Johnson Controls has added long-distance connectivity between buildings and improved visual alarm safety to its ES Net Life Safety Network. The ES Net Network Bridge facilitates secure data transfer over existing network infrastructure, streamlining monitoring and control across dispersed facilities and campuses. Anna Khanova, Vice President of Global Product Management at Johnson Controls, says, “Large…
united kingdom
Independent building products manufacturer Brett Martin is strengthening its presence in the Scottish market. Operating from a distribution hub in Cumbernauld, the company specialises in supplying underground and rainwater piping, soil and waste systems. We have been operating our depot in Scotland for 50 years, so we understand the market and the challenges our customers…
Paul McLennan, Scottish Government’s Minister for Housing, has referred to climate change as the “defining issue of our time” at the second Green Home Festival which is part of the 2023 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) was the keynote speaker at the launch of the five-day renewables jamboree in central Edinburgh organised by the Construction Industry…
British commercial cleaning company Cleanology has announced its third annual fundraising event in support of grassroots charity The Hygiene Bank which is dedicated to redressing the ‘injustices’ associated with hygiene poverty. Two previous editions of the event have raised approximately £40,000. The 2023 fundraiser will take place on Tuesday, 3rd October in The Balcony Room…
A construction worker on the site of Everton Football Club’s new Bramley-Moore Dock stadium has lost his life prompting statements of condolence from the English Premier League side and contractor Laing O’Rourke. Everton’s statement reads: “Everyone at Everton Football Club is deeply saddened by the news of a male worker’s passing following an incident at…
Zentia is delighted to announce two exciting product updates. The highly anticipated Aruba Triangle range takes it debut, and 35 new colours are introduced to the existing Aruba family. Additions to the existing Aruba range in July extend it to an impressive selection of 35 vibrant colours that can be used to define zoned areas,…
Visitors to stand # K21 at The Care Show 2023 at NEC Birmingham on 11/12 October will see the latest innovative floorcare solutions from Truvox International. “Proper floorcare in a care home environment is essential as it makes a major contribution to health, safety and hygiene,” says Truvox International UK National Sales Manager Paul Robinson.…
Cloudfm has promoted Kate Chamberlain from head of finance to the new role of Group Finance Director. Chamberlain, who joined the business in July 2018, becomes a member of the company’s Executive Board, and will also oversee initiatives to drive continuous improvement across the organisation and at client locations. Cloudfm is rolling out new IoT…
Nine prominent Safety & Health organisations in the United Kingdom have formed the Occupational Safety and Health Stakeholder Alliance (OSH Stakeholder Alliance) to provide a ‘360-degree’ perspective on critical safety and health issues for employers and building operators. The British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS), British Safety Council, British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF), Chartered Institute of Environmental…
Savills Investment Management has completed the sale of DSV Venlo, a core logistics asset in the main logistics hub in The Netherlands on behalf of Vestas Investment Management for a sale price of €105 million. The disposal was an element of a five-year business plan targeting significant capital gains, following the construction and acquisition of…
More than 1,100 URW Westfield staff from retail destinations across Europe and the United States volunteered to support their local community for a day in May. Austria In Austria, approximately 90% of URW Westfield staff volunteered with Caritas Österreich to help renovate a Viennese garden center that employs individuals with cognitive disabilities. The tasks involved…
Thames Valley law firm Boyes Turner LLP has appointed a non-contentious construction specialist and a planning law consultant to its property development and house building team. Lawrence Bruce joins as Head of Construction, with Simon Dimmick joining as a planning law consultant. Bruce has extensive experience of all of the major forms of building and engineering…
Leumi UK has provided £38 million of loans to US-based alternative asset manager Magnetar Capital to refinance the purchase of town centre shopping schemes in Perry Barr near Birmingham and Corby in Northamptonshire. One Stop Shopping in Perry Barr is a 382,856 square feet shopping centre and retail park, while Corby Town Centre & Willow…
UK security services provider Amulet has appointed its former commercial director Kieran Mackie as managing director. Mackie takes over from Darren Read, who has moved to the role of Chief Operating Officer at Churchill Group, Amulet’s parent company. Mackie has worked closely with Read over the years at Amulet developing the business’s growth path. Mackie…
Aston University is launching a new research institute to support digital innovation and transformation. Aston Digital Futures Institute will work at the frontier of the development of the global digital economy and digital society, bringing together big data, machine learning, artificial intelligence, the internet of things and autonomous systems to create new value using digital…
The Plant-based Food Alliance in the UK is urging the government to follow the lead of Spain which has issued new guidelines recommending between zero and a maximum of 3 portions of meat to maintain an healthy diet and sustain the planet. “This represents a welcome breakthrough in Spain in the approach to dietary recommendations…
Handelsbanken Wealth and Asset Management is urging professional landlords in the United Kingdom to plan for the future following a survey finding that 52 per cent of owners of small portfolios of four or more properties have no succession planning. The survey findings by the local relationship bank also suggest a worrying lack of succession…
