Did you know almost 100,000 people filed their tax returns on 6 April 2020, which is the first day of the tax year? With the 31 January deadline fast approaching, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) shares some little-known facts about Self Assessment tax returns. The April ‘early birds’ are not
Participants guaranteed training and an interview for jobs at sites across London Leading construction training specialist The Skills Centre, has partnered with major building contractor O’Halloran & O’Brien to attract 1,000 people to new jobs on various construction projects around the Greater London area. A free, three-week, industry-led construction training
Building contractor Pave Aways is opening a second office in Wales to support the growth of its work in Mid Wales. The firm is adding a new base in Newtown to its Welsh headquarters in Wrexham to underpin its increasing presence in the region. Its office at Ladywell House, which
G F Tomlinson has been successfully selected as an approved partner for the NHS Shared Business Services PS-Works: Public Sector Construction Works Framework, which launched on 17 December 2020. The framework will provide a compliant procurement route to market for all NHS and wider public sector construction works requirements across
Isio, one of the country’s leading independent pensions advisory firms, has signed a lease for 9,183 sq ft of offices at Royal London’s 3 Hardman Square office building in Spinningfields, Manchester. CBRE and Colliers International represented Royal London and Cushman & Wakefield acted for Isio. Isio was formed following the
Berkeley is aiming to build one of the most biodiverse developments in the UK by transforming an industrial site into a 3,750-home development with over 13 acres of new green space Located in the London Borough of Ealing, it has fantastic transport connections and will benefit from the arrival of
CHAS, the supply chain risk management expert, is urging construction companies to use Blue Monday 2021 as an opportunity to take positive action around mental health, including taking advantage of free resources such as the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity’s (Lighthouse Club) mental health and wellbeing training and their Helpline App.
East Midlands based fire and security installation and maintenance company Tecserv UK has revealed it is optimistic of achieving its year-end targets having secured a forward order book of over £1m heading into 2021. The company, which is privately owned, was founded in January 2001 and is also celebrating its 20th anniversary.
A new look has been unveiled for a Newcastle former office block as scaffolding is removed by Kapex Construction. Eldon House at Gosforth’s Regent Centre is undergoing a £5.37million transformation to redevelop the former vacant office building into 66 luxury apartments. Construction work is three months ahead of schedule and
O’Malley Plant Hire Ltd has taken delivery of the very first C50R-5A tracked carrier sold in the UK. Retailed through Taylor & Braithwaite, Yanmar’s official dealer for Cumbria, Northumberland and Durham (including Tyneside and Teesside), the new model will be used for a wide range of earthmoving applications. Added to
Did you know almost 100,000 people filed their tax returns on 6 April 2020, which is the first day of the tax year? With the 31 January deadline fast approaching, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) shares some little-known facts about Self Assessment tax returns. The April ‘early birds’ are not the only ones to make HMRC’s list of Self Assessment facts; it is also 20 years since the tax authority introduced online tax returns. In 2001, 38,000 online tax returns were filed and this year, HMRC estimates around 11 million online tax returns – quite the increase and in line with the digitisation of the tax system. HMRC’s seven Self Assessment facts are: 96,519 people filed their tax return on 6 April 2020 (first day of the tax year) It’s the 20th anniversary of Self Assessment internet filing, the service began on 3 July 2000 – with 38,000 individuals successfully sending their digital tax return by 31 January 2001 In January 2011, 3.4 million taxpayers completed a Self Assessment tax return online. This has increased to an estimated 5 million in January 2021 This year’s deadline (31 January 2021) is on a Sunday. The last time the deadline was on a Sunday was in 2016 Last year, the busiest filing day was 31 January with 702,171 returns completed The peak hour for filing last year was between 16:00 to 16:59 on 31 January when 56,969 customers filed HMRC has increased the self-serve Time to Pay threshold to £30,000 to help Self Assessment customers spread the cost of their tax bill Karl Khan, HMRC’s Interim Director General for Customer Services, said: “It’s 20 years since Self Assessment online was introduced and it’s how the vast majority of customers complete their tax return these days. Fewer and fewer people are doing it on paper each year. “There’s still time for customers to complete their tax return before the deadline, and help and support is available on GOV.UK.” HMRC expects more than 12.1 million people to complete a Self Assessment tax return. Figures released earlier this month revealed that 55% of customers have already filed their returns, with