tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53483447803840327702024-03-08T02:58:58.275-08:00Trustatrader.com BlogFor help & advice articles, please visit - https://www.trustatrader.com/help-and-adviceTrust a Traderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16092050530729429202noreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348344780384032770.post-71698095531444114562016-12-26T06:43:00.000-08:002016-12-26T06:43:00.138-08:00House price fall predicted in the short termA drop in house prices in the short term has been predicted by
members of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) who work
in estate agents, with the fall expected to last for the next three
months.<br />
The surveyors who expected prices to fall outnumbered those expecting a rise in prices by a majority of 10%.<br />
The last time house prices fell on an annual basis was in late 2009.<br />
The
RICS attributed the likely fall to a combination of uncertainty
surrounding the EU referendum and a cooling of the market since the
changes to stamp duty which went through in April.<br />
Simon
Rubinsohn, Chief Economist at RICS, commented: "What we are looking at
is a short term drop caused by the uncertainty resulting from the
forthcoming EU referendum, coupled by a slow-down following the rush to
get into the market ahead of the tax change on the purchase of
investment properties."<br />
London and East Anglia are said to be the most affected, followed by South West England and Yorkshire and Humber.<br />
House
prices aren't predicted to fall in all areas however, with Scotland,
Wales, Northern Ireland, the Midlands and the North all expected to see a
continued rise.<br />
The number of properties coming onto the market
is also at a record low, contributing to continued demand and the short
term nature of the expected price fall in the areas mentioned.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">Get the latest news via our official </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/trustatrader" style="background-color: white; color: #4d469c; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px; text-decoration: none;">Trust a Trader Twitter profile</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;"> and our</span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/trustatrader" style="background-color: white; color: #4d469c; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px; text-decoration: none;">Trust a Trader Facebook profile</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">.</span>Trust a Traderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16092050530729429202noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348344780384032770.post-65831440404471969572016-12-19T06:41:00.000-08:002016-12-19T06:41:00.146-08:00Paris landmarks threatened by floodingThe River Seine in Paris has broken its banks and floodwater is currently around 6m (19ft) above the normal river level.<br />
The famous Louvre and Orsay museums have been shut so that priceless works of art such as the Mona Lisa can be moved to safety.<br />
Emergency
water barriers have been constructed along the banks of the river in an
attempt to restrict the floodwater, several bridges have been closed
and tourist river tours have been banned until the waters subside.<br />
The last time the river was at this level was in 1982, the environment ministry confirmed.<br />
Flooding
has affected wider areas of the country and across Europe as well, with
over 5,000 being evacuated from their homes in central France, and
around 19,000 homes currently without power, according to reports by the
AFP news agency.<br />
Germany has also been badly affected, with
several losing their lives to the devastation caused by floodwaters in
the south of the country.<br />
Belgium, Austria, the Netherlands and Poland have also experienced flooding this week.<br />
The weather was described by French President Francois Hollande as a serious climate phenomenon and a global challenge.<br />
<br />
For more information visit us at <a href="http://www.trustatradergarage.com/" target="_blank">Trust A Trader Group</a> and <a href="http://www.trustatrader.com/" target="_blank">Trust A Trader.</a>Trust a Traderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16092050530729429202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348344780384032770.post-38608762045237475322016-12-12T06:41:00.000-08:002016-12-12T06:41:00.146-08:00Olympic Construction win PCA Outstanding Customer Service Award 2016We would like to congratulate Olympic Construction Ltd for winning
the 2016 Outstanding Customer Service Award in the PCA (Property Care
Association) Best Practice Awards 2016.<br />
Olympic Construction is a
family run company specialising in remedial treatments, and has been a
TrustATrader member for over 4 years. The company is based in Oldham and
has been serving the local communities for over 50 years, covering
Manchester and the surrounding 40 mile radius.<br />
In the photo are
(from left to right) Steve Hodgson, Chief Executive of the PCA with
Adrian and Simon Dawson of Olympic Construction Ltd.<br />
Adrian Dawson
of Olympic Construction says: "I have a hands-on approach to all
aspects of the works undertaken by Olympic Construction from start to
finish. You could say the buck stops with me!<br />
"My staff and I are
committed to undertaking all works to the correct specifications and to a
high quality finish. To achieve this we only use time served tradesmen
and qualified surveyors with industry recognised qualifications."<br />
The
PCA was established to promote high standards of professionalism and
expertise within the industry through training and other support
services. They work with government departments, respond to consultation
documents and provide assistance with the development of new
guidelines, all with the aim of improving outcomes and promoting best
practice.<br />
The PCA held its Annual Best Practice Awards Dinner at
Rectory Farm, Cambridge on 12th May 2016. The evening was well attended
by PCA members from all represented sectors as they gathered to hear who
had triumphed in the Best Practice Awards categories as well as the
Student of the Year categories.<br />
The evening concluded with a
charity raffle, which thanks to the generous donations of sponsors
helped to raise over £3k for the stillborn charity, SANDS.<br />
<br />
Find out more about <a href="http://www.trustagarage.com/" target="_blank">Trust A Garage</a> and <a href="http://www.trustatraderinsurance.com/" target="_blank">Trust A Trader Insurance.</a>Trust a Traderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16092050530729429202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348344780384032770.post-75622777805615216702016-12-05T06:39:00.000-08:002016-12-05T06:39:00.530-08:00Wall of Buckingham Palace climbed by convicted killerA man caught in the gardens of Buckingham Palace on Wednesday evening was a previously convicted murderer. <br />
Denis
Hennessy, 41, from Wembley, managed to climb the 10ft wall surrounding
Buckingham Palace while the Queen, Prince Philip and the Duke of York
were at home. Hennessy was unarmed, Westminster Magistrates' Court were
told.<br />
Hennessy was reported to have been drunk, and cut his hand
while climbing over the wall, also setting off the alarm in the process.
