Kenneth Booth

£13M ORDER BOOK PROVIDES STRONG START TO MILESTONE YEAR

A family-owned construction company has made a strong start to its golden jubilee year with a £2.5m contract to build an extension at a Cheshire school, taking its order book to over £13m. MC Construction, which is based in Salford, has begun work on the scheme at Park Lane Special

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Revealed: Tradespeople losing more than £1,000 per year from withheld payments

Plumbers face more delayed payments than any other trade  Experts share advice for securing late payments  UK tradespeople are seeing over £1,000 of payments per year withheld by customers following a completed job.  The research, conducted by IronmongeryDirect, found that an average £1,062 is owed to tradies across the UK. A third (33%) said they were waiting for over £1,000 from customers for completed

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PLANNING SECURED FOR £24MILLION DEVELOPMENT IN YORKSHIRE

Network Space has secured outline consent for a £24million industrial development at Vector 31 West in Rotherham, close to Junction 31 of the M1. Network Space will now advance plans for up to 254,000 sq. ft of E(g), B2 and B8 employment space on the 22-acre site. Indicative plans approved

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Cable Services moving into a new purpose build Head Office

Cable Services Group are the UK’s leading Specialist Electrical Distributor. We stock and supply both cable and cable accessories to the domestic and international markets, sourced from a select number of leading product manufacturers from our UK locations. We have branches located in Glasgow, Liverpool, Wrexham, Stone and Swindon, which

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NEW AMAZON DISTRIBUTION CENTRE OPTS FOR BRANDSAFE IMPACT PROTECTION

New electric vehicle (EV) charge point protectors are part of a package of safety and impact protection equipment from specialist Brandsafe that have been specified for Amazon’s new North East warehouse and distribution centre. The move sees Brandsafe supplying its impact resistant protection posts, bollards and highly visible HLGV and

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Kite Packaging have brought to market their new range of reusable, recyclable and biodegradable shredded paper

The employee-owned business has recently added a wide range of innovative solutions to their ecommerce offering providing customers with sustainable alternatives, their latest one being shredded paper. Kite’s reusable, recyclable and biodegradable FSC and PEFC certified shredded paper is the perfect sustainable void fill solution for not only protecting items

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Latest Issue
Issue 345 : Oct 2026

Kenneth Booth

£13M ORDER BOOK PROVIDES STRONG START TO MILESTONE YEAR

A family-owned construction company has made a strong start to its golden jubilee year with a £2.5m contract to build an extension at a Cheshire school, taking its order book to over £13m. MC Construction, which is based in Salford, has begun work on the scheme at Park Lane Special School in Macclesfield. The contract has been awarded by Cheshire East Council, procured through the North West Construction Hub framework. It follows a project completed at the school which saw MC Construction build an emergency temporary mobile classroom block for the new pupil intake last September. The latest Park Lane project means the company has secured more than £5.5m of education schemes for Cheshire East Council in the past couple of years. These include one at Elworth Church of England Primary School in Sandbach, where MC Construction is building an extension to house four classrooms, offices, toilets and other facilities in a £1.5m scheme. The project also includes the creation of sports pitches and courts and a forest school area with trail paths. Founded in 1971 by Charles Lowe and John Purcell, MC Construction has entered its milestone year with a strong order book, having secured contracts totalling more than £13m across the education, public sector, healthcare, leisure, heritage and industrial sectors. The company is extending and refurbishing a two-storey building at Park Lane School alongside associated external works to form a new teaching block. Park Lane School provides education for children with severe learning difficulties, complex needs and autism. The development will enable the school to increase pupil numbers from 82 to 122, in line with the council’s strategy of increasing specialist provision in the Macclesfield area. David Lowe, managing director of MC Construction and the son of co-founder Charles Lowe, said: “We are delighted to be working with Cheshire East Council once again and are immensely proud to be involved in this and other vital education projects in the area. “The works will significantly boost educational provision in the borough. Improving the facilities and teaching environment at Park Lane School will enhance the outstanding resources that it already provides for its pupils. “The school remains fully operational during the project, which has been carefully planned to minimise disruption, with an emphasis on ensuring the children feel safe and enjoy the construction works. “Park Lane School and Elworth have welcomed us with open arms as we work together to ensure the construction works are delivered safely. “With a strong pipeline of contracts across a number of sectors, we have begun our 50th year in business in great shape and look forward to the future with optimism.”