more than 6.2 million choosing to submit online (93% of all returns filed). Once customers have completed their tax return, and know how much tax is owed, they can set up their own payment plan to help spread the cost of their tax liabilities. They can use the self-serve Time to Pay facility to set up monthly direct debits online. This year, in light of the additional pressures caused by COVID-19, HMRC has increased the self-serve Time to Pay threshold to £30,000 to help Self Assessment customers spread the cost of their tax bill. Interest will be applied to any outstanding balance from 1 February 2021. To see if they’re eligible, customers can visit GOV.UK to find out more about the service. Be aware of copycat HMRC websites and phishing scams. Customers should always type in the full online address www.gov.uk/hmrc to get the correct link for their Self Assessment tax return online securely and free of charge. They also need to be alert if someone calls, emails or texts claiming to be from HMRC, saying that they can claim financial help, are due a tax refund or owe tax – it might be a scam. Check GOV.UK for information on how to recognise genuine HMRC contact.
Participants guaranteed training and an interview for jobs at sites across London Leading construction training specialist The Skills Centre, has partnered with major building contractor O’Halloran & O’Brien to attract 1,000 people to new jobs on various construction projects around the Greater London area. A free, three-week, industry-led construction training programme will be offered when lockdown ends to all that apply, together with a guaranteed job interview for work on a number of major London building projects. All the project sites are still open and have strict Covid-safe protocols in place to ensure working on site is not just productive but also protects all workers. Jon Howlin, Chief Executive of The Skills Centre, said that in a year that has rocked the construction industry, as well as the economy as a whole, it is great to launch this scheme to help those who may have been made redundant or who are looking for work in construction: “It has been great to partner with the O’Halloran & O’Brien on this project, and we encourage those who have been dealt a bad hand in the past few months to consider this chance for a new career. “The pandemic has decimated many industries such as hospitality, aerospace and manufacturing, to name but a few. What we are offering here is an amazing chance for people of all ages and from all walks of life to get free, top-notch training with our experienced construction experts though our site-ready programme. Not only that, but candidates are also guaranteed a job interview at the end of it. Some of the jobs may even turn into full apprenticeships.” All those who complete and pass the three-week course will get a Green Labourers CSCS card, Level 1 Award in Health & Safety in a Construction Environment, and Construction health and safety certificates (including manual handling). Following the training, they will be guaranteed a job interview for one of the thousand jobs on offer – including shuttering-carpenters, steel-fixers, pipe-layers, ground-workers and strikers throughout the Greater London area. Martyn Price MBE, Workforce Development Director from O’Halloran & O’Brien Ltd and Chairman of the Cross-Industry Construction Apprenticeship Task Force, said: “The industry really needs investment in new people joining the sector and so we are incredibly excited to see this programme begin. Our commitment to training is the bedrock of our business and builds on our strong foundations to deliver a safe, competent and qualified workforce for the future, and we look forward to strengthening the construction workplace with well-trained new recruits through this fantastic joint initiative with The Skills Centre.” The initiative is supported by the Construction Skills Fund, which was established in October 2018 to train a site-ready workforce to meet the needs of the construction industry. The £20 million Construction Skills Fund (CSF) comprises £17 million from the Department for Education (DfE) and £3 million from Construction Industry Training Board (CITB). In its first year of operation the CSF helped create 26 new on-site training hubs across England, of which 14 of the hubs have been approved to continue operating to June 2021. CITB’s Strategy and Policy Director Steve Radley said: “The creation of 1,000 new construction jobs in London would be a fantastic achievement as the country continues to deal with the pandemic, and every one of those 1,000 jobs will mark a turning point in that new recruit’s life. Construction urgently needs skilled new workers to build the houses, hospitals and infrastructure Britain needs to rebuild its economy, so congratulations to The Skills Centre and O’Halloran & O’Brien in providing this brilliant initiative.” The training take place in six different centres across London and the South east, in Brixton, Barnet, Bermondsey, Earls Court, Elephant and Castle and Gravesend. Anyone interested in applying should go to https://theskillscentre.co.uk/welcome-to-a-new-start-in-construction
