GRAHAM is pleased to announce the official opening of a new construction training hub at its Tilbury2 site at the Port of Tilbury. The Thurrock Hub has been created in partnership with the South Essex Construction Training Academy (SECTA) for the CITB Construction Skills Fund project, led by Southend-on-Sea Borough
This year’s International Water Mist Conference will take place in Berlin, Germany, on 23rd and 24th October. The venue will be the Ameron Hotel Abion Spreebogen Waterside. As of today, the programme, which features a manifoldness of topics, is online. Part of the event, as has become kind of
Almost three quarters of tradespeople in the UK are happy in their work, despite working long hours and regular weekends, according to a new survey carried out by the country’s largest online supplier of ironmongery, IronmongeryDirect. The poll, completed by over 950 tradespeople, saw 72% of respondents rate themselves as
The iconic Metal Box factory in Neath, an important part of the local economy for more than 80 years, is now operational again for the first time in almost four years. Local councillors were given a tour of the site to mark the occasion and be shown plans for the
The Prince’s Foundation has launched Housing Britain, a blueprint aimed at addressing issues around housing in the UK. The 64-page publication was presented on Friday [June 28] to key industry partners and stakeholders at Dumfries House in East Ayrshire, which hosted a topical panel debate followed by a lunch reception.
The government is seeking views on the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, which underpins fire safety in non-domestic premises. Employers and business owners are being asked for their views on fire safety in workplaces in England as part of a Home Office call for evidence launched today. The Home
The Local Government Association (LGA) says the height threshold at which automatic fire suppression systems are required in residential buildings in England should be lowered to 18 metres, down from the current 30-metre/10-storey limit. It is also urging the Government to require automatic fire suppression systems to be installed in
Trends in home décor keep changing year after year, and you really have to be quick to catch them all. They shift depending on the season, which means decorating tips in spring are different from those in fall. So, if you are currently in the process of decorating your living
The eco-friendly movement made its way in almost all aspects of our lives. The people deciding to join this noble cause range from those who are completely ride-or-die when it comes to embracing the green mentality to those who simply are willing to change certain behavioral patterns but are not
GRAHAM is pleased to announce the official opening of a new construction training hub at its Tilbury2 site at the Port of Tilbury. The Thurrock Hub has been created in partnership with the South Essex Construction Training Academy (SECTA) for the CITB Construction Skills Fund project, led by Southend-on-Sea Borough Council. The official opening ceremony of the new hub was held at the Tilbury2 site on Tuesday 25th June. Representatives were in attendance from Port of Tilbury, Essex County Council, Thurrock and Tilbury Council, while GRAHAM also welcomed the Mayor of Thurrock, Terry Piccolo. Hyla Grimwade, SECTA Project Manager commented: “SECTA is pleased to be working in partnership with leading UK contractor GRAHAM. GRAHAM has kindly agreed to host the Thurrock hub for this CITB Construction Skills Fund project. The hub allows people to have first-hand experience of visiting a live construction site and will host training as part of the SECTA project. Clients using the hub have already felt the difference from a normal classroom compared to this hub as it allows them to relate their learning to a real-world experience.” Tilbury2, situated on the north bank of the River Thames, is a nationally significant infrastructure project involving the delivery of a new multi-million pound port terminal. The site will host and facilitate training as part of SECTA, which has been developed to support 650 people from the south Essex region into the construction industry. Students at the Thurrock Hub will receive ongoing training on a live constitution site, with support from qualified construction professionals to provide an improved learning experience that brings the subject to life. The CITB Construction Skills Fund supports the development of onsite training hubs. It has been set up to help train people who are looking to make a career change into the construction industry as well as others not currently in employment. The fund’s objective is to increase the number of people trained in construction skills to create a workforce to meet the needs of the sector. Thomas Craven, GRAHAM’s Tilbury2 Contracts Manager, said: “We’re thrilled to be playing host to this new construction training hub at Tilbury2 and look forward to working with the new trainees over the duration of the project. “At GRAHAM we understand the importance of skills development in our industry and the need to provide high quality training to fill the growing demand for workers in construction and bridge the employment skills gap. “By providing hands-on teaching