Advance TRS is a proud member of the SME Climate Hub, a global initiative that empowers small to medium sized companies to take climate action and build more resilient businesses. Through the SME Climate Hub, we commit to lowering our impact on the environment through authentic action, halving our emissions by 2030. In making the commitment, we have joined the United Nations Race to Zero campaign.

At Advance TRS Ltd., we are dedicated to making a positive impact on the environment and are committed to taking meaningful actions to address climate change. Our commitment is grounded in a set of specific goals and milestones that reflect our dedication to sustainability. By adhering to the following targets, we strive to contribute to a more sustainable future:

SME Climate Hub Membership: We have joined the SME Climate Hub, a global initiative that aligns small and medium-sized enterprises with the goals of the Paris Agreement. By doing so, we commit to actively participate in collaborative efforts to mitigate climate change and foster sustainable practices within our operations.

Signed the Climate Pledge by December 2024: By December 2024, Advance TRS Ltd. commits to signing the Climate Pledge, signaling our commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions and actively working towards a sustainable and resilient future. This pledge reinforces our dedication to environmental stewardship and aligns us with global efforts to combat climate change.

Set Science-Based Targets by December 2024: We recognize the importance of sciencebased targets in driving meaningful change. By December 2024, Advance TRS Ltd. will establish and communicate science-based targets, ensuring that our emissions reduction goals are in line with what is necessary to limit global temperature rise and contribute to a low-carbon economy.

Archived ISO14001 Certification by December 2025: Environmental management is a cornerstone of our sustainability efforts. By December 2025, we commit to achieving and maintaining ISO14001 certification, demonstrating our commitment to systematically managing our environmental impact and continuously improving our environmental performance.

Achieved Carbon Neutral Status by December 2027: We understand the urgency of addressing climate change, and by December 2027, we aspire to achieve Carbon Neutral Status. Through a combination of emissions reduction measures and offsetting initiatives, we aim to balance our carbon footprint, contributing to the global effort to stabilize and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

As members of the Supply Chain Sustainability School, we are working through online learning resources surrounding various sustainability, offsite, BIM, lean and management topics relevant to the built environment to further our company and staff knowledge. Our team are able to gain CPD points by attending training workshops, networking events or completing e-learning modules.

Find out more about our memberships, professional accreditations and certifications or our commitment to delivering our service responsibly.

Delivering premium quality solutions for the technical engineer sector

Tam Shahid is a Delivery Project Manager, Water Environment & Infrastructure Team. He joined Advance TRS in November 2020, specialising in the delivery process for Senior Consultants. Tam generates suitable candidates to match client requirements/expectations.

Group MD and Founder Andy Ridout explains:

“Tam is an absolute asset to the company. In his time with us, he has mastered the complexity and skill required to deliver exemplary service to both clients and candidates. Tam project manages the assignments from our clients and supports our consultants throughout the process. Having the knowledge, expertise, and skillset to source and deliver niche engineering specialists. He provides our clients with an efficient and top quality service, something Advance TRS is recognised for.”

Tam provides bespoke support to our Port Solent based Water and Environment team. The team offer an expert focus and quality recruitment service to both clients and candidates in the sector. They consistently meet and exceed expectations. As a well-respected and effective recruitment partner, the team deliver results time and time again. They offer services for a range of public and private sector clients across the UK. These include consultancies, contractors, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). They place exceptional talent in permanent, contract and interim roles.

In his time in the role, Tam has assisted in the development of a dynamic and efficient delivery function within the team. He is capable of supporting the sales function across market verticals. Tam truly understands the calibre of staff required for our business to thrive.

Today our Marketing Consultants sit down with Tam and his Director to understand more about the role Tam plays in driving the Port Solent office’s success and growth.

So, Tam, what led you to this career?

I started working from the age of 16 part-time within retail, whilst studying full-time. Once I graduated from the University of Portsmouth, I was looking for a change in direction from Retail and came across Recruitment. I saw this as an opportunity to expand on my skills in areas such as communication, time management, persuasion, multi-tasking etc. It also meant I could learn new skills, and learn about the specified markets.

What made you take the job at Advance TRS?

Advance TRS are a growing company and has a clear vision for the future. The company and colleagues I work with have specialist knowledge that enables you to progress in this role. Having previously worked with Rob Kelly at another company, I was managed and trained by him to a high level, so this also drew me to the role. I was excited to be contributing and be part of it all!

How has your role developed since you joined the company?

Initially, I was asked to carry out a Senior Delivery role where I would generate candidates, working on live jobs, advertising roles, writing adverts etc. My role has since developed, and my responsibilities now include supporting internal recruitment. I also project manage the growth of the delivery team, train and develop new staff and provide regular reports on the delivery output. The managing director has approved training to gain my APMP qualification, to become a qualified project manager and progress my role even further.

