Welcome
Here at Site Management Consultants Ltd we provide bespoke services for Property Developers and Self Builders alike.
Typically our services revolve around those shown below
Site Maintenance and Management
Owning an area of land prior to planning or for recreational purposes sometimes creates problems. At SMC we take care of the simple things such as arranging for grass to be mowed or hedges to be cut to the more problematic areas of evicting squatters. We provide full site management services and can arrange short term farm tenancy agreements or grazing licenses making sure that your property is fully maintained.
Planning Liaisons
Through extensive experience in the industry and our network of key professionals we can tirelessly take the headaches out of the Planning Process. By appointing experts in their fields we can simply administer and liaise with your planning consults on your behalf managing field studies, environmental studies, highways planning etc.
New Developments
For clients in the construction industry, our involvement with a development usually starts at the planning stage where we are able to provide advice on all management issues. Liaison with sales, marketing and technical staff enables us to prepare a service charge estimate for use by the sales team.
The service charge information forms part of the Management Proposal and Resident’s Welcome Pack. This is issued to solicitors to aid sales progression and then to the resident upon completion. Our Legal Administration Manager can provide advice on the most appropriate form of Lease and / or Transfer document for the development and can draft documentation, if required.
The Estates Manager for the development will meet with the Site Manager to collect the Management Pack prior to assuming management responsibility.
Property Management
Existing Property Management Company Services
Once instructed we would set up records, review existing contracts and make suitable proposals for future maintenance. We would also consider a programme of work and the formation or adequacy of a reserve fund.
Key Holding
Ensure your property is secure when you go away. We operate a property-check service tailored to your needs. We conduct regular security checks, forward or clear the post, water plants and maintain the garden, turn on and off gas and electricity, and even re-stock the fridge for you on your return!
Access, Deliveries and Installations
We give authorised access to tradesmen and deliveries on your behalf, install new appliances and remove old ones. For smaller items we arrange deliver to our offices and onward delivery to your home at your convenience.
House Sitting
As a compliment to our Property Management Service SMC runs a house-sitting service using honest, professional and fully vetted staff.
Latest News
URGENT - WE NEED TO HEAR FROM OWNERS FOR COPPERKINS
Monday 27th April 2020
Dear All,
WE URGENTLY NEED TO HERE FROM EVERY OWNER, to ensure we have all the up to date contact details. Especially email address and contact telephone numbers. PLEASE USE THE CONTACT FORM TO UPDATE US or call 0207 0788 588
Please log in to let us know your contact details.
Many thanks
SMC Admin Team.
Dear All,
WE URGENTLY NEED TO HERE FROM EVERY OWNER, to ensure we have all the up to date contact details. Especially email address and contact telephone numbers. PLEASE USE THE CONTACT FORM TO UPDATE US or call 0207 0788 588
Please log in to let us know your contact details.
Many thanks
SMC Admin Team.
BUDGET 2020: summary of real estate measures
Thursday 12th March 2020
Whilst some of the below doesn’t necessarily affect the sites, it has a broader property related interest so it’s relevant
Planning
The Government will shortly set out comprehensive reforms to bring the planning system into the 21st century, followed by a Planning White Paper in the spring. These reforms will aim to create a simpler planning system and improve the capacity, capability and performance of Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) to accelerate the development process. Where LPAs fail to meet their local housing need, there will be firm consequences, including a stricter approach taken to the release of land for development and greater government intervention. The government will also explore long-term reforms to the planning system, rethinking planning from first principles, to ensure the system is providing more certainty to the public, LPAs and developers. (1.145)
Property tax
The government will introduce a 2% SDLT surcharge on non-UK residents purchasing residential property in England and Northern Ireland from 1 April 2021. The money raised from the surcharge will be used to help address rough sleeping. (2.212)
The government will introduce a relief for qualifying housing co-operatives from the ATED and the 15% flat rates of SDLT on purchases of dwellings over £500,000. The SDLT relief in England and Northern Ireland will take effect from Autumn Budget 2020 and the UK-wide ATED relief from 1 April 2021 with a refund available for 2020-21. (2.213)
In Finance Act 2018-19, the government introduced a targeted market value rule to prevent artificial reduction of the tax due on share acquisitions when listed shares are transferred to a connected company. This rule is being extended to unlisted shares in Finance Bill 2020 to prevent further tax avoidance. As part of this change, the government will amend legislation to prevent a double tax charge arising on certain company reorganisations. (2.209)
Flooding
Flood defences – The government will double the amount it invests in the flood and coastal defence programme in England to £5.2 billion over six years, better protecting a further 336,000 homes and non-residential properties. According to Environment Agency modelling, this will reduce national flood risk by up to 11% by 2027. This doubling of funding exceeds the level of investment recommended by the National Infrastructure Commission.
