DID YOU KNOW?
SPRING 2012
THE CALFORDSEADEN NEWSLETTER
BROMLEY SOUTH CENTRAL Cathedral scheme clears next hurdle
ALSO INSIDE . . . NEW ‘HOUSING FOR OLDER PEOPLE’ INITIATIVE LAUNCHED HOUSING REVENUE ACCOUNT STATUTORY PAYMENT TERMS PLANNING GRANTED FOR NEW RETIREMENT VILLAGE MICHAEL WHATFORD’S RETIREMENT DIGBY ROAD, HACKNEY HSE APPROVE COST RECOVERY SCHEME FEE FOR INTERVENTION HOUSING STRATEGY UPDATE
INTRODUCTION The evolution of calfordseaden continues apace and we would like to update you on pending retirements and latest developments.
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arch 31st 2012 brings the retirement of Michael Whatford. As one of the four founding partners involved in the setting up of calfordseaden in 1989, (the merging of The John Calford Partnership and Alfred E Seaden & Partners), Michael has helped develop the business into the wellrespected, national multidisciplinary consultancy that it is today and on page 11 we look back at the early days of his career. Michael de Georgio is also retiring from the Equity Partnership. We are delighted that Michael is staying with the Practice and continuing to provide both clients and staff with the benefit of his experience in quantity surveying and employer's agent services. There have been many new developments and key highlights at calfordseaden recently including: Andrew Shearman's appointment as Managing Director of calfordseaden health & safety. Gary Barley appointed as BIM Manager. Completion of the award winning Code for Sustainable Homes Code Six development at St. John's Church, Wembley. The design and project management of some of the UK's first local authority homes for 10 years. Hayes Academy opens new Block M - an outstanding building for an outstanding school designed by calfordseaden.
Increasing workload within the commercial sector. Completion of Oldham Sheltered PFI, one of the largest housing for older people schemes in the country. Further award winning schemes, including Cotney Croft & Peartree Way, Stevenage; Graylingwell Park, Chichester; Bermondsey Spa, Bermondsey; Packington Square, Islington; Hillside Hub, Stonebridge; and the Gurdwara, Gravesend to name a few. Low carbon consultant accreditations for Anthony Kerr and Nathan Gould. Sascha Newton qualifying as a Town Planner. Going forward, calfordseaden are fully embracing Building Information Modelling (BIM) and many of our clients are already realising the benefits of our interdisciplinary approach. We envisage widening our scope of services to provide an even more comprehensive construction & property solution, maximising the opportunities of BIM and other technologies. 2012 represents a new era in the development of our organisation and we will continue to rise to the challenges that our clients and the marketplace bring and to develop and encourage our staff to excel in meeting and exceeding those challenges. Finally, keep an eye out for details of a major event on 11th July 2012 . . .
‘There’s something fishy going on !!’
Launch of Housing for Older People joint initiative with Jolliffe and Flint and Trimmer CS. Recruitment of staff across the Practice.
Terry Bartholomew at our Orpington office T 01689 888222 E tbartholomew@calfordseaden.co.uk
CONTENTS NEW ‘HOUSING FOR OLDER PEOPLE’ INITIATIVE LAUNCHED Pages 1-2
HOUSING REVENUE ACCOUNT Page 3
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STATUTORY PAYMENT TERMS Page 4
THIS IS BROMLEY SOUTH CENTRAL Pages 5-8
PLANNING GRANTED FOR NEW RETIREMENT VILLAGE
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Pages 9-10
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MICHAEL WHATFORD’S RETIREMENT Pages 11-12
DIGBY ROAD, HACKNEY
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Page 13
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HSE APPROVE COST RECOVERY SCHEME FEE FOR INTERVENTION
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Page 14
HOUSING STRATEGY UPDATE Pages 15-16
ALL ARTICLES ARE AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE: WWW.CALFORDSEADEN.CO.UK
Designed by: calfordseaden calfordseaden.co.uk/graphic-design
NEW ‘HOUSING FOR OLDER PEOPLE’
INITIATIVE LAUNCHED! John Spence and Ian Walker write. There is much discussion about where and how care for the elderly should be delivered. The debate around quality and security of care and care homes is questionable in the minds of many older people and their families; whether they should stay in their homes and have care tailored to their needs, or move into an extra care home or retirement village?
