A leading trade body event will be charting the changing perspectives, current challenges and emerging issues in the UK’s professional invasive weed control sector. The Property Care Association’s 2018 International Invasive Weed Conference takes place at The Slate, University of Warwick, on 22 November. This year’s event has attracted high-profile
Abtec Building Technologies (Abtec BT) has recently completed a project to install a connected lighting system at a newly constructed brick factory in the East Midlands. Ibstock Brick, an Ibstock PLC company, has built a new factory capable of producing 100 million bricks a year, helping to address the UK’s housing shortage.
Boon Brown is celebrating being granted planning permission and conservation area consent for a challenging development in Battersea which will create five residential apartments whilst reinstating a local Victorian public house. The former Queens Arms public house was closed and then converted to a small shop with vacant premises above
FENSA, the largest and longest established Competent Person Scheme (CPS) within the replacement window and door industry, is pleased to announce that it has appointed CMDi –built environment brand specialists, to explore the ‘grey’ market. The scale and form of the ‘grey’ market is one the construction industry’s great unknowns
If you have workers on the books with temporary visas or restricted rights to work in the UK, your business is exposed to additional immigration compliance risks, as immigration solicitor Anne Morris explains. To comply with your duties to prevent illegal working, every employee should be onboarded in line with
Safety is one of the most important aspects to maintain in any construction project. There are regulations governing how health and safety must be handled, including the right safety measures to put in place and HSE policies to follow. Despite the extensive regulations, health and safety risks must also be
A mix of metal and mineral systems from Armstrong Ceilings has helped to transform a tired office block opposite Victoria station in London into a stunning mixed-use building. First-time Armstrong specifiers MAX architects specified them to differentiate from the more traditional Category A fit-outs elsewhere in the Victoria regeneration area,
Regional cities in the UK are playing an increasingly vital role in the UK construction boom. The demand for city centre property continues to be strong and the construction industry has been responding in turn. There has been an increase in building activity in many major UK regional cities. In
Wrightstyle is shortly to supply advanced glazing systems to a £7.5 million state-of-the-art care home being built by Deeley Construction. Wrightstyle will be installing fire-rated screens and doors at the Woodside Care Village, an inspirational new care home in Warwick which will provide care for 72 older people and people
Specialist communications consultancy Perceptive Communicators is celebrating following an evening of success at the Scottish Women’s Awards 2018 where Managing Director, Julie McLauchlan scooped the top award for Business Women of the Year (under 50 employees). Established in 2006, Perceptive is a multi-award winning full service communications consultancy specialising in
A leading trade body event will be charting the changing perspectives, current challenges and emerging issues in the UK’s professional invasive weed control sector. The Property Care Association’s 2018 International Invasive Weed Conference takes place at The Slate, University of Warwick, on 22 November. This year’s event has attracted high-profile speakers from across the public and private sector, including the legal field, utilities and local authorities, as well as finance and mortgaging. The focus is on three key themes, identification, assessment and response, with representatives from the GB Non-Native Species Secretariat, the Environment Agency and CABI chairing the sessions. And, as well as looking at invasive plants often on the radar, such as Japanese knotweed and giant hogweed, the focus will also include the emerging issue of other plants including buddleia and bamboo and how to deal with them. The full conference programme, including booking details, can be viewed at https://www.property-care.org/conferences/international-invasive-weed-conference-identification-assessment-response/ ‘Identification,’ the first session of the day, includes input from Ben Aston, of Yorkshire Water, who discusses the most challenging weeds for the water industry, and Dr Johan van Valkenburg, who will present an overview of the invasive, non-native weeds of concern in those countries just over the Channel from us and their potential to impact on the UK. The ‘assessment’ session includes information on mortgaging and finance from Robert Stevens of Nationwide, and health and safety best practice from Colin Liptrot of the Environment Agency. Finally, our ‘response’ to these issues includes Rodger Burnett of Charles Lyndon outlining the Court of Appeal’s take on matters, and details of land remediation tax relief and Japanese knotweed being covered by Alun Oliver of E3 Consulting. A panel debate, ‘Local Authorities and Invasive Weeds,’ concludes the event. Dr Peter Fitzsimons, the PCA’s Invasive Weed Control Group Technical Manager, said: “The conference is seen as a major event for decision makers and those influencing and tackling the issues related to invasive weeds to gain the latest knowledge and insight on the issue. “The content this year is engaging, informative and highly topical, offering a valuable opportunity for delegates including contractors, surveyors, lawyers, public authorities and academics to join with PCA members and share industry-leading insight and best practice.”
