The face-to-face event returns to the London Excel on October 15th and 16th It will be the first, large scale, property investment exhibition to be held face to face in London since Covid restrictions curtailed the events industry over a year ago. The two days are packed with exhibitors including
Work is underway on the refurbishment and conversion of a former school and sixth form centre in Sussex that will become a new base for social care services and pave the way for the development of hundreds of new council homes. Brighton & Hove City Council has chosen Willmott Dixon
Derwent Facilities Management Ltd have been awarded a place on Crescent Purchasing Consortium’s (CPC) framework for the provision of Total Facilities Management Framework Agreement CPC/EK/01/2021. This framework provides access to a broad range of facilities management services including hard and soft FM services as well as a full facilities management
GRAHAM has topped out at the University of York’s £130 million flagship student accommodation project, which was built in only 58 weeks with a room completed at a rate of every 1.5 hours. Supporting the University of York’s “Campus for the Future” masterplan, the 1,480-bed scheme is helping to transform
Following recent revelations that UK’s home gas boilers emit twice as much CO2 as all power stations, the construction sector is being urged to accelerate the switch to greener heating solutions such as CO2 heat pumps, which have been described as ‘the future of green heating in the UK’. The
The latest research from Warwick Estates has found that more than half of homebuyers don’t want to see new homes built near their property, with even more stating they don’t need any more new homes in their wider local area. Warwick Estates asked 1,052 homeowners if they thought more new
Eye on the next generation as work experience opportunities made available to University of Ulster students SPIE UK, a subsidiary of SPIE, the independent European leader in multi-technical services in the areas of energy and communications, has been awarded a four-year contract to be the fire systems maintenance contractor with
Prolojik is collaborating with the Smart Building Show this year, joining the impressive list of sponsors as Sponsor of The Training Theatre and Show Catalogue, as well as showcasing the latest SuperSensing range along side SmartServer™ by Diaog. Prolojik, which has developed an open protocol lighting control system that gives
Leeds-based property development and investment company, GMI Developments has submitted a planning application to Harrogate Borough Council to create a new mixed-use development comprising a destination restaurant and bar, retail space and 3 apartments at 132-136 Kings Road in central Harrogate. The premises, which have stood vacant since January 2020,
The future carbon economy will present major challenges and opportunities for M & E companies over the next 10 years with the need to deliver innovative design solutions for new and existing buildings, according to Julian McCamphill, Operations Director of Dowds Group. There is already considerable pressure for change, but
The face-to-face event returns to the London Excel on October 15th and 16th It will be the first, large scale, property investment exhibition to be held face to face in London since Covid restrictions curtailed the events industry over a year ago. The two days are packed with exhibitors including Hamilton Fraser, Knight Knox, Crowd Property and the NRLA. Many high-profile speakers have been confirmed and these include: ● Ben Beadle, CEO of the newly amalgamated NRLA as keynote ● David Cox, Compliance and Licensing Director at Rightmove (also keynote) ● Paul Shamplina, TVs Nightmare Tenants, Slum Landlords Founder of Landlord Action ● Vanessa Warwick, Co-Founder of Property Tribes ● Simon Zutshi, Co-founder of both Property Investors Network and CrowdProperty ● Richard Bowser, Editor of Property Investor News ● David Sandeman, MD of Essential Information Group and THE Property Auction guru The infamous, indefatigable Russell Quirk will also be hosting two panels including ‘The State of the PRS’ on Friday 15th October at 10.30am. In this forum, he is set to reveal his predictions for the 2022 property market and his view on where house price growth is going. Russell was notable for taking bets amongst industry colleagues in early 2020 with him backing a ‘no fall in house prices despite the pandemic’ prophecy despite just about every other pundit saying the opposite. “The rest, as they say, is history,” says Russell. “I successfully called the property market right in early 2020 despite the negative forces of a pandemic and the aftermath of Brexit whereby experts from across the industry predicted house price Armageddon. They were wrong and I was right, just like in previous years when I’ve correctly forecast what the market will do. Join me on Friday 15th October where I’ll explain what will happen in the next 12 months and why. Bring your chequebook,” he adds. Panel debates include the following and a full list of speakers and panels can be found here: ● Is now a good time to be investing in UK property? ● Holiday Lets – expert advice on how to maximise yields ● How to buy and sell at property auctions – the way the pros do ● Fraudulent Tenants – identifying them and avoiding them ● How to fund every property deal – dispelling the myths ● Using data to boost your investment outcome ● How to mitigate the three big tax traps for landlords ● Starting and growing your property development business ● The State of the PRS (Keynote Panel) And there’s much more to come with more panel announcements and speakers to be confirmed in the coming weeks. Nick Clark, Managing Director of the Property Investor Show says “We will be the first large-scale event in the industry to welcome visitors and exhibitors back to the face-to-face environment. It’s the first opportunity in two years for anyone interested in investing in property and for suppliers that want to reach investors, to network together and to benefit from each other.’ ‘Networking is such an important part of our sector and I suspect that most of us are rather Zoomed out now after many months of sitting in front of a screen.’ ‘Our forum is a place to meet, build relationships and conduct business across the property investment space and I’m delighted our event is leading the way in facilitating such.” Mortgage funders, estate agents, lettings agents, developers, property management, PropTech, legal firms and investment platforms alike can once again look forward to showcasing their products and services directly to the huge audience that The Property Investor Show provides. The full list of 68 seminars and multiple, well know industry speakers can be found here
