Building News is an information portal for all professional building specifiers. Here you can find all of the latest construction news from around the UK and the rest of the world.

Grenfell Tower update: insulation and tiles failed fire safety tests

Police have confirmed that the blaze was started by a faulty Hotpoint fridge freezer and that the insulation used in the refurbishment was actually more flammable and contributory to the inferno than the cladding tiles.

In a statement to the press, Detective Superintendent Fiona McCormack said “preliminary tests show the insulation samples collected from Grenfell Tower combusted soon after the tests started. The initial tests on the equivalent aluminium composite tiles failed also.” McCormack also confirmed that the police are now planning on investigating the manner in which the tiles were fixed to the building and how the installation process attributed to the fire.

Although the current death toll sits at 9 at the time of writing, it is expected to rise to 79 as more of the charred building becomes accessible to recovery teams. Manslaughter charges are currently being considered.

Thousands of households across the UK have been warned this week that the buildings they live in are also clad in similar flammable systems, or around 600 towers according to estimates from the Communities and Local Government. This is now a matter of high urgency to rectify, to prevent similar accidents happening in the future.

David Orr, Chief Executive at the National Housing Federation, said “Since the tragic fire that took place last Wednesday at Grenfell Tower, housing associations across the country have worked tirelessly to reassure tenants, carry out additional safety checks and, in London, offer support to the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea.

“Right now, housing associations are working closely with DCLG to identify and test any tower blocks with ACM (aluminium composite material) cladding. And, while the cause of the fire and its spread remains unconfirmed, housing associations will be scrupulous in carrying out other fire safety checks for example on sprinklers, smoke control systems and emergency procedures.

“We want to reassure residents of these blocks that testing on your building does not necessarily mean that it is unsafe, and in instances where cladding is found to be combustible, action will be taken.

“As always, the sector’s first priority is its residents. We will work in partnership with local authorities and fire services across the country to ensure people in tower blocks are safe and secure.”

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Queen’s speech: industry reaction

There was much food for thought in the Queen’s speech, which took place today. Touching on key areas of our sector, on subjects such as housing skills, energy and infrastructure, the speech piqued the interest of construction professionals throughout. Buildingspecifier takes a look at what industry experts have to say in response:

Skills

The Government’s Immigration Bill must ensure that British business has access to sufficient levels of EU workers or major construction projects will grind to a halt, the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has said in response to the Queen’s Speech.

Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, said “In terms of today’s Queen’s Speech and the focus of British business, all eyes are on the Immigration Bill. As suspected, we now know that the Bill will end the free movement of people but that begs the question: what will replace it? The Government has not set out what our post-Brexit immigration system will look like but it is crucial that key strategic industries, such as construction, are able to draw upon sufficient numbers of EU workers. EU tradespeople have come to play a crucial part in plugging the industry’s chronic skills gap and if the ability to employ non-UK workers is curtailed, the Government’s housing and infrastructure plans will be no more than a pipe dream.”

“Already, we’re starting to see a dramatic drop off in immigration from the kinds of countries that have typically supplied the construction sector with skilled talent. Statistics released today by Oxford University’s Migration Observatory show a 35% fall in the number of national insurance numbers being issued to nationals from the ‘EU8’ countries that joined the EU in 2004. A lack of certainty over what rights EU citizens will have in the country post-Brexit will undoubtedly be a factor behind this decline. Given the ongoing need to recruit from abroad, we need a clear message from the Government that non-UK skilled workers are welcome now, and will be welcome come what May.”

“The sector stands ready to work with MPs to shape the Immigration Bill into something that serves the economy and provides vital human resource to British business. The construction industry is also ready to significantly upscale the training and recruitment of UK construction workers so we welcome the recommitment to a proper industrial strategy and high skilled learning. In the longer term, being able to train more of our own workforce is without question part of the solution to our enduring skills deficit. Nevertheless, the Government must be pragmatic and introduce an immigration flexible system that allows skilled EU nationals to work in the UK with relative ease.”

Energy

Responding to the Queen’s Speech, RenewableUK’s Executive Director Emma Pinchbeck said “We welcome the Government’s commitment to a new modern Industrial Strategy. Wind, wave and tidal energy are new industries which are already creating highly-skilled, high-paid jobs, exporting around the world. Renewables can and should be the engine room of the Government’s flagship Industrial Strategy, driving our low-carbon economy.

