Pictured: Founder, Steve Rawlings In recent business news, it has been announced that Steve Rawlings, the Lakehouse Founder, has recently reached out to company shareholders to explain to them why he should return to the Lakehouse board; a move which may see Steve Rawlings, alongside shareholder Slater Investments (combined, owning
Perhaps serving as a nod to the organisation’s hard work in the building services engineering sector, SummitSkills has recently been announced to have secured the management of facilities management apprenticeship certification. The organisation, which presently serves as the Standard Setting Organisation for the building services engineering industry, will now see
Whether it’s through washing down wagons, shutes, skips and equipment, hydrodemolition, grouting, tunnelling or dealing with surface run-off – cementitious water (water with concrete in it) is one of the most common and challenging waters the construction sites have to contend with. Dr Richard Coulton, CEO of Siltbuster, and a
Starting this month, increased pressure will be laid upon property landlords to have energy improvements maid to their properties, with UK tenants offered the ability to request improvements, only refutable with good given reason. Although the change will not see additional costs for landlords (unless agreed otherwise), consent for improvements
“So often, an approach to health and safety is characterised by compliance and audits can be seen as a major headache for contractors,” says Beverley Holden, Director of DCM Surfaces. “I’m of the opinion that I’d rather know if something is unsafe than not and auditing is very much a
A London property news update: it has been highlighted that greater than 25% of London boroughs don’t offer a home-for-sale at a value of less than £191,812, the average across the UK; a concerning affordability issue for those wishing to relocate to London. The news comes with the release of
It has been reported that a brand new skills college is in the planning stages for development in the London area. Set to be positioned in the widely reported Nine Elms area, the skills college is expected to offer a construction skills academy which can support the development of skills
As previously reported, the integration of facilities management practices in the initial stages of any given project may prove to be an essential step forward in ensuring that projects are completed in a way which meets the effective brief, targets and ambitions from the design and planning stages. This can
Good news for the construction sector; it has been reported that 90% of those which have applied for the CITB Skills and Training Fund have most recently seen the approval of such applications. In effect, the fund, offered by the Construction Industry Training Board, offers the opportunity for organisations with
In the latest property news, mixed views can be perceived in the varying performance of renting rates across Scotland, in comparison to those rates witnessed, and reported on for across England and Wales. The figures, effectively showcasing the overall rise in rent rates across the UK, display that Scottish property
Pictured: Founder, Steve Rawlings In recent business news, it has been announced that Steve Rawlings, the Lakehouse Founder, has recently reached out to company shareholders to explain to them why he should return to the Lakehouse board; a move which may see Steve Rawlings, alongside shareholder Slater Investments (combined, owning some 21.56% of share capital), potentially overthrow the current board of the company. The move comes amidst criticism from Mark Slater, of the aforementioned Slater Investments, highlighting a “serious governance deficit” within the board itself. Effectively, the proposal is aimed to see the restoration of shareholder value, as explained by Mark, with the appointment of brand new, non-executive directors for the board. One of the primary reasons for the communication with shareholders is seemingly as a result of communication already had between the board and company shareholders, with accusations made with regard to the board “attacking” those candidates proposed in shareholder circulars – something which has been noted to be in stark contrast to conversations that Mark states have been had in private. One of the key concerns highlighted by the board to the company shareholders has been with regard to concerns over compliance with UK Corporate Governance Code should the non-executive directors be appointed to the board. In opposition to this, Lakehouse’s Chairman, Chris Geoghegan stated to shareholders that Steve Rawlings remains unsuitable as a director in the business, ever since its listing on the stock market back in 2015. Highlighting Steve’s history with the company thus far, Chris explained how a lack of involvement within the group, as well as his previous record with the company dating back as far as 2012, also combined with a lack of experience in limited company directorship, does not support the conclusion that he has the skills required to make a meaningful contribution to the board of directors.
