Official statistics have been released regarding Scotland’s home builders, showing a 3% increase in new house building for 2017-18 (17,731) compared with the previous year (17,293) but highlighted a mixed picture in the detail of the figures, with 16% fewer (532) private sector-led homes completed in Q1 2018 compared with
Regional contractor G F Tomlinson has started work on three new alternative provision Free School academies in Lincolnshire. The Springwell Alternative Academies project is being delivered in partnership with Wellspring Academy Trust and will create more than 180 places for students aged 4-16. The three academies consist of two brand
When your e-commerce business makes a sale, the last thing you want is to have to deal with a return. You’ll lose the sale and incur additional costs. To accommodate a return, the product must reverses its way through your supply chain. All activity associated with accepting the return of
In the standard retail market, arguably the single, biggest difference between buying from a business and buying from an individual is that you have a much higher degree of legal protection in the former situation. Goods sold by companies have to be “fit for purpose” whereas goods sold by private
Although flyers are a communication tool that exist for some time, even today they are still being successful thanks to their ease of use and the advantages and benefits they offer to a company. Successful flyers only need one thing to work: an attractive design. When it comes to publicizing
The UK construction industry has experienced extreme highs and lows over the last ten years, however things are looking promising and these facts show that the UK construction industry is thriving. In August 2018 there were 52 habitable buildings under construction that are over 100 metres tall. Compared to the
Bury, Lancashire-based steel fabrication specialists, Wm. Hare Group has taken delivery of its first-ever Volvo truck – a brand-new FM-460 6×2 tractor unit with Globetrotter cab – which will be used for inter-depot and site deliveries across a large part of the UK. Paul McNicholas, Customer Solutions Manager at Thomas
Bath’s vibrant leisure district has been further enhanced by the redevelopment of a stunning Grade II listed building, which has become the UK’s first casino operated by US-based Century Casino. The refurbishment of the existing Grade II listed premises and the brand-new shell and core helped to create a stunning
A 190,000 sq ft former engineering works on a 10 acre site adjacent to the East Gate at Port of Newport has been purchased by ABP South Wales. The sale of the site, known locally as the Neptune Works, is believed to be the largest industrial property sale in South
Pick Everard, the leading property, construction and infrastructure consultancy, has secured a four-year appointment to deliver a range of services to the healthcare and wider public sector through the NHS SBS Consult 18 framework. The NHS Shared Business Services framework provides business support services to the NHS and public sector
Official statistics have been released regarding Scotland’s home builders, showing a 3% increase in new house building for 2017-18 (17,731) compared with the previous year (17,293) but highlighted a mixed picture in the detail of the figures, with 16% fewer (532) private sector-led homes completed in Q1 2018 compared with the same quarter in 2017. With the private sector playing a key role in assisting the Scottish Government to meet its ambitious affordable housing targets, Chief Executive at representative body Homes for Scotland (HFS) Nicola Barclay commented: “We are encouraged to note these latest statistics indicate a positive overall picture for affordable housing approvals as well as the wider sector. Whilst the extreme weather conditions earlier in the year made delivery challenging, it is essential that we are not complacent when it comes to our efforts to increase supply across all tenures. “As well as enabling increased activity from smaller builders, sustained confidence from investors is essential to support growth from medium to larger builders within a competitive UK environment. It is also crucial that the labour market is geared up across the sector, with skills shortages already creating challenges on sites across Scotland. “In addition to the above, the Planning (Scotland) Bill represents a key opportunity to recalibrate our planning system so it can deliver what the people of Scotland need: enough high-quality homes in the right places to meet need and demand. HFS is working hard to persuade politicians and communities that a good system is one in which we collaborate effectively in order that precious time, resource and funds can be channeled into the development of vibrant places and the delivery of more homes.”
Regional contractor G F Tomlinson has started work on three new alternative provision Free School academies in Lincolnshire. The Springwell Alternative Academies project is being delivered in partnership with Wellspring Academy Trust and will create more than 180 places for students aged 4-16. The three academies consist of two brand new facilities; on New Beacon Road, Grantham and Macauley Drive, Lincoln. The third is located in Mablethorpe at the former Monks Dyke Tennyson secondary school where three existing small teaching blocks are being refurbished, remodelled and extended to create the new Academy. The academies will provide learning opportunities for children and young people who are unable to attend mainstream schools for a variety of reasons ranging from mental or physical health difficulties to behavioural, emotional and social difficulties. Each academy will accommodate around 60 pupils and, in addition to specialised teaching spaces, will feature an assembly hall, SEN (Special Educational Needs) therapy room, sensory room, hygiene room, fitness suite, parents’ room and multiple use games area. Ian Dalby, framework manager at G F Tomlinson said: “G F Tomlinson has an outstanding track record in delivering educational projects for local communities under the ESFA Framework. “We are thrilled to have started on site and are looking forward to working with Wellspring Academy Trust over the coming months to deliver these new academies, giving students the chance to reach their full potential in an environment which suits their individual needs.” Josh Greaves, chief operating officer from Wellspring Academy Trust, said: “We are hugely excited that work is now underway across the three sites under G F Tomlinson’s curation, whose reputation speaks for itself. “These will be transformational facilities for the children of Lincolnshire, supporting the Wellspring’s aspiration to make a difference to the lives and life chances of all those within our care.” All three schools are expected to complete in summer 2019.
