Carrickfergus-based Woodburn Engineering is set to nearly double its workforce as part of strategic growth plans supported by the Invest Northern Ireland group. The family business is creating 10 new jobs and investing in extra machinery (plus marketing) in an attempt to secure new tender opportunities in the UK, in
Research from June 2016 carried out by building society, Kent Alliance, has shown that 40% of landlords are planning to increase their rents by an average of 5.6% over the next 6 months. Three quarters of these have blamed new Government legislation for the increase, while a study by the
Specialist drainage systems supplier Kijlstra is revolutionising again. Leading UK drainage solutions provider Kijlstra has launched a revolutionary push-fit culvert jointing system. Six years after the manufacturer launched revolutionary square manholes in the UK, the new culverts are the latest innovative development from Kijlstra to speed along construction and civils installations,
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has confirmed that the government is staying committed to the £50 billion High Speed 2 rail project despite the change in Downing Street occupants. HS2 was a key government scheme under former prime minister David Cameron and chancellor George Osborne, but since they have been replacement
National chain, Slug and Lettuce, has chosen luxury vinyl flooring from Moduleo for the renovation of its bar at St Mary Axe, Central London. A range of products from the manufacturer’s innovative Impress collection were chosen and installed in a bespoke layout to fit the brief for the flagship bar
According to the latest findings form the National Landlords Association (NLA), more than a third of landlords (35%) believe that leaving the EU will have a negative impact on their ability to attract tenants in the future. The findings also reveal that 39% believe that Brexit will not have a
A new survey has shown that more than 64% of Brits would be reluctant to purchase a home near a fracking site, however 32% said that they would be in favour of fracking if it meant reduced energy bills. The OnePoll survey, carried out by House Extension Online, asked 1000
Covers Timber & Builders Merchant of Chichester has made a generous donation of £1,500 to Children on the Edge after three of their team successfully completed the Chichester Half Marathon for the third year in a row. Justin Walsh, Mat Sherry and Sam Cole took on the 13 mile course,
Toby Spearing of Sports Construction Specialists S&C Slatter has won a major quality award from Willmott Dixon Construction for his innovation and dedication to the new Edenbrook Leisure Centre scheme at Fleet, Hampshire. Senior Building Manager at Willmott Dixon Construction, Alex Manning, made the announcement: “Congratulations to Toby Spearing of
Historically, the manufacturing and construction sectors have been considered as key economic indicators in the Western world. They also have a close and undeniable affinity, with residential and commercial construction representing the ultimate manufacturing process. These markets have experienced mixed fortunes in recent times, however, with manufacturing being increasingly maligned
Carrickfergus-based Woodburn Engineering is set to nearly double its workforce as part of strategic growth plans supported by the Invest Northern Ireland group. The family business is creating 10 new jobs and investing in extra machinery (plus marketing) in an attempt to secure new tender opportunities in the UK, in particular in the infrastructure and ports sectors. It specialises in the fabrication of light and heavy steelwork and the associated site installation work. Commenting on the firm’s expansion, managing director Tony Cowan said: “This investment is a significant development for the business; it will enable us to target and secure new high-value projects outside of Northern Ireland. “We have seen an upturn in Great Britain’s construction sector, and bolstering our management and production teams is giving us greater in-house technical expertise and resources to deliver more-complex engineering projects. “Invest NI’s support is helping us to position ourselves to compete for new business. We have already seen the first fruits of our efforts, securing contracts valued at £2 million with Glasgow and Chesterfield City Councils.” Invest NI has offered Woodburn Engineering £45,000 towards its plans for growth. The 10 new jobs are for seven skilled welders along with a production supervisor, contracts manager and draughtsman. Commenting on the expansion, Invest NI’s eastern regional manager, Moira Loughran, said: “This is an important and strategic investment for Woodburn Engineering and a positive news story for Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council area. “The recovery of Great Britain’s construction sector is benefitting this family firm, which is experiencing encouraging growth.” Meanwhile, Northern Ireland food packaging manufacturer Boran-Mopack has spent £2.4 million and created 10 new jobs in Strabane as part of an export growth drive. The business, whose processes include extrusion and flexographic printing, is attempting to double exports over the next two years after the investment in machinery and equipment at its premises in Strabane, which was bolstered by a £250,000 fund from Invest NI.
