National building and maintenance contractor, United Living, has appointed former Wates business director Michael Holling into a new role as operations director; covering both the North and Midlands regions. Michael brings with him 30 years of construction and maintenance knowledge, having previously worked at Wates since 1995. Throughout his career
Less than one in ten young people would consider a career in construction, even though more than half are interested in subjects that qualify them for the industry, new research by L&Q has revealed. L&Q, one of the UK’s largest housing associations and developers, surveyed 1,095 16-18 year-olds about their
Anco&co, a build-to-rent (BTR) development, has just launched in the heart of Manchester with the help of me&dave that created an innovative language-led brand identity for the company. As the development is located in a popular up-and-coming neighbourhood – Ancoats – the fly-poster campaign was inspired by protest placards. me&dave
Work is underway on 82 units of affordable housing, part of a £10 million development in Chiltern Close, Llanishen, Cardiff, funded by Wales & West Housing and delivered by JG Hale Construction. Scheduled to be completed in autumn 2019, the scheme is unusual in that all five blocks involve large
Contractor J Tomlinson has completed a £2 million project to replace a former sheltered housing scheme with 12 new apartments and six new houses for affordable rent. The Gedling Homes development at Ernehale Court in Arnold, Nottingham, was completed on time and on budget. The redevelopment involved the design and
Nationwide Building Society suggested at the beginning of the year that the housing markets were beginning to move however the Registered Institute of Chartered Surveyors appeared not to agree with this stating that in fact the slowdown in the markets was showing no signs of improvement. Again, said Tom Roberts
National building and maintenance contractor, United Living, has appointed former Wates business director Michael Holling into a new role as operations director; covering both the North and Midlands regions. Michael brings with him 30 years of construction and maintenance knowledge, having previously worked at Wates since 1995. Throughout his career he has delivered a range of complex housing projects for local authorities and housing associations, including joint ventures and private development schemes. The appointment marks a significant investment in United Living’s growth strategy, to assist with new and existing business opportunities across the North and Midlands regions. Michael will be based in United Living’s Sheffield office, providing leadership across all operational areas as part of the United Living North Leadership Team. The business is currently strengthening its presence in the North and Midlands, having promoted long-serving employee Shaun Pickin to the role of Operations Manager for the Midlands, and last year appointing former Kier and Keepmoat director Helen Francis as Business Development Director for the North. Speaking of his appointment, Michael Holling said: “This is an exciting time for United Living’s growth strategy across these regions and I look forward to leading on the next stage of development. United Living Group has a great reputation across the housing sector and it’s a pleasure to bring my experience to the business. I’m looking forward to working with the team.” Jo Jamieson, managing director for United Living said: “Michael has built an enviable reputation for delivering large scale construction and residential projects with a keen emphasis on operational excellence and truly understanding customer’s aspirations. I look forward to working with him to drive forward our growth plans across the North and Midlands, and to maximise the opportunities in our pipeline.” For more information about United Living: www.unitedliving.co.uk
Less than one in ten young people would consider a career in construction, even though more than half are interested in subjects that qualify them for the industry, new research by L&Q has revealed. L&Q, one of the UK’s largest housing associations and developers, surveyed 1,095 16-18 year-olds about their career aspirations. Around 50 per cent of the young people said that they were interested in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM). However, only nine per cent stated that they would consider a career in housebuilding. The Construction Industry Training Board estimates that 230,000 new recruits will be needed by 2020 to support construction growth and account for an ageing workforce. There are 167 different careers in construction, and the built environment is the second biggest employer in the country after the NHS. Around half of all construction careers require degrees in a STEM subjects. However, the new research revealed that the industry was perceived as challenging and unexciting by students. The findings were revealed today as L&Q launched its new schools programme aimed at increasing the number of young people joining the construction industry by raising awareness of the wide variety of jobs available. Learning to Succeed is a £1 million programme that will seek to address the sector’s image issues by offering free STEM education lessons and careers advice to 30 schools in 12 London boroughs. The programme is being developed and delivered in partnership with Construction Youth Trust, the construction industry’s youth charity. Schools became obliged to provide weekly careers advice to all pupils in 2018, although no extra funds have been allocated. L&Q is the first housing association in the country to offer careers advice and assistance of this kind. The survey also revealed: Science is the most popular school subject, closely followed by maths Young people cited concerns that construction wasn’t an exciting field to work in or they thought they wouldn’t be good at it as reasons for their lack of interest However, for the nine per cent who were interested in construction, the “excitement” of the field was the biggest factor for their interest Exactly 40 per cent of young people feared they wouldn’t be good at the job. To address this, L&Q is promoting the benefits of apprenticeships where people are paid to learn. The results suggested that having an exciting career was more important than money to the majority of young people, in our survey the young people who did want to work in construction said they were motivated by excitement rather than money Matthew Corbett, Director of the L&Q Foundation, said: “Construction isn’t just about hard hats and steel capped boots, it’s also about innovation, technology, great design, communities and placemaking. If we’re going to solve our housing crisis, then we need our young people to help – but first we need to increase interest and awareness of the opportunities the industry has to offer. “The average age of a tradesman on a site is now 45-years-old. And Brexit is looming. We’ve got a serious amount of work to do in promoting ourselves if we’re ever going to fill the substantial gaps in our skills base and make the industry more appealing to younger people.” Construction Youth Trust Director, Carol Lynch, said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with L&Q to develop and deliver the Learning to Succeed programme. It is through the development of programmes like Learning to Succeed that we can challenge the negative misperceptions of the construction industry and inspire young people to choose a career from amongst the amazing breadth of roles available within the sector.”
