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Kenneth Booth

Scaffolding Association welcomes the start of National Apprenticeship Week 2022 (7th – 13th February

Kenneth Booth February 7, 2022

National Apprenticeship Week 2022 is the 15th annual week-long celebration of apprenticeships. This week brings together businesses and apprentices across the country to shine a light on the positive impact that apprenticeships make to individuals, businesses and the wider economy. This year’s National Apprenticeship Week theme will be ‘build the

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Birmingham Property Investment Group Appointed by National Developer

Kenneth Booth February 7, 2022

Joseph Mews Property Group announces appointment by Consortia Developments Birmingham property investment group Joseph Mews has been appointed by London-based property development company Consortia Developments. The newly formed group, which is based within the Jewellery Quarter, is to work with Consortia Developments to bring the new Lockside Wharf apartments in

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Selco unveils new charity partner for 2022

Kenneth Booth February 7, 2022

Selco Builders Warehouse has announced Cancer Research UK as its new charity partner for 2022. The nationwide builders’ merchant will stage a range of fundraising events in support of Cancer Research UK, which funds doctors, nurses and scientists to carry out pioneering research to help provide a solution to defeating

Read More »

Seddon celebrates 125th anniversary with £1million fundraising pledge

Kenneth Booth February 7, 2022

Seddon – the UK’s largest privately owned and family managed national contracting business is marking its 125th anniversary with a series of events and pledges that will celebrate this most incredible milestone, bring people back together and raise over £1million for charity. The fifth generation, family-owned business, headquartered in Bolton,

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New Manchester student residence reaches topping out stage

Kenneth Booth February 4, 2022

Much needed new accommodation for Manchester’s growing student community developed by Alumno has reached the landmark topping out stage on schedule with the structure of the building now complete. Built on a site south of the city centre previously occupied by the disused Church Inn public house and close to

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Knight Property Group appoints Muir Construction as the main contractor at the first two phases of Belgrave Logistics Park

Kenneth Booth February 4, 2022

Construction begins on new £50 million speculative development in Bellshill Knight Property Group has appointed Fife-based Muir Construction as the main contractor on the first two phases of it’s speculative development at Belgrave Logistics Park, in Bellshill, North Lanarkshire. Planning consent was granted in September and works have commenced at

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BEIS SELECT COMMITTEE REPORT ON HEAT DECARBONISATION: GSHPA RESPONSE

Kenneth Booth February 4, 2022

The Ground Source Heat Pump Association, which represents heat pump system designers, contractors and installers across the UK, welcomes the BEIS Select Committee’s report on Heat Decarbonisation (to be published on 3 February). Laura Bishop, chair of the GSHPA, said: “The Select Committee acknowledges the central importance of heat pumps

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Latest Issue
Issue 343 : Aug 2026

Kenneth Booth

Scaffolding Association welcomes the start of National Apprenticeship Week 2022 (7th – 13th February

Kenneth Booth February 7, 2022

National Apprenticeship Week 2022 is the 15th annual week-long celebration of apprenticeships. This week brings together businesses and apprentices across the country to shine a light on the positive impact that apprenticeships make to individuals, businesses and the wider economy. This year’s National Apprenticeship Week theme will be ‘build the future’; reflecting on how apprenticeships can help individuals to develop the skills and knowledge required for a rewarding career, and businesses to develop a talented workforce that is equipped with future-ready skills. There are over 1,200 virtual and in-person events planned targeted at a  range of audiences including stakeholders, businesses, training providers and schools. A full events listing can be found here. Last year, industry leaders from the construction industry called on the government to boost apprenticeships following a 40% drop in people joining industry-relevant schemes, (16,000) compared with the five-year average of (22,500). Statistics for the latest academic year are due for publication later this month.  During the course of 2021 the government announced £7m funding to support flexible apprenticeship opportunities so that sectors including construction industries could bid for a share of the fund to support the creation of new flexible apprenticeships, intended to unlock opportunities for people to develop the skills they need to get good jobs. The government also reminded businesses to ensure that apprentices are paid at least the National Minimum Wage. This followed the publication of a report from the Low Pay Commission which found that around 1 in 5 apprentices earn less than their legal entitlement sighting several common errors by businesses including: failure to pay the higher age-related minimum wage rate to those apprentices who are aged 19 and over and have completed the first year of their apprenticeship paying the £4.30 per hour minimum wage apprentice rate before or after an apprenticeship actually starts or finishes not paying for all the time worked by an apprentice – training time is working time Robert Candy, Chief Executive of the Scaffolding Association said “The construction industry is suffering from significant skills shortages and apprenticeships can provide an excellent start for many seeking a career in the industry”. A report published by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) last year found that 37% of the construction workforce are over the age of 50 and estimated that 217,000 workers will need to be recruited into the industry over the next 5 years.  Robert Candy added “Attracting a new generation of workers is critical but this is only part of the problem – keeping them is just as important.  Paying them correctly, providing training that is relevant and embraces modern innovation and technology and ensuring qualifications gained provide access to work are all vital to the growth and success of apprenticeships across all sectors”. For more information on apprenticeships and to get involved in National Apprenticeship Week click here.

