According to Savills research,  international investors have acquired over £2.19 billion of commercial property in Central London in the last three months (July to  end of September 2016), accounting for 78% of the total transaction volume (£2.813 billion). Over £695 million of Asian capital has been deployed in the city since June, with Hong Kong investors being particularly active, while US money accounted for £685 million worth of transactions. European investors have acquired £482 million of commercial property in Central London in Q3 2016.  Rasheed Hassan, head of the cross-border investment team at Savills, says: “From a  medium to long-term investor viewpoint,  London looks attractive, accentuated by the sterling devaluation and some price discounts meaning entry prices appear 15-20% cheaper than three months ago. This has created a perception of opportunity that has placed Central London in the global investor spotlight and, as a result, international investors have been notably active with a weight of money chasing, in particular, core assets with stable income.” Adding to this argument,  Savills suggests that while prime yields across the major European centres appear to have converged either side of 4%, there is a significant difference when comparing one city to the next. On a like-for-like basis, the firm’s research shows prime yields in Paris and some of the major German cities are closer to mid-to-low 3%’s, as opposed to London’s benchmark of nearer 4%. With Central London’s office market in balance between development supply and occupier demand, Savills says this level of international appetite is set to continue.  Stephen Down, head of Central London investment at Savills, comments: “What has changed for London’s commercial investment market apart from the UK’s decision to leave the EU? Whether we take a soft or hard exit, our time zone, currency, landlord friendly leasing structures, English language and market transparency continue to exist. We must be realistic of course but with prime commercial investment yields ranging between 3%-6%, the asset class compares very well against bond yields even in ‘emerging markets’, where the range is 2%-6%, and the recent interest-rate reduction and Bank of England intervention has made the arbitrage even more attractive, with debt rates at some of their lowest-ever levels.” Source link

RIBA Future Trends survey, June 2016 Decline in future workload expectations but remaining in positive territory Full impact of Brexit on architects’ workloads and staffing as yet unknown The RIBA Future Trends Survey for June 2016 revealed a drop in the workload index (balance figure falling to +22, down from +30 in May). This moderate fall seems to have been driven at least partly by uncertainty around the outcome of the UK referendum on EU membership. Despite this, all nations and regions of the UK returned positive balance figures, with the North of England remaining the most optimistic. Large practices remained more confident about future workloads than either small or medium-sized practices. The private housing sector and commercial sector forecasts fell (standing at +19 and +11 respectively). Meanwhile, the public sector forecast (+3) and community sector forecast (-3) changed little. The RIBA Future Trends Staffing Index for June 2016 increased slightly to +14 (up from +11 in May). Medium-sized practices were most optimistic about increasing staff levels, with a balance figure of +50, compared with +36 for large practices and +8 for small practices. RIBA Executive Director Members Adrian Dobson said: “The survey for June was carried out in the period immediately before the EU referendum. Many reported trepidation about the uncertainty surrounding the referendum and the potential impact on future workloads. However, few reported any direct impact on the level of new orders at the time of the survey. “It is only in the coming months that we can get an idea of any referendum effect on workloads and employment levels for architects.” ENDS Notes to editors: 1. For further press information contact Callum Reilly in the RIBA press office: callum.reilly@riba.org 020 7307 3757 2. The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a global professional membership body that serves its members and society in order to deliver better buildings and places, stronger communities and a sustainable environment. Architecture.com Follow @RIBA on Twitter for regular updates www.twitter.com/RIBA 3. Completed by a mix of small, medium and large firms based on a geographically representative sample, the RIBA Future Trends Survey was launched in January 2009 to monitor business and employment trends affecting the architects’ profession. 4. The Future Trends Survey is carried out by the RIBA in partnership with the Fees Bureau. Results of the survey, including a full graphical analysis, are published each month at: http://www.architecture.com/RIBA/Professionalsupport/FutureTrendsSurvey.aspx 5. To participate in the RIBA Future Trends Survey, please contact the RIBA Practice Department on 020 7307 3749 or email practice@riba.org. The survey takes approximately five minutes to complete each month, and all returns are independently processed in strict confidence 6. The definition for the workload balance figure is the difference between those expecting more work and those expecting less. A negative figure means more respondents expect less work than those expecting more work. This figure is used to represent the RIBA Future Trends Workload Index, which for June was +22 7. The definition for the staffing balance figure is the difference between those expecting to employ more permanent staff in the next three months and those expecting to employ fewer. A negative figure means more respondents expect to employ fewer permanent staff. This figure is used to represent the RIBA Future Trends Staffing Index, which for June was +14 8. The RIBA’s initial reaction and summary of the key implications and actions following the Brexit vote is available here: https://www.architecture.com/RIBA/Aboutus/Whoweare/BrexitBriefing.aspx   Posted on Tuesday 26th July 2016 Source link