Building contractor Pave Aways is opening a second office in Wales to support the growth of its work in Mid Wales. The firm is adding a new base in Newtown to its Welsh headquarters in Wrexham to underpin its increasing presence in the region. Its office at Ladywell House, which will open when the country’s latest lockdown ends, will be led by construction director Jamie Evans and used by its Mid Wales based team. Pave Aways completed the £2.1m conversion of the former office building into a hub for small business for the Heart of Wales Property Service last year. The firm is currently working on contracts valued at more than £26m with a third of that, including new homes for Powys County Council in Newtown and Sarn, taking place in Wales. Pave Aways, which has a Shropshire base near Oswestry, recently handed over the council’s first Passivhaus school in Welshpool in 2020 and has also been appointed to the Welsh Procurement Alliance’s Dynamic Purchasing System for Housing Construction. Managing Director Steven Owen said: “We already have a strong presence in Mid Wales and have worked on some key schemes in the region but this will allow us to provide a specific focus for our clients in the county. “We believe in having a positive impact on the area where we work and the addition of our new office will have a beneficial effect on the local economy. It will enable us to enhance the community support and education and training opportunities we can offer.” He added: “It’s a very exciting development for us and a great way to start 2021, especially after such a challenging year generally for construction. This is a positive step forward and signals our commitment to our clients in Mid Wales.”
G F Tomlinson has been successfully selected as an approved partner for the NHS Shared Business Services PS-Works: Public Sector Construction Works Framework, which launched on 17 December 2020. The framework will provide a compliant procurement route to market for all NHS and wider public sector construction works requirements across the UK, and G F Tomlinson has been appointed to deliver projects up to the value of £5million across the East Midlands, West Midlands, Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire regions. Bidding for the framework, which lines up trusted construction partners for the next seven years, started in February 2020, with 82 UK contractors vying for limited places of up to 10 for each regional lot. 41 contractors in total have been selected to work on projects up to the value of £5million across the UK including G F Tomlinson, and projects to be delivered will include healthcare, education, housing, social care, leisure, libraries, blue light, transport, recycling and waste, industrial and commercial facilities, as well as mixed use regeneration projects. As part of the complex bidding process, G F Tomlinson was required to prove innovation and sustainability in its delivery, as well as consistency of engagement with stakeholders. Following its successful appointment to the framework, the contractor must embrace and commit to eight core framework objectives when delivering projects, which include: value for money, collaboration, approved organisation satisfaction, quality, sustainable procurement, social value, modern methods of construction and an integrated supply chain. Additionally, contractors must provide the NHS and wider public sector authorities with pre-approved supply chains with suitable levels of training, experience and compliance for master planning, integrated design and construction works. Providing social value to local communities is a key framework driver, which includes the use of local supply chains to focus on SME impacts and sustainable local outputs, whilst being actively managed to ensure efficiencies and innovation are being delivered. G F Tomlinson has a strong focus on social value, and its policy and processes focus on four key investment areas including: 1. Employment, training and skills 2. Sustainable procurement 3. Environmental protection and enhancement and 4. Community support. In the last three years, the contractor has generated £22.5million of social value, investing £1million in terms of corporate time, expertise and funding to local community projects and charities. 59% of local labour is sourced within a 20-mile radius of recent projects and 89% within 40 miles of sites. The contractor also diverts 97% of all waste from its projects away from landfill. Chris Flint, director at G F Tomlinson, said: “We are very pleased to have been appointed to this major NHS Public Sector Construction Works Framework, which is streamlining the procurement route to market of all NHS and wider public sector construction work requirements across the country. We look forward to delivering significant healthcare and public sector projects for the next seven years. “G F Tomlinson has already delivered in excess of £640million projects through public sector frameworks to date and as a hardworking and tenacious team, we fully embrace the opportunities this provides in extending our reach across the UK, leaving a positive legacy in the regions in which we operate. “With our experienced management team, commitment to high-quality project delivery, collaborative working, together with the provision of social, economic, environmental and sustainable benefits for local communities, we are ideally positioned to deliver projects up to the value of £5million, as part of this NHS Framework.”
