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What a week that was...
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Statement on Government’s Clean Air Strategy
The Government has published its Clean Air Strategy. It intends to make the UK to become the first major economy to adopt goals based on World Health Organisation recommendations.
In response, Caroline Russell AM, Chair of the London Assembly Environment Committee, said: "The medical evidence concerning the impact of air pollution is overwhelming. The air we breathe is killing vulnerable Londoners.
“We need an unflinching and wide-ranging response which meets and matches the true scale of the crisis. This strategy is one part of the answer but it remains a concern that the Government is proposing nothing new to tackle road pollution. The strategy, as a whole, is short on detail and we want to see targets that are binding and implemented to strict deadlines.
“If the Government is serious about tackling air pollution it should not be pressing ahead with a third runway at Heathrow. Its own analysis shows that expansion would increase congestion and toxic air pollution across a wide area of London.”
April 19 sees the introduction of the Ultra Low Emissions Zone in London.
Any vehicle that meets the ULEZ standard will be able to travel in the zone without paying the ULEZ charge. On 25 October 2021 the ULEZ will be expanded to inner London (the area up to but not including the North and South Circular Roads).
https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/ultra-low-emission-zone/vrm-checker-ulez
Enforcement of the ULEZ will be based on the declared emissions of the vehicle rather than the age. Generally speaking, petrol cars that meet the emissions standards are those registered after 2005. However cars that meet the ULEZ standards have been available since 2000.
For diesel vans the Euro 6 standard was mandated for all new vehicles sold from September 2016. The compliance checker will allow you to check whether any second-hand vehicle purchased meets the ULEZ standard.
Says LEZ - Low Emission Zone Compliance
Diesel lorries, buses, coaches, motor caravans, motorised horseboxes, larger vans, minibuses and other specialist vehicles must also comply with the emissions standards of the LEZ. This covers most of Greater London and is in operation 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
The LEZ has different emissions requirements to the ULEZ. If a vehicle meets the ULEZ emissions standards, it will also meet the LEZ emissions standards. However, the reverse may not be true. You need to use the ULEZ checker to see if your vehicle meets the more stringent ULEZ standards.
If your vehicle meets the LEZ standards but doesn't meet the central London ULEZ standards and you want to use your vehicle within central London from 8 April 2019, you will need to pay the ULEZ daily charge. You may also be liable for the daily Congestion Charge which also operates in central London.
You can check if a vehicle is affected by the LEZ with the LEZ Vehicle Checker - Click Here
https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/low-emission-zone/check-if-your-vehicle-is-affected
Mitie Fleet
In December, Mitie become the first major FM company to announce it will launch an electric fleet, with one in five vehicles in Mitie’s fleet of smaller vehicles will be electric in two years.
The company will invest in charging points at its offices and drivers’ homes across the UK.
Mitie, which runs 3,587 compact vans and cars, has promised that 717 of them will be electric by the end of December 2020.
Now Mitie has reinforced its electric vehicle pledge by signing up to the Clean Van Commitment and achieving ‘Go Ultra Low company’ status. Mitie’s first electric vans and cars will take to the roads this summer - and has already ordered 400 electric vehicles.
The Clean Van Commitment is a coalition of 16 major UK fleet operators, including Tesco, Network Rail and United Utilities, which has promised to deploy 2,400 electric vans by 2020 and to replace 18,000 diesel vans with electric ones by 2028. Its members want to signal to auto manufacturers that demand exists for the development of electric vans to replace diesel ones.
The Go Ultra Low scheme is jointly run by Government and vehicle manufacturers, and has 160 signatories. Mitie joins other companies that have committed to increase the number of electric vehicles in their fleets. The organisation highlights the benefits and capabilities of electric vehicles via a communications campaign.
Smarter Smarties
Nestlé will eliminate the last of its iconic Smarties plastic caps. 2005 saw standard tubes of Smarties lose their plastic caps. The Giant, Mini Bag and Multi-pack tubes will start to go plastic free from February - and Nestlé has committed to eliminate non and hard to recycle elements from all its products by 2025. Plastic straws will also go from drinks cartons as of February.