Abtec Building Technologies (Abtec BT) has recently completed a project to install a connected lighting system at a newly constructed brick factory in the East Midlands. Ibstock Brick, an Ibstock PLC company, has built a new factory capable of producing 100 million bricks a year, helping to address the UK’s housing shortage. With lighting such a fundamental part of any manufacturing facility, the company wanted to install the latest technologies to help save on costs, energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Ibstock Brick is the UK’s market leader in brick manufacture with 20 factories across the country and a total annual capacity in excess of 750 million bricks. In addition, the firm employs almost 1400 people, with a substantial number in the local Ibstock and Ellistown areas in Leicestershire. Despite the impressive output figures, the UK as a whole is suffering from a housing shortage that is not helped by a lack of bricks. To address the shortfall, it is estimated that a further 400 million bricks will be required annually; a demand that is currently met by imports from continental Europe. In response, Ibstock Brick is increasing its output by constructing one of the most modern brick factories in the world. In fact, the company estimates that the new £54 million facility will increase its production capacity by a further 100 million bricks per annum. Total connectivity All modern factories call for connectivity, and this includes services such as lighting, for which the company was keen to ensure the latest technologies were utilised. “We were introduced to the project by Siemens as we are a solutions partner for their building technologies division,” explains Dave Watkins, director of Abtec BT, a specialist in bringing cost-saving intelligence to buildings. “After an initial chat with Ibstock, at which we had the opportunity to put forward our ideas, we were asked to tender formally for the project, which we duly won.” The solution proposed by Abtec BT was based on a number of class-leading technologies, including LED sources, open platform functionality, sustainability and, of course, connectivity. This proposal contrasted notably to the original brief, which was based on fluorescent lighting. “We had to justify the technology and why Ibstock should go for it,” states Mr Watkins. “However, the advantages of the proposal were pretty apparent and the company soon placed the order.” Demonstrating the payback Abtec BT’s alternative to traditional lighting and controls facilitated the potential to build an energy-efficient building management system. Significant payback on the proposed solution was demonstrated, along with CO2 savings to match. In terms of the actual choice of lighting, the nature of the environment within the factory made this task especially challenging. Specialist conditions meant that the system not only had to be energy efficient, but had to be installed to a very specific standard, a factor that called for careful thought in the design of the concept, as well as consideration for future maintenance requirements. “We proposed DALi light fittings, which were rated to a high IP (ingress protection) with no metal exposed,” explains Mr Watkins. “This is important as a combination of brick dust and moisture in the atmosphere can cause incorrectly specified light fittings to corrode. In addition to their suitability for the operating environment, the use of DALi lighting would also provide the control and feedback needed at the management graphics end of the system.” 300 light fittings In total, Abtec BT calculated the need for 300 light fittings above the 295 x 86m factory floor in order to maintain the necessary lux levels. Contamination from the brickmaking process will of course affect lux levels over time, but the nature of the connected lighting solution proposed by Abtec BT means it is possible to account for this eventuality. “At installation, new lights can be dimmed to counter the fact that they will probably emit lux levels that are too high,” says Mr Watkins. “However, as time passes and the lights get contaminated from factory production processes, so we can dim up accordingly. Having a high understanding of issues such as these helped us to secure the Ibstock contract.” The installation undertaken by Abtec of the electrical elements such as the busbar also had to be carefully selected and installed. Due to the challenging height of the building (over 17m), the sensors used and the location required close scrutiny. Effective energy management Abtec BT’s system has all the elements necessary to provide effective energy management, including presence detection from sensors mounted throughout the factory, automated function and duration testing of emergency lighting, constant daylight control and some scene setting. “Constant light control means that we monitor natural light levels across the whole factory and adjust the DALi lighting accordingly,” says Mr Watkins. “For instance, if the sun comes out and natural light levels improve we can slowly dim the lights [not noticeable by the naked eye], thus generating savings.” In total, energy savings of around 50% are anticipated in comparison with a traditional lighting install, along with an annual CO2 reduction of 170,041 kg. When coupled with the automated emergency testing, further savings are expected, leading to an estimated project payback of less than two years. Open platform “The system installed is open in its approach to technology; KNX has been used for the field based sensors, BACnet for integration to heating and ventilation, and MODBUS to bring in the metering data,” explains Mr Watkins. Importantly, the entire system links to Abtec’s integrated building energy management system, HYDRA, which allows users to easily navigate and visualise logged events. Built on the latest vector graphics platform (HTML5), HYDRA helps users zoom in to the information they need, whether on a PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone. The HYDRA system, with its supervisor control and data acquisition functions, is a window into the heart of a building, as well as a proactive tool giving information to managers so they can make informed business decisions. HYDRA supports OPC, ModBus and BACnet, and allows integration with third-party systems. Data aggregation