“The need to reduce energy bills for consumers was also rightly highlighted in the Queen’s Speech. Renewable energy technologies are making record-breaking cost reductions, and clean energy tariffs are now competing with traditional low-cost tariffs to provide consumers with lower bills – we should continue this trend.

“It was important that the Government reaffirmed its strong support for action on climate change, including the implementation of the Paris Agreement. President Trump’s decision to turn his back on this has been greeted with bafflement and incomprehension in the US energy sector, as the global renewable energy market is worth $290 billion a year. The UK Government is showing leadership on energy policy and environmental issues which matter to the majority of the British public”.

Housing

Responding to today’s Queen’s Speech, Chartered Institute of Housing chief executive Terrie Alafat CBE said “We need an ambitious, long-term plan to tackle our housing crisis so it is encouraging to hear the government’s commitment to get more homes built and to bring forward the measures outlined in its housing white paper.

“But it’s not just about building more homes, it’s about building more affordable homes for people on lower incomes. We believe more investment is urgently needed in genuinely affordable homes to rent. Figures released this week revealed that the number of homes for social rent built with government funding dropped by 51 per cent in 2016/17. One of the new government’s priorities should be rebalancing the housing budget – affordable housing currently accounts for just 16 per cent of total direct investment.”

She added “CIH has been calling for a ban on letting agent fees so it’s good to see draft legislation being brought forward to tackle this issue.”

Terrie Alafat said the continuing uncertainty over the future funding of supported housing risks undermining government moves to provide appropriate services for our ageing population. She said “We are still waiting for the consultation on the government’s proposal to extend the Local Housing Allowance cap to supported housing, which is designed for people who need extra support, such as older people or people with a mental or physical disability. It’s absolutely vital that the government moves quickly on this issue. Supported housing schemes provide homes for some of the most vulnerable people in our society, and our ageing population means that demand is only increasing. We know that many supported housing providers will have put sites on hold while we wait for a decision on future funding and continuing uncertainty could be very damaging.”

Infrastructure

Richard Threlfall, KPMG’s UK Head of Infrastructure, Building and Construction comments “This is a critical investment that will enable Britain to build the infrastructure needed to rebalance our country’s economic wealth.

“Today’s announcement connects more of our major cities to a high speed rail network, and takes us a step closer to creating a Northern Powerhouse.

“The commitment recognises the dismal state of links between the heart of the UK and its Northern cities today. This should finally turn the tide and help the North regain its historic prominence in the UK economy.

“Government, local political and business leaders now need to come together and develop the connectivity that HS2 offers into an overall vision for the development of the North.
“The objective is clear – a vibrant, successful and integrated northern economy that our children will be proud to inherit. Today’s announcement brings us an important step closer to that.”

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“Dear Prime Minister,” open letter to government from industry following Grenfell disaster

The UK Government has been urged to scrap its approach to deregulation of health and safety legislation in the light of the Grenfell Tower blaze.

In an open letter to Prime Minister Theresa May, over 70 leading organisations and figures from the UK’s safety and health profession have jointly called for a political sea change in attitude towards health and safety regulation and fire risk management following the tragedy.

The collective has also pressed the Government to complete its review of Part B of the Building Regulations 2010 – the regulations which cover fire safety within and around buildings in England – as a matter of urgency, and to include a focus on improved safety in the forthcoming Parliament.

The letter is signed by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), Park Health & Safety, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) and the British Safety Council.

The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH), Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA), International Institute of Risk & Safety Management (IIRSM), National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH), Trades Union Congress (TUC) and Unite the union have also given it their backing, alongside senior health and safety professionals.

“We believe it is totally unacceptable for residents, members of the public and our emergency services to be exposed to this level of preventable risk in modern-day Britain,” the letter states.

“At this crucial time of national reflection and sorrow, we urge all politicians to re-emphasise the need for effective health and safety regulation and competent fire risk management. These are fundamental to saving lives and sustaining our communities.

“We believe it is vital that this disaster marks a turning point for improved fire safety awareness and wider appreciation that good health and safety is an investment, not a cost.”
In calling on the UK Government to complete its review of Part B of The Building Regulations 2010, the signatories add: “Together, we offer our organisations’ support in undertaking the review – we all have valuable links to experts in this area who can advise on best regulatory outcomes. In the meantime, we welcome the Government’s commitment to act and to implement the interim findings of the forthcoming public inquiry.