Perhaps serving as a nod to the organisation’s hard work in the building services engineering sector, SummitSkills has recently been announced to have secured the management of facilities management apprenticeship certification. The organisation, which presently serves as the Standard Setting Organisation for the building services engineering industry, will now see it providing certificates of completion for apprenticeships across within the property, cleaning and facilities management sectors specifically. Of course, the position itself is set to sit alongside the organisation’s decades of work in management of building services engineering apprenticeship certification;, with the organisation having, thus far, provided greater than twenty three thousand certificates to those apprentices finalising their relative apprenticeship scheme. The addition of this responsibility for the facilities management, and related sectors, will then see the number of certificates which the organisation issues increase by approximately three thousand more per year. In addition to offering certificates, SummitSkills will also be seen to develop an involvement in ensuring that apprenticeship frameworks are in line with the latest industry standards and expectations, for which the organisation will partner with other organisations to achieve and deliver upon. The responsibility for this role was passed onto SummitSkills by the FISSS, with the organisation’s Managing Director, Mark Froud commenting that, based upon the record of the company in providing certification for apprenticeships over the course of the past few years, the organisation has confidence in SummitSkills’ ability to roll this out across even more related industries. Due to the common ground maintained between the building services engineering sector and that of the facilities management sector, it is expected that SummitSkills will be able to slip into the new role quite seamlessly, with the company’s General Manager, Nigel Hollett commenting: “This is an exciting new development that allows us to expand our certification capabilities and underlines the important role SummitSkills carries out for employers.”
Whether it’s through washing down wagons, shutes, skips and equipment, hydrodemolition, grouting, tunnelling or dealing with surface run-off – cementitious water (water with concrete in it) is one of the most common and challenging waters the construction sites have to contend with. Dr Richard Coulton, CEO of Siltbuster, and a leading authority of water treatment, outlines the 10 do’s and don’ts of dealing with concrete water on site. By Dr. Richard Coulton, CEO of Siltbuster (Pictured) Don’t forget about it Most construction workers are aware of the risks of silt and oil pollution, but still allow concrete wagons to wash out in leaky waste skips – yet concrete washwater on a volume by volume basis, has the potential to cause much greater harm than silt or oil Don’t under estimate it Many think concrete water is acidic but on the contrary, it is very alkaline. The pH of concrete washwater is incredibly high – typically 12 to 13 on a scale which runs from 1 (acid) to 14 (highly alkaline) – making it highly damaging when discharged to the aquatic environment. The Environment Agency stipulates that the acceptable pH level for water to be released to the environment is 6-9 – and concrete water is way off this level Do take care Only domestic oven cleaner has a higher pH and think of the health warnings that come with that! So site workers should treat concrete waters with respect – it’s nasty to handle and it’s NOT safe to stick it down the drain Remember, seeing isn’t believing Even if site water looks visibly clean, if it has been connected with concreting works, it could still have a high pH and be environmentally very dangerous. Dilution is no solution Many are tempted to simply dilute down the concrete wash water but dilution is neither practical nor cost effective. That’s because pH is a log scale. Every unit reduction in pH requires a 10-fold dilution with pH neutral water. So it would take 10,000 gallons to get 1 gallon of concrete washwater with a pH of 12 down to a pH of 8 Tankering is not the answer Giving someone else the problem to deal with, by tankering off site to a suitably licenced waste management centre for further treatment is an expensive solution. Typical tankering costs are in excess of £100/tonne. On say a larger site generating circa 30m3/day that amounts to around £100k per month in extra costs! Know the Trick of Treatment In essence, concrete washwater needs to have its suspended solids removed and its pH reduced to an acceptable value. Forget Acids Neutralising the pH of concrete water by using mineral acids isn’t the answer. These are dangerous to handle, must be securely stored to minimise the risk to workers or accidental release into the environment. Surplus unused acid must be disposed of as hazardous waste, which is costly. Also precise pH control is difficult to achieve with mineral acids as it is all too easy to overshoot the target resulting in acidic water – which is equally polluting! Using these acids also creates “secondary pollutants” – sulphate and chloride – which are nasty for the environment. Similarly, Citric acid (fruit acid) isn’t the answer either as it comes with similar environmental, health and safety concerns and there is a risk of over dosing and acidifying the treated water. Gas works The latest thinking is that carbon dioxide (which is mildly acidic when dissolved in water) is the best neutralising agent for concrete water. It is virtually impossible to acidify the water though overdosing plus, unlike acids, the by-products of neutralising the water with carbon dioxide are non-hazardous, and can actually be considered beneficial. Think Mobile There are simple, easy to operate, mobile units which use carbon dioxide and which can be hired to temporarily treat concrete and other potentially polluting site waters.
