NEWS
Depression charity Aware NI and search and rescue organisation Community Rescue Service have received donations totalling £35,000 from Macnaughton Blair. The builders merchant hosted the two charity partners at its central support office in Belfast to present its latest contributions on February 2. Teams from MacBlair, Watershed Bathrooms, Doorways, Wood Floor Warehouse, P McDermott & Sons (Omagh) and B Mc Namee & Co took on cycle, golf and tug of war challenges to raise the funds in less than five months. Macnaughton Blair selected its two charity partners in response to community need. According to the Northern Ireland Audit Office, Northern Ireland is reported to have the highest prevalence of mental ill-health in the UK yet lowest level of mental health funding. On top of that, there were 10,953 missing-related calls in 2021/22 in Northern Ireland alone, according to the police figures, with the average number of incidents for a child in care going missing significantly higher than elsewhere in the UK. www.macblair.com MACNAUGHTON BLAIR RAISES £35,000 FOR CHARITY
NHBC RELEASES 2024 TECHNICAL STANDARDS FOR NEW HOMES
NHBC, the UK’s leading provider of new homes warranty and insurance, has unveiled its 2024 Technical Standards. These standards set out the technical requirements and performance standards for new homes registered with NHBC, offering guidance on achieving them. Rigorously reviewed for continuous improvement, the standards aim to support builders and developers in delivering high-quality homes. Key changes include: Introduction of a new chapter on ‘Engineered fill’ to support residential developments. Extensive revisions to chapter 6.1 covering cavity trays and windpost design. Updates to chapter 6.3 regarding
internal masonry walls and fire- stopping. Improvements to chapter 7.2 focusing on durability, ventilation, integration of solar roof technologies and roof cassette systems. Revision of Part 8 for enhanced usability and guidance on heat pumps and solar technology ensuring alignment with the Requirements for Electrical Installations (IET Wiring Regulations 18th Edition), and weep hole locations in relation to gas metre boxes. The 2024 standards apply to homes where construction began on or after January 1, 2024. For more information, visit
www.nhbc.co.uk/standards or purchase a printed copy from www.nhbc.co.uk/shop
Macnaughton Blair hosted Aware NI and Community Rescue Service at its central support office in Belfast on February 2 for a fundraising presentation.
NI COMMERCIAL PROPERTY MARKET SHOWS PROGRESS
The NI commercial property market remained sluggish and lacking momentum in Q4 2023, according to the latest Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Commercial Property Monitor, but there were small signs of progress compared to the previous quarter. The survey found that overall demand for office and retail spaces dropped, but the decline for office space wasn’t as fast as before. However, demand for industrial space continued to rise, which is good news. The number of inquiries from investors also increased slightly compared to Q3 2023, but it’s
still not positive. Expectations for rents and property values are mostly negative, although there’s some hope for industrial spaces. Garrett O’Hare from RICS NI noted the challenges faced by the commercial property sector, especially due to high costs and low transaction volumes, but added, “Northern Ireland is regarded as a gateway to both European and global markets, which has attracted significant inward investment over the course of the last 24 months from export businesses seeking to capitalise on the unique opportunities presented in the region.”
Garrett O’Hare, RICS NI spokesman and Managing Director of Bradley NI.
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