MONTH IN REVIEW
OPERATION DEMAND
NURTURE ACQUIRES
FROSTS GROUP’S
MAINTENANCE
OPERATION RIBA: SIGNS OF
STEADY DEMAND FOR
ARCHITECTS
Nurture Landscapes has acquired
the landscape maintenance
operations of Bedfordshire-based
Frosts Group.
The new contract, its
Nurture’s fifth such purchase
in 12 months, increases its
turnover to £35m and staff
numbers to more than 500.
Frosts’ landscape maintenance
business has annual sales
approaching £4m, including the
provision of office plant displays
and Christmas trees. The 70
staff and contracts will transfer
to Nurture on 1 August along
with Frosts’ divisional director,
Darrell Hedden.
Most contracts will be
managed from a new office
and depot near Frosts’ base at
Woburn Sands under Nurture
Midlands director, Gordon
Whyte. Others will be serviced
from one of Nurture’s multiple
regional offices.
Peter Fane, managing director
of Nurture, said: “The acquisition
offers great synergy with our
business and we anticipate a
seamless integration.
“In Oxfordshire, for instance,
we already work at Bicester
Village and Oxford Business
Park, so Milton Park and
Abingdon Business Park fit right
into the centre. I am delighted to
welcome all the Frost employees
to the Nurture family.”
James Frost, the third generation
of his family to manage Frosts
Group, added: “Nurture is the
perfect home for the landscape
maintenance business and I have
no doubt that the staff and clients
are in excellent hands”
The newest Future Trends survey
from the Royal Institute of British
Architects (RIBA) has shown demand
for architects in the private housing and
commercial sectors showed signs of
steady growth in the month of May.
The survey, a tool used to measure
RIBA members’ confidence in the
market for architectural services,
showed that the workload index in May
rose to +23 which was up one point
from +22 in April.
London-based practices continued to
be the most cautious about increasing
workloads with a score of +12, down
five points when compared to April.
Other practices were more optimistic
in North of England which scored +36,
South of England which recorded a
score of +37. Practices in Northern
Ireland were by far the most positive
with a balance figure of +50.
Practices of all sizes retained similar
levels of confidence. Large practices
(51 or more staff ) were slightly more
positive with a balance figure of +25,
while small (1-10 staff ) and medium-
sized (11-50 staff ) practices both
recorded a balance figure of +23.
The private housing sector and
commercial sectors were again
expected to be the strongest
performing sectors (balance figures of
+22 and +7 respectively).
The public sector forecast rose
slightly but remained in negative
territory at –2; the community sector
forecast fell to zero, indicating no
anticipated change in workloads.
The RIBA Future Trends staffing
index fell in May 2017 to +7 (down
from +9 in April).
WARNING
TRADE BOD Y WARNS
OF GIANT HOGWEED
DANGER
National trade body, the Property
Care Association (PCA), is
urging caution as the invasive
weed Giant Hogweed takes hold
this summer.
The plant’s sap is extremely
toxic to the skin in sunlight,
making it a danger to
public health.
Experts from the PCA say that
those who come into contact
with the any part of the plant
then is exposed to sunlight risks
severe blistering to the skin and
discomfort. This can result in
a long term condition which
returns every summer.
Professor Max Wade,
chairman of the PCA’s Invasive
Weed Control Group, said:
“Giant Hogweed is turning out to
be a problem again this summer.
It is continuing to spread and,
in one area alone, I’ve seen it
appear in five new locations.
“It is really important that the
plant is spotted and that its toxic
sap does not come into contact
with skin in the sunlight. If this
occurs, it can lead to a nasty rash,
itching and blisters when skin
first makes contact with it.”
He added: “The rash and the
itching can reoccur and flare up
for years afterwards when skin is
exposed to sunlight.
“An added concern is the fact that
Giant Hogweed sap which comes
into contact with items such as
clothing and equipment can also
be transferred via touch, so it can
possibly affect somebody else.”
Giant Hogweed is turning out to be a problem
again this summer. It is continuing to spread
and, in one area alone, I’ve seen it appear in
five new locations.”
Professor Max Wade, chairman of the PCA’s Invasive Weed
Control Group
August 2017 | Landscape Insight
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