He wandered the gardens for around ten minutes before being caught.<br />
He later told police that he had "walked through the gardens admiring the view".<br />
Hennessy's
solicitor said that the unemployed man had drunk "four or five cans of
cider" on the evening of the incident. He had also had another drink in a
pub before deciding to climb the wall of the palace with the help of a
nearby tree.<br />
After pleading guilty, Hennessy was today given four months in prison.<br />
Hennessy's
previous conviction, for murder, came in 1992 when at the age of 17 he
attacked a homeless person who had asked him for money. Hennessy was
convicted in 1993 and released in 2002. He was then monitored by the
probation service until 2013.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">Get the latest news via our official </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/trustatrader" style="background-color: white; color: #4d469c; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px; text-decoration: none;">Trust a Trader Twitter profile</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;"> and our</span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/trustatrader" style="background-color: white; color: #4d469c; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px; text-decoration: none;">Trust a Trader Facebook profile</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">. View our website <a href="http://www.trustatradergroup.com/" target="_blank">Trust A Trader Group</a>.</span>Trust a Traderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16092050530729429202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348344780384032770.post-62128438274588008642016-11-28T06:37:00.000-08:002016-11-28T06:37:00.210-08:00Car swallowed by hole in London streetResidents of Woodland Terrace in Greenwich woke up on Thursday
morning to discover a car which was parked on the street the previous
day was now half hidden in a huge sinkhole which had opened up
overnight.<br />
Police were called to the scene around 3.20am to find
the blue people carrier in the hole outside the Benefice of Charlton St
Thomas' Church, and cordoned off the area to ensure the safety of local
residents.<br />
Nobody was injured in the incident, though the
phenomenon of sinkholes does appear to be becoming increasingly common,
with a number of similar incidents being reported in 2015.<br />
A
spokesperson for the Royal Borough of Greenwich said that the council
was working with emergency services to secure the area: "We are urgently
investigating the matter and will update residents the moment we have
more information."<br />
Cleo O'Kane, a local resident who lives
opposite where the hole opened up, said: "I thought it was thunder - I
heard a loud bang, but it was raining so much I thought it was thunder.<br />
"All the car is resting on apparently is a pipe, otherwise it would have disappeared."<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">Get the latest updates from the </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/trustatrader" style="background-color: white; color: #4d469c; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Trust a Trader Facebook</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;"> Profile and</span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/trustatrader" style="background-color: white; color: #4d469c; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Trust a Trader Twitter</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;"> social profiles.</span>Trust a Traderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16092050530729429202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348344780384032770.post-57280488882459883532016-11-21T06:36:00.000-08:002016-11-21T06:36:00.181-08:00Happy World Naked Gardening Day!You may not have been aware, but today - the first Saturday of May -
has been named World Naked Gardening Day, when gardening lovers are
encouraged to embrace their gardens as nature intended.<br />
The
award-winning gardeners of the RHS Malvern Spring Festival in
Worcestershire marked the occasion by stripping off and being
photographed amongst the greenery of their creations.<br />
Today was
the third day of the four day festival which over 90,000 people are
expected to have visited by the time it finishes tomorrow.<br />
Mark and Gig Eveleigh won Best Show Garden at the event hosted by the Royal Horticultural Society.<br />
The day was marked on Twitter with posts tagged with #nakedgardeningday.<br />
Whether
or not you were brave enough to celebrate the day as intended, it was
very welcome to have some warmer weather in which to enjoy our gardens
this weekend.<br />
<br />
For more news and information visit <a href="http://www.trustatrader.com/" target="_blank">TrustATrader</a> and <a href="http://www.trustatradergroup.com/" target="_blank">Trust A Trader Group</a>Trust a Traderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16092050530729429202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348344780384032770.post-1664720401300111792016-11-14T06:32:00.000-08:002016-11-14T06:32:02.868-08:00Many UK cities with less than 'superfast' broadband on averageBroadband speed tests have been conducted across 42 UK cities,
revealing that almost half of all residents are using connections with
an average speed slower than 24Mbps - the point regarded as the start of
'superfast' speeds.<br />
The testing was conducted by comparison site
uSwitch, and found that the city with the lowest average speed was Hull
with just 12.4Mbps, while even London users were below the 'superfast'
rating with an average speed of 22.4Mbps.<br />
Middlesbrough, Belfast and Brighton were the top three cities, with average speeds of 34.4, 34.3 and 33.8Mbps respectively.<br />
The cities with the lowest average broadband speeds after Hull were Aberdeen with 15.6Mbps and Milton Keynes with 17.1Mbps.<br />
It
should be made clear that services offering faster speeds may be
available in these cities, but the figures represent the actual average
speeds people are using in each location.<br />
The government has
stated that superfast broadband is available to around 90% of UK homes
and businesses now, and further funding has been pledged to increase the
total to 95% by 2017.<br />
BT has said that its fibre-based services
are available to 24 million homes, but only 22% of these are using the
fast connections at the moment.<br />
Although some broadband users want
the fastest speeds, many people are still happy with lower download
rates as long as they can browse the web, send emails and watch the
occasional programme via catch-up TV services.<br />
