On Thursday 10th September 2020 the British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI) successfully staged its National Annual General Meeting (AGM) online for the first time in its 48-year history, with members agreeing to vote for all propositions. Members were invited to join some of BALI’s Landscape House team and Executive
The numbers behind the tiny homes movement make compelling evidence for these cost effective and flexible structures to be incorporated into UK housing strategy, claims British PVCu windows and doors manufacturer Euramax. The company is calling on Government to further discuss the potential of tiny homes and has highlighted that
Outline plans for the commercial development of Clifton Business Park have been approved by Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council. Offices, light industrial, general industrial and storage and distribution uses are included in the proposed development for the 63-acre site on land off Coal Pit Lane, Clifton, Brighouse, just west of J25
The employee-owned packaging business is now a MPAS registered company with one of Kites Aerospace & Defence Packaging Design Engineers a MPAS certified designer. This registration is not only important for companies already working with Kite, but also demonstrates the commitment to excellence and expertise that is important to a
Buying your first home can take a lot of time, effort and investment. It can be incredibly daunting to try and search for a home and it’ll feel overwhelming at first. However, it’s important to stay on top of things because buying a home isn’t something to take lightly. You’ll
St. Modwen Industrial & Logistics has entered into a development agreement to create an 11.3-acre business park with Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and leaseholder ITT Inc. The Basingstoke site, owned freehold by the Council and held by lessee and global multi-industrial manufacturers ITT Inc, is located within the wider
Tritax Big Box REIT plc (Tritax Big Box or the Company) today announces completion on the sale of its Chesterfield asset for £57.3 million. We acquired the asset in March 2014 when it had 6.2 years of lease remaining to Tesco. In 2018, we implemented a pro-active asset management initiative and agreed
A project worth almost £17million is underway to help provide extra power to thousands of homes and businesses in White City and the surrounding areas. UK Power Networks is working in partnership with contractors to reinforce the power supplies in and around White City – ensuring that the lights remain
Managing agent Rendall & Rittner has been appointed to manage the recladding of Metis Apartments in Scotland Street, Sheffield. The block of 122 Metis Apartments in Scotland Street and five commercial units contains Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding similar to the Grenfell Tower, which is due to be replaced under
Costain Group took this month’s top spot in the contractor league tables after being appointed the contractor for two major road projects. A new SMART motorway on the M62 at Brighouse and widening works on the A1 in Newcastle- upon-Tyne with a combined value of £575 million. In the runners
On Thursday 10th September 2020 the British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI) successfully staged its National Annual General Meeting (AGM) online for the first time in its 48-year history, with members agreeing to vote for all propositions. Members were invited to join some of BALI’s Landscape House team and Executive Board Directors, including, at the time, National Chairman Matt O’Conner and Vice Chairman Richard Kay, alongside Honorary Treasurer Richard Stone and Chief Executive Wayne Grills, for a 150-minute webinar which included over 60 minutes of presentations that followed the formal meeting. The event ran smoothly, with just under 40 members attending live on the day utilising sound technology that BALI invested in well before COVID-19 which allowed members to virtually cast their all-important votes on crucial Association matters. Some members who had sent apologies were still able to vote by proxy and their votes were received before the meeting and therefore included in the total counts. These included the adoption of the financial accounts for the year ending 31st March 2020 and the election of existing board directors who had offered to stand for re-election, including Design Director & Sustainability Director Rosemary Coldstream MBALI, a Registered Designer member of BALI, Governance Director Paul Downer of Registered Contractor Oak View Landscapes and Commercial Contracts Director Stuart Simpson of Registered Contractor Ashlea, who were all successfully re-elected. Long-serving Director Robert Field of Registered Contractor Robert Field Landscapes, who had previously held the position of National Chairman, decided to stand down from his duties on the board and did not seek re-election. BALI’s board of directors and the team at Landscape House extend their gratitude and heartfelt appreciation to Robert for his support and guidance over the numerous years he has served. Next on the agenda was the acceptance of the director’s recommendations to appoint a National Chairman, Vice Chairman, Honorary Treasurer and Immediate Past Chairman. Richard Kay of Registered Affiliate Green-tech was successfully made National Chairman of the Association, replacing Matt O’Conner of Registered Contractor John O‘Conner Grounds Maintenance who was officially made Immediate Past