FCA-regulated online real estate investment platform Shojin is reporting a 35 per cent increase in Asian investors over the past year as real estate in the United Kingdom continues to be in demand from global investors. The company is gaining strong momentum among investors based in Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan, mirroring the changing appetite…
As educational facilities revel in a summertime of empty hallways and classrooms, Sue Corrick, EMEA Product Manager at Allegion UK, explains why it’s the perfect time to assess fire door hardware. The great British summertime has arrived, known for its quintessential rainy days, packed out beach fronts and extended educational term breaks. By the time…
Sophie Bedwell, commercial property lawyer with Clarke Willmott LLP, explains why UK landlords and developers must consider qualifying owners of leasehold flats before disposing of multi-tenancy residential premises. Landlords of mixed-use residential premises in the United Kingdom need to take account of qualifying tenants in their forward planning prior to disposing of any property. Disposing…
Solihull Community Housing (SCH) which operates housing services on behalf of Solihull Council in England’s West Midlands has selected Pinnacle Group as the cleaning contractor for a council-owned portfolio of over 600 homes and administrative facilities. Pinnacle previously held the £1 million contract between 2010 and 2015. As part of the latest agreement which came…
Thirty-six per cent of construction companies recently surveyed by UK recruitment firm and job board Monster are experiencing difficulty in recruiting. More positively, 23% of construction businesses have diversity and inclusion programmes specifically for neurodivergent staff. These findings are contained in t he first part of Monster’s multipart “Future of Work” survey released in April…
Contractors BAM Construct, BAM Nuttall, Skanska UK and Willmott Dixon have reported reduced sickness absence rates in a follow-up study to an 18-month flexible working pilot. The follow-up study which was commissioned by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) from social enterprise and flexible working consultancy, Timewise, obtained updated data on sickness absences from the…
UK facility services provider Parr Facilities Management (Parr FM) which operates offices in Manchester, Glasgow and Belfast, has been named as a supplier on the NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) second-generation Hard Facilities Management framework agreement. The Hard Facilities Management 2 (Hard FM) framework agreement offers a compliant route to market to all NHS…
Compass Group business ESS Defence has been recognised as a Platinum Partner of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity (RNRMC). ESS enjoys a longstanding relationship with the RNRMC which is the principal charity of the Royal Navy, and exists to support sailors, marines and their families for life. This was marked at a recent…
David Mallinson has been appointed to the newly created role of managing director at Musk Process Services, a subsidiary of UK asset engineering solutions provider, Edwin James Group. The new position has been created to focus on growth in process engineering and maintenance, and to support collaboration with other group companies. Mallinson was previously group…
Construction is underway at Miller’s Quay, the £130 million urban regeneration development on the left bank of the River Mersey in North West England, and flagship project of the UK government’s ‘levelling up’ strategy. A partnership between Peel L&P, Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council, and long-term investor (and Peel funding partner) Pension Insurance Corporation (PIC), the…
Workers who gave up 10 per cent of their wages during the pandemic now being offered real terms pay cut, says GMB Union.
According to the latest survey from Handelsbanken, 49 per cent of small and mid-sized professional landlords with a minimum of four properties in the UK are planning to increase their portfolios in the year ahead, as optimism about residential and commercial property builds despite fears of an economic downturn and the cost of living crisis.…
OHS has been awarded a water risk assessment and remedial work contract for all 457 stores operated by FTSE 250-listed pet supplies retailer, Pets at Home. The work will see OHS send teams of assessors to stores and ensure compliance of water systems with applicable regulations. David Hulston, facilities manager for Pets at Home, comments:…
Multi-service provider Churchill Services has received a Gold Award from The Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) in recognition of its support for the defence and armed forces community, and the alignment of its values with the UK’s Armed Forces Covenant. The ERS is designed primarily to recognise private sector support for the military, although public…
Following a management buyout in March 2021and revenue forecast of £30 million for the fiscal year ending September 2022, Pareto FM has added five new roles to its Senior Team and also launched a new brand identity. The new branding emphasises the service provider’s commitment to social value and relationship-based facilities management delivery. Managing director,…
Compass Group UK & Ireland hosted 60 people at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium at its annual Apprentice Chef of the Year dinner on 5th July. The event was catered for by Compass apprentices, with the menu being created and the brigade led by Lorcán Leavy, Apprentice Commis Chef for Restaurant Associates – Compass’ Apprentice Chef of…
EMCOR UK has been announced as the winner of the Recognised Service Provider Champion award at the 2022 Living Wage Champion Awards. The awards celebrate individuals and organisations that have made an outstanding contribution to the Living Wage movement. EMCOR UK was accredited as a Living Wage Foundation Recognised Service Provider in May 2021 and planned…