©Bloomberg When energy innovations catch public attention, they generally involve alternatives to fossil fuels: a wind turbine blade that is 290 feet long, or a station that can recharge an electric car in 30 minutes. While there are impressive advances being made in renewable energy, reflected in the plunging costs of solar and wind power, there is also impressive progress in some of the processes for the extraction and use of fossil fuels. More On this story On this topic IN Modern Energy The economic impact of refinements in the techniques of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, which made it possible to produce gas and then oil from shale reserves at commercially viable rates in the US and beyond, were arguably the most significant innovation of the past decade in any industry, not just energy. And even as US shale producers have struggled to stay financially afloat following the slump in oil prices, they have cut their costs by 30-40 per cent just in the past two years, according to Wood Mackenzie, the research company. Some of that cost reduction is likely to prove only temporary, because it comes from production companies driving down the rates they pay their contractors. The precipitous decline in oil and gas drilling activity in the US, with the number of active rigs dropping by 77 per cent since October 2014, has made it possible for operators to cut contractors’ margins to the bone, but that will not be true forever. Some of the cost savings, however, have been the result of genuine improvements in efficiency rather than the short-term financial distress of suppliers, such as cutting the number of days needed to drill a well. The first rigs that have been taken out of service were the older, less efficient ones, and the newer generations that are still running are typically faster and cheaper to run. Schramm, a rig manufacturer based in Pennsylvania, says its latest rigs are “highly mobile”, reducing the time needed to set them up and take them down between jobs and offering new ways to run drilling operations. “It’s a manufacturing approach,” says Mike Dynan, Schramm’s vice-president of strategy. “You want the most efficient tool for the job, and you don’t need to be using the most expensive rig to drill the whole well bore.” Smaller and cheaper rigs can be used to drill the vertical part of a shale well, which is the easiest section, generally about 5,000-15,000 feet straight down. Then a more powerful and expensive rig can be brought in for the curve that takes the well round to the horizontal, and then out to the full lateral extent, which in the longest recent wells is almost 19,000 feet from the vertical section. Another emerging trend in shale production is the use of data analytics to refine production techniques. The oil and gas industry has always exploited the latest applications in information technology; it was pioneering work with computers to analyse geological data at the end of the 1960s that enabled the oil discoveries in Alaska, for example. Now cheap and robust sensors and wireless communications make it possible to collect a vast amount of data on everything from pressures, temperatures and vibration down a well to the condition of equipment. “It’s not just a bunch of guys out in the field any more,” Mr Dynan says. “Now there’s real data, and it allows us to maximise returns, in terms of production and for investors.” Bill Briggs, chief technology officer for Deloitte Consulting, says the oil and gas industry has “led the field for years and years”, in terms of its investment in data visualisation and analytics. But there is still plenty of room for improvement. One example is logistics: operators need to manage the complex movements of rigs, pumps, trucks and other equipment, as well as the sand and water used for hydraulic fracturing, to make sure they are all available to be used on a well at the right time. “The job isn’t fundamentally changing, but the way we do it is being reimagined,” Mr Briggs says. There is a parallel in the development of technologies used to cull energy from fossil fuels. Manufacturers of turbines for power generation, including General Electric and Siemens, fit them with thousands of sensors that enable their performance to be monitored and analysed to improve efficiency. GE recently launched new technologies for coal-fired power plants that include 10,000 sensors in each system. Ganesh Bell, chief digital officer at GE’s power equipment division, argues that making coal-fired plants more efficient is going to be an essential part of controlling greenhouse gas emissions. “Coal is the main source of power in the world, and it will be for some time, so we have to optimise it,” he says. “We believe that by 2030, something like 30 per cent of the world’s power will still come from coal.” Just using GE’s software to analyse a coal plant’s performance and run it better, he says, can cut greenhouse gas emissions by 3 per cent. Other technologies can raise the efficiency of a coal plant’s conversion of heat into electricity, which is typically about 33 per cent in the US today, to 49 per cent, reducing emissions by about 30 per cent. The falls in renewable energy costs have been so steep that, in many parts of the world, wind and solar power are now more cost-effective for countries adding electricity generation capacity than new coal or gas-fired plants. The continuing improvements in fossil fuel technologies, however, are a reminder that for renewables to keep on gaining market share, they will have to continue cutting costs to keep up. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2016. You may share using our article tools. Please don’t cut articles from FT.com and redistribute by email or post to the web. Source link

