Thanks to many changes in society as a whole, there are very few people who still have any patience. Everyone expects everything instantly or at least quickly. This is because we don’t have to wait for many things. You can instantly stream almost any movie or song directly to your
SHEFFIELD property management specialist Omnia Property Group is continuing to work with national safety organisations to ensure the safety of all its national portfolio of properties in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy. The Omnia team – accredited members of the Association of Residential Managing Agents – have been
Head to any UK town or city and you’ll come across a pop-up restaurant. Unlike traditional restaurants that tend to serve tried and tested cuisines they know people love, like pub grub, Italian, and Chinese, pop-up restaurants often include more experimental dishes. If you’re a budding a chef, who has
Owners of small and medium-sized enterprises know how important it is to budget carefully. Without the safety net of a huge savings account or lots of high-dollar investments, business owners must monitor their cash flow scrupulously. If you’re just starting your SME, you understand how critical following your budget is
The decision to do a home improvement project on your own has many pros and cons. Among the most substantial benefits are money savings and total control over the changes happening to your home. On the other hand, you are burdened with many responsibilities. For example, you have to do
The allocation of £500 million towards reducing carbon emissions in 50,000 social housing and low-income households across England and Scotland have been welcomed by insulation specialist Actis. The money, which is being distributed to more than 300 local authorities under the government’s Green Homes Grant, will fund energy saving initiatives
families call for increase in site security A call has gone out to urge property owners of construction sites or abandoned properties to ensure children cannot access them over the Easter holidays, after families in Stoke-on-Trent fear a child might be injured if a former school is not demolished. Also
From the initial designs to all the calculations and specifications required for the materials, there are many forms of Intellectual Property (IP) in any kind of construction project. Therefore, IP protection is something that should concern anyone involved in managing or owning a construction company. At first glance, it may
Planning application submitted which will boost the city’s life science sector CEG has submitted a planning application seeking to revitalise Drapers Yard on Marshall Street in Leeds for Labcorp, a global diagnostics and drug development company at the heart of life-science innovation in Leeds. It marks further investment by Labcorp
Derwent Facilities Management Ltd have been awarded a place on Prosper’s Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) for Compliance and Facilities Management Services worth an estimated £250m. This DPS offers a range of compliance, hard and soft FM services as well as a full facilities management provision for public sector organisations across
Thanks to many changes in society as a whole, there are very few people who still have any patience. Everyone expects everything instantly or at least quickly. This is because we don’t have to wait for many things. You can instantly stream almost any movie or song directly to your phone in a moment. This availability to get instant gratification has changed the way many industries handle business. The Traditional Way to Sell a Home Until recently most people sold their homes by using a real estate agent. When you sell your home in the traditional way you contact a real estate agent and they come out to look at your home and make suggestions for repairs and improvements that can make the house sell for a larger amount and quicker than it would if sold as-is. A realtor makes a commission of the sales amount so they will encourage you to do a lot of work for your home to increase the value before placing it on the market. Once you finish paying for all the work the realtor will have pictures of the home taken and list it on MLS. MLS the system relators use to post all homes that are for sale. Then it is a waiting game there is no way to know how long the home will sit on the market before it sells or if it will ever sell. There is also no way to know for sure how much the home will sell for and once it finally sales you still have to subtract several other fees. You will need to account for your realtor’s commissions, closing cost, all the money you spend to keep your home on the market, and all the repairs you made. The New Way to Sell a Home There are now companies online that allow you to sell your home from the comfort of your couch. When you choose to use one of these companies, you will not have to make any repairs or improvements to your home. You simply go to the companies website and provide them with your address and they will do the rest of the work. Most of these companies will have you cash offers to buy your home within a week. These companies do their research on your home and find out what it would sell for in perfect condition. They then advise several investors that they work with the condition of your home and the possible value. These investors then compete with offers to buy your house and the company sends those offers to you. If you chose to accept an offer you can close quickly and you get one hundred percent of the selling price in your pocket. Sundae is a great example of one of these companies. When you chose them to help you sell your house they can give you a guaranteed timeline and a guaranteed amount of profit. The traditional way of selling a home does not allow for either of these to be a sure thing. This makes selling your home with companies like Sundae a great choice for someone who hates the unknown. If you enjoy a gamble maybe the traditional way is right for you but knowing you can walk away with money sooner than later is always an attractive offer. Now that you know companies like Sundae offer a new way to sell your home online, it is time for you to look into the process. You can get offers on your home without making any kind of commitment to make the sale. This will allow you to at least see what you could walk away with without sinking any more money into your home. Look into one of these companies so that you can know what your options are and maybe have your house sold faster than you thought was even possible.
