No matter where you are in the world, one of the most important parts of economic systems is competition. It pushes the industry forward, stimulating companies to improve their services in order to get ahead of others. It also opens a healthy way of income distribution. These days, the main
hub South West Scotland, the construction and infrastructure-focused partnership, has raised £14,171 on behalf of Shelter Scotland as a result of its first, highly successful Summer Charity Golf Event held at East Kilbride Golf Club earlier this summer. Supported by its Tier 1 Contractors Graham’s, Kier Construction, Morrison Construction
Castlebridge Group have announced that they are on site developing a new 75-bedroom Hotel Indigo situated in the city centre of Chester. The first key milestone has been achieved with the erection of the steel super structure. The hotel will be managed by Castlebridge Hotel Management Limited who have a
The construction of three new Waterside Lodges at Center Parcs Elveden Forest is an ambitious architectural and engineering project. The stunning new lodges have been designed to compliment the woodland landscape in which they sit, while connecting guests with the surrounding natural environment. Wood was a natural choice of building
Midlands contractor G F Tomlinson has been appointed by Nottingham City Council as the main contractor for construction of the £30m Castle Transformation Project. Nottingham Castle will be closed for the next two years to become a world-class visitor destination, with improvements funded by the National Lottery through the Heritage
J Tomlinson is undertaking £4m of refurbishment work on student accommodation blocks at the University of Warwick. The scheme is the second completed for the university by the Nottingham-based firm and follows a £1m refurbishment project at the Avon building on the Westwood Campus. In addition, the company has also
British Safety Council supports the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s challenge to the government over failure to protect lives The British Safety Council welcomes the challenge to the government that a failure to address the risk to life posed by flammable external cladding, similar to that used on the Grenfell
A multi-disciplinary construction consultancy is helping to inspire children into construction by backing a new innovative pilot project in Essex. Daniel Connal Partnership, with offices in Colchester, Norwich and London, is supporting Writtle Junior School in Writtle, Chelmsford, on their Junior Hard Hats initiative. Born out of the school’s involvement
Three years on from the launch of Operation Magnify, UK immigration solicitor Anne Morris discusses the current status of illegal working and immigration compliance for UK construction companies. Operation Magnify was announced by the UK government in 2015 as a Home Office campaign targeting employers suspected of using undocumented migrant
Barings Real Estate, part of Barings LLC, one of the world’s largest diversified real estate investment managers, has announced that Landmark Manchester (Landmark), a 180,000 sq. ft. office development that it is undertaking on behalf of an institutional investor, is emerging onto St Peter’s Square with the concrete core now
No matter where you are in the world, one of the most important parts of economic systems is competition. It pushes the industry forward, stimulating companies to improve their services in order to get ahead of others. It also opens a healthy way of income distribution. These days, the main way to obtain a competitive advantage is to embed a new innovative technology into the production. Here the logistics industry is no different from any other. Nowadays, you will not get ahead of your competitors just by finding better ways or buying faster cars. To gain an advantage, you need to apply more innovative approaches. A survey shows that most game-changing technologies are new and less common. But which competitive advantages exactly do these innovations give you? Technologies that are expected to be game-changing for the logistics industry. Source Reliable Security Security has always been a pressing issue for the logistics industry. Now people are interested in increasing surveillance by physical means as well as by means of embedding advanced technology. Blockchain, one of the most common information technology branches right now, is said to be a major instrument to be practiced in both physical and cyber security. Reduced Delivery Time Company automation allows minimizing the presence of employees at different stages of the delivery process. The possibility of a human mistake is minimized as well. Thus, the involvement of these technologies decreases the time needed to process and deliver each separate order and increases the accuracy of orders. Enhanced Customer Experience The customer experience is about placing an order and waiting for its completion. By using the Internet of Things (IoT), companies are able to supply more accurate tracking information. This means that clients can be follow the location of their parcel anytime. It also gives them the possibility to plan their day according to the more precise delivery information. Transparent Process Automated process means that the information about it can be digitized. This enables the company to know about everything that is going on with the user’s order. It opens the door towards a more understanding and trusting relationship between company and customer -. exactly the kind of relationship that has a good chance to grow into a long-lasting one. Cheaper Order Cost Considering everything mentioned above, it seems like technology can increase the number of orders due to the improvement in their handling. But what about the price of each order? Well, the more effective overall processes and the minimization of errors leads to a decrease in the average order handling cost, which means more financial gain for you. Conclusion Using advanced technologies is a perfect way of growing for any business. Nevertheless, the task can turn out to be not quite so simple unless you’re an expert in the IT branch. But with the help of professionals like Artelogic you can be sure that the process of custom logistics software development and embedding will run smoothly.
