5 Simple Steps To Address Risks At Vacant Commercial Property

How to address risks at a vacant commercial property

When standing empty, commercial properties not only attract no rent, but are subject to additional risks all of which can have further severe financial impact for landlords, property holders, investors and developers. If managed correctly, landlords can avoid expensive repairs and unnecessary costs as well as adding to kerb-appeal and the likelihood it will attract new tenants or (legal) occupiers sooner.

The falling demand for commercial property during the economic downturn and rise in failing businesses has led to a considerable increase in the number of vacant properties in the UK. One estimate puts this at one in ten High Street shops, with some areas suffering far worse than the average, adding to the temptation for criminals.

So what can landlords do to reduce these risks, issues and property management headaches?

CLICK HERE TO READ OUR 5 TOP TIPS ON VACANT PROPERTY SECURITY 

Secure Site UK provides all these services in-house, carried out by experienced teams with a reputation for responsiveness and dependability. In addition, existing clients benefit from a wide range of property protection services, including licensed security guards and security dog handlers, squatter eviction and enforcement teams, physical security measures including concrete barrier hire, steel security doors, window security shutters and security fencing, including palisade fencing, wireless alarms and CCTV systems. 

Construction Industry Security Options

Manned Security Vs Electronic Security

Which is best for the construction and building industry?

With so many aspects of a new build to consider, security for construction sites is often overlooked. Many sites are an easy target for vandalism and theft since after contractors leave for the day, it’s usually only hoarding that protects it whilst left unattended at nights and over the weekend. Expensive plant, tools, materials and inadequately secured site offices are all very tempting for would-be thieves, with the disruption not only causing down-time and potentially resulting in missed deadlines, there’s the significant cost of replacement

• Almost 1 in 5 sites are vandalised every week in the UK
• 1 in 3 are targeted by theft of plant or equipment
• £1billion is spent each year in losses and this is steadily increasing

  

Manned Security Guards & Security Dog Handlers 

The presence of a uniformed security guard will assist in deterring thieves and vandals from your construction or building site. A uniformed and SIA licensed static guard can also help your business with non-security related issues, assisting in routine tasks, vehicle checks and restricting unauthorised access. Uniformed security guards can provide highly effective security, especially for premises or property spanning large areas. By patrolling the perimeter of the site, including in/out buildings, this ensures all hidden places are covered if potential trespassers or thieves gain access.

• Secure Site’s static guards are available day, night & weekends.
• Deployed nationwide within 2hrs for an emergency requirement.
• Provide visible sense of security, also creating a great deterrent to crime.
• Combined with alternative security, to ensure a 24/7 monitored site, such as mobile patrols or CCTV can also help to save costs.
• Merge with dog handlers for extra sense of security.
• Security guards can also be used as a customer service ambassador on site for visitors or vehicle check in.
• At just £2 more per hour, but able to protect the same as 3 static officers, security dog handlers are very good value for money and a great psychological deterrent.

Static guards or experienced dog handlers are effective crime deterrents, but if the budget isn’t there, then there is a very cost effective alternative.

Vs ELECTRONIC SECURITY 

When the budget isn’t there for a security officer, electronic alternatives provide cost savings as well as ability to cover large sites and effectively allow monitoring of multiple areas simultaneously. SecureSiteUK has developed a bespoke range of construction site alarm systems, including VideoGuard, with wireless cameras and 24/7 monitoring for an immediate escalated response to trespassers, FireGuard to instantly warn everyone on site to the outbreak of a fire, or ScaffoldGuard, to ward off trespassers and thieves and potentially prevent severe injury.

• Electronic security can significantly reduce construction site security compared to manned static guards.
• With next day installation, sites can be secured at very short notice.
• Used for temprary basis to watch over vulnerable sites and assets.
• Various CCTV monitoring systems to suit different sites (with or without power on site.)
• Remotely monitored accessed systems.
• Off-site monitoring and recordings of crime ‘in action’.
• No additional costs for welfare on construction and building sites .
• Maintenance and support 24/7.

Since a ‘one size fits all’ approach rarely suits the client, here at Secure Site UK, we tailor-make security options to suit your site to fit individual site requirements and budgets.

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Preventing Caravans and Travellers on your land

Protecting Your Land from Gypsy Caravans

Concrete Barriers from Secure Site UKProtecting private land and property from traveller invasion has always been a challenge and the eviction of travellers and other unwelcome visitors looks likely to become even more of a problem in the future.

With the responsibility for supporting local authorities and housing associations in the provision of good quality public sites to help meet the needs of travelling communities, through the Gypsy and Traveller Sites Grant Programme, The Homes and Communities Agency has recently announced grants totalling £47 million for 620 new or improved pitches.

The counties of Surrey, Kent, Essex, Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire already accommodate more of the Gypsy and traveller population than anywhere else in Britain and it is therefore quite worrying that these 5 counties have been awarded just 4% of the funding available.

The Argus, a local newspaper covering regions in East and West Sussex, reports that unauthorised traveller numbers rose by a staggering 40% in the 12 months to November 2011 with nearly 4,000 Gypsy and traveller caravans spread across an area from Buckingham to the Isle of Wight and across to Kent. Last summer 73 unauthorised caravans descended on Brighton and Hove alone!

The Irish Traveller Movement in Britain reports that “The mass eviction at Dale Farm in Essex was the direct result of a dire shortage of authorised pitches”, with the lack of sufficient funding apparently making future traveller evictions like those seen at Dale Farm “inevitable”.

With Gypsy and traveller movement often increasing in warmer weather, calls for action from local farmers and land owners have also increased with the growing fear of unauthorised encampments. Whilst local landowners can plan to prevent unauthorised access to land this has financial implications as does the consequent cost of removal and clean-up of the site.