Work is underway on the refurbishment and conversion of a former school and sixth form centre in Sussex that will become a new base for social care services and pave the way for the development of hundreds of new council homes. Brighton & Hove City Council has chosen Willmott Dixon Interiors to transform the site at the corner of Mile Oak Road and High Street in Portslade, into 23,336 sq ft of office accommodation for staff in its children’s services team. The council’s planning department granted a change of use for the vacant building which previously housed sixth formers from Portslade Community College and was once home to Windlesham House prep school. The move will allow the relocation of council staff from underused office space on a site at Moulsecoomb, which has been earmarked for the development of more than 200 new council homes. Willmott Dixon Interiors will carry out demolition works and a full strip out of the former Portslade school building, as well as some structural interventions and external remedial works and repairs. New M&E services will be installed, with parts of the building segregated through new access control doorways. The £3.7 million project was awarded through Orbis, a public sector partnership between East Sussex County Council, Surrey County Council, and Brighton & Hove City Council. It is expected to be complete in spring 2022. Willmott Dixon Interiors will deliver a minimum of 5% social return on investment of the project value, through activities including local employment opportunities, education support and a hoarding artwork competition with local schools. Graham Shaw, managing director at Willmott Dixon Interiors, said: “This is a strategically important project for Brighton & Hove City Council, that will not only deliver new office space for social care services teams, but provide much-needed council homes in the area. The project has been designed to retain the existing internal configuration of the building to avoid large scale structural alterations. We will also have a full crew of operatives on site, including a dedicated traffic marshall to assist with delivery of materials and minimise disruption for residents and commuters.” The project team includes Potter Raper as quantity surveyor, project manager and employer’s agent.
Derwent Facilities Management Ltd have been awarded a place on Crescent Purchasing Consortium’s (CPC) framework for the provision of Total Facilities Management Framework Agreement CPC/EK/01/2021. This framework provides access to a broad range of facilities management services including hard and soft FM services as well as a full facilities management provision – the 8288 members of the consortium will be able to procure facilities management services quickly and easily via this framework. The framework is also open to the wider public sector who can also use this framework to procure. The framework is split into 15 service areas with Derwent fm able to provide services across all 15 areas Grahame Sheeran, Head of Business Development at Derwent fm said “Derwent fm are delighted to be awarded a place on the CPC framework, we look forward to working with the team at CPC to provide their members with top class facilities management services.
GRAHAM has topped out at the University of York’s £130 million flagship student accommodation project, which was built in only 58 weeks with a room completed at a rate of every 1.5 hours. Supporting the University of York’s “Campus for the Future” masterplan, the 1,480-bed scheme is helping to transform the Heslington East Campus and will act as a stimulus for the university’s recruitment strategy while meeting the demands of its expanding global student body. GRAHAM is using a state-of-the-art off-site manufacturing facility in the north of England to deliver the scheme, enhancing the quality, safety, and sustainability of the construction programme. Key elements of the development include modular external sandwich panels, prefabricated steel bathroom pods, and pre-assembled services distribution racks. Overall, the project comprises 18 blocks, which house the en-suite bedrooms and 200 living rooms/kitchens, plus 18,000 sq ft of steel frame social Hubs spread over two buildings. In addition to influencing design in partnership with the architects Sheppard Robson and executing the project build, GRAHAM is also a key project investor as part of a consortium. Neil McFarlane, GRAHAM Strategic Projects Director: “Topping out at the University of York in the timeframe that we have is a monumental milestone that deserves to be celebrated. Despite the challenges thrown our way by Brexit and Covid-19, we held firm and adapted where we could with our supply chain to deliver within our programme. In just 290 working days, we have erected all the superstructures with minimal disruption using MMC, which has accelerated the build while maintaining quality and environmental standards. Now, we can look ahead to completion and bringing the campus properly to life in this last, but significant chapter of the project.” Hugh Crossley, Equitix CEO: “We commend all our partners at the University, GRAHAM and Derwent for their perseverance and resilience in delivering this crucial infrastructure on programme amidst the challenges of a global pandemic. It is a remarkable achievement. The topping out at the new residences celebrates a significant milestone in Equitix’s 50 year relationship with the University of York. Importantly, it also celebrates significant progress towards a new college that will enable future generations of students to embark upon their University life in an environment that promotes wellbeing, community and sustainability. Equitix focuses on developing and delivering schemes that provide a ‘Best in Class’ Student Experience and, working with GRAHAM, the outcomes delivered here have exceeded expectations.” Completion is planned in time for the 2022 academic year.