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Birmingham Property Investment Group Appointed by National Developer

Kenneth Booth February 7, 2022

Joseph Mews Property Group announces appointment by Consortia Developments Birmingham property investment group Joseph Mews has been appointed by London-based property development company Consortia Developments. The newly formed group, which is based within the Jewellery Quarter, is to work with Consortia Developments to bring the new Lockside Wharf apartments in Birmingham City Centre, to market. The canal-side development, based on Scotland Street, was formerly an office building. Work has already begun to convert it into 16, one-bedroom and two bedroom duplex apartments. There will also be roof extensions, which will house four penthouse-style apartments, and a new building on the adjacent car park, creating an additional 45 homes, three of which will be affordable. Olly Clayton, Partner at Consortia, said: “Lockside Wharf is one of the most exciting new developments for Birmingham city-centre. This is why we’ve partnered with Joseph Mews to help bring it to market. “Aside from their extensive past performance in the city’s development sector, they understand what it takes to help deliver a high-end project such as Lockside Wharf in an increasingly competitive central Birmingham market. “With Lockside Wharf covering nearly 45,000 sq.ft of waterfront space minutes from the highly desirable Jewellery Quarter and Brindleyplace, it represents a truly thoughtful restoration – a unique addition to the local market composed of beautiful warehouse-style apartments. We can’t wait to see Lockside Wharf take shape and how Joseph Mews will help bring this stunning new development to an entirely new audience.” The Joseph Mews Property Group, which officially launched at the start of the year, was set up by former SevenCapital sales director Andy Foote Andy said: “We are really proud to be working alongside such a well established company, and on such a great scheme right in the heart of the city we love so much. Consortia Developments are really creating a fantastic addition to the city with Lockside Wharf being redeveloped, and we are looking forward to working with them to bring such incredible homes to market.” Lockside Wharf is expected to complete in the second quarter of next year. For more details about Joseph Mews email Sales@Joseph-Mews.com or visit www.joseph-mews.com.

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Selco unveils new charity partner for 2022

Kenneth Booth February 7, 2022

Selco Builders Warehouse has announced Cancer Research UK as its new charity partner for 2022. The nationwide builders’ merchant will stage a range of fundraising events in support of Cancer Research UK, which funds doctors, nurses and scientists to carry out pioneering research to help provide a solution to defeating cancer. Selco has a strong reputation for its fundraising exploits and, despite the pandemic, raised in excess of £100,000 for its previous charity partner Global’s Make Some Noise in each of the last two years. Selco’s charity coffers have already been boosted for Cancer Research UK with a donation of £5,861.78 being made from sales of carrier bags over recent months. Carine Jessamine, marketing director of Selco Builders Warehouse, said: “We are thrilled to be supporting Cancer Research UK in its fantastic work to try and find the answers to an illness which touches the lives of each and every one of us in some way. “Every pound we raise will help fund vital research and that will be the huge motivation behind our fundraising during what will be a busy year of charity activity. “Cancer Research UK was selected by a vote from our colleagues and we are excited by our new charity partnership. Along with the support from our generous customers and suppliers, we hope to raise a significant amount of money and play our part in supporting vital medical research.” Georgia McCormack, divisional manager at Cancer Research UK, said: “We are incredibly grateful to Selco staff for voting for us and helping achieve our ambition of seeing three in four people survive their cancer by 2034. “Our progress relies on the incredible dedication and commitment of volunteers and supporters like this – without whom we would not be able to fund our life-saving work. One in two of us will get cancer in our lifetime. All of us can support the research that will beat it.” With hundreds of trade brands always in stock, Selco’s 72 branches are firmly focused on helping tradespeople complete their jobs as quickly and effectively as possible. As well as offering trade services, Selco also has a strong digital presence including Click & Deliver, a Click & Collect services.