Anco&co, a build-to-rent (BTR) development, has just launched in the heart of Manchester with the help of me&dave that created an innovative language-led brand identity for the company. As the development is located in a popular up-and-coming neighbourhood – Ancoats – the fly-poster campaign was inspired by protest placards. me&dave has also referenced Manchester’s world-famous music scene – the iconic bands, and gig posters by artists like Peter Saville of Factory Records fame. me&dave were asked by real estate investors DTZ Investors to create a strategy that would demonstrate how Anco&co is moving the rental sector into a new era. To achieve this, the brand takes a cheeky dig at some of the problems that old-school tenants face, highlighting the benefits of this new ‘hotel style’ living. The campaign has been deliberately designed to pique interest and get people talking. Hoardings surrounding the whole site have been covered in fly posters and a dedicated website has been set up so that people can register interest. Some of the messages are explicit, such as ‘There’s a new landlord in town’, while some are intentionally abstract, such as ‘Sorry Billy, we’re over’. As well as being humorous and aesthetically striking, the campaign stands for a cause: “It’s saying, ‘We’ve had enough of being fobbed off with old mattresses, exploitative landlords and damp, substandard accommodation,” said Mark David, co-founder and creative director of me&dave. Anco&co tenants, who will be able to move in next summer, will enjoy ready-to-live, fully furnished one- and two-bedroom apartments with en-suite bathrooms, private kitchens and living rooms. They’ll also have access to communal bars, cafés, co-work spaces, a common room, cinema, rooftop terrace and concierge service. Everything has been conceived to strike the perfect balance between the need for privacy and hanging out with neighbours. “There aren’t many schemes like Anco&co out there, so when it came to branding and marketing there was no blueprint. We knew that me&dave was the right agency as it nails what’s right for a brand, even if that means breaking the ‘rules’. This project needed a creative team to think outside the box and disrupt the rental sector, and me&dave delivered,” said Christian Birrell of DTZ Investors.
Work is underway on 82 units of affordable housing, part of a £10 million development in Chiltern Close, Llanishen, Cardiff, funded by Wales & West Housing and delivered by JG Hale Construction. Scheduled to be completed in autumn 2019, the scheme is unusual in that all five blocks involve large sections of the homes, such as windows, floors and roof cassettes, all being manufactured offsite. By using this technique homes can be built in a much more cost effective way, often with a healthier carbon footprint than developments that employ traditional building methods. Moreover, the homes will use a revolutionary insulation product called TrisoWarm Hybrid Insulated Panel, whereby the whole panel is insulated within a factory environment. Developed by Hale, the product, which received approval from the BBA (British Board of Agrément) last year, has the potential to substantially reduce heating bills and construction periods. “The biggest problem in the UK is the weather. If it’s pouring down with rain, we cannot complete externals etc. However, by using the TrisoWarm system along with offsite manufacturing, we can design and complete a house very quickly. Another factor influencing our decision on using TrisoWarm is that within the British Construction Industry there is currently a lack of bricklayers so off-site manufacturing alleviates this problem,” explained Jonathan Hale, chairman of JG Hale Group. Other benefits of the project include the employment of three or four apprentices. Hale will also deliver a number of community initiatives during the project. “This is an important development for Wales & West Housing as it supports the much-needed demand in Cardiff for high-quality affordable housing for over 55s. We are looking forward to working with JG Hale to develop this scheme and seeing the benefits the ‘TrisoWarm’ system will bring to improve the overall build quality and keep heating bills down for our residents,” said Grant Prosser, Wales & West Housing Development manager. The Chiltern Close scheme has been funded by Wales & West Housing in partnership with the Welsh Government and City of Cardiff Council.
