MAKE GREEN EXCITING – AND WATCH CASH GROW FROM TREES.

MCBAINS COOPER

PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANCY

PRESS RELEASE

January 13, 2012.

MAKE GREEN EXCITING – AND WATCH CASH GROW FROM TREES.

Britain is in danger of taking its eye off the sustainability ball because of the distractions of dealing with the daily pressures of UK economic turmoil – but green could still be the big cash generator of 2012.

“I think there is a very real risk that we will let short-term economic policy move us further behind Europe, and will prevent us from moving further up the global league table of nations driving innovation in sustainable initiatives,” said Mark Leeson, director of property and construction consultancy McBains Cooper.

“There is currently a vast UK estate of not-green-enough commercial property which could be a huge and sudden generator of cash for both the construction sector and building owners: it’s staring us in the face.

“Around three-quarters of today’s commercial property will still be in use by 2020 – and future-proofing them by driving efficiencies through green enhancements could yield 15% on investment values, and raise tenant income by 5%, while also benefitting from green tax incentives. There are also obvious advantages in terms of branding, perceived quality of building and benefits for occupants in terms of health and wellbeing.”

Campbell Devine of McBains Cooper said: “You don’t have to get the calculator out to work out the potential revenue increases and tax benefits by making even just a fraction of the UK’s commercial property more green.

“With the introduction of FITs (Feed-In Tariffs) and RHI (Renewable Heat Incentive) there is a business case for even the most demanding investors to embrace green initiatives when retrofitting buildings. Cash can grow from trees.

“The issue is perhaps the legacy of an over-complicated planning approval system, and a lack of a sense of clarity amongst commercial property owners: but things are changing fast, particularly with emphasis on carbon reduction rather than sustainable electricity generation.

“What we need is an injection of excitement into the green construction agenda: a penny-dropping moment when it hits investors that a green approach can move bank accounts out of the red and into the black. For impact, that injection needs to come out of the blue: a concisely-delivered ‘sustainability information bomb’ aimed at investors, and which highlights the brutal cash benefits of future-proofing property.

“‘Green enhancement’ and ‘better green credentials’ often improves tenant quality, occupancy levels, reduces sick leave and increases capital values and the sale-ability of any property. There’s also a growing club of investors who are snapping up older but well-let properties, and which have potential for rejuvenation and retro-fit, providing a contrast to risky new development caught by the potential impasse as the Government considers its position in relation to changes to the planning system.”

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

07788 978800 im@pressrelations.co.uk

www.mcbainscooper.com

Notes.

McBains Cooper

McBains Cooper is an inter-discipline consultancy, specialising in property, infrastructure and construction, offering a wide range of consulting and design services including architectural, aesthetic or technical design, problem solving, budget management, facilities management, health and safety, sustainability consultancy and on-the-ground civil engineering. Driving and supporting projects ranging from minor works to major contracts worth more than £100 million, McBains Cooper operates across a variety of sectors throughout the UK, Europe and Latin America. McBains Cooper is committed to environmental, social and economic sustainable development and their integrated approach means they deliver effective, award-winning solutions to their clients. The Group employs 150 people. McBains Cooper has regional headquarters in London (head office), Glasgow, Manchester, Oxford, Windsor, Athens, Lima (Peru), Miami and Mexico, with associate offices in Belfast and Dublin. www.mcbainscooper.com

BRIBERY ACT COULD BRING DOWN A BUSINESS OR PROPERTY DEAL FOR THE PRICE OF A PINT.

BIRCHAM DYSON BELL LLP,

SOLICITORS

PRESS RELEASE

January 17, 2011.

BRIBERY ACT COULD BRING DOWN A BUSINESS OR DEAL FOR THE PRICE OF A PINT.

The forthcoming Bribery Act 2010, due on the statute books in April 2011, could bring down a property business or deal for the price of a pint.

Michael Parker, Head of Real Estate at law firm Bircham Dyson Bell, says that the range of potential “offences” under the Act is so vast and subjective that it could even generate acts of entrapment between competitors.

Companies, he says, now need to start thinking about “super-pre-emptive governance and training” to prevent exposure to bribery allegation and accusation.

“They will also need to carefully consider joint venture partners on any deal as their activities will also become their responsibility under this Act,” said Michael Parker.

“This is a very difficult scenario for all businesses. There is no escape or excuse for a business unaware of an employee considered to be offering, accepting or soliciting advantage, but then again company policy and culture may mean there is a business development budget employees are encouraged to use in the networking process but which is seen or defined as a bribery budget by another firm, or a competitor.

“The property deal may be worth many millions of pounds with correspondingly high fees, but the Act provides for the offering, promising, giving, requesting, agreeing to receive or accepting an advantage – so even buying somebody a pint or glass or wine might be seen by a malicious deal influencer, a malicious observer or a malicious competitor as an attempt to bribe. Fundamentally, it could create the opportunity for entrapment because the issue is intent.

“The key question is where does hospitality end and bribery begin?

