Savills, acting jointly with Barker Storey Matthews on behalf of the Barnack UK Executive Pension Scheme, has let Unit 7 at Lakeside Court on Kingston Park in Hampton, Peterborough to Capital (Hair & Beauty) Ltd. The company, which was founded in 1954 and is now the UK’s largest independent supplier to hairdressers, beauty therapists and nail technicians  has agreed to a new 10-year lease for a showroom and trade counter totalling 4,050 sq ft (376 sq m). A total of 11,789 sq ft (1,095.19 sq m) remains available to let at Lakeside at a quoting rent of £8 per sq ft (£86 per sq m). Edward Gee, Associate in the Business Space team at Savills Peterborough, comments: “Situated just off the Fletton Parkway, Kingston Park offers high quality, newly built trade counter units in a well established location, which is perfect for Capital. Interest levels have been extremely high and we are delighted with the success of this scheme so far.” Mandy White, store manager at the new Peterborough branch, adds: “Personally I’m thrilled with the new challenge ahead and it’s great to be working with professionals and trade only customers. I know most importantly that our customers will love the professional ranges in our easily accessible new store.” Capital currently has 40 cash & carry stores throughout the UK and Ireland, selling a wide range of products including hairdressing scissors, hair colour, styling, care and electrical products. Capital (Hair & Beauty) Ltd was advised by Ward Hill Property Consultants. Source link

Heat strategy report is ‘misguided’ says heat pump manufacturer Published:  16 September, 2016 Renewable heating manaufacturer, NIBE, reacts to the Policy Exchange report published last week, calling on policymakers to develop a new strategy for decarbonising domestic heating. The report identifies weaknesses in the policy approach of the last government, particularly its focus on electric heat pumps. Phil Hurley, managing director at NIBE, has labelled some of the report’s recommendations as ‘misguided’ – but has spoken out in support of its stance on demand-side reduction. “The crux of Policy Exchange’s ‘Too Hot to Handle?’ report is undeniably gas-centric – and this is unsurprising, given it has been commissioned by key stakeholders in the gas industry,” said Mr Hurley. “While some of the views outlined in the report are inevitably at odds with what we at NIBE, and the wider heat pump industry, believe, it raises one point in particular that we agree with wholeheartedly. This is the importance of reducing heat demand by improving energy efficiency in domestic buildings, as part of a national infrastructure project. “The fact is, if we don’t address our leaky building stock now, we will never see a reduction in UK greenhouse gas emissions on the desired scale – irrespective of what types of heating technologies are fitted in our homes. Implementing heat-loss prevention measures, such as loft and wall insulation, nationally should be the first step in any government decarbonisation strategy. This also forms a crucial part of NIBE’s own vision to make sure more homes are fit to accommodate heat pumps: and we firmly believe the widespread rollout of heat pump technology is central for the UK to meet its long-term carbon reduction targets. “For this reason, we can’t support the report’s recommendation to reduce the proposed number of heat pump installations. The alternative approach it puts forward – to improve the efficiency of gas appliances, and place more emphasis on using greener forms of gas – certainly has its place as part of the mix. But at NIBE, we feel it is misguided and short-sighted to suggest that this could be more effective, and result in greater carbon reductions, than a strategy that centres on renewable heat. The truth is, renewables are the only real energy-secure, futureproof solution to the UK’s carbon crisis, and the lasting financial and environmental savings they deliver are unparalleled.   “That’s why we’re urging the government to develop a refreshed decarbonisation strategy that levels the playing field between traditional fossil fuel-based systems and heat pumps. For this to work, we need an approach that marries up ‘quick-win’ schemes like the Renewable Heat Incentive with a robust, long-term policy vision for making renewable heat mainstream – something that’s missing from current legislation and from Policy Exchange’s report. As an industry leader and avid believer in the unrealised potential of heat pumps in the UK, we at NIBE will continue to do all we can to make this a reality.” Source link

24 August 2016 | Herpreet Kaur Grewal G4S FM has appointed Deanne Le Gresley as managing director of overall business operations for Jersey and Guernsey.      As managing director, Le Gresley will lead the senior leadership team and manage Channel Islands hard FM services, Channel Islands health and safety and Ports of Guernsey, working across the public and commercial sectors.   She is responsible for the main business processes, as well as the continuing development of the service delivery model in the Channel Islands. Le Gresley has been with G4S FM for two years and was most recently managing director of the Guernsey business, and reports to Mike Jones, the UK FM national customer services director.   Jones said: “Deanne’s industry and regional experience is a real asset to G4S. Her challenge is to continue to grow our business in the public sector, financial services and tourism industries in Jersey and Guernsey, as well as develop our workforce.”   Le Gresley has a financial background in both the public and private sectors including the States of Jersey Treasury and Jersey Telecom. Her previous responsibilities include capital expenditure for public property, building service procurement, and profitability management as part of her accountancy background. Source link

