The electricity market is evolving to allow a higher integration of variable energy sources and a new class of devices is approaching the market to satisfy this necessity. In the new report released by IDTechEx: “Potential Stationary Energy Storage Device to Monitor”, the emerging class of energy storage devices,
Green Homes Grant opens for business today to help homeowners upgrade their homes and save up to £600 a year on their energy bills Tenants also benefit from the new measures, with consultation launched on upgrading private rental properties by 2028 as well as new scheme for social housing New
It has been a busy couple of years here at The Wigley Group. With two main strands to our business, a commercial landlord with an extensive property portfolio across the Midlands and main contractor delivering construction projects across the region, our move to Stockton House in 2019 has enabled us
Age-old assumptions: 44% of Brits believe ‘cowboy builders’ are commonplace Top misconceptions: Too expensive (28%), unreliable (23%) and rip-off merchants (19%) – yet85% admit their experiences of tradespeople have been positive #RespectYourTrades: Checkatrade campaign seeks to drive reappraisal of our nation’s tradespeople and has produced a video to help address
The Cargo Building in Liverpool, part of the residential portfolio managed by Federated Hermes, has become the world’s first residential asset to achieve the new BREEAM In-Use (BIU) Residential certification. Located just a few minutes’ walk from Albert Dock and Liverpool ONE, The Cargo Building comprises 324 apartments, making it
Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos is building a massive clock inside a mountain in West Texas, but he’s unlikely to be caught wearing one of the world’s more popular luxury watches. Back in 2018, Bezos tweeted that construction on a clock that will be able to tell time for
A Fence is an outdoor physical structure that helps provide an enclosure for an area. While it can be used for various purposes, one major purpose is to demarcate an area as a way of preventing encroachment. They can be constructed from posts and connected with wire, rails, netting, or
Scientific research into the development of new cancer treatments across the UK is vital, with accurate new medicines and therapies, such as immuno‐oncology, being introduced to help ensure an increase in survival rates among patients. In line with the developments, new cancer care centres are being opened to provide these
GHD, one of the world’s leading professional services companies, is pleased to announce that it has been appointed by Transport for London (TfL) as its Traffic Engineering Support Partner to support the delivery of feasibility and concept design packages for projects within its Roads, Streets and Places department’s cycling portfolio. Notably,
Momentum Group launches ‘Rebound’ support service to help businesses as they face perfect storm of Brexit and Covid New statistics published by HRMC reveal that a total of £175 million was paid out to UK construction firms in research and development (R&D) Tax Credits, up a whopping 94 per cent
The electricity market is evolving to allow a higher integration of variable energy sources and a new class of devices is approaching the market to satisfy this necessity. In the new report released by IDTechEx: “Potential Stationary Energy Storage Device to Monitor”, the emerging class of energy storage devices, characterized by long storage duration and MW size power output, are investigated. While existing energy storage devices are already populating the market, from Li-ion batteries to pumped-hydro energy storage, this new class of storage technologies will aim to complete the puzzle of the energy storage market. Pushed from the electrification of the automotive sector, Li-ion batteries have been deeply investigated in the last decades and are currently the standard choice for short and medium-duration storage. On the other end of the storage market, pumped hydro energy storage (PHES) are the main energy storage systems supporting the grid. These systems have a power capacity of GW scale (1000s of MW), and long storage time, from days upwards. In between these two storage systems, a new group of storage devices is now approaching the market, with an intermediate power range, between MW to GW scale and an energy storage capacity that is almost indefinite. Power and storage capacity comparison of different technologies. Source: IDTechEx Research report “Potential Stationary Energy Storage Device to Monitor” The devices investigated by IDTechEx include: Gravitational Energy Storage (GES): Piston-Based GES (PB-GES) Underground PHES (U-PHES) UnderWater GES (UW-GES) Advanced Rail Energy Storage (ARES) Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) Liquid Air Energy Storage (LAES) The market addressed by these systems aims to improve the quality, and resiliency of the electricity grid, and distribution networks. Therefore, it is aiming to address the Front-the-Meter (FTM) section of the electricity grid. These devices, as investigated in IDTechEx’s new report “Potential Stationary Energy Storage Device to Monitor”, support the electricity grid providing peak-shaving service, grid deferral, and frequency regulation, among other possible services. Moreover, because some of these technologies involved the use of several turbines, some of these devices can address more than one service at the time, therefore increasing the value stacking of these technologies. Although they come with high capital costs, and are in their initial demonstration phase, these devices are a promising solution to stabilize the electricity grid and reach a high level of integration of variable renewable energy sources. For more information on this report, please visit www.IDTechEx.com/PotentialSES or for the full portfolio of Energy Storage research available from IDTechEx please visit www.IDTechEx.com/Research/ES. IDTechEx guides your strategic business decisions through its Research, Consultancy and Event products, helping you profit from emerging technologies. For more information on IDTechEx Research and Consultancy, contact research@IDTechEx.com or visit www.IDTechEx.com.