Chairman. Nigel Bowcock of Registered Contractor Acre Landscapes was made Vice Chairman and Richard Stone of Registered Contractor Bawden Managed Landscapes will resume his role as Honorary Treasurer. The AGM culminated with the appointment of Adrian Wickham of Registered Affiliate Oracle Solicitors who has now joined BALI’s board of directors. Commenting on his appointment to the board, Adrian said: “I’m really proud to have been elected to join the BALI board. I can’t wait to get involved and to support the industry. Thank you to everyone who supported me.” On Twitter, Pete Jones of Registered Contractor Land Design Partnerships said: “Congratulations Adrian, a fantastic addition to the BALI board of directors, good luck in your new role.” Commenting on this year’s event, Wayne Grills said: “On behalf of the board of directors we are incredibly proud of the team at Landscape House for successfully hosting our first live AGM in this format. Members were impressed by the way in which the event was presented and took little time to comment on social media on how well it had gone. Although I missed the interaction with members in the room, I felt we managed to retain the essence of what an AGM is all about, giving our members a voice and a vote on their Association; how it’s run, who it’s run by and what our future direction should be. I would also like to thank Matt for his support and guidance over the last two years and congratulate Richard and Nigel for becoming Chair and Vice Chair respectfully. Finally, I would like to congratulate Adrian for his appointment to the board, a welcome addition of which we all approve.” Following the formal AGM, three speakers were invited to present, including the Royal Horticultural Society’s Director of Gardens and Shows Helena Pettit, Managing Director of Registered Affiliate Ecosulis Cain Blythe and Jason Pollock, Plant Health Regulation Lead and Trade Adviser from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Helena provided an update on the RHS’s plans for 2021. Cain focused on the subject of rewilding, which saw Registered Designer Jilayne Rickards MBALI say: “This is inspirational. Such a great speaker. I would like more information on how garden designers can help introduce rewilding in small urban garden settings” whilst Rachael Booth from Registered Affiliate Water Gems (Alba) added: “Great presentation, looking forward to having a chat with Cain after the AGM as we’re also working on a project called ‘Rewilding Roborough Fields’ in Devon so this couldn’t be better timed.” The final presentation was carried out by Jason whose comprehensive and detailed overview of the plant passporting regulations were well received.
The numbers behind the tiny homes movement make compelling evidence for these cost effective and flexible structures to be incorporated into UK housing strategy, claims British PVCu windows and doors manufacturer Euramax. The company is calling on Government to further discuss the potential of tiny homes and has highlighted that the structures have never been mentioned in parliament, despite housing having been debated 301 times in the last five years. “According to clean energy switching supplier The Switch, there were 8000 tiny homes built in the UK last year, which, while reflecting high levels of interest in the movement as an aspirational eco-housing goal, is not enough to help the Government meet its targets or reduce homelessness,” explained Nick Cowley, managing director of Euramax. Tiny homes can be described as residential buildings of less than 400 square feet, and typically feature compact stairs and reduced ceiling heights. They were defined in the 2018 International Residential Code, Appendix Q Tiny Houses and the movement was first named in 1997, in Sarah Susanka’s The Not So Big House. They are sustainable and mobile and have a low associated cost of ownership, manufacture, and installation. Advocates of tiny homes, such as the architect Mark Burton, believe they could provide lower debt living for students, a step back into housing for the homeless and affordable housing for people struggling to get into the property ladder. “The only legitimate way of solving our housing crisis is by combining off site built structures, such as tiny homes, as well as off site elements such as pre-built timber frames, pre-built extensions and others, with traditional building enhanced with Industry 4.0 smart technology,” continued Cowley. Government has only discussed the potential of ‘Offsite Manufactured Housing’ once, in 2017, in the House of Lords, after a question by Lord Kennedy of Southwark. However, the debate was side-tracked into a discussion on land banking, which refers to a property developer buying land and obtaining planning permission to build on it, only to leave it stagnant to artificially raise house prices in the area. “What is the Government prepared to do to further deal with the problem that supply is low because lenders cannot or will not routinely lend on such properties?” asked Lord Kennedy during the debate. “They [lenders] do not fully understand the risks, and builders will not build more of this type of housing because mortgage lending is in limited supply, as is home insurance. This type of building has the potential to help to solve the crisis, but more support is needed to help the sector.” Euramax has gathered the numbers behind the tiny homes movement into an infographic, which illustrates the potential of the movement to help solve the UK homes crisis.
