developers

REM AND SELLAR CELEBRATE SHARD PLACE “TOPPING OUT” AS 26-STOREY RESIDENTIAL BUILDING REACHES ITS HIGHEST POINT

Real Estate Management (UK) Limited (“REM”) and Sellar, the joint development manager, celebrated Shard Place, the third phase of development at Shard Quarter, reaching its highest point with a traditional construction topping out event. The 26-storey residential building stands between The Shard, Western Europe’s tallest building, and The News Building

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An accurate current meter in every bedroom and hot water tank.

Prefect Controls have introduced a new feature for their PrefectIrus product – the integration of an accurate current meter that monitors energy use in each room throughout multi-occupancy buildings such as student accommodation. Until now, managers have calculated energy use based on power rating multiplied by length of time a

Read More »

Hundreds of New Homes in London

Hundreds of new homes are coming to Waltham Forest in London as residential development receives planning approval. For this project Transport for London has teamed up with Barratt London as part of its Property Partnership Framework. Built on a 1.8 acre site, the Blackhorse Point development will deliver 350 new

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Vital Energi Awarded £2.3m Redrow Energy Scheme

Vital Energi will deliver a £2.3m energy scheme for The West Works, Redrow’s latest development in Southall. Vital will be taking a phased installation approach to grow the solution in line with Redrow’s construction plans. Vital will be providing the design, supply and installation services for the scheme, which consists

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Kier Develops Cambridgeshire Education Campus

The first phase of the design and construction of the new £45 million Northstowe Education Campus in Cambridgeshire will be carried our by Kier. The teaching facilities will be a part of the new sustainable Cambridgeshire town Northstowe and address the lack of school places in the county. The 133,203

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New Premier Inn Comes to East London

Premier Inn has been announced by Rockwell Property as the occupier of a new 400-bedroom hotel in Westferry, East London. Whitbread, Premier Inn’s parent company, will take a 30-year lease of the hotel and restaurant within the 30-storey mixed-use scheme which is at the gateway to Canary Wharf, next to

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Construction Work Starts on RNIB Site

Countryside Properties has started construction work on the Royal National Institute of Blind People’s (RNIB) residential site in Redhill, Surrey. The redevelopment project will provide RNIB with specialised accommodation for up to 50 residents as well as 77 luxury new homes for sale on the open market. The completed development

Read More »

Norwich Mixed Use Project Gets Green Light

Weston Homes’ proposals to regenerate Anglia Square in central Norwich into a £300 million mixed use urban quarter has received a Resolution to Grant planning permission from Norwich City Council. Planning permission can be issued as soon as a ‘Section 106’ legal agreement between the applicants and the Council is completed. The

Read More »

How to Improve the Logistics of Your Construction Site

Managing the logistics of your construction site is integral to ensuring time and budget constraints are met. Dan Casey, Marketing Manager at award-winning lifting equipment manufacturer Penny Hyrdraulics, shares four tips to help you do this. When managing a construction site, ensuring the whole operation runs smoothly is of paramount