hub South West Scotland, the construction and infrastructure-focused partnership, has raised £14,171 on behalf of Shelter Scotland as a result of its first, highly successful Summer Charity Golf Event held at East Kilbride Golf Club earlier this summer. Supported by its Tier 1 Contractors Graham’s, Kier Construction, Morrison Construction and Morgan Sindall, hub South West welcomed over 100 attendees to the fundraiser which saw 22 teams compete in a Texas scramble style golf event and for some fantastic raffle and auction prizes donated by contractors and by members of hub South Wests’ wider supply chain and professional service providers. Shelter Scotland provides advice and practical support to thousands of people each year who are struggling with homelessness or who are at risk of homelessness and campaign to prevent it in the first place. The £14,171 was presented to representatives from Shelter Scotland’s services and charity shops from Lanarkshire, Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway on 22nd August 2018. Graeme Brown Director of Shelter Scotland said: “This is a tremendous donation from hub South West through its Summer Charity Golf Event. Shelter Scotland relies on the support of members of the community so we can continue to offer help and advice which means no-one has to face homelessness or bad housing alone. “We’d like to thank everyone involved for their generosity.” CEO of hub South West, Michael McBrearty, said: “The event was a great success and we are hugely gratified by the number of companies who took part to raise a fantastic sum for a worthy cause. “Shelter Scotland is a wonderful organisation which is marking its 50th anniversary this year. They offer invaluable support and services to vulnerable families and individuals in communities across Scotland and we are so pleased to be able to present them with this donation.”
Castlebridge Group have announced that they are on site developing a new 75-bedroom Hotel Indigo situated in the city centre of Chester. The first key milestone has been achieved with the erection of the steel super structure. The hotel will be managed by Castlebridge Hotel Management Limited who have a successful background in managing hotels across the UK. The food and drink offering in the hotel will be operated by MasterChef Champion Simon Wood who will open his second restaurant Wood Chester within the hotel. Simon’s first restaurant, which is located on First Street in the city centre, brings Simon’s passion and creativity for food to life with powerful flavours alongside a touch of playfulness. It offers a stylish yet relaxed dining experience with high end food, and has received rave reviews in the Guardian and Telegraph since opening one year ago. This exciting boutique hotel is due to open at the end of 2019. The main contractor on the project is Bowmer & Kirkland who are based in Derbyshire with a regional office in Manchester. They are also building a hotel at Birmingham Airport for Castlebridge Group and a further Hotel Indigo in Manchester City Centre. Regional Director, Neil Brook, said: “It is a pleasure to be working again with Castlebridge and IHG on this prestigious hotel development in Chester.” The Architects and Interior Designers who have been working on the new Hotel Indigo are Franklin Ellis, and the firm’s design team have worked hard to ensure that the hotel guestrooms have a unique boutique feel, taking inspiration from the different aspects and features that make Chester such a great place. Wood Chester will be a sophisticated and relaxed restaurant and bar that overlooks Grosvenor Park Road. Partner at Franklin Ellis Architects, Ben Dudley, said: “It’s been a real joy to be involved in this hotel and signature restaurant project. Led by Castlebridge’s vision for the scheme, our team have been inspired to create something very special. On a personal note, it’s fascinating to work with the Chef Simon Wood and to see how his attention to every detail ensures his guests have a wonderful dining experience. I’m certain this project will be a fabulous new venue for Chester and a delightful place to stay.” Hotel Indigo is a part of the IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) portfolio. This hotel will be a part of one of the world’s leading hotel companies with a presence in almost 100 countries. Inspired by the neighbourhood around each property so, just as no places are alike, no two Hotel Indigo properties are the same. Each Hotel Indigo property features thoughtful design touches and vibrant restaurants and bars connected to the spirit of the local neighbourhood. This particular hotel will feature rooms based around Chester’s historic architecture, racecourse and famous clock tower. The new hotel will create 50 new staffing positions for which Castlebridge will begin recruitment from early 2019. Wood was introduced to Castlebridge Group – which is managing the project – by national property consultancy Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH), which brokered the deal between Castlebridge and BP Assets (Chester. Commenting, LSH Hotels Director Hugh Anderson, said: “Chester is a strong market for hotels and the new Hotel Indigo and Wood restaurant will provide an excellent addition to the city’s hotel and dining offer.” Castlebridge Group’s Commercial Director, Jenna Dienn, commented; ‘This is a very exciting opportunity for the group, Chester is a great city and we believe that both hotel and restaurant will trade extremely well’
