Rise of fuel poverty must be tackled more effectively, says Elmhurst Energy Published: 08 August, 2016 Energy performance specialist Elmhurst Energy has expressed its disappointment at the latest government statistics, which show that the number of households in fuel poverty has risen from 2.35 to 2.38 million. Following the release of the
Greenshields JCB has taken a £35 million order from A-Plant for 1,200 machines. It is one of the biggest orders JCB has received this year but is not as big as A-Plant’s JCB order last year, which was a £50 million order for 1,500 machines. The 2016 order includes a
A major North East infrastructure scheme has been nominated for a national award. People of the North East are being asked to vote for the Crag End Landslip Stabilisation project in Northumberland, which is one of the possible winners of the UK’s most popular civil engineering project. Voting is now
The £300 million Meadowhall major leisure expansion plan has been submitted by British Land. The new leisure hall will span 330,000 sq ft of space and will be covered with a striking undulating glazed roof structure. This will allow the developer to increase the shopping centre’s dining and entertainment offerings
Willmott Dixon Partnerships, the property repairs and maintenance specialist, is set to change its name to Fortem. Fortem is a Latin word for strength and prudency. The rebranding from Willmott Dixon Partnerships comes as part of a fresh approach. The company is looking to provide the senior management team with
Conlon Construction has begun working on a ground-breaking £40 million Hertfordshire hospital. The firm has kicked off the 65 week project for the new private hospital in Hatfield, Hertfordshire. The two storey facility is being built on a four acre site close to the University of Hertfordshire’s College Lane Campus.
©Bloomberg A shift in focus from central London to the commuter belt has delivered record first-half results and a steep dividend increase for FTSE 250 housebuilder Redrow. The group has stopped building highly priced apartments in central London and shifted its emphasis to the suburbs and the home counties, where
More housing markets in the United States were less affordable than their historically normal levels in the first quarter of 2016 than a year ago, new research shows. Some 9% of county real estate market were less affordable compared with 2% a year ago, according to the analysis of median
ISG has secured two contracts in Edinburgh, with a combined value of £20 million, which will further enhance the city’s reputation for hospitality excellence. ISG has been appointed by TH Real Estate to create the country’s newest ‘hub by Premier Inn’ hotel and is also main contractor for the first
Piling contractor Aarsleff Ground Engineering has taken over A&J Geotechnical Services. Above: A&J Geotechnical in action Doncaster-based A&J Geotechnical specialises in ground anchors, soil nails, bored piles, mini piles, geothermal boreholes, drilling and grouting. It was formed in 1999 by Dave Evans. Aarsleff managing director Chris Primett said: “The acquisition
Rise of fuel poverty must be tackled more effectively, says Elmhurst Energy Published: 08 August, 2016 Energy performance specialist Elmhurst Energy has expressed its disappointment at the latest government statistics, which show that the number of households in fuel poverty has risen from 2.35 to 2.38 million. Following the release of the figures by the Department of Energy & Climate Change (now the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy BEIS), another report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has claimed that poverty costs the UK £78 billion a year. The report states that living in cold, damp or unsanitary housing has a clear a link to poverty. “Elmhurst Energy has long campaigned for the eradication of fuel poverty, which is growing according to these recent reports,” says Martyn Reed, managing director of Elmhurst Energy. “Our society must ensure that homes are warm and people can afford to heat them adequately. Government, through BEIS, is funding the Energy Companies Obligation (ECO), scheme to tackle fuel poverty. However, while we welcome this policy, we note that the pot of money in ECO has been reduced from £870 million to £640 million.” Although BEIS estimated that between 2017 and 2018, 160,000 households will have measures installed under the fuel poverty aspects of ECO funding, it is proposing to remove the connection to Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) and RdSAP. “We are campaigning to ensure that the reduced sum of money in the ECO Policy is directed towards those families in greatest need. We must target E, F and G rated homes first and put the families at the heart of the funding,” continued Mr Reed. “ECO is not currently targeting these E, F or G rated properties which, in the light of these reports, is fundamentally wrong.” “Only by measuring energy performance with EPCs can you manage any given process. If the measurement is removed, how will the policy meet the targets and genuinely remove people from fuel poverty and help save the nation substantial costs? We will continue to campaign on these points with the new department.” Image courtesy of Shutterstock/Monkey Business Images Source link