SHEFFIELD property management specialist Omnia Property Group is continuing to work with national safety organisations to ensure the safety of all its national portfolio of properties in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy. The Omnia team – accredited members of the Association of Residential Managing Agents – have been actively engaged with ARMA-led seminars and with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Building Safety programme about the revised compliance framework introduced by new regulations and the potential impact they would have on leaseholders and landlords. And the company has established a dedicated External Façades Working Group, consisting of qualified residential property managers and building surveyors, to ensure that any properties that Omnia manages have non-compliance issues progressed in a safe, timely and professional manner. The Grenfell Tower tragedy unfolded on June 14 2017 when a fire broke out in the 24-storey Grenfell Tower block of flats in Kensington, London, resulting in 72 deaths and more than 70 injuries. The disaster was the worst UK residential fire since the Second World War and a subsequent public inquiry found that the building’s exterior did not comply with regulations and was the central reason why the fire spread with such devastating consquences. The Omnia Property Group works across all areas of the property market including block and commercial property management, offices, student accommodation, residential lettings and facilities management. Its portfolio includes the management of 1,000,000 square feet of office space, 1,500 residential properties and student beds across the UK and more than 1,800 block management units – more than £650,000,000 worth of property in total. “The emerging focus on exterior wall safety in the wake of Grenfell has created a further challenge for landlords and asset owners in a market already subject to high levels of fluctuation and uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Managing Director Joanne Race. “When the government released the Building Safety Advice for Building Owners Guidance in January 2020, it was interpreted throughout industry as mandating that a building’s exterior wall systems must be compliant with regulations. “A subsequent consequence of the guidance’s release has seen mortgage lenders and surveyors raise safety concerns about buildings during the sales process, rendering some apartments and even entire buildings as unsellable without remedial works being undertaken.” The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) designed and issued the External Wall System form (EWS1) as a mechanism to remove such barriers to transactions, whilst providing all parties with assurances that the building had been appropriately reviewed and was deemed safe for occupation and use. An EWS1 form can only be completed by a suitably qualified, professional surveyor and usually only after extensive surveys are undertaken of the building to determine if the cladding, materials, and construction methods are safe and compliant. The government has made available £3.5 billion to help fund work on unsafe exterior wall systems on high-rise buildings where they have been identified as non-compliant with the new regulatory framework. “We have been able to liaise with our clients to facilitate required surveys, well in advance of other operators within the industry,” said Joanne “Buildings within our managed portfolio that may be impacted by the new regulatory framework are already well advanced with ensuring their compliance with the new guidance and, where appropriate, funding applications to the government in anticipation of any required remedial works. “As part of our commitment to ensuring our client’s assets have their value protected and maintain compliance, we have been working alongside national leaders in cladding remedial works to familiarise ourselves with emerging industry best practice and ensure that the advice we provide clients is current and relevant. “Working alongside the South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, we have also maintained diligent and straightforward communication with our landlords and their tenants during this process. “The penalties and indirect negative impact on valuation that non-compliance with the new guidance and revised regulatory framework can impose on landlords are substantial. “But Omnia is now well positioned to advise clients on the impact of these new regulations and how best to navigate their requirements to protect the value of your asset, ensure its compliance and maintain its safety.”