The construction of three new Waterside Lodges at Center Parcs Elveden Forest is an ambitious architectural and engineering project. The stunning new lodges have been designed to compliment the woodland landscape in which they sit, while connecting guests with the surrounding natural environment. Wood was a natural choice of building material, which would blend in seamlessly with the natural forest setting. When designing the new accommodation, the choice of building materials was a key consideration for the architectural practice Jackson Design Associates (JDA). They were faced with the challenge of not only creating a design, which would blend in with the natural surroundings, but also be sufficiently lightweight to achieve the impressive arches, overhangs, and cantilever designs, without needing a considerable amount of foundation works. The only material that could meet all the requirements of the structure was Metsä Wood’s light, yet extremely strong Kerto® LVL (laminated veneer lumber). The use of Kerto LVL enabled an efficient and fast building time, which was a key factor as the project needed to be completed in time for the summer. Innovative design Architects JDA created an elegant shape, reminiscent of a boat turned upside-down. The lodges have two levels; the forest-facing side is situated higher, accessed through a wooden bridge on the first floor. The first floor contains three en-suite bedrooms, two of which open onto a deck and balcony facing the lake. The ground floor combines kitchen, living and dining areas opening out on to a terrace on the waters edge. Luke Hunter, Director at JDA said: “It was important to the Client to develop an exciting and interesting building form that made references to the boating activities of the watersports lake. This concept is continued inside the lodges where the ‘ribs’ of the boat hull are exposed to express the building’s structure and form.” Particularly unique to this project is a two storey ‘leaning’ arch overhanging the lake edge, which is also curved three times to suit the sectional profile of the main roof. While providing an impressive architectural feature, the arch also serves as a shelter to the cantilevered terrace and first floor balcony, which look out over the lake. The architects at JDA needed to find a solution that would make the structure easy to assemble and stay/remain stable from wind action or ground settlement. They choose to use lightweight and versatile Kerto LVL for the portal frames. Paul Kent, Development and Construction Director at Center Parcs said: “We have been delighted to work with Metsä Wood on the supply of Kerto LVL for our new Waterside Lodges at Elveden Forest. The versatility of their product has helped to create a unique design feature in this brand new style of accommodation, complementing the nautical theme and lakeside setting.” Fire safety Another important consideration was fire safety – an issue that often discourages architects from specifying wood. However, in the event of a fire, Kerto LVL performs predictably. As a result of burning, the surface of Kerto becomes charred, which protects the product, insulates it and slows down the burning process. Strong yet lightweight building material Kerto LVL was chosen as the construction material as its solid bonded structure offers incredible strength and dimensional stability, while its high strength to weight ratio allows for smaller spacing in mechanical connections. It is also a versatile and lightweight material, which is easy to work with. Luke Hunter, also said: “Kerto LVL was the perfect choice to help us achieve the leaning arch and thin roof / facia profile on the lake facing elevation. This flexible material helped to overcome the challenge of cutting the leaning, curved roof edge on an angle. A number of systems were investigated to achieve this, however, Kerto LVL was the only material that fully achieved the concept’s vision.