Green Homes Grant opens for business today to help homeowners upgrade their homes and save up to £600 a year on their energy bills Tenants also benefit from the new measures, with consultation launched on upgrading private rental properties by 2028 as well as new scheme for social housing New work will be created for accredited tradespeople in green construction, supporting 100,000 jobs across the UK £3 billion plan to upgrade buildings an essential part of building back greener from coronavirus and reaching net zero emissions by 2050 Homes, schools and hospitals across England are set to be greener and cheaper to run thanks to a £3 billion plan to upgrade the nation’s buildings – the biggest in a generation. Starting today, homeowners can sign up for big savings on upgrades to their homes under the government’s £2 billion Green Homes Grant, with an additional £1 billion announced to improve the energy efficiency of publicly owned buildings. The Green Homes Grant scheme will see the Government fund up to two-thirds of the cost of home improvements up to £10,000, to make over 600,000 homes more energy efficient. Those homeowners with low-incomes, including those on certain benefits, are eligible for a grant covering up to 100 per cent of the cost of works up to £10,000. Grants will be offered to cover green home improvements ranging from insulation of walls, floors and roofs, to the installation of double or triple glazing when replacing single glazing, and low-carbon heating like heat pumps or solar thermal – measures that could help households save up to £600 a year on their energy bills. It will cut people’s energy bills and carbon emissions, whilst also supporting over 100,000 jobs in green construction for local plumbers, builders and tradespeople across the UK. The launch of the Green Homes Grant forms part of a wider plan to upgrade the nation’s buildings expected to support an additional 120,000 jobs, which also includes: £1 billion to boost the energy efficiency of public buildings, including schools and hospitals through a Public Sector Decarbonisation Fund New measures to ensure nearly 3 million privately rented homes are upgraded to modern energy efficiency standards by 2028 £50 million to improve the energy efficiency of social housing Business and Energy Secretary Alok Sharma said: “Our plan to upgrade the nation’s buildings and help build back better is good news for jobs, the environment and people’s back pockets, as we reduce emissions and help cut energy bills. “I urge everyone to visit the Green Home Grants website to see how they can make the most of this fantastic scheme.” Chancellor Rishi Sunak said: “We promised to support jobs and protect the environment – and the Green Homes Grant delivers on this. We’re giving homeowners, landlords and local authorities the funding they need to hire local tradespeople and make our homes more energy efficient. By supporting the green van men and women, we’ll save money, save jobs and save the planet.” £500 million of the of the Green Homes Grant scheme has been assigned for local authorities to provide green home improvements for households with an income of under £30,000. Tenants will also benefit from the Government’s plan to boost energy efficiency thanks to proposals for the private rental sector, published today. The improvements will be achieved by raising the energy performance standard of privately-rented properties, with landlords having to ensure homes meet Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) Band C requirements. These could save nearly 3 million homes an average of £220 a year on their annual heating bills and lift up to 900,000 low income households out of fuel poverty. The plans could also support 90,000 jobs in the energy sector annually. Costs will be capped at £10,000 and landlords can take advantage of the Green Homes Grant to fund the necessary improvements. The private rental sector measures are being phased in to limit the disruption to both landlords and tenants, with improvements having to be implemented for new tenancies from 1 April 2025 and for all tenancies by 1 April 2028. In a further boost, the Government is making £50 million available for social housing through a demonstrator project for the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF). This UK-wide demonstrator scheme will see grants supplied to upgrade the energy efficiency of over 2000 of the worst-performing social homes. It is estimated that those living in upgraded properties will save between £300 and £500 on their energy bills each year. As well as helping meet the country’s net zero emissions target, the SHDF Demonstrator will support up to 3200 jobs in the green energy sector. The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme will help public sector organisations in England, including central government departments and their agencies, local authorities, schools and NHS Trusts, to install energy efficiency and low carbon heating measures, reducing energy bills and carbon emissions. Installations under the PSDS are expected to support up to 30,000 low-carbon jobs. Today’s energy efficiency plan forms part of the Government’s wider efforts to ensure the UK meets its legally binding target to reach net zero emissions by 2050 and build back greener from coronavirus. Over the past decade, the UK has cut carbon emissions by more than any similar developed country. In 2019, UK emissions were 42% lower than in 1990, while our economy over the same period grew by 72%.