Boon Brown is celebrating being granted planning permission and conservation area consent for a challenging development in Battersea which will create five residential apartments whilst reinstating a local Victorian public house. The former Queens Arms public house was closed and then converted to a small shop with vacant premises above until Boon Brown’s successful design converted the building back into a 3590 sq ft pub/restaurant plus one studio and four two-bedroom residential units. In Boon Brown’s plan for client James Laurence Group, a public house with restaurant and back-of-house facilities will occupy the ground floor and basement, with an extension to the existing first and second floors helping provide space for four apartments. A new third floor will house one, two-bedroom flat. Explains Craig Jones of Boon Brown: “To bring back a regarded local asset as well as providing much needed housing has made the Queens Arms project a joy to work on. The Queens Arms had been a public house since it was built in 1865 but closed two years ago. Despite attempts by Wandsworth Council via Article 4 Directions, the pub was converted to a shop and now has planning permission to be converted back to pub use with integrated restaurant. An agreement with a successful local operator to take on the pub and restaurant post refurbishment should secure the future for the Queens Arms.” As the Queens Arms is in the Park Town Conservation Area and is included in Wandsworth Borough Council’s ‘local list’ of unlisted buildings of architectural or historic significance, Boon Brown’s design had to be sympathetic to the local heritage context. Boon Brown’s proposal retains the original built form, with its distinct two-tone ‘public house’ commercial façade, articulated pillasters and arched windows, and the local vernacular and irregular form of the set-back upper floors. An existing ground floor extension will be brought in line with the style of the pub façade, with larger arched openings to serve the apartments’ joint entrance. The simple, bespoke aluminium doors will follow the architectural language of the existing fabric with a contemporary touch. Above this, a new one storey extension retains the building‘s mellow character, matching the existing elevation as well as the existing brickwork type and colour to create a natural continuity. The original plaster and painted cornice and string courses are continued across the new structure and the windows match the proportions, colours and types of the existing sashes. At the second floor, a minimal full glass extension provides interesting perspectives for the studio apartment, while it is incorporated neatly within the dominant character of the building. The third-floor roof extension steps back from the existing parapet and is clad in zinc, with a simple plan form to avoid over-fussy lines. The external walling adopts a mansard arrangement to soften the visual edge. This success comes just four months after Boon Brown gained planning permission for a contemporary detached house in the yard of the Queens Arms. Work is expected to start on site in late October 2018.
FENSA, the largest and longest established Competent Person Scheme (CPS) within the replacement window and door industry, is pleased to announce that it has appointed CMDi –built environment brand specialists, to explore the ‘grey’ market. The scale and form of the ‘grey’ market is one the construction industry’s great unknowns but it is a recurring issue for many installers who are doing everything by the book only to find there are “competitors” who are winning business but are not operating legally or ethically. FENSA’s role is to enable member companies to self-certify compliance under the Building Regulations, without the need for a separate assessment from Building Control. In the past few years FENSA has been made aware of companies not registering window or door installations and in some cases installing windows that are not complying with Building Regulations. FENSA’s Managing Director, Anda Gregory, commented: “As the market leader, FENSA has a responsibility to ensure that our brand is well positioned to clearly communicate the role FENSA plays, not only to build value for our members, but to provide protection for homeowners. We have appointed CMDi to work with us as long-term partners to carry out a robust programme of research to establish the size and nature of the grey market.” Managing Director of CMDi, Dianne Lucas, said “We are looking forward to working with FENSA as it has a vital role to play in the industry. CMDi has a unique blend of sector focused business strategies including research, brand positioning and communications delivery.” CMDI’s initial task will be to establish the issues affecting the industry through extensive industry and consumer research. From there, the consultants will work on brand and communications strategies to further strengthen FENSA’s market leading position to ensure it meets the current and long term challenges facing by the industry.