Greenshields JCB has taken a £35 million order from A-Plant for 1,200 machines. It is one of the biggest orders JCB has received this year but is not as big as A-Plant’s JCB order last year, which was a £50 million order for 1,500 machines. The 2016 order includes a fleet of 13 tonne JS 130 tracked excavators along with Loadall telescopic handlers and mini excavators. A-Plant is also purchasing a fleet of JCB branded site dumpers. South East regional dealer Greenshields JCB is to supply all the machines. For the first time, A-Plant is also set to invest in in a series of UK produced generators for the rental market from JCB Power Products. The range – produced by the former Broadcrown business acquired by JCB last year – is fitted with the ‘JCB LiveLink for Power feature’. A-Plant has bought nearly 40 sets. A-Plant has now purchased over 11,000 machines from JB over the course of the last 25 years. Dan Thompstone, Sales Director at JCB UK & Ireland, commented: “JCB has a long-standing relationship with A-Plant and we are delighted to cement that with this huge order. Winning business like this is testament to JCB’s continued introduction of innovative products supported by unrivalled parts and service back-up from the JCB UK dealer network.” A-Plant marketing director Asif Latief said: “This order is part of our investment programme to ensure our customers continue to get the most advanced, reliable, safe and environmentally friendly equipment. This year’s investment also includes JCB generators developed by the former Broadcrown business, which is a first for A-Plant and recognises our commitment to offering quality new products to our customers. “Our investment programme is unrivalled in the industry and coupled with the high levels of customer support we provide, ensures we are firmly positioned to be the obvious choice for rental equipment whether our customers are local builders, events suppliers or national contractors.”
A major North East infrastructure scheme has been nominated for a national award. People of the North East are being asked to vote for the Crag End Landslip Stabilisation project in Northumberland, which is one of the possible winners of the UK’s most popular civil engineering project. Voting is now open online for the ICE People’s Choice Award, which allows everyone who uses infrastructure to select the greatest civil engineering achievements of the year in the UK. The Crag End Landslip Stabilisation scheme, which repaired and future proofed a stretch of the B6344, is one of 12 nominated projects from throughout the country. The public has until November 30 to choose its favourite project. The winning infrastructure scheme will be revealed in January 2017. The £9.5 million scheme saw the reconstruction of a 300 metre section of road that was previously closed by a huge landslip in December 2012. Not only did it deal with the direct impact of the 2012 landslip, but also addressed the underlying causes of ground instability, which ensured the residents of Rothbury will no longer have to take lengthy detours to reach the town. In achieving this, civil engineers from the VBA Joint Venture, who were commissioned by Northumberland County Council, designed and built an anchored bored piled retaining wall to support the road. An innovative passive dewatering system was also constructed to reduce groundwater pressure. Civil engineers working in local communities across the North East and throughout the world are always finding new ways of providing practical solutions to the everyday problems encountered by society, and will propel nations in the future with new, ever-improving infrastructure. ICE North East Regional Director, Penny Marshall, commented: “Civil engineers create, maintain and operate almost everything between and under our homes. The infrastructure they build connects, nourishes and improves the lives of everyone it serves.”
The £300 million Meadowhall major leisure expansion plan has been submitted by British Land. The new leisure hall will span 330,000 sq ft of space and will be covered with a striking undulating glazed roof structure. This will allow the developer to increase the shopping centre’s dining and entertainment offerings as it looks to become an experience led destination. Featured in the expansion plan, British Land said that a new cinema will be included in the plans to replace the current one, along with a gym, and flexible leisure space that could be turned into a ten pin bowling site or an indoor golf centre. The expansion is the next phase of the evolution of the shopping centre and will come after a £60 million refurbishment which is now underway, with an expected completion date of the end of next year. Sheffield City Council is due to make a planning decision in spring next year. If the proposals gain approval, British Land is hoping to start work on the site in 2018 that will see the creation of more than 500 jobs during construction. Head of Retail and Leisure for British Land, Charles Maudsley, commented: “Understanding and anticipating our customers’ needs is a key strategic focus area and the Meadowhall Leisure Hall proposals respond to the changing way people live their lives. “The exciting £60m refurbishment completing next year, the continued leasing success and Leisure Hall plans combined reinforce our commitment to ensuring Meadowhall remains an outstanding place for modern consumer lifestyles.” Executive Director of Sheffield Chamber of Commerce, Richard Wright, said: “The Leisure Hall will be a jewel in the Sheffield City Region’s crown, set amongst other equally important investments in this great city. “We therefore welcome British Land’s exciting plans and lend them our wholehearted support. They will reinvigorate Meadowhall and serve as a catalyst for further investment in the region.”