Not Just Plastic
This week, Marks & Spencer stepped-up its commitment to reducing the amount of plastic it uses by launching over 90 lines of loose fruit and vegetables completely free of plastic packaging in a trial at its Tolworth store - and there will be trained greengrocers on hand to help.
M&S has committed to launching additional lines of loose produce and more sustainable alternatives to plastic in every UK store, which could save 580 tonnes of plastic waste over two years alone. The plan will involve replacing plastic produce bags with paper ones and phasing out plastic barcode stickers in favour of eco-friendly alternatives.
Not all M&S stores will be taking part in the initiative - also this week, the company announced another 17 premises it intends to close including those in Huddersfield, Hull and Luton. 100 shops will have closed 2022. 30 have gone so far and the new 17 bring the total of those shops earmarked for closure to 25.
Reducing Single-Use Plastics
Atalian Servest Group’s specialist B&I catering division, Angel Hill Food Co has committed to removing single-use plastics. The business is rolling out a three-phase approach to remove single use plastic disposables from its operation at these sites by 2020.
The first phase will see Angel Hill switching plastic cutlery and takeaway containers to fully compostable alternatives, of which one of the pilot clients currently uses over 194,000 each year. Phases two and three involve the business replacing bottled drinks with canned alternatives, changing the way it serves condiments and looking at a scheme to reduce single-use coffee cups. This will see over 300,000 single-use plastics removed.
As Seen On LinkedIn
Ask yourself daily - what is the cost of success for you? And are you willing to pay for it with your mental, physical and emotional well-being? Dr. Tanvi Gautam.
Charity Ball Returns To Sheffield
Members of Sheffield’s business community have been invited to don their finest attire and put their best foot forward for a charity ball next month. The event will take place on Friday 22nd March at The Doubletree by Hilton Hotel in Sheffield Park.
The charity ball, which this year will have a Las Vegas theme, has been organised by facilities management company Incentive FM. It aims to beat last year’s fundraising total of £16,000, which will be split between two charities - Scotty’s Little Soldiers and Cash for Kids.
Over 250 national and local leaders from the facilities management sector and wider business community will enjoy a three-course dinner followed by dancing to live music and then a disco until 1:00am.
Tickets are available at £67.50 per person or £600 for a table of 10 and can be reserved by contacting the organisers at charityball@incentive-fm.com or by visiting www.incentive-charityball.com
Heading To PHS
PHS Group (a company that annoyingly insists on referring to itself as phs) has appointed a new head of facilities management and property. Darren Hawkins has more than three decades’ experience in the services industry working in both operations and sales for some of the leading FM market service providers. Dazza has been a client of phs (told you it was annoying) for more than 25 years.
Johnsons Appoints New Training Manager
Johnsons has announced the appointment of Dave Hurdiss as Training and Quality Manager. Hurdiss joins Johnsons with 30 years of experience in the moving industry having previously held numerous compliance and training roles. As Training and Quality Manager he will be responsible for enhancing Johnsons operational training across all its businesses, ensuring the highest levels of service for clients.
Johnsons will be supporting Hurdiss in his ongoing voluntary role - with 10 days of paid leave per year to work with West Midlands Ambulance Service in the vital role of Community First Responder.
Rising Stars
Bartlett Mitchell, the independent caterer, has announced the winners of its inaugural Rising Stars of the Future Awards.
Winners will be presented with a certificate, prize vouchers and a programme of continuous development.
The Rising Stars of the Future are: Denver Muchemenyi, Sintija Merinets, Maria Takacova, Yesenia Quintal Freitas, Piotr Majewski, Annabel MacLaurin, Jordan Burns, Margit Mark, Katie Frame, Saliou Mbodj, Juraj Majercik, Harry Grey, Will Rose, Eleanor Higgins, Klaudia Sledak, Richard Ogden, Adam Jemal, Petra Camara, Pedro Freitas, Milka Valkanova, Miguel Camara, Laura Floy, Gintare Barkauskaite, Rytis Dambrauskas, Ana Matepiuc, Patricia Cruz, Chris Hughes, Pablo Coves, Tamsyn Peck and Catrin Margareta Rehnstrom.