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HE SIMM GROUP LAUNCHES NEW OFFSITE BUSINESS AND INVESTS £1M IN A NEW MANUFACTURING FACILITY

Kenneth Booth February 7, 2022

The HE Simm Group – one of the UK’s leading engineering and services businesses – has invested £1m in a new-state-of-the-art 21,000 sq ft facility, to build on its ever-expanding order book for MEP prefabricated solutions. To be known in the marketplace as Pinnacle Offsite, the business, which is being led by Ernie Price, a prefabrication specialist with over 20 years’ experience, has been launched off the back of continued and sustained demand for prefabricated solutions from its UK-wide customers. The use of prefabrication has been growing year-on-year and is expected to see further growth between now and 2025. In fact, only last year, a leading global management consultancy firm predicted that the UK could be one of the modular construction industry’s principal markets for growth, with the prefabricated building market expected to grow by 8 per cent between 2019-2025. The facility, based in Walsall in the West Midlands is already working on the production of prefabricated solutions for customers the length and breadth of the country. Solutions include the manufacturing of packaged plant rooms, plant skid modules, MEP lateral and riser modules and prefabricated utility cupboards. Commenting on the news, Gareth Simm, HE Simm Group’s CEO, says: “This is a major milestone for us. As we have grown, we have seen a distinct rise in demand from our customer base for prefabricated solutions.   “Our investment in the facility and in the Pinnacle Offsite business overall proves our commitment to this offering, which will enhance what we can provide as a leading MEP player. “Ernie is a specialist in this field, and we have no doubt that he will make a real success of it. He will work closely with Greg Simm and Marcus Wallis – Managing Directors of our Engineering business in the North and South respectively, to make sure that our bids always comprise, wherever possible, a prefabricated solution. Greg Simm, the Executive member of the Group responsible for Pinnacle Offsite, adds: “This really is very exciting. We’re delighted with the investment we’ve made, with the facility that’s already up and running, and with the team we have in place. We’re looking forward to becoming well known in the marketplace for our innovation in this area and to growing it over the coming years.” HE Simm is one of the UK’s leading engineering and services businesses. It operates in sectors including residential, commercial, education and healthcare for customers across the UK. For more information about the company visit www.hesimm.co.uk

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Helvar and its partners celebrate Award and Commendations at 2021 DALI Awards!

