The latest figures from the Tenant Services Authority (TSA) demonstrate that housing providers have continued to display financial strength in a challenging economic environment.

The figures, published today, also indicate that the regulated housing sector has retained the confidence of major lenders with new finance continuing to be attracted from both banks and the bond market.

The TSA’s latest quarterly survey of housing associations (April/June 2010) shows that almost £1 billion of new loan facilities were arranged in the quarter, with a further £400 million in the pipeline. Just under ten per cent of these new loan facilities were in the form of bond issues, demonstrating that the sector continues to be an attractive investment to both banks and institutional investors.

Other key findings from the survey are:

Councils and business leaders have come to Westminster to call for continued investment in transport infrastructure to the east of the capital.

MPs and representatives from London businesses join local authority leaders in Parliament today (Wednesday) for the launch of the Thames Gateway London Partnership's report 'Staying on Track.'

The report argues that targeting crucial infrastructure projects such as Crossrail for public spending cuts would represent "a damaging false economy".  Contributors to the report outline how enhanced transport links improve access to jobs, open up London to the South East, and support growth which is beneficial to the whole of the UK.

Key contributors to the report include Transport Minister Theresa Villiers MP, who states that the Government is “absolutely clear that investment in our transport infrastructure is essential for economic growth."

Speaking ahead of the report’s launch, Lord Falconer, who chairs the Thames Gateway London Partnership, said:

“We are delighted that this report demonstrates a strong consensus on the need for continued leadership and investment in our transport infrastructure. Nowhere is this clearer than in the cross-party and industry support expressed for the full completion of Crossrail.

“We’ve seen in the past how transport developments such as City Airport, the Jubilee Line extension and the Docklands Light Railway can transform communities and drive forward investment. Now it is crucial that key transport projects are seen as economic drivers, rather than candidates for cuts.”

Some key quotes from ‘Staying on Track’:

“Despite the current pressure on budgets, the Government is absolutely clear that investment in our transport infrastructure is essential for economic growth. London and the Thames Gateway needs an accessible transport system that effectively links communities and employers; that spreads opportunity while protecting the environment; and that puts the travelling public first.” - Theresa Villiers MP, Minister for Transport

“These improvements to the transport network offer unparalleled prospects for regeneration in the Thames Gateway and help support and drive future economic growth for the capital and the UK as a whole.” - Rob Holden, Chief Executive, Crossrail

“The commute into central London is a grim reminder of how London’s economic success has outstripped improvements to its public transport networks… Cutting this most vital of capital investment would be economically obtuse and, given that commuters have hundreds of thousands of votes, politically unwise.” - Baroness Valentine, Chief Executive, London First

“The Government has claimed that, at present, the first two of these aims are looking achievable.  But doubts are emerging about whether Crossrail will survive in its entirety. I’m all for efficient engineering, but if savings are to be found by, for example, delivering a lower capacity network, a lot of the gains will be lost.” - Sadiq Khan MP, Shadow Secretary Of State for Transport

“Direct international services will be a key part of the lasting legacy of the Olympics.  East London has the potential to become a major international business and commercial destination but this requires direct links with Europe. The international business which would come from direct stopping services at Stratford is integral to the vibrancy of Stratford City.” - John Burton, Director, Westfield Stratford City

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While the school summer holidays are the time when most families take trips abroad or tow a caravan down to the west country, for sections of the construction industry July and August can be the busiest months of the year. What is more, the extra workload comes about as the result of several different types of activity across the education sector.

Despite doubts hanging over dozens of contracts due to the shelving of the Building Schools for the Future programme, there are new-build colleges, academies and primaries being finished off right across the country – and they really have to be ready for opening when staff and students turn up in early September. And then there are all the different types of repair and refurbishment work that can only be carried out when the premises are closed for the long summer vacation. The deadlines are just as onerous and unmoveable.

It is due to the fact that everything has to be fully complete, snagged and handed over by the same date in countless locations around the UK that Plastic Surgeon, the national snagging and repair specialist, is flat out assisting both regular clients and new converts to its services in achieving specified standards for virtually every type of building component.

While the company’s stone finishers are kept busy repairing or tinting bricks, blocks, concrete, render, and other types of masonry on the outside of buildings, its other teams of finishers are occupied inside, with their tasks involving making good everything from doors and window frames, to sinks, worksurfaces, walls, floors and special fittings like laboratory benches.

While every job has its individual aspects linked to site access, health and safety or the products/materials that have been damaged, many of the remedial measures will be repeated.

A typical assignment for Plastic Surgeon came recently when regular client BAM Construction called the firm in to carry out a number of minor repairs to cladding panels on the new Culcheth High School in Warrington.

Unfortunately for the contractor, minor damage such as dents and scratches only showed up when the elevations were being cleaned down for handover. As a result one of the finishers spent a total of five days going round the school filling, smoothing and then finally colour matching each repair until there was no visible evidence of the attrition the panels had suffered.

The same client has also been making use of Plastic Surgeon’s expertise to assist with the snagging process on the new South Cheshire college of further education: a three storey structure split into three sections.

Two finishers have already spent some eight days undertaking tasks such as repairing Trespa panels both internal to, and outside the college; as well as mending chips in ceramic tiles, a handful of ceramic sinks and several timber window frames.

As Plastic Surgeon has witnessed on many contracts over recent years, because the majority of the scrapes and dents were seen as ‘cosmetic’ the site management had initially recruited a French Polisher to try and put them right, but the results simply weren’t up to the standards required by the client.

The north west based finishers have also been hard at work with Willmott Dixon at a number of schools in Manchester; and similar missions on multiple sites for ESA McIntosh.

The western region manager, Kevin Mellish reports that it was uPVC cills and powder coated windows at the Oasis Academy in Bristol which had taken the worst of the wear and tear associated with virtually all building projects.

Plastic Surgeon has a special technique for reshaping buckled uPVC profiles which exploits the material’s ‘memory’ and can return it to its original form. Minor scratches are meanwhile sanded out with a progression of abrasives, while similar gouges in glass can be buffed out using power tools.

This time working for Skanska on the Oasis Academy, Plastic Surgeon also repaired a number of internal laminate doors that had taken knocks as the endless stream of different trades passed around the building. They too were filled, smoothed and repainted.

As with all the Plastic Surgeon’s projects in the education, retail, commercial, residential and other sectors, the finishers’ intervention has resulted in often challenging repair tasks being addressed far quicker and more economically than it would be possible to replace the items. And this of course has very positive environmental benefits in terms of reducing the volume of waste being sent to landfill.

In the education sector, it is reasonable to say that ‘lessons have been learned’ in terms of the best way to deal with minor damage.

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London 's mayor Boris Johnson together with the HCA (Home and Communities Agency) have announced a £50 million cash injection for social housing schemes which had been put on hold.

It was feared that funding which had been approved prior to the election for 16 schemes providing 518 affordable homes as part of the London regeneration, would be withdrawn. The schemes now look certain to go ahead.

London mayor Boris Johnson said: “Housing must remain a priority, which is why we have rescued these schemes from the spectre of the credit crunch and delivered the cash needed to get construction up and running but at less cost to the public purse.”

David Lunts, HCA director for London, said: “It’s great news that these stalled schemes will now go ahead. Despite the belt-tightening times, we have worked hard with our partners to find ways to make these projects better value for money and each will provide badly-needed new homes for Londoners”.

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As a construction journalist I have been aware of Connaught’s activities and reputation for 20 years or more, so it was a severe shock to learn that the company is having cash flow problems.

It is a path we saw Taylor Wimpey have to negotiate two years ago when the recession arrived so soon after the merger of the two great building and civil engineering giants; but Connaught has always had a different business model, with more conservative strategies.

Apparently the problems hinge on the support services specialist having breached one of its covenants that stipulates borrowing should be less than a triple multiple of its adjusted earnings, before tax or interest payments are taken into account. As a result its board had to announce earlier this week that there was an “urgent need for additional funds.”

Like so many other companies across the country, it is therefore trading profitably but suffering a short term shortfall in liquidity. In this specific instance the reluctance of the banks to extend lines of credit – confirmed in a recent speech by Vince Cable – has been heightened by suppliers demanding payment in advance when earlier profits warnings started alarm bells ringing. And the situation has been made even worse by the fact that so much of its business is with local councils who are notoriously slow payers.

It is one of the ironies of our age that while those who work hard and try to run their lives responsibly are being treated as financial pariahs, parts of the economy are permitted to ‘get away with monetary murder’. Football clubs are routinely allowed to trade at a loss – defaulting on debts and being excused their tax bills – while our casino banks were bailed out with Government billions by Gordon Brown, the biggest tax bulimic in history.

Whether it has been carrying out specialist concrete repairs to tower blocks and road bridges, or undertaking kitchen replacements under the Decent Homes programme, Connaught has conducted itself impeccably for the past two decades. It offers clients a skilled workforce run by a resourceful and experienced management structure, while it has demonstrated both social and environmental responsibility.

It will be a travesty if Connaught is pushed over the edge by RSLs refusing to do business with it on the basis that, temporarily, it cannot meet their stipulations on the balance sheet solidity of their suppliers. This is not merely because the affordable housing sector should show some leniency towards a contractor that has served it so well over past projects, but also because Connaught’s capabilities could not be easily replaced when the construction industry recovery gets fully under way.

RBS and Portsmouth FC arguably should have been allowed to fail. Connaught cannot.

Bruce Meechan, B.S.C. Civ. Eng., Technical Editor of HA Magazine

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More than half a million people could be added to housing waiting lists if the Government slashes the budget for affordable housing, it was warned today.

David Orr, chief executive of the National Housing Federation, said: "It is clear the amount of public money available to fund various activities in the future is going to be tight.

"However, given the scale of the nation's housing crisis, it is critical that the nation keeps building affordable housing.

"Brutal cuts of 40% to the housing budget would effectively shut the door on an entire generation which would be left with little hope of ever being allocated a social home.

"We would urge the Government to closely consider the huge human, social and economic cost of failing to invest in affordable housing."

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Hundreds of teachers will march on Parliament today in protest at a decision to abandon more than 700 projects as part of the £55bn school building programme.

With schools about to break for the summer, Michael Gove is determined that some shall have the option to convert themselves into academies, run directly by the Government rather than by local councils, before the new school year begins. Teachers and union leaders say cancelling the building work will leave many children in dilapidated buildings. "These cuts will inflict major damage in schools already in a dire physical condition," said Chris Keates, head of the NASUWT teaching union. "Run-down, dilapidated buildings are not being replaced, while schools in good repair are getting brand new buildings just because they are becoming academies," he said.

Meanwhile, construction firm Glenigan has released a report on BSF, which claims education projects make up almost a fifth of all construction projects started in the past 18 months, seemingly concurring with Ed Balls comments, that to scrap BSF, is to jeopardize not just the future of our school buildings but also the future of Britain's financial recovery.

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It seems now that Michael Gove is u-turning. Whilst he axed the BSF (Building Schools for the Future) last week, he is now saying funding will be made available.

Many consider the BSF to have been a very expensive administration exercise with little work actually being achieved. It is also debatable whether or not funding was available to meet the flurry of pledges made by the previous government immediately prior to the election. The scheme was planned over such a long period that it’s continuance could only have been secure had the financial climate that existed at the time of it's conception six years ago continued to the present and into the future, a financial situation which clearly does not exist now and is unlikely to return any time soon.