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or councils and registered providers this further complicates their options, as many have buildings designed for sheltered housing that do not meet today’s design and space standards, customer aspiration or lifestyle requirements. What is to be done with these buildings, typically built in the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s? Significant funding to upgrade and renovate is needed, but will still not give the necessary occupation or rent levels to make them attractive to live in or viable to run.
calfordseaden, Jolliffe and Flint and Trimmer CS have formed an association to help landlords assess all aspects of the building, land valuation, future housing management and business planning to enable informed and creative solutions. Each organisation has creative and highly experienced professionals with extensive track records in understanding both the soft and hard challenges of conversion, renovation and total redevelopment options for all types of sheltered and extra care housing. Our combined approach gives the opportunity to assess your stock, building by building to identify deficiencies and ways of updating or converting; or whole estates where an option appraisal could identify under occupation. Such an appraisal would identify the opportunity to consolidate through new build extension or rationalisation, possible opportunities for capital receipt for investment and joint venture initiatives. Visit the website at: www.housing-for-older-people.co.uk
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By oering a multi‑disciplined service, our clients receive a complete service from conception through to completion.
VISIT THE WEBSITE AT: www.housing-for-older-people.co.uk
For further information contact: John Spence at our Orpington office T 01689 888222 E jspence@calfordseaden.co.uk
The New Housing for Older People website was designed by Alan Lamb, calfordseaden. For further information on our graphic design service please contact:
Ian Walker at our Orpington office T 01689 888222 E iwalker@calfordseaden.co.uk
Alan Lamb at our Orpington office T 01689 888222 E alamb@calfordseaden.co.uk
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THE
HOUSING REVENUE ACCOUNT The Housing Revenue Account (HRA) is the mechanism through which rental income from council housing is paid to the Government, and in turn the Government returns to those local authorities allowances for management, maintenance and investment, and also meets the cost of council housing debt; Chris Moquet explains.
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n April 2012 this will change, with the 175 local authorities that still retain their housing stock being responsible for running their own housing revenue account. They will be able to keep the rents they collect and set them, raise finance for their own housing developments and refurbishment programmes, and will also be responsible for putting in place long-term business plans. These business plans will include the servicing of any debt that is transferred to them under the financial settlements that will end the current subsidy system.
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The ability of local authorities to raise their own finance for development, regeneration and modernisation is anticipated to make available ÂŁ30bn over 30 years. It represents a new market opportunity for calfordseaden and one that we will be looking at very closely for with our partners. For further information contact: Chris Moquet at our Orpington office T 01689 888222 E cmoquet@calfordseaden.co.uk
STATUTORY PAYMENT TERMS 1 October 2011 saw the introduction of a new set of statutory payment terms for construction contracts. Part 8 of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act, 2009, which came into effect on that date, modifies and replaces the statutory terms that have been in operation since 1996. David Cane writes.
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he changes alter a number of existing requirements and introduce a few new ones. As with the previous statutory terms, failure to include compliant wording in a construction contract will result in their automatic imposition; however, the change is not retroactive, so only new contracts are affected.
PAYMENT CHANGES A defined due date is required. Withholding notices are replaced by Payless notices. Failure to issue a Payment Notice by the deadline, means that the payee can issue his own assessment of the amount due which will stand if not challenged by the payer with a Payless notice. Payee’s applications must include a full calculation of the amount due including any deductions for retention. Conditional payment clauses are outlawed, meaning that payment under one contract cannot be subject to performance under another. If not paid, the payee may now suspend part of the works not just the whole.
OTHER CHANGES INTRODUCED BY THE ACT Statutory terms now also apply to unwritten agreements. Adjudicators can now allocate costs between parties. Adjudicators can now correct minor factual mistakes in their decisions. JCT has issued its 2011 suite of contracts to incorporate wording compliant with the statutory terms. For further information contact: David Cane at our Orpington office T 01689 888222 E dcane@calfordseaden.co.uk
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calfordseaden are working with Cathedral on an urban opportunity site to provide project co‑ordination, quantity surveying and CDMC services in connection with the redevelopment of a site at the southern end of Bromley High Street, principally occupied by the Westmoreland Road car park, Terry Bartholomew writes.