Head to any UK town or city and you’ll come across a pop-up restaurant. Unlike traditional restaurants that tend to serve tried and tested cuisines they know people love, like pub grub, Italian, and Chinese, pop-up restaurants often include more experimental dishes. If you’re a budding a chef, who has the skills, tastebuds, and even the cookware to get started, but are still unsure if a pop-up restaurant is for you, we’ve got some interesting facts and figures that might just persuade you to take the plunge. What is a pop-up restaurant? A pop-up restaurant is a place where customers can get food for a limited time at a temporary location. They can be open to the public or in an event setting. Pop-up restaurants can be in situ for a few hours or a few months. Why pop-up restaurants are so popular? Pop-ups are a relatively inexpensive way for a chef to get their name out to the public or help establish the restaurant brand in a new area. Established restaurants can benefit from pop-ups by trialling a new concept or new menu. One of the great things about pop-up restaurants is that they give chefs the chance to test their new dishes on the actual public. This is especially helpful for younger chefs with low amounts of capital who aren’t able to use kitchen facilities without risking bankruptcy. Pop-up restaurants also allow owners to test the brand model at a much lower cost. Another benefit of pop-ups is that they allow you to be flexible with pricing to a certain extent. You can experiment with flat tickets, prix fixe menus (which is the favoured pricing for most pop-ups). Unlike a la carte menu pricing, prix fix allows you to charge a set amount per head. How 2020 impacted the industry When millions of restaurants around the world closed their doors last year, you may be forgiven in thinking the food and beverage sector was obliterated. But in fact, it highlighted how many of our social interactions are centred around good food. According to Companies House, takeaway food shops and mobile food stands accounted for 9,062 new businesses. Pop-up restaurants are opening up everywhere, from parks to warehouses, private gardens and pedestrianised streets – and it’s a trend that looks set to stay. Covid-19 forced nearly every sector of enterprise to rethink their role and business model, and the restaurant industry is no different. With more than 172,217 empty commercial buildings in the UK, there’s a real opportunity for landlords to embrace the pop-up trend. The constant change in inhabitants will also have a knock-on effect for the wider community in bringing people back into town and city centres.
Owners of small and medium-sized enterprises know how important it is to budget carefully. Without the safety net of a huge savings account or lots of high-dollar investments, business owners must monitor their cash flow scrupulously. If you’re just starting your SME, you understand how critical following your budget is to your business’s success. However, one area that new business owners often forget to budget for is taxes, so follow these steps to make sure that you’ve adequately prepared for tax season. 1. Get Professional Accounting Help You try to limit the number of employees in your early days so that you make more profit each month. After all, each full-time employee you hire represents 40 hours of wages every week. However, when it comes to accounting services, you must invest in professional, full-time employees. Working with a certified public accountant or an accounting firm gives you peace of mind that you’re working within your budget. Taxes become more complicated as your SME expands, and your accounting team is ready to help you understand the wide variety of business arrangements that affect your taxes: Sole proprietorships Joint-stock businesses Nonprofit organizations Additionally, accountants help you navigate complex situations such as value-added taxes, residual taxes, and salary deductions. To avoid fines from improperly filing your taxes and to maximize your refund, find your professional accounting team today. 2. Learn About Duties Most countries require businesses to file their income taxes annually, but some taxes and duties occur more frequently. Duties are taxes charged by countries when you export or import goods. For example, if you run a restaurant chain and you import wine from France to the United States, you must pay duties on each shipment of wine’s value. If your shipments are worth less than a few hundred dollars, you probably don’t have to pay taxes on them, but you should still check the laws carefully for each country in which you conduct business. Also, remember that the percentage you’re charged varies depending on what products you’re shipping, so don’t expect to pay the same amount for all your international shipments. Because duties are charged at the border, you can easily budget for these taxes each month rather than handling the entire payment once a year. Work with your accounting team to calculate each shipment’s taxes, and include that value in your materials budget. Consider using a spreadsheet to keep track of each country’s reporting and taxation requirements. 3. File Your Paperwork Carefully Filing your taxes is a nightmare if you don’t keep track of your paperwork carefully. As a business owner, you’re responsible for many forms for your SME: Cash flow statements Investment reports Property value assessments Employees’ pay rates and hours Loan statements Customers’ invoices All of these forms combine to provide the information your accounting team needs to complete your taxes. Store each one in a secure location, and scan them so that you have copies in the cloud in case your files are damaged or stolen. If you struggle to stay organized with so much paperwork, work with your office assistant to develop a method for maintaining your forms. 