In what way does your role assist your colleagues and the company?

My role helps support the Senior Sales team workload, allowing them to focus on other key areas and ease some of their work pressures. The process involved contributes to increasing our company’s reputation. We provide a more thorough and polished search, ensuring we are covering all markets and sourcing that ideal candidate for our clients. My experience within the role means I’ve developed a good understanding of the candidates I’ve spoken to, their skills, qualifications, responsibilities etc.

When a client presents us with a role, I’m able to deliver someone suitable and who meets the requirements. Unlike other consultants, I don’t specialise in one area, or one job role. I’ve worked on a broad range of different roles and built a knowledge and understanding based on the job specification and the candidates. Each time we successfully fill a role, it increases our reputation and generates a flow of further work from the clients.

What complexities do you find with this role?

As with the nature of recruitment, it’s always tough when you lose out on a candidate. There may be a number of reasons why they may have rejected a job offer but through experience, you learn when to be persuasive with someone, when you need to be persistent and when you need to be patient. It can sometimes be challenging trying to juggle multiple job roles, so the ability to multitask and be organised is key. You have to learn to prioritise the most important task.

What have been some of your biggest successes?

Since joining the team in November 2020 I have helped contribute to 31 placements for the business. I continually support the business with the growth of the delivery team.

If you are interested in learning from Tam and finding out how you can pursue a career in Delivery, we are always hiring. Find out more about our current opportunities here (https://www.advance-trs.com/about/careers-at-advance/)

Rob Kelly, our Water & Infrastructure Director works closely with Tam throughout the recruitment process. He explains the vital role Tam plays in supporting the candidates and meeting our clients’ requirements.

How would you describe the benefits of having Tam in his role?

Tam co-ordinates between our sales function and candidate delivery function. His role ensures an excellent experience for the candidates, developing a rapport with them throughout the entire hiring process. He has likely pre-interviewed and pre-referenced a volume of candidates and assessed their suitability prior to jobs being advertised by our clients. This provides clients with a more efficient, pro-active service and means we are able to quickly source appropriate candidates. This gives us and our clients an edge over competitors and puts us at the forefront of recruitment.

If you’re interested in joining our team, or viewing our latest sector vacancies, please visit our website https://www.advance-trs.com/jobs. Alternatively, you can speak to one of our dedicated team on 01483 361 061.


Why Advance TRS?

Advance TRS is a niche recruitment consultancy specialising in the provision of highly skilled technical professionals for the built environment. We provide permanent, contract and temporary recruitment solutions to both candidates and clients across several key technical sectors including rail, construction and water & environment services.

Since its establishment in 2011, the company has shown remarkable growth, delivering MSPs and RPOs for some of the biggest businesses in the built environment. The team continue to work closely together to deliver honest, reliable solutions to clients and candidates.

As recruiters, we really understand that talented and motivated staff is the key to any successful business. To help us develop our team into the best they can be, all staff receive invaluable mentorship from our experienced senior leaders and map out potential routes of progression within the company.

World Environment Day has become a platform to raise awareness on the dangers to our environment such as air and plastic pollution, illegal wildlife trade, sea-level increase and food security to name just a few. 

The theme this year is Ecosystem Restoration, which means assisting the recovery of destroyed ecosystems and conserving those that are still intact. It can take many forms, from growing trees, to rewilding gardens, changing diets, making cities greener or cleaning up rivers and coasts. Healthier ecosystems with richer biodiversity yield greater benefits such as more fertile soils, bigger yields of timber and fish, and larger stores of greenhouse gases.

The official World Environment Day website holds a wealth of information on how this awareness day came about, what we can all do to help the environment and much more. Take a look to see what you might be able to do, as even the smallest changes can have a big impact. 

There are many things businesses can do to become more environmentally friendly too, from cutting down on paper to turning off computers when not in use and switching off the lights when leaving the office in the evening. We previously published a blog with some suggestions.

At Advance TRS, we care about the environment and we are making more and more changes to make sure that we minimise our impact on it. If you want to work for a business that places the environment as a priority, send your CV to info@advance-trs.com or take a look at our latest vacancies.

There are many ways offices can become more sustainable and thus be more environmentally friendly. We have collated a list to name just some of the steps companies can take.

Turn off computers when they’re not in use

Make sure when you leave the office that you switch off your computer rather than just locking it. It’s also a good idea to set a relatively short time for your PC to go into standby mode when not in use, for example when you leave your desk to go to lunch.

Use fewer paper towels

Where possible, use hand dryers instead of paper towels and make sure that taps are turned off so they are not left running for a long period of time. Make sure they are turned off completely and don’t drip. A tap that leaks at a rate of one drop per second can waste more than 25 litres of water a day!

