Scotland’s housing market continues to boom with prices reaching unprecedented levels, so perhaps this is a good time to put your home on the market. Maybe you have made your own home a showplace and installed lots of new features to make it special.
But hang on a minute: did your secure permission from your local authority’s building control department for any of the structural changes you may have made?
For the fact is that many types of building work require permission from building control before they get under way. And any unauthorised building work could easily stop a prospective buyer from completing their purchase of your home.
Over the years, we have helped thousands of homeowners and clients with building consent issues which can often be the tipping point for a transaction completing or being derailed.
Here are some examples of works that are regularly carried out without local authority consent.
• Solid Roof installed on a conservatory
o This is a common alteration often touted as cheap and effective solutions to make a conservatory usable all year round. A ‘conservatory’, however, is a defined term in the Building (Scotland) regulation 2004 and requires a certain percentage of the walls and roof to be translucent.
o When a solid roof is installed, there is typically no translucent material left in the roof and the structure ceases to be a ‘conservatory’ and is now a full blown ‘extension’ and subject to the full force of the regulations in a way conservatories have never been designed to be.
o This can create a wealth of issues around thermal efficiency, daylighting, and structural integrity. Our reporting and drawings teams can assist in highlighting and rectifying these issues.
• W/C installed in ground floor cupboard
o Often under the stairs, or tucked away in a small space, a downstairs W/C is often considered an excellent addition to a home and has the added benefit of normally being exempt from the requirement to obtain a building warrant (although there are circumstances where this isn’t true so it should always be checked out).
o But exemption from a building warrant is only half the story. A report will also highlight compliance with the technical standards and all too often a small ground floor W/C will fail to meet the accessibility and ventilation standards required for a ground floor W/C.
o While it is often difficult to resolve the issue of space for a W/C, a report can provide comfort that no Building Warrant was required and, aside from the issue of space, the works comply with the remaining requirements.
• Removal of window and wall and installation of French Doors
o Another common alteration, often to rear windows in lounges or dining spaces to open a home into the garden. Sometimes taken to not need consent as they normally won’t alter structure, but regardless of structural alteration, the works alter an external wall so will need a building warrant.
o We see this alteration on a weekly basis and nine times out of ten the doors themselves are fine but the associated work such as trickle ventilation and the steps/platforms between the house and garden are in need of remedial works.
o A report can highlight these issues at the start of the process and allow for applications and remedial works to be carried out in tandem, saving time and money.
DM Hall’s reporting service can assist where there are unauthorised works, by clearly identifying the works, confirming if they required a building warrant, or if they fall into the list of exempt categories, and also advise if the works comply with the technical standards, allowing identification of potential remedial works to happen earlier and be resolved quicker.
Our team has over 20 years of experience and is prepared to assist with any building consent query. Where works require a warrant, we can assist with preparation of architectural drawings and submission to the local council to see the situation resolved to everyone’s satisfaction. As well as Building Warrants we can also advise on the requirements for Planning Permission and Listed Building Consent.
If you have any queries about this service or are looking to bring your house to market and are concerned about potential local council consent problems don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.
With 24 offices and over 250 members of staff including 25 Partners, DM Hall this year celebrates 125 years since its foundation in 1897.
On Tuesday 9 August, thousands of young people across Scotland will receive the results for their Nationals, Highers, Advanced Highers, National Progression Awards, Skills for Work Awards, National Certificates and Awards.
These results will allow young people to take the next step on their learning journey; either continuing at school, moving on to college or university, or entering employment or a workplace-based training programme.
All learners will have their results certificate delivered to their home address by first class post on Tuesday 9 August. Those who have signed-up for and activated their MySQA account will also receive their results by text and/or email the same morning.
If learners do not receive their certificate with their post, they can contact their school, college or training provider, who can provide results and work with SQA to find out what has happened to the certificate.