“You have it in your power to remove immediately a further risk to people at work and outside of the workplace – unwise deregulation – which threatens public and worker safety.
“We, leaders in health and safety in the UK, call on you to scrap the Government’s approach to health and safety deregulation and think again.”

The open letter, in full, is as follows:

Dear Prime Minister,
There have, understandably, been strong public reactions to the terrible fire at Grenfell Tower and its tragic consequences – the largest civilian loss of life from a single event in the UK since the Hillsborough disaster.

The occupational safety and health community is deeply saddened and disturbed by the Grenfell Tower fire and all the lives it claimed. We believe it is totally unacceptable for residents, members of the public and our emergency services to be exposed to this level of preventable risk in modern-day Britain.

Central Government and the Kensington and Chelsea local authority share responsibility for building standards and their enforcement locally, as well as for the funding and management of the maintenance of social housing. These responsibilities must be backed up with good, essential regulations.

However, for many years, Ministers and others with influence over them have called for, including in health and safety, regulations to be axed as a matter of principle. Arbitrary rules were imposed to establish deregulation of health and safety, such as a requirement to abolish two health and safety regulations (and more recently, three) for any new one adopted.

This mind-set has meant that, even when it was recommended and accepted that mandatory fitting of sprinklers would make homes or schools safer, this was rejected in favour of non-regulatory action. In practice, this approach favours inaction.

Good, well-evidenced and proportionate regulations in health and safety, based on full consultation, are developed and adopted because they save lives and protect people’s health and wellbeing. They are not “burdens on business” but provide essential protection for the public from identifiable risks.

At this crucial time of national reflection and sorrow, we urge all politicians to re-emphasise the need for effective health and safety regulation and competent fire risk management. These are fundamental to saving lives and sustaining our communities.

We believe it is vital that this disaster marks a turning point for improved fire safety awareness and wider appreciation that good health and safety is an investment, not a cost.
We call on the Government to accelerate and confirm the timeframe for completing its review of Part B of The Building Regulations 2010 and to include a focus on improved safety in the forthcoming Parliament.

Together, we offer our organisations’ support in undertaking the review – we all have valuable links to experts in this area who can advise on best regulatory outcomes. In the meantime, we welcome the Government’s commitment to act and to implement the interim findings of the forthcoming public inquiry.

You have it in your power to remove immediately a further risk to people at work and outside of the workplace – unwise deregulation – which threatens public and worker safety.

We, leaders in health and safety in the UK, call on you to scrap the Government’s approach to health and safety deregulation and think again. This could be announced immediately, it does not need to await the results of a public inquiry, and is the least that the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire deserve.

Yours sincerely,

Park Health and Safety
Lawrence Waterman OBE
Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH)
Graham Parker, President
Bev Messinger, Chief Executive
Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA)
Errol Taylor, Acting Chief Executive
British Safety Council
Lynda Armstrong OBE, Chair
Mike Robinson, Chief Executive
Also supported by:
Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH)
Anne Godfrey, Chief Executive
Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA)
Peter Crosland, Civil Engineering Director
International Institute of Risk & Safety Management (IIRSM)
Siobhan Donnelly, President
Phillip Pearson, Chief Executive
National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH)
Teresa Budworth, Chief Executive
Trades Union Congress (TUC)
Hugh Robertson, Senior Health and Safety Officer
Unite the union
Susan Murray, National Health and Safety Adviser