“The property sector thrives on networking; it is so massively competitive, and good deals are so scarce, that networking has always been a crucial element not just in terms of identifying and driving deals, but also driving the UK economy.

“The question is whether buying somebody a pint or glass of wine as part of the networking process might be seen as a bribe; if the relationship is new or strained or there is animosity, then it might be considered offensive; but then not hosting a closing dinner involving partner businesses may be seen as equally offensive. It’s all subjective.

“However, ironically, I would say that next to no property deals are influenced by the simple act of paying for a round of drinks, a dinner, a night out or a day at the races. Deals are started with personal or corporate chemistry, concluded on professional performance, and celebrated vigorously given the highly stressful and challenging nature of driving through sometimes complicated and expensive property deals. At least two of those stages might be construed as being open to influence through the offering or acceptance of advantage.

“The Act says a commercial organisation will be guilty if a person associated with it bribes another person to obtain or retain business or a business advantage for the organisation.

“The offence is a strict liability offence so a company can be guilty even if no-one within the company knew of the ‘bribery’. In addition, senior managers and directors can be held personally liable under the Act for offences committed by the commercial organisation if they are found to have consented to or connived in the commission of a bribery offence.

“So, somebody buys somebody else a drink in the hope of establishing a relationship, a manager signs off the expenses claim, but the ‘somebody else’ takes offence and complains they were subject to a bribery attempt.

“The ‘offence’ could be genuine or trumped up, but the person it is claimed is offering or accepting advantage could find themselves at least suspended – thereby potentially impacting upon the operations of the company as a whole.

“Under the Act the maximum penalty for all the offences except the offence relating to commercial organisations has been increased to 10 years imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine for individuals. Commercial organisations that fail to prevent bribery face an unlimited fine. Apart from the financial penalties, a successful prosecution under the Act could leave a company permanently debarred from tendering for public sector contracts and also with serious reputational damage from the adverse publicity.

“Guidance from the Secretary of State is to be given, but as always it will be the courts who decide if the organisation had adequate procedures in place. More bureaucracy is possible.

“There’s always a tipping point. Could something as mundane as a pint of beer could be it?”

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

07788 978800

im@pressrelations.co.uk

www.bdb-law.co.uk

CONSTRUCTION: GOVERNMENT MUST DRIVE COST SAVING AND QUALITY TO DRIVE RECOVERY, SAYS MCBAINS COOPER CEO.

MCBAINS COOPER

PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANCY

PRESS RELEASE

October 25, 2010.

CONSTRUCTION: GOVERNMENT MUST DRIVE COST SAVING AND QUALITY TO DRIVE RECOVERY, SAYS MCBAINS COOPER CEO.

Watch video interview.

A senior figure in the property and construction professional consultancy sector is warning both the government and the building industry not to cut corners on quality as it battles to cut costs to the bone following the Comprehensive Spending Review.

Michael Thirkettle, Chief Executive of McBains Cooper, the international property and construction consultancy, says the government should be investigating, understanding and driving the proven-efficient inter-disciplinary approach to government-funded building projects to help match or even exceed its cash saving plans.

“The government is looking for savings everywhere, but while there are some very good top-line ideas, the key is to ensuring specialists – with specialist understanding – drill down and get to grips with where efficiencies can be driven without compromising quality,” said Michael Thirkettle.

“I believe many building and construction projects shelved by the government could be resurrected, with cost efficiencies identified, allowing those projects to be delivered to precisely the standard envisaged at brief stage, but to the same high quality.

“Where does the money come from? Through savings identified and driven in projects which have been given the green light, and where the inter-disciplinary approach can be applied equally effectively.

“While it is driving austerity measures following the CSR, the government should recognise the benefits to be gained by balancing cost-saving with maintenance of quality – and Ministers, even with a reduced level of investment in public sector building projects, can still influence that balance.

“The market needs and requires an inter-d approach to achieve cost savings and efficiencies, but also to maintain the quality of the product over the next three to five years.”

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

07788 978800

im@pressrelations.co.uk

www.mcbainscooper.com

Notes.

McBains Cooper

McBains Cooper is an inter-discipline consultancy, specialising in property, infrastructure and construction, offering a wide range of consulting and design services including architectural, aesthetic or technical design, problem solving, budget management, facilities management, health and safety, sustainability consultancy and on-the-ground civil engineering. Driving and supporting projects ranging from minor works to major contracts worth more than £100 million, McBains Cooper operates across a variety of sectors throughout the UK, Europe and Latin America. McBains Cooper is committed to environmental, social and economic sustainable development and their integrated approach means they deliver effective, award-winning solutions to their clients. The Group employs 150 people. McBains Cooper has regional headquarters in London (head office), Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Oxford, Windsor, Lima (Peru) and Mexico City, with associate offices in Belfast and Dublin. www.mcbainscooper.com

A COOL GREEN HOT SOLUTION AND A QUIET SUCCESS FOR ADDENBROOKE’S HOSPITAL

MCBAINS COOPER

PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANCY

PRESS RELEASE

September 15, 2010.

