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Recruitment across the Built & Natural Environment
ALLEN & YORK have a unique blend of recruitment skills and technical knowledge. Every consultant is an expert in their field and has an extensive specialist network.
We are dedicated to making a positive difference to the global sustainable economy, by continuing to deliver excellent specialist recruitment services across our markets.
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Join us at All-Energy 2018
Join us at All-Energy Conference 2018 from 2-3 May in Glasgow. All-Energy’s mission is to enable the UK renewable energy community to interact, conduct business, network and learn, whether face-to-face or online. Annually in Scotland All-Energy connects 300+ energy suppliers, developers, investors, technology developers and policy makers with 7,000+ energy industry buyers. This is a great conference for networking and learning about the latest developments across the energy market. ALLEN & YORK attend every year and look forward to meeting companies who are looking to expand their energy teams and professional who are looking for their next career challenge. If you'd like to pre-book a meeting to discuss recruitment or job opportunities across the energy marketplace, please contact Sam Paterson-Crofts or Kris Kobi at ALLEN & YORK 01202 888 986. Register to FREE Search all energy jobs
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Transport Investment Needs to Support Urban Regeneration
The RTPI in response to Transport for the North’s (TfN) consultation on its draft Strategic Transport Plan, urged TfN to work closely with local and combined authorities, in particular their planning departments, to support urban regeneration and sustainable growth. In the report, the RTPI stresses that improved transport links won't necessarily lead to economic growth and that increased connectivity can encourage housing and labour markets to spread out to peripheral areas which can lead to increased car use. This, in turn, exacerbates problems like congestion and air pollution. The RTPI urges council planning teams to ensure they are joined-up with transport planners to achieve a reduction in travel times across towns and cities, improve cycle lanes and promote public transport. James Harris, policy and networks manager at the RTPI, said: “This plan is a welcome return to planning strategically for transport at the regional level. It demonstrates how when working with a broad range of stakeholders, the north of England can articulate their shared vision for a well-connected, prosperous future. We’ve made a number of recommendations to improve the final plan, which we think will help to avoid any unintended negative impacts.” The RTPI recommends further consideration be given to how the plan: Balances investment between transport connecting cities and within cities. Balances investment in new infrastructure with maintaining existing infrastructure. Meets carbon reduction targets for the transport sector. The response was compiled following consultation with the institute’s members in the north of England. To discuss planning jobs and recruitment contact Mark Maultby (Transport Planning) or Alex Collins (Town Planning) at ALLEN & YORK 01202 888 986 Browse all planning jobs
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Foldable Skyscraper for Disaster Zones Wins Award
A foldable skyscaper has won the 2018 Skyscaper Competition, run by eVolo Magazine in the USA. The annual award established in 2006 recognises futuristic ideas and projects that through the innovative use of technology, materials, aesthetics, and spatial concepts, challenge the way we understand vertical architecture and its relationship with the natural and built environment. The FIRST PRIZE went to the Skyshelter.zip designed by Damian Granosik, Jakub Kulisa, and Piotr Pańczyk from Poland, envisages a foldable skyscraper inspired by origami that could be easily transported and deployed in disaster zones. The entire structure is foldable in a manner that resembles origami or accordion. This means it can be neatly packaged into single relatively small box with minimum height and base dimensions reduced to building’s footprint. Then such a package can be moved anywhere with help of helicopters commonly used by rescue teams and military in the event of a natural disasters. Because elements do not have to be transported in batches by trucks, it is easier and faster to reach zones cut off from the transportation network. Jinja: Shinto Shrine Skyscraper designed by Tony Leung from Hong Kong received the SECOND PLACE. The project aims to restore the traditional interactions between a Shinto Shrine and the local people- an urban building for rice farming, spiritual meditation, and community development. The recipient of the THIRD PLACE is Claudio C. Araya Arias from Chile for the project Waria Lemuy: Fire Prevention Skyscraper. This proposal envisions a new prototype for vertical housing in areas damaged by wild fires in Chile. The project makes use of passive systems to mitigate wind and disperse water to prevent new fires. Read more about the eVolo Prize