Winter flood defence fund – The government will provide £120 million to the Environment Agency to repair flood defences which were damaged in the floods in winter 2019-20. (1.138)
Place-based resilience schemes – Where flooding and coastal erosion is inevitable, further action is needed to ensure that communities can respond and recover more quickly. The government will provide £200 million over the next six years for a place-based resilience programme. This will support over 25 local areas, urban, rural and coastal, from the North, the Midlands and the South, to take forward wider innovative actions that improve their resilience to flooding and coastal erosion. Areas will be selected based on a range of criteria, including repeated significant flooding in the past. (1.139)
Housing Investment
The Budget announces an additional £9.5 billion for the Affordable Homes Programme. In total, the programme will allocate £12.2 billion of grant funding from 2021-22 to build affordable homes across England. This should bring in a further £38 billion in public and private investment. This new five-year programme will help more people into homeownership and help those most at risk of homelessness. (2.91)
The Budget confirms allocations from the Housing Infrastructure Fund totalling £1.1 billion for nine different areas, including Manchester, South Sunderland and South Lancaster. These successful bids will unlock up to 69,620 homes and will help to stimulate housing and infrastructure growth across the country. The Budget also announces additional housing investments in York Central, Harlow and North Warwickshire totalling £328 million. (2.92)
At the CSR, the government will launch a new long-term Single Housing Infrastructure Fund to unlock new homes in areas of high demand across the country by funding the provision of strategic infrastructure and assembling land for development. (2.93)
The Budget launches a new £400 million brownfield fund for pro-development councils and ambitious Mayoral Combined Authorities with the aim of creating more homes by bringing more brownfield land into development. The government will shortly invite bids that are ambitious and represent a significant increase in housing supply on brownfield land. The government will consider proposals from areas such as the West Midlands Combined Authority to expand their existing brownfield land fund. (2.94)
The government is committed to reducing emissions from homes and to helping keep household energy costs low now and in the future. In due course, the government will announce plans to improve the standards of new built homes. (2.95)
The Budget confirms an additional £1 billion to remove unsafe cladding from residential buildings above 18 meters to ensure people feel safe in their homes. (2.96)
HM Land Registry will be provided with £392 million to transition from a Trading Fund into part of central government. This funding includes £350 million that will be offset by HMLR returning its income to the Exchequer, and £42 million of funding to allow HMLR to continue with its ongoing project to digitise land registration in England and Wales, and enable further innovation in the property market and the wider UK economy. (2.97)
Infrastructure
The government will publish a landmark National Infrastructure Strategy later in the spring which will set out plans for a once in a generation transformation of the UK’s economic infrastructure. This will respond to the recommendations of the National Infrastructure Commission’s (NIC) National Infrastructure Assessment. (2.75)
The government is committed to maintaining the UK’s system of strong, independent regulation. The government therefore welcomes the NIC’s report ‘Strategic investment and public confidence’ and agrees with its primary finding that the UK’s system of economic regulation is working well, but may need updating in some areas to address 21st century challenges.3 The government will respond in full to the study later this year. (2.76)
The government has retired the PFI and PF2 models, but there are nearly 600 existing PFI contracts in England.4 The government will now focus on making sure they are well managed and represent value for money and will allocate £2 million in 2020-21 to carry out targeted contract reviews. (2.77)
Transport
The government is boosting regional connectivity and transforming connections through the largest ever investment in England’s strategic roads.5 Through RIS2 the government will spend over £27 billion between 2020 and 2025. It will take forward schemes such as:
§ dualling the A66 Trans-Pennine and upgrading the A46 Newark bypass, addressing congestion on these key routes in the North East and the Midlands
§ improving the M60 Simister Island in Manchester to tackle delays
§ building the Lower Thames Crossing, which will increase road capacity across the Thames east of London by 90%
§ building a new, high-quality dual carriageway and a two-mile tunnel in the South West to speed up journeys on the A303, and to remove traffic from the iconic setting of Stonehenge
§ considering how the A1/A19 north of Newcastle and the A1 Doncaster to Darrington in Yorkshire can be improved to speed up journeys and boost economic growth
§ exploring how to connect communities in East Lancashire and West Yorkshire better, and exploring the case for improvements to links between the M4 and the Dorset Coast (2.82)
The government is investing £20 million to develop the Midlands Rail Hub, progressing plans for a major programme of improvements to rail services between the regions’ cities. (2.83)
The Budget allocates over £1 billion from the Transforming Cities Fund. This will deliver a range of schemes by 2022-23, including:
§ £79 million for Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole, including four new cycle freeways and new bus priority infrastructure
§ £161 million for Derby & Nottingham, including over £25 million for bus rapid transit in Derby and over £10 million for a new cycle route between Nottingham, Derby and East Midlands Airport