Research from June 2016 carried out by building society, Kent Alliance, has shown that 40% of landlords are planning to increase their rents by an average of 5.6% over the next 6 months. Three quarters of these have blamed new Government legislation for the increase, while a study by the Residential Landlords Association (RLA) earlier in the month also shows that most landlords plan to raise rents on their tenants. 56% of these intend to do so within the next 12 months and the majority blame new Government legislation and changes to mortgage interest relief. However, the latest research from property classifieds site, TheHouseShop.com, has discovered that nearly half (42%) of private renters would not be able to afford a rise of up to 5% in their monthly rent costs – which shows quite how precarious the UK rental market has become. The YouGov survey of more than 1000 renters and mortgage holders asked people to estimate the minimum percentage that their monthly mortgage or rent payments would have to go up by before they became unaffordable. Shockingly, an increase of just up to 1% would be unaffordable for 16% of private tenants, which demonstrates how many tenants are already paying the upper limit of what they can afford. In comparison, homeowners (with mortgages only) were much more likely to be able to withstand smaller increases in their monthly payments: with just 3% saying they could not afford an increase of up to 1%, compared to the 16% of private renters who said the same thing. Mortgage-holders were more able to absorb larger increases in monthly payments, with 24% saying monthly mortgage payments would have to increase by more than 20% before they became unaffordable, compared to just 7% of private tenants who said the same of their monthly rent payments.
Specialist drainage systems supplier Kijlstra is revolutionising again. Leading UK drainage solutions provider Kijlstra has launched a revolutionary push-fit culvert jointing system. Six years after the manufacturer launched revolutionary square manholes in the UK, the new culverts are the latest innovative development from Kijlstra to speed along construction and civils installations, with their rubber-sealed push-fit jointing system making installation super-fast and simple. This avoids the traditional method of applying primer and a jointing material to achieve a watertight finish. The precast concrete box culverts are designed to withstand the relevant road loadings under which they pass, combining proven strength with durability, with the individual sealed joints eliminating any grouting on site. Designed to BS-Eurocode guidelines BS-EN 1990/1991/1992 using Load Models LM1 and LM2 for a design life of up to 100 years, the culverts are manufactured from poured monolithic self-compacting concrete giving a high-quality finish and optimum hydraulic characteristics. The C40/50 concrete is rated to the highest sulphate resistance exposure class XA3 for use in highly aggressive chemical environments. Available in a large range of standard sizes up to 2m, bespoke options are also offered. ENDS Source link
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has confirmed that the government is staying committed to the £50 billion High Speed 2 rail project despite the change in Downing Street occupants. HS2 was a key government scheme under former prime minister David Cameron and chancellor George Osborne, but since they have been replacement by Theresa May and Philip Hammond, uncertainty has crept into a number of policy areas, not least because the implications of the UK leaving the European Union are still not known. The many opponents of the scheme had hoped that HS2 could fall victim to budget cuts under the new regime. However, Mr Grayling has confirmed that construction work on HS2 will indeed begin in the first half of next year as planned. Grayling commented: “We need HS2 now more than ever. “We’re facing a rapidly approaching crunch-point. In the last 20 years alone, the number of people travelling on our railways has more than doubled and our rail network is the most intensively used of any in Europe. “We need HS2 for the capacity it will bring on the routes between London, the West Midlands, Crewe, Leeds and Manchester as well as the space it’ll create elsewhere on our transport network. “We need it for the boost it will give to our regional and national economies. And we need it for the jobs it will create, and for the way it will link our country together.” He also added that a decision on the HS2 Phase Two route to Manchester and Leeds will be taken before the end of this year. Last month, a number of MPs said that the HS2 rail link needs a “realistic timetable” and believe that the current schedule is “overly ambitious.” The Public Accounts Committee said “it is not convinced” that the first phase of the £56bn rail line – linking London and Birmingham – will open at the end of 2026 as planned.
National chain, Slug and Lettuce, has chosen luxury vinyl flooring from Moduleo for the renovation of its bar at St Mary Axe, Central London. A range of products from the manufacturer’s innovative Impress collection were chosen and installed in a bespoke layout to fit the brief for the flagship bar in the prestigious financial district of London. Designer at Fusion by Design who worked on the project, Abbie Burnett, explained: “The main elements of the brief were to provide a cost-effective and versatile solution that offered stunning visual impact. “We have worked with Moduleo on projects in the hospitality sector previously, and no matter how bespoke or unique the brief is, the flexibility of the products on offer provide limitless design opportunities. The various plank and tile shapes available, alongside the large palette of colours, allow us to create truly exceptional and personalised looks.” Moduleo’s Impress collection features a number of wood-effect products; all with registered embossing to make sure they are the ultimate in realistic and nature-inspired design. Various shades of the Mountain Oak, Castle Oak and Scarlet Oak from the collection were chosen for Slug and Lettuce. Managing Director of Moduleo UK and Eire, David Bigland, commented: “The overall finish of the Slug and Lettuce project is utterly stunning, and truly demonstrates the versatility and design potential of our products. “The design creates real wow factor, and really does mirror the brief for a prestigious and impactful flooring. We’re thrilled with the outcome, and are confident this further strengthens our credentials in the hospitality sector.” Moduleo says its LVT flooring is durable, scuff and stain-resistant and moisture-proof, which makes it ideal for bars. All Moduleo products are also good insulators of heat and sound, and contain up to 50% recycled material. Abbie concludes: “The team at Moduleo consistently meets our short lead times on large scale projects, and the products never fail to impress us.”
