As winter approaches, a national trade body is issuing a timely reminder to property managers to ensure air quality management is on their radar. With the arrival of dark nights and dropping temperatures, moisture levels in buildings start to increase. Air becomes more laden with water, meaning that issues such
7 April 2016 | Herpreet Kaur Grewal NHS Property Services has announced the appointment of the following companies to carry out some of its ‘soft FM’ contracts across England as a part of the second phase of its national procurement exercise to streamline its FM works. The successful bidders for
A JLL annual central London offices seminar has highlighted the strength of the capital’s office market amid political and economic uncertainty, underlining its continued pull to both investors and occupiers. Central London has seen sustained levels of both leasing and investment activity so far in 2018 and corporate property consultant
24 June 2016 | Jamie Harris The BIFM is calling for employers to have their say on an FM supervisor apprenticeship, set up as part of the government’s trailblazer initiative. The initiative sees employer groups join in designing apprenticeship schemes. The BIFM and a number of employers have developed a facilities
Castles & Coasts Housing Association, based in Carlisle, has appointed Horbury Property Services, part of the Horbury Group, to provide fire safety services across its housing portfolio. The contract, which started in September, will see Horbury Property Services providing fire door and fire compartmentation remedials followed detailed fire risk assessments.
OCS has been selected by Community Health Partnerships (CHP) to deliver comprehensive cleaning support under a three-year contract worth £50m. The agreement will see OCS providing the highest standard of cleaning services across 180 sites, supporting CHP tenants throughout England. Petra Moss, Managing Director for OCS Healthcare and Education said:
Force drying specialist ForceDryA has conducted a new study that looked into the installation costs of underfloor heating versus traditional radiators, showing that the underfloor heating option is far more economical than is generally perceived. The study was based on data from leading contractors for installations in a one, two
BCA Pulse has found that the average price of used cars has remained steady over the course of May. These levels are currently at a record high for BCA and it looks as though professionally buyers are still bidding strongly on a wide range of different vehicles. BCA the British
Launched by Ocubis, City Pavilion showcases a new, members-only co working space, situated on the 12th floor, Cannon Green development. Boosting five floors of serviced office space offering a sensational 3,000 sq ft rooftop garden, one of the largest private rooftop gardens in the city centre, it becomes an office
As winter approaches, a national trade body is issuing a timely reminder to property managers to ensure air quality management is on their radar. With the arrival of dark nights and dropping temperatures, moisture levels in buildings start to increase. Air becomes more laden with water, meaning that issues such as condensation, and even damp and mould, can take hold. As a result, the Property Care Association (PCA) is urging property managers to ensure appropriate servicing, repairs and checks are made to ventilation fans and air management systems, to tackle the issue. Steve Hodgson, chief executive of the PCA, said: “Ventilation fans and air management systems are at the front line in providing a healthier environment for people to live and work in. “They play an invaluable role at this time of year at addressing the heavy, cold air that can circulate in buildings as temperatures drop. “However, despite the contribution they make to air quality, it’s not uncommon for their service and repair to be overlooked. “Without a structured servicing regime, waste can build up in the system. This can become a breeding ground for bacteria and also reduce efficiency. “It is also not uncommon for systems to be installed which are not the correct specification for their particular environment. “This is unfortunate as effective ventilation is the most effective way to tackle excess moisture in buildings.” The PCA’s membership includes professionals with the skills and expertise to undertake the design and installation of ventilation solutions for commercial and residential areas. More details can be found at www.property-care.org/
7 April 2016 | Herpreet Kaur Grewal NHS Property Services has announced the appointment of the following companies to carry out some of its ‘soft FM’ contracts across England as a part of the second phase of its national procurement exercise to streamline its FM works. The successful bidders for soft FM contracts are: Cleaning services – Ideal Cleaning Services Ltd and OCS Ltd Feminine hygiene – PHS Group PLC Grounds and gardens – Burleys Ltd and Mitie Pest control – Mitie Pest Management Services Limited and Vermtech Pest Control Limited Security – Mitie Security Services Limited Window cleaning – Walkers CS Ltd and Cinderella Support Services This will not only save approximately 20 per cent on the £200 million contracts that are currently outsourced, but will ensure consistency in quality of facilities management services across the country and put an end to the historic wide disparity in costs charged to occupiers of the company’s properties. A final phase of awards for ‘specialist services’ will include catering, car parking, waste, asbestos surveys, hot and cold water surveys, and medical gases. These contracts will be awarded in April. The appointment follows a nine-month rationalisation process of facilities management services across the entire NHS Property Services estate. Mitie was appointed to contract last month, which sees the business supplying hard FM services across the NHS property estate. Source link