Willmott Dixon Partnerships, the property repairs and maintenance specialist, is set to change its name to Fortem. Fortem is a Latin word for strength and prudency. The rebranding from Willmott Dixon Partnerships comes as part of a fresh approach. The company is looking to provide the senior management team with more operational freedom to grow the firm outside its core social housing market. Earlier in the year, Willmott Dixon outlined plans to sell the business. However this sale was abandoned when a suitable buyer could not be found. The business, which has a turnover of £145 million, provides maintenance and repairs services to housing associations and local authorities throughout the country. Its team of 1,400 directly employed engineers undertakes more than 400,000 repairs every year. It also provides planned cyclical work to support estate renewal programmes and property asset investment. Mick Williamson, Managing Director at the newly named Fortem, said: “We have strong ambitions for growth and this means that now is the right time to create a new stand-out brand to become recognised as a leader in property maintenance across all sectors, not just housing. “Fortem reflects these aspirations by heralding a new era for our business as we continue to invest in ensuring we are ‘best in class’ for our existing customers, while giving us flexibility to plan ahead for expansion with new customers.” At present, the company is responsible for maintenance, repairs and cyclical work on more than 110,000 homes. It works as a key partner for local authorities such as Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council and Birmingham City Council, along with housing associations such as Paragon, Orbit, Metropolitan and Midland Heart. Coinciding with the new name, the sister company of Willmott Dixon Partnerships, Willmott Dixon Energy Services, will be drawn into the Fortem brand to expand the business’ services and skill sets.
Conlon Construction has begun working on a ground-breaking £40 million Hertfordshire hospital. The firm has kicked off the 65 week project for the new private hospital in Hatfield, Hertfordshire. The two storey facility is being built on a four acre site close to the University of Hertfordshire’s College Lane Campus. It has been commissioned by One Healthcare and was designed by Manning Elliott. The hospital will have spaces for 21 beds, three of which will be designated for critical care three ultra clean ventilation (UCV) theatres, 14 day-case pods, two treatment rooms and 10 outpatient consulting rooms. Furthermore, it will also have a high tech imaging suite, which will offer MRI, UD, CT and digital XR scans. One Healthcare was established in July 2014 for the development and operation of private hospitals throughout the UK. One Hatfield Hospital is due to open by the end of next year, in the second of 10 planned facilities. Adrian Stevenson, Chief Executive, commented: “We are committed to providing the very best care, with outstanding consultants and state-of-the-art, purpose-built facilities ideally located across the UK. With a main aim to optimise patient experience, One Hatfield Hospital has been modelled on innovative surgery and diagnostic centres in America and Australasia in order to provide unrivalled design features, service and technology. “We are delighted that our vision is coming to life with the help of our contractor and are looking forward to seeing the plans come to fruition.” In March this year, Conlon Construction finished the same developer’s £30 million One Ashford Hospital. Chairman Michael Conlon said: “Having already delivered a number of healthcare facilities across the UK, most recently the private hospital in Kent for the same client, we understand the intricacies of such projects and have devised a build programme that will ensure One Hatfield is delivered on time and within budget.”