On Results Day, SQA will open its helpline at 8am to answer learners’ questions about their certificates. Young people can also call Skills Development Scotland to speak to dedicated careers advisors about the options that are available to them.
This year, Scotland has returned to formal national exams, supported by a package of measures (course modifications and revision support, as well as wider support from across the education system). These measures were designed to address the ongoing disruption to learning and teaching that young people experienced, while maintaining standards.
In addition, SQA has adopted a more generous approach to grading to help ensure fairness for learners. This is in recognition of the fact that those preparing for and sitting exams have done so in very different circumstances from those who sat exams in 2019, having experienced disruption to their learning over two academic years.
Learners can be confident that the qualifications they receive are credible and fair, and that they reflect the knowledge, understanding and skills they have acquired through their hard work in very challenging circumstances. Colleges, universities and employers, can also be confident that standards and integrity have been maintained in 2022.
Young people can also appeal their grade for National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher courses directly through SQA for free. Learners can appeal if their final result is lower than the grade their school, college or training provider expected. While the final decision is the candidate’s, SQA would encourage anyone considering submitting an appeal to discuss their decision with their teacher, lecturer or other member of staff first.
Priority appeals are available for learners who have a conditional offer for a college or university place or for a training or employment offer and must be submitted to SQA by Friday 19 August. All other appeals must be submitted by Friday 2 September. Full details on eligibility and how to register an appeal can be found at www.sqa.org.uk/appeals and a copy of SQA’s Appeals 2022 – what you need to know booklet has been delivered to the homes of all learners taking National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher courses.
Donna Gray, SQA Liaison Manager, said: “I want to thank candidates throughout Edinburgh for their hard work and dedication in preparing for and sitting their exams and assessments. Learners can have confidence in their grades and be proud of what they have accomplished.
“I also want to thank all the teaching and support staff who have gone to exceptional lengths to support learners and help them achieve their results. It is thanks to them that candidates are able to reach their full potential.
“I encourage anyone who has any queries or needs advice come Results Day, to call the helplines where dedicated members of staff will be happy to help and guide you.”
SQA’s Candidate Advice Line will be available on Results Day from 8am to 6pm, then Wednesday 10 August to Tuesday 16 August (excluding weekends) from 8:30am to 5pm. The line can be reached on 0345 279 1000.
Skills Development Scotland can be contacted on 0808 100 8000 and will be open from 8am to 8pm on Tuesday 9 August and Wednesday 10 August. It will be open 9am to 5pm from Thursday 11 August to Wednesday 17 August, excluding weekends.
More information is available online at www.sqa.org.uk/results.
— New solar array reduces bottling plant’s national grid reliance by one-third —
The Glenmorangie Company has installed a new solar array at its bottling plant in Livingston, as part of a significant eight-figure investment in its operations, which will reduce its current on-site energy consumption by 30 per cent.
The 1,476 panels cover the majority of the building’s roof, allowing Glenmorangie to generate its own renewable energy, delivering significant savings and at the same time reducing its carbon footprint.
It forms part of the company’s overarching sustainable strategy to achieve net zero carbon by 2040. The installation has been carried out by West Lothian based DB Group, in partnership with Emtec Energy. The DB Group will offer energy management support as The Glenmorangie Company continues to reduce energy consumption and works towards its green targets.
The Company’s purpose-built Livingston site was opened in 2011. As global demand grows for both its Glenmorangie and Ardbeg Single Malt Whiskies the Company is doubling capacity at its bottling plant through an expansion due to complete in 2023. The solar array forms part of that development.
Michael Scotland, Facilities and Projects Director at Glenmorangie, said: “We’re putting sustainability at the heart of the expansion of our Alba bottling plant. Our capacity will be increasing with new high-speed lines being installed over the coming year. At the same time, we have installed solar panels to reduce our current reliance on the national grid. This also gives us a clear pathway to maximise green energy across our site as we work towards our sustainability targets.”