and exposing trainees to this huge, live port construction site, we will offer the best environment possible for them to learn the trade and gain the skills needed to make them employment and site ready at the end of their training.” Peter Ward, Commercial Director, Port of Tilbury said: “It’s great to partner with SECTA and GRAHAM on this construction academy. Training and skills development is a key part of our business and it is only fitting that as part of the construction of our new port, Tilbury2, that this plays a major role in the project. The Construction Academy will ensure that people are skilled for not only the T2 project but for future work opportunities which help our local and wider economies. Tilbury2 is a significant project for our business, our customers and the local communities and we look forward to it being operational next year.” When operational in Spring 2020, Tilbury2 will be the UK’s largest unaccompanied freight ferry port, the country’s biggest construction processing hub and will see the creation of a new significantly larger rail head which can accommodate the longest freight trains of 775m. GRAHAM is delivering both the Terrestrial and Marine packages of work and is currently underway with works including Roll-On/Roll-Off (RoRo), highway works, the relocation of the existing railhead, and a fixed structural steel bridge to the linkspan. SECTA is supporting businesses and residents across south Essex, with hubs in Southend and Basildon as well as Thurrock. For details about SECTA visit www.sectatraining.co.uk or call 01702 212856.
This year’s International Water Mist Conference will take place in Berlin, Germany, on 23rd and 24th October. The venue will be the Ameron Hotel Abion Spreebogen Waterside. As of today, the programme, which features a manifoldness of topics, is online. Part of the event, as has become kind of a tradition, will be a panel discussion entitled: “Grenfell, Notre Dame – How can Water Mist Systems prevent loss of lives, property and jobs?” Organizer of the event is as always the International Water Mist Association (IWMA). The first day of the conference will be all about systems in practice and will include the discussion. The second day of the conference will mainly be dedicated to research and testing. The flyer containing the agenda can be downloaded from the IWMA webpage and also from the conference webpage which is accessible directly via www.iwma.net. Please note that the early bird period will end on 15th July. The registration period will end on 18th October.
Almost three quarters of tradespeople in the UK are happy in their work, despite working long hours and regular weekends, according to a new survey carried out by the country’s largest online supplier of ironmongery, IronmongeryDirect. The poll, completed by over 950 tradespeople, saw 72% of respondents rate themselves as ‘happy’ or ‘very happy’ in their current role, with 70% saying they would recommend their job to others. This was despite almost half (46%) of those surveyed working over 45 hours every week, 54% regularly working weekends and almost a third (29%) taking less than two weeks holiday a year. The findings are in contrast to the overall decline in job satisfaction across the UK, highlighted by a recent survey* which found that workplace happiness has dropped steadily over the past three years, with only 41% of staff reporting being happy most of the time at work. Commenting on the survey findings, Wayne Lysaght-Mason, Managing Director of IronmongeryDirect, said: “For too long academic professions have been portrayed as the aspirational career routes to pursue while occupations in the trade sector are viewed as second class. This couldn’t be further from the truth. “There are a huge number of benefits for those taking up a trade and the results from our survey show just how fulfilling and rewarding a career on the tools can be. With acute skills shortages felt across the whole construction sector, it is the perfect time for young people to pursue a trade career and join this flourishing industry.” Skills shortages (reported by 64% of respondents), which are compounded by record employment levels, mean a trade career is likely to offer long-term job security. With 10% of the UK construction workforce made up of overseas workers**, the issue could be even further exacerbated if immigration is restricted under the terms of Brexit. Furthermore, 22% of current tradespeople are aged over 50 while 15% are in their 60s, so new talent is urgently needed to replace those nearing retirement. Trade skills can lead to lucrative careers, with half of the survey respondents earning £30k or more. There are also good prospects for self-employment, which offers added flexibility, control and the option to be selective when taking on work. This is reflected in the survey, with 78% of self-employed tradespeople rating themselves as ‘happy’ or ‘very happy’ at work. IronmongeryDirect has over 17,000 products available and in stock. Orders can be placed as late as 8pm for next day delivery from Sunday through to Friday and by 4pm on Saturdays. Free, no quibble returns are available on all products. For more information, visit IronmongeryDirect.com or call their team of specialist advisors on 0800 168 28 28.