§ £33 million for Leicester, including £8 million for the development of a sustainable transport corridor from St Margaret’s to Birstall
§ £198 million for the North East, including £95 million for frequency and reliability improvements across the Tyne and Wear Metro system and to complement the government’s recent £337 million investment in new rolling stock
§ £51 million for Plymouth, including £36 million for an iconic new Central Park cycling and walking bridge
§ £40 million for Preston City Region, including £25 million for a new station at Cottam Parkway on the Preston-Blackpool line
§ £166 million for Sheffield City Region, including a new Bus Rapid Transit link in Barnsley and a new tram stop on the Tram-Train line to Rotherham at Magna
§ £57 million for Southampton, including new Rapid Bus links
§ £317 million for West Yorkshire, including £39.9 million for Halifax delivering a new bus station, improved rail station and other improvements to complement the revitalisation of the town centre and £30 million for active and sustainable travel across Bradford
§ a further £117 million for Portsmouth City Region, Norwich and Stoke-on-Trent subject to further business case approval, which could fund a range of projects, including a multi‑modal transport hub at Stoke-on-Trent station (2.84)
The government is investing £4.2 billion in the transport networks of eight city regions across England from 2022-23. Funding will be delivered through five-year, consolidated transport settlements agreed with central government and based on plans put forward by Mayors.
Following the approach that has worked for London, these settlements will be published once they have been agreed, providing transparency and accountability while giving Mayors the flexibility and certainty to deliver their plans.
As a first step, the government will open discussions with Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region and West Midlands in the coming months. The new West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Sheffield City Region, Tyne and Wear, West of England and Tees Valley will also receive settlements, subject to putting in place appropriate governance to agree and deliver funding, including an elected Mayor for their city regions and transport networks. Resource funding to support the city regions with planning and delivery of these settlements will be set out at the CSR. (2.85)
The Budget announces the second round of successful Major Road Network and Large Local Major schemes proceeding to the next stage of development. This includes the:
§ junction improvements to the A12 East of Ipswich
§ improving the A350 at Junction 17 of the M4
§ a single carriageway bypass on the A39 Atlantic Highway
§ junction improvements to the A426/A4071 Avon Mill/Hunters Lane, and a short dual carriageway
§ a link road from Chesterfield town centre to the A6192 and A619 at Staveley
§ carriageway dualling and roundabout improvements on the A12 in Woodbridge
§ junction improvements on the A127 growth corridor
§ capacity enhancement on the A326
§ alleviating congestion pinch points through the villages of Walton and Ashcott on the A39
§ junction improvements at the Army and Navy roundabout near the centre of Chelmsford
§ refurbishment of the flyover structure carrying the A232 in Croydon
§ improving the Ely to Cambridge A10 Junction
§ refurbishment to the Hope and Anchor flyover which carries the A316 Twickenham Road
§ refurbishment of Kew Bridge
§ upgrades to M5 Junction 9 and a bypass on the A46 Ashchurch (2.86)
Whilst some of the below doesn’t necessarily affect the sites, it has a broader property related interest so it’s relevant
Planning
The Government will shortly set out comprehensive reforms to bring the planning system into the 21st century, followed by a Planning White Paper in the spring. These reforms will aim to create a simpler planning system and improve the capacity, capability and performance of Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) to accelerate the development process. Where LPAs fail to meet their local housing need, there will be firm consequences, including a stricter approach taken to the release of land for development and greater government intervention. The government will also explore long-term reforms to the planning system, rethinking planning from first principles, to ensure the system is providing more certainty to the public, LPAs and developers. (1.145)
Property tax
The government will introduce a 2% SDLT surcharge on non-UK residents purchasing residential property in England and Northern Ireland from 1 April 2021. The money raised from the surcharge will be used to help address rough sleeping. (2.212)
The government will introduce a relief for qualifying housing co-operatives from the ATED and the 15% flat rates of SDLT on purchases of dwellings over £500,000. The SDLT relief in England and Northern Ireland will take effect from Autumn Budget 2020 and the UK-wide ATED relief from 1 April 2021 with a refund available for 2020-21. (2.213)
In Finance Act 2018-19, the government introduced a targeted market value rule to prevent artificial reduction of the tax due on share acquisitions when listed shares are transferred to a connected company. This rule is being extended to unlisted shares in Finance Bill 2020 to prevent further tax avoidance. As part of this change, the government will amend legislation to prevent a double tax charge arising on certain company reorganisations. (2.209)
Flooding
Flood defences – The government will double the amount it invests in the flood and coastal defence programme in England to £5.2 billion over six years, better protecting a further 336,000 homes and non-residential properties. According to Environment Agency modelling, this will reduce national flood risk by up to 11% by 2027. This doubling of funding exceeds the level of investment recommended by the National Infrastructure Commission.
