British manufacturing firm QRL Radiator Group has launched a campaign to introduce an energy labelling system for radiators. The group wants the system to be similar to the one used for hot water cylinders, renewables, boilers and other household essentials. QRL’s ‘Don’t Omit Emitters’ campaign was launched on August 23 and has called for the industry to join in with a petition to the government to include radiators in mandatory efficiency ratings. Currently, radiators are not covered by the Energy-related Products (ErP) Directive and its colour coded energy labelling system, with efficiency bands ranging from A+++ to G. This means that manufacturers are not required to produce and energy label for radiators, or for installers to include radiators when producing the package label to indicate the efficiency of the whole system. Chief Executive Officer at QRL Radiator Group, David Kerr, commented: “At a time when everyone connected with the heating industry – from government right through to manufacturers and installers – is putting efficiency at the top of the agenda, it’s ludicrous that there is no energy labelling system in place for radiators.” “Of course it’s important that we focus on insulation and the heat source, but if emitters aren’t included as the third piece of the efficiency puzzle then we risk undermining the performance of the system as a whole.” In the manifesto for the ‘Don’t Omit Emitters’ campaign, the firm argues that proper energy labelling would make it easier for people to identify high efficiency emitters – ones that will reduce emissions, cut costs and improve the performance of heating systems. QRL Radiator Group Product Development Manager, Mike Wright, added that inefficient emitters are costing businesses and homes thousands, as well as having a detrimental impact on our collective carbon footprint. Wright believes that the introduction of clear, recognisable and universal energy labels is the most effective way for the trade (and their customers) to confidently pit one product’s performance against another’s.

Hampshire Trust Bank is set to move to new larger headquarters early next year to support its expansion plans. The specialist bank is due to move from its current 7,500 sq ft London-based headquarters at 131 Finsbury Pavement, to a newly refurbished 21,000 sq ft office at 55 Bishopsgate in Q1 2017. Hampshire Trust Bank recently reported significant growth in its first half results to 30 June 2016, announcing that headcount has increased to more than 100, a 25% rise in employee numbers at the end of 2015, with plans in the pipeline for further growth to meet business objectives. Mark Sismey-Durrant, chief executive officer at Hampshire Trust Bank, said: “Next year’s move is a significant step in the journey of the bank. “Our new headquarters will provide us with significant room for expansion and help us to continue on our strong growth trajectory. “As we recently announced, we have transitioned into profit, we are now focused on building on this success and ensuring we are well positioned to make the most of future opportunities.” Hampshire Trust Bank lends to UK businesses, providing asset finance, property finance and commercial mortgages. It also offers savings accounts to individuals and businesses.

The Association of Plumbing & Heating Contractors (APHC), in collaboration with City & Guilds, has announced that it will host a series of free technical workshops throughout England and Wales during October this year. The sessions will take place in the morning and offer plumbing and hearing installers the chance to shape their industry and offer their views on a number of key issues. Among these issues are ‘New Water Supplies, Water Efficiency Calculations and meeting the requirements of Part G of Building Regulations’ and ‘The New Plumbing Apprenticeship.’ An increasing number of developers are asking for information on ‘New Water Supplies, Water Efficiency Calculations and meeting the requirements of Part G of Building Regulations’. The Water Efficiency Calculator will no longer be used an standard modelling is now available, so attendance at this session will mean that installers can make sure that they are up to date to meet this demand. Meanwhile, in terms of the ‘New Plumbing Apprenticeship’, APHC held workshops in March this year which have plumbing and heating installers the opportunity to put forward their views on the new Apprenticeship Standard. This free session will now provide them with the opportunity to tell the APHC what they think about the technical content involved in the learning material, while also providing them with a unique chance to examine the assessment methodologies. This October, the technical workshops will be held across the following dates and locations: Dartford, October 13 Solihull, October 19 Wakefield, October 20 Taunton, October 25 Newport, October 26. Last week, the APHC launched a new Online Learning Centre to support its commitment to help heating and plumbing businesses become more successful and profitable. The new online facility will offer learning products which are tailored specifically to the needs of the plumbing and heating industry, and provide access to bite size courses that cover the key areas of business development.