The one permanent factor in all of this is that many of our schools are in desperate need of repair. Many people focused on the rebuilding aspect of BSF and little noticed that the scheme also relied heavily on the refurbishment of existing schools. It would seem that Mr Gove is saying that funding will be made available for these projects and offered in respect of urgency and need, or should we say let he who shouts loudest? But the money will be offered with a close eye to what is available in the treasury purse.

No doubt when the tide of finance turns again and we find ourselves in less frugal times, assuming the current government are still directing the distribution of our taxes, the money that was targeted to come out dressed as BSF will get a new wardrobe, but this time the coalition will be the favoured designer reaping the accolades for their brand new outfit.

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The Prime Minister has pledged to make this the greenest government ever, believing that climate change is one of the most serious threats that the world faces. This includes reducing the Government's own emissions by ten per cent between mid-May 2010 and mid-May 2011.

In the budget this week amongst other proposals to meet this goal, steps were out lined to establish a Green Deal for households through legislation in the Energy Security and Green Economy Bill, to help individuals invest in home energy efficiency improvements that can pay for themselves from the savings in energy bills.

In his speech today to the Economist UK Energy Summit, Chris Huhne the energy and climate secretary said:

'Energy saving is the cheapest way of closing the gap between demand and supply, yet it is the Cinderella of the energy ball. On the near horizon, energy saving will mean smart meters and smart grids that can give consumers control over their appliances - for example ensuring that fridges power down during temporary price surges.

This will take time to develop. But there is also much we can do now. To date we have heard too much talk and too little action.

Britain has on average some of the oldest housing stock in Europe, much of it built in the era of cheap coal - but that’s no excuse. Why have we kept building inefficient homes? We have been locking in waste, which is why my colleague Grant Shapps, the Housing Minister, is moving quickly to toughen building standards.

Most of the homes we will use in 2050 have of course already been built. That is why we have big plans for the Green Deal. It will be my department’s flagship bill for this first session. Its aim is a radical overhaul of our existing homes to save energy, carbon and costs.

At the moment, we may as well be burning £50 notes outside our front doors. We use more energy per home than does Sweden. And this waste cannot be ignored, because households account for a quarter of all carbon emissions.

This is another area which can help drive economic recovery. The market is big. There are currently up to 14 million homes in the UK which could benefit from insulation under the Green Deal. We are working on the package for each home, which could unlock tens of billions of spending in the coming years.'

THE GREEN DEAL

'The Green Deal is a completely new and ambitious approach to home insulation. The aim is that every participating householder will save money by insulating their home.

Energy companies and high street stores will help guide customers through a simplified process and pay for the work upfront. Householders will then pay back over time on their energy bills from the energy savings they make.

Some people – such as the fuel-poor, and those in hard-to-heat homes lacking cavity walls – will need extra help because energy savings alone will not be enough. We intend to provide that help by refocusing the obligations on energy companies. Local authorities could also join with energy companies to reach those who live in houses that need it most. Insulation measures are often cheaper if implemented a street at a time. And we are planning to strengthen the Government’s powers to target energy insulation measures on the highest priority cases.

A competitive market will provide best value and confidence in products for the customer. With professional marketing from trusted brands, we ought to make energy efficiency as attractive as broadband or satellite TV.

And the Green Deal – by tying energy saving to the people who pay the energy bills – will be a breakthrough not just for owners but for tenants as well. We are also looking at whether it could apply to businesses. To sustain the market on the long march to a comprehensive refit of our housing stock, we are also looking at triggers and incentives to encourage demand.

All in all, this will send the right signal to the energy efficiency industry, providing investment confidence and job opportunities. Indeed, this green growth sector can provide a big fillip to the economic recovery.'

Your Views

Hans Schreuder, Managing Director Rockwool UK states:

"We warmly welcome the Government¹s Green Deal as a valuable initiative to help up to 14 million households save energy and money through better insulation."

"When it comes to the environment, the amount of energy wasted by poorly insulated buildings is the elephant in the room, with almost half the energy used in the UK is going on heating or cooling buildings."

 "By our estimation, UK households waste around £2.9 billion on energy bills and pump 15,529,410 tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year through inadequately insulated homes."

"Many other EU countries are significantly ahead of the UK when it comes to improving home energy efficiency and the steps outlined by the Government will help address this, cut the UK's carbon footprint and boost the UK's building and environmental products industry."

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New construction jobs could be created by plans to replace Royal Liverpool University Hospital with a new, £400 million establishment.

Balfour Beatty and Carillion are both believed to be interested in the 30-year private-finance initiative, which extends from the design and construction of the facility, to its financing and operation, CNPlus reports.

Other firms rumoured to be interested include Spanish construction firm FCC and health sector specialist Brookfield, with Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust expected to produce a shortlist of three companies next month.

Despite the fact that the new government is reviewing the redevelopment project, the hospital is moving ahead with its plans for the procurement process, the news provider reported.

"A preferred bidder is expected to be named next summer, with financial close and start on site in early 2012," it said.

Meanwhile, it was announced earlier this month that construction work has begun on a new £20 million care home in Dudley, which will provide over 130 homes for elderly residents.

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Derelict Tesco land to be used for affordable housing development

WISHAW and District Housing Association have bought the former Tesco site at the bottom of Wishaw Main Street and plan to build affordable homes on it.

A feasibility study – funded by North Lanarkshire Council’s regeneration department – will be taken to consider a number of options for the land, which is understood to have cost more than £1million.

It is understood that two-storey houses at affordable rent will be at the centre of the plans which aims to bring quality development and amenities to Wishaw.

At present there is no definite time frame for the development of the massive empty site. Both the housing association and the council want to make sure that the right development takes place.

Funding will be made through the Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP) and Wishaw residents will be pleased to see the site – which has lain derelict for almost three years – take shape as part of the town centre regeneration.

Eddie Mullen, chairman of Wishaw and District Housing Association explained: “We’re hoping that this investment shows the commitment and confidence in the future of Wishaw township. It’s good to be working with our colleagues at North Lanarkshire Council who share our vision for quality development at this important site in the town.”

Anne Cooper, Chief Executive of the Housing association added: “In this time of recession, cuts in public spending, the unemployment situation and housing needs, it is gratifying to be able to secure the necessary funding to develop the former Tesco site and provide houses at affordable rent, which is the main aim of our association.”

Councillor Tom Maginnis, convener of economic regeneration, commented: “We’re delighted that the housing association have secured this key site in Wishaw town centre and we’re happy to support the production of the feasibility study from Vacant and Derelict Land Fund which will ensure the new development and contribute positively to the regeneration of Wishaw Town Centre.

“I believe that this acquisition by the housing association, along with other recent acquisitions by the Council, will provide a launch pad for the regeneration of Wishaw town centre.”

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Reusing small empty sites of up to two hectares could more than meet the UK’s housing demand without building on green field land. This must be coupled with upgrading existing buildings, reclaiming and remodelling empty buildings, converting and upgrading homes to make existing neighbourhoods attractive. These are key findings from a new research report, launched today, commissioned by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). This approach would generate local jobs but requires new skills, more training and apprenticeships, the report argues.

The report, ‘Housing Futures: Our Homes and Communities’, written by Professor Anne Power and Laura Lane of the Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion (CASE) at LSE examines the four big pressures – supply and affordability of homes; environmental limits; social cohesion; and economic change - driving the future of housing policy in the UK.

The report highlights that there is capacity within existing communities to create all the new homes we need. Small available sites of under two hectares within built up areas are rarely counted and micro-sites of half an acre of less are literally too numerous to count. Yet it is estimated that even in inner London, where population density is highest and land scarcest, there are enough micro-sites to supply all the new homes we need.

If we make our existing homes greener and more energy efficient, the research found that the building industry had enough work in this field to keep every small and medium sized builder running to stay on top for the next 30 years. The retrofitting market for small builders offers, the report says, ‘a very rosy future painted green’, as homeowners realize the savings that could be made through making their homes more energy efficient. To capitalize on this growth market, the report calls for higher standards within the building industry, particularly the 200,000 Small to Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) which make up 99 percent of building industry. A ‘Code for Sustainable Existing Homes’ would drive up the energy efficiency standards of our existing homes and conversions. Accreditation and Competent Person Schemes enhance the status of the building industry, as long as they are linked to real experience and hands-on training.

Professor Anne Power, Professor of Social policy at LSE said:

“We need to modernize our housing stock, reclaim and remodel empty buildings, fit new homes into small spaces within existing communities, and do all this with a fraction of the energy, materials and waste of the current building industry. This approach should generate many new jobs and skills in existing neighbourhoods; it should support training, apprenticeships and accreditation schemes; it should foster a new eco-retrofit supply chain. It will be quickly embraced by go-ahead small builders who know which side their bread is buttered on!”

Richard Diment, Director-General of the FMB said:

“Retrofitting is becoming an important part of any small builder’s workload but this can only increase if SMEs can demonstrate the value and skill of their work which is why the FMB is investigating the need to start its own competent person scheme. We hope to use this to further improve the reputation of members that join the FMB, through regular on-going training and a clear grading system. Construction SMEs carry out almost 50 percent of all construction work in the UK, yet builders are often viewed with suspicion. In many other countries building is a respected trade, almost on a par with the professions and this is mainly due to accreditation and competency schemes. We recognise the important role such schemes will play in improving the reputation of the UK building industry.”

For more information please visit: sticerd.lse.ac.uk/LSEHousing/

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UK construction activity expanded at fastest pace since September 2007

Key points:

• Further rise in new order volumes supported activity growth.
• Employment rose for the first time since May 2008.
• Input cost inflation continued to gather pace.

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Summary:

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COMMENT:

Sarah Ledger, Economist at Markit and author of the UK Construction PMI said:

'It was encouraging to see growth within the UK construction sector maintained during May, with all three sub-sectors (housing, commercial and civil) indicating an expansion in activity. However, it is unlikely that the current rate of growth will be maintained over the medium-term. This partly reflects the low base from which expansion is being built, but also the uncertainty surrounding cuts in public spending.'

'Importantly, staffing levels were reported to have risen for the first time in two years during May. Whilst in absolute terms pre-recession employment levels are a long way off, this indicates that increased activity is having an overall expansionary effect on the industry.'

Commenting on the report, David Noble, Chief Executive Officer at the Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply, said:

'It really is a double edged sword for the UK construction sector at the moment. Purchasing managers say that on the surface things are looking positive with recent growth accelerating and more jobs on the horizon. However, the recovery is so fragile that it will be extremely vulnerable to the impending public sector cuts and it is unclear whether the recovery is robust enough to cope with such knock backs. Civil engineering is a clear case in point. It has only just started to grow for the first time in two years, and is an industry where public spending tends to be focused.'

'The cuts are clearly coming and it's not long before we will start to see them making their mark.'

'What is clear is that recovery in construction is creating a ripple effect across the economy as firms supplying the industry benefit from increased purchasing activity. But ongoing inflation challenges reflect global uncertainties for certain commodities and remind us how much the sector is shaped by the global economy .'

 

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see reader response to this story below

Leading architectural practice, PRP, hope the newly formed coalition Government will lead to a balanced approach to the housing agenda across the UK, as the construction industry is vital to the UK economy.

