the 12-month time horizon returning to positive territory, albeit relatively modestly so and well down on the numbers recorded through 2015 and the early part of this year. The housing market is currently balancing a raft of somewhat mixed economic news alongside the latest policy measures announced by the Bank of England, which have already begun to lower cost of mortgage finance. Against this backdrop, it is not altogether surprising that near term activity measures remain relatively flat. However the rebound in the key twelve month indicators in the July survey suggest that confidence remains more resilient than might have been anticipated. Critically, it is hard to escape the stark message regarding supply that is evident in the latest set of results with RICS data showing inventories on agents books around historic lows on average. This is a long running story that may have been exacerbated by recent events but clearly needs urgent action from the new government.” Andy Sommerville, Director of Search Acumen, comments: “Today’s figures are one of the first indicators of the industry’s perspective following the Brexit decision and, although there has been a significant fall in activity in the past three months, the decline is one of smaller proportions than many were expecting. After the sharp initial fall in the midst of the Brexit vote, July’s survey shows that interest in the property market has continued to decline for the fourth consecutive month. However there is light at the end of the tunnel, and such doom and gloom in the sector could be coming to an end. Looking forward, the Bank of England’s rate cut last week will come as positive news to the market as current and potential homeowners will look to benefit from the attractive mortgage deals available. We anticipate the industry will start feeling this impact in the months ahead and we may even see a small surge in property transactions, especially as stability begins to return to the political system providing a more certain, investible future for consumers. This being said, in the short to mid-term, it is likely that housebuilders will slow down output of new homes in the wake of Brexit uncertainty, forcing supply and demand figures even further apart. The knock-on impact of this could have much more profound long-term implications for the market than the monthly rise and fall in transactions.” Randeesh Sandhu, CEO of Urban Exposure, said: “Today’s RICS Residential Market Survey backs up other recent evidence that the UK housing market is bearing some of the brunt of the Brexit vote in the immediate term. But looking further down the line, the survey also suggests agents have confidence that conditions will improve in the medium term, with twelve month price and sales projections edging back into positive territory.” Reassuring comments in today’s survey from some agents that activity has either picked up after an initial wobble or that they have only felt a modest or even negligible impact thus far further underlines how the picture is not all gloomy as some commentators would have us believe, but in fact mixed. Market weakness may persist alongside continued uncertainty during the autumn selling season as the first major indicators of the impact of the EU referendum vote emerge. We retain a positive overall view on UK housing. The survey results show inventory on agents books around historic lows on average further exacerbating the long term issues around supply and demand. This will require urgent government action to turn around, though will serve to underpin market fundamentals over the medium to longer term alongside the historically low interest
20 August 2016 – by Jess Harrold Businesses could be forced to pay up to 20% higher business rates than they should, without any right of appeal, under new government proposals. As a result the biggest ratepayers could be tens of millions of pounds out of pocket. The plans were contained in draft regulations for England put forward by the Department for Communities and Local Government this week. They propose that when considering an appeal, the Valuation Tribunal should order a change in the rateable value only where the original valuation is “outside the bounds of reasonable professional judgement”. That margin of error can be defined by courts as between 10% and 15%, but can be as high as 20%. Jerry Schurder, head of business rates at Gerald Eve, said the move could, in effect, outlaw business rates appeals. He said: “Businesses will be fuming that these proposed changes could in effect end the appeals process, all but removing the opportunity for firms to reduce their rates bills. Appeals could fall on deaf ears, with many dismissed because the Valuation Office Agency’s assessments were ‘within the bounds of reasonable professional judgement’.” All the content from this weekís magazine, including this article, is available in the new app. BCSC chief executive Edward Cooke said: “Despite numerous calls from business organisations for earlier and more open provision of the evidence used to determine this significant tax, government seems intent on making challenging rating decisions as hard as possible.” On its website, the DCLG said: “The government is committed to delivering an improved business rates appeals system. There is widespread agreement that the current system is broken and in need of reform. By the end of March 2016 the VOA had cleared nearly 666,000 appeals on the 2010 rating list. “While further progress will be made as VOA resources are transferred from revaluation 2017 to resolving appeals, too many appeals remain held up for too long, creating costs and uncertainty for businesses and for local authorities.” Click here to find out how it might work Source link
London Southbank University seeks development partner for £1.5bn Elephant and Castle campus revamp Source link