“ One of the most complex elements of the structure was an exposed arch at the front, which leans towards the lake. This needed to withstand biaxial bending and compression, while supporting the roof structure with a large cantilever. Kerto LVL Q-panels were used to create the long span to the first floor deck, which was designed to bear the weight of the column horizontally with a spring support. Another factor was that the angled arch had to have a considerable bending moment connection at the top. This had to be manufactured in such a way that there was a perfect connection between the deck and arch, resulting in an irregular shape. Vertical columns were formed with two members spaced to support the first floor’s beams and curved roof beams. Kerto LVL was also used to create a recessed infill detail, closing the gap between the two vertical columns, a bespoke detail developed by JDA and Metsä Wood. Innovative bracing and connections The columns, floor beams and support ribs of the curved roof were created using Kerto LVL Q-panel structural members. This allowed for smaller spacing in the doweled circular bending moment connection and better moisture stability. The bracing of the roof and floor was provided by Kerto LVL Q-panels, which were connected together with 3-dimentional screwing. In this way no steel bracing was required. Engineering firm, BSP Consulting, designed the foundations and the steel platform supporting the frames, which cantilevered over the lake. The Kerto LVL frames, consisting of the arch, two columns and the floor beam, are connected to the steel through metal shoes, which transfer shear and horizontal forces to the platform. Working together to solve the structural engineering Divisional Operations Manager at Cocksedge Building Contractors, Tom Courtney, said: “The project combined a unique architectural approach with challenging structural engineering to great effect. The success of the project demonstrates the technical know-how and expertise of everyone involved. “The use of engineered wood allowed us to overcome a number of challenges that simply wouldn’t have been solved using other materials, while at the same time maintaining a look and feel to match the surrounding natural environment.” “The use of such a versatile and lightweight material
Midlands contractor G F Tomlinson has been appointed by Nottingham City Council as the main contractor for construction of the £30m Castle Transformation Project. Nottingham Castle will be closed for the next two years to become a world-class visitor destination, with improvements funded by the National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), D2N2, Nottingham Castle Trust and Nottingham City Council. The redeveloped site will include a new visitors centre and remodelling of the grounds, as well as new Robin Hood and Rebellion galleries to tell the stories of the city’s legendary outlaw and history of rebellion. The Castle’s wonderful collections of fine and decorative arts will be thoughtfully re-displayed and access to the caves within the Castle Rock will be improved. G F Tomlinson will bring new employment opportunities and training for local people throughout the project, along with work experience placements and apprenticeships, creating a unique working environment. The company will be involved in all the works on the Castle site, which will include the contemporary visitors centre, building the extension to the Ducal Palace that creates the new Robin Hood Gallery, the refurbishment of the Ducal Palace itself, and landscaping the grounds. Councillor Dave Trimble, Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Localities, said: “We are pleased to be welcoming G F Tomlinson to this major project. It’s exciting we have reached this major milestone and I can’t wait to see the construction work start, to realise the ambition and imagination that will form part of the new Castle experience.” Chris Flint, Director at G F Tomlinson said: “It’s fantastic to have started work on this major restoration and development project and to have the opportunity to upgrade the visitor experience and showcase the vast history of Nottingham Castle. “We have a track record of delivering quality restoration across the East Midlands and the company is very excited to be chosen to join the team on this amazing journey. It’s been a pleasure to reach this milestone with Nottingham City Council and its partners and we look forward to delivering this and more projects throughout the region.” Jonathan Platt, Head of HLF East Midlands, said: “This is an important step forward for this exciting project. Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, we have awarded over £14million towards the Castle’s redevelopment. We look forward to seeing the project really gather pace now with G F Tomlinson joining the delivery team and to working closely with the project team in the months to come.” Nottingham Castle Trust said: “We are pleased to see the appointment of G F Tomlinson to begin the construction programme at Nottingham Castle – this transformational project will now gather speed with an experienced contractor driving the works. We look forward to working with them and to seeing the new Nottingham Castle emerge.” Matthew Wheatley, D2N2 LEP Chief Executive, said: “Nottingham has a varied and rich history. Nottingham Castle is a striking part of Nottingham’s skyline and this new and improved castle experience will help bring Nottingham’s history and heritage to life, attract even more visitors to the site, create jobs and improve the overall visitor offer across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.”