Turn off lights when you leave the room

If you’re the last one to leave the office, make sure to switch off all lights and don’t leave them on overnight. Ensure to do the same when you leave rooms.

Cut down on paper

While going paperless might not be possible for every business, try to cut down on printing and encourage paperless meetings, where the agenda and presentations can be displayed on a screen instead.

Recycle and reuse

Another great way to help the environment is to recycle any waste and go for reusables instead of disposables. It’s much better to give your plate and cutlery a quick wash than throwing them away – they will just end up in landfill!

There is much more that can be done but even if you can’t make all the changes, a few small ones can make a big difference!

We care about the environment

At Advance TRS we are making more and more changes, including the above, to make sure that we minimise our impact on the environment. We remind colleagues to print off only the necessary and use projectors instead where possible. To make implementing the changes more fun and get everyone involved, we are even looking at turning some of them into challenges. For example, if we see a colleague use disposable cups and cutlery on a regular basis and throw them away, they might be asked to put some change in a jar. The money collected can then go towards buying everyone Advance TRS branded travel mugs.

We are currently recruiting, so if you want to work for a company that places the environment as a priority send us your CV or take a look at our latest vacancies.

The latest news this week in the Water & Utilities Industry:

G20 agrees global action to reduce ocean plastic

20 environment ministers have agreed to adopt a new voluntary framework of actions to tackle the issue of marine plastic waste on a global scale. Environment and energy ministers of the Group of 20 major economies met in Karuizawa (15-16 June), northwest of Tokyo, ahead of the G20 summit in Osaka, western Japan (28-29 June). Read more…

Ofwat calls for views on developing water resources market

Water regulator Ofwat is seeking views from interested parties about the development and implementation of a bilateral market in water resources in England. A bilateral market would allow water resource providers, other than the incumbent water company, to contract directly for the supply of water resources with retailers operating in the business retail market. Read more…

Light appointed new CCWater chair

Ensuring water consumers’ views shape the decisions of water companies, regulators and policymakers and building a more resilient water sector that reflects people’s growing concern for the environment will be among the most pressing priorities for the new chair of the Consumer Council for Water (CCWater). Read more…

Monitoring technology guide launched by British Water

A live guide to drinking water and wastewater monitoring technology and services has been launched by industry trade association British Water. The web-based document includes clear definitions of monitoring components, parameters and the monitoring requirements of different applications, along with direct links to suppliers able to provide suitable equipment. Read more…

Water firms explore new relationship with energy

Delegates at WWT’s Water Industry Energy Conference heard contributions and shared ideas on optimising energy usage and saving costs. Energy managers and leaders from the UK’s water companies met in Birmingham last week for a day of knowledge-sharing and debate on the future of energy use and generation in the UK water sector. Read more…

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The latest news this week in the Water & Utilities Industry:

Biffa ups investment in plastic bottle recycling facility to £27.5m

Waste management firm Biffa has announced it will expand the capacity and scope of its new PET plastic bottle recycling facility in County Durham, increasing its total investment to £27.5m, which will take its combined plastics processing capacity to c120,000 tonnes p.a. Read more…

Wessex Water appoints two non-executive directors

Wessex Water has appointed two independent non-executive directors, Kate Mingay and Jim McKenna, to its board. Read more…

National Drought Group agrees support for farmers and wildlife

A National Drought Group (NDG) meeting was convened yesterday (4 June) to review water resources ahead of summer, following a dry winter and spring which has affected river flows and groundwater levels. Read more…

Waitrose unveils package free ‘pick and mix’ trial

A dedicated refillable zone, the UK’s first supermarket frozen ‘pick and mix’ and first borrow-a-box scheme are among a series of ideas being looked at in a unique test from Waitrose & Partners, which has the potential to save thousands of tonnes of unnecessary plastic and packaging. Read more…

Thames Water to build first new sewage works since 2005

Thames Water’s new chief operating officer has announced the company will build its first sewage works since 2005, in Guildford, Surrey. Read more…

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The latest news this week in the Built Environment:

Meet the UK’s first Climate Change Teacher

Bec Wakefield becomes the first UK teacher to become accredited under the UN’s Climate Change Teacher pilot programme. Read more…

Downing starts £250m London student tower

Liverpool-based developer Downing has started work on its largest London project to date. Read more…

Thames saving 20 million litres a day after 250,000 home visits

Thames Water has now helped 250,000 homes save 20 million litres of water every day as part of its award-winning smarter home visit project. Read more…

Network Rail announces £136m contract winner to manage its road vehicle fleet

Network Rail has awarded a £136m contract to Hitachi Capital to manage its road vehicle fleet for the next four years. Read more…

Plan for 1,300-home led scheme near Harrow

Housing association Network Homes has bought land next to Northwick Park Hospital in Brent to kick-start a major regeneration project, bringing new homes and commercial space to the area. Read more…

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The latest news this week in the Built Environment:

Barclays announce further cuts to HTB rates

Barclays has announced that from tomorrow, new rate reductions on Help to Buy mortgage products will come into effect. Read more…

£14m Peak District rail freight extension unveiled

A £14m rail freight extension in the Peak District has been unveiled by Network Rail to boost construction productivity and take lorries off the road. Read more…

Which UK city has been crowned the best for families?