In particular PRP urges the Government to consider the following:

• The construction industry is one of the key drivers for employment (currently 8% of the UK workforce)
• For every 250,000 homes which are needed only 100,000 homes are currently being supplied

PRP believes that the immediate implementation of deep cuts and a radical overhaul of the planning system with 'localism' at its heart, as originally proposed by the Conservatives would threaten the fragile economy and the housing industry in general.

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Andy von Bradsky, PRP's Chairman comments: "David Cameron stood on the steps of Number 10 yesterday and stressed the importance of community and we hope this translates into building more affordable housing, of which we are in dire need. In particular it's crucial not to cut the National Affordable Housing Programme and to ensure there is a continuity of funding for existing projects. The construction industry is vital to the UK economy and the industry needs a degree of certainty.

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"We hope this new coalition will build on what has been achieved by Labour, in particular the HCA's influence in stimulating housing supply and CABE's work in raising the quality of our built environment.

"This is a time for consensus politics from the centre ground with more collaboration and seeking the advice of experts. It requires our policy makers to seek a partnership approach in difficult times, reflecting a balance between private and public sector interests upon which the foundation of the recovery will inevitably have to be based.

"One area for encouragement is the common ground all parties now share on delivering a low carbon economy just when pressure is being applied to lower expectations - perhaps they should involve the Green Party's Caroline Lucas!"

Your Views

 

Edward McGill BArch PG DipArch RIBA, Chartered Architect and Masterplanner, McGill Urban Design - "Social housing contribution levels which were introduced in the times of "easy, no questions asked mortgages" are killing the industry. House prices often cannot be brought up to the levels to cover the cost of the social contribution. New home purchasers have in the past been expected to subsidize the army of so called "single parents" (Presumably by artificial insemination) and "economic migrants", the chance of this happening so happily now is remote. We all know the more social housing is produced the more people will arrive to literally take advantage of it, asylum seekers across Europe because of it. Having worked in local authorities I am fully aware of the substantial numbers of people who adjust their circumstances to gain benefits and housing, often with the connivance of the authorities own social workers and community doctors. In some areas it is not uncommon for social housing tenants to be sub-let whilst away on "extended family holiday" sometimes for years or even to let out individual rooms whilst still in occupancy.

Social housing demand needs to be reconsidered generally and allocation on the basis of so called "need" needs to be reconsidered specifically. A person who engineers a so called single parent situation is using the system and expecting the homebuyer to pay as is the economic migrant who leaves his home and employment and uproots his family in the expectation of free social housing. The more social housing is allocated on the needs basis the more it generates an underclass to occupy it, why should the new house buyer be the one to subsidize the social housing provision, surely it should be borne by general taxation or by those employers who benefit from a cheap migrant labour force paying little or no rent housed at the expense of the homebuyer. There are the genuine needs cases who need social welfare housing through no fault of their own but the needs of these people are now drowned out be those working a failed/broken basically socially corrupt system. Lets not hear any more nonsense of numbers of houses required under the unsustainable broken social needs housing policy from planners/social workers out to feather their own nest with little regard for society in general which has to pay."

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George Osborne revealed how the Government plans to make £6.2bn worth of savings this year as it tackles the country's budget deficit. He states that £170m would be reinvested from the savings in building 4,000 social rented homes in 2010/11 - as part of the Government's commitment to investing in "frontline" services and to "building a fairer society". However, Mr Osborne also announced that the Government would cut £780m from the Department of Communities and Local Government budget, which among other areas oversees housing. The National Housing Federation will speak to the department today to clarify where these savings will be made.

Federation chief executive David Orr said: "I am delighted the coalition government has recognised that social housing represents a key frontline service that it is in need of extra funding. Indeed it is one of only three areas to benefit from extra investment.

"With record housing waiting lists and overcrowding reaching epidemic proportions in many places across the country, the need for more social housing has never been greater.

"This hopefully signals the Government's long term commitment to protecting public spending on social housing and to tackling the country's chronic housing crisis."

He added: "Housing can play a vital role in supporting a private sector-led recovery by stimulating growth in the construction industry."

Osborne also announced a reinvestment of £50m in further education colleges, particularly building programmes. As yet the government remains aloof regarding last weeks rumored cuts in the Building Schools for the Future budget.

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Conservative MP Mark Prisk has been named as the government's new construction minister.

He takes up the role under Liberal Democrat Vince Cable at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills after handling the construction brief as a shadow minister.

The move follows confirmation that Conservative Grant Shapps will act as the new housing minister.

Federation of Master Builders director-general Richard Diment had previously called for the housing and construction briefs to be folded into one job, preferably at cabinet level, along with planning.

He added that in terms of house building alone, the new government faces a "massive" challenge, as new construction of residential property is at its lowest for around 80 years and virtually all of the existing housing stock will need "major work" over the coming decade to meet carbon reduction targets.

The Home Builders Federation (HBF) has called on the new Government to deliver its pre-election pledge to build more homes.

The Federation welcomed the appointment of Grant Shapps to his pre-election housing brief, but it is surprised that whilst the country is in the midst of an acute housing crisis, his position was not afforded a place in the new Cabinet.

Stewart Baseley Executive Chairman of HBF said:

"A stable coalition Government will provide certainty as we look to tackle the country's housing crisis. Appointing Shapps is a sensible move that will provide consistency in the home building industry's discussions with the Government as the Conservatives' pre-election proposals are put into effect. Greg Clarke's position will also be vital as the Government pushes through its radical changes to the Planning System. A manageable transition plan will be essential if we are to avoid a period of uncertainty and delay and a hiatus in housing delivery.

Baseley continued: "The Conservatives have stated many times that they are committed to building more homes. The Government's task now is to develop a policy framework that will deliver on this promise, working closely with the home building industry.

"Such a framework must include, as a matter of urgency, steps to tackle the lack of mortgage availability, particularly for first-time buyers, and increase the supply of viable developable land, both of which are currently constraining housing supply. It must also find a way of reducing to realistic levels the regulatory costs that have rocketed over the past decade.

"It must not include any proposals to introduce VAT on new homes, a pre-election idea floated by the Lib Dems and subsequently dismissed by the Conservatives, which would be a significant step backwards and would penalise first-time buyers and result in even fewer homes being built.”

The country currently has a housing shortage approaching a million homes, with five million people on local authority waiting lists, and home building has fallen to the lowest peacetime levels since the early 1920s.

There are a host of other issues the new CLG team quickly needs to get to grips with, including how to maintain vital public funding for affordable housing and the zero carbon agenda.

HBF has already written to the new Ministerial team to outline what it feels should the new Governments 'Day 1' housing and planning priorities.

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Reports on Sunday suggested that ministers are concerned about commitments entered into by their Labour predecessors including some £240 million of school building contracts signed off weeks before the General Election. The Guardian reported that the new government had placed the school rebuilding programme under review “freezing plans for hundreds of new secondaries in England” Former RIBA president George Ferguson, said “severe spending cuts are inevitable” and warned new-build health and education projects would be thin on the ground. He said: “I think the people who will do well will be those good at making the most of what we’ve got rather than everything having to be bright and spanking new.” RIBA said the construction industry — which equates to around 10% of GDP — should form a key part of the recovery, and called for action on three other key points: tackling the housing crisis, sustainability, and improved local government.

The government is still planning to push forward with its Free School initiative. The scheme allows parents, teachers and charities to set up schools in their locality, which will be state funded but independently run. It is hoped that education standards will be driven up, as the new schools compete with each other for pupils. The scheme may prove positive for the smaller companies within the building industry as more localised decision making will surely benefit them and may well produce a wider field of competition, resulting to some degree in the much needed growth within the sector.

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Hospital trust reveals £90m vision of Bristol's future

10th May 2010

Plans for the £90-million transformation of Bristol's city centre hospitals have been submitted to the city council for approval.

The project would see an eight-storey block built at the back of the main Bristol Royal Infirmary (BRI) building to create room to treat adults and children, as well as house administrative staff and a restaurant.

The new block also includes medical and surgical assessment departments for patients admitted from A&E and an overflow for Bristol Children's Hospital.

Andy Headdon, strategic development programme director for the trust, said: "Currently we have got all the right departments but not quite in the right place. If the plan gets the go-ahead, it will allow us to introduce an integrated assessment unit next to the existing emergency department, which will bring together medical and surgical assessment units and create an adjoining medical and surgical short stay ward. This will speed up the flow of patients through the hospital and improve patient care through the integration of all assessment, diagnostics and treatment services for short stay acute patients."

Decisions about the future of the Old Building and the Bristol General site, which will become redundant when a new community hospital is built in south Bristol, have not yet been taken but the possibility of them being sold has not been ruled out.

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27th April 2010

Steel window manufacturer, Crittall Windows, has scooped the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade.

Crittall has received the award in recognition of its export achievements in the notoriously difficult American market, where it is now the second largest supplier of steel windows after having re-built its entire distribution network there in just six years.

Crittall Windows’ Managing Director, John Pyatt, said: “We feel proud and honoured to be recognised by the Queen’s Award for our work and success in the US market.

“ America can be seen as one of the hardest markets to compete in and this accolade is the culmination of Crittall’s long history showing how a professionally-managed private company with an excellent product, a strong brand and an enthusiastic workforce can take on the Americans at their own game.”

On both sides of the Atlantic, its products are being specified in high quality public and private sector buildings. These include the US ‘Ivy League’ universities of Princeton and Yale, plus the prestigious 300 Central Park West apartment block in New York. In the UK, the Grade II-listed Lichfield Court flats in Richmond-upon-Thames, as well as the restored Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon and the University of Sussex have been successfully tackled. The firm is especially strong in the heritage market in both countries.

In order to win a Queen’s Award, companies also have to demonstrate high quality business practices in employee relations, environmental policy, health and safety matters, and its relationship with the local community. In all these matters Crittall Windows scored very highly. Its workforce of around 200 is drawn from its local area and one in ten of its loyal employees have been with the firm for more than 40 years.

John Pyatt concludes: “This is in effect an award for excellence in how we have gone about our business.”

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Hampshire's Chief Fire Officer John Bonney commended the two brave firemen who lost their lives in the latest tower block fire tragedy. He said Alan Bannon and James Shears had shown great courage. He added: "We have an ethos that we will risk a little saving property, but we will risk a lot to save lives."

And save lives they did, 100 people were successfully evacuated from the Tower block blaze in Shirley, Southampton on Tuesday evening. So fierce was the fire that it took Fireman 4 hours and the attendance of 75 fire engines to bring the flames under control.

WNN would like to add its condolences to the families of these brave men but we also felt it appropriate to print a letter we have received from David P Sugden, Chairman, Passive Fire Protection Federation who expresses his frustration at the time scale involved in analysing these terrible events, which can hinder the implementation of preventative measures.

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Dear Sirs

We are once again faced with deaths as a result of a fire in a tower block as this week’s fire in Southampton’s Shirley Towers resulted in the tragic deaths of James Shears and Alan Bannon.   We would like to pass on our sincere condolences to both their families and the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service.

Yet again we have a major fire with potentially significant implications for local authorities and the building trade, but how long will it take for the results of the analysis to get into the public domain? There’s already speculation on the cause of the fire, how and to what extent it spread – and if either could have been prevented. But no one should be jumping to conclusions. What we lack are the facts that will eventually emerge from the official investigations.