Faster services can also cost significantly more than those offering lower speeds.<br />
uSwitch's
Ewan Taylor-Gibson commented: "We should be asking what more can be
done to encourage the adoption of superfast broadband, now it's so
widely available.<br />
"The UK's towns and cities should be leading the
charge when it comes to broadband speeds, yet just 22 cities have
broadband users with average speeds of more than 24Mbps."<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">View more news on </span><a href="http://www.trustatrader.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #4d469c; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Trust a Trader</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;"> or get updates via the </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/trustatrader" style="background-color: white; color: #4d469c; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px; text-decoration: none;">Trust a Trader Twitter</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;"> profile or the </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/trustatrader" style="background-color: white; color: #4d469c; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px; text-decoration: none;">Trust a Trader Facebook</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;"> profile.</span>Trust a Traderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16092050530729429202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348344780384032770.post-14907482700558020302016-11-07T06:31:00.000-08:002016-11-07T06:31:00.221-08:00More than 900 beacons lit to celebrate Queen's 90thOn her 90th birthday yesterday the Queen lit the first of over 900 beacons across the world in celebration of the landmark date.<br />
The first beacon was lit in Windsor, before the Queen was joined by Prince Phillip for a private dinner at Windsor Castle.<br />
The
beacons have been set up in locations across the countries of the
Commonwealth, some being purpose-built gas-fuelled structures, others
more traditional bonfires or braziers on tall wooden posts.<br />
Royal gun salutes were fired from the UK's capital cities as the Queen greeted crowds of well-wishers in Windsor.<br />
Her
majesty also unveiled a plaque to mark the beginning of The Queen's
Walkway, a recently designed 6.3 kilometer trail which links over sixty
significant points in Windsor. The trail was developed to commemorate
the moment on 9th September 2015 when the Queen broke the record for the
longest reigning British monarch.<br />
The Prince of Wales spoke about
his mother at the lighting of the beacon in Windsor, saying: "this,
ladies and gentlemen, is a very special occasion and this beacon that
her majesty is about to light will also represent - as it lights other
beacons across the nation - the love and affection with which you are
held throughout this country and the Commonwealth."<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">Get updates on news and events via the </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/trustatrader" style="background-color: white; color: #4d469c; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px; text-decoration: none;">Trust a Trader</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;"> Twitter profile and the </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/trustatrader" style="background-color: white; color: #4d469c; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px; text-decoration: none;">Trust a Trader Facebook</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;"> profile as well as <a href="http://www.trustatradergroup.com/" target="_blank">Trust A Trader Group</a>.</span>Trust a Traderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16092050530729429202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348344780384032770.post-74354743463633310832016-10-31T06:30:00.000-07:002016-10-31T06:30:00.278-07:00Charges introduced to help protect bluebell wood from crowdsThe National Trust are introducing visitor charges at their Dockey
Wood location in Ashridge, Hertfordshire in a bid to control the crowds
which flock to the see the beautiful carpets of bluebells covering the
ground in May.<br />
Thousands of people visit the woods every spring to
walk through the carpets of blue flowers but this leads to large areas
being trampled underfoot, or "chaotic parking" on verges in the local
area, damaging other plants.<br />
The National Trust is introducing a
fee of £3 for an adult to visit the woods, and £1 for a child. This is
the first year charges have been in place, and it is said they will help
to pay for rangers and the annual £500,000 costs of upkeep.<br />
A
spokesperson from the National Trust commented: "At weekends during
bluebell season traffic queues build up and people park chaotically,
causing real damage to verges and wayside plants.<br />
"Last year lots
of people told us that they thought we should have a much greater staff
presence at the wood during the busiest weekends, and make a small
charge to help meet some of our costs."<br />
The fees will apply only
for the first two weekends of May, when the majority of visitors come to
see the bluebells at their peak.<br />
A new route has been laid out to help avoid the trampling of the flowers, and rangers will be on hand to help direct visitors.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">Get the latest news via our official </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/trustatrader" style="background-color: white; color: #4d469c; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px; text-decoration: none;">Trust a Trader Twitter profile</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;"> and our</span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/trustatrader" style="background-color: white; color: #4d469c; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px; text-decoration: none;">Trust a Trader Facebook profile</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">.</span>Trust a Traderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16092050530729429202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348344780384032770.post-11679277662597839742016-10-24T06:30:00.000-07:002016-10-24T06:30:06.673-07:00Crisis over - Carlisle biscuit factory operational againThe UK's biscuit lovers will be hugely relieved to hear that a
factory in Carlisle which produces several national favourites such as
McVitie's ginger nuts and Crawford's custard creams is back to full
production levels after it suffered substantial flood damage back in
December.<br />
United Biscuits revealed that it was necessary to clear
around 40 million litres of water and 540 tonnes of debris from the