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UK Offshore Wind Exports To Grow Five-Fold by 2030
In a new report commissioned by former Energy Minster Sir Michael Fallon entitled ‘Winning Locally, Going Global’ he recommends that UK exports into the offshore wind industry should increase to 60 per cent (from 50 per cent) enabling the renewable energy manufacturing industry to grow. The Offshore Wind Industry Council has estimated that exports with grow fivefold from £500 million in 2017 to £2.6 billion by 2030 and the economic benefits for the UK are “enormous and in danger of being undersold” Fallon states. He recommends that the UK government to “give the offshore wind industry the same level of ministerial attention and support as the aerospace, pharmaceutical and defence industries” and highlights the need for a supply chain accelerator programme, as recommended by the Offshore Wind Industry Council, which would encourage greater collaboration, innovation and support new entrants to the market with exporting technology and services. This would build upon the Government’s new Supply Chain Competitiveness Programme and enable the UK to establish itself as a leading centre for new offshore wind technology. “If the sector is able to invest as a result of higher local content, it can grow and export throughout the world.” Given the explosion of interest in offshore wind in overseas markets, positive policy, strategic planning and early investment could deliver “more than 25,000 jobs in the UK over the next decade” the report states. New 15MW turbines are replacing 8MW turbines, 88.4 metre blades are being trialled and in time 66kV cabling may replace 33kV and the UK manufacturers and engineers need to be ready to meet the demand. But, the report argues “the scale of research and development into more efficient ways of developing offshore is still dwarfed by the investment going into more established sectors such as pharmaceutical and automotive.” With the remaining CfDs the government should require developers to offer real evidence of how they are supporting UK innovation as well as UK content in their supply chains. “Ministers should also take up the sector’s offer of collaborative research into the more promising technologies of the future”, agues Fallon. Download full report Browse all energy jobs
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The World’s Smartest Wind Turbines
In addition to manufacturing the world’s most powerful available turbine, MHI Vestas Offshore Wind could now lay claim to having created the most intelligent turbines, with the launch of their MVOW Smart Turbine Portfolio. The new portfolio consists of four products, which aim to improve the operational output, statistical analytics and maintenance of wind turbines/farms. The software allows the user to reduce fatigue and design loads, to perform integrated load design simulations, to receive data more quickly (up to 600 times faster) and receive monitoring information directly to a mobile phone. MHI Vestas has a new CEO in Philippe Kavafyan (appointment takes affect from 1 April 2018) and have recently announced their expansion into the Taiwan offshore wind market. Henrick Baek Jorgensen, Head of Product Management said: “Our ambition is to not only have the most powerful products, but also the smartest products in offshore wind.” In January this year MHI Vestas also expanded their UK operational footprint and opened the firm’s largest administrative and support office in Warrington. Offshore wind has enjoyed extraordinary momentum in recent months in the UK, buoyed by historically low energy prices in the September 2017 Contract for Difference auction round. The auction proved that offshore wind energy in the UK is now cheaper than nuclear and on par with traditional energy sources. Read more about the MVOW SMART Turbine Product Portfolio Browse jobs in energy
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Planting for Biodiversity
Paul Carter at ALLEN & YORK is not only our Ecology Recruitment specialist, but he is also a qualified Ecologist with 20 years’ experience in landscaping and biodiversity. As Spring has now officially sprung, we thought it would be fun and topical to share Paul’s thoughts on planting for biodiversity, whether in your own garden or a shared green-space at work or in the community. For the past 20 years, I have advised clients on ways they can promote biodiversity through the planting they use, in both private developments and commercial sites. Ideally, I’d like to work with them to replicate a ‘climax ecosystem’, such as an oak forest, that is interspersed by a range of habitats and a diversity of species seen in meadows, coppice woodland and heath, without any one species dominating. However, we are usually limited on space and this might not be the aesthetic they were going for! So instead, I suggest plants that encourage a healthy habitat for as wider range of insects and plants as we can practically provide. Whilst native planting is undoubtedly going to provide the best opportunities for native invertebrates, it may not provide the visual interest that you’d