4. Watch for Legal Changes Every country’s laws change regularly, but this is especially true for tax laws, which tend to change when different parties or factions gain control of the government. For example, in the US, if the Republican Party is in control, taxes tend to go down; if the Democratic Party is in control, they often go up. Whenever tax laws are up for debate in a country in which you work, watch the process carefully. Bills frequently change as they become laws, so you can’t count on any clause taking effect until the entire bill passes. For example, a politician introduces a bill that increases taxes on companies that use fossil fuels, but environmental concerns do not have enough support, so other politicians vote to remove that part of the bill. Whenever a new tax law is released, make sure that you understand it thoroughly before filing taxes in accordance with it. Talk to your accounting team to make sure they understand the changes, and if anyone is unsure what something means, reach out to a tax lawyer. Ask him or her to brief your company on the recent changes and give you advice on implementing them. Your SME’s income varies greatly from year to year, especially when you’re just getting started. Watch out for the different income levels in your country’s new tax laws, as most nations have progressive taxes. Just because you were in a certain bracket with the previous tax law doesn’t mean that you’re going to be in the same bracket this season. By taking these four steps, you ensure that your SME’s taxes are filed correctly, no matter how complicated your financial system is.
The decision to do a home improvement project on your own has many pros and cons. Among the most substantial benefits are money savings and total control over the changes happening to your home. On the other hand, you are burdened with many responsibilities. For example, you have to do all the work yourself and choose what materials and tools you will use. We are here to help you pick the right equipment for the job. You don’t even have to buy it – there are many companies that offer tools for hire at a reasonable price. No matter if you need to decorate your home or make some small repairs, these tools will help ensure that your home improvement project is a success. Paint Sprayer Painting a small or large space requires a lot of time and physical strength. That is why you need a paint sprayer. This equipment will save you a lot of time and effort and make your job much easier. You can use it to paint walls, ceilings, doors, and other surfaces that are hard to reach. Caulking Gun No matter if you are going to paint, repair leaks or just change the color of your bathroom tiles, you need a caulking gun. Caulking is a crucial part of any home improvement project because it allows you to seal small cracks and holes that may appear in the future. You should buy a high-quality gun that is both durable and easy to use. Hammer Drill Fixing a leaky faucet or painting the ceiling is much easier when you use a hammer drill. It will drill holes into the wall or floor, which is necessary to install new fixtures or set up a curtain rod. It is a necessary tool if you want to replace an old sink or shower stall with a new one. Saw You cannot finish home improvement projects without a saw. It will help you cut off broken parts from wooden furniture, install new cabinets in the kitchen and perform many other tasks. When buying saws, you should opt for a high-quality brand that will serve you for years to come. Hammer A hammer is one of those basic tools that you should always have around the house. Whether you need to drive nails into the wall or remove old tiles from the floor, this simple tool will help you do so within minutes. A standard hammer is good enough for most projects, but a hammer drill is better in this case because it allows you to drill holes into the floor or wall. Wire Cutters If you are looking to renovate your home, you will probably need to use wire cutters. They can help you disconnect old wiring or cable lines. It is also a useful tool if you need to mount a new ceiling lamp or hang a new chandelier. It is advisable to use a high-quality brand when buying wire cutters. This will guarantee that it can withstand heavy use and will not break easily. Nail Gun If you have to hang up anything in your home, a nail gun should be at your service. This tool will help you avoid making holes in the walls and ensure that your project is durable. If you are planning to hang up drywall, it will be very hard to do so without a nail gun. Multimeter A multimeter is a must-have tool if you are going to repair electrical issues in your home. It allows you to check if the wiring is working properly and determine if there are any problems with the electrical outlets or switches. It is also perfect for checking the amount of current that is being used by your appliances, which is a very important component of home improvement projects. Pliers Pliers are another useful tool that is essential for home improvement projects. From pulling out nails to twisting wires together, pliers can help you tackle any task. The best pliers are made of a heavy and durable material that ensures maximum durability. Plastic Putty Knife A putty knife is an essential tool if you want to do any kind of home improvement