Vonder, the global living and lifestyle brand, has announced the latest additions to its London portfolio with five new properties called The Dome, comprising over 21,000 sq ft of residential space in three locations across London. Formely owned and operated by the co-living brand The Collective, the lease of the
SIMIAN International has partnered with Prostaff LLC Following a successful accreditation audit last week, CISRS has approved the first Overseas Scaffolding Training Scheme (OSTS) centre in Russia. SIMIAN International working in collaboration with Prostaff LLC, part of the Polati Group, a Russian scaffolding supplier and contracting company, have opened a
Leeds based Brewster Bye Architects has promoted Andrew Chapman to associate director and Waqar Hussain has become a fully qualified architect at the firm, after successfully completing his RIBA part 3 exams. Andrew joined Brewster Bye in 2013 and has worked on a wide range of projects from hotels through
Chancerygate has submitted plans to speculatively build 72,140 sq ft of industrial and warehousing space in Bredbury, near Stockport. Called Cromwell Park, the proposed scheme will be located on a four-acre site in Bredbury Park Industrial Estate and comprise 10 Grade A leasehold units ranging from 1,927 sq ft to
Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council has granted Leeds-based Wilton Developments outline planning consent for up to 3.52 million sq ft of logistics and industrial space. This will occupy a 180-acre site adjacent to junction 6 of the M18 at Thorne, Doncaster. Jason Stowe, managing director of Wilton Developments, said: “We are
Work has begun to transform a vacant brownfield site into a landmark, 30 home timber frame housing development – providing much needed affordable properties in Leeds. The scheme will deliver a total of 14 one bedroomed apartments, ten two bedroomed houses and six three bedroomed homes – two of which
Lysander, the privately-owned construction consultancy, has announced a major expansion across five European markets as it seeks to satisfy continued demand across the industrial, logistics and commercial sectors. New offices are now operating in Frankfurt, Madrid, Paris, Milan and Rotterdam adding to the company’s existing German presence where it opened
Stylish, high-quality products matched with outstanding quality control and a seamless delivery process are just some of the reasons why leading uPVC window and door manufacturer Euramax Solutions has been chosen as a main supplier of modular home manufacturer ilke Homes. Based in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, ilke Homes manufactures up
When considering flooring products for new-build or refurbishment projects, the housebuilder and specifier can be sure that West Fraser’s CaberFloor range includes the perfect solution. Just as sound foundations are essential for any building, the right flooring system lays a good foundation for a quality flooring finish, saving problems and
Construction firms are being targeted by cyber criminals with fake invoices and bank details as part of a sophisticated fraud netting more than £100m a year in the UK. Mandate Fraud, also known as Payment Diversion Fraud (PDF) and Business Email Compromise (BEC), tends to affect businesses and customers where
Vonder, the global living and lifestyle brand, has announced the latest additions to its London portfolio with five new properties called The Dome, comprising over 21,000 sq ft of residential space in three locations across London. Formely owned and operated by the co-living brand The Collective, the lease of the portfolio bolsters Vonder’s extensive collection of urban living spaces around London. The Dome consists of 111 fully-furnished and equipped studios and one bedroom apartments in Notting Hill, Hyde Park and Sloane Square, all key locations in the capital. The latter also offers a communal area and conference room for hybrid working. With The Dome coming under the Vonder Plus membership, the apartments provide a great living solution for young renters looking to make a home in the centre of London. The Dome locations include high quality furniture, one all-inclusive bill, cleaning services and access to the Vonder App, enabling them to be part of Vonder’s exclusive global community and Rewards platform, as well as a digital support team. The Dome tenants will be able to attend events and book amenities in other Vonder locations such as Vonder Wembley, which opened in October 2021. Tomer Bercoviz, CEO and Co-founder of Vonder, commented: “The addition of The Dome properties to our portfolio is a key milestone in Vonder’s growth strategy in the capital, increasing our supply of great urban accommodation in central areas that suit a wide range of our target audience’s needs.” “As momentum builds in London again. It is important people have comfortable, inspiring and hassle-free living spaces to come home to, with The Dome properties embodying this in every way possible. By providing a community feeling and an exclusive Rewards scheme with value-added services through our Vonder App, we are offering our members not only a well-designed living space, but a whole new way of living.” The Dome portfolio joins Vonder’s existing London schemes such as the flagship development, Vonder Wembley, which opened late last year. Vonder continues to strengthen the growth of its international portfolio of over 30 locations spread across London, Berlin, Munich, Warsaw and Dubai, with Leeds coming up next. The company is also in active negotiations to increase its portfolio in the US and continental Europe as it rolls out its ‘all-in-one living’ concept.
