A complex operation to protect Thomas Cook stores across the UK and Northern Ireland
The challenge: A high profile project requiring swift and co-ordinated response across hundreds of stores
Technological solutions can cut security costs by more than half and improve protection at the same time
The owners and the insurers of three former students halls of residences in Manchester were worried the temporarily vacant sites would be a target for metal thieves, vandals and squatters.
Clearing combustible materials and keeping the environment maintained helps protect an empty property
Client: Church of England, Diocese of Worcester with Ecclesiastical Insurance
Sometimes a full range of security options are required for best-fit protection of assets
A pan-European client saved tens of thousands of Euros when two of its industrial sites in Paris suburbs were protected by VPS and prevented several attempts by travellers to set up unauthorised camps
Bolton at Home has to ensure that properties are cleared of rubbish, made secure if necessary, and then cleaned so they are ready for the new occupants. Sometimes the changeover of a tenant can mean that a property can be vacant for a period of time. As a result, vacant properties can be a target for criminals and blight local communities.
As a result of continued losses, Ernst & Young LLP were appointed administrators of City Link Limited and City Link (Properties) No.1 Limited on December 24th 2014. City Link’s network included a fleet of 1,700 parcel delivery vehicles, a national distribution centre, five regional hubs and over 50 depots. They employed over 2,500 staff.
Innovative, flexible security comprising wireless networks of VPS Smart Tower® systems, with advanced fluid mesh connectivity. A dynamic solution that not only protects the site but adds operational value for Costain Heads of Valley road improvement project.
Securing a former Church saved tens of thousands of pounds and enabled a quicker resale
After sustaining several attacks, the baptist organisation that still owned a former church in Nottinghamshire, instructed VPS Security Services to conduct a security risk
assessment and make recommendations for protecting the site. VPS Security’s range of services and expertise gives clients access to the best ‘fit-for-purpose’ solutions to protect and secure their properties, and make significant savings for repairing subsequent damage from trespassers or weather. In this instance, the owners saved on damage repair costs and were able to sell the property sooner.
The former Metropolitan Police Station, situated on Ballards Lane in Finchley, sits on a site of 0.47 acres. With development plans submitted to create a 53-home residential scheme and provide much needed homes in the area, the property sat empty while awaiting planning permission.
Land and properties which fall vacant need to be secured from the moment they become vacant to the point at which they are re-let or sold. VPS have developed arange of integrated solutions specifically designed to help landowners reduce the risk of illegal use, or the establishment of unauthorised traveller site on land not designated for that purpose.
Guinness Northern Counties provides a wide range of services including care and support, neighbourhood investment, housing management and rental or ownership opportunities to residents in over 26,000 homes located in the North of England.\
Homes for Northumberland require approximately 650 properties each year to be thoroughly cleaned and cleared, often at short notice, after a tenant moves out, to ensure a property is clean, free of rubbish and waste and ready for the next tenant.
If the hard wired alarm systems fail at any of HSS Hire’s branch locations, it can leave the outlet in a vulnerable position, with security and insurance implications.
As all of its stores hold expensive tools and plant equipment, the company urgently requires security in the absence of broken alarm systems.
Humberside Police Major Incident Team regularly deals with crimes of a violent nature. While most crime scenes are cleared within 24 to 48 hours, a particular murder required Humberside Police to keep the scene secure until after a post-mortem had been carried out on the deceased.
JLL had a void industrial unit, approximately 270,000 sq ft, located in West Midlands. The unit, which was owned by one of its most influential customers, was originally being secured using two static guards, who were based within a welfare unit on site.
Lee Baron manages numerous properties across theUK which need to be regularly inspected in order to comply with insurance regulations, otherwise leaving its clients in a vulnerable position. In order to ensure compliance is adhered to, Lee Baron required additional assistance when monitoring vacant properties.
Squatting in the borough was a real issue and as soon as the building closed its doors it became a visible target. The local authority, in partnership with its security
provider (CIS Security) assessed the options available and decided to progress with VPS Property Guardians as the most suitable and cost effective method for securing the property.
Ludgate House is a landmark 11-storey commercial building that sits by the River Thames on London’s South Bank. It was the headquarters for the global business events company UBM until 2015. Together with its neighbouring site Sampson House, it now forms part of a 1.4m sq. ft. redevelopment project by an international consortium that includes property developers Native Land.
There is a huge demand in Nottingham for council accommodation, so it is essential that all properties are put back into circulation as quickly as possible
when they become empty. Nottingham City Homes currently repairs and maintains around 2,500 empty properties every year.
In 2011, a commercial property in Leigh, nearManchester, was vacated by its previous occupants. They had used the office accommodation to manage their security services operations whilst the hard-standing and garages on site were used to park and maintain their vehicles. The location of the site meant that it was a prime target for theft and vandals.
Greenock is located a few miles west of Glasgow. The community at the group of flats in Neil Street comprised of a mixed group of residents, from the elderly and vulnerable, through to the young and unemployed. Many residents felt that they had all but lost their fight against years of vandalism, anti-social behaviour and intimidation, to the point where they believed their homes could be considered for demolition.
A national managing agent from Savills, the global real estate services provider, contacted VPS over spiraling costs of a manned guard and dog placed at a site in Yorkshire. VPS conducted a free site risk assessment that included a full site coverage report and details about the immediate environment and the surrounding area, before submitting a comprehensive proposal of recommendations.
Large vacant restaurant/club premises in Northampton shopping centre. It is wider than a standard double-sized retail unit with three entrance doors at the front, two of which have tiled porches open to the street that are two metres deep. These recesses were used by rough sleepers to sleep and live in.
Hickleton Hall is an impressive Grade II listed Georgian country house with 64 bedrooms, constructed in 1748 with slate roofs, a seven-bay frontage and flanking pavilions. The challenge for VPS was to preserve grounds, the building and its associated fabric so that the progress and value of the sale of the Hall would not be hindered.
Tesco acquires all types of properties across a diverserange of sites to develop into a variety of different store formats. These range from pubs, retail premises, churches or vacant buildings which often require planning permission for a change of use. While this is taking place vacant properties face a risk from trespassers, vandalism and criminal activity, which can in turn have a negative impact on local communities.
Topher Ltd experienced working with VPS Site Security when they had chosen them to support their protection facilities at a music festival in the summer of 2014. From the success of that event, when Topher won the opportunity to manage the TV and media compound at the prestigious Ryder Cup, they again chose to work with VPS Site Security.
As a tier one waste carrier we provide bulk waste collection and management services to a wide range of client organisations throughout the UK on a scheduled and reactive basis. Aligned to our own sustainability policies and practices, our primary aim is to minimise the volume of waste sent to landfill and maximise the re-use and recycling of items, supporting the communities in which we live and work wherever possible.
Wiltshire Council was created in 2009, following the merger of Wiltshire County Council and three local District Councils, and serves a population of around 471,000 people. Following the subsequent rationalisation that took place as part of the Council merger, around a dozen Council-owned properties were vacated and put up for sale, including a farmhouse, office blocks and two adult training centres.
Ysgol Estyn Community School, Wrexham, was built in 1905.After more than 100 years of use, areas of the school began to develop substantial mould growth, caused by ineffective insulation and damp, which badly affected the fabric of the building.