factory site. It took hundreds of staff, suppliers and contractors
working to clean the site and repair machinery before production could
be resumed.<br />
Electrical equipment and ovens had to be repaired or
replaced before the factory could be brought back to full operation and
start producing biscuits again.<br />
The period of downtime resulted in a national biscuit shortage, leading to many anxious customers searching store shelves.<br />
Manufacturing
Director of United Biscuits, Mark Taylor, said: "Rather than buy
another pack, they actually hunted down the store manager, harangued him
for 10 minutes about why ginger nuts weren't there and left the shop
without buying anything."<br />
"It was a fantastic team effort to clean the place up, repair it and get it back in great shape" he added.<br />
"We can announce officially, the biscuit crisis is over."<br />
The storms Desmond and Eva caused damage to many homes and businesses across Cumbria, Lancashire and Yorkshire in December.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">Get the latest updates from the </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/trustatrader" style="background-color: white; color: #4d469c; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Trust a Trader Facebook</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;"> Profile and</span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/trustatrader" style="background-color: white; color: #4d469c; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Trust a Trader Twitter</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;"> social profiles.</span>Trust a Traderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16092050530729429202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348344780384032770.post-90611237420591792152016-10-17T06:28:00.000-07:002016-10-17T06:28:00.162-07:00Housing no.1 concern for Londoners, poll indicatesAccording to a recent poll of Londoners carried out by ComRes for BBC
London, housing has become the number one concern for those living in
the capital.<br />
The last time the poll was carried out in 2012, jobs
were considered the highest priority, followed by crime, transport and
then housing.<br />
This year, after housing, the highest ranked issues for Londoners were immigration, security against terrorism, and healthcare.<br />
2,062
adults were questioned as part of the poll. Londoners were also asked
what they considered to be an affordable cost for a two bedroom home in
London. Those responding thought this to be £208,000 to buy, or £646 per
month to rent.<br />
However, the actual average selling figure for a
terraced house in London last year was £569,000, indicated by the Office
for National Statistics. The median monthly rent in London was £1,400
in the year 2014-15, according to the Valuation Office Agency.<br />
24,620 new houses were built in London in 2015, the Department of Communities and Local Government figures show.<br />
Senior
consultant at ComRes, Adam Ludlow, commented on the results: "While
this poll could not be compared directly to the one carried out four
years ago, the relative shift in the priority given to housing would
seem to suggest people see it as more important now."<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">We are also helping to raise awareness of rogue traders. Be sure to check out our imagery at the </span><a href="https://chainy.com/profile/trust-a-trader" style="background-color: white; color: #4d469c; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">official trust a trader chainy profile</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">.</span>Trust a Traderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16092050530729429202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348344780384032770.post-12290979652324062512016-10-10T06:27:00.000-07:002016-10-10T06:27:02.873-07:00Happy Easter!We'd like to take this opportunity to wish all website visitors, and
of course our trusted traders, a very happy Easter bank holiday weekend
from all at TrustATrader.com.<br />
The weather looks like it may be
kind to us, so whether you're planning a short break, some time working
on the garden, or just relaxing at home with the family, we hope you
have a great time.<br />
If you have plans for home improvements, why
not give yourself a restful weekend instead and contact a trusted trader
to do a professional job for you this spring?<br />
<br />
Find out about our spring time events at <a href="http://www.trustatradergroup.com/" target="_blank">TrustATrader Group.</a>Trust a Traderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16092050530729429202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348344780384032770.post-51260480581324840522016-10-03T06:25:00.000-07:002016-10-03T06:25:00.149-07:00Unexploded WW2 shells found on building site in LiverpoolSeven suspected unexploded shells from World War Two were found in
the space of 24 hours on a building site in the Pall Mall area of
Liverpool this week.<br />
On Monday two shells were discovered in the
ground by construction workers, before a third was found at 8:15 this
morning. Three hours later a further four devices were found, when the
previously cordoned area had been made accessible again by police.<br />
Experts
from the army bomb disposal team were called in to deal with the
devices and an area 200m around the site was set up for public safety
while the shells were removed. The cordoned off area, at the junction of
Pall Mall and Leeds Road, has since been opened again.<br />
The Army
Explosive Ordnance Disposal team came to the conclusion that the five
later shells were "empty", Merseyside Police reported.<br />
The shells were originally thought to be bombs still capable of exploding, but are now considered to be "non-fused ammunition".<br />
A
police spokesman confirmed: "The construction company has now ceased
work at the site and the Health and Safety Executive are on site."<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">Trust a Trader are raising money for charity. Do your bit by donating to the official </span><a href="https://www.justgiving.com/trustatrader-charity/" style="background-color: white; color: #4d469c; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Trust a Trader JustGiving</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;"> Page.</span>Trust a Traderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16092050530729429202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348344780384032770.post-59559341340039415732016-09-26T06:24:00.000-07:002016-09-26T06:24:00.179-07:00Over 400 skyscrapers planned for LondonThe London skyline is due to change dramatically in the coming years,