©Bloomberg A shift in focus from central London to the commuter belt has delivered record first-half results and a steep dividend increase for FTSE 250 housebuilder Redrow. The group has stopped building highly priced apartments in central London and shifted its emphasis to the suburbs and the home counties, where demand remains strong, opening new divisions in Kent and Sussex. More On this topic IN Construction Pre-tax profit was up 14 per cent to £104m, slightly exceeding analysts’ expectations, after completions rose 18 per cent to 2,178 in the six months to the end of December. “We abandoned looking for sites in central London as soon as the writing was on the wall, when the stamp duty changes came in. Those have killed high-end property,” said Steve Morgan, chairman of Redrow. Redrow’s shares however had dropped more than 5 per cent by midday on Tuesday, despite the positive results. Analysts said the fall might reflect Redrow’s failure to upgrade its guidance for the full year after market expectations it would do so. It might also be due to concern over Redrow’s existing three central London schemes, said Robin Hardy of Shore Capital. “That market is weak and could become insensitive to price cuts,” he said. An overhaul of stamp duty in December 2014 increased the charge for people buying homes costing more than £938,000, while reducing it for transactions below that. The shift helped to damp demand for expensive houses and apartments in the capital. That has prompted a group of three hedge funds to take up short positions against Berkeley Group, a builder focused on high-end London homes. Redrow, which builds houses at the cheaper end of the UK market, gained from the Help to Buy scheme that provides government loans for buyers of newly built properties and is supporting 44 per cent of the company’s sales. The group said it would double its interim dividend to 4p a share, and gave guidance that it would pay out 10p a share during the full financial year — a 67 per cent increase on a year earlier. The strong results from Redrow — whose share price gained more than any other UK housebuilder in 2015 — add to a string of positive updates from the sector as companies benefit from economic recovery and government support for homebuyers. Redrow’s operating margin rose to 18.2 per cent from 17 per cent in the six months to the end of December, while the company increased its land bank by more than 4,000 plots to 21,435, and its private order book was up 51 per cent to £655m. It plans to build 2,900 new homes on a flagship site in the north London suburb of Colindale. Outside London, the average selling price of Redrow’s properties rose 11 per cent to £300,000. But Mr Morgan said he welcomed moves by the Bank of England to limit mortgage lending to keep the housing market sustainable, as house prices rose almost 10 per cent last year. “It does us no good whatsoever to see house prices escalating away from reality. The Bank of England has tried to step in and temper those, and we welcome that,” he said. 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
More housing markets in the United States were less affordable than their historically normal levels in the first quarter of 2016 than a year ago, new research shows. Some 9% of county real estate market were less affordable compared with 2% a year ago, according to the analysis of median home prices from publicly recorded sales deed data collected by RealtyTrac and average wage data from the US Bureau of Labour Statistics. The affordability index was based on the percentage of average wages needed to make monthly house payments on a median priced home with a 30 year fixed rate and a 3% down payment, including property taxes and insurance Out of the 456 counties analysed in the report, some 43 had an affordability index below 100 in the first quarter of 2016, meaning buying a home was less affordable than the historically normal level for that county going back to the first quarter of 2005. That was up from 10 counties in the first quarter of 2015. At the peak of the housing bubble in the second quarter of 2006 some 454 of the 456 counties analysed, more than 99%, were less affordable than their historic norms. In the first quarter of 2012, when median home prices bottomed out nationally, only two counties out of the 456 analysed, less than 0.5%, exceeded their historically normal affordability levels. ‘While the vast majority of housing markets are still affordable by their own historic standards, home prices are floating out of reach for average wage earners in a growing number of U.S. housing markets,’ said Daren Blomquist, senior vice president at RealtyTrac. ‘The recent drop in interest rates has helped to soften the blow of high flying price appreciation in some markets, but the affordability equation could change quickly if interest rates trend higher and home prices continue to rise faster than wages,’ he explained. The top 20 county housing markets least affordable in the first quarter of 2016 compared to their historic affordability norms included counties in Denver, New York City, Omaha, Nebraska, Austin, Dallas, San Francisco and St. Louis. The five most populated county housing markets less affordable