If you have workers on the books with temporary visas or restricted rights to work in the UK, your business is exposed to additional immigration compliance risks, as immigration solicitor Anne Morris explains. To comply with your duties to prevent illegal working, every employee should be onboarded in line with Home Office requirements to ‘Obtain, Check and Record’ appropriate Right to Work documents. This means checking and keeping copies of original, acceptable documents before someone starts working for you and – something which many employers are not always fully aware of – carrying out repeat checks if a person has a time limit on their work permission. If you’re found to be in breach of these duties, you could be liable for a hefty civil penalty of up to £20,000 per illegal worker, and could potentially face criminal prosecution. Ensuring compliance across a sizeable workforce and multiple sites is challenging in itself, but when your employees hold varying immigration status, requiring document checks to be run at different intervals – the risk to your business multiplies. But the legislation is clear – you must at any one time be able to accurately confirm the working status of every employee in your organisation. Your duties when employing immigration-restricted workers The Home Office sets out two definitive lists of ‘acceptable’ documents that individuals are to present to employers to prove their right to work in the UK. An individual’s immigration status determines which list they need to refer to and which documentation they must present to you to verify they have the relevant permission to carry out the work on offer. List A applies to those with permanent right to work, such as UK nationals or those with Indefinite Leave to Remain. Production of a valid, original List A document is sufficient to establish you as an employer have met your duty for checking an employee’s right to work for the duration of their employment with you. No further right to work checks will be needed for this employee. Employees with limited leave to remain or enter the UK, restricting the duration or type of activity permitted, are required to produce items from List B to evidence their identity and their employment authorisation. You will need to conduct compliance checks at least every 12 months on employees relying on List B documentation. The potential for List B employees’ working status to change during the course of employment creates an area of risk for employers, requiring close and careful management. A follow-up right to work check should result in one of the following: The employee presents items from List B confirming continued, limited right to work: the 12-month cycle starts again. Where an individual’s leave expires during the period of 12 months after the last check, you should carry out a check at the point of expiry to verify their continued right to work. If further List B documentation is provided, a repeat check will be required at 12 months. If you are presented with a List A document, you have met your duty for the duration of the person’s employment with you and you are no longer required to carry out annual checks on that employee. Employer Checking Service If an employee presents documents from ‘List B Group 2’, or the individual is unable to present any acceptable document from List 2 – because the individual is awaiting an application decision by the Home Office – contact the Employer Checking Service to receive a Positive Verification Notice from the Home Office, confirming the continued eligibility of the individual to work for the duration that their application is outstanding and until their visa is approved. Loss of right to work If you establish that an employee no longer has the right to work in the UK and you continue to employ that person, you become liable for a civil penalty and the criminal offence of knowingly employing an illegal worker. It is best to seek advice as soon as you become aware of an employee’s loss of permission before taking action. Instant dismissal of an employee who no longer has the right to work can in some cases give rise to employment law issues, such as unfair dismissal or discrimination claims, which will require navigation. Managing compliance business risks What can employers do to effectively manage their List B employees, and reduce the risk of non-compliance and threat of civil penalty without onerous drain on resource? Automate your systems The most effective approach to managing List B documents is through an automated solution to prompts for HR teams to check on the progress of employees’ outstanding application. Compliant record keeping Repeat checks on List B personnel should be recorded as per UKVI guidelines and synced with the original record. An effective solution will sync the data into your HR or payroll system immediately. Personnel training Ensuring those in your organisation responsible for recruiting and onboarding understand, follow process. Through training can be effective to ensure Be clear on employees’ duties Ensure your employees are aware of their duty to notify you of any change in their circumstances or working status, and the wider requirements on them to manage their status appropriately. Anne Morris is an immigration solicitor and Managing Director at UK immigration law firm DavidsonMorris. specialists in all areas of business immigration including right to work compliance, PBS licences and challenging civil penalties.