as there are currently 436 towers in planning, approved, under
construction or completed in London, based on research by New London
Architecture.<br />
A tower is defined as any building with more than 20 floors.<br />
Within
the past year 119 towers have entered planning. However only 16 have
been completed so far, indicating that it will be some time until all
400+ are constructed.<br />
London council's enthusiasm for towers is displayed by the fact that only three have been refused planning permission.<br />
The average height of the new towers is 30 storeys, though there are eight buildings planned which will be 60 storeys or higher.<br />
Tower
Hamlets, including Canary Wharf and the Isle of Dogs, has 93 towers
planned - the most of any London borough at present. A new skyscraper
planned for this location called City Pride will be London's tallest
residential building when complete, with 75 floors.<br />
73 percent of the planned towers are to be residential, in response to the strong demand for housing in the capital.<br />
<br />
To find out more about TrustATrader and its services, visit <a href="http://www.trustatradergroup.com/" target="_blank">Trustatrader Group</a>.Trust a Traderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16092050530729429202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348344780384032770.post-48556331200297219902016-09-19T06:22:00.000-07:002016-09-19T06:22:00.193-07:00Housing and Planning Bill could hit the elderly and disabled hardestThe government's proposed Housing and Planning bill is intended to
force councils to sell high-value social housing which could
significantly affect the elderly and disabled through the selling off of
bungalows, a report by The Joseph Rowntree Foundation has warned.<br />
Bungalows
are generally most popular with the elderly and disabled people, and
the plans could lead to over 15,000 council-owned bungalows being sold
off by 2021, the report stated.<br />
The government responded by saying
that councils would be allowed to decide not to sell any property which
meets "a particular need" or would be difficult to replace.<br />
The bill will go before the House of Lords later.<br />
The government say it will help more people to become home owners.<br />
If
the bill is passed, local councils will be compelled to sell expensive
properties as they become vacant, helping to "ensure that the money
locked up in high value vacant housing stock will be reinvested in
building new homes".<br />
What would count as a high value property is likely to vary in different regions, according to the bill.<br />
The
Joseph Rowntree Foundation called on the government to make bungalows
and sheltered housing exempt from the initiative, as these are in high
demand.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">To find reliable tradespeople, why not find them on our </span><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/trustatrader/id585628771?mt=8" style="background-color: white; color: #4d469c; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Trust a Trader Ios App</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">.</span>Trust a Traderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16092050530729429202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348344780384032770.post-632311176179452072016-09-12T06:21:00.000-07:002016-09-12T06:21:00.150-07:00Ofcom says BT must open network to rival broadband providersCommunications regulator Ofcom has told BT that it must open up its
network of telegraph poles and underground cable ducts to rivals to
allow for more competition between UK broadband providers, helping to
improve the availability of good internet connections.<br />
Ofcom mentioned the complete break-up of BT was an option, but has not demanded this at the current time.<br />
BT welcomed the report, saying it was happy for other companies to use its network as long as they were willing to invest in it.<br />
The
Ofcom report also highlighted the 'digital divide' between UK homes
with access to the latest broadband technology and those out of reach
due to their location. The watchdog said that 'decent, affordable
broadband should be a universal right'.<br />
BT's rivals had previously
called for the separation of BT and Openreach, the part of its
operation which manages the infrastructure of its cable and fibre
network. They claimed that BT had not invested enough in Openreach,
resulting in a poor service with interruptions and slow speeds.<br />
BT
will now be required to allow rivals access to underground ducts and
telegraph poles so that they can install their own fibre cables.<br />
Ofcom
has also stated that it intends to introduce tougher rules relating to
BT's faults, repairs and installations, and advised that Openreach
should be allowed greater independence from BT to make its own decisions
on budget and strategy.<br />
Speaking to the BBC, Chief Executive of
Ofcom, Sharon White, said: "Openreach does need major reform and the key
thing is that it's independent so that it responds to all its
customers, not just BT."<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">Also find our unique promotional imagery on the official </span><a href="http://trustatrader.deviantart.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #4d469c; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Trust a Trader DeviantArt</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;"> page.</span>Trust a Traderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16092050530729429202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348344780384032770.post-72938289818381478782016-09-05T06:19:00.000-07:002016-09-05T06:19:00.663-07:00'Hairy Panic' for Australian cityThe rural Australian city of Wangaratta, Victoria, has recently been
suffering from an outbreak of 'hairy panic' - the common name given to
the tumbleweed Panicum effusum - a grass native to inland Australia.<br />
Recent
dry conditions have caused the tumbleweed to appear in unusually huge
quantities, threatening to overwhelm the homes of local residents and
returning even after it has been cleared away.<br />
The tumbleweed can pile up to several metres high outside homes, making it difficult to deal with.<br />
The source of the hairy panic is thought to be an area or former farmland which is now unused and unmanaged.<br />
The
spectacle was captured by a local television station, which brought
people from other parts of Australia to see the outbreak for themselves.<br />
There
are a number of other similar types of grass, but Panicum effusum is
particularly troublesome because it grows quickly and can form