A COOL GREEN HOT SOLUTION AND A QUIET SUCCESS FOR ADDENBROOKE’S HOSPITAL.

They may look like regular flats and apartments, but the four buildings at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge conceal structural and design features unique to the demands and lifestyle of the residents – and have the potential to massively influence the local economy.

The Oxford-based team at international property and construction consultancy McBains Cooper was commissioned to manage the £20 million, 292 apartment, Sanctuary Housing Association project – but the team had a particularly challenging brief: a very tight window to complete the work, and unique issues relating to demands on hot water systems and sound insulation.

“First, this was a two year project that had to be delivered in 18 months come-what-may because the hospital needed to bring in healthcare professionals fast – and keep them there; second, we had to design in a number of unusual elements to cater for the work cycle of the residents – who are all doctors or nurses,” said Jo Churchill of McBains Cooper.

“The medical staff work in shifts, and those shifts change at times when normal residential properties would be quiet – so there are huge peaks of demand on the building’s systems at unusual times, for example, the need for large volumes of hot water in the middle of the afternoon or early hours of the morning when dozens or more people run baths or showers at the same time.

“The solution was to ditch the normal central heating boiler-based system, and to heat water through solar panels and feed it into large tanks where it was kept hot – this also helped achieve the 10% renewables requirement.

“The next issue was noise: the last thing an exhausted medical professional needs after a double shift is to suffer broken sleep, so we had to pay particular attention to the acoustic qualities of the building.

“This we achieved by modular manufacturing most of the building off site – which also helped address the time constraints – and by bringing in special twin wall panels from Germany, which were then filled with extremely high density concrete.

“At each stage of the development of these wall panels we consulted acoustic specialists who assessed the likely effectiveness of this sound-deadening to ensure that it was as efficient as possible, and which makes these flats amongst the quietest of their type in the world.

“Finally, in a city like Cambridge, where it is very difficult to find centrally-located accommodation for key workers, the whole project has a potentially much bigger impact – it has brought in hundreds of people, and this will clearly have an effect on the local economy.

“And as such, this type of development clearly has massively positive implications for other towns and cities that need centrally-located accommodation for key workers, and need it fast.”

Michael Thirkettle, Chief Executive of McBains Cooper, said: “What the team has achieved – director Zaki Ghiacy, Kevin Conlon, Peter O’Rourke and Jo Churchaill – should not be underestimated: every possible challenge was thrown at them: design, planning, technical and timescale, and they delivered magnificently.”

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley / Chris Fowler

07788 978800 / 07719 172225

im@pressrelations.co.uk / cf@pressrelations.co.uk www.mcbainscooper.com

Notes.

McBains Cooper

McBains Cooper is an inter-discipline consultancy, specialising in property, infrastructure and construction, offering a wide range of consulting and design services including architectural, aesthetic or technical design, problem solving, budget management, facilities management, health and safety, sustainability consultancy and on-the-ground civil engineering. Driving and supporting projects ranging from minor works to major contracts worth more than £100 million, McBains Cooper operates across a variety of sectors throughout the UK, Europe and Latin America. McBains Cooper is committed to environmental, social and economic sustainable development and their integrated approach means they deliver effective, award-winning solutions to their clients. The Group employs 150 people. McBains Cooper has regional headquarters in London (head office), Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Oxford, Windsor, Lima (Peru) and Mexico City, with associate offices in Belfast and Dublin. www.mcbainscooper.com

CONGLETON: BECKY SIMPSON PROMOTED TO EQUITY MEMBER AT SAS DANIELS LLP.

SAS DANIELS LLP SOLICITORS

PRESS RELEASE

June 3, 2010.

CONGLETON: BECKY SIMPSON PROMOTED TO EQUITY MEMBER AT SAS DANIELS LLP.

Photo available.

Becky Simpson, one of the North West’s most experienced commercial property lawyers, has been promoted to equity member at SAS Daniels LLP - Becky is based at the firm’s Congleton office.

Becky, 37, joined SAS Daniels in 1995 as a trainee solicitor and, having qualified in 1997, left the firm but returned in 2002 with a wealth of experience in commercial property work.  Becky was promoted to partner in 2006 and took up the role of head of commercial property in 2008.

“Becky’s promotion to equity member recognises her experience and knowledge of the region’s commercial property market, including landlord and tenant matters, sales and acquisitions and acting on behalf of lending institutions,” said Nigel Haddon, Managing Partner of SAS Daniels LLP.

“The market place has been tough, but Becky has managed the commercial property team through the economic downturn, and her hard work and experience is paying dividends.

“The team has seen an upturn in the last three months and confidence appears to be growing in the North West commercial property marketplace once again.”

When not at work, Becky enjoys spending her spare time with her family which includes two young children, and keeps fit by swimming and occasional aerobic classes.

SAS Daniels LLP solicitors has offices in Stockport, Macclesfield, Chester, Congleton and Bramhall and employs 140 people.

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley or Megan Codling

07788 978800 / 07795 848586

im@pressrelations.co.uk / mc@pressrelations.co.uk / www.sasdaniels.co.uk