Read More »
Latest Issue
Issue 324 : Jan 2025

developers

REM AND SELLAR CELEBRATE SHARD PLACE “TOPPING OUT” AS 26-STOREY RESIDENTIAL BUILDING REACHES ITS HIGHEST POINT

Real Estate Management (UK) Limited (“REM”) and Sellar, the joint development manager, celebrated Shard Place, the third phase of development at Shard Quarter, reaching its highest point with a traditional construction topping out event. The 26-storey residential building stands between The Shard, Western Europe’s tallest building, and The News Building in London Bridge and will comprise of 176 apartments. The topping out event was led by Michael Baker, CEO of REM, and James Sellar, CEO of Sellar. They welcomed representatives from the project team, which includes architect Renzo Piano Building Workshop, construction managers Mace and project engineer WSP, and local dignitaries. To mark the event, a delegation travelled to the very top of the building to fill one final section with concrete using a ceremonial spade. Shard Place is the third phase of the £3.5 billion redevelopment of the estate next to London Bridge station, now known as Shard Quarter. The project team will now turn its attention to completing the cladding, which is in keeping with the aesthetics of The Shard and The News Building. The interior fit out has already commenced with the installation of high-quality fixtures and fittings. When completed in late 2020, Shard Place will provide a choice of studio, one, two and three-bedroom apartments alongside amenities for the exclusive use of residents including a cinema, spa, and private roof garden. The building will appear to ‘float’ nine metres above ground level providing 13,000 sq ft of public realm and circa 12,000 sq ft of retail space, further reinforcing Shard Quarter as one of London’s most vibrant communities. Residents will benefit from Shard Quarter’s exceptional transport links given its proximity to London Bridge Station. Alongside the onsite amenities, Shard Quarter is next door to world-famous cultural hotspots and historical locations, such as Borough Market, Bermondsey Street and Tower Bridge, making the area an attractive place to live, as well as work and visit. James Sellar, CEO, Sellar said: “In keeping with the now well-established Shard Quarter, this latest phase brings a residential building designed by a world class architectural team. Our joint venture with the State of Qatar is creating a beautiful building with apartments of the highest design standards. As well as creating an integrated lifestyle building with outstanding amenities and spectacular views across London, Shard Place completes our vision for a truly mixed-use development at London Bridge which we commenced development of in 2008. This latest phase reflects Qatar’s commitment to both The Shard Quarter and its confidence in London and the UK, as well as the continuing strength of the relationship between the two countries” Michael Baker, CEO, Real Estate Management (UK) Limited, said: “The vision for Shard Quarter was to create a mixed-use quarter where people could live, work and relax. Shard Place will make this a reality when the first residents move in towards the end of 2020. With London’s population projected to grow rapidly over the next 15 years, we know that there will be strong demand for well-located homes and we have chosen to satisfy the need for high quality apartments. Shard Place will offer its residents an enviable lifestyle with exclusive amenities within the building and one of London’s most vibrant neighbourhoods on their doorstep all a stone’s throw from a major transportation hub.” Gareth Lewis, Mace’s Chief Operating Officer for Construction, said: “Shard Place will be an iconic addition to the London skyline and a fitting conclusion to delivery of the Shard Quarter. It’s a project that Mace is very proud to be working on, having been involved in the delivery of the Shard Quarter from the very beginning. This topping out reflects a significant milestone on the journey to delivering this complex and challenging construction project.” Joost Moolhuijzen, Architect, Renzo Piano Building Workshop, said: “Topping out is always a great moment, you finally start to see what the building will become.  Some of its secrets get unveiled.  It tells us also that the name “Shard Place” is right: “Shard” as it really feels like an integral part of The Shard. “Place” as it shows that once the hoardings will disappear a great Public Realm will appear connecting the Shard Quarter Piazza with St Thomas Street, opening up a whole new pedestrian route.” REM AND SELLAR CELEBRATE SHARD PLACE “TOPPING OUT” AS 26-STOREY RESIDENTIAL BUILDING REACHES ITS HIGHEST POINT   Shard Place is a 26-storey residential building owned by the State of Qatar and developed in joint venture with Sellar Comprising 176 well specified apartments, following practical completion in 2020 Shard Place marks the latest phase in a £3.5 billion redevelopment of the Shard Quarter and in conjunction with the team from Renzo Piano Building Workshop adds an iconic residential landmark next to the Shard  

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FIRST PHASE OF KINGS HALL TRANSFORMATION INTO HEALTH & WELLBEING APPROVED BY BCC