Kenneth Booth February 7, 2022

Helvar is excited to announce that that The Spine in the UK has been awarded a DALI award in the commercial/professional category at the 2021 DALI Lighting Awards, alongside two highly commended projects. Oyak-Renault Factory in Turkey was commended in the industrial category and Hospital Nova in Finland was commended in the healthcare category. The DALI Lighting Awards took place virtually on 19th January 2022. These awards celebrate and showcase the best use of DALI control solutions in lighting projects and installations across the globe. Designed to reward control, creativity, problem-solving, and difference, the DALI Lighting awards recognise excellence in lighting control. The judging panel consists of eight industry professionals, including a Chief Electrical Engineer, Lighting Designers, Editors, Associate Director of Lighting, Industry Relations Manager, and the DALI Alliance Technical and Certification Manager. “We are one of the founding members of the DALI Alliance. We continue to introduce leading DALI lighting solutions, including both lighting controls and drivers. With the introduction of the DALI-2 standard we have entered a new era of standardisation and interoperability in the lighting world, and we look forward to making further impact”, acknowledges Helvar CEO, Adel Hattab. “Winning the DALI lighting award for The Spine, a noteworthy project, and not one but two highly commended projects, Oyak-Renault Factory and Hospital Nova, are further proud moments for us in our DALI journey”, continues Hattab. The award-winning Helvar Imagine Solution is the world’s leading intelligent lighting control and management solution. It brings wellbeing and intelligence into a space, offering efficiency and scalability for a wide variety of applications. Imagine builds upon industry standards for easy installation and integration, adding strong and unique value on top of the standard. Winner of the DALI award in commercial/professional category The Royal College of Physicians’ new home in the north, RCP at The Spine, is located within the Paddington Village development in Liverpool’s city centre. The judges chose the Spine as the winner as they thought it was “a beautifully designed building that seamlessly combines both artificial and natural lighting to create a bright and welcoming environment”. The building is noteworthy for being the first building in the UK designed to achieve the prestigious WELL Platinum standard. The RCP occupies 70,000 sq ft across seven floors in the 160,000 sq ft building. It provides world-class facilities for medical examinations and assessments, educational courses and conferences, an exhibition space and office areas for RCP staff. “The Spine is said to be one of the healthiest workspaces for mental and physical wellbeing in the UK. Light is an important element of the WELL standard, and I’m delighted that Helvar is part of this project as wellbeing is one of our core values”, expresses Stephen Marley, Specification Sales Manager, Helvar. “Lighting contributes to wellbeing enormously as we know, so the extra attention taken by Helvar to create an intelligent fully addressable DALI lighting control system was highly commended by the judges”, explains Matt Waring, editor, Arc Magazine. BDP were the M&E consultant for the entire building. The Lighting Design House in London were tasked to design the lighting and control of a scheme specifically for a large biophilic area. Contractor T Clarke required partners to deliver quality solutions and selected Helvar to provide the lighting control for the whole RCP project. The judges also commended the additional focus on biophilia, “it’s so important for workspaces to have a more considered approach these days that is tailored towards the wellbeing of its users and the introduction of plant life is an ideal way to do this. While in some workspace projects, this can feel like a token gesture or as an add on, but the way in which this is integrated into the fabric of the building is incredibly well done- well-defined light levels for the biophilic aspects help ensure that the user experience for the facility is vastly improved.” Commendation for DALI award in the Industrial category With a 380,000 square meter area, the Oyak-Renault factory in Turkey serves as a particularly noteworthy and large-scale example of a successful lighting transformation. Commended by the DALI Alliance for bringing a tremendous improvement in energy efficiency, the freshly installed lighting system is estimated to provide annual savings equivalent to the yearly electricity consumption of 4,700 houses! Led by Helvar partner Elekon Enerji Sistemleri, renowned DALI experts in Turkey and surrounding areas, the project involved the replacement of 16,400 lamps in the workshops and offices in the factory and the installation of a Helvar lighting system to manage and control the new LED luminaires seamlessly. Overall, the transition to LED luminaires and a lighting control solution with a combination of automatic features enabled around 70% of lighting energy costs to be saved at the factory, equal to approximately 11MWh of energy and 5000 tons of carbon emissions annually. Commendation for DALI award in the Healthcare category Hospital Nova located in Jyväskylä, Finland was highly commended by the judges in the healthcare category. Judges recognised that patient and staff wellbeing is central to the lighting design. “DALI controls all indoor, and outdoor lighting at this newly built Hospital, one of the largest in Finland, and the project has over 30,000 controlled DALI addresses. The DALI system responds to both light level fluctuations and seasons and is freely programmable to allow users to tailor the desired lighting scheme. By understanding people’s movements and how the spaces are used, the lighting can be adjusted to save energy since the system can detect the most optimal lighting setting based on collected data”, says Mark Lein, Industry Relations Manager, Illuminating Engineering Society (IES). Controlled areas include patient rooms, corridor lobbies, operation theatres, helicopter landing areas and outdoor lighting. There is also lighting art in the main entrance lobby where there is DALI controlled colour lighting. The hospital is installed with the latest Helvar Insights, which automatically monitors the system’s status 24/7 and notifies maintenance engineers of any faults that require attention. “Nova Hospital is one of the most advanced and newest

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Seddon celebrates 125th anniversary with £1million fundraising pledge