Starting this month, increased pressure will be laid upon property landlords to have energy improvements maid to their properties, with UK tenants offered the ability to request improvements, only refutable with good given reason. Although the change will not see additional costs for landlords (unless agreed otherwise), consent for improvements to be made is expected to be given widely; in fact, it has been announced that pressures will require very strong, unarguable reasons should they not wish to. To afford the improvements, tenants will need to be able fund improvements at no cost to the landlord, yet, given the closing of the Green Deal, concerns have been raised as to just how easy it will be for tenants to find funding sources outside of their own private resource. Yet, despite the difficulties to secure funding, both tenant and landlord and encouraged to consider energy improvement measures, proving beneficial to both parties from a cost saving and carbon emissions perspective. Yet, whether the costs will be perceived as worth the benefits without funding from the Green Deal, is unsure. In addition to day-to-day energy savings, the National Association of Landlords also highlighted that energy-efficient improvements have also been proven to make properties far more saleable and attractive to the prospective buyer. In fact, it has been suggested by the National Association of Landlords that circa 35% of tenants stated that energy efficiency is one of the important factors which they consider when choosing for a new location to live. As such, the National Association of Landlords is keen to encourage landlords to consider the potential benefits of undertaking energy efficiency improvements, highlighting not only the benefits for themselves, but also to the tenant and to the wider environment. Richard Lambert, Chief Executive Officer of the National Association of Landlords commented: “Many can be made with little or no upfront cost, and can have a positive impact on the lives of tenants, their lettings businesses, and the environment in general.”
“So often, an approach to health and safety is characterised by compliance and audits can be seen as a major headache for contractors,” says Beverley Holden, Director of DCM Surfaces. “I’m of the opinion that I’d rather know if something is unsafe than not and auditing is very much a way of doing that.” Expressing utmost respect for employees and observing keen emphasis on health and safety, DCM Surfaces is one of the few subcontractors in the sector to express its unwavering commitment to the needs of its staff, as well as those of clients, which is why the company is regularly billed an exemplar of corporate responsibility. Established in 1995, DCM Surfaces has developed a unique identity in the sector, revered for its knowledge and flexibility when it comes to outdoor surfacing. Whilst the company was originally borne out of local and national initiatives to increase safety in public parks and playgrounds, the business has since grown exponentially to include a range of outdoor surfaces beyond purely safety surfacing. With the recent purchasing of a separate tarmacking business, the company is also able conduct civil engineering, groundworks and tarmacadam as Macadamize. As a result of an extending portfolio of services, DCM Surfaces now works for clients across industries and on a nationwide basis, acting as subcontractor to private and public sector clients. With new office and warehouse space, DCM Surfaces is well-equipped to handle its growing client base and widening repertoire. The new facilities represent a significant gain in efficiencies, and the company has gone from a storage capacity of 90t to 400t. Now able to mobilise material more quickly, serve projects of greater size, DCM Surfaces performs at a pace to outstrip any other. The company has established a loyal client base and is favoured for its quality and responsibility. DCM Surfaces aspires to much the same standard as the biggest and brightest in the construction industry, pertaining to the same principles and standards as one would expect of a main contractor. The company benefits from a close-knit team of specialists in design, installation, management and delivery, all operating in synergy. As Holden corroborates, “By directly employing all our staff, we safeguard the quality of work and encourage repeat business. More importantly though, it improves the morale of our team and inspires pride in the job. They get to know one another; each have the same over-arching ambition and the same ethics of safe, efficient and effective project delivery.” On-site safety continues to be challenged by the interfacing it demands between contracting parties involved. The same is true within a firm; safety requires everyone, from directors to installers, to take accountability for their own practice so as to prevent placing themselves or others at risk. Alongside a strong staff ethic, DCM Surfaces regularly unites on-site operatives to deliver toolbox talks, ensures each member understands his duties and responsibilities on a daily basis, and sources relevant health and safety training for all employees. On-site operatives each have an up-to-date CSCS card while supervisors and managers have been through the Site Supervisors Safety Training Scheme (SSSTS) or Site Management Safety Training Scheme (SMSTS) as appropriate. With the addition