Dodgy Doings On The International Scene
In South Africa, Angelo Agrizzi, the boss of a facilities management company, Bosasa has appeared before a Johannesburg Commission to answer fraud and corruption accusations.
The corruption is said to involve a number of politicians, union leaders and government officials.
A witness has said that the Bosasa company spent between up to R6m a month in cash on bribes - that's well over £3 million.
NYFM Sentenced For Heroin In His Pants
Mike Umbro, 55, a facilities manager working for a school in New Rochelle in New York county has been sentenced to 3-year’s probation and a $200 fine. (He has also resigned his position.) Umbro pleaded guilty on in early October 2018 to a reduced charge of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance.
In June, Umbro had been arrested for possession with intent to sell. Arresting officers found packets of heroin shoved down Umbro’s pants following a traffic stop.
Facilities & Workplace Networking Club on Thursday 28 February.
A casual and informal evening, aimed at providing a comfortable environment for business people in our industry (or associated with it) to connect, discuss current topics, share ideas and build mutually beneficial commercial relationships.
Facilities Industry Charity Boxing Night Black Tie Dinner on Thursday 9 May.
This year is set to be a complete sell-out with almost 400 guests attending, including Property Owners and Occupiers, FM companies as well as Property Managing Agents.
Centre Algarve Annual Gala Dinner on Friday 17 May.
Held at the new Tottenham Hotspur stadium where they will also be celebrating the anniversary of Tottenham's 1984 UEFA Cup win with many ex-players.
Facilities Industry Annual Summer River Boat Party on Thursday 11 July.
This is one of the most popular events in the facilities industry’s calendar. Guests will be enchanted with the ever-changing backdrop of London’s famous sights whilst cruising aboard London’s largest entertainment, conference and party boat.
For further information on any of the listed events please email di.searle@twinfm.com
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11th January 2019
News Just In
IFMA - The International Facility Management Association - has announced that new chapters have been approved in France and Croatia; the Religious Facilities Council has been renamed to the Nonprofit Facilities Council and the Health Care Council (previously known as the Health Care Institute) has been restored to full council status.
IFMA defines itself through Chapters, Councils and Communities - collectively called components. These groups allow members to connect based on geography (Chapters), facility type or industry sector in which they practice (Councils) or specialisation within FM (Communities). I do hope that makes things clear.
The new Chapters come just months after the creation of an IFMA Chapter in the UK.
Conference
IFMA is to join its alliance partner, Facility Management Netherlands, in hosting the World Workplace Europe Meets Facility for Future Conference and Expo, 20-22 March 2019 at the Kromhouthal in Amsterdam.
The We Company
WeWork, that massive global co-working, flexi-space mob from New York have decided to rebrand. (Why would they do such a thing when the brand is so strong?) Anyhoo, they've gone for the We Company - let's hope it doesn't relegate them to being a wee company.
Man Dies In Fall at Canary Wharf
I have to admit that this story has come from a number of national newspapers and seemingly has been confirmed by Canary Wharf Group - but our main site journalists have not been able to verify it via any of their normal sources (Met Police; City of London Police; London Ambulance Service; London Air Ambulance etc) nor via Canary Wharf Group itself other than a passing Tweet - 'We can confirm that there has been a medical incident on the Canary Wharf estate. We are supporting the emergency services in their response.'
The newspapers say a man fell from height at Cabot Square shopping centre on the Canary Wharf Group Estate on Tuesday. (They also report that the previous day, another man fell to his death 'from' an escalator at Canary Wharf tube station.)
If anyone knows more, please email newsdesk@twinfm.com
One You May Have Missed
In October, a man fell from an upper floor at the Westfield shopping centre in east London - fortunately his fall was broken as he landed on a woman below. The woman, clearly, was not so fortunate - receiving severe but not life-threatening injuries.