Third Party Cookies We use a number of social media tools to enhance visitor interaction on our site. If you already use these platforms their cookies may be set through our website. Data may then be collected by these companies that enables them to serve up adverts on other sites that they think are relevent to your interests. If you do not use such platforms then our site will not place these cookies on your device. Twitter Cookies: __utma, __utmb, __utmc, __utmv, __utmz, _sm_au_d, _twitter_sess, _twitter_sess, ab_sess_activity_ddg_126, ab_sess_activity_up_top_98, ab_sess_promoted_arrows_and_pills_78, ab_sess_Relevance_V1-49, ab_sess_search_relevance_ranked_hits_189, ab_sess_search_relevance_social_167, ab_sess_t1_actions_156, ab_sess_wtf_user_to_user_rec_155, auth_token, auth_token_session, dnt, external_referer, guest_id, k, lang, original_referer, pid, secure_session, t1, twid, twll Facebook Cookies: _e_0ITr_10, _e_bWDI_21, _e_bWDI_22, _e_bWDI_23, _e_bWDI_24, _e_CTMK_0, _e_CTMK_1, _e_CTMK_2, _e_e6Yv_0, _e_e6Yv_1, _e_e6Yv_2, _sm_au_d, act, c_user, c_user, datr, e, L, L, lu, presence, reg_ext_ref, reg_ext_ref, reg_fb_gate, reg_fb_gate, reg_fb_ref, reg_fb_ref, sct, sct, wd, x-referer, xs, xs Google Cookies: _sm_au_d, APISID, BEAT, HSID, IGTP, NID, OTZ, PP_TOS_ACK, PREF, S, S_awfe, SAPISID, SID, SS, SSID, ULS, W6D Microsoft Cookies: MC1, WT_FPC Source link

Free seminars for those looking to train in solid fuel and biomass Published:  26 August, 2016 Back by popular demand, the next HETAS Live! roadshow has been confirmed for Friday 9 September in Cheltenham. HETAS Live! is a series of free events for anyone interested in the solid fuel and biomass sector and for those looking to expand their skill set. Open to installers, chimney sweeps, retailers, architects and local authority building control officers, these events provide a great opportunity to meet the HETAS team, tour training facilities and take part in a Q&A session and interactive discussions with HETAS’ technical and training manager, Mike Harvey. Running from September to October, seminars will be hosted by approved training centres across the country. Friday 9 September, KIWA: Malvern View Business Park, Cheltenham Thursday 22 September, Centre for Alternative Technology: Llwyngwern Quarry, Pantperthog, Machnlleth Thursday 13 October, Thermal Earth: Capel, Ammanford. To register for the event please visit: www.hetas.co.uk/live. Source link

Welsh Water will give its three million customers power to influence how the company invests in future services. The not-for-profit water and sewerage company doesn’t have shareholders but will allow customers to help the company board prioritise how financial gains, which are projected to be £30 million per year, are spent. The 10—week consultation will offer a range of options for customers to choose from on the website including money off their water and sewerage bills, extra help for people who struggle to pay their bills, supporting educational and recreational projects in communities and investing more in pipes, pumps and water treatment works. Welsh Water chief executive Chris Jones said: “This is an unparalleled move to give a real say over how we spend any returns we achieve – and reflects how our not-for-profit status is rooted in working with customers and for customers. “As we do not have any shareholders, we reinvest money in our network, support our customers and embed innovation to keep our service modern, efficient and at an affordable price.” Last month, the company announced it was investing an extra £32 million into its services in 2016, and to help lower-income homes after it recorded its best year in overall performance since becoming not-for-profit in 2001. The consultation will be launched on 11 July and runs until 19 September. Source link