A joint venture has been formed between real estate consultancies AECOM, Gleeds and Pick Everard to deliver a £350 million Built Environment Consultancy Services (BECS) framework for Scape Group, the local authority-owned built environment service provider. This will be the first time that Scape has appointed a joint venture, with the three partner companies working together over the next four years, supported by their respective local supply chains, to deliver new public sector projects. ‘Perfect Circle’ is the name which has been given to the consortium. Perfect Circle will deliver services under the BECS framework and will include strategic asset management, highways consultancy and engineering services, civil and structural engineering, architecture and design services, commercial surveying, building surveying, quantity surveying and project management. The consortium was chosen through an OJEU-compliant tender process which was based on cost evaluation as well as environmental, economic and social sustainability criteria. Scape says that around 150 SMEs will support the consortium as supply chain partners, with 27,000 discipline experts throughout the group, while Perfect Circle has also made a commitment to create “significant opportunities for micro business.” Chairman of Perfect Circle and Managing Partner at Pick Everard, Duncan Green, commented: “Perfect Circle brings together three industry-leading organisations into a full service consortium that has the influence, scalability and expertise to make a significant and positive contribution to the challenges currently affecting the public sector.” Everard added that the consolidation of consultancy services into one framework was a unique chance for their respective companies to come together and offer unrivalled added value and efficient solutions throughout the UK. Chairman of Gleeds Worldwide, Richard Steer, said: “The BECS Framework presents a significant business opportunity; our teams worked incredibly hard to produce a best-in-class bid and it is now our job to ensure that we are able to hit the ground running once the framework goes live.”

Gas Company Calor is set to host another free installer open day on Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 October 2016 after the success of last year’s event. The aim of the event is to give rural installers a better understanding of LPG and how it can benefit their business and customers, along with the advantages of working with Calor. The installer open day will be held at the firm’s national training centre in Stoney Stanton, Leicestershire, and will give commercial and domestic heating installers the chance to learn more about LPG, while working with representatives of Calor and other installers. Adey heating systems, Paragon work wear and ATAG boilers will all attend the event, with more manufacturers to be confirmed. The day will commence at 9.30am and will involve a series of short training sessions, with the conclusion at around 4.30pm, though installers are free to arrive at any time and take part in any sessions that are of interest to them. Included in the short training sessions will be topics such as tank and cylinder siting, the benefits of LPG against other rural fuels and working with LPG in domestic and commercial applications. Furthermore, site tours will be available throughout the day which will give visitors the opportunity to see the cylinder filling plant and all the available storage types. Food and drink will also be provided, while attendees can also take part in a number of various competitions as well as receiving a selection of Calor goodies. Spaces on the open day are limited, so Calor has urged people to secure their free place by visiting www.calor.co.uk/installer/event-sign-up to register. Last month, Calor expanded its Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) refuelling station network by teaming up with motorway services operator Moto Hospitality, bringing the total number of LNG stations on the UK roads up to nine.