It has been a busy couple of years here at The Wigley Group. With two main strands to our business, a commercial landlord with an extensive property portfolio across the Midlands and main contractor delivering construction projects across the region, our move to Stockton House in 2019 has enabled us to accommodate our growing workforce. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the people of Stockton Village for their patience throughout our refurbishment works. We have well and truly settled into our new headquarters and it has been a privilege to have had the opportunity to restore the historic Stockton House to its former glory. On a personal note, our relocation has marked a return to our roots as a business, with the company initially established in 1964, around 10 miles away in Barby. Our Chairman and Managing Director have both lived locally for many years and it is fantastic to be able to call Stockton our home as a business. We are disappointed that COVID-19 has put a halt to our plans to open our office and gardens to the local community this summer but we hope to welcome you to see the transformation in the near future . It has always been our intention to be of benefit to the local community in which we are based, providing assistance when required and employment opportunities to local people. We are proud to say that over 70% of our staff live within a 10-mile radius of Stockton House, with over 32% from Stockton, Southam, Long Itchington or Birdingbury. To date we have contributed over £11,000 of financial support and services to local community causes and we are in the process of establishing a Wigley Community Initiative to benefit organisations in the Stockton area. We are looking forward to sharing the details of this with you in due course. Thanks to continued growth we now find ourselves already close to outgrowing the space we have and are looking to complete the final piece of the puzzle of Stockton House’s transformation. Our vision is to build a two-storey extension on the Napton Road side of the site, providing office space upstairs and conference space on the lower level. This will enable us to accommodate our existing workforce and provide a venue for business meetings as well as community events. We would like to share with you these initial artists impressions of the proposed extension and we are excited to share full details of the proposed plans with you all in the near future. We have already engaged with your parish council on the plans but if you have any initial questions or queries we would be happy to answer them, please just email info@thewigleygroup.com. Courtyard view Garden view View from Napton Road 1 View from Napton Road 2
Age-old assumptions: 44% of Brits believe ‘cowboy builders’ are commonplace Top misconceptions: Too expensive (28%), unreliable (23%) and rip-off merchants (19%) – yet85% admit their experiences of tradespeople have been positive #RespectYourTrades: Checkatrade campaign seeks to drive reappraisal of our nation’s tradespeople and has produced a video to help address the misconceptions New research from Checkatrade reveals that almost two-thirds (63%) of Brits are clinging onto damaging misconceptions about the nation’s trades. Overall, 44% confess to believing that ‘cowboys’ are commonplace while more than one in ten (14%) openly admit they’ve stereotyped tradespeople based purely on profession. The top negative misconceptions about trades are that they’re too expensive (28%), unreliable (23%) and that they’re rip-off merchants (19%) while one in ten (11%) used the term ‘unskilled’ to describe them, alongside uneducated (6%).* Popular tradespeople-related Google searches also support these findings**. However, there seems to be a stark gap between perceptions and the reality of experience. More than a quarter (29%) of Brits have called upon tradespeople over the last six months and 85% admitted that they had a positive experience – with 13% even claiming their expectations had been exceeded. Checkatrade’s own data also shows that only 2% of trades have a workmanship score of less than 9/10 – the same can be said for reliability, timekeeping and tidiness. As a result, Checkatrade has launched a campaign which asks the nation to readdress their negative stereotypes, and reappraise the contribution of tradespeople in our communities. Entitled #RespectYourTrades, the campaign video shares the honest reactions of its vetted and recommended members to the research findings as well as common ‘mean tweets’ about tradespeople. It’s clear from their responses that prejudice is rife and having an unfair and damaging effect on the industry. Julian Perryman and Chris Frediani, Britain’s best known builder and plasterer are both backing the Checkatrade campaign: “Like all walks of life, there’s no getting around the fact that there are a few bad apples out there, but that’s why it’s so important to stick to reputable, vetted tradespeople. Our industry has been plagued by prejudices for decades but the trades we come across everyday are incredibly hard-working, skilled and committed to doing a good job. With so many currently in people’s homes doing great repair and renovation work, now feels like a good time to ask people to reassess their value.” Mike Fairman, CEO of Checkatrade, commented, “Our members’ livelihoods depend on their great reputations. Over the last few months, they’ve been building new hospitals, keeping communities connected, offering keyworker discounts and are now helping people up and down the country with their home improvements and repairs, so it’s sad to hear so many are still struggling to shake off stereotypes. “Each and every one of our members has been through 12 background checks and have proudly signed up to uphold our standards of honesty, transparency and professionalism. We hope that our campaign prompts people to have confidence in the expertise good tradespeople offer, to better understand the variable nature of their work, to recognise the pride our members take in making spaces safe, secure and smile-inducing and to give them the respect that they deserve.” To view Checkatrade’s #RespectYourTrades campaign video and find out more about the vital work tradespeople have been doing, visit: –