The iconic Metal Box factory in Neath, an important part of the local economy for more than 80 years, is now operational again for the first time in almost four years. Local councillors were given a tour of the site to mark the occasion and be shown plans for the further development of the site. The factory is up and running again thanks to investment by Sevenoaks Modular, a Neath-based specialist in timber frame construction. The company aims to invest some £6.5 million in acquiring and regenerating a large part of the industrial site. With phase 1 an investment of almost £500,000 now complete, some 20 people are already employed at the site. Councillors for Neath Port Talbot, Sandra and John Miller were recently shown around the 250,000 sq ft site and discussed the company’s future plans for it. Sevenoaks Modular, which currently employs around 100 people in Neath, anticipates it will double its workforce in the next 12 months in conjunction with its expansion to the site. The move will also allow it to go from producing 1,000 homes per year to more than 3,000 per year. Sevenoaks Modular will acquire around half of the site from Neath Port Talbot Council, which bought the factory in 2019. It will move all its operations to the site once it has been refurbished as will its sister companies Hale Construction and Hale Homes, both part of the Hale Group. Between all the companies, some 200 people will be based at the site. John and Sandra Miller said: “When the Metal Box closed I don’t think anyone expected to see its doors open again. After our guided tour of the facility this morning it is easy to become hopeful again. This is an exciting development which highlights a company who are able to adapt and utilise the space available to them. “Although this morning’s tour was only to the first phase, we were extremely impressed by what we saw and with the plans for expanding into the next phase. We were given a full account of the vision of the company and the intention of those driving the project. We look forward to seeing this local company going from strength to strength.” Charlotte Hale, director of Sevenoaks Modular, said: “We are delighted to see the site up and running again and there has been a real buzz in the local community as a result. At present, only a small part of the site is operational but we have around 20 people employed there and one of the two large-scale cranes at the site is now working again following extensive repairs and refurbishment. “This is just the start for us. We will eventually have all our manufacturing based at the site. Our long-term plans will mean a significant investment in the local economy and allow us to keep pace with demand and all while pushing an environmentally friendly agenda, both in terms of the style of construction we champion and in terms of how we will regenerate the site itself.” Supported by the public and private sectors, Sevenoaks Modular will make a significant investment to regenerate the site. It will install a new roof, conduct extensive repairs on the main premises, build offices and install an eco-friendly wood burning facility, complemented by cutting-edge energy storage units, which will recycle offcuts from the construction process and power the entire site. In partnership with local education providers, it will also establish a training academy for young people looking to get a foothold in the construction industry, and open parts of the site up to use by the wider community. The company anticipates all the work will be completed and the site fully operational within 12 months. Sevenoaks Modular has an order book in excess of £10 million all with tier one contractors and large property developers. It anticipates further rapid growth, which is partly being driven by government initiatives to build more homes quickly. The UK Government set a target of building 300,000 new homes in 2017 and the Welsh Government aims to build 20,000 new affordable homes by 2021. JG Hale Construction now has a turnover in excess of £40 million. It will move all of its operations to the new site using the vast space as an indoor, offsite construction hub. The Metal Box factory site was occupied for more than 70 years by the Metal Box container factory known locally as “The Box” but has been vacant after the previous occupiers, the Crown packaging company, closed in 2016. With support from the Welsh Government’s targeted regeneration investment programme, Neath Port Talbot Council bought the site in 2019 with plans to turn it into a business zone to create jobs. This investment from Sevenoaks Modular represents a big boost to that strategy. The entire site could provide space for up to 500 jobs with interest from a number of locally based companies.
