Smart Meters have been dominating the headlines for months (if not years), so finding someone who hasn’t at least heard or read about them would be difficult.

Currently, the conversation has primarily focused on how they can benefit home owners and occupiers within the residential sector, but has this opportunity been overlooked for small businesses to take advantage of, and keep tabs on their commercial gas usage and electricity usage?

Gardening is the perfect way for children to learn new skills, have fun and to be creative, whatever their age. Studies have also showed that children are more likely to perform better at school, develop healthier eating habits and an interest in the environment and nature when gardening.

There are many ways to encourage children to get involved in gardening, and specialists www.oecogardenrooms.co.uk talk through some of the best ideas below:

With furore building around the initial findings of the BRE report into the Grenfell Tower fire leaked to the London Evening Standard, Bureau Veritas has reiterated the critical importance of specification, construction methods and adherence to building standards in ensuring buildings are constructed correctly and appropriately going forward.  

Home manufacturer Facit Homes has been awarded the UK’s highest accolade for business success, the Queen’s Award for Enterprise 2018 in the ‘Innovation’ category.

Recognised across the world as a mark of excellence, The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are awarded to UK businesses for outstanding achievement in four categories: International Trade, Innovation, Sustainable Development and Promoting Opportunity. Winners are invited to attend a reception at Buckingham Palace later in the year, hosted by HM The Queen.

Technology threatens the safety of employees in the workplace, claims the British Safety Council (BSC). In a recent report entitled Future Risk, the BSC has highlighted the potential risk that new technology and machinery will have on the UK workforce. The report, published by Robertson Cooper on the 21^st of February 2018, urges businesses, trade unions, educators and governments to help make the inevitable introduction of robotics into the workforce as smooth as possible for all parties involved.(1)

From crowd simulation software to geographic information systems, the amount of technology that goes into the design of city spaces is huge. Read on as we explore the tools that designers use in the planning process of building a city.

What management software is used?

Crowd and pedestrian management software is one of the technologies that is used as part of urban planning. It is capable of simulating thousands of people so that they can be imported into digital models of city spaces. The simulated agents can act intelligently according to set guidelines.

Wrightstyle, the leading international supplier of advanced glazing systems, has introduced a new door system that provides 90 minutes of integrity and insulation (EI90).

The new 8050 series of thermally broken fire doors are fully compatible with Wrightstyle’s SR60 curtain walling system, and provide a new level of aesthetic appeal.

The door system is available in either single leaf (1606mm wide x 3062mm high or 1534mm wide x 3222mm high) or double leaf (3102mm wide x 3062mm high or 2958mm wide x 3222mm high).

SPIE UK has been awarded a contract with Tameside Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, at Tameside General Hospital. The work involves the strip out and refurbishment of the Pathology laboratory in New Fountain House and incorporates all new flooring, ceilings, decoration, joinery, fixed furniture, sanitary fittings and mechanical and electrical installations. The contract is worth £534,000, and will take place over a 10-week period that began mid-March.

If your business has a CCTV system in place, you need to prepare for the General Data Protection Regulation — commonly referred to as GDPR. Set to be introduced on the 25^th of May 2018, considering what actions you must take is essential to ensuring your company does not face the tough consequences that have been set out.

You’re currently following the Data Protection Act (DPA), but once GDPR arrives, it will replace DPA and you will have to become GDPR compliant. Even though it is a piece of European Union legislation, it is likely that Britain will adopt this even after Brexit — meaning that your company should be prepared.   

The expansion of towns and cities has seen exponential use of impervious surfaces, resulting in artificially high rainwater runoff rate, posing new challenges to the construction industry. The lack of natural infiltration and incapability of the existing drainage systems to deal with the volume of rainfall is resulting in increased instances of flash flooding and standing water. This has prompted the introduction of Sustainable Urban Drainage System (SuDS) legislations by local authorities. New developments in built up, flood sensitive areas are now required to incorporate some form of SuDS to obtain planning permission. As Malcolm Wearing of CRM Rainwater Drainage explained, SuDS options are limited with a blue roof being, in most instances, the most efficient and cost-effective solution.

• A new way to connect with your smartphone
• Harnesses Panasonic’s unique ‘Light ID’ technology
• Support tool for commercial AC commissioning and maintenance

 Panasonic has unveiled a new app which gives the user instant access to detailed product information, to support quick and informed maintenance of its heating and cooling solutions. The datanavi app, powered by Panasonic’s innovative Light ID technology, delivers essential product information directly to the smart device of the product owner or maintenance professional, allowing them to quickly and easily complete commissioning and maintenance tasks.

New Dublin construction business set to hit a million in its first year

The new branch of a major architectural products supplier, which started trading in Dublin just eight months ago, is on target to hit the €1 million mark in its first year of trading. Vivalda, which is the UK market leader for the supply of cut-to-size cladding and facades for the construction industry, opened its doors in August 2017 and has seen its wide range of products find a receptive market in Ireland.

TÜV SÜD has appointed Brian Austin as its new CEO for the UK & Ireland. He takes over responsibility, from retiring CEO Michael Valente, for seven specialist divisions with a total turnover of £55million.

Carl Meredith is the Managing Director of www.MyJobQuote.co.uk ,that combines technology with manual checks in order to provide users with a choice of affordable quotes from quality tradespeople.

Those working in the trades are often plagued with stereotypes, with media reports of cowboy builders and horror stories abounding via word of mouth, bringing a lot of suspicion to the trade. If you’re a genuine worker, it can be hard to navigate, but if you’re running a business and employing other people, it’s even harder. 

Ashford Borough Council, recognised as one of the most entrepreneurial local authorities in the UK, has adopted a corporate property management strategy to handle its fast-expanding asset portfolio.

The council operates like a business and has already made great strides in transforming from a traditional local authority to become a commercial organisation. Entrepreneurial thinking drives Ashford Borough Council forward as it faces up to delivering services at a time when grant funding from the government will fall to zero by 2019/20.