Archived News - Page 1


Click here for Archive Page 2
Click here to go back to Latest News

A GEM OF A JOB

Signet Group plc, the world’s largest speciality retail jeweller, has appointed Hills to oversee the cost management of their building and construction programme during 2008.  Signet owns 581 stores in the UK which include the well known high street names of H. Samuel and Ernest Jones as well as top of the range retailer Leslie Davis.

Hills will be responsible for the Ernest Jones rollout programme as well as the H. Samuel refurbishment and new build programme and work has already started on obtaining tenders for the serial tender for the Ernest Jones projects.  Five to six successful contractors will be allocated work in stores throughout the country.

In addition Pete Lightfoot from Hills’ Milton Keynes office is spending two days a week as Signet’s in-house cost manager.  A number of clients use Hills in this capacity, either on an interim basis or when the role does not warrant the employment of a full time member of staff.

Hills are pleased to add Signet to their growing list of retail clients. 

Another recent new client is H & M, the international fashion retailer.  Work on their new Harrogate store is now complete and Hills have been appointed on three further stores.

EXPANSION INTO CORNWALL

The quantity surveying practice of A Edwin Bryant + Associates has been a well known name in the construction industry in West Cornwall for nearly 20 years. Following the sad death of Edwin Bryant, the founder, earlier this year Hills have reached agreement with Carole, his widow, to take over the practice. The name of A Edwin Bryant + Associates will remain, as will the existing office in Penzance, and we intend to continue to run the business in the same style as before with support and assistance from our other South West offices.

The staffing levels will be increased and we have committed to supporting Ross and Ben Harrison as they train to achieve RICS membership. Peter Churchill and Philip Rumbelow, SW directors, look forward to becoming involved in the business in Cornwall and offering the same personal service to existing and new clients that made Edwin Bryant such a well respected personality in the area.
	Peter Churchill with Ben and Ross Harrison

ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD FOR HILLS

Following an assessment by an independent body, Hills has been awarded ISO 14001 certification.  This certification has only been achieved by less than 1% of UK businesses and this prestigious award is supported by the Government and recognised world-wide.

Said a delighted Peter Churchill, Hills Managing Director, “We have always been proud of the service we offer our clients and the way that we conduct our business with regard to environmental matters.  Now with the award of ISO 14001 certification, this has been confirmed by outside experts who are used to judging standards on a daily basis in a wide variety of trades and industries”.
	QMS present the ISO14001 Certificate to Alun Owen and Rob Cleaver

Stephen Reeder, who undertook the assessment for QMS Quality Management Systems, paid particular tribute to “the investment in people and training that enables Hills to provide an efficient and environmentally friendly service to their customers.”

For further information, please contact:

Alun Owen
2 Cathedral Road, Cardiff CF11 9RZ
Tel:       029 2022 0438
Fax:      029 2022 7274
Email:   alun.owens@wthills.com

Gary Pope
Pole House, Old Ide Lane, Ide, Exeter EX2 9RY
Tel:       01392 218010
Fax:      01392 498205
Email:   gary.pope@wthills.com

ANOTHER MUSEUM PROJECT FOR HILLS

The team in Milton Keynes have been appointed by Haley Sharpe Design as project managers and cost consultants for a major project to refurbish the public galleries at Ulster Museum in Belfast.  Hills' experience of museum fit out work with the same designers has included the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto and Woodhorn Museum in Northumberland.

The £3 million project is part of a major building and renewal project at the Museum which is designed to transform the interior to make it easier to move around the building and view more of the collections and provide a high standard of facilities.  Funding is coming from The Department of Culture Arts and Leisure, the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Museum itself.

Ulster Museum first opened in 1831, moved to a purpose built museum in 1929 and although there have been major changes over the years this is the first structural redevelopment to take place for 40 years.  The redevelopment will include newly designed galleries with improved access for visitors.  The roof top terrace will be enclosed and there will be a new Learning Zone on the ground floor with purpose-built classroom/workshop areas.  The museum will be closed until 2009 for the building alterations and gallery refurbishment work to be carried out.

REFRESHING WORK FOR NEW LOOK

Competition within the clothing retail business is so great that it is important for stores such as New Look to reveiw the image of their shops at regular intervals.  Hills are assisting New Look with their most recent project - P300 Refresh. Stores throughout Southern England, North Wales, North West England and the Midlands that had been modernised in 2004 were refreshed by providing redecoration, window beds, full clean, new fixtures, new footwear, some lighting and a complete Visual Merchandising pack.

The result is a fresh, modern image that welcomes younger shoppers off the high street.