A JLL annual central London offices seminar has highlighted the strength of the capital’s office market amid political and economic uncertainty, underlining its continued pull to both investors and occupiers. Central London has seen sustained levels of both leasing and investment activity so far in 2018 and corporate property consultant JLL anticipates that the final numbers will match, if not exceed those recorded in 2017. £12.2 billion of central London offices have been traded in the first three quarters of 2018 following a strong Q3 performance where £4.3 billion of transactions were recorded. These latest year-to-date figures are only 6 per cent down on the corresponding period for 2017, a year that saw record investment volumes of £17.7 billion. Currently, £4 billion of assets are identified as under offer and another £4 billion of stock on the market and although this suggests that activity towards the end of the year will remain strong, it also highlights the lack of investment opportunities compared with the same period of 2017 when £16 billion was available. Take-up of offices across central London reached 8.3 million square feet at the end of Q3 2018, with 3.1 million sq ft leased in the West End and 4.5m sq ft in the City. Active demand remains well above the 10-year average, with over 9 million sq ft of enquiries currently searching for space – with demand spread across the occupier spectrum. Looking towards the transition at Brexit, and especially in the event of ‘no deal’, the leasing market could become relatively subdued as occupiers reconsider embarking on any new commitments in the short term. This will be relatively mild, however, as most demand is driven by unavoidable lease events rather than expansion, says JLL. Julian Sandbach, head of Central London Capital Markets at JLL, said: “At the beginning of the year it seemed unlikely that investment volumes would reach similar levels to the bumper numbers we saw in 2017, and now it looks possible that they could even be surpassed. Despite the degree of uncertainty around the outcome of Brexit, London continues to attract significant levels of overseas capital who continue to target prime assets. “As the record levels of foreign capital demonstrate the majority of international investors feel that whilst London is subject to some short-term uncertainty, the long-term prospects for London as a global gateway city with a secure investment platform, underpinned by the long-term commitments of occupiers, remain unchanged.”
24 June 2016 | Jamie Harris The BIFM is calling for employers to have their say on an FM supervisor apprenticeship, set up as part of the government’s trailblazer initiative. The initiative sees employer groups join in designing apprenticeship schemes. The BIFM and a number of employers have developed a facilities management apprenticeship aimed at FM supervisors. The consultation, which was opened to responses last month, has been extended until 8 July to get as many views from employers in the sector as possible. Fraser Talbot, professional standards and education manager at BIFM, said: “Developing a trailblazer FM supervisors apprenticeship is the only way in which FM companies will be able to take full advantage of the funding from the Apprenticeship Levy when it is introduced next year. “Therefore we have extended the initial consultation deadline to ensure we have developed a framework that is suitable for industry needs. “It is crucial that employers of all sizes contribute to this process to ensure the new frameworks provide the skilled workforce the industry needs.” The new apprenticeship for FM supervisors aims to prepare an individual for managing a facilities management service, or a group of services, which can be labelled as ‘hard’ (estate/building management) or soft (catering/cleaning/administration/security). All apprentices would be required to supervise others, to understand the contractual requirements and service delivery targets between their employing organisation and the client/customer to achieve service targets. The apprentice will have to provide customer service skills and be proactive in finding solutions to problems. To participate in the employers’ consultation, visit: www.bifm.org.uk/TrailblazerFMSconsultation Download the documents here: Source link