The Prince’s Foundation has launched Housing Britain, a blueprint aimed at addressing issues around housing in the UK. The 64-page publication was presented on Friday [June 28] to key industry partners and stakeholders at Dumfries House in East Ayrshire, which hosted a topical panel debate followed by a lunch reception. Housing Britain contains a 14-point “call to action” [see Editor’s Notes, below] articulated by a range of industry pioneers. Running on the theme of how to achieve mixed-use places rather than homogeneous housing estates, the content aims to provide landowners, civic leaders, community groups and developers with a reference guide to encourage construction projects that place long-term gain above short-term profit. Ben Bolgar, senior director of The Prince’s Foundation, said: “We are proud to present Housing Britain, a collection of best-in-class thinking from those in the industry, providing compelling arguments that can help inform decision-makers when tackling issues around housing in the UK. “This blueprint has been published by The Prince’s Foundation, which, like its legacy charity The Prince’s Foundation for Building Community, has gained a reputation as a leader in the theory and practice of establishing beautiful, enduring buildings and places. Our efforts in this field are inspired by the work of our charity’s president The Prince of Wales and his philosophy on what makes successful and prosperous communities. The content of Housing Britain draws on the expertise and contacts we have gained over the years to provide comprehensive insight and analysis that we hope will help change the face of housing in Britain.” For the past 30 years, The Prince of Wales has championed community-led, mixed-use, attractive, walkable housing developments with future generations in mind. The publication of Housing Britain comes 30 years on from the publication of His Royal Highness’s book A Vision Of Britain. The launch event on Friday provided an opportunity for key decision-makers to come together to debate the issues raised in Housing Britain and take them forward in a meaningful way. Panel members and their respective subject matters were as follows: Jack Airey ‒ Head of Housing, Policy Exchange, whose work on raising housebuilding standards has attracted cross-party support and led to the Government creating the Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission. The politics of the UK Housing crisis with current up to date analysis and key statistics The Earl of Moray ‒ landowner and developer of Tornagrain, a 5000-home village near Inverness. The role the landowner plays in long term stewardship and legacy development, challenges and why it matters for Britain’s future communities. Andrew Cameron ‒ engineer with more than 20 years of experience in planning for movement while at the same time creating great streets and enjoyable places. The importance of shared public spaces for building community; How to integrate movement, not just cars; Manual for streets and technological change. Kit Martin ‒ architectural designer, Phoenix Trust: The plight of heritage buildings in the last 100 years and positive regeneration examples providing future inspiration. Kim Slowe: developer and managing director of Zero C and Design Your Own Home Importance of mixed-use in development and how it can add value; SME builder’s role; Custom-build potential. The principles of housing design and planning espoused in Housing Britain are reflected in The Prince’s Foundation’s Beauty In My Backyard (BIMBY) toolkit, which is available free of charge. The online resource, based on more than 20 years of community engagement techniques, aims to unite local communities, planners and landowners to develop a shared vision for locally popular places. The toolkit creates a local housing manual to help set agreed standards that should pave the way for a faster and more certain route to an agreeable planning permission.
The government is seeking views on the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, which underpins fire safety in non-domestic premises. Employers and business owners are being asked for their views on fire safety in workplaces in England as part of a Home Office call for evidence launched today. The Home Office is seeking feedback on the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, which underpins fire safety in business premises, such as offices, warehouses, shops and commercial venues, to ensure it is fit for purpose. The call for evidence follows publication last year of Dame Judith Hackitt’s Independent Review on Building Regulation and Fire Safety, which was commissioned by the government after the Grenfell Tower fire. The order places legal duties on those responsible for the safety of people using business premises. This is typically an employer or business owner, who must carry out fire risk assessments and ensure the safety of staff and others. Minister for Policing and the Fire Service Nick Hurd said: The Grenfell Tower fire was an unimaginable tragedy and we are determined to do everything we can to stop it ever happening again. The government is making good progress on improving the safety of high-rise flats, but we must also look at the wider building safety landscape, including the places where we all work. To help keep people safe, we want to ensure the Fire Safety Order is fit for purpose. To do this, we need to understand how it is working on the ground and make informed decisions in the future. The order covers all non-domestic premises, as well as the parts of residential buildings used in common, such as corridors and stairwells. Under the order, those responsible for fire safety in regulated premises include employers, business owners, landlords, occupiers and anyone else in control of the premises, such as building and facilities managers. The order also applies to anyone with paying guests, including those who run bed and breakfasts, guesthouses or let self-catering properties, as well as hotels. All of these ‘responsible persons’ are being urged to respond to the call for evidence. Their responsibilities include: carrying out a fire risk assessment of the premises and reviewing it regularly telling staff or their representatives about the risks identified putting in place and maintaining appropriate fire safety measures planning for an emergency providing staff information, fire safety instruction and training The call for evidence will run for eight weeks until 31 July 2019, and an analysis of responses will be published and inform the government’s next steps later this year. It complements the government’s consultation, Building a Safer Future, which is also launched today. Led by the Ministry for Housing, communities and local government, the consultation outlines how the government proposes to take forward meaningful legislative reform in the building safety regulatory system. See more information on the call for evidence here and on the Building a Safer Future consultation here.