New research from sales and lettings firm KIS has shown that proximity to a good school might add as much as £100 a month to the cost of renting a North East property. The news comes the week 11% of children missed out on a place at their first choice of primary school – rising to 14% in Newcastle – with close to 4000 schools around the country reported as full or above capacity. Wanting to live in the catchment area of a good school  is the number of priority  for renters, with 70% of those surveyed listing it as a key characteristic of the home they want  – compared to just 50% listing ‘being close to work’. According to the report, the average monthly rent in the region now stands at £552 – suggesting that £99.36 a month could be the regional rental value of closeness to the right school. Analysis of the North East-based firm’s monthly Metro Map of Tyne and Wear’s property hotspots also reveals that all of the most expensive six stations to rent by on the Tyne-Wear Metro map – Jesmond, Tynemouth, West Jesmond, Gateshead, South Gosforth and Ilford Road – have at least two outstanding or good schools within a mile. Other key priorities for rental location in the survey, carried out on behalf of PropertyLetBuyUs included being close to friends and family (69%), low crime rate (38%) and closeness to shops and amenities (30%). Ajay Jagota, Managing Director of KIS, said: “It goes without saying that people will do anything for their children, but it’s fascinating to see that in Tyne and Wear that might mean paying an extra £1200 year in rent for a place at the right school. Those costs are likely to include a rental deposit in the region of £1800 too – another strain on family budgets. It would be preposterous to see good quality schools as the only driver for rental values – not least since our Metro-based analysis is focused on renting properties which by their very nature have good public transport links –but it’s nonetheless conspicuous that Tyne and Wear’s property hotspots are all areas close to outstanding or good state schools, and given the competition for places at those schools it’s unlikely that that is nothing more than coincidence.   All of which proves the true value of lettings professionals who know on a street-to-street level the best places to buy for landlords and the best value places to rent for tenants.” Source link

This year looks like being a record for new home building in Australia but the outlook for 2017 is not buoyant with predictions that it could be very different as new homes sales are falling. The monthly survey of Australia’s largest volume builders by the Housing Industry Association (HIA) reveals that total seasonally adjusted new home sales fell by 9.7% in July 2016 following an increase of 8.2% the previous month. HIA chief economist Harley Dale said that the overall trend decline in new home sales is accelerating, signalling a relatively sharp drop from a record high in new dwelling commencements from 2017. ‘New home construction has been the kingmaker of the Australia economy, but the cycle has peaked. In all likelihood we will experience sharper falls in new home construction in both 2017 and 2018,’ he explained. ‘The magnitude of decline in new home construction in coming years will of course be exaggerated by where we are coming from and that is record levels of medium/high density construction and historically healthy levels of detached/semi-detached dwelling construction,’ he pointed out. ‘There will no doubt be a tendency to sensationalise any negative results for new housing as the trajectory of the down cycle unfolds. We would do well to remember that this down cycle is following a record high that is some 24% higher than the previous peak in 1994 and that there is an unprecedented degree of uncertainty this time around as to how the next few years of new home building unfold,’ he added. A breakdown of the figures shows that detached house sales fell in all five mainland states in July after rising everywhere in June. Sales dropped by 12.6% in South Australia and were down by 8.7% in Queensland, by 8.2% in Western Australia, by 6.2% in New South Wales, and by 6% in Victoria. Dale also explained that the current new home building boom is unlike any other that has come before it. It is the longest and largest in Australia’s history but he added that it is marked by substantial regional divergences in the levels of activity in various markets around the country and the mix of dwelling types being built has changed dramatically. ‘As the down cycle in new home building unfolds, the record pipeline of medium/high density dwellings in particular creates considerable uncertainty as to the timing and magnitude of the decline in construction,’ he concluded. HIA’s forecasts are for a peak of over 232,500 new dwelling commencements to have been reached in 2015/2016, which will be followed by three consecutive years of decline. New dwelling commencements are forecast to bottom out at a level of around 166,500 in 2018/2019.   Source link

The Department for Communities and Local Government has delayed its decision on Peel Environmental’s Bilsthorpe Energy Centre, reports Construction News’ sister title Materials Recycling World, because of concerns that its 95,000-tonnes-a-year plasma gasification plant uses similar technology to Air Products’ Tees Valley facilities, which were scrapped earlier this month. The DCLG has now invited stakeholders to comment on any implications that Air Products’ withdrawal could have for the Nottinghamshire site so that communities secretary Greg Clark can make a “fully informed” decision. A letter sent by Mr Clark yesterday (12 April) asserts that the delay “should not be read as any indication as to his attitude to the appeal proposal”. He added: “It has very recently been drawn to [my] attention that Air Products announced on 4 April that it is exiting from its EfW business as it has failed to overcome the technological difficulties, and has abandoned its Tees Valley plasma and gasification plants due to ‘design and operational challenges’. “In view of this announcement by Air Products, and the fact that it was not disputed at the inquiry that the Bilsthorpe Energy Centre would use the same technology, the secretary of state considers it appropriate to give the parties to the Bilsthorpe case an opportunity to comment on any implications which the reasons leading to this announcement might have for the Bilsthorpe scheme as currently proposed.” Recipients of the letter have until 26 April to make comments, with Mr Clark making his decision “as soon as possible” after that. A DCLG spokesman later confirmed to MRW: “We have received new evidence concerning this case which we must give due consideration and all parties the opportunity to comment. A decision will be issued in due course.” The application was called in by previous communities secretary Eric Pickles in December 2014. Air Products announced it was quitting the EfW sector on 4 April, pulling the plug on its two gasification facilities on Teesside. A statement from the US-based company said leaving the sector would cost between $900m and $1bn (£630m to £700m) in writing down its EfW assets. The initial facility in the North-east, TV1, was expected to be completed this year, while the identical but partially complete plant TV2 was mothballed in November because development of TV1 was taking longer than expected. Source link