Peter Nelson, Operations Director at Glenmorangie, added: “The Glenmorangie Company has ambitious plans for growth while we are fully committed to building a sustainable future for our business and communities across Scotland. We have key projects already in motion or completed at our sites including the solar array at Livingston, the installation of an anaerobic digestion plant in Tain as part of our Dornoch Environmental Enhancement Project (DEEP). We also continue to work in partnership with other Distilleries on new hydrogen energy trials with many more projects in the pipeline to achieve our 2040 net zero ambition.
The firm has advised the global alternative asset manager on the acquisition of one of the largest integrated solar developers in the UK
Burges Salmon has advised the infrastructure fund of ICG, the global alternative asset manager, on its acquisition of British Solar Renewables (BSR), one of the largest integrated solar developers in the UK.
ICG manages and invests capital on behalf of their clients by developing long-term and resilient relationships that deliver sustainable value. With more demand than ever for renewable energy sources, ICG aims to help companies scale their business as a shareholder committed to funding renewables.
Located in Somerset, British Solar Renewables was one of the first developers of solar photovoltaic in the UK. Since inception in 2011, BSR has successfully developed, built, and operated nearly 1 GW of solar and energy storage plants in the UK to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and has strong expansion plans to build and operate solar & storage assets in the UK. As part of its new partnership, ICG will support BSR’s growth from a developer to a leading Integrated Power Producer within the UK with the aim to have over 1.5GW of renewable capacity in operation in the next 5 years, equivalent to powering 375,000 homes.
The Burges Salmon team advising on the deal was led by Corporate partner Jonathan Eves and Projects partner Ross Fairley, alongside director Alex Lloyd, senior associate Amy Carr and associate Martin Davidson (all from the firm’s Corporate team).
Jonathan Eves comments: “This transaction marks another significant step forward in ICG’s journey. Working with them throughout is part of our commitment to not only supporting our clients with expertise, but also supporting the UK in delivering renewable energy solutions that will help towards the UK’s Net Zero emissions target.”
The remarkable and inspiring story of how over 11,000 ventilators were delivered to the NHS in just four months from start to finish, has been written for the first time by Penlon and SGS. Penlon is the Oxfordshire based medical device manufacturer which led the Ventilator Challenge UK Consortium in the battle to save the lives of COVID-19 victims.
In a way, the challenge – laid down by the British government a week before the UK’s first lockdown – was not dissimilar to that which had spawned the formation of the company almost 80 years previously. The company now known as Penlon was established during World War 2 in response to a different kind of urgent, live-saving request … for an accurate, lightweight chloroform vaporiser to drop to British airborne forces fighting in Europe.
Penlon quickly took the lead in the Consortium because of its pedigree, range of relevant certifications and existing, proven AV-S anaesthesia ventilator which could be modified for the purpose. However, the medical device sector is one of the most tightly regulated, and Penlon was also able to demonstrate its familiarity with regulations and ability to engage effectively with both regulators and its Notified Body SGS to achieve compliance in an unprecedented timescale.
Further complexity was added by the number and diversity of Consortium Partners, a fundamental change to one of the required standards and updates to specification of the ESO 2 ventilator necessitated by results of on-patient clinical trials and mutations in the virus itself. A later NHS requirement to repurpose the devices for use in operating theatres and intensive care units to cope with the backlog in semi-elective surgeries, demanded a different certification: the new UKCA mark.
Working closely with SGS and partners in sectors as diverse as F1 teams to freight companies and aircraft builders to other medical device manufacturers, Penlon achieved the seemingly impossible, helping the NHS save countless lives.
London North Eastern Railway (LNER) announces the final call for entries to its FutureLabs 2022 programme – the third cohort of its industry-leading accelerator that is committed to solving rail passenger pain points through new digital technologies.