Isio, one of the country’s leading independent pensions advisory firms, has signed a lease for 9,183 sq ft of offices at Royal London’s 3 Hardman Square office building in Spinningfields, Manchester. CBRE and Colliers International represented Royal London and Cushman & Wakefield acted for Isio. Isio was formed following the sale of KPMG UK’s Pension Practice to a private equity firm in March 2020 and the firm has around 500 staff working from eight regional offices. At 3 Hardman Square, Isio will occupy part of the fourth floor. Royal London has undertaken a comprehensive investment programme at 3 Hardman Square to upgrade the ground floor reception area with the addition of a two-tiered business lounge, providing occupants of the building with informal meeting space and coffee making facilities. In addition, an impressive shower and cycle hub has been provided in the basement, which incorporates cycle racks, a drying room, lockers and shower facilities. Isio will join existing tenants the General Medical Council (GMC) and In-Touch Networks who occupy the 8th and 3rd floors respectively at 3 Hardman Square. Neil Mort, Senior Director at CBRE Manchester, commented; “Royal London’s investment into 3 Hardman Square has attracted yet another high-profile organisation to the refurbished building. To have concluded this deal during lockdown is a great result and we are confident that this will be an excellent base for Isio’s Manchester team.”
Berkeley is aiming to build one of the most biodiverse developments in the UK by transforming an industrial site into a 3,750-home development with over 13 acres of new green space Located in the London Borough of Ealing, it has fantastic transport connections and will benefit from the arrival of Crossrail to Southall Station Parkside is the first of four neighbourhoods to launch for sales, starting from £297,500 for a studio, with Help to Buy available Berkeley West Thames has officially launched its first homes for sale at The Green Quarter, a significant new development in west London aiming to be one of the most biodiverse in the UK. The 3,750-home scheme combines modern city life and outdoor living, with nearly 50 per cent of the 88-acre site comprising open green space and close to two-thirds of the homes overlooking water or green areas. Located in the London Borough of Ealing between Southall and Hayes, The Green Quarter benefits from excellent connectivity with the arrival of Crossrail at Southall Station, which is opposite the development, providing direct services to Bond Street in 17 minutes, Canary Wharf in 31 minutes and Heathrow in just 8 minutes. The Green Quarter has nature at its heart. Once complete, it will provide access to more green space than St James’s Park and Green Park combined. This includes over 13 acres of parkland across two new parks – Central Gardens, part of which will be open to the local community in the coming months, and an 8-acre wetlands being delivered in partnership with biodiversity experts London Wildlife Trust. Berkeley is also creating a series of footbridges to open up the neighbouring 90-acre Minet Country Park, enabling easy access for the whole community, while 1.2km of towpath along the Grand Union Canal has been reinstated to create a more attractive and enjoyable pedestrian and cycle route. A new town square will welcome people to The Green Quarter and lead directly to a new commercial neighbourhood, which will provide a mix of day-to-day amenities for the whole community to enjoy. As part of the development a brand-new primary school will be built, adding to the area’s strong educational facilities, which includes OFSTED Outstanding rated primary and secondary schools, such as Beaconsfield High School and Dormer Wells High School. World-renowned universities, including Royal Holloway University and Brunel University, are also within close proximity. So far, over 300 homes have been delivered at The Green Quarter, all of which are affordable, and have been offered to existing Ealing residents under either affordable rent or shared ownership. Ashley Kensington, Managing Director at Berkeley West Thames, said: “The Green Quarter is a scheme that is remarkable by nature, a place that encourages healthy living while providing easy access to central London and beyond. It is one of the most ambitious regeneration schemes Berkeley has undertaken, transforming a redundant industrial site into potentially the most biodiverse development in the UK. “The sales launch is a significant milestone and we’re excited to showcase a product which we’re extremely proud of. With two new parks, a wetlands and new access to the neighbouring 90-acre Minet Country Park, The Green Quarter is perfect for those wanting local green space – at a time when this has never been more important to buyers.” First new homes available in Parkside The first homes available for sale are in the Parkside neighbourhood. Looking out over the new park, Central Gardens, Parkside offers stunning views across landscaped grounds, trickling waterways and areas for recreational activity. Surrounded by the first of up to 2,500 trees to be planted