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Revealed: Tradespeople losing more than £1,000 per year from withheld payments

Plumbers face more delayed payments than any other trade  Experts share advice for securing late payments  UK tradespeople are seeing over £1,000 of payments per year withheld by customers following a completed job.  The research, conducted by IronmongeryDirect, found that an average £1,062 is owed to tradies across the UK. A third (33%) said they were waiting for over £1,000 from customers for completed jobs, whilst nearly one in ten (7%) are owed over £3,000.  Nearly two thirds (61%) of tradespeople have had payments withheld by customers, which occurs twice per year on average. More than one in ten (12%) however, experience withheld payments more than five times a year.  Only 6% of tradespeople say that the payment issues are resolved within a week, whilst more than one in five (22%) have had to wait more than a month to be paid for a job.  Plumbers were found to be the most likely to have to deal with payment problems, experiencing withheld cash 2.6 times per year on average. Landscapers, meanwhile, experienced the fewest issues, with an annual average of only 1.2 times.  Trades most likely to have payments withheld (times per year)  Plumber: 2.6   Electrician: 2.4  Builder: 2.3  Bricklayer: 2.2  Carpenter: 1.9  Surveyor: 1.8  Joiner: 1.7  Painter & decorator: 1.6  Plasterer: 1.3  Landscaper: 1.2  Builders are owed the most, with an average of £1,375 withheld by customers, with nearly half (45%) saying they had over £1,000 of outstanding payments. Bricklayers (44%) and carpenters (40%) are experiencing similar rates of withheld cash.  Plasterers were found to be owed the least, with an average of £535 outstanding, followed by landscapers (£615).  Female tradies were found to receive payment quicker than their male counterparts, experiencing higher rates of payment within a week (8% vs 4%) and within a fortnight (34% vs 20%).  However, women were also found to be owed higher sums of money, with an average of £1,168 outstanding, compared to £972 for men.  When it comes to age, millennials (25-34 year olds) are more likely to experience withheld payments than older tradespeople, with an average of 2.5 payment issues per year, compared to 1.6 for 55–64-year-olds and 1.7 for over 65s. People in this age group were also more likely to be owed larger sums of money, with millennials owed the most at £1,258 compared to other generations.  Despite this, invoice problems were solved quicker for younger generations, with 14% of millennials waiting more than a month for payment, compared to half (50%) of 55–64-year-olds.   Alison Werner from the UK’s leading business coach for trades and construction industry, The Trades Coach, said: “Be sure to display your full terms and conditions in the original quote, as well as your website. This should include a full breakdown of costs and a clause for late payments. Regular communication will also help address any misunderstandings as they arise and will also be looked upon favourably in the rare event of legal proceedings.  “There might be a reasonable reason why a customer is late paying, so it’s important not to assume the worst and firstly find out what the issue is. Having a telephone conversation is the best place to start and then follow this up with an email and regular email reminders. If payment is still not received after several months, you should consider hiring a debt recovery company who will take a small commission to recover payment on your behalf.”  Dominick Sandford, Director and Head of Merchandising & Marketing at IronmongeryDirect, said: “Withheld payments are an annoyance that every tradesperson has to deal with at some point or another, but when significant amounts are owed by customers it can become a serious threat to your financial security.  “It’s shocking to see how much tradespeople are waiting on and how long they’re having to wait for their payment following a job. We hope our useful tips help tradies get paid quicker and without any hiccups along the way.”  For more tips on dealing with outstanding payments and your legal rights, visit: https://www.ironmongerydirect.co.uk/blog/expert-tips-for-handling-unpaid-invoices 