project. This inexpensive tool will be useful if you want to paint or install new cabinets in your kitchen, bathroom, or garage. It can also be used to scrape old paint off the walls. Level Whether you are hanging a photo frame or painting the living room, a level is a must-have tool for every homeowner. It is used to make sure that everything is level and straight. This tool will help you avoid headaches and ensure that your home improvement project is a success. Utility Knife If you are looking to renovate your home, you will probably need to use a utility knife. It is a very helpful tool that can help you cut plastic or wood pieces that you want to use in your project. You can also use it to remove old flooring or wallpaper. Wrench You cannot complete home improvement projects without wrenches. They are a perfect choice if you want to install fixtures or make plumbing and electrical repairs. A good wrench should be made of a sturdy material that will not break easily. The Bottom Line As you can see, home improvement projects can be as easy or as complex as you want them to be. You don’t have to be an experienced DIY enthusiast to engage in some of them. After all, we all need to start somewhere, even if at first we can’t do too much. If you’re just starting your journey in the world of DIY home improvement projects, remember that the beginnings may be rough. You may not have the right supplies, and sometimes you may even need to borrow or rent certain pieces of equipment. Still, keep your eyes on the prize and keep on learning. With time, you’ll be a DIY pro!
The allocation of £500 million towards reducing carbon emissions in 50,000 social housing and low-income households across England and Scotland have been welcomed by insulation specialist Actis. The money, which is being distributed to more than 300 local authorities under the government’s Green Homes Grant, will fund energy saving initiatives for fuel poor households. The measures include insulation in lofts, floors and in walls, as well as renewables such as solar panels and heat pumps. Actis UK and Ireland sales director Mark Cooper said the move was an important step towards helping improve the thermal efficiency of some of the UK’s poorest performing homes. “Around 25% of Britain’s housing stock is more than 100 years old. It is amongst the worst housing stock in the whole of Europe when it comes to energy efficiency, and is responsible for a third of our carbon emissions. Improving insulation is a pretty crucial element in enabling the nation to reduce its carbon emissions,” he said. He stressed the importance of adopting a “fabric first” approach. “It makes financial sense to ensure that the existing building fabric is as energy efficient as possible before spending resources on other measures. Insulation is generally among the most cost effective and long-lasting measures, and thus the best investment. The Actis Hybrid range tackles U-values, thermal bridging and airtightness. As the products are flexible and can bend round corners and be gently moulded into gaps, they are excellent at creating a thermal envelope, free of gaps through which heat could otherwise escape. The £500 million Green Homes Grant allocation, whose recipients were announced this week, will be augmented by the £62 million first tranche of funding from the government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund.
families call for increase in site security A call has gone out to urge property owners of construction sites or abandoned properties to ensure children cannot access them over the Easter holidays, after families in Stoke-on-Trent fear a child might be injured if a former school is not demolished. Also a report in The Times cited that young people were breaking into building sites, including a rising trend in ‘urban explorers’ out to investigate unusual, abandoned properties. As schools break up for Easter, the property security specialists, VPS, have heeded the call from parents to warn owners about the risks to children tempted to use building sites or derelict premises as playgrounds during the holidays. “Construction sites and abandoned buildings are a magnet for children looking to explore and play” says Darron Cavanagh, Chief Operating Officer for VPS, “And not only children, but the growing interest in ‘urban exploring’ means many youths and adults are also curious trespassers. But they can be dangerous places. Last June, an urban explorer fell to his death from the roof of an abandoned dairy in Devon.” “Property and landowners of vacant sites are responsible for keeping them safe and secure whilst they lie empty. To remove combustible materials, ensure access points are well-protected, and, for particularly vulnerable sites, to consider remotely monitored CCTV. Quite apart from the costs of rectifying damage from arson or vandalism, if a serious injury or worse happens to anyone – even if they are trespassing – the owners can be held liable if they are found to have been negligent.” The VPS Group is Europe’s leading temporary security specialist, providing an Intelligent Triple Protection service, securing sites with the widest range of solutions from Monitored Technology such as 24/7 alarms, CCTV Towers, perimeter monitoring and scaffold alarms, as well as traditional Physical Protection, such as steel panels and doors, and Human Intervention – whether that be prevention through use, patrols or surge guarding and inspections. No matter how challenging it is to secure a specific site, VPS can combine the widest range of options to find the best-fit solution for every customer.