at the development, Parkside smoothly combines modern life with the natural world. Each building benefits from podium gardens with residents also set to have access to a swimming pool, gym, co-working space, screening room, concierge and cycle store and hire. Parkside includes suites, one-, two- and three-bedroom homes, all of which have been designed for practical living, with smart heating systems and expansive French windows that open out onto a private balcony. Residents will be given the chance to personalise their home with options for carpets, timber floors and overall style palettes (subject to stage of construction). Homes at Parkside can be purchased in Arber, Edwin, Sibley and Watson house, named after local historical figures who inspired the design of the buildings. The new homes will be available to move into from February 2021. Prices and contact details The Green Quarter will include studios, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. Prices start from £297,500 for a studio, £370,000 for a one-bed, £487,500 for a two-bed and £642,000 for a three-bedroom apartment. The new Help to Buy is available on selected properties. While social distancing restrictions remain in place, visits to the new Sales & Marketing Suite and Show apartments are available by appointment only. We continue to offer phone calls, video calls and where possible, virtual tours of our homes. Appointments are available daily from 10 am to 6 pm (10 am to 8 pm Thursday); call 020 4502 3995 or head to The Green Quarter website to book an appointment. The Sales & Marketing Suite is located on Randolph Road, UB1 1BL, a short walk from Southall station.
CHAS, the supply chain risk management expert, is urging construction companies to use Blue Monday 2021 as an opportunity to take positive action around mental health, including taking advantage of free resources such as the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity’s (Lighthouse Club) mental health and wellbeing training and their Helpline App. The third Monday in January is sometimes referred to as Blue Monday because it is supposedly the saddest day of the year due to the impact of post-Christmas blues, poor weather and stretched finances. With latest HSE figures showing mental health issues at work are on the rise and coronavirus exacerbating the issue, Blue Monday 18th January 2021, has the potential to be a particular low point. CHAS is using the day to raise awareness of the availability of free resources to help construction businesses and workers take positive action around the awareness of and management of mental health. The Lighthouse Club, which provides mental, physical and financial wellbeing support to the construction community, has several free resources including a free helpline, free training programmes and a free app, described as the ultimate self-help tool in the palm of your hand. CHAS has pledged an annual donation through the Lighthouse Club’s Company Supporter programme for several years and donates £1 for every satisfaction survey that a contractor completes. In addition, in 2021 CHAS will be highlighting the Lighthouse Club to its 30,000 contractors and 2,000 clients in every monthly newsletter and on the My Contractor Portal as a reminder that the charity is there whenever construction workers need them. Sarah Still, Marketing Communications Manager at CHAS comments: “The work of the Lighthouse Club is so important and like so many other charities at a time when their work is needed funding is squeezed. We have supported them for several years, during which time their work has touched many people’s lives and helped numerous construction workers and their families. “When we heard that they had lost £750,000 in 2020 due to the cancellation of all its events and organisations being unable to hold planned ‘Lighthouse Days’ we wanted to help ensure they could keep shining their light brightly even in these difficult times. In 2021 we will continue our financial support for the Lighthouse Club and we have also pledged to help them raise awareness of the essential work they do and the resources they provide.” Bill Hill, CEO of the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity adds: “We are delighted to be partnering with CHAS to ensure that their members can access all the support they need and deserve, whether that’s support with mental, physical or financial wellbeing. As well as helping us spread the word they are also one of our valued Company Supporters who pledge an annual donation to ensure that we have predictable and sustainable income going forward. Thank you so much to everyone at CHAS for making sure that we achieve our mission of ensuring that no construction worker or their family is alone in a crisis.” Find out more about the Lighthouse Club at: https://www.lighthouseclub.org/ For more information on improving mental health in the workplace, see: https://www.chas.co.uk/blog/six-steps-to-improve-mental-well-being-in-the-workplace/
