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Embarking on a home refurbishment or renovation project can be daunting to the say the least. There’s no end to tasks, large and small, that need to be completed and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the volume of work that’s required to finish the build. To make things that little bit easier, we’ve compiled these tips to save you valuable time during a project. Seek planning permission online Before you even begin to get your hands dirty, taking care of the planning permission is your priority. Starting work before this has been organised could lead to major headaches at a later stage, as you’ll actually be breaking the law and could be forced by your local authority to undo the changes you’ve already made, should your …

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Yorkshire based construction consultants Rex Procter & Partners has announced that it has merged with Rex Procter & Partners in Marlow.  The business separated to operate as two independent businesses in 1980. The merger is forecast to increase Group turnover by at least 10% to a projected £10 million in 2014 and will also boost the firm’s geographical reach and sector diversity. Collectively the firm will directly employ over 100 people. Andrew Cooper, Managing Director of Rex Procter & Partners based in Yorkshire said, “Over the last five years the business has maintained steady growth and we have become established as one of the largest construction consultants in the North of England.   A robust business plan sets out our ambitions to increase business opportunities in the South and …

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Although asbestos is widely considered to be a thing of the past, it has become increasingly clear of late that asbestos management should be at the forefront of your mind as a commercial property owner. The latest crisis at Heanor Memorial Hospital only reaffirms the knowledge that asbestos can be lethal and, with widespread asbestos still being discovered in public and commercial buildings, isn’t now the perfect time to get your commercial property surveyed to ensure you’re not harbouring this silent killer? The Story of Heanor Memorial Hospital Last week saw the news that talks had reached a ‘crisis stage’ in Heanor Memorial Hospital, with widespread asbestos discovered in the building. Members of the public have been invited to the pivotal talks that will be held from 7.30…

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Measured surveys anywhere in the UK! Mobile CAD Surveying Ltd  can accommodate either a simple single property floor plan for a domestic or private customer to a complete schedule of buildings including whatever type of data collection the customer requires for a commercial customer. If you are an Architects or Surveyor and you require fast turn around building surveys, give us a try, we currently work for dozens of architects around the UK, where they haven’t the capacity or staff to handle their own surveys or where they just require someone to make sure the job is right, first time. We are currently working on many Commercial surveys along with a number of domestic and Dimensional Property Surveys around the UK.  So if you need any …

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Best contemporary engineer will rub shoulders with historic greats Isambard Kingdom Brunel Contemporary engineers making their mark on the world are vying to take their place in Semta’s engineering hall of fame alongside Isambard Kingdom Brunel, George Stephenson and Barnes Wallace. The five shortlisted engineers, whose work has demonstrated outstanding innovation and had a positive impact on society, include Sir James Dyson and David Gow – a mechanical engineer who dedicated decades to developing pioneering prosthetics. Semta’s hall of fame hopes to ensure that great British engineers of the 21st century are recognised to be just as important and influential as their illustrious predecessors. Ann Watson, chief operating officer of Semta, the employer-led body for engineering skills, said: “Britain’s engineers are still the best …

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British engineering group bids to create £5bn group capable of offering services across the oil and gas chain . Amec, the UK engineer and project management group, has struck a “transformational” £1.9bn deal to buy US-listed rival Foster Wheeler in a move designed to capitalise on new opportunities in the oil and gas markets. The acquisition, as yet only “provisionally agreed”, marks the denouement of a two-year dalliance with Foster, which is domiciled for tax reasons in Zug, Switzerland, and employs 13,000 people. Samir Brikho, Amec chief executive, said: “In oil and gas, it will add their midstream and downstream capabilities to our existing upstream ones, bringing with it new customers. This is a transformational combination.” Amec, which has expanded rapidly in recent years …

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everreach, a new phone service to help busy small business owners take full control of their business calls, today announces the results of its Running Your Small Business Better Survey. Small Business Challenges The research, conducted on behalf of everreach by polling company Censuswide, surveyed over 250 small business owners and senior employees across various trades – including builders, plumbers, electricians and gardeners. The idea was to explore the challenges small businesses in general, and tradesmen in particular, face when trying to manage their business calls. The survey looked at the most important issues these small businesses face, such as what missed calls cost in terms of lost revenue, as well as more personal elements, for example to what extent out of hours work calls might impact on …

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Labour leader attacks ‘stick-in-the-mud councils’ and accuses property developers of hoarding land to push up its value Profiteering property developers that hoard land and councils that block developments will be swept aside in a “non-stop drive” to more than double the number of homes being built each year in England, Ed Miliband will promise on Monday. Attacking “stick-in-the-mud councils”, the Labour leader will say he would order a national planning inspectorate to give priority to local authorities that want to expand if they are being blocked by neighbouring councils refusing to release land. Under the Labour plans, councils would be empowered to compulsorily purchase land or charge fees if developers fail to build on land for which they have planning permission. Michael …

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Construction PMI for December came in above expectations, boosted by new commercial building projects A range of new commercial building projects helped the construction industry expand again last month and companies are increasingly confident about the year ahead. A survey of the sector suggested it was continuing to claw back ground lost during the downturn and finished 2013 with its eighth straight month of growth. The Markit/CIPS UK Construction PMI came in slightly ahead of expectations with a headline activity reading of 62.1 for December. That was well above the 50-mark which separates growth from contraction but was down from 62.6 in November, which is the highest reading since mid-2007. Construction companies said greater confidence in the economic outlook meant clients were spending more. The survey indicated the biggest growth in …

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UK construction companies remained in growth mode at the end of 2013, with output, new orders and jobs all on the increase, the latest monthly survey of purchasing managers shows. Further growth is also widely anticipated for 2014. The seasonally adjusted Markit/CIPS UK Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) showed a score of 62.1 for December, down only marginally on November’s 62.6 score – a 75-month high – and continuing well above the 50.0 no-change level. The December reading marked eight months of continuous output growth in the UK construction sector. Higher levels of business activity reflected strong rates of expansion in all three broad categories of construction output monitored by the survey: house-building, commercial construction and civil engineering. Residential activity remained the fastest growing area of construction, but it …

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