Following recent revelations that UK’s home gas boilers emit twice as much CO2 as all power stations, the construction sector is being urged to accelerate the switch to greener heating solutions such as CO2 heat pumps, which have been described as ‘the future of green heating in the UK’. The government’s target of 600,000 heat pump installations per year by 2028 is an encouraging step but Tim Rook, Chief Markets Officer at Clade Engineering, a leading designer and manufacturer of CO2 heat pumps, is concerned that the UK is a long way off the pace from hitting that target. “Burning natural gas has historically been a cheap, reliable and relatively safe way to heat buildings in this country. But as this study shows, things are going to have to change if we have any hope of reaching Net Zero. CO2 heat pumps are the future of green heating in the UK – they are more efficient, cleaner and have a lower total cost of ownership than gas boilers,” explains Tim. “We need to step up – and that’s going to take more awareness and more clamour across the construction, facilities management, property investment and property management industries,” suggests Tim. The recent energy price crisis adds further weight to this argument and has been caused by several long, medium and short-term factors coming into play at the same time. It’s been coming down the tracks for a while, and touches on a couple of things that Clade Engineering consider extremely important – the decarbonisation and security of Britain’s energy supply. “Installing a heat pump is one of the best things a business can do to decarbonise, and it’s fairly straightforward if engineered correctly. A heat pump will deliver a 60 to 80% carbon reduction and when used for cooling too it’ll do even better. If plugged into a digital platform to optimise performance and provide grid flexibility services it will be able to deliver even more carbon reductions and cost savings. “For the good of the planet, we need to pull our collective fingers out,” says Tim.
The latest research from Warwick Estates has found that more than half of homebuyers don’t want to see new homes built near their property, with even more stating they don’t need any more new homes in their wider local area. Warwick Estates asked 1,052 homeowners if they thought more new homes were needed within their local area and if they would be happy to have these new homes within the immediate vicinity of their own home. 72% stated their local area did not need any new homes and 52% were opposed to new homes being built within the immediate vicinity of their own home, even if a suitable plot of land was available. Should they have to stomach the construction of new homes locally, 87% stated they would prefer developers to repurpose old buildings rather than build brand new homes. 87% stated it was either very important (47%) or somewhat important (40%) that new homes should fit with the wider area and the existing buildings already in place when it comes to appearance. 98% also stated that it was either very important (87%) or somewhat important (11%) that new housing developments considered the wider community and local infrastructures such as traffic control and the development of community areas such as parks when being designed and constructed. COO of Warwick Estates, Bethan Griffiths, commented: “It’s understandable that many homeowners have concerns when it comes to new homes in their local area and we’ve seen a real change in the way we design and construct new build developments to ensure the wider community is considered, and in many cases, benefits. Unfortunately, some still remain opposed to the idea and this can have a real impact on the number of new homes that can be delivered in a given area. For many local councillors with a short-sighted view on reelection, appeasing local unrest often takes precedent over the long-term goal of solving the housing problem within their constituency. As a result, we often see permission for perfectly good housing projects campaigned against and refused, which can be a contributing factor to the shortage of available housing in a given area. We need to take political protectionism out of the planning process and until we do, housing delivery will continue to be hindered.” Survey of 1,052 UK homeowners carried out by Warwick Estates via consumer research platform Find Out Now (30th September 2021). Do you think more new homes need to be built within your local area? Answer Respondents No 72% Yes 28% Would you be happy for new homes to be built within the immediate vicinity of your home if there was a suitable plot of land? Answer Respondents Yes 43% No 57% Would prefer developers to repurpose old buildings or build brand new homes? Answer Respondents Repurpose old buildings 87% Build brand new homes 13% How important is it that new homes fit with the wider area and existing buildings in terms of appearance? Answer Respondents Very important 47% Somewhat important 40% Not very important 9% Not at all important 3% How important is it that new housing developments consider the wider community and local infrastructure, such as traffic control, development of community areas such as parks? Answer Respondents Very important 87% Somewhat important 11% Not very important 1% Not at all important 1%