tumbleweeds, which are normally intended for the purpose of seed
dispersal, helping to propagate the plant.<br />
The local council of
Wangaratta has said that it is considering using large vacuums attached
to street sweepers to combat the problem.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">Get involved with our other service offerings, including </span><a href="http://www.trustatraderinsurance.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #4d469c; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Trust a Trader insurance</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">, </span><a href="http://www.trustagarage.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #4d469c; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Trust a Trader's Trust a Garage</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;"> and </span><a href="http://www.trustatrader.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #4d469c; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Trust a Trader Finance</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">.</span>Trust a Traderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16092050530729429202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348344780384032770.post-15471980021957594682016-08-29T06:18:00.000-07:002016-08-29T06:18:00.201-07:00Brighton's West Pier damaged by Storm ImogenThe recent impact of high winds from Storm Imogen hitting the south
coast on Monday has led to the collapse of part of Brighton's Grade I
listed West Pier.<br />
The pier, designed by Eugenius Birch and
originally opened in 1866 as a simple promenade, had by the early
twentieth century been developed extensively with the addition of a
theatre and concert hall. In its heyday in the 1920's it was a thriving
centre of entertainment by the seaside.<br />
Unfortunately after World
War II the pier became less popular and began to fall into disrepair. By
1975 it was deemed unsafe and was closed to the public.<br />
The pier
was due to be restored to its former glory via a Lottery grant in 2003,
but was tragically burnt in two arson attacks, reducing the structure to
its metal framework.<br />
Despite all this, the derelict structure of
the landmark pier remained largely intact until February 2014 when a
significant part collapsed, separating the former pavilion into two.<br />
The
high winds of Storm Imogen this week resulted in another small section
collapsing, and The West Pier Trust have reported that more collapses
could follow.<br />
The metal framework remains an impressive sight from
the Brighton beach, and is still the most photographed building in the
city.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">Check out our official </span><a href="https://chainy.com/profile/trust-a-trader" style="background-color: white; color: #4d469c; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Trust a Trader Chainy</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;"> profile for the latest designs regarding our promotions and fund raising activity.</span>Trust a Traderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16092050530729429202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348344780384032770.post-21388500430407316972016-08-22T06:18:00.000-07:002016-08-22T06:18:02.762-07:00Ministers told to tackle cold, older homesImproving the 'key infrastructure' of older UK homes, to make them
more energy efficient, has been highlighted to ministers as a priority
along with their existing multi-billion pound plans to improve roads,
railways, flood defences and energy.<br />
Opposition parties and
various institutions reminded the government of the importance of home
energy efficiency, via the installation of sufficient insulation, to
help the UK to meet targets to end fuel poverty and to cut carbon
emissions.<br />
The plan of making home energy efficiency an
infrastructure priority was proposed by the think-tank Policy Exchange
(PX). The plan has been supported by many groups including the Labour
party, Lib Dems, SNP, Plaid Cymru, the CBI, TUC, the union GMB, the
all-party parliamentary group Green Alliance, the World Energy Council,
the Institution of Civil Engineering and leading energy academics.<br />
The
government have not commented, but its advisory body the National
Infrastructure Commission said it would consider whether to go further
with the idea.<br />
Richard Howard of PX commented: "Bringing people's
homes up to standard is incredibly good value for money. We don't
typically think of housing as infrastructure like we think of roads and
railways - but we've got to change the way we approach this: housing is
critical infrastructure." <br />
The CBI's Rhian Kelly, speaking to BBC
News, said: "Energy efficiency in homes and businesses is often at the
back of the queue, so it's right that we see a sharper focus on making
buildings more insulated, leading to significant savings for households
and firms and important environmental benefits."<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">For further information, find out official </span><a href="http://pixelhub.me/trustatrader" style="background-color: white; color: #4d469c; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">pixel hub trust a trader</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;"> page and </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/trustatrader" style="background-color: white; color: #3778cd; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;" target="_blank">Trust a Trader Twitter</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;"> account. As well as <a href="http://www.trustatradergroup.com/" target="_blank">Trust A Trader Group.</a></span>Trust a Traderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16092050530729429202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348344780384032770.post-30834489962184492132016-08-15T06:16:00.000-07:002016-08-15T06:16:01.082-07:00MoD planning to sell land for house buildingThe Ministry of Defence (MoD) is planning to sell off the land from
12 of its sites around the UK for housing development, and to raise
around £500m for defence budgets.<br />
The land from the sites is expected to be suitable for the building of 15,000 new homes.<br />
Defence
Minister Mark Lancaster commented that funds from the sale of the land
will be put back into defence budgets, and the land will be used to help
reach the government target of building 160,000 homes by 2020.<br />
The
12 sites will be the first to be sold by the MoD, with further sites to
be put up for sale in due course. Plans are in place to raise £1bn
altogether via the sale of land, which should allow around 55,000 homes