According to the latest findings form the National Landlords Association (NLA), more than a third of landlords (35%) believe that leaving the EU will have a negative impact on their ability to attract tenants in the future. The findings also reveal that 39% believe that Brexit will not have a significant impact on their business, while 21% are unsure and just 5% believe it will have a positive impact. The research comes after Prime Minister Teresa May’s announcement at the Conservative Party Conference that the process of the UK leaving the EU will be triggered by March next year. Throughout the UK, the findings indicate that more than half of landlords in central London (55%) believe Brexit will have a negative impact on their business – higher than any other region. Just over a fifth of landlords in the North East (22%) believe that Brexit will have a negative impact – the lowest proportion compared to other areas of the UK. A full regional breakdown is below. The findings also come as the NLA launches its new podcast series: Inside Property. The first 30 minute podcast, which is presented by Richard Blanco, focuses on what life after Brexit will look like for landlords, and features guests: Richard Bowser, Editor of Property Investor News Chris Norris, Head of Policy at the NLA Richard Donnell, Director of Research and Insight at Hometrack. Richard Blanco commented: “These findings clearly show that a significant proportion of landlords are concerned about what Brexit will mean for their lettings business so we wanted to try to understand and make sense of the situation. “We now know that Article 50 will be triggered soon, but landlords still have lots of questions, like what will happen to rental demand as a consequence of Brexit, will house prices fall, or should I rethink my investment strategy? The first episode of Inside Property will address all these questions and more”.
A new survey has shown that more than 64% of Brits would be reluctant to purchase a home near a fracking site, however 32% said that they would be in favour of fracking if it meant reduced energy bills. The OnePoll survey, carried out by House Extension Online, asked 1000 respondents throughout the UK if they would ever consider buying a house close to a fracking site, and whether they were for or against fracking if it meant a reduction in their energy bills. More than 64% of respondents said that they would be reluctant to purchase a home close to a fracking site. In response to the question, 21% said that they were somewhat unlikely to consider buying a home near a fracking site, while 43% said that they were very unlikely to do so. When looking into the ages of the respondents, 45 to 54 year olds were the age group most unlikely to buy a home near a fracking site (68%) compared to 59% of 18 to 34 year olds. There was also a higher number of women (63%) who said that they were unlikely to buy a home near a fracking site compared to 54% of men. Conversely, when respondents were asked if they were for or against fracking if it would reduce their energy bills, 32% said that they were in favour of fracking. However, this sentiment was nearly matched however by 31% of respondents who stated that they were against fracking even if it resulted in lower energy bills. The age group who were most in favour of fracking if it would mean lower energy bills were the over 55s with 36%, while the age group least in favour were 35 to 44 year olds with 37%. As with the responses around buying a home close to a fracking site, it was once again men who were more in favour of fracking to cut their energy bill with 42%, compared to 35% who were against it.
Covers Timber & Builders Merchant of Chichester has made a generous donation of £1,500 to Children on the Edge after three of their team successfully completed the Chichester Half Marathon for the third year in a row. Justin Walsh, Mat Sherry and Sam Cole took on the 13 mile course, with Justin achieving a personal best time of 1 hour 45 minutes, while Sam and Mat came in at 1 hour 51 minutes and 2 hour 18 minutes respectively. The Chichester Half Marathon or ‘Chi Half’ is organised by the international charity Children on the Edge, which works to help some of the most vulnerable children in the world including the refugees who have fled from war and persecution in Syria. On top of the team’s efforts, Covers supplied and sponsored the bags that all registered runners received upon completion of the race. Assistant Manager of Covers Trade Centre in Chichester, Justin Walsh, commented: “It’s a great feeling not only achieving a personal best for myself but to also be supporting such an important charity in the process. The Covers team did a fantastic job and we are looking forward to putting our feet up for a bit for a well-earned rest before we start thinking about our next challenge.” Managing Director at Covers, Henry Green, added: “We are incredibly proud of Justin, Mat and Sam and their achievement. They’ve done an excellent job representing Covers and we are delighted to be donating £1,500 to such a vital charity.” Children on the Edge exists to help marginalised and forgotten children, who are living on the edge of their societies. These are children without parental care, neglected or persecuted by their governments, ignored by international media and missed by large overseas agencies. Working in partnership with local communities, we help them to create safe, child friendly environments. The charity helps children to realise their rights and we restore the ingredients of a full childhood by generating hope, life, colour and fun.