Eye on the next generation as work experience opportunities made available to University of Ulster students SPIE UK, a subsidiary of SPIE, the independent European leader in multi-technical services in the areas of energy and communications, has been awarded a four-year contract to be the fire systems maintenance contractor with the University of Ulster. The SPIE UK team will be working across all four of the university’s campuses, which are located at Magee (Derry/Londonderry), Coleraine, Jordanstown and Belfast. As part of the contract, SPIE will be conducting planned and reactive maintenance, servicing and repair of fire alarms and gas suppression on a 24/7, 365 days-a-year basis. SPIE UK will also conduct any upgrades to the fire systems as is appropriate. Already being a supplier of services to the university, the SPIE team was well placed to identify bespoke benefits that they could offer to the University of Ulster, including specific system upgrade works. The contract will run for four years, with an optional extension period of a further four years. Working in the community… The University of Ulster has a proud reputation for its regional community engagement and continues to make a major contribution to the economic, social, and cultural development of Northern Ireland. As part of their work with the university, SPIE will likewise be engaging in a number of community benefit pledges. These include the creation of work experience placements across technical and administrative roles for University of Ulster students, as well as participation in the university’s career events. Jim Skivington, Divisional Managing Director, SPIE UK, said, “We are delighted to have been chosen by the University of Ulster to support them as their fire systems maintenance contractor. The team’s deep knowledge and relationship with the university were key to understanding the improvements that needed to be made. I know that that the team is also very much looking forward to supporting the university in its efforts to engage the local community and support its graduate programme, helping to develop the next generation of professionals in the built environment in Northern Ireland.”
Prolojik is collaborating with the Smart Building Show this year, joining the impressive list of sponsors as Sponsor of The Training Theatre and Show Catalogue, as well as showcasing the latest SuperSensing range along side SmartServer™ by Diaog. Prolojik, which has developed an open protocol lighting control system that gives users complete control over their lit environment; control that reduces energy output and saves money, has become the catalogue and training theatre sponsor at this year’s Smart Buildings Show (ExCeL, London, 6-7 October, 2021). Asela Rodrigo, managing director, commented, “We are thrilled to be sponsoring and supporting Smart Building Show, in partnership with Dialog, as sponsors of the catalogue and the training theatre. It is our belief that as we slowly emerge from the pandemic, the adoption of smart technology in buildings will gather pace as the benefits have become more apparent. We are looking forward to catching up with our industry colleagues; listening and presenting the latest updates in this important sector”. Please come and visit Prolojik on stand E40. Prolojik will also be hosting a panel discussion as well as a CPD session during the show. Re-engaging the Workplace – Thursday 7th October – 13.00pm This panel session looks at how to get the most out of smart tech post pandemic as well as the issues around sustainability goals and understanding the management of challenges such as limited embodied carbon in construction. The panel will be chaired by Helen Parton an architecture and interiors journalist with over 15 years experience, and on the panel will be Asela Rodrigo managing director of Prolojik, Gary Wingrove Global Real Estates Capital Projects Director at Boston Consulting Group, Martin Frohock Head of Facilities UK Global FM Compliance Lead at Arm and Jules Barker Global Director of Product at WiredScore. Super Sensor x Smart Server – Wednesday 6th October – 15:00pm Hosted by Asela Rodrigo and Kalim Shadam Global Sales Director at Dialog Semiconductor this CPD looks at the different challenges to introduce enabling SMART technology in to existing legacy buildings as well as newly built environments and how this can be achieved by implementing SuperSensors and SmartServers over your existings lighting and data networks.