Outline plans for the commercial development of Clifton Business Park have been approved by Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council. Offices, light industrial, general industrial and storage and distribution uses are included in the proposed development for the 63-acre site on land off Coal Pit Lane, Clifton, Brighouse, just west of J25 of the M62. Clifton Business Park is a major regeneration initiative that aims to deliver economic diversity and growth and create a wide range of new jobs locally and regionally. A team of consultants consisting of SCP, Pegasus Group and Bentley Project Management, collaboratively worked together to deliver support and understand the needs of Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council for the Clifton Enterprise Zone scheme. This support consisted of the development of the masterplan, to secure outline planning permission, and delivery of an Outline Business Case(West Yorkshire Combined Authority – Assurance Process Activity 3) valued at circa £200k to obtain the funding to support the next stages of the scheme’s delivery which has a total value of £33m. Paul Turton, Project Manager, of SCP, said: “To work collaboratively as a team in a multi-disciplinary approach, has enabled us to support Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council to achieve the Outline Planning consent and Outline Business Case to help secure the funding for the proposed Enterprise Zone development at Clifton. This is a fantastic achievement for the Council, and the delivery team, clearly demonstrating that a collective of separate consultancies can work together collaboratively and successfully to support clients to achieve their aspirations”. Chris Calvert, of Pegasus Group, said: “We are delighted that the outline plans for Clifton Business Park have been approved, with the scheme set to contribute to the continued growth and success of the existing employment uses to the north of A644 (Wakefield Road) in Brighouse, as well as the further growth and expansion of the regional economy across the Leeds City Region.” Mark Collins, of Bentley Project Management said: ‘Bentley Project Management worked closely with Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) to submit a successful Outline Business Case to WYCA, to support the delivery of the Clifton Enterprise Zone.’ The design concept aim of the scheme was to create a commercially viable, high-quality business park which would bring significant economic benefit and employment opportunities to the Borough, as well as providing better connections through the site for pedestrians and cyclists. In achieving the required design concept, engineering driven solutions were required to support the Masterplanning process. This is due to the challenging topography of the site, consisting of a 50m level difference running from the northern to the southern boundary. Through understanding these site constraints, it enabled the team to deliver a buildable solution at this early stage in the scheme, thereby delivering a robust masterplan. The site had previously been allocated for employment uses by the Council and is located within the M62 corridor Leeds City Region Enterprise Zone. Being in close proximity to the M62, consultation was carried out with Highways England (HE) to understand the impact of the proposed development on their network. Through this analysis, a cost-efficient mitigation scheme was proposed by SCP, which was agreed by HE, thereby removing any objections to the scheme by HE. Councillors heard that the scheme is set to generate substantial long-term benefits to the economy of the area, including the creation of more than 300 jobs during the construction phase and the support of around 1,300 full-time equivalent jobs once completed. It is estimated that once operational and fully occupied, the gross value added (GVA) associated with the permanent jobs supported in Calderdale will be £42.6 million per annum. The scheme will bring about improvements to the biodiversity of the site, with new dedicated spaces for wildlife habitat enhancements linked to new landscape planting. Such measures, along with high standards of design for the buildings themselves will assist in providing a sustainable pattern of development. Prior to the plans being submitted, a series of public consultation exercises were held. Positive feedback was received from local and regional business who expressed an interest in moving to the site if the plans were approved. Access to the business park will be off the A644 Wakefield Road and Clifton Common Road (A643), with a third access point on Coal Pit Lane provided for pedestrians, cyclists and emergency vehicles only. For more information on this project or any of our services, please contact us.