If trading continues in line with expectations then New Look will be refreshing a further 200 of their stores in the next year.

UPGRADE OF HOTEL IN CHELSEA VILLAGE

The bedroom refurbishment project supervised by Hills at The Hotel at Chelsea near the football ground, which is owned by Millenium Copthorne, is due to finish shortly and work is now commencing on the tender documents for the next phase.

This will be the conversion of the existing public bistro into an executive bistro and re-styling of the entrance, all in a contemporary style.  Hills are working with interior design company, Occa from Glasgow, who are designing the layouts.  The new areas will feature artwork, a specialist wall cladding feature, American walnut finishes and feature lighting.  It is anticipated that the work will take about ten weeks to complete at a cost of £350,000.

These projects form part of Hills' framework agreement with Millennium Copthorne Hotels.

MAJOR PROJECT IN NEWPORT, WALES

Hills' Cardiff office has been appointed by George Wimpey as part of the consultancy team for a major new £48 million waterfront development in Newport to be known as City Vizion.  The scheme, on hte eastern bank of the River Usk and close to the heart of the city, will provide approximately 480 one and two bedroom homes in buildings ranging from four to 14 storeys as well as traditional houses.  Affordable homes will be incorporated into the scheme as well as flood defence works, enhanced wildlife habitats, a new riverside walk, shops and cafes.  Several new public spaces have been incorporated into the design, one of which links to a new footbridge which is currently under construction, and onwards to the city centre.

The redevelopment of the seven acre site is seen as one of the key factors in the overall regeneration of Newport city centre and George Wimpey were chosen as teh developer after a competitive tendering process from the Welsh Assembly Government.

The scheme, which has a strong emphasis placed on high quality design and sustainability, will be submitted for planning in November.  It is hoped that approval will be received by April 2007 for work to commence in July on the four year building programme.

HILLS GO TO MARKET

Hills are working with Teignbridge District Council to give Newton Abbot Market a major refurbishment.

Staff from Torquay office are working with Teignbridge Architects and Engineers to prepare documents for the complete refurbishment of the existing Market Hall in five phases including a new roof covering to the Hall and the adjacent Alexandra Cinema.  Construction started in August 2006 and will last for a year.

Hills are acting as Quantity Surveyor and Planning Supervisor and are able to draw on their past experience of projects such as the Pannier Market at Torrington to benefit this scheme.

NEW MD FOR HILLS

Hills have appointed Peter Churchill, formerly director in charge of South West offices, as their new Managing Director from 1 August 2006. This appointment together with the appointment earlier in the year of a number of younger directors to the management board, will provide a firm basis for the company to develop.

Peter joined Hills in 1985 after a career in private practice and with the Housing Corporation.  He has led the expansion of the company within the South West and is looking forward to working with the directors and staff in Hills' other offices throughout England and Wales.

After five years as Managing Director of Hills, Malcolm Arnell will take on the role of Non-Executive Chairman.  Malcolm has been with the company for 29 years and has seen it expand to become a vibrant consultancy with offices in London, Milton Keynes, Cardiff, Bristol and throughout the South West.

Hills will continue to provide quantity surveying, project management, cost consultancy, planning supervisor, party wall surveying and dispute resolution/arbitration services to a wide variety of clients within the construction and property industries.

Further information can be obtained from Peter Churchill, 01392 218010 or email peter.chuchill@wthills.com

PET SCANNING FACILITY - UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL OF WALES

Hills Cardiff office is currently working on the Full Business Case Stage for a new building to house a PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scanner. With a construction cost of £4.1m the building will take 67 weeks to complete and it is hoped that work will start on site in March 2007. It is appropriate that Hills should be involved with this state-of-the-art technology, as they were responsible for the cost management on the construction of the original hospital.

The current design comprises three floors.  A basement where a cyclotron will be located which is sheilded by 1.5m thick concrete floors, walls and ceilings; the ground floor with reception, clinical rooms, administrative facilities, research facilities and plant room;  the first floor which is to be left as a shell for future fit-out.  It is worth noting that the building is being designed for future expansion and will eventually be seven storeys high.

A PET scan is a fairly new type of scan developemd in the 1970s.  It can show how body tissues are working, as well as what they look like.  Unfortunately, there are very few hospitals in the UK that have PET scanning facilities.  In the spring of 2004, there were only six scanners routinely available for NHS patients in England and all of these were installed in Birmingham and Nottingham.  They are particularly valuable in the treatment of lung cancer, bowel cancer and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.  A scanner costs about £1 million a year to run and each scan costs between £750 and £1,000.