We are still awaiting the results of the final analysis into last summer’s fire at Lakanal House in Camberwell, where six people died. Sir Ken Knight’s initial report came out promptly, but we need to take action now to prevent further tragedies – whether it’s increased use of built in fire precautions and sprinklers, or better maintenance with stronger policing and enforcement of building regulations.

Yours sincerely

 

David P Sugden

Chairman, Passive Fire Protection Federation

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The May issue of Refurb and Regeneration carries a special feature on Fire Protection

click here to register for your free copy

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The next government urgently needs to rebalance workplace law in favour of employers, according to the Forum of Private Business.

 

The Forum is arguing that an ever-increasing tally of legislation has made many smaller businesses frightened of hiring, and even advertising for, new staff.

 

As a result, the Forum believes redressing the balance between employers’ and employees’ rights should be one of the key priorities for the next government. This would help to both improve the fortunes of small business and reduce unemployment in the UK.

 

The proposal is one of many small business-friendly measures outlined in the Forum’s 2010 Election Manifesto. Entitled ‘Rebuilding the UK Economy’, the document outlines moves that the Forum believes are necessary in order to help small businesses over the next four or five years.

 

Forum policy representative Matthew Goodman said: “With growing unemployment and an every-changing landscape of employment law, the Forum feels that any new government should dedicate itself to rebalancing the cost and risk of employing staff.

 

“Many of our members fell that the current burden of employment law weighs disproportionately on the business, creating unreasonable compliance burdens on most small businesses and ruining relationships between employers and employees.

 

“The UK economy will suffer during the recovery because of this imbalance. Small businesses are reluctant to hire additional staff – some are even afraid to advertise for staff after hearing of serial litigators who scrutinise the wording of job adverts for opportunities to sue employers.

 

“Consequently, unemployment will not fall as quickly as it should. We believe that the only way to redress the imbalance is through reforming the regulatory approach to employment legislation, making fundamental changes that acknowledge the employer’s rights alongside those of the employee.”

 

Elsewhere in the Manifesto, the Forum calls for the next government to help make the UK the small business capital of Europe.

 

The Forum believes policymakers can do this in four main ways – by encouraging free enterprise, by showing fiscal responsibility, by ensuring stability and by helping to foster high-tech, high-value manufacturing.

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Representing thousands of small businesses across the UK – including retail, service providers and manufacturing companies – the Forum is recognised by the Government as one of the six main business support and lobby groups.

The full manifesto can be requested at http://www.fpb.org/page/758/Election_manifesto.htm

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31.03.2010.

Rockwsool , the world’s leading manufacturer of non-combustible stone wool, has produced a guide on how its products can help provide sustainable insulation solutions and systems for the whole building envelope.

”Sustainable at Source” offers a guide for developers through the building codes and assessments, including the Code for Sustainable Homes, BREEAM and the BRE Green Guide and how Rockwool products can help them meet them. The use of Rockwool insulation can help developers with a 4 in 1 solution to the codes through acoustic performance, a reduction in CO2 emissions, material specification and construction site waste management.

However, it's not just energy saving products that boost Rockwool’s sustainability credentials, their entire business model is shaped towards a sustainable future. The guide highlights Rockwool’s commitment to ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’.

At the centre of Rockwool’s corporate responsibility ethos is its largest shareholder, The Rockwool Foundation’ (http://www.rockwoolfonden.dk/), a not-for-profit organisation with the objective of supporting scientific, humanitarian, artistic or social goals and contributing to the improvement of the environment and the general development of society.

Hans Schreuder , Managing Director at Rockwool Ltd said “I am very proud of Rockwool’s history of manufacturing energy efficient products, solutions and systems.. However, as our earth’s resources deplete, and our need for sustainable building solutions increases, it is important to not be complacent. Rockwool will continue to support the move for improved energy efficiency in all areas of the UK”.

To download the new Rockwool Sustainability Guide in full please click on this link www.rockwool.co.uk/sustainability

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The old saying 'Where there's muck there's brass', but with a slight twist, could be used to announce a record breaking £258m boost awarded to the North London Waste Authority in private finance initiative credits.

The award was announced last Friday and is estimated to be worth £481m in cash terms over time, overtaking the Greater Manchester waste PFI deal. According to the NLWA, the flagship procurement project will be one of the most valuable in Western Europe, handling around 3% of the municipal waste tonnage by 2045. The NLWA will be publishing contract notices to prospective bidders in the Official Journal of the European Union.

NLWA chairman Clyde Loakes said: “This is a massive boost for our ambitious plans to halt waste growth, recycle half of the waste we do create and put north London at the forefront of sustainable waste management solutions.

“As the second largest waste disposal authority in the country, we have a responsibility to help meet national and international targets. But today is also a massive boost to the local economy in terms of investment, the prospect of ‘green economy’ jobs, renewable energy opportunities and significant help in keeping down local council tax bills.”

The grant will help to pay for £500m-£600m new waste management facilities, which could include materials recovery facilities, an anaerobic digestion plant and a facility to treat solid recovered fuel produced from treated residual waste to generate energy.

Environment Minister Dan Norris said: “This funding demonstrates how local authorities and industry can work together to make better use of the waste that is produced, create jobs and reduce our impact on the environment.”

The NLWA aims to obtain a 50% recycling rate for the north London area by 2020.

NLWA director of procurement Tim Judson MRW: “We are very keen and anxious to crack on with the procurement exercise and get the facilities on the ground. We are confident of the deliverability of our procurement.

“The authority has organised a very deliverable market opportunity and we can now move forward with inviting proposals. Business leaders should be taking a keen interest in the construction work associated with the new facilities, the waste management services we are seeking, and the 500,000 tonnes of metals, plastics, glass and other recycling/ compost materials that will be produced in north London every year.”

Your Views

 

Lesley Turner - "I am very concerned about the manufacture and burning of the refuse dervied fuel in built up areas where the effect of nano particles is unknown. It is of very great concern that this contract will be let on a completely commercial basis with insufficient clarity of the whole process. Splitting the responsibility for producing rdf and burning it leaves the public very vulnerable. The users of the fuel need to be monitored more than the manufactuers but the resposnibility is split between the two. This gives both parties a fantastic excuse to deny responsibility for any pollution. Only the lawyers will benefit. By the way who writes these contracts? Oh yes it's lawyers .... silly me. Who is going to pay for the gamut of EHO's and monitoring equipment needed to police the users of RDF? How can we ensure that it is not tainted by association nor vulnerable to Local Authority cuts when the burden becomes too onerus when legal cases must be expected. All of this is too late when our kids could be born with defects, asthma could be triggered on more wholesale sectors of society and cancer rates could well have soared. What reassurances do we have when the effect of nano particles is unknown and the methods for counting them is not available. We must be mad to be contemplating this on such a huge scale with incalculable risk."

"I would be happier, but not happy, if it were one process with all the regulation in place with ongoing research and control. Private contracts are not let economically if the company take the risk. I would be happier still if any experimental plant were remote from large areas of population. There seems to be insufficient experience of burning domestic waste in this country. In Cricklewood where the NLWA tell us the community is protected by the Planning Process, the Planners say there is no problem because all the relavent environmental issues are regulated elsewhere. The developers are telling us that the rules on incineration currently apply but shouldn't. You can see why we feel so insecure. No-one is taking responsibility and no-one is being honest enough about the process of deciding let alone the processes involved."

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16.03.2010

E.ON’s Kingsnorth plans and ScottishPower’s Longannet power station have made it through to the last two of the UK Government’s £1 billion carbon capture and storage (CCS) competition.

The two candidates will now receive undisclosed funds from a £90 million pot established in the 2009 Budget to undertake a 12-month design and development study of their proposed commercial-scale CCS demonstration project.

Following the detailed front end engineering and design (FEED) studies, one of the candidates will be selected as the winner to receive funds to set up a demonstration plant.

“These two promising projects are at the forefront of the UK’s efforts to build one of the first commercial-scale clean coal plants in the world,” said Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband.

ScottishPower’s plans would retrofit CCS technology onto its existing Longannet power station on the banks of the Firth of Forth in Scotland, where the company is already trialing a prototype carbon capture test unit.

“Longannet offers an ideal site for a demonstration project – close not just to the North Sea but to existing National Grid natural gas pipelines that could be reused for CO2 transportation as North Sea supplies decline,” says ScottishPower’s Nick Winser.

E.ON, meanwhile, has plans to build a new power station at Kingsnorth and earlier this month outlined proposals for a pipeline connecting the site to other potential carbon capture projects in the South East forming a ‘Thames cluster’. The pipeline would transport up to 24 million tonnes of captured CO2 each year to storage sites in the North Sea.

“We believe that Kingsnorth has an exciting role to play as a gateway to unlocking the South East energy industry’s potential to decarbonise,” says project manager Ed Walker.

Both companies have warmly welcomed the announcement, particularly E.ON, which has been lobbying for a Government decision on the CCS demonstration project for some time.

“It’s absolutely vital that we get CCS right and it’s especially heartening to see that we’re getting some real movement here in the UK now,” says E.ON UK’s chief executive Paul Golby.

ScottishPower’s chief executive, Nick Horler adds:

“It puts the UK back at the head of the pack when it comes to delivering full-scale commercial CCS on a global stage.”

Last year Ed Miliband announced a radical new policy to force all new coal plants to be partially fitted with carbon capture technology. The government hopes the technology will be technically and commercially proven by 2025, by then all existing plants that have partially fitted the technology would have to use it to capture and store all emissions.

Carbon Capture Storage (CCS) captures approximately 90% of the carbon dioxide (CO2) produced when fossil fuels are burnt, preventing it from entering the atmosphere. The CO2 is then transported by pipeline or ship for storage at a suitable site. Storage of the CO 2 is envisaged either in deep geological formations, in deep ocean masses, or in the form of mineralcarbonates. A potentially useful way of dealing with industrial sources of CO 2 is to convert it into hydrocarbons where it can be stored or reused as fuel or to make plastics. There are a number of projects investigating this possibility.

However not all experts are convinced that the benefits are without penalty.

Dr Keith Allott, head of climate change at WWF (World Wildlife Fund) - UK said, “Moves to demonstrate carbon capture and storage are welcome but it is essential that this technology is tested in a way that benefits the climate from the outset and does not lock the UK into new indefinitely polluting coal plants. Opting now for Longannet would enable the UK to gain experience on the ground relatively quickly and will actually reduce emissions from day one. It is therefore concerning that the Government continues to flirt with a new plant at Kingsnorth that wouldn't be up and running until 2016 or later and even then, would have 80% of its emissions going to the atmosphere.”

The Government is now hurrying through legislation in the Energy Bill that would enable around £9.5 billion to be raised over a period of 20 years for 4 carbon capture demonstrations on coal plant (including whichever plant wins the current competition). This money would be raised via a levy on consumer electricity bills.

Dr Allott continues “It will be a sorely missed opportunity if the Government doesn’t use the Energy Bill to put in place a CO2 emission performance standard that would set robust limits on emissions from power plant. The Government is planning to spend billions of pounds of consumer's money on demonstrating CCS, an as yet commercially 'unproven' technology so it is only reasonable to expect guarantees that the climate will benefit.”