Now in its third year, the annual Family Living Index from MoneySuperMarket reveals this year’s best and worst locations in the UK to raise a family. Read more…

Driverless dump trucks used for first time on A14 site

Earthmoving contractor CA Blackwell has put self-driving trucks to work for the first time on Britain’s biggest road upgrade. Read more…

EA, OS and SEPA develop ‘MasterMap’ of Britain’s watercourses

Ordnance Survey (OS), the Environment Agency (EA) and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) have collaborated to bring together a nationally consistent view of Great Britain’s watercourses. Read more…

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The latest news this week in the Built Environment:

Planning permission for new homes in Newham gets green light

Mount Anvil and ExCeL London have secured a resolution to grant planning permission from Newham’s Strategic Development Committee for phases two and three of its development located in the London Borough of Newham. Read more…

VINCI starts work on new £100m Birmingham hospital

VINCI Construction UK has started work on a new £100m specialist hospital facility in Birmingham. Read more…

Cost of deposit return scheme “largely outweighs gains”, says IEA

The running costs of the government’s proposed deposit return scheme (DRS) for drinks cans and bottles is a very expensive way of achieving very little, according to a new briefing from the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA). Read more…

Welsh Water selects CoMag system for phosphorus removal

Dwr Cymru Welsh Water and its design and construction partner Mott Macdonald Bentley have selected Evoqua Water Technologies’ CoMag system for phosphorus removal at two of its wastewater treatment plants. Read more…

First of CAF’s new Nova fleet accepted by TPE ahead of rollout across north of England

The first of TransPennine Express’s (TPE) Nova 3 fleet has been officially accepted after completing testing with its manufacturer CAF. Read more…

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The latest news this week in the Built Environment:

 

Microplastics are most common waste found along Mediterranean coast, study says

Polyethylene used to make plastic shopping bags and cling film forms most of plastic found in coastal waters, according to marine scientists from University of Barcelona. Read more…

EU re-approves NI water protection plans

The EU has given its re-approval for plans to protect water quality in Northern Ireland. Read more…

Graham wins £18m Carlisle cancer centre

Graham has been awarded an £18.3m contract to design and construct the new cancer centre at Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle for North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust. Read more…

Network Rail to spend £42bn on railway improvements to ‘restore public trust’

Network Rail is to spend £42bn on the railway over the next five years in a bid to improve poor punctuality in “the biggest modernisation of our rail network in over a century.” Read more…

Heathrow shortlists 18 construction hub sites

Heathrow Airport today revealed 18 sites left in the running to become construction hubs for the third runway project. Read more…

 

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The latest news this week in the Water & Utilities Industry:

 

 

MGJV secures £14.6M pipeline contract with Southern

The joint venture between Galliford Try and Morrison Utility Services (MGJV) has been awarded a £14.6 million contract by framework client Southern Water to lay a 10km pipeline in West Sussex. Read more…

Clancy Docwra, Kier secure leakage detection contract with Anglian

Clancy Docwra and Kier have been awarded a contract to carry out leakage detection services for Anglian Water as part of the IMR Water alliance. Read more…

Ofgem grants price cap derogation extension to three firms

Energy industry regulator Ofgem has extended the derogation it has given to three renewable energy suppliers in relation to the standard variable tariff (SVT) price cap. Read more…

Shell Energy: First Utility rebranded as over 700,000 customers are switched to renewable power

Shell has today further underlined its growing interest in the power and renewables sector, announcing today that First Utility is to rebranded as Shell Energy and will from today provide over 700,000…Read more…

UK’s Largest Waste Wood Gasifier Becomes Operational

Bioenergy Infrastructure Group (“BIG”), an independent power producer specialising in energy-from-waste and biomass, has announced that one of its largest assets in the UK, Ince Bio Power, has become fully operational after successfully completing its testing phase. Read more…

 

 

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 The latest news this week in the Water & Utilities Industry:

 

 

IKEA and shipping giant CMA CGM to pilot first sustainable marine biofuel

Swedish furniture retailer teams up with shipping giant CMA CGM, GoodShipping Program and Port of Rotterdam to test marine biofuel made from forest residues and waste cooking oil. Read more…

