Voice of apprentices – National Apprenticeship Week.

The best people to tell everyone about apprenticeships are apprentices themselves
By Sarosh Khalid

Now in its seventh consecutive year, National Apprenticeship Week (3-7 March) provides apprentices with the opportunity to collectively share and showcase their achievements, skills and experiences. It is also a significant platform to help raise the awareness and profile of apprenticeships amongst employers, individuals, teachers, parents, media and the wider community.

As a QA apprentice here myself, this week was very important to me and helped highlight the doors that are open for all apprenticeships.

There was no better way for me to share my experiences and express my opinions than to head on down to the ‘The Apprentice Debate’ to express my view, where joined by other QA apprentices, we addressed the current status of Apprenticeships and how significant issues could be resolved. Ben Pike, director of QA training and Matthew Hancock MP, Minister for skills and enterprise both attended as keynote speakers to endorse the opinions and values of the apprentices. Lizzie Moffatt and Andy Fowler, founding members of the IAC, who co-supported the event with EAL, described how apprenticeships changed their lives and why they think apprenticeships should be largely supported.

Ben Pike encouraged apprentices to address their concerns, such as careers information and advice, as well as recommending any improvements. Hancock shared his thoughts: “it needs to become the new norm, that when a learner leaves schools they either go to university or into an apprenticeship”.  He praised the government for funding and fully supporting the system and stated: “all sorts of things are taking place to drive up the registrations for apprenticeships – but employers are needed to come to the table”. The Minister for Skills and Enterprise expressed his view that employers need to promote the value that apprentices bring to their business: “things like IT that were not around 40 years ago are now a huge part of our economy, and apprenticeships are important for ensuring the right skills are in place”.

A recurring topic on the day was the lack of career guidance given to young adults - schools don’t seem to steer towards apprenticeships. Hancock’s response was: “that we’re also putting a stronger legal duty on schools to provide independent and impartial advice”.

I took the floor and with mic in hand explained that “there are cases where you will put an individual in front of an employer and they don’t get the job. I know apprenticeships are training programmes, but certain individuals lack the confidence and skills to communicate themselves well. There should be training and guidance in place before you sit these young adults in front of employers. Hancock’s response was:  “The very best people to tell everyone about apprenticeships are apprentices themselves”.

The debate covered many topics including: the wider perception of apprenticeships, professional accreditation, a national body to represent the voices of apprentices, and addressing the ongoing issue of stereotyping and gender imbalance in apprenticeships. The latter being a good point in case. I was sat in a room full of apprentices where the clear majority were young males - we need to ensure opportunities are for both men and women.

I also strongly believe that schools now have a legal responsible duty to focus on these schemes and promote them alongside other career options. It was an invaluable experience for me and the opportunity to participate in the debate alone increased my self-confidence. It was exciting and inspiring to see the next generation of professionals! 

Landmark incorporates the first groundwater flood risk map available for England and Wales

Environment Agency maps show that about 5 million properties in England lie within areas at risk of flooding, but this does not include the greater risk posed by potential groundwater floods. Until now, there has not been any authoritative information to show where property is at risk of flooding by groundwater, with the only data available for the purpose merely showing susceptibility. However, with the publication of the ESI National Groundwater Flood Risk Map it is now clear that only half the areas thought to be susceptible to groundwater flooding are actually at risk, with just 12% of the land area of England and Wales situated within areas at risk of groundwater flooding (Scotland will be released spring 2014).

We are pleased to report that the problem is more localised than previously thought - around 50% of that suggested by previous data - where groundwater flooding does occur it can lead to longer duration impacts and increased damage to property than other causes of flooding.  By combining information on likelihood and severity, the new map provides vital data to indicate for the first time where property is at risk.

The findings are presented in a comprehensive series of new data sets that are being leveraged by us in partnership with environmental consultancy ESI.  Our reports will have a major impact not only on the way in which land is assessed and prepared for development, but also the speed at which property purchase transactions can take place.

Based on scientific and quantitative groundwater flood risk models, including data from the British Geological Survey national geoscience database and calibrated to the best available field evidence of flooding incidence, this is the first risk data set focusing purely on groundwater. The data will be incorporated into our proprietary risk assessment reports, thereby playing an integral role in sales transactions and land-use planning by facilitating even more detailed site evaluations, together with advice around a suitable programme of protection measures where appropriate.

