Dataset Focus: Planning Applications

Today's focus is on our archive of Planning Applications data, which is designed to enable you to forecast development close to and around your site.

We provide an overview of the planning applications data and the type of planning constraints data available.

Click here to access the further information.

What my Apprenticeship at Landmark means to me

What my Apprenticeship at Landmark means to me

I have spent the last year as an Apprentice here at Landmark Information Group and I have learnt so much. I had just finished my second year at 6th Form before I started my Apprenticeship and it has been a wonderful experience so far; everybody has been really welcoming and helpful – qualities of a true ‘Landmarker’ I would say.

I feel already that it has been a life changing experience: evolving from a school boy to a young man, and it has not just been within the working hours that I have had many memorable experiences with Landmark. On my first day I was pretty nervous and didn’t know anyone or even what my day-to-day tasks would consist of.  After meeting the team I felt much more comfortable and within a month of working at Landmark I was invited to their sales meeting.

 

 

My challenges may not have been the obvious ones people may naturally think of - but by gosh do you realise them within your first day:

• Make sure you have ironed all of your clothing the night before
• Pack your lunch
• Leave early for the train that is always going to be late
• Getting to work on my first day, concentrating so much it feels like a long hard day - only to realise it is only 3 o’clock

These challenges have now been overcome and are part of my automatic daily routine but at the start they were genuine challenges as this was something I had never been exposed to.

I have been very fortunate to have the expert assistance and training along my apprentice route. Julie Chell, my Assessor at QA Apprenticeships, has helped me out massively ensuring I completed my apprenticeship on time and to high standards. In regards to sales training I don’t think there is any better out there in the wide world than Stuart Allen - easily the best sales trainer I have ever had the luxury of meeting and in learning how to be a sales executive. Within my first 4 months I had already completed a bespoke order and managed to hit my quarterly target. With this is mind I feel I am doing well.

So far I have taken part in the Landmarker corporate video, , myself and fellow apprentice Farouq have  represented the company at external conferences as well as accompanied Regional Account Managers at client visits. I have made many new friends within the company and I regularly play football with colleagues at the local sports facilities.

I do look forward to going to work as it is a very relaxing and vibrant environment and everyone within the company is easily approachable. I am looking forward to my future at Landmark as it’s a unique place to work – I never knew mapping could be so much fun!

My proudest achievements to date?  Simple - having the chance to earn while I learn but more importantly being offered a full time contract by Landmark before my Apprenticeship Scheme is even up. The future looks bright here at Landmark and I aim to keep it that way.

Jay Cardona-Martin

Account Executive, Landmark Information Group

Landmark celebrates Cycle to Work Day

Cycle to Work Day is a national event, championed by multi gold medal winning Paralympic cyclist, Dame Sarah Storey, which aims to encourage everyone to take to two wheels and cycle to work for just one day on Thursday 4^th September 2014. The goal is to encourage the maximum number of working adults to experience the potential delights cycling to work can bring.

We at Landmark have made our pledge and are supporting this national event by promoting Cycle To Work Day throughout our business. All Landmarkers at the Exeter and Reading offices have received emails promoting the day along with links for www.cycletoworkday.org and our internal intranet benefits page where more information can be found. Posters have been dotted around as well as some slides on the TV screens.

We have also pledged to be part of Britain’s Biggest Bike Breakfast and are offering orange juice and a pastry to anyone who cycles in on the day at both offices.

Exeter staff will also have the opportunity to speak to Travel Devon travel advisors who will be able to offer friendly and professional advice on all things travel between 12.00pm and 2pm on 4^th September. They will be based in the South Western Ambulance Service HQ car park.

As part of the day hundreds of bike shops across the UK will be offering Cycle to Work Day participants free bike health checks. A trained professional will assess your bike and give it a simple rating of Green, Amber or Red. Green indicates your bike is in tip-top condition, whereas amber or red means it'd be advisable to book your bike in to the workshop before you tackle your commute. This free Health Check is available between 25^th August and 4^th September and you can download your form from as well as finding your nearest participating bike shop at www.cycletoworday.org.

We have a strong cycling community at Landmark so show your support and pledge your ride!!

 

 

Promap Masterclass- Article 5

This fifth article looks at the settings within Promap and the expenditure reporting.

Promap Settings

The settings section within Promap gives you the opportunity to personalise the map and saving options within the system. It is accessed via the cog icon in the top left hand corner of the screen.

Once in the settings section you will have the following options. 

The main options are: 

·         ”Project” and “Reference” - will enable you to update the information entered into the expenditure details boxes for this project.

·         “Starting dialog” - will allow you to personalise which search option appears first when looking for sites.  This can be altered to “Locate by” to search for new sites or to one of the options that allows you to search through your previously saved maps.

·         “Check for saved maps when locating an address” - automatically prompts Promap to search through your previously saved maps when searching for a new site.

·         “Prompt to save map after printing / exporting” - ensures that whenever you incur a charge relating to these two functions a save screen will appear to allow you to record the fact that this charge has been paid. This can reduce costs for re-printing or re-exporting that map for twelve months after.

