Watts 2025 guide for built environment now published

Watts is pleased to announce the release of the 30th edition of the Watts Pocket Handbook, now available to order via the Routledge website. Watts Pocket Handbook: The Essential Guide to Property and Construction.

A cornerstone of technical reference for three decades, the Handbook returns, refreshed and expanded, with 750 pages of indispensable content. Trusted by professionals across the built environment, it brings together essential legal and technical guidance on property ownership, development, procurement, design, legislation, ESG, materials, defects and more.

Edited by Watts Group Chairman Trevor Rushton, this landmark edition reflects the latest shifts in practice and regulation. It is further enriched by direct contributions from many of Watts’ own technical specialists, ensuring the content remains not only relevant but grounded in day-to-day expertise from across the industry.

Trevor Rushton commented “The latest edition of the Watts Pocket Handbook is, as it always has been, aimed at providing clear, accessible technical guidance to professionals at every stage of their careers. This edition renews that commitment, responding to the evolving needs of the property and construction industries.”

Whether you’re making critical project decisions or just starting out in the field, this latest edition is designed to be your go-to reference, an essential resource you’ll return to again and again.

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Andrew Stanton CEO Proptech-PR

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Global Referral System (GRS) launched by nurtur.tech

Nurtur introduces their Global Referral System (GRS), a groundbreaking solution designed to empower property professionals to monetise their data and unlock new revenue streams.

Commenting on the new GRS system, Richard Combellack, Chief Commercial Officer at Nurtur says: “Powered by The BriefYourMarket Data-warehouse, our GRS maximises the return on investment for the valuable data captured within the Nurtur Ecosystem. This innovative system introduces a completely hands-off referral process, identifying out-of-area leads from the agent’s database and managing communication with potential vendors.”

Diving into more detail, Combellack adds that the GRS identifies out-of-area applicants who are potential vendors for other agents, providing a list of up to five businesses for the vendor to choose three for an independent valuation of their property, facilitating their move. Users receive updates on the referral progress, including key milestones such as valuation dates, instructions, Sold Subject to Contract (SSTC), and sales. 

Key benefits of GRS include:

Easily maximising the ROI on data captured within the Nurtur Ecosystem. 

Earning 0.2% of the sale price as a commission for passing out-of-area applicants automatically as the referring agent. 

Enhanced collaboration among Nurtur clients, with vendors being shared to suitable selling agencies. 

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Andrew Stanton CEO Proptech-PR

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Chester Race Company adopts HID’s ticketing technology

HID, the global leader in trusted identity solutions, announced that Chester Race Company, owner of the world’s oldest racecourse still in operation, has adopted Near Field Communication (NFC)-based ticketing technology – the first major sports venue in the UK to adopt an end-to-end solution provided by HID.

Leveraging HID’s Event Management Platform (EMP) and Janam’s rugged XT3 handheld scanners, the organization has revolutionized its guest admissions process, offering a seamless and efficient entry experience at Chester Racecourse.

Founded in 1539 during the reign of King Henry VIII, Chester Racecourse holds the Guinness World Record as the oldest operational racecourse. Operated by Chester Race Company, the venue welcomes over 200,000 guests annually to its 15-race season, including the renowned Boodles May Festival which features the Chester Cup. The company also manages Bangor-on-Dee and Musselburgh racecourses, alongside diverse catering, hospitality, hotel and recruitment businesses.

“Admissions are our first touch point with our guests on a race day, so delivering an excellent customer experience is critical,” said Gareth Simpson, Head of Racecourse Operations at Chester Race Company (Main picture). “By adopting HID’s NFC ticketing technology, we’ve transformed the entry process, offering guests the ease of smartphone-based tickets in their Apple or Google Wallets. It’s just like downloading a mobile boarding pass for an airline flight.”

Chester Racecourse’s new system streamlines the ticketing process from purchase to entry. Guests now receive encrypted e-tickets within seconds, downloadable directly to their smartphones, along with guidance about dress code, race program and directions. On race day, reminders appear on guests’ devices as they approach the venue, further enhancing convenience.

Key to the implementation is the purchase of 45 Janam XT3 rugged mobile computers which enable offline ticket validation for continuity of service. This is important as the racecourse is in a low-lying area in Chester where the mobile signal strength is poor. Preloaded ticket data on each device eliminates reliance on Wi-Fi connections, enabling swift and accurate access even during peak times. With a scan time of less than a second, the Janam XT3 units significantly reduce congestion and wait times and work well in poor light conditions.

To support the NFC ticketing solution, Chester Race Company has made significant financial investments to upgrade its network infrastructure, deploying Wi-Fi 7 access points along with new routers, switches and robust 10-gigabit Ethernet connections to the Internet.

HID’s EMP integrates with a ticket sales platform from SeatGeek, with a bespoke API recently written to integrate the two systems to enable ticket purchases to be updated automatically in the access control solution in real-time, thereby removing a cumbersome manual process adopted in the past. “We’ve addressed all our entrance issues,” added Simpson. “From faster entry to real-time visibility of guest attendance, HID’s solution has been transformational.”

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Andrew Stanton CEO Proptech-PR

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