Stephen Asbury CFIOSH
James Barnes BSc (Hons) LFOH
Karen Baxter CMIOSH
Roger Bibbings MBE
Joe Brannigan LLB (hons) DipLP PgDip Construction Law CMIOSH
Melanie Boucher, MSc CMIOSH
David Brown RSP FIIRSM DipNEBOSH MIOSH MILM
Professor Neil Budworth MSc CFIOSH FIIRSM HonFFOM
Dr Tim Carter
Iris Cepero, Editor, Safety Management magazine
Professor John Cherrie PhD CFFOH
Arnold Clements BSc, MSc CMIOSH CEng MEI
Philip J Cullen BSc (Hons) CMIOSH
Declan Davis CMIOSH
Brian Donnachie BA (Hons) CMIOSH
Phil Dyson-Hurrell MIIRSM
Coenraad Fourie
Lisa Fowlie MSc BSc CFIOSH FIIRSM
Shelley Frost BSc (Hons), Post Grad DipOHS, Executive Director – Policy, IOSH
Professor Alistair Gibb PhD CEng MICE MCIOB, Loughborough University
Melodie Gilbert
Dr David Gold PhD CMIOSH, Chair, IOSH Fire Risk Management Group
Robert Hackett
Neil Hancox CMIOSH, Managing Director, Safety Intervention Services
Anne Harris
Cllr Ali Hashem
Andy Hawkes, Deputy President, IIRSM
Angela Hayden CFIOSH
Clinton Horn CFIOSH
Andrew Hoskins MSc CMIOSH FIIRSM PIEMA
Chris Hughes BSc, LTT Consultancy
Ian Hughes MSc BSc (Hons) Cert Ed Dip2OSH SPDipEM CMIOSH
Kelvin Hughes CMIOSH
Dr Roberta Jacobson OBE
Clive Johnson, Council Member, IIRSM
Ann Jones MBE CFIOSH
Wayne Jones, Chair, Cardiff & South East Wales Occupational Health and Safety Group
Wendy Jones
Martin Lovegrove CMIOSH MIIRSM PIEMA
James McDonald BSc CMIOSH MREHIS
Denis Murphy CMIOSH MIIRSM RMaPS
Cllr Caroline Needham
John O’Keeffe CMIOSH
Shirley Parsons MSc CMIOSH
Louise Phillipson
Stu Pollard BSc, PgCert CMIOSH
Ian Rabett CMIOSH
Dylan Roberts
Angela Rudkin Tech IOSH
Mike Salmon MSc, CFIOSH
Jonathan Schifferes MA
Jim Senior CMIOSH
Phil Sidman MIFE, MIFPO
Karl Simons MSc MIoD CMIOSH
Dr Susan Tannahill CMIOSH
Mohammad Torabi BSc MSc MA CMIOSH
Ceiran Trow CMFOH
Graham Twigg MSc CMIOSH PIEMA
Michelle Twigg MSc CMIOSH
Alex Vaughan
Dr Emma Wadsworth, Cardiff University
Professor David Walters, Cardiff University
Louise Ward BSc (Hons) CMIOSH
Selina Woolcott BSc (Hons) DipOHS CMIOSH

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Boost for Modular Buildings and Education

The prospects for capital investment in the education sector have received a boost as the shift towards modular buildings takes another step forward with a national £225 million framework going live this month (June).

Fusion21 has appointed nine companies to its Education Modular Buildings Framework, which will run for the next four years (Project ID: 17062841).

Councils, academies, colleges and universities can all access the framework, which is split into four lots. Wernick is the biggest winner after landing the role of sole supplier in lots three and four covering modular construction work valued at £750,000 or more.

Andy King, Wernick’s managing director, says that modular construction can reduce spending and build time by 50%. “Despite the many benefits the method offers, modular has long suffered from an image problem when it comes to classrooms,” writes Mr King on the company’s blog. “Historic perceptions of box-like demountable classrooms, with low quality finishes, can obscure the image of what modern day modular can achieve.”

The framework is a positive indicator for companies working on modular buildings and a boost for the wider education sector, which has suffered a number of setbacks in recent years.

A 2010 decision taken by the newly elected coalition government to cancel the £55 billion Building Schools for the Future Programme (BSF) programme put in place by the previous Labour administration led to more than 700 school projects being cancelled.

Austerity measures put in place by the subsequent Conservative government have not helped workload, particularly through local authority investment. Glenigan’s research shows that after rising by 20% in 2015, the underlying value of education projects starting on site slumped 3% last year.

Workloads suffered in England in particular with heavy falls in the underlying value of starts in the North East, West Midlands and Yorkshire and Humberside.

There are few indications of any improvement. In the quarter to April 2017, the underlying value of education projects starting on site slumped by 29% according to Glenigan’s research and there is little sign of more work materialising in the pipeline.

In the quarter to April 2017, the underlying value of education projects given planning approval contracted by 12% and the fall over the past year is even larger at 17%. As a result, Glenigan is forecasting a 7% fall in education starts for 2017.

These economic trends make greater strides towards more modular building in the education sector all the more important.