One of the key benefits of the data is that it specifically assesses risk, rather than susceptibility to flooding. This means that it is significantly more accurate than other data sources, due to the fact that it gives fewer ‘false positive’ results. In turn this means that, for the residential market, conveyancing solicitors can more accurately highlight risk to new homebuyers, facilitating quicker transactions because properties will not be unduly blighted by less accurate flood data. Furthermore, from the very outset environmental consultants can more correctly identify, mitigate and avoid potential development in areas that are confirmed as being exposed to groundwater flooding.  

Groundwater flooding typically occurs after long periods of sustained high rainfall and takes longer to dissipate than surface water, meaning that groundwater floods can persist for several weeks and even months following severe flooding. Recently, many locations have seen groundwater levels rise by more than 10 metres thanks to prolonged and persistent rainfall conditions[1], and recent groundwater flooding events have proven the value of this new map by confirming the validity of the risk model.

Chris Taylor, Director at Landmark Information Group, commented: “With extreme weather conditions threatening to become ever more prevalent, the ability to more accurately assess risk promises to become an increasingly important tool in first stage prevention. Not only will it act as a powerful screening tool in the early stages of planning, but the ability to clarify different levels of risk will play a huge role in helping people locally in planning ways to avoid exposure to flooding wherever possible.”

Mark Fermor, from ESI added: “There are areas where groundwater flood risk is significant, and it is important for those contemplating purchasing property or developing land to understand the risks and how to manage them.  There will be local or site-level features that are not included in these preliminary assessment maps but will act to prevent actual flooding, so it is also important to review the detailed guidance provided in the reports to put the findings in context.  Groundwater flooding is a significant problem and these new reports provide the advice needed to understand the data and what action, if any, is appropriate to address the risk.

We will be incorporating the groundwater flood risk data into a wide range of its risk assessment reports, including Homecheck Flood, Envirosearch Residential, SiteSolutions Residential, Sitecheck Combined, SiteSolutions Commerical and SiteSolutions Combined. 

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[1] Thames Water

National Tree Map data launches onto Promap Labs

A new test dataset has been released on to the Promap Labs portal; the latest inclusion is a sample dataset of Bluesky’s National Tree Map (NTM). This is a digital tree map layer that accurately depicts the location and extent of trees, including their proximity to buildings.

Derived from Aerial Photography, Colour Infra-Red data, Digital Terrain Model and Digital Surface Model data, the sample dataset contains location and height information of individual trees, together with the area and circumference of the canopy.

Promap Labs is designed to provide land and property professionals with the ability to access and interrogate new datasets and digital mapping concepts, in order to understand their value within future Landmark products.

Carole Ankers, Product Development Director, Landmark Information Group said, “New for Promap Labs is a sample from the Bluesky National Tree Map; the sample dataset provides users with an insight into the location and size of trees on a given plot. We believe it will prove extremely popular for professionals working on site selection or within planning applications for new developments.  We encourage as many people as possible to access Promap Labs to test the NTM and provide us with feedback on how this would work for your organisation.”

 The application of the NTM dataset is far-reaching; in addition to being used in land and property planning and development, there is scope for the data to be used by dendrologists, government departments such as the Forestry Commission and Housing Associations that wish to visually catalogue trees that are within their management remit.

In addition to the National Tree Map data, two additional datasets from Bluesky will be showcased on Promap Labs.  This includes Colour Infrared Imagery, which uses state-of-the-art remote sensing techniques to provide a wealth of information to assist in assessing the health, state, growth and type of vegetation. Available at a 50cm resolution it is ideal for a range of uses, including crop management, environmental monitoring or assessment of foliage health.

The other is the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index, which uses remote sensing techniques to assess the concentration and health of vegetation. This dataset delivers a range of benefits for those undertaking forest mapping, monitoring or management, in addition to vegetation health analysis, land cover classification or assessment of soil moisture.

The Calm Before The Storm?

The latest research from CIFAS has identified a decrease in fraudulent cases during 2013. According to the latest numbers from the fraud prevention service, an 11 per cent reduction was recorded from the previous year; which was the first year-on-year decline since 2010.