SIMIAN International has partnered with Prostaff LLC Following a successful accreditation audit last week, CISRS has approved the first Overseas Scaffolding Training Scheme (OSTS) centre in Russia. SIMIAN International working in collaboration with Prostaff LLC, part of the Polati Group, a Russian scaffolding supplier and contracting company, have opened a training facility in the Moscow suburb of Mytishchi. Polati Training Centre has been running their own scaffolding training programme for some time, and originally opened their centre in 2017. They also deliver other associated courses such as Rope Access, confined space and rescue training. They were, however, very keen to gain third party approval with CISRS as they see it as the leading international training standard for tube and fitting scaffolding. Initially the Centre will offer CISRS Level 1 and 2 Training for Scaffolders in Tube and fitting, Basic Scaffold Inspection and Supervisory programmes. They will look to build upon their CISRS portfolio going forward, possibly incorporating Soyuz a ring-type system which they use and supply, plus other scaffolding systems. Dave Mosley, CISRS Managing Director, said: “The centre is fitted out to the highest specifications, with brand new materials, tools and PPE. There are several classrooms but one is particularly impressive as it houses both an independent and a hanging scaffold actually within the classroom.” SIMIAN International Managing Director Ian Fyall added: “We are delighted to be partnering Prostaff in this venture and moving both SIMIAN and CISRS’ footprint into another part in the world. We are looking forward to training and assessing their instructors and giving advice and guidance going forward. “It’s been 12 months in the making due to Covid but we eventually got there” The centre also makes use of a miniature modelling system called BabyScaff, which is an exact replica of the ring-type scaffold system and is used to explain assembly, loadings and stability of scaffolds. Training Centre CEO Evgenii Guseinov said: “We are extremely pleased to be working with SIMIAN International and very proud to have opened the first CISRS centre in Russia. We have been delivering our own successful training programme for several years, however, gaining third party approval from CISRS which is recognised as the international standard for Tube and fitting scaffolding training, is another step forward and will set us apart from our competitors.” Polati are a very large Scaffolding Supplier and Contracting company with around 3,000+ scaffolders in Russia and surrounding countries. In 2017 they worked on the Lakhta Tower project in St Petersburg, at 448m it was the largest building in Europe which involved around 250 Scaffolders using over 700 tonnes of Layher Allround Scaffolding in extreme weather conditions. They have several depots across Russia and are looking to open additional CISRS OSTS approved facilities in the near future, including one in Kazakhstan.
Leeds based Brewster Bye Architects has promoted Andrew Chapman to associate director and Waqar Hussain has become a fully qualified architect at the firm, after successfully completing his RIBA part 3 exams. Andrew joined Brewster Bye in 2013 and has worked on a wide range of projects from hotels through to residential conversions throughout Yorkshire and beyond. He’s also recently been involved with several high-profile student accommodation schemes including the eight storey Oasis Residence just off Millennium Square, in Leeds city centre, which consists of 96 high specification, self-contained studio apartments, as well as amenities. Andrew has also designed and recently secured planning permission for another major student accommodation scheme in Nottingham’s Southside Regeneration Area, that will offer 297 bedrooms. Waqar joined Brewster Bye in 2018 as an architectural assistant after completing a master’s degree in architecture at the University of Huddersfield and winning several awards including the West Yorkshire Society of Architects Award and the RIBA Yorkshire Student Silver Award. He’s now completed a Professional Practice and Management in Architecture (RIBA part 3) qualification to become a fully certified architect. Since joining Brewster Bye, he’s been involved in several key projects including Leeds City Village and the successful planning application for Barkerend Mills, which is a Grade-II listed mill complex close to Bradford city centre. The complex had fallen into a state of disrepair but planning permission has now been granted for it to be transformed into 117 new apartments. Andrew Chapman said: “This promotion will see me leading on several exciting projects, across numerous sectors, from the feasibility stage right through to completion, so it’s a great opportunity for me. In recent years it’s been a privilege to be involved in a such a variety of schemes throughout the north of England and I’m looking forward to building on this further in this new role.” Mark Henderson, director at Brewster Bye, said: “Andrew has played a key role in all types of successful projects in recent years. He has a fantastic eye for detail and an excellent understanding of both the planning system and crucially, what planning committees want to see, which makes him very popular with clients. He thoroughly deserves this promotion. “Since joining us nearly four years ago, Waqar has built up a wealth of experience designing high quality and functional homes throughout the region, and he’s worked hard to pass his part 3 exams and become a fully qualified architect. There’s no doubt he has a fantastic career ahead of him with us.”