From the initial designs to all the calculations and specifications required for the materials, there are many forms of Intellectual Property (IP) in any kind of construction project. Therefore, IP protection is something that should concern anyone involved in managing or owning a construction company. At first glance, it may be a bit difficult to choose the right form of protection for your company and projects because there are several different laws and regulations for various situations. For instance, it’s important to know when to use a trademark or a patent (among others). Also, when it comes to the construction industry, you won’t just be protecting designs and ideas – there are also other items that need protection such as methods of building, machinery used, and materials. That’s why, in order to make sure others won’t profit from your hard work, it’s important to learn how to protect intellectual property. This usually requires knowledge of IP protection laws in your state, but it’s also a good idea to have a specialist review your actions and provide guidance. Why IP Protection is Vital in Constructions Contractors have a complex job that involves a lot more than just physical labor. In fact, the part we all see (the actual construction work) is among the last steps they need to take. But, for a project to reach this stage, there are lots of other elements to consider and plenty of issues to solve. The early parts of a construction project require collaboration with all sorts of specialists, institutions, material suppliers, subcontractors, and owners. Therefore, without proper protection, it is easy for a construction company to lose sight of trade secrets and other IP items that may lead to a loss in profits. In fact, each construction company has its own way of doing things, which can be damaging if it would be rebranded and copied by the competition. Let’s take architectural copyrights as an example (these are among the most interesting intellectual property concepts in this industry). Copyrights can cover blueprints, technical design documents, architectural works, elevations, and more. The rights are usually attributed to the creator (which, in this case, is the architect or the engineer) but can be bought or assigned through a contract. The company can also register the contract at the Copyright Office, but it’s not mandatory in most cases. Another form of IP protection is the utility patent (the most common type of patent), but it may be a bit difficult to obtain since there are already lots of patents related to the construction industry. The patent can make reference to a wide range of elements such as materials, business methods, construction processes, even equipment. However, the litigation for patent infringement can be quite expensive and it’s oftentimes risky, which is why a specialist would recommend adding a contractual clause that prevents anyone involved from leaking out information about IP. Wrap Up Whether you’re a small contractor or a modern company looking to implement life-changing construction projects, IP protection is vital for the well-being and future of your business. Therefore, make sure to find a reliable IP lawyer and advisors that can help you put in place procedures and systems to keep prying eyes away from your intellectual property treasures.
Planning application submitted which will boost the city’s life science sector CEG has submitted a planning application seeking to revitalise Drapers Yard on Marshall Street in Leeds for Labcorp, a global diagnostics and drug development company at the heart of life-science innovation in Leeds. It marks further investment by Labcorp Drug Development into the local economy. The company currently operates out of two sites in Leeds and plans to consolidate the team into one building for more efficient, collaborative working, as well as having the opportunity to double in size, retaining and creating almost 300 highly skilled scientific and healthcare jobs in the city. Labcorp delivers vital medical research and has worked on most of the available COVID-19 vaccines and is currently involved in more than 400 studies for COVID-19 globally. The new facility offers an exciting opportunity to offer enhanced scientific outcomes and clinical trial testing, something which has become all the more vital during the current pandemic. “The new Covance by Labcorp facility will be a gold standard clinical pharmacology investigational unit, commensurate with the outstanding global reputation of the UK Life Sciences sector,” said Oren Cohen, M.D., chief medical officer and general manager, Clinical Pharmacology Services at Covance by Labcorp. “The new facility will allow us to continue our important work to test next-generation medicines that may improve health and improve lives in an exciting new environment that highlights the growing role of Leeds as a leader in life sciences.” CEG would manage the delivery of the new facility and aims to enable occupation by summer 2022. It would include a 100-bed clinic, pharmacy and Labcorp’s UK office headquarters. Drapers