Proposals To Tackle Non-Compliant Products Sold Online

Defra has published proposals to tackle non-compliant products sold through online marketplaces. Read more…

Mott MacDonald, Microsoft team up on smart infrastructure

Mott MacDonald and Microsoft have announced a strategic partnership to deliver smart infrastructure. Read more…

Biffa Acquires Specialist Waste Recycling Limited

Integrated waste management company Biffa has announced that it has today (12 March) acquired Specialist Waste Recycling Limited (‘SWRNewstar’), from a consortium of investors including Angus MacDonald OBE. Read more…

Tony Juniper appointed chair of Natural England

Environment Secretary Michael Gove has confirmed that Tony Juniper CBE will be the new Chair of Natural England. Read more…

 

 

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The latest news this week in the Water & Utilities Industry:

 

 

AquaPea leak system finding success in insurance sector

Innovations company Qinov8 has partnered with Auger, a tech specialist for the insurance industry, on the AquaPea leak repair system for water supply pipes. Read more…

Innovative household leakage technology set to appeal to home insurers

A ‘smart leak defence’ system which protects against water leaks in UK homes and properties is set to launch, with the promise of appealing to home insurers. Read more…

Plastic-Free Paper Cup Inventor Among Female Pioneers Awarded Funding

Pioneering female inventors have been recognised today (8 March) for innovations including a process to make disposable coffee cups waterproof without the need to use plastic. Read more…

Severn Trent begins £6M refurb of 100-year-old boreholes

Severn Trent has started work to refurbish two century-old boreholes in Wolverhampton to ensure customers continue to receive a reliable supply of drinking water in the area. Read more…

Yorkshire Water publishes ethnic pay gap

Yorkshire Water has revealed that its mean ethnic pay gap is 3 per cent and, after becoming one of the first companies in the county to publish, has encouraged others to follow suit. Read more…

 

 

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 The latest news this week in the Built Environment:

 

 

Llangollen railway: Funding bid to finish steam project

After 45 years of building a railway line between two Denbighshire towns, volunteers say they need £10,000 to finish the last stretch. Read more…

O’Rourke seals £70m Oxford Uni biochem project

Laing O’Rourke has finally signed a contract with the University of Oxford for phase two expansion of its acclaimed biochemistry building. Read more…

Thames Water turns up pressure on water thieves

Thames Water is ramping up the pressure on those who illegally tap into supplies and steal water after four separate offenders were heavily fined in court. Read more…

NatWest lifts DSS restrictions on BTL landlords following campaign

NatWest is lifting restrictions on buy-to-let landlords to allow them to let to tenants in receipt of housing benefit. Read more…

UK Collaboration Awarded £0.8m For Tech To Tackle Black Plastic

A unique project born from a collaboration between recycling compliance scheme Ecosurety, plastic innovations specialist Impact Solutions, recycling specialists Impact Recycling and plastics injection moulder company McLaren Plastics has been awarded £0.8 million by the Government’s Innovate UK grant scheme. Read more…

 

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 The latest news this week in the Water & Utilities Industry:

 

 

Interserve considers alternative rescue plan

Interserve has said its board is now considering an alternative to the rescue plan announced earlier this month. Read more…

New membrane system promises industrial wastewater breakthrough

A new pilot plant to treat industrial wastewater is being built that could potentially reduce the amount of liquid waste by over 90 per cent. Read more…

Water retailers need to do better on complaints, says CCWater

Water retailers must do more to turn the tide of non-household complaints received by the Consumer Council for Water (CCWater), says the water watchdog. Read more…

UU sewer workers praised for tackling Liverpool fire

Two quick-thinking sewer workers have been praised by United Utilities bosses after tackling a blaze at a house in Liverpool. Read more…

Irish Water apologises for activated sludge spill

Irish Water has apologised to the public after a tank failure at Dublin’s Ringsend Wastewater Treatment Plant caused a significant discharge of activated sludge into the estuary of the River Liffey. Read more…

 

 

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The latest news this week in the Water & Utilities Industry:

 

 

Yorkshire Water awards AMP7 framework contract to AVK

AVK has been awarded a framework contract by Yorkshire Water for the supply of mechanical fittings including tensile-resistant fittings, under-pressure tees, repair fittings and end caps. Read more…

Waste Firms Sign Up To Energy And Utilities “Inclusion Commitment”

CEOs from 32 of the country’s leading energy and utilities employers have launched a sector “Inclusion Commitment” that is a long-term commitment to attract more “diverse and inclusive talent” into their industry. Read more…

Look beyond five-year plans, MP tells water industry

The water industry needs to move beyond the five-year regulatory price review if it is to deliver for customers and the environment, Angela Smith MP told a gathering of over 200 water industry professionals at a British Water networking event. Read more…