To view an animation of the concept of carbon capture and storage visit the E.ON site by clicking on this link

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Later this week the builders of the Strata Tower will take delivery of the blades for the 9m-diameter 19kW turbines which make it the first skyscraper building in the world to have wind turbines built into the fabric of the building. Frequently referred to as the ‘Razor’ because of its similarity to the blade of a Phillishave electric razor, the Strata is a £113M project and a major visual factor in the £1.5 bn Elephant and Castle redevelopment programme of change, one of the largest regeneration programmes ever seen in Europe.

While wind speeds in the concrete jungle at the tower's base would render a wind turbine pointless, at 42 storeys up they are capable of 35mph gusts – a serious challenge for the workers who created the complex steel structure – and are projected to generate 8% of the building's electricity needs

The tower also marks an innovation for the building sector, which under government regulations will have to make all new buildings zero-carbon by 2019.

Justin Black, director for Brookfield, the developer, said the decision to choose wind was a "conscious decision to experiment". He pointed out that the entire southern facade of the building would have had to be covered in solar photovoltaics to generate the same amount of energy. "The brief we gave to Hamilton's Architects was that we wanted a statement, we wanted to create benchmarks for sustainability and urban living. We wanted something bold, we wanted remarkable. It's what I term Marmite architecture – you either love it or you hate it, there's no in-between," Black said.

Unlike a conventional turbine standing in a field, the three in the Strata tower are expected to use the Venturi effect — think of wind being forced between two large buildings — to suck wind in from many angles and accelerate it through the tubes. As well as generating a predicted 50MWh annually, the turbines will also generate money – an estimated £16,000-£17,000 annually – through the government's new and controversial feed-in-tariff, which starts on 1 April.

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Light at the end of the tunnel

10.03.2010

Research carried out by the Forum of Private Business (FPB) has revealed that small businesses are attempting to struggle out of the recession by stepping up their sales and marketing strategies.

After a lean 18 months where many firms have cut operating costs to the bare minimum, many are hiring sales staff, improving their websites and boosting marketing activities – and they are generally optimistic their efforts will pay off. 56% of those surveyed expect to increase turnover in 2010, while 44% believe their business will grow.  

The findings are the first of the non-profit-making FPB’s new ‘economy watch’ panel – a body of more than 350 members who are providing an accurate picture of what small businesses are experiencing on the ground. Its findings will be released on a monthly basis.  

The results of the panel’s first report paint a generally positive picture, with firms expressing a defiant attitude to the downturn and only 13% still concentrating on cutting costs.

Commenting on the results, the FPB’s research manager, Thomas Parry, said: “These findings are quite encouraging and show there’s a healthy amount of fighting spirit among smaller firms. 

“We appear to be seeing an upturn in confidence among SMEs and, by investing in sales and marketing strategies, small business owners are showing determination and entrepreneurial flair.” 

Surprisingly, 80% of those surveyed described the cost of borrowing as ‘affordable’.

Mr Parry explains: “Businesses currently have a relatively high level of debt, but the low base rate has made the cost of finance to be relatively affordable with 80% of the firms we surveyed stating that it was affordable.”

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03.03.2010

A green transformation of Britain’s homes will take place over the next decade – making them more comfortable, warmer and cheaper to run – under new plans set out by the Government today.

With around one quarter of UK emissions coming from energy used in homes the Warm Homes, Greener Homes Strategy is aimed at cutting emissions from the UK’s homes by 29% by 2020.

The new strategy will help people make smarter use of energy in homes, making it easier to take action and reduce bills. Installing some technologies, such as solid wall insulation, could see energy bills cut by £380 a year (average between 2013 and 2020).

The new strategy will also be good for jobs, with up to 65,000 jobs required in the green homes industry as a result, for example installing and manufacturing energy saving measures or providing home energy advice.

The strategy will be implemented in a three stage plan:

• To insulate 6 million homes by the end of 2011
• To have insulated all practical lofts and cavity walls by 2015
• To have offered up to 7 million eco upgrades by 2020; all homes to have smart meters.

Ed Miliband, Energy and Climate Secretary, said:

“This shows we can meet the national interest of tackling climate change and reducing our dependence on foreign energy at the same time as we help people save money.

“The Warm Homes, Greener Homes Strategy will remove the deterrent of upfront costs and reduce the hassle of the move to greener living.

“Making homes more energy efficient will help protect people from upward pressure on bills, tackle climate change, and make us less reliant on imported energy.

“New ‘pay as you save’ green finance, a new alliance between energy companies and local authorities to help people in their communities, as well as moves to encourage landlords to stop ignoring energy wastage in their properties, will help deliver the radical transformation that’s necessary.”

Hans Schreuder, Managing Director of Rockwool, the world's leading manufacturer of stone wool insulation products has welcomed the move. In a statement released on the same day he said.

"The new Warm Homes, Greener Homes, strategy is a bold initiative ensuring costs are tied to a property rather than the current householder. Ensuring by 2015 that every home where it is suitable has loft and cavity wall insulation installed is a significant commitment and sets a benchmark for other countries. It is also pleasing to see the Government embrace the promotion of more sophisticated solutions, such as solid wall insulation.

“While the promotion of domestic green technologies through Government policies such as The Household Energy Management Strategy, feed in tariffs and the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme are to be welcomed, measures such as power microgeneration are stage two solutions. We must ensure we have completed the basic steps, such as mitigating heat loss from the fabric of a building before we invest resources on more expensive measures.”

What do WNN's readers think, is this a sound and workable strategy? or maybe a too little too late, or is it as some might suggest, just part and parcel of the electioneering that will increase in tempo as the next few months unfold.

Certainly Liberal Democrat energy spokesman Simon Hughes was not impressed when he commented on the announcement saying:

"It is staggering that it has taken this government nearly 13 years to come up with plans to green our homes and cut people's fuel bills.

"Refurbishing our homes should be a win-win situation, but Labour has bungled this kind of thing before. Today's announcement will leave millions of families without the warm homes they need for up to 20 years."

 

READ THE GOVERNMENT PRESS RELEASE HERE

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EXCITING NEW ECO PROJECT ANNOUNCED

10.02.10

A major study is to be carried out to ensure ambitious plans for an eco-village in County Durham can go ahead.

The site of the former Lafarge cement works in Eastgate, Weardale, has been earmarked for the multi-million pound scheme, which includes a "thermal spa."

A £250,000 grant from regeneration agency One North East will ensure all the elements, which include a hotel, homes and business units, are viable.

Initial plans for the 26-hectare (64-acre) site have already been approved.

It is hoped the project will create about 150 new business investment jobs and a further 200 within the visitor and hospitality sector.

'Real benefits'

The eco-village is expected to cover an area equivalent to the size of 500 football pitches and is set to feature all five forms of land-based renewable energy available in the UK - hydro, solar, wind, biomass and geothermal.

Durham County Council's head of economic regeneration Sarah Robson said: "The possibilities for this development are very exciting, but we must make sure that every part of each stage is carefully researched and planned, so that the end product offers real benefits.

"For any major project to have real credence and to be given the chance to meet its full potential, this sort of in depth study is vital."

The authority's cabinet member for regeneration and economic development Neil Foster added: "Although we are not expecting to find any significant issues on site, it is only right and proper that a thorough targeted physical examination takes place.

"We also need to be clear from the outset that the infrastructure and renewable energy supply are well mapped out ahead of the building stage."

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04 February 2010

The Federation of Small Businesses says that every £1 invested in construction generates £2.84 in total economy activity. Slashing VAT on construction work could generate more building, more jobs and therefore more revenue for the Treasury.

A report last month suggested that the construction industry in Wales – among the hardest hit sectors during the recession – would not start to recover from the downturn until next year, more than a year behind the rest of industry.

Mike Learmond, the FSB’s regional organiser for North Wales, said cutting VAT to five per cent on construction work would give a huge fillip to many building firms in the region who had taken a severe knock during the recession and who in some cases were still struggling with cashflow difficulties after the bank’s credit squeeze.

Chris Wynne, managing director of Bodelwyddan-based Wynne Construction, said: “Any reduction in VAT would benefit the construction industry as a whole and certainly stimulate activity especially for the smaller SMEs in our industry.

Your Views

 

David King M. B. Eng. M.Sc. B.A ( hons), Building Surveyor - "Personal view is of course due to my involvement in construction but instead of a £2000 scrappage bonus most of which benefits overseas manufacturers why not give a repairs grant of £2000 to owners of Pre 1980 homes? "

Edward I Mcgill, BArch Dip Arch RIBA ARBUK, Chartered architect and urban designer, MCGILL URBAN DESIGN - "With larger residential developers expected to pay local development tax in the form of unilateral undertakings, and hand over up to 50% of development over 14 or even 10 dwellings to, in many cases badly run housing charities, the industry already pays substantial tax before a brick is laid. The construction industry is to my understanding unique in paying this specific social tax , which is not a tax on profit. This social tax drives up the price of housing most dramatically at the lower cost end of the market, it has little impact on mega bucks one off housing, but a vast impact on low end flatted and smaller dwelling schemes."

"No doubt charity housing schemes generate votes, especially now the conservatives have pledged to give occupants the right to buy, but this has meant many housing sites cannot be developed economically and consents land remains dormant. The need for social housing is now self generating, the more that is provided the more that is required and no one doubts that this provision is the reason for the countries underclass of so called single parents, understood to be the highest percentage in Europe."

"These social taxes could be reduced to provide more affordable homes and free development sites from this stranglehold of social taxation. Why should homebuyers be expected to bear this hidden cost of social housing anyway? If you have ever tried to negotiate with social landlords you will soon enough see that in many cases a cartel system operates, in particular in the London wards, which operates a stranglehold to drive down the contribution these bodies pay to the purchase of property. Small developers and builders have to compete on yet another unequal playing field in terms of tax. We often see the result of cash in hand vat free payments to cowboy builders on television building disaster shows, no one asks these people to pay tax up front or for that matter at all. A reduction in vat would mean consumers might inclined to employ tax paying builders and put the cowboys out of business with all the benefits that would generate for the tax system."

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08 Dec 2009

Flybe, the UKs Number One domestic airline, has today welcomed Aviation Minister Paul Clark MP to Exeter for an official turf cutting ceremony to mark the start of construction on the airline’s £24-million, Flybe Training Academy adjacent to Exeter International Airport.

The Flybe Training Academy is being designed and built by local firm, Rok, and is scheduled to open late next year. It will provide world-class training not only for its own staff but will also enhance the carrier’s growing reputation for providing an international training facility for the airline industry as a whole and for offering specialist training for companies involved across the travel-related spectrum.

The state-of-the art building is part-funded to the tune of £4.3-million by the Learning and Skills Council’s new Capital Specialisation Fund (CSF) with an additional £2.8-million contributed by the South West Regional Development Agency (RDA).

Aviation Minister, Paul Clark, said: “Aviation is vital to the UK economy, and I am delighted to see for myself the excellent work being done by Flybe and others to invest in its future. Our country has a proud aeronautical history, and I believe it also has a bright future, but we need to ensure the right skills are in place to deliver the high-quality workforce the industry needs. This new academy will present an exciting opportunity for all involved, and will be good news for the local economy and the country as a whole.”

Rok’s construction leader in Exeter, Bruce MacDonald said his team was extremely proud to be working on such a prestigious and high profile project for the region, adding: “We have been doing plenty of ground work with Flybe to ensure the building fulfils its aspirations for a first class, environmentally sound facility for nurturing the much needed skills of the future.”