of CHAS membership, DCM Surfaces evidences that strict code of practice and is provided not only a framework for its ambitions, but a means of testifying its continuous ethic to potential clients and partners. “CHAS is a means of differentiating the serious contractors from the ordinary,” attests Holden, “And it has always been our ambition to be a leader in surfacing design and installation. Alongside ISO 9001 accreditation, CHAS membership has provided us key competitive advantage and a quality assurance that simply isn’t available elsewhere.” One such client attracted by DCM Surfaces’ strong corporate values and exceptional quality products was one the of the UK’s leading main contractors, Kier Construction. A discerning client with exacting expectations, Kier posed distinct challenges for the sub-contractor as Holden explains: “During projects in Halesham and New Haven, we had to adapt our working methods so as to meet their health and safety requirements, purchasing four new mixers fitted with emergency stop buttons. Flexibility is a core value of the business and whether we’re working for a main contractor like Kier Construction or a small school, we always strive to deliver and produce something we can be proud of.” With ongoing audits and a growing order book, DCM Surfaces is determined to retain the quality workmanship by which it is known. And as it continues to promote employee development and welfare, and boasts a health and safety ethic beyond that of any like competitor, the company’s prestige is only set to enlarge and, with it, comes the opportunity to develop further capabilities and services.
A London property news update: it has been highlighted that greater than 25% of London boroughs don’t offer a home-for-sale at a value of less than £191,812, the average across the UK; a concerning affordability issue for those wishing to relocate to London. The news comes with the release of figures from House Simple, the online estate agent. The average price for a property in London presents sits at circa £530,409, a startling value. Additionally, as highlighted by House Simple, only nine in 32 of the boroughs actually play host to a property with an asking price under the average price from the Land Registry. In fact, it was reported that there was only one borough with the provision of a property for less than £100,000 Bexley. In contrast to this, however, Tower Hamlets reports no available properties marketed for below £250,000. As can be expected, the cheapest form of property available in close to 50% of the boroughs is a studio flat which, while efficient, also sits at a comparatively small offering of space in comparison to that of the traditional one-bedroom flat (100-110 sq ft approximately, as opposed to an average of 495 sq ft). While the results do point out there are at least some properties available on the market at less than the average UK property price, House Simple’s CEO, Alex Gosling highlighted that the availability of such properties is very low, and the space on offer for the amount paid is also rather small. “It’s a studio or nothing in many boroughs,” he added. This piece of London property news, of course, also highlights potential reasoning as to why there is an increased trend of people relocating out of the London area, with property price comparisons highlighting the potential for a fully-fledged house in some areas of the UK, for a similar price to that of a studio flat in London. Yet, for people to still be doing this thus far, there must still be some considerable appeal in living in the capital.
It has been reported that a brand new skills college is in the planning stages for development in the London area. Set to be positioned in the widely reported Nine Elms area, the skills college is expected to offer a construction skills academy which can support the development of skills across the construction industry; something which has oft been reported as essential with the supply of construction jobs greatly outweighing the supply of those skilled individuals to fill those positions. In a bid to ensure those skills provided to up-and-coming industry professionals, Lambeth College has announced that employers are to play a key role in the creation of the curriculum and study schedules for the academy, allowing for those key stakeholders to ensure that the flow of workers to come from the scheme will be fit and able to support the continued success of the sector. In support of the endeavour, leading UK construction firm Carillion, has already expressed its backing of the academy, and will also support the success of it through promotion of it both within, and external to its own extensive supply chain. And with such backing, a high degree of interaction from employers is hoped for. Carillion’s Enterprise Manager, Chris James commented: “This exciting new partnership between Lambeth College and Carillion will establish a construction training academy as part of a pan-London solution and be key to addressing the skills shortage in London and the South East.” Over the course of the first five years of practice, it is hoped that the academy will see the creation of up to 1,400 jobs and 3,000 apprenticeships to be developed, providing a considerable funnel of skilled workers into the industry; skills which, by nature of the courses to be provided, will be instilled through real-work practices and training.