The Cargo Building in Liverpool, part of the residential portfolio managed by Federated Hermes, has become the world’s first residential asset to achieve the new BREEAM In-Use (BIU) Residential certification. Located just a few minutes’ walk from Albert Dock and Liverpool ONE, The Cargo Building comprises 324 apartments, making it Liverpool’s first Build to Rent (BtR) scheme and largest Private Rented Sector (PRS) development. The Cargo Building was awarded the accolade after undergoing a rigorous evaluation process to benchmark and assess its sustainability performance across a selection of key areas, including energy efficiency, health and wellbeing, and resilience. The project recorded an impressive overall Part 1 rating of 70.8%, scoring particularly well in the categories of resilience, transport and energy. Working with environmental consultants GWP Project Services, who were appointed BRE assessors and auditors for the project, enabled Federated Hermes to identify improvement opportunities in line with assessment criteria. Securing BREEAM In-Use Residential certification demonstrates the commitment Federated Hermes has already shown across its non-domestic portfolio, with BIU assessments already undertaken across more than 30 assets, including Centre:MK and One City Place, a mixed-use development in Chester that achieved a rating of ‘excellent’. BIU Version 6, released in May 2020, is the latest version of the world-leading environmental methodology for assets in-use, which is used to assess buildings of all types in over 30 countries. As the go-to non-domestic standard for real estate owners, managers and investors, Version 6 brings the release of a brand-new version specifically created to recognise and drive high standards of sustainability and operational performance in residential buildings. “As the Cargo Building becomes the first residential asset to receive BIU certification, our next step will be to achieve BIU-certified status across our entire residential portfolio. As responsible investors, we adopt a long-term approach to investment and believe that assets which can demonstrate active responsible management, supported by the credentials of a world recognised benchmark perform more strongly over time than others in the same asset class. Rather than looking at investment decisions in purely financial terms, we take a holistic view of how our portfolio impacts on our wider ecosystem, always looking at ways to deliver strong returns while making a positive contribution to society as a whole.” -Sharon Brown, Director – Real Estate Risk & RPM Implementation at Federated Hermes, International “Right from our first discussion around BREEAM In-Use Residential, Federated Hermes has been determined to move forward and showcase the very high performance of the Cargo asset. The ‘Excellent’ outcome is testament to the dedication and commitment of the whole team involved. The high score in the Resilience category shows that the asset is well-prepared and future-ready, giving assurance to the tenants regarding the asset’s sustainability credentials.”– James Fisher, Strategic Real Estate Lead at BRE Global Limited, the awarding body and organisation that established and oversees the scheme “Federated Hermes is a leader in sustainability and has continually demonstrated its commitment to achieving exceptional performance across its portfolio through its involvement with BREEAM’s sustainability assessment framework. The certification process has allowed Federated Hermes to deliver tangible improvements, in turn helping to support its wider sustainability objectives and commitment to net-zero targets.” -Barry Rankin, Director of GWP Project Services For more information on The Cargo Building, please visit: http://www.cargobuilding.co.uk
Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos is building a massive clock inside a mountain in West Texas, but he’s unlikely to be caught wearing one of the world’s more popular luxury watches. Back in 2018, Bezos tweeted that construction on a clock that will be able to tell time for 10,000 years was underway. The billionaire has spent an estimated $42 million on his project but no amount of money in the world is going to buy him enough time to see his giant timepiece through to its final tick, as he’s well aware. When you have as much money as Bezos and you can’t imagine a time when income will slow, you’re probably going to want to do something memorable. The Texas clock will outlive Bezos, as well as an unthinkable number of his descendants – if all goes according to plan, it will stand the test of time. While he’s here, though, he isn’t flashing an expensive Rolex, although any number of wristwatches can be bought off Amazon. Bezos can actually afford to purchase his own watch – the Ulysse Nardin – 