The employee-owned packaging business is now a MPAS registered company with one of Kites Aerospace & Defence Packaging Design Engineers a MPAS certified designer. This registration is not only important for companies already working with Kite, but also demonstrates the commitment to excellence and expertise that is important to a range of businesses looking to Kite for specialist design capabilities. Administered by the Ministry of Defence, MPAS registration assures that Military Level Packaging design meets the MOD requirements for safe handling, storage, and transportation and reinforces the capabilities of Kites Aerospace & Defence Team. For more information on Kite Packaging please visit kitepackaging.co.uk
Buying your first home can take a lot of time, effort and investment. It can be incredibly daunting to try and search for a home and it’ll feel overwhelming at first. However, it’s important to stay on top of things because buying a home isn’t something to take lightly. You’ll likely be tied to paying off your mortgage for most of the rest of your life. As such, it’s best to spend time searching for a great offer to help keep the costs lower and manageable. To help you out, we’re going to talk about some of the most common mistakes people make when searching for their first home. Neglecting to check how much you can borrow before looking for a home It can be a lot of fun to actually look for property to move into, but it’s important to remember that you need to have a budget first. If you’re unsure how much you can borrow first, then you’re not going to know how much you can realistically spend. Before you start looking at the best property website to find your dream home, make sure you do a bit of research by finding out how much you can borrow. Serious buyers should know that the amount they can borrow could likely be lower than they expect. Since there are many factors that are taken into consideration when borrowing money, you’ll need to speak directly to a lender such as your bank. If you want a bit more information, you could use a mortgage calculator to find out how much you would expect to pay each month for your dream home. You can also adjust this by the rates so you can see how much you might need to pay depending on how good your current credit history is. Do keep in mind that calculators don’t take your personal financial circumstances into consideration so they should only be used as a rough estimation. Forgetting to shop around for a better deal on your mortgage or home It’s important that you don’t just go with the first decent offer you get. Until you get a feel for the market by looking at multiple property websites and speaking to multiple banks, you won’t know what to consider as a good deal. That’s why we highly recommend that you shop around for a good deal in multiple areas before you settle on something. You should start by comparing mortgage rates to find out who can offer you the lowest upfront costs and rates. While these comparisons should be taken with a grain of salt, it should give you a rough idea of how much you can expect to pay with each company. It’s a good idea to understand the different types of loans available. You should realize that some companies will offer lower upfront costs while others will have bonuses for veterans. Depending on your personal circumstances, you may be able to secure a fantastic deal. For homes, you should always look at multiple property websites and search for a property that is at your chosen specification or above. For example, if you’re looking for a two-bedroom home, you should also consider three-bedroom homes to see if you can get an even better deal. If you’re unable to find a home with your exact specification, then you should consider looking at another city to see if you could get a great deal. Always shop around and expand your specific criteria to see what’s available out there. Failing to see the potential in different properties One of the biggest mistakes people make when searching for a first home is having a lack of vision. Some properties could have a massive potential to become a dream home with a bit of renovating. For instance, the curb appeal of a home could be drastically improved with the help of a contractor, or you could add a new home with an extension project to add an affordable extra bedroom to a cheaper property. It’s important to look at a property not just for what it has, but for what it could become as well. When looking at homes, it’s good to consider what the costs of renovating it are in addition to paying for what it already has. For example, if a home doesn’t have a loft extension, then you should consider getting a quote from a local contractor to see how much it would cost. Add this quote to the cost of the home in its current state and you’ll get a combined cost. If this is cheaper than a property with a similar specification, then you could be getting a great deal just by including some renovations. You should also realize that if you don’t like the look of something in a home, you can easily change it with a bit of renovating. If you notice a flaw in a home that you don’t like, such as a horrible wallpaper or a boring garden, these are things that you can change with the help of a contractor. In short, don’t neglect that you can fix up a property and create something completely different from its current state. There are many property owners that will fix up a home and add features before selling it for a much higher price. In comparison, if you do the work yourself or hire a contractor, it’s often cheaper than paying for a house with the work already done. Some final words We know that searching for a home can be daunting. You often need to take a lot of different things into consideration and it can quickly overwhelm you. Luckily, it becomes much easier to manage once you start planning ahead with your finances and realizing the potential in the properties that you’re looking at. With these tips, you’ll be able to secure a great deal on your first home. This could save you a lot of money, effort and hassle for the future.