The first phase of plans to transform the Kings Hall heritage site to a Health and Wellbeing Campus has been granted Planning Approval by Belfast City Council. Based in south Belfast, the Kings Hall Health and Wellbeing Park will become the most innovative Health and Wellbeing hub in the UK. TODD Architects and Consarc Design Group are working with healthcare specialist developers Benmore Octopus Healthcare Developments Ltd on the design of an innovative health park masterplan located at the iconic Kings Hall, South Belfast.  The King’s Hall Health and Wellbeing Park is a joint venture between developer Benmore Group and healthcare and property investor Octopus Healthcare. The campus will be the first of its kind, setting a new standard for health care provision in Northern Ireland. It will provide GP services in new accommodation for population south of the city. The vision is to create an integrated healthcare model which will be part of a wider lifestyle, leisure and well-being park. The masterplan scheme of site area 68,424 sqm will offer a range of integrated and onsite health, community and leisure facilities. These include a primary care complex alongside ancillary medical facilities with the ability to accommodate care for over 25,000 patients. The suburban city redevelopment will also include elderly residential care facilities ; consisting of independent living apartments and bespoke homes for the over-55s as well as a hotel and resident’s gym facilities and a multi-storey car park.  Architecturally, the former Kings Hall landmark venue will be sensitively refurbished, with the primary design ambition to preserve the heritage of this iconic and unique 1930’s art deco building. The existing Kings Hall will sit at the heart of the scheme, along with the addition of new, neighbouring medical and accommodation-based facilities masterplanned which to create a village feel.  The architectural team have developed this landmark regeneration masterplan, working closely with the developers and collaborating with Belfast City Council, extensively engaging with various healthcare stakeholders and the local community.  David Burrows of Benmore Octopus said the proposed £100m project will be the “most innovative healthcare and wellbeing hub in the UK”.  “It will create next generation GP care services for the growing population of south Belfast as well as delivering a range of on-site diagnostic facilities alongside housing options for the over 55-plus. We believe the King’s Hall Health and Wellbeing Park will be a beacon of excellence and a standard bearer for integrated healthcare provision in the city and Northern Ireland going forward.” Planning Approval was granted by Belfast City Council at the December Planning Meeting and it is proposed that works will commencing on site in 2019

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An accurate current meter in every bedroom and hot water tank.

Prefect Controls have introduced a new feature for their PrefectIrus product – the integration of an accurate current meter that monitors energy use in each room throughout multi-occupancy buildings such as student accommodation. Until now, managers have calculated energy use based on power rating multiplied by length of time a device is estimated to be active. However, fluctuating voltage and imprecise predictions of ‘on-times’ can make these estimates wildly inaccurate. The new PU3 from Prefect comes with iACM (Integrated Accurate Current Metering) as standard, logging the current only when a heater is operational. This data is then transmitted via the buildings wiring system to the central controller where it is recalled for estimation of seasonal energy usage. As well as monitoring heaters in bedrooms, the feature also notifies managers if there is a problem with hot water tanks. Usually a problem is only evident when both elements fail and water isn’t being heated. With accurate metering, if one element fails, the drop in current immediately identifies the problem – meaning efficiency can be restored. Glen Golding, Prefect Controls MD, said “This development means accurate usage can be calculated so that better purchasing of energy will lead to greater savings for organisations providing multi-occupancy accommodation.” PrefectIrus is currently in more than 20,000 bedrooms and continuous development makes it an invaluable product to ensure efficient use of energy across Britain’s university accommodation estate. For further information contact Glen Golding on  01787 320 604.  

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Hundreds of New Homes in London

Hundreds of new homes are coming to Waltham Forest in London as residential development receives planning approval. For this project Transport for London has teamed up with Barratt London as part of its Property Partnership Framework. Built on a 1.8 acre site, the Blackhorse Point development will deliver 350 new homes across six new buildings. The new homes will provide a mixture of studio, 1, 2 and 3 bedroom properties. The development is situated opposite Blackhorse Road station, which is serviced by both the Victoria line and London Overground. The site will also make it easier for residents to cycle with 650 cycle parking spaces. “Blackhorse Point is a really exciting development and we are thrilled to be taking it forward with Barratt London. It will have a huge, positive impact on Waltham Forest, supporting the regeneration already taking place. It will be providing the housing that the borough and London desperately need, while generating vital revenue to reinvest back into the transport network,” said Graeme Craig, Director of Commercial Development at Transport for London. Blackhorse Point was designed by RMA Architects and it is a key element of the wider masterplan of the Blackhorse Lane regeneration area, which falls under part of the Greater London Authority’s Blackhorse Road and Northern Olympic Park Housing zone as well as the London Borough of Waltham Forest’s Blackhorse Lane Area Action Plan. It will ensure that those living and working in the area continue to benefit from the changes taking place by improving public amenities – including new public pedestrian links, new trees and new children’s play areas. “The development will enable the local economy to continue to flourish with even better public amenities and new job and local apprenticeship opportunities. The additional retail and work spaces will provide a fantastic offering for those looking to start or expand their businesses in a brilliant location,” added Graeme Craig. Blackhorse Point will deliver 17,000 square feet of retail and commercial space, which will include opportunities for small and independent businesses. This includes a new co-working hub and creative workspaces, which will further support the Blackhorse Lane Creative Enterprise Zone. The construction of the site will create up to 300 jobs and local apprenticeships.