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his appointment follows Cathedral being selected by London Borough of Bromley as preferred development partner following an OJEU competition in 2009. Since July 2011, we have been working with Cathedral’s design team, planning experts and other advisers to develop a leisure led mixed use scheme providing a new leisure destination, quality public realm and 200 new homes. The challenge has been to create a mixed use development, family friendly and accessible by both pedestrians and vehicles on a challenging site.
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The design team, lead by Guy Hollaway Architects, have worked tirelessly throughout the summer, autumn and winter to enable the scheme to be developed in response to numerous consultations with public and statutory consultees, pre-application discussions and responding to the development challenging brief. In December 2011, a Planning Application was deposited with London Borough of Bromley to include the following elements: 9 screen multiplex cinema 9 restaurants 200 apartments, being a mix of 1, 2 and 3 bedroom units 130 bedroom business hotel Large public plaza and landscaping 400 car parking spaces
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The scheme has been designed by Guy Hollaway Architects and Studio Agret West, PEP & MTT Consultants to ensure that BREEAM Excellent is the target on commercial elements of the scheme and the homes have been designed to achieve Code for Sustainable Homes Level 4. The aim is to reduce the carbon footprint of the development wherever possible.
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The London Borough of Bromley, in their capacity as Landowner, provided Landowner Consent in October 2011. Plannng consent was achieved on 6th March 2012, GLA approval on 22nd March and the team are working now towards commencement of construction operations by October 2012.
It is intended to bring the entire scheme to completion by October 2014.
For further information contact: Terry Bartholomew at our Orpington office T 01689 888222 E tbartholomew@calfordseaden.co.uk
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PLANNING
GRANTED FOR NEW
RETIREMENT VILLAGE Viridian Homes For Living, in partnership with the London Borough of Sutton, has received planning permission to redevelop and regenerate a sensitive site in a conservation area to provide a multi‑million pound retirement village in Cheam, Surrey. John Spence and Ian Walker writes.
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he project, designed by calfordseaden, provides for the delivery of affordable housing, including the phased demolition and redevelopment of the Elizabeth House sheltered housing scheme, which is located in Cheam Village, an area with special historic and architectural character and heritage.
The scheme design makes best use of the site to provide level access, affordable housing and services for older people and vulnerable adults. Much of our design work on this scheme has been produced in Revit, the building design software, used for Building Information Modelling. Through the use of Revit calfordseaden have produce a rich, graphical portfolio of images to accompany the planning application.
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The redevelopment benefits the local and wider community of Cheam by offering the following: Increases the amount of accommodation for elderly, disabled & vulnerable adults. Improves the quality of living for current & future residents, replacing the substandard existing accommodation. Creates a safe & secure development that by design reduces risk of crime both internally and externally. Provides a range of social amenities to serve the needs of the residents and staff, while also promoting links with the local community of Cheam. Provides a community facility that meets local needs. calfordseaden are acting as planning consultant, architect, employer’s agent, structural engineer, mechanical & electrical engineer, Code for Sustainable Homes adviser and CDM coordinator on this redevelopment.
For further information contact: John Spence at our Orpington office T 01689 888222 E jspence@calfordseaden.co.uk Ian Walker at our Orpington office T 01689 888222 E iwalker@calfordseaden.co.uk
Prior to the scheme going in for planning, a Viridian Homes For Living spokesperson said:
"Absolutely great work by all involved over the past 12 months, itsʼ been a collaborative team effort and I believe we have a fabulous scheme that will make a huge difference to the quality of life for the residents of Elizabeth House".
TO READ MORE ABOUT THIS SCHEME: CALFORDSEADEN.CO.UK/NEWS
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MICHAEL
WHATFORDʼS RETIREMENT After 42 years I retire at the end of March. I qualified as a Chartered Building Surveyor in 1976 and decided on the day I received my qualification I would one day start my own Practice. My chance came during 1981 when an existing client suggested he would support me. I went away, thought about it, discussed it with my wife enlisting her support, and then asked his opinion on starting up with a Partner. He thought it was a good idea so I asked David Metcalf, whom I had worked with for some years. The John Calford Partnership was born. Davidʼs wife Pat thought up the name, John being both of our middle names and Calford being an amalgamation of parts of our surnames.