To help tackle these industry-wide challenges, the FutureLabs 3.0 team is looking for ambitious startups and SMEs to join its 12-week programme where they will receive mentoring and funding opportunities to develop and scale-up technology solutions that address them. This latest Future Labs application round is seeing the strongest interest from start-ups than previous years with time limited for those wishing to take part before the deadline for entries.
Danny Gonzalez, Chief Digital and Innovation Officer at LNER, said: “LNER has already established a reputation as a pioneer in digital innovation to improve the onboard experience, by transforming the whole journey from booking to boarding. This committed approach has been pivotal in LNER leading the rail industry in attracting the highest rate of passengers returning to rail in the past year.
“We are incredibly proud to launch FutureLabs 3.0 to continue disrupting the supply chain and driving game-changing partnerships. This year’s challenges will continue our vision of using technology to improve the rail experiences for our customers, as well as deliver more efficient and sustainable travel.”
The FutureLabs 3.0 challenges include:
1. Encouraging rail travel: Showing passengers that rail is the transport mode of choice by making it even more enjoyable and seamless than ever before.
2. Creating a more sustainable railway: to help rail achieve NetZero by 2050.
3. Cultivating a safe and secure railway: Rail travel is for everyone. LNER is looking for ways to deliver an even safer travelling environment for all.
4. Exploring future tech: As an industry leader in innovation, LNER is always looking for cutting edge teams that collaborate to apply and push technology in rail to the next level.
Successful applicants will have the opportunity to develop and pitch their concept to senior management at LNER. Previous iterations of the FutureLabs programme have been pivotal in demonstrating how technology can make train journeys better for the customer. The first launch of FutureLabs led to LNER’s QR-code enabled ‘Let’s Eat at Your Seat’ function, a first for the rail industry that allows customers to enjoy a variety of food and beverages delivered directly to their seat.
As part of Future Labs 3.0, LNER is working with partners Network Rail, Southeastern, Northern and Alt Labs, providing applicants with unrivalled levels of access to the data and environments of multiple rail partners, as well as expert advice on creating a market-worthy proof of concept.
Applications for FutureLabs 3.0 close on 5 August 2022, with shortlisted companies announced on 12 August 2022. For more information visit: https://lnerfuturelabs.co.uk/
Register now for
LNER Scotland Forum
Tuesday 6 September
Good morning,
LNER’s Scotland Forum 2022 will take place on Tuesday 6 September 2022 from 10am to 3pm.
Registration is open and you have the option to attend either in person at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Royal Mile, Edinburgh or to attend virtually online.
Those attending will hear from teams across LNER to learn about the latest developments and what we have planned for the future. As well as be able to ask questions of senior members of our team and share their thoughts about how we can deliver for our destinations and communities, there will also be guest speakers providing valuable industry insights.
The event will take place on Tuesday 6 September from 10am for an expected 3pm finish. Those attending in person will be asked to arrive from 9.30am for registration.
• More than half (55 per cent)* of businesses that subscribe to a service to help manage their business say that they would be lost without
them**
• On average these businesses spend £183 a month on their subscriptions
• However, nearly half (49 per cent) say rising costs are forcing them to consider reducing the number of services they subscribe to
• Barclaycard Payments is launching the Smartpay Touch payment terminal, providing all-in-one access to payments with a range of business management software included***
New research from Barclaycard Payments – which processes £1 in every £3 spent on credit and debit cards in the UK – has found that cost of living increases are set to impact B2B subscriptions as nearly half (49 per cent)* are considering reducing the number of services they subscribe to**, as they tackle rising costs.
As subscription services have grown in popularity amongst consumers, so too have they among businesses. Half (49 per cent) of UK SMEs say they currently use some sort of subscription service that helps them to run their business, spending on average £183 per month.
Four in five (82 per cent) say that subscription services save their business time by delivering products and services they need regularly, without having to place repeat orders. A similar number (84 per cent) say subscription services give them a feeling of security because they know things that are important to their business are taken care of.