The Living Wage Foundation, a campaigning organisation for salaries that cover the real cost of living in the United Kingdom, has recognised Corps Security‘s for extending a commitment to paying directly employed security personnel a Real Living Wage to all new contracts it bids on. The annual Living Wage Champion Awards celebrate notable employers that…
UK charity The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI) has launched a ‘return to school’ grant to help cover the cost of school uniforms, P.E. kit and other equipment as a response to what it describes as “unacceptable financial choices” facing farming families in the run up to the new school year. Citing research by consumer…
Rochford District Council has appointed Norse Group, the Local Authority Trading Company (LATC) of Norfolk County Council, to deliver waste and street cleansing services under a new eight-year contract. The agreement comes into effect today, with Norse succeeding Suez, Rochford’s previous environmental contractor. Norse is owned by Norfolk County Council and brings together building consultancy…
Contract caterer Elior UK is embracing a new Social Value Charter which builds on activities already embedded in its business modell. The company is also adopting a co-ordinated approach to economic, social and environmental governance to ensure all employees and suppliers make a conscious effort to create a positive impact wherever possible. The Charter summarises…
With National BBQ taking place in the UK from 4th to 10th July, residential developer Quintain Living is showcasing the facililities on offer to residents of one of its friendly community settings. Firing up the BBQ come rain or shine is an intrinsic part of summer in the UK. Yet many renters in London miss…
Johnson Controls has welcomed a recent amendment to Section 15, paragraphs 15 and 17 of the Building Regulations in the United Kingdom relating to evacuation alert systems in high-rise residential buildings. The amendment states that new residential developments over 18 metres tall will have to incorporate an Evacuation Alert System in accordance with BS 8629…
Emma Dickson, Technical Director at Arcadis and industry co-chair of the Scottish Construction Leadership Forum’s Skills and Workforce sub group, presents the case for non-apprenticeship based training routes into the construction industry. Employers in the construction industry in Scotland hardly need to be reminded of the skills shortages which are hampering the industry as it…
Atalian Servest has acquired multi-service provider Incentive FM Group in its first UK acquisition since the 2018 takeover of Servest Group by Atalian Global Services. Founded in 2002, Incentive FM has built an enviable reputation in FM service excellence and boasts an impressive client portfolio, with many long-standing and legacy relationships. The transaction will also…
FSI has begun trading as MRI Software following its August 2021 acquisition, with the Concept Evolution CAFM/IWMS platform also rebranded as ‘MRI Evolution’. “Integrating FSI with MRI Software strengthens both organisations’ ability to support FM teams across a range of industry sectors by delivering an enhanced, scalable technology platform to manage and maintain facilities effectively,”…
UK government executive procurement agency Crown Commercial Service (CCS) has awarded 44 supplier places on its new Facilities Management and Workplace Services framework. The new framework supports the principles of the Government’s Sourcing Playbook by heavily weighting ‘quality’ in its contract award criteria, rather than lowest cost – emphasising the importance of social value and…
A new report released by the National Engineering Policy Centre (NEPC) calls on the UK government to seize the post-pandemic opportunity to mandate long-term improvements to infection control in commercial, public and residential buildings to reduce transmission of future waves of COVID-19, new pandemics, seasonal influenza and other infectious diseases. In the event of another severe…
Cloudfm has welcomed a House of Commons Environment Audit Committee (EAC) report that calls for whole-life carbon assessments of larger buildings. ‘Building to net zero: costing carbon in construction’ criticises the government for focusing too much on reporting energy efficiency and lacking the impetus to mandate reporting on embodied carbon emissions for the whole life…
On World Environment Day, Adam Savitz, Sustainability Director, EMEALA at Johnson Controls, explains why an overhaul of the United Kingdom’s built environment is needed to reach government emissions targets by 2035. We must once again highlight the critical need to redress the planetary imbalance – from regulatory policy through personal choices, we all play a part in…
Dyl Kurpil, managing director of District Enforcement, explains how Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs), which were introduced to tackle anti-social behaviour in the UK, can reduce the day-to-day burden on the police. From dog fouling to graffiti, drinking in town centres to illegal eScooter riding, towns and cities across the UK are blighted by the…
Landmarc Support Services and the United Kingdom’s Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) have reported record levels of investment on programme deliver on the Defence Training Estate (DTE) for a second consecutive year. After financial year 2020/2021 had already been Landmarc and the DTE’s busiest year to date, last year continued to see a huge investment in…
Merseyside Police have appointed BAM FM, the facilities management business of BAM UK and Ireland, to deliver hard FM services at their state-of-the-art headquarters in Liverpool, and a further 78 buildings in and around Merseyside. Under the terms of two separate three-year contracts (extendable by an additional two years) BAM FM will deliver 24/7 electrical…
Cluttons’ Head of Project and Building Consultancy Robert Burke and Ben Warman, Partner, Real Estate & Construction at Lockton, discuss the implications of the UK’s Covid-19 lockdowns on building maintenance and insurance practices. Covid-19 has caused, and continues to cause, extraordinary levels of disruption to the real estate sector and the insurance market that serves…