When your e-commerce business makes a sale, the last thing you want is to have to deal with a return. You’ll lose the sale and incur additional costs. To accommodate a return, the product must reverses its way through your supply chain. All activity associated with accepting the return of a product is known as reverse logistics. The assoicated costs are always higher than just the price of shipping. According to Supply Chain Dive, reverse logistics cost companies upwards of $260 billion annually. Here are five hidden costs in the reverse logistics process many e-tailers overlook. Labor Costs in Return Process Labor is one of the most commonly overlooked because it’s felt indirectly. When a product comes back, employees need to receive, inspect and possibly restock the item—depending upon its condition. This usually involves multiple workers across various departments. Time that could be spent growing the business is consumed handling returned product. Reselling Returned Products at a Discounted Price Product condition can play a huge factor in determining price. In some cases you’ll have to resell at a discount or discard it all together. On top of losing the profit from the original sale and incurring the cost of labor to get the product back into your inventory, selling the product for a discount or discarding it all together adds even more salt into the wound. Returned Product Can Lead to Inventory Mismanagement Product returns can throw a monkeywrench into your inventory tracking process. Resources are redirected toward returned product, which takes away from the inventory control operating procedures. E-retailers have the option to outsource their inventory management to a third-party logistics company (3PL), but others who chose to handle inventory in-house could benefit from a cloud e-commerce platform. Cloud-based platforms can help with inventory management because of their speed, security and scalability. Offering Free Return Shipping A growing trend in return processes for e-commerce companies is free return shipping. This usually has a positive impact on how the customers perceive an organization because it shows them that the company is taking care of the extra expense instead of putting it on the customer. Around 49 percent of online retailers offer the service While this goes a long way toward engendering customer satisfaction, it’s detrimental to the bottom line. On average, about 30 percent of e-commerce orders are returned, so these costs add up very quickly. Customer Frustration Can Lead to Higher Customer Churn While positive return experience can drive loyalty, a bad one is likely to lead a customer to shop your competitors. Per the Narvar Consumer Report, customers who return product are likely to be the best customers. Eighty-two percent of customers who previously returned products were repeat shoppers, and 95 percent of customers satisfied with the returns process said they’d purchase from the retailer again. A key report takeaway — high value customers are also the most likely to utilize the returns process. E-retailers need to implement or update their reverse logistics strategy in order to become as efficient with their returned product as possible. E-commerce companies who do not pay attention to this process could be losing upwards of 10-20 percent of their profits, and possibly, a devoted chunk of their customer base. Running an e-commerce store demands attention from every angle, but by focusing on these five hidden costs in the reverse logistics process you’ll recover more of your margins and better satisfy the needs of your customers.