J Tomlinson is undertaking £4m of refurbishment work on student accommodation blocks at the University of Warwick. The scheme is the second completed for the university by the Nottingham-based firm and follows a £1m refurbishment project at the Avon building on the Westwood Campus. In addition, the company has also won a £900,000 contract to replace windows at the university’s conference centre, Scarman, which began at the beginning of August. The latest project involves the full redecoration of around 250 bedrooms and bathrooms, along with communal and circulation spaces, at two of the Arthur Vick accommodation blocks on the university’s main campus in Coventry. This scheme will see major improvement works undertaken within the halls of residence, including the installation of new aluminum windows and en-suite shower rooms, full rewiring of lighting, and new floor coverings throughout each block. It will also include the replacement of sanitary ware, new plumbing and extractor fans to en-suites, fire stopping works, small power, data cabling, sub-mains cabling and fire alarm works, along with a new heat exchanger and ancillary works to the mechanical plant. Work got under way in July and is expected to be completed ready for the start of the new term in early September, in accordance with a 10-week fast-track programme. The contract, which was won following a tender, is being delivered by J Tomlinson’s commercial refurbishment and regeneration teams. J Tomlinson’s construction director, Pete Woods, who heads the refurbishment team, said: “This is our second refurbishment project for the University of Warwick, and follows an earlier scheme at the Westwood Campus. “It is always a ringing endorsement of the standard of work achieved when a client appoints a second and subsequent contract, and J Tomlinson is delighted to once again be supporting the University of Warwick as it invests in and improves its facilities for students.” J Tomlinson, which also has a West Midlands office in Canwell, completed the refurbishment of the Avon building for the university in February this year. It included revamping a café and the Centre for Lifelong Learning, and creating an editing suite, a drama room, green room, family room, and toilets. Jonathon Buckingham, Senior Projects Manager at the University of Warwick, added: “The services-led refurbishment being undertaken at Arthur Vick 1 & 2 will significantly improve the standard of student and conference accommodation for 250 bedrooms and provide the buildings with brand new infrastructure.” J Tomlinson, which was founded in the 1950s, provides a range of integrated building solutions including construction, refurbishment, repairs and maintenance, mechanical and electrical services (M&E), and facilities management. The company operates primarily across the East Midlands, West Midlands and Yorkshire. It works across all major sectors, including student accommodation, healthcare, social housing, commercial and industrial. For more information about J Tomlinson, visit www.jtomlinson.co.uk.
British Safety Council supports the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s challenge to the government over failure to protect lives The British Safety Council welcomes the challenge to the government that a failure to address the risk to life posed by flammable external cladding, similar to that used on the Grenfell Tower, is a breach of human rights. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has written to the Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government (DHCLG) outlining its concerns about the continued use of combustible cladding in existing buildings and advising the department of its responsibilities under human rights laws to protect lives. The Commission has expressed its concern that the consultation on the use of external cladding omits any reference to the government’s duty to protect lives under article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights and schedule 1 to the Human Rights Act 1998. “The British Safety Council has participated in the consultation, calling for much tighter building controls, clearer guidance and effective enforcement,” said Lawrence Waterman, Chairman of the British Safety Council. “The EHRC intervention takes a wider view and supports our long-held and consistent argument that health and safety is a crucial underpinning of the human right to life.” He continued: “The British Safety Council vision of no-one being injured or made ill by their work will only be realised when everyone cooperates to defend this basic human right for all. We call on the government to take a much clearer lead and responsibility for past failures to protect life so tragically highlighted by the Grenfell Tower fire.”