After BSF was ditched, contractor Laing O’Rourke and consultant Atkins developed a plan for a modular school capable of holding 1,300 pupils, which at £14.3 million was £6 million cheaper than an equivalent school under BSF.<

In December 2016, this partnership, Select Schools, delivered a 1,200-pupil secondary school in Manchester, Dean Trust Ardwick High School, in a record 12 months.

Richard Johnston, an architectural associate at Atkins, explained “By using offsite technology, we were not only able to drastically reduce construction time, we were able to minimise waste and work within a heavily constrained site. Construction of the school could begin in the factory before site clearance and demolitions were complete. All of this was achieved without compromising the integrity of the teaching and learning environments.”

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Chancellor confirms cladding used on Grenfell Tower is actually banned in UK

In an interview with the BBC Chancellor Philip Hammond has confirmed that the non-fire-resistant cladding attributed to the quick spreading of fire at Grenfell Tower is in fact banned in many countries, including the UK.

In an interview with Andrew Marr, the Chancellor said “My understanding is the cladding in question, this flammable cladding which is banned in Europe and the US, is also banned here. So there are two separate questions. One, are our regulations correct; do they permit the right kind of materials and ban the wrong kind of materials? The second question is; were they correctly complied with?

“That will be a subject that the inquiry will look at. It will also be a subject that the criminal investigation will be looking at.”

The fire prevention industry comments:

The Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP) said “The incident highlights a number of concerns regarding fire safety in the built environment and demonstrates how vigilant we must all be when designing, supplying and installing fire protection in buildings.

“Compartmentation and structural fire protection play a vital role in protecting escape routes and slowing the spread of fire and smoke. But there can be tragic consequences which may ensue if such systems are not adequately specified, installed and maintained; or are bypassed by rapid fire spread outside the building as may have happened at Grenfell House.”

The Fire Sector Federation (FSF) added “Although a fire on such a scale is unprecedented in the UK, there have been a number of similar incidents both here and around the world. The FSF has long expressed major concerns about the apparent disjoint in the processes which aim to ensure fire safety within the built environment, as well as concerns about the combustibility of certain modern building materials.

“While we must wait for a full investigation into the cause of the fire and the reasons for such rapid fire spread in this tragic incident, the Fire Sector Federation will be continuing to campaign for improvements in fire safety legislation and in ensuring the safety of the public and our built environment.

“This tragedy will be felt throughout the fire sector, where all our efforts are focussed on ensuring the safety of our communities and of ensuring that our buildings are adequately protected.”

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Sajid Javid confirms emergency funding is available for Grenfell Tower survivors

Sajid Javid confirms government emergency assistance scheme activated to support immediate response operation following incident at Grenfell Tower.

Communities Secretary Sajid Javid has confirmed that a government emergency scheme – the Bellwin scheme – will be activated to support the immediate response operation following the horrific incident at Grenfell Tower in London.

Under the scheme, financial assistance is available to local authorities to help with immediate costs following a disaster or emergency in their area that involves danger to life or property. They can apply to have 100% of their eligible costs above a threshold reimbursed.

Communities Secretary Sajid Javid said “First and foremost my thoughts are with the residents and families of those affected by the horrific incident at Grenfell Tower. Emergency services and the local community have been tremendous in their response.

“As the Prime Minister has been clear, the Government stands ready to help in anyway possible. We’re determined to stand squarely behind the affected communities.

“Funding through the Bellwin scheme will help councils support the community to get back on their feet.”

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, added “We are all deeply saddened by this terrible tragedy and are determined that all necessary support will be there for victims and their families.

“That is why we have made emergency funding available so the local council can provide much-needed services to everybody affected.

“Housing Minister Alok Sharma also confirmed that working with Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, the Government will guarantee that every single family from Grenfell Tower will be rehoused in the local area.”

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Theresa May confirms there will be an inquiry into Grenfell Tower fire

Prime Minister Theresa May visited the scene this morning and witnessed the overwhelming devastation for herself. With many questions arising as to why the cladding allowed the fire to spread from the bottom of the tower to the top in just 15 minutes, she said that community around the Grenfell Tower are right to demand answers.

Confirming that an official enquiry will take place, she said “We need to ensure that this tragedy is fully investigated. People deserve answers. The inquiry will give them.”

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said “The Metropolitan Police have confirmed that tragically 17 people are now known to have died in the terrible fire at Grenfell Tower. Sadly this figure is likely to rise, and my thoughts and prayers remain with all those affected.