In the standard retail market, arguably the single, biggest difference between buying from a business and buying from an individual is that you have a much higher degree of legal protection in the former situation. Goods sold by companies have to be “fit for purpose” whereas goods sold by private sellers only have to be “as described”. The residential property market, however, is a bit of an exception to his rule of thumb. Even private sellers are legally obligated to disclose any facts about their property which might negatively impact the sale and buyers can take legal action against them if the seller misrepresents the property. The same holds true of the new-build property market, in theory, in practice the situation can be a little more complicated. New-build and the dangers of having to use your imagination When you buy an existing house, it is standard practice to visit the property yourself in order to assess it firsthand. Astute sellers will, of course, do everything they can to make their home look as attractive as possible, but they can only work within the constraints of what the building actually allows, which provides a built-in safeguard against active misrepresentation. When you buy a new-build property investment in the UK, however, the situation can be rather different, especially if you buy it before it is even completed, in which case you have to rely on visual and textual descriptions of very fundamental characteristics such as dimensions and the nature of fixtures and fittings. Even if you buy a new-build after completion, you may not be in a great position to appreciate its real-world characteristics. If it has been staged as a show-home then there is a distinct possibility the furniture may have been scaled-down in size to make rooms seem bigger than they are and if it’s an empty shell then, again, the openness of the space may trick your mind into thinking that it is bigger than the written dimensions suggest. You may also be under pressure to use companies recommended by the developer for financing and/or conveyancing. For the sake of clarity, there are many good reasons why developers may wish you to do this and most revolve around the fact that, while you are only buying one property, they may well be selling many properties and it is therefore easier and more efficient for them to deal with one company so that, for example, they only have to answer any given question once. At the same time, however, it has to be said that this situation can lead to buyers not fully understanding the terms of the legally-binding agreement they are signing and then later discovering nasty surprises in the terms of their leasehold. Resolving complaints about new-build property can be a complex process Generally speaking, any complaints about a new-build property should be addressed to the developer in first instance, but if the developer fails to offer an acceptable resolution, buyers may be left struggling to decide how to proceed or, indeed, if it is emotionally and financially worthwhile for them to proceed. Although the UK has two property-related redress services (the Property Ombudsman and the Property Redress Scheme) neither of these has the authority to address complaints against the developers of new-build properties. This means that buyers of new-build homes have no recourse to an independent, free-to-use ombudsman services, even though such services have proved very successful in other areas (such as finance and energy). The Property Ombudsman has therefore called for the government to address this situation and to bring new-build homes under the remit of a competent ombudsman service.
Although flyers are a communication tool that exist for some time, even today they are still being successful thanks to their ease of use and the advantages and benefits they offer to a company. Successful flyers only need one thing to work: an attractive design. When it comes to publicizing your business or building project, you have to use advertising methods to reach a wider audience. Flyers are a great and relatively cheap tool. Creating an attractive flyer is not always easy, but luckily there are a number of keys you can take into account to make a successful design. A design that, with a single glance, shows the user what you want to transmit. And wakes the curiosity of the client, who then wants to learn more about your company or project. Communicate one message on the flyer Before you start to design your flyer it is important to have a clear idea of the message you want to communicate. Do you want to invite people to the opening of a new building? Do you want them to come to the presentation of a new building project? Or do you have another special occasion you would like to invite them to? Make sure the purpose of your flyer is directly clear and you have a simple message to communicate. The same as when writing or reading a headline for the newspaper, basic questions should be directly answered like, what, why and when. This way, when your audience takes one glance at the flyer, they know directly what you have to offer. How to design an attractive flyer When you start with the design for the flyer you should first choose the measures of it. It doesn´t matter if you want a horizontal or vertical design, just look at what fits your needs. Since hopefully a lot of people will see your flyer, it´s important to choose the right size that suits your message and company. Once you know what shape your flyer will get and you have your message clear, you can start with the design. Don´t overload the flyer with too much information, so the main message isn´t clear any more. The title, in combination with the photo or image you are going to use, can be considered the protagonist in your creation. The title needs to be an attractive phase and the image should be of enough quality that is stays sharp after printing. The colours you use can be seen as a binding method to create a perfect harmony on the flyer between all the elements. And of course, don´t forget to put the specific date on the flyer so people know when the event is happening. Also contact details are essential for people who would like to receive more information. Spend some time on a great design for the flyer and it will tip the balance in your favour in your marketing campaign to communicate your message in an attractive way to a wide target group!
The UK construction industry has experienced extreme highs and lows over the last ten years, however things are looking promising and these facts show that the UK construction industry is thriving. In August 2018 there were 52 habitable buildings under construction that are over 100 metres tall. Compared to the 74 buildings currently over 100 metres, this figure shows that the number of high rise buildings in the UK is sky rocketing. With limited space in UK cities, developers are choosing to go up rather than out and this increased number of high rise buildings will make an obvious mark on the UK’s iconic skylines. There are 2,731,370 people employed in the construction industry in the UK in 2018. The construction industry is one of the largest employers in the UK, with jobs that include wood trades, plumbing, surveyors, bricklayers, labourers and office-based staff. Its workforce of over 2.7 million people is bound to increase as the UK construction sector grows and strengthens. The number of homes constructed in 2016/17 was up by a huge 74% compared to four years previously. The UK housing crisis has been putting considerable pressure on the government, councils and construction firms. With more demand than ever for new homes, the UK government hit its housebuilding target in 2016/17 and is aiming for an ambitious one million new homes by 2020. This record increase of 74% more new homes in just four years is a vital part of this strategy. In 2016 the value of new construction work in the UK reached a record level of £99,266 million. This rise in construction work is great news for the industry, with record highs that even beat pre-recession levels. New construction work can be seen in nearly every UK city, which is a promising sign for the industry. Construction currently makes up 6.1% of the UK economy This makes it the third biggest contributor to the UKs economy after services and production. Construction has historically been a vital part of the UK economy and improving figures across the board are underwriting its importance in a country where residential property is in short supply. There are no height restrictions on buildings in Manchester and there are currently six buildings over 100m under construction there. The Northern city of Manchester has been experiencing considerable growth, both in population and in the amount of construction underway. Apartments in Manchester like those by leading property firm RW Invest are in high demand both with tenants and investors. The Shard in London is currently the tallest building in the UK, and 95% of the construction materials used were recycled. The rise in the amount of recycled materials used in construction shows how the industry is taking its environmental impact seriously. This iconic building is a great example of how recycled materials can be used in construction, no matter how large the project. Just 10.6% of the UK is classified as urban and just 2.27% of England is actually built on. Despite its many cities, towns and villages, the UK is surprisingly green. The urban 10% also contains parks, golf courses and reservoirs so there is plenty of land available. However, planning permission for greenfield sites is notoriously difficult to obtain, hence the high number of renovated buildings which are now being used for residential space.