Kenneth Booth February 7, 2022

Seddon – the UK’s largest privately owned and family managed national contracting business is marking its 125th anniversary with a series of events and pledges that will celebrate this most incredible milestone, bring people back together and raise over £1million for charity. The fifth generation, family-owned business, headquartered in Bolton, has asked colleagues, customers and its supply chain to come up with their own personal pledges that pay homage to the notable number, whilst raising money for The Christie Charity. So far, these include a challenging 125mile walk, a 125-hole round of golf and a 125km swim.  As well as celebrating a century and a quarter in business – only three out of every 100 family businesses make it through to the fourth generation and beyond – Seddon hopes that its endeavours will help it fundraise £1million for The Christie Charity, as well as raising money for other worthy causes that are close to participants’ hearts. Founded in 1897 by George and John Seddon, what started out as a Salford-based bricklaying business, today employs over 650 people and has an annual turnover of £200million. Nicola Hodkinson, Seddon family member and company director, said: “125 years in business is a huge deal, so we’re going all out to mark the occasion with the gusto it deserves whilst raising as much money as we can for a charity that’s so close to our hearts. “It’s timely that our anniversary falls as we’re starting to reconnect post-pandemic, so we hope those who take part will see it as a perfect opportunity to get back together with colleagues and friends, in support of each other’s efforts. “Commercially, the milestone has also prompted us to really focus on our future, to ensure that we’ll still be building homes, schools, healthcare facilities and commercial premises in another 125 years. “Our children have now entered the business and are cutting their teeth. Along with my brothers Jamie and Jonathan, I’m mentoring them on how to be business owners. They’re also moving around the business to gain experience of it and the industry as a whole. “In the words of my father Christopher, it’s our job to make the next generation the best owners they can be. And that’s exactly what we’re doing, for the longevity of the Seddon name.” Roger Spencer, CEO of The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We’ve worked with Seddon for over 25 years, and, during that time, they’ve raised a phenomenal £875,000 for The Christie Charity. “It’s really exciting to be part of its latest year-long fundraising campaign, which we’re all hoping will see Seddon surpass the £1million mark. The pledges we’ve heard of so far are fantastic and are sure to raise lots more money. The generous donation of £250 from every Seddon Homes house sold to The Christie at Macclesfield, which opened in December, is also predicted to add an incredible £175,000 to the current total during 2022. “It’s certainly set to be a very special year and we congratulate Seddon on what is an absolutely fabulous achievement.”

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Renovation Nation: UK Homeowners Spend £21 Billion On Renovations in 2021

