Get out into the garden while you still can

Here’s a tip for all you armchair gardeners. Get out into the garden while you still can. To echo Game of Thrones – Winter is coming. And as it comes on you are running out of opportunities to tidy up and make your outdoor spaces look reasonably neat during the colder, duller months of the year.

Meteorologists are predicting the chance of a colder winter is significantly higher than in recent years. Great if you’re hoping for a white Christmas – not so much if you have stuff to do in the garden, so now’s the time to prepare.

Here are a few of the things you should be doing to protect your garden against the worst that winter has to throw at it and keep it in tip top condition, ready for the next growing season:

• Rake your lawns and keep them clear of fallen leaves – also clear leaves from sheds, ponds and flower beds. Use the collected leaves to make leaf mould for compost.
• Raise containers on to pot feet to prevent water logging.
• Plant out tulip bulbs for next spring’s floral display.
• Prune roses.
• Plant out winter bedding plants.
• Cover any brassicas (cabbages, Brussels sprouts etc) to protect them against birds – particularly if pigeons are a problem where you live.
• Insulate containers to protect them from frost.
• Put grease bands around the trunks of your fruit trees to stop winter moth damage.
• If you have one, make sure your bird table is in good repair and put out bird feed to encourage winter birds into the garden.
• Clean out water butts and let the autumn rains refill them. Install a new water butt ready for next year.
• Once plants are dormant, it’s time to lift and relocate any you want to move.
• If there is a prolonged dry spell, now’s your last chance to repaint any fences or sheds.

Looking ahead to the festive season, if you have holly gather a few stems with berries to use for Christmas garlands – before the birds eat all the berries. Stand the cut stems in a bucket of water in a sheltered spot where the birds can’t get at them.

For more details of jobs to do in the garden this month visit the RHS website

Larkfleet Homes makes a splash at Eye School

One thing we pride ourselves on at Larkfleet Homes is helping the communities where we have new housing developments. When we heard that Eye Church of England Primary School, in the village of Eye, near Peterborough, was refurbishing its swimming pool we stepped in to help.

Not stepped into the pool - just the fundraising. To get the school on its way with the project we donated £5,000.

Head teacher Jason Webster said the school was very grateful for the grant from the Larkfleet Community Fund.

“We have had a pool at the school for some time, but it is now starting to look tired.

“It is the school’s intention to get more closely involved in the community – for example we currently provide facilities for Eye Juniors Football Team and Eye Amateur Pantomime Society. Opening the pool to community users on evenings, weekends and holidays is part of that process.

“We need to renovate the pool to fulfil that ambition. We are close to reaching our target of £47,000 thanks to the donation from the Larkfleet Community Fund. Work on the refurbishment is due to begin in January and will take about six weeks to complete.”

The donation is the first major grant from our Larkfleet Community Fund, managed by the Cambridgeshire Community Foundation, since it was recently reorganised.

The Larkfleet Community Fund was established in 2013 to support the integration of our housing developments within their local setting and help to create sustainable communities. It offered easily accessible cash to support local charitable projects.

Each housing development had its own ‘pot’ of money within the overall fund and the process of receiving applications and making grants was handed over to an independent local community foundation.

We have now decided to change the way in which we operate and administer the fund. There is now a single central fund which will make grants to any community organisation or charitable cause that operates close to a current Larkfleet Homes or Allison Homes development.

The new arrangements will help us to administer and give out grants more quickly and across a wider area, directly benefiting more worthy causes and local people.

If you have a community project or good cause that you think could benefit from our Larkfleet Community Fund, please get in touch.

Our photo shows Larkfleet director Mark Mann (left) handing over our cheque at the school.

A winning night at the Stamford Mercury Business Awards

We had a great night at the Stamford Mercury Business Awards last week. The bubbly was flowing and, as well as enjoying a gala night out, we walked away with the award for Business of the Year. Get in!

We can add this to our recent major industry awards for technology, quality and environmental performance – including two ‘housebuilder of the year’ titles.

Classical guitarist Steve Bean entertained us all before the presentation of the Mercury Business Awards 2017, which were hosted for the first time by Rutland Radio breakfast presenter Rob Persani.

Larkfleet Homes was nominated because we have an enviable reputation for producing high quality, new homes in sustainable developments. We use innovative technology and construction methods to deliver new homes which exceed customers' expectations.

The judges decided that we are a worthy recipient of the award because we have substantially increased sales in the past year.

We have also expanded. Allison Homes has been developed as a separate company, with Larkfleet Homes concentrating on timber-framed houses and Allison Homes on conventional brick-and-block construction.

Not only that, we have opened new house building companies under the Larkfleet brand in the South West of England, Scotland and Norfolk & Suffolk. We have already built and sold homes in Scotland and Somerset. We are actively building on two sites in the South West, and discussions about planning consents for significant new developments in Norfolk and Scotland are ongoing.

It’s not just about housebuilding. We have launched major new R&D initiatives including an ‘elevating house’ that can rise above flood waters – which will therefore permit development on flood plains – and a ‘grid neutral’ house which will generate as much electricity as it uses.

On top of all these business initiatives the judges also thought that our contributions to the community were equally important.

One of the most significant of these has been the opening of the Greater Peterborough University Technical College (GPUTC) – of which we are one of three ‘employer sponsors’. We have been involved with the project since its inception and support the college with cash, contributions in kind and staff time.

We are also a major contributor to local charities and support local schools with time, cash and teaching. There has also been the launch of the Larkfleet Community Fund which gives money to support community development in areas where Larkfleet Homes or Allison Homes are building new houses.

We're not going to rest on our laurels though. Larkfleet Homes has ambitious plans that should see us win some more trophies for the cabinet over the coming months and years.