Leeds-based property development and investment company, GMI Developments has submitted a planning application to Harrogate Borough Council to create a new mixed-use development comprising a destination restaurant and bar, retail space and 3 apartments at 132-136 Kings Road in central Harrogate. The premises, which have stood vacant since January 2020, comprise a range of interconnected, largely two-storey buildings which extend to more than 7,300 sq ft. Ocean House (134-136 Kings Road), the former Ramus retail unit (132 Kings Road) and an industrial unit fronting Bolton Street will be redeveloped into a mixed-use lifestyle and residential development in keeping with the local area. A pre-let for the ground floor unit in Ocean House has already been agreed with Moxmoor Limited to manage a new concept restaurant and bar, led by experienced local operator Roger Moxham, one of the founding owners of the Cold Bath Brewing company. Roger Moxham has more than 35 years of hospitality expertise, including board level roles in both public and privately funded pub and restaurant companies and co-founded the highly successful Cold Bath Brewing bar opposite the town’s International Conference Centre. The new restaurant, which will create up to 20 new jobs, comprises a 70 seat internal restaurant and bar with external pavement and courtyard seating. Commenting on the offer Roger said “We will serve a diverse array of global meals rooted in Asia and the Americas which we intend to rotate throughout the year. The menu will be underpinned by a weekend brunch offer all supported by a full range of hand crafted cocktails and beers and an interesting selection of soft drinks, teas and coffees.” GMI has submitted a detailed planning application for a change of use of Ocean House to house the new restaurant and bar, as well as two apartments above. The ground floor of 132 Kings Road will remain in retail use with an apartment above and the demolition of the industrial unit on Bolton Street will provide parking and outside amenity space for the new apartments. Situated close to Harrogate town centre and 13 miles North of Leeds, the site’s neighbouring occupiers include Regal Fruiter, a Sainsbury’s convenience store and a number of well-known local indies. Harrogate town is one of the principal tourist centres in the region, benefiting from its position on the A59 which provides access to the local motorway network. Chris Gilman, Managing Director, GMI Developments commented: “Following the recent acquisition of the Kings Road property, we are excited to take this mixed-use development forward to regenerate the vacant site, subject to planning approval. With a proven, successful hospitality expert in Roger on board to create the new restaurant and bar, we are confident that his team will bring a unique and exciting destination restaurant offer to the town complemented by the rest of this high quality scheme.”
The future carbon economy will present major challenges and opportunities for M & E companies over the next 10 years with the need to deliver innovative design solutions for new and existing buildings, according to Julian McCamphill, Operations Director of Dowds Group. There is already considerable pressure for change, but while most building manufacturers and suppliers are looking at delivering better energy saving performance across product ranges, the onus will be more and more on M&E contractors and designers to be more proactive in terms of reducing carbon footprints to meet Government targets. As these targets alter and become more complex, this in turn will mean the need for new initiatives to provide even greater investment to attract highly trained staff to join the industry, especially graduates who will need to see construction as a more attractive career option. For companies such as Dowds Group, the challenge already exists to deliver increasingly complex projects involving BIM, new technologies and much more. These are already being incorporated into all new contracts – a typical example is the planned major refurbishment of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in south London operated by the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust. The project is worth around £30 million. More than half of that total will be spent on delivering the M&E. Work has already started for Dowds to accurately design and agree cost on every aspect of the project prior to contractors going into the hospital at beginning of 2022, with the contract expected to be finished the following year. “Attention to detail, health and safety matched by an emphasis on delivering quality at all times is important for every type of contract,” said Julian Camphill, “and this particularly applies to work in hospitals and in our opinion will increasingly become more challenging.” “That attention to detail relates to everything we do – right down to knowing that when an operative flicks a switch, everyone is totally aware of what is on the end of that and every other circuit. It could be a patient on life support, power to a critical operating theatre – it is that important.” “Equally, we have to be aware that we are not only designing and installing infrastructure that meets today’s needs, it also has to be fit for purpose for the next 20 years or more and be capable of delivering Government carbon targets and changing patient needs.” Dowds, working from their head office in Belfast for more than 40 years, has an enviable reputation for delivering quality healthcare projects in Northern Ireland. This expertise has been transferred to London where the company is now regarded as one of the fastest growing of its kind across the capital and the rest of the UK. The Queen Elizabeth Hospital which was built in the 1950s and later modernised in the 1990s under a PFI agreement is in urgent need of refurbishment and modernisation to bring the building up to modern standards. Dowds, who will be working closely with the NHS Trust to ensure minimum disruption to staff and patients throughout the refurbishment, will be responsible for upgrading all of the electrical infrastructure. They will further upgrade the facilities for medical gas supplies such as oxygen, the climate control and all the other M&E areas across the site. The Queen Elizabeth Hospital is the latest in a growing number of healthcare success stories for Dowds, which include just about every major hospital in Northern Ireland together with scheme at Addenbrookes, Merseyside, Newcastle, Reading and many other parts of the country. With NHS Trusts probably under more pressure than ever before due to Covid and expanding waiting lists, the focus is now firmly on the M&E sector to deliver 21st Century facilities – that’s the challenge for companies like Dowds – and they are up to it.