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PLANNING SECURED FOR £24MILLION DEVELOPMENT IN YORKSHIRE

Network Space has secured outline consent for a £24million industrial development at Vector 31 West in Rotherham, close to Junction 31 of the M1. Network Space will now advance plans for up to 254,000 sq. ft of E(g), B2 and B8 employment space on the 22-acre site. Indicative plans approved show between 7 and 9 self-contained, detached units ranging from 12,500 sq. ft to 75,000 sq. ft, with design and build opportunities also available. The development could create in excess of 500 jobs once completed. Simon Eaton, Development Manager at Network Space, explains: “We are delighted to have secured consent to regenerate this high-profile brownfield site. Vector 31 West is extremely well located, just minutes from Junction 34 of the M1, and we are looking forward to building on the success of our previous developments at Vector 31. “Our intention now is to progress the development of a first phase of speculative, high quality employment units that will satisfy regional market requirements as well as national occupier needs. Simultaneously, we will be marketing the site for design and build opportunities to come forward alongside our development.” Rebecca Schofield, Partner at Knight Frank, added: “We are continuing to see strong interest for industrial and warehouse space across the South Yorkshire region, the quality of accommodation which Network Space will offer to the market will no doubt prove popular to satisfy demand.’’ Network Space has a long history with this former colliery site having delivered more than 160,000 sq. ft of industrial space across two phases at the adjacent Vector 31 development. The first phase was fully occupied within a year of completion in 2008 and is currently occupied by a range of national and international businesses, including parcel delivery giant Hermes. The Vector 31 Networkcentre was sold in 2018 in a £91 million deal to InfraRed Capital Partners Limited as part of a 1 million sq. ft portfolio of 25 industrial sites and two development sites. Network Space was supported in its application by Harris Partnership, Walker Sime, Spawforths, Tetra Tech and Infrastructure Planning & Design. Knight Frank is appointed as agent with NSM set to provide asset management services.

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Winvic Appointed to Construct UK’s Largest Ever Single Occupier Logistics Park for Tenant Jaguar Land Rover

Winvic Wins IM Properties Contract Following Funding from Immediate Capital Group  Winvic Construction Ltd, a leading main contractor that specialises in the design and delivery of multi-sector construction and civil engineering projects, has been awarded a contract by repeat client IM Properties to construct a 2.94 million sq ft global parts logistics centre at Mercia Park in Leicestershire. The five industrial units will be leased to Jaguar Land Rover, making this the UK’s largest single occupier logistics park. IM Properties recently announced that Intermediate Capital Group (IGC) would be forward funding the new campus – at the heart of the UK’s Golden Triangle – which will service 80 countries. Aiming for the scheme to be Net Zero in construction, Mercia Park provides a further step forward for IM Properties’ sustainability ambitions for future developments, complimenting an extensive social value programme and a skills and training initiative already underway at the scheme. Winvic’s investment in people, technologies and forward-thinking approaches to construction puts the main contractor in the ideal position to support IM Properties’ green commitments.  Units 2 and 4 are the largest, at 1,000,000 sq ft, with 514m x 181m x 18m steel frames. Units 3 and 5 are each 300,000 sq ft and Unit 1 is 200,000 sq ft and all five buildings will comprise office space, totalling 107,000 sq ft. To date, unusual project challenges have included designing the link building slabs to withstand adjacent warehouse racking leg loads and ensuring the structural frame can tolerate enhanced loading in block stacking areas.   The Winvic team started works on Monday, 15 February and the project will be handed over in September 2022. However, Winvic has been on site at the north-west Leicestershire logistics park site – close to Junction 11 of the M42 – since September 2020 for IM Properties, delivering a £21 million civils and infrastructure contract, including S278 works. The bulk earthwork excavations and bund creation works are now complete, planting of thousands of trees and shrubs has begun and the programme of highways works is progressing at pace. Winvic will undertake preparatory earthworks, before starting construction of the first three units to the south of the estate road, before commencing Units 4 and 5 to the north. In addition to the industrial facilities, Winvic will also be delivering associated works including the construction of five yards and car parks accommodating over 2,300 vehicles. Surface and foul water drainage installation, and external services will also be undertaken, including intricate underground connections between the completed infrastructure works and each individual unit. Additionally, the area to the north of Unit 3 presents a concentrated number of services that require complex clash detection and planning activities. Danny Nelson, Director and Head of Industrial at Winvic, commented: “We have been on an incredible journey with IM Properties to date, working on numerous projects, but schemes of this nature don’t come around too often and so Mercia Park is one we are very proud to be a part of. To be selected by IM Properties as the delivery partner on a project of this size, scale and importance is testament to the relationship that has been cultivated over many years and that we continue to be market leaders in the sector. Our investment in people, technologies and forward-thinking approaches to construction puts Winvic in the ideal position to support the green commitments made by IM Properties and we’re looking forward to constructing our largest industrial facility to date – at almost 3 million sq ft – for IMP and end user, UK automotive pioneer, Jaguar Land Rover.” Jason Jasper, UK project director for IM Properties, said: “This is not only the largest single occupier deal ever to be agreed and funded but a major planning, construction and project delivery accomplishment. We’ve taken a 238-acre site from zero to development ready in four years. Typically a scheme of this scale would be delivered in separate phases over a five-to-ten-year period. After years of investment and hard work, it will be exciting to see all six buildings come out of the ground at the same time. We have worked hard with Winvic and our supply chain to manage the logistical challenges that comes with building this volume at the same time together with managing a phased handover of the development to JLR.” Winvic is working closely with IM Properties and its supply chain to explore job and training opportunities. The Mercia Park Employment Scheme and local Employment and Skills Partnership represents a pledge to ensure local job seekers, students and businesses can benefit from the construction of the 238-acre industrial park. Six local authority areas, which surround the Leicestershire site, are being targeted during construction and people looking for an opportunity who live locally to Mercia Park can get in touch with IM Properties or Winvic. Winvic was also engaged in November by DSV to design, construct and partially fit out its new facility at Mercia Park, which comprises a warehouse, cross-dock terminal and three-storey office building. For more information on Winvic, the company’s latest project news and job vacancies please visit www.winvic.co.uk. Join Winvic on social media – visit Twitter @WinvicLtd – and LinkedIn.  