It’s all very positive news until we learn that fraud continues to remain at a higher rate than ‘pre-recessionary times’, so we still have some way to go.

When looking at why the drop has occurred, it is positive to note that increased investment in fraud detection and prevention technology, including data sharing, has been a key factor. 

It doesn't however mean that fraud has stopped altogether: in fact with more systems being deployed to stop such crimes from occurring, fraudsters are turning their attentions to targets that appear more ‘vulnerable’.   For example, fraud against loan accounts, including secured, unsecured and payday loans went up by 55%.

So, while the overall figures paint a fairly optimistic picture, we must continue to be on our guard against fraud. 

In particular, next month, we see the implementation of the Mortgage Market Review recommendations.   With a host of new rules and procedures coming into force, including greater scrutiny regarding applicants’ affordability, are we in fact simply witnessing the ‘calm before the storm’?

With borrowers having to provide more detailed assurances that the loan is appropriate to their financial circumstances, we will be closely monitoring whether this has an impact on application fraud, such as an upturn in false income declarations or non-disclosure of debts, for example. 

We are working with our lender clients to ensure that relevant fraud alerts are in place on their risk dashboards so any potential impact is identified as early in the process as possible.  This includes attempting to go ‘under the radar’ and instead access funds via Buy-to-Let products, where income verification isn’t a requirement.

Time will tell, however risk-based IT systems are ready and in place to safeguard lenders from a wide range of risks. It will be particularly interesting to see what effect the new regulations have on both mortgage volumes and incidences of application fraud. 

Richard Groom, Product Development Director, Landmark Quest

(www.questuk.com) 

Landmark shortlisted at the New Energy & Cleantech Awards 2014

We are delighted to confirm that Landmark Information Group has been shortlisted for ‘New Energy Champion’, at the New Energy & Cleantech Awards 2014. The event will be held in London on Wednesday 30th April 2014, where the winners will be announced.

Now in its seventh year, the New Energy & Cleantech Awards recognise those who play a pivotal role in the process and shaping of the future green energy and cleantech industries: companies, entrepreneurs, investors and specialist advisers. Landmark Information Group has been nominated as a result of the work it has done in creating and launching the new Sustainability Sure service, which is an all-in-one carbon, energy and sustainability solution for corporate organisations and public bodies.

This awards ceremony is renowned for attracting more than 300 CEOs, FDs, entrepreneurs, advisers, venture capitalists and financiers, and prides itself on bringing the City and business sectors together in a dynamic and exciting environment.

David Mole, Business Development Director at Landmark said: “To be nominated for an industry award for Sustainability Sure by our peers is a great achievement and we are pleased to have been shortlisted in the New Energy & Cleantech Awards. We look forward to hearing the outcome at the end of April at the planned ceremony.”

http://www.newenergyawards.com/

“Bombs Away” - Understanding unexploded ordnance risks

Over 60 environmental consultants and property professionals joined our recent webinar with 6 Alpha: “Bombs Away” - Understanding unexploded ordnance risks.  David Mole, Business Development Director at Landmark commented: “around 12% of the entire UK landmass has been used for military training and over 15,000 items of ordnance were found in UK construction sites between 2006 and 2009.  Our free webinar provided our clients with an overview of the source of UXO risk, and steps they can take to minimise risk.”

During WWI and WWII thousands of tonnes of high explosives were dropped on the UK, with 17,000 tonnes falling on London alone.  Approximately 10% of the air delivered bombs failed to explode (6 Alpha Associates), resulting in an underground unexploded hazard which remains to this day.   Other large cities that have been affected are Portsmouth, Plymouth Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester, Newcastle and many others.

Even today, these munitions still present a significant hazard, with the news often featuring reports of bombs being found in the construction environment  and washed up on the beach.  Unexploded ordnance risk is also caused by military sites, active explosive sites and weapons and ammunition manufactures.  An analysis of our data archives identified 600 historical and active explosive sites in the UK and over 1,000 weapons and ammunition manufacturers.

Simon Cooke, Managing Director at 6 Alpha Associates, described the steps necessary to reduce the risk associated with unexploded ordnance to a level that is as low as reasonably practical (ALARP).

Simon commented: “At the start of any new ground works project, the first stage Preliminary search is a must. While the potential risk may be considered small, it should not be overlooked for the ultimate safety of all concerned.”