The Flybe Training Academy, designed to BREEAM* Excellent specifications, will be a showcase for future developments elsewhere. It will support delivery of appropriate vocational qualifications for Flybe staff and assist in growing its reputation as a world-class training centre. It will also enable the airline to take a lead in moving the Government’s Skills Agenda forward by delivering training and skills’ development to local companies in line with the RDA and the LSC agendas. This will include ‘over-training’ for companies involved in the full spectrum of the sector such as delivering the Skills Shop facility for Exeter International Airport.

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04 Dec 2009

An international consortium’s breaking of a binding contract has led Corus to partially implement the proposal announced in May 2009 of mothballing some of the facilities belonging to the Teesside Cast Products (TCP) business in northeast England.

TCP’s Redcar Blast Furnace, Lackenby steelmaking and the South Bank Coke Ovens will be mothballed at the end of January 2010. Corus intends to keep open a number of operations, including the Redcar Wharf, Redcar Coke Ovens and some of the power generating capacity.

The partial mothballing will result in the loss of about 1,700 jobs, around 600 fewer than envisaged earlier this year.

Corus will continue to have a substantial presence in the Teesside area, employing more than 2,000 people at operations in Hartlepool, Skinningrove, the Teesside Beam Mill and Teesside Technology Centre.

The decision to partially mothball TCP follows strenuous efforts by Corus over the past eight months to secure a long-term future for the plant after the failure of four international slab buyers(1) to fulfil their obligations under a 10-year contract that they signed with Corus in 2004. This contract committed the consortium to buying about 80% of the plant’s production for ten years.

Since the consortium broke this legally-binding agreement, from which it made an estimated $800m profit, Corus has been diverting internal orders to TCP. The company has also been securing external orders on an ad hoc basis in a bid to keep the plant open while an alternative future for the plant was sought. This has cost the company about £130m. Operating a 3 million tonnes per year merchant slab plant is not sustainable without a long-term strategic partner.

Chief executive Kirby Adams said: “We are acutely aware that this will be devastating news for our employees, our contractors, their families and the local community. We extend our sincere gratitude to all of them, as well as to the management team and the trade unions on Teesside, who have all worked night and day to try and avoid this outcome.

“This is the last thing we wanted and we feel deeply about what is happening. Sadly, it has become unavoidable, through no fault of our people on Teesside.”

Corus will work with government agencies to do everything it can to ensure that the employees affected get access to the support and assistance available they need during this difficult time.

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Heatrae withstands double whammy

As if a recession is not hard enough for any manufacturer to survive, Heatrae Sadia has had to cope with the additional disruption caused by a fire breaking out at its factory site in Norwich during September. Fortunately, the blaze broke out in a self-contained annexe within the facility.

Despite the inconvenience caused, the water heating manufacturer would like to reassure its customers that the incident has had a minimal effect on the business, and nobody was hurt. This is thanks mainly to the stringent contingency plan it had in place, which meant the factory was closed for just one working day, with no significant effects on manufacturing, service or deliveries.

David Ashworth, area manager at Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service, said, “Heatrae Sadia alerted the fire brigade immediately and evacuated nightshift employees swiftly and safely. Not only that, but the business was able to keep operating immediately after the incident, as it had a comprehensive, well-thought-out crisis response strategy in place.”

Paul Rivett, Heatrae Sadia’s managing director, said: “We would like to thank Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service for their excellent work in controlling the fire and restricting it to the annexe.

“Our customers can rest assured that the quality of our products, service levels, delivery times, dedication and commitment are the same as they have always been – as should be expected from the UK’s leading water heating manufacturer.”

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Over the next two decades and beyond, nearly 200 hectares of derelict and under used land in the Nine Elms area, stretching from Vauxhall to Battersea Power Station will be regenerated into new communities, with green open spaces. New proposed transport links include a pedestrian and cycle bridge linking Nine Elms to Pimlico across the river and an extension to the Northern Line.

The plans are published in a new planning framework for Nine Elms which also proposes:

- Permitting tall buildings on the site where they are appropriate and do not compromise the setting of the Palace of Westminster

- A new park for residents accommodating a range of uses including allotments linking to the food economy at New Covent Garden

- New pedestrian and cycle networks

- Better-designed homes and communities bringing relief to an area suffering from multiple levels of deprivation

- A de-centralised energy network connecting to other existing and planned district heating networks at Pimlico, Whitehall and Westminster

The framework acknowledges that both the proposal to relocate the U.S. Embassy to Nine Elms, and the redevelopment of Battersea Power Station and New Covent Garden Market are key to successful regeneration of the area. However, it also underlines the importance of a private sector-led extension of the Northern Line from Kennington to Battersea via Nine Elms to provide the missing public transport link to the site.

To support this, the Mayor has made clear in revised supplementary guidance to the London Plan on Crossrail contributions that office development in Vauxhall and Nine Elms will not be covered by these policies and exempt from the levy. Instead, contributions are likely to be sought from all new developments towards funding of the Northern Line Extension. The Mayor of London Boris Johnson said:

“This vision represents the final piece of the jigsaw that completes the central area of London. Although we are currently in a downturn, the area as it stands will, in the coming decades, deliver a substantial number of new homes and new jobs. The regeneration of Vauxhall and Nine Elms now is hugely significant in allowing us to support the economic growth of the whole of the capital, and, with the other major regeneration projects like the Olympic Park and Kings Cross taking shape, the prosperity and the role of our great city in the world is assured.”

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The government’s consultation on its 'Clean Energy Cash Back' scheme closed today amid widespread anxiety that the current proposals will not attract sufficient investment to achieve even the government's un-ambitious target of 2% of electricity from local renewables by 2020. Advocates of the scheme say it should deliver over 5% of UK electricity by 2020 but that it will require a higher Tariff rate than currently proposed. The technical potential for sub 5MW technologies, estimated in a study alongside the consultation, is huge at around a third of UK electricity demand.

The Clean Energy Cash Back scheme is similar to 'Feed-In' Tariffs schemes that are being used successfully in over 40 countries around the world to increase renewable energy deployment and bring down the costs of the technologies. The scheme will begin in the UK in April next year and will apply to technologies from the smallest microgenerators up to 5MW community schemes. The UK Tariffs will offer a premium payment for every unit of renewable energy generated over the next 20 years – with a bonus for surplus power exported to the grid.

Leonie Greene of the REA said; "from the industry’s perspective the scheme is well designed, but the proposed Tariff levels are set too low and applied inconsistently across technologies. It worries the industry that almost every important potential investor we’ve spoken to, from the commercial sector, to social housing providers and community scheme develops, all say the proposed rates are too low.”

Energy Saving Trust research carried out over the summer has also confirmed that the proposed payments levels are unlikely to attract sufficient interest from the domestic sector to achieve the low 2% target set, particularly once the cost of loan finance is factored in.

Friends of the Earth Climate Campaigner, Dave Timms said: “The Government and campaigns such as 10:10 encourage us all to do our bit to help tackle climate change. Many are keen, and generating their own green energy is a great way to do this.

“The Clean Energy Cashback scheme has huge potential, but it will fail to make an impact unless the government dramatically improves the amount that will be paid to businesses, households and communities that generate renewable electricity.”

The role of the commercial sector seems to have been particularly neglected as supporting documents make clear the Tariff levels proposed will not work for this sector. Yet the commercial sector has a vital role to play in local renewables deployment, from building new green homes, offices and supermarkets, to turning sector waste into green energy.

REA and Friends of the Earth, who led the campaign to secure the scheme, are pressing for a return on investment of 10% for the first three years of the scheme to ensure a successful start.

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POSITIVE CHANGES TO PLANNING POLICY

The CBI* has welcomed the launch of the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC), which will be responsible for ensuring major infrastructure planning applications are passed more promptly in order to speed the delivery of much-needed new housing and energy plants.

John Cridland, CBI’s Deputy Director-General, said: “For too long infrastructure schemes of major national importance have ended up getting bogged down in planning delays. The launch of the Infrastructure Planning Commission should streamline the planning process and encourage investment in the country’s vital infrastructure.

“We urgently need new nuclear power stations and wind farms to bolster our energy security and cut carbon emissions. The new commission should help ensure that decisions in the national interest will be made swiftly by independent experts.”

WNN feels this change has to be good news for the construction industry as it will also speed up the planning applications for major housing developments, for which the contractor often has to supply the supporting infrastructure. Additionally, it could help reduce the exodus of companies abroad, as John Cridland explains: “Some firms, frustrated by the UK’s planning regime, have already taken their investments overseas, so the top priority for the government must be to publish the National Policy Statements on infrastructure development sooner rather than later. That will allow firms to invest with confidence, and get on with building the new transport and energy infrastructure needed to shift to a low-carbon economy.”

As from the beginning of this month, another change to the UK’s planning laws means that developers can extend their existing planning permissions.

Following recommendations made by the British Property Federation (BPF), the Government will allow developers with planning permissions granted up until 30 September 2009 to extend their permissions. The move has been made to boost the industry and to save costs for developers badly hit by the recession, as many of them have put projects on hold over the last year because of difficulties faced in raising the funds.

The original proposals by the Government were restricted to ‘major’ applications in which development had not already started, but following successful lobbying by the BPF, ‘minor’ applications are also now extendable.

The option of extending planning permissions without having to re-apply through the usual lengthy and expensive process, along with the launch of the IPC, must surely be a positive step in the right direction that will help kick start stalled development and regeneration projects across the UK. We will keep you informed as to the success of these initiatives.

*The CBI speaks globally for some 240,000 businesses that together employ around a third of the private sector workforce in the UK.

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Whilst the recession has seriously impacted on the construction industry with literally thousands of companies ceasing to trade, we are at last seeing the beginnings of an upturn, but before the industry can draw breath to exhale a sigh of relief, it would appear that the Treasury may be set to level yet another blow with a document entitled “False self-employed in construction: taxation of workers”.The effect of the issues covered by the consultative document will have a widespread effect on the construction industry if they are implemented. Some 300,000 construction workers around the UK would be affected, together with the businesses that contract them. Changes to the self-employed status of construction workers will mean more costs to them and to the construction industry as a whole, at a time when it is universally acknowledged to be suffering under economic recession.

The proposed changes to the construction industry scheme regime, which governs the employment status and taxation of hundreds of thousands of workers in the construction industry, is being fought by the industry led by lobbying on its behalf by accountancy firm Francis Clark and construction tax experts CIS Tax Advice Limited.

Seemingly set on collecting more national insurance contributions from both workers and employers – and once again following its European masters – the Government is proposing three new ‘tests’ of self employed status.

They question whether a person is supplying all the plant and equipment to complete a job; the materials for it; and if they are employing other people involved. Unlike other countries such as Germany the changes ignore whether an operative has any ‘control’ or self-determination over their work.

Considering just the plant and tools test, it demonstrates the total lack of any understanding of the building process possessed by the document’s authors. Construction is heavily mechanised and burdened by multiple layers of health and safety as well as environmental legislation. Many sites now discourage tradesmen from using any of their own equipment – except basic tools such as saws or trowels – so that site management can abide by rules on electrical safety, white-finger, noise levels and countless other criteria. And can you imagine a housing site where every worker purchased their own bricks, timber, plasterboard and concrete?