Castles & Coasts Housing Association, based in Carlisle, has appointed Horbury Property Services, part of the Horbury Group, to provide fire safety services across its housing portfolio. The contract, which started in September, will see Horbury Property Services providing fire door and fire compartmentation remedials followed detailed fire risk assessments. Horbury Property Services will be working across 250 different residential schemes on behalf of Castles & Coasts Housing Association, including apartments and houses, as well as supported and sheltered accommodation. Richard Sutton, General Manager at Horbury Property Services, said: “This is the latest in a number of fire safety contract wins with social housing providers. As FIRAS-approved contractors we have the experience and skills to be able to deliver fire safety works to the highest standards to ensure compliance to the regulations.” As well as providing passive fire services, Horbury Property Services provides a full range of works, which can form part of planned maintenance programmes. This includes fire alarm and emergency light testing, plus ceiling and dry wall partitioning inspection, installation, repair and maintenance of fire doors, joinery works, flooring installation, portable appliance testing, electrical testing and installation work, building fabric repairs as well as external cladding and render repairs. In addition, the wider Horbury Group provides painting and decorating, flooring refurbishment and installation, amongst others. The company has its head office in South Yorkshire, plus regional offices in London and South Wales, ensuring a national capability. This regional presence enables its teams to successfully deliver responsive repairs or large planned refurbishment and maintenance programmes. Horbury Property Services is FIRAS certified for the following: Fire Rated Partitions & Ceilings; Fire Rated Timber Doorsets; Penetration Sealing Systems; Cavity Barriers and Fire Door Maintenance. Castles & Coasts Housing Association Limited (CCHA) was formed following the merger of Two Castles Housing Association and Derwent & Solway Housing Association. CCHA owns and manages more than 7,000 homes across the North of England. For more details, visit www.horburypropertyservices.com or call 01709 917555.
OCS has been selected by Community Health Partnerships (CHP) to deliver comprehensive cleaning support under a three-year contract worth £50m. The agreement will see OCS providing the highest standard of cleaning services across 180 sites, supporting CHP tenants throughout England. Petra Moss, Managing Director for OCS Healthcare and Education said: “We are proud of the work OCS has already done with CHP but this contract marks a very significant step in that relationship. We share CHP’s desire to ensure the highest possible standards of cleanliness and are excited that the service we provide in its buildings enables clinical excellence to take place. This partnership is a positive milestone in our mission to ‘Improve Lives’.” Mark Day, Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Chief Executive at CHP added: “We’re delighted to be partnering with OCS across the country. Our ambition is to deliver the most effective and best-value space for patients; this contract is an important part of that.” Owned by the Department of Health, CHP is focused on delivering better value to the NHS and its partners against a landscape of unprecedented infrastructure challenges. Starting in September, the partnership between CHP and OCS will ensure that clinicians are able to provide community services within an environment that will speed recovery and prevent infections.
Force drying specialist ForceDryA has conducted a new study that looked into the installation costs of underfloor heating versus traditional radiators, showing that the underfloor heating option is far more economical than is generally perceived. The study was based on data from leading contractors for installations in a one, two and three bedroom property. Three specifications were included: traditional radiators and 75mm sand & cement screed, traditional radiators with a 50mm flowing screed, and a 50mm flowing screed with underfloor heating. The findings showed that, for an 80m2 dwelling, installation costs for the sand and cement approach range from £3,003.72 to £3,483.10; for a 50mm flowing screed with radiators costs start at £3,163.72 to £3,563.10 and for a 50mm flowing screed with underfloor heating costs range from £3,464.63 and £4,082.30. The costs for the underfloor heating approach also includes force drying, which facilitates fast, safe drying of liquid screed floors. This approach reduces drying time typically from around 90 days to as little as 28 days, representing a significant time saving and additional cost saving in the construction process. “There is a perception that underfloor heating is expensive and only practical in commercial terms for installation in higher end properties. However, our study shows that the underfloor heating method is only marginally more expensive to install than radiators, but when combined with force drying with the considerable cost benefits of the time saved factored in, the overall costs could actually be less. This means underfloor heating with a flowing screed can be a viable solution for all kinds of housing, including social and affordable,” said Ross Verity, managing director of ForceDry. Verity also points to the environmental benefits of using liquid gypsum screed flooring, which comprise 98% recycled waste material, require less energy to produce and, because it is thinner, uses less material. These factors result in a carbon footprint over 70% lower than that of sand and cement screeds. “This approach is economical to install, environmentally friendly and performs very efficiently. It can save developers and property owners time and money during build and allows them to offer a superior product specification. Homeowners and tenants then benefit from the comfort, economy and low maintenance this kind of system offers,” he concluded.