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WHAT MAKES GREAT PLACES? PLACES FOR PEOPLE AND ARUP JOIN FORCES TO LAUNCH DESIGN MANIFESTO

Places for People Group has partnered with global engineering and design consultancy Arup to launch a pioneering new design guide. The manifesto, entitled What makes great places for people? has brought together their collective expertise to propose the universal qualities and principles of great places. The recommendations are based on research into the UK’s changing demographics; the population is projected to increase to 73 million by 2041, while people in the 65+ age bracket will rise from 18% to 26% of the total population – meaning that the creation of new homes must be sustainably accelerated and considerations need to be made for older living communities. The guide also analysed societal trends including the pandemic-induced work from home trend, with 76% more people now working from home than a decade ago, Basedon these findings, Places for People and Arup created six key principles which address how developers should put people first, how new developments should be built, how existing places should be managed, and how new neighbourhoods connect to our surroundings. Key themes explored within the guide include an assessment of people, place and planet, as well as an analysis of the changing context in which developments take place – including the factors that are driving demographic, social and environmental change. It also assesses the impact of COVID-19. Places for People Group Chief Executive David Cowans explained: “Our vision is to create thriving, sustainable communities that are good for people, and for the planet, and this design guide gives us a framework which enables us to do this.” Places for People’s track record already includes more than 71,000 social and affordable rented homes currently managed by the business; in the past year the company built 1,226 affordable homes. Places for People also generated £286.1m in social value in the year ending 2020. David continued: “We have already proven how long-lasting communities can be created, with Places for People neighbourhoods up and down the country offering affordable and attainable homes for people from all backgrounds – places in which residentscan lead fulfilling lives. “Our experience shows that mixed-use and mixed-tenure places lay the foundation for social cohesion, economic prosperity, and environmental sustainability. We want to ensure that places are genuinely inclusive and have a range of facilities for the benefit of local communities to help them thrive in their work, life and leisure pursuits.” Reflecting on the partnership, Arup Director Sowmya Parthasarathy – an architect and urban designer with over 25 years of global experience, who was recently named as a Woman of Influence 2021 and led on the project, said: “The way that we live is changing and it is imperative that all developers advocate for and deliver spaces that accommodate everyone. This is essential to promote a high quality of life, and a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere for people from all backgrounds. “With this, and the National Design Guide in mind, we have collated our research and findings to propose what we believe are the essential qualities and principles of great places. These principles aim to be universal, inclusive, and relevant to all people, irrespective of their age, gender, background, family structure, or socio-economic status. “I am immensely proud to have been involved with this body of work and look forward to the principles being applied to exemplary and sustainable neighbourhoods in the future.” Underpinned by broader industry findings, the Guide has also been cross referenced against recently published Government papers including Building Better Building Beautiful, MHCLG’s National Design Guide, and the National Model Design Code. The full published document is available to download now at https://www.placesforpeople.co.uk/about-us/publications/place-design-guide/.