Kenneth Booth February 7, 2022

Three-quarters (77%) of UK homeowners have invested in their property this year Over half (51%) of UK homeowners said COVID-19 has played a role their decision to invest in their property One in five UK homeowners have spent the majority of their home improvement money on their garden The annual Renovation Nation Report by the consumer spending experts at money.co.uk has found the average UK homeowner has spent £1,473 on home renovations, furnishing and DIY projects this year. What part of the home have UK homeowners spent the most money on? After almost a year of being confined to our homes, it’s perhaps unsurprising that one in five (20%) of UK homeowners have spent the majority of their home improvement money on their garden. Area of the home UK homeowners have spent the most money on Percentage Garden 20% Living room 17% Bedroom 14% Kitchen 14% Bathroom 9% Dining Room 3% Study/office 3% Roof 3% Conservatory 2% Garage/garage conversion 2% Loft/attic 2% Balcony 1% Basement 1% Annexe 1% Our love of gardening has blossomed during and following the pandemic. When asked what home projects they’d invest in if money were no object, a third (32%) of respondents said a garden summer house or work studio and almost a fifth (18%) said a greenhouse or vegetable patch. This green-fingered trend could be seen across the age groups, with the exception of Gen Z who claimed their kitchen was the room they’d spent the most on in 2021, and a home gym would be the top priority if money were no object. Which area of the home would Brits invest in if money were no object? If money was no object, which home projects would you consider investing in, as a direct result of the pandemic, if any?  Area of the home Percentage of respondents Garden summer house/work studio 31.62% Greenhouse/vegetable patch 17.86% Indoor gym 17.21% Leisure room 15.76% Office 12.52% Outdoor/indoor pub or bar 12.07% More walls/rooms for more privacy 8.28% Other, please specify 8.18% Bike storage 7.28% Classroom 3.39% Top home furnishing purchases in 2021 Furniture / Home Accessory Percentage of respondents Lamps/Lighting 41% Cushions 40% Curtains/Blinds 39% Mattress 30% Artwork 29% Sofa/Armchair 28% Bookcases/shelving 28% Bed 28% Vases 27% Clocks 26% Storage cabinet 26% Office chair 24% Top 5 retailers to purchase furniture in 2021 Retailer Percentage of respondents Ikea 27.03% Dunelm 27.03% Next 17.13% The Range 17.13% John Lewis 16.47% How have UK homeowners funded their renovation projects? The majority of UK homeowners have used some form of savings as a way of funding their home improvements, with 20% using money originally intended for holidays. Seven percent of UK homeowners have used funds originally intended to purchase a car, and 5% using cash originally intended for an engagement ring. Why are UK homeowners investing in their properties? While over half of UK homeowners may have cited the pandemic playing a significant role in their decision to dabble with DIY, money.co.uk were also interested in finding out the reason why so many of us are spending time and money on our homes in 2021. Over a quarter (27%) of those asked said that spending less money on going out had given them more money to spend on their homes and over a fifth (22%) cited wanting to increase the value of their home. Salman Haqqi, personal finance expert at money.co.uk comments on the study: “DIY and home renovations was a trend that boomed during the pandemic – a way for many of us to pass the time and spruce up the space we were living in when we were confined to our homes.  “Although restrictions have eased and normal life has almost fully resumed, our research shows that many UK homeowners are still continuing to renovate and invest in their properties. We found that despite a relatively rainy summer, gardens have taken the top spot on many people’s DIY to-do list – which is potentially a long-term knock-on effect of the months in lockdown. “While some renovations like a fresh coat of paint can be relatively cheap, some larger home makeover projects can cost several thousands of pounds. One potential way to finance your home renovation project is by securing a loan. However, it’s important to consider if you can afford the loan, how you intend to repay it and the implications on your credit score if you can’t keep up the repayments.”

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New Manchester student residence reaches topping out stage

Kenneth Booth February 4, 2022

Much needed new accommodation for Manchester’s growing student community developed by Alumno has reached the landmark topping out stage on schedule with the structure of the building now complete. Built on a site south of the city centre previously occupied by the disused Church Inn public house and close to major arterial road The Mancunian Way, the nine-storey building will consist of 62 studio apartments, along with a communal area, rooftop terrace, office and storage space for 16 bikes. Landscaping will also be carried out to highlight the history of the site, with the reclaimed facade bricks being used to create a bespoke seating area outside the development. The location is close to a range of facilities and departments of Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester School of Art, Manchester Business School and the University of Manchester. Built by the GMI Construction Group, the development supports two key ambitions of Manchester City Council. First, to prioritise purpose-built student accommodation to protect family homes from conversion to multiple occupation properties. Second, to achieve a zero-carbon target for Manchester by establishing student accommodation close to educational establishments, reducing the need for travel and minimising emissions. Scheduled for completion for the start of the 2022 academic year, the development has been designed by Carson & Partners to enhance and complement the local area. It will also directly benefit the adjacent community, with Alumno partnering charity One Manchester to secure a £50,000 fund for local community projects. “We are also working to provide pioneering navigation aids using GPS wayfinding technology to help visually impaired students, and will install CCTV surveillance equipment to ensure the site is safe and secure, and deter anti-social behaviour,” explained Alumno Managing Director David Campbell. “I’m delighted we have reached this landmark stage on schedule, and as usual with our student residences, look forward to commissioning new public art to further enhance the public space around the building.” Commenting on the development, Iain Carson from Carson & Partners said: “It’s exciting to see another of our projects with Alumno that will rejuvenate and enhance the local area reach the topping out stage.” Marc Banks of GMI added: “Getting to this stage is a real team effort, and we’re all looking forward to going full steam ahead to ensure students can benefit from the building in 2022.”