“Today the fire has been brought under control and the fire brigade and our other emergency services are continuing to work heroically. The operation is now shifting from the search and rescue phase to the recovery phase.

“Under these circumstances the full scale of the tragedy is becoming clear and there are pressing questions, which demand urgent answers.

This news follows the earlier announcement that fire checks will be carried out on all revamped blocks in the country.

Listen to the audio from Theresa May’s interview on the subject below:

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Refurbished London tower block blaze UPDATE

Fatality figures are beginning to emerge at the 24-storey tower block blaze currently being tackled 200 by firefighters in West London today.

The inferno, which broke out in the early hours of morning and quickly engulfed the entire building, has put 50 people in hospital so far.

Grenfell tower at the Lancaster West Estate in Kensington is comprised of 120 homes and 600+ residents, many as of yet still inaccessible to firefighters.

Eyewitnesses have claimed that the rapid spread of fire seems to be due to the plastic cladding system.

The building itself recieved an £8.6m refurbishment in 2015 delivered by Contractor Rydon. As part of this, block of flats were externally fitted with new rain screen cladding, a new curtain wall façade and replacement windows to improving thermal insulation and aesthetics.

Contractor Harley Curtain Wall, who fitted the facade, fell into administration soon after.

More to follow.

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Welsh government and home builders sign pact to boost housing supply

Communities and Children Secretary Carl Sargeant today launched a pact with the Home Builders Federation and the Federation of Master Builders to help boost the supply of market housing in Wales.

The Cabinet Secretary sealed the agreement on a visit to Edenstone Homes, a housing developer building homes across South Wales and South West England, in Magor, along with representatives of both organisations.

The aim of the pact is to set out a number of commitments for all parties that would help deliver against housing targets. It builds on the House Builders’ Engagement Programme which was established by the Welsh Government and the Home Builders Federation in 2014. The Federation of Master Builders has been invited to join the partnership to represent those building on a smaller scale.

Launching the pact, Carl Sargeant said “While recent figures published show that the numbers of new homes started and completed in Wales last year were at their second highest level since the start of the recession in 2007-8, there is still an acute need for more homes across Wales. As the Cabinet Secretary with responsibility for Housing, I have made clear, my commitment to increasing housing supply.

“This pact, developed in partnership with the Home Builders Federation, the Federation of Master Builders and their members, will help deliver on our commitment to increase housing supply. It signals a positive step forward, and reflects our strong relationship with the house builders, which is vitally important to ensure the successful delivery of market and affordable housing across Wales.

“I look forward to continue working them to ensure the people of Wales are provided with the homes they need.”

Stewart Basely, executive chairman of HBF said “The Pact provides a framework for housebuildersto work with the Welsh Government to develop policies that will allow desperately needed homes to be delivered. Together we need to create an environment that allows the industry to invest in the land, people and supply chains required to increase output to meet the acute demand for housing.”

Ifan Glyn, Director FMB Cymru said “Although in-roads have been made of late, a lot of work needs to be done if we are to build the numbers of homes required to meet demand. This pact brings together the main players that need to work closely if we are to achieve this objective.

“Federation of Master Builders members are all small local firms, once the main drivers of house building here in Wales. Over a number of decades they have increasingly become mere marginal players in the market which has hampered the capacity of the industry to deliver the homes we need. We hope this pact acts as a catalyst to reverse this trend. We look forward to working in a progressive, innovative, and positive way with ourpartners to make this happen.”

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Mayor outlines ambition to make London world’s leading ‘Smart City’

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today outlined his vision for London to become the world’s leading ‘Smart City’ – with digital technology and data at the heart of making the capital an even better place to live, work and invest.

Speaking at the launch of London Tech Week, Sadiq said technology is essential to solving many of the biggest economic, social and environmental challenges we face. He called on the global tech community to help tackle issues such air pollution, housing and the future of transport.

As part of his plans, the Mayor has today unveiled a new £1.6m Clean Tech Incubator called Better Futures which will help 100 London-based small businesses to deliver low-carbon and clean-tech products to tackle the causes and effects of climate change.

Better Futures will help kick start the development of a clean-tech cluster for London, developing a hub for low-carbon industries in the capital.