Defra Publishes Waste Export Guide For No Deal Brexit Scenario

Defra has today published guide outlining whatUK waste importers and exporters must do to prepare for changes to rules around waste shipments if the UK leaves the EU with no deal on 29 March 2019. Read more…

Thames Water and Network Rail work together to protect environment

An environmentally friendly herbicide is keeping tracks and taps flowing up and down the country thanks to a partnership between water companies and Network Rail. Read more…

 

 

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The latest news this week in the Water & Utilities Industry:

Ofwat focuses on purpose, values and culture in new principles

Ofwat has published its revised board leadership, transparency, and governance principles. Read more…

South West Water backs ‘Year of Green Action’

South West Water is planning to hold a year-long series of environmental events for staff and the public. Read more…

Waitrose Launches £1m Initiative To Tackle UK Plastic Pollution

Waitrose & Partners will today (28 Jan) launch a £1 million grant fund to give money to projects designed to reduce unnecessary plastic and tackle plastic pollution.  Read more…

New environmental scorecards assess PR19 plans

Blueprint for Water, part of the Wildlife and Countryside Link nature coalition, has published new scorecards that analyse how successful water companies’ plans for AMP7 are likely to be in protecting and improving the environment. Read more…

Viridor & Suffolk County Council Agree 10-Year Contract Renewal

Viridor and Suffolk County Council have agreed an £88.75 million renewal of the contact for the council’s mixed dry recyclate. Read more…

 

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The latest news this week in the Built Environment:

 

Partnership aims to secure resilient utility workforce post-Brexit

The Collab Group has announced a new strategic partnership with Energy & Utility Skills that includes access to the latter’s end-point assessment service. Read more…

Construction’s hardest roles to recruit revealed

Industry leaders have drawn-up a list of the construction trades and professions suffering from the severest skills shortages. Read more…

Plans for tram-trains in Manchester unveiled as Grayling and Burnham mull expansion of Metrolink

Proposals for an expansion of Greater Manchester’s (GM) tram network are in the works, Chris Grayling and Andy Burnham have announced, with plans for greater devolved control for the region and the introduction of tram-trains being considered. Read more…

Gross mortgage lending sees steady rise during 2018

The latest figures released by UK Finance have revealed that, against a backdrop of political and economic uncertainty throughout 2018, gross mortgage lending in the UK ended the year on a positive note. Read more…

 

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The latest news this week in the Water & Utilities Industry:

Works Begin In Edmonton To Replace Energy From Waste Facility

Yesterday (22 January) marked the start of construction for the North London Heat and Power Project (NLHPP) in Edmonton. Read more…

Irish Water progresses Upper Liffey Valley Sewerage Scheme

The €30.3 million project includes the installation of over 18km of new gravity sewers and rising mains as well as the upgrade of wastewater pumping stations at Clane, Sallins and Monread, which will also see additional storm water storage tanks at all three. Read more…

Sewer project enables hotel opening at Edinburgh’s Holyrood

A new overflow pipe connecting two Victorian brick sewers within the world heritage site of Edinburgh’s Holyrood Park has been completed by Scottish Water Horizons. Read more…

Severn Trent completes innovative sewer upgrade scheme

Severn Trent has completed a unique flood alleviation scheme in Gloucestershire using innovative underground technology. Read more…

UK Leads International Project To Tackle “World’s Biggest Challenges”

The launch of the new UK-led, international project to protect the world’s oceans and develop next-gen “eco-packaging”, the One Ocean Growth hub, is one of a number of new international research collaborations announced by Science and Universities Minister Chris Skidmore. Read more…

 

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The latest news this week in the Water & Utilities Industry:

 

Lush To Open “Naked” Plastic-Free Store In Manchester

Lush will launch a “Naked” store in Manchester this week making it first plastic packaging-free cosmetics shop to open in the country. Read more…

New app eases cover crop verification for farmers

Farmers who have committed to grow environmentally friendly cover crops are now able use a new app to quickly verify their work. Read more…

Waitrose Hits Black Plastic Packaging Reduction Target

Waitrose & Partners has hit its target to remove black plastic from hundreds of products as part of its overall aim to eradicate black plastic from all its own-label products. Read more…

Researchers to investigate wastewater algae use

Water and wastewater environmental consultancy Aqua Enviro is to carry out an Innovate UK-funded project to investigate the beneficial use of algae grown as part of a wastewater tertiary treatment process. Read more…

Transient detection helps Scottish Water prevent bursts

Scottish Water says it has prevented 2,000 bursts from happening in 2018 – saving £2M – thanks to its innovative work in detecting and responding to transients. Read more…

 

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The latest news this week in the Water & Utilities Industry:

 