The Local Government Association (LGA) says the height threshold at which automatic fire suppression systems are required in residential buildings in England should be lowered to 18 metres, down from the current 30-metre/10-storey limit. It is also urging the Government to require automatic fire suppression systems to be installed in all new premises where vulnerable people sleep, including care homes and residential schools. The LGA says existing proposals for a 30-metre threshold is too high given the practicalities of firefighting. Cllr Ian Stephens, chair of the LGA’s fire services management committee, told the LGA’s annual fire conference in Brighton: “Residents have a right to be safe and to feel safe in their homes and automatic fire suppression systems, which can include sprinklers, offer a strong reassurance that is urgently needed following the Grenfell Tower tragedy. www.local.gov.uk/topics/fire-and-rescue
Trends in home décor keep changing year after year, and you really have to be quick to catch them all. They shift depending on the season, which means decorating tips in spring are different from those in fall. So, if you are currently in the process of decorating your living space and wish to accentuate the home décor with some cool renovation ideas that are popular for this season, here’s what you should take into consideration, and how much some of these things might cost you. New kitchen countertop The kitchen is one of the most popular areas in every home, so it has to be perfect. After all, this is where the family gathers for meals and where you could even welcome your guests. The first thing everyone notices is the countertop, so replace it with a newer, trendier one. There are a lot of options you could explore when it comes to prices, materials, colors and styles, but be prepared to pay up to $200 for a square foot of a quality countertop. Determine your budget to see how much you can spend, then plan your purchase accordingly. New kitchen cabinets After updating the countertop, it’s time to pay attention to the cabinets as well. Again, there are a lot of possibilities when it comes to materials, colors, shapes and types of cabinets, and all of these things affect the price, too. The amount most homeowners spend on cabinets ranges between $2.000 and $5.000, but you can always add a few more things into the mix if you want to make your kitchen extra special. Corner cabinets, curved cabinets and floor-to-ceiling cabinets cost a bit more, so make the design first and specify the budget before moving forward with the plans. New flooring This is the thing that most people avoid when it comes to renovating and decorating their home because it’s such a large project. Living in a home with poor flooring is terrible, and anyone who’s ever been in that situation will tell you the same. So, what can you do? Some of the most popular options include hardwood floors, laminate flooring and tiles, and the price depends on the material, the size and whether you do the job yourself or hire a professional. Overall, you could spend up to $5.000 on an average-sized home. Whichever idea you opt for, you can take it to a completely new level with a warm and colorful rug that complements other colors in your home and makes it more welcoming. New bathroom features This is another room that gives you comfort and joy, but it’s also a space that’s usually rather small and often forgotten when it comes to huge home renovation projects. However, if you give your bathroom a little love, you’ll be making a good investment because you’ll feel cozy in it every day of the week. The cost of a complete bathroom makeover can pile up to $10.000, but if you keep it smart and simple and focus on just a few things instead of going all in, you could save a ton of cash. Some of the things you might want to introduce are new cabinets, and you could also replace your bath with a shower, lay new tiles and install new fixtures – this way, your bathroom will look amazing after just a couple of days, and you won’t have to spend every dime you have. New décor Once you’ve updated and renovated all these things, it’s time to make your home pretty and introduce some décor into the picture. Doing it room by room is always the best way to go as this method allows you to control the costs and always stay on top of your budget. The prices for new décor in every room of the house can go up to $50.000 for the most high-end projects, but you could also pick more moderate ideas and spend much less money that way. Don’t forget that home décor is all about the style and appearance, not about money, so spend as much as you have to until you’re completely satisfied with the way your home looks and feels. If you’re thinking about remodeling your home and adding new décor to it, be prepared to spend as much as $100.000 if you wish to make a complete transformation. This is quite a lot of cash, especially if you’re doing several things at the same time, but just imagine how amazing it would be to live in a completely renovated place that’s recently been brought up to your own personal standards.