Chancerygate has submitted plans to speculatively build 72,140 sq ft of industrial and warehousing space in Bredbury, near Stockport. Called Cromwell Park, the proposed scheme will be located on a four-acre site in Bredbury Park Industrial Estate and comprise 10 Grade A leasehold units ranging from 1,927 sq ft to 22,001 sq ft. The projected gross development value is around £16m. The development site benefits from excellent access to the town centre and is less than one mile from junction 25 of the M60. Neighbouring occupiers include leading national bakery Allied Bakeries, international courier delivery services company TNT, carpet wholesaler Hadfields and chain manufacturer Renold Chains. Chancerygate development manager, Chris Brown, said: “This is an exciting opportunity to build on one of the last remaining undeveloped sites allocated for employment in the Stockport borough. “Our plans for Cromwell Park aim to meet the significant demand for high-quality, new-build industrial space that there is from businesses operating in and around Stockport and the wider North West. With planning now submitted, we are looking forward to working with Stockport Council to bring a much-needed, high specification industrial and warehousing development to Bredbury.” Agents for Cromwell Park are Williams Sillitoe and Cushman & Wakefield. You can learn more about Chancerygate’s live projects across the country here.
Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council has granted Leeds-based Wilton Developments outline planning consent for up to 3.52 million sq ft of logistics and industrial space. This will occupy a 180-acre site adjacent to junction 6 of the M18 at Thorne, Doncaster. Jason Stowe, managing director of Wilton Developments, said: “We are looking forward to bringing forward this key employment site within the Northern Powerhouse. “We are programmed to be on-site later this year with delivery of the first buildings in 2023. Further detail and updates on our plans will be available shortly.” Elsewhere in South Yorkshire Wilton Developments has recently completed its 300,000 sq ft Enterprise 36 scheme at Tankersley, delivering four warehouse and industrial units to occupiers including Williams Rowland, Dura and USL Group. Two of the buildings were acquired by CBRE Investment Management for one of its discretionary funds. Wilton is active across the north of England specialising in office and industrial development and investment.