Secure Site UK offers 2.5 tonne concrete barriers as well as steel height barriers to provide permanent protection to vulnerable sites or even restrict site access to wider or higher vehicles and caravans. Available in any colour to blend with natural surroundings, traveller-prevention measures can also be painted to complement corporate colours in car parks.

For more details of physical security measures, including portable intruder alarm systems or security guards, please leave a comment below, contact us or feel to contact Secure Site (UK) for good honest advice to prevent trespassers or travellers onto your site.

www.securesiteuk.co.uk 

Preventing Theft of Farm Equipment, Tractors and Fuel

Want to know the best ways of securing your farm? USE VIDEO GUARD

According to research from NFU Mutual, there has been a significant increase in the number of cases of expensive tractor thefts “to order” in recent years. In fact, machinery theft is reported to be costing the industry in the region of £40 million, with quad bikes, power tools and 4×4 vehicles, all stolen in larger numbers by what is thought to be planned thefts. It seems farms and rural establishments are just too tempting for thieves as the escalating cost of fuel (with red diesel at 70 pence per litre, and rising) means that large full tanks are worth thousands of pounds to thieves, with no regard whatsoever to the disruption and cost to the farmer. As if this isn’t enough, the locks on fuel tanks are being removed or broken off, causing yet more cost to farms and estates. Domestic customers are not safe either, as a spate of cases of fuel theft and media coverage, has led to greater awareness of the ease with which thieves are emptying household tanks in remote parts of gardens. With copper now worth £6,000 per tonne and scrap metal not far behind this figure, electrical installations and tanks are on thieves “shopping lists”, along with lawnmowers and garden tools, from unprotected buildings and sheds.

With many vehicles, equipment and outbuildings not having the benefit of hard-wired alarm systems, thieves are going undetected and are therefore able to spend greater time draining tanks, loading tools or hitching machinery, for many hours under the cover of darkness.

In an ideal world, a mobile security guard with a canine unit patrolling valuable assets would do the trick, but without the budget for this, farms, estates and even domestic sites might want to consider a very cost-effective alternative, that can monitor individual assets or open spaces at night and even takes video footage of any movement, sent via the GSM mobile communication network, to the Police who regard them as proof of “crimes in progress”, then prioritised and immediately responded to in order to try to catch the thieves red-handed. With up to 24 infra-red wireless cameras connected to one battery operated system (that lasts for up to 4 years!) and a radius of up to 200 metres, clear images – even at night – are now possible on the remotest buildings without the need for power, using Video guard. Available for rental on a short or long-term basis and installed by our engineer in under an hour, your property and assets can be protected next-day! 

• No deposit required
• Next-day installation
• 100% wireless
• 2 year battery life
• Up to 24 PIR cameras
• Videos ‘crime in progress’
• Sends alert via GSM
• Immediate Police response
• No false alarms

For more details, follow this link to our site dedicated to Video Guard 

Secure Site UK CCTV System Stops Drug Dealing

A Devon based Social Housing provider with ongoing problems with vandals and suspected drug users has put an end to drug dealers congregating in communal doorways and openly dealing to local youths by installing a new security measures at the worst-hit block of flats. Starting by installing robust communal doors with access control ensured that only those with authorised swipe cards could gain entry to the block. The addition of a new and conspicuous CCTV system linked to the Housing Officers and recording video evidence has also significantly deterred would-be vandals and drug dealers in the area with a resultant drop in the level of vandalism and petty crime in the area.

So, if you have persistent nuisance areas, vandals, anti-social behaviour or drug taking that is severely affecting the neighbourhood and you want to discuss the options for combating it, simply call Secure Site and one of our experienced commercial managers will be happy to attend and provide free advice on the security measures available and options to combat the problem. 

 If you would like more information please call us today on 08456 12 13 12 or visit www.securesiteuk.co.uk

Protection of Unoccupied Building – Wood or Steel?

Wood Or Steel? 

Vacant properties are vulnerable and at constant risk of malicious damage by vandals, arsonists and thieves – especially cabling at today’s inflated weigh-in prices! Therefore vacant property security is something you will want to consider. 

Whilst landlords with vacant property may already be taking steps to minimize the risk, how many would think of contacting their insurance company and let them know? In fact, how many landlords would know that a building is only classed as “unoccupied” if left vacant for more than 28 days? The added risk, therefore, is not informing your insurer and potentially invalidating or prejudicing your insurance cover.

There are a number of mandatory physical security steps, including the obvious of securing the premises against illegal entry: with all windows fastened closed (or immediately boarded up or replaced if broken) and all external doors bolted from the inside, whilst access doors are locked with a 5-level mortise lock or a closed shackle padlock. It is also a requirement that all locks are changed within 7 days of becoming vacant.

If unoccupied for more than 6 months, landlords are required to seal up letterboxes, to prevent mounds of junk mail, flyers or any other combustible items adding to hazard inside. Some insurers may also require you to board up the property if it is likely to be vacant for longer periods. Some might raise an eyebrow that wood is “recommended” to secure a property, being perfect material for any arsonist, particularly as it’s already to hand on site! Further, as wood discolours, deteriorates, warps and eventually rots, it does little to assist in making vacant properties attractive to prospective tenants or purchasers – but ironically, it does make it very attractive to the vandals, arsonists and thieves it was intended to keep out in the first place! At little more than the price of plywood – solid steel sheets, by comparison don’t burn, retain their shape and impenetrable appearance and when secured with specialist security screws – stay put on the windows until the landlord wants them off!  Ask about our steel window protection, which as well as all the benefits of solid sheets, also allow light into vacant properties, so that even without electricity you can conduct viewings and help you sell or let it more quickly.

Want to find out more about vacant/empty property security? Visit www.securesiteuk.co.uk