Despite this, nearly half (49 per cent) report that their business is considering reducing the number of services they subscribe to. Four in ten (38 per cent) are actively looking to decrease the number of subscriptions they use, with the main reason being to reduce the running costs of business (39 per cent). Three quarters (76 per cent) of SMEs with a subscription say that such services can help their business to manage finances at a time of rising costs.
Harshna Cayley, Head of Online Payments at Barclaycard Payments, said: “The battle for subscribers is likely to get even tougher in the coming months as many businesses look to cut costs, and become more selective about what they pay for going forward.
“Many businesses told us that they want to see the services they subscribe to work together more seamlessly. That’s why we’re launching Smartpay Touch, with an all-in-one cost, making it easier than ever for businesses to access the data they need to help them to thrive.
“We’re also offering small businesses that bank with us or have Barclaycard business product a free subscription to FreshBooks accounting software, to help them manage their finances.”
For more information about the Barclaycard Smartpay Touch all-in-one point-of-sale solution and the benefits it can add to businesses, click here.
The first publicly available ultrasound recordings of Gaelic give a previously unseen perspective on tongue shapes used while speaking the language.
These recordings are now available on a new website section called ‘Teangannan na Gàidhlig’ (‘Gaelic Tongues’).
A research team, led by Lancaster University, made video recordings of people’s tongues while they spoke Gaelic and Western-Isles English to investigate what kinds of movements are used to produce different consonants.
Using ultrasound, they were able to get a side profile image of the tongue inside the mouth while people were speaking.
A selection of the videos are now available in a new section of a website dedicated to videos of speech sounds, Seeing Speech, created by speech and language experts at the University of Glasgow and Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh.
The research presents full speed and slow-motion ultrasound videos featuring a selection of Gaelic ‘l’, ‘n’ and ‘r’ sounds. Videos of English ‘l’ and ‘r’ sounds were made for comparison.
Gaelic ‘l’, ‘n’ and ‘r’ sounds are quite unusual compared to other languages as there are three different kinds of ‘l’, three different ‘n’s and three ‘r’ sounds.
The research shows how speakers moved their tongue forwards or backwards to produce the differences between sounds.
The project was led by Dr Claire Nance (Lancaster University), working with Sam Kirkham (Lancaster University).
The videos were made by Lancaster University’s Di Wang with support from Eleanor Lawson (Queen Margaret University).
The Gaelic section was added to the Seeing Speech website with help from Eleanor Lawson (Queen Margaret University), Jane Stuart-Smith (University of Glasgow), and technical knowledge from Brian Aitken (University of Glasgow).
This project was funded by an ESRC Impact Acceleration Account (Lancaster University), with support from Marsaili MacLeod (University of the Highlands and Islands).
Dr Claire Nance said: “These recordings give a fascinating view inside the mouth while people are speaking. It’s really important to understand the details of Gaelic speech sounds so that we can support Gaelic learning and teaching and document the language. We would like to thank BBC Alba, BBC Radio nan Gàidheal, and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, who have all helped us collect the data.”
Shepherd and Wedderburn reported 5% turnover growth to £62.2 million in the year to 30 April 2022. Net profits (before partner distributions) grew 3% to £26 million.
In recognition of their commitment to the firm and its clients, in addition to the firm’s performance-related bonus scheme, colleagues will receive an exceptional bonus of 5% of annual salary.
2021/22 was the first year of Shepherd and Wedderburn’s revised three-year strategic plan which builds on the firm’s longstanding reputation for quality and service and focuses on driving growth primarily in core strength areas including real estate, infrastructure, corporate finance and the fast-growing and innovative sectors of technology and clean energy, where client activity has been particularly strong over the last 12 months. Current clean energy mandates include work in relation to English Round 4, ScotWind, INTOG and Celtic Sea.