London is already Europe’s leading tech hub, attracting talent, innovation and investment from around the world. However, the Mayor wants to see the capital become the leading global city in the use of smart technologies and data to improve public services and city life. According to a recent report by IESE Centre for Globalisation and Strategy, London is already Europe’s leading smart city, and is second only to New York in the global rankings.1

In his speech to London’s tech community, the Mayor reaffirmed his pledge to appoint London’s first Chief Digital Officer (CDO). Recruitment has now begun to find the new CDO who will work with the Mayor’s Office, the Mayor’s Smart London Board, local authorities and the technology sector to drive the development of smart city technologies and to build London’s reputation as the city that the world looks to for leadership in urban innovation.

The Mayor’s Office is also currently scoping the potential for a new London Office of Technology and Innovation to provide a place where London’s boroughs can come together to share best practice, build collaboration and drive solutions to the challenges they face.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said “As Mayor of this great city – the best city in the world – it fills me with pride to see our tech sector thriving. New technologies are having an enormous impact on our way of life – reshaping our societies, our economies and our culture.

“My ambition now is to harness the new technologies that are being pioneered right here to transform London into the world’s leading smart city.

“The potential for cutting-edge technology to tackle a host of social, economic and environmental challenges is immeasurable. From air pollution and climate change to housing and transport, new technologies and data science will be at the heart of the long-term solutions to urban challenges.”

One year on from the UK’s vote to leave the EU, the Mayor will also seek to reassure the global tech community that London remains open to talent and investment from all over the world. New data from EY shows that London is Europe’s leading city for foreign direct investment into the technology sector, attracting significantly more investment projects, than any other European city, in each year during the last decade. International investors also ranked London as a leading global tech hub, with London featuring in the three highest ranked cities with the potential to produce the next global tech giant.

To coincide with the launch of London Tech Week, the Mayor officially opened Plexal, Europe’s newest technology innovation destination, forming Europe’s biggest business innovation ecosystem at Here East. Spanning 68,000 square feet, Plexal has been built on the principles of a mini City & will support 800 technology start-ups & global corporations from across the world.

Claire Cockerton CEO of Plexal and London Tech Week ambassador, said “Plexal will become a truly unique innovation destination not only for London but the rest of the World. The success of London’s technology sector has been built on a strong culture of collaboration and entrepreneurial spirit. At Plexal, our mission is to become the beating heart of inventive enterprise; connected, intelligent & dynamic – where people join forces, ideas spark & new business is born.”

Also at today’s event, the former British Paralympic gold medallists, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson and Lord Chris Holmes MBE, launched The Global Disability Innovation Programme, a new accelerator designed to encourage the development of technologies to improve the lives of people living with disabilities.

The programme, which is run in partnership with Plexal and UCL, will bring together disabled and able-bodies experts, users and start-ups with corporates to accelerate the development of innovative businesses and products around disability.

Entrepreneurs and start-ups on the programme will focus on the development of innovations in areas such as accessible and affordable housing, transportation and how big data and analytics can be used to have a positive impact on the lives of disabled people around the world.

Lord Chris Holmes, announced today as Chair of the Global Disability Innovation Hub, said “I am absolutely delighted to Chair the Global Disability Innovation Hub (GDI Hub) and to be a part of a project with such potential to transform lives. I have personally benefited from assistive technology and believe truly inclusive design not only removes barriers to disabled people but also, essentially, benefits everyone by leading to ground breaking technological solutions or applications and truly excellent design. Technology is neutral but is an incredible tool in the hands of humans and the ways in which we respond to the 4th industrial revolution and the benefits we achieve will be a measure of our civilisation. I’m looking forward to the role the GDI Hub will play in this mission, we have a brilliant team and I relish the challenge before us.”

Also speaking at today’s London Tech Week launch was Steven Armstrong, Group Vice President and President, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Ford Motor Company. He announced that Ford will open a dedicated Smart Mobility Innovation Office at Here East focusing on future mobility solutions for Europe.

A dedicated team of Ford specialists will work alongside world-class digital companies, leading academic institutions and existing partners as it targets the near-term commercialisation of smart mobility solutions that meet the needs of Europe’s major cities.

Gavin Poole, CEO of Here East, said “The success of London’s flourishing tech sector is partly due to the collaboration between entrepreneurs, established businesses, academics and policy makers. As the tech community comes together at Here East for the launch of London Tech Week, we are delighted that Ford is joining our campus as it accelerates its capabilities to develop urban mobility solutions for Europe and that Plexal, Europe’s largest technology innovation destination has opened its doors.”

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