A multi-disciplinary construction consultancy is helping to inspire children into construction by backing a new innovative pilot project in Essex. Daniel Connal Partnership, with offices in Colchester, Norwich and London, is supporting Writtle Junior School in Writtle, Chelmsford, on their Junior Hard Hats initiative. Born out of the school’s involvement in the Greenpower – Inspiring Engineers campaign, Junior Hard Hats aims to attract youngsters into construction by involving the students in all aspects of planning, designing and construction of a building as part of the school curriculum. The plans involve an innovative Technology Learning Pod to be built in the school grounds as a pilot project for the charity, with future proposals to roll-out the concept nationwide. The school children have been involved in the whole process including choosing the name of the charity, meeting with planners at the planning department, attending meetings with local Parish Councillors and having a say in the design of the building. Future activities will include pitching the scheme to sponsors, devising a marketing strategy, meeting with bankers, lawyers and industry professionals etc – all supported and mentored by the charity’s trustees. DCP is providing health & safety advice and Construction Design Management (CDM) services on the project. The health and safety team delivered an H&S presentation to Year 6 children, which introduced them to the basics of CDM and site safety. They also provided hands-on first aid training, including the use of a defibrillator. Jonathan Dennis, Partner, at Daniel Connal Partnership, said: “This is an extremely exciting project and one that we are thrilled to be involved in. Inspiring youngsters into construction by addressing the perception of the industry as dirty, dangerous, low paid and male dominated is extremely worthwhile. By doing so, we can hopefully introduce the idea of a career in the construction sector as a credible option for those who may not have considered it before.” Headmaster Nick Taylor said: “This is a truly inspirational project that is capturing the imagination of all our children. It is opening doors to future careers and showing the power of a local community working together. We can’t thank the Daniel Connal Partnership enough for all of their support!” The construction of the pod is currently underway.
Three years on from the launch of Operation Magnify, UK immigration solicitor Anne Morris discusses the current status of illegal working and immigration compliance for UK construction companies. Operation Magnify was announced by the UK government in 2015 as a Home Office campaign targeting employers suspected of using undocumented migrant workers in three ‘high risk’ sectors, which included the construction industry. Construction was considered high risk for illegal working due in large part to the significant number of foreign workers in the industry. Three years on, migrants continue to play a crucial role in construction, with the supply of domestic workers persistently falling short of the industry’s demand. According to the most recent ONS figures, 7% of construction workers in the UK are EU27 nationals and 3% are non-EU. The number of migrant workers alone in the industry creates immigration compliance risks even for law-abiding construction companies duties who may, through reason of scale, be unwittingly employing undocumented workers. Through Operation Magnify, the government sought to raise awareness and catalyse a sense of urgency among construction businesses as to their legal duties in ensuring their workforce – both employees and contractors – are documented and lawfully employed. More than this, the government also looked to address wider issues of national security, to ensure that all workers – particularly those operating on so-called ‘sensitive sites’ such as government land – had been subject to identification checks. Under the initiative, the Home Office contacted construction businesses, requesting data about their current and previous employees and contractors, and carrying out immigration raids on construction sites throughout the UK. A failure of duty? Construction companies, as with all UK employers, are required by law to perform document checks on their workers, confirming their right to work in the UK. If the Home Office finds the company has failed to perform its right to work document checks correctly, whether knowingly or not, they can issue a civil penalty for illegal employment for up to £20,000 per illegal worker, with no cap on the number of fines that can be issued to any one employer. If deemed to be employing an undocumented worker knowingly, this is a criminal offence punishable with up to two years in prison. In addition, there are the risks of business interruption and reputation damage and business interruption where for example the site is closed to allow immigration enforcement officers conduct their investigations. UK construction & migrant workers Construction faces particular challenges in checking that workers have the right to work due largely to the prolific use of subcontractors and agency workers. In addition, smaller projects can be carried out on a less formal basis, with workers brought in briefly and paid cash-in-hand. Immigration law requires a migrant’s ‘main sponsor’, a company registered as such with the Home Office, to conduct right to work checks. This has created a tendency in the construction industry where companies higher up the supply chain, such as a Main Contractor or the client commissioning the project, do not conduct checks on employees who are on their building site but not employed directly. This tendency is exacerbated by construction being a low profit margin and highly time-pressured business. However, failing to check could lead your business to fall foul of the law. This is because UK immigration rules still require companies to demonstrate that they are satisfied that the workers in their supply chain have the legal right to work. UKVI continues to conduct ‘unspecified visits’ to sites – surprise inspections where immigration officers under warrant can ask to see employers’ records and require workers themselves to provide evidence of their right to work. It is essential, though, that construction companies carry out reasonable checks to ensure that migrants have the right to work. Companies must also be able to show that they conduct such checks. In cases where a worker’s visa has expired, the company must show that it is taking steps to rectify the situation, for example by renewing the visa. So again, good record keeping is a must. Conclusion While the noise around Operation Magnify may have quietened, possibly signifying a downgrade in Home Office priority, construction companies should be mindful thayt the government could very well announce changes to immigration rules on the back of the initiative tomorrow. For the time being, immigration compliance duties on employers remain as they stand, meaning construction companies must ensure all those that they work with have the legal right to work in the UK. It is difficult to say conclusively if lessons have been learned and the industry has improved its position on compliance since Magnify – although Home Office civil penalty figures continue to suggest high numbers of UK employers across all sectors are struggling to meet their duties. With changes to UK immigration rules in respect of EU citizens on the horizon, we expect employer right to work checks to continue to be relied on by government as the first line in ensuring all workers have the correct documentation, keeping employer compliance firmly under the Home Office spotlight. Anne Morris is an immigration lawyer and managing director at UK immigration law firm DavidsonMorris.