·        “Default Map Display” for OS / UKMap -   Set your preferred map style as the default for any new maps you open up.

·         “Area units” - enables you to set the measurement units in Promap so they appear in either m² / ft ² or hectares and acres

·        “Site marker style” - enables you to alter the appearance of your sites marker on the map. 

Expenditure Reporting

If you are looking to allocate the cost of a map to a particular client or project and do not want to have to wait for your Promap invoice to come through, the” Account expenditure” option accessed via the pound sign icon in the top left hand corner of the screen will allow you to access a report called “Project / Reference Summary”.  This will show you all the costs incurred on the system and the projects and references they relate to (as entered into the expenditure details boxes at the time of charging). This report will also allow you to set the date range for the report as well meaning that you can obtain this information much faster.

Free Masterclass webinar: These features and more will be demonstrated during the next free webinar on 19 September 2014. To register, click here. 

If you found this article useful, keep an eye out for our next Masterclass blog which is due to be sent on the 10th September 2014. For more detailed advice on Promap why not book one of our training courses (which are all now FREE) or visit our training website by clicking here to find other useful tips and training aids.

If there are any other topics you would like to see included in the Masterclass blogs or if you have any other questions please call us on 0844 844 9965 or email us at training@promap.co.uk

Images: Ordnance Survey © Crown copyright and/or Database Right. All rights reserved. Licence 100022432

My Apprenticeship Journey at Landmark

Well, would you look at this…five months on from my last Blog and I’ve only gone and completed my Sales Apprenticeship here at Landmark! I honestly can’t believe how quick these months have flown by, it’s been nothing short of an amazing journey. I remember my first few hours trying to get my head around who everybody was and remembering all these new names! Looking back, I vividly remember all the warm smiles and hello’s as I took my seat and instantly feeling welcomed.

The first week was most challenging purely because of the sheer amount of information I had to take in. From acronyms, to new passwords, policies and most importantly all of the shiny platforms that I’d be using. Thankfully, I had a knowledgeable support network that would guide me through it all. One thing I never felt afraid to do was to ask questions, for the first week I think I even asked if I was allowed to go to the loo..

Who? What? When? Where? Why? All became my new best friends. It was like I was an inquisitive toddler all over again. As annoying as I thought I was being the constant reassurances like ‘it’s perfectly fine Farouq, ask away’ or ‘don’t be so silly, we are here to help you (accompanied by a smiley face)’ kept any worries I had at bay.

I have to say a massive thank you to my Assessor Julie Chell and my sales trainer Stuart Allen both at QA Apprenticeships for the instrumental support and guidance throughout the duration of my apprenticeship scheme. Interactive workshops equipped me with the tools and resources to become the best sales professional I could be. Stuart’s enthusiastic teaching approach made it feel like I had stumbled across gold dust choosing QA as the training provider. Confirming all my prior thoughts that a career in sales was the best choice for me.

I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t achieved something new on a monthly or even fortnightly basis, most days I’d go home yapping like an excited Yorkshire Terrier telling everyone what I’d done during the day. I remember when I had written a blog about my experience at Landmark which was circulated to the wider DMGT group. I really felt a part of something massive, a sense of belonging which is always a good feeling.

My most memorable achievement? I’d have to say it was when I hit my quarterly target from January to March. Work that I’d done, hours that I had put in had amounted to me not only reaching, but exceeding my target was gratification that what I was doing and learning was resulting in positive results.

So where does Farouq go from here? Well, I have recently accepted a full time permanent position here at Landmark and my hunger to succeed is echoed by my fellow Landmarkers. But, before I take the next step I need to be the best I can be now as Account Executive, solidify my foundations and become a hub of knowledge. The only way is up, and as I have said before, I can see a promising future here for myself at Landmark.

 

Farouq Sulaiman
Account Executive
Landmark Information Group

The history and future of the Thames Barrier

The North Sea Flood of 1953 was caused by a combination of a high spring tide and severe windstorms, and in some areas led to the sea level being more than 5.6 meters above its normal height. It was one of the most devastating natural disasters ever to be recorded in the UK with 1,600 km of coastline damaged; 30,000 people evacuated, 24,000 homes affected with a consequent death toll of 307. This incident prompted calls for a mechanism to protect the capital from similar events. This led to the construction of the Thames Barrier.

Construction began in 1974, and in addition to the barrier, the flood defences for 11 miles downriver were raised and strengthened. The barrier was officially opened by the Queen on the 8^th May 1984, with a total coast reaching £1.5 billion (in 2014 prices). It is built across a 520-metre wide stretch of the Thames , and divides the river into 6 navigable spans.

By holding back the tide, the barrier creates more space in the river for excess water from upstream to flow down. At low tide, the Thames Barrier is then opened and the floodwaters flow to the sea. Last winter the UK had the stormiest and wettest period of weather for a century with  the barrier closed a record 50 times over the winter period - compared to just 35 times between 1990 and the end of 1999.