Contractor J Tomlinson has completed a £2 million project to replace a former sheltered housing scheme with 12 new apartments and six new houses for affordable rent. The Gedling Homes development at Ernehale Court in Arnold, Nottingham, was completed on time and on budget. The redevelopment involved the design and build of six two-bedroom houses and 12 one-bedroom apartments, with associated communal facilities, the ground floor flats being designed to full wheelchair standard. Martin Gallagher, J Tomlinson’s managing director (construction), said: “As a company, J Tomlinson has worked with Gedling Homes on a range of schemes and we were very pleased to have been appointed to build this development at Ernehale Court in Arnold which will provide local homes to those who need them. “We believe in working with and supporting local communities, and, as a Nottingham-based building services firm with strong roots in the city and its suburbs, we are proud to have helped enhance the housing provision provided by Gedling Homes.” During the project, the J Tomlinson team took time out to visit local schools Christ the King School, Frank Seeley School, and Arnold Mill Primary School to talk about careers in construction and help with interview preparation, as well as highlighting health and safety issues around building sites. In addition, five students from Christ the King School undertook work experience at the site. Gedling Homes development manager Deborah Higgins said: “J Tomlinson had delivered a number of smaller projects for us very successfully. This – coupled with their size and expertise – was the reason for putting them on the tender list. They won the tender against four other contractors. “My experience working with J Tomlinson on the Ernehale Court development has been very positive; J Tomlinson have been very organised and helpful when it comes to refining the specification on site, particularly with complex M&E solutions. “I have been impressed by the positive attitude of all the staff working on the project; they have a general can-do attitude, even when challenges have arisen. I would recommend J Tomlinson’s services to other housing groups and associations.” During the project, J Tomlinson was able to provide value engineering by identifying and procuring money-saving products of the same quality, which led to an estimated £30,000 saving on the project for Gedling Homes. J Tomlinson, which is based in Beeston, near Nottingham, offers 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 in all sectors, including social housing, industrial, commercial, care home, health, leisure and education. Gedling Homes has a stock of more than 3,300 homes across the Gedling district of Nottingham, in places such as Arnold, Carlton, Gedling and Netherfield, ranging from studio apartments to large family houses. For more information about J Tomlinson, visit www.jtomlinson.co.uk
Nationwide Building Society suggested at the beginning of the year that the housing markets were beginning to move however the Registered Institute of Chartered Surveyors appeared not to agree with this stating that in fact the slowdown in the markets was showing no signs of improvement. Again, said Tom Roberts of FJP Investment, on the flip side Land Registry figures show that registrations of properties seemed to be on the increase again, as Tom Roberts says all of these reports differ and you chose to believe what you will, the media of course will have its own agenda. The simple fact remains there are just as not enough properties being built for the current housing shortage, of course this is not a new situation, we discuss it constantly, but do we try to change it – one wonders. Tom Roberts of FJP Investment says he believes action should be taken, miracles don’t happen overnight, however the government, whilst talking of taking this seriously and doing something about it, quite frankly they are doing nothing at the present time. So, what next you may well ask? It is quite simple to the layman, we build more houses, instead of debating the issues the government needs to implement action now ensuring the situation does not get worse than it already is. Of course we all have different needs and the importance here is that houses are built in areas where people want to live, such as areas that have good transport links, areas where there is employment to be had and of course in rural areas, where families want to stay within the family environment. It would seem that the brownfields versus the greenbelt areas is often debated to its end, whilst offering no solution and no development. Tom Roberts of FJP Investment suggests local councils should have a big say in how these areas can be given planning permission and maybe landowners should in some way be made to allow their land to be built on. It is such a waste that the land whether it be greenbelt or brownfield is there waiting to ease this housing crisis, yet no-one is doing anything about it, and if this is not addressed the housing crisis is simply going to get worse. Whilst the bodies concerned continue to “discuss “the ongoing crisis don’t they realise it is simply getting worse, families are suffering with the lack of available accommodation in whatever form it takes. New buyers are in a situation whereby they may have the funds in place for deposits but no properties available and not in areas which allow them to be able to travel to work whilst living in a community that they desire. Of course, as Tom Roberts of FJP Investment points out, the other problem is the council properties which were all bought under Margaret Thatcher’s government, meaning that for those who need council accommodation as they cannot afford to buy are left without the councils having any stock. Whilst this was great at the time to buy and own your own home through the councils allowing you to buy at such a reduced rate, I am afraid it has more than contributed to the situation we are in. Now, I am sure Mrs Thatcher during her days in office did not envisage that her buy your own home scheme was going to leave the country in such a mess many years on, and more importantly, showing no signs at all of improving, in fact quite the opposite, getting worse year on year. Again, it’s quite simply, free up the land, make funds available and let’s get those houses built! FJP Investment is a team of investment specialists sourcing a wide range of investment opportunities both in the UK and overseas. Products include the new release of care home investments throughout the United Kingdom.