Barings Real Estate, part of Barings LLC, one of the world’s largest diversified real estate investment managers, has announced that Landmark Manchester (Landmark), a 180,000 sq. ft. office development that it is undertaking on behalf of an institutional investor, is emerging onto St Peter’s Square with the concrete core now complete. With Castlebrooke Investments retained as development manager, benefiting from their strong track record in project delivery, and having spent over a year in the demolition and basement formation phase, construction work is well underway with the Grade A, BREEAM Excellent office building set to be launched in Summer 2019. Appointed contractor Bowmer & Kirkland has completed the basement levels, which will support 14 floors of virtually column free office space and a double-height reception at ground level. The building’s concrete core is now visible on the Manchester skyline and, when completed, the scheme will add to the vibrancy of one of the North’s most significant public squares. Designed by world-renowned architects Squire & Partners, Landmark has been created with the next generation occupier in mind. The building is being constructed with an offset core to enable large and efficient floorplates to be designed offering maximum flexibility to occupiers. In a market that is currently experiencing strong levels of demand coupled with limited supply, Landmark is one of only two new build office developments due to be completed in Manchester City Centre in 2019. The scheme has received overwhelming support from Manchester City Council and will complete the Council’s vision for St Peter’s Square and the Civic Quarter. Situated in the heart of Manchester’s central business district at St Peter’s Square, Landmark is in a prime location close to St Peter’s Square Metrolink and several train stations. The development also has easy accessibility to the M60 via the M602 with the location being furthered strengthened by the planned High Speed 2 railway project which will connect Manchester with major cities across the U.K. Charles Weeks, Head of Barings Real Estate – Europe, said; “The city of Manchester is thriving. It is consistently one of the strongest, most active city centre office markets outside of London. Landmark will play a pivotal role in enhancing what the city has to offer by providing businesses with a destination that is both modern and flexible as well as providing excellent infrastructure and connectivity. Barings Real Estate has a proven record of accomplishment adding significant value to investments both within the U.K. and globally and we are delighted to oversee this important development project.” Agents on Landmark are CBRE and Colliers International. Barings Alternative Investments (BAI), part of Barings LLC, is a 450+ associate team located across 11 countries that manages $52.3 billion in client capital (as of March 31, 2018). BAI seeks differentiated sources of returns by incorporating decades of investment experience in alternative assets offering investors access to a diverse range of opportunities across private equity, real assets, asset-based investments and the four quadrants of real estate. We serve as a trusted partner to clients, leveraging our global presence and robust origination capabilities to identify the most attractive risk-adjusted return opportunities. The Barings Real Estate team offers a broad range of investment opportunities globally across the public and private debt and equity markets. The team invests across all major property sectors with a focus on global relative value and trend-backed preferred strategies. Barings Barings is a $306+ billion* global financial services firm dedicated to meeting the evolving investment and capital needs of our clients. We build lasting partnerships that leverage our distinctive expertise across traditional and alternative asset classes to deliver innovative solutions and exceptional service. Part of MassMutual, Barings maintains a strong global presence with over 1,800 professionals and offices in 16 countries. Learn more at www.barings.com