to contribute to the government's 2020 target.<br />
The initial 12
sites will include Kneller Hall in Twickenham, Claro and Deverell
barracks in Ripon, Lodge Hill in Kent and RAF Barnham in Suffolk.<br />
Details of future sites to be sold will be announced by the MoD later in the year.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">Keep in touch with all Trust a Trader news by following our official </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/trustatrader" style="background-color: white; color: #4d469c; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Trust a Trader Twitter</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;"> account and </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/trustatrader" style="background-color: white; color: #4d469c; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Trust a Trader Facebook</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;"> account.</span>Trust a Traderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16092050530729429202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348344780384032770.post-77611792930099954522016-08-08T06:15:00.000-07:002016-08-08T06:15:02.008-07:00House prices boosted by rush in buy-to-letThe Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) have reported
that numbers of house purchases have been unseasonably high in recent
months.<br />
This is thought to be caused by large numbers of
buy-to-let investors seeking to buy before the government’s proposed
changes to stamp duty in April.<br />
RICS said that from its monthly
surveys of residential property agents, expectations of further price
increases were nearly at a two-year high, with 50% more surveyors seeing
price rises than falls.<br />
Prices are rising due to a shortage of
supply compared to demand, especially in cities, with homes in
Cambridge, London and Bristol showing the highest annual growth in
average prices.<br />
In December 2015, 43% more RICS surveyors said
they expected further price increases in the next three months compared
to those that predicted falls.<br />
Simon Rubinsohn, chief economist
for RICS, commented: "Potential buy-to-let investors are looking to pick
up properties before the increased stamp duty levy comes into force in
April. If that is the case, we can expect to see the housing market
heating up further over the next few months."<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">Find out more about Trustatrader by visiting our official </span><a href="http://trustatrader.deviantart.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #4d469c; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Trust a Trader Deviantart</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;"> page and </span><a href="http://www.chainy.com/profile/trust-a-trader" style="background-color: white; color: #4d469c; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Trust a Trader Chainy</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;"> Profile.</span>Trust a Traderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16092050530729429202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348344780384032770.post-36377930359339940342016-07-25T06:12:00.000-07:002016-07-25T06:12:00.425-07:00Lighthouse in urgent need of help to avoid fall into seaThe Orfordness lighthouse in Suffolk is in danger of falling into the
sea, and is in need of donations to help save the iconic building which
was built in 1792.<br />
The lighthouse is now only around ten metres
from the sea, since coastal erosion has contributed to the gap halving
within the last four years.<br />
The <a href="http://www.orfordnesslighthouse.co.uk/" target="_blank">Orfordness Lighthouse Trust has set up a £10,000 appeal</a>
in a bid to fund crucial repairs and sea defences which could save the
lighthouse. Without any action, the historic Grade II listed building
would likely be gone within months.<br />
Placing temporary 'Soft
Defences' - bags of shingle wrapped in 'sausages' of high performance
geo textile bonding - in front of the lighthouse has already extended
its life.<br />
A group of able volunteers are ready to start work to
enhance the temporary defences, putting another two layers of wrapped
shingle to shore up the beach below the lighthouse, but cannot do so
without funding.<br />
To allow this reassuring feature of the Suffolk coastline to remain open to visitors <a href="http://www.orfordnesslighthouse.co.uk/" target="_blank">the support of the public is important</a> and any donations greatly appreciated by the Orfordness Lighthouse Trust.<br />
Nicholas
Gold set up the Orfordness Lighthouse Trust having bought the building
from Trinity House, the country's general lighthouse authority, after it
was decommissioned as a working lighthouse in June 2013.<br />
Mr Gold
said: "If the work is not carried out in the next few weeks, the
lighthouse will, in all likelihood, not be standing in a year's time."<br />
<br />
For more information about Trust A Trader, Trust A Garage and Trust A Trader Insurance, visit us at <a href="http://www.trustatradergroup.com/" target="_blank">Trust A Trader Group.</a>Trust a Traderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16092050530729429202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348344780384032770.post-80558071733941725852016-07-18T06:10:00.000-07:002016-07-18T06:10:00.786-07:00Lord Sugar Trusts Our TraderYou know you can trust a trader when he receives almost perfect reviews and is picked by none other than Lord Alan Sugar.<br />
This
year's winner of the BBC series, The Apprentice, is TrustATrader
registered Joseph Valente. 25 year old Joseph's plumbing business,
Impra-Gas Plumbing and Heating, has been registered on TrustATrader
since 2013; those who saw his impressive pipe-work in episode 6 will not
be surprised that Impra's services have gained 16 reviews in the past
year, and an overall rating of 4.97 out of 5 stars.<br />
Joseph's
outstanding levels of service and ambitions for the future of his
plumbing business drove him into entering this year's competition, in
which renowned entrepreneur Lord Alan Sugar puts candidates through
rigorous challenges in order to select a winner. Joseph's performance
throughout the challenges and his robust business plan to franchise out
his plumbing business resulted in his overall victory despite stiff
competition. As well as the accolade of being named Apprentice 2015,
Joseph has won Lord Sugar's partnership and a £250,000 investment.<br />
Lord
Sugar said of Joseph’s victory: "Joseph is a great example of what's
possible. He turned his life around and decided he was going to go to
