Fisher German Autumn Newsletter 2017




New properties

 
 
We have some interesting new properties on the market around the country this autumn.
 

Pillerton Hersey, Warwickshire 

An impressive five bedroom farmhouse with stabling, outbuildings and land in 4.9 acres.

Longdon, Staffordshire

A charming and beautifully presented grade II listed 5 bedroom former mill.

Ednaston, Derbyshire

A very special country house.

Malvern, Worcestershire

A beautifully presented and refurbished period detached family home with no onward chain.

Prenton, Merseyside

A substantial 4 bedroom residence set in generous gardens of approx 0.55 acres.

 

For further information contact:

Stuart Flint on 07501 720422 or email here

Alasdair Dunne on 07501 720412 or email here

Visit us on Facebook here



Autumn activities

 
 
Team Building
 
Early autumn has seen two of our sector teams and the Central Operations Group enjoying some great team building sessions.
 
Rural Away Day at Tissington
 
On Tuesday 12 September, the Rural Sector gathered at Tissington Hall in Derbyshire for the 2017 Away Day. The event was well attended and provided a valuable opportunity to catch up with others working within the sector.
 
 
National Utilities & Infrastructure Away Day
 
The NU&I Sector met on Tuesday 19 September at Warwick Racecourse for their Sector Day. The main objectives of the day were to learn something new about the Sector, meet new people and have fun! After lunch the team went to Adventure Sports and fortunately the weather held for a variety of activities including rally carts, archery and 4 x 4 driving.
 
 
Central Operations Group Away Day 
 
Also on 19 September the team spent an afternoon getting to know each other and learning how to make pizza !
 
 
 
 
 
 



LSBUD protects

 
LinesearchbeforeUdig protects Mainline Pipelines Limited high-pressure fuel network.

In collaboration with the land agency and maintenance services provided by Fisher German, Mainline Pipelines Limited has been utilising the LinesearchbeforeUdig (LSBUD) service for over ten years to ensure that third party users can enquire where pipelines are located to ensure the safety of their works.

Mainline Pipelines Limited (MLP) owns and operates an underground high-pressure fuel network across the UK. It has been a member of LinesearchbeforeUdig (LSBUD) for over ten years, which forms a major part of the asset protection strategy.

The pipelines run at extremely high pressure and MLP is keen to ensure that third party users can enquire where pipelines are located to ensure the safety of their works. Every third-party undertaking excavations must know where pipelines are and follow MLP guidance to avoid significant safety implications.

The LSBUD service filters through all the enquiries (over 2 million per annum) received across Great Britain and passes only the relevant enquiries across to MLP. This ensures that all enquiries are initially screened by the service but the MLP administration team at Fisher German only deal with enquiries that are pertinent to the MLP network, saving them significant time and resources.

The Fisher German team dealing with the enquiries can then arrange technicians to attend site meetings or supervise work as necessary. These meetings help the third-party work safely around such important assets.

As part of the small number of encroachment investigations that MLP undertakes when third parties have worked near their pipelines without using LSBUD, MLP strongly recommends LSBUD to the third party as a learning point from each incident. This recommendation ensures that the third party can:

• Integrate LSBUD into their procedures
• Get the added benefits of finding out about other assets that could be within their future work areas belonging to the other 60+ LSBUD members
• Avoid future encroachments.
This cooperative approach from MLP ensures that it is not just the third-party user that benefits but also all the other LSBUD members.
Outcome
• Many more enquiries checked against MLP’s apparatus-now averaging over 150,000 enquiries a month.
• A user-friendly system for third parties to check their works each time to ensure the safety of MLP’s assets and the third party works.
• Filtered responses meaning the administration team only need to deal with those relevant to the MLP network.

Download the full case study here 
 
 
About LSBUD
 
LinesearchbeforeUdig (LSBUD) is a free to use online search service that any individual (“User”) can use to check works against over 60 asset owners’ (“Members”) utility assets. These assets include hundreds of thousands of kilometres of underground and overhead pipes and cables in the electricity, gas, high pressure fuel, water and fibre optic networks. The LSBUD service processes over 2 million enquiries per annum- that’s more than one every 15 seconds.

The service is designed to be used by anyone that needs to know where utility assets (pipes and cables) are in order to work safely. This includes: contractors, excavators, Fencing installers, Groundworkers, Private Individuals, Farmers, Conveyancers and many more.
 
Enquiries can be for simply checking what is there for future requirements or for immediate use, ie for an urgent excavation. Works can be of any scale from a highway scheme to simply replacing a garden fence.

To find out more, visit LSBUD online at www.lsbud.co.uk or call the team on 0845 437 7365
 
Follow us on Twitter @LSBUD
 



Prestigious appointment

We have been appointed to the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) Estates Professional Services framework 

Click here to read Prestigious appointment.



New magazine

Some great items and interesting facts in our latest Fisher German magazine. Read it online here

Click here to read New magazine.