As previously reported, the integration of facilities management practices in the initial stages of any given project may prove to be an essential step forward in ensuring that projects are completed in a way which meets the effective brief, targets and ambitions from the design and planning stages. This can be highlighted most prominently within the arena of energy management and relative carbon emission goals. As facilities management organisations have recently been seen to integrate energy divisions within their own offerings, the way in which these organisations can then advise on, and support the delivery of projects which can meet the long-term goals of developments is undeniable. With a large proportion of energy usage boiling down to the various areas of facilities management also, the import of consulting such specialists with an invested interest in the performance of buildings is key. Without interaction from facilities management and energy specialist organisations, it is actually predicted that both government, and individual organisational goals for the management and reduction of carbon emissions may not yet be possible. As such, organisations are urged to see the important role played by facilities management organisations in ensuring that the design specification for a building will suit that of the energy-efficiency goals of its continued use – an area where complete facilities management companies have a great deal of expertise. It isn’t, however just a case of understanding how carbon emission goals can be hit. Often, it is, in fact the case that organisations may regard viable methods of long-term carbon reduction methods, such as green energy, as too costly and expensive; something which sometimes cannot be debated. In such cases, however, the involvement of facilities management specialists can point organisations in the right direction for alternative methodologies for carbon reduction, as, in many cases, there are always alternatives.
Good news for the construction sector; it has been reported that 90% of those which have applied for the CITB Skills and Training Fund have most recently seen the approval of such applications. In effect, the fund, offered by the Construction Industry Training Board, offers the opportunity for organisations with below 50 employees to access some £5000 in budget to facilitate the training and development of their respective workforce. The success of those applying for funding has been received as a great success, not solely for those organisations to have applied and succeeded, but also to herald the potential for the budget to offer a much-needed resource to a majority of firms. From those bids submitted, a total of forty three were accepted out of a total of forty eight bids. Not only does the success of those forty three sit well in providing the scheme to be quite open for organisations to secure funding from, but the level of interest is also noteworthy and highlighted as a great success for the CITB; this then highlights the level of interest held by smaller organisations in ensuring their staff are equipped with proper skill-sets so as best to represent, and grow their business. Of course, core to opening up the fund to smaller organisations lies within the process itself, with more complex and detailed applications often putting smaller organisations off from pursuing such schemes entirely. In accordance with this notion, CITB’s Head of Economic Analysis and Research, Geeta Nathan, stated: “We have simplified our funding applications for firms of all sizes, and we want even more firms to apply for this fund when the next round opens in mid-April.” Of those which have applied, and succeeded in securing funding, Insitu Technical Services, a civil engineering practice based out of York has been confirmed to have secured some £5000 for the provision of training and qualification in the arena of Personal Track Safety certification; a move expected to develop new opportunities for the company in the times to come.
In the latest property news, mixed views can be perceived in the varying performance of renting rates across Scotland, in comparison to those rates witnessed, and reported on for across England and Wales. The figures, effectively showcasing the overall rise in rent rates across the UK, display that Scottish property rents, although successfully rising, have only done so at two thirds of the rate seen in England and Wales, with a rise of circa 2.1% each year – reported in the latest but to let index from Your Move. Across England and Wales, an increase of rents has been reported to sit at some 3.3% each year, greatly outpacing the aforementioned rise in Scotland. Additionally, it has even been highlighted that pockets of Scotland have even witnessed periods of stagnation in rent prices on a monthly basis, with some areas, including Glasgow and the Highlands actually facing a fall in rents compared with January. The result come at a curious time, with Scotland simultaneously seeing a period of extensive governmental intervention into the private rent market, whilst simultaneously experiencing markedly slowed down growth in rents. Though, as highlighted by Brian Moran, Your Move Scotland’s Lettings Director, the figures do indeed still point to a degree of growth, yet against a considerable degree of stronger tenant finances. “Like any market, affordability is a fundamental check on prices. Rental arrears are a great benchmark of affordability in the market, and their frequency is falling,” explained Brian Moran. In fact, it is not the first time in which governmental intervention has led to similar levels of effect, likened to the 2012 tenancy fee abolition. Yet, how the sector now reacts to the changes presently being faced, and also how plans are made to ensure continued profitability in the sector, is yet to be fully seen – time, however, will tell.