In terms of the future of the Thames Barrier, a project entitled TE2100 aims to develop a tidal flood risk management plan for the Thames Estuary through to 2100. This strategy takes into account a changing climate, changes within the estuary and the problem of ageing flood defences. The project has a 40 year vision, producing recommendations for the first 25 years for 8 geographical areas. Public consultation has played an important part in the development of the TE2100 Plan.

The Environment Agency funded extensive research on changes in fluvial flows, sea storm surges and sea level rise. This research also featured 300 investigations into how tidal flood risk is increasing in the Thames Estuary due to ageing flood defences and the increase in people living and working within the floodplain. The conclusions drawn from these studies are that it is unlikely that major changes will be needed to be made to the existing flood defence systems and structures for the next 25 years. From 2035 the plans for the barrier are to focus on renewal and reshaping of the riverside and the upgrading of existing defences.

The Thames Barrier, with some modification, has the potential to continue to protect London though this century (based on current climate guidance). It may prove more cost effective, as a future strategy, to build further defences downstream in around 2070 to support the Thames Barrier towards the end of its lifespan. 

Author: Becky Forshaw, Argyll Environmental

Four go wild in Arran

Racing to catch the last ferry, deep fried mars bars, riding crashing waves on an inflatable launch and tree felling were just some of the ingredients that made for a memorable late May Bank Holiday on the Isle of Arran for 4 intrepid Landmark/ Argyll members of staff - Ben Furlong, Ali Stanton, Miranda Pont and myself (the author who was co-organiser along with Ian Cowan for this year’s event).

This was the annual UKELA Scottish Wild Law weekend originally conceived by Sir Crispin Agnew QC and now in its fifth year.

Making our way from all corners of the UK the group met on the Caledonian MacBrayne ferry as we left Androssan Harbour heading west to Brodick- the main town on Arran. There we disembarked for fish and chips and for some, the local delicacy of deep fried Mars Bar which though perhaps lacking in vitamins was certainly made up for in calories and saturated fats.

After this feast we piled into the mini bus and set off to the hostel in Corrie - our home for the next three days. This hostel sits just above the sea looking out south east to the mainland- it is run by Rauri and his partner Claire who live in a caravan on the grounds with their dog Dougal.

Our Saturday morning started with a drive over to Lamlash Bay and to meet members of COAST (Community of Arran Seabed Trust) to hear about the No Take Zone (i.e. no fishing ) that is now in place in Lamlash Bay. This came about by the local community coming together and providing public pressure on the government to have this established- the first in Scotland. Having been kitted out in oilskins, life jackets and safety information, we then took to the water with a tour of the No Take Zone in a Rigid Inflatable Boat where we learnt more about the state of the seas and the devastation of the marine ecosystem from dredging and over fishing. Our tour included the circumnavigation of Holy Island which is now the home of a Tibetan Buddhist retreat with eco-houses, and a herd of feral ponies.

 

 

Back on dry land we prepared for our next adventure and headed south to a community woodland project at Fairy Glen. Much of the south of the island had been planted 20 or 30 years ago by the Forestry Commission and generally as a block of mono species, often sitka spruce. Such close planting with non-native species provides minimum habitat for wildlife and it is recognised now that a more enlightened approach to forestry and woodland management is required. When we reached the wood we were given a brief instruction of our task - to remove the small sitka spruce to help the regeneration of native species. So we set off into the undergrowth armed with saws and loppers and started felling. You will be pleased to hear that the Landmark Team approached this task with characteristic energy and effected a notable transformation to a small area of the forest.

A short drive later we reached Brodick Castle and over tea and cakes heard about bee keeping on the Island. Bee keeping had declined on the Island but had recently undergone a renaissance through the reintroduction of the native black bees. One of our group, Sandy Abrahams, told us about the work of her father who is a beekeeper on the nearby Island of Colonsay.  Sandy’s father was responsible for bringing in new legislation to protect the native black bee on Colonsay – which is one of the last strongholds for this species in pure form. 

After all of these adventures and tours we were getting quite hungry, but if we wanted to eat we had to cook the meal- and once again the Landmark Team got stuck in and prepared a delicious risotto and salad back at the hostel. This was washed down with wine and the odd dram when we settled down for discussions on wild law and why it is crucial to change our relationship with nature if we are going to have a healthy planet.

 

 

And that was just the Saturday. I will leave others to tell the tale of our further adventures. Unfortunately (and for the first time on a wild law weekend) the weather on Sunday was ‘mizzling’ and so our planned ascent of Goat Fell had to be called off- and we had to go on other walks at lower altitude.  As a fitting end to a thoroughly enjoyable weekend, we were joined after dinner on Sunday by Tom Appleby who spoke about his work with COAST, as their legal advisor during the campaign to create the Lamlash Bay ‘No Take Zone’. 

If all of this sparks any interest in you then please let me know and we can look to you joining us for next year’s adventure. We don’t know yet where that will be- but wildness is guaranteed!

Simon Boyle, coordinator UKELA Wild Law Group