Burnley blueprint for economic growth

Burnley’s local plan was adopted last week setting the blueprint for Burnley’s economic growth for the next decade.

The town has seen huge levels of investment in the past 10 years, putting Burnley consistently in the top 10 for private sector jobs growth, and most recently second in the UK for digital jobs growth, with Burnley being cited in the top 16 tech towns in the UK.

The adoption of the new local plan will enable Burnley to build on this growth with the allocation of new employment sites, including the 32 acre Burnley Bridge South, providing the potential to create 4,400 new jobs, and the allocation of new housing sites for 3,880 new high
quality homes.

The plan also supports the growth of the retail and leisure sector in Burnley town centre.

Council leader Mark Townsend said: “It is great news for the future of our borough that we have agreed this plan. The plan sets the framework for the borough’s economic growth.”

Kate Ingram, head of Burnley Council’s economy and growth team, added: “We’d love to talk to housing developers about our key housing sites and attract new housing developers to Burnley to provide a variety of high quality housing to meet the demands of our growing economy.

“We are transforming Burnley’s housing offer and with the new direct rail link to Manchester, Burnley is becoming a serious commuter belt option.”

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Contract renewal creates new roles at Glendale

Green service provider Glendale has had its contract to provide grounds maintenance services for the Progress Housing Group renewed for a further three years, resulting in the appointment of two apprentices.

The apprentices will gain valuable experience as part of a team of 10 grounds management specialists carrying out grass cutting, weed killing, shrub and hedge maintenance, litter picking and leaf clearance at sites in Fleetwood, Kirkham, Clifton, Bamber Bridge, Leyland, Preston and Chorley.

Lancashire-based Progress Housing Group owns and manages more than 10,000 homes across the UK, providing affordable housing, independent living, supported housing and supported living accommodation for people with learning disabilities and autism, in addition to employment, training support and technology enabled care and support services across the North West.

The grounds maintenance contract has the potential to be extended for a further two years.

Paul Woodward, contract supervisor at Glendale, said: “It’s a pleasure to be continuing our partnership with Progress Housing Group, keeping gardens, green spaces and communal areas looking presentable for communities and helping to support the group’s vision and values.”

Tammy Bradley, operations director at Progress Housing Group, said: “Progress Housing Group has been working with Glendale for over six years and the renewal of this contract provides the opportunity to continue and develop a value for money and quality service that meets our tenants’ expectations.”

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UKFast launches Superfast Desktop in the Cloud

Two years ago Manchester Cloud services provider UKFast launched FASTdesk, a service enabling businesses to log in to a desktop from anywhere in the world, from any device, removing the need for investment in hardware.

The launch has been so successful that today UKFast announces the next generation of the platform, designed to tackle the more intensive needs of designers, creatives and architects.

Lawrence Jones

The new service – FASTdesk GPU – solves a common problem for designers, architects, data analysts and anyone running high-GPU (graphics processing unit) workloads, which traditionally require powerful desktop computers to operate effectively.

UKFast chief executive Lawrence Jones said: “Cloud desktop applications enable businesses to evolve and meet the demands of their workforce. It’s naïve to think that people want to complete their given tasks between certain hours or in certain locations.

“We all work the hours we choose and are often inspired outside of the hours of 9am and 5pm and want to work on ideas and pass them on to colleagues. FASTdesk GPU enables a new level of flexibility and allows you to work from the top of a mountain if you choose to.”

UKFast CTO Neil Lathwood added: “To assemble the hardware for an equivalent machine would cost at least £10,000. It also removes a serious security concern, eliminating the risk of data loss through the theft or loss of a device.”

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CBRE’s latest proptech scheme launched to clients

CBRE’s North West office agency team recently launched its new proptech scheme to its client base which it said is set to revolutionise the industry, become a disruptor and add huge value to clients’ instructions.

The firm says technology is proving a key advantage to support different phases of the property lifecycle from finding and marketing a property to buying, selling and letting it more easily, efficiently, conveniently and at the same time driving cost-savings.

CBRE has invested heavily in technology to support its client-base and has identified products that add value to both personnel and client activity. Owning a suite of key enablement technologies is integral to CBRE’s strategy.

The new proptech has been well received and includes a number of key programmes, such as Floored, a tool which creates 3D images of properties, as well as custom layouts and interactive 3D walk-throughs of unbuilt and built properties.

The launch of CBRE 360, a new global capability, focuses on delivery-enhanced employee experiences in the workplace to help property investors and occupiers create customised workplace solutions by integrating property services and amenities with advanced digital technologies.

Jonathan Cook, senior surveyor for the office agency team in Manchester, said: “The new technology offers a mixture of ground-breaking products designed to maximise value to our clients’ current instructions.”

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