The eco-friendly movement made its way in almost all aspects of our lives. The people deciding to join this noble cause range from those who are completely ride-or-die when it comes to embracing the green mentality to those who simply are willing to change certain behavioral patterns but are not willing to make some larger sacrifices and convert all the way. That being said, we can notice a significant increase in people embracing eco-friendly designs in their homes and living environments. This probably stems from the fact that we, humans – as a race – have moved so much away from the nature we originally came from, that we are now looking for ways to come back to it and embrace it once more as much as possible. Since we already know that the kitchen is the heart of every home and we are now increasingly striving towards embracing nature, it only makes sense that we want to make our kitchen designs eco-friendlier as well. Here are some ideas worth considering. Start from the ground up Just like you wouldn’t start building a home from the roof down, you shouldn’t start any redecoration project with anything other than your floors. When it comes to sustainable flooring solutions, reclaimed wood is one of the better ways to go. However, finding enough reclaimed wood can prove to be really difficult. That’s why you should definitely consider going with concrete floors, especially in areas such as the kitchen. These are very durable and easy to maintain, and they can be so versatile you definitely won’t have any difficulties picking the right fit for your desired final look. Decide on the color scheme Next, once your flooring solution is set in place, you should focus on the other base of your design – the walls. Depending on the vibe and design you’re going for, you probably already have a color scheme in mind. However, in order to stay on the eco-friendly track here, it’s important to note that you should pay special attention to the type of paint you choose to go with as well. Zero-VOC and lead-free paints are the ones you should choose for this project as they are safe both for the environment and the people living in your household – yourself included. Add shelter for your dishes Kitchen cabinets are something many associate with being pricey and usually not very eco-conscious to make. However, this way of thinking is very, very wrong, especially when talking about built-in or fitted kitchen cabinets. With these, you can go with an iron or stainless-steel base construction and the only other materials you’ll have to use will be the ones used for kitchen cabinet fronts and countertops. However, do know that you will have to specify clearly that you want to go with this type of kitchen cabinets, as they are still a relatively new concept and not many people are familiar with the idea. Chose work surfaces with care And now comes the fun part – countertops, sinks and other work surfaces. When sinks are concerned, you should definitely go with the ones made of natural stone, as they are super easy to make and look absolutely stunning. Recycled glass is becoming an increasingly popular option for countertops. The reason behind this is the fact that not only are they super sturdy but they also offer a range of color combos and finishes that can fit right in with any kitchen design. Finally, chopping boards are also something you should be very careful when buying. Plastic cutting boards that are most commonly used in households are not very good for either the users or the environment, as they can contain some harsh chemicals, among other things. That’s why you should always try to go with wooden chopping boards that are not only safe to use but look absolutely stunning. That’s why you should look for a charcuterie board for sale and use it both as a nifty kitchen tool and a décor piece when it’s not being used. You can even buy multiple of these and hang them on your kitchen wall so that they can serve the aesthetic purpose as well. Make it light and bright Finally, the lighting in your kitchen must be top-notch. Since the kitchen is the place most commonly filled with sharp objects, hot surfaces and boiling-hot food it’s only normal that you do all in your power to make this area as bright as possible. To stay as eco-friendly and as energy efficient as possible, invest in equipping your lighting fixtures with LED light bulbs. Not only are these very eco-friendly but they are also excellent at mimicking natural light. So, if you are looking to create a sustainable design in your kitchen and make it as eco-friendly as possible, start by implementing some of these changes.