Notable activity this year included acting for TVSquared in its $160 million sale to US-based Innovid, advising Scottish Sea Farms in its £164 million purchase of the UK fish farming interests of Grieg Seafood ASA, and acting for Miller Homes in relation to the Scottish property and planning aspects of its acquisition by Apollo Global Management.
The past year has seen Shepherd and Wedderburn invest in its office footprint, ensuring premium, highly connected and easily accessible facilities for clients and colleagues, while aligning with the firm’s ambitions to be net zero for greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. The firm has relocated to a new Aberdeen office with capacity to double the firm’s headcount in the region, and has agreed to relocate its Edinburgh headquarters to M&G’s Haymarket Edinburgh development in a major investment that will offer a flexible and dynamic working environment for colleagues and allow for continued growth.
Notable deals, matters and panel appointments over the past 12 months include:
• reappointment to the legal panels of British Land and Taylor Wimpey, building on our longstanding trusted adviser relationships with those clients;
• new legal panel appointments to Balfour Beatty, Electricity Supply Board and Scottish Water;
• being appointed as sole legal provider, in respect of corporate legal services, to the Scottish National Investment Bank;
• the firm’s banking team advising on 150 transactions with a total value of £101 billion;
• acting for Miller Homes in relation to the Scottish property and planning aspects of its acquisition by Apollo Global Management;
• being appointed as sole legal adviser by Energy Transition Zone to support its plans to reposition the north-east of Scotland as a globally recognised integrated energy cluster;
• acting for Cierco Ltd in relation to its joint venture arrangements with SBM Offshore, known as Floventis Energy, for the development of floating offshore wind projects;
• acting for TVSquared, a global measurement and attribution platform for converged TV, in its $160 million sale to US-based Innovid;
• advising long-standing client Scottish Sea Farms in its £164 million purchase of the UK fish farming interests of Grieg Seafood ASA;
• acting for the shareholders of Granfit Holdings Limited in the sale of the entire issued share capital to Norcros Group (Holdings) Limited, for a value up to £92 million;
• acting for the CBRE UK Property PAIF in the purchase of Exchange Place One, Edinburgh, a fully let, grade A office building comprising circa 115,000 sq ft, from a fund managed by Macquarie Asset Management; and
• acting for Clydeport Operations Limited in concluding an option agreement with the sustainable energy company XLCC to construct a facility at Hunterston Port to produce high voltage sub-sea cables for the transmission of renewable energy.
Highlights during the past year include:
• promoting five lawyers to Partner, with women accounting for 80% of our partner promotions;
• recruiting Ian Bowie as a Partner in the real estate team, with the recruitment of a number of other partners to be announced in the coming weeks;
• promoting six lawyers to Legal Director and 18 to Associate, as well as 17 lawyers taking up new Senior Associates roles, recruiting 40 new Solicitors and a record number of trainees to support future growth;
• our private wealth and tax team being named the ‘Out-of-London Practice of the Year’ at the Chambers High Net Worth Awards;
• our banking and finance team being named Transactions Team of the Year at the Law Awards of Scotland;
• our Smarter Working team being shortlisted in two categories at September’s Scottish Legal Awards – Legal Technology and Support Team of the Year;
• launching a dedicated Environmental, Social and Governance Advisory Group to assist clients with their sustainability, workforce and regulatory commitments; and
• being ranked 50th in a list of the UK’s top 75 employers published by the Social Mobility Foundation, demonstrating our progress in fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace.
Andrew Blain, Managing Partner of Shepherd and Wedderburn, said: “I am pleased to announce another set of strong financial results. Last year was the first year of our revised three-year strategy and I am delighted with the progress we have made. We have achieved the targets we set ourselves for the first 12 months and made a number of strategic investments in people and premises. We go into 2022/2023 with a strong and growing platform to support clients and deliver on our 2024 strategy.
“I would like to thank colleagues for their ongoing focus on quality and service, and our clients for continuing to put their trust in us. We look forward to working with them to achieve even more in the year ahead.”