Larkfleet Homes is helping to close the industry skills gap

All of us at Larkfleet Homes are committed to working with our subcontractors to recruit and train more people to the highest standards. A skills gap in the building industry in the East Midlands – and nationally – has been identified and we are helping to tackle it ‘head on’.

To ‘put our money where our mouth is’ we have signed up to the Home Building Skills Pledge. This set of five key actions has been developed by the Home Builders Federation (HBF) through its Home Building Skills Partnership to solve a nationwide skills shortage. It also recognises the importance of ‘future-proofing’ workforce skills by developing new ways for people to enter the building industry as well as developing existing talent with the industry.

The Skills Pledge covers five important areas: Collaborate and share; Train to a standard; Engage and support; Champion diversity and inclusion; and Promote careers. By signing up to the Pledge, companies will also be supporting the HBF’s Home Building Skills Partnership and working to its shared goals.

We are delighted to be supporting the Home Building Skills Pledge and being part of the growing momentum for really tackling this crucial agenda. It is vital to nurture the future of the construction industry if we are to build the homes that the country needs.

By signing up to the Pledge we are committing Larkfleet Homes to recruit the best possible talent and to train people to the highest standards. By being proactive in terms of engaging staff, and by being inclusive and diverse in our recruitment, we will be able to future-proof our workforce to continue to deliver high quality new homes.

As part of our commitment to industry and education we are already a major investor in training and skills development as one of the sponsors of the newly-opened Greater Peterborough University Technical College, which aims to give young people ‘hands on’ as well as theoretical training for careers in the engineering and construction sectors.

It’s great to be helping to nurture the future of our industry.

Larkfleet Homes helped Bourne Abbey Primary fireworks go with a bang

We love a good fireworks party at Larkfleet Homes.

And we certainly enjoyed one at Bourne Abbey Primary School last Saturday evening (4th November). This community event is one of the best in the area and we were pleased to help things go with a bang.

Crowds enjoyed two spectacular firework displays from Phenomenal Fireworks and a bonfire, live music and entertainment, a Round Table beer tent, and fun fair rides. There were also a variety of stalls selling various goodies and treats!

Visitors were welcomed to the display by Bourne mayor Paul Fellows. It was a chilly night, but our hearts were warmed by a musical recital from the choirs of Bourne Abbey Primary School and Elsea Park Primary School.

The bonfire – complete with Guy – was lit at 4.45 pm followed by a quieter children’s display.

After an hour of live music from local band Revolver the display team lit the blue touch paper on the main musical firework display. It was a spectacular display and got plenty of ‘Ooohs’ and ‘aahs’ from the crowd.

The whole thing got great reviews on Facebook and plans are already in hand for next year.

All of us at Larkfleet Homes had a great time at the event and we’re looking forward to doing it all again next year.

Don’t be worried by the interest rate hike – say mortgage experts

 

The Bank of England increased interest rates for the first time in a decade this week. The base rate went up by a quarter of one per cent to 0.5 per cent. But what will be the impact on new home buyers and those with existing mortgages?

There’s no need to worry just yet, say the experts. They do not expect the increase to have a significant impact on most UK households.

Nationwide’s chief economist Robert Gardner said: “The proportion of borrowers directly impacted by a rate rise will be smaller than in the past, in part because the majority of new mortgages in recent years were extended on fixed rates. The share of outstanding mortgages on variable rates has fallen to a record low of around 40 per cent, down from a peak of about 70 per cent in 2001.

“A 0.25 per cent increase is likely to have a modest impact on most borrowers who are on variable rates. On the average mortgage, an increase of 0.25 per cent would increase monthly payments by £15  – equivalent to £180 a year.”

This is not to say that rise will be welcome news for many. Household budgets are under pressure from the fact that wages have not been rising as fast as the cost of living. In real terms wage rates are still at levels that were prevailing in 2005.

There will be a little ‘pain’ but, on the whole, the message to UK borrowers is not to panic.

Stay safe this Bonfire Night

Fireworks Night is a fun time. There's nothing better on a dark November evening than having your own bonfire and fireworks in your back garden. Dodge the crowds and invite family and friends round to celebrate. Put some baked potatoes in the fire. Make some pea and ham soup and have a warming drink or two.

But remember - keep your family and pets safe this Bonfire Night.

Here are some safety tips from the Royal Society for the prevention of accident (RoSPA):

• Plan your firework display to make it safe and enjoyable
• Keep your fireworks in a closed box - an old biscuit tin is perfect - and use them one at a time
• Read and follow the instructions on each firework using a torch if necessary
• Light the firework at arm's length with a taper and stand well back
• Keep naked flames, including cigarettes, away from fireworks
• Never return to a firework once it has been lit
• Don't put fireworks in pockets and never throw them
• Direct any rocket fireworks well away from spectators
• Make sure that the fire is out and surroundings are made safe before leaving.
• It is recommended that sparklers are not given to under-5s
• Make sure everyone handling sparklers wears gloves
• Hold sparklers at arm’s length while being lit
• Don’t wave sparklers about close to other people
• Never hold a baby in your arms while you are holding a sparkler
• When the sparkler has finished put it in a bucket of cold water.
• One person should be responsible for the bonfire and children should be supervised
• Choose a site away from wooden fences, sheds and where children will be playing
• Never pour petrol, paraffin or meths on to a fire - it’s safer to use fire lighters to prevent flare-ups
• Keep a bucket of water handy in case of an accident
• Avoid loose clothing and tie back long hair
• After the party, pour water on the fire, rather than leaving it to burn out.

For more on firework safety visit https://www.rospa.com/home-safety/advice/fireworks-safety/
And remember, have fun.