Safety is one of the most important aspects to maintain in any construction project. There are regulations governing how health and safety must be handled, including the right safety measures to put in place and HSE policies to follow. Despite the extensive regulations, health and safety risks must also be mitigated from the planning stage. Anticipating risks and making plans on how to deal with them isn’t as complicated as you think. Many of the risks faced by construction projects are actually risks that can be foreseen. To help you plan better for potential health and safety risks, we are going to take a look at the common risks to mitigate in this article. Crowded Work Environment Crowds gathering in certain areas of the work environment is considered a serious safety risk that needs to be handled properly. When workers gather in one particular area of the site, the risks of a workplace accident causing harm to more people gets significantly higher. There are other situations that are completely avoidable. When heavy machinery is used to perform certain tasks, it is not uncommon for workers to gather around the work area and watch. Their presence is a serious risk; the workers are exposing themselves to serious risks of injury. A good way to mitigate these risks is by creating clear policies and setting up boundaries around the work areas, especially when machinery is in use. This way, you can limit the number of people present in these areas to a minimum; only authorised and essential personnel must be allowed near the work area. Machine Loading Another high-risk point in a construction project is when heavy equipment is being loaded and unloaded. There are a lot of risks to think about, from the machinery rolling off the transport truck and harming people around the area, to the trailer or truck not having enough room to reach the unloading and loading area. Similar to crowded work areas, risks associated with getting heavy machinery in and out of the site can be reduced with a series of tight health and safety policies. Making sure that only essential workers are present is a must. You can also use additional tools to help keep these processes as safe as they can be. Lights are essential when the work is done at night. Safety strips, lines limiting the work areas, and other safety tools can also help manage the work area better, all while keeping that area safer for workers and the equipment you are loading and unloading. Uneven Terrain Slopes are among the most dangerous things you can face on a work site. When building on uneven terrain, extra precautions must be taken to ensure sufficient attention to health and safety. Working on slopes also requires special handling in most cases. When moving trucks and other machinery up a slope, for example, the process should be straightforward. As long as the machinery has enough power to get to the top of the slope – or the work area – you have fewer risks to worry about. Going down the slope, on the other hand, is actually riskier than you realise. Many workers on the site will take going down a slope as an easy thing to do, causing them to focus less on safety and the safety measures put in place to prevent accidents. Machinery rolling down the slope can damage property in the work area and harm workers too. Machinery Issues When talking about machinery issues in a construction project, you know you have a lot of risks to mitigate. Bigger risks like heavy machinery tipping over due to uneven terrain or excessive load are usually easier to manage. They are serious risks that require special handling from the beginning. Smaller risks, on the other hand, are trickier to handle. Issues like a piece of nail getting caught in a circular saw are seemingly small issues that are often overlooked, but they are issues that can also cause serious harm to workers near the work area. The best way to mitigate these risks is by making safety equipment and protective gear a necessity. The level of protection can also be set above the required limit so that workers remain safer while working around the project site. Safety training is just as important. Employees must complete the necessary health and safety courses; taking it a step further and getting your staff through all the important courses – rather than the bare minimum – is also greatly recommended. The fact that finding good health and safety training is easy in the UK makes it even better; you can browse around this site for health and safety courses in your area led by trained experts. Combined with other risk mitigation tips we covered in this article, you now have enough to cover the health and safety basics for your next construction project.
A mix of metal and mineral systems from Armstrong Ceilings has helped to transform a tired office block opposite Victoria station in London into a stunning mixed-use building. First-time Armstrong specifiers MAX architects specified them to differentiate from the more traditional Category A fit-outs elsewhere in the Victoria regeneration area, as well as for their high quality and flexibility. Armstrong’s perforated metal D-Clip island or floating ceilings in RAL 9022 (pearl light grey), a modern and modular absorber solution for exposed concrete ceilings, feature on all six office floors (11,000m2), while white mineral Ultima+ 600mm x 600mm boards in an exposed 24mm grid were used in the back-of-house areas. The redevelopment of 25 Wilton Road for client Royal London Asset Management has raised the bar by delivering a refurbishment project that performs both commercially and functionally in the same way as a prime commercial new-build. At the same time as retaining the post-tensioned concrete frame of the structure, the project incorporates three new lightweight steel floors of 14 high-quality rental apartments (4,000m2) into a building previously used exclusively for commercial purposes, leading to social and environmental benefits for the area. What was then Parnell House was completed in 1995 but while structurally sound it was underperforming at £35/ft2 and with leases coming up, MAX were asked to take a look at the building. Once fully let it will have increased in capital value threefold or by 271% once the £38 million project costs have been taken into account. While the existing concrete structure has been retained, bold new articulated facades transform the building’s relationship with its strategic location. It appears to subtly transform as one moves around it, revealing a depth of facade through striking cobalt-blue folds. The ‘fanned’ bays, along with the infill of the six floors of existing atria, considerably increase the lettable area and the light levels within a new set of highly-flexible and efficient office floor plates. Ground-level retail, café and lobby spaces enliven the streetscape. MAX architect Ashley Gilbert said: “The scheme set out to provide prime grade flexible office space designed to appeal to a wide range of user profiles. The idea was to differentiate the space from the more traditional Category A fit-outs being delivered elsewhere within the wider Victoria regeneration area. The high quality and flexibility of the Armstrong metal D-Clip island ceiling allowed us to accomplish