The first step to analysing potential risk is a desktop tool called a Preliminary UXO Risk Assessment, which indicates whether there is any risk of encountering a bomb. It's a quick and relatively cost effective option, developed in line with guidance from CIRIA and endorsed by the Health and Safety Executive.

If the  Preliminary UXO Risk Assessment suggests a risk to the project, the next step is to conduct a Detailed UXO Risk Assessment. This will detail the type of threat, the size, origin and also takes into account the proposed construction method and how that would impact on risk of UXO being encountered including project delay and prospectively a detonation event.  Strategic risk mitigation measures are described enabling investigative/groundworks and/or groundworks to safely proceed.

Read more about Envirocheck Bomb Search.

Landmark Information Group offer a range of free webinars and training sessions.  For more information or to arrange a free training session please contact customerservice@envirocheck.co.uk

EA LiDAR data from Promap saves the day for Craddy Pitchers Davidson

• Enabled timely completion of planning application on 40 acre, £40m development project
• Physical topographic study not permitted due to ecological constraints
• Team turns to EA LiDAR digital terrain model data to support flood risk assessment and drainage strategy
• Data provided in just two days and for £150

Structural engineering firm, Craddy Pitchers Davidson, has completed a flood risk assessment and drainage strategy essential for a planning application for a £40m development project, using EA LiDAR Digital Terrain Model data from our Promap service.  The team at Craddy Pitchers Davidson overcome a hurdle of not being able to physically survey the land due to ecological constraints by instead accessing LiDAR data, which is a fraction of the cost of a topographic survey, and was completed in two days, compared to several weeks.

Simon Pitchers, Director of Craddy Pitchers Davidson confirmed: “In order to progress the planning application, we needed to produce a flood risk assessment and a drainage strategy, both of which require a good understanding of site levels.  However, with protected species identified on the site, dense vegetation could not be removed and physical topographic surveying to establish levels was not possible.  We contacted Landmark’s Promap team and were advised about EA LiDAR Digital Terrain Model data.  This really saved the day. The EA LiDAR data is accurate to +/-5cm to 15cm, which was perfectly adequate for our initial needs, plus it was delivered in just two days and for £150.”

LiDAR is a remote sensing technology that measures distance by illuminating a target with a laser and analysing the reflected light.  Via Promap, high accuracy mass-capture datasets are available in a range of resolutions and formats, including Digital Terrain Models. This provides a topographic model of the underlying terrain of the earth's surface, which is derived by digitally removing the cultural (man-made) and vegetation features of a given area.  The EA LiDAR data has an accuracy of +/-5cm to 15cm, with the spatial resolutions ranging from 25cm to 2 metres and are suitable for a range of environmental applications, including flood risk assessment.  

Continues Simon Pitchers: “Not being able to undertake the physical site survey had the potential to delay the entire project.  Without it we simply couldn’t completed the planning application. Now, if ever we need to undertake a basic initial appraisal of a site before commissioning the full topographic survey, we will be using EA LiDAR data again. While it doesn’t replace physical surveys, it gives us a great insight into a plot without visiting, which is ideal if it is far away for example.  LiDAR data is a great discovery; it’s not expensive, provides a good level of accuracy and as far as I see it, it’s a real advantage for us and our customers.”

Carole Ankers, Product Development Director, Landmark Information Group said, “When faced with an obstacle of having to undertake a flood risk assessment and drainage strategy on a densely overgrown 40 acre site, with ecological constraints, the team at Craddy Pitchers Davidson needed to find an alternative option. Our EA LiDAR datasets are accurate, quick to produce and are extremely cost effective. Instead of paying thousands for a physical survey, LiDAR is available from £100 and can be relied upon for many purposes. We are pleased to have been able to help the team progress with this important development project.”

With over 25,000 users, our Promap service is used by surveyors, architects, property and land developers, environmental consultants and other industry professionals that require instant access to Ordnance Survey maps and related digital mapping data, including 3D models, height data, aerial photography and geo-data, including environmental, planning and geological reports to identify potential site issues.

For more information: visit: www.landmark.co.uk, read the Landmark blog, follow the team on Twitter, subscribe to the YouTube Channel or connect via LinkedIn.