St. Modwen Industrial & Logistics has entered into a development agreement to create an 11.3-acre business park with Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and leaseholder ITT Inc. The Basingstoke site, owned freehold by the Council and held by lessee and global multi-industrial manufacturers ITT Inc, is located within the wider Viables Business Park and will be known as St. Modwen Park Basingstoke following the grant of planning consent from the local authority in January 2020. As part of the agreement, St. Modwen will create new employment space in response to strong occupier demand and has permission to deliver up to 200,000 sq ft of industrial and logistics space. With full planning consent in place, construction of three high-quality speculative units of 36,987, 51,572 and 97,781 sq ft will commence in September 2020. As per the agreed timetable for the development, units at the site will be available as early as Q3 2021, creating up to 250 new jobs once occupied. Strategically located between Junction 6 and 7 of the M3 and within 2 miles of Basingstoke town centre, the development is well placed to capitalise on the town’s existing diverse economy, providing fast access to London and Southampton. David McGougan, Senior Development Manager at St. Modwen Industrial & Logistics, said: “St. Modwen Park Basingstoke forms part of our strategy to grow a high-quality industrial and logistics portfolio. After obtaining planning permission at the start of this year, our breakthrough development agreement reaffirms our intention to press on with these plans and deliver an industry-leading employment scheme for Basingstoke. The terms we’ve agreed will enable us to fulfil the local authority’s aspiration to deliver regeneration and drive employment.” Ravi Patel, Director of European Shared Services at ITT Inc, added: “We’re completely aligned with St. Modwen’s ambition to transform this site – their regeneration and industrial and logistics credentials speak for themselves. Now that terms are settled and the agreement is signed, we look forward to delivering an employment space that is fit for market demand together.” Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Property Cllr John Izett added: “We are delighted to have reached an agreement with St. Modwen which will enable the company to redevelop this site near the M3 for a new logistics park, creating 250 high quality local jobs once complete. “This investment and the new jobs it will bring is especially welcome at a time when the priority is on recovering from the effects of COVID-19. It demonstrates Basingstoke remains open for business.” Marketing agents for the site are London Clancy, Hollis Hockley and Savills. For more information, visit: stmodwenlogistics.co.uk/property/st-modwen-park-basingstoke
Tritax Big Box REIT plc (Tritax Big Box or the Company) today announces completion on the sale of its Chesterfield asset for £57.3 million. We acquired the asset in March 2014 when it had 6.2 years of lease remaining to Tesco. In 2018, we implemented a pro-active asset management initiative and agreed an early surrender of the existing lease to Tesco and secured a new 15-year lease to Amazon, significantly enhancing the value of the asset. Having completed all key asset management initiatives, and as part of our ongoing portfolio evaluation, we decided to realise the value created on this asset via a sale to Warehouse REIT. The price is a premium to the 30 June 2020 book value and reflects an IRR of 18.5% per annum. This asset sale demonstrates our ability to create and realise value in our portfolio by direct and active asset management while the proceeds from the disposal will be redeployed into attractive opportunities, including our development pipeline with a target yield on cost of 6-8%. Colin Godfrey, CEO, Fund Management, commented:“The sale of our Chesterfield asset for £57.3 million demonstrates the successful implementation of our strategy and is a great result for our shareholders. Through our active management, and working closely with our customers, we were able to support them while significantly enhancing the value of the Chesterfield asset, securing a high-quality tenant on attractive lease terms. There is strong investment demand in the market for high-calibre logistics assets of this nature, which we are able to take advantage of through carefully selected disposals, redeploying the proceeds into attractive opportunities including our development pipeline where we expect to deliver a 6% to 8% yield on cost. “With investment demand in the market remaining strong, and attractive opportunities for us to deploy capital, we expect to complete a number of further disposals during the remainder of this financial year”