like. Luckily, many non-native plants can be just as useful for our native insects by providing comparable sources of nectar and foliage for food. Apart from the ecological benefits of providing plants that support wildlife, they increase our quality of life too. The presence of butterflies moving in an outdoor space, or the sound of bird song enhances the experience people gain from a well-planned development. Below are seven plants that I try to include in planting schemes to give maximum benefit to both the human and insect users of a development. Buddleia globosa (Orange Ball Tree) Buddleia davidii is a common site in gardens and brownfield sites across the country, and its late summer purple flowers are undeniably popular with butterflies. However, it has a tendency to self seed and can become a threat to less robust native species. Buddleia globosa, from Peru, doesn’t self seed and flowers much earlier in the year. Its flowers provide nectar for insects of all sizes, from the tiny Lasioglossum bees to the familiar Red Admiral butterflies. Additionally, its evergreen foliage provides important basking sites for insects and cover for breeding birds. Frangula alnus (Alder Buckthorn) The Alder Buckthorn is not a particularly spectacular shrub for most of the year. Its bright yellow autumn foliage, and red and black fruits are its main feature. However, I include it whenever possible because of the range of insects it attracts. Its small inconspicuous flowers are a beacon to various pollinators. It is also the larval foodplant of the Dark Umber moth, and the more familiar Brimstone and Holly Blue butterflies. Birds love the berries. Campanula trachelium (Nettle-leaved Bellflower) A native wildflower that is worthy of a place in any garden. Its tall spikes of blue bellflowers appear every year with no care at all. It will cope with dry shade and will self seed if happy, without taking over. Its downward hanging flowers, as well as providing nectar and pollen, also provide a refuge for bees. Examining this plant during a summer shower reveals masses of bees, of various species, keeping dry. Cotoneaster ‘Cornubia’ This is a large shrub or small tree that is covered in white flowers in spring and red berries in winter. Both these features give it garden value aesthetically, and its semi-evergreen foliage is good for hiding utilitarian structures. The flowers attract pollinators to the point that you can actually hear the tree buzzing with bees and hoverflies. As well the red berries brightening up winter for us, they provide a useful foodsource for birds. My own shrub attracted a flock of over 30 redwings and fieldfares during the snowy weather in March. The reason I planted it was because a few years ago I saw a similar number of Waxwings in a Cotoneaster cornubia down my road. Hedra helix (Ivy) Ivy gets blamed for killing trees but actually it is just an opportunist. If a tree is weak and its canopy is thinning then ivy will take advantage of this. It’s not the ivy getting into the canopy that killed the tree. Rather, it was the tree dying that let the ivy into the canopy. And the benefits ivy brings outweigh any connotations of cemeteries and neglect, especially if cultivars with brighter foliage are used. The flowers are a great source of nectar and pollen for insects before they hibernate. The bee Colletes hederae uses it as its principal food source, and Autumn butterflies are often seen on it. After the flowers, the berries are used by many bird species. Ivy is also the food plant of the second generation of Holly Blue butterflies and Swallowtail moths. Its main benefit though, is its dense evergreen foliage that gives shelter to insects, birds and even bats during bad weather. Foeniculum vulgare (Fennel) Fennel is useful for many things. It’s leaves and seeds are used in many recipes. It thrives in the poor shallow soils that are often found on redeveloped sites. For me though, it is the flowers and stems that give the greatest value. The nectar rich flower heads bring a wealth of insect visitors from the hymenoptera, diptera, coleoptera and hemiptera. And they appear at a time in high summer when other flowers have faded. Their hollow stems provide nest sites for Hylaeus bees, and overwintering sites for a range of invertebrates. Pyracantha ‘Saphyr’ I almost didn’t include Pyracanthus as it shares so many traits with Cotoneaster in terms of its ability to attract insects and birds. However, its dense spiny growth habit makes it particularly good in more formal urban environments. It can be clipped hard to give sculpture to planting schemes. Its spines make it useful as a boundary hedge. Also, in urban gardens where high population density can mean there are also a lot of domestic cats, its dense spiky growth can offer a valuable refuge and nesting site for birds. The cultivar ‘Saphyr’ seems resistant to fireblight, which has attacked some strains. Quercus robur ‘Fastigiata’ (Oak) This is a compact and upright growing form of our native oak. Britain was once covered in oak forest and oak trees support a huge number of species. They also grow very big and this can make them unsuitable subjects for developments. This