We鈥檙e feeling more than a little rebellious this week, what with protests against Donald Trump, a mixed-use tower in Paddington and the Garden Bridge. A contracts notice from the GLA does nothing to calm matters
An offer you can鈥檛 refuse - but then again 鈥�
Ever been confused about the value of a framework and questioned how much actual value you might get out of bidding for one? Here鈥檚 an example from the Greater London Authority (GLA) which definitely won鈥檛 help. In a contract notice for architectural services, engineering services and various other consultancy roles on the mayor of London鈥檚 RE:FIT programme - which provides a model for public bodies to implement energy efficiency in buildings across the capital - the GLA helpfully provided an upper and lower value for the amount of work likely to come through it. According to this it could be used to procure a whopping 拢1.5bn of work. But, then again, it might just be zero. Thanks guys, that鈥檚 really useful.
Trump trumped
As you no doubt know, American presidential candidate Donald Trump is upset. Very upset. So upset in fact that his firm, the Trump Organisation, is threatening to end all future investments in the UK. This includes 拢200m plans to develop its Trump Turnberry golf course and a further 拢500m investment for Trump International Golf Links at Menie in Aberdeenshire. The reason - a possible prohibition from travelling to the UK after a petition calling for his entry to be refused was signed by over 570,000 people, triggering a parliamentary debate scheduled for 18 January. Trump previously threatened to pull investment from his Aberdeenshire golf resort if a planned coastal wind farm was given the go-ahead. Will it really be so great a loss? Trump鈥檚 plans have been protested against by local residents and environmental campaigners since he launched them in 2007.
Not so fast
In the face of heavy criticism over Sellar Property Group鈥檚 proposals for a 65-storey mixed-use tower in Paddington, the firm鈥檚 investment director John Davies has felt the need to fight the developer鈥檚 corner. In a letter to the Evening Standard last week, Davies was moved to respond to the accusation by the newspaper鈥檚 commentator Simon Jenkins that Sellar鈥檚 plans for the 31 London Street site had not been subject to sufficient public consultation. He says this is wrong and that 鈥渋n fact, every effort has been made to make the process as accessible as possible鈥�. Davies adds that 300 visitors attended the two consultation exhibitions and 6,768 letters were sent to local residents and businesses inviting them to attend. He makes no mention of the letters from the Royal Parks and Heritage England which criticised the company鈥檚 鈥渉aste鈥� to get its planning submitted.
Wates and water
A huge number of communities were affected by the flooding over the Christmas period. So it鈥檚 good to see that Wates Giving, the charitable programme set up by contractor Wates, has donated money to help flood victims in York. The firm has chipped in 拢10,000 to the York Flood Disaster Fund, which was set up to help residents affected by flooding and with limited means, get back to normal as quickly as possible. The fund provides grants for essential household items and repairs. The appeal has so far raised 拢250,000 for the local community. Wates recently acquired large parts of York-based construction firm Shepherd Built Environment, and as such has strong links to the area.
Tiptoe through the tulips
New London Architecture鈥檚 exhibition of its housing ideas competition has attracted other ideas from visitors on its message board. The competition, organised in collaboration with the mayor of London, attracted over 200 entries from 16 countries ranging from practical to radical solutions to the UK鈥檚 housing crisis. Yet visitors to the exhibition seemed more interested in voicing their opinions on other developments in the capital than contributing to housing solutions. Above all, the proposed 拢150m Boris-backed Garden Bridge over the River Thames drew a deluge of comments - overwhelmingly hostile, it has to be said. Well, I suppose you can buy an awful lot of houses with 拢150m.
Send any juicy industry gossip to hansom@ubm.com
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