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Cable Services moving into a new purpose build Head Office

Cable Services Group are the UK’s leading Specialist Electrical Distributor. We stock and supply both cable and cable accessories to the domestic and international markets, sourced from a select number of leading product manufacturers from our UK locations. We have branches located in Glasgow, Liverpool, Wrexham, Stone and Swindon, which helps us service our customers more efficiently. We operate in several different markets which include: Utilities, Industrial Commercial, Power Generation & Transmission, Rail and the Oil, Gas and Petrochemical market. Our strength is our stock holding as well as our close relationships with our partners which gives us the ability to source and deliver products to support customer projects. We have a full range of products to support the utility market and have been supplying into the sector for many years.  Our basket of products includes Cable Joints and terminations, Fused Equipment, Link Boxes, Cleats, Ducting,  Earthing Accessories and many more. We work with a number of global supplies which include TE Connectivity, Henley, Prysmian, Sicame, Lovink and 3M who we can source products from to enable us to offer a one stop shop solution to the Utilities market Cable Services also have a custom built , state of the art training facility which has been specifically designed to accommodate training installations from low voltage jointing through to 132Kv. The unique 3,000sq ft facility operates in a classroom environment with full audio-visual equipment, a training workshop over 2 open plan levels; product display and demonstration areas; refreshment facilities and on-site parking. 2020 was a landmark year for the company, as we moved our head office and warehouse in Wrexham to a  NEW purpose-built head office just down the road to the Wrexham Industrial Estate.  “Following a difficult year with the covid19 outbreak, we leave 2020 behind and go into 2021 in our new home and into our 50th anniversary year of the Cable Services Group in a positive light. We continue to serve our customers in the best possibly way and look to support the market place recover following a difficult time.” Huw Evans – Marketing Manager

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NEW AMAZON DISTRIBUTION CENTRE OPTS FOR BRANDSAFE IMPACT PROTECTION

New electric vehicle (EV) charge point protectors are part of a package of safety and impact protection equipment from specialist Brandsafe that have been specified for Amazon’s new North East warehouse and distribution centre. The move sees Brandsafe supplying its impact resistant protection posts, bollards and highly visible HLGV and car wheel stops to provide improved levels of EV charge point safety and protection at the 148,477 sq. ft. logistics facility at Follingsby Park in Gateshead. The work also sees the company, which is working on the product specification side with architects SMR Architects and main contractor TSL, providing consultancy and project design alongside a package of aftersales service and support. The Gateshead site is part of plans by Amazon to boost its North East distribution activities, boosting services to millions of customers across the region. It’s anticipated that the facility, which is set to employ around 1,000 people when it opens in 2022, will operate as a freight consolidation centre, with HGVs delivering goods from larger storage facilities and vans before distributing these to the local area. Armco rails and safety barriers featuring integrated safety ends, corners and post caps together with pedestrian handrails, polywrap column protectors, security caging and fencing, and cycle shelters, are among hundreds of items of equipment also being installed by Brandsafe’s service team, to meet the requirement for safety and impact protection around the site. These are being manufactured at the company’s Milton Keynes site and involve close cooperation between product supplier and contractor teams as part of an extensive scope of work to provide added safety planning services and expertise. This is the latest success for Brandsafe, which has maintained growth and expansion in the wake a raft of new projects and a strong forward order book for the next 12 months. Paul Roehricht, UK strategic account manager, said the company is seen as a leading supplier of industrial safety and impact protection products and integrated systems for several major international logistics and retail operators. He said: “This is another prestigious project for us, showing our capability to meet the specific requirements of global customers and add value through bespoke planning and consultancy services. It vindicates our continued investment in products and services to deliver time critical, complex and high-profile contracts. “We continue to strengthen our relationship with Amazon, who are benefiting from our expertise, quality products and support resources.”