11 milliontimes as it costs just under £10,000. You don’t have to be a millionaire to be able to afford a £10,000 watch and, with Rolex and Patek Philippe models dominating the list of top 10 most expensive luxury watches – no other timepiece breaks into that list – you’d think a man of his wealth would go for one of them. As it turns out, Bezos isn’t unlike those he rubs shoulders with when it comes to watch choice. Microsoft founder Bill Gates wears a Casio Duro that costs just over £50 and can afford to buy 1.6 billion of the nifty devices. The late Steve Jobs also wore a very modest Seiko model and current Apple CEO Tim Cook typically goes for an Apple Hermes. Meanwhile, Barclays’ Jes Staley can buy his Panerai Luminor Marina 534,892 times over at a cost of £3,488.35 per unit. Tesla CEO Elon Musk is another such entrepreneur who isn’t a fan of the Rolex. Musk has often been seen wearing the limited edition Carrera Calibre 1887 SpaceX Chronograph produced by Tag Heuer and SpaceX eight years ago. Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg doesn’t even wear a watch, which is no surprise given his unlimited lineup of t-shirts and jeans. But when you’re that rich, time isn’t as big an issue for you as it is for most people, right? While Bezos isn’t particularly concerned with what goes on his wrist, he’s clearly time conscious enough to spend $42 million on a giant clock. The idea, though, came from computer scientist Danny Hillis, who thought up a 10,000-year clock way back in 1986. Of course, it is a pretty big project, but he can probably get away with some mistakes as no one’s going to be around long enough to give him any stick over it. The clock will be 500 feet in height and will be mechanically powered by day/night thermal cycles, according to Bezos, and is going to be synchronized at solar noon. It’s supposed to tick once a year and chime once every millennium. There’s no timeline as it pertains to the clock’s completion but people can sign up for a mailing list for an alert whenever construction is over. Bezos says he wants his mega-clock to serve as a reminder that the future is really going to be that far ahead. Whether he decides to try on some more luxurious watch brands is left to be seen, but for now, the magnate looks set to stick to his choice Ulysse Nardin.
A Fence is an outdoor physical structure that helps provide an enclosure for an area. While it can be used for various purposes, one major purpose is to demarcate an area as a way of preventing encroachment. They can be constructed from posts and connected with wire, rails, netting, or boards. There are different styles as well as types and they can be made with different materials too. The type and material that you choose will depend largely on what you want to achieve with it. Common styles include: Chain link Split rail Kentucky post and board Privacy fence Wood picket, etc. Common materials for making fences include Wood Aluminum PVC Wrought Iron Electric Bamboo You can read more about them here. Why You Should Install One Installing a fence on your property can have many benefits. Asides the aesthetics and curb appeal that it adds to the property, below are some other reasons you may want to do so. Privacy Most people who live on or own their property usually like privacy. Whatever you choose to do whether swimming, sunbathing, or enjoying time with family, you want to be sure that no one is watching you or trespassing. Installing a fence affords you the privacy you need in your home. Security This is perhaps the main reason a lot of people invest in fencing their property. No one wants an intruder encroaching on their property or home whether it is a criminal or any other wandering soul. You may also live in an area with close proximity to wildlife and do not want them coming into your yard. A good fence will help prevent all of these. Safety For families with kids and pets, fencing off your home is important as you do not want them wondering off your premises. It will keep them in the confines of your yard, preventing them from wandering off. For your pets such as dogs, it can help keep them from getting lost or contracting diseases from outside and bringing such back to your home. It can also help to prevent accidents, such as drowning, if you have a body of water in your backyard. Establishing Boundaries To avoid trespassing on your land either by accident or intentionally, rather than getting upset or worked up about it, you can put up a fence to mark your boundaries. You can establish the start as well as the end of your land and avoid any form of dispute. It also lets you know how much space you have so that you can work within the boundary of your space and not also encroach on other people’s land. Beautifying Your Home Usually, fences are built for utility purposes but that is not to say they cannot be beautiful. As soon as you decide to construct one, part of the groundwork is choosing a type and design that will complement your home. Asides other reasons for putting one up, you may simply put one up to add to your home’s appeal and value. What to Know Before Installation Despite your reasons for wanting to install a fence, depending on where you live, there might be things you need to put into consideration before doing. Though we will briefly look at some of these consideration factors below, you can check out more of them in this article: https://www.bhg.com/home-improvement/outdoor/fences/before-you-build-a-fence/. Building Codes and Regulations In Cincinnati, there