Work has begun to transform a vacant brownfield site into a landmark, 30 home timber frame housing development – providing much needed affordable properties in Leeds. The scheme will deliver a total of 14 one bedroomed apartments, ten two bedroomed houses and six three bedroomed homes – two of which will be located on a satellite site, replacing two old properties that were previously demolished. The homes to be built at Leeds Meynell, in Holbeck, will be 100% affordable and constructed in less than nine months, with the first residents expected to move in by early summer 2022. They will be built using an innovative timber frame construction process, that involves constructing elements of the properties offsite – in a factory-controlled setting – before transporting them to site for assembly. The method uses the same materials, standards and codes as conventionally built homes but the controlled plant conditions ensure the process is completed more quickly than a traditional build. They will be constructed using a ‘Fabric first’ approach – which involves maximising performance of the materials and components that make up the very fabric of a building. This will help to achieve a key objective of the project, which is to ensure energy efficiency, lower fuel bills and tackle the fuel poverty problems that some Leeds City Council tenants face. The eco-friendly scheme will also support the council’s commitment to reduce the city’s direct carbon emissions to net-zero by 2030 and make Leeds a greener, fairer and healthier city. The project is being delivered through Leeds City Council’s Housing Growth Programme (CHGP), which aims to build around 1500 new, high-quality social housing units over the next five years. Once completed, the new homes will be managed by the council and will become part of its affordable housing stock, Mick Holling, Managing Director with United Living New Homes North, said: “Leeds is a thriving and growing city which needs new, good quality housing to meet demand. We look forward to playing a central role in regenerating this area of Leeds and creating much-needed new homes for local people. “The timber frame sector is transforming the way new homes are built. It offers a comprehensive, energy-efficient and low carbon solution for social housing that is high-quality, affordable and easily accessible and adaptable”. Councillor Helen Hayden, Leeds City Council’s Executive Member for Infrastructure and Climate, said: “One of Leeds’ biggest priorities is to provide enough housing to meet the needs of a growing population. This is why we have developed our programme to build 1,500 new affordable homes over the next 5 years; all of which need to be high quality and accessible. Not only will this scheme positively contribute towards this ambition, it will also help us achieve our climate targets by providing people with energy efficient, low carbon homes. “I look forward to following the progress of this scheme and welcoming our first residents later this year.” As the principal contractor for the development, United Living will partner with Leeds City Council and William Saunders Architects.
Lysander, the privately-owned construction consultancy, has announced a major expansion across five European markets as it seeks to satisfy continued demand across the industrial, logistics and commercial sectors. New offices are now operating in Frankfurt, Madrid, Paris, Milan and Rotterdam adding to the company’s existing German presence where it opened in Berlin and Munich in 2020. In the UK, Lysander has steadily grown its footprint to include offices in central London, Godalming, Northampton and Newcastle. The wider European expansion was a natural next step as Chairman James Duckworth explains: “Since launching 21 years ago, Lysander has grown an enviable portfolio of clients and projects across the UK, Ireland, EMEA and Asia. Client relationships have expanded and strengthened as we have grown, and it made sense to invest in the long-term potential of our existing and future relationships. “There continues to be significant demand for experienced, commercially astute technical advisors across the industrial and logistics sectors, and we’ve already seen the positive impact that investing in the German market has made since our initial launch there two years ago. We’re delighted to be further expanding our European presence with some of the very best, most experienced leaders from across the fields of project and cost management.” Lysander has successfully delivered complex, market-leading projects for some of the best-known developers, online retailers, automotive manufacturers, data companies, financial institutions and logistics operators in the world. Lysander’s track record includes repeat work with clients such as Amazon, GLP, Google, Microsoft, BlackRock and Scannell Properties. In the UK, Lysander was appointed as Project Manager on Amazon’s LCY3 facility, a four-storey, 2.3 million sq. ft. warehouse which boasts the largest PV roof installation in the UK. Commenting on Lysander’s future growth, Joint Managing Directors, Tim Roles and Richard May said: ‘’We are very excited about the future for Lysander. We have worked hard to establish a strong understanding of our clients’ businesses, their ambitions and the challenges that they have faced, whilst they also move into new markets. We are very much aligned with them and will continue to bring our experience, pragmatism and positive attitude to their projects to ensure successful outcomes. “It is a testament to the Lysander team that we repeatedly work with some of the most sophisticated occupiers and developers in the world. Demand for project and cost managers with a deep and extensive knowledge in the industrial and logistics markets in particular shows no sign of abating, and we will continue to be a trusted advisor to our valued clients.” More information on Lysander can be found by visiting: https://lysander.com/