Winter flood defence fund – The government will provide £120 million to the Environment Agency to repair flood defences which were damaged in the floods in winter 2019-20. (1.138)
Place-based resilience schemes – Where flooding and coastal erosion is inevitable, further action is needed to ensure that communities can respond and recover more quickly. The government will provide £200 million over the next six years for a place-based resilience programme. This will support over 25 local areas, urban, rural and coastal, from the North, the Midlands and the South, to take forward wider innovative actions that improve their resilience to flooding and coastal erosion. Areas will be selected based on a range of criteria, including repeated significant flooding in the past. (1.139)
Housing Investment
The Budget announces an additional £9.5 billion for the Affordable Homes Programme. In total, the programme will allocate £12.2 billion of grant funding from 2021-22 to build affordable homes across England. This should bring in a further £38 billion in public and private investment. This new five-year programme will help more people into homeownership and help those most at risk of homelessness. (2.91)
The Budget confirms allocations from the Housing Infrastructure Fund totalling £1.1 billion for nine different areas, including Manchester, South Sunderland and South Lancaster. These successful bids will unlock up to 69,620 homes and will help to stimulate housing and infrastructure growth across the country. The Budget also announces additional housing investments in York Central, Harlow and North Warwickshire totalling £328 million. (2.92)
At the CSR, the government will launch a new long-term Single Housing Infrastructure Fund to unlock new homes in areas of high demand across the country by funding the provision of strategic infrastructure and assembling land for development. (2.93)
The Budget launches a new £400 million brownfield fund for pro-development councils and ambitious Mayoral Combined Authorities with the aim of creating more homes by bringing more brownfield land into development. The government will shortly invite bids that are ambitious and represent a significant increase in housing supply on brownfield land. The government will consider proposals from areas such as the West Midlands Combined Authority to expand their existing brownfield land fund. (2.94)
The government is committed to reducing emissions from homes and to helping keep household energy costs low now and in the future. In due course, the government will announce plans to improve the standards of new built homes. (2.95)
The Budget confirms an additional £1 billion to remove unsafe cladding from residential buildings above 18 meters to ensure people feel safe in their homes. (2.96)
HM Land Registry will be provided with £392 million to transition from a Trading Fund into part of central government. This funding includes £350 million that will be offset by HMLR returning its income to the Exchequer, and £42 million of funding to allow HMLR to continue with its ongoing project to digitise land registration in England and Wales, and enable further innovation in the property market and the wider UK economy. (2.97)
Infrastructure
The government will publish a landmark National Infrastructure Strategy later in the spring which will set out plans for a once in a generation transformation of the UK’s economic infrastructure. This will respond to the recommendations of the National Infrastructure Commission’s (NIC) National Infrastructure Assessment. (2.75)
The government is committed to maintaining the UK’s system of strong, independent regulation. The government therefore welcomes the NIC’s report ‘Strategic investment and public confidence’ and agrees with its primary finding that the UK’s system of economic regulation is working well, but may need updating in some areas to address 21st century challenges.3 The government will respond in full to the study later this year. (2.76)
The government has retired the PFI and PF2 models, but there are nearly 600 existing PFI contracts in England.4 The government will now focus on making sure they are well managed and represent value for money and will allocate £2 million in 2020-21 to carry out targeted contract reviews. (2.77)
Transport
The government is boosting regional connectivity and transforming connections through the largest ever investment in England’s strategic roads.5 Through RIS2 the government will spend over £27 billion between 2020 and 2025. It will take forward schemes such as:
§ dualling the A66 Trans-Pennine and upgrading the A46 Newark bypass, addressing congestion on these key routes in the North East and the Midlands
§ improving the M60 Simister Island in Manchester to tackle delays