work and here he is today, a well-deserved winner of The Apprentice and I
look forward to him being my business partner. I hope it inspires a lot
of people to see what is possible in this world."<br />
Since a young
age, Joseph has always worked hard to strive for excellence. He gained a
plumbing apprenticeship, which led to him establishing his own
business. It is his intention to give others like him the opportunity to
succeed by making apprenticeships an integral element of his new
business model: "Apprenticeships are going to be the backbone of this
country, and off the back of this journey I'm going to make sure I go
out and promote as much as possible how effective apprenticeships are."<br />
You can <a href="http://www.trustatrader.com/traders/impra-gas-heating-engineers-and-gas-fitters-northboroughbarnacknewboroughginstonbrettonortomdogsthorpewerrington/">take a look at a few of Joseph's reviews here</a>.<br />
At
TrustATrader, we are, of course, delighted that another one of our
local traders has received the public recognition that they deserve. We
offer Joseph our huge congratulations and are proud that our reviewers'
opinions of his business have been echoed by Lord Sugar and his team.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">Find us on social media! Check out the </span><a href="https://plus.google.com/+trustatrader" style="background-color: white; color: #4d469c; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Trust a Trader G+</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">, </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/trustatrader" style="background-color: white; color: #3778cd; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;" target="_blank">Trust a Trader Facebook</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;"> & </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/trustatrader" style="background-color: white; color: #4d469c; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Trust a Trader Twitter</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;"> profiles.</span>Trust a Traderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16092050530729429202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348344780384032770.post-80062865825882446112016-07-11T02:59:00.000-07:002016-07-11T02:59:09.661-07:00Council give special Christmas gift to young lighting enthusiastWigan Council have given a special Christmas gift to a local boy, Ben
McKenna, who has been collecting lights and lamps for years - a brand
new LED street light.<br />
The grandmother of 15 year old Ben had
called the Council to ask where she could buy one of the LED lights that
had been recently installed across the region.<br />
Instead, the kind
folks at the street lighting team decided to wrap up one of the lights
to present to the boy, who was reported to be 'speechless' at the gift.<br />
Ben
has loved lights since a very young age, always wanting to go the
lighting section of any supermarket they visited, grandmother Carol
said.<br />
"Most kids wanted sweets, but he was happy with a light bulb."<br />
He had wanted one of the new street lights since he had seen them being fitted.<br />
The light was given free of charge by the Council's suppliers.<br />
Ben
has been signed up as the youngest member of the Institute of Lighting
Professionals, and is looking into a career in street lighting.<br />
Wigan
Council's Technical and Design Officer for street lighting, Chris
Pennington, commented: "He is very knowledgeable and was asking us about
what qualifications he needs to progress. We are delighted to encourage
it in any way."<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">If you would like to get in touch with us, contact us via our </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/trustatrader" style="background-color: white; color: #4d469c; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">official Twitter profile</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"> and </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/trustatrader" style="background-color: white; color: #4d469c; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Facebook Profile</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">.</span>Trust a Traderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16092050530729429202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348344780384032770.post-18220921332963970862016-07-04T02:45:00.000-07:002016-07-04T02:45:05.755-07:00Homes able to be built on Green Belt in planning shake up<br />
Following a new Government consultation, laws related to building on
Green Belt land are due to be relaxed to allow the development of new
'starter homes' for young families.<br />
The proposals are the biggest
changes to planning protection for thirty years, affecting the laws
related to greenfield land around towns and cities which were introduced
in 1955 to prevent urban sprawl.<br />
The changes were published on
Monday, and are likely to be welcomed by developers which have always
wanted to be able to build on Green Belt land.<br />
The changes to the
National Planning Policy Framework which was introduced in 2012 no
longer require land lost to building to be replaced, instead this will
be an option for the local council.<br />
According to the consultation:
"We consider that the current policy can hinder locally-led development
and propose to amend national planning policy so that neighbourhood
plans can allocate appropriate small-scale sites in the Green Belt
specifically for starter homes."<br />
Paul Miner from the Campaign to
Protect Rural England commented: "We will probably see thousands more
houses come through in the Green Belt as a result of these changes every
year.<br />
"The current policy isn’t working, but these proposals will
make things worse. It could see a lot more planning battles in the
countryside over coming years."<br />
Starter homes are for first time
buyers under the age of 40, which are sold at a 20 percent discount from
the market rate. They are properties worth no more than £250,000
outside of London, or £450,000 in the capital.<br />
<br />
<br />
If you would like to find out a bit more about <a href="http://trustatrader.com/">Trustatrader.com</a> visit our social media profiles - <a href="http://www.twitter.com/trustatrader" target="_blank">Trustatrader Twitter</a>, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/trustatrader" target="_blank">Trustatrader Facebook</a> and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/thetrustatrader" target="_blank">Trustatrader Youtube</a>.Trust a Traderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16092050530729429202noreply@blogger.com0