East Midlands based fire and security installation and maintenance company Tecserv UK has revealed it is optimistic of achieving its year-end targets having secured a forward order book of over £1m heading into 2021. The company, which is privately owned, was founded in January 2001 and is also celebrating its 20th anniversary. It believes it has managed to stay on track due to a consultative approach towards helping office and school building facilities managers, retailers, hotel owners and restaurant operators to fully understand their legal and compliance obligations in regard to fire safety whilst adhering to covid-19 restrictions. The new projects that company has won include Akeley Wood School in Buckinghamshire and several London based hotel and restaurants fire alarm system upgrades. The company has also been appointed to install fire and security systems into temporary buildings that have been erected in order to expand capacity at schools and health centres in order to ensure the requirement for social distancing measures can be accommodated. The £1m pipeline of new projects includes system installation and maintenance contracts for several retail outlets, more schools and a number of new build installations comprising fire, security, CCTV and access control systems. Commenting, Grahame Tilley, Chief Operating Officer, who was one of the founding directors said, “As soon as Government announcements were made in March 2020 we got on the front foot and started to advise our customers on how to maintain their fire and security systems, particularly in buildings that might not be occupied for some time. As a result of these discussions, many customers decided to use the building closure as the ideal opportunity to carry out upgrades to existing systems. This was a reaction we did not anticipate, but we are extremely grateful for this additional work as it is one of the reasons we were able to keep our team of service engineers operating at full strength.” Sales & Marketing Director Colin Milligan added, “Our company is built on care, dedication and a passion for delivering honest advice, great results and excellent customer service. The entire team has pulled together to help to ensure we reached this important milestone anniversary and can be optimistic about our future.” Tecserv UK is based in Underwood, Nottingham and employs 50 people including a team of field bases service engineers who work 24/7 on a UK wide basis 365 days a year. As well as maintaining fire and security systems for schools and businesses of all sizes, some of the more prestigious and high profile buildings Tecserv projects include, St Paul’s Cathedral in London, Harvey Nichols stores, M&S Foodhalls, The Bvlgari and Ritz Hotels, Pinewood Studios and many National Trust Heritage sites.
A new look has been unveiled for a Newcastle former office block as scaffolding is removed by Kapex Construction. Eldon House at Gosforth’s Regent Centre is undergoing a £5.37million transformation to redevelop the former vacant office building into 66 luxury apartments. Construction work is three months ahead of schedule and is due to complete in early 2021. Kapex Construction, part of Newcastle-based Morton Group, was appointed by Regent Centre owners Omnia Property Group to deliver its 2nd phase of its residential scheme, with Broadfield Project Management acting as client representative. Construction work started on the Eldon House development, which will create a mix of one- and two-bedroom apartments over 8 floors, in March 2020. The extensive redevelopment project was originally due to complete in Spring 2021 but despite lockdown it is scheduled for completion in early 2021. Work on the scheme involves the complete removal of the existing façade, new cladding of the existing structure, along with thermal upgrades, a complete new MEP installation and internal fit out. It will be the second ‘office to residential’ conversion at the Regent Centre – the first being Northumbria House – and will be available to rent through Omnia Space. The area is known to be popular with students and employees based within the business park. Gary Morton, CEO of The Morton Group, said: “It’s fantastic to see the scaffolding come down on Eldon House and I hope people are pleased with the transformation so far. Work will continue on the development and we’re pleased to be able to deliver this office to residential development three months ahead of schedule. “Our track record in converting concrete frame office blocks into sleek, high quality living spaces is second to none, and we have drawn on our experience gained through the conversion of Eagle Star House into Regents Plaza apartments just 300 metres away.” Dave Lovatt, Commercial Director at Kapex Construction, said: “It’s exciting to see the progress starting to take shape at Eldon House, which will breathe new life into the 1970s office building and provide much needed housing in a highly sought after residential location. “In the past, Eldon House has been home to tenants such as Rolls Royce so it’s exciting to prepare the building for a fresh wave of tenants who will benefit from the close proximity to Gosforth High Street and bus and Metro transport links into Newcastle. It will be a thriving space tailored to modern, active lifestyles.”