§ building the Lower Thames Crossing, which will increase road capacity across the Thames east of London by 90%
§ building a new, high-quality dual carriageway and a two-mile tunnel in the South West to speed up journeys on the A303, and to remove traffic from the iconic setting of Stonehenge
§ considering how the A1/A19 north of Newcastle and the A1 Doncaster to Darrington in Yorkshire can be improved to speed up journeys and boost economic growth
§ exploring how to connect communities in East Lancashire and West Yorkshire better, and exploring the case for improvements to links between the M4 and the Dorset Coast (2.82)
The government is investing £20 million to develop the Midlands Rail Hub, progressing plans for a major programme of improvements to rail services between the regions’ cities. (2.83)
The Budget allocates over £1 billion from the Transforming Cities Fund. This will deliver a range of schemes by 2022-23, including:
§ £79 million for Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole, including four new cycle freeways and new bus priority infrastructure
§ £161 million for Derby & Nottingham, including over £25 million for bus rapid transit in Derby and over £10 million for a new cycle route between Nottingham, Derby and East Midlands Airport
§ £33 million for Leicester, including £8 million for the development of a sustainable transport corridor from St Margaret’s to Birstall
§ £198 million for the North East, including £95 million for frequency and reliability improvements across the Tyne and Wear Metro system and to complement the government’s recent £337 million investment in new rolling stock
§ £51 million for Plymouth, including £36 million for an iconic new Central Park cycling and walking bridge
§ £40 million for Preston City Region, including £25 million for a new station at Cottam Parkway on the Preston-Blackpool line
§ £166 million for Sheffield City Region, including a new Bus Rapid Transit link in Barnsley and a new tram stop on the Tram-Train line to Rotherham at Magna
§ £57 million for Southampton, including new Rapid Bus links
§ £317 million for West Yorkshire, including £39.9 million for Halifax delivering a new bus station, improved rail station and other improvements to complement the revitalisation of the town centre and £30 million for active and sustainable travel across Bradford
§ a further £117 million for Portsmouth City Region, Norwich and Stoke-on-Trent subject to further business case approval, which could fund a range of projects, including a multi‑modal transport hub at Stoke-on-Trent station (2.84)
The government is investing £4.2 billion in the transport networks of eight city regions across England from 2022-23. Funding will be delivered through five-year, consolidated transport settlements agreed with central government and based on plans put forward by Mayors.
Following the approach that has worked for London, these settlements will be published once they have been agreed, providing transparency and accountability while giving Mayors the flexibility and certainty to deliver their plans.
As a first step, the government will open discussions with Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region and West Midlands in the coming months. The new West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Sheffield City Region, Tyne and Wear, West of England and Tees Valley will also receive settlements, subject to putting in place appropriate governance to agree and deliver funding, including an elected Mayor for their city regions and transport networks. Resource funding to support the city regions with planning and delivery of these settlements will be set out at the CSR. (2.85)
The Budget announces the second round of successful Major Road Network and Large Local Major schemes proceeding to the next stage of development. This includes the:
§ junction improvements to the A12 East of Ipswich
§ improving the A350 at Junction 17 of the M4
§ a single carriageway bypass on the A39 Atlantic Highway
§ junction improvements to the A426/A4071 Avon Mill/Hunters Lane, and a short dual carriageway
§ a link road from Chesterfield town centre to the A6192 and A619 at Staveley
§ carriageway dualling and roundabout improvements on the A12 in Woodbridge
§ junction improvements on the A127 growth corridor
§ capacity enhancement on the A326
§ alleviating congestion pinch points through the villages of Walton and Ashcott on the A39
§ junction improvements at the Army and Navy roundabout near the centre of Chelmsford
§ refurbishment of the flyover structure carrying the A232 in Croydon
§ improving the Ely to Cambridge A10 Junction
§ refurbishment to the Hope and Anchor flyover which carries the A316 Twickenham Road
§ refurbishment of Kew Bridge
§ upgrades to M5 Junction 9 and a bypass on the A46 Ashchurch (2.86)