Toby Spearing of Sports Construction Specialists S&C Slatter has won a major quality award from Willmott Dixon Construction for his innovation and dedication to the new Edenbrook Leisure Centre scheme at Fleet, Hampshire. Senior Building Manager at Willmott Dixon Construction, Alex Manning, made the announcement: “Congratulations to Toby Spearing of S&C Slatter who wins the quality award for September at Edenbrook Leisure Centre. “With no Quality Delivery Checklist in place for artificial sports pitches he took time out to meet Jane Roper, Senior Quality Delivery Manager and myself to create one from scratch. With Toby’s input we have helped improve our quality system for the rest of the company.” Spearing is Site Foreman for S&C Slatter on an important part of this major £23 million leisure development for which Willmott Dixon is main contractor. S&C Slatter is building more than 10000 sq m of artificial pitches made up of a full size 3G football pitch and four 3G 5 a side pitches. These include rigid panel perimeter security and rebound fencing and floodlighting. Furthermore, the firm is creating two natural turf mini-pitches with relevant fencing infrastructure. Having worked as a member of the Slatter team for nine years, Spearing said: “I’m naturally delighted with the award and thank Willmott Dixon for recognising and appreciating my contribution. For me it was just doing my job to the best of my ability.” David Slatter, Managing Director of S&C Slatter, added: “We’re all really pleased for Toby and very proud of him. The company is entirely focussed on teamwork and delivering quality and excellence for all our clients. Toby couldn’t have demonstrated this more clearly.” S&C Slatter is an official Category A supply chain partner to Willmott Dixon Construction which confirms their ‘Preferred Supplier’ status and commitment to collaborative working during all stages of the construction process. Achieving continuous improvement in service performance and delivery is a particular goal of the relationship.
Historically, the manufacturing and construction sectors have been considered as key economic indicators in the Western world. They also have a close and undeniable affinity, with residential and commercial construction representing the ultimate manufacturing process. These markets have experienced mixed fortunes in recent times, however, with manufacturing being increasingly maligned while the construction sector continues to benefit from huge investment on a national scale. So although manufacturing still accounts for 52% of the UK’s exports and employs in the region of 2.5 million people, construction has taken central stage in the private and public sector. This was reflected recently by the news that the UK government is planning to deliver a £2 billion stimulus package to the housing market, in a bid to initiate larger construction projects and optimise the number of new properties built over the course of the next 18 months. Why has the Government Made such a Pledge? In many ways, this sizeable commitment highlights the challenges facing the housing market in the UK. More specifically, a chronic housing shortage (which has helped to underpin disproportionate price growth nationwide) has forced the government to increase the pace and frequency of construction projects, in order to create an accessible and competitive market that appeals to first-time or low income buyers. Their efforts have also been accelerated by a recent committee report, which suggested that while the UK is required to build 300,000 homes each year to meet the current demand, it has not constructed more than 200,000 for more than a decade. In practical terms, the government is offering to incentivise property developers to increase the rate at which they build units, offering to purchase any that remain unsold. So rather than being conservative and adhering to the average build-out rate of 50 units per year, developers will be encouraged to construct all properties at once and list them for sale. It is hoped that this will create a swathe of affordable housing, while also empowering an ailing buy-to-let market that has created a vacuum in the rental market. The Bottom Line for the Construction Sector: Will the Stimulus Package Achieve its aims? It is easy to see the logic behind this initiative, even allowing for the slight decline in prices after the EU referendum vote. After all, it is the rising demand for property that has inspired recent growth in the residential and commercial property sectors, with market leader Bilfinger GVA recent reporting a 38% increase in operating profits in 2015. This level of demand has been compromised by the ever-increasing cost of buying and renting homes, however, forcing the government to take action and use stimulus measures to manipulate the market and make it more accessible to buyers and tenants alike. While it may be easy to comprehend the reasoning of the government and its private sector partners, the long-term viability of this initiative remains to be seen. After all, encouraging developers to increase their output beyond the build-out rate of 50 units per year will place a huge strain on them, potentially causing issues with quality and workmanship. These properties will also be incrementally smaller, posing challenges for those who want to invest in a family home. Such considerations are already associated with new-builds, which have historically drawn complaints relating to build quality and placed a far greater onus on residents to introduce the elements of comfort that make a house a home. Even when residents invest in homely features such as memory foam mattresses and luxury sofas, however, the compact nature and restricted size of new-builds makes it hard to envisage living there with a family of any size. Not only will the new stimulus package not help to resolve these issues, but it may even exacerbate them in some instances. So while it will help to ease problems relating to the availability and the accessibility of properties on the market, both private and public sector bodies must be prepared for others that emerge in their stead.