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Kite Packaging have brought to market their new range of reusable, recyclable and biodegradable shredded paper

The employee-owned business has recently added a wide range of innovative solutions to their ecommerce offering providing customers with sustainable alternatives, their latest one being shredded paper. Kite’s reusable, recyclable and biodegradable FSC and PEFC certified shredded paper is the perfect sustainable void fill solution for not only protecting items but also as an added aesthetic and is FSC and PEFC certified. Commonly used in boxes, hampers, gift bags, baskets and much more, its zig-zag shape ensure it works its way into every corner filling small gaps and providing ultimate cushioning. Available in kraft (produced from 100% recyclable materials) black and white, Kite’s smooth and uncoated 70-80gsm paper does not need fluffing up beforehand and is industrially dust-extracted therefore reducing the dusty mess often associated with other alternatives. This high-quality alternative to many void fill solutions provides great cushioning for fragile products with good holding power. For more information please visit kitepackaging.co.uk

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Expert Panel Joined by Government Climate Change Minister Moots Priorities for Heat Decarbonisation

The UK government’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) is soon expected to deliver its strategy for heat and buildings decarbonisation. Today – 31 March – BEIS Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Climate Change, Lord Callanan, joined an expert panel to discuss the beginning of the journey to zero emissions, on which the heating industry and its customers are about to embark. A key theme and outcome of the panel discussion was the pressing need for government and industry to engage consumers and influential heating installers. The widely-held view was that it was becoming essential to explain the benefits and transition path to new forms of low-carbon heat, namely hydrogen boilers, heat pumps and heat networks. Karen Boswell OBE, Managing Director of Baxi UK & Ireland, opened the virtual seminar by outlining the company’s plans to lead a sustainable heating revolution. This included Baxi’s ongoing research and development of low carbon technologies and its own role educating customers and installers. The expert panel was also attended by Emma Pinchbeck, CEO of Energy UK, Ian Rippin, CEO of Microgeneration Certificate Scheme and Mike Thornton, CEO of Energy Saving Trust, who explored the imminent need to begin decarbonising heating with current low carbon technologies, while future technologies and solutions are developed. The panellists highlighted that, although there are known technologies and solutions that will help in this process, there are still challenges. This includes upskilling heating engineers to be able to install new low-carbon heating and hot water technologies. Although the mix of low carbon technologies and its implementation has much further to go panellists agreed it was critical to deliver clear-cut solutions to meet the energy needs for the wide variety of buildings in the UK. To be successful, it was emphasised that now is the time for action in order to deliver a sustainable future for generations to come. Karen Boswell says: “We are pleased to have started the first of many discussions which demonstrate Baxi, the Government and key industry organisations are fully committed to plans for the decarbonisation of heating and buildings. “Making low carbon solutions readily available, ensuring there is a rich body of professionals to install them, and engaging the general public will be key to starting this progress. We can’t wait for a single, clear-cut solution that will likely never arise. Right now, we must get consumers and industry professionals on side to support the solutions, training and new services that are needed long into the future. “Baxi is committed to leading the low carbon heating revolution. All products we manufacture will from 2025 work with low carbon energy sources and we have pledged that, by 2030, we will be net zero across our operations in the UK.  In the meantime, we’re eager to get the conversation started with our industry partners and customers to ensure we make the transition that is coming is as smooth as possible.” To find out more about Baxi Heating’s sustainability commitments, visit: www.baxiheating.co.uk/sustainability

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