this. “The office floorplates employ an innovative hybrid system, running conventional services around a perimeter racetrack of perforated aluminium suspended ceiling tiles. At the same time, the approach carefully reveals a select palette of visible services in areas of exposed ceiling, where the original post-tensioned slabs are exposed and used to provide 3.3m floor-to-ceiling heights.” The Armstrong ceilings were installed for main contractor Kier, who replaced all of the M&E systems in the building, by specialist sub-contractor Roskel Contracts who had a team of up to 20 operatives on site for 11 months. The Ultima+ board tiles are Cradle to Cradle™ certified and perform to Sound Absorption Class A with 87% light reflectance. The Armstrong galvanised metal D-Clip system, which features sound absorption levels of up to 0.45αw through an acoustic fleece inlay, was a new one to them. Armstrong solution design manager Nick Harper explained: “The original design intent from the architect was to create multiple metal rafts which would span across the whole ceiling within the office spaces to help cover up the exposed soffit and any M&E services. “Numerous discussions and design proposals had been put forward with the ceiling options swaying towards either F-H 600 panels, D-H 700 hook-on metal rafts or D-Clip clip-in metal rafts. Due to the number of services behind the rafts, which required regular access, it was decided that the D-Clip system would be best suited for this application. This was due to the fact that the panels can swing down on the grid without having to fully remove the panels and bring them down to the ground. “Another advantage to this system is that the grid is almost completely hidden behind the ceiling panels. The only visible grid would be the threaded rods to the soffit” Roskel Contracts’ managing director Tony Partridge said: “It was easy to construct once you understood the system. The tiles were very durable considering the amount of times they were removed for the M&E works. 95% of them had to be removed immediately after fixing and reinstalled some months later, then approximately 25% were taken out again and reinstalled.” Ashley Gilbert added: “The design team was initially tasked with creating initiatives to add value to the building through improvements to the landlord areas. Accordingly, the project started out as a circa £5 million light-touch refurbishment. However, we soon recognised the potential for increasing the volume and height of the building and adding a new residential use. “The value created by introducing three floors of rental apartments on top of the existing structure fundamentally changed the development appraisal and enabled a comprehensive cut-and-carve of the existing office and commercial areas. The brief therefore evolved to include the creation of a prime office development and high-end apartments, as well as mixed-use space at street level, all to be delivered in a highly sustainable way. Leveraging a shift in attitudes to holding residential assets for the longer term, we created a horizontally-layered mixed-use building with residential above office and retail.” Matt Bird of Royal London Asset Management said: “Our vision and collaborative approach with our architect, consultants and contractors has enabled us to deliver considerable added value and excellent returns on investment for our customers from a tired office building on a tight central London site. 25 Wilton Road adds another strong asset to RLAM’s growing property portfolio. “By re-using the existing structure, adding a new mix of uses and taking a creative architectural approach we have created a unique product in a thriving area of London, giving the building a new lease of life. At the same time, we have demonstrated our
Regional cities in the UK are playing an increasingly vital role in the UK construction boom. The demand for city centre property continues to be strong and the construction industry has been responding in turn. There has been an increase in building activity in many major UK regional cities. In Belfast, Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester there were almost 17,000 homes being constructed. Residential property demand has been one of the driving forces in this construction boom. There was a 60% year on year increase in residential units in Manchester last year, which is the third year of growth in construction levels. The UK has been experiencing an overwhelming housing crisis, with an ever-increasing need for residential rental property. The UK has been falling behind targets for new home construction and it seems that figures are finally on the rise. Government measures and investment schemes have been attempting to address this by making it easier for buy to let landlords to purchase property. They have also experienced a growing demand for residential property has seen an upswing in construction across the UK. The UK has experienced a significant shift towards city centre living in the past few decades. Many of these UK regional cities have grown in prominence due to their universities. The increasing number of students, from both home and abroad who are studying and staying in UK regional cities has been transformative. Cardiff is a key example of the effect new students can bring to a city, with its students now making up 20% of the population. Young people are flocking to UK regional cities more than ever before for a world class education, the cost of living in many of these cities is also a key draw, as is the quality of rental accommodation they can afford. Manchester is one of the best examples of this recent construction boom. Manchester’s skyline has dramatically changed over the past decade. A high demand for city centre rental property has been compelling developers to build up rather than out. The amount of land available for developers is diminishing and increasing in price, so renovations and skyscrapers are becoming ever more common. As of January 2018, there were six towers above 25 storeys currently under construction in Manchester. Manchester property developers are seeing worldwide demand for their regional city centre apartments. Ensured rental rates of up to 9%, huge tenant demand and affordable investment costs mean that properties like those by RW Invest are flying out. Young professional tenants are looking for increasingly high-end properties with great design and modern amenities. Investment in Manchester has been hitting record highs and now other UK regional cities are following suit. Property investors are growing in confidence in these northern cities that are on the rise. Levels of investment from both private and public sectors are continuing to restore and regenerate these cities. UK cities are no longer competing with each other as much as they are competing with the world. Manchester was recently found to be the 35th most liveable city in the world, ahead of the capital and other huge cities. For wise property developers, these city centre apartments are becoming an ever more valuable asset. Now is the perfect time to purchase buy to let property in a regional city as an investment, with increasing prices and rental rates looking set to continue across the board.