compact and non-spreading form has all the wildlife carrying capacity without the problematic size and can easily slot into contemporary planting schemes to give structure and screening. Gardens and public spaces are pivotal in the preservation and promotion of biodiversity. Careful selection of the plants used can maximise the ability of an area to support a larger selection of native species. As the base of the food chain, the plants provide food in the form of their leaves, nectar and pollen. The more variation there is in flower form, height and time, the more species can be attracted. Insects that feed on the leaves and flowers, will in turn become food for birds and bats. Plants also provide the cover and nest sites required. Most importantly, it can do this in a way that enhances the lives of the people that use the area. For more information on ecology and environmental jobs please contact Paul Carter at ALLEN & YORK 01202 888 986 Browse all ecology jobs
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Sustainable Tourism Encouraged to Protect Environment
Damage to coral reefs, eroding cliffsides and general rubbish left by the explosion of tourists to popular destinations is taking its toll on our natural world, and travel companies are having to address the question of how they can promote a more sustainable model of tourism. Highlighted this week in a BBC report, various tourist destinations are being temporarily closed due to over visiting, including Maya Beach in Thailand, the film location of ‘The Beach’ which is closing this year from June-September to “give it a rest”. The beach receives between 4,000 and 5,000 visitors every day (pictured), who litter the beach and are taken out by day boats, which go in and out over the bay and are damaging the shallow reef corals. Technology and booking restrictions have helped some destinations to manage the crowds. Peru’s famous ancient Inca site, Machu Picchu placed a limited on the number of people allowed to hike the trail in 2015 and it is closed every February for clean-up and maintenance. Tourists must book a time slot in advance and abide by local regulations. In Italy they have been trialling a new app, which shows tourists the number of people walking routes at any given time. When it displays a red warning, the path is overcrowded and unadvisable to join. The Cinque Terre Card is also being encouraged, which allows access to trails and public transport, but also gives a percentage of proceeds back to maintain the pathways and the environment. Stricter rules are almost certainly required, but it is difficult to suggest when countries are concerned about the impact on their income from a reduction in the tourist industry. 22 per cent of Thailand’s GDP is from tourism, which is a significant proportion. However, some new sites such as Caño Cristales, a beautiful river in Colombia, have started enforcing bans on cigarettes, no swimming, no sunscreen or insect repellent in the water and no plastic bottles in an attempt to better protect these areas of outstanding natural beauty. There are several organisations which promote sustainable and responsible travel, here are a selection: Responsible Travel - Sustainable Travel International - Green Global Travel There are also a growing number of sustainability jobs within the travel industry and more information please contact Katie Pereira, Team Leader Sustainability at ALLEN & YORK 01202 888 986 Browse all sustainability jobs
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Health and Safety Jobs Market 2018
It’s always useful to have an overview of the current jobs market, whether you’re looking for your next role or growing your health and safety team. At ALLEN & YORK our specialist health and safety team work with practitioners and employers recruiting across all industries, from construction to corporate and have great insight into the current status of the jobs market. ‘Extremely buoyant’, is how we would describe the current health and safety jobs market and this is a great time to look for your next position. There is a high demand particularly for mid-level managers, and the waste and resource management and construction industries are particularly busy. Consequently, competition to attract the best talent is high, due to the increase in available roles and this is being reflected in salaries, with the average salary for all full-time practitioners at £40,000 (IOSH salary survey 2017). Certain companies are willing to pay above market value for the right candidate and interview processes have become more streamlined as company’s speed-up to recruit more quickly and efficiently. Reputational risk and excellent health and safety credentials are high on the agenda, particularly within the construction and property industries, where companies are winning new contracts as a result of demonstrating exceptional safety standards. If you’d like to find out more about more about job opportunities within health and safety, contact Jack Cornick, Team Leader Health, Safety and Construction at ALLEN & YORK Browse all health and safety jobs
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