BCA Pulse has found that the average price of used cars has remained steady over the course of May. These levels are currently at a record high for BCA and it looks as though professionally buyers are still bidding strongly on a wide range of different vehicles. BCA the British car auctioning business has been operating since 1946, formerly as Southern Counties Car Auctions in order to provide a marketplace to buy and sell used cars. Over around 70 years the company has managed to grow and now sell in excess of one million cars each year. BCA is known for being the largest vehicle remarketing business throughout Europe. The company also works with fleet operators and OEMs and dealers in order to remain a prominent part of the vehicle supply chain in the UK. BAC also offers logistics and technology services for the new vehicles as well as refurbishments and restoration of logistics services in used cars. This business is an important part of the vehicle supply chain therefore the indication that car values are remaining high and stable is surely good news for the rest of the rest of the sector. The figures that have been released for fleet, lease stock, and vehicles that have come from dealer part-exchanges have seen a slight drop month on month. In contrast to this the values for cars that are nearly-new have seen a slight increase. The values reached a record level of £9,090 was reached in April of this year, however May has seen this figure fall by £229, or 2.5% and now sits at £8,861. This is still a high figure and when looking at year on year values, there has been an average rise in values of £600 or 7.2%. It is thought that the increase in value has come from the consistent amount of demand for vehicles and the BCA providing a wide range of stock for buyers to choose from. The sector has also seen more stock that is being sold with lower age and mileage, which will appeal to a wider audience.
Launched by Ocubis, City Pavilion showcases a new, members-only co working space, situated on the 12th floor, Cannon Green development. Boosting five floors of serviced office space offering a sensational 3,000 sq ft rooftop garden, one of the largest private rooftop gardens in the city centre, it becomes an office of dreams. The City Pavilion recently hosted an exclusive yoga session for members on the amazing rooftop, as part of the National Work Life Week, in collaboration with award winning operator of premium boutique fitness studios, Core Collective. Located perfectly next door to Canal Street mainline and Underground Station, City Pavilion forms part of the London office building, Cannon Green, offering a dramatic glass atrium and a huge range of amenities. Co-working and hot-desking spaces feature quirky furnishings and unique features, including showers, bike storage options and even Spanner-the on-site bike repair shop. The latest in technology means you can have the absolute optimal of office experience every day. A divine bar and restaurant called The Listing is at your disposal, with a business lounge offering an all day cafe and bar also available. The on-site Gymbox gym means all your needs are in one space, you can even experience heated lockers, on-site cleaning, bespoke art spread over unique office spaces and superfast Wi-Fi, with fair use of printing facilities and photocopying. Well-appointed meeting rooms are carefully tailored to suit the requirements of the modern business, with a wide range of conference room options complemented by unparalleled room service, you can be sure that all your meeting needs will be met with excellence. Neatly tucked below the rooftop garden you can find the Penthouse Office Suite, the most exclusive space for your work with some of the best views in the city. Other options include the Hot Desk, which is ideal for anyone wanting 24 hour, flexible access to a desk or private office on a daily basis. If you require something more bespoke to you, you can experience all the benefits of the Hot Desk in your own Private Office, with bespoke furnishings, secure access and lockable storage. The Exclusive Desk space boosts the ideal space for someone wanting something more permanent, with fixed, lockable desks in an open environment ideal for collaborative teams. Each space is beautifully furnished with the client in mind, offering an office that becomes a home from home, with remarkable views, elegant art work and countless benefits.