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Vital Energi Awarded £2.3m Redrow Energy Scheme

Vital Energi will deliver a £2.3m energy scheme for The West Works, Redrow’s latest development in Southall. Vital will be taking a phased installation approach to grow the solution in line with Redrow’s construction plans. Vital will be providing the design, supply and installation services for the scheme, which consists of a 185kW CHP engine, three 533kW gas boilers, two 8,000 litre thermal stores, low temperature hot water system and 280m of district heating. Vital will also be responsible for supplying the heat interface units for the development which consists of 313 new homes, alongside commercial units. Vital adapted the design presented by Redrow’s consultants to provide a more financially beneficial and efficient solution. This was achieved by reducing the number of CHP engines from four with a thermal storage of 20m³, to one CHP with a thermal storage of 16m³ which not only reduces the cost of plant and maintenance, but also provides a more accurate size solution for the development’s energy demand. The energy scheme will be installed alongside the development’s construction, with the CHP engine being switched on later in the development process when there is the required demand. The project will also see Vital provide the additional infrastructure to futureproof the network by installing capped pipework to allow for the additional connections. The original intention was to install a capped district heating link from the energy centre to provide the ability to connect to the nearby Southall West Energy Centre in the future. However, this design was reassessed and adapted by Vital to supply the development and the capped link from a single district heating main which reduced the length of pipe required. Rob Callagahan, Regional Director for the South for Vital Energi, commented, “After working with Redrow on previous projects such as their Padcroft and 500 Chiswick Road developments, we are pleased that we have been selected to provide the energy scheme for this new development. We have carried out a detailed design to ensure the most financially beneficial and efficient solution has been provided and look forward to seeing the project implemented.” The West Works development comprises one, two and three bedroom luxury apartments and is due for completion late 2019.

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Kier Develops Cambridgeshire Education Campus

The first phase of the design and construction of the new £45 million Northstowe Education Campus in Cambridgeshire will be carried our by Kier. The teaching facilities will be a part of the new sustainable Cambridgeshire town Northstowe and address the lack of school places in the county. The 133,203 sq ft Northstowe Education Campus will become Cambridgeshire’s largest education campus once completed. It will comprise a nursery, a 3FE primary school, a secondary school, Special Educational Needs (SEN) school and sixth form college. 3,000 students aged 0-19 years within the sustainable new development will benefit from teaching and learning facilities at Northstowe, which is expected to have a population of 24,000. A new secondary school, the seventh owned by Cambridge Meridian Academies Trust (CMAT), will be delivered by Kier, providing places for up to 600 pupils aged 11-16. The project will then be extended in two subsequent phases to allow for 1,800 pupils. It will feature a multi-purpose school hall/theatre space and drama studios, a large sports hall, a gym, two dance studios and all-weather floodlit football and hockey pitches. In addition, Kier will create a 110-place Special Education Needs (SEN) school. “Having previously constructed Pathfinder, Northstowe’s first primary school, we are delighted to now be delivering the next phase of education provision for the emerging Northstowe community. This addition to the school development further builds on our position as a leading UK provider of educational buildings and we are looking forward to starting the first phase of works on this project,” commented Mark Dady, managing director at Kier Eastern. Kier started enabling works on site in September with the first cohort of students starting in September 2019.