are regulations and codes for putting up a fence that you need to follow. You also must get approval or permit from the City Council and pay a fee for a Certificate of Compliance or Certificate of Appropriateness. There are also specifications and guidelines that must be followed. Get a Survey A survey of your land helps you know your property line and determine the appropriate place to put your fence. You may be able to get a copy from the Cincinnati Buildings and Inspections Department or may need a professional quantity surveyor to do one for you. This will save you any stress or headache arising from any disputes in the future. It is most likely you have neighbors on either sides of your property so you may also need to discuss with them about putting up your fence. This is not to get their approval but to clear up any boundaries issues or disputes that may occur. Installing Your Fence After you have done all due diligence and gotten the necessary permits and it is time to go on with your fence installation in Cincinnati, you need to decide how to go about it. There are many DIY guides available but if you want a good job, your best bet will be to engage experienced professionals who are local to Cincinnati to handle it for you. Much more than building it, they understand local laws and codes governing fence installations. They can also help you restore, repair, and revitalize old ones. Conclusion Installing a fence in Cincinnati offers you so many benefits which you should take advantage of. You must however remember to take the necessary precautions discussed above to ensure you get the best possible. If you must do it yourself, get all the help you can. If however you want the best outcome, you will be better off employing professionals to get the job done for you. This will serve you better in the long run.
Scientific research into the development of new cancer treatments across the UK is vital, with accurate new medicines and therapies, such as immuno‐oncology, being introduced to help ensure an increase in survival rates among patients. In line with the developments, new cancer care centres are being opened to provide these bespoke treatments for patients. Building Design Partnership (BDP), an international architecture firm, was appointed to design a new 11-storey cancer centre in the heart of Liverpool – the city’s first dedicated cancer hospital that comes as part of a £162 million investment in cancer centres in the region. With cleanliness, hygiene and inclusive design in mind, BDP turned to PPG Architectural Coatings to provide a Johnstone’s Trade paint specification for Clatterbridge Cancer Centre – Liverpool. Ensured durability The new cancer centre has been designed to complement the existing Clatterbridge centres in Wirral and Aintree. It incorporates state-of-the-art facilities for radiotherapy, chemotherapy, diagnostics and imaging, outpatients, daycase treatments, bone marrow transplant, a Teenage & Young Adult Unit, clinical therapies, and a wide range of cancer information and support services. The centre will care for a total population of around 2.4 million people from across Merseyside, Chester and further areas, as well as carry out clinical trials of new cancer treatments. In an environment where cleaning, sanitation and hygiene practices are of the highest importance, BDP needed to provide a coatings solution that could be thoroughly cleaned regularly, while retaining a high-quality finish and colour. On the recommendation of the project’s main contractor, Laing O’Rourke, BDP specified a range of Johnstone’s Trade paints including Acrylic Durable Matt. Acrylic Durable Matt is a premium emulsion, designed to provide a tough, durable finish. With a Class 1 Scrub Rating, it is ideal for high traffic areas that need regular cleaning – such as healthcare environments. The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre provides specialist chemotherapy and other drug therapies and services so, when it came to specifying paints, it was critical that BDP provided a durable solution with hygiene and quality in mind. As the building will be home to a high number of vulnerable patients and need to be extremely clean at all times, it was crucial that the paint chosen could withstand regular wear and be cleaned and scrubbed regularly, without compromising on quality or colour. For BDP, Acrylic Durable Matt was the perfect solution. Johnstone’s Trade Microbarr Anti Bacterial Acrylic Matt was also used in the Brachytherapy Suite, and HDR and Anaesthetic rooms. Formulated using Silver Ion technology, the coating is a suitable choice for healthcare settings like Clatterbridge Cancer Centre – Liverpool as it to prevent the spread of harmful bacteria and infections, while having a tough, easily washable finish. Aesthetically pleasing design Another consideration throughout the cancer centre was design and colour. BDP proposed a colour scheme that tied the building and departments together, starting with the referencing of one of The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust’s corporate colours at the main entrance levels. BDP wanted to create an environment that was inclusive for all patients, visitors and staff within the centre, taking into account dementia-friendly design while also matching the Trust’s colours – the output of their design needed to be the perfect balance. PPG helped them to do this with its colour-matching service. They worked in collaboration and consulted with dementia specialists to develop the colour