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Wednesday, April 6, 2011
LDP business .co.uk
LIVERPOOL’S INVESTMENT SPECIALISTS
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
location
Liverpool Property Club aims to generate business for region’s firms
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by Alan Robson, managing director, Innov8 Safety Solutions THE Liverpool Property Club held its second event last month at the Noble House restaurant and is proving to be very popular.
Focus on property STEVE GRANT has been appointed as the property relationship director for Barclays Business in the North West. Barclays Business is the business banking arm of Barclays. Based in Manchester, Mr Grant will be responsible for developing the Barclays Business property proposition across the North West, typically focussing on property deals looking to borrow between £500,000 to £3m. He has spent more than 30 years at HSBC.
It was launched by Innov8 Safety Solutions, in partnership with construction consultancy firm Sutcliffe, Todd & Ledson quantity surveyors, and Nobles Construction. There are a lot of networking and business facilitating events in Liverpool and Merseyside, but I and others felt that we wanted to put the focus directly on the property sector. The aim was to create an informal and relaxed event that was specific for businesses and individuals in the property and construction industry. The Liverpool Property Club launched in November with more than 100 professionals and decision makers attending, all from recog-
nised businesses and consultancy firms. It is the aim of the club to develop and facilitate more business leads and deals in the region that will help boost the Merseyside economy. Local firms are overlooked too often when contracts are being handed out for big development projects in the region. We hope to create awareness that whatever job needs doing, there is the talent and ability available within Merseyside – companies do not have to bring in outside contractors and
consultants. With an expanding pool of driven property and construction professionals in Merseyside, this club has the potential to be massive in generating more business, and we have been very pleased with the response so far. Although the Liverpool Property Club is not a strict invitation-only affair, we do try and ensure that those who come along have a specific interest in construction and property. There are already a variety of organisations in Merseyside that offer good general business network-
‘Aim is to
create a formal and relaxed event’
Bulldozers move in at The Heath for demolition job by Tony McDonough
LDP DEPUTY BUSINESS EDITOR tony.mcdonough@liverpool.com
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ing opportunities, and we do not wish to become another of these. To keep the interest of the professionals in our sector, it is important that we distinguish ourselves and do not dilute what we are doing. We are also aiming to hold the event each quarter to keep it fresh and innovative. We are all members of various business organisations, and I hope that the Liverpool Property Club can establish itself and at the same time work in harmony alongside these organisations. ■ EMAIL me for more information: alan@innov8safety solutions.com
Helen Schoelzel overseeing the demolition work of Block 7 at The Heath, in Runcorn
DEMOLITION work has started on a 50-year-old science block at Runcorn’s Heath Business and Technical Park. The three-storey Block 7 at the park is being demolished to make way for the development of up to 180,000 sq ft of additional office and laboratory space. As many as 25 workers have been on site each day since last July, stripping out more than 50,000 sq ft of accommodation in the old building. The redevelopment will see the workforce at The Heath increase from 2,000 to 3,000 over the next few years. Work on the demolition is expected to last for a further six weeks. Helen Schoelzel, SOG’s safety, health and environment manager, said: “Having started to clear the building last July, it’s great to now move on to the main demolition phase. “We’ve had to contend with some terrible weather during the process but with everything on schedule we would expect the site to be cleared, levelled and ready for turfing next month.” Ms Schoelzel is SOG’s project manager and has overseen and co-ordinated the demolition process. As part of the demolition, the team has also had to deal with routine removal of chemical and asbestos hazards – posing no risk to the public. The Heath served as a headquarters for chemicals giant ICI until its rebirth as a business and technical park. Ms Schoelzel has personally provided specialist chemical hazard training to around 40 men from asbestos removal contractor EDS, whose personnel have played a key part in the process. Adrian Kelly, managing director of Windmill Group (UK), which has provided personnel for the project, said: “The operation has been high risk and proved to be a challenge, but good communication, programming and team management have been the key to the success we have achieved.” In recent years, Block 7 has served as part of The Heath’s research and technology department, acting as home to as many as 10 of the 175 diverse companies and organisations now based on site. The Block’s residents were relocated elsewhere on The Heath ahead of the demolition process.