Clumps of hair and soap residue can clog a drain over time. A stubborn stain, odor or even a clog can quickly turn any sink into a nuisance. Clumps of hair and soap residue can clog a drain over time. A stubborn stain, odor or even a clog can quickly turn any sink into a nuisance. Hence, clean drains regularly to prevent odors. If you find water no longer drains properly, you can use a quick do it by yourself and fix to have your sink working properly in no time. Instead of spending your money on a plumber, you can first try it by yourself to clear the clog. If your toilet, sink or bathtub has not completely stopped up, but is draining slowly, you may not need to utilize any drastic measures. Whether in your toilet, sink or bathtub, a clogged drain slows down more than just your dirty water, it can bring your whole day to a halt. You may also need to use two or more techniques to completely unclog a bathtub drain. Here are some Drain Cleaning in Newcastle tips to help you remove unclog drains and prevent them from forming in the future. 1. Drain Cleaner: A drain cleaner is also one good option for drain cleaning. It is a chemical based consumer product used for unblocks sewer pipes or helps to prevent the occurrence of clogged drains. If your singles sink, toilet, or bathtub or shower drain is clogged the normally first and best choice is a drain cleaner that can remove soft obstructions such as hair and grease clogs. But if you use chemical drain cleaners for drain cleaning, you should read the directions carefully and heed all the warnings. Use a drain cleaner in a well-ventilated area, wear rubber gloves, and keep children and pets away from the drain. Never mix different drain cleaners, and don’t use a plunger in conjunction with drain cleaners. Most drain cleaner’s advice waiting 15-20 minutes or more after pouring the product into the drain before flushing it with hot water as per best plumber in Newcastle. If your drain is still seems clogged afterward, you may need to repeat the whole process completely. There are three main types of drain cleaners, but not limited to: * Caustic Drain Cleaners: It contains a substance such as lye and caustic potash. These drain cleaners are typically heavier than water, which enables them to reach the clog through standing water. * Oxidizing Drain Cleaners: It contains a substance such as household bleach, peroxides and nitrates. This product is heavier than water, so it can move through standing water, and it can releases heat and gas to help clear the blockage. * Acid Drain Cleaners: It isn’t commonly found in stores, and some are sold only to plumbers. Acid drain cleaners typically contain high concentrations of sulfuric acid or hydrochloric acid, substances that increase hydronium ions in a solution and attract electrons from the clog. 2. Baking Soda and Vinegar: Baking soda and vinegar are very simple cleaner. For just pennies you can keep your drains and home fume free by using baking soda and vinegar instead of harsh chemicals or calling the plumber. It is also known as Home Remedy Drain Cleaners. It includes boiling water poured into drain openings to clear soap and hair clogs or baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) poured into a drain, followed by vinegar. Home remedy drain cleaners are easily available in the shop and environmental safety. It is also including the requirement to handle ingredients (For Example Boiling water) with the appropriate care. Check out to know more about Gas Plumber in Newcastle for best Gas Fitting services Newcastle 3. Dish Detergent and Caustic Soda: Dish detergent and caustic soda can also be the best option for drain cleaning. Before going to use it get some rubber gloves and eye protection from shop. Caustic soda (also known as Sodium Hydroxide) can cause nasty chemical burns. You can pick it from your local hardware store, but always use caution for handling it. Leigh Booker Plumbing offers a complete efficient, Emergency, maintenance and renovation plumbing services, catering to all your plumbing requirements. Servicing all the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie areas including all of their suburbs. Contact us or CALL – 0427 758 627 to get fast and emergency plumbing quote. Source link

24 March 2016 | Marino Donati Croydon council is planning to get community groups and volunteers to help manage its green spaces to ease financial pressures.   The council considered plans for the future of its parks and green spaces in a cabinet meeting this week. The council said it was committed to keeping green spaces for future generations, but said that it was facing a significant challenge in trying to maintain high-quality services.   A report from the meeting said: “Our vision for Croydon’s parks and green spaces is to ensure that these high-valued community assets are maintained for future generations.   “However, with significant financial pressures and the need to reduce expenditure, the current model service delivery is not sustainable in the long-term and significant changes in the way we do things are required.”   The council said it wanted to encourage “community stewardship”, which it said would require a greater role for the community and residents in organising, managing and taking responsibility or projects, event and services.   Its review of parks was focusing on improving the efficiency of the grounds maintenance contract, and on opportunities to increase revenue from commercial events, and from other sources, it said.   The council’s parks service is responsible for managing and maintaining more than 1,000 hectares of parkland, playgrounds, sports and other facilities. Croydon has 127 different parks and green spaces, as well as 17 allotment sites.   Spending on parks and green spaces is £1.83 million, with the parks service contracted out with a small team of council officers directing and managing grounds maintenance, cleansing, facilities management and tree works contracts.   The report said the council wanted to develop “a partnership with local communities where groups and volunteers are supported and encouraged to take an equal role in and responsibility for the improvement and direct management of parks and green spaces, from raising funds, to volunteering, right through to full management via Community Asset Transfer”.   The council said it would also examine more closely how some of its green spaces are used and look at developing leasing opportunities for sports pitches and other sources of funding, as well as produce a parks events prospectus.   The council will launch a “big conversation” with residents, community groups and other stakeholders this summer to consult about its plans for parks and green spaces.   Feedback will be used in shaping and implementing the Parks and Green Spaces Delivery Plan.   Councillor Timothy Godfrey, cabinet member for culture, leisure and sport, said: “We know that Croydon residents love our open spaces and we’re fortunate to have many parks volunteers and friends groups, so who better to involve in shaping the way they are used for decades to come? I look forward to having this conversation with everyone who shares the council’s ambitions to improve our award-winning parks and open spaces even more.” Source link