than their historic norms were Kings County, New York Brooklyn, Dallas County, New York County, New York Manhattan, Alameda County, California in the San Francisco metro area, Oakland County, and Michigan in the Detroit metro area. The top 20 county housing markets most affordable in the first quarter of 2016 compared to their historic affordability norms included counties in Boston, Baltimore, Birmingham Alabama, Providence, Rhode Island and Chicago. The five most populated county housing markets still more affordable than their historic norms were Los Angeles County, Cook County, Chicago, Harris County Texas, Maricopa County Arizona and San Diego County. Nationwide in the first quarter of 2016, the average wage earner needed to spend 30.2% of monthly wages to make monthly mortgage payments including property taxes and insurance on a median priced home at $199,000, up from 26.4% of average wages needed to buy a median priced home in the first quarter of 2015. When home prices were most affordable nationwide in the first quarter of 2012, the average wage earner needed to spend 22.2% of monthly wages to buy a median priced home. When home prices were least affordable nationwide in the second quarter of 2006, the average wage earner needed to spend 53.2% of monthly wages to buy a median priced home. The top five least affordable counties based on percentage of average wages to buy a median priced home were Kings County and Brooklyn New York at 120.4%, Marin County California at 109.2%, Santa Cruz County California at 106.9%, Manhattan New York at 105.1% and San Francisco County at 95.3%. The top five most affordable counties based on percentage of average wages to buy a median priced home were Wayne County Michigan at 8.5%, Baltimore County Maryland at 9.2%, Clayton County Georgia at 10.1%, Bay County Michigan at 11.5% and Rock Island Illinois at 12.3%. BOOKMARK THIS PAGE (What is this?) Source link
ISG has secured two contracts in Edinburgh, with a combined value of £20 million, which will further enhance the city’s reputation for hospitality excellence. ISG has been appointed by TH Real Estate to create the country’s newest ‘hub by Premier Inn’ hotel and is also main contractor for the first venture in Edinburgh by European operator, the Carlton Hotel Collection, delivered in partnership with The EDI Group. The new 145 bed Premier Inn hotel will be the second ‘hub’ site in Edinburgh and sees ISG transform the Hanover Buildings, in the city’s popular Rose Street, into Premier Inn’s innovative new hotel format, which offers guests connected city centre locations and intelligent design. ISG will comprehensively modernise and extend the former Edinburgh office building, adding a two-storey steel frame extension at roof level to increase the property’s total floor area by circa 4,900 sq ft. The existing façade will be cleaned and repaired and curtain walling elements installed to enhance the building’s aesthetics and improve thermal performance. The Market Street project will create a new four star 98 room boutique hotel, which will transform a key under-used site located next to Craig’s Close, which has remained vacant for more than 50 years. Conversion works, on what is currently a gap site, will involve ISG removing an existing building and carrying out associated works. Thereafter, construction will commence on the seven-storey, steel frame building, which will feature natural sandstone, granite and zinc cladding elements to its façade and transform the cityscape. Andy McLinden, ISG’s Scotland regional managing director, commented: “As Scotland’s hospitality scene continues to thrive, these important new wins, which will further enhance Edinburgh’s burgeoning hotel sector, demonstrate our strong sector credentials and reputation for delivering complex change-of-use schemes in logistically challenging city environments.” ISG was recently revealed as the contractor for a £multi-million upgrade at the prestigious Trump Turnberry resort, and these latest wins further cement the company’s growing reputation within the Scottish hotel sector. ISG already counts the iconic Old Course Hotel and Hamilton Grand development in St Andrews, as well as at the world famous Gleneagles Hotel and the luxurious Cameron House Hotel in Loch Lomond among its customer base. Source link
Piling contractor Aarsleff Ground Engineering has taken over A&J Geotechnical Services. Above: A&J Geotechnical in action Doncaster-based A&J Geotechnical specialises in ground anchors, soil nails, bored piles, mini piles, geothermal boreholes, drilling and grouting. It was formed in 1999 by Dave Evans. Aarsleff managing director Chris Primett said: “The acquisition of A&J Geotechnical Services is a strategic move, which now allows Aarsleff to provide more diverse and comprehensive ground package solutions.” He added: “A&J is a perfect fit for Aarsleff. Both companies have a vision of providing clients with a multidisciplinary offer where the best service, techniques and commercial offering is delivered by vastly experienced teams. The combination of both companies will greatly benefit Aarsleff’s clients and the industry.” This article was published on 22 Sep 2016 (last updated on 22 Sep 2016). Source link