Bury, Lancashire-based steel fabrication specialists, Wm. Hare Group has taken delivery of its first-ever Volvo truck – a brand-new FM-460 6×2 tractor unit with Globetrotter cab – which will be used for inter-depot and site deliveries across a large part of the UK. Paul McNicholas, Customer Solutions Manager at Thomas Hardie Commercials Ltd, supplied Wm. Hare Group’s inaugural Volvo prime mover, which features a 3,900mm wheelbase and a 7.5 tonne fixed pusher axle. Powered by Volvo’s D13K 13-litre engine rated at 460hp, the truck also features Volvo’s award-winning, I-Shift automated transmission system, with Long Haul gear changing software. Rear air suspension, a Jost JSK37 cast iron fixed fifth wheel and a drive axle with a ratio of 2.64:1 completes the business end. The FM also comes with the top option, Volvo Gold Service contract for 36 months, which delivers carefree operation and complete peace of mind to operators, like Wm. Hare Group, wishing to focus solely on their own core business and customers. “Before purchasing a new truck, we asked some of our sub-contractors for feedback on truck makes and performance standards,” notes Amie Smith, Transport and Logistics Manager at Wm. Hare Group. “Volvo came back as the top choice for reliability and durability, so we were happy to proceed with the order for an FM-460 with Thomas Hardie Commercials.” Amie adds. “We needed a workhorse to haul steel and fabrications between our network of depots across England. The Volvo FM has been in service since early July and it works mostly night shifts. I’m happy with its performance and so far its fuel returns across the M62 Motorway are impressive and a real improvement on our other two trucks.” Wm. Hare Group’s new Volvo is also proving popular with its driver. “He really loves the FM Globetrotter Cab’s comfort levels and it has proved an easy truck to work with. We’ll definitely consider Volvo again for future fleet purchases,” Amie concludes.
Bath’s vibrant leisure district has been further enhanced by the redevelopment of a stunning Grade II listed building, which has become the UK’s first casino operated by US-based Century Casino. The refurbishment of the existing Grade II listed premises and the brand-new shell and core helped to create a stunning gaming space set across three storeys. The work was undertaken by developers, Phelans, overseen by architects Design @ Source, and took 26 weeks to prepare for action. The real jewel in the crown of this construction was the casino’s exclusive Beau Nash Suite: an elegant, lavish top floor gaming room complete with its own balcony looking out onto Bath’s historic cityscape. The building itself has had a much-needed facelift, accentuating its Georgian style and heritage with a stone-clad façade. Each gaming floor will deliver quintessential card gaming and roulette, as well as state-of-the-art technology for those preferring a 21st century casino experience. The US-based Century Casinos brand acquired the building on Saw Close for just £600,000 but invested a further £4.6 million on the overall fit-out and regeneration of the property. Alongside the gaming space, there is due to be a string of additional leisure facilities, along with a four-star hotel complete with 147 bedrooms. The Z Hotel is the chain’s third hotel outside of London, with the Z Hotel Liverpool and Z Hotel Glasgow opening their doors in 2013 and 2014 respectively. Bath’s version comprises of six Georgian townhouses, converted into 114 bedrooms and a magnificent breakfast room. Nevertheless, the gaming action is what will really draw in the crowds to Saw Close. The magnificent Georgian space has opened up to allow 15,000 square feet of gaming floor, complete with 35 slot machines and 24 automated live gaming terminals. Century Casino has been built as a luxury gaming venue along the lines of those that exist in London’s Mayfair district. 18 gaming tables are also in action, with Texas Hold’em cash games hosted every Tuesday and Wednesday as it seeks to become the leading venue for offline poker action in the west of England. Elsewhere in this historic spa city, the University of Bath has also been given the go-ahead to commence the construction of a new £70 million building, acting as part of the Claverton campus’ business management school. Architects, Hopkins Architects have been tasked with designed the structure. This is a firm with a prestigious history of striking projects including the velodrome for the London 2012 Olympic Games, the Gibbs building at King’s College, Cambridge and many world-class universities in the United States such as Harvard and Princeton. According to the initial architectural drawings and visualizations, the building – which will create over 100 new jobs for the area – will feature substantial multi-storey glass facades and a striking