In essence these changes are as ill judged as the abolition of the 10 p tax band and the changes to taper relief. Gordon Brown’s meddling, blundering finger prints are all over this document.

The consultation period on the changes ends on 12th October, Click below to download the full report from Francis Clark. You can also add your voice to the lobby against change by clicking on the appropriate link.

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The OFT has imposed fines totalling £129.5 million on 103 construction firms in England which it has found had colluded with competitors on building contracts.

The decision follows an OFT Statement of Objections in April 2008 after one of its largest Competition Act investigations.

The OFT has concluded that the firms engaged in illegal anti-competitive bid-rigging activities on 199 tenders from 2000 to 2006, mostly in the form of 'cover pricing'.

Cover pricing is where one or more bidders in a tender process obtains an artificially high price from a competitor. Such cover bids are priced so as not to win the contract but are submitted as genuine bids, which gives a misleading impression to clients as to the real extent of competition. This distorts the tender process and makes it less likely that other potentially cheaper firms are invited to tender.

In 11 tendering rounds, the lowest bidder faced no genuine competition because all other bids were cover bids, leading to an even greater risk that the client may have unknowingly paid a higher price.

The OFT also found six instances where successful bidders had paid an agreed sum of money to the unsuccessful bidder (known as a 'compensation payment'). These payments of between £2,500 and £60,000 were facilitated by the raising of false invoices.

The infringements affected building projects across England worth in excess of £200 million including schools, universities hospitals, and numerous private projects from the construction of apartment blocks to housing refurbishments.

Eighty-six out of the 103 firms received reductions in their penalties because they admitted their involvement in cover pricing prior to today's decision.

The OFT has also informed nine companies originally listed in its Statement of Objections that it will not pursue allegations of bid-rigging against them as it considers it has insufficient evidence to proceed to an infringement finding.

Related guidance issued today by the OFT in conjunction with the Office of Government Commerce cautions procurers against excluding the infringing firms from future tenders, as the practice of cover pricing was widespread in the construction industry and those that have already faced investigation can now be expected to be particularly aware of the competition rules.

Simon Williams, the OFT's Senior Director for this case, said:

'Our investigation has uncovered significant infringements of competition law on nearly 200 projects across England. Bidding processes designed to ensure clients and in many cases taxpayers receive the best possible choice and price were distorted, creating a real risk of increased prices. This decision sends a strong message that anti-competitive and illegal practices, including cover pricing, must cease. The OFT welcomes initiatives by the leadership of the construction industry to add weight to that message through a clear compliance code which we hope will help to embed more fully a culture of competition within the construction sector.'

WNN Comments

Undoubtedly to allow bid rigging to continue is a misappropriation of the taxes that are levied on the wider community, taxes that also funded the five-year investigation. WNN spoke to the OFT to ask if the cost of this could be assessed but a spokeswoman explained the due to the nature of the OFT, where all services were internalised rather than outsourced, it made it impossible to quantify. It is fair to assume that the cost would have been substantial.

Tax payers may struggle to justify an investigation that concludes 103 companies are guilty as charged, and then recommends that those companies are penalised with fines that most likely fall far below the profits that their illegal conduct produced. It could be argued that rather than preventing further bid rigging, many of those found guilty could view the penalty as a small price to pay. Let us hope that the ‘Strong Message’ the OFT claims it is sending out, that there will be no leniency for future infringements, will insure that our taxes are spent more frugally in future.

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‘Building Better Lives’ a new report from the audit commission on release today, finds that councils feel pressured into focusing on building brand new housing - 94 per cent of councils have prioritised new and/or affordable housing targets through their local area agreements, but fewer than a third prioritised targets relating to their existing housing stock. This is despite the financial savings, environmental improvements and social benefits of doing so.

If councils thought of housing more broadly, they could do more to combat poverty, ill-health, educational under-achievement and help strengthen their local communities. The recession makes a strategic view of housing all the more important.

TO DOWN LOAD A PDF OF THE REPORT CLICK HERE

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Birmingham City Council, public private partnerships investor Catalyst Lend Lease and Building Schools for the Future Investments (BSFI) have achieved financial close on the framework agreement and the £180 million first phase of the city’s Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme.

Birmingham is Europe’s largest metropolitan authority and over the next 10-15 years many of the city’s secondary, primary and special schools, accommodating over 150,000 students, will undergo a radical transformation, together with other related community facilities.

Catalyst Lend Lease and its construction partner Bovis Lend Lease will work with16 leading architectural practices to deliver the complex programme requirements which are spread over six phases, completing in 2024. Facilities manager Vita Lend Lease will maintain the completed schools on 25-year contracts to ensure that standards of service and maintenance are consistently high throughout the life of the partnership and beyond.

Sylvia McNamara, Director of Birmingham City Council’s Transforming Education programme and the lead on the BSF project said: “The BSF programme is more than just buildings. We’re making a bold commitment to transform the way students learn and interact with each other; the spaces in which the curriculum is delivered and ensuring schools are at the heart of our local communities.”

“This is a great day for us and for the people of Birmingham,” said Gary Taylor, Chief Operating Officer of Catalyst Lend Lease. “Over the coming years we want to create new learning environments in the city that will match the expectations and the needs of teachers and students far into the 21st century.”

Construction of the first schools has already started at Broadway, Stockland Green Technology College and on the co-located Holte Secondary School, Mayfield Special Needs School and Lozells Primary School sites. All of these are due to open in March 2011. Design development is also underway on 14 more schools which will open in 2012.

Look out for all the latest BSF news in Waverley’s SCHOOL BUILDING MAGAZINE

CLICK HERE to receive your free hard copy magazine.

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“Local Authorities and housing associations are driving the need to reduce carbon emissions and improve energy efficiency in domestic homes by using renewable energy solutions and, in particular, air source heat pumps to replace traditional fossil fuel fired heating and hot water systems. With fuel poverty at an unacceptably high level, improving energy efficiency can substantially reduce running costs to a much lower threshold.”

“One key area of focus for many housing managers in the public sector is to provide heating and hot water to properties where natural gas is not available. Oil and solid fuel systems are very expensive to install, and because of their poor efficiency, running costs are much higher than gas. Heating and hot water account for approximately 70% of a typical household energy spend. In properties where natural gas is not available, this cost can be even higher. The installation cost for air source heat pump systems compares favourably against oil fired systems. In addition, the Government offers reduced VAT and grant funding through the Low Carbon Building Programme. Other advantages of installing air source heat pumps include cleaner and safer systems with lower maintenance costs.”

“We are seeing increasing amounts of money available to build up the stock of affordable rented properties in the UK. The Government recently announced Building Britain’s Future Strategy which will provide up to £1.5 billion to enable another 20,000 affordable properties to be built over the next two years in both the public and private rented homes market. Under the Code for Sustainable Homes, public sector housing providers will need to achieve Level four for all newly built houses and apartments by 2010. This is easily attainable using air source heat pumps, solar hot water systems and other initiatives such as the reuse of water, low energy lighting and the use of sustainable building materials.”

“We are very proud of our Daikin Altherma air source heat pump product range which leads the market in flexibility and performance with increasing interest and new opportunities. The Daikin Altherma split system is one of a very small number of MCS accredited air source heat pump systems. We anticipate that within the next five years, air source heat pumps will become the first choice solution, not only for the social housing market but also in the private sector.”

For more information on Altherma visit www.altherma.co.uk

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POSITIVE IMPACT

Second Environment Audit Puts Ductwork Experts in Leading Position

Renewing its ISO 14001:2004 accreditation with Lloyds Quality Assurance for a second year, ductwork manufacturer and contractor, Senior Hargreaves, is reporting that its environmental management system (EMS) has made a positive impact in all areas of its business.

The accreditation is a blueprint for companies to reduce their environmental impact and involves looking at all material and energy inputs to the business, all waste streams and all internal processes. The simple aim is to reduce material inputs and waste outputs so that carbon dioxide emissions, energy use and materials going to landfill are all continuously reduced.

“The programme has positive benefits for the company,” explained Hargreaves director Dave Lutkevitch. “Far from being a burden and a cost, it contributes to greater competitiveness, gives all our people something positive to focus on and is a great morale booster. Externally, it conveys positive messages to our clients and partners – that we are a forward thinking and environmentally responsible company.”

There have also been tangible reductions in energy use, carbon footprint and waste. To take the reduction in waste as a just one example, the company has reduced material going to landfill by 30 tonnes in the last year. This has required 15 fewer collections, giving a direct monetary saving of £2430. The reduced waste handling, transport and disposal is equal to saving of 13.4 tonnes of carbon emissions. The programme so far has saved at total equivalent of 48.2 tonnes of CO2 to atmosphere.

Hargreaves separates out distinct waste streams so that metal, plastics and so on go to specialised re-processors for recovery. The general commercial waste that remains is taken away by specialist waste processors Wheeldon Brothers who hand sort the waste to recover around 80 percent of the material so that only the irreducible minimum goes into landfill.

“In the construction industry there is an increasing expectation by clients that we will have an environmental policy. We are ahead of many competitors by having accreditation for our EMS and proof of its effectiveness,” explained environment manager Gary Bell. “It is important to view the EMS, like the pursuit of quality, as a journey not just a one-off set of changes. As we move further into this I feel confident that we will see increasing benefits as more minds are exercised on making change."

http://www.hargreaves-ductwork.co.uk/

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Jade Communications Launches Mobility as a Service for Construction

Mobile technology package available from as little as £20 per user per month

Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside, UK, 20 August 2009 – Jade Communications, one of the UK’s leading providers of mobile voice and data communications technologies for business, has launched Mobility as a Service, a highly affordable package enabling organisations in the construction sector to improve productivity and customer service, reduce costs and enhance profitability with the latest mobile communications technology.

Jade’s Mobility as a Service package allows architects, surveyors, engineers, projects managers, installation engineers and other mobile construction professionals to outsource their mobile data communications, removing the headache of deploying and managing a mobile computer estate. The Mobility as a Service package includes rugged mobile devices, specially-designed software, accessories and service desk support. Typical functionality available with the package includes mobile office and email, project management and scheduling, asset management and inspection, time in attendance, navigation and route optimisation.

“We have launched Mobility as a Service to give construction and other field service organisations highly affordable, hassle-free, quick and easy to implement mobile technology that genuinely transforms their operations,” says Mark Brackley, Managing Director of Jade Communications. “Creating an IT infrastructure in construction settings isn’t often easy, but from as little as £20 per user per month, with no capital outlay, Jade’s Mobility as a Service will enable organisations to raise productivity and efficiency, cut out paperwork, and reduce cost.”

For more information visit: http://www.mobilityasaservice.co.uk/industry/construction.html

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One of the largest suppliers of products and systems to the roofing industry has launched a new website intended to make its range more accessible to the needs of specifiers involved with regeneration and urban renewal.

Redland Rooftiles new site - www.redlandregenerate.co.uk – has been designed to offer building professionals instant information of the entire product selection as well as details on the support services available. These include assistance with planning, design, take off and ordering.

The move by Redland emphasises the importance of refurbishment and regeneration projects to the residential, retail, commercial and other sectors to our industry

Millennium Point in Birmingham has been picked by the UKSIPs Association as the venue for its first conference intended to increase awareness of the off-site technology.