EPC changes

 

Following the implementation of energy performance certificates (EPCs) to residential and non-residential property in recent years, the regulations regarding the letting of property are shortly to be further tightened. We are currently working with clients to prepare them for the forthcoming changes to establish the best approach for their property portfolios.

As energy costs increase, tenants are increasingly taking more notice of a property’s running costs - heating and lighting are inevitably the main focus.  In order to maintain properties and ensure they make a good rental return in the long term, it is important to maintain and improve stock.

With effect from 1 April 2018, the Minimum Energy Efficient Standards (MEES), require a new legal standard for minimum energy efficiency which will apply to rented commercial and residential buildings. To summarise, the main changes can be outlined as follows: 

Residential

  • From 1 of April 2018; unlawful to let a property on a new tenancy in England and Wales with an EPC rating in band F or G, unless the landlord registers an exemption.
  • From 1 of April 2020; unlawful to continue to let a property on an existing tenancy in England and Wales with an EPC rating of F or G, unless the landlord registers an exemption.

Non-Residential (Commercial)

When energy is used to condition the indoor climate of a building i.e. heating or cooling systems.

  • From 1 April 2018; unlawful to let a property on a new tenancy or extension to or a renewal of an existing tenancy in England and Wales with an EPC rating in band F or G, unless the landlord registers an exemption.
  • From 1 April 2023; unlawful to continue to let a property on an existing tenancy in England and Wales with an EPC rating in band F or G, unless the landlord registers an exemption.

Landlords can let a building to which the MEES Regulations apply but which is below the minimum standard if the building qualifies for an exemption.The regulations provide an exemption for situations where the required energy improvements to bring a property rating up to an E or greater would not pay for themselves through energy savings within seven years, the relevant energy efficiency improvements that could be made to the property are likely to reduce the market value of the property by more than 5% or where third party consent is required but has been refused or has been given with conditions with which the landlord cannot reasonably comply.

Properties which qualify for exemption must be registered on the Government’s PRSExemption Register, exemption is for a period of five years, starting from the date on which the exemption is registered, the exemption cannot be transferred to a new Landlord.

This provides some temporary respite from the regulations but with little grant funding available for improvements of this type, review of the legislation is required both to ensure Landlords are not exposed to crippling costs and that any works carried out are appropriate to the character of the building.

Listed Buildings

At present Listed Buildings or buildings within a Conservation Area are not excluded from the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards and therefore an EPC should be obtained when required; although any recommendations in the EPC which would affect the building’s character or appearance would require Listed Building Consent and some will qualify for exemption on the basis of the market value of the property would be significantly affected.

It is prudent to obtain EPCs for property portfolios now in order to appreciate the extent to which your properties comply with the MEES regulations enabling appropriate management decisions to be made in budgeting for the financial cost of upgrading non-compliant buildings and the potential loss of income if a property cannot be let.

For further information, contact -

Julian Mellis 01244 409666 or email here

Neil Hogbin 01530 410841 or email here

 



Planning diversity

Three recent development projects demonstrate the breadth of the team's experience.

Click here to read Planning diversity.



Expertise still in demand

 
 
Despite the challenges faced by the renewable energy industry in light of the closure of the Renewables Obligation (closed to all new generating capacity on 31 March 2017) and continued degression of support levels under the Feed-in Tariff, the demand for high level, independent, expert advice and guidance has not waned.

The Sustainable Energy Team has been busy in recent months giving talks and delivering presentations to the legal and banking sectors, amongst others. Not only have the team helped deliver many hours of CPD (‘Continuing Professional Development’) to non-surveying businesses, by invitation of the RICS they have also imparted knowledge to the wider surveying world.

Of particular interest to those organising the events and delegates attending them has recent changes within the marketplace, new opportunities (most notably the fast-evolving energy storage sector) and specialist topics such as business rate change implications and the valuation of energy assets.

Darren Edwards, Head of the Sustainable Energy Sector comments: “The shape of the UK energy generation landscape has changed dramatically over the last 7.5 years with a profound shift toward a de-centralised, smart grid made up of lots of renewable generators. This has had a huge impact on the property sector and it is therefore very important that stakeholders understand the changes that have taken place and that are likely to take place in the energy market.”

He goes on to add: “We pride ourselves on being the ‘go-to’ firm amongst our professional counterparts for expert advice on the subject of renewable energy and have in recent months presented in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol and Basingstoke to name but a few. Off the back of these presentations we have received some really interesting instructions ranging from litigious expert witness cases to complex energy asset valuations”.

If you feel you or your company would benefit from an update on the renewable energy market, future opportunities, or particular aspects of it, please do not hesitate to contact Darren or one of the Sustainable Energy team.
 
Darren Edwards 01858 411236 or email here
 



Graduate recruitment

Our graduate recruitment programme is now open.

Click here to read Graduate recruitment.



Farm machinery sale

View the catalogue for our upcoming sale on 26 October here.

Click here to read Farm machinery sale.




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