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Knight Property Group appoints Muir Construction as the main contractor at the first two phases of Belgrave Logistics Park

Kenneth Booth February 4, 2022

Construction begins on new £50 million speculative development in Bellshill Knight Property Group has appointed Fife-based Muir Construction as the main contractor on the first two phases of it’s speculative development at Belgrave Logistics Park, in Bellshill, North Lanarkshire. Planning consent was granted in September and works have commenced at the brand new £50 million development on the 14-arce site of the former Devro manufacturing facility. The first two phases will comprise four high-quality units of 19,191 sq ft, 29,272 sq ft, 34,290 sq ft, and 48,405 sq ft respectively. A final fifth unit of 126,795 sq ft will follow in phase three to reach circa 245,000 sq ft in total for the park. Each unit will have an EPC rating of ‘A’ and will be BREEAM accredited. Further green credentials include electric car charging points, solar photovoltaics panels to the roof, all electric heat recovery / air conditioning to offices, electricity for the units will come from a 100% renewable source and water management flow restriction is provided to conserve water use. The construction process for phases one and two started in January and are due for completion in quarter three this year. Howard Crawshaw, Managing Director of Knight Property Group said: “We are pleased to see Muir Construction commence works at this exciting new logistics park. As well as having a host of sustainability features, this development has the potential to bring much-needed business and employment opportunities to the area.” “We are confident that it will generate strong interest, as there remains significant demand in the market for this type of property and occupier requirements remain strong, particularly around Scotland’s ‘golden triangle’ where the development is located.” Patrick Reel, Joint Managing Director of Muir Construction added: “Having worked with Knight Property Group over a number of years, we are delighted to be appointed again and look forward to successfully delivering the first two phases at Belgrave later this year. “We currently have 30 personnel on site, including 25 ground and plant operators, plus five from the management team. The works currently being carried out are principally ground works, foundations and drainage, in preparation for the first of the steel being delivered next week.” Belgrave Logistics Park will be situated within the popular Bellshill Industrial Estate with excellent transport links and quick access to the A725 dual carriageway which provides direct access to the M8 motorway between Glasgow and Edinburgh and also the M74 which is Scotland’s main road link south. Glasgow international airport is only 25 minutes drive west via the M8 motorway and Edinburgh International airport is only 40 minutes drive east. Alan Gilkison, Partner at letting agent Ryden said: “This development provides much-needed logistics and distribution space in the central belt of Scotland. We have already noted positive Interest from a range of potential occupiers seeking high-quality, well-located space.” Ryden is the letting agent for Knight Property Group at Belgrave Logistics Park. Further information on can be found HERE

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BEIS SELECT COMMITTEE REPORT ON HEAT DECARBONISATION: GSHPA RESPONSE

Kenneth Booth February 4, 2022

The Ground Source Heat Pump Association, which represents heat pump system designers, contractors and installers across the UK, welcomes the BEIS Select Committee’s report on Heat Decarbonisation (to be published on 3 February). Laura Bishop, chair of the GSHPA, said: “The Select Committee acknowledges the central importance of heat pumps to decarbonise heating in homes across the UK; without heat pumps, the UK’s Net Zero ambitions will be hard to achieve.  As the Committee points out, the pace of change now needs to pick up and firm policy measures put in place, if the Government’s ambition to see 600,000 heat pumps installed every year by 2028 is to be realised.” “Undoubtedly, it’s a complex and challenging task but it can be met through specific policy instruments and through greater collaboration with Government – central, devolved, regional and local, the heating industry, Trades Unions and importantly the customer.”  “Households across the country need greater assurance about the cost and environmental benefits of heat pumps, and the practicalities of switching from a gas boiler to a low-carbon heat pump.  Heat pumps are suitable for the majority of homes in the UK.” “The GSHPA is pleased that the Select Committee has highlighted a number of measures to ramp up the heat pump roll-out, not least the need for a consumer finance scheme, selected grants for consumers and industry, improved training/upskilling of the labour market and a Heat Decarbonisation Sector Deal. These are all measures that the GSHPA has called for, as well as the lifting of the environmental levies on electricity for those using heat pumps.  These environmental levies are inhibiting the adoption of heat pumps and encouraging the continued burning of gas for heating and are undermining the UK’s heat decarbonisation policies.” “The GSHPA will continue to work closely with Government and all interested parties to deliver the country’s Net Zero ambitions, and the specific ambition to have low-carbon domestic heating in all parts of the UK.”

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