The one day event will take place on September 17th with representatives of the 10 member companies which established the association giving presentations both projects and different aspects about the panels’ performance to what is expected to be a packed audience.

Attendees will include industry specifiers and potential associate members including producers of insulation, adhesives and board products all used in manufacturing the various structurally insulated panels.

Web address - www.uksips.org

LAKANAL FIRE

INTERIM REPORT INTO LAKANAL HOUSE TOWER BLOCK FIRE PUBLISHED

An interim report into last month’s fire at the Lakanal House tower block in London makes a number of wide-ranging recommendations on active and passive fire safety provisions in similar types of building, while stopping short of making any findings as to why the fire spread and developed so quickly.

Emphasising the need not to prejudice the ongoing formal investigation into the fire, the chief fire and rescue adviser, Sir Ken Knight, has identified emerging findings and areas for consideration by the government. While stating that the initial investigations have not yet been able to identify the mechanisms that caused the fire to develop and spread, the report recommends:

• Reminding specifiers, main contractors and installers and those responsible for building safety management of the need to use industry standards and information when removing, altering or replacing passive fire protection

• Reviewing the fire safety advice and education given to residents of high rise blocks

• A variety of suggestions on active measures such as the installation or upgrading of detection and alarms and emergency lighting/signage

Other recommendations include how to ensure that a risk assessment is ‘suitable and sufficient’ with, if appropriate, amendments to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, and, subject to further investigation, clarification of some aspects of fire and rescue service national operational guidance.

Courtesy of FSE The magazine for the Fire Safety Community

Click here to see Sir Kens report in full

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The Mayor of London Boris Johnson has pledged to step in and plug a funding gap after the Government reneged on promises to fund homes in the capital.

The Mayor believes the government is ignoring London’s acute need for more new homes by cutting its share of the affordable housing budget and diverting funds to the regions with comparatively less need to meet national short-term build targets. In particular, north east England sees its share of the budget double, when it only has 300 households living in temporary accommodation, compared to 48,000 households in London.

In a letter to John Healey, Minister of State for Communities and Local Government, the Mayor expressed concern that the funding being diverted to other regions is largely being paid for by raiding budgets set aside to upgrade over 100,000 of London’s poorest quality social homes. The Government is reneging on promises to around a quarter of a million of London's poorest tenants by delaying improvement to their homes.

The Mayor is committed to making good these broken promises and has instructed the London Homes and Communities Agency to ensure funding is made available, over the next year, so that these properties can be improved to meet national minimum standards.

The Mayor said: “As Mayor, it is my job to defend the capital's budgets and the city's poorest. I am looking at how I can use my powers to win back London’s rightful share of new housing funds, and reverse those decisions that condemn many of London’s poorest families to live in unacceptably poor conditions.

“If the Government will not live up to commitments made to council tenants, then I will guarantee Londoners that I will make up for these broken promises by reversing the Government's decision and ensuring this funding gap is filled."

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At first glance, a humpback whale and a wind turbine don't have a lot in common. For that matter, neither do a shellfish and a sheet of plywood. But both sea creatures are the inspiration behind products designed using biomimicry, or looking to nature's designs and processes to solve human problems.

For those who know where to look, biomimetically inspired products can be found in almost every corner of the marketplace, from medicine to transportation. But where the emerging field has the potential for the greatest impacts, according to advocates and practitioners, is in changing the way we think about our built environment-not only in designing

individual building products, but in conceiving of entire communities as biomimetic systems, not to mention businesses, government bodies and other "systems."SSS.. to read the full article click here

Courtesy of Sustainable Industries

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Housing minister John Healey will announce 270 development projects in line for a share of a £1 billion cash injection. The public money will be directed towards developers and housing associations that are able to get stalled projects back under way by the end of the year. Some 20,000 jobs are expected to be created in the process and up to 22,400 new homes, more than a third of which will be "affordable", could be built.

But the minister will stress that the Government is not awarding developers a "handout".

"There are tough terms to this deal including repayment of loans Within five years," he will say.

"And only builders who accept a realistic current market price for their homes are eligible.”

"I want to see builders back on these sites within weeks. So I will be calling on successful developers to pull out all the stops so construction can restart as quickly as possible."

He will add: "We've pledged to use the power of Government investment to help Britain through the recession. This billion-pound kick-start programme will get stalled building work back on track, create jobs and help build the quality homes we need.

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CAMBERWELL FIRE

FIRE TRAGEDY RAISES TOWER BLOCK SAFETY FEARS

The weekend’s fire tragedy, which claimed six lives, has raised concerns across the housing sector regarding the inherent safety of such high rise structures: especially as Lakanal House – one of eight similar blocks on Camberwell’s Sceaux Gardens Estate in South London – had recently undergone extensive refurbishment.

Early reports suggested that the victims had been trapped on the 11th floor of the 12 storey building as fire crews battled to contain the blaze, while some survivors described scenes of panic and confusion as people tried to exit the building after the alarm was raised.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, described the fire as a “horrendous incident” and confirmed that a full investigation would begin immediately. The speed at which the fire and smoke spread through the flats will be of as much interest to investigators as the original cause, when Building Regulations call for doors, dividing walls and floors between each level to achieve extended periods of fire resistance or ‘compartmentation’.

Reports on past fires in occupied buildings – as opposed to the Hendon blaze where the block was under construction – have pointed the finger at inoperative alarms, poor detailing, the creation of service penetrations between floors, and the specification of non-fire resistant materials in areas such as soffits, spandrels and for the fitting out of communal areas as being to blame for fires failing to be contained.

Answers and possibly remedial action will be needed swiftly if Lakanal’s residents are to return to their homes, or for those living in other buildings dating from the post war era, to feel safe.

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Readers Views

Comments by: Mr Mike Ingram, Chief Building Control Officer, Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council, www.tmbc.gov.uk

"It seems to me that you are correct in saying that modern Building Regulations would require protective measures for these flats, but surely the point is that they were built before Building Regulations came into force in 1965. Prior to that they would have been built to the old LCC bylaws."

Editors Note: We would like to thank Mr Mike Ingram for bringing a point on historical accuracy to our attention regarding the likely design guidelines for the property's original construction

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Readers Views

Comments by: Mr Christopher James, Engineer, www.puresilica.com

"It is my understanding that the current building regulations do not cover the fire protection of elevations facing either internal atriums or in the case of this fire the outer glazed elevation.

It would appear from the photographs released via the media that the external glazed elevation would have had virtually no fire protection and thus fire would have spread rapidly from one flat to another through this week face of each flat.

It is pure good fortune that more flats did not succumb to the fire."

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Building Schools for the Future will continue as planned despite the pressure on public finances, according to the children’s secretary.

Speaking on the BBC’s Today programme, Ed Balls insisted that spending on schools will continue to rise and can be paid for from savings within the Department for Children, Schools and Families’ budget.

“I can guarantee – and will announce in the next few weeks – our Building Schools for the Future plans will carry on in future years,” he said.

Balls’ comments have been criticised by the Conservatives, who have accused the government of “deceit, dishonesty and deception” by announcing a programme of spending commitments while postponing any decision on cuts until after the election.

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In his latest desperate attempt to stay in power, Gordon Brown has churned out yet another initiative that appears rather like a party manifesto, this one being Building Britain’s Future.  According to the Government’s website, it “is a radical vision for a fairer, stronger and more prosperous society” and will ensure better education, shorter NHS waiting lists and provide new measures to drive economic growth, as well as create jobs and new homes.

What does this mean for the construction industry?  Not much, according to the Tory Party, which raised doubts about the £1.5 billion planned for social housing to create 110,000 new homes over just two years.

Apparently, half of the funding will come from the Communities and Local Government department budget, while the rest will be raised from 'under spends' from other departments.

Amongst a number of announcements the Government has made before are plans to introduce a Floods Bill to protect vulnerable communities – this was first promised last May, so whether anything will come of this is debatable.

Additionally, there will be powers for local authorities to give priority on council house waiting lists to local people over migrants – this is significant, because, for the first time, it is a clear admission from the Government that immigration is having a huge impact on housing.  Having admitted there is a shortage, it will now have to tackle the issue as to how the supply of social housing has fallen far behind the demand for it - waiting lists have grown by over 60 per cent in just six years.

The Government predicts that 252,000 households will need to be formed every year until 2031 but, without immigration, this figure would see the number of extra dwellings required reduced to 153,000.

In response to the launch of 'Building Britain's Future', Richard Parker, partner and head of housing at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, said: “The use of past, present and future tenses in statements on housing resources make it difficult to disentangle previous spending commitments from spending that is being brought forward and truly new spending.

“But it does appear that £1.5bn of new money has been found and if it really is available to spend in the next two years, the Housing Minister will have no difficulty putting it to good use.  Although beyond London and the South East, its ability to unlock stalled housing sites with large amounts of housing for sale might be limited.”

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Last week’s CIH Conference in Harrogate saw the launch of an important new document destined to save the sector many millions of pounds, while also addressing the core demand for more affordable accommodation.

“Managing Voids, Letting Homes” is the latest Practice Brief from the Chartered Institute of Housing and has been produced in association with void services specialist, SitexOrbis.

For the first time, this A4, full colour guide, sets out a structured approach for landlords on dealing with properties that come vacant, improving them where necessary, and getting them let again speedily.

Steve Benson, President of the CIH, commented: “As well as championing innovative and new practice, the Chartered Institute of Housing recognises that getting core practice right is fundamental to delivering good quality services that are valued by tenants and residents.

David Walker, The Chief Executive for SitexOrbis, added: “Any home that stands empty for more than a few hours represents a waste to the sector – to the housing providers and their funders as well as those people who are in housing need. Up until now there has not been a single voice on the subject. What we have through the involvement of the Chartered Institute of Housing is an ‘end to end’ approach to the problem. It has taken the CIH to make this happen.”

Priced at £15, the Managing Voids practice brief sets out an easy to implement regime for any RSL, divided into checklists, explanatory text, and case studies on examples of good practice. The guide explains how such principles as ‘systems thinking’ and ‘lean management’ can be borrowed from the manufacturing industry.

Last week’s CIH Conference in Harrogate saw the launch of an important new document destined to save the sector many millions of pounds, while also addressing the core demand for more affordable accommodation.

“Managing Voids, Letting Homes” is the latest Practice Brief from the Chartered Institute of Housing and has been produced in association with void services specialist, SitexOrbis.

For the first time, this A4, full colour guide, sets out a structured approach for landlords on dealing with properties that come vacant, improving them where necessary, and getting them let again speedily.

Steve Benson, President of the CIH, commented: “As well as championing innovative and new practice, the Chartered Institute of Housing recognises that getting core practice right is fundamental to delivering good quality services that are valued by tenants and residents.

David Walker, The Chief Executive for SitexOrbis, added: “Any home that stands empty for more than a few hours represents a waste to the sector – to the housing providers and their funders as well as those people who are in housing need. Up until now there has not been a single voice on the subject. What we have through the involvement of the Chartered Institute of Housing is an ‘end to end’ approach to the problem. It has taken the CIH to make this happen.”

Priced at £15, the Managing Voids practice brief sets out an easy to implement regime for any RSL, divided into checklists, explanatory text, and case studies on examples of good practice. The guide explains how such principles as ‘systems thinking’ and ‘lean management’ can be borrowed from the manufacturing industry.

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