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

NEW GOVERNMENT: RE-THINK “10% RENEWABLES” PLANNING RULES

MCBAINS COOPER

PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANCY

PRESS RELEASE

May 10, 2010.

NEW GOVERNMENT: RE-THINK “10% RENEWABLES” PLANNING RULES.

Property and construction consultancy McBains Cooper says the next government should look carefully at its planning permission “renewables” policy to prove its true understanding of the issue - and drive down the cost of green energy.

Current planning permission regulations dictate that new-builds must include design and construction features that generate at least 10% of their energy needs from on-site renewable energy equipment.

But Anthony Coumidis, Sustainability and Energy Director of McBains Cooper, says that in the vast majority of cases, moving the renewable energy generating equipment away from the building to which it is contributing power will generate even greater efficiencies.

“Investing, say, £250,000 in wind turbines that turn for 50% of the time on a city centre building will not yield as much power per unit of investment compared with an identically-costed development in an area where higher and more consistent wind speeds occur 75% of the time.

“Furthermore, unless the 10% renewables rule is enforced for the life of the building, commercially-challenged building owners will neglect energy generating equipment to the extent that after only a few years it may well have failed completely – but if the farm is centrally owned and maintained, then efficiencies will grow rather than fall.

“We live and learn, or, in our case, we design and help construct and we learn – and we’re learning that there are potentially better and more cost-efficient ways to generate renewable or green energy; and that’s not necessarily down to technology.

“We believe that instead of every new building having to generate 10% of its energy needs from on-site renewable energy equipment, each one should be assessed on its own merits.

“Some new buildings simply do not offer the highest possible return on investment in energy equipment, primarily because of their location.

“Wind speeds in city centres are, on average, far lower than on a coastline, so wind turbines will not run at their optimum, and low-rise buildings constructed in the shadow of bigger buildings may not benefit from efficient solar power generation.

“We would propose that developers take the proportion of budget they would have spent on renewables in a new-build and that it is contributed to a central fund which buys into much bigger and efficient wind, wave or solar power farms.

“This could be viewed as the green efficiency difference between 20 school-run cars and a school bus with its own bus lane. One has 20 build and design costs, and stops and starts – the other has one design cost, an economy-of-scale build cost and runs consistently and efficiently,” said Anthony Coumidis.

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

FIRST MULTI-MILLION POUND DUAL POLICE AUTHORITY PFI INITIATIVE CLOSED BY MCBAINS COOPER.

MCBAINS COOPER

PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANCY

PRESS RELEASE

March 31, 2010.

FIRST MULTI-MILLION POUND DUAL POLICE AUTHORITY PFI INITIATIVE CLOSED BY MCBAINS COOPER.

Property and construction consultancy McBains Cooper, working with the Justice Support Services (JSS) consortium, has secured financial close on a £60m contract to provide six new Police Investigation Centres (PICs) for Norfolk and Suffolk Police Authorities.

This follows the approval of the final business case by the Home Office.

The JSS Consortium comprises Reliance Secure Task Management Ltd, Kier Project Investment Ltd and Lloyds Banking Group.  Funded largely by central government, the initiative will run for a 30-year term.

The PICs will be located at King’s Lynn, Aylsham, Wymondham, Great Yarmouth, Bury St. Edmunds and Ipswich where they will accommodate custody, detainee processing and administration functions.

Commenting on the complexities of reaching financial close on the first PFI project of its kind, Mark Leeson, director at McBains Cooper said: “This is the first PFI procurement in the police service to have been undertaken jointly by two Police Authorities together.

“It’s great to have secured financial close on such a complex project, especially as we had to liaise concurrently with six different local planning authorities, as well multiple stakeholders and interested parties for the six sites which are dispersed widely over two counties.