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New Premier Inn Comes to East London

Premier Inn has been announced by Rockwell Property as the occupier of a new 400-bedroom hotel in Westferry, East London. Whitbread, Premier Inn’s parent company, will take a 30-year lease of the hotel and restaurant within the 30-storey mixed-use scheme which is at the gateway to Canary Wharf, next to Westferry DLR station. “I’m delighted that Rockwell have secured Premier Inn as the operator for our new hotel-led development at the Westferry gateway to Canary Wharf. Premier Inn’s emphasis on being a force for good aligns perfectly with our aspiration to deliver exceptional schemes which make a positive and lasting difference. It is an exciting time for Rockwell and this agreement further expands our growing hotel portfolio as well as illustrating our proven track-record. The desirability of this scheme is a testament to Rockwell’s expertise. We are eager not only to deliver it to our high standards but to continue building upon this with similar projects in the future,” commented Donal Mulryan, Founder of Rockwell. The development includes private and affordable residential accommodation, community space, and retail units, as well as a ground floor Whitbread-branded restaurant all set in a landscaped public realm. Rockwell Property was granted planning permission on the site by the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in October. On completion, the hotel will be the tallest Premier Inn in the UK and Whitbread’s largest hotel in London (outside of airport hotels). Construction work is due to commence in summer 2019.

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Construction Work Starts on RNIB Site

Countryside Properties has started construction work on the Royal National Institute of Blind People’s (RNIB) residential site in Redhill, Surrey. The redevelopment project will provide RNIB with specialised accommodation for up to 50 residents as well as 77 luxury new homes for sale on the open market. The completed development will include the refurbishment of the Grade II Listed Tudor House and Garden Cottage. At the heart of the scheme is a Sensory Trail which uses sounds, smells and textures to aid navigation around the site. “We are proud to be working with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) on redeveloping their Redhill site. Central to the new site are innovations such as the Sensory Trail, which highlights the role that hearing, touch and smell can play in assisting people with sight loss to navigate around the site. We hope that this will also inspire other property developers to pursue more partnerships in the charity sector that benefit social care and help connect local communities,” said Iain McPherson, Managing Director of Countryside’s New Homes & Communities South Region. In November 2015 planning permission for the redevelopment was granted and after a complex demolition and infrastructure programme, the first RNIB accommodation and private homes are now under construction. The first specialised accommodation is expected to be completed by Spring 2019, along with the occupation of the first open market homes. Meanwhile, Countryside will be launching a show home in January 2019 to demonstrate the quality of their homes.

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Norwich Mixed Use Project Gets Green Light

Weston Homes’ proposals to regenerate Anglia Square in central Norwich into a £300 million mixed use urban quarter has received a Resolution to Grant planning permission from Norwich City Council. Planning permission can be issued as soon as a ‘Section 106’ legal agreement between the applicants and the Council is completed. The new development is one of the biggest urban renewal projects outside of Greater London, covering more than 1.2 million square feet. The redeveloped Anglia Square provides new homes, retail premises, leisure amenities, public artwork and new public realm. It will deliver a series of striking buildings designed around two Covent Garden style landscaped plazas, linked by new high quality landscaped public spaces including pedestrian streets, offering cycle linkages across the site, complete with new trees and planted areas. There would also be extensive communal green squares and central courtyards for residents of the scheme. Furthermore, over 1,200 much needed new homes will be created, including stylish one and two bedroom apartments and penthouses for private sale, alongside circa 120 on-site affordable homes for local households on lower incomes. The proposals for Anglia Square will give Norwich a new northern city centre destination for shopping, leisure and entertainment, with high quality retail floorspace allowing for 40 glass fronted retail units, including an anchor food store. Alongside this there will be a new 200 bed hotel with a range of facilities including a roof level bar and restaurant, offering panoramic views over the city centre, and a new leisure quarter, centred on a new ground floor multi-screen cinema. Surrey Chapel will be provided with a brand new £2.5 million home within the development. Anglia Square is the future of Norwich with striking architecture in the form of high quality buildings with expanses of glazing, varied balcony design, rooftop terraces and feature detailing to the facades. There will be shops, restaurants and leisure at ground level, with homes above, with those on the uppermost floors offering panoramic views over Norwich City Centre. There will be a replacement multi-storey car park providing 600 shopper parking spaces, and the project allows for 75% of the homes to have residential parking. There will also be public “play trail” artwork, helping to create a “Covent Garden” style ambience, allowing both adults and children to enjoy the public open spaces, with details to be agreed with the City Council. The project will open up new views of the Anglican Cathedral and St Augustine’s Church and bring various benefits to Norwich. The new Anglia Square represents a substantial level of private sector investment into Norwich, with the mixture of uses generating new Council Tax revenue, new construction and permanent employment opportunities, and New Homes Bonus payments over four years.