Senior management changes announced at the Clancy Group

The Clancy Group PLC has announced a series of senior appointments as part of the wider restructure of its management team. Read more…

81% Of UK SMEs Separate Their Waste For Recycling, Survey Finds

81% of SMEs in the UK separate their waste for recycling, according to a new survey. It also found the cost of goods is still more important than environmental impact when it comes to procuring products for 76% of business owners. Read more…

Government investing millions to develop robots to improve roadworks

The Government has announced that new micro robots will be built to repair the UK’s huge underground pipe network in an effort to significantly cut the disruption caused by the 1.5 million road excavations that take place every year. Read more…

Swindon Plans Advanced Plastics Recycling Facility

Partnering with Recycling Technologies and Public Power Solutions Ltd, a wholly owned company of Swindon Borough Council, the Council is working on plans to deliver a “world-leading” advanced Plastics Recycling Facility in Swindon. Read more…

Devon’s largest ever fatberg discovered in Sidmouth sewer

South West Water has discovered its largest ever fatberg in a Sidmouth sewer under The Esplanade. Read more…

Fly-Tipping Duty Of Care Penalties Come Into Force

New financial penalties have come into force this week with an aim of cracking down on fly-tipping. Read more…

 

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The latest news this week in the Built Environment:

 

Read the George Stephenson notebook online:

This Christmas, Network Rail is sharing one of the railway’s most historically important artefacts with the world. Read more…

Six tower plans to change City of London skyline by 2026

Skyline views of the main London City tower cluster have been released assuming six more major consented schemes are built. Read more…

HS2 project part of new East Midlands manufacturing zones scheme

A north Derbyshire HS2 project has been named as one of the locations of the UK’s first manufacturing zones in the East Midlands. Read more…

Yorkshire Water begins project to plant a million trees

Yorkshire Water has announced that it has begun work on its scheme to plant one million trees across its land within 10 years. Read more…

House price growth slows to six year low

The latest figures released from Nationwide have revealed that across the UK, annual house price growth has slowed to its weakest pace since February 2013. Read more…

 

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The latest news this week in the Water & Utilities Industry:

 

Severn Trent saves £750K using drone inspections

Severn Trent has made savings of £750,000 in the last year through the use of drones for more efficient asset inspections, it has been reported. Read more…

England’s 2017 Recycling Figures Show 0.3% Increase

The official England waste from households recycling rate for 2017 was 45.2%, up 0.3 percentage points from 44.9% in 2016, according to the latest figures. Read more…

Yorkshire Water to open up water resources data

With the summer’s unusually dry weather continuing into the winter months, Yorkshire Water has announced it is to become the first water company to regularly publish its full data on the region’s water resources to allow customers to see for themselves how dry weather and increased demand are having an impact. Read more…

LondonEnergy Awarded NLWA Energy Recovery Facility Contract

North London Waste Authority (NLWA) members announced it has awarded LondonEnergy Ltd with a contract to manage the waste collected by the seven north London Boroughs and to operate the replacement Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) at Edmonton EcoPark. Read more…

Thames deploys hundreds of night-time leak detectors

Hundreds of Thames Water engineers are walking the streets at night to pinpoint leakage from the company’s 20,000-mile water pipe network. Read more…

Thames to help fund £60M green surface water management schemes

Thames Water will partner with stakeholders and local authorities to fund £60 million of surface water management (SWM) schemes including green spaces, removing hard, impermeable surfaces such as concrete and asphalt in areas most at risk of flooding. Read more…

 

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The latest news this week in the Water & Utilities Industry

 

Wessex Water to pay record £975k after sewage spills

Wessex Water has offered to pay £975,000 to achieve equivalent environmental benefits following a series of sewage spills in Swanage Bay, Dorset. Read more…

Householders Face £400 Fine For Waste Duty Of Care Failure

Householders face new financial penalties of up to £400 in cases of fly-tipping where they have failed to properly exercise their duty of care, Defra has announced. Read more…

Water Plus and Waterwise partner to improve water efficiency

Water Plus, the UK’s largest water retailer business, has partnered with Waterwise a national independent advisory group to boost water efficiency for consumers and innovation across the UK market. Read more…

Ocean Pollution Campaign Receives £24,000 Boost From Enforcement Undertaking

A campaign aimed at reducing waste pollution in our oceans and on beaches has been given a boost of more than £24,000 after the Environment Agency accepted an enforcement undertaking from a group of companies for failing to comply with waste and recycling regulations. Read more…

WRAS names Hogan as new chairman

The Water Regulation Advisory Scheme (WRAS) has appointed Sean Hogan as its new chairman, replacing Stephen Kay. Read more…

 

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At this year’s British Water International Reception, keynote speaker Peter Simpson gave an engaging summary of successes and lessons learned in the water sector, in what has been another ‘exceptional year’ for the water network.