Stylish, high-quality products matched with outstanding quality control and a seamless delivery process are just some of the reasons why leading uPVC window and door manufacturer Euramax Solutions has been chosen as a main supplier of modular home manufacturer ilke Homes. Based in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, ilke Homes manufactures up to 2,000 modular homes every year for local authorities, housing associations, developers and private investors, and can produce a home in just 15 days, with four modules coming off the production line each day. “In order to increase our output, we needed to collaborate with like-minded suppliers, and for the past two years, Euramax has really understood our manufacturing processes,” comments ilke Homes Procurement Manager Rachel Kaye. “In addition to supplying us with high-quality products, Euramax provides an excellent, efficient delivery service, really allowing us to streamline and get the most out of our production processes.” Working from a state-of-the-art 205,000 square foot manufacturing facility, Euramax Solutions manufactures high-quality uPVC and aluminium windows and doors that are the perfect fit for modular buildings. The company delivers all its products in stillages, minimising product damage during transportation, while also eliminating unnecessary plastic waste. Module identification numbers (MINs) are also provided for each stillage – these are specific to the windows and doors for each house and module type, ensuring products can be installed without hassle. Rachel continues: “Communication between everyone in the modular supply chain is vital to success, and thanks to regular monthly meetings and consistent input from Euramax’s technical team, we’ve been able to continue successfully producing modular homes. “Apart from being a reliable, trustworthy supplier, Euramax has allowed us to achieve the best possible outcome for our products.” Euramax Solutions Managing Director Nick Cowley comments: “Removing the complexity from supply chains, reducing production costs and increasing productivity is what we do every day for our clients in the modular construction sector. “Since partnering with ilke Homes, we’ve been delighted to supply such a big name in this market with our products. “We’re delighted that the company is happy with both our products and our delivery service, something we are very proud of. “It’s a real testament to our hard work and commitment, and we look forward to working with ilke Homes for many years to come.” For more information, call 0330 1340 290 or visit www.euramaxuk.com/
When considering flooring products for new-build or refurbishment projects, the housebuilder and specifier can be sure that West Fraser’s CaberFloor range includes the perfect solution. Just as sound foundations are essential for any building, the right flooring system lays a good foundation for a quality flooring finish, saving problems and costs later. The West Fraser website contains a handy flowchart to help builders, specifiers and architects choose the right flooring system for every project, coupled with handy installation guides and videos https://uk.westfraser.com/resources/help-advice/installation-instructions/ for the individual CaberFloor products. Leading the field in the popularity stakes, CaberFloor P5 is the UK’s most specified moisture-resistant P5 flooring. The high-strength particleboard is ideal for domestic and most other floors and removes the need for intermediate noggins. The boards are moisture-resistant, stable, durable, easy to lay and, with a tongue and groove or square-edge profile, provide an excellent surface for subsequent floor laying operations. Some floors require more advanced solutions and, no matter the size or shape of the floor being laid, there are key questions to ask. Although not necessarily obvious, the first point to consider is whether the building’s roof will be in place. If the answer is no, the floor will need to withstand the elements. This is where CaberShieldPlus proves its worth as it is designed to allow building work to continue in all weathers. CaberShieldPlus is an advanced product that has all the inherent benefits of CaberFloor P5. In addition, it offers double-sided protection with a tough, permanent waterproof coating and is BBA approved for 60 days exposure, when laid according to manufacturer’s instructions. It is also a non-slip, safe working platform that withstands high site traffic. An alternative solution is CaberDek which is BBA approved for 42 days exposure, when installed with CaberFix according to manufacturer’s instructions. The P5 grade flooring has the advantage of a strong, waterproof and slip-resistant peelable film. It provides protection from the elements and construction mess and, when removed, leaves a clean, finished floor. The film is impact, puncture and tear-resistant to withstand high site traffic. CaberDek also provides 44dB sound reduction when used in conjunction with leading I-beam and insulation manufacturers. All three CaberFloor products comply with BS EN312 and are designed to be used with the CaberFix range of specially developed sealing and fixing products that include powerful adhesives and tapes. For example, CaberFloor P5 is best used with CaberFix Joint&Joist, an adhesive and sealant that will adhere to a wide variety of materials, creating a