Yard would be dramatically transformed with a new façade, roof top amenity space with a green, sedum roof and new landscaping and planting on Marshall Street and Sweet Street. At the heart of the Temple area of Leeds City Centre, biodiversity will be enhanced and the setting of heritage assets protected, including the adjacent Grade 1 Listed Temple Works. It will provide employment opportunities and kick start high value economic development. Drapers Yard is located within the Temple masterplan area where CEG, alongside Leeds City Council, are bringing forward further development. Here, there is the potential to provide some 4 million sq ft of high quality accommodation with Temple Works as its heart as a cultural centrepiece. Antonia Martin-Wright, head of investment at CEG, said: “This is a really exciting opportunity to deliver a UK Centre of Excellence for Labcorp. It will be a sustainable and energy efficient development, designed with occupant well-being in mind. “It will bring a welcome economic boost to Temple supporting the city’s post-covid recovery plans and helping to create a cluster for science, knowledge and innovation. The commitment to the site will also help to build further confidence that this is a fantastic business destination, just minutes from Leeds City Station, helping to attract future inward investment opportunities.” Councillor James Lewis, leader of Leeds City Council, said: “This is a hugely-exciting piece of news for Leeds, and one that will strengthen the city’s reputation as a place where cutting-edge tech and a sense of history come together to positive effect. “We already have an unrivalled health ecosystem, with four out of five NHS national offices being based here. In addition, Leeds is home to one of the largest concentrations of medical device companies in the UK and a rich pool of health, science and digital talent. “Labcorp’s medical research, drug development and clinical trial testing can change lives and Leeds’s supporting role in this work is a real source of pride. The commitment to retaining and creating high-quality jobs in the city is also a timely boost as we begin our recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. “Furthermore, Labcorp’s choice of Drapers Yard is testament to the impressive momentum being generated in both the Temple district and the wider South Bank area, which is one of the largest city centre regeneration schemes in the country. The many transformative projects taking shape here include a collaboration between the council and CEG that is designed to bring Temple Works back into sustainable long-term use.” Roger Marsh OBE DL, Chair of the LEP and NP11 group of Northern local enterprise partnerships, said: “Labcorp has chosen Leeds City Region to build its new state-of the-art facility as our thriving health ecosystem matches their ambitious plans to create game-changing developments in clinical trials. Our region is a world-renowned centre of excellence in health and life sciences and Labcorp’s new facility will allow research to continue at the forefront of clinal trials – from their base in Leeds City Region. “I am delighted that our longstanding relationship with Labcorp is further strengthened as they continue to invest here. Their new facility will drive forward the efficacy of clinical trials, improving the effectiveness of medicines that will have impacts on the health of populations across the globe. This new facility at Drapers Yard places Labcorp at the heart of the city’s Temple District, connecting the city centre to the southern districts of Leeds and creating a vibrant, smart city. “Companies that commission a Labcorp clinical trial will see first-hand that our region offers an ideal location to invest and grow. I very much look forward to welcoming Labcorp to Leeds and the City Region later this year.”
Derwent Facilities Management Ltd have been awarded a place on Prosper’s Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) for Compliance and Facilities Management Services worth an estimated £250m. This DPS offers a range of compliance, hard and soft FM services as well as a full facilities management provision for public sector organisations across the North East of England, Cumbria and North Yorkshire. The DPS caters for specific areas with eight lots including heating services, legionella and water treatment management, extraction/ventilation services, security systems and full FM provision. Neal Grant, Head of Business Development at Derwent fm said “Derwent fm are delighted to be awarded a place on Prosper’s Compliance & FM DPS, we look forward to working with the team at Prosper and expanding our public sector client portfolio in this important geographical region”. Tim Jennett, Head of Procurement – Design at Prosper, said: “It’s great to have Derwent fm on our DPS for Compliance & Facilities Management Services. We think the company will be a good fit on the solution and look forward to working with them.” All Prosper DPSs are compliant solutions and the organisation go through a robust selection process when awarding.