Tudor Simionov
As reported on our main site as we returned from the festive break, a security guard working at a private party on New Year's Eve was murdered by stabbing. (His colleague and a woman partygoer were also stabbed.) Here is a picture of Tudor Simionov - may his family find comfort. The FM industry should be appalled that one of its fraternity go to work and not come home safely.
One Of Our Own - Fighting For Charity
Mike Proctor, Head of Operations, SPIE Facilities, has suffered the tragedy of losing his daughter, Sophie in early 2018 to a rare condition known as Scleroderma. He is now raising funds in her memory for Scleroderma & Raynaud's UK.
Mike will take to the boxing ring in March for his second white collar bout.
If you want to show your support for - Click Here
The full JustGiving link is: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/mike-proctor3
The event Mike is fighting at is called Capital Punishment and it takes place at the Troxy on London's Commercial Road (on the edge of the City) on March 15. For tickets, contact mike.proctor@spie.com
Some big names from the industry are attending.
Ask Your Vehicle Hire Company To Comply
Counter Terrorism Policing has teamed up with The Department for Transport to reduce the risk of rental vehicles being used as weapons in acts of terror.
The Rental Vehicle Security Scheme (RVSS) is voluntary and is open to all UK hire firms who offer long and short-term rentals to consumers.
RVSS requires participating companies to meet a set of requirements included in a 10-point Code of Practice, which includes a commitment to:
Your approved hire company can apply to the Rental Vehicle Security Scheme at www.gov.uk/government/publications/apply-to-the-rental-vehicle-security-scheme
Malcolm Rouse
Malcolm Rouse, a well know character from the supplier side of the FM business has found himself a new position with Alliance UK. t. 020 7062 0600
Jobs
Two Facilities Engineering Managers are required for jobs in Surrey and Watford - paying about £80,000.
It's a global company and you'll need to be able to plan, implement, coordinate and oversees all mechanical and electrical operations, maintenance and energy management programmes; ensure risk is minimised and all works are compliant with safe systems of work.
www.peopable.co.uk t. 0203 371 9982.
Director Of Resident Safety
Camden (London) Council is looking for a £100,000 fulltime Director of Resident Safety. Applications close on February 4.
'You’ll continue our work to transform our approach to resident safety across the Council. There will also be a chance to lead the national debate about safety, housing and building standards. It’s a high profile role where you’ll take charge of a newly created team, working with residents, developing new ways approaches and responding to the recommendations of the Hackitt review'.
For more information about this role visit www.iamcamden.camden.gov.uk or for an informal discussion about the role please contact the retained consultants at Osborne Thomas on 0203 280 3671 or email Camden@osbornethomas.org
To submit an application, please send to Camden@osbornethomas.org
Apprenticeship Level 3
UCEM has launched a Level 3 Facilities Management Supervisor apprenticeship - with the first intake due to start in June 2019.
The programme will be of interest to all types of organisation in the public and private sector and to companies that provide outsourced FM services to clients.
Apprentices who successfully complete the programme will be awarded the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management (IWFM) Level 3 Diploma in Facilities Management and will also meet the qualifying criteria for Associate Membership of the IWFM.
For further information about this apprenticeship programme - Click Here
Arrow - Take A Bow
Arrow Business Communications has bought European Utility Management (EUM), an Energy broker specialising in property development and management companies. EUM installs electricity and gas connections for temporary builders, landlord and commercial supplies, energy centres and domestic plots. The company also assists clients to minimise costs through bulk purchasing energy and reducing energy consumption. All staff will be retained.
Council Enters Property Market
Hambleton Council, which has the third lowest council tax in the country, is about to approve a £40 million commercial property investment arm, the profits from which will be ploughed back in to services - and in to keeping council tax increases to a minimum. The District Council already generates £600,000 a year by investing its residents money in property schemes. The council aims to be self-sufficient of Government support.
I wonder if the council might be interested in a bit of off-plan development property I've got for sale out in Spain?
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