Wrightstyle is shortly to supply advanced glazing systems to a £7.5 million state-of-the-art care home being built by Deeley Construction. Wrightstyle will be installing fire-rated screens and doors at the Woodside Care Village, an inspirational new care home in Warwick which will provide care for 72 older people and people living with a dementia, due to open in 2019. The new home is being built for Warwickshire-based charity WCS Care, and has been designed by local architects Robothams. There will be a relaxing spa, pamper salon, deluxe cinema, and café, as well as table tennis and companion cycling for two, complete with a cycle track. It will also feature a shop and traditional launderette, accessible by an open-air courtyard, as well as the latest technology including circadian rhythm lighting and night-time acoustic monitoring. Designing buildings for older people, particularly for those living with a dementia, involves many challenges for glazing. Floor-to-ceiling windows have been included to maximise light, which can have positive health benefits for residents, and avoid using window frames that block views from the line of sight of people using wheelchairs or who might be sitting down for long periods of time. The windows will provide uninterrupted views from beds which also aids recovery and wellbeing. Tamper proof window restrictors enhance safety and security in rooms. Suppression and containment capacity if a fire breaks out is also an important element in any healthcare facility housing occupants unable to self-rescue, and Wrightstyle has long experience in the UK and internationally in designing and supplying glazing systems to contain fire at source. In the UK, fire safety in residential care premises are subject to strict fire regulations and dealt with under Approved Document B Fire Safety, and fire precautions in England and Wales fall under The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRFSO). While fire suppression is important, the other component is containment – ensuring that any fire remains trapped in one area, and giving staff adequate time to evacuate the building. That’s where advanced glazing systems have a role to play, providing complete protection against fire, heat and toxic gases for up to 120 minutes. Wrightstyle systems, which are specified worldwide, most recently in Saudi Arabia and Hong Kong, can be found in a variety of hospitals and other healthcare facilities. www.wrightstyle.co.uk
Specialist communications consultancy Perceptive Communicators is celebrating following an evening of success at the Scottish Women’s Awards 2018 where Managing Director, Julie McLauchlan scooped the top award for Business Women of the Year (under 50 employees). Established in 2006, Perceptive is a multi-award winning full service communications consultancy specialising in construction, technology and healthcare, with clients including Kier Construction, Mactaggart & Mickel, Bayes Centre, Stratified Medicine Scotland Innovation Centre, and Clyde Gateway. The top award win comes after an announcement of sustained business growth for the Glasgow based agency. Julie was delighted to receive the award, saying: “I was really honoured to be shortlisted amongst Scotland’s top 10 business women and is a great tribute to my fantastic great team. When we launched 12 years ago we broke the mould by employing exclusively experienced staff who had all been clients themselves to deliver better results. We focused on just a few sectors to have deeper insight and encouraged flexible working to create a more engaged team. I was told several times this approach would never work, so winning this top award proves not being afraid to rock the boat and listening to your instincts can lead to success!” The Scottish Women’s Awards exist to acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of women entrepreneurs, business women, professionals, civil servants, women in uniform, charity workers and many more that make Scotland a greater place to live in. The black-tie event was held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Glasgow on Wednesday evening.