From the bitter weather with the ‘beast from the east’ at the start of the year, sending the UK into its coldest period for 27 years, followed by some of the hottest and driest months since records began in 1910, in addition to increasingly frequent and severe flooding the UK, water network has faced significant challenges.

Yet in the face of such extreme challenges, the Water industry is amongst one of the most trusted industries in the UK. 63% of household customers trust their water company, in comparison to 52% for the energy sector. (CCWater Water Matters Annual Tracking Survey, 5,110 total customers surveyed)

With a sector-wide focus on driving innovation and improved efficiency to ensure real benefit and cost savings can be delivered to the consumer, 2 litres of tap water is now 270 times cheaper than a 2-litre premium branded bottle of water, costing less than 1/3p. (CCWater; England and Wales, Apr 2016 – Mar 2017)

In real terms for the consumer, this means the average annual water and sewerage charges across England and Wales households stands at £405, compared to the average annual dual fuel (gas and electricity) bill of £1,066. (Source: Water UK; England and Wales, Apr 2018 – Mar 2019)

Peter also shared a brief insight into the preparatory work being done by water companies in the face of Brexit negotiations, emphasising the need for a continued focus on environmental and outcome-based measures, for success across the sector post-Brexit and touching on some of the contingency forecasting completed for all different Brexit negotiation eventualities.  

The event, hosted at the Institute of Directors in London, proved a fantastic opportunity to showcase the British Water Industry to support international trade. As proud members of British Water, Advance TRS were delighted to support the event as Silver Sponsors.

As a niche recruitment consultancy specialising in the provision of highly-skilled technical professionals, our specialist Water and Utilities consultants supply permanent, contract and temporary recruitment solutions to clients across the UK.

Operating as a trusted adviser to our clients, Advance TRS deliver an end-to-end recruitment service that provides complete peace of mind. From meter readers to senior managers on AMP6 framework projects and Thames Tideway, our specialist industry knowledge enables us to deliver expert, hard-to-find candidates for your business.

 

Get ahead of the January rush and view the latest opportunities in the Water sector here or call 01483 361 061 to speak to our expert Water & Utilities Consultants.

The latest news this week in the Water & Utilities Industry

 

MUS gets water network alliance deal with Welsh Water

Morrison Utility Services (MUS), the UK’s largest dedicated utility service provider and part of M Group Services, has been awarded a new four-year water network alliance contract with Dwr Cymru Welsh Water. Read more…

Tesco And WWF Join Forces To Make Food More Sustainable

Tesco and WWF today announced a ground-breaking, long-term partnership2 with the aim of reducing the environmental impact of the average UK shopping basket by 50%, improving the sustainability of food while ensuring it remains affordable for all. Read more…

South Staffs and Cambridge Water make new board appointments

South Staffs Water has welcomed three new independent non-executive directors to its board. Read more…

Co-op Rolls Out Compostable Carrier Bags In 1,000 Stores

The Co-op has this week rolled out its scheme to offer compostable carrier bags to customers from 1,000 stores across the country, replacing an estimated 60m single-use plastic bags. Read more…

Yorkshire Water announces £30M Saltend WWTW investment

Yorkshire Water is to invest £30M in its wastewater treatment works in Saltend, Hull to improve the site’s operation. Read more…

“Refundable” Levy On All Packaging Recommended In New Report

Policy measures to deliver increased use of post-consumer recycled materials (PCR) in the UK economy are outlined in a new report from Eunomia Research and Consulting, released today (20 November). Read more…

 

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The latest news this week in the Built Environment

 

Crossrail chief executive stands down as London Underground boss takes up role

Transport for London announced today that Simon Wright, the chief executive of the £15.4bn project, will step down from the role “as planned,” and on 19 November will be replaced by Mark Wild, who is currently the managing director of London Underground. Read more…

ISG appointed to deliver £200m Waterloo development

ISG is set to transform 135,000 sq ft at the former Waterloo International Eurostar Terminal into a new retail, leisure and cultural development. Read more…

Civils skills shortage worst on record

Civils contractors are warning they now face a serious skills gap with dissatisfaction about finding sufficiently skilled staff in England running at record levels. Read more…

Travertine pavements could cut flooding by 50% – study

Changing the material used in pavements could reduce flooding by 50 percent and purify stormwater at the same time, according to researchers from Xi’an Jiaotong- Liverpool University (XJTLU). Read more…

Colgate Launches Oral Care Products Recycling Solution

Dental hygiene brand Colgate is partnering with TerraCycle to launch the Colgate Oral Care Recycling Programme, a free Nationwide recycling solution for oral care products and packaging in the UK. Read more…

 

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