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n the 1980s a major housing association was expanding their operation in Southampton where they had already commissioned the Practice with a considerable amount of work. It was clear that if we didn’t open an office in the area work would dry up. We opened an office in Southampton a few months later with Paul Fenner to head it up. Sadly Paul is no longer with the Partnership but he stayed in the area and to my great satisfaction he and his family have prospered enormously. During the course of my training I made friends with Geoffrey Clark, who I am still fortunate enough to count amongst my best friends today. Geoffrey had set up his own Practice in 1983 and had a great deal of very interesting commissions from the commercial world which balanced very nicely with my public sector workload. Geoffrey was constrained in servicing larger projects because his own Practice was not large enough so I suggested he joined my Practice and in 1994 we opened up our first Central London office.
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In 2000 I was at the RICS Building Surveyors’ Weekend Briefing honing my professional skills whilst meeting old friends and merrily networking. At a formal dinner I met Neil Hebberts; he came from Birmingham and wanted to leave his existing Practice and I wanted to set up an office in Birmingham. We met a couple of weeks later and our Birmingham office was opened in August that year, with Neil bringing two other great Building Surveyors with him, Ashley Harper and Mike Moran, together with Neil’s secretary, Emma Goss. When the Practice started it comprised my Partner, my secretary and myself. By 1989 it had expanded to 42 Partners and staff. It had always been my intention since inception to end up with a multi-disciplinary Practice. At the beginning of 1989 the Partnership included Building Surveyors, Architectural Technicians and an Engineer. That year we decided to merge with a partnership called The Seaden Partnership, a firm of Quantity Surveyors, joining forces with Paul Aitchison and Doug Roberts, the Equity Partners of that firm. Shortly thereafter we engaged an Architect John Spence, who later became an Equity Partner.
We later expanded into other areas, including Health and Safety, Structural Engineering and Mechanical and Electrical Engineering. calfordseaden today is a diverse Partnership, including all construction disciplines. On the way to building this Practice we have carefully cultivated a succession strategy to ensure its longevity. We have today strength in depth; are active in all sectors of our business, both public and private, including housing, commercial and industrial, community, education, health, housing, professional services, regeneration and retail. History shows I have met my best friends and the best people for business in social settings.
Perhaps there is a lesson there for other young Surveyors wanting to start a business. It is time for me to leave but I hope I will be invited back in years to come by my Partners. If they can say “We know what you achieved but just look at what we have done since� that will be my legacy. No business is built by one individual and the core of the merged calfordseaden was Paul Aitchison, Doug Roberts and David Metcalf. Paul and I went out and found the opportunities and back at base Doug and David pulled it all together, delivering the projects banking the cheques, paying our suppliers and dealing with a myriad of other problems.
Since 1989 we have appointed a number of additional Equity Partners as the business has grown each in their own way contributing considerably to the success of the business and well placed to take it forward. I wish them every success for the future. I have had a great deal of fun with many of you and with some of you tough words, but we have in our time indeed achieved a lot. For further information contact: Michael Whatford at our Orpington office T 01689 888222 E mwhatford@calfordseaden.co.uk
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DIGBY ROAD, HACKNEY calfordseaden M&E and Sustainability teams worked with Network Housing Association and Archer Hoblin Construction to complete this new build scheme in one of the most deprived areas of Hackney. Terry Keech explains.
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he project comprised of 97 new apartments, community space, roof top children’s activity area within a 14-storey tower providing panoramic views from the Olympic Village to the Square Mile. The scheme included a complete ethos of environmental design including Code for Sustainable Homes Level 3, 20% renewables and one of Europe’s highest Green wall installations complete with unique water irrigation harvesting system. The design and construction period ran from May 2009 to September 2011 and calfordseaden M&E and Sustainability undertook the following services: Development of the Energy and Sustainability Strategy M&E design from stages D – L Code for Sustainable Homes SAP assessments Air Pressure Testing
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The scheme was designed with a communal heating and hot water system to serve the apartments utilising a Biomass boiler fuelled with Biomass pellets from an adjacent fuel store. calfordseaden worked very closely with our client to develop the understanding of operating and running a biomass system. Visits were organised to several sites to review systems and gain an understanding of the most effective methods to operate the system for the benefit of both the residents and the client. We are currently working with the Network Housing Association to prepare for the Renewable Heat Incentive. This will greatly benefit the client and create financial return to help off set biomass maintenance and fuel costs. For further information contact: Terry Keech at our Orpington office T 01689 888222 E tkeech@calfordseaden.co.uk
HSE APPROVE COST RECOVERY SCHEME FEE FOR INTERVENTION Andrew Shearman, Managing Director of calfordseaden Health & Safety, recently attended an HSE presentation where it was revealed that the proposed charges for HSE intervention would be implemented from April 2012.