A project worth almost £17million is underway to help provide extra power to thousands of homes and businesses in White City and the surrounding areas. UK Power Networks is working in partnership with contractors to reinforce the power supplies in and around White City – ensuring that the lights remain on for all. The project, known as the Wood Lane main substation construction, allows for the construction of a new extra-high voltage electricity substation that will provide additional power to customers such as Imperial College London and resilience to all customers in the surrounding area. This work acts as part of a wider strategy for the area to provide homes and jobs. The project being carried out by UK Power Networks started in March 2019 is due to finish in summer 2021. As part of the scheme, UK Power Networks has consulted local stakeholders and other interested parties to ensure that everyone experiences as little disruption as possible whilst the work takes place. Jason Gunning, project manager at UK Power Networks, said: “UK Power Networks is making sure the electricity network is fit and flexible for the future. “Thousands of people in the area rely on us for a safe, efficient and reliable electricity supp. This work represents further growth in our network capacity to meet the increasing demand. This upgrade is part of our ongoing investment in the network to maintain reliable power supplies.” UK Power Networks is the country’s largest electricity distribution network. It works to maintain the safety and reliability of electricity networks, in addition to upgrading the network to meet the future needs of customers. The project is being completed in conjunction with contractors under its award-winning alliance scheme. The electricity company keeps the lights on for more than eight million homes, schools, hospitals and businesses across London, the South East and East of England. The company invests more than £600 million annually in maintaining and improving electricity networks. The majority of London’s electricity infrastructure is underground, including over 36,000 kilometres of cabling. Techniques for saving costs can be found at pay as you go electricity sites.
Managing agent Rendall & Rittner has been appointed to manage the recladding of Metis Apartments in Scotland Street, Sheffield. The block of 122 Metis Apartments in Scotland Street and five commercial units contains Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding similar to the Grenfell Tower, which is due to be replaced under Government funding. Rendall & Rittner was selected by the First Tier Tribunal to oversee the reinstatement work and the ongoing management of the building. Matt Kirk, northern divisional director at Rendall & Rittner, said: “We are delighted to be appointed to manage the recladding of Metis Apartments and work closely with its residents to make their homes safe for the future. “We recognise that by appointing us, the First Tier Tribunal is placing responsibility on us to carry out the works promptly and professionally. It will be a huge relief for everyone that lives in the building when this issue is resolved.” “As a business we wholeheartedly welcome the government’s Building Safety Fund and will be actively pursuing funding on behalf of residents and leaseholders at buildings that we manage that meet the criteria.” An inspection of cladding on the Metis Apartments in 2017 found it to be unsafe. The cladding was tested by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) and deemed to be aluminium composite material.
Costain Group took this month’s top spot in the contractor league tables after being appointed the contractor for two major road projects. A new SMART motorway on the M62 at Brighouse and widening works on the A1 in Newcastle- upon-Tyne with a combined value of £575 million. In the runners up spot this month is Bowmer & Kirkland with eight awards totalling £138 million. A new primary and secondary academy in Enfield provided £45 million of the total. The scheme is part of the Government Free School Initiative and will provide education facilities for over 2,000 children. The latest edition of the Top 50 League Tables published by industry analysts Barbour ABI, highlights the number and value of construction contracts awarded during August. This month shows that the combined value of contracts awarded to the Top 50 was just over £2.6 billion with a total of 130 projects. For August, Kier Construction were the busiest contractor with a total of 14 contract awards at a combined value of £108 million. BAM Construction sit at the top of the rolling 12-month league table with 51 projects at a total value of £1.9 billion. Tom Hall, Chief Economist at Barbour ABI & AMA Research said, “The value of contracts picked up by top contractors fell back in August to £2.6bn from £3.9bn in July. This fits with our expectation of subdued activity due to the uncertainty caused by the possibilities of subsequent outbreaks of Covid-19, a disruptive Brexit and a wider economic slowdown. However, the construction market is retaining some momentum after the slump during lockdown, and there are new projects coming through, although at lower levels compared to before Coronavirus.” Download the full report here: https://ubm.io/2WBolhM