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How to Improve the Logistics of Your Construction Site

Managing the logistics of your construction site is integral to ensuring time and budget constraints are met. Dan Casey, Marketing Manager at award-winning lifting equipment manufacturer Penny Hyrdraulics, shares four tips to help you do this. When managing a construction site, ensuring the whole operation runs smoothly is of paramount importance. Logistics management is key to this, helping to keep the project on time and on budget but, if you want to minimize inefficiency, you’re going to need a strategy. In this article, I will discuss four ways you can improve the logistics of your construction site to ensure that materials are delivered on schedule, you have the right tools and equipment for every job, and all your workers are fully trained and briefed on what they need to do. Start with a plan Projects of all kinds suffer due to unnecessary and wasteful activities. While this can never be fully avoided, creating a logistics plan at the start of your project is key to determining how everything will turn out. The purpose of creating a detailed plan is to increase efficiency and maximise profits, while also preparing as best you can for unforeseen circumstances. Ideally, you want to create a process map and a list of all the materials you’re going to use, which you can keep track of and update each day. Your plan must take into account the various logistical factors of the construction site, such as material transportation, workforce management, and control of equipment and machinery. This will help to avoid any wasted time and energy, and ultimately determine whether or not the project can be delivered on time and on budget. Communicate with your team An integral part of construction logistics is maintaining open communication channels with your workers, suppliers, and higher-ups. You should always be looking for new ways to improve communication, as this will allow you to get on top of problems early and nip them in the bud before they snowball into something bigger. Little things left unchecked can lead to workflow inefficiencies, so it’ll pay dividends to stay on top of things. As construction is a constantly-evolving industry with new practices and requirements being implemented all the time, it is important to maintain open channels of communication. This is especially true for experienced workers who will be able to help spot holes in your plan, so it’s a good idea to get them involved early and stay in contact with them on a regular basis. While a lot of this can be streamlined and done from afar, the site should still be visited regularly so you can chat to workers on the ground. Have the right tools for the job Even the simplest jobs can take far longer than they should without the correct equipment, leaving workers to struggle through at reduced efficiency. This can be something as simple having the correct shovel for the job but, when it comes to larger equipment and machinery, entire processes can be slowed down, and days can be lost. Providing your workers with the tools they need to do the job effectively is a key part of ensuring the logistics of your site are running smoothly. At Penny Hydraulics, we aim to help improve workflow efficiencies with our vehicle-mounted hydraulic crane and SwingLift products, which are used to move and load materials in a safe and efficient manner. Trying to manually load such items can be laborious and time consuming, so having a handy and easy-to-use solution on-site can massively improve efficiency. Jobs that would have previously required two or more people, such as filling a van with material, can now easily be done by one. Use software to your advantage Improving your own workflow will allow you to spend more time on important tasks, such as focusing on the logistics of your construction site. Implementing automated systems will allow you to save time by cutting down the time it takes for you to send out progress reports, manage ongoing budgets, and keep track of day-to-day changes that affect the site. By using reporting and budget management software, you’ll be able to make sure the right people know what’s happening at all times, allowing you to focus on the more important day-to-day logistics management. There are all kinds of other tools you might find beneficial as well, such as health and safety management software, which can help to prevent hazards and keep track of incidents. There will always be unforeseen circumstances that you have to deal with on your construction site but, with careful planning, open channels of communication, and the right tools to help you do the job, you’ll be best placed to tackle them head on.

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