scheme, to ensure the design took into account their needs as well as looking good. BDP used the bold Trust colours in the reception areas within the building, and worked with PPG to create tonal variations that were used throughout the corridors and rooms on each floor. Each floor had its own colour identity from the PPG Voice of Colour collection. A calming range of blues such as Mystic Iris and Ocean Skies were included within the inpatients ward, contrasting with bright, bold greens such as Be Spontaneous and Funky Frog in the reception area. Mike Lee, specification development manager at PPG, said: “We’ve worked with BDP on the design and development of Clatterbridge Cancer Centre – Liverpool since they were first appointed and we’ve really seen the building come to life. The centre will be vital in providing care for cancer patients and research into new treatments, and its design has been centred around ensuring patients and staff have a clean, comfortable and visually appealing environment. The finished interior looks great and our Johnstone’s Trade products will ensure the building is protected for many years to come.” For more information about Johnstone’s Trade, visit: www.johnstonestrade.com.
GHD, one of the world’s leading professional services companies, is pleased to announce that it has been appointed by Transport for London (TfL) as its Traffic Engineering Support Partner to support the delivery of feasibility and concept design packages for projects within its Roads, Streets and Places department’s cycling portfolio. Notably, GHD will help develop the feasibility design for Cycle Future Route 15 (CFR 15), which will link Streatham to Oval and is one of 25 routes identified by TfL as having the highest potential demand for cycling in London. CFR 15 is part of TfL’s Healthy Streets Approach, a system of policies and strategies to deliver a healthier, more inclusive city where people choose to walk, cycle and use public transport, in line with the Mayor’s Transport Strategy. Work has been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic as part of TfL’s new Streetspace for London programme, which aims to create more space for people to safely walk or cycle as London emerges from the coronavirus lockdown, in order to avoid a car-based recovery. Following a competitive tender process, GHD was appointed to TfL’s four-year Traffic Engineering Support Partner Framework on account of its specialist sector experience, which includes developing financially viable multi-modal road design solutions, road and traffic safety, and traffic modelling. As TfL’s exclusive Traffic Engineering Support Partner, GHD has mobilised quickly on the project and will provide dedicated resource over the next four years. The GHD team has been assembled from across the company’s global network and is centered around TfL’s specific requirements. A combined TfL and GHD team have recently worked on designs for the A23 Streatham Hill Healthy Streets scheme, where the primary objective is to bring about a ‘step change’ in the street design and public realm quality. This is mainly being achieved by enabling informal pedestrian crossings to help improve accessibility, while also providing cycling infrastructure and addressing vehicles’ speed. Working in collaboration with Lambeth Council, TfL and GHD prepared multiple preliminary and feasibility designs to achieve this along a 1km stretch of the A23 Streatham Hill. Special considerations were given to mitigating the impact of the scheme on bus journey times and ensuring that the design of the crossings was inclusive for mobility and visually impaired users. The TfL and GHD team will now develop CFR 15 feasibility designs between Oval Station and Pendennis Road in Streatham over the next six months to April 2021. The team will also design temporary cycle lanes that will be instated along the entire length of CFR 15 to encourage more walking and cycling in the current COVID-19 environment. GHD has a long and successful track record of working with TfL, having previously been awarded contracts under its Transport Planning & Impact Monitoring, Engineering, and Project Management Frameworks. Craig Adams, TfL Client Account Director and Traffic Engineering Team Leader at GHD, said: “We are delighted to be supporting TfL’s design team once again, as work on Cycle Future Route 15 kicks off at an accelerated pace on account of the COVID-19 pandemic. This route will be an important addition to London’s cycling infrastructure, which is playing a more vital role than ever before on account of social distancing requirements on the public transport network. It has never been more important to get Londoners out walking and cycling, and the Healthy Streets Approach is key to making this happen by improving the experience of being on London’s streets. We look forward to supporting TfL once again as it works to make the capital’s streets safer and more pleasant, with reduced pollution and enhanced accessibility, for the benefit of the wider London community.” With regards to the A23 Streatham Hill Healthy Streets scheme designs, Kieran Hutley, TfL’s Principal Sponsor, Lambeth – Network Sponsorship – Investment Delivery Planning, said: “Will Norman, the Mayor of London’s Walking & Cycling Commissioner, was very impressed that the combined TfL and GHD team had managed to reduce the bus journey time delays, as well as design a scheme with segregated cycle facilities and straight-across pedestrian crossings, achieving the TfL Healthy Streets objectives.”