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charge of £124 per hour (which has been decreased from the planned £133) will be applied for duty-holders who are considered in breach of health and safety law and will be calculated from the sent date of a letter or email recording the duty-holder’s breach. The HSE agreed the proposal, based on the findings of almost 300 responses to the recent consultation on the Fee-for-Intervention scheme (FFI), as well as discussions with over 80 trade associations and companies. None compliant companies who require HSE intervention will feel the financial impact and many businesses, particularly SMEs, are concerned about the hourly rate where in a significant case could total several thousand pounds.
For further information contact: Andrew Shearman at our Orpington office T 01689 888222 E ashearman@calfordseaden.co.uk
Gordon MacDonald, HSE Director of the scheme, stressed that the relationship between the regulator and the regulated will not suffer.
“You will not see a different HSE as a result of this scheme. We will only apply FFI where it is warranted, and not frivolously.” Andrew considers:
“Due to reduced resources, the HSE will be focussing on poor performing businesses that are high risk, and providing a more reactive service as opposed pro‑active engagement demonstrated previously. In the event of an accident, incident and/or a breach in health and safety law that involves the HSE, the costs incurred by the enforcing authority in helping to put matters right will be charged to the business rather than from public funds.”
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HOUSING STRATEGY
UPDATE The headline to revive the Right to Buy was a cornerstone of the Housing Strategy – offering up to £50,000. However the Government recently revealed plans to raise the maximum discount to £75,000! Chris Moquet explains.
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ith the aim of breathing new life into the Right to Buy scheme, families with over five years residence could receive 35% discount with an additional 1% for each year thereafter. Each home sold would be replaced by a home built from the proceeds. Since 1989 houses prices have increased by around 2.5 times. It will be interesting to see if there are 100,000 potential buyers able to take up Right to Buy.
The proposed replacement homes will be "affordable" rent at up to 80% of market level, which will be much higher than the rented homes they will replace.
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It is a reasonable estimate that sale proceeds will only cover a third of construction cost leaving local authorities and registered providers to borrow or provide the balance.
NEW BUILD INDEMNITY SCHEME This scheme is being introduced to help house buyers. Under the scheme the Government underwrites 95% mortgages, however concerns are starting to surface that the scheme is more designed to help lenders and builders rather than buyers. There is the potential for the scheme to catch buyers with modest incomes in negative equity or overstretch buyers’ finances into default. The scheme insures the funder but offers no help to the borrower.
Under the scheme the Government underwrites mortgages
95%
The proposed replacement homes will be "aordable" rent at up to of market level
80%
For further information contact: Chris Moquet at our Orpington office T 01689 888222 E cmoquet@calfordseaden.co.uk
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calfordseaden St John’s House 1a Knoll Rise Orpington Kent BR6 0JX T 01689 888222 calfordseaden.co.uk
www.calfordseaden.co.uk calfordseaden have taken all reasonable precautions to ensure that did you know? is correct at the time of publication. Please contact us for more information about any of the topics and, where our professional code of conduct allows, we will be happy to advise. calfordseaden LLP is a Limited Liability Partnership Registered in England and Wales number OC315838. Registered Office: Devonshire House, 60 Goswell Road, London EC1M 7AD where a list of members is kept. Calford Seaden (Health and Safety) Limited is Registered in England No. 3028351 Registered Office: Devonshire House, 60 Goswell Road London EC1M 7AD
CHARTERED SURVEYING PROJECT MANAGEMENT ARCHITECTURE & MASTER PLANNING CIVIL & STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING MECHANICAL & ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING SUSTAINABILITY ADVICE HEALTH & SAFETY CONSULTANCY