entrance, complete with a canopy overlooking the lobby area. It’s yet another exciting development for Bath as it attempts to cement its university’s reputation for world-class research and teaching, helping it to compete on a global scale in the post-Brexit era. Just 11 miles down the road, Bristol’s leisure industry was dealt a hammer blow recently when plans to construct a new 12,000-seater concert arena on Temple Island were scrapped. Fears over mounting development costs and the sums needing to be borrowed were the primary reasons behind the project’s collapse. A mixed-use development looks a more likely alternative on this site, with Bristol City Council already exploring options regarding hotel and bespoke conference facilities. visit: https://theinternetslots.com/ca/200-free-spins-200-no-deposit/
A 190,000 sq ft former engineering works on a 10 acre site adjacent to the East Gate at Port of Newport has been purchased by ABP South Wales. The sale of the site, known locally as the Neptune Works, is believed to be the largest industrial property sale in South Wales so far this year. By purchasing the Neptune Works, the port owner and operator will be able to expand its offering to customers interested in port-centric manufacturing. It will also serve to increase storage capacity for current customers who export and import via the Port of Newport. “The Neptune Works lies adjacent to the northernmost part of the port and its acquisition makes perfect sense – either to enhance access to the port, enable us to expand by adding good quality storage accommodation or by letting it to a third party,” said Rhys Morgan, Head of Property, ABP South Wales. “For instance, its size, height of access, cranes and yard space make it potentially attractive to accommodate plant and engineering works for some of the major infrastructure projects under way in South Wales and across the South West, such as Hinkley Point C,” Rhys continued. ABP has invested significantly in Newport over the past few years, in schemes including new warehousing facilities, open storage areas, and additional rail sidings. The Neptune Engineering Works was established early in the 20th century and soon after became Braithwaite & Co., Neptune Works. The works specialised in structural steelwork and continued to do so as part of the Rowecord Group. It was more recently used by AIC Steel. ABP South Wales’ five ports of, Newport, Cardiff, Barry, Port Talbot and Swansea contribute £1.5 billion to the UK economy every year and support 21,800 jobs across the nation, as well as handling over 12.5 million tonnes of cargo every year.
Pick Everard, the leading property, construction and infrastructure consultancy, has secured a four-year appointment to deliver a range of services to the healthcare and wider public sector through the NHS SBS Consult 18 framework. The NHS Shared Business Services framework provides business support services to the NHS and public sector across the country and it will see Pick Everard building on its expertise in the management consultancy market, providing advisory and consultancy services. “The NHS is a treasured British institution celebrating its 70th anniversary this year and we’re extremely proud and excited to have been appointed to its new Shared Business Services framework. Under the NHS banner, clients in the healthcare and public sectors can be assured of a robust procurement solution from trusted suppliers,” said Dr Nicola Thompson, national director at Pick Everard. Valued at between £20 million and £50 million, the Consult 18 framework has been divided into 10 lots that cover a range of consultancy services to support healthcare and public sector organisations, from GP practices to major public authorities. Pick Everard will be delivering a number of services for three different lots, with services such as strategy development, management support, capital asset delivery, complex projects and change management. “The rapid, sustainable growth Pick Everard has experienced over the past five years – along with our focus on quality, high levels of service and technical excellence – has been delivered on the back of major appointments such as this one,” said Rod Burton, partner at Pick Everard. “Being a multi-disciplinary consultancy allows us to deliver a wide variety of services across a range of different sectors and I’m looking forward to seeing our management consultancy services offering growing over the next four years and beyond. The Pick Everard team has worked hard to develop tailor-made delivery approaches for each contract, which has put us in the best position possible to meet the complex needs of different organisations,” he continued. Pick Everard employs more than 450 staff across its 11 UK offices, providing a range of project, cost and design consultancy services.