strong, silent, and flexible bond. Similarly, CaberFix D4 complements CaberDek and CaberShieldPlus. This adhesive bonds flooring to joists, T&G joints and seals exposed perimeter and edges. Beyond the advantages and practicalities of using CaberFloor, the materials and processes used to manufacture the product offer the reassurance of being sustainable. Unsurprisingly, West Fraser’s range of board products is available in a wide selection of sizes to minimise waste. All timber used is responsibly sourced and FSC certified. The panels are manufactured in the UK from locally grown timber and are net carbon negative. Additionally, all of West Fraser’s UK mills have obtained the coveted ISO 14001 environmental accreditation. Samples of all West Fraser construction panels can be ordered on the website Uk.westfraser.com. Head to the housebuilder page on the website to download a selection of tools including a fully-interactive guide to all West Fraser products and a checklist to make sure you have everything you need for your build. For further information, call 01786 812 921 or visit Uk.westfraser.com
Construction firms are being targeted by cyber criminals with fake invoices and bank details as part of a sophisticated fraud netting more than £100m a year in the UK. Mandate Fraud, also known as Payment Diversion Fraud (PDF) and Business Email Compromise (BEC), tends to affect businesses and customers where electronic financial transactions are common place, such as the construction industry. Criminals will contact businesses or customers via email, usually claiming to be from a company that the business or customer has been dealing with. They will request a payment to be made via fake but very plausible invoices, or payment details to be changed. It is estimated that mandate fraud costs the UK more than £100m annually, with the average loss per business around £27,700. In 2019 alone, 3,577 reports were reported to the police. One historical mandate fraud cost a single construction company £1.1m. The scams are becoming ever more sophisticated with the criminals often creating fake e-mail addresses which are very similar or identical to genuine business, down to the e- signatures and disclaimers. These directs payments from businesses and customers go straight into the criminal’s bank account where it is quickly moved on. The scammers do their homework and will often go to extraordinary lengths to mimic their victim’s online presence and email branding. The NEBRC – North East Business Resilience Centre – which advises businesses on how to prevent such fraud are currently advising across the construction sector including prevention, recovery from an attack and putting in robust IT protection. Supt Rebecca Chapman (pictured) , head of the not-for-profit NEBRC, said: “Mandate fraud aimed at construction businesses is becoming more commonplace as the nature of the sector with complex supply chains, multiple third-party contractors and a fast-moving work environment often meaning there’s little time to double check authentic looking requests that come in on email. “But the construction industry needs to be aware of this threat and ensure they have robust systems and checks in place. The NEBRC can advise businesses who don’t know where to start with audits to check current security measures, IT enhancements and, most importantly, staff training. It only takes a split second for a member of staff to unwittingly allow a mandate fraud to take place, and the criminals will take no time at all to move any monies on from genuine customers and bank accounts.” CASE STUDY: Tom is the managing director of a successful medium-sized construction-based firm with a £3m turnover based in Yorkshire: “I operate a small construction-based business and we have a reasonable customer base; we’ve been trading a long time and had all the relevant standard industry protection you would expect for a company our size. We thought we were safe. “We had a customer who owed us a substantial amount of money and when we were chasing them for our monthly payment they announced they had already paid us – which they hadn’t. “It turned out, they showed us an email purporting to be our offices that was instructing them to change our payment banking details and they paid our monthly payment into someone else’s bank account on what seemed to be our instruction. We realised this was a very serious situation that can affect anybody. We never thought we were vulnerable to this sort of thing, and obviously it causes an awful lot of stress, undue heartache, and financial. “We have been consulting with NEBCR who have been extremely helpful and informative on these issue and we have put systems in place to hopefully make sure this sort of thing can’t happen again. All I would say to anybody out there is make sure this is front of mind , it can happen to you, it can happen to anyone, and it happens every day.” Tom’s full interview can be seen here: General advice to follow an possible attack includes: STOP: Taking a moment to stop and think before parting with your money or information could keep you safe. CHALLENGE: Could it be fake? It’s ok to reject, refuse or ignore any requests for your financial or personal details. Only criminals will try to rush or panic you. PROTECT: Contact your bank immediately if you think you’ve fallen for a scam. TO PROTECT EMAIL IDENTITY AND AUTHENTICATION: Use a strong and separate password for your email. Create strong passwords using 3 random words. Save your passwords in your browser. Turn on two-factor authentication (2FA). Update your devices. Back up your data. For further information go to the NEBRC website www.nebrcentre.co.uk