Momentum Group launches ‘Rebound’ support service to help businesses as they face perfect storm of Brexit and Covid New statistics published by HRMC reveal that a total of £175 million was paid out to UK construction firms in research and development (R&D) Tax Credits, up a whopping 94 per cent from £90 million according to statistics released this time last year. The number of claims has also jumped from 1,790 to 3,055, an increase of 71 per cent, but still only represents 6% of all claims across the scheme. The figures were released as R&D Tax Credit specialists, The Momentum Group launched its ‘Rebound’ support service which aims to assist businesses by maximising their uptake of all available grants and R&D tax benefits offered by the UK government. Commenting on the latest statistics, Tom Verner, MD of The Momentum Group said; “These new figures for the construction industry are very welcome and reflect increased innovation specifically in areas such as the reduction of firms’ carbon footprint. “However, the industry still only represents 6% of claims across the scheme and we believe there are still a great many innovative construction companies missing out on potentially tens of thousands of pounds in R&D Tax Credits. The ‘Manufacturing’, ‘Professional, Scientific and Technical’, and ‘Information and Communication’ sectors continued to have the greatest volume of claims, making up a total of 66% and 71% of the total monetary amount claimed for 2018-19.” Mr Verner added; “The launch of our Rebound support service comes in response to the dual challenge for businesses operating under the looming threat of a no-trade deal Brexit and an ongoing global pandemic. We are all in this together and at Momentum we have been offering, and will continue to offer, free claims advice to companies during these pressured times. “We believe in the ‘bouncebackability’ of businesses across the UK. That word was first coined by Crystal Palace manager, Iain Dowie when describing how his team went from the fringes of relegation to being promoted and I am confident Momentum can help businesses look to a brighter future after the unparalleled difficulties of 2020.” To further underline the commitment to research and development support, at the last budget Chancellor, Rishi Sunak pledged to increase spending on overall R&D to £22billion per year by 2024-25. Mr Verner said; “Between the £38billion spent by the Government on Bounce Back loans for businesses affected by the Covid pandemic, and the potential tax relief that can be claimed in R&D, there is so much support for businesses out there but awareness and understanding of the latter remains stubbornly poor.” “But often in uncertain times, businesses are driven to be more innovative and this work can qualify for R&D Tax Credits. 2020 has been an incredibly difficult year for business with Covid-19 generating great uncertainty and it is likely the monetary value of claims will be lower in the next period due to issues such as staff being on furlough. However, in our view, it is vital that companies thoroughly examine their R&D activities now to ensure all opportunities for support are explored.” “For example, a number of companies joined the fight against Covid-19 by switching production to make medical items, PPE and hand sanitiser. This work will have required a degree of R&D and it is right these companies receive the financial support they are entitled to. “In addition, the government has committed to processing claims within 28 days, meaning successful claims could have an immediate positive impact on balance sheets at a time when cash flow is critical. “Momentum can help, we recognise that businesses will know their own sectors inside out but often struggle when it comes to understanding what qualifies for R&D Tax Credit claims. “Our Rebound support service aims to work directly with companies to conduct strategic reviews of their business before putting strategies in place to identify wide-ranging R&D and innovation opportunities.” To learn more about R&D Tax Credits available to companies and to calculate how much you could receive visit: https://www.momentumgroupni.com/