The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) is set to relocate to Midgate, Peterborough. Savills, working on behalf of Pelican Partners (Peterborough) LLP, has let office space at Midgate House on Midgate in the city to the RNIB. The institute has agreed to a new 15 year lease for offices on floors one and two of the building, totalling 19,145 sq ft and follows the recent letting to Reed Recruitment, who will also occupy space on the first floor totalling 2,970 sq ft. Refurbishment work has already started on the reception area and entrance at Midgate House where almost 18,000 sq ft of property is still available to let on floor three. The space is on the market at a quoting rent of £10 per sq ft, while 109,778 sq ft at the RNIB’s old premises at Orton Southgate is also being sold by Savills. Associate in the business space team at Savills Peterborough, Edward Gee, commented: “Situated in the heart of Peterborough city centre, Midgate House offers good quality office space and is an ideal location for The RNIB’s new Peterborough office. “We are very pleased to have helped facilitate the move and to retain such a high profile occupier in the city.” Spoke Consultancy advised the Royal National Institute of Blind People during the relocation process. Last month, the RNIB announced that it has appointed Sally Harvey as acting chief executive officer with effect from October, replacing outgoing chief executive Lesley-Anne Alexander who is set to retire from the group. According to a statement from the organisation, Harvey (pictured) has held a number of senior management roles within the RNIB since 2009. She is currently interim chief operating officer, a role she began earlier this month. Prior to her appointment as chief executive, she was managing director for RNIB Places, leading the charity’s housing services, supported living, care and education.

Giant food companies have come together to launch an online sustainability site to meet changing consumer demands. Bidvest Foodservice and a ‘green alliance’ made up of giants from the food industry, including Jacobs Douwe Egberts, Vegware, Delifrance UK, Premier Foods and Unilever have launched ‘plate2planet’. This is a ‘one stop shop’ digital platform, which will aim to address the food sector’s growing demand for useful and practical information about sustainability. Head of Sustainability at Bidvest Foodservice, Shirley Duncalf, commented: “Our customers, and those of our plate2planet partners, care deeply about sustainability and operators across the industry are taking measures to tackle the challenges.” The platform will share green knowledge, including regulation guidance, supply chain stories, handy tools, case studies and best practice examples for industry workers. Duncalf said that the plate2planet initiative has a collection of knowledge that is “unparalleled” in the industry, adding: “Our aim, in sharing these resources in a single space, is to support the entire industry to make small but effective changes which can ultimately have a huge impact on a global scale, and on profit margins. “Our message is that by working together we can truly enact positive change.” The Sustainable Restaurant Association conducted a recent survey which revealed that 83% of consumers said sustainability directly affects their dining choices. Bidvest explained that caterers must now successfully navigate the challenge of making sustainable business choices, while they also face ever evolving changed to sustainability policy and regulation, as well as the demands of consumers. Duncalf added that caterers are looking to push forward successful green initiatives that add true value to their own customers, community and their bottom line. However, many of them have said that they lack the necessary resources to find new suppliers, research trends or dissect complicated reports and government documents. Also partnering on the site is Planet First, the sustainability consultancy that provides The Planet Mark a certification for organisations that want to demonstrate their ongoing commitment to sustainability.

Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is to revert back to in-house catering after the contract was outsourced for several years. Since 2011, Centerplate (formerly Lindley Venue Catering) had been the catering partner of the South Yorkshire club. The catering services range from the concourses around the Hillsborough stadium to the many executive boxes and hospitality suites within the South Stand area of the ground. The club’s Chief Operating Officer, Joe Palmer, explained that the catering branch of the business is an important part of the matchday and non-matchday experience offered by Sheffield Wednesday to both supporters and clients alike. Palmer continued: “Although only the front end product as it were is visible, there is a huge amount of organisation and resource required behind the scenes on a daily basis. “With this is mind, and after an ongoing period of diligence and customer feedback – particularly at the club`s Steering Group meetings – we have taken the decision to bring the catering back in house.” By taking the catering back in-house, this will give the club full control of the whole catering operation and will make both commercial and logistical sense. Palmer also explained that he personally oversaw a very similar process during his time spent at Fc Shakhtar Donetsk, where all parties who had an interest in the club’s catering benefitted in both the long term and the short term. However, the switch back to in-house catering will not be an instant one and the club has asked for supporters and clients to be patient while the transition takes place. He concluded: “In the meantime, Sheffield Wednesday wish Centerplate nothing but the best for the future.” Meanwhile, Gillingham Football are currently contesting a legal case with former caterers Centerplate. At the time the company pulled out the Gills claimed they were owed a “significant amount of money.”