“While all the buildings have been designed around a common functional layout to encourage operational efficiency and familiarity for the two forces that will be using them, each building has been sympathetically adapted to meet the particular needs of its location. We have used a ‘kit of parts’ approach to the development of the design, where each site solution has used that kit in a different way to respond to aspects such as access, orientation, colour, existing landscape features, ecological concerns, as well relationships with neighbouring buildings. Each PIC will achieve BREEAM “Very Good” by using ground source heat pumps.”

Three of the developments will comprise 30 cells, two will include 24 cells and one of the buildings is an eight cell development.

Phil Townsend, a director of Justice Support Services said: “These centres will enhance Norfolk and Suffolk Police Authorities’ ability to deliver efficient and effective 21^st century policing to the public, improve the working conditions of the staff, and allow them to optimise operational practices and procedures.”

McBains Cooper is providing a full interdisciplinary service including architecture, structural and civil engineering, mechanical and electrical engineering services as well as CDM, sustainability and cost management to the scheme.

The Police Investigation Centres are due to become operational in 2011.

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

STL LAUNCHES GREEN CONSULTANCY SERVICE FOR RETAILERS AND MANUFACTURERS.

SHIRLEY TECHNOLOGIES

TEXTILE TESTING

PRESS RELEASE

March 8, 2010.

STL LAUNCHES GREEN CONSULTANCY SERVICE FOR RETAILERS AND MANUFACTURERS.

Shirley Technologies (STL), one of the world’s leading textile testing laboratories, has launched a specialist green (ecological) manufacturing consultancy service.

STL says that significant numbers of manufacturers and retailers are still embracing false economies by buying and trading in cheaper-to-make non-green products to sell on to consumers and businesses alike.

But it also says that local authorities are, in the main, recognising that ecologically sound products and services can be as economical to buy and use as the cheapest non-green.

“Many companies and organisations, as well as some local authorities, still don’t fully understand green issues and influences, because their suppliers will skew the message according to the ecological and environmental soundness of their products,” said Asif Shah of STL.

“We are a completely independent organisation, and as well as carrying out general textile testing we have a growing team of specialists who deal with ecological issues. We also conduct and compile research giving indications of how consumers react and respond to companies who pretend to be ecologically sound, or who use their green credentials to charge higher prices.

“Our scientists and specialists won’t just tell businesses whether they are producing or supplying sound green products or services, they can look at the full extent of green issues: tax liabilities, environmental penalties, cheaper green production processes, and compliance with international standards for ethically sound manufacture.

“Most companies or organisations who address the whole range of green issues can expect to save money.”

STL is the UK associate of www.madeingreen.com, a not-for-profit organisation which certifies that products, throughout the supply chain, are traceable and have been manufactured in factories that respect the environment and the universal rights of workers.

Businesses and organisations unsure of the ethical potential of their sourcing or manufacturing processes should be consulting Shirley Technologies www.shirleytech.co.uk.

“Green manufacturing processes are developing and progressing so quickly that retailers and manufacturers have a duty to stay on top of progress, and, in some cases, may find they are close or at the point at which green makes more business sense than cheap,” said Asif Shah.

“Ethical and organic food production and processing has moved from being viewed as somewhat oddball to now being accepted mainstream – textiles are a few years behind, but moving in the same direction.”

For more information:

Press Relations

Iain Macauley / Megan Codling

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

mb: 07788 978800 / 07795 848586

About Shirley Technologies

Shirley Technologies Ltd (STL) is a UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service) accredited laboratory providing competitive, independent, expert textile testing, certification, advisory and investigation services across the traditional and specialist textile industries.

STL is an independent subsidiary of BTTG Ltd, formerly the British Textile Technology Group. With more than 80 years experience, Shirley Technologies Ltd provides unrivalled and expert reassurance through its technical services to a global network of clients which include manufacturers, retailers, the legal profession, police, consumers and related interest groups including Trading Standards. Highly qualified and experienced technical staff work directly with clients to ensure that they receive the best advice and service in a wide range of technical areas.