O’Malley Plant Hire Ltd has taken delivery of the very first C50R-5A tracked carrier sold in the UK. Retailed through Taylor & Braithwaite, Yanmar’s official dealer for Cumbria, Northumberland and Durham (including Tyneside and Teesside), the new model will be used for a wide range of earthmoving applications. Added to the Yanmar portfolio in 2020, the next-generation C50R-5A can transport up to 3,800kg (standard) and 3,500kg (turning vessel). With a total width of 2.2 meters, length of 4.54 meters and ability to turn 360 degrees on the spot in seven seconds, it sets the standards for performance and productivity. Featuring Yanmar’s Stage V-compliant 111hp (83.2kW) 4TNV94FHT direct-injection engine, the carrier delivers 410Nm of torque at 1700rpm. Fitted with a common rail system and full electronic engine control, power is delivered precisely when needed. Recently delivered to the O’Malley Plant Hire Ltd Penrith headquarters, the C50R-5A is already proving a valuable investment. Tom O’Malley, Director, commented: “With demand for groundworks high, continuing to expand our fleet with the latest and most innovative compact equipment is hugely important. “When we heard about Yanmar’s all-new Stage V-compliant C50R-5A tracked carrier, we knew it would be a valuable addition. The perfect partner for a six, eight or even thirteen-tonne excavator, its capacity, speed, power and capability guarantees maximum productivity. With carefully designed tracks and an innovative hydraulic tensioning system, it’s perfect for moving heavy loads without damaging the ground – an important feature considering most of our work is delivered in environmentally-sensitive areas. “With site safety paramount to our daily operations, having the option of turning the seat 180° (to further improve visibility when reversing) is also hugely valuable. This, alongside a steel grid protecting the operator’s side, ground-accessible service areas and full ROPS/FOPS certification, makes the C50R-5A a great addition to almost every job.” The C50R-5A is the fifth Yanmar model that Tom has purchased in the past 12 months, adding to the SV26, ViO17, C30 and C12 units he specified in 2020. He continued “We’ve used Yanmar machines for years and have always been hugely impressed with their performance, reliability and comfort. “The C50R-5A is no exception. It’s the perfect blend of Japanese style and build quality, supported with state-of-the-art operator technologies and unique design features. “We have a 2006 C50R-3 tracked carrier, which is still working flawlessly 14 years later, so we’re confident that the all-new C50R-5A will be another excellent purchase. What’s more, thanks to the support of Taylor & Braithwaite, we can be safe in the knowledge that our latest models are backed up by a knowledgeable and committed team.” Ian Burton, Director of Sales at Taylor & Braithwaite, added: “We’ve worked in close partnership with Tom and the team for a number of years, providing class-leading equipment to suit a wide range of applications. The C50R-5A is an excellent addition to Yanmar’s compact portfolio and we’re confident that it will deliver over and above expectations for O’Malley Plant Hire Ltd.” Established in 1968, O’Malley Plant Hire Ltd has delivered plant hire, groundworks, civil engineering and haulage services across Cumbria, Dumfriesshire, Co Durham and Lancashire for more than 50 years. Undertaking an extensive range of contract work, including excavating, drainage, concreting, formwork, reinforcement, kerbing and paving, the company is renowned for its experience, enthusiasm and attention to detail. For more information about O’Malley Plant Hire Ltd, visit www.omalley-groundworks.co.uk. For more information about Taylor & Braithwaite, visit www.t-and-b.co.